Angelus brushed his lips over Willow's ear. "Well, lover?"

She pulled away from him, closing her eyes. She took a deep calming breath. < Heart, slow down, > she thought. < Don't get carried away. . . > "Angelus, why are you doing this? Why are you still being the good one, if you are the evil one?"

Angelus cupped Willow's elbow. "Come on, lover, let's talk." He guided Willow through the club, taking her towards the back. He was holding her hand as he led her through the halls.

Willow's eyes grew as she took in the back rooms of the club. Everything was black and bathed in red light, casting an eerie glow. She could hear whimpers, and even a few muffled screams behind the doors. "Angelus. . ." she whispered, "people get *killed* here!"

He looked back at her curiously. "I know, Willow. I've killed here before."

A chill passed through Willow. She stopped suddenly, tugging her hand. Angelus turned, his eyes flashing yellow. He tugged on her arm. "Come on, Willow, I don't have time to play this game with you."

She looked up at him, fear on her face. "I. . .I don't want to die," she whispered.

His laughter was silky and dangerous. It filled the halls and wrapped around Willow, almost as if it were trying to seduce her mind, body, and soul. "Willow, if I were going to kill you, you would have been dead two years ago."

She yanked her hand out of his grip. "No! I'm not playing your stupid games! I'm. . .going to tell Buffy!"

He cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Why? What will that do?"

"She'll. . .come to LA and stake you." Willow nodded her head, sure of herself.

"Willow, I know that you are a very trustworthy person, and I know the Slayer will believe whatever you say. . .however. . .when she comes to LA, and Cordelia and Wesley *will* vouch for me that I am, in fact, Angel. . .and *no* one in this city knows that I am really Angelus. . .you know she' ll just brush you off. Perhaps you've been influenced by a demon." He grinned.

Tears filled Willow's eyes. "So I pretty much can't win. I just. . .I want to go."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. "That's not happening," he whispered in her ear. "You are mine, Little One. I've wanted you far too long to let you just walk away."

"If you've wanted me so long, why didn't you say something?" she whispered, tears spilling on her cheeks.

"You were happy with Oz. I couldn't break that up. Plus, with Buffy there, it would have looked unusual for me to be interested in you all of the sudden. And we've been too busy for me to make you come to me this year," he said, his lips brushing against her neck.

She froze, feeling his fangs and ridges against her skin. "Angelus," she whimpered.

"Now," he hissed. He jerked on her hand, pulling her into an empty room. Willow cried out in pain, tears filling her eyes again. He pulled her to him, looking down at her. He ran his fingers down her cheek, then up to his mouth, tasting her tears. "I love the way tears taste," he murmured, "salty, and full of fear. . .you're scared of me." He leaned down and nuzzled her neck. "You should be," he said against her skin before sinking his fangs in her neck.

Willow screamed bloody murder. And then her world went black.

*-*-*-*

"Willow?"

The redhead groggily opened her eyes. Her head was pounding, and she had no idea where she was. "B. . .Buffy?"

"No, eww, I'd positively have to do *something* different with my wardrobe if that were the case."

Willow blinked, light flooding her world. "Cordelia? Where. . .where am I?"

"You are at Angel's. He found you last night, he said a vampire had bitten you, and you were really hurt bad. Apparently, somehow in one of your in and out moments, you called him and told him you were dying. . ." Cordelia glanced back at Angel, who was standing at the doorframe with a broody expression on his face. Concern was etched on his face.

"Willow. . .?" Angel asked softly. "Willow. . .when I got to you, you were unconscious, gripping the pay phone. . .are you ok?" He walked slowly to the bed, his eyes lowered. He looked up at her, a slight frown on his face.

"No. . ." Willow whispered, backing away from him, her face pale. "No, Angelus, don't do this. . ."

"Angelus?" Cordelia asked, looking up at Angel. "What is she talking about?"

"I don't know, Delia," Angel said softly, sitting on the bed. He reached out, stroking Willow's hand.

Willow snatched her hand away. "I. . .don't feel good." She looked down, her mind reeling with this information. "I think. . .I'm going crazy. I thought. . .I really thought it was Angelus who bit me. . .but. . ."

"Angelus?" Cordelia questioned. "How? How did he lose the soul?"

"He never really got it back. He had been Angelus since he came back from hell," Willow whispered, looking down.

Cordelia chuckled. "Sorry, Wills, I don't mean to laugh. Angelus? Brood Boy here? Unlikely. I don't think even Angel is *that* good of an actor." She patted Willow's hand. "That would be an Oscar winning performance." She smiled. "I'm going to fix you some coffee, is that ok?"

"Sure," Willow said softly. "Maybe that will help with the haziness in my head."

Cordelia leaned forward and hugged her. She walked out of the room.

Willow looked up at Angel, who watched her through long eyelashes. "I. . .I 'm sorry," she whispered. "I was. . .so sure. . ."

Angel reached out and stroked her cheek. "You were right, I was the one who lied."

Willow's eyes flew up to Angel. "You mean. . ."

His features rippled around his grin, then smoothed back to human. "And she believed *every* word I said, didn't even bother to take a moment to discredit me. Oscar performance indeed."

"What. . .does this mean?" Willow asked.

"I am Angelus. You will always know that. Around everyone else, I am Angel. You might as well accept it, because they won't believe you."

"So what's going to happen now?" Willow asked softly.

Angelus turned his head, smiling softly as Cordelia came back in. "Here, Wills," she said quietly. "Do you remember the vamp?"

Willow sipped her coffee and sat back. "Big. Brown hair. That. . .that must be why I connected him to Angelus. . .I'm sorry, Angel."

Angel smiled. "It's ok, Willow. I have done some horrible things to you in the past. I promise you, I'll never hurt you again."

Willow gazed into his dark brown eyes and found herself smiling. He wasn't lying - that much she could tell from his eyes. "I know," she said softly. She sighed. "So. . .now what?"

"Is everything ok in Sunnydale?" Angel asked suddenly.

"Huh? Yea. . .why?" Willow questioned.

"Willow, I found you outside a vampire bar. Humans don't normally go there without, well, a death wish," Angel said softly, taking her hand.

"Well, with Adam running around, it *has* been hell. . ." Willow said softly. "Buffy's always with Riley, Xander's with Anya. Tara seems to worship the ground I walk on, but. . ." Willow shrugged. "I don't want her like that." She sat back, picking at the bedspread.

"Move here!"

Angel shot Cordelia a glance. The former May Queen had blurted out his plan for Willow before he had.

"What?" Willow asked.

"Come on, Wills!" Cordelia whined. "There are *no* women here. UCLA is here. I'm sure that Angel can afford to hire you without taking any money from me and Wesley."

Willow looked at Angel. "I want you to move here," he growled.

Willow blinked, looking down. "Can I think about it?" she asked softly.

"Yea," Cordelia grinned, leaning forward to hug Willow.

The redhead looked over her shoulder at Angel. The vampire smiled wickedly, nodding his head *yes*. < Guess I'll be moving to LA, > Willow sighed softly.