Parts: 21 - 30
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~Part: 21~
"Masquerade, huh?" Gunn slowly nodded, a smile crossing his face as he said, "I like it. Catchy and fun."
"Yeah, it's going to be great," Faith replied enthusiastically, "we're going to be such a cool spot to hang out! And we'll have a band on weekends so no bad singing when we're the most crowded. I think we're going to start checking out some bands tomorrow night, see what this town has to offer in way of talent."
"She sounds professional, doesn't she?" Willow smiled at Gunn, laughing as Faith stuck her tongue out at her before continuing to talk as if she hadn't been interrupted.
"And we're going to use masks and stuff to decorate as well as having theme nights at times and parties and it's gonna be fucking great," Faith declared.
"Not just great, but fucking great," Gunn repeated with a wink at Willow.
"You got it, Chuck," Faith laughed as she said, "Okay, so I'm a bit excited about everything. Just shut up."
"It's cute, Faith," Willow said with a laugh. "I'm glad you liked the idea."
"I loved the idea," Faith said for what had to be hundredth time since hearing it. "I like the possibility of being someone else for a few hours and know that a lot of other people will. Besides, with it being a sanctuary, the costume and mask idea gives everyone a chance to just have fun without worrying about stupid things like having horns and stuff. If a tourist happens to wander in by mistake, they'll think it's a neat theme club and just another unique aspect of the city."
"I think it's cool," Gunn said, "and we won't have to listen to all the bad singing on weekends which is even better!"
"I'm excited about all of it," Willow smiled, "it's so neat to be involved in building the business and getting everything put together and watching as it gets finished and becomes a fantastic and memorable sanctuary."
"You just like having great ideas and giving us orders, Red," Gunn said, laughing as she rolled her eyes at him.
"She's already got Spike and Lorne downstairs cleaning," Faith said, "had them getting all the trash out before we left for lunch."
"I'm going to help when we get home, before I have to go to work," Willow defended, "besides, Spike asked me what I wanted him to do so there!"
"Only you would be asked by a gorgeous hunk of vampire what you wanted him to do and tell him to clean," Faith shook her head, her eyes shining with mischief. "I'd have thought you could have thought of much more entertaining activities for him, Willow."
"Blondie is cleaning?" Gunn looked from Faith to Willow and laughed.
"He volunteered," Willow said, making a face at Gunn, "he likes being part of the family, having something to do. Spike isn't very good at sitting still and doing nothing. He likes to stay busy."
"Besides, Willow asked him to help," Faith smirked, stressing Willow's name, enjoying watching the redhead squirm at their teasing. "How could he say no?"
"I'm gonna tell him not to fix your hair again," Willow decided, watching with satisfaction as Faith stopped smirking and apologized.
"I'm sorry, Red. I didn't mean anything," Faith said, knowing that she wanted Spike to show her how to fix her hair, "he's your friend so of course he wanted to help."
"I guess I'll forgive you this time," Willow said, "but quit teasing me about Spike being my friend. Got it?"
"Sure," Faith muttered, deciding that she'd try to figure out how to fix her hair as soon as possible so that she'd be free to do some teasing without threats from the redhead.
"I missed something," Gunn said, looking from one girl to the other, "what's this about hair?"
"It's nothing," Willow smiled, "just forget it. So, Mae has a daughter?"
"Yeah," Gunn shrugged, "Jessi seems okay. A bit uptight, but nice enough I guess."
"She seemed sweet," Willow said, having liked the girl she'd just met.
"I guess," he said, "she only works a couple times a week so I won't see her all that much. She's taking summer school at college or something like that. Gonna be a teacher."
"Really?" Faith smiled, "That's kind of cool."
"If you say so," Gunn made a face, "I couldn't do it. Not enough patience, I guess. More power to her, though, if that's her thing."
"What's she going to teach?" Willow asked, having respect for anyone that decided to make a career in education. She'd loved teaching the computer class her senior year and had been considering going into that field if real life hadn't been full of vampires and magic and things that go bump in the night.
"Kids," Gunn said with a smirk, laughing as he said, "I think she said something about math and elementary, but we didn't really spend a lot of time talking when we were working."
"Speaking of work, it's nearly one," Faith pointed out, "we don't want to get you back to work late, Chuck."
"We'd better get home and start helping before Lorne and Spike get pissed at us," Willow said as she got to her feet, "you want us to walk you back, Gunn?"
"I'm good," he smiled at her as he tossed a couple of dollars on the table, "and I'll be ready to clean when I get off work. Maybe I can work late."
"Oh, you," Willow hit his arm lightly and laughed, "just for that, I'll be sure to save the bathrooms for you!"
"Definitely working late then, Red," he waved bye as he left the café, letting them pay so he could get back to work on time.
"Well, I guess we have to go work now," Faith said, sighing dramatically.
"Today is cleaning but tomorrow is band scouting," Willow reminded with a smile.
"Okay, I guess I can handle it then," Faith laughed, "Come on, Red. Let's go clean!"
~Part: 22~
"It's too hot," Faith said as she collapsed on the sofa, "thank the Gods for air conditioning!"
"It's not just hot," Willow said, "it's sticky hot which is worse."
"I think we should limit all of our outdoor activities to before noon," Faith decided, feeling the sweat on her back from the few blocks walk home, "and after dark."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Willow said, feeling the tendrils of hair sticking to her neck. She went into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of glasses. They had not gone directly downstairs because she didn't want to open the door and risk hurting Spike. True, the sunlight was at an angle that probably wouldn't have reached inside the club, but she was thirsty after the walk and figured the boys hadn't taken time to get anything to drink either and it was probably like a sauna down there so she'd used that sunlight thing as an excuse to feel air conditioning before going down to clean.
"I'll heat Blondie's blood," Faith volunteered as she took the bag from the redhead and tossed it into the microwave. She typed in the time and gave Willow a smile, "Should I consider it weird that I know the temperature that makes blood perfect for vampire consumption?"
"No more weird than to consider that you're a slayer and you're now sharing a house with a master vampire that has killed two slayers," Willow smiled.
"Darn, they're gonna revoke my slayer card," Faith said in mock horror.
"They would if there was still a council," Willow said as she finished making the kool aid. She took a sip, nodding, "This is just what I needed. Cherry kool aid!"
"I haven't had this stuff since….hmm, I guess I never have had this stuff," Faith said, taking a sip from the spoon that Willow offered her. "Yum! Why haven't we made this before?"
"I bought some at the store today," Willow said, "I saw the display and realized that summer is the best time for kool aid. Xander, Jesse and I used to drink it nonstop during the summer when we were kids. I've got pictures that Jesse's Mom took of us with red mustaches, in fact. I loved cherry, Jesse liked fruit punch, which is also a favorite of mine, and Xander liked all of them. One time, he mixed like three different kinds together and forced us to drink an orange-strawberry-lime flavor that was just awful. After that, Jesse started to hide the packets and wouldn't let Xander make any more."
"I want to see those pictures sometime," Faith said with a smile, easily imagining a younger Willow and Xander running around with kool aid mustaches.
"I'll try to find them," Willow said, realizing that she hadn't looked at them in years herself. After she met Buffy, those happy carefree summers had pretty much stopped. There was that one summer when Buffy went to visit her Dad, when she and Xander hung out together and she'd still had a crush on her old friend. That had been more like the old days except Jesse had been dead and they'd spent their nights roaming around the cemeteries looking for vampires. She looked at Faith and smiled, "You ready to go downstairs?"
"I'll take 'staying in the cool air conditioning' for $500, Alex," Faith said, making a face as she thought of going downstairs. She knew it would be hot with that black paint and lack of windows.
"There was air conditioning hooked up down there, but Lorne probably turned it on when he first went down and I doubt it's managed to start cooling the place yet," Willow said, "I should have turned it on when I took Spike down there and felt how hot it was already starting to get."
"It's probably not that bad," Faith said with a sigh, knowing that they couldn't keep putting it off. She took the bag of blood and handed it to Willow who drained it into a coffee mug for Spike, again thinking how odd it was that she, a slayer, was helping prepare food for a vampire. Of course, Spike wasn't your typical vampire. Far from it, in fact.
"Can you open the door for me?" Willow asked as she picked up the tray with the kool aid and glasses that had ice. She'd put an extra glass on the tray for Spike, just in case he wanted something cool to drink after having lunch.
"I can carry that, Red," Faith said, "why don't you grab a bag of chips and some cookies? Snacking will make cleaning all that much more tolerable."
"You sound like Xander," Willow rolled her eyes as she handed the tray to Faith. "Wait a second and I'll open the door for you."
The redhead grabbed a bag of chips and cookies and went over to open the door. She was actually glad that Faith had offered to carry the tray down the stairs. She could be a bit clumsy on solid ground much less going down stairs. She opened the lower door, waiting until Faith had entered the kitchen before closing it. She moved ahead of the slayer, glancing at Faith when she heard the sound of the Ramones turned up rather high. She entered the club, a smile crossing her face as she took in the scene. Lorne was dancing around the bar, running a rag over the surface as he sang along to Do You Wanna Dance, not a song that she would have guessed the demon knew, but one that seemed to cause him to bop his head in a strange way as he sang. She laughed softly as she moved her attention to Spike, her eyes widening slightly when she saw him sweeping. Without his shirt.
Goodness. She'd seen Spike without his shirt plenty of times before, always appreciating his body, but she'd never seen him quite like this. The muscles in his arms and back flexed as he swept, his jeans riding low on that perfectly formed ass. He was singing, his husky voice reaching her and causing tingles in places that were better left ignored. She knew that he could sing pretty well, flashing back to that horrible spell that had caused all of her friends to break out in song and dance while she'd been lucky enough to only have a few lines to sing. Spike's voice had been deep and rich, sounding nearly as good as Giles in her opinion. Now, hearing him sing along to the Ramones, she knew that he was better than she'd realized. He had a good voice, knew the words of the song, was sweeping in time with the upbeat sound. She almost hated to disturb him, but figured he might be hungry.
Faith walked by her and Willow grabbed the mug of blood from the tray as the slayer went past, her eyes not moving from the vision of Spike singing as he cleaned. Shaking her head slightly, she drew herself from her thoughts, ignoring the desire that shot through her when Spike suddenly turned and looked at her, a slow smile crossing his face as he started to walk towards her. He was still singing, his eyes moving over her lazily as his smile turned what could only be described as wicked before he looked away suddenly. When he looked back at her, the smile was gone, replaced by a crooked smile that becoming all too familiar. Willow decided she must have imagined what had happened, Spike hadn't looked at her with desire and a wicked smile. The heat was just getting to her. She needed something cold to drink. She handed Spike the mug, listened to him tell her thanks, watching as he drank, her eyes moving along the lines of his neck, down his bare chest, noticing the pale nipples, past his flat stomach until she got to the waist band of his jeans. Her eyes unknowingly strayed lower, looking away quickly when she got to the rather large bulge that the jeans hugged snugly. She moved to the bar, taking the glass of kool aid that Faith handed her, not noticing the amused look in the slayer's eyes or the knowing smile that rested on her friend's lips as she drank the glass of cool liquid.
~Part: 23~
He couldn't read him. Lorne scowled at the vampire, watching as Spike leaned over and picked up some bigger trash that he'd found when sweeping, moving to the trash can, singing along to the Rolling Stones the entire way. It had been half an hour of classic rock and oldies, all of which Spike seemed to know. Lorne had been rather surprised that the blond had such a good voice, having grown used to bad singing from Angel and his friends. Not only did he have a good voice, but he somehow was able to keep Lorne from reading him. It wasn't a spell, but there was definitely some sort of guard up that prevented even a slight reading.
"More ads," Spike glared at the radio as some chipper voice spoke about a sale on used cars. One reason he hated listening to the radio. Another being the fact that he couldn't choose the songs that were playing. He liked being in control of his music, liked deciding what would play when. Luckily, he knew most of the songs that had been playing so far. He'd really been into music in the late sixties and seventies, escaping into it many a day when Drusilla had been conversing with the stars and whining about her sire. His visit to Woodstock hadn't been primarily for the food, though it had been like an open buffet for his kind, he'd gone for the music. He'd been in England for the birth of punk, saw the Pistols and the Clash before they were known around the world…had caught the Ramones a few times when he'd been in New York. See a concert, kill a slayer, grab a bite in the park, and then find his damn sire talking to the trees and the stars. When they'd gone to Asia and Eastern Europe, he'd fallen behind in the newest crazes, realizing later that he hadn't missed much. The new stuff just didn't do much for him, though there were some exceptions every little bit. Luckily, all his favorites had been released on CD, one of the greatest inventions since his turning in his opinion.
He glanced at Lorne and almost smiled at the frustrated look on the demon's face. Spike knew he was ticked cause he couldn't read him, thankful that the guards were still in place. He hadn't wanted his sire inside his head and he certainly didn't want this near stranger poking around inside his mind. He didn't want some big revelations about his path or his emotions or any of that garbage. He cared about now and that was about it. He was finally in a place where he could look back at his past without getting angry or depressed, could think about those years with Drusilla and Angelus without caring so much. Here and now was his main concern. That whole reading thing was a waste, in his eyes. It could be interpreted a number of different ways, and was usually just one possible outcome, nothing set in stone. Knowing too much could you drive you bonkers, just like it had driven his sire into insanity. Besides all that, he liked to have his secrets, liked keeping things to himself, wasn't much of a sharing type of guy.
"The radio has a CD player," Lorne mentioned, getting a bit tired of the ads himself. "I've got some CDs upstairs, or you could play one of yours."
"Mine are in my car," Spike said, realizing that he needed to go to his car after dusk and get his stuff. It was still parked in the garage by the registration office on Canal Street. "Where are yours at? I'll go see if there's anything worth listening to."
"I'll have you know, Sugar bear, that I have a very large collection of all sorts of genres," Lorne said, arching a brow as he glared at the vampire. "Music is my hobby."
"A large collection maybe, but are any of them worth a damn?" Spike asked with a slight smirk.
"They're in my room," Lorne said, "I bet you find some you like."
"We'll see," Spike said as he put the broom down and went upstairs. He found the demon's room, thankful that the one window was covered. He went inside, rolling his eyes as he saw the decorating job. He found the CDs, pleasantly surprised to see several disks that he, himself, owned. He grabbed a Ramones, a Lynyrd Skynyrd, and a Beatles before he went back downstairs. He entered the club and saw the demon smiling smugly, rolling his eyes as he said, "Okay, so they weren't all horrible, but they weren't all great."
"Interesting choices," Lorne said as he saw the CDs that Spike had chosen. He decided to give up trying to read the vampire, instead smiling as I Wanna Be Sedated started to play. He sang along as Spike went back to sweeping and cleaning. Time passed as the CD played. The song Do You Wanna Dance had just started when he suddenly looked up in surprise, his eyes widening as he stared at Spike. Oh my, Lorne slowly smiled as he felt a wave of arousal wash over him. He'd gotten a clear reading off the vampire. His eyes moved to Willow who was looking at Spike like he was chocolate cake, looking back at Spike as he read intense desire and affection, feeling the room growing rather warm as the blond vampire began to move towards Willow. He slowly smiled as he stopped reading, having felt enough without even having to try. He winked at Faith who was watching the vampire and the witch with an amused smile before she winked back at him.
Spike felt her as soon as she entered the room, deciding not to appear to happy to see her as he continued to sweep. He could feel her eyes on him, his body tensing as the soft scent of her arousal reached him. He straightened, turning to look at her, surprised to see the desire in her eyes as she looked at him. He watched her lick her lips, groaning softly as he felt himself starting to walk towards her, still singing along to the Ramones. "Do you wanna dance, under the moonlight," he sang to her as his eyes caught hers, "hold me, kiss me, all through the night." He watched her cheeks flush as her eyes flashed with confusion. His eyes moved over her body, a smile crossing his face as he considered pushing her against the wall and sinking deep into her warmth. He looked away, pushing those thoughts from his head. Friends, just friends. When he looked back at her, he gave her a crooked smile before he took the mug of blood from her, letting his fingers brush her hand briefly before he fed. When he was finished, he saw that Willow had moved to the bar and was drinking something with ice.
He walked towards the bar, putting the empty mug on the tray as he nodded at the slayer before looking at Willow, "We got the boxes out, Red, like you wanted. I started to sweep for ya, figured you could start working on the walls when you got back. How was lunch?"
Willow looked at him, having managed to get hormones under control as she smiled, "Lunch was good. I can't believe you got all those boxes out and everything cleaned up already. That was fast."
"I'm good," he smiled smugly, "what else can I say?"
"Want some Kool Aid, Blondie?" Faith asked, rolling her eyes as they both fell into the friend thing. She'd seen those looks they'd exchanged, she'd felt the passion, and now they were acting like it hadn't happened. She'd have smacked them both for being stupid and ignoring something that was so real and intense, but figured they just might need some time to get used to this attraction before they could acknowledge what they wanted.
"Sure," he said, watching as she poured him a glass. He drank half the glass before putting it down and saying, "Better get back to work. Floor isn't gonna sweep itself, is it?"
"Wait, you have some on you," Willow said, giggling at the sight of Spike with a Kool Aid mustache. She leaned towards him, running her finger along his upper lip, her eyes meeting his as she felt the electricity running through her body. She sucked in her breath when he moved his head, catching her finger with his mouth, his tongue running along it.
Spike licked her finger, letting it go as he smiled at her, his voice slightly husky as he said, "Thanks, friend."
"Yeah, sure," Willow said, licking her suddenly dry lips as she watched him go pick up the broom and start sweeping again. She looked at Faith, giving her friend a large smile that covered up just how affected she had been by Spike as she said, "Guess we'd better to get work, Faith. I figured we could start wiping down the walls. They're pretty dirty."
"Sure, Red," Faith smiled slightly as she followed the redhead to the far corner of the club, taking the rag and cleaning spray as she began to hum along to the CD that was playing.
~Part: 24~
"It's looking pretty good," Willow decided as she looked at the walls that she and Faith had cleaned so far. Once the gunk was off the walls, it was easy to see that the black paint was in good shape. They might not even have to repaint except the few areas that were in poor condition, mostly by the stage. And, since they were going to rebuild a stage area anyway, that wasn't too bad.
"But it's taking forever," Faith whined, looking at the three sections of wall that she and Willow had completely scrubbed down in the hour and a half that they'd been working. She glanced at the others, seeing that Lorne had finished cleaning the bar and had moved on to the mirror and shelves behind the large wood. Spike was finished sweeping and getting the trash off the floor and was now wiping down the walls on the opposite side of where she and Willow had started working. It was looking better and had finally gotten cooler, but she knew it would be another day or two before they'd get the walls cleaned and the floor cleaned and they hadn't even touched the bathrooms or the kitchen. She sighed, not sure if the promise of scouting for bands the following evening was worth all this hard labor.
"Actually, we're making pretty good time," Willow said with a smile. "And the paint looks good enough that we won't have to repaint the black. We'll just have to find out what Lorne has in mind for the color we're adding and that's it. I'd much rather take extra time cleaning down the walls than having to paint all this."
"Actually, Cupcake, you won't have to paint that much at all," Lorne said as he neared the girls, having decided to take a break and see how they were getting along. He caught the end of Willow's comments, sharing his idea with them. "I'm going to have someone paint large feather masks on these blank walls througout the club. It will add just enough color to offset the black, but won't be an in your face type of design. I figured we could go shopping and find a few masks we like with the colors we mentioned and use those as inspiration."
"I love that idea!" Willow beamed, already imagining a variety of masks adding splashes of color to the dark walls.
"Me too," Faith agreed. "In those corner areas that are set up for privacy and stuff, we should add a romantic flare, you know? Nice tablecloths that match the colors in the masks, maybe some candles. And out here we can have cool tables with stools and stuff for those people interested in drinking and enjoying the music and stuff."
"That's a good idea," Lorne nodded, having not considered adding a romantic touch to those corner areas. He smiled, liking the idea of having a variety of seating areas and different atmospheres in the club.
"Floor is gonna have to be redone," Spike said as he joined the discussion, feeling a bit left out in his corner. He'd deliberately started working as far away from Willow as possible, needing some time to get himself under control, but now he was relaxed and ready to participate. "Those tiles that are down there now are cracked and dirty and just need to be removed."
"Yeah, they look pretty disgusting," Willow agreed with a smile as she glanced at the tiles in question. Once they were free of debris and dust, it was easy to see that the white had turned a beige color.
"We can find some colored tiles that match the colors of the masks and cloth," Lorne decided. "No white because it just gets dirty too easy. Maybe we can have carpet in those secluded corners, add a bit of a posh feel to it."
"Carpet wouldn't be bad in those three areas," Willow decided as she grew thoughtful, "but we definitely want tile out here on the main floor. It's easier to clean if drinks are spilled and stuff like that."
"Easier to clean is a good thing," Faith said, having a pretty good idea that she'd be sick of cleaning by the time it was ready for their club to open.
"I'll talk to Lio about it tonight," Willow decided, "he mentioned that he knows some people that own discount warehouses for stuff that we might need for the club once we got around to making some decisions."
"What time are you going to work tonight?" Faith asked Willow, already planning her evening around crashing in front of the system upstairs and watching some movies when the redhead was working. She wasn't tired, but working like this was as good an excuse as any for being lazy at night.
"I figured I'd go in around seven," Willow said, "there isn't too much to do before dusk. Plus, I'm nearly caught up on the things that were left on my desk by the temp so there won't be too much for me to do anyway. I've just about got the office stuff down and Lio isn't taking me into the field, so to speak, until next week."
"Cool," Faith nodded, "we've got a couple more hours then which means we might be able to finish these walls today."
"Between you, me, and Spike, we should get them done before I have to get ready for work," Willow decided, "or we'll be pretty darn close. Plus, Gunn should be home soon and we'll put him to work helping us!"
"Well, I can start helping now," Lorne said, picking up a rag. "I've nearly finished with the bar and can easily finish it up tomorrow. I'm curious to see how the walls look when they're wiped down. I'm thrilled that the paint looks so good. They must have painted right before they closed."
"Turn up the music and let's get to work, folks," Faith said as she moved back onto the ladder and started to wipe down the top of the wall as Spike stayed with them, talking to Willow about a variety of topics as he began to work. Lorne turned the radio up louder, the sounds of the Beatles singing about A Hard Day's Night causing Faith to hum along as she cleaned.
~Part: 25~
"I'd better go get ready for work," Willow decided as put down her rag. The walls had just been completed. The five of them had gotten a lot of work done as they'd talked and sang along with the music. Gunn had come in from work ready to clean, surprised that all he had to do was wipe down walls. He'd taken over for Faith on the ladder, letting the slayer have a break from reaching above her head. Now, two hours later, they were finished with the walls and were helping Lorne finish the bar area.
"I think I prefer slaying over manual labor," Faith concluded as she put her rag down and rubbed her shoulder. "A quick work out, kill some bad guys, and it's done."
"We so need to get you sparring again, slayer," Willow laughed, "you're getting lazy! We don't need out slayer to get out of shape."
"Lazy?" Faith glared at Willow before sticking her tongue out at the redhead, "I'm not lazy! But, yeah, I think I need to start doing some patrols and using that workout room in the attic. I don't want to get spoiled by not having to patrol."
"Can't have a slayer spoiled," Spike rolled his eyes, "I can spar with you sometime, slayer. Kick your arse a bit. Could be fun."
"Oh, thanks," Faith muttered.
"I'm heading up to wash some of this dust off and to change," Willow laughed as Spike and Faith began to make threats to each other about whose ass and other parts of anatomy would be kicked if they fought. She headed upstairs with a wave, the two flights of stairs seeming to take twice as long. Okay, she could understand Faith's comment about being tired. They'd not really done much except clean walls, but her shoulders and arms hurt from the constant motion of rubbing cleaning liquid on the walls. She was thankful that it was probably going to be a slow day at work. She did have a meeting with some demons that were coming to town to spend a week, but that probably wouldn't take too long. She was representing Lio and was just supposed to take them to the hotel he'd arranged for their stay. She'd spoken to the pair on the phone a couple of times in her week at work and found them to be nice. It was going to be her first time to represent him to a visitor without him there. She'd met people twice with him, knew what was expected of her, but she was sort of nervous.
She thought about taking a quick shower but didn't want to mess up her hair. She'd managed to keep it up even while cleaning and didn't want to risk losing the style by taking a shower. Instead, she started a bath, deciding that she had enough time to indulge before going to work. She poured in some bubbles, stopping the water when it neared the top. She undressed and slid into the tub, moaning in appreciation as the warm water worked on her sore muscles. She quickly bathed, not wanting to get too relaxed because she did want to be at work around seven. When she was finished, she let the water drain as she toweled dry. She wrapped the towel around her as she went back into her bedroom, slipping on a pair of panties and a strapless bra. She found the sundress she wanted to wear, a pretty one she'd only worn a few times. It was shades of burnt orange and yellow and made her chest look bigger than it actually was. She got dressed, finding a pair of sandals in her closet and putting them on. She looked in the mirror, smiling as she realized that she looked pretty darn good. It was casual but perfect for a warm summer night. She grabbed a sweater to take with her because she figured it might be cooler by the time she got off work and headed home.
Willow went into the hall, walking past the stairs to the entertainment area where Faith was already laying across the sofa watching a movie. She sat on the arm of the sofa, saying, "I'm heading to work, Faith. Do you want me to bring home some dinner or are you going to crash early tonight?"
Faith glanced at Willow, whistling as she said, "Looking good, Red. You're a babe!"
"Whatever," Willow rolled her eyes, a slight blush crossing her cheeks as she said, "I thought the hairstyle warranted a pretty dress."
"You look good," Faith said with a sincere smile, wondering why the pretty redhead found it so difficult to accept a compliment. "As for dinner, yeah, bring something back. I have a feeling that I'll start getting more energy the longer I lay around here being lazy slayer."
"Any preferences?" Willow asked, "I guess it will just be us since Gunn and Spike are supposed to go hang out and play pool. I think that was their plan."
"It was, but I think they postponed it," Faith said. "I heard Spike talking about waiting to go out until the weekend and Gunn mentioning that he was beat and thinking about going to bed after getting something to eat. He was whining about being at work so early today and then us putting him to work as soon as he got home."
"Poor baby," Willow rolled her eyes, laughing as she said, "Okay, then. I guess it's just us. Burgers sound good?"
"Anything will be great," Faith said, "I'm gonna make a sandwich when the movie is over, but I'm sure that I'll be hungry by the time you get home tonight."
"I'll see you tonight," Willow said as she smiled at her friend before heading downstairs. She got to the living room and saw Spike leaning against the back of the couch, his blue eyes moving over her. She felt a rush of heat spread over her body as his eyes caressed her, watching as he gave her a lazy smile, his eyes flashing slightly before they met hers. She really needed some sleep, she decided. Lack of sleep was the only way to explain the reaction she was having to Spike and the things she kept imagining seeing in his eyes. He was looking at her now in a way pretty much like Gunn or Lorne looked at her, as if she were a kid sister. She sighed, shaking her head slightly as she smiled, "I'm going to work now, Spike. I'll see you when I get home."
"Actually, Red," Spike slowly smiled as he moved towards the door, doing his best to hide the desire that had swept over him when he'd seen her looking so beautiful, "*we're* going to work."
"What?" Willow faltered, her eyes looking at him in surprise.
Spike turned towards her, attempting one of the best acting jobs of his life as he gave her his best puppy dog eyes and asked, "I can come to work with you tonight, Willow, can't I? I don't really know your friends yet and I thought it would be okay if I went with you."
Willow felt her resolve crumble as soon as he said her name in that hopeful voice, knowing that she couldn't tell him no. She told him, "You'd have to be quiet and let me work. If you interfere with my job, I'll send you home."
"Sure, I understand. You won't even know I'm there," he almost did a victory dance when he realized that it hadn't as much acting as he'd figured. He should have known that his Red wouldn't tell him no, a true smile crossing his handsome face as he said eagerly, "So I can come with you?"
"You can come with me," she said, her eyes moving over his face as he smiled, looking completely happy at the idea of going to work with her and having to be quiet and she found herself wanting to make him smile like that more often. She gave him another warning, knowing that he wasn't very good at sitting still, "I'm serious, Spike. You have to be good or I won't let you go with me ever again."
Spike opened the door for her, deciding that he'd be on his best behavior even if it meant letting her pay attention to something other than him. He gave her a slight smile as he promised, "I'll be good for you, Red."
Willow walked down the stairs, his words in her mind as she found herself vividly imagining a dozen of ways that Spike could be good for her, none of them involving clothes. She stepped into the warm night air, her cheeks flushed at the direction her thoughts had taken as she chastised herself for thinking such impure things about her friend….just her friend. Just her sexy, attractive, charming, intelligent friend. She turned towards him, giving him a friendly smile as she started to tell him about the people she worked with as they walked towards work.
~Part: 26~
"I need to stop at my car," Spike said as they neared the garage where he had parked the previous evening. He glanced at the pretty redhead beside him before looking away, his hands moving into his pockets as he resisted the urge to touch her. She was so pretty tonight, with her hair swept up and that strappy dress that emphasized plump breasts and a flat tummy and legs that were far longer than should have been allowed. He loved walking beside her, watching as passing men and some women gave her appreciative looks, smiling smugly at them because she was with him. Red was oblivious to the looks she was getting, so caught up in telling him about her job and the people she worked with, her enthusiasm evident by the sparkle in her green eyes. When she spoke to him, she looked at him directly, gave him no doubt that she was talking to him, that she liked talking to him, that she wasn't wishing he were someone else. She always looked him straight in the eye, used his name as she spoke, listened when he answered. He was so caught up in thinking about her, in thinking about how she made him feel, that he failed to hear her response. He looked at her, smiling sheepishly as he said, "Sorry bout that, Red. What did ya say?"
"I said that we could stop at your car now or we can after work," Willow said, wondering what he had been thinking about so intently. He'd drifted off for a few minutes, his eyes taking on a thoughtful look as a slight smile had crossed his face.
Spike shrugged, "Doesn't really matter. Guess after work is good enough. I need to pay the attendant and I've got to get some stuff to take back home."
Willow felt herself smiling at his easy use of the word home to describe her house, glad that he was fitting in so well. She liked seeing him relaxed and, dare she say, happy. He had spent the afternoon working with them on the club, teasing Faith, singing with Lorne, talking to Gunn, and smiling at her. Oh, he'd teased her and talked to her, too, but there had been a few times she'd look up and catch him watching her. He'd always give her a friendly smile and then go back to work. While he seemed to get along okay with her friends, she wasn't too surprised that he'd wanted to hang out with her his first real night in town. They hadn't been particularly close in Sunnydale, but they'd had their moments and she did consider him a friend after hours of talking and especially that summer after Buffy had died. Back home, there had been a lot of interference in them ever becoming real friends. Here, though, her friends were fine with the idea of her having a master vampire as a good friend, and he seemed to really want to be friends, which was nice.
"Quarter for 'em, Red," Spike said as they neared Canal Street.
"A quarter?" Willow looked at him with curiosity.
"Your thoughts are worth far more than a mere penny, pet," he declared with a slight smirk, watching as she laughed.
"I don't know about that, Spike," she laughed, remembering what she'd just been thinking about, "a penny might even be too much!"
"I doubt that, luv," he rolled his eyes, loving the sound of her laugh. It was relaxed and carefree and he hadn't heard it nearly enough in the last year. In fact, he could probably count on one hand the number of times she'd laughed back in Sunnydale since he'd returned with a soul. In the last twenty-four hours, he'd heard that wonderful sound a lot more frequently. "So, what do you think about the club so far?"
"I think it's going to be great," Willow smiled, "we got a lot done today and it's looked really good so far. The floor is a mess but the rest of it isn't too bad. And Lorne seems to love the idea which is fantastic. I'm so happy that he's so excited about it all."
"Yeah, he seemed pleased," Spike said, having decided that the demon wasn't too bad after all. He had bad taste in men, his first impression of Basilio not favorable at all, but otherwise seemed like a nice guy. He loved a variety of music and Willow so Spike guessed he could overlook his poor taste in partners.
"He's done so much for us so far," Willow explained, "I mean, he bought that great house which didn't come cheap, and he got us somewhere to stay before we found it which lead to Gunn's new job and, in a way, my new job. I'm just happy to see that he's so enthusiastic about opening the new club. He talks about Caritas so fondly that I know he really misses being involved in that stuff now, and it's really great to hear him getting to excited about our new project."
"I don't think he's the only one getting excited about it," Spike said with a slight smile, watching as she smiled in acknowledgment.
"You're right," she admitted with a smile. She looked at him pointedly as she said, "And I think that someone else was pretty much enjoying working on it today, too."
"I like to stay busy," he said with a shrug, though he was smiling as he said the words. "It was okay."
She laughed, deciding that that was probably the best she'd get from him about the fun he'd had cleaning of all things. She was almost disappointed to see Canal Street ahead, knowing that she loved her new job but that she had also enjoyed talking to Spike on the walk to work. Of course, there was always the walk home tonight. That was something to look forward to. She moved to avoid running into a group of people walking by, brushing against Spike. She felt his arm move around her shoulder as he pulled her against him to get her out of the groups' way. Trying her best to ignore the shot of desire that raced through her entire body at the casual touch, she mumbled, "Thanks."
"Bloody fools need to watch where they're going," Spike muttered, glaring at the backs of the laughing group that hadn't even noticed they'd nearly trampled his Red. He kept his arm around her shoulder as they started walking again, rather pleased that she made no attempt to remove it. He liked touching her, his fingers moving over her bare shoulder as they neared her work. Work. He made a face as he realized that he was going to have to share her pretty soon. Not only that, but he was going to have to be good and not interfere with her job. It was obvious she really enjoyed it and he had no intention of causing her any problems. Besides, he hadn't really been lying earlier. He'd not wanted to stay at the house alone, and he wasn't comfortable enough with the slayer or the demon to hang around either of them. He'd much rather be with Willow.
~Part: 27~
"Hey, Carmen," Willow greeted the vampire as she entered the office.
"Evening, boss," Carmen smiled at the redhead, her eyes moving to look at the man standing behind the human. He was a vampire, powerful and strong, and there was something different about him. He was very good looking and had barely glanced at her, his eyes focused on Willow. She nodded towards him, asking Willow, "Who's your shadow?"
"This is my friend Spike," Willow said, introducing her employee, "Spike, this is Carmen. She's been training me this week and has been wonderful."
"Hey," he looked towards the vampire that she had just introduced, noticing that her eyes widened when Willow said his name, not too surprised that she knew his name. He'd learned during his trip across the country that he had built up a rather nice reputation. Definitely a step up from the things he'd heard in Sunnydale following his implant and his rather ridiculous infatuation with the slayer. He'd much rather be feared and respected than be called a slayer's puppy.
"Spike?" Carmen repeated, wanting to make sure she had heard Willow correctly. She'd heard about Spike, grandchilde of Angelus, heard about him working with the slayer and killing his own kind to save humans, heard about him being cursed with a soul and still managing to retain a strength and power as he kept a balance between good and evil. Carmen knew that Willow considered both slayers among her best friends, knowing that there was no question that this lanky vampire was, indeed, the Spike she'd heard stories about. Luckily, she admired him and his efforts to keep the world safe. All of her family had been taught by Lio to appreciate humans and the world in which they lived. Spike was very strong, nearly as powerful as Lio, and he still gave off a dangerous vibe despite the soul. She gave him a quick smile before looking back at Willow, deciding that he could be trusted with her new friend. "I've got some stuff on my desk for you to review, Willow."
"Has it been busy today?" Willow asked as she walked towards her desk, smiling and greeting the other employees on her way. She got to her desk and turned on her computer, listening to Carmen as the woman told her about what had been happening that night so far. She typed in her password for her email and then turned towards the woman, smiling as she said, "It sounds like it's been pretty quiet."
"Yeah, not too busy," Carmen said, moving to her desk to get the files for Willow.
Spike listened to Willow discussing work with the female vampire and got bored pretty quickly. He went to her desk, sitting in her chair and spinning around a few times. After the fifth spin, he looked at her desk. He began looking through her drawers, wanting to see what was in her desk. He was disappointed when he failed to find anything very personal. It looked like she had just taken the desk over, only a few Willow type things hidden in the drawers. He did find a stash of tropical fruit lifesavers, her favorite, and helped himself to a handful. He laid them on the desk, unwrapping one and tossing it into his mouth as he finished looking through drawers. He glanced at Red, seeing that she was still chatting with her employee about some files she now held in her hand. He picked up her stapler and started to send staples onto her desk, aiming at the space behind the envelopes. He smiled a satisfied smile as he managed to a get a few staples into his chosen target. He spun around in the chair, aiming and shooting as he twisted. Once he'd perfected the exact moment to shoot and make the target, he put the stapler down, looking for something else to play with.
"Can you please remind me that I have a meeting at nine o'clock," Willow asked Carmen, "The Grioty demons are arriving tonight and I have to meet and greet for Lio. He's making me do it on my own tonight."
"You'll do fine," Carmen smiled as she sat down, watching as the redhead made a face, "Stop that. You know you'll be great. I've heard nothing but good things about you from everyone."
"I know what to do, but I still get nervous thinking about it," Willow laughed, knowing that she would be fine. She'd spoken to the demons several times and they were really nice. She was actually looking forward to being able to prove to Lio that he had made a good choice in hiring her. So far, all she'd really done was paperwork and organizing, which was fun in a way, but she was looking forward to being a bit more active and taking more responsibility for things.
"It looks like your friend is having fun," Carmen said with a snicker as she glanced at Willow's desk and saw Spike eating lifesavers and playing with the canned air that was used to clean the keyboards.
"Spike!" Willow said, laughing when he looked over at her with a sheepish smile. "Stop wasting my supplies!"
"I'm cleaning," he informed her with a smile, "not wasting."
"Are those staples all over my desk?" Willow asked, rolling her eyes as he looked guilty before giving her that boyish smile that did things to her that weren't good…not good at all.
"I was testing them," he decided before he tossed another lifesaver into his mouth, deciding that he'd buy her another bag since it was obvious he was going to probably finish hers before the end of the night. "They passed the test."
"Testing them for what?" she asked, curious to see what story he'd give her.
"Quit asking so many questions, Red. You're supposed to be working," he reminded sweetly as he swept the staples into the trash. He put the can air down, ready to move his attention to something else.
Willow left Carmen's desk as she moved towards hers, "I could start working if you'd move that bony ass of yours out of my chair."
"My arse isn't bony," Spike defended with a glare before slowly smiling, "Besides, Red, what are ya doin' looking at me arse?"
"I wasn't looking at your butt," Willow said, feeling a slight blush cross her cheeks at her blatant lie. She saw the knowing gleam in Spike's eyes and knew that he knew she and Faith had been checking him out when he'd been painting, "You heard us, didn't you?"
"I believe the words were firm and squeezable," he said with a smug smile.
"You know, I really don't have to share my lifesavers with you," Willow threatened, watching as he put his hand around the pile he had yet to eat. She wasn't overly embarrassed that he'd heard them talking about his butt because they often teased Gunn about his. It was all in friendly fun, but she didn't want to hear about it for the rest of the night.
"You know you love me, Red," he said with a quick smile before he tossed another lifesaver into his mouth and turned back to her desk, looking for something to occupy his interest for a while.
~Part: 28~
Willow watched him turn back to her desk, glad that he realized that she did care about him and considered him one of her best friends, growing even closer to him now that they were out of Sunnydale. She put the files on her desk and went to get a chair from one of the empty desks. She should have known that Spike would not be content to sit quietly off to the side while she tried to get her work done. No, he'd taken over her chair and her desk and seemed perfectly content to eat her lifesavers and play with her stapler. She sat down, glaring at him as she said, "You know, you could scoot over a little since this *is* my desk and I've got work to do."
"Look, Red," Spike moved his chair over to give her some room, figuring it was best to keep her amused but happy so she'd let him come back to work with her, turning the computer screen to face away from her, as he said, "you've got mail!"
"Spike, you can't read my mail," Willow said, moving to take the keyboard and mouse away from him. "Spike, stop it!"
"Calm down, Red," Spike said, giving her an innocent smile. "I'll read it to you so you can keep working."
"Spike, I do not want you to read my mail to me," Willow said, glaring at him as he easily kept her from grabbing the equipment.
"Here's a letter from Peaches," Spike said, pretending to click on the mail. He glanced at Willow and saw the fire in her eyes and knew that she was ticked off. He smiled innocently, asking, "Do you want to hear what whiny boy has to say, Red?"
"Angel isn't whiny," Willow defended her friend automatically, a bit surprised by the flash of annoyance that she saw in Spike's blue eyes.
"Let's see, shall we?" Spike said as he began to read, "Dear Willow. Tis a sad, sad day here in LA. I'm all out of hair gel!"
"Hair gel?" Willow repeated, watching as Spike looked at her, his eyes now amused as he shook his head, sighing dramatically before he continued reading.
"Yes, you read that correctly. There is no more hair gel in the entire city. It appears that I've used it all up!" Spike said, getting into his reading, "My hair is now limp, though I am rather used to holding limp body parts so it's not all that bad."
"Spike!" Willow giggled, wondering what else 'Angel' had written her.
"And what's worse than not having anymore hair gel, which is truly a tragedy when you're a big poofster like me, is that I am now second best," Spike stopped to sigh, his blue eyes lit with amusement as he continued, "You see, there is now a much better looking, more intelligent, wittier, more charming, did I mention devastatingly attractive, better dressed vampire with a soul who doesn't have the pesky curse that I have and he is far superior to me, with my brooding and whining and nancy boy ways."
"He's also very modest," Willow added with a smile, "and don't forget brave."
"Shh, Red," Spike scolded her with a smile, "I'm trying to finish the wanker's letter for you."
"Oh, sorry," Willow apologized.
"It's okay," he excused her before returning to his 'reading', "I must go now, Willow. I'm off to search for more hair gel so that I shall at least have my poofy hair back, though I am no longer your favorite souled vamp. Hugs and kisses, Peaches."
"Hmm…I wonder why Angel thinks that he's not my favorite souled vamp anymore," Willow said thoughtfully, watching as Spike gave her a look.
"Maybe the stars told him," Spike said innocently.
"Perhaps," Willow nodded, watching as he looked at her expectantly, giving him a smile as she said, "Guess the stars actually knew what they were talking about this time."
Spike returned her smile as he put the keyboard and mouse back in place as he scolded her, "Tsk..tsk…you need to stop playing and get to work, pet."
"Oh, yeah, cause I'm such a slacker," Willow rolled her eyes as she began to check her mail, for real. She had a long letter from Buffy, a note from Dawn, a note from Xander, and a note from Angel. She had to smile as she saw the last letter, somehow doubting that it was going to be quite as entertaining as Spike's had been. She decided that she'd answer her mail later, when she was home and relaxed and could give it the attention that it needed. Right now, she still had some files to check and anything else that required her attention before her meeting. She signed off the internet and glanced at Spike, smiling slightly when she found him spinning in her chair and using the can of air to try to move pencils across the desk on every spin around. Well, he'd at least found a way to keep himself entertained but she had a feeling she'd be buying some extra canned air as well as some more lifesavers before the night was over. She turned away from him and got serious, opening the files and reading, making notes when needed.
Spike was bored. The can of air was empty, the last of it being used for his pen race across the empty desk behind Willow's. He tossed the empty can in the trash, turning his attention back to Willow's desk. She was reading some files, writing things on a notepad as she read. He didn't want to bother her, knowing that she needed to get her work done. He was over a hundred and twenty years old. Surely he could find something to occupy his time productively while he was at work with her. He wanted to make himself useful so she'd invite him back. While pen races and staple targets were rather amusing in their own way, he didn't think they'd warrant a return invitation. He rolled his chair back to Willow's desk, his eyes moving over her profile as he again thought about how gorgeous she looked tonight. "Red, you have anything I can do?"
"Hmm?" Willow looked up from her file, giving him a smile as she said, "Not really. I've only got a couple more of these to review and then it will be about time to go to my meeting. I guess you can go with me for that. Until then, you can play a game on the computer or something."
"You're sure you don't need any help?" he asked, wanting to make sure that she knew he was sincere in his wish to help her. "And what meeting?"
"I really don't have anything that needs done, Spike," Willow smiled, "but thanks for asking. As for the meeting, I have to meet some Grioty demons that are coming into town tonight and take them to their hotel. They're friends of Lio's so he asked me to welcome them to town on his behalf."
"He's having you go alone?" Spike said, not liking the idea of his Red being sent to meet who knows what sort of demons alone.
"It's part of my job, Spike," Willow rolled her eyes, watching as he brought up a new game of solitaire on the computer.
"Hmph," he said, deciding that he'd make sure he was always with her when she had those kind of meetings. He could make himself useful that way, keeping her safe and making sure that everyone that arrived in town knew she was his. That decided, he turned his attention to his game as she went back to work.
~Part: 29~
"Bella, you look absolutely beautiful this evening!" Basilio praised the redhead as he entered the office, a smile crossing his handsome face as she smiled at him.
"Thanks, Lio," Willow looked at her boss, asking, "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to dinner with Lorne tonight and leaving me on my own."
"I had to stop by and see you," Lio put his bag on her desk, glancing at the vampire that was sitting beside her and glaring at him. He wasn't at all surprised to see Spike with Willow, having decided the previous evening that there was something between those two, even if they hadn't realized it yet. Their attraction was evident to anyone with eyes and he had a feeling that it went far beyond pure physical lust. He'd not yet had an opportunity to evaluate the situation fully, but he planned to keep an eye on those two and see what happened. He gave the blond vampire a nod as he said, "Evening, Spike."
"Whatever," Spike said as he forgot his game of solitaire and moved closer to Willow. He didn't like this vampire, didn't like the cute little nickname the guy had given his Red, didn't like the flirtatious tone of voice he used when talking to Willow. The poofster was supposed to be dating the demon, which meant he shouldn't be flirting with his Red.
"I wanted to stop by before you left to give you a present, Bella," Lio said, amused at Spike's response to him. The younger vampire was jealous, glaring at him again for calling Willow Bella.
"A present?" Willow smiled as she leaned forward, "What is it?"
"I went by and picked out a phone for you," Lio told her as he opened the bag and handed her the phone he'd chosen. "I've been meaning to stop by and get one since I hired you, but just now had the chance. I wanted you to have it before the weekend in case I need to get in touch with you."
"It's cute," Willow said as she looked at the cell phone. "Is there anything I need to know about the plan?"
"It has unlimited long distance and you don't need to worry about the minutes," Lio said, "I rarely call but I like having the ability to reach you whenever I need you."
"I can call Sunnydale and not have to worry about getting a calling card or long distance fees," Willow realized, "that's going to be great."
"I've programmed it with some of the numbers I thought you might need," Lio continued, pleased that she enjoyed the gift. He rarely used the phone, himself, but it was convenient to have, especially when she was making rounds and dealing with family issues.
"Thanks, Lio," Willow stood and gave him a hug, turning to give Spike a warning look when she heard him growling. She put the phone in her bag before taking her seat. She looked at her boss and asked, "Is there anything special you need me to do tonight after the meeting?"
"Not at all," Lio said, resisting the urge to smirk at Spike as Willow ignored the vampire's growling to continue their conversation. "In fact, you can go home after the Griotys are at the hotel, if you would like. I spoke to Lorne earlier and he mentioned that you all were hard at work most of the day cleaning the club. I must tell you that I absolutely adore your ideas for the place."
"Thanks," Willow smiled, "I'm glad it's all working out. Oh, I was going to check with you about who we might be able to get some supplies from. I know we're going to need to retile the entire place."
"I know some people," Lio confirmed, "I'm sure we can get you everything you need. Maybe we can go tour their warehouse next week, see what they have. I used them when I remodeled my home and can attest that their product is good quality."
"We'll let you know when we can go," Spike said as he moved his arm across the back of Willow's chair, his fingers moving to play with a few tendrils that he'd left hanging against her cheek. He let his fingers brush against her face as he continued, "know anyone that has good lumber and paint?"
"I can make some calls," Lio said with a smile, watching as Willow relaxed back against Spike's arm, not at all protesting his actions. Oh yeah, there was definitely something happening there that went beyond friendship.
"That's great, Lio," Willow smiled at him, wondering how Spike's cool touch against her cheek could heat her entire body up so quickly. She was nearly melting and he'd hardly touched her. Bad thoughts, Willow. He's just being friendly. It was just her luck that Spike was proving to be a touchy feely type of friend when he could arouse her with just a casual touch. She had to get this lust under control. She'd dealt with it for years back in Sunnydale and she could deal with it now. They were just friends and that meant no melting or naughty thoughts about pushing him on top of the desk and shagging him like crazy. Oh God, her face flushed as that vivid image flashed in her mind, causing her to sit up and grab a file as she tried to remember what she'd been talking about before her mind had taken her to naked Spike territory.
"I'd better get going," Lio said, wondering how Spike could be as powerful and strong as he was and not smell the sweet scent of arousal that was currently surrounding Willow. Any fool could see her flushed cheeks and hear her rapid heartbeat and realized that she was turned on. But not Spike. No, that idiot was too busy glaring at him and proving his friendship with the redhead to see her desire for him. He gave Willow a smile as he said, "I'll see you later, Bella. You kids have a good evening."
"You too, Lio," she gave him a smile as she wondered how on Earth she was going to survive being friends with Spike without using up all the cold water in all of New Orleans. Maybe it was just a hormone thing, a reaction to being around someone she'd found attractive for years and getting closer to him. Yeah, that had to be it. Once they'd hung out for a few days and he became more familiar, then the attraction would fade. Until then, she'd just try to deal with her naughty thoughts and take a lot of cold showers.
~Part: 30~
"Willow, it's nearly time for you to leave," Carmen reminded the redhead who was talking to Lio. She'd seen the witch keeping an eye on the clock, but she also knew the master well enough to know that he he could spend hours talking without realizing the amount of time that passed. She received a thankful smile from Willow for her reminder before she went back to work.
"I hadn't realized it was so late," Lio apologized as he stood, "I didn't mean to keep you so long, Bella."
"It's okay," Willow smiled, "I'd finished everything else. Besides, I like talking to you."
"You mean, listening to him," Spike muttered, rolling his eyes as he heard her laugh.
"Spike, be nice," Willow warned with a laugh, knowing that he was being truthful with his analysis. Lio had been telling her stories about his town, answering the questions and comments that she had but mostly doing a good job just telling the story. It had made the time go faster and had given her something to focus her attention on besides the gorgeous vampire sitting next to her.
"I somehow doubt he knows how," Lio said dryly, a slight smirk on his lips as he saw the younger vampire glare at him.
"Don't you have someone else to bother, Pops?" Spike asked, resisting the urge to argue with Willow's boss, knowing full well that Red knew how nice he could be and that he didn't need to defend himself to some poofy pretty boy master.
"Lio, Spike can be very nice. Spike, Lio isn't a bother. Now, I'm going to go to the bathroom and then we can leave," Willow said, rolling her eyes as she realized just how old each of the vampires were and just how immature they were both acting. She knew it was the whole master thing, the need for control and all that. Anyway, it really was more amusing than annoying.
"You're accompanying Willow on the meet and greet?" Lio asked Spike, his eyes growing thoughtful.
"Yeah, so?" Spike asked, ready to argue when the master told him he couldn't go.
"That's a good idea," Lio said, noting the surprised look flash in the younger vampire's blue eyes. "A grioty demon is harmless and I know that Willow is powerful enough to take care of herself, but I feel better knowing that she will have you with her in case anything happens."
"Red can definitely take care of herself," Spike agreed, having seen her fight for years, "but she deserves to have someone take care of her once in a while."
"On that, we are both in agreement," Lio said, having a feeling that Spike had said more than he'd intended, hearing the sincerity in the blond's words as well as the affectionate look that flashed in his eyes when he glanced in the direction that Willow had gone.
"I may not like you, but Red's happy working for you so I'm not gonna mess this up for her," Spike said, letting the master know that he planned to be nice without having to actually say the words or defend himself.
"Is it very difficult, adjusting to a soul?" Lio asked as they waited for Willow to return, knowing that Spike's statement did not need a reply.
Spike looked at him and shrugged, "It wasn't that bad. It's definitely better than living with that chip. It could have been far worse than it was, really. I mean, I could have gotten all broody and guilt stricken like Angelus did, sitting in corners and whining about the unfairness of life, living in memories of a past I can't change, determined to be miserable and unhappy out of some fucked up notion that I don't deserve to be happy. Bloody waste of time, all that."
"What's a waste of time?" Willow asked as she rejoined the vampires, curious as to what they had been talking about after she'd left.
"Being like Peaches," Spike smiled at her, "hence the reason I'm your favorite souled vampire now and he's merely second best."
"I'm so going to regret admitting that to you, aren't I?" she asked him with a smile as she turned her attention to Lio, "Don't listen to Spike, okay? Angel is a really nice guy and one of my closest friends. Spike just can't stand him because he has better hair."
"Better hair?" Spike gaped at her before he saw the twinkle in her eyes. He smiled as he said, "Need I remind you that it would be declared a national crisis if the poof ran out of hair gel?"
"It would be a sad, sad day," Willow said dramatically, repeating the words from 'Angel's' email as she shared a smile with Spike.
"On that note, I believe it is time for me to say good-bye and good luck," Lio said with amusement. "Bella, Sam is waiting downstairs to take you to the airport. I'm going to go visit some of the family before meeting Lorne for dinner, so Sam is at your disposal all evening."
"Thanks," Willow said, "Oh, is it okay if Spike goes with me?"
"Of course," Lio smiled as he leaned over and brushed his lips across her forehead, "Have a fun evening, Bella."
"I'll talk to you later, Lio," Willow said as she started to move away from her desk towards the door. She looked at Spike and asked, "Are you ready?"
"Sure," he moved to follow her, giving Lio a slight glare for kissing his Red, even in a friendly way, "See ya around, Pops."
"Take care of her, Kid," Lio told him with an amused smile, watching as the vampire moved to open the door for Willow before following her out of the office. He began to whistle as he sat down in Willow's chair, a pleased gleam in his eyes as he thought about what he'd seen that evening. He couldn't wait to see Lorne and share the details.