Into the Dark

Author: Aileen E.

A.N.: As always, thanks to Jenni for the beta. Previous parts to this fic are archived at my website: Blood and Fire. See part one for summary, warnings, disclaimer, etc.

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~Part: 1~

Willow ran from the room, stopping her mad dash only long enough to tightly close the door behind her. She stumbled into the bathroom and slid across the slick tile floor like a baseball player sliding across home-base, making it to the toilet just in time to empty the miserly contents of her stomach into the bowl.

She was crying, and vomiting, and trying to breath all at once, and it was not working. She asked herself what she had been expecting, and shook her head. "Not this, not this!" Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to block from her mind the image of the vampire in the other room. Her eyes had been closed while she chanted his name over and over, calling him to her from wherever he might have been. The first indication of his presence were the terrible screams that ripped through the room, followed by the unholy stench that she could still smell through the walls and on her skin, even though the vampire was in another room and she had barely touched him.

At the sound of his screams, she had stopped chanting and opened her eyes, only to strangle on a scream of her own. The mass of blood and tissue laying on the floor in front of her, had been barely recognizable as human in shape, let alone the vampire that she knew. The momentary thought that she had messed up the spell and brought forth some hideous, unknown hell-creature had sent a shiver of dread and apprehension through her spine. On closer inspection, she had recognized some of his features – a shock of white-blond hair peeking out from the red, tangled mass on the scalp, the feline contours of his body, and when he had turned to look at her, the stormy blue eyes, at the time clouded with pain, confusion and terror. The realization that what she was looking at was what remained of the vampire she had once known, had sent a wave of nausea crashing through her body.

Her stomach empty but still queasy, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and leaned against the porcelain tub. She wondered if she had done the right thing by bringing him back and wished that there was someone there to reassure her. The past eighteen months had been lonely and trying. The memories of the last time she had seen Spike and Dawn haunted her thoughts day and night, compounded by the growing horrors of the following months.

It had been chaos that night. Dawn had been on the platform, Buffy had been fighting Glory, Willow had been huddling out of the way, protecting Tara, and the others had been on the other side of the lot. It was Willow who had sent Spike up the platform to help Dawn when she had noticed someone up there with the girl. Willow had cleared a path for him and had watched as he ran up the make-shift tower – she should have been watching what was happening behind her instead. It wasn’t until she had seen Glory rush after him that Willow realized Glory must have defeated Buffy. Everything had happened so fast after that – Willow had barely enough time to react, pushing a still confused Tara out of harm’s way. When she turned around, she saw that Glory had knocked Spike out of the way and sliced Dawn’s stomach. The portal had opened and demons from other dimensions had started pouring in. Spike had regained his footing and started rushing toward Glory. The last thing Willow saw was Glory jumping through the portal dragging a disconcerted Spike with her just before the tower crumbled, taking Dawn down with it. Dawn was dead, they had buried her two days later. Buffy had just been unconscious and had been allowed to go home after an overnight stay at the hospital, but that had only been the start.

Some of the creatures that had entered through the portal were like nothing the slayer had ever fought before. To further aggravate matters, the portal had remained unstable, small fissures opening now and then, releasing new creatures. They had all tried. Giles had researched frantically, Willow and Tara had helped with their magic, Xander and Anya had been there, fighting next to Buffy who, in spite of the devastation from looseing Dawn, had still tried to answer her calling as the slayer. In the end, all had been for naught. Tara had been the first one to be killed by one of the demons. Anya had gotten herself a sweet deal in the vengeance demon business shortly after and jumped ship. Anya was always the practical type and after spending a thousand years as a demon, she knew how to tell when she was on the looseing end of a situation. When they had found Buffy’s decapitated body at one of the graveyards during one of their nightly patrols, it was obvious that they had been defeated. With no slayer in Sunnydale over whom to watch, and with little else that he could do, Giles had returned to England. Xander had moved away a few weeks later, after trying in vain to convince Willow to go with him. Willow had remained in Sunnydale. She had been surprised to find out that Buffy had willed the house to her, in the event of both hers and Dawn’s death, and Giles had placed her in charge of running the Magic Box before leaving.

The worst thing about living alone, other than the constant fear of demonic attacks, was that it gave Willow too much time to think about her friends, about their fate, about what she could have done differently, about what she could do now. Tara, Buffy and Dawn were dead, she couldn’t bring them back. Xander, Giles and Anya had left willingly and were better for it. But it was Spike that had haunted her the most. He had not died, he had not left because he wanted to – he had been ripped from this dimension into another one by a Hell Goddess with a grudge, because she had sent him up on that tower and then failed to watch his back. That’s when she had started thinking about a way to bring him back.

It had taken her months to find the right spell, and a few more weeks to put together all the ingredients. Having complete access to the Magic Box and its suppliers had been a great help. The one thing that she had worried about was that the spell required a personal item of the subject in order to track him. She had nothing that had belonged to Spike. His crypt had been looted by other vampires and demons shortly after his disappearance, not that he had owned much in the first place. Then, she had remembered that the night of the battle with Glory, just before he had rushed Glory on the tower, Spike had removed his duster and tossed it down out of the way. Xander had picked it out of the rubble the next day and taken it to Buffy’s house, where it had sat in a closet since. The duster was the last item she had needed. She would have preferred something smaller and less cumbersome, like a piece of jewelry or a lock of hair, but as far as personal, that duster was closer to being a part of Spike than anything else. There were even tiny specks of his blood on it, from a time when his nose had been broken while fighting another vampire. Willow smiled as she recalled Spike’s ire at getting blood on his precious duster. He had sworn and cursed up a storm in his stilted accent, using several words that to that day Willow had no idea what they meant. Funny, she had never thought before that day that blood on clothing was a big concern for a vampire, but then again, Spike was unlike any vampire she had ever met.

Willow stood up on shaky legs, wondering what she would do now that Spike was back. Disturbing thoughts were rushing into her mind, thoughts that she should have at least considered before doing the spell. She had learned from Giles and Anya that time progressed at other paces in different dimensions – for all she knew, what had been eighteen months for her, could have been centuries for Spike. It was possible that he didn’t even remember who she was. There was also the concern of his present condition and the fact that he had not been acting like himself, or even coherently. Whatever had happened to him in that hell dimension had obviously pushed him to the brink, both physically and mentally. Willow consoled herself with the thought that he was not human, he was a vampire and vampires healed, fast. She told herself that he would be fine if given enough time, but she couldn’t help shuddering as she thought of Drusilla, a vampire wandering through the centuries in perpetual insanity. *What am I going to do with an insane vampire? What if he doesn’t get any better, what if he doesn’t recognize me and attacks me?* She shook her head, dismissing the thoughts as she splashed water on her face.

Glancing warily at the bedroom door, she walked down the stairs to the kitchen. She removed two of four packets of blood from the fridge and tossed them in the microwave. While she waited for the blood to heat up, she tried to think of where she would get more. Willow had managed to convince a hospital worker to sell her the four packets of human blood without too many questions, but she knew that she would have to find more, and soon. Her nerves were so on edge that when the timer bell rang, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Carrying the two packets and a small towel, she made her way back up the stairs, bracing herself before entering the bedroom.

Spike laid in a fetal position on the bed, his arms holding his knees close to the chest. He had not bothered to pull down the comforter before laying down and Willow shifted uncomfortably, averting her eyes from the vampire’s naked body. He didn’t move nor did he acknowledge her presence in anyway. She hesitantly approached the bed.

"Spike? Are you awake? I brought you some blood."

Spike uncoiled his body and rolled onto his back, arms and legs splayed, displaying his body in front of her without any modesty. Willow tried to keep her eyes on his face and avoid looking anywhere below his waist, but her eyes kept getting drawn to his body, searching for a spot that was not marred by dirt, blood, bruises, gauges or cuts. A loud gasp escaped her lips when her eyes settled on his groin. Willow was not what anyone would call an expert in male genitalia, being a lesbian and all, but she felt certain that his genitals were not supposed to look like THAT. It looked mangled, bloody and raw, not unlike the rest of his body. She tried to think of what could possibly cause that kind of damage to a vampire and then decided that she was better off not knowing. Instead, she took a couple of cleansing breaths to calm herself. *Just remember he is a vampire, with enhanced healing abilities and infection – not a problem.* Even with that knowledge, she shuddered thinking about the kind of pain he must be feeling.

When he made no move to reach for the blood, Willow moved closer to the bed and stretched out her hand, holding the packets toward him. Spike raised his upper body slowly, propping himself on an elbow and eyeing the bags hungrily. *What on earth is he waiting for, a written invitation?!* She immediately felt remorseful for her exasperated thought and managed to smile weakly at him.

"Here, go ahead, take it," she encouraged.

She jumped back when he suddenly reached and snatched the packets from her hands. As Spike tore into the packets with his fangs, Willow looked around the room. The supplies she had used for the spell still laid on the floor where she had left them. She knew she should pick them up, but she was so tired she could barely move and she decided that getting Spike fed and cleaned up was more important than the mess on the bedroom floor.

With a deep sigh, she turned toward the bed and saw that the vampire had finished drinking the blood and was looking at her. He had spilt some of the blood in his haste to drink it and it was dripping down his chin. Looking at the kitchen towel in her hands, she decided that it wouldn’t do much good to wipe the blood off his chin, considering the state of the rest of his body.

She nervously wrung the towel between her hands while she spoke. "Uh ... yeah ... hum ... Spike, do you think ... would you like to ... you know, take a bath ... get cleaned up?"

He continued to look at her as if unable to understand her words. Willow pointed toward the bathroom down the hallway. "Baaaath," she explained slowly.

Without a word, Spike slid from the bed and began to crawl to the door.

"Oh, wait a minute, let me help you." Willow set the towel on the dresser and bent down to help Spike to his feet.

The moment her hand touched his arm, he jerked reflexively, bringing his arm up and knocking Willow backward against the bed. Willow didn’t try to approach him again, she leaned back on the bed, too exhausted to do anything but watch him crawl to the hallway. With a groan, she pushed herself up and walked around him, leading the way into the bathroom. Her eyes shifted between the tub and the showerhead, finally deciding that, considering how much blood and grime was on his body, a shower would be best. She turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature before indicating to Spike that he should get in. With some effort, he managed to get inside the tub and sat there, letting the warm water beat on his skin. Still averting her eyes from his body, Willow handed him a bar of soap and a washcloth. He took the proffered items, but made no move to use them.

Willow sank to her knees next to the tub, tears of exhaustion and frustration quickly welling up in her eyes.

"Spike, please, you have to help me. I understand that you are not ... well, but I can’t do this alone and there’s no one else here to help." She tentatively took the washcloth and soap from his hand. After lathering the cloth, she slowly touched it to his shoulder, awaiting his reaction. He flinched when she touched him, but didn’t knock her down this time. She began to gently wash his back, talking while her hand worked small circles on his skin.

"You know, we make a sorry pair, you and I. We are both so tired we can’t even move! What was that word you always used?" She paused for a moment, searching her memory for the elusive word. "Knackered! Yeah, that’s it ... we are both knackered out! Have you ever heard the phrase ‘misery loves company’? Well ... I don’t know who first said it ... but it’s wrong, because I may be miserable, but I’m SO not loving this!"

Willow didn’t expect Spike to participate in the conversation, she even doubted that he was listening to what she was saying. But the inconsequential chatter kept her mind off the task at hand and off all the questions about the future that were pounding in her brain.

When she had finished washing his back, Willow handed the washcloth back to Spike. "See? Like that. You can do the rest – can’t you?"

Her voice sounded more hopeful than she had intended, and she tried not to look too relieved when he took the washcloth and soap and began to wash his arms. She stood up and started to close the curtain, as much to afford him some privacy as to block his battered body from her view. Before she walked away, she pointed at his head and grimaced. "Uh ... don’t forget your hair, ok?" She closed the curtain without waiting for an answer.

Leaning back against the bathroom door, she slid down to sit on the floor. As she listened to the water cascade into the tub and watched the steam swirl around her, she thought about how tired she felt. She knew from previous experience that casting a powerful spell usually zapped her energy, both physically and magically, for a couple of days. A spell of this magnitude would probably keep her out of commission for a week – a week in which she had to deal with Spike, keep the house clean, work at the Magic Box, procure blood somehow, protect both of them from the demons and vampires that ran rampant in the streets of Sunnydale since the demise of the slayer, and hopefully keep her sanity. She was too frightened to think about what would happen if Spike didn’t get better after that first week. Exhaustion overcame her and she dozed off.

She awoke a while later, disoriented and confused.

"Why am I sleeping on the bathroom floor, and who’s in the shower?" "Spike!"

Willow ran to the tub and pulled back the curtain. She must have been sleeping for a while because the water had turned ice cold. Spike still sat in the tub where she had left him, the freezing water pounding on his head.

"I’m sorry! I’m SO sorry!" she exclaimed as she hurried to shut off the water and cover him with a towel.

Spike took the towel and began to dry his body as Willow stood nearby, trying to look anywhere but directly at him. She leaned heavily against the sink and tried to fight back the tears – her crying and carrying on would not help either one of them at the moment – but she knew that after she put him to bed, she would have a good cry over this.

Willow watched as Spike crawled out of the tub with some effort, but once he was out, he stood up on shaky legs, bracing himself against the sink for support. He looked at her and Willow got the impression that he was awaiting a reaction from her.

She smiled faintly. "Good ... you can stand ... that’s, good. Uh ... do you want me to help you ... can I ...?" She hesitated before placing an arm around his waist. When he didn’t pull away, she smiled up at him and asked, "Can I help you back to the room?"

Spike didn’t answer, but allowed her to help him as he limped slowly down the hallway. When they reached the bed, Willow pulled the soiled comforter down to the floor with her free hand and pulled the top sheet back. Spike collapsed on the bed, dragging Willow down with him. She quickly disentangled herself from his arm and jumped back, hastily throwing the sheet over his body.

"That’s better, isn’t it?" she asked nervously.

Spike didn’t respond. With a heavy sigh, Willow walked to the dresser in the corner of the room and pulled out a small pouch from the top drawer. Spike sank down into the mattress when she approached him again.

"It’s just to help you sleep, it won’t hurt you."

Willow dipped her fingers into the pouch before placing them over Spikes eyes and forehead, smearing a light, powdery substance on his skin. She cringed when he shrank back from her and whimpered, even though she knew she wasn’t hurting him. "Shhhhh," she whispered soothingly. A few words from her and Spike was sound asleep.

Willow looked at the hallway just outside the door and thought that crawling the distance was really not such a bad idea. She sleepily stumbled out to the hall and into her room, next to the one Spike occupied. Not bothering to undress, she collapsed on the bed and closed her eyes. The sleeping spell she had performed on Spike, as simple as it was, had used up her last modicum of energy, but she believed it had been necessary. There was no telling for how long she would sleep and she didn’t want Spike, for his own safety, to get up and wander outside of the house. She admitted to herself, albeit guiltily, that she had also been concerned about Spike waking up in the middle of the night and murdering her in her sleep.

Willow felt much better when she awoke the next day. Her magic was still topped out, and her body felt sluggish, but she had gotten quite a few hours of sleep and she felt definitely more rested than the previous night. After briefly checking on Spike to confirm that he was still sleeping, she took a long, hot shower and got dressed. She went to the kitchen where she quickly ate a bowl of cereal, thinking that the vampire upstairs must be hungry and that she should hurry up and take him his meal.

As she waited for the microwave to heat up the two remaining pouches of blood, she made a mental list of the things she had to do that day. She had closed the Magic Shop for the weekend, so she didn’t have to worry about work, but she did need to clean the house, do laundry, find Spike something to wear, and then she needed to go out and find some blood. She had decided that she would go to Willie’s. Willow wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea. Ever since Buffy’s death, the demon element in the area had grown rougher and more unruly. Some, mostly the ones that did not eat humans, left her pretty much alone because of her reputation as a witch – but many others still thought of her as the "slayer’s friend" and demons harbored grudges longer than any human she knew. But she also knew that Willie’s was her best bet to get some blood at a reasonable price. Even if he didn’t have any human blood, she was certain he could supply her with some pig’s blood.

Willow pulled out several jars from one of the kitchen cupboards before heading up the stairs with the two packets of warm blood and another small towel. She couldn’t do a spell, but she still had some herbs and ointments that might help Spike heal, or at least make him more comfortable.

She stepped into Spike’s dimly lit room slowly, so that she wouldn’t startle him. After turning on a lamp, she walked to the dresser.

"Wake-up sleepy head, I got something for you," she said cheerfully, in a low voice that she hoped was reassuring.

She placed the ointments and herbs on the dresser, along with one of the packets of blood. When she turned around to hand Spike the other packet and the towel, she froze, gawping at the sight on the bed in front of her. The packet of blood slipped from her hands to land on the floor, splashing over the small area rug, as she practically screeched, "Spike! What are you doing?!"

He was laying on his back with his eyes shut tight, there was an expression of both concentration and pain on his face. But what had scared Willow was that his fist was tightly wrapped around his flaccid, still injured member and he was harshly pulling on it, over and over. Willow whirled around and faced the wall.

"Spike, please stop that!"

Looking over her shoulder, she saw that he either had not heard her, or was ignoring her. She moved closer to the bed and spoke a little louder. "Please, stop!"

Her hand reached out to grab his arm but then pulled back. She didn’t want to touch him, not that close to THERE and not while he was doing THAT. Panicking and not knowing what to do, she screamed at him. "I said, stop!"

He immediately removed his hand and opened his eyes, looking at her with an expression that was as frightened and confused as she felt. Willow grabbed the extra bag of blood from the dresser and, along with the towel, threw it on the bed next to him before running out of the room. She slammed the door shut behind her and sat on the top step of the stairs.

"Oh, Goddess, please help me. I don’t know if I can do this."

Tears slid down her cheeks as she buried her face in her hands. She knew she had to go back into the bedroom – she had to clean the mess on the floor, she had to tend his wounds, and she couldn’t leave him alone all day locked in the room. The thought fleetingly crossed her mind that she should have never performed the spell that brought him back and she felt her heart twist with guilt at thinking it. She knew that whatever his condition, he was better off now than where he had been before.

It was not until that moment that Willow realized that her expectations had played as big a role in her decision to bring him back as her guilt had. Tired of being alone and feeling abandoned by her friends, she had longed for the old Spike to come back. She wanted the vampire who even with a chip in his brain knew how to instill fear into any creature, the painfully insightful Spike who always spoke his mind and did not hesitate to take charge of any situation. She had wanted the old Spike to come back and lessen her burden, keep her company, tell her what to do – not the wreck that now laid in that room unaware of who she was, possibly even who he was, and whom she would probably have to take care of for the rest of her life. She felt terrible for even having those thoughts, but the truth was that she had barely been able to take care of herself in the last few months, and she didn’t know if she had the stamina necessary to take care of somebody else as well.

~Part: 2~

Willow impatiently watched the clock. Buffy had promised that she would be back early from patrolling. Dawn had gone to bed an hour earlier and there was still no sign of Buffy. Willow jumped up from the couch when the slayer walked in, her hair disheveled and some kind of goo covering her clothes.

"Sorry I'm late. Am I late? I tried to get back earlier but this demon came at me out of nowhere. It was like suddenly 'whoosh' and there he was in front of me ..."

Willow grabbed her backpack from the coffee table. "It's ok, Buffy. Why don't you tell me all about it tomorrow?"

Buffy's face fell. "Are you sure you don't want to hear it now? It's a really good story and my stories are usually better right after something happens. They are kind of like fresh doughnuts, they are not quite so fresh the next day."

"I'm sorry, Buffy, I really have to go. Tomorrow, ok?"

Willow rushed out the door leaving a perplexed slayer behind. It was forty-five minutes past their accorded meeting time when she got to The Magic Box and Willow was not surprised to see that the vampire was no longer waiting for her. Just as she turned around to return to Buffy's house, Spike stepped in front of her.

"Spike! You're here!"

"I said I would be, didn't I?"

"Yes, but I'm late. I thought perhaps you had gotten tired of waiting and left."

The vampire shrugged. "I just got here myself, hope you didn't have to wait long."

Willow suspected that Spike was lying, but Willow allowed him to save face.

"No, I didn't have to wait at all."

"Good then; are you sure you are up for this?"

Willow wasn't really up for any of it. Breaking into private property, especially her friend's private property, was not something that she would do under any other circumstances. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and she was desperate to find out what was wrong with her.

She nodded at Spike. The vampire produced a metal nail file and started to work on the lock; ten minutes later they were both inside the shop. Willow reached into her backpack and handed Spike a flashlight.

"So we don't have to turn the lights on, you know, so that we don't attract attention," she explained.

Spike smirked. "I'm going to think you're an ol' pro at this!" There was a hint of admiration in his voice.

Willow giggled at the thought of herself as a seasoned burglar.

"Ok, so you said that in your dream, the book is on the top shelf."

Willow nodded, pointing at the exact spot where Giles got the book in her dream. Both Willow and Spike climbed the steps and searched every shelf in the top floor. They also looked through the shelves in the lower level, the stacks of books on the tables and behind the counter, without any success.

Finally, Willow sank down on one of the chairs, her head lowered in defeat.

"We still haven't looked in the back room, Red."

Willow shook her head. "There isn't much left back there, most of those things were Giles' and he took them with him back to England." A terrifying thought struck Willow and her eyes widened. "Spike, what if Giles took the book with him? What if the book isn't here at all but in England?"

Spike shrugged. "Then you might have to call Rupert and do some explaining. But let's look in the back room first."

Willow nodded and pushed up from the chair, her hopes quickly fading. She followed Spike into the nearly empty back room.

"I told you, Spike, nothing here."

"Yeah, maybe you're right."

Willow turned to walk out of the room and her foot connected with something hard on the floor.

"Ouch!" She yelped, losing her balance. She felt Spike's hand grab her arm to keep her from falling.

"You alright, Pet?"

Willow nodded and swallowed hard, poignantly aware of Spike's hand on her arm. A second later the hand was gone and Willow felt childish for even having noticed. She pointed the flashlight at the floor and frowned at the box there.

"It looks like one of the boxes that Giles packed to take with him. Why would he leave it here?"

She turned to look at Spike. "You think we should ...?"

Spike shrugged. "Might as well, we've looked everywhere else."

Spike kneeled down and ripped the flaps of the box back, revealing its content. Willow sat on the floor next to him and carefully removed several items one by one, mostly small artifacts. She shrieked when she saw the leather bound volume hidden under the artifacts.

"This is it!"

She removed the book from the box and studied the cover carefully, reading the inscription there. 'Von Einer Weltz zum Nachsten: The Memoirs of Jurgen Kappel'

"Are you sure that's the book, Red?"

Willow nodded enthusiastically. "I remember the German title."

"Good, now let's get out of here." Spike started to walk toward the exit when he noticed that Willow was still sitting on the floor, staring at the book. "Something wrong?"

"Don't you see, Spike? It's like we were meant to find it," Willow whispered, astounded by the fact that they had actually found the book from her dream. Part of her had believed that the dreams were caused by stress and nothing more than the aftereffects of all she had been through in the past few weeks.

"Yeah, well, The Powers like to fuck with humans' minds. I wouldn't be too thrilled about that if I were you."

Willow returned the artifacts to the box and re-closed it before depositing the book in her backpack. Quietly, they exited out the back door.

Spike insisted on walking Willow home. On the way, they talked about the possible significance of the book.

"I guess I'm a little afraid of finding out what the book says."

Spike removed the cigarette from his mouth before answering. "Read the bloody thing. If you don't like what it says, just ignore it."

"That's the thing, Spike, I can't 'just ignore it'. There are too many factors at play here. Me dreaming about a book that I didn't even know existed, Giles intending to take the book with him and forgetting it, us finding it - these can't all be coincidences. I can't help but feel that this is important."

"Things are always important, Red. The question is: are they important for you?"

Willow frowned. "What do you mean?"

Spike stopped walking. They were only one block away from the house and he probably didn't want to run into the slayer. "What I mean is, if it is something that can help you, then it's important for you. But, if it's something that's just gonna make everything harder for you but help someone else, then it shouldn't matter to you."

Willow got the impression that Spike was talking about more than the book. He was talking about having helped her. "You don't mean that, Spike."

"I bloody do, Red, more than you know."

Willow felt that she should say something, but she wasn't sure what to say. "Sorry my almost getting killed ruined your evil plans?" Instead she said, "I'll let you know what I find out after I read the book. I mean, if you want to know."

Spike nodded and turned on his heels, quickly disappearing into the night.

~*~

Two days later, Willow, Buffy, Xander and Anya sat around a table at The Magic Box, conducting research.

Willow's eyes were half closed as she leaned slightly over her laptop. She startled when she heard Xander's voice.

"Anything yet, Will?

"Huh, what? Oh no, nothing here." She frowned at the screen.

"Willow, are you feeling ok?" Buffy asked, obviously concerned by her friend's strange behavior.

"Yes, I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be? I just haven't had much sleep, that's all. I'm a bit worn out."

"Any particular reason why you haven't been sleeping, or is this the general 'my life sucks too much for words' type of insomnia, 'cause I'm the expert on that one?" Xander inquired.

"My life doesn't suck! I just can't sleep!" Willow answered defensively.

Buffy interjected. "Willow, you know that if something is bothering you, something big, you can tell us, right? I mean, we are your friends, but we can't help you if we don't know what's going on ... if you're keeping things from us."

The lack of sleep combined with the stress of working to figure out what was happening to her while trying to keep things from her closest friends, had worn Willow's nerves down to a bare thread. She bristled at Buffy's words.

"There's nothing to tell! Why do you feel like you always have to know everything that's going on in my life? All of you! I just miss a few nights of sleep and, and, - next thing I know I'm facing an Inquisition!"

Anya threw her hands in the air. "For crying out loud! Willow, you've been messing around with some serious magic lately; it's no secrete that's the reason why Tara left. The others don't want to tell you, but frankly, we are all concerned that you're going to end up unintentionally summoning something that could possibly kill us all, and we want you to stop!"

Tears shone in Willow's eyes. "What you're saying is that you are all afraid of me!"

Buffy shook her head. "That's not it, Willow. It's just that some of the things you've been doing lately are, well, scary."

"And you haven't been big with the sharing either," Xander added.

Willow slammed her laptop shut. "Fine! If you all feel that my powers make me a menace to society then I'll stop, just remember that, the next time one of you needs a spell, because this witch is now officially retired!"

Willow crammed the rest of her belongings into her back pack and stormed out of the room. As she stepped out of the store she heard Anya's cheerful voice behind her. "Thank you, Willow. That went well; I don't know why you were all so worried about telling her!"

Willow strode down the street, away from the Magic Box. She felt she had overreacted since she knew that her friend's concern was genuine and not just because they were afraid for themselves. Still, she didn't feel that she could trust them with the knowledge of everything that had happened, especially Spike's involvement in it. As if summoned by her thoughts, she heard the vampire's voice behind her.

"Red, wait up!"

A second later he was walking next to her.

"Spike, what are you doing here?" She asked without looking at him.

"I was waiting for you outside the Magic Box when I saw you run out like a demon was chasing you. What happened?"

"A demon was chasing me, a sharp-tongued ex-demon actually."

"Anya," Spike concluded.

Willow nodded. "It wasn't really her fault, she was just saying what everyone else has been thinking, and maybe they're right."

"Bullocks! What did she say?"

Willow glanced at Spike's scowling face. "It doesn't really matter. Why were you waiting for me?"

"I was wondering if you got a chance to read the book, if you found anything out."

Willow nodded, relieved that Spike wanted to discuss the content of the book with her. He was the only person with whom Willow felt she could be totally open about what was happening. When she talked to him, she didn't feel as if she had to measure her words in order not to give something away, or guess the implied meaning behind every comment he made.

"I found out plenty. Is there somewhere we can go? Somewhere I can sit down?"

Spike nodded. "We can go to my crypt. No one will bother us there."

Willow nodded and smiled weakly at him.

Once at the crypt, Willow glanced longingly at the bed, her eyes half closed with exhaustion. Spike must have noticed her weariness because he propped a pillow against the headboard and motioned for Willow to take a seat. After pulling the book from her backpack, Willow gratefully settled on the bed with Spike sitting beside her, looking curiously at the book.

"The book is a translation of the diaries of a man named Jurgen Kappel," Willow started to explain, then frowned. "Some of it doesn't make much sense, but Giles notes have been a great help. It appears that Kappel wrote the book while he was a patient at an insane asylum in Germany during the late 1930's."

"You mean the guy who wrote the bloody book was a lunatic? That's not very reassuring," Spike commented.

Willow ignored his comment and continued. "According to the book, Kappel was some kind of wizard, one who specialized in travel and communications between parallel dimensions. He claimed that this world was not his reality, but one very similar to it. He describes having embarked in a tour of parallel dimensions, keeping records of the similarities and disparities between the worlds he visited and trying to find a correlation, thus the title of his diary, 'From One World to the Next..' Unfortunately, all the shifting between realities and the drastic differences between time continua eventually drove Kappel to insanity. Spike, do you know what this could mean?"

"That traveling between dimensions will eventually drive you insane and should be avoided? You don't have to tell me that one twice!"

Willow groaned, although she couldn't exactly disagree with Spike's conclusion. "It could mean that the alternate universe I created with my spell was not destroyed when the spell was broken and this book is Giles' way, that world's Giles, not our Giles, to let me know that he is alive!"

"That's great, Pet, and if I cared I would actually be happy for him, but how do we stop your dreams?"

Willow scrunched her face and shifted a little on the bed, making herself more comfortable. "I don't know that yet, but I did find this." Willow opened the book to a page she had previously marked. "It's a spell to open a communication portal between dimensions. All I need is something that originated from the world I wish to contact and a few ingredients that I can get at The Magic Box. If I can talk to the Giles in that world, maybe I can ask him if he knows what the dreams mean and how to stop them!"

Despite her tired state, Willow was getting excited about the idea. She had already formulated the plan in her head, but talking to someone about it somehow made it seem more real, more possible. Spike's expression was skeptical.

"I don't know, Pet. You said yourself that this guy was insane when he wrote the book; how do we know we can trust what he wrote? For all we know, the guy was just crazy."

Willow shook her head, dismissing his concerns. "Giles wrote a lot of notes in the book and I did my own research. I found records of a patient named Jurgen Kappel at a remote insane asylum in Germany around the same time Kappel claims he wrote the book. The strange thing is that there is no record of what happened to Kappel, it's like he just vanished. That's not strange in and of itself, a lot of people in German institutions disappeared around that time, but the strange thing is that the original diary disappeared along with Kappel, only to turn up two years ago when an 'undisclosed source' turn it over to The Council. Giles speculated that Kappel was actually a member of The Council in a parallel dimension and that he used a spell, possibly one of the spells in this book, to escape Nazi Germany, and that it was Kappel himself who turned the book over to The Council. He concluded that the long lapse in time was due to the fact that Kappel possibly escaped to a dimension where time
 moves much slower, making a day in the alternate dimension over sixty years in ours."

"Even if you're right, I didn't bring anything from the alternate dimension with me."

Willow smiled. "I did. I was wearing Tara's dress when I came back, the one I got from her closet. The book also talks about how inanimate objects can travel freely between dimensions, while organic matter requires special permission. Haven't you ever lost something for weeks, only to find it one day, when you aren't even looking for it and in plain sight? Just think, your pack of cigarettes could have traveled to an alternate dimension, or - or it could not be yours at all but a duplicate of the one you owned!" Willow revealed excitedly.

"Huh? You've really given this a lot of thought, haven't you?"

Willow nodded. "There's only one problem. I kind of told the others that I wouldn't practice magic anymore, so I can't exactly go to The Magic Box to get the supplies I need. I need you to do that for me."

"Sure, I'll go later after everyone leaves and ..."

"No, no, no! I'll give you the money and a list, you just have to go tomorrow night and buy what I need."

Spike didn't seem too enthusiastic about the idea of paying for something that he could take freely whenever he wanted, but he didn't argue with Willow.

"Fine then, Pet. Now, why don't you close your eyes and try to get some sleep? I'm sure someone already told you this, but you look knackered.

"I can't, Spike. Every time I close my eyes the dreams start, and they are getting worst."

Spike would not take no for an answer. "Give it a try, luv. I'll be right here if something scares you."

Willow considered his offer. The idea of getting some sleep without having to wake up terrified and alone was enticing. She nodded her head and slid down on the bed, her eyes already closing. She felt Spike's cool arms wrap around her and she rested her head on his shoulder, drifting off to sleep almost immediately.

A while later, Willow felt cool fingers traveling up her thighs, pushing up her dress. She moaned and shifted position, not sure is she was dreaming or awake. She felt a pair of hands part her thighs and begin to caress her folds, gently rubbing her clit with a slow, circular motion. Willow gasped at the sensation.

"Spike?" She whispered.

She tried to look around but found that the room was dark and she wasn't sure where she was. A cool, wet tongue traveled the length of her slit and Willow arched her back, pushing into the source of her pleasure.

"Spike, please," she moaned.

"Yes, luv, I'm right here. Tell me what you want. I want you so bad. God, Red, I've missed you!"

Willow tried to move her hands, not sure if she wanted to pull him closer or push him away, but she found that she could not move her arms. Looking behind her, Willow realized that both her hands were tied to the headboard of the bed. His mouth continued to explore her body and Willow discovered that she was totally immobilized. She started to panic as she struggled against her bonds.

"Spike?" She whispered tentatively.

A gasp escaped her lips when she saw Xander's face looming over her. "Not quite, baby, but if thinking about my sire turns you on so much, don't let me stop you." With those words his face morphed and as his fangs descended toward her throat, Willow felt certain that Xander was going to kill her.

"Xander, no!" She screamed, as her hands became free and she pushed away the image in her dream.

She suddenly found herself sitting on Spike's bed, relieved to find that she was still dressed and wearing pants, not a skirt like she had been in the dream. Her eyes open wide, Willow looked frantically around the crypt. Her gaze settled on Spike standing next to the bed, glaring at her.

"What happened?" She asked, still disoriented.

"You tell me, Red. One minute you're all hot, rubbing against me and moaning my name, and the next you are screaming droopy boy's name and knocking me on my ass!"

"I'm sorry, I was dreaming," she said apologetically. "Wait a minute, were you touching me while I was asleep?!"

"Like I said, Pet, you started it. I thought maybe you did have an itch that needed scratching after all."

"Spike, I was asleep, I was dreaming!"

"Yeah, I figured that out, dreaming about Xander," Spike spat out as he clenched his fists.

If she didn't know better, Willow would have sworn that Spike was jealous of her dream.

"No! Well, yes, I was dreaming about Xander, but not the way you think."

Spike gave her a doubtful look. "I know what I heard, and what I smelled," he told her accusingly.

Willow jumped from the bed and gathered the book and her backpack. She had never experienced this particular dream before and she wasn't sure how much of it was the actual dream and how much had been Spike's actions while she was asleep; she was certain it had been Spike's voice she had heard at first and not Xander's. The dreams were getting even more confusing and she felt that if she didn't find a solution soon, she would go insane. "I can't explain something to you that I don't even understand myself, so just think what you want, Spike," she told him as she walked toward the door of the crypt. She paused before walking out.

"Can I still count on you to help me with the spell?" She asked uncertainly as she turned around to face the vampire.

Spike was still standing beside the bed, his fists clenched and his expression unreadable. He nodded.

"Then I'll meet you here tomorrow at sunset. I'll bring the list."

Without saying good-bye, Willow turned around and walked out.

~Part: 3~

The following evening, Willow paced impatiently as she waited for Spike to return to the crypt. Neither had spoken of the events that had taken place the previous day. He had been waiting for her when she had arrived with the list at dusk and he had donned his duster, walking out of the crypt without saying a word.

Willow had cast the protective circle, consecrated her work space, placed the candles and mixed the ingredients she already had, all carefully following the specifications in the book to ensure that nothing would go wrong this time. Now all that was left to do was wait for Spike to return with the rest of the ingredients.

She looked up expectantly when Spike walked in, frowning when she noticed that his hands were empty. "Didn't you get what I asked you to?" She asked, confused.

Spike proceeded to pull out several items from his pockets and hand them to her.

"Where is the receipt?" Willow asked.

"Didn't get one."

"Well, didn't Anya give you a bag to carry these?"

"No."

Willow sighed in exasperation. "Spike, I gave you the money for these things; you didn't have to steal them!"

Spike shrugged. "I needed cigarettes, and in case you haven't noticed, I'm not sitting in the lap of luxury here, Pet. You have the things for your mojo, I got my fags, and demon girl is none the wiser. Works out bloody damn well if you ask me!"

Willow could have argued Spike's logic, but she decided against it. The vampire seemed particularly cranky, and she was not about to enter into a long discussion about ethics that she would most likely lose in any case. Instead, she mumbled a "thank you" and set about preparing the rest of the ingredients for the spell.

When everything was in place she sat in the middle of the circle, Tara's scarf that she had brought with her from the other world rested across her lap, the book open in her hands. Spike sat a comfortable distance away and smoked a cigarette while he watched the working witch.

Willow began to recite the chant.

"I sit between the worlds

realms of matter and spirit

I weaken the barrier

and evoke a window

My thoughts to yours

and yours to mine

call forth from shadows ..."

A rectangle of light began to rise from the ground in front of Willow and the woman jumped to her feet, startled. The book had not specified what would happen once the spell was set in motion. She continued to chant as the square of light continued to increase in size, until it was large enough for her to pass through it. She glanced at Spike, who was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling as a column of smoke rose from between his lips. Willow took a tentative step toward the 'window' she had created and suddenly found herself in a different room. The book was gone from her hands and so was the scarf she had held. Frantically, she turned around, trying to go back through the window, but the light was not there. Willow instead found herself staring through a glass window at the charred remains of what had been downtown Sunnydale.

Willow walked closer to the window in stunned silence, until her face was pressed against the single pane of glass that remained intact. The others had been shattered and replaced with wooden planks. Up and down the street, building after building lay burnt and gutted. There was no sign of any trees or plants as far as Willow could see, and the sky was overcast, an ominous and unnatural shade of gray. The streets were almost deserted, except for a few dirty and disheveled people who rummaged through the rubble. The only conclusion at which Willow could arrive was that an apocalypse had finally done away with the town.

"Where the hell am I now and what happened here?" She wondered.

"Willow? Is that you?"

Willow turned at the sound of the stilted voice. "Giles!" The girl rushed forward in relief to hug the watcher, but her body passed right through him, coming to halt a couple of feet behind him.

"Giles! What happened to you?"

The watcher ignored her question. "It worked? You got my message and found the book?" He asked instead.

Willow wondered if the Giles she knew in this world was dead and what she was seeing was an apparition, and that was why she couldn't touch him. It made sense; the spirits of the dead were known to communicate with the living during sleep and trance-like states. Willow nodded. "Spike helped me," she offered.

A cloud of anger passed over the watcher's features at the mention of the vampire, but was quickly replaced by an expression of urgency. "We don't have much time. Willow, things are not going well. We need your help."

"I can see that. Did, did my spell do this, I mean, when I left?" She was terrified of hearing the answer, dreading the knowledge that she had unintentionally visited more suffering upon these people when Spike had saved her life.

Giles shook his head. "The destruction you saw out on the streets did not come from a supernatural force, Willow. It came about out of anger and hatred, all natural emotions I'm afraid."

"You mean, people did that?" She exclaimed, pointing toward the small window.

Giles nodded, lowering his head as if he was embarrassed by the actions of those who belonged to his own kind. "When the spell was broken and the vampires were driven back into the dark, the humans took to the streets like Barbarians, seeking to destroy anything that they saw as an indication that vampires had once ruled this town. Things quickly got out of control, nearly the whole town was burnt to the ground. I barely managed to save this building, if not the merchandise."

Willow realized for the first time that she was standing inside The Magic Box, or at least what remained of it. The building was nearly empty, no shelf or display remained standing and a table, a couple of chairs and a few books were the only visible contents of the room. Tears sprung to Willow's eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Giles. I really thought that things would be better once I left and the spell was broken."

Giles nodded his agreement. "So did I, but the truth is that we are losing. That first night, after the sun set and while the fires were still burning, the vampires attacked. The people were unprepared, many were caught unaware and still out on the streets. It was a slaughter, Willow. The memory of it still ... I knew it was coming and there was nothing I could do to prevent it. Stupid people were too excited with what they saw as their victory against the vampires to see what was coming next. I tried to tell them, but they wouldn't listen to me."

The ex-watcher limped to one of the chairs and slumped down on it, looking years older than the last time that Willow had seen him. A thought suddenly occurred to the woman.

"Giles, how long has it been, since I left I mean."

"Three years," the man informed her without raising his eyes to meet her.

"Three years! But, why is the town still like this? I mean, I would think that after all this time, the town would have been rebuilt. Why hasn't it been rebuilt, Giles?"

Giles looked sharply at Willow. "There has been no time. We are in the middle of a war, Willow, a war that began the same day you left and has not abated since, a war that we are losing. The daylight belongs to us, but when the night comes...."

Willow stared in stupefied horror at the watcher. After everything the people of this world had been through, they had been forced to wage a three year long war against the demons and vampires who refused to relent control of the town to the humans.

"We are organized now, took over the mansion and we are using it as headquarters. But we have lost so many. The council was destroyed immediately after the vampires took over. Most of the people working with me now are civilians, with no particular powers or knowledge of what they are facing. My God, Willow, it's like guiding lambs to the slaughter!"

Willow saw tears fill the man's eyes behind the glasses. She moved closer to him. If she couldn't touch him, she hoped that her nearness could offer him a measure of comfort.

"Giles, what can I do to help?"

Giles eyes shifted to the ground momentarily before he looked straight at her. "Willow, I hate to ask you this, and I've held off for as long as I can, but I don't see another way. I need you here to fight this war. With your magick, maybe we have a chance."

Willow stared agape at the man sitting in front of her, her thoughts reeling with the implications. Was he really asking her to stay in this world and help him fight a losing fight against the forces of evil? But then again, wasn't that what she did in her world everyday, except that she was far more needed here? And what about her life, her friends? He couldn't seriously be thinking that she would remain in this world forever, after everything she had gone through to return to her own reality?

"Giles, I ..." She startled when Giles stood up.

"Do you think I would ask this of you if there was another way?" He practically yelled at her.

Willow knew in her heart that he wouldn't, that Giles would never knowingly put her in danger unless he had already exhausted every other recourse.

"It wouldn't be permanent, just until we can get the upper hand on them, dispense with some ... obstacles to our success. If I understand the disparities in time between this world and yours, it would probably be no more than twenty-four hours in your world."

Willow mulled the idea in her mind, a day, a day of her life weighted against dozens, maybe hundreds of human lives in this world. When it came down to it, what did she have to give up? Her relationship with Tara was over, in a way her friends had turned against her, her power that was so needed in this world was nothing more than an inconvenience at best, a threat at worst to the people she knew in her world. Giles was not asking her to do anything she hadn't done before. After all, hadn't it been she who had ultimately bested Glory, the one who had brought the slayer back? All she had to give up was a single day of her life. Willow straightened her arms in resolve and smiled.

"Well, I'm here! Why don't you fill me in and where do we start?"

Giles looked at her in confusion. "Willow, you're not really here."

Willow frowned. "Huh? I'm not?"

"No, that's why you can't touch me. You are here but not in corporeal form."

Understanding dawned on the witch. It was not Giles who was non-corporeal, it was she!

"Ok, how do I, you know, get my body here?"

"You have to go back and cast a spell to transport yourself here in corporeal form. There is one in Kappel's book. There is also the one that we used to send your ... uh ... alternate self back to her dimension, if you can remember it."

Willow nodded her understanding. She suddenly remembered her original reason for casting the communication spell. "Oh, Giles. There's one more thing."

"Willow, the window is closing and you're starting to fade."

The witch looked down at herself and saw her projection fading, she hurried to talk. "I've been having these other dreams, besides the one about you and the book. They are nightmares, and I think they are somehow related to this world. Do you know why it's happening and how to stop them?"

She saw Giles shake his head and begin to speak, but his voice sounded as it was coming from far away.

"I have no idea..."

"Red! Damn it, Red, answer me!"

Willow heard Spike's voice cut through Giles' words seconds before she felt a sharp sting on her face. She abruptly found herself on the floor of the crypt with Spike in front of her, holding his head between his hands.

"Ow! You hit me!" Willow rubbed the side of her face.

"Bloody hell, Red, you scared the demon out of me! I must have called your name a dozen times and you wouldn't answer me. You were just staring into space!"

Willow's indignation at being hit on the face while in a trance dissolved when she saw the look of fear on Spike's face. He had been afraid for her. "I'm sorry, Spike. I couldn't answer you because I wasn't here. I couldn't hear you."

"Bollocks, you were right in front of me!"

"Yes, my body was here, but my astral self, my mind ... Oh, Spike!" Willow jumped to her feet, remembering what had happened and her decision to go back and help Giles.

"Spike, I have to go. There's something that I need to do."

She was surprised to find Spike standing in front of her with a determined expression on his face.

"What just happened, Will? What did Giles say about your dreams?"

"He, he didn't say anything, about my dreams," she stammered as she walked around him and began to gather her belongings.

"Then what is it that you have to do?"

Willow stopped and stared intently at her hands. If everything went well she would only be gone for one day and no one would have to know. But if something went wrong, she didn't want Spike to have to wonder for the rest of his days what had happened to her. She figured she owed him at least that much after everything he had done for her. She slowly turned around to face him.

"Spike, I was there, in the other world. Things are not ... right. There is a war going on between demons and humans, and the humans are losing."

Spike shrugged, apparently unconcerned. "Yeah, so?"

Willow took a deep breath. "Spike, I need to go back, I have to help. I will only be gone for one day, but if not, if I don't come back, I just wanted you to know what happened."

She saw the vampire clench his jaw and take a threatening step toward her.

"No!" He growled between his teeth.

Willow stood her ground, refusing to cower before the vampire. "This is not open for discussion. I'm just letting you know. I have to go back and you can't stop me!"

Spike seemed to consider her words. "When?" He asked.

Willow went back to gathering her things. "Right now. A few minutes here could be days over there and from what Giles said, they don't have much time. I have everything I need for the spell, I just need to stop by Buffy's house to pick up a few things and then I'll be gone." Willow spoke with a sure voice that left no room for argument, although inside, her stomach was tied in knots and her heart was pounding at the prospect of what she would have to face in the other world, and worse, at the possibility that she might never make it back. She wished she had time to see her friends one last time. She didn't want to part on the sour note of the previous day, but she didn't feel she could spare the time, not while people were fighting and dying.

Her backpack over her shoulder, Willow turned toward Spike. Maybe she didn't have time to make things right with the others, but she had the opportunity to say her goodbyes to Spike, and she wasn't going to let that pass her by.

"Spike, I want you to know ... well, more like I need you to know ... after what you did for me and everything, and I know I said thank you, but I don't think that's enough, and I wanted to tell you, even if you don't want to hear it, and I wasn't going to tell you, but now that things are different, I wanted you to know how I feel and that I ..."

"I'm coming with you!"

Willow stopped talking, her mouth hanging open, not sure that she had heard him correctly.

"Huh? What?"

"I said I'm coming with you," the vampire reiterated as he put on his duster. "There's no bloody way I'm going to let you go back there alone."

Willow frowned, unsure if Spike understood the situation. "Spike, that world is not the same anymore. Vampires can't walk in the daylight and they are not in control. Actually, I'm not sure that anyone is in control. I didn't have time to get all the details from Giles, but I don't think it's going to be like it was the last time."

"There's a war going on you said, right?"

Willow nodded.

"Well, then there's bound to be a decent spot of violence there every now and then. It's been bloody boring around here lately, could use some entertainment, I could. So, whenever you're ready, Pet."

Willow didn't think that Spike was approaching the situation with all the seriousness that it merited. "Spike, I don't think you understand. This is serious. You could, well, you could die there."

"Could die here, Red. If the slayer doesn't turn me to dust, the boredom will. No time to argue, said it yourself, time is wasting, humans are dying and all that."

Spike strode toward the door of the crypt and Willow meekly followed, not sure how, but knowing that she had lost the argument and Spike was going with her. She was partly glad for his company. He was the only link she would have to this world, and she was pretty sure that she could count on him to fight at her side if needed, but the other part of her, the not so rational part that vividly remembered their last foray into that world, dreaded the thought of him going back with her. Either way, the decision was made and the time for arguments past. They were already on their way out of the cemetery.

On the way to Buffy's house, Willow shared with Spike what little information she had about the events that had taken place in the alternate world since their departure, what she had seen and what Giles had told her. She also informed him that they would have to perform the spell in a safe, indoor location, since she didn't know if it would be day or night when they arrived at the new dimension, and otherwise they would risk Spike being exposed to sunlight. They decided that the best place to perform the spell would be one of the inside rooms at the Crawford St. mansion, since Giles had mentioned that the house was being used as some form of resistance headquarters.

They made a quick stop at Buffy's, where Willow packed a few items of clothing and a couple of her books. She managed to enter and leave the house undetected, and the thought occurred to her as she walked to join Spike, who was waiting for her around the corner, that by the time this was all said and done, she could be well on her way to becoming a criminal mastermind. After their brief stop, they headed straight for the Crawford St. mansion. Once there, they chose a windowless bathroom to perform the spell.

"Uh, Will, this spell wouldn't have anything to do with that bitch goddess Chishleen, would it?"

Willow shook her head. "The Chishleen spell was not meant to transport us to a different dimension, and what it did was actually create a new dimension. Traveling between dimensions that already exist is actually a lot easier, and we can use the same spell to get back."

Once the preparations were in place, Willow motioned for Spike to step with her into the circle.

"There's no way I can change your mind, is there?" Spike asked tilting his head.

Willow shook her head stubbornly. "Are you coming?"

After only a moment's hesitation, Spike stepped into the circle, closing his eyes and allowing Willow to take his hands in hers. Willow began to chant the words of the spell and watched in amazement as the floor beneath her appeared to liquefy, undulating like ripples in a pond. Suddenly the floor grew firm again, and she felt a jolt akin to an electrical current go through her body. She could tell by Spike's expression that he had felt it as well.

"Did it work?"

Willow looked around the room. It looked exactly the same as the room they had entered a few minutes earlier. "I'm not sure."

She walked to the door and opened it a fraction, peeking into the hallway. "I think so. It looks different out here."

Stepping further out into the hall, she motioned for Spike to join her. "It's dark," she informed him.

They walked slowly down the corridor, further convinced that the spell had worked when they began to notice the details of Xander's gaudy remodeling. Willow felt Spike tense next to her an instant before a swish of air rushed past her. She spun around to find Spike on the floor fighting another man. Willow stared for a moment at the tall, dark haired man pinning Spike to the floor before a scream tore from her throat.

"Angelus!"

Willow dropped to the ground, frantically searching her backpack for the stake she knew she had put there earlier. When her hand felt the piece of smooth wood, she tightened her grip around it and turn toward the fight. Spike was still on the ground, with Angelus on top. Willow rushed forward, then heard Giles' voice behind her.

"Willow, no! Angel, stop!"

Three figures froze, staring at each other with wild eyes. Willow kept the stake poise for attack, and Angel didn't move from Spike who was breathing harshly and staring agape at the vampire on top of him.

"Willow, put the stake down, that won't be necessary. Angel, please, let him up, I'll explain everything."

Willow slowly lowered the stake, staring intently at the dark haired vampire. "Angel?" She whispered.

Angel nodded his head before gingerly standing and stepping away from Spike, his eyes still on Willow. Spike jumped to his feet.

"Nice welcome, Peaches. Remind me to return the courtesy later," Spike ground out as he straightened his clothing.

"Angel, it's really you!" Willow exclaimed with a smile.

Angel ignored her and turned toward Giles. "What is going on here?"

Giles adjusted his glasses before he spoke. "This are Willow and Spike, but not the same ones you know. They are from an alternate reality, much like this one. I asked Willow to come and help us, she decided to bring him along.

Angel glared at Spike. "Why?"

Willow stepped forward. "It's a long story, but he is here to help. Really, he is."

Spike smiled at Angel. "Yeah, Peaches, looks like we are on the same side this time, even if it's the wrong side. But you must be used to that by now, so what you say we get with the killing?"

Willow thought she heard a low growl escape Angel's throat and she saw Spike's resolve falter momentarily.

"It's not that easy, boy. These vampires are well organized, and they outnumber us at least ten to one. We step out there without a plan, we don't have a chance."

Spike threw his hands up in the air. "So, what's the plan?"

"We, we don't have one, yet," Giles offered.

"One thing is for sure, we need to take out their leader. Most of the vamps are young and not very strong, minions mostly, but lots of them, and their ranks are increasing everyday. Their master though, he is strong, vicious, relentless and dangerous. Dusting him is half the battle. But first, we have to figure out how to get close to him," Angel explained.

Spike smirked, rubbing his hands together. "So there's a big bad in town, huh? Well, that poof is just gonna have to move over, because there's a new Big Bad in town! Who is this vampire, by the way? Anyone we know?"

Willow watched Giles fidget nervously and Angel's eyes bore into Spike before he ground out, "It's you!"

~Part: 4~

Spike stared at the older vampire while trying to make sense of his words. "What the bleeding hell are you talking about, mate? I just got ..." The words died in his throat when he realized that Angel was referring to his alternate. A smirk twisted the blond's features. "Good for him! Kind of inspiring, really."

Angel took a threatening step toward Spike and the younger vampire lifted his chin in defiance. Willow quickly moved between them. "This isn't the time for this, guys. We're on the same side, remember?"

"Are we?" Angel asked, his eyes never leaving Spike.

Spike felt Willow's eyes on him and knew that she was waiting for him to voice his loyalty to her cause. "I'm with Red," Spike offered simply, and it was true. The only reason he was there was because the thought of Willow going off on her own and getting hurt, the very possibility of not seeing her ever again, had twisted his gut into a knot of fear. He felt no loyalty toward the others, and as far as he was concerned, his alternate self had every right to tear their throats out one by one.

"Why don't I feel reassured?" Angel asked.

"Maybe because you're a paranoid poofster who can't stand the thought of anyone else being in control but you!" Spike spat.

"Spike!" Willow intervened. "You two are going to have to find a way to get along or this just isn't going to work!"

Giles stepped closer to the other three. "She is right. Angel, Spike's arrival does present certain complications for which none of us were prepared, but we can't forget who the real enemy is."

Angel glared at Spike. "I know who the enemy is. I'm just starting to wonder about the rest of you."

Spike watched Willow's hand lift to rest on Angel's chest. "Angel, Spike, this Spike I mean, is not like the Spike in this world. This Spike is chipped, he is no threat to Giles or me, or any other human for that matter. He is here just to help."

Spike bristled at Willow's words. Even if they were true, he did not need to be reminded of his own shortcomings, and especially not in front of Angel. But, for her sake, he chose not to act on his impulse to rip her hand away from the other and punch the vampire in the face. He turned to Giles instead.

"Is our room still available? The one we had the last time?" A barely concealed sneer crossed Spike's face at Angel's startled expression at the mention of he and Willow sharing a room.

"Yes, I had the room prepared in anticipation of Willow's arrival. It hadn't been used in some time."

Spike did not wait for the ex-watcher to finish what he was saying. He grabbed Willow's hand and pulled her toward him. "Good, then if you don't mind, we'll go and get settled."

He had started to walk away, a mildly resistant Willow at his side, when he heard Giles' voice call Willow's name. They stopped and Spike followed Willow's eyes as she turned to look at the watcher.

"Willow, I was hoping we could get started on some things right away."

Willow nodded. "I just need a few minutes to put my things away. I won't be long."

"Good. We'll be waiting for you in the main hall of the house when you're ready."

Willow smiled weakly at Angel and Giles as Spike turned on his heel, practically dragging the woman in his haste to get away from the two men. He had known that his standing in the alternate world had changed, Willow had told him as much, what he had not expected was to be received as little more than a 'complication' to be tolerated for the sake of the witch.

Spike entered the bedroom that he had shared with Willow during their last visit. A twinge of pain shot through his head and he realized that he had been squeezing Willow's hand painfully hard. Releasing the woman's hand, he watched her silently rub her cramped fingers. Her eyes moved toward the bed and Spike's eyes followed hers, wondering is she was thinking about the same thing he was. The sudden color that rose to her face confirmed his suspicions and Spike sneered, enjoying her consternation. "Maybe this trip will be worth it after all," he thought.

Willow's mortification increased when she saw the knowing leer on Spike's face. No doubt he had guessed where her thoughts had wandered the moment she had entered the room and seen the bed. Being in the alternative universe with Spike made the memories of their painfully short relationship even more vivid. She didn't know how she could survive the rest of her stay with Spike constantly by her side, an ever-present reminder of what they no longer had. "Spike, we don't really need to share a room. I mean, the house is Angel's and Giles' headquarters now. I think that means it's safe for me to have my own room, you know, by myself."

Spike glared at Willow. "Are you saying you don't want to share a room with me?"

"Oh, no. No. That's not what I meant! It's just that, well, you know, we don't really need to share a room. I'm sure there are other rooms in the house, rooms with nobody in them, and maybe I could ask Giles if you could have another room."

Spike stepped closer to Willow, smiling when she startled slightly at his approach. "But, Pet, I like this room."

Willow tried to think of ways to justify not sharing a room with Spike without offending the vampire's sensitivities. "Ok, then maybe I could ask Giles if I could have another room and this one could be your room. That way you wouldn't have to share your room with me."

Willow saw Spike's smile widened. "I don't mind sharing my room - with you," he drawled.

As he started to advance toward her, Willow instinctively backed away. There was something predatory and menacing about the way he was looking at her. She retreated until her legs were pressed against the bed and there was nowhere else for her to go.

He leaned forward, placing his face next to hers. His voice was low and husky when he said, "I wouldn't mind sharing a lot more than just a room with you, Red."

Willow squeezed her eyes shut and tried to control her emotions. She wanted Spike, but not on his terms. Not as a convenience that he could take to his bed any time he felt like it and then toss aside when the circumstances changed. If she gave in, what would happen once they returned to their own reality? Would he again decide that it was time for her to 'forget it ever happened?' Spike had a reputation for using people unrepentantly. He even prided himself on it, but Willow would not allow him to use her like that. "Spike, don't! Please."

He didn't step away from her. "Don't what, Pet?"

Willow swallowed hard. "I know you're playing with me, Spike, so just stop it."

"Why, don't you want to 'play' with me?" He purred.

Willow felt cool fingers caressing her thigh, his face growing nearer until his lips were lightly pressed against her throat. She shook her head, but was unable to utter a protest as his body pressed against hers and she felt his pelvis sensuously grinding against her.

"I wager there are still some 'toys' laying around here some place." His voice was like a low purr, full of want and promise. "A length of rope..."

She shivered as the fingers of one hand circle her wrist.

"Maybe some clamps..."

Willow hissed and could not stop her body from bucking against him when his fingers playfully pinched one of her nipples over the fabric of her shirt.

"Have you ever felt the leather of a flogger against your skin, caressing your back, your buttocks, between your legs?"

Her knees weakened as she felt one of his hands slip between her legs and his mouth descended on hers, roughly kissing her. She felt her body falling backward until she was pinned against the soft mattress by the weight of his body. Her feeble attempts to dislodge him quickly turned into a rhythmic writhing motion that matched his own fervent grinding.

"Come on, Red, you know you want it."

Willow shook her head even as her arms pulled him closer to her. "Spike, please, I don't want this, not like this."

His eyes met hers and for a moment Willow felt as if she was being swallowed into their depth. "How then, Willow? How do you want it?"

She squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't tell him what she wanted to tell him while looking at him. "I want you to leave me be. I mean it, Spike, leave me alone!" Her last word ended in a barely disguised sob.

The ensuing momentary silence seemed to stretch into hours, until finally Willow had to open her eyes and look at him. Spike was hovering above her, his eyes hard, his expression unreadable. "Suit yourself!" He spat before pushing away from the bed.

After taking a moment to gather her emotions, Willow managed to sit up. She was straightening her clothes when she heard a discreet cough coming from the door. "Angel!" She awkwardly ran her fingers through her mussed hair while managing a weak smile.

"What do you want, Peaches?"

She chanced a glance in Spike's direction, but the vampire's eyes were trained on Angel, his face an unreadable mask.

"Did I interrupt something?" Angel asked.

Willow was about to say that the situation wasn't what it looked like when she heard Spike's voice.

"As a matter of fact, you did! So why don't you say what you came here to say and bugger off!" Spike barked, a smirk twisting his features.

Willow's mouth hung open at the audacity of Spike's insinuation!

"Willow?" Angel asked softly, turning towards her.

She felt herself blush under his questioning gaze. "It's a little complicated. The last time we were in this world, well, a lot happened, and Spike and I, we, well, you know. And then..."

"Do I even want to hear this?" Angel interrupted.

Willow winced. "Probably not," she whispered. "Why did you come looking for us?"

Angel glanced at Spike suspiciously before turning his eyes back to Willow. "To tell you that if you brought any magick books that you think might be helpful you should bring them down with you. We might need you to cast a couple of spells tonight."

Willow nodded her head, still avoiding the eyes of the two vampires. "Yes, I brought a couple of books, they are in my bag."

Bending down, Willow retrieved the books from the backpack before standing up. "I'm ready," she informed Angel.

Angel turned to leave and Willow followed behind him. After a moment she felt Spike quietly fall into step next to her.

"Good, you are all here," Giles exclaimed when they entered the room.

Willow looked curiously around. "We are? Giles, where is everybody else? I mean, there are others, right?"

Giles nodded. "There are few of us left, yes, but there's a group out on patrol right now."

Spike raised his eyebrow. "Few as in how many?"

The watcher fidgeted nervously. "We have sustained heavy casualties, particularly in the past year ..."

"How many?" He ground out.

"Five, five others who actively participate in patrols," the watcher conceded.

"How many vamps?" Spike quickly asked, turning to Angel.

"At least a couple of dozens, maybe more."

Spike stared at the older vampire with an incredulous expression on his face.

"If you want to walk out now, feel free. No one here is going to stop you," Angel added.

Willow stood stoically in the middle of the room, her jaw clenched in a gesture of determination to fight no matter the odds. Spike glanced at her and their eyes met for a moment.

"Like I said before, I'm here for Red." Spike mumbled before walking to take a seat.

Willow smiled approvingly at Spike before turning to face the others. "Ok, so what do you need me to do?" Willow asked of no one in particular.

Giles smiled kindly at her. "First thing we need is a strong barrier spell around the house, one that can be sustained indefinitely."

"Oh, that's not a problem. I have just the one!" Willow exclaimed excitedly, looking through one of the books she had brought with her. Once she found the page she was looking for, she stood facing the door. She began chanting the words of the spell and a few minutes later slammed the book shut with a triumphant grin. "Done! Nothing even remotely demony is getting through unless invited in!" She announced with a wide grin.

Giles smiled at her and Willow's grin widened, even more certain that she had done the right thing by choosing to return to the alternate dimension. It felt good to be needed and appreciated again.

"Thank you, Willow. I'm afraid the next part won't be quite so simple though." Giles explained, glancing at Angel.

Willow looked at Angel questioningly.

"Random patrols and raids are no longer working. They are just picking us off one by one. We need to come up with a plan to take out their master and his right hand; it's the only chance we have of getting back the town,and it won't be easy," Angel explained.

"We need any magick that can be used against vampires, preferably something that would work from a reasonable distance," Giles added.

Willow frowned in concentration trying to recall any spell she had ever read that had the potential to work against vampires. "There really isn't much other than practical spells: physical barriers, projections of fire and sunlight, telekinetic spells, that sort of thing. Demons are immune to most spells that would affect them directly."

Giles nodded in dejected agreement. "I had hoped you knew about something I didn't," he said.

Willow winced apologetically. "Sorry, I don't."

"Then our only option is to hit them directly, in their lair," Angel asserted.

All eyes turned to the opposite side of the room when Spike chuckled.

"Do you have a better idea?" Angel ground out.

Spike rose to his feet and pretended to ponder the question for a moment. "As a matter of fact, I do. Why don't we all just bend over and let them take turns buggering us, because that's what is going to end up happening anyway."

Willow sighed in exasperation. "Spike, if you're not going to contribute anything useful ..."

"You want to know something useful, Pet?" Spike interrupted, "Here is some useful information: you're all fucked if you go storming into that lair now, because he is waiting for you. He's been studying you, knows who you are, how you think, how strong you are, or are not ... He's got you where he wants you, weakened, desperate and willing to throw yourselves at him so he can finish you off."

No one in the room argued with Spike's logic. Willow considered Spike's words for a moment. "So what you're saying is that whatever we come up with, he's already anticipating?" She whispered, not liking the implications of her own words.

"Not everything, luv. He is not expecting you or me," Spike pointed out with a rise of his eyebrow.

Giles sat down and looked up at the blonde vampire. "I think you're on to something here, Spike. Your being here gives us an insight into how he thinks that we didn't have before, and he is expecting us to attack him with stakes and crossbows, not magick."

"So what then, we trust Spike to come up with a plan and then send Willow in?" Angel asked bitterly as he poured whisky into a glass.

"I'll take some of that, mate," Spike called out.

Angel recapped the bottle and emptied the glass in one swallow, ignoring the other's request.

Giles observed Angel intently. "Of course not! I'm merely pointing out that we should consider new options now that the circumstances have changed."

The tension between the watcher and the vampires was almost tangible, and Willow wondered as to the cause. She shyly raised her hand in an attempt to interrupt. "Giles. Do you, I mean, does anyone know what happened to my double in this world?" A plan was formulating in Willow's mind. If her double was still alive and close to the Spike in this world, maybe she could pretend to be her to gain access to the vampire.

Giles grimaced as if in pain at the mention of the other Willow. "No, I'm sorry. All we know is that she was with Spike when he left four years ago, but he returned alone. No one has seen her or heard from her since they left."

"Oh," Willow said, her face falling.

"He wouldn't have killed her," Spike protested.

Willow felt his eyes boring into her and she turned to look at him.

"Spike, you don't know that. The things Xander said he did to me, to her I mean ..."

The vampire's eyes narrowed. "He was angry! But no matter how angry he got, I know he could not bring himself to kill you. Turn you most likely, but not kill you. He would have made you like him, his for eternity."

Willow felt a chill run through her spine at the intensity behind his words. Is that what he wanted to do to her? Make her like him? "But if he had turned her, then wouldn't she have returned with him? Unless ..." Willow paused, remembering her dream where she was a vampire and Spike was her lover.

Willow heard Giles concerned voice. "Willow, is there something wrong?"

"Uh, oh, no. It's just something I was wondering about." She turned back to Spike. "If what you say is true, then maybe I could try to get close to him, find out more about what he is planning to do next."

Willow heard three male voices yell out in unison. "No!"

"But, but ..."

"No buts, Willow." Angel interjected. "What you're proposing is too risky."

"Red, even if he doesn't kill you, there are, well, other things that he could do to you."

"And we don't have the resources to implement a successful rescue if things go wrong," Giles concluded.

"I can take care of myself!" Willow protested. "And maybe, if I can approach him outside of his lair, when he is alone, I could distract him and we could ambush him!"

"And if we fail, then he would know that you're here and he would come after you!" Spike pointed out.

Willow bristled at their protests, her frustration growing. Why couldn't anyone trust her for once? "He is going to come after all of us sooner or later! At least with my plan we get to choose when and how we fight him. You said it yourself, Spike, he is expecting everything else, but not me." Willow felt encouraged when Giles seemed to be considering her suggestion.

"Absolutely not! Bloody hell, Red, do you have any idea what he could do to you if he captures you, especially after he figures out that you lured him into an ambush?"

Angel was standing next to Giles, another full glass of whiskey in his hand. "You should listen to your boyfriend there, Will, he would know."

"Everything I know I learned from you, Angelus," Spike ground out.

Willow raised her voice in order to be heard above the others. "He won't capture me, and Spike is not my boyfriend!"

"Enough!" Giles yelled, slamming the end of his cane against the floor for emphasis. A sudden silence filled the room as all eyes turned toward the watcher. "I think we are all too tired to come to a decision tonight. We should sleep on it for now and come to a decision tomorrow. Maybe everyone will be more rational then. I'll wait up for the others."

The watcher leaned back on his chair and averted his eyes. Willow got the distinct impression that they had all been not only chastised, but dismissed. She considered bringing up the issue of separate rooms for her and Spike, but her request seemed somehow trivial and shallow at that moment. Concluding that sharing a room with Spike for one night would not kill her, she turned toward the stairs. "Giles is right. I'm so exhausted I can barely stand, let alone think. Maybe we'll all see things differently after getting some sleep."

She tried to ignore Spike's intense gaze as he followed her up the stairs, but she felt like he was branding her with his eyes and she fidgeted nervously. Once inside the room, Willow collapsed on the bed. She turned toward the vampire who had remained standing by the door.

"What's the matter, Spike?"

"I have to go somewhere, I'll be back later," he stated, his voice void of emotion.

Willow sat up on the bed, feeling unreasonably alarmed by his words. "Where are you going?" she asked softly.

Spike let out a deep, unnecessary sigh. "I have to talk to Angel, alone. You're safe here and I won't be gone long."

Without any further explanation, Spike turned around and walked out of the room, leaving a perplexed Willow behind.

~Part: 5~

Spike strode down the corridor with purposeful steps, guided by Angel's scent. If before he had fought to stay in this world, he now couldn't wait to leave it behind. He did not like the odds they were up against, but he knew that Willow would not be persuaded to leave until the others were either safe or dead. The longer they remained in this dimension the more likely that Willow would grow reckless and get herself hurt. He had to find a swift solution to their situation, and Spike was convinced that Angel had more insight into the situation than the humans did.

His steps led him to what used to be Xander's room, and Spike barged in without knocking, knowing that Angel was inside and would no doubt be annoyed by his unannounced intrusion. Spike had always derived a perverse pleasure from getting under the older vampire's skin and with time it had become more of a habit than a conscious purpose.

He found Angel reclining on a large chair, his black silk shirt unbuttoned and a half-full glass of whisky in his hand. The decor of the room had changed little, but Spike noticed that the furnishings had been rearranged and a few pieces of art had been added to the walls. There was also a collection of elegant glass decanters filled with no doubt expensive liquor sitting on top of the dresser. A smirk twisted the blond's features; one thing that didn't change about Angel was that the pompous poof liked his comforts, even in the midst of chaos.

The older vampire startled and his gaze narrowed on Spike as he entered the room. Spike frowned as he watched the other try to focus his eyes on him, realizing that Angel was drunk!

"Got some more of that, mate?" Spike asked casually, pointing at the glass in Angel's hand.

Angel motioned toward the decanters sitting on the dresser and Spike strode past him. "Don't mind if I do."

"Help yourself, by all means."

As he poured the whisky into a glass, Spike's eyes settled on the large armoire still in the corner. He wondered if Angel had kept its contents to remind him of his good old days as Angelus or if he had gotten rid of them.

"It's empty," Spike heard Angel say.

He turned around to find the older vampire's eyes on him. "Shame really. Brings back memories, this room does." Spike held Angel's gaze and was surprised when the older vampire looked away.

"What do you want, Spike?"

"I want to know what the bloody hell is going on around here!"

"Didn't Willow and Giles tell you?"

"I got the quick and dirty, vampires walked in the daylight, wackiness ensued, and now they are not happy to drift quietly into the dark; now I want to hear your version."

"You just about covered it, in your own simplistic way."

Spike walked to stand in front of Angel. "Come on now, enlighten me. How is it that you are not out there saving the world and all that crap, like you souled saps tend to do?"

"I've been trying," Angel ground out before emptying his glass.

Spike took a drink from his glass and tilted his head, studying the vampire in front of him. "Hum, it's interesting how your trying looks a great bit like sitting on your ass getting drunk," he commented.

Angel looked up to meet Spike's gaze. "I was too late. I was in L.A. when everything happened. It took me a while to figure out what was going on, but when I did, I came right over. But it was too late, you had already killed her!"

Spike flinched at the hatred he saw in the other's eyes. For a moment it was as if he was gazing into Angelus' eyes, before the ire was replaced by pain and desperation.

"If you're talking about the slayer, I didn't kill her, the other me in this world did; not saying that I wouldn't have done the same, mind you. Nauseating really, to watch you follow her around like a lap dog ..."

Spike's words were cut short when his glass was slapped out of his hand and he found himself pinned against the wall by Angel, the other's face a mere inch in front of his.

"You never learned to keep your mouth shut, boy ..." Angel growled. "Maybe you're right, maybe it's time I did something about what happened."

Spike groaned when Angel spun him around and slammed him face first against the wall. He felt the other's groin grinding against his buttocks as Angel held him immobile by the back of the neck.

"What you say, Spike, like old times?" Angel whispered close to his ear, sending a shiver down Spike's spine. "Or maybe I should do your witch first, give you a little taste of what it feels like to have the woman you love taken away from you! Oh, yeah, I saw how you look at her."

The threat sent a jolt of apprehension though Spike's body and he tried to turn his head to look at Angel. "You wouldn't," he ground out, his voice not quite so certain.

"No, I wouldn't, but Angelus would."

Spike chuckled. "I see. The ol' soul getting too much for you, old man? I never did buy that whole 'I'm good now 'cause I have a soul' crap anyway! I know you, Angelus, and it makes me sick to see what you've become!"

Angel released Spike, but not before grabbing him by the hair and viciously slamming his head against the wall. A trickle of blood marred Spike's forehead and a sneer twisted his lips when he turned around to face Angel.

"I knew you still had it in you," Spike commented mockingly. He adjusted his duster and slipped his confident facade back on. Even if Spike would never admit it, he had often missed Angelus. He was the only one who had managed to successfully bring Spike to his knees and keep him there, and he both despised and respected the older vampire for it.

"Have you tried getting close to him, reason with him?" Spike asked, sure that the implied meaning of his words was clear to the other.

It had always been like this between him and Angelus, sudden bursts of fiery passion followed by icy detachment and back to business as if nothing had ever happened. Their relationship was an intricate dance at which Spike excelled.

Angel shook his head. "No luck there. He keeps himself well hidden and moves often, and is usually well protected when out in public."

"What about his minions? Have you shaken some of them to see what comes loose?"

Angel ran his fingers through his hair, denoting his frustration. "I've worked over a few of his minions, he either doesn't keep them informed or they are too afraid of him to betray him."

Spike smirked. "Or maybe you're not as persuasive as you used to be." He glanced toward the window, even though it was covered by a heavy curtain. "It's almost dawn, but I think you and I should hit the town tonight, rustle us a few minions and see what we can find out. What you say, ol' man? Are you up for a spot of violence?"

Angel looked uncertain. "What's in this for you, Spike?"

Spike shrugged. "It's too dangerous here for Willow, but she will not leave until this matter is resolved."

Angel silently nodded his understanding and agreement.

Spike still wasn't reassured. "So, truce then?" He asked.

Angel nodded again. "For now," he clarified.

Spike frowned uncertainly when the other vampire approached him slowly. He felt Angel's cool lips touch his forehead, tasting the quickly congealing blood there.

"I've missed my boy," he whispered.

Spike smelled the scent of expensive whisky mingled with his own blood on the other's breath and he inhaled deeply, relishing the rare moment of closeness, knowing that it would be over all too soon. "I've missed you too," he silently acknowledged before taking a step back.

Angel turned away awkwardly and walked to pour himself another drink.

"Tonight then?" Spike asked, already standing in front of the door.

Angel nodded without turning around and Spike quietly stepped out of the room.

"What the bloody hell was that about?" Spike wondered as he walked back to his room. His relationship with Angelus had always been a conundrum, with conflicting and often contradicting emotions from both parties, but that was Angel who had ground his cock against him, who had kissed him tenderly on the forehead before coldly dismissing him, and who had made Spike quake with long suppressed feelings. Spike wished he'd had the foresight to grab one of the bottles of liquor from the dresser before leaving the room.

He paused outside his bedroom door, taking a moment to compose himself before entering. He found Willow already asleep on the bed. He undressed and slipped in next to her, careful not to awaken the exhausted woman. Spike studied the woman sleeping next to him, wishing he could glimpse into her thoughts. Every time he thought he had her figured out, she did a one-eighty on him and it was back to the guessing game. At first he had assumed that it was the dark energy that had temporarily surged through her body that had caused Willow to be drawn to him, and that she would want nothing to do with him once they were back in their world. But then she had started seeking him out, confiding in him, and he was certain that he had not mistaken the subtle signals she had been sending his way, nor the scent of arousal that had hit his nostrils when she had looked at the bed where they had first had sex. Why then was she pushing him away? It was nearly an hour before he could find sleep, an hour
 spent pondering the easiest and fastest way to get himself and Willow away from this dimension and back to their world where, for some reason, things seemed to make a lot more sense.

~*~

Shortly after Spike's departure, Angel heard the door open once more and the room immediately filled with a familiar and distinct scent.

"Hey, baby, waiting for me?" The female voice asked.

Strong arms circled his waist from behind and he leaned back against the sinewy, warm body. "I was starting to worry, you should have been back a couple of hours ago." His tone was flat, void of any of the concern that he proclaimed.

"We ran into some trouble in the graveyard and got separated."

"Spike?" He asked, his interest peaked.

"Nah, almost as bad though. Xander. Fucking prick, I can't believe I actually fucked him once. Two of us dead and we couldn't find Julie afterward. Giles said to give her a couple of hours to see if she shows up."

He felt the woman shrug behind him as her slim fingers traveled down to his groin. She skillfully massaged him through the fabric of his pants and Angel felt his cock hardening. The thought that the missing woman was probably dead, fleetingly crossed his mind. He pushed his suspicions aside and concentrated instead on the pleasure he was feeling. With a groan, he turned around and found himself flung against the wall. The woman pushed her body forward and ground herself against him. He could smell her arousal, had been able to smell it the moment she had stepped into the room. Burying his fingers into her long, dark hair, Angel brought her lips to his for a harsh kiss, as her fingers opened the front of his pants and freed his erection.

It was always like this with Faith, frenzied and hurried, especially after she had been out on patrol. He pushed her away from him long enough to divest his clothes. Faith did the same, ripping the tank top over her head and disposing of the rest with speed born out of desperation. They came together again in another violent kiss as they tumbled onto the bed, Faith quickly straddling his hips. A growl escaped Angel's lips as he watched Faith impale herself onto his hard cock and start to ride him wildly. Her strong muscles clenched around him and he dug his fingers into her hips, slamming her down on his cock repeatedly.

"Fuck yeah! That's it, baby!" Faith encouraged.

Her words, combined with her loud moans of pleasure, fueled Angel's own desire and he swiftly flung her to the side, pinning her body to the mattress and pounding into her with abandon until he felt her body convulse with her orgasm. He threw his head back and roared as he emptied himself into her scalding depths.

Angel collapsed next to the woman and watched her reach for her jeans, wondering if she was leaving. They usually went a couple of rounds before Faith decided that she'd had enough.

"Damn, that was great, baby!" Faith exclaimed as she withdrew a pack of cigarettes from her pants' pocket and flung the article of clothing aside. After lighting a cigarette, she flopped back onto the bed.

"Did Giles tell you?" Angel asked, watching the cloud of smoke that rose from her lips.

"What? Oh, you mean about the other Spike and Willow being here? That's fucked up if you ask me!"

"I can't disagree with you there. What's your take on it?"

"I think the ol' man 's gone senile. I mean, how do we know that this Spike is not going to screw us over the same way the other one did? And the witch, wasn't she the one who got us into this mess in the first place?"

Angel nodded pensively. He was not comfortable with the amount of faith that the ex-watcher put on Willow, and he knew Spike well enough not to trust him. Maybe Faith was right, maybe the ex-watcher was getting too old to lead and his judgment could no longer be trusted. "You keep a close eye on Willow and the watcher, I'll take care of Spike."

Faith chuckled. "Like you took care of the other Spike?"

Faith's words cut him and Angel snaked out his hand and tangled his fingers into the woman's disheveled hair. "Shut your fucking mouth!" He ground between clenched teeth.

He was not surprised when Faith laughed.

"Make me!" She purred as she rubbed her breasts against his side and squeezed his instantly erect cock.

Angel ripped the cigarette from the woman's hand and crushed it against the night table. In a single motion he turned her onto her stomach and lifted her hips, slamming the length of his shaft into her still wet opening from behind.

"Oh, hell yeah!" He heard her yell out.

~*~

It was late afternoon when Willow awoke. She took a moment to orient herself after opening her eyes. The room was dark, the heavy curtains that covered the windows were tightly drawn, but she felt the cool, hard body laying next to her and knew that Spike was still asleep. Sinking further into the blankets, Willow tried to control the urge to snuggle closer to him.

They had not spoken since she had rejected him the previous night, and Willow wondered what kind of reaction she would get from the vampire when he awoke. Not sure if she wanted to know, she stood from the bed and tiptoed to the door.

"Where are you going, luv?"

Willow paused with her hand on the doorknob and squeezed her eyes shut. So much for avoiding Spike until they joined the others.

"I have to use the bathroom, I'll be right back," she answered before slipping out the door.

When she stepped into the bathroom, Willow realized she had forgotten her bag. Still, she delayed returning to the bedroom for as long as she could. Finally accepting that she was postponing the inevitable, Willow stepped out of the bathroom and entered the bedroom.

Spike had turned on the light and was sitting on the bed, smoking a cigarette. She kept her eyes averted as she rummaged through her bag for a clean change of clothes. The vampire was silent but she could feel his gaze intently following her movements. No longer able to withstand his scrutiny she sought to make conversation.

"What did you and Angel talk about last night?" She asked casually.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Spike visibly startle and she frowned. "Why is he so jumpy?" She thought.

"Tried to come up with a plan that didn't involve mass suicide," he answered.

His tone was casual, but Willow was certain that he was keeping something from her.

"Oh, did you? Come up with a plan, I mean."

He shrugged. "Maybe, we're going out tonight, I want to get a feel for what we are up against."

"Oh. That makes sense. Anything else?"

"Like what?" He asked defensively.

Willow stood in the middle of the room, holding her clothes in her arms.

"Uh, I don't know. I was just asking. Spike, would you mind turning around, so that I can change." She motioned with the clothes she held in her hands.

His expression hardened and Willow was sure that he was about to protest, but was surprised when he acquiesced by turning his head. She changed her clothes hurriedly, wondering if what had happened the previous night between them was the reason that Spike was being so cold toward her. She was not eager to broach the subject, but felt that maybe she owed Spike an explanation.

"Done," she said when she was fully dressed. She nervously pulled on her fingers while she studied her hands. "Spike, about last night, I'm sorry if you felt that I was, well, you know, leading you on in any way."

She heard him chuckle, a mirthless, hollow sound.

"You wanna know what I think, Pet? I think that you've been playing me since the moment we first arrived in this world. But I believe you when you say you're sorry."

Willow's gaze shot up. "What? Is that what you think, that I've been leading you on, using you the whole time?"

Spike glowered at her. "Well, haven't you?"

"No! Spike, you're the one who uses people; I'm not like that! What would even make you think that?"

He looked up to the ceiling, his features tense as if he was concentrating. When he looked back at her his expression was mocking. "Well, let's see. Maybe the fact that you shagged me and then ran away the next morning. Or maybe that while I was out looking for your bleeding girlfriend, you and the watcher were in the sewers plotting to screw me over, or maybe the fact that after we returned to our world you hardly spoke to me, that is until you needed my help, at which time you had no problem barging into my crypt..."

Willow listened to his litany of accusations with a sinking feeling. She could not deny that her actions looked badly, nor could she think of an explanation that would make sense. At least not one that didn't involve throwing herself at his feet, proclaiming her love for him and begging his forgiveness, humiliating herself in the process. His voice had risen in volume with each accusation and she knew that his anger was escalating, as was her defensiveness over his criticism of her actions.

"Oh, oh, you want to talk about who used whom? What about you? It was you who held me here against my will, so, so everything that happened was because of you ... and, and ... you threatened me at every turn ... and if I plotted against you, it was because, because, well, I was desperate!"

"Desperate enough to sleep with a monster?" He asked softly.

Willow winced at the hurt expression on his face. "No! I don't think you're a monster, and what happened between us had nothing to do with that, maybe a little, at first, but not after ... I slept with you because I wanted to, because I wanted you ..." Willow paused, realizing how close she had come to confessing her feelings to him. "Spike, this is not how I wanted this conversation to go, and now is not the right time for this. I just wanted to say that if I hurt you, I'm sorry."

He looked at her hopefully. "You mean that?" He asked.

"Spike, I wouldn't say I was sorry if I didn't mean it," she reassured him.

Spike shook his head. "Did you mean it when you said you wanted me?"

Willow looked around nervously, trying to decide if there would be any harm in letting the vampire know that she had physically desired him. Concluding that denying it would be a blatant lie, she nodded. Chancing a glance in his direction, Willow saw Spike rise slowly from the bed. She was unable to tear her eyes away from his naked body as he move toward her with slow, hesitant steps.

"And now, Red? Do you still want me now?"

Willow moistened her suddenly dry lips with the tip of her tongue, not fully aware of the gesture until she heard Spike's low chuckle.

"I'll take that as a yes," he whispered as he came to a stop in front of her.

Tired of fighting her own emotions, Willow offered no resistance when Spike lifted her face and brought his lips down to hers for a gentle kiss. Her lips parted and Willow felt Spike's tongue slip between them. The kiss was slow and leisurely, his tongue lazily exploring her mouth and tangling with hers in a sensuous dance. She moaned and felt her knees weaken, her body sagging against his before his arms slid around her waist to support her. The thought occurred to her that allowing the kiss to continue was a mistake, that Spike would want more and that she would have to reject him again, putting her back where she had started, but she could not bring herself to push him away. "Just a minute longer and then I'll stop kissing him," she told herself.

The minute had not passed when Willow was startled by a knock on the door. She felt Spike's lips leave hers and heard him groan.

"Bugger off!" He yelled over her shoulder before trying to recapture her lips, but the interruption had broken the spell for Willow and she gently moved away from him.

"It could be important," she whispered when she saw the disappointment in his eyes.

Spike sighed in resignation as Willow walked to open the door. She saw a slim, young man with tousled, blond hair standing in the hall. He fidgeted nervously and stared at her with wide eyes.

"Uh, uh, hi Willow," he said after a moment, raising his hand in salute.

Willow frowned in confusion. "Have we met?"

The man nodded enthusiastically. "It's me, Andrew."

Willow studied the man carefully, certain that she had never seen him before.

"From high school? I was the one who ruined the school play," he explained.

Willow thought hard but she could not place the man's face.

"Tucker's brother?" The man asked, sounding a bit exasperated with her.

Willow nodded her head, more in acknowledgment of the information than recognition, but the young man seemed satisfied.

"I just cooked dinner, thought maybe you wanted to come downstairs, get something to eat."

Willow noticed that Andrew kept nervously glancing over her shoulder as he spoke. She looked behind her and saw Spike lounging on the bed, the sheet carelessly tossed over his lower body. "Well, at least he covered himself," she though.

"Uh, Spike, this is Andrew." Willow stepped aside to allow the vampire a better view of the young man, but the vampire only glared at him.

Willow saw Andrew flinch and she leaned closer to him. "He gets cranky sometimes," she whispered, reassuring the other with a smile.

"Oh," Andrew mouthed, returning her smile.

Andrew didn't say anything else, but neither did he move to leave.

"We'll be down in a minute," Willow informed him.

"Ok," he said as he glanced one more time over her shoulder.

"Andrew, was there anything else?"

"Oh, oh, no. That was it. I'll see you downstairs then."

Willow nodded before gently closing the door.

"He seems nice," she commented to Spike.

The vampire scoffed. "No wonder they are getting their assess kicked, with morons like that around!"

"Spike! You're just being surly because he interrupted us."

A mischievous grin spread across Spike's face.

"Speaking of which, where were we?" He asked as he reached a hand toward her.

Willow started to shake her head, but paused as her eyes traveled the length of his body. Throwing caution to the wind, Willow smiled as she approached the bed.

"Just one more kiss," she told herself.

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