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Part Fourteen

Hidden in the back of the closet was the perfect outfit. At the time,
Willow had wondered what had ever possessed her to buy it, but now she
knew. It reminded her of the outfit the Other, the Vampire Willow,
had worn. It reminded her of freedom, power, and pain. There was
power in pain. Willow fingered the supple dark red leather halter of
the blouse. She picked up the diaphanous black silk sleeve and
rubbed the soft material across her cheek. She had to get out of
these confining clothes.

With quick, nimble movements, Willow undid the buttons of the blouse
and jeans she was wearing. She shed the clothes without a second
thought, dropping them to the floor. Humming softly to herself, she
slipped into the halter blouse and matching dark red leather pants.
She buttoned the leather cuffs at the end of the sleeves and walked
toward the mirror, momentarily forgetting that she wouldn't be able to
survey the results. It didn't matter, she knew it was perfect. Fully
clothed and she felt naked. The front door downstairs opened and
closed and the soft murmur of voices floated up to her. Two voices.
Two beating hearts. Casimir wasn't alone. Willow smiled and licked
her lips. She was hungry.

No, she wasn't. She had raided Spike and Angel's stash of blood in
her fridge before she came upstairs. Much as the thought of drinking
blood repulsed her, Willow knew that there was no way she could
maintain control over the demon if she was hungry. So, what was she
thinking? Willow closed her eyes. She visualized an open space, a
blue space like the sky or the ocean, and in this space there was a
darkness. The darkness was bound by bands of flashing silver. As a
precaution, she visualized the bands tightening. She was nervous.
Spike's demon she could handle, it was always straightforward about
the bloodlust and quick to kill. Angel's demon had its own name -
Angelus - and Angelus liked to play games.

Willow shivered. She opened her eyes and stared into the empty room
reflected in her mirror. "Don't be silly. You are in control."
Then why did the thought of killing Casimir and leaving him on Miss
Calendar's grave weave its way through her brain? Why was she
suddenly craving the taste of her friends' blood? "I'm just getting
into character," Willow's lips whispered the answer to her pesky
conscience's questions out loud. "I would never hurt my friends." A
husky, seductive laugh rumbled from below. Her husband and his lady
slayer were getting comfortable. Willow ran a hand through her hair.
It was time to end her marriage. It was time to take a chance and
release the darkness - a little. It would be okay. She would be in
control the whole time. She would not kill anyone. Willow walked
out of her bedroom. Of course she wasn't going to kill anyone - right
away. It was much more fun to taunt them cruelly and kill the ones
they love first. After all, that was his style.

It was a cozy scene Willow happened upon in her living room. Faith
sat close to Casimir on the love seat, her hand suggestively toying
with the buttons of his shirt before moving lower and out of Willow's
line of sight. Funny, she didn't feel the irrational surge of raging
jealously that had consumed her when Faith had merely touched Angel's
arm and here she was groping her husband. The ring really was
dormant. It would have been easy to back out and leave Faith to her
plans of seduction, neither of them had noticed her yet, but Willow
knew Faith's efforts were in vain. Casimir had his eye on a prize he
hadn't yet obtained - Willow's magic - and Faith wouldn't distract
him. Willow had been shown the only way out of this sham of a
marriage and she had already sacrificed her friendship with Spike and
any shred of feelings of trust and love Angel had left for her. She
couldn't back out now.

As if to unconsciously bolster her decision, Casimir leaned back and
protested mockingly, "I'm a married man." Although he didn't seem
concerned about the whereabouts of the Slayer's hand.

"So?" Faith leaned in and purred. "You don't love her like Angel does
and he was actually enthusiastic."

"You bedded the vampire?" Casimir raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"It's not so hard to believe. Willow devastated him and he turned to
me for comfort." Using her quick Slayer agility, Faith straddled
Casimir. "You can turn to me too."

"Wow, you are working hard for that redemption, Faith," Willow
announced dryly as she stepped into the room. "Although, I must
confess, I've never known anyone who used the whore technique to
gain it."

"Willow?" Faith scrambled off Casimir's lap and sent her a confused
look. "I was...I was just..."

"She knows what you were just doing," Casimir said with amusement. He
turned to look at Willow. His eyes traveled up and down her body.
"My dear wife, you look...."

"Your type?" Willow cut him off with a smirk. Casimir sat casually,
his body language conveying his complete unconcern with the fact that
his wife had caught him in a compromising position. He thought he was
so clever, manipulating her. He thought she was weak, that she would
roll over and do whatever he wanted just because he threatened her
friends. Her dead friends, no less. Soon, soon he would know fear,
and not just that little thrill of adrenalin that provoked the fight
or flight response. Real fear. Palatable fear. Sweet, paralyzing
fear. Willow licked her lips.

"I'm surprised you find the thought of Faith seducing your vampire
lover so appetizing. Maybe the ring is finally allowing you to
realize your love for me." Casimir's sarcasm broke through the
fantasies of torture and abasement the darkness in Willow's mind was
creating and, to her utter disgust, she was actually enjoying. But
that was part of the act, part of her vampire character.

"Faith is a liar." Willow's eyes were on his prey as she slowly
advanced. One step. "I was with my sweet Angel all day. Or so I
thought." Two steps. Faith was frowning, Casimir merely curious.
"Poor Angel. Faith was right about one thing, Willow devastated him.
It was too much for his soul to bear." Now the damn Gypsy was the one
frowning. Faith was just worried and more than a little scared.
Three steps. He was now only two paces away from the love seat.

Casimir stood up. It was a futile and pathetic attempt to regain
control. "What exactly are you getting at?"

It was the first time she had done it and Willow had always wondered
how it was done and what it felt like. It was surprisingly easy. He
wanted it to happen and it did. Her face shifted. Her canines
elongated and her facial bones reformed into the familiar ridges. Her
vision became sharper, the shadows in the house becoming nonexistent.
As a whole, the change it didn't hurt as, in her naivete, she had
assumed it would. It was natural. It was good to be back.

"Angel's soul is gone and so is mine."

*****

"Angel!" Cordelia's frustrated shriek didn't slow him down. He had to
get to Willow before the demon did something she couldn't live with.
If he hadn't tricked her into thinking that Angelus was slipping to
the surface then she would have trusted him enough to tell him her
plan. He could have convinced her to find another way. Or, once that
didn't work, he could have at least helped her control the demon.
Been by her side while she confronted the Gypsy. But, no, Willow was
all alone with Angelus influencing her every thought and action and
the Gypsy too stupid to cut and run. She was going to kill him and
have to live with it for the rest of her life.

One minute Angel was charging through the graveyard, intent on saving
Willow from his demon and damning himself back to hell for putting her
in this situation, and the next he was on the ground. A sharp pain
stole his breath and he gasped to catch it again. Spike stood over
him, holding his head and cursing fluently.

"I..I have to get to...Willow." Angel struggled to stand up, only to
be shoved back down to the ground by Spike.

"And do what? Bloody hell! This is for his own good! Doesn't this
stupid, soddin' chip know the difference between hurting someone to
help a thick-skulled stubborn arse and just plain hurting someone
because you like it? Why the hell do I have to always suffer for the
bleedin'Poof?" Spike pounded the heel of his hand into his forehead
as if that would dislodge the chip implanted in his brain. "I hate to
break it to you, mate, but you're human and you have no idea what
Red's got planned. Or Angelus. I would call you a few more names,
but there is a lady present, sort of."

"Thanks ever so much for sparing me. I hate to say it, but Spike is
right." Cordelia finally caught up to them. "You and Willow have been
running around trying to protect each other and trying to save each
other and all you've accomplished is this convoluted mess that gets
even more complicated every time one of you does something." Cordelia
knelt down beside him and softened her tone. "Angel, please, just
stop and think about what you're going to do. Think about why
Willow's doing this. And hey, while you're at it, why not think about
asking your friends for some help."

"The wicked cheerleader of the west has a point." Spike stood over
them and smirked. "Looks like you need us now that you're light in
the demon and evil-ass-kicking areas."

"No," Angel immediately refused, but relented a bit when he looked at
Cordelia. "I do know that whatever Willow had planned, it's not going
to work. She can't control the demon. If the worst happens and I'm
too late, it's possible that Willow can eventually live with the fact
that she killed Kalendash, but if she were to hurt you or Giles or
even Spike...."

Cordelia nodded her understanding. She squeezed Angel's hand. "What
about you? The demon must hate you. Willow couldn't live with
killing you either."

"He won't hurt me. He's part of me and because of the geis bond,
Willow won't let him." Angel rose to his feet. "You guys go back to
Giles' and warn everyone to stay away from Willow's house at least
until morning. Hopefully this will all be over by then."

"Okay, so a quick run through of the plan. Me and the PTB prom queen
run to the rest of the gang of do-gooders and tell them to circle the
wagons until morning while you do the perfect imitation of a kamikaze
mission and walk into that house with nothing but the belief that your
mere presence will help Willow control the demon and that her undying
love for you will stop her from ripping open your throat and sucking
all that newly pumping blood from your veins. It could work. Really.
If you don't ask yourself how you're going to get that pesky little
spell that is the key to sending Slutty and the Xapper's souls to
hell? Or what if instead of just killing you, our newly Angelusized
Willow decides to re-vamp you? Didn't think of that, did you? And
exactly how are you going to get rid of the husband? Are you going to
let Red kill him? That would certainly get rid of most of the
problems in your brilliant plan." Spike's eyes lit up at his solution
to the holes he had poked into Angel's line of attack.

"No. None of that is going to happen," Cordelia shot Spike down this
time. She turned to Angel. "It's not going to happen like that. You
will help Willow control the demon and you will reverse this spell.
I'll be sorry that you're a vampire again, because you deserve to be
human and happy, but I'll also be glad that Willow isn't a vampire
because she deserves the same things. And I know how you two can be
together. I was on my way to find you and tell you this when I had
the Spike/Willow vision and that took precedence. Anyway, Gunn
called. He and Wesley found a way for a fidelity ring divorce."

"And you were waiting for what to let this little tidbit go?"

"For you to shut up and for Angel to stop acting like an idiot,"
Cordelia hissed at Spike. "As Giles said before, the ring was made to
keep Guinevere true to Arthur and we all assumed vice versa because
Casimir told you that he had to keep his vow as well, but that's not
what he meant. We forgot what abnormal time period we were dealing
with. The husband can cheat all he wants and he also has the power to
dissolve the marriage either by asking for the ring back or just
taking it back. That's what he meant when he said he wouldn't break
his vow."

It couldn't be that easy. Not after all he and Willow had done to
thwart the Gypsy. It couldn't be that simple. "If he thinks Willow
is dead and a vampire, he might ask for the ring back. Her magic
would be useless to him, it doesn't transfer well to the dead."

"Or, if he had half a brain, he might run screaming for the hills."

Angel ignored Spike. Instead he swept Cordelia into a hard hug.
"Thank you. This will be over by morning. Go find Giles and stay
safe."

"Same goes for you." Cordelia hugged him good-bye. "Come on, Chip
for Brains, lets go hold down the fort until morning." Cordelia
offered Angel one last good luck smile before she shoved Spike ahead
of her. "PTB prom queen! Was that the best you could do?"

"I wouldn't go all critical, missy, Chip for Brains is hardly an
example of raging originality. Now the 'wicked cheerleader of the
west,' that was a classic."

Their nattering voices faded as they walked away and Angel turned his
attention to more important things. He needed a better plan. Spike
and Cordelia were right, he couldn't go charging in unprepared. Angel
started back on his journey toward Willow's house. Cordelia had also
been right about him needing some help. He just needed help that
Angelus couldn't kill. "Okay, I know you guys are there somewhere and
you know what's going on. I need help."

"The Great non-Vampire calls, the petty phantom underlings answer."
Xander popped up on his left side. He wasn't looking too friendly at
the moment.

"Xander," Buffy curtly reprimanded him as she popped in on Angel's
other side. "We're always here to help you, Angel."

"I'm here to help Willow," Xander clarified. He glared at Angel. "I
can't believe what you've gotten Willow into. I asked you to help
her, not to curse her and torment her by pretending to be Angelus and
giving her the crazy idea to become him herself. I knew this whole
Willow-and-Angel-belong-together thing was a wacked out idea."

"Xander, that's enough! This isn't Angel's fault. What do you want
us to do, Angel?"

It took most of the will Angel possessed not to take Xander's words to
heart. They struck the guilt cord perfectly, but wallowing in guilt
would get him no where. He would do it later. "Nothing. Right now."
Angel stopped in front of Willow's house. The living room lights were
on, casting a comforting glow out onto the lawn. He doubted that what
was going on inside was quite as soothing. "I'll go in there and
try to defuse the situation and help Willow control the demon. After
that, we have to work on getting that spell paper back from Kalendash.
I'm hoping you two could distract him." The plan was still a little
thin, but it's not like he had a lot of time to think of a nice air
tight one. Angel knew that he was still basically winging it.

"What about Willow? You're not going to leave her like that while you
rejoin the land of the living, are you, Deadboy?"

"Of course not." Angel hadn't even considered the idea. The return
of his humanity had hardly been a blessing because he knew what it had
cost Willow. It would be a relief to have the demon back where it
belonged - locked inside of him. "I'm going to lead Willow up into
the attic and lock the door. The spell book had a reversal spell, if
it works then Willow and I'll leave the room before dawn."

"What if it doesn't?" Buffy asked softly.

"If it doesn't, Willow will probably try to leave alone. I'll try to
stop her, but...."

"Don't worry. The door won't open no matter how strong she is."

"But the skylight..." Xander sputtered. "She'll die."

"Her soul is still with her, Xander. Trust me, she knows what the
demon is doing, she will feel it every time he kills." Angel needed
Xander to understand why this had to be done. He needed his approval.
The boy was Willow's best friend, if he agreed to this, then Angel
knew it was the right thing to do. If the demon couldn't be returned
to him, then both the demon and Willow would have to die.

"I thought you weren't planning on being one of the living."

"I'm not." If Willow had to die, then so did he, either by her hand
or his own.

*****

People were so expressive. Confusion, shock, fear, and anger all
danced across her unfortunate soon-to-be dead husband's face. The
Slayer was just afraid. She wouldn't be able to kill her. Of all of
them, it was Willow's forgiveness that she craved the most. Willow's
lips pulled back in a smirk. He liked the feel of her lips moving
across her fangs.

"An..Angelus," Faith stuttered. She looked nervously behind her, like
she expected him to be there. He wasn't. He was right in front of
her and she didn't even know it. "He turned you."

"This is a trick," Casimir hissed. "I'm a gypsy, you don't think I
know a vampire glamour when I see one?"

A delicate snort issued from Willow's nostrils. "Your family's gypsy
magic was lost generations before you came along. If you were
anything but the faker that you are, you would know that this is no
simple glamour. " She stalked up as close as the love seat between
them would allow. "The ring's magic is old and strong. It knows my
true nature."

The petite alabaster hand with the glinting gold ring was tempting
bait. As soon as he held it out, Casimir snatched at it. He
squeezed her knuckles together cruelly, but Angelus shrugged it off.
It was an old and familiar macho game that he knew and played well.
No one bested him. With a swiftness that surprised her, Willow
seized the curls at the base of Casimir's neck and dragged him across
the loveseat. She hadn't intended to do that. What was she doing?
His pulse thrummed at the jugular. Willow licked her lips and stole a
glance at the Slayer. The girl was paralyzed. A ticklish trendle of
fear almost made Willow plead for her help, she wasn't so sure that
everything she was doing was her idea, but that impulse was quickly
stamped out by her next thought. She couldn't trust Faith. What
exactly had the Slayer been doing with Casimir? She had probably
wanted to get her hands on that bloodied spell to have control over
Buffy and Xander's souls herself. Besides, Faith couldn't help her,
look at her, trembling like a small animal. She never did have the
stuff to make a slayer. Much as he had loathed Buffy, at least the
whore had made a worthy opponent. This one was nothing.

"I'll save you for later. This one dies now. Good-bye, Gypsy,"
Willow whispered as she placed a soft kiss on Casimir's vulnerable
neck. He struggled, but it was useless. She wasn't gentle. The skin
tore under the sharp pressure of her teeth, the blood spurting up into
her mouth and splashing down her throat in delicious coppery gushes.
It tasted heavenly, much better than the reheated cow's blood from her
refrigerator. Faith would be next and her blood would be even better.
Nothing compared to Slayer's blood. Eons of warriors flowed in their
life essence. He wanted to taste that strength once again. Although
he doubted that Faith would be half as co-operative as Buffy.

It took a few seconds for the horrific scene to sink in. Angel stood
in the doorway and watched as Willow bit into the Gypsy's neck. A
ghost of a metallic aftertaste settled in the back of his throat.
Blood seeped down Kalendash's neck. The wound wasn't clean. He would
die soon. Unlike the time he had locked the Wolfram and Hart lawyers
in the wine cellar with Darla and Dru, Angel wasn't even tempted to
wait until the Gypsy was dead. This was about Willow, not saving
Kalendash. That was just an unfortunate side effect. "Willow." Angel
stepped forward.

He was here. Willow had felt his presence through the demon as well
as the geis and she had heard his heart beating the moment he had
stepped into the house. Angel was human. She released her husband,
watching disinterestedly as he fell onto the loveseat. "Angel."

The mention of his name gave Angel hope as it chilled him. In that
one word he could hear them both. Willow had given his name its soft
edges, speaking it as an endearment, but underneath there was a
harshness that spat the name like a curse. Angel knew that harshness
well, it had colored his world for over two hundred and fifty years.
It was difficult to face as a part of himself, heartbreaking to face
as a part of Willow.

"Angelus." The involuntary shaky utterance made Angel turn his head.
Faith looked at him with fascinated fear. What the hell was she doing
here?

"Uh oh," Willow's voice sang softly, coyly. "A Slayer in trouble.
Too bad she's not blond or she would be just your type."

"Faith, run." The desperate command hung in the air. Faith's eyes
darted from him to Willow. He blocked her way to the front door,
Willow denied passage to the kitchen and the back. Angel stepped
aside so that she would be able to pass. "Trust me, please."

Faith took a step toward him. "That's exactly what he said to me."
Willow's words stopped her. Once again her indecision was displayed
in her darting gaze. The gypsy moaned as he started to regain
consciousness. No one paid any attention. "What game are we playing
now, my love? Turning the Slayer was part of the plan. Do you want
to play first? Make her trust you, make her think that you're going
to be her hero and let her go and then kill her?" As Willow spoke,
Faith backed up until her back was pressed up against the far wall.

"I'm not the one playing games, Willow. He is. He has control,
Willow, he just doesn't want you to know it." Angel forgot about
Faith for the moment. The important one was Willow.

The gypsy moaned again. Willow looked down at him. "He doesn't look
like he's in command."

"I'm not talking about the damn gypsy! You know who I'm talking
about." Angel stepped further into the room.

The damn gypsy picked that moment to sit up. "I would like to know
what the hell you're talking about. You wouldn't turn Willow into a
vampire."

Willow leaned down and whispered into her husband's ear. "Angelus
would." She nipped Casimir's earlobe. He jerked away, the sudden
movement causing him to slide off the loveseat and thump to the floor.
Willow just smiled and flashed an amused glance to Angel. "I told you
this would be fun."

"You can't kill me." Casimir scrambled back. He dug into his pockets
until he found his bargaining chip - the bloodstained spell. "I have
this. After you and your childe threatened to kill me, I cast a
spell. If anything happens to me, your friends are damned."

"I. Don't. Care. They are not my friends and they are dead. Do
whatever you want with their souls." Willow shrugged, bored with the
subject and the gypsy. Their women had always been more fun. He
would rather torment Angel and get even for the years spent locked up.
He directed his next line to him. "Willow's soul is gone."

"No! Willow, fight him. He can't control you." Angel closed the
distance between them, reaching out and grasping her arms. His dark
eyes pleaded, searching hers for some sign of the sweet, good woman he
loved. "You're stronger, Willow. I know you are." He was so
earnest, so detestedly faithful. He deserved a little something for
being such a sap.

"Oh, Angel." Willow leaned forward until her head rested on his chest.
Angel's heart beat strong and steady. It was a sound she had never
imagined she would hear. Angel was human because of her. His arms
circled around her. She was safe. She knew who she was and what
thoughts and feelings were hers. There was no struggle in Angel's
arms. He gave her strength.

"How romantic. The vampire lovers together for all eternity."
Casimir's bitter words reminded Willow why she was battling a demon
for control of her body. She leaned back in Angel's embrace and
brought her left hand between them. The silver ring gleamed on her
finger. "I hope you two are happy being dead together."

When Willow looked up at Angel, her eyes gleamed wickedly. "I'm
happy. And you...Angelus?"

Angel took the opportunity. He didn't know why Willow wanted the
gypsy to believe that he was Angelus, but he would play along to get
what he wanted. "I'm happy." Angel closed his hand around hers. He
dipped his head and placed a lingering kiss on her lips before
slipping the ring from her finger. "But I would be happier without
this." He held up the ring for both of them to consider. "What do
you think? Should we melt it down into something pretty for you? A
brand to mark your victims, perhaps?"

"Yes! I like that." Willow looked up at Angel with mingled surprise
and glee, like a child unexpectedly offered her favorite toy. "You
know me so well."

"Yes, I do." Angel brushed her hair behind her ear and caressed her
cheek. "Both of you," he whispered.

"You don't want to fight me, do you? You want her so badly, you'll
take me too." Willow's head tilted. "A cross is redundant. How
about a heart. Each kill can be a pledge of our undying love."

"No." Casimir shouted before Angel could respond. "That's my ring.
I want it back."

"Okay." Willow shrugged. She moved to take the ring from Angel, but
he held it out of her reach. Her eyes glowed gold and narrowed with
suspicion.

"I want the bloodied paper."

"Why?" Willow's mouth bowed to a pout. "You still love her, don't
you?" Her arms pushed her body away from his, Angelus' disgust
overwhelming the glimmer of hurt in her eyes.

"I love you. If you let anything happen to Buffy and Xander, it would
hurt you, Willow." Angel turned to the gypsy. Kalendash held the
paper in an unsteady hand. He was still weak from Willow's earlier
attack, it would be easy to just walk over and take the paper from
him. If Angelus would let him. Angel glanced at Willow as he edged
toward the gypsy. She didn't....

The sudden lightness of being tossed through the air ended abruptly
with dazzling lights as Angel's head hit the wall. "You bastard," he
heard Faith growl before her fist connected with his jaw, beginning
the light show once again.

Willow watched the Slayer toss Angel across the room and jump on top
of him. The ring slipped from Angel's grasp and rolled across the
floor. She was torn. Should he kill the girl for daring to touch
her man? Angel wasn't so bad now that they didn't share a body and
his love for the witch's soul made him much more reasonable. It could
be fun, making Angel give up his principles, his friends, his
redemption. All the things Angelus could never tempt him to do while
they inhabited the same body, he would do readily for the witch.

As he considered the many and varied ways he would make Angel pay for
keeping him a prisoner, Angelus noticed Casimir pick up the ring and
stumble for the door. He still had the bloodied paper Angel was so
hot for. Oh, well. The gypsy was definitely no fun and now that the
witch was a vampire, they were rid of him. He grabbed Faith by the
hair and yanked her off Angel.

"Kalendash!" Angel gasped. He tried to get up to stop him, but fell
back against the wall. "Stop him!" His eyes pleaded to Willow to no
avail.

"Sorry, lover, not my priority." Willow's hand caressed Faith's neck.
"I have a Slayer to turn. I always did like this one."

Angel struggled to stand. To save Faith or stop the gypsy, he didn't
know. He didn't know if he could do either. Angelus had given up all
pretense that Willow had control. He was going to lose her. "Willow.
Please fight him. Please." Angel made his decision and stepped
toward Willow and Faith. They would have to track down Kalendash
later and hope that he didn't have time to cast any spells.

"Going somewhere?" Buffy appeared in front of the gypsy, blocking his
way to the door. She used her intimidating stance to make up for her
obvious transparency. Angel smiled his thanks for her help.

The sound of Buffy's voice was a less pleasant experience for Angelus.
Even dead, that bitch would have to keep her nasty habit of turning up
to ruin his fun.

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