Touch of Evil
Part 4
Six Months later
Watcher's Council Headquarters
London, England
Willow stood beside the immense stain glass windows that dominated the
north end of the library. She stared straight out into the crimson tinted
city streets that surrounded the beautiful red brick town house that
doubled as the London based Watcher's Council headquarters. The sun had
only just set an hour ago, and already Willow was on guard; positive, as
she was every night, that this would be the night he would come for her. A
dark prince emerging from the shadows to possess her once again. Taking on
shape and form as he stepped through the barrier of her nightmares and
entered her reality. Willow was so mesmerized by the passing cars and
pedestrians, she failed to notice the sound of someone entering the room.
Willow jumped as the intruder laid a hand upon her shoulder. The scream
died in her throat as she spun around and found herself face to face with
Lydia Briggs, head Watcher and chairperson of the Watcher's Council, not to
mention self imposed Watcher and friend to Willow.
"Willow…" Lydia's usually lilting voice was heavy with concern. "I'm
sorry I startled you. And I'm especially sorry I've taken so long. I had
no idea the meeting would end after dark or I would never have asked you to
accompany me to headquarters today. I know you're still skittish about
being out at night."
Willow fought to slow her still racing heart. Taking slow, even breaths,
she tried to focus on what Lydia was saying. Glancing out the window once
more before responding, Willow bit her lip. "Well, luckily it's not too
late yet. I mean, the sun only just set an hour ago. I know I haven't
wanted to go out at night before, but, well, I'm going to have to
eventually, so why not tonight." Willow attempted a smile but it faltered
beneath Lydia's appraising, sympathetic stare.
'We could always spend the night here at headquarters." Lydia offered,
"Almost every member of the council has done it at some point in time.
It's the reason why we have bedrooms here."
Willow shook her head vigorously as she felt a steel resolve settle within
her. "No, we should go. I know you have some things to attend to at the
house. As for me, I want to go out. It's been 6 months already. I've
allowed myself to be held hostage by my fears for too long. Besides, if I
expect to start school back up again, then I've got to get used to
travelling at night again, or else I'll never have my life back. If I keep
allowing myself to be terrorized by the memory of Angelus then I'm still
his captive and he will have won."
Lydia placed a reassuring hand on Willow's shoulder. "You're right. That
doesn't mean the threat of Angelus isn't real. We all know how dangerous
he can be. But if you want my honest opinion, I don't think he's going to
be coming after you. It's been awhile and if you were his prime target
then we would have heard from him by now. As it is, he's too busy playing
cat and mouse with Buffy. I think it's safe to say she was his true
target, as always."
Willow nodded as Lydia spoke words Willow had thought to herself many
times before. Willow should have been reassured by
the thought, but a small part of her, deep inside- a part that had changed
since her time spent as Angelus' captive- ached at the rejection. Shame
filled Willow at the irrational twinge and she shoved it aside once again.
Lydia was already making her way across the massive library, one perfectly
manicured hand waving over the back of her right shoulder. "Come now,
dear. If we are going to make it home we must hurry. Roger has already
brought the car around." Willow sprinted to catch up to Lydia's quickly
retreating form, trying hard to ignore the mercurial nature of her own
feelings.
To Willow's relief, the drive back to Lydia's sprawling country home was
uneventful. Still, Willow couldn't help the flood of relief that washed
over her as Roger, Lydia's faithful driver and bodyguard, pulled the car
through the black wrought iron gates and around the circular driveway
towards the front entrance.
Sometimes Willow couldn't believe 6 months had passed since Giles first
brought Willow to the Watcher's Council for protection. Ever since that
time, Willow had been staying with Lydia at her enormous home in the
countryside surrounding London proper. The moment Giles had first
introduced Willow to Lydia, she had taken an immediate liking to the
Watcher. Willow had been surprised to find that Lydia, at the rather young
age of 32, was the head of the entire Council. With so many stodgy old
British men on the Council, Willow could have bet even money that one of
them would be in charge. As it turned out, Lydia's late father was the
previous Council head, and in honor of his memory and last wishes, the
Council elected Lydia as the new leader. Ever since appointed, Lydia had
been slowly but surely bringing the centuries old Council into the 20th
century. Despite the circumstances of Willow's stay with the Council, she
was thrilled to be around during these changes. Willow was witnessing
first hand the breaking down of centuries old traditions, and seeing the
motion of bureaucracy that would have it's final effects on Buffy and the
way she did her job. Not to mention the fact that being involved with the
Council helped keep Willow's mind off all that had happened.
Willow still had trouble recalling her rescue. As Angelus's prisoner,
Willow had grown weaker and weaker until the days blended into the nights
and the only times Willow felt alive were the times Angelus was with her,
inhaling the essence of her life through his lips.
Willow didn't much like to think of those weeks. The shame she felt over
everything that happened was too much for her to handle. Everyone kept
telling her it wasn't her fault Angelus had targeted her and kept her
locked up- and she knew that much was true. Nor was it her fault he had
drunk from her nightly, not to mention the other uses he had found for her
body. No, that wasn't Willow's fault. Her enjoyment and pleasure, on the
other hand- well, Willow was definitely to blame for that. No matter what
Lydia said (she was the only one Willow had or would confide the whole
truth to), Willow would always blame herself, and she couldn't help the
disgust she felt with herself for falling victim to Angelus' seductions.
Not to mention the fact that she had done all those things with Buffy's
boyfriend
Willow wasn't sure how aware Buffy was of the things Angelus had done to
Willow while holding her captive. When Buffy had broken done the door to
Willow's prison, Willow had been passed out on the bed, emotionally and
physically drained from the previous night's activities. So Buffy had
found Willow on the bed, unconscious and naked. Wrapping Willow in a
blanket, Buffy had carried Willow all the way back to the library where
Giles was waiting. It wasn't until many hours later that Willow finally
awoke, confused and disoriented. Before she knew what was happening, Giles
was insisting Willow be taken out of Sunnydale immediately, before night
fell and Angelus realized Willow was gone.
So by that night, Willow'' bags had been packed, her parents reasoned with,
and Willow deposited on a plane to London with Giles as a companion. Giles
had believed it was the safest place for Willow, and Buffy had agreed.
Willow hadn't voiced much of an opinion one way or the other, being too
drained too do much beyond quiver in fear at every sight and sound. Shock
and disbelief that her nightmare had finally come to an end had left Willow
mute. She refused to talk about what happened, and after a few attempts to
get her to open up, Giles had let it go. It wasn't until Willow had spent
a month with Lydia that she had begun to speak of the nightmare that still
haunted Willow's nightly dreams.
Under the Council's, and more specifically, Lydia's protection, Willow had
begun to slowly move on with her life. The nightmares in which Angelus
came to reclaim what had been taken from him were coming less frequently,
and Willow's courage was slowly returning. Three months ago Willow would
have had a hysterical fit if she'd been forced to leave Lydia's home after
sunset. But now, here she was arriving home well after dark. And of
course, nothing was happening to her. Just as Lydia had predicted. It
helped that they heard from Giles at least once a week for updates on the
Angelus situation. The last update had come 3 days ago, during which
Angelus had been at home in Sunnydale, wreaking the usual havoc. Willow
was safe in England, for now.
Willow followed Lydia up the stone steps to the front entrance. As Lydia
lingered in the foyer, talking to the house staff on the day's events,
Willow kissed Lydia good night and headed up to her bedroom.
Willow adored every aspect of Lydia's family home. Upon first laying eyes
upon the centuries old mansion, Willow had fallen under the spell of its
charm. The house had history, having been in Lydia's family forever, and
there was so much to explore
Willow's bedroom was located halfway down the hall on the second floor. A
couple of doors down was Lydia's own room, much to Willow's comfort.
Though it was only 10PM, Willow was tired. Perhaps it was the sweet
summertime scent carried on the breeze through Willow's open window, or the
rhythmic chirping of the crickets outside but within moments of entering
her bedroom, Willow was sprawled face down on her bed, her eyes drifting
closed as she succumbed to sleep. Willow relaxed, the giddiness she felt
over having safely ventured outdoors at night subduing to gentle sleep.
Part 5
That night, for the first time in a week, Willow dreamt of Angelus, only
this time her dream didn't end in savage feeding and death. In this dream,
Angelus stood on the balcony beyond the glass doors of her bedroom. With
both palms against the glass, he gave a gentle shove and they flew open,
the sheer violet drapes billowing upwards with the summer breathe. He
whispered into the wind, "Invite me in Willow"; and Willow, too mesmerized
by his beauty and the soothing tones of his deep voice, complied. With
slow deliberate steps he entered the bedroom, circling the canopy bed which
held Willow.
Willow laid casually against the mountain of pillows, her hair sprayed out
against the white satin like a fan, her arms resting limply at her sides.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, Willow noted that she was wearing a
short, sexy, white satin nightgown- one that revealed parts of her body the
old Willow would have kept hidden. That was one thing that had changed
since Willow's experience with Angelus. Gone were the days of hiding
behind baggy sweaters and pants. Willow's new style, though not quite as
risqué as Buffy's wardrobe, was noticeably sexier. Since there was no one
in England who would notice the change, Willow scarcely thought about it.
Now she did. Willow knew she looked alluring and inviting and that didn't
bother her one bit. She also knew this was only a dream and she felt no
animosity or fear towards Angelus. She knew what he was capable of, but
that was part of his appeal. Willow could feel sparks of desire simmering
inside of her, and a hunger for this man and what he could give her.
Angelus stood at the edge of the bed and ravished Willow with dark, hooded
eyes. He took deliberate care as he looked over every inch of her body,
his eyes drinking in the pale, smooth skin of her upper thighs and the pale
expanse of skin above her chest. Willow stared back hungrily into his
eyes, holding his gaze as his right hand began to caress its way up her
leg. When his firm grip reached mid thigh, giving her leg a lingering
squeeze, Willow closed her eyes and moaned with anticipated pleasure.
Arching her back with the languid grace of a cat, Willow lifted her leg
further into Angelus' grip.
Willow felt his hand close over her eyes, his fingers tracing the eyelids
in an unspoken command for her to keep them shut. His fingers then forged
a trail down the front of her body till they joined his other hand on her
upper thigh. Then, suddenly, they were both gone and Willow had to fight
the instinct to open her eyes. Instead, Willow kept them shut and found
herself growing excited over her inability to see where he was or what he
was preparing to do. As her arousal moistened her panties, Willow
whimpered. She heard Angelus chuckling, followed by the beginning chords
of a song Willow couldn't quite place, though it was familiar.
Willow could sense Angelus close to her, but he refused to touch her.
Then the lyrics began to flow.
**How can I just let you walk away
Just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh ooh
You're the only one who really knew me at all
How can you just walk away from me
When all I can do is watch you leave
Cause we've shared the laughter and the pain
And even shared the tears
You're the only one who really knew me at all
So take a look at me now
There's just an empty space
There's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face
So take a look at me now
There's just an empty space
And you coming back to me is against all odds
And that's what I've got to face
I wish I could just make you turn around
Turn around and see me cry
There's so much I need to say to you
So many reasons why
You're the only one who really knew me at all
So take a look at me now
There's just an empty space
There's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face
Now take a look at me now
Cause there's just an empty space
But to wait for you is all I can do
And that's what I've got to face
Take a good look at me now
Cause I'll still be standing here
And you coming back to me is against all odds
It's the chance I've got to take.
Take a look at me now**
As the last chords of the song died away, Angelus lept on top of Willow,
covering her body with his. Willow yelped in surprise as she felt Angelus'
naked form measuring up against her own. The yelp quickly turned into a
moan as his erection brushed against the wet crotch of her panties. Willow
wrapped her arms around Angelus' waist, clasping onto the small of his back
so she could grind him closer to her aching mound.
As their lower bodies performed an erotic dance, Angelus lowered his mouth
to the base of Willow's throat. His tongue snaked across the length of her
neck, moistening it as surely as his cock was moistening her sex.
Willow found herself panting as a result of Angelus' ministrations. Her
vagina felt like it was on fire and an ache was beginning to build within
the lower half of Willow's tummy. She brought a single hand up to run
through the silky strands of Angelus' hair.
Angelus began to moan Willow's name against her throat, over and over.
After awhile he added whole sentences that Willow didn't understand. Then
she realized he was speaking another language, and though Willow had never
heard it spoken before, she knew it was Gaelic. Eventually, he added some
English sentences to the Gaelic, each whispered word raising the hairs on
her neck. "You're mine Willow. I let you get away from me once but I
won't let it happen again. We belong together. I didn't realize it at
first but it's been revealed to me. I was meant to find you, and now I
mean to never let you go. Never. Forever." Angelus nuzzled the patch of
skin just below Willow's ear. 'Say it Willow, say you're mine… only mine…
forever… and it will be so."
Willow felt shivers of emotion carried along a wave of intense pleasure as
Angelus continued to grind his lower body against hers. His words
penetrated like swords through the fog of pleasure that had wrapped itself
around Willow's mind. She felt them settle inside her, into a place
reserved deep in her soul that only he fit into. She couldn't have said no
even if she wanted to. But, of course, she didn't.
"I'm yours Angelus, always and forever."
Willow felt his smile against her neck. A moment later she felt his fangs
as they penetrated the thin skin of her neck and latched onto a vein.
As Angelus sucked her warm, virginal blood into his mouth, Willow exploded
in an orgasm so intense, darkness flooded her mind as she passed out.
***********************
Willow later awoke to find the moon riding high in an inky blue sky,
flooding her room with iridescent light. Lifting her head off the pillows,
Willow squinted towards the digital alarm clock she had placed on the
nightstand beside her bed. The red numbers, 2:43AM, flashed before her
eyes as her head hit the pillows in an attempt to resettle into sleep. In
the moments of restlessness before sleep reclaimed her, Willow tried to
remember what she had been dreaming about but the memory slipped through
her mind, as insubstantial as the wind. There was nothing in her memory
for her to latch on to.
As Willow began to drift into sleep her ears picked up the soft, mellow
chords of a piano. Jerking back to consciousness, Willow lifted her head
and stared at the stereo system in the far right corner of the bedroom.
Even from that distance, Willow could see the red power light and the
orange glow from the revolving CD compartment. The piano chords faded away
leading to the whirls and clicks of the stereo preparing to repeat the
song. Suddenly the room was filled once again with the sadly lilting
chords of the piano.
Confused, Willow rose from the bed and padded over to the stereo, the
lyrics following her as she reached for the stop button.
**How can I just let you walk away
Just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here… **
Willow hit the power button, stopping the song mid-sentence. Crawling
back into bed, Willow tried to remember turning the stereo on before going
to sleep but she just couldn't think past her body's exhaustion. As Willow
sank into the soft folds of the satin sheets, one last thought surfaced
before disappearing into oblivion.
Part 6
Willow awoke the following morning feeling more relaxed and refreshed than
she had in weeks. Stretching languidly, Willow slowly arose and made her
way into the bathroom adjoining her bedroom. Willow smiled a secret grin
meant only for her as she realized she as in dire need of a good shower.
Whatever her dreams were of last night, she knew they had been good ones.
The physical evidence lay between her legs and on her panties.
Willow carefully stripped out of her sweaty nightgown and damp panties and
stepped into the shower. The hot water felt great against her skin and
Willow took time and care in washing her body with the scented oils and
bath gels Lydia kept stocked in each bathroom. It was an indulgence Willow
didn't normally partake in, but she found that, every once in awhile, it
worked wonders on making her feel sexy and beautiful. Today it worked on
making Willow feel as if she was a different person. She felt different,
as if today was the first day of the rest of her life. Willow knew she was
on the road to recovery.
Stepping gingerly out of the bathtub, Willow dug her toes into the white
shag carpet and wrapped herself in a huge terrycloth towel. Using the palm
of her hand to wipe the steam off the ornate, gilded mirror, Willow stared
at her reflection for a moment before reaching for her brush. Humming
softly, Willow began to gently comb the tangles from her long hair,
brushing the strands away from her face. Willow quickly became lost in
thoughts of what the rest of the summer would bring and whether all her
credits would transfer over to her new high school in London when she began
the fall semester. She was jarred back to the present by a small trail of
blood that had begun to form on her neck. Panicked, Willow gathered a wad
of toilet paper from the roll and quickly smeared the blood away, leaving
the porcelain white skin of her neck tinged rose.
A deadly calm stole over Willow as she raised trembling fingers to lightly
caress the twin bite marks that marred her flawless skin. With each brush
of her fingertips, flashes of memory eclipsed all other thoughts. Images
revealed themselves in succession, dropping like stones in the clear pools
of her mind. Strong hands on her body, dark eyes filling her field of
vision. Fingertips on her eyelids; an all consuming fire building from the
point of contact of Angelus' thrusting erection and Willow's quivering
vagina, spreading though out her belly until her entire body felt as if it
was going up in flames. And finally, the familiar burning as fangs pierced
her skin and blood flowed like wine.
Willow rubbed at the twin wounds, feeling baffled by their presence. Last
night had only been a dream, hadn't it? Willow could have sworn it had
been, but then that didn't explain the physical evidence to the contrary.
As Willow relived the previous night's dream in her mind, the memories of
her brief waking moments before dawn came back to her. Bursting through
the bathroom door and back into her bedroom, Willow raced over to her
stereo and, fumbling, pressed the CD eject button. Her breaths coming in
ragged bursts, Willow could only stare at the silver Phil Collins CD
starring up at her. As a numb shock coursed through her veins, making her
blood run cold, Willow automatically closed the CD player and, after 2
quick movements, waited numbly for the song to begin.
Willow let the song play as she quickly dressed in clothes she found
strewn against an armchair in the corner of the room. Barefoot, Willow
left the room in search of Lydia. Though Willow was on the verge of
hysterical terror over what all these signs might mean, she refused to
break down until she had spoken to Lydia. Even if Lydia did not give her
the answers she wanted to hear, she would be able to calm Willow down, as
always.
Willow found the Watcher curled up on the red damask sofa that adorned the
mansion's main living room. She was engrossed in the readings from a
standard manila file folder, undoubtedly the latest update from Giles,
possibly even copies of his recent entries into the Watcher's Diary. Lydia
would never let Willow read them, though she always let Willow know any
pertinent Angelus information they contained. Willow wondered if there was
any new info now.
"Lydia…" The Watcher glanced up at the young witch, removing her
eyeglasses as she closed the folder and placed it on the table beside her.
When she had her attention, Willow continued. "Have you heard from Giles
this morning?"
"Why no Willow, I haven't. But I wasn't expecting to. Why do you ask?"
Willow's let out a trembling breath, her words strained. "Well, could you
please call him and ask him if Angelus has left town in the past couple of
days?"
Lydia, realizing how upset and serious Willow was, immediately reached for
the phone and began to dial. She kept the conversation short, without the
usual flirting and quick repartee that usually accompanied Lydia and Giles'
conversations. When she hung up, Lydia turned to Willow. "Angelus is
still in Sunnydale. Buffy last had an encounter with him last night.
There is also no talk of him planning any trips of any kind and no unusual
movements on his part. In other words, there is no sign that he suspects
where you are hidden. Now, do you feel like telling me what's gotten you
so upset this morning or would you rather not talk about it?"
Willow knew Lydia wouldn't press the issue, but she wanted to tell her, to
try and make sense of the whole thing. Allowing what Lydia had said to
sink in, Willow sat down and collected her thoughts before speaking. More
confused, and perhaps more terrified than before, Willow told Lydia the
whole story, leaving out only the part about her pledging herself to Angelus.
Willow had never admitted to Lydia the desire Angelus invoked inside her;
or the fact that there were times, late at night, when Willow would think
about Angelus and feel that familiar kindling of desire that only his touch
could induce. Or that, mixed up with her hatred, and fear, and self
disgust, lay an insane, irrational, and powerful schoolgirl crush on a
creature that could be described as no less than a monster, a transference
of the attraction she had always felt for Angel. Willow knew better than
anyone that there was no changing Angelus' nature. He was a creature who
didn't know the meaning of compassion or gentleness. But it was the same
old tale, one that women had fallen victim to for ages: the taming of the
wild beast by the beautiful maiden. Though she'd never admit it, and she
doubted anyone would ever believe smart, shy, little Willow could have such
foolish fantasies, in her silly romantic heart, Willow ached to be Angelus'
lover and demon tamer. She had never been able to compete with Buffy for
Angel's affections, no matter how much she had wanted to, but maybe, just
maybe, she could when it came to Angelus.
Not that those secret desires prevented Willow's rational mind from
working. She knew they were only part of a fantasy- one she didn't think
she'd ever even want to fully act on. They were the dreams of a romantic
heart, born from the repressed part of Willow's psyche that craved danger
and excitement; that kept Willow close to the slayer despite the life
threatening existence it supplied. There was a wild and sexy aspect to
Willow's soul that was just waiting for the right moment, or the right
person, to open the door and release it into the wild. The part that
Angelus had begun to tap into with his games. The part that couldn't help
but become turned on when Angelus had handled her roughly and drained her
to the point of unconsciousness.
Last night, that side of Willow had taken control, which was okay if it
had all just been a dream. Dreams didn't have to affect your regular life
and so a person could give themselves over to unbidden desires, as Willow
had. As Willow finished telling Lydia her story, she waited anxiously for
Lydia to reassure her that everything was all right and the old, reliable
Willow had nothing to fear from her brazen counterpart.
When Lydia finally spoke, her words came out slowly, as if she was
carefully considering each thought. "It sounds to me like a form of magic.
We know Angelus couldn't have been in Sunnydale last night and in your
bedroom this morning, at least, not physically. The only way he could have
done what he did is by some form of magic. I've heard of stories such as
this one before. I'll have to pull up the accounts from the Council
database. Typically, the person performing the ritual to project
themselves across space and time is an experienced witch or at least has a
witch in their service. Most of the accounts are almost identical to
yours- young women who were visited in the night by a vampire who proceeded
to seduce them in order to steal their blood. The women always thought it
was a dream but the following morning they'd awake to find bite marks on
their skin. The last account I can recall of this ritual actually being
used is centuries old, but again I'll have to search out the specific
reference from the database." Lydia paused to collect her thoughts. "What
worries me about this is the fact that, despite all our knowledge, we've
underestimated Angelus once again. For one, it is obvious he has a very
powerful witch in his service. Second, we've kept you physically from him
but now even physical distance is not keeping you safe. And finally, I
think we all underestimated your importance in Angelus' eyes. We assumed
that you were merely a pawn in his game to pay Buffy back, and that if you
were taken out of the picture then he'd just use some other way to get to
her. But it seems that's not quite the case. Angelus is obviously not
letting you go. He's obviously considering you property that was stolen
from him. Also, from what you've told me of last night's encounter, it
appears he's became quite attached to you during your captivity, but then
who can ever really believe anything a demon says. That could have just
been another game to torment you."
Though Willow was listening quietly, her thoughts were racing a mile a
minute. She didn't say anything but, deep down, Willow knew Angelus had
spoken the truth to her. She had felt the truth of his words as he had
said them. Lydia went on.
"I'm very worried about this Willow. I'd like to go straight to
headquarters where I can consult with the other Council members and do some
research. Then we can sit down and decide how you want to handle this. If
you want to leave here, I'll understand and make sure we find a safe place
for you, but no matter where you go we're gonna have to find a spell to
shield you from any magic Angelus may try to use on you."
Willow nodded, not saying anything because she really wasn't sure what to
say. Her mind was still jumbled with all that was happening. After 6
months of being haunted by nothing more than the demons in her own mind,
Willow was too shocked to believe this was all real. Without saying a
word, Willow followed Lydia out of the living room to prepare for the drive
in to London.
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