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Part Eleven

To tell the truth, Willow had never once considered Buffy's reaction to
Faith's reappearance and Willow's acceptance of her.  In Buffy's
current ghostly state, Willow was still stuck in the assumption that
she was all-knowing, all-forgiving.  She had certainly accepted
Willow's romantic tryst with Angel easily enough.  But Buffy hadn't
known about Casimir holding her soul hostage and she hadn't known
about Angelus popping in whenever Angel's soul was weakened and Buffy
definitely was not forgiving as she stood in front of them now.  She
was standing with her arms braced at her sides, her lips compressed
into a thin, flat line and her eyes narrowed in her I-don't-like-this-
and-I'm-going-to-kick-your-ass stance.  It didn't bode well for Faith,
who was still in shock over the sudden return of her dead nemesis.

"Buffy, it's okay.  Faith's..."

"No, no, not you too.  Please tell me you're not on the Faith's
Redeemed Bandwagon of Angel's."  Buffy turned pleadingly to Willow.

There wasn't time to be dealing with Buffy's insecurity and jealousy
right now.  Especially when Willow was fighting her own.  "Look, Buffy,
I have to trust Faith.  I can't do this alone and there's no one else."

"What about Cordelia?  She could help."

Faith snorted.  "Yeah, by running straight to Angel."

"And why would that be a bad thing?  Because he would come up with
another plan that didn't involve you being a slutty whore?"

"Buffy!"

"You aren't any smarter now that you're dead, are you, B?"  Faith's
nostrils flared.  She stood up and faced Buffy.  Willow wasn't really
worried.  Buffy couldn't touch anything and she couldn't be touched.
She and Faith couldn't hurt each other.  Physically.  "You're still
rushing in and making accusations when you don't have a clue what's
going on."

"Well, that's a wonderful criticism coming from someone who rushed in
and killed a man and rushed in and aligned herself with a guy who
wanted to become a big, slimy snake demon.  I'll get right to working
on that."

"At least I learn from my mistakes.  Who's still living in Buffy World?
Everything's about Buffy.  Nothing could possibly happen that didn't
involve Buffy.  They should have a show that's all about Buffy and
what happens in her little vampire slaying world, would that make you
happy?  Would that satisfy you?  Probably not, because it wouldn't
win any of the big, important Emmies."

Even though it wasn't necessary, neither girl had moved closer to each
other and Buffy could actually have moved through Willow if she really
wanted to, Willow stepped in between Buffy and Faith.  "That's enough!
If you two feel like you need to work things out by insulting each
other, do it on your own time.  I can't play referee, I have Casimir
and Angel and Angelus to deal with."

"An..Angelus," Buffy stumbled over the name.  The bluster left her
stance and manner and she paled considerably.  Willow regretted
blurting out the news like that, but she doubted if Buffy would have
listened to her any other way.

"The number one reason why we can't go to Angel.  Sure wouldn't be a
pretty picture if Angelus got his hands on your soul, I bet." Faith
didn't resist the temptation to throw in one last barb.

"Faith, stop it," Willow snapped, but continued in a more placating
and, frankly, more exhausted tone, "Could you please leave Buffy and
me alone so we can talk?"

"Sure, I'll go on patrol, catch up with Caz, and get the wheels rolling
on our plan."  Faith sauntered out of Willow's room without any parting
word or smirk at Buffy.  Which was a good thing, because Willow was
walking a very thin tightrope of sanity.  One word and she might have
sent both of them into another plane of existence where they could
fight to their hearts' content.  Either that or burst into a hysterical
crying fit.

"I'm sorry, Buffy.  I didn't think there would still be animosity
between you and Faith.  I don't know if I can trust her, but I have
to."

"I thought Angel's soul was permanent."  Buffy was still wobbly.  The
image of her actually wavered.  Willow would have offered her a seat,
if she had thought it would help.

"It is, but the geis bound it to mine and when Angel and I are apart,
his soul weakens and the demon takes control.  Do you see why I need
Faith's help?  I have to get that paper back and find a way to get
myself out of this marriage before it's too late for Angel."  Now
Willow felt wavery.  She sat back down on the bench.  How was she going
to do this?  She didn't even know where to start.  What if Faith
couldn't be trusted?  Then what was she going to do?  It's not like
she had a plan B or anyone else to turn to.

A refreshing coolness on her forehead as Buffy brushed back her hair
and at her side as she sat down on the bench beside her brought Willow
out of her distressing moment of collapse.  "Angel will be okay, Will.
He's strong and even though you guys can't be together right now, he
knows you'll always be there for him.  You do what you have to do,
don't worry about my feelings, or Xander's feelings, or anyone else's.
And don't worry about Faith, I'll keep an eye on her and if she can't
be trusted, you'll know right away."

"Thanks."  Willow smiled at Buffy.  She felt a little calmer.  She had
needed that pep talk from her best friend.  It was difficult to think
about a time when she wouldn't be able to rely on Buffy for support,
this ghostly assistance couldn't last forever.  Willow held out her
hand, palm up.  Buffy's hand hovered over it for a moment before she
allowed it to sink into Willow's in a strangely comforting embrace.

*****

The soft whoosh of the bedroom door brushing across the carpet woke
Angel immediately.  With the gypsy and Spike both under the same roof,
his senses were on red alert.  Hell, he didn't even trust Faith,
although if it had been her in his room, he doubted that killing him
would have been the first thing on her agenda.  Angel sat up as the
door closed and the room darkened again.  It didn't matter, he already
knew who his late night/early morning visitor was.  Her presence and
scent were unmistakable.

"Angel?" Willow called out softly as she made her way to his bed.  She
climbed onto the mattress and crawled over to him.  "I need you." She
punctuated her declaration by running a hand up his bare chest and
kissing his neck.  Angel's arms closed around her.  He rested one hand
on her butt and the other he used to stroke her back.  She was wearing
a dark colored silky thing that wasn't going to last very long.  His
fingers dug into the frictionless material.

Something was wrong.  He should be saying something, not encouraging
her.  They couldn't be doing this, the ring reacted to the simplest of
kisses.  Why wasn't the ring reacting?  Angel certainly was.  The
familiarly warm, pleasurable tension was spreading through his body as
Willow kissed down his chest.  Her tongue teased each of his nipples in
turn and her hand strayed toward the blankets pooled in his lap.  He
really should say something to stop her.

Instead Angel leaned back against the headboard to allow Willow more
access.  His fingers gathered up Willow's slinky nightgown, gliding the
hemline up and baring her thighs and buttocks until it was bunched
around her waist.  This was a mistake.  Angel had no idea why the ring
wasn't burning Willow's hand to a crisp, but it had to be a trap.  If
they took this any further, Willow could die.

Again his hands ignored the rational pleas resounding in his mind.
They explored the tempting flesh of Willow's thighs like their signals
to move weren't coming from his brain.  Completely unaware of his
dilemma, Willow worked her way to his abdomen.  Her fingertips brushed
the head of his rapidly swelling penis on their way to his testicles.
She fondled and squeezed them.  Angel had an idea what was prompting
Willow's seductive actions.  She had to be enthralled by the geis.
She wasn't thinking clearly.

Even with his assumed knowledge, it didn't stop him from growling in
frustration when Willow paused.  She looked up at him.  "I love you,
Angel."  In a fevered bid to convince him of the sincerity of her
words, Willow clambered up his chest and kissed him soundly.  Angel
took the opportunity of having her laid out on top of him to slip his
fingers into her moist folds and up inside her.  His thumb massaged
her clitoris, causing Willow to break off her kiss with a gaspy moan.
He hadn't participated in her sweet plundering of his mouth, which
was weird because there was nothing Angel loved more than to kiss
Willow.  Her tempting red lips were slightly parted and glistening
from when her tongue had darted out to wet them.  Her eyes were
closed.  She was so damn beautiful.

Willow rocked against him, moving in concert with his fingers.
Abruptly, Angel removed his fingers from within her and rested his hand
on her hip.  Willow's eyes blinked open in surprise.  Finally, he was
showing some sense and putting an end to this wonderful, but dangerous
behavior.  Angel folded Willow's delicate hand in his own and lifted it
to his lips to kiss her fingertips.  Now he could tell her how much he
loved her, that they could wait until everything was resolved before
they acted on their feelings and then he could go take a cold shower.

He guided her hand back down to his throbbing erection.  Willow grasped
his hard shaft, running her thumb up and down the length of it.  Her
touch was both awesome and perplexing.  It was strange.  Not the way
Willow was touching him or the fact that she was in his bed, but her
motivation for being there at all.  She knew the consequences as well
as he did and she wouldn't be taking this risk.  Willow wouldn't throw
her life away for a chance to...what?  Have one night of perfect,
mind blowing sex?  No, she wouldn't do that and neither would he.  This
whole situation, the way she was acting, the way he was acting, it was
like a dream.

It was a dream.  That would explain why the ring was suddenly dormant
and why his actions didn't parallel his thoughts.  Angel mentally
relaxed.  This was just a very good dream and now that he knew that,
he could enjoy it.

Once the nagging of his brain was quiet, Angel could concentrate on the
delightful sensations Willow was producing with her hands, lips, and
tongue.  While her fingers continued in their artful manipulation of
his aching member, she caressed his groin with her mouth.  In wide,
arching sweeps her tongue anointed his sensitive flesh.  With her
movements, her hair tickled his testicles.  Angel reached down and
wove his fingers through the soft strands, sweeping it off her face.
Using gentle force, he guided her toward his aching cock.  He needed
her so badly.

This time, Willow didn't hesitate or tease, she took the head of
Angel's penis in her mouth and slithered her tongue down the shaft.
She sucked lightly at first, but soon increased the vacuum pressure.
Her hands took care of the parts her mouth neglected, squeezing and
stroking the rest of the shaft and cupping his balls.  It felt
incredible.  In the back of his mind, Angel recognized the technique,
a barmaid at his favorite tavern - Meghan, Madeleine? - had been very
practiced at this particular art, but she had never elicited the
response this dream Willow was.  He wanted to come, but held himself
back because he also wanted to continue to experience this as long as
possible.  Willow nibbled down the underside of the shaft, grazing his
skin with her teeth.  Eventually, she reached the ultra-sensitive
spot at the base where his penis met his testicles.  After a
preliminary lick, she clamped onto it with her mouth and sucked hard.

It was too much, Angel roughly pulled Willow's head away from him,
dragged her up and flipped her over onto her back.  Willow's breath
left her with a soft "oof" and then was taken back into her lungs with
a gasp when Angel parted her legs and entered her.  This once
pleasurable dream was taking on a disturbing tone.  His actions were
showing a decided lack of concern for Willow's welfare.  He was hurting
her for his own enjoyment.  The slowly dawning realization that there
could be another reason for his disassociated state was confirmed
when he heard himself say, "Not bad, Witch, I should have skipped the
Slayer and went straight to you the moment I came back all those years
ago.  I believe a counterpart of yours once made a comment about
riding humans like ponies.  I like that idea."

Angelus - not Angel, he knew that for certain now - nuzzled at Willow's
throat as he began thrusting into her with long, slow strokes.  His
hand reached between them and he massaged her clit.  Willow moaned,
but it ended in a whimper as Angelus' fangs pierced her skin and
pressed into her jugular vein.  Although his heart was breaking, Angel
couldn't help but be aroused by the taste of Willow's blood in his
mouth and the spasming clutch of her muscles as she orgasmed under him.
Her fingernails dug into the back of his shoulders.

As Willow died from the blood loss, the fluttering of her muscles
weakened and the pressure of her fingernails abated.  Angelus finished
feeding and raised his head to look down at her as he continued to
plunge into her body.  Her lovely green eyes that used to sparkle with
life were now glazed over.  Her hand fell from his shoulder and dangled
limply over the edge of the bed.  Angel turned his head and focused on
it, unable to look into her eyes anymore.  The fidelity ring slipped
from her finger and with a small "ping" it hit the floor and rolled
under the bed.  He glanced back at Willow.  The light was steadily
leaving her eyes.  Angelus reached out and stroked her cheek.  "You're
all mine now."  He lifted his arm back up and ripped open an artery
with his fang.  Then he held it out to Willow.  At first, the blood
just dripped into her mouth and down her throat, a passive gift of
eternal life.  It was when he felt Willow's mouth latch onto his arm
and actively seek out his gift that he found his release.  Angelus came
into Willow as she began her new life and both of their souls left
them.

*****

"God dammit, Peaches, make up your bloody mind!" Spike slammed into
Angel's room.  Angel sat up in bed, awake, but still disoriented.
"Either it's a good dream or a bad dream, but keep it to yourself.  If
you don't keep it down, I'll beat the hell out of you.  Just because
beauty sleep won't help you, it doesn't mean the rest of us have to
skip it."

"I killed Willow."  Angel stared into the darkened room with the image
of Willow's dying eyes burned in his brain.  He would never forget it.
"Angelus killed Willow and when the ring fell off, he turned her."

"Cut the gibberish.  Willow's not dead or undead.  I saw her myself
just a moment ago, rushing down the hallway.  She was a bit grey and
pasty, but I heard her walk out the front door, right out into the
sunshine."  Spike turned the lights on and Angel blinked at him.  His
words penetrated the sleepy fog hanging over his cognitive processes.
It had been a dream.  Willow was okay.  And upset.

"I have to talk to her.  Where did she go?"  Angel was almost certain
that Willow had experienced the same dream he had.  Her dream self had
been too real to be just a figment of his imagination.

"Do I look like a bloody nursemaid?" Spike started to walk out the
door, but curiosity got the better of him and he turned back.  "What
exactly is going on here, Angel?"

Angel got out of bed and pulled on a pair of pants.  He thought about
Spike's question.  "It has to be the geis.  It's linked up our dreams."
Angel grabbed a shirt and pulled it over his head.

"And a hell of a dream it sounded like.  What was it about?"

Angel grimaced.  "I only want to go through this once.  I have to find
Willow."

"Sounds like a damn fine plan.  You run right out and do that.  I would
hold the door for you, but I'm light sensitive."

This couldn't wait until sundown or until Willow came back.  Angel felt
a compelling urgency to see her.  He felt perilously close to losing
everything before he truly had it.  Angel grabbed his childe by the
scruff of his neck.  "Oh, I'm sure there's a more shady exit to this
place or else you wouldn't be staying here.  Take me to it."

*****

Once again Willow found herself seeking refuge with Giles, only this
time he was at his magic shop.  Cold sweat dripped down her neck and
every muscle quivered.  She could still feel Angelus' fangs in her
neck, feel her blood pumping from her body as she shuddered from the
intensity of her orgasm.  All of these things upset her, but the thing
that had shaken her the most was that she hadn't been asleep when she
experienced the dream.  Somehow Angel's sleeping nightmare had
infiltrated her waking thoughts and taken over.  Willow had had no
control over it.

"Willow, you're here bright and early," Giles greeted her when she
walked into the shop.  "Cordelia, Faith and I have just begun
researching the ring and the geis.  Angel gave Cordelia the specifics
of the spell he used...." He trailed off as he noticed her pallor.

"Did it mention anything about being able to invade my thoughts?"
Willow looked at Cordelia, who shook her head.

"What do you mean 'invade your thoughts?'  What happened?"

Willow sat down on one of the comfy browsing chairs in the reading
circle Giles had provided for his customers, but were more often than
not used by the Scooby gang.  Two of the others were occupied by Faith
and Cordelia, each with a book open in their laps.  Giles took a seat
beside Willow.

"Wow, Red, you look like you've seen a gh..." Faith didn't finish her
sentence.  She buried her nose back in the book instead.

"I had a dream, or rather Angel had a dream and I watched it.  I was
in the bathroom, doing bathroom things, when all of a sudden I was
dreaming, only it wasn't my dream, it was Angel's.  I couldn't stop it
or change what was happening.  I just had to watch."

Giles signaled for Cordelia to get a book that was on a shelf a few
feet away.  "What sort of dream was it?  What happened in the dream?"

"It was horrible.  Wonderful.  Awful.  Angel and I were...being
intimate, but he started acting strangely and very un-Angel and that
was because he wasn't Angel, he was Angelus.  He bit me and drained
me and made me drink his blood.  Our souls left us.  They were gone."
Willow finally gulped down a breath.  "But that can't happen, right,
Giles?  Because I'm immortal and Angelus wouldn't be able to kill me
to turn me.  Right?"

Willow hated to hear the cowardly pleading in her tone, but she needed
Giles' confirmation.  He would tell her that she was safe from Angelus
and it would be true.  "I don't know, Willow.  You are immortal, but
you do technically die for a time until your body repairs itself.  It
may be possible that you could be turned, although I'm not sure if you
would lose your soul.  Cordelia, could you bring me that damn book,
please?"

Not exactly the answer Willow wanted to hear.  What if the dream was a
premonition?  What if it was Angelus's evil plan leaking into her and
Angel's unconscious?  "Angelus is going to kill me."

"No, he's not."  Cordelia brought the book that she had taken her
sweet time getting and handed it to Giles.  "I have something to tell
you and you have to promise to not be mad."

"I promise."

"Okay, see, Angel just did this to protect you.  I thought it was a
stupid plan, but I couldn't think of a better one and it's worked so
far except for the scaring you part.  Angelus isn't going to hurt you,
Willow.  He can't, because there is no Angelus.  Angel was faking so
you would stay close to him and he wouldn't lose you to the fidelity
ring's spell."

*****

The door leading from the basement to the magic shop creaked when it
opened so Angel and Spike's appearance was no surprise for the group
gathered there.  Angel knew something was wrong.  When Cordelia looked
at him, she had a defiant, defensive tilt to her chin.  When Willow
looked at him... She didn't look at him.  Her gaze passed through him
like a ghost.  She had experienced the dream.  "Willow, I would never
do...."

"What?" Willow interrupted him, suddenly angry.  "You would never make
my worst nightmare come true as part of some game you've got going
with the gypsy's that cursed you?  You would never treat me like the
grand prize?"

"No, Willow, that's not how it was.  I told you that Angel only
pretended to be Angelus to protect you.  Everything he's been doing is
for you.  He loves you.  You're the one who married the gypsy!"
Cordelia jumped to Angel's defense, probably because she felt more
than a little guilty for telling Willow his secret.  Willow knew.  And
she was angry.  But once they talked and he explained, she would see
why he had to do it.  She would understand.

"How was Angelus going to protect me?  By turning me into a vampire?
Do you know that I still have nightmares about him grabbing me that
time in the school?  How could you do this to me, Angel?"

"I couldn't see any other way.  I couldn't leave you with him."  Willow
would understand.  She would understand.  "He will hurt you."

"More than you?  I don't think that's possible." The bottom dropped
out of Angel's world.  She didn't understand.  She never would and he
had ruined any chance they had of being together.  He had interfered
with her life.  He had terrorized her.  "I think you should go back
to L. A., Angel.  I never want to see you again.  I hate you."
Willow turned from him and walked out of the magic shop.

No one said anything.  There were no sarcastic sidebars from Spike,
no criticisms from Giles, and no sympathetic comments from Cordelia and
Faith.  Just silence.  And emptiness.  Willow had walked out on him.
She was going to go back to her husband, the Gypsy.

"Okay, that wasn't supposed to happen.  She promised she wouldn't get
mad." Cordelia walked over to him and hugged him.  Angel automatically
wrapped his arms around her.  He didn't feel anything.  He never
would again.
 

Part Twelve

As soon as the bright daylight warmed her skin, Willow started to run.
She didn't know where she was going. She wasn't crying. She wasn't
trembling or shaking or sweating or any of the other things she had
been doing since this whole mess started. It was time for that to
stop. It was that kind of behavior that made Angel think he had to
protect her. Willow cringed as she thought about what she had said to
him. She didn't hate Angel. She hated herself. This was all her
fault and in a moment of weakness she had blamed it all on Angel.

Willow slowed to a walk. She had to find a solution, she couldn't
wait for Faith to get close to Casimir. She had to resolve things now
before it got worse. Oh, who was she kidding, it couldn't get worse.
She had broken Angel's heart before it had even been completely healed
after his break up with Buffy. What she had done was unconscionable.
What Angel had done was terrible too, pretending to be Angelus, but
it's not like he could have known why it would upset her so much.
Angelus was a horrible nightmare that terrified her, but not for the
reason Angel would think. Willow was so mad at him for bringing back
those awful memories, but she didn't hate him. If she were really
honest with herself, she would also acknowledge that it wasn't the
terror that she had felt that made the memories awful. It was the
desire.

When Willow had first met Angel, Xander was the only male being who
existed in her mind. She had thought that Angel was handsome of
course, and perfect for Buffy, but really nothing beyond that until
Angelus had shown up. Xander's relationship with Cordelia had
shattered her girlish fantasies and Oz hadn't become a romantic factor
yet. Angelus had held her close to him in a way she hadn't been held
before, his touch had awakened less innocent dreams that hadn't
involved her heart. Every encounter had revealed a darker aspect to
her personality, a sensuality that had scared her. And she couldn't
even tell her best friend about all these new feeling rolling around
inside her.

After Angel had come back, her lust for him hadn't gone away as she
had hoped it would. Willow had known he was back long before Buffy
had seen fit to divulge it, but she had tried to convince herself that
she was wrong. That the pull she had felt toward the mansion was in
her imagination. That the dreams had been wishful thinking. In her
efforts to forget about her phantom Angel, she had turned her lust back
onto her childhood crush and so the infamous smoochie affair with
Xander had begun. That had only led to disaster. Despite Buffy's
devastation, Willow had been relieved when Angel had left for Los
Angeles. It was easier to put the erotic dreams she had of him in the
back of her mind when she didn't have to see him every day.

With a sigh, Willow looked up to take note of where she was, there was
no use dwelling on the recent or distant past. Ironically, after that
thought, she found herself standing in front of Xander's childhood
home. The front yard was overgrown with weeds and the house sorely
needed to be restuccoed. Nothing has changed. No one was home. That
hadn't changed either. On a nostalgic whim, Willow picked her way
through the tangled jungle of Xander's ex-yard until she had reached
the back. A rusty tin shed sat in a corner of the backyard and leaned
up against it were a few planks of plywood with a ratty old blanket
covering the opening. It had been her, Jesse, and Xander's idea of a
fort. The official meeting place of the I Hate Cordelia Club. Willow
pushed aside the moth-eaten and moldy blanket and crawled into the
small, sheltered space. It was cozy. She curled up into a ball,
resting her head on her knees. God, she wished she were eight.

"You know, I should have moved into here instead of the basement.
Could have knocked out the wall, expanded into the shed."

"He hates me, Xander." Willow didn't raise her head or explain
further. Since Xander was here and Buffy had promised to keep an eye
on things, she figured he knew what was going on.

"Angel doesn't hate you. Much as the whole situation gives me the
jeebies, he loves you. If I were alive, I would stake him for it."

"I hurt him. I told him I hated him for pretending to be Angelus. I
broke his heart. He won't ever trust me enough to give it to me
again." Willow finally looked up. Xander sat across from her, curled
in much the same position. She wished he could hold her. She needed
to be held.

In answer to her unspoken plea, Xander reached out and pulled her into
his arms. He was solid. Willow rested her head against his chest and
closed her eyes. She was so tired. This was nice. She didn't have
to think about anything. Not Casimir and whatever he had planned for
her. Not Angelus and how he made her feel. And certainly not Angel
and how much he must hate her right now. "Deadboy would be
monumentally stupid not to give you his heart, Wills. You're the
best, most wonderful person alive. Definitely unhateable. I love you,
Willow," Xander whispered as she fell asleep.

*****

It felt exactly like dying. His head was light and all of his senses
seemed detached from his body. Angel could hear Cordelia's profuse
apologies and declarations to never interfere again, but his mind
couldn't process the actual words. Willow was lost to him. Her anger
would separate them, giving the Gypsy and his damnable ring the chance
they needed. Willow would fall under their spell. "Willow's going to
love him forever," Angel heard his toneless voice say. It didn't
hurt to say it. At the moment, having a cement block smashed into his
skull wouldn't hurt.

"Bullshit." Faith's harsh word snapped Angel back to the edges of
reality. "That's bullshit. Willow doesn't even like the guy. The
only reason why she married him was because he threatened to hurt
Buffy and Xander."

"Buffy and Xander are dead," Giles informed Faith with a harsh bark.
He turned away from them and faced a bookcase, taking out books and
reshelving them with staccato-like proficiency. "I would appreciate it
if you refrained from using them in whatever scheme you've concocted
to gain Angel's favor."

Panic entered Faith's eyes. A panic Angel immediately recognized. She
was afraid of losing the trust she had gained back from the people she
had once betrayed. "I'm not scheming. I..I shouldn't have said
anything. I didn't mean it."

"Yes, you did." Angel broke away from Cordelia's protective grasp and
walked over to Faith. He grabbed her arms more forcefully than he
had intended. "What did Willow tell you? Why did she marry
Kalendash?"

"Why would Willow tell me anything?" Faith offered weakly. She was
lying. Willow had confided something to her.

"Casimir Kalendash has the spell Willow used to strengthen the
permanent soul restoration," Buffy answered for the other slayer. She
appeared behind Faith. "The paper it's written on was soaked in
Xander's and my blood. I was supposed to go to L. A. with it that
night, it was in my pocket. He threatened to damn our souls if Willow
didn't marry him."

Everything clicked into place. Of course Willow would offer herself to
protect her best friends. He just hadn't counted on the Gypsy being
cagey enough to use friends that were dead. Damn! He should have
thought of this before. Why else would Xander and Buffy still be
hanging around? "Why didn't you tell about this earlier?"

"Well, for one thing, it wasn't really my place. I wanted Willow to
tell you. This soulmate thing isn't going to go very far if she
doesn't trust you. As I recall, that was our biggest problem. If you
don't count the whole vampire/slayer, 'I was born to kill you' thing.
Of course, I also didn't realize that you were playing Angelus mind
games."

Forgetting her earlier vows to never interfere in his life again,
Cordelia piped up with her opinion. "I knew this was a bad idea.
Didn't I say this Angelus charade was a bad, creepy idea?"

"And then you changed your mind and told me to fight dirty," Angel
countered.

"That's good advice," Buffy interrupted before Cordelia could mount a
defense. "And here's some more - kill him."

"I can't. If Kalendash dies by the hand of Willow's lover, the ring
will punish us both by taking her life."

Buffy frowned with this new information. She half turned toward Spike,
but he cut her off before she even opened her mouth. "Don't even
look at me, Blondie. Bloody chip you and soldier boy thought best to
keep in my head takes me out of the killing fun."

"But he's evil."

"And human. Forget it, slayer, I can't kill the bastard, much as I
would like too, or else it would already be done," Spike grudgingly
admitted.

"I can," Faith volunteered. "Like B said, he's evil, so he falls into
the slaying category even if he's human."

This was what his grand plan to protect Willow had degenerated into,
a debate on who could or could not kill the gypsy. "I can't ask you
to do that, Faith. You're just starting to work your way back and
killing the Gypsy could jeopardize your progress with the Council.
Right, Giles?" Angel turned to the watcher for support, but found that
he was in no condition to lend it. Giles clutched a book to his chest,
his stunned gaze focused on the specter of his former slayer and
nothing else. Angel doubted that he had heard a word anyone had said
after Buffy had appeared. "Giles," he prompted again.

"What?" Giles dropped his book. He finally tore his eyes from Buffy
and looked at Angel in bewilderment.

"Faith just offered to kill Kalendash."

"What! No, you can't do that...."

"Why not?" Buffy interrupted. "Faith is the Slayer. Kalendash killed
an innocent witch so he could steal her power to conjure that thing
that killed me and Xander. Then he had his family tell Willow she was
cursed so she would be alienated from the rest of her friends and he
could trick her into marrying him and steal her magic. This guy is
evil. He's totally slayable."

"And he's human. Given Faith's previous troubles, it would be best
not to put her in that position."

"You don't trust me. You think if I kill this guy, I'll go gonzo
again." Faith stuck her chin out in defiance.

This was getting them no where. Angel felt this overwhelming need to
have the Gypsy out of Willow's life by tomorrow. He had already lost
Willow's love and any chance of a life of happiness with her, but he'd
be damned if he left her in the clutches of the Gypsy. "The only way
the Gypsy dies is when I kill him. After that ring is off Willow's
finger. If she even wants that now." Angel ran a hand through his
hair. "I have to go find her, make she's okay."

"She is," Buffy assured him. "She's with Xander."

"Where?"

"I don't know. I just know he's with her. And I think maybe you
should give her a little time to cool off and sort things out. She'll
come back to you once she's had time to think."

"She'll come back, but it won't be to me." Angel saw the pity in
Buffy's eyes and he knew she realized he was right. Of everybody,
Buffy was the one who understood that Angelus was an obstacle that
love couldn't overcome. Buffy hadn't been able to forget and he hadn't
even been completely responsible for Angelus' actions then. He was
responsible for this. He had been in control when he had deliberately
tormented Willow with Angelus' face and words.

"Well, you obviously need some Alone-in-my-Brooding time." Cordelia
broke the silence. "Why don't you go wander the sewers, or find some
other dark, dank, place suitable to mope. Buffy and Giles, find some
quiet place to sort out your Slayer/Watcher, Dead/Alive guilt and
emotional goo. I'll go call Wesley and Gunn to see how things are
going in L. A. and if they've had any luck finding out anything about
the Kalendash or the fidelity ring. Spike, Faith, go do whatever you
do when you're not causing trouble." Cordelia gave Angel a decisive
push toward the basement door.

Angel left them without protest. He closed the door behind him and
leaned against it as relief flooded through him. Years of seeking
solace in solitude had made it difficult to be around people when he
was upset. He loved the people in the other room, they were his
family - even Spike in a weird, twisted way - but they couldn't help
him.

"I don't cause trouble." Angel heard Faith grumble from the other side
of the door.

"I do," was Spike's reply. "As much as I can, anyway."

That was all Angel stuck around to hear. He descended into the cool,
dark basement that soothed his soul and, perversely, his demon as well.
He needed to think of a way to fix things with Willow. To at least
regain her friendship if not her love and trust. And if another
creature of the night happened to be lurking along his path and
interrupted his thoughts, then he'd crush its spine. He needed that
too.

*****

Willow wasn't sure what disturbed her more, the fact that she was dead
or that it wasn't a dream. It was a memory. Angel's memory. And to
be fair, it wasn't really her, it was the Other-her, Vampire Willow as
they had dubbed her. Actually, she knew exactly what disturbed her the
most and it was watching Angel run his hands over her Other's body
after he pinned her up against the bars of the metal book cage in the
old highschool library.

This must have happened while they had all left to find the appropriate
spell to send the Other back to her world. They had left her with
Angel, figuring that he would be the best one to handle her. And
that's exactly what he was doing. His mouth sampled the taste of the
expanse of pale flesh offered by the tight, low-cut leather blouse.
Willow remembered how constricted yet strangely liberated the outfit
had made her feel. Angel's fingers nimbly loosened the laces of the
leather bodice, exposing her vampire double's breasts to his roving
lips, before moving down to her waist and sliding between her thighs to
cup her. The Other bucked against his hand, rattling the handcuffs
that suspended her arms over her head against the bars. Her throaty
moan covered the sound. Angel kept his eyes tightly closed. He
concentrated on the taste of her skin and tried to ignore the coolness
of her flesh. This was Willow. His Willow.

The stubborn assertions rang through Willow's mind, surprising her.
This was what Angel had been thinking during his sexcapade with her
Other. He had been pretending it was her, not giving in to vampire
lust. But that was silly, Angel hadn't thought of her like that back
then. He had loved Buffy. She had been Buffy's bookish, shy best
friend. He hadn't wanted her in that way. He couldn't have.

"Willow," Angel moaned against the vampire's breast. "My dear, sweet,
lovely Willow. So beautiful." His mouth traveled up her neck as he
unzipped her pants and slipped his fingers into the wet folds. Her
Other snarled and vamped. Angel nuzzled the side of her neck, his
face shifting as well.

Her Other smiled when she felt the change in his features. She leaned
in and purred into his ear, "Yes, Puppy, bite. Bite." That's not
what Angel wanted to hear. He pulled away instantly and stepped back
from her. Other Willow pouted contritely, but her eyes held that
knowing gleam of mischief. "I'm sorry. Did I say the wrong thing?
Does your Willow not like it when you bite?"

"I...I don't bite her." Angel cast his eyes down to the floor. What
had he almost done? God, he wanted her, but not her...Willow. His
sweet, delicate, strong, fierce, brave, beautiful Willow had looked
magnificent dressed in her double's clothes. He hadn't been able to
keep his eyes off her. But he couldn't have her. She was Buffy's
best friend and she would always only see him as Buffy's on again/off
again boyfriend. She would never belong to him.

"That's not the only thing you don't do to her," the Other Willow
commented, bringing Angel's attention back to her. "Why not? She's
yours just as Puppy is mine." Angel just shook his head in response.
"Yes, you just have to claim her. Make her yours. Make her like me."

Angel winced and so did Willow as she felt his overwhelming disgust at
the idea. "I could never make her a soulless monster like you."

The Other shrugged. "You're not soulless and it would be your blood
that sired her. Maybe she wouldn't be soulless either. You could be
together forever, long after the Slayer is a distant memory for you
both."

Willow opened her eyes. Orange light from the setting sun slanted
through the gaps of the lean-to. She was alone. She must have been
asleep for hours. This time having Angel's thoughts in her head wasn't
as terrifying. For one thing, there had been no hint of Angelus and
for another, Willow had finally gotten the message. Whoever or
whatever had made her privy to Angel's dream and memory of a past
encounter with her vampire double, had done it for a reason. She now
knew what she had to do. She had her solution. This would all be
over by morning.

The sun slipped a bit further down into the horizon and the orange
slats shifted. Willow crawled out of the haven she had found and
stood up, stretching. A last lingering part of Angel's memory stirred
her curiosity. When the Other had suggested that turning her might be
different because he had a soul, Angel had been tempted. Yes, Willow
would definitely have to ask him about that someday.

To be continued.....

In a land made of myth and legend, a young woman risks immortality for
the love of a demon....

Caught and condemned by others of her race, she stands, hair of fire and
pale skin kissed by the moon, chained to a stake in the ground awaiting
her fate....

A simple gold heart hanging from her neck glows at the approach of her
demon lover. He emerges from a cloak of darkness as a flashing silver
sword whistles through the air and her pretty neck....

Devastated, her demon lover rushes the swordsman and meets only the
sword, plunged straight through his heart. He stumbles back into the
body of his lover and falls, catching the chain holding the heart and
breaking it. He dies at her feet....

The heart falls, landing in the blood of the unfortunate love and in
that moment, a prophecy is born....

But Willow and Angel have other things on their mind.
 

Part Thirteen

It wasn't difficult to find Spike, he was at Willy's bar trying to
start a fight and get drunk. It had been harder sneaking into Giles'
magic shop to get the book with the spell she needed. Willow slid into
the stool beside Spike. "Shouldn't I be the one getting drunk in a
bar, considering the fact that I'm married to a man who wants to steal
my magic and kill me and in love with a vampire who pretends to be evil
to protect me?"

"You are absolutely right, Luv. Barkeep, give the lady a double.
She's got to catch up." Spike slapped the counter and gulped back what
little there was left in the whiskey glass in front of him. "And
another for me as well."

Willow shook her head slightly so the bartender would know that she
didn't want him to pour the ordered drinks. "Acutally, I was hoping
that we could go someplace quieter. I need to talk about things."

Without even one salacious remark or suggestive leer, Spike stood up.
He tottered a bit, but he managed to keep his balance. "Let's go."
He threw some money down on the counter and escorted Willow out of the
bar.

Now that she had Spike alone, Willow was nervous. They were heading
back to her house, but they couldn't go there. Too many people had
free rein of the place. The last thing she needed was to have Angel
or Faith walk in while she was doing the spell. The wrought iron gates
of the Courageous Light cemetary caught Willow's attention. She
grabbed Spike's hand and pulled him through them. "I want to visit
Buffy and Xander."

"I thought you wanted to talk, Red," Spike whined, but still followed.
"About Angel and I can handle a discussion about his deficencies, but
you're not going to talk about them, are you? Because if you are, I
could just go back to the bar...." Spike's threat was cut off as Willow
abruptly yanked him into a newly built stone crypt. "Whoa, what the
hell are you doing? This isn't the last resting place of Buffy and
Xander...."

Again Willow interrupted him, but only because if she didn't catch him
off guard, she didn't think he would let her do it. Willow pressed her
lips to his and mumbled under her breath so that he couldn't make out
what she was saying. "I use this kiss to establish the nexus through
which was borrowed shall be returned."

Spike pushed her back gently, breaking the embrace. "Look, Willow, a
year ago - okay let's be honest - ever since I kidnapped you and tried
to make you do that love spell, something like this would have made me
a very happy vampire, but there's Anya now. Not to mention my sodding
grandsire. He'd stake me without thinking twice about it if I shagged
you."

"I don't want to have sex with you, Spike." Willow stepped back. She
lit a torch on the wall of the crypt and took the small, leather bound
spellbook from her pocket. She had found the spell when she been
looking for the spell strengthening ritual. She hadn't mentioned it
to anyone since it hadn't been relevant at the time, but she'd filed
it habitually into the back of her mind, just in case it would be
needed. Tonight she needed it. May Spike forgive her. "I want you to
turn me."

Anyone else would have been shocked or scandalized by her request, but
not Spike. He merely looked intrigued and suddenly sober. "You know
I can't do that. Turning involves biting, which involves harming you,
which I can't do. Why the sudden determination to have fangs?"

Willow didn't answer. Instead she opened the book to the appropriate
page marked by a thin stilletto daggar. She quickly scanned the spell
in an uneeded attempt to refresh her memory. She could do this. "You
don't have to bite me. I'm offering it." The daggar bit into the soft
flesh of her arm as she opened up the vien. She held up her arm, blood
dripping from it onto the grey marble floor.

Spike's nostrils flared and his eyes glazed over. Willow knew he
hadn't tasted fresh human blood since the chip had been installed. He
wouldn't be able to resist it, she was counting on it. Spike took a
step toward her, fixated on her bleeding arm. Almost hesitantly he
reached out and slid a finger along the wound and then lifted it to
his mouth. He closed his eyes as he savored the taste. Spike was
still for so long, Willow started to think she was wrong, that he
wouldn't be overcome by temptation. The book with the spell slipped
from her slack fingers and she swayed on her feet. The loss of blood
made her head tingly. Willow tried to step back, but Spike caught her
as her knees gave out. She looked up into his yellow eyes and watched
with detached fascination as his fangs sank into her open wound. The
sound of slurping became so entrancing that Willow almost forgot to
utter the words of the spell.

"My blood is the connection. I call the demon inside to me. Possess
my body, but leave my soul free." Willow's eyes fluttered closed and
her breathing slowed until it finally stopped.

*****

He was in the sewer beneath the Bronze. The thrumming bass beat of the
music made an excellent tempo for beating in the skull of a Yanic
demon. The stout, but surprisingly fast, clay colored demon was the
last of the trio that Angel had run across in his wanderings of the
sewer system of Sunnydale. They had been about to chow down on a
small puppy when Angel had interrupted them. It wasn't exactly evil in
epic proportions, but he had needed the tension breaker.

The Yanic's thick skull finally shattered, spattering mud-like brain
matter onto the concrete ledge. Angel stood up. The Yanics had been
distracting, but their deaths hadn't satisfied him. There was only
one death that would satisfy him, one kill that he craved - Casimir
Kalendash. Once he was dead, it was possible that Willow would forgive
him for the Angelus charade. Once her mind was no longer clouded by
the ring, she might understand. Of course, her mind would still be
under the influence of the geis. It would keep her with him even if
she didn't want to be there.

Angel leaned against the wall. He was a total bastard. If he was
really honest with himself, he would have to admit that he wasn't much
better than the Gypsy. For a moment, Angel mistook the searing pain in
his chest for guilt and regret,but it soon became all too familiar.
The white-hot pulse intensified, knocking him to his knees. With a
snarl, he briefly shifted to vampire form. It was all over. Because
of his selfish behavior, The Powers That Be had decided that he wasn't
worthy of a soul. god, he hoped they had the wisdom and mercy to kill
him as well. The thought of what Angelus would do to his beloved
Saileach was the last thing on Angel's mind as he finally passed out.

*****

It was strange coming back to life and not being alone in her own body.
Willow also knew immediately that the spell hadn't worked the way she
had intended. It wasn't Spike's demon that currently resided inside
her, it was Angelus. Willow's eyes opened. Spike hovered over her,
his vampire face gone, worry etched into his features instead.

"Willow, Luv, you're okay. You had me worried. What the hell were you
trying to do? I could have killed you! I did kill you." Spike wiped
at the blood still freshly smeared around his lips. She hadn't been
dead for very long.

Willow's lips curved into a smirk. "It's obviously been a while for
you, William. I would hardly call what you did killing." The words
tumbled from her lips and Willow couldn't stop them. She also couldn't
stop her hands from shoving Spike back onto his ass and her legs from
standing her up. "Yer a poor excuse fer a vampire. Ya finally get
rid off the wheels only to pick up a chip in the brain that makes ya
useless."

The Irish brogue in her voice caused Spike to quickly regain his feet
and put more distance between them. "Angelus?"

She didn't have control. Willow needed control of her body and the
demon. She hadn't expected to control Angelus. She couldn't control
Angelus. Panic ripped through her and the accompanying adrenaline
pushed the demon back. Willow quickly used the advantage to envision
chains wrapped tightly around the demon. It worked. "Spike, I'm
sorry. That wasn't me...."

"You're bloody well right it wasn't you. What the fuck did you do?"
Spike stayed at the far end of crypt from her. His eyes didn't leave
her and he looked like he expected her to strike at him like a cobra.
There was nothing she could do to reverse what had happened. She
should have known that her bond with Angel and the fact that he had
also drank from her would prove stronger and that the ritual would call
to his demon instead of Spike's. Willow could feel Angelus straining
against the mental chains. They wouldn't last long and Willow didn't
want to waste Angelus' energy on Spike. She needed to have control of
the demon if he was going to do what she wanted.

"I'm sorry. It wasn't supposed to happen like this, my bond with Angel
was stronger. I have to go." Willow rushed from the crypt and darted
behind the caretaker's shed. She waited there long enough to make
sure that Spike wasn't going to follow her before heading back toward
her house. Casimir would show up eventually and when he did, she had
to be firmly in command.

A slight snap, like a rubber band breaking, stilled Willow's footsteps.
The rapidly darkening night went silent except for the occassional
trill of a night bird and the rustle of small animals in the bushes.
Underneath that, Willow could detect the rush of their ever-pumping
warm blood and further away she could discern the same sound, only
coming from a much larger prey. Willow resumed her journey. Her
husband was in for a rude awakening and he would pay with his life for
what he did to her. And maybe, if she was lucky, one of the others
would show up and they could pay for interrupting her. She hoped it
would be Faith. Slayer's blood would hit the spot right about now.

*****

The pounding of the music overhead was accompanied by the similar
pounding pulse of blood moving through Angel's normally dormant
circulatory system.  He wasn't dead.  Literally.  Angel sat up and
immediately wished that he hadn't as pain lanced up his spine to his
brain stem.  His fingers and toes tingled from the rush of blood.  He
took a deep breath.  He was alive.  How the hell did that happen?

"Angel!  Angel!" Cordelia's panicked yells echoed through the sewers.

"Over here," Angel called back as he stood up cautiously.  No pain
beyond the pinpricks needling up his legs as the blood flowed
unrestricted.  This couldn't be what the scrolls had promised him - his
humanity.  It was too soon.  And the way the demon had been ripped from
him...just like his soul had been after that one night with Buffy.
The Gypsy.  It was another gypsy curse.  Kalendash was behind this and
whatever he wanted with the demon, it couldn't be good.

"Angel," Cordelia gasped as she rounded the corner and spotted him.
"Willow...Spike...vision...bad vision." Cordelia grabbed his hand and
dragged him to the nearest exit up into the street.  She didn't notice
the uncharacteristic warmth of his hand or complain about the sewer
sludge clinging to her new shoes.  Bad vision might have been an
understatement.

"Willow?" Angel hefted himself out of the sewer.  He had forgotten how
weak his body was when he was human compared to his vampire self.  If
Willow really needed him, he couldn't save her like this.  "What's
going to happen?"

"Deja vu, if we don't hurry." Cordelia pulled Angel to his feet.  She
hauled him down the street at a brisk pace.  "Only this time the skank
with fangs will be Willow and not some carbon copy from a parallel
universe."

They were heading toward one of the newer cemeteries in Sunnydale.  The
one where Buffy and Xander rested.  "Spike...Spike wouldn't do that...
he can't." Angel fought for air.  Breathing and keeping up with
Cordelia was difficult.

"Well, from what I saw in my vision, he found a way." Cordelia paused
for a moment while she surveyed her surroundings.  "It was the usual
crazy flashes, but I clearly saw Spike snacking on Willow's arm and
then Willow with a bad complexion and in dire need of an orthodontist.
They were in some crypt thing.  Like that one!" Cordelia grabbed the
lapel of Angel's jacket and pulled him to the open door of a crypt.
Flickering light spilled out onto well tended lawn around it.

The closer they got to the crypt, the more the fear twisted and writhed
inside of him.  What was he going to do?  If Spike had somehow overcome
the effects of the chip, how was he going to stop him like this?  He
couldn't.  That had to be Kalendash's plan.  Angel couldn't protect
Willow and Angelus certainly couldn't make good on his threat to kill
the Gypsy.  Even as the doubts and insecurities battered him, Angel
still followed Cordelia through the open door of the crypt.  He would
think of something.  He would bluff his way through it if that's what
it took to save Willow.

She wasn't there.  One look around the mid-sized room built for the
dead told him that.  Spike sat on a large stone burial tomb reading a
book.  Hardly the picture of a frenzied demon who had just attacked his
best friend.  Blood droplets stained the floor in front of him.  Angel
inhaled, but his dulled senses told him nothing.

"You!" Cordelia pointed an accusing finger at Spike. "What have you
done?"

Spike looked up.  "She made me.  Can't blame a vampire for taking
what's offered.  Little witch could have told me what she was up to,
though." Spike glanced back down at the book and grinned.  "Hubby's not
going to know what hit him.  And I suspect neither did you, Peaches."
Spike raised his eyebrows at Angel.

"Willow did this to me." Angel was about to ask why when a fractured
image from his nightmare flashed into his mind.  The ring hitting the
floor with a ping as Willow died.  He had no idea how she had done it
or what she hoped to accomplish in the end, but she had turned herself.

"Did what to you?" Cordelia demanded, spinning around to confront
Angel.  "Why aren't you staking him?  He turned Willow into a vampire!"
She stepped closer to him and this time she noticed the things she had
overlooked before in her panic.  The slight rise and fall of his chest,
the warmer tone of his skin, and, when she reached out and touched the
side of his neck, the throbbing beat of his pulse.  "B...but there
haven't been any plagues.  Some fiends, an apocalypse or two.  No
plagues."

"This isn't the prophecy.  Willow did something...somehow she took the
demon from me."

"She used this." Spike tossed the book at Angel, who caught it.  "Old,
obscure spell somewhere in between a possession spell and an exorcism.
In the dark ages, some priest from a village in the middle of nowhere
used this spell to get rid of the vampires invading his little burg.
A willing - or unwilling, it really didn't matter - young girl was
chosen as the vessel.  The demon was ripped out of the poor,
unsuspecting vampire once he fed upon the girl and housed within her.
A vampire without a demon is just a corpse, easily dispatched with
fire.  Neat trick, really."

"Why would Willow want Angel's demon?" Cordelia's hand flew to cover
her mouth as a possible answer occurred to her.  "Oh, God, she doesn't
hate you that much, does she?  She doesn't want to kill you?"

"The only person Red wants dead is her husband," Spike offered.  He
was about to add something when Angel cut him off with a shake of his
head.

"This is Willow we're talking about.  She doesn't want anyone dead.
She must have had some other reason for...borrowing my demon."  Angel
scanned the spell and then desperately turned the pages of the book.
"God, I hope she only borrowed it.  Did she say anything, anything at
all about her plan?  Is there a way to reverse this?  You've read the
damn book!" Angel threw the book away from him in frustration.  He
started to pace.  Willow wouldn't do something this drastic to just
get the fidelity ring off her finger, besides it wouldn't work.  Once
she was alive again, the ring and the vow would be activated again.
What the hell was she thinking?  And why didn't she tell him!  Angel
glared up at Spike.

Spike smirked back.  "First of all, Willow didn't want your demon, she
was after mine.  She mumbled something about the two of you having a
stronger connection.  Secondly, it was her intention to only borrow my
demon.  She kissed me and...."

"She what?" A dangerous edge tinged Angel's voice.  He might be human,
but he would rip Spike to pieces if he had touched his girl.

"Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist.  It was hardly the snog of a
lifetime, she barely touched my lips.  I've seen people use more
passion kissing the Pope's ring.  But that's not the point.  If you had
read the last spell in the book, instead of getting tantrummy, you
would have known why she did it."

Angel picked up the book and opened it to the last page.  "What was
shared shall be the nexus used to return the demon taken."

"And what you and Willow shared was stronger, so it's your demon she
borrowed.  Guess you got some tongue action."

"Okay, so this is just another wacky Willow spell, but we still have
the same question.  Why does Willow want to borrow a demon?  Angel's
right, it isn't about killing Casimir Kalendash.  She couldn't do that
and even if she wanted to, I'm pretty sure the fidelity ring would
stop her." Cordelia spoke up before Angel could react to Spike's
comment.

"Till death do they part," Angel explained.  "Willow is dead.  The
fidelity ring is inactive while she's dead."  I'll kill him slowly and
leave him on the grave of the librarian's gypsy whore.  The foreign,
but terrifyingly familiar thought laced itself through Angel's
consciousness.  Through Willow's eyes, Angel caught a brief glimpse of
her room reflected in an empty mirror.  Then he was seeing out of his
own eyes again, looking at Cordelia and Spike waiting for him to
continue.  It seemed that he and Willow were not only connected through
their souls, but the demon as well.  "I don't think Willow has a
choice about who dies."
 

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