Devotion & Destiny

Author: Jami

Pairing: S/W

Rating: PG-13

Summary: A chance encounter of the demonic kind leads to dramatic changes in our favorite redhead’s life.

Spoilers: Season two; up to “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” (you know, Xander’s whole love spell mess).

Author’s Notes: Drusilla is once again with Angelus, but Spike is dealing. Angelus is Spike’s sire, because, well, that’s more fun. He’s not in that pesky wheelchair.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I promise!

Feedback: I need it like oxygen! It makes me happy, and a happy writer is a productive writer…

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~Part: 1~

Willow walked slowly, her head hanging in sadness and disgust. She shivered at a sudden breeze, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to warm her small frame. Tonight was one of the worst of her short life. As if things weren’t bad enough already, with the return of Angelus, Xander just had to meddle with magic he didn’t understand, and every girl paid the price for his stupid mistake. Well, everyone except Cordelia, the one person it was supposed to work on. Must have been karma.

The redhead just couldn’t help but feel embarrassed at her actions, whether or not she was in control of herself at the time. She actually waited for her best friend in his bed, wearing nothing but his shirt, then chased him down with an axe when he pushed her away. She loathed feeling out of control, and Xander had just taken away her ability to make rational choices. She may have been in love with the idiot, but she would have never thrown herself at him like that. How was she supposed to face him tomorrow?

Hence her walk of shame. She knew it wasn’t safe to be out late at night, had known that for quite some time. But the night always gave her a peaceful feeling, a sense of calmness. So she walked. She just needed some time to clear her head before she went home to an empty house. Mom and Dad were in…New York, at last count. Who knew anymore? So she was left on her own once more. Usually it didn’t bother her, but lately it seemed like all of them, Buffy, Xander, and herself, were going in different directions.

Buffy was traumatized by the loss of Angel, which Willow understood. She needed her time alone; to deal and prepare herself to possibly kill the demon that wore her love’s face. So the redhead gave her friend the distance she needed, seeing her mostly in the library and during school. Occasionally they would all patrol together, but that was few and far between lately. The only person Buffy was really allowing in was her watcher.

Then there was Xander. After Angelus came back, he couldn’t help but tell Buffy ‘I told you so’. He always said Angel was bad news, now he had proof. Because of that the slayer kept him at arm’s length. Then there was the whole Cordelia mess, ugh, that just made her stomach queasy. And then on Valentine’s Day, Cordy broke up with him. He was angry and upset, so he spent most of his time listening to country music and brooding. That was until he came up with the bright idea for a love spell.

And then there was Willow, herself. She wasn’t really alone, she still had Oz, and she liked Oz, maybe loved him. Well, she thought she did. But it wasn’t the same. She missed the all night research sessions that seemed to end earlier and earlier these days. She missed going to the Summers house and watching cheesy Indian movies with Xander and Buffy while coming up with their own dialogue. Now, they researched solemnly, patrolled quickly, and went to bed hoping Angelus didn’t pay them any nightly visits. It was a rather dreary existence. She felt bad though, lately she had been pushing Oz away. It wasn’t him so much, but she was so stressed out right now. She just didn’t have it in her to pretend she was deliriously happy.

Right about now, Oz was at school, probably helping Buffy get used to not being a rat anymore. Xander was relaxing at home from his near death experience, and she was just walking. She stood still for a moment, taking a look around to see where she was. She frowned as she noticed that she really hadn’t walked that far, only a block or two from Buffy’s house. She saw a nearby bench and flopped onto it, closing her eyes and sighing as she rested. She just wanted this horrible nightmare to be over.

~~~*~~~

Dark eyes watched the sad girl as she stumbled dejectedly toward the tiny bench across the street. Lips turned down into a frown as she practically felt the girl’s despair in the night air. Drusilla understood what the teenager was feeling, that sense of loss and confusion. A longing for things to go back to the way they were. Luckily for her, things were looking up. Her Daddy was back with her, she was finally healed. Spike was her only cause for worry. She loved him, cared for him, but what she felt for Angelus couldn’t compare. She never wanted to hurt the boy, but no matter what presents she brought him, he was still rather melancholy.

Then tonight, after Angelus left to taunt the nasty slayer, she felt this compelling urge, drawing her to that boy, the slayer’s friend. She remembered hitting her sire to save the boy, offering to turn the lad. A revolted growl came unbidden from her chest at the thought of spending an eternity with that one.

Returning her attention to the little one in front of her, she smiled slightly. The poor dear needed a friend, and Miss Edith had been whispering to her all day, telling her of a sweet stranger who would become her new best friend. She moved gracefully from the shadows of the trees and glided towards the girl, her long skirt swishing as she walked. She took a seat next to the redhead, noticing that the girl never once looked up, had not noticed her approach.

“Why so sad, lovey?” she cooed, her voice comforting. The startled hacker jumped and turned her head sharply, her mouth forming a perfect O at the sight of the vampiress in front of her.

“D-Drusilla-a?” she stammered, moving away discretely. The brunette gave her a reassuring smile and gently took her wrist in her surprisingly strong grip, holding her in place. “D-Don’t kill me, please?” she pleaded weakly. The insane vampire merely laughed and shook her head.

“I don’t want to kill you,” she informed her, the idea was so distasteful. “Now, tell Mummy all about what’s bothering you, pet.”

“Um, nothing,” she replied with an unsteady smile.

“Tsk tsk, don’t lie to me, deary. We’re going to be the bestest of friends. And friends don’t have secrets. Now, tell me what has you so sad.”

“Xander,” Willow answered, her voice no more than a whisper. She had to admit, it was rather disconcerting talking to a vampire that had previously tried to kill her and her friends. But for some reason Dru told her she wasn’t going to kill her, and for whatever reason she believed her. Dru wanted to talk, she could talk.

“Ah, the silly boy. You love him, no?” Willow nodded shakily. “He’s been naughty, playing with things that don’t concern him. Forget him, little one. You don’t need him,” she said decisively.

“He’s my best friend.”

“What’s you’re name, love?” she interrupted. The redhead gave her a confused glance, but answered.

“Willow…”

“Willow-mine, such a pretty name. Well, my Willow-mine, you mustn’t worry about that icky boy. The stars tell me he is not your future. Besides, if he makes you sad, why come back for more?”

“But, I’ve known him all my life. I can’t picture my life without him…”

“Poor girl…” she drawled as she pulled the nervous girl into a soothing embrace. Willow laid awkwardly in her arms, but knew better than to fight with her. Besides, she wasn’t threatening at all. “He cares for you, but he longs for that nasty slayer, even that mean girl. He isn’t meant for you, love. He’s not enough for you.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the redhead shiver in the cold. She stood suddenly, taking the girl with her. “We must get you home, can’t have you freeze out here, deary.”

Willow walked slightly ahead as the vampire followed her toward her home. When they were about halfway there, the hacker glanced at Drusilla, looking at her quizzically.

“Why are you doing this? Walking me home, asking me why I’m sad?” she asked softly, honestly confused.

“Because,” she whispered conspiratorially, “princess likes you, Willow-mine. I get lonely,” she continued at Willow’s surprised gaze, “I love my Angel and my Spike. But Spike, he’s so sad, I’m afraid that it is my fault. And Angel, he’s obsessed with that smelly slayer of yours. Sometimes, I have no one to talk to. You can be my friend. The stars, they tell me you are nice. Princess needs someone nice to talk to. Will you be my friend, tree?”

“Uh…yeah,” she replied hesitantly. She understood what it felt like to be lonely.

“Delightful!” the vampire declared with a clap of her hands, “I must introduce you to Miss Edith, Marcy too. Oh, do you like tea, little one?” she asked excitedly. She giggled uncertainly at her enthusiasm.

“Tea is nice…” she said with a small smile as they reached her house. The redhead looked around nervously. “Well, um, this is me…” she stuttered as they stood on her front porch.

“Inside with you, lovey,” Dru ordered softly, concerned for her new friend’s safety. She shooed her gently and Willow opened her door.

“Thanks, Drusilla…” huh, she never thought she’d be saying *that* in her lifetime.

“Sweet dreams, Willow-mine. Be seeing you,” she replied sweetly as she turned to leave. Willow shut her door behind her and sagged against it. Her night was officially of the weird.

Dru was feeling a bit hungry, so instead of walking toward the factory, she went into town to find a snack. Wide eyes watched her leave. Angelus jumped off the balcony he was previously hiding in when Willow came home. He was annoyed after the fiasco with Xander that he ended up at Willow’s house, hoping the girl would be home. She might have made a nice present for the slayer. Imagine his surprise when he sees the hacker walking with his crazy childe. Will wonders never cease. It was the hellmouth after all, strange things were bound to happen.

He sauntered toward home, eager to speak with Dru.

~~~*~~~

Angelus strode into the factory, looking around and frowning when he noticed Drusilla was no where to be found.

“What’s got you all confused now, Peaches?” sneered a disgruntled Spike as he stomped into the room. “Not that it takes much…”

“Not now, Spikey,” he disregarded the bleach blonde. Spike rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Where’s Dru?” he wondered.

“That’s what I want to know, boy,” Angelus growled. “She was acting strange tonight. Hell, she even saved that damn boy, Xander, from *me*! Said that she finally found a real man, can you believe that?!”

“That you’re not a real man?” he asked sarcastically, “Uh, yeah. I can see that. You’re just pissed because she isn’t fawning over you, you pillock.”

“I don’t see her running to you, Blondie,” he snarled.

“Now listen here, you stupid sod, I-” the blonde ground out through clenched teeth.

“Spike…” a lilting voice interrupted their impending argument. Both men turned their attention to Drusilla who looked at them with a sad expression. “No fighting. Princess is tired, please don’t fight with Daddy.” Spike growled. It was always about her precious Daddy. He didn’t acknowledge her, simply turning on his heel and stalking to his room.

Dru looked on, troubled by his reaction. She returned her attention to her sire when he began approaching her stealthily. She tilted her head to the side, questioning.

“We have to have a little talk, honey,” he smirked, his eyes darkening in anger. “Now, tell me why you were playing nice with the slayer’s little friends,” he demanded, all humor leaving his voice. She cringed at the anger that tinted his voice. Whimpering at his tone, she pouted slightly.

“Don’t yell at princess,” she ordered softly, “I was just making friends. Don’t be mad…” she pleaded.

“I’m not mad, Dru,” he sighed, “But you know, we’re trying to kill them, not make nice.”

“Don’t worry so, sire. Everything will be perfect…” she murmured as she snaked her arms around his waist, nipping playfully at his bottom lip. Angelus smirked and pulled her firmly against him.

“Whatever you say, Dru…”

~Part: 2~

Willow couldn’t help but stare at Xander. It wasn’t because he looked especially good that day, or that he had said something funny or interesting. It was just, Drusilla had her thinking. Last night, which she thought could have been *the* weirdest night of her life, Dru had made some surprisingly good points. Xander, as much as she loved him, would never notice her. Well, not as anything more as a good friend. Part of her felt bad, she was kinda with Oz right now, yet she was still mooning over Xander. She would even occasionally mention Oz just to annoy her friend. That thought made her frown. She had never thought of herself as a vengeful or resentful person. But for whatever reason, Xander brought out the worst in her. She didn’t like that. Dru said he wasn’t enough for her, that he wasn’t her future. Maybe she was right. Great, now she was taking love advice from an insane vampire. But she had to admit, she was a bit worried. If Xander wasn’t her future, then who was?

Her gaze fell to the floor as a new thought came to her. Maybe there was no one in her future. Truthfully, Xander and Oz had been the only guys to pay attention to her, with the exception of Jesse, even in a ‘just friends’ capacity. Hell, even when Angel was all soul-having he barely spoke to her. If he did, it was to see where Buffy was, or to have her look something up for Buffy. In a way it was sweet, his devotion to her. But Willow couldn’t help but feel used.

Unfortunately that was becoming a familiar feeling. Xander and Buffy used her for homework, Giles used her for research, she wasn’t sure what Oz might be using her for, but she was sure there was something. Angel had used her to keep tabs on Buffy. Maybe Dru was using her too, to get information about the gang to Angelus. Who knows anymore? Maybe she was thinking too much, but she couldn’t help but feel trampled on.

Shaking herself from her dismal revelry, she glanced at the clock, noticing it was only two hours after sunset. Buffy would be leaving for patrol soon, after she finished her training with Giles. She wasn’t sure why Xander and Cordelia were there. He was reading a comic book that he tried to hide within a demonology text. Cordelia was busy doing her nails, neither managed to do anything productive.

“Giles,” she said, surprisingly loud in the silence of the library. The watcher quickly looked to the girl, waiting for her to continue. “Was there anything else you needed for me to look up? Cause if not, I think I’ll head home.”

“Uh, no. Feel free to go home, relax. Buffy,” he turned to his slayer, who was slipping on her jacket. “Maybe you should walk her home,” he suggested. The blonde was ready to agree but the redhead interrupted.

“That’s not necessary. Buffy should just patrol, I’ll be fine.” Without waiting for any objections, she left in haste. Willow walked at a slow pace, her eyes lingering on the stars above, searching them for answers to questions she couldn’t name.

“Do they sing to you too, tree?” inquired a curious, childlike voice. Willow looked ahead to the form of Drusilla, who stood smiling in front of her.

“I wish they would,” she answered with a sigh. “Might make life more interesting. Except I don’t know if I could handle a more interesting life.”

“They told me I’d find you here,” the dark vampire informed her companion as she led her to a small picnic table at the edge of the park. They both sat across from each other, eyes firmly focused on the sky above.

“What is it like? To hear them, I mean.”

“They sing the most loveliest of songs, deary. Share secrets, tell stories. It’s quite fascinating. It can be tiresome at times, though,” she confided sadly.

“I can imagine,” the shy redhead mused, “having those voices constantly talking. Took some getting used to, I assume. But in a way, it’s kinda nice. Even when you’re by yourself, you’re never truly alone. That’s comforting.”

“They don’t mean to do it, lovey,” the vampire said warmly.

“Do what?”

“Take you for granted. It’s not right, but they don’t know they are doing it. If you want things to be different, you must insist on change,” advised Dru in a rare moment of clarity. Seeing the girl drop her head to her chest, eyes planted on the grass beneath her feet, she allowed her gaze to rest on the shadows feet away. She knew for quite sometime now that she was being followed, by not one but two vampires. Spike and Angelus. Her sire was worried about her new friend. But Dru knew there was nothing to be afraid of. She managed to look right in their eyes, although they were indistinguishable in the darkness. She held their gaze for a moment before she felt them walk away, leaving her to her Willow-mine. Happy that they trusted her, she looked back to the girl.

“Can…can I ask you something?” wondered Willow hesitantly. Drusilla smiled and nodded. “What’s it like, having Spike and Angel care for you, want you?”

“Why do you want to know, pet?” she asked gently.

“I just…I never had that. I’m not sure I ever will. So, I just wanted to know…I don’t know, what it was like, what I’m missing out on,” she murmured sadly. Dru resisted the urge to tell her she was so wrong. The seer knew more about the young woman’s future than she was willing to reveal, but she knew that Willow wouldn’t be alone. But sadly, she wasn’t allowed to tell her, Miss Edith said it may spoil things. Life has a plan, everyone is subject to fate, destiny. She would learn eventually.

“Never fear what is to come, ducks. But since you truly want to know, I’ll tell you. In a way it is flattering, having two of them fighting over me, wanting my love. But it causes more pain than anything else, sweet. Spike, he’s so sad and angry. He doesn’t understand. We had a past, one I would never trade, but it is over. We weren’t meant to be, sad to say. My Angel, he’s back now, and I missed him so much. My lovely Daddy. But he’s being naughty, being awful to sweet William. The boy doesn’t deserve that. I love them both, but in the end, there can only be one. We are demons, love. Possessive by our very nature. The demon won’t allow for a division of affections. Spike will learn, he wasn’t meant for me, nor was I meant for him. I’m Daddy’s princess, but Spike, he will have his own princess. He just doesn’t realize it yet, he’ll see in time…”

“Sounds complicated,” she muttered.

“It’s not so bad. Everything will work out, they promised.” The two remained sitting in silence, which was surprisingly comforting. They spoke a little more as Dru walked Willow home once again and then the vampire left into the night.
 

~~~*~~~

Angelus dragged a rather annoyed Spike from the factory without an explanation. The bleach blonde was being led all around the town without any sign of what Angelus was searching for. After Spike had complained enough, Angelus finally told him they were looking for Dru. He shrugged, figuring if Angelus wanted him to come along it must have been important.

He had practically run into the elder vampire as they came to an abrupt stop slightly past the school. They remained in the shadows as Drusilla approached a young redhead. Angelus obviously knew the chit, and Spike swore that she looked familiar. It finally came to him, she was the slayer’s little friend, what was her name, Wendy…Winnie…Willow, that was it! He finally understood why his sire was keeping an eye on Dru. It was practically a death wish to voluntarily spend time with a slayerette.

He found himself studying the redhead, she reminded him a bit of Dru. Innocent, childlike wonder and a touch of untapped darkness. Angelus smirked at the completely entranced look upon his childe’s face. He had to admit, he was surprised at the casual way in which Willow and Dru spoke. The girl had been the first one in the entire group to ever accept him, demon and all. It shouldn’t amaze him that she had taken to his daughter. As their conversation came to a halt, he saw Dru look toward him, acknowledging that they were there. She knew he was merely concerned for her well being. Seeing she was in no danger, he grabbed Spike by the collar of his duster and turned away from the scene.

“What the hell was that about, Angelus?” demanded Spike as they strode into the abandoned factory.

“Seems Dru has taken a liking to the hacker,” Angelus muttered, more to himself. “That might be a problem. I still have plans for the girl, most which do not involve dolls and tea parties. Damn.”

“Well, if you had just killed them all when you had the chance instead of choosing to play sodding games, you wouldn’t have this problem, now would you?” sneered the blonde.

“I should just kill the girl now, before Dru gets too attached…”

“You will *not*!” commanded a furious voice. Drusilla bounded into the room, all traditional poise and elegance forgotten in her anger. “You will not touch her!” Angelus raised a sardonic eyebrow at her display.

“And why is that, princess?” he asked lazily. Spike merely looked on. He didn’t want to interfere on this one, although he secretly hoped Dru got her way. For some reason, he didn’t want the girl dead. Plus it would piss Angelus off right good.

“Because she is *mine*,” she growled. She hated having to fight her sire, but she couldn’t allow him to hurt her tree.

“And when you grow tired of her, Dru? What happens to her then, hmmm? What if she doesn’t want to be yours? She’s a mortal after all, a friend of the slayer’s, why would she want to be with you?”

“Yeah, well, you slept with the bloody slayer, you ponce, and you’re still here. Much to my dismay I might add,” interjected Spike, unable to remain quiet. “Let her keep the chit, what’s the harm?”

“Aw, I think Spikey’s got a crush? What do you think about that, Dru? Spike’s going soft on us…”

“Shut your gob! I don’t have a bloody crush, you nit! Master vampires don’t get crushes on silly little school girls. Oh, but wait, you did Angelus! And a slayer at that! It’s embarrassing, a black eye on all our kind. Pathetic, that is.” Dru interrupted their bickering.

“You,” she said, pointing to Angelus, “will not eat my friends!” At Spike’s amused snort, she turned on him. “And you will not tease Daddy!” They both had the decency to look a bit ashamed of their behavior. When she saw that they were going to behave she granted them a small smile. Angelus moved to her, reaching for her hand, placing a kiss on her palm as he slowly began to lead her away from the blonde.

“Gotta tell ya Dru, I love it when you get all forceful…” he whispered. She giggled and allowed him to lead her to the bedroom. Spike just stood there in shock. Angelus drags him all over this God forsaken town and then they have the nerve to leave him while they go off to shag.

Growling, he spun quickly and stormed out the front door, with no particular destination in mind. He just needed to be anywhere but there.

~Part: 3~

Spike was beginning to truly hate the return of his sire. At first, he couldn’t have been happier. Angelus was back and they were finally a real family again, with the exception of Darla, but no one really missed her. But Spike was quickly being pushed to the side, Angelus’ attention settled firmly on Dru. He was resentful that after all he had done for her, saving her from that mob in Prague, and all, she could forget him so quickly. The second her Daddy shows up, he is no longer enough for her. And then she has the nerve to act all sad when he got upset. Sure, she tried to make him happy by giving him presents, but none of it mattered. She wasn’t going to buy him off.

He wondered if she even gave a damn about him anymore. Why did he care anymore, any ways? He wasn’t good enough for her, so he didn’t need her either. He growled as he moved at a faster pace down the street. He took a look around and slowed immediately. He found himself in a quiet, residential neighborhood. Sighing, he stopped his walking, cocking his head to the side as he glanced into a window of a modest two-story home.

There was a girl, long red hair glimmering in the lamplight as she typed furiously at her laptop. He moved off the sidewalk, climbing the tree silently and watching her closely. She was the one Dru was so enamored with, the slayer’s little friend. He had never really given her much thought, too concerned with Drusilla and the slayer.

This girl was a strange one. He never pictured any of the slayer’s band openly socializing with a vampire, with the exception of Angel, of course. But this girl had captured Dru’s attention, enough so that she would defend her to her own sire.

He could sense a darkness around her, barely noticeable, but it was definitely there. It was drowned out by the innocence and purity that surrounded her. He watched her intently, studying her movements and expressions as she concentrated on her task. He had only seen her for a moment with Dru that night, but there was something about the way that she interacted with the insane vampire that interested him. He smelled a hint of fear, but she seemed to be more curious than afraid. That amazed him, she fought their kind everyday and yet she was so docile and calm around Drusilla.

He didn’t know why he was standing there, watching some girl that was probably a passing fancy for the crazy vampire. He didn’t give a damn about what Dru did anymore, so he wasn’t about to concern himself with her little friend. Besides, Dru would probably kill the chit in a matter of days, weeks if she was lucky. Drusilla never did play well with others, that’s one of the things he loved about her. Growling at his thoughts, he returned his gaze to the redhead.

He wondered why she didn’t run screaming in terror to her friend, the slayer. She seemed like a reasonable person, not like one who would befriend a soulless vampire. Angelus never spoke highly of any one of his former friends. Buffy was reportedly shallow and self-centered, that Xapper prat was a bumbling idiot, and Willow, well, Willow was unique. She was described as the mousy one, shy and nervous. The eldest vampire had no real love for the girl, after all, she had never feared him, always treated him like…a man. That pissed him off to no end. The soul may have found it endearing, but the demon hated it. He was a vampire; he was supposed to be feared. Yet the slight redhead treated him like one of the gang, a friend. He may have hated Xander with a passion, soul included, but at least the boy was smart enough to be wary around him.

Spike smiled absently, knowing that Dru’s friendship, no matter how new it was, with the girl put a kink in the mighty Angelus’ plans. He wouldn’t kill her unless he was prepared to deal with the wrath of Drusilla. That did not make for a happy sire. For that alone he already liked the girl. Anyone that caused the brunette grief was good in his book.

So he watched her. He was determined to find out more about her, just from her routine. He wanted to know what it was that Dru found fascinating. It was close to midnight now, but the girl showed no sign of going to sleep. She finished her work at her computer, moving around her room, glancing sadly at pictures of her and her friends. She was lonely, he could see it in the way she carried herself. Her shoulders were slightly hunched, her expressive eyes clouded and melancholy. He knew these past few weeks must have been hell on her as well. Losing one of her friends, only to have him terrorize her friends, and obviously she was being isolated by those she cared for.

He listened carefully, frowning as he didn’t hear any other heartbeats or movements coming from the house. Her parents were evidently not home. He wondered what kind of parents would leave their child alone, on the hellmouth nonetheless. She was just a kid, after all. She shouldn’t be alone.

He faded deeper into the shadows of her tree as she opened her French doors, moving to sit in the lone chair that sat on the balcony, lighting a candle that rested on the tiny outdoor table next to her. She had a faraway look in her eyes as she gazed at the moon and stars. Reminded him a bit of Dru that did. She shifted and focused on the notebook that she brought out with her. She bit her lip as she hesitantly brought pen to paper, before beginning to write, slowly but determinedly. He watched her, her face a mask of concentration. He was curious as to what she was writing, probably something for school, an essay or whatever.

Almost an hour had passed before she grew tired. With one last glance at the shining sky above, she rose, placing her notebook on the table and walking back inside. He remained in the tree until her light went out and the sound of her deep breathing signaled that she had drifted off to sleep.

Moving silently, he landed on the balcony without a sound. He reached for the paper, before pulling his hand back. He suddenly felt bad. He shouldn’t be reading something that wasn’t meant for him. But he shook his head, he wasn’t a moral creature, he shouldn’t care if she didn’t want him to read it. He opened the book, his fingers skimming the edges of the pages as he studied the words before him.

It wasn’t schoolwork, some boring assignment to pass the hours. No, it wasn’t an essay, stating facts no one cared to know. It was personal, heartfelt words of pain and sadness, longing and loneliness, joy and sorrow. More personal than a diary, not some random account of the day she had. No, it was poetry, the language of the soul. He lowered himself into the chair beside him and continued to read, enthralled by what he was reading. Part of him, the man that still clung to life inside him, recognized a kindred spirit. Whether or not he was good at writing poetry, which he knew he wasn’t, it had always been his way of revealing his often turbulent emotions.

That unfamiliar feeling of guilt once again returned. He knew how personal poems could be; he would never even let Dru look at anything he had ever written. He felt as if he had violated her privacy. He closed the book, placing it back on the table, and turned to look at the author. She seemed so deceptively fragile, how she had survived so far on the mouth of hell was a mystery to him. She screamed of innocence, goodness, everything he knew he wasn’t.

Dru had to know how naïve the girl was, vainly hopeful and optimistic. That’s probably what attracted her to the redhead. Before her turning, Dru was the embodiment of everything wholesome and pure, a convent girl. Then of course, Angelus got to her, drove her mad. Forced her to revert to a childlike mind so she could even deal with existing. This girl, Willow, she saw, day in and day out, evil and bloodshed and pain. And yet she always expected the best, looked forward to everyday.

The demon in him sneered at her hopes for a better world, at her love for her friends who so carelessly abandoned her. How loyal and gullible could she be? Stories didn’t have happy endings, he was proof of that. You live then you die. That’s it; any happiness that is found can easily be taken away.

But the man in him had to admire her resilience. He remembered the torment that mortal life could be, and yet she never wished anything bad to any of those who hurt her. He stood abruptly, not liking where his thoughts were going. He didn’t want to remember those long-standing hurts from his time as a sad poet, a human. He wasn’t that man anymore, hadn’t been in over a century. He wouldn’t let this little girl get to him. He almost found himself hoping Dru would tire of her soon, kill her once boredom set in. Almost.

He hated to admit that he really didn’t want to see her die. She was so much like him, when he was still William, the bloody awful poet. So timid, unsure, and at the same time passionate. He could tell that much from her words. She was full of emotion to temper that logical side of her that couldn’t be denied. Her death may be better in the end, though. She made him feel things that he didn’t want to, reminded him of all he tried to forget. As if he didn’t have a hard enough time dealing with Dru’s betrayal and Angelus’ attempts at making his unlife hell. He took one last look at her still form, disgust filled him at all the human emotions her words caused him feel, before he jumped gracefully from her balcony.

He had walked away from Dru and Angelus tonight in an attempt to forget, but his little stroll had only given him more to think about. Well, there was one thing to say for life on the hellmouth, there was never a dull moment.

~Part: 4~

Drusilla watched Spike with a curious eye. She knew something happened to him, something that truly bothered him. But sadly the stars refused to share their sad secrets. The blonde had come back to their lair, uniquely quiet. Although Angelus was too busy thinking of ways to hurt the nasty slayer, Dru could see how troubled he was. It took a lot to disturb him, so she was becoming increasingly worried. Moving slightly closer to the seated vampire, she caught the distinct but faded scent of her new friend. So, Spike paid her Willow-mine a visit. She perched on the arm of his chair, frowning as he continued to ignore her.

“What is it precious?” she cooed as she reached out to stroke the back of his neck. He growled and pulled away. She whimpered at his treatment but refused to leave his side.

“Leave me alone, Dru,” he ordered firmly.

“Tell me what has you so tense, deary. Then I will leave you alone,” she persuaded.

“I don’t feel like talking,” he replied stubbornly.

“Well, I feel like having a chat and since you don’t feel like talking, I’ll have to start. So why were you with my sweet Willow-mine?” His face remained impassive, but the muscles of his shoulders and back tensed ever so slightly.

“Wasn’t with your bloody pet,” he dismissed. She shook her head and looked at him reproachingly.

“Do not lie to me, luv. I can smell her, vanilla and jasmine. It is not strong, but it’s there. Were you watching my little one?” she asked. He shifted uncomfortably and avoided her knowing gaze. She sighed when she realized he wasn’t going to answer her.

“What is it about her that bothers you so?” she questioned, hoping he would at least tell her that. She wanted her friend and her brother to get along. It would all work out in good time, she just needed patience.

“Not now, Drusilla,” he snarled, pushing himself out of the chair and away from her. She watched him go, heading to his room no doubt. With a sad sigh, she slowly stood, smiling a little as she felt arms go around her waist.

“Don’t let the boy get to you, Dru,” whispered an authoritative voice. She relaxed into her sire’s embrace.

“He’s upset, love. I worry…” He groaned slightly and rolled his eyes.

“You worry too much. He’s a big boy; he can take care of himself.”

“I fear he is lonely,” she replied, “I just want him to feel better.”

“I know, Dru. But right now, I just want to make *you* feel better,” he purred. She sighed contentedly and allowed her mind to drift to more pleasant thoughts.
 

~~~*~~~

Willow stirred in her bed, still unwilling to give up on sleep. Her alarm blared noisily in her ear and she reached out, her hand flailing in the air until it finally hit the machine, halting the bothersome noise. She groaned as she slid out of her comfortable bed. Her eyes surveyed the room before her and she started toward her balcony when she realized she had left her journal outside last night.

She shivered slightly in the cold morning air as she quickly grabbed her book and went back inside. Placing her treasured journal on her desk, she frowned as something caught her eye. It wasn’t much, barely noticeable. There was a crease, where the pages had been turned and handled. She was extremely careful with her book, never bending her pages, but it had been bent. She rolled her eyes at her own paranoia. It was extremely doubtful that someone just happened to drop by last night, read her journal, and leave. It was on the second-story, at that. She decided she definitely needed to get out more, she was delusional.

She showered and dressed at a moderate pace, in no hurry to get to school. She truly wasn’t interested in hearing about Angelus’ latest attempts at ruining Buffy’s life, and she was quite sure she had heard enough of Xander mooning over Cordelia. She remembered her conversation with Drusilla the night before. She hated to admit her insecurities to anyone, but the vampire didn’t judge her, she barely knew her. Hearing Dru speak of her relationships with Spike and Angelus, the love they had, the obstacles they all faced. She knew that the vampire’s life wasn’t perfect, but to have two men who so obviously loved her enough to fight over her, she had to admit she was jealous. Not of the complications that it caused, but of the feeling of being loved. Between her absentee parents and ever vanishing friends, love or even caring was hard to come by.

Why Drusilla even wanted to talk with her was still a mystery. But Drusilla, as crazy as she was, was the only one right now that seemed to care what she felt. The redhead had no plans to openly seek the brunette out, but it she wanted to talk to her, she wouldn’t push her away. She knew logically she should tell Buffy about her new…acquaintance, but she didn’t want to be responsible for Dru being hurt. The vampire had been nothing but kind to her, she didn’t deserve to die for that.

Grabbing her book bag, she locked the front door behind her as she walked to the sidewalk toward school. She dropped some of her books off at her locker and went into the library, unsurprised to see Xander half-asleep at the table and Buffy talking animatedly with Giles.

“I can’t keep this up much longer,” the slayer warned her watcher. “Mom is getting suspicious, I don’t blame her. Between the flowers with cryptic remarks, the sketches, she knows something is going on. And what am I supposed to tell her? Oh, don’t worry mom, it’s just my crazy stalker ex-boyfriend of a vampire trying to creep me out before he tries to butcher me and my friends?! I don’t think that would go over too well, do you?” He shook his head sadly, cleaning his glasses as he thought of a response.

“I understand, Buffy…”

“No you don’t!” she interrupted, “you can’t Giles. None of you can. I know you want to help, but you can’t. Things are just falling apart. I…I don’t know what he’ll do next. I hate this waiting, the not-knowing. And if he hurt any of you, I couldn’t live with myself. He almost killed Willow that night we torched the Judge!” she screeched, pointing to the redhead who sat silent by Xander.

“Calm down, Buffy,” he demanded softly. “I think you need to go to class, we’ll talk about this later. You need some time to relax.” She looked at him one last time, so tired and afraid, and then left, not even sparing a glance at her two friends. Turning to the remaining two, Giles slipped his glasses back on before addressing Willow.

“How was your night? Anything strange happen?” he asked, needing to know if she too had heard from Angelus. Willow took a deep breath, thinking back to the conversation of stars and love triangles she shared with Drusilla the night before.

“Nope, nothing out of the ordinary,” she assured him with a shaky smile.

~~~*~~~

Spike tried to rest. It was the middle of the day and he would typically be slumbering comfortably now, but nothing about this day had been typical. That little teenage girl and her feelings of sorrow and despondency affected him more than he would like to admit. He remembered when he was human, when he felt rejected and unhappy. He had never been good enough then, and he apparently wasn’t good enough now either. When Drusilla began to push him away in favor of their sire, he was brought back to memories of Cecily, ignoring him in favor of other more wealthy and eloquent men. As if he wasn’t feeling bad enough, he had to go reading through that pathetic girl’s journal.

Her feelings of loneliness and despair had been laid out to his gaze and he hated how much he identified with her. But he wasn’t that sad excuse for a lovelorn poet anymore. He hadn’t been in over a century. He was William the Bloody, Spike, slayer of Slayers and all around bad ass. He wasn’t weak, or pitiful. He was strong, powerful, and vicious. He didn’t need Dru or Angelus. He didn’t want their approval or love. He would be fine on his own. And as for Dru’s little girl, he could only hope that the hellmouth would claim yet another unsuspecting victim in the redhead. She had been nothing but trouble.

~Part: 5~

At night fall, the creatures that the hellmouth attracts were free to play. Spike took advantage of the setting sun, quickly throwing clothes, cigarettes, and various other necessary items into a medium sized duffle bag. Angelus had left as soon as it was safe; off to piss off the slayer, he was sure. Dru was busying herself with her dolls, so he knew his departure would not be noticed. At least not until it was too late to find him. True, he and Angelus had a connection, a bond, so his sire would be able to sense him if he tried hard enough. But Angelus was never one to concern himself with his childer, so the blonde was sure it would be easy enough to avoid the bastard.

He wasn’t leaving town, nothing that drastic. But he was bound and determined to prove that he didn’t need someone to hold his hand. Ever since he had been turned, there had always been someone there. Angelus, Dru, and as much as he hated her, Darla, they had always been at his side. So now it was time to go on his own. There was only one small problem. He hated to be alone.

Spike had always been a social demon, getting easily bored if left to his own devices. So he wasn’t quite sure as to how he would pull this off. He had something to prove, and damn it, he would. He should probably just off some random suburbanite, then take over their home. Problem was, that just sounded so dull. There was no real fun, no conquest. He could easily defeat a human, it posed no challenge. He needed something to keep him on his toes. Or maybe someone.

~~~*~~~

Willow stared at the piece of paper in front of her. Another one of Angelus’ drawings, this one of Buffy as she slept. The slayer paced the library floor restlessly; unable to release all that pent up anger and tension that he ‘present’ caused her. They needed to find an uninvite spell soon, she couldn’t take much more of his late night visits. Just knowing that he was in her room, in her mother’s room, without them knowing, while they slept, caused her to shiver. Giles searched his spell books thoroughly, still unable to find the much needed spell. So far, he, Xander, and Cordelia were safe from Angelus’ house calls, but Buffy, Joyce, and Willow were still very much at risk.

The watcher had to admit, he was more worried about Willow. With Buffy’s constant protection, her mother was relatively safe. But the shy redhead not only wasn’t under the slayer’s watchful eye, but lived alone. She would be the easiest prey, it would seem. What bothered him was the fact that Angelus had to have known that, but he made no attempt to take advantage of his invitation, at least none that they knew of.

Willow placed the rather intricate sketch back onto the table and took a close look at her friends. Oz sat next to her, but he had to leave soon. The Dingoes were playing that night at the Bronze. Buffy looked exhausted. She obviously hadn’t been sleeping well, and after finding out that Angelus had been watching her sleep, she probably wouldn’t sleep at all, at least until daylight. Xander was frustrated. He wanted to help, needed to protect Buffy, but he knew he really couldn’t do anything. He was just a teenager, a normal boy. He lacked super strength, he wasn’t ridiculously book smart, he didn’t do spells or hack into computers. He just felt so useless. And Willow, she just wanted things to go back to normal.

No one really spoke to Jenny Calendar, or Janna, she wasn’t sure what to call her. Ever since Buffy had confronted her, no one made an effort to talk to her. The hacker understood why her friends were angry, but it wouldn’t help to lose valuable allies. They needed all the assistance they could get. But what Buffy wanted, she got. It wasn’t that she wasn’t sympathetic. She knew how stressed the blonde was. But it was becoming increasingly annoying taking orders from her friend. Buffy was the slayer, and that was to be respected. And true, she was taking the brunt of it all. But Buffy wasn’t smarter than them, wasn’t more reasonable, and yet she was in control of their lives right now. They went home when she said, patrolled when she allowed them to, researched when she demanded it. They were her friends, not her employees. And the time was fast coming where the shy redhead could take no more. She survived fifteen years on the hellmouth, without the help of the slayer, and she was sure that she could take care of herself.

The quiet guitarist at her side slowly rose. Kissing her on the cheek, he grabbed his book bag.

“I’ve got to meet Devon in twenty, so I’m off,” he informed her. Xander came alive at the announcement.

“On that note, I think we are in some serious need of Bronzing time,” he pleaded, looking to Buffy for support.

“Can we Giles?” she begged, needing to get her mind off the hell that was her life.

“I’m sure that would be fine, Buffy, go on ahead. I’ll see you all tomorrow,” he replied, shooing them away politely.

“Come on Wills,” added the slayer, smiling brightly at her best friend, “let’s party.”

“That’s okay, Buff. I think I’ll head home. I’m kinda tired,” she answered beseechingly.

“Are you sure? It’s not the same without you…” she complained.

“I’m sure, go on without me. Have fun,” she demanded gently. The blonde nodded reluctantly and hugged the redhead quickly before running to the double doors. Xander called out a quick goodbye and joined Oz as they left for the Bronze.

Giles looked at the girl, surprised that she didn’t join her friends. He knew they all needed time to relax. He went to question her, but she stopped him with a request.

“Would you mind driving me home, Giles? I just want to rest.” He agreed swiftly, unwilling to let her walk home by herself. Not with Angelus on the loose.
 

~~~*~~~

The drive was quiet and uneventful, which was a welcome change compared to the hectic lives they led. The librarian followed her inside her house, insisting on ensuring her safety. She found his offer absurd but allowed him into her home, knowing he meant well.

He scoured her living room, kitchen, and bedroom. No room was forgotten. Once he finished searching her home, he simply smiled sheepishly and said goodbye, telling her to be safe. She grinned at his overprotective nature; it felt nice, having someone worry about her. She just wanted to stay in tonight, rest and forget how confusing things had gotten. In the past few weeks, Angel had tried to kill them all, Dru suddenly decided to become her friend; she wasn’t sure what else might happen. What else could? Her life couldn’t be much stranger.

She went into the kitchen, opening a couple drawers before finding what she had been looking for. Shuffling through papers, she grabbed a flyer for a local pizza place. She reached for the phone, dialing the number and waiting patiently for someone to answer her call. She ordered a small pizza, just enough for her, and relaxed in her living room. She turned on the TV and fought to stay awake.

It had only been about fifteen minutes when the doorbell rang. Standing, stretching slightly she ambled to the door. She didn’t bother to look out the peephole to check who was there, knowing it had to be her food.

She opened the door and took a step back, gasping at the sight before her. It was her food, alright, but she never expected to find the bleach blonde she feared holding her dinner with a devious grin on his face. She attempted to speak, but couldn’t manage any words. She looked him over; he held the pizza box in one hand, a duffle bag in the other. She noticed the small smudge of what appeared to be blood on the corner of his mouth. Her gaze drifted to the lump on her porch, her eyes widening in fear as she realized it was a body, amazingly he was still breathing. Oh, the poor, poor pizza boy…

Spike sighed as she gawked at him.

“Now luv, let’s be polite here. I come bearing gifts. Invite me in.” She looked at him in shock. “Fine,” he growled, now irritated, “don’t invite me in, I’ll just finish off the boy here and be on my way…”

“Come in!” she ordered frantically, unable to be responsible for that man’s death. Spike smiled smugly and stepped through the threshold. He settled himself on her couch, his smile replaced with a deadly glare. Willow closed the door and hesitantly turned to face the vampire.

“W-What are you doing here, S-Spike?” she stammered.

“It’s like this pet,” he told her matter-of-factly, “I’m pissed and since you’re partly responsible for my increasingly crappy life, I decided you owe me.”

“Owe you?” she questioned, truly perplexed.

“I’m movin’ out; don’t need Dru, or Angelus, and all their sodding baggage. So, I find myself in need of a place to say. You just happen to be the lucky girl who gets to keep me company. So tell me, roomy, where’s my bed?” he demanded, a satisfied smirk across his face.

~Part: 6~

“Huh?” Willow tried, she really did, but she still couldn’t understand what the deadly blonde was doing lounging comfortably in her home. She realized, at Spike’s growl, that she had definitely said the wrong thing. He seemed to be rather irritable and she didn’t help his mood.

“Are you completely daft?” he snarled, “And here I thought you were supposed to be the smart one.”

“I-I’m just trying to figure this out-t…” she managed. She stepped back when he stood abruptly and began to stalk toward her, his face stony. She bit her lip when she felt her back hit the front door. He smiled at how wonderfully trapped she looked as he took his place in front of her, staring down at her menacingly.

“Not much to figure out…” he replied with a smirk. “It’s pretty simple really. I’m moving in. Now we can do this one of two ways. I could kill you, and then take your house. And trust me, luv, the more you talk, the more appealing that is looking. So I suggest you behave. Or I could be the reasonable demon that I am and allow you to live. What will it be?”

“Um, I’ll have to go with the second one.” He smiled, which didn’t settle her frazzled nerves.

“Good choice, pet,” he whispered, his lips hovering above hers. She took a deep breath as he continued to tower above her. Seeing the effect he was having on her, he pulled back with a smug grin. “Where can I put my things?”

She moved quickly, not even looking behind her to see if he was following, knowing he was. She led him upstairs, opening a door to the left of her own and ushering him inside. He surveyed the bedroom, sighing in disgust at the cute little knickknacks that cluttered the shelves and dressers. He despised cute. He glanced at her, his distaste quite obvious.

“Well, it’s not like I knew you were coming,” she complained, “forgive me for not decorating to your liking.” He raised an eyebrow at her outspoken remark, but let it slide, for now.

“It will do,” he shrugged. “Got any heavy blankets, gotta cover the windows. Wouldn’t want to wake up all dusty come morning.”

“Yeah, yeah, wouldn’t want that…” she muttered as she headed to the linen closet, pulling out a couple blankets and returning to the guest room. She practically threw them in his direction and turned to leave. His hard grip on her arm stopped her.

“We have a few rules to discuss before you can leave,” he informed her in a gruff tone. He let her go at her furious nod. “I wager you were itching to tell your little slayer about my visit, and the bitch would undoubtedly try to stake me. Try being the key word. And you wouldn’t want to tell her, pet. I would have to kill her, and then punish you. While I would enjoy that immensely, for your sake, do as I say.” She looked annoyed that he was giving her orders in her own home, but agreed for her safety.

“A-Are we done?” she attempted to be brave. He smiled in a way that wasn’t entirely reassuring.

“For now, I suppose. As long as you keep our dirty little secret,” he told her with amused eyes, “everything will be fine.” His hand left his side to graze her cheek. “You can go now, pet. You’ve been a good little hostess, I’ll be seeing you.” She glared at him before fleeing her house. He chuckled and fell to the bed. She would definitely make for interesting company.
 

~~~*~~~

Drusilla smiled as she placed Marcy gently down, next to her precious Miss Edith. She had been good today; they would have tea and cakes to celebrate. She left her dolls and walked out of her bedroom, ambling about lazily. Angelus was out having his fun so she was on her own. She wondered what Spike was busying himself with. Maybe he could use some company. The poor boy had been lonely as of late.

She opened his door, peeking her head into his room; her smiled falling as she saw that all his things were gone. The bed was made, the room unusually clean. She looked for any sign of him, but all his clothes were gone, his most important possessions vanished. Surely he couldn’t have left. He had no reason to. Daddy was back, and although Spike had been a little down, things weren’t that bad. She thought he would be excited now that things could be like they were before. But she was sadly mistaken, she realized that now. Before, there were four of them, and while she spent a lot of time with her lovely sire, she devoted just as much time to Spike. Darla kept Angelus occupied when Dru needed to be alone with Spike. But now, there were only three, and the boy was the odd one out.

She knew things would get better, the stars promised her as much. But she hoped it happened soon, he didn’t deserve to be ignored. She just wished she knew where he went. Even if he refused to return, she needed to know he was safe. She was tempted to wait for Angelus to return before looking for him, knowing he could find him easily. But she couldn’t simply sit there while he was missing.

She walked purposefully out of his room, stopping in her own and grabbing a long velvet coat before she left the factory. She needed to find Spike.
 

~~~*~~~

Angelus watched with a predator’s eye as the Buffy and that idiot Xander danced in the Bronze. He frowned as he realized that he, the mighty Angelus, the Scourge of Europe, had been reduced to peeking through windows and hiding in dark alleys, all because of a girl. He considered just snapping the slayer’s neck, ending this silly game, but sighed, knowing this would be much more fun. Hopefully.

His countenance brightened considerably when he caught a familiar scent in the breeze before hearing the sound of quick footsteps heading toward the small club. He emerged from the shadows, creeping up behind the girl, and wrapping one hand around her waist while the other found its way covering her mouth. He pulled her roughly with him as he disappeared once again into the nearby alley. He released her waist and pushed her harshly against the brick wall, an arrogant smile crossing his face as he stared into her frightened eyes.

“Willow, Willow,” he said with a shake of his head, “Now what are you doing out here, all alone, knowing the boogey man could get you? Are you becoming careless? Or do you just have a sudden death wish? If so, I’d be more than happy to help,” he offered with a sinister grin.

Too frightened to respond, she merely gazed upon his angelic face with tears in her eyes. She couldn’t believe her night. She just couldn’t get away from all these vampires. She had one in her home, one that constantly wanted to chat, and another whom wanted her dead.

“If you promise not to scream, I’ll move my hand,” he said, almost disappointed that he was telling her not to scream. He so enjoyed terrified pleading. She nodded and his hand slid from her mouth to rest around her neck. “Good girl,” he praised, leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead. “I have so many options; I could kill you now, or take you home with me. A little torture might be in order. It’s been so long since I’ve tortured someone, I miss it,” he added wistfully. “But right now,” he decided, his face becoming distorted, his demon emerging, “I’m feeling a bit hungry,” he growl as he titled her head to the side brutally and prepared to bite her.

He was shoved harshly, releasing his deadly grip on the redhead and hitting the wall across from her, crumbling to the ground. He looked up to see who had stopped him, growling in frustration as he saw Dru, vamped out; protecting the slight hacker.

“Leave, Dru,” he demanded, furious that she dared to stop him.

“No, you do *not* touch her,” she snarled. “She is *mine*. You can’t eat princess’ friends!” He rolled his eyes and stood slowly. He took one last look at his former captive and spun on his heel, ignoring his childe as he stomped away like a petulant child.

“Are you alright, deary?” asked Dru as she went to her side, holding her in a loose embrace. She looked for any damage her sire may have done. Seeing the formation of bruises around her delicate throat she whimpered in sympathy.

“I’m fine,” Willow assured her, touched at her concern, no matter how strange it was that a vampire was caring for her.

“Come now little one, we must get you home,” she said was a determined nod of her head. Willow went to argue, she wasn’t exactly eager to return to her house just to spend the night with Spike. Well, not ‘spend the night’ with Spike, but have him in her house…ugh, she even rambled in her thoughts. She didn’t realize that while she had spent all that time arguing with herself, Dru had already began walking them to her home.

She glanced at the brunette out of the corner of her eye, seeing the distress in her eyes. She wondered what she could be worried about.

“Um, are you okay, Dru? I know it might not be my place…but you look sad,” she stammered.

“It’s sweet that you care, lovey. But I must tell you, I am worried. My poor Spike is missing…I don’t know where he could be,” she sighed sadly. Willow didn’t respond, unsure if she wanted to tell her the vampire’s whereabouts. Spike left Dru and Angelus; he obviously didn’t want them to know where he was.

“This is home, pet,” said Dru, breaking the silence. “Be safe, deary. And don’t worry about my mean old Daddy. I’ll make sure he doesn’t touch you again.”

“T-Thanks,” she muttered, hoping Dru was right. The brunette waited for the tiny redhead to go inside before leaving into the night.

Willow went into her room immediately. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to sleep tonight. Knowing that a vampire was in the next room didn’t give her the warm and fuzzies. She had her back to her door, placing her purse on her bed.

“You didn’t tell her,” stated a deep voice from behind her. She spun, looking at Spike who was sitting at her desk, nonchalantly playing with her picture frames and junk. She glared at him as he made himself at home in her room. He ignored her completely.

“No, I wasn’t sure if you wanted her to know.” He snorted.

“I left to get away from the crazy bint, don’t really fancy her knowing where I am.” He glanced at the girl, seeing her waiting impatiently for him to leave. He smiled and leaned back in her chair, making himself comfortable.

“Aren’t you going to…you know…leave?” she inquired, as she was quite tired and ready to go to bed.

“Nope, luv. Not tired, a bit of a night person, I am,” he answered with a smirk.

“But Spike, I wanna go to bed,” she whined.

“You don’t go to sleep until I’m ready to leave. So I suggest you find a way to entertain me. Why don’t you tell me a bedtime story, my little pet?” She looked at him incredulously but he simply smiled in return.

“Come on now, luv. I won’t wait forever…” she sighed and sat on the edge of her bed, preparing to tell a vampire a freaking bedtime story. This was going to be a long night.

~Part: 7~

Angelus sat quietly in the dark, he didn’t bother turning on a light or lighting any candles, finding them completely unnecessary. He wasn’t in the mood to bother with mundane things. He was too frustrated with his current situation to care. He had a plan, a good plan, well, a decent plan. But everything was steadily going downhill. All he wanted was to kill the damn slayer, maybe a couple of her friends as well, but nothing was working out. He was truly beginning to hate this little town.

He had spent all those years trapped in that cage the soul confined him in. He had been so eager to get out, cause some serious mayhem, revel in the destruction he created, but nothing seemed to satisfy his desires. Pissing off Spike was getting old. Dru was as devoted as ever but it wasn’t as gratifying as it usually was. He found himself feeling lost, nothing seemed to make him feel alive. It was that soul, he decided, it had warped him, screwed him up for the rest of eternity. Tonight was proof of how soft he was becoming.

Dru had the nerve to order him around, tell him what to do. He would have never stood for it in the old days. She was his childe, even if Drusilla claimed the girl, which she hadn’t, he still had right of sire. He didn’t need her permission for anything. But had he said anything, did he show her who was boss? No, he sulked and pouted and left. He had no control over his childer it seemed, all those years without him made them terribly independent. He needed that control, that power, longed for it in fact. He wanted it back, and he was determined to have his way.

He also needed to rethink his plans for the Scooby gang. Messing with little Buffy was as entertaining as usual, but it wasn’t getting anywhere. He could always kill Xander, maybe that would cheer him up. The boy had always been annoying; his death would be a service to community. Then there was the watcher, he was the brains of the operation. All that researching, if he was gone, the group would be lost. And Willow, she was his real problem. She was as vital as Rupert in the research department, was the glue to the little gang. If she was gone, they would be beside themselves in grief. Be he loathed to admit, he wasn’t sure if her death was what he wanted.

Not only would Dru skin him alive for touching her, but he didn’t like the idea of the little hacker six feet under. He always told Spike, if there was one person other than Buffy that he hated, it was the redhead. She was so kind, caring, and compassionate. Unwilling to let even a demon feel ostracized. She always made him a part of the group, pushed him to be happy even when he growled and snapped at her. She accepted him with no conditions. She didn’t look at him and just see a demon; she saw the man she swore was inside somewhere. And for that he longed to punish her, prove to her that there was no man left in him. The soul was gone, but the demon was always in him, just beneath the surface. She was naïve and on the hellmouth that was tantamount to a death wish.

But he was beginning to realize he may have been wrong. She managed to befriend his insane childe, who was very much without a soul. That perplexed him. He had never met a person that saw so much evil in their young lives and yet remained so pure, so unassuming. She intrigued him, which was usually not good news for the subject of his fascination. When he was intrigued, he became absorbed in the object of his amazement, which inevitably led to obsession. And he remembered fondly where that road of obsession usually led. Death was the only possible end, whether it results in the turning of the girl, or just another drained body, the game only ended one way.

He smiled as he let his thoughts wander to the redhead who had him so conflicted. She might make for a fun diversion. Maybe this town wouldn’t be so boring after all. But before he could begin his game, he had childer to put in line. It was time to show them who was truly in charge. He may have been gone for quite sometime, but he still commanded the respect and power he deserved.
 

~~~*~~~

“What kind of story do you want?” Willow mumbled as she glanced at the bleach blonde at her desk. He looked thoughtful for a moment, smiling as he faced her once again. Looking ridiculously pleased with himself, he answered her.

“Tell me about you, Red.” She looked at him suspiciously.

“What about me?”

“I want to know about you, your life. Have any nasty little secrets?” he asked eagerly.

“No, I-I don’t. I’m not that kind of girl. I don’t have secrets. And if I did they definitely wouldn’t be nasty…” she denied.

“Want some? I could help you out in that department…” he offered as she turned bright red, staring at him indignantly.

“No!” she replied, not even wanting to think about Spike and…nasty secrets.

“Come on, luv. You’re not as shy and meek as you seem. I know that for a fact. So, tell me about the real you. You know, the one who lusts after her best friend, the one who hates that daft cheerleader. Tell me about the girl who is tired of standing the slayer’s bloody shadow.”

“How did you know all that?” she asked with narrowed eyes. “I never mentioned that to anyone, well except the Xander part. Almost everyone knows about that. I know you don’t pay close attention to me…”

“Oh, that’s simple. I glanced at your little journal. Let me tell you, fascinating read that was, pet. Full of interesting information on your Scooby gang.”

“You…read…my journal?” she questioned slowly, fury entering her normally timid eyes. He stifled a grin as he saw how upset she was. He knew he was pushing her buttons, loving it in fact. He couldn’t deal with that girl whose poems and sad lamentations he read on her balcony. So instead, he wanted to piss her off. An angry woman was one he could handle. Besides, he was bored, and engaging in a good fight always served to amuse him.

“I have to say,” he continued, “there’s more to you than you let on. I was amazed at the loyalty you have to a group who treats you like crap. They use you shamelessly, ducks, and you seem to keep coming back for more. I’ve never met a person more spineless,” he sneered contemptuously.

“You had no right!” she shouted, jumping up from her bed, “Those were private thoughts! You had no right to read them! And hey, I’m not the spineless one! Must I remind you which one of us is running away from home?! At least I have an excuse. I’m just a teenage girl. You’re supposed to be a big, bad vampire and here you are running from Angelus! Talk about pathetic!”

“Watch your mouth little girl,” he growled warningly, standing and stepping closer to her, his eyes glowing an eerie amber. “Don’t speak about things you couldn’t possibly understand.”

“What’s to understand?” she added, undeterred. “Dru left you for Angelus so you decided to take out your frustrations on me. You know, once I felt sorry for you. You loved Dru and she broke your heart. But now, I get why she did it. You go on and on about how demony you are, but you’re all talk, no action. At least Angelus has a game plan. I’m not saying it’s a good plan, considering I’m on the losing end of said plan, but at least he’s proactive. You’ve spent more time moping and whining about Dru than doing something about getting her back! I’d rather be a doormat than a coward.” He remained unsettlingly quiet before closing the gap between them, his hand wrapped menacingly around her neck. His grip was tight but loose enough to allow her to breathe.

“Oh, I’m a coward, am I? You want action, pet? I could snap your neck like a twig, is that action enough for you?”

“You won’t do it…” she said defiantly.

“Really? How can you be so sure? I’m not like my damn sire. He likes his games. I prefer more direct methods. I would drain you dry in a second, just give me a reason.”

“You’re bluffing. You wanna know how I know?” she taunted bravely. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow, his game face slipping into place. She had to take a deep breath before continuing. “Because you still love Dru, and Dru likes me. You hurt me, and she would hate you.” He smirked at her reasoning.

“Please, Dru has never been particularly good with her human pets. She may like you, but she loves me. She’d get over your death. Hell, wait long enough and I’m sure she’ll be the one to kill you. She does get so bored with her toys.” She began to shake in fear as he drew her against him, knowing he was right. “So why shouldn’t I bite you, put you out of the misery that is your life? I could make it painless…just feelings of pleasure and then darkness. What do you say, luv? Do you want me to kill you?”

“Don’t…please…” she whispered, hating that she was reduced to begging for her life. He grinned in triumph and leaned in closer, his mouth resting by her ear. She shivered in his arms as he nipped at her earlobe. He chuckled and inhaled, loving the scent of her fear.

“Gotta say, Red. I love you like this, so frightened, trembling in my arms. You’re much cuter when you keep your mouth shut. Tends to get you in trouble.” He placed a quick kiss on her neck where her pulse beat erratically before pulling back.

“Get some sleep, my pet. You’ll need it…” he replied cryptically as he released her, allowing her to collapse on her bed. “And thanks for the chat, it was…enthralling. See you tomorrow…” he threw over his shoulder as he went into the guest room, leaving her to her thoughts.

Willow stood slowly, walking to her dresser to grab some pajamas and changed quickly. She slid under the covers of her bed and clutched her pillow tightly. She knew sleep would be elusive as long as the man that threatened to kill her was sleeping in the next room.

~Part: 8~

Willow left in the morning, leaving Spike to sleep away the day in silence. He had barely stifled a laugh at how fast the girl ran out of her own house, on her way to school no doubt. He put a scare in her last night, that was for sure. But what did she expect? He was still a demon, whether he had any intention of killing her or not, she should always fear him. She had pushed him last night, calling him a coward. He was no coward; just because he left Dru and Angelus behind didn’t mean he was running away. He was simply tired of being pushed around and forgotten. He was a master vampire, but when his sire was around, he was barely acknowledged. He claimed this town without the help of Angelus, in spite of him in fact. Then it was forcibly taken from his grasp by his ungrateful sire. And Dru, the woman he had loved for over a century didn’t want him anymore. That was what really hurt.

She didn’t try to hurt him. She made every effort to show him that, although she wanted their sire, he meant a lot to her. But it just wasn’t fair. He had done nothing but worship her. When Angelus had run off, too afraid to face them with a soul, he comforted her broken heart. He had hoped that she would learn to love him like she loved Angelus, would need him like he needed her. But sadly, that never happened. He realized it never would. Even if Angelus hadn’t reappeared, her loyalty would lie with their sire, always. He couldn’t change that, no matter how hard he tried. And he was beginning to realize that maybe that was for the best.

He didn’t want to be second choice. All his life and unlife, he was always second best, never good enough. He was tired of not being appreciated. He deserved better. He wanted someone that belonged to him and only him. Someone who loved him, no one else. But he knew that was easier said than done. He wanted someone who wouldn’t stray, knowing the heartache of betrayal firsthand. But it wouldn’t be simple. Nowadays things were so complicated. He didn’t think he had the energy to start looking for the girl he needed, not knowing where to begin his search.

He sighed in frustration and leaned back, his head sinking onto the pillow below it as his thoughts consumed him. It was still early in the day, so he had time to think, alone. He needed that, a chance to clear his head. Besides, he had plans for tonight. He and the redhead had things to work out tonight. He loved her fear, not able to get enough of the heady scent. But he didn’t want to worry about her suddenly growing a backbone and trying to stake him in his sleep one night, he needed to make a deal with her. He didn’t want to be her friend; after all, he was here for two reasons. One, he needed a place to crash, and two, to piss off the little hacker. But life would become truly boring if she always skittered out of the house every time she saw him. How could he torment the girl if she was no where to be found? So tonight he’d have to charm her into trusting him, which, he thought with a smile, shouldn’t be too hard.

~~~*~~~

Willow walked into the library, her head down from sheer exhaustion. She hadn’t slept much the last night, too afraid that once she had fallen asleep Spike would come in her room and kill her. She was genuinely surprised that the blonde had not left his bedroom once that night, although she had to admit she was relieved.

She stopped mid-stride when she noticed that all talking had come to a sudden halt at her entrance. She frowned as she looked to Xander, whose eyes shifted from her to the floor uncomfortably. He was extremely tense, looking as if he was trying to control himself, to stop himself from lashing out at someone. She couldn’t understand what he was upset about, she hadn’t done anything, well, she didn’t think she had. But another look at him assured he wasn’t mad at her, but what bothered him still eluded her.

She gazed at Buffy and Giles, who had previously been in the midst of a heated discussion, each looking off into space, at anywhere but her. The silence continued and Willow waited for someone to fill her in on what had them so afraid, but no one spoke. Unable to take it anymore, she broke the awkward silence.

“Um, guys, what’s going on?” she asked timidly, unsure if she really wanted the answer. Buffy looked at her, an expression of sorrow and apology on her face. Willow couldn’t figure out what the slayer would apologize for. She had barely seen her, what could she have done that was so bad?

Giles shuffled his feet nervously and pulled a shaking hand from behind his back, a piece of slightly yellowed paper in his grasp. Willow moved closer, taking the paper from him and opening the folded ends. She studied the image of herself as her eyes filled with fear and apprehension. It was a sketch, nothing really new about that. Angelus had been leaving the slayer ‘presents’ ever since his turning. They were usually of her, her mother would occasionally make an appearance, but none of the rest of the gang had been featured as the subject of his sick gifts. Until now.

She reluctantly admitted to herself that it was beautifully drawn, she would have admired it longer if it wasn’t a sign of her possible untimely death. Her hair surrounded her face like a halo, her eyes were closed in peaceful sleep, mouth slightly parted. She trembled, almost laughing at herself. There she was last night, afraid of Spike, who despite his earlier threats had promised not to hurt her. Forgetting that Angelus had an invitation to her home all along. She wasn’t sure when he was there, and she found herself absently wondering how he could have snuck in and not been aware of Spike’s presence. She wasn’t even sure how she didn’t feel him there. Her sleep had been light, preparing herself in case of an attack, but she hadn’t been disturbed at all.

He couldn’t have been in her room, she decided. She would have known. Denial was such a lovely place right now, and she had no desire to face the truth. But why her? Why did he have to pick her? Why not Xander? She scolded herself silently for that thought. She didn’t wish her best friend harm, but she was slightly hysterical and any thought other than that of her new stalker was welcome.

She sat down next to Xander, shaking her head in denial. He reached out, holding her hand firmly in his own, granting her a shaky smile. She returned his smile with one of her own and squeezed his hand tightly.

“Have you found an uninvite spell yet?” she asked quietly. Giles shook his head as he removed his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose in a gesture of frustration.

“Not as of yet. But, I feel I’m close. I wouldn’t worry-”

“You wouldn’t worry!” interrupted a frightened Xander. This was his best friend’s life they were talking about. How could he not worry? “He was in her *room* Giles,”

“He’s been in my room too,” argued Buffy gently, trying to placate him.

“And that makes it better?” he asked incredulously. “You think its okay that your psycho ex is breaking and entering? He could have hurt her, Buffy!”

“But he didn’t,” broke in Giles, “We have to focus on that. You must realize, Xander, he loves to play games. I know it isn’t much comfort, but I do not believe he will hurt her. He has had many chances to harm Buffy, her mother, and Willow. But he hasn’t. He wants us scared. We mustn’t lose our heads. He is waiting for a moment of weakness, and then he will strike. We have to be strong.”

“So what are you saying? We just…shrug and forget it?” he argued. “No, I won’t just sit back and let him hurt her.” He stood, releasing the redhead’s hand as he looked to Buffy. “He’s your responsibility. He was your boyfriend and you always fought with me. Telling me that Angel was good. But look now, he’s stalking all of us, leaving twisted love notes on your bed. He should have never been trusted. He’s a vampire, a demon. I know you tried to ignore that Buffy, but it’s the truth. Because you refused to see the evil in your honey, Wills is in danger. I hope you’re happy…”

“Xander,” Willow stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm. “Stop.” She looked to Buffy sadly, silently apologizing for her friend’s outburst. She led Xander out of the library, knowing emotions were too high to continue their discussion.

Buffy watched with teary eyes as her friends left.

“He’s right,” she muttered. “I killed Angel, and now that monster is threatening my friends. There has to be something I can do.” Giles patted her hand sympathetically.

“Unless you are prepared to kill him, then I’m afraid we are at a standstill.” She nodded and stared at her clasped hands, praying for a solution.
 

~~~*~~~

Angelus shifted in his chair, the sketchpad on his lap moved slightly, but he righted it quickly. He heard Dru moan sleepily as she turned onto her side. Her body was filled with delicious pain, her sire’s earlier punishment for her actions the night before still fresh in her mind. He smirked at her satisfied whimper and returned his focus to the work in front of him.

He absently wondered if the slayer liked his present, knowing his sketch of Willow would hurt her on many levels. It would serve to show the slayer that her friends weren’t safe, even in their own homes. As well, it would infuriate the blonde, although she would never admit it. She would hate that he had spent his nights gazing at her best friend, admiring the redhead instead of herself. Jealousy was a beautiful thing.

His thumb gently smudged a bit of charcoal as he examined the drawing, happy with the results, especially considering he was drawing it from memory; he set down the pad of paper. He tore the sheet away, folding the corners in preparation for the night. He planned on leaving this with Xander. He knew it would kill the boy, knowing his friend was at his mercy.

He grinned as he thought of the game he was beginning. He never visited the redhead the night before, relying on memories of earlier weeks when he watched her intently. He would pay her a visit soon, but he was a bit…busy last night. After all, Dru needed to know she was in no position to make demands on him. He stretched as he sauntered to his bed. Things were going well, but he did have one concern.

Spike was gone. He had noticed the unusual silence in the factory, had managed to question Dru after her punishment. She didn’t know much, only that all his things were gone. She told him the stars wouldn’t tell her more. He growled just thinking about his blonde childe. He would have to up and disappear on him. Now he had to waste time looking for him when he could be taunting the slayer and playing with little Willow. He sighed as he lay next to Dru, pulling her close…what he did for his childer.

~Part: 9~

Willow walked home, not worried about the creatures of the night, considering it was still mid-afternoon. Giles insisted that she take sometime to herself. Buffy and Xander were wary about her staying at home alone, but she promised them she would be fine. She wasn’t worried about Angelus, considering she already had a vampire waiting for her at home. She figured that if she could deal with Spike, she could handle her new stalker.

She pushed open her front door, looking around for her blonde roommate. She shrugged when he failed to appear. She knew he had to be in the house, it was still too light outside for him to leave safely. Dropping her backpack at the foot of the stairs, she climbed them to her room. She stopped outside her door, hearing rustling. She walked in, frowning as she saw Spike sprawled out on her bed, looking entirely too comfortable.

“What are you doing in my room?” she demanded. He grinned.

“Just restin’ a bit. Your bed is more comfortable than mine. Besides, you weren’t supposed to be back yet.”

“Well, I’m back now, so you can get up.” He sighed but made no move to stand.

“It’s time you and I had a talk, pet,” he decided, patting the space on her bed beside him. She glared at him but reluctantly sat next to him. “Now, we need to discuss our little arrangement here. As much as I love it when you cower in fear, it makes for lousy company. So I promise not to kill you and you need to promise to keep me company.” She gave him a look that screamed ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’, but nodded her head.

“Are you done?” she asked tiredly. He raised an eyebrow and nodded. “Good, cause I have some rules of my own.” He chuckled.

“How cute, you want to make rules. Go ahead, luv, I need a good laugh.” She glared at him hatefully but continued.

“I don’t know why you came *here*, after all you don’t know me. But since I am allowing you to stay here,” she ignored his amused smirk, “I…I kinda need your help.”

“My…help?” he questioned, wondering what he could possibly help her with. He was evil; he didn’t do favors for whiny little girls.

“Yes. Um…you hate Angelus, right?” at his bored agreement, she continued, “Well, it seems that he has…taken a liking to me. He left Buffy a sketch of me sleeping. He has an invitation to this house, and we haven’t found a way to revoke it. So, I just…I need you to help me deal with him. I know you don’t want him to know where you are, but if he comes here, he might kill me! And I…”

“You want me to be your personal fangy bodyguard?” he asked incredulously.

“Um, that was kinda the idea,” she replied hesitantly.

“And what am I getting out of this, pet? I left to get away from the wanker. Why would I risk my arse to save *you*?”

“Because…if you don’t…I’ll-I’ll tell Buffy you’re here and she’ll stake you!” she answered triumphantly. His angry growl made her smile falter a bit.

“And how would you do that, Red? I must admit, it’s not the smartest move, to threaten me while you have no one to protect you. You think I’m afraid of your slayer? Think again, luv. And you wouldn’t make it to the phone, let alone the door if you went to tell the bloody slayer about me. You think I’d just let you walk out of here and simply wait for that bitch to come stake me? No, pet. That doesn’t work. I promised not to kill you myself. I can’t help it so many people want to ring your cute little neck. Besides, the poof is just playing a game. I seriously doubt he’s after you. Well, he would kill you in a heartbeat, that’s true, but he’s probably trying to piss off your slayer.” She snorted indelicately and he gave her a questioning look.

“That’s just great. You know, I never asked for my own creepy stalker, and then I get one, and he’s not even stalking me for *me*!” she complained. He was completely confused.

“Um, care to clarify, pet?” She sighed.

“You said it yourself, Spike. He’s only doing this to get to Buffy. What is it about me, huh? Am I so repulsive, so uninteresting that *demons* don’t even want to kill me? If I’m attacked, it’s not because I looked yummy,” he smirked at her ranting, “Noooo…it’s because I’m the slayer’s friend. It’s always about Buffy. Why can’t it ever be about me?”

“So, let me get this straight. You don’t mind demons trying to kill you…as long as it’s not because of your association to the slayer?” he asked, trying in vain to not laugh.

“Yes! Well…no. I don’t want to die. It’s just infuriating. It’s always Buffy…never me,” she replied pitifully. “I mean, when she first moved here, Xander was practically drooling every time she walked by. Then came Angel, and of course he fell in love with her too. Don’t get me wrong, she’s my best friend, but come on?! He’s a *vampire*, she’s a *slayer*. It’s against the laws of nature and he still falls for her! And now, he’s watching me sleep, coming into my room, scaring the crap out of me, just to get to her! What is it about her?” Spike shrugged.

“Don’t know, luv. Don’t particularly care for the chit, myself.”

“I mean,” she continued as if he never spoke, “she’s not incredibly smart, at least in the book sense, she occasionally dresses like a streetwalker, why is she the one who deserves all the attention? I’m so sick of this; I’m tired of always being second place. I’ve been in love with Xander for what feels like forever, but does he care? No, he wants Buffy. Even though Buffy would never think of him like that, he still loves her. He was the one thing, the one person that had always been mine, ever since we were children we were inseparable, and now she’s taken him too,” she added sadly, sniffling slightly as she thought of the boy. “I hate unrequited love, oh he cares for me, but if Buffy asked for him, he’d leave me in heartbeat. I’ll never be enough, I guess…”

Spike shifted uncomfortably, sitting up straighter as he listened to her pained monologue. Her words were beginning to hit a little too close to home. Everything she was saying, about being second best, never being enough, unrequited love, rang true in his ears. He found himself sympathizing with the poor girl in front of him. He hated that she had the ability to make him…feel. But she was so depressed, so sure that no one, not even a demon would touch her unless it was to make the slayer pay.

The worst part of it was she was probably right. Not that she was repulsive and uninteresting, but that she was constantly being used, by evil and good alike, because she mattered to the slayer. She was never the prey, she was the pawn. The demonic community targeted her not because she posed any sort of threat, but because it would cause the slayer pain. He had to admit he was guilty of that as well. Before now, before Dru first spoke of her, he only thought of her as one of the slayer’s groupies. In fact he had plans to kill her as well, but then things had gotten all mucked up. And now it appeared that Angelus was out to hurt the redhead. That thought didn’t sit well with him. He was the one that wanted to be responsible for her pain. Of course that git had to go and try to ruin his plans. But he felt he had every right to the girl. Angelus was just using her, but he, he wasn’t playing with her to hurt the slayer. He had his own reasons for wanting her to suffer. Causing that bitch pain was a nice bonus though.

“It’s not you, pet,” he mumbled. She looked up at him sharply, confusion etched across her face. “There’s nothin’ wrong with you. But you can’t expect people to take notice of ya if you’re always standing in Slutty’s shadow. As for the demons, it can’t be helped. It’s not just you; they would readily kill Xapper or the watcher to hurt her. You just tend to be the main target, I think, because we’d rather play with you than the boy or the librarian. You might consider that a compliment,” she looked totally unimpressed. “Or not, I don’t care.”

“Whatever,” she sighed, moving to get a little more comfortable, not paying attention to her close proximity to the vampire also sitting on her bed. “Never mind, I don’t need your help. Forget I asked. Feel free to use me for my house, you wouldn’t be the first.”

“Oh bloody hell, luv. I’ll do it!” he groaned, kicking himself for willingly helping her.

“Really?” she asked shyly, looking up at him from under her lashes. He reached out, tucking her hair behind her ear, allowing her fingers to casually brush along her cheek.

“Yeah, pet. I’ll be your knight in tarnished armor.”

“Oh! Spike thank you! I-”

“I wasn’t finished, Red,” he interrupted her, his hand gripping her chin lightly. She nodded tentatively, silently waiting for him to continue. He grinned as an interesting plan came to him. He had a way to help the girl in front of him, and he could definitely have some fun. “I’ll help you with your little Angelus problem, and help you break out of your shell a bit. But you have to do something for me.”

She looked at him suspiciously, remembering he was a demon and not to be trusted. “But, I’m already letting you stay here…”

“And I thank you for that,” he answered sarcastically. “But I’m afraid that’s just not payment enough,” he sighed in mock sadness.

“Fine, Spike. What do you want?” she relented. He smiled wolfishly and leaned closer to her.

“A kiss.”

~Part: 10~

“Excuse me?!” screeched Willow as she jumped away from, nearly falling off the bed, the only thing keeping her from hitting the ground were Spike’s arms that found themselves around her waist.

“Come on, luv. You owe me, for helping you. I’m not a bloody saint, you know,” he sighed.

“But…but kiss you?!” she asked, her eyes wide. He chuckled at her ‘deer-in-headlights’ expression.

“Like you haven’t wanted to. I’ve seen you…checking me out. You can’t resist me, pet,” he replied with a smug grin.

“I have not!” she denied, her face flaming red. “A-And you are *very* resistible! Don’t flatter yourself!”

“I don’t work for free, ducks. You want my protection, I want payment.” She scrambled out of his embrace and stood next to the bed, Spike was sprawled out, amusement clear on his face.

“You h-haven’t done anything! I’ll, uh…pay you, when you actually *do* something for me!” He rose from the bed with grace, stalking her nervous form as she continued to walk backwards to avoid him.

“Oh, but luv, there’s so much I *could* do for you…to you. And you’d love every minute of it,” he drawled confidently.

“N-No…there’s nothing I want-t you to do to m-me,” she mumbled, hoping he would let this go. Maybe they could just forget this entire conversation ever happened. He could go…away, anywhere but near her, and she could run to Buffy’s and pretend he hadn’t been this close, saying those things. That would be much safer for all.

She cringed when her back hit the wall and hated the triumphant gleam in his eyes. He continued to approach her, finally stopping when he stood directly in front of her. Her eyes dropped from his, deciding to focus on his chest instead of those blue eyes she could drown in. She silently groaned when she realized that staring at his chest wasn’t the best idea. The man could do wonders for a t-shirt.

He ducked his head down, his lips grazing hers as he spoke.

“You need me, need my help. Otherwise…you might be eaten up by the big bad wolf,” he muttered as he bit down lightly on her bottom lip. “Wouldn’t want that, pet, would we?”

“N-No,” she agreed in a breathy voice, barely able to think.

“So, let me help you…all you have to do is say yes…” he said as he pressed himself closer to her, knowing she was close to giving in.

“…yes-s…” she sighed, but was unable to finish speaking as his mouth covered hers in a hard, possessive kiss that stole vital breath from her lips.

He pulled away when he noticed her struggle for air. It had been quite some time since he’d played with a human. He forgot their pesky need to breathe, highly overrated, that is. He grinned as he took in her flushed face, her reddened, slightly parted lips, and the look of confusion and lust in her eyes. Perfect.

Willow leaned against Spike’s strong form, unprepared for all the sensations he just created. She knew she was in over her head with this one. She nearly fell as he abruptly moved away, leaving a wide gap between them all of the sudden. She grasped at the wall behind her in an effort to remain vertical.

She focused once again on the blonde as he slowly made his way to her door. The vampire took one quick look out of her window, checking for any of the sun’s deadly rays. Smiling as he realized the sun had finally set, he turned to face the redhead before he left.

“You’ve got a deal, luv. And thanks, it’s been so long since I’ve had a decent snog,” he added snidely as he strode out of her room and away from her house, needing a good fight and to feed. He grinned as he looked to the moon, things were looking up.

Willow simply stood in shock, partly from her own actions, partly from his. She finally pushed herself away from the wall, shaking her head in disbelief as she grabbed her jacket, deciding to go for a walk, hoping to quiet her thoughts. She sighed as she walked away.

“Damn stupid vampires…”
 

~~~*~~~

“So…” drawled Xander as he read from his Algebra book, attempting to help Buffy with her homework while they experienced a rare moment of lack of researching. “2*x=11*y. If y=2, then what is x?”

“Um, an extremely underused letter of the alphabet?” the blonde squeaked.

“Two,” answered an amused voice from the doors of the library, “x equals two, Buffy.”

“Wills!” the slayer said happily, “I thought you were at home, resting like Giles ordered.”

“I was, but it was…quiet. I didn’t feel like staying all by myself, you know?”

“Well, the more the merrier,” added the brunette as he pushed the book away from him in obvious detest.

“It isn’t the same without you,” assured Buffy as Willow took a seat next to her.

“It’s good to know I was missed,” the redhead declared with a slight smile. “Where’s Giles?”

“The stacks, looking for something. I’m not sure what, it had a really long name, plus I don’t think it was in English.” The hacker laughed at the exasperated look on her friend’s face as the slayer returned to her homework.

She surveyed the room, smiling at her two best friends. This was normal, this she could handle.

~~~*~~~

The French doors opened with a little creak but the vampire paid the noise no mind. He knew that the redheaded occupant was no where near her home right now. He sensed no heartbeats, saw no lights on. He had no worries of being interrupted.

Angelus shut the door firmly behind him and switched on a lamp so as to see better, although his night vision was enviable. He grimaced as he saw all the pink and stuffed animals that cluttered the very girly bedroom he entered.

So this was little Willow’s room, how…nauseating. He scanned the top of her desk, frowning as he only saw stacks of homework and schoolbooks. She desperately needed a life, he decided. He opened a few drawers, hoping to learn more about the girl that had him captivated.

He pulled out a plain notebook, skimming the pages with a smirk. So little Red was a poet, eh? Reminded him of his boy, it did. All sad and weak. She’d be a fun one to break, especially if she was anything like Spike. The blonde was always so fun to torture. Throwing the book back into the drawer in disgust, he continued his perusal.

Pictures, she had tons of pictures. The slayer, the idiot, some kid whom he’d never seen before, they all covered every available surface. He ignored them, not caring at all about the people in those photos. He opened a dresser drawer and reached inside before growling and recoiling in pain. He held his seared hand to his chest, silently berating himself. She was a slayerette after all, of course she kept a cross and holy water in her underwear drawer.

He spent twenty minutes searching, observing. It amused him to no end how childlike she was, especially after she had seen so many horrific things, she still was as innocent as the driven snow.

His eyes caught a glimmer of shining glass from the corner of his eye. Smiling slightly as he found the perfect present for his Red. Just a little something to say that he’d been there. He eyed the fish tank with predatory interest, yes; her pet fish strung and gutted would make a lovely gift.

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