"Well that was not fun!" Xander panted as he and Willow were leaning heavily against the counter.
"What happened?" Buffy enquired coming out of the stacks.
"Angelus just chased us through half the damn town." Xander grumbled. Willow collapsed into a chair.
"He's going to far. Now he's after you guys." Buffy said softly.
"Buffy it's all right, we're in this together." Willow assured her friend. Buffy sat next to her.
"Willow I don't know if I can kill him. Not with Dru and Spike by his side." Buffy confided. "I don't know if I have the courage or the strength."
"Buffy don't worry." Willow said firmly.
"This will work out, we always win." Buffy smiled tightly. "But we always lose something in the process." Buffy reminded her.
*********
Willow walked through the dark streets, hurrying home. Her footsteps echoed behind her and she picked up her pace. *I'm such an idiot, I should've let Buffy walk me home* Willow berated herself. She picked up her pace and was quite releaved when her house came into view. As Willow took a step onto her porch someone grabbed her from behind.
"Hello red." A voice echoed into her ear causing Willow to shiver at the coldness of the tone.
"Angelus let me go." Willow said firmly. The vampire let her loose roughly. She stumbled and fell onto her porch.
"Why don't I just kill you." He asked, advancing on her. Willow scrambled back and got to her feet. Angelus grabbed her arms and pinned her to the porch wall.
"Just kill me then." Willow dared. Angelus leaned in and his lips hovered above her neck. Willow closed her eyes waiting for the bite that would end her existance, but it never came.
"You're an intriguing girl Willow." Angelus whispered, his face mere inches from hers. He kissed her cheek tenderly and smiled.
"Have a good night then." He said nodding towards her as if he were
a real gentleman. Willow watched as he disapeared into the dark and took
a deep breath. She stumbled into her house and made her way up the stairs.
She changed into her nightgown and fed her fish and then fell onto her
bed. That's when she saw the envelope, under the rose.
Angelus smiled as he heard her scream of terror. The sound echoed through the night like music to his ears. Now he wanted her to scream for him.
*********
"I'm sorry about the fish." Buffy said softly as they held stakes tightly to their chests. Willow sighed.
"It's all right." Willow assured her friend.
"You know Willow you seem different." Buffy said looking at her friend.
"Different?" Willow squeaked. "Nope I'm not different, still same old me." She assured the blonde quickly.
"Is there something I don't know?" Buffy asked. Willow shook her head.
"Nope I'm fine." Willow assured the slayer.
"Just freaked over the whole Angelus thing you know." Buffy nodded.
"Yeah I know." She replied.
"So am I."
*********
Dru danced around the house slowly and Spike watched her with a faint smile on his face. Sometimes she could almost seem innocent. She stopped and looked at him.
"You're gone from me Spike." She whispered softly. Spike sighed as he sat in his wheelchair.
"I'm still here baby." He assured her softly. She knelt beside him and took his hand kissing it.
"No you're not. I understand. I've seen it all in a dream." She told him. "But Daddy is going to be ever so angry, he wants what you have." She babbled crypticly.
"What do you mean?" Spike asked curiously.
"Yes Dru, what do you mean?" Angelus asked walking in. Dru smiled and jumped up slipping her arms around her sire.
"Nothing Daddy. I was just dreaming and dancing." She told him. He spun her around and she giggled. Spike rolled his eyes and wheeled away from the couple.
"Oh come on Spike, dance with us." Angelus said smirking. Dru smiled at him.
"Yes Spike dance with us. I know you're all well." She giggled. Spike sighed and stood up.
"I don't feel like dancing." He grumbled.
"I wonder if Willow feels like dancing tonight." Angelus said thoughtfully.
"Bad Angel, she's Spikes." Dru scolded. Angelus looked at her in surprise.
"And what's Spike's is mine." He reminded her, gripping her arm tightly. Usually Dru would back off when her sire became dominant, but not tonight.
"Not this little dolly. She's not meant for you." She growled pulling away from him. She walked over to Spike and ran her hands along his chest. "And I'm ever so jealous, 'fore Spike really loves her." Dru said gazing straight at him.
"I love you ducks." Spike assured her kissing her softly.
"You lie." She hissed scratching his face. Then Dru fell onto the ground with a vision of the teacher.
*********
As Buffy and Willow hung another crucifix Buffy noticed dead roses sitting on Willow's dresser.
"Where did those come from?" Buffy asked. Willow cursed herself mentally. Another present from Angelus.
"Um, my dad must've brought them." She said quickly.
"Dead?" Buffy asked. Willow shrugged.
"You know my dad. He hates plants." She replied. Buffy shrugged it off and sighed.
Then she saw an envelope. Inside they found a picture of Joyce.
*********
Spike watched as the girls dis-invited all vampires from both homes. He followed them to make sure they would be ok. He couldn't stand the thought of Angelus hurting Willow. He smiled as the scene between Buffy and Angelus unfolded.
"Sorry Angel, changed the locks." She said firmly. Spike came out of the shadows as Angelus growled at the door.
"Gotta love a girl with spirit." He smirked.
"Shut up Spike." Angel growled. "You're out now too."
"But Willow will let me back in, but you…" He clucked his tongue.
"I don't know about you." Angelus grabbed his childe by the throat and growled at him.
"I'll kill the slayer, that I assure you and then I'll have your little red head. I'll make her scream in pain until she's screaming with pleasure. Then I'll make her mine." He growled. Spike punched the vampire in the jaw.
"You won't touch her." Spike assured him. Angelus laughed.
"Please. Just because you're afraid to take her and make her your own doesn't mean I am." Angelus growled. "And what are you going to do about it to stop me? Fight with the slayer?" Angelus laughed. He walked away laughing and Spike glared after him.
"Maybe I will." He said softly.
*********
Willow was still crying when she heard a soft tap on her window. She opened the curtain hesitantly and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Spike.
"Come in." She said quickly. Spike pulled her into his arms and kissed her hair.
"I'm sorry about the gypsy." He whispered.
"If I’d known …" She put a finger to his lips.
"No it's ok." She said bravely. "No one could've known." She said softly. Another tear fell down her cheek and Spike brushed it away with his thumb.
"We'll stop him." He promised.
"But how?" Willow asked gently.
"Just trust me, right now the watcher and slayer need you. Be there for them." Spike suggested. Willow nodded. She touched the red marks on his cheek softly.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Dru got mad," Spike explained. He felt odd seeing that worried look in her eye. No one ever worried about him.
"You ok?" She asked.
"I'm more worried about you. I can take care of myself." He assured her. "I have to go but watch out for Angelus and Dru." Willow nodded.
"And don't go anywhere without the slayer." He insisted. She nodded again.
"I'll be fine." She assured him. He smiled and kissed her softly.
"Fine." He repeated softly. He just hoped she was right.
next