Chapter Six

Willow sat in the manager's office of The Bronze, surprised at the anti-climatic end to the night. Those who hadn't been slaughtered had been sent home, with the warning to not try and flee the town. A head count had been taken, names recorded, and threats issued. Willow wondered just how many would heed this warning, and tried not to dwell on what would happen to those who didn't.

Dawn was only an hour away, and the vampires were busy preparing the club for the day. Doors were bolted, windows blocked with tables nailed to the walls. The Master was touring the club, looking for an ideal place to bed down for the day.

"I think this room will suffice for the day," he gestured for the desk to be pushed back and Willow moved out of the way. "It's not like we are short on time," Darla laughed at this and began laying down blankets for makeshift beds.

"Will, what's wrong?" Xander moved to pull her close but she ducked from his grip.

"I - I have three more nights before…" she trailed off not knowing how to put into words what they had planned. "S - So that means four more days?"

"She can count," Darla teased and Willow blushed.

"Can I go home, please? To school and just…be normal?" The Master stared at her thoughtfully and Willow fought the urge to fidget, staring at him with what she hoped was a brave face.

"You fled last night," What did you expect? Willow wanted to reply.

"I won't again," she said instead and knew it was likely true. "Please, I miss my parents…and my fri-" She cut herself off, she only had two friends and one of them was in this room. She looked over at Xander but he wouldn't quite meet her eyes. "Jesse?"

"It was quick for him," Willow's stomach turned and she ran to a bin in the corner of the room.

"Tonight, Alexander will take you home to pick up a few items of clothing. You will come straight back here," The Master said as if she had not just emptied her stomach into the bin. "You will be allowed two more days of normality, but the nights you will come straight back here. Today you will rest here with us, you are hardly in a state to be going out." Willow looked down at her wrinkled clothes, realising for the first time it had been days since she'd changed them.

With tears stinging her eyes she picked up one of the blankets and curled up under the desk, ignoring the soft laughter at fear.

"Willow! Where have you been?" Willow flinched as her mum opened the door, no warm welcome or hug of concern. Annoyance. Although as she looked closely at her mother she realised she wasn't being entirely fair, there were dark circles under Mrs Rosenberg's eyes.

"Hi mum," she said sheepishly, stepping over the threshold.

"Hi Mrs Rosenberg," Xander waved from the doorway, a slight frown creasing his forehead as he found he couldn't step into the house. He had been warned of this, that he would need to be invited in, but Willow could see he had temporarily forgotten. "Can I come in?"

"Alexander?" She was so used to hearing her mum call Xander by his full name, but now it struck her; Xander was dead. Was he now just Alexander? "No, I'm sorry I don't think that's a good idea. Your mother is worried sick, have you not heard about last night at The Bronze?"

"No," Xander shook his head.

"Where have you both been?"

"We er…we can't really say," Xander shrugged and scratched his head. Mrs Rosenberg scowled at him.

"Go home Alexander Harris, your parents are beside themselves!" She slammed the door shut and turned on Willow, her face a mask of fury. "How dare you? Do you know how worried we have been? The police have looked everywhere for you, and now you turn up and make a joke out of this?"

"No, of course not!" Willow cried and suddenly wished she hadn't asked to come home. Why hadn't she planned what to say? "I'm sorry -"

"Sorry?" Her mother raged, "we heard on the news this morning there had been a gang attack at The Bronze, the police have been trying to get in all day but they're barricaded in. We thought you were dead, and you're sorry?"

"Mum please," Willow pleaded. She was realising this would be the last time she saw her parents, or at least her mother. "W - Where's dad?"

"He was called away to Chicago," she would have been hurt at the thought her father had left, but she was too relieved he wasn't in Sunnydale. "Go to your room Willow, you're grounded."

"I love you," she said, staring at her mother, but she could see she was too hurt for this right now.

"Go to your room." Blinking back tears Willow made her way to the back of the house and opened the door to her room. She could see Xander lounging on the window outside but she ignored him as she began packing a bag. She grabbed a piece of paper and quickly scribbled a note;

I'm sorry, please leave Sunnydale. It wasn't a gang attack at The Bronze but worse, please go to dad. I love you both.

She stared at the scrawled words and tucked it under her computer's keyboard.

"Willow, let me in."

"No." She said firmly. She heard him swearing outside but continued to ignore him, she stuffed clothes in with her textbooks and notepads, she packed a few days worth unsure of if she would even need them.

"Willow!" Xander shouted, she opened the large window and walked out, shutting it behind her. "Invite me in."

"No, we're done here." His face transformed into the monster's mask and although it struck fear through her she forced herself to smile.

"I'm not letting you in to harm my mother - and you can't kill me. Not tonight." He scowled at her and pushed her towards the pavement, keeping to the shadows they made their way back to The Bronze. Willow tried not to linger on the final encounter with her mother. She just hoped she would heed her warning.