Pairing: Willow/Spike
Rating: NC-17 (overall)
Disclaimer: I humbly borrow, twisting and bending plots to my will.
Summary: Sequel to If Only I Knew Then...Very alternate season 7
Spoilers: Anything through to the end of the show is fair game
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Chapter 3: Date with an Angel
~Part: 1~
"So, what are we researching today?" Xander sat down at the round table in the shop, stuffing a donut into his mouth before glancing over and smiling at Anya, who stood by the register. "Mystical demon paranoia? The treachery of an ancient fear demon?" He questioned, grabbing one of the papers in front of Willow and looking it over. "The horrors of fluctuating interest rates?" The brunette raised an eyebrow at her friend while Spike rolled his eyes.
"House hunting," the redhead explained, waving around the newspaper in her hands.
"Well, that does sound fairly freak-some," Xander admitted with a sheepish grin.
"Luckily for us, the property values in Sunnydale have dropped dramatically in the last few years," Willow commented before taking a sip of her tea.
"Huh," her friend replied. "Can't imagine why people wouldn't be falling over each other, trying to get a house in this town, what with the nightly killings, the constant vampire attacks, and the random acts of unexplainable demon activity…" Pondering what he was saying, Xander swung his head around and addressed his wife. "Honey, why are we still living here?"
"Because," Anya told him with a smile, "your family is here…although I suppose that's not a very good reason, and your friends are here… who constantly drag you into dangerous, life threatening situations… again, bad…Oh! And I am the part owner of a very successful little magic shop, which is centrally located next to a mystic inducing hellmouth. I doubt that business would be nearly as good in a more wholesome, less demony town."
"Right, well I suppose making cash off of other's pain is a pretty good reason to stick around," Xander stated, not entirely sure himself if he had meant it sarcastically.
"Hey, it's not just me," Anya reminded him. "You wouldn't have nearly as many construction jobs if demons weren't running ripping the town apart."
"To be fair," Willow interjected, "we've done our fair share of tearing places down. The high school, the initiative, The Bronze, on numerous occasions," she ticked off on her fingers. "How does that place manage to stay open?"
"Only place in town for anyone to go, I'd wager," Spike answered, grabbing his mug of blood and taking a long swig.
"They must have a hell of a time keeping an insurance policy," Anya mused. "I mean, The Magic Box has only been trashed two, maybe three times, and our rates are through the roof."
"So have you found anything you like?" Xander questioned.
Willow shrugged. "A few things," she told him.
"How can you afford a house?" Anya asked suddenly. "I mean, you're still in school, you don't even have a job, and knowing Spike, I'm sure he has no financial plan what so ever. Didn't it ever occur to you to save a little money when you were evil?"
"Hey! I'm still evil!" Spike reminded her indignantly. "And vampire's don't really worry so much about money. We come as we like, take…"
"As you please," the rest of them finished, rolling their eyes and smirking.
"Well, yeah! Certainly not gonna worry about putting a little away for retirement."
"My parents set up a nice, fat trust for me," Willow explained, ignoring the blond vampire. "Apparently years and years of complete neglect leads to lots of guilt money."
"Nice to know they're good for something," Xander told her with a soft smile.
"Who's good for what?" Faith asked as she walked in from the training room, followed by Buffy and a very worn out looking Giles.
"Parents, money," Willow summed up.
"Ah, yeah, don't have much experience with either of those," the dark haired slayer replied, stretching her back a bit while Buffy and Giles both moved to at the table.
"In a valiant attempt to quickly steer away from unhappy topics, everyone got their Halloween costumes?" Xander asked. The rest of the group groaned collectively. "What?"
"Xander, come on, Halloween? Not once have we had a good one of those," Buffy reminded him.
"It's not always bad," he argued. "Last year was…"
"Last year Dawnie decided to go parking with a vampire," Willow offered.
"She did what with a who? No one told me that," the blonde slayer screeched. "Why didn't anyone tell me about that? Why would she go PARKING with a VAMPIRE? That's just…disgusting."
"Hey!" Willow and Spike both shouted at the same time.
"It wasn't a big deal, Buffy," the redhead explained. "Really, she didn't know at first what he was, and then we jumped in, saving the day, as usual."
"Any other little memories of Dawn dating demons?" Buffy asked. The rest of the group shook their heads quickly.
"Anyway, come on, it'll be fun," Xander encouraged, extremely excited about his new costume.
"Halloween is a total drag," Faith told him.
"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I kinda agree with Faith," Buffy added. "Besides, I should probably patrol."
"Buffy, you know that Halloween is…" Giles began.
"The night that demons take off," she finished. "I know, but Giles, come on, look at the track record. Demons around here, they don't seem to like that rule so much."
"Bunch of sodden morons, you ask me," Spike commented, grabbing everyone's attention. "It's embarrassing! Give us all a bad name, goin out on Halloween."
"Well, I for one am looking forward to it," Anya told them with a grin. "I already have my costume, which I must say I look very sexy in. And afterwards, Xander and I are going to go home and play…"
"Please stop!" Giles interrupted, having no desire to see the disturbing mental picture that Anya was about to create.
"Halloween fun always leads to demony badness," Buffy stated.
"Come on, Buff, it's just a party," Willow interjected.
"Hey! Since when are you all gung-ho about the party?" Spike asked, not liking the thought of having to go, and not liking the thought of the big bad having to dress up, even more.
"Well, I think it will be fun, and we could all use a little break," Willow told him.
"Count me out, Red," Faith told her. "No way in hell you're getting me into a costume and dancing around at some party with apple bobbing and candy corn."
"Faith, you're going," Willow stated. "You already promised Dawn."
"I…" The dark haired slayer tried to come up with a quick excuse, flustered as she remembered that she had said something about going to the party with Dawn, but to be fair, she hadn't really been paying attention when she'd promised, so that hardly counted, right? "I don't even have a costume, and it's probably too late now."
"No problem!" Willow said cheerily. "I already picked one up for you. It's perfect."
"What is it?" Faith asked cautiously.
"A fairy princess!" Willow squealed with a bright smile, just before everyone but Faith and Willow burst out laughing.
~Part: 2~
"Remind me again why I'm doin this?"
"Because you love her."
"Yeah, well I think I may have to rethink that whole `my love has no limits' thing," Spike grumbled.
"It's sweet," Anya insisted. "Well, actually, it's mostly nauseating, and I never get any of the good details out of Willow that girl friends are supposed to share over coffee…but still…it's sweet." She smiled brightly at him.
"You seem extra chipper," the vampire pointed out. "What's with all the happy smiles? You're glowin."
"Glowing? You think I'm…um…nothing. It's nothing. Just, you know, the usual. Enjoying the whole mortal coil thing with my wonderful life partner." Taking a step back, she quickly changed the subject. "Well, I think you're all set."
"At least I can't see my reflection. Don't have to know how ridiculous I look."
"I can't believe that this is your costume," Anya told him, smoothing out the large, black, leather coat. "You don't look any different than normal."
"Hey! You take that back, right now!" He shouted in outrage, pulling back from her. "I normally look nothing like Angel! See?" He pulled the coat open, which was at least two sizes too big, gesturing at his all black attire. "Dark, broody, terrible fashion sense. You know, just because we're vampires, that doesn't mean that a dash of color here and there is a bad thing."
Spike ran his hand through his hair, which he had colored a dark brown and thoroughly covered in gel, spiking the front tips. "My hair still standin up in front?" He questioned.
"Straight as an arrow," Anya assured him with a smile.
"Still can't believe I'm doin this," he muttered.
"You look wonderful, and the whole point of Halloween is to dress up and pretend to be something different than you are, or so I'm told."
"And from where did you elicit that little pearl of wisdom?"
"Buffy."
"Shocking," Spike replied with a roll of his eyes. "Kinda happy with myself the way I am, and Willow should be too," he told her.
"She is," Anya responded quickly. "She loves you, Spike. We've been through this. Besides, you were the one who picked Angel as a costume."
"Figured it would be funny," he told her. "What are you supposed to be, anyway?"
"You can't tell?" Anya took a step back, looking at herself in the hallway mirror, pouting about the fact that he didn't know what she was. "I'm the village wench!"
Spike snickered. "Thought we were going as we aren't."
The former demon narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm a married woman, now. One man for the rest of my life, only able to kiss one man's lips, only able to feel one man's touch, only able to lick…"
"Stop! I get it. Monogamy. It's a joy. What is Xander going as?" He prayed that it was a costume worse than his own.
"A knight," Anya said with a smile, imagining the fun they would have when they got home later that evening.
"Bet he even gets a sword," Spike complained. "All I get is a stake and some poncy hair gel."
"Just wait until you see Willow's costume," she told him in a conspiratorial whisper. Spike arched an eyebrow in question, but Anya simply shook her head. "Promised I wouldn't tell. It's a surprise." Spike couldn't even begin to guess what the redhead would come up with.
The honk of a horn alerted Anya to the fact that Xander had arrived to take her to The Bronze. "That would be my knight in shining armor," she laughed, heading toward the door.
"He's wearing armor?"
"Figure of speech. See you there!"
Just as the car pulled away, Spike heard Willow's bedroom door open, and he spun around, waiting to catch the first glimpse of her as she came down the stairs. Had his heart been beating, it surely would have stopped at the sight of the redhead gliding down the staircase with all the grace of a cat stalking her prey.
The blond's mouth hung wide open as the redhead moved into his arms for a warm hug, and he missed the sly grin that crossed her face. Willow pulled back a moment later, allowing him to take in her appearance as she looked over his costume.
"You look great," she told him with a smile.
"So I've been told," he muttered, his eyes still wide and his face still completely dazed as his mind tried to make sense of what he was seeing before him. Willow's smile widened further, revealing a set of sharp fangs behind her red lips.
"What…how…where…" Spike had no idea what he was trying to say, and found himself sputtering words like a bumbling fool.
"You like?" She asked, her voice suddenly a bit lower and more husky. Willow leaned forward, kissing his neck before allowing her fangs to scrape ever so slightly over the skin, drawing the tiniest amount of blood, which she quickly lick at before pulling back again.
"They're real!" He shouted suddenly, realizing what she had done. "How…you're a…how?!"
"It's a glamour spell," she told him with a grin, allowing the vampire visage to slip away for a moment. Spike could clearly make out her beating heat, so he knew that she was alive, but his eyes were not cooperating with his brain in that comprehension. Before him stood the small redhead, complete with black leather pants, a black leather and red lace corset, and black boots. She looked more beautiful than he could have imagined.
"Bring it back," he whispered, wrapping his arms around the redhead and pulling her tightly to him. Understanding the request, Willow closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating on the spell, before her face suddenly shifted into the vampire ridges once again.
"Beautiful," he whispered, kissing his way up and down her neck, feeling the leather clad girl wriggling against him, his arms tightening around her.
When Spike finally loosened his hold on her, Willow pulled back and looked up, surprised to see that his demon features had come forward.
"Where did you get the idea for this costume?" He questioned.
Willow shrugged with an impish grin firmly in place. "Just something I saw once. You really like it?"
"I love it," he told her honestly, his voice low and lust filled. "Sure we have to go to The Bronze for the party? I'd much rather stay here with you…have our own private festivities?" The blond bucked his hips against Willow's suggestively, and was rewarded with a low moan as the redhead rolled her hips in turn.
"We have to go, Spike," she told him, running her red nails along his black cotton covered chest. "We promised, but later, we'll have our own private little party."
"I'm holding you to that, Red," Spike told her with a growl, as she took his hand and led him out of the house.
~Part: 3~
"Willow! Great costume!" Buffy shouted over the music as she ran up to her friend. "Slightly unsettling, but you look great."
The blonde hugged her friend before pulling back, allowing Willow to take in her costume.
"What do you think?" Buffy questioned.
Willow raised an eyebrow. "Could have used that costume a few years back," the redhead pointed out.
"What the hell are you supposed to be, slayer?" Spike questioned, eyeing her skimpy costume.
"Xena!" She told him with a roll of her eyes. "What about you? All you did was color your hair."
"It's Angel," Willow explained with a bright smile.
"What's Angel?" Xander asked as he walked up behind Spike. The temporarily brunette vampire turned around, glaring at Xander as the boy's eyes widened and he burst out laughing. "Oh, man, that's the funniest thing I've seen all night," he chuckled, pointing at the growling demon.
"Hey, we're here! Faith's on her way in!" Dawn shouted as she ran up to the group. "Spike! You didn't wear a costume."
Spike rolled his eyes and sighed, glaring at his girlfriend.
"Dawn, what exactly are you supposed to be?" Buffy questioned, taking in her rather reveling costume. Faith had helped her dress, and she hadn't allowed her sister to see it ahead of time. "And, is that my shirt?"
"It's Faith's," Dawn told her with a wide grin. "She gave me the leather pants, too. I'm a slayer!"
"You dressed up as a slayer, and you went as Faith?" Buffy asked, sounding a little dejected.
Before Dawn had a chance to answer, they all turned and looked toward the door, everyone watching as a red-faced brunette slayer walked into The Bronze. Everyone but Willow and Dawn burst out laughing.
"Ok, I take it back. THAT'S the funniest thing I've seen all night," Xander gasped between breathes, trying to stop laughing and wiping at the tears in his eyes.
Looking toward the door, Willow took in the slayer's appearance. Her long, dark hair was pulled up onto her head, wrapped around a sparkling tiara. Her face was covered in glitter, her eyes frosted a light blue and her lips a bright pink. She wore a large, puffy, chiffon, ice blue dress, with wings attached to the back, and had a glittery wand in one hand. As Willow's eyes scanned further down, she scowled slightly, seeing combat boots peaking out from underneath the poofy blue dress.
Walking up to the group, Faith glared at them all. Xander opened his mouth, but she quickly turned on him. "Not one word, Harris, or I'll shove this wand so far up your…"
"Okay!" Willow interrupted. "Everyone having a good time?" Both Spike and Faith glanced at her with murderous expressions. "Um…hey! Music! Fun music, for to dance to. Who wants to join me on the dance floor, get down with our bad selves?" A moment later the redheaded vampire wiggled her way onto the dance floor, followed by Xana, a dark haired slayer, a knight and the village wench.
Spike and Faith found a quiet table in the corner and hid themselves behind two pitchers of beer.
"Can't believe I'm doin this," the vampire grumbled.
"You? Look at me!" Faith replied.
"Hard not to," he told her with a smirk. "I need sunglasses to reduce the glare."
"I can't believe I let Willow and Dawn talk me into wearing this. I'd rather screw a vampi…" The sentence died on her lips as Spike turned and glared at her for a moment, before looking back toward his girlfriend, watching her dance.
"Yeah, those two can talk me into doin just about anything," Spike admitted. "Got us wrapped around their little fingers, don't they?"
"Speak for yourself," she replied, standing up and shaking the empty pitcher of beer. "I'm going to grab another," she told him, turning to head toward the bar.
"Can't you just wave your magic wand?" He called after her with a chuckle. "Just say the magic words and make it…" He stopped, continuing to grin as she walked away, not bothering to turn around as she flipped up her middle finger.
"Hey, another pitcher," she called out to the bartender, leaning over the bar.
"Hi there, princess. You're lookin pretty hot." Faith turned, eying the guy standing next to her. He was dressed as the devil, slightly shorter than her, grinning widely. "How about you and me run off to my kingdom and I can make you my queen." He winked and she rolled her eyes, noticing his heavy Brooklyn accent before turning away, but the man only persisted further.
"Maybe I could buy you a drink, show you a good time and…"
"Hey! Why don't you beat it," she interrupted, clenching a fist at her side.
"Hey now, no need to get testy," he told her, holding his hands up in mock defeat. "Just trying to make conversation. Geesh, a guy offers a chick a pity drink and she gets all…"
"Shut your mouth before I shut it for you," she growled lowly.
"Oh, feisty. I like that. You're a lot tougher than you look, aren't you? Demons of the world beware."
Confusion swept over her face at the mention of demons. "What did you just…"
"Faith!" The brunette turned around, seeing Buffy approaching. She turned back to the man, surprised to see that he was no longer beside her.
"Did you see that creep that just…"
"Listen," Buffy interrupted. "I gotta run. Giles heard some guy talking about that whole New Dominion thing. Mentioned a bunch of demons meeting in the cemetery tonight. I'm gonna go check it out."
"Alright, let's go," the brunette said enthusiastically as she stood up.
"No, actually, I'm going alone." Seeing that the other slayer was about to protest, she continued quickly. "Look, I need you to stay here, keep an eye on Dawn and the others. Besides, you won't exactly be stealth-girl in that outfit."
"Hey, if I recall correctly, you took on a bunch of demons in the dress you were voted prom queen in," Faith pointed out.
"Actually, it was May Queen, and I didn't win. Just…please stay here, keep everyone out of trouble, alright?"
"Yeah, fine, go."
Buffy hurried off as Faith turned around, grabbing the pitcher of beer and heading back to the table. Willow had returned from dancing and was giggling at something that Spike had just whispered to her. The redhead looked up and frowned at Faith.
"Hey, gloomy-guss. You don't look like you're having any fun."
"What tipped you off?" Faith replied dryly.
"Mingle! Socialize! Go…go talk to that guy," Willow insisted, pointing toward a table across the bar.
"What guy?"
"That guy over there. He's checking you out. Go say hi!"
"If he's checking her out while she's in that get-up, he can't have very good taste," Spike pointed out. Willow elbowed the vampire, shushing him and urging Faith forward.
"Will, I really don't want to go talk to some jerk."
"He could be a perfectly nice guy. Look, he's dressed like an angel," Willow noted, gesturing toward his all white costume. "He's got wings, just like you, and…Oh! A cute little halo."
"Yeah, that's just what I'm looking for," the slayer said, rolling her eyes.
"Just go say hello," Willow told her, the redhead's voice turning more commanding. "Go! Now, missy. Get your puffy, chiffon-covered ass over there."
With a dramatic huff, Faith turned and stomped toward the man, knowing that Willow wouldn't give up until she did as demanded.
"You think that was a really good idea, love?" Spike asked as Willow moved to sit on his lap, a wide grin on her face.
"Sure. It's time Faith found herself a nice guy," she told him. "I want everyone to be as happy as we are."
~Part: 4~
"Hey," Faith yelled over the music as she approached the man. He was alone at a table, his dark hair slicked back and his muscles prominent under the tight, white tee-shirt he wore.
"Hey," he replied with a smile, gesturing for her to take a seat on the open stool at the table. She slipped onto the stool, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "Can I get you a drink?"
"A beer would be great," she told him. A moment later he had a bar- maid bring a bottle over. "Thanks," she yelled, watching as he moved a little closer to hear better.
"This party's kind of a drag," he told her with a wry smile.
"Tell me about it," she replied, grinning and taking a sip of the beer. "I'm Faith."
"Todd," he stated, shaking her hand. "You know, I gotta tell ya, Faith, you don't really strike me as the fairy princess type. I see you more as a warrior. A fighter. Tight leather, maybe." The slayer grinned, nodding slightly. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all.
~*~ "Watcher, you're dragging this party down, and that's saying a lot," Spike stated, as he looked around with a bored expression. Giles had joined them just after Willow sent Faith off to talk with some guy, and looked to be moping over his glass of whiskey.
"I guess I'm just feeling a bit old," Giles told him, taking a gulp of his drink.
"You think YOU feel old?" Spike responded incredulously. "I've got nearly a century on you, old man."
"Yes, well, you certainly haven't had any difficulties adjusting to dating younger women, Spike," the watcher pointed out.
"Awww, Giles is feeling all lonely without a girlfriend," Willow said, looking up at Spike. "He really doesn't date much. Actually, he really doesn't do much of anything these days, but sit with his books and clean his glasses, and…"
"Willow, I'm right here," Giles interrupted. "I can hear you. Would you please stop talking about me as if I wasn't right beside you?" Reaching up, he shifted the wig atop his head.
"I still don't get who you're supposed to be," she told him, eying his costume.
Giles' eyes widened in indignation and he gasped. "Do you children have no taste in music?"
"Jim Morrison, love," Spike supplied. She gave him a confused look and he continued. "The Doors…'Hello I Love You?' `The End?' `Break on Through?'" He was becoming more frantic with each song he named.
"Ohhh…yeah, those guys. Ih, never really cared for them." She looked at Giles again. He had on denim bellbottoms, a black button down shirt that was open enough to reveal most of his chest, several chains hanging low around his neck, a pair of dark sunglasses and a long, messy brown wig. "You just look kinda like a hippie," she told him with a shrug. Giles was about to open his mouth to protest, but she continued talking. "Well, maybe I could fix you up," she suggested with a sudden grin.
"Luv, why don't you…"
"No! I mean it! I know lots of lovely, eligible ladies. You could have your pick of the litter."
"Thank you for the sentiment, Willow, really, but I think I'm a bit past the point of dating Sunnydale co-eds."
"Co-eds shmow-eds," she replied, waving her hand dismissively. "I know plenty of more…mature women."
"Willow, I really think that…"
"Oh!" She yelled, suddenly jumping up from Spike's lap. "I see Ms. Parker! She's one of my professors. I'll be right back."
As Willow ran off through the crowd, Giles' eyes widened nervously as he called after her, "She doesn't teach psychology, does she? Or… or computers?"
A few moments later, Willow returned with a woman trailing behind her. "Giles, this is Emily Parker. She's the head of the Paranormal department at SU. She just published a paper studying the effects of time and age in alternate dimensions. And Ms. Parker, this is…" Willow paused as she realized that the woman was still standing behind her, more or less hiding from Giles' gaze. Grabbing her arm, the redhead gently pulled her out to stand next to her and smiled reassuringly. "This is Rupert Giles. He spent years both in England and the states, studying magic and advanced demonology."
"How do you do?" Giles greeted the woman, holding his hand out. Emily nervously reached out, timidly shaking his hand as she kept her head bowed shyly. Her dark blond hair was pulled into a tight bun, with a few loose strands hanging down around her face, and she reached up with one hand, pushing the thin, wire glasses back up on her nose. As she glanced up, Giles was surprised at how soft and beautiful her blue eyes were, framed by long, dark lashes. Her lips were a dark pink and the rest of her face was covered in a light green power that caused her to look as if she were almost glowing. Her hands played nervously with the dark ribbon tied around the waist of the long, green dress she wore, and he could see a slight, pink blush through the green powder. She was the perfect picture of femininity, if not grace, and Giles was immediately taken with her.
"Hello Mr. Giles," she mumbled, her eyes darting around the room before her head tilted forward again. There was a long, awkward silence, during which Willow glared at Giles, silently demanding that he say something more.
"Oh, um, well, I'd love to hear about the theories you've been studying. I'm sure you'd have a lot to say about the recent studies of Roger Penn. He…he's a doctor that studied…"
"I know who he is," she interrupted, her voice soft as she smiled slightly. "His teachings are rather…" She made a face, as if trying to choose her words carefully, so as not to offend.
"Pompous and arrogant?" Giles supplied. Her grin widened as she laughed softly, seeming to relax somewhat. Willow smiled happily at the progress.
"To say the least," Emily responded. "It's as if the man has never heard of Trans-thermal mutations among augury principals."
"I couldn't agree more," Giles told her with a chuckle, causing her to smile again. "Your, um, costume is very interesting," he noted.
"Marie Curie," she told him, blushing again and looking at the floor nervously. "I suppose I have a bit of fascination with a women who would devote her life to studying radioactive elements."
"Ah, yes, well that certainly explains the lovely green glow," Giles stated with a chuckle. Emily looked up and smiled.
"And I love your costume," she told him. "Jim Morrison, right?"" Giles grinned, nodding, surprised that she knew who he was supposed to be. "Good god, I heard that man sing `Five To One,' back in '67 and it changed my world."
"'No one gets out of here alive.'" He recited the lyrics, staring at her in aw.
"Yes!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands. "After screaming `wake up' at the audience for an eternity, it's…"
"Transcendent," he finished.
"Alrighty, well you lost me at the trans-thermal mutations, so I'll just…" Willow began, as she turned toward Spike.
"Willow," Emily scolded in a soft voice. "I've told you before, you really should become more familiar with paranormal structures and history. It isn't just enough to know the words of a spell. You must understand…"
"The power behind the words, the truth within the myth," Giles finished. Both he and Emily again smiled at each other, Willow now rolling her eyes as Spike smirked.
"I do study. I'm like the queen of studying," Willow insisted. "I...I practically live for it."
"She doesn't like to apply herself to the longer, less interesting tasks," Giles told Emily. The woman simply nodded. "I've been telling her for years that her impatience is her biggest fault. It holds her back. She really must learn that there are consequences that come along with the quick fixes."
"Hey! I'm well aware of consequences," Willow argued, before Spike reached out, pulling her back against him. She turned, pouting slightly as the two adults continued to discuss her lack of interest in history. "My existence is one giant lesson in consequences," she muttered.
"Looks like your little plan worked, love," Spike pointed out.
"Yeah, maybe a little too well," she told him, rolling her eyes again.
"Why don't we head home, let me take your mind off of everyone else for a while, concentrate on bringing US together," he whispered, nipping playfully at her neck. Willow shivered and looked around a little uncertainly. "Red, if I don't get you alone soon, I won't be held accountable for my actions. Seeing you all dressed up like this…"
"Well, I do have to admit. You kinda look hot, all dressed up like Angel. Could make for an interesting fantasy," she teased. Her voice dropped a little lower as she purred, "Willow wants to play with her puppy."
"Hey!" Spike shouted, growling slightly before he saw the playful twinkle in her eyes. He stood up, sweeping her off of her feet and tossed her over his shoulder. Neither Giles nor Emily, who were now deeply engrossed in their conversation, noticed as the squealing redhead was carried out of the bar.
~Part: 5~
Laces were yanked open, buttons were pulled free, leather was ripped from damp skin, already moist with perspiration and kisses, their fevered actions a quick blur. Willow pulled the oversized leather coat from his arms, throwing it into a dark corner as Spike kicked her bedroom door shut. They maneuvered around the packed boxes as he pulled her corset away, baring her chest to his hungry gaze. Licking his way down, the vampire's hands quickly moved to her waist, fumbling with the button of her pants, while Willow pulled at his black, silk shirt, growling in satisfaction as buttons sprayed around them.
"Never much cared for that shirt," he told her, his voice hoarse with arousal, his hands finally undoing her leather pants. "A bit too poofy, if you ask me."
The redhead lifted her hips, allowing him to slide the tight clothing from her, and his eyebrow arched in surprise, seeing that she wore nothing underneath.
"My, my…Someone's a naughty girl," he whispered, leaning down and nipping at her neck with blunt teeth.
"Less talking, more touching," she growled. Spike glanced up for a moment again, seeing that she still had the vampire mask on, his arousal growing even more.
Trailing kissed down her neck, over her chest, he whispered to her, "Red, you're so bloody beautiful."
"Spike," she whimpered, arching her back as he sucked first one nipple and then the other into his mouth, biting lightly on both.
"More," she pleaded, her voice high and desperate.
"Patience, love," he told her, running his tongue further down, over her stomach and around her belly button. As he continued his descent, the vampire made sure to avoid her most sensitive areas, concentrating instead on her soft, smooth thighs and tummy.
Finally, unable to stand his teasing any longer, Willow let out a soft growl, and using a bit of magic, suddenly had Spike flipped onto his back, the redhead now straddling his hips, grinning down at him.
"Now, Willow's gonna make her puppy bark," she growled, leaning down and biting into his neck just as she sank down onto him, gasping as he filled her.
~*~
"So have you lived here long? You don't seem like the typical Sunnydale girl."
"Nah. Moved here a few years ago, skipped town after the high school blew up, spent some time in LA, and now I'm back," Faith stated nonchalantly.
"What made you come back?" Todd asked.
Faith looked around the dark park as they walked, swinging her arms slightly. "Just drawn to the place, I guess. I mean, I have friends here. They're kind of like a family to me."
"That's cool," he replied with a smile. "I've been here about three years now. Came for college."
"Oh yeah? How's that workin out for ya?" She asked.
"Not so well, actually. Dropped out after the first year. Most of my classes were early. I'm more of a night person, and some people are… I don't know, less tolerant of other people's differences."
"Differences?" She questioned, scrunching her nose up a little. "Don't think you can get much more different than the residents of Sunnydale."
"Yeah, have you noticed how this place…It's like…the weirdest things happen here," he said, suddenly stopping and looking toward her. "It's like…I don't know, I'm gonna sound crazy. Never mind."
"No, really, go on," she encouraged.
"It just seems like…There's so many things that happen around here that go unexplained, you know? And everyone just sort of turns their head and expects someone else to fix it and make it all better. Does that make any sense?"
"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean," she told him, smiling softly. She felt him reach out and grasp her hand gently, grinning at the touch, despite herself. "So why do you stay here?" She asked as they started to walk again.
"Well, I don't really have any family left," he told her. "Just kind of a nomad, I guess, and Sunnydale seemed as good a place as any to stop. It's funny, you know? I usually don't talk so much, or so deeply, with someone I've just met. It's like, you feel like you have to keep up this hard, cold exterior, so that no one can get inside, but the thing is, it gets so lonely, and you try to fill the void with something else, fighting for what you believe in, pretending to be something you're not…" Todd stopped and chuckled. "I should just shut up. I'm not…" Before he could finish, Faith reached out, grasping the side of his face and pulling him, kissing him deeply.
~*~
"That was…" Spike began, gasping for unneeded breath as he moved to lay beside the redhead.
"Incredible," she finished, trying to catch her breath. The vampire guise was finally gone from her face, though her lips were still slightly stained from his blood.
"Red, I think we need to talk about…" Before Spike could say more, he was cut off by the phone ringing. Sighing, he flopped back against the pillows as Willow answered the phone. "If that's the slayer…either one, I'll rip her throat out," he growled.
"Hello? Who…Fred? I don't think I…Oh! Fred!" Spike scowled at the name. "Angel's FEMALE friend, Fred," she stated, emphasizing that it was a girl and eliciting another scowl from Spike at the mention of Angel. "What's…?" She paused, listening for a long time as the other girl spoke.
"Right. Sure, that shouldn't be a problem. No, I can get away. Nah, piece of cake. Done it before. It'll be like a little trip back to the…well, not good old days, but…Yeah, sure, no problem. See you soon." Willow hung up and looked over at Spike, who was now sitting up and giving her a questioning look.
Willow moved to stand, going to her dresser and grabbing a pair of jeans and a sweater and starting to dress.
"Mind tellin me what the hell that was all about?" Spike grumbled.
Willow glanced up, looking a little distracted as she pulled her sweater on and moved toward her magic chest. "That was Fred. She works for Angel."
"Right, got that part," he told her impatiently. "Let's skip ahead, shall we?"
"Well, I have to run to LA. Seems that, um…Angel sort of lost his soul, again."
"What?!" Willow closed her eyes, waiting for the eruption that was about to come. "There is no way in hell you're going there with that maniac on the loose! It's too dangerous. Bastard should learn to keep a better hold of the damn soul if he needs it so badly."
"Actually, he sort of did it on purpose this time," she told him slowly. He gave her an incredulous look. "I guess they were trying to fight some big demon guy, and Angelus was the only one that knew how to kill it, or something. Look, Spike, it's not a big deal. I've done the spell before. I'll just go, say a few magic words and then poof, Soully Angel's back, good as new."
"Why can't you do the spell right here?" He asked.
"Well, um, it turns out that the container holding the soul, it um, sorta went missing, so we need to find it first," she said cautiously, playing with a bag of some kind of herbs in her hands.
"No! You are not going!" He yelled.
"Yes, I am!" She insisted, tossing the bag into a small sack and zipping it shut. She slung it over her shoulder and walked up to him, her chest as puffed out as his was. "You can't tell me not to go, Spike. I have to."
"Then I'm going with you," he insisted.
"You can't. The sun'll be up before I get there. Spike, I promise, I'll be back before dark. You won `t even know I'm gone."
The vampire moved to stand in front of the door, blocking her exit. "I'm not letting you go. It's too dangerous, and god only knows what you'll do workin magic up there."
Willow gaped at him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"I just would rather be there while you're doing the spell," he told her, his voice softening a bit.
Willow glared at him, a knowing expression passing across her face. "I get it. You still don't trust me. After everything…after tonight, after…How can you still not trust me? You still think I had something to do with Buffy coming back, don't you?" He didn't have to answer her. Willow knew what he was thinking simply by the look in his eyes. "I thought you believed me. I thought you trusted me. I had nothing to do with that."
"Love, I know, I didn't mean that…"
"No! Just stop. I don't have time for this. I have to leave. We'll talk about it later."
"I don't want you to leave upset, Willow. Just…" Before he could say more, she shoved him aside, throwing the door open. "Just let me come with you."
"I need to concentrate on what I'm doing, and I can't do that with you around me right now," the redhead told him, her voice low and angry.
"Angelus can be a tricky bastard," he called after her, as she quickly moved down the stairs. "He'll have you wrapped around his finger before you can blink."
Willow stopped at the front door and turned, looking up at him sadly. "Then I guess I'd better keep my eyes open," she mumbled, turning and walking out.
~Part: 6~
Willow found herself standing in front of the Hyperion, just a few minutes before sunrise. It should have taken her longer to get to LA, but in her anger she had driven rather fast, arriving ahead of schedule. Taking a deep breath, the redhead walked up to the front doors, pushing them open and stepping inside, never taking notice of the brunette vampire watching from the shadows.
"Willow!" Fred called, running up to the witch and enveloping her in a tight hug. "Thank you so much for coming."
"Happy to help," Willow told her with a smile.
Fred and Wesley briefly explained to Willow that Angel's soul was trapped in a sacred jar, which had gone missing, and that without releasing the soul from the jar, they were unable to put it back into the vampire. Furthermore, it seemed that Angelus had been able to escape from the cage they had kept him in, and no one was quite sure of his whereabouts at the moment.
"Well, since trying to track Angelus down seems more like the crazy, suicidal thing to do, I say we focus on the jar," Willow suggested, pacing the lobby. "Magic's a no go on the jar, directly. Even the standard locator spell gave a big zippo on the result-o-meter, sooo…"
"Yeah, this is pretty much the wall we've come up against, no luck breaking through so far," Fred told her.
Suddenly, Willow's face lit up. "Oh! We just have to break the jar!" She shouted. "And…and then Ange's soul will be released. Oh! There's this thing called Delothrian's Arrow. We won't even need to know where the target is!"
"Of course," Wesley sighed. "Now, why didn't I think of that?"
Willow shrugged. "That's what I'm here for."
"It's funny," the former watcher noted. "You were always so resourceful. You don't seem to have changed at all."
The redhead smiled. "Well, there was that whole flaying a man alive and trying to destroy the world, a-and traveling back in time." Wesley opened his mouth to say something, but she continued to speak, looking at nothing in particular. "But I'm better now. Giles even said so, both times, a-and technically I didn't even do it the second time around, but no, stupid vampire still doesn't trust me. Thinks he knows everything. Thinks he can just tell me what to do. Just because I sleep with the vampire… Sometimes Spike can be so…" She looked up, seeing Wesley and Fred both staring at her in shock. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Personal stuff."
There was a long, silent pause, before Wesley finally cleared his throat and spoke quietly. "I…I kept a woman in a closet," he offered, causing Willow to raise an eyebrow in surprise and Fred to wince.
~*~
"I don't like it, not one bit," Spike growled, pacing back and forth.
"Spike, please, it's been a very long night. I'm about ready to drop," Giles complained, rubbing his eyes. The vampire had shown up at his home just as he had gotten in, a little before dawn, complaining that Willow had left for LA.
"You! You don't even care! She's off chasing after that maniac and all you care about is your new little girlfriend!" Spike shouted.
"I beg your pardon," Giles responded indignantly. "I'll have you know that…Well, Willow is perfectly capable of handling herself. She's done the spell before, and she's a smart girl. She won't put herself in harms way, I assure you."
"Right, because she never does anything rash, without thinking," Spike grumbled to himself, flopping down on the couch. Giles sat down beside him.
"So, um, Spike…What did you think of Miss Parker? Rather lovely, wasn't she?" Giles asked slowly, Spike glaring at him sideways.
~*~
"So now Angel's soul is just floating around out there?" Fred questioned. They had done the spell to break the jar. It had been intense, Willow's eyes going dark, the ground shaking, but she had easily held her own, and eventually sent her little "marble of doom" off to break the jar, releasing Angel's soul.
"Yep, now I just need to channel it back through the orb," she told the brunette, "which I don't have."
"I have one, in the office," Wesley told her, "just in case of emergencies." He moved to go fetch the object, but Willow stopped him with a grin.
"I'll get it," she assured him, heading into the office. Once inside, she turned on a dim desk lamp and started searching around the disheveled room. Papers were everywhere, and several objects had been smashed. She didn't see the orb anywhere.
Turning around, she was about to call out to Wesley, asking where the orb was kept, when she paused, noticing that the door was closed.
"I didn't close that," she muttered, taking a step toward the exit.
"No, that was me." Hearing the voice behind her, Willow jumped, seeing Angelus emerge from the shadows. The redhead opened her mouth, holding up her hand, ready to throw a bit of magic at the vampire, but Angelus was quicker, moving to her in a blur of motion and knocking the witch out with one solid punch.
The brunette vampire looking around for a moment, making sure that no one else had heard them, before quickly lifting the redhead up and tossing her over his shoulder, silently making his way out of the office and down to the tunnels below the hotel.
~Part: 7~
Faith continued her walk with Todd, hands clasped between them. She had a slight grin on her face, though her eyes continued to sweep over the area. The kiss had been amazing. Soft, sweet and passionate, all at once. A few moments later, the slayer pulled away, her senses perking up. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and her body buzzing slightly, much as it did just before she came across a vampire.
"Something wrong?" Todd asked.
She looked up, seeing the concern on his face, and shook her head. "It's nothing, I'm sure," she told him, though she continued to scan the immediate area. Something felt off, and the last thing she wanted at that moment was a vampire attack, especially considering how she was dressed.
"You know, Faith, you're really special," Todd told her. "I mean it. >From the minute I saw you, I knew there was something different about you."
"Nah," she replied, waving her hand dismissively and blushing slightly. "That was just all the glitter and blue chiffon. It's easy to confuse the two."
"No," he said with a chuckle. "I mean, that certainly is special, don't get me wrong, but I just knew you were the one. I mean, everyone always told me I'd know, and that they couldn't explain how, but I just would, and I never really understood, but then I saw you, and it all came together."
"Hey, slow down there, buddy," Faith said, pulling her hand away and turning toward him. "All that poetic love-at-first-sight crap, that's all fine and dandy for the some girls, but I'm just not buying it. We just met. You never know, I might still find a reason to detest you."
"This has nothing to do with romance. This isn't about love at first sight. This is about two people and fate. Fate brought us together. Fate brought you to me, and fate made me the man I am, so that when this day came, I would be prepared."
Giving him an uneasy look, Faith took a step back and drew herself up a little. Todd had just gone from sweet to creepy.
"Look, I don't know what you think is going to happen here, but you can just forget it right now," she told him. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."
"I know exactly who I'm dealing with," he replied with a sneer, just before his featured morphed into his true face. "The slayer."
~*~
"Something's wrong," Spike growled, jumping up and pacing the room.
"Nothing is wrong, Spike," Giles told him. "It's Halloween, the one night when…"
"Demons and ghoulies pretend they don't wanna hurt the kiddies, and then jump out of the dark to scare the living hell out of you," Xander supplied.
"I have a bad feeling. Something's wrong with Willow," Spike told him.
"Oh, well that's just because she's run off to play cat and mouse with the most evil of all vampires," Xander reminded them both. Shortly after Spike had arrived at Giles's home, Xander had stopped by. Once he had learned where his friend had gone, the boy refused to leave until he knew she was home safe.
"Spike, I understand that you're concerned, but really, it's not as if…"
"I can feel her, Rupert. What she's feelin, I can feel it."
"Well, that's ridiculous, Spike. Now, just calm down. It isn't as if she fed from…Oh dear lord, tell me you did not allow her to feed from you…Oh dear lord."
"You already said that part, Giles, and might I add, Iwww," Xander interjected, earning a growl from Spike.
"Why in the name of god would you allow her to feed from you?" Giles asked.
"I think the real question here is why would Willow WANT to feed from you," Xander stated.
"I'm not discussin this with you," Spike told the watcher, "and I'm definitely not discussing it with old Chubs over here. Something is wrong and I need to get to her."
"The sun will be up before you can reach her," Giles reminded him. "Perhaps I can call to see that…"
"No time," Spike told him, never having been the patient one, and certainly not interested in learning to be just then. "You have a car?" He asked Xander. The young man simply nodded. "Good. Get it. Pull it up to the house. Rupert, I'll need a blanket, and nothing crocheted, don't need little spots of fire lighting me up. Something solid, and preferably soft, but not that hideous angora blanket. Don't need to be itchy for two hours."
~*~
Willow had regained consciousness not too long ago, though she had been unable to move since that time. She was bound tightly to a chair, enveloped in complete darkness. The air around her felt damp and cold, and the stench coupled with the occasional echo of water dripping nearby, led her to believe that she was in an underground sewer tunnel. She had tried to yell out for help several times, her urgent pleas met only by their own hollow echo.
The redhead was confused. She remembered seeing Angelus just before the world went dark, and the throbbing in her head suggested that he had struck her with quite a lot of force. After trying to free herself from her binds the old fashion way, struggling and wriggling while cursing the ropes and the one tied them, she turned toward her magic, dismayed to find that nothing she tried worked. The ropes only seemed to tighten with every incantation she muttered, and the complete lack of magical ability left the redhead feeling more vulnerable than she was accustomed to.
Realizing that the ropes must have been made impervious to her magic, the witch chose to turn her attention to her surroundings. Unable to see past her nose in the utter darkness, Willow began to reach out with her mind, trying to feel for any object that might be sharp enough to cut through the ropes. Finally, she came upon something solid and metal, and began to slowly raise it in the air, her eyes shut tightly as she concentrated on the task at hand.
"Willow, Willow, Willow…always playing with magic." At the sound of Angelus' voice, the redhead's concentration broke and she heard the floating object clatter as it hit the hard ground. Her eyes searched the darkness and she jumped slightly as the vampire struck a match, lighting a few nearby candles.
Willow struggled once again against the ropes holding her to the small, wooden chair, as she looked around, her eyes widening, taking in her surroundings. She was, indeed, in a sewer tunnel, though a few feet away from her a small table had been set up. That was where Willow had found the object that she had been trying to float moments earlier. It was part of a large, sharp collection of knives and daggers, the sight of which made her shiver in fear.
"So this was the big plan? You?" He asked with a chuckle. "The slayer's little pet witch?"
"Hey, buster. I'm stronger than you…"
"I know all about how strong you are, Willow. All that darkness with in you, all the pain and havoc you brought on, all the people you killed? Oh yeah, Angel knew all about it. Of course, he never bothered to mention it to his friends. They all suddenly forgot, but he remembered. Funny how that worked. Wonder what they would think if they knew that they had brought in a cold blooded killer to save their precious champion."
"They know exactly what I am," she told him through clenched teeth.
"Do they? Then I guess they know that you're really no different than me. Dark, powerful, filled with evil intent."
"I am NOTHING like you!" She screamed, a shock of power bursting from the redhead, hitting the vampire and causing him to sway slightly on his feet, though he merely grinned cruelly.
"Ohhh, yeah…do it again. I live for the pain. Well, actually, I don't live, but…you get the idea. Yeah, baby, I know all about your dark side, but I'm wondering, does Spike know? I mean, does he really know what he's dealing with?"
"Leave him out of this."
"I can smell him all over you, Willow. It's intoxicating, really. Well, that along with the fear and power…heady combo. You really have come a long way." Angelus slowly circled the helpless girl like an animal stalking its prey. "I wonder…how long do you think it'll be before he's chasing after the slayer again?"
"Shut up!"
"I mean, let's be honest. Once you've had someone like Buffy, everything from then on is pretty much going to be down hill, you know? Well, to be fair, I've never exactly had the pleasure of your company…Maybe I could take a turn, make an educated comparison. After all, you seem to like having a demon in your bed. Funny, too, because last I recall, you were batting for the other team. What happened? Girl couldn't satisfy you?" Willow said nothing, only glaring at him with hatred. "You know it's only a matter of time until he runs back to Buffy, right? Come on, Willow! She's got slayer power. Do you know how enticing that is? You could never match up to that." He paused for a moment, looking as if a new thought suddenly struck him. "Oh, that's right. She would never take him back. He's nothing but a soulless, evil thing, right?"
"You're wrong. He's more than that. He chooses to be good."
"He's a demon, Willow. He's filled with darkness and evil, the same as me…the same as you. That pathetic little chip in his head? That's eventually going to come out, and then what do you think he'll do? Do you think he'll keep bagging it, just for you? Give me break. You can't really be that naive."
"You don't know what you're talking about," she told him, her voice wavering slightly. Spike may be a vampire, but he's nothing like you. He loves me. You can't even comprehend what love is!"
Angelus growled, leaning down behind her and whispering into her ear, "You know, Willow, you don't seem to be nearly as afraid of me as you should be. I wonder what we could do to change that." Walking around her again, he stopped at the table, lifting up a long, sharp dagger and examining it in the flickering candle light.
"You're wrong about Spike," she whispered, despising the uncertainty that invaded her mind. She wasn't entirely sure that Angelus was wrong, though she wouldn't allow him to know that. "He loves me. I know he does."
The vampire shrugged. "Maybe I am wrong, but what if I'm not?" Leaning into her, he rested his hands on her knees, squeezing slightly. "By the way, Willow, when you lie, your right eye twitches just a little bit."
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