~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Part: 31~
"Who was that?" Buffy asked as Angel hung up the phone, turning back towards them. She hadn't been able to hear anything that had been said, the souled vampire having moved into the other room once the caller had been identified.
"Spike," Angel said simply, giving them a tired look as he sat down.
"What did he want?" Giles asked, having a suspicion that it had concerned Willow, his fear for the redhead increasing as Angel made a face.
"He called to make the offer," Angel said. "My blood to heal Dru in exchange for Willow."
"That bastard!" Buffy turned and kicked the couch, wishing it were Spike's face. "He has her. He admitted to it, then?"
"He has her," Angel confirmed.
"Is she…is she okay?" Xander asked, knowing that it didn't feel like Willow was dead, but also knowing that being kept hostage by a vampire was dangerous.
"He said she was alive," Angel shrugged, knowing it wasn't much help, "he claims she was sleeping peacefully when he left. I doubt he would lie, but Spike isn't the most predictable person in the world."
"I'll kill him," Buffy said.
"No, you won't," Angel said crossly. "I agreed to the deal. Tonight, I do some ritual for Drusilla. When it's over, he promised that he and Dru would leave town, never come back. We get Willow back, alive and well. That's the deal. He wouldn't have promised if he didn't plan on following through."
"I'm glad you seem to have such faith in him," Buffy glared.
"He is my grandchilde," Angel said slowly, "you will not harm him or Drusilla unless you want Willow's death on your hands. Do we understand each other?"
Buffy finally looked away from him, not sure if he meant that Willow would die by Spike's hand or his own. She loved Angel, truly did, but this was just more evidence to prove to her that it would never work out between them. There was no way that a vampire and a slayer could ever have a relationship. They could be friends, and it would hurt like hell, but at this very moment she could easily believe that he would kill her best friend himself if she harmed his family. She couldn't trust him, no matter how much she loved him. She could survive the heartbreak. She was the slayer. She nodded, answering him finally, "I understand."
"What are we supposed to do?" Cordelia asked as she looked between Angel and Buffy, not understanding what was happening, but able to know that something was going on.
"Nothing," Angel said, looking at her, Xander and Giles. "Spike made it clear that you are not to be involved, any of you. If he senses you tonight, he'll kill Willow. Buffy and I are the only ones he's allowing to participate."
"Do you trust him, Angel?" Giles asked, looking into the vampire's eyes.
"Yes," Angel said truthfully. "He wants to heal Dru and get out of Sunnydale. He took Willow because she was convenient. He'll give her back when he gets what he wants. I believe that she's alive and will be back with us by morning."
"Then there is nothing else for us to do except wait," Giles sighed, getting to his feet. He moved to his slayer, looking into her eyes, "Be careful, don't push him, and get Willow back to us."
"I will," Buffy promised. She moved to hug Xander, promising that she'd save Willow and would meet them at Giles after everything was finished. Once they had left, she looked at Angel, "what time do we meet them?"
"Midnight," Angel said sadly, knowing that something was different between them. He had lost her before he had ever had her. He looked away, "I'm going to take a nap. I'll be losing a lot of blood tonight and need to be rested."
"Can I stay here?" Buffy asked, giving him a small smile. "I just don't want to be alone."
"She'll be fine, Buffy. We'll get her back," he squeezed her shoulder, "and of course you can stay."
"You're a great friend, Angel," she said sincerely, giving him a hug before moving to sit on the sofa and spend the next ten hours impatiently waiting for midnight.
~Part: 32~
Spike entered the warehouse a little over two hours after he had finished his phone call with Angel. He'd had a couple of drinks, played a game of pool with a visiting Kyriane demon, won some money, filled his car up with gas and then finally decided it was time to go back. He knew Drusilla always worried about him when he was out during the day, didn't want her to be concerned. She had a big night ahead of her. He hoped that damn doll had been telling the truth about this ritual ceremony shit. He wasn't really into all that magic stuff, personally, but he had seen firsthand that it was powerful and strong. If anything could give his sire her strength back, her sire's blood should do the trick. He'd given Angel the address of the warehouse next to the one where he and Dru were living. He hadn't wanted to risk Angel feeling Red before the ceremony was finished. Soulboy could promise all he wanted that he'd let him and Dru leave town, but Spike didn't trust the bastard as far as he could throw him. Thinking about throwing that prick made him smile as he walked towards his room.
He felt right proud of himself. He'd actually come up with a plan that was going to work. He'd fix Dru and be able to leave this town, and he'd hurt the damn slayer while doing so. He knew how irritating it would be for that little bitch to know she was helping to save Drusilla, and he had no doubts that his little Red wouldn't be resuming her position as best friend and shadow to the slayer which would hurt her even more. All in all, not bad for a couple of days work. By this time tomorrow, he and Dru would be out of this fucking state. He couldn't wait to see his sire getting back to normal. He'd spent his entire unlife taking care of her, but, the last few months, it had started to become stressful. He was completely devoted to her, would do anything to make her happy, was thankful that it would get back to normal. She would start feeding and become more active, she'd get that spark of life back in her eyes. He'd hated seeing her become so weak and dependent. True, she was always a bit like a child, needing someone to make sure she didn't get herself killed, but she was strong and had the ability to take care of herself so that he could get time on his own. Since Prague, he'd rarely had time for a lengthy smoke without worrying that she might wander into the sunlight by mistake. She'd gotten better since they had arrived in Sunnydale, but she still hadn't been herself. After this ritual, she'd be back to her old self. His Princess would be back.
He entered their room, shutting the door behind him as he took off his coat. He slung it over a chair, his blue eyes moving to the bed. He froze, eyes narrowing as he took in the vision in front of him. Drusilla was sleeping, her arms tucked around Red whose head was resting against Dru's breast. Those damn dolls were laying on the covers around them. They were bloody beautiful, they were, and they were his. His eyes narrowed in anger as he moved towards them. He wasn't angry that Drusilla was sleeping beside Red. No, what made him angry was that Red was wearing one of Dru's old dresses, a light green one that was rather striking with her pale skin and red hair. Not only was she dressed, but she had been cleaned up, a bowl with dirty water sitting on the floor beside the bed. She had been bathed, the blood and sweat and seed removed from her body. He growled softly at that, not liking the idea of his mark being removed so easily from her. His eyes could see the bite mark on her neck, the scent of his claim thick and lingering, but it wasn't the same thing. He'd not given her permission to bathe, had not allowed her to be dressed in a gown that was concealing her body from his view. He had told her before that she was to not let anyone touch her without his permission. What part of that had she not understood? No one was to touch her. She was his.
His eyes flashed yellow as he moved closer towards the bed, his hand moving behind Drusilla's head, pulling her head up as he disturbed her sleep. He saw her open her eyes, blink at him sleepily as she gave him a soft smile that did nothing to diminish his anger, "Mine!"
Drusilla looked at Spike with confusion, not understanding why he was hurting her, "Spike?"
"Mine," he growled again, tightening his hold on her hair. "I did not give you permission to touch her, to clean her, to cover her."
"Kitten was filthy and cold," Drusilla said, her eyes flashing yellow as she moved her head, trying to free herself from his grasp. "I wanted to play. What is yours is mine!"
"Not her," he sneered, his left hand grabbing her face so she couldn't look away. "Mine! No one touches without my permission. She is mine, only mine."
"William, you're hurting me," she whispered as she watched his eyes, the stars having not told her this. What else had the stars not told her?
"She's mine," he repeated softly, his tone threatening as he released Drusilla. He ran a hand over his face as he looked at the bed, his eyes flashing as he looked at the sleeping girl that was completely oblivious to what had just happened. He suddenly looked at Drusilla, his eyes softening as he whispered, "I'm sorry, baby. I don't understand what's happening. I didn't mean to hurt you. What's mine is yours."
"She's our pretty kitten," Drusilla whispered softly, her hand moving to hold her face where he had held her so tightly. She watched as he looked back at the sleeping girl, his expression changing as he glared at the human. Her eyes moved to look at Miss. Edith, needing to know answers as to why Spike would hurt her. He never hurt her unless they were playing a naughty game. This hadn't been a game. She stared at the doll, her eyes half closed as she listened, a smile of understanding crossing her beautiful face. With sudden clarity, it all made sense. She sighed softly, glad that the stars hadn't lied to her. She would have been very angry if they had caused her William pain or unhappiness. She looked at him, saw him looking at Kitten with confused and angry eyes, the tension in him nearly visible. She moved towards the edge of the bed to give him room before she spoke the words, understanding what was happening now, knowing that it was inevitable, "You are giving her to Daddy, aren't you?"
~Part: 33~
"I'm not giving that bastard anything!" at his sire's words, Spike turned to look at her, his eyes flashing yellow as he growled, "He won't touch her! She's mine! I'm giving her back to the slayer just like I planned. She won't let him near her when I'm finished with her!"
Spike turned away from Drusilla, anger radiating from his eyes as he looked at Red. She was still sleeping. Stupid bitch. She let his sire bathe her and dress her, knew that he had warned that no one could touch her. She hadn't listened, had ignored him. He didn't like to be ignored. He had had everything planned. It had been perfect. Dru would get fixed and they'd leave this town. The slayer would suffer and realize she had lost. The one thing he hadn't considered was that he didn't want Angel anywhere near Red. She was his, he had claimed her. He didn't want that miserable bastard anywhere near her, didn't want to just hand over his Red. He knew Angelus, didn't care if there was a soul or not. The prick wouldn't be able to resist his Red, not now that she had tasted the darkness and knew her own desires. Sure, she'd lose her entire pathetic little circle of slayer and friends, but his bloody grandsire would be lurking around, brooding in the shadows as he watched her, wanted her, obsessed about giving her what she would be so desperately craving. Oh, Spike had done good all right. He'd awakened her desire and would now be leaving her with no one except that bastard to give her what she wanted. Why couldn't any of his plans go the way he wanted? Why did he feel so possessive about this little slip of a girl? Why did his demon crave her blood as if she were a fine wine and he was a man dying of thirst? What made her so special, damn it?
With a snarl, he looked at Drusilla, saw her watching him, could see that she knew answers to his questions. The damn stars were probably rolling around in amusement at seeing him so fucking confused. It didn't really matter. He looked back at Red, smiling coldly as he realized that he had only a few hours to make sure she knew who she belonged to, to make sure she would never forget the feel of his hands, his mouth, his fangs, that she would never look at another man, especially that wanker of a grandsire, without fear in her eyes. He didn't trust Angelus around her at all, but he'd make sure that Red knew what would happen if she so much as looked at that bastard much less let him touch her. He pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it to the ground. Time to wake her up and remind her who she belonged to.
Spike moved to straddle her, taking both her arms and lifting them above her head, his hand easily holding both her slim wrists. He felt her stirring, could hear her heartbeat starting to beat faster as she began to wake up. He watched her face, saw her eyes open slowly, widening when she found him sitting on her, struggling as she realized he had her hands secured. He smiled, his cold eyes looking at her as he said, "Someone's been a naughty girl."
Willow couldn't look away from him, those cold eyes still completely void of emotion. What had happened? She remembered playing with Drusilla and all those dolls before falling asleep. Why was he so angry? Oh, there was no doubt in her mind that he was angry. It radiated off him in waves of power that she found both terrifying and arousing. Even now, trapped underneath him, her body was on fire. She could feel wetness starting to leak between her legs, her breasts aching for his touch, her body wanting nothing more than to feel his hands on it. One look from those cold eyes and she was already begging for more. What had she become? When had she accepted the darkness she possessed? Why wouldn't he touch her?
"I thought I told you that no one touches you without my permission, Red," he spoke slowly, his words having an underlying threat to them as he spoke. He saw her eyes widen as she finally understood why he was angry at her. He moved his right hand to the bodice of the gown that was concealing her pale curves from his eyes. With a snarl, he ripped the dress, "Mine," he said as he leaned down and covered her mouth with his, roughly tasting every inch of wet warmth as he continued to rip the dress from her slim frame. He felt her arch up against him, no longer even pretending to fight her need for him. He would have laughed at her willingness had he not been desperate to possess her, to remind her who she belonged to. And, by the end of the night, there would be no doubts in her mind. After he was gone from this town, she'd sleep with his face in her mind, his voice in her head, she'd ache for his touch, she'd fuck herself as she remembered everything about him and this night, and she'd never let anyone else touch her, never want anyone else to touch her. She was his, mind, body and soul. He left her mouth as he roughly grabbed her breast, "I don't like to be ignored, pet, nor do I like to repeat myself. I'm going to let it slide this one time because it was my sire and I am going to assume that was the only reason you allowed her to touch you. If it had been anyone else, they'd be laying at your feet dead right now. Do you understand?"
"Yes," she whispered, having no doubts at the sincerity of his words. How could she find someone that frightened her so sexy? How could she be listening to his threats and want nothing more than to feel him bruise her flesh?
"Next time you cover your body with clothes, make sure they fit properly," he said with a smirk as he lifted up and finished removing her dress. "There, that's better. This is how you should always be, my sweet little whore. Naked and aroused, aching for my touch, only my touch," he unfastened his jeans, pushing them down to the floor where he had thrown his shirt, his hand moving to hold his hard cock. He entered her easily, grabbing her legs roughly as he pulled her down against him. He began to fuck her hard, his mouth moving over the bite mark on her neck. He pierced it again, driving her deep into the bed as he thrust into her repeatedly, drinking from the wound on her neck as he released her hands, her fingernails digging into his back as she met every one of his thrusts. He continued to grab her flesh, pinching, squeezing, bruising, marking her. He felt himself coming, letting her neck go as he claimed her mouth, whispering, "Mine," against her lips as she screamed in release. He smiled coldly as he continued moving inside her tight warmth. He wasn't finished with her yet, the game not over until he decided. By the time he left her tonight, sated, exhausted, and completely accepting of her dark desires, the slayer and his pathetic grandsire wouldn't stand a chance at getting close to her ever again. His smile turned ruthless as he continued to thrust into Red, his mouth biting her breast as he listened to her gasp of pleasure at the pain.
~Part: 34~
Willow cried out as Spike's fingernails dug into her back, reopening one of her wounds. She heard him chuckle at her cry of pain, a knowing look flashing in his cold blue eyes as he ran his tongue over her breast. She moaned, arching against his mouth as the pain was soon forgotten, replaced by the desire that was growing so familiar that it almost seemed like a part of her. He had been fucking her for hours. She was sore, the area between her thighs tender and sensitive. He had reopened the marks on her back, using his fingers to spread her blood until it was covered once again. They didn't hurt as much as they had the previous night, having had over a day to start healing, but there was still pain that sent waves of arousal through her body. She'd lost track of the number of times she had come, knew that he had found release six times so far only because he would whisper that she was his right before he would come, his tongue claiming her mouth as he sent his seed into her. She enjoyed it when he kissed her, his tongue taking possession of her mouth, luring her tongue into his, his hands squeezing her flesh, bruising her skin.
Spike continued to thrust into her, having no idea where his stamina was coming from, not caring. The hours were ticking by, leaving him with less and less time to spend with his Red. He had so much left to teach her, hated leaving an unfinished project, knew that she would be a wonderful pupil. He growled as he imagined Angelus stepping in as her tutor, his hands digging deeper into her back. Her cry of pain was real as was her low moan as she pushed against him. He found her amazing, a human that would gladly accept everything he gave and still want more. She had not only survived his torture the previous night, but she was still aching for his touch after a dozen orgasms in the last few hours. To think this wonderful creature had been buried in the shadow of the slayer. The darkness in her was a fantastic discovery, even more intoxicating when it was mixed with the purity of her soul. A true contradiction, his Red. Even now, clawing at his back, begging for a monster's touch, she still had an innocent glow about her. Reminded him of his Princess, it did.
Maybe that's why he found her so alluring. She was like his sire, powerful and strong and dark at the same time she was innocent and intelligent and quiet, those green eyes watching and studying, casting a spell on him. He found himself again caught by those eyes, his grip on her arms tightening as he found himself unable to look away. He sunk into her once, twice, three times before he felt himself come, "mine," he whispered before catching her mouth in another kiss. Pulling back, he frowned. His hand moved over her face, committing every detail to memory. He growled as he shook his head, looking away from those bewitching green eyes. He grabbed her hips, sliding out of her as he flipped her over onto her knees. He heard her gasp of surprise and smiled, leaning forward and running his tongue over her back as he slid into her easily. He began to move slowly inside her, their position letting him go deeper than before. He heard her cry of pleasure and smiled.
She was covered in blood again. Not as thick as it had been because he knew she had lost a lot, but enough to cover it as it had been before she had been cleaned. His seed was dripping from between her legs, mixed with her own release. He had pulled out and come on her stomach and chest, his hands rubbing his seed down her legs and around her neck. He'd taken her mouth again, this time keeping control as she had pleasured him, her face soon covered in his seed. He liked her like that, covered in his scent and his seed. Gave no doubts that she was truly his, would not be able to be ignored by Angel when he came to 'rescue' the girl, would leave no confusion as to who she belonged to. She was his. He'd had her mouth and her cunt, now he was ready to take her ass. He moved his hand over the twin globes, squeezing tightly as he lazily ran his tongue over her back.
He kept licking her, moving his hand across her ass until his finger was brushing against her. He felt her stiffen as she seemed to realize his intentions. The sweet scent of her fear mixed with the thick scent of sex. He pushed his finger into her, groaning as she tightened around him. He stopped thrusting into her, letting his finger play with her. When she started to relax, he added another finger. He moved his mouth over her back as she began to slowly move against his hand. When he felt that she was ready, he pulled out and positioned his cock against her. He savored her fear, waiting for her words. He teased her with his head, could hear her heartbeat racing, could see her moving back towards him. "What do you want, Red?"
Willow closed her eyes, knew that he was going to make her ask. He seemed to take delight in making her beg him, seemed to know that it only added to her shame to hear her desire filled voice begging him to fuck her, to let her touch him, to give her pleasure or pain or whatever her body was craving at the moment. When she had felt his fingers on her back there, she'd frozen. She found the idea of what he was planning disgusting yet exciting. She'd never imagined that she could feel so much sensation there, but she was learning so many things that it wasn't as surprising as it might have been.
"Be a good girl and tell Spike what you want," he said lazily, though there was a threat to his voice. He was fighting the impulse to just sink into her and be done with it. Why couldn't she say the words that he so desperately needed to hear?
"Fuck me, Spike. Please fuck me," she whispered, a loud scream coming from her lips as he buried himself into her. She felt herself ripping, feeling as if someone were trying to split her in two. So much pain. Tears filled her eyes as she felt his fangs buried in her neck, one of his hands on her breasts, the other between her legs as he began to move inside her. It wasn't long until she forgot the pain and began to meet his thrusts, need consuming her. It wasn't long before she was flooding his hand with her release, her soft cries of pleasure coming from torn lips. Without even thinking about it, she turned her head and looked into his eyes, whispering, "yours," before she caught his lips with hers. She heard him growl as he sunk deep inside her, his seed spilling into her ass and dripping down the back of her legs as they kissed, her body falling onto the mattress.
~Part: 35~
Spike looked at the girl and frowned. Things had changed. He didn't know when, didn't know how, but somewhere during the last eight hours, things had changed. She was laying on the bed with a pillow behind her head, her body covered in bruises, bloody, and seed, and she couldn't have looked happier. There was a satisfied look in her green eyes and a small smile on her pretty face. Drusilla had just fed her after reminding him that their kitten hadn't eaten in days. Couldn't very well hand her over to the slayer half starved, could he? Angel's stipulation had been alive and healthy, after all. He watched his sire move to pick up the bowl and cloth from beside the bed and move towards Red. He growled softly, his eyes narrowing as he shook his head once. He didn't want her cleaned, didn't want his seed washed away. He wanted her to remember him, remember every vivid detail for the rest of her life, didn't like the idea of her forgetting him, forgetting what had happened. Things had changed.
Drusilla moved to place the bowl back on the dresser, not wanting to upset Spike by washing Kitten, even though she thought it wasn't very nice to leave the girl covered in remains from her naughty fun. The slayer would be most unhappy, as would Daddy, but she didn't disobey Spike. She was glad that he had at least allowed her to feed their kitten, the poor thing so hungry she had eaten every single crumb of the food that Drusilla had found to give to her. Pretty kitty needed a proper meal and a proper bath with running water and a proper sleep to get rid of those dark circles that were underneath her green eyes. She sighed as she looked back at Spike, knew that his plans didn't include baths and meals and sleeping. Poor kitten would be left all alone to face the slayer and Daddy and their disapproval and disgust. She had to trust the stars, though, and hope they were right.
Willow was still hungry. The bits of crackers and fruit that Drusilla had fed her had done nothing to diminish the hunger that had been growing for over a day. She hadn't eaten since lunch at school the previous day, and that hardly qualified as a real meal. She was so very tired, knowing she had lost so much blood in the last day that it was surprising she was alive. Her entire body was still in pain, but it was a nice kind of pain now, a comforting pain. She had accepted it, enjoyed it, hoped that she always felt like she did at this very moment. Satisfied, completely satisfied. Her eyes moved to the chair where Spike was sitting, his jeans unbuttoned, his cold blue eyes watching her suspiciously. He had been watching for nearly half an hour at least, having given Drusilla permission to feed her as he had pulled on his jeans and sat down to watch her. It was unnerving, those blank eyes looking at her, studying her. What did he see?
"It's nearly time to leave," Spike told Dru as he looked away from Red, his mind thinking about everything that was yet to come. He hoped this ritual worked. He wanted his sire to get her strength back, wanted out of this town.
Willow heard his words, her eyes flying to look at him. Leave? Where were they going? Why did the thought of him leaving upset her? Was she going to die now?
"Daddy will be waiting," Drusilla smiled, cocking her head as she began to twirl in circles, her white dress moving with her, "I'll be strong again, so very strong."
"Yeah, you will be," if it works, he added mentally as his eyes followed his sire, a smile crossing his lips as he watched her. It was nice to see her happy again, to see excitement in her eyes. He glanced at Red, the smile fading as his eyes hardened. She was scared, the fear reaching him. He smiled a cold smile, telling her, "You're not going to die, Red. There's no deal if you're dead."
"Deal?" she repeated softly, not understanding.
"You in exchange for Angel's blood," Spike said, smirking at her. "Nice trade. Dru gets better, we get to leave this hell town, and you get to run back to your slayer. Win win situation, wouldn't you say?"
"Oh," she whispered, suddenly understanding. He was giving her back in order to save Drusilla. All part of his game, she guessed. Oh God, she couldn't face Buffy and the others. After the things she had done, the things she had begged him to do to her, the desire she still felt....she couldn't see them. They'd know what she was when they looked in her eyes. She'd lose them all, had already lost her. Why didn't he just kill her? It would be better than leaving her like this.
"Pretty kitty, pretty kitty," Drusilla sang out as she crawled onto the bed, her lips capturing Willow's in a sweet kiss. She ran her fingers through the girl's hair, promising, "Don't worry, lovey. It will all work out, just like the stars promised. They never lie to me. Forget me not, Kitten."
"Enough," Spike said sharply, eyes narrowed as he saw Drusilla's hand move away from Red's face. "Dru, get your stuff together. We leave this town as soon as the ritual is complete."
He watched Dru move off the bed, a puzzled look on her face at the tone of voice he had used with her, but he didn't care. His eyes moved over Red's face, his lips curling into a slight smile as he saw the confusion in her green eyes, wondering if it mirrored his own. He moved to the side of the bed, sitting beside her as his hand roughly grabbed her chin. "I may be leaving this town, but that doesn't change anything. You're still mine. You will always be mine," his lips caught hers in a deep kiss, his teeth biting her tongue before he sucked it, finally pulling back. His blue eyes were emotionless as he continued, "Now, you're going to be a good girl and remember who you belong to, aren't you?"
"I belong to you, Spike," she whispered softly, knowing the truth in her words. She was going to lose everything she loved because of those words, and the only thing she could think about was that he would be gone, that she was never going to see his face or feel his touch or hear his voice or taste his seed or smell the intoxicating scent of vanilla and tobacco and blood and sex and power that was Spike.
"No one touches you but me," he reminded, his eyes flashing at the idea of Angelus being within ten feet of his Red. "You'll never forget me, will you my beautiful whore? I'll haunt your dreams and you'll wake from your sleep with your hands buried between your legs and my name on your lips," he growled, looking away from her, "after the ritual, Peaches and the slayer are going to come and fetch you, my pretty little bitch," he saw the fear flash in her eyes, knew that he had been right in assuming that she would want nothing to do with that blonde bitch now. Red was too good for that bitch, too strong to be stuck in her shadow. He again looked into her eyes, knowing it was time to leave, knowing that she might try to run rather than face her stupid little friends. He couldn't risk it, had to have her waiting here alive and well when Angel came for her. He moved his hand behind her neck, leaning down and running his tongue over his claim, savoring this last taste of her blood before he lifted his head, his eyes catching hers as they flashed yellow, his promise, "This isn't over yet, pet," the last thing she heard before he knocked her out. He knew from experience that she would be out for a couple of hours at least. That should be more than enough time to get this finished. He leaned down and kissed her lips one more time before he growled and got up, helping Drusilla get the rest of their things loaded into the car before they had to meet Angel.
~Part: 36~
"I don't like this," Buffy said as she and Angel looked around the deserted warehouse. They had been there only a few minutes, but she didn't like the feel of the place. She just wanted to get Willow and go home. Angel had warned her not to threaten Spike, and she just wasn't sure how easy it would be to obey those instructions when she was confronted by the bastard that had kidnapped her best friend. If he had hurt Willow, he'd better hope he was out of Sunnydale.
"They're not here yet," Angel said, rolling his eyes as Buffy continued to complain. He understood that she was worried about Willow, could sympathize because he, too, was worried about the quiet redhead with the shy smile. But she didn't have to constantly complain about everything. He knew that the real problem was the fact that wasn't controlling this. Spike had the power, and it annoyed the hell out of the slayer. "Buffy, you have to promise me that you'll behave. Spike won't hesitate in having her killed if we don't follow through with my promise."
"I've already promised that I won't stake the bleached blond bastard," Buffy glared at him. "What, do you want it in blood?"
"Slayer's blood? Is that an offer?" Spike asked with a cocky smile as he entered the room. "Peaches, always a pleasure. Not!"
"Spike, Drusilla," Angel nodded at them both, his eyes watching Buffy.
"Can we get this over with?" Buffy asked, biting her tongue to keep from saying something Spike might find offensive enough to use as a reason to kill her best friend.
"Eager little thing, aren't you?" Spike snorted, moving towards the side of the room where there were two chairs. He pulled them to the middle of the room, helping Drusilla take a seat. She said she had everything needed for the ritual, so he was going to just stand back and let her take care of it all. He looked at Angel and the slayer, smiling as he showed them a cell phone that he had won earlier that afternoon, "One wrong move, I make a call and Red dies. Do we understand each other?"
"If you so much as hurt one hair on her head," Buffy started to say but found her mouth covered by Angel's hand.
"You need to put a leash on your slayer, Peaches," Spike warned with a cold smile as he lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall, his eyes moving to watch his sire. She was in control, laying out the materials as she hummed softly to herself. She didn't seem to have any doubts that this would work, her trust in the damn stars as annoying as always.
Drusilla looked up and smiled at Angel, "Daddy, you need to remove your shirt and then come sit beside me. It won't hurt that much."
"I would have done this if you had asked, Spike," Angel said as he moved to follow Dru's instructions. Even with a soul, he still had a loyalty to his childe and her childe.
Spike snorted, "Yeah, cause you're *such* a devoted sire. Bloody wanker, keep your mouth shut and listen to Dru. I don't want to hear another word from you," he tossed the cell phone in the air, giving Angel a pointed look. He almost laughed as the elder vampire reluctantly looked away. Man, this was right fun. He had all the power just by showing them this stupid phone. As if he would be stupid enough to leave his Red alone with a minion. Of course, they didn't have any idea which is what it all the more pleasurable. His eyes moved to look at the slayer, a smirk crossing his face as he saw her watching Angel and Drusilla. He took a long drag from his smoke, his eyes flashing as he decided that it was time to have a spot of fun.
~Part: 37~
"So, slayer, what brings a gal like you to a place like this?"
Buffy turned her head to glare at Spike, "Just shut up and quit talking to me."
"Not very nice, pet. Also not very smart, telling the man that holds your best friend's life in his hands to shut up," Spike brought the cell phone up to his face, tapping it against his lip as he saw her eyes narrow.
"You know why I'm here," Buffy hissed, hating that he was in control, hating that he knew it.
"Yeah, I do," he smirked, "you're here because *I* allowed it. Guess I won this time, Slayer."
"You didn't win anything," Buffy said with a frown. She'd had to give in to this stupid plan to save Willow, but that didn't mean he'd won.
"How's it feel?" Spike asked with a smile, knowing he was going to enjoy this.
"How does what feel?" she asked, not even looking at him this time.
"To know that you're the reason poor little Red was formally introduced to the big bad wolf," he asked, blowing smoke in her direction as he watched her face. He smiled when he saw the guilt flash in her eyes, deciding that this was pretty damn fun.
"If you hurt her," she let the threat drop as she saw him playing with the phone.
"She's a cute thing, isn't she?" he observed casually, "Tastes wonderful. Innocent and sweet and addicting, like candy. Her blood? Well, I've tasted thousands of people and hers was beyond comparison. And to think I never would have found her if not for you."
"It's not going to work," she said tightly, her hands clenched into fists as she watched Angel. "I'm not going to give you any reason to kill Willow."
"Willow?" he looked at her suddenly, his eyes narrowing. "Is that her name? Willow....." a slight smile crossed his face as he rolled the name on his tongue. It suited her. He forgot about the slayer as he found his mind drifting back to the redhead, his eyes closing as he easily brought her image to his mind. He could still taste her, smell her. Wished he were buried deep inside her now instead of standing here waiting for this stupid ritual to finish. He found himself thinking about what he would like to do to his little Red, everything else temporarily forgotten as he let his mind wander.
They stood there for over an hour as Drusilla and Angel completed the ritual. When it was finally over, Drusilla smiled sleepily at Spike. She looked into his eyes, knew where his thoughts were, knew that he was still so confused. She felt stronger, tired but stronger. It had worked. By the end of the week, she would be back to full strength. She looked at Angel, giving him a small smile, "Thank you, Daddy."
"So, it worked?" Spike asked as he focused on Drusilla, trying to see a difference.
~Part: 38~
"It worked," Drusilla confirmed with a smile. "I can feel his blood, can feel the power."
"Okay, good. That's done. We held up our end. Now, where is Willow?" Buffy demanded as she moved towards Angel.
"Uh uh," Spike said, shaking his head. "Doesn't work that way. Do you think I'm stupid enough to tell you where she is before Dru and I are out of this town?"
"What are you talking about?" Buffy glared at him. "The deal was fix your insane bitch and I get Willow back. Now, tell me where she is before I stake your skinny ass!"
"Buffy, shut up," Angel said, cringing as he stood. He had lost a lot of blood, but he wasn't so weak that he wasn't still threatening. "Spike, would you please tell us how it *does* work?"
"Never thought you'd ask, Peaches," Spike rolled his eyes. "You see, here's how it's going to go down. Dru and I are going to leave here, get in my car and leave this fucking town. Once we're out of the city, I'll give you a call on your cell and tell you where Red is. See? It all works out. We get to leave, you get to be the hero, and everyone is happy."
"I don't like it," Buffy said, looking at Angel. "For all we know, he's killed Willow and is just trying to get out of town before I can kill him."
"Kitten isn't dead!" Drusilla turned to glare at the slayer.
"I promised that Red would be waiting for you alive and well," Spike snarled, his eyes flashing. "I don't break my promises, slayer."
"Let them leave, Buffy," Angel sighed. His eyes caught Spike's as he said, "If he did kill Willow, he knows that I'd find him, soul or no soul."
"I'm so scared," Spike laughed, "Listen to your vampire, slayer, unless you *do* want me to have Red killed."
"The world is spinning, my sweet William. Topsy turvy, round and round," Drusilla said as she moved to lean against her childe.
"I don't like this," Buffy repeated, not trusting Spike at all, but trusting Angel enough to move away from the bleached blond. "If I ever see you again, you're dust."
"You'd be dead before you could lift the stake," Spike said with an arrogant smirk as he walked past the slayer. He looked at Angel and promised, "Don't leave this place. I'll call as soon as we get out of town. She'll be there, alive and well as promised."
"Take care, William," Angel said, having a feeling that this would be the last time he saw his childe and grandchilde for a very long time.
"Whatever," Spike said as he rolled his eyes, his arm around Drusilla as he left Angel and Buffy in the empty warehouse waiting for his call.
~Part: 39~
"How long does it take to get out of town?"
"It's only been twenty minutes," Angel said, his dark eyes on the silent cell phone.
"This is Sunnydale. It doesn't take twenty minutes to get from one end of town to the other," Buffy said as she continued her pacing. "He's not going to call. I knew we shouldn't have let him leave!"
Before Angel could respond, the phone rang. He picked it up, "Where is she?"
"Don't I even get a hello?" Spike asked.
"I'm tired of your games. Where is Willow?" Angel demanded, his eyes flashing yellow.
"Across the street. Second floor," Spike said before he hung up the phone.
"She's across the street," Angel said as he turned his phone off. "Come on."
He and Buffy ran across the street, entering the seemingly abandoned warehouse and looking around. "Where is she?"
"Second floor," Angel said, sniffing the air. His eyes narrowed as he smelled the overwhelming scent of blood and sex. He took the stairs two at a time, worry in his dark eyes as he followed the scent down the hallway. He opened the door and stopped, his eyes widening in shock at what he saw.
"Where is she?" Buffy asked, pushing past him. "Oh my God!"
"That bastard," Angel whispered, his eyes moving over the bloody shape laying on the bed. The smell of sex was thick giving him no doubts as to what Spike had done to the shy redhead.
"Is she....is she alive?" Buffy asked softly, her hazel eyes looking at her best friend. This was her fault. She had caused this. Willow had been raped, tortured and possibly killed just because she was her friend.
"I can hear her heartbeat," Angel said as he moved closer to the bed. He watched as Willow stirred, her eyes opening slowly as she woke up.
"Spike?" she asked softly, having heard voices as she woke up.
"Willow, honey, it's Buffy. That bastard won't touch you ever again," Buffy said as she moved towards her best friend.
"Buffy?" Willow's eyes snapped open as she looked at her blonde friend, moving her head to find Angel standing at the end of the bed, his dark eyes studying her silently, thoughtfully. He knew. They both knew.
"He claimed her," Angel said softly, his eyes on the deep bite on Willow's neck, the scent of Spike's claim very strong. Why had he claimed her? It didn't make sense. Spike had no regard for humans except as food, yet he had claimed his hostage. Had it been yet another way to hurt Buffy? His eyes looked into Willow's, widening in surprise at what he saw.
"Claim? What the hell does that mean?" Buffy asked as she reached for Willow.
"No, don't touch me," Willow shook her head, moving away from Buffy. Spike would be angry with her if she let Buffy touch her, if she let anyone touch her. What did Angel mean by claiming? She had read books, certainly, but didn't think that Spike had meant to claim her. He had left without even saying good-bye. He'd merely been playing with her, trying to break her.
"This is all my fault," Buffy said as she watched Willow move away from her. She had lost her best friend. Spike had taken away the one thing that meant the world to her. He had won.
"Buffy, you don't seem to understand the seriousness of this," Angel said, looking at her and seeing the defeat in her eyes. She had lost Willow, though not quite the way she seemed to think. He'd seen the flash of desire in those green eyes, knew that a claim could not be given to one unwilling. There was more to the shy redhead than he had originally thought. And Spike had discovered it, used it, ruined her before leaving. So much damage done in so short a time. He ran a hand through his thick hair as he caught Buffy's attention, "He claimed her, Buffy. That means he considers her his."
"His?" Buffy didn't understand all these stupid vampire rules. All she knew was that her best wouldn't let her hug her and tell her that everything would be all right even though she sincerely doubted anything would ever be the same again.
"It means that she isn't safe," Angel said, knowing that Spike had promised that he would never return to Sunnydale, but also knowing that his grandchilde had never claimed a human before and wasn't the type to take such an action lightly. He had been devoted to Drusilla from the first, and Angel had no interest in finding out how serious he was consider this claim. They would need to protect Willow from Spike, just in case he decided to come back and take her.
"I thought you said he promised not to come back," Buffy said, "you said he could be trusted, that he never broke a promise!"
"I didn't know that he had claimed her!" Angel snarled, "That changes things. Means that it might not be just a game. With Spike, who knows? He might have done it just to piss me off and to drive her further away from you. It doesn't matter. All that matters is keeping Willow safe this time."
"I won't let him get her again," Buffy declared as she and Angel began to talk about ways to keep Willow safe from Spike in case he came back to get her, both so caught up in their talks that neither noticed the redhead pick up Spike's discarded shirt and leave the room at the start of their discussion.
~Part: 40~
Willow walked out of the warehouse and looked around. She recognized the area, having spent many a night hunting demons in various nearby warehouses. She grimaced as she walked, finding the simple act rather painful. She had had to leave though. It had been too much. Angel and Buffy had been arguing, talking about hurting Spike, about keeping her from him. Couldn't they see that she was already missing him? She pulled his shirt tighter around her, inhaling the scent that still lingered.
She was no longer the Willow that they knew and loved. She had grown up over the last day, had discovered things about herself that were shocking but true, had accepted the darkness that was inside her soul, had embraced it completely. Spike had woken it up, had forced her into accepting it, then he had left. Why had he done it? Why couldn't he have killed her? It would have been easier than this. She had lost everything, her friends, herself, and now she was alone, would always be alone. She could never love anyone, could never be held. She belonged to Spike, would always be his. She didn't need a bite on her neck to know this, she knew it deep inside her heart. She didn't understand it, didn't want understand it, but the truth was there. He had opened her eyes to who she really was, taught her things about herself that she'd never known. And now he was gone.
She stopped walking as she took a minute to breathe. She hadn't imagined how painful it would be to walk. And cold. She was so very cold. Her feet were wet from the dirty alley, his shirt falling to her knees. There was a chill in the air that complimented her mood. Where was she going? She had nowhere to go. Soon, Buffy and Angel would quit talking about protecting her and realize she was gone. They'd look for her, probably find her not far away if this was any indication of how fast she'd be walking. They didn't understand, couldn't understand. They looked at her and still saw the Willow she had been before Halloween, before the night that her life had changed forever. She wasn't the quiet little girl that needed protecting. She was Spike's, damn it, or so he had told her dozens of times. Why had he left her? She felt a tear drip down her face as she wrapped her arms around her waist.
She needed to go home. Needed to think. What was she going to do? Why hadn't she thought about this when she had been begging Spike to fuck her? Why couldn't she hate herself for what she had done? Why couldn't she even feel guilty for what she was feeling? She had felt guilt in the beginning, when he had first touched her. She had felt disgust at her reaction, had hated herself for wanting him. Now, though, there was no hatred, no disgust, just acceptance. Something had changed, though she had no idea what. She turned the corner and crossed the street, walking towards home. She was so tired, she honestly didn't know if she'd make it the few miles to her house. She wanted to curl up somewhere warm and just sleep, hope that she would wake up with answers to all the questions plaguing her mind. She hadn't walked very far when a car pulled up beside her. She didn't look at it, hoping that it wasn't the police or anyone that wanted to hurt her. She wouldn't be able to fight them at all.
A door opened beside her causing her to look. Her eyes widened with surprise as she found herself looking into cold blue eyes. She couldn't stop the smile of pleasure from spreading over her face. He hadn't left her!
"Get in," Spike demanded, angry at finding her walking down the dirty street wearing just his old shirt. He'd known the fucking slayer wouldn't be able to take care of her. He arched his brow as she stood there silently, looking at him as if she didn't believe he was really there. Crazy damn bitch. He hated having to explain what he, himself, didn't understand, "I told it wasn't over, pet. Now be a good girl and get your ass in the car so we can get out of this fucking town!"
Willow did as she was told, sliding into the car without hesitation. He'd come for her. He hadn't left her. She gave him a shy smile, not sure what he expected of her. Not wanting to risk upsetting him and causing him to leave her here, alone. She couldn't stand that, didn't want to be where he wasn't.
"We're going to have such fun, Kitten," Drusilla said with a smile as she leaned over the back seat, her hands tracing over the girl's face. "Spike and I are going to show you the world. You're ours, forever ours."
"Dru, sit back and get some rest," Spike said, rolling his eyes. His sire hadn't shut up about the fun they and their kitten would have since she had realized his plan to stay in town until they could collect his Red. He'd suspected that she would leave as soon as she had the chance, knew she wouldn't want to be around that damn slayer and his grandsire any longer than necessary. He knew his Red, he did. In a way that he'd never know his sire and her silly stars. He cast a glance at Willow, knowing her name now. She was happy as a little lark, a contented smile on her pretty face as she sat beside him, though her eyes were nervous and confused, as if she wasn't sure what was happening. That made two of them. She definitely hadn't been anywhere in his plans for the future. But, things had changed, his plans had changed. "You look tired, Willow," he said, watching as she looked at him in surprise as he used her name. He gave her a smirk as he leaned over and kissed her roughly before saying, "Lay down and get some sleep," as he returned his attention to the road and getting as far away from this town as he could.
He knew her name. God, it sounded so erotic when he said it, his accent rolling the word in ways that made her body tingle. She was leaving Sunnydale, saw the sign coming up ahead. She didn't care. She'd call her friends once she was far enough away, if Spike would allow it, and she'd try to explain to them how alive she was, how he made her feel, how safe she felt when she was in his arms, and she'd make them understand that this was something she wanted, that she was happy and that they should be happy because she was happy. They would forget her when they learned the truth, would not spend time worrying about her or looking for her. She moved to lean against Spike, snuggling closer to him as he put his arm around her shoulder, her eyes closing as a small happy smile crossed her face. She was going to see the world.
Drusilla looked from her childe to the redhead and smiled, leaning her head against the window. She was happy that Spike had thougth of a way to keep Kitten. Willow, not kitten, she corrected. Spike had told her the redhead's name as they had been waiting, Drusilla liking it instantly. She looked up at the stars as they drove, glad that they were leaving that horrible little town, glad that she was feeling stronger, glad that they had found their kitten. They would be happy, the three of them. The stars had told her, and they never lied. She would buy Willow pretty dresses and fix her hair and teach her so many things. It would be ever so wonderful. And, now that Spike's game was over, she could taste the redhead, could share her with her childe. Drusilla listened as the stars sang a new song to her of the years to come, her eyes softening with happiness as a proud smile crossed her face as she very quietly whispered back to them against the glass, "I've always wanted a grandchilde!"
the end