Chapter 7

"I...I can't leave. Not with Tara." Willow stuttered out.

"Well she's my childe and I won't let her leave." Angelus stated in a cold tone. The trap to keep Willow willingly was sprung and it was working beautifully.

"You didn't even want her! Please Angelus...let me take her...I'll take good care of her. You know I wouldn't hurt her...I need her." Willow pleaded.

Angelus leaned forward, "Come on Willow! You wouldn't be able to protect her...she's just a fledgling right now and doesn't know any of the rules. It's my job to teach them. It's also the best part of being a sire. All of those lessons...rewards...punishments...it's the kind of stuff a demon can only wish for. If you took Tara back to Sunnyhell...where does that leave little 'ol me?".

"You're being unreasonable!" Willow shouted.

On his way out of the room, Angelus smirked, "Life's a bitch ain't it!".

Turning her head in disgust, Willow looked towards the bed only to see Dru's head swimming under the covers. Tears were once again flowing freely as Tara moaned in obvious pleasure. Willow felt bile rise up in her throat, singeing its walls. Suddenly, she went running out of the room in search of a toilet where she could wretch out what little contents she had left in her stomach. Willow did exactly that when she found a room hidden in a dark corner of one of the many dimly lit hallways.

Inside the bathroom, Willow lay silently on the cold tiles of the floor. Her mind was blank other than the feeling of helplessness. She couldn't fully use her magic; the consequences were just too high. Willow couldn't call Buffy, the First Evil was more important than some psychotic demon ex-boyfriend. Slowly, her mind was checking off all of her dearest friends who couldn't help her when she needed them the most...Spike...he was the only one left.

Angelus watched with pure amusement. How ironic! There she was crying in pain over all that Angel did, lying on the floor of...none other than soul boy's dank little room. Of all the places she could have chosen, she went straight to his room. Suddenly, he realized that she was moving and was out the door of the room. Suspicious, Angelus continued to follow in her shadow, revelling in her ignorance of his presence.

Willow moved quickly and quietly through the darkened halls and took a deep breath before she made her way down the steps to the basement. As she surveyed the dark room, it reeked of death. She felt around for a switch and suddenly the entire area was illuminated.

"Oh Goddess..." Willow cried out as she got a closer look at the shredded and blood soaked bodies of Angel Investigations. One, in particular, sent disgusting chills down her spine. It appeared to be Wesley only flayed. Layers of his skin were peeled back and some wounds were still seeping blood. Willow remembered that she had done the same to Warren and wanted to vomit.

"Willow?" a voice meekly croaked out. Willow's gaze followed the pile of bodies that led to the foot of Cordelia.

"Oh !" Willow gasped out. She wanted to sob at the once cocky cheerleader who now looked broken.

Cordelia looked down at her friends, "Make them stop, Willow...they're always staring up at me...with their eyes. I don't want to see them anymore...please make me stop seeing!" She began to thrash about wildly.

"Stupid bint." a voice startled Willow from behind. He continued, "She doesn't stop...rambles on and on and won't give it a bloody rest!". Willow looked to the opposite wall to see Spike chained similar to Cordelia. His shirt was ripped into thick pieces with bleeding welts on his exposed chest slipping through the partitions. She knew only Angelus would do that kind of damage and still keep him alive.

Willow wanted to help him but slowly that need was dissolved in anger. She soon remembered that it was Spike who had betrayed her and if she wanted out he certainly was not going to help her over his sire.

Stiffly she asked, "Spike, are you okay?".

"I'm sore but otherwise in ship-shape. No worries...my bloody sire wouldn't kill me...bastard loves to see me in pain." he answered with a hint of regret in his voice.

Willow looked at him with sadness and a tinge of pity. She remembered fondly, the point at which they had become friends and the unspoken trust they shared.

Turning away she yanked on the chains holding Cordelia, but they wouldn't budge. Finally, she chanted out a few syllables and Cordelia fell to the ground. Willow then rushed to help her up when she heard Spike, "Okay luv, do me next.". An icy glare was all he got as Willow and Cordy began to make their way past the bodies.

"Aww, come on Willow, he was just doing his duty! Why don't you help him out?" a familiar voice taunted.

"Come on, Cordelia! Move! We've got to get out of here!" Willow pleaded just before she saw Angelus emerge from the shadows. "Go away!" Willow shouted through her erratic breathing only to have Angelus caress a strayed lock of hair near her face.

"Baby, he's real sorry. He was only doing his duty to me" Angelus made a mockery of trying to soothe her.

Willow then became livid, "What about his duty to ME? I'm his friend! Normal people wouldn't sell their friends out to soulless bloodsucking vamps!". However, the only response she got was, "He's not normal people."

Willow, not having anything left to say, simply stood with Cordelia clinging to her body.

Finally breaking eye contact, Angelus shifted his attention to Cordelia, "Cordy...where are you going?" he mocked with concern.

"Home...I don't want to see anymore...and their voices...all day and night, screaming..." she spoke in a tortured voice and looked very much like a young child.

"Great! You've made her just as batty as Dru. Must you turn every seeing bint you meet into a wonky..." Spike blurted out before he was cut off by Angelus snapping his neck towards him, "She'll be fine.". Angelus then turned back to the escaping females.

Willow felt trapped against the glare with Angelus pinned her. She could almost swear that it was lustful but forced herself not believe that notion. Willow felt a knot grow inside her womb as she desperately tried to dismiss the notion of Angelus feeling anything other than hate for her.

"Willow, where do you think you were going to go with MY seer?" Angelus questioned even though he knew well what the answer was.

"Back home...you...kn...know, Sunnydale." she stuttered out.

"I don't think so." he firmly stated without smirking. There was a calming determination in his tone that disarmed Willow's senses.

"You don't need her...you have Dru...she sees..." Willow desperately tried to reason with and, at the same time, present some logic that might be to her advantage.

"True, but you can never have too many!" Angelus replied but quickly changed the tone of his voice when he saw Willow's somewhat defeated expression and caustically mocked, "Poor Willow, you should have left when you had the chance...".

Suddenly alarmed, Willow jerked her eyes up at him and questioned, "What do you mean??! I'm going...just let me have Cordelia, you don't need her..." . Her attempts almost seemed futile when trying to reason with Angelus but Willow couldn't leave Cordelia. She would go crazy and eventually die. It just didn't seem right allowing something like that to happen, especially, if Willow could prevent it. She wouldn't be able to live with herself.

"Deals off. You broke the agreement." Angelus stated bluntly as he grabbed Cordelia and made his way back to the chains on the wall.

"Angelus! No, please don't put her back there! She'll go crazy! She can't keep looking at...at their bodies like that!" Willow cried out as she ineffectually tried to tug at his unwilling arms. Cordelia squirmed and tried to wiggle her way out of his grasp but her struggle was useless. She mindlessly murmured and whimpered about stopping the voices in her head and the eyes looking at her.

Angelus finished chaining Cordelia up against the wall and sauntered towards Willow until he was only a breath away. "Compassion left with the soul; don't you ever forget that." he darkly stated. With that said he grabbed Willow by the shoulders and began to drag her up the stairs. As he did, she stole a look at Spike, who had oddly remained quiet during the entire scene. It was almost his way of showing silent obedience to his sire.

As softly as she could, Willow whispered out an incantation and suddenly the shackles fell from Spike's worn limbs and he was set free. Crying out, Willow pleaded, "Spike!! Help me! Please!" but in return; all she got was what seemed like a blank stare.

He wanted to help her but there was no way he could hurt Angelus. Spike mentally disconnected from the situation that was heartbreaking enough to make his undead heart pulse with sorrow. He needed to do this; he was in no shape for taking on Angelus because of the lashing he had recently endured by his sire. He watched almost helplessly as Angelus dragged Willow up the wooden staircase with little effort despite her thrashing arms and legs. Slowly but surely, her attempts ceased and the look of determination in her eyes was extinguished as they left the dank underground.

When they reached the bedroom suite, the expression on Willow's face was anything but placid. She looked tormented now and almost lost. Angelus suddenly turned to Spike who lurked behind them and warned, "Don't touch what doesn't belong to you." and left the room.

After growling, Spike turned to the trembling redhead sitting on the bed, "Willow ...I..." but was cut off by Willow, "Don't! Just...don't say anything. You're the Big Bad!...I finally get it.".

"No, you bloody well don't!" Spike muttered on in frustration.

"Hey! Don't you 'bloody well' me! This is all you fault! I would've never come here if it weren't for you and your 'feelings'! You brought me here knowing exactly what would happen! How could you lead me here knowing how scared I was?" Willow wailed as she tried to wrap her brain around Spike's betrayal.

"Oh no Red...don't you put the blame entirely on me! You're the one having dreams about the Poof! I didn't lure you here! Besides luv, you're the one who came to me!" Spike stated.

"Well...I could have avoided the dreams! I...I could have been avoidy-girl. Yep...and I would have been great...besides...I trusted you! Yah, you were the one who suggested coming here! I didn't want to be here!" Willow loudly countered, trying to reason aloud.

"Yeh...fine! But luv, you just don't get it! You can't ignore the bond!! Those dreams would have gotten worse and you would have physically craved him until either you succumbed to him or he found you." Spike informed.

"There is NO bond! I've never heard of a spell binding the performer to the subject!! It doesn't make any sense! I did research on the Gypsy's curse and it said NOTHING about any connection between the two. And...even if there was a bond...then it would be weak. Nothing compared to the one you and Angelus obviously have. You two share blood...we share nothing!" Willow desperately stated but more to justify the situation to herself than anybody else.

Spike responded by muttering under his breath, "Don't be so sure about that Red.".

Suspicious, Willow looked Spike in the eyes and openly questioned, "What is that supposed to mean?".

"You'll find out soon enough. After all, there's no escaping the inevitable." he said darkly.

"Great! Now you're cryptic-guy! Just what I need!" Willow puffed but soon became serious and quietly spoke, "Spike...I want to go home. I don't like it here.". Tears began to form and her chin trembled. Willow was scared. She didn't have any of her friends to help and for the first time she found herself at the centre of a situation that was completely out of her league.

There was also some underlying current that was racing through her body. It disturbed Willow immensely because she knew it was her magic. Slowly, her unused energy was building up and by using it twice already there was a dreaded relief that temporarily calmed her senses and relieved her of an ounce of that pressure. Too much pleasure was coming from the magic but now hardly seemed the time to worry about it. Willow was more focused on going home alive with Tara and Cordelia.

Spike moved closer towards Willow and gently brushed her cheek; she simply leaned forwards and placed her head on his chest. Instinctively, Spike wrapped his arms around the redhead.

"Spike...what am I going to do? I can't leave Tara or even Cordelia...how am I going to get us all out of here." Willow asked through her tears. Her moral dilemma was tormenting her brain.

"Luv, that's the least of your problems. Angelus has something planned for you. Until it's done...you're not going anywhere." Spike informed in way that almost seemed like a threat to Willow.

"I don't understand! Is...is he going to kill me?" Willow fearfully inquired.

"The exact opposite, luv." Spike answered with an obtuse tone.

Pushing away from him, Willow grew frustrated, "Why can't you ever give me a straight answer!? If you can't tell me what's going on...then maybe you should just leave!".

With that, Spike pulled back farther and regretfully made his way out the door. Willow stood alone in the cold room, surprised that he had actually left.