Pairings: S/W, D/A(us), X/C more later
Rating: PG this time
Summary: Set during Season 2, after Jenny is killed, Willow finds Ms. Calendar's disk with the restoration ritual, but can she survive long enough to save her friends and give Angel his soul once again?
Spoilers: Season 2 up to Passions
Disclaimer: I own nothing, please don't sue!
Feedback: Pretty Please!
Author's Notes: Spike is still using his wheelchair, but can walk. Willow found Jenny's disk but hasn't told anyone yet. There's no Acathla.
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~Part: 1~
The picture she painted while sitting in her room would have been comical if not for the seriousness of her situation. Willow was hunched in her chair, eyes set in concentration, and mouth hung open in shock. Her red hair was limp and lifeless, due to the recent events in her life. Within a matter of weeks, she lost a friend, albeit, he was more of an acquaintance, but Angel was Buffy's first love, and an established member of their little gang, so while they may not have been close, it still hurt that he was gone. She knew that if the thought of Angel hurt her so much, it had to be killing the slayer.
It was more than the loss of the souled vampire, but the fact that in his place was a monster who lived to make their lives a living hell. No one could bring themselves to stake him, with the exception of Xander of course. To her he wasn't just Angelus, the Scourge of Europe; even though the logical part of her brain knew he wasn't her friend, Willow still saw Angel.
Willow couldn't stop staring at her computer screen, scared that if she looked away, or closed her eyes, the words would disappear, and with it the hope that it brought. It was a typical Wednesday night, or as typical it can be on the hellmouth. After school was over, the redhead gathered her supplies that cluttered Ms. Calendar's desk. She had just finished teaching for the day was eager to get to the library. She wanted to talk to Buffy, to see how her friend was holding up, she was almost hoping that a new demon had arrived in town; it would give them all a much needed break from their current problem. Willow could research, while Xander complained about being bored and then stuffed his face with various snack items; Cordelia could be filing her nails and questioning herself as to why she was even in the library voluntarily. And Buffy, well Buffy could go patrolling, hopefully avoid Angelus, and pulverize any unlucky demon that crossed her path, it seemed to be therapeutic. But today there was nothing new to research, and thankfully no visits from Angelus, so everyone parted company a half an hour before the sun went down. The rest of the scoobies had made plans to stay in the safety of their houses while Buffy patrolled the local cemeteries.
The hacker slowly made her way to her house, she opened the door, locking it after she went inside, and she proceeded to make her way to her room. She threw her backpack on her bed and started up her laptop. Her parents were gone on yet another business trip, but after all this time she didn't mind, the quiet became almost comforting. She reached into her bag and pulled out a yellow disk she found laying on the floor by Jenny's desk. Curious as to what it could contain she placed it in her computer immediately; she hoped it would be more spells that she found from the internet. The late technopagan had a relatively large collection of spells and stories of everything mystical on file in her computer. As she began to scan the writing that appeared on her screen, her heartbeat began to quicken. `The Ritual of Restoration', she couldn't believe it. Jenny never let anyone know that she was close to finding the spell. They didn't even know if there was a spell, but now, here it was, in front of her face, and she didn't know what to do with it. She was tempted to run to Buffy and Giles and give the good news. But she had her doubts. She wasn't positive it could even work. And if it did, then what? After the death of Jenny, she didn't know if Angel could even be accepted by the group. Giles would have the hardest time of all, and Xander, he always despised Angel, now he had a real reason to. He could not separate Angel and Angelus before; she sincerely doubted he could now. With so many thoughts running through her mind, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, so she shut down her computer, changed into her Curious George pajamas that Xander got her, and laid in her bed, spending hours lying there thinking, hoping she could drift off to sleep.
Unaware of his possible re-cursing, Angelus lounged in a leather chair, a smirk on his face as he thought of his plans for the slayer and her band of do-gooders. The mansion on Crawford Street was eerily quiet, it was early in the evening and the minions had left to hunt, so that only left himself, Drusilla, and Spike. As Angelus began to stand, he heard humming coming from the hallway. Knowing that meant Dru was on her way to him, he turned to face the direction she was in. Her childlike eyes lit up when they set upon the face of her Angel. She squealed and ran into his arms.
"Daddy!! Princess was ever so good today, do I get a prezzie?!"
"I'm sure you were very good princess, what do say we go find you a nice cheerleader to snack on, hmmm?"
"That sounds yummy," she replied with a sly smile, "Did you take care of that nasty librarian who tried to hurt you?"
"He's still alive," Drusilla began to pout, "for now, I figured I'd let him wallow in self pity for awhile. It'll make it all the more sweeter when I drain him."
"He's still alive?" asked an annoyed voice, "Bloody hell Angelus, the ponce practically asked you to put him out of his `misery' and you still didn't do it. Going soft, are you?" Spike rolled into the living room, the scars on his face barely noticeable now. He was nearly completely healed, his pathetic grandsire had no clue, and he wasn't about to volunteer the information.
"Well Spikey, some of us have finesse. I love a good bloodbath as much as the next vampire, but the slayer and her group deserve a little torture before they die. And while I thoroughly enjoy breaking humans physically, it's even more fun to break their spirit. Have no doubt about it Roller boy, they will all die. But before I kill them, I want them to beg for it. For death, an end to their suffering, whatever, but I want them to beg. He wasn't ready, none of them are, but they will be."
"If you ask me mate," Spike sneered "in the end they still die. I never understood your need to waste time playing games. Whether they beg or not, they still die. All this, the notes, the flowers, the dead fish, the gypsy, all these little `gifts' do is piss the slayer off. Then we will pay because you didn't have the stones to kill her already!"
"What's the matter boy?" Angelus sauntered up to Spike. He placed his hands on either side of Spike, holding onto his wheelchair. He was nose to nose with the blonde with a grin on his face. "Scared? You can't defend yourself against a five year old girl let alone the slayer. Don't worry, Dru will protect you." Angelus gave Spike's chair a violent push but the blonde stopped it before he hit the wall. They spent almost three minutes glaring at each other before the sound of Dru's whimpers grabbed their attention.
"No, no, no" she mumbled while shaking her head wildly, "She'll take my daddy away.no, no, no!!"
"Dru, luv, what's wrong?" Spike asked softly as he made his way to her trembling form.
"Dru, I killed the gypsy already," replied Angelus gently, as if talking to a child.
"Not the mean teacher, no, the little tree, she's been naughty. She's keeping secrets, nasty secrets. She wants to bring not-daddy back. To take him away from his princess, she won't will she?!" She asked, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Angelus brushed her tears away, smiling in a decidedly evil way.
"The little tree, who is the little tree...Willow? The shy hacker, Buffy's ever faithful sidekick?" He questioned.
Dru smiled sweetly and nodded. "Bad girl, she misses Buffy's Angel. Sneaky girl, she went through the mean teacher's things. She found daddy's curse. She hasn't told the icky slayer yet. No, she keeps secrets from them all." She looked up Angelus with pleading eyes. "Angel, you're my Angel. Kill her, you have to kill her! She can't take my daddy away! Hurt her, for me?"
"Of course baby, I'll make her scream." He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into a deep, claiming kiss. Spike was silently seething as he saw their display. Knowing that they would be busy for quite some time, he made his out of the mansion. He ditched his wheelchair when he was a block away from their lair. He made his way through the streets of Sunnydale, feeding off an unsuspecting teenager and then continuing on his way. His steps were determined. The shy little redhead found a way to re-curse his grandsire, well, well, it was time he paid the witch a visit. It wouldn't do to have that poof Angel kill her when he was so close to ridding himself of his presence. If she could bring soul boy back, then he and Dru could be together again, just the two of them, and they could leave this hell hole as soon as possible. As he came upon her house, he slowed his steps. He stealthily made his way to her balcony. He often found himself watching her from her balcony. After good ole Angelus came back, Spike made it a point to know where the slayer and groupies lived, the places they frequented, etc. Knowledge was power, and Spike had always been a powerful enemy. To defeat Angelus, he needed to know everything about his grandsire's obsessions, no matter how trivial. And so he found himself looking in her French doors. Willow was laying on her back, staring at the ceiling, again caught up in her thoughts. A small bedside lamp the only thing illuminating the room. She jumped when she heard a soft tapping. She gasped and huddled further onto her bed when she recognized the figure outside her room. It was Spike, and he had an evil smirk on his face, his blue eyes shining in the darkness, and the most noticeable thing of all, and the most disturbing, he was standing!
"`Ello cutie. Mind if come in for a bit?"
~Part: 2~
Willow was trying to resist the urge to quake in fear at the sight in front of her. She knew that there was no possible way Spike could get her while she was in her home, but that did little to make her feel better. She wanted to ask him why he was here, or even just get off her bed and close the curtains so she couldn't see him anymore, but her mouth and limbs weren't cooperating.
"Uh, pet" Spike complained, making sure she didn't forget that he was still out there. "I came here for a reason and it wasn't to watch you think so if you don't mind, let me in." She still didn't move. "Listen," he sighed "You don't have to let me in, okay. At least open the bloody door so I don't have to shout, will you!" She began to move slowly to the doors. She grabbed the handle and flung it open, stepping far away from the invisible barrier that ensured her safety. Spike couldn't resist laughing at the way she wouldn't get near him, wouldn't look him the eye. He could understand why, but nonetheless he found it amusing.
"Wh-What do you want, S-Spike?" She finally brought herself to ask, she cursed herself inwardly for the stutter that she couldn't stop. She waited for an answer and when there was continued silence she finally brought herself to look him in the eye. She was furious when she saw that smirk pasted on his face and when she looked into his laughing eyes. She wanted to slap the look off his face but the knowledge that in doing so her hand would pass through the barrier and that would lead to her inevitable death placated her. He remained silent, in effort to contain his laughter at the glare she fixed him with. He knew that if he continued to laugh at her, she wouldn't listen to what he really had to say, but right now she looked as if she was resisting the urge to hit him and while it would be funny, no one hit William the Bloody and lived to tell about it. So, after collecting himself, he attempted to explain why he was paying her a visit.
"Alright Red, I'll get to the point. Word seems to be goin' round in certain circles that you might have a way to re-curse the mighty Angelus, and I'm here to offer my services."
"S-services? I don't understand?"
"Well, luv, Angelus doesn't really fancy turning back into his poofy self, and I know that he is willing to do anything, including breaking your cute little neck, to make sure that doesn't happen." He paused, leaving her to wonder why he would even think of helping her. He sighed unnecessarily as he began to tell his tale, "You see, when Peaches became his old self, he came running back to me and Dru. Of course, she was just so bloody happy that her *daddy* was back that she couldn't give a damn about me. Then he started going on and on about his `brilliant' plan to take your lot down and, let me tell you pet, it isn't as astounding as he makes it seem, divide and conquer and all that rot. Anyway, Dru would never disagree with *her* Angel so I've been stuck playing the cripple while they go feed, and shag, and leave pathetic prezzies for your slayer. Bloody Angelus goes out of his way to flaunt Dru in my face. And she's no better, always hanging on the poofter. But I want things the way they were before the prig came back. So believe or not I need your help, and in return, I'll keep you safe from Angel. Deal?"
Willow couldn't keep her mouth from hanging open in shock. Shock that he actually knew about her and the curse, that he wanted to help her, or that he said so much at one time. "Um, Spike, not to be rude and all, but you're kidding me right?" His only response was the scathing glare he sent her way. She tried to hold it in, but her laughter just came out. "You want me to help you?" She had to take a deep breath to try and stop laughing because from the looks he was giving her, she had no doubt that if he could reach her she would be dead by now. "Sorry, but really Spike, I want Angelus gone too, but did you really expect me to believe that you came here out of the evilness in your heart so you could help me get rid him? So you can get your loony girlfriend back? Did you really think I was going to fall for that and invite you in so you can take me to Angel and have him kill me? You two need to work on your stories."
"Listen to me you stupid bint," he snarled, his fists clenched at his sides, "You don't believe you need me, take a minute and think, hmmm. How did I know that you have his curse? Especially if none of your little friends know?"
"How did you." She couldn't bring herself to finish her statement, knowing he was right, that he wasn't lying, and that she had pissed him off.
"You're forgetting a very important detail luv. Dru has visions, that's how I know, and considering Angel was in the room when she made her little announcement, I'm thinking he knows too."
"Oh my God. That's why he killed Ms. Calendar, h-he knew that she w-was gonna curse him. He's gonna kill me!" She couldn't stop her hysterical declarations and it was beginning to annoy Spike.
"Witch! Bloody hell woman, pay attention will you! I told you that if you do the spell then I'll give you my protection. He won't kill ya," Spike promised. She looked as if she was seriously considering what he said. She looked up at him with unshed tears shining in her eyes. "O-okay Spike. I believe you, but I don't have all the ingredients, and it needs an Orb, an Orb of Thessulah or something and I don't have any of that." He rolled his eyes. "Pet, I didn't expect you to do it tonight. Now I have to go back to the mansion before they notice I've been gone. I just wanted to warn ya. You are gonna need to be very careful. You may have revoked his invitation but Angel's nothing if not clever and he'll find a way around that problem. If you leave the house, get one of your lil' friends to go with you." She nodded and walked to the door, preparing to close it as he turned to leave. Before he jumped off the balcony, he turned to her, "By the way, since you need my protection, and I need to get to you at all times, I want you to invite me in, now."
She looked at him stunned. She, Willow Anne Rosenburg, was not even supposed to have boys in her room, let alone homicidal vampires. She realized he was right, his help would be pointless if he couldn't get to her when she needed him. But she didn't know if she could feel comfortable sleeping in her own room knowing Spike had an all access pass. She glanced at him, noting the exasperated look upon his face. She reluctantly opened her mouth to tell him, "I invite you in Spike." He gave her a little smirk and turned once again to the railing on her balcony. "Remember," he tossed over his shoulder, "this stays just between us." And with that he was gone.
Morning came quickly for Willow, to quickly in her opinion because she felt life she hadn't slept at all. And she had the weirdest dream. Spike showed up and her door, and she had invited him into her home. She gave a small laugh at the thought, she would never be crazy enough to invite Spike, Slayer of Slayers, into her room. Her laughter immediately ceased as she caught the faint scent of tobacco and leather in the air. As memories of the night before resurfaced she began to feel faint as she realized the trouble she was really in. Angel was trying to kill her, well, more so than usual, and Spike had free reign to her house. She always thought Spike and Angel were gorgeous and all but when she thought of them `coming after her' her death was not part of the fantasy. She managed to make her way out of bed and into the shower without fainting. When she was finished she looked closely at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, trying to figure out when her life got so complicated. She felt a slight blush overcome her as she remembered that she actually had the nerve to laugh at Spike. He just sounded so sad, so dejected. Drusilla didn't know what she had if she was giving him up for Angel. From what she could tell, Angelus was kind of a mental case. Not really insane, it was just that he had a tendency to be obsessive, and Buffy and Dru were walking, but not necessarily breathing, examples of that. But Spike, he always seemed like so much more than a demon. Yes, he unlived for the kill, and wanted nothing more than to kill her best friend, but when he was with Drusilla, he was always so caring. He wasn't soft or anything, but he had this amazing capacity to love, that was rare to find in humans, let alone demons. Willow brought herself back to the matter at hand. She would have to worry about the curse later, right now she had to get herself to school.
Some one must have been watching out for the amateur witch that day because she had managed to avoid Buffy and Xander, even during lunch. It wasn't that she didn't want to see them, but with everything that was going on, she wasn't sure she could see them and not blurt out everything. She didn't want to them about re-cursing Angel in case she got Buffy's hopes up and it didn't work. Plus she knew that Xander wouldn't resist the urge to lecture her about the merits, or lack there of , of `deadboy'. And she wouldn't even know where to start when it came to Spike, if they knew that she gave him an invite, she'd never hear the end of it. She had stayed late working on her teaching plans for the next week, then she noticed that the sun had just gone down. She cursed her stupidity, she had every intention to be home before sunset. Before she left, she remembered that she had left a book in the library the day before. She hoped to run in and retrieve it without being noticed, unfortunately, she wasn't so lucky.
"Wills! Where have you been all day buddy? We missed you." She smiled at Xander. "Yeah, well, speak for yourself," mumbled Cordelia. Willow's shoulders sagged as she said that. She always hated Cordelia, and it took a lot for Willow to truly hate someone. But Cordy was always able to make her feel horribly insignificant. Attempting to shrug off her somber mood, she turned to Buffy who was just finishing sparring with Giles. Her blonde hair hung loosely in a sloppy ponytail and she had a slight sheen of perspiration on her forehead. She grabbed a towel and sat across from Xander and Cordy at the library table. "Yeah" the slayer added, "Xander and I were big with the Willow missage today. You ok?"
The redhead nodded frantically, "Yup, I'm very okay, you know very busy with classes and teaching and stuff. I never realized how much work that is. But the cool part is I can give detention! Isn't that neat."
"Yes, well," interrupted Giles in an attempt to stall full-on Willow babble, "that's very fascinating. Buffy, have you had any Angel problems as of late. Any notes, sightings, anything."
"Nope," she replied, shrugging, "I gotta admit that kinda has me worried. It is almost like he's planning something big, but I can't think of what. I even went and `questioned' Willy and he was completely clueless."
"That is discouraging. On that note, I think that Buffy should head out on patrol. Xander, you, Willow, and Cordelia can go ahead home." They all nodded their agreement and headed toward the library doors. Once outside, Xander and Cordy immediately headed in one direction, leaving Willow behind. She sighed and turned to go home. She heard a rustle in the bushes along the sidewalk and began to walk faster. As the noise increased, she stopped and looked behind her, but there was nothing there. She turned around again and walked straight into a hard, cold body. She looked up, fear in her eyes and relaxed slightly when she saw Spike, who was looking at her with a mixture of humor and annoyance.
"I thought I told you to walk with your friends, pet. Were you not listening?" She could feel his unneeded breath on her face. She became aware of how close they were. She inhaled the scent of leather, tobacco, and something inherently Spike and gave a slight smile, he smelled so good. Catching where her thoughts were going she began to blush. She kept her head down and looked up at him with just her eyes.
"Well, my friends apparently had better things to do than keep me company." He heard her underlying tone of sadness and frowned. These were her `friends' that made her so sad. Shaking his head to bring him back to the moment. "I've got news. You said you needed an Orb of Thessulah, right. I found a bloke who can get one, an old acquaintance of mine. Apparently they are hard to find. Problem is that to get you need to come with me, and this guy wants to meet us at a demon bar just outside of town in a couple days." She began to get nervous.
"Um, Spike, why do I have to be there?"
"Well luv, he doesn't want to just hand me the bloody thing. We would only be borrowing it, and truthfully," he gave he a grin that made her knees weak, "he doesn't trust me, smart man, so he wants to see you, make sure you'll take good care of it and all."
"Oh, ok. I can do that, I'm very trustworthy,"
"That's not the problem, since you're human, to get into the demon bar, they are gonna need to think you are my pet."
"oh, OH! But wait, I only have to follow you around and be quiet, right?" she asked weakly.
"Yes and no, you need to do all that, obey me, do as I say. But they need to know that you are mine, that you're under my protection." She was growing more and more nervous. "So I have to wear a necklace, or collar, or something. Right?"
"Sorry luv, doesn't work like that. I need to mark you."
"H-how?"
"Well," he replied as he lifted his hand to softly caress her neck, "I have to bite you, here, where they can see it." He could smell her increasing fear and he had to smile, she was trying to be so brave. Her scent was intoxicating and if he was truthful with himself, he couldn't wait to taste her. With a raised eyebrow and that patented smirk on his face he lightly gripped her chin, forcing her terrified eyes to his. "No worries, pet. I promise I won't take much. Not much good to me dead are you?" She took in the gleam in his eye, she could tell he was going to enjoy this too much.
~Part: 3~
"Where the hell is he?!" The minions began to scramble at the sound of their master's enraged voice as he stalked into the living room of the mansion. Angelus was furious. Overall, he had a pretty crappy day, the only thing to make him feel better would be to mess with Spike. But at this time, the bleached one was no where to be seen.
"Uh, Master?" spoke one minion, he wasn't an imposing figure, in fact, no one could quite understand why his sire had turned him in the first place. "Master Spike left right after the sun set." Angelus turned his angry gaze to the vampires that had gathered. "Get out!" he snarled, "Go hunt, just get out. And if you see Spike, follow him. I want to know exactly what he's up to."
As the boys filed out, Drusilla made her way to her Angel. She wrapped her arm around his waist from behind him and rested her head on his broad shoulder. In her other arm, she held her beloved Miss Edith, which she cradled with great care. "Daddy's all grumpy. He's not mad at his princess, is he?" she asked in a soft, lilting voice.
He faced her, running his hand through her hair and giving her a small smile. "No princess, I'm not mad at you. Spike has disappeared and I don't trust the bastard. He has to be up to something."
"The stars are whispering to me," she murmured, "They tell me such pretty stories. My boy is being naughty. He's angry with Daddy, isn't he Miss Edith?" she looked lovingly at her precious doll.
"What's he doing Dru?" She whimpered and frowned, "They have gone quiet my love, they say it is meant to be. Nothing can change what's to come." He placed a light kiss on her lips and left her to play with her dolls, he had a childe to find.
Willow squeezed her eyes shut and tensed, praying that Spike would be gentle and not drink too much. Oddly enough, she trusted him, against her better judgment. But trusted or not, getting bit by a vampire wasn't what she had planned today.
Spike's demon came to the fore as he leaned into her neck. He had to admit that he grudgingly respected the tiny girl that stood before him. They weren't friends, hell they barely knew each other at all. Yet, here she was, allowing him to bite her, knowing he could easily kill her. Her faith in others was amazing, albeit a little naïve. Just as he was about to sink his fangs into her, a movement to his right caught his eye. He straightened immediately and grabbed her arm, quickly dragging them to the cover of nearby bushes.
"What is it? What's wrong?" she questioned him, but he silenced her with a single look. He pointed to the other side of the street. There stood a man, who couldn't have been more than twenty years old, the only distinguishing features were the ridges on his forehead and his amber eyes. Spike cursed softly. She gave him a confused look.
"He's one of Angel's boys. Following one of us no doubt." Her hands began to play with the bottom of her shirt, tugging at it as it stretched, it was a nervous habit that she just couldn't help. She bit her bottom lip, wondering what Spike had planned. She turned to glance at him again, that's when she noticed he had vanished. Her head swung around swiftly just in time to see the man explode in a cloud of dust. Darn vampires, they move too fast! She stepped away from the bushes and took his offered hand and Spike quickly led her to her house.
They made it to her home in record speed. Willow practically had to run to keep up with his frantic pace. Once they were through the door, Spike immediately relaxed. They were no longer out in the open, so no chance of any spying minions knowing he was here. Spike threw himself on her couch, the past few days finally catching up with him. He may be able to walk now, but he still wasn't at full strength. Willow watched him with a concerned eye. She could tell he was pushing himself too hard. She sat down in the reclining chair to the left of him and sighed.
"Spike, you look exhausted. Why don't you rest for awhile. Can I get you anything?" He gave a tired smile, "Always the good hostess, eh? Even to your enemy. Why is that pet?"
She thought carefully before answering, "Well, I just can't help it. I like my friends to be comfortable," He threw her a questioning look. "I know, I know, we aren't friends, but you're not really my enemy. Not anymore at least. We have a common goal. We both want Angel back. Until then, we need each other. You need my magical skills, and I need your protection. So I think we should come to an agreement. As long as we need each other's help, there will be no biting, except for when you mark me initially. And there will be no killing of my friends in the meantime." She demanded, resolve face in place.
"Even that whiny chit, what's her name.Cordelia?" he complained.
She couldn't hold back the giggle that came out at that statement and in return he gave her a genuine smile. "Yes Spike, even Cordelia, but only because it would hurt Xander."
"What's with you and that Xapper prat anyways?" She shifted uncomfortably as the topic of their conversation became a bit more personal. "Well, he's my best friend, ever since we were little we were inseparable."
"Really? Didn't look so inseparable tonight though?" She snorted in a most unflattering manner. "Yeah, well, a few days ago I found him and Cordelia making out behind the stacks in the library. I've kinda loved him for what feels like forever, and he didn't even have to decency to tell me that they were together. Ever since then, we haven't really spent a lot of time together. It just hurts ya know? I mean, I've never been good at dealing with boys and even though I knew Xander didn't love me, at least not like that, I never thought he would lie to me. He was the one person I thought I could trust with anything."
Spike nodded sympathetically, "Unrequited love, it is a bitch. And trust me I should know."
"But Drusilla loves you. I mean, you've been together for a century. I wouldn't exactly call that unrequited."
"She never wanted just me though. It has always been Angel. Even after the bastard left us like we were diseased, she still couldn't forget about him. I thought that may be, after some time had passed, that I would be enough for her. But once we arrived in Sunnyhell, she immediately ran out to find her Angel. And now that Angelus is back, Dru couldn't notice if I was even in the same room with them," he ended sadly.
"Then why do all this?" She asked quietly. "If you know she'll never love you, at least not as much as you love her, or she loves Angel, then why put yourself at risk to help me give Angelus his soul back?"
He slowly brought his eyes to hers, and with a look that nearly broke her heart, he replied, "Because I can't live without her."
~Part: 4~
A depressing silence lingered on after Spike's heartbreaking confession. The occupants of the Rosenburg's living room were each too caught up in their own thoughts of their loved ones to even notice the other was in the room.
Willow thought back to all the times she had seen Spike before. He always had a cocky, arrogant attitude. He was so confidant, he seemed unbeatable. But now, she saw a side to the vampire that she knew not many had. Hidden deep beneath his outward egotistical façade, was a vulnerable, and loving man. He wasn't weak, no, he was certainly a formidable opponent. He had killed two slayers after all. That wasn't just luck. But there was so much more to him. And the part of her that wanted nothing more than to make everyone happy was dying to comfort him and tell him it was all right. But she knew that would anger him, he didn't want or need anyone's pity. She didn't pity him though, she just understood him.
Spike sighed, shook his head and focused his eyes to the girl next to him in an effort to concentrate on the current situation. Best not to get caught up thinking about Dru, those thoughts never led to any place good. He studied her expressions. She had no idea how easy she was to read. He was surprised, he expected to see boredom, or disgust at his weakness, but instead he only saw compassion and understanding. She was a piece of work, of that he was sure.
"Spike?" Willow asked, reluctantly breaking the silence.
"What's that ducks?" She looked apprehensive, "What about Drusilla? She's going to be so enraged when Angel gets his soul back. What if she finds out you knew? Won't she hate you for taking him away from her?"
"Right now, I don't care. She and I, we've fought before and I always win. Sure she'll be furious, but I'll put her in her place. Prove to her that she still has me, and that I'm all she needs." She saw the wicked gleam in his eyes and figured she really didn't want to know how he planned to win that argument. She was about to continue their discussion when the sound of footsteps above her silenced her. She shot a glance at Spike who was suddenly still. He stood and walked to her quietly. He found a pad and pen by the phone and quickly scribbled a message to her.
`Angelus is upstairs. Can't talk, he'll hear me. He's on the balcony. Go and talk to him, yell if you really need my help.'
She shook her head in agreement and headed toward her room. She walked into her room, turning on the lights as she closed the door, but she left it slightly open in case she called for Spike. She tried to look nonchalant, she couldn't let Angel know that she knew he was there. As she went to sit on the edge of her bed, she looked to her French doors. He was hard to distinguish in the total darkness outside. As he caught her eye and stepped closer, she made out his trademark leather pants, a midnight blue silk shirt, buttoned halfway, and his black duster. He looked every bit the evil creature of the night that he was. And so, for the second time in two days, she found herself at her doors, staring into the face of a vampire.
He smiled kindly as she opened her doors. The look he had on his face reminded her so much of their Angel, but she steeled herself, knowing he was nothing more than a monster.
"Willow, so good to see you. It's been such a long time."
"Angelus. Trust me, it hasn't been long enough." He laughed lightly. "Oh, look who grew a backbone, didn't know you had it in you little one." She glared at him. "What do you want?" she ground out through clenched teeth.
"If you really want to know, I want nothing more than to leave your broken body for that bitch to find, but since I'm guessing you're not willing to step outside so I can kill you, I don't see that happening right now." She tried to look completely unaffected, but her racing pulse and the sweet scent of her fear betrayed her. "So, instead little one, let's have a nice chat, shall we?"
"Um, sure, that sounds fine. So.whatcha wanna talk about? The weather?" He continued to stare at her, making no move to speak, looking extremely bored.
"I think not. What should we talk about, hmmm.Oh! I know," he declared "why don't we talk about what a busy girl you've been Willow. With everything that's been happening, the tragic death of your dear, dear teacher and all, I must say I was quite surprised when I heard that you've been playing with things that don't concern you. Like, I don't know, Romany curses? That sound about right?" She shivered involuntarily as she took in his icy glare.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Ms. Calendar told us that your curse was lost." He smirked at her, amused by her failed attempt at a lie.
"Willow, Willow, Willow, you shouldn't lie. You're so bad at it. Besides, I thought we were friends. It hurts my feelings that you aren't being truthful with me." He grinned at the fire that shone in her eyes at his last statement.
"We aren't friends! You aren't Angel! Don't talk as if you were! I don't have your curse, and even if I did I certainly wouldn't tell you. So unless you plan on giving me a stupid drawing, or yelling threats at me from my door, I suggest you leave."
"I gotta say little one, I'm impressed. I always envisioned you begging me to leave you alone, pleading for me to spare you and your friends. Instead, you actually fight and yell. I like it. May have to rethink my plans for you." He added cryptically.
"What plans, you don't have plans for me. You're just trying to scare me. You get your jollies by threatening girls half your size. Sounds pathetic to me." He brushed off her attempt to insult him with a wave of his hand.
"I always had plans for you, true, they were more like `drain her and give her to Buffy', but now, I'm not sure. Might be nice to have a witch in the family." She froze in fear as his intentions became clear.
"I'd never let you turn me into a *vampire*!" He smiled in a way that was completely unnerving.
"It's not about letting me, where's the fun in that? All you have to do is make a mistake darlin'. You can't stay in the relative safety of your house forever. Just one step outside your door, that's all I need." She slammed the door shut in his face. He then gave her one last appraising look, a wink, and left. Once he was no longer in sight she closed her eyes, feeling the fight drain out of her, her limbs suddenly tired, she slid down the wall. Resting her head in her hands, she took a deep breath and tried to steady her thoughts. And that's how Buffy found her.
~Part: 5~
"Wills?" came a soft voice from her bedroom door. The redhead looked up sharply, looking for any sign of Spike, or if Buffy knew Angel had just been at her door. When she saw nothing but concern in her friend's eyes, she began to get up.
"Buffy," she replied with a small smile, "What's up?" She attempted to sound upbeat but she could tell that she failed miserably.
"Are you ok? Did something happen?"
"No!" she shouted. She consciously lowered her voice, "I mean no, just thinking. You know me and my thoughts; I tend to ramble, even in my mind, that's why I didn't hear you come in. Not that I mind, but why are you here Buffy?"
"Well, you seemed kind of out of sorts today. I thought that after patrol I would stop by, see how you've been doing, you know, with the craziness that is our lives."
"I'm ok Buffy, that was sweet of you to worry, but you don't have to. Your dealing with a lot more than I am."
"I know but after the `incident' with Xander and Cordy, I thought you might want to talk."
"No, uh, Xander thoughts are bad. No more thinking of Xander for this girl. He is officially out of my mind."
"Ok, I get it Will," answered Buffy with a light laugh. "I guess I should be going. Mom's been wanting to do some bonding lately."
"Go ahead, have your `mom-time'. I'm fine." Buffy gave the hacker a tight hug and left. As soon as she heard her front door close, Willow ran down the stairs. Her eyes frantically scanned the room for any sign of Spike.
"Bloody hell pet, you're really trying to keep me on my toes tonight aren't you?" Willow jumped at the sound of his voice, and she tried to disguise the relief she felt in seeing the arrogant blonde. "I mean, first that sodding fledgling, then Angelus, and then the Slayer! Is being seen with you gonna get me killed!?"
"Um, yeah, I'm sorry about that. I didn't know Buffy was stopping by, she just wanted to see how I was doing."
Spike snorted at the thought, "Yeah, now she's attentive." He growled at the thought of the slayer. "So, what did my bloody sire want?"
"You know, the usual, just to chat, that and telling me how is planning my untimely death."
"That all then?" When she nodded, he sighed. "I hate to impose pet, well, actually I don't. Forget that, anyway, I have a sinking feeling that Angel knows something's up with me. So, ya mind letting me crash here for the night?"
"What?!" she shrieked. He smirked, and raised his eyebrow, "Whatsa matter Red? Don't trust yourself around me? Worried you won't be able to keep your warm little hands off me?" Her face grew redder at the thought of spending the night with Spike. He laughed and leaned closer to her, his mouth directly above her ear. "Don't worry luv," he whispered "I know you want me, but I'm not that kind of vampire. Now," he smiled at her outraged look, "stop thinking your naughty little thoughts and show me my room." She sputtered indignantly and led him upstairs.
"It's still early Spike, so I was thinking you could take a look at the curse, see if everything looks ok." They entered her room, while she searched her desk of the copy she printed out that morning Spike made himself comfortable stretching out on her bed. She found the papers she was looking for and turned to face Spike, "Care to join me luv?" She scowled at him and thrust the papers into his face. He laughed and began to review the spell. "Everything seems in order. After we get the orb, is there any other supplies you'll need?"
"A few, the magic shop was out of a few ingredients but they should have more next week. When do we have to meet your contact?"
"Friday night I believe, around midnight or so."
"Tomorrow?! How am I supposed to prepare?"
"Not much to prepare. It's fairly simple really. You stay behind me a few paces. Keep your eyes on the floor, speak only when spoken to. Keep the temper to a minimum, and do everything I tell you, do NOT question me. No master would stand for their pet to get mouthy, if you do, know that you will be severely punished." She immediately lowered her eyes in an involuntary reaction to the tone he used. Earlier this evening, when commiserating about the mess that was their love lives, she forgot about his violent tendencies and his pension for blood. She was quickly reminded by his last statement, he was a master, and should be feared and respected. "Speaking of our little excursion tomorrow night, there is one thing we need to do before then. It was a shame we were interrupted earlier, I was so looking forward to tasting you," he added with a sly grin.
"Uh, yeah, about that, do we really have to?" she squeaked. "Sorry, luv, that bit's non-negotiable." She attempted to swallow down her fear as he gracefully rose from her bed, stalking toward her in a most predatory manor. They were nearly nose to nose now as her breathing became more erratic. "Relax pet, I'll be gentle." He leaned down, pushing the collar of her shirt away from her neck. He placed a soft kiss against her jugular; she felt his ridges appear only seconds before she felt his fangs enter her neck.
He originally intended to bite shallow, just to place his mark on her, but the moment her blood hit his tongue the plan flew out the window. His bite was deep and claiming, in the back of his mind her heard her quiet moan and felt her weaken in his arms. Realizing he had taken more than he anticipated, he gently pulled his fangs out of her neck and softly licked the remaining traces of her blood away. He pulled back, noticing her half closed eyes and tired expression. She had a long night, so he swiftly gathered her in his arms and laid her on her bed. She fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. He covered her windows with a blanket and spooned against her. He found that he too was exhausted; he'd deal with the consequences of his claiming her tomorrow. His thoughts faded away as he joined her in healing sleep. His final thoughts were confused; he'd never claimed a mortal before.
~Part: 6~
Her eyelids felt as is they were made of lead as she tried to open them. She glanced at her alarm clock at the side of her bed and noticed it was already 7:30 am. She had to get up now or she was going to be late for school. As she woke up a little more, she noted that her room seemed unusually dark, and she felt an unfamiliar body pressed against hers, an arm holding her possessively around her waist. Memories of the night before, Angelus, Buffy, Spike and biting, oh she couldn't forget the biting! It was surprising pleasant, she could tell he had done his best not to hurt her. She found that fact astonishing. Here was Spike, a master vampire, the Big Bad, and he was being so considerate. Of course there was a minute amount of pain, it was a bite after all. But the sensations he had created with his mouth and tongue quickly drowned out the pain. She found herself overcome with an unfamiliar, but not unpleasant feeling as she thought back to the night before. A sudden movement brought her back to the present. Spike was still asleep, of that she was sure, but his grip on her tightened as he unconsciously began to nuzzle the mark on her neck. She felt something hard pressed into her back and her eyes widened. Apparently Spike was having a very nice dream. Deciding then and there that she needed to leave immediately, she slowly began to disentangle herself from him and slid off her bed. She quickly made her way to the bathroom and jumped in the shower. She dried off and dressed in a hurry. She was already running late, she couldn't waste time. Before she left, she wrote Spike a small note and flew out the front door.
"Oh, Willow, good to see you," announced Giles as she walked into the high school library. "I was wondering if you could get on that blasted contraption and see what you find in the files of the morgue." She smiled and sat down in front of the computer.
"No problem Giles, what am I looking for?" Giles removed his glasses and as he began to clean them, he replied, "Deaths resembling an animal attack, like a mauling. It's possible we could have a werewolf on the loose." She nodded and began working. About two minutes later, Buffy and Xander came breezing through the doors, laughing at some joke he had just made. Xander fell into a chair near Willow as Buffy hopped onto the library table. "Anything new Giles?" asked the slayer.
"Oh, yes, I believe we could have a possible werewolf problem on our hands. Have you found anything of interest Willow?"
"Hmmm?" she turned, just now noticing the rest of the gang, "Yeah, there were two deaths that were very similar. The coroner determined that they were attacked by wild dogs, but the bite and claw marks don't match that of any kind of dog. I think you are right Giles, definitely sounds wolfy." Giles gave a triumphant smile and nodded, "Buffy, you and I will patrol tonight, I suggest taking a tranquilizer gun, if we run across the werewolf, we may want to contain it, not kill it."
"Why?" asked Xander, "It's a demon after all. Last time I checked we killed these things, not kept them for study."
Giles sighed in frustration, "Because Xander, a werewolf is still human, except for the three nights of the full moon. He or she may not even be aware that they are attacking people." All talk of demons ended as the library door opened and in walked a young man, not too tall, with blue hair. He hesitantly walked into the room, his eyes scanning the people there, finally settling on a shy redhead sitting by the computer. He gave her a small smile and was pulled out of his thoughts when the older gentleman, obviously the librarian, cleared his throat. "Can I help you?" he asked politely.
"Uh yeah, I'm looking for a book, I heard you had some here," he replied, attempting a joke to lighten the mood. "I need a copy of `All Quiet on the Western Front' for lit class."
"Oh yes," the librarian replied brightly, he vanished into the stacks, appearing minutes later with a copy of the needed book. "I just need your name."
"Sure, it's Osbourne, Daniel Osbourne. Most people call me Oz."
~Part: 7~
Spike slowly awoke with the knowledge that he was not in his room at the mansion. He looked around, although the room was shrouded in darkness, his vampiric eyesight let him see without difficulty. When he went to sit up he felt a piece of paper shift off his chest and fall to the floor. Turning on the bedroom light, he picked up the discarded paper and read the note.
`Had to go school, didn't want to wake you up. I won't be back until seven or eight tonight.
Willow'
He had to smile at the thought that she actually wrote him a note so he wouldn't worry. He looked at the clock; there was only a half an hour until sunset. He had a couple errands to run before they went to meet his friend that night. She wouldn't be back for another two or three hours so he knew he had enough time.
He made his way to her living room, occasionally glancing at pictures of his Red through the years. Wait, HIS Red? He wondered where that thought came from. He sat down on her couch and sifted through his memories of the night before.
"Bloody hell!!" he yelled as he remembered his mistake. He actually claimed the girl. He had never done that before. He had no interest in humans. They were merely there for food, the occasional torture, and may be a quick shag. He couldn't believe he slipped up so badly. Sure, the chit was nice and all, but he didn't like nice. She's innocent, and loving, things he despised. Figures, he finally was getting his unlife on track and some little girl had to go and mess it all up. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the time go by. He pushed himself off the couch and angrily threw open the door and slammed it closed as he made his way into the night. He hoped for her sake that Willow behaved tonight. He was in no mood to be nice.
Willow made it home around seven that night. She was most certainly nervous. Tonight she had to play nice with demons and the thought scared her witless. She saw that all the lights were out as she made her way inside. Spike must have left as soon as the sun set. She headed to the kitchen and grabbed an apple from the counter. She knew she was too nervous to have a big dinner, she hoped eating something small would ease her nerves.
She started when she heard her front door slam. "Witch!" she heard Spike growl from her living room. She quickly made her way to him, knowing by his tone of voice that he was not a happy vampire. Once she entered the room she saw Spike standing the middle of the room, a shopping bag in hand, and a scowl on his face. He growled when she looked at him with an innocent expression. Just the sight of her looking at him so sweetly, like he was a man, made his demon rage. He stomped his way toward her, grabbed her arm roughly and dragged her upstairs and into her room. She began to panic at the way he was acting. She knew he was a vampire, hello, evil! But he had acted different with her earlier. It was always one extreme to the next it seemed. First he was angry, then amused, then heartbroken, then sensual, and now, now he was just pissed. She couldn't figure him out, and she supposed he didn't want her to.
He pushed her onto her bed and practically threw the bag he was carrying at her. She gave him a questioning look and he rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"I didn't think you would make a believable vampire's pet in a fluffy sweater and overalls. So I found these, they should fit alright." She looked in the bag and nearly fainted when she saw what he wanted her to wear. She was Willow, she didn't wear leather! He growled when she didn't move. "Well hurry up then, don't have all night! Stupid bint." She jumped off her bed and went into her bathroom to change, not wanting to anger him further. When she reentered her room she saw Spike sitting in her computer chair, looking bored as ever. He looked up at her and nodded approvingly. "That'll do," he said. She gave herself the once over in her mirror. She couldn't believe he wanted her to wear a barely there black leather miniskirt, and a blood red halter top. The skirt was bad enough in her opinion, she never really liked showing that much leg ever. But the shirt was worse. The color was gorgeous, and the silk felt wonderful against her skin, yes, but the neckline was cut so low, it revealed cleavage she didn't even know she had, and the bottom of the shirt rested right under her chest.
He sighed when a rosy blush began to cover her from head to toe. How the hell was she going to pass for a vampire's plaything when she couldn't stop blushing! He slowly stood from his chair, grabbed a pair of knee-high black leather boots, took her hand and pulled her downstairs.
"Alright, let's get this straight," he announced as they sat on her couch. "When we get to the door tonight keep your eyes downcast. No one, vampire or otherwise should bother you because they'll know you belong to me, but they are unpredictable at best. Do not speak. If some one asks you a question look to me. If I approve then you can answer. When we meet my friend, let me do the talking. He may ask you a few quick questions. Answer quickly, none of that babbling or stuttering you're so fond of. If anyone other than me or my friend touches you, I will deal with their impudence." He looked her in the eye to make sure she understood what he expected of her. "Lastly," he added, "If you disobey an order I give, or misbehave, I will punish you, in front of everyone, as I see fit. For me to be forgiving or ignore direct disobedience would be appearing weak, and trust me luv, your punishment would not be a simple tongue lashing. Understood?" She nodded weakly.
"Go back upstairs," he ordered, "Do your hair, I want it up, away from your neck so everyone can see my mark. Then do your make up, dark lips and eyes. After you're done, come back down here. If I approve then you can put on your boots and we'll leave." She immediately got up and left. She knew he was not in the mood for stalling or light conversation. He was in full vampire mode tonight.
~Part: 8~
Willow walked on shaky legs toward the bar Spike insisted they go to. It wasn't because she was nervous, even though she was terrified, but instead, it was the four inch stiletto heels he wanted her to wear. Spike was two steps ahead of her, he seemed totally at ease, but if one paid close attention, they would notice the tic in his jaw, a clear sign of how tense he truly was. Their plan rested on this night. If they failed to obtain the orb, the curse would be useless. Spike's plan b wasn't extremely elaborate. If the curse failed, he'd just have to try and take out Angel himself, may even get some minions to help, they all pretty much hated the bastard anyway.
They reached the door which was made of a thick metal, couldn't have wooden doors when there were so many vamps around. There was a small window which slid open once Spike rapped loudly on the door. Willow, doing as Spike said, kept her eyes to the ground at her feet. "Species?" she heard a menacing voice ask. "Vampire," replied Spike, game face slipping into place. She heard the lock turn and as the door swung open Spike put his arm around Willow, resting his hand low on her hip, and pulled her against him.
As they walked in, heads turned to see who was coming. The vampires in the room immediately lowered their gaze as they sensed the power of the elder vampire and smelled the claim he had on the mortal beside him. The rest of the varying demons went back to what they were doing, drinking, playing cards, talking to comrades. Spike lead Willow to a bar stool. He sat her down and hissed in her ear, "Stay here." He left through a door in the back of the room in search of his confidant. Willow tried to stay calm. Even though she knew Spike would protect her, he wasn't here at the moment. Knowing vampires could smell fear, she took deep breaths trying to calm her frazzled nerves. She hoped he didn't take too long.
Meanwhile, Spike made his was through a dark hallway and into a private office. It was sparsely furnished with only a simple oak desk in the center of the room and two chairs, one on each side of the desk. He walked confidently into the room greeting the demon inside with a shake of the hand and a quick pat on the back. The demon looking almost human. He wasn't a vampire, but his only distinct features were his red eyes, and slightly pointed ears.
"William the Bloody! It's been ages my friend." Spike grinned as they each sat down.
"What's it been, four or five decades, give or take a couple years, eh mate?" Spike made himself comfortable and put his feet up on the desk. "So Marius, got me orb?"
"You never were one for small talk, were you Spike? I've got the Orb of Thessulah that you inquired about. Where's the little witch?"
"She out front in the bar, you want me to bring her here?" Marius gave him a small smile. "Yes, I'd like to meet the girl who plans to curse Angelus. Besides you always keep such interesting company." Spike gave a wry grin and headed back to find Willow.
Willow was becoming impatient. She got over most of her initial discomfort. She sighed and began to turn around when she felt a cold hand on the small of her back. Knowing it must be Spike since every other vampire had kept their distance from her, they knew a powerful master had claimed her, to touch her was to have a death wish, she raised her eyes to his and pulled back in shock at the face in front of her.
There, in all his nightmarish glory, stood Angelus. He had a smug grin on his face, but curiosity burned in his eyes. He inhaled an unneeded breath, smiling at the scent of her fear.
"So, I must ask, what brings you here little one?"
~Part: 9~
Willow was stunned into silence at the sight in front of her. Spike was no where to be seen and Angel was hovering above. It's not like she could yell for help here, more than likely the patrons of this `wonderful' establishment would run to aid Angelus. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, attempting to form words, but they were elusive. Angelus hooked a finger under her chin and gently closed her mouth.
"I must say Willow, this is a surprise," he said, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "Not only are you spending your free time in a demon bar, of all places, but from the looks of your neck, you've not only been bitten, you've been claimed by a vampire. I have to say I'm disappointed, I did so hope to be the one to bite you."
She continued to try and form words, but she was only able to sputter out one word. "Claimed-d?"
His only answer to her question was a husky laugh. "Oh this is rich, don't tell me you didn't know you've been claimed! It's kind of a difficult thing to ignore. I wonder who it was, hmmm? Anyone I know?"
"N-no, um by claimed, what exactly does that mean?" she asked in a shaky voice.
"Well darlin', it's quite simple really. A claim means that you belong to him. He owns you, you have his protection from other vampires, but not from himself. He is the only one that can cause you pain, and the only one that will give you pleasure. He'll keep you until he tires of you, then he'll either kill you or turn you. It means a lot more than just a mark. You're his property."
Willow's eyes were full of fury. By the end of Angel's speech she was livid. Spike had the nerve to mark her as his *property*! She knew they had a tentative agreement, that included a bite mark, but it was only supposed to show that she was taken, she wasn't supposed to truly belong to him. She had trusted him, admittedly that was a little stupid, and he claimed her. The bleached idiot didn't even have the nerve to tell her what he had done.
Angel's emotions warred between amusement at her obvious outrage, and annoyance that she was ignoring him. Tired of waiting for her to remember that he was standing right there, he moved with supernatural speed, tangling her hair in his tight grip and threw her head back so she was looking him in the eye. The fear that had faded earlier was back with a vengeance. Just then a crash to the left of them caused him to let her go. Angelus turned to face the noise, only to be punched in the jaw by some fledging that started a bar fight. After staking the poor excuse for a vampire, he brought his attention back to Willow, only to find her missing.
~Part: 10~
Spike had returned to the bar to find an unnerving sight. Willow was sitting on the stool he left her at, having what looked like a not so friendly conversation with Angel. He tensed and strained to listen to what his grandsire was telling her. If he knew that Spike was the vamp she was with, he was a dead man, or deader than usual. He had to do something to get her away from him without drawing attention to himself. His eyes widened when he heard Angel tell her about his claim. By the look on her face she was not thrilled with the news. As some random vampire walked by, Spike grabbed him by the lapels and pushed him hard, straight into another young vamp. The two started to throw sloppy punches, but it proved the distraction he hoped for. He made a grab for Willow and pulled her against him and into a dark corner by the door to the hallway. He turned just in time to see Peaches get punched in the face. That was more fun than expected.
Spike pulled her through the back door and led her down the hallway. He could feel her eyes burning into the back of his head. Her earlier fear had been replaced by anger. Before they reached the office Marius was in, he pulled into a storage room, turning on the light so she could see. She blinked, trying to adjust her eyesight to the light. Once that was achieved she continued to glare at him. He growled and pushed against a nearby wall.
"What the hell is your problem *pet*?" he snarled. She stared him straight in the eye.
"That's just it Spike, I'm not your damn pet!" He smirked and gave a little laugh.
"Actually luv, you are. I know that Angel told you about the claim and it pissed you off good, but it doesn't change a bloody thing! I didn't mean for it to happen. I don't go around claiming weak, whiny little chits. But it's done, deal with it." If looks could kill he would be dust now.
"Deal with it! How am I supposed to just `deal with it'? What the hell do you expect from me?!"
"I expect for you to meet my friend, do as I say. That's just for tonight, after that we'll play it by ear. Never claimed a mortal before, might be fun."
"Excuse ME! I'm not an object, something for you to own. The only reason I'm doing as you say tonight is so I can curse Angel and save my friends. Tomorrow I am going to the magic shop to get the rest of the ingredients for the spell. After tomorrow night, I can finally be rid of you!"
"Rid of me! You insolent brat! What happened to wanting for me to be happy, huh? You need me! Who's been with you, keeping your sorry self company these past few nights? Certainly none of your `friends'. Come on, Xapper couldn't give a damn about you as long as the cheerleader's around, and don't even get me started on Slutty. That bitch only spends time with you when she wants someone to listen to her whine about Paingel! Besides sweets, you'll never be rid of me. The claim isn't something you can ignore. Now are you done with your little hissy fit, I have business to attend to."
He stepped away from her and pulled the door to the storage room open. He walked out into the hallway and when he shot her an icy glare she followed him, eyes firmly focused ahead of her. She was sick of being told what to do, and she was definitely done playing submissive.
Spike calmly opened the door that led to Marius' office. Marius stood, ready to greet William's witch. He could feel the tension in the air.
"You must be Willow. I must say, it is a pleasure to meet you." Spike groaned.
"Oi, mate, don't flatter the girl." She glared at Spike.
"Spike has informed me of his plan to re-curse Angelus." She laughed and replied. "Spike may have told you about it, but I'm the real brains of the operation." She quickly looked to Spike, registering the fact that he was seething. Marius simply smiled.
"I like you, a fiery spirit to match your tresses. I have your precious orb. My only condition is that you take very good care of it. It is incredibly fragile. William will bring it back to me when you are finished, correct?" He waited until Spike nodded before carefully removing it from his desk. He gingerly placed the prized cargo in her hands and bid them farewell.
Once they walked into the hallway Spike took the orb from her grasp and placed into the safety of his duster pocket. They reached the door to the front of the bar and he peered into the crowd, searching for any sign of Angelus. Pleased that his grandsire was no longer on the premises he led Willow into the crowd. Once they were surrounded on all sides by various demons, Spike looked at Willow. She still held that air of defiance, her eyes taking in all the different demons, not studying the floor as he told her to. She was deliberately disobeying him, in front of everyone no less. She had to be taught that this wasn't a game she would win. She put him on the spot, now she'd have to pay the price.
A loud *crack* filled the air as Spike backhanded the girl in front of him. She landed with a thud on the floor, partly from the force of the blow, and partly out of shock. She looked up at him with pain filled eyes. Noting that he had the attention of everyone, he grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to kneel in front of him. He allowed his demon to come to the fore as he stared at her. His amber gaze filled her with terror. It was cold and completely unfeeling.
"Apologize for your disobedience *pet*!" She glared defiantly at him. When she refused to answer him he smirked, he was hoping she would fight him. He pulled her up to her full height, smiled at her, purposely showing a lot of fang, and faster than she could register his movement, he bit harshly into her neck, reopening his previous mark. She stopped fighting him as the pain took over. This was nothing like the last time. There was no tenderness, it was merely a show of dominance, purely animalistic. He pulled away, her blood staining his mouth as he grabbed her hair and pulled her into a harsh kiss. She started to push him away at the feel of his mouth on hers. Finally he pushed away, allowing her to take in much needed air. He took her by the hand and quickly led her out of the building and toward her home. She felt a stray tear make its way down her cheek. She purposely defied him, and he had warned her of the repercussions, she made a mental note, pissing off master vampires equals pain. She'd have to remember that from now on.