Chapter 6

Angelus had heard her run the bath water over an hour ago. He hadn't heard a sound since. He had already slipped on a pair of sweats and had been pacing the room since she had fled from him. He didn't understand what had happened. He needed to get her to open up to him. He needed to know what made her so scared all the time. Making his decision he knocked on the door, "Buffy baby open the door please." She didn't respond so he felt the only way would be to threaten her. "Open this door or I will break it down," he said as unthreateningly as he could manage. He tried the door knob and miraculously it was unlocked. He wondered when she had unlocked it, but it didn't matter. He quickly entered the bathroom and found her huddled in the bathtub scrubbing herself vigorously. He gently touched her and noticed how cold she was. He tested the water and it too was cool. He reached into the tub and pulled the chain to the drain plug. Buffy snapped up as she heard the sound of the water draining. Angelus grabbed a towel and pulled Buffy to her feet. He wrapped her in it and carried her out to the bed. "You're freezing," he admonished as he then wrapped a blanket from the bed around her.

For a long time Angelus just sat there holding her huddled form in his embrace. He listened to her cry and it broke his heart that he had caused this. He didn't know why she was crying, but it had to do with him. Finally he listened as her sobs ebbed. He kissed the top of her head then laid down bringing her with him. "Baby? Please talk to me," he said his voice full of despair. Buffy peered up at him, "I'm sorry… I… I'm gonna go home now." Angelus hated that she always ran. "Buffy how are you suppose to get over this if you keep running from it? Tell me what happened to you. Who hurt you?," he asked her as he held her close to him. He heard her sobs renew and her body began to shake. "Back at my old college," he heard her whisper, "my boy friend. I wasn't ready… and he…" Angelus listened as she broke into another wrack of sobs. "He forced you?," Angelus asked pushing her to go further. Buffy shook her head yes, "I was… well… it was my first time. It hurt so much." Angelus clenched his jaw at the thought of someone doing that to Buffy or any girl for that matter.

Buffy had cried for a long time before finally falling asleep. Angelus paced the room wondering what to do. He didn't know much about Buffy before she came to Sunnydale. He knew her step-father lived in England. She never talked of her biological father. He also knew her mother had died just before she graduated high school. Now he knew that she had been raped of her virginity by her ex-boyfriend. Angelus seethed in anger from this knowledge. Any boy who raped a woman or hurt a woman was lower then dirt according to Angelus. Angelus pushed his angry thoughts from his head as he heard Buffy stir awake. He quickly un furrowed his brow and sat down on the bed. He smiled at her lovingly and pushed her unruly hair from her face. "How are you baby?," he asked his voice thick with concern. Buffy closed her eyes and shook her head yes then sat up. "I… sh… I should go," she stammered out as she got up from the bed and grabbed her things. "You don't have to. You're always welcome here," he called after her as she fled his room.

Willow was worried about her friend. Once again she was plagued with nightmares and she refused to see Angelus. Buffy had given her strict orders not to let Angelus in or tell him anything about her or her whereabouts. However, Willow was on her way right then to his frat house. She would get to the bottom of this if it was the last thing she did. She rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer the door. Finally a boy wearing nothing but a diaper answered the door. "Um… hi… I'm looking for Angelus?," she said trying to hold in her laughter. "Yes, mistress, follow me, mistress," the boy stated as he took her up the stairs. Willow banged on Angelus' door and he flung it open letting out a sigh, "Sorry I was hoping you were Buffy, come on in Willow." Willow smiled then walked into his room that was more like an apartment.

"What did you do to her Angelus?," Willow blurted out getting straight to business.

"I didn't do anything, well I mean, I didn't mean to," he started to explain.

"All I know is she came running in last week crying and now she's having those damn nightmares again," Willow fumed.

"Has she told you about her last college?," Angelus questioned.

"No why should I know something?," Willow asked.

"I shouldn't tell you, but she won't let me anywhere near her," he said frustrated.

"Tell me and maybe I can help," Willow offered, "I won't tell her you told me. I mean I'm not suppose to talk to you either so your secret is safe."

Angelus looked up at the red head then back down at his hands. He figured Willow was the closest person to Buffy and maybe she would be able to help. He had to get Buffy back it was killing him not having her in his life. Finally he looked up with his eyes filled with sorrow and began to speak.

"A few weeks ago well I got back from classes and Buffy was here. She had set up this whole romantic thing and well we… well," Angelus began to stammer at the intimate detail.

"You slept together, now get on with it," Willow said exasperatedly.

"Well in the middle of it she began to scream for me to stop," he said his eyes tearing up at the memory.

"You raped her!," Willow screamed jumping to conclusions rather quickly.

"No! I would never I stopped right away. She just freaked and ran to the bathroom and I finally pulled her out after an hour. She just cried and cried and I held her," Angelus explained.

"You stopped so why doesn't she want to see you?," Willow pressed not really understanding everything.

"It took me some time, but I got her to tell me what was wrong. Willow she was raped at her last college. Even worse it was by her boyfriend and she was a virgin," Angelus said shaking his head still not wanting to believe it was true.

"So the nightmares, and you two… Oh my… she never told me," Willow stammered out shocked at what she had just learned.

"Willow you have to help me. I just need to talk to her. I know if we talk things could be better," he said burying his face in his hands.

"I'll see what I can do," she said standing up, "and Angelus why was that guy wearing a diaper?," Willow asked.

"Rush week," was all he said as he walked into the bathroom.