2 days later

Leila sat at a long dining table littered with varying dishes and wine. Lining the walls were guards in silver armor, blocking the sunlight from the large windows. Xander sat opposite Leila – at the head of the table. His posture was poor, slouched back into his chair as he watched his glass, swirling the alcohol around in thought. He looked tired.

Leila's ankles were throbbing – they were still chained uncomfortably together and now were attached to her chair. She was commanded to wear a deep red satin gown; it hugged her curves uncomfortably with a tight neckline. She felt suffocated. She ate quietly; not looking up at her oppressor who seemed incredibly satisfied having her act so obedient.

"You're rather quiet today…" he noted, watching her with a careful gaze. He had finished most of his food, he simply sat watching her.

"What do you want me to say?" She asked him, taking a small bite of food. The flavors exploded in her mouth, extravagant spices and sauces combined to cultivate the most delicious aroma and sensations. It made her feel sick. She had never longed for Shachi's mediocre cooking more than that moment.

"It's just very unlike you…" He smirked, somewhat amused. "If this was 5 years ago you would still be screaming and kicking like a child. It's odd to see you so composed"

This made Leila flitter her eyes up to his, subtle ferocity concealed behind her golden eyes. "It's been a long time; have you considered you don't know what I'm like anymore?"

Xander chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Alas, my dear, I know you better than anyone"

Leila gritted her teeth and ignored him, finishing her food and taking a large sip of wine. She had no worries about him poisoning her – if it risked her livelihood he wouldn't do it. If he wanted to hurt her, he was not the type to do it discreetly, he would do as he liked. As she gulped down the earthy drink she tugged at her tight neckline as if on instinct – it had been a long time since she had felt such restrictiveness around her neck.

"That's reminds me…" He grinned wickedly, observing her subtle movements. "I'll have to find your necklace again"

Leila's eyes widened slightly.

"Maybe I'll put an actual lock on it this time – to stop you from always taking it off. Do you think then people will be able to see that you already have an owner?" He chuckled to himself, his idea of a brilliant joke.

"Why don't you just chain me like a dog?" She said monotonely, glancing down at her ankles. "Oh but wait, you already have…"

Xander sat up from the table suddenly and moved towards her. Leila remained unmoving, watching him closely. He walked up to her with long, powerful strides and set his firm hand on her small shoulder. She flinched slightly at his touch but moved her head away from him. Xander's hand quickly moved from her shoulder, snaking up to her throat to grasp it tightly. Leila gasped slightly as he moved her head back towards him, meeting her gaze. His fist clenched around her throat and Leila's hands moved up to grasp at him. It was as if he was trying to lift her by her throat. Her nails scratched at his hand painfully but he seemed to enjoy her struggling to catch her breath.

With a sudden clunk he released her and she clutched onto the table, gasping to regain her breath.

"You…FUCKING…maniac" She spluttered, grasping her chest as it burned from the lack of oxygen. He smiled.

A couple of months later

Leila's dress was ripped open to reveal her back littered with scars. She knew Xander would have made her life hell if she ever got caught again. Every day was like a new form of torture. One day he could inflict the most pain he could upon her – emotionally or physically. The next, he would barely interact with her, watching her from afar. She was constantly on edge. She was always being watched and was never sure what would come next. She thought that she would be used to the abuse – she had a whole lifetime of it after all. However, this time it was on a whole other level. She had been missing for 5 years, now that he had her in his grasp he would rather die than release her again.

She had held onto her drive, her fight and her ferocity for 17 years before she escaped. Law had showed her how to live when she didn't know how to. He had shown her the simple pleasures in life; waking up beside a loved one, drinking hot chocolate in the snow, slow dancing in the sunset and finding the small moments for yourself amongst the chaos. She had never known true happiness before she had found Law. After learning the other side of life, she had been thrusted back into her past, into the trauma and the darkness. It was near impossible for her to hold onto hope after that. Her eyes were becoming darker by the day, with less light behind them and less fight burning in her soul. She missed him. She missed everyone. She missed freedom.

To Leila, she knew she would never see them again. It was over. They had turned into happy memories, sandwiched between the darkest moments in her life. Sometimes, she wondered if it was all a dream.

In the dark underground room, Leila's ears pricked up as she heard a sizzle of fire. Her eyes widened and she turned to look behind her, seeing an illuminating flow from scorched red rocks and a branding iron resting against the pit. Xander had his back turned, fiddling with metallic sounding objects. Leila felt a pit resound in her stomach.

"N-no…" She whispered, her heart race picking up alarmingly. Xander turned slightly to glance down at her, but didn't respond or take much notice. "Xander I beg you" Leila urgently called out to him, looking up with her golden eyes weepy and lost. He cocked his head at her, almost confused.

"I don't understand. It hurts like a bitch, but once it's done, its done" He spoke to her emotionless, one of his hands grasping her shoulder to push her against the floor.

"You're a fucking psychopath…" She began to sob. "Please"

Xander's hands traced her shoulder blade, tutting in discontent. "I can't see properly with all this hair", lifting the long locks of her dark hair and examining it closely. Leila didn't respond, her gaze fixated in front of her. He removed a medium blade and within an instant, severed her long hair. Locks of the ebony strands fell onto the floor, leaving her with an uneven bob.

She didn't even flinch.