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      Willow groaned. Her head was pounding and she had a gummy
taste in her mouth.  She opened one eye and discovered she
was sleeping on the other side of the bed.  Willow normally
slept on the right side, by the closet.  She was on the
left side facing the curtained windows.  She also noticed
how cold it was, like something was leeching the warmth
from her body. Willow sat up in bed to stretch her arms
when the covers slid off. "Aghh!" she shrieked, she was
sleeping in only her panties.  Willow had a bad feeling.
She looked at the opposite side of the bed.  "SPIKE!"
      "Yes, luv?" The vampire said with deceptive innocence.  He
had obviously been watching her the whole time.
      "How?  What did we. . .uh-"
      "Did we do what, pet?"
      "Spike!"
      "Alright.  No need to shout."  He rubbed his head.  "My
bloody head still hurts.  We drank two bottles of your
dad's wine, y'know."  She covered her eyes with her hands,
keeping the blanket tightly around her with her elbows. "We
were drinking in the cellar, playin' darts.  Then your mum
and dad came home, so we dashed up to your room-"
      "And I suggested a game of strip darts." Willow's face was
flushed.  The things that alcohol made you do!  Yep, it was
the wine, not the handsome vampire. Yep.
      "Never played that before, luv."  He smiled.  "You won as
I recall."
      "Goddess!  Spike, I don't remember anything else. Did
we...?"
      "Oh, yes.  Six times."
      "Six?" She was momentarily amazed.
      "I'm a vampire, luv.  We're known for our stamina."  He
smiled wickedly.  "Still don't remember?"
      "No." She wailed.  She couldn't decide if she was upset
that it had happened or upset that she didn't remember it.
Then, she saw his smirk. "You took advantage of me!"
      "Did not!  You were the one who started it.  Besides, we
were both three sheets to the wind. You even put your hand
on my-"
      "Spike!" She interrupted.
      He leaned over.  "Well, that's another name for it, luv."
      *******
      Angelus groaned.  His head was pounding.  He placed one
lean hand on the back of his skull to investigate the area.
He found a bandage on it.  Then, last night came rushing
back.  He had been walking when the Initiative boys shot
him.  He had an impression of a brightly lit room and
people leaning over him in white lab coats. And then
nothing. What the hell did they do to him?  And why did
they let him go?
      Angelus had woken up in a crypt.  A filthy, dank, cold
crypt. He lay back down on the slab he was on.  The less
rational part of him was screaming from their blood.  He
smiled as he envisioned hunting them down and. . . but he
knew that he needed to find out more about this little
operation.  Find out what they did to him.  He'd go to the
slayer's house.  Maybe the watcher could give him some
information about the Initiative. Satisfied with his plan,
Angelus shut his eyes and a deep healing sleep overtook
him.
      *******
      "Since you don't remember it, luv, I'm willing to give you
a repeat performance.  He began to reach for her under the
covers.
      "No!"  She looked at him, tears beginning to fall.  "What
kind of girl am I?  My girlfriend breaks up with me and I
jump into bed with the first vampire that comes along!"
      "No, the first vampire was Angel.  I was the second one.
See?  You have taste, Red.  Better taste than some people
we know."
      "But it's not right!"
      Spike gave her a hurt look.  "You're ashamed that you
slept with me?"
      "No. . .it's just, we were drunk.  And I don't remember
it.  I. . .I just don't know what to think right now." He
seemed mollified by that.
      "Luv?"
      "Yes?"
      "If I tell you something will you promise not to be angry
with me?"
      "Uh, I'll try not to."
      "We didn't."
      "No?"
      "No.  Now, don't get me wrong.  We did some naughty
touching.  I'm a demon, remember?  And you were quite a
little minx. I had my hands all over-"
      "Spike!"
      "No, Red, not that.  You don't have one of those." He
winked.  "But I would never take advantage of you.  When I
make love to you-"
      "If-"
      "When." He stessed. "When, I make love to you, you'll
remember every single second of it."
      *******
      Angelus sat on the couch listening to the watcher drone on
about the secret military operation.  He had told them he
had seen soldiers, not that they had captured him. For one
thing, Angelus was a little embarrassed.  The Scourge of
Europe taken down by some drooling idiots with ray guns?
He'd never "unlive" this down if anyone found out.  He was
also wary about confiding in people he regarded as his
enemies. "Rupert?  I know what the Initiative does. Their
background.  But, why are they here again?"
      "I'm afraid I'm not privy to their plans, Angel."  Angelus
hated the way he said that.  The air of superiority.  He
gritted his teeth, this was getting him nowhere.  He'd have
to find another source of information.
      "I don't see why were even talking about this because-"
Buffy began
      " Because you'd like to talk about you some more?  Big
surprise." Angelus muttered under his breath.
      "What?"
      "Nothing at all, Buffy. Please, finish your little
thought." Giles frowned at the bit of sarcasm in the
vampire's voice but didn't pursue the subject.
"I think that it's a good thing right now, with me not
being at full speed. It's not like the Scoobys can handle
this on their own."
      "Giles, I brought those books you asked for." Willow
walked into the room holding a stack of books she had
borrowed from Giles. Angelus straightened up in his seat
and moved further away from Buffy.
      "Oh. Yes. Thank you, Willow." He said absently as she set
them down on the coffee table.  "Um. . .have you seen any
Initiative soldiers around, Willow?"
      She frowned.  "No, I thought they had left When Riley-"
      "Wills!" Buffy reprimanded.
      Angelus rolled his eyes.  As if he cared who the slayer
bumped uglies with!  He gave a small scowl at the name for
the sake of appearance. "It's alright, Buffy." She patted
his arm.
      "What happened?" Willow asked as she sat down in a chair.
      "Angel saw them when he was out patrolling for me." She
reached out for his arm again to pat it but Angelus put the
cup of tea she had left on the table into her hand.  Hands
off, slayer!
      "Well, it appears they are keeping a continued presence in
Sunnydale." Giles said.
      "Mmm." Willow said non-committal.  She looked at Angel
under her lashes, she was embarrassed by having cried
herself silly in front of him.  But, the imposing vampire
apparently hadn't revealed her  emotional break down to
Giles or Buffy.  "Well, speaking of patrols. . ." Willow
said as she stood up.
      "I'll walk you out, Willow" Angelus offered.
      "But-" Buffy began.
      "I'm going to see some of my sources in town. See what I
can find out about our demon-hunting G.I. Joes."
      Buffy pressed her lips together.  "Alright.  Be careful
though." Her lower lip quivered.
      "Let's go, Willow." He said, placing a hand to the middle
of her back.  He didn't want to be around for another
crying jag. He really didn't know what her problem was.
The funeral was done with.  Get over it.  Humans!
      "Night, Angel." Willow said, already heading up the
sidewalk.
      "Now, what kind of gentleman would I be, if I didn't offer
you a ride?"
      Willow bit her lip. "That would be nice. Thanks, Angel."
She really didn't want to walk all the way to the cemetery.
But she didn't really want to be alone with Angel. He was
different. Angel seemed more imposing, darker. Sexier. Like
Angelus.  Willow's eyes widened.  Where did that come from?
She almost laughed.  If it was Angelus -- she'd probably
already be dead by now.
      He insisted on opening the car door for her and she
climbed in.  They drove in silence for a few moments when
Willow spotted Tara walking down the street.  "That's
Tara." she said, as she pointed her lover out to Angelus.
      "Oh, really?"  Angelus said as he pulled over.
      "What are you doing?" Willow cried.
      "Let's have a little fun with her."
      "What do you mean?"
      " Just go with it.  Follow my lead."  Angelus smiled.
This was perfect!  He could torture the little girlfriend
and touch Willow at the same time.
      "Hi Tara." Willow said softly.  The other witch approached
the car, staring at the big man beside her lover.
      "Hi, Willow. Who's that?"
      "This is Angel.  He's Buffy's-"
      "Friend."  He smiled silkily.  "I'm Willow's. . .friend
too.  He pulled Willow back until she rested against his
chest.
      Willow tried to unwrap Angelus's big arm from around her
waist but it was fruitless.  "Angel, this is Tara."

      "So, you're Tara?" He scratched his chin.  "Hmm. . .I
think Willow may have mentioned you.  So nice to meet you."
His smile didn't reach his eyes.
      "Likewise." Tara said.  Willow was dating!  Dating a man!
"I have to g-go."
      "Tara!  This isn't what you think! Please-"
      Angelus watched the other witch run away.  He'd kill her
tomorrow. Tonight it would be a commando hunt.  Tomorrow. .
.a witch hunt!  He chuckled.
      "Why did you do that?"
      "I thought you wanted to get even."
      "No!  I. . .when I said that last night, I was angry. I
didn't meant it."
      "I'm so sorry, Willow."  No, I'm not.
      She slumped down into the seat again, feeling like a
rotten human being.  First it was Fondling Fest 2001 with
Spike last night and now she was lying to Tara.  This just
couldn't get any worse.  She should have known, never think
those kind of thoughts on the Hellmouth.
      "What's that smell?" Angelus asked, sniffing the air. "So
familiar." His eyes burned into hers.  "Spike."
      "Spike?" She squeaked out.
      "Yes, you smell like Spike. His scent is all over you.
Why?" He grasped her by the shoulders and shook her a
little. Willow opened her mouth to say something when her
eyes rolled back in her head.  She had passed out.

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