GOING ONCE (6/?)
 

"Excuse me?" Willow said, staring at him in shock. "Win you?"
 

He nodded as a lazy smile crossed his handsome face, "Yeah, you're gonna win
me."
 

"But..but.." Willow's power of speech eluded her as she stared at him as if
he had two heads.
 

"And here I thought you were the smart one," he said with a loud sigh.
 

Her eyes narrowed at his amused tone and she said, "I am the smart one!
You're crazy, that's all."
 

"Crazy?" he raised a brow, waiting for her to explain before threatening her.
 

"I'd have to bid to win you," she said with a smug smile. "And I'm not
bidding so I can't win you."
 

He rolled his eyes, "That is your brilliant defense? I expected better."
 

"Hell, I don't think I'd take you if they gave you to me, much less bid on
you," she said crossly.
 

"Honey, you'd beg them for me," he said with an arrogant smile, "but that's
not the issue. You are going to win me, pet."
 

"Why?" she asked. "Besides, your bet said we couldn't bid on you."
 

"No," he said, "we agreed that Slutty and Whorey couldn't bid on their men.
You weren't mentioned. Besides, I'm not your man so it wouldn't matter."
 

"Buffy and Anya might disagree," Willow said with a scowl as he reminded her
that he wasn't hers.
 

"I don't give a bloody fuck if they do or don't," he said. "You were not part
of the agreement pet."
 

"Why?" she asked. "Do you not think you can win?"
 

"Oh, I can win, baby," he said with a confident smile, "there's no doubt
about that."
 

"Then why?" she asked. "Why do you want me to win you?"
 

"I don't want you to win me," he said crossly, "It's just gotta be that way.
I thought about it, you see. Works better if you win me."
 

"Why?" she asked in irritation. Not only would it be mortifying to actually
bid on the object of her obsession, it would be impossible to live it down
among her friends. "Besides, I don't have any money. They'd know I wouldn't
spend what little I have on you."
 

"I'll give you the money," he said patiently, watching her face as she argued
with him. "And why? Think about it, sweetheart."
 

"You'll give me the money? So you'd be buying yourself? Talk about ego trip,"
she said with a sigh.
 

"Red, don't push me," he warned, somehow liking the idea of her pushing him
especially onto a large bed.
 

"I just don't get this," she said. "All I wanted to do was come home and take
a long bath, lay around and do some reading. Instead I have to deal with
cryptic messages from an arrogant, smug vampire. Life isn't fair."
 

"I am a vampire, Red," Spike said, choosing to ignore the bath reference
until he was safe and soung back at home where he could take full advantage
of that image. He groaned as she still looked at him as if he was crazy. "You
want some poor little defenseless lady to win me and take me home? A ruthless
evil vampire?"
 

"Good grief," she said, finally getting his point. "You can't! They'd figure
out something was weird about you and ask questions."
 

"Hello, ruthless evil vampire?" he said, annoyed that she passed right over
that remark.
 

She snorted, "Yeah, uh huh. You could lick them to death I guess. Wait, that
might work out depending on how much they paid for you."
 

"Red," he growled.
 

She had to laugh, "I can see it now, Spike. Heck, they'd send a wonderful
letter to the organizers and everything."
 

"I guess you'd be writing it then, Red," he said with narrowed eyes. "Since
you'll be the one winning me."
 

"Isn't there anyone else you could ask?" she whined, not disliking the idea
of doing Spike a favor but not wanting the embarassment of bidding on him in
front of her friends.
 

"Red," he said again.
 

"Spike, thanks for thinking of me but I can't do this," she said.
 

"So you'd be responsible for some poor biddie's death," he clucked his
tongue.
 

"You couldn't kill her, Spike," she said in irritation. "Quit trying to make
me feel guilty."
 

"I couldn't kill her, but I could find someone to do it for me," he said with
a smile. "If I had some stranger, some dippy twit buy me, well, I would feel
forced into hurting her."
 

"Spike!" she groaned. "Fine. What-ever. I'll bid on you and I'll win you.
Does that make you happy?"
 

He smiled, "Not completely, but I'm getting there." He winked, "You mentioned
something about a bath?"
 

"Get out of here!" she said, having to laugh. Any other day, she'd dream of
hearing him say those words. Now, she knew he was merely flirting to annoy
her.
 

"I thought I might stay here for awhile," he said, his eyes glancing at the
telly.
 

"You want to watch my TV don't you?" she said, shaking her head.
 

He grinned, "Well, since you asked so nicely...."
 

"Fine. You can watch TV for two hours. But that's it! And then you have to go
home," she said sternly.
 

"But Ma," he said with an easy smile as he reached for the remote.
 

"No crumbs on the sofa either," she said with a smile. "I'm gonna take a bath
now and try to relax."
 

He nodded, acting as if her statement did nothing to his body, "Sure, don't
drown."
 

"Nice to know you care," she said as she started to walk up the stairs.
 

His blue eyes followed her path and he whispered, "Oh, I care, baby...."
before turning his attention back to the television.
 

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