Visits From The Past

Author: Jami

Parts: 11 - 19 (end)

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~Part: 11~

Willow opened one eye tentatively and immediately closed it when she saw who exactly was lying next to her. She felt waves of guilt and shame rise in her as she took in the sleeping form of her sire. She couldn’t believe she let herself forget who he was, why he was there in the first place. He and her childe were after her soul and she had sex with him.

Her childe. Spike was going to kill her. Well, he would probably try to torture Angelus, then he would kill her. It was inevitable. William had always been insecure when it came to his love life, and now, he had begged her to be with him again. In return, she slept with Angelus. This was going to be bad.

Even if she could convince Angelus not to say anything about their liaison, it would be useless, Spike would smell her all over him, and vice versa. Plus that bite mark on the side of her neck was a little hard to miss. She grimaced and wondered how she could escape this situation, maybe crawl into a hole somewhere.

She got up from the bed, her sheet wrapped around her protectively as she went to her closet. Hastily grabbing jeans and a turtleneck to cover the bite as she nearly ran out of the room. She dressed noiselessly in the living room and ran outside of her apartment before Angelus could wake.

The sun was still high in the sky as she ran to the sewer tunnels, using the sheet as a cover from the deadly rays. Once she was safely in the dank passageway, she discarded the fabric and slowly skulked through the dirty water. She screwed up royally.

~~~*~~~

Angelus frowned when he realized he was alone. His childe ran from him, no doubt. Oh well, he did what he came to do. Plus, he had the pleasure of yet another fiery night with his lovely childe. But the end result would be worth the initial fighting that was about to come.

He had no delusions that he could bring his girl perfect happiness, the requirement for losing her soul. Only Spike could do that, which would normally cause a dent in his rather massive ego. But he needed Spike to stop treating her like she’d break, and to do that, he’d have to get angry. After the blonde finds out about what went on between his mate and his grandsire, the youngest was bound to be furious. And Angelus was counting on it.

~~~*~~~

Spike was growing increasingly suspicious. Angelus left early the night before, and he never returned. It was a few minutes before sunset and he knew he would be back soon. Spike just worried about what could have possibly kept his grandsire out all night.

Drusilla flounced into the room, her face covered with conflicting emotions. She was torn between happiness that her sire got to her sister, and slight jealousy that he had been with the redhead. Oh she knew that Willow and her sire were not together, she was with Spike. They were inseparable, and would be again. Now she simply tried to prepare for the backlash.

The minute the sun was down, Angelus strode into the factory, a conniving grin on his face.

“Well, hello kiddies! Have a nice day?” he asked cheerfully. Spike merely frowned at his grandsire’s mood.

“What the hell has gotten into you, Peaches?” he sneered, turning to head back to his room.

“Nothing’s gotten into *me*, my boy. A better question might be what has gotten into Willow?” he answered with a smile.

“Wha-?” he faced his elder, unsure what he meant.

“Oh, yeah! *I* was in Willow…” he continued with a laugh. Spike froze when he detected the scent of his mate, *his* Willow, coming off her sire. Growling, he lunged for the brunette.

Drusilla moved away from the pair. She didn’t want to see her precious sire hurt, but she knew she couldn’t stop what was to come. Angelus knew what he got himself into. Besides, Spike wouldn’t kill him, well, he probably wouldn’t. She hoped.

Spike rained unrestrained blows to the fallen Angelus, but he merely chuckled at the boy’s reaction, the smirk never leaving his arrogant face.

“You bloody bastard! How dare you touch her!!” Angelus was growing tired of having Spike beat him to a bloody pulp so he quickly pushed the blonde off him with all his strength.

“How dare *I* touch *her*?” he asked with a small laugh, “You forget I’m her sire, boy. But, I mean, she loves you,” he said, sounding very sullen, “So why would she do that? Betray you like that?” he questioned softly. Spike was vamped out by now, and growling rather loudly. He hated to admit that he agreed with Angelus. He expected behavior like that from him, but not his Red.

Angelus was suddenly at his side, absently wiping away his blood from his split lip.

“She should pay, Spike,” he whispered in the blonde’s ear, “Remind her who she belongs to. Claim her, make her scream your name in pain and pleasure. Take her…” Spike snarled and nearly ran through the doors leading outside, on his way to his sire. Angelus almost worried for his childe, but he knew this was for the best.

Drusilla took her sire in her arms, giving him a reproaching look.

“Bad Angel, you should be punished,” she determined, he smiled, not exactly unhappy with her decision. “No tea and cakes for you…”

~~~*~~~

Willow returned to her apartment an hour after the sun had set, knowing he wouldn’t be there anymore. Besides, she needed a shower. She sighed as she walked past her messy bed and into her bathroom. She let the water heat up until it would almost scald a normal person, before stepping under the spray.

She let the water wash away all the horrible feelings she had been harboring since that morning. Fifteen minutes later, she dragged herself out of her bathroom, changing swiftly into her jeans and deciding to wear a tank top. It was a warm night, even though she didn’t really feel the heat, it was best to fit in.

Pausing just outside her bedroom door, she studied her surroundings. Shrugging off her suspicion as run-of-the-mill paranoia, she ambled into her kitchen. Reaching into her refrigerator for a bag of blood, she stood and placed it in the microwave. She never saw her attacker, only felt the blow to the back of her head that knocked her unconscious.

~~~*~~~

Willow awoke slowly, shaking her head and blinking furiously to try to regain focus on the room spinning before her eyes. Groaning, she shifted and realized her hands were bound above her head, manacles, and she was chained to the ceiling. She heard a door creak open, she turned as best she could to see if she could catch a glimpse of her captor. Icy blue eyes bored into hers, bleach blonde hair practically glowing in the dim candlelight.

“Shit.”

~Part: 12~

“Spike…” Willow attempted, in vain she knew, to reason with the blonde. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked softly, keeping her tone gentle. He paid her no mind, not even acknowledging her presence. He had a task to perform, and it wouldn’t do to waste his time with frivolous conversation and useless pleas for mercy he was unwilling to give.

“You know, love,” he began a relaxed exchange, ignoring her incredulous gaze. “You’re a puzzler. I mean, I tell you that I love you, need you. And I *know* you do too, and yet, you turn from me and run into the arms of you’re bloody sire,” his calm voice was distressing.

“It wasn’t like that!” she pleaded, knowing an angry Spike was no one to mess with. He brushed her statement away.

“Details, details. Fact is pet, you are *mine*. Mind, body, and your sodding soul. You strayed, pushed me away and *him* closer. For that you need to be punished. To be reminded of your place.” Her demon raged at the thought of being dominated by her own childe.

“On what authority do you have it, to punish me, boy?” she growled, legitimately angry. “I’m your sire, don’t forget that William. *You* have no right to punish me. You don’t have the power…”

“Sadly that is true, love. But…he does,” he informed her, shifting to allow her gaze to fall on the tall, dark form of her sire hovering in the doorway. “Isn’t that right, Angelus?”

Willow stiffened as she viewed her sire merely feet away. He planned this, she suddenly realized. The bastard wanted Spike to be furious with her, and she knew better. Yet she managed to do nothing about it.

“I *hate* you!” she snarled at the brunette.

“Aw, kitten, that’s not what you were saying last night,” he smirked. Spike simply looked on impassively. “Just thought you might like to know, little one, Spike has *my* permission, as your sire, to do what he deems…necessary to keep you in line,” he finished with a smile.

“Son of a bi-” she shouted but he cut her off with a laugh. Spike was becoming increasingly impatient with their banter. Rolling his eyes, he faced Angelus.

“Do you mind, Peaches?” he asked snidely, “Was kind of in the middle of something. Don’t you have someone of your own to terrorize?” The eldest grinned and bowed deeply at his childer.

“Have at it, my boy. Remember, no stopping until she’s begging you for more…” he reminded him with a casual wink.

Willow struggled futilely in her chains, determined not to be here for this humiliating experience, but the hold wouldn’t give. She tried to pull them from the ceiling but she only chaffed and cut her wrists. Spike just laughed and shook his head.

“Magically reinforced, ducks. Had Dru perform a little spell, and then poof, vampire proof!” he said with a maniacal grin.

“Spike, listen to yourself. Angelus played you, us. For some reason he wants you to do this, but you can’t Spike. Please. Don’t do this, it would be unforgivable. This won’t solve anything. You can’t break me. You forget, Angelus is my sire. I can withstand a hell of a lot more than you could imagine, even while I was human. It won’t work. If anything, it will make me hate you,” she warned, even though she knew it was a lie. She could never hate him.

“See,” he whispered as he moved behind her, his mouth lingering by her ear, “that’s where you’re wrong. You’ll never hate me, love. I’m in your blood, I’m as much yours as you are mine. Normally, I would be nice and let you go if you just admitted to me that much. But, you messed up, pet. You have to pay the price.”

“Can’t you see you’re just playing into his hand. I can’t begin to understand why he wants this to happen, but it will turn out badly. Anything Angelus wants so desperately has to be awful!” she argued.

“Wouldn’t say that, pet. It’s that bloody soul of yours, messing with your pretty little head. Angelus simply wants you back with us, where you belong. If that’s what is behind this plan of his, who am I to object?”

She watched him warily as he left her side and made his way to face her, eye to eye. He had a small smile on his face at her worried expression. He indulgently stroked her face with his calloused hand. His fingers gently traced her lips and smiled widely when she pressed her lips together harshly, not allowing him any further caresses.

“Always were a stubborn one,” he sighed, “No worries, though. You’ll be aching for me in no time.”

“Don’t kid yourself, Spike,” she replied, hoping to sound confident when she was anything but, “I won’t beg, I won’t submit. You’re wasting my time. I taught you everything you know. There’s nothing you can do that I can’t handle,” she added with a sure grin. She knew that much was true. His devilish chuckle bothered her.

“Oh, Red…*you* forget. You’ve been gone for decades. I’ve picked up a few new tricks since then. All of which you will get to experience. Fun for all, I suppose,” he said with a smile.

“Spike, stop this before it gets out of hand. Forget this mess with my soul. Just go, anywhere but here. But please, think about this for a minute. This won’t make things better. I didn’t sleep with Angelus to hurt you…” Unfortunately reminding him of her indiscretion with her sire only convinced him that he had to continue. She couldn’t be allowed to forget that, soul or not, sire or not, she would always be *his*.

“Now, now, love. Stop sniveling. It’s extremely unbecoming.” She tensed with anger and he chuckled. He left her, walking to a small table off to the side. He admired the various instruments that lay there for the taking. Deciding to begin with a smaller whip, he turned to her.

He saw the defiance in her eyes and grinned. He had to admit, he never got to do this to her before. He never really wanted to be the one to cause her pain. But she stepped out of place. He would have no problem reminding her who she belonged to. Angelus may be her sire, but he was her mate, and that was an even more sacred bond.

“Time to get started…”

~Part: 13~

Angelus lounged in a chair in his bedroom, silently watching Drusilla twirling in the center of the room. He smiled slightly at the sound of a distant scream. Seems the boy *had* learned some new tricks. His girl would never cry out, usually. Spike was getting to her, that was good.

Drusilla frowned as she listened to the whispers of the stars. Turning to her sire, she hesitantly broke him out of his revelry.

“Angel…they say this is wrong…we have to stop him…” she whimpered at his menacing growl.

“There will be no stopping, Dru. This is what she needs. Once Spike has properly broken the girl, she will come back to us. Stop your worrying,” he warned.

“I can’t help it, luv. The stars…they tell me she may not love him if he hurts her. The demon…it loves him, but the soul, the soul is crying now. What if mummy won’t come back?” He looked at her curiously, knowing Dru truly had a reason to be concerned.

“What do you mean, Dru? Why wouldn’t she come back?”

“For the nasty soul to fly away, she must have perfect happiness. The pain clouds her judgment, she can’t experience bliss if she is hurting…” she replied in a rare sane moment.

“I don’t know, Dru…” he replied reluctantly. He understood her reasoning, how could the soul achieve perfect happiness if she’s getting beaten and broken? But that wasn’t the point of her ‘punishment’, it was the after effects he was concerned with. She needed to get rid of that attachment to her soul, to let it go. His plan had always been the same, they had to make her weak, make her understand that her soul was nothing but pain. The innocents, helping the slayer, her atonement, all of that didn’t matter. Her demon was still so strong, but the soul was liability, and he was more than willing to help her lose it. But to get her to that point, she needed to be desperate, because then he could make her see that Spike could make it all go away. The more pain she experienced, the more she suffered, it would all make her reward more pleasurable when she finally submitted. And that was the moment he was waiting for. Once she submitted, Spike would stop the pain, and from then on, he could truly show her how much he loves her.

Drusilla looked at Angelus imploringly, silently begging him to end her sister’s pain. She knew he was right, this would work, but she hated to admit she didn’t want to see the redhead hurting. Besides, this wasn’t what Spike wanted. He didn’t want to hurt the girl, he was only doing what Angelus drove him to do. Her sire got a look of determination on his face and she sighed inwardly.

“No, it doesn’t end. Not yet,” he added with a decisive nod, “Come on, princess. Let’s get something to eat, it will keep your mind off such things.”

~~~*~~~

Two days. It had been two days, three hours, and five minutes, lamented the exhausted vampire as she stared, unfocused at the floor. She was bloody and it hurt to even think. She tried to distance herself from it all, tried to ignore the feel of the whip hitting her flesh, the constant pull on her limp arms as she hung there, the pain radiating from the deep, claiming bites that were scattered on her body. He hadn’t left her once the entire time. He slept but only for a couple of hours at a time in a bed that rested in the corner, the lone piece of real furniture in the room. He didn’t even leave to feed, Angelus would bring the younger vampire his meals, usually high school age girls, those she always saw around the campus, that she had saved from other attacks. That was definitely part of her torture, to watch the demon she created kill all those girls she had worked so hard to protect.

He kept telling her he would stop. Stop the killing in front of her, stop making her bleed and scream, if she just surrendered. He wanted her to tell him that she belonged to him. That is the only thing that stopped her from begging him to end it all.

She refused to be property, to be at the beck and call of some master, her mate or not. Even Angelus, though he was her sire, never made her truly submit. Sure, he proved his dominance when she was turned as her elder and general Alpha-male. But she had never once in all her centuries handed her life to someone else. The demon inside her was torn. It acknowledged their bond as mates, and as sire and childe, and it longed to let the blonde take what he wanted. But the other half of her was repulsed by the idea of being owned by a demon who was her younger, her own childe at that. The sire was always in charge, and her boy wanted her to give up her right of sire. In a sense, he wanted her to hand him her power over him, but she knew if she did she would truly be lost.

And part of her was rapidly beginning to not care.

Spike watched her fight to stay conscious as he sat on the edge of the bed. She just wouldn’t give up. That wouldn’t be a problem if he was like Angelus, who lived, figuratively, for torture. Spike didn’t mind it so much himself, but if there was one person he never wanted to inflict pain on, it was his sire, unless she was begging him for it. She was most definitely an unwilling participant in their little game, though.

He was beginning to worry. The longer she stayed locked in this room, the more time it gave the slayer and her pals to find her, and he knew they were looking. Apparently, the slayer had made peace with his sire just before she was taken, unfortunately. The boy, now he always looked out for the redhead, that is the only reason Spike was willing to let him live. And now they were scouring the town for their hideout, searching desperately for their vampiric ally.

He stood and crept toward the girl hanging in front of him. She wasn’t with him, he realized. One could only take so much before they drifted away, if only for a moment, to make the pain fade to a slightly more tolerable level. In a gesture quite different that those of the past few days, he gently brushed the hair from her face, placing a light kiss on her forehead.

She would be most susceptible now, more willing to do what he asked of her.

“Just say it, baby,” he whispered comfortingly in her ear. “Tell me…tell me who you belong to. I’ll make it stop…take all that pain away. Now, say it, pet. Who do you belong to?” He pulled away and looked her in the eye. He stood before her with only his standard black jeans and t-shirt. He smiled reassuringly and tilted his neck slightly, silently offering himself to her, if only she told him.

She nearly wept at his gesture. She hadn’t fed in days and he knew she would do anything to curb that debilitating hunger. He was offering her his blood, but it came at a price. She couldn’t hold his gaze any longer and her eyes once again fell to the floor.

“You…Spike,” she answered, her throat dry and parched, “I belong to you.” He grinned madly at her quiet admission and moved closer to her. With one hand he tenderly guided her mouth to his neck, shuddering when she finally bit down. With the other hand, he reached above her and released the lock on her shackles. She almost fell to the floor but his strong arm caught her and pulled her close.

“That’s it baby, that’s my girl…” he told her soothingly.

~~~*~~~

Angelus shut the door to his daughter’s room and smiled widely at Drusilla. She had finally given in, it wouldn’t be much longer until they had her back.

He spun on his heel as he heard the door to the factory being flung open, a minion practically flying through the air and landing in a heap across the room.

“Sorry,” called out the blonde slayer as she stood in the doorway, looking at the mess she had made. “Did we come at a bad time?” she sneered.

The dark vampire growled in frustration. Of course, once things start to go his way, *she* had to show up. Quoting his blonde grandchilde, he said the only thing that came to mind.

“Oh, bloody hell!”

~Part: 14~

Angelus studied the girl before him. Other than the usual guards that watched their home, there were no minions about and obviously she had bested them already. She was him intently as well, prepared for any attack, but it never came. The slayer shifted, pointing a menacing crossbow at his heart. She was then flanked by that goofy-looking boy and her watcher, each armed with crosses.

He and Dru kept their distance, unsure of what she had planned.

“I’m not here for you,” Buffy declared, “We came for Willow. We know you have her, so let her go.”

“What makes you think I know where my errant childe is?” he scoffed. She took a step closer, daring him to argue with her.

“Give her to me. If you do as I say, I won’t dust you. Not yet anyways. I’ll let Willow have the pleasure.” He loathed the idea of just handing her over but he was in kind of a bind.

Sighing despondently, he bowed his head, silently voicing his hesitant agreement. He turned sharply and bellowed unceremoniously.

“Spike!”

~~~*~~~

He felt like he could stay like this forever. Unfortunately the constant pull on his neck and the loss of his vital blood was causing Spike to become weaker.

Before he was about to gently remove his sire from his throat, Angelus’ loud and annoyed shout did it for him.

The redhead shot out of his arms, shaking from the sheer effort it took. Even with blood in her system she was dangerously weak and could barely stand on her own. The bleach blonde sighed and lifted her in his arms, depositing her delicately on the bed before grudgingly leaving to speak with the eldest.

The scene Spike walked in on was most surprising. There stood Angelus and Drusilla with arrows pointed warningly at their prone hearts. The look of immense frustration and disappointment on his grandsire’s face was enough to tell him that his news was not good.

“Bring her out here,” the dark vampire ordered hoarsely.

“What?!” he asked in disbelief. This was Angelus’ plan, Spike had never wanted to go along with it and now he was abandoning it all.

“You heard me, boy. Do *not* question me,” he growled. Spike gave the slayer a disgusted glare before stalking into the room that housed his precious sire.

Willow watched with glazed eyes as the blonde picked her up again, holding her close to him, growling softly. She had heard the commotion outside but she was too disoriented to make much sense of it.

Buffy, Xander, and Giles took one look at the form of the once powerful vampire and felt horrible. If only it hadn’t taken so long to find her. Maybe she wouldn’t be in such a state, her clothes torn and bloody, hanging uselessly off her pale skin.

Xander glared hatefully at the blonde that claimed to love the girl before him, who had reduced her to the beaten and broken heap in front of him.

Spike lowered her onto two feet and gave a slight push in the direction of the slayerettes. She glanced at him, her eyes questioning. He smiled in the midst of his pain. Even in such a confused state she remembered of the rules. She belonged to him and as such she had to have his permission for her to leave. He nodded regretfully and she staggered to Xander’s waiting body.

The boy, who since then had discarded his cross, picked up the small girl carefully and backed out of the factory, knowing Buffy and Giles would follow.

“If I see you,” the slayer warned, “any of you, around her again, you’re dust.” And with that she and her watcher left.

Spike glared at Angelus. It was his entire fault she was gone. She had finally submitted, was ready and willing to give herself to him, and her sire let those sodding do-gooders take her away.

“It’s not over, my boy,” Angelus swore, “I promise you. Soon, the slayer and her nosy friends will be dead at our feet and your girl will be joining in the celebration.”

Dru wrapped herself around her sire, her touch comforting and reassuring. Spike looked on with jealous eyes, and with a touch of something more. Loneliness.

~~~*~~~

It was decided that, until she returned to full strength, Willow would stay at the slayer’s house. There she could be well protected and Spike and Angelus couldn’t get in.

For two days she remained bedridden. Mrs. Summers took care of her the best she could since she was unaware of her undead state. Xander would come over at night to keep her company until Buffy came back from patrol. All in all, she was getting much better. Her strength was returning now that she had a steady diet. Most of her wounds were completely healed but her body was still stiff.

On the third night, around eleven, Xander had just let her to join Buffy on a quick patrol before going to bed. Mrs. Summers had left as well to host a special event at the gallery and Willow was pleasantly surprised to have the house to herself.

There was a knock at the front door and, being the curious creature she was, she carefully descended the staircase. Leaning slightly against the wall, she slowly opened the door to reveal the ethereal form of her childe.

Ecstatic by the mere sight of her, Spike stepped forward, determined to enter the house and hold her close. He never made it past the front door, bouncing ungracefully off the barrier that blocked his entrance.

“I can’t invite you in,” she informed him softly.

“I know, ducks,” he sighed. “Slayer wouldn’t be too happy if the entire vampire population had an invitation into her ‘happy home’.”

“Why are you here?” He smiled sadly and shrugged.

“Had to see you. Plus I got tired of peaking through windows. I knew the lot of them were gone. Thought I might take a chance and talk to you.” She nodded understandably. “How are you holding up, love?” he asked with quiet concern.

“Been better, been worse.”

“I’m sorry, you know,” he added frowning.

“I know,” she assured him with a small smile, “It wasn’t your idea, Spike. That plan had Angelus written all over it. But that doesn’t make things better.” He shuffled uncomfortably as she continued.

“We aren’t okay, Spike. You know better than anyone that I hate to be controlled. But that didn’t stop you. Hell, you made me submit. I know I said before that I would hate you. We both know that’s a lie, I don’t hate you. I couldn’t. But I’m not happy with you. I can’t pretend it never happened.”

“I am sorry. But I did it because I love you, pet.” She tired to fight the tears in her eyes as she stood before him, staring into those beautiful blue eyes. Gripping the door tightly, she shifted her gaze to the sky.

“I think I can’t be around you,” she murmured sadly, her words like daggers to his heart. “Y-You should go…” Before he had the chance to respond, she gently closed the door and ran upstairs.

Spike stared at the door dejectedly before simply turning on his heel and fading into the night.

~Part: 15~

Willow was waiting for the slayer to return, which she hoped was soon since the sun would be up in two hours. Her belongings were packed neatly in a small bag that rested on Buffy’s bed, and she sat patiently at the chair next to the vanity. Minutes later, the blonde bounded through her bedroom door, smiling when she saw that her vampire roommate looked much better.

“Hey Wills, were you ok here, by yourself?” The redhead smiled weakly.

“Yeah, everything was fine.”

“Um, what’s with the luggage? I thought you were going to stay here,” wondered the slayer.

“I need to go home,” she started, continuing before the slayer could interrupt her. “I’m fine, Buffy. Really, I’m a quick healer. But I need to be back in my place. You’ve been great, so have your mom and Xander, but I really just want to go back to my own bed.” Noting the tired look on her friend’s face, the blonde relented.

“Ok, Will. But let me walk you. You’re still not in the best of shape.” Relieved that the slayer didn’t argue with her, Willow simply nodded and followed Buffy out the door.

~~~*~~~

Willow eased onto her mattress, sighing as she tried to get comfortable. She really did appreciate the attention that her friends gave her, but at heart she was a loner. She was desperate to have some time to herself. Especially after her talk with Spike, she needed some time to think.

She knew that she shouldn’t have told him to leave like that. All he had done was apologize and tell her that he loved her and she pushed him away. She wasn’t happy with him; he should have never let Angelus influence him so much. But what’s done is done. It couldn’t be changed. And technically he didn’t have to listen to her at all anymore. Even though she was his sire, she had submitted and he was the one who had the power. What amazed her was that he made no move to use it.

He could have told her to do as he said, made her do anything, but he didn’t. He didn’t even argue with her. He just walked away. Wasn’t that what she wanted him to do, though? All this time she wished him gone. It was selfish really, she finally made a decent existence for herself, had friends, a purpose. He and her sire could only bring problems. But now, after seeing him again, even with all the pain that had been caused by both parties, she wasn’t sure if gone was where she really wanted him. He loved her, and she, against her better judgment, couldn’t stop loving him too.

But before she would allow herself to even think about how to resolve that problem, she had to deal with another. Angelus. He had to pay for all his manipulating, his schemes. If it weren’t for him, none of this would have happened. She knew she should wait until she got her all her strength back, but she, like her boy, was impatient. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough. Her sire would rue the day he messed with her.

~~~*~~~

Drusilla was off hunting with a group of minions, entertaining herself listening to the wonderful stories told by the stars. Spike was milling about somewhere, off brooding no doubt, thought Angelus snidely. And as for himself, he was just bored.

He had fed earlier and for some reason had no desire to join Dru that night. Spike was no real company, obviously he was taking the loss of his sire badly. Angelus stood gracefully and slowly ambled about, lazily studying the table that lay in the middle of the factory.

Hearing the slamming of a door, he looked up and smiled, knowing exactly who was paying him a visit. Willow. Turning in a half-circle, he cocked his head, grinning wickedly at his angry childe. God, she was gorgeous when she was furious. He offered no greeting, simply stared, waiting for her move. She didn’t disappoint.

Stalking toward him she lashed out, hitting him brutally across the face, cutting him slightly next to his eye. He laughed as he swiped away the blood. She wiped that smug smile off his face with her left fist, breaking his nose.

Still unsatisfied, she kicked him in the gut, causing him to double-over in pain, but he didn’t stop his sadistic chuckle. He knew it was only a matter of time until she came after him. He’d let her have her fun.

She threw him to the ground, straddling his chest as she rained blows across his angelic face, leaving it a bloody mess. Willow never even noticed when she started to cry.

“You bastard!” she sobbed, his laughter finally quieting. “This is all your fault. I hate you…I hate you…” she couldn’t stop her desperate muttering as she hit him.

And then she stopped.

Spike was shocked at the sight that greeted him when he decided to come home. There was his sire, irately punching Angelus who lay still on the floor. He ran to her, hearing her cries, and he placed his hands gently on her shoulders.

Willow turned sharply to look at who was touching her. Spike looked at her sympathetically and her eyes welled up with tears again.

“I’m sorry…” she mumbled, sounding remarkably like a child. He smiled gently, trying to show her he wasn’t angry with her.

“Come on, love…” he pleaded as he tightened his hold on her shoulders, lifting her up. She stood and fell into the blonde’s embrace. Angelus watched intently, not moving, as Spike comforted the girl.

“It’s okay, pet. Shhh…it’s fine.” She buried her head in the crook of his neck, sighing at the calming smell of tobacco and leather. Her tears dried up and she made no move to leave his arms. She felt safe, like Angelus and the world couldn’t harm her. She was ashamed at her actions, she let her demon do her thinking and it repulsed her soul. She had just beaten a man who never once made any move to fight back. Angelus was by no means helpless, but he never raised his hand to her, and she beat him to a pulp.

“So wrong…” she whispered, shaking from her serious lack of control. Spike tightened his hold on her and pulled her farther away from the form of her sire. He bent slightly, lifting her in his arms. She made no move to struggle, instead wrapping her arms around his neck and laying her head on his shoulder. He silently led her out of the main room, leaving Angelus to clean himself up. The blonde couldn’t care less about the his well being, his girl was hurting and he had to make it better.

Spike shut the door to his room behind him with his foot. He walked to his bed and went to put her down but when she didn’t release him, he smiled and awkwardly tried to lay down with her still in his arms. He finally managed to sit comfortably, his back against the headboard, his legs stretched out. She remained curled against him.

For once, Willow ignored that part of her that was revolted by the fact that she was being held by a demon. She, herself, was a demon, she had no right to judge. She just needed him, more than anything, to be there for her. She had been without companionship for so long, and he wanted to be with her. She was content to simply be.

Spike stroked her arm with his calloused hand, his face buried in her hair. Placing a soft kiss on her head he finally felt at peace. She was here, and they weren’t arguing or hurting each other. He never wanted her to leave.

~Part: 16~

Drusilla tended to her sire, frowning at the extent of his injuries. He had two broken ribs, a broken nose, and various cuts and bruises. True, he would heal in a matter of hours, but she couldn’t believe her sister had done this to their precious daddy. The insane vampire hoped the soul would be gone soon. That was the cause of all their troubles. Her real sister would never hurt Angelus like this, not unless he asked of course.

Angelus let his daughter fuss over him, not having the will to move to stop her. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was proud of what the redhead had done. He didn’t think she had it in her, not with that soul. That proved to him that even with a conscience she was still very much the demon he had made her into. A small, pain-filled grin played on his lips, delighted that he had caused his childe to lose her formidable control.

“Where is she?” asked Dru after a few moments of silence.

“Here. With Spike,” he informed her. She looked at him curiously, frowning suddenly.

“She won’t hurt him? Will she?” she wondered softly. She was quite afraid that her nephew was in danger. After all, look at what Willow had done to their sire.

“Never,” he assured her, “besides, after her little outburst, she couldn’t have hurt a fly. The demon was sated; her soul is very much in control now.” He sounded almost disappointed.

“She shouldn’t fight this. The future cannot be altered, what the stars want they will have…”

“And what do the stars want, princess?” he asked, moving to rest on one elbow so he could look at her more easily. She smiled down at him, a wicked gleam in her eye.

“Ah sire, they want her soul…” she whispered with a giggle.

“Ay, no worries then. Sweet William will be sure to deliver.”

“They will be pleased. And soon…they whisper. Such secrets…psst…psst…” Angelus smiled lovingly at his childe, pulling her to him, quieting her thoughts for the moment.

~~~*~~~

“Spike?” murmured the redhead, breaking the comforting silence. “Will he be alright?” she spoke into his chest, too ashamed to look him in the eye.

“You know Angelus, pet. Head of rock, he has. Bet you barely made a dent. He’s fine. I’m more worried about you.”

“Don’t be,” she snorted, “I’m not the one who was lying in a puddle of blood on the cold cement,” she said with regret.

“That doesn’t matter. That wasn’t what I meant and you know it.” He gripped her chin and forced her to look at him. “What happened? What inspired you to suddenly show up and beat the crap out of Angel? Not that I mind, I occasionally fantasize about doing what you did,” he answered with a grin.

“He ruins everything…” she mumbled.

“Everything? What do you mean everything?”

“Everything he touches, ruins it all. Me, Dru…you. We are all what he made us. I know I was the one who made you, but honestly Spike, would you have ever considered torturing me if he hadn’t pushed you to do it? And Dru, you can see what he did to her. She speaks in riddles for god’s sake! And me…”

“What about you, ducks? What did he do to you?”

“He made me! Turned me into this *thing*!” she shouted with palpable disgust. “I’m a demon, Spike! With a soul! You don’t know, my life before, it wasn’t spectacular, but it was mine. He took that from me, my life isn’t even mine anymore. It is his to control, to mold. And in turn, everything *I* touch is ruined. I mean, look at what I did to you! I’m no better than my sire. You may not have had the perfect life before, but you could have been happy. Maybe gotten married, had children. I don’t know, anything could have been possible. I took that from you. Then I left you. At least Angelus never abandoned me. Gods, I’m worse than him…”

“Stop!” he demanded, not able to listen to anymore. “*You* didn’t ruin my life. Do you think I care about what could have been?! I don’t. I don’t wonder about whether I would have gotten married or had children. And do you know why? Because you are all that mattered to me. If being human, having the life you spoke of meant you wouldn’t be in it, I wouldn’t want it. Don’t you get it by now, you are all that matters. If you want to hate Angelus for what he did to you, then fine. But I can’t hate him for turning you, because he gave you to me.” By now, Willow moved to sit next to him, listening intently. He wasn’t lying to her, he didn’t hate her for leaving him, for turning him into a demon.

“Don’t presume to know what I am thinking, love,” he admonished gently. “You changed my life, that is true, but I wouldn’t change it. Even with your soul, you are the most important thing in my unlife. Your leaving again is the only thing that would hurt me. Once was enough. Angelus may have not gone about things in the best way, but don’t let that get to you. He misses you, Dru misses you. You *know* I miss you. And you miss us. So don’t leave, it’s that simple. He’ll stop, you know, this ridiculous campaign to get you back, if you just stay with us. You didn’t ruin my life, pet. But you’ll break my useless heart if you leave now.” Tears were now flowing freely from the redhead’s eyes.

“How can you say I didn’t ruin your life. Spike, you were such an innocent. I *killed* you, how can you not hate me?” She fell back onto the bed, staring absently at the ceiling. She jumped slightly when Spike suddenly appeared in front of her.

Spike sat up, shifting to straddle the girl who was now ignoring him. He shed his precious duster as it got tangled in their bodies and focused once again on her. He held her face roughly in the palms of his hands, making sure she was looking at him.

“You are the one person I could never hate. Yes, you killed me. But in return, you gave me the chance at eternal life. An eternity to spend with you; that is until you got scared and ran. You still don’t get it. Your conscience was never the problem, your fear was. You were afraid of facing all of us and you left. Did you honestly think I would push you away? Even now, in tears, you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.” He tenderly stroked her cheeks with his thumbs before releasing her face. He moved down the bed, to lie on top of her, his weight resting on his elbows so as not to crush her. With one hand he reached and brushed her hair away from her delicate face.

“You know, I knew you would be something great the moment I saw you…” she remembered with a smile. “You reminded me of myself when I was mortal. So amazingly feeling, all that emotion and caring in one person. And so sad…” she frowned as she thought of the pain her William was in when she met him. He smiled slightly at her reminiscing. She looked him in the eye once again, wanting him to know she was sincere.

“You were never beneath her, my boy. Never beneath anyone…she didn’t deserve you. Neither do I…”

“Ah, but love, you’ve got me,” he interrupted her with a soft smile. He leaned down, watching her closely. When she moved to caress his face, he grinned and kissed her, reveling in the coolness of her mouth. She tangled her fingers in his short, bleached locks as he pulled her impossibly closer. She gasped as his hand found its way under her shirt. Spike growled when he felt her nails trailing down his back. Reaching the small of his back, she tugged on the bottom of his shirt, pulling it from his pants. He grinned and moved to help her remove his black t-shirt.

He returned the favor, hurriedly tearing her shirt off and throwing it off the side of the bed. She smirked at his impatience; that was so like him. Spike was eager to be inside her once again. It had been so long, years upon years. He snarled softly when she played with the button on his jeans. He let her unbutton them, and after she had unzipped them he pushed her hands away gently. His mouth moving to leave hers, instead was making a path down her neck and to her chest. She bit her lip, praying that he would hurry up. In frustration she pulled on his hair, causing him to look at her in surprise.

Spike was worried that she wanted to stop, but when he saw the playful look on her face, he relaxed.

“Please…I need you…” she entreated. He smiled, losing the jeans as fast as he could and deftly shedding her of hers as well. Before she knew it, he slid up her body and with one powerful thrust was imbedded inside her. She groaned and unconsciously tightened her hold on him. Feeling her move against him, he began a slow rhythm losing himself in the feel of her surrounding him.

She was so close, letting her demon come out, she nuzzled his neck. As she neared her peak, she bit deeply into his throat, claiming him again. At the feel of her fangs in him he came almost immediately, his fangs buried in her neck as well. They remained like that for a few minutes, each licking tenderly at their bites. Spike reluctantly pulled out of her, moving to pull back the covers on his bed. He laid her down under the sheets, sliding in next to her.

He pulled her into his arms, his eyes on hers. He saw the love that shone on her face and kissed her quickly. She sighed in contentment and snuggled closer to him. He softly told her to close her eyes, to rest. She followed his instructions, happiness flowing through her as she whispered sleepily before drifting off.

“I love you, Spike…” He held her closer, echoing her statement.

~~~*~~~

Waking abruptly in the middle of the day, Willow was in a panic. All she could feel was pain, the feeling of being ripped in half. She paid no attention to the body next to hers as she practically fell out of bed. Stumbling, she fell to her knees, gasping for unneeded breath. She had no where she could go anyway, it was quite sunny outside. Her head shot up, her eyes glowing an eerie gold as she pleaded for help, her cries too quiet for even Spike to hear.

The blonde vampire shot out of bed at the sound of a loud thud. He saw his sire passed out on the floor before him. Throwing on a pair of jeans hastily he scooped her off the floor and ran out of the room, needing to know what was wrong with her.

~Part: 17~

"Angelus!" Spike bellowed, waking the resting vampire. The brunette stumbled out of his room into the meeting area, Drusilla following behind him. The vampiress took one look at her nephew's precious bundle and smiled broadly. It was finally time. Standing back, she left the men to figure out what was going on.

"What the hell is going on?" snarled Angelus, alarmed by the unconscious form of his childe in Spike's arms.

"Does it look like I know?!" the blonde exclaimed. "I woke up and found her passed out on the floor." Dru giggled and they turned their attention to her.

"Silly boys," she admonished. "Mummy's coming back to us. Don't worry, pets." She moved closer to them, leaning in to whisper some secret, "The soul flies away, she sleeps. When she wakes all will be right again."

Spike glanced at the eldest vampire, almost afraid that Dru was wrong, but the look on his face assured the youngest that the crazy vampire was speaking the truth. Hope flared in his blue eyes as he stared at the still form of his sire. She looked truly dead; there was no movement of her eyes, no breaths escaping her lips. He would have been afraid if he known that it was nothing to worry about.

He laid her out gently on the table in the middle of the sparse room, watching her intently for any sign that she was awakening. Dru and Angelus joined his side, one standing to the right and left of him, peering from over his shoulder to look at the redhead.

Willow stirred, barely moving her fingers in an attempt to regain her bearings. She opened her eyes slowly, well aware that something was definitely different. She searched herself for that constant feeling of self-loathing, the guilt, but it was no where to be found. The conscience that had plagued her for nearly a century lay dormant. Interesting.

She turned her head to the right, surprised to see her sire, sister, and childe each staring at her expectantly. She groaned as she sat up, eyes still on the group in front of her.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer.well, maybe not in my case." she added as an afterthought. They still said nothing, which was rapidly becoming annoying. Sighing she added pointedly, "It's rude to stare."

Dru was the first to greet her, running excitedly to the redhead and throwing her arms around the girl and holding on for dear life. Willow laughed a little at her exuberance.

"Miss Edith said you would be back. She never lies. And the stars, they sing. We're a family again!" she murmured happily into her sister's hair, her hold on her never lessening. She released her grip on Willow when she felt her sire place his hand on her shoulder. Turning to look at him, Dru saw the joy in his usually cold eyes and smiled. Moving aside, she joined Spike as Angelus pulled the redhead off the table and into a crushing embrace.

"Sire." she breathed, just absorbing the familiar feeling of his arms around her. It had been so long since she had been free to simply enjoy his presence. Angelus held her close. He had missed his first childe and now she was finally herself again. She would have none of that pesky guilt to bother her. They search for her had ended a few weeks ago, the search for her cure had ended a few days ago, and now they had truly found her.

Willow gave her sire one last reassuring squeeze and released him. He backed away slowly, afraid to take his eyes off her. She turned slightly, her affectionate gaze falling on her childe. Spike waited a beat before reaching for her.

There were no desperate hugs, no comforting words, not for Spike. He knew his sire was back and he planned to celebrate. He gripped her seemingly delicate wrist and tugged her to him, kissing her fiercely.

Angel and Dru looked on in amusement as the minutes passed by and the two before them showed no sign of ending their passionate embrace. They knew they needed this time together so they said nothing. Eventually though, Angelus became unbearably bored and not-so-subtly cleared his throat.

Spike reluctantly pulled away, glaring quickly at Angelus who was trying not to laugh at his sullen look.

"Always were an impatient one, sire," chuckled the redhead who looked thoroughly ravished.

"Me? Impatient?!" he asked in mock outrage, "I'll have you know I have been nothing but patient with you! I've been working for decades on finding a way to bring you back and that's the thanks I get. Women, so ungrateful." he whined. She laughed, sauntering to him and giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you, Angelus. You do good work."

"Hey now!" shouted an annoyed blonde, "He does good work? Hello, I'm the one who's responsible for her reappearance. Where's my thank you?" he complained.

"Poor Spikey," crooned Willow, "don't worry boy. You'll get a reward. But I do owe you for that bit of torture."

"Well," Spike stammered, not liking the vengeful look she shot him, "That was all Angelus, not my idea at all."

"But you went along with it. You know, he set you up to be the bad guy. It may have been his idea but you did all the dirty work, so you're the one who will be punished. Wasn't that your plan sire, get the girl back and save your ass at the same time?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Damn straight," he replied with a smirk. Spike growled at him and he laughed outright.

"It can wait though," she informed him as he began to relax. "We have some catching up to do."

"Then what?" asked Angelus, anxious to have some real fun in this town, namely killing the slayer. "What do we do to celebrate your reemergence into the demonic world? How about we go for a drink, I've been dying for a taste of slayer's blood."

"No," she answered firmly, frowning at the feeling she was having. "She doesn't die; neither do the boy or the watcher. The rest of the town is up for grabs, but they live. Understood?" Her sire was becoming angry at her tone of voice.

"Who are you give *me* orders, childe?"

"Bloody hell, Angelus," argued Spike as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, "the chit's been back for less than an hour and you're already pissed? Let it go. I may not understand why she wants that bitch to live, but we didn't come here for the slayer. She's inconsequential."

"Poor deary," sighed a sympathetic Drusilla who hugged her sire to her to relax him, "the soul is gone, but it changes her."

"What do you mean, Dru?" asked a nervous redhead, afraid that there was something wrong with her.

"Don't worry, luv. They cared for you, demon and soul. For that they will live. The stars tell me so."

"What do you mean it changed her?" asked a curious Angelus.

"She cares, that's all. She's still your girl, still Spikey's princess. Just a little different." They were all relieved at the information, knowing that she was okay; there was nothing to worry about. The soul was gone and it wouldn't come back. Spike decided to break the awkward silence.

"Well, it's been real, kiddies. But Red and I are off to bed, go play in traffic for all I care," he declared with a smirk as he spun his sire so she was facing him. He quickly threw her over his shoulder and carried the laughing woman into his bedroom and slamming the door indelicately.

Angelus rolled his eyes at the boy's dramatics, sighing in annoyance.

"Tell me again, why did I let her keep him?"

~Part: 18~

"I don't understand it, Giles. She hasn't shown up for patrol, hasn't been by for research, and she hasn't been home, I stopped by last night. Where could she be?" asked the slayer, wanting answers.

"Maybe they got her.again," Xander mumbled sadly, afraid for his friend.

"I really don't think so Xand, it's too soon. They aren't stupid, they wouldn't go after her again," reasoned Buffy as she looked to her watcher for reassurance. "Besides, Willow can take care of herself. She'd be able to fight them off."

"She couldn't last time," he pointed out.

"Maybe she didn't want to." Giles murmured, speaking his thoughts out loud.

"What are you implying?" asked Xander, confusion clouding his voice.

"They are her family. As much as she loathes what they are, what she is, it doesn't change facts. She cares deeply for her sire and sister. She loves her childe; the soul didn't change any of this. She didn't want to fight them in the first place. Maybe she just stopped."

"No," the blonde denied, "she wouldn't just hand herself to them. Family or not, she made it clear she didn't want to join them."

"Did she?" asked the librarian softly. "No, Buffy. She didn't want anyone to get hurt. She didn't want to disappoint them nor did she want to abandon us. Do you think that, to her, her soul is a blessing? It's a curse; she feels pain and guilt every day, every minute. She isn't happy. Maybe she decided that she might be able to find a little happiness alongside her family."

"You always did catch on quickly." sighed an amused voice from the stacks. Three pairs of eyes watched warily as the redhead walked away from the bookcases to join them, followed closely by the bleach blonde and the two dark, brunette vampires.

Angelus pulled Drusilla close to him, wrapping one arm around her waist as he leaned against the railing of the small set of stairs. He looked on in interest as his eldest childe walked to the middle of the now silent library.

Willow watched her former friends with cautious eyes. When she stopped walking, standing before the small group assembled at the table she cocked her head to the side, silently examining them. She felt Spike's arms go around her waist, holding her tightly as she prepared to address the crowd.

"You needn't worry about my whereabouts, I'm perfectly fine. Blissfully happy, if you will. But it's.sweet.that you cared."

"Will? Are you okay?" asked the boy as he slowly stood and went to take a step toward her, stopping at the low growl that came from Spike.

"I'm great," she told him cheerfully. "Never better. Got rid of all that bothersome baggage."

"Your soul?" Giles asked quietly, praying he was wrong. He feared their death would come swiftly if she had indeed turned.

"Is no longer an issue," she confirmed.

"What do you mean?" stammered the slayer. Spike rolled his eyes.

"Are you sure we can't kill this one, love?" he grumbled. Willow laughed at his antics and turned to answer the girl.

"My soul, the bane of my existence, is gone. Thankfully. Must we go into details?" she asked, tiredly.

"Well-I.I must ask how it was removed," Giles wondered studiously. "You were so sure it was permanent, irreversible."

"And apparently I was wrong now, wasn't I?" she sneered impatiently. "Seems that there was a tiny little clause, what was it, baby?" she asked as she turned her head to glance at Spike.

"Ah, if her soul could ever achieve true happiness, even a moment that the soul those bloody gypsies cursed her with didn't plague her mind, it would be taken from her."

"So, you got a happy and we're all gonna die?" asked Xander bluntly as he glimpsed at the four deadly vampires looming in front of them.

"Mummy won't kill you, precious." assured a soft, lilting voice. All eyes turned to Drusilla as she smiled at the worried mortals. "He's a cute one, sire. Can we keep him?" she pleaded, looking sweetly at Angelus.

"That would be a no, princess," he told her with a roll of his eyes at Spike's humorous snort. "Besides, I can't envision spending an eternity with that one."

"Hey! There will be no turning of my friends!" shouted an outraged slayer.

"Thought we covered that one, pet. Don't want the wanker," replied Spike with a smirk.

"Enough," ordered the bored redhead, growing tired of their bickering. "Dru was right; we aren't here to kill you. Trust me, the thought has crossed my mind, but in the end I didn't feel your deaths were necessary. So that is my parting gift. If you haven't figured out yet, I will not be remaining in this hellhole. So consider this my farewell. We will all be leaving, in.fifteen minutes to be exact," she commented as she checked her watch. "Got a plane to catch, and all." She glanced at her sire, nodding slightly. He grinned and pulled Drusilla with him as he sauntered across the room and walked out of the tense library.

Willow strolled slowly toward Buffy, looking her straight in the eye before speaking.

"You are good at what you do; don't let that get to your head. The minute your confidence gets the best of you is the moment you die. I respect you, grudgingly I might add. Good luck," she finished sincerely. She spun on her heel to face Xander.

"You never gave up on me, always worried about my well-being. It had been such a long time since anyone had cared. I hate to say it, but I owe you my unlife. Be careful, the hellmouth is a dangerous place, as you well know." She walked to the reserved watcher, smiling slightly.

"You know, you always reminded me of my long-dead father. You too worried, cared. You proved an impressive ally, and even a good friend. Take care of your slayer; she'll need your guidance. Adieu, Ripper." She stepped back slightly, taking one last good look at the people assembled in front of her. She smiled as she felt a familiar hand take her own.

"Come on, love. Angelus awaits." She nodded absently and turned her back to the threesome, allowing Spike to pull her out of the library and away from the school.

Xander looked sadly at the double-doors. "She's really gone." he whispered, despondent now that his friend was leaving.

"It appears she is." murmured the watcher. "It appears she is."

~Epilogue~

The stone sat in the middle of a well-manicured lawn, plain but beautiful at the same time. It wasn't a tombstone, more of a memoriam of sorts. Green eyes read the inscription with slight interest.

'Buffy Summers, Alexander Harris, and Rupert Giles.

To those who knew you, you meant the world.

You died bravely to save us all. You are missed.'

Willow sat staring silently in the graveyard, just reminiscing, hating that little part of her that still cared about these people. There was a dull ache inside her, sad and inconsolable as she saw the proof of the deaths of her former friends. They may have not always fought on the same side, may have disagreed, but they accepted her when no one, man or demon, would. For that they earned her eternal respect.

They had lived for quite some time. It had been thirteen years since the formerly souled vampire had set foot into the small California town, only coming there now for some sense of closure. To know if the rumors were true, that the 'greatest slayer' had finally been bested. Sadly, they were right. She was only mortal, after all, and being human came with an expiration date.

It had been over a decade since the redhead had seen the trio that carved a special, albeit reluctant, space in her heart. She didn't feel any kinship with them after she had lost her soul, but she didn't hate them.

When she had left with her sire, sister, and childe, they initially wandered around aimlessly. Letting fate take them where it willed. They had ended up back in Ireland, which allowed Willow and her sire to reminisce about the old days, when it was just the two of them. Everything had started here, Angelus being turned by Darla, Willow being embraced by Angelus. This was where their roots were, this was home.

The foursome had spent nearly a year and a half there, lounging in the quaint countryside. But soon they grew tired of the Emerald Isle. Drusilla longed to return to Italy, missing the culture and the night life.

But Spike and Willow opted for another country. After seeing Angelus and his youngest childe off to Italy, the redhead and her childe decided to travel to London, to their old stomping grounds. The only place that rivaled Ireland in memories was England. Although neither one particularly cared for the rain, they reveled in the chance to just be together once more. There were no distractions, no one else to wait for. It was just the two of them, for the first time in over a century. It was heavenly.

So they wandered around, playing and laughing, making up for all the lost time. They spent nearly five years in England, before meeting up once again with Angelus in Barcelona. <

They continued their travels from there, never really settling in one place for more than two to three years at a time. It is difficult to find a place that you call home when you live forever, cities become boring and mundane after a time.

And yet, after all those years, she wasn't surprised to find herself in America once again, at the hellmouth. Angelus and Drusilla had remained in Los Angeles, preferring the bustling city to that of this small town. Willow had told Spike that he didn't have to accompany her on her little pilgrimage, but he remained adamant. Anywhere she went, he went as well. She feared he was still a bit insecure after she had abandoned them in Romania. But she didn't mind him tagging along, his company was most welcome.

Grey-blue eyes studied the woman before him. She sat with her back to him, lost in thought, he knew, as she stared at the memorial in front of her. He didn't dare interrupt her, this was her goodbye to those who had cared for her when no one else would. He felt a tinge of sadness, knowing how lonely she must have been. Her exile may have been self-imposed but it didn't make things easier.

Spike waited another fifteen minutes before not being able to stand still any longer. She knew he was there, so he wouldn't be surprising her. He crouched down to his knees, resting his hands on her deceptively fragile shoulders. Giving her a reassuring squeeze he stood, gently pulling her into a standing position, as well.

"Come on, love. It's time to go," he whispered in her ear. She turned slowly in his embrace, her arms sliding around his waist as she held onto him tightly. She shed no tears, she was a demon after all. Taking a deep, unneeded breath, she nodded her head against his chest. He smiled lightly and shifted so she was resting under his arm, allowing them to walk comfortably.

"You okay, pet?" he asked softly. She smiled at him.

"I'm fine, Spike. You worry too much. It's just.he shouldn't have died so young. Buffy was the slayer, Rupert her watcher. It was their job, dying young was in the description. But Xander."

"He did what he thought was best, you know that."

"I just wish he had let her fight her own battles, he would still be alive if he did."

"He wasn't a coward, pet. He wasn't going to run away at the first sign of trouble. Besides, he helped save this miserable world. You should be proud of him."

"I am.I am," she sighed, letting him lead her away from the cemetery. "Can we go Spike?" she mumbled.

"Sure thing, love. Back to L.A.," he said decidedly.

"No," she disagreed, looking up at him imploringly. "Can we go away? By ourselves? Let Angelus and Dru stay in California, can we go back to London? I miss it, I miss it being just us." He smiled widely at her admission.

"Of course, pet. I give Angel a ring, tell him we're leaving. Is tomorrow night okay? There's not enough time to leave safely tonight."

"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks Spike," she said gratefully as she gave him a chaste kiss on the lips in thanks.

"Hey, you know I'd do anything for you, princess. All you ever have to do is ask. And we'll fly first class, only the best for my girl," he said smugly.

"Love you, you know that?" He nodded and kissed her swiftly.

"Love you too, baby. Now let's go home, you've said your goodbyes, time to let them go." she sighed and they walked slowly along the streets of Sunnydale, heading toward their spacious hotel room. It was finally time to let go of her memories of her soulful days, finally time to make new ones, with Spike. After all, they had an eternity.

The End.

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