The Initiative base, secret room.

Willow was breathing hard as she hugged Buffy after admitted what she had done in Acathla's Hell. She felt Buffy holding onto her tightly; one hand on the back of her head, and another on her back. For Buffy, she was still in disbelief at what she had heard, she wanted to remember Willow as she was; the girl she had met in High School all those years ago, she didn't want to believe what Borzan told her about the torture and Willow's enjoyment.

But there was a part of her that knew it was true, a part that she was forcing aside… a part that she couldn't imagine that kept on shouting in her head that Willow tortured humans in hell, and that she enjoyed it. Buffy also knew that what Giles told them was true – they were never getting back the Willow that they had known in High School… she was gone. All Buffy could do was hold tight to her best friend now and help her through what was coming next; Buffy hadn't forgiven herself for not doing what she should have done to prevent all of this from happening in the first place; killing Angelus when she had the chance.

Buffy recalled being in despair, and enraged at Willow for hiding her powers.. she remembered tearing apart her room a few days after Willow's 'death', leading to Joyce slamming her room's door open to the sight of all of the blonde Slayer's belongings lying on the floor while Buffy herself fell on her knees sobbing. She kept on crying out, 'Willow shouldn't have done this… why did she leave me' as tears flowed down her cheeks with Joyce rushing towards her, and then hugging her.

And now after more than a year and six months, Buffy had Willow back; and the Slayer wasn't going to let Willow leave her again. Buffy pulled back and looked at Willow who turned away from Buffy, the blonde Slayer noticing a hint of anger in the white haired young woman's eyes just before she looked away, and wiped her eyes just as Faith returned with Tara and Giles. The both of them were rubbing the sides of their heads thanks to the feedback they experienced of having the spell that united all three of them to Buffy forcibly broken by Borzan.

"Tara," said Buffy as she looked back at her friend, who herself was looking at Willow who walked back to Borzan's body, "we need living fire to burn his whole body, including his armour, robotic parts, his organs, blood… it doesn't matter, everything that came out of Borzan needs to go."

"Got it," said Tara nodding her head as she rushed towards Borzan's body while slinging her backpack to her front, and then placing it on the floor after standing next to Willow. She got on one knee while Willow walked around Borzan's dead body, with Giles asking Buffy, who was still looking with a little bit of anxiousness at Willow, if she was alright.

"Ye… yea," she whispered looking back at Giles just as Faith rushed back to the main room where Xander and the others were calling for help.

"I'll go with them," said Willow as she glanced over at Tara who looked back at her and nodded her head. The white haired young woman then rushed past Buffy and Giles, following Faith out into the hallway and then into the main room. Faith was thrown a crossbow by Xander, who asked Willow if she was doing alright.

"Later," was the reply as Willow went over to the wall where she found a shotgun leaning against a wall just as there was the sounds of fists pounding on the door. She raised the weapon at the door when the metal shelf, that had been blocking the door from opening, was shaking. Eventually the shelf fell forward and hit the floor with a clang; then the door slammed open.

Faith and Xander fired their crossbows at the demons who were coming into the room one at a time through the doorway. At the same time as Faith and Xander were firing their crossbows, Riley, Graham, and Willow took up positions and fired their projectile weapons at the demons. The rounds pierced the bodies of the demons, together with the arrows from the cross-bows, and they fell on the floor growling in pain. The main room reverberated with the sounds of weapons fire while a stench of burning flesh wafted through the hallway from the secret room and into the one where the Scoobies were making their stand. The stench mixed with the stench of gun-powder as more demons fell one by one, with Willow using her telekinesis to snap some of their necks with reloading and then firing her shot-gun.

The demonic crowd at the door soon whittled down to just a few demons that quickly ran away to find easier targets around the base just as Buffy, Giles, and Tara rushed into the main room.

"We need to get as many people out," cried Riley as he rushed towards the door and then the hallway outside, which was strewn with dead bodies of both demons and soldiers.

And that what Buffy Riley, Graham, and then others Scoobies did.

The Scoobies had helped to rescue fifty soldiers from the base, sealing up the entire complex before being forced to make their way up the elevator shaft. With the entire base sealed up, the demons were forced to kill each other while the survivors, once they made their way up to the surface, contacted the military and reported in on what had just happened.

The Summers Residence, an hour after leaving the Initiative base.

Althanea, Jenny, Joyce, and Anya were all seated around the dining table in silent worry. They constantly looked at the clock on the wall, hoping to hear from either the Scoobies or Wesley, who was with Angel, and his team. The three of them were silent with Althanea's defensive shield covering the entire house in the event that any demon tried to attack them.

However, none did.

And it was ten minutes later that there was a call on the living room phone. Excitedly, hopeful that it was Buffy, Joyce raised her head up from looking down at the table and then quickly got up on her feet before rushing to the living room. Jenny, Althanea, and Anya followed her and waited with bated breath as Joyce picked up the phone.

"Wesley," she breathed, half in worry about why they hadn't heard from Buffy and the others, while the other half was relieved that she was hearing from an ally. She listened, and at the same time turned towards the other women, and relayed information to them that there were a few vampires that survived the explosion at the warehouse. However, Angel and his team had already taken care of them, "so you're on the way?"

Everyone looked on as Joyce nodded her head before telling Wesley over the phone that they still hadn't heard from Giles and the others. It was just then that everyone heard the sound of an engine going up the driveway. Joyce stopped what she was about to say while Jenny rushed to the front door, as did the others, with the phone receiver glued to Joyce's ear. They opened the door and watched as Willow and the others got out of the car, and then walked up the driveway.

"They're here, Wesley," Joyce's voice cracked slightly when she saw Buffy limping, along with Faith, and various bruises on Willow... a few cuts on Tara, Giles, and the others. Buffy limped over to Joyce and hugged her while the older blonde told Wesley that everyone was okay. She then handed the phone to Giles before wrapping her other arm around Buffy, and then Faith while Willow was holding onto Althanea.

"We should get inside," said Riley who was walking alongside Graham as they came up the stairs from the walkway onto the front porch. Graham then explained that the Army had told them to stay by Lowell house while a team was sent to the fraternity from the Army Base. He said that they had to make statements and then sign various forms before being allowed to leave; and that they would be interviewed again at a later date. Graham then signalled everyone to get in while Jenny and Anya brought out the first aid kits to treat the minor injuries.

It would be another hour later that Wesley would return with Lily and Doyle; with Angel, Gunn and his team, heading back to the Crawford Street mansion. Lily and Doyle welcomed Willow back before telling her that Angel didn't think that she wanted him there; it was something that made Willow nod her head before turning around and walking back into the kitchen. She heard the others talking about what happened, just as she reached the hallway, that led to the kitchen, in the rear of the living room. She walked through it - the voices from Buffy and the others seeming far away.

As she entered into the kitchen, memories flooded of her being beaten, and burned in the mansion. She remembered lying face down on a table sobbing while seeing Giles through tear covered eyes. The watcher was tied to a chair and trying to do everything he could to calm her down. Willow placed her hands on the kitchen island, and closed her eyes as she remembered the pain she experienced when Angelus forcefully entered her. Willow's body shook when she remembered the feeling of violation, betrayal, and fear that permeated her as she sobbed and cried out in pain while she was pressed down against that table.

Her hands, which were gripping onto the surface of the kitchen island, rolled into fists when she recalled Angelus' grunts, and Drusilla's clapping. Willow remembered that Spike was there… he had pushed Angel away, but he was there staring at her during her torture.

And Willow wanted to get back at them. Her heart was racing, and she felt heat rising up from her chest, to her neck and the back of her ears while imagining the pain she wanted to inflict.

With the battle against Borzan over, Willow was prepared to set her sights on the Vampire trio. She started to breathe hard while thinking about her rape and gritted her teeth together while closing her eyes. She felt her rage growing at being so helpless that day; rage against Angel for what happened to her, against Spike for watching while she was beaten and raped, and she was enraged against Drusilla for her role in the opening of the doorway to Hell.. and for the murder of Oz. There were so many thoughts going through her mind while she opened her eyes and stared at the wooden island top before turning her head to the voices heading for the dining room.

Willow then turned and walked towards the back door. She opened it just as Buffy entered the dining room with the others. However, the blonde Slayer saw the door closing, and together with Xander and Tara rushed to the backdoor. They were soon followed by Althanea and the others just as Willow stepped onto the grass, and then turned and looked out at them.

"Willow?" asked Althanea as the white-haired young woman looked back at her, "come inside, you need to rest, and then.."

"Not yet, Althanea," said Willow as she looked away from her mentor, and towards Buffy and the others, and back at Althanea, "we needed his help to beat Borzan, not anymore."

"Willow?" asked Buffy, "who are you talking about?"

"I know what you're thinking, Willow," said Althanea when she realized that Willow was letting her anger control her. She was the first to realize that Willow wanted to go after Angel, and she needed to try and stop her, "there's no one who is going to hurt you, and…"

"I can feel your anger, Willow," Tara said gently as she looked at the former redhead. Willow could feel Tara's calming effect as she slowly walked down the stairs, "I… I… can only guess…"

Willow stepped back; she knew that despite telling Buffy what happened to her in Hell… she still felt nothing. Ever since coming to Sunnydale, and knowing that Angel was in the city as well, Willow felt a quiet fear; a fear that slowly turned to rage. A rage that tried to fill an emptiness in her.

"You can't guess," said Willow as she looked at Tara, and then at Buffy, and finally at Althanea, "I have to do this."

"Willow," Althanea cried out just as Willow used her telekinesis to fly into the air, and then fly off towards the mansion. Buffy looked at the now empty sky, before turning to Althanea and Giles, telling them she knew where Willow was going.

"So do I," said Althanea and Lily together. The Los Angeles native then made a call to Angel using her cellphone while Buffy and the others rushed back into the house, and then out the front door. They got into the cars and then drove off, they needed to stop Willow.

Crawford Street Mansion, few seconds later.

"Gunn!" yelled Angel as he approached the table in the large living room where several bladed weapons and crossbows had been laid. They had just returned from killing twenty three vampires, all of whom survived the explosion and the sunlight, by taking shelter in several shaded areas under the rubble; digging themselves out once night fell.

"Angel?" asked Gunn as the vampire put his phone into his pocket, "take your team and get out of here."

"Gunn," said Angel, "that was Lily on the phone, Willow's on the way here and…"

The both of them heard the sounds of thumping outside their front door from the court-yard. A few of Gunn's team, who were around the table checking their weapons, picked up two swords and two crossbows, handing one of the crossbows to Gunn who aimed it at the front door which shook after someone was hit against it.

"Put your weapons down, and walk away," growled Angel as he glared at Gunn while, on the other side of the door, an enraged Willow used her telekinesis to fling two more people... a young man and woman, to a far wall which they hit and then crumbled down onto the floor.

"Willow."

The former redhead glanced at the image of Niko's mentor, Ariel, before turning back towards another member of Gunn's team who had pointed a gun in her direction. Willow mentally grabbed the gun, disassembled it, and then let the pieces fall onto the ground while running towards the older man and then, when she was close enough, jumped and turned in mid-air before performing a roundhouse to the side of his head. The man fell to the ground before Willow turned and mentally threw the last member of Gunn's team, all of whom had been relaxing in the front courtyard when she landed onto the grounds before lashing out at them, into the front door.. the woman landed next to the other young man she threw into the door only a few seconds ago.

Willow then looked at Ariel, who was looking back at her with a disapproving look on her face.

"Stay away, Ariel," said Willow as she strode towards the door.

"What would Niko say right now, Willow," said Ariel as Willow stopped and closed her eyes. She remembered the Galaxy Ranger, who she met right before the Halloween spell was stopped, and shook her head, "you're using everything she was for…"

Ariel then motioned to all the seven groaning bodies before turning back towards Willow once again.

"For this… for violence against people who didn't do anything; Willow, you lashed out with your powers," said Ariel in a serious tone of voice, a tone that Willow, with Niko's memories of her mentor scolding her, was familiar with, "it is something that the Circle of Thought frown upon… something that Niko herself would never do, and…"

"She never experienced what I did," hissed Willow at Ariel as she tried to pull the door open, but it was locked from the inside.

"No, she did not," said Ariel gently as Willow stepped back while screaming for Angel, "which is why you need to stop now. Willow, you're abusing your powers and… and I know what Angel did was unforgivable, but this isn't the way. There are laws, Willow. As a Galaxy Ranger, you know you can't take the law into your own hands."

"He sent me to hell," growled Willow at Ariel, "and you abandoned me."

"You forgot me, Willow," said Ariel gently while Willow was panting hard, "I'm a figment of your mind based on your knowledge of Niko's memories and experiences. When you forgot her, you forgot me… but I still know the unbelievable pain you experienced

"I haven't killed them Angel!" yelled Willow turning at the closed door, away from Ariel, as anger rose in her body, "But I will if you don't come out and face me! Come out!"

"Willow!" cried Ariel as Willow turned her head sharply back to her, "don't go down this path. You've gone too far in your recovery with the Devon Coven to do this. Please, stop."

"Willow," said a soft voice.

Willow turned her head towards the door once again, and saw Angel standing at the door. He looked at the other groaning members of Gunn's team, and then back at Willow. Upon seeing him in the flesh once again, upon seeing the look of sadness on his face, Willow flashed back to that fateful night. She felt an uncontrollable anger rising in her as she rolled her hands into fists.

"I did this to you, Willow," Angel softly said, regret heavy in his voice as he remembered that night – especially Willow's sobs and screams which permeated his nightmares, "don't kill them. This isn't you."

"I am your creation," growled Willow, her vision being covered in darkness, as she rammed a telekinetic blast into Angel, causing him to fly back, his arms flailing, into the mansion's living room while Gunn and the others got ready to attack, "I won't kill you now… not until I've had my fun."

TBC.