Parts: 21 - 27 (End)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Part: 21~
She felt him come into the room before she ever heard him, and simply closed her eyes, a slight smile gracing her lips as he placed his hand on her shoulder. Her nimble fingers paused over the worn keys before continuing their frantic typing, her eyes glancing back at the screen.
“Don’t you think it’s time to take a break?” Angel asked in a soft voice. Willow simply shook her head. “You’ve been sitting at this computer all day. You need to rest.”
“What I need is to find the answer,” she told him, not looking away from the computer screen or slowing her typing. She had never been able to tolerate unsolved problems, and this was no different. She would find a reversal spell for the bond that Spike had set. She had to.
Angel let out a sigh, turning and stepping away from her, listening to the clicking of the keyboard. When he spoke again, his voice was so quiet that Willow almost missed it.
“Is being with me that horrible?”
Hearing the question, Willow paused, her hands hovering in the air for a moment, before pulling back and dropping onto the desk. She turned slowly, her large, green eyes staring at the vampire in surprise.
“How can you think that?” She whispered.
Angel shrugged. “You’re so determined to break the bond,” he told her.
Pushing her chair back, Willow jumped up and moved to him, taking one of his large hands into both of hers, waiting as he slowly looked at her.
“Angel, you know that I want to be with you. It’s just…the bond, the spell that Spike did…I don’t want our relationship to be about pain and necessity.”
“Every relationship is about pain and necessity,” he insisted in a sullen tone.
It was Willow’s turn to sigh as her shoulders dropped and she took a step back, biting her lip, trying to conjure the right words.
“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life worrying that Spike will come back and take you from me. Losing you, it would be bad enough, but Angel, the pain…I wouldn’t survive, you know that.”
The vampire nodded reluctantly. “I know, but I could get rid of Spike, permanently, and then…”
“And then someone else would come along and try to pull us apart. We’re a liability to each other like this. I want to be with you, I do,” she insisted, her voice thick with emotion, “but I don’t want to constantly worry about what will happen if you suddenly have to leave town, or I accidentally get on a bus to San Francisco or…”
“Or?”
“Or you change your mind,” she whispered.
“About what?”
“About us!” She shouted, tears stinging her eyes. “I know that you say it’s not the bond, and I believe you, but I don’t…I don’t want to have that doubt. I want to know…I need to know that you’re with me because you WANT to be with me.”
Wrapping his arms around her waist, Angel swept the redhead up, holding her tightly. “You’re mine, little girl,” he growled with a predatory smile, “spell or no spell, and I’ll do whatever I need to prove it.”
Willow giggled and shook her head. “I just need to find a reverse for the spell,” she told him, glancing longingly at the computer across the room.
Seeing her looking at the machine that had already commanded too much of her attention, Angel placed a finger under her chin and turned her head to look at him again.
“That can wait,” he insisted, taking in her tired eyes and pale complexion. “When did you last eat? Last sleep?” Willow shrugged, grinning sheepishly, before letting out a squeal as the dark haired vampire swept her up off of her feet and carried her out of the room.
Dropping his pet onto the large, soft bed, Angel simply gave her a warning look before leaving. He returned a few minutes later, grinning as he saw Willow’s eyes widen at the sight of what he had brought her. Staring at the large bowl of strawberries and whipped cream, the redhead licked her lips and sat up a bit straighter on the bed.
Sitting next to her, Angel chuckled as she leaned forward, ready to devour the strawberries. Holding the bowl out of reach, the vampire shook his head and smirked at the beautiful, pouting face before him. Dipping one plump strawberry into the cream, he held it up slowly, watching as she leaned forward, tongue gliding along his fingers as she sucked the fruit into her mouth. The witch closed her eyes, groaning softly as the sweet taste flooded her senses, before quickly looking up again, mouth parted, ready for another. When her lips once again grazed his fingers, this time purposefully sucking a bit at the cool digits, it was Angel’s turn to moan as he struggled to keep control.
Once the last strawberry was gone, Angel leaned forward, his strong hand gripping the back of her neck, holding the redhead still as he plundered her sweet mouth, his tongue pilfered the last bit of juice. Willow moaned and leaned into him, whimpering a little when he finally pulled back.
“More,” she whispered, as she tried to stifle a yawn.
Angel chuckled and shook his head. “You need to get some sleep. There will be time to play later.”
Crossing her arms over her chest and pushing her lower lip out a bit, the redhead pouted, her resolve-face slipping into place.
Never one to be manipulated by a woman, no matter how cute and sexy, Angel stood up, glaring at the girl. “Go to sleep,” he told her, turning and heading for the door. “I’ll come to check on you in a few hours.”
“I’m not sleepy,” she whined, again trying to cover a yawn.
Angel simply gave her a knowing look before flipping the light switch off and reaching for the door.
“You know, I don’t have to do what you tell me,” she informed him, suddenly sounding more defiant and angry.
Angel let out a sigh and turned back to look at the redhead. “Actually, you do. I thought we already established that. Now, go to sleep.”
Gritting her teeth and glaring through the dark, Willow whispered, “illustro.” Angel squinted at the sudden, bright flash of light and waited a moment for his vision to clear. When he could see again, the vampire frowned to see the redhead sitting up, her arms folded, a triumphant smile on her face.
“What did you just do?” He growled.
“I Am a witch, remember?” She reminded him.
The vampire frowned. His girl was getting magically stronger every day, and though a part of him gleamed with pride, it caused him to worry as well.
Walking back over to the bed, Angel contemplated his choice of actions. His pet was being defiant. He should punish her. It should have been that simple, but of course, things never were. The redhead was frustrated with her current situation. She was stressed and exhausted, and apparently that was a rather toxic combination for the witch.
“Willow, do you want me to punish you?” He asked, wondering if perhaps the redhead was feeling neglected, but she quickly shook her head. “Then what’s with the attitude?”
“I’ll go to sleep when I decide I want to, not when you tell me to. I am still a person, remember?”
“Well, as long as you’re mine,” he replied, “and you ARE mine, Willow, you will do as I say. You know I only have your best interest in mind, right?” The redhead reluctantly nodded, looking away. “And you ARE tired, right?” Again, she nodded. “And a girl as smart as you would certainly know that being as tired as you are, you won’t get very far with research without a little nap, right?”
Willow gritted her teeth. He was talking to her like she was a child. Finally, she nodded again, despising the victorious grin on his face.
“Now, are you going to be good and go to sleep?” He asked.
“Yes,” she grumbled, sliding down into the soft sheets, feeling her tired body relax into the mattress.
“Good girl,” Angel replied, once again heading for the door. His hand slipped up to the light switch, just as he remembered what the redhead has done. “Willow?” She gave him a questioning look for a moment, before remembering her little temper-tantrum spell.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, before waving her hand, extinguishing the lights.
Stepping out into the hallway, the vampire jumped into a defensive stance as a figure jumped up before him. It took his mind a moment to register who it was, before he finally relaxed a bit and let out a deep, aggravated sigh.
“Buffy, what are you doing here?”
~Part: 22~
"Buffy, what are you doing here?"
"Giles sent me to pick up a book. I was going to say hello to Willow, but I figured if she's sleeping, maybe it would better not to…What are you doing with her?" She hadn't meant to ask that, but the words had slipped out, despite her best intentions to play the part of the noble ex-girlfriend.
Running a hand through his hair, the vampire made his way down the hallway, away from the redhead's room, and toward the stairs to the lobby, the blonde slayer following close behind. When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, he spoke.
"Buffy…"
"Tell me, Angel. What's going on with the two of you?"
"It's…complicated," he told her, honestly unsure of how to describe their relationship.
"Complicated?" Anger and confusion swam in her eyes.
"It's hard to explain."
"Do you love her?" Angel took a step back, surprised by the sudden, direct question.
"Buffy, I…"
"Do you, Angel? Do you love her?"
After thinking for a long moment, the vampire nodded.
"What about me?" The slayer whispered, feeling tears fill her eyes.
"Buffy, you and are…we never worked, you know that." Now that he was actually talking to her about it, Angel was surprised at just how true those words felt.
"You've moved on from me already? How can you forget so fast?"
"Are you trying to tell me that you haven't moved on? Come on, Buffy, I've seen the way you are with Riley. You love him."
"It's not…"
"It's ok, that's what I wanted…for you to move on and be happy."
"What about all those things you said?" She asked. "All those reasons that you left…or were they just excuses?"
"Buffy…"
"Listen to me, Angel. She is my best friend. If your intentions are not…If you hurt her, I'll kill you." The vampire simply nodded, unsure of what to say. "Willow doesn't jump into something idly. When she gives herself to someone, she gives her whole self, Angel. Have you thought about that?" The brunette opened his mouth to respond, but she quickly cut him off. "The same problems still exist! She's human, you're a vampire. You live in the night. You can't take her out in the day, and you can't protect her there. She will grow old and she will die. What will you do? Have you thought about any of this?"
"Buffy…" Again, she quickly cut him off, not having finished her tirade.
"I know you say you love her, Angel, and maybe you do, but is that enough? Can you really, truly make her happy? And what about Willow? How much of this is her and how much is that stupid spell that Spike did? I mean, before this, did she have any interest in you? A few months ago, she was devastated over Oz leaving, and now…"
The vampire looked as though she had slapped him. He had never thought about that before. Willow had been so worried that his feelings might have come from the spell, he had never given a thought to the fact that perhaps that was exactly where her own were derived from.
Guilt flooded her senses as Buffy looked at her former lover. "Angel, I'm not saying…I just…Just think about it, okay? If you can't give Willow what she needs, it's better to stop things before they get more intense. Trust me, I know."
Angel simply nodded, looking down, and Buffy could see him slipping into full-blown brood mode. Knowing a good exit cue when she saw it, the slayer quickly picked up her book from the counter and headed toward the door. Pausing as she opened it, she turned and glanced back at Angel.
"Tell Willow I said hello," she said softly. "Or…or maybe don't…I… which ever…I just…." Not sure what else to say, she finally gave up and turned, heading out the door.
~*~
Willow was pacing back and forth, occasionally glancing around the dim room before her eyes inevitably fell back onto the door. He was late. He wasn't supposed to be late. Looking down at the thin, silky dress she wore, worry filled her. They had made dinner plans. He had bought the dress for her days ago, and insisted that she wear it that night. With Cordelia's help, the witch had arranged her hair in soft, red curls that fell around her face and the light green eye shadow that sparkled on her lids matched the color of the dress perfectly. The seer had helped her pick out a perfect pair of strappy heels, which were now causing her feet to ache as she continuously paced back and forth in Angel's room.
The door swung open, startling the redhead, and she turned, watching as the dark haired vampire walked in, pushing the door shut behind him. He looked up, a little surprised to see her standing there, though he didn't bother to say anything.
"You're late," she told him. He gave her a questioning look, clearly not remembering their plans. Glaring at him, she gestured to her dress. "We had dinner plans, remember? You…you told me to wear the dress, a-and I curled my hair and let Cordy do my make-up, and walked around in really uncomfortable shoes, a-and…and you completely forgot!"
"Look, I'm sorry," Angel snapped. "I was busy. I had things I had to do. I forgot, get over it."
Willow's eyes narrowed. "What's wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?" She could feel emotions prickling at the back of her neck, causing her heart to thump faster. Something was off.
"Willow, I think that maybe you should go to…"
"What happened?" She interrupted, her voice strong and demanding. Stepping closer to the vampire, she faced him, bound and determined to understand the sudden change in him. "Why are you suddenly being like this? Just yesterday you were all `you're mine and I love you," a-and now…"
"Willow, I can't do this anymore," he said, his voice cracking. "We can't…"
"Can't what?" She asked. "We can't be together? You can't…You can't love me? I don't understand. You promise! You promised me that you wouldn't do this, a-and I opened up and I gave you my heart and now…"
"Willow, it's the spell," he told her.
"No! No, you told me. You said it wasn't the spell. You said that you felt…"
"Not me, Willow," he interrupted. "You. You feel this way because of the bond. Even without the spell, if I had claimed you, there would be a pull. A human and a vampire…I'm taking advantage, and I can't do it anymore. It's not fair to you."
"It isn't fair to me?" She yelled, tears burning her eyes, blurring her vision. "Says who? Don't I get a say in this?"
"I'm sorry, Willow, I'm just doing what's best for you," he insisted.
"Yeah, right! That's your excuse for everything. When you bit me, that was in my best interest, a-and when you took me to Mexico? That was in my best interest, and then when you dragged me back here…all for my best interest? Give me a break. I know you, Angel. I know things about you that no one knows. I know how you feel inside, because I can feel it. If you don't love me, just say so, but don't tell me that we can't be together for my benefit or because I don't know my own feelings!"
"I don't love you."
The words were whispered so quietly that Willow almost missed them. Her mouth open, she took a step back, looking at him in shock and denial.
"You're lying. Angel, I know you…"
"I don't love you, Willow. Not like that." His voice caught in his throat as he choked on the words.
"Why are you doing this?" Her voice trembled, as did her body. The vampire took a step toward her, reaching for a hand, but she quickly pulled it away, as if his skin had burned her. "Don't touch me! Don't come near me."
Backing up, she moved toward the door, her pained eyes boring into his.
"Where are you going?" He asked as she stepped into the hallway.
"Away…away from you. I…I can't stay here right now. I'll…"
"You can't go too far, or…"
"I'm well aware of exactly what will happen if I go too far," Willow reminded the vampire, her voice full of venom. "There will be pain and grief, but lucky for me, I already know how to handle them. Thanks for the lesson." That said, she turned and ran down the hallway and down the stairs, brushing past Cordelia as she ran out the door. Angel followed, stopping short as he saw the brunette seer standing before him, her hands on her hips, a glare on her face.
"What the hell did you do now?"
~Part: 23~
The motel room was small and dingy, and Willow was appreciative of the low lighting. The less she could see the better. She could hear faint noises outside, people talking, yelling, but they sounded about a million miles away. Inside the room, the only noise to be heard was the buzzing motor of a small ceiling fan that wobbled as it spun around, the chain clanking lightly against the metal center piece.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, the redhead stared numbly at the old, faded black telephone perched on the nightstand. She was alone, utterly and completely. She couldn't call the hotel, of that much she was certain. The witch considered calling Buffy, but decided that a chat about the slayer's former lover breaking her heart might not be the best idea. Finally, she lifted the heavy receiver and dialed a number.
"Hello?"
"Xander?" Her voice was tiny, cracking a little as she said his name. It had been so long since she'd heard his voice.
There was a long pause before he finally spoke again. "Willow? My god, Willow, is that you?"
"It's me," she confirmed, biting her lower lip, repeatedly telling herself she would not cry.
"Are you okay? Is something wrong? What's wrong? Do you need me to come to you? Tell me what…" Xander had hit panic mode, hearing his best friend on the other end of the phone, sounding so meek and sad. It had been so long since he'd heard from her; the young man felt as though his heart was about to burst.
"Xander, calm down," she interrupted with a small smile despite her tears. "I'm okay."
"Where are you?'
"At, um…a motel," she told him.
"You mean Angel's hotel? Is he there, or…"
"No, I mean, I'm at a motel. I'm not…I…I left. I had to leave. He…" Her voice broke as tears once again sprang into her eyes and Willow silently cursed her own weaknesses.
"What did he do?" Xander's tone had turned dangerous at the thought that someone might have hurt his Willow. "Do you need me to come there and kick his ass? Because I'm sure I can get in at least a few good punches before being knocked unconscious."
Over the next hour, Willow recounted all that had happened, starting with Spike doing the spell, and ending with her in the small, dark room, desperately missing her best friend.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, Will, but maybe Angel's right. God, that sounds just as wrong being said as I thought it would. I mean, how do you know that it's not the claim and the bond that are making you feel like this?"
"I love him, Xander," Willow explained, her voice filled with conviction. "A-and it's not just the spell. I'm smart enough to know the difference between love and lust, and yeah, okay, so the spell sometimes makes me feel sort of…a little more antsy, a-and wanton…" Xander could practically hear her blushing on the other end, but simply remained quiet. "But the love, it's different. It isn't reared by the spell, I know it. I can feel it. I never felt this way with Spike."
Xander sighed, hating what he was about to say. "Then you need to make him see that. Prove to him that it's real. That's all you can do. And trust me, I may not be able to stand the guy, but he's smart enough to know just how wonderful you are."
"But, he said…"
"Will, I'm going to let you in on a little known secret of men…What a guy says about love and what he means…those two things don't always match up. Furthermore, to protect the ones we love the most, we'll say just about anything, even the most hurtful words we can find, if we think it will keep them happier in the long run."
"Well…well…guys are stupid. A-and you think he would have learned something in the last two hundred and fifty years," she grumbled.
"I think he has," Xander admitted with a grin.
The redhead smiled broadly. "Thanks, Xand."
Hearing his friend's voice soften and relax a bit, the brunette smiled. "So, tell me more about wanton-Willow."
~*~
"Cordy, what are you doing?" Angel growled, seeing the brunette lumbering down the stairs, dragging one of Willow's suitcases behind her.
Stopping at the bottom of the staircase and dropping the luggage with a thump, Cordelia let out a deep breath and turned to face her boss. "Thanks for the help," she groused. "For your information, I'm taking some of Willow's things back to my place. She's going to need some clothes and I'm sure she'll want her lap top."
"You know where she is?" He asked in confusion. The vampire had only just explained the situation to the seer an hour or so ago, followed by much yelling on the part of Cordelia.
"Duh. Of course I don't know where she is...yet," Cordy told him. "But I'll find her and bring her back to my place." He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "What? She needs a place to stay, and my apartment, ghost and all, is better than some crappy Motel 6, and besides, I know Willow and I haven't exactly been the best of friends, what with me making her teenage years a living hell and her stealing my boyfriend, but…She's had a hard time and she could use a friend right about now."
Angel nodded, looking toward the floor.
"And don't you go getting all broody on me now!" She chastised. "This is all your fault, buddy." Angel gave her an incredulous look. "Well, you and Spike and Buffy and…whatever moron came up with that damn spell to begin with, but since you're the only one here right now, it's up to you to fix it."
"There's nothing to fix," Angel insisted. "She better off this way. I'd just hurt her."
"Bull!" Again, Angel looked at her incredulously. "She loves you, and whether you want to admit it or not, you love her."
"That's not in question," he told her.
"It is for Willow. You told her that you loved Buffy and not her. Gees…I mean…Why don't you just kill her puppy and sell her the fur. Angel, I saw the two of you together, and as completely sickening as it was to watch, you made each other light up."
"The spell…"
"The spell started it, maybe, but the two you of…Angel, you better find a way to fix this, or I'll…I'll…I'll go on strike."
At that, the woman turned, grabbing the suitcase.
"Cordy? Take care of her," he whispered. She nodded and turned away gain, strutting out of the building as well as she could, dragging the heavy luggage behind her.
~Part: 24~
Putting the last of her clothes into the dresser drawer, Willow shut it and sat down on the bed with a sigh. She was beyond appreciative for all that Cordy was doing for her, taking her away from that god- awful motel, bringing her back to her apartment, dragging along a suitcase full of her things, but none of that did the least bit to lighten the heavy shadow over her soul. Angel no longer wanted her. The very thought broke her heart again and again, leaving the redhead to wonder just how many times something so fragile could repeatedly shatter. By that point, the remaining shards should have been miniscule at best.
Looking around the small room, Willow took in the meager contents. Cordelia hadn't had any extra furniture, so the redhead had taken it upon herself to borrow some from Angel's hotel, figuring that he would never notice, and if he did.well, he owed her that, at the very least.
Shaking away that thought, Willow tried to remind herself of her current position. Angel had been forced into this, just as she had been. He had no intentions of taking a pet for his own, and had been stuck with her after it had become apparent that there would be no other way to remove her from Spike's clutches. But it had never been something that he wanted. She was lucky, she told herself, to have had his help for that long. He had done a lot for her, and it really wasn't his fault; pretending to care for the best friend of your true love, that would be difficult for anyone. Still, his words and his tone stung, causing her to tremble and bite back tears each time she thought of them.
Hearing a knock at her door, Willow glanced up at the clock. It was a little over an hour before Cordelia was due home. The seer had felt horribly guilty for leaving Willow to go work for the proverbial enemy, but she had been assured that all was understood. It was her job, after all, and an important one at that, being a messenger for the powers. Willow was in no position to disrupt her duties. She had already imposed on them all more than enough.
Assuming that her friend had come home earlier, Willow called out a casual greeting, inviting her to come in. As the door opened and a somber face peeked around, Willow's eyes widened.
"Angel? What are you doing here?"
"I hope you don't mind," he told her, stepping through the threshold slowly. "Cordelia told me that you were staying with her. I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing."
Willow gave him a weary look. "I'm fine," she lied. "Hunky-dory."
"How's the magic? Still growing?" He asked, avoiding more pressing questions.
Willow shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm working on the control, trying not to use it unless it's necessary. Well, I sorta magicked the furniture here, but."
"I thought that looked familiar," Angel told her, nodding toward the dresser. Willow had the good grace to blush sheepishly.
"Soooo.Everything's okay then?" He asked.
"Angel, why did you really come here?" She questioned.
"I told you, I wanted to make sure that you were alright. I said some pretty harsh things the other day, and I didn't want you to think that."
"Don't worry," she interrupted, her voice much cooler and more distant. "I'm fine. There must be more important things that you could."
"You are important," he insisted, sitting down beside her and wincing slightly as she scooted away from him. "Willow." Pausing, he took in her drawn features and pale face, his heart lurching at the thought that he had caused her such pain. "When was the last time you ate?"
Again, the redhead shrugged, not looking him in the eye. "I had something yesterday, I think," she said quietly.
Standing up, the vampire began to pace the room. "Willow, you have to eat. You have to take care of yourself." He knew that wasn't what she needed to hear at the moment, but he still felt compelled to take care of her, provide for her, and when necessary, scold her as well. "Just because."
"Hey!" She shouted, jumping up from the bed and storming toward him. "You can't just come in here and try to act all nice and caring," she informed him, poking him in the chest with a pointed finger. "A-and you can't just start ordering me around and telling me what to do! I'll eat if and when I want to!" Crossing her arms, she inwardly winced at the ridiculous argument, but at that moment it was the only thing that she had and she was not about to back down from him.
Angel let out a warning growl, fighting to keep his face from changing. He could feel his eyes flickering between their usual deep brown and the golden glow of the demon. She was pushing him, angering him, and he didn't like it.
"Willow, you will do what I tell you and."
"No, actually I won't!" She interrupted. "In case you've forgotten, I don't belong to you anymore! You don't want me!" She could feel tears once again fill her eyes as the words poured from her mouth, but sheer rage was more than enough to keep them at bay.
"Willow."
"No! You let me go, Angel! You told me where your heart was. I won't be a substitute for someone else and I won't prey on your pity any further. And I WILL NOT kowtow to your demands any longer! I don't belong to you! You don't want me? Fine! I don't want you either! I'd go back to Spike again before I'd ever give myself to you!"
As the words jumped from her lips, Angel could feel the building, pulsing magic burst forth from her body, a blinding light flashing, illuminating the room for a moment. He felt himself being shoved backwards, his back coming up hard against something solid. Blinking a few times, waiting for his sight to clear, the brunette looked around, seeing that he was now in the hallway, the door having slammed shut after Willow's magic had thrown him from the room.
Standing up and glaring at the door, he tried to get a handle on the raging demon within. How dare she! Her words rumbled through his mind again and again, and he wanted nothing more than to rip the door from the hinges and show her exactly who it was that she did belong to. After all, he might have let her walk away, but it was still his claim on her throat, it was still his mark that she bore and still his heart that she held, whether she knew it or not.
Stepping up to the doorway, Angel grasped the knob, ready to yank it open. Just as he was about to rip the oak door away from the frame, a soft sound reached his ears, making him pause. His face fell as he listened, his hand moving to press gently against the door, almost as if to extend a bit of comfort through the wooden barrier. The redhead's aching sobs filled his ears and echoed in his mind, making the vampire feel sick to his stomach.
"It's not true," she sobbed to herself. "I love you, so much. Please, just want me again, please, please want me, please.oh goddess, please want me."
Turning away from the doorway, the vampire set his jaw tightly as he walked out of the apartment, blocking out the pained sobs he could still hear coming from the small room.
~*~
"He's just left the apartment, boss."
"And the witch?"
"She's still there, alone."
"The seer and the watcher?"
"They're being followed. We're ready to subdue them if necessary, just as you asked."
"Right then. It's time Angel and I had a little heart to heart. Wanker has something that belongs to me. It's time I take it back."
~Part: 25~
"Of course!" The sudden exclamation, along with the slamming of an old, dusty book, caused both Buffy and Xander to jump in their seats, two sets of tired eyes looking toward Giles. "Of course!" He shouted again.
"You said that already," Buffy reminded the watcher. "What did you find?"
"I've been going about this the wrong way," he told them. "All along, I've been looking for a reversal spell, something to negate the original binding spell, but there is none."
"Yeah, we've sorta got that," Xander told him, gesturing at the large piles of books surrounding them, none of which had given any information on a reversal to the spell.
"We don't need a reversal!" Giles exclaimed.
"You're telling us this NOW?" Buffy groused.
"Giles, what are you talking about?" Xander asked, fearing that the man might have finally lost his mind due to too much research. "Willow's."
"Willow's blood is the problem. The spell binds her to whomever is able to bite deep enough and take enough blood," Giles explained. "All we have to do is make her blood non-binding."
"Right, that sounds simple enough," Xander stated in a sarcastic tone. "Why didn't I think of that? Oh yeah, because that's not possible."
"No, no, actually, it is," Giles told him. "I remember reading about a girl who had been taken by a vampire and claimed. She was a gypsy. Her family cast a spell to unbind her from the demon."
"Giles, even if we cast that spell, wouldn't any new claim reinstate the binding ritual?" Buffy asked.
"No, I don't believe it would," he told her, moving across the room and grabbing an occult history book from a shelf, flipping through it quickly. "The new spell should alter the properties of her blood enough that the binding ritual would be rendered permanently ineffective."
"Is that safe?" The slayer questioned. "Altering the properties of her blood? That sounds sort of.I don't know, bad."
"Altering the properties of one's blood is tricky, at best, and there is always the possibility of unforeseen consequences when using magic that powerful, but no major side effects were reported from any recorded cases. In fact, nothing much has been recorded at all after the use of the spell on several humans. No pain and no death."
"Great, then let's do some spell casting!" Xander stated, jumping up and rubbing his hands together eagerly.
"I'm afraid that we can't do it just yet," the watcher told him, watching the boy's enthusiasm dissipate. "The caster must be in close proximity to both the human and the vampire that she is bound to in order for the spell to work."
"Then it looks like we're heading back to LA," Buffy stated with a smile.
~*~
"Angel, where have you been? It's almost three A.M.!" Cordelia shouted as he walked into the hotel. The seer was sitting on the circular couch, holding her head as Wesley handing her a glass of water and several pain killers.
"Vision?" He guessed.
"Spike," she told him, "and Willow. He's going to go after Willow. I saw the outside of the apartment, but it was daylight. Willow, she was in pain, and Spike was there. I don't know what."
Before she could say more, Angel was heading to a large cabinet, grabbing several weapons, holding them up, examining them closely.
"What are you planning on doing?" Wesley asked him.
"I'm finishing this," Angel told them. "I'm taking Spike out, once and for all."
"You know it's not going to be that simple," Wesley reminded him. "He's been laying in wait for weeks. Is it really a good idea to go after him, play right into his hand? Surely he's got a plan."
"I have a plan, too," Angel stated. "Find Spike and kill him." At that, the vampire turned and stalked back out of the hotel, weapons in hand.
"That's a pretty good plan," Cordelia commented as she watched him leave.
~*~
As he walked back up to the apartment, Angel stopped outside, looking around the area cautiously. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself for whatever might be coming. He didn't sense another vampire's presence, but he knew that Spike might have already come and gone. Cordelia's vision was in daylight, which was confusing, but never trust the powers that be to give it to you straight.
Just as he was about to step up to the front door, the loud squealing of tired caught his attention. Spinning around, Angel saw a dark truck with tinted windows come speeding around a corner, heading toward him. Jumping the curb, the vehicle stopped only a few inches before him, the tires ripping at the green lawn. Before he had a chance to react, the back door slid open and five vampires rushed out, coming at him. Angel was easily able to knock the first two away, but five against one was bad odds, even for him, and in only a matter of moments, the demons were able to knock him out and drag him into the truck, just before it sped off into the night.
~Part: 26~
Cordelia and Wesley had left the hotel only a few minutes after Angel, but with his enhanced speed, they were at least twenty minutes behind him, heading toward Cordy's apartment. Running down the hallway, Cordelia fumbled with her keys, struggling to unlock the door before throwing it open.
"Willow? Angel?" She yelled as she frantically ran through the small rooms.
"Cordy?" Willow peered her head out from her room, red-rimmed eyes looking startled and confused.
"Where's Angel?" Cordy asked.
"He left a while ago," Willow told her, sniffling indelicately. "He just walked out."
"He didn't come back?" Wesley asked. Willow shook her head. "Oh dear."
"Oh dear?" Willow questioned. "Oh dear? What's `oh dear,' Wesley? What happened?"
"I had a vision," the seer told her. "Spike was coming after you. Angel went to stop him, but I thought he would have come here."
Again, Willow shook her head. "He never showed up. Oh, god, what if something happened?"
"I'm sure he'll be alright," Wesley told her, though his tone of voice was anything but reassuring. "Cordelia, stay here with Willow. I'll head out and see if I can't track him down."
The seer simply nodded as the ex-watcher headed out the door.
"Cordy, what if something happened to him? What if he's."
"I'm sure he'll be alright, Willow. Don't worry. He knows not to go too far. You'll be okay," she told her.
"No! You don't understand!" Willow shouted. "I don't care about the pain. I don't care about.I just want him to be alright."
Slightly startled, Cordelia led her over to the couch and sat beside the trembling redhead.
"I have a bad feeling," Willow told her. "He's moving further away, I can feel it already . What if he's.."
"He'll come back," Cordelia insisted. "Trust me, Willow, he'll come back."
~*~
As he slowly came to, Angel struggled to reach up and hold his throbbing head, trying to remember exactly where he was and what was happening.
"Glad to see that you're finally ready to join us," a familiar voice stated, the sound pushing through his cloudy mind.
Shaking his head and forcing his eyes open, Angel peered through the dark, not surprised to see Spike sitting on a small wooden box nearby. The bumping and jerking of the vehicle was not helping, as the truck continued to speed along the road.
"What do you want, Spike?" Angel growled.
"You know very well what I want," Spike told him. "You took what was mine and I want it back."
"That's not going to happen," Angel told him. "She's mine now, and I protect what's."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Spike interrupted, "you're so noble it's sickening, but from what I hear, the girl doesn't exactly want you anymore, does she?"
Clenching his jaw, Angel didn't bother to answer the question. "What are we doing here, Spike?" He asked.
"We're playing a little game," the blond told him. "We've been driving along now," he stated, glancing down at his watch, "for about three hours, heading further away from the city." He snickered as he saw Angel's eyes widen, a look of horror crossing his features. "I'm thinking that your pet must be pretty near insanity from the pain, if not already completely around the bend by now."
"Stop the truck," Angel ground out, climbing to his feet, clenching his fists at his side.
"That's not how this works," Spike told him, standing before him, his face shifting into his true features.
"Take us back to the city, right now, or I'll kill you and do it myself," Angel demanded, also slipping into his true face.
"Take your best shot," the blond stated, holding his arms out, ready to fight.
~*~
"Oh, god, Willow, I don't know what to do," Cordelia cried as she looked down at her friend who was thrashing around on the bed. The pain had been increasing for the last few hours and the seer was beginning to wonder if Angel really had gone to fight Spike, and had lost.
A knock at the door had Cordy running across the apartment. Fumbling with the locks, she finally managed to pull the door opened, shocked to see the people on the other side.
"Oh, thank god!" She shouted, pulling the three visitors in. "Willow, she needs help, and I don't know what to do!"
"What's wrong?" Xander asked, looking around, hearing Willow's pained voice moaning softly from down the hall.
"I don't know," she told them. "Angel, he went to fight Spike. That was hours ago, and Willow's been getting worse and worse. I'm afraid that he might not have."
"He's still alive," Buffy assured her. "I can feel it, trust me, he's still alive. Where is she?" Cordelia pointed toward the bedroom, Xander, Buffy and Giles quickly heading toward it.
"How long did you say she's been like this?" Giles asked as he took in the sight of the girl twisting and turning on the bed.
"A few hours," Cordy told him. "It's been getting worse."
Sitting beside her on the bed, Xander took his best friend's hand in his own, gently stroking her trembling fingers. "Will? Can you hear me? We're here," he said softly, his voice catching in his throat as he looked down at the redhead, her expression contorted in pain.
~*~
Dodging another right hook, Angel was able to spin, kicking Spike backwards, hearing him hit the thin, metal wall with a satisfying bang. Not to be easily stopped, the blond vampire came back swinging, landing two solid punches to Angel's jaw. Spike watched with a grin as he staggered backwards toward the back of the truck.
"Not looking too good there, old man," Spike told him with a chuckle. "Sure you don't want to give in right now?"
"You can't have her, Spike," Angel growled, watching as the blond shrugged.
"Don't know why you want her so badly. She not much compared to the slayer, is she?"
Lunging forward, Angel slammed his fist into the side of the blond's face several times before Spike was able to push him away.
"You have no idea what you're talking about," Angel told him. "She's more amazing than any creature on this earth."
"Well," Spike snickered, "looks like someone's gone and fallen in love. How very.pathetic of you." At that, he rushed forward, spinning and kicking the older vampire as hard as possible, watching as Angel flew backwards, hitting the back door. As his back connected with the metal, the latch released, the door sliding up and open, light streaming in from the rising sun.
Holding onto the edge of the truck, Angel felt his hand begin to sizzle in the sunlight before he scrambled to his knees and threw himself away from the opening.
"Now we'll have some real fun," Spike told him, rubbing his hands together before lunging toward the brunette.
~Part: 27~
Sitting alone in the room with Willow, Buffy looked down sadly at her friend. She could feel her shaking on the mattress, the redhead's jaw clenched tightly, her face ridged.
"Buffy?" Her soft voice breathed.
"Will?" Buffy replied, sitting up a bit straighter and waiting for her friend to say more.
"It hurts."
The slayer bit her lower lip, fighting the tears that threatened to fall at the small, pitiful confession. "I know, Will. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. He'll be back soon and it will okay. It will, you'll see."
Willow shook her head. "He doesn't want me," she whispered. "A-and I told him I don't want him."
"He still wants you, Willow, trust me, he does. And I'm sure he knew that you didn't really mean what you said."
"What if I never get the chance to tell him? What if he never knows that." Suddenly, the redhead stopped, her eyes opening as she looked up toward the ceiling, her stare unfocused. "Angel," she gasped, before she began to chant softly in latin, her voice laced with pain as she struggled through the words, again and again.
"Giles!" Buffy yelled as she jumped up, looking down at the redhead. "Giles!"
"Buffy, what is it?" The watcher asked as he came running into the room, Cordelia and Xander right behind him.
"She just started doing that," Buffy told him, pointing toward the witch. "What is she doing?"
Giles listened for a moment, his forehead creasing in confusion. "It's a protection spell," he told them.
"Why would she be casting a protection..." Xander began to ask.
"Angel," Buffy interrupted, her voice a soft, awed whisper.
~*~
Feeling Angel's booted foot connect with his chest, Spike was thrown backward, grabbing onto the edge of the truck's back opening before he could be completely thrown from the vehicle. Swinging out, he shouted as he felt his exposed skin begin to sizzle in the sun's poisonous rays. Gripping the metal edge tighter, he flung himself back inwards, toward Angel, who was waiting in a defensive stance. Each gripping the other tightly, they both struggled to gain control as they made their way toward the open end of the truck. Just as they reached the doorway, Angel pulled an arm free, swinging under and slamming his fist into the other vampire's gut with every bit of strength he possessed.
Lurching forward, Spike fell off balance, stumbling further into the older vampire and gripping his arm tightly just as he felt Angel shove him to the edge of the doorway, sunlight now threatening both of them. Spike knew that Angel had the upper hand as he gasped for unneeded breath, trying in vain to pull away.
"It's over, Spike," Angel told him. "You lose."
"It may be over," Spike replied, gripping the vampire's are tighter, "but if I'm going to hell, I'm taking you with me."
Angel thought for a long moment. He loved Willow, he knew that now, and he would do anything to be sure that Spike never got ahold of her again. If that meant sacrificing himself, so be it.
"I'd rather follow you to hell than give you the chance to ever touch her again."
Feeling as if the world was suddenly moving in slow motion, Angel tightened his grip on Spike before heaving them both from the truck. The two demons landed on the hard ground, rolling away from one another and quickly jumping to their feet. Angel watched as Spike looked up toward the bright sky, just before bursting into flames, his dusty remains blowing along the empty highway.
Closing his eyes tightly, Angel readied himself for the coming pain, waiting for the burning feeling to climb across his skin. After a moment, still feeling nothing, he cracked one eye open, squinting as he looked up at the sky, down at his pale hand, and back up again.
Startled by the sound of a blasting horn, the vampire spun around, surprised to see his own car speeding toward him. Pulling up, the car stopped and the door opened.
"Get in!" Wesley shouted, just as Angel began to feel his skin start to tingle in the sunlight. Jumping into the car, he dove into the backseat, seeing a small amount of smoke coming off of him, and the car spun around, heading back down the highway.
~*~
After several minutes of chanting, Willow's voice finally died away as she lay there panting, her eyes closed, her body limp and weak.
"What the hell was that?" Xander asked.
"I think she just saved Angel," Buffy told him in a low voice.
~*~
"Where is she?" A voice shouted as the front door was thrown open. Without waiting for an answer, Angel ran toward Willow's bedroom, not even noticing Giles or Xander.
"Willow," he breathed as he saw her asleep on the bed.
"Angel?" Looking up, he saw Buffy staring at him, her expression unreadable.
"Buffy."
"She loves you, Angel," she told him, taking a step closer, "and you love her. Don't walk away from that." Saying no more, she walked out, quietly shutting the door behind her.
Moving toward the bed, Angel sat next to the redhead, pulling her hand gently into his.
"Willow," he whispered, watching as she stirred and slowly looked up at him.
"Angel?" She asked, her voice barely audible. "You came back."
The vampire nodded. "I'm so sorry Willow, I."
"Don't leave," she whispered, her eyes drifting closed again. "Please, please don't leave me."
"Never," he assured her as she fell back asleep.
~*~
It was several hours before Willow woke again. Shifting a little on the bed, she quickly became aware of the strong arm that was wrapped around her midsection. Turning over, she was started to see warm, brown eyes stared down at her. For the longest time, she said nothing, just watching him watcher her.
"You came back," she eventually said. Angel nodded, pulling her closer.
"How do you feel?" He asked.
"Safe, loved, a little achy, but.cherished," she told him, the soft smile on her face quickly fading. Pulling back a little, she frowned at him. "And it's just the spell. It's the spell that almost killed me last night. A-and I don't think that I can."
"Willow," she shushed her, covering her soft lips with a finger, "the bond is gone."
The redhead's eyes widened as she realized that he was right, the pull of the bond was no longer there.
"Giles came and removed the binding. You're free, forever."
Angel watched as a mixture of emotions played across her face. While he knew that a part of her would be relieved, he was surprised at how forlorn she looked at the news.
"Willow?"
The witch shook her head, pushing back from him and forcing a smile to her face. "No, no.I'm happy, see? Big smile. I'm happy. This is a good thing. I'm.I don't.I'm not."
Before she could say more, Angel leaned forward, grasping the back of her neck gently as he pulled her in for a searing kiss. When he finally pulled away she gave him a questioning look.
"I love you," he told her. "There's no spell forcing you to be mine, but this," he stated, running a finger lightly over the mark on her neck, "is still my claim, and I still want to be with you, if you'll have me."
After thinking for several moments, Willow finally nodded her head, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him deeply.
"I want to be yours," she whispered, "forever and ever, I want to be yours."
The End