Into the Dark

Author: Aileen E.

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~Part: 11~

Spike raced through the halls of the mansion. His encounter with Angel had left him with a feeling of foreboding that he could neither explain nor dismiss. Whatever was going to happen, was going to be bad, and Willow would be caught in the middle of it. A war was what Willow had called it, and war being that epoch that made for strange bedfellows, Spike searched frantically for the one person he felt certain would be on Willow's side.

He found the watcher in the library, hunched over some large volumes that lay open on the table.

"Watcher, we have to talk," he announced before he had fully entered the room.

The other looked up from the book, his eyes amazingly piercing for such a decrepit looking creature. "Yes, I imagine we should talk."

Giles motioned toward an empty chair, but Spike declined the suggestion, choosing to stand instead.

"This thing ... this plan, with Angel, I don't like it."

"Neither do I," Giles replied, his eyes returning to the book.

"Ok, so what's the plan then, watcher? You do have a backup plan, don't you?"

Giles chuckled, a humorless cackle. "A plan to back up the plan ... No, as a matter of fact, I do not. Perhaps you have a suggestion?"

Spike vacillated. "Not one that isn't going to get at least one of us killed."

The watcher removed his glasses and ran a hand over his worried face. "Tell me one thing, Spike. What makes you more trustworthy than Angel, or even Xander?"

The question caught Spike by surprise; it had not occurred to him that Giles would not trust his motives. "Well, for one thing, I'm not fucking crazy! Besides, this isn't about me, watcher, it's about Willow."

The undisguised anger and hatred in the old, ex-watcher's eyes could have burned holes through Spike's flesh. "Has the thought crossed your feeble mind that it was your actions that put Willow into this predicament?"

"What?" Spike exclaimed, truly surprised by the accusation. "Listen, watcher, it was you who was fucking with her head! Putting dreams in her mind so that she would come back here and help you. I'm just along for the ride."

"How convenient," Giles muttered, replacing his glasses and turning his attention back to the book in a gesture of dismissal.

Spike slammed his hand against the table in a last act of defiance before turning around and storming out of the room. If the watcher didn't trust him enough to help him, he would go at it alone. It wouldn't be the first time that he found himself in that position; his isolation was actually becoming habitual.

Blinded by anger, he nearly ran into the slayer in the hall, just outside the library. He jumped back, barely avoiding colliding with the woman.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" She spat out before he had a chance to recover enough to speak.

"Came to see the watcher. Needed to talk to him."

Faith frowned. "About what?"

Spike considered telling the woman to fuck off, that it wasn't any of her business what he discussed with Giles. But Spike suddenly saw another opportunity to help Willow. If the watcher wasn't even willing to listen to him, maybe the slayer would. "About Angel's plan; I don't trust him."

She seemed to consider his words for a moment. "You really aren't in on it, are you?" She muttered absently.

"In on what?" he asked forcefully.

When she didn't answer immediately, Spike grabbed Faith by the forearms, ignoring the twinge of pain in his brain. "In - on - what?" He snarled.

"Step away from her!" Giles voice came from the entrance of the library, and Spike swiftly turned around to find a crossbow trained on his chest.

He slowly released Faith's arms and stepped away, his hands raised in the air in a gesture of surrender.

"Faith, what's going on?" Giles asked.

Faith swallowed hard, eyeing Spike suspiciously out of the corner of her eye. "Not sure, but I just saw Xander and Angel leave through the tunnels."

"Bloody hell," Spike muttered, a feeling of unease tugging at his gut. He had spoken to Angel only a short while earlier, and the vampire had not mentioned anything about hastening his and Xander's departure.

Giles gave voice to his thoughts. "That doesn't make any sense. We agreed that they would leave tomorrow night."

"I guess they didn't feel obligated to include us in the change of plans," Spike offered caustically.

"You didn't know about this?" Giles asked Spike incredulously.

"Bloody hell, watcher! What did you think I was trying to tell you? I have no fucking idea what those two are up to, I just don't trust them!"

"I see. Then perhaps I was too hasty before. Perhaps we should talk," Giles said as he lowered the bow.

Spike and Faith followed him into the library.

~*~

Willow was on her knees, clawing at the blood stained sheets as Spike pounded into her from behind while he moaned a string of obscenities that both embarrassed and excited her. Her body was covered with sweat, her writs bloody from pulling against the cuffs until Spike had removed them, her thigh muscles weak and trembling from being stretched too far, too often.

"Spike, please stop," she whimpered.

He had only allowed her a short rest before he had awoken her again, his cock already hard, his fingers buried into her core. The pattern had repeated itself over several hours, short reprieves followed by enthusiastic coupling. She had kept her protests to herself, biting into her lip to keep from screaming as he had brought her to orgasm time after time.

He pulled her up by the shoulders as he sat back on his haunches, until she was straddling his thighs with her back to him, his cock still buried inside her. They sat like that for a moment, perfectly still. Only his strong arm around her waist supported her upright position.

"You're so wet, Pet. I can feel your juices running down you legs," he whispered against her neck, releasing her shoulder to run his hand over the inside of her thigh.

"Please, Spike, I can't. I'm sore, it hurts."

"I know, luv. That's what makes it so good, makes the blood taste so sweet."

He nuzzled her neck. Her heartbeat sped up when she felt the ridges of his face brush against her damp skin and she realized that he was wearing his demon facade. The spot on her thigh where he had bitten her earlier was still smarting.

The hand on her leg traveled up to where their bodies joined and the fingers of his other hand reached up to massage her nipples. "Just give me one more, baby. Scream this one out and I'll let you rest for a while."

Willow shook her head and the pad of his finger began to gently massage her clit in slow, small circles. His other hand mirrored the action on her nipple and Willow started to move against him as she felt her desire starting to build, wincing slightly as his cock rubbed against the walls of her sore opening.

"That's it baby, nice and slow." His voice was husky in her ear, his cool hands both soothing and arousing against her heated flesh. "Don't move so much, just squeeze it."

Tears borne out of shame, pain and exhaustion ran down her cheeks as she did as he instructed. His hands and voice reeled her in, until her body was coiled with tension, her panting frantic. His fangs sinking into the skin of her shoulder shattered the last pane of her resolve, and as her body trembled with orgasm, she slumped forward, a hoarse scream ripping from her throat. He followed her down, his body blanketing hers. They lay like that for a while, the unnaturally inert state of his body made more obvious by her labored breathing. Icy fingers slithered through her hair and Willow flinched.

"Everything is going to work out for us this time. It will be bloody glorious, luv, you'll see," he whispered.

Willow buried her face into the pillow to muffle her sobs. If he heard, he chose to ignore her.

~*~

Several hours passed, during which time Willow had succumbed to the lure of sleep. Consciousness returned swiftly, violently ripping Willow from the oblivion of slumber and tossing her into the stark reality of her situation. Something had awakened her and she remained perfectly still, trying to identify the source of the disturbance. She was alone in the room. Excited voices and the sound of hurried steps drifted in from just outside the room. It must be dusk and the vampires must be awakening, she thought to herself. Looking around in the dim light of the once again lit candles, Willow located a bundle of clothes at the foot of the bed. She reached for them and winced when her muscles protested. Moving slowly, she managed to retrieve the clothing. It was a floor length dress, with long sleeves and a high collar. Willow had to wonder at the vampire's fondness for long, flowing dresses.

Slipping the dress over her head, Willow stood up to smooth the wrinkled fabric with her hands and gasped when she saw her wrists; they were bruised and bloody. A quick, tactile inspection of her face and neck confirmed that the wound to her shoulder was equally caked with blood, as were some tendrils of her hair. With no mirrors in the room, Willow tried to imagine what she looked like and it was a fright. An overwhelming urge to shower, to wash away all the blood, sweat and guilt from her body, filled her. Tears quickly welled in her eyes as she slumped back down on the bed. Her Spike had never been a wine and roses kind of guy, she knew that, but what he had never done was make her feel dirty - not the way she felt at that moment. A grumble from her empty stomach only added to her misery. She wondered how much more she could endure and still manage to walk away with her sanity intact, if she managed to walk away at all.

More excited whispers and another volley of hurried steps drew Willow's attention. Curiosity got the better of her and she walked on her tiptoes, opening the door a crack and peering outside. The sight that greeted her sent her running back to the relative safety of the bed. She had seen at least six vampires, all in game face and hovering not five feet in front of the room. With nothing to do but wait and hope that somebody would remember to feed her, Willow closed her eyes and buried her face in her hands.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting like that when she heard the door open. Without looking, she knew it was Spike. There was a distinct cadence to his steps, a slow swish that indicated more of a swagger than a walk. She had barely paid any attention to it with her Spike, but she had been studying his alternate, desperately looking for the subtle, physical differences between the two, and finding few.

"Hello, luv. Glad to see you're awake."

Willow squeezed her eyes tighter, wishing that he would go away but instinctively knowing better than to voice her wishes. Maybe if I ignore him, she thought feebly.

"What's the matter?"

There was a hint of concern in the question and Willow felt the illogical urge to laugh aloud, not understanding how he could be so concerned and at the same time so unaware of the turmoil brewing inside her. She startled when he casually flopped down next to her on the bed.

"Do you like the dress?"

Willow absently pinched the fabric between her fingers and nodded, not lifting her eyes.

"Then what's with all the gloom, Pet?"

Before she could answer, a commotion outside the door drew Willow and Spike's attention. The woman jumped to her feet when Xander stepped into the room.

"Sire. Willow," he formally greeted them both, although he kept his eyes trained on Spike, barely sparing a glance in Willow's direction.

"What the bloody hell 're you doing here? I thought I told you to stay put," Spike growled.

"Oh, I think you'll be glad I came when you see what I brought with me," Xander announced with a grin.

"Go to your room and wait for me, I'll be along in a while." Spike turned his attention back to Willow, but Xander insisted.

"Spike, this is important. We need to talk, now."

Spike glowered at the younger vampire, but it was obvious that he was curious.

Willow watched the exchange between the two vampires with interest. Xander was grinning widely, looking very much like the cat that swallowed the canary, while Spike looked anything but amused. A scuffle just outside the room drew all three's attention and a moment later Angel crashed through the door, followed down by three minions who had jumped on his back.

Willow's heart lurched. Angel had come to rescue her and had been captured by Spike and Xander; there could be no other reason for his presence in the lair. She tried to rush forward, but Spike swiftly jumped from the bed and positioned his body between her and Angel. In her desperation, Willow tried to shove him aside, and was surprised when he whirled around, unceremoniously flinging her onto the bed - hard.

"Don't fucking move!" He yelled at her.

Willow could only nod, frozen where she had landed.

"Enough!" She heard Spike yell over his shoulder and all three of the minions released their hold on Angel, but remained close and on alert.

"What the bloody hell is this?" Spike questioned, his menacing tone making Willow cringe even though the question was not directed at her.

Xander stepped forth. "Damn it, Angel, I told you to let me talk to him first!"

"Spike, please don't hurt him; he was just trying to help me..." Willow's defense of Angel died on her tongue as she watched the vampire rise to his feet and casually brush the dust from his clothes.

Angel stepped around Xander, coming to stand in front of Spike. "It seems there's been a misunderstanding. Xander led me to believe that you wanted to see me, something about bringing the family back together, but judging by the welcome I've received, I would say that Xander was mistaken."

Angel started to leave and Spike predictably stepped forward. "Wait! You're saying that you came here of your own will? Xander didn't make you?"

Laughter burst from Angel's lips as he paused and turned around. "Like your whelp could make me, Angelus, do anything?"

Spike seemed to hesitate for a moment, frowning at the other's words. "I see your point ... Angelus?"

Willow almost breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Angel shake his head. Her relief was short lived.

"Not quite yet. But Xander here tells me that you have a solution for my little ... problem. This dammed pesky soul has become a real burden, Spike. You have no fucking idea!"

Spike's tone was hesitant but hopeful. "You mean it then? You've come back for good? No more of that soul crap?"

In two quick strides Angel was standing in front of Spike. "My boy, I'm back!" He exclaimed, planting a quick kiss on Spike's lips.

Willow had sunk into the mattress, trying to make herself appear as inconspicuous as possible, not wanting to believe what she was seeing. It had to be a trick; Angel would never align himself with an unchipped and evil Spike. This Spike had killed Buffy, had turned Xander, had hurt Giles; Angel would never forgive him those things, not the Angel she knew. And then again ... the words from her Spike came back to haunt her; "no one here is your friend," he had said to her.

Her eyes grew wide with horror when she heard Spike's next words to her. "You hear that, Pet? We are going to be a family again!"

~Part: 12~

The vampires were gone and Willow was left alone in her assigned quarters to ponder the sudden shift in circumstances. She couldn't fathom that Angel would so easily and callously betray them all, and yet, something inside her was setting off alarms. His grief over losing Buffy, his frustration, his erratic outbursts, could they have been warning signs that they had all missed? She wished she had more knowledge about the conversation that had transpired between him and Spike, but constantly leaving her out of the loop seemed to be a trait that both her Spike and the Spike in this world shared. The three vampires had left hours prior and Spike's parting words to her had been to stay put, a realistic impossibility under the circumstances; she had to know what was happening outside the room.

Armed with resolve and against her better judgment, Willow slowly opened the door to her room and looked outside. The lair seemed deserted and she concluded that it must be night-time, since most of the vampires, including Spike, left the lair during the night and returned in the early dawn. Wishing she had a watch to alert her as to how much time she had to snoop around before the others returned, she crept through the narrow hallway until she reached a small chamber. Illumination was scarce, but enough for her to see ahead and realize that the small chamber was actually an anteroom that opened into a large clearing that seemed to serve as communal hall. A makeshift ladder was leaned against the far wall of the room and Willow hurried toward it, telling herself that she wasn't really trying to escape, that she was just having a look around, memorizing the layout of the lair, locating the nearest exits, just in case she needed the knowledge later on.

Her cumbersome attire complicated her climb, tripping her and nearly sending her tumbling down a couple of times. With a loud heave, Willow pushed against the plank at the top of the steps and climbed out. She was surprised to find herself inside a crypt, not having realized previously how close she had been to the surface. Her first intention was to go back, but she realized how full her bladder was and there was no telling when she would again have a chance to be alone. Prompted by her urge to urinate and starving for a breath of fresh air, Willow made a cursory inspection of her surroundings before rushing for the crypt's door.

Once she had taken care of her most immediate need, Willow paused just outside the crypt's entrance, deeply inhaling the crisp, night air. The urge to run was overwhelming once she had stepped outside, but she quickly dismissed the notion -- not before she'd had a chance to talk to Angel. In just a couple of days, she had found out more about Spike's position and habits than Giles and the others had managed to discover in three years. Maybe that had been Angel's reasoning as well, and the reason for his presence; to infiltrate the opposition and destroy them from the inside. If she left without speaking to him, she would cut herself off from his plans, not to mention put Andrew's life at risk.

Her decision made, Willow was about to step back into the crypt when a soft sound nearby caught her attention. Crouching down, she moved stealthily around the small building, peering into the darkness for the source of the noise. Her eyes narrowed and she caught her breath when she saw Xander standing not far from her, but what really surprised her was the identity of his companion. His head was bent low and he was gesturing with his hands as he whispered something into Faith's ear! Willow didn't dare to move any closer to the couple, but she strained to hear their conversation. Their words were carried away in the breeze and she only managed to snatch pieces of the exchange, but she was sure that she heard Angel's name mentioned several times.

Xander stepped back slightly and smiled at Faith. "So we have a deal then?" He asked, in a slightly louder voice.

Faith nodded. "I'll lure Spike out into the open and then we ..." Faith made a stabbing gesture with the stake she held in her hand. "And you're sure about Angel?" She added.

"I'm telling you, Faith, the guy's gone bonkers, he is going to be kissing that soul of his bye-bye any minute now."

Willow knew she was in a precarious position, bound to be discovered at any moment. Her mind scrambled to make sense of her odd discovery. Xander and Faith were working together, that much was obvious. The question was, which Spike were they planning to kill, and what made Xander think that Angel was about to lose his soul? She saw Xander suddenly stiffen and turn to scan the darkness around him. Willow turned and ran back into the crypt, quickly stumbling down the ladder and running back to her room, where she breathed a sigh of relief. She was almost certain that Xander had not had a chance to see her, and if he had sensed her presence, then she would be left with no recourse but to deny, deny, deny.

She mulled over Xander's comment about Angel's state of mind; it was more imperative than ever that she spoke to Angel alone. All she could do was hope that the opportunity would present itself soon. Murmurs of voices and muted footsteps drifted in from outside her door and Willow tensed, thinking that maybe Xander had seen her and followed her after all. She relaxed when the voices grew in number and she realized that some of the vampires were already returning from their evening foray.

The sudden creaking of the door startled her. If the long evenings spent alone in the room were depressing, daytime presented its own set of challenges, not the least of which were Spike's demands of her body. But instead of the blond vampire, a young girl entered the room. She approached the bed warily and tossed a paper sack on the mattress. It was the same girl that had come around before to relight the candles in the room. Willow could not discern if she was human or a vampire, but in either case, she did not seem to be faring well amongst the group. Her body was thin and her dress was little more than a torn, dirty rag. Long, brown hair hung loose around her face, concealing her features, but there was something vaguely familiar about the girl. With a twinge of sadness, Willow realized that the girl reminded her of the Tara she had met in this world. Before Willow had a chance to say anything to her, the girl whirled around and left the room.

The paper sack contained a crumpled hamburger, stiff, cold fries and a candy bar. Willow devoured the food, unmindful of its unappetizing appearance. It was the first taste of real food she'd had since arriving at the lair. She was quickly learning that basic human necessities, like food and bathrooms, were of little concern to vampires.

After finishing the food and wiping her hands on the paper sack, Willow settled to wait for Spike, and with him, possibly an opportunity to talk to Angel. She had to play her cards right, get Spike to trust her enough to leave her alone with the other vampire, not an easy task, Willow realized.

Morning came and went and there was still no sign of either vampire. Willow grew apprehensive. What if something had happened to Angel and Spike, something that would prevent them from returning to the lair? How would it affect her fate if neither vampire was around? Willow shivered at the possibilities. She had worked herself into a near frenzy when the door to the room opened and Angel stepped into the room. The woman thanked all the gods whose names she could recall, when she realized that Angel was alone. Her first impulse was to rush forth and put her arms around him, but his expression gave her pause. There was something dark and unsettling about his eyes, the way he looked at her.

"Angel, are you alright? I was worried about you," she tried apprehensively.

Angel didn't answer, instead he threw a bundle of papers that she had failed to see in his hand, along with a pencil and a notebook, on the bed. Willow frowned, picking up the papers and looking at the strange words written on them.

"What is this?" She asked absently, still studying the pages in her hands.

"It's a spell. The language is ancient and almost impossible to translate, but the script is phonetic, you just have to read the words as you would in English and it should work. The instructions for the procedure are in French. I trust you know enough of the language to understand them."

Scrunching her face, Willow looked up at the vampire questioningly. "I think so ... but I don't understand, what kind of spell is it?"

"You don't have to worry about that, you just have to do it."

Willow was absently leafing through the pages that appeared to have been torn out of a book and were held together by a paper clip, when she realized that Angel was already walking out the door. Tossing the papers aside, she rushed to him, placing a hand on his arm. "Angel, wait."

He paused and turned to face her, the expression on his face stern. "Willow, for your own sake, don't interfere with this. My mind is made up."

His words confused her. "Made up about what? I was just going to ask you what you were doing here."

"The less you know for now, the better."

"Ok, but could you be a little less cryptic and ominous? I mean, I'm a prisoner here, shouldn't you be trying to rescue me or something?"

"You are where I need you to be, Willow. Now, do as you're told. I'll keep Spike away from you so that you can concentrate on studying the spell. Each step has to be performed exactly as described. You only get one shot, and there's no room for mistakes. Just remember that."

The door was virtually slammed in her face and Willow blinked a couple of times before collecting her bearings. She had not had the opportunity to tell Angel about Faith, and under the circumstances she concluded that it was for the best. Until she found out exactly what it was that Angel was planning, she wasn't certain if she could trust him. Maybe there were some answers in the spell he had given her. Picking up the pages, Willow sat cross-legged on the bed, trying to concentrate on the task at hand.

Several hours later she was ready to tear her hair out in frustration. She had read silently over the words of the incantation several times. The words were a collection of sounds that meant nothing to her. The language, if she was pronouncing it right, didn't sound like any other language she had ever heard or read. The practical instructions for the spell were little better. Angel had been right, they were in French, but they had obviously been written by someone with limited knowledge of the language, possibly for someone who only spoke French. Her translation was meticulous, but there were still several parts that made little or no sense to her, and others that she wasn't certain if she had inferred the meaning correctly.

She jumped to her feet when Angel entered the room. "Angel, this is impossible! Maybe if you tell me what the spell is about I can ..."

The words died on her tongue when she saw Spike follow Angel into the room. She glanced nervously at the pages spread out on the bed, not sure if Angel had intended for Spike to see them. The older vampire, however, seemed unconcerned. Spike leaned casually against a wall, arms crossed in front of his chest and Angel walked up to the bed.

"Let me see what you have."

Willow thrust her notes at Angel. "I haven't gone through the whole thing yet, it's kind of a slow process," she informed him. "The parts I'm not sure about are underlined. Like here," she pointed at a passage on the notebook, "It says to place the 'roche é puré' in the center of the altar. I'm not sure if it means that I have to purify a rock, which I have no idea how to do, or if it's referring to a specific rock that has already been purified, which I have no idea where to get, since I don't know what a purified rock is. And on the other page it talks about a 'roche blanc;' now, is the white rock the same as the purified rock, or are they two different things, and does it mean any white rock or a specific rock that happens to be white? And what is it with all these rocks?" Willow's voice had risen to the point where she was nearly screeching with frustration.

Spike yawned dramatically, reaching into his coat pocket for a pack of cigarettes, while Angel chuckled softly and shook his head.

"It's not a rock, but a crystal orb that happens to be white, and you don't have to worry about it, I got it."

"You could have told me that before," Willow mumbled as she retrieved the notebook from Angel's hands.

"This is all fascinating ... well, not really ... but I have an idea that I think you will like a whole lot better," Spike said as he stepped away from the wall to stand behind Willow, placing an arm around her waist and nuzzling her neck affectionately.

Willow squirmed in his arms, torn between not wanting to do anything that would set off Spike's hair-trigger temper and her embarrassment over Angel witnessing the act of intimacy. "What's that, your idea, I mean," she asked hesitantly, not trusting the vampire's assessment of her preferences.

"How would you like to join us tonight when we go out?"

Angel seemed as surprised by the proposal as she was. "Out? You mean as in outside?" She gestured toward the ceiling.

He tightened his grip on her and nodded. "Uh-huh."

The woman blushed furiously when Spike pulled the neck of her dress aside to reveal the barely-beginning-to-heal bite-mark on her shoulder. He worried the wound with his lips as he continued to speak. "You were such a good girl yesterday, I figured you had earned your reward."

Willow closed her eyes in mortification at the mention of the previous day. There was no way that Angel had not understood the connotation behind Spike's words and gesture.

As if from a distance, she heard Angel's voice. "Spike, I'm not sure that's such a good idea; the sooner she figures out this spell ..."

Spike suddenly released her and stood back to glare at the other vampire. "Bloody hell, mate. Believe me, I'm just about as fucking tired of that bleeding soul as you are. It has sucked all the fun out of you, and now it's draining the fun out of my un-life as well! But Red needs to have some fun too, and waiting one more night to get rid of the bloody thing ain't gonna kill either one of us!"

Her knees weakened and a wave of nausea hit Willow's mostly empty stomach at Spike's words. She desperately searched Angel's face for reassurance, waited for his words that would deny what her ears had heard, but he only shrugged nonchalantly.

"Fine, I'm not in the mood to argue with you. But you keep her under control, and don't let her out of your sight. I don't want to have to run after her if she tries to go to the watcher."

Willow's jaw slackened and her eyes became teary at Angel's cold words. She wondered how she could have been so stupid; it had been right there in the spell - 'l'âme sera placée libre,' the soul will be set free. The passage had just been so jumbled that she assumed that it was a figure of speech referring to her soul, not the literal release of a vampire's soul.

"I won't do it!" She blurted out.

"Sure you will, Pet," Spike said with a deceptively sweet smile.

Willow shook her head, slowly stepping away from the vampires. "I won't, you can't make me, not that!"

Spike turned to Angel. "Bloody hell, Angelus. See what you've done! Now you've gone and upset her!"

Angel seemed unperturbed by the drama unfolding in front of him. "I didn't upset her, boy, you did. You never could keep your gob shut; she didn't know what the spell was for, but, it doesn't matter, because she will do it anyway, and if you don't make sure of that, then I will."

Willow was openly sobbing. "You - you were going to trick me! You were going to have me do the spell that would release your soul and not even tell me what it was I was doing! You're both crazy, I just don't know which of you is worse!"

She had braced herself for Spike's violent reaction to her words, what she had not been prepared for was Angel striding up to her and painfully grabbing her arm.

He pulled her up until their noses were almost touching, piercing dark eyes staring into wide, green ones. "Let me clear this up for you. Angelus is ten times worse than Spike could ever dream of being, and he is right here inside me, screaming to get out. If you don't get that fucking spell right, you and your friends will get a taste of him and I guarantee you won't like it!"

He flung her on the bed and Willow listened as he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. She remained still, quietly sobbing until she felt Spike kneel next to her.

"There, there, Pet," he consoled her. "You'll do the spell and everything is going to be fine, you'll see."

Pain quickly flared into anger and Willow turned her head to look at him. "I, will, not, do, the spell!" She ground between clenched teeth. "I don't care anymore what you do to me. Kill me now if you want to, but I will not unleash Angelus upon this world!"

In an instant, she was on her back, the vampire straddling her hips and restraining her arms. "You listen to me, Red. I love you, I do, but so help me you're going to do that spell even if it kills us both! I'm not your neutered, pet vamp that you can lead around on a bloody leash! I don't ask for much, but you're mine and you'll do as I say!"

Willow's lip trembled and she looked away. She was scared, more like terrified, but she was also tired of being bullied around by friends and foes alike. "You're right, you're not him, you'll never be him, and I'm not yours, I'm his. You can rape me all you want, but I will never be yours, and I'll never do that spell! I hate you!"

The terrified woman could hardly believe that the words had come out of her mouth. She knew that she was as good as dead, and that Angel would most likely find someone else to do the spell, but at least she would not be around to witness the devastating results, having died with a clear conscience.

When the fatal onslaught did not come, her resolve faltered. She looked at the vampire out of the corner of her eye. He was still hovering above her, his face frozen in a shocked expression.

"Don't say that, don't ever fucking say that," he whispered in a voice tight with barely suppressed emotion.

What the emotion was, she could not tell, anger most likely, maybe fear, or a combination of both, except it didn't make much sense that Spike would be afraid of her. He kissed her then, harshly, until she could taste the blood from her own lips and was struggling for breath. When he pulled away, his mouth was quickly replaced by the gag. She struggled, but was quickly gagged and restrained. Her eyes were wide and frightened. He was going to do something, she could tell by the expression on his face. Something terrible and not to me, she thought as he spun on his heel and disappeared out the door.

~Part: 13~

Spike stormed out of the room, pausing outside the door long enough to light a cigarette before he tore down the tunnel. The woman was infuriating. With every moment he spent near her it became more difficult to control his anger. Only the memory of the other Willow kept his temper in check.

She had come to him one morning, all perky and sparkly, blabbering about an orb, a spell and about a day in the sunlight. The truth was, at the time he had not believed her, but he had been too tired and hung-over to argue with her. Of the bunch, the witch was the less innocuous, at least when it came to getting a stake shoved through the heart. He had kidnapped her, tried to kill her, and for some reason the crazy woman was still trying to be nice to him. She had granted him his wish, and so much more, and in the process had paved her own road to hell.

At first, everything had seemed normal. They had spent his day in the sunlight together, just a precautionary measure in case the spell went suddenly wrong (no way he was going to incinerate by himself) and they had parted company at sundown. It was only a couple of days later that the rumors had started to circulate around the local demons' haunts, stories of vampires venturing out in the daylight and not turning to dust.

He had immediately made the connection and set about testing his theory. Something had gone wrong with the spell alright, and Spike had wasted no time taking full credit for the turn of events. He was a fucking god, with vampires practically kissing his feet in gratitude when they werent overrunning the town in broad daylight. It had been no trouble to find a human with the means to disable the chip in his brain and willing to do it in exchange for protection. Ripping the wizards throat out afterward had been the most fun Spike had experience in a long while, but that was just the beginning. Finding the witch was next in his plan, before she and the band of merry morons realized what had happened and set about mucking things up.

The time he had spent as their resident pet vampire had paid off. He knew exactly where he would find them all huddled up like cattle. The magical barrier had been a surprise, although he wouldnt have expected any less from the witch. He watched the place for days, and his patience was rewarded the day he saw the witch and her boy toy walk out into the street. She stood, frozen on the sidewalk, staring at him with a mixture of shock and pain in her eyes as he and the other vampires descended on her and her friend. What did she expect, gratitude?

Once inside the old factory, he chained Xander to the wall with a set of sturdy manacles. The boys eyes were wide with fear, his body drenched in perspiration.

"Ok, Spike, big ha-ha, now if you let us go, maybe I'll tell Buffy not to stake your sorry, pathetic ass into oblivion!"

Spike raised an eyebrow at the boy's taunt. "Oh, I think the slayer has bigger things to worry about right now than a couple of her pups getting lost. And if I were you, I would start worrying too."

"Now, Red..." Spike said as he turned around to face the woman cowering on the floor.

"Spike, why are you doing this?"

Spike paused, his jaw dropping in mock disbelief. "Because it's fun, why else! Well, that, and to make sure that you're not thinking about casting a ... oh, I don't know ... a reversal spell?"

Willow shook her head in denial, cowering as he advanced toward her, but he knew that she was lying.

Xanders voice came from behind him. "Don't worry, Willow. Remember, he cant hurt you."

Spike chuckled loudly. "Can't I? Let's try that theory out, shall we?"

In one fluid motion, he picked Willow up off the floor and slapped her across the face, sending her reeling against the wall. "I would say that hurt!"

Willow recovered quickly and tried to run past him, but he caught her easily and slammed her back down against the ground. Swinging a leg over her prone body, he straddle her hips, his demonic face only inches away from her. "You still thinking that the slayer is coming to save you?" He whispered to her.

It was the stuff that vampire's dreams are made of. Revenge, violence and pleasure all rolled into one. The witch's body at his disposal to enjoy any time he wanted. The man who had delighted in taunting and humiliating him, tied up and helpless to do anything but watch as he took the witch over and over again, each time promising himself that it would be the last. That he would drain her afterward and get it over with. But she had become an addiction to him, and he couldn't get enough of her body. The fact that with every ravishing he was also extracting his revenge on the boy who had no choice but to witness and share his friend's pain and humiliation was a bonus.

At one point, the boy even begged for the witch's freedom, offering himself in her stead. Spike laughed, but an idea started to take form in his head. There was no way that he was releasing the witch, but the boy's offer did hold some enticement. Now that things had changed, Spike would need a family. Not the hordes of stupid minions who followed him around like trained dogs, but a real family. And what better revenge against the slayer than stealing his new pup right from her litter.

As a method of revenge it was sheer genius. Spike could still remember in vivid detail the look of horror and fury on the slayer's face at seeing one of her friends turned into the very thing she despised the most. But after killing the slayer, Spike discovered that he had little use for a childe. Sure, there were some good times, but it was the little human that he kept tied to his bed that held his attention.

With the slayer dead and a nagging childe at his heel, Spike made the decision to leave Sunnydale behind. The world held new frontiers for him and he was curious to know how other vampires were taking advantage of their gift of daylight. He knew that he should have killed the woman then. That as a human, she was too far gone to ever again be the woman she had been. She had fought him at every turn, driving the demon in him to distraction and making him want her even more. But her body was frail and her will spent. She was dying and he knew it. It was then that the realization had hit him that he couldn't go on without her and that there was only one way that he could keep her by his side -- forever.

He had bathed her that night. Lowered her bruised and unresisting body into a tub of warm water and gently washed her skin and hair with scented soap. Had dressed her in white silk and laid her on a bed of crimson sheets, a sacrificial virgin at the altar of his demon. He had made love to her for the first time that night. No violence, no pain, only gentle caresses, soft kisses and whispered endearments. He should have known better, should have seen it in her glassy eyes and vacant smile that she was too far gone to ever be turned back. After Drusilla, he had promised himself that never again would he play caretaker to an insane vampire. He wanted a mate, an equal ... and instead, what he got was a lunatic demon who would just as soon kiss him and coo to him, than rip his heart out.

But whatever gods watched over murdering vampires had seen fit to give him another chance, and he wasn't going to screw things up a second time. If Angelus thought that he was going to get anywhere near her, the old vampire was in for a shock. Willow would do the spell, he would make her love him, and then he would turn her -- and this time, it would be for eternity.

Spike climbed the ladder that led to the surface and nimbly jumped out, closing the trap door behind him. Stepping out into the graveyard, he scented the air before setting his course out of the cemetery and toward the nearest bar. Getting drunk was his first order of business, violence and murder came a close second and third.

He rounded a bend and came to a sudden halt. He sensed the other vampire's presence an instant before he saw him. Angel stood with his back toward him, his head thrown back, seemingly admiring the night sky. The older vampire made no move to acknowledge his presence and Spike frowned. Something didn't add up; it wasn't like Angel to leave himself so vulnerable.

His train of thought was brusquely interrupted when his keen senses alerted him to another's presence. Shifting blue eyes scanned the darkness and came to rest on the source of the disturbance. A few yards ahead of him stood the slayer, intense dark glare trained on Angel's back, stake poised for attack.

~*~

Spike surveyed the graveyard from his position atop a crypt. The night was quiet, but there were other vampires around. He had heard them scuttling in the shadows, pouring out of the lair like rats from their nest, shortly after sundown. Many had swiftly left the graveyard, headed for the town, but others still hovered close-by. Minions, he concluded, charged with guarding the lair while the masters were away hunting.

He furtively glanced at the spot where he had seen the slayer moving stealthily amongst the gravestones only a moment earlier. Faith had disappeared behind a cluster of trees, and Spike pounced to the ground and moved to follow her. It might have been a couple of years since he had actively hunted a human, decades since he had stalked a slayer, but some things a vampire just doesnt forget how to do. He was certain that she didn't have a clue as to how close behind her he was.

She had been acting strangely, disappearing on her own while on patrol, watching him more closely than it was comfortable for him. He didn't fool himself into thinking that the watcher had told him everything. Even after their lengthy conversation about Angel's possible betrayal, Spike still harbored the feeling that there was something amiss, something he had not been told. That's why he had decided to watch the slayer from a distance instead of patrolling his side of the graveyard as she had instructed him.

A tingle ran up his spine and Spike hastened his steps. The slayer wasn't alone and there was something disconcertingly familiar about the presence he could clearly feel but not see.

"Bloody hell," Spike muttered at the site that greeted him as he circumvented a large gravestone. He stood nervously, just outside the edge of the clearing, taking stock of the situation.

The slayer's intent was clear; she was poised for attack. What he couldn't understand was how Angel had not noticed. The one thing Spike had hoped for the least was a confrontation with either Angel or the slayer. All he wanted was to find Willow and take her back to the relative safety of their world.

He began a slow, silent retreat. Not his fight, he told himself. But even as he stepped back, his eyes were riveted on the two figures in front of him. In a flash, Faith rushed forward, her stake held high. Angel turned, a startled expression on his face, just as the slayer twirled on one heel, her right leg extended and aimed for Angel's chest.

A slight rustle behind him caught Spike's attention and he turned in the direction of the noise. He was stunned to find himself staring into his own face. The momentary distraction was enough to give the other an advantage and Spike found himself on the ground, a bony fist crashing against his nose. He managed to dislodge his attacker and jump to his feet, but the years he had spent chipped, not hunting and fighting lesser demons for the incompetent gang of humans had taken their toll. His reflexes were slower than normal while the other version of himself appeared to be in top shape. Behind him, he could hear the Slayer and Angel engaged in combat while in front of him his own face mocked him with a sneer. Did he really look at people like that or was that just a peculiarity of his double in this dimension? If he couldn't beat the other in a fight, maybe he could talk his way out of it.

"Hey, mate..."

The words died in his throat as the other produced a stake and launched at him. Of all the times that Spike had been close to death, and of all the scenarios that had run through his mind, this was the most impossible. He was about to be staked ... by himself! Just as the stake closed in on his chest, a shadow descended over both of them and Spike found himself free from the weight of the other. Quickly jumping to his feet he was prepared to take full advantage of the opportunity when he saw Angel standing between him and his double. The fight had attracted the attention of the minions and Spike found himself surrounded and outnumbered ... and the slayer was nowhere in sight.

~*~

Just outside the chamber where Willow slept, Xander leaned against the damp wall of the tunnel, listening to the slow cadence of her breathing. It was nearly midnight and the other vampires had long abandoned the lair in favor of the fertile hunting grounds of the town's streets. Xander had spent the last hour wandering listlessly through the empty tunnels until his steps had taken him to Willow's door, where he had paused to ponder. In the four years of his existence as a vampire, regret had never been more than a passing discomfort for him, small sparks of humanity that flickered momentarily only to be quickly engulfed by the raging fire of his demon. Then what was he doing standing in front of this door, he wondered.

Everything was working according to his plan. In all probability, Angel didn't have but one more night in the world before the dirt of the graveyard was fertilized with his ashes. Xander chuckled at the thought of Angel ending up as fertilizer, and he himself would be on his way out of town with his chosen sire, the vampire whose blood called out to him like his true sire's never had. Blissful existence laid spread out before him like a welcoming mat; he should have been elated. Why then could he not shake the feeling of loss and foreboding that assailed him?

The demon inside him was unusually quiet, leaving Xander's thoughts free to wander at will. The euphoria of his first couple of years as a vampire had gradually, almost imperceptibly subsided. At odd moments, he found himself pondering the question of whether a demon could truly change a person's destiny. He knew he had been changed by the demon, and he despised everything he had been as a human, but had his existence really changed that much? Maybe Alexander Harris' destiny, whether human or vampire, was the same, and wouldn't that be a mind-fuck! Eternity spent as the hanger-on of superior beings, the reliable stand-by for those rare times when someone needed something and no one else was available. Wasn't that what he had always been, for Buffy, for Cordelia, even for Anya?

Xander shook his head. It would be different with Spike. They had a bond together, one forged in blood and violence, and stronger for it than any bond he had shared with anyone. Once he got the chip out of Spike's head, and he would have thanked Angel for the information about Spike being chipped if it wasn't for the fact that the vampire would be dead by then, and presented him with the gift of a slayer, once they left Sunnydale and its memories behind, everything would be different. Spike would have to appreciate him after that, see his worth as a child and a mate. The only obstacle to that future lay sleeping only a few feet in front of him, just on the other side of the door. Why then did he hesitate?

Xander pushed the door open and stepped into the dark room. The candles had burnt out and he idly wondered why Sarah had not been by to replace them. He would have to teach the girl a lesson about reliability the next time she crossed his path, not that it made any difference to him. He could see enough in the dark to get by, but he enjoyed the concept of teaching lessons to others, it made him feel strong, superior, in control -- everything he had been denied as a human.

He stepped quietly up to the bed and studied the figure of the woman lying on the mattress. Her skin was unusually pale in the penumbra and even in her sleep tears trailed down her cheeks. The scent of blood and sex were heavy in the air. Spike had been smart not to keep her too comfortable. Willow herself had once confided in him that emotional balance was imperative for magic to work, the weaker and more upset she got, the less of a threat she would be. He wondered how Spike had thought of it.

The woman had twisted herself at an odd angle while sleeping, revealing an expanse of leg. Xander ran his fingers over the soft, exposed flesh and watched with avid interest as Willow shifted in her sleep. The resemblance between this Willow and the one he remembered from his time as a human was uncanny. It had been four years since he had last laid eyes on her and he had to admit he was curious about what exactly had happened to her.

If Spike wouldn't have taken her, if he had not become so fixated with her, things would have definitely turned out differently. Xander knew instinctively that he would not have killed her, not permanently anyway, he would have taken her for himself, turned her most likely. His muscles quivered with excitement at the memory of the vampire version of Willow that had visited from another dimension. He gently lowered the gag from her mouth, brushing a soft kiss across her lips before returning his attention to her body.

Three years earlier, he had been too heady with his newfound power and to grief-stricken over his sire's rejection to see the possibilities. His fingers continued to travel up her leg, almost of their own volition. A quiet sigh escaped her lips when he reached the juncture of her thighs.

Yes, there were certainly possibilities here. His chosen sire had seen those possibilities, had tried to tell him as much. Should have stuck with the original plan, kid, Xander told himself. But, then again, it wasn't too late. It was never too late when one had eternity on one's side.

He ghosted his hand over her now bared thighs. The scent of the blood on her wrists, combined with that of sex and his sire on her, were a potent combination. Xander bent his head and kissed the spot on her leg he had just touched.

She moaned a content whimper, "Spike..."

Xander closed his eyes. It was now obvious to him that the witch had not been Spike's captive as he had suspected three years earlier; she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Willow had wanted him too at one time. Granted, he had been human then and both of them barely more than children, but still. His face changed, his features melting into his demonic facade as he let his fangs trail over the soft flesh.

She shifted again. "Spike?"

The name was now a question. Her eyelids fluttered open and her eyes scanned the room, straining to see anything in the inky darkness. Her fear excited him, the fact that she couldn't see him emboldened him, and Xander climbed on the bed, trailing his hand up her body.

"Not quite, baby, but if thinking about my sire turns you on this much ..."

Before Xander could finish the thought, a shrill scream tore through the room and echoed off the walls. "Xander, no!"

She didn't need to see Xander's face looming above her. A feeling of deja vu had overtaken her the moment she awoke. The darkness around her, her inability to move her arms, the cool hand on her heated flesh, it had all been familiar to her. His words had hit her like a slap in the face. It had all happened before, in her dream. For a second time in one night, Willow was certain that she was about to die.

"Xander, please don't."

She could almost hear the smile in his voice. "Don't what, Willow?"

"Don't kill me?"

He laughed then, the same hearty laugh that she loved so much but so seldom heard anymore. She wondered when the Xander in her world had stopped laughing. Maybe it had been somewhere between watching his friends move on into adult life without him and having his heart stomped into the ground by every woman who ever crossed his path.

"Don't worry, Will, you wouldn't stay dead for long, but then I would be dusted by my sire and Im not much into the dusting these days."

Willow frowned in confusion, wishing that she could see his face, somehow read his intentions. "You're not going to kill me?" she asked hesitantly.

"You sound almost disappointed by that!"

Was he teasing her? "Oh, no! Not disappointed here at all! It's just that, well, the last time we talked, well, there really wasn't much talking going on. You were all with the grrr and the biting, and I really couldn't say much, you know, with the dying and all."

She felt his fingers trail softly down her cheek. "That was a long time ago, Willow. Sure, I've thought about it since, killing you. But only ... ok, I've thought about it everyday, about ten times a day, and in as many ways..."

The words were not reassuring, but just the fact that he was talking to her was some kind of progress. She thought about what he had said. Only a few days had passed for her since he had tried to kill her, and the event was still fresh in her mind, but Giles had mentioned that three years had gone by in this reality. Maybe, just maybe ... "Why haven't you?" She asked. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you!" She quickly added.

He seemed to think about her question and the suspense was terrifying. "I don't know," he said finally, and he sounded so much like the confused Xander she knew that she wanted to weep.

"Will you help me?" She asked almost hopefully.

"Oh, I'm going to help you. Maybe just not in the way you think."

Willow didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean?"

He didn't answer for a moment and Willow suspected that he was thinking something through. "It could still work. Maybe it was the way it was meant to be all along, you, me, the three of us ..."

Willow jumped when his words were cut off and she felt the weight of his body press down on her. For an instant she thought that he had changed his mind and decided to kill her after all. It was when his weight was lifted from her just as quickly and a roar reverberated through the room that she realized they were not alone. Crashing sounds echoed all around her and Willow cursed the darkness that made it impossible for her to see what was going on.

She gasped when a soft light illuminated the room and Spike's head turned in her direction, eyes yellow with ire, thin lips twisted into a snarl. Angel stood at the doorway, holding a lantern and flanked by four vampires. Xander laid battered and bloody on the floor, cowering at Spikes feet. Confused and unsure, Willow stared at the vampires who remained frozen in front of her. After a moment, Spike reacted, his features dissolving into his human face as he raised the other vampire by the collar.

"Sire, I wasn't ... I didn't," Xander whimpered, his eyes wide.

A swift blow across the face sent Xander's body whirling and he landed in a heap on the ground.

"He didn't do anything, Spike. We were just talking," Willow offered meekly, supporting Xander's statement.

At Angel's command, the four vampires rushed forward and dragged Xander to his feet. Xander was panting heavily, blood oozing freely from a cut to his lip. He glared angrily at the dark haired vampire.

"Ah, ah, ah," Angel admonished as he strolled over to Xander. Willow shivered as she watched him run his tongue over Xander's lips, scooping up the scarlet liquid.

"Take him away," Angel ordered over his shoulder with a casual wave of his hand, as his attention was turned to the woman cowering on the bed.

Willow cringed, torn between her urge to escape and her desire to know what, exactly, had just transpired. Even in human face, Spike looked feral, his pupils dilated, his nostrils flaring. Angel on the other hand, seemed relaxed, almost content.

"What's ... what's going on?" Willow asked the two vampires and neither in particular. At that moment, she didn't know what she found more unsettling, Spike's agitated countenance or Angel's casual demeanor.

She startled when Angel flopped casually next to her on the bed. "Xander has been a bad, bad boy," he whispered close to her ear and Willow was certain she could smell alcohol on his breath.

Before she'd had a chance to make sense of his cryptic answer, the vampire was back on his feet. "But, we have things to do, souls to free, worlds to conquer. Spike!" The vampire jumped at the mention of his name, as if he had been lost in thought. "Untie her," Angel absently fingered the hem of Willow's dress, "and for crying out-loud, get the girl a bath and something to wear," he added as an afterthought on his way out of the room.

With a heavy sigh, Spike stepped forward to do as he had been told. While he worked on opening the cuffs, Willow turned pleading eyes to him. "Spike, please, tell me what's going on."

Spike shrugged, briskly massaging Willow's wrists, causing her to wince. "Angelus always was a pompous ass. Likes strutting around, he does."

"And Xander, where did they take him? I didn't lie. Honest, he wasn't doing anything, just talking. He wasn't going to hurt me. At least, I don't think so." She wasn't sure why she would want to spare Xander after all he had done to her, but Willow had decided that it was best not to let Spike know about the way Xander had touched her.

The vampire smiled down at her, a cold, mocking smile that never quite reached his eyes. She tried to remember if she had ever seen Spike smile like that before, and concluded that not for a very long time.

"Like my boy, do you? Angelus has big plans for tonight and he doesn't take kindly to anyone interfering with his big plans. Wouldn't want to be in that sod's shoes at this moment."

Willow frowned. "But ... but, you're Xander's sire, can't you do something to help him?"

Spike's sneer disappeared from his face. "Doesn't work that way, luv, not with Angelus anyway. You'll get used to it." Spike's lips twitched at the corners. "Besides, the boy is in good company."

~Part: 14~

Spike hung limply from the ceiling, his head bowed, his gut twisting with hunger. His ribs still smarted where Angel had kicked him, and he was certain that his face was bloody, and sporting a few bruises, by the feel of it. Spike flexed his shoulder blades and tested the chains that bound him, already knowing that it was useless. After getting his ass kicked by none other than ... well, himself ... Angel, along with a group of minions had dragged him, kicking and spitting, down a narrow passageway leading from the graveyard into the tunnels.

A minion scurried hurriedly past him, and Spike raised his head slightly, wincing with the effort.

"Hey, mate, think you could loosen these up?"

He caught a glimpse of the vampire as it disappeared down one of the tunnels, looking back at Spike with wide, frightened eyes.

"Bleeding wanker!"

He had seen other vampires enter and leave the chamber, carrying and dragging an assortment of items around, but they had all kept their distance from him. He inspected his surroundings, taking inventory; there were a couple of tables, several crates, more than a dozen torches in addition to the already lit ones lining the walls, and what looked like large bolts of fabric. It looked like they were setting the place up for some big event, and Spike wondered what the occasion was, certain that all the commotion couldn't be merely due to his presence. He wondered what his double was up to and if Willow was somehow involved.

A scuffle announced the arrival of more vampires into the chamber and Spike once again strained to lift his head. He was about to call out when a familiar voice reached his ears.

"No, wait, I can explain!"

'Xander?' A few more muttered words he couldn't understand were followed by the distinct sound of flesh hitting flesh. Spike froze and lowered his head once more, listening intently and trying to piece together what was happening.

Xander was being dragged across the floor. The boy was drawing harsh, unnecessary breaths and his words sounded slurred.

"Save it, boy. String him up!" Angel's cold voice resounded around him and Spike frowned. It was obvious that Xander had done something to fall from Angel's graces.

There was a clatter of chains and Spike knew that Xander was being chained next to him. Curiosity got the best of him.

"Hey, Angel, what did the whelp do? Called you a poof? 'Cause you are, you know," Spike called out, his head still lowered.

Angel ignored the taunt, walking instead to stand in front of Xander. Spike chanced a glance at the boy suspended next to him and suspected that they both looked pretty much the same; shirts torn to shreds, swollen eyes, bleeding lips and bruised cheeks.

Something about the whole scene didn't make sense. His predicament he could justify, but as far as he knew, Xander was under Angel's protection. Unless something had changed that. A hollow slap resounded in the room and Spike knew that Angel had hit the boy across the face.

"Of all the fucking days you could have chosen to show your stupidity, did it have to be today?"

"Angel, I didn't..."

Before Xander could finish his answer, he was once again slapped across the face. "That was a rhetorical question, boy. Do you even know what that means?"

"It means I didn't have to answer," Xander muttered.

"Right!"

Xander's body hung limply from the ceiling, the chains tinkling lightly as his body twitched. As amusing as the boy's circumstances were, Spike wanted some answers and he wasn't going to get them by hanging there listening to Angel pick on Xander.

"Hey, Peaches, what's with the decorations? I know you're a pompous poof and all, but you really didn't need to go through all this trouble for me."

Angel approached Spike slowly and the blond vampire's eyes traveled from the pair of black boots gliding across the floor, up to meet the vampire's face. Spike's own chains rattled as Angel's attention was turned to him and he involuntarily tensed. Angel was smiling at him with all the glee of a homicidal maniac. If there was a soul anywhere in the vampire, it had conveniently taken a leave of absence.

"Tonight is a special night, my boy. And thanks to your own stupidity, you will be here to bear witness to a glorious occasion."

Spike almost rolled his eyes in annoyance. "A bunch of minions festooning a sewer and making merry while you torture me and moron-vamp over here ... not what I would call the social event of the decade, mate."

Angel's amused chuckle felt like an icy stab to Spike's gut.

"You think this is all about you and Xander?" Angel shook his head slowly. "Spike, you never learn. You have to think bigger, my boy!" Angel punctuated his words with a few taps of his index finger against Spike's left temple. "Tonight, we'll welcome back an old, dear friend."

Spike's eyes narrowed skeptically. "Willow is not going to do it."

Spike wished that he could believe his own words, but something about Angel's confident manner unnerved him.

"Oh, I believe she will. It's called self-preservation ... that, and a little encouragement."

"She wouldn't betray her friends, or me. Not even to save her own life."

"Her friends are all dead, just about. But I think what really did it was hearing about how you betrayed her, with me of all people! You know, 'hell hath no fury...' and all that. Besides, by the look of things, it seems like her and my boy have been getting along just fine. Granted, you did all the hard work, all he had to do was step into the shoes you could no longer fill..."

"You're lying, Angelus. I know you."

"Am I now? Think about it, Spikey. He is you, only better. He is what you should have been, what you used to be. It's a win-win situation for our little witch, if you ask me."

"You bloody bastard!" He spat.

"Oh, come now, Spike. Don't tell me you didn't know. I'm going to be terribly disappointed if I find out that there wasn't even a tiny part of you that suspected all along," Angel exclaimed in mocked shock.

Spike raised his head to stare into Angel's eyes. "Suspect what? That all that talk about the soul was a bunch of rubbish and that you're nothing but a deranged, bloody bastard? The thought has crossed my mind, once or twice."

Angel took a threatening step toward him. "It's not personal, Spike, just the way things worked out. If it's any consolation, she will be joining our family soon and then she'll be under my protection. You know I always take care of what's mine."

Spike could not overlook the emphasis Angel placed on the last word, and it took all his restraint not to let the pain show in his face.

"Yeah, I saw how you took real good care of Xander over there."

"The boy needed to learn his lesson." Angel skirted around Spike and came to stand directly behind him. "But you know all about that, don't you Spike?"

Angel was standing so close that Spike could feel the leather of his trousers brush against his buttocks, the air stirring against his cheek as the other spoke. A thick arm snaked around his torso, and a cool hand lingered on his belly, hovering just above his waistline.

"Before I finish this, I want you to tell me something."

Spike refused to play Angel's game, he didn't want to ask, but the ensuing silence was deafening. He figured there was no harm in taking the bait; chances were he wasn't going to survive the day anyway. "What's that?" He muttered.

Angel leaned close to his ear. "Was she worth it?"

Anger flared inside Spike and he jerked his head back suddenly, catching Angel unprepared and connecting with a satisfying thud.

"Oh, yeah. It was worth it," Spike answered with a chuckle.

Spike hissed as Angel's fist crashed into his rib-cage, sending a jolt of pain up his back.

"One way or the other, tonight she will do the spell, and afterward, that's when the real fun will begin!" Angel threatened before he turned on his heel and marched out of the chamber.

Spike glared at the retreating back, yanking at his chains in frustration until thin rivulets of blood trickled down his arms.

"Sire," the whispered word coming from the vampire chained next to him caused Spike to pause.

"Blood hell, Xander, not now!"

"Sire, I've been thinking..."

Spike gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Well, I don't give a rat's ass what you think, so shut the fuck up! This is all your bloody fault, you know?"

"I know."

The whispered admission caught Spike by surprise. "You do?" Spike had to strain to hear the other's soft words.

"I made a deal with Faith, to kill Angel ... and, and the other Spike ... the one from this world."

"You and the bloody slayer! I knew the bitch was up to something!"

The other continued to speak in a barely audible tone. "Since Angel is here, I assume she failed."

"When things got ugly, she skittered like a sodding rabbit, she did. Left me there to get my ass kicked, too!" Spike huffed. "Always did say you couldn't trust a sodding slayer."

"But it doesn't matter now, we don't need her."

"Well, good thing that, because I don't think she is coming to rescue us. Angel found out about it, that why you're here keeping me company?"

Xander shook his head. "He and Spike found me talking to Willow."

Xander had Spike's attention. "Talking? You? You were talking to Willow?"

"She asked me to help her."

Spike's first reaction was to ask Xander for what kind of fool he took him. But his need to know how Willow was faring overrode his cynicism. "How is she?" He asked instead.

"She is ok, I guess. A little scared, maybe. But that's not the point. Tonight, they are going to bring her here, to perform the spell. If we can get her attention, I know she can get us out of these chains."

Spike listened intently, not trusting the young vampire, but admitting that maybe he did have a plan that could get him and Willow out of their bind. "Then what?"

A couple of minions entered the chamber, carrying what appeared to be an old desk, and placed it in the middle of the room. Xander and Spike kept their heads lowered, feigning unconsciousness while the minions draped a large piece of cloth over the desk that was apparently to serve as an altar for Willow to cast the spell. Spike and Xander waited a few minutes after the minions had left before they resumed their conversation.

"Will can get us out of these chains, I know she can. I know these tunnels like the back of my hand, better than anyone. If we can make it out of the lair and into the sewers, we can get away ... the three of us."

"Yeah, sure ... and then you try to kill Red, and I dust you ..." Spike considered his own words for a moment. "Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad plan. I specially like the dusting you part. I'm in!"

"I'm not going to kill Willow ... and you don't want to dust me."

"Huh, I don't? Why the bloody hell not?"

"Because I'm the only one who knows how to get that chip out of your head, Spike."

Spike's eyebrow shot up. Maybe, just maybe, he had underestimated Xander all along. "Yeah? How?"

Xander shook his head, smiling as much as his injuries would allow. "Not telling. Insurance. When we get out, then the chip comes out."

Spike's thoughts reeled as Xander's voice continued to drone in the background. After two years, the prospect of getting rid of the chip for good was the most appealing offer that Spike could receive. No more working for a bunch of children and putting up with their ridicule in exchange for scraps. He would be free to go wherever he pleased, take whatever ... whomever... he wanted...

"What's the catch?"

Xander shook his head vehemently. "No catch. Only, wherever you go, you take me with you."

Spike had to ask. "And Willow? She is not gonna go for that, you know."

The boy hesitated and Spike was beginning to doubt his sanity at even considering trusting Xander, when the other vampire spoke again. "She will, if you turn her, make her like us." Xander swallowed hard, and Spike knew that he was choosing his words carefully. "It's what you wanted, remember? You said it would be glorious; it can still be."

Spike must not have seemed convinced, because Xander continued to explain vehemently, his voice rising until Spike had to hush him for fear that someone may overhear. "What Angel said, it's not true. Willow loves you, I know she does. She'll do whatever you ask of her, if you ask enough."

Spike was angered by the fact that the boy would dare to use his love for Willow in order to convince him to go along with his plan. "What the bloody hell do you know about Willow?" He whispered angrily.

Xander chuckled. "If anyone knows Willow, it is me. Actually, we are a lot alike. We are both loyal to the ones we love. What Angel said happened, if it happened, she had no choice. But she doesn't want to stay here with him, she wants to be with you." Spike nodded silently, wanting so badly to believe that he was convinced it would kill him not to.

"We weren't always on opposite sides, she was my best friend, my buddy, until the day you ... he ... turned me. She was my family, and she can be again. Isn't that what we would be, the three of us, a family?"

And wasn't that what it was all about when it came down to it, whether human or vampire? Each finding a place where they belonged, someone to belong to? Besides, Spike was fresh out of plans, and what the boy proposed sounded better than anything he could imagine. And all they had to do was make it out of the lair in one piece.

~*~

Willow sank gratefully into the tub of lukewarm water. The tin basin was too small for her to stretch her legs, but the feel of water on her skin was more than Willow could have hoped for.

After loosening the cuffs, Spike had returned with a young girl, the same girl that had been in the chamber several times previously. While the girl placed fresh candles around the room and lit them, Spike had offered Willow a new dress. A simple, flowery cotton dress, less cumbersome than the one she currently wore. Angel had also stopped by, bringing her some food and drilling her several times on the spell that she was to perform. Willow had obediently repeated the steps of the spell that she had no intention of casting, not wanting to anger the already cantankerous vampire, at least not until she had found out what had happened to Xander and exactly in whose 'company' he was.

After going over the spell for a third time, and when Angel seemed satisfied with her quick answers to his questions, Willow set aside the empty food wrapper and took a deep breath. "Angel, can I ask you something?" She asked hesitantly.

"What?"

She winced at the curt response. "Where is Xander? I mean, is he ok?"

"Xander is... a bit tied up at the moment. Why do you ask?"

Willow shrugged, not wanting to reveal too much to the vampire. "Just wondering. Spike said he was 'in good company.' What did he mean by that?"

Angel cocked his head. "He didn't tell you?"

She shook her head. She had asked, of course, but Spike had only glared at her before leaving the room.

A soft chuckle escaped Angel's lips. "It figures, Spike being jealous of himself. God, he is love's bitch!"

A feeling of trepidation coursed through Willow's spine. Under any other circumstances, Angel's statement would not have made any sense, but ... "What do you mean?"

"Well, technically, they are the same vampire. He and the one chained up down the hall next to Xander." Angel leaned closer to Willow, until his lips were brushing against her ear. "They both even do that sexy panting thing, when they're about to cum," he whispered before standing up to leave.

It took Willow a moment before she understood what he was insinuating, and even then, she needed to ask. "What do you mean? I mean, how do you know?"

Angel sneered cruelly down at her. "Those times he went to see me in my room, you didn't think we were just talking, did you? Oh, you did! Oops!"

Denial danced on the tip of Willow's tongue, until she looked into Angel's eyes and thought back to the morning after Spike had gone to see him, how edgy and evasive he had been.

Angel shrugged nonchalantly. "Ask him if you want, you may get to talk to him after you do the spell. Of course, if you refuse to do the spell, there won't be much left of him to talk to."

Angel's dark eyes had narrowed to emphasize the threat, and Willow had swallowed convulsively before nodding her agreement. Even if what he was saying was true, she knew she couldn't let Spike die, she couldn't let any of them die.

Shortly after Angel had left the room, four vampires, accompanied by the young girl who had lit the candles, had brought in the tub filled with water. The vampires had left immediately after depositing the tub in the middle of the room, but the girl had stayed behind.

She handed Willow a piece of soap. The witch took it from the shy, trembling hand, nodding her gratitude. Willow still couldn't get a good look at the girl's face, but she had concluded by her demeanor and mannerisms that she was definitely not a vampire. There was something else about the girl that got Willow's attention. There was something recognizable about her. Not about the way she looked, but something more intangible. Something about the girl felt familiar.

"Spike says to tell you to hurry. That Angel wants the spell completed before sunrise."

Willow's eyes widened at the girl's words. If her estimations were right, sunrise was only a couple of hours away. She had hoped for more time, time to think, time to decide, time in which something could change, time for she didn't know what. With a deep sigh, Willow scrunched her body further into the tub and began to wash her arms. She was about to try to engage the girl in conversation when she realized that she was gone. Maybe not a vampire, but as stealthy as one, she thought to herself.

By the time Spike entered the room, Willow was already out of the tub and wearing the new dress. She was surprised to see he was holding a hairbrush in his hand. When she reached for it, he pulled his arm back.

"Let me do it."

Willow clenched her jaw. "I'd rather brush my own hair, if you don't mind."

The vampire ignored her ground out request and stood behind her, gently running the brush over her wet tresses. His quick changes in mood made her uneasy, how he could run hot and cold from one moment to the next. The Spike she knew was perhaps just as moody, but only half as volatile. She wondered if it was the chip in his brain that made the difference, and decided that she didn't like the turn her thoughts had taken. She decided to take advantage of Spike's good humor and ask the question that she had tried to avoid asking until then.

"Spike, if, I mean, when I do the spell, what's going to happen afterward?"

"The poof's soul will go bye-bye, Pet, you know that."

"Yes, but after that. What's going to happen, to everybody?"

She felt his hand pause over her head, before he sighed deeply and resumed brushing her hair. "You want to know what is going to happen to him."

Willow nodded, not needing to hear the name spoken, the bitter tone of Spike's voice telling her that he was referring to the other version of himself.

"I guess that would be up to Angelus, but believe me, he would be doing the poor sod a favor if he dusted him, put him out of his misery."

"Spike is not miserable!" She argued vehemently.

"Trust me, luv, he is. I shudder every time I think back to the time I spent with that bloody chip in my head, and it takes an awful lot to make a vampire shudder. He is a weak, pathetic, miserable version of myself. Turns my stomach just looking at him, it does."

Willow bristled at Spike's assessment of her Spike, and she felt the ridiculous urge to defend the vampire from himself. "At least he is not crazy," she muttered under her breath.

The brushing stopped and Spike circled to stand in front of her. Willow lowered her head, bracing herself for the tirade that her thoughtless words were sure to produce. When Spike didn't say anything, Willow peeked up at him and was surprised to see a smirk on his face.

"You sure about that, Pet?"

Willow fidgeted under his scrutiny; she couldn't be sure about anything anymore.

Apparently satisfied that he had made his point, Spike threw the brush on the bed and motioned for Willow to follow him. "Let's go, luv, don't want to keep the poof waiting."

Willow nervously followed him out into the hall and down the narrow corridor, keeping her eyes trained on his back and not allowing herself to think too far ahead. They entered the main chamber of the lair and Willow could not help but glance longingly at the long ladder that led to the trap door in the ceiling, and to freedom.

Her eyes scanned the room, which was filled with vampires lined up three deep against every wall. Angel stood in the center of the room, next to what looked like a makeshift altar. Spread over the dark tablecloth, were the pages that contained the words for the spell, as well as several items that she recognized from their descriptions in the instructions she had read. Her eyes scanned the rest of the room and her breath caught in her throat when they settled on the two vampires suspended in chains from the ceiling.

They looked terrible. Bruises and cuts marred their lowered faces and exposed torsos. She was wondering if they were even conscious, when she thought she saw Spike raise his eyes to meet hers. He glanced furtively toward the ceiling before quickly lowering his eyes again, and she wondered if he had seen her at all.

Spike's inpatient grunt next to her made her realize that she had stopped moving and was standing halfway into the room, gaping. Her feet suddenly felt as if they were made of stone and she had to force each step as she reluctantly approached the altar.

Angel began to address the crowd, launching into an elaborate and long-winded speech that she suspected was causing more than one vampire to mentally roll their eyes. With everyone's attention diverted, she chanced another glance in Spike's direction. This time, he made eye contact with her before looking pointedly at the ceiling. Willow looked up to the ceiling and frowned. What the hell is he looking at? She thought. She glanced at the other Spike, who was standing next to her looking as if he was about to yawn, but keeping his eyes directly on Angel.

She turned back to Spike and shrugged her shoulders, indicating that she didn't understand what he was looking at. A roll of the eyes, a pointed glance at Xander, another look at the ceiling and a slight tug on the chains and understanding dawned on Willow. It was obvious that he wanted her to free him from the chains, but why was he looking at Xander? Did he want her to free him too? That didn't make any sense.

Willow discretely raised her arm, pointing in Xander's direction and raising an eyebrow, just as Angel began to recite the 'noble lineage of the Clan of Aurelius.'

"Are you alright, Pet?"

Spike's question startled Willow.

"Uh, yeah, just a little nervous, and bored. Makes me fidget," she whispered.

Spike nodded, both in understanding and agreement, she suspected, before turning his attention back to Angel. When she looked back in Spike's direction, she saw him nod. She turned to Xander for confirmation and saw him do the same. Willow didn't understand the strange turn of events; she couldn't imagine Spike and Xander collaborating on anything, but their meaning was clear and they seemed to be in agreement. Trusting her instincts, because it was the only recourse she had left, Willow locked eyes with Spike and pointed her index finger downward, mouthing the word "now?" When Spike shook his head no, she raised her chin and looked straight ahead, to indicate that she was awaiting his signal.

Angel's speech continued unabated, but Willow's mind was too full of questions and her stomach too nervous for her to pay much attention. There was something about it being the "dawning of a new age," which sounded suspiciously like a line from some musical, and even a short poem that he "remembered from his youth." Several times she glanced in Xander and Spike's direction, but both vampires' heads were lowered and there was no indication that they were even paying any attention to what was going on around them.

A nervous and fidgety minion approached Angel. "Sir, it's forty-five minutes until dawn, perhaps we should move on to the next part of the ceremony."

Angel gave the minion an annoyed glare, but he stopped talking and turned toward Willow.

"Step forward," he ordered solemnly as he motioned with his hand.

With no signal coming from Spike, and at a loss for what else to do, Willow did as he instructed. Angel took her hand and once again turned to address the crowd.

"This is Willow, the powerful human that will gift your master with freedom from his perpetual torment, and with this gift she too will earn her rightful place as ..."

Spike stepped forward and Willow found herself brusquely ripped from Angel's grasp and shoved behind the altar.

"Yeah, yeah, mate, we all know who she is. For fuck's sake, get on with it, will you?"

A tense silence filled the room as the two vampires matched glares, and Willow startled when Angel shoved the pages of the spell in front of her face.

"Get on with it, then," he said simply.

Willow nervously rearranged the items on the table, until they were set to her satisfaction, before she began the first steps of the ritual. As she carefully performed each step under Angel's watchful eye, she listened for anything that could constitute a signal from Spike. The preliminary steps concluded, Willow placed the glowing, white orb, that she assumed was the white stone mentioned in the spell, in the center of the altar, and motioned to Angel that she needed his blood in order to consecrate the stone. Angel morphed into his demon face and brought his right hand up to his mouth, biting into it and rubbing the bloody hand lightly over the stone.

It's now or never, Spike, Willow thought to herself as she picked up the pages from the table and began to recite the last part of the incantation. She was halfway down the page she when heard Spike's voice reverberate through the chamber.

"Now, Willow!"

She immediately dropped the pages and raised her arm in the direction of the two bound vampires. A few words whispered and the manacles binding them around the wrists and ankles released with a clatter. Willow's reactions had been so quick and unexpected that it took the vampires around her a moment to realize what had happened.

Taking advantage of the momentary confusion, she tried to reach Spike, but was not fast enough. Rough hands yanked her backward and Willow was face down on the floor with Angel's hand clamped tightly around her nape and his knee pressing down on her back. Willow yelped at the sudden bolt of pain that ripped up her spine.

"Stupid girl! You have no idea what you have done!" He hissed into her ear.

Willow looked frantically around her, trying in vain to shake the heavy vampire off her back. Each attempt brought with it a fresh wave of pain. Through a haze, she saw Spike and Xander fighting off a group of vampires. As Spike was beaten down to the ground, Xander broke free from the group and ran toward her.

"Help me," she whimpered, reaching out her hand, not sure if he could hear her above the roar of vampires swarming around them. Or maybe, the roar was only inside her head.

As he came nearer, his hand reached out to her. Cool fingertips brushed against her warm ones and what looked like a genuine smile ghosted over his face. Willow tried to return the familiar smile, but frowned when his lips twitched momentarily in place, before twisting into a grimace. Through a haze of pain and desperation, Willow watched the face of her childhood friend as he mouthed the words, "I'm sorry," a second before the image disintegrated into ashes.

A scream built inside Willow, stopped by the overwhelming pressure of the vampire still pressing down on her back. She couldn't speak, couldn't move without bringing unbearable pain to herself, all she could do was watch helplessly as Spike was finally subdued by a group of minions. Willow rested her forehead against the dark and slimy floor, admitting the failure of their ill-conceived plan. The thought of what would become of all of them too unbearable to contemplate.

A sound like thunder rolling broke out from the cacophony of voices and shuffling around her. At first, the roaring sound mingled with the persistent humming in her ears, but then became distinct as several short bursts, like explosions, reverberated from the walls.

Angel swore above her, his voice anxious. "Finish the spell, now!" He ordered as he lifted his weight from her.

Willow's head shot up, her eyes scanning the mayhem around her as she tried to regain her focus. Vampires were scattering, running for the exits. Angel hoisted her to her feet and Willow wavered slightly before gaining her balance. "Finish it!" He said again.

The witch started to shake her head when she caught sight of the scene before her. Amidst the chaos, two identical looking vampires remained frozen in front of her. One down on his knees, an expression of pain and regret etched on his bloody face. The other hovered above him, an angry snarl contorting his handsome features as he held a wooden stake to the heart of the first.

Spike's words from earlier, about putting his counterpart out of his misery, came back to her. She knew that the unchipped vampire would not hesitate to drive that stake into the heart of her Spike. With trembling fingers, she took the pages that Angel professed and began to recite the last few lines of the spell.

A low hum filled the room, growing in intensity until it overpowered all other sounds. As the last words on the page fell from Willow's lips, a brilliant light burst forth to surround her. She was deaf and blind, engulfed in the glare of bluish, white light and the humming in her ears obliterating everything beyond. She was aware of the moment when Angel released her. Dropping to her knees, Willow crawled blindly toward the spot where she had last seen Spike, anxious hands reaching out for him.

"Red, where are you?"

The call came from directly in front of her and Willow hastened her movements. "I'm here Spike, I can't see you!"

Strong arms wrapped around her and she collapsed against the hard body. Her eyes fluttered open and she found that the intense glare had subsided, although the usually dim chamber was now brightly illuminated by a light source that seemed to filter in from some of the adjacent tunnels. She looked up anxiously at the vampire cradling her. His warm smile reassured her, but she still asked.

"Are you Spike? I mean, Spike-Spike, not the other Spike?" She frowned uncertainly, not sure how to word the question she wanted to ask.

"Yeah, Pet. It's me, the sodding moron who followed you into this backward-ass world."

There was still a scuffle going on in the chamber and Willow knew that they weren't alone. Squinting her still sensitive eyes, Willow tried to look around.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Well, I'll be damned, it looks like the bloody cavalry showed up after all."

As her vision came into focus, Willow saw Faith a short distance in front of her, nimbly swiveling on her feet as she methodically staked the scampering minions around her. On the other side, she spotted Giles, looking more determined and agile than even the Giles in her world as he fought the few vampires that ran his way. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Andrew, bruised and bandaged, balancing precariously on a makeshift cane while he beat a prostrate vampire over the head with one of the torches.

"Yeah, you take that, and take that, and that too, you blood sucking fiend!" The boy squealed as he continued to pummel the unconscious vampire.

With renewed vigor, Willow jumped to her feet and searched around her for the nearest object that could be used as a weapon. Spike had already jumped into the action, his fists and feet connecting with any body that was unfortunate enough to venture near him. An acrid smell reached her nose and Willow frowned, giving up her quest for a weapon and concentrating instead on finding the source of the offending odor. She looked toward the nearest tunnel and noticed for the first time the wisps of smoke that emanated from the exit. Realization hit her - the source of the strange illumination of the chamber, as well as the smell, was fire in the tunnels!

She ran toward Giles, ignoring the few minions who still remained standing and who seemed to be scampering to get out of her way.

"Giles, there's a fire, we need to get out of here!" She yelled frantically.

The amount of smoke was increasing as the fire grew closer, filling the confined chamber. Placing his index and pinky fingers inside the corners of his mouth, Giles produced a loud whistle that pierced through Willow's ears. Everyone's eyes turned to him and he quickly headed for one of the adjacent tunnels, away from the fire.

"This way!" He yelled over his shoulder. The slayer, witch and vampire followed him. Andrew shoved the wooden torch through the chest of the vampire he had been beating.

"And don't try that again!" He yelled at the pile of ashes at his feet before hobbling to join the others.

As they rounded a bend in one of the tunnels, a thin figure jumped in front of the group and Willow startled, until she recognized the girl that had often come in and out of her chamber during her captivity. Taking the stunned girl by the hand Willow dragged her along.

"Come on!" She said urgently.

The small group ran until they reached a trap door. Pushing his way past Willow and the slayer, Spike rushed forward to help the watcher remove the heavy covering. One by one they slithered through the narrow opening and collapsed inside a large room.

"Everyone made it out alright?" The watcher asked, his breath coming in short gasps as he collapsed against a wall and slid down to the floor.

Wide eyes traveled over the room and nervous hands felt around for missing body parts.

"I'm ok," Andrew offered.

"Yeah, I think we all are." Faith confirmed.

Spike offered Willow a hand and she took it gratefully, allowing him to pull her up to her feet.

Willow had a hundred questions swimming in her mind. "Andrew, I thought you ... how did you get away?"

Giles stepped forward to put a protective arm around the young man's shoulders. "He didn't. Xander brought him to us."

"Xander was here? When, how, why?"

"He came to make a deal with Angel..." The watcher tried to explain.

"Oh, so Xander and Angel were working together!" Willow, frowned in confusion. "But Angel beat up Xander and chained him up!"

Faith interjected. "That's because Xander made a deal with me, to kill Angel."

Willow's confusion mounted. Obviously she had missed a lot in the few days she had been held captive. "So Xander was always on our side! He brought Andrew back and made a deal with you, to trick Angel!"

Giles ran nervous fingers through his hair. "Not really, Xander was only trying to help himself, and Faith only pretended to make a deal with him, to get information."

Spike took a step forward to join the discussion. "And leaving me in the bloody graveyard to get my ass kicked by Angel and my double was part of the slayer's brilliant plan?"

Faith smiled deviously.

"Not at all."

All heads turned toward the voice that had answered. Willow took a hasty step back while Spike jumped in front of her and Giles raised a placating hand. "Angel!"

Angel nodded at Willow while keeping a wary eye on the other vampire. "Faith and I had no choice. We couldn't risk your double getting suspicious about me. Besides, your showing up when you did provided the distraction we needed for Faith and Giles to sneak into the lair and rig the tunnels with explosives."

Spike seemed indignant. "And no one felt compelled to let me in on this master plan?!"

"We couldn't take any chances. Angel and I thought the less people who knew, the better. Xander showing up when he did was unexpected. Faith didn't even know about it until after she came to me with the news that Xander was planning to betray Angel," Giles rushed to explain.

"Yeah, that and we didn't trust you," Faith added.

It took a couple of moments for the new information and Angel's arrival to sink into Willow's mind. "Let me see if I got this straight. Xander betrayed the other Spike and made a deal with Angel, but then he betrayed Angel and tried to make a deal with Faith, so Faith went to Giles instead who already had a plan with Angel, but no one thought that Spike and I should know about this plan. That's crazy!"

"I agree, luv. They're all bloody insane! Dru and I could have done better!"

"Well, it worked, didn't it? Your ass is here, safe and sound!" Faith exclaimed scornfully.

"Yes, I would say the mission was a success in spite of a few unforeseen glitches in the plan. Of course, our inside contact's help was invaluable."

Willow frowned in confusion and followed Giles' glance toward the young girl that hovered in the back of the group, fidgeting uncomfortably next to Andrew. In all the commotion, Willow had all but forgotten about the young girl they had rescued from the lair. "You? You were in on this?" She exclaimed.

Giles urged the girl to come forward. "Willow, Spike, meet Kennedy, the new slayer."

Willow's eyes lit up with understanding. "I knew it. I knew there was something about her!"

"She was sent to us after Buffy died, but she was captured by one of Spike's minions. She almost escaped once, and managed to make contact with Angel."

Willow was appalled. "And you didn't help her?"

Giles and Angel looked away uncomfortably and the girl Giles had identified as Kennedy stepped up to explain. "It was my choice to stay. They didn't know who I was, so I wasn't in any immediate danger, and the vampires had a few humans that were loyal to them, people who could move about in the daytime and bring back information. I figured I would do more good working from the inside."

Willow was impressed by the girl's courage and she was elated that everything had worked out in the end, but she could sense Spike's tension next to her and she needed confirmation that everything had, indeed, gone down as planned. She turned to Giles. "So the spell wasn't real, right? It was just a distraction."

Her eyes widened when Giles and the others seemed confused by her question. "What spell are you talking about? I mean, we were hoping that your magic would be of some assistance, but I wasn't aware of any spell."

Her trepidation grew when she glanced at Angel and the vampire remained impassive, offering no explanation. Spike's reaction was instantaneous. In a flash, he was on Angel, holding the vampire against the wall and pummeling him with his fists. Everyone was stunned and Giles was the first one to react. "My God, Spike. Stop it! Willow, what's going on?"

"He is not Angel. He had me do a spell to remove the soul!"

"I am Angel! The spell was not for removing my soul!" Angel tried to explain as he struggled to remove Spike's strangle hold on him.

"Spike, wait!" Willow called out.

Spike stopped his assault but he did not release the other vampire. Both slayers moved forward, ready to assist him.

"Explain," Faith ground out between clenched teeth.

"I did have Willow do a spell, and the spell worked, but it was not a soul removal spell."

Willow shook her head sadly. "Angel, I want to believe you. Really, I do. But I know what I read. The words of the spell said that 'the soul shall be set free.'"

Angel nodded hesitantly. "The soul will be set free from the ether, free to return to the body to which it belonged."

"A soul restoration spell? But, whose soul..." Willow's voice trailed off as the only possible explanation set in. "Spike, you had me do a spell to give Spike his soul back? But, why?"

Spike released Angel and jumped back as if his hands had been burnt. "You did what?" He exclaimed.

"It was the only way," Angel explained as he got back on his feet.

Faith snorted in disbelief. "The only way to do what? Make sure he got away with murder?"

"The only way to save him."

Spike clenched his fists and looked ready to attack Angel again. "Save him by turning him into a sodding wanker like you? You're as twisted as Angelus. More even! Cursing your own blood? That's bloody sick!"

"I didn't curse him. I gave him a chance to survive and to redeem himself!"

"I say we still kill him," Faith commented casually.

The other slayer nodded in agreement, but Willow jumped to the new souled vampire's defense. "We can't! I mean he has a soul, so, so he can be good. It would be like killing a person! A very old person!"

"And if you think he deserves to die, then maybe so do I," Angel added.

"I'd rather someone killed me than give me a bloody soul!" Spike grumbled.

They all turned to look at Giles who was staring at Angel with accusing eyes. "Willow is right. What's done is done. But I don't want him anywhere near any of us, I don't care what you do with him."

Angel nodded his agreement as the ex-watcher stormed up the stairs. The two slayers followed, throwing murderous glares in Willow's and Angel's direction. Andrew shrugged his shoulders, apparently unable to form a concrete opinion on the subject. "Good luck," he whispered to Angel as he too left the cellar.

A thick silence descended over the three individuals who remained behind. They all had things to say, but none seemed to know where to begin.

Angel took a moment to clear his throat before he began to speak. "I feel I owe an apology, to both of you."

"Bloody right you do!"

"Spike, the things I said to you when you were chained up in the lair..."

"You mean after you chained me up, after the beating!"

"Yes. I didn't mean the things I said, about you or about Willow. I never knew who was listening, I had to be convincing at all times."

"Oh, and you were. Very convincing!" Willow offer enthusiastically.

"Yeah, too bloody convincing if you ask me!"

"Do you two mind? I'm trying to apologize here!"

"Oh, yeah, sure mate, carry on!" Spike said with a grin.

Angel cleared this throat again and tried to regain his train of thought. "The things I said about you and Willow, I didn't mean them. But everything else that happened, before that, I did mean it, all of it."

Willow stared at the two vampires as Spike nodded and a secret understanding seemed to pass between them. Maybe one day she would understand the bond between those two, or maybe she never would. All she knew was that if she wanted Spike in her life, she would have to accept all the weirdness that would naturally come along with dating a vampire. None of her previous relationships had been exactly conventional, and this one would not be the exception. Or maybe, she was just too happy to be alive to care about much else at that moment. "Angel, you really don't need to say anymore. You did what you needed to do, we all did, and I think we all know that. It doesn't change anything between us." She looked at Spike for confirmation and was reassured by his relieved smile. "Where is he? I mean, the souled Spike?" She added.

"He is somewhere safe, in the tunnels. I didn't trust him not to be attacked on sight by the others, and he is really in no shape to defend himself right now."

Willow nodded her understanding. "Do you think he'll be alright alone in the tunnels, until you figure out what to do with him?"

Angel seemed to consider her question. "I should bring him into the house. I'll make sure he stays clear of everyone," he concluded.

"I don't care what you do, as long as you keep him the bloody hell away from me!"

Willow took Spike's hand as they watched Angel disappear back into the tunnels.

"Well, Pet, it's been a bloody blast. But I think our welcome has just about worn out, so what you say we leave before something else goes wrong. With these bloody people, you know something is bound to happen!"

Willow smiled up at Spike and threw her arms around him, taking a moment to enjoy his nearness. She saw his face fall when she looked up at him.

"Not yet, I have one more thing I need to do before we leave."

~Epilogue~

Willow knocked on Angel's door and listened for an answer.

"Come in."

At Angel's invitation, Willow stepped inside. He stood next to the bed, an open suitcase and a pile of clothes laid in front of him. Her eyes scanned the room.

"He is next door," Angel explained before she had a chance to ask, pointing at the door that connected the two adjacent rooms.

"What, what is going to, you know, happen to him?" She pointed toward the same door.

"It will be rough-going for a while. Spike has a lot of things to face up to now that he has a soul. It won't be easy, but he'll be ok, eventually. I'll help him through it."

Her words suddenly failed her, so she nodded her understanding. "Oh. I, we, Spike and I, we are leaving, and, and I wanted to say goodbye."

"I suppose we won't be seeing each other again," he said as he paused, packing the suitcase and turned to look in her direction.

"Probably not. Unless, unless there's an Apocalypse coming, or some super evil arises and tries to take over the world, and, and you guys need my help. Then I'll be here in a jiffy!"

"Then we can only hope," Angel answered with a chuckle.

Willow smiled. "Yeah, I'll keep my fingers crossed," she jested, holding her crossed fingers out in front of her.

"I guess this is really good-bye then."

"Yeah. Bye-bye."

"Bye, Willow. Take care and best of luck to you ... both."

Willow turned and started to walk toward the door, but then she paused. "That's not true!" She blurted out as she swung around to once again face Angel. "I mean. That I just wanted to say goodbye. I mean, we are leaving, and I did want to say goodbye, but that's not all I wanted to say. I really came to talk to you, first, and then say goodbye."

"Willow, what is it?" Angel interrupted.

"Uh?" She asked, finding her train of thought interrupted.

"What you wanted to talk to me about, what is it?"

"Oh, that! I wanted, I need to know, why? Why make me do a spell that would curse Spike with a soul. Why not just kill him? Not saying that I wanted you to kill him, but after Buffy ... after everything, I mean, you could have, couldn't you? At any time, you could have gone to him, made him think that you wanted to get rid of the soul, and then kill him."

Angel nodded his head and ran his fingers through his hair in a nervous gesture. He swallowed a couple of time before he began to talk. "Yes, I could have, and I wanted to at first. But I think I'm going to be glad I didn't. You see, both he and Dru are what I made them. Dru may have made him into a vampire, but I made Dru and it was I who molded and shaped Spike into what he is, or was. If anyone should ultimately bare the responsibility for their actions, that should be me. Dru was insane before I turned her, there was nothing that I could have done for her. And I can't bring Buffy back; I can't bring any of the people he killed back. But maybe, I can do right by him. Give him back some part of what I took away. My soul is a curse, his is a shot at redemption -- for both of us."

Willow nodded her understanding. She couldn't bring back Xander, couldn't undo the misery she had created in this world. All she could do was try to give the ones that remained alive a shot at a better life. There was still one thing she couldn't understand, though.

Willow frowned. "But ... if your plan all along was to curse, I mean, give Spike a soul, and you had the spell, why didn't you just, you know, ask me?"

Angel chuckled and a twisted grin ruffled his features. "In retrospect, yes, I should have. But I didn't know if I could trust you to do it without telling the others. They wouldn't have agreed to it. They didn't want Spike to have a soul; they wanted him dead. Still do. That's why I'm taking him with me back to L.A."

Willow suddenly remembered something she had been wanting to ask all along. "Angel, can I talk to him, before the two of you go?" She asked hesitantly.

It was Angel's turn to frown in confusion. "Talk to him? I would think you wouldn't even want to see him!"

Willow felt a sharp tug in her chest. "This is going to sound crazy. I mean, I know he is not my Spike, but he is Spike, in a way, sort of ..." She let her voice trail, not sure how to explain how she felt about the Spike in this dimension, maybe because she wasn't sure of how she felt about him, period.

"About that, Willow..." Angel stared at a spot on the wall, as if he could see through the layers of concrete into the room where her Spike was waiting for her. "You know... you've seen what could happen, should that chip in his brain ever stop working ..."

Willow was about to shake her head in denial. The Spike she knew, the one in her world, would never hurt her or her friends. But the old vampire must have read her thoughts because he raised his hand to halt her.

"I'm not saying it's going to happen, but it could. Like you said, they are the same, and you are the only one in your world who knows exactly how bad it can get."

Willow lowered her head in defeat. As much as she hated to admit it, Angel was right. Both Spikes were the same being, the only difference between them a tiny, government issued microchip. And she had seen what a world of difference, literally, that chip could make.

Angel continued. "And should it ever happen, that the chip stops working, now you also know how to stop him."

Willow looked up at Angel in surprise. "Oh, you mean, the soul! If the chip ever stops working, I can give him a soul and then Buffy won't kill him!"

Angel nodded, smiling conspiratorially. "Take care of my child, Willow," he whispered as he put his arms around her small body.

She returned the embrace warmly. "Can I see him now?" She asked shyly when Angel pulled away.

He nodded, turning his back toward her and returning to the task of somberly packing his suitcases.

Willow entered the adjacent room slowly. At first, she didn't see Spike anywhere and almost called out to Angel. But then she saw him, hunched down in a corner, his head cradled on his arms.

"Spike?"

His head shot up and cloudy blue eyes, swollen from crying, focused on her. He looked so small, so frail and lost, that she almost rushed forward to put her arms around him. She knelt down next to him instead, unsure of how he would react if she tried to touch him.

"Spike, I need to ask you something. What happened to the other Willow, the one in this world?"

He winced at her question and recoiled further into the wall.

"Please, Spike, I need to know," she urged.

He appeared reluctant to tell his story, but at the same time seem to understand, at a basic level, her need to know. His voice was soft and shaky. "She was crazy. She was like a rabid dog, with no self-control, no ability to reason. I couldn't control her. I tried. I tried and only made it worse. I locked her up, I chained her, I beat her ... but that only made her hate me more. She tried to kill me, damn near bloody did a couple of times. I drove her insane... and then I killed her!"

The anguish in his voice and his eyes almost made her stop questioning him. Only her overwhelming need to solve that final piece of the puzzle urged her on. "You mean, you staked her?"

His eyes grew wide and he shook his head wildly. "No! I killed her, and I turned her. I couldn't ... I couldn't bare the thought of being without her. I spent a bleeding century taking care of Dru, I figured I could do it again. I wanted to take care of her - forever. I would have, too, you know. She wasn't always crazy like that. She would go through those spells, but sometimes ... sometimes she was like a child. She would laugh and make jokes ... she would pout on rainy days, said that if she could find a way, she would make it sunny all the time, even the nights. She liked it in Spain, wanted to stay; it was sunny and warm. But I was bored, wanted to go back to England, but it was seldom sunny in England." The vampire seemed lost in his memories and Willow sat back, listening intently to his recollections. "It was the sun that killed her, you know. She stood there in front of the windows, naked. Threw the curtains back as she had done a dozen times before, and each time the
 sunlight had bathed her body, reflected of her hair and made her look like an angel. But this time, this time it burned her to cinders. I watched her burn and there was nothing I could do to help her."

Spike's words ended in a sob and Willow squeezed her eyes shut. He had described her dream in every detail. The knowledge that the dream was not a prophecy about herself, but a projection of the fate of her double, was little consolation. She looked at the vampire, unashamedly sobbing in front of her, and understood more than ever Angel's conviction to save him. There was nothing that she could do about what had happened to her double, but at least she had given Spike, and herself, some hope.

She quietly stepped out of the room, nodding her gratitude to Angel on her way out to the hall. She found Spike waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. She rushed into his arms, needing to feel that he was real.

"You ready to go home, Pet?"

She nodded up at him through her tears. "I love you, Spike. I want us to be together, when we get back. I know it's going to be hard, facing the others, explaining everything, but I don't care. I want us to be together."

Spike smiled down at her. A crooked little smile that made his face look like a child's and his eyes twinkle.

"We'll be, baby. I want to take care of you - forever."

~The End ~

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