Must be strangely exciting
To watch the stoic squirm

***

"Hey, Xander, have you seen Willow?"

Alexander Harris broke away from his girlfriend to face Buffy. "No, I haven't...it was kind of weird and all, too, cuz we usually walk here together. Except not today, but usually, but not any more." He paused thoughtfully. "I'm blundering again, aren't I?"

Cordelia grabbed her boyfriend by his collar. "Yes. Now shut up." She drew him close and kissed him until he gave in and wrapped his arms around her. Satisfied, she continued the kiss.

Buffy stood there for a while, tapping her foot, then decided to just talk to see if he would listen. "Maybe she stayed home to work on the spell," she wondered out loud.

For that, Xander had to cut in. "Wills? Stay home from school for magic? It's like Giles switching to spandex." With his two (halves) cents put in the pot, he went back to making out with Cordy.

Buffy mused over this for a while. Willow was not in school. Which meant either she was sick, studying -- no, elimination there, Willow wouldn't skip school to study -- working on the spell, or in trouble. Buffy really didn't want to think that Willow was in trouble, but there was only one way.

"Tell Mr. Miller I went home sick, Xander," she said to the occupied teenager. "I'm going to check up on Willow."

***

The sheets were in place. On top sat the orb of Thessula, lonely by itself, although sitting next to the spell. Buffy sighed. Everything looked...normal. She turned around and was about to leave when a draft blew by her.

Startled, she turned around. The curtains were drifting up in the breeze from the open window. Willow's window open...she'd never do that. Will was too smart to leave her window open like that. Buffy approached the window and gazed outside.

On the ground lay a broken branch and a small object. Buffy squinted, but she just couldn't make out what it was. Swinging one leg out, she exited the window and climbed down the house, finally hopping to the ground. Kneeling, she picked up the abandoned cross.

***

Angelus laughed as Willow screamed again. He enjoyed her scream, her shrill cries for help, her whimperings...another thought crossed his mind. What did her laugh sound like? Or maybe...

An evil smile spread ear to ear on Angelus' face. Then the screaming stopped.

Willow looked at Angelus, confused. He had grinned. Sure, he had been smiling while she had desperately tried to call for help, but this grin was different. It was a sinister smirk, which meant he really had something up his sleeve. Or lack thereof, as she realized he was only wearing a tee-shirt in the cold sewers.

Willow shivered involuntarily as a chill crept up her spine. He was planning something, and the fact that he was planning something did not give her any kind of peace of mind. In fact, the chill threatened to come back threefold once Willow saw Angelus stand up and walk towards her.

For hours he had just been sitting there, a smug smile on his face as she screamed her lungs out over and over again. But now, he had stood up, was walking over to her, and took her face in her hand again, like the first time. He began stroking her cheek again with his thumb, looking at her appraisingly.

Willow shrunk back from his touch. She didn't like him touching her this way...it made her think of Oz. Only Oz had ever touched her that way. Well, him and that guy at the Bronze the day she had met Buffy. And that guy had been a vampire. And Oz was a werewolf. And Angelus was a very evil...very bad...horrible, awful vampire. She had to remind herself that.

Finally, her willpower gave in. Sure, Willow Rosenberg is built for abuse, but this just pushed her to the edge. Tilting her head to the side tiredly, she sighed a sigh that seemed like a purr.

The grin came back on Angelus' face. She's not so bad, Angelus thought. Then, after realizing what he had thought, he slapped Willow hard across the face. "Little bitch," he growled, scowling at her now. "I'm not your man." With that, he turned and stormed out of the room.

Willow hung there, bewildered, her cheek still stinging from his blow. Reeling from everything that had just happened, she fell asleep.

***

But you, you're not allowed
You're uninvited
An unfortunate slight...