Part 1

The music was surrounding her, entering her, making her move rhythmically. She loved to dance, eyes closed, oblivious to the outside. She needed to dance, for Pandora knew every boy in the club was staring at her in desire. She knew she was the object of everyone's attention now. She knew all the girls were jealous. She enjoyed being watched. She needed to be watched, admired, desired.

That damn shrink had told her, it was because of her parents, who’d never paid attention to her. That sounded so pathetic Pandora never went back to him. And, she already knew her parents were just self-centered hippie assholes, who mostly just smoke and had sex. What other kind of people would call their daughter after a legend?

She shouldn’t have thought about it again because now she didn’t feel like dancing anymore. She opened her eyes, noticing that people were actually staring at her. Pleased, she headed for the exit, pushing away a few boys who would have loved to know her more intimately. She had no time for them, nor did she care about them.

In the corner of the room, she noticed a man, tall, dark, charming in the way he was leaning against the wall, staring at her, but differently from the others, in a way that sent a shiver down her spine as their eyes locked. She shrugged and turned her head away, breaking the contact. She got out of the Bronze.

Pandora liked walking alone in the streets of Sunnydale at night.  It felt so dangerous that she almost felt alive. And it wasn’t that dangerous after all. She had been learning capoeira, a Brasilian martial art, since she was ten. For once, her parents had done something good for her. She would be able to fight off any potential rapist or robber she might encounter.

She suddenly noticed the sound of footsteps behind her. She abruptly stopped and turned around. No-one. Must have been her imagination. She started to walk again, suddenly cold. She drew her long leather coat closer to her body.

Footsteps again. She turned around, more slowly. There he was, the man from the Bronze. He walked up to her. He really was gorgeous, she noticed as he came nearer, in this dark and mysterious sort of way.

“Not afraid to be walking alone at night, are you?” he asked her, strangely.

“Nope. I can defend myself, I believe,” she answered, unsure how to act in front of this stranger.

“So there’s no need in my walking you home. But even if it’s not needed, would you allow me to do it?” he proposed.

“Why not?” she replied, intrigued by this man. They started to walk again. “My name’s Pandora.”

“Pandora... Any surprise for me?” he asked, eyes glowing with mischief. A strange fellow he was, she decided. Who knew about Pandora’s legend anyway, apart from strange people? But he went on, not caring for an answer. “Tell me, you must be at Sunnydale High. Do you know a Buffy  Summers?”

The question surprised Pandora. She knew who the girl was, of course. She felt some sort of kinship with her, but at the same time she certainly disliked her, too conceited, too ‘blonde’, in the clichéd sense.  Why the nice redhead, who supposedly was her friend, hung out with her, she had no clue. She seemed a really nice girl.

“Well, I can see who she is. Why?” She was even more intrigued.

“She’s an acquaintance of mine.  I would have liked someone’s opinion of her,” he explained, his eyes vague, dreamlike.

“Well, if you want my opinion, she’s a bimbo. She must have something going for her, 'cuz she has friends who don't seem as bad as she is. But she'd do better to realize everything doesn’t revolve around her.”  Pandora spat out the last word;  she definitely did not like the girl.  “So, what is she really to you?”

“An ex-girlfriend.  I was stupid at the time. Now I regret it. I was just -- not myself,” the dark man confessed.

“What opened your eyes?” inquired Pandora.

“I had sex with her,” he said strangely, as if that explained it all.

Pandora stopped.  This guy was really weird.  Almost freaky.  She turned to him. What she saw in his dark eyes made her want to run away screaming.  She managed to get hold of herself.

“Well, this is my place,” she lied.  “I have to go. Thanks for the walk.” She turned and began to walk into someone’s garden.

“Wait,” he said. “Don’t you wanna know how having sex with her affected me?”

Though she knew she shouldn’t have, Pandora turned to face him. All her instincts were telling her to run, run for her life, but all she could do was stare at his dark figure.

“She gave me a moment of pure happiness. Total bliss. And according to the old curse, I lost my soul again,” he finished.

Pandora's instincts overwhelmed her. She jumped over the fence and started to run in the street, run to her place, desperately run.   Suddenly she felt herself grabbed by the wrist.  She fell to the ground, losing her balance. The next moment she was back on her feet, positioned in ginga, capoeira basic fighting stance. The figure in front of her did not have the dark man’s face anymore. Or rather it was his face, all distorted, with lots of ridges, and yellow eyes. Terror overwhelmed Pandora. He was now so ugly, and at the same time, he still had this irresistible charm. As the creature laughed softly, evilly, she could see fangs in his mouth. She struggled not to lose her self-control.

“So you can defend yourself, right?” the creature, which she guessed was a vampire, asked, still half-laughing. That was new. Vampires existed. But she had no time to think.

He dived on her but she surprised him with a side kick which hit him in the ribs. He growled as he fell to the ground. Pandora started to run again, but her foot hurt from the kick she had just given him. He was strong, and fast. She had no chance.  She thought quickly about the horror stories she knew.  How does one kill a vampire? Garlic? Not available. Sunlight? Not available. Fire? Not available. A cross? It would not kill him, but maybe keep him at a distance.

Pandora kicked in a fence next to her, took two slats and crossed them. When she looked back, he was a few meters away from her. She held the improvised cross out to him and prayed whoever was in power up there that it would work.  The vampire came closer to her and, in a swift movement of his arm, destroyed the so-called cross.

“Did you really think that would work?” he asked incredulously, as he grabbed her by the waist. “But I guess it’s a good enough try for someone who must have just found out about guys like me,” he added mockingly.

He drew her close to him, not caring about the attempted punches she aimed at his chest. He took her by the shoulders, buried his face in her neck and suddenly dug his fangs into her flesh.

It hurt so bad. She felt the blood draining from her. She felt herself becoming weaker and weaker with every second.  Resistance would be useless. She had to let him kill her.

But as she felt there was barely any blood left, he lifted his head, stopping himself from drinking.

“My, you taste just ... lovely,” stated his bloody mouth.

Just strong enough to keep her eyes open, totally abandoned in his arms, she saw him bite into his own wrist, then bring it to her lips, letting his blood drip into her mouth.  At first she refused to swallow, reluctant but too weak to protest.  The drops came down her throat and she felt stronger.  As blood came to her, she wanted more and even more. It was so good. She clung to his wrist, unwilling to let it go.  Suddenly he pulled his arm away,  licked at his own wound, and then gently stroked the side of her face. She couldn’t understand what was happening to her. She was way too dizzy, way too sleepy to think.  As she closed her eyes and let herself drift into death, she heard him sweetly confiding in her: “My name is Angelus, my dearest and newest Childe.”

Angelus looked at his new Childe. She was worth it.  She was a true beauty, and she knew it; long, wavy brown hair framed her delicate face, her eyes, almond-shaped, and bright green under her now closed eyelids. Her body seemed perfect: not too slim, nor too fat, well-balanced, a bit muscular. She already fought well. And she danced so admirably. Dru would love dancing with her. They would all love her.

He gently picked her up and carried her to the Mansion.

-----------------
Part 2

“Well, well, who is the poof bringing home tonight? Or should I say what?” asked Spike as he saw Angelus walk in with what merely seemed like a bundle of dark clothes in his arms.

Angelus carefully placed his burden on the table and took his dark coat off the girl. She was very beautiful. Her skin was already pale; she would soon be theirs.

“A new friend for us to play with,” coldly answered his Sire, ignoring the insult.

The blonde sighed. It was all but a bloody game for Angelus, Spike thought as he approached the girl, silently cursing his wheelchair. Soon, he’d be up.

“Well, I have to acknowledge one thing. You always had good taste, as far as women are concerned. Apart from that Slayer friend of yours,” the blonde vampire added haughtily.

“I was not myself at that time,” growled Angelus as he put his hand around Spike’s throat. Then he let him go. “Try to remember that.”

“Sweethearts? Fighting again?” Dru asked as she entered the room, pouting. Her face lit up when she saw the girl on the table. “Wonderful! A new friend! Miss Edith will be so happy!”

Spike smiled sadly. What he wouldn’t give to have Dru sane. He was almost sick of her craziness. It made it easier for him to see her Sire with her, and he knew Angelus did this only to get on his nerves. Despite their mutual physical attraction, the two vampires did not get along. They were always competing.

“Yes, love,” replied Angelus, “she’s a new friend for all of us. A very special friend. Her name is Pandora.”

“How bloody lovely,” growled Spike. “Another one of your special friends. Anything like the Slayer?”

“Nothing like her. And at the same time, quite similar,” Angelus grinned. “Anyway, Dru honey, would you like to come and play with Daddie while your sister is still resting?”

“Can I play the naughty girl?” asked the vampiress mischievously.

“You can do whatever you want, you know it. See ya later, Spikey,” Angelus added mockingly.

Spike was about to lose it. Would this bloody poof ever stop tormenting him? Dru and him were so happy before he decided to have sex with Slutty. Now Dru was with their Sire, and he was alone.

Or not, he thought as he began to observe their ‘new friend’s’ features. A delicate face, cheeks and lips already losing their colour. Long black eyelashes. Dark and wavy hair spread around her on the wooden table. And a very nice taste in clothing, Spike grinned as he noticed her long black leather coat. He gently took it off and admired her muscular body. Not too muscular though. Just enough for it to be adequately thin. She was wearing a dark blue tank top which underlined her round breasts. Her black, split skirt would let him see a thin leg, already pale as well.

His gaze came back to her face where he suddenly saw two starving, green eyes. Well, not totally green, he noticed, a little bit of brown was mingled in there. She was definitely most charming.

“Who are you? Where’s my Sire?” she unsurely asked, as she sat up.

“He’s -- playing. My name’s Spike. I bet you’re hungry. I wish I could take you out, but you’ll have to feed from me,” he stated with some sort of sadness, regrets. He did wish he could take her out to hunt. He already saw a fire in her, a fire which assured she would be a great hunter.

Pandora hesitated. She looked at his wheelchair, and understood his problem. She then stared into his icy-blue eyes, and, glad of what she saw in there, she nodded her acceptance. Plus, she really was starving. Her body, her needs didn’t really leave her a choice.

Spike lifted himself onto the table. With his inefficient legs, he had had to work on his arm muscles. The vampire grinned evily. He was going to be her first feed. If not as strong a link as the one between Sire and Childe, the bond it would create between the two of them would be enough to piss Angelus off.

Pandora came closer to him, her starvation shining in her green eyes. She put on her game face as her mouth approached Spike’s veins. She could already smell his blood. She gently sank her fangs into his flesh and let his blood flow into her mouth. He tasted so good. Even better than her Sire had, when he had turned her.

“Spikey,” Drusilla hissed as she came into the room. “It’s not fair! I wanted to be here when she awakened!”

“Don’t make a fuss out of it, Dru, she’ll be around for some time,” replied the blonde vampire as Pandora got off him. She knew he was growing weak.

“My dear Childe, what gave you the right to let her feed off you?” exploded Angelus who had followed Drusilla.

“Well, you were busy -- playing. She was starving. And see, crippled as I am, I couldn’t take her out to hunt,” Spike explained half-seriously. His eyes were glowing with amusement.

Pandora coughed. “Could I have a word in this? I don’t really know any of you, but I know I didn’t mind feeding off Spike. He tastes delicious.”

“Thanks, love, I’ll remember that,” said Spike, looking at his Sire.

“Anyway, the so-called cripple here is obviously unable to take you hunting. Will you come with me and Drusilla? We have a few hours left before dawn,” proposed Angelus, fixing his eyes on Spike’s.

“Hunting? That sounds fun! Sure I will,” she accepted. She grabbed her coat and followed her two elders outside. “See you, Spike!”

The blonde vampire was once again left alone. But he didn’t care. He could already feel their bond. She would not be Angelus’ only.

-------------

“Angelus has been awfully quiet these last days,” remarked Xander.

“He must be busy killing people,” muttered Giles. As he saw the whole Scooby Gang looking up at him, he apologised: “I didn’t mean it that way. I simply meant that, maybe, instead of eating doughnuts, we should work on something actually able to counter his plans, shouldn’t we?”

“Right! I’ll re-examine Miss Calendar’s computer files, see if I can find anything on the curse. It has to be somewh-” Willow stopped as she saw Giles heading back into his office. “Shouldn’t have talked about her now, should I?”

Everyone gave her a sorry look.

“Anyway, I’ll head to her classroom and actually find something to make it up to him then!” Willow said. She hated to see the Watcher like this.

“Wills, you’ve already tried so many times!” Buffy reminded her. “There’s no point in doing it again.”

“Well, at least I’ll be doing something. I need to keep myself busy, or else I’ll think of -- of--” Willow ran away crying.

Xander motioned to follow her but the Slayer stopped him: “Let her cry. She just needs time.”

Willow ran into Miss Calendar’s classroom. Her classroom now. She closed the door and leaned against it. Would no-one even come and comfort her? She knew that in such a case, Angel would have. Her heart tightened as she thought back on her friend, Angel, for they had indeed become friends. And now he wanted to kill them all. And neither of her so-called best friends would come and take her in their arms while she was weeping.

---------------
Part 3

When Pandora woke up, she noticed her Sire was no longer in bed. Nor in the room, as a matter of fact. She got up and went to the mirror . It was odd, to be unable to see herself. Angelus had probably got the mirror in order to remind her of her nature. It was unnecessary, really.

She looked down at her body. The marks he had given her, they were all gone. She had enjoyed it, truly. She had always, even as a human, liked it a bit rough from time to time. Now as a vampire, her demon loved it very rough.

She quickly put on leather pants and a white tank top, which they had stolen, among many other clothes, last night. She remembered the hunt. It had been lots of fun. This young boy, at most ten years old, what was he doing in the streets so early? She did not care, all she cared for was the sweetness of his blood. Not as good as Spike’s though.

Spike. All her thoughts tended to go back to the blonde vampire. Since she had drunk from him, she was obsessed. There was something between them. Not anything like the bond there was between her and Angelus, no, but something different, something deeper and less oppressive, something she really liked, and something she was angry at herself for, at the same time.

Angelus suddenly burst into the room.

“Awake at last?” he teased her. “We’re all waiting for you.”

“Let’s not make you wait anymore, then,” she smiled as she walked up to him and kissed him deeply.

Angelus was definitely pleased with his new Childe. So far, she had been wonderfully evil. The way she had looked at this kid before she had taken him... Delicious.

As they entered the main room, Pandora observed what she guessed was a common scene here. Drusilla was talking to her birds, dead birds of course, and Spike, behind her in his wheelchair, was desperately trying to get some reason into her.

“Dru,” called out Angelus, “those birds are dead. I’ll buy you new ones.”

Dru withdrew from the cage and jumped into her Sire’s arms, thanking him.  Pandora looked at Spike, and saw the hurt in his eyes. He loved her as a mortal would. Spike was very special. Pandora walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. She was special too. She knew she shouldn’t feel what she felt for him, for her demon didn’t like it. But she felt it nonetheless.

Spike looked up at the vampiress who had put her hand on him, surprised. He saw in her green and brown eyes that she understood him. He saw that she could feel it, too. She was different as well.  Was it his blood? He put his own hand on hers. Their fingers mingled. She leaned down and kissed his lips softly.

“Pandora!” growled Angelus. His Childe looked up at him, worried. “Come with us. We’re going hunting.” And as Pandora walked to him, he added: “You know, Spike, old cripple, it’s a shame you can’t come with us. She’s really good at it and she enjoys it so much. A pleasure to watch.”

Spike didn’t answer. He watched them going away. And then, slowly, he began to get up. He had to do it. He couldn’t be such a bloody cripple anymore. The Big Bad wasn’t terrorising anyone in this state. He slowly got on his feet. At least he was standing up.

Slowly, still leaning on the wheelchair, he began to walk around it.

----------------

Willow was alone at her place. Last night in Miss Calendar’s classroom, she hadn’t found anything. Yet she knew something was there; she could feel it somehow. It was all so frustrating.  And her friends weren’t helping. She needed someone to talk to, about Angel, about Miss Calendar. Someone who’d understand.

She couldn’t talk to Buffy; if ever she mentioned the name Angel, Buffy would think it a better idea to talk about her relationship with him than to listen to Willow. The redhead didn’t know if the Slayer had even noticed how close her boyfriend and her best friend had grown.

She couldn’t talk to Xander. He was already resentful of Buffy for loving Angel; what would he do if he knew the vampire got to be Willow’s friend as well?  Whenever his name was uttered, Xander would curse him or, more often, simply wish him dusted.

She couldn’t talk to Giles, either. He had become quite a father figure for her, with her parents so distant and everything. But he had lost more than any of them. For Buffy’s lover wasn’t truly dead; he could eventually be brought back.  The slayer still had hope to cling to.  Giles’ beloved was gone, gone forever. Willow was simply unable to talk to him about her troubles.  He was suffering much more than any of them. She didn’t have the right to.  All she could do for him would be to go back to that damned classroom and search again. She would find something; she had to. Thinking of the devastated Watcher, the redhead put on her coat and headed for the high school.

It had been dark for a few hours. Willow realized it half way to the school. It could be considered dangerous, doing what she was doing. She shrugged the thoughts away. She was half way there, and safe.

-------------

Pandora had ran away from Angelus and Dru. She was not in the right mood to hunt with them tonight. She wanted to hunt alone. That last part was what she told her Sire while going away. The astonishing thing was, he had actually let her go away. Maybe it was normal for a newly-turned vampire to need solitude.  Now she was just wandering the streets of Sunnydale, like that night when she was turned, except this time she was not going home, but simply where her steps would lead her.

Her thoughts were dwelt on a certain blonde vampire. He was so human inside. He had managed to stay human and accept his demon at the same time. He was an un-dead paradox and she admired him for it.

Yes, she admired him. She would love to be like him. She knew she was, in a way, but a very incomplete way. She would have ordeals to go through. She would have to love. Even as a human, she had always rejected love. She didn’t want to get hurt. Now she would have to love, for how else could one expect to live through eternity? Sure, Angelus and Drusilla had a very different viewpoint; evil would allow them to live throughout eternity. But though she loved being evil, Pandora wanted more than that.

As she was lost in the middle of these thoughts, a flash of red hair caught her attention. She focused on the red spot moving in front of her. The Slayer’s friend.  Now she’d have fun.

---------------
Part 4

 Willow suddenly heard the sound of footsteps behind her. She turned around nervously, afraid of what she would discover. She sighed in relief when she found out it was the strange girl from French class.

“Hey, huh, you’re at the high school, right?” the redhead asked the other girl as she came near her.

“Well, yeah, I was,” the girl answered strangely, walking at Willow’s side.

“Was? You dropped out? It’s true I haven’t seen you in class today,” Willow thought aloud.

Pandora smiled. The girl had noticed her. Like everyone else, really, but coming from the redhead, it pleased the vampire. And there she was, babbling cutely as Pandora noticed she was used to doing.

“Yeah, I’ve -- dropped out. You’re the friend of that -- Buffy, aren’t you?” asked the vampiress.

“Yes, I am,” Willow sighed. She was sick of being Buffy’s friend. She wanted to be herself. “My name’s Willow.”

“I’m Pandora. So would you enlighten me, why the hell are you hanging around that kid ? »   Pandora grinned, she was already sounding somewhat like Spike.

“Buffy? You -- you don’t like her?” Willow couldn’t believe it. Everyone liked Buffy. Apart from Cordelia and her brainless ex-friends. But this Pandora was not the kind of girl who’d hang around Cordelia, and she seemed quite brainy.

“What? Is it this surprising?” Since Pandora had become a vampire, and now knew about Buffy’s slayerness, she hated her even more. “She seems so self-centered! And so -- common! I really don’t get what you can possibly see in her.”

“Well, she -- she has hidden gifts, which not everyone can see,” answered Willow, trying vainly to defend her friend, the friend who was letting her down when Willow most needed her.

“Oh, you’re talking about her being the Chosen One: blah, blah, blah. I don’t give a damn about her being the Slayer.  To me she’s just a burden on her friends’ shoulders,” Pandora calmly explained.

Willow stopped walking. Not only Cordelia-typed girls didn’t like Buffy. Vampires didn’t like Buffy. The redhead faced Pandora, and noticed her unusual paleness, and her unmoving chest.

“You -- you are -- you are a vampire!” the redhead finally managed to say.

“Smart girl!” the vampiress congratulated her. “But, you know, I already despised her when I was alive.”

“Why -- are you not trying to drain me, or, like, rip my throat out or something?” Willow asked fearfully.

“I dunno why, I don’t feel like killing tonight. Just wanted to have a little chat with you, see if there was any good reason for your being her friend. I mean, you’re worth way more than that,” Pandora spat the last word out. “And, I don’t wanna kill you. If ever I drain you, I’ll turn you afterwards. Don’t wanna lose a beauty like you!”

Willow remained speechless. It was hard to take all of that in. First, she was unable to move, at the mercy of a soulless vampire who hated Buffy, and this vampire wouldn’t kill her. Then, this vampire said she would turn her some day. Sure, Willow didn’t want to become an evil, un-dead girl, but she was sort of flattered by this, whatever the vampiress could see in her. ’Cause she had called her a beauty. Willow, a beauty? She didn’t think so.

“Anyway, I gotta go, beauty,” added Pandora after a few seconds of silence. “Hope I’ll see you around! And please, do not send my regards to the Slayer.”

Then Pandora quickly ran away. She wanted to see Spike alone before her Sire and Dru came back.

---------------

Spike could now walk almost normally. Well, he could almost walk like a human. He still missed his vampiric grace. It would all soon come back.

Suddenly, he felt a hand in the middle of his back. Though it was not an aggressive touch, but a much more friendly one, it made him lose his balance. All right, his walk was still quite uneasy, he had to admit as he was prevented from falling by the same hand.  A quite familiar hand, he thought as he sensed whose it was. He growled.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Pandora apologised.

“Well, you’ve cocked that part up then!” he replied aggressively. Exactly what he needed. She’d go directly and tell her poof of a Sire he could walk.

“I won’t tell Angelus, if you’re worried about that. He’s my Sire all right, but -- he told me, when I was still human -- he dated the Slayer??” Pandora couldn’t accept this, even from her Sire.

“Oh yes, he did!” laughed Spike. “He bloody did! See, there was this curse on him, so that he’d have his good ol’ soul back. And then he was all helping the bloody Slayer and soon he was falling for her. How pathetic! Even with a soul, I know I’d  never stoop to loving her. Not simply because she’s a Slayer, but because of who she is. I mean, I’ve seen -- and killed, as a matter of fact-- other slayers, whom, as a human, I admit I could have found attractive at the most. But he was in love with Slutty Summers, the vampire shagger...”

“He was in love with her?” Pandora was truly disgusted. Soul or not, it did not change someone’s taste. Angel had loved Buffy; then Angelus must find her attractive, that was all she cared for.

“Oh yes, that he was!” exclaimed Spike, happy to see her so repelled by this idea. She had to hate the Slayer as much as he did.

Then the blonde noticed she was still holding him up. He slowly moved away, suddenly uneasy, back to his wheelchair.

“So, why aren’t you with the poof?” he inquired to break the silence during which their eyes wouldn’t turn away the ones from the others.

“Oh, I told him I wanted to hunt alone. And I brought you this! Thought you might like it,” she told him as she headed for the door and picked up an uncounscious girl from the floor.

Spike was furious. He didn’t need her pity! But as he looked into Pandora’s eyes, as she carried the body to him, he saw no pity, but a simple act of, well, love. He turned his gaze down to the body who now was on her knees. A girl, barely a woman. She had to be a couple of years younger than Pandora. Blue eyes, open, looking onto nothingness. Straight brown hair. Young breasts, rising and falling as she breathed.  And under these breasts, a young heart beating, pumping blood.

Spike felt his fangs sinking, his face turning into that of his demon. He awoke the girl by slapping her.

As her eyes focused again, the girl began to scream. She struggled but Spike’s arms held her tightly. She looked hopefully at the girl standing next to this monster, a sweet-looking girl. When her face also changed into that of a demon, the mortal girl screamed louder. Then she felt the first monster’s teeth in her neck. He was drinking her blood. And it hurt, it really hurt.

Spike had no intention of being gentle or sweet. In ten seconds at the most, he had drained the girl of all her blood. He was already feeling better. He pushed the corpse to the ground and tried to get up once again. He managed to do it without much effort. Thus encouraged, he tried to walk to the table, a few meters away.  He was almost there when, suddenly, a great weakness invaded him.  He felt Pandora’s hands on him again, preventing him from falling. She helped him stand up. Then she faced him, and offered him her neck.

“An eye for an eye,” she gently said. “A drink for a drink, then.”

He thanked her with his eyes, usually icy blue, but now warm and deep. Then he thrust his fangs into the tender flesh of her neck, piercing her pale skin. For her, he would be delicate, he wouldn’t hurt her. Angelus would hurt her enough, Spike thought, remembering the habits of his Sire.  Pandora tasted wonderful. And there was something familiar about her blood, acknowledged the blonde vampire. Of course, there was Angelus, and Spike himself. But there was -- something else. Suddenly, Spike recognised what it was. He quickly withdrew from the vampiress and went and sat back in his chair.

“You -- you were to be a Slayer!” he managed to get out, astonished.

“What?” Pandora clenched her teeth. Was he trying to insult her? She was certainly not a Slayer.

----------------
Part 5

“I’m not pulling your leg... You taste like a bloody Slayer!” Spike went on, noticing her incredulity.

“Would that be the reason why Angelus turned me? Because he knew the taste of a Slayer?” Pandora was growing disgusted with herself now. Her demon was struggling against her own nature. “But I cannot be a Slayer! I’m a vampire!”

“Love, calm down a bit. You don’t have to make such a fuss about it. Slayers don’t kill vampires until they are told they should. They’re simple puppets in the hands of the Watchers. I mean, a Slayer could totally help demons and such, even without being a vampire herself!” Spike didn’t know he was prophesying about another Slayer-to-be.

“So, it’s -- it’s not in my nature or anything to kill vampires?” she hopefully asked.

“Hell no! All there is in your nature are incredible strength, incredible fighting capacities, incredible speed and so on. You’re gonna be a hell of a vampire! So powerful... Maybe even more powerful than Angelus himself,” Spike began to daydream.

“Really? I could be a Mistress? I could overrule my Sire?” she inquired. Ambition was invading her. But she realized she couldn’t do it, not to her Sire.

“Well, yes, maybe,” Spike answered, coming back to reality. “Who knows? It’s not often a Slayer is turned. Not often enough. I saw this amazing fire in you, but I would never have thought it to be -- Slayerness.”

“So let me get this straight. I have the Slayer’s great fighting skills, plus the vampiric ones? I could kill her in a snap of fingers!” Pandora exclaimed.

Spike looked up at her. Her eyes were glowing with excitement; she was so beautiful.

She noticed his look and bent down to kiss him again. She had missed that. The soft, cool touch of his lips against hers. Their tongues began to fight for domination. Pandora reluctantly withdrew from him, knowing Angelus would be really mad if he found them like this, here. Her ambition to overrule him was only temporary; now she felt their bond again.

“Y’know, if you do want to kill the Slayer, you’re gonna have to fight Angelus,” Spike warned her after he recovered from their kiss. “He certainly doesn’t want anybody but him to kill her. And for now, he wants her alive. He wants to drive her insane.”

“The way he turned Dru mad?” Pandora guessed. She saw the usual hurt in Spike’s eyes. He should really quit that. Dru couldn’t love him back, she couldn’t give him what he needed. “And then he’d turn her? No way, I want her dead. If she’s driven mad before she dies, fine with me, though. How does he plan on doing that?”

“I guess he wants to get at her through her little team of friends...” Spike answered. He had to let go of Dru. He couldn’t go on like this.

“I know the best way. What if her best friend was turned?” asked Pandora.

“You thinking of the redhead? She’d be an awesome vampire, that’s true. So much potential darkness in her...” Spike had had a crush on the redhead since he saw her in that great outfit at Halloween.

“I see we’re both equally sensitive to her charms,” Pandora grinned. “I met her while coming here. The smell of her fear was intoxicating. And yet she didn't even try to run away.”

“Yeah, that’s totally Red,” acknowledged Spike.

“Red?”

“Ah, yes, I’ve started calling her that. Doesn’t it suit her fine?” asked the blond vampire.

“Yes, it does. Anyway she just went on defending Slutty. She seemed surprised I didn’t like her. She thought I was still human. At first,” explained the vampiress.

She suddenly felt the presence of her Sire. To hell with it, she thought as she bent down and kissed Spike once again. She realised how mad she was at Angelus for having turned her because of her Slayer abilities and not having told her about it.

Spike felt their Sire coming home as well, but he didn’t care. This girl was such a good kisser.

“Pandora,” growled Angelus as he came in. “Spike. Do I allow any of you to do that?”

“Spikey!!!! You’re supposed to do this to me alone!” Drusilla pouted.

“Dru, honey, since you’re shagging your Sire all the time, I don’t think you have a word in this,” replied Spike as he and Pandora withdrew from one another.

“Dear Angelus,” began Pandora as she seductively walked over to him, “do I need your permission for everything? Do you think you frighten me? Don’t you think I could slay you?”

“Spike,” growled Angelus again, as realisation hit him. She knew. “You drank from her.”

“Yes, he did, and it just felt so nice. I’m not a tiny bit afraid of you, Sire. I could fight you off quite easily, and you know it. You didn’t tell me, 'cuz you knew this would be my reaction. You created me, an incredibly powerful vampire, to fight by your side. But you were afraid I could rather choose to fight against you,” Pandora softly said, her eyes betraying her mischief. “Would you like to fight me, Sire?” she asked as she rubbed her body against him.

Angelus was aroused. “You bet I would,” he answered. He then threw his right leg sideways to get at his Childe in her ribs, as she did to him before she was turned.

Pandora avoided the kick by a swift jump backwards. Angelus advanced and tried to punch her, but she caught his fist and twisted it. She then let go of him, only to hit him in the back. She was having so much fun. She loved her Sire, in a way, but right now her anger was greater than anything else. She backed away, slowly, waiting for his next attack.

Angelus couldn’t believe it. There was much more fire in her than he originally thought. She was actually very dangerous. He should have told her. Now that she was mad, who knew what she was capable of. But he had something she hadn’t acquired yet. Practice. Lots of practice. He took hold of himself and prepared for the next offensive.

The two of them fought for more than an hour. Dru and Spike were watching them, unable to interfere. They were both so good. Now that Angelus knew how powerful his Childe was, he was very careful and therefore a better fighter than he had ever been. Pandora was so skilled at it. Her Slayerness was now obvious to all the vampires. But her anger was running out.

Finally, one of Angelus’ side kicks sent her across the room against the table. By the time she recovered from the shock, her Sire was straddling her, both her hands caught in one of his.

“Now, my Childe,” he started with a wicked grin, “you lacked something here. You are very powerful and dangerous. But you fought with passion. Against someone more or less equalling your abilities, you have to fight with your intelligence, not your guts.”

“Let go of me, Sire,” she demanded.

“Now, that’s not very polite,” Angelus reproached her as he let his fangs travel along her neck, and then the upper part of her breasts. “You’re at my mercy, Pandora. Admit it.”

The vampiress suddenly lifted her head and bit into his arm, the one holding her hands. His surprise allowed her to free her hands and she tried to push him away. They rolled onto the floor, still entangled, and she ended up being the one straddling him.

“Now, Angelus, I am so at your mercy,” she teased as she caught his hands and brought them to her inner thighs, locking them between her thighs and his own body. She let her long nails travel along his neck, and then down his chest.

Suddenly, she got up and stepped away. “I’m tired of this game.”

Angelus stood up and looked at her. He now regarded his newest Childe as his equal, which certainly did not regard Dru as. On the contrary, Spike could be his equal as well, which was the reason why they were so competitive around one another. It would not be so with her. He’d have to work with her. Or else she would destroy him, one way or another.

“Come, Pandora, we have to talk,” he whispered almost inaudibly.

Baffled, for she did not expect this reaction at all, she followed her Sire.

-------------------
Part 6

Willow walked quickly to the school. She did not know where to go anyway. She would seek refuge in the library, she decided. Maybe Giles would even be there and then she’d be able to talk to him about Pandora.

As she stepped into the school, she remembered vampires could come in here. She’d have to try a revocation, but she didn’t know if it could work in this place.  As she stepped into the library, she discovered more than she had expected. Giles and Buffy were here. Great.

“Willow, what are you doing here? I hope you haven’t walked over here alone, have you?” worryingly asked Giles. He sure as hell didn’t want to lose anyone else now.

“Yes, I have, as a matter of fact, and I ran into someone we know. Someone we knew, rather,” she corrected herself. Despite Giles’ disapproving look, she went on. “Buffy, do you know who this weird girl in French class is? You know, always teasing everyone, not caring to have any friends--”

“Oh, you mean quite tall, brown hair, slutty and lonely? Always dancing provocatively at the Bronze?” asked her friend.

“Well, yes, I guess that’s her. Pandora’s her name,” stated the redhead.

“She a vampire now?” the slayer asked.

“Yes, she is,” answered Willow.

“Wait a minute, Willow. You said her first name was Pandora?” asked Giles. Something seemed to be up.

“Yeah, why?”

“Tell me it’s not Pandora Watson. Wait a minute, I must have a picture somewhere,” Giles mumbled as he began to go through the stuff in his office. “There she is...”

“Well, yes, that’s her. It’s bad, isn’t it?” Willow asked.

“Oh yes it is. Worse than anything else. Angelus was already enough trouble, but if Pandora was turned, then we are to face the hardest struggle we have ever encountered and--”

“Giles, please!” Buffy interrupted. “Will you tell us what’s so bad about this particular chick?”

“Oh, yes, excuse me,” the Watcher apologised. “Pandora is, was, a Slayer- to-be.”

“What?” Buffy was startled. “How is that possible? Can’t you watch over your future Slayers? I cannot fight a Slayer who’s a vampire! I don’t want to die!”

“Buffy, calm down,” Willow adviced her friend. “You’re not going to die. She seems a very special vampire. I mean, she could have easily killed me. She didn’t.”

“Well it was for you to give us the message she was a vamp, what else do you expect?” Buffy answered carelessly. “I mean, it’s me she wants. She gets no profit in killing you.”

“No, there was something in her eyes.  Much like in Spike’s eyes.  Not that I've watched Spike’s eyes really, I just happen to have noticed some kind of sparkle in them,” Willow started to babble.

“You’re telling us she’s Spike’s Childe?” Buffy asked.

“Highly improbable,” commented Giles. “With Spike’s weak physical condition, he cannot possibly have turned a future Slayer. It needed someone stronger. Very strong indeed. My guess would be--”

“Angelus,” Buffy finished. “He knew exactly what he was doing. He thinks that maybe if I think he’s taking another Slayer to replace me, I’ll go nuts.”

“Or maybe he just took her ’cause he knew she’d be a very powerful vampire then and he definitely wanted her on his side?” Willow suggested.

“Well, yes, maybe,” had to acknowledge the Slayer. “Either way, it’s in order to get at me.” Buffy had already regained her everlasting self-confidence. “Anyway, even as a vampire, she won’t measure up to me. I’m the most powerful Slayer ever, am I not?”

“We do have to find a way to divest ourselves of Pandora as soon as possible,” Giles concluded, avoiding the obvious answer to Buffy’s question. “We need to know more about her. Did you see her alone, Willow?”

“Yes, she was alone, hunting I guess, though she didn’t want to kill me. I mean she really doesn’t want to kill me, so I guess I’m quite safe around her, maybe I could try to get some data from the inside,” the redhead suggested.

“No way, it’s too dangerous, Wills,” Buffy objected immediately.

“I’m afraid Buffy is right,” confirmed the Watcher. “Who can guess what goes on in her vampire mind?”

“All right,” Willow pouted. She knew she’d do it anyway. She really wanted to see the vampiress again.

“I’ll walk you home now,” the Slayer stated.

Willow sighed inaudibly. She didn’t want to listen to Buffy’s complaining about Angelus again. All she wanted was to go home and sleep, and then try to meet Pandora again. Maybe she wouldn’t even go to class, in order to try to locate the vampires’ lair. What was the matter with her now? Did she really need a vampire calling her a beauty to skip classes for the first time?

---------------

In the morning, Willow was firmly resolved actually to skip classes and look for Pandora’s hiding place.  She’d had dreams. Dreams where Pandora would sweetly call her a beauty again, and where she would embrace her and lull her to sleep.  Willow felt so good sleeping in the vampiress’ arms. She had been so disappointed when she woke up, alone in her bed.

Then there was this other dream, but Willow would blush just by thinking about it. No way she’d actually try to remember it.

There was bright sunshine outside as she called the school to warn them her daughter was sick. Her mother had never called them, so how could they know it wasn’t her now? Willow could sound really motherly when she needed to.

Then she set off to find the vampires’ place. She knew Angel; she therefore knew part of Angelus. Angel had told her about his rivalry with Spike, how he feared him for being his equal. She knew Angelus would try to impress Dru and make her forget Spike, though she knew he didn’t really want it to happen, for he loved Spike, in a strange way.

Angelus would therefore try to find a greater place than the factory was. Something romantic would do it. Something huge. She had cadastral plans. She knew where to look.

-------------

Finally, Willow arrived at a mansion. Unsure of the reason for that, Willow just knew it was it.  It was the mansion.  The front door was locked. Hoping the back door would be open, she went round the house. The back door was indeed unlocked.   Carefully she stepped inside, hoping no minions would be up. She needed to see Pandora first. Willow suddenly realised how dangerous this all was. She took out a stake, trembling.  How had she grown so unconscious of the danger?

She arrived in what should be the main room.  Only at night though, she thought, looking up to the windows on the roof. Obviously, no-one was here, in this fully-lighted room. She went across it to another door, opened it cautiously, and stepped inside, leaving it wide open for some light from the hallway.  It wasn’t very effective, but she felt a bit safer then.

She heard somebody moan in the room at the end of the hallway. Shivering, she recognised Angelus. She wondered who he might be having fun with, when she recognised another voice moaning. Pandora’s voice. Willow thought back on her second dream; there were moanings indeed.

Suddenly, a door opened just next to her and a strong arm caught her waist and took her into the room.

----------------
Part 7

Dreading fangs in her neck, Willow reopened her eyes, not feeling anything. She realised she was sitting on Spike’s knees.

“Spike!” she exclaimed, surprised for still being alive, and getting up.

Willow looked around her. She was in a dark bedroom. The wide bed, in the middle, was covered with red satin sheets. On the wall was a portrait of Spike and Dru. She recognized Angel’s style, and Angelus’ signature was in the left-hand bottom corner. It seemed quite old. Spike looked different, even better, with light brown, longer hair.

“Shhh, Red,” Spike recommanded her. “I’m sure you don’t want the poof to realise you’re here.”

“The poof?” Willow didn’t get it.

“Angelus,” Spike sighed. “So what the hell are you doing here?”

“What did you call me?” the redhead asked, still unsure what she was doing, talking to this evil vampire, who was regularly involved in her not-to-be-talked-about dreams. Lately accompanied by another vampire. Willow had to stop thinking.

“It’s very impolite to answer a question with another question,” advised Spike. “Especially if the one you’re talking to could drain you in a heartbeat. Even when you have a stake at hand. And Red, I called you Red. Colour of you hair, but also of blood, and of passion, pet. So should I repeat: what the hell are you doing here?”

“I -- wanted to see Pandora. But she’s obviously busy with Angelus,” she added somewhat enviously, blushing.

“What were you thinking of, coming here? If it hadn't been me here, think a bit, luv, you could easily be dead by now,” the blond vampire reproached her. When he’d seen her blushing, he’d had trouble preventing himself from getting up and taking her. She was so cute when she was blushing.

“Yeah, why aren’t you killing me?” the redhead asked mistrustfully.

“Red, Pandora’ll turn you when she thinks best. I don’t want her mad at me,” he mysteriously added.

“Yeah, I can see why,” Willow thoughtlessly replied.

“What do you know about her exactly?” Spike asked, a note of suspicion in his voice. If their little gang knew about Pandora’s slayerness, they would do anything in their power to have her dead.

Willow cursed herself silently. Why hadn’t she just shut up? She didn’t know what to tell him now -- he’d obviously know if she lied to him. Fortunately, the door suddenly opened and Pandora entered.

“Beauty, I did think it was you I heard. I would have come sooner, but I had to keep Angelus busy ‘til he was sleeping,” Pandora explained quickly.

The vampiress was delighted at the sight of Willow. The redhead was obviously very confused --  and very aroused, Pandora noticed, eyeing Spike who blinked at her. He had smelt it as well. He knew Willow wanted them both, really badly.  And it felt good to them.

“Pandora,” the redhead sighed softly.

“Yes, indeed. So why did you come here? Wanted to see me? Or Spike? Or both?” Pandora asked, knowing what effect it would have on Willow. She’d start babbling.

“Well, see, I wanted to see you again, because of what you told me, but I really dunno how I coulda been stupid enough to come here with Angelus and Dru and Spike and now I’m just feeling very uneasy and I think it was a stupid idea and please --”

“Red, you’re babbling,” Spike informed her. “Not that I don’t find it cute, but you’re not really giving us much information, here.”

“Sorry,” the redhead apologised with a small smile. She looked at Spike for a moment, wishing he wasn’t there. Or not. Then she looked back on the beautiful Pandora. “See, I was very intrigued by what you told me. How you’d like to turn me. Not that I would like that, but I was wondering -- why?”

“Look at you, beauty, and you’ll get it. But right now you should really run away, before anyone else discovers you’re here. Don’t wanna fight my Sire again today,” Pandora explained.

“Yeah, I suppose I should go,” Willow acknowledged, sorry to hear this, and surprised by her last words. It confirmed their supposition about Angelus turning Pandora, but it also meant that Pandora had fought Angelus.

Spike came to her side and took her hand in one of his. The cold touch made Willow shiver. He brought her hand delicately to his lips and kissed her already pale skin. Then as Spike let go of her, Pandora took her other hand and pulled her into the hallway. She kissed her cheek softly.

“See you around, beauty,” she whispered.

“Next time, Red,” added Spike. who was watching them from the entrance to his room, in his wheelchair.

Unable to respond, Willow just went away, trembling. For fear, and for want. She had to stop all this. It was going way too fast for her. She certainly did not want to be a vampire, and yet she wanted to be with those two.

She wandered in the streets for some time. It wasn’t midday yet. No matter what she tried, her thoughts always came back on the two vampires. She had to stop this. Now. The best way would obviously be to give Angelus his soul back. Maybe, if she managed to do that, she could also try to rewrite the curse for Pandora and Spike. Why not? They’d be awesome allies.

Willow went back to her place. She wanted --needed-- to watch some stupid love movie, one of those she loved for their simplicity and humour. The Princess Bride would do it.  As soon as she put her keys on the kitchen table, the phone rang.

“Wills?” she heard as she picked it up.

“Yes, Buffy, it’s me,” she answered.

“How are you? Why are you not in class?” She did sound worried.

“I just have the greatest headache ever, so if you don’t mind I’ll go back to trying to eat something and then I’ll try to sleep...” Willow pretended.

“Oh, ok, I was just hoping you were not doing any stupid stuff,” Buffy explained. “Well, have a good meal and a good sleep then!”

“Yeah, thanks, 'bye,” the redhead quickly said as she hung up. She did not need the Slayer right now.

 She then closed the curtains and settled in front of her VCR with some chocolate bars. She was firmly decided on having a soapy afternoon.

-----------------

After Willow had left, Pandora went back to Spike’s bedroom. She lay on his bed, admiring Angelus’ drawing of his Childer, while Spike admired her.

“He drew me tonight, before we had fun,” she told him.

“Really? I didn’t know he still did this,” Spike answered.

He missed his Sire. At the very beginning of his un-life, Angelus and he got along just fine. They used to have sex, sometimes with Dru.  Spike quickly grew jealous of Angelus’ bond with Drusilla, and Angelus grew somehow afraid of his Childe, though afraid wasn’t quite the right word.  Angelus understood how powerful Spike was, and how dangerous he would be if he ever realised that. So Angelus tried to make Spike think himself weak. It was his one mistake. Spike did realise it quickly, he saw it in Angelus’ eyes. He hated Angelus for what he was trying to do. Their relationship was a complex one, a raw mix of love and hate.

When Angelus got his soul back, Spike had felt betrayed. Dru hadn’t seemed to care much, but who could know what was going on in her mind anyway? She had simply seemed to miss Angelus. Spike was more hurt than that. His Sire could not do that to him, abandone them, betray them, finally help their enemy, a Slayer, and fight against them. Now that Angelus was back, Spike could not forgive him easily. More than a matter of evil, it was a family matter.  Angel shouldn’t have left them.  Angelus bore the guilt for that.

And yet Spike still loved him. He could not fight it.   Love for Angelus was in his blood, perhaps even a little for Angel, though he would have killed Angel without remorse if he could have done it.  He wished it could all go back to what it had been in the 1800s, when they were all so close.

Looking at the vampiress lying on his bed, he knew he’d miss one thing though.  Or two, he thought as he remembered Willow blushing, Willow babbling, Willow smiling. She’d be a delightful vampiress as well, when Pandora would have turned her.  But she was not ready yet.

Pandora turned onto her back and her greenish-brown eyes met Spike’s icy ones. She wanted him almost desperately now. With Angelus it was just a game. With Spike it would be making love.

Spike got up from his wheelchair when he read the desire in Pandora’s eyes. He walked slowly to his bed --thanks to her blood, he was now much stronger-- and laid down next to her. He took her face gently in one of his hands and kissed her.

-------------------

Part 8

After the classes were over, Willow went to the school although it was still daylight.  She did not want Giles to worry about her.

She walked into the empty school, in the hallways. There was the hallway where Spike had tried to kill Buffy. And there was the one where Angelus had revealed his nature, where he had taken her as a hostage. Willow shivered. She missed Angel horribly.  Angelus probably hated her for having been Angel’s friend. She hated herself for somehow loving Angelus as well. He was part of her friend, his evil side; she had accepted Angel’s vampire status more easily than Buffy.

She stopped in front of Miss Calendar’s classroom. Was it worth another try? Sighing, Willow stepped into the room and headed towards the computer. Not a very modern one, it still read the old floppy discs and not CDs. Discs. Maybe Miss Calendar had put it all on a disc.  Willow had already studied all the discs she could find, but she hadn’t really searched for any hidden ones. Maybe it was there, hidden in the room. Willow had always felt it was there somewhere.

She went through the desk drawers, looking for a false bottom, then inspected the cupboard closely. Nothing.  She thought back on the spy movies she had seen. Where could you hide a disc? Maybe in the floor? Willow went back to the desk and knelt,  looking for any suspect plank around it. Nothing. She was just getting up when something caught her eye. She didn’t know what it was, but there was something there.  Willow knelt back and looked closely around her.   There, between the two parts of the desk, she saw it. A disc. She grabbed it feverishly and turned on the computer.

When she opened the disc, she couldn’t believe it. That was it. She had it. She would be able to give him his soul back. Angel would come back.

She took the disc out. She couldn’t tell the others;  after all, she was not sure she could do it. She would study the disc’s contents at her place and then she’d try to do it without their help. If she could.

Willow turned off the computer and headed for the library.

---------------

When Pandora woke that evening, she found herself entangled in Spike’s arms. She could feel he was awake, but when she looked up at him, his eyes were closed.

She remembered their day. He was such a good lover. Her demon liked having sex with Angelus, but her true self much prefered Spike. With Angelus, it was just a matter of getting pleasure by any means. With Spike, it had been giving pleasure to the other, tenderly at times, more savagely at others, though never brutally.

Before having sex with Angelus, they had talked about what they were going to do. She had agreed to help him render the Slayer mad. She would turn Willow, of which Angelus approved. But she absolutely refused to let him turn the Slayer, she wouldn’t let that happen.  He knew that if he turned Buffy, Pandora would kill her right afterwards. She had suggested simply letting her live;  insane, she couldn’t harm them, and it would prevent another Slayer from being sent. But he didn't want her dead;  he wanted her as his consort. That point still wasn’t settled.

Angelus had suddenly stopped their discussion by telling her to undress. She had watched him taking out some sheets of paper and pencils. She had slowly started to get out of her clothes, then had lain on the bed and let him pose her there. He hadn’t let her see the picture when he was finished; instead he kissed her harshly.

Then while he was in her, she had smelled the scent of her Willow, and then heard her saying Spike’s name. Luckily at that time her Sire was deep in the thoes of pleasure and didn’t notice it. As soon as he was asleep, she got out of bed and joined Spike and Willow.

And finally, when Willow left, Spike had made love to her. What they had both longed for since she had fed from him. And there had been no disappointment.  It had been wonderful. She could still remember the look in his blue eyes, the warmth of his mouth and the cold pressure of his hands on her, one of which was now resting on her stomach.

Spike wasn’t thinking. He was simply enjoying resting with his lover in his arms as lay on her back, on his left. He lay on his side, his eyes closed, one hand on her stomach, his other arm under his head which was plunged into her hair. She smelled really good. She still, somehow, smelled sort of human. That’s what he had always regretted about vampires -- they didn’t smell much. She did. Spike sighed.  He knew she was awake, but he didn’t want this moment to end. He loved feeling her next to him, knowing she, at last, understood him. And soon, they would have Red with them.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Angelus strode in. He was furious. Pandora didn’t have time to get ready before he got her out of bed by grabbing her arm.

“You do not leave me alone after we've had sex, understood?” he yelled at her.

 Then he slapped her once, hard enough for her to fly onto the corner of the bed. Her back made a cracking sound.

Before he knew it, another vampire had punched him hard in the face. Angelus, thrown to the wall, looked in disbelief at Spike, up on his feet.

“You will not do that again!” the blond vampire yelled at his Sire.

“You -- can walk?” Angelus observed.

“Bright boy!” commented Spike sarcastically. “Now, if you’ll excuse us...”

“No,” Pandora interrupted, getting up. “Angelus, I thought you got it yesterday. I may be your Childe but I am in no way your slave. Do not do that again. I am free to sleep in whichever bed I want.”

“You owe me, Pandora, you know you do.  I freed you from human life -- you despised it, didn’t you?” Angelus guessed. “You needed others to notice you, that’s why you used to dance like that, but no-one really ever noticed you the right way.  Until I came into your life, until I stopped it and made you someone noticeable indeed.”

“I owe you as much as you owe me,” she retorted without flinching. “What you said is true. My life was making no sense. I’m grateful for what you’ve done. But it doesn't give you the right to alienate me. You owe me because I am staying on your side, despite your behaviour. Because I am not leaving with Spike, although I could. We owe one another. We are equals, whether you like it or not.”

“I need to feed,” Angelus growled as he strode off.

Pandora sighed and sat on the bed. A single blood tear ran down her cheek. Spike approached her and licked the tear off. He took the vampiress in his arms. He knew how frightening it could be to talk back to your own Sire like that. Especially when the Sire was as powerful as Angelus. Spike had to admit it -- their Sire was no bloody poof.

-----------------
Part 9

Willow was at home. She was about to go through the disk when she heard some knocking on the French doors of her room. Closing the file, she turned around nervously. At first she thought it was just her imagination, but as she pinched herself and rubbed her eyes, she had to face it as the truth. Spike was casually leaning on the doors, waiting for her to open them while smoking a cigarette, looking absently at Pandora next to him. Pandora’s eyes were directed onto Willow’s, entering them to her core.  Willow broke the eye contact and went to open the French doors, then quickly stepped back.

“What do you want?” she asked mistrustfully.

“Simply to return the visit you paid us this morning,” answered the vampiress softly.

“Are you gonna invite us in or what?” Spike asked impatiently, directing his blue eyes to her.

“I may have been stupid enough to go into the mansion, but I'm not crazy enough to invite you two in,” the redhead retorted. No way, no matter how attractive they were, she thought, biting her bottom lip.

“Never mind, then,” Pandora said, turning away.

“Wait,” Willow called them. “Why did you want to see me?”

“We simply missed you, beauty,” Pandora whispered to Willow as she turned around and leaned in as close to the redhead as her home’s barrier would allow.

“How come he’s up?” Willow asked, waving towards Spike.

“Very impolite still, pet. First, don’t talk of someone who's present in the third person. Then, don’t leave two people waiting outside your house, especially at night,” Spike reproached her.

“You’re not ‘people’. You’re vampires. Evil vampires. So why are you up?” she asked him.

“Was sick of being a bloody cripple, so I decided to get up,” Spike smiled. “And I really wanted to see Pandora hunt. You should see her.”

“I’m not sure I’d like that,” Willow put a disgusted face on. “Listen, I can’t let you in. I have to work. If you don’t have anything else to tell me, I guess this is goodbye.  See you around when you’ll try to kill my friends.”

“See you around indeed, beauty. Even if not on this particular occasion,” Pandora replied.

“Bye, Red,” Spike then said as he turned away and put his arm around Pandora’s waist.

Willow watched them going away. They were such a beautiful couple. Both in these long leather coats. But she had no time to think things like this now. She had to work on the curse.

--------------

Angelus did not know what to do. His Childer were becoming way too independent. He knew they were indeed his equals. He’d always had too good a taste, and now he had these wonderful vampires with him, unluckily too powerful for his own safety.  Where Pandora was concerned, Spike was getting even more dangerous.  He was growing to realise his own power. Angelus knew he had never been oblivious to it, but now he was fully embracing the concept of his independence.

There had always been Dru to keep him by his side. Dru was certainly not as powerful as his other Childer. She could have been, if he hadn’t driven her insane. Dru would always love her Sire unconditionally. And stay with him, no matter what. And Spike had lived, or rather had been un-dead, for her.

Angelus knew how special Spike was. Even soulless, he could love. In a very human way. Angelus loved his Childer and Dru loved her Sire, but it was all vampiric love. Spike had loved Dru like a mortal. She had never been able to return this love.

But now there was Pandora. Pandora was as special as Spike. Maybe was it his blood, Angelus didn’t know, and didn’t care, really. All he cared was that now that Spike had found someone to love him back the way he wanted to be loved, Dru would not be enough to keep him with Angelus.  He loved them both so much, but they were not acting like Childer should. And he knew there would be no point in trying to reason them. He had two alternatives; he could accept it or he could kill them. And he sure did not want to kill them.

Angelus sighed. He had arrived at the Bronze and here, he would, at last, have some fun. As he entered the club, he immediately spotted the Slayer. He still found her very attractive, though he couldn’t love her anymore. She had a great, muscular body, and quite beautiful hair, when she let it free.

He smiled broadly as he saw her spotting him as well. Her face fell, and she stood up. Her friends looked up and saw Angelus as well, all frowning. The vampire noticed the little redhead wasn’t here. Too bad, he grinned. Pandora was making a very fine choice by planning to turn her.  He remembered how close friends Willow had been with Angel. He knew he had always been attracted by his girlfriend’s best friend and, unable to acknowledge it, he had become friends with her, instead. Angelus smiled. She’d be a wicked vampire, he knew it.

He saw the Slayer walking up to him. She had a very fine walk, if not quite feminine enough. If ever she was to be his consort, he’d make her change that.
“Angelus,” she hissed. “What are you doing here?”

“Yes, honey, I missed you too,” he replied, smiling evilly.

“What are you doing here?” the blond insisted.

“Well, I just thought, as I was going by, I’d step in and say hi to you and your lovely friends,” he answered, striding over to the table where Alexander and Cordelia were sitting.

The two teenagers watched with eyes widened in horror  as the vampire come nearer.  Buffy caught Angelus’ arm while he was walking across the dance floor.

“You leave!” she yelled at him. “Now!”

“Not before I’ve had a nice little dance with you, my beautiful Slayer,” he answered, smiling in the most charmful way.

Angelus took her in his arms, in a way which allowed them to dance closely and slowly, a way which didn’t allow Buffy to escape.

“Isn’t it thrilling, to know I could drain you right here, immobilised as you are in my embrace?” he whispered at her ear.

“Not in the least,” she replied, coldly.

He suddenly let go of her.

“Well, it was nice seeing you.  I guess we’ll soon meet again,” he told her over his shoulder as he strode out of the Bronze.

As he got outside, he saw a girl walking away. She’d be a great meal, he thought as he watched her slim figure and her blond hair. He began the stalk.

----------------

“Spikey!!” Drusilla called out as she saw Spike and Pandora come in. “You’re healed! Miss Edith told me so, but I woudn’t believe her !”

“Yes, Dru, I am,” confirmed Spike, breaking the hug which she had forced onto him.

“Don’t you want me?” Dru asked, pouting again.

“Well, as a matter of fact, no, I don’t want you anymore,” Spike told her, almost reluctantly. He knew he had to do this. She was hurting him too much.

“I’ll go tell Daddy then, that you’re a very, very naughty boy to me!” Drusilla threatened.

“Yeah, yeah, go tell Daddy and leave us alone,” Spike said, instantly less reluctant.

He watched the one he had always thought to be his true love run away out of the mansion, into the night, looking for Angelus. Then he turned back to Pandora, looking at him with concern in her great green and brown eyes.

“When d’you think she’ll be ready?” Spike asked Pandora, pretending not to have seen her look.

“In a day or two,” she answered, smiling. “Our little beauty was so reluctant when she had to refuse to invite us in.”

“And her panties got dripping wet as well, when you stared straight into her eyes,” the blonde vampire observed. “She’ll be most delightful indeed.”

“We’ll visit her again, tomorrow night,” Pandora told him, her eyes lighting up at the thought. “If she lets us in this time...”

“She’ll be ours,” finished Spike.

“Yes, she will,” confirmed Pandora.

Their eyes met, full of the same loving anticipation. And the same loving need. They went to Spike’s room and once again made wonderful love to one another, before falling asleep in each other’s arms.

---------------
Part 10

When the two vampires had left, Willow finally had the opportunity to study the disc’s contents calmly.  Miss Calendar had been working on the translation of the curse and now only a few words were missing. It wouldn’t be too hard to find them. Willow had free access to all of Giles’ books, or at least she would have when she told him about the disc.

Willow looked for the necessary ingredients which she could easily get from the magic shop, but this Orb of Thessulah -- she really wasn’t sure they’d have it. It seemed quite rare.

Not thinking particularly about what she was doing, Willow put on her coat  and printed the incomplete translation out, then headed for the library. Giles would probably still be there. Sure, he’d be mad about her walking alone at night, but Willow knew that Pandora did mean to turn her. And a vampire as powerful as she was would obviously make sure no minion would harm her future Childe. Willow was, in a strange way, very glad that Pandora wanted to Sire her.

As she walked into the library, she discovered the Watcher sitting at the table, absently looking at a book open in front of him. She could see his eyes glowing with tears. In order to inform him of her presence, she cleared her throat.

“Ah, Willow, what are you doing here?” he asked, unsure where he was or at what time of the day it was. Then he realised he was in the library and it was night. “I mean, you know very well you shouldn’t walk alone at night. It’s a miracle you’re still alive.”

“Yes, Giles, I’m sorry, but this is very important,” the redhead cut him, smiling as she thought about this miracle he was speaking of, personified in her mind by a gorgeous vampiress.

“But why are you not at the Bronze with the others, by the way?” he suddenly asked.

Willow giggled. She couldn’t help it. Now, going out with them would just seem a rather foolish idea. Her recent evolution suddenly hit her and she stopped laughing. It was now clear to her she didn’t have much in common with her so-called friends anymore. But she focused on the task at hand -- getting Angel his soul back.

“Giles, please. Focus. I found a disc in her classroom,” Willow explained, carefully not mentionning her name. “A disc where I found Angelus’ curse. I mean, the ritual to give him back his soul!”

Giles was stunned. He simply stared at the excited redheaded teenager in front of him, her eyes glowing with pride. He watched her as she spoke.

“I’ve had a look at it, and I think I could perform it,” she continued. “I could perhaps give him his soul back.”

The Watcher was torn apart by different feelings. As much as he would love Angelus to disappear, he would also love Angelus to be dead rather than being Angel. He had never particularly liked the vampire, barely tolerating him. Maybe it had something to do with the fact he was taking his Slayer away from him  and the fact that Angelus had killed the woman he loved, after sleeping with his Slayer. But Giles had to face it -- having Angel back with them would be good for every one of them. Apart from him, obviously, and maybe Xander as well.

“And you came here for my help, didn’t you?” the Watcher asked.

“Yes. I need a few more words translated,” Willow went on, unaware of the interior struggle the librarian had just faced. She was just glad he had taken it that way and she was surprised at how pragmatic he was. “And then tomorrow, I’ll go to the magic shop and get a few things. I guess the most difficult thing to get will be this Orb of -- Thessulah, I think it was.”

“Wait, do you mean,” Giles started, going into his office and seizing a glass orb he apparently used as a paper weight, “this?”

“Well, I guess, I’ve never seen one,” the redhead answered. “It’s great you have one then! I think you really should keep it until we perform the ritual.”

“Have you told the others?” Giles asked as he put the orb back in his office.

“No,” she answered hesitantly. “I don’t think we should. Until we do it and we are sure it actually works.”

“Fine, I think you’re right,” he answered, to her greatest surprise. “Should we start working on this translation?” he went on cleaning his glasses before putting them back on.

--------------

Willow was walking back to her place. Giles seemed so absent-minded he did not even protest to her doing so, nor offered to drive her back. Damn him. She was sick of walking, she could have used a ride. But he was in no state of mind for her to ask him.

She could understand him. He held, in a way, a grudge against Angel for having become Angelus and killed Miss Calendar. It was all so logical. He would have loved to see her death avenged. But he seemed to be accepting it pretty well, helping Willow and all. She knew he was reasonable, one of the most reasonable men she had ever known.  She really was grateful that he apparently trusted her abilities. He hadn’t questioned her capacity to perform the ritual.

Suddenly, she felt two strong arms pulling her back to a tall body. She struggled, praying it would be Spike. She managed to turn around and discovered a smirking Angelus.

“Willow,” he greeted her. “I’ve missed you. And our long talks when -- no wait, that was when I was so disgustingly weak, I haven’t missed that at all.”

Willow was paralysed in his arms. Even if her fear had allowed her to move, his arms wouldn’t have. She felt so weak in front of him. And terrified. She knew that if one vampire would not respect Pandora’s wishes, it would be him, her Sire. She knew he was able to do anything that crossed his sick mind to her.

“But what I did miss is your smell,” he went on. “You smell so humanly good. And the smell of your present fear, and of your anger, just spices it up. Don’t get me started on the fire of your hair, the brightness of your emerald eyes, or the frailness of your pale body. I can’t believe the jerk I was never followed his desire and took you, rather than the Slayer.”

Willow was stunned.  Angel had wanted her? No, that must be one of Angelus’ sick tricks to turn her crazy. She shrieked with fear as he bent down, his face approaching the side of hers.

“Don’t fear me so much, little one,” he whispered, his lips to her left ear. “I can understand Pandora. You are so gorgeous. When she turns you, I hope I will be able to borrow you for a couple of nights.”

Angelus chuckled. This girl was so utterly delicious. Suddenly he felt one of his Childer coming near.

“Daddy!” exclaimed Drusilla. “You’re having fun without me too... I want to have fun with you. Spike’s already been mean to me, I want you to punish him, for he said he didn’t want me! Will you let me spill holy water over his chest like he let me do to you?”

“Dru,” Angelus sighed, slightly letting go of Willow, but not enough for her to escape. “I’ll see to that later. I guess Spike had good reasons to be mean. Right now, I’m busy,” he explained, turning to Willow, grinning.

“But Daddy--” Drusilla started.

“I said I was busy!” Angelus yelled at her.

 Dru shrieked. She was sick of being rejected tonight. Even the moon wasn’t nice to her. She wouldn’t show up.

“Let me be busy with you then,” she proposed, facing Angelus and putting her hands on Willow’s shoulders.

“Don’t touch her,” Angelus growled, vamping out. “She is Pandora’s. Do not touch her ever again.”

Suddenly feeling how much her Sire was serious, Dru stepped away.

“You’re mean too! I don’t like any of you tonight!” she shouted as she ran away.

“Sorry for the interruption,” Angelus apologised to Willow, still smirking. “Where was I? Ah, yes. I really am looking forward to seeing you at the Mansion. But now, I have to go back there and sort out all the mess my Childer are creating between one another. See you soon,” he ended, softly kissing her on the lips before he went away.

Willow stood in the exact same spot, trembling, for some minutes. There was just so much of Angel in him. All this tenderness, as well as this mischief. But all was tainted by a shade of evil. Notwithstanding his darker side, he was still the vampire she had considered a friend.

As she walked back to her house, tears rolled down her face.

-----------------

Drusilla stopped running and wandered in Sunnydale’s dark streets. Nobody came her way, allowing her to forget her pain in feeding. The moon wouldn’t help her out either. They were all so mean.

Suddenly, she heard Miss Edith’s voice in the back of her head, and she looked down at the doll in her arms.

“You know,” the voice said, “the moon is not mean to you. She can’t come to visit you during the night, ‘tis all. She would love to, but she is only here during the day.”

Dru’s heart jumped with joy. She could actually get to see the moon. She really needed her advice. The moon had always been her best adviser.

-----------------
Part 11

When Angelus got back to the Mansion, he couldn’t feel Drusilla’s presence. But considering the bedding sounds he could hear, his two other Childer were once more enjoying each other’s company, to say the least. He himself decided to go to bed, alone. Day was near.

Angelus was still lying awake on his bed when the sun rose. Suddenly, his insides warned him something was wrong. He was losing something. It hurt, in a strange way.  Suddenly, he got it. He had lost Drusilla. She simply wasn’t un-dead anymore. She was gone.

His door suddenly burst open. His blond Childe walked in, quickly followed by a distraught Pandora, both half-naked.

“Was it her?” Spike asked his Sire. “We had drunk enough of each other’s blood over these decades... It was her, wasn’t it?” Spike could barely keep a hold on himself. Observing a single blood tear running down the cheek of his usually cold Sire didn’t help much either.

“It was,” Angelus answered in a sigh. “Drusilla is gone. Must have walked into the light.” Apart from his low tone, nothing would show through his way of speaking the loss he was experiencing. This was horrible. He hated the feeling.

Pandora looked at her lover and her Sire. Drusilla was dead. She could only imagine how much it could hurt both of them. She watched them, as Angelus looked up at Spike, for once some sort of love showing in his eyes, as Spike rushed forwards into his Sire’s arms.

Silently, Pandora got out of the room and closed the door behind her. This was not a place for her to be.

-----------

Willow and Giles had managed to translate the whole curse as the light began to fade. Willow looked at the clock, surprised. She didn’t know it was so late. Suddenly, Buffy burst into the room.

“Hey guys, watcha doin’?” the Slayer asked.

“Translating some old chronicles,” Giles lied with ease. “It’s soon going to be dark, Buffy;  you should have dinner with your mother and then quickly head off to patrol tonight.”

“I dunno, I don’t feel like patrolling tonight, I’d rather stay here with you guys,” the blonde answered carelessly.

“Buffy, being the Slayer is not something you have to ‘feel like doing’,” Giles imitated her way of speaking. “You just have to do it. Especially with Angelus and Pandora in town.”

“Ok, ok, I’ll do it,” the Slayer replied, almost angrily. “Don’t have to get so touchy! I’ll go see dear mummy then!” And Buffy stormed out of the library.

“You were awesome, Giles. Thanks,” Willow added. “I know how much you hate lying to her. But it’s necessary. We can’t give her hopes that we might not fulfill.”

“I know, Willow,” Giles slowly answered. “I would just like this to be all over. Let’s prepare the ritual and not talk about it anymore.”

-----------------

“Do you think it worked?” Willow asked as she got down from the table, still dizzy from the ritual. She had indeed felt something  around and inside her, very powerful.

“I don’t have the slightest idea,” Giles answered. “I don’t know anymore than you do about all this. Whatever happened, I should really drive you home and then go to my place. If it did not work, and if Angelus somehow felt what we attempted to do, he’ll soon be after us.”

“Yes, it’s true,” Willow acknowledged. “Thanks again.”

Not saying anything, Giles headed for the parking lot for his car. Sighing, Willow followed him. She hated this uncertainty even more than the Watcher did.

-----------------

When Willow got into her bedroom, the first thing she noticed was a black shape leaning onto her French window. She went and opened one of them, staying out of reach.

“Spike, what are you doing here?” she asked, sighing. As the vampire turned around, Willow noticed the red streaks on his face. Spike had been crying. The Big Bad had been crying.

“I needed to talk to someone,” Spike honestly replied. “Pandora’s hunting, she still needs to feed, she’s young. She doesn’t know what it is to lose one you love.”

“Who did you lose?” Willow softly asked.

“Dru. My Dru’s dead,” the vampire harshly stated. “She must have walked into the sun. We had sort of a small tiny fight, because I didn't want her. Then she came and saw you and Angelus. Then no-one has ever seen her again. But, see, I did want her!  It was just that -- she was bad for me. I know I sound like a bloody mortal but hell! I loved her! With an un-dead heart, sure, but I did bloody love her! She had no right to do this to me!”

Willow let the vampire have his little speech, she let him confess his anger, against himself and against her. Unsure of what she was doing and of a state of temporary insanity, Willow spoke again.

“Spike,” she hesitantly ventured, “do you want to come in?”

The vampire looked up at the frail redhead with his blue eyes, reddened with tears. He was truly surprised. He knew Pandora and he had planned to come and ask her to invite them in, but Dru’s fate had changed it all. He had merely come here to talk to someone who would truly understand him.

“Sure, Red, I’d love to,” he softly replied.

“Well, then, come in,” Willow hastily stated, knowing she was probably making the greatest mistake of her therefore short life. But she couldn’t leave him like this.

As Spike entered the room, he noticed its order for the first time. Everything had its place, from the little toys she had kept from her childhood to the Holy Water he could sense was hidden in a closet. He went and sat on the bed while she closed the window. Then he watched her come back to him, fearfully. She sat next to him and took his hand. This girl really knew what he needed. As she plunged her green eyes in his, he spoke some more.

“I knew she couldn’t understand, she never lost anyone. I needed someone who knew that horrible feeling,” Spike explained.

“Yes, I do know it. Losing Jesse was already hard,” Willow stated, unaware Spike did not know who Jesse was, “but then losing Angel was sort of devastating. And there was no-one to understand me, simply to listen to me.”

“Jesse?” Spike asked. “Doesn’t really matter after all now, does it? The point is, you lost people very dear to you. You know how that void inside feels.”

“Yes, I do,” Willow once again confirmed. “At first it feels like the world is gonna stop. And then you see it going on, and that’s the worst thing. Cuz they all go on living their lives, barely noticing the lack. They miss him, but they don’t feel like he was ripped from their insides everyday, as they walk among their so-called friends, as they try to pretend it will be fine.  It won’t be. Or maybe it will,” she added with an enigmatic smile. “The point is, you’re torn away from a part of yourself. I just felt so lonely.”

“Felt?” Spike asked, a blood tear falling down his cheek because of her little speech. He really was turning into a poof.

“How did Angelus react?” Willow asked non-committally. At the same time, she was wondering whether the curse had worked. Spike offered no answer to this unspoken question.

“He wouldn’t show it, really, but it hurt him too,” Spike admitted. “I cried in his arms during most of the day. Dru was his Childe, but he never loved her the way I did. I cannot love incompletely. With me, it’s everything or nothing,” he added, smiling to himself more than to Willow.

Willow was really surprised by this vampire. The Big Bad, what a joke! He was big and bad, true. But he was much more than this. He was, in a way, human. And she had never felt it before. He had somehow managed to keep part of his soul with him, despite his demon. Probably Pandora was the same way. Willow couldn’t see Spike as pathetic through his crying, she just saw him as a friend in need. She realised she tended to see way too many people as friends.

Spike suddenly felt a small hot hand in the back of his neck. The hand went down to his shoulder and pulled him into a hug.  He was very startled at first. The little redhead was full of surprises. Then he let go into the hug, rejoicing in her warmth. He already felt better, knowing she understood him.

Suddenly, their embrace was interrupted by a knock on the window.

-----------------
Part 12

Willow looked up, breaking the hug. What she saw reassured her. She was now watching Pandora, waiting by the windows and tenderly looking at the two. Tenderness, in a vampire? Well, Willow had seen stranger things, she noticed as she remembered Spike crying.

The blond vampire suddenly got her away from her thoughts. He had been looking at Pandora for a few seconds as well before he had spoken.

“Red, don’t you think you should really go and open to her?” he suggested. “I mean, you know how impolite it is to have someone waiting for you,” he added with a grin.

“Sure,” Willow absently replied. The redhead stood up and went to the French windows. She realised she was about to invite a second evil vampire into her house. How crazy could she turn? For a moment, Willow faced an inner struggle. Should she really invite the vampiress in, against everything she had been taught since she met the Slayer?

Willow softly sighed as she opened the window. There was already a vampire in her house anyway, two wouldn’t really be worse.  She knew they wouldn’t kill her and if Pandora wanted to turn her, she could have done it a few nights ago. She would just have to do a revocation spell on her house in the morning.

A spell. Angelus’ curse. If it had worked, it would maybe be the last time she would see the two vampires. Sure, they were very powerful, but Angelus was their Sire. He had created those powerful creatures. Angel may finally be able to kill them, with the Slayer’s help.

“Come in,” Willow stated with a new haste. She didn’t want them killed. Maybe she would be able to convince Angel to let them go, leave Sunnydale.

“I missed you, beauty,” Pandora said once again, taking Willow’s hand and leading her to her bed, where Spike was still sitting, lovingly looking up at them. Pandora made Willow sit between her and Spike. “Why did you finally invite us in?”

“Well,” Willow was startled by this question. She couldn’t tell them the truth, now could she? That Angelus was probably currently getting his soul back, that they would maybe soon be dead. Really dead. “Spike was -- he needed me. And then, well, one or two vampires in my house, does it really matter?”

Pandora laughed softly and looked into Spike’s eyes, directed at Willow. She could still see the pain from Dru, but his blue eyes also betrayed his desire for the petite redhead between them. He finally got his eyes off Willow and looked at Pandora’s green-brown ones. His eyes were screaming to her how much he wanted their red beauty to be with them, now.

Pandora was pleased. Everything was going fine. Now she would turn Willow, and they would all be a great family. Softly, not to frighten the redhead shyly looking in front of her and certainly not at one of the two vampires, she brushed her hand against Willow’s cheek.

Willow looked up at the vampiress, surprised. All she had been thinking of during these few moments of silence was how much she wanted the two vampires. She had tried to fight this desire, but it wouldn’t go away. So, when Pandora leaned towards Willow and all so softly kissed her, the redhead did not resist the kiss. It was sweet and so wonderful.

Pandora quickly withdrew though, letting Spike put his hands on Willow’s shoulders and start massaging her. She could see how much the redhead was enjoying the touch of the blond’s icy hands as she closed her eyes and sighed. Pandora could now smell the mortal’s arousal.

Willow loved the pressure of Spike’s fingers on her warm skin. As one of his hands went on massaging her back, the other went up to her neck to do the same. Willow sighed again. She totally let herself give into his touch, not caring about anything else. Wherever he would touch her, his cold hands would create a fire.

Suddenly, Willow felt two other cold hands, more delicate, lift her hair up. The next thing she knew, cold lips were kissing their way from one of her closed eyes down to her neck, to the beginning of one of her breasts, not totaly hidden by the tank top Willow was wearing. Then the lips slowly went up to her neck and assaulted it with more passionate kisses.

Willow didn’t know where Spike’s hands were anymore, she was merely focusing on the sensations he was giving her. Suddenly, one of the kisses hurt her. As she realised Pandora was drinking from her, her eyes shot open and she almost tried to fight her. But once her skin had been pierced, there was no pain anymore, simply pleasure. Willow closed her eyes once again and let herself be drained, only half-aware of what was happening.

Spike was looking at his lover, and his future lover. They would make such a great couple. Willow’s red hair had fallen down again and was now mingled with the brown waves of Pandora’s. Then he saw Pandora withdraw, and bite into her own wrist. He smiled.

Then he observed Willow. She was too weak to swallow Pandora’s blood consciously, but as soon as she had regained some of her strength, she ravenously clung to her arm.

Pandora chuckled at her Childe’s desire. She moved her gaze off Willow onto Spike, to meet his blue eyes. She made a quick decision, taking her wrist away from Willow.

“I want her to be our Childe,” she whispered to Spike.

The blond vampire was stunned. It was the first time he had seen this. A vampire sharing a Childe with someone else. But he didn’t need to be told twice: he quickly pierced his own wrist and gave it to the starving Willow.

Willow couldn’t really think; everything was so blurry. All she knew was that this liquid was delicious, that she wanted more. Then some more was indeed given to her, she started feeding again. It was different, and yet the same. Always so good. As if a flow of life was entering her.

As it was once again taken away from her, she felt exhausted; she needed to sleep. Suddenly, everything went black.

Spike got up and picked up the unconscious girl. As he was walking towards the windows, Pandora interrupted him.

“Let’s stay here rather, would you?” she proposed. “I understood her parents are never here. We can spend the day here.”

Spike came back and softly put the redhead on her bed, making sure she would be comfortable.

“Our Childe,” he absent-mindedly remarked. “Thank you, Pandora.”

“You are very welcome,” the vampiress replied. “I didn’t want to take her away from you, by any means. She’ll be ours.”

“Indeed,” Spike whispered as he turned his gaze to his lover. He wanted her so much. “Let’s inquire about another bedroom.”

“I’d rather do it next to her, I don’t wanna leave her yet,” she said with a tender and mischievous smile.

“As you wish, love,” Spike answered with a grin.

---------------
Part 13

It was dusk, and no-one had come to check on Willow. Spike sighed. How could the redhead consider their little gang as friends? He looked down at Willow, asleep again. She had woken up in the morning, only to go back to sleep immediately.

Pandora was pacing the room. She was longing to go and teach their beauty to hunt. That would be so exciting. They would have lots of fun, the three of them, as a family.

Suddenly, the bell rang. Willow woke up, startled.

“Hey, beauty,” Pandora smiled.

“I’m hungry,” Willow stated.

“I think your first meal just rang at the door,” Spike laughed.

Willow’s green eyes darkened. She’d have to contain her demon when she opened the door and smelled human blood. It would be hard. She looked at her Sires -- that was weird, having two Sires -- for permission, then went downstairs.

Pandora and Spike quickly followed her and hid in the living-room, so as to be near her, but invisible to the mortal who had, unluckily for him, come to Willow’s.

The redhead opened the door and discovered Xander. Her childhood friend. Her best friend, wasn’t he? She smiled softly.

“Wills, are you okay?”  Xander asked as he stepped in. Willow closed the door behind him. “Giles was very worried, for some reason, but he couldn’t come over personnally, he had to stay at the school, so I came instead.”

“Of course I’m okay,” Willow answered. “Can’t I ever take a day off?”

“You? Take a day off?” Xander repeated in disbelief.

“Well, yes. I felt exhausted. Listen, don’t you wanna come in the living-room and eat some cookies? It’s been a long time since we’ve done that. I miss it.”

Spike took Pandora with him into the kitchen, smiling at their Childe. She would be wickedly mischievous. The way she was about to play with the poor moron would be exquisite, really.

“Sure, Wills, but I can’t stay long.”

Willow made Xander sit on the couch and went in the kitchen. There, she opened a cupboard and took out a box of cookies. She turned back, quickly kissed Spike and Pandora on the lips and went back into the living-room.  Sitting next to Xander, she offered him the box.  He took a couple of them and started eating.

“You aren’t eating any, Wills?” he asked.

“Xander, there’s something I wanna tell you about,” Willow started.

Xander rolled his eyes. He hated it when girls wanted to talk, in this particular way.

Willow kept a troubled face on. Inside, she was laughing with excitement. She took Xander’s hand and made it drop the last cookie he hadn’t eaten yet. She suddenly straddled him.

“Wills, what the hell are you doing?” the boy asked as he tried to push her away.

“What I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Willow answered innocently almost, forcing Xander’s hands to touch her. She could feel beneath her that he was getting aroused.

Xander couldn’t believe it. Willow was straddling him. And in a way, he sort of liked it. Ok, he liked it a lot. But he couldn’t, now, could he? There was Cordelia. But the more he tried to push her away, the more her thighs clutched him.

Willow began to kiss Xander’s neck. At first, he was still so tense, but then she felt him relax.

“There you are,” she started. Then she kissed his lips, waiting for him to let her tongue enter his mouth. When he did, she languorously kissed him. “Where I wanted you,” she finished. “Pandora! Spike! Care to join us?”

Xander’s eyes shot open.

“What?” he asked, baffled, as he saw the bleached blond vampire and a brown-haired and extremely hot vampiress step into the living-room. “Wills, what the hell is going on?”

But Willow had gone back kissing his neck and did such a good job at it she made him moan. He tried to hold back his friend, wanting some explanations, but nothing would do.

Spike leaned on the wall behind the couch and he watched with great interest as Pandora joined Willow in her task. The brown-haired vampiress started sucking at the moron’s ear-lobe, perfectly aware of the effect it would have on him.

Xander was helpless. No matter how much he wanted to get the hell out of there, his body wouldn’t respond but to the touch of the two women.

Suddenly, he felt two sharp teeth sinking into the flesh of his neck. He couldn’t do anything against them, and the teeth quickly withdrew. What he saw then would have made him scream if he had been able to. Willow was still in front fo him, game face on, some of his blood on her lips. That couldn’t be. They got Willow.

“Xander, you taste wonderful,” his old friend exclaimed. “Thank you so much for coming by.”

Then he saw her bending down again, he felt her fangs pierce his skin once more. And he felt himself being drained by his best friend. Then he felt nothing more.

Pandora had left Xander as Willow had bit into him, and had walked over to Spike, encircling his waist with her arms, as they both watched their Childe’s first feed. There would be no bond created here, as her first feed would die.

As Xander died, Pandora turned her face to Spike and kissed him with all her love. Then Willow got up and walked to her Sires, wiping some blood away from her face, now human again.

“That was a lot of fun,” she stated as she shared their embrace. “I wanna do that to all of my acquaintances before I get some decent clothes.”

“It’s true you could do with a bit of leather on, Red,” Spike laughed.

“Definitely,” Pandora added, licking her lips. She bent down and kissed her Childe. She suddenly remembered the girl was still a virgin. Spike would take care of that soon enough, and well enough, she smiled. “Anyway, let’s go out. With a bit of luck, the Slayer will be on patrol.”

-------------

Giles was very worried. Alexander had been gone for a couple of hours, and he had told him to call as soon as he got to Willow’s. The sun was about to set. The Watcher was extremely worried about Willow. What if Angelus had -- no, he wouldn’t have. Now, he must be Angel. It must have worked. A few of the words were approximate translations, because there were no such words in English, but this was supposed only to influence the time it would need for the soul to be anchored.

Then he saw a glowing cheerleader walk into the office.

“Xander has just gone to check on Willow,” Cordelia stated. “So, no research tonight? Where is everyone?”

“There’s no-one but Buffy left out of you and me, Cordelia. And Buffy is certainly not to be spoken of as ‘everyone’,” Giles carelessly answered. Then it hit him. “Xander has just gone? I asked him hours ago!”

“Well, we were... busy,” the cheerleader explained with an embarrassed smile.

“Is he totally unaware of the risks? He’s out to see how someone is right when the sun sets!” Giles was always surprised at the ability of the young to risk their lives stupidly.

“You think he could get hurt?” Cordelia asked fearfully.

“Yes, I do think so,” Giles sighed, as Buffy entered the library. “Buffy, you’re right on time, I want you to go and check on Willow and Alexander.”

“Why?” the Slayer asked, annoyed.

“Haven’t you noticed that your best friend wasn’t here today? What is the matter with everyone? Do you really think that Alexander could protect her?” Giles started shouting.

“Chill out, Giles!  I’ll go,” the Slayer agreed, though Willow was probably just sick again. She had a weak nature and Xander had to be eating some doughnuts with her, that was all.

“Thank you.  Cordelia, please, go home now. You’ve got your car, right?” Giles asked the cheerleader.

“Yes, I do, want a lift?”

“No, I don’t, thank you,” the Watcher answered, desperate at the brunette. “I’ve got my own car.”

“Why ask then?” Cordelia said, walking away, vexed.

Giles sighed and turned back to his office. He had to stay in the school, just in case Angel -- or Angelus as a matter of fact, but he really didn’t want to consider that possibility -- came in.

----------------
Part 14

The three vampires were leaving Willow’s house just as the Slayer arrived. Immediately, Willow ran towards her. The girl was really smart, Spike smiled. He ran after her with Pandora.

“Buffy! Buffy!” Willow yelled at her. “Help me, quick! They got Xander and--”

“Shhh, Willow, shh, I’ll dust them both,” the Slayer tried to reassure the redhead as she hugged her and kept an eye on the approaching vampires, who stopped a couple of meters away. The blond girl took out a stake.

“I can't say that I am glad to see you up, Spike,” she greeted him.

“I can't say that I'm glad to see you in any position at all, Slayer,” the blond replied.

“Slayer,” Pandora greeted her. “It’s been such a long time since I last saw you.”

“Vampire hours don’t do much for schooling, now, do they?” Buffy replied as she stepped protectively between Willow and the two vampires.

“But you still learn some exciting things from vampires like Spike, or Angelus,” Pandora replied, smiling wickedly.

Buffy wasn’t expecting that. The name of Angelus brought forth memories she had wanted to stay buried.

“Buffy,” Willow’s trembling voice called, “please kill them.”

Unexpectedly, Buffy turned back to reassure her friend. Willow hadn’t planned that. She had just put her game face on.

Buffy stepped away from Willow, careful not to go in any of the other vampires’ direction either.

“Willow?” she asked in utter disbelief.

“Damn, the fun’s over too quickly with you. With Xander it lasted a lot longer. Seems you’re totally unable to protect your friends, hon,” Willow replied, walking over to her Sires.

“Please, leave the girl to me,” Pandora asked her lovers. “Slayer against Slayer.”

“Go ahead, love,” Spike answered.

Pandora stepped away from her lovers after having given her coat to Willow, and Buffy followed her. Abruptly, the blond tried to sweep the vampiress’ feet from the ground, but Pandora saw it in time and jumped to avoid it.

“This was quite pathetic, Slayer,” she remarked.

Then as Buffy got up, Pandora punched her hard in the stomach. The Slayer couldn’t avoid the punch because of its speed. She had never seen anyone go this fast. As she bent in two from the shock of the punch, she realised she would very likely die tonight.

She felt a leg hitting her ribcage, then another in her back. The next thing she knew, her legs were swept from below her and she fell onto the ground. She couldn't prevent any of the hits as she could not see them coming.

“And that’s a Slayer?” Pandora mocked her. “So weak... Don’t you think so, Angelus?” she asked as she felt her Sire’s presence.

“I don’t, as a matter of fact,” a much troubled and somehow human voice replied.

Pandora turned around and faced her Sire.

“Angel?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” he simply answered, plunging his brown eyes into those of his Childe, now totally green with anger at his soulful state.

Willow and Spike, a few meters away still, were looking at the dark-haired vampire with awe. Suddenly, realisation hit Willow. She remembered.

“Spike,” she called her Sire. “I did it, yesterday. I restored his soul.”

Spike didn’t have time to answer his Childe’s confession before he saw Angel running towards Pandora, before he saw Buffy standing up, still her stake at hand.

“Buffy, no!” Angel yelled.

Pandora felt a sharp wooden stake enter her back and go through her heart. She looked up at her two loves, Willow and Spike, fire and gold, silently bidding them good-bye. Then she turned to dust.

Willow cried out after the loss of one of her Sires, and in a horribly human way after the loss of the one she loved. Spike couldn’t move for a moment. He was oblivious of everything but Willow's wailing and the void inside him, where Pandora used to be. The bloody Slayer had treacherously staked her in the back!

Angel’s eyes filled with tears. Soulful or not, he still loved his Childer tenderly. He had lost two of them so recently. A blood tear rolled down his right cheek.

“Angel?” Buffy ventured. “Why are you crying? It’s great, I killed the bitch, you’re back, I’m alive, everything’s well that ends well!”

“Go away,” he growled. “Quickly.  If Spike recovers his mind and you’re still here, I won’t prevent him from snapping your neck. Go!” he yelled.

Buffy didn’t understand. What was wrong with her love? But understanding at least that he meant every word he had uttered, she ran away. She certainly didn’t want to fight Spike tonight. She cared about her life.

Meanwhile, Willow had sought refuge in her last Sire’s embrace. Spike was holding her tightly, and as he saw the Slayer run away, he did not move an inch to go after her. His Childe needed him. They would avenge her death later, when Willow was strong as well. It shouldn’t her take too long, being the Childe of two powerful vampires.  And she had restored Angelus’ soul; she would be a powerful witch.

Spike looked up at his Sire. That was twice in a short time he had seen tears in his eyes.  Another one rolled down the left cheek of the tall vampire, leaving a red path behind it.

“Take her away,” Angel whispered. He could see Spike’s eyes were dry for the moment. His Childe was such a brave one. Containing his tears for Willow’s sake.  Angel knew how hard it was for him.

“Angelus,” Spike called as the tall vampire turned away. “Where are you going?”

Angel sadly smiled as his Childe pronounced his true name. They had both forgiven the other for any grudge they might have held against him. Spike knew how much Angel was similar to his Sire.

“I’ll probably move to LA,” he answered. “Fight off evil over there, stake some guys, the routine. But far from her.”

Angel almost spat the last word. He had lost all respect for Buffy. Seeing her through Angelus’ eyes had allowed him to know her without love twisting his vision.  He knew how selfish she was, how self-centered and, now, even treacherous and cowardly.  Pandora was worth way more than that. Being staked in the back. How low...

Strangely, Angel didn’t feel guilty for having turned the Slayer-to-be; he just wished he could have stopped the current Slayer from staking her. He knew Pandora had been happier in her un-life than she would ever have been in her own. She was too special, in more than a simple, slayerness way.

“Hope I’ll see you around, poof,” Spike said as he picked up a still sobbing Willow in his arms and started to walk away.

Angel smiled at his Childe and went his own way.

--------------

When Willow reopened her eyes, it was bright day outside. She realised she was in Spike’s DeSoto, lying on the back seat, wrapped in Pandora’s coat. She sat up.

“Hey, beauty, quit sleeping at last?” Spike tried to say in a cheerful way. But Willow could see he had been crying, and she herself felt tears forming in her eyes as she realised he had called her beauty. As Pandora used to do.

“Where are you going?” she frowned.

“Away from Sunnyhell, that’s for sure,” he answered.

“Turn back! I wanna kill that bitch!” Willow ordered.

“Pet, remember who you’re talking to. Do not give me orders,” he coldly advised her. “Then, she may be stupid, but she has the annoying habit of fighting very well, and killing vampires. I’ve tried to kill her many times, I know what I’m talking about. You couldn’t take her.”

“You could easily, I’m sure, for her! Why won’t you?” Willow asked, distraught.

“I don’t want to. Not yet. I want you to kill her with me. I need you to get stronger. We need some time,” he explained. “How does a little trip to Europe sound? We can take a night flight at LA and then visit romantic France. Let’s just avoid Paris, really, a horrible enough town. Way too many Parisians to be enjoyable.”

“How can you speak like that? Pandora’s dead!” Willow yelled, feeling tears freely running down her face. “How can you pretend nothing happened? How can you let her get away with it? How can you not care?”

Spike abruptly stopped the car on the shoulder of the road. Then he turned back to face his Childe.

“Willow,” he started, using her real name, “something devastating has happened. I am aware of that.  I loved her totally and utterly.  But I have to go on with my un-life, and so do you.  With age, you’ll learn to accept losses. I have recently lost two women I loved. But I plan on enjoying the fact that -- I am graced to be with another one I love.” He paused, seeing her looking with awe into his icy blue eyes, drowned under red tears. “The Slayer won’t get away with it. She will pay, simply later on, when she’ll think herself safe. Trust me, she will pay. Right now I have to deal with a Childe, whom I love tenderly, who has just lost her Sire and whom I have to take care of, and also with this incomprehensible void inside me.   I had a part of her inside me, and it’s gone. She bloody left me! A part of me is empty! So don’t tell me I don’t care!”

Spike turned back and started driving again. Blood tears were now running freely down his cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” Willow softly said, putting her hands on his shoulders. “We’ll take care of each other just fine, you’ll see. Europe’s a good idea; I never tasted the famous French food.”

Spike smiled through his tears. They would be fine indeed. Then they would come back, kill the bitch, find a willing girl to give Angelus back to them, and everything would be even finer. He brushed his wet cheek on one of Willow’s hands.

The end

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