Parts: 21 - 30
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~Part: 21~
By the time Anya arrived back at the apartment with the books and supplies, Dawn was pacing in front of the window. She still hadn't heard from Xander. It was after ten so she figured he must have remained at the hospital with Buffy. Otherwise, he would have found one of the two messages she had left for him. She didn't care. Thankfully, the police had told her about Buffy. This wasn't something that Xander would be able to just smile and apologize and get off of her bad list. No, this was up there with being nearly unforgivable in her eyes. He had proven that night just what type of friend he truly was, not a very good one. The only positive thing was that it meant she hadn't had to tell him what had happened to Willow, hadn't had to get that argument started yet. Oh, she was pretty sure there would be an argument once Buffy and Xander found out. Neither one of them would listen to her explanation and it would be lots of yelling and disapproval and just a bad situation all around. That was one of the main reasons she'd just decided to go to the hospital tomorrow. She could check on Buffy and tell them both what had happened in an environment that would prevent yelling and would give her an easy escape.
The teen turned when she heard the key in the lock, moving to take one of the bags from Anya. She looked inside, seeing bags of herbs and candles and some things she didn't recognize. She followed Anya to the table, putting the bag down beside the books the demon had picked up. She was glad to see Anya, had a lot of questions for the demon, wanted someone to listen to her thoughts and tell her honestly what they thought. That was one thing you could always count on with Anya, honesty.
"I think I found everything we need," Anya said as she mentally inventoried the contents of the two bags. "I also took a few books that might have something useful. Did Xander call?"
"Not a word," Dawn sighed, "I guess he's too busy thinking about Buffy to worry about any of his other friends."
"He's as selfish as she is," Anya said with a frown. She thanked every God that she knew every day that she hadn't married Xander. At the time, she had been hurt and felt as if her world was ending. Now, looking back, she knew it would have been a mistake. She did love him, but she wouldn't have been happy with him. He definitely wouldn't have been happy with her. It had all worked out in the end. She'd become a demon again, but she had more control now than she ever had before. She had a bit of understanding when it came to humans, this insight helping her with her work. Okay, so the torture had started to lose its appeal, she still liked seeing justice performed on the heartless men that deserved retribution. Pulling herself from her thoughts, she looked at the teen, rolling her eyes when she saw the questions just waiting to be asked. She should have stayed gone longer, until Dawn was asleep. She didn't mind answering questions, actually felt rather honored the girl asked her so much, but she was tired. She had a hell of a headache, the day had been horrible from the time she had woken up, she had watched one of her only friends die, and now she had a perky teen wanting to ask more questions that she probably didn't have answers for. Would this night ever end?
"I saw Willow," Dawn said as she grabbed a can of soda before walking towards the sofa. She felt Anya's surprised eyes on her, smiling as she said, "She woke up and came out. She remembered me!"
"Why do you mortals believe that losing a soul means you lose your memories?" Anya asked as she moved to sit down, curious as to how Willow had been. "She's still Willow, soul or not. How was she?"
"She was Willow, like you said," Dawn explained, "I mean, she was different in a way. She was quiet and seemed confused. Oh, and she got tired just from walking to the couch. But, her eyes, well, she hadn't changed. She didn't bite me, didn't even give me the impression that she wanted to!"
"I'm guessing you didn't chatter on like this then," Anya said dryly, though there was slight amusement in her eyes. "I'd bite you if it would make you shut up."
"I don't talk that much," Dawn defended before smiling sheepishly, "well, I hardly get to talk when Buffy's around because she always find something to say about everything and it's just not worth arguing with her to bother. Anyway, Spike came out and he carried her back to bed. And he said she shouldn't have left their bed, like she belonged with him and the look in his eyes when he looked at her? I can't even describe it. It was….wow."
"Their bed?" Anya made a face, "I'll have him remember that it is my bed, not theirs. What do you mean wow?"
"I mean, I don't know what I mean," Dawn shrugged. "It was like they were the only two people in the world, like they were everything that mattered and was important. I don't know about this sire and childe thing, but this look, well, it looked like it might go beyond that relationship."
"And this makes you happy?" Anya was curious. Dawn was excited that Spike was looking at Willow as if she was the most important thing in his life and Willow was doing the same. The girl seemed to have moved past Willow's dying and becoming a vampire to focus on matchmaking. Would she ever understand teen-age girls?
"Very happy," Dawn smiled. "I've always wanted them to get together. They both deserve someone that wants them, that will love them. So it's happening in a bit of a different way than I had imagined, but it's still happening! I love them both so much!"
"You confuse me," Anya admitted, shaking her head. "Did anyone call?"
"No calls at all," Dawn said, feeling rather proud that she could confuse Anya. Turning serious, she said, "Anya, you said something before you left, about a soul not being as easy as I seemed to think. What did you mean?"
"It's nothing," Anya said, rolling her eyes as Dawn continued to look at her waiting for a better answer. "Okay, it's like this. A soul is a curse. No matter which way you look at it. Sure, it acts as a conscience for the demon, but it isn't easy to live with. The few vampires I've heard of that have been cursed with a soul usually end up weak minded or dead. Angel is an exception, but he went through his own period of weakness. It will be different for Willow because she's newly turned, but I can imagine how horrible it will be to live with the soul constantly fighting the demon."
"A soul will make her weak?" Dawn asked, not really understanding.
"No, yes, I don't know how to explain this to you," Anya said in frustration. "You have to have a demon to understand. It's not something that can be put into words."
"Tonight, she seemed like Willow," Dawn said, deciding not to push Anya for fear the demon would stop talking to her. "That's what you were telling me before, about how the soul mostly acts like a warning voice to stop the demon from hurting innocent people and stuff. Willow didn't try to hurt me, though, and she doesn't have a soul."
"She's strong," Anya shrugged. "All demons have an awareness of right and wrong, Dawn. We don't have the same moral system as you mortals, but we know the rules. The majority of demons just don't have the control or the desire to follow them. She is still Willow in the ways that count. She has the memories, the awareness of feelings she used to possess.…I told you before that demons can care, they can love. Humans can't get past the idea that you have to have a soul to love, but you don't. She didn't try to hurt you because she remembered you, the demon had to have accepted you. That's not to say that five hours from now she wouldn't try to have you as a midnight snack. If she's hungry, she would feed. If she has as much control as you say, I don't think you would be in danger from her."
"So, she'd nibble but not kill me," Dawn made a face, not liking that idea very much but glad that Anya was being completely honest about everything. It helped her understand a little, but she knew she was nowhere close to understanding everything about vampires, demons and souls. It was too confusing, in a way. Yet, in another, she understood everything that she needed to understand. Even without a soul, Willow was Willow. The vampire she had hugged was nothing like the memory she had of the other vampire Willow, that skanky leather wearing vampire from the other universe. Dawn didn't know what was different, well, okay, so she guessed the two vampires were different because of everything. The other vampire had been turned at a young age, before she had a close group of people she cared about, had been turned in a world where darkness controlled it all. Dawn's Willow was turned by someone that cared about her, was surrounded by people that loved her and considered her family, in a world where the balance towards good outweighed evil. That had to change a lot of things, Dawn figured.
"I don't really know," Anya said. "I'm not an expert on vampires. I just understand a bit about demons, you know after having one for over a thousand years and all. I don't understand that much about vampires, myself."
"I understand a little bit more now," Dawn said with a slight smile. She took a deep breath and blurted out what she had been thinking, "I don't think we should give Willow her soul."
~Part: 22~
"What?" Anya stared at the girl in shock.
"What do you think?" Dawn asked, chewing on her bottom lip.
"I think you need some sleep," Anya decided, wondering if the girl was serious, a thoughtful look entering her eyes as she studied the teen. "You're serious, aren't you?"
"Yes," Dawn nodded. "I know that we should give her a soul, but I just can't. She's still Willow without one. Why do we need to give her a soul if it will only hurt her and make being a vampire that much more difficult?"
"Dawn, without a soul, she wouldn't have any kind of boundaries set," Anya spoke slowly, knowing the girl couldn't possibly have given this as much thought as was needed. "She could kill whomever she wanted without any kind of remorse. We're talking slaughter of innocents."
"No," Dawn shook her head. "I looked into her eyes, Anya. She might be a demon, but part of Willow is in there. She would have tried to bite me if she was a threat."
"Oh, hon, she's a threat," Anya said. "She had a lot of power as a human. That will only be increased now that she has a demon. Her bloodline is strong, her sire a true master. Without a soul, well, she'd be dangerous to anyone that crossed her."
"A soul doesn't mean anything," Dawn argued. "I've thought about it a lot, trust me. There are humans that kill innocent people all the time and they have their souls. I think that pretty much kills the arguments about souls. I mean, if she wanted, even with a soul, she could slaughter and kill. Those men and women in jail prove that. I trust Willow completely. I can't believe she'd just go out and kill random people for fun. As you said, if they crossed her, then yeah, they'd be dead. I could accept that cause they'd probably deserve it."
"Kid, you're unbelievable," Anya had to laugh. "You've really given this thought, haven't you? What about Buffy? How is your sister going to react if she finds out that you had the chance to give Willow her soul and chose not to? I'd say the slayer would be mighty pissed off."
"I don't care what Buffy thinks," Dawn said honestly. "This isn't about her. This is about Willow and what's best for her. I don't want to give her a soul if it hurts her or causes her demon to constantly fight or makes her weak. It isn't worth it."
"I don't know," Anya looked away as she thought. Personally, she didn't like the idea of cursing her friend with a soul. She knew that Willow was strong enough to be able to control her demon without one. Besides, Spike was her sire and there was no way he'd let her go on a rampage. He had more control than that even before his time with the implant. No, Anya knew that Willow would be restrained and in control without a soul. She thought about Spike, knew the vampire was concerned about his implant, about his childe respecting him if she didn't have a soul. But, she also knew that it must anger him to have to curse his own childe. As she had told Dawn, not many vampires could survive the struggle between demon and soul. Willow was strong enough to survive, but at what cost? And, she hated to admit it, but Dawn was right. Even with a soul, Willow could easily ignore it and kill anyone she wanted. If anything, the battle with the soul could drive her demon into wanting needless blood to flow. It could hurt far more than it helped.
"Why don't we sleep on it?" Dawn suggested, her mind resolved. After talking to Anya, after seeing Willow, she knew that she didn't want to curse her friend with a soul. It wasn't her decision, though, anymore than it was Anya's. "We can talk to Spike tomorrow. It's his decision, really. He agreed to allow me to do a soul restoration, but I don't think he really wanted to do it. I might be wrong, though, and he might want her to have a soul. I'll love her either way, but I just don't want to hurt her. She's already died, already been turned, getting a soul could just make things worse."
"You're right," Anya grudgingly admitted, "a soul could do more harm than good. And it isn't like we're having any luck finding a permanent soul restoration. We'll talk to Spike in the morning, let him decide. She's his childe and I'll respect his decision either way. Just, before we mention the possibility to him, make sure that this is something you really want. There won't be any turning back once his decision is made. I'm a demon, Brat, so it doesn't matter that much to me either way. I would prefer her not being cursed, but it's not my place to decide. We won't talk to Spike unless you are absolutely sure this is what you want."
"Thanks," Dawn smiled. "I mean, thanks for everything you've done today. I know you don't really like me and it was all for Willow, but I appreciate it. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't answered my questions, if you hadn't let me know what might happen. And thank you for supporting me on this. I know that Buffy and Xander would never understand, but I think that you do and I think that Spike will. My mind is made up, but we won't mention it to Spike until tomorrow. I don't think he wants her to have her soul, so I think he will be happy that he won't have to curse her like that. I should never have made him promise something like that when I didn't understand anything about it."
"You're a kid," Anya said, pleased that the girl appreciated what she had done tonight. She wasn't used to humans thanking her. It was different but rather nice. She still didn't like the girl, though. Too chatty and still a brat. "You were scared and thought that the soul restoration would be easy and safe. I'm proud of you, Dawn, for admitting that you were wrong and taking such a risk to protect Willow. It's very adult of you."
"You are?" Dawn beamed, deciding that that was the nicest thing Anya had ever said to her, probably would be the nicest thing Anya ever said to her.
"Don't let it go to your head, Brat," Anya muttered, wondering why she had voiced that particular thought, rolling her eyes as she turned to look at the television. "Since we don't have to worry about that spell tonight, why don't we watch some very poorly made horror film and spend our time making fun of it?"
"I'll make some popcorn!" Dawn volunteered as she got her feet, a pleased smile still on her face as she entered the kitchen.
~Part: 23~
They didn't want to give her a soul.
Spike frowned as he heard the sounds of a movie starting in the next room, the girls stopping their chatter as they began to watch the television. He had heard everything they had said from the moment Anya had walked in the door. Dawn surprised him, he had to admit. She was more mature and more intelligent than he had given her credit. He had never once imagined the teen deciding to let Willow remain a demon. Her faith and love for his childe was unbelievable. She was willing to risk not giving Willow a soul on the belief that she would be able to control her demon, that she wouldn't become a monster. It amazed him that someone of her age, especially considering the reality that she had only been alive for two years despite the planted memories, could be so selfless. She was more worried about what having a soul would do to Willow to be concerned with the idea that an unsouled vampire could very well consider her an appetizing snack.
She trusted him, trusted Willow. She had no experience to draw on, having never had someone she loved turned before. She had looked into his childe's eyes and seen all that she had needed to know. He could understand that feeling, he decided as he ran his right hand through his hair. He'd looked into Willow's eyes, himself, and seen so much more than he'd ever hoped. She had looked at him with devotion and understanding and love. She had looked at him with want and desire and need, her green eyes saying so much. Even now, she was curled against his body, trusting him to take care of her. What had he ever done to earn such trust not only from his beautiful childe but also from Niblet? He looked down at her face, his fingers moving to trace over her cheeks and lips. She was bloody gorgeous, she was. Stronger than he'd have thought, power radiating off her even as she slept. She was stunning. Truly stunning. And she was his.
He had no doubts that she belonged to him. He had worried that she would fight his claim over her, that she would deny his authority. He'd been foolish. She had looked at him fully aware that he was her sire, seemingly proud that he had made her into his childe. Proud to be his childe! There was no disgust or hatred, just love and devotion. He had forced himself into examining the last few years as she slept, thinking back over every action he had made, every choice. It was then, as he had been lost in the recent past, that he had begun to realize something that surprised him even as he accepted it. Willow had loved him. He'd never seen it, never even considered that someone like her could ever look at him as anything other than an annoyance. So they'd become friends a bit, especially over that summer following Buffy's death, but he'd never considered that she felt anything at all for him. She'd had her little witch, why would she want him? He knew she'd loved the girl, had watched their sickeningly sweet displays of affection for two years. It appeared that, even as she had cuddled and caressed the silly witch, she had wanted him. He could remember a dozen different times he had looked into her eyes and seen something like what he had seen just that night. Devotion and affection and loyalty. Why had he been so blind?
He knew it didn't really make a difference now. She was dead. There were traces of the redhead he had coveted, but they now shared her body with a very strong demon. He was surprised at just how much Willow had remained. He knew from his own experiences that a large part of the bloody awful pathetic poet that he had once been still lurked inside his mind, but he'd never given much thought to other vampires. He had done his best to forget what he had once been, doing everything in his power to make Angelus proud of him, knowing that his ability to care was a weakness to his sire. He'd become a cold-blooded killer, loving the thrill of the hunt, longing to see pride in his sire's eyes as he had slaughtered hundreds. He'd never seen it, though. Angelus was a bastard that didn't give a damn about anything except making those around him as miserable as he. He wanted to control everything, didn't want anyone to be a threat to his power. He'd known how to do it, too. Knew exactly what to say, how to look, what to do to destroy every ounce of confidence Spike ever possessed. He'd never been good enough for Angelus, never been ruthless enough or cunning enough or willing enough. He was too strong, too much of a threat. Angelus had hated him even as he had craved him. Poofster got off on controlling him, putting him in his place, reminding him who he belonged to. Fucking and beating, all part of the game. Spike had done his best to please, but it had never been enough. As long as he was strong and could think for himself, as long as he wasn't weak-minded and insane like Drusilla, he'd never have Angelus' approval.
Over the years, you'd think his need to please his sire would have faded. Hell, if anything, it had gotten worse since he'd received the damn implant. Now, he was helpless in so many ways. Angelus would be so entertained at the knowledge that he couldn't even feed himself. Maybe now, not being able to be his true self, he'd have Angelus' affection. He scowled at the direction of his thoughts, hating Angelus with the same heart that loved him. His Red would never have to feel like this. He'd never give her any reason to doubt his feelings for her. If she displeased him, he'd make sure she never repeated the mistake. If she pleased him, he'd show her with every action that he could think of. Words were no longer a large part of his life. Strange considering that he had once sought to make his living with them. Once he had died, he'd seemed to slowly forget how to express his thoughts and his feelings with words. He was a man of action now, speaking only enough to make sure people understood what he wanted. He'd tried to use words on Buffy, the slayer ignoring everything he had ever said. She'd wanted the action, the fast shagging and rough mating. She'd never seen him, never known him. He'd been something to use, and he'd let her use him. Hell, he'd have done anything for any scrap of contact she'd have lowered herself to give. Beneath her, she'd called him. Fucking bitch, he really wished he'd never allowed her to play him like that. One of the few things in his life he really regretted. No more, though. That was the past. It was over. She could find another lapdog to shag whenever she snapped her fingers. He was sick of being used by the women he loved. It was time to get some control on his own life, to make some good decisions instead of bad.
He brought his attention back to Willow. She had loved him, even just a bit. He had no doubts of that now that he gave it some thought. Why had she never said anything? Why hadn't she done something that might have caused him to look to her instead of Buffy for the love he craved? Why had she simply allowed herself to fade into the background and shack up with some silly little girl that didn't deserve to touch her much less have her love? Why had he never noticed? He was a fool, a damn blind and stupid fool. How different might things be if he had shagged her that night in her dorm room when he'd been unable to turn her? Could he have he turned her if she had been screaming out in passion, her body too confused to take the bite as a threat? If he had turned her then, would she had looked at him with the same depth of love and affection that she did now? Somehow, he didn't think so. He realized that he wouldn't have wanted her not to love him. He had been searching for someone to care for, someone to love, someone that wanted only him for his entire life and unlife. Now that he had her, what was he supposed to do?
He no longer felt that she would leave him, that she would turn away from him. She was his, and she knew it. Just as she seemed to understand without a word that he was hers. When did he become hers? It was just earlier that day that he had been planning on leaving Sunnydale, leaving it all behind to find a way to rid himself of this implant so that he could destroy Buffy's life the way she had destroyed his. Now, he could think of the slayer and feel nothing but self-disgust. When had it happened? When had his feelings of wanting to turn Willow so he'd have an intelligent and beautiful companion become something that almost scared him? When had he started to care for her? When had she started to become someone to love other than someone to love him? He continued to study her sleeping face, having no definite answers. He'd always been attracted to her, always feel a need to possess her, always wanted her by his side. When had that become something more? He'd had the realization that he could very well love her when he had walked into the living room to find her sitting with Dawn, her eyes automatically finding his. It had been that very moment, when he had looked into her green eyes and realized that she hadn't left him, that she seemed to love and need him, that he had felt his heart twist. It had gotten worse when she had smiled at him, that special smile she had always seemed to have reserved just for him even when she had been living, and he had seen that she wasn't fighting anything that had happened, when he had swept her into his arms, her head laying on his shoulder as she willingly gave herself over to his care. It was then that he had understood what it felt like to be loved unconditionally.
And now Niblet and Demon girl were talking about not giving her a soul. They were talking about giving him a choice that he'd had to accept that he no longer had. They were discussing the possibility of giving him a chance to keep her just like she was, of not risking that the soul might change her feelings or her personality. They were giving him an opportunity that he'd never believed possible. He had promised Dawn that she could restore Willow's soul. He hadn't been happy at the idea, but he had agreed. He never broke his promises. But, if she chose not to hold him to his rashly made promise, that changed things. He could keep his Red just as she was now, strong and powerful and loyal and affectionate. If he believed that she would be a danger to Dawn, that she would be unable to control her hunger and desires, he would take the risk of giving her a soul. He didn't want a psychotic blood thirsty childe to contend with. He'd looked in her eyes, though, and didn't believe she would be out of control. She'd already passed the biggest test, anyway. She'd sat smelling pure virgin blood and not tried to taste. He was proud of that, proud that she was his childe. He wanted her to be proud that he was her sire. He felt her stirring beside him, her eyes opening slowly as she caught him watching her face. A slow smile crossed her face as she licked her lips, her eyes speaking of her desire and need as she moved against him. His beautiful childe. There would be no curse of a soul for her.
~Part: 24~
Willow woke from her sleep to find his eyes on her face. Her sire had been watching her sleep. She felt his fingers on her face, knew that he had been touching her. She was pleased that he had stayed with her, that he hadn't left her to sleep alone. She was still a bit confused about everything that had happened to her, having memories of a time before now as well as unexplainable feelings that she was beginning to accept from her demon. She had cared for Spike, in the time before now. At one time, she had thought herself in love with him. He had not known, no one had known. That had been before Tara, during Tara, after Tara.
She wasn't really sure if she had ever stopped caring for him. And now, he was hers. Her patience had seemed to be rewarded. She knew that she was dead, knew that she was a vampire. She had memories of reading and fighting and watching vampires. It was different experiencing it. It didn't make sense to her, the heightened senses, the pull she felt towards the lovely man that was watching her with a smile, the thirst and hunger and need, the feelings she had felt for the girl that hugged her, for Dawn. She had never imagined being a vampire being anything like this. In some ways, she didn't feel that different. She still felt like Willow. She had the same memories, the same emotions in her mind, but it wasn't the same. She wasn't the same.
She looked at Spike, felt a need beginning to wash over her body and mind. She licked her lips, not able to express with words what she wanted from him. She wanted to feel him inside her, to possess him and have him possess her, to be surrounded by his scent and his touch. She smiled at him as she moved her hand to cover his, arching her body closer to his. This time, she didn't want fabric of clothes to keep them from consummating their relationship. She needed him, wanted him to claim her in every way possible. She had to know if he felt the same connection that she felt, that he needed her as much as she seemed to need him. She looked into his eyes, saw them darken before he lowered his head and claimed her lips in a possessive kiss. His tongue entered her mouth, claiming her as his hand began to move down her body. She whimpered out of need, returning his kiss with the same possessiveness and desire.
He could drown in the taste of her. It was the closest thing to heaven he'd ever experience, and she was his. He moved his hand underneath his shirt that covered her. There was time for slow and gentle later. Now, he wanted her, wanted what he had been denied earlier due to his decision to wait until she was fully aware. She wanted him, wanted this. He caressed her breast, squeezing the plump flesh as he twisted her nipple causing her gasp against his mouth. He deepened their kiss as his right hand moved to unzip his jeans. The scent of her arousal was thick, mixing with his own. Finally, he freed his cock. He ran his thumb over the head, not at all surprised to find it weeping with pre-cum. He moved between her legs, nudging them farther apart as he pushed his jeans lower. She was soaking wet, her juices leaking onto the blanket beneath them. He knew it had been awhile since she'd had a man, if you could call that mangy old wolf a man, knew she would be tight and unaccustomed to his width and length. He didn't care, sinking deep inside her coolness with one painful thrust. He felt her nails digging into his back as she arched up against him, his mouth catching her cry.
He began to move inside her, deep thrusts that sent her small body into the mattress. She met every thrust, grinding herself against him as she moved. She worked the muscles in her cunt, squeezing him as she tightened on each downward thrust. He tore his mouth from hers, moving down to take her breast into his mouth. His shirt was pushed above her breasts, the fabric moving against his forehead as he sucked on her hard nipples. Soft moans came from her swollen lips, her eyes flashing yellow when she felt his finger rub against her clit. She looked down into his eyes, found him watching her face even as he teased her nipples. She bit her lip to keep from screaming as she came, remembering that there was a young girl in the next room. She saw his eyes flash yellow as the blood began to drip from her lip, his mouth claiming hers as his tongue licked at the wound. His body began to move faster, deep and quick strokes that had his balls hitting her ass. She wanted him to cum, wanted to feel his seed inside her. It wouldn't much longer, his actions becoming more hurried as he let her mouth go. She felt him against her neck, his tongue tasting his claiming bite from earlier. She watched as he moved his head to the side, barring her own bite on his neck. He was giving her permission to feed from him.
Spike bit deep into the bite on her neck as he felt himself cum, her blood entering his mouth as his seed was sent deep inside her grasping cunt. He moaned when he felt her teeth in his neck, finding release a second time at the sensation of her drinking from him at the same time he was drinking from her. She tightened her muscles around his cock, not wanting to let him go. He didn't want to go. He'd have been perfectly content to stay buried inside her, but he knew she still needed to sleep, even if she didn't realize it. When she had drunk enough, he pulled her head away, claiming her lips in a kiss. When he pulled back, she was looking at him with those gorgeous green eyes, a satisfied smile crossing her face as she finally relaxed her grip on his cock. She didn't speak, not needing to say anything. He could read everything she was feeling by looking into her eyes. He slid out of her, not bothering to pull his jeans up. He kicked them off, laying beside her completely nude as he pulled his shirt back down to cover her breasts. She snuggled against him, a sleepy smile crossing her face as her eyes slowly drifted shut.
He listened intently, hearing only the sounds of some silly movie from the living room. It was louder, presumably turned up when the sounds of their coupling became obvious to the two girls in the living room. They were talking about the movie so maybe they hadn't heard him and his childe together. If they had heard, they hadn't dared interrupt which proved intelligent of them. He wouldn't have been very happy at being interrupted. He looked down at Willow, a smile crossing his handsome face. She was his, just as he was hers. There was no doubt in his mind that they belonged to each other. He closed his eyes as he held her body against his, knowing that he needed some rest. Soon, he had followed her into sleep.
~Part: 25~
Anya woke up to the smell of frying bacon and, she sniffed the air again, toast. Her eyes opened as she stretched, finally sitting up and glancing towards her kitchen. Dawn was cooking. A wave of fear washed over the demon before she realized that the teen seemed to sort of know what she was doing. She got off the sofa bed, covering a yawn as she walked towards the kitchen to see what was being cooked.
"Good morning," Dawn smiled at Anya before turning her attention back to the bacon. She had been awake for over an hour, finally getting out of bed about ten minutes before when her stomach had started rumbling. She had found bacon in the fridge and decided to make breakfast. She always felt better if she stayed busy. Today, she needed to feel confident and strong. Because, today was the day she told Spike that she thought Willow would be better off without a soul and today was the day that she would go visit Buffy in the hospital and tell her sister what had happened. She'd checked the phone but there had been no message left from Xander. That had been the final straw as far as he was concerned in her life. She didn't give a darn what he thought and felt about anything.
"I hate mornings," Anya grumbled, looking at the bacon and stealing a piece of it before Dawn could stop her. "This is actually pretty good."
"Hey, I can cook," Dawn defended, "sometimes. I don't do pancakes well but I'm an expert at bacon. I know the perfect way to get it crisp."
"You're burning the toast," Anya pointed to the toaster, having to smile as Dawn cursed and pushed the button to get the toast out.
"I don't do toast that well either," Dawn sighed, looking at Anya before both both girls cracked up in laughter. "I'll try it again."
"Why don't I do the toast," Anya suggested, moving to put fresh bread into the toaster. She looked at Dawn as she waited for the toast to cook, asking, "so, it's the day after. What are you thinking?"
"That it seems like it's been the longest day of my life," Dawn admitted, running a hand through her hair as she made a face. "I mean, it hasn't even really been a day since I got off the bus, yet it seems likes it's been forever. Tara's dead and I don't know what to do about that. I mean, we don't have the money to bury her but I'm not sure if her family will send for her body and I don't want to leave her like that. I loved Tara like a sister, and Willow wouldn't want us to just forget her."
"I never liked Tara that much," Anya admitted honestly. "I always thought that she was just there, you know? I accepted her because of Willow but never really cared that much for her. If you need money to bury her, I can loan you some from my savings, I suppose."
"What?" Dawn looked at the demon in surprise. First, she'd been talking about not liking Tara and now she was offering to pay for her funeral? Would she ever understand Anya?
"Money. Bury the dead little witch," Anya said slowly speaking as if Dawn was hard of hearing. "Would that stop you from talking and worrying about the body so that we can move on to more important things?"
"Thanks, Anya," Dawn said softly.
"I just don't want to hear you talking about Tara constantly," Anya said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, I'll make sure you pay me back eventually."
"Okay, sure," Dawn fought a smile as she finished cooking the bacon. She turned the burner off and moved the pan before turning back to Anya, "Once Spike wakes up, I think we should talk to him about the whole soul thing."
"You still don't want to give Willow a soul?" Anya asked before she took another piece of bacon.
"Nope," Dawn said the one word very firmly. "Later this morning, would you drive me to the hospital? I want to see Buffy and tell her what happened, get it over with."
"Sure, I'll call Alice in to work at the store today," Anya said, mentioning the woman she had hired shortly after Giles had left for England. "She wants more money and I guess I will have to give it to her since I am more needed here."
"Good. I want to get that behind me," Dawn said with a grimace. She wasn't looking forward to talking to Buffy at all, that ranking up there on her list of worse things she would ever have to do in her life. She was glad that Anya was going to back her on the soul issue, and that the demon would take her to visit her sister. It would be nice having someone that supported her decision to give her that extra push if she needed it after facing Buffy and Xander.
"If the slayer gives you attitude, just tell her to fuck off," Anya said with a slight smile. "She'll be shocked speechless and that will give you a chance to leave without hearing her bitching and whining."
"I think I'll have to remember that advice," Dawn giggled as she and Anya put the food on the table and started to eat, waiting for Spike to wake up so they could talk to him about the soul restoration and their belief that it shouldn't be performed.
~Part: 26~
The dishes were washed and put away by the time the bedroom door opened. Dawn looked up, her eyes looking over Spike, noticing the bite on his neck as well as the scratches on his chest and flat stomach. She'd never really understood the term six pack until she had seen Spike without his shirt. His hair was tousled and looked pretty darn sexy if she were honest with herself. He'd definitely just woken up, his blue eyes still slightly sleepy and she watched as he covered a yawn. Thankfully, he was wearing his jeans, though she did notice the top button was unfastened. She looked away from him, a slight blush on her face. She didn't want to get caught ogling him, though who would really blame her? He was one of the most gorgeous guys she'd ever seen, and that included the actors from her favorite movies and television programs. Spike was a hunk. A yummy, half-dressed, undead hunk. What girl her age wouldn't ogle, just a bit? Hell, what girl of any age wouldn't ogle?
"How's Willow?" Anya asked as she looked at Spike, having not seen the redhead since early the previous evening.
"She's sleeping," Spike stretched, having just slept for over six hours straight. It was the longest period of time he could remember sleeping so peacefully in his recent memory. The only reason he had gotten out of bed when he had drifted awake was because he knew the girls would be wanting to talk to him this morning. He wanted to see what they had to say before snuggling back up to his beautiful childe.
"But she's doing well?" Anya wanted specifics. If there was any doubt that Willow without a soul might not be a good idea, she wanted to know before they suggested their idea of not bothering with the temporary soul restoration. She didn't think there should be any problems at all, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
"She's doing well," Spike caught Anya's eyes, an affectionate smile crossing his face as he thought about his childe, "she's doing far better than I would have expected, honestly. She's got total control."
"She hugged me and didn't even try to bite," Dawn reminded Anya, turning back to look at the two demons once she was certain that she wouldn't openly drool over Spike's half naked body. "Spike, I know I made you promise to give Willow a soul yesterday, but I don't want to curse her like that."
"Neither do I, Niblet," Spike said as he sat down in the large chair beside the sofa. "She's not a danger to anyone that isn't a threat to her or anyone she cares for."
"So you won't make us restore her soul?" Dawn beamed, glad that he agreed with them. She had been slightly worried that he might want to give Willow the soul anyway. She had been ready to argue with him, if necessary, had he insisted. She knew enough about vampires to know that a soul would not be a good thing. She didn't like the idea of Willow being forced into being someone she no longer was, which the soul would have done. Besides, Anya had said that the demon might have resented the soul so much that Willow would have become a monster or a danger. Now, she was still Willow, just the undead version.
"If you relieve me of my promise, she will remain as she is," Spike said, giving Dawn a slight smile.
"You're relieved of your promise, then," Dawn said, looking at Anya, "he's not going to make us restore her soul!"
"I can hear, Brat," Anya said, laughing at the teen's enthusiasm about not giving Willow a soul.
"Sire?" a soft voice spoke from the door. Willow entered the living room, moving to her sire's side. His arm went around her waist as he pulled her towards him, his face lifting as she leaned down and brushed her lips against his.
"Morning, pet," Spike whispered as he pulled back from her kiss. She moved to sit on his lap, her head resting against his shoulder as he glanced at Dawn and Anya, who were both watching with curiosity in their eyes.
"I woke up and you weren't there," Willow said softly, having not liked waking up without him beside her. She had felt his presence, though, and known that he was just in the other room. Still, she wanted to let him know she hadn't been happy waking up alone.
"Hello, Willow," Dawn spoke up, watching as green eyes moved to look at her.
A small smile crossed Willow's face as she recognized Dawn, "Hi, Dawny."
"Do you feel okay, Willow?" Anya asked, causing the green eyes to focus on her.
"Anya," Willow smiled, looking around the apartment and remembering, "this is your home."
"Yes, it's my apartment," Anya said, impatient for an answer but relieved to see that Dawn had been right. Willow was in control of herself and there was a lot of their Willow remaining in those green eyes. She relaxed finally, glad to see that it appeared that they had made the right decision after all. This vampire didn't need a soul. She was strong enough to control her demon without a soul.
"You helped," Willow looked back at Anya, smiling a soft smile, "I'm still sleepy, but I missed Spike. The world has stopped spinning finally. I'm kind of hungry."
"I'll feed you, luv," Spike said, causing her to turn and look into his eyes. He studied her, pride flashing in his blue eyes as he realized that she was, indeed, hungry and hadn't even attempted to move towards Dawn to try to feed. He couldn't understand how she had gained so much control in such a short time, remembering that it had taken him far longer to master his demon. He reminded himself that there were different circumstances between his turning and awakening and hers. It didn't really matter, anyway. She had the control she needed to survive. She also completely accepted his role in her life, had missed him when she had woken up, was now looking at him with affection and desire.
"Um, Spike," Dawn spoke quietly, hating to interrupt whatever was happening between Willow and Spike, but needing to let him know, "Anya's going to take me to the hospital to see Buffy so that I can tell her everything that's happened and check on her. Will you be okay here while we're gone?"
"Buffy?" Willow turned her head to focus on Dawn, eyes narrowing as she had memories of the blonde slayer, of how the girl had treated her sire, of a friendship that had existed over five years. She looked at her sire, saw him watching her, looked into his eyes. He no longer cared about the slayer. She relaxed, the anger leaving her as she realized that Spike remembered that he was hers, that he wanted to be hers. She thought of Buffy and felt nothing. When she had thought of Dawn, she had remembered caring and still felt protective of the girl that was watching her even now. When she thought of Buffy, she felt nothing at all. Memories. That's all that was there inside her head. She moved her hand to Spike's face, running her fingers through his hair and tightening her grip as her eyes flashed yellow, "Mine," she whispered possessively before she claimed his mouth in a rough kiss.
Spike returned the kiss, his hand moving to draw her head closer. He had seen the flash of jealousy in her eyes when she had thought of Buffy, had seen the anger take her over. She had let it go, though. He wasn't sure why she had been angry, but he felt rather pleased to see the jealousy, as did her need to claim him with a kiss to remind him who he belonged to. She needn't bother. He could think of the slayer now and feel nothing except disgust with himself. Since he had pulled Willow into his arms the previous afternoon, she had become his world. He had accepted that, embraced it. She was his just as he was hers.
"Please keep the sex in the bedroom," Anya said as she rolled her eyes. She had had a long day yesterday and did not need to be sitting here watching two vampires devour each other in her favorite comfy chair. She did have to admit that, had she not be so tired, she probably would have enjoyed the show. They were both very attractive and the connection between them was practically visible as was the attraction and desire. They complimented each other in a way that made her envious. She glanced at Dawn and saw the teen watching intently, speaking up, "Vampires, please remember that there is a teen-age girl in the room. She can't even get into R rated movies without an adult so I sincerely doubt that she needs to be watching what could very likely turn into an NC17 situation at any moment."
"Anya!" Dawn glared at the demon, hating to interrupt Spike and Willow. She couldn't remember seeing anything quite this hot even on the cable channels after dark when she would sometimes stay up extra late and watch. The only thing that she could think when watching Willow and Spike share that heated kiss was that they seemed to belong together. It made sense, them kissing and sharing whatever bond there was between them. She'd never really believed in fate or destiny, but now she had proof right in front of her that it existed. It was completely romantic at the same time it was incredibly sexy.
Willow released Spike's mouth, looking at the two women that were sitting on the sofa, her eyes flashing from yellow to green as she tried to ignore the desire to simply lift her shirt and bury Spike deep inside her. She ached for him, needed to feed and fuck, but not with an audience. She licked her lips, giving Dawn a soft warning, "Be careful, Dawny, when you talk to your sister."
"Yeah, Niblet, be careful," Spike said softly, his voice husky from desire. He glanced at the teen and added, "Red and I will be fine here while you two go to the hospital."
"Remember, sex in the bedroom only," Anya warned, winking at Spike as she grabbed her purse, knowing that she'd better get Dawn out of the room before the girl witnessed the mating of her two favorite people in the world.
"I'll be careful," Dawn said, "and we'll uh take the long way home, give you two some private time and all."
Spike waited until the door shut behind the two women before he stood quickly, his mouth finding Willow's as she unfastened his jeans. Her long legs wrapped around his waist as he moved his mouth down to her chest. He pulled her down onto his hard cock as he carried her into the bedroom, nearly falling when he kicked the door shut. She giggled as he kept his balance, his jeans down around his knees causing him to walk slowly, his hands moving her hips up and down against his cock, she tightened around his length causing him to groan. They fell to the bed, his legs moving to kick his jeans to the floor, looking up and catching her eyes, laughing together before kissing again. Soon, the only sounds in the bedroom were the sounds of their coupling.
~Part: 27~
Dawn stood outside the hospital room, taking several deep breaths. She could hear the low murmur of voices inside, recognizing Buffy and Xander. Anger went through her as she realized that Xander must not have left the hospital yet. He'd stayed all night, not caring enough to let anyone else know that Buffy was in the hospital. The anger gave her the courage she needed to finally walk inside. She watched as Buffy stopped talking to Xander, looking at her in surprise as she entered the room. Her eyes took in the machines that were hooked into her sister, noticed the color in Buffy's cheeks, decided that the slayer was doing well. She ignored Xander completely as she took another step inside. "Hey, you."
"Dawn," Buffy was surprised to her sister. She had been in and out of consciousness all day yesterday, but she knew that no one had been to visit except for Xander, who hadn't left her side. She'd assumed Dawn had gone to school and that the others hadn't wanted to bother her yet. "Why aren't you in school?"
"It's nice to see you, too, Buffy," Dawn said with a pained smile. "About school, I didn't go. Too much going on, you know? Didn't seem all that important."
"You could have come by to see me after class," Buffy argued, frowning as she glared at Dawn. She just didn't know what to do with her sister sometimes. She hated being responsible for the teen, didn't want to be a parent when she, herself, was barely twenty-one. It was times like this that she really missed her mother. "You shouldn't have skipped school."
"I can take her in late, if you want," Xander offered, not wanting to see Buffy upset for fear that it might hinder her recuperation. He'd honestly thought he might lose her the previous day. Now that it appeared she was going to be okay, he didn't want anything to stop the healing process.
"I'm not going to school," Dawn said, glaring at Xander. She looked back at Buffy and said, "Did you not think that I would like to know you were in the hospital? I mean, I know you don't really care about anyone but yourself, but didn't it ever cross your mind that I might be worried?"
"Dawn, I'm too tired to argue with you," Buffy said, stopping when she realized what her sister had said, "Wait, what do you mean I don't care about anyone but myself? I've spent the last year raising you. And what are you talking about not knowing I was here?"
"Xander didn't bother to call, Buffy. No one called to let me know you were shot and in the hospital," Dawn explained.
"You never called them?" Buffy looked at Xander and watched as his eyes widened.
"No, I guess I didn't," Xander admitted. "It all happened so fast and I was worried, and I guess it slipped my mind."
"It slipped your mind?" Dawn glared at him, counting to ten before just looking away knowing that she might say something she'd regret later if she continued that conversation. She moved to the side of the bed, looking at Buffy and realizing that her sister had assumed they'd been called. It didn't make her less angry at Xander, but it took away some of the anger at Buffy. She sat down on the edge of the hospital bed, her voice serious as she said, "Buffy, I have to tell you something and I really don't know how you're going to take it."
Buffy couldn't believe that Xander hadn't called home to tell them what had happened. She looked at Dawn, frowning at her sister's words. Suddenly, she asked, "If Xander didn't call, how did you know I was here?"
"That's what I need to talk to you about," Dawn said quietly. "The police told me yesterday."
"The police?" Xander frowned, wondering why the police had been back. Maybe they'd found that little bastard Warren. He asked, "Did they catch Warren? Did they arrest him?"
"Warren? That little geek guy? Is he the one responsible for all this?" Dawn asked Buffy.
Buffy nodded, "Yes, he came after me yesterday in the back yard. Couldn't defeat me fairly, he had to use a gun."
"He's a coward, Buffy. Besides, he didn't defeat you. You're alive and the police will catch him," Xander said.
Dawn ignored Xander little pep talk to her sister, speaking to Buffy, "Well, they can charge him with murder if they catch him. You see, Buffy, you weren't the only one shot yesterday. When I got home from school, I found Tara and Willow."
"Oh God," Buffy felt as if someone had grabbed her heart and was squeezing it too tight. Murder? She hadn't died. That could only mean...."What happened, Dawn?"
"Tara was dead," Dawn whispered, her mind taking her back to the previous afternoon. "There was so much blood."
"What about Willow?" Xander demanded, needing to know his childhood friend was okay.
"Willow was dying," Dawn sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I tried calling you, Buffy, but you didn't pick up. I didn't find out until later, after it was all done, that you'd been shot and taken to the hospital."
"After what had been done?" Buffy asked, wondering why Dawn wasn't answering Xander's question.
"The only person I could reach was Spike," Dawn continued as if Buffy hadn't spoken. She felt a hand grip her wrist, looking at Buffy in surprise as her sister's grip tightened.
"Spike? What the hell did you do, Dawn?" Buffy asked, not caring that she was hurting Dawn. She wanted to know what Spike had to do with anything.
"Let go of me," Dawn said, trying to pull her arm free. "I saved Willow! I asked Spike to turn her because I didn't want to lose her!"
"You stupid little girl," Buffy said, letting Dawn go. She shook her head, "No, no way. There is no way that my best friend is now a vampire. Spike wouldn't turn her just because you asked. This is some cruel joke, isn't it? Payback because you weren't called yesterday?"
"Do you really think I could do that?" Dawn asked softly, rubbing her bruised wrist. "That I would lie about this just to get you back?"
"I can't believe you'd let that monster near Willow," Xander said, disgust in his eyes as he looked at the teen.
"Monster?" Dawn let all of her anger come forward as she looked at Xander, her eyes flashing as she said, "I'd say that you were the uncaring monster, Xander. If you'd gone inside before going to the hospital with your precious Buffy, you might have been able to save them both! It had been an hour at least by the time I found them. An hour that Willow lay slowly bleeding to death! Do you think that I wanted her to become a vampire? I couldn't think of any other solution. There was no other solution. It was too late by the time I found her."
"Don't blame Xander for this," Buffy said, her hazel eyes confused and tired. "Why didn't you call an ambulance? They might could have saved her in time."
"There wasn't any time, Buffy," Dawn said, rolling her eyes, wondering why they wouldn't just listen to her. "She was dying! The only way to keep from losing her was to have Spike turn her."
"I won't accept this," Buffy said, shaking her head. "I can't accept that my own sister handed over my best friend to that bastard!"
"He wasn't so much of a bastard that you wouldn't fuck him," Dawn reminded. She wasn't prepared for the slap, her head snapping to the side as Buffy's hand made contact with her cheek. She looked at Buffy in surprise, seeing the disgust and anger in her sister's eyes. She reacted without even thinking, her hand raising as she slapped Buffy's face. She got off the bed, her hand moving to hold her cheek, "It's already done. Willow is Spike's childe. I just wanted to tell you, to see if you could understand why I did it. I was stupid for thinking you'd care. Tara's dead! Willow was dying. Spike saved her! And all you seem to care about is the fact that she's now a vampire."
"You hit me," Buffy said, holding her face, looking at Dawn as if she'd never seen her before. "She's not Willow if she's a vampire. You made her into a monster. She would have been better off dead than to be a demon."
"She's still Willow," Dawn argued, finally just deciding not to bother, "Forget it. You'll never understand. I don't know why I bothered coming here. Willow's a vampire, Tara is dead, and you'll be just fine in a few days. And she wouldn't have been better off dead! Did she think that about you when she spent months trying to find a way to bring you back? No, she didn't. But, see, that's the difference between you and Willow. You're a selfish bitch and she's the best person I've ever met."
"I'm not dealing with all this now," Buffy said as she fell back against her pillow. "I'm too tired to argue with you, Dawn. We'll finish this discussion some other time, when I'm out of the hospital."
"Does she have her soul?" Xander asked, wondering if that was why Dawn said she was still Willow.
"No," Dawn said, glaring at him. It was all his fault. He belonged with Buffy. They were both selfish and didn't care about anyone but themselves. They could both rot for all she cared. "She isn't going to have a soul. She can still be Willow without a stupid soul, but then you two wouldn't get that because you never see anything except black and white. Gray doesn't seem to exist in your perfect little world."
"Dawn, I don't know what happened to you, but I don't like it," Buffy said, glaring at her sister.
"I don't care what you like," Dawn said, feeling confident and strong enough to tell her sister exactly what she thought for the first time in her life. "This is my life, my decisions. I didn't want to lose Willow so I made sure that I wouldn't. Don't worry, I'll make sure you never have to be around her. I wouldn't want her hurt because you're both close minded idiots. There is nothing left to discuss."
"I'm going to be in here for another few days," Buffy said, acting as if Dawn hadn't said a word. "When I get out, we'll discuss this. Maybe we can do a soul restoration and fix it so it's not so much of a mess."
"There won't be a soul restoration," Dawn said, "forget it. I'm out of here. You both make me sick!"
"Where are you going?" Xander asked.
"I'm staying with friends," Dawn said, glaring at him before looking at Buffy, "I won't be back here, Buffy. When you get out, if you're ready to accept everything, then we can talk."
"I don't want you around her if she doesn't have a soul, Dawn. She's dangerous. And Spike would let her kill you just to hurt me," Buffy said.
"He doesn't give a damn about you, Buffy," Dawn said, smiling for the first time since entering the hospital room. "Isn't that great? He's finally found someone to love that will love him back. You're a thing of the past, Sis. Willow would never hurt me, unlike you. Get well soon, Buffy."
"Dawn, do not leave this room," Buffy said, conflicted by the need to keep her sister safe and by the desire to just let the girl go so she wouldn't have to be responsible anymore.
Dawn stood in the doorway, looked directly into Buffy's eyes and repeated Anya's earlier advice, "Fuck off, Buffy," before she turned and left, letting the door shut behind her as she made her way downstairs to where Anya was waiting for her. Well, that had been a whole lot of fun, she grimaced as she rubbed her sore cheek, seeing the bruises already forming on her wrist, deciding that that had gone about like she had expected. She hurried down the stairs, eager to get back to the apartment to tell Spike and Anya what had happened. She had defended her actions, been strong in her convictions, and had hit Buffy back! Overall, she felt pretty proud.
~Part: 28~
Anya was sitting on the hood of her car waiting for Dawn. It had only been fifteen minutes, and she was already sick of waiting. She'd never been patient, not as a human, not as a demon, not during her second time as a human, and certainly not now. There was stuff that needed to be done, issues to resolve. It was rather annoying to just be stuck waiting with nothing to do. She laid back and looked at the sky, her mind thinking through everything that had happened and could happen. She wanted to be prepared for anything, knowing that she would do whatever it took to protect Spike and Willow. They were the only friends that she had, two of the few people in the world that she trusted and could honestly say that she cared for. Willow the most, but she had a soft spot for Spike too, respecting him and being a bit afraid of the power that he still possessed even in the implanted form. Yes, she could honestly say that she would do anything for those two. Okay, maybe even Dawn, now, if it ever came to that, though she didn't think even Buffy was selfish enough to turn on her own sister. She didn't trust the slayer, though, so she thought it would be best to have every angle covered.
She had no doubts that Buffy and Xander would freak out when hearing about Willow's turning. Neither one would give a thought to the fact that Willow would now be dead if she hadn't been turned. They'd all be so caught up in the whole vampire issue that they wouldn't see past that to what could have been. The soul thing was another problem. Sure, it was all well and good that they had decided not to give Willow her soul, but that didn't mean that someone else couldn't try to curse her. Her mind brought forth an image of Giles, knowing that the watcher would have the best resources available to find something that might work. He probably wouldn't even care if he used the Romany curse with it's stupid stipulation of the moment of happiness bullshit. She could easily see them trying to get Willow away from Spike and doing that stupid curse. They all had tunnel vision, seeing only that Willow was a vampire and thus she must need a soul so that they can keep things pretty similar to how they always were. Stupid humans. She couldn't stand any of them anymore. Okay, so Dawn wasn't as bad as she had always thought, but she didn't necessarily like the little brat. Grudging admiration, maybe. But actually like the annoying and talkative teen? Nope, not this demon.
The soul was the biggest issue in her mind at the moment. She knew a solution though. Was rather proud that she had remembered it. During her research for the soul restoration the night before, she had stumbled across a spell that would solve that worry fairly easily. She needed to call her contact in Athens to get the wording because, the previous evening, she hadn't had a need for it. She rolled her head and looked at the dash board, a large smile crossing her face as she saw the slayer's cell phone that Dawn had left. She got up, grabbing the phone, a pen and a notebook from her purse and then laid back down on the car. Dialing the number, she decided it was only fair that the slayer pay for the long distance charges since it was her fault that Anya would need to perform the spell. She reached her friend, telling him what she needed. She clarified that there was no way around it, no spells that could destroy it once it was performed. Satisfied that it was the perfect solution to the threat of unwanted soul restorations, she made the deal with him and then took down every detail. It wasn't that much, when she studied it after hanging up. It amazed her that there seemed to be a spell for anything nowadays. In the early years, you'd be lucky to find anyone that could put out a proper curse. Now, with the internet and abundance of ancient texts, you could find something for everyone.
Anya put the paper with the spell in her pocket, knowing that they could stop by the Magic Box on the way back to her apartment to pick up the supplies she needed. Besides, it would give her a chance to check on Alice and make sure things were running okay without her there. She pulled the paper back out, making some notes on the back. She knew there was one other spell that would need to be performed for the time being, something real easy that she'd done many times in her life. She just wanted to make sure to pick up what she needed so it could be done as soon as they got to her apartment. Maybe the extra time it would take for all this would allow Willow and Spike the chance to get the sex out of their systems for the time being. They had serious things to take care of when she got back, spells to perform and bases to be covered. Couldn't concentrate if the two of them were wanting to shag the entire time.
Anya looked back at the sky, thinking about what could happen if Buffy and Xander shocked the hell out of her and accepted everything. Deciding that the likelihood of that happening was right up there with her wanting to become human again, she moved on to a different topic for concentration. Okay, she had the soul thing taken care of. They wouldn't be able to get an unwanted soul into Willow, no matter what spell they tried. What other trouble could those two morons cause for Willow and Spike? She ran a hand over her face, not liking those images at all. No, she couldn't see even Buffy and Xander trying to kill Willow even if the vampire didn't have a soul. Hell, they could look in her green eyes and be able to see so many traces of the human that they had considered their friend. If they did try to go after Willow, well, there would be no soul to get in the way of the redhead defending herself so that wasn't worth Anya's time to think about at the moment. She was still considering possible outcomes of the discussion with Buffy and Xander when she noticed Dawn leaving the hospital and walking towards her. She glanced at her watch, seeing that it had been a little over half an hour since the teen had entered the building.
Anya sat up, sliding down her car hood until her feet touched the pavement. She looked at Dawn as the girl got closer, her eyes narrowing when she saw what was clearly a hand print on the teen's face. She demanded, "Did that bitch hit you?"
"Yeah, she slapped me when I reminded her that Spike was good enough for her to fuck," Dawn said, adding with a big smile, "but I slapped her back!"
"You didn't?" Anya's eyes widened as a large smile crossed her face. "I'm proud of you, Brat. I take it then that things didn't go very well."
"They went about like I expected," Dawn said as she moved to get into the car. "Xander's a bastard and Buffy's a selfish bitch."
"We need to work on your vocabulary," Anya decided, "you are cursing too much. Though they are adequate descriptions for those two, you need to use non-curse words. You are too young to use profanity in every day circumstances. I heard on a talk show that youth should not use curse words until they were at least eighteen, and really shouldn't even use them then."
"I'm nearly sixteen," Dawn muttered, "I can curse if I want to!"
"Perhaps when you are older, you can use whatever words you want," Anya scolded, "but you need to broaden your words source. I will just have to teach you some other suitable words."
"You will?" Dawn smiled at the thought that Anya would teach her anything, much less some alternate insults. "Like what?"
"Not now," Anya muttered, wondering why she felt the need to be nice to the little brat. She glanced at Dawn, her eyes noticing the fresh bruises on the girl's wrist. Her dislike of Buffy intensified as she realized that the slayer had reacted in such a way.
"Where are we going?" Dawn asked, seeing that they had turned right instead of the left that would take them to Anya's apartment.
"By the store," Anya said, deciding to be truthful with the girl, "I have made a call and found a spell we can use to counter any attempts that the bitch and bastard might try to give Willow a soul."
Dawn felt her lips twist at Anya's use of the same curse words she had just been scolded for using, deciding not to point it out because Anya might not teach her new words to use. Instead, she asked, "They mentioned a soul before I left. Buffy was all convinced that Willow had to have a soul."
"That's what I figured," Anya rolled her eyes. "Stupid cow. Well, we'll take care of that before they get a chance to try anything."
"So, we have like a plan and everything?" Dawn smiled, her eyes lit with enthusiasm at having a plan to protect Willow from Buffy's stupidity.
"Yes, we have a plan and everything," Anya had to laugh at the expression in the girl's face. She didn't seem to care that she had just had a fight with her sister that had left her with a bruised wrist and a slapped face. No, she was to excited at the idea of having a plan to worry about Buffy and Xander and everything could possibly happen.
"I can't wait to tell Spike that I slapped Buffy," Dawn admitted with a laugh. "I wish you guys could have seen the look on her face when I told her fuck off and left. Neither she nor Xander seemed to care that Tara was dead, that Willow was dead. All they cared about was the idea that Spike had turned Willow, that he might use it as a way to get back at Buffy, and that they needed to give Willow a soul so that nothing would change. As if it could ever be like it was! Everything has changed and nothing will ever be the same! They're both too stupid and self-involved to realize that, though."
"You're right," Anya said as she pulled into the parking lot behind the Magic Box. She looked at Dawn, wanting to make sure the girl really did understand, "Nothing is ever going to be the same."
Dawn nodded, sighing as she made a face, knowing that Anya seemed to want to make sure she knew that it was all different now. She knew, had made that decision when she had walked out the hospital. She had chosen Willow over Buffy the minute she had asked Spike to turn the redhead. She was standing beside that choice, no matter how scared and worried she sometimes felt. She gave Anya a smile as she opened the car door and said, "Let's get those supplies so we can get back home and check on our vamps!"
~Part: 29~
Johnny Bravo was playing on the television by the time Anya and Dawn made it back to the apartment. They had stopped for burgers on the way home, deciding to give Willow and Spike a bit more privacy. When they entered the living room, a smile crossed Dawn's face as she found Spike laying on the sofa, Willow laying on top of him between his legs. She was still wearing his shirt, her head on his chest as her eyes watched the cartoon. Spike wasn't paying attention the television at all, his eyes looking down at Willow's face as his hand brushed through her hair tenderly. She giggled at the antics of the cartoon and looked up at Spike, leaning her head up to kiss him softly before turning to look at the new occupants of the room.
"You're back," Willow smiled, not moving to get up from her comfortable position on her sire. She had fed and was feeling sleepy again, but hadn't been able to back to sleep. It had been Spike's suggestion to get cleaned up and watch some television as they waited for Dawn and Anya to return. Now, the two women were back. She sniffed the air, her eyes half closing as she placed the scent, "you had burgers and fries, didn't you?"
"Yep," Dawn smiled at Willow, still finding it refreshingly odd that the vampire was so much like her friend. "And a chocolate shake!"
"Did you bring me one?" Willow asked, her lips pouting as the teen shook her head no.
"I uh didn't think you'd want one," Dawn said, worried that she had upset Willow. She was relieved when the redhead laughed.
"It's okay," Willow smiled, "I'm full anyway. But, next time, don't forget me!"
"I could never forget you, Willow!" Dawn defended, winking at an amused Spike as she moved closer to the sofa.
Willow's smile faded as her eyes narrowed, "Who hit you?"
"Hmm?" Dawn looked at the vampire in surprise, her hand moving to her cheek. She knew that the imprint had faded sometime when they had been at the store getting supplies.
"I can see the marks from fingers," Willow said, moving to sit up so that she straddled Spike's waist. "Was it the slayer?"
"Your wrist is bruised too," Spike said quietly, his eyes flashing at the idea that Buffy had hurt Dawn. He knew he shouldn't have allowed the teen to face the bitch alone.
"It's nothing," Dawn shrugged, "besides, I hit her back."
"She hit you," Willow looked away, her eyes catching Spike's. She felt an anger going through her at the thought that Buffy had hurt her Dawny.
"You hit her back?" Spike moved to sit up, keeping Willow on his lap. His hand had taken hers, his thumb moving over her palm in a comforting pressure as she adjusted to the demon's anger. He gave Dawn a smile, "Felt good, didn't it?"
"Really good," Dawn confessed with a smile. She glanced at Willow, watching as the vampire continued to stare into Spike's eyes, the tension seeming to visibly fade as the redhead slowly relaxed.
"If she hurts you again," Willow glanced at Dawn, her eyes flashing yellow as she left the statement unfinished.
"Good. There was no sex having in my chair," Anya spoke up for the first time since entering the apartment. She had moved to investigate her chair, wanting to make sure that the sex was only being had in the bedroom. She looked up, a smile on her face as she kneeled on the floor beside the bags she had carried in. "We come bearing gifts."
"Gifts?" Spike looked at her with an arched brow as he moved to sit against the arm of the sofa, giving Dawn enough room at the end to sit down. Willow stayed on his lap, leaning over to move her cool fingers against Dawn's hurt cheek. She wasn't happy that Buffy had hurt someone she considered family. She had control of the anger, knew that Dawn had protected herself, but it didn't change the fact that she wanted to hurt the person that had hurt her own.
"A couple of spells to help keep things nice and quiet," Anya said, her eyes moving from Dawn and Willow back to Spike. "I called a friend, found a spell that will prevent the stupid slayer and her gang of twits from trying to give Willow a soul."
"A soul?" Willow turned to look at the demon, frowning at the idea. "I don't want a soul."
"You won't have one, luv," Spike said, looking at the demon with respect. She was proving far more useful than he'd imagined, planning ahead and thinking of ways to protect his childe. For that, she would always be under his protection. "What sort of spell?"
"It's actually very basic," Anya explained, "I heard about it when I was calling around yesterday, um, talking to some old friends," deciding not to risk upsetting Willow by letting the vampire know they'd considered cursing her with a soul not half a day before. "Anyway, it will protect Willow from any sort of soul restoration. There are no ways around it, no ways to counter the effect. It's permanent and will always protect her, not only from soul restorations but from any other form of magic that is attempted against her."
"I asked Anya to perform it for both of you guys," Dawn spoke up, letting Spike know that she wanted to give him the same protection as his childe. "We didn't want to risk Buffy and the others trying to use you to get to Willow."
"It sounds like a powerful protection spell," Spike said quietly, liking the idea that he and his childe would be immune to any magical attacks made against them by the slayer or anyone else, but he wasn't sure if Willow was strong enough at the moment for some big mumbo jumbo type of spell.
"It is," Anya said, "my contact said that it was very old, very unknown. I mean, it wouldn't do for all vampires to be able to protect themselves from magic like that. I traded in two major favors for this information, and, once it is performed, I have to destroy the words. It's only good for vampires, and can only be performed by a caster that feels unconditional love for the castee. I love both you and Willow, without any doubts in my heart or my head. I can successfully cast the spell on the two of you. It shouldn't be very draining and won't take very long. As I said, it's quite simple really."
"Demon, you will always be considered part of my family," Spike said softly, his eyes moving to look at Willow, "So, pet, do you feel up to it?"
Willow nodded, a pleased smile on her face as she looked at the woman she still considered a friend, "Anya, what do we need to do?"
"I'll get everything set up," Anya said after a minute, still a bit surprised at the sincerity she had seen in Spike's eyes. She was part of his family? She had never considered that he would offer her that protection, never once given a thought to anything other than doing what was needed to protect him and Willow from any kind of magical attack Buffy might try to dream up. She smiled slightly as she realized that she now belonged somewhere. It was a nice feeling, comforting in a way. She looked at Dawn who was smiling at her, a knowing look in the teen's eyes, causing Anya to roll her eyes as she said, "Brat, quit smiling and help me get this ready."
~Part: 30~
The spell went off without a hitch. Anya had felt the power rush through her body upon saying the final words, watching as both Spike and Willow gasped, the spell working its magic. After she was certain it was over, she took the piece of paper with her notes on it and destroyed it, following through on her end of the bargain. She glanced at the vampires and saw that they looked tired. She knew they must be hungry, having only fed on each other for the last day. She'd picked up some blood while she and Dawn had been out because she figured they would need the extra strength after the spell. She was surprised when Dawn went to the refrigerator and began to prepare two cups of blood without being told. Since that task was taken care of, she cleaned up the supplies.
"Here you go," Dawn said, handing a mug of warm blood to Spike. She handed the other one to Willow before moving to sit down beside Anya. She wanted to ask if they felt any different, if they could tell if the spell had worked. She assumed it had since she had seen the light coming from Anya before it had surrounded the vampires, but she wanted to know for sure. She wanted to put the worry of Buffy trying to soul Willow out of her head so she could concentrate on other things.
"Tastes yucky," Willow muttered as she took a drink of the blood, her eyes flashing yellow as the ridges formed on her forehead.
"You get used to it, luv," Spike said, grimacing as he downed the entire glass. After drinking the sweet blood of his childe for a day, the animal blood tasted even worse.
"You taste better," Willow said with a small smile at her sire before she followed his example and drank the entire mug. She did feel a bit stronger than she had just before so she guessed that was worth the nasty taste. She'd much rather have been feeding from her sire, though. His blood was rich and strong and made her feel warm all over.
"As do you, Red," he said, smelling the soft scent of her arousal as her eyes moved over him. He leaned over and took the mug from her, giving in to his need as he swiftly kissed her before whispering against her lips, "None of that now. Later."
"You're no fun," she pouted as he laughed at her, watching as he walked towards the kitchen, her eyes moving over his back, taking pride in the marks she had made on his pale flesh, past his ass, all the way down to his bare feet. He was hers and he knew it. A smile of satisfaction crossed her face before she turned her attention to the others. She told Anya, "It worked. Thank you."
"No need," Anya said with a quick smile, "that's what friends are for. I'm glad it worked."
"Me too," Dawn echoed, "It's such a relief to know that Buffy won't be able to curse you with a soul or do anything else like that."
"Stupid bitch better leave me and mine alone," Spike said softly, his voice threatening. He moved to Willow, kneeling beside her. He took her face in his hands, his eyes looking into hers, "Are you feeling okay, luv?"
"I'm wonderful, Spike," she said honestly. She loved when he touched her, the feel of his body against hers. It made her feel so many different things, desire, need, comfort, safe, love.
"How does it feel, Willow?" Dawn asked quietly, only speaking when Spike released Willow and moved to lay on the floor behind her, pulling the redhead against him.
"I feel alive," Willow said with a smile at the teen, knowing exactly what Dawn was asking. She noticed Anya gathering supplies and moving to the table, watching as the demon began to perform another spell, seemingly from memory. She was curious but decided to answer Dawn's question instead of asking just yet. Her eyes found the girl's as she continued, "I feel strong and aware of everything. The smells and sounds and all of it are so vivid."
"Do you feel your demon?" Dawn asked, still finding it difficult to understand how it all worked. She knew vampires had a demon, but she didn't get how they were themselves but also the demon when vampires were really just a demon and it all got so confusing that it usually just gave her a headache before she could figure out what it all meant.
"Yes, of course," Willow laughed, "it is part of me now, Dawny. It's different than I can remember thinking it would be when I was human. I don't feel the need to kill everyone, I don't resent the idea of caring. I can feel its presence always, but I have it under control so it's not threatening or anything. I'm sorry, I really don't know how to describe it."
"That's okay," Dawn smiled, "I kind of understand. I'm glad you don't want to kill everyone."
"I'd never hurt you, Dawn," Willow said sincerely before looking back at her sire and asking a question that had been in her mind since she had first woken, "Spike, am I normal?"
"Eh, luv," Spike nodded, "you're bloody perfect."
With his words, Willow raised her head and kissed him, touched by the flash of emotion she had seen in his eyes. Her sire cared for her, something that made her feel even more alive. He thought she was perfect.
"Okay, that does it. Finally finished," Anya said as she put away the last of her supplies. She turned to face them, rolling her eyes as she found them kissing again, "Brat, if their hands start moving, you'd better cover your eyes!"
"Ha ha ha," Dawn looked away from Willow and Spike to stick her tongue out at Anya. "Kissing and groping are still considered PG-13 so there!"
"They sort of ruin the mood, don't they, pet?" Spike whispered in Willow's ear, causing her to giggle.
"I love touching you, kissing you, being near you," Willow said softly, her eyes on his as she confessed her feelings, "it doesn't matter if it's PG touching or unrated touching. I just love the feeling of you."
"If you keep saying things like that, I'm going to have to kiss you again, Willow," Spike said quietly, his fingers moving over her face in a gentle exploration.
"And that's a bad thing why?" she asked with a teasing smile as she moved her body against his slightly.
"I wouldn't be able to stop with just kissing, wench," he muttered, amazed at his reaction and his feelings for her. True, she was his first childe, but it was more than that. What he felt for her scared him. It made what he felt for Buffy seem like nothing, what he felt for Drusilla seem like puppy love. He'd spent a century devoted to his beautiful sire and never once felt what he was feeling for his bewitching redhead after just one day. Willow completed him in a way he'd never imagined experiencing. She belonged with him just as he belonged with her. He didn't understand it, probably would never understand how this fucked up world worked. He was just thankful that he had found her.
"I love you, Spike," she whispered before kissing him softly. Pulling back, she winked at his surprised expression before she turned to the two females that were still arguing over that a PG13 rating really meant. "Anya, what were you doing by the table? It was a spell of some sort, but I didn't really feel any changes in the air so I'm not sure what it was exactly. What was it for?"