Parts: 16-20
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Part: 16~
Willow waited until Angel left to go in search of Gunn and Fred until she turned to Wes. "Are you okay?"
Wesley gave her a tentative smile, "I'll be fine. Even though I don't quite feel myself yet. No pun intended."
"Well, if the witch in the mirror came here maybe a mirror is a way into her realm. You okay to call Cordy?"
"Yes, I can call her and monitor you at the same time. I don't really fancy an enraged vampire after me if something goes wrong."
Willow stood in front of the mirror in Wes' room. While she concentrated on opening a portal she noticed the mirror begin to get smoky. She could see cottages and castles scattered throughout the countryside. She saw a dark haired woman dressed in a sapphire blue dress like Cordy wore earlier. Willow smiled, 'I told Cordelia she looked like a fairy tale princess in that dress.'
With a wave to Wes, Willow dissolved into the mirror and landed on the road the woman was walking on.
"Hey! Watch where you're going."
"Cordelia?"
"Willow?"
"What are you doing here?" They both asked at the same time.
"Turns out my 'Prince Charming' was really a frog. The shoes he sent controlled me and then I got into a carriage that turned into a pumpkin and poof here I am. Wherever here is."
"Well, Cinderella . . .it seems you really turned into Cinderella. This is the realm of the Witch in the Mirror who was the one that sent you the shoes and the Wolf after Wesley."
"What?! What wolf went after Wesley? Is he alright?"
"Yeah. The witch sent the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood after him. The wolf morphed into Wes and luckily for Wes both Angel and I knew it wasn't him. But Fred and Gunn are missing and we have no idea what happened to them. I thought if I came into this realm I could vanquish the Witch or at least send her back to the mirror. You haven't seen anyone have you?"
"No but there is activity up at that castle." Cordelia points to a castle down the road.
"Okay, hold my hand and I'll teleport us over there."
~~~*~~~
As Angel approached the third floor landing he saw a vine growing down the hallway. 'Okay, that can't be good', he thought.
The door that the vine was coming out from under was sealed shut. He pulled on the handle but all he heard was a creak and a groan.
"Gunn?" "Fred?"
He didn't receive an answer so he pulled harder and the door finally popped opened. The room was covered in with a thick thorny vine. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Gunn trapped against the wall with a piece of the vine across his mouth.
"Gunn! Can you move?"
Gunn just looked at Angel with pleading eyes.
"If you can understand me blink once."
Gunn blinked.
"Okay, we can work with this. Blink once for yes and twice for no. Can you move?"
Two blinks.
"Is Fred here, too?"
One blink.
"Hold on, I'll be right back. I'm going to get an axe and cut my way to you and then to Fred."
One blink.
Angel ran down the stairs but made a pit stop into Wesley's room. "Is Willow okay? Did you get a hold of Cordy?"
"Actually I didn't even try."
"What! Why not?"
Wesley just gestured to the mirror.
Angel turned and saw Willow and Cordelia entering a castle.
"Did you find Gunn and Fred?"
"Yeah, it seems a vine has been holding them captive." Angel went to put his hand on the mirror when Willow approached.
Wes grabbed his hand, "Be careful, you might get sucked in."
Angel reluctantly took his hand away and turned to go downstairs to get the sword. "It shouldn't take me long to cut through the vines."
~~~*~~~
Willow and Cordelia entered the castle and was surprised to see furniture that was giant size.
Willow turned when she heard a faint noise. "Did you hear that?"
"Come on. It sounded like it came from over there."
Cordelia grabbed Willow's hand and they ran to where they heard the noise. In a cage on top of a large table was a man tied up and gagged.
"Are you okay?"
The man just nodded and then gestured over his shoulder. "What?"
"Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum, I smell the blood of a witch."
Willow rolled her eyes, "You have got to be kidding me. Jack and the Bean Stalk? I don't have time for this crap."
Willow waved her arm and said, "Release."
The bonds and the gag fell away and the door to the cage came open.
"Thanks!" The man said as he climbed out of the cage.
"Jack?"
The man smiled, "No. I'm the new Keeper of the Mirror. My name is David. I was kidnapped and they gave me to the giant."
The booming footsteps of the giant came closer.
"Okay no time to chat, let's go." Cordelia yelled as she took off toward the door.
Willow and David followed quickly behind.
"Can you get the Witch back in the Mirror?" Willow called over her shoulder. "Sure. Come on." David turned off down a country lane and entered a small cottage.
On the one wall was a very old decorative mirror.
"That's it? That's the mirror?"
The man nodded and placed his hand on the glass. "Return."
There was a loud pop and the glass of the mirror began to smoke. A bloodcurdling scream could be heard just before the witch's reflection appeared in the middle of the smoke.
Willow couldn't resist. "Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who's the biggest Wicca of them all?"
Cordelia laughed at the outraged expression on the Witch's face.
~~~*~~~
Angel raised the axe to clear the vine away from Gunn when it began to dissolve. The vine completely disappeared.
Gunn rushed to Fred's side. She was still asleep. Gunn shook her shoulders but that didn't seem to have an effect.
"Kiss the girl."
Gunn looked at Angel. "Why not?"
Gunn leaned down and placed a kiss on Fred's lips. "Come on, Sleeping Beauty wake up."
Fred lifted a hand to caress Gunn's neck and she deepened the kiss.
"I'll just be going now that you guys are okay."
Angel left the young lovers alone. Hoping the disappearing vine meant that Willow defeated the witch Angel went down the stairs.
Cordelia, Wesley and Willow were just emerging from Wes' room when Willow saw Angel at the end of the hallway. "Everything okay with Gunn and Fred?"
"They're fine. It may be awhile til we see them again. Gunn is Prince to Fred's Sleeping Beauty."
"Ooh role playing. Sounds like fun."
Angel just smirked and raised an eyebrow at Willow.
~Part: 17~
Willow softly shook Cordelia's shoulder but didn't receive a response. Cordelia kept rocking back and forth on a chair and chanting in a soft voice:
"Can't even shout, can't even cry. The gentlemen are coming by, looking in windows, knocking on doors. They need to take six and they might take yours. Can't call to mom, can't say a word. You're gonna die screaming but you won't be heard"
Willow shook Cordelia harder this time and she turned glazed eyes to Willow. "You're gonna die screaming but you won't be heard."
"Cordy!" Willow was getting worried.
Angel came running when he felt Willow's anxiety and her yelling Cordelia's name. He saw Willow trying to get Cordelia's attention and her glazed eyes.
"I can't get her to stop, Angel. She keeps rocking and chanting the same thing over and over. Has this happened before when she got a vision?"
"No, I've never seen her act this way." Angel shook Cordelia harder.
Finally Cordelia's eyes began to focus on the concerned faces of Willow and Angel.
"Oh God. It was horrible. I saw a young girl singing something. Then over her shoulder were these creepy guys that floated instead of walked."
"Could you tell where they were?"
"They were floating through here and outside. I didn't really see them going after anyone specifically just vague."
Willow looked at Angel, "She kept saying the gentlemen are coming. Do you think the creepy guys are The Gentlemen? Have you ever heard of them?"
"No, maybe Wes has."
"Maybe Wes has what?" Wesley asked as he entered the room.
"Cordelia got a message from the Powers. She kept saying 'can't even shout, can't even cry. The gentlemen are coming by, looking in windows, knocking on doors. They need to take six and they might take yours. Can't call to mom, can't say a word. You're gonna die screaming but you won't be heard' over and over. Does that sound familiar or are the Gentlemen familiar?"
"Vaguely but I can't place where. Cordy did you see what the Gentlemen looked like? Were they in your vision as well?"
"I don't know. There were some creepy guys that floated."
"Can you describe them to Angel, maybe he can draw it?"
"Sure. Oh, I almost forgot . . . the girl was holding something."
"What? Like a wicker basket?" Willow was still thinking of Little Red Riding Hood.
"No, more like a little wooden box. Like about the size of a small jewelry box."
Angel returned with his drawing pad and pencils. "Any time your ready, Cordy. Do the scrolls say anything about the heartless demon that is supposed to appear after the witch? Maybe these Gentlemen are related to that."
"Nothing specific but maybe Willow can find something on the Internet while I look over the scrolls again."
Willow and Wesley left Angel and Cordelia to their sketching.
~~~~
Gunn and Fred put away the weapons that they had used on their last job. Fred noticed that Angel was sketching something with Cordy looking over his shoulder. Curious as to what they were doing she walked up behind them.
"What's that?"
"Something Cordy saw in a vision. Ever see them before?"
"No, they don't look like anything I'd want to see either."
Gunn looked at the sketch. "Nope, not familiar to me either. What do Wes or Red have to say?"
"Willow's on the Net and Wes is looking at the scrolls. So far nothing."
Gunn looked back over his shoulder to where Willow was sitting at the computer. He noticed her yawning and shaking her head trying to stay awake. With a nudge to Angel he said, "maybe a fresh start tomorrow."
Angel lay down the pad and walked over to Willow, "Come on. We'll continue tomorrow."
"No, really. I'm fine. Just a mocha and I'm good to go."
He leaned down to whisper in her ear. Cordelia smiled as she watched Willow's face turn a bright red.
Willow stammered, "Oookay. Wwell, see you tomorrow guys."
Gunn leaned over to Cordelia, "Wonder what Angel said to Willow."
"Do you really want that visual, Gunn?"
He shuddered. "Actually you're right. I really don't want a visual of Angel. Now, Willow on the other hand..."
Fred playfully hit Gunn.
~~~~~~
Doc turns to the Gentlemen. "I see you have your box. Are you ready to begin?"
One of the Gentlemen slowly turned their skeletal head toward Doc and with an eerie smile nodded. He carefully lifts the lid of the box and waits.
Willow snuggles closer to Angel as a soft mist rises out of their mouths. The mist also lifts from the sleeping forms of Fred, Gunn, Cordelia and Wesley and travels over LA toward the waiting box of the Gentlemen.
A grayish bony hand closes the lid to the box and places it on a pedestal.
"Excellent. Tonight you can begin."
~~~~
Willow gently disentangles herself from Angel's arms so she doesn't wake him. Yawning she turns on the shower and waits for the water to heat up.
Angel wakes as soon as Willow rises from the bed. Waiting until he's sure she's in the shower he quietly enters the bathroom to join her.
Willow smiles at the sound of the shower door opening. Deciding to let Angel be stealthy vampire she pretends she doesn't notice. Angel smirks at the sound of Willow's heartbeat increasing and her faint scent of arousal. Maybe later he'll tell her about a vampire's enhanced senses but for now he won't spoil her fun in playing possum.
He lays his hands on her waist and smiles down into her face. Willow jumps from the sensation of his cool hands in the warm shower. Smiling up at him, {good morning}.
Both Willow and Angel look at each other in confusion. {Hey}
{Can you hear me?}
Willow and Angel try to speak and realize they can't. Turning off the water they quickly dress and head out into the hotel. They meet Fred and Gunn in the hallway and discover they lost their voices as well. Fred and Gunn go to Cordelia's room and Willow and Angel head towards Wesley's.
Wesley awakes to someone knocking on his door. He glances over to the clock and mentally grumbles as he pulls on shorts. Prepared to rip someone's head off he opens the door. {WHAT}
Confused he tries to speak again. {Hey}
Willow quirks her lips {Seems like we all can't speak.}
Cordelia, Fred and Gunn joined the others in Wes' room. {What's going on?}
{Looks like more research on the Gentlemen}
~Part: 18~
Doc watches as the Gentlemen hover over by their box. "The only two that you will not harm is the witch and the vampire, the rest are yours. Make sure your minions know this, they are not to touch those two. Is that understood?"
The Gentlemen nodded and turned back toward the box.
Doc would let them free tonight to wreck havoc on the residents of the Hyperion. Since the Witch of the Mirror failed him he knew the Gentlemen would not or there would be hell to pay, literally. A twinkle appeared in his eye as he turned back to them, "I know you need more hearts than the others can provide. IF you succeed, there is a law firm that you can use."
Doc smiled as he thought of the horror that Wolfram and Hart would feel when their voices disappeared and the Gentlemen showed up. When this phase was complete the law firm would be no longer needed. Not that they were needed now but they were easier to manipulate when they thought their agendas coincided with his.
~~~~
It had been a couple of hours since they awoke with no voices and so far the research was coming up nothing. Wesley thought the Gentlemen looked familiar but he couldn't place where it was. Willow was trying to come up with clues from Cordelia's poem that she had said over and over. Fred and Cordelia were intently searching through books for any kind of clue.
Fred set another large leather bound volume down on the table and stood to stretch her muscles. It was eerie that the only sounds to be heard were the turning of the pages, the shuffling of feet and the normal daytime sounds from outside.
She walked around the room and idly picked up a book on fairy tales. 'This will make a nice diversion' she thought. Casually flipping through the pages her eyes opened wide and she started flipping back to what she had seen.
With a broad smile she ran over to Willow to show her the picture. Willow's mouth formed an 'O' when she realized what it was that Fred was showing her. By now the commotion the two women were silently causing roused the attention of the others in the room.
They gathered around Fred to see what she found. Wesley's eyes widened. {That's it!} He quickly went to the pile of books and began looking through them. Finally he came upon the volume he was looking for and opened it. He turned it around for the others to see.
{The gentlemen need hearts. They come to a town and steal their voices so no one can scream.}
Gunn mouthed to the others, {Okay, so how do we kill them? Decapitation? Staking?}
Wesley sadly shook his head, {No sword can kill them}.
{Then how are we supposed to do it? My magick?}
{It says, the princess screamed once and they all died}
{So Cordy screams and they die?}
{I think they mean any human voice, Gunn}
{Okay, so how do we get our voices back? And where are they?}
{I'm afraid I don't have the answers to that.}
{In my vision I saw them around here so I know they'll be coming here if we don't find them first.}
{Holland. Doc and Astrote are at Holland Master's house.}
{You think they're behind this?}
{They were the ones behind the Witch in the Mirror and Balein, they're probably behind this as well.}
{Do you think the Gentlemen are there?}
{Probably.}
{Okay, tonight Angel and I will go to where Doc is and you guys stay here in case the Gentlemen aren't there. We at least know they're coming here eventually and we'll be ready for them}
{How do we get our voices back to kill them?}
Cordelia's eyes widen, {The BOX!} she pantomimes opening the box. {The girl in my vision held a box in her hand while saying that verse over and over.} She looks to Wesley to see if he agrees.
Wesley nods his head, {I think Cordelia is correct.}
{Yea, me.} She smiles.
Angel pulls Willow aside, {You are not going tonight. This is exactly what they want, me to bring you to them and I won't do it.}
Willow softly smiles, {This is the beginning of the end. We need to end this. No more supernatural occurrences all over the world. No more increase in demonic activity. I heard from Buffy and Xander and they are very busy with Hellmouthy activity. We need to end this, Angel. I'll do a binding ritual before we leave tonight so I can draw on the power of the coven, everyone here and especially you.} She reaches up to caress his face, {Don't worry it'll be a piece of cake. I mean look how many apocalypses we've stopped already. It's so been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. We can probably do this in our sleep.}
Angel leans his face into her hand, {I can't lose you, Ionúin. I just found you again.}
{A year and a day and then eternity. I'm holding you to it buddy.}
Angel smiles and softly kisses her.
~~~~ Since Willow couldn't talk she sent an IM to her coven in England and the Sunnydale gang to let them know that she was doing the binding ritual and to prepare for the tug they might feel.
Cordelia, Gunn and Angel were weapons training for the upcoming battle. Swords might not kill but they can definitely wound. It was agreed that after the Gentlemen were defeated, the rest would head over to where Doc was staying and help Angel and Willow in their fight.
Wes and Fred were discussing (writing) how to slow the Gentlemen down and if they had any one helping them. In the fairy tale there were helpers. Strange little men that did the Gentlemen's bidding. They had no way of knowing if they were coming as well.
Fred had suggested using a stroboscope that used Xenon to distract them. She thought they might be sensitive to the flashing light. If not, they would definitely by distracted by it. She could get one from the UCLA lab since she had a friend that would loan it to them. Wesley thought that it was a good idea so while Willow was gathering all she needed for the ritual they would head over to UCLA.
Willow filled Angel's bath with herbed water to cleanse both mind and spirit before Spellcasting and especially before her fight with Astrote if it was to be tonight. She slowly slipped into the water and thought about all the blessings that have occurred in her life.
Mentally letting the tension go down the drain along with the water Willow was ready to start the ritual.
Angel watches from the shadows as she casts a protection circle around the area and then carefully sets her candles along the five points of the pentagram. Willow sits in the center and mentally begins the ritual. A slight pulling sensation grips Angel's torso and he casts a worried glance towards Willow.
Willow's eyes pop open and her head flies back. The protective barrier stops Angel from getting to her side. {Willow!}
He silently growls in frustration in not being able to get to her and not being able to yell to get her attention. He sees her head rise back up and she smiles at him. {I'm fine.}
She slowly rises to her feet and mentally thanks the Goddess for her kindness and then waves her hand to extinguish the candles and release the barrier.
Once the barrier is released Angel quickly moves to pull her into an embrace. Moving her head back slightly so they can see the other's lips.
{Sorry I worried you. It was the rush of all my bonds strengthening. Especially yours and Buffy's, kinda knocked me for a loop.}
{But you're okay?}
{I'm ready to kick some hell god ass.} She smiled.
~Part: 19~
Wesley and Gunn help Fred set up the stroboscopes around the lobby. When all are in place, Fred nods her head toward Cordelia and she flicks a switch. They all watch, as the lobby is flooded with bright flashing lights.
{That ought to distract them.}
They all get some weapons from the weapons cabinet so they could practice here with the lights flashing and make sure they wouldn't be too distracted. It wouldn't do to lop of the appendage of someone you didn't want to harm.
Angel and Willow watched from the stairs as their friends wielded their weapons. Willow silently said an incantation that made it easier for them to see.
Wesley suddenly stops as the lights stopped flashing. When he lowered his weapon the lights flashed but when he raised it they were still. Wrinkling his brow he watched in confusion as the others lowered and raised their weapons.
{What's happening?}
Willow gently placed a hand on Wesley's shoulder.
Wesley jumped when he felt a hand from behind. Turning to see his attacker he smiled self-consciously when he saw it was Willow.
{I did a spell to make it easier for you to see in the flashing lights. The lights continuously flash; you just don't see it when you use your weapons.}
{Thanks, Willow. I'm afraid we'll need all the help we can get.}
Angel came to stand next to Willow and he gently lays his arm around her waist and looks at his friends. He knows the upcoming battle will be hard on all of them. Not only do they have to battle their respective 'big bad' but they also will be concerned with what is happening with the others.
{The Powers picked us for a reason in this fight against Doc and Astrote. They placed the scrolls in Wesley's hand, they brought Willow to us to help once she had Gaia's favor and most of all they brought us together as friends. We'll get through this like we have every other apocalypse we've been able to defeat.}
Willow smiled at her friends and took Angel's hand. {If the Gentlemen don't bring the box with them here we'll find it and open it. Remember when you feel your voice returning SCREAM!}
With a last wave goodbye Willow and Angel left them to their battle.
~~~~
Doc watched as one of the Gentlemen picked up the box. "Are you sure that it's a good idea to take that with you?"
The one closest to Doc just nodded his head.
"All right. I suppose you know what you're doing."
The Gentlemen and their lackeys continued out the door and toward their destination.
"Do you think they'll get their hearts?"
Doc turned to Astrote, "I don't know but I do know that they'll succeed in brining Angel and Willow to us. This is the last sign in the Urok scrolls. After the 'Heartless Demons' the final battle is to begin. So you will have your fight with Willow and I will have mine with Angelus. Don't forget to try to get Willow to use her bond with Angelus to defeat you. Once she draws on the demon's bond she will be easily tempted to the dark."
"What will happen to Willow once you kill Angel and she has drawn on their bond?"
"Oh, I'm not going to kill Angel. Quite the contrary. I am planning on using their bond to bring them both to the dark. Once you have brought Willow over to evil it will be very simple to bring Angelus. Just imagine, Astrote. The destructive power those two can wield will be amazing. Do you remember the glory days of Angelus? Well combine that with the dark magicks that Willow will be able to do."
Astrote's eyes glaze over as he imagined the vicious power of those two.
~~~~
The lackeys approach the Hyperion and wait for the Gentlemen to float closer before opening the door.
As one Fred, Gunn, Wesley and Cordelia turn at the sound of the opening door. Cordelia nervously touches the switch. They have all agreed that they'll wait until they get further in the room before she turns the power on.
Fred, Gunn and Wesley begin to back up and spread out. The lackeys make a move to attack and the Gentlemen are just eerily watching. Suddenly the lobby explodes in flashing light. The Gentlemen raise their arms to cover their eyes and begin to back away.
Wesley raises his axe and decapitates the nearest lackey. Cordelia raises her crossbow but before she can fire she is grabbed from behind. One of the Gentlemen approaches with a scalpel. Wesley turns to see Cordelia is in trouble and grabs a knife out of his sheath. Holding the tip of the blade, he aims and throws towards the Gentlemen. The knife spins until it hits its target. The Gentlemen drops the scalpel he was holding and reaches for the knife sticking out just below his shoulder.
Fred sees that one of the Gentlemen is holding a box with one hand and shielding its eyes with the other. Taking advantage of its distraction she raises a crossbow and fires. Gunn sees Fred fire the crossbow and the lackey that is approaching her from behind. He raises his sword and runs to intercept.
The Gentlemen holding the box drops it when the crossbow bolt strikes him in the chest. A white mist rises from the box and floats toward each of the warrior's throats. Two mists float out the window.
Gunn yells as he thrust the sword into the lackey. Fred begins to scream. Two of the Gentlemen heads explode. Cordelia sees what happens when Fred screamed and begins screaming. The sound of her screaming causes the Gentlemen in front of her to explode. Seeing half the Gentlemen explode they leave the screaming to the women and Gunn and Wesley attack the lackeys.
"Wes, look out!"
Wesley turns and sees a lackey coming up behind him. Silently thanking that they got their voices back he turns and swings his axe. The lackey's head leaves its body behind.
Fred and Cordelia abruptly stop screaming. The Gentlemen are defeated and Gunn finally killed the last lackey. Cordelia wearily walks over to the switch and the lobby returns to normal. She looks around and sees the room littered with bodies and Gentlemen goop.
"Why can't all demons be like vampires and go poof when you kill them? I mean how are we supposed to get out this green goop stain off the floor? It's not like I can call a cleaning service and say 'oh by the way, can you get demon guts off floors?' And these bodies are we supposed to bury them in the back?"
"Well, you can maybe ask if they can get yogurt stains off. When their head exploded it kinda looked like yogurt."
"Thanks for that visual. Now I'll never be able to eat yogurt again."
Gunn just smiled.
~~~~
Angel and Willow see Doc and Astrote through the window. Willow gives Angel's hand a squeeze. She waits until he turns his head, {Let's do it!}
Angel squeezes her hand back and leaps through the window silently glad that they never did an uninvite spell. At the sound of glass breaking Doc and Astrote enter the room.
"Well, well. I didn't expect you so soon but I'm glad you could make it."
Willow's eyes widened. This was Doc? This kindly grandfather was the Hell God?
Doc smiled at Willow's shock. "This is the form I take when I come to this realm. It suits me don't you think?"
A mist enters through the broken window and down the throats of Willow and Angel.
"I don't know, I think big, scaley demon would suit you better."
Doc tsked, "It seems the Gentlemen have failed. It's so hard to get good help. Oh well at least they brought you to us."
~Part: 20~
Astrote came to stand behind Doc. This slight red head is the favored child of Gaia? He could feel the power just rolling off her. Now he understood why Doc wanted her. She and Angelus would rule this realm when Doc opened the portal between dimensions.
Doc just smiled kindly at Angel and Willow. With a twinkle in his eyes he clapped his hands twice.
Angel watched in horror as Willow went down. He could barely feel the bond and her heartbeat had slowed to an almost stop.
"WILLOW!!"
Doc held up his hand and Angel bounced off a barrier. It was then that he noticed the dark haired man that he assumed was Astrote had also fallen to the ground.
"She is beyond your reach now, Angelus."
Angel vamped out and hit Doc. Doc's head snapped to the side and then back still wearing a gentle smile on his face.
Angel looks on in shock when a long tongue comes shooting out of Doc's mouth. He ducks out of the way just in time and the tongue misses him.
"Thanks for the offer but I think it's too early in our relationship for any tongue action."
Angel kicks out and hits Doc on the back of the knees causing him to stumble. Doc quickly recovers and backhands Angel. The force of the hit throws Angel into a nearby wall.
"Don't flatter yourself."
As Angel stands back up he feels a pull on the bond and he smiles.
Doc smiles too thinking that Astrote got Willow to pull on the bond with Angelus making it easier for her to be tempted.
~~~~
Willow heard Doc clap and then everything went black. She heard a soft voice say, "I'll always be with you" just before becoming aware of her surroundings.
Willow stood alone in a meadow surrounded by trees. Glancing around she didn't see anyone else but she felt a malevolent force to her left and in the shadow of the trees.
Stepping out of the trees was a handsome dark haired man.
"You must be Astrote."
"And you must be the favored childe of Gaia. Let's see if you deserve that honor."
A bolt of energy was released from Astrote's hand and aimed straight at Willow's heart. It barely missed her as she duck out of its way.
She knew he was only playing with her like a cat with a mouse. If that energy bolt was the least of his talents she would need every bond she could get and then some.
Concentrating on Sue she felt the bond with the coven leader intensify. In this plane of existence anything was possible so she played on that. She visualized fire and in the palm of her hand was a small fireball. She threw it with deadly accuracy and it bounced off the barrier that he had built.
"So, you want to play with fire. That can be arranged."
In the blink of an eye a wall of fire surrounded Willow. Trying not to panic as memories flooded her mind of being tied to the stake, Willow called on Hecate to change her.
Astrote watched in astonishment as Willow morphed into a tiger and charged through the flames straight at him. He had taken down his barrier in order to make the fire and he didn't have time to erect it again. He quickly changed into a snake and went down a hole.
The tiger morphed back into the slim red head, "Who would have thought the right hand of an evil hell god would turn tale and hide?"
"Not hide, Willow. Just regrouping."
Willow yelped and turned to see Astrote standing behind her. Using the bond with Buffy she kicked and hit knocking him back.
"First your bond with your coven and now the bond with the Slayer. When are you going for the big guns and using your bond with the vampire? Or couldn't you bond with Angel?"
'Well, obviously someone wants me to pull on the bond with Angel. Why is it that evil guys are never subtle? You'd think they'd learn.' Willow thought.
Willow tentatively pulled on the bond with Angel so he would think she fell for it.
Willow turned vamp face to Astrote, "We not only bonded we mated."
Astrote smiled a slow smile, this would be easier than he thought if they mated.
Astrote held out his hand like he was grabbing Willow's throat and raised it.
Willow felt a tightening around her throat as her feet left the ground.
~~~
Angel watched in horror as Willow's body began to twitch and he felt the bond begin to fade.
Just as he screamed NO! Wesley, Gunn, Cordelia and Fred jumped through the broken window.
Doc waved his hand and a blue light began to fill the room. The light soon swirled and energy crackled along the edges.
"Look out!" Wesley yelled.
Fred turned sheet white as the dimensions between Doc's world and theirs opened. Nightmares of being sucking into the portal that led to Pylea played over and over in Fred's mind.
Gunn grabbed onto Fred when he realized what was happening. He knew she must be reliving her hell and he wanted her to feel grounded here.
Demons and monsters of all shapes and sizes began to enter the room.
Cordelia yelled Angel's name and tossed him his sword. With a determined look Angel began fighting his way through the monsters toward Doc.
Doc watched with delight as Angel's friends tried desperately to fight the monsters.
Out of the corner of his eye Wesley saw Cordelia twitch and fall to the ground. Shit! Now was not the time for the Powers to send a vision. He quickly ran to her side.
Fred lessened her death grip on Charles' hand. Determined to never get sucked into a hell dimension again she decapitated the nearest demon with her ax.
~~~~
Astrote just grinned at Willow as he slowly cut off her breathing. "Don't you wish you had the power that the dark magicks could offer? Don't you ever think how much you could accomplish with all this power?"
Willow's eyes turn black and her hair began to bleed from red to black. Her muscles all contracted and her head was thrown back. When she looked back at Astrote he felt a chill go down his spine.
Willow smiled at him but it didn't reach her eyes. She had tapped into the bond with Cordelia, which tapped into the Powers that Be.
An unnatural wind began to blow around Willow. It lifted her out of Astrote's grasp and placed her by the woods.
"Why would we want the power of the dark magicks when we have the power of the ancients?" Her voice came out not as her own but of the thousands of entities that make up the Powers.
Astrote began an incantation that would bring him out of this plane. If he could return to the other plane before Willow and destroy her body she would die here. He would apologize to Doc after. After all, it's easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission.
Willow shook her head like she could read his thoughts. "Ah, ah, ah. No running away and cheating."
Willow flicked her wrist and a limb separated from a tree and headed straight for him. "Stay!"
Astrote could not move. He watched in horror as the limb headed straight for his chest. The impact knocked him back and pinned him to the ground through his chest.
Willow walked over to see the damage that she had caused. When she reached his side Willow's hair and eyes returned to their normal color. She felt warmth as another being flooded her body. Willow opened her mouth and another's voice came out, "Astrote, we have fought many battles but you underestimated my child in this one." Willow's lips quirked in a sneer, "Be gone!" She waved her hand and Astrote's body was engulfed in flames and his agonized screams could be heard long after the body disappeared.
Willow fell to her knees panting. She jerked when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"You have done what was expected of you, my child."
Willow glanced up and saw a beautiful woman in a long flowing gown standing in front of her. There was an otherworldly glow about her. Willow's brain could barely wrap around the fact that standing in front of her was Gaia.
"Is he finally defeated?"
"In this realm he is but you can never truly get rid of evil."
"What about Doc and Angel?"
Gaia smiled, "The Warrior for the Powers will not be defeated. Doc will no longer be a part of this realm." Gaia waved her hand and the last thing Willow heard before blacking out was "I will always be with you."
~~~~
Doc yells NO just as Angel makes his way through some demons. Without turning to see what Doc was yelling about he uses his momentary distraction and plunges the sword into Doc's chest.
He hears Willow mumble his name and he turns surprised eyes to see she is alone. The body of Astrote is gone. Quickly going to her side he never notices Doc pull the sword out of his chest.
Wesley helps Cordelia up. "Are you all right?"
"Yes. Willow used me to tap into the Powers but the Powers also left me with a little gift."
Turning she stalks towards Doc who has just removed the sword. Cordelia's eyes glaze over and she begins to glow. She opens her mouth and the voices of the ancients emerge.
The portal begins to shrink and as it shrinks it sucks Doc toward its center. Doc yells in frustration, as he can't escape the portal's pull. Cordelia's eyes clear and she smiles wickedly, "Buh bye. Don't let the portal hit you in the ass on the way out."
Fred and Gunn stand wearily next to Cordy and Wes. "So are you portal girl now?"
"Nope, just a one time deal."
Angel shakily caresses Willow's cheek, "You did it. You defeated Astrote."
Willow softly smiles as she looks at Angel and her friends over his shoulder, "No, we did it. I couldn't have done it without the bonds that we share."
Gunn smirked, "We are so kick ass. I mean how often can you say you went up against a hell god and his evil lord and kicked their sorry ass."
"Yep, it definitely calls for a celebration."
~~~~
Angel looked around the room at all their friends that had gathered there for the celebration. Willow had wanted a quiet gathering of friends but it had quickly turned into a massive celebration when news spread.
The year and a day had quickly passed and with their closest friends in attendance Angel and Willow had renewed their handfasting vows. The quiet celebration that was not, was in honor of the claiming ceremony that Angelus performed with his grand childe Spike in attendance. Willow was now an immortal.
The sound of a loud engine brought Angel out of his memories. Turning to the noise he watched as Spike and Willow drove up on Spike's gift to Willow. He had given her a Zodiac motorcycle.
Angel came up behind Willow and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her back against his chest.
With a smirk and a toss of the keys to Willow Spike said, "If you're going to be tied to my poof of a grand sire for all eternity you might have need of a powerful machine between your legs."
Willow smirked back before turning in Angel's embrace. She tossed over her shoulder at Spike, "I already have a powerful machine."
Spike rolled his eyes and left the two lovers alone.
END