Devotion & Destiny

Author: Jami

Parts: 11 - 20

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~Part: 11~

Willow walked nervously toward her home, glancing occasionally at Buffy and Cordelia as they neared her house. Giles had miraculously found an uninvite spell, which was a good thing in theory, but considering Buffy was currently headed toward her home where Spike was possibly lounging, there could be serious trouble. She picked up her step and walked inside her house, smiling slightly when she saw there was no one downstairs. She loudly invited her friend.and Cordelia, inside, making sure that if Spike was still upstairs; he could get out before the slayer knew any better. Buffy looked at the redhead curiously, knowing something was off but shrugged and followed her upstairs.

Willow was relieved when she finally figured out that the bleach blonde was no where to be found. The three girls went into her bedroom and Buffy immediately went towards the French doors, preparing to nail a crucifix to the middle of the wall.

"No!" Willow shrieked before her friend could bring down the hammer. At Buffy's curious look she ran to the blonde, gently pulling her closer to the doors where the curtains lay. "Put the cross behind the curtain," she said slowly, "trust me, my dad would freak if he found out his only, Jewish daughter was nailing crucifixes to the wall!" Buffy smiled understandingly and went to work.

The amateur witch prepared the smell, mixing the necessary herbs and setting them aflame. Cordelia merely looked around her room in partial disgust and disinterest. The redhead recited the words on the paper; the language used giving her no clue as to what she was truly saying. Buffy finished her job, looking approvingly at her work and moving the curtain to cover the cross so that Willow wouldn't get in trouble, even though her dad wasn't even in town. One could never be too safe, especially on the hellmouth.

Finishing her chanting, Willow blew out the candle next to her and sighed. She stood, stretching her tired limbs. Out of the corner of her eye, see saw an off-white envelope sitting on her bed. She frowned as she walked toward it, the slayer following her curiously as she too wondered what could possibly be in it. If it was yet another 'present' from Angelus, then it simply proved that they found the uninvite spell with no time to spare.

Opening it cautiously, she peered into the folded paper, unable to make out what was inside. Reaching into it, her fingers found a fine string and she pulled it slowly out of the envelope. Buffy's eyes widened at Willow's soft gasp as the redhead revealed her pet fish, gutted and strung on fishing line as a gift. She dropped it unceremoniously to the floor, disgusted and appalled. The slayer moved to pick them up and placed them back into the envelope, preparing to throw them away so the girl didn't have to look at them anymore. Cordelia's questioning comment was the only thing to break the disturbing silence.

"Uh, Willow? You *do* realize there are no fish in your fish tank?" The witch merely whimpered and lowered her head.

"Cordelia?" Buffy stepped in, "You know, you can leave now. We did your car already." The brunette shrugged and Buffy turned to her friend, ready to console her. The redhead smiled indulgently and stopped her.

"I'm fine, Buffy. Why don't you go with Cordy?"

"Are you sure?" she asked, obviously concerned about her friend's well-being.

"Yeah. He can't get in here. I'll be okay; it was just a bit.scary. I'm okay now. Go," she shooed them and Cordelia was all too happy to leave, not even offering a goodbye.

Willow sighed and sat uncomfortably in her desk chair, just letting her mind wander. Well, now she had definite proof that Angelus had at least been in her room once, knowing him it was probably more but she didn't want to know. Well, that wasn't a concern anymore. He was officially uninvited. No more secret nightly visits for Angelus, which was perfectly fine with her. He was still a problem, of course. Just because he couldn't sneak into their houses didn't mean he wouldn't cause anymore trouble. But at least they had one less thing to worry about.

She thought back to the one vampire that was still very much a problem. Spike. Maybe she could call off their deal now that he couldn't enter her home anymore. But she had a sinking feeling he would ignore any attempt to dissolve their tentative arrangement. It was too much fun for him. He had a slayerette under his control. She owed him, in his mind, even though he hadn't actually *done* anything yet, and she knew he would take advantage of that. Well, she could hope for the best and pray that maybe Spike would just.disappear. Although she would miss having a houseguest. Not that he was really sociable, heck, he wasn't even nice half the time, but still, it was better than being alone.

Standing, she left her room, needing to take sometime to herself, just to relax. She went downstairs and perused her bookshelf, finally settling on a copy of Pride and Prejudice and curling up in her comfortable recliner.

It had been about forty minutes since she sat down. She glanced at her watch, seeing that it was a little after eleven now. She debated going to bed, but decided to stay up a little longer, it's not like she would get to sleep anyway. She frowned as she heard loud footsteps pounding on her porch. Great, Spike was home, lucky her. She was secretly hoping he would stay out later; he was a vampire after all. But she figured he was only coming home early so he could spend some quality time bugging the hell out of her. Well, she wouldn't let him get to her. He may be a killer, but she refused to act frightened anymore. He wouldn't hurt her, he was just pissed off at the world she was the lucky girl he decided to take it out on. And there would be no more kissing of Spike. Not that it was a bad experience. Just the opposite. He was good.really good. That was the problem. She had a hard time thinking when he did that, let alone staying mad at him. She hated the idea that something so small could make her lose her cool. Just for that, she wouldn't let him get anywhere near her. She nodded decisively to herself, although she knew that if the opportunity presented itself again, she wouldn't mind kissing him. But she had to be strong. No lusty thoughts about Spike.

The front door swung open and the redhead looked up with her eyes only as Spike strode inside, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier. Her eyes widened in surprise. She completely forgot! Doing the uninvite spell, her main concern was Angelus. She didn't even think of what effect it might have on Spike's invitation. Her mouth hung open as she took in this new piece of information. Her eyes darted to his when she heard his low growl.

Spike was looking decidedly pissed. His human visage had given way to his demonic face as he stared angrily at the redhead before him. He didn't know how she did it, but he was now stuck outside, which was most definitely *not* where he wanted to be!

"What did you do?" he growled lowly, accenting each word as he tried to reign in his anger. She opened and closed her mouth a couple times before shaking herself. What was she worried about? It's not like he could get to her, and she was not about to step outside.

"Um, well, see.it's a funny story actually," she began but he didn't find it so amusing.

"Really, pet? I'm not laughing. Now, What. Did. You. Do?!" he demanded.

"Giles found a spell! To uninvite Angelus! I swear, I didn't even think about whether it would affect you! We just wanted Angelus out of our homes. I didn't mean to, I promise."

"Well then, luv, invite me in. Then we can forget about your little.mistake," he said reasonably. Well, it sounded reasonable to him.

"I-I think not!" she replied emphatically, her outburst surprising him. "I mean, you can't threaten me! You won't be able to get inside!" she announced triumphantly before walking purposefully upstairs. His eyes followed her in shock as she turned her back to him and just walked away.

She returned a moment later with his worn suitcase. She carelessly threw the luggage out the door, to lie at his feet.

"Goodnight Spike," she said sharply, "now get off my porch." She amazed herself at how brave she was acting. In reality, even though she knew he couldn't reach her, she was still a bit terrified. He was mad, really mad. And he may not be able to get inside her house; he would still be able to get her. She was safe as houses as long as she *actually* stayed in her house. But when she left her home, she would be up for grabs, so to speak.

"You ungrateful little bitch! I helped you, protected you." he shouted, not caring if he drew attention from the neighbors.

"You've done *nothing* for me! You've threatened me, and tried to kill me, a-and kissed me, but you sure haven't helped or protected me! I'm not ungrateful; I just don't have a death wish! You're a vampire! You think I wanted a mass murder sleeping in the room next to mine?!"

"No, you wanted me sleeping in *your* room," he replied with a smug smirk. "I'm giving you one last chance. Let me in, or you will be in *serious* trouble. You don't want to be on my bad side, pet. You wouldn't survive it," he warned darkly. Her confidence seemed to falter a bit but she soon straightened and walked slowly to the front door. She studied him for a minute before reaching for the door and slamming it harshly in his face.

"Can't say I didn't warn you." he mumbled as he hastily grabbed his things and went in search of a place to crash for the night.

~Part: 12~

Willow felt good, really good actually. Her little spell to ensure her safety in her home from Angelus had worked out better than she had expected. Now she didn’t have to worry about the dark vampire sneaking in and spying on her, or worse. Plus she no longer had to deal with her creepy houseguest. Spike was officially out of her home and she couldn’t help but be relieved. She reluctantly had to admit that the house would be sadly quiet without him, but she no longer had to fear his volatile temper and homicidal tendencies. Maybe she could finally have a decent nights sleep.

There was only one thing that still bothered her. Spike was mad, actually, he was quite pissed. An angry Spike is one she didn’t want to deal with. He wasn’t going to let her little outburst slide either, she was sure of it. She knew she had to be extra careful at night now. Not only was Angelus out for blood, but now Spike would be gunning to kill her as well, not that he didn’t want her dead before, but now he had a real reason to hate her. It seemed that the only vampire she didn’t have to worry about was Drusilla, which still seemed strange to her. But unfortunately, even Dru’s protection wouldn’t save her from an irate Spike.

So it was decided, she would only go out at night with an escort, whether it was Buffy or Giles, even Xander would be better than nothing. At least she still had the days to herself. She shook herself out of her stupor, realizing that she was still leaning on her front door after slamming it in Spike’s face. She wouldn’t forget the look on his face anytime soon, an amusing mixture of anger, disbelief, and promise of retribution. It wasn’t everyday she got to shock anyone, let alone a demon that had to have seen everything. Smiling to herself, she pushed herself away from the door and she walked calmly to the stairs, ready finally to go to bed. She never heard Spike’s muttered warning as she settled in for the night.

~~~*~~~

Drusilla slowly twirled in dizzying circles, Miss Edith firmly in her grasp. So much was going on, good and bad, sad and exalting, all intertwined. A ghost of a smile appeared on her face as she listened to her precious stars, knowing they would never lie to her. Still, she found her happiness fleeting as she looked around the empty factory which usually held her beloved sire and brother. Neither were home, Spike had vanished a few days before and had remained out of sight, and Angelus was out to feed and play, without her.

She hated this feeling, loathed being alone. But Spike obviously didn’t want to be found, which she knew was partially her fault. He still didn’t understand, they could never work, even without their sire in the picture. She was meant for someone else, her sire; he too had another destined for him. Unfortunately the silly boy refused to see past the present, through the pain he was feeling. If only he would open his eyes, his princess was right under his nose. But William had always been such a stubborn boy, it would take time, but things will eventually be righted.

Thinking of the darling girl that was born for Spike, she smiled. Maybe she wouldn’t mind company tonight. Dru would love to have someone to talk to, but she frowned as Miss Edith told her that the dear needed to be alone. Oh well, maybe another night. She could have a nice talk with her Willow-mine another night.

~~~*~~~

Spike had finally found a suitable place to stay. It was a nice little one-story home a few blocks away from Willow’s house, and lucky for him the owners had just recently passed away. He grinned to himself as he thought of how recently the young couple had passed, oh, only about ten minutes ago, but what fun that was. He was in desperate need for some violence after leaving the redhead who infuriated him so.

He found the master bedroom quickly, throwing his things onto the bed before turning and leaving to explore his new home. Not too bad, he decided, it would do. His eyes lit up when he spotted a small, but well-stocked, wet bar in the corner of the rather spacious den. A drink sounded absolutely heavenly about now.

Dropping onto the cushioned barstool, he poured himself some scotch and downed it swiftly. His eyes glazed over as he thought of all he had been through that brought him here, in some random citizen’s house, nursing a drink, and lamenting about his screwed up unlife. He snorted as he threw back another shot, deciding he was done with women. They were bound and determined to ruin his life, so he was finished.

First there was Cecily, snotty, daft bint that she was. It was all her fault; he would have never become a demon, never met Drusilla, if it wasn’t for her. He wouldn’t be stuck in this one-horse town, alone and depressed if she hadn’t pushed him away. But in her eyes, he wasn’t good enough for her. He wasn’t rich, but he felt that he truly loved her. He thought that would be enough, but he was mistaken. She hated him, despised him, said he was beneath her. Bitch.

Then of course there was Dru, his insane Goddess. He loved her for over a century, and what did that get him? Nothing. The minute their sire comes sauntering back, he was left in the dust. Did he mean so little to her? He doubted she missed him, that’s if she even noticed he was gone. He saved her unlife countless times, worshipped her, made her strong. Then she just cast him aside when Angelus returned. She promised him forever, but he wasn’t enough for her either. He wasn’t Angelus.

Because of her he came to the hellmouth, where the bloody slayer continued to be a thorn in his side. Buffy, she was supposed to be his third slayer. But that bint had always escaped his grasp. Mostly because he was too busy worrying about taking care of Dru to focus on the slayer. Plus she had that pesky little group of misfits. A slayer with friends, that wasn’t in the brochure. But no, things never go as he planned. The damn slayer was still breathing, as were her little friends.

And that brought him to the latest woman responsible for his latest bit of turmoil. Willow, the slayer’s pet, the mousy best friend. It was his own fault really. He went to her, but he had a plan, one that was rather well thought out and that he found amusing. Of course she had to mess that up. Sure, he had managed to receive a reluctant invitation to her home, got to play with the chit, mess with her head. But she had one-upped him, and he didn’t like it. She was nothing more than sixteen or seventeen years-old and she had outsmarted him. But she wouldn’t get the last laugh. He wouldn’t stand for it. He wasn’t about to be bested by some little girl. He was William the Bloody, Spike, half the Scourge of Europe, slayer of slayers. He was to be feared and respected, not pushed around by a child. She wouldn’t know what hit her, he thought with a sadistic grin.

She would pay for her treatment of him. Plus he’d hurt the slayer as well. He may not be able to get to the blonde directly, but torturing her best friend would just kill her. Willow would learn that he was not one to let things slide. She didn’t take him seriously, didn’t see him as a threat, all because he had promised not to kill her. Well, there are worse fates than death, besides, their deal was over, she made sure of it. All gloves were off. He smirked as he abandoned the shot glass and drank straight from the bottle. Yeah, the little redhead would pay. Might piss off Dru, too. The vampiress had some strange attachment to the stupid girl, which was more of an incentive than a deterrent. He’d show them all.

He’d teach them to underestimate him. The slayer would see how dangerous of an opponent he truly was. Dru would see that he was every bit the demon their sire was. And Willow, she’d learn not to betray him. He had enough of that in his unlife. Besides, it might be therapeutic. The hacker reminded him so much of his human self. Maybe a little torture would help him exercise some personal demons of his own.

He debated how he wanted to go about this. Pain was inevitable, but he hadn’t decided her fate. He knew it would hurt the slayer the most to see her best friend as a vampire, a soulless demon. But he wasn’t really sure he wanted the little backstabber around for all eternity. He could just kill her, but if he did, it wouldn’t be for quite sometime. He wanted to take it slowly. He didn’t just want to hurt her, he wanted to break her. He wasn’t about to go as for as Angelus did with Drusilla. He may have loved the bint but he had enough of crazy to last him the rest of eternity. No, she would be an example. Flesh and blood proof of how powerful, how fiendish he really was.

Mostly he just wanted her to scream. He wanted her to beg him to stop, to forgive her for her betrayal, as he saw it. She’d learn, when he was finished with her she would never disrespect him ever again. He’d wipe that smug, superior smile off her face. He remembered the looks she gave him that night. She thought she was better than him, but he’d show her otherwise. He wasn’t beneath her, wasn’t beneath any of them. He wasn’t that pathetic, sad poet anymore, hadn’t been for over a century.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he realized that his bottle was empty. He growled, his anger, annoyance, and unrestrained emotions causing his face to shift, his handsome face transforming into that of his demon as he hurled the glass, watching as it hit the wall and shattered into thousands of pieces. He smiled through his fangs as he observed his destruction. He sauntered toward the mess, examining the bits and pieces that littered the floor, the bottle broken destroyed and impossible to put back together.

“Yeah…” he mumbled to himself, his speech slurring only slightly as he stalked away from the bar, “gonna make her pay…break her…show her I’m no fool…she can’t hurt me…not beneath her…thinks Angelus is scary, she hasn’t seen nothing yet…can’t wait to hear her scream…”

~Part: 13~

Willow groaned as she heard her alarm clock go off. She was usually a morning person, but today she just couldn’t act so perky. She was tired, that spell the night before took a lot out of her, add that to the confrontation she and Spike had and it all called for a tiring night. She smiled slightly as she stretched at the realization that whatever messed up deal she had with the vampire was through. She had no doubts that he would retaliate. Spike wasn’t one to take such acts of defiance lightly. But she was sure that she could protect herself from any possible recourse. She didn’t have a particularly detailed plan, more like an idea. She would stay with Buffy whenever she left anyplace at night, or anyone else that could escort her. She wasn’t really worried about any confrontations at the Bronze, it was just too public a place and the slayer would be mere feet away. Other than that, she would simply remain in the safe confines of her house. All in all, she was quite confident.

Feeling a little better, she slid out of bed and grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt as she left to shower. About twenty minutes later she slipped out of the bathroom, fully dressed, hair still dripping slightly from the water. She glanced at her clock, frowning as she realized it was getting late. Sighing, she decided to brush her long red hair into a ponytail. She walked into the hallway, pausing as she noticed how dark the guest room was. Remembering that she had put blankets over the windows to protect Spike, she went inside, making quick work of the fabric and tossing it into the linen closet before going downstairs. She decided to forego breakfast, grabbing an apple instead as she walked out the front door. It would be a good day.

“Will!” she heard a voice call from behind her as she put some of her books into her locker. Turning in a half-circle, she smiled as she saw Buffy run to her. “Hey Will,” the blonde greeted with a soft smile.

“Hi, Buff,” Willow replied, closing her locker and following the slayer as they walked to the library.

“How are you doing? I mean, considering your fish, and all…” asked Buffy, concerned about her friend’s well-being. She knew Angelus could have done something much worse than gut and string up the hacker’s fish, but still, it was disconcerting.

“I’m okay, Buffy. Really,” she promised, happy that her friend was worried about how she was. “Angel can’t get inside my house anymore, so that’s good. It was just…surprising, didn’t really expect to find a ‘present’ like that, you know? Makes me glad my parents didn’t let me have a puppy,” she added, a frown marring her face. She didn’t like the mental picture that accompanied that thought.

“Have to agree with you there, Wills,” answered the slayer with a nod. “I just…I wish we could find a way to bring Angel back. When a thing like that happens, my first instinct is still to run to Angel,” she remarked sadly, her eyes falling to the floor beneath her.

“Don’t worry, Buffy. We’ll find a way,” the redhead assured her. “I just know it. Just wait, things will be okay.”

“I wish I could be as positive as you are, Wills,” Buffy responded with a forced smile, pushing the troubling thoughts of Angel away, determined to have a decent day.

~~~*~~~

Angelus scowled as he lay in his bed. He stared at the ceiling above him, unable to sleep through the day. When he had returned home early that morning, he had pushed Drusilla away, too angry to deal with his childe right then. He simply couldn’t believe that all his plans for the slayer and her gang were shot because a little apprentice witch.

He had left the night before a little after sundown. He did a little lurking, fed relatively quickly before stopping by Willow’s house. After snooping a bit, he eagerly strung up her fish, leaving them in an envelope for her to find before he left once again. He went hunting for awhile, enjoying the chase thoroughly before feeding. He then decided to stop by Buffy’s house, maybe pay her mom a visit. Needless to say, he was in for a rude awakening when he reached her home, having every intention of slipping in the front door. Instead he found himself running straight into the invisible barrier that blocked his entrance. He snarled as he saw Buffy saunter up to him with a slight smirk on her pretty face as she informed him they had ‘changed the locks’ before promptly slamming the door in face.

He couldn’t believe they actually found a spell to reverse his invitation. He was so sure that one didn’t exist. And the witch, little Willow, she had surprised. She was very thorough. He knew she uninvited him from not only Buffy’s house, but also her own. He couldn’t help the sly grin that spread across his face at the thoughts of the punishments she would receive when he got his hands on her. His naughty little witch was really in for it.

It amused him to no end that they all thought that the spell would stop him. Sure, it put a kink in his plans, but by no means was he finished with them. It only made the game more interesting, upped the stakes a bit. He always did like a good game and the witch had just raised the bar. He was definitely looking forward to playing.

But he was still quite angry. He was confident that he would still win this little battle of wills, but he wasn’t happy that he had been forced change his plans. He hated making changes. When he made a plan, he put a lot of thought into it, already knew the outcomes, so it made it him frustrated when some little girl messed with his stratagem.

So he found himself alone, glaring at the ceiling, silently cursing those do-gooders that were determined to ruin his fun. He was beginning to really hate the daytime. He became antsy, felt caged, and if there was one thing Angelus hated, it was feeling caged. All those years of being confined in that pathetic prison the soul created had caused him to fear restricting spaces. It made him feel imprisoned. He consciously fought down the feeling of irritability as he lay there. There was nothing he could do now. Besides, he needed some sleep, not much, but some so he could function when the night came. He couldn’t let Willow get away with outsmarting him. He’d show them, they weren’t the only ones that could play games.

He sighed as he turned on his side. The scowl soon left his angelic face, a half-smile replacing it. Maybe this would be a cure for his increasing boredom.

~~~*~~~

Spike wasn’t ready to go to bed yet. He spent most of the night before getting pretty smashed, but an advantage of being a vampire was healing, of course. He could feel himself sobering up and didn’t fight it. He raided most of the liquor stash in the house last night, so there wasn’t much left to drink as it was. Besides, he was tired of feeling sorry for himself. Sure, things hadn’t been going well the past couple months, but that would change soon. He was done trying to impress others.

He no longer cared about Dru’s opinions, he didn’t need or want her approval or love. And Angelus could go straight to hell for all he cared. Nope, he was finally an independent demon. He’d come and go as he pleased. Kill who he wanted, shag who he wanted, and nobody could stop him. There was only one problem. There was only one person he wanted, only one who filled him with combined feelings of anger, fury, lust, and admiration. But he couldn’t want her, it wasn’t possible. It had to be the alcohol talking.

But he couldn’t get the redhead out of his mind. He had to admit, albeit reluctantly, that he admired her spirit, the way she fought him even with threats she knew he could very well carry out. Even when he was inside her house, standing merely a few feet away, she was afraid, but pushed it aside. Willow had the nerve to tell him off, yell at him for reading her journal. She was either really brave, or really stupid, right now he couldn’t tell which. And the night before, the chit actually slammed the door in his face.

That was all he thought about. That and the kiss. He had been around for over a century and it took a lot to impress him, but that tiny girl definitely made an impression. She was such a contradiction. At one moment she could be meek and scared, at another she could be fiery and obstinate. Confused the hell out of him, that did. He liked it when he could predict what people were going to do. It made things easier. Mortals were usually quite easy to figure out, then you simply use their weaknesses against them and sit back and watch them break. But no, that girl had to be one of those complicated ones. Just his luck.

So he was at a crossroads of sorts. Right now he wanted nothing more than to hurt her for treating him like she did. For forgetting that he was a demon to be feared and respected and as such deserving of much better treatment. He wanted her to pay. Wanted to show her exactly how he got his nickname. Show her why he was one of the most feared vampires in all of history. He was one half of the infamous Scourge of Europe. He demanded to be feared.

But at the same time, he remembered how it felt with her in his arms, how her lips felt against his. He admired the way she stood up to him that night. Couldn’t get the way she looked, all determined and bloody beautiful, as she threw his things at him and slammed the door in his face. Damn it, why did she have to get to him like that?

He grunted as he stumbled into the living room and fell into a nearby armchair. He searched his duster pockets, patting them down until he found his cigarettes. Taking one out, he lit it and took a deep breath, sighing as he inhaled the soothing nicotine. He would try to get some sleep that day, he hoped he would wake up with a couple answers. He hated no being in control, hated feeling so unsure.

~Part: 14~

Willow was feeling decidedly uneasy. It had been nearly a week since the Angelus/fish incident and the subsequent fight with Spike. Things had been quiet, almost normal for the hellmouth, and that’s what unnerved her. If there was ever a time where their lives should be abnormally chaotic, it was now. And yet, nothing. Buffy had no sightings of her ex, Drusilla had made no appearances as well, but that wasn’t really surprising. Angelus and Spike seemed to like making their presence known; Dru was a bit more subtle, not much, but still. And Spike, he had practically disappeared. There was absolutely no sign of him. Buffy hadn’t seen him on her nightly patrols; none of them have received any of the usual death threats and taunts from the blonde vampire. Something was wrong. He was in no way a patient demon, so it bothered her that he remained so elusive. When villains hide away, that usually means their plotting. And plotting was *never* a good thing.

It didn’t make any sense to her. Angelus was the planner, the game player. Spike was direct. If he wanted you dead, he would kill you, simple as that. He seemed to be beyond the theatrics that his sire so enjoyed. So if he *wasn’t* spending his time thinking of some evil revenge scheme, then what was he doing? She knew he was depressed. He would never admit it, of course, his pride and all. But the entire situation with Dru was hurting him. She couldn’t help but feel bad for him.

She shook her head, silently lecturing herself as she sat on her living room couch, trying to watch an episode of ‘Biography’. It was about Bela Lugosi, Dracula himself, how oddly appropriate. She allowed her mind to drift back to Spike. She felt for him, but she didn’t want to. He was the enemy, had threatened to kill her, but she so hated seeing anyone in pain. And it seemed pain, all kinds but especially emotional, was something he knew well. He felt like second best, because of Dru’s obvious devotion to her sire. That was a feeling she could understand completely. Maybe that was why she was so sympathetic when it came to him. She had been in love with Xander for years. At least she thought it was love, lately she was beginning to question that. But still, she knew the agony of unrequited love and wouldn’t wish it on anyone, even her worst enemy.

But Spike was gone, it seemed. She was honestly surprised at how that single thought made her feel a little sad. She knew she was partly responsible for his ‘increasingly crappy life’ as he put it, and she hated that. She summoned her resolve face as she straightened her back. It wasn’t her job to make Spike happy. They weren’t friends; heck, he wasn’t even nice to her. She swore to herself that she would no longer worry about him. He was over a hundred years-old, he can survive on his own just fine. And if not, well, she’d rather not think about that.

Sighing in utter boredom, she turned the television off and pushed herself into a standing position. She climbed the stairs slowly, taking her time. It was just past midnight when she finally decided to go to bed. Technically that was early, but since Angelus’ return, Buffy declared that they shouldn’t patrol. It bugged her a bit that the slayer was giving her orders, but she understood that her friend was simply worried about their safety.

The redhead shut the door to her bedroom firmly behind her, shuffling through her drawers to get her pajamas. Smiling absently as she eyed the nightshirt that Xander got her all those years ago, the one with Curious George, she grabbed it, paying no mind to the windows in her French doors as she unzipped her jeans and slid them off. She slipped off her shirt and tossed it onto the floor to join her pants in a small pile. Unclasping her bra, she placed it on her bed as she slipped the shirt on. She picked up her clothes, throwing them into the hamper before placing her bra in her dresser. She walked across the room, picking up her hairbrush, pulling her hair into a loose ponytail before taking one final look around. Seeing that everything was in order, she climbed into bed and turned the lamp on her nightstand off. Closing her eyes, she never noticed the cloud of smoke that hovered just outside her balcony doors before dissipating into the night air.

~~~*~~~

Spike couldn’t believe that he actually reduced himself to watching that girl at nights. At first, he was curious about the little hacker. He decided to pay her a visit, see if he could maybe understand what it was about her that drew him to her. But what was meant to be a one night visit had lasted for about a week so far, with no sign of stopping. He learned Willow’s routine pretty well by now. She spent most of her nights alternating between the library, the Bronze, or her home. She rarely joined the slayer on patrols and he assumed that Angelus had a bit to do with that.

But tonight she didn’t linger around that bloody school or dance the night away with the whelp. Tonight she stayed in and he relished in the chance to observe her all alone. It wasn’t all that interesting watching the chit sit about and do her homework or watch the television. What *did* have him interested was the fact that something was obviously bothering her. He noticed that, while her eyes were focused on the screen before her, she seemed distracted, deep in thought. He watched all the expressions flit across her face. First it was inquisitiveness, then a bit of worry, a twinge of pity, and then she suddenly sat up straight, her face unnaturally hard. Apparently she had made some sort of decision. He would most definitely have to keep an eye out with this one. She was a smart one, constantly thinking. Problem was, he had no idea what kept her so occupied. He wished he could discover the subject of her thoughts, never imagining that it was he that confused her so.

He spent most of the night watching her from the cover of a tree in her front yard, only moving when he saw her rise and head upstairs. He stealthily climbed said tree and jumped gracefully onto her balcony. He saw her search her drawers, watched her pull out some long shirt, apparently what she decided to wear to bed. His attention immediately stopped its wandering as she slowly undressed. She seemed completely unaware that anyone could see her through her windows, but after all, she was on the second story. Its not like she had people congregated on her balcony to watch her every move, well not every night.

His eyes never strayed as he took in her form. If he thought that his observation of her would eliminate his brewing obsession with the enchanting redhead, he was sadly mistaken. She was beautiful, even though it seemed she spent most of her time hiding that. She was used to being in the background. Always letting the slayer take the spotlight, content to remain in the shadows. That made him frown. There was nothing wrong with her, why did she always shy away from attention? No girl of his could be so painfully shy. He’d have to break her of that habit.

He stifled a curse as he realized the direction of his thoughts. Since when did he think of her as his? Sure, she was a nice bit of fluff, but he never seriously considered a serious sort of *relationship* with her, of any kind. He patted his duster, searching for his cigarettes, finding one quickly and lighting it, taking a deep, calming breath to relax. He hated being so confused. There was a time not long ago when it was just him and Dru and they were happy. Well, as happy as one could be when the love of his unlife spent most of her time mooning over their sire who had up and left years before. And now, everything had fallen apart right before his eyes.

They finally had Angelus back, but he wasn’t the same. He and Angelus had never been the best of friends, always extremely competitive. But there was always an underlying understanding between the two of them, a bit of respect. That was gone now. Angelus made it a point to remind Spike that he wasn’t as much of a demon as he was. Spike had earned the title of Master, only to have it taken away by his sire. He let the bastard in his home, and how does the prat repay him? Takes his girl, usurps his power.

He was tired. He was tired of having to prove himself, prove his worth. He always had to prove to Angelus that he was his equal. He always had to prove to Dru that he would be enough for her. Sadly though, it never worked. But he wasn’t some fledgling anymore. He didn’t need their approval. He was a Master in his own right, he killed two slayers, that’s more than Angelus has ever done. Sod ‘em all. He didn’t need the minions and the power to make him feel all manly. Not like Peaches. He briefly considered leaving this miserable town entirely, but eventually decided against it. He couldn’t leave, not yet.

But he wasn’t ready to make a move yet either. He wasn’t going to waste his time trying to win back his title nor was he going to pine after Dru. He had enough of that to last eternity. But this girl, this meek little redhead had captivated him. So he decided to stay, to find out more about her.

Taking one last drag on his cigarette, he exhaled slowly, watching the smoke linger in front of his face before disappearing. Her light had been out for awhile now and he could tell from her heartbeat that she was asleep. With one final look, he turned and jumped off the balcony, landing steadily on the ground below. He tossed the still smoldering cigarette to the sidewalk as he walked away, in no hurry as he left to feed and go back to his place.

~~~*~~~

Drusilla watched intently as Spike observed Willow, smiling slightly as she saw the feelings that her little one seemed to bring out in the vampire. It made her a bit sad when she realized that he didn’t sense her there. She was glad to see he was alright, having not seen him since he packed his things and left weeks before. While playing with Miss Edith earlier, her precious doll told her to check on her poppet. Even she was relatively surprised to see Spike watching the girl, but she knew this is what the stars had planned. She resisted the temptation to follow him as he left, but she knew he needed this time alone. He was still upset with her and their sire. Besides, he also needed time to deal with his growing feelings for the darling girl in the house before her. William was never particularly fond of humans so she knew he would rebel against any sort of feelings for the hacker.

She glanced once more at the redhead before going to return home. She was happy that Spike at least recognized and acknowledged the attraction he had to the girl, even if it confused him. She only hoped he wouldn’t fight, if only for Willow’s sake. But if he didn’t, if he tried to hurt her because of his anger and frustration, then she would have to do her best to protect her friend. She only knew one thing, Spike was *always* unpredictable.

~Part: 15~

Buffy noticed the minute she saw her best friend walk into school that something was bothering her. She wasn't sure what it was, the hacker had been unusually quiet the past couple of weeks. She knew the incident with Angelus and her fish scared her, even though she put up a brave front. But this was different, she seemed nervous, fidgety. She followed her movements with her eyes, watching the redhead sit at the library table and place her backpack on the floor beside her, her gaze resting on the bookcases behind Buffy.

"Wills?" the blonde interrupted her thoughts. Willow looked to her friend, sending her a questioning glance. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she answered softly, albeit unconvincingly. "I'm fine, how are you?" she asked in an attempt to steer the conversation away from her.

"The usual. A bit on edge, but alright, I guess. Angel has been lying low, which isn't reassuring. I've ran into him on patrol a couple times but he didn't really fight me. He seemed distracted. I wish I could figure out what he's planning."

"It'll be okay. We're the good guys, remember? We always win," reminded the redhead cheerily. Buffy smiled at her friend's enthusiasm, knowing it was a bit forced.

~~~*~~~

Willow sat in English, her eyes on the chalkboard, but her mind elsewhere. Buffy had been right, there was something bothering her. But she was too afraid to come to the slayer with her concerns. She had her reasons. One, she may be wrong, and two, she would have a lot of explaining to do and she wasn't sure where to start. She just had this feeling, like someone was watching her. She constantly felt eyes on her. At first she dismissed it as hellmouth paranoia. But as the days turned into a couple weeks, it began to unnerve her.

It wasn't a bad feeling, necessarily. It was almost comforting, knowing someone was watching out for her. But that was part of what of concerned her. She wasn't sure if they were watching out for her, or just watching her. Studying her, in an attempt to know her routine, so they could hurt the slayer. She was getting tired of guessing, she just wanted answers, she *needed* answers. Unfortunately, she didn't know who she could tell.

It started about two weeks before, a couple days after the Angelus incident and the uninvite spell. She didn't give it much mind, that feeling that there was someone watching her. Even in her own home she swore she felt someone outside, looking in.

Then, one day on the way to school in the morning, she noticed something unusual. There were cigarette butts, more than a few, littering the ground and sidewalk in front of her house. They were either found by the large tree in her front yard or only a few feet away. That was when her suspicions began to heighten. She had felt someone shadowing her when she would be with her friends at the Bronze, when she would walk home from the library at night. She knew it couldn't possibly be Angelus, he wasn't a subtle demon. He would have left a calling card, something to show he had been there. The whole point of his stalking them would be to prove they were vulnerable. But he made no move to let his presence be known.

It was just so frustrating, really. She had no clue who her stalker could be, if she really did have one in the first place. She hated not knowing something, she was the smart one. She should be able to figure this one out. It's not like there were a lot of people that were vying for her attention.

She shook herself, determined to put this behind her, at least for the rest of the day. This was all she had been thinking about for days now. She needed a break before she just lost it. So she concentrated on her homework, pushing all other thoughts away.

~~~*~~~

Night fell and the slayerettes all congregated in the library for the daily briefing. Giles had no new information for Buffy so he sent her patrolling, which she was surprisingly eager to do. She was itching for a good fight; it seemed to be a good stress reliever for the blonde. Cordelia decided that she and Xander didn't need to be there, and Willow couldn't help but agree, so they left. Off to the Bronze, no doubt. So that left her and Giles. The librarian simply smiled tiredly and left her to work on her computer as he researched in his office.

A couple hours passed and Willow looked up from the monitor she had been staring at intently for the past half hour to check the clock. She sighed and shut down the computer. Peeking in Giles' office, she saw him passed out, his head resting on his desk at an uncomfortable angle. She was tempted to wake him, maybe ask for a ride home, but knew he needed his sleep.

Leaving him to his rest, she gathered her things and left the school in a hurry. She really didn't like being out alone at night, especially with Angelus around. Her pace quickened as she neared the entrance to the park. She debated between taking the shortcut or to go around, knowing it would take longer but would be much safer.

As she stood there contemplating her next move, amber eyes watched the redhead hungrily. A mere fledgling, the non-descript brunette was overcome with bloodlust, unaware of the elder vampire that watched both predator and prey with interest.

He neared the young girl, his eyes still fixed on her neck, not making a sound in fear that she would hear him and run. He wasn't in the mood for a chase that night. Before she could move, she felt powerful arms go around her, one around her waist, and one over her mouth as she began to struggle in their grasp.

Spike watched, silently debating with himself. He was tempted to leave her there, let the minion have her. Maybe with her death he could find some sense of normality again. He was truly sick and tired of following the little brat around anyway. That was something his sire would do, remain in the shadows, watch her from afar. He had no desire to be anything like his ponce of a sire. When he wanted something, he usually just took it. Instead, he found himself trailing some teenager who, for some unknown reason, had caught his eye.

He couldn't figure her out. That was what bothered him. How could this girl, who couldn't hurt a fly, hunt and kill demons with her buddies at night? It was such a damn contradiction. He thought that following the chit would give him some answers. At the least he hoped it would drive her out of his mind. But his blossoming obsession didn't wane, in fact it only grew with time and he hated her for it.

So he found himself at a bit of a crossroads. He could turn around and leave, let her be drained and discarded on the street. But couldn't do it. He couldn't just leave her. She deserved a much better ending. He despised the fact that he even cared, but he couldn't remain idle.

Seeing fangs descending, he left the cover of the surrounding bushes, grabbing the minion by the throat and forcibly moving him away from the hacker. Willow fell to the ground now that the arms holding her had released their grip on her. Shaking from fear, she forced herself to turn. She watched in utter shock as she saw her attacker on the ground as well. The vampire was stunned, looking up to the face of the one who attacked *him*.

"What the hell's the matter with you?" he snarled, pushing himself off the ground and standing to face the newcomer. "You're one of us, why did you stop me, damn it?" Spike growled in response and his hand shot out, wrapping itself tightly around the fledge's neck.

"I'll tell you why, mate," he replied conversationally, his leisurely tone distorted by his fangs. "Because she," he added, nodding his head in the direction of the fallen girl, "is *mine*!" With that he removed a stake from his duster and thrust it into the vampire's chest. He simply watched as the minion's surprised and outraged face disintegrated into dust.

Spike spun to look at Willow who stared at him, mouth open, stunned by his actions. He frowned as she made no move to stand or even say anything. He looked her over, seeing to his relief, that there wasn't even so much as a scratch on her. He sighed and knelt down, pulling her unresisting body into his arms. Standing he started on his way through the park, knowing the way to her house very well.

He felt her arms slowly wind themselves around his neck, her head resting on his shoulder as her breathing slowly returned to normal. Feeling her warm breath on his neck, he bit his lip, determined to remain the gentleman he never got to be. Walking up a couple steps and onto her porch he placed her on her feet, still giving her support to stand. He slipped his hand into her front pocket of her jeans, fishing for her keys. Upon finding them, he unlocked her front door and pushed her ahead of him slightly.

"Go on then, love, best be getting inside." She stumbled through the front door. Seeing she was safely indoors, he turned on his heel and went to leave. He barely made it a foot before her small, hesitant voice stopped him.

"Spike?" he glanced at her over his shoulder, his eyes questioning. "Thank you," she whispered, her words honest and heartfelt. He smiled, one of those rare, genuine smiles, and winked before strolling away.

Willow found her way to her bedroom, not even bothering to undress, just simply slipping off her shoes and climbing into bed. She exhaled, truly relaxed for the first time in weeks. She could still feel those eyes watching her and knew Spike was still outside. But this time, she wasn't afraid, if anything it was comforting, reassuring, and she fell into a deep sleep.

~Part: 16~

Looking in on the cozy scene would usually be cause for one to smile and reminisce, but for Spike, it made him cringe in disgust. In the first place, he still couldn’t believe he had resorted to looking in windows of little girl’s homes, but it was the company said girl kept that bothered him so.

?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Willow had been consciously avoiding Oz for the past few weeks. It had nothing to do with him really. At first it was because she was only using him to make Xander angry. Then it was for his own safety. With Angelus about and Spike practically living with her, she couldn’t allow him near her. She knew that she couldn’t save him if either vampire tried to hurt him. But now she had no excuse. Spike had moved out, well, he had been forced out but that is neither here nor there. Angelus was planning something, which they were sure of, but as long as they remained indoors, they would be perfectly safe. So now, she found herself sitting in her living room, watching “All about Eve”. The lights were dimmed and gave the room and eerie glow. The redhead was curled up on the couch, Oz lying behind her, arms wrapped around her waist securely.

She could feel eyes on her once more and they did not belong to the boy who held her close. Her thoughts were more confused now than they had ever been. Part of her wanted to ignore those prying eyes and focus on the boy that obviously cared for her. But she was so torn. She had no idea what had possessed Spike to start following her around, not that she wasn’t grateful, it just didn’t make any sense.

As for Oz, she liked him. She really did, but he didn’t stir up feelings of love, or even a more base feeling of lust. She cared for him, he was a good friend to her after all, but she didn’t think they should be anything more. It was just a matter of figuring out how to tell him that without hurting his feelings. She certainly didn’t have a lot of experience with relationships. Add to that the fact that she hated the idea of causing him any form of pain, and it made for a miserable idea.

She forced herself out of her thoughts as she saw the credits begin to roll on screen and she felt Oz shift behind her. Standing, she stretched a bit before walking to the VCR and hitting stop. She put the movie away and turned off the television before turning to face Oz. She smiled uncertainly at him as he stood and followed her to her front door.

Spike glared menacingly as he saw the scraggily little boy lean in to kiss his girl, lingering a bit too long in his estimation. He noted the nervous stance of the hacker as she shifted under the wolf’s gaze. He could see genuine affection in the boy’s eyes whereas the girl just looked on edge. She allowed him one last kiss before gently leading him out the door, telling him to be safe on his way home. The blonde faded deeper into the shadows as Oz paused as he walked off the porch. The blue-haired guitarist seemed to sniff the air, but unable to detect what the scent was that bothered him, he shrugged and climbed into his van.

Willow watched him pull away and didn’t move from the doorway until she couldn’t see his car anymore. Taking a steadying breath, she stepped outside and onto the porch.

“You can come out, you know,” she said softly, looking to the moon.

Spike walked slowly toward her, ascending the couple of stairs to the porch and then stood in front of her, watching her observe the night sky.

“Why do you do it?” she murmured. At his uncomprehending look, she elaborated. “Watch me, look after me. Why do you do it?” There was no malice, no accusations, just a simple question.

“Don’t bloody well know, now do I?” he grumbled as he studied her face. She frowned at his answer, expecting him to give her some sort of reason, some explanation. “Bein’ honest, love,” he admitted.

“He means well, you know,” she started. He didn’t know what she was talking about but he remained silent. “He’s sweet and he cares for me, he’s the first boy to ever think of me as more than just a friend,” Ah, so she was speaking about the wolf. Oh joy. “But it doesn’t feel right. I don’t know why…” she trailed off, sighing as she finally focused on the vampire she had been speaking to.

So, everything wasn’t all hearts and flowers with the hacker and the wolf. That was good news indeed. He’d never admit that though, but it definitely made his night a little better.

“Sometimes there aren’t any explanations, pet,” he added. “There are those you connect with, whether it makes sense or not. And others, well, they may have the best intentions, but there is still nothing there. Even when there is love, without fire, without passion, there’s nothing. Reason has nothing to do with it. The way of the world, I figure.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” she agreed. “Everything is all messed up. There’s Oz, and he likes me, I mean *really* likes me, but I just don’t feel anything,” she confessed. “And then there’s you,” she continued without thinking, “I mean, you’ve tried to kill me and yet there’s still…something. I don’t know what it is, but it doesn’t make any sense. I’m not supposed to like you. You’re the enemy and it’s not right and I can’t believe I just said all that out loud…” she finished, blushing furiously and looking away in embarrassment.

Spike chuckled and moved to lean against the porch railing.

“I know what you mean, ducks,” he declared, causing her to look up sharply. “My unlife’s not making much in the way of sense lately, either.” She looked sympathetic, forgetting her earlier statement.

“Everything was perfect,” he continued wistfully. “Just me and Dru, together for decade after decade. Never got boring. Then we came to this sodding town. Beginning of the end, that was. Get her all strong, and then Angelus comes back, bloody prig. She’s all happy to see her sire again and I’m completely forgotten. Ungrateful bint. Even after I left, she didn’t look for me. She didn’t care enough to see if I wasn’t dust. And my sire, all the sod does is get laid. Better off without them, I wager.”

She joined him at the railing and watched him closely.

“Don’t you miss it? The fire, the passion, like you said?” He shook his head and glanced at her, smiling slightly.

“Fire died out a long time ago, love. Gotten used to the cold.”

“Well that’s depressing,” she stated sadly and he smirked.

“That’s life.” He pushed himself into a standing position. “Got a bit of advice, pet. Might want to consider it.” At her hesitant nod, he continued. “The wolf, he isn’t what you need, or want for that matter. Don’t lead the whelp on because you’re afraid to hurt his feelings. It will only be worse in the end, trust me. Speaking from experience here. Best to have a clean break.”

“And then what?” she mumbled, her gaze falling to her feet.

“Then,” he replied, moving closer to her. “You decide what you *do* want. Decide whether you are willing to deal with the consequences of your decision. And then, love, you go after it.” His hand grazed her cheek before gripping her chin lightly and forcing her to look him in the eye. “All actions have consequences. You have to be prepared to deal with the backlash. And it will come; you just have to ask yourself, is it worth it?” He looked upon her face, a smile tugging at his lips. Leaning down slightly he brushed his lips against hers, taking her by surprise. There were many things she had come to expect from him, and a gentle kiss was not one of them.

“Are you willing to play with fire,” he whispered in her ear as he pulled away, “knowing you just might get burned?”

As he stepped away she considered her possible answer. She blinked and looked down, not knowing how to reply. When she looked up, she was suddenly alone. Moving away from the rail, she scoured her front yard and the street, trying to catch a glimpse of Spike before he left, but sadly she did not.

She walked on shaky limbs to her front door and opened it, the creaking of the hinges especially loud in the quiet night. Pausing at the doorway, she turned once again to the street.

“I am not afraid of fire,” she confessed before walking inside and heading to her bedroom, her house becoming increasingly dark with the flick of every light switch.

Spike’s usually stony face broke out into a tentative smile as he walked away after hearing her admission. Things were finally looking up.

~Part: 17~

Willow woke late in the morning, all the stress caused by the vampires in her life catching up to her. She slipped out of bed and stretched, stifling a yawn. She had never been so happy that it was a Saturday. Normally she would hang out with Xander or visit Buffy, but today she made no plans. She just wanted to relax, maybe take in the sun. She had spent too many nights in the dark lately; she was beginning to forget how Sunnydale looked during the day.

After taking a long, hot shower and dressing in a pair of loose fitting jeans and a Sunnydale High t-shirt, she went downstairs for breakfast. She searched the cabinets in her kitchen and frowned when she didn’t see anything edible. She would definitely have to go shopping soon. Sighing in defeat, she put on a pot of water, deciding to just make tea.

Taking a seat on a stool at the counter, she allowed her thoughts to drift back to the events of the last night. She remembered Oz coming over and watching movies. She smiled, she may not have feelings for him, but he was a good friend and she wouldn’t trade his friendship for anything. She needed to have a talk with him soon, though. It wouldn’t be right to just lead him on, someone told her that. She frowned, trying to place that memory. She knew someone had given her advice on how to deal with Oz, but her mind hadn’t caught up to her yet.

Spike. She had talked to Spike last night. For whatever reason his presence didn’t bother her anymore. She knew he watched after her when she went out at night, which she had to admit was kind of reassuring. But he also stood outside her house at all hours of the night and that was a tad bit on the creepy side. Maybe it was just the fact that he obviously wasn’t going to hurt her, because he had many opportunities to harm her and instead he saved her. Whatever the reason, he didn’t worry her so much anymore.

He had given her some good advice about what to do with Oz, which she was grateful for. And then they had got to talking about how strange their lives were now. There was something about fire, he kept mentioning it. And she told him she wasn’t afraid to play with fire.

Her eyes widened as she recalled their entire conversation. Holy crap, what had she agreed to? She hated how she acted when the blonde was around. She could barely function when he spoke to her, that accent drove her absolutely crazy, in the good way of course. What frightened her even more was that she meant every word she said. All her confused feelings about Spike, she was telling the truth. And it sounded like he was in the same predicament. And he wanted to play. That couldn’t be good. And did she discourage him, no.

Spike was right though. She had a decision to make. There would be consequences if she decided to get involved with him in any way and she wasn’t sure she could handle them. If Buffy or Xander ever found out she even spoke with him they would lose it. She didn’t know if she was ready to risk losing her friends over someone she couldn’t possibly have a future with.

~~~*~~~

“Have you found him yet, my love?” cooed a soft, English voice. Angelus shook his head in frustration and turned to face his childe. He pulled Dru into his arms, playing with her hair absently.

“Not yet. That boy has gotten sneaky with age. I can’t believe the moron’s actually hiding from *me*. I’m his sire damn it,” he grumbled.

“He was angry with you, pet. Not anymore though. No…now sweet William is thinking only of the tree. She’s good for him. He doesn’t hurt so much anymore…” Angelus rolled his eyes.

“I don’t care if he was angry with me. That’s no excuse to run away like some petulant child. Pathetic excuse for a Master vampire…”

“You will not say such things,” she reprimanded him harshly. She may love her sire, but Spike deserved his respect and she would not tolerate him insulting the boy any longer. “He needs to come back home but he won’t if you are cross, love.”

“Yeah, we can’t have his feelings hurt, now can we?” he growled. “Fine, fine,” he agreed reluctantly. “No more picking on the whelp.” He chuckled at her annoyed growl. “What can I say; it’s a hard habit to break.”

He settled in for the day. Once the sun set, he would gather a few of the minions and begin searching the town. It was time that Spike came home.

~~~*~~~

Willow sat on the table in the middle of the park, twiddling her fingers nervously as she glanced to Oz who was seated next to her. He had played at the Bronze earlier that night with the Dingoes and when she asked if they could go somewhere to talk, he had driven them to the park. She knew she needed to speak with him, but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything. Oz, being, well…Oz, didn’t mind the silence.

“Um,” she started awkwardly. “I’ve been thinking…about us. I know we haven’t exactly been together for a long time or anything, but I think that maybe we shouldn’t see each other anymore.” His expressionless face turned to hers as he waited for her to finish her explanation.

“I like you, a lot. But I don’t think it’s in the way you want. You’re a great friend to me and I still want us to be friends, but we shouldn’t go out anymore. I think that would be best for both of us…” her speech faded away and he still remained silent.

She watched him stand and face her. He smiled sadly, understanding but a little disappointed, and kissed her softly on the cheek.

“Friends is good,” he agreed as he gave her hand one last squeeze before walking off to his van and pulling away. Her eyes followed him until he was no longer in sight and her head dropped to look at the ground. He took it well, but he was hurting.

“Can’t believe the sodding mutt left you out here alone?” sneered a contemptuous voice. Spike joined her at the table, taking Oz’s place beside her. She almost laughed at the symbolism there, but couldn’t even manage a smile.

“He didn’t mean to,” she defended him. “He was distracted.”

“Don’t care why he did it,” he argued, “The wolf knows how dangerous this bloody town is, he knows there are all kinds of demons roaming this spot. Hell, he’s one of ‘em. No excuse for it.”

“Leave him alone,” she pleaded softly, not wanting to talk about Oz any longer. Uncharacteristically moved by the pain in her voice, he held his tongue. Instead, he put a strong arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him so that her head rested on his own shoulder. His fingers traced circles on her arm as he silently offered comfort.

“It’ll be okay, pet,” he murmured, resting his chin on the top of her head. “Had to be done. Best for the both of you.”

“Was it the best for me?” she asked. “Oz was kind, and loving, and safe…” He shook his head and sighed unnecessarily.

“Listen to yourself, love. Kind? Safe? What kind of words are those to describe the man you should be with? Yeah, he was a decent bloke. But just because he was nice doesn’t mean he’s the one for you. Safe isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, either. Love isn’t about being safe and secure. It’s about putting yourself out there. Placing your heart out in the open, to be cherished or stomped on. Love’s a gamble, pet. There are no guarantees. Even the safe ones can break your heart.”

She didn’t respond, knowing he was right. She moved further into his embrace as the wind picked up, giving her chills. Feeling her shiver, he pulled her closer.

“Safe doesn’t equal happiness,” he continued softly. “We wish that we had reasons for why we fall for one person and not the other. Trouble is; we can never find one. Some say its fate or destiny; others don’t question it at all. Point is, while we can’t control who we care for, who we love, we *can* decide what to do about it. We can ignore it all, choosing to save our hearts from possible hurt, but never knowing if that was right or not. Or we can say ‘sod it’ and go with it. Some would call those people fools. But if you live your life always asking what could have been what kind of life have you led? I’d rather have lived and been hurt, than hide. I maybe a fool, but I’ve never been a coward.”

“I…” she replied, searching for the right words. “I don’t want to be a coward.” She sat up straight so she could look him in the eye. “But I’m scared,” she confessed, forcing herself to keep her gaze where it was.

“Understandable,” he said with a small smile, “But are you scared of me, or are you scared of what you feel?”

“A-A little of both,” she whispered. He smiled indulgently and threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her to him. Her eyelids fluttered closed at the feel of his lips on hers and her earlier fear was forgotten. He released his hold on her a few moments later and stood, pulling her up with him.

“Come on, ducks. Let’s get you home,” she nodded and took his offered hand, letting him lead her.

~~~*~~~

Dark eyes watched the two with a mix of emotions. On one hand, Angelus was glad that finally found his childe, even if the blonde was a pain in the ass. But on the other hand, it seemed that the younger vampire had his sights set on the redhead which was becoming his latest obsession. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or furious. He was tempted to follow them, but growling, he turned in the direction of the factory. He’d deal with his childe soon enough.

~Part: 18~

Willow watched Spike from the corner of her eye, genuinely surprised at how nice he was being. He confused her like no one else. One minute he could be threatening her, the next he was giving her love advice. He just didn’t make any sense.

Spike repressed a smirk at the girl’s behavior. He knew she was curious. He couldn’t blame her, after all. He wasn’t even sure what he was doing here. He wasn’t a nice man, hell, he wasn’t even a man. But here he was, walking some teenager home to keep her safe. Problem was; he was one of those things she needed to be saved from. He would be lying if he said his intentions were pure. He was a demon after all. He *did* like her, was a bit fascinated too, but she was expendable. She may be good for a bit of fun, but if she got in his way he wouldn’t hesitate to take her out of the picture entirely. But it wouldn’t do to let her know that, so he simply smiled reassuringly in her direction and finished their walk in silence.

They reached her house in no time and Willow turned to face him after she had her front door unlocked.

“Thanks Spike…for walking me home,” she said nervously. He bowed his head.

“Should be thanking you,” he replied.

“For what?” she asked, not understanding what he could possibly thank her for.

“For listening to me, not pushing me away or running in fright. You have every reason not to trust me,” he answered, plastering on a sad smile, knowing she would feel bad for him.

“Oh,” she said, surprised, “you’re welcome,” she added shyly. His smile widened at her response, but he didn’t reply. “Well, I better go,” she said, giving him a small smile and heading inside.

He watched her leave and smirked evilly. He reached for the doorknob, turning it slowly and gingerly tested the invisible barrier with his hand. When his hand passed through and into her house he grinned and shut the door quietly. He wasn’t sure if that would work. After all, a simple ‘you’re welcome’ wasn’t a guaranteed invitation. But luckily for him, his idea worked. He was again had full access to her home, not that he would share that bit of information with her. A demon’s gotta have some secrets.

~~~*~~~

“Angel…” called Dru softly, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind.

“What is it, Dru?” he grumbled, obviously upset.

“What has you so bothered, my love?” she questioned, her lips turned down into a frown.

“Annoying whelp,” he muttered, “He’s playing with things that don’t belong to him.”

“Spike?” she asked, having a hard time following his rant. “Is he being naughty?”

“Yeah,” he growled, pulling out of her embrace as he began to pace angrily.

“What is it that doesn’t belong to him?”

“Her!” he shouted, expecting her to know who he was speaking of. “She is my kill. She’s mine to play with, to torture. Not his! I have a plan damn it, and the boy is just going to screw it up!”

“Her? The icky slayer? My Spike wouldn’t play with the nasty slayer,” she denied fervently.

“Not the damn slayer,” he replied. “Willow. They are all mine to mess with, the whole Scooby gang! What does he think he’s doing? That girl is mine!”

Drusilla watched her sire with narrow eyes. This was not good. She never expected Angelus to be interested in her redhead. That was wrong. Couldn’t he see that she was not meant for him?

“I don’t understand why you are so upset, love. You said it yourself, there are others. Let him have his fun, he’s been so down. Just find a new playmate. There’s always the boy, or the cheerleader. Maybe even the naughty computer teacher. So many toys to pick from…”

He glared at his childe. He didn’t want to change his plans. He was the Master; he shouldn’t have to change his plans. He was tempted to find his wayward childe and show him who was boss. Spike had to answer to him, even if he was no longer a fledgling.

“This won’t do, won’t do at all,” he decided. “Gotta teach that boy some respect.”

~~~*~~~

Spike walked away from the redhead’s house with a hop in his step. His night had turned out better than expected. Not only had the little hacker dumped that sorry excuse for a boyfriend, but he even managed another invitation into her home. Not that she knew about that, but that was only a minor detail.

He debated going back home but decided against it. If there was one thing he hated, it was being alone. Even if he was just surrounded by a bunch of ass-kissing minions, it was better than sitting in an empty house with no one to talk to.

So feeling a bit hungry, he headed to the Bronze, knowing the slayer wouldn’t be there this late. She’d be patrolling for Angelus, no doubt.

He strode into the club, confidence exuding from him in waves. He smirked as he felt the eyes on him. He always did know how to make an entrance, and he certainly never got tired of being admired.

Moving out of the line of vision and into the shadows, he scanned the crowd. He grimaced as he saw only throngs of vapid high school girls, dancing, if you could call it that, to some random club beat. They were all so unoriginal, so boring and unimaginative. Shrugging, he decided that he didn’t really care. He wasn’t here for a date, he was here for food.

His eyes stopped on a girl standing on the edge of the dance floor, watching her friends dance as she glanced at her watch and shuffled her feet uncomfortably. She had to be sixteen at the most, with red hair. It was obviously dyed, but the details weren’t important. Painfully shy and a little awkward, she reminded him of a certain other redhead.

Smiling, his teeth glinting as he stepped into the light, he ambled over to the girl, not even speaking a word. He took her by the hand, looking into her eyes, silently daring her to stop him, if she even wanted to. She looked a little nervous but didn’t complain. He led her onto a corner of the dance floor, close to the back door that led to the alley. Smiling as the music immediately slowed, he pulled her to him, rocking them both to the beat.

The girl, caught of guard by the fact that some stranger just pulled her onto the floor, followed his lead. After all, here was this gorgeous guy and he wanted to dance with her so who was she to complain. She was a bit startled when she felt his fingers of his right hand tangle in her hair, causing her to look up. His lips descended on hers and her eyes closed at the sensation, never noticing as he slowly led her away from the crowd and out the door.

Feeling her back hit a brick wall harshly, she pulled away, looking at him, slightly frightened. They were in the middle of a dark alley and she didn’t even know how she got there.

“Wha-” she started, crying out in pain as his grip on her hair tightened and he yanked her head to the side.

“Sorry, pet,” he said conversationally, abruptly covering her mouth with his free hand. “Not time for talking,” he informed her quietly before he growled and swiftly tore into her neck.

After a moment he pulled away, licking his lips to clean them of her blood as he carelessly dropped her to the dirty ground. Definitely a good night indeed.

~Part: 19~

Lounging comfortably after a good day’s rest, Spike couldn’t keep the mischievous grin off his handsome face. His night had turned out spectacularly well. After all, he once again had an invitation to ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Willow’s house and that little redhead he fed off of at the Bronze was surprisingly filling. He had finally returned to the little house he ‘acquired’ just as the sun was beginning to rise, barely avoiding turning to dust. He stumbled through the threshold ungracefully, all his drinking during the night finally catching up to him. He was just too energized to stay in the night before. After he had left the club, he paid a visit to Willy’s, having fun just getting absolutely wasted and scaring the hell out of that weasel of a bartender. All in all it was very entertaining.

There was only one thing that bothered him. When he roamed the streets of Sunnydale last night, he was constantly overcome with a familiar feeling, one he was having a hard time placing. He hated not knowing what it was that he felt. He swore there were times when he was being watched. Being the thorough hunter that he was, he observed his surroundings meticulously, but found no sign of anyone. By the end of the night, he was beginning to get pissed so he left the bar, stalking his way through town and trying in vain it seemed to lose that feeling. But it followed him wherever he went. So he gave up and went home. Since then he had not been disturbed, whatever it was that was following him eventually gave up and disappeared. Good riddance in his opinion.

His thoughts returned to the present and he rose from his position on his bed in the master bedroom, stretching with a sigh of contentment. The sun had gone down maybe a half an hour before but he didn’t care about the time. After all, he had all the time in the world. He had woken from his daytime induced slumber an hour before, taking a shower and changing into a pair of black jeans only before returning to the comfort of his bed to think over his plans for the night.

Reaching into the closet, he pulled a black t-shirt from the hanger and slipped it over his head, smoothing it over his form and tucking the hem into the waist of his pants. Spike picked up his discarded red button-down shirt and put it on before leaving the room, his fingers absently slicking back his slightly curly bleach blonde locks. His duster was thrown over the arm of the recliner in the living room so that was where he was headed. He paid no mind to his surroundings as he padded through the hall and bypassing the living room to go into the kitchen to fix a quick drink before he left.

Glass in hand, the blonde walked into the living room, never bothering to turn on a light. He didn’t need it to see anyway. He stopped in his tracks, the grip on the glass tightening in anger and a tinge of fear, even though he’d never admit to it, until it shattered in his hand, as cold eyes watched.

“What the hell are *you* doing here, Peaches?” growled Spike, never moving from his spot on the carpet. Angelus grinned but it didn’t reach his eyes. Anger was the only emotion that shown as he looked upon his childe.

“So this is where you hid yourself, boy. Not bad,” he replied conversationally as he remained sitting on the leather sofa, reclining comfortably.

“Not hiding,” Angelus gave him a disbelieving look and snorted.

“Oh please. Not hiding…you’ve been avoiding me and Dru since you gathered your things and left like a spoiled brat who didn’t get his way.” Spike glared at his sire, hatred in his eyes.

“Funny, I didn’t think you’d even notice I was gone. Too busy with taunting your precious slayer and shagging Dru to care. And what, now you decide to play the concerned sire. Well, Paingel, I’m not buying it. So save your condescending tone and holier-than-thou speeches for someone who gives a damn. I’m not a bloody child.”

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong Spikey,” drawled the elder, pulling himself off the couch to stand, but still keeping his distance. “You’ll always be a childe, my childe. Nothing will change that,” he reminded him. “And as such, you are to answer to me. So, you must understand how I do not take to it kindly when my childe goes out of his way to evade me.”

“Sod off, you prat. I’m not evading you. I just got bleeding tired of taking orders from the likes of *you*,” he snarled. “You forget, a lot’s changed since the appearance of your soul, Angelus. You left, I had to take care of *your* crazy childe. Drusilla wasn’t my responsibility but I kept her safe, loved her. Then you lose that pesky soul and have the stones to take her from me. You took Dru, my title as Master, everything I worked for you stole. So even if I was avoiding you, which I wasn’t, I had every reason to, you prig.”

“There’s my boy!” declared Angelus with a delighted chuckle. “All fire and fury. But I’m afraid you have things a bit mixed up there, Spikey. Dru was always mine. True, when I got my soul thanks to those damn gypsies, I left her with you but that didn’t change facts. She was mine, is mine, and will always be mine. I’m her sire, not you, so you have absolutely no claim to her. But since you brought it up, it seems we are in need of a discussion about claims.”

Spike watched warily as Angelus ambled toward him, his movements slow but calculated. The elder vampire stopped in front of the blonde, looming over him, daring him to take a step back. The youngest stayed put much to his enjoyment.

“You have this problem, Spike.” Angelus started with a grim look. “So seem to think that you can take whatever you please, anyone you please. Problem is, just like Dru, there are others that belong to me. The slayer, for example. She’s mine to kill…but then again you know that, no problem there. Then there’s the boy and his cheerleader, annoying as they are, they too belong to me,” Spike sighed in exasperation and glared.

“Don’t want the sodding moron and the cheerleader. And the slayer can rot for all I care, so do you have a bloody point or are you just enjoying hearing yourself talk?”

“But I’m not finished,” Angelus replied darkly, a scowl forming on his lips. “You see, there’s one more, I think you know her. About 5’6”, bright green eyes, red hair, innocence just pouring off her. Sound familiar?” He watched as the blonde fidgeted slightly but remained silent.

“Doesn’t ring a bell.”

“See, now you’re lying,” he said with a forced sigh. “I’ve seen you, boy. I’ve seen you talking with the little hacker, holding her, even walking the little girl home. Now, you know that all of the slayer’s gang are mine to play with, to kill. So tell me, Spike, what are you planning? Who knows, I’m feeling generous. Answer to my liking and I may let you have her.” Spike bristled at his words, hating that he had to get Angelus’ permission.

“What am I planning?” he repeated slowly, moving away from his sire and pacing the room. “Hard to say, really. Chit’s a walking contradiction, she is. I had no plans to take your kill from you,” he said, trying to please Angelus enough so he’d let this conversation drop. “She’s a nice bit of fluff too, kinda cute. Felt liking playing a bit, is all.”

Spike watched Angelus, studying his reaction. The eldest seemed more relaxed, satisfied with his answer so far.

“So you want to play with her?” asked Angelus, a smirk forming. “That could be allowed. A deal could be arranged, but tell me, what are your intentions?” Spike had to take time to think.

“Don’t know yet, been thinking. She’s trusting, too bloody trusting. Might be fun to use that against her. Plus she just broke up with the wolf, so she’s hurting. It’s always fun when they’re hurting.”

“Tell me about it,” agreed Angelus with a wistful grin.

“She has a thing for me, too. A bit of a schoolgirl crush, I think. That might be to my advantage. I don’t know, I might mess with her a bit, maybe shag her. That might be fun. There’s definitely a spark to her, that hidden fire, underneath all that *innocence*,” he spat with disdain. “Corrupt her, screw up her friendship with your slayer. Whatever.”

Angelus smiled widely as Spike revealed his hastily thrown together plan. He had to admit, he did like the idea. Spike rarely played such mind games, usually preferring to just hurt someone. He was more action than plan. Maybe he was beginning to rub off on him.

“I approve,” he said with enthusiasm. “But…” he started, “there is one rule. She is not to be killed. Not yet at least, only when you have my permission. After all, I have a plan and she may become an integral part of it. So you can play, boy, have your fun. But don’t disobey me. When I give you an order, you do it. No questions, got it?” he demanded.

Spike frowned but nodded, surprised that he wasn’t going to challenge him for the girl. Sure, he wanted control over her fate, but that could change with time. He didn’t care what Angelus said, Willow did not belong to him. She had no claim on her, but Spike would fix that soon enough.

“Well, now that things are settled,” said Angelus calmly, throwing Spike his duster as he walked to the front door. “Get your things. Now that your temper tantrum is over, you should come home. Dru misses you, she’s worried about you.” Seeing the hesitance in his blue eyes he sighed. “No more of this mess with Dru, alright. I thought I made it clear. Dru is mine, but Willow is yours.” Spike nodded and left to get the rest of his things.

“For now…” the brunette whispered with a sly grin.

~Part: 20~

Drusilla returned to the factory alongside the minion that accompanied her hunting knowing that something was different. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, just surprising. The stars and Miss Edith told her of no changes in the air, so she was unprepared to hear two voices, one the familiar deep baritone of her sire, and the other, the cockney accent laced with sarcasm and confidence, speaking in hushed tones. She followed the voices into the hallway and to Angelus’ bedroom, a smile crossing her face when she saw Spike sitting in an armchair talking to a calm Angelus who stretched across the bed.

Angelus felt Dru approach and beckoned her with one hand which she took immediately as she crossed the room and climbed onto the bed to join him. Their conversation came to a halt and Dru took the time to turn her attention to Spike. She graced him with one of those gorgeous smiles, one that anytime before would have him at her feet, ready and willing to do her bidding. But now, the blonde merely returned the smile with one of his own, surprised at the lack of jealousy at seeing her in their sire’s arms.

“What were you two discussing so intently, love?” asked Dru as she moved closer to the brunette, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Nothing important, Princess, just some plans for the future.” Seeing that her curiosity wasn’t abated, he continued. “Spike and I have come to a truce, of sorts. A compromise, if you will. We found a way for us both to get what we want.”

“Mmmm, and what do you want sire?” she purred.

“The slayer’s head at my feet, as always,” he replied with a sadistic grin.

“And what does my Spike want?” she asked eagerly. Before the blonde could respond, Angelus spoke.

“Ah, our Spikey here wants your little redhead.” Dru smiled widely and giggled, clapping her hands in approval.

“Ooh, that’s delightful,” she cooed. “I must tell Miss Edith the good news!” she announced, scrambling off the bed and starting toward the door, muttering the entire time, “My Spike is back and wants my Willow-mine, Daddy’s happy…oh the stars are singing…”

Angelus watched his childe leave with amusement. Hearing the bedroom door shut behind her, he faced Spike again.

“Now, where were we before we were interrupted? Oh, so you already have the girl’s trust, correct?” Spike snorted and leaned back in his chair.

“Got more than that, mate. I’ve got a bloody invitation to her house,” he chuckled. Angelus looked honestly surprised.

“You’re kidding me,” he scoffed.

“Not at all, Peaches. Welcomed me with open arms,” he said, exaggerating a bit. Angelus couldn’t hold back the bark of laughter that escaped him.

“You would think little ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Willow would know better, being the best friend of the slayer,” considered Angelus. “Definitely too trusting,” he decided with a smirk. “This might be easier than I thought.”

“A walk in the park,” agreed Spike. “Just have to make sure the bloody Scooby Gang doesn’t find out about my—relationship with the hacker. Then everything would be shot to hell.”

“And what is your elaborate plan, Spike, considering you’ve had all this time alone to think about it?” questioned his sire, interested in seeing how far he was willing to go to hurt the redhead.

“Pretty simple, actually,” replied the Brit, “I plan to show her how one-sided her loyalty to her precious friends really is, and then turn all her loyalties to me. I’ll be the only one she listens to, believes in. Soon, when she is all alone, gonna mess with her head, a bit. There’s darkness in that one, let me tell you. I’m gonna release it into the world, probably shag the hell out of her, then, when she’s properly broken and trained, I’ll break her sodding heart,” he finished with a sly grin.

“Must say, I’m impressed,” the darker vampire admitted reluctantly. “I never thought you were one to play these games, boy.”

“Believe me, the chit has it coming,” he sneered. “Anyone who is that gullible deserves what they get. I mean, can you believe that she actually believes that I have feelings for her?”

“And you don’t?” wondered his sire.

“Please,” he groaned, attempting to rid himself of any of those useless human emotions completely. “I wouldn’t waste my time on some sad, lonely little girl, let alone fall for her! You know me better than that; she’s just a pawn, nothing more.”

“There’s no emotion involved at all?” asked Angelus skeptically. “You’re right Spike. I *do* know you. No pawn would get you this worked up. No ‘sad, lonely little girl’ would be cause for such an elaborate scheme, especially not on your part. Admit it boy, whatever it is, love or hate, you *do* have feelings for the girl.”

He suppressed a grin when Spike’s eyes narrowed and his expression darkened. He knew that Spike loathed it when his humanity was thrown in his face. He was sure that the blonde did have some feelings for Willow, and he had every intention of making sure Spike resented any emotion the child may cause in him. He knew that the younger vampire would go out of his way to hurt the redhead to prove she meant nothing to him.

“*Love*?!” Spike snarled. “Love? Love is for the weak. Something felt by fools and that has no place in demons. Besides, even if I could love, she would not be the one. She’s a whiny, daft goody-two-shoes. She’s bloody insufferable, too! One minute she’s all scared and trembling, the next, she’s standing up to me, telling me off, eyes blazing, face all flushed. I can’t figure her out.”

The eldest remained silent, merely raising a disbelieving eyebrow as his childe continued to rant. His little tirade wasn’t helping Spike’s cause; in face it simply reinforced all of Angelus’ earlier beliefs.

“Fine, Spike,” Angelus interrupted with a sigh, “I get it. No feelings on your part,” he said sarcastically. “But you better not screw this up. Anything goes wrong and I’ll see your ashes floating away in the breeze. Got it?” he growled.

“Yeah, Peaches. Loud and clear,” grumbled Spike, rising from his chair and walking out of the bedroom without a look back. “Wanker.”

~~~*~~~

Drusilla watched as Spike stomped into the large meeting room, pacing restlessly as he patted down his duster, trying to find his cigarettes. She frowned as she heard Miss Edith whisper secrets to her that couldn’t possibly be true. Her Spike would never hurt her Willow-mine. Seeing how angry he was, she tried to speak gently.

“Spike?” He spun to face her, a scowl on his face. “Why is Miss Edith being mean to me? She lies, tells me awful things…” He sighed, running his hand over his face.

“Don’t know, pet. What’s she telling you?” he asked, knowing how to speak to Dru, even if she was in a bit of a crazy mood.

“She says you want to play naughty games with my Willow. Says that you and Daddy want to hurt my little one. But you wouldn’t do that, would you?” She became worried when he didn’t answer; instead he looked away from her and shuffled his feet.

“Tell me she’s wrong,” she demanded. Spike paused, his features darkening.

“She’s not wrong. Never is, is she?”

“You can’t!” she declared, rushing across the room and standing directly in front of him. “I will not allow it. She never hurt you; she’s done nothing to you.”

“I’m gonna let you in on a little secret, pet. That girl isn’t all sweet and innocent. She’ll betray your trust as soon as she could. And even if she was as pure as the driven snow, she’s the friend of the slayer. For that alone she should be hurt. So get over it. It’s all fun and games, ducks.”

“You’re lying,” she accused angrily. “You care for her.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?!” he snarled. “She means *nothing* to me. Just a…a distraction. A diversion, if you will. Nothing more. And the next one to tell me I like the bint gets a stake through the heart!” he growled before spinning on his heel and stalking out the front door and into the night. He had to kill something. Now.

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