************************************************************
Angelus sat on the bed, drinking blood out of a bag,
looking for all the world like a
sullen child sucking on a juice box. This was incredibly
humiliating. Bagged blood was
the fast food of the vampire world. And Angelus had a
sensitive palette, he only liked gourmet meals.
Xander sat on the floor, with his back resting against the
bed, looking through one
of Willow's magazines. "Wills?"
"Yes?" She said absently, she was surfing the
web for an orb. Every site she'd hit so far didn't have
one in stock.
"What's a waterbra?"
"What are you looking at, Xander?"
"Your magazine. I was thinking that Anya would
look nice in one."
"I think she'd probably kill you. You're only
supposed to wear one if. . .if. . .you
need it." She flushed.
"Huh?"
"If you. . .are small in a certain area."
"Oh! Not doing that then. " During the course
of their conversation, Angelus had stretched out on the bed
and was now looming over Xander's shoulder. Xander didn't
even look up. "It's called a personal space bubble,
Deadboy. Get out of mine."
Angelus snarled as his features morphed.
"Give me your blood. Now."
Willow looked up from her computer screen.
"Angelus, if you can't behave -- we'll tie you up and gag
you if necessary. "
Angelus settled back on the bed. "Fine. I
don't really want his blood, anyway. Its yours that I
crave. I bet it would be sweet and-."
She stood up. "Don't make me come over
there!" She shook her finger at him.
Xander smirked at the vampire on his way out. He was
going down to the kitchen to retrieve some snacks.
Angelus decided that enough was enough. His
most deadly weapon wasn't his fangs anyway. "Fine, little
one. Let's talk. . .hmm. . .but what about." He tilted
his head to the side, his eyes shining with devilment. "I
know! Let's talk about why my childe's scent was all over
you. I'm sure that wretched boy would love to know about
that."
"No!" Willow hissed. "Lower your voice. . .he
might hear you."
"And wouldn't that be a shame. Now, I
suggest you convince him to leave or I'll-"
"I could gag you." She said.
"I could also draw him an illustration. You
remember how much you liked those, don't
you?" Willow gulped. "What have you got to be afraid of,
anyway? I'm helpless,
remember?" He goaded.
Willow rallied her strength. She wasn't
about to let the vampire know how
much he affected her. She was ashamed to admit that not
all of the feelings he provoked in her were related to
fear an anger. "Fine, I'll send Xander home. And if you
do anything-"
"I know, little one. You'll make me
sorry." He smiled as she left the room to
get rid of Xander.
*******
Willow was fixing herself some
vegetable soup. Xander had just left. She had to work on
convincing him to go. Angelus was probably still up in her
room pouting or gloating.
Arrogant vampire! She made a mental note to look through
some of Giles more unethical
spell books. Maybe she could turn him into a bug or render
him unable to speak for a
few days. That made her smile. As she was chopping
vegetables, a knock sounded on
the door.
She opened the door to see a grinning
Spike. "Hello, pet. I was going to walk
on in, but I thought I 'd be polite." He sniffed the air.
"That smells wonderful. What are
you making us for dinner?" He gave her an expectant look
when she didn't move from
the doorway. "Are you gonna move so I can come in?"
"No! I can't. . .uh . . .Tara's
here." She improvised, then wanted to take her
words back. She just didn't want Spike and Angelus beat
eachother to a pulp.
Spike's face fell, his eyes going
cold. "So last night meant nothing to you?"
He shook his head. "I should have known."
She reached out to him. "Spike!
Wait! It isn't like that, I-"
"Oh, I think it is like that."
Angelus' deep voice rumbled from behind her. He put
one arm on the door and forced it open wider.
"Angel? You're actually shagging
that useless wanker?" Spike snarled.
Willow's mouth opened in horror, she was unable to say
anything.
"William, I'm disappointed. No fond
hello for your old sire? Children these days.. ."
"Sire? Angelus!" He grabbed Willow's
arm and thrust her behind him. "Run to
the slayer, luv. Tell her to bring her pointy sticks. Lots
of 'em."
Angelus roared with laughter. "Need
the slayer to do your fighting for you
now, Spike? " Angelus came closer to him. "Last time I
saw you, you attacked me from
behind with a tire iron. You'll pay for that. .
.eventually. But not right now. Willow, why
don't you come inside so I can have a talk with Spike?"
"Because, I don't want to have to sweep the two off the
front stairs tonight."
Spike twisted around to look at her. "You'd dust me?"
"No, I would." Angelus withdrew a stake from inside his
sleeve. He stepped
closer, intending only to frighten Spike. He never got
tired of that. Willow gasped.
Spike could hurt demons, even with the chip. That meant
that if Angelus wanted to stake
Spike, he could.
"NO!" She leaped in front of him. Angelus stopped, the
stake inches from
her chest. His chip kicked in. He doubled over, groaning
in pain.
"Hello. What's this? I know that feeling. Mr. Big Coat
got himself chipped by the tin soldiers?" Spike
grinned in glee. Willow shot him a look.
"Just keep in mind that the chip doesn't apply to you,
mister." She scolded.
"First off, Red, thank you for jumping in front of me. I
didn't know you cared."
He smiled. Then he gave her a dour look. "But telling him
that might not have been the
best way to keep me safe."
Meanwhile, Angelus had recovered. "You mean I can hurt
demons?" He looked
around incredulously. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Oh yeah, how could I have forgotten." Willow looked
slightly perturbed. "Oh, I
remember now. It's because you're a soulless demon who
killed my fish." She glared at
him.
Spike smiled. He really liked seeing Angelus brought so
low. He walked past
Willow to sit at the kitchen table. "Care for another game
of strip darts, luv?"
Willow covered her face with her hands. This is not
happening. Angelus glared at
him. "I think you should stay away from her, William."
"It's a little late for that, poofter. Notice the
operative word, 'another', in the
sentence, 'Care for another game of strip darts, luv.'"
Spike grinned. "And don't bother
telling my you don't buy it. I know that you know it's
true. Just as I know that I don't
smell you on her. But you can smell me on her." Spike
finished with a self-satisfied nod,
tipping his chair back to watch his sire's face.
Angelus had heard enough."It'll be the last time, Spike.
I'm claiming her. She's
mine." He strode over to the arrogant bleach-blonde and
knocked his chair over. Spike
hit his head on the floor. Then Angelus hit his knees.
"CURSES! Owww!"
Spike rubbed the back of his head. "What are you howling
about, mate? What's
the matter, are your big 'I'm a bad-ass-now-boots' too much
for you? Did you trip on 'em?"
"I thought you said I could hurt demons." Angelus looked
accusingly up at
Willow.
"Try again. Maybe it was a coincidence." She suggested.
"Bloody hell, Red. I thought you were on my side!"
"Yeah, I was. Until you decided to announce to the world
what happened the last
time you were over here." She smiled. "And Spike?"
"Yes, pet?" He still sat on the floor.
"You remember how good my aim was with those darts?"
"Yes." He frowned. She'd beaten him with hardly any
effort.
"Next time I might be tossing them at you. But I should
warn you. Sober, I tend
to hit a little towards the bottom." She glanced down at
his spread legs to make sure he
made the connection.
Angelus raised an eyebrow at his childe. "Is she always
like this?"
"She gives 'evil' a new meaning if you piss her off."
Spike grumbled. He climbed
to his feet and looked his sire in the eye. Well, he tried
to look his sire in the eye, but
Angelus was a few inches taller than him. Especially with
those nancy boy boots on. "What did you do?"
Angelus smirked at him. "Well, we weren't playing
darts."
Spike punched him in the nose. Angelus went down. "Damn.
That is really fun."
He looked at the seething vampire at his feet. "Stand up.
Let me try that again."
"SPIKE."
"Sorry, Red. Couldn't help myself. Do you want a turn?"
Angelus attempted to hit Spike again but cried out in pain
as his chip went off. He
bent over at the waist, holding his head.
Spike bent over to look into Angelus' eyes. "You're
pathetic. You know that? At
least I can kill demons. You can't hurt anything now."
"You're sure about that, William?" Angelus eyes held real
malice. His childe kept
pushing his buttons. He was hoping to find an ally in
Spike, but the blond vampire had
never been much for burying the hatchet. Well, except into
people. And not a hatchet. .
.railroad spikes. Ahh. . .the bad old days. He smiled
fondly at his wayward childe.
Spike stepped back. "They mess with other parts of your
head?"
"Of course not. I was just thinking about all the good
times we had together. Do
you remember the ball we went to? All those silly
debutantes we took into the corners
and drained while-"
"I've heard enough of this story!" Willow shouted. "Ugh!
That's some quality time you had together. At least my
family time never had a body count." She shook her head in
disgust. "I'm about to
eat for Goddess' sake."
"I want some too, Red." Spike said. He continued to look
warily at his sire. "You
just keep your distance, poof."
Angelus smiled. "I want whatever you're having too."
"Oh, I'm so shocked by that." Spike muttered.
"It's only proper. I'm her houseguest after all."
"WHAT?" Spike screamed. "You will not be staying here.
Red, are you out of
your bloody mind?" He started to go for the door. "I'm
going to the slayer, she'll talk
some sense into that head of yours." He stopped to stare at
Angelus. "And she'll take
your head right off your shoulders."
"Spike! Don't do this! I don't have a choice. I need to
curse Angelus again and I
don't have an orb. . .because all of these weird people are
using them as paperweights. .
.and. . .and. . .Buffy is so sad because she lost her mom.
. .and Tara broke up with me. .
.and I'm so tired-"
Spike gave in. "Alright, Red. No need to get hysterical
on me. But, I'm staying
here too."
"No, you aren't, William." Angelus declared. He was also
a hurt that Willow would still be so willing to curse him.
He had felt the spark between them.
"You can stay, Spike." She said. In all honesty, Willow
had regretted letting
Angelus provoke her into telling Xander go home. She was a
little afraid to be alone
with the vampire. Besides, maybe it would break the tension
between them to have
another person around. She looked at the two vampires who
were currently glowering at
eachother. Or it might just create more of it. She
sighed. This was shaping up to be the
week from hell.