ULTERIOR MOTIVES (13/?)
 

Anya left the magic shop, locking the door behind her. She glanced at the
sky, noticing that it was getting dark earlier for some reason. Either that,
or she was just late closing the store. She had stayed later than usual
tonight, not really wanting to go back to the apartment. She was really at a
loss on how to behave. Tara was dead. She hadn't really known the witch as
anything except Willow's girlfriend, but she guessed that they had been
friends. She was sad that the girl was dead, hating to realize that any of
them could have died in her place. That morning she had woken up and gone in
to work, not giving much thought to the fact that Tara was dead. Only when
she had opened the store had she taken a minute to reflect on the past
twenty-four hours. Giles had come by, spending most of the day in his office.
They had spoken, neither mentioning Tara except an inquiry as to whether
Willow was doing well.
 

Anya shook her head, wondering she was supposed to be more upset. She hadn't
even cried. Willow had cried enough for all of them. She supposed she might
be considered heartless, but she just wasn't used to dealing with death. She
stopped beside her car, searching her pockets for her keys. Damn it, she was
sure she had put them in her pocket. She sighed, leaning against the hood as
she opened her bag. A frown crossed her pretty face as she dug into the dark
depths, deciding that she would have to buy a smaller purse. With a smile of
triumph, she held up her key ring. She let her purse fall back as she stood
up straight. She pushed the key into the lock, catching her breath sharply
when a hand covered her hand as she turned the key.
 

"Out rather late, pet."
 

Anya closed her eyes briefly at the familiar voice, trying to calm her racing
heart. She couldn't show fear, no matter how frightened she was. She calmly
said, "I just off of work. What brings you here Spike?"
 

She heard his voice in her right ear as he said, "You."
 

She pulled her hand away from his, moving away her car as she looked at him,
"Why are you here?"
 

"Ah, luv, I don't plan on killing you if that's what you're thinking," he
said, laughing softly in amusement. "If I had wanted you dead, I'd have
killed you already."
 

Anya nodded, not surprised by his words, "The implant doesn't work anymore."
 

Spike smiled, a wicked gleam entering his eyes, "Is that a question? I think
we both know the answer to that one."
 

"How?" she asked, wondering she had survived over a thousand years just to
end up dead at the hands of a vampire.
 

"Don't know, don't care," he said with a shrug as he looked at her. He
smiled, "I knew you were on to me last night. What gave it away?"
 

She shrugged this time, "I just knew."
 

"You know that this brings up a small problem, don't you?" he asked with a
wry smile. "You see, I didn't plan on telling anyone about my good fortune.
Your figuring it out, well that changes things."
 

"I won't tell anyone," Anya said, watching him wearily. She knew he was going
to kill her. Her last moments on earth would be spent verbally sparring with
her killer. How she wished she had never come to Sunnydale. Thinking of
Xander and what he had made her feel over the last year, she sighed in
regret. She wouldn't have given that up for anything.
 

Spike laughed, "Do you really think that I'll trust you? Just accept that you
won't mention the implant malfunction to the moron, that the slayer won't
find out and that I won't have to kill the bitch to keep her away from me."
 

"What would it gain me for them to find out? If they don't know, we all stay
alive. If I tell, we'd all end up dead," Anya pointed out.
 

"If I kill you, no one ever finds out," he said with a slow smile.
 

"Please don't," she whispered, hating that she had reduced herself to
begging, but knowing that she wasn't ready to die.
 

Spike shook his head as he looked at the pavement. Looking back at her, he
sighed, "Don't do that. You're too good for that."
 

She felt wetness on her cheeks as she wondered if there was any way she could
possibly escape. He'd have her in seconds if she tried.
 

"I'm going to let you in on a secret," he said quietly.
 

"What secret?" she asked, trying to remember if she had told Xander that she
loved him that morning.
 

"I'm not going to kill you," he said, watching as disbelief crossed her face.
 

"You believe that I won't tell them?" she asked, not trusting him at all.
 

Spike shook his head, "Doesn't matter. I plan on telling them myself in the
future. Can't keep it a secret forever, can I?"
 

"You're going to go to Buffy and tell her that the implant isn't working,
that you can kill anyone that you want, and you really expect her to take
that and not try to kill you?" Anya said, shaking her head. "You're playing
the wrong girl, Spike. I've been around too long. What are you planning?"
 

"Damn it, I'm not planning anything," he said, scowling. "Is that really so
hard to believe? I'd have thought you'd be the first to know that people can
change."
 

"Some people can," she said, shaking her head. "You? Sorry, I don't see it
happening. You have to have some agenda in mind."
 

"Not all agendas are evil," he said, wondering why he was defending himself.
He should have just drained her and left her in the parking lot. No, instead
he was trying to convince her that he was on their side despite being normal
again. Truth was, he liked the ex-demon. He rather admired her in some ways.
And she'd figured him out. Just by looking at him, within an hour, she had
known. He could respect that.
 

"Yours usually are," she said, knowing enough about his history from books
and from his own mouth to know that much.
 

"Can't you just forget for awhile?" he asked, knowing there was no use in
arguing with her.
 

"Did you kill Tara?" Anya asked, speaking her suspicions aloud.
 

He snorted, "Why would I have killed her? If I had planned on killing anyone,
it sure as hell wouldn't have been that weak little creature."
 

"Not even for Willow?" Anya asked, watching him closely. Just as she
suspected, his eyes changed slightly at the mention of the redhead.
 

"Not even for Willow," he said softly, raking a hand through his hair. "Did
you see how upset she is? I would never think of putting her through the hell
of losing someone she loves."
 

"It just seems a bit coincidental that you lose the chip and then she turns
up dead with her neck ripped open," Anya said.
 

He shrugged, "This is the Hellmouth. What can I say? I went out for a walk
and found the little witch dead."
 

"You really care about her, don't you?" Anya whispered, not believing that
she had never noticed his affection for Willow before.
 

"I'd do anything for her," he replied, looking at Anya's car as he realized
that he was speaking the truth.
 

"Even work with the slayer?" Anya asked, waiting for his reaction.
 

Instead of a snarl, she watched him shrug and say, "Even work with that
bitch."
 

"If she finds out that the implant is faulty," Anya started, "she'll never
trust you."
 

"Do you think that I don't know that?" he asked, almost growling. "Why do you
think that I haven't said anything? None of them would trust me. Hell, that
blonde bitch would stake me without even giving me a chance."
 

"Not if she trusted you before she found out," Anya said quietly, her mind
thinking rapidly. "It's too soon for Willow. Tara's not even buried yet."
 

"I know that," Spike said, leaning against the car. "I never expected to have
this chance. I figured it would take forever before the little witch was out
of her life. Now, with the twit getting herself killed, well, it certainly
changes things. Willow needs a friend, not a new lover."
 

"Can you be that? Can you be a friend?" Anya asked, her fear for her life
having slowly faded as they had talked.
 

"I can be anything that she needs," Spike said, looking at the girl. "If she
finds out that the implant has stopped working, I'll never get a chance with
her. I'd go back to being a threat, no matter how I've changed."
 

Anya sighed, not sure if she was making the right choice but knowing that
Spike seemed sincere. She said, "I won't tell anyone as long as I don't think
it needs to be known. The first time I start to believe you're playing some
twisted game with my friends, I'll not only tell them, I'll help them destroy
you."
 

"Deal," he said, slowly smiling as she agreed to keep his secret. He moved
away from her car, twisting the key and unlocking the door then tossing the
keys to her. With a smile he said, "You'd better get home. You should know
better than to be out after dark. Tons of nasty things lurking in the
shadows."
 

"Do you need a ride?" she asked, wiping her drying tears with the back of her
hand. "I drive by Buffy's house on my home. That's where Willow is staying,
isn't it?"
 

He nodded, looking at the sky before he answered, "If you wouldn't mind
dropping me off there, a ride would be nice. I'd like to check on her."
 

Anya just smiled as she got into the car, unlocking the passenger door for
Spike. Turning the car on, she pulled onto the street and headed towards the
slayer's house.

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