***********************************************************
Part 1

Willow frowned as she searched the shelves of Giles' magick
shop. She had volunteered to close-up so she could
find a certain magick text. It was an obscure book that she
had seen only once.
She had run across it while researching some demon, when
Giles realized what she was reading he had quickly
taken it out of her hands, saying that text would contain
nothing of value. But, she had seen a spell that just might
be helpful now. "Yes!" she said happily as she found it on
the shelf.
Willow sat behind the counter and quickly found the passage
that she sought. To Beckon a Vampire. She assumed
the spell's purpose was to use the services of the vampire.
Willow laughed at the absurdity of it. Who would want to
attract one? Willow knew she could accomplish this by
taking a late night walk with a fresh paper cut. No magick
necessary! The author obviously hadn't lived on the
Hellmouth.
Willow bit her lip as she translated. The spell was written
in French and she was having trouble with some of the
verbs. She worked through the spell slowly. Willow assessed
her translated text and figured out how to reverse the
intent. It was a now a spell. . .To Repel a Vampire. She
thought this might be the strangest summoning spell she had
ever seen. Some of the ingredients were also used in love
spells. She shrugged it off, intent on her work. Actually,
it
made sense in theory. One should be able to stimulate an
attraction of any kind with the ingredients of a love
spell.
She assembled all the necessary herbs and magickal tools
she needed. She poured a circle of salt around her on the
floor and lit three off-white candles. Willow looked around
nervously, looking for any sign of her friends. If anyone
knew I was going to dabble in powerful magick myself again.
. .Goddess, I'd be in trouble for a month. She
shuddered to think how many cookies she would need to bake
to rectify that. But Willow knew that this spell was
vital and she felt like she had the necessary power and
experience to control it.
She thought about the events of the last few days as she
spread out her athame, incense burner, and herbs in
preparation. Spike had kidnapped Buffy and professed his
love for her, Buffy was incensed, and Spike had almost
let Drusilla kill the slayer. Buffy and the rest of the
Scooby gang had refused to have any further dealings with
Spike until his fixation subsided. There was also Glory.
Everyone was afraid that she would realize that Dawn was
"The Key." Buffy was nearly powerless against the
Hellgodess. Willow shook her head . Right now, they needed
all the help they could get, even Spike's reluctant ,
cash-induced help. Her decision made, she knelt in the
center of
the small circle and began to perform the ritual.
******
Willow could feel the energy flowing through her. It made
her skin tingle and her heart beat faster. She gazed at her
hand and could make out a slight silvery aura around it. As
she came to the end of the spell, she spoke the awkward
words. She had wondered if this spell was devised by some
lawyer who played in magick. "Any vampire in this
vicinity who harbors love and affection for the slayer
shall have that emotion replaced by dislike and distaste. .
."
Willow didn't want Spike to hate Buffy, they needed his
help. He had always disliked the slayer. Willow peered at
the spell book. What came next? Something caught her
attention, a small handwritten note which had fallen out of
the book. It must have slipped from the appropriate place
when the book was shelved. It was Giles' handwriting and
simply said "Do not use! Vampire Love Spell."
"Oh no. It's not a summoning spell. . .love magick." she
said softly. Uh-oh, I've had awful experiences in love
magick. I just reversed a vampire love spell, so it was a
vampire hate spell now? She began to panic, she needed to
balance the energies that she was working with. She
couldn't replace love with dislike. Dislike was too weak.
Love
was only equal to hate. Unless. . .I'm a genius! She could
channel that love to another person. Make the vampire
fall in love with someone else! "May the vampire transfer
his or her affections to the first suitable prospect." The
intensity problem was solved and her dislike portion of the
spell was just an added request.
*******
The next evening Willow carefully made her way to Spike's
crypt. She knocked on the heavy door.
"Hold on a bloody minute!" Came the vampire's voice from
other side. "Who is it? " No one I know knocks. Better
not be one of those bleedin' salesman that had always
knocked on Giles' door. If so, whoever it was would get a
nasty surprise.
The door swung open to reveal Spike, clad only in his
trademark black jeans and in full demon face.
"Hi, Spike." She didn't even blink at his appearance..
"It's nice to see you!"
"Oh, really?" He said peevishly as he reverted to his human
features. " I wasn't aware we were on speaking terms,
luv."
Just the other day, the Scooby gang had shunned him in the
magick shop and told him to never come back. "I didn't
make that decision. Giles decreed. . ."
She noticed that Spike was not listening to what she had
said. He just gaped at her, his expression unreadable.
"Come in, Willow." She did, taking in the view. Eww. A
crypt. Complete with bones. Buffy had told her about it but
she had never actually been here.
"I'm sorry, Spike. About the other day, I mean. I want you
to know that I stood up for you, but I was overruled."
Willow had tried to talk her friends out of it. She never
thought anyone should be punished for their feelings.
"It's okay, luv." Spike was putting away some clothes into
a drawer, but he was still watching her as he did so.
"Are you alright?" Willow thought he looked dazed. "Are you
sick?" Vampires didn't get sick ,did they?
"No, I'm fine. Have a seat." He pointed to the couch. She
did so and he sat down next to her. She was so beautiful.
Spike reached out a hand to touch her face and then
stopped. Willow didn't notice because she still studied her
surroundings. Why did I waste all this bloody effort on the
stupid slayer when she was right here the whole time?
Red was intelligent, kind, thoughtful. . .
"So. . .how have you been?" Still want to sleep with Buffy?

"Fine. A little lonely." He gave her half-hearted smile.
Spike knew what he was doing, knew she couldn't resist this
tactic.
She placed her hand on his arm and gave him a comforting
squeeze. "Oh, Spike, I'm sorry. I am sure this whole
thing will blow over soon."
"I'm sure you're right, Red." This is the kind of girl I
should be with. He wouldn't follow her around as he had
done
the slayer. Spike knew that Willow responded to directness.
There was a wildness in her that she never allowed to
completely surface. She had trembled as he held her pinned
beneath him on her dorm room bed but something in
her answered his call. She would have asked him to turn
her. Willow would have been mine. . .will be mine.
Sensing some inner turmoil in Spike, Willow had kept
silent. But unable to bear the tension, she blurted out.
"Do you still love Buffy?"
"Why? Are you jealous, pet?" The smile he gave her was
wicked. Spike knew what that smile did to women. He
waited a few moments for her to compose herself. When she
didn't respond he winked at her knowingly.
Woah! He just winked. Something in his eye? "No. I was
just. . .curious. No reason at all."
He leaned forward "No, luv, I've moved on, as that idiot
Watcher put it. I don't even like the slayer now. "
Willow beamed at him. The spell worked -- yippeee! I'm a
good witch. The next thing she knew, Spike pressed his
mouth to hers and kissed her hungrily. Wait a minute?! No!
I'm a bad witch, a bad witch who will be baking
cookies for eternity. She pushed him back.
"What? Oh, I'm sorry, luv. You need to breathe. I forgot.
Won't happen again." He leaned forward.
She jumped up. "Spike? Listen to me. I did a spell -"
"Shhh, luv. The only thing that matters is this." He pulled
her into his arms and kissed her again. Willow put her
hands on his chest to push again. Feels like marble, so
smooth and hard. . .Nasty thoughts! She pushed again and
he let her put a few inches of space between them. He
pressed his forehead to hers. "Oh, Willow. I -" Time to go,
Willow! Reverse that spell pronto! Well, maybe just another
kiss. . .
"I have to go now, Spike. I will see you later." After I've
reversed this spell and taken a cold shower. Buffy might be
able to resist the blond vampire but Willow was having
trouble. Before Spike could protest she was already out the
door.

*******

Willow wracked her brain as she swiftly walked to the shop.
What did I do wrong? She hadn't specified herself as
the object of vampire attention, she didn't even think
about herself when performing the ritual, a mistake some
novices made. The phrase " first suitable prospect" came
into her mind. Oh, no! Wait a minute - ‘I'm suitable?'
She shouted to the sky, "What is wrong with you? I'm not
‘suitable' for a vampire!"
"Why not?" a deep voice asked.
She swung around to see Angel leaning against a tree.
"Angel!"
He stepped into the light of the street lamp and held out
his arms. She hugged him and was about to step back when
he pulled her closer. "What's wrong, Willow? Why were you
shouting?"
She pressed her face into the front of his shirt. "I'm an
idiot, Angel! They are going to be so angry with me. I
performed this ritual. . .and then I was visiting Spike and
then he. . .and then he kissed me. I'm in so much trouble."

"Kissed you?" Angel snapped.
"Yes. Well, it was kind of nice - I mean, it just happened.
No big deal. It's not like I liked it or anything. Um. .
.Angel, could you let me go?" His hold had tightened on
her.
She pulled back and looked up into his face. His eyes were
so intense, that familiar sadness. . .and. . . what was
wrong with him? Where had she seen that expression before?
Spike! Oh, no! This just got worse, much worse. With
a sinking feeling she asked,"How long have you been in
town?"
"I've been here since last night." Willow just about passed
out. Spike hadn't been the only vampire in town with
feelings for the slayer. Buffy will NEVER forgive me for
this. He bent to kiss her.
She put her fingertip to his mouth. "No, you can't do this.
What about Buffy? Or. . . don't you have a new girlfriend
in LA? What about your soul? " She added desperately.
"Buffy?" He seemed distracted. " I don't won't to talk
about her right now. There is no one else. As for my soul,
I
now this is wrong but I just can't seem to stop myself.
Just one kiss. " He kissed her finger before removing it
and
leaning in to kiss her mouth. "Willow, my Willow." he
muttered against her mouth.
"MY Willow, peaches. Hands off!" Spike appeared behind
Angel. Before the older vampire knew what was
happening, he was laying on the ground.
Spike smiled at Willow. "Sorry, luv, I had to get dressed.
Took me awhile to catch up." She groaned.
Angel stood up and Spike whirled around to face him. "Come
on, poofter. You've had a beating coming for a long
time. I'll enjoy giving it to you." They began to circle
each other.
Willow quietly backed away. More determined then ever, she
walked in the direction of the shop. With any luck,
she could put things right without anyone's help or
involvement.

*******

Willow bit her lip. There were several footnotes that she
had missed in her enthusiasm to do the spell last night. As
a rule, human love spells were subtle. Evidently, this
spell was not. It brought out strong territorial feelings
in
vampires. In fact, it stripped away the will of the
vampire, leaving only their compulsive love and a desire to
be near
the object of it.
The footnote said that performing this particular spell was
extremely risky. A little footnote! Why wasn't this in
bold print and underlined? It should only be performed in a
controlled environment on one vampire. Goddess! She
read aloud " . . .if two vampires answer the call of this
spell, the outcome is not favorable. At best, the caster
will
find him or herself turned by one of the vampires and
claimed as a childe. At worst, death. This usually occurs
at the
hands of the vampires as they fight to keep the object of
obsession."
The door of the shop was swung open with force. Spike and
Angel entered, there were cuts and bruises on both of
them. They were both seething. She couldn't tell if the
anger was directed at her or each other.
"Why did you leave?" Spike demanded. "Come on, we're
going." Spike made as if to grab her arm but she danced
out of his reach.
"She is not going anywhere with you, Spike. Willow, come
here." Angel held out his hand.
Taking a deep breath, Willow started to explain. "Okay, you
are both going to be angry with me, but I performed
this spell. . .well, it made you have these emotions but
they are not really your feelings. . .they are not real-"
"Willow, what are you saying? No spell could make me feel
this way. I love you, I always will." Angel said as he
took her hand in his own.
"It was a spell! It's not real." She said firmly, trying to
pull her hand back.
Spike pondered this a moment. She noticed his eyes were
blazing because Angel was touching her. "A spell? What
the hell are you talking about, Red? I love you and you are
mine. End of story." He fixed Angel with a pointed look.
" Let her go!!" Spike had reverted to game face and took a
menacing step forward.
"Stop!" she shouted, sensing another battle. Angel smirked
at Spike. Changing tactics, he scooped her up in his
arms and was out the door in seconds. He deposited her in
his waiting car and drove off to leave a stunned Spike on
the sidewalk, furiously running. The car was much too fast
for him.
"Angel, where are we going?" Willow was trying to remain
calm. Angel would never hurt her. In fact, he was one of
the gentlest people she knew. Her only hope was to make him
see reason and let her reverse the spell.
"I have a room at a hotel in the next town over." He had
composed himself since they were away from Spike. He
had even turned on a radio station and was humming along to
a song. Angel pulled her closer to him on the seat,
resting her head on his shoulder. Willow closed her eyes,
she would never admit to anyone, but this one of her
schoolgirl daydreams come true. She used to have a crush on
Angel. But Willow had firmly decided to never act on
them though for the sake of her relationship with Buffy.
She felt that her friendship was more important.
"Our life together will be wonderful, Willow. You'll see."
he promised.
Willow was confused. He wanted a life with her, but he
didn't try to be with Buffy, his soul mate? This spell was
only
supposed to transfer the same affection. Did something
happen when she translated the spell? Damn verb
conjugations! Another thought struck her. He was acting
more like a vampire, jealous and possessive. This spell
brought out vampiric traits. "Angelus?" she asked
fearfully.
He chuckled. "No, I'm still Angel."
She exhaled in relief, believing him. If he were Angelus,
she'd probably be dead by now anyway. "Let me go, Angel.
I have to undo this spell."
"No, Willow. This isn't some silly spell. This is real!
Can't you feel the energy between us?" He pulled the spell
book from inside his coat. He must have took it from the
counter when he grabbed her. Willow held out her hand
eagerly for it. Angel smiled as he threw it out the open
window.
"What did you do that for?" Willow screeched, she looked
behind them frantically.
"No more talk of spells, Willow. I had to prove to you that
I don't care how this happened. It just did and I don't
want to lose this feeling. Don't worry, I will take you
home later. Now, you can focus on me, on us."

*******

"Open up!" Spike roared as he banged on the slayer's back
door. The patio light flicked on and an irritated Buffy
appeared in the doorway.
"What the hell are you doing? I told you I am not
interested, Spike. Okay? Get past it. I don't love you and
I
never-"
"Shut up! This isn't about you, Slayer. "
"Then what do you want?"
"She's gone. We have to go rescue her." He impatiently
pushed a hand threw his short blond hair as she continued
to stand there. "Don't you have some sort of bat-signal or
something? We have to get the rest of the Scoobys and
go!"
"I'm the slayer. Not Batman." She glared at him. "Who the
hell are you talking about?"
"Willow, of course! Why aren't you calling your Watcher?
What's the hold up? I thought you guys had
walkie-talkies or something!"
"Spike, wait a minute. Who's taken her?"
"You know, before I got this damn chip, the minute I tried
to have a bite to eat, there you all were, breathing down
my neck." He mimicked her voice. "Put her down! Don't bite
him! I'll stake you! " He was growing more
exasperated. " But Angel takes off with one of your dearest
friends, and you're all like --- what're you talking
about? I need more details. Let's go to the bleedin'
library and look some stuff up! Come on! Let's go already!"
"What?! Angel? You're mistaken. He would never hurt
Willow.' She thought of a reasonable explanation. " Maybe
he needed her help for some case he's working on in LA."
"Don't be daft!" He rolled his eyes, "I just bet he needs
her help on his ‘case' alright." Buffy stared back at him
through unsure eyes. He needed to convince her somehow. He
pulled out a cigarette and lit it, his eyes sparkling
with a new idea. "Fine. I'll wait here while you try to
decide what to about Angelus."

************

Part 2

Giles answered the phone on the second ring. "Buffy, what's
the matter? You sound upset? Is that Spike I hear?"
Giles listened carefully for another minute. "Angelus? Are
you sure? Well, no, I don't know why else he'd take off
with Willow. I'll pick up Xander and Anya and be right
there. And Buffy? Don't let Spike back into the house."
*******
Xander's eyes widened as Spike related the events of the
evening to them. The vampire still stood on Buffy's back
stoop. Spike had decided to leave out the love spell part.
No sense in getting Red in trouble and it's not like they
respond well to me having the warm fuzzies for one of them,
anyway. As far as the Scoobys were concerned, it was
a case of ‘When Angelus Attacks.' Spike hoped they staked
him on sight.
Giles cleared his throat and looked at everyone morosely.
"We must consider the prospect that Angelus has taken
her simply to kill her. Willow may be dead already." He
took a deep breath. "We have a copy of the gypsy curse.
Unfortunately, Willow is the only one who can perform it.
Angelus didn't choose her by accident."
Spike snorted. "I've heard enough of this. Let's go,
people! Grab the stakes, get some holy water, and bring the
crucifixes! Move!" Who knows what the poofter is doing to
Red.
Xander, stepping back from the horror of the situation,
said. "Why are you so eager to help? What are you getting
out of this?"
Spike looked momentarily taken aback. He was having trouble
formulating a lie. "I-"
"Who cares, Xander? Let's go." Buffy said. For once, she
and Spike were in agreement. This was her worst
nightmare, she might have to kill Angel. . . again. Spike
told them which direction Angel's car had taken as they all
slid into their respective vehicles.
*******
Angel and Willow sat in two wing-backed chairs in the hotel
room. He had upgraded his room to the honeymoon
suite. Willow stared at the heart-shaped bed with a mixture
of horror and hilarity. She closed her eyes. One. . .two. .
.three. She opened them. Yep, she was still here in a
honeymoon suite with her best friend's soul mate.
"I want to marry you." Things just got weirder. "I am going
to arrange for us to take a night flight to Las Vegas.
We can be back here before the sun rises."
Willow had determined earlier that reasoning with him was
out of the question. He was unable to be rational. "Well,
Angel, I had hoped to have a big wedding with all my
friends and family. I can't get married without my
parents."
Ha! That'll take a year to plan! Take that!
He picked her hand up and kissed it reverently. "I promise
we'll have a big ceremony and a renewal of our vows for
our one year anniversary." No! Think Fast! She could almost
hear the Jeopardy theme playing.
Willow would have to do something drastic. She could not
marry Angel. Buffy's Angel. He leaned down to kiss her.
Frantically, Willow put her hand up to his chest to stop
him as an idea popped into her head. "R-r-ring!" She
managed to squeak out before his lips touched hers.
" What?" He straightened.
"I want a ring. If we're getting married, it's only right
that you should give me an engagement ring."
"Willow," he said cajolingly. "I'll get you a ring later. A
beautiful one. I promise." He continued to stroke her hand.
"You got Buffy a ring and you weren't even going to marry
her. This proves that you don't really care about me.
You don't care about my feelings." She squeezed her eyes
shut. Time to act. Sorry Buffy. "You're still in love with
that stupid slayer, aren't you? You don't love me!!" And
she promptly burst into tears.
"Willow, please don't cry. I don't love her, I swear. I
love you !" He dropped to his knees before her. His words
were filled with deep anguish and self-recrimination. "I
didn't mean to upset you. I am so sorry."
Goddess, he's handsome. Think about Buffy! "Then you'll go
get me a ring?" He nodded. "Right now?"
"Anything." He touched her face and smiled tenderly at her.
"You can come with me. We'll pick it out together."
"NO!" She shouted. He look perplexed. "I mean, it wouldn't
be right. It's not tradition. If you want a marriage to
last, you have to follow tradition to the letter." Yes,
throw in a little superstition. She nodded her head for
emphasis.
"Don't you want us to last forever?"
Angel took a moment to think about this. On the one hand,
it seemed odd that she was being so cooperative. But
then he hadn't even known how much he loved her until
today. Maybe it was affecting her, too. Still, women were
strange about the whole wedding thing. He had made the
mistake of getting Cordelia talking about weddings once.
She already had hers planned and she didn't have a groom
yet. "Of course I do, precious. I'll go get the ring, right
now."
"And the flight tickets." She thought about this a moment.
"I want to be married at the Excaliber in Las Vegas.
You'll have to call them and make arrangements. And I need
clothes.
"Are you going to be able to pay for this?" She looked
hopeful. "We could wait until you have enough money . . ."
"I carry Visa and American Express." He threw the latter
onto the desktop for her to see.
"Well then, let's continue. I also need a dress. And a
suitcase." She looked at him. He was staring at her in
astonishment. "And toothpaste. And floss. Flowers.
Shouldn't you be writing this down? Aren't you even
listening to
me?" She had watched her mother's manipulations for so
long, it almost seemed second nature. It was getting
easier. And sort of fun. She almost giggled. Bad witch!
Angel went to the desk and removed a paper and pen. He
nodded his head to show that he was listening and ready
to write down her instructions. She took a deep breath and
continued. "I want a limousine. And champagne. And
shoes to match the clothes. And especially to match the
wedding dress. It should be off-white to complement my
complexion. Not cream, not beige, not ivory. Off-white."
"Off-what?" He looked baffled.
"You're over two centuries old and you don't know what
off-white is?"
"Oh, off-white." He said as if he had misheard her.
"And a purse. And while you're in the jewelry store, I'll
need earrings to match the dress. Pearls. Off-white. And
I'm
hungry. Will you bring me back something to eat? Pickles,
lox, bagels, some Hershey's chocolate ice cream, ginger
ale and, um, pancakes!"
"You want pickles AND pancakes?"
"Yes, please." She smiled sweetly at him. "Now, shoo.
Hurry, or we won't be able to go tonight." She made
swishing movements with her hands.
He turned as he reached the door. "I will be back as soon
as possible. Wait for me." He leaned down and kissed
her goodbye. She shoved him back and toward the door.
"Hurry!" She looked at his vaguely hurt face. Willow's
resolve almost crumbled, but she held it together. "The
sooner you get back the sooner I can stop missing you." She
slammed the door in his face.
"Willow!" He called from down the hall.
She opened the door back up. "What?"
"What was that color again?"
"OFF-WHITE!"
***********
In the room next door the Scooby gang listened in dread.
They were pressed against the south wall of the room with
glasses to their ears listening in to the conversation.
Spike was pacing, he could hear without implements.
They had managed to find Angel's car in the parking lot and
had bribed the doorman to find out which room the
couple rented. When they had learned it was the honeymoon
suite they had all thought it was some sort of sick twist
in the game Angelus was playing with them. The concierge
looked vaguely concerned that a middle-aged gentleman,
two young men, and two young women wanted the other
honeymoon suite for the evening but had not remarked on
it.
"What the hell is going on here?" Xander whispered
furiously. "Are we on the Twilight Zone or something?"
Evidently, Willow had agreed to marry Angelus and was
actually helping him make wedding plans.
"Maybe she loves him." Anya offered helpfully. Everyone
glowered at her. "My mistake."
Spike was listening intently. "Doesn't know what off-white
is!"
Buffy stared at him. "You are questioning his fashion sense
when you still have eighties hair?" Spike sneered at
her and made an obscene gesture as she turned her back to
him.
"What color is off-white?" Xander asked curiously.
"Silence!" Giles said. " This doesn't sound like Angelus."
He looked mystified.
"Well, I think its obvious what's going on here. Angelus
has gone mad. He's going to marry poor little Red and then
kill her on her wedding night. Vampires have been known to
do this occasionally to human females." Spike said
quickly.
"They have?" Giles' curiosity was peaked. "Fascinating. I
must investigate this phenomenon further, find out what
the Watcher's Council knows about this. But. . .back to the
matter at hand. We must rescue Willow. Now, he's
probably using some sort of mind control, or a spell
perhaps, to take over her will. She might fight us when we
try to
rescue her."
Spike went to the door. "Not to worry. I'll just pop over
and case out the place. Make sure its safe. See what my
vampire senses tell me and what not. Wait here for me."
Bloody idiots. Red deserved an Emmy for that
performance. He was thinking about how to make a good
dramatic entrance for their audience, when he ran smack
into something. "Oh, bloody hell."
"Spike! What are you doing here?" Willow rubbed her
forehead. "And where are you going in such a hurry?" She
gave him a guarded look.
"To rescue you!" He announced with a grin, sweeping her up
into his arms.
"Put me down. I don't trust you." He's still under the
influence of the spell.
He put a finger to her lips. "Hush, I'm here with your
mates. After that bloody poof ran off with you, I went and
got
the slayer!" He waited for her to acknowledge the great
sacrifice he had gone through to get her back. She seemed
unimpressed. "Here," he put her down and pushed her back
into the room. "Look out the window. Do you see
Xander's car?"
"And Giles!" She jumped and clapped her hands in glee.
Spike cast a worried look at the wall.
"Shhh. You don't want him to come back." He whispered. "We
vampires have excellent hearing." He cupped his
ear for added effect. He leaned against the desk and
something skittered to the floor. An American Express card.
Angel's American Express card. He grinned, Don't leave home
without it. Bloody good advice.
She lowered her voice. "Oh. I guess you're right."
"I'm supposed to sneak you out of here in my car, while
your friends drive in different directions to divert his
attention."
"How will we get out of the hotel?" She looked nervous now
that she was almost rescued.
"Well, thanks to your performance, we have a little bit of
time." He reached out and stroked her hair. "You pretend
to be my girlfriend and hide your head in my shoulder until
I get you into my car. Then we'll drive to my crypt."
"What? Your crypt? But why?" She gave him a suspicious
look.
"Because, Angel knows where all of you live. He doesn't
know about my place. It's not like we're mates, y'know. I
don't throw undead dinner parties." He put his arm around
her shoulder. "Let's go, luv."
*********
As they left the hotel, the Scooby gang was still straining
to hear what was going on in the room.
Xander put his water glass down with disgust. "I can't hear
a thing."
"That's because they left. Fifteen minutes ago." Said Anya
as she studied her nails.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Xander stared at her.
"Well," She said slowly, "They argued for a minute, then he
picked her up and put her in the front seat of his car.
And then they drove off."
"Damn it!" Buffy hit her fist on the wall. "We should have
known better than to trust Spike! Kill her on her
wedding night, my ass!"
"You mean he made that up . . .?" Giles asked, he looked as
if his heart was broken. He never got to discover
anything new for the Council, even living on the Hellmouth.
They were always like, Been there, slayed that.
"Giles?" Buffy looked at him with lifted brows.
"Oh, right. . . back to the matter at hand." He turned to
Anya. "How did you know that? Do you still retain any of
your uh. . . demonic powers?" He asked curiously.
"No." Anya looked puzzled at the lack of comprehension. "I
was looking out the window." When everyone stared
at her, she added, "Was that not part of our seek and
rescue plan? I'm still new at this."

********

Part 3

Willow grimaced at the blond vampire next to her. What were
the odds of being kidnapped by two vampires in one
night? Well, pretty good on the Hellmouth. But two vampires
who loved you? A million to one odds. It was
becoming obvious that Spike had lied to get her in his car
and away from her friends. She had been foolishly
placated by their presence and figured that Spike wouldn't
attempt to run off with her while the Scoobys were so
near.
"So, are we really going to your crypt? Or did you lie
about that too?" Willow asked wearily as they sped along
the
highway.
"Red, I'm hurt. I only lied to you because I love you. You
didn't really want to marry the poof, did you?" She shook
her head. He looked relieved. "Luv, were you serious about
being married at Excalibur?"
"Why?"
"Just answer me."
"No."
"Good. I have a better idea. Ever been to Mardi Gras, pet?"
"No . . ."
"The night life is incredible! You're going to love it." He
smiled. "But we have to have dinner at that Emeril guy's
restaurant. I just love the way he cooks."
"Spike, why would I go to New Orleans with you?"
"Well for one, because that's where we're going to get
married. And two, because I'm not letting you out of my
sight
until we get there."
"Stop the car!" When he didn't slow down, she added, "I'm
going to be sick! All over your upholstery."
He pulled over to the side of the road. She pushed the door
open and stumbled onto the grass, gasping. "Luv?
What's the matter?"
"What did you say was the first reason again?"
Ahh. He understood now. He had made the same mistake Angel
had. Willow wanted romance. He dropped to one
knee before her and took his hand in hers. "Willow?"
The odds on proposals from two vampires who loved you in
one evening? "Oh no. You've got to be kidding me.
You're not going to prop–"
"Will you marry me?"
She looked him in the eye. "Do you have a ring?"
*********
Angel struggled with the awkward packages down the hall to
his suite. He was surprised to see the door standing
open. "Willow? Did you want sweet or dill pickles? I got
both just in case . . .Willow? Willow?" He dropped the
various bags on the heart shaped bed. "Willow?"
"She's gone." Giles stepped into the room. Buffy, Xander
and Anya filed in behind him. "Spike took her." They
watched Angel carefully. They knew Spike had probably lied
about Angel changing to Angelus, but it was better not
to take any chances.
Angel sat down on the side of the bed, looking lost. "But I
bought her a dress. We're getting married." His eyes
began to flash. "Spike did this! She would never have left
me willingly. We must find her!" He stood up, hands
clenched with determination.
"Hold on, we need a plan. Now where would he take her?"
Mused Giles.
"Let's hope its not Vegas!" scoffed Buffy. "How lame is
that?"
Angel scowled at her, fighting the urge to let his demonic
visage cover his features.
"Giles, get on the phone and see what late flights are
leaving tonight. Call ring stores, too. Just in case."
Buffy
turned, "Xander, you . . ."
Angel held the white hotel towel up to the shoes he had
just bought and showed them to Xander. "White. Off-white.
Very distinct difference."
"Xander!"
"Sorry, Buffy."
"Take Anya and go check the crypt, just in case."
"Angel, come with me. Maybe we can find them."
********
Spike shifted his hand and reached into his pocket. Before
he had run after her earlier, he had found this little
token
of affection in his casket. It was the first ring he had
ever given to Drusilla. It was a ruby on a silver band and
quite
small. It had taken Dru an hour to get the finger out of
it. He produced this with a flourish.
Damn. She looked at it for a minute as he tenderly slipped
it on her finger. Perfect fit. It looked so familiar. Where
have I seen it before? Suddenly, looking into the glinting
red stone, it occurred to her how he came to have this
ring.
"This was hers, wasn't it?"
"Whose? What, I . . ."

"Don't even try it, mister. This is a used ring." She
sniffled. " What am I, her replacement? I'm not even worthy
of
my own ring?" She was about to continue the waterworks,
when he crooked a finger under her chin and lifted her
dry face up to his.
"No dice, pet." He smiled. "I am not a great poof, and I
will not fall for your antics. We're going to the Big Easy.
Right now."
He helped her back into the car. As they continued down the
road, she noticed the smirk on his face. "Why are you
smiling?" She snapped.
"Because luv, I just noticed something." he reached over
and took her left hand out of her lap and raised it to his
lips. "You're still wearing my ring."
********
Xander and Anya looked around the Spike's crypt. "Nasty."
Xander commented. "He left my comfy basement to
live in this dump?" Anya patted his shoulder comfortingly.
It was apparent Spike and Willow were not here. Anya
and Xander were on the highway headed to the airport in
minutes.
*******
Buffy watched as Angel paced the floor in front of the
terminal waiting area. A flight bound for Las Vegas was
taking off in twenty minutes. So far, there had been no
sign of Willow or Spike. Angel was getting angrier by the
second. Buffy had never seen him like this. He was
muttering under his breath. Every once in a while she was
catching words like "stake" and "pile of dust." Willow's
loss had caused this fury. Buffy felt a little twinge. When
had Angel fallen in love with her best friend? Something
just wasn't adding up here.
"Angel?"
"What?" he snarled.
"When did you start loving Willow?"
He threw her an exasperated look. "We don't have time for
this. We have to find her now. She's mine! Spike has
my bride."
" What the hell is going on here? " She pulled him closer
and said fiercely. "I thought I was your soul mate."
"What? Oh, that. I did too, once. But, Buffy, things
change. Sometimes things happen that are out of our
control.
And Willow is so. . ." he broke off when he noticed a
flicker of hurt in her eyes. " What about Riley? I thought
you
loved him?"
Not wanting to address that particular issue, Buffy fell
silent.
*******
"We're driving there?" She asked Spike. She couldn't see
out the windows, they were painted black to block all the
sunlight out. Willow surreptitiously pulled at the ring on
her hand. It didn't budge.
"No. We're driving to the Limo service."
"Limo service?"
"Yeah. You said you wanted one." He smiled. "Complete with
a mini bar."
"Great." She slumped down in her seat. At least she would
ride to her doom in style. "Black or white?"
"Off-white."
Willow sputtered. "How long were you listening to us?"
"A while. And Willow, off-white does not compliment your
complexion."
"Oh no?"
"No. I like you in black." He looked over at her. She
looked near tears. "Don't look so upset, pet." He gestured
to
a package on the floor behind his seat. "Here, I was saving
this for a wedding present, but you can open it now."
She pulled it onto her lap and ripped the paper away. It
was her spell book. "How did you . . .?"
"I found it by the side of the road. I figured that wanker
probably threw it out the window. Knew you'd be upset if
you lost it, so I brought it with me." She gave him a
shining smile. I could kiss him. "Now don't get any ideas.
I
ripped that Vampire Love Spell right out. Although, pet,
I'm flattered. No one ever cast a spell on me to get my
attention before."
I'm going to kill him. "You did what?!"
"Tore it right up, luv. It's blowing down the highway in
little bits as we speak."
"No!" she cried. "What is wrong with you? I cast a spell
and it did this to you! Don't you want me to undo it?" She
wasn't sure if she was going to break down in hysterics or
commit homicide. Well, vampicide. Or would that be
when a vampire kills a human? She shook her head. I'm
losing my mind.
"Luv, I don't care if some spell started this. I only know
that I feel this way and that is all that matters. I love
you!
We will be together forever." He was smiling.
Willow looked around the car. Where was a piece of wood
when you needed one?
"Feel like staking me don't you, luv?" His face was
neutral.
Even though he was chipped, Willow was loathe to make an
enemy of out of a powerful vampire like Spike. She was
about to deny it when she saw him raise an eyebrow. "Tell
the truth, luv."
She nodded and he beamed at her. "Good! Dru felt that way
about me for nearly a decade before she fell in love
with me. I'm starting to get to you."
*******
Angel and Buffy continued to patrol the airport looking for
Spike and Willow. Angel stopped walking and turned to
her. "Buffy, it's obvious that they are not coming here."
He looked at his watch. "We only have two hours before
dawn. He wouldn't have time to catch a flight before the
sun comes up. Either they're in Sunnydale and laying low or
he's driven off somewhere with her. We're wasting valuable
time."
Buffy sighed. He had a point. But where would they go? She
took some comfort in the fact that Spike could not hurt
Willow anymore. But, she still remembered being chained up
by the love-crazed vampire and she knew that Willow
must be afraid of him. She shuddered to think what he might
be planning.
"Come on. Let's talk to Giles. Maybe he has some ideas on
how to track them down."
*******
The Scoobys and Angel all stood in his magick shop. No one
seemed to have a clue where Spike had taken Willow.
Everyone's emotions were pushed to the limit. Angel was
still irate, Buffy was worried, Xander was distraught,
Giles was confused, and Anya looked bored.
Giles cleared his throat. "Um. . .I have found traces of
some herbs and candles that are only used for a certain
ritual." He produced a piece of paper with Willow's
handwriting. " I also found this in the wastebasket. It
appears
Willow cast a vampire love spell. "
"Why would she do that? I know Oz left. But why would she
want to date a dead guy? Aren't there plenty of live
ones on campus?" Xander asked incredulously.
Angel glowered at him, allowing his demonic visage to
appear. Xander paled, "What's wrong with you?"
"It looks as if she tried to reverse the intent of the
spell. She was trying to make Spike dislike Buffy and fall
in love
with someone else." He peered at the paper. "Some of her
translations are off."Giles suddenly dropped it as if it
had burned him. "It looks as if she has created some sort
of powerful vampire obsession spell. " He stared at
Angel. "This is responsible for your behavior. You are
consumed with the desire to be with Willow. Every moment
apart from her is causing you pain.
"We have to get her back. Now!" Angel said, clearly still
in the throes of the fixation.
Giles motioned to the others to come closer. He began to
speak quietly about the spell's other effects, namely the
death or changing of Willow. Angel was oblivious to their
whispering.
"But, Will's safe." Xander protested. "He's chipped. He
can't harm her or change her."
"No Spike can't. But any other vampire could change Willow.
Spike could then kill that vampire and take Willow as
his childe." He sighed, "If Willow goes along with Spike
right now and doesn't upset him, he should be pacified
enough by her presence. We will have some time to intervene
before he decides to make their relationship more
permanent." He gestured to Angel. "The more time he spends
away from her, the worse he will become. We need
to find Willow so that she can undo this spell. But, where
are they?"
"I've got an idea where they could be." Suddenly a small
voice came from the back room. They whirled around.
Buffy stared in shock at the figure that stood framed in
the doorway.
"Dawn! What are you doing here?" Buffy said.
"Look, Mom told me that Willow was missing and you just
said that you didn't know where Spike could have taken
her." She took a deep breath, as she glanced at Angel. She
knew that he had a soul, but she still had nightmares
about him coming in to her room to watch her sleep and draw
pictures of her to give to Buffy. "But, I do."
Xander crossed the room to stand beside her. She was
trembling. It always made her nervous when she had a
chance to prove herself to the Scooby gang. Having Angel
there didn't help. He put his arm around her shoulders
for a brotherly hug. "What do you know?"
"For the past two weeks, he's been watching Interview With
the Vampire. Well, that and the food network. " She
took another deep breath. "I think they went to New
Orleans."
******
Willow sat on the opposite side of the black limousine from
her captor. She had been up most of the night and her
eyes were periodically drifting shut. Sensing that she
wasn't in any immediate danger, her body had begun to
demand sleep.
"Why don't you rest, luv? I'm here to watch over you."
Spike said affectionately. "There's plenty of room on that
seat, so you can lay down."
"Wouldn't that make things a little too easy for you?" She
gave him a pointed look.
He was offended. "I don't have to force myself on sleeping
women! Besides, Red, I would never hurt you, not now. I
don't know why you people won't give me a chance. "
Willow was feeling absurdly guilty again. He had kidnapped
her but his concern for her was genuine. "Just when I
think I have you figured out. . ." Her voice trailed off.
He moved forward on his seat until his knees touched hers.
"What?" He cupped her face with his hand.
"I just don't know how I feel about. . .uh, what to think
about you." She looked at him, seeing if he caught what she
had been about to say. He leaned forward and kissed her.
Willow let him, unwilling to think about anything but this
moment.
He broke off the kiss and gazed into her eyes. It's time to
see the hidden reckless side of my prim little witch. "Feel
like being bad, pet?"
*******
Xander's and Giles' cars sped down the highway. The
interstate was a yawning ribbon of gray in front them. They
had determined that Spike and Willow had rented a limousine
earlier that evening. The Scoobys discovered Spike's
car in a roadside rental company's parking lot. They had
asked the attendant some questions and discovered that
Spike had rented a black limousine. He had at least an hour
lead on them.
Angel lay in the back of Giles' car, covered in heavy
blankets to protect him from the sun. He was asleep now and
theywere grateful, he was becoming increasingly
impassioned. They hoped to find Willow before he woke up.
Buffy sat next to Giles in silence. Sensing her thoughts,
he said. "It was the spell, Buffy. He doesn't really love
Willow."
Buffy looked at him. "I know. It's just, I thought-"
"You thought he had replaced you. "
"Yes, I know that he I can never be together. But I always
thought that I was special to him. That he loved me more
than anyone else. It was the only thing I had left."
"It will be alright. The spell will be reversed." She
nodded and settled down into her seat.
"But if Spike hurts Willow. . .I'll kill him. I don't care
whether or not he can fight back."
"If he hurts Willow, I'll enjoy helping you." Giles said
with a quiet intensity. He gave her a fatherly pat on the
arm
and Buffy allowed herself to fall asleep.
*******
"Oh, Goddess, Spike. This feels so good." She cried.
"Knew it would, pet. You just lay back and enjoy yourself."
"This is all new to me, you'd tell me if I were doing it
wrong, wouldn't you?"
"Of course, luv. But believe me, you're doing just fine."
Willow lay against the leather seat. She held a large
snifter of brandy and was smoking one of Spike's
cigarettes.
She giggled wickedly. Then she coughed for about five
minutes. Then she hit the cigarette one more time and began
snickering again. Yep, I'm sitting in a limousine with a
vampire while smoking and drinking. "I'm such a bad
witch!" She leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "But it
feels fabulous."
Spike beamed at her as she reclined back on the seat once
more. What an appealing little baggage. "I do believe
your foxed, luv."
"Fox?" She made a show of looking under their seats. "I
don't see one, Spike." She hiccuped and then took a
healthy swig of brandy.
"No, luv, I mean your drunk-" He broke off when he realized
she wasn't listening to him. He snapped his fingers to
get her attention. " How many of those have you had?
Three?"
"Hmm. . .I don't know. I hardly ever drink, cuz Buffy says
I just can't hold my alcohol." She closed her eyes,
serious once more. "Spike, you think that I can hold my
liquor don't you? "
"I-"
She cut him off, gesturing wildly with her glass. "I mean,
everyone thinks they have to look out for me. That I'm the
goody two shoes of the group. But I'm not. Inside, I am
bad, too. " Her brows knit together in her "serious face".
"Really, really bad."
"Really?" Spike was bemused.
"Oh yes." She nodded her head. "I'm a bad girl, it's just
nobody knows. I hide it. But I do terrible things."
"Like what, pet?"
"I get parking tickets on campus. " She gave him her best
impulsive look. "And sometimes, I pay them late!"
"Ohhh, you're wicked." He smiled. "Not sure if your fit to
be in society anymore."
"Buffy never listens. She doesn't think I'm bad. I never
get to be naughty around her."
"I believe you, luv. Don't worry. You're free to be however
you like around me." He smiled. " Just wait till we get
to New Orleans. I'm going to show you the time of your
life."

*******

Part 4

Xander and Anya followed Giles' car. Anya was flipping
through radio stations, she was listless. "Do you think
Dawn will be ok?"
"I'm sure Tara can protect her for one night." Xander had
spoken very little during the trip. He was worried about
Willow and what Spike might be doing to her. He may no
longer have romantic feelings for her but he still felt
protective. She knew what was on his mind.
"Don't worry about her Xander. It's the females with
unrequited love that get really vicious. " She smiled at
him.
"Trust me. I should know."
"Spike isn't a mortal, Anya." Xander replied impatiently.
"If his "love" is "unrequited", he'll just decide he's
thirsty and boom. My best friend is a vampire."
"But he has that chip. He's not going to be taking a bite
out of Willow."
"That doesn't mean he can't find a way and then . . ."
"Xander, " Anya took his right hand in hers. "Why are you
so scared?"
"You don't understand." He sighed. "Willow and I had a
friend named Jesse. And he was turned into a vampire five
years ago. We grew up with him. Then, well, you know what
happens to the vampires that hang around us."
Anya's eyes welled up with sympathy. She now had a good
understanding of what a friend was. She also had a new
appreciation for loss. "Buffy staked him?"
"No. I did."
*********
Willow's eyes sprang back open, sobering up a little. "And
just what does that entail?"
"Well, it . . ." Spike searched for terms to put it in.
"You get me drunk, put me in a limo, give me a used ring
and now you're ‘going to show me the time of my life?!'"
Spike stared at her incredulously as she tried to stand up
in the moving car. She was turning red with indignation.
"Maybe you should sit down while you yell at me, pet."
"Don't tell me what to do, you kidnapping . . . kidnapping
. . .vampire!"
"Ouch, luv." He pretended to be hurt by her remark.
"I went to the prom! I know what happens! And unlike
Harmony, I don't do that all the time." She scowled.
"Little
bleach-blond piece of tr–"
"To be fair, luv, I don't think Harmony actually went to
the prom. As a matter of fact, neither did I. I went to
balls
but it's not the same thing. So, I'm not quite sure what
you're driving at."
"Oh, don't pretend you don't know what I'm saying! I know
all about your nefarious intentions."
"Are you saying you think I'm trying to take advantage of
you?"
"I went to the awareness seminars on campus. I read
Cosmopolitan! Well, most of it. . .some of those articles.
.
.ewww. But, I know your evil plan." She stared at him
accusingly. Then she swayed on her feet. He reached up and
caught her, and pulled her down on the seat beside him. She
hiccupped. "I hate you, Spike."
"I mean to take you dancing and out to dinner, actually.
The food here alone is worth the trip. Then, I thought I
would take you to pick out your wedding dress." He put his
arms around her and pulled her head onto his shoulder.
"Luv, if I was going to do something like that, I wouldn't
bloody well bother with the rest of it." He smoothed her
hair out of her eyes. "I care about you. I want to make you
happy. The least you could do is give me the benefit of
the doubt." He looked like he was . . .well, pouting.

I'm sorry!" Her eyes welled up with tears. Her mind, in its
alcohol-induced fog felt like she had terribly misjudged
him. "You must be so mad at me!" And she started to cry and
wail.
"Willow. Willow, luv, don't." She continued to squall. He
took her by the shoulders. "Please don't cry, luv. I'll buy
you something pretty when we stop, I promise."
"Y-y-you're so so s-s-weet and now. . .oh no. . .I got you
wet. I'm sorry for crying on you." She hiccuped again. "I
love you, Spike."
*******
As the sun went down, the heap of blankets in the back seat
began to stir. Angel began to mutter in his sleep.
"Cordy? Is that you? Where are we going?"
Buffy picked up the pillow she'd been resting on and threw
it in the back. It hit Angel in the head with a dull thud.
"We're just across the border of Louisiana. It's about time
you woke up."
"Buffy?" He seemed confounded.
"I have heard that vampires can be very disoriented when
they first awaken. Their sleep is reported to be much
deeper than ours, with over seven cycles–"
"Giles! Just drive, ok?"
"Err, right. Of course." Giles said, staring straight
ahead.
"How far away are we?" Angel leaned forward, his head in
between them.
"Don't worry about it. When we get there, you'll notice."
Buffy crossed her arms in front of her and stiffened
against the back of the seat.
"What's the matter?" He asked with restrained politeness.
She stared at him for a moment. "Not a thing. I'm just
worried about Willow."
"Don't worry. Once we get her back I will protect her and
make sure she's happy for the rest of eternity." His voice
was dreamy. "She's so beautiful. She deserves to be
protected, sheltered from the evils of this world . . ." He
looked like he was about to continue when Buffy lost her
patience.
She smacked the side of his cheek. He looked stunned. "What
was that for?" he said angrily.
"Shut up! I will get her back, because I am the slayer. And
when I do, I'm sure as hell not going to give her to you,
so you can -"
Angel decided he had enough of this, he opened the rear car
door.
Giles' eyes met his in the rearview mirror. "Angel, we're
going nearly 65 miles an hour. If you jump out that door,
even with your superior strength-"
"Then slow down." Angel said dangerously.
Buffy spun in her seat and faced him. "Angel, don't get
out. We're in the middle of nowhere."
Giles stopped, not willing to risk Angel's wrath. He sprung
from the car and began walking without even glancing at
them. Buffy looked at Giles. "Keep on going. He's a big
vampire now, he can take care of himself." She settled
back in her seat.
"You're certainly taking this well." He said quietly.
"Drive."
*******
Anya peered out the window. "Why are they stopping? We just
got gas thirty minutes ago. Does Buffy have to use
the restroom again? " She gave an irritated sigh. Oh,
there's Angel." She waived. "Hi, Angel." The brooding
vampire didn't even respond.
*******
Spike was rapidly realizing why Buffy did not want Willow
to drink. The red-headed witch was presently opening the
moon roof so she could see the sky. "Uh, luv, I don't think
you should do that, you might fall out of the car." She
had gotten interested in the contraption shortly after she
had professed her love. Spike sighed, it was a shame that
it was just the brandy talking. Soon, he promised himself,
she would say it and mean it.
She grabbed the lapel of his duster. "Spike, stand up! You
gotta try this!" The window between the passenger and
driver compartments whirred as it was opened.
"Sir, we need to stop for gas soon." The chauffeur said.
"Oh, right. Stop at the nearest gas station."
"Um, sir? It's against company policy for people to be um.
. .sticking out of the moon roof-"
"Red will do as she likes." He said dismissively. Spike
resisted the urge to show the man his fangs. It would make
me laugh but the wanker would probably swerve and kill us
all.
*******
Angel made his way inside the BP station. He blinked as his
eyes adjusted to the bright flourescent lights. He went
to the pay phone and began searching through the yellow
pages for a rental car company. "Whoo!" He heard a
familiar voice say.
Angel glanced up to see Willow half in and half out of the
roof of a black limousine. She held a hand to her mouth,
she was turning a shade of green that Angel had never seen
before. "Off-green?" He mused. And if Willow was
here, so was Spike. Angel ducked behind a aisle display as
the couple made their way inside.
Willow was swaying on her feet and moaning as she held her
stomach. It was evident that Spike was trying to get
her to the restroom as quickly as possible. When they
passed, Spike looked up for a minute. Angel tried to make
himself smaller. Spike shrugged and opened the door for
Willow to enter the restroom and walked in behind her.
Angel hid behind the enormous soda dispenser to get a
better view of the door.
Two preteen girls, overly made up and carrying huge purses
entered the restroom right behind them. Angel heard a
shriek and then "Bloody hell!" A shaken Spike was pushed
out the bathroom door.
"And stay out, you pervert!"
" Gross! Who does he think he is, anyway?" A valley-girl
voice said.
"Like I was looking at them, anyway. Jail bait!" He
grumbled. "Fine! I was just tryin' to help. I'll just wait
out
here!"
He leaned against the wall next to the water fountain. He
hoped she was okay. She had told him that she never
drank, but he hadn't really thought she meant it. He
grimaced. He hadn't seen anyone so sick since he and his
friends had snuck into his father's wine cellar when they
were ten.
After about ten minutes, the two young girls exited. To his
astonishment they stopped to talk to him. "Is that your
sister in there?" Asked the first one.
"She's really sick." The other one added while batting her
eyelashes at him.
Spike smiled. Just like little girls. They want to flirt
with you. As long as you respect their privacy. "Look,
little bits.
You'd best be leaving. No place for young gir- um, women to
be hanging about, now is it?"
They giggled at being called women and ran back out to
their car. Willow still did not appear. He took a deep
breath
and bravely reentered the Ladies Room. Angel took the time
to run past the restrooms and out into the night air.
"Cyndy, Sara, what in the world took you so long in there?
You are fourteen. You should be able to go to the
bathroom by yourselves." Kim, their older sister of
seventeen, impatiently ran a hand through her died blonde
hair.
She nodded her head towards the cherry red convertible.
"Get in. Let's go."
"Is that invitation an open one, miss?" Asked a silky voice
from behind her. Angel stepped into the light and
grinned at the young girl.
"It is now, stranger."
"Kim!! What are you doing?" hissed Cyndy.
"Shhh." giggled Sara. "He's even hotter than that blond
guy."
"Is not."
"You're just saying that because you have a thing for Billy
Idol."
"Do not."
"Do too."
"Where you headed?" Kim asked.
"New Orleans, but I would appreciate however far you can
take me, miss . . . ?"
"You can call me Kim." Angel smiled. This was working out
perfectly. He wasn't about to make a scene in front of
everyone in the massive gas station. But a little further
down the dark highway was a different story. Kim stared at
the suddenly grinning man. What was she thinking, picking
up hitchhikers? Looking for a little insurance that he
was a good person, she asked politely, "And your name is?"
"Angel." He grinned wider.
********
"Why are we meeting in a cemetery?" Whispered Anya.
"Lafayette Cemetery is one of the most historical in the
United States . . . "
"Giles!" exclaimed the group.
"Sorry."
Xander put his arm around Anya. "As Scoobys, this just
seems to be a comfortable place to meet. Graveyards are
the same no matter what city you're in. Grab a couple of
stakes, a bottle of holy water, and this place is just like
home."
"You people have been living on the Hellmouth a little too
long." Anya replied solemnly. "What happened to
Angel?"
"His legs got cramped sitting in the back." Buffy answered
sullenly. "So he decided to take a flying lea- I mean , a
walk."
"Oh-kay, back to the topic of Willow save-age." Xander
redirected. "Asking if anyone has seen a black limo
around here is like asking if anyone has eaten a crawdad
lately."
"What's a crawl dad?" Asked Anya.
"It's uh, umm." Xander looked to Giles for help.
"It's a crustacean, usually served in a garlic and butter
sauce." He said absently. He turned to Buffy. "We should
the hotels. They'll need some place to stay."
"Great. Just not the honeymoon suites, okay? I don't want
anymore weird looks, G-Man."
"Xander," Anya said. "You promised you'd explain why they
were looking at us that way?"
"Later, Anya."
Buffy handed Xander his copy of the Louisiana map they had
picked up at the BP station up the road. "Here, we
will search the Garden District and the French Quarter. You
will take-"
"The crappy areas of town that Giles' doesn't want to
sightsee through?" Xander said.
"We are here to find Wills. Let's go." With that, they got
into their cars and began searching for hotels.
********
Angel smiled as he climbed out of the car. "Thanks for the
ride."
Kim smiled back a minute. Then she dug something out of her
pocket, and reaching out towards his coat, deposited
it in his. "Call me sometime, ok?"
"Uhh, sure." He winked at the twins in the back seat.
"Bye." He set off in the direction of Bourbon Street. He
knew William like the back of his hand.
*******
Willow dizzily raised her head from the starched hotel
pillow. An odd humming was coming from the closed
bathroom door. "Spike?"
"You awake then, luv?" The humming stopped and he poked his
head out the door. She wearily nodded at him. "I
put some aspirin and a glass of water beside the bed. " He
stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist. She
stared at his bare chest for the second time in two days.
She hadn't known vampires participated in naked time.
Although, she had to admit, she didn't mind. He noticed the
direction of his gaze and stood a little straighter and
puffed out his chest. Her eyes flew to his face and he rose
his scarred eyebrow. Her eyes fled from his, was he
psychic? "I also set some clothes and towels out for you in
the bathroom."
She stood up and wobbled into the bathroom. Sitting, folded
on the counter was a pair of black leather pants, and a
red lace shirt. "You expect me to wear this?"
"If you want to wear clean clothes, yes, luv. I do." He
grinned at her.
Willow stared back at him. There was nothing she could say
about the clothes. But that didn't mean she couldn't get
him back. "What were you humming a moment ago?"
"I don't know what you mean, pet." He said quickly.
"Sounded like, ‘we're going to the chap-el and we're-"
"Shut up!" he shouted. "Hadn't you better be getting
ready?"
"–going to get marr-ied. We're goin–"
"Unless you want some assistance in there, I'd hurry if I
was you."
"Hey, if you can sing in the shower, why can't I?" She
teased cheekily. She shut the door just as a pillow came
sailing her way. "Going to the cha-a-apel . . ."
*******
Half an hour later, Willow examined her face in the mirror.
Her clean-washed countenance didn't match the vampy
attire Spike had chosen. She bit her lower lip. It would
have to do. She stepped out of the bathroom. Spike was
lounging in one of the chairs by the door, having a
cigarette. "You look gorgeous, luv." Then he turned his
head to
the side, "You're uncomfortable. What is it?"
"This isn't me, Spike." She confessed as she wrapped her
arms around herself.
"What?" He tried to look confused. "I thought you were the
next big bad?" She blushed and looked at her feet. He
knew what she was thinking. "Nonsense, luv. This is exactly
you. You're just missing the whole look. Sit down,
there." He gestured toward the bed across from him. She
looked at him dubiously. "Oh, go on."
He walked back into the bathroom and took a small off-white
bag from the drawer. He sauntered over and sat next
to her. When he opened it, she saw that it was full of
cosmetics. Pleasantly surprised she asked. "Spike, how?
Why–?"
"Look, Dru made me." He answered defensively. "Well, she
couldn't look in a mirror. Hey, it takes a real man to
do make-up. It's bloody difficult! Completely manly.
Nothing sissified about eyeliner, I can tell you that."
She smiled at him, somehow the image of Spike patiently
applying make-up was heart-warming. He opened the
packages which contained eyeshadow, blush, powder,
foundation, and lipstick. He began applying the foundation
with a cotton ball he took from the bag. "Uh, Spike, I can
look in a mirror, you don't need to do this."
"I know, Red, but I want to." He grinned. "Call it a
Richard Gere/Julia Roberts make-over kind of thing. " He
was
hoping she'd be moved by his knowledge of romantic
comedies.
She frowned. "And does that make me a prostitute?" She
looked down at the revealing outfit in dismay.
"No!" Spike spread his hands out, spilling a dot of
foundation on the bedspread. "It's all part of that ‘time
of your
life' I was talking about."
"So you thought I ‘d like to dress slutty-" He gave her an
indignant look. "I mean seductively while I drink and
smoke." Then she gave him a devilish grin. "This might be
fun. Can we go to a bar?"
"That's the spirit, pet. But I think you've drank quite
enough for one night." She looked mutinous but acquiesced.
He began applying the make-up once more. "I'll take you to
get that present I promised you."
*******

Willow stood in front of three full length mirrors. She had
always pictured her wedding dress and this was the dream
made reality. It was a simple sheath that flattered her
figure. All she needed was a wreath of flowers for her
head.
She turned to look at Spike who was watching her with a
wistful expression on his face. She was wearing a wedding
dress and his ring, he wanted to marry her right now.
Beautiful, intelligent, innocent. . .mine.
He came to stand beside her and caressed the long fall of
satin in his pale hands. "You are breathtaking." He bent
to capture her mouth with a kiss. Willow found she didn't
feel like running from him anymore. In fact, she realized
that she had been in love with him for quite a while. She
just didn't want to admit it because on some level, she
must
have sensed Spike's infatuation with Buffy.
"I wish that you meant that, I wish it wasn't the spell
talking." She said morosely.
"Spell! How many times do I have to tell you this, Red?
This is real!" He thought of a way to convince her. "Let's
see. . .I was visiting this demon called The Host the other
night. Made me sing "Rock the Cradle of Love" or some
rot. Said I looked like that Billy Idol blighter. He was in
this bloody bar in L.A. the poofter's always going on
about.
I wanted to have my aura read."
"You were in L.A. the night I cast the spell?" Willow
clicked her fingers. "That's right, you were unpacking when
I
came to see you." She kissed him and wound her arms around
his neck.
He looked down at her, confused by her obvious delight. He
pulled her closer, enjoying the embrace. "Yeah. In fact,
the guy told me some very interesting things about my love
life. Said I was destined for a beautiful red haired witch.
Now who could that be?"
"Spike, this means you weren't in ‘the vicinity.' It's not
the spell!" Willow was excited, not even hearing the rest
of
his statement.
"What are you talking about, luv? I've been telling you I
wasn't under the influence for two days."
"Yes, you weren't in Sunnydale so you couldn't have been
affected by my spell. It's just Angel that's been
affected."
"Now don't worry about me, Willow. I'm just fine now." They
twisted around to see Angel with his elbow propped up
against a mannequin. His demonic features twisted into a
mockery of a smile. "And thanks for getting Willow ready
for me." He went over to her and stretched out his hand. "
Come on, darling, we'll be late for the ceremony."
"Willow?" Spike took her hand, and pulled her behind him as
if to protect her from the battle that was about to take
place. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes." she said immediately. Spike smiled, and taking a
page from Angel's book of tricks, scooped Willow up and
ran out the back door.
Angel stood there flabbergasted. He looked from where they
had stood a second ago to the door, confused. He had
expected wise-cracks, maybe even a full out fight. But for
the life of him, he had never expected them to just take
off.
He sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. He must be getting
too old to be doing all this walking. Sometimes he really
missed having minions to retrieve things for him. Maybe he
should have stayed in theGiles' car. He might have
been bored to death by the watcher, or smacked with pillows
by a whining slayer, but at least his feet wouldn't hurt
so much. He sniffed the air and followed Willow's scent
towards a nearby chapel.
**********
"If any person here has any reasons why these two may not
be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold
your peace." The minister looked about the almost empty
chapel and was about to continue when a young man
burst through the double doors in the back.
"I do!" Xander cried.
"No, he bloody well doesn't! And that's my line, thank you
very little." Spike pulled Willow closer, then kissed her
forehead in a reassuring way. Xander tripped on his way up
the aisle.
"Xander, are you alright?" Willow clutched Spike's hand and
was about to go help him when Anya appeared. Buffy
and Giles filed in behind her.
"Can I help you?" Asked the minister.
"Yes! I'd like to object to this marriage." Anya said.
"Do you have a reason for this, young lady?"
"Not really. I don't really have a problem with
demon/mortal marriages, but my boyfriend said I should, so
I am.
Objecting, that is." She smiled brightly.
"Uh, did you say demon?"
"I knew it was bloody bad idea, this chapel business. Even
if it is non-denominational Least there isn't any of that
nasty holy water here. Besides, luv, you're a witch and I'm
a vampire. We should be getting married under the full
moon." Spike frowned.
"We'd like to object, too!" Buffy spoke up.
"Yes, that's right." Giles looked a little flustered.
"Did you say DEMON?" the minister demanded.
"Well, vampire actually." Anya supplied helpfully. "I was a
vengeance demon, myself."
"Would anyone else like to object?" The minister wiped his
forehead and looked among the people.
"I do." Angel stepped from behind the altar.
"No you don't! Bloody hell! Why does everybody keep taking
my line?" Spike glared at Angel. "Aren't you
supposed to be out buying hair gel?"
"Angel stay out of this." Buffy warned.
"I'm so confused." The minister sat down on the steps to
the altar. "Who are you, sir?"
"I'm the groom." Angel smiled.
"No, I'm the groom, peaches." Spike gestured to his tuxedo.

"And you are . . . ?" He looked at Xander.
"Oh, I'm not a groom. I'm with her." Xander pointed to
Anya. "I just don't want Willow to marry anyone else. Uh, I
mean any of them."
"That's right." Anya tucked her arm in Xander's.
"And you're her father?" Inquired the minister.
"No, but since her father isn't here, I would have liked
the chance to give her away." Giles looked hurt.
"And who are you, miss?"
"I'm Buffy. I slay vampires. "
" You slay vampires, I. . .see. . . of course, why not? And
why are you objecting to this marriage?"
"Because the groom is a vampire."
Spike snorted. That doesn't count! She dated a vampire, she
has no right!"
Willow smiled at Giles. "You can give me away, Giles."
"I can?" He said, pleased.
"Giles!" Buffy shouted.
"Oh, right." He looked down for a moment, and then up at
Willow. "But I wouldn't give you away to a vampire. And
especially not Spike." He gave Spike a disdainful glance.
"Willow, let's get out of here." Buffy moved to grab her
friend by the arm. Angel stepped in between them.
"You're not taking her anywhere." He growled. "I've walked
far enough–I'm done. She's going to marry me."
"Buffy, I'm a vampire, you are a slayer. Are you out of
your mind? Besides, I'm not interested anymore!" Spike
boasted over Angel's massive shoulder.
"Excuse me, but what in the Lord's name is going on here?!"
The minister stood up and shouted. He regarded the
group and pointed at various members. "Let me see if I got
this straight. You're dating her, but you don't want this
girl to get married, because both of the grooms, which
would be you two, are demons. And she's a demon, but that's
ok with everyone. And you want to give her away, but not to
these two, and you want to object, but you dated a
demon, too?"
"Yeah," Xander nodded his head. "That pretty much sums it
all up."
"Well, all things considered, I don't think I can perform
this marriage."
"You bloody well can, mate. And you will. " Spike glared at
the man, then pushed him back up behind the altar.
"Now, go ahead."
"I really don't think I can, all of you obviously have some
serious issues–"
Willow reached over and grabbed him by the collar. "Look, I
have been abducted twice, hidden in two hotel rooms,
been very drunk, and threatened. I need shower, and a full
night's rest. I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS!!!"
The man looked taken aback. "I am going to get married
tonight, whether you like it or not!"
She turned to Angel. "I don't love you . I never will. You
don't really love me, so go sleep it off!" She sighed, "But
you are my friend and I care about you. I'd like for you to
stay and watch the ceremony. If you can't do that, go find
something better to do than stalk me."
"Yeah, like go mope about or something." Spike chimed in.
"Spike."
"Sorry, Red. Go on, please."
"And as for you four, how in the world have we ever rescued
anyone? I was one hotel room over from you guys!
And you just left me there!" They stared at the carpet. "I
am going to marry Spike, Giles is going to give me away,
Buffy is going to be a maid of honor, Anya can be a
bridesmaid, and Xander is the best man. And that's the end
of
it." She stifled the chorus of "but Willow's" that was
likely to come by glowering at them all.
"Way to go, Red. Knew you had it in you. But if you are
marrying me aren't I the best man?" She gave him a
scathing look. "Right, sorry. Humans are so touchy. Let's
get started." Buffy stared as Anya moved to the left of
the altar, and Xander stepped behind Spike.
"Xander was right, this is the Twilight Zone." Buffy turned
to Giles. "We can't let her do this."
"We don't have a choice, Buffy." Giles put his hand on her
shoulder. "The way the spell works, interfering now
could have disastrous consequences."
Just then, Angel brushed past them on his way out the door.
"Where are you going?"
"L.A." He answered brusquely.
"Yeah, you're right on time." Buffy glared at him.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He turned to look at her.
"You fall in love, you don't get what you want and then you
run away. Am I sensing a pattern? I'm surprised you
made it this long." His demon face appeared, and she drew a
stake. "So why are you giving up so easy this time?"
He snatched the stake out of her hand. "Get over it." His
handsome human face appeared once more and he saw
the pain he had caused her written on her face. He softened
his expression as leaned to whisper in her ear. "You
are still special to me. No one will replace you in my
heart. Ever. It was just a spell." He smiled and then
yawned.
"I'm very tired." He looked at Willow and Spike and nodded
as he sat down in a pew to watch the ceremony.
"Giles, what just happened?" Buffy asked.
"Well, it would appear that the spell is beginning to wear
off. That sort of passion is incredibly draining to anyone,
even vampires. He's probably exhausted. And he did walk all
that way . . ."
"What do you mean, ‘wearing off'? It's not permanent?"
Buffy demanded.
"Heaven's no. You can't duplicate real love with a spell."
"Then why the hell are we here?"
"Well, while under the influence of the spell ,Angel and
Spike could have been very dangerous." Giles patted her
on the shoulder and went to join Willow.
Buffy stared at Spike. "So, why aren't you leaving? Didn't
it wear off?"
He mimicked her voice. "I told you I'm not interested. Let
it go, I don't love you. He returned his voice to normal.
Spike held out his arms. "See, Slutty, no magick needed. I
love Red and she loves me." He turned to the minister.
"Come on, then. Get out your little book and say the words.
" He gave him a intimidating look when the man didn't
stand up immediately. "You're lucky I have a chip-"
"Spike." Willow reprimanded. She picked up his hand and
smiled as the minister began to speak.
*******
Willow and Spike watched as the Scoobys drove off from the
window of their hotel room. He wrapped his arms
around her from behind and kissed the top of her head. She
turned to face him and wrapped her arms around him.
"Are you sure you don't mind being Mr. Rosenburg?"
"Better than Mr. and Mrs. The Bloody, pet. Besides, your
names suits you and you should keep it." And without
warning he tackled her and tickled her until she was
laughing so hard she was afraid the rest of the Scooby gang
could hear her down the road. When he finally stopped, he
kissed her passionately,scooped her up into is arms and
headed towards the bedroom. As he stepped over the
threshold, he smiled. "At least you don't have to invite me
in
this one." She smiled back at him. "And luv, one last
thing?"
"What's that?"
"No more bloody vampire love spells, please? That was
exhausting."
"At least we had a limo. Angel had to walk all over town."
"Poor Peaches."
"It was nice of you to let him take our limousine back
home."
"Yeah, well I figured he was humiliated enough without
having to take off in that nancy-boy off-white one he
ordered." She leaned up and kissed him.
"Sometimes you can be really sweet, you know."
He walked over to the bed and placed her on it. "Thanks,
luv." He winked at her. "Besides, he did pay for it."
She swatted his arm playfully. "That's terrible!"
He grinned at her. "I only think it's fair that I warn you
about my evil intentions towards you. Wouldn't want to
catch you off guard this evening."
She drew him down for a kiss and whispered, "Spike, I
already told you. I read Cosmo. I know all about your
wicked plans."
The look he gave her made her decidedly warm. "Feel like
being bad, pet?"
 

THE END

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