Parts: 11 - 15
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~Part: 11~
"I just don't understand why you can't dress a little more with the times." Cordelia's voice floated toward me as the front door opened and closed. I was sitting at a desk, searching the web, trying in vain to find something on The Initiative. Geesh, they make it so hard to trace underground government files.
"Just because I don't look like I belong on the cover of GQ doesn't mean that I'm not fashionably dressed," a man's voice protested in a thick Irish brogue. "And besides, we have a job to do here, and it isn't to stand around look'n pretty."
"No, but just because we fight the evil undead doesn't mean that we have to dress like them. I mean, just look at Angel here who." Cordelia paused in the doorway of the small office area, staring at me in confusion.
"Who now looks very much like a small redhead," the man finished.
"Willow!" Cordelia gasped in surprise.
"Hi, Cordy," I said with a wave, looking around, feeling a little uncomfortable. Where the hell was Angel?
"You two know one another, I take it," the man surmised.
"We went to high school together," Cordelia explained. "Willow, this is Doyle. He gets visions. It's a whole thing, don't ask me to explain. Doyle, Willow. She dated Oz."
"Oh, the fella who brought the Gem of Amara and all that trouble with Spike."
"So glad you remember me." Hearing the British accent, both Cordy and Doyle spun around, each fumbling for the stake hidden in their coat pocket.
"Spike! What an.unpleasant surprise," Cordy stated, holding her stake up high, her hand shaking a little. "What do you want?"
"Blood," he told her, a slight smirk on his face. He watched in amusement as her eyes widened and her heartbeat sped up. Walking across the small room, his arm brushed against her and she jumped back, nearly knocking Doyle over and causing Spike to chuckle. I just rolled my eyes. He's so easily amused.
The blond vampire reached the small refrigerator that Angel kept in the office and pulled out a packet of blood, ripping it open and grimacing as the cold liquid slid down his throat.
"What the hell is going on here?" Cordy asked, when she was at last able to find her voice again.
I rolled her eyes again. "Stop trying to scare people, Spike," I admonished. "Don't worry guys, he can't hurt you, he's harmless."
"Hey! Watch it! I might not be able to bite, but I am far from harmless," Spike reminded me as he brought the back of his hand up to wipe the blood from his lips.
"Right. You're wit, it's a killer," I replied.
"Um.huh?" Cordy mumbled.
"What she said," Doyle added.
"Something's happened and Spike can't hurt anyone," Angel explained from the doorway. "Spike, stop trying to scare my employees."
"Well, color me confused, but last I checked, weren't you and Spike." Cordelia began, trying to find the right words.
"Trying to stake the hell outta one another?" Doyle supplied.
"Yeah, well this is just a temporary truce. Soon as I get all fixed up and back to normal, I'll be on my way, back to maiming and killing as always," Spike assured them, ignoring the frown I was sending his way.
"Look, guys, it's a long story," Angel told them. "Willow and Spike need to hide out for a few days. If anyone comes by looking for them, you haven't seen either one. Actually, maybe it would be better if you both took a few days off, until this all blows over."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Cordy replied with a smile.
"No way, man," Doyle argued. "This is the girl from my vision. I get a vision, it means they need help, and from the sounds of it, this isn't something you'll be able to do on your own."
"Hey," Cordelia interrupted. "What about Buffy? Isn't this more her fight than ours?"
Spike glanced at me, watching as my face hardened a little at the mention of the slayer's name. Moving quietly toward me, he slipped up behind me, resting what I suspect was supposed to be a comforting hand on my shoulder, startling me slightly.
"I'm still trying to get in touch with Giles," Angel told us, not bothering to give any further information. I could see him watching as I shrugged away from Spike, causing the blond vampire to frown at my back.
"Well, I guess that as long as you're here, we can put you to work," Cordelia offered. "Our computer system is a complete mess, and as I recall, Willow, you were pretty handy with those things."
"Cordy," Angel began to argue.
"No, actually, that would be great," I interrupted. "Happy to get my mind onto other things for a while."
Cordelia smiled smugly at her boss. "See? She wants to help. Willow, the computer is over there. If anyone needs me, I'll be doing my nails."
~*~
Standing up and stretching, I closed my eyes, my muscles protesting my movements. I had spent most of the last several days sitting at the computer, dividing my time between building a database for Angel and searching for information on The Initiative. So far, I hadn't come up with much of anything, but I knew that an operation like that had to have computer files, and that once I found them I'd be able to hack into them easily enough.
Researching had its benefits, the top one being my ability to avoid Spike. In truth, I suspected that wasn't such a hard task, since he didn't seem to be too keen on speaking with me either. It made sense. We had both seen each other at our worst, most vulnerable moments, and that wasn't something that either of us was quick to want to relive. I appreciated his help, as I was sure he did mine, though he would never admit it, but the demon still infuriated me to no end with just about every word that he uttered, and I was already longing for our time together to be finished.
Rolling my shoulders and cracking my neck, I glanced back at the computer screen, watching as numbers zipped by at a dizzying rate. I had come across a restricted government site that I thought might lead to information about The Initiative, and was currently running a program to crack the restriction code. Hearing the computer beep, I leaned in, holding my breath as I read over the words that had popped up on the screen. Dropping down into the chair, I began typing quickly, my eyes sweeping across the screen, my fingers barely able to keep up with my brain. Finally, I paused, reading what came up, my eyes widening a bit with each word.
Before I was even able to completely process the last phrase, I jumped up, heading down toward Angel's room. The information that I had just found was not something that could wait. I needed to inform the vampires immediately. Reaching the door, which was opened just a crack, I was about to burst through, when I paused, hearing hushed tones from within the room.
"I don't understand," Angel stated. "Giles should have gotten back to me by now. I want to know what's going on."
"Already told you what's going on," Spike reminded him in a gruff tone. "Slayer's switched sides."
"But Willow, she wouldn't."
"You got an entire army backing you, you don't exactly need the help of a mousy, little witch," Spike explained.
"It doesn't make sense. Buffy wouldn't just join them. She hated taking orders from the council. Why would she align herself with these people? Something isn't right."
"Wake up!" Spike shouted. "She isn't your sweet, little slayer. Tried explaining this to Red; she didn't want to see it either, but the fact is that Buffy has turned the other way. She isn't part of the same team anymore. The sooner you accept that, the sooner we can do something about it."
Eyeing Spike, Angel responded, "Seems like she's not the only one to have switched sides."
"Don't get any ideas," Spike told him. "This is a temporary necessity. Once this is over, we go back to being enemies."
"And for now?" Spike didn't answer.
Angel shook his head. "I have no idea where to go from here. Willow. I don't know what to."
"Forget about the witch. She's a minor player in all this."
"Spike."
"Oh, come on, you know I'm right. If the slayer was able to cast her out so easily, how much use can she really be?"
"I thought the two of you were some great duo now," Angel reminded him.
"Yeah, well I'm not saying she can't be useful when the time comes, but let's be honest, push comes to shove, she'll be more of a liability than anything else. Don't need her getting in the way again. She's been hurt enough."
"I don't know."
"Well, you'd better figure it out, right quick. It's only a matter of time before they track us down, and you'd better be prepared to choose sides when they do."
"You know I'll fight by your side, Spike," Angel told him, his tone fierce.
Turning away from the doorway, I wiped at my damp cheeks with the back of my hand. So that was it. I was nothing more than a liability. Fine. If that's the way they saw it, I'd simply have to prove them wrong.
~Part: 12~
Storming into the front office, I sat began to pace back and forth in front of the desk, my hands clenched at my sides. Stupid vampires! I could feel energy crackling around me, as if the air had suddenly become electrically charged, and I tried to reign in my emotions. I was well aware of my lack of control over the new powers building inside of me.
Closing my eyes, I took several deep breaths, trying in vain to calm myself. Storming toward the door, I was about to pull it open, desperate for a bit of fresh air, when Cordelia beat me to it, trudging into the office.
Glancing back, she lifted one heel up, scraping at the sole with a polished nail. I watched her numbly as the door shut with a dull thud.
"Iwww. I got gum on my shoe! Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get gum out of suede shoes?" I stared at her for a moment, trying to blink back the tears in my eyes, my face flushed red. "Some people have absolutely no consideration for anyone else!"
Letting out a deep sigh, she glanced toward me as I inched toward the door.
Tilting her head to the side, she squinted at me. "Is something wrong? You look a little.puffy." I gave her an incredulous glare. "Okay, okay, I know, lots of stuff is wrong. Where are you going? Angel said that you shouldn't go out anywhere right now."
I rolled my eyes. "Angel said, Angel said, Angel said.blah blah blah," I mimicked, my voice high-pitched and slightly panic- stricken. "Maybe you don't mind taking orders from a vampire, but I do." It was a pathetic bit of false bravado, and she saw right through it.
"Willow, what is going on?"
Sighing, I dragged myself back to the desk and sank down into the chair, my eyes sweeping over the computer monitor. Turning my head, I glanced toward the back door as my eyes once again filled with tears.
"Did he hurt you?" she shouted, startling me. "Willow, if Spike hurt you, Angel will."
"He didn't hurt me, Cordy," I interrupted, my voice cracking a little as I spoke. "And if he had, Angel wouldn't do a thing about it." I firmly believed that. "He's said it. Spike comes first. He's on his side. And, yeah, ok, so I happen to be on Spike's side as well, for the moment, but what about when I am not? What about when Angel has to choose? What will happen when the chip is gone and Spike can hurt again?"
"What are you talking about?"
Grabbing a printout of what I'd found, I tossed it across the desk. I watched as she silently skimmed the information.
"This is great!" she exclaimed, coming to the end of the page. "Did you tell Angel? What did he say?" She was bouncing on her heels, grinning at me like a proud mother, ready to hang a new finger- painting on the fridge.Not that I actually know what that's like first-hand or anything, but I've seen movies.
"I.I didn't exactly tell him yet." And there went the happy face. Before she had a chance to berate me for not bowing to the almighty Angel, I jumped up again, continuing on in a frantic tone. "I know! I know I should tell him, and I will. I just.I should be sure before, you know? I mean, I don't even know what some of this means, and.and I don't know if I could even do anything about it if."
A chip. There was a chip in Spike's head. At least, that's what the files that I'd decrypted showed. It appeared to be a behavior modification chip. He wasn't going to be happy about that.
"Do anything about it? What are you talking about? Willow, if this really is what is making Spike unable to bite, that's great! It makes him house-broken. He's like an annoying little puppy that won't shut up, and happens to drink blood."
"But Cordy, it's not right. He can't even defend himself right now." I understood her point. I really did. But I couldn't just leave him defenseless, could I? I knew what defenseless felt like, and I would never have wished that on anyone.
"What is this other stuff? This 314 thing?"
I shook my head. "Not sure. I need more information. It's not like anything I've ever seen before. It's some kind of weapon, I think. It looks like a soldier engineered to fight demons. If I'm reading this correctly, they're planning on wiping out the entire demon population, starting with the Cruentans."
"Are they a bunch of big bads?" There was a hopeful tone in Cordelia's voice that made me almost wish that I didn't have to tell her the truth. Almost.
"They're a peaceful demon clan," I explained.
Cordelia looked confused. Of course, that wasn't a big surprise to me. She'd spent much of our high school years with the same expression. Do I sound harsh? You spend four years being tormented by her and tell me how you feel.
"Isn't that a good thing? Shouldn't we be celebrating and shaking their hands and sending them thank-you notes?" She didn't get it. I was surprised, working with Angel and all, and being so close to Doyle.although I had a feeling that she had no idea what Doyle really was.I could feel the demon in him, part of my fun, new, expanding powers, but he seemed to hide that side of himself around her. I wasn't about to yank him out of the closet if he wasn't ready.
I shook my head. "Not all demons are bad, Cordy. The Cruentans, for example, are a peaceful clan. They're half demon, half human. They live like we do. They look like us.except for the whole third eye thing, and the blue hair, but still.They're innocents, and The Initiative is planning on massacring them. That's the problem with Professor Walsh and her group. They don't know the difference between good demons and bad demons. They just see something different and they want to hurt it.Like they did to Spike. Like they did to me.Like they would do to Angel if they got their hands on him, soul or no soul. They don't make the distinction. They're just set on auto-destroy, all the time."
Cordelia had the grace to look ashamed as she glanced down at the ground, studying her hundred-dollar shoes.
"I think we need to warn them. We need to help them, and maybe they can help us. Just the five of us.Not going to do so well against an entire army."
"Great! Very noble, and right up our alley. Actually, you know who loves to do stuff like this? Angel. He." Her voice trailed off as I gave her what I hoped was a look of death. Either that or I appeared to have something caught in my eye.
"Angel's a little preoccupied right now," I mumbled, turning and glancing at the back doorway again.
~*~
"I mean it, Spike. When push comes to shove, I'm on your side, as long as you're not dangling Willow between you and the enemy."
Spike growled, glaring at Angel. "What the hell do I have to do to prove that I don't want to hurt the girl? I nearly got myself killed, more than once, trying to save her!"
"Yeah, about that.What exactly is going on with you two?" Angel could tell there was something more than just a convenient partnership, but he wasn't entirely sure that even Spike understood what more lay beyond it just yet.
"Nothing! There is nothing going on! I helped her, she helped me. It's a vicious cycle that we can't seem to break. Round and round we go."
"I know you, Spike," Angel reminded him, his eyes narrowing. Despite his earlier promise, which he meant ever word of, he knew his childe too well to ever trust him completely. After all, he had learned from the best, hadn't he? "You don't help someone unless there's something in it for you. The last time I saw you form an alliance, you ran out of the battle after bashing me in the head, no thought to keeping your end of the deal." The vampire growled at the memory. "You're not exactly known for your loyalty." Unless it was to Dru. He didn't bother to say that part out loud. The truth was that Spike was more loyal to "family" than any vampire he'd known, until the soul had been shoved into Angelus, sending the vampire running from the rest of them. After that, it was every vamp for himself, but even then, he'd stayed by Dru's side for over a century. That kind of devotion was hard to find. But Willow wasn't family.
"Look, I'm not takin' advantage of the girl," Spike responded, his voice low and menacing. "At first, yeah, I thought her magic might come in handy, and it has, on occasion, but that ain't it. She's got nowhere else to turn, same as me, and she's got more strength and courage than anyone'll ever give her credit for, not to mention more intelligence than you'll ever hope to know."
There it was! That was what Angel had been looking for; that look in Spike's eye.that spark.that flame. He knew that look all too well. Spike was falling.hard and fast, and he didn't even know it. The question now was what would Willow do when she found out, and would Angel do anything to stop it?
~*~
"We've tracked them to LA, ma'am. We lost them once they moved into the city, but I'm sure we'll pick up the trail again very soon."
"Anything else?" Professor Walsh was fast losing patience.
"We've tapped the phone lines of all family, friends and acquaintances of Hostile 24. There was one intercepted call from the city. We checked it out, but it appeared to simply be a private detective, maybe someone they had hired to look for her."
"Thank you, Agent Miller." Hanging up the phone, Maggie turned around, watching her baby as he slept. "Soon, Adam. Soon, you will be awake and strong, and you WILL be magnificent."
~*~
"I don't understand." The sound of Angel's voice startled me as he and Spike joined us in the main office. Doyle had come in only a few minutes earlier. "Giles should have gotten back to me by now. Maybe I should call again."
"Don't suppose it could hurt," Spike responded, moving to stand behind me, glancing at the computer screen. He was making me nervous, and more than a little testy, reading over my shoulder. I've always hated when people did that. "What's all this? Found something?"
"Uh, yeah, I was just.uh.just about to come tell you guys," I muttered, glancing back over my shoulder. "I finally got into The Initiative's files."
"Great," Angel said with a smile, clapping his hands together and rubbing them. The truth was, though he appeared to have a lot more patience than Spike, sitting around and doing nothing was slowly making him crazy. It was obvious. "What did you find?"
I quickly explained what I'd dug up on Project 314.
"This thing.This Project 314, it's bad. They have plans.Take over the world kind of plans, and they're starting with the demon population. They've targeted a large demon cult in the city as their first field test."
"A demon cult?"
"A group known as The Cruentus Court."
"The Cruentan's did ya say?" Doyle perked up at the mention of the Court. "They're half-breeds, not even fully demon. They're a peaceful group. Why would The Initiative be targetin' them?" I saw Angel give him a look, and I knew what it meant, but Cordelia seemed oblivious to it.
"I guess they figure this will be a good first test run for Adam," I told him.
"Adam?"
"Adam is 314. He's some.thing that Professor Walsh created. He appears to be some sort of super-demon."
Cordelia set the paper that she was reading down on the table. "Sounds more like this Walsh chick has gone all Dr. Frankenstein-y. I mean, this Adam thing has human parts, demon parts, animal parts and mechanical parts. There is a series of chips in his brain, controlling motor and brain functions, and although the diagrams show an electrical current maintaining blood flow, it still doesn't account for reason and thinking." The brunette looked up as everyone stared. "What? I know stuff."
"I think that we should go talk to the Court," I suggested. "They need to be warned, and maybe if we align ourselves with them."
"No way," Spike growled. He'd been doing that a lot in the last few days. At that moment, I was not in the mood for it. "You are not going anywhere. They'll be out there, lookin' for us. No way I'll let them nab you again."
It was sweet, in an extremely over-protective boyfriend sort of way. Not that he was my boyfriend or anything. He just.never mind. It was sweet.for Spike, at least, but it just served as a reminder of how he viewed me.a liability. Well, I'd show him exactly what I was capable of.
Shoving my chair back suddenly, I suppressed a smile as Spike stumbled backwards, tripping over his feet as he tried to move out of the way. I stood up, hands perched on my hips, trying to mimic a stance I'd seen both Cordelia and Buffy take more times that I could count. It usually meant they were about to fight for something they wanted, and it almost always meant that they got it.
"Here's the deal, Spike," I responded, my tone harsh, as close to a growl as I could muster at the moment, "The Cruentus Court is peaceful, so long as one of their own is not attacked. If they are, it's a whole different story. What they could start in the demon world would make the prospect of World War III look like a fun day at the fair. If we could stop this before it starts, and save a group of innocents along the way, yay us."
"Fine, then, so why don't we just send Angel to talk to these Crouton people?" Cordy asked.
"Cruentans," I corrected, "and we can't send Angel because they would see it as a major threat if another demon came anywhere close to their lair. They're extremely territorial."
"Ok, then let Doyle go," Cordy suggested.
"No way, uh-uh, not gonna happen," Doyle shouted. Cordy gave him an incredulous look, and I wondered how he would explain his way past this one. "I-I'm not a people person, you've said it yerself. I don't make a good ambassador."
"You wouldn't be an ambassador," she scoffed. "You'd be more like a messenger."
"Yeah, did ya ever hear the phrase `don't shoot the messenger?' I'm not entirely certain that The Court is familiar with that sayin'." Again, she scoffed at him. "Well, if you're so sure it's safe, then why don't you go talk to them?"
"Because," Cordelia retorted, "I don't do errands. I'm here strictly for office help, and the occasional demon-catching decoy duty when a large bonus is involved. I'm not making house calls to the Crouton Court."
"Cruentus Court," Doyle corrected. "You could show a little respect when."
"No one is going to The Court!" Angel shouted, reminding us all of who was in charge.
"But Angel." I was more than ready to protest. If he was going to be stupid and stubborn and pig-headed and.
"Willow, gather together all the information you have. We'll send a message to The Court, inviting a representative to come here and talk. After that, the ball's in their court."
"But."
"End of discussion." I hate it when people do that. Giles does that. I never get the last word. Just once, I'd like to get the last word.
"I still don't get why we care so much about a bunch of Croutony people anyways," Cordy muttered.
Pausing, the rest of us turned around, all shouted, "Cruentans!"
~Part: 13~
"Have you heard anything from your contacts?" Buffy paced impatiently.
Giles looked up from his book, wearily watching her for a moment, a frown marring his features. Removing his glasses, he set them down on the desk, rubbing his tired eyes and shaking his head.
"We should have heard something by now!" He understood her frustration, and felt it himself. Helpless was never a happy adjective, especially for a slayer. Useless was even worse. "We can't just sit around waiting!"
"I agree," he replied, "but at the moment I'm at a loss for exactly what to do. Maybe if we."
Suddenly, the door flew open, Riley bursting into the room. He looked around as he swept from one end to the other, peering at books and knick-knacks.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Giles questioned, his hands perched on his hips.
"Get the hell out," Buffy hissed.
"Haven't you already done enough?" Xander added, stepping up behind his friend.
Riley glanced back at them, breathing heavily. A muscle in his cheek jumped as he clenched his teeth. After a long moment, he addressed them.
"I need to speak to you, all of you, but not here."
"If you think we're going anywhere with you, you can."
"Outside, in the courtyeard, please."
Buffy wavered slightly, seeing the pleading look in his eyes, and glanced at her watcher, desperate for guidance. Finally, Giles nodded and the small group trudged out into the sunlight.
"What the hell do you want, Riley?" Buffy glared at him, shielding her eyes from the bright light with one hand, the other at her side, her fingers curled into a tight fist.
"The Initiative, they're watching you. They have the place wired, bugged. They're intercepting calls. Anything you say or do to help Willow, they'll know about it."
"Are you certain?" Giles hadn't believed that The Initiative was that powerful, or that interested in their little group. He hadn't believed that they would go to such lengths for one witch. He'd grossly underestimated them.
"What do they know?" He said a silent prayer to anyone listening that he hadn't given them information that might help them find Willow.
Riley shook his head. "I don't know. I'm sorry." He looked down, shame etched in his features. "I wish I could tell you more. They don't trust me."
"They aren't the only ones," Xander reminded him.
Buffy looked back and forth between her friend and Riley, finally taking a step toward the soldier.
"Thank you for the warning." Turning back to Xander, her mind began to swim with thoughts and ideas. "We should go back to your place. It's the safest. We can make a few calls from there, or maybe a pay phone. I.I'm not sure." She looked back at Riley once again.
"I don't think they know about Xander. Not yet, at least. You should be okay there, for a little while. Don't know how long."
Buffy nodded, her thoughts a jumbled mess. They were running out of time.
~******************************************************************~
It had been several days since Angel had sent word to The Court about The Initiative and we hadn't heard anything in return. Maybe they didn't care. Maybe they didn't take the threat seriously. Maybe they simply weren't interested in allying themselves with us, or maybe we'd been too late. None of those answers did anything to ease my mind, nor my churning stomach. Sitting in Angel's cramped apartment? That wasn't helping, either. Of course, his décor, or lack there of, was perfect for the occasion.dark, despairing and utterly broody. While I was racking my brain for ideas, Spike was growing restless, and we all quickly learned that a restless Spike was an annoying Spike. For the most part, I tried to avoid him, but that proved to be a difficult task.
When the blond vampire wasn't peering over my shoulder, creeping me out or pissing me off, I was researching his chip.The chip that I had yet to tell him about. So far, I hadn't come up with much in the way of disabling it, at least not without frying his brain in the process, and since it already seemed to be slowly doing that on its own, I didn't think it was the best solution.
Cordelia, for the most part, seemed to have taken it upon herself to find every possible way to get the chip to fire, or more accurately, to get Spike angry enough to attack. She found it utterly amusing. I found it upsetting, though I'd never have admitted that to Spike.
"Maybe we should go to The Court, try to talk to them," I suggested, tossing aside yet another useless book. Our options were painfully limited, and the thought of The Initiative hurting anyone else the way they had me.It made me sick.
Angel shook his head. "We can't force them, Willow. We warned them; that's the best we can do. If they want our help, they'll ask for."
I sank back on the couch, staring ahead, my eyes unfocused. I was tired, I was frustrated and I was worn down. I could still feel the power building in me. I didn't understand why, and I didn't know how to control it. It scared me, more than I would admit, but I was doing the best I could, meditating and trying to let it out in small waves, using simple spells when no one else was around.
"What's burning?" Angel asked, sniffing the air. I didn't catch the scent until several seconds later, as Cordy followed Spike down into the apartment.
"It's not my fault. You shouldn't stand so close to the window. You've been a vampire for how long now? You should know better."
Spike open his mouth, about to say something cruel and scathing, I'm sure, but closed it again, glaring at the woman before looking down at his burnt hand. If anyone could out-snark Spike, it was Cordy.
"YOU tricked me into it. You little.I outta." I could see him tense up, just the thought of what he'd like to do to her being more than enough to bring on a mild migraine. I looked away. I couldn't take the fighting anymore.
"If you can't take the heat, stay outta the sunlight, bleach-boy."
Angel gave me a confused, uneasy look. I could feel negative energy building up around us as I shifted uncomfortably, trying desperately to ignore them.
"Hey, guys maybe you should." Angel tried to stop the fighting, but was quickly quieted.
"You should try blonde locks, luv," Spike stated, walking up behind her and fingering a bit of dark hair. "If you're going to act like a bimbo, might as well look the part."
"You should know, Spike. In fact-"
"Quiet!" The room fell silent and it took me a moment to realize that the command had come from my own lips. I was breathing heavily, trying to calm myself, reigning in as much control as I could manage.
"Uh, Will, what did you just do?" Angel was once again giving me a worried look and I grinned apologetically.
"Sorry," I mumbled. "I just.I couldn't listen to it anymore. I sorta, well, silenced them, magically. I didn't mean to. It just sort of."
"No, don't apologize. I wish I knew how to do it. Handy trick."
I smiled, the stomping of an expensive heel on the floor dragging my attention to an angry Cordelia as she gestured wildly toward me.
"Oh, right.Uh.If I end the spell, will you two be good?" Both of them quickly nodded, though their expressions suggested otherwise. "Speak."
Both Spike and Cordelia glared at one another, their eyes conveying every angry word that I knew they wanted to shout. Finally, Cordy addressed her boss instead.
"Angel, we need you upstairs. There's a client waiting, if Doyle hasn't already scared him off."
Angel gave me an apologetic look before following Cordy up to the office, leaving me alone with Spike.
Throwing himself down onto the couch, the blond glanced at me for a moment before looking away. The room was quiet again. It was an uncomfortable silence, and suddenly, surprisingly, I missed Cordelia and her big mouth. It was the kind of quiet where you'd swear you could hear the energy and static of the air whispering to you. I hate that. I always have. My own breathing suddenly sounded monstrously loud in my ears, as I was acutely aware of the fact that out of the two of us, I was the only one with breath heaving in and out of my lungs.
The room was dark. I'd gotten used to dark places in the last few weeks, finding them somewhat comforting. It was so much easier to hide in the dark. The silence stretched on for what felt like hours, only broken briefly by the rustling of a hand in pocket and the click of a lighter, followed by the inhaling of a cigarette.
"Angel will kill you if he finds you smoking down here," I said softly. It almost sounded as if the voice had come from someone else, too distant to be my own.
"Bit late for that," he replied, his voice as far away as mine, if not further. "Neat trick, the little no-talking spell."
"The magic's growing," I told him, as if he didn't already know.
"I noticed. You're getting stronger. That's good." I smiled, in spite of myself. I've always been a sucker for praise, and it was highly unusual for Spike to be so giving. "Use it against me again and I'll rip your throat out, headache or no headache." Ah, yes, there was the Spike I knew and loathed.
The silence continued and I tried to focus on the sound of him inhaling and exhaling for habit and pleasure, rather than the sound of my own for need and survival.
"They'll come here, eventually." It wasn't a question. It was a fact. We both knew it. I'd just decided to give voice to the fear.
"I s'pose they will."
"What then?" I looked up. I didn't mean to, but I did, and my eyes fell on his. Memories, too many horrible memories were locked in that gaze, in that silent space between our eyes. We knew things, we'd seen things that no one else could know or see. I'd tried to ignore it, he'd tried to forget it, but there it was, surging back in that moment of silence. That knowing, that understanding, that. something I couldn't quite grasp.
What then? It wasn't a question that either of us could answer, and it haunted my every thought.
"How are you?" I suppose that seemed like an easier topic to him, but then, Spike had barely glanced my way since arriving in Los Angeles. Why did he suddenly care?
I shrugged. What answer could I give, really? Any words that I might be able to force past my lips would be a lie, and we both knew it.
"I wanna go home." I hadn't expected to say it. I didn't know where it came from, and I wasn't entirely sure if I had spoken aloud, or if it was just a whisper in my head.
"It gets easier." I guess that answered my question; out loud it was.
Turning, I gave him a questioning look, watching as he shrugged, taking another drag from the cigarette.
"Leaving, walking away, losing people, finding out they've abandoned you.It gets easier after a while." He was lying. I knew he was and he knew he was.but still.
I shook my head. "I've never felt so.hunted." It was an awful word that left a heavy weight in the pit of my stomach, and I fought to keep the tears from my eyes.
"You know, I won't let them hurt you." His voice was fierce and my head snapped around as I stared at him in shock. His eyes met mine for a moment before he looked away.
"I know that I said it before, but now.Got a little more muscle on our side. They're come'n to our turf.or, well, Angel's, really, and I'll be ready for them when they get here. `Course my head might explode in the process, but I won't let them hurt you. Not as long as I'm still stand'n." Leave it to Spike to threaten me one minute and then pledge to protect me the next.
A small smile tugged at the edges of my mouth and the tears began to push forward. Suddenly, a thought leapt into my head and I jumped up, startling the vampire.
"Oh! The chip!" He gave me that look.The one where I'm sure I must have grown a second head. I hate that look. "The chip! I.I was doing research, you know, searching The Initiative's site, a-and I think I know what they did to you." He arched an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side, and I paused for a moment, struggling to keep my thoughts on task. I wondered if he knew what that looked did. I wondered if he knew how that expression could make a rock melt.How those eyes could.
Bad! Bad, distracted Willow!
"They made this chip.A behavior modification chip that is inserted into the brain, causing neurological pain when you try to hurt someone."
Spike stood up, stomping out his cigarette. I looked down, frowning at the mark he'd made on the carpet. After a moment, I looked back up, waiting for him to erupt. His expression was unreadable. It was the calm before the storm.
Moving faster than my eyes could register, he reached out, grabbing my arms in a bruising grip, shaking me before loosening his hands slightly, wincing at the pain lancing through his head, but not letting go.
"Get it out," he hissed in a low voice. "Open me up and get it out."
"I can't do that!" Was he crazy? As if I was just going to perform brain surgery right there in Angel's living room. Hello! I was just a college freshman. I hadn't even had the pleasure of dissecting a cadaver yet. Not only would it be incredibly dangerous, but I didn't think that Angel would appreciate it if we bloodied up the place. I mean, I knew he was a vamp, and they go for the blood.but I'm thinking, on the couch? Not so much.
"I.I can't just slice your head open and."
"Yes! Yes you can! Get it out of me, now!" His eyes were wild, flickering back and forth between blue and gold. Deep down, I knew that the very object of his anger was the thing keeping him from hurting me, but none-the-less, he was scaring me.A lot.
"Spike, please."
Finally, he released me with a slight shove, pacing back and forth. "How do I get it out?"
"I.I don't know. I'm still trying to find a way. I thought, maybe a spell could."
"Find it," he interrupted, rage etched in his features. "Find a spell to remove it or disable it or.whatever. Just find it."
Before I could respond, he was out the door, heading up to talk to Angel, no doubt, and I was left alone in the silence, once again.
~*~
That evening, I found myself at Angel's desk, pouring over yet another useless magic book, trying desperately to keep from pulling my hair out. Angel must have sensed my agitation. Either that, or he just got tired of hearing my occasional rants as I tossed another book aside.
Opening the back door, he ducked as the latest flying book nearly connected with his head.
"Oops, sorry," I mumbled. "Guess it's good that ya got those great vampire reflexes, huh."
Angel sat down in front of the desk, his grim expression mirroring my own.
"Wanna talk about what's got you so stressed out?"
I arched an eyebrow...One of the habits I had picked up from Spike.
"Me, stressed? What would I have to be stressed about? Just because my friends are in with the enemy, an evil government agency wants to do horrible experiments on me, I'm holed up with a couple of vamps and I'm trying to do research on something that's way over my head? Nah, no stress here."
Sarcasm.The greatest avoidance technique ever created.
"Spike told me about the chip."
"Oh yeah? What did he say exactly? `Cause with me, it was mostly `get it out, get it out.' A-and I gotta be honest.I don't know if I can even do that. And if I can, should I? I mean, just a few weeks ago, he was trying to kill me. But now."
"You'll figure it out, Will." I suppose that was meant to be reassuring, but honestly, I'd heard better pep talks from Principal Snyder. I mean, some great words of wisdom would have been really appreciated at the moment, but leave it to Angel to be trite.
"Yeah, well." I was about to say something witty and incredibly poignant, but was cut off by a sharp knock at the front door.
Angel peeked through the blinds, turning the locks and opening the door a moment later. I watched as three visitors walked in. Actually, they didn't so much walk as float. I glance down at their feet, but was discourage to see that their long robes pooled around them on the floor, hiding their feet. I watched as the tallest of the three stopped in the center of the small office and pulled his hood back, revealing long, thin blue hair, and a third eye set in the middle of his forehead.
The Cruentus Court had sent their ambassador.
~Part: 14~
I felt like I should bow or something. Should you bow to an ambassador? Maybe not. Maybe that's only royalty. Was he.she.it.um.Was the ambassador considered demonic royalty? Well, Angel didn't bow, so I supposed I was fine just standing still as a statue.which was pretty much the only thing I could do as the demons swept into the small office.
Angel quickly summoned the rest of his group up into the office, Spike, Cordy and Doyle settling in around the small room as we all waited to see what the ambassador had to say.
"I'm glad you've decided to join us," Angel stated, hoping to get the ball rolling. "An alliance is really our best chance to."
"We have said nothing about an alliance yet, vampire," the ambassador interrupted. "The news that your messenger delivered was sketchy at best. We have no reason to expect an attack from this Initiative, and we have never aligned ourselves with anyone outside of our own clan."
"But surely you can see that strength in numbers is."
"There is strength in numbers, but be sure that your meager group would add little to our ranks."
"Hey! I'll have you know." Doyle quickly clamped a hand over Cordelia's mouth, giving an embarrassed grin.
"Sorry, Sir. She doesn't know any better," he mumbled quietly.
"You tolerate such insolence in your followers, vampire?"
"Well, they aren't really so much followers as."
"This one has the sight." Apparently, the ambassador liked to point out things that we already knew. "But he is only half demon. His control over his power is weak." And some things that some of us didn't know.
"Shows how much you know," Cordy responded. "Angel and Spike are the only demons here."
"Half demon is still demon, girl. In time, you will have demon in you, as well."
"Is that supposed to be like a bad sexual joke?" Silence filled the room as she waited for someone to protest what the visitor had stated. Finally, she rounded on Doyle. "Tell him! Tell him that you are human!"
I watched as he looked at his feet, unable to deny what had been said.
"Doyle?" Cordelia wanted answers, but the ambassador wanted answers as well.
"What has given you reason to believe that our clan is in danger?" The booming voice made me nervous, and even Angel didn't look exactly comfortable at the moment.
"We were searching through their files...computer files. Willow, she." His voice trailed off as he gestured toward me and I gave him a quick look of death before glancing back at the demon. It was the first time that the ambassador had turned his attention toward me and I shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, trying to keep from staring at the third eye. It's hard to NOT stare at something like that. It's so big and weird and.well, noticeable.
"She is mortal; nothing but a human." I hate it when people talk about you as if you're not there. It's so rude!
"She's a witch," Spike supplied, speaking up for the first time since the demons arrived. "A powerful one."
The ambassador took a few steps closer, staring me down, and I looked around the room, finally settling my eyes on the floor.
"Your power is growing," he stated, as if I didn't already know, "but you still have much to learn, and little time." He was starting to sound like Giles, and I was beginning to get annoyed.
"Yeah, that's great," Spike grumbled. "I don't need a third eye to know that." Angel gave him an incredulous look. "Oh, what? Is it bad etiquette to point out the guest's deformities? Come on, the guy outted the Mick. I'd say all politeness is officially out the window."
"Your insolence is intolerable," the ambassador hissed. "We have nothing to gain from an alliance with you."
"A-actually that's not true." I didn't mean to speak. I was really quite happy with blending back into the shadows, so I was as surprised as anyone else when the words came out of my mouth, but then, I had been the one to invite them there in the first place, and if I had continued to let Spike do the talking, we would be in the middle of a demon feud before the day was out.
The ambassador looked back toward me, cocking his head to the side, waiting for something more to be said. I swallowed hard before speaking again.
"The Initiative, they're bad. The things they did, the things they have planned.At the very least, you need to know what's coming." I paused for a moment, waiting for the demon to say something, but instead he just nodded, waiting for me to continue.
"They've made something, a demon hybrid machine thingy. It's meant to kill man and demon, and from the looks of the plans I found, it's more than capable of slaughtering entire clans.Clans like yours."
The demon's eyes flared, a low growl erupting from somewhere deep in his throat, and I took a nervous step back, continuing on.
"They're planning on attacking you. They have it all mapped out, ready to go. I don't know when, it didn't say, but it will be soon, and you won't be able to stop it, not alone. They have an army, and this new weapon, it's nearly unstoppable."
"Nearly?"
"I-I'm still looking into some possible ways to disengage it. Nothing concrete yet, but."
"How can your clan help ours?" he asked, looking back to Angel.
"Uh, well.My.My 'clan'.We've got muscle, and intelligence. We're hoping to stay one step ahead of them, but eventually we'll have to form a plan of attack."
The ambassador nodded, saying nothing more before looking back at me.
Looking up, my eyes locked on the third eye in the center of his head, and the demon held my gaze. It was hypnotic and I was unable to pull away. It was looking inside, looking beyond where I could see, and in turn, I was seeing its past, where it had been, what it had done...The world spun as I gasped for breath, pulled beneath an invisible undertow and helpless to stop it...Then suddenly, reality rushed back and I swayed on my feet, my own body feeling momentarily unfamiliar.
"Death is coming. You are powerless to stop it, powerless to change it. It is your destiny. The vampires will not alter what is to be." Turning, he looked at Spike and Angel. "You can only aid in its pursuit. You cannot save her."
It was at that moment that all hell broke loose, and it was that very second that I knew, with absolute certainty, that I was about to die.
~*~
"Agent, tell me what you've got, and it better be good."
"You'll be happy ma'am. We've got a lead on our hostiles. We've got several units en route to a hotel in LA, where an informant believes they may be hiding. On your command, we're ready and waiting to storm the premises, do a thorough sweep and detain any hostages found within."
"Good work. As soon as the units arrive, you have the go ahead. I want those hostiles brought back, and I want the witch alive."
"And 314?"
"It's time for a little field test. This will be good for him."
"Yes, Ma'am."
~*~
I took a few steps back, barely noticing as I hit the wall, my breathing labored, my eyes wild and unfocused. I was going to die. He'd said it, plain and simple. I was going to die, and no one could stop it.
As the shock wore off, anger began to seep into me, burning my chest. How could I have gone through everything that had happened in the last few weeks, only to have it end like that? It wasn't fair! I was better than that! Eighteen years on the hellmouth, and I was still alive. I'd be damned if those bastards got the better of me now.
"Red?" I was vaguely aware of Spike stepping up to me, my eyes still darting around the room, focusing on nothing in particular. Angel's voice echoed, distant and distorted.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? I invite you into my home, to help you, and you threaten one of my own?"
"Willow, look at me," Spike whispered, taking one of my hands in his.
"I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die." It was a mantra, playing over and over in my head.
"I am not threatening the girl. I am simply telling her of what is to come, as she has told me. It is her destiny."
"I won't let them kill her, understand? I protect the people that belong to me! She's just a girl, and you're trying to scare her."
"Red! Please look at me."
"Hello! She's more than just a girl, Angel." Cordelia yelled.
Spike turned toward Angel. "I say we kill the bastard right now. No need to wait for The Initiative to do it."
"You invite me here and then attack me?" the ambassador shouted.
"Cordy, now might not be the time," Doyle whispered, lightly touching her arm in an attempt to keep her back and out of the way.
The brunette shrugged away from him. "Oh, right, demon-boy, like I'm gonna listen to you." A look of pain briefly crossed his face. "How could you not tell me something like that?"
"Couldn't bear to see that look on your face," he replied softly.
"There will be no killing of anyone, alright?" Angel shouted. "I will protect her, no matter what."
"Protect her? You will be the very one to deliver her at death's door. Consider it a gift."
"I suggest you leave, right now."
"Willow.What." Spike stopped as my head shot up, my eyes trained on the front door. Someone was there.I could feel it. Something bad was.
"Clearly you are not equipped to help us. You have taken enough of our time."
"Spike," I whispered, "something's wrong. Something's."
"Yeah?" Angel yelled, stomping toward the door. "Well, I hope you enjoy being slaughtered!"
I opened my mouth. The words danced on the tip of my tongue, but for some reason I couldn't get them out fast enough. My eyes were riveted on his hands as he grabbed the door knob and twisted, giving it a quick pull.
"No, Angel, don't."
But I was too late. I guess it always works that way. A day late, a dollar short. Should have known, really. The demon had said it, after all. This was my destiny. This was my cup, half empty or half full, and I had no choice but to drink.
Bottoms up!
~Part: 15~
For a moment, time stopped. Everything froze and nothing was real. I wanted to stay in that moment, hold onto it, but of course, I wasn’t able to. The Earth continued to spin, people kept on breathing, and the heavy oak door continued to swing open. I stared ahead as several men charged in through the door. I heard breaking glass as they crashed through the front window, and I felt someone pull on my arm, yanking me backwards. My brain was no longer functioning, and I’m pretty sure that my lungs had stopped working as well. My chest burned as I struggled to take a deep breath, feeling my feet stumble backwards, my ridged body being dragged by an unseen force.
“Get back! Get her out of here!” Voices, distant and distorted, yelled out commands that I didn’t understand as chaos erupted around us. “Take them down! …both hostiles…in range!...Spike…watch behind…she’s…” The words were broken up, several voices blending together and I was unable to decipher who said what. “Red! … Doyle, behind…Target located, ready for…Willow! …”
They attacked from all sides, weapons raised, fists flying. Finally forcing my eyes to focus, I looked up, seeing Spike backing me up toward the basement door. His mouth was moving. He was saying something, but I have no idea what. Cordelia and the Cruentans were standing next to us, watching as Doyle and Angel fought off several of the soldiers.
“You brought us here to attack us!” the ambassador yelled.
“In case you haven’t noticed,” Cordelia countered, “we’re sort of the ones being attacked right now.”
“They found us,” I whispered, clutching Spike’s arm, squeezing hard enough to make him wince. “The Initiative, they found us. How did they…”
“Get Willow out of here, now!” Angel yelled, ducking as one soldier fired a weapon, just missing him. Grabbing another soldier, he lifted him up easily, throwing him through the broken window, out onto the street.
“Doyle!” Cordy screamed, seeing a soldier’s fist connect with the half-demon’s jaw. His head flew to the side as he stumbled a few feet backwards, and he turned, staggering slightly, his eyes briefly connecting with the former cheerleader’s.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, just before his face changed, long spikes jutting out all over. I watched as Cordy’s eyes widened in horror and shock, just before Doyle let out a growl, grabbing two soldiers, throwing them across the office, their bodies slumping into an unconscious heap after hitting the wall.
“Shit!” The soldiers were closing in on us, and I felt Spike tense up, ready to fight.
“Spike, the chip, you can’t…” I began to whisper, before he carefully pried my fingers from his arm.
“Whatever happens, the second you get a chance, you run and you don’t look back, got it?” His tone was low and serious, his eyes blazing.
“Spike…” I wanted to say more. I wanted to say so much, but I never got the chance. Two soldiers came up behind him, grabbing his shoulders and spinning him around. Both held weapons aimed at his chest.
“Surrender,” one of them yelled.
Spike gave them a cocky grin, just before his demon visage slipped into place. “You don’t actually think I’d make it that easy, do you?”
A hand clamped down on my arm and I looked up, seeing another soldier, weapon raised, holding onto me. Cordelia grabbed the arm with the weapon, but he easily shoved her away, throwing her into a wall, knocking the air from her lungs.
“Spike!” I screamed.
The vampire turned around, seeing the soldier as he began to pull me toward the exit. Reaching out, he grabbed the man, punching him hard before both of them howled in pain. I saw Spike fall to his knees; another soldier kicked him, hard.
We were outnumbered and quickly losing the fight. My stomach dropped at that realization, and my mind began to spin frantically, desperate for a solution. My heart began to pound, along with my head, as I closed my eyes, breathing heavily, struggling against the painful grip of the man pulling me toward the door. It was happening, the magic, the power…It was growing, speeding up, and I had no control over it what-so-ever. Good timing? Sure, as long as I didn’t kill us all in the process of saving us.
And then, suddenly, everything stopped. Silence fell over the room. The man let go of my arm and backed away, along with the rest of them. Angel and Doyle struggled to their feet, Doyle quickly running to help Cordelia. The Cruentans remains huddled in the far corner, glaring at everyone and everything. I ran to Spike, dropping to my knees next to him, checking him over as he clutched his head in pain.
“Oh god, Spike,” I whispered, sweeping my hands over his head, feeling energy crackle from my fingertips.
“Sister.”
I heard the voice and looked up. 314. It had to be 314, standing in the doorway. A mix of human, demon and mechanical parts, the large, lumbering creature moved through the entrance, taking several steps toward me before Angel stepped in front of it.
“I suggest you stop right there,” Angel stated.
Adam gave him a curious, sideways look. “You are a demon.”
“Strong AND smart,” Cordy mumbled. “What a catch.”
Adam ignored her, continuing to address Angel. “You belong to the world of darkness and pain, yet you are fighting with mortals. Why do you do this?”
“I have a soul,” Angel explained. He looked confused, and I couldn’t blame him. I thought we were supposed to fight this thing, not give it lessons in Demon 101.
“You have a soul,” Adam replied, “and it makes you want to be good. I have no such thing.”
“Too bad for you,” Angel mumbled, tensing slightly.
“Your soul makes you weak. It confuses things.”
“I’d say you’re the confused one,” Angel reminded him.
Growing tired of the conversation, Adam turned toward me again as I slowly stood up, stepping in front of Spike.
“Willow, don’t move,” Angel commanded. He needn’t have bothered. I was fairly certain that my shaking legs weren’t going any further forward at the moment.
“You called me sister,” I said in a low voice. “Why?”
“That is what you are,” Adam told me. “Mother, our mother, created us both, cut from the same mold, for the greater purpose.”
OK, now I was fairly confused, and completely freaked out.
“We are not brother and sister,” I stated. “Your mother and my mother, not the same lady, trust me.”
“You are wrong. I can feel it, the things she did to you, the way your powers are changing. She made you what you are.”
Shit.
“Together, we will rule the Earth and bring all inhabitants to their knees.”
Double shit.
“My power does not come from her, and I am nothing like you. I would sooner die than align myself with you.”
“That is a pity,” Adam replied. “We could have done great things together. But it is of no matter, I will easily prevail alone, and you will get your wish and die with the rest of them.”
I felt my body buzzing again, my skin tingling, almost as if my blood was boiling beneath the surface. It wasn’t a good feeling, not even remotely, but I knew what it meant. I was about to erupt.
“Actually, it doesn’t quite work that way,” I told him, my green eyes bleeding into black pools. I began to shake a little, fighting for control of whatever was inside of me, determined to use it and not allow it to use me. I opened my mouth, about to say more, when Angel suddenly moved, taking a step closer to Adam, ready to attack.
“Angel, no!” I heard the words come from my mouth, but they seemed to hover in the air as Adam raised an arm, easily knocking the strong vampire back, sending him across the room and crashing into the wall.
A mixture of determination and pain mingled in Angel’s eyes as he jumped up, running at the intruding creature again, but once more, Adam easily stopped him, gripping his neck tightly, holding him in the air.
I could see his fingers tightening on Angel’s throat. He could easily tear the vampire’s head from his shoulders. Dear goddess, he was going to kill Angel!
“Stop!” I shouted, not entirely sure what my next move would be. “Release him,” I commanded.
“Um, Willow?” I heard Cordy whisper nervously behind me, and glanced down, seeing that my feet were actually several inches from the ground as I floated in the middle of the room.
“Mercy is not an option,” Adam told me, squeezing a bit hard as Angel struggled in his grasp.
“I’m glad you agree,” I replied, taking a deep breath.
Suddenly, his grip on Angel was released, his arm flying back. Adam looked at his own hand in confusion, before looking at me.
“Your tricks and illusions will not stop me,” he growled.
Not bothering with a witty comeback, I held my hands up, watching with satisfaction as Adam flew backwards, out the entrance, the door slamming shut behind him.
“What the hell was that?” Doyle asked.
Before I could answer, the sound of gunfire had everyone scrambling, running for cover. Everyone, except for me, of course, and Spike, who was still huddled on the ground.
After a few moments, Angel looked up, seeing my wide grin.
“Willow?”
“I put up a barrier. They can’t get in.”
“How long will it last?”
I shrugged. “Couple of hours, at least.”
“Then we’d better come up with a plan, quickly.”
It was then that the ambassador finally spoke up again. “A plan is unnecessary. I already know what to do.”
~*~
How we got out of the building is a blur, and not really important. What is important is that I eventually found myself in a large manor on the edge of the city, surrounded by demons, and safe, for the moment. The Court had offered protection, harboring our group in their home. It was a kind enough gesture, considering that we had been attempting to save them in the first place. I just hoped that no one else tried to play fortune teller. One death notice a day was enough for me.
They seemed nice. Well, for the most part they glared and growled as we entered their home, before grudgingly offering a few rooms on the top floor. I was now alone with Spike in one of those rooms. Alone, with Spike…Funny concept, but never-the-less true. The room was dark. I could see the sun threatening to peak over the horizon as I stood before a tall window, gazing over the cityscape. Finally pulling myself away, I drew the heavy curtains closed, a single, dim light the only illumination in the room.
I moved to the bed as I saw Spike stir. He had slipped in and out of consciousness several times in the last few hours, before finally falling into a deep sleep. I performed several healing spells on Angel and Doyle, as well as the blond vampire, making a silent vow that I would find a way to remove the chip, as soon as I had a moment to catch my breath.
“Red?”
I looked down, forcing a smile to my lips as he watched me, slowly sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed.
“It’s dawn,” he mumbled, glancing toward the darkened window. I nodded, though I didn’t think he needed confirmation.
“Where’s Angel?”
I shrugged. “Trying to talk to The Court, I think, figuring out what to do. Cordy and Doyle are in the next room. I don’t think it’s going to be easy for them.”
He paused, tilting his head slightly to the side. He was listening, I knew, and part of me wanted to reprimand him for invading their privacy. The other part of me was jealous that I couldn’t hear as well.
“They’ll be fine,” he mumbled, looking back at me. “How are you?”
“I think I should be asking you that,” I whispered, reaching out to brush my fingers over his forehead.
His hand shot out and I gasped as he gripped my wrist tightly, pulling it away, bringing it to his lap and holding it there.
“I’m sorry,” he said. He wanted to say more, but I wouldn’t allow it.
“Uh-huh,” I replied, shaking my head. “No way, Mister. You don’t get to apologize. You did nothing wrong. I should have…”
“Maybe we should both stop with the sorries,” he interrupted, tugging on my hand and pulling me closer. I stumbled a little as I took a step forward, standing between his legs.
As I looked down, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, though I wasn’t even sure why. Maybe it was the deep blue eyes staring at me. Maybe it was the chiseled muscles of his bare chest. Maybe it was the heat of the moment or the thrill of danger. Or maybe it was just Spike and just me and whatever connection had been forged between us.
“Maybe we should stop talking all together,” he whispered.
Before I knew what was happening, I was pulled down into his lap, his lips descending on mine in a breathtaking kiss. As my eyes fluttered closed my mind spun. His lips were softer, sweeter than I expected…Not that I had thought about it before or anything. His hands were strong and firm, his chest equally so. As I moaned softly, he deepened the kiss, pulling me closer to his body, his arms wrapping around me tightly. Our tongues tangled in an ageless dance and I sent up a silent prayer to the heavens that this moment might never end.
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