The timer dinged, and Giles looked up and smiled slightly as Willow removed the last pan of cookies from the oven. The others had left a few minutes before, and now only Spike sat in the living room, tied down to a chair.
Willow, I think that will be quite enough cookies for the time being. You should head home, get some sleep.
Sure thing, Giles. Ill be back tomorrow afternoon to detail your car. Enjoy the cookies! With that parting comment, the redhead nearly skipped out the door, stake and holy water in hand. The older man watched fondly as she headed to her dorm and turned out the light on the neutered vampire, who would have protested such treatment if his mind had not already been elsewhere.
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The cold salt water jerked Willow out of her comfortable unconsciousness. She groaned and tried to raise her hand to wipe the liquid away from her eyes, realizing too late that she was chained to the wall of what appeared to be a dungeon. The demon known as DHoffryn was standing in front of her, an almost gentle expression on his face.
Oh, good, you have awakened. We can begin with the enjoyable part.
Umm, whats this about? I mean, I said no, so you cant make me a demon, right?
Unfortunately, that is correct. However, little witch, no one refuses the offer and walks away. The demon approached her, and she struggled fruitlessly against her bonds as he ran a talon along her face.
But what about handing me the talisman? I thought you were going to send me home!
A necessary ruse, in case someone ever thinks to check her memories. DHoffryn stepped away and glanced at a minion, who rushed to pour water down her throat.
Willow drank eagerly, her parched tongue begging for more even as she collected her questions together. What do you mean? Whose memories?
Ah, yes. Weve found it to be one of our most effective punishments. You see, we make a replica of you, exactly like you physically, and then the fun begins. The longer this replica exists, the darker her personality becomes. And you get to watch as she destroys your life. When its broken beyond repair, well return you.
My friendsll know that its not me. You cant just replace me!
But you see, for all intents and purposes, this is you. A you thats programmed to self-destruct. And your friends have their own lives to watch over. They wont know until its too late. He turned away and gestured to a wall, nodding as it began to softly glow. Looks like the show is about to begin.
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The next few days ranked among the most horrible days she had ever experienced. Just as DHoffryn had foretold, neither Giles, Xander, or Buffy noticed the replacement. In fact, they seemed glad that Willow spent less time complaining and more time helping out. Watching this unknowing betrayal by the people who should have known instantly was worse than the pain of Oz leaving. She quickly gave up on the concept of being rescued; after all, why would they rescue someone who was right in front of them? DHoffryn knew what he was doing when it came to mental torture.
The demon also believed in the classics of keeping a prisoner subdued. She was fed a hunk of bread every afternoon, with lukewarm water twice a day. The chains were never removed, and once a week one of the minions would come into her small cell to hose her down. As a final blow to her dignity, her clothing was removed on the first day.
If she could have distanced herself from what she was forced to watch, she had to admit that it would have been an excellent diversion. Shed never noticed how funny Anya could be, and how much the ex-demon genuinely loved Xander. But when the double first began spell casting with Tara, Willow saw red. She knew immediately where this was going. The witch was going to be used to replace her beloved Oz. When he came back, Willow would tell him to take a hike.
This anger became astonishment when Spike confronted the replacement and demanded that she tell him where the real Willow was kept. The front door of Giles home had never before looked so forbidding to me. Willow had never answered any of my letters, had never given me any hope that she would take me back, but I had to see for myself before I gave up on my Willow. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped into the room, shoving my hands into my jacket pockets. My newly developed senses picked out individual scents as I moved. Buffy was sitting on a couch next to a man who smelled of gunpowder, one of Walshs TAs. Xander stood up, pulling an extremely relieved looking Anya to her feet. And there was Willow, standing next to a blond girl, a shocked expression on her face. Except, interestingly enough, it wasnt Willow. It looked like her, but it wasnt her. She smelled wrong. < OK, maybe you should say something now. > Hey. Oz. Just my name, and a confused look on her face, but her voice didnt match the emotions she was showing. I glanced at the others, but they didnt seem to notice. Except for Anya, which was an interesting turn of events. The Willow that wasnt exchanged glances with the blonde girl, and it didnt take a genius to piece things together on that field. When did you get back? Pretty much now. Except I still wasnt home, not until I found the real Willow. Now Xander was talking, saying something about me not writing, and I couldnt keep myself from one small facial expression. What does he mean I havent written? I sent letters to the whole Scooby gang, through . . .Willow. I made my excuses to everyone, told psuedo-Willow that Id be by to talk later that evening, and caught Anyas eye as I ducked out of the door, hoping she would follow. The ex-demon did not disappoint. So, do you want to know how to get the real Willow back? What happened? Come on. She headed down the street toward one of the older cemeteries, and I lengthened my stride to keep up with her quick pace. About two months after you left, DHoffryn, the same demon who gave me my powers back when I was a vengeance demon, offered the position to Willow. So Willow is the patron saint of scorned women? She turned him down. It wasnt until that night that I remembered the rumors. DHoffryn didnt take rejection very well. His favorite torture was a combination of mental and physical. Hed make a duplicate of the subject, give it the memories, and mentally program it to make choices that would slowly destroy every relationship the subject had, forcing the subject to watch. It was thought to be one of the finest examples of mental torture when he invented it. Why hasnt Buffy done something about it? Anya rolled her eyes as she entered the graveyard and moved toward one of the crypts. They dont believe us, she said with disgust. I mean, come on people! Im 1100 years old; I should know what Im talking about. Spike, were coming in. She slapped the door open with more force than was necessary. The bleached blond vampire inside looked up from the tome he was examining, then stood up and sauntered toward us, sweeping Anya up in an embrace. I must have lost some of my ability to mask what I was thinking, because Spike grinned as Anya declared, We caught him by surprise. So, what about Xander? He bloody well better learn how to take no for an answer, replied Spike. Anyanka is watching Willow-lite so she doesnt destroy the earth until we can get Red back. And whats stopping you? The spell to open the portal needs the focus of someone who loves her. So what are we waiting for? I stripped off my jacket and approached the pair. Hell be watching her tonight, because the duplicate is going to break up with you. And you need to let that happen, otherwise hell get suspicious and kill Willow outright. _________________ When Oz first appeared on the screen, Willow had to strangle down the sob. She hadnt cried since her third day here, and she refused to let DHoffryn have the satisfaction of beating her farther into submission. She watched in astonishment as her doppelganger stood beneath the full moon with her werewolf boyfriend. _________________ The more time I spent with alterna-Willow, the more I marveled at Buffys ability to ignore what didnt directly affect her. Her body language never matched the grace of my Willow, and the way she talked grated me rather than interested me. Oh well. At least I got the opportunity to wolf out at her new, annoying love interest. The Initiative was an unexpected wrench in my plans; the two lovebirds should have warned me that commandos with stun guns and a secret laboratory were hunting down nonhumans. Still and all, I did what was expected of me, and returned to the crypt for the beginning of the ceremony. For this to work, we all have to think of Willow, in our assigned forms of love. Oz, youll be agape love, Ill be filos, and Spike is eros. I growled at the back of my throat at the realization that the cocky vampire thought of my Willow in that way, but approached the circle and joined hands with the two of them despite that misgiving. Now repeat after me: Imeis erchomai mesa agapi, eis zito arthro enas imeis frontida gia. Filos, erastis, syzygos, periorismenos mazi gia arthro aitia apo arthro enas. Imeis zito oti eseis pairno mas eis arthro enas. (We come in love, to seek the one we care for. Friend, lover, spouse, bound together for the sake of the one. We ask that you take us to the one.) I closed my eyes and thought about Willow, starting from the first moment we met. Anyas hand gripped tighter, and suddenly the air was damp and chilled. The smell assaulted my senses in the next moment, and I turned to locate the source, placing my view squarely on Willow. The rage washed over me like a wave of molten steel, and I had to look away to force back the change before we could help her down from the wall. Spike and I moved almost as if we were of one mind, with me supporting Willow as he ripped away the chains. We reformed the circle awkwardly, and once again Anya instructed us to repeat her words. Imeis erchomai mesa agapi kai idryo arthro enas imeis frontida gia. Filos, erastis, syzygos, periorismenos mazi gia arthro aitia apo arthro enas. Imeis zito oti eseis ferno mas daktylidi eis arthro topos imeis blepe. (We came in love and found the one we care for. Friend, lover, spouse, bound together for the sake of one. We ask that you bring our circle to the place we began.) When I had felt the air change back to the cool dry of the crypt, I stepped out of the circle and headed toward the cot he had hidden in the back. Her skin was hot and dry to the touch, and she had yet to open her eyes. Counting the time up in my head, I realized that shed been in that cell for about six months, which was more than enough time to develop any number of diseases. Pneumonia, said Anya, setting down a basin of water and a sponge on the ground next to the cot. We have to get her to a doctor. But not ere in Sunnyhell. Forty-five minutes until sunset, lets make use of the time. Spike pulled out a surprisingly extensive medical kit and began to doctor the sores on Willows wrists and ankles. So, LA? Much as I hate to admit it, Peaches has connections and common sense, two things the Scoobies are seriously lacking. Besides, hes always had a soft spot for Red. ______________________ Cordy sighed with satisfaction as Angel, Gunn, and Wesley marched out the door on a quest to find the subject of his latest vision and sat down at the computer. She quickly logged onto the Internet and pulled up her favorite site. < I wonder if Diane Long has anything new up yet? > Before she could answer this all-important question, the doors were slammed open in the wake of a familiar blond vampire. Cheerleader, is Peaches in right now? The seer looked up in annoyance at the interruption. Hes out on a case, Spike. The vampire formerly known as William the Bloody let out a string of curses and headed back outside. We need a warm, dry room, ducks. Preferably close to medical supplies. If this is about you and Dru, I dont want to know, cause eww. Cordelias dark eyes widened as he came back with a human-sized bundle in his arms. Oz and Anya were close behind, helping Spike balance the person he was carrying. All right, whats going on? Explanations later, shes waking up. A soft moan emerged from the blankets. The werewolf held out his arms, accepting the woman from the vampire, and carried her to a couch. Shh, baby, its all right. Youre safe now. He looked up at the others, his lack of expression not masking his worry. We need a doctor. So why did you bring her here? We cant go anywhere else. Please, Cordy, well explain it all later. Ill be looking forward to it. Angel nodded a greeting to the werewolf without sparing a glance at Spike. So, what do we need? A doctor. I think she has pneumonia. Shes been coughing up green mucus. Anya frowned and looked over at her lover before continuing. If we dont get her fever down, shell probably die. Jarod, want to take it? Cordy smiled suddenly at the appearance of the man from her recent vision, and sidled over to her employer as the new addition began to examine the still-unidentified girl. So you rescued him from the MIBs? Youll never believe his story. Angel smiled down at Cordy with affection before returning to the business at hand. What do you need, Jarod? Penicillin, an IV of saline, ice packs, blood. Some dressings and antibiotics would be nice too. Do you have a pressure kit? Cordyll get it. Im going out for the things we dont have. Gunn, Ill need your help. What blood type do you need? asked Cordelia as she waved her boss out. A positive, Oz said. Cordelia pulled Anya away with her and began her interrogation as soon as they were in the elevator. Who was that? Willow. And why does she look a Holocaust survivor? Well explain later. No, youll explain now. The last time I talked to someone in Sunnydale, Willow was fine and not with Oz anymore. Anya sighed as she followed the other woman into Angels kitchen. Willow was kidnapped by a demon and replaced with a duplicate. Spike, Oz, and I are the only ones who have noticed, and the others dont believe us. The real Willow has spent the last six months chained up in a cell, watching the duplicate destroy her life. Ouch, said Cordelia as she placed the bag of blood in the microwave. Lets see, a quart of blood warmed up to normal body temperature should take about one minute on high. She set the timer and headed toward the cabinets, fishing through until she had found the saline and IV needles. Could you get the ice packs out of the freezer? You seem to know how to do this fairly well. I cant count the number of times Ive had to help either Wes or Angel patch one of us up. The gauze, tape and antiseptic joined the fairly good-sized pile building up on the counter, and as the microwave beeped she added scissors and a blood pressure kit. You know, it makes more sense to bring Willow down here to the spare bedroom now, before they get this all set up. The woman gathered an armful of supplies and deposited them in the next room before heading back to the elevator. Thats an excellent idea, Cordelia. Wesley beamed at the Seer as she led the small group down into the apartment below. You know me, Wes, Im the brains of this operation. Cordelia rolled her eyes as she set up the blood transfusion. They worked three hours before Willows fever dropped and she was able to sleep normally. As she slept, Anya disclosed the events that had brought the witch to this point. Well, Cordelia, it looks like we have our next assignment. You and Anya put together a list of what well need to take out DHoffryn. Wes, you need to prepare for a spell to either summon him or take us to him. Gunn, youre with me. Bladed weapons should be a good bet. Spike, hes going to send someone after Willow, would you defend? I didnt bloody well risk my head to go after her, just so he could take her back. All right then. Jarod, youll stay as her doctor. And Oz- Stay here and make sure she stays calm. They had discovered early on that Willow sensed Ozs presence, even in her delirium, and became restless when he wasnt near. Right. Jarod, is there anything else you need? She needs to be on oxygen. Ive got it. Spike grabbed his duster and was out of the room like a shot, eager to get away from his grandsire. One hour, and then we do this. The room emptied as they all went out to take care of their assignments, leaving Oz, Jarod, and Willow alone. The werewolf gently picked up Willows needle-free hand and held it, feeling the bones beneath the thin skin. So, MIBs? he asked, not looking up. What are MIBs? Men in Black. It was a movie. Well, in that case, MIBs and one WIB. Its a long story. Got time. Theyre from an organization called the Centre. They have a somewhat . . .aggressive recruitment program. Been there. Oz nodded sympathetically, eyes still on Willow. The Initiative tried to make me one of their test subjects. Wonder if they know each other? Wouldnt surprise me. The two men reverted back to a comfortable silence, watching the pale, almost skeletal form on the bed struggle for life. Shes not going to die. He stated it as a fact, rather than a question, and Jarod found himself smiling at the young mans determination despite the situation. I think youre right. Shes responding well to the penicillin, and she took the IV fluid and blood with no reaction. But the next six months or so are going to be difficult. Shes going to have to learn how to walk all over again, and rebuild muscle. The Pretender hesitated before continuing with his diagnosis. Her lungs have scar tissue now, and her heart might have the same. Oz blinked and nodded. All right. Will you stay to help her? Yes. Good. The werewolf regarded the dark man across from him with a raised eyebrow. Id hate to have to hunt you down and kill you. ________________________ The battle was swift and brutal, just the way Angel liked it. DHoffryn had very clearly not been expecting any attack other than by magick, and had been totally unprepared for a physical assault. The small band of warriors had destroyed the demon and his minions in record time, so easily that it worried him. For now, though, it was time to get back. Anya cast the spell for the fourth time in two days, swaying a little as the magick coursed through before leaving her body. Spike was waiting at the other end to catch her, and she relaxed gratefully into his arms. So, do you think anything happened to other-Willow? Cordelia headed for the office refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. Theres only one way to find out. Angel picked up the telephone and dialed a familiar number. Giles? I heard you had a little bit of excitement. Really? Where is he now? Hows Willow holding up? He quirked an eyebrow at the reply. Ill keep an eye out for him. The receiver clicked down, and the souled vampire turned back to the group. Shes still there. What do we do about that? The silence that followed the question was deafening. _____________________ The sounds from the meeting taking place overhead were muffled, even to Ozs supernatural hearing, but he gathered that they had defeated the demon responsible for Willows struggle to accomplish the simple act of breathing. She had moaned in her sleep, and had once started noiselessly crying. He had soothed her as much as he could, smoothing back limp, lifeless hair and whispering words of love. The chair had long ago been abandoned in favor of the bed. The closer they were, the more settled Willow became, and the werewolf was beginning to wonder if there was some side effect of the spell that Anya had not warned him about. Hows she doing? Angel came in and sat down in the empty chair, his gaze on the young woman on the bed. Better. The oxygen helps. You know that the next few months will be hell. I know. If you leave again, youll kill her. Shed have to kill me to get rid of me. Then we understand each other. The dark vampire left the room as silently as he had entered, leaving the two alone. ______________________ It took a week before Willow had recovered enough to speak, and even then it was only in whispers, and to Oz alone. The first whisper came unexpectedly, while he was helping Cordelia change the sheets. As he lifted Willow, her green eyes turned to him, and she rasped out, I love you. At that moment, his heart thumped almost painfully, and he choked down a sob and pulled her in close to him. Cordelia, who seemed almost tactful after spending time with Anya, finished up the sheets and slipped out of the room. He breathed in her scent, diluted by sickness but still undeniably hers, and marveled at how close he had come to losing her. During the next three weeks, as her strength slowly returned to the point were she could begin to relearn how to move, their conversations lengthened. He told her about his journeys, and the things he had learned and seen and done. Once, and only that one time, she told him how she felt during her six-month sojourn. By unspoken agreement, neither one spoke of it again. When Jarod began her physical therapy, Willow had to tell herself that this wasnt real torture. The painful, repetitive exercises, designed to teach her muscles everything they had forgotten, would have seemed unbearable without Oz by her side. All right, Willow, lets try one more time. The redhead made a face at Jarod and started across the room, sweat beading on her forehead from exertion. She had moved up to the point where she could now use two canes to walk, and she was trying to make it none. So far she could walk across the training room, but not much father. She touched the wall and slowly turned, a smile creeping up her face when she realized what she had just accomplished. The Pretender smiled back and crossed the room to her, handing her a towel as she made her way to one of the few chairs in the Spartan room. And where is Oz today? he asked, handing her a bottle of water. I sent him on an errand. I wanted to ask you something, Jarod. Willow felt her cheeks grow warm as she thought about what she wanted to discuss. Its something personal. I see. He waited patiently for her to continue, and she shot him a grateful smile as she did just that. I wanted to know if it was all right for us to, you know, have sex? As she rushed the words out, her face turned a brighter shade of pink than before. Do you feel ready? Yeah, I do. Her expression brightened. Is that all there is to it? Your bodys been ready for weeks. Its been waiting for the rest of you to catch up. Thank you, Jarod! Her dazzling smile was nearly radiant as she reached for her canes. He watched her leave, the doctor in him analyzing her movements, and sighed. Hed managed to stay off of Centre radar by cutting off all contact with his family there, and he missed discussing things with Sydney. It might be interesting to have Miss Parker Square off with Cordelia. Upstairs, Willow was sitting down across from Cordelia and Anya. The two women had struck up an unusual friendship and were currently swapping Xander-tales. The redhead took a deep breath and plunged into what she needed to say. I may regret this later, but I need you to come shopping with me. You want to go shopping? Yes. With the two of us? Mm-hmm. What are you shopping for? Lingerie. If it was possible, her face was beginning to match her hair. Oh. The two brunettes exchanged conspiratorial glances, and Willow felt her face go up two more shades. Sure, were in. Ill grab Angels keys. Her parting smile made Willow bury her face in her hands, already regretting her decision. ___________________________ Oz knew something was up the third time he caught Cordelia and Anya looking at him with that funny smile on their faces. He refused to let it bother him, instead listening to Willow as she talked about the new book she had found this afternoon. He paid close attention to what she was saying, with only occasional lapses when he thought about the purchase he had made earlier today. As Cordelia happily put it, No scratch-n-sniff visions today means dont call us unless you need us, Angel. She left for her apartment before dark, promising to call if she got a painful message from the Powers, and the others followed suit, until even Angel had gone out for the evening. Oz was about to suggest something similar when Willow announced that she wanted to go to bed. Deciding to follow her lead, the werewolf helped her out of her chair and walked with her to the elevator. She sighed involuntarily when she sat down on the bed and laid the canes on the floor. Sitting down next to her, he slipped an arm around her waist. Legs hurt? Not really. Willow turned to look at him, a shy smile on her face. Jarod and I were talking today, and he says Im ready. Ready for what? Ready to make love. Her voice turned husky, and she began to undo the buttons on her blouse. Willow . . . Oz caught her hands with his own and pulled them away. Before we do this, I have something I want to talk about. Ive been thinking, what should we do with the other-Willow? I think you just very effectively killed the mood. I have a suggestion. He looked into her eyes, and on impulse gave her a quick kiss. Why dont we let her be Willow Rosenberg? And then who will I be? Willow Osbourne. The werewolf held his breath and waited for whatever she was going to say. Her green eyes narrowed as she looked at him for a full minute. Did you just ask me to marry you? I did. Yes. Oz let out his breath at that one word, a rare smile appearing on his face. He leaned in for another kiss, and she returned it for a moment before breaking it off. Do you realize that I went shopping with Cordy and Anya today? Her smile widened at his confused look. You havent even looked at what I got for you. Lets take care of that. Sorry, not him. She turned back to her computer, her brow knit with concentration. After a moment, she gave an exasperated sigh. Willow, a little help here? Whats up, Cordy? The redheaded hacker walked across the room with only a small bit of hesitation. Im trying to get on the Wolfram and Hart auction site. Angel heard a rumor that seers eyes are back up on the board. Let me try. As she leaned over the keyboard, the brunette woman sighed and leaned over the desk. Im looking for Jarod. Is he here? Have you seen him? He might be around, Cordelia replied absently. Thanks, Willow. You just hacked me some piece of mind. So is he here? Did he leave me something? He left this morning. Said he wanted to try the less than Sunny parts of California. I think he left a red notebook here for the WIB, and thats probably you. Cordy, have you seen the notebook? When did he hand it to me? This morning. By the coffeepot. Willow retrieved the item and handed it over. The brunette immediately began flipping through the pages. May we see where he stayed? The older man spoke with a cultured accent, and Willow turned and smiled at him. No problem, follow me. The group filed into the elevator, and as it started down, she turned to the other man, who appeared more than a little nervous. So, how do you know Jarod? Hes a childhood friend, snapped the woman. How about you? I was . . .sick for a long time. Jarod taught me how to walk again. As they walked into the training room, Oz looked away from the sparring session between Angel and Wesley and slipped his arms around Willow. Hey. Wow, its the WIB. What the hell is a WIB? Woman in black. Its kind of a take-off from the movie Men in Black. Anyway, he slept at the back of the training room. Faced with the choice of Oz or the scary brunette, shed take Oz any day. She absentmindedly rubbed the plain gold band on her left hand with her thumb. Well, this trip was useful, Syd. Hes gone, again. The woman stalked toward the elevator, the two men trailing behind.
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Epilogue:
Cordelia looked up as a brunette who was dressed to kill with an attitude that made it a possibility strode impatiently through the door, two men close at her heels. Jarod?