The End: The Point of No Return

Home : Stories by Author : Stories by Laure Alexander : Laure Alexander - TEAOW&S : The End: The Point of No Return

Summary: Angel teases, taunts and punishes the runaways.

AUTHOR: Laure Alexander
EMAIL: lara@sunflower.com
RATING: R, hard bondage.
PAIRINGS: Willow/Spike
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any of the characters on the show. Joss Whedon and the WB Network own them (for now). No copyright infringement intended, so please don't sue.
DEDICATION: To Mary Ann; take care, hon! I always love hearing from you and I'm going to miss your kind words for my stories and the never-ending encouragement. :)
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Unceremoniously dumped in the middle of Angel's bed, Willow tried to roll off the far side, but he pinned her down, leering at her as his hard body pressed hers into the mattress.

"Please," she begged, finally finding her voice. "You don't want to do this."

Angel snorted and nuzzled his nose into the base of her throat. "You smell good. Sex and cum and hot blood."

Willow wriggled, then groaned as she felt his erection poke her in the thigh.

"Willow!" Drusilla skipped into the room and flopped down on the bed next to the struggling pair. "I knew you'd come home and now we can be a happy family, and you must meet my childe." Grabbing Willow's hand, she tried to tug her out from beneath Angel.

"Dru," Angel growled a warning. "Leave."

"She doesn't want you, daddy," Drusilla replied seriously, tugging harder, her whole attitude changing. "She doesn't want this. Don't do this, Angel. Everything will go bad if you do this." Her eyes drifted towards the ceiling and she rolled onto her back. "Here...the five...the star...darkness and dead hearts and suffering, endless suffering."

She started to weep.

"Drusilla, I don't have time for you visions," Angel snapped impatiently as he moved off Willow and pulled his limp childe to her feet. She swayed drunkenly, keening softly and wordlessly.

Willow took advantage of her momentary freedom to roll off the bed and run out of the bedroom and through the sitting room. Throwing open the door, she nearly bounced off a pretty blonde female vampire who gave her a vapid smile.

"And who are you, pretty child?"

Stammering out her name, Willow backed away from the vampiress.

"The little runaway. My sire's bondmate."

"Spike?" Willow frowned.

The female laughed, her voice a trill of delight. "No, silly, Drusilla." Suddenly she stiffened, and at the same time, Drusilla ran weeping from the bedroom.

"The stars are blanking out, one by one. Amelia, can you see them?" Frantic, she grabbed her childe's shoulders, clawing at her through the thin material of the dress she wore.

Amelia's eyes went blank, then widened in horror. "Soon only one left, one big one...five points...five..."

"Will you two get the fuck out of here? I don't give a shit right now. Maybe tomorrow I will," Angel growled furiously as he stalked over to Willow and snagged her wrist in a painful grip.

"Noooo," Willow cried, struggling as he pulled her back into the bedroom and slammed and locked the door behind them.

"Now do you see why I want a sane childe?" Angel gave her an exasperated look.

"You're the one who made Dru insane."

"Probably not a good idea to remind me of my mistakes right now," he hissed softly, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "It was a mistake to let you see Spike the other night. It inspired him to break free and take you and run. So, which one of you had the brains to come home?"

"Spike was only trying to keep me alive."

Angel nodded. "I figured it was you. Spike knows all to well the punishment you would face."

"Don't hurt him, please."

Her pleading almost made him smile, and his grip gentled to a slow caress of her shoulders and arms. "It's rather nauseating how you both stand up for the other."

"You'd do the same for Buffy," Willow whispered.

His face went cold and hard. "Leave her out of this."

"If you turn me, she'll never be yours again, Angel. It's the point of no return," Willow persisted.

"Shut up."

"She'll love you until the end of time, but she can't be with you if you destroy me. It'll be too much."

"Willow, don't push me."

The deadliness in Angel's voice sent a fresh chill through her and she swallowed hard as she stared up into his cold eyes. "But...you know all that, don't you?" she whispered dully, as the dim hope that she'd survive began to fade. Tears filled her eyes.

"Give up, Willow," he urged softly.

"I don't want to die," she sobbed, crumpling against him.

As Angel's hands released their tight grip to lift her up, Willow lashed out at him, slamming her fist into his stomach and shoving him away. Turning, she flipped the lock on the door and ran out of the room, past Amelia and Drusilla who were locked in an embrace, swaying and whimpering in delirium. Angel howled in fury behind her, but she kept running, down the hall, then the stairs.

Coming back had seemed the right thing to do--and the little bit of her still able to be rational still believed that--but her fear was back in control, and her fear wanted her out of there.

As she ran into the main room, she skidded to a halt and gasped loudly.

Spike hung from the center of the room in chains, his toes barely touching the floor, his face a mask of grief. When he saw her, his tear-swollen eyes widened.

"Get out, Willow. Run!"

"I can't leave you." Glancing around, she saw several minions coming out of the woodwork and advancing on her. "No..."

"Run!"

And suddenly Angel was there, fury in his eyes. Grabbing her, he dragged her to a second set of manacles and within thirty seconds she was hung facing Spike.

"Don't go anywhere," he snarled before spinning on his heel and ordering everyone out.

When the room emptied and Angel could be heard stomping and swearing up the stairs, Willow moaned softly in dismay and felt fresh tears burn her eyes. "You were right," she sobbed.

"So were you," Spike replied, heartbroken. "You had to be true to yourself."

"He's going to kill me."

"I'll love you until the end of time, Willow," her lover replied solemnly as she cried quietly until her face was blotchy and her eyes red. "No matter what."

Willow couldn't give him the same assurance.

*****

Buffy sat at the table in the Library, running the amulet through her fingers like a shuriken.

"Can I have some of those cool throwing stars?"

"...What?" Giles gave her a distracted look and flipped open another book.

Sighing, Buffy let the chain slide between her thumb and index finger until the amulet settled on the table. "Any progress?"

"No." Giles cursed under his breath and took off his glasses to rub his sore eyes. "If only Willow had managed to crack the Council's database before..."

"And we can't exactly use Angel's archive like he promised," Cordelia added from the other end of the table and ignored Xander's glare at the mention of the hated one.

Buffy started and sat up straight. "Sure we can. He said he sent his minions on a wild goose chase to keep me busy. He didn't expect them to find anything." She picked up the amulet again. "But, he might know what this is."

"You can't seriously be thinking of taking that to him," Giles interjected.

"Like he can get it away from me. And, anyway, he doesn't have any interest in it, and if it is bringing about the end of the world, well, he doesn't want that either. As long as Spike and Willow are on the run, we might as well learn to co-exist again."

Xander's angry slamming of his book and storming out of the Library announced his opinion of that idea. Cordelia threw them an apologetic shrug and followed her boyfriend.

"For once I agree with Xander."

Buffy shot her Watcher a look. "I won't let Angel have it, I swear, but if he can recognize the language at least..."

Sighing heavily, Giles rubbed his temples and nodded. "Yes, fine. You're right. We've run into too many brick walls. Perhaps he does have some information on the thing." Putting back on his glasses he continued seriously, "But, take care, Buffy. He can't be trusted."

Buffy gave him a sad look, then nodded as she pocketed the amulet and grabbed her crossbow and spare stake.

*****

Angel stomped into his room and found Drusilla alone, curled on the couch, weeping. Rolling his eyes in disgust, he yanked her to her feet and shook her. "What is your problem, Drusilla? One minute you want a new sister and the next you're mewling about how it's wrong. As if you have any say in the matter."

Drusilla clutched his biceps and gave him a wild look. "The darkness threatens. It wants to eat me," she whimpered.

"Dru."

"She's the key, the center, the point of no return. You mustn't take her, Angel."

"I have no choice," he barked angrily, shaking her hard.

Drusilla began to laugh softly, and the sound sent a chill through Angel. "We never had a choice. You didn't give me one when you murdered the sisters and raped me on the altar until I could no longer even beg for mercy. I gave none to Amelia when I killed her babies one by one and gave them back to her in pieces until she lost her mind and begged for me to end her suffering. We perpetuate our own fate."

Releasing her, Angel shook his head at her insane rambling, and headed for his room to find a certain box. The next thing he knew he was on the floor and pain was exploding in his head. Gasping, he looked up and saw a blurry vision of Drusilla holding a brass lamp.

Infuriated at the boldness from his usually meek daughter, Angel morphed and attacked her, smashing the lamp from her hands, and cracking his fist across her cheek so hard it immediately bruised.

Crying out, Drusilla collapsed in a ball on the floor.

"Get up," he hissed.

"...Please..."

He kicked her in the hip and she shrieked and rolled out of his way.

"Get up, get dressed in something somber enough to witness a punishment, and call the minions to the great room." Angel stared down at her shaking form for a long moment, then asked, his voice deadly, "Did you hear me, Drusilla?"

"Yes sire," she whispered, once again meek and beaten. Trembling from head to foot, Drusilla dragged herself to her feet and fled to her own room.

"What the fuck is going on around here?" Angel muttered to himself.

*****

Only two feet separated them as they hung in their chains. Gazing deeply into Willow's eyes, Spike tried to impart all his strength to her, but her fear was leaking into both of them. She had stopped crying and didn't even bother trying to struggle, but she couldn't helping wondering what would happen now...and how much pain they would have to endure before Angel finally turned her.

They had only been chained for ten minutes, but Willow's arms were already beginning to hurt, and standing on her toes did nothing to alleviate the pain. She hadn't expected this.

Maybe she shouldn't have punched him...

A noise came from behind her and she twisted her head to see several minions filing in, eager looks on their faces. Turning back to Spike she saw that other minions were coming in from the hallway.

Spike's eyes narrowed and his lips tightened. So, it was to be a public punishment.

He wondered if it was to be a public execution as well.

Angel returned with Drusilla on his arm. She was subdued, a bruise turning livid shades of red on one cheek. Dressed all in black, with a lace veil covering her hair, she kept her eyes downcast in submission. Spike's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the familiar blonde walking behind the couple, her eyes also downcast.

Seating Drusilla on the lower of the throne chairs with Amelia taking a spot at her side, Angel strolled towards the chained couple, both light and anger gleaming in his eyes, but the intense fury seemed to be gone for the moment. As soon as he glanced in Spike's direction, the younger male started to speak rapidly.

"It was my idea to leave. I forced her to go. She came back willingly. There's no need to punish her. Punish me."

Angel cocked one eyebrow and replied silkily, "I *am* punishing you, Spike." He made a tsking noise and slid between the chained couple. "Two hundred years old and you are still the most willful creature I've ever met."

"I'm sorry I hit you, sire. I was desperate," Spike pled earnestly.

"Oh, I'm sure you are sorry, but you will still be punished for that. Childer don't turn on their sires, remember?" Angel held out his hand and a minion reverently approached with a long wooden case carved with intricate and obscure symbols.

Spike nearly choked as he recalled its contents.

Opening the box, Angel carefully removed an ancient yet pristine whip. Its lash was slender, yet razor sharp, and its hasp was carved from ivory into the shape of entwined demons. Braided into the tip was a small, sharp diamond, that Spike knew from personal experience would dig deeply into flesh.

As Angel held up the whip, gasps of awe rang out from the crowd. This was the Whip of Aurelius, one of the clan's most sacred objects, and used only to punish childer.

And sometimes, though rarely, to kill them.

A hard and sharp enough blow could decapitate a vampire.

Willow's eyes widened at the sight of the whip, but she didn't realize the significance. As soon as she had seen Spike chained she'd realized that a whipping was probably in store for him, and maybe for herself, though she doubted it.

Angel had other ways to punish her.

Stiffening his spine and tightening his jaw, Spike glared at his sire until Angel smiled.

The smile sent chills through his childe.

"I used this on you once, do you remember?"

"Yes," Spike replied tightly.

"You had run away then, too. It was three months into your training and you didn't appreciate my heavy hand. As I recall, you didn't appreciate this whip cutting your back to shreds either. After only a half dozen blows you screamed and pleaded with me to stop, do you remember, Will?"

"I'm not a fledgling anymore."

Angel nodded thoughtfully and ran the whip through his fingers before doubling it and tapping Spike's chin with it. "I know, and whippings no longer seem to work with you." Suddenly, Angel turned and stared down into Willow's glistening eyes. "That's why I'm not whipping you, William. I'm whipping her."

Spike started in horror and furiously began to yank on the chains. "NO!"

Going white with sudden terror, Willow fixed her eyes on the deadly looking whip in Angel's hands, and knew he would kill her with it. "No," she whispered in shock.

"Sire, no, please, no. It'll kill her," Spike yelled, trying to get Angel's attention. "Kill me, do whatever you want to me, just don't hurt her."

Slowly Angel turned back to Spike and shook his head. "I don't want to hurt her, but it's a lesson you should have learned two centuries ago."

When he realized that nothing he said would deter his sire, Spike's terror turned to anger and he spat out, "What lesson? That you're a prick?"

Angel chuckled, "So predictable," and strolled behind Willow.

"Spike?" Willow begged, terror choking her.

Tears streamed freely down Spike's cheeks. "Be strong, baby," he murmured, his voice full of love, then he swung his attention back to Angel and furiously snapped, "How many?"

"One for each night you were gone, and two for the blow to my head and the gall to run away. Five in all. You know I'm an expert with this whip, Spike. I won't kill her, but she will bear the scars for all eternity."

A shudder went through Willow and her stomach churned. Only her strong will kept her from vomiting her dinner. Angel's hand found the collar of her shirt and she jerked forward, trying to pull away from him. The flimsy shirt ripped down the back and he tugged the remnants from her, baring her from the waist up.

Lifting the end of her braid to his nose, Angel inhaled the scent of her shampoo and humanity, then leaned forward to whisper, "This is the last night you will smell human, Willow."

Another shudder ran through her and the fear seized her. She began to sob mindlessly, sharp gasps of sound that dug into Spike's heart.

"I love you, Willow, with all my heart and mind and body. Be strong for me, my love," he murmured over and over.

Dropping the braid over her shoulder, Angel stepped back and unfurled the whip.

End Chapter 15