Sweet Demise

Author: Jennnillu

Pairing: W/A...with a little W/S

Rating: NC-17 (overall)

Archived at: www.geocities.com/seeing_reddd

Disclaimer: I humbly borrow, twisting and bending plots to my will.

Summary: Spike shows up, there's a spell...Willow finds herself in a bit of a sticky situation...Angel to the rescue...or something like that...It's gonna be a dark one folks...but then it wouldn't be mine if it wasn't dark:)

Spoilers: Set in season 4, during Initiative...But Spike didn't get his chip

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~Part: 1~

Willow knew it was a mistake, the minute the door opened, and she suspected that one tiny lapse in judgment would lead to her demise. Spike sauntered in, the redhead immediately jumping up from where she had been sulking on the bed. In a desperate attempt to escape, she ran toward the door, but Spike caught her easily enough, throwing the slight girl back onto the bed. Now, nearly thirty minutes later, she continued to sit, her eyes darting back and forth between the door and the vampire as the blond routed through her spell books and magic supplies with no explanation what so ever. In fact, other than slinging several threats at the girl, Spike had said very little at all.

"Where the hell is it?!" He shouted suddenly, startling Willow as he threw another book over his shoulder.

"You know, hurting the books isn't going to help," she told him haughtily, growing more frustrated with each minute and every book he tore apart.

Spike slowly turned his head and eyed the girl, glaring at her as if he had forgotten she was in the room, and Willow immediately regretting speaking.

"Um, I could probably help, if I knew what you were looking for," she added a little more quietly.

"Right, I'm sure you'd just love to help the evil vampire find his spell."

"I-if it means that you'll leave sooner, I'd be happy to help," she explained, sounding timid and unsure.

The vampire paused, thinking for a moment, before finally grinning and telling her the name of the spell. It was a very old one, and not a spell she had ever studied, but the name did sound very familiar.

Suddenly she remembered. She had seen the spell he was searching for in a book she had "borrowed" from Giles, forgetting to actually ask for it. Jumping up, she ran to a large chest of magic supplies and pulled the book out, flipping through until she found the spell.

"This it?"

Spike grabbed the book from her and looked it over, an evil grin growing across his face as his eyes devoured the words, causing Willow to grow increasingly uncomfortable. She suddenly found herself wishing that she knew more about whatever spell Spike wanted.

"Good job, pet," Spike told her, standing up, book in hand.

Willow was tired of hearing him call her little nicknames, as if they were friends, or more, and she desperately wanted the vampire to leave. "Spike, stop with the names, already. Geesh, I'm not your pet, and I'm never going to be. You have your book, so now you can leave, and do whatever evil thing it is you have planned, preferably far, far away from here, right?"

The blond glared at her for a moment, before speaking again, as if she had never said anything at all. "Just the spell I needed. Of course, all this reading has left me feeling a bit peckish. Mind if I take a bite?" At that, the vampire let his demon visage slip forward and he pounced on the girl, knocking her back into the chest of drawers behind her.

"I'll scream," she warned.

Spike simply grinned. "Bonus."

As promised, the moment he leaned his mouth toward her neck, Willow screamed as loudly as possible. Grabbing at her face roughly, Spike covered her mouth and quickly turned up the horrible, whiney music that poured from the radio speakers next to her bed. Tossing her down onto the mattress, Spike leaned over, his fangs just grazing her neck. Closing her eyes tightly, Willow awaited the impending pain of the bite, but was surprised a moment later, when his weight was suddenly gone from atop her.

Looking up, she saw Buffy slam Spike into a wall, before punching him hard. Glancing around, the redhead noticed that Xander and Anya were standing in the doorway.  Scurrying a little further back on the bed, Willow watched as the slayer and vampire fought, Buffy clearly winning the match, before Spike was suddenly kicked and propelled in her direction.

Slamming into the dresser next to Willow's bed, Spike quickly pulled himself up, reaching out and grabbing the book from earlier. Quickly flipping to the correct page, the vampire began to read the words of the spell aloud.

Xander had now moved to Buffy's side, trying to keep one eye on Willow, who was still huddled on the bed, but both he and the slayer stopped as they heard Spike reading the unfamiliar language.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Buffy yelled. "No chanting without permission!" The slayer moved in an attempt to kick the demon, but as her leg swung around, Spike darted out of the way and continued chanting. Buffy found herself flat on her back before jumping up and looking around in surprise, scowling at Anya, who was trying to hold back her giggles.

"You heard the slayer," Xander yelled out. "You got something to say, you share with the rest of the class."

As he continued to chant, Spike began to glow, before he suddenly reached out with lightening speed and grabbed Willow, pulling her to him, her body glowing a bright blue for just a moment, and she let out a scream as searing pain shot through her body.

Both Buffy and Xander lunged forward at hearing the redhead's scream, but stopped, unsure of what move to make when the chanting ended. Before they could take another step, Spike bit down harshly on Willow's neck, though he only took a few gulps before pulling away. The blond vampire looked up with a smug smile, wiping the redhead's blood from his lips. Buffy tried to rush forward, ready to dust the demon once and for all, but quickly found that she was unable to reach them. There seemed to be an invisible shield around the blond vampire and her friend, and Buffy had no idea how to get past it. The glowing quickly faded and Willow went limp, her unconscious body held up only by the vampire.

"What the hell was that?" Xander shouted.

"Okay, I've had just about enough of this. Let her go, now, or I kill you, the long and painful way," Buffy threatened.

Spike chuckled, knowing she couldn't touch him. "Well, just one little problem with that, Slayer. See, I'm definitely not looking to let the girl go, and that little spell I just performed, it bound her to me, so you kill me now, and you kill her." Spike smiled broadly at her, feeling triumphant.

"Fine," Buffy replied, staring defiantly at the demon before her, her hands firmly on her hips. She didn't know what he was talking about, or even if it was true, but the slayer knew she couldn't risk her friend's life to find out. "Then I guess we go for choice number three. I kick your ass until I render you unconscious, we find out what that stupid, little spell was, and THEN I kill you the long and painful way."

Spike gripped the neck of the unconscious girl in his arms and squeezed lightly, smiling at the Slayer. "I'll have her neck snapped before you can lay so much as one finger on me." She knew he was right, and turned to look at the others for some sign of what they thought she should do.

Willow began to come out of the fog. She could feel her body aching, though she couldn't remember why it would be. As she came to, and struggled to open her eyes, she became aware of several things at once. First, she could barely move her body. Second, she was in a lot of pain and her vision was slightly blurry. Third, someone that she could only assume was not one of the good guys was holding her and squeezing her neck slightly, and lastly, she was feeling a very strange, strong pull to whom ever was holding onto her.

Trying desperately to figure out what was going on, and wishing with all of her being that she could make the pain stop, Willow whimpered and tried to call out, though her voice came out as little more than a whisper.

"Bu-Buffy?"

"It's okay, Will. We're right here. Don't worry." She could hear the doubt in the Slayer's voice, causing panic to bubble up inside her.

"Oh god, wh-what's happening?" The redhead whimpered again as the vampire behind her squeezed her neck a little tighter, and she heard him whisper menacingly into her ear.

"Lesson one, pet, you don't say another word unless I give you permission. Understand?"

"What?" She didn't understand. She really, really didn't understand.

He squeezed a little more and twisted one of her arms hard behind her, his fingers digging painfully into her soft skin. Willow tried to scream, though it came out as more of a gasp, due to the hand still tightly wrapped around her throat.

"Not another word, or your punishment will be severe," he growled, again only loud enough for her to hear.

Willow's mind was reeling, and tears began to stream down her face, both from the pain and from the strange compulsion to do what pleased him. She felt disgust at the unnatural pull she was feeling toward the demon hurting her.

Seeing his best friend gasp in pain, Xander stepped forward, raising the stake in his hands.

"Let her go. Right. Now," he demanded through clenched teeth.

"Xander, stop," Buffy called out, grabbing his arm and pulling him back before he hit the invisible barrier. "You heard what he said. Kill him and we kill her."

"Maybe he's lying," Xander reasoned, his tone bitter. "Vampires, not exactly big with the truth."

"Maybe I am lying," Spike responded. "Why don't you test me and find out. `Course if I'm not, your little friend here is dead, all thanks to you. But if you can live with that, please, be my guest."

After considering his words for a moment, Xander took a step back, a defeated look on his face. Looking around and smiling to himself, Spike stopped squeezing Willow's neck, but tightened his hold on the rest of her. He could feel the protective barrier from the spell weakening.

"Well, kids, this has been really great, but I think that my new pet and I really should be going now."

"There is no way I am letting you leave here with her," Buffy warned, stepping towards the slowly retreating vampire.

"Oh, no, I didn't expect that you would," he replied, before snapping his fingers. Suddenly, at least ten vampires came to the door.

"Why don't you invite our friends in, love?" Spike whispered. Willow shook her head wildly, but quickly stilled as his grip tightened painfully. "I'll snap your arm right off if you disobey me," he growled. Gasping in pain, Willow finally whispered an invitation to the waiting vampires, looking up weakly as they charged in, circling the small group in preparation to attack. "I think you're about to be a bit too busy to worry about what I'm doing," he told Buffy with a smug grin. At those words, the minions began to attack. Despite the extreme pain she was in, Willow tried desperately to break free from his grasp, kicking, hitting, doing anything she could, but to no avail.

Grabbing a chunk of red hair roughly, Spike whispered to her, "As much as I like games, you WILL be punished for all your struggling and defiance. You WILL learn to behave, one way or another, PET." With that, he quickly flung her over his shoulder and made his way out of the dorm room.

~Part: 2~

Giles looked at the small, weary group sitting in his living room. They had managed to fight off the group of attacking vampires easily enough, but not before Spike had escaped with Willow. Xander was sitting on the couch, his head in his hands, trying to calm himself, while Anya sat next to him, gently rubbing his back. Buffy was perched on a chair, staring off into space, anger clearly etched in her face.

"A-and you say that while he chanted, he started to glow a bluish color?" Giles questioned as he paced the room, flipped through book after book. He was trying to understand exactly what had taken place. Buffy simply nodded.

"And the language, it was English, or…"

"I have no idea," the slayer told him. "It sounded kinda like…"

"Latin," Any interjected, sitting up a bit straighter, her eyes suddenly widening. "It was Latin."

"Do you have any idea what it meant?" The former watcher asked.

"He said something about Willow being bound to him. That if we killed him, we killed her," Xander answered, her voice cracking.

"Hmm, yes well, I do remember reading about a ritual involving vampires and humans bonding, though I haven't been able to locate that book for some time. I'll have to see if…"

"It was a pet binding ritual," Anya interrupted. Everyone looked toward her in surprised.

"Pardon?"

"A pet binding ritual. A vampire castes a spell as he or she comes in contact with the desired human, and after the spell is completed, the human is bound to that vampire, as a pet."

"Pet? And by pet, you mean…"

"Like a slave, or concubine," she explained, matter-of-factly.

"You knew that was what he was doing to her, and you didn't say anything before?" Xander shouted, jumping up from the couching and glaring down at her.

"Xander, I only just realized what it was. It's been a very long time since I've seen something like that performed. Vampires don't really use it nowadays. They don't like to be tied down. They're more eat and run, these days. It was more popular in the Eighteenth century, really. I knew something seemed familiar, but I really only just realized what it was."

"And you're certain that was what he was doing?" Giles asked, his voice strained.

Anya nodded, looking down at her hands with a frown.

"Any ideas on how to reverse it, or break the spell?" Buffy questioned.

"There is no reversal, as such, that I know of," Giles told her, vaguely familiar with the ritual in question. "The only way to break the spell is for the human to be claimed by another vampire."

"Well, that's just great. We'll just find some nice, friendly vampire, and ask him if he wouldn't mind being a pal and claiming a friend of ours, who just happens to already belong to another vampire, and then we'll just convince him to let her go. Sure, that shouldn't be a problem at all," Xander stated sarcastically, before sitting back down next to Anya.

"Well, even if you COULD do that, it wouldn't work," she told him quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, once a vampire claims a human, the pull of the bond is very strong. To separate them would cause the human great pain. Most of the pets taken, well…most of them were eventually killed or turned, but the ones who lost their masters, they usually went insane and ended up taking their own lives."

"Well, maybe there is something we can do…Some sort of spell or something that would break the bond and leave Willow and her sanity in tact," Buffy said hopefully, looking toward Giles.

"Yes, well, we certainly will researching all we can about that, but even if we did find something, I doubt that you would find a vampire willing to take another's pet, claim her and then let her go free."

Suddenly, the door flew open and everyone turned to see a dark figure rush in.

"Giles! I need to talk to you immediately! A friend of mine had a vision about…" Angel stopped and looked around at the group of people staring at him, before looking toward Giles. "What's going on?"

"Deadboy…Ever hear of knocking?" Xander greeting the vampire, who opened his mouth to replied, stopping as he heard Buffy speak.

"Angel?" The slayer took a step toward the dark haired vampire, staring at him in shock.  "What…what are you doing here?"

"My friend had a vision. Spike, he's back in town, and I think he's going after…"

"Willow," Buffy interrupted.

Angel blinked once, twice. "Yeah, how did…oh god, I'm too late."

"Just missed the fun," Xander confirmed bitterly. "Could have used you about an hour ago."

"Did he…"

"Kill her? No," Buffy told him, looking down sadly, silently chastising herself for not having been able to save her friend. "He took her."

"Well they couldn't have gotten far. What's the plan? How can I help?"

Buffy looked toward Giles, arching an eyebrow at him as an idea hit her.

Seeing the look that Buffy gave Giles, Xander jumped up in protest. "No way! No way, Buffy, don't even think about it! No way are you going to let THAT claim Willow!"

Hearing Xander's words, Angel looked at Buffy in confusion. "What is he talking about?"

Ignoring Angel for a moment, Buffy addressed Xander. "Xander, he may be our best shot. He may be our ONLY shot."

"No! Buffy, I don't trust him. He left town, remember? He comes running back and suddenly you want to just hand Willow over to him? He's a demon, a monster. She'll be no better of with…" Seeing Buffy glaring at him, Xander finally shut up, clenching his jaw tightly.

"Hey, um, someone want to tell me exactly what the hell you're talking about?" Angel interjected. Buffy simply looked toward Giles, waiting for his approval before saying anything more.

~Part: 3~

After bringing her back to his home, Spike drank from the redhead until she passed out, leaving her alone in a dark room. As she slowly woke, Willow turned her head. She tried to look at her surroundings, but whatever lighting existed in the room was too dim to make anything out clearly.  Turning her head the other way, she could see the flicker of a few candles against a wall, but nothing else.  Very slowly, she moved to sit up, and quickly realized that she was restrained, her hands tied above her head, to the elaborately carved oak headboard.  Pulling with the little strength she possessed caused nothing more than for the bindings to tighten slightly and bite into her soft skin.

Closing her eyes, she tried to center herself, whispering a chant to her goddess before attempting to magically break the bindings. After a few seconds, she let out a deep breath and struggled once more against the cuffs in frustration, too weak to work any magic. She winced, again feeling the metal bite into her skin.

"The little witch doesn't seem to be able to get out of bed," an amused voice came from a far corner of the room, taunting her.

"Let me go!" She yelled into the darkness, trying to sound as brave as possible.

"Don't think you're in any position to be giving orders," he said, slightly less amused.  Again she closed her eyes, desperately hoping to be able to harness enough power to break the bindings.

"Don't bother, Red," he said, again with laughter in his voice.  "Magically reinforced."

She heard movement from the direction of the voice, and twisted her neck in an attempt to see her captor. A second later, she gasped as she looked up and saw him standing at the side of the bed, towering over her.

"Now, you seem like a smart girl, so I'm sure you're going to catch onto all of the rules real fast, but let me give you a little lesson." Leaning down so that his face was hovering just inches over hers, Spike gave her a slight cocky grin before continuing. "You. Do NOT. Tell me. What to do.  Got it?  I make the commands around here, and I don't expect to hear any demanding out of you. Do you understand?"

She nodded her head, looking up at him miserably.

"Say it."

"Yes, I understand," she grumbled, looking away from him. In a flash, he reached out and gripped her chin firmly, forcing her to look back up at him.

"Yes, MASTER," he stated.

"Yes…master," she said, rolling her eyes.  He growled and she averted her eyes from his face as best she could with his still inches from her own.

"You are my pet. You are nothing more than a slave, here for my pleasure.  Accept that.  The quicker you do, the better off you will be.  You will do as I tell you, when I tell you, without question. You WILL obey me, and if you don't, you will be punished."  He paused, smiling at thoughts of punishing his new pet. "Understand, it really doesn't matter a whole lot to me either way.  Kinda get a kick out of the whole punishing thing, myself…but…I'm thinking you might enjoy it slightly less."

She thought about it for a moment, and then opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped as he continued his speech.

"You only speak when spoken to, and then it's `yes, master" or `no, master", unless I specify otherwise.  You will be living here from now on, and basically be waiting at my beckon call to pleasure me any way that I see fit at any time. The bottom line is, my pleasure is what matters, not yours.  Understand?"

"What's to stop me from running?" She questioned.

"You run from me, and you will feel the physical pain of the bond being pulled.  That, and when I do find you, I will punish you so severely you will be begging for death," he growled darkly.  "It doesn't have to be all bad.  All you have to do is bend to my every whim, obey my every command, and please me in every way possible. I, in return, could treat you well, if I choose.  I can be a very generous lover."  He laughed and smiled cruelly.  "You do every thing you're told, we'll be fine.  You don't, you try to defy me in ANY way at ANY time?  Well, let's just say I enjoy inflicting the pain as much as the pleasure…so either way, I win. Do you understand?"

Willow nodded, before catching herself and mumbling, "Yes master," her eyes darting around the room. Finally, they fell onto the object she had been searching for. Closing her eyes for just a moment, Willow focused on a pencil on the table across the room. She was weak and sore, and not sure she even had enough energy to levitate it, but she had to try. After centering her power, the witch opened her eyes again and looked up at him as the pencil slowly made its way toward his back.

"Red?" His voice broke the silence in the room, startling her, but she remained focused on the floating object, trying to ignore him. As it neared the vampire, Willow sped up its momentum, and just before it connected with Spike's back, he spun around and grabbed a hold of the floating object. In a flash, he was glaring down at her again. Holding the pencil before her, he growled, "That was NOT smart, pet." With a tiny flick of his wrist, the pencil was snapped in two, an ominous reminders of how easily he could break her. "Try something like that again and you WILL be sorry."

"What's the difference? Eventually, you'll just kill me anyway," she stated, her voice quiet but unwavering.

"The difference," he snarled, leaning into closer toward her, "is that I don't have to kill you. I can just make the rest of your days a living hell on earth."

Standing back up, he walked across the room to a small bar built into the wall, and poured himself a drink.

"Besides," he snickered, "you kill me, you kill yourself."

"How do you figure that?" She asked, hating his cocky attitude.

"You aren't the only one that has been studying the black arts. Remember that neat little spell I performed right before I took you? Little pet binding ritual I found…very useful.  It binds you to me for eternity.  It makes you completely dependant on me…It makes you NEED me. I die…you slowly go insane. And to think, I never would have found that spell if it wasn't for you."  He smiled satisfactorily at the horror on her face.

Willow bit her lower lip and looked away from him, before Spike grabbed her chin and forced her eyes to meet his. "Tell me you don't feel it," he whispered in a low, seductive voice. "Tell me you don't feel the pull toward me. Tell me your body isn't just aching for anything I'm willing to give it. Tell me that you wouldn't do anything right now to please me."  Willow closed her eyes, trying to block out the mental images that washed over her. She shuddered with disgust, knowing his words were true, not understanding exactly why, and hating that she couldn't make the feelings he created in her disappear.

~Part: 4~

Standing in front of the old mansion that Spike had set up as his new lair, Angel took a deep, unneeded breath, mentally preparing himself for whatever might happen on the other side of that door. It had been nearly a week since Willow had been taken, and though six days didn't seem like all that much, Angel was all too well aware of the amount of damage a vampire could inflict in that amount of time. He also knew how stubborn and tough the redhead could be when it counted, but suspected that even she was not able to over come the pull of the bond.

Buffy had been growing increasingly antsy as each day passed, desperate to put their plan into action. Angel understood her concern. Spike was rash and unpredictable. There was no sure way of knowing what he would do next, and the blond often let boredom and impatience rule over good sense. Still, it was in Spike's best interest to keep Willow around. As long as he had her, Buffy couldn't dust him, and Angel knew that his grand childe was smart enough to know what he had.

Steeling himself, Angel stepped forward and knocked on the door, greeted a moment later by one of Spike's minions and taken into an ornate study. Sitting down, Angel mentally prepared himself to play his evil alter-ego. He knew he would need to forgo the soul, and all guilt and morals that came with it, if he was going to trick Spike. Unsure of exactly what condition Willow would be in, or when he would actually get to see her, the dark haired vampire reminded himself that she was his number one priority. He couldn't kill Spike, at least not until his claim was removed. The group had discussed at length what his role would be.  He was reluctant at first, but Angel quickly understood that this was the best hope of getting Willow back, alive. He would have to claim her, bite her, transferring the bond from Spike to Angel. The older vampire had no idea what this would mean, for him or for Willow. Never having been bound to a human, especially as part of a spell, Angel was apprehensive of the effects on both of them. He was unsure of where his emotions would lead, how strong the pull toward Willow would be, what she would need from him, physically and psychologically, and how she would feel about being claimed by Angel. He knew that he would never intentionally harm the redhead, but at the same time, he feared that once inside Spike's home, he may have little choice in the matter, while still pretending to be Angelus.  What plagued his mind and caused the most fear, though, was the cruel whispering of the demon within him, reveling in the fact that he would taste human blood, own a human pet and all privileges there in. For the first time in a long while, Angel feared that the demon would over power the soul.

"Lookin to die, mate?" Angel jumped as Spike spoke, walking in and shutting the door. He had expected the slayer to come up with some elaborate scheme to get her little friend back, but the blond hadn't been expecting Angel to show up at his door. This was certainly an interesting twist, though not one he would let get the better of him. It had only been a week, but already the little redhead was proving most helpful. She seemed to know a lot about magic and spells, among other things, and thanks to the ritual he'd performed, her training was coming along quite nicely. Certainly, she had her moments of insolence and boldness, but that really only made things that much more fun. Torture and violence had always been a welcomed pastime, and the girl's pale skin colored quite beautifully under his hand. Her moans and cries were like music to him, and she proved to be a very fast learner, already an expert in many of the ways to please him.

Despite herself, and thanks to the magically induced bond, Willow was eager to please the majority of the time, feeling most physically comfortable when in the vampire's company. He was harsh with her, and her mind swirled in turmoil, knowing she should hate him, but feeling a constant pull toward the blond. At first, of course, she had fought him, tooth and nail, and had even managed to run away. Eventually though, the physical pain that wracked her body, increasing the further she went, sent the redhead running back to her master, who was waiting impatiently by the front door, a cruel, mocking grin on his face. She had been punished for that, severely, and Spike knew that night she had finally broken. After that, the witch had seemed more resigned about her position, almost accepting of her circumstances. The fight seemed to be gone from her, and the vampire suspected that she had finally given up hope that her friends would come and rescue her.

"Nice digs, Spike. You're moving up in the world. Much better than that rusted out warehouse," Angel commented as he looked around casually.

"You know, I thought you were smarter than this, Angel. You come waltzing in here, all soully and mightier-than-thou, and you think what? I'm going to just bow down before you?"

"Spike, Spike, Spike," Angel replied, shaking his head and pacing the room. He knew this role all too well. "You never learn, do you? Even when I DID have the soul, I was still better than you. And now, with out it? Well…"

"Without?" Spike questioned, eyeing him cautiously as he pulled a cigarette out and light it, inhaling deeply. "Another romp in the hay with the slayer then?"

"Nah, turns out there's all sorts of thing that'll make a guy happy," Angel told him with a grin. "Sinking into a hot little slayer is falling lower and lower on the list these days."

Spike continued to look him over, regarding the older vampire carefully. "And now what? You've come back to make nice with the family again? Dru's not here, and…"

"Not here to see Dru, Spike. I'm here to see you," the dark haired vampire told him. "Thought it was time we kissed and made up."

"That so? Well, I always knew you were a mighty poof, but I'm afraid that I just don't…"

Reaching out with lightning fast speed, Angel grabbed the blond by the neck, slamming him into a wall and growling. "I am still your elder boy. Show a little respect."

Spike shoved him away, just as the door flew open and several minions ran in.

"It's alright," Spike told them, waving his hand dismissively before they left once again. Reaching out, the blond grabbed his grand sire's collar tightly. "Listen up, pops. This is MY home. I'm the master. You don't just come in here and think you'll take over, got it? I'm on top now. ME!"

Grabbing his hands and pushing him away, Angel straightened out his coat. "Jeez, didn't know you had a preferred position, Spikey. You know that I prefer to be on top, and you never seemed to mind much." Spike growled and the brunette chuckled.  "Listen, I'm not looking to take over your roll here as king of the hill. I just need a place to lay low for a little while, get the slayer off my back."

"Why don't you try Europe? I hear it's nice and slayer free these days," Spike suggested.

"Nah. I thought about it, but you know? I've really grown accustomed to the California climate. Not sure that I'm ready to give that up yet."

"And just how am I supposed to know that you aren't working for the bitch?" Spike questioned, still suspecting that the slayer might be behind Angel's appearance.

A momentary wave of panic washed over the older vampire, but he quickly recovered, eying Spike cautiously.  "You think I'd go running to the slayer again? Had to leave town just to get away from her. I mean, come on, the girl sent me to hell."

"So you figured you'd just saunter in here and I'd take you in just like that? Throw you a big bloody welcome-home party?" Spike growled.

Angel shrugged. "That was the basic idea, yeah."

He watched as Spike had an unreadable expression on his face, before breaking out into a wide grin, grabbing the older vampire, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He didn't completely trust the brunette, but Spike figured his best bet was to keep the enemy closer at the moment, wait and see exactly what Angelus was up to.

"Welcome to my humble abode, mate. Mi casa es su casa…and all that."

Angel smiled, letting out an unneeded breath before seeing Spike quickly morph into game face and punch him hard in the stomach, causing the older vampire to double over in pain for a moment, before jumping back up and throwing an upper cut at the blond, leaving a trickle of blood seeping down Spike's cheek.

The younger vampire chuckled.  "Just remember, I'm in charge. You cross me, you'll be begging for your unlife. Got it?"

Angel growled, clenching his teeth. "Don't be making idle threats, Spike."

"Never do," Spike shot back as he turned and walked out.

Angel's shoulders sagged as he winced and rubbed his sore stomach, silently cursing the whole plan.

~Part: 5~

Walking by the open library door, Angel stopped and looked in, seeing Spike sitting in a big, leather chair, reading an old book. Next to him, on the hard, polished floor, he could see Willow leaned back against the chair. She had her eyes closed, and a very forlorn expression on her face. She wore a thin, red dress, and Angel could see a silver collar around her neck. The witch was slumped against the chair and her red hair hung forward partly hiding her pale face. This was the first glimpse he'd had of the girl, and was a little relieved to see that she was still alive and in one piece.

Her position at Spike's feet had become a very familiar one already, and despite herself, Willow found it oddly comforting. She knew it was the spell. It had changed something, drawing out a more submissive side of her. Her mother would die of shame to see her daughter now. That thought brought a small grin to the redhead's lips, though it quickly faded. It had only been a week, and already her entire life was completely changed. She was a vampire's pet, and though a small part of her brain reminded her of how wrong it was, she was most comfortable and content when she simply gave into the feels created by the bond and the vampire behind her

Just as he was about to turn and continue down the hall, Angel heard Spike speak.

"Angelus. Come on in."

Trying to avoid looking at Willow, Angel slowly sauntered into the room. Willow's eyes snapped open at the sound of Spike speaking and the name he called. Angel! Angel was here? What did that mean? She looked up at him with hope-filled eyes, only to see that he was not giving her even the slightest glance.  Spike had called him Angelus. Did that mean he'd lost his soul? Willow felt her stomach lurch, wondering just how much worse her situation could get. Maybe Drusilla could come back to town, and then Darla could rise from the dead and…Willow shook her head, silently laughing at her own ridiculous thoughts. As if that would ever happen.

"Looks like you found yourself a new pet, Spike," Angel commented, sitting down and taking an offered cigarette from the blond, inhaling deeply. "Slayer's little friend. Interesting choice. Must have royally pissed her off."

"Well, you know me," Spike replied with a grin. "Always enjoy a little game of kick-the-slayer. Besides just pissing her off, taking her friend as a pet gives me pretty much a lifetime guarantee to not be dusted." Spike knew that he shouldn't be giving Angelus too much information, but the younger vampire had never been able to pass up the opportunity to gloat when it came to his grand sire.

"What makes you think that?" Angel questioned, taking another drag on the cigarette. "I would think that kidnapping one of the slayer's gang would just get her running here that much more quickly, ready to stake your ass."

"Didn't exactly kidnap her." Angel raised an eyebrow in fained confusion, hoping to get as much information as possible out of the other demon.

Letting out an exasperated huff and rolling his eyes, Spike explained. "I performed this little pet binding ritual…binds her to me…they kill me and their friend goes insane."

"Not unlike your lovely sire," Angel mused with a cruel grin. Seeing Spike glare at him, Angel's grin widened and he continued to talk. "How long have you had her?"

"'Bout a week now."

"No sign of the slayer?"

"Not a one." Spike smiled in satisfaction, letting a hand drop down and run idly through Willow's red hair. She had been staring at Angel, trying to figure out what was going on, but as she felt her Master's hand in her hair, she slowly closed her eyes and relaxed a little more against the chair.  She tried to fight the urges he created with in her, wanting to stay alert, but ultimately, she knew it was a losing battle. She had read all there was on the ritual he'd performed, and now understood the pull she felt toward him, but that didn't make it any easier. She felt both loathing towards and a need for the demon, wanting to run from him and please him at the same moment. With the addition of Angel in the room, shame and fear crept in as well. It was a dizzying effect, and though the easiest solution was to simply not think at all, Willow knew that the moment she stopped, she would be lost completely.

Angel growled quietly, seeing Willow's face soften and her body relax into Spike's touch. The blond raised an eyebrow.

"Jealous, mate?"

Angel simply glared at him for a moment before answering. "Jealous? I'd hardly even consider a little bit of fluff like that worth keeping as a pet. She's barely bite-worthy. You should have seen her in high school. Complete outcast." He tried not to look at her as he saw Willow's face fall and her big, green eyes look up at him, full of hurt and sadness.

Spike merely chuckled. "You'd be surprised, Angelus. This little kitten has claws." He laughed and ran a finger up and down her neck, along her pulse point, enjoying the feel of her shiver under his touch.

"Yeah, well, whatever gets you going," Angel said dismissively.

"Oh, come on. You're telling me that if you were given the chance, you wouldn't want to play with her at all? No desire to sink your fangs into that creamy, soft flesh?" Spike questioned.

Angel shrugged as Willow's head jerked up to look at Spike.

"I'm not saying that I wouldn't have a little fun with her, given the chance," Angel explained, lazily rolling his neck. "I just wouldn't waste my time going after her." Willow looked back and forth between the two, showing much more interesting in the conversation than she knew she should. "I mean, come on. Of all the girls in Sunnydale...Willow? You could have done a lot better Spike."

"Well, maybe I'll let you play with my pet once in a while. Share, just like old times,  if you feel so inclined," Spike said with a smile, laughter and mocking in his voice. Willow looked up at him with horror. It was bad enough that she had to submit to Spike, but to have to submit to Angelus as well...that was just too much. She started to shake her head wildly, and opened her mouth to speak, when his sudden growl stopped her.

"Something to add?" Spike questioned, his tone low and dangerous.

Willow wanted so badly to shout at him, to tell him that she was not some object to be passes around, but she knew better, and fought to keep from objecting.

"No, master," she squeaked, looking down at the floor.

"See what a good little pet she is?" Spike praised with a grin, letting his hand fall back to her hair again, stroking it lightly. Willow fought to keep the tears from leaving her eyes and to stay seated in her place on the floor. She wanted to jump up and run away, but she had tried that before, and the redhead knew better than to try it again.

"You really would enjoy her, Angelus," Spike taunted further. "She may seem meek and quiet, but she can scream with the best of them. Really, and she has a very talented mouth, if you know what I mean."

Angel briefly closed his eyes, as images assaulted his mind of her mouth exploring his body, enveloping him in her wet heat.

"She has a defiant streak in her, but it keeps things interesting, and her body…well, you should see what she's been keeping hidden under all those baggy clothes." Leaning down, he spoke quieter, more directly to Willow. "You know, I should punish you for keeping yourself hidden from me." Leaning back again in his chair, Spike untangled his fingers from her hair and smiled.

"Stand up, Red, and let Angelus see what a pretty pet I have." Spike knew she would hate this, and therefore he enjoyed it all the more. Scowling, Willow slowly stood up, feeling completely naked under their gaze, despite the thin dress covering her.

"Adorable, isn't she?" Angel said nothing, and just watched her as Spike commanded her to slowly turn in a circle "to get a full view."

"Perfect breasts, nice, flat stomach, firm little ass," Spike described as Willow felt her face flush and his hand roam slowly up and down her body.

"Maybe we should slip this dress right off, let Angel get the whole picture," the blond whispered cruelly, as he casually slid one of the straps down off of her shoulder.

Before she could think about what she was doing, Willow took a quick step away from him, out of his reach, and whimpered, "No, please stop."

"What did you say to me?" Spike bellowed, his face suddenly turning from amusement to anger. Standing up, he saw her take another step away from him.

"Don't you dare move another muscle." The threat hung in the air, and Willow desperately wished the floor would open up and swallow her. Turning her head slightly, she glanced at Angel, silently begging for help, but saw that his face held a completely indifferent expression.

"Look at me!" Spike yelled, causing her to snap her head up to meet his angry gaze.

"What did you say to me?"

"Looks like you're having some difficulties controlling your pet, Spikey," Angel teased, partly hoping to take the blond's focus away from the young witch. "Maybe I should show you how it's done."

Spike turned and glared at the older vampire. "Oh, you'd love that wouldn't you," he snarled, "to show me up again…I can handle her just fine." At that, he turned back toward a now shaking Willow. "What did you say?" Again, his tone was low and menacing.

Already, she couldn't remember what it was that she had said to anger the vampire, though she knew it was something very, very bad. Desperately searching her brain, Willow finally remembered and whispered, "I…I said…n-no."

"No! You said no…to ME! And what is the one thing you are to never do?" He stood, towering over her, waiting for her answer. After a long, silent pause, he reaching out, slapping her hard across the face. Insolence was bad enough, but in front of his grand sire, it was absolutely intolerable. "What is the one thing you never do?" He repeated the question.

"N-never disobey you," she stammered meekly, dropping her eyes to the floor.

"And you still don't seem to get it, do you, witch? You do WHAT I say, WHEN I say it, without question!"

"I-I'm sorry…Master," she responded, still having trouble choking out that last word, but knowing it would be far worse if she didn't include it. She dared not look over again at Angel, whose presence she was still acutely aware of, and whom she knew she was about to be punished in front of.

"You're sorry? Well, you certainly will be," he growled, suddenly reaching out and grabbing her by the waist, hauling her back over to the chair. Sitting, he stood her between his legs, keeping a firm grip on one arm. With his free hand, Spike took a fist full of her silky dress and effortlessly ripped it from her body. With a sob, she tried desperately to cover herself, but in the next moment, found herself yanked roughly over his lap.

"When I tell you to do something, you do it, understand?" With that, she felt his hand crash down with tremendous force on her unprotected skin. Again and again she felt the sharp slaps stinging her ass and thighs.

"I don't care who is here, or what you are doing. What I want comes first and for most. What you want DOESN'T MATTER! You are nothing more than my pet, my toy to play with." He continued to rain down hard blows, turning her pale, creamy flesh a deep, angry red. She was sobbing and gave little fight throughout her punishment, unsure of what was worse, the horrible pain burning through her skin, or the fact that Angel was witnessing the entire ordeal.

After about ten minutes, he stopped and she laid limply across his lap. Spreading her legs, Spike ran one finger along her now wet slit and she groaned in humiliation as he licked the digit, looking up at Angel, grinning. He didn't seem to notice as Angel tried to control his rage, clenching his jaw tightly and gripping the arms of his chair until his knuckles whitened. Willow felt hot tears slip down her face as she cursed the body she could no longer control.

"See that? A real wild cat," Spike stated, before shoving her from his lap. Willow fell in a heap on the floor, defeat etched in her face.

"Get up, go to your room, clean yourself up and wait for me there," Spike commanded coldly, as he tossed the remains of her dress at her. Willow stood as quickly as possible and rushed out of the room, very careful to never look once in Angel's direction.

~Part: 6~

Angel looked up when he heard the door open, and saw Willow timidly enter the study, her head bowed forward, red hair partly hiding her flushed face as she carried in a silver tray for tea. It had been a few days since he'd seen her, and the first time they were alone together. She's only been in his presence a hand full of times since the first night that Spike had "introduced" them, though he had heard her often enough. Angel had laid awake most of each day, trying to ignore the sounds of his grand childe and the witch, Spike moaning and laughing in amusement, or yelling in anger, and Willow screaming and crying from both pleasure and pain.

Angel understood the shame he saw flicker in her eyes as Willow set the tray down and glanced up toward him for a moment. She was constantly teetering on the edge of lust and loathing, pain given for the sake of pleasure, and pleasure caused for the sake of pain. Spike knew the game as well as Angelus did, and the brunette knew that Willow was no match for him. She was ruled by a spell that caused her own body to betray her, turning against her if she tried to fight.  Her flesh craved the very things that her mind rebelled against.

The older vampire had been watching her, observing closely every chance he had, and he was beginning to wonder how much of her actions were caused by the spell itself, and how much was simply in response to an awakening of a part of her that she had been unaware of. He suspected that she wondered the same thing, fighting it at the same moment that she surrendered wholly, her mind most likely split in two, much as her body surely felt. Angel remembered the vampire version of the redhead that he'd seen a year earlier, and knew enough to understand that within Willow's sweet, innocent nature, their existed the potential for darkness and something more that her friends would never understand.

He tried to ignore the sounds of Spike playing with his pet, trying to bring his fury under control and remember to play the part of the mean, cold bastard he was supposed to be, while at the same moment straining to hear the soft gasps and moans he knew would escape the redhead's lips. Yes, Angel understood all too well the feeling of being split in two, of wanting the very thing he knew he should never have, of craving the very best of the very worst. When he had come to Sunnydale, the mission had been clear, save Willow, destroy Spike, go back to brooding in LA, but in the last few days, the vampire had felt his emotions shifting slightly. Perhaps Angelus was closer to the surface than he liked, or perhaps there was something about Willow, something he had never allowed himself to see, that attracted him to her. Either way, Angel didn't like the effects that the witch was having on him, and the sooner he was able to get her out of there and back to her friends, the better.

Willow poured a cup of tea, her hands shaking slightly as she set it down on a table next to Angel. She looked up, eying him carefully, noticing that he appeared to be deep in thought. Moving slowly and quietly, she set about tidying the room, as Spike had commanded, always keeping one eye on the dark haired demon. So far he had made no motion to acknowledge that she was in the room, and that was just fine, as far as Willow was concerned. In truth, Angelus scared her even more than Spike did, and she was glad that, for the most part, Spike was keeping her away from him.

She had been surprised, at first, when Spike told her to go serve Angel the tea. It had been clear that Spike did not trust the older vampire and that he did not want him near his pet. Now though, Willow understood her purpose clearly. Keep her mouth shut and her ears open. Spike wanted to know what Angelus was planning, and was hoping that Willow, smart little thing that she was, might be able to get something out of him.

Scurrying past the silent vampire, Willow let out a small yelp as he reached out, grabbing her wrist and squeezing tightly. She looked up, a startled look upon her face and tried to pull away.

"Willow," Angel purred, a cold grin on his face, "long time no see. You know, we haven't really had the chance to talk since I got here, just you and me." Her eyes widened slightly and she tried to pull away again, the demon within Angel raging to break free, and basking in the fear that radiated from the small woman. Angel didn't want her to be afraid of him, not really, but he knew that now was not the time to drop the soulless act.

"I…I have to go," she stammered quickly, moving to pull away again, but Angel simply tightened his grip and pulled her closer so that she was now trapped between his strong thighs.

Angel inhaled deeply. "You're afraid. That's good. You should be."

"Spike won't let you hurt me," she told him, her eyes darting around the room.

"You're depending on him to save you? You forget, Willow, he belongs to me. I tell HIM what to do, not the other way around," he growled.

"You sure about that?" The vampire raised an eyebrow, surprised at her boldness and the apparent fact that she did truly believe that Spike could save her from him. For a moment, she thought that she saw the glimmer of something familiar in his eyes...Something almost soulful, but a moment later it was gone.

Angel tightened his grip on her arm and growled. "Watch it, little girl. I could snap your neck before you could open your mouth to scream. And don't think that Spike would care in the slightest. You're nothing to him." Angel saw the girl's face drop at that statement and her shoulders slump slightly as he felt a pang of guilt. "Me, on the other hand, I can see your potential, Willow. I can give you what you want, what you most crave. I can bring out that side of you that no one else can see, give you the world, prove to you just how special you really are. You'd be more than just a mere pet, Willow."

Angel watched as her eyes widened and her face seemed to brighten slightly. He wanted her to trust him, to open up to him, to crave him, and though he told himself again and again that it was only because it would be easier to help her escape if they were on the same side, Angel knew that wasn't the only reason anymore.

She seemed to be considering his words for a moment, before finally opening her mouth to speak.

"Spike gives me what I need," she told him, sounding a bit unsure, yet slightly angry at the same time. "A-and besides, you just want me to help you get to Buffy, and sorry, but I'm already being used as a pawn in another demon's game."

"Why do you do it?" The suddenly angry tone in Angel's voice surprised Willow, as did the question. To be fair, Angel himself had been a little startled by his own question. That wasn't what he'd planned on asking.

"Do…do what?" She questioned.

"Answer to him like a dog fetching a stick," he spat out, bitter distain lacing his voice.

Willow clenched her jaw and Angel watched as her face turned red, alerting him of the fact that he'd just made a grave error.

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't have much choice," she shouted, yanking her hand free of his grip and taking a step back, glaring at the vampire. "I'm bound to him, whether I like it or not, and despite what you obviously think, I'm pretty darn smart, and I know that my choices are simple…do what he says or die. I don't like it, but I have this crazy instinct to survive, and until I figure out how the hell to get myself out of this..."

"I never said you weren't smart, Willow, and…" Angel began, before she cut him off.

"You obviously think I'm awfully stupid," she told him. "As if I'd believe that you really wanted me, just me, just Willow. Like you've suddenly seen something in me that no one else ever did, some great Willowy magic that…that you never quite noticed before? Angel loses his soul and suddenly he notices shy, little Willow? Give me a break."

Angel growled, standing up and glaring down at her. The truth was that he HAD seen something in her that he hadn't noticed before. The last time he'd been in Sunnydale, everyone else had been eclipsed by Buffy, but now…

"Do you trust him?"

"Trust him?" She repeated. "Never. Care for him? Not even a little bit, but I'm drawn to him, whether I like it or not."

"Are we having a problem?" Both Willow and Angel turned, surprised to see Spike in the doorway. The redhead immediately dropped her head forward, and Angel watched as all fury seemed to drain from her. Where only a moment ago had stood a strong, angry women, now was a submissive, quiet girl. He was amazed at the transformation. Glancing at the side of her face, he saw that she was clenching her jaw tightly, and he suddenly became aware of just how good an actress Willow really was.

"Come here, pet," Spike commanded coolly. Willow immediately moved to stand by his side. The blond wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him as he stared at Angel.

"The poof bothering you?" He asked, never taking his eyes off of his grand sire.

"No, Master," she replied quietly, feeling his hand slide up and run through her hair. Angel watched in utter amazement at the way she was immediately subdued, and wondered if Spike really believe he was that good a master. He knew that such a strong effect so quickly had to be due, at least in part, to the spell. She seemed to melt into the blond, despite the look on her face, which clearly showed loathing, for both herself and the demon at her side.

"Something to say, Angelus?" Spike questioned, a cold smirk on his face. Angel simply shook his head. "Right then. Time my pet and I had a little talk about raising our voices to the guests." At that, he turned, steering the meek redhead from the room, leaving Angel staring after them.

~Part: 7~

It was time. Angel knew that he could not wait another day. He could not spend another afternoon listening to Willow's screams, watch her watching him when they were in the same room, her calculating eyes clearly trying to decipher what Angel was up to.  The lines distinguishing good guy from bad guy were blurring, and he was beginning to fear that she would unknowingly blow his cover.

He was growing antsy. Spike seemed to have let his guard down a bit in the last few days, allowing the redhead to be around his grand sire, even offering her services to him on more than one occasion. Of course, Angel had always refused, dismissing the witch as undesirable. That only caused Willow's curiosity and distrust to grow, since the brunette has already clearly shown interest in her.

For her own part, Willow was feeling utterly confused. Angelus had propositioned her, offered to "show her the world," and yet since that time, he'd shown no interest in her what so ever.  She suspected that he simply wanted to remove Spike's bargaining chip, and though the blond vampire frightened her enough, the mere thought of being handed over to Angelus made her blood run cold. She had been watching him, trying to read his thoughts, though Willow couldn't confess to any measure of success. There were moments when she would catch him looking at her, and she'd swear it was Angel, not Angelus, but then he would open his mouth and remove all doubt that the soul was gone. Besides, he'd made no attempt to help her in all the time he'd been there.

As for Spike, it was rather lucky for her that she was such a fast learner. Of course, he still took pleasure in punishing the redhead for any minor infraction, or simply for his own entertainment. The beatings were bad, being bound, at his mercy, with no will of her own, but the pleasure aspect was far worse, and Spike was well aware of that. He would touch her, tease her with gentle strokes that drove her crazy, causing her to writhe beneath him. Her body craved his touch, both gentle and rough, and he tormented her with the knowledge that her own actions sickened her. Each slap, each stoke of a whip simply turned her on a little bit more, calling to a need deep with in her.

She tried to fight the emotions stirring inside of her as much as possible, but there was no denying that the spell had, indeed, had an effect on her. It may not have been as strong as Spike believed it to be…She still had a mind of her own, still raged within to break free, still loathed him passionately, but her body…it betrayed her at every turn, and when she cried out, Willow never knew for sure if she was begging him to stop, or begging for more.

Waiting until the screams had long since gone quiet, Angel slowly crept down the hall to Willow's room. He had heard Spike leave with several of the minions, knowing now was his moment, and quickly phoned Buffy, advising her that Spike was out. She would try to keep him "occupied" in the cemetery, without actually killing the vampire.

Walking into the quiet, dark room, he felt a revival of his hatred for the blond vampire as he looked over at the bed and the redhead sleeping under the thin, black sheet. She was naked beneath the black satin, and her wrists chained above her head, tightly, the cuffs digging into her soft, bruised skin. He could see by the tearstains on her flushed face, that she had cried herself to sleep. He had heard the noises coming from her room earlier, and knew that Spike had worked her over pretty well. It had taken every last ounce of self-control to keep from storming in and tearing the blond's throat out.

Making his way to the bed, Angel gently shook the redhead and whispered her name. At first, he got no response, and tried again.

"Willow, come on, wake up…time to go," he nudged her side again, and the young witch moaned softly before turning as much away from him as the chains would allow.

"Willow, you have to get up now," he said a little more forcefully. After thinking for a moment, he added, "You want to go home, don't you?"

This got the attention of her sleep-clouded mind, and Willow turned back, her eyes wide open, staring up at him.

"Angel?" She looked confused, wondering if it was possible that she had heard him correctly. Since arriving at the mansion, the dark haired vampires had given her no indication that he was there to help her. "Did…did you say home?"

"Yeah, Will, home," he reaffirmed, happy to see the smile spread across her face.

She looked up at him, still not able to fully believe that what he was saying could be real. Part of her thought that he was just cruelly taunting her, and she was waiting for the punch line of the joke.

"Home, as in a permanent spot in the cemetery kind of home?" She questioned skeptically.  Looking into his eyes, Willow was suddenly certain that the soul was behind them. Gasping softly, she felt her eyes fill with tears as her heart filled with hope. "You're going to take me home?" She asked, her voice tiny and hoarse.

"I am, but we have to move quickly," he told her as he reached up and snapped the chains apart. She brought her arms down in front of her as she slowly struggled to sit up, wincing at the pain coursing through her body. Angel heard her hiss as she struggled to move and lean back, but chose to ignore it for the time being.

"Willow, where are your clothes?" He asked, looking around.

She pointed to the closet, as one hand gripped the sheet around her tightly, holding onto the tiny bit of modesty that she could still pretend to have.

Angel disappeared into the closet, reappearing a moment later and tossing her a pair of jeans and a sweater.

"Hurry up, get dressed," he commanded, staring at her as his mind reeled. She stared back for a moment, not moving, and Angel gave her a questioning look.

"Could…could you turn around so that I can…" She stammered, gesturing at the clothes. Angel let out an unnecessary breath in aggravation and turned around, repeating his command to hurry.

Willow climbed gingerly from the bed and carefully slid the jeans on, hissing again as the material came in contact wit her sore skin. Hearing her hiss, Angel turned around to see her standing with her back to him and only her jeans pulled on. His eyes went wide as he took in the stripes and bruises crisscrossing her back, and he knew there were more hidden by the jeans. Walking over to her, the dark haired vampire startled the redhead as he gently ran his hand down her battered back.

"Willow…" He spoke in a hushed tone, his voice catching in his throat.

"I…I was bad. I made him angry," she whispered, keeping her eyes on the floor.  "I…he caught me…I was looking up a spell, and…" Her voice died in her throat as she continued to avoid his gaze.

After staring at her for a moment longer in shock and anger, Angel shook his head and cleared his thoughts. They had a mission. They had to get out of there. Steeling himself, he spoke coldly.

"You'll heal…let's go." He spun around, grabbing the sweater and quickly pulling it over her head. Willow struggled, wincing as she pulled her arms through the sleeves, and glared at him, fighting against the tears that threatened to fall.

Grabbing her hand, he headed for the door. Just as he reached for the handle, she pulled back, stopping him. He glanced back and saw a look of terror on her face.

"What is it?" He growled.

"I…I can't leave," she told him.

"What are you talking about?" He asked in exasperation.

"I…I can't! I physically can't I…it hurts to be away from him. It physically hurts, and I can't!" The tears began to stream down her cheeks as she pulled her hand from his and slumped into a nearby chair.

"Look, Willow, I know it hurts, but…"

"No! Angel, you don't understand. It hurts, and the further I go, the worse it is, and then eventually, after long enough, I'll go insane, and…and…"

"Do you want to stay here, Willow?" He questioned harshly, raising his voice and clenching a fist at his side. "Do you like being Spike's pet? Do you enjoy the bruises that he leaves on your body? Do want to be nothing more than a possession?"

The redhead wiped at her eyes and looked up at him helplessly. "You don't understand," she whispered.

"Then explain it to me. Explain to me why you would rather stay here with a bastard like that than to leave with me."

"Because!" She shouted suddenly. "Because a part of me…A sick, twisted, horrible part of me likes it! I need it. I don't want to, but I need it, all of it!" She looked away from the vampire, shame etched in her features. "I know it's wrong, and I hate him, I do, but he fulfills a craving. I…I don't know if it's the spell, or…."

"We'll deal with that," Angel assured her. "We'll find a way to fix it. We'll undo the spell."

"What if…what if it isn't just the spell?" She asked, her voice barely audible, a hint of terror on her face. "What if it can't be undone?"

"We'll take care of it, Willow. I'll help you, I promise, but you have to come with me, NOW."

The witch began to shake her head wildly. Angel let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes. He hadn't wanted to do this now. He wouldn't be able to fully explain to her what was happening…why he was doing this…how her friends had handed her over to another vampire on a silver platter. He had wanted it to happen when they had more time and he could do it properly. He wanted to savor the taste of her rich blood, but apparently he had little choice, and the more he thought about it, Angel knew this was better. If he broke the bond now, it would make it much more difficult for Spike to track them.

Kneeling down in front of Willow, Angel grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Willow, we have to leave now. It's now or never." She shook her head, still crying and trying to pull away from him. The brunette tightened his grip on her and added more force to his voice. "Spike is not going to be your master anymore, Willow." She felt his hands slide around to the back of her neck and remove the silver collar from around her throat. The redhead's eyes snapped up, staring at him in confusion. It was at that moment that she realized that he had gone into game face, and panic filled her. She suddenly understood what he was about to do. Shaking her head fiercely, Willow tried in desperation to move away from him. Grabbing a fist full of hair, Angel roughly pulled her head to the side, keeping a firm grip on her arm with his free hand.

"I'm sorry I have to do this, Will," he whispered, just before lunging forward with a snarl and biting deeply into her neck. Willow scratched and pushed at him, crying out at the pain searing through her neck. She could feel the pull of her blood as he drank greedily from her, and eventually her eyes fell shut as she succumbed to the sweet darkness.

~Part: 8~

Willow slowly opened her eyes and winced at the pain that throbbed throughout her body. Lifting her head slightly, she let out a small cry, letting it fall back to the bed. As the redhead felt the pain eventually lessen, she opened her eyes again and squinted in the dim light, slightly startled to see a figure standing next to the bed, peering down at her.

"Angel?" She whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Shhh, Willow, take it easy," he cooed, his voice soft and soothing. The dark haired vampire sat on the bed, next to her sprawled body and gently stroked her head, pushing the red hair back from her face. Unaware of her actions, Willow closed her eyes and sighed, moving slightly closer to his touch. Angel smiled to himself.

"Angel, wh-what happened? I feel so…so confused, a-and lost, but not," she whispered as her body began to tremble and tears ran down her flushed cheeks.

"Hush now. It's alright. You're safe," he told her, gently shifting them so that he could lean against the headboard with her lying back against his chest. One hand casually stroked her bare arm while the other played with her hair lazily. Angel didn't seem to realize he was doing either.

"You're a smart girl, Willow, so I know you understand what happened," he told her.

The redhead thought for a moment before nodding slowly. "You claimed me," she whispered.

"Yes. You belong to me now," he explained, surprised at how naturally the words flowed from his lips.

"But what about Spike?" She questioned. "He is…" She was cut off by a deep growl, feeling his chest rumble with the noise.

"I do not want to hear his name on your lips again. Understand?" He stated in a low voice, sounding much more menacing than he had planned, startling both Willow and himself. Angel wasn't sure where the sudden raging jealousy and hatred for the other vampire had come from, but one notion was very clear. Willow belonged to him, and no one else.

Willow looked down and nodded, gulping deeply, trying to keep from crying. A part of her again questioned whether this was really Angel or Angelus, though she still believed that the soul was in there. Perhaps the spell was causing Angel to act more possessive than he normally would.

Looking around the dark room, a thought struck her. "Where are we?"

"A little place I own in Mexico. Rio Del Muerto."

"River of the dead. How very…you."

Angel chuckled as she grimaced. "Spike doesn't know I own it, so we should be safe here, at least for a while."

"You think he'll still come looking for me?" She asked, a little surprised.

Angel smiled down at her and grabbed a small, warm hand, squeezing softly. "He knows what he lost, Willow, and I mean more than just a bargaining chip or a sure way to keep from being slayed. He'll be looking for you. He'll want to take you back, but I promise that he'll never get the chance. You're mine now, and I protect and cherish what's mine."

"What about the binding spell?" She asked timidly.

He growled again in frustration, though this time it was not as angry sounding.

"Thanks to Spike, you have to be bound to someone. It was him, now it's me," he stated simply.

"I remember a time when I belonged to no one," Willow stated, more to herself than to him as she shuddered a little and leaned back into his embrace, unknowingly.

"Well that's history, so forget it," the brunette replied gruffly, again surprising both Willow and himself. He didn't like the emotions stirring within him, or the reactions he was having to the redhead. He could feel the demon pushing at the surface, goading and prodding, just daring him to take the girl, show her exactly who her new master was, but Angel knew that he couldn't do that. This was Willow…Sweet, innocent Willow, and he wanted to help her, not take her to bed…Well, mostly.

He let out a deep sigh and tried to suppress his raging emotions. "Giles is trying to find a way to reverse the spell, but until he does, you belong to me. I'll treat you better than Spike did, that much I can promise you." Taking her chin in his hand, Angel turned Willow's head and forced her to look up at him. "As much as I'm sorry that it came to this, you are my pet, Willow. No mistaking that, and as such, you will obey me. You will do as I say, though I will try to be as lenient as possible. If I tell you to do something, it's for your own safety. For the most part, we'll simply try to stay out of each other's way."

"You know, despite what EVERYONE seems to think, I'm a pretty smart girl. I know how to keep myself out of trouble," she shot at him, the stress of the situation finally causing her emotions to produce something other than tears.

"Right. You've been doing a really swell job of keeping yourself out of trouble so far," she grumbled.

Willow looked away, pouting and muttering, "I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"I saw how you were with Spike, Willow. Despite yourself, there is a part of you that wants, needs…craves your master's touch and discipline. You said so yourself. It's mostly caused by the spell. There's nothing wrong with you. It's more normal than you think. I know this is all confusing to you, but trust me. I can feel what you're feeling, and when necessary, I will punish you, and the demon in me…I'll enjoy every second of it, but I'll also take care of you, protect you, reward you."

Willow swallowed hard, wondering exactly how Angel would punish her, and more importantly, how he would reward her. He was, after all, still Buffy's, even if in name only, and she was sure that he didn't mean it in the way that Spike had, but something in his voice hinted to the contrary, and stirred Willow's arousal, despite her efforts to ignore it.

"You have no right to do this," she told him, her voice low and angry. "You're no better than him. Just a pathetic vampire, getting off on commanding a woman."

Angel growled, his grip on her hand tightening. "I have every right, Willow. Like I said, you belong to me. I may have a soul, but trust me when I tell you that I can still be a bastard when I want to."

Willow huffed and rolled her eyes. "No kidding," she mumbled.

Leaning in closer, Angel looked her directly in the eyes. "You have no idea how bad I can be, Willow. Trust me." He took a deep breath, calming himself. Angel wasn't sure exactly where the hostility in him was coming from, but he suspected that the spell had something to do with it. He realized that would have to avoid contact with the girl as much as possible.

"I only want to help you, Willow. As soon as Giles figures out how to break the spell, we'll go our separate ways, and I'll be out of your life. For the mean time, let's just make the best of it." At that, he stood up, heading out the door, leaving Willow was a surprisingly uneasy feeling at the thought of Angel disappearing from her life. Not wanting to dwell on that at the moment, the redhead closed her eyes, willing herself to fall asleep.

~Part: 9~

"How is it that Angelus was able to just walk out of here with her, and not one of you brain-dead morons saw them?" Spike yelled, causing several minions to flinch and cower from him.

"We were out feeding, same as you, Spike," one of them reminded him.

"It's been days! She should have come crawling back by now, begging for forgiveness. The pain should have brought her to her knees once she was out of this town!" A thought suddenly struck him. "That bastard! He claimed her! That's why I can't feel her. That's why she isn't running back to me in mind-numbing pain!"

"Angelus really pulled one over on you, didn't he, Spike?" One of the less intelligent minions stated, laughing.

Spike reached out, grabbing the vampire's collar and yanking him forward, his face only an inch away. "Yes, it would seem he did," he replied, his voice eerily low and calm. He shoved the other vampire away suddenly, and turned, beginning to pace. "That damned Slayer, must have been in on it from the beginning. Bitch is always spoiling my plans. Well, her little friend is off with Angel now, and try as he might, poof won't be able to control himself. The spell will see to that. In the mean time, I want you all out, digging up information.  I want to know where they are. This isn't over yet."

~*~

Sitting on a large rock near the shore, Willow looked up toward the sky, listening to the waves softly crashing around her. It had been about a week since they had arrived in Mexico, and the redhead was feeling more alone than she had ever felt before. Angel avoided her at all costs, mostly staying locked in his room during the day and walking around the grounds at night. She barely saw him, they never really talked, and the few times that Willow did cross his path, she was left with the feeling of being a burden to the brooding vampire.

She had asked to call her friends, which he had quickly forbidden. Angel couldn't be certain that Spike wouldn't find a way to track their phone calls. She asked how Giles would get a hold of him when he found a reversal spell, but the vampire only gave her a cryptic answer about having some contacts that would let him know.

The further from the house he went, the more uneasy Willow would feel, and though she hated to admit it, she only felt at ease when she was near his side. The fact, then, that she barely saw him, left the redhead with a constantly uncomfortable feeling, as if her skin didn't quite fit right. She felt a pull toward him, the same as she had toward Spike, but her new found solitude was leaving her with a feeling of greater contempt toward Angel than she had ever felt toward Spike.

When she forced her mind into more rational territories, Willow knew that Angel was really just trying to help her, but everything had been so confusing and difficult lately, and with no one to talk to and no friends to comfort her, the witch could only ponder her current situation and think about all that she had been through. Each day drove her further into herself, until it felt like her existence was slowly collapsing, with no way to escape, no air to breathe.

Angel had begun to notice the darkness creeping into the girl's eyes, the way her shoulders slumped forward when she sat, the way her feet dragged when she walked, but he was at a loss as to how to help her. He figured this was for the best, leaving her be. The less he did, the better. When she was near, the vampire could feel the demon rattling its cage, screaming to be released, and he didn't know how he could live with himself if he ever hurt her. He had just recently lost a friend, knowing now that he should never have allowed Doyle to get so close, to become so involved, and he'd be damned if he'd let anything happen to Willow.

As he searched first the house and then the grounds for the redhead, Angel became increasingly worried, unable to find her. Finally, he concentrated on their bond, his senses leading him to the edge of the water, where she was huddled on a cold rock, her long, red hair whipping around her face. It was dark, the moon providing slight illumination, though clouds were beginning to overcome the sky as the wind slowly picked up. A storm was moving in. Angel could feel the electricity in the air.

"You should come in," he told her gruffly, walking up beside the girl, trying to hide the worry he had felt from her absence.

"Is that a command?" She asked bitterly, not bothering to look toward him.

"That depends on whether you plan to sit out on this rock all night or not," he told her, stuffing his hands into his pockets and watching her carefully. Small, cool drops of rain began to fall from the sky.

"I'm a witch, Angel. I'll be fine out here," she told him, finally looking toward the vampire.

"There's a storm coming," he replied, glancing toward the darkening sky. "It isn't safe."

"Does it matter?" She asked softly, not really expecting an answer.

Reaching down, he grabbed her arms, hauling her up to meet his gaze. "Does it matter?" He repeated angrily. "How can you ask that?"

"What do I care?" She yelled, yanking her arms free and taking a small step back, glaring at him. "My life doesn't belong to me anymore. Why should I care what happens to it?"

"Fine, maybe you don't care, but I do," he told her, reaching out again and grabbing her arm, hauling her down from the rock and onto the sandy beach, his grip on her the only thing keeping the redhead from falling to her knees as her feet hit the ground. Keeping her hand firmly clasped in his, Angel led the girl back to the house, the rain now falling harder around them.

"Why are you doing this?" She shouted behind him.

Angel stopped, a few feet away from the door, and turned, giving her a questioning look. "Why do you act like you care?" She asked, tears now mingling with the rain drops.

"Because, Willow, I do care," he told her sincerely. "Why do you think I went to all the trouble of…"

"Because! Because Buffy asked you to. Buffy asked you to go save her stupid, little friend who got herself kidnapped again, and you ran, for her."

"It wasn't about helping Buffy," he insisted, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her closer, looking at her intensely. "It was about helping you."

Willow shook her head. "It's clear that you want nothing to do with me. I mean, I get that, I do, but I just…it's just…"

Grabbing her hand again, he pulled her the rest of the way to the house, stopping once they were inside, now both dripping rain water onto the wooden floor. He noticed that she was shivering slightly, despite the warm temperatures outside.

"I know I'm just Willow, and not anything special, and…"

"Stop," he interrupted, his voice loud and harsh. "I do NOT want to hear you talking like that again, do you understand me? You don't put yourself down to your master." Willow just stared at him, confused by his words. "It's an insult to me, and I will not tolerate it," he yelled, grabbing her now slightly bruised arms and shaking her.

"Funny how you're only my master when it suits your purposes," she told him disdainfully. "You ignore me, you clearly want nothing to do with me, and then you yell at me for the way I feel!"  His grip tightened as his eyes flashed yellow. "Angel, you're hurting me," she whimpered, a moment before he let go, looking shocked and appalled at his own actions. "Angel…"

"Go!" He yelled, pointing toward the stairs and looking toward the floor, watching the drops of water hit the wood below.

"Angel, I…"

"I said GO! Go to your room, now!"

"I'm not just a child that you can…" Willow stopped as he glanced up at her, a murderous look in his eyes.

"Get away from me, before I hurt you," he growled, his eyes flickering gold. Willow quickly turned, running up the stairs and slamming the door to her room shut.

~Part: 10~

Storming toward his room, Angel stopped in the hallway, staring for a moment at the closed door across from his own. He could hear soft sobs coming from the other side and his heart lurched slightly. Walking into his room, he shut the door behind him and sat down on the bed, running his hands through his hair. Things were not going the way they were supposed to. He was supposed to be helping Willow, not hurting her. He was supposed to be protecting the redhead, not lusting after her, and yet, with each passing moment in the young woman's presence, he felt a little more drawn to her. Angel knew that the spell had something to do with the attraction, but suspected that it went beyond just that. Here was a girl that belonged to him, whether she liked it or not. She was his, and the demon in him rejoiced at that thought. Willow was strong and she was powerful, and her willful nature was more like his own than Angel would have liked to admit. He feared what he could do to her if she angered him, he feared the darker side that she seemed to invoke, but mostly, he feared what could happen should he ever give into the other desires stirring inside. The most frightening  prospect was what might happen should he allow himself to comfort her, to hold her, to kiss her, to drown in all that she had to offer, and in doing so, lose himself.

The dark-haired vampire was startled out of his thoughts by a small jingling noise coming from somewhere inside the room. Jumping up from the bed, he looked around cautiously, seeking out the source of the noise. Finally, his eyes dropped down to a small bag that lay near the foot of the bed, still unpacked. Kneeling down, he rummaged through a few items, finally pulling out a small cell phone, which Cordelia had insisted he carry, and which Angel had completely forgotten about.

Flipping it open slowly, he stared at it for a moment before speaking. "Hello?"

"Angel? Is that you? I can hardly hear you." Cordelia's voice was slightly broken up by a crackle of static.

The vampire moved to the other side of the room. "Can you hear me now?"

"What?" She shouted back.

Again, he moved to another corner. "Can you hear me now?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

"Angel, what's going on? Are you guys ok?" Cordelia asked, concern lacing her voice.  "Buffy said you got away with Willow."

"She's with me," he told her. "You haven't heard from Spike at all, have you?"

"Not a peep. He must have known you wouldn't come running back here. How are you?"

"Fine. Laying low for a while at a place I own. No one knows about…"

"That place in Mexico? The Morbid River, or whatever?" Her voice was loud and high pitched, causing Angel to pull the phone away, wincing slightly.

"Cordy…"

"Man, Willow gets a tropical vacation while I'm stuck here, running the show. I want to go to Mexico. I want to lay on a beach "

"How is everything there?" Angel asked, ignoring her rant. " Have you been able to handle everything alright?"

"Well, the brand new, skull splitting headaches aren't really a whole lot of fun, but…"

"The what now?" He interrupted.

"Oh yeah, well before Doyle took the great leap, he left me a little parting gift," she explained in an exasperated tone.

"The visions," Angel surmised.

"Isn't it more customary to give someone a ring or a photo or something?" Cordy complained. "It's painful…and annoying."

"What are you doing when you get one?" The vampire questioned.

"Well, mostly just popping a couple aspirin and laying back with…"

"I meant about the visions, the people in trouble," Angel clarified through clenched teeth,  closing his eyes and rubbing his head.

"Oh, right, that. Yeah, well, I have a little help actually. An old friend…"

"Who?"

"Wesley."

"What?"

"Well, he knows all about demons and magic and stuff," she told him.  "Plus, he doesn't mind getting all gooey now and then. I mean, he has serious issues with leather pants and his hair could use a little help, but he needed a job, so I hired him."

"Cordy, you can't just…"

"How's Willow?" She interrupted, obviously wanting to change the subject.

"What? Fine, I guess. She's alive," Angel told her, glancing toward his door.

"Yeah, well duh, but how is she? After all that she's gone through, she must be pretty traumatized. How is she handling everything?"

Angel thought for a moment. He hadn't really given that much thought. In fact, they hadn't really talked at all about how Willow was dealing with the aftermath of all that Spike had done. "I don't know. She's…pissed, mostly."

"Well, of course she is, but I mean…Angel, have you talked to her about what's going on, explained what's happening?"

"Of course I did!" He tried to sound more confident than he was as his eyes darted around the room.

"And what exactly did you tell her," Cordelia asked, her tone demanding.

"I told her that she belongs to me now, and that she needs to do as I say, for her own good," he stated matter-of-factly.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" She shouted at him. "That's just what every modern woman hopes to hear.  Angel, Willow has been completely independent since, like, forever. Her parents were around less than mine were. She's always taken care of herself, and she has kind of a stubborn streak."

"Yeah, I've noticed that."

"She's probably confused, and pissed off, and angry, and…lonely." The last word left Angel wondering if Willow was the only one feeling lonely. Something in Cordelia's voice lead him to believe that the former May Queen may be feeling a little more estranged from the world than she let on. "With no friends, and no one to talk to, and some big goon telling her what to do, it's no wonder she's pissed off."

"Hey, I'm just trying to help her," he insisted defensively.

"I know you are, Angel, and it's really good that you got her away from Spike, and that you're trying to keep her safe, but think about it from her perspective. Decisions have been made, affecting her life, without any say from her. Willow's freedom has been stolen. She's nothing more than a slave. Sure, she's not being tortured on a regular basis, and big yay there, no doubt about it, but the way she must be feeling, Angel, you have to talk to her."

"Yeah, you're right, Cordy. I will. Thanks."

~*~

Hearing the woman on the floor above him hanging up the phone, Spike turned back toward the tunnel entrance and lit a cigarette.

"So, Angel's taken the girl out of the country," he mused as he joined a few other vampires in the tunnel. "Pack your bags, boys. We're heading down under."

"Hey, Spike, I think you mean we're going south of the boarder," one of the minions pointed out. "Down under would be Australia, and also, we're demons, so we don't really have bags to pack."

"What were you, a bloody geography teacher?" Spike questioned.

The minion smiled proudly. "Well actually…"

"Will someone please stake him already?" Spike shouted, throwing his hands up and storming away.

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