Chapter Two
Time slowly began to pass, Willow never told anyone about Angel's threat – why worry them? Picking up some fish food with her right hand she cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder as she flipped the lid of her tank and sprinkled some food in. "I just hope Giles can find a "keep out" spell soon. I know I'll sleep easier once I can…sleep easier." Willow nodded but realised Buffy couldn't see her through the phone.
"I'm sure he will. He's like Book Man. Until then just try to keep happy thoughts and…" The rest of her sentence died on her lips as she saw the piece of parchment lying on her bed. Her mouth was almost as dry as the envelope, her fingers brushed across it and she nervously opened it. Had Angel been watching her sleep too? The thought made her uncomfortable and she looked at her window nervously, expecting to see him standing there and grinning with his vampire face on. How could she have forgotten she had invited him in to her own home? She tried not to ask herself why he had not followed her in that night he had revealed he was free of his soul. Did he have something crueller in mind?
""And" what? Willow?" Buffy's voice sounded as if it were coming across a great distance as she dipped her hand into the envelope and pulled out a slender golden chain. It glimmered elegantly under the bedroom light, but as she pulled it out something caught on the envelope. With a slightly harder tug she finished pulling out the golden chain and bit back a scream. Her eyes flew between the chain in her hand and the fish tank, the food still bobbed on the surface; no one had gone to claim the sprinkles. "Willow? Willow say something!" The panic in Buffy's voice was evident, but Willow couldn't find her voice.
"Sorry about your fish." Buffy readjusted the stake in her hand so she could squeeze Willow's arm.
"It's okay; we hadn't really had time to bond yet. I just got them for Hannukah." Willow forced a smile wanting to somehow alleviate the guilt she knew Buffy was feeling. "Although, for the first time, I'm glad my parents didn't let me have a puppy." She shuddered at the thought of what else Angel could have done in her home. What if her parents had been home? She pushed the thought out of her mind, why worry Buffy with something like that? She flicked her pale green eyes at her friend to see her expression, there was a blank smile on the girl's lips but her eyes were blank showing she was deep in thought. Had she even heard what she'd said?
"It's so weird…every time something like that happens my first instinct is to run to tell Angel. I can't believe it's the same person. He's the complete opposite of what he was."
"Well…sort of…" Willow hesitantly added, "except…"
"Except what?"
"You're still the only thing he thinks about." Buffy shook her head and both girls lapsed back into silence. The fingers of Willow's right hand itched to brush across her neck. The bite Angel had made was gone, but he had left a faint scar. She was terrified that if Buffy looked close enough her friend would notice the slightly paler patches on Willow's throat, that she would brush her fingertips across the soft scar tissue and feel the ridges of the mark.
Willow pulled her cardigan tightly shut and blew into her clasped hands. Was the library normally this cold? The candlelight she was using to read began to flicker violently and she glared at it in exasperation, rebelliously the flame extinguished itself. Glaring at it Willow focused on the trail of smoke floating towards the ceiling, picturing the candle lighting itself once more she smiled with satisfaction as it flared back to life.
"The witch brings light back to life." Willow jumped up in shock at the sound of a childlike voice. She could just make out the slender form of Drusilla in the flickering light.
"I – I'm not a witch." Willow whispered picking the heavy book up and holding it out protectively, as if that would stop Drusilla from killing her.
"He is coming for you little witch."
"W – Who?" Willow choked feeling her stomach twist painfully, her eyes darting from side to side. Where was Buffy? Where was Giles?
"He will be your death and you will be his."
"I –"
"Willow! Willow! Wake up!" Someone was shaking her to and fro; stiffly Willow sat up and looked around. She was in Buffy's room, a stake clasped tightly in her hands. "C'mon we need to get ready for school." For a few seconds Willow could only sit feeling dumbstruck, had it just been a dream? But what did it mean? Nothing, it was just a dream. She told herself trying to loosen her grip on the stake. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, f – fine. Just a weird dream." Willow forced herself to smile and grabbed her bag to get changed.
Several hours later Willow found herself nailing a crucifix to her bedroom wall. "I'm going to have a hard time explaining this to my dad." She said nervously biting her lip, what was worse? Her dad discovering the Christian relic fixed firmly to her wall, or coming home to find Angel waiting for her with his fangs bared? She didn't relish either thought, in fact for a fleeting second she almost thought finding Angel waiting to murder her would be the less painful of the two options.
"You really think this'll bother him?" Buffy's voice was sceptical and Willow smiled at her disbelief.
"Ira Rosenberg's only daughter nailing crucifixes to her bedroom wall? I have to go to Xander's house just to watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" every year."
"I see your point."
"Although it is worthwhile just to see Xander do the Snoopy dance." Willow giggled and blushed when she remembered Cordelia was in the room with them. She turned to see the brunette inspecting her room critically, leaning forwards and staring intently at the empty fish tank.
"Uh, Willow, are you aware that there are no fish in your aquarium?" Willow blinked back tears and flicked her eyes up at the crucifix. On second thoughts maybe her dad discovering the relic would be less painful than what Angel had in store for her. But if he really had marked her would this really stop him?
"You know, Cordelia, we've already done your car. You can call it a night if you want." Willow nodded slightly too enthusiastically, it wasn't that she wasn't grateful for Cordelia's help except…well she hadn't really helped much.
"Sure, two's company, three's…not. And you know I'd do the same for you if either of you had a social life." Willow saw an envelope fall from beneath Cordelia's coat as the cheerleader gathered her belongings. "Oh hey…this must be for you." Cordelia shrugged and picked it up, handing it to Willow and looking slightly confused. Her hands trembling Willow took the envelope from Cordelia's outstretched hand and looked at Buffy nervously, what had he murdered this time? Her fingertips squeezed the envelope lightly, but there seemed to be nothing inside but a piece of parchment. Apprehensively she opened it and unfolded the parchment, bile rose up in her throat as she stared at the sketch. Beautifully drawn but full of menace.
"I – It's for you," she whispered passing the parchment to Buffy. Even as Buffy took the parchment Willow could still see the image of Joyce Summers sleeping.
"Well Cordelia now's your chance to do the same for us." Buffy's eyes had turned cold and hard like stone, she screwed up the piece of parchment and jammed it in her front pocket. Willow grabbed the sage, herbs and book before rushing after her friend leaving a confused and exasperated Cordelia standing in the middle of her room.
The Summer house was empty when Cordelia dropped them off outside the door. They didn't even say goodbye to her as she sped off with a squeal of tyres. "Lock the doors," Buffy said as she sprinted through the house to see if there was any trace of Angel. Willow obeyed before she quickly set out the tools they'd need on the kitchen counter; her hands hovered briefly over the spell book as she remembered Drusilla's words in her dream.
"I'm not a witch," she whispered, "this means nothing…I'm just…" She shook her head unsure of what she was doing. She was desperate to confide in Buffy, to reveal how frightened she was. But what good would it do? Buffy couldn't be at her side all the time, and now that they had rescinded Angel's invitation to her house surely she was safer? She was deep in thought she barely noticed when Buffy returned and began sprinkling holy water and lighting the sage. She followed her around the house, trying to concentrate on the words printed in front of her but unable to pull her mind into the present. What had it meant when Angel had bitten her? And it hadn't hurt…not for long? Was that normal? And why had he marked her? Stop thinking, she told herself. Switch your mind off. "… his verbes, consenus rescissus est." She flicked her eyes up and almost choked when she saw Angel standing in the doorway trying to get in. For a brief second he looked confused, but as Buffy spoke Willow saw the cruel smile twist on his lips. His dark eyes met hers and he nodded ever so slightly, as if understanding what she had done. As Buffy slammed the door in his face Willow suddenly felt foolish standing on the stairs holding an ancient book written in Latin. Joyce Summers looked dazed, confused and slightly horrified as she looked between the two teenage girls.
"Erm…Willow could you please give us a few moments?" Without waiting for her to answer Joyce turned to her daughter. "Upstairs. Now." Willow scuttled into the sitting room and sat down; she felt sorry for Buffy but knew she wouldn't be able to help her. Unable to sit still for long Willow jumped up and looked out the curtains but there was no sign of Angel, was he really gone or was he lurking somewhere in the shadows? As she sat back down someone knocked on the front door and she jumped. Surely it couldn't be Angel? Would he be so foolish as to knock on the door? If she answered it would it count as an invitation? Get a grip! She scolded herself forcing herself to walk to the door, the book still clasped in her hands. Somehow she felt safer with it, as if it were a talisman.
"Willow? Hi." Giles was evidently just as shocked to see the redhead as she was to see him.
"Hi, come on in." She smiled unable to help the relief which was coursing through her. Everything seemed safer with Giles around. "Here's the book." She stepped back to let him in as she relinquished the book, suddenly feeling vulnerable.
"Yes, I should do my apartment tonight. Did the ritual work out all right?"
"Oh, yeah. It went fine." She paused and looked up the staircase, "well…it went fine up until the part where Angel showed up and told Buffy's mum that he and Buffy had…" she trailed off blushing furiously, "well, you know, that they had…they had…you know…" Horror swept over her as she realised she might be betrayed Buffy, "uh…you do know, right?"
"Oh…yes. Sorry." Giles shifted looking slightly uncomfortable but Willow felt relieved that she hadn't betrayed Buffy.
"Oh, good. I just realised, that being a librarian and all, maybe you really didn't know –"
"No thank you, I got it." Giles smiled briefly and looked past Willow's shoulder and up the stairs.
"You would have been proud of her though! She totally kept her cool." She saw that Giles was still standing outside, looking torn between stepping in or going back to his car. "Okay…well, I'll tell Buffy you stopped by…" She moved to close the door thinking that perhaps he was in a rush to go somewhere.
"Wait! Do you think I should perhaps…intervene on Buffy's behalf with her mother? Maybe say something?"
"Sure! Like what would you say?" Willow smiled teasingly, the image of Giles trying to explain the situation to Buffy's mum almost made her giggle. She was sure it would make Buffy laugh…
"Well…for instance, I could say…that is…" Giles caught the laughter in her eyes and sighed. "So you will tell Buffy I dropped by then?"
"You bet. As soon as she comes back down from talking with her mum." She was about to close the door when she remembered Angel's scorn the night Giles had dropped her off at home. She stood in the doorway and waved as he drove away, only retreating once his car had disappeared from sight. It wasn't much longer before Buffy and her mum emerged back downstairs, Willow looked apologetically at Joyce. "I – I'm sorry I know I should leave but…"
"Nonsense Willow!" Joyce smiled and gestured for her to sit back down. "With Angel outside I would feel much better if you stayed inside. Perhaps you should stay over tonight?"
"Thank you," Willow smiled as the relief flooded through her. "Are you okay?" She looked at Buffy who smiled weakly and nodded.
"Men…mistakes," she sighed and ran a hand through her blonde hair. She hugged her mum as Joyce turned to start the dinner before sitting beside Willow.
"Giles dropped by, he wanted to intervene on your behalf." She said the last part in an imitation-Giles voice and couldn't stop the smile breaking out across her face. Buffy giggled at the thought.
"Thank you for stopping him – that would be one humiliation too far I think."
"So…was it horrible?" Willow asked, she couldn't imagine having that conversation with her own mother. Then again her mother barely acknowledged her existence.
"It wasn't too horrible." In the next room they heard the phone beginning to ring. "I'll get it," Buffy called out to her mum and Willow followed her into the next room. "Hello? Giles! Hey, we finished the sp –" Willow watched as the laughter flickered out of Buffy's eyes, her mouth dropped open and her grip slackened on the phone. She slid began to slide down the wall slowly, clearly in shock. "What?"
"Buffy?" Willow asked reaching out to take the phone. "Giles?"
"Willow." Giles' voice was weak, "Angel…he's…he's killed Jenny." She felt as if she had been punched in the stomach. "What? No…oh no!" Joyce appeared in the doorway, seeing Buffy slumped on the floor and Willow holding the phone and crying hysterically. "Willow!" Willow dropped the phone as Joyce gathered her into her arms and stroked her hair gently. "My god, Buffy, what's wrong? Has something happened?"
"Ms Calendar…she's…" Willow couldn't finish the sentence, guilt and grief washed over her. Why Ms. Calendar? What had she ever done to him? She buried her face into her hands trying to stop herself from hyperventilating.
"Dead," Buffy whispered forcing herself to stand up and wrap her arms around Willow and her mum.
"She can't be…he couldn't…" Willow sobbed, "he wouldn't." Her legs turned to jelly and she felt herself guided to the settee by Buffy and Joyce. "Giles – we have to go to him."
"No. Girls I am sorry but you cannot go outside…"
"We'll get Cordelia…mum we have to go make sure he's okay, that he doesn't do something stupid!"
"Oh god," Willow squeaked. Would Giles go after Angel? Surely he wouldn't be so foolish? Giles was the calm one of the group, the one who knew everything. He would know that going after Angel would be a suicide mission! As Joyce stood up to make drinks Willow looked desperately at Buffy. "We shouldn't have left her alone…I should have…" Was this her fault? She had been so worried about Angel telling her she was marked she'd barely thought of anything else. "We should have protected her," Willow sobbed.
Once she had regained her composure Willow and Buffy called Cordelia and Xander, the drive to Giles' was tense and silent. The air heavy with grief and disbelief, had any of them really expected this? They knew Angel had reverted to his former ways, the stunt he had pulled with the Judge had proved that. He had no humanity; he no longer cared about them – if he had ever cared about any of them. They had faced vampires before, almost been killed by several, but for Angel to now be the possibility of their death. It was too surreal.
"All his weapons are gone," Willow felt numb as they stepped into the trashed front room of Giles' apartment.
"But, I thought he kept his weapons at the library." Cordelia's voice was hopeful and Willow briefly felt a small spark of hope.
"Those are his everyday weapons." Xander sighed, "These were his "good" weapons. The ones he only breaks out when company comes to visit."
"So…it is what we were afraid of. Giles isn't here…" She looked over at Buffy who was slowly walking down the stairs, her eyes blank and her face pale.
"He'll go to wherever Angel is." Buffy looked at the trio, her hands clenching into tight fists. Willow felt a fresh wave of grief, what if Giles had gone after Angel? To lose Jenny and Giles in one night…Angel wouldn't kill them both would he?
"That means the factory, right?" She asked quickly, hoping that they might not be too late.
"So, Giles is going to try to kill Angel then…" Cordelia voiced the thought everyone was thinking. Willow was halfway out the door when she heard Xander's bitter words.
"Well, it's about time someone did."
"Xander!" She cried turning to look at him shocked, how could he say that about Angel? He was one of them! No…he's not Willow! She tried to remind herself, he's killed Ms. Calendar…he's sworn you're marked… but it wasn't his fault was it? He didn't have a soul!
"I'm sorry. But let's not forget that I hated Angel long before all of you guys jumped on the bandwagon. So, I think I deserve something for not saying "I told you so" long before now. And, if Giles wants to go after the… fiend who murdered his girlfriend, I say "Faster, Pussycat. Kill. Kill." Willow shook her head unable to believe the hate that was spewing from Xander's mouth. Is this what they had been reduced to? Full of fear and loathing for the man who had once been a central part of their group? How many times would they have been killed without Angel's help?
"You're right." Buffy's voice was deadpan, completely void of emotion.
"What?!" Willow shook her head wanting to hit them, why was no one seeing sense? They couldn't kill Angel! They had to help him! But more importantly they had to stop Giles!
"There's only one thing wrong with Giles' little revenge scenario."
"What's that?"
"It's gonna get him killed." Buffy strode from the apartment and three stared after her before quickly following her back to Cordelia's car.
Cordelia was driving so fast that Willow couldn't even put her seatbelt on, gravity pinned her back into the seat and she felt her nails dig into Xander's jeans as the car lifted on two wheels. She wanted to plead with Cordelia to slow down, but that might cost them Giles' life. They screeched to a halt in the factory car park.
"Wait here." Buffy commanded them, "I am serious guys I do not want to have to be responsible for you as well." She slammed the car door leaving the three sitting in silence.
"We can't just sit here," Willow squeaked, "we have to do something! What if they're outnumbered?"
"Buffy's been outnumbered before, remember when we were locked in that underground club?" Xander tried to reassure her but he was already climbing out from the car. Willow nodded but the thought did little to reassure her, that time had been different. She hadn't been up against Angel at that point.
"What if it's a trap?" Cordelia called out, "what if they're just waiting to slaughter us all? An all-you-can-eat-buffet?" She jumped out the car and looked around helplessly. Willow sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose; the air was thick with the scent of bonfire.
"Can you smell that?" She turned to look at the factory, to see the thick flames spewing from the shattered windows and the flames licking at the sides. A figure was running towards them, supporting a limping and slumped figure. "Buffy!" She cried running forwards. Before the three could reach the slayer and watcher they watched in horror as Buffy turned and hit Giles squarely in the face, shouting at them. Her voice was raw with grief and Willow longed to embrace her friend.
Willow sat at Ms. Calendar's desk, staring at the blank screen. The lesson plan Ms. Calendar had drawn up was open in front of her, had it only been yesterday she had eagerly thought she would take over the class? She remembered the wave of disappointment she had felt when she'd realised Ms. Calendar had not been late, that she had spent hours planning the lesson for nothing. A wave of guilt washed over her, how could she have been so selfish? She blinked back tears as the first of the students trickled into the room. She picked up the lesson plan and stood up.
"Principal Snyder has asked me to fill in for Ms. Calendar, until the new computer teacher arrives…so, I'm just going to stick to the lesson plan that she left…" She set the lesson plan back down, her hands brushing against something thin and cold but she didn't notice as the object fell off the desk. When everyone was logged on to their computers she sat back down and stared at her own screen blankly. She couldn't muster up the energy to focus on what she was meant to be doing. Giles had said Ms. Calendar had been working late…had she been murdered here? In this room? Why? What had she been doing? Instinctively Willow pulled open one of the desk drawers, her heart stopping at the sight of the all too familiar envelope which stared up at her. With trembling hands she pulled the envelope from the drawer and unfolded the parchment inside. She bit back the scream which threatened to break free. On the parchment was a sketch, frighteningly lifelike. She was staring at herself, the phone clutched in her hands and her face twisted up in grief. She flipped it over to find three words elegantly scrawled on the back;
You're next, Willow.
