~Prologue~

They were hidden in the bushes their camouflage uniforms making them nearly invisible.

"Is everyone with us on this, " the leader asked.

They all nodded.

"Man, no leave and being around all these college girls, my balls are so blue…"

"Shut up, " the leader whispered harshly.

A slim red haired girl entered the clearing in the company of a familiar figure.

Their conversation didn't travel as far as the hidden men, but they all saw her kiss the blond man on the cheek.

"Damn, she's probably fucking the bastard too.  I don't see how a human girl could do that, man."

"I'll show her what a real man can do, " another of the group said.

"Ready?" the leader asked.

He saw their nods and motioned them forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She awoke face down on a cold hard surface, muscles and joints sore from the effect of the stun gun. She finished a patrol with Spike. Then she heard something in the bushes. All she could remember was the dark uniforms then the fireworks behind her eyes.

No fireworks now, she opened her eyes to total darkness.  It was so absolute that at first she thought she was blind.  Eventually though, she could  make out the rough cement floor and walls of her cell.  She could make out a shadowy shape in the center of the floor.  She crawled over and pulled herself up on the plain cot bolted to the floor and fell asleep.

She heard them an instant before she felt the crushing weight on her back.  A hand pushed her face into the rough blanket.  Other hands pulled her skirt up.  Her underpants were roughly pulled away.  She tried to struggle, but the hand pushed her face harder into the blanket.  She could hardly breathe.  She stopped struggling and the pressure was reduced and she could breath again.

Something was pushed under her stomach and she felt weight press on her legs. Then she heard a grunt, and felt as if she were being ripped in two.  The blanket muffled her screams.  After a few minutes, the painful strokes and grunts came faster.  With one last cruel push, she was entered fully and she felt the spasms as semen mixed with the blood she could feel running down her thighs.  She felt momentary relief as he withdrew and the weight disappeared, only to be replaced with another cruelly thrusting invader. She didn't know how many there were, six at least before she passed out.

~~~~~~~~~~~

She awoke dazed, the only thing she knew was thirst, hunger and pain.  In the dim light, she located a bottle of water and some cold food.  She screamed as she tried to get up and passed out again.  Finally, she managed to crawl to the food and water.  She used half of the bottle and her torn underwear to wash herself.

She lost all sense of time.  Its passing was marked only by the presence of the food and water and the visitors. Usually, they'd be in groups of three or four.  The larger groups were always the most brutal, it was as if they had to perform for each other.

After the first few visits, when she no longer tried to resist, they began to use her mouth as well.  Two of them would go at her at once and at times she nearly choked.  Mistakenly, she thought she had seen the worst of the pain and humiliation.  In her innocence, she thought he couldn't find the right spot.  She shifted but he kept pushing in the wrong place.  Then, she felt the excruciating pain as he entered her.

She taught herself to isolate the thing that was Willow from the body that was being abused.  Soon, she felt neither pain nor pleasure.  Willow could think of other things, books, math, home and even escape while the visitors used her.  Some were gentler than others, especially one who would come at quiet times alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~

He always seemed to come after a particularly bad experience.  The first time was after one of a group of four couldn't keep his erection.  He got angrier and angrier, the more his friends teased him, the worse it got.  She used her hands and her mouth, but it did no good.  Finally after his friends had finished with her, he stayed behind and beat her.  She lay in the fetal position her arms around her head while he punched and kicked her into unconsciousness.

She felt someone wiping the blood from her face and trying to straighten her clothes.  She looked up and saw a shadowy figure with a cloth.

"Shush, it's OK, I'm just trying to clean you up, " he said softly.

This simple act of kindness was so unexpected that she was speechless.  As he gently wiped her face with the cool cloth, she began to cry.

He held her as she sobbed.  He sat on the cot and held her shaking body tight to his chest.  He rubbed her back.

When she finally stopped, he gave her a squeeze and stood up.

She looked up at him expectantly.  When he didn't move, she sat up and reached for his zipper.  He caught her hand before she could touch him.

"No, I can't.  It's not right," he said.

Her raised her hand and kissed it, "I'll be back, I promise."

He walked to the door, turned the latch and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When her spirit was at its lowest, he always seemed to appear.  He would listen to her, hold her and make her feel she was still human.  Sometimes she would cry and sometimes she would fall asleep in his arms.  Those were the best times, she felt safe and loved again.

The visitors were always very careful no to leave anything behind.  They didn't want her to escape.  After one particularly rough session with six of
them, she lay exhausted on the floor.  She rolled over to get up and something dug into her leg.  It was a small metal plate, maybe part of a badge, it said 'Area D'.  She considered it for a few moments, then began to rub the edge against the rough cement floor.

She worked the edge back and forth for hours, testing the edge every few minutes with her finger.  She stopped when it drew blood.

She sat on the cot and held the sharpened metal over her wrist.  She smiled for the first time since she had been imprisoned.  She would beat them she would escape.

She placed the edge on her wrist, but before she could move it, a hand closed over hers.

She had been so focused that she hadn't heard him come in.

"No, don't please.  Tonight I think I can get you out."

He motioned her to get behind him.  He turned the latch and opened the door quietly.  He turned and closed the door and turned the two dead bolts.  He put his finger to his lips and motioned her forward.  After negotiating a maze of corridors, they found themselves at a steel door, he unlocked it, kissed her on the forehead and pushed her out into the morning air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There must have been police and doctors, but it all went by in a blur.  Soon, she was back in her own bed in her parent's house.

She woke and decided it was time to see her friends again.  Her parents had told them when she was found, but that she couldn't have any visitors.  She was anxious to get her life back to normal again.

She'd just finished dressing, jeans and a sweater, when there was a knock on her door.  Her mother looked in.

"Oz is here to see you, do you want to see him?"

Willow nodded and sat down on the bed.

Oz knocked and she told him to come in.  He stood in the doorway looking uncomfortable.

"How are you feeling Will?"

"Better, come on in."

He sat on the bed next to her, but not touching.

"I don't know what to say, I know you've been through a lot and…"

She turned and put her arms around him.  His arms stayed at his side.

"What is it?" she said as he continued to sit stiffly beside her.

"I don't know.  I think it might take sometime for me.  I mean …"

She dropped her arms and moved away from him.

"I don't understand Oz, you're the person I thought would understand, the one who wouldn't change."

He got up and walked toward the door, " I know Will, I thought so too, but thinking about the things that …. that happened.  I'm having trouble handling it."

"You're having trouble?" she said in disbelief.

He hung his head, "that's why I'm going away for a while, I'm not sure when I'll be back.  I …."

She put her head in her hands and heard him walk away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were all at Buffy's house, Buffy, Xander, Anya and Giles.  Willow rang the bell and waited.

Buffy opened the door and hugged her pulling her through the door.

An awkward silence fell after the initial hugs and kisses.  Xander asked how she was and she said better, and the silence continued.

Giles spoke up, " we think this Initiative group may have been behind your abduction.  We don't know much about them, but if you feel up to it?"

"No way Giles, "Buffy interjected, " she's in no shape to get involved in this thing."

Willow tried to speak, but Buffy just shushed her and kept after Giles.

After another uncomfortable hour, Willow told them she was tired and should be going home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Life wasn't returning to normal.  Oz was gone, had run out on her.  Buffy bounced between ignoring her and treating her like an invalid.  Giles seemed afraid to say anything to her.

"Xander, why have you been treating me like this?" she asked her best friend.

"Like what Will?"

"Like you're ashamed of me, like I did something wrong or have some kind of terrible disease."

"It's the stuff that happened to you.  I mean you and that …"

"Damn it Xander, they did it to me not to you.  It happened and there's nothing I can do to make it go away.  It's still me Xan, still your friend."

"I'm sorry Will, I really am, but I think some time …."

She looked at him with tears in her eyes, "Xander, even you …"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She stayed in bed after that, instructing her parents that she didn't want to see anyone.  Late one night, she was awakened by voices.

"Shush Ira, Willow will hear you," her mother said.

"Why did you have to start with this again?  I told you we have a lot of work at the office.  I have to work late to handle it.  That's it."

"For God's sake, she's your daughter, your only child Ira.  How can you abandon her like this?"

When she heard her father's sobs, her heart broke.

She quickly dressed and slipped out through her bedroom window.

Blinded by tears, she walked through the park.

"Red, what are you doing out at this time of night?"

She turned toward the voice, "Spike, is that you?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They walked together in silence, Spike slowing to match her pace.

"Don't you want to know if I'm OK?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"Why?"

"Cause I know you're not."

After a few more minutes, Willow spoke again, " I don't have any place to go."

"Yes you do, " he replied.

Willow looked up and realized they were entering the cemetery.

They walked to his crypt and he opened the door.  They entered.

She stood in the dim light feeling the chill of the stone walls and floor. She flashed back to her cell and began to shake.  He came to her and held
her.  They stood for what seemed to her like hours until the feel of his arms broke memory's hold.

She sat and began to talk.  She told him everything that happened to her. She told him every thought, fear and dream she experienced.  She told him of her resolution to escape and the sharpened steel.

When she finished, she sank back empty and looked into his eyes expectantly. He hadn't made a sound during her monologue.

He stood and gathered her into his arms.  He carried her to his bed and placed her down gently.  He lay beside her and held her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She lay in his bed and watched him preparing dinner; simple food and bottled water for her and a warmed cup of blood for him.

He wasn't afraid for her or of her.  He didn't treat her like an invalid or criminal.  He wasn't ashamed and didn't expect her to be either.

They had talked about it and she thought it was because he had lived so long and seen so much.  The long view, he had said, shows how unimportant some things can be and how important others really are.

She shivered and thought, he wasn't afraid to make love to her either.  After a few nights, he had started to gently kiss her and run his hands over her body.  Each night he moved closer and closer, but always stopping at her slightest hesitation.  Finally she was ready and it was good.  She was glad that he wanted her.

Soon lovemaking became the expression of their feelings for one another. Hers was love and gratitude for accepting her just as she was, his was
appreciation for her as a woman.

She had never been so happy.  She didn't think of her friends very much at all, they were part of her old life.  Spike was her life now.  They made love with abandon, sometimes he was rough, but she knew it was part of his nature. His stamina was amazing, he could go on and on switching from one position to another.  Sometimes she almost thought he could be in two places at once.

She lay on her cot waiting for him.  She smiled in anticipation, she would make him happy tonight and every night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+

~Epilogue~

They stood outside the cell door waiting for the rest of the group.

"I thought we were going to have to get another one.  She was getting pretty ragged. She didn't struggle, didn't react at all."

"I know, " his companion said, " you might as well stay in the barracks and jack off."

"I was gonna try it one on one, I figured maybe if she thought she had a chance to escape…"

He was interrupted, " you know that's against the rules, anyway no one could get down here by themselves, not with these doors and locks.  It's physically impossible."

"Didn't need to try anyway.  She's really come along.  Do anything with a smile, she seems to enjoy it too. Hard to figure."

"Hey, she can call me Spike anytime.  Did you ever wonder who he was?"

"Na, probably just someone she made up."

END

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