Outside Eternity

Author: T. C.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~Part: Seven~

Willow was waiting for him in a small copse of trees behind the synagogue. She was sitting on a bench in the dappled shade of a weeping willow tree. Angel burrowed further under his coat, shielding himself from the morning light until he had reached the safe shade of the trees. He came up behind her, leaning against the trunk of the tree and staying in the deepest part of the shade. A slight breeze rustled the leaves and the sunlight stirred the red-gold highlights of Willow's hair. "You could have told me, you know, about Casimir Kalendash."

A faint and sad smile graced her lips for a brief moment. Willow turned to him and looked at him utterly demoralized. Her eyes were empty, defeated. He had never seen her look like that, not even when she had spoken of Buffy and Xander's deaths. It froze him. When she stood up and approached him, Angel had to resist the urge to reach out and shake her until she was with him, mind, body, and spirit. Her hand brushed his cheek and her fingers registered as cold against his skin. "You shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous for you to be out when it's daylight." Her words were hollow, a ghost of a spoken admonishment.

"I'm not in the direct light." Angel curled his hand around hers and brought it to his lips. "Don't marry him. Whatever he's using against you, I can stop him. He can't hurt you." Impulsively, Angel leaned down and transferred his lips from her hand to her mouth. He needed her to respond to him. He needed to get rid of this wraith woman who had replaced his vibrant love. Angel kissed her deeply, desperately. He tried to convey his need for her by devouring her mouth.

Finally, Angel got an affirmation that his Willow was still lingering inside this shell. Willow's hands threaded through his hair as she kissed him back just as urgently. Her hands clawed down his neck and clutched at his shoulders. Angel knew with a cold certainty that, for Willow, this was a good-bye kiss. She was memorizing the taste of him in her mouth, the touch of his lips, both hard and soft on hers, and the feel of his hair in her fingers. He knew this because he was doing the same thing with her, only he didn't want to say good-bye.

A sharp stinging burn on the flesh of his neck would have gone ignored by Angel, but Willow pulled away with a painful exhalation. She started to back away and Angel grabbed at her hand to stop her. His palm closed around a band of hot metal. He let her hand slip through his until he grasped only her fingertips. The ring finger of her left hand was reddened and starting to blister around the gold band that fit snugly there. The metal was beginning to cool. Faint etchings were engraved into the ring and Angel brought it closer for a better look. His eyes flew up to meet Willow's. "Do you know what this is?" he asked hoarsely.

Tears magnified Willow's eyes, intensifying the green of the iris and the fathomless black of the pupil. Whether the tears were a result of simply the physical pain or of extreme emotional turmoil, Angel didn't know. He squeezed her fingers to prompt an answer. Willow opened her mouth, but the voice that responded wasn't hers.

"It's a fidelity ring," Casimir Kalendash, Willow's husband, stepped into their hidden sanctuary. "That was just a warning. If you and my wife are tempted to take your affair any further, it will kill her."

Angel growled and vamped, turning his yellowed eyes to the intruder. The fact that Casimir didn't back down or even flinch didn't help Angel in controlling the impulse to rip his head off. The demon urged him to believe that it would certainly solve their problem, but Angel knew better.

"Typical response, vampire. I guess having a soul doesn't make you so different from the rest of the demonic vermin that plague this earth."

A harsh, distorted laugh issued from Angel's fanged mouth. "Demonic vermin? You gypsies were always so overwrought. It made your blood thin, but killing you was so much fun."

"You can't kill me. You recognized the ring, I assume you know the rules. The only way that ring comes off her finger is if she dies, if I die from natural causes, or if I break my vows. That won't happen, by the way." Casimir held out his hand to Willow. "I love my beautiful wife."

Willow stepped in front of Angel, stalling any response from him, and turned her back on her husband to face her lover. She reached up and smoothed his features with her fingers, but when she spoke it was to the gypsy. "You said I could say good-bye. Go away and let me do that."

"Willow. Casimir," Sheila Rosenberg called from the synagogue's steps. "We should leave for the restaurant soon. Ira and I have a plane to catch this afternoon." With every word, Sheila got closer to them. Willow quickly pulled Angel's head toward her and he buried his vampire face into the curve of her neck. Through the red mantle of Willow's hair that hid his countenance, Angel saw Sheila stop as she noticed who her daughter was embracing. "Willow!"

>From that moment, Angel let the mayhem fade into the background. He was vaguely aware of Casimir intercepting Sheila and offering some lame excuse about suicidal ex-boyfriends that needed to be handled carefully. The only thing that mattered to Angel was Willow. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tight. "I'm not saying good-bye," he whispered against her skin.

"Angel, please, I can't do this. I can't fight about it. It's done."

"When? When did you marry him? The invitation I was e-mailed said eleven." Angel already knew that Willow had not sent him that email. It had come from her account, but it was Casimir who had sent it. He had wanted to gloat about his victory to Angel's face.

"Mrs. Rosenberg!" Angel heard Cordelia enter the fray on the outskirts of his attention. She must have realized that things were not going as Angel had planned. If they had, then he and Willow would be on their way to L. A. by now. "How nice to see you. I'm Cordelia Chase, remember, I went to school with Willow. We weren't friends or anything and I never met you, but hi all the same. And congratulations on the mother of the bride thing. Uh, where's Mr. Rosenberg? I'd like to congratulate him too."

"That's a great idea. Sheila, why don't you take Miss Chase and her friend and find Ira. I can handle this," Casimir's voice reminded Angel that he and Willow were no longer alone in their relationship. It had suddenly become a demented love triangle between a witch, a vampire, and a gypsy.

"When, Saileach?"

"Eight o'clock this morning. Casimir sent the invitation so you would be too late."

"I wasn't." With Willow's mother gone, Angel lifted his head to look at Willow. She was frowning at his cryptic remark.

"You've had more than enough time to say good-bye. Let go of her and go back to Los Angeles, vampire, you have no place in Willow's life any more." Casimir held out his hand for Willow once again. "I believe we have a honeymoon to get to, my dear."

The smug bastard thought he had it all. Angel's face shifted back to his human face as he smiled. "I don't think so. Willow is mine. She carries my mark." Angel turned Willow around to face Casimir. The back of his hand brushed the soft material of her dress that covered the bite mark. He felt a jolt of energy run across his fingers with the contact and Willow gasped. "Are you familiar with the concept of a geis, gypsy?"

"You would never do that to her." Casimir's confidence was finally rupturing. Angel watched as a frisson of panic cracked the surface of Casimir's ice blue eyes.

"You've suddenly got a high opinion of demonic vermin." Angel savored the feeling of having the upper hand. The boy was no match for him. "A geis is an obligation put upon someone who shares a psychic bond with another. I initiated one around three o'clock this morning. She belongs to me and you can't have her any more than I can."

Casimir nodded, as if he finally understood what game they were playing and the rules that went with it. Soon he would realize that Angel had no interest in games. "A stalemate then. We wait to see who will end the fair Willow's suffering first. It won't be me."

During their testosterone rivalry, Angel had paid little attention to Willow and neither had Casimir. Both were surprised, when they finally looked to the object of their contention, that Willow was backing away from them. Angel took a step forward and winced when she flinched away. He suddenly realized how he had sounded. "Willow, I'm sorry. I wanted to explain this better. I did it to protect you."

"Protect me," Willow repeated. She shook her head slowly from side to side. "No, no that's not what you were doing." Willow turned and darted through the rustle of leaves and out into the sun. Angel started after her, but jumped back into the shade of light once the first ray of light touched his skin. He couldn't follow her. He couldn't properly explain his motives. Damn but he had fucked things up.

*****

A safe place. That's where Willow was running to. Her tears prevented her from recognizing the route as she ran through blurred streets and watery passers by. She ran there instinctively and when she found herself pounding on Giles' door she wasn't surprised. The part of her brain that stored the concept of "security" had taken her to the one man who had never let her down. He had never let any of them down.

"Willow?" Giles opened the door and Willow registered his astonished Englishman look, as Xander used to call it, before she threw herself into his arms and let loose a gut-wrenching sob.

She didn't know how Giles did it, she would be forever grateful to him for it, but somehow Giles managed to get her inside and calmed enough to talk. She gulped her tears, trying to decide where to start the story. "I...Angel...." Willow broke off as she began crying again. It was looking as if she would never stop.

"You stay here and collect yourself, Willow, and I'll go make us some tea." Giles patted her arm and left for the kitchen. Willow reached for the tissues he had placed on the coffee table and blew her nose and wiped at her eyes.

"Hey, G, what's the hold up?" Faith strolled into the apartment like she lived there. She stopped dead as soon as she saw Willow. For a long time, they said nothing, just stared at each other. The last time Willow had seen her, Buffy had been Faith and she had been Buffy. And the last Willow had heard of Faith was when Buffy had told her that Angel had somehow gotten Faith to relinquish her evil ways and she had confessed to her crimes. Faith should be in jail. "Hi, Willow," she was greeting her instead. She looked uncertain and ashamed, two emotional states Willow had never before associated with Faith.

"Buffy said you were in jail." Willow welcomed the change in her thoughts. She was also glad that the hate she had always experienced around Faith had dulled into tolerant dislike.

"I was, but the Watcher's Council pulled some strings after a while and I just got out last week for good behavior. I'm on parole and Giles is kinda my sponsor. I have to check in with him every day and we're working on getting me back into the slaying gig. I'm really sorry about Buffy and Xander. I can leave if you want." Faith shifted from foot to foot as she made her rushed speech and awaited Willow's response. Her hair still tumbled in riotous waves and it swung forward as she hung her head.

The tolerant dislike disappeared. Willow's heart felt too heavy to hold it anymore. Everyone always said she was too quick to forgive, but it was something that had always been easy for her. She forgave Faith because it was what they both needed. Faith looked like Willow felt - alone. "You can stay."

Faith smiled, another expression Willow was unfamiliar with seeing on her face. She had always smirked or sneered before. "Thanks." She sat down in a chair, pulling her feet up and swinging her legs over the arm. "You look nice. What's the occasion?"

The newfound lightness of her heart that forgiving Faith had brought plummeted as everything was brought back to the surface of her thoughts. The tears that had stopped swelled in her eyes and Willow fought a losing battle with keeping them in. Faith jumped off her chair and rushed to her side. She was holding Willow's weeping form when Giles returned with the tea.

A perfunctory knock on the door at the same time heralded Cordelia's entrance. "Willow! Are you okay? Angel sent me to look for you." Cordelia crossed over to the couch and sat down on the other side of Willow. Giles set the tea down on the coffee table and then wisely retreated to a chair in the corner without a word. "What did he do this time?"

The question needed to be answered. In different ways, Giles, Faith, and Cordelia had all asked what was happening to upset her and it was time to pull herself together and tell them. "I got married this morning."

"To Angel?" Faith and Giles asked at the same time, identical as possible expressions of astonishment on their faces. Cordelia stayed silent since she already knew the answer.

"No. I married Casimir Kalendash. He's Jenny's nephew and a member of the gypsy clan that cursed Angel." Thankfully, they were all silent while she told the rest of story, including the stuff about Angel's soul being permanent and excluding the fact that Casimir held Buffy and Xander's immortal souls at his whim. The only comment Willow received on her narrative was a snort and a more graphic description from Cordelia of what had been going on with Angel when she arrived when Willow explained that she and Angel had grown close the past few days. "Anyway, Casimir threatened to hurt everyone I love unless I married him. So, I did. He would have killed all of you just like he and his family did to Buffy and Xander. I couldn't take that chance."

"Don't worry, Willow, we understand perfectly," Giles assured her, but his worry was evident in the creases around his eyes.

Willow gave Giles a half-hearted smile, glad that he had accepted her explanation without question. It would kill him if he knew that Buffy's soul wasn't at peace and that because she had made a stupid mistake, it wouldn't ever be. "After the wedding, I waited for Angel. Casimir told me he had sent him an invitation with the wrong time. He wanted to gloat. I just wanted to say good-bye, but Angel wasn't listening and Casimir interrupted and started bragging about owning me because of this." Willow waved her left hand with the wedding ring. It was still slightly reddened from her encounter with Angel. "It's a fidelity ring and it keeps me faithful to Casimir. He was being his usual arrogant self until Angel told him that he couldn't own me because Angel did. He said something about placing a geis. He said it obligated me to him. Do you know anything about it, Giles?"

"It is a form of obligation placed on one person by another. I can look up the particulars." Giles stood up. He looked relieved he finally had something to do. "I'll be right back. I have a book on ancient Celtic rituals upstairs."

Occasional sniffles from Willow and the ticking of the clock were the only sounds in the room after Giles' departure. Faith shifted uncomfortably next to her while Cordelia absently rubbed Willow's back. Willow stared down at the floor a few moments and then reached for another tissue. Her gaze met the silver tea service Giles used and on the teapot's surface she could make out their warped reflections. The images made her smile. Then a giggle escaped her lips as she realized the incredible lunacy of her situation.

Cordelia's hand came away from her back. "Willow? Did you just snap? Is this a psychotic break?"

"No," Willow gasped between giggles. She took a minute to contain her laughter and then finally gestured at the fun house images in the teapot. "I was just thinking about how you two were the last people I would have expected to be by my side when I needed friends. No offense or anything."

"Yeah, well, I didn't expect to find you and Angel joined at the face when I came back to Sunnydale either. By the way, shouldn't you be in jail?" Cordelia looked across Willow to Faith. The question was more curious than accusatory.

"Parole," Faith answered absently as she twisted her hair between her fingers. She didn't look at them as she asked, "After all that I've done to you guys, do you think that I could really be your friend?"

For the second time, Willow was caught off-guard by Faith's vulnerability. And, apparently, so was Cordelia. "Sure, why not?" Cordelia met Willow and Faith's looks of surprise with a roll of her eyes. "Horrid experiences have helped me grow, okay. But not that much, so keep your elbows to yourself and leave the bitch part to me. I pull it off with much more style and class and a lot less psycho."

"I think I can agree to those terms." Faith smiled in relief and the three of them lapsed into a semi-comfortable silence until Faith broke it. "Wow, it is so weird to be sitting here with the two of you and not want to kill you."

Willow couldn't help it, she started laughing again. Maybe she was having a psychotic break, but she really didn't care. At least it felt better than crying over Angel. After a moment, Cordelia and Faith joined her and Willow could almost pretend that they were three college friends giggling over lunch about the men in their lives.

Almost, but not quite. Especially when Giles walked back downstairs with a large book with a Celtic crest embroidered in gold on the black leather cover. He looked up from his book with a slightly bemused expression. "It's nice to see you three girls getting along," was his only comment on the hilarity he had interrupted. "I've found a reference to the practice of geis. As I've said, it's an ancient Celtic ritual of obligation. When a one person shares a psychic bond with another person or thing, a geis can be placed that makes a certain action taboo. In Irish myth the warrior Cuchulain's death is brought about because he broke his geissa not to refuse a feast and not to eat of his totem animal. Three hags offered him a meal of dog, which was his totem animal, and he could not refuse to eat with them and yet he could not eat from a dog."

"Giles, I think that comes under the heading of too much information," Cordelia protested. "So, does breaking this geis thing always mean death for the person?"

"Yes. And there's no information on how one could break a geis, except to say that it's up to the fates. Do you know how Angel was able to do this to you, Willow?"

"The spell. I performed a spell that strengthened the anchoring of Angel's soul, that spell was weak because I had performed it unintentionally. The strengthening spell formed a bond between me and Angel." Willow couldn't believe that Angel had used their bond against her. Especially for something as petty as getting the best of Casimir. Maybe he hated the gypsies more than any of them realized.

"That's putting it mildly. Angel is head over heels in love with you," Cordelia interrupted Willow's thoughts. All eyes turned to her at her declaration. "Wesley and I thought he had gone off and staked himself after we saw the e-mail wedding invitation on his computer. I guess he was off doing this geis thingy instead."

"What exactly did Angel obligate Willow to do?" Faith asked curiously.

"To be faithful to him. I can't have sex with Casimir and because of this damn ring I can't be with Angel either." Willow tried to twist the ring on her finger to loosen it, move it, anything that would indicate that her situation wasn't as hopeless as it seemed, but the ring wouldn't budge. "Did you find out anything about the ring?"

"Yes." Giles hastily turned pages until he was near the end of the book. "Fidelity rings were fashioned in Arthurian times, after the betrayal of Guinevere with Lancelot. It keeps a partner faithful and the price of adultery is death. The exact 'vows' of ring are inscribed upon it."

This was getting better and better. Willow wanted to laugh again, but couldn't muster the energy. Besides, she was too angry to laugh. "Casimir called it a stalemate."

"A very deadly one. The bonds they've placed on you not only require you stay faithful, but they will also call you to them. Eventually, you won't be able to resist succumbing to one of them...." Giles trailed off.

"And then I die," Willow finished for him. She shook her head and stood up. She was tired of crying over this mess, it was time to get herself out of it. If that was possible. "What about my magic? Casimir married me so he could use it, can he?"

Giles shut his book and adjusted his glasses. "Well, um, since the union will, uh, be unconsummated he won't have free access to your magic."

"Good. At least Angel accomplished that." Willow couldn't help but feel angry at Angel. He had taken something special between them and twisted it into a game of "mine" with Casimir. Of course, at the same time she forgave him. In her heart she knew it hadn't been Angel's intention to hurt her, that her words were closer to Angel's intention. He had been trying to protect her. Unfortunately his solution would probably bring them more suffering than anything Casimir could have done to them. "What does this geis do to Angel?"

"It would depend on the words he used. I suspect that he would be irresistibly drawn to you as well."

"I can help there," Cordelia volunteered. "I'll find out exactly what he did and said for this spell. Don't worry, Willow, Angel will tell me everything or else I'll threaten to take my vision-seeing self to some other do-gooder for the PTB."

"On that note, why don't I cozy up to hubby and find out what he's not telling you." Faith stood up and smiled her old cocky smile. "I might as well put my unfriendly reputation with you guys to good use."

This was nice. She had friends she could depend on again. Faith and Cordelia would never replace Buffy and Xander in her heart, but they did fill a void in her life. "Thanks, guys, I really appreciate this." Willow turned to Cordelia. Aside from Faith, her support surprised Willow the most. "I thought you would hate me for marrying Casimir and hurting Angel."

The tall brunette shrugged. "I would have if I didn't know you only did it to protect him. I know that Angel isn't the only one who is in love here, Willow. I think you should tell him how you feel."

Willow could see the course of action she had to take and it didn't involve following Cordelia's suggestion. Casimir wouldn't just give up and he had Buffy and Xander's souls in his possession. She had to get that piece of paper with the spell back and to do that, she would have to go back to Casimir. "I can't do that. Cordelia, please, try to convince Angel to go back to L. A. He can't stay here. I'll have to hurt him more if he does."

"That won't happen. He's already sent Wesley back to close up shop. He's not leaving, but I will try." Cordelia stood up and gave Willow a hug. "Just watch what you say when you reject him for his own good. He still takes things to an infinite brood level."

"I will." Willow hugged Cordelia back and reluctantly let her go. "Well, I guess I should get back to my husband."

No one looked happy at that suggestion. Cordelia adjusted her purse strap over her shoulder, but kept any comments to herself. Faith also didn't say anything, instead she looked to Giles. "I don't think that's wise, Willow," Giles vocalized their protests. "The closer you are in proximity to either of these men, the more you'll feel the pull toward them. You're playing with fire."

"I know, Giles, I have no choice." Willow hugged Giles. He was so much like a father to her. She wished she could stay here and be safe while they sorted everything out, but that would be that Giles wouldn't be safe. She wanted him to be around for her real wedding, the one she had when she married the man she loved. For a second, an image of Angel in a tuxedo, the one he wore to the prom, flashed in Willow's mind. Unfortunately, that was wishful thinking. She doubted very much that the love Cordelia professed Angel to have for her would survive the pain she was about to put him through.  

~Part: Eight~

It wasn't even noon and Willow felt like she had lived through a life time in one morning. At least things were a bit brighter with Giles, Cordelia, and even Faith, on her side. Together they would find some way to release her from Casimir's shackles. Willow didn't let herself think about the shackle Angel has placed on her. She walked from Giles' to the apartment Casimir had rented keeping her mind firmly away from that particular topic. Instead she thought about her new home. One she had never seen and refused to move her stuff into. There had been no way she would have let him move into her house either. When he had forced her into this marriage, Willow had decided to make it a difficult one as possible. She pressed the call button on number thirteen and Casimir buzzed her in without even asking who it was. She hated him.

"Your parents left," he yelled at her from the kitchen when she walked into the apartment. "They weren't impressed with you. Your mother was quite apologetic. She actually tried to explain the vampire to me. I assured her that I understoon and I had every confidence that you would let him down easily." Casimir waked into the living as he talked carrying a sandwich. "I couldn't very well tell her that the vampire and I are playing a game with her daughter's virtue. When do you think he'll get tired of watching you suffer and fold? I give him a week. That soul of his has made him soft. This would be much more interesting if he were Angelus."

"You love this, don't you?" Willow sat down in her chair and watched her husband with detached interest. "Do you even realize that because of what Angel did you don't have access to my magic? The one thing you wanted most."

The cocky smirk she was expecting didn't appear. Instead Casimir gave her a long, measuring look. His tone was serious and slightly curious when he asked her, "Do you ever get tired of underestimating me, my love?" Casimir sat down across from Willow. He set his sandwich down on the endtable and then gave her his full attention. His icy blue eyes stabbed into hers. "I'm a bery determined man and I don't think you understand my motivations. I want your magic and I want the vampire to suffer, but not for the reason you think. I don't care that he murdered some gypsy whore from my family around a century ago. I want him to suffer because he stole your love from me. You would have loved me eventually, Willow."

"No."

Casimir gave her a sad smile. "You wouldn't be saying that if it wasn't for him. You were attracted to me when we first met."

This conversation was making Willow uncomfortable. Casimir was her enemy and she was starting to feel sorry for him. She had this almost irresitable urge to reach out and hold his hand. Damn, she was too forgiving! "I was attracted to lies. That's what you're doing right now, you're lying to me."

"You believe that now, because of the curse the vampire put on you, but your heart will tell you different." Casimir stood up. He kissed the top of Willow's head. "If you let yourself listen." He gave her hair a last lingering caress and then left Willow alon to contemplate his words.

*****

"Tell me, Angel, do you ever use your brain to think or is its only purpose to keep your skull from caving in?" Cordelia slammed the motel room door shut, encapsulating them in the cool darkness of the shrouded room.

"Excuse me?" Angel lifted his head from the pillow. He had been laying on the bed and staring at the ceiling reveiwing, not brooding, about what he could possibly say to Willow when he saw her again to make things right. He had to find the right words to explain what he had done and why he had done it. She had to understand. Now for some reason, Cordelia was mad at him. "What's your problem?"

"My problem? My problem is that you are an idiot!" Cordelia threw her purse into a nearby chair and stood with her arms crossed and her foot tapping the carpet. She looked like she was waiting for an apology. Angel didn't offer one, so she threw up her hands with a frustrated sigh. "In case you haven't noticed, things have changed since your heart stopped beating. Women today don't appreciate being treated like chattle. While I'm sure one of your olden times lasses would have found this geis thing romantic and flattering, that is not how Willow feels. Why didn't you tell me what you had done before you sent me in there to talk to Willow? I'm supposed to convince you to go back to L. A. by the way." Cordelia flopped down on the edge of the bed.

While Cordelia had been railing at him, Angel had sat up. He had caught the gist of why she was mad at him and he wasn't really surprised by her reaction. He really should have told her what he had done before he had sent her to talk to Willow, but he had been afraid that Cordelia would refuse once she had known and then he would have lost his only ally who could get close to Willow. If Willow chose to shut him out, Cordelia would be his window back in. Unfortunately, Cordelia seemed to closing that window. He couldn't have that, he would have to make amends and make his position very clear. "I'm staying. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I should have."

"Damn right you should have. Well, at least I can tell them that I tried to convince you to leave. What the hell were you thinking, Angel?"

Angel ran a hand through his hair. He stood up and paced the small room. "I didn't intend to obligate Willow to me, well I did....I just...I wanted to protect her from Kalendash. I thought that if she couldn't give him what he wanted, then he wouldn't want her. I didn't expect them to already be married by the time I got back to Sunnydale and I sure as hell didn't expect him to use a fidelity ring."

"You did the exact same thing he did to her."

"I know." Angel stared at the drawn curtains. He wished he could go back and find some other way to deal with everything. He wished he could go back to that night in the cemetary when he had found Willow offering dead flowers to her dead friends and this time pick her up and carry her far away from Sunnydale.

The comforting touch of Cordelia's hand on his arm pulled Angel out of his rueful thoughts. "There is a difference, though," she conceded. "You love her and she loves you."

"So that makes what I did not as bad."

"No. It does make it easier to forgive. She already has, you know. She was worried about the effect the geis will have on you. Giles is going to research it and the fidelity ring."

Willow had turned to Giles for help. That was good. She wasn't accepting the situation anymore, she was fighting it. And maybe she would forgive him eventually. He doubted it had happened already, as Cordelia claimed. Willow's concern for him was just a part of her nature. But it did give him hope. "And you?"

"I'm part of the team. Right now my job is to find out the exaxt spell you used for the geis." Cordelia looked at him expectantly. When he didn't answer right away she looked annoyed. "You have to tell me. It's bad enough you're going to be hanging around town, I can't go back empty handed too. If you want me to help willow and do this double agenting, then I have to be on her side and I have to have that information. She was already surprized that I didn't hate her for hurting you."

"This isn't her fault. Kalendash is blackmailing her. At least she's with Giles now." Cordelia made a noncommital noise that Angel didn't like and she backed up to pick up her purse. "She is with Giles?"

The thin black leather purse strap twisted into coils under the nervous manipulation of Cordelia's fingers. "She went back to him," she informed him quietly, not meeting his gaze.

"She went back to him," Angel repeated. He sat down heavily, the bed bouncing slightly under his weight. Oh, God, he was wrong. Xander had been wrong. Willow did love the gypsy. They had finally gotten their revenge. When they had given him back his soul, they had given him back the chance to love and lose it. First Buffy and now Willow. At least losing Buffy had been his choice, he had some manner of control over it. Despite the geis, he couldn't dictate Willow's feelings for the gypsy. Angel cradled his head in his hands. It felt heavy and light at the same time. He wanted to be sick.

"No, no, we're not doing this," Cordelia protested. She knelt down before Angel and took his face in her hands. She forced him to look at her. "You are right. He has something on her. She told Giles that she had no choice but to go back to him. She only married him because he threatened to kill all of us."

"If she lives with him, she'll be drawn to him."

"That's what Giles said." Cordelia dropped her hands from Angel's face to cover his trembling hands. "If Willow ever finds out that I told you this, I hope she understands and forgives me because right now I'm thinking that the geis was a good idea. You have to fight for her and not in a noble, gentlemanly way either. You fight dirty. She loves you, Angel, and no matter what she says or does you have to trust her. And she has to trust that you love her no matter what you do."

"I trust her." It was about all he could do until sunset. Then would be able to leave the motel room and take Cordelia's advice. He would find Willow and make it clear to her that he would fight for her. Casimir Kalendash would not win, he would make sure of that, even if he had to hurt Willow in the process.

*****

The vibrant red and orange of the setting sun glanced off the headstones in the cemetary. As the sky darkened to purple, the pink of Buffy's headstone deepened into a rich mauve and Xander's warmed to a charcoal gray. Willow sat between them, idlely plucking blades of grass. She hadn't been able to stay at the apartment with Casimir. She had kept dwelling on what he had said and how nice he had been when he had first come to town. When she had caught herself moving toward the bedroom, actually wanting to apologise to her best friends' killer for her treatment of him, Willow had turned and run out. She hadn't actually believed Giles when he had said she would be attracted to Casimir. Angel, yeah, but Casimir. At least the feeling faded when she was away from him.

Her first impulse had been to seek solace back at her home. That didn't work however because once she was there she had been assaulted by memories of Angel. He had become such an idelible part of her life so quickly that it physically hurt for her to remember the few precious days they had spent together. He hadn't been enough. With her own house off-limits in the comfort department, this was the only place she could think of to find peace. Giles would only try to convince her to stay with him or leave town until they had figured out a way to break the bond of the fidelity ring. Willow lay down between her best friends' graves and buried her face in the grass. She breathed in the cool, earthy scent.

"Wow, the tragedy factor sure had been signifcantly upped since the last time I visited. I'm impressed."

Willow rolled her head to the side and smiled at Buffy leaning against her headstone. "I learned from the best. Besides, I didn't want you to get bored."

"Yeah, we can't leave you alone for a minute. Look what happens - you become immortal, fall for Deadboy, get blackmailed, cursed, married, and cursed again. You know, I don't think even Buffy could top this in the area of angst." Xander's snarky comments made Willow sit up and face him. He sat on his headstone with his Xander grin and his laughing Xander eyes. "Don't I get a hello?"

"Hi," was all Willow could manage. Tears blurred her vision and she hastily blinked them away to clear her view of her oldest best friend. "I've missed you."

"Missed you too." Xander stood up and took the few steps that brought him to Willow. He sat down in front of her and passed a hand over her cheeks. A wafting coolness dried the tears she had allowed to fall. "We have to figure out a way to get you out of this, Will."

"Well, gee, now the you're dead, I thought you guys would be all knowing and would knowl the answer already."

"You're right, what's the use of having dead friends, if they're not all knowing." Buffy joined them on the grass. She gave Willow a reproachful look along with her joking words. "Of course, it helps if you take their advice. I told you to tell Angel everything. I don't remember saying anything about marrying Kalendash."

"Yeah, Will, Angel could have taken care of himself. You didn't have to marry the gypsy."

Buffy and Xander's earnest and concerned looks gave Willow pause. She wasn't sure if she should tell them. It would be easy to let them believe that she had married Casimir solely to save Angel. The fact was, Willow was surprised that they didn't know that their souls were in danger. Her crack about all knowing dead people had been half way serious. That was the deal, once you died, you got to know everything. And once you found someone you loved you were supposed to live with them happily ever after. She couldn't not tell them. If something went wrong, which it would, and Casimir had a chance to use the bloodied paper, then Buffy and Xander deserved to know what could happen. Maybe they could find a way to save themselves. "He has the paper with the spell. It's soaked with your blood and he can use it to curse your souls."

This new information shocked Buffy and Xander into silence. Willow looked at their striken faces and felt overwhelming guilt. Thanks to her they had endured a violent, bloody death and now, also courtesty of her mistakes, they couldn't even enjoy a peaceful afterlife. Willow hung her head.

"Great." Xander's voice made Willow look up. He sounded bitter and the least she could do was face his recriminations. "Now I have to cross this off my 'Why I hate Angel' list. You know I don't like doing that. The less I have on the list, the more my animosity toward the guy looks petty and irrational."

"I'm going to go with a 'no comment' on that one." Buffy rolled her eyes at Xander. When she turned to Willow her look softened. "I can't believe you married that jerk to save our souls. That's so sweet. I love you." Buffy waved her spectral hands in the air. "It's hard being sappy when you can't hug!"

"It's the thought that counts. And I love you guys too. That's why I had to marry him and find some way to get that paper back. After that I hope Giles will find out a way to get this ring off my finger. I just wish Angel hadn't complicated things."

"Giles will find a way out of your marriage for you. And as for Angel, I can't believe he cursed you!" Buffy looked annoyed with her ex.

"It's not exactly a curse...."

"It sure seems like one! It could kill you. I don't know what Angel was thinking. He was sitting around, brooding, so I sent Xander to..." Buffy trailled off and narrowed her eyes at her companion in death. "What exactly did you say to Angel, Xander?"

Xander fidgeted under Buffy and Willow's sudden undivided attention. "Nothing. Well, I might have said something about Willow being in trouble. A lot of trouble. That if he didn't do something....hey, I love you guys." He gave them his puppy-Xander look.

"Xander," Buffy started to admonish him, but she stopped when she noticed a movement in the trees on the edge of the cemetary. Willow turned to look as well and saw Angel step out into clearing. He and Buffy stared at each other. Some kind of understanding seemed to pass between them and they both smiled. Buffy grabbed Xander's hand. "We have to leave now."

Before Willow could protest, both Buffy and Xander popped out of existence. She didn't want to be alone with Angel. If she had found resisting Casimir under the spell of the ring difficult, saying no to Angel with this geis on them would be virtually impossible. Willow clutched handfuls of grass and earth as if to anchor herself where she was seated.

Since Buffy and Xander's disappearance, Angel's smile had changed. With Buffy it had been friendly and faintly nostalgic, now it was more cool and smirky. The smile reminded her of how...no, that was impossible. Angel's soul was permenant. Still, when Angel started moving toward her with that easy, effortless stride, Willow shivered. His whole demeanor was Angelus. The look in his eyes, the curl of his lips, and the gliding quality of his walk. He didn't say a word. Willow didn't know if that was good thing or a bad thing. He stopped directly in front of her, not even trying to put her at ease. Willow refused to look up at him, keeping her gaze locked onto the blades of green grass protruding from her between her white knuckles.

Angel's hand came into her field of vision as she held it out to her. "Fe dheireadh thiar thall, a ghra mo chroi."

Of it's own volition, Willow's hand placed itself in his offered palm. Strong fingers closed over it and with a gentle tug, Angel pulled her to her feet. Willow still couldn't look at him. She fixed her stare on the third button from the top of his shirt. Blue velvet, leather pants, and a long black overcoat. The clothing wasn't reassuring either. How could Buffy have left her? How could she not have known?

Almost as if he had heard the questions her mind was screaming at her, Angelus - for this was who Willow was sure it was - caressed her hair. "Buffy always did focus on the face. Place too much trust in the smile. She never bothered to assess the whole package. Not a mistake you've ever made. You knew something was wrong the very first time we met, just as you do now."

"Angel...is he..."

"Don't worry, your lovely seduction wasn't in vain, Angel is still with us. It's just that the soul is weak and I am not. We made a deal. He lets me out to play and I get you out of your marriage."

Willow looked up at him then. This didn't sound right. Angel wasn't stupid, he knew how dangerous Angelus was and what he was capable of. Angel would never.... She couldn't say that. A week ago, Willow would have been certain that Angel would never have sex with her on her kitchen table. That he would never wait around and make love to her the next night. Never have told her he loved her. Never have cursed her. No, Willow was no authority on the things Angel would never do. It was completely possible that this was Angelus. "What do you want?" she finally asked.

A step closer brought them a hair's breadth apart. Willow had no desire to move back. Until that moment, Angel's odd manner had made her nervous, but now that he was so close, she felt comforted. He leaned in close, his lips touching the top of her ear. When he spoke, the comfort his presence within her personal space had brought was pushed aside by the fear inspired by his words. "I told you. I want to play." His hands ran up and down her arms in a stroke so light and quick that Willow wasn't sure if it had happened. The only evidence she had that it wasn't her imagination was the goosebumps tingling her flesh. "I want to feel the warm touch of your hands all over my body. The demanding bruise of your lips...anywhere you want to put them."

Again Willow had no control over her limbs as she was caught up in a tide of fear and undeniable desire. Her hands reached up to go around Angel's neck. He stopped her. Raising his head to look at her, he entwined their fingers. "And, oh, what I want to do to you, dear sweet Willow. I didn't realize before how much fun you could be." Angel's attention turned to their hands and he rubbed the gold band on her ring finger thoughtfully. "Till death do you part. That is the vow, isn't it?" But Angel didn't wait for Willow to answer. He returned his gaze to her, but instead of intense brown, she caught a glitter of yellow as he bent toward her neck. "You are going to make one hell of a vampire, my love," he growled into her throat.  

Gaelic translation - "We meet again, love of my heart."  

~Part: Nine~

"Angel!" Willow shoved him away from her. Hard. Angel stumbled back. He hadn't expected Willow to push him away with so much force. He didn't have to fake the surprise on his face when he looked at her.

"Willow? Wh...what's going on?"

Willow gave him a look like a small animal that had just successfully dodged one lane of busy traffic only to be confronted with a second, seemingly deserted lane. Her bright green eyes were round with fear and uncertainty. Angel winced internally at the mistrust he saw there, but made sure that his expression only showed confusion.

"What's wrong, Saileach?" At the use of her Gaelic name, some of the fear left Willow. She warily reached out to stroke the ridges of his face.

"Angel?" His hand joined hers, as if unaware of his own contorted features. Angel's face smoothed under her touch and he watched as Willow shuddered with relief. He couldn't do this to her. He would tell her the truth right now. That it had been an act. And then...what? She could go back to her husband, hating him for pretending to be Angelus? That would work just perfect. No, he had no choice. He had to finish this, now that he'd started it. Cordelia had told him to fight dirty - although she thought this plan a bit excessive, the whole concept of Angelus still made her nervous - and he would.

"It's really you," Willow whispered to herself, still stroking his cheek. She seemed reassured by his silence. Since she had reproached him after pushing him away, Angelus hadn't returned to mock her. It was true, if he had truly been Angelus, he would have called his "Angel" bluff the moment she had touched him. Angel took her hand from his face and held it tightly. He looked earnestly into her eyes.

"Please, Willow, tell me what's going on." The story spilled from Willow's lips and to her credit, it came out coherently. While she talked, Willow's free hand wandered over his face. She touched his forehead, his temple, down his cheek and the side of his neck. Finally, it rested on his chest where his heart would have beat.

"Oh, Angel, I was so scared that you were gone," Willow concluded with a sob. He pulled her to him, hugging her against his chest, partly because Angel needed to hold her close and partly because he didn't want to Willow to see his face. She would see the guilt, he couldn't hide it. Angel had known Willow would be concerned about him, it was kind of the foundation of his whole plan, but he hadn't thought it would be her first reaction. Now he would have to compound it.

"It's coming back to me now, I think. God, Willow, I'm so sorry." It was okay if she saw the guilt now, it was what she would expect, so he pushed Willow back slightly so he could look down at her when he delivered his next line. "He lied to you. There's no deal, something else is causing Angelus to gain his freedom. I think it's the geis."

"What? You mean you can't control him...when he appears?" Willow looked nervous and scared, as she well should have been if Angelus was really a threat. She stepped back from him. Angel didn't let her go, he pulled her closer to him instead and the panic in her eyes was instantaneous. So was the pain in his heart.

"I can't control him, but I think you can. When were apart today, I felt strange. The demon was rattling the bars of the cage and my soul was too tired to fight. It was kind of like when this actress I had been protecting had drugged me, I could feel myself slipping away, but it was already too late. But now that I'm with you, my soul is strong and the demon is quiet. I think that as long as I'm with you, Angelus is gone." Damn but he was a first rate bastard. Willow was going to feel responsible, she was going to need to help him, but of course that was the plan. He was just going to have to pile on the guilt until she came up with the idea he wanted to hear. "I can't go back to L. A., Willow. Cordelia tried to convince me and now that I remember, that's when Angelus first started to gain control. I think he scared the hell out of her. Willow, I can't be separated from you, not even for a day. If I am, I'm afraid..he might...."

"Angelus will hurt people." Willow's mind was making all the connections he had been counting on. "The geis has weakened your soul because its bound it even more tightly to mine than my spell did. Angel, we can't be apart until Giles can find out how to break the geis. You have to move in with me." Yes! That's what he wanted to hear. What this whole charade was supposed to accomplish. Willow with him instead of the gypsy. Kalendash couldn't exert his charm through the bond of the fidelity ring if Willow wasn't around. "The apartment's only a one bedroom - too small for the three of us - we'll have to move into my house, I guess." Angel's private elation almost caused him to miss the meaning of Willow's words. Her plan didn't include leaving Kalendash. "You can stay in Buffy's room, it's the darkest, and Casimir can use Oz's. I'll be in my own, of course. I think we can make it work." Willow looked up at him and nodded, her plan set, unfortunately it wasn't the one Angel had in mind.

"What? You expect me to live in the same house as him?"

"I live in the same house as him. He's my husband," Willow answered simply.

"Why?" It was a big question. Angel knew that Willow was aware that he was asking her not only why she was living with Kalendash, but also why she had married him. She had never really answered that question to his satisfaction. Willow did have a self-sacrificial nature, but what could the gypsy possibly have on her that she would doom herself to being with him for the rest of her life? It couldn't be his soul, Willow must know by now that the gypsy's magic was useless and that there was no way they could have cursed her.

"I love him."

The statement sent Angel back down the spiraling yo-yo of emotions and doubts he had had about Willow's feeling since he had returned to Sunnydale, not because of the words, but because of the way she said them. Her voice was sure and steady and her eyes didn't leave his face. Willow couldn't lie that well.

"I love you too." This declaration came out involuntarily as she breathed. Angel wasn't even sure Willow knew she had made it. It was the first time she had said it and it sent him back up with the yo-yo. She loved him! The feelings she thought she had for the gypsy had to be a product of the fidelity ring and as long as he stayed close, he could keep Willow from succumbing to the spell. Hopefully, he wouldn't destroy the love she felt for him while protecting her.

"I'll go get my stuff." Angel held out his hand. Willow dug into her pocket for a set of keys and handed them over to him.

"I'll go tell Casimir we're moving. See you later, Angel." She impulsively reached up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "You'll be okay, right?"

"I'll be fine." Angel brought Willow's hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss in her palm. "I love you, Saileach."

*****

The night was dark by the time Willow headed back to Casimir's apartment, but she wasn't worried about the vampires and demons that lurked in the cemeteries and parks of Sunnydale. She had other things on her mind. The foremost was agonizing over Angel. How could she have told him she loved him? She was supposed to convince him that she loved Casimir so Angel would go back to L. A. and not be completely destroyed by the charade she was forced to play out with her husband for her best friends' souls. Now the Angelus factor had messed that up, there was no way Angel could go back to L. A. She was going to have to break his heart up close and personal by pretending to fall in love with Casimir while living in the same house with Angel. But it wouldn't be fair to play with his feelings and tell him that she loved him. She was going to have to watch that it didn't happen again.

"Come and knock on our door," Willow sang the theme song to Three's Company softly to herself. Three was definitely not going to be company, it was going to be insane. In a rather perverse train of thought, Willow wondered what the sitcom pitch to the network would like: it's about a witch, blackmailed into marrying a gypsy who wants to steal her powers, and both of them live with her vampire lover who has cursed her. "Argh! What the hell am I going to do?" Willow yelled at the heavens. The answer came from another place.

"You might want to try running, lovely, but it won't help." The vampire emerged from the darkness to stand in front of her. He looked around her age, with surfer blond hair and blue eyes, but he wasn't young. From his attitude and level of confidence, and despite the beach bum looks, Willow guessed that he might be nearing a hundred years old. He licked his fangs and winked a now yellow eye at her.

"I don't run," Willow told him calmly. The vampire raised a brow at her, slightly off put by her confidence. "You're new in town, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I don't usually talk to my meals." The vampire advanced, but he only took at step before his head was separated neatly from his neck. His yellow eyes registered surprise as he turned to dust. "He definitely wasn't worthy of making a meal of you, Ducks." Spike walked through the settling dust, brushing it off his leather coat.

"Spike!" Willow hugged him. "You're back! It's so good to see you."

"I can tell." Spike hugged her back. His arms wrapped around her waist in a comforting embrace before he slid his hands back to caress over her hips to rest them on the curve of her ass.

"Spike." Willow pulled away. Spike had been making passes at her ever since he had tried to bite her and they discovered that he couldn't because of the implant. Willow was pretty sure that if she had ever responded he would have run the other way. He just did it because it made her blush, not because he had a serious romantic interest in her.

"Right. Sorry about that." Spike gave her a wicked grin, but he soon lost it. He looked at the ground and shuffled his feet. "Sorry about Slutty and the Xapper too." "Thanks." Willow accepted the condolences without admonishing him about the nicknames. Spike had never developed as close a relationship with Buffy and Xander as he had with her and Giles. Of course, it hadn't helped when he and Anya had taken off together. "Are you alone?"

"Yeah, Anya's pretty busy these days."

"How does she like her new job?"

"She loves it. She says it's a lot more satisfying sticking it to the general populace rather than confining her talents to mere slimy men. Being a Bad Karma Demon really agrees with her."

"That's nice. How did she take the news about Xander?" Spike at least had the decency to look guilty at the mention of Xander. Xander had been unable to accept Anya's return to her demon persona and Spike had been more than happy to encourage their fights. Things had finally blown up and ended with Spike and Anya leaving Sunnydale.

"She's upset. I think some poor bloke really got his tail fried the day she found out. She said she wanted to be alone and I wanted to check on you, so here I am. And right in the nick of time too."

"Yes, your timing is impeccable."

"So, how are you?" Willow laughed. She linked her arm with Spike's and started walking him toward Casimir's apartment.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. So, you have a place to stay while you're in town, Spike?" Willow gave Spike one of her sweet, innocent smiles. Spike would make a good addition to her weird family. If anything, Angel would have to at least think about who he was going to kill, Spike or Casimir, before he did it.

"I was planning on staying with you and now that I've saved your life, you can't refuse."

"I'm not refusing, but you didn't save my life." Willow sent Spike a coy smile. It was nice being with him. Easy. She didn't feel the push and pull she constantly felt in Angel and Casimir's presence. Maybe Spike would help alleviate that as well.

"I beg to differ, love, you may have gotten good at the slaying over the years, but that guy was going to tear open your neck."

"It wouldn't have mattered, unless he ripped my head off, because I seem to have picked up immortality since the last time we talked." The look on Spike's face was priceless. Willow couldn't wait for him to meet his roommates.

*****

The bar was dark and seedy, the perfect atmosphere to brood by. Angel had dropped his limited belongings at Willow's and then had went looking for someplace he could fade into the background. The strong pulse of the music and the gyrating bodies made this place perfect. He couldn't have stayed at Willow's and wait for her to move her husband in. In his current unstable mood, Angel was afraid he would rip the gypsy's throat out if he had witnessed even the tiniest sign of affection between them. Angel smiled down at the bottom of his glass. At least he could blame Angelus for his more violent impulses should he indulge them. It could even turn out to be fun living in the same house as the gypsy, tormenting him, as long as the bastard didn't touch Willow.

"Hey," a husky voice purred into his ear and a soft body pressed against his back. "What's a handsome vampire like you doing in a dive like this?"

Angel glanced over, downing the rest of his Guinness. "Hey, Faith. Cordelia told me you were out of jail."

"Free as a bird." Faith slid onto the bar stool beside him. She ran a fingertip around the rim of his glass and then brushed the gathered moisture onto his bottom lip. "Want to help me celebrate?" Okay, this was not how he had expected his first meeting with Faith since her incarceration to go. A thank you, yes, her hand on his crotch, no. Especially since Cordelia had also told him about Faith's reformed attitude and her offer to get friendly with Kalendash to help Willow. Instead she seemed to have devolved back into her getting-even-with-Buffy behavior.

"What's the game, Faith?"

"Anything you want to play, Angel." Faith gave him a wicked smile and leaned in close. "Red's hubby got a hold of some old info. Stuff about how I tried to move in on you when you were with B, only his source seemed to think I was successful. Caz tracked me down and asked if I would be willing to renew the relationship. Go with it."

"And where exactly is this going to take us?" Angel tipped his empty glass at the bartender. The man came over and replaced it with a full one, giving Faith an appreciative once over. Angel didn't know why Faith had chosen this particular avenue to get into Kalendash's good graces. He knew what the gypsy wanted to accomplish by having Faith try to seduce him, but how was it going to help him and Willow? Faith glared at the bartender until he moved onto another customer and out of earshot.

"Hubby wants to get into my pants, but it seems he can't do that until he has Red's feelings all sewed up. This fidelity ring he gave her is also supposed to make her love him, but it can't do its job while she's in love with you. In order for him to be able to play around, he has to make sure that Red can't, or won't, turn to you."

"And she certainly won't do that if I'm sleeping with you."

"Exactly." Faith stroked his chest. "And, you know, a little dose of jealousy can sometimes make feeling clearer for people."

"Willow knows how she feels about me." Angel lifted a brow as Faith took her hands back and straightened away from him. "Kalendash leave?"

"Yeah, he just stayed to see if I could hook you. Guess he's going back home to Red now." Faith reached for Angel's beer and took a drink. "You know, I always thought that B, or even just the memory of her, would keep you and Red apart."

"What do you mean 'you always thought?"

"Please, to the objective observer, it was obvious that there were vibes between you and Willow. You think it was coincidence that you were always there to save her when she needed it? Hell, I may have focused my rage onto B, but I was just as jealous of Willow. She had everything, friends, smarts, love, and you in the background looking out for her."

"I didn't think that anyone would notice. Do you think anyone noticed?" Angel quickly reviewed all of his past actions when he had lived in Sunnydale concerning Willow. He hadn't thought he had been obvious.

"Just Giles and B."

"Buffy knew? How do you know that?"

"Just looks she would give you when you were looking at Willow. But, don't sweat it, B loved you both and she knew that you loved her. She knew neither of you would hurt her on purpose. Unlike me." Angel and Faith sat in silence. God, he hoped Faith was right and that if Buffy had guessed his feelings for Willow, she hadn't been hurt by them or blamed Willow for them. Since their friendship seemed to have gone undamaged after he left, that was probably the case.

"So," Faith broke the silence brightly. "I guess since we're sleeping together, I should know where you're staying."

"At Willow's with her and her husband."

"Excuse me? Why?"

"When I'm away from Willow for a long time, Angelus emerges," Angel lied. He knew Faith was working with them and he trusted her, but the less people he had telling him what an idiotic place it was, the better. Cordelia was more than enough, although she had told him that she was telling Wesley. "It's a side effect of the geis. My soul is bonded to hers and when she's not around...."

"Angelus is," Faith finished with a shiver. She had never actually met the real Angelus, but apparently Buffy and the others had told her stories. She drank the rest of Angel's beer and grinned at him. "Let's go see if they need help moving."

*****

"I don't bloody believe it!" Spike set his mug of blood on the coffee table with a thunk. Willow smiled at him from the corner of the couch she was curled up in. She had just finished telling Spike the sordid details, well most of them, of her life. Casimir hadn't been at the apartment when they arrived, so she had left him a note telling him she was living here and he could join her if he wanted to. Then Spike had helped her move her clothes back home. He sat at the other end of the couch and shook his head in amazement. "You and the Poof. And in the kitchen, yet. Ah, Ducks, if you wanted to boff a vampire then you knew that I was more than ready, willing, and very able." Willow's eyes widen, not at the familiar come on, but rather at Spike's mention of the locale of her and Angel's first tryst. She hadn't told him that.

"How did you know that Angel and I...you know...in the kitchen?" Spike reached out and stroked the blush on her cheek.

"Sorry, pet, but even though the event is past, the scent still lingers. If your gypsy husband has as good a sniffer as your ex-wolfboy, I suggest you break out the Lysol." His hand wandered from her cheek to her hair. He fingered the silky strands. "I can't believe you shagged the Poof. What the hell does he have that I don't?"

"A head on my shoulders if you don't stop touching her," Angel growled from behind them. "You know better than to touch what's mine, William." The edge in Angel's voice told Willow that he was dangerously close to not being himself. Spike must have noticed it as well because he stood up and stepped away from her without comment or protest. Willow stood up too and turned to calm Angel down, but the words died on her lips. He was with Faith. She was touching him. Sure, it was just a hand on his arm, but she was touching him.

"Your note didn't say anything about company, my love." Casimir walked through the still open front door. He pushed past Angel and Faith and set his suitcase on the floor.

"I'm not company, I live here." Angel was still in growl mode, but now his animosity was no longer directed at Spike. "I'm in Buffy's room, Willow's in her own, and you can take Oz's. Preferably the cage in the basement where he spent his full moon hours."

"I'll pass on that, thanks. I think I'll sleep with my wife instead," Casimir baited Angel, but Willow wasn't paying attention to him. Faith's hand was still on Angel's arm and if she didn't move it soon, she was going to lose it. Or at the very least it would require extensive reconstructive surgery after Willow broke every bone in it. As if totally unaware of the serious medical bills heading her way, Faith rubbed Angel's shoulder soothingly. "Don't let him get to you, Angel."

"Don't worry, Slayer of the-not-annoying variety, I'll keep a lid on things. I'm staying in Xander's room," Spike announced. He had sat back down on the couch, obviously more comfortable with Angel's anger now that Casimir was the target.

"I asked Spike to stay here while he's in town. I thought it might help...things," Willow jumped in to explain. Having Spike stay was starting to look like a very bad idea. Having Casimir live here was looking like a very bad idea. They were both going to bring out the Angelus in Angel, there was no way Angel could control himself in such antagonistic surroundings. Maybe she should tell Casimir to go back to the apartment and tell Spike to find some place else to stay. Then she could tell Angel about Casimir holding Buffy and Xander's souls hostage and he could help her stop him.....

"Funny, I had the same idea," Angel interrupted Willow's epiphany. "That's why I asked Faith to move in with us."

~Part: Ten~

Willow was not going to tell Angel anything. She couldn't believe he had actually invited Faith to stay in her home. Touchy-feely Faith who had slept with Xander and had tried repeatedly to seduce Angel. "We have to talk." Willow spun around and headed for the kitchen, assuming Angel would follow her. It had been her intention to just lead Angel aside, away from the others, but on second thought she walked straight into the kitchen. If Spike could smell what had happened between them days before, then so could Angel and he needed a reminder.

As soon as she reached the kitchen counter, Willow whipped around to confront Angel. She knew exactly what she was going to say. "You... how... it's..." she sputtered indignantly. Her lips were not co-operating with what she needed to say or rather yell.

But Angel seemed to have no trouble making his sentences turn out. "What the hell is Spike doing here? Why was he touching you? How come he isn't leaving?"

That brought back her powers of speech. "No! You are not allowed to do that. Spike is my friend and he was concerned about me and why wouldn't I ask my friend who was concerned about me to stay in my home? It's not like I invited him into your home."

"Cordelia said that you and Faith had made peace and I thought she could ease tensions with the gypsy."

"Is that what she was doing? Easing tensions? Is that why she was touching you?" Willow got to the heart of her ire. The image of Faith's hand on Angel's arm still itched in her mind. She tried to tell herself to get over it, it wasn't like Faith had been groping him or anything, but it still bugged her. Angel was hers. It was vaguely disturbing to have such fiercely proprietary feelings for Angel, but it was also right. Angel belonged to her in a way that Xander or Oz never had. No one was going to take that away from her.

Before Angel had a chance to formulate a response to her question, Willow took the two steps covering the distance between them and kissed him. The ring reacted immediately this time. White hot metal circled her finger in a ring of fire, reblistering the almost healed skin. Willow broke away from Angel with a pain filled gasp. "Fuck," she cursed. She shook her hand in the air and tried to claw the ring off. It wouldn't budge.

Tears of pain and frustration streaked down Willow's cheeks. She cradled her hand close to her chest and whimpered, aware of only the searing pain. Then Angel's hand reached out and gently took a hold of her injured one. He turned her to the sink and turned on the faucet, placing her hand under the cool stream. The water hissed as it splashed over the red glow of the ring. Angel left her at the sink and Willow heard the clinking of the ice machine as it dropped its contents. He came back and set a bowl of ice cubes on the counter by the sink. Angel took her hand once again and settled it into the soothing ice.

"Shhh, it's okay." Angel brushed the tears from her cheeks and rubbed her back. "Is that better?" Willow nodded and pressed her face into Angel's chest. The ice crackled and popped around them. Angel continued to make comforting noises and stroke her hair and back. His chest heaved against her cheek in a sigh. "Oh, Saileach, tell me what I can do to fix this?" he whispered.

"You could kiss me," Willow suggested. She rubbed her cheek on the roughness of his dark sweater.

"I wish I could, but it would hurt you again. That ring's gotten touchier."

Willow looked up at Angel. "My hand's in the ice. It's all numb."

Angel's face edged closer to hers until not even an inch separated their lips. "You're tempting me." Willow closed the gap between them even more and finally Angel allowed a brief petal brush of their lips. "Faith's here to make Kalendash comfortable. He's asked her to seduce me. He thinks it will lessen our bond and break the geis."

"Would it?" Willow closed her eyes as Angel's lips lingered on her brow.

"I don't know, but once he's broken our bond, he wants Faith for himself."

Willow's eyes snapped open and she leaned back to stare at Angel. "He can't do that. The fidelity ring works both ways. If he's unfaithful to me then the spell is broken." This wasn't good. Her whole plan had been to convince Casimir that she had given him the love he seemed to want from her. Then once she had done that, which may have required a sacrifice of part of her magic, she had hoped that Casimir would have trusted her enough to give her back the blood spattered paper with the spell. But if Casimir wanted Faith, then gaining and keeping her love was not at the top of his priority list. Oh, God, she had almost made a horrible mistake. If she had let Casimir have access to even a small part of her magic, he probably would have used it to destroy Buffy and Xander's souls. Especially if he thought she couldn't turn to Angel for help.

While these thoughts ricocheted in her brain, Willow noticed a strange look cross Angel's face. At first he looked scared, then sad, and finally angry before he swooped down and kissed her firmly on the mouth. He nibbled at her bottom lip, but withdrew instead of advancing when she parted her lips. Angel looked slightly stunned and very contrite as he took a few steps away from her. "Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Willow grabbed Angel's hand before he could retreat any further. "You didn't," she quickly assured him and sloshed her hand out of the bowl of disintegrated cubes sitting in a puddle of cold water. "You just made the ice all melty." She offered him small smile and was relieved when Angel's lips curved slightly as well.

"Let's fix up that hand of yours and then join the others. Where do you keep the first aid kit?"

"Top cupboard on your right." Willow gestured at the appropriate place and settled herself at the kitchen table. Angel returned with the first aid kit and set about applying the antiseptic, smoothing on the aloe vera, and bandaging her damaged finger. He was so gentle, his touch delicate so as to not irritate her skin further. Angel was totally focused on his task so Willow just sat back and watched him. This would be the perfect time to tell him about Casimir holding Buffy and Xander's souls hostage. She could trust Angel with that, he would help her get the spell back.

As Willow opened her mouth to confess everything, Angel tilted his head to inspect his work. The yellow of the overhead light briefly shone in his eyes. She could trust Angel, but she couldn't trust Angelus. If Angelus got possession of the bloody spell then Buffy and Xander's souls would still be in danger. She was just going to have to find some other way to solve this that didn't include giving up her magic to Casimir or involving Angel.

"Hey, are you still in one piece, Angel?" Faith poked her head through the kitchen door. "You two have been in here a while and Red looked testy. Everything five by five?"

"More like two by three, but it's getting better," Willow answered. She squeezed Angel's hand. "Where's Spike?"

"Overseeing Hubby's unpacking. I think he's making sure he doesn't try to move into your room."

"Good," Angel grunted.

"Well, I guess we had better get you settled too." Willow untangled her hand from Angel's and stood up. She was still uneasy about Faith's intentions. She might say that she was only getting close to Angel to get Casimir to trust her, but Willow knew that Faith also had feelings for Angel. Before when she had first come to town, gaining Angel's affections would have meant that Faith was on par, if not better than, Buffy. She had been using Angel as a yardstick to measure her skill and fitness as a Slayer against Buffy. Now after Angel had helped her redeem herself and gain some self esteem, Willow was sure that Faith's admiration and attraction to Angel was genuine. Those feelings could mean that Faith would allow herself to take things farther than she had first intended. How could Willow trust her not to when her own self control was nil with in came to Angel?

*****

It was still there. Underneath the sharp scent of the antiseptic he had just used on Willow's burns and between the stagnant odors of dinners past, lingered the musk of sex and rich tang of willingly offered blood. Angel allowed himself a few moments to savor the smells and the memory they invoked. It was all he had. He had seen Willow's face when he had told her that the gypsy wanted Faith. If he had ever doubted that Willow had feelings for Kalendash, he didn't now that he had seen her reaction to the news that he had wanted someone else. He couldn't pass it off as a side effect of the ring either, he had to face it. A part of Willow was in love with her husband. But a part of her loved him as well.

"Where's my wife?" The gypsy's voice brought an end to Angel's ruminations and the pleasant memories that persistently lurked in the back of his mind. Angel kept his eyes closed and didn't answer. He didn't trust himself to say anything. With Willow, Angelus was just a facade. A cloak he put on to convince her that he needed her near, but in the presence of the gypsy Angel had found that Angelus slipped dangerously to surface and threatened to stay.

Angel opened his eyes. "Kalendash. It's been a while since I killed one." He leaned back in his chair and slowly looked the gypsy over. "Of course most of my experience is with your women. Do you scream as prettily? Your uncle didn't and it was quite a disappointment."

The fear glanced through Kalendash's demeanor for a fleeting second. If Angel hadn't had the hundreds of years experience with the emotion that he did, he would have missed it. It was quickly replaced with a cooly curious gaze. With anyone else, Angel would have been impressed. "You can't kill me, Angelus, that would kill Willow as well. Any harm done to me by her lover is revisited upon her tenfold and you wouldn't want that." Kalendash joined Angel at the kitchen table. "But I'm sure having you around will make things more interesting."

The whelp didn't know what he was getting into. The slimy smug bastard actually thought he could best Angelus. He was the charade way too easy. "You're assuming I care if the witch lives." Angel leaned forward conspiratorially. "To tell you the truth, her death would benefit me. She's attached to the soul that's cursed me and there's a good chance that when she goes, it'll go with her." Angel leaned in more, this time invading the much younger man's space. "I will be free," he whispered.

This time the fear stayed and it was much more palatable. Angel was too close. The sensation fell over him like comfortable old sweater. He ran his tongue over his lips in anticipation of the hot, sweet blood. "You're bluffing. You want Willow as badly as the soulled part does, if only to taunt and torment her as you did the Slayer." The gypsy's uncertain protest pulled Angel from the intoxicating well the fear was drowning him in. When Angel pulled back slightly, Kalendash's confidence grew. "I know all about you, Angelus. You like to play with pretty things, especially pretty things who've fallen for your handsome face."

Angel's hand snaked out and he grabbed the gypsy by his neck. This time he pulled his head over to his side of the table. "Don't presume to know me, Gypsy. I will kill you. I will kill Willow. I will crush this cursed soul once and for all with her death and there will be no one to stop me."

"You never were really good at the counting, were you, Old Man?" Angel looked past Kalendash's oddly bent head to Spike, who was leaning nonchalantly in the doorway. "Let him go."

"Well, well, if it isn't a Dru-less Spike full of swagger and once again coming in second for a lady's affections. Or you might even be third, it seems to be a long line." Angel slammed Kalendash's head into the table and let go of his neck. He stood up and Spike immediately straightened as well. "Are you sure she's worth dying for?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Angel saw Kalendash holding his head and rubbing his neck. He heard him mutter, "Great, you two can kill each other." Angel took a few lazy steps toward Spike. The younger vampire stood his ground, but didn't say anything. Kalendash obviously felt that he had the upper hand now that the vampires were confronting each other, because he didn't shut up. "You won't kill me. If you were going to, I would be dead already. Willow means something to you," he declared.

"You're right, he won't," Spike answered for Angel. "Innocence corrupted and all that crap is the Old Man's specialty. Willow's too good to pass up. She'll die eventually, but I'm betting it'll be the live forever with fangs kind."

Spike's words further bolstered Kalendash's misplaced confidence. "Willow would never agree to become a vampire. You've lost this game. You can't kill me..."

"I can," Spike interrupted. "I'm not Willow's lover and have nothing to gain in a romantic way from your death, so if I kill you, she should be fine." Spike grinned wolfishly at Angel, his fangs glinting under the kitchen lights. "What do you say, Pop, may I eviscerate?"

It didn't make Angel proud to admit it, but this was a lot of fun. He turned so that instead of facing off against Spike he was standing just in front of him. "I don't know, have you been a good vampire since I've been gone?"

"I'm not listening to this." Kalendash pushed himself from the table and stalked past the gleefully evil vampires.

"I don't think he likes you." Spike moved to the fridge. He removed a couple bags of blood. "Of course, I don't like you. What the hell are you doing putting on the big and bad, Peaches? Willow's worried sick and she's got reason to. You were close to sucking the bastard dry when I walked in." He emptied the blood into two huge latte mugs and stuck them in the microwave.

"How did you know it was an act?"

"I do have a few brain cells, contrary to popular opinion. This damn chip in my head has even helped developed them. More time to think now that I can't mutilate and murder." The microwave beeped and Spike took a mug of blood out. He taste-tested it, wrinkled his nose and put it back in again.

"You still have the chip then. You can't kill Kalendash." Angel had half way been hoping that it could have been the new plan. It would have been a good plan. Kalendash dead. Willow free from him.

"He's evil. I can kill him if I really want to." Spike glared at Angel. "And you still haven't told me why you're walking around all Angelus-like."

"I had to get close to Willow and it was the only way I could think of to do it. I have to protect her from Kalendash."

Spike made a rude noise with nose. "Yeah, yeah, Red filled me in. You shagged her, cursed her, and now you've got her convinced that when she's not around you become Him. I hate Him. So tell me, who's going to protect Willow from you if you happen to like being Him too much to stop?"

"I would never hurt her. I love Willow." Angel was hoping that Spike couldn't see the uncertainty he felt about not hurting Willow. The lure of Angelus wasn't as weak as he was claiming. He would have to fight it if he was going to get Kalendash out of Willow's life for good. Whether she wanted it that way or not. "Are you going to tell her?" Angel accepted one of the mugs filled with blood from Spike. He couldn't read where Spike's loyalties were. As an elder in their vampire family, they should have bee with Angel without question, but between his soul and Spike's chip, that was no longer the case. Spike could go to Willow or Kalendash with his information.

"Willow's my friend. The first one ever and I'll do anything for her. For some stupid reason she's chosen to love you - personally, I've never seen the attraction - and she does need protecting from the gypsy."

"You won't tell her." Angel relaxed and took a sip of the blood. It was too hot for his taste. He had always warned Spike that overcooked blood lost the subtleness of taste and that body temperature was best, but the childe had never listened.

"I'll keep your secret for now, as long as I get to help torment the gypsy." Spike lifted his mug and waited for Angel to answer. Angel nodded and they saluted each other with the large cups of blood. Spike smacked his lips after gulping it down. "I'll be watching you too, Peaches."

*****

"Nice place you got here, Red." Faith lingered in the doorway to Willow's bedroom. A part of Willow, a really nasty part that she kept buried deep inside and didn't acknowledge very often, wanted Faith to feel uncomfortable. She wanted Faith to be so uneasy and unsure of herself that she wouldn't want to set foot into this house again. Then, of course, Willow would put Angel under house arrest and he would never be able to leave. That could be fun. But the rest of her wasn't going to allow herself the indulgence. She had more important things to deal with, it was time to put aside her irrational jealousy of Faith.

"Thanks. There's really no more room so you can stay in here with me." Willow walked to her closet and hunted for some extra blankets.

With her back turned, Willow couldn't see Faith's expression or read her body language, but she could hear the old Faith in her voice when she spoke. "Keeping an eye on me?" She didn't give Willow time to answer or turn around before she continued in a more contrite tone. "Sorry, bad joke. I would never try to come between you and Angel. I don't think I could, you two are tight, man. I had half a chance busting him and B up, but you guys...that's a forever thing."

Willow turned back to Faith with a wry chuckle. "with the way things are going it's going to take an eternity before Angel and I are together." She handed Faith the extra blankets and a feather pillow. "We can drag the cot out from the hall closet and set it up in here."

"Oh, no, don't go to the trouble. I still have patrol tonight and I have to check in with G. I'll just crash on the couch when I get back."

"Okay, if that's what you want." Now she was feeling guilty for the things her mind had joyfully considering doing to Faith. "Uh, could you ask Giles if he's made any progress on getting this ring off my finger? I know he would call if he had, but I want to stay updated. Giles has this habit of keeping some things to himself to protect me. Especially when it comes to witch stuff."

"Sure, I'll do that." Faith suddenly reached out and grabbed Willow's left hand. She looked at the bandage. "That must hurt. And it's all because you love Angel so much. I've never loved anyone like that. I don't know if I could." Faith set the blankets and pillow that were under her other arm on the chair, but she didn't let go of Willow's hand. "But it's nice to know that it exists, you know, and I would like to help. I kinda hope it'll make up for everything I've done, if I help get you and Angel together. Cause, see, I've got this idea." Faith took a deep breath. "I could tell Caz that Angel and I did the nasty and to convince him, you and Angel could have a fight. Then hubby and I could hut the sheets and he'll have broken the fidelity ring vow and you would be free."

Willow didn't know what to say. She was stunned by Faith's offer. In essence she was proposing she prostitute herself to help Willow get out of her marriage. It was a huge sacrifice. "No, you can't do that."

"Do you love him? Is that why you married him?" Faith dropped Willow's hand and anger flashed through her stormy dark eyes. "You're not just playing with Angel, are you?"

"No. I love Angel. I married Casimir because...." Willow made a decision. She needed help and, although under normal circumstances Faith - even a newly redeemed Faith - would be the last person she turned to, she was also the person in the best position to help. And these were far from normal circumstances even by Hellmouth standards. "Faith, I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise not to tell anyone else. Not Angel. Not Giles."

Faith frowned, but shrugged. "Okay, I promise."

There was no one in the hall, but Willow shut the door anyway and led Faith over to the bench under the window. "I married Casimir because he blackmailed me, but not in the way I told you guys. He has a spell that was soaked in Buffy and Xander's blood. He can use it to damn their souls."

"We have to get it back." Determination straightened Faith's spine and settled the tempest in her eyes. Willow suddenly felt better about telling her. "Caz has to believe I'm his partner in crime - that means I have to keep cozying up to Angel, I can't back off - and then he'll share about the spell. Don't worry, Red, we'll get that spell back in no time. And I might as well start now." Faith nodded out the window. Casimir was wandering around the backyard.

"Wow, aren't we Little Miss Helpful. What's with the eager new you?" Faith and Willow turned from the window as Buffy appeared before them. She didn't look pleased.

Faith didn't look well. Her eyes rounded and her skin took on a slightly green cast as her mouth dropped open. "Buffy?"  

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