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Xander bit back a scream as Willow raked her nails across the side of his neck, drawing a small amount of blood. It had been nearly an hour since Angelus had delivered him into her hands, and he was definitely not holding up well under the torture. And to top it all off, the more he squirmed, the more pleasure she got.
Willow laughed, clutching his jaw firmly in one of her hands and forcing him to look at her. "You're so much more fun to play with than Alex. If he were in your shoes, he'd have taken all this without flinching once!" she said. "And to be honest, I'm glad the spell worked out this way, sending you here in his place."
Xander let out a soft moan as a sharp stab of pain overtook him. More than ever, he wished that either Cordelia would come for him or he'd be transported back to his own world. Anything to end this nightmare...
Just then, Xander had an interesting thought come to him. *Mention her former relationship with Alex,* some inner voice was telling him. *That will really rattle her and may even get her off your back.*
Xander opened his eyes, looking at Willow calmly. "Cordelia tells me you were once in love with Alex. I guess old habits die hard. Otherwise, why else would you be so hellbent on torturing him or even someone who looks like him?"
Willow reeled back slightly, looking totally peeved. Then, without warning, she struck him hard across the side of the face, causing his nose to start bleeding. "You would do well to keep your mouth shut about me and Alex!" she threatened, letting Xander know he had hit a sensitive spot. "Unless you want me to stop holding back with what I do to you."
Xander would have kept quiet at that but that his "inner voice" was egging him on. "Why don't you tell me? What makes Angelus better than your former boyfriend?" he pressed.
Angrily, Willow went in for another backhand. "Shut up!!! If you dare say another word..."
"Why so angry, Willow? Why can't you just answer the question?" Xander dared, challenging her even further.
"Of course I can! I'm not stupid...like some people. Angelus is smarter, stronger, and just better, and that's all you need know."
"He'll only ditch you in the end," Xander replied, listening to his inner voice (where was this coming from?). "He only wants you with him now to spite Alex and Cordy. What do you think will happen when they're both gone?"
"He'll stay with me," Willow growled. "He told me he will. You're lying!"
"You can't know that for sure..."
"Of course I can! Just quit talking to me, and stop trying to confuse me! I won't let you!" With that, Willow stood and raced out without another word.
Xander fidgeted uncomfortably, once more testing the ropes holding him and trying to figure a way out of this. Then, Angelus walked in and said, "What have you been telling Willow?"
Xander gazed steadily at the angry vampire, even though he was shaking inside. "I'm telling her the truth as I know it..."
"You know nothing and if you worry her again, I'll kill you myself!" Angelus snarled, taking a step closer. "Interesting how similar you are to Alex. He would have done the exact same thing, used the exact same words in your postion... But I'm willing to bet you don't have the same steel jaw." Just to put his point across, Angelus struck Xander across the face before turning to walk away.
However, Spike appeared in the doorway a second later, blocking Angelus' exit. "It's time," the blonde vampire told his elder. "Cordelia's read the note Dru left her, and she's on her way as we speak."
Angelus grinned smugly, casting a brief glance at Xander. "Guess we'd better prepare then," he said calmly, his next words sending a chill down his captive's spine. "And come morning, we'll be feasting on the Slayer's blood, just like old times..."
The minute she finished reading the note, written in Willow's tiny scrawl, Cordelia let out a stream of curses for a moment. Then, calming herself, she grabbed her portable phone from the counter, dialing Ethan's number.
"Xander's gone," Cordelia informed her Watcher hurriedly. "They've got him!" She paused, waiting for a response that wasn't forthcoming, then added, "I'm going to the factory, and I want you to meet me there."
"Cordelia, no," Ethan protested. "You know that's exactly what Angelus expects you to do. He'll be ready, and he'll kill you!"
"Ethan, Xander will be killed if I don't go!" Cordelia said sharply. "He has a world and a life to get back to, and I will be damned if I don't try to save him!" She sighed deeply, rubbing at one eye. "We knew this day was coming, Ethan," she added in a quieter tone. "We knew I was going to die. I just didn't expect it to be so soon... Tell Alex I loved him, when you see him next, and tell him I'm sorry it had to be this way." Without giving her Watcher a chance to respond, Cordelia broke the connection, biting her lip gently.
A moment later, she threw her weapon-filled backpack onto her shoulder, casting one last glance around her home and all her memories before departing for the final time...