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      Spike discovered he wasn't the only one watching Peaches.  The
Initiative was too.  Spike suppressed a shudder as he moved further
down into the undergrowth.  But the soldier boys didn't seem to
notice
him, they were very intent on Angel.  Spike smiled, apparently there
was a third option.  This was even better than the first two.  He
turned his attention to the occupants of the house.
      *******
      Angelus swept Willow up into his arms and sat down on the
couch.  Poor thing. She was so exhausted by the emotional turmoil of
the last few days she had fallen asleep trustingly in his arms.
Willow
had spilled out all the details of her failed relationship with the
other little witch.  Angelus was furious, but managed to keep his
inquiries polite, like Soulboy would.  This witch was going to pay.
In blood.
      Willow's parents weren't home, it was just the two of them in
the house.  Alone. As Angelus held her, he took the opportunity to
study her closely.  She had changed over the past two years, shorter
hair, more confidence, but her eyes still held the same naive wonder.
There were still some vestiges of girlhood that clung to her but she
had matured, she was a young woman now.  She was beautiful, his
Willow.
      He remembered the first time he set eyes on the young beauty.
She was in the darkened hallway of her school.  The boy with her,
Xander, had been wary of him. But not Willow.  She had been attracted
to his presence, approaching him without fear.  He had fully intended
to kill her in front of the slayer.  He'd had his hands around her
slender neck, ready to snap it.  But he couldn't.  Angelus had always
been obsessed with corrupting innocence and this girl almost
overflowed with it. This combined with her beauty had made him want
to
possess her, lock her away from the world.  It was madness.
      She shifted in her sleep and he held her closer.  He could see
her neck, smooth and white.  His true face emerged.  It would be so
easy.  Just one sharp kiss.  Then, she would be his for eternity.
But
he wouldn't.  That would be cheating himself of the pleasure of
courting her.  This one would willingly give in to him.  Beg him to
sire her.  He grinned as he eased her off his lap. Time to go, out of
temptation's reach.  He laughed at that.  Angelus retreating from
temptation!  He covered her up with a blanket taken from the couch.
"Sleep well, sweeting."
      Just then, the phone rang.  Angelus'hand hovered over the
receiver.  With trepidation, he picked it up, he knew who it was.  He
listened for a moment.  "I know you're upset, Buffy."  There was more
wailing.  "I have to go." He said curtly. This was followed by a few
more sniffles. "Yes, I really do.  I will be back over tomorrow and
you can cry some more then."  He listened to her a vew more moments.
"I-" he began and then stopped.  "I...I'm sorry." He choked out.  She
had him apologizing now?  He, Angelus, apologizing to a slayer?  He
was really going to enjoy killing her. "I'm going now."  Click.  He
had more important things to do than babysit a slayer.  He had an
`appointment' with Tara.
      ********
      Spike watched with a certain amount of glee as the soldiers
followed Angelus.  He stood to his full height and dusted off his
jeans. He wasn't quite sure what he had just witnessed.  It appeared
that the poof might have been trying to console Red.  But he'd been
enjoying himself while he did it.  A little too much.  Spike flicked
his cigarette butt to the ground.  Time to call on Willow and find
out
what the story was. He knocked on the door.
      A sleepy Willow answered.  "Spike?  What are you doing here?"
      "I was just walking by and couldn't help but notice that
Peaches was-"
      "Come in, Spike."
      He swaggered in, holding a bottle of whiskey that was nearly
empty.  He smirked at her. "Didn't know you liked the poof, luv."
      "I don't. Well, I do. . .but not that way."
      "Really? That's not what it looked like to me."
      Willow was starting to get a bad feeling. Why had he been
watching her? Was he looking for a Buffy replacement?
      "He was just trying to be nice."
      Spike gave her a meaningful look. "Whatever you say, pet.  So,
why were you crying?"
      "I wasn't. . .well, yes I was.  Tara and I are on a break."
      "A break?  What the hell does that mean?"
      "I think it means she's going to break up with me soon." She
said sadly.
      "I'm sorry, luv." And he was. He noticed her mournful
expression. "Well aren't we a fine pair?  Wanna drink?"
      Willow looked at the bottle with a speculative gleam in her
green eyes. "Yes."
      Spike was startled, he'd expected a lecture on the futility of
drinking to solve your problems.  Instead, Willow took a swig of the
amber liquid and winced as it burned a path down her throat.  She
smiled at him.  He took the bottle back from her and took another
drink.
      "My parents have a wine cellar." She offered.
      "Lead the way, luv."
      *******
      Angelus was aware he was being followed.  It looked like a
group of six humans all in black fatigues.  Soulboy had known about
the Initiative, Angelus had those memories.  But he didn't know that
they were still active. He stopped in the street and swung around to
face his stalkers.  That is when he felt the charge go through him.
It was a powerful wave of electricity that sizzled along  all of his
nerves.  He lost consciousness.
      "Men, let's head back to base. We've got what we came for."
      The soldiers quickly seized the incapicated vampire.  "Agent
Baker," the commanding officer barked.
      "Yes sir?"
      "Take the hostile to one of the remaining holding cells, make
sure he's fed."
      "Yes, sir. Is he for an experiment, sir?" The soldiers were
all a little confused, their more recent missions had just involved
"eliminating" hostiles.
      "You could say that."

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