Part 1

Willow ran like her life depended on it, because it did. As adrenaline pumped through her veins her senses were heightened. She could taste the dry airy fear on her tongue. The sweet scent of fallen rain assaulted her nose as she drew great gulps of air into her lungs. The thumping of her rubber soled tennis shoes echoed in the deserted streets of Sunnydale. Water splashed up her ankles when her stride took her through puddles. Dim shadows gave way to oblong pools of light from the street lamps. Willow could feel and hear the blood rushing through her veins. The sound of her gasping lungs almost drowned out the taunting calls of the tree vampires chasing her.

She knew they could take her at anytime. Although she gave it her all, she didn't have the strength or speed to out run them. That fact tormented her almost as much as her upstairs neighbors' relentless stereo bass. She'd had just about enough. Her legs were still pumping hard as she ran. She reached around to her back pocket and pulled out a stake. Turning quickly to her right she entered a dark alley.

Her predators laughed at her apparent mistake. They now had their midnight snack trapped. They were so wrong. As they rounded the corner the shortest vamp burst into dust. Willow was waiting for them. She knew she didn't possess Buffy's skills for fighting in the open where she could be surrounded. The smart red head needed something at her back so she could keep her bright green eyes on her opponent.

The two remaining hybrid demons were shocked at the disappearance of their hunting partner. Dinner was putting up a fight? This had never happened before. Sure there was always the obligatory struggle when the feeding started; it made it more exciting after all. But no one had ever pulled a stake on them. They made sure of it by picking on the weak ones. Weak by human standards, that is. The bookish little red head had appeared to be an easy snack. They had chosen her out of hundreds in the club. She was attractive and energetic. They did have some standards. They figured she'd put up a good struggle, but not like this. Now she actually looked pissed.

And she was. "You assholes, picked the wrong girl to try and snack on," she said with bravado. The adrenaline coursing through her body lent her more courage than she normally possessed. Not that she was a coward by any stretch of the imagination. Fighting all the evil the Hellmouth spit out for the last five years had cured her of that. Yet Willow wasn't stupid either and facing down three vampires with no Slayer in sight did not rate high on the IQ scale.

The two vampires recovered from their shock and laughed at her. "She's a spunky little thing, ain't she, Fred?" the blonde asked as the black vampire moved to Willow's left.

"Yeah, she's got some spice to her," Fred replied.

"I'm kind of in the mood for something spicy for diner," the blonde joked back. He was dumb enough to try and rush the red head as she split her attention between them.

"Spicy food will just give you heartburn," she said as she simply held the stake in front of her. The blonde ran straight ahead impaling himself. "You really are a blonde, aren't you?" she asked as he exploded into dust. *Buffy would be so proud of me. Two quips in one slay.*

"But I'm not," Fred said as he kicked the stake out of her grip. He back handed her further into the alley.

The force of the blow spun her around. She started running. It was the wrong direction, but it was better than getting the shit beat out of her. Just as Fred reached out to grab her hair, she tripped over something on the ground. His fingers wrapped themselves in her backpack. She struggled briefly then finally she was able to slip her arms free of the straps. She raced to the end of the alley. Fred stared at the red canvas bag in his hands. "This little bitch is starting to piss me off," he muttered as he threw the bag in the dumpster.

Willow searched for something she could use as a weapon. *Just my luck, I pick the only clean alley in Sunneydale, not even a pencil to use.* She heard his footsteps coming closer. Turing on her heel she clenched her hands into fists.

Fred sneered at her defensive stance. "You honestly don't think you can fight me, do you?"

*What is it with snotty vampires? Did no one just witness my major kicking of some vampire ass just a few seconds ago?* "I killed your two buddies, didn't I?" she reminded him.

"They were idiots," he reasoned.

She rolled her eyes. "Who's the bigger idiot? The idiots or the idiot who hangs out with them?" *Okay, that made no sense what so ever, but he seems to have gotten the insult.*

He growled and lashed out at her. Ducking she tried to sprint passed him. His hand snapped out and entangled itself in her hair. He pulled hard. Pain ripped through her skull. *Note to self. No pissing off vampires without Buffy present to save my ass.* By her hair, Fred tossed her against the wall, hard. Willow felt her head make sharp contact and the rough surface of the bricks rip through the thin cotton of her shirt. Surprisingly she kept her feet under her. "This is my favorite shirt!" While her heart still pumped out adrenaline, Willow drew back her arm and let loose with a right cross.

His head snapped to the side. Willow froze as he turned his menacing yellow eyes back to her. He was annoyed and irritated before, but now he was royally pissed. With an evil grin (do vampires have any other kind?) he pulled back to return the favor.

Just as his knuckles brushed her jaw, his eyes widened in surprise. He disappeared in a whoosh of dust before Willow could blink. She quickly readjusted her vision to the area behind Fred's pile of dust. Hidden in the shadows, a figure wavered before collapsing on the damp concrete.

Willow cautiously moved forward. *Well, it's definitely not Buffy,* she thought as she noticed the long concealing dress. As she knelt on the ground water soaked into her jeans. *At least I hope it's only water.* Hesitantly, she brushed long strands of dark hair away from the woman's face.

"Oh, my God," she whispered. Even through the cuts and bruises Willow recognized the unconscious woman who just saved her life. "Drusilla?" *I'm sure there's some irony here somewhere.* "As much as I'd like to, I can't leave you here to die when the sun comes up. Spike would never forgive me. And somehow these things always get out," she muttered to herself. She knew she couldn't carry the taller vampiress. Willow tried shaking her shoulder. Nothing. Finally biting her lip, she flinched as she slapped Dru hard across the face. Maybe a little harder than necessary, but Dru had put her in the hospital once.

Dru's blue eyes snapped open and morphed into yellow as her demon surged forward. Willow fell back on her butt. Her back pressed into the hard wall behind her. The cold wet masonry rubbed against the cuts in her skin.

Dru closed her eyes and her exotic human visage fell back into place. "Take me home, little tree," she whispered in her lilting accent.

"Home? I can't take you home," she said in surprise. *Yeah, I can just see that one. Buffy, you don't mind if Drusilla, the vampire who tired to kill us junior year, stays in our dorm room, do you? That would go over like one of my botched spells.*

"I'm so tired. I wanna go home." She sounded lost and pathetic, like a child.

Willow could feel the sympathy rise up in her chest. "Starting tomorrow I'm getting rid of that. All sympathy had ever done for me is almost get me killed." She released a sigh as she got to her feet. Her leg muscles protested the movements. "I am going to be so sore tomorrow. Okay," she muttered to herself. Setting her resolve face she returned her attention to the listless vampire at her feet. "Dru, you have to help me. I can't carry you," she explained as she squatted down.

She was able to lift Dru into a sitting position. The dark head flopped back. Willow noticed a band of raw flesh around her neck. Shaking herself into action she draped Dru's flaccid arm around her shoulders. A matching band of raw flesh encircled the slender wrist. Willow suspected there was a twin on Dru's other wrist. Dru started to fall back.

"Drusilla!" she said sharply in her ear. "Wake up." She wrapped her arm around Dru's waist and tried to pull her to her feet.

The abused muscles and skin painfully protested the action. Dru let out a cry of pain. "Sorry," Willow whispered. Once she got her to her feet, the slight red head staggered a bit under the additional weight. "Okay, Drusilla, where's your home?"

"Daddy's house."

"Daddy? Oh, you mean Angel?" she asked as they started to move forward. "You guys stayed in the old factory. I can't take you there. It's condemned. I wonder if Angel left the utilities hooked up at the mansion. It's not too far from here. Let's find out, shall we?"

Slowly they made their way through the streets of Sunnydale. Willow tried to keep Dru awake and upright as they walked. Well, Willow trudged and Drusilla stumbled along. "Talk to me, Dru," she prompted.

"You stole my Daddy from me. Made him the way he was before," Dru pouted.

*Maybe talking isn't such a good idea,* Willow thought as she tried to keep the insane vampire on her feet when she tripped over the curb.

"He wasn't any fun anymore. Left Spike and me alone. Spike went soft. I left him, you know," she rambled.

"Yeah, I know. Wasn't demon enough for you," Willow quoted what Spike had told her that night he'd kidnapped her and Xander.

"That's right. I knew you'd understand. Miss Edith told me the little tree would understand." She began rambling on about all the things Miss Edith had told her.

Willow listened with half an ear trying to keep an eye out for trouble. Drusilla had moved on to Miss Edith's punishments by the time they stumbled across the mansion's threshold.

*I hope no one has taken up residence,* she thought as she pulled the incoherent vampire through the dark living room. They were both exhausted. Willow set Dru on the edge of the bed and felt around for a lamp. She found one on the night stand. With a quiet click she turned the knob. The soft glow fell over the bed.

"Little tree, little tree. The stars are singing to me," Dru giggled as she fell into bed.

Willow tucked her under the covers after removing her wet satin slippers. She removed her cell phone from her pocket. She powered the small phone on. But who to call? *Buffy and Giles would just stake her like they threatened to do to Spike when he acted up. Duh. Of course, Spike.* "Sometimes I'm an idiot. Dru, I'm going to call Spike. He'll know what to do," she told the sleeping woman.

"Spike isn't the demon he used to be," she muttered in her sleep.

"You have no idea," she muttered as she dialed the number. She put the phone to her ear and winced as she brushed against the cheek Fred had hit. She switched ears. Impatiently she counted the rings. *Two. Three. Four. Five. Where are you?*

On the sixth ring she heard, "What?!"

"Spike. It's Willow. I need you to come to the mansion right away. And bring some blood." She looked at the frail vampire moaning in the bed. "A lot of it."

"What the hell for?" he asked.

"I ran into Drusilla and she needs help," she said hoping the love of his unlife would bring him running.

"So what?" He still held some resentment over Dru leaving him for that Chaos demon.

"Spike, just do it," she said as she disconnected the call. "Men are such babies," she told Dru. Drusilla had hurt him so he was trying to hurt her back. *Big old babies.* She found her way to the kitchen. Along the way she switched on what lamps she could find.

Once in the kitchen, she searched the cupboards until she found a large bowl. Setting it in the sink she ran the tap water until it was warm. She placed the bowl under the running water and looked for some towels. Shutting off the tap, she gathered her supplies and returned to the bedroom.

Dru had slept fitfully kicking the covers off. Placing the bowl on the night stand she ran a hand over the fitful woman's forehead. She was checking for fever, but Dru appeared to be room temp, normal in vampire terms. It seemed to calm her down as well. Willow took in Dru's appearance. Her dark hair was dull and matted; her dress was torn. The black color hid the dirt and blood well, but Willow figured it was past even a Salvation Army donation.

She coaxed Dru onto her side and unbuttoned the back. As she parted the silk material her eyes widened at the sight before her. The normally ivory skin was an array of yellows, greens, and purple from the array of healing bruises. There were half closed cuts layered on top. The most horrific thing Willow witnessed was the burns. The flesh had actually blistered. *Holy water.* Taking a deep breath she pulled Dru's arms out of the sleeves. The red head carefully inspected the rest of Drusilla's thin body. While she had never seen Dru naked before, she didn't think the jutting hip bones and prominent rib cage was normal. Somehow she couldn't imagine Spike going gaga over a bag of bones. The front was just as colorful and wounded as the back. *Even the bottoms of her feet.* As comfortably as she could, Willow settled the now quiet vampire on her back.

She picked up one of the soft cotton towels she'd found in the kitchen. She dipped it in the warm water and wrung out the excess. She began washing away the dirt and grim. As each layer was removed, the bruises become more prominent. Although she was being as gentle as possible, the sleeping woman flinched when the damp cloth passed over a particularly tender spot. As she was rinsing out the cloth, she heard the front door open.

"I'll be right back, Dru," she said as she pulled the covers up higher.
Part 2

Willow entered the living room at the same time Spike walked in from the opposite side of the room. He wore his usual black ensemble: boots, jeans, tee-shirt, and leather duster. *I wonder if he wears black underwear, too, if he wears any at all? Whoa, way off topic, Will. Focus. Remember Drusilla. Right. Okay,* she told herself silently. She spotted the yellow, plastic cooler in his left hand. "Good you brought it. I hope it's enough," she said. She stepped forward to take it from him.

As she stepped into better lighting, Spike noticed her disheveled appearance. Her hair was tousled wildly about her face. The shirt he'd bought her for her last birthday was ripped. He spotted a bruise forming on her cheek. He pulled the cooler away from her. "What happened?" he asked.

"It's a long story," she sighed.

"Got all the time in the world."

"Yeah, but Drusilla may not," she turned to take him to his ex-lover. Spike remained where he was. She glanced over her shoulder when she realized he didn't follow her. "Spike, I'll explain everything I know after we take care of Dru."

Spike reluctantly moved next to the red head. "Why do you care what happens to Dru?"

"I keep asking myself the same thing," she muttered. She placed a hand on his arm. "Wait a second, Spike. She's in really bad shape. Someone or something beat her badly. I think they used Holy water, too."

His blue eyes saw the concern in her face. Silently he nodded and pushed the door open.

In her fitful sleep, Dru managed to push the covers down to her feet. Spike hissed when he saw the marks on her skin. He rushed to the bedside. He set the cooler on the floor and perched himself on the edge of the bed. Gently he brushed his fingers over the cuts and burns. "Oh, Princess, who did this to you?" he asked softly.

Willow stood in the doorway watching. She was amazed at the tenderness Spike showed Dru as he rolled her onto her back. He never showed this side to anyone. *Well, there was that time he kidnapped me. He did threaten to shove a broken bottle through my face, but he was really upset over Dru leaving him. Blubbering like a baby, in fact. Of course, he was drop down drunk. Actually, not the best analogy,* she rambled internally.

"Drusilla. Wake up, Princess."

Slowly, she opened her eyes and tried to focus on the concerned face above her. "Spike?"

"Yes, Princess. It's Spike." He brushed a few strands of hair out of her face.

"I'm hungry, Spike. Haven't eaten in ever so long," she pleaded.

"Got just the thing. Fix you right up, pet." He opened the cooler lid and removed a large plastic cup with a lid. He poked a straw through the lid. He lifted her head and put the straw to her lips. Dru pulled back and looked at the offending object. "Just drink it, pet," Spike coaxed.

Tentatively she took a sip. Releasing the straw she whined, "It's cold."

"I'll get you something warmer in a bit. Just drink."

Willow felt an unsettling wave of jealousy wash over her. *I've got to get out of here. I need to get some clothes for Dru. Not to mention myself. Gotta take a shower.* Silently she began to compose a list of things to bring back.

She left the mansion and automatically started walking back to her parents house. The dorms were too far. Her body still felt numb, but she knew that by morning she would feel every bruise and strained muscle. Within fifteen minutes she climbed the porch to the house. Digging the keys out of her pocket she said a prayer of thanks that she kept them in her pocket and not in her bag. *Hopefully tomorrow isn't pick up day for that dumpster,* she thought as she turned the key in the lock. Sheila and Ira Rosenburg were away on business, big surprise, so Willow wouldn't have to explain her less than kosher appearance.

She climbed the stairs to her old room in the dark. Her hand searched along the wall for the light switch. She blinked a couple of times before her eyes adjusted to the light. She pulled open her closet and searched for one of her many backpacks she owned. She tossed it on the bed and began hunting for some clothes that might fit Dru.

She located an old pair of navy sweatpants and on oversized tee-shirt she used to sleep in. Setting those on the bed, she added some clothes for herself. She entered her bathroom to see if she had left any toiletries behind. She'd taken almost everything with her when she moved into the dorms, but she did find an old hairbrush and some left over shampoo. She carried them into the bedroom and started packing. Almost as an after thought she grabbed a stuffed bear her grandmother had given her when she was five.

After she zipped the bag closed, she glanced at the clock on the wall. She'd guessed she'd been gone for about half an hour. "Probably doesn't even know I'm gone," she muttered as she returned downstairs to raid the kitchen. Quickly she tossed crackers and a jar of peanut butter into her bag. She took a couple of cans of soda out of the fridge and locked up the house.

She saw Spike sitting on the couch when she walked in. "How's Drusilla?" she asked.

Spike remained seated as he glared at her. "She's sleeping. Now where the hell have you been?"

Willow was stunned by the verbal attack. "I just..."

"I don't want to hear about it," he interrupted as he jumped to his feet.

A confused Willow tried to leave the room.

"Well, where were you?" he demanded.

"I thought you didn't want to hear about it."

"Just answer the bloody question. I suppose Buffy's on her way to take Dru." He had been worried when he couldn't find Willow, but his concern manifested itself into anger. Anger at her that she'd left without telling him and anger at himself that he cared.

Willow was getting angry herself. This was not the night to give her attitude. Silently she walked right up to him. Her canvas tennis shoes bumped his leather biker boots. As she started to speak, her index finger started poking him in the chest. "Who the hell do you think you are? What right do you have to yell at me? Huh?" Her volume started to increase as did the poking. "I'm attacked by three vamps. I stake tow of them. Third one almost beats the shit out of me." The poking was becoming more insistent. "I drag your sorry girlfriend's ass half way across town. I call you to help her. And you're giving me attitude?" She finally stopped poking him, but still hadn't backed down. "For your information, buddy. I went home to get naked girl something to wear." She shoved the backpack into his chest. The stunned Spike took a step back. "Oh and as for Buffy I don't need her to come stake Drusilla. I could have done that myself." She turned on her heel and stomped up the stairs. "Bastard."

Spike flinched when she slammed the door. "Just wanted to know where she went." he muttered.

"Spike?" Dru's weak voice called to him.

"Coming, Princess," he answered back. Walking over to the bed Spike took in her frail appearance. The blood he had feed her earlier had started her unnatural healing abilities. The bruises were rapidly disappearing and cuts were closing. The burns were taking a little longer. She still had a long way to go, but he was pleased with her progress. He set Willow's bag at the foot of the bed and sat beside her. "What's wrong, pet?"

Dru tilted her head to the left, but kept her eyes carefully trained on him. "Have you been yelling at my little tree?"

"Tree?"

"My little tree brought me here. Brought you to me. You shouldn't yell at her," she reprimanded him.

"You mean Willow? Weren't you listening, luv. She did all the yelling."

"My little tree. The stars told me to find her. She'll take care of me." Her fingers twisted themselves into the ends of her hair.

"I can take care of you," Spike protested.

"No. You need to take care of her so she can make me better," she explained. "So you shouldn't upset her or she might leave."

Spike didn't understand what she was talking about, not that he ever did. However after the tongue lashing Willow had just given him, he wasn't ready for Dru's. "I'm sorry, Princess. It won't happen again."

"Don't tell me. Tell her," she said as she weakly pushed at his leg.

"Do I have to?" he whined. Her cold glare caused him to sit up straight. "Okay, luv. I'll apologize." She continued to stare at him. "I'm going. I'm going," he relented. He leaned over her and kissed her forehead.
Part 3

Willow felt no satisfaction at the slamming door. It just made her head ache. With a sigh she leaned back against the door. When the back of her head bumped against the wood, a stab of pain cut through her brain. "Ow."

She pushed herself away from the door. "Hope Angel has a big water heater," she said as she pulled aside the clear vinyl shower curtain. "You know, this place is amazingly well kept considering no one lives here."

She turned the taps and let the water warm up while she undressed. She raised her hands to unbutton her ruined top. She noticed a slight tremor in her fingers as she pushed the buttons through their holes. By the time she shrugged out of the top a light blanket of steam filled the small room.

She tried to reach around behind her to release the hooks of her bra. Her sore muscles refused to comply to the normally simple contortion. A grunt of frustration escaped her lips as she stomped her foot. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she slipped the straps off her shoulders and tugged the bra to her waist. Pulling her arms free she turned the contraption around to unhook it from the front. "Willow, next time you do this wear a front clasp," she told herself as she tossed it to the ground. Next she toed off her shoes and socks. After she unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, she hooked her thumbs in her waistband and shimmied herself out of her remaining clothes.

With great relish she stepped under the spray. The hot water cascaded over her skin. Willow braced her hands against the wall and ducked her head under the shower head. She flinched slightly as the water rolled over the scratches on her back. Heat penetrated the tense muscles. She closed her green eyes as she tried to enjoy the pleasure.

Across the screen of her eyelids flashes of the night's events blinked on and off like a psychotic slide show. They started with Buffy and her parting ways at the club.

****

"Tell Riley I said hi," she said.

"I'll walk you home, Will," Buffy said as she tied her jacket around her waist.

"I can walk myself home, Buffy. Riley will be waiting for you."

"He can wait."

"I'm fine. I've got my stake and Holy water and my cross. I can take care of myself. Just go."

"All right, but if you get hurt I'll kill you."

"Point taken. See ya later."

The two coeds walked in separate directions. Buffy left to patrol with Riley and Willow headed in the directions of the dorms.

****

Willow smiled at the memory. Getting Buffy to let her walk home by herself in the dark was worse than convincing her mother she could cross the street by herself when she was ten.

****

The taunting voices came out of the darkness. She walked five blocks from the club when she heard them.

"Hey, little girl."

"Where ya goin', little girl?"

"Join us for dinner, little girl."

****

The evil and malice in their voices sent a shiver down her spine despite the hot water raining down on her back.

A new image projected itself. In the alley Fred had backed her into the corner. As memory-Willow connected her fist to his face, real-Willow thumped her clenched hand against the wall. Her memories shifted. Instead of the brush his knuckles had made with her face, she could almost feel the crack of her jaw bone as the punch made contact.

As her body was propelled into the brick wall and slid to the cold wet concrete, she backed to the opposite shower wall and eased herself to the bottom of the tub. Fred's steel toed boot slammed into her stomach; Willow wrapped her arms around her wet body and curled into a ball.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she tried telling herself not to do this. Don't play the what if Dru hadn't been there scenario, because she had been there and had saved Willow. She'd staked two vampires tonight, dragged Dru back here, even told off Spike. She was brave and confident. No need to be an emotional wreck in the bottom of a bathtub. The falling water disguised the tears falling from her eyes. Her emotional side had been pushed aside to allow for her fight or flight response, but now that she was safe it surged forward much like Spike's demon when he feed.

She let out a small hysterical laugh. *I wonder if I look all grr.* The laugh quickly changed to sobs that racked her body.

Spike left Dru sleeping quietly. He figured he'd knock on the bathroom door, softly of course, wait a second and then he'd tell Dru that Willow didn't hear him so he'd have to apologize later. *Hopefully by the time later comes around, Dru will have forgotten about the whole thing.*

As he approached the door he could hear the shower running. He raised his fist to tap on the door when his enhanced hearing caught another sound coming from the bathroom. Or more specifically from Willow. *She'd really be pissed at me if I caught her crying,* he thought as he turned to leave. But when he heard a loud thump, he didn't hesitate to open the door and walk in.

He didn't immediately see her curled in the bottom of the tub. "Red?" he said quietly. Cautiously he moved closer to her and knelt beside the bathtub. Spike pushed aside the curtain.

He was shocked to see the spitfire who had told him off not ten minutes ago in a wet naked mass at the bottom of the tub sobbing. With a shake of his head he pushed aside the wet and naked parts and concentrated on the sobbing aspect of the situation. "What's wrong, pet?" Tentatively he reached out to brush a wet lock of hair clinging to her cheek.

Oblivious to his entrance, Willow jumped at the touch. Turning her red rimmed eyes up she was surprised to find the peroxide blonde looking down at her. "Spike," she gasped between sobs.

"What's wrong, pet?" he asked again.

"What...do...you...care?" she asked between sobs.

"I care. Come on What's wrong?" He tried to focus his attention on her miserable face. She seemed oblivious to the fact that she was naked. Unfortunately, Spike was not.

Willow's brain scrambled for any excuse other than he was having a nervous breakdown. "I...forgot...to get...a towel."

Spike chuckled at the lame excuse. "That's what you're blubbering about? You don't have a towel?"

She glared at him through her tears. "Fuck you."

He smiled. "That's my little spitfire. Let's get you dried off." He reached in the shower and turned off the water. His strong hands pulled her out of the tub. He set her on her feet and grabbed her torn shirt off the floor. He briskly soaked up as much water off her body as he could without lingering too long. He tossed the damp material on the cracked tiles and pulled his tee-shirt off when he noticed cooling air was affecting her skin. Her arms wrapped themselves around her waist. He slipped the soft material over her head. Not bothering to pull her arms free, he picked her up and carried the now sniffling Willow downstairs.

Spike entered the bedroom as quietly as he could. He didn't want to wake Drusilla if she was still sleeping. Willow had quieted down. HE understood the emotional outbursts had been a result of her recent stress levels. He still wanted the whole story, especially the name of the bastard who "beat the shit" out of Willow. Dru wouldn't tell him what had happened to her. She insisted her little tree would take care of her.

Carefully he pushed aside the covers and set Willow on the bed. Spike watched as Dru curled up next to Willow's warm body. The red head still had her arms wrapped around her waist underneath the tee-shirt. He grabbed the backpack from the foot of the bed and knelt on the floor to pull out the contents. He found a pair of flannel pajamas with electric blue sheep on them and an oversized tee-shirt that read "I don't do mornings." He grinned as he set that aside for Dru.

Lifting Willow into a seated position he removed his tee-shirt and helped her into the pajamas. He tucked the covers around her before tugging the damp, Willow-scented material over his head. He picked up the nightshirt and walked around to Dru's side. Two sets of eyes followed his movements. Sad green and cool blue. He helped Dru sit up and slid the shirt over her head and guided her arms through the sleeves.

As he pulled her long hair free, she asked, "Did you do it?"

"Didn't have much of a chance, pet," he answered as he tucked the covers around her shoulders.

"You should do it now," she insisted.

"I'll do it tomorrow when everyone's feeling more themselves." He avoided her gazed.

"You'll forget." "Not bloody likely with you to remind me," he growled.

"Don't yell at Dru," Willow reprimanded as Dru curled into her side.

"I'm not yelling."

"Don't growl at her either."

"Fine. I'm going out to get us something to eat for tomorrow." He turned to leave.

"Spike, try to find Miss Edith. I dropped her somewhere," Dru said as she started to drift off.

"Fine." *Damn bloody doll.* He resisted the urge to slam the front door.
Part 4

"Willow. Where is she?" the Slayer demanded when she found Spike.

"What makes you think I know where she is?" he asked with a swagger to his step.

"You've got her backpack. Where is she?"

Buffy had finished her patrol with Riley. She returned to her dorm expecting to fall into bed and catch a few hours of sleep. Instead when she opened the door she found her roommate gone. Her bed hadn't been slept in and Buffy knew that she wouldn't be getting any sleep that night. She searched the streets looking for any sign of Willow. All she found was Spike.

He'd forgotten about the bag he'd found in the dumptser. "Look. She's fine. She's helping a friend. No need to worry, kay?" he said hoping the Slayer would back off. He certainly didn't want her finding out about Drusilla.

"Not okay. Willow would have called to let me know," Buffy said as she fingered the stake in her coat pocket. *Spike is really starting to piss me off. He knows something.*

"It was kind of an emergency. There wasn't much time to call you. I'll have her ring you in the morning. She'll probably do it anyway." He watched the short blonde watching him. "Don't you trust me?" He tried to look hurt and innocent.

"No."

"Well, Willow does. I'm not going to break that trust. She'll call you in the morning," he said. *Okay. A couple of lies, but mostly the truth. Willow won't be too mad,* he told himself.

*Willow does trust Spike. Hell, she's half in love with him. Spike can't hurt her. Doubt he would if he could,* she thought as she looked him over. "Okay. But if I don't hear from her first thing in the morning, I'll find you and suck you into a dustbuster."

"Fine." He turned to leave when Buffy called out to him.

"Hey, Spike. Nice doll," she said as she left to get some sleep.

Spike looked down at his duster pocket where Miss Edith's head stuck out. *Damn bloody doll.* He only hoped that Buffy didn't connect it to Drusilla. He didn't think she knew about the doll or at least she didn't remember about Dru's collection.

Spike entered the mansion with his arms loaded with grocery bags. He carried everything into the kitchen and put the food away. He'd also stopped by Willy's to pick up a large supply for Dru and himself. He didn't know how long they'd be staying at the mansion, but it might be a while.

He shrugged out of his duster and tossed it over the couch. He removed the hated Miss Edith and carried her by her hair into the bedroom. The soft glow of the bedside lamp luminated the two sleeping forms in the bed. Dru had snuggled into Willow. Her dark head rested on the red head's shoulder. Willow's arms held the vampiress loosely.

"They're quite a sight together, aren't they?" a voice came from a dark corner of the room.

Spike startled. He hadn't noticed the presence when he first walked in; his mind had been occupied with the two women. "Angel?"

His dark haired sire stepped closer into the light. "Spike. Want to tell me what's going on?"

Angel had been surprised to see lights on in the mansion. As soon as he'd entered his old home, he knew who was there. The mystery was why Drusilla was there with Willow. He walked into the bedroom to see the them curled together like two kittens. He sat watching them until he heard Spike enter the house. He waited while he put away groceries and walked into the bedroom.

"Well, to be honest, I haven't a clue. Willow found Dru brought her here and then she called me. She was in bad shape. Someone or something abused her."

"Like you've never done that," Angel reminded his childe.

"Not like this. She was starved and they used Holy water on her. She still has some bad burns, but I feed her. She seems to be healing okay now." He kept his gaze focused on the sleeping pair.

"What about Willow? Why is she here?" Angel asked as he looked at the little witch while she slept. He'd felt anger when he first noticed the bruise on her face then decided to wait for explanations.

"I don't have all the answers for you, mate. Willow said she'd explain what she knew in the morning. She was emotionally and physically exhausted. So am I. I'm going to bed. Sun will be out in a few hours," he said as he moved to Willow's side of the bed. Dru and Willow slept in the middle. He figured he'd just slip in beside the red head.

"You're not sleeping in that bed," Angel told him.

"Why not?"

"Cuz I said so."

"Piss off. I ain't sleeping on the couch, Peaches."

"Fine. Other side then. I'm sleeping next to Willow."

"Like hell," Spike retorted.

"Will the two of you shut up and get in bed already? Angel, just sleep next to Dru," Willow said as she kept her eyes closed. She didn't care where they slept just so they would stop talking.

Spike grinned at his sire when he moved to the other side of the bed. They both pulled their shoes off before slipping beneath the covers.

Willow woke up with three sets of arms around her. She opened her green eyes and looked down at the top of Dru's head. She held onto her neck like a child would hold her mother after a nightmare. Looking passed Dru she saw Angel sleeping curled around Dru and his arms reached around her to settle his hand on Willow's hip. She turned her head and found Spike spooned against her back. His arms draped themselves over her waist. Someone's hand was curved around her breast, but in her not quite awake state she couldn't figure out who it belonged to.

*If my friends could see me now,* she mused as she stretched. *They would all probably freak out, except Anya. She'd just cheer.* Her hand reached out and stroked Dru's hair when she heard a whimper escape her parted lips. "Shh. It's okay, Dru," she whispered.

When Dru finally settled down again, Willow turned her thoughts to how to extract herself from her bed partners. She reached up and pulled Dru's arms from around her neck. She whispered in her ear, "Dru, roll over."

As she complied, she placed Dru's arms around Angel. She reached under the covers and moved Angel's hand from her hip to Dru's. She waited as the two of them settled into each other. She noticed both of Angel's hands on Drusilla's back and still felt the hand on her breast. *That answer's that question.* Lying between Spike and the other two, it wouldn't be as easy to remove herself from Spike's embrace. She tried sitting up, but Spike held her firm.

"Going somewhere, pet?" he whispered in her ear.

*Figures he was awake.* "Trying to. Could you please remove your hand from my breast?" she asked.

"Don't want to," he said as he nuzzled her neck.

"Knock it off, Spike. I have to go to the bathroom."

Reluctantly he let her go. She crawled over him to get out of bed. He watched as she hurried from the room to the bathroom.
Part 5

Willow sat down at the kitchen table with her cell phone in hand. She punched in her number and waited for Buffy to pick up.

"Hello?" he sleepy voice came over the line.

"Buffy. It's Willow."

Buffy woke up immediately. "Willow! Where are you? Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine. Listen, Buffy. There's a lot I need to explain. There's a lot I need to figure out, too. Can you come to the Crawford Street mansion?"

"Angel's mansion?"

"That's the one."

"Willow, what's going on?"

"Not sure yet. I'll explain what I know when you get here. You might want to bring Giles. Maybe Riley, too."

"Okay. You're sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. I promise." She glanced up to see Drusilla standing in the doorway. The nightshirt that fell to Willow's knees only hung to her thighs. She cradled her doll in her arms. "Oh, can you bring me that outfit that my grandmother gave me for my birthday?"

"I thought it was too big for you."

"It's not for me. Can you bring it? I'll explain everything."

"Okay, Will."

"Thank you. I'll see you later, Buffy."

"Later."

Willow ended the call and powered off the phone. "Good morning, Drusilla." She wasn't sure about Dru just yet. She looked sad and lost, but Willow remembered Spike telling her that was her trick for attracting victims.

"I'm hungry." She even sounded sad and pathetic.

Willow stood and motioned her to take the vacant chair. "Sit down. I'll get you something." She opened the fridge and pulled out a container of blood. While Spike was in his bathroom bondage phase at Giles', Willow had grown accustom to fixing him his liquid diet. She filled a coffee mug and set it in the microwave. She listen to the soft humming coming from the box. When it beeped, Willow jumped slightly. She turned her attention to Dru who sat quietly watching the red head.

Dru took the mug from Willow's hands and brought it to her lips to take a sip. Willow watched as Dru's game face took over. *It's kind of fascinating to watch,* Willow thought as Dru peered into the mug with disgust.

"It tastes funny. Can I have a child? They taste lots better."

Willow pulled out a chair and watched her carefully. "Sorry, but no hunting or take out. You'll drink that," she said as she nodded to the cup.

"If I do, will you help me?"

"Help you do what?"

"Help me get better. Miss Edith said you would help me get better. The way I was before."

"Before what?"

"Before Daddy came."

*Before she went insane? Oh Goddess. I can't do that. I'm not a psychologist. What do I tell her?* she thought frantically. Drusilla waited patiently for an answer. Willow sighed, "I'll do what I can, Dru, but you have to help me, too."

Dru smiled softly before taking another drink from the mug. "Of course."

Willow smiled back at her. "We need to talk about what happened to you. Who hurt you?"

"Daddy did it."

"No, I mean recently."

Dru scratched her head in thought. "I don't remember." A couple of her broken fingernails caught in the snarled hair. She winced as she jerked her hand free. "Will you brush my hair?"

"Sure. Finish your breakfast and I'll go find a brush," Willow said as she stood up.

"Will you brush Miss Edith's hair, too?" she asked as the red head reached the doorway.

Willow glanced at the tattered doll in her arms. "I'll see if I can find another brush for you. Finish your breakfast and I'll be right back."

The first thing Willow saw when she entered the bedroom was Angel and Spike. They were curled up together in the middle of the bed. *If I only had a camera,* she thought shaking her head. She dug a hairbrush out of her bag and returned to the living room to search through the bag Spike had dug out of the dumptser. She found a small brush she kept in the front pocket.

She leaned against the doorjamb and listen to Dru talking quietly to her doll.

"You're all dirty and messy. You know you're supposed to stay clean. How are you going to impress my little tree when you're all tattered? No scones for you at tea. You had better be thankful my little tree is going to take care of me or I'd have to punish you," she reprimanded as she shook her finger.

Willow pushed herself away from the door. "Drusilla, come into the living room and I'll brush your hair."

She got up from the table and followed the red head into the living room. Willow sat her on the couch. Climbing behind her to sit on the back of the couch she placed her feet on either side of Dru's hips. "Here's a brush so you can do Miss Edith's hair," she said handing over the smaller brush.

"Thank you," Dru said before she started attacking the doll's hair. Willow was surprised the doll's head didn't snap off from the force.

She started arranging the matted hair into sections before applying the brush to it. "Dru, I'm going to ask you some questions and I want you to try to remember as best you can, okay?"

"Okay." She slowed her attack on Miss Edith's hair and began to mimic Willow's movements on her own hair.

"How did you find me last night?"

"Miss Edith told me where you to find you. She said that you'd take care of me."

"Okay. Where were you before that?"

"I don't remember."

Willow paused to work out a knot before continuing. "Think back. Take your time. What did it look like? Do you remember anything about that place?" She pulled the brush through the section of hear she was working on before starting another.

Dru thought while Willow's brushing soothed the scrambled memories running through her brain. "It was dark. And damp and it smelled."

"Good. Did you have to walk very far to get to the alley?"

"Not very far."

"So you were here in Sunnydale?"

"I think so. Ow," she said as her head jerked back.

"Sorry." Willow pulled the brush free from the snarl. "Was there anyone else there?" She picked the snarl apart and continued working on Dru's hair.

"Where?"

Willow rolled her eyes. *This is worse than teaching Giles to use a computer.* "In the dark, damp, smelly place."

"Oh, yes. Lots. They screamed a lot. Begged for mercy, too. I never did that," she said proudly.

"I'm sure you didn't," Willow said as she added the freshly brushed section to the other. "Do you remember who hurt you?"

"Always different. He looked like Daddy, sometimes Spike, but I could tell the difference. Sometimes he didn't look like anyone."

"You could tell it was the same person?"

"Uh huh."

"Drusilla, do you remember how long you were there?"

"No."

"Where were you before that?"

"South America. They have such spicy food there. Have you ever been there?"

"No, I haven't." Willow started on the last section of hair. "Did you come here on your own or did someone bring you?"

"Came to find Spike."

*Oh. Spike will be glad to hear that,* she thought disappointedly. "When was that?"

"Don't remember."

"How did you get to that place?"

"I don't know. They took me there. I'm hungry," she whined.

"Okay." She pulled the brush through the tangle free mass one last time. It needed a good washing but at least it wasn't a wild mess. "I'm finished with your hair. Let's get something to eat," she said as she climbed off the couch. *Getting this information is going to take forever at this rate,* she thought as she headed back to the kitchen.
Part 6

Willow sat on the couch talking quietly with Dru when the front door opened. Buffy rushed into the living room followed more sedately by her boyfriend, Giles, Xander and Anya. Willow was surprised to see Xander and Anya.

Buffy stopped in her tracks when she saw Drusilla. But not for long. Before anyone could blink she had a stake in her hand and was leaping over the coffee table. Willow threw herself in front of Dru.

"Buffy! No!"

The Slayer kept her blue eyes trained on the dark vampiress. "Willow, move," she said with a deadly calm.

"Not until you back off," Willow returned standing her ground.

The rest of the group watched in silence as the two best friends faced off. Giles and Xander didn't understand why Willow was protecting Drusilla. Riley didn't know what the hell was going on. Anya didn't really care as long as someone was telling Buffy off.

"Willow, move," Buffy repeated through her clenched teeth.

"Back off, Buffy." She could see that the Slayer wasn't going to back down so she called for reinforcements. "Spike! Angel! Get your dead butts out here!"

If Buffy was surprised that her ex-boyfriend was here, she didn't show it.

Spike and Angel woke up with a start when they heard Willow yell for them. Realizing they held each other while they slept they quickly jumped out of bed.

"Bloody hell," Spike muttered.

Angel paused for a second before he said, "Buffy's here."

"Bloody hell," Spike said a little louder and followed his sire out the door.

They paused to take in the scene before them. Drusilla sat on the couch with Willow standing toe to toe with the angry Slayer. Occasionally Dru looked around Willow's hips to check on Buffy. Giles, Xander, and Anya stood close to the door for a quick exit if needed. Riley had come farther into the room when Buffy jumped into action. Everyone was frozen in place.

"Back down, Buffy," Willow said again. "You're not going to hurt her."

"No, I'm not. I'm going to kill her," she threatened as her grip tightened around the stake.

Her green eyes left Buffy's face to focus on Riley. "Riley, get her to back off."

*She expects me to do something?* he thought as he tried to understand what was going on. *What's Xander's friend doing here?* he asked himself when he recognized the bleach blonde.

Angel realized the blonde farm boy wasn't going to do anything, so he stepped forward. "Buffy, back off. Nothing's going to happen. She's out numbered anyway."

Buffy glanced over her shoulder to look at Angel. Reluctantly, she took a step back, but didn't loosen her grip. "Why are you protecting her, Willow? She's a demon."

Willow released the breath she'd been holding. "Yeah, and your point is?"

Buffy was shocked at Willow's attitude. "She's a demon. Evil. Tried to kill you."

"Hello. Anya was an evil demon. So is Angel and Spike. Well, Angel's not evil anymore, but still. They've all tried to kill someone in this room at one point or another. We still hang out with them. We're not exactly consistent on that rule, Buffy." She glanced at the three demons in question. "No offense."

"None taken," Anya said with a shrug. Now that the immediate conflict was on hold she found a comfortable seat to watch the show. "Xander, sit down," she ordered her boyfriend. Xander skirted the room and took a seat beside her.

"You had better start explaining, Willow," the Slayer said as she moved closer to Riley.

"I will. Everyone, sit down. This is going to take a while."

Angel and Spike sat on either side of Dru just in case Buffy got impatient. Buffy and Riley settled on the fireplace hearth. Giles found a spot between Spike and Xander on the L-shaped couch.

"Now I want to say this once so no interruptions. Riley, I want you to promise none of this goes beyond this group. The Initiative hears nothing."

He'd been around Willow long enough to recognize her resolve face. "Alright," he agreed.

Willow spent the next half hour explaining last night's adventure and the information she was able to get from Drusilla. *I know it's not much, but I also know something is going on,* she told herself. She noticed everyone was biting their tongues to keep quiet. Taking a deep breath she prepared herself. "Go ahead."

"Can I kill her now?" Buffy asked.
Part 7

"No!" Willow glared at the blonde.

"I just asked. Giles what do you think about this?"

Giles removed his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. He sighed. "I'm not quite sure what to make of it. Obviously we need to do something."

"Why?" Buffy asked. "I mean if it's just vamps and demons let him go to town on it."

Angel, Spike and Anya glared at the Slayer. The young woman's animosity was directed towards Drusilla, but some of it spilled over to the others in the group.

"That's just it, Buffy. What if it's not just vamps and demons? Who's to day there's not innocent humans being torchered, too?" Willow asked trying to make her friend see reason.

"Who's to say Dru isn't making the whole thing up just to get on your good side, Will?" Buffy countered.

Anya leaned closer to her boyfriend. "Does she have a bad side?" she whispered in his ear.

"Oh, Willster can be a rebel when she wants to be. Once she ate a banana lunch be damned," he whispered back. He looked up at the group to see everyone watching them. "Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"If the possibility exists, we must look into it, Buffy," Giles said as he replaced his glasses.

"She probably just imagined the whole thing," the Slayer muttered. She leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees. She rested her chin on her fist.

Willow glanced at Drusilla, who had fallen asleep against Spike. "Spike, why don't you put Dru to bed?" She waited until he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. Turning to the pouting Slayer, she knelt in front of her friend. "Buffy, I know you don't trust Dru and frankly I don't blame you."

Buffy leaned back on one hand. With a grin, she said, "Well, I'm glad you haven't gone completely off the deep end, Willow."

"But don't you trust me?" she asked.

The Slayer sat up. "That's a low blow, Will. This isn't a matter of trusting you."

"Isn't it? You're not trusting my judgement on this. You didn't see her, Buffy. She was a mess. The bruises have healed and so have the cuts, but the burns are still there. Spike said it would take longer to heal them, because she hadn't feed in so long. She could barely stand up, but she saved my life. Yeah, I staked two of the vamps, but that was sheer luck. I caught the first one by surprise and the other one was dumber than Harmony."

"And that's pretty dumb, Buff," Xander commented. While he wasn't confident in Dru's reliablity, he trusted Willow's instinct.

"The third one, Fred." She paused as she thought of the possible outcomes. "Buffy, he would have killed me. He was doing a great job of beating the crap out of me when Dru staked him. Please try to understand. She asked me for help."

Buffy sighed as she looked at Willow's bruised face. "I do understand, Will. She saved you. I get that. And I'm grateful she did. I"m just not sure about this house of torcher."

Angel stood and approached the pair. "Maybe I can convince you this is a real threat," he said.

"Do you know something, Angel?" Giles asked.

"Not much more than you do. Cordelia had a vision yesterday."

Buffy looked at him. "That's why you're here?"

"Yes. She said it was here in Sunnydale."

"You could have just called," she said. She wasn't ready for her ex to meet her current boyfriend.

He gave the blonde a sad look. *She's not even twenty yet. Can't expect her to act more mature than she is,* he reminded himself. "When the PTB sends her a vision, it usually means that I help out in person," he said.

Riley leaned closer to Buffy, but kept his eyes on the tall, dark, brooding man. "What's the PTB?" he whispered.

"The Powers That Be. They send visions of evil and danger to Cordy so Angel can stop them."

"What did she see?" Giles asked.

"Dark room with lots of blood. It wasn't pretty. She threw up right after she regained control of her body." Angel stared at his ex-girlfriend. "Cordy also said his face kept changing."

"Okay, fine. Maybe she wasn't making it up," she relented. "It doesn't mean I"m going to go all PDA with Sybil in there," she said pointing to the bedroom.

"No one said you had to, Buff," Willow said.

"You know. This guy sounds a lot like someone I used to know in my demon days," Anya said as she racked her memory for a name.

"It figures," Buffy said as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, shut up," Anya shot back.

"Do you remember his name, Anya?" Giles prompted.

"I'm trying to remember. It was a long time ago. Everyone hated him. He was a sick bastard. Probably still is."

"If you think he was a sick bastard, he must be really bad," Xander said. Anya loved to relate her revenge stories to him, usually just before he fell asleep.

"He was. Didn't care who or what he torchered just as long as it was messy and they screamed a lot," she explained.

Giles sighed again. "A name?"

"Oh yeah. I think it was Kerod or something like that. He's gone my a lot of names over the years."

Giles stood and walked to the front door. "We'll start our research with that." He stopped when he realized that no one was following him. "Today people."

Anya and Xander jumped up to follow him. Buffy and Riley stood, but didn't move to follow just yet.

"I'll check with Willy tonight. See if he's heard anything," Angel told Giles.

"I'll see if there are any reports with the Initiative," Riley offered. Willow threw him a look. "I won't tell anyone about this, Willow. At least not until we have more information."

"Thank you, Riley. Buffy, did you bring my clothes?" she asked.

"Yeah. They're in the car. I'll get them," she said turning her attention to the red head.
Part 8

A week later...

Willow opened the fridge and removed a root beer. She held the phone between her cheek and shoulder. "No. Angel and Spike are still checking a couple of leads." She pulled the tab and quickly brought the cold can to her lips to sip the spill over. "I just wish we could find some evidence whether or not it is this Kerod. At least we could start preparing for it. No, Dru's doing okay. No major breakthroughs yet, but it's only been a week. We just talk. Yes, Giles, I'm recording it. If we actually get anywhere I'll ask her if it's okay for the Council to have the transcripts. I'll be careful. Okay, I'll talk to you later. Bye." She disconnected the call and set the cordless handset in its cradle as she walked passed it on her way to the living room.

She found Dru curled up on the couch. She was settled into the corner with her hands wrapped around a brush. Every time Willow tried to talk to her Dru asked her to brush her hair. She said it helped focus her thoughts. Willow sat on the couch and held her hand out for the brush. "Ready, Dru?"

"Yes," she handed over the brush and turned her back to the slight red head. During the past week she'd regained her physical strength, but emotionally she was still very fragile. With Willow's help she resisted the urge to hunt. She still complained about the animal blood Willow insisted she drink, but occasionally her Daddy would bring home a treat from the blood bank. "Why doesn't Daddy and Spike sleep with us anymore?" she asked. "Was I naughty?"

"No, you weren't naughty, Dru," Willow said as she applied the brush to the long strands of dark hair. "I asked them to find somewhere else to sleep. Do you want to sleep with Angel and Spike?" she asked. *Not that I blame you. They're both yummy,* she added silently.

"Not if you don't want them there."

"I'm not comfortable waking up with three vampires in my bed. Although it really is Angel's bed," she mused as she continued brushing. *I wish my hair was long like Dru's. Maybe I should let it grow out.* Pulling herself back to her mission, she cleared her throat. "Do you remember what we were talking about yesterday?"

"I was telling you about Miss Edith," Dru said as she glanced at the doll sitting on a chair across the room.

"That's right. Angelus gave her to you right?" Willow consciously tried to make a distinction between Angel and Angelus. Of course, she did this with everyone.

"No. Spike did. We were in Germany. Said he had her made especially for me. Spike always brought me presents."

"Didn't Angelus bring you presents?" Willow asked.

"Oh, yes. Puppies, kittens, pretty girls in pretty little dresses. He always found the yummiest treats for me." She smiled at the warm and fuzzy memories.

Willow cringed at the picture. She was glad Dru couldn't see her face. "Why don't we talk more about Angelus," she suggested. She had reviewed the Council's account of Angelus' little family and knew this would be the hardest part for both Dru and herself.

"Okay," she said reluctantly. Willow had told her that there would be questions and subjects that would upset her, but to get better, she would have to face them.

*Okay, Will, you brought up the topic, but where to start? This is not going to be easy. Hopefully Spike and Angel won't be home soon. Last time they came home early it was a mess. Dru crying. Spike yelling at me for making Dru cry. Angel yelling at Spike for yelling at me for making Dru cry. So get started already,* Willow ordered herself. "I know some of this will be hard, but it's okay if it upsets you. I mean I won't think you're bad or anything if you get mad or start to cry, okay?"

"Like last time? You weren't mad that I was crying."

"Right. Now Angel left you and Spike about eighty years ago, right?"

"Yes."

"How did that make you feel?" *Wow, I even sound like a shrink.*

"I was sad. But Daddy wasn't the same when he left. He wasn't happy to be with us anymore. He wanted to be alone," she said quietly.

"Were you angry that he left you?"

"Yes. He was my daddy. He was supposed to take care of me. He promised he would take care of me forever."

"Didn't Spike take care of you after Angel left?"

"Yes, but it wasn't the same. Spike isn't my daddy. Spike took good care of me. Always made sure I had nice dresses and always gave me presents. Even brought me here when I was sick so Daddy could make me better. He was upset that Daddy left. He's Spike's Daddy, too, you know."

"That's what I understand." Willow took a deep breath before she asked her next question. "Do you remember when Angelus became your daddy?"

Dru was silent. She started rocking slightly. She didn't want to remember those things. They made her feel bad. Made her not like her daddy.

"Drusilla?" Willow said quietly. Dru's silences were never a good thing. "It's okay."

"Don't want to."

"We have to, Dru. Angel told me Angelus killed your family. Gave you some not so nice presents." *Got one of those myself.*

Dru's rocking became more insistent. "I made him do those things," she whispered. "I killed my family."

"You didn't kill your family, Drusilla."

"Yes, I did!" she yelled.

"Okay, let's try something else. What do you remember about your family?"

"I've told you about Spike and Daddy."

"I mean you're other family."

"Don't remember them."

"Yes, you do."

"No! Daddy and Spike are my family," she screamed as she jumped up from the couch. Frantically, she began pulling at her hair. "I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to take my family away just like....just like..." She broke off her sentence to pace the length of the living room. Her mind would not except what Angelus had done to her.

"Just like Angelus?" Willow paused to let Dru speak, but when the frantic vampire continued her hair pulling and pacing, Willow continued speaking. "Dru, I'm not trying to take your family away. Why would I do that?"

Dru whirled around to face the red head. Her face formed the ridges of her true nature. "You want them for yourself. You took Daddy away from me and now you want Spike, too. You want to keep them both to yourself. You're selfish. You don't want to share them! They love you more than me!"

"Drusilla, that's not true. I'm happy that Spike has you back. He's missed you terribly. You were all he talked about. How much he missed you. How much he loved you," she said trying to calm the enraged woman.

"No! No! No!" she screamed as she covered her ears trying to block Willow out. "You're trying to trick me!"

Willow stood up and took a step towards her. Drusilla backed up immediately. "Dru, calm down."

"No! I'm strong now! I can kill you!" she shouted.

"Then why haven't you?"

****

Angel and Spike walked down the mansion's driveway after searching another dead end. "This is almost as bad as searching for the Gem of Amarah," Angel sighed.

"Except that I actually found that," Spike said as he pulled another drag off his cigarette. "Still can't believe you destroyed it."

Angel grinned at his pouting childe.

"No! No! No! "

Angel and Spike looked at each other. "Drusilla," they said in unison. Their instinct was to rush into the house, but after the tongue lashing Willow had given them last time they held back.

"No! I'm strong now! I can kill you!"

At the threat, neither hesitated to rush the front door. They found Drusilla staring wildly at Willow. Willow calmly stared back. Spike and Angel could hear the accelerated heartbeat. Dru was too far gone to notice.

"Drusilla," Angel said quietly trying to draw her attention from the mortal girl.

Dru turned slowly. Her angry yellow eyes passed over Spike who stood frozen. He didn't want to spook her. Spike had never seen Drusilla like this, even after Angel had left them over eighty years ago.

Drusilla's eyes focused on her sire. No one moved. Everyone waited on Dru's reaction. Her mind called forth memories of her past. The dark rainy night she found them flooded her senses.

The rain steadily dripped from the ends of her wet hair. Smoke from the stove filled the room. Dinner burned to a charred mess. She could smell the damp wool of her cloak. Red. Everywhere there was red. Her shaky fingers touched the slick table. Her fingertips left tracks through the cold, heavy liquid. There was a slight metallic scent to the air. She had yet to realize her family lay slumped over the table. Their life blood dripping into pools beneath their chairs. Slowly she circled the table. The fingers of her right hand dragged across the cold corpses of her family. Her skirts brushed against their blood soaked bodies. She had come almost full circle around the table and stopped. One body wasn't slumped over. It sat upright. Ropes bound it to the chair. The shirt had been cut open. Eyes stared out at nothing. Beautiful violet eyes. The hair had been shorn off. It lay in discarded piles bathed in blood. Drusilla fell to her knees. Her hands mechanically picked up the fallen locks. They were once silvery blonde, but now they dripped crimson. She held the bloody tresses to her breast. One by one the tears filled her eyes and poured over onto her cheeks. It was so silent in the tiny house. She could hear the pings of rain against the window panes. No, not rain. Someone tapped against the glass. She found the window. He was there. Smiling ever so lovingly. Angelus.

"Noooo!" she screamed. Her focus returned to the present. In a rage, she flew at her sire. "You did it!" Her nails scratched at his face. "You did it!" She beat at his chest.

Willow rushed forward to grab at Dru. "Shhh. It's okay. It's over," she whispered. She tried to hold the flailing vampire in her arms. "It's not him. This isn't Angelus, Dru." Angel let Dru continue to scratch and hit him. He stood still. Spike, on the other hand, tried to reach Willow before Dru did anything. Willow felt Spike's hand on her shoulder. "Don't, Spike, please." Willow pressed herself against Dru's back. Her hands rested on her shoulders. She didn't want to try and restrain the disturbed vampiress. "Shhh. It's okay. It's over. It's not him. This isn't Angelus, Dru," she repeated quietly.

After about five minutes of Dru's rage, Willow's soothing words seem to have an effect. Either that or Dru just got tired. With a sob she fell to her knees. Willow held her from behind. Her hand stroked the ridges softly until they finally receded. She rocked the sobbing woman in her arms. She glanced up at Angel and Spike. Angel had scratches and bruises on his face and Spike just looked worried. "I told you guys not to come home early. Just go. I'll take care of Drusilla." When they didn't move she set her resolve face. "Go. We'll be fine."

Reluctantly, they both turned and left the two women alone.
Part 9

Willow saw Angel sitting at the table when she entered the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and removed the milk. She gathered a bowl from the cupboard and picked the box of Grape-Nuts off the counter. Setting everything on the table she took a seat. "What's wrong, Angel?" she asked as she poured the crunchy cereal into the bowl.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about the horrible things I did to Dru," he said quietly.

"Angelus."

He looked up at the red head as she poured the milk. "What?"

"I've spent a lot of time convincing Dru that you and Angelus are two separate people. I don't intend to do the same for you. Angelus did a lot of horrible things to everyone. Angel has done a lot of good things for people."

"Willow," he started. She set a firm resolve face in place. He sighed. "Fine. How is Dru doing?"

"Actually, she's doing pretty well. We spent most of last night talking about her past. She's not happy about most of it, but at least she's facing it." Willow scooped a large spoonful of crunchy kernels into her mouth. After she chewed and swallowed she set her spoon in the bowl. "I think you should go back to LA, Angel."

Startled he stared at the red head. "What do you mean? What about Kerod?"

Willow looked deep into his eyes. "Angel, we haven't found anything yet. I don't think we're going to either. At least not yet. If we do find something, I'll be sure to let you know, okay?"

"What about Cordy's vision?" he protested.

"I think that may have related to helping Drusilla. You've done that." She sighed. Moving to Angel's side of the table she knelt before him. Taking his hand in hers, she said, "Buffy has moved on with her life, Angel. You need to do the same."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said pulling his hand free.

"Yes, you do. Coming here had a second purpose. Buffy had to chose between loving you, but not having you and getting on with her life. Now I'm not going to say Riley is the be all end all of her existence, but she made her choice and you have to accept it. I won't tell you to forget about her or what you had together, but you need to get on with your life," she told him quietly.

"Just like that, huh? You have no idea what you're talking about."

Her green eyes lowered as she thought about her past loves, Xander and Oz. "I think I do. It's not easy, I'll admit that, but it does get better with time. A lot of time which is something you have an abundance of. Go back to LA and so some good there, kay?" She got to her feet and returned to her now mushy breakfast.

****

Spike found Angel brooding in the library. "Peaches, Willow said you were going back to LA."

"I guess."

Sitting across from his sire, Spike watched him closely. Willow hadn't said much of anything except that Angel was leaving. He'd spent the morning talking to Dru. She had changed from the loony babbling love of his life to a more serious and cautious woman he didn't know. "Don't sound like you want to leave."

"Willow told me to go home. Told me to get on with my life," he said. Looking up at his childe he asked, "Buffy had really gotten on with her life, hasn't she?"

"Pretty much. I suspect she'll always have a place for you in her heart, we all do, but she is trying to have a life," he explained. It was true that a small part of his unbeating heart belonged to his sire. Drusilla had occupied a large part of it, but that piece seemed to have grown a lot smaller as time past.

"I guess she's right. I still want to know if anything happens with this Kerod character," he said.

"I doubt Willow will forget about that."
Part 10

A few weeks later...

Willow brushed Drusilla's long dark hair. "So where is he taking you?"

"I'm not sure. He said he wanted it to be a surprise," she said with a smile. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Willow asked as she pulled the long strands into a French braid.

"Because you love him."

Willow's finger's paused a fraction of a second. "Okay. All done." She twisted a rubber band around the tail of the braid. "What are you going to wear?" she asked with a cheerfulness she didn't feel.

Drusilla let the topic slide. She walked over to the closet and dug through the new clothes she'd bought last week. "I'm not sure. What do you think I should wear?"

Willow joined her to select an outfit for Dru's date.

****

Spike looked at Drusilla. She looked beautiful walking in the moonlight. Her long black hair was pulled into a loose braid so tendrils floated around her face. Her bright blue eyes had a clarity he'd never seen. She used to be his dark goddess. She was the entire world to him. But that was before Willow.

Drusilla watched Spike out of the corner of her eye. He walked quietly beside her smoking his cigarette. He was quiet and pensive. Two things she never associated with Spike. He had always been loud and impatient. Willow had explained to her what the Initiative did to him, but Dru felt the changes had more to do with a certain red head than a little chip in his head. Strangely enough, she didn't feel the jealousy she expected to wash over her. She stopped in her tracks.

Spike continued a few more feet before he realized she wasn't beside him. "What is it, pet?" he asked as he walked back to her.

"It's not the same, is it?" She smiled sweetly.

Spike didn't pretend to misunderstand what she was asking. "No, it's not." He raised his hand and brushed the backs of his fingers against her cool cheek. "You'll always be my dark princess, though."

She tilted her head into his touch. "That's good. Willow loves you a lot, you know. More than she realizes."

"Really?" he asked hopefully.

****

Willow propped her history book on her knees. She stared blankly at the page. She'd read the same sentence five times and it still made no sense. Surrendering to the fact that she would get no studying done that night she closed the book and set it aside. With a sigh she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Why do all the guys I want want someone else? First it's Xander and Cordelia, then Oz and that bitch, Veruca. And Spike wants Drusilla. Course, he's always wanted Drusilla. Remember bottle in face, Will. I'm smart, pretty, and a lot of fun, damn it. Oz used to think so anyway. You're starting to depress yourself, Willow. And you're talking to yourself."

At the sound of the front door opening she looked up. "What are you doing back here, Spike?"

****

Drusilla gasped and put her hand to her head. "No, no, no."

Spike dropped his cigarette. His hands automatically grasped her shoulders. "What do you see, luv?"

She started to moan as if she was in pain. "He's got her. He's hurting her. He's there now."

Spike knew immediately whom she was talking about. "Where are they?"

"Home," she whimpered.

"Let's go," he said as he took her hand in his. Together they took off running back to Crawford street.

****

"I don't understand, Spike. Where's Dru?" Willow asked. A strange odor filled the room. She tried to place the scent.

"You need to come with me. Dru needs help," he said holding out his hand to her.

As she stepped closer to him the scent became stronger. His warm fingers closed around her wrist. She looked down at the long fingers gripping her wrist. *Even down to the nail polish,* she thought as she looked back up at his face. "Maybe we should call the others and they can help," she said as she tried to pull away.

"No. We have to hurry," he insisted. He pulled her out the door. His grip tightened even more.

"Spike, you're hurting me."

He stopped suddenly. Willow found herself pressed into his leather duster as she slumbered into his back. *Burnt almonds,* she thought as her brain located the scent he was giving off. She moved to the side. Spike and Drusilla stood in full game face. *Thank the goddess,* Willow sighed in relief.

"I'll give you a choice," the demon said in Spike's voice. "Pick which one you want to keep, the witch or the vamp, and I'll take the other."

Drusilla stepped forward to take Willow's place, but Spike held her back with a hand on her arm. "I've got a better idea, mate. I keep them both and you leave here alive."

The demon threw his head back and laughed. "I can kill you where you stand and take them both. Just being sporting, mate, since I only need one."

Willow swallowed hard. Keeping her eyes focused on Spike and Drusilla, she whispered, "Leave them alone and I'll go with you willingly."

The demon, still in Spike's face, looked down at the frightened red head. "Done." *As if I need your permission.*

She closed her eyes and whispered a small incantation to keep Spike and Drusilla frozen to the ground until she left.

He had felt her cast the spell. *She is indeed powerful,* he thought. Aloud, he said, "Come, pet. Things to do; people to destroy." They were gone before Spike could blink.

Once Willow left the courtyard, Spike and Drusilla stumbled as the spell lifted. Dru started to fret and tug at her hands. She would have followed, but Spike held her back. "Go call the others. I'm going to follow them. I'll check in," he said as he dropped a quick kiss to her forehead and pushed her toward the front door.

Drusilla hurried into the house to call the Watcher. When she heard his voice on the other end she yelled, "Watcher, he's got Willow."

"Drusilla?" Giles asked.

"He's got Willow. Hurry." She started pulling at a loose lock of hair.

"Who's got Willow?"

"That bad thing that hurt me. He looked like Spike."

"Where's Spike?"

Drusilla's frustration mounted. "Trying to find her," she yelled as she threw the phone against the wall. Tiny bits of plastic rained down on the floor. *Willow's going to be mad at me for that,* she thought as she began pacing. *Got to wait for those idiots.*
Part 11

Buffy was the first one through the door. Spotting Drusilla pacing frantically around the room, she rushed over to her. "What happened?" Dru stopped her movements and turned to face the Slayer. "I saw him hurting her. We've got to find her." She brushed passed the blonde to head for the door.

Giles grabbed at her arm. "Drusilla, wait. We need to know what happened first."

She glared at the hand restraining her. "You people talk too much. He has Willow."

"We know that, Drusilla," Giles sighed, but didn't release his hold on her. "But we need to know what we're getting into first. The sooner you tell us the sooner we can get Willow back."

"Fine." Dru shook off the Watcher's hold on her arm. "Spike and I were out. I saw him hurting Willow."

"You had a vision?" Giles interrupted.

Buffy, Anya and Dru rolled their eyes. "Yes. We came back here. He looked like Spike, but wasn't. He offered Spike an exchange. Willow for me."

"And Viagra didn't take it?" Xander asked, earning him a slap across the back of his head from Anya. "What?"

"I tried to take her place. Then we couldn't move. Willow said she'd go willingly if he didn't hurt us. When they were gone we could move again. Can we go now?"

Before Giles could delay again, Buffy grabbed Dru's hand and pulled her out of the mansion. "Can you find Spike?"

"Of course. He would have called, but I broke the phone," she said as she began pulling the Slayer after her.

"How is Spike tracking her?" Riley asked as he jogged beside them.

"Not Willow. Him. He smelled," Dru explained.

"Smelled? Smelled how?" Buffy asked. She glanced over her shoulder. The others were keeping up, but barely. She slowed the pace just a bit.

"I don't know. He just smelled." She paused to get her bearings on Spike. Turning left she led them down a side street.

"Was it a bad smell?" Riley asked.

"No. He smelled like..." She paused trying to place the scent she remembered.

"Burnt almonds." Anya supplied as she moved closer to the group.

"I guess." Dru crossed the street and turned right.

"How do you know?" Buffy asked.

"It's Kerod. He's a Dhoric demon. Sometimes they smell like burnt almonds," she explained.

"And there's a reason for this?" Xander asked.

"Sure."

"Well," he prompted when she didn't continue.

"I'm thinking."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Anya, you have a memory like a sieve," she muttered.

"Oh, and you're just little Miss Encyclopedia," she shot back. "I haven't run across a Dhoric demon in over five hundred years, thank you very much."

"If you people could just make a little more noise, I don't think they heard you in Guam yet," Spike said as he stepped out of the shadows.

Drusilla threw herself into his arms. "Did you find her?"

Spike pushed the wild strands of hair away from her face. "You keep pulling at you're hair and you'll go bald." Looking at the others, he said, "I didn't find her exactly, but I found the fortress where he's tucked her away."

"Uh oh," Anya muttered. She just remembered the reason Dhoric demons smelled like burnt almonds.

Xander glanced at his girlfriend. "Uh oh, what?"

"I just remembered why Dhoric demons smell like that. Or more precisely when they smell that way," she said quietly.

Everyone's attention turned to the ex-vengeance demon. Buffy acted as spokesperson for the group. "When?"

"When they're in heat," she said with a slight cringe.

"You mean..." Riley couldn't even bring himself to finish the question.

"Was it really strong?" she asked the two vampires. They both nodded. "He's ready. He's picked his mate."

"But Willow's human," Buffy tried to reason.

"Well, actually, Buffy, many demons require a human host to reproduce. In fact,.." Giles said matter of factly.

The Slayer held up her hand to stop him. "Giles, not interested in demon sex ed, kay?"

"Besides all Dhoric demons are male. At least I've never seen a female. They only go into heat about every four hundred years. We need to hurry. After the mating, he will stick her into his home dimension for safe keeping until the baby's born," Anya explained.

"How long does that take?" Giles asked. He'd never heard of this demon. *Of course, being a shape shifter, we may have encountered them and just not know it,* he rambled silently to himself.

"About fifty years."

"What are we standing around flapping our gobs for?" Spike demanded. He was ready, willing, and able to kick some demon ass. Especially this one. *If he's harmed one hair on her head, they'll have to mop him off the floor with a sponge.*

****

Her shoulder muscles burned. Her hands lost feeling about an hour ago. He chained her in a small barren cell. She didn't even have the luxury of leaning against the wall since the shackled hung from the center of the ceiling. The worst thing he'd done so far was to set a clock on the wall directly in front of her. Each click of the second hand echoed through her head. The door opened behind her. Willow forced herself to stand up straighter.

He chuckled at her show of spunk. *It won't last long, but it's amusing nonetheless,* he thought. He circled the red head slowly. Willow kept her eyes focused straight ahead. Each time he passed in front of her line of sight he changed shape. Drawing out of her mind the people she loved the most.

"Defiance will do you no good." Spike. "I will break you." Xander. "Just like all the others before you." Giles. "You will beg for mercy." Angel. "You will bleed." Drusilla. "Then I will throw you away." Oz.

He stopped before her. She looked into the face that had caused her so much pain. Her fingers gripped the chains tightly. With a strength she didn't know she possessed, she lifted herself up and kicked out with both feet. The soles of her shoes hit him full in the face throwing him back against the wall.

He released his form and reverted to his true nature. He raised a clawed hand to his mouth and wiped the purple blood from his lip. "For that you will pay dearly." He moved behind her.

Willow tried to turn, but the short chains gave her little leverage to move. She gasped out in pain as his claws cut through the skin on her back. She held back her cries of pain as he continued to cut at her back. Blood filled her mouth as she bit the inside of her cheek.

He stopped suddenly. He returned to the spot in front of her. Defiantly she raised her head. Although tears flowed freely down her face, anger sparked in her emerald eyes. She gathered the blood in her mouth and spit at him. Her aim was true. The bloody spittle hit him square in the face. Annoyed he wiped his face and left the room. *Maybe, she's a little too spirited,* he thought as he locked the door.

One of his vampire minions rushed up to him. "There are intruders in the compound, my lord."

"Why haven't they been taken care of?"

"It's the Slayer and her friends," he said in explanation.

"So?"

"You have one of her friends locked in a cell. There's no way any of us are leaving here alive." He'd lived in Sunnydale long enough to know not to mess with the Slayer and her gang.

"You fear this Slayer more than me?"

The vampire paused for a second to weigh his options. "Yes." At that he turned and ran for safety.
Part 12

Kerod stood in the shadows watching this so-called Slayer and her friends beat the shit out of his minions. He reached out with his mind to find out more about his enemies. Buffy, the Slayer, and Riley, the soldier, concentrated on the demons. They worked in sycronicity. Each moving in concert with the other. The tall naturally blonde man distracted Kerod's brother while Buffy ran a sword through his back. *Dershod always was an idiot,* he thought as he continued to watch the mayhem.

He spotted the one that got away. Her dark hair swirled around her head as she spun the vampire in her grip around. Her golden eyes were almost feral. She trust him onto a broken table. One of the broken pieces pierced his heart and he burst into a cloud of dust. Picking up another make-shift stake she set about ending the unlives of others of her kind. She fought with a passion Kerod never during her stay with him. She staked three more vampires before making her way to the bleached blonde vampire fighting with one of the lesser demons who worked for him.

He scanned the mind of the vicious killer. His was an image prominent in both the vampiress and the red headed witch. Spike. That was his name. Kerod shifted forms to match the object of their affections.

As quickly as his minions were dropping at their hands he had to come up with a plan to get out of here alive. He moved quickly into the fray. With only a little relish he started taking out his own troops. He bumped into the short blonde woman.

"Spike, help Xander," she said as she returned her attention to the demon who had her boyfriend in a choke hold.

He moved his way to the dark headed youth. Efficiently he staked the vampire attempting to bit him.

"Thanks, Spike," Xander said as he was released.

Kerod felt something knock into him. He turned and came face to face with the image he mimicked.

Spike stared at his own reflection. At least what he assumed his reflection would look like since he didn't have one. He could smell Willow's blood on him. With a growl he threw himself at the demon who had caused her pain. The two of them tumbled head over heels. Both of them hit each other with equal amounts of force.

Buffy looked around for more demons and vamps, but only saw bodies and piles of dust littering the floor. Out of the corner of her eye she saw black leather struggling on the floor. Figuring Spike was in trouble she ran across the room to help. The others had gathered in a loose circle around the pair. Her mouth dropped open when she realized they now had one more Spike then they came with. She noticed Dru wringing her hands. "Go get those chains over there," she told Riley pointing to a pile of chains lying in the corner.

Once he brought them over, Buffy handed one set to Giles and the other to Xander. "Riley, you grab one and I'll grab the other. You guys, get ready to chain them up."

Riley stepped forward to grab the Spike on top and Buffy picked up the other Spike. Both Spikes struggled to reach each other. Xander assisted Buffy in wrapping her Spike up and shackling his hands behind his back. Giles did the same with Riley's Spike.

Once the two look alikes where firmly confined, everyone stepped back to figure out which was the real Spike. "Anybody got any ideas?" Buffy asked.

"I say we stake 'em both and see what happens," Xander offered. Everyone gave him a dirty look. "There's no such thing as a bad idea," he said in defense.

"Dru, can you tell?" she asked.

The dark vampiress looked between the two Spikes. The looked the same, they even smelled the same. That was how she could tell before. "No. They smell the same."

"Great. Okay. Anya, Drusilla, go find Willow. We'll get this sorted out, cuz I'm only putting up with one Spike," the Slayer ordered.

The ex-demon followed Drusilla down the dark hallway to dungeons. They found a ring of keys hanging conveniently on a hook at the entrance. Drusilla sniffed the air and pulled the shorter woman after her. At a door towards the end of the long hall, Dru stopped. "This one," she said simply. Stepping back she allowed Anya room to fit a key into the door.

Anya tried to turn the key, but it wouldn't budge. Quickly she moved onto the next and the next and the next until they were down to two keys. Slipping the metal key into the slot she turned it and the door opened. The two of them looked in horror what they found. Willow hung by her arms; her shirt was in tatters. The cuts on her back had only just started to slow their bleeding.

"Willow?" Anya called softly.

The tired red head lifted her head. *He's back. I'll be damned if I let him get to me,* she told herself.

Anya saw her lift her head. Slowly she moved into the room and moved to stand in front of her. "Willow?" She was surprised by the hatred she saw in those green eyes. Drusilla joined her. Taking the keys from her hand, Dru reached up to try them in the shackles.

"It's over, my little tree. I'll take care of _you_ this time," she said gently as she slipped the key into the lock. With a click that echoed through the room, Willow fell into Drusilla's waiting arms.

Supported between the two women, Willow stumbled down the corridor. Anya paused before entering the main room. "Willow, just so you know, we seem to have two Spikes and no one seems to be able to tell them apart," Anya explained not wanting to shock the poor girl.

Willow nodded and they entered the room. Both Spikes struggled against their bonds when they saw Willow enter the room. Willow paused to look at the two of them. "Do we know how to kill Kerod?" she asked quietly.

"Yes. Sword through the heart," Anya answered.

"Good. Dru, you grab the sword. As much as I'd like to kill him myself, you deserve to do it," she said.

"Can you tell which is the real one?" Dru asked. She wanted to be sure before she thrust a sword through the wrong Spike.

"Not yet, but I will." She gathered her strength and pulled way from her support. She walked slowly to where everyone was gathered. Buffy and Riley held them down.

"Willow..."

"Not now, Buffy."

She reached out and touched Riley's Spike on the cheek. Then she did the same to Buffy's. She searched their eyes for some indication which one was her's. Dru stood directly behind her, sword ready. Turning her back on them both, she closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. After a few moments she released it in a sigh and opened her eyes. She looked directly at Dru. She gave her a silent signal before speaking. "Buffy, let him go."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes." She heard the chains rattle as the Slayer unlocked them.

Spike shook the chains off himself. Standing he moved closer to the red head. "Good work, pet," he said quietly.

The other Spike closed his eyes in despair. Drusilla stepped forward and thrust the sword into the demon's heart. Opening his eyes he saw the demon stumble back before releasing his form and falling to the ground dead.

"Riley, I think you can let him go now," Willow said before falling into a dead faint.
Part 13

Willow slept restlessly. She felt a cool hand stroke her cheek. Opening her eyes she saw Spike kneeling beside the bed. He rested his chin on the mattress to watch her sleep. "Hi," she said in a croak. Her throat was sore and parched.

Spike reached for the glass of water on the nightstand. "Here drink this, pet," he said as he helped her sit up and take a few sips of the refreshing water.

"That feels good," she said in a more normal voice. "How long?"

"A couple days. Dru's been taking care of you." He helped her arrange the pillows behind her so she could lie back. Her back was still sore but tolerable. "You passed out before I could thank you. How did you know which one was me? Drusilla couldn't even tell."

Willow lowered her eyes to her lap. "I did an Einey Miney," she said quietly.

"You did what?"

"You know. Einey miney miney moe," she said as she looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Figured I had a fifty fifty chance."

He stared at her in disbelief. *She used a child's game to decide which one to run the sword through?*

"Well, sort of. He forgot one thing when he tried to mimic you."

"What was that?"

"You don't have a body temperature, he did," she said with a slight grin.

"Well, why the bloody hell didn't the others figure that out?" he asked.

"I didn't say he had a human body temp. It was just slightly above yours. Dru would have probably figured it out."

"Yeah, I guess. I'm still not to happy about what you did," he stated as he brushed her hair out of her face.

"What did I do?"

"You went with him."

"I didn't want him to hurt Drusilla. Or you," she replied quietly.

"I know, but it scared me. I know what he did to Dru. And I couldn't bear the thought that he would do those things to you," he said gently.

Her green eyes raised to met his. "Really?"

"Of course. Dru was weak in the mind, but she has a vampire's body. You're body is much more fragile." He picked up her hand and caressed the bandage wrapped around her wrist. "You have the strongest mind and spirit I've ever know. I hate to think of the things he would have had to do to you to break that spirit. I don't think you're body would hold out that long."

A shy smile lit her face. A thought interrupted her moment of joy. "But Drusilla isn't crazy anymore. At least not like she was before," she reminded him.

Spike recognized the subtle shift in the conversation. "True. She is a lot stronger. Thanks to you. And I do love her."

Willow adverted her gaze to the bed spread.

"I will always love her." He kept his gaze focused on the beautiful red head. "But I don't love her like the way I love you." He waited for her response.

Willow heard the word, but they took a while for them to sink in. She looked him straight in the eye. "You love me?"

A crooked grin spread over his face. "Of course I love you. You think I came over here that first night for Drusilla?"

"Sure. I mean that's all you ever talked about. Getting Dru back. Remember bottle in the face?"

Spike threw back his head and laughed. "I remember."

"It wasn't _that_ funny."

"No, I suppose it wasn't. It took a long time, but you found a spot in my heart that Dru never touched," he said more seriously.

"I love you, too."

He smiled before leaning forward to press a kiss to her lips.

*****

Drusilla moved away from the bedroom door with a smile on her face. Her vision had come to pass. Her friend and lover had found each other. Things were as they should be. She picked up the bag she had packed with her clothes. Retrieving Miss Edith from her seat on the couch, Dru looked down at her doll. "See. I told you everything would work, Miss Edith. Let's go make Daddy happy again." Without a word to anyone she left Sunnydale behind and headed to LA.

THE END
 

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