Sign In Sign-Up

Welcome!

Close

Would you like to make this site your homepage? It's fast and easy...

Yes, Please make this my home page!

No Thanks

  Don't show this to me again.

Close

Shadow of the Moon -- by Ruby

Rating: NC-17

Description: Dark fic, dealing with rape. Spike and Angel must help Willow.

Note: This story is the result of a wonderfully detailed idea that PattyBa sent to me. The basic plot line is her creation, and I'm very grateful that she chose to share it with me!:-) Spoilers -- Wild at Heart, The Initiative. Dedication -- For PattyBa

Disclaimer: Joss owns all.

"Will, this is what you've been waiting months for," Buffy stated as she plopped down on a chair in Giles' living room.

"I know," Willow nodded. "I've been telling myself for weeks that Oz would come back to me, and now it's finally happened. I just--"

"We all saw the look on your face when he suddenly showed up at the Bronze," Xander interrupted her. "I haven't seen you smile like that since--well, since before he took off. He's been tagging around behind you for the past two weeks, and you haven't exactly been trying to shoo him away. So don't try to tell us you don't still love him."

"I do," she agreed. "But so much has changed since he left. I've changed. Oz has changed--"

"Your feelings haven't changed. That's all that matters," the slayer insisted. "Come on, you have a chance to be together again! It's what you've dreamt of!"

"It's just that L.A. is so far away," the little redhead continued. "I know he wants us to live there for the band's sake and all, but I'm really liking my classes here, and--"

"So, you'll enroll in college in L.A.," Buffy shrugged. "Personally, I think Oz has the right idea."

"You want me to move away?" she asked.

"Of course not," Xander answered. "But it would be good for both of you--a chance to start over in a new place."

"That's right," Buffy nodded. "A change of location is just what you need. No ugly reminders of what happened here. You deserve this, Will. You deserve to be with the man you love. You deserve the chance to be happy together."

Willow's gaze shifted to Spike, who had been listening in silence from his seat across the room, "You guys are right. I know you are. It's just kind of hard, you know?"

"I know," Buffy agreed. "You'll miss your home, and we'll miss each other. But it isn't like we won't ever see each other again, and you can make a new home with Oz in L.A."

"I suppose so," she replied softly.

Buffy stood and gave her a bright smile, "I have to patrol. I'll see you back at the dorm in an hour or two--with your bags *packed* and ready to go in the morning. Okay?"

Without waiting for the redhead's response, the slayer let herself out the front door. Xander went to Willow and pulled her into a firm hug.

"I'm meeting Anya at my place, so I have to leave, too. I'm going to miss you, Will. But we'll keep in touch, right? Lots of letters and phone calls," he smiled as he pulled back to look down at her. "Call me as soon as you're settled in."

She nodded as he placed a quick kiss on her forehead and followed Buffy's exit. Willow sighed softly to herself as her eyes returned to the blonde vampire.

"Seem to have made up your mind for you, haven't they, pet?" he asked.

"They want me to be happy," she said.

"What do you want?"

She smiled over at him. Since Spike's capture and escape from the commandos that patrolled Sunnydale with as much determination as the slayer herself, the vampire and the redhead had formed a tentative friendship that had slowly developed into mutual respect and understanding. The fact that he was more interested in what she needed than in what everyone else might think best for her came as no surprise, but that didn't lessen her appreciation for his thoughts.

"I want to know what Oz and I could have," she answered. "And I think they're probably right. We'd stand a better chance if we got away from here."

"So, you're leaving, then," he concluded as he stood up.

She nodded, though her eyes didn't reflect the self-assured tone she forced into her words, "I'll never know if I don't try. Can I write you sometimes?"

"Might be the only thing that keeps me sane while I'm stuck here with these gits," he grinned.

Impulsively, she crossed the room and threw her arms around the vampire, "I'll miss you, Spike."

His arms moved around her, returning the hug, as he willed his voice to remain steady, "No, you won't. You'll be too busy with wolfboy to miss me. If he hurts you, though, I'll come after him and kick his furry ass into a shallow grave. Migraine or no migraine."

She pulled back and smiled up at him as she raised a hand to trace his jaw line. Then, stepping away, she quickly turned and went to the front door, closing it quietly behind her as she stepped outside. The vampire swallowed hard as he stared at the empty spot in which she had just stood, and he trailed his fingers over the path hers had made along his cheek.

"I'll miss you, too, luv," he whispered softly.

Angel leaned against the office door and looked over at the desk as Spike sat down and scooted the chair closer to the computer. The dark-haired vampire had been surprised when Spike had been the one to phone him and tell him that Willow had left Sunnydale with Oz. His childe and the redhead had kept in contact via e-mail, but Spike had wanted more physical reassurance that she was all right.

Angel had agreed to meet with her, which he had done after having tracked down the small apartment she and Oz had rented. While her reception hadn't exactly been cool, she had seemed more reserved and quiet than he had remembered her to be. The meeting had been brief, and because their very different lives never crossed paths, he hadn't seen her since then.

The dark vampire hadn't really expected to hear from his childe again after that initial contact, but Spike had seemed eager, almost desperate, to remain in communication with his sire. Angel realized how difficult it had been for Spike to adjust to the transition he had been forced to undergo. They were more alike than they had been in decades, really. Neither vampire was capable of taking human life. For Angel, the mere thought was abhorrent to his soul, and for Spike, the paralyzing pain that would accompany any such attack prevented him from doing so.

Being in Sunnydale had gone from bad to worse for Spike after Willow had left. Even though the vampire had fought his fair share of demons on the hellmouth, the others still treated him as the enemy he had always been. Without Willow's gentle support to temper the callous barbs from the rest of the gang, his existence there had become nearly unbearable.

When Spike had mentioned moving to L.A. during their last phone conversation two weeks ago, Angel, fully aware of all his childe had endured, had readily agreed. The tentative friendship that had formed during the weeks prior to his arrival had quickly solidified after Spike had moved in with his sire. The blonde vampire was truly a skilled fighter, and he had pulled Angel's rear end out of the proverbial fire more than once since they had begun to fight alongside one another.

Being physically closer to Willow than he had been in two months had a calming affect on Spike. Although he and the redhead had not seen each other, the first thing he had done when he had settled into Angel's place was to e-mail her and let her know he was there.

A soft snarl of frustration broke Angel out of his musings, and he looked over at his childe. "Bastard," Spike mumbled. "He isn't treating her right. She deserves a hell of a lot better than this."

"What's going on?" Angel asked.

Spike shoved his chair back and stood up, "Damned wolf. He's never there for her. Always out with that bloody band, leaving her home alone night after night. When he is there, all he ever wants to do is argue about everything. Now, she thinks he's screwing another woman."

Angel shifted uneasily, "Oz wouldn't do that."

"Wouldn't he?" Spike shot back angrily. "It's been going on for weeks."

"Then why doesn't she get out? Go back to Sunnydale?"

"She's embarrassed, poor chit. She hasn't told anybody else what's going on," he glanced back at the monitor.

"And now--this."

"What?" Angel asked.

"She was cleaning up the sod's latest mess he'd left laying around after a gig last night. She found a packet of white powder--"

"Cocaine?" the darker vampire's eyebrows shot up.

"Sounds like it," he nodded. "I ought to rip his head off his shoulders."

"Yeah, well, you can't do that," his sire reminded him.

"She's hurting, Angel," Spike stated, his voice edged with pain. "She needs help."

"We can't help her unless she wants to be helped. At least she's telling you what's happening. That's a good sign."

"So why doesn't it make me feel any better?" Spike grumbled.

"Because it isn't enough," Angel smiled sadly. "But it's all you have, for now. Willow's smart, Spike. If she decides she's in over her head, she knows where you are."

"Oz?" Willow spoke, stirring from the sofa as the apartment door opened and closed again.

"Yeah," he answered, dropping a duffle bag on the floor and stumbling into the kitchen to grab a beer from the fridge.

Willow sighed and rubbed her hand over the darkening bruise on her cheek, a physical manifestation of their argument the previous afternoon. It had been the first time he had ever struck her, and she had convinced herself, after he'd stormed out of the apartment, that he would never do it again.

"It's almost five o'clock. Where have you been all night?" she asked as she leaned against the kitchen doorway.

"You know where I've been," he snapped.

"I thought the gig ended at midnight. That was hours ago. Where have you been all this time?"

Oz slammed the beer down on the counter and shoved his way around her to return to the living room, "What the hell is this? You're not my keeper; you're my lover."

"Barely," she murmured sadly.

He whirled around to face her, "What's that supposed to mean? If you've got a complaint, let's hear it."

"I miss you, Oz," she answered. "You're never home. You're either off with the band or--"

"Or?" he scowled over at her.

"With her," she said softly. "I know there's someone else, Oz. You're gone every night. We never do anything together. I don't know why you wanted me to move here with you."

"Because you belong to me."

"You don't even *want* me!" she protested. "I'm tired of being left all alone. I'm tired of you coming home reeking of her perfume. I'm--I'm moving out."

Oz snorted derisively, "You're not going anywhere."

"I can't live like this! What difference will it make if I'm here or not? You obviously don't want to be with me."

"Don't tell me what I want," he snarled. "You're mine, Willow. If I say you'll stay, you'll stay."

She shook her head, "No. Except for smacking me when I said something you didn't like, you haven't even touched me in weeks."

"Is that what you need? A good fuck?" he sneered.

"Well, I can fix that."

She backed away from him as he stepped toward her, "No, Oz. I don't want anything from you. Stay away from me."

"I don't think so," he grinned cruelly. Suddenly, he grabbed her arm and flung her onto the sofa.

"Oz, stop! I'm sorry! Please!" she pleaded as he moved over her.

He reached for her, and she swung out to slap him. He growled and caught her wrist in a bruising grip. Willow cried out as he backhanded her, then curled his fingers into a fist and slammed it into her face. Blood poured from her nose, and she gasped as he pinned her body under his and tore open her nightshirt.

"Goddess, no! Please, don't do this! Please, stop!" Willow begged and writhed underneath him, trying to force him off of her.

Oz wrapped his hand around her throat, holding her down as she fought to breathe around his steely fingers. With his free hand, he unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants before dragging them down over his hips. He grabbed both of her wrists and and pinned them at her sides in a hard grip that caused her to cry out in pain once again.

Oz released one of her hands to slap her again as she tried to kick him. His shaft hardened in response to the small redhead's struggles, and he pried her legs apart with his knee. Ripping away the thin fabric of her panties, he rammed the full length of his shaft into her dry, unwilling passage.

Willow screamed, and tears spilled from her eyes as Oz ravaged her channel with hard, merciless thrusts. Her body went limp, and she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to disassociate her mind from his cold and brutal assault. He lowered his mouth to her breast, and Willow shrieked in pain as he bit into the soft rounded flesh above her left nipple. His body stiffened, and he grunted loudly as he climaxed, spurting his seed deep within her. Rolling off of her, Oz glared down with contempt at the battered and crying redhead.

"Clean yourself up, bitch," he ordered, his voice icy and hard. "You're disgusting."

He fastened his pants, then turned and stomped toward the door that led into the bedroom, slamming it shut behind him. Willow curled into a ball and clutched at the tattered remains of her nightshirt as her body shook with hard, painful sobs.

"Your taste in women is definitely questionable," Spike smirked as he followed Angel through the front door and quickly closed it behind him as the first rays of sunrise lightened the sky. "I mean, I'm as open-minded as the next vampire, but tentacles? Never knew you turned that way, Dad."

Angel rolled his eyes at his childe's good-natured taunting, "She didn't look that way when I saw her in the bar, you know. She was all brown eyes and long legs."

"Yeah, but you knew what she was before you cornered her in that booth," Spike reminded him as they headed for the elevator. "Didn't stop you from coming on to her."

He shrugged, "I had to get her out of there somehow. She'd have killed half the people in that place if--" He stopped and turned around at the soft thud that sounded against the door behind him. He shot Spike a look, and the blonde vampire moved behind him as Angel went back to the door. Stepping aside to avoid the early morning sun, he swung the door open and breathed in an unconscious gasp of surprise as Willow stumbled over the threshold and collapsed to her knees.

"Bloody hell," Spike murmured, kneeling down in front of her as Angel slammed the door shut.

He brushed the tangled locks of hair away from her face and raised her head to look at her. His mouth dropped open as he took in the bruises on her face and the blood that had dried around her nose.

"Willow, luv, what happened?" he asked softly, reaching for her hands and tensing as she whimpered and drew away.

Carefully, he ran his hands down her arms and pushed up the sleeves of the baggy, hooded sweatshirt. He snarled softly at the purple bruises that encircled her wrists. She whimpered again as his hands pressed against her sore flesh, and he quickly softened his hold.

"It's all right, baby," he hushed her quietly. "You're safe now."

"Let's get her downstairs," Angel suggested, his eyes filled with concern for the trembling redhead.

Spike scooped her up into his arms and followed his sire, whispering soft assurances to Willow as they rode to the lower level. He carried her to the sofa and sat down, cradling her in his lap as Angel went to the bathroom to wet a cloth. Spike smoothed her hair away from her face and shuddered at the glassy stare in her dull green eyes. Angel returned and knelt down to hand her a couple of aspirin, then held a glass of water to her lips as she washed the tablets down. Setting the glass aside, he picked up the wet cloth he had brought with him and gently dabbed at the blood around her swelling nose.

"Baby," Spike spoke softly. "Can you tell me what happened?"

A silent sob shook her shoulders as she looked back at him with unseeing eyes. He kissed her head and rubbed her arm comfortingly as Angel held the cold cloth against the angry bruises on her cheek.

"She's in shock," his sire said. "Keep talking to her, Spike."

He nodded and rubbed his thumb along her cheek near her ear, "You're safe now, Willow. I promise, you're safe. Let us help you, luv. Tell me what happened. Was it Oz? Did he do this to you?"

Slowly, her body was beginning to relax against his, and he pressed his lips to her forehead and rocked her softly.

"Was it Oz, Willow?" Angel asked, his voice low and calming.

She nodded her head, once, and lowered her gaze. "What did he do to you?"

Willow closed her eyes as hot tears slipped down her cheeks, and Spike moaned softly and brushed them away as they fell.

"We'll help you, luv. Whatever it takes, we'll help you. But we need to know what happened."

"He--" she whispered around a shuddering breath.

"He--raped me."

"Oh, gods," Angel murmured, hearing his fears confirmed.

"I'm sorry, baby," Spike whispered against her ear as she cried against his chest.

"He was late getting home. So late getting..." her voice shook as her body wearied under the strain of her ordeal. "We fought, and he hit me. I begged him not to, but he...I couldn't make him stop. I couldn't make him..."

"I know, pet," Spike murmured. "It isn't your fault, Willow. None of this is your fault."

"It hurt. It hurt so much, and I was crying, but he didn't--he wouldn't--" she paused. "I wanted him off of me. I wanted him to stop touching me, stop hurting me. I didn't matter. It didn't matter. And he bit me, and--"

Angel's eyes darkened, "He bit you? Willow, he bit you?"

The alarm in his voice brought Spike's eyes to his sire's as Willow nodded weakly, "And then he--when he was--finished, he walked away like it was nothing. It didn't matter. None of it mattered. All I could think of was getting out of there, away from him. But I hurt so much...everything hurt, and I couldn't...I was afraid he'd wake up before I could..get away...and I--"

"Where did he bite you?" Angel asked softly.

Her trembling fingers moved to the zipper on the sweatshirt, and she pulled it down just enough to show the beginning of the deep bite on her breast.

"Damn it," the dark vampire swore softly.

Spike shook his head, not understanding his sire's anxiety. Angel looked him in the eye and mouthed the word, "werewolf." Spike's jaw clenched as the implication hit him.

"What?" Willow asked. "What is it? He bit me, and--oh!"

Spike's arms tightened around her as what little color remained her in her face quickly bled away. "Oh, no," she whispered, abject fear flooding her mind. "No. No. It can't be. It can't--"

"Hush, Willow," Angel buried his fingers in her hair and leaned in close to her, enveloping her body between himself and his childe. "We don't know that it means anything--"

"Oz is a werewolf," she said as fresh tears welled up in her eyes. "He bit me. I'll--"

"No," Spike spoke. "We don't know that, Willow."

She looked up at him, "Yes, we do. We know what happens when--"

"We don't know for sure," Angel told her. "You're exhausted, Willow. You need sleep and time to heal. You're safe now. That's what matters."

"You don't understand," she whispered. "He says I belong to him. He'll come after me. He'll find me, and--"

"He won't, baby. We won't let him get to you," Spike said.

"But he will. He hurt me. He bit me, and now--"

"Sweetheart, do you trust me to take care of you?" he asked.

She looked up at him and nodded. He nuzzled his cheek against her hair, "You're not alone, Willow. We'll keep you safe. We'll call Giles, later. We'll research this together. But you need to get some sleep first."

"O-okay," she agreed, exhaustion quickly overtaking her.

Angel stood and moved back as Spike lifted her carefully and carried her to his bed. He sat her down and took off her shoes before helping her under the covers and pulling them over her. He sat down beside her, taking her hand and gently stroking the red hair that fanned out on the pillow as she quickly succumbed to sleep.

Angel handed Spike a mug of warmed blood and sat down across from him at the kitchen table. "You okay?" the dark vampire asked, looking into his childe's pained eyes.

Spike shook his head and raised the mug to his lips, "I want to kill that bastard."

"I know. We'll deal with Oz later. Right now, Willow has bigger problems. She's going to need you, Spike. Aside from the physical and mental trauma, there's that damned bite to worry about."

"You don't really think she--"

"I don't know," Angel said. "I'll call Giles in a couple of hours. When Cordelia gets here, I'll have her start researching. We'll find a way to help her, Spike."

The younger vampire drained the mug and set it down to scrub his fingers through his blonde hair, "We have to, Angel. I don't know how Willow will survive it if she--"

He stopped at the soft cry that drifted from the bedroom in which the redhead was sleeping. Rising to his feet, Spike hurried out of the room, stopping just inside the bedroom door as Willow whimpered in her sleep. He went to her and sat down, brushing his hand over her damp forehead. Her eyes opened with a flash of sheer panic. Spike took her hand, squeezing it gently.

"Spike," she whispered, her voice strained as tears seeped from the corners of her eyes.

"It's all right, pet. Just a dream," he spoke softly.

"Don't leave me. Please, don't--"

"I'm right here. You're all right, now. You're safe." She clutched the cold hand that was wrapped around hers, and he pulled her up and put his arms around her. Angel watched from the doorway as his childe gently cradled the bruised woman, whispering comfortingly to her as his hand rubbed slow circles on her back. Gradually, her trembling body stilled, and he lowered her back down onto the pillow. Immediately, she reached out to him in a desperate gesture to keep the safety of his presence near her.

"Stay with me," she pleaded. "Don't leave me alone."

He shook his head, "I won't."

Moving slowly so as not to frighten her, he laid down beside her. Willow curled her body around his, and he placed a kiss on her forehead and tucked her head under his chin. Blinking back red tears, he looked over at his sire. Angel smiled sadly as Spike caressed Willow, his slow rhythmic movements lulling her back to sleep. Angel turned away, wiping a bloody tear from his own cheek, and left the tormented young woman and the vampire who so obviously adored her alone.

Willow gasped as the warm water cascading from the shower hit the tender bruises on her body. She had never experienced such pain before, had never even realized anything could hurt this badly. Her face was swollen, and the ache between her legs radiated up through her abused sex and wrenched at her heart. Every muscle in her body seemed to protest as she lathered herself and rinsed off before turning off the water and stepping out of the tub.

Pulling on the over-sized robe Angel had loaned her, she returned to the bedroom to find a pair of clean sweats folded neatly on the freshly made bed. She dressed as quickly as her limited movement would allow and made her way out to the living room. Spike looked up from his chair and stood, going to her and guiding her to the sofa.

"Are you hungry, luv?" he asked softly.

She shook her head, a quiet hiss of air expelling from her lungs as she sat down. Spike sat beside her, tucking a strand of wet hair behind her ear and eyeing the nasty bruises that extended from her left eye to her jaw.

"Is Angel awake?" she asked.

Spike nodded. "I thought, if he'd let me use his computer, I could--"

"Later, pet. We need to get some food into you," he told her.

"I'm really not hungry," she insisted. "Actually, I feel a little nauseous. I don't think I could keep anything down."

"Try this," Angel suggested from across the room. He crossed over to the couple and handed her a glass of orange juice and a plate of dry toast. She eyed it warily.

"That's the pain talking," the dark vampire assured her. "You'll feel better after you get something in your stomach.

She reached for the glass and took a shallow sip, wincing as the citric acid hit the raw and tender flesh of her lips.

"You shouldn't even be out of bed, yet," Spike admonished her gently.

"I don't want to sleep. Every time I close my eyes, it happens all over again," she replied softly. "Besides, we should be researching--"

"You're in no shape for that," Angel told her. "I called Giles--"

The glass shook in her hand, and Spike reached out to steady it as it threatened to slip through her fingers.

"You didn't tell him?" her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at him.

"Not all of it," he answered. "He knows you and Oz fought, and that he bit you. He promised he'd help find out--"

"What?" her eyes darkened. "Find out what? How does he think he's going to be able to help me? How are either of you, for that matter? We all know what's going to happen to me. Two weeks, Angel. Two weeks until the full moon, and then..."

"Stop it," Spike said firmly, trying to silence the hysteria climbing in her terrified voice.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled quietly. "I'm so scared."

He took the glass from her and gently pulled her close to him, "You're going to get through this, luv. We're going to get through this."

"Willow," Angel perched on the edge of the coffee table, facing her. "Oz isn't the same person you knew back in Sunnydale. Whatever he did after he left town, something changed him. He isn't even trying to fight the forces that drive the animal inside him. Maybe he did for the first couple of months after you got here. Maybe he was only biding his time. Maybe knowing Spike is here drove him to it. Whatever his motivation for attacking you last night, he's different. He would never have done this to you before."

"No, he wouldn't have," she agreed. "But I don't see how that helps."

"Something's changed inside him. He isn't fighting those impulses, anymore. From what Spike told me, that was the reason he left Sunnydale to begin with--to try to come to terms with what he is."

"I'd say he succeeded," she answered bitterly.

"But not in the way he intended. Something's happened to him, Willow. Maybe that something changes the affects of what he's done to you."

She looked up at him, "You think that's possible?"

"I think anything's possible."

"Then we should be researching this, not sitting here talking about it!"

"Cordelia is on her way over here to start working on it, and Giles--"

"Cordy?" Willow asked, her eyes widening with dread.

"Does she know what--"

"She knows," he nodded.

"Oh, goddess," the redhead whimpered. "What must she think of me? She already hates me, and now--"

"She doesn't hate you," Spike insisted gently. "Listen to me, pet. You have no reason to blame yourself for any of this. You are not responsible for that prick's actions."

Willow's eyes welled with tears, and she lowered her head, "I should never have let it go so far. I should have--"

"I won't listen to this," he refused. "He told you he wanted you. He said he loved you."

"This isn't love," she whispered sadly.

"No, it isn't," Angel spoke. "And you didn't deserve any of this."

She looked over at him, "I don't know how long he'd been in L.A. before he came back to Sunnydale. Did Spike tell you I think he may be using drugs?"

Angel nodded.

"Maybe that's why he did this to me. Maybe it's the--"

"Willow, don't," he moved slightly forward and took her hand, carefully avoiding the bruises on her wrists. "Don't excuse him. There *is* no excuse for what he's done to you. He made his own choices, and he dragged you into the middle of them. He--"

"Angel!" the unexpected urgent shout caused Willow to jump in alarm as Cordelia flew around the corner and skidded to a halt. "Willow! You're--oh, gods--you look like hell."

Willow's gaze immediately fell to the hand that clutched Spike's. Cordy took a steadying breath and entered the room.

"Sorry. I've been working on the tact thing, which I obviously haven't mastered, yet," the brunette apologized softly. "Are you all right? What am I saying? Of course you're not. Willow, I'm really sorry."

"I'll be okay," the redhead's voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Angel," Cordy turned her eyes back to the vampire. "I saw Oz's van pull up to the curb, just down the block. He's headed this way."

Willow's entire body stiffened, and Spike slipped his arm around her waist and stood as Angel reached for her and pulled her up off of the sofa.

"He's come for me. I knew he would," Willow's voice quivered.

"He's not taking you anywhere, Willow. I promise," Angel said.

The small woman looked as though she was about to jump out of her skin, and Spike pulled her closer to him,

"She can't face him. Not yet. It's too soon."

"Get her out of here," Angel nodded.

"What good will that do?" Willow asked. "He won't give up, Spike, and you can't fight him."

"I can," the dark-haired vampire's voice dropped to a threatening tone. "I'll tear his hands off at the wrists before I let him touch you again. Spike, take her to the tunnels. Stay there until I come for you."

His childe nodded and began to pull Willow away. She was visibly shaking, and Cordelia moved ahead of them and hurried to Angel's bedroom, yanking the thick comforter off of the bed and racing back to them.

"Keep her warm," she said to Spike, thrusting the cover at him.

Angel waited until the couple had disappeared before taking Cordelia's arm, "I want you to get busy researching."

"But what about Oz? He--"

"I'll deal with Oz. Just stay in my office. Understood?"

She nodded mutely in response to the barely-controlled fury in Angel's voice, and he turned on his heel and headed for the elevator.

Angel approached the elevator as it came to a stop, and Oz emerged through the heavy metal gate. The young man glared over at the waiting vampire. "Where is she?" he demanded.

"Where's who?" Angel asked casually.

Oz bristled and stepped toward him, "You know who. Willow. I know she's here. I want her back."

"What for?" the vampire questioned. "You have the sudden urge to smack her around some more?"

"She didn't get anything she wasn't asking for--for weeks. I didn't hurt her that badly--"

"Her face says otherwise," Angel glared coldly at him.

"I know she's here. Where have you hidden her?" Oz asked as his eyes darted around the apartment.

"It doesn't matter. She isn't going anywhere with you."

The wolf was quickly becoming angered, "This is none of your damned business--"

"Is that right?" Angel's eyes darkened ominously. "She landed on her knees on my doorstep, raped, beaten until I could hardly recognize her. I made it my business. What the hell has happened to you? What could she have possibly done to make you think she deserved what you did to her?"

"She needed to be reminded of who she belongs, too. She's mine, Angel," Oz hissed. "You have no right to keep her here. I'm taking her home."

Angel's hand shot out and grabbed hold of the wolf as he tried to step around the seething vampire, "You're taking her nowhere. I thought you wanted to keep Willow safe. I thought that was the reason you ran off and left her. You're not even fighting it anymore, are you? You've completely given in to--"

"It's what I am," Oz answered coldly. "I stopped fighting it weeks ago. I can't escape it any more than you can escape what you are."

"I can control what I am," Angel said calmly. "You used to be able to do the same. What changed? You got a taste of the she-wolf you killed and decided it wasn't enough? You decided you need a mate of your own? Is that why you bit Willow?"

"Did I bite her? I don't remember that part," the wolf smirked cruelly. "I guess that proves the bitch really is mine, after all."

Angel shook his head, "Guess again."

"You can't keep her from me," Oz snarled.

"I can, and I will," Angel insisted. "You haven't answered my question. You left Sunnydale to keep Willow safe. You didn't want what happened to--"

"Veruca?" Oz spat. "You're right. I had to keep Willow safe, so I killed the bitch. Veruca thought she could take Willow's place. She couldn't have. She was never meant to be my mate, but she did make me realize--after I'd gotten away and had time to think about everything that had happened--that a mate is what I need."

"So you went back to Sunnydale with the intention of making Willow your mate," Angel concluded. "You brought her here, to L.A., so the others couldn't interfere. How am I doing?"

"Close enough," Oz confirmed. "She's truly mine, now, Angel. Whether you like it or not. I bit her. She's mine."

"She's your victim. That's all she is to you," the vampire argued. "And she isn't even that, anymore."

"You can't keep me from her forever. She has two weeks before she becomes what I am. When that happens, *she'll* come looking for me."

"Don't bet your canines on that," Angel sneered.

"Going to build her a nice iron cage?" Oz scoffed.

"If I have to," he nodded, taking a step closer to the wolf. "But I'll promise you this. I'll kill you myself before I let you get your hands on Willow again. Whether or not she becomes what you are remains to be seen, but she won't become yours. Not in two weeks, not ever."

Angel grabbed for the man's shirt collar as Oz suddenly swung out at him. The infuriated vampire lifted the wolf up until not even the toes of his shoes touched the floor, holding him there for a moment before snarling loudly and flinging him across the room. Oz hit the wall and grunted as the breath was knocked out of him. He tried to scramble up onto his shaky legs, only to feel Angel's hand clamping around him once more, dragging him upright and pinning him against the wall. The vampire's fist lashed out, connecting solidly with Oz's nose, and Angel smiled in satisfaction at the sound of crumpling cartilage.

"Feel good?" Angel questioned, his human features sliding away in response to the blood that coursed from Oz's broken nose.

"So, you can control it, huh?" Oz taunted, grimacing at the pain that shot through his skull.

"When I want to," Angel nodded. "Which, at the moment, I don't. Consider this payback. For Willow."

Oz shoved himself away from the wall, lunging at Angel and throwing him off balance. The vampire rolled and sprang to his feet. Reaching for the nearest object to hand, he grabbed up a brass bookend sitting on a shelf near his shoulder and slammed it into Oz's jaw. He howled and staggered backward. Angel brought up a booted foot and kicked out, sending the wolf catapulting across the room to crash into the iron gate of the elevator.

Storming across the room, Angel smacked his fist against the button. The vampire grabbed Oz by the hair, hauled him up, and threw him into the elevator. Blood from a deep gash on the back of the wolf's head coated Angel's fingers as he gripped his hair, forcing the nearly unconscious man to remain on his feet. When the elevator stopped, the vampire dragged Oz across the room and reached for the door.

"If you come here again," Angel snarled, shaking Oz's head as he spoke, "I'll kill you. I swear it."

The enraged vampire barely noticed the flash of sunlight that prickled painfully on his flesh as he swung open the door, flung Oz out onto the steps, and slammed it closed behind him.

Willow gingerly lowered her bruised frame onto a kitchen chair as Spike pulled another up close to her. He reached for the edges of the comforter she had draped over her shoulders and pulled it around her as her whole body shivered.

Cordelia filled a mug with hot, black coffee and set it down in front of the redhead before perching on the corner of the table and gently pushing a strand of fiery hair away from the small woman's badly swollen face.

"You okay, Will?" the brunette asked softly.

She nodded and molded her hands around the warm mug and glanced at each of them in turn, "Thank you. For helping me. For keeping him away from me."

Angel laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, "There's no need to thank us. You know we'll do whatever it takes to make sure you're safe."

"I know," she whispered gratefully.

Breathing out softly, she raised the coffee to her lips, stopping mid-way as a quiet sob parted her lips. Spike moaned and took the mug from her hands and pulled her toward him, gently shuffling her onto his lap and rocking her as she wept against his shoulder.

"She's exhausted," Cordelia's voice cracked as the gravity of the situation threatened to overwhelm her. Angel drew the brunette off of the table and rested a comforting hand against her back, "Come on. Let's give her a few minutes. Show me what you've come up with so far."

Cordy nodded sadly and followed the tall vampire out of the room, glancing back over her shoulder to see Spike place a kiss on Willow's head and run his fingers through her hair.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled. "This is all I seem to be able to do lately."

"Willow, luv, stop apologizing for everything," he spoke close to her ear. "You're fighting your way out of hell. Most women would have completely broken apart by this time. You're stronger than you know."

She shook her head, "I wish that were true."

"It is true," he insisted softly. "You're here, and you're sane. Aren't you?"

"Just barely," she answered with a small smile.

"Barely counts," he told her. "You need to get some sleep."

"I couldn't. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't," she replied. "Maybe we could go help Angel and Cordy? Give me something to do besides sit around and--think."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm sure."

He raised her head to look into her eyes and traced a gentle thumb over her lips. She placed a little kiss on the pad of his thumb, and his mouth twitched into a slight grin. Willow slid her arm around his neck as his hand clutched her waist, and he helped her to stand. Walking in front of him, she slowly made her way out of the kitchen.

"So much stronger than you know," Spike whispered to himself as he watched her for a brief moment before moving close behind her and following her to Angel's office.

Angel stopped outside the closed bedroom door as the sound of soft whimpering came from the other side. Quietly, he turned the knob and opened it enough to look in on the sleeping redhead and felt an unexpected sigh of relief push from his dead lungs as he saw his childe resting silently beside her. The frightening dreams that would cruelly snap her out of a restless sleep had not subsided over the past three days that she had spent with them here.

Willow had taken to researching during the night while Angel and Spike were out roaming the dark streets of the city. Only after the vampires had returned to Angel's apartment would she allow herself to crawl into bed in a futile attempt to achieve a peaceful sleep. Instead, she would awaken with a soft cry and stumble out of bed to search out Spike, who was never far away. He would comfort her with soft words and gentle motions, lulling her with a tenderness that truly astounded his sire. Then, once she had begun to drift back to sleep, he would carry her back to bed, where she would cling tightly to him and finally, finally, accomplish a few hours of undisturbed slumber.

Angel smiled softly to himself as Spike's sleeping body inched closer to the troubled redhead, unconsciously offering her his calming presence. His arm folded around her, and she immediately quieted and snuggled against the cool of his chest. The darker vampire's expression sobered as he watched them for a moment longer. His reason told him that the redhead's torment was a natural result of what she had been subjected to. The ugly thoughts she tried to push away during her waking hours were bound to come creeping in when sleep could no longer keep them at bay. But this realization made it no easier to watch her struggle through the process of healing.

Reassured that Willow was all right, Angel closed the door and returned to the kitchen to warm a mug of blood before going to his office to continue the research the redhead had been working on a few hours earlier.

Willow opened the apartment door and felt Cordelia's steadying hand on her shoulder as she stepped inside. She looked around the unoccupied living room, and her body unconsciously tensed as the memories of Oz's brutal attack came rushing back with overwhelming swiftness.

It had been no small effort to persuade Angel and Spike to agree to let her come back to Oz's apartment, particularly without either of them. But there were things here that she needed--her laptop, her books--and she knew Oz would be at work if she came during the day. Cordy had offered to accompany her, on the condition that Willow agreed not to retrieve her clothes from the apartment. The demand had elicited a soft giggle from the redhead, and the two vampires had finally conceded.

"You okay?" Cordelia asked softly.

Willow swallowed and nodded, "Yeah."

"I'll get your books; you get your laptop. And remember *no* clothes," the brunette said playfully, attempting to draw the young woman out of the painful memories that had caused her pale face to blanch even further.

Willow smiled and handed Cordy the sturdy clean box she had picked up from beside the dumpster outside the apartment building, "I'll remember. My books are on the second shelf, over there."

Cordelia crossed the room to the bookshelf near the window on the opposite wall. Willow's gaze briefly settled on the sofa as she moved around it toward the bedroom, and she shook herself and took a deep breath, forcing her mind to focus on the task at hand. Cordy quickly cleared Willow's books from the narrow shelf and packed them into the box. Then, picking it up, she walked over to the open door of the bedroom. Willow had gathered up a few sentimental trinkets and a little jewelry box. Grabbing her bathrobe from the hook on the door, she wrapped these few items in the thick garment and lowered the bundle into the box, on top of the books.

"That everything?" Cordy asked, looking down into the woefully empty box as Willow went to a little stand in the corner of the room and closed up the laptop sitting there.

"I didn't bring very much with me when I left Sunnydale," the redhead answered, reaching down beside the stand to pick up the laptop's case. "And without my clothes--"

"You are *not* bringing them," Cordelia insisted as Willow looked hopefully over at her. "We have a whole city to shop in, and you're getting a new wardrobe, even if I have to hog tie you and drag you into the fitting rooms."

"That should raise a few eyebrows," Willow laughed softly as she zipped up the case and slung it over her shoulder. "Okay. I'm ready."

Cordy nodded and handed Willow the box, then reached into her purse to fish out the keys to Angel's car. The redhead followed behind her and stopped beside the sofa. Balancing the box on one hip, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her key to the apartment and placed it on the scarred end table Oz had purchased for a few dollars at a nearby thrift shop.

"Hello, babe," Willow's head whipped around at the sound of Oz's voice. "Going somewhere?"

She felt a wave of panic rising up within her and nearly dropped the box from her trembling hands as the wolf stepped through the doorway, "Wh--what are you doing here?"

"I got off work early," he answered, his cold eyes shifting from Willow to Cordelia and back again. "I've been getting these--headaches--for the past couple of days."

He raised his hand and fingered the bandage that covered the gash on the back of his head. Oz's nose was swollen even worse than the redhead's, and the black and purple bruise extended from his nose to beneath each of his eyes. Cordelia saw the blatant terror on Willow's face as she gazed back at the injured wolf, and she reached out and touched the redhead's arm, letting her know she was not alone.

"She's leaving, Oz," the brunette spat hatefully. "She isn't coming back."

"This is her home," the wolf's voice was deceptively calm. "This is where she belongs. She knows that. Don't you, baby?"

Willow's green eyes stared sadly back at him, "I don't know anything, anymore. I don't know you."

"You know me," he argued. "I'm your mate."

"You'll never be that. Not after what's happened."

He took a step toward her, "I gave you a hard fuck because that's what you were asking for. We both know you needed it. You haven't forgotten whose marks you're wearing, have you? You're mine, Willow. My mate. I won't allow you to leave."

Cordy heard Willow's sharp intake of breath as Oz's hand curled around her arm. Willow pulled away, every nerve in her body jarring at the sensation of his firm hand on her flesh.

"Leave her alone," the brunette snapped. The wolf's eyes became harder, colder, as they remained fastened on the redhead, "Get out, Cordelia. Willow, my little bitch, you're staying." The fear that had threatened to swallow up the redhead suddenly gave way to anger as his eyes raked possessively over her body and drank in the dark bruises on her face with a chilling sense of satisfaction. Willow dropped the box, and Oz snarled as it landed on his foot. He kicked it aside and grabbed her arms with both hands. From behind him, Cordelia's hand shot inside her cavernous purse and pulled out a small, slender canister. She grabbed Oz's shoulder, and he whirled around, wobbling a bit as the pain in his head caused the room to spin before his eyes, and backhanded her. She yelped as her head was wrenched to the side, and the canister clattered to the floor at her feet.

Willow placed her hands on the wolf's chest and shoved him hard as he turned back to her. He staggered unsteadily, and his back slammed against the open door behind him. Growling in a mixture of pain and anger, he flung the door open wide, sending it banging into the wall, as Willow bent and scooped up the canister. She yanked off the top and raised the container to his face as he stalked toward her.

"I will never be yours," she vowed between clenched teeth as her finger stabbed the button on the top of the canister.

Oz howled as the pepper spray hit him squarely in the face, and Cordelia darted aside as he weaved blindly, scrubbing frantically at his eyes. She raised her handbag and swung it violently into his head, and Oz pitched forward, a loud shout of agony bursting from his lungs as his broken nose impacted against the hard floor. Cordy quickly retrieved the box, then reached for Willow's hand and hauled her to the door.

The redhead looked around at the man writhing on the floor and hissed, "Bastard," before slamming the door shut with enough force to send the picture on the wall beside it crashing to the floor.

Willow winced under the pressure of Cordelia's hand on her arm as the brunette all but dragged her into Angel's office.

"What happened?" Spike asked, rising to his feet in alarm as the two slightly-out-of-breath women stood before them.

"Oz showed up," Cordy answered.

Angel pushed himself up out of the desk chair, "Oh, hell. Are you two all right? Did he hurt you?"

"Other way around," the brunette smiled smugly. The two vampires shot a look of confusion at one another.

"His face is currently mashed all over his apartment floor. You should have seen her," Cordelia continued, draping an arm over Willow's shoulders. "I was so proud of her. I'll bet that bastard knows better than to mess with her again."

"I wouldn't take that bet," Angel cautioned, his eyes fixed on the little redhead.

Willow nodded once, not believing that Oz would back off so easily, either, and looked at Spike as he moved close in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you all right, luv?" he asked softly, staring down into her eyes.

Her steady gaze met his, and her mouth twitched into a proud little grin as she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely. "I'm great," she whispered triumphantly against his neck as she felt his arms tightening around her waist and heard his soft chuckle close to her ear.

"Angel, you're awake" Willow spoke from behind the computer as the dark vampire appeared in the office doorway. "Want to see what I found?"

He walked around the desk to peer over her shoulder. She waited in silence as his eyes scanned the newspaper article she had pulled up regarding four unsolved murders.

"I don't recognize the town," he told her.

"I talked to Giles on the phone this morning, and he said Oz's change of behavior struck him as odd. I mean, Oz admitted that he brought me to L.A. so he could--"

Angel put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently as her voice faltered. She took a breath and steadied herself before continuing, "Giles said he wondered where and when Oz changed so drastically. When I first moved here, he told me about some of the places he'd been after he left Sunnydale, so I've been backtracking. This is the town he was in just before he came to L.A."

"Are you saying you think he killed these people? Why would he? Was there a full moon?" the vampire asked.

"I called the landlord of Oz's apartment building. Oz moved in two days after these murders," she explained. "Two of the victims were killed during the day, the other two at night, but no, there wasn't a full moon."

"Other than the timing, I'm not seeing the connection, then," he told her.

"Their bodies were mutilated. Look at this photograph."

"A knife," Angel replied, pointing to a line of text on the screen.

"Must have been one hell of a knife. This guy's neck look like it's been torn out. I also called the newspaper. The police still have no motive and no suspect."

"You've been busy this morning," he remarked.

"I need answers, Angel. There isn't much time left," she reminded him, turning her head to look into his deep eyes.

"I know," he nodded. "Okay, it's worth checking out."

"Cordy's already on it," the redhead smiled. "Short skirt. Tight blouse. She said she'd get the sheriff to drool out the answers."

The vampire chuckled, "I'll bet she will. Is Spike still asleep?"

Willow nodded and sat back in the chair, "I think I wear him out with my nightmares."

Angel straightened and smoothed a gentle hand over her hair, "I don't think he minds all that much."

"It's weird, you know? It wasn't so long ago that Spike was the one who wanted me dead, and Oz was the one I loved. Now--"

"Now?" he prompted, staring down at her with interest.

She blushed faintly, "I just mean--well, you know--I trust Spike, now. In a best friend kind of way."

"Is that all he is to you? A friend?"

"That's all I can ask, isn't it?"

His expression sobered, "Why do you say that?"

"Well, look at me, now. After Oz--after what he did to me, I can't really expect--"

"Willow," Angel groaned. "Don't say that. Don't even think it."

"I try not to, but--" she shrugged and let the rest of the statement slide.

He frowned sadly and turned to leave the room as the little redhead focused on the monitor once more. He looked up as Spike came around the corner. "Where's Willow?" the blonde vampire asked, a tinge of panic in his voice. "I woke up, and she wasn't--"

"In there," Angel gestured toward the open door. With an inaudible sigh of relief, his childe disappeared into the office, and Angel stepped back a pace and watched as Spike went to the desk. Willow smiled softly as he knelt down beside her chair.

"You had me worried, pet. I've gotten used to waking up to you."

"Sorry," she said. "Had another dream, and I couldn't get back to sleep."

"You should have given me a nudge," he admonished her gently.

"I thought you'd had enough of that."

"I'll decide that for myself," he told her, taking her face in his hands and placing a kiss on her forehead. "Got it?"

She nodded and cupped her hands over his, "Take a look at what I've found."

Angel shook his head in amusement as his childe grinned and lifted Willow slightly, taking her place in the chair and settling her onto his lap.

"Just friends, she says," he murmured to himself.

"Spike, my boy, we'll have to do something about that."

"I hope you appreciate how much leg I had to show in order to get this information," Cordelia said.

Angel's gaze traveled the length of the brunette's shapely legs, stopping at the hem of her mid-thigh skirt, and decided he could definitely appreciate her efforts. His eyes flicked back to hers, and he grinned sheepishly as she crossed her arms under her ample bosom and glared back at the once-over she's just been subjected to. Her lips twitched into an amused grin, and she flopped down into the chair on the other side of the desk.

"So, what did you find out?" Willow asked. "What did the sheriff have to say about the murders?"

"Not a lot, really," Cordy answered. "There's something really weird about that guy."

"Weird? How?" Angel questioned.

"Well, he almost acted like those killings were nothing out of the ordinary, like I was making a big deal out of nothing," she explained. "He didn't tell me anything we didn't already know, and he seemed totally uncaring about what those poor people must have suffered. I don't think he cares whether he finds out who did it or not."

"Maybe he already knows," Spike suggested.

"Like he's involved, you mean?" Cordelia asked. "Could be. He brushed me off as quickly as he could, so I cornered his deputy. Now, *there's* a guy who's just begging to be manipulated."

"So, you did," Angel guessed.

"Of course," she shrugged. "Anyway, he told me the sheriff only gave him two weeks to investigate the murders before he announced that the case was a lost cause and pulled all his men off of it. The deputy also told me he wasn't convinced that the victims had been killed with a knife. He thought two of them looked like they'd been attacked by an animal of some sort."

"Only two of them?" Willow asked.

"The other two had been eviscerated, and their eyeballs had been cut out." Cordy looked over at Willow's shocked expression. "Sorry about the ick factor. That's just what he told me."

"None of that made it into the papers," Angel mentioned.

"The sheriff told his men not to let that information out. You know how they do that--keep information secret while they're trying to find the criminal. Well, that's what the deputy thought it was, at first. But then after the sheriff ordered them to drop it, the deputy started wondering. Can't say that I blame him. That man has the coldest eyes I've ever seen."

"Sounds like he's hiding something. Spike and I will check him out," the dark vampire said. "You did good, Cordelia."

"Yeah, I know," she nodded. "Well, if you two are going to make a run back there, Willow and I are going out for dinner and some serious power shopping."

"We are?" Willow said.

"Yup," she held out her hand to Angel and snapped his fingers, sighing impatiently as he looked at her in confusion. "Credit card. You owe me. I've spent the afternoon being ogled."

Angel chuckled and nodded in surrender, and Spike turned Willow toward him, "Don't be out late. I don't like the idea of you walking around in the same city as that bastard."

"I'll be careful," she promised.

"We won't be gone long. Be here when we get back?" he requested. She nodded, and he squeezed her hand and turned to follow his sire out of the office.

"Think she'll be okay?" Spike asked as they headed out of the city limits.

"I think it'll do her good to get out for an hour or two," Angel answered.

"She's safer at our place," his childe argued.

Angel took a moment to let the "our place" sink in and, deciding he liked it, smiled softly, "She'll be fine. Cordy will make sure they stick to places with lots of people. You really worry about her."

The vampire's blue eyes drifted out through the windshield in front of him, staring anywhere but at his sire as he replied, "I can't help it. I--I care about her."

"You love her," Angel asserted.

He nodded slightly, "Yeah."

"But you haven't told her."

"I don't want to scare her. She's been through too much already. I want her to know she can trust me."

"I think she's figured that out," his sire grinned. "And I'm not so sure she'd be scared."

Spike's gaze finally moved to him, his voice hesitantly hopeful, "You're not?"

"Well, I don't hear her calling out for me after one of her nightmares. The path to comfort seems to lead directly to your arms."

"I don't mind," his childe told him.

"I've noticed," Angel's eyes sparkled with amusement before becoming more serious. "She doesn't think she deserves you, Spike."

"What??" Spike barked, completely thrown by the statement. "How the bloody hell did she get *that* so backwards? I'm the one who doesn't--"

"Because of Oz," he explained softly. "Because of what he did to her."

His childe's hands clenched into fists, "She thinks that matters? Gods below, doesn't she see how strong she is? I've never seen anyone fight so hard just to survive. She can't let him have that kind of power over her. I don't care what he did to her. Even if she does become what that bastard is, it won't matter to me. She's amazing. She deserves whatever the hell she wants--"

"I already know that," Angel interrupted with a calming hand on Spike's shoulder. "You have to make *her* believe it."

"Damn straight," he nodded emphatically. "I bloody well mean to."

"Good," his sire smiled.

Cordelia and Willow were waiting at Angel's apartment when he and Spike returned.

"Is that your idea of dinner?" Angel asked as Willow set her empty dish of ice cream on the coffee table.

"I tried to talk her into a fancy restaurant. I mean, how often do I get to charge an expensive dinner to you?" Cordelia answered. "But she wouldn't go."

"This is easier right now," Willow answered. "No chewing."

Spike dropped down beside her on the sofa and brushed his cool fingertips over the healing bruises on her jaw. Her hand captured his, stopping their movement, and he curled his fingers around hers and drew her hand onto his lap.

"So, did you see the sheriff?" Cordy asked them.

"He's dead," Angel answered.

"Dead! How?"

"We killed him," Spike shrugged and planted his booted feet on the coffee table, playfully ignoring his sire's annoyed glare.

"You aren't serious," Willow spoke, though her tone was uncertain.

"He was a demon," Angel explained. "Which explains why he seemed so strange to Cordelia."

"Did you know that before you left here?" Cordy asked.

"I had my suspicions," he nodded. "The eviscerations, removing the eyes. It's a sort of ritual some demons perform on their victims."

Willow looked over at him, "The sheriff. A demon."

"They take on all sorts of forms. You know that," he nodded.

"Well, what about the other two people who were killed? They weren't subjected to that," Willow pointed out.

Spike and his sire exchanged a glance, and the dark vampire moved across the room and sat down on Willow's other side.

"It was Oz, wasn't it?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Yes," he answered softly. "The demon recognized Oz for what he was when he arrived in town. At that point, he was still struggling with how to control what he is. He was frustrated and angry and probably feeling a bit lost, and the demon took advantage of that. He drew Oz in. Offered him answers. Made him believe that the only way to survive was to embrace the darker side of what he is. The demon had been using L.A. as his hunting ground--the homeless, prostitutes--people who wouldn't be missed. He lived far enough away that he wouldn't be easily traced, and no one in town would believe that their sheriff had anything to do with the deaths of people nobody wanted."

"What about those four victims in the newspaper? They lived in that town," Cordy pointed out.

He nodded, "By that time, Oz had made his choice. He'd stopped fighting what he is, and the demon had shown him how to draw on the power of the wolf inside him, even without a full moon. The demon called the murders 'victory kills.'"

Willow shuddered slightly and looked down at her hand in Spike's lap, "I thought it was the drugs--"

"I don't think that started until he got here," Angel told her. "The deputy showed me photographs of the victims. The two Oz attacked had been badly mangled. It looked like the result of frenzy or desperation. I'm guessing once Oz unleashed that side of himself--when what he was about to do finally hit him--he had a harder time dealing with it than he'd expected. The demon provoked Oz to do something he wasn't totally prepared for when it came right down to it."

"But he did it anyway," Willow murmured.

Angel reached for her free hand, "Yes, he did. And then he fled to L.A.--maybe to escape the demon, probably to escape what he'd done--but it followed him, anyway. The thing is, Willow, once he'd embraced that kind of power, the craving to taste it again would have been overwhelming."

"But he's still human--well, most of the time," Cordy spoke. "How can he live with himself?"

"Maybe that's why he started using," the dark vampire suggested. "Maybe the drugs help the part of him that's human to forget what he's doing to himself, what he's done to you, Willow. Or maybe they help feed that darker side. But they weren't what caused him to hurt you. The demon did that when he seduced Oz into pushing aside his humanity."

Willow shook her head slowly as a single tear rolled down her cheek, "That's an excuse, Angel. Oz's will is his own. He made his own choices."

"Yes, he did," the vampire conceded sadly as he stood up. "I'm going to call Giles and let him know what we've found out. It might be helpful. Are you going to be all right?"

She nodded, though her eyes didn't rise to meet his, and he focused on her small hand wrapped up in Spike's larger one.

"Why don't you take a few minutes, maybe go up on the roof?" he suggested.

"The roof?" she asked.

"Yeah," his gaze shifted to Spike. "It's quiet up there, and there's a nice view. Cordelia and I will come get you if Giles comes up with anything."

Spike nodded and pulled Willow's unresisting body up off the sofa and led her out of the room.

"This was a bad idea," Willow decided as she took a step away from the low wall that bordered the roof.

"Why?" Spike asked, reaching out for her.

"Because I'm scared to death of heights," she admitted, a little embarrassed.

He smiled and pulled her close to him, "I wouldn't let you fall."

"I know," she nodded against his chest.

He held her quietly for several minutes, stroking his fingers through her hair before asking softly, "You tired, pet?"

"Mmmm," she answered. "A little. Ridiculous, isn't it? A couple of hours traipsing through stores, and I'm worn out."

"After very little sleep," he added. "And you're still healing."

"I hate sleeping," she admitted. "Those damned dreams. And every night I wake up is one night closer to--"

"Don't, Willow."

"I can't help it. It's all I can think about. Wondering if he really is going to win in just a few more nights."

He raised her head and looked down into her eyes, "He won't win. I won't let him. I won't leave you, luv. No matter what happens, I won't leave you."

Her eyes left his as they swelled with tears that spilled down her cheeks, "I feel so helpless. I'm so tired and so scared. I've never been so scared."

He pulled her back into him, wrapping his arms tightly around her, "He won't have you, Willow. I promise. He'll never have you."

He held her, letting her cry it out until her tears subsided, and she took in a deep breath.

"I told myself I wasn't going to do this anymore," she muttered, smiling weakly up at him. "And look at me. Here I am, getting your shirt all wet, *again*."

He grinned down at her, "I can take it off, if it'll make you feel better."

She giggled softly and reached up to caress his cheek, "Thank you, Spike. I don't think I could get through this without you."

"You don't have to."

She nodded and stepped back as the door behind her swung open and Angel stepped out onto the roof.

"What did he say?" Willow asked, feeling Spike's arms circling supportively around her as she turned to face his sire.

"He did a lot of incoherent mumbling," Angel answered with a slight grin. "Said he'd need a few hours to check it out and that he'd call back."

"So, it's back to the books, then," she said as she moved away from Spike.

"You've had a long day. Just wait for Giles to phone, and take it easy for a couple of hours--"

"I can't, Angel. We're running out of time. I'll just gulp down a cup or two of Cordy's coffee. No body could collapse with that sludge running through its system."

The redhead gave the tall vampire's arm a light squeeze and gave Spike a small smile before slipping through the door. Angel watched his childe as his blue eyes trailed after the woman's small form. "You okay?"

"No. Not really," Spike answered before following after Willow.

Angel forced a heavy sigh from his lungs and stared out over the rooftops at the waxing moon hanging serenely in the night sky.

"What did he say?" Cordelia asked the moment Angel hung up the phone. The vampire looked across the office at Willow, who had entered the room with Spike while Angel had been talking quietly to Giles.

"Oz's collusion with the demon makes a difference," Angel told the redhead. "After their attack on those people they killed, the demon would have performed a ritual involving ingesting their hearts and--well--maybe we'd better leave that part of it alone."

"Maybe we'd better," Cordy quickly agreed.

"If Oz participated in the ritual, it's changed him."

"But how do we know if he did?" Willow asked. "And what would it have done to him?"

"If Oz had refused to participate--which, I doubt that he would have, considering the state of mind he must have been in to have murdered those people--the demon would have killed him. The demon had already been feeding the beast inside Oz, seducing him to embrace that part of himself. By taking part in the ritual, Oz seriously damaged his own humanity. If he's been trying at all to control the wolf, it's been an uphill battle ever since he allied himself with that demon."

"You said all this makes a difference," Spike said.

Angel nodded, "It's complicated. I'm not sure even I understood everything Giles said. But the bottom line is that when Oz bit you, Willow, he claimed you, but he didn't change what you are."

"I don't get it," she told him. "I thought when a werewolf bit a human--"

"It does, usually," the tall vampire agreed. "But the human side of Oz was changed--corrupted, Giles called it--when he took part in the ritual. He was in that town, with the demon, for quite awhile, Willow. Long enough to be completely influenced by the demon. He still is. The relationship that developed between them is similar to a sire-childe relationship. Well, that's not exactly accurate, but it's the closest Giles could come."

"I think I understand," Willow nodded slowly. "Go on."

"What Oz has become since he left Sunnydale is partly due to the influence he allowed the demon to have over him. Giles found a curse to counteract any attack made by the demon's allies. Since Oz's humanity has been fundamentally corrupted but the demon, he would be included in that list of allies. Giles performed the ritual the minute he realized what it meant. The result is that Oz claimed you when he bit you, but he didn't make you what he is."

Tears glistened in the redhead's wide eyes, and Spike clutched her waist as her knees weakened with the shock of relief that swept over her, "Then I'm not--not--"

"No, you're not." Angel answered softly. "But you're not safe, yet, either."

Cordy looked at him in confusion, "But you said Oz can't--"

"No, I said he didn't change her when he bit her that night in his apartment. He was in his human form when that happened. It's the man who was corrupted by the demon. The curse won't protect Willow if he gets to her on the night of the full moon because it will be the wolf, not the man, that attacks her. If he bites her while he's in the form of a werewolf, nothing will protect Willow from becoming one, too."

Spike pulled Willow a little closer to him and looked over her head at his sire, "Can I fight him, Angel? If he's got some sort of connection to that demon, can I fight Oz?"

"Yes, you can," Angel smiled slightly. "You could during the full moon, anyway, since when he transforms, the wolf completely takes over the human. And now that he's allied himself with a demon, Giles feels certain you can fight him even in his human form."

"No bloody way is he getting to you, now," Spike grinned broadly and turned Willow to face him. "If he comes after you again, I'll kick him so hard he'll be snarling out of his ass."

"Maybe Oz has already worked this out," Willow suggested hopefully. "Maybe that's why he hasn't come looking for me--because he knows Spike can fight him. He might have decided to just give it up and--"

She stopped speaking as she witnessed the dark glance that passed between Angel and Cordelia.

"What? What is it?"

"Willow, Giles didn't call me. I called him," the vampire admitted.

"There wasn't time to wait for him to get back to me."

"Wasn't time?" Spike repeated.

"Cordy, you had a vision," Willow guessed.

"He's on his way--" the loud slamming of a door broke her response, and she jumped slightly. "--here. He's here. That has to be him, doesn't it?"

Angel nodded and headed for the door, "Cordelia, take Willow to the--"

"No," the redhead spoke sharply. "I'm not running from him this time. He thinks he's won, that he's made me what he is. I want to be there when he finds out--"

"He isn't going to find out," Angel told her. "Not yet. It's better if he thinks he succeeded, for now."

"All right," she agreed. "But I'm not hiding anymore."

"I'm glad to hear that," Oz spoke, having heard her last comment as he rounded the corner. "There's no point in hiding, is there? We're the same, now. You belong with your own kind. With your mate."

"I could have belonged with you, once, but not now, Oz. You aren't the man I loved. I don't know who you are, but you're not him," Willow stated calmly.

The wolf dragged his hands out of his jacket pockets to reveal a cross in one hand and a gun in the other. Spike snarled as Oz thrust the cross out in front of him, and Cordy breathed in sharply as he trained the pistol on her.

"Now, we can do this the easy way, or I can pull the trigger. These two can't stop me. One way or another, you're coming with me," Oz told her.

Willow's gaze shifted from the gun to Cordy and back again, and she sidled closer to Spike and forced her voice to remain even, "Goddess, look at you. What the hell are you doing? Can you even remember who you used to be? You would never have hurt the people you cared about."

"I don't care about any of them. I want you. Let's go," he answered coldly.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a bleedin' sod?" Spike growled and lunged at the wolf.

The vampire hissed as the cross pressed into his arm, and he grabbed Oz's wrist and squeezed until his fingers released the object, and it clattered to the floor. Angel grabbed for his other arm and slammed his hand into the doorpost, dislodging the gun. Oz glared into Spike's angry eyes, "You can't hurt me. You've been--"

"--waiting to do this," the blonde vampire interrupted him and slammed his fist into the young man's face.

Oz grunted and sank to the floor, and Angel dropped down as the man's hand reached for the gun. Oz grabbed the weapon and rolled quickly away from the vampire. He scooted backwards and pointed the barrel at Angel. Spike snarled loudly and took one long stride toward Oz, bringing his foot back to kick savagely into his side. Cordy shrieked as the gun went off. The shot went wide, and Angel grabbed Oz by the shirt and hoisted him up off the floor. Oz swung out at him, and Angel caught his fist in his hand and curled his fingers around it, squeezing until Oz groaned in pain.

Willow's eyes widened as Oz's free hand shot into his pocket and pulled out a stake. Looking wildly around her, she grabbed up the full coffee pot near Angel's desk and raced toward Oz. She smashed the pot over his skull, and he howled as it impacted with his already wounded head, and scalding hot coffee soaked through his hair. Spike placed a firm hand on Willow's shoulder and gently pushed her aside. He grabbed Oz by the hair and brought his knee up into the dazed man's crotch. Oz grunted as he doubled over, releasing the stake to cup his aching balls. Placing his hands against Spike's legs, he shoved hard, and Spike stumbled backwards. Oz breathed in raggedly, pulled himself upright, and took off, and Angel bolted after him. Cordy and Willow shot each other a look and raced out of the office, following Spike.

Oz was nearing the front door as the others caught up with him, and he grabbed up a heavy ashtray sitting on a table and spun around to hurl it at them. Angel leapt to the side, and Spike bobbed down to avoid being hit by the hurtling object. Willow yelped as it impacted with her cheek, just below her right eye, and Cordy grabbed her arm to steady her as Oz threw open the front door and took off out of sight. Spike immediately turned to the redhead and gently pulled her hand away from her cheek. A trickle of blood was beginning to trail from a thin gash, and the skin was already beginning to swell.

"I'm okay," she assured him, though she was trembling slightly.

"I know," he nodded and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

He put his arms around her and held her close for a minute before turning her to his side and heading down to the apartment.

Willow crept quietly out of the bedroom and made her way to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. With a tired sigh, she sat down at the table to wait and absent-mindedly ran her fingers over the newest bruise on her cheek, flinching a little at the pain that resulted. She had gone to bed shortly before dawn only to be awakened by a nightmare thirty minutes after she had fallen into a light sleep. Upon hearing her soft cry, Spike had let himself into the bedroom to lie down next to her, cradling her against him and whispering soothingly to her until she had drifted off once again.

She had been awaked twice more by her dreams and had tried after each to struggle out of the bed, but Spike's strong arm around her waist had stubbornly clamped more tightly around her, holding her firmly next to him. After the last attempt, she had laid quietly, blinking into the darkness, until his hold on her had relaxed, and he shifted slightly away from her, giving her enough space to cautiously slip out of bed. She glanced at the clock as the coffee finished brewing. Less than twelve hours until the full moon would rise. She poured the hot liquid into a fat mug and padded into the living room. She stopped, more than a little surprised, when her eyes came to rest on the empty sofa.

Angel, concerned that Oz might try to get to her at her apartment, had insisted that Cordelia sleep here. Willow had last seen her spread out on the sofa, yawning as her eyelids drooped heavily, with Spike's sleeping form propped in a chair across the room.

Alarmed, she put down the mug and headed for Angel's bedroom to alert him to Cordy's absence. She quietly pushed open the door to be surprised, yet again, by the sight of the dark vampire sleeping soundly next to the leggy brunette.

"When the hell did *that* happen?" the redhead wondered, then quickly admonished herself for jumping to conclusions; they were, after all, both fully clothed.

Willow closed the door and went back to the living room. She reached for the mug just as the telephone rang, and she whisked the receiver from its cradle before the annoying jangle could awaken the others in the apartment.

"Willow," Giles' spoke in surprise as he heard her voice. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Giles," she answered. "Thanks to you. Angel told me about the curse. Is that why you're calling? Oh, Goddess, don't tell me something's gone wrong! Is the curse--"

"No, no," he said quickly as her voice rose in panic. "No, Willow. You're safe. The curse was effective. Actually, though, it is why I'm calling. I got to thinking about the research Angel asked me to do. The demon and Oz. The way he attacked you. Willow, I'm concerned. I don't mean to pry, and if I am, you can certainly tell me to mind my own business, but..."

Willow's body had tensed, the mug in her hand forgotten, "What is it, Giles? What are you asking?"

"Did he--did Oz--he didn't just bite you, did he?" the former watcher asked. "Angel said he didn't even remember biting you. But I know about the mating instinct in werewolves. Willow, did he--hurt you?"

She squeezed her eyes shut as her vision blurred with tears, "Giles, I..."

"He did, didn't he?" the man's voice had grown soft with sorrow.

"Yes," she sighed shakily. "He beat me. He--he raped me. That's when he bit me."

"Oh, lord," Giles groaned. "I'm so sorry, Willow. Are you sure you're all right?"

"I will be," her voice was soft but sure. "Spike and Angel and Cordy have been taking good care of me, Giles. I'm healing. It isn't easy, but I'll make it through this."

"I wish we could be there for you," he told her. "You should have your friends around you--"

"No," she refused quickly. "I don't want anybody else to know about this. Please don't tell Buffy or Xander or anybody else. Please?"

There was a short, uneasy silence, and Willow set down the mug and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Giles?"

"I'm sorry, Willow," he repeated. "Buffy already knows."

"What! How? How could she--"

"She saw my notes on the research. She demanded to know what was going on. I told her as much as I knew, and we reached the same conclusion at the same time. She's very upset, Willow. She desperately wants to talk to you."

"I don't think I'm ready for that," Willow told him. "Just tell her that I'm..."

She paused as she heard a door shut from Giles' end of the line, and a second later, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in her ear, "Willow. Oh, gods, Willow. Are you all right? God. What happened? What did he--"

"Buffy, stop," Willow begged. "I'm okay. Really."

"How can you be? He raped you, didn't he?"

"Yes," the redhead confirmed. "But--"

"But nothing. I'm coming to L.A. I'm going to hunt him down and break his damned neck."

"No," Willow responded. "Buffy, I don't want you to do that. I can't--"

"Will, this is my fault! I'm the one who told you that you should leave with him! You kept saying you weren't sure, but I wouldn't listen. If I hadn't shoved you into this, none of this..."

"That isn't true," she spoke softly. "Oz had made up his mind. He came back to Sunnydale, and he wasn't going to leave until I went with him. He had already decided what he was going to do to me. I could have called you when I realized I was in trouble. That night wasn't the first time he hit me, Buffy. There were other times, not as bad, but...and he'd changed so much. He was cruel and cold. I should have gotten out of there. It isn't your fault. I let him do this to me."

"Don't say that. Don't you *ever* say that," Buffy's voice trembled, and Willow realized her friend was weeping. "He's a bastard, Will. You didn't deserve any of this. You thought he loved you. You had no idea--"

"Neither did you," the redhead insisted. "So if I can't blame myself, you can't blame yourself, either."

The slayer sniffed and took in a deep breath as she calmed her raging emotions, "Okay. I hear you. This is just--so damned unfair, you know?"

"I know. But I'll be okay. Spike and Angel are helping. And Cordy has been great. And you know, in spite of how awful all of this has been, I'm learning that I'm a pretty strong person. I'm going to be all right, Buffy."

"Are you sure I can't come out there? Because I'd really love to rip off his cock," Buffy offered, and Willow laughed softly as she heard Giles' astonished gasp in the background.

"I'm sure. You're needed there. And this is something I really need to do for myself. Well, not all by myself, but--"

"I understand," Buffy's tone had calmed considerably. "But if you need me, you call. I'll be there before you hang up. Promise?"

"I promise."

"I love you, Will," the words came out on a choked whisper.

"I love you, too," Willow replied. "I'll call you soon."

"Okay. Tell Spike I said he'd better take good care of you, or Oz won't be the only one on my hit list," Buffy said.

"He is taking good care of me, but I'll tell him," Willow grinned into the phone. They said their good-byes, and Willow hung up the phone and returned to her rapidly cooling mug of coffee. She headed for the kitchen to pour a fresh cup and found Spike leaning against the entryway, staring intently at her.

"That the slayer?" he asked as she approached him.

She nodded, "She knows. About everything. She wanted to come here and tear Oz apart."

"That's probably the only thing we'll ever agree on," he told her.

She smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling slightly, "And she said to tell you to take good care of me or Oz wouldn't be the only one in little pieces."

He chuckled and put his arms around her, "How am I doing so far?"

Her expression grew serious as she looked up at him, "You're--wonderful."

He traced her cheek with his fingers, carefully avoiding the bruise near her eye, and bent his head. She breathed in softly at the unexpected contact of his mouth against hers, and Spike drew her slightly closer and slipped his tongue inside her mouth, sweeping its sweet warmth with slow, gentle strokes. She melted against him as her lips moved against his. She pulled away slightly, and he tangled his fingers through her hair and drew her head to his chest, holding her contentedly in the peaceful silence of the apartment.

"He'll be back soon, won't he?"

Angel looked up from the book he was reading as Willow's softly spoken question broke the silence in the living room.

"Yes," he answered. "Oz thinks the transformation will occur tonight. He'll want to be near you."

"I can't even imagine how angry he's going to be when it doesn't happen," she said, paling slightly. "He's going to bite me again, you know. And then nothing will be able to--"

"That isn't going to happen," the dark vampire promised. "We're not going to let it."

"But if it does," she paused as Spike entered the room. "I want you to promise me something."

"Willow, it won't happen."

"It might," she insisted. "It could. If it does, I want you to promise that you'll kill me."

Spike moaned softly, "Baby, don't--"

She shook her head, "I have to, Spike. I couldn't live like that. I won't become what he is. I'd rather be dead. Promise me."

Angel and his childe exchanged a grim look, and Spike went to the sofa and sat down next to her. "I could make you that promise, but I couldn't keep it."

She turned watery green eyes on him, "But Spike, I--"

"No," he refused and squeezed her hand gently. "It isn't going to happen anyway, Willow."

Realizing she wasn't going to persuade him, she let the argument die. Spike scooted closer and put his arm around her shoulder and placed a kiss on her head. The vampire fancied he could feel the mental exhaustion that the little redhead was fighting against.

"I just want it to be over," she whispered, more to herself than to the others in the room.

He nodded and slowly stretched out along the length of the sofa, pulling her with him to rest snugly against his body. He petted her hair with slow, even strokes. Angel smiled softly, and his gaze shifted as Cordelia appeared and looked over at him. He pushed himself up out of the armchair and followed her out of the living room as Willow's eyes fluttered closed, and she fell asleep in Spike's embrace.

"I don't know how much more she can take," Cordy spoke softly as she preceded him into the office.

"It'll be sunset in a couple of hours. It'll be over soon," he told her.

"Will it? I wonder. Either Oz will bite her, and she'll start down a completely new road to hell--"

"That isn't going to happen," Angel insisted firmly.

She nailed him with a steady stare, "He isn't going to give up. You know that, Angel. You know, if you're really going to end this, you're going to have to kill him."

"I know," he nodded soberly.

"What is that going to do to Will? She loved him, once. Enough to leave everything that she knew to come here and live with him. He was her first..."

"I know that, too," the vampire put a hand on her shoulder. "But that Oz is already dead. He has been for weeks."

Cordy shook her head, "So that's going to make all of this easy for Willow? Gods, Angel, I hope you don't really believe that."

"Stop borrowing trouble," he responded, his tone much firmer than he had intended it to be. "We have enough of that to deal with just getting through tonight."

"I'm sorry," she answered. "It's just--Oz came pretty damned close to destroying her. I don't want him to finish the job tonight. And he could, Angel. He really, really could."

Angel expelled a soft sigh and stepped close enough to pull her into his arms.

"It's time," Spike said as his sensitive hearing picked up the sound of footsteps headed for the elevator above them.

"He can't have changed, yet," Willow replied. "The moon hasn't risen."

"Close enough," Angel told her. "It's only a few minutes before the moon rises. He wants to be here when that happens. He thinks he's coming for his mate."

"He's in for a hell of a shock, then, isn't he?" Cordy said dryly.

The metal grate slid open, and Oz appeared. He gave the others in the room only a cursory glance before his gaze settled upon Willow.

"I can't believe you came here," she said, her voice deceptively calm.

"Do you have a death wish?"

"You knew I'd come," he answered. "You belong with me, to me. You're not going to be able to deny it tonight. Willow, I can help make the change for you easier or more difficult. It all depends on you."

She shook her head, "You haven't made anything easy for weeks, and things couldn't possibly get any more difficult."

He looked over at Angel, "You know you can't stop what's going to happen. And nobody can help her through this like I can. If you care about her at all, you'll let her leave here with me."

"Let her?" the dark vampire repeated with a cold smirk. "She doesn't want to. What the hell makes you think I'd ever side with you?"

"It's a matter of Willow's best interest. You can't help her. I can," Oz shrugged. "Less than fifteen minutes, Angel. She's leaving here with me tonight, even if I have to drag her through your ashes."

"You have got to be kidding," Cordy scoffed. "Does the phrase ass-kicking bring back any recent memories?"

He shot her a poisoned look before turning back to Willow. Spike moved closer to the redhead's side, clamping an arm around her waist as Oz took a step toward her.

"So, you're a vampire's whore now?" Oz sneered at Willow and then glared hatefully at Spike. "I take it this means you don't mind sloppy seconds."

The blonde vampire snarled softly, and his arm slid away as Willow's body jolted slightly as though she'd been slapped. In one long stride, he was standing before the man, lifting him by the throat, and flinging him across the room. Oz staggered to his feet, a smug smile of satisfaction twisting his face, infuriating the vampire even further.

Angel stepped forward as Spike moved in on the wolf.

"Don't," Cordy asked, grabbing for Angel's shirt sleeve and tugging him back. "Don't stop him before he wrings a little blood out of the bastard."

The vampire quirked an eyebrow and looked down at her in surprise, "Who said I was going to stop him?"

"Oh," she grinned widely and gave him a hard shove. "Well, in that case, get at it."

He chuckled and circled around Oz as Spike swung out. Angel grabbed hold of the arm Oz flung out to ward off Spike's blow and twisted it, hard. Oz howled in pain as the bones in his wrist ground together and snapped. The cry of pain was silenced as Spike's fist connected with the man's jaw, and Oz's head snapped backward as he lost his balance and landed on the floor.

He dragged himself up onto his feet, his features beginning to contort as the moon began its ascension into the darkening sky outside. Cordy moved to Willow's side as Oz's eyes froze on Willow. His jaw dropped open a bit as he was hit with the slow realization that the redhead had not, was not going to, lose the beauty of her human countenance. He snarled softly and took an awkward step toward her.

"Bitch," he hissed angrily around elongated teeth.

"Probably," Willow responded calmly. "But not your bitch. Never your bitch."

Spike grinned and moved behind the wolf as Oz took another step closer to her.

"Stay out of the way," Angel spoke softly to Cordelia as he moved up alongside his childe.

"Hey!" she protested. "When have I *ever* been in the way!"

He shot her a look that was at once both amused and darkly serious, emphasizing his order as his eyes locked briefly on hers. She sighed a sigh of the forever under-appreciated, but remained where she was. Oz had been completely overtaken by the wolf, and he snarled impatiently and suddenly whirled on the blonde vampire behind him. He hurled himself at Spike and buried his fangs in the vampire's leg.

"Bloody hell," Spike growled as his hands clamped around the wolf's throat in an attempt to pry him away. "That hurts."

Angel landed on top of Oz, and the wolf yelped softly and spun around, grazing the back of the vampire's hand with a swipe of his clawed paw. Spike clenched onto the course hair behind the wolf's head and yanked angrily. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Willow hefting a thick book from the coffee table.

"Willow, no--"

The command came too late, and she brought the book down over Oz's head with all the force her bruised body could muster. Spike leapt to his feet and pushed her back several paces.

"No more stupid chances, baby," he demanded. "Stay away from him."

"But Spike, I--Oh, hell! Look out!" she squealed as Oz staggered from the floor and flung himself at the vampire in an attempt to get to Willow.

Cordelia latched onto Willow's arm and dragged her further away as Angel brought his foot up under the wolf and kicked him off of his childe. Oz growled in pain as several ribs snapped under the force of the kick, and he rolled onto his feet and took a step backward. The blow from the book had caused him to slice through his tongue with his own fangs, and blood dripped from his mouth as he started toward Spike once again. Shoving the pain from his mind, he lunged at the vampire and sunk his teeth into Spike's shoulder. The vampire hissed as he curled his fingers around the wolf's neck and forced him away, tearing a large chunk of flesh from his own shoulder. Blood coursed from the wound, saturating Spike's shirt.

Angel, fully in game face and completely infuriated by the injury to his childe, clasped both of his strong hands together and clubbed the wolf in the back of the head. Oz whimpered once and sank to the floor, rolling onto his side as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He lay still, panting heavily, as Spike turned toward Willow. She took a step toward him and laid her hand on his arm.

"Do it," she spoke softly as her gaze fell to his blood-soaked shirt. "He isn't going to give up. He'll keep coming back as long as he's...there's no Oz inside him, anymore. There's no other choice. Just--do it, and be done with it."

He nodded and placed his hand over hers, squeezing it gently before moving back to the wolf. Angel felt Cordelia's hand searching for his, and he took it and grasped it tightly in his own as Spike leaned down and crooked his arm round the wolf's neck and snapped it with brutally efficient force. He dropped the carcass to the floor and stood as Willow backed slowly away.

"I'm sorry, Oz," she whispered, her voice strained with pain, before turning on her heel and running out of the room.

Spike bolted out of the room after Willow, and Cordelia felt Angel's firm hand on her arm, halting her as she attempted to follow the blonde vampire. She spun around to face him.

"Angel--"

"Let him go to her. They need time alone."

"But Angel...he's been bitten...Oz bit him...the full moon...he'll..."

"No, he won't," he assured her. "Vampires have their own demons. A bite from a werewolf won't affect Spike."

"Oh," she replied, her brow furrowing in confusion, but she was content to believe that he knew what he was talking about.

Angel looked down at the lifeless wolf, "We should get him out of here. Willow doesn't need to see this when she comes back."

Cordy put her hands on her hips and huffed, "Why do I always get the icky jobs?"

"I'll make it up to you," he grinned. "Will you help me, for Willow?"

"What the hell," she shrugged. "I'd help you for you."

The vampire's eyes widened in delighted surprise as they followed the young woman who moved to kneel down over the wolf.

"Well, are you just going to stand there gawking, brood boy, or do you want to add your brawn to my brains?" she asked impatiently, though a smile tugged at her mouth in reaction to Angel's awed stare.

Spike was more concerned than surprised to find Willow sitting on the low wall that edged the roof of the building, staring down at the sidewalk below.

He spoke softly so as not to startle her, "Willow."

Slowly, her head turned to him, her face a mask of pain, her eyes heavy with unshed tears. "He's dead," she murmured as if the realization had only just struck her. "We killed him. I killed him."

Spike went to her and traced the single tear that spilled from her eye, "He killed himself, pet. A long time ago."

Willow closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, "My rational mind knows that, but the rest of me--" She paused and let a shuddering breath steal from her lips. Spike pulled her gently to her feet, and she rested her head against his still chest as his arms went around her.

"I loved him, once," she whispered. "With everything I had. I loved him."

"I know," he answered.

"And he loved me, Spike. I know he did."

Pulling back just a little, he cupped her face in his hands and brushed the tears from her cheeks with this thumbs.

"I know, luv," he nodded. "But that man hasn't existed for a very long time. Oz gave up the man. Traded him in for what the demon could offer him. That wasn't your fault. Nothing that has happened has been your fault. You have to know that."

"I just wish--" she stopped as her gaze turned inward, as if searching for something. "I don't know what I wish. I wish I hadn't come here with him. It wasn't love that brought me here. I was moving past him, finally. And then he showed up in Sunnydale with all his apologies and promises, and I guess I wanted what we once had. I wanted it back so badly. There wasn't anyone else, and I felt so lonely, even though I thought..."

She looked up at him to find his blue eyes watching her closely, "Thought what, luv?"

"I was beginning to think that you--that we--" she breathed in softly. "I thought, maybe--"

"You thought right," he told her.

"Did I?" her eyes were so desperately hopeful as they gazed up at him, the vampire felt his dead heart constricting within his chest.

"Yes, you did," he whispered the promise and slowly drew her lips to his, brushing his mouth softly against hers.

Spike felt Willow's arms moving around his neck, clinging to him, as he crushed her to him and kissed her deeply. His tongue swept inside her mouth, so softly, so comfortingly. When she pulled away, she was breathing heavily, still holding onto him as if he were the only thing preventing her weary body from collapsing.

"Goddess, I'm so tired," she murmured.

Spike placed a kiss on her forehead and gathered her up into his arms, turning toward the stairs that would take them back down to the apartment. Avoiding the living room, he carried her to the bedroom and she stretched out as he lowered her onto the bed. He moved down beside her as her hand reached for him, and he pulled her close to him and rubbed her back gently.

Willow rested her head in the crook of his neck and whispered softly, "You won't let me go, will you?"

"No, pet," he answered. "It's all over now, and I'm here."

"It doesn't feel all over," she admitted. "It feels--I don't know how it feels, really."

"Give it time, Willow," he said softly. "You've been doing a balancing act on the edge of hell for weeks. Give yourself time to move past it."

"I will, you know," she told him, her voice tired but determined. "I'll move past it. I'll be all right, now."

He nodded and raised her chin to brush his lips against hers, "I know you will, baby. You convinced me days ago."

She gave him a smile, a smile that reached to her bright eyes for the first time in weeks, "I think I'm even ready to face everyone else--Buffy and Giles and Xander--when we go back to Sunnydale."

"Sunnydale, huh?" the tone of his voice brought her eyes back to his.

"What?" she asked. "You aren't coming with me?"

"Actually, I was thinking more like you staying here with me. If you'd like."

She rolled that proposition over in her mind for a few silent moments, and her gaze drifted from him as Angel's tall frame appeared in the doorway.

"I think I would like," she accepted, speaking to both vampires. "If Angel wouldn't mind."

"He wouldn't," the dark vampire grinned over at her. "Imagine what you could teach Cordelia about filing, not to mention coffee making."

"Hey! I heard that!" Cordy's voice barked as she came from the living room.

"Oh, hell," Angel muttered and beat a hasty path in the opposite direction.

Willow laughed softly as she heard Cordy racing after him, "He's going to have to slow down just a little if he really wants her to catch him."

Spike grinned and settled her back against him, "I like it here."

"In spite of everything, L.A. isn't such a bad place," she agreed.

"I wasn't talking about L.A," he told her as his arms tightened around her warm body, and Willow raised her head as his lips sought out hers.

Tell the author what you think:

| Return to Fiction Index | Return to Main |