Chapter Four

          It was a bad idea, an extremely bad idea, but it was the only idea they had. So the idea became the plan and their defense became their bait. Laurel had eagerly stepped into command mode and gave orders like she'd been doing it all her life. It was during such times, when the gang was in the middle of a crisis that the brown-headed Slayer so reminded Willow of Buffy who had always switched from teenage girl to saver of the world just as quickly and with just as little thought.

          It was in Laurel's blood, the urge to step up and take control of the situation and she did it with grace and ease. It was her destiny to plot the destruction of her enemies and voluntarily place herself at the greatest risk and Laurel did so with dignity. It was Laurel's birth right to be instinctual and tactful and she did it with savvy. Despite having been given the burden of carrying the world upon her shoulders and the gifts to balance it Laurel was humble and for that Willow deeply admired the young Slayer.

          Through the morning and into the evening the Scooby gang drew out a strategy – bickering, disagreeing, arguing. All the while Willow sat in silence and prayed for the strength to do what was asked of her. It was the thought of facing Angelus that frightened Willow, not Angelus himself. Willow had long since ceased to fear the sadistic man who had once so plagued her. And though she'd never admit as much allowed Willow found herself admiring Angelus for his patient, calculating and utterly brilliant mind and Willow was never fool enough to underestimate him.

          Angelus was dangerous, yes, but so was Willow.

          "Okay," Laurel yawned, stretching her stiff back. "So everyone understands what it is they're supposed to do?"

          There were nods and the Scooby's meeting was dismissed.

          While she and Spike walked back to their apartment Willow thought through the plan in her mind, over and over again. Giles and Wesley were going to cast a spell in order to draw Angelus' thoughts towards Willow, hopefully without him realizing his mind was being manipulated. In the meantime, Cordelia and Xander were to get word spread through various demon contacts, via subtle hints, that Willow was growing weak in thanks to the psychic attacks of a Kaysha demon and, to boost, left relatively unguarded by her friends who were busy trying to defeat the demon. Laurel and Spike, when the time came, were to persuade a couple of Angelus' minions to deliver a message to Angelus, without giving up who sent it, and pass on to Angelus Willow's locket, which held a picture of Buffy and never left her neck, to convince him that Willow truly was defenseless and unguarded and ripe for the picking.

          It was a bad idea but Willow never argued against it.

          "Words spreading fast," Spike announced a week later stepping into Giles' apartment. "Demon underground is all abuzz with the news that Willow may be down for the count." To the demon world Willow was the alpha enemy, even more so than Laurel herself, because it was Willow that guided Laurel and influenced the young Slayer as to her decisions. Willow was the brains of the Scooby operation and vulnerable only to Angelus which, Willow knew, meant Angelus was well aware of the rumors and, if Giles and Wesley's spell had worked correctly, had bent his every thought to how to claim the redheaded witch.

          Phase one was complete and it was now time to move on to phase two: bait and lure.

          "Message delivered," Laurel and Spike returned from patrol the next night. "Smearing your blood over the locket was a good idea. The vamps picked up the scent before we got anywhere near them. Angelus is searching for you Wills."

          "Then let's not disappoint him," Willow said flatly.

          Willow was positive that Angelus' minions had taken note that Willow was privy to strolling the park, alone, almost every night and had reported such information back to Angelus. It must also be known, Willow thought, that as of late her strolls had become more frequent and she often muttered nonsense to herself while she walked – courtesy of the demon that was draining her of her mind. Willow also knew Angelus believed the lure the gang had set because since the rumor had been circulated she often felt the presence of at least two vampires following her in the shadows. Angelus was stalking her and it was only a matter of time before he made his presence known.

          "Hello, my love."

          Her heart stopped and her blood turned cold. She felt her body begin to tremble and doubted, for a moment, if she had the strength to follow through. His voice purred and fell like silk over her and Willow felt powerless to refuse him. For two years Willow believed she had overcome her weakness for him; believed herself immune to the smooth charm he dangled before her eyes. But she wasn't.

          Finding herself unable to move Willow closed her eyes and tried not to respond to his light touch upon her shoulder. Fingertips cold as ice against her flesh; breath sweet and chilling caressing her cheek; lips possessing and teasing set upon her neck. She felt herself melt beneath his touch and barely heard her own voice murmur his name, "Angelus."

          Images flashed in her mind. Images of a time long ago, a time she tried so hard to forget. A time when Angelus had possessed her, body and mind. Two years had it been since Willow last felt his touch or heard his voice. Two years since she craved that touch and that voice. It flooded her mind, standing there looking into his eyes, a past she despised herself for.

          Angelus had kidnapped Willow only days after Buffy's defeat and held her captive for three months before releasing her. Willow had told her friends what she knew they wanted to hear and kept to herself the truth. Angelus had seduced the young redhead and though Willow refused his advances in the beginning her immunity to Angelus slowly faded until she could do nothing but given in to him.

          And there is where it began.

          Angelus never hid from Willow his true nature and Willow never diluted herself in thinking him other than what he was: evil. But as time slipped by Willow stopped desiring a tender love and, after a time, found pleasure only through the pain. Angelus had claimed Willow and broken her then pieced her back together as he saw fit. Willow soon became his masterpiece and he grew to treasure her.

          But there was one thing Angelus desired as much as he did Willow and that was the destruction of the Slayer and her friends. He spent hours describing to Willow how he would destroy the Scooby's one at a time, torturing and enslaving them until they were nothing but hollow shells of human beings in his control. Willow wept to hear such things and begged Angelus to silence his words but Angelus would simply laugh and strike Willow across the cheek, telling her to keep her mouth shut. So, Willow was subjected to such torture night after night until she finally began to accept them as inevitable facts and fell still deeper into Angelus' control.

          All this Willow thought herself rid of. She thought herself stronger than she was before but a single word spoken by Angelus and Willow was once more putty in his hand but this time, she didn't care.