Part 1:
"You weren't good enough so your dog had to go sniffing around what's mine", Angel yelled as he slammed his fist into Willows stomach. She collapsed and rolled away from him her sobs caught in her throat from the impact of Angels fist. "Please stop Angel, I'm sorry", she screamed as she tried to crawl away. Angels boot connected with Willows face and her screams died as she slipped into unconsciousness but not before she heard Angel's last words to her as he continued to beat her and began to rip off her clothes "You really are pathetic, little one".
Spike could smell the blood in the air and it smelled of torture and pain, he breathed deeply and smiled but his smile slipped away as he breathed in again. <Smells like innocence>Now Spike enjoyed a good torture as much as the next vampire but the innocence and pain that hang in the air disturbed him, he was reminded of his Sire, Angelus loved the pain of the innocent and as he aged he enjoyed it more whereas Spike enjoyed it less .He saw how corrupt the world was without him killing the innocent. When Angelus had became souled Spike was strangely relieved, he didn't have to worry about not being evil enough and he got the girl .Dru was Daddies forever and Spike had realised that simple fact after 100 years of worship .He was over her but he was sad because now he was alone.
While Spike thought he followed the scent of blood until he reached the witches house .He reached the porch after what felt like forever and peered inside .The room was a mess with broken vases and lamps scattered on the floor <quite a struggle>he thought sadly .It was then he saw her naked bloody body. "Oh no, pet" he whispered. He could hear her faint heartbeat <Trust the witch to survive what seemed like a thorough torture > He continued to look at her body and took inventory of her injuries, she'd been beaten into a bloody pulp, her face was barely recognisable and Spike wondered if she'd ever look the same but what filled Spike with an anger he hadn't felt in years was the smell of release which filled his senses. She'd been brutally raped and Spike wondered how the animal who did this to her could live with himself.
Willow stirred and she let out a desperate wail. Spike was relived <she might survive>. Willow sat up and looked down at herself and she began to scream and scream before she curled up into the fetal position. She rocked back and forth as tears silently fell down her face. Spike spoke in a tone he used to use on Dru when Angelus had been particularly brutal "pet, its okay "She looked up and there was fear in her eyes as her body began to shake "You're like him" she murmured over and over again "No pet its Spike I promise I won't hurt you, just let me in "he interrupted. She looked at him thinking about what he said, "What more can you do to me, I'm already broken," she said sadly and with a sob she whispered,"Come in Spike".
Spike stepped into the house slowly not wanting to frighten the sobbing witch more."You're not broken maybe just a little bent" Spike assured the witch as he reached to stroke her hair. Willow lent into Spikes touch much to both of their surprise. Willow felt safe being near Spike, to her it seemed simple at that moment, she trusted him because he was there for her when she desperately needed someone and she knew his hatred for his Sire. <He hates Angel as much as I do> she thought in the back of her mind.
"Willow." She looked up at the sound of her name ".who did this, I'm
make them pay" Willow looked at him blankly "Can you change what happened?"
she asked.
Spike looked into the green depth of her eyes and shook his head sadly."Then
it doesn't matter, if he comes back ." she broke off suddenly at the sound
of someone on her porch. "Spike, please help me, don't let him hurt me
", she said in a voice so low it would have been inaudible to humans."Pet
tell me who I'm protecting you from .please" Spike wanted to know who had
done this to the young girl. To Spike rape was the most disgusting form
of torture he could think of and although it was within his nature to hate
the good in people, he respected the redheaded witch and he felt she deserved
better.
In Spike's unlife he had never heard something that disturbed him so much as when Willow spoke the name of her attacker. He hugged her as close as she would allow him. "Angelus?" He questioned as he shuddered at the thought of the return of his evil Sire. Willow looked at him confused "No Spike, it was Angel" she said with a small amount of firmness.
At that tense moment the silence, which enveloped the pair, was broken by the shouts of a very pissed Slayer. "Willow get your skanky ass out here, Angel told me what happened .How dare you try seduce my boyfriend" Buffy screamed. Willow shook in Spike arms and started to cry again.
Spike was filled with no small amount of anger the witch had been raped
and beaten within an inch of her life and the Slayer stood outside the
house where it had occurred and tried to blame Willow. He removed Willow's
arms carefully and reassured her everything would be fine as he stalked
towards the door. Willow's sobs grew louder as he neared the door and by
the time Spike threw open the door Willow was hysterical. Buffy took in
the appearance of the living room, a naked hysterical Willow and finally
the angry Spike."I'll kill you, you bastard," she shrieked as she rushed
forward with a stake in hand. Spike sidestepped her and she flew into the
side of the couch next to Willow. As Buffy recovered from her slam Willow's
screams stopped, "Buffy, it wasn't him." she managed to get out as she
gasped for breath.
Buffy dropped onto one knee next to Willow and she reached out to touch
Willows arm. Willow flinched and Buffy pulled her hand away almost immediately.
Spike stood back and watched as the scene unfolded eager to see the slayers
reaction to the news her perfect souled vampire boyfriend had raped and
beaten her best friend.
"Willow, who hurt you?" Buffy asked in a tone that betrayed her calm exterior. Spike cut in before Willow could answer, "like you didn't know Slayer" he spat out with venom that surprised him "he's a friend of yours". Buffy sat fully on the ground and stared at Willow who seemed lost in staring at the stars."Wills, please tell me who did this to you?"She asked desperately."You wouldn't believe me but it's okay I still love you, it was my fault anyway but Spike's going to help me get better " Willow answered as she rocked slightly. Both Spike and Buffy looked at Willow shocked. "Pet, how am I going to help you?" Spike asked a little afraid for the answer, Willow reminded him of someone when she spoke." Silly, the stars told me, you're going to make me all better, you'll figure out how".
Part 2:
"No it's not possible" Buffy mumbled desperately trying to convince herself that Willow's condition was not a result of Angel's actions. She finally collapsed into one of the chairs that lined the hospital waiting room. She lent forward and rested her head in the palms of her hands and began to rub her eyes trying to get the image of Willow's naked and bloody body from her mind. Xander and Giles found her like that 10 minutes later.
"Where is she?" Xander asked immediately.
"Xan, she's in a really bad way."
"Buffy what's the room number?"
"104, but be prepared she was worked over really bad.
"How bad?" Xander asked not really wanting to but knowing it was better
to not be surprised.
"She's got a broken wrist, her one ankle is fractured while her
other arm is broken in 3 places, 4 broken ribs, her jaws broken and .she
was brutally raped"
Xander was crying, "Willow's so sweet and innocent who would hurt her?"
"I don't know but once we find out who's responsible I'll kill them" Buffy said barely containing the tears that threatened to fall at any moment. Xander began to walk towards Willow's room but was stopped by Buffy's softly spoken words "Just don't touch her Xander. She's not ready". Xander started to walk again with Giles following slowly behind."Giles can I please speak to you?" Buffy asked as she caught Giles's arm. "Of course, what is it?" "Something's up Giles she won't say who did this to her, I found her with Spike, he was actually comforting her, wait Giles there's more" Buffy said as Giles was about to interrupt. "He's the only one she'll let touch her" Buffy looked down at the tiles on the room studying the monotonous pattern with interest "What else Buffy?" Giles asked quietly. "She sounds like Drusilla Giles" Buffy replied as she began to cry.
Giles gasped "Angelus?" "No Giles I think it's worse than that he's Angel but Giles it's not him, he's been different lately."
"Angel would never hurt Willow he loves her almost as much as he loves
me." Buffy was crying silently. Do you think it could be a spell? " Buffy
asked hopefully.
"It could be I'll look into it" he replied massaging the bridge of
his nose while holding his glasses in his other hand.
It was at that moment a scream was heard from Willow's room; Buffy was in Willow's room before Giles had began to move. "Wills what's wrong?" Buffy asked when she got no reply she looked to Xander who was sobbing in the chair next to Willow's bed. "Xander what happened? Buffy pleaded for an answer.
"I don't know Buffy she was talking about the stars and how her prince
was going to make her better, then she starts saying she can feel the 'bad
man' that he's getting closer and her prince wasn't around to save her.
She just started screaming and she passed out. The doctor was saying a
few minutes ago that it was remarkably how Willow was conscious after .
Buffy she's crazy.the bastard stole my best friend"
Buffy put her hands on Xander's shaking shoulders pulling him into
a tight hug "We'll make this better, we'll find a way".
"Buffy?" She looked up find Angel standing at the door of Willow's room
with a shocked expression on his face. "What happened?" he asked completely
in shock. Buffy stared at Angel analysing his reactions. With cold eyes
she rose from Xander's embrace. "We'll talk outside" She glanced back at
Willow and begged herself to be strong for her injured friend.
"I wouldn't kill the poof Slayer" Spike said quietly, he was lent against the wall outside Willow's room smoking a cigarette. When a nurse walked by and was about to tell him put out his cigarette but decided not to risk her life when his eyes flashed yellow.
"He raped her Spike I may love him but this is Willow we're talking about"
"Dru cast a spell on him, he probably doesn't remember a thing -if he did he would have staked himself by now"
"What exactly did she do?" Buffy asked almost begging for explanations.
"She took away his conscious there are millions of people in the world
who kill people, betray and steal you don't need a soul to be good, Angel
had a good soul his guilt made it better"
"Why would Dru do that?"
"She didn't want to lose her 'Spikey to the weeping tree', she wanted to have someone like her and Angelus made her but she wanted the pain to be more so Angel who Willow trusted, hurt her"
"How are we going to fix this Spike?" Buffy asked rubbing Angel's back as he cried for the innocent girl he had destroyed but didn't remember doing.
"We're going to go back in time," Spike said in a determined voice.
"Spike." Willow called from within her room. Spike's face lit up as
he walked inside "Pet you're looking beautiful today" Spike said ignoring
the bruises and cuts that marked her face and body. Willow smiled shyly
"You've figured it out haven't you?" she asked excitedly. "Yes pet" Spike
said softly as he stroked the side of her face gently. "The stars were
right, the moon said you didn't want to help but the stars they sang of
your love"
"I have a secret, I want to give it to you. I could have loved
you before I got lost. I'll love you yesterday, you just have to look at
me like you do now" Willow sang in a child-like manner. Spike was shocked
when Willow hinted at knowing his plans to go back in time but he was strangely
thrilled by her revelation. Spike's face shone with happiness until Willow
began to whimper, "Spikey she's coming for me, she wants me to leave the
sun, sun, sun sun sun " she began to chant before she slipped into unconsciousness.
Spike looked up as her doctor walked in "She just passed out will she be okay?" Spike asked in a voice filled with fear catching Xander who stood by the door completely off guard. The doctor looked at Spike in what he hoped was a reassuring way "She's incredibly strong, we'll all surprised she's holding up this well.physically of course" he said the last part quickly when he saw Spike look of disbelief.
"She's always been a fighter" Xander replied quietly looking at Willow's beaten form. When he began to cry he was shocked to feel a hand on his shoulder but what shocked him more was the person the hand belonged to "Spike" Xander began. "I'm getting back my witch don't worry" Xander had no idea what Spike was talking about but he was comforted by his words. "Okay but hurry" he replied as Willow shifted in the hospital bed trying to get away from her dream attacker but causing herself more pain.
"Don't worry the person *vampire he said to himself* responsible will pay and Red will be better than okay" he said softly more to himself than to anyone else.
It was time to fix Willow and Spike knew just the spell. Feeling more hopeful Spike rubbed comforting circles on Willow's arm trying to sooth her nightmare-ridden sleep. As Willow's breathing became normal Spike slipped from her room.
It was time to visit an old girlfriend before his deju vu began.
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