See part 1 for disclaimer, etc.

**********

Willow was grateful that she hadn't had to face the
blonde vampire since he'd caught her a couple of
nights ago.  She was also relieved that he didn't seem
to have said anything to anyone.  Of course, as edgy
as she'd been the past few nights, what Spike did or
said wasn't one of her top concerns at the moment.

"Are you okay, Wills?" Xander asked.  The redhead had
seemed kind of distracted the past couple of days, and
the youth was getting worried about her.

"Huh?  Oh, I'm fine, Xan.  Really.  Just, um, haven't
been sleeping well lately."  Willow glanced up to see
Spike entering the magic shop.  "In fact, I think I'm
going to head home now.  Try to get caught up."

As the redhead brushed past the vampire, he couldn't
help but notice the tension that poured off her tiny
body.  He glanced at the group assembled.  "What's
wrong with Red?" he asked casually.

Giles looked up in surprise.  "Willow?  Nothing is
wrong with her."

"She's just tired," Buffy replied, echoing the
redhead's excuse.

Spike didn't believe it for a moment.  He'd known the
redhead long enough to know when something was
bothering her.  And whatever it was, it was obviously
something serious.  "Right," he said casually.  "So,
need any help fighting evil tonight?"

"Actually, no," Giles replied.  "Feel free to do
whatever it is you do."  Spike was out the door before
the watcher could even finish his sentence.

Spike sprinted in the direction of the redhead's
house, surprised at how far ahead of him she could
have gotten in such a short time.  When he arrived,
the house was dark and he wondered for a moment if
she'd gone back to the den where he'd caught her the
other night.  Just then, a light switched on in her
bedroom.  Spike leapt to the balcony and peered into
the window just in time to see the redhead disappear
into the bathroom with a sharp knife.

Immediately, Spike began pounding on the French doors.
 "Red, open these damn doors!" he bellowed.  "What the
hell are you doing?"

But there was no sign that she heard him except the
sound of the bathroom door closing.

Willow sat on the edge of the tub, the knife clasped
tightly in her trembling hand.  Taking a deep breath
to steel herself to the pain, she drew the blade
quickly her arm.  She hissed and let the knife drop to
the floor, splattering tiny droplets of blood as it
clattered against the tile.  Willow watched the blood
trickle down her arm slowly, hoping it would help.
She ran warm water over the cut, encouraging the flow
of blood.  After a moment, she turned the water off.
Tears stung the redhead's eyes as she dried the cut
and wrapped her arm in a towel.  "Fucking bastard,"
she whispered to herself.

She emerged from the bathroom expecting to find Spike
still standing on the balcony, but he was gone.
Willow sighed in relief before sinking onto the bed
and into a fitful sleep.

"Spike, that's the most ridiculous thing we've ever
heard," Giles said.  "Willow would not try to kill
herself.  And what were you doing spying on her
anyway?"

"Look, does it bloody matter?  I'm telling you, the
chit walked into the bathroom with a knife.  What do
you think she was doing?"

"I'll call her," Buffy said.  "That will clear
everything up."  She walked to the counter and picked
up the phone.  "Hey Wills," she said as Willow
answered.  "Is everything okay?"

"Sure," Willow said shakily.  "Just trying to get some
sleep."

"Right.  Sorry to bother you.  Sweet dreams, honey."
Buffy hung up and glared at the blonde.  "If you don't
have anything else to do besides spread rumors, at
least don't start them about my friends."

"Bloody twits," Spike grumbled.  He swept out the door
and headed back to the redhead's house.  He knew what
he'd seen.  And if she wasn't trying to kill herself,
Spike definitely wanted to know what was going on.

"Wake up, Red," Spike called, banging on the French
doors for a second time that night.  This time, Willow
responded.  She got out of bed slowly and opened the
doors.  Spike could smell fresh blood on her, and his
demon struggled for control.

"What is it?" Willow asked listlessly.  Gone was the
fight he'd seen just a few days ago.  She also looked
considerably paler than she'd been at the magic shop.

"What the hell are you doing?  I can smell the blood,
you know.  I want some answers."

Willow laughed coldly.  "Why, Spike, I didn't know you
cared.  What difference does it make to you what I'm
doing?"

Spike wasn't sure how to answer that question.  Truth
was, he wasn't sure why he wanted to know.  It had
started out as idle curiosity, but now he was
genuinely concerned for the only human who had shown
him any real kindness.  "Maybe I just hate to see
perfectly good blood going to waste," he replied.

Willow laughed and shook her head, almost losing her
balance in the process.  She staggered a bit before
leaning against the doorjamb for support.  "It's none
of your fucking business what I'm doing, Spike," she
said tightly.  "Now get the hell off my balcony."

"I don't think so, Red.  You may be able to fool your
daft little friends with your little stories, but I
know better.  And unless you let me in and tell me
what's going on, the slayer is going to find out why
her best friend is in long sleeves tomorrow."

The redhead glared at Spike angrily, but she realized
she was trapped.  It was her own fault, really.  She
shouldn't have been stupid enough to use a knife, but
the pain alone didn't seem to be enough.  She hadn't
had any choice.

"You can come in, Spike.  But I'm not going to tell
you anything."

"Sure you are, Red.  Unless you want everyone to know
about your dirty little secret, you're going to answer
all the questions I can come up with."  Spike was sure
he heard the redhead growl softly in response, but she
didn't say anything as she sat on the bed and gestured
towards a chair.

"Start asking, Spike.  I'd hate to see you end up as
dust when the sun hits those doors."

"Don't worry about me, pet.  Seems you can hardly take
care of yourself, so I'll watch out for myself."

Willow glared at him angrily.  "What do you want to
know?" she hissed.

"First, what the hell were you doing in that den the
other night?"

"You must have seen me, you tell me."

"Looked like you were letting some filthy little
minion suck on your arm."

"So, I was.  What's the big deal?"

Spike stared at the redhead in shock for a moment.  He
was sure she hadn't just asked what the big deal was
about letting some minion bite her.

"Did you want to ask something else or just sit there
staring?"

Spike growled softly, irritated by the redhead's
attitude, but in a refreshing sort of way.  "Why were
you letting him bite you?  You one of those
thrill-seeker types, luv?"

"I'm not your 'luv,' Spike.  As for why I let him bite
me, let's just say I wanted to."

"So much so that you're willing to pay for the
privilege?"

"It's my money, Spike.  No one can tell me what to do
with it."

Spike decided to drop that issue for the moment.
"Fine.  So how long has this little secret of yours
been going on?"

"What makes you think I did it before?" Willow asked
snidely.

"Cut the crap, Red," Spike growled.  "I'll admit I
never noticed it before, but I know what I saw the
other night wasn't the first time.  If I had to guess,
I'd say you were an old pro at it."

"If you're so sure, why ask me?  Why not just use your
infinite wisdom to figure it out?"

"Why don't I go back and ask your filthy minion?  And
then I could finish by staking the whole fucking lot
of them.  Gonna be hard for you to get your little fix
when the whole bloody nest is floating through the
air, isn't it?  And don't think any other den you try
to find isn't going to have heard about you.  You
won't be able to come up with enough cash to buy
anything from the vampire community."  By the look on
Willow's face, Spike knew he'd struck another blow.

"A couple of years.  I've been doing it off and on for
a couple of years," Willow said, defeatedly.

"Why?"

"Does it really matter?"

"I guess not.  But if you're willing to pay someone to
bite you, I figure I could stand to make a spot of
easy cash."

"You can't bite," Willow said softly.

"I think I could bite someone who was begging for the
pain."  Spike leaned forward, his blue eyes flickering
amber.  "And if you're going to beg for it the way you
did with that stinking minion, I think I could
manage."

Willow's mind whirled with the possibilities.  No more
nights in rat-infested warehouses.  No more worthless
minions who could barely muster the strength for a
real bite.  No more worrying about attacks on the way
there or back.  No more alcohol soaked pads to clean
up after who knows what had come before her.

Spike watched the redhead's emotions play across her
face.  He could tell she was seriously considering his
offer.  "Have you ever been bitten by a master, luv?
It's not the same thing."  He stood and moved towards
the bed, leaning over so that his lips brushed her ear
as he spoke.  "Have you ever felt someone with real
strength, real power sink their fangs into your
delicate skin?  Felt them suckle at your hot flesh,
feeding on your very essence till it makes you
light-headed?  It's nothing like being with your
stinking little minion, pet.  You've barely had a
taste of what you could have."

Willow didn't bother to correct him that it was
exactly that experience she'd been missing.  There was
no need for him to know that, not now anyway.  She
turned her head so that she was almost touching him.
"Are you willing to try it?" she asked huskily.

Spike chuckled.  He could smell the chit's arousal and
knew she was dying for a taste of what he was
offering.  He also had a strong suspicion that he
could up the price and still come out with one hell of
a bargain.  "That I am, pet.  But there are going to
be rules."

"Rules?" Willow said softly.  A shiver passed through
her body instinctively, responding to the dominance
the blonde vampire was already exerting over her.

"Rules, pet," Spike replied.  "First rule is this.
You don't seek out anyone else.  From this moment on,
no one tastes your blood, no one bites you without my
permission.  I'm not going to be having bloody
seconds."  Willow nodded silently.  "Second rule is
that I'm not going to feed from your arm like some
stinking minion."  He trailed a cool finger along the
column of her neck.  "I'll leave my mark here, or not
at all."  Again, Willow nodded.  "Finally, pet, I want
something else in exchange.  After all, I'm putting my
unlife on the line as far as the slayer is concerned.
I want to make sure it's worth my while."

"I can pay you whatever you want.  I have an account
seet up for me, and I never really use the money for
anything."

"That is tempting, luv.  But I don't really need much,
just money for smokes and blood.  Assuming I'll still
need to supplement my diet.  I was thinking of
something less monetary in terms on compensation."  To
illustrate his point, Spike let his hands fall to her
thighs and pushed them apart forcefully.  If she was
going to back out, this was the point at which he'd
know he pushed her too far.

Willow licked her lips hesitantly.  She thought for a
moment, wondering if she'd be making a huge mistake.
Probably so, but the redhead was running out of other
choices.  And she had missed it, all of it so much.
Would she end up worse off than she was now when Spike
was finished with her?  But as her mind drifted back
to the beady eyes of her current 'fix' and the
desperation with which she'd slashed her own arm,
Willow made up her mind.  "It's a deal," she
whispered.

Spike grinned ferally, not showing the surprise that
registered when she actually agreed.  This was turning
out to be the best night of his unlife in a very long
time.  "Shall we get started then, pet?" he asked.

"I've already lost a lot of blood tonight, Spike," the
redhead said softly.

"Then I won't take much.  But I would so like to seal
our deal tonight.  Before I change my mind and
withdraw the offer."

Willow nodded wearily.  She pulled off her shirt and
lay back on the bed, staring at him expectantly.
Spike was surprised by how beautiful she was.  Her
chest heaved with each breath, her small firm breasts
topped by erect pink nipples.  Her pale skin almost
glowed in the moonlight that filtered in through the
french doors.  Spike reached down and lowered her
boxers, smiling as she lifted her hips to help him.
In a swift motion, he peeled off his shirt, exposing
the pale muscled skin beneath.

Willow gasped in delight.  She had known he was
gorgeous before, but the sight of his naked chest sent
a shiver through her body.  Spike opened the fly on
his jeans and shoved them to the floor.  Willow's eyes
widened at the sight of his erect cock.  Spike
grinned, wondering if she'd ever had anyone as big as
him before.  He moved to the bed and covered her body
with his.  Willow moaned softly as his cool, bare skin
connected with her heated flesh.

Spike ran the head of his cock along her wet slit for
just a moment before sinking into her.  Willow cried
out softly at the intrusion as she felt her walls
stretched.  Barely giving her time to adjust to his
size, Spike began pistoning in and out of her hot
pussy.  He growled softly at the incredible heat of
her, at her exquisite tightness.  He set up a frantic
pace and was surprised when the redhead met him thrust
for thrust.  Her head was thrown backwards on the
pillow, her eyes closed as she thrashed beneath him.
"Harder," she begged softly, surprising Spike once
more.  He began to fuck her more furiously, pounding
her tiny body into the mattress.  She screamed as her
walls clamped around him, spasming as an orgasm
wracked her body.  Spike shoved her head to the side
and sank his fangs deep into her neck.  As promised,
he drank for only a moment before withdrawing.  But it
was definitely a struggle to stop.  In spite of the
fact that Spike knew she wasn't a virgin, her blood
was as pure and sweet as anything he'd ever tasted.
It almost surprised him she'd never been drained by
accident before.  Of course, minions probably could
barely taste the difference between ambrosia and the
pigs' blood he was forced to drink.  Spike lay on top
of her for a moment, lapping at the angry bite mark
he'd made.  Willow's breath came in huge gasping gulps
of air as she struggled to recover.

Spike was a bit overcome himself.  He'd never expected
the redhead to be such a good fuck, and it was just
the first time.  With a little practice and direction,
she'd be bloody incredible.  He pushed himself to his
elbows and stared down at the sweaty human below him.
"This was bloody wonderful, luv," he said softly.

Willow stared back at him with an unreadable
expression on her face.  Her mind was a jumble of
confused thoughts and feelings, but at least she
finally had what she'd been missing.  And Spike would
keep her secret, maybe only for his sake, but he'd
still keep it.  "Yeah," was all she replied.

"Well, pet," Spike said, rolling off her and reaching
for his jeans.  "I'd love to stay, but I need to get
back before the sun comes up."  He stopped and thought
for a moment as a wicked smile spread across his face.
 "Why don't you be a dear and get some nice thick
curtains for me?" he said, brushing his knuckles
across her cheek.  "I might decide I want to sleep in
a warm bed for a change."  He pulled on his shirt
before glancing at the redhead who still lay panting
on the bed.  "And make sure to eat something, luv.
You'll want your strength up when I come back
tonight."

"Tonight?" Willow asked, half hopeful, half fearful.

"Did I forget to mention that this works on my
schedule?  Careless of me, I'm afraid," Spike said
smugly.  "I'll be over around ten.  Don't keep me
waiting."  And then he was gone, the faint smell of
cigarettes and leather the only sign he'd been there.

After he'd left, Willow lay awake in bed for several
minutes.  A part of her mind screamed that she was
making a terrible mistake, that it would end up even
worse than the last time.  But at the moment, Willow
didn't care.  She would worry about the consequences
when it was over.  Until then, she had what she
needed.

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