Forgiveness

        Spike looked at the Willow as she hung up the phone. She
was far enough away that his vampiric hearing couldn't pick up
the conversation she had just held. He looked quizzically at her,
wondering to whom she had been talking to. He asked her as much.
"So, who were you talking to?"

        She looked at him and smiled. "Your old pal… Angel.
Actually, he gave me some good advice. I plan to follow it."

        "Really, luv? And what's that?" Spike asked, only
partially interested in what advice Angel had to offer.

        Willow looked at him and ignored the question. She took

a deep breath, knowing what she would have to do to in order get

him out of his current state. "Spike- I need you to tell me about

yourself and the things that you did to people." She sat down on

the couch next to him, looking expectantly at him.

        Spike gazing down at the floor said to her quietly, "Why

do you want to know?"

        'You can do this, Rosenberg,' she reminded herself.
"Because I do. Tell me."

        "No." For the first time in a week his voice sounding
something besides indifferent or sad.

        "Tell me, Spike. Tell me about all the people you maimed,
tortured, and killed."

        Images flashed through Spike's head like a motion picture
in fast forward. He grabbed his head, trying to will the images
away. "Why are you doing this?"

        "Because you need to get through this. You need to move
beyond so you can help someone else besides yourself. Tell me."

        A young girl left bloody on the sidewalk after she walked
out of a candy shop. A lanky man with a large overcoat, trembling
as Spike told him he was going to die before he tortured him. A
puppy. A newly married couple. The endless wake of dead bodies
was coming back to haunt him still. Spike's body began to
tremble. "No! So many lives!" Tears ran down Spike's face.
"Please. I- I can't. I can't begin to redeem myself-"

        Willow began to doubt her method. Maybe she should have
just told him directly that she loved him. She decided to wait a
few more minutes. "Spike tell me." She again prodded, placing her
hands gently on his shoulder. "You will never forget, but you can
ease the pain."

        "Why should I? You don't care!" Anger slowly filling up
his voice.

        'Ah, ha! It's working!!!' the witch thought to herself.
"But I do care, Spike. I do."

        "Why do insist on caring? Leave. Me. Alone!" Spike
yelled at her, a wild look of desperation on his face.

        "Why do I care Spike? Why do I care? I love you. Okay? I
love you. It's that simple." She really hoped that this worked.
"I love you, Spike."

        Spike looks at her blankly. The anger and sadness in his
voice gone, only indifference left in his voice. His eyes were
like a black void that one could get lost in forever. There was
no hope in them. "Then you don't love me. That demon is dead. The
creature you loved is Spike. The one thing that represents
everything I hated about myself. He killed everyone, he harmed
the innocents. Babies, doctors, nuns. It didn't matter. In the
end they all ended up pale, blood drained, rotting corpses lying
on the earth, their lives ended too fast. So the person…no wait,
the thing, you loved is gone. Go morn for his death, because the
only remnant of him is a shell, a casing, the body. It means
nothing anymore." He slit his arm, letting blood pour to prove
his point. "This is William now, nothing more." He looked at the
wall, staring at a print of Van Gogh, as more deaths flashed by,
including his own.

        Willow didn't expect the conversation to take this turn.
This was much more scarier than before, when he just sat on the
couch. There was much more at risk. "No. The creature I love is
not dead." She walked over to Spike edging around him once
slowly, making sure she caught his attention.

"I fell in love with the man, never the demon. The man is still
in there," she continued, touching his chest gently. "He is still
in you."

For the briefest of moments, acknowledgement flashed on his face.
Then Spike returned to his

stoic, empty expression. "They were one in the same."

"No, they weren't." she insisted urgently, tears stinging her
eyes. "The demon was someone who wanted to hunt and kill. The
demon was the one that needed to possess, protect, own, take. The
man was the one who would tell me stories, make jokes about
things to cheer me up, and hugged me when I needed to be hugged.
That was the man. That was you." She reached up slowly to wrap
her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss, reassuring
him. He surprised her by kissing her back, gently, tenderly. "I
need you to be there for me." She whispered as she pulled him
back down for another kiss. "Be there for me. I love you."

~~~~~~~~~

Part 6 is missing

~~~~~~~~~

Willow's head hurt. She closed her eyes, trying to remember how she got
there. Slowly, the memories came back to her, the images floating through
her mind in a haphazard pattern. It didn't quite make sense yet. She
remembered answering the doorbell, and seeing someone. She just couldn't
remember who that someone was. A fight ensued and a lamp was shattered on
her head. Then blackness.

Willow studied the grey concrete walls surrounding her, concentrating
trying to remember who it was that put her there. She couldn't think of a
single person that would want to harm her, besides the normal evilness
lurking on the Hellmouth. The blank face started to form a coherent image
and Willow shivered as she suddenly recalled who kidnapped her.

"Drucilla." She whispered to herself.

"Yes. That's me." Drucilla came out of the corner, smiling as she held a
teapot in her hand. The brunette vampire walked up closely to the witch, her
face mearly inches from Willow's, the same crazy smile never leaving her
face. "Would you like some tea?"

Willow looked at the mad women standing before her. It amazed her that
Drucilla sounded so child-like whenever words came out of her mouth. Minutes
passed, the vampire setting up a table for afternoon tea. Willow realized
she still hadn't answered her. "No. What is it- What do you want from me?"

Drucilla ignored the redhead's question. "It's too bad you don't want tea.
I made it so nice and pretty. The stars said you wouldn't want any though."
Dru sat down at the table, a cup of tea in her hands. She sipped it
methodically, a sinister grin coming across her face. She placed down the
china and continued with Willow. "You know, you and I are going to have such
fun together."

"I doubt that." Willow proclaimed defiantly, struggling at the chains.

Dru laughed. "Oh, but we are. I have lots of good games planned for us. It
will be fun, I promise you. Spikey won't even know you are gone."

At Spike's name, Willow cursed. So this is what it was all about. "Spike?
What does he have to do with this?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

Dru lost her composure and stood up again, waltzing over to the redhead
with an invisible partner, then bopping Willow's nose with her finger,
giving a knowing grin. "The stars told me everything, little tree. My Spikey
left me."

Willow shook her head. "No. You left him, remember?"

Dru tilted her head curiously. "No, little tree. He was always my Spikey.
He belonged to me. Angel was daddy. We were a beautiful family. Going around
to parties, killing all the beautiful woman and handsome men. Daddy used to
really enjoy killing the rich men. Then someone took my Angel away. And now
you took my Spikey too. I am all alone. I have no one."

Drucilla looked so sad, Willow almost felt bad for her. She seemed like
such an innocent child, scared and confused. Obviously a result of Angelus's
constant torturing and brainwashing. Willow knew that Drucilla was his
biggest achievement. The finest victim of his torturing. He held on to her
like a prized possession when he lost his soul. She almost felt bad. Almost.
Drucilla continued to rant on, however.

"But not to worry, little tree. There will be games. Lots and lots of
games. Do you want to her a secret?" The vampire leaned into the ear of
Willow and whispered, almost as if others could hear her. "The stars told me
he's coming. My Spikey will be here soon. His pain will end and his
suffering will cease. I can already feel it lifting."

She giggled and continued on, waltzing around yet again, her arms raised
towards the ceiling. "Yes. Lots and lots of games. I like to play games.
Games with blood and suffering." She paused, looking at Willow, who in
return just stared blankly. "Oh, don't worry, my little tree. You won't
remember your death."

Drucilla then walked over to the tea table again, and lifted up a cup. "Are
you sure you wouldn't like some tea?"

Spike raced through the town in his Desoto, feeling more alive than he had in
the past three weeks. Anger raced through his veins. Whatever Dru has done to
his Willow, he would make sure she would pay for it. No one touches his
Willow. He may have a soul now, but that didn't mean he didn't feel just as
possessive as before.
      His thoughts were geared towards one thing only. Getting Willow back safe. He
knew where Drucilla was, she wanted him to find her. She was jealous. As he
turned a corner, the old warehouse came into plain view, looking dark and
ominous as usual. He hopped out of the car, stomping on the half-burnt
cigarette he had been smoking. Spike entered the house, listening for any
signs of the crazy vampire.
      He followed his instincts, his body moving through various hallways and
corridors. Finally, he came upon a small room, filled with the scent of
Willow. He walked in cautiously, aware that this may be a trap. At the far end
of the room, lie Willow, a little beaten and bloody, but nothing too, too bad
as far as Spike could tell. Still, enragement filled him at seeing the girl so
helpless. He rushed over to her, holding his face in his hands. "Are you
alright, Luv?"
      Willow looked up. She smiled slightly. "I'll be okay. Spike- Drusilla is
here. It's a trap. You have to get out of here." she whispered.
      "Shhh. I'm not leaving without you. Let me get you out of this thing first."
Spike unlatched the chains, and held up Willow's unsteady body, resting her
weight on him. Spike lifted her up, holding the petite girl in his arms,
placing a kiss on her forehead.
      Dru walked around the corner, a smile on her face yet again. "My Spikey is
back. I knew you would come back for the witch. The stars told me."
      Spike lowered Willow to the ground, with a look of understanding passing
between them. Willow walked to the corner of the room by the door, observing
the two former lovers.
      "Dru- no bloody stars told you anything." He stared at the brunette vampire
hard, his eyes boring holes into hers. "I found your 'Prezzie'. Whatever is
going on, leave Red out of it."
      Drucilla cocked her head to the side in curiosity. "You love little tree,
don't you? You have feelings for a mortal. Daddy was right. You are weak." She
practically spat out in anger, then her face softened and she walked to Spike
once more. "But I can make it all better. I can make you happy-"
      She reached out a hand to touch him, and he pushed it away. "No. You. Can't.
I don't need your help. Dru- stay away."
      Spike turned to head back to Willow. Drucilla then charged at the blond vamp
with all her strength, knocking him over. Spike got up and glared at her,
trying to push his demon back, to remain calm. Dru in the meantime, grabbed
Willow, bearing her neck.
      "You are weak." The brunette began to laugh. "I was going to save her for
later- so you and I could share. Remember? Daddy always said you had to share-
that is why you shared me."
      Spike tried to concentrate on the situation at hand. However, he found
himself drifting back to memories of Angelus stealing Dru away, torturing her,
while he sat there, powerless to stop him. Then more images flooded him, of
all the killings Dru and him did together, of Prague, of finally coming to
Sunnydale. Finally, the last image was of his death. Staring into those
molasses eyes while she sucked the very life essence out of him. Spike rushed
over to Dru.
      "I am weak?" Spike laughed. "Not bloody likely." In one stroke, he pulled
Willow away from the vampiress again. "And if I am weak- it isn't because of
Red. She is my savior. You are my weakness. You created the demon- the monster
inside of me." With each word he edged closer to her cold body. "You taught me
how to kill, you were the one who gave me my first taste of blood."
      Dru whimpered slightly as Spike towered over her. She glanced up at the
ceiling and smiled. "The stars say to let you choose. Little tree or me?" She
looked over Spike's shoulder at the redhead, meeting her eyes. "We could have
such fun together. Listening to her scream. Spikey can do whatever he wants
with little tree…"
      Spike smiled at Dru. "Yes, he could. But he won't." He replied, taking the
stake he had hidden out of his duster pocket. He remembered the words he had
said outloud as he was about to kill himself earlier that year. "Goodbye Dru.
See you in hell."
      Spike plunged the stake deep into her unbeating heart, into the core of her
being. He looked into her eyes, seeing so many emotions play through them at
once in that dying moment. Hate, anger, betrayal, sorrow, pity, and surprise
all echoed in those soft brown orbs. But perhaps what surprised him most, was
the innocence. It was then he realized that she was just as much a victim as
he had been. A creation made by Angelus, never realizing the weight of her
actions, the pious girl who was tortured and killed all those years ago.
      Then, as quickly as her eyes pleaded with him, they were gone. Her body
transformed into ash, falling on the hard concrete ground. Spike stepped over
the ashes, over the past, to Willow.
      She smiled, unsure about the events that had just past. She wasn't quite sure
what to say. "You… you just…" she paused for a second, hugging him for a
moment. "Are you okay?"
      Spike didn't answer- instead he bent down and kissed her softly, tenderly. He
led her out of the room, letting himself take one more glance at it before
leaving the warehouse forever. His redemption had begun.

The End

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