Title: What I Want

Summary: Angelus always gets what he wants...and what he wants is Willow.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Buffy or Angel characters. I wish I did, but unfortunately, that's not how reality works...

Author’s Note: I know that he hasn’t been Angelus for a long time, but I just started writing fanfic and I really wanted to write a Willow/Angelus story. So this is supposed to be set back then. Okay, I think that’s it.

Rating: PG-13

***

Willow, Xander, Cordelia, and Buffy had gone to the Bronze. Buffy was still depressed about Angel, and Xander and Cordelia fought practically the whole night. Willow decided she'd had enough *fun* and headed for home after convincing Buffy that she could get there on her own. She was almost home and was taking out her keys.

He had been watching her for weeks just waiting to make his move. She didn't even notice he was there until he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her to him, and put his hand over her mouth to muffle her scream. "You know, little one, it isn't very safe to go out at night all alone." He waited a beat before asking her, "Now, if I take my hand away, do you promise not to scream?" Willow nodded, so he removed his hand from her mouth. All she could manage to get out was a very hushed and scared, "Angelus." He barely even heard her. "Yes, that would be me."

"Please, let me go." The fear in her voice was evident. She definitely did not like the situation she was in.

"That's not the way it works," he said with a smirk.

"How does *it* work?" She tried to remain calm and not let him see her fear, but she was unsuccessful. <What does he want with me?>

"Well, you come back to the mansion with me, of course," he replied in a playful tone.

"What makes you think I'll go with you?"

He smiled mischievously and whispered, "What makes you think you have a choice?" With that, he knocked her unconscious.

***

Willow woke up, but she was not at her house or in her bed. She was in some strange place, in someone else's bed. Then she realized, <I'm at the mansion...in *Angelus'* bed.> She tried to sit up, but she became very dizzy. Her head hurt. <Angelus must have knocked me out.> She lay still for a few minutes before trying to get up again. This time she was successful.

She got off the bed and took in her surroundings. The room was sparsely furnished. The bed was big and had a canopy. The sheets were red silk. There were two dressers. They were very old, but nicely kept. The only other things in the room was a table with two chairs, an armchair in the corner, and a night stand right next to the bed.

There were three doors in the room. She decided to inspect them. She opened one. It was the closet. <A walk in...nice.> She went over to another door. It led to the bathroom. It dawned on her, <That means that door must lead....> She ran to the third door and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. <Damn! It's locked.> Then it occurred to her, <If I can float pencils, why can't I unlock a door?> She focused on the door knob. After few minutes, she heard a clicking noise indicating that she had been successful. She smiled to herself. <Wow....that was cool.> She opened the door and was ready to step out when someone was blocking her way. "Going somewhere, Red?" Angelus asked, amused.

Willow started to back away from him, very slowly. He looked on, the amusement evident on his face. "No...I was just..." she trailed off, not knowing what to say. <I can't tell him the truth. Definitely don't want to make the big, strong vampire that can kill me, angry.> He finished her sentence, "Trying to leave?" She didn't want him to get mad, so she tried to cover it up. "No, I wasn't. I was just...hungry...so I, uh, was going to see if someone would get me something to eat," she stammered out. <Right, like that's believable.>

As she talked, she backed farther and farther away. Eventually, she backed herself into the wall. "Aw...Poor Willow. Trapped are we?" She knew she didn't like this situation at all. She pleaded, "Please, just let me go. I don't want to be here."

"I'm sorry. Did I give you the impression that you had a choice?" He placed his arms on either side of Willow's head, his hands against the wall. She cowered down. She wished she could just blend into the wall so he couldn't see her. "Don't worry, Willow. I'm not going to hurt you..." He leant in to kiss her, but she ducked down and went under his arms so that she was no longer pinned against the wall.

She noticed he had left the door open and decided to make a run for it. She was almost to the door when a strong arm gripped her waist, roughly. "Unless I have to, that is."

"Please," she pleaded.

"You know, that wasn't very nice. Trying to leave. We were just talking." He pushed her behind him, not hard enough for her to lose her footing, but just enough for her to be distracted while he shut the door. "Now where were we? Oh, yes. Talking." Willow kept eyeing the door. He noticed so he informed her, "Trust me, Willow. You do not want to try that again...unless you want to make me angry. You don't want to make me angry, now, do you?" She shook her head. "Good....Now, I think we should start by setting some ground rules."

"Ground rules?"

"Yes, ground rules...Okay, rule number one, you do *not* try to escape again..." He stepped towards her. "Rule number two, you do *exactly* as I tell you..." He stepped closer to her again. "And rule number three..." He smiled down at her. "You belong to me now."

"I *belong* to you?" she asked doubtfully.

"I'm afraid so...So, do you understand the rules because I really hate to repeat myself."

Willow stared at him blankly for a minute. <Who the hell does he think he is? I *belong* to him? I don't think so. I belong to no one, let alone him.> She decided to tell him so, consequences be damned. "No. No, I don't understand. I don't understand any of this. I don't know why you want me, nor do I care. I don't know what is going on, either. The only thing that I know is I am not yours. I, in no way, belong to you."

Angelus grabbed her arms, which she had been waving in the air to emphasize her points. He pushed her back until she hit the wall, still grasping her arms. He raised them up above her head and pinned them against the wall. "I said I don't like to repeat myself and I meant it. You belong to me." He tightened his grip on her wrists, causing her to whimper in pain. "Make sure you understand that...I have to repeat myself again and you'll be sorry. Do I make myself clear, Willow?" He tightened his hold once again, to make sure she knew he wasn't kidding.

"You're hurting me," she said, a slight tremble in her voice. "Let go of my wrists." She tried to stay firm, but to no avail. Tears started to roll down her cheek.

He released his hold on her only to reach down and caress her cheek, wiping a tear away. "I don't wanna make you cry, little one. I want you to be happy. And you will be happy...with me."

She let a sob escape her throat. "How can I be happy with you? You're a killer. You're a vampire."

"Never stopped Buffy."

"Angel had a soul. You don't."

"And I don't want one either. The only thing I want is you. And what I want, I always get...one way or another."

Willow just stared at him. She was completely confused. She didn't understand any of this...maybe she didn't want to. In fact, she didn't want to think about it. If she did, she would realize just how much danger she was in, especially if she stayed here. As if reading her mind, he told her, "Willow, I know you are confused right now and probably want to go home, but you can't. Not while I breathe anyway. Well, actually, I don't breathe...but you get the point. We are going to be together...forever." Before she had a chance to reply...or retaliate, he wrapped his hands in her hair and captured her mouth in a kiss. At first, she didn't kiss him back, but she had no choice due to his...extreme insistence. After a few minutes, he pulled away, allowing her to breathe.

She just stared into his eyes, not saying anything...just staring, waiting for his next move. He smiled at her as he pulled her into his arms, inhaling the scent of her hair. "You smell like sunshine and daisies." He ran his hands up and down her back in a sensual manner. "You always smell like sunshine and daisies," he whispered into her ear.

She just stood, tense, as he began his seduction. She didn't know what to do...or rather, what she could do. She wasn't really a match for the vampire. She just stood in silence, staring into nothingness. He noticed she hadn't said anything, nor moved, so he whispered into her ear again, "Willow..." She didn't answer or even flinch so he whispered once again, "Willow..." When he once again got no response whatsoever, he moved the hair off her neck and placed a gentle kiss on her pulse point. She suddenly snapped out of her 'catatonic' state and flinched. "Finally. Where'd you go?"

"What? No-no where. I just...I can't be here. I need to go."

He whispered into her neck, "I thought we went over this, little one...You're not going anywhere." He kissed his way up from her neck, across her jaw, to her lips. This time she had no time to think, as she was swept up in the moment. He lifted her up and over to the bed, laying her against the pillows. He laid on top of her, leaning on his elbows so as not to crush her under his weight. He proceeded to nuzzle her neck. "Willow..."

She looked at him in response, still a little unsure of what exactly was happening. "Yeah?" she asked.

"I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to..." He placed a feather light kiss on her pulse point. "Is this what you want?"

She laid there, dumbfounded, for a moment. She didn't know what to do or say... <I can't really do this. Not with him of all people...actually he isn't a people...more of an un-people. Can someone really be an un-person? Focus... How can I focus with him doing that...> She thought as Angel ran his one hand up and down her arm as he softly...and surprisingly, gently kissed her neck. <Willow, you can't really do this. What the hell am I saying? I am not doing this.> She was going to protest, but while her brain told her no, her body was saying yes....and before she knew it, so was her mouth as she uttered the one, simple word Angelus wanted to hear, "Yes."

***

Willow woke up, finding herself wrapped in the arms of a muscular man....that man being Angelus. She thought she was going to hyperventilate. <What the hell did I do? Well, I know what I did...Why did I do it? I slept with Angelus...a vampire...a killer... Okay, think Willow. I have to get out of here...before he wakes up. I need to get home...where he can't get me.> She tried to extract herself from Angelus' arms. She was almost free when she suddenly felt his grip tighten and all the work she did to try to escape, wasted.

"You wouldn't be trying to leave, now, would you?" he asked in his usual seductive way.

She didn't know if she should lie or tell the truth...which would be worse. She opted to go with the truth. "Yes. I want to go home. Please, just let me go home," she pleaded with him, in the back of her mind, knowing that wasn't going to happen.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

"Can't? Or won't?" She obviously knew the answer to that one.

"It really doesn't matter because either way you are staying here."

"Please...I just want to go home," she told him in a soft whisper.

"No! That's the end of it."

Tears started to roll down her cheeks. All she wanted to do was be left alone...why did he have to be so stubborn? Why couldn't he see she didn't want to be there? Why did he have to pick her to obsess over? She started to get out of bed when Angelus grabbed her wrist. "Where are you going?" he asked in a stern tone.

She stared at him with cold, tear-filled eyes. "To the bathroom. Is that okay with you?" she asked sarcastically.

He ignored the sarcasm. "Yes. It's fine." He released his grasp.

Willow looked around the room for her clothes, which were no where in sight. She turned back to Angelus. "Where are my clothes?"

"Oh, well, I figured, since you really weren't going to be leaving the room, you wouldn't be needing them." He grabbed a white silk nightgown out of the night stand drawer next to the bed. "Here, you can put this on. It will be much more comfortable."

"I was actually very comfortable in *my* clothes. I'd like them back."

"But those clothes were so..."

"Conservative?" she mumbled, looking at how small the gown appeared to be.

"Exactly. They were no fun."

"Well, maybe not for you, but I like them."

"Too bad it only matters that I don’t."

"Whatever," she said as she quickly put on the nightgown before removing herself from the sheet. She practically ran to the bathroom and slammed the door shut. She locked it behind her and leaned against it. "I am never going to get out of here. God, why did this have to happen to me?" she thought out loud. She suddenly felt the urge to take a shower, so she ran the water, undressed, and got in.

Meanwhile, Angelus sat up in bed, thinking about everything that had happened. Willow was turning out to be more fun than he thought...He loved her. She just needed to understand that. She also needed to understand that she belonged to him...completely. Once she realized what that meant, the better it was for her and less challenging for him. She was his and that meant he had to know everything she did, everywhere she went, everyone she talked to...once he let her out, anyway. Until then, the only person she would talk to, or even see, was him...at least it better be...or he'd have to kill them...But Willow would never do that. She would be loyal, loving, and most importantly...obedient. She would never even think of cheating on him...not if she ever wanted to see the outside world ever again. That was another issue...the outside world. She would want to leave eventually, if not now. Someone could only be inside for so long before they went insane. Then again, she would have him to entertain her... Focusing. He would have to be sure that she would definitely come back if he let her out alone because if she didn't...

Willow came out of the bathroom, dressed in the gown, her hair wet and skin pale. She walked over to the table and sat down, not even looking at Angelus as she did so.

He smirked at her actions. Just because she tried to ignore him didn't mean he was going to just go away. But it was cute that she tried. He got out of bed, put on his pants, and sat down at the table, opposite Willow. "You can try and ignore me, but it won't do you any good. The only thing it might accomplish is making me angry. Is that what you want?"

"The only thing that I want is to go home." Tears started to roll down her cheeks. "When can I go home?" she asked as if she were a child.

"You can't go home...not yet."

"What do you mean not yet? You will let me go?"

"Yes, eventually...when I can trust you enough to come back."

The tears started to come faster now. "Come back? I don't want to be here in the first place and you think I'd come back."

He wiped some of her tears away, which were just replaced by more. "You wouldn't have a choice, little one. You're mine and I'm never letting you go. If I don't think that you will come back, then I won't let you leave. And if I do and you don't, I'll just come looking for you. And we'll have to start all over. It would be a lot longer before I began to trust you again...meaning a lot longer before you could leave again."

She stared into his eyes and could tell he was serious. "What about when that day comes?"

"Well, you'll go to school during the day and come right her after."

"What about my friends?"

"What about them?" He smirked. She gave him a look telling him she was serious. "Fine. You can hang out with your friends, but you will come here after."

"What if it's late and I just want to go home?"

"You won't. You will be staying here at night."

"What about my parents? They will notice I'm not there."

"Willow, I know that your parents are barely ever home. And even when they are, they aren't very attentive. They won't notice."

She didn't like this. She would have basically no freedom. "What if I want to sleep at my own house?"

"It doesn't matter because you're not."

"What about until then? My friends are going to know something's wrong."

"Well, we're going to take care of that." He went over to the night stand and took a cell phone out of the drawer. <He has a cell phone? I could have been out of here yesterday if I knew that!> He handed it to her. "Call Buffy's house and leave a message on her machine. She's out shopping with her mother."

<How does he know where she is? Knowing him, he's probably got people watching her.> She dialed the number and let it ring. Angelus was right. She wasn't home. The machine picked up. "Buffy, it's Willow. Sorry I forgot to call last night, but when I got home I sort of...conked out. Anyway, I'm not feeling well so I'm just gonna stay home today and rest. It's nothing too serious, I just don't want you guys to catch it. I'll call you later. Bye." She hung up the phone and handed it to Angelus.

He smiled at her. "Very good." He put the cell phone back in the drawer. "Before I forget, I'm going hunting tonight. I shouldn't be gone too long, but when I get back, I expect you to be here. Understood?" She nodded her head. "Good. Now, onto more fun topics..." he trailed off as he kissed her.

***

Willow woke up to find herself alone in bed. "Angelus?" She remembered he said he was going out. <I guess this is as good a time as any to try to leave.> She grabbed one of Angelus' shirts off the chair and quickly buttoned it up. She went to the night stand, hoping to find the cell phone, but it was gone. <Damn! He must have taken it with him.> She tried to think of what to do. <Wait...I can unlock the door.> She focused all her energy on the doorknob. When she heard it click, she opened the door.

She looked into the hallway to be sure that no one was there, then she started down it, hoping she was going in the right direction to get out. She was about to turn the corner, when she felt an arm around her waist. She started to speak. "Angelus, I’m sorry..."

"Sorry, wrong vampire." She recognized that voice. It belonged to...Spike.

"Spike?"

"And where would you be going?"

"Nowhere."

"It’s not nice to lie, pet."

"Please, let go of me."

"Can't do that."

"Why?"

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"Hurt? Since when do you care if I get hurt?"

"I like you, Red. I don't want to see anything happen to you."

<He likes me. Great. Just what I need.> "You like me?"

"Relax, pet. Not like Angelus 'likes' you. Strictly in a friend capacity."

"If you're my friend, then you'll let me go."

"It's because I am your friend that I'm not letting you go."

"What do you mean?"

"If you leave, he'll just come after you."

"Not you too."

"Just go back to his room...and stay there."

"I can't. I can't live like this. I have no freedom at all. Even when he starts letting me leave, he's still gonna have control over me."

"There's nothing you can do. Leaving certainly isn't going to change that. You might as well accept it."

"I don't want to accept it. I want a normal life. I never asked to be his obsession. I don't want to belong to him...or anyone for that matter."

"Let's just go back to Angelus' room. It's not a good idea to talk out here." They went back to Angelus' room and shut the door. They both sat at the table.

"Spike, I don't want to be here, locked in this room all the time. I feel like his prisoner."

"You feel like his prisoner now...Go ahead. Leave. You'll find out what being a prisoner really feels like. When he gets you back, and he will get you back, he will never leave you alone. You will never leave this room. The only person that you will ever see is him. If you don't like it now, you're not going to like it when it's worse. Trust me. You don't want to take the chance."

Willow started to cry. She never thought it was so hopeless. Spike tried to comfort her. "Don't cry, luv. It's not that bad."

"Not that bad? How can you say it's not that bad? I am being held hostage by an obsessed vampire. I just want to go home."

Just then, the door opened and in walked Angelus. When he saw Spike, he wasn’t happy. "What the hell are you doing?"

Willow wiped away her tears and stood up. "We were talking."

"Talking? Why do I find that hard to believe?"

Spike mumbled, "Because you’re a bloody idiot."

"I’m an idiot? Well, I’m not the one in someone else’s room touching what doesn’t belong to him." He stalked over to Spike, ready to hit him.

Spike glared at Angelus. "I hate to tell you this mate, but I am not some minion. I am not afraid of you."

Willow went to stand between Angelus and Spike, before they started anything. "Stop it! Both of you, just stop. Please."

Angelus kept his eyes on Spike. "I don’t think so."

Willow stared at Angelus. "Well, I do."

Angelus growled at Spike, "I think it's time for you to leave now."

Spike looked to Willow. "I'm fine now. Thanks."

"Anytime." With that, he left, shutting the door behind him.

Angelus glared at Willow. "Why was he even in here?" he asked, stepping closer to her. His eyes bore into hers.

"I don't know. It just came about."

"How long was he in here?"

"I don't know. Maybe fifteen minutes. How is that even relelvant?"

"Did anything happen?" he asked her, a serious, deadly tone in his voice.

She just stared at him. <Did anything happen? What kind of question is that? I don't cheat. Although, he's not really my boyfriend. At least not after I find a way out of here...> Angelus gripped her wrist, roughly, shaking her from her thoughts. "I asked you a question."

"You're hurting me!"

"Answer me. I am not going to ask again. And believe me, you don't want me to have to."

"No! Nothing happened! And even if it did, it wouldn't be any of your business. Contrary to your belief, you don't own, nor control me. I'm a person, not a possession!"

He stalked closer to her, causing her to back away in fear of what she just said would cause him to do. Her back hit the wall. He placed his arm alongside her head, resting his hand on the wall. "What you do is my business, Willow. You're wrong if you think you don't belong to me. You do and you always will...." He took his other fist and punched it through the wall in anger, causing Willow to flinch. "And another thing, if you ever raise your voice at me again, you'll be sorry. Understand?" By this point she was crying in fear. <Apparently yelling at him is not such a good idea.> She thought frantically. She hadn't answered so he spoke again. "Do. You. Understand." She nodded her head, showing that she acknowledged him. "Good. Now, would you like something to eat?" he asked, going back to casual conversation.

***

A few days later, Willow was still there. She had made excuses with her friends, per Angelus' instructions. She had went along with everything he had said, hoping he would start to trust her enough to let her go out. It was Friday morning. Angelus had said the night before that she might be able to go to school because she was being quite obedient. It was almost time to go to school so she figured she'd wake him up to ask. "Angelus."

He opened his eyes and looked at her. He knew what she wanted. He thought for a minute before he answered her silent question. "Alright."

She jumped out of bed. She never thought she would be this excited about going to school. She soon realized she didn’t have anything to wear. "Uh, I need clothes."

He got out of bed and went to one of the dressers. He handed her an outfit. It was surprisingly conservative. She figured he just didn't want anyone looking at her in that way. Always possessive. She took it and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

He figured since he was already awake, he might as well get himself dressed.

Twenty minutes later, she came out of the bathroom, dressed with her hair in two braids, one lying on either shoulder. "Okay."

He walked over to her and kissed her. "Go nowhere but school. Come right here afterwards. I don’t want to have to come after you." She nodded. "I’ll walk you out." When they got to the door, he kissed her again. "You better get to school before I change my mind," he said, playfully. She smiled and walked out the door.

***

School went by too quickly as far as Willow was concerned. She wasn't all that eager to go back to the mansion and be locked in Angelus' room.

She had seen her friends throughout the day, but tried to avoid them in fear that they'd know something was up.

She was on her way back to the mansion, like Angelus had instructed her. She suddenly stopped. "What the hell am I doing? I'm free. I don't belong to him. Why am I going back? To be controlled? I'm thinking no." She turned in the opposite direction, towards her house.

***

Angelus was pacing his bedroom. Willow was over two hours late. She was supposed to return after school. <Where the hell is she? I told her not to go anywhere else. She better hope she has a damn good excuse for being late.> He slammed the chair into the wall. "Damnit!" If she wasn't back by sunset, he was going after her and she would be very sorry.

***

Buffy, Xander, Cordelia, Giles, and Willow were at the library. They were discussing Buffy’s patrol.

Willow kept eyeing the door, waiting for Oz. She was worried about him, with Angelus and all. Buffy noticed, "Didn’t Oz say he’d be here after practice?"

"Yeah, but he's late."

"I'm sure he'll be here in a few."

Just then, the door burst open, but it wasn't Oz. It was someone no one expected to see. It was Spike. Everyone stood, warily. Buffy grabbed a stake, in case he tried to attack, but still wondered why he was there. "Red, it's time to go. Angelus is on his way here."

"Now?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, and unless you want to get caught, I'd suggest you hurry. He wasn't too far behind me."

"Oh god. Do I have enough time to get out?"

A voice came from the doorway. "None at all." Everyone turned to see Angelus...and he had Oz.

"Oh my god. Oz," Willow uttered. She was going to run to him, but Spike stepped in her path. He gave her a look reminding her just what she'd be running to and she stopped.

Angelus locked his gaze on Willow. His eyes bore into her. "I specifically said you were to be at the mansion after school. Does this look like the mansion to you?!"

Willow flinched when he raised his voice, but still tried to remain brave. "No. Does it look like I care?"

"Does it look like I'm kidding?" he asked, motioning to Oz. "I'm not going to play games, Willow. You can either come with me now, or I can kill Oz and then you can come with me. I like it either way."

"Has it ever occured to you that I don't want to go with you? Because I don't. I hate it there. And I'm not going back."

Everyone was confused as to what was going on. Buffy asked, "Back? When were you there before?"

Willow kept her eyes on Angelus, wary of what he might do to Oz. "I've been there since last Friday. When I was walking home, Angelus grabbed me, and I've been locked in his room ever since."

Xander glared at Angelus and asked, rhetorically, "His room?"

Willow continued, "Then this morning he let me go."

Buffy arched her eyebrows, "He let you go?"

"To school, with instructions to go back after."

"You were there for a whole week."

"I tried to get away a couple of times...but he always caught me."

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Buffy asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"I'm okay. Apparently he doesn't really want to hurt me...just control me. Isn't that right?"

Angelus just stared at Willow, impatiently, but not saying a word.

Buffy threatened him, "There is no way in hell I am letting Willow go anywhere with you!"

"You know, Buff, you don't really have a say in the matter."

"You are not going to hurt her."

"And I don't want to hurt her either. But like I told Willow, I will if she leaves me no other choice. Willow, you're only making this worse on yourself. You know I am not very patient. Let's go. Now!"

Willow tried to blink back the tears that threatened to fall, but she couldn't help it. Spike noticed so he stood in front of her. "She doesn't want to go with you. You're not taking her."

Angelus smirked, "Oh, you're going to stop me? I don't think so. I may not kill wolf boy...but I will kill you. Count on it."

"Like I said before..." He stepped closer to Angelus. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Oh, no. Well I think we can fix that. What do you say?"

Willow wasn't going to let anything happen to any of her friends...including Spike. "Stop! Angelus, you're not going to do anything to Spike."

"Oh, I'm not?"

"No. You want me to come with you? Fine...as long as you stay away from my friends...and that includes Spike."

"That's not the deal here, little one. The deal is you come with me, I don't kill Oz...for now."

"Okay...not Spike, either."

Angelus rolled his eyes. "Fine...for now."

Oz looked at Willow. "Don't go because of me, Will."

"It's okay, Oz. I'll be okay."

Oz stared into Willow's eyes. He could tell that she didn't want to do this, but thought she had no other choice. He could also tell that she wasn't going to listen when he told her not to...but he had to try. "I know you feel you have to do this, but you don't. I'd rather die than be the reason that you had to go with him."

"Oz, I love you. Don't forget that, okay?" When Willow said that, jealousy filled Angelus' eyes and it took everything he had not to snap Oz's neck right there because...Willow loved him.

"It's time to go," Angelus snapped.

Willow nodded. She started to walk towards him and as she did so, he threw Oz into the counter. "Oz!" Willow tried to go to him, but Angelus grabbed her wrist. "Did you have to throw him so hard? Are you okay?" She looked at Oz, sympathetically.

"Let's go...Oh, and I wouldn't try to follow us." He snapped his fingers and thirty or forty vampires came out of the stacks. "I didn't come alone." With that, Angelus and Willow walked out of the library.

The vampires slowly started to fade away after a minute or two...Spike still standing in place. He turned to Buffy. "Until you can get her out...and I know you will somehow, I'll watch over her."

Buffy smirked, "I never thought I'd be saying this to you...but thanks."

Spike turned and walked out of the library.

***

Once they were down the street from the school, he loosened his grip on her arm. "You shouldn’t have left, little one. It was a bad idea." He released her arm. She slowly inched herself away as she walked. He did notice, but said nothing. Suddenly, she dashed down the street, running as fast as she could...but apparently not fast enough. She soon felt arms encircle her tiny form. "Also a bad idea," he whispered into her ear.

She started to cry again, harder this time. She didn’t know what he was thinking...what he was going to do to her. She was more scared now than she was when he first grabbed her. She thought she might have gotten used to it after the week she had...and all the years of living on the Hellmouth. But she hadn’t. "Let me go!" she sobbed. That seemed to be the phrase of the week. She must have said it a hundred times since he had started all of this.

"Willow, what did I tell you about yelling at me?" he asked, tightening his grip. "Now, you trying to escape is just leading to a whole lot of bad for you so I’d advise you against it."

"I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left...I just...I don’t know." She was so tired. She was so tired of this whole situation. She was tired of trying to do and say the right things. She was tired of having to be locked in his room all the time. She was tired of being a possession. She was tired of being so afraid all the time. She sagged back against him. "I’m just so tired." She just stared off into space, not really focusing on any point in particular, just...staring. He picked her up and carried her the rest of the way.

***

When they got back to the mansion, he set her down. He shut and locked the door, turning back around to look at her. She was watching him carefully, wondering what he was going to do, but not saying a word. He went over to the dresser and pulled out a black nightgown, an exact replica of the white one. He handed it to her. She took it and walked into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, she came out of the bathroom. He had changed into his typical pajama bottoms and was lying on the bed. She put her clothes on the arm chair and laid down next to him. He pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on top of her head. "Good night, little one."

***

The next morning, Angelus sat in the armchair, watching Willow sleep. He was very angry about her...defiances, as he thought them.

Angel had always thought of her as pure, sweet, innocent Willow...Buffy's best friend. But that's all he thought of her as. She was always nice to him. She was his friend. She helped him when he had suspicions about Buffy's childhood friend, Ford. She helped Buffy defend him against Xander. Hell, she even yelled at him when he was being an idiot.

Then he turned. He was his better self, according to him. He hated having a soul...and doing...good. Once he reverted, he immediately started hunting and killing. He wanted to hurt Buffy...and he did. He spent most of his time planning and tormenting her...

Then, he noticed Willow. She was the pure and innocent girl Angel had known and he liked that about her. She intrigued him. She had managed to turn out like she did...and live on the Hellmouth. She was so helpful. Usually people like that made him sick...but not when it came to her...And he didn't even know why...The only true thing he knew was...he had to have her. And so he took her...and she would be his for the rest of her life. She belonged to him completely...

That was one of the problems, though...not her being his...but her not accepting it. She didn't want it. She wanted to be her own person...blah, blah, blah. He didn't really care that she didn't want to be, but he did have a problem with her...trying to prevent it. She had tried to escape numerous times. He expected her to try at least once, but she never stopped. Then, she started to act like he expected, doing as he told her and staying where she was supposed to. He let her go out...He trusted her that much. She broke that trust. He was stupid enough to believe her when she said she'd come back. He'd never make that mistake again...But that obviously wouldn't stop her from trying to leave...He'd just have to do something about that...

Willow started to come around a little while later. He was going to wake her up, but she beat him to it. She slowly opened her eyes, hoping she'd find herself in her room...and that she'd been dreaming the whole thing. She looked over to Angelus' side of the bed and noticed he wasn't there. She was kind of relieved because she knew he'd want to talk about the previous night...and that he was mad. She was worried about what he might do. She saw how angry he got when she just talked to Spike...this was much worse in his eyes.

"Don't worry, little one. I didn't go anywhere...that's more than I can say for you...You shouldn't have disobeyed me like that," Angelus said, his eyes murderous.

Willow sat up in bed and prepared herself. She had started to shut herself down, emotionally, last night, in preparation. She didn't know what he was going to say or do...This was Angelus. There was no way of predicting his next move...

"Come over here and sit down," he said motioning to a chair by the table. Willow decided now wouldn't be the best time to test his patience, so she did as he said. She slowly, if not warily, walked to the table and sat down, positioning the chair so that she was facing him. "I think we need to talk....I don't think you're going to like it either."

"You want me to say I'm sorry, right? Well, I'm not going to because to tell you the truth...the only thing I'm sorry about is the fact that I had to come back here with you." She couldn't believe she was saying this, but she just couldn't help herself. She wasn't going to sit here and apologize for something that he wanted her to be sorry for.

"Oh, little one. You have no idea what I want...but if you wanna know, I'll tell you. I want you to understand how things are going to work around here...I make the rules and you follow them...it's as simple as that. You break them, you have to pay the price... You've broken them more than once. I can't let that slide." Angelus slowly stood up from his armchair and stalked towards her.

Willow stood up warily as he did so, not quite sure what to expect. She slowly backed away as he got closer, not too eager to be so close to him when he was this angry. <Okay, now I'm a little sorry.> She never thought anything like this would ever happen to her. She never thought she'd ever be in this situation.

Before she knew it, Angelus had grabbed her arms and thrown her into the wall. She winced as pain shot through her back. He grabbed her by the throat and hit her against the wall, causing her to whimper in pain. "Sorry now, are we?" he asked as she gasped for breath. He slammed her against the wall again. "This is what I consider...a light sentence. You disobey me again and you'll find out what I can really do...and I'm not talking about killing you...I could make you wish for death...but if I killed you, that would defeat the whole purpose of the...lesson." He pushed her into the wall one last time to emphasize his point. "Are we clear, here?" She nodded her head, more in fear and pain, than in agreement. "Good...Now, I have somewhere to be...You better be here when I get back..." He released his grip on her throat and she almost fell at the loss of support.

As soon as he was gone, Willow slid down the wall, sinking to the floor. She cried, wrapping her arms around herself like a protective shield.

A few years ago, she was just a regular teenage girl. The most exciting thing going on in her life was homework. She never worried about anything more than tests and grades. She never thought of evil, at least not of the demon variety. Then Buffy came along and she was pulled into a dangerous world of demons and darkness. She put her life on the line every day to save the lives of others, some she didn't even know. She was Buffy's best friend. She couldn't let her fight alone. She never thought her life could get more complicated...

...until now. As of a week ago, she became the obsession of a homicidal vampire...maybe more than a week. God knows how long he'd been obsessed with her...maybe even since he was turned...But none of that was really relevant. The only thing that mattered was that said vampire kidnapped her. It seemed a little ironic too because she used to consider him a friend...well at least until he lost his soul.

He locked her in his room, with no intention of ever letting her go. She tried to escape a couple of times, but only succeeded in getting as far as the door. He had voluntarily let her go...but only to school with the understanding that she come back. When she didn't, he went after her...and he found her. He, of course, had her come by her own choice...but the other options left at least one of her friends dead...maybe all of them...so he didn't actually leave her any other choice. Now, she was back...still trapped in his world...probably with no luck of ever getting out.

Was this her doom? Was she going to have to live like this for the rest of her life? She would be his possession for the rest of her life, with him telling her what to do all the time...having to know everything she did, everyone she saw...once she was allowed to see anyone. Right there...*when* she was allowed to see people. Who would decide that for her? Him. What gave him the right to take over her life? Then again, she really had no way to stop it.

Tears flowed down her cheeks. This couldn't possibly be her fate. This couldn't be the way her life was meant to be...Angelus' obsession...possession...punching bag. She didn't know if she could handle it...She didn't know if she wanted to handle it...

***

Willow had stayed in the same place for hours, just crying. She realized that she couldn't sit like that all day so she wiped away her tears and stood up, wincing as she did so because of the fresh bruises on her back. She took out one of Angelus' pajama tops and went into the bathroom. In the mirror, she could see the bruises on her neck and back, seeing as how her gown was cut low in the back. She took it off as slowly and easily as she could so she wouldn't cause any extra pain.

After she was showered and dressed, she just stood, staring at herself in the mirror. She looked horrible. There were dark circles under her puffy eyes and her skin was pale. It looked like she hadn't slept in a week. In actuality, she hadn't...at least not very well.

A voice from the bedroom caught her attention. "Willow." She quickly opened the bathroom door, causing Angelus to spin around. "There you are."

She stared at him, warily. "I, um, borrowed one of your shirts. I mean, I hope it's okay. It was cold."

He nodded his head. "It looks better on you anyway," he said, with that half-smile of his. She winced as he pulled her into his arms. He noticed, so he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm okay."

"It doesn't seem like you're okay."

"I am...So, where'd you go all day?"

"Out," he answered cryptically.

"In other words, you don't want to tell me?" Willow stated as more of a question than an assurance.

"In other words, you don't ask."

She didn't want to press or make him angry, especially considering the fact that she could barely move from the last time he was angry with her. She just stared at him, waiting for him to make the next move. And he did...he kissed her. As he did so, he placed his arms tighter around her, putting his hand on the small of her back, causing her to wince once again. He pulled back when he noticed. "What?" She shook her head, telling him it was nothing. "Turn around," he told her. She questioned him with her gaze before complying. "Unbutton your shirt." She wasn't sure what he was doing, but she did it anyway. He pulled the shirt down her back slightly to reveal her bruises...the bruises he made. "Oh, little one," he said in a soothing voice. Tears started to roll down her cheeks as they had millions of times since she was brought here. She tried to blink them back, but it didn't work. "I'm sorry I had to do that...but I needed to make sure that you wouldn't leave again."

The tears rolled down even faster as she listened to him justify his actions. "I know. I'll be okay."

He put the shirt back over her shoulders and she buttoned it back up. He sat on the bed and slowly pulled her with him. "I know you don't want to be here...and that's okay. You're free to have your own feelings...but you're not free to act on them."

"But of course you are," she stated sarcastically.

"Willow," he warned her in a stern voice.

"Sorry."

"You don't act on them, we don't have problems, I don't have to do that again," he told her, referring to what had happened earlier. "Clear?" She nodded her head. "Good. I just wanted to get that out of the way." He smiled as he pulled her closer. "Before we could have some fun." He gently laid her back on the bed, against the pillows. She tried to ignore the pain that shot through her back as he did so. He laid on top of her, resting most of his weight on his elbows. He kissed his way from her mouth to her neck. Even with him kissing her, all she could think about was how much pain she was in. She tried to blink back her tears, but they rolled down her cheeks anyway. As he made his way back to her mouth, he noticed the tears. He looked down at her. "Why are you crying?"

"I...my back..." she trailed off, not really sure what to say.

"Okay...I guess we can do this later, then," he said as he rolled off her to lay next to her.

"Are you sure? I'll be okay."

"Yeah. Why don't you get some rest?" She nodded as he pulled her into his arms in a protective embrace like he had every night since they were together. She was soon asleep. Angelus just listened to her breathe for a while until he finally fell asleep himself.

***

Willow woke up to find herself wrapped in Angelus' arms. She slowly disentangled herself, trying desperately not to wake him up. She managed to be successful. She quietly walked over to the door and softly unlocked it, walking in the hall.

Angelus listened to her do so. She didn't know that he was awake. He wasn't going to go after her because he knew she wouldn't leave. He figured she was going to talk to Spike. As much as he didn't like that idea, he knew she would tell Spike she was okay, a message he would relay to Buffy and everyone, holding them off a little longer...he wasn't all that anxious to deal with them and anymore time he could get was fine by him.

Willow quietly walked down the hall and crept into Spike's room. Spike was sleeping so she went over and sat on his bed. "Spike. Spike, wake up," she told him as she lightly shook him. He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Angelus is asleep and I wanted to talk to you."

Spike sat up and leaned against his headboard. "Are you okay?" he asked, directly to the point.

She didn't want to lie to him, but she knew he would be reporting back to the gang and she didn't want them to worry. She answered, "Yeah. I'm good."

"Did he hurt you?"

Willow locked gazes with him. "No." She lied.

"You don't have to lie to me, pet. I can handle the truth." She stood up, her back facing him. She unbuttoned her shirt, letting it fall to her lower back, allowing him to see the bruises. She stood still for a minute before rebuttoning her shirt and turning around. Spike stood up and pulled her into his arms. "Are you okay?"

Tears began to roll down her cheeks. "Please help me," she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Don't worry, luv. Your friends are going to come for you soon."

"But I can't leave," she said as she cried harder.

He took hold of her arms and stepped back a little so he could look at her. "What do you mean you can't leave? I thought you didn't want to be here."

She tried to wipe away some of the tears. "I don't. God knows I don't...but I can't leave either. He'll come after me. You said it yourself...and he'll just be angry. He'll be even angrier than last time...I don't want to go through that."

He wiped away her remaining tears. "I understand...but will your friends?"

She sat down on the edge of his bed. "That's where you come in...I need you to tell them not to come get me. Tell them that I said I was okay...but don't tell them what happened. And make sure they listen to you...Okay?" Spike smiled and nodded his agreement. "Thanks. I better get back to Angelus' room before he notices I'm gone."

She quickly made her way back to the room and quietly snuck into bed. Angelus wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered into her ear, "Did you tell him to talk to them?"

She almost jumped out of her skin. "Tell who to talk to who?" she asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb, little one. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"I didn't-"

"Willow."

She hesitated a moment. "Yes."

"Good."

***

Spike walked into the library and received anxious stares from everyone. He didn't know what exactly he was going to tell them... how much he should. He did make a promise to Willow, but he didn't want to lie to them. They weren't his favorite people, but they were Willow's friends...

Buffy jumped up from her chair when he came in. She was waiting, a little impatiently, for him to report on Willow. She was afraid for her. She didn't know what she was feeling or going through...but she knew she wanted to fix it and rescue her. "How is

she?"

"I'm not going to lie to you. She's not doing that well. She doesn't want to be there, obviously...She's afraid."

Xander immediately asked, "Did he hurt her?"

Spike didn't know if he should tell them the truth or not. He had promised Willow that he wouldn't, but he had to...if only to save her more pain. "Yeah."

"Oh god," was the reply that came from practically everyone in the room.

Oz stood up, throwing a book in the process. "This is all my fault. If it weren't for me, she would still be here safe...safe from him."

Buffy turned a sympathetic gaze toward Oz. "Oz, it's not your fault. You couldn't help it. Don't worry. We'll get her back."

Spike explained to them, "No." They all glared at him with 'why not' looks. "You can't. What he did to her, it was nothing compared to what he'll do to her if she leaves again. If you try and rescue her, it would be her choice to leave...Imagine how angry that would make him..." he trailed off, letting their imaginations do the work. He wanted them to fully understand what he was trying to explain to them. They had to...for Willow's sake. "As much as I want her to be happy...and away from him...this is what will keep her safe and unharmed, well physically anyway. I know that...and she knows that...but you have to understand that."

Xander was not about to leave her there. "How can we understand that? We can't just leave her there...not with him."

"He's not going to hurt her...not as long as she stays."

"But she can't stay. He'll kill her..." Realization dawned on him. "What if he vamps her?"

"He's not going to do that."

"How can you be so sure?"

"You know that when someone becomes a vampire, they are totally different. Vampires don't have souls...That's one of the reasons he loves her...her soul...her personality...her. If he vamps her, all of that will change..."

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

"That's one less thing to worry about...Are you sure he isn't going to hurt her?"

"Not unless she tries to leave."

"Well that'll be good until we can get to her."

"You're not listening to me, mate. You can't go get her."

"Yes, we can."

"No, you can't...and she doesn't want you to."

"She wants to stay there?"

"Of course not. But she also doesn't want him to hurt her. Her staying is the only thing that will prevent that."

Xander nodded. He understood what Spike was saying. They all understood what Spike was saying. Angelus *thought* he owned Willow...and that meant that he wanted to control her...possess her...and he thought he had a right to. But he didn't. He didn't, but they couldn't stop him. Willow's well being depended on that. They didn't want to be the reason that he hurt her if he got his hands on her again...which he would. They couldn't always protect her. That meant...no, it didn't mean that they were going to leave her there because they couldn't do that...it just meant that they had to think things out better before going to the mansion. They needed to have a complete plan...one that included more than just getting her out and going on with their lives because that wouldn't keep her safe...or away from him.

Buffy was thinking out loud. "God this is all my fault. If only we hadn't...If he were Angel again, all of this wouldn't be happening..." she trailed off as she looked up at Giles. "Is there a way?"

Giles gave her a questioning look. "A way for what?"

"For him to be Angel again...For him to get his soul back. I mean, the gypsies did it. Why can't we? I know Miss Calendar said her people didn't have powers like that anymore, but I'm sure there's some way."

"Buffy..."

"What? It's a chance. A chance worth looking into...right?"

"I suppose."

"Good. Let's get on it then." She turned to Spike. "Tell Willow not to worry. We're gonna get her out of this...don't tell her how yet in case it doesn't work out. Okay?"

Spike nodded and left the library.

***

Willow knew that Spike was going to talk to everyone and she was waiting anxiously for him to report to her what happened. She was lying in bed next to Angelus. She wanted to know what happened, but she didn't know how she could. Angelus was there and it wasn't like she could just leave with him sitting there or ask to talk to Spike alone...

Angelus watched the emotions play across her face as she thought. He knew what she was thinking too. He knew she wanted to talk to Spike. Truth be told, he wanted to know as well. "Willow." She broke away from her thoughts to look at him. "You can talk to Spike." She gave him a questioning look as if she didn't know what he was talking about. "You know what I'm talking about so don't pretend you don't."

"I just-"

"Didn't want to ask?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm telling you that you can."

"Thanks," she said giving him a light kiss on the cheek. "Can I go now?"

"In a rush to get away from me?" He smiled.

"Like that could happen."

"That you'd want to be away from me?"

"That I could actually get away."

The smiles faded from his face at her remark, but she didn't pay attention as she started to walk out of the room. She was stopped by his voice. "You have five minutes."

She nodded and walked out the door and down the hall to Spike's room, hoping to find him there. "Spike? Are you in here?" She shut the door behind her.

He looked up from his spot in the bed. "Right here, pet."

"So?"

"I told them what you said."

"And?"

"They said they wouldn't come, for now, but they have a plan to get you out."

"No. I-"

"If it works out, you won't have to worry about him." She gave him a doubtful look. "Trust me."

"Okay...Do you know how long it will take?"

"Not sure...but it shouldn't be too long. You just have to deal until then."

"I can do that."

"And try not to make him angry...for your sake."

She smiled at his concern. "Not really an issue."

"Good."

"I better go. Angelus said five minutes. I think being late would fall under the 'making him mad' category."

She walked into Angelus' room, but he wasn't lying in bed. "Angelus?" Suddenly, she heard a door slam behind her and arms engulf her.

"So, what did he say?" he asked, nuzzling her neck.

"They understand."

"Understand what?" he asked, wanting to be clear.

"That I'm okay so they don't have to come for me."

"So they're not?"

"No."

"Good. I would really hate having to deal with them when I can have fun with you instead," he said, turning her around in his arms and kissing her.

***

The next afternoon...

Willow and Angelus were sitting up in bed talking about...well, everything. They talked...well she asked questions and Angelus explained...

Willow was asking, "So, when I leave, can I still hang out with my friends...you know, without you getting mad at me?"

"It depends."

"Depends? Depends on what?"

"On whether I want you here on that particular day." He smiled, giving her a quick kiss.

"So, what you're basically saying is everything depends on the mood you're in."

He thought about their conversation for a minute and everything he said. "Huh. I guess so. Can you live with that?" he asked playfully.

"Do I actually have a choice?"

"Not really."

"Then apparently I can."

"Good." He kissed her again, deeper this time. He hovered over her as they kissed, tangling his hand in her hair.

Suddenly, the door burst open. In came, Buffy, Xander, Cordelia, Oz, and Giles, all fully armed with weapons. They had been successful in finding the curse, but wanted to get Willow first. They didn't want her there any longer than necessary. When Angelus noticed, he growled and swiftly moved off the bed. "You know, we were a little busy...so if you wouldn't mind leaving, that would be great."

"Actually we don't mind...at least not if we have Willow."

Willow got off the bed and went to stand in front of Angelus. "What are you guys doing here? I told you to stay away."

Angelus smirked, "See? She doesn't want to leave. But you know who *can* leave? You."

Buffy focused on Willow. "Will, it's okay. It's safe," she said, trying to hint that they found a way to fix everything.

"Safe?" Willow asked, answered by a nod from Buffy. Willow smiled. "Good," she said, relieved. She started to inch towards them, trying not to make it too obvious. She needed to get far enough away so that when they were ready to leave, she could just run without him being able to get her.

Angelus' voice stopped her...with one single word. "No." He said it calmly and sternly, as if reprimanding a child. She stood in place at his voice. She looked at her friends and they could tell that she had a plan. She backed away from them, towards Angelus. He smiled as he thought he had won. "She obviously wants to stay."

Willow nonchalantly picked up the lamp that sat on the night stand. She was standing behind him at this point, so he could not see her intentions as she raised the lamp over her head and crashed it against his. He fell to the floor, unconscious. "Let's get out of here before he wakes up."

They quickly made their way out of the mansion, unharmed.

***

Everyone sat in the library, waiting for Giles to get back with the herbs and orb they needed for the restoration. Willow was pacing, nervous that Angelus might have gotten Giles. Oz watched her, intently. Willow noticed and she stopped. She stared at him. She had wanted to talk to him about what happened with Angelus...she figured now was as good a time as any since they had nothing to do until Giles got back. "Oz...can I talk to you...for a minute?"

He nodded his head and followed Willow into Giles' office, shutting the door behind him. "What's up?"

Willow sighed. "I wanted to talk to you...about Angelus." At his uneasy look, she continued, "I know you probably don't want to...but I just want to explain. I don't want you to hate me..."

"I don't hate you," he said seriously.

"Good. Because I still love you...I know you probably don't feel the same way-"

"What makes you think that?"

"What I did...I mean, how could you forgive me after that? How could you possibly love me?"

"First of all, there were special circumstances that came with that...and second, no matter what happens, it's impossible for me to stop loving you." He smiled, giving her a reassuring hug.

"I don't deserve you."

"That's where you're wrong...I'm the one who doesn't deserve you."

***

Angelus woke up to find himself alone. Willow was gone...and his head hurt. It dawned on him. <Damnit! She hit me with the lamp. She is going to pay for that.> he thought to himself as he changed his clothes and quickly made his way out of the mansion to find Willow and bring her back.

***

Giles got back shortly after Oz and Willow talked. They just finished setting everything up. They were about to start the chant when in burst Angelus...an angry Angelus. Oz moved in front of Willow and Buffy confronted him. "You're not taking her. The only thing you're leaving here with is your soul."

"I don't think so, Buff."

"I do." She proceeded to punch him in the jaw, causing his head to snap back. Before he had time to recover, she kicked him in the chest, sending him crashing to the floor. He stood in one swift motion. It was his turn to do the hitting as he punched her in the face, sending her spinning. The exchange of punches continued for about five minutes more until Willow shot Angelus with the tranquilizer gun they had kept in the library in case of werewolf emergencies. Buffy turned to Willow. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Buffy dragged Angelus' unconscious body into the cage and locked it. "Okay. We shouldn't have any other problems." Everyone went back to their respective positions and began to chant.

Giles began, "Nici mort nici al flinctei. Te invoc, spirit al tecerii. Reda trupului ce separa omul de animal. Cu ajutoral acestui magic glob de cristal."

Meanwhile, Willow chanted the same words except in English instead of in Rumanian. "Not dead, nor not of the living. Spirits of the interregnum, I call. Restore to the corporal vessel that which separates us from beast. Use this orb as your guide."

The orb started to glow and a light erupted from it. A sudden scream came from the cage. It was Angelus. The scream died down quickly. Everyone looked at each other, hoping it worked. Buffy went to the cage. "Angel?"

Angel looked up at her from his spot on the floor. "Buffy? What-What's going on?" he asked, standing up. When she realized it was him, she unlocked the door. He walked out, confused as to what was going on. "I don't remember. I..." Suddenly it all came back to him. "Oh god. I..." He looked over at Willow. "I...I'm sorry."

She gave him a warm smile. "It's okay."

"No. No, it's not. It's not okay," he told her before he turned and ran out of the library.

Buffy began to run after him, followed by everyone else. Buffy caught up with Angel first. He was sitting on a bench outside the school. "Angel?"

He just stared out into space, not looking at anything in particular. "Buffy, please leave me alone."

"No. I'm not going to leave you alone. I've missed you, Angel. I can't leave you now that I've just got you back. I love you."

"You love me? How can you love me? What I did-"

"No. Not you."

"It's my fault. Willow...she never did anything to anyone...and I-"

He was cut off by the others approaching, namely Willow. "Angel? Are you okay?"

He laughed as he looked at Willow. "Am I okay? After what I put you through, you ask me if I'm okay."

"You didn't put me through anything. Angelus did. You are not him...and besides, I'm okay," she said, sitting down next to him.

Everyone just stood silent, hoping Willow could help him, even Buffy. "Willow, I hurt you."

"Not you." She repeated the words with emphasis.

"Your back...are you okay?"

"I'll heal."

"But you shouldn't have to. I shouldn't have done that."

"Not you," she repeated again.

"Fine. He shouldn't have done that."

"No. He shouldn't have. But I'm not going to hold that against you...or anything else he did."

"How can you be so nice to me?"

"Because you're my friend."

"Yeah, some friend. I kidnap you...take advantage of you..." he trailed off thinking of what actually happened between them. They both stared at each other for a minute.

"You didn't...take advantage of me."

Cordelia asked, as tactful as always, "You two slept together?" They both directed their stares at Cordelia and then at Buffy and Oz. Then, everyone glared at Cordelia. "Just asking," she said, putting her hands up in defense.

Willow continued, "Yeah, so I was thinking, could we just like forget everything that happened?" She looked at Angel, directly, knowing he would be the last to forgive himself for anything.

They both looked at Buffy, not really knowing what to expect from her or what she was feeling. "What? I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Willow asked, knowing she was lying.

"Yeah, just because my boyfriend slept with my best friend...why should that bother me?"

Willow looked at Angel. "Buffy, can we talk to you for a minute...alone?"

Everyone else got the drift that they didn't want this broadcasted among the entire group since it was so personal. "Um, Giles, didn't we have that thing that we had to do...you know, elsewhere?" Xander asked, trying to make a quick exit before he heard things he never wanted to hear about. Giles nodded. They headed back for the library, while Willow, Angel, and Buffy stayed behind.

Angel turned to Buffy. "I know you have every reason to be upset...I mean, you should be...I'm sorry."

"No. You know what...I'm the one who's sorry. I know it wasn't you. I mean you had no control over it." Willow's face suddenly saddened even more as she took that to be an angry comment about her. Buffy noticed. "Oh, Will, I didn't mean it like that. I didn't mean that you did it on purpose. I mean you did because how could you not...You know what, forget what I said. I'm not mad. I forgive you guys. It's okay. Really."

Angel studied her eyes. He had to be sure. "Are you sure? I mean, it's okay to be mad."

She smiled. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Good."

She looked at Willow. "Um, Will, can I talk to Angel alone for a minute?"

Willow smiled. "Sure. I'll meet you guys in the library."

As soon as she was gone, Buffy asked Angel, "I just have to be sure of something." He gave her a questioning look. "Are you in love with her?"

He smiled. "No. I mean I love her in a 'she's my friend' way, but...I'm in love with you."

She smiled and gave him a kiss. "Good because I feel exactly the same way."

"I'm glad," he said giving her one more kiss. "I think we better head inside. I don't feel like running into any unwanted company tonight."

"Sure."

They entered the library to find everyone sitting around the table talking. Upon seeing them, Willow asked, "Everything good?"

Buffy smiled. "The best."

The End