Pairing: W/Spike
Disclaimer: All things BtVS/AtS belong to Joss and/or whomever is currently claiming responsibility for them.
Distribution: A Witch's Love. Near Her Always. Willow's Little Secret. All others must ask first.
Spoilers/Timeframe: Takes place during Season 4 of BtVS. Spike is in town but the episode where the Initiative caught him never happened.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~Part One~*~
Buffy looked up as the door of the dormitory swung open. She took in Willow's appearance with a small frown of surprised disdain. What had gotten into the red head lately? The black boots and fishnet stockings weren't that bad; they were items that many of the other girls on campus might be wearing. So, while not entirely Willowy, they weren't that off the wall. But the lacy black shirt that showed the witch's bra was definitely something that was unusual. Not to mention the leather shorts that were so short that Buffy could see the curve of the red head's ass.
"Hey Wills." A shiver ran through her as the pale woman's eyes met hers. Where was the sparkle that had once been there, right below the surface?
"Hello. Quiet night?"
This was a first in a week. Willow was trying to make small talk. The blonde closed the textbook she had been reading, attempting to make the most of the gesture. "Well, you know. Staked a few vamps, played smooch the Riley. The usual. You?"
Willow shrugged. She sat down on the edge of her bed and began to unlace her boots. The thin, wispy laces slid through the holes easily enough, but there were so many to undo. "Went out with a friend."
"Really?" This was the first Buffy had heard of this. A new friend in Willow's life. Was that the reason she was dressing so. odd . lately? "Anyone I know?"
"No."
Buffy arched an eyebrow, taken aback by the speed and urgency of the reply. It made her feel as though she could possibly know this person, though Willow didn't want her to. But who could that possibly be? She would have to do some covert investigating; maybe Riley could help her out. Together they maybe could figure out what was going on with Willow. She'd ask him tomorrow. "Oh. Well. Glad you had a nice night."
Willow flashed her a smile and stood up. She grabbed a small basket of bath supplies from the top of her dresser. "Gonna go wash up. Be back in a little while."
Once Willow was out of the room Buffy put her plan into immediate action. She waited just long enough to be sure that Willow wouldn't be coming back for any forgotten items before racing to the bed. She snatched the red head's purse up, unlatching it and rifling through the contents; searching for something, anything, that would give her just the slightest clue as to where her friend had been. Or even who she'd been with for that matter.
"Money. keys.. Lipstick.. Condom?" The blonde gasped, her face flushing. At least it was still wrapped, unused. But how many more had already been used? She shut her eyes, counting to ten and praying to whatever gods were listening that Willow hadn't been doing things that would get her into trouble. "Stake.. Card."
She stopped, fishing the card out of the small black bag. "Midnight Rendezvous?" The name didn't ring any bells with her. Perhaps it was a new club? She stored the name away in the back of her mind for tomorrow. Maybe she could find something out about it on the internet. Or maybe Riley would know. Either way she was going to get to the bottom of this. Willow wasn't the type to make such a dramatic change without some sort of assistance, guidance. She was too shy for that.
The question remained, though - who was her new friend?
~*~*~
Buffy woke bright and early the next day, despite the fact that it was Sunday. Even Willow was still fast asleep. 'Good.' The blonde thought happily. 'Means I can sneak out early without her asking anything about where I'm going.'
The college computer lab was open to students nearly twenty-four hours a day, with teacher's aides performing the menial task of overseeing the students that chose to make use of the facility. They were really only there to make sure that no one stole anything; none of them, with the exception of one or two, had any computer training. They were useless when it came to technical questions.
She nodded politely to the aide on duty and sat down in front of one of the archaic machines. It was old, too slow to do anything other than the simplest tasks, but it would work for her purposes. Opening up the internet, the blonde went to one of the few search engines she knew about and types in 'Midnight Rendezvous Sunnydale California'.
Twenty minutes later she had found what she was looking for. But it wasn't what she had expected.
Not by a long shot.
"Guests of this club are free to participate in whatever suits them at the time. From games of submission and dominance to those of pain and pleasure, Midnight Rendezvous boasts the largest facility of this nature in the region. Located in breathtaking Sunnydale, California, the building is nothing special. Nestled in the heart of the downtown warehouse district, it is rumored to be owned by nothing less than a real vampire."
Buffy sat back, her lips still moving as she read further descriptions of the club's rooms and activities. How had Willow ended up in a place like this? It was downright sickening! Who had gotten sweet, innocent, little Willow into a place like that? She frowned, scribbling down the address and shoving it into her jacket pocket. Next time Willow went out Buffy would have to do a little more investigating; something more hands on than surfing the internet.
Next time Willow went out Buffy was just going to follow her.
~*~Part Two~*~
The morning sun coming through the window was the only thing that alerted Willow to the fact that the new day had already dawned. If that one window had been in possession of something so mundane as curtains she certainly would have continued sleeping much past the point at which she was forced into wakefulness.
"Not even ten yet." She grumbled softly, staring at the small clock on her nightstand. Her first class wouldn't be starting for another four hours and she hadn't even decided if she was going to go or not. If she had been given a choice she would have slept for at least another two hours and then gotten up, dressed and made her decision about class. Now she was going to have all this extra time on her hands. Time with nothing to do but think.
But what to think about?
School? Nah. She was acing all of her classes, as usual. In fact, school was the one thing in her life that she could count on to always be boring. It was a mainstay, in a way. Something to fall back on if she ever needed that little bit of normalcy or routine. But it wasn't anything to while away the hours thinking about. At one point in her life she had eat, drank and breathed school. That was over. Now she had an actual life and was intent on using it in any way other than being a little nerdy bookworm.
Ok, than what about work? What work? She had the trust fund her parents had so graciously given her on her eighteenth birthday with the admonition to be good because they might not be home for 'a while'. And 'a while' had turned into a year, and then two, and now they were working on their third and they weren't back yet. Not that it mattered, she really didn't want to see them again, ever. She was just as disappointed in their parenting skills as they had always been in her. Not once had they ever given her a drop of approval or affection - why start now that she was an adult?
So - work and school were out of the question. Too boring, too dull, and just not interesting enough to hold her attention long enough to keep her occupied for very long. She needed something more exciting to dwell on. Something that would keep her entertained merely with the memory of it.
How about Midnight Rendezvous? The newest addition to the Sunnydale night life. The place she had seen on the Internet and gone to on a whim and had found a whole new world outside of the little bubble she had been living in. It had been a godsend to her. She had learned so much about herself in the short time since she had started going to the club and she was sure she still had so much more to learn.
Now -that- was a winning topic. Her mind immediately flashed with images of the dark club. Chains on the walls, leather padded chairs with no arms. Pain and pleasure so intermingled that it was impossible to tell one from the other. Spankings that took on a life of their own, becoming full-out sessions of sexual desires and fantasies. Just thinking of it was enough to make her body come alive; to make her warm from the inside out. She could almost imagine, just laying there, the feel of her lover's hands on her body. He was skillful like that - almost magical in what he could do, what he could make her feel.
The thought of his touch brought Willow's emotions to a steaming boil. It was more than she could realistically take. Release wasn't merely a luxury; it was a need at this point. If not now, in the shower. She lifted her head just enough off of her pillow to see Buffy's bed. It was empty. No time like the present to take a little pleasure for herself.
Her fingers trailed down, across her stomach, and to the elastic waistband of the underwear she had put on after her shower the night before. They were cottony, not the type that she had worn to the club. Those had been silk with little drawstring ribbons on the side to make them easier to get off in the heat of the moment - the type that her lover preferred her to wear. She eased her fingers under the elastic, brushing against the soft curls of her nether regions.
Willow shut her eyes, throwing her other arm over her eyes to block out the sunlight. The darkness helped to add to the illusion that she was back in the club. In one of the back rooms. The ones with all of the chains and whips. The beds with the straps to hold down their occupants. And she was there ready and waiting.
Tied down and helpless while her Master took his pleasure of her.
Now if only Buffy would stay gone long enough for her to finish this properly.
~*~*~
"You think Willow's been going to this -club-?" Riley arched an eyebrow. Maybe if it had been an all-night cybercafe he could have believed it. But a BDSM club? That was pushing it a little far. Willow was too quiet, too shy, to ever go into one of those places. He doubted seriously she even knew what that type of club was, for that matter.
Buffy glared at her boyfriend. "She's been going out dressed weird night after night, Ri. *And* I found the card for the club in her purse. Explain -that-!" Her tone was triumphant, but the look on her face wasn't. She didn't want to be sitting her talking about this with Riley. In fact, she didn't want any of -this- to be happening at all. She wanted her sweet little friend back. The dependable one that dressed in jeans and fuzzy sweats. This new leather-bound one wasn't going over well with her.
"Someone could have given her the card." Riley shrugged. "And maybe the clothing it just a new expression of her personality, Buff. People change. It doesn't mean they're sneaking out to go to kinky sex clubs."
She frowned at that and leaned back into the booth, gesturing for the waitress to come over. She wanted the check and then she wanted to leave. Talking to Riley was beginning to get tiresome. If he didn't want to help her then she'd just have to find someone that would.
Or she'd do it on her own.
It didn't really matter. One way or the other she was going to get to the bottom of what was going on with Willow. And then Riley'd see that she had been right.
And she'd -never- let him live that down.
~*~Part Three~*~
Thursday night.
Party time.
Willow smirked, the expression wicked, as she pulled some clothes from her dresser. Buffy wasn't here, thank the goddess. It was getting harder and harder to come up with excuses for where she was going and who she was going with. Her blonde haired friend had seemed to get even more suspicious in the last week, making it difficult for Willow to be able to find a chance to get out of the dorm room. Little questions about her new 'friend'; the one that she was spending so much time with. Or questions about what they did together. It was enough to make Willow want to scream.
She even had the sneaking suspicion that Buffy was going to do something stupid like follow her next time she went out.
'You're just being paranoid.' She told herself, slipping into the deliciously decadent soft leather pants she had purchased only a week and half ago. That, along with a black corset, would make her outfit for the night. 'Buffy would never follow you. She trusts you.'
But that was part of it.
She -was- paranoid.
Extremely so. Enough to believe that Buffy may even be plotting against her. Well, not against her per se, but plotting to find out what she was doing. And that would be the end of everything the red head had worked so hard for.
If Buffy found out where she went or who she was going to see it would end very, very badly. In fact, someone would die. No, not her or even Buffy. But someone that Willow cared very much for, nonetheless. She didn't want to see him get hurt, not by Buffy or anyone else. That's why she kept this all a secret from Buffy. That's why she had lied to her each and every time she went out. She didn't want to be caught because it would, very simply, end in death.
She ran a brush through her hair, glancing in the mirror over her dresser long enough to dab on a small amount of makeup. Her date didn't like her to wear a lot of makeup. Said it tasted funny when he kissed her skin. And she didn't want to 'taste funny', did she?
Satisfied with her appearance, the red head grabbed her purse and left, anxious to get to the one person that always made her feel like a goddess. Her lover, her mate, her Master. The other half of her soul and spirit. He was the darkness to her light, the opposite of her in every way. And maybe that's why they fit together so well. She smiled, practically skipping down the hallway.
Anxious to get away from here and to Him.
Her Spike.
~*~*~
The room was quiet when Buffy opened the door. She saw Willow's clothes on the floor, discarded, and frowned. There was only one thing that it could mean and that was something she didn't want to admit to herself. If she admitted it, it meant she had failed and that Willow had slipped past her. It was only a little past dusk, too early for the red head to have already left.
Right?
"Well, if she's already skipped out I guess I'll just have to catch up with her." Buffy stated firmly to the empty room.
The blonde raced to her closet, flipping through the outfits hanging so neatly from their hangars. Each one was flirty, but that's not what she needed. She didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb at this club. She needed something daring, something dominating even. There was no way she wanted to be mistaken for someone's submissive tonight. No, she wanted to be in control.
As in control as she could possibly be when totally out of her element, that was.
She finally settled on a pair of red leather pants, hoping the color alone was enough to deter any possible would-be 'Masters' from soliciting her. Red was a strong color, after all. She chose a white halter top to go with it, smiling at herself in the mirror. Her mission for the night was simple and it didn't involve getting propositioned or making use of any of the club's ample pleasure rooms. Get in; figure out what's going on with Willow.
And then get the Hell out of that place.
Hopefully she wouldn't see anyone she knew; she'd hate for Riley to find out she even set foot in the club.
~*~Part Four~*~
Willow yawned, stretching out over one of the back booths of the club. Her green eyes scanned the dance floor, admiring the bodies that she saw. The club had opened two hours ago, a full hour after she had made her way in through one of the private back doors with the key she had been given. Spike had been no where to be found, though one of the waitresses had told her he had stepped out for a little while.
And here she was, hours later, still waiting.
The club was doing well. More than well, even. She had no doubts in her mind that Spike was making a fortune. Not that he needed it. He had more money than most people could ever dream of spending; all locked away in different bank accounts around the globe. He liked to spend his money buying her things, which was becoming increasingly difficult since she couldn't bring home anything that Buffy might notice. Only some of the jewelry was in her jewelry box in the dorm, the rest was in her room upstairs.
That's right.
*Her* room.
It was the first room her and Spike had ever been in together and he had seen nothing more fitting than to turn it into her own private haven away from the club when she needed it. More and more it was becoming her refuge away from the dorm and Buffy as well. With all of the secrets she was hiding lately, it was best just to stay away from her friends. At least until she could come up with some excuse to disappear entirely, to move away.
And for that she also needed Spike to make up his mind about leaving. After all, she wasn't about to leave without him.
Her eyes were drawn down to the floor of the club. Some sort of minor altercation had broken out amongst two men. How typical. So many dominants in one room, it was bound to happen. That was the reason for having so many buff, burly bouncers. They handled things quickly, leading the instigators out of the club and blacklisting them for a month. It didn't pay to fight inside Midnight Rendezvous.
"Spikey, Spikey, Spikey." She muttered. "Where are you?"
Hopefully he'd show up before she had to leave to go back to the dorms. She didn't want to have wasted a trip out for nothing. And, besides, she needed a little lovin'; the type that only her man could give her.
~*~*~
If Buffy hadn't been sure she would hate the club before she even left the dorm, the sight of the building would have immediately put her off anyway. It was big, larger than most of the other buildings in Sunnydale, and technically wasn't even a part of Sunnydale. It was on the outside of town, part of one of the neighboring townships from what she understood. Maybe that's why she had never heard of the club before. It was in another city. Yeah right. She had never heard of it before because it wasn't the type of place her, or any of her friends she had thought, would ever be caught dead in.
But she had been wrong, at least in Willow's case.
The building looked, from the outside, like an old warehouse. The windows were boarded over, though in a way that denoted that it had been done on purpose and not because of broken windows. Behind the boards lights flashed and shapes moved, silhouettes of people dancing. In the upper windows there were others scenes being portrayed. And screams of pleasure filled pain filled the air.
The line moved quickly enough, with the bouncer at the front door checking ID's. He looked long and hard at hers, as though doubting its validity, before allowing her to pass. She breathed a sigh of relief. The driver's license was real enough. Okay. So it wasn't. It was a fake she had gotten off of one of the girls on campus that was good at making such things. Midnight Rendezvous required it's patrons to be over twenty-one. Which led to the question of how Willow was getting in. To her knowledge the red head didn't have possession of a fake ID.
'Though, to my knowledge she also doesn't come to places like this.' Buffy thought darkly, making her way through the dark hallway that led into the club. A couple ahead of her was laughing and giggling. Was this their first time here, too? From the way they were dressed, leather and chains, she doubted it.
The music hit her like a slap in the face. One second she was standing behind the thick velvet curtain that secluded the hallway from the rest of the club, the next she was surrounded by dancing bodies, throbbing music, and an incessant chatter that lingered in the background. It wasn't a bad dance mix, either. A little darker than her normal tastes, though what could she honestly expect from this type of place? She took a deep breath, forcing herself to relax. She was never going to learn anything if she couldn't manage to get further into the club than the first few feet.
Blue eyes roamed ceaselessly over the club, even as she began to make her way through the dancers and towards one of the far walls. From there she would be able to examine the club with a little more ease, she hoped. There were booths in the dark corners, large enough to hold quite a few people, though their rounded shapes seemed to cater more to couples seeking a private trysting spot than anything else. There was a bar on the south wall, across from the entrance she had came through, and well past the crowded dance floor. In front of the bar were more cozy little tables, available for those that were through with the rhythmic grinding of the dance floor for the time being. Waitresses moved in and out of the tables, delivering food; which indicated there had to be a kitchen somewhere in the back, though Buffy didn't see any doors that could possibly lead to it.
And then there was the staircase.
She noticed it for the first time as she took up her position on the wall, ignoring the curious glances some of the occupants in the nearby booths gave her. Was it a crime to stand on the wall in a club of this sort? She hoped not.
The staircase itself wasn't that impressive. It appeared to disappear after only a few feet, hidden behind a curtain which she could only assume was made of the same velvet the entranceway had been curtained in. It was the sign on the wall next to the stairs that made it interesting.
"Enter of your own free will," She read quietly, her lips moving in the half-darkness. "And seek pleasure from those within. Remember to leave them some of the pleasure you take with you. And be free to be yourself."
It almost made her shudder. Did that staircase lead up to the private rooms she had read about? The ones were all sorts of kinky things went on?
There was, truly, only one way to find out.
She started across the large, cavernous, room, her eyes intent on her goal. There was nothing to indicate that the club's patrons weren't free to go up there if they chose, in fact it almost seemed like they were encouraged to do so. So there would be nothing amiss about her wandering up there for a little look around.
"Hey there, little lady."
Buffy stilled, turning to face the man that had spoken to her. He looked like the reincarnation of a cow with all the leather he was wearing and he was definitely too old for the tragically hip atmosphere of the club.
"Yes?" She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.
"You on your way upstairs?" He winked at her knowingly.
"And if I am?"
He smiled, stepping away from the table he had only moments before been sitting at. "Was gonna offer to show you around. I'll treat you real good, baby."'
The blonde had to stifle her urge to gag in the man's face. "No thanks."
He reached out, rubbing the skin of her shoulder. In a move so quick he couldn't have avoided it if he tried, she had hold of his hand, squeezing the bones so hard that they ground together with a very satisfying feeling.
"I said - No. Thanks." She threw his hand away from her, giving him one last glare before continuing on her way.
"I like it rough, darlin'." He called after her. Thankfully, with her back turned, he didn't see the look of utter revulsion that crossed her face. Which was a good thing, she would have hated to have to knock him out right there in the club. In front of all those people. Would really spoil her chances of figuring out what was going on with Willow if she got kicked out.
The first thing she noticed, upon reaching the second floor, was that not all of the 'rooms' were actually private. Some seemed to have themes and were open to anyone who cared to walk in, while others catered more to those of discreet natures. Those were the ones with doors. The others were wide open and inviting. She moved from open doorway to open doorway, taking in the sights with wide eyes. In none of them did she find the red head she was looking for, though.
And then, in the last room on the first hall, she found something totally unexpected.
She couldn't see the person that was chained to the chair at first. The only thing her eyes could take in was the man standing before him, leather mask over his face, with holes only for his eyes, nose and mouth. He was beating the man in the chair with a leather flail, and the man in the chair was moaning happily. She shuddered, turning her head to move on.
But that's when she heard it. The same moan she had heard a hundred times before in her own bed. She stepped into the room, drawing the attention of the man in the mask for the first time. She thought she saw some sort of frightened recognition tinge his eyes, but couldn't be sure. All she knew was that he backed away quickly, to the wall, leaving the man in the chair to her mercy. She walked around to stare into his brown eyes, her own eyes growing cold at the sight.
"Riley."
At least he had the decency to blush, clothed only in a leather thing and strapped to a chair that might as well have been part of a medieval torture faire. There were red marks on the white skin of his chest and it was quite obvious from the bulge in his little bit of clothing that he was happy.
Or, -had been- happy until she had walked in the room.
"Hey Buff. Um.. this isn't what it looks like?"
And that's when she punched him.
~*~Part Five~*~
The room was so quiet after her initial blow that it would have been possible to hear a pin drop. Buffy certainly could hear Riley heavy, now-labored, breathing as he struggled to cope with the fact that he had not only just been caught doing something he had tried so hard to keep secret, but also that he had just been punched by someone that could easily kill him if she wanted to.
Across the room the man in the mask waited quietly to see what would happen next. He shook, partly with fear, and partly with the stress of trying to hold absolutely still so that the irate blonde haired woman that was now in the room with them wouldn't notice him again. He certainly didn't want her wrath directed towards himself. Not with the way blood was oozing slowly from the corner of Riley's mouth.
No, reminding her that he was standing against the wall probably wouldn't be a good idea at all.
"Buffy..."
"What, Ri?" The Slayer snapped, kneeling down in front of him. She fought the urge to hit him again, knowing that she couldn't risk a second throw. She may not be able to hold back enough to keep from killing him if she did it again. "What could you possibly have to say to me now?"
"Let me explain." He mumbled, trying to speak around the aching in his jaw. A broken jaw was starting to sound like just the diagnosis for what he was feeling.
"Explain?" She exclaimed incredulously, her voice carrying through the small room, becoming absorbed in the thick layer of padding that was there especially to muffle screams. "I don't think I need an explanation from you."
"Buffy, please."
She snorted, standing up and glaring down at him with all the fury she could muster. Later she would feel hurt, confused. Right now she just wanted to be angry and hurt him as much as he had hurt her.
"I guess this is why you threw out what I said about Willow right off the bat without even hearing me out, huh? You didn't want to risk me coming down here on a night you were here. Or coming with me and people recognizing you."
"C'mon, Buffy, you're not even letting him speak." Too late, the man standing near the wall realized what he had done. Not only had he drawn her attention to himself, but he had spoken to her way too familiarly. With a sinking heart he saw her step away from the chair were Riley was still strapped in; she stood in front of him, glaring upwards.
"Well, Mr. Mask. You see to think you know me.. Maybe I should know you?"
She didn't bother unzipping the mask, with pure strength alone she ripped it from his head. Her eyes widened with horrorified recognition when she saw who was beneath it.
"Graham?"
"Buffy..." Graham sighed. He shut his eyes, leaning his head back on the wall. After being in the mask for the last hour the cool air of the room felt good; but not good enough to tear his mind from the woman that was standing way too close for his own comfort. He had never been able to feel auras before but, right now, standing in the glowing heat of her rage, he imagined he could see a red, pulsing aura around her. It was an aura of pure fury.
Buffy blinked slowly, shaking her head. And then she laughed. It was cold, bitter, and still full of the rage she held inside, but it was a laugh nonetheless.
"So this is what Frat boys do for kicks." She shook her head again and then turned her fury back on Riley, all laughter fading.
"I don't ever want to see you again, Riley. Never. If I see you, or Graham for that matter, I won't be held responsible for my actions." She leaned in, grasping the arm of the chair he was in until she heard the thick wood begin to crack, break. It snapped beneath her hand and only then did she let it go, brushing some small splinters off of her palm. If they pierced her flesh she didn't notice. Her anger was too great.
"Remember what I said." She warned one last time. "I won't be able to control myself if I see either of you again."
Graham watched Buffy go, waiting until the blonde was out of the room before releasing Riley from the chair.
"Get dressed." He ordered. "I'm going to go find Willow and let her know Buffy is in the building."
Riley nodded, swallowing around a lump in his throat. He had never meant to get caught. Never meant to lose Buffy or be placed on her hitlist.
And now he was.
Funny how life went.
~*~Part Six~*~
He was here.
In the building.
Back from whatever business he had rushed off to do before she got there.
A shiver of anticipation ran over Willow's skin and she found herself searching the crowd for him. At any moment he would be there, at her table, looking into her eyes. It was enough to make her want to scream aloud in joy.
But, no. There would be no screaming from her. Not at this moment, anyway. Maybe later, up in the private rooms. But not here, in the club itself.
A hand on her shoulder jerked her out of her thoughts. It was a cool touch, not warm like a human's, and she knew immediately who would be looking down at her when she glanced up.
Spike.
"Miss me, Red?"
"Of course." She murmured, smiling ever so slightly. "Was starting to think you weren't going to get back before I had to leave."
The vampire grinned, a little cocky, and settled into the booth next to her.
"Sorry 'bout that, had to take care of a nest of fledges that had set themselves up on the outside of town. Thought they'd style themselves as the new owners of the city." He snorted. "As though those louts could handle this. They were no more than two years dead, pet. Two years and already they're thinking of taking over -my- city. What's this bloody world coming to?"
Willow hid a smile. He was so cute when he got like this, all worked up over matters of vampiric importance. She knew it was for the best that he was the Master of this city. He kept the lesser vampires in line, making sure that there weren't too many deaths and, that the ones that had to happen were dealt only to the scum of the city. If Buffy had taken a moment to think hard on her latest patrols, she would have realized very quickly that there hadn't been many vampires lately for her to stake. And that was all because of Spike.
"What're you smiling about?" He smirked, leaning in to kiss and then nip at her neck. No blood was drawn, but it was enough to make her think of more exciting things than sitting here, at a table. Things that involved the upper rooms and the pleasures they held for their occupants.
"Just thinking how good you are for Sunnydale. Whether you like it or not."
He growled playfully, pulling her slight frame closer to him. Their lips met, hot on cold, for a searing kiss that left Willow breathless, panting. She leaned in for another, only to be interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.
"Yes?" She snapped, hearing Spike do the same. Her eyes were a little colder, definitely harder, when she turned to look at Graham.
"Buffy's here."
"She's -what-?" Willow squeaked, scrambling up out of her seat. Her eyes darted from one corner of the club to the other, frantically searching for the blonde. She had to get out of there and now. Before Buffy found her. There would be too many questions if she found her here. And those questions would inevitably lead to Spike, which would then lead to his eventual staking.
And that was something she didn't want in the least.
"Sit down." Spike growled, all the playing gone from his voice. He tugged on her arm, bringing her back into the booth with him. "She's less likely to see you if you aren't all standing up and looking for her, pet."
Willow nodded, biting her lower lip in worry. If Buffy found her here it was all over. Spike would be killed, despite his best reassurances to her that he could take on Buffy. And what if he was right? What if he fought the Slayer and won? That would mean Buffy's death and that wasn't something she wanted either. She wanted things like they were now - everyone being happily oblivious to the other's presence.
"She found me and Riley."
"Fuck!" The red head practically shouted, covering her mouth and blushing. It wasn't very lady-like to speak like that. Spike hated it when she was something less than a lady. She glanced at him, knowing she'd be punished for it later. Maybe with the whips.
A girl could hope, anyway.
"Yeah - she's really mad. Threatened to kill me and Ri if she ever sees either of us again, even in passing." He shuddered, worry in his eyes.
"Well, then." Spike drawled. "Just don't let the bint see you again."
"Funny." Graham sneered. He turned back to Willow. "Gonna get dressed and go home. Not in the mood to be here anymore tonight. Watch your back."
The witch nodded, her eyes following Graham until he disappeared back into the upstairs rooms. Her happy little world was dissolving around her, breaking apart into bits of badness and fear. She sighed.
"Don't worry, luv."
"How can I not?" She asked, quite seriously. "We all know how this is going to end if she finds out about you. You'll kill her or she'll kill you. Happiness as I know it will officially end."
Spike frowned, pulling her into his arms. He couldn't feel the Slayer's presence in the building. Hadn't felt it when he first came in, either, for that matter. It was entirely possible that she had left after seeing Riley and the other commando together. It couldn't have been a pretty sight.
"It'll be okay." He whispered to her, kissing the top of her head and offering the little reassurance he could.
"Promise?" She sniffled.
The vampire sighed, closing his eyes and praying for the strength to get through whatever was about to come.
"Of course, red. Of course."
~*~Part Seven~*~
Buffy went directly back to the dorm room, her eyes filled with tears that burned so badly she could scarcely see. The pain of Riley's betrayal had hit her the moment the cool air outside the club had hit her, slamming into her body like the hardest punch she had ever taken. She had been with this man for years, now, and never once had suspected in any way that he was being unfaithful.
Little had she known.
She flopped back on her bed, pulling a pillow over her face. The tears flowed freely now, rolling down her cheeks, onto the sheet beneath her, staining the pillow that was pressed to her face. Willow could walk in at any moment, she knew, and none of it seemed to matter anymore. Riley had cheated on her. The only man she had had feelings for in ages had cheated on her.
The sound of the door opening penetrated the haze of pain and despair that the Slayer was feeling. It brought her back to the real world and the fact that Willow was now in the room with her. That didn't stop her crying, though.
"Buffy?"
The blonde didn't acknowledge her friend's questioning inquiry, nor did she move from under her pillow. Her tears didn't cease and her heart didn't stop aching. In some ways it ached even more now that the red head was in the room. She knew that Willow went to Midnight Rendezvous, the same club where she had just caught her boyfriend cheating on her with one of his frat boy roommates. That indicated in some ways that the witch must know something.
"Buffy?"
The bed creaked as Willow sat down on the edge of it, shifting with her weight. Buffy felt the pillow being tugged at gently. She held tight for a moment, hoping her friend would just get the hint and go away. But that wasn't to be. There was another tug and this time she didn't hold onto the slip of cloth and fluff. It fell away under the witch's tug and she found herself looking into the green eyes of one of the best friends she had ever known.
"Wills - Riley."
The red head sighed, gathering her friend into her arms. She didn't say a word, fearful that she would give herself away without meaning to. It was one thing to console Buffy, another thing entirely for her to admit that she knew that Riley had been playing behind Buffy's back with Graham. Though. if Buffy only knew how many nights Graham and Riley had confided in her, told her how much they wished they could invite the Slayer to play with them.
Looking into Buffy's eyes, hearing her sobs, Willow didn't know if that knowledge would make even the slightest bit of difference to her. She could only imagine what her friend was going through, finding out about this. And hadn't she begged Riley to just come clean? To either end it with Buffy or make the proposition for her to join them? It was completely his fault, she knew, that Buffy find out like this and be hurt so badly.
But that didn't stop her from feeling guilty.
She stroked the blonde's hair gently, whispering soft, soothing nonsense to her over and over again, letting her cry until she was sure that there were no more tears left within Buffy's body to be shed. She sighed sadly as blue eyes raised to hers, red from crying.
"You're going to look a wreck in the morning." Willow teased gently, wiping a strand of hair out of Buffy's eyes.
"Just call me Puffy Eye Girl." Buffy muttered, snuggling deeper into Willow's arms. She felt safe here, comforted. Though -
"Wills."
The red head blinked at the questioning tone of her best friend's voice. Her heart instinctively skipped a beat, and she knew a hard question was coming.
"Yeah, Buff?"
"Why do you go to Midnight Rendezvous?"
~*~*~
Spike could feel the sun coming up. It was an instinct he had developed over the years. Unlike the movies and popular fiction, his kind didn't immediately fall into a comatose slumber when the sun rose in the East, but they did get burned if caught in those noxious amber rays. And so his body had adapted and now he knew within a reasonable doubt when the sun was rising, whether he was indoors or out, near a window or not.
The coming sun brought with it frustrations. He was trapped here, in his nightclub, far from the arms of his red haired goddess who would, even as he stood there, still be asleep. Her classes would begin around nine and last until late afternoon. Afterwards she'd retire to her room, do whatever homework needed to be done, and then join him in the club if she could get away from her friends.
Her friends.
The Slayer.
They were one and the same. His lover, the little witch that had stolen his heart, was best friends with the Slayer. Being with her was like walking a tightrope over a pit of fire - sure, it was thrilling, but was the risk really worth the excitement?
In this case - yes. She was, most definitely, worth it. He enjoyed each and every moment that was spent in her arms. And she didn't delude herself about what he was. She knew he was a vampire, knew what he did to stay alive, and dealt with it in her own way. She enjoyed the little bites that he lavished on her body each time they made love. And when they kissed she let him nip at her tongue to taste her blood.
She was, in a word, perfect.
Her friends, in a word, weren't.
He sighed, taking a long drag from the cigarette in his hand, burning it down almost to the filter with a single pull. He flicked the ashes into a nearby tray, his eyes locked sullenly on the top of the bar. The Slayer had been here tonight, in his club. She had traipsed in while he was away and left while he was trying to console his mate. Only pure luck had kept her from running into Willow or him, or both. And now she knew that Riley had been visiting the club with his little chunk of boytoy. She knew all about the kinky games of dominance and pain being played in the upper rooms. And she knew that Willow came here, she had found the business card for the club in the witch's purse. Even with the blonde bint's limited intelligence she was bound to connect everything together, if she hadn't already. There was no way she'd believe that Willow didn't know about Riley and Graham when they went to the same club to unwind. And how long after those questions started would the others begin? The ones that involved why the red head came here in the first place?
Spike shut his eyes, conjuring up images of his witch in his mind. He'd do anything to keep her in his unlife.
Anything.
Another pull at the cigarette and it was finished, the lit end snuffed in the ashtray and left for the house cleaning staff to get to when they had a chance. Already the dance floor was clean, the workers still doing their job on the booths and tables. By nightfall the place would be ready for business again.
And Buffy would be back, he knew.
All he had to do is be ready when her wrath finally came pounding on his door.
~*~Part Eight~*~
"Why do you go to Midnight Rendezvous?"
The words rang in Willow's ear, echoing hollowly. They were the very words that she had hoped to never hear from Buffy. The same question she had prayed would never be asked. But here it was, and she was shocked to the core.
"Huh -?" Willow stammered, her eyes leaving Buffy's to dart around the room. She knew that not being able to meet someone's eyes was a sure sign of lying, but there was no way around it, she couldn't bring herself to stare Buffy in the eyes and just flat out lie to her.
"Don't give me that, Wills." Buffy sighed, tired. "Just tell me the truth. Why do you go to Midnight Rendezvous?"
Willow opened her mouth to once again protest that she had no idea what Midnight Rendezvous was, only to be cut off by a stern glare from her best friend. There was a look on the blonde's face, though, a stubborn sadness that somehow gave Willow the reassurance that everything would be okay if she just came clean right now, when Buffy was asking. If she lied, though, she couldn't possibly imagine that things would ever turn out right again. Buffy would find out eventually and then their friendship would be over.
But. if she just went on and told Buffy right now, maybe things wouldn't end as badly as she had always thought.
Then again, Willow reasoned, lack of sleep could possibly be playing a part in everything and the look in Buffy's eyes could be more tiredness than anything else and have absolutely nothing to do with an inner ability to forgive and forget. She sighed.
Choices, choices.
The red head closed her eyes, thinking hard on the question. She could feel Buffy still laying there, waiting patiently for an answer she just seemed to know her friend would give to her.
And, in the end, that's just what Willow did.
The young witch stood up, pacing the room as she spoke. She told Buffy about the first time she had met up with the owner of the club -
On her way home from class one dark night.
~*~Flashback~*~
Willow clutched her books a little tighter to her chest, regretting for the umpteenth time that she had chosen to take a class on the clear opposite side of the campus from where her dorm room was. There was few students out at this time of night, and the few that were running around were, well, literally running. That was just the way things went in Sunnydale. Going out after dark was a hazard that was best not to be dared and, if you just -had- to do it, you needed to do it quick.
Which reminded her to speed up her pace.
'The people that planned this school must have done it with providing snacks to vampires in mind.' She thought caustically, rounding yet another bend of trees. There were just too many dark, secluded spots where a vampire could hide, waiting for its next victim. Too many places where students could go missing at for days, if not weeks, with no one to even stumbles over their cold, rotting body.
Rotting bodies. She shuddered at the thought. How many students had already died this year on campus? Too many for her tastes. She knew that one or two was inevitable - but thirty? And school had only been in session for half of the Fall term? It didn't bode well for the rest of the school year, and Buffy was getting in over her head with it. Too many new vampires in too short of a time. If things kept on at this rate the entire town would soon be populated by the undead.
Yes, that was the type of place Sunnydale was and everyone knew it on a deeper, subconscious level. That was why she was walking, so fast. She knew it on more than just a subconscious level. In fact, she was all too personally aware of the things that crept in the darkness, where light dared not tread.
Another group of trees later and she was on one of the more secluded pathways through the campus. It ran between two groups of buildings, and through a little wooded section that the founders must have thought was oh so beautiful when they allowed it to stay in place as the school was built. It wasn't beautiful, though, it was a vampire's dream. A place where they could hide, behind a tree, and grab anyone that was walking by. To make it worse, this was the only pathway Willow could take to get back to her dorms from the building she had originally been in. There was no other choice than to walk all the way out to the street, a good two miles away, and then around the entire campus to the front of the school. With just as much chance of her getting attacked going that way than this one, she chose the shorter path each night of class and silently prayed to whatever God was listening to spare her soul if death should find her.
A rustle in the leaves off to her left caused the young witch to jump, surprised. The sound was off the path, a little further than she could see with only the dim path lights to give illumination. She whispered a soft incantation, providing a little extra light to see by.
And that's when she saw two figures, fighting.
She stopped, heart in her throat, knowing that it was likely that one of those 'people' she was seeing was a vampire attacking its next meal. But she wasn't the Slayer, she was just one of the Slayer's friends, and certainly not up to taking on a vampire by herself.
But could she really turn her back, run in the other direction, and not feel guilty as all hell for leaving some poor twit to die at the hands of a vampire, perhaps to be brought back as a member of the damned? She sighed and dropped her books on the ground next to the path. Fishing in her pocket, she pulled out the bottle of holy water she always carried, fingering the stake in her other pocket.
She crept up on the two, her magically created light helping guide her through the darkness. From here she could tell that one of the people fighting was a blonde, practically white hair. And the other was dark haired, looked like brown. She stepped up closer, needing to figure out which one was the human and which was the vampire before randomly staking.
And that's when she got the surprise of her life.
They were both in game face.
Both were vampires.
And one was familiar. She knew him from somewhere. That white-blonde hair.
'Oh, Goddess.' She had time to think before the blonde got the upper hand on the brunette and dusted him. 'Spike.'
~*~End Flashback~*~
"Wait!" Buffy interrupted, holding up a hand. "Spike was here, on campus? In Sunnydale? And you didn't tell me, Wills?"
The red head flushed, a pink tinge creeping across her cheeks in both irritation and embarrassment. Now came the interesting part of the story.
"Let me continue."
Buffy sighed and shook her head in stunned disbelief.
~*~Flashback~*~
Spike slammed the witch into the tree, her bottle of holy water lying yards away, discarded from when he originally grabbed onto her. They were both breathing hard, though him for different reasons than her. She was scared; he could smell it in the air. He was just worked up, panting from the fight even though he didn't even need to breathe. The fight with the young one had left him even more agitated than he had been before he had started his hunt on the campus grounds.
Yes, that's right, he had been hunting - cleaning out the young scourge that were trying to make their nest right there, amongst the students. It had been working, too; until he had shown up a few nights before. He was going to be the new Master of this city, and all he needed was to exert his dominance on every single vamp he came across until he was the biggest bad ass left standing.
And so far he'd been doing a bloody good job of it.
Until the Slayer's witch showed up, looking all wide-eyed and innocent, ready to save whomever she had gotten into her head needed saving.
And she looked good.
He had kissed her, without thinking.
She had responded.
And now here they were, pounding away like two ruddy teenagers, in the middle of the trees on her campus.
Only when they were done did they begin to talk.
And he decided that he didn't want to let her go.
She was just lonely enough to agree.
~*~End Flashback~*~
Buffy stared, open mouthed, at the woman she thought she had known better than anyone else on the earth.
And found she didn't know her that well, at all.
~*~Part Nine~*~
Buffy scrunched her eyes closed, unwilling to admit that the night was over and she was facing yet another day. This one seemed far worse than any other she could remember, though. Even the morning after she had sent Angel to Hell was a walk in the park compared to this. Not only had she walked in on her boyfriend and his lover the night before, doing some weird and kinky sex type stuff, but her bestest friend in the whole wide world had admitted that she had been dating a member of the undead for months.
It was surreal.
'Who would've thought that Wills was a bad girl?' The Slayer thought bitterly, her eyes still closed as if she could avoid the prospect of facing the world simply by never opening them. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, nibbling on it anxiously, the edge of her blanket gripped in one, sweaty hand. She couldn't help but think it was her own fault that Willow had taken up with Spike. Maybe if she had just been a better friend, paid more attention, none of this would have happened.
Or, maybe not.
'She could possibly be his soulmate and all of that, I guess.' The blonde thought unhappily. She released her lip from the not very delicate ministrations of her teeth, frowning as she remembered - 'Except for the fact that he doesn't have a soul.'
A soft rustle of cloth brought her quickly from the land of thought to the land of painful reality. She ventured an eye open, lifting her head just enough to see Willow's bed.
It was empty.
Buffy frowned, turning her head slowly around the small dorm room, trying to figure out where Willow was or, if Willow wasn't there at all, what had made that noise. It wasn't until she had reached the left side of the room, and had turned her head to look at the spot right next to the side of her bed, that she figured out who was sharing her living space with her at that moment.
"I thought I told you I'd inflict a vast amount of pain on you if I ever laid eyes on you again." She growled at the unwanted visitor.
"You did." Riley admitted. "But, then again, I never was very smart."
"No." Buffy snapped, sitting up in the bed and glaring at him for all she was worth. "You weren't, were you?"
The dark haired former commando shook his head, exhaling slowly through clenched teeth.
"How smart could I really have been?" He muttered, meeting her blazing blue eyes head on. "I hurt you, after all. The best thing that's ever happened to me and I fucked it up."
"Glad you realize." The Slayer fumed. She slid off the side of the bed opposite him and began to pace.
"How could you do that to me, Riley? I was faithful to you - never once even strayed in my wildest dreams! And then you go behind my back and play kinky sex games with GRAHAM?!?"
Her voice had risen slowly over the course of her diatribe until she was screaming at him, her face red with pain and her hands clenched in anger. Riley could think of nothing other than going to her, taking her in his arms, and trying to soothe the hurt that he knew he had caused.
Thank goodness for him, common sense still prevailed, urging him not to give into the feelings he was having if he valued his life. Buffy didn't look the she wanted any comfort at that moment, even if she seemed to need it desperately.
"I just came by to tell you I was sorry." Riley murmured, trying to catch her blazing eyes with his own. He just wanted to look into them one last time and tell her how he felt. She wasn't going to allow that, though, not with the way she was pacing like a caged lion that would strike at any moment. He sighed in dejection.
"I never meant to hurt you, Buffy - but I didn't even realize I was missing something until I went to that club one night, with Graham. Not really sure how we ended up in one of those rooms together, but we did. And its been great ever since, except."
Buffy stopped her pacing, glaring at him with a look that could kill a vampire at fifty paces. She didn't want to hear this. How dare he come here and talk to her about how he and Graham had ended up doing what they were doing the other night? And how many times had they met before to do the exact same thing? The thought of it all made her stomach churn. She waited, mouth dry and tasting foul, for him to continue.
"The only thing that was ever missing," Riley continued, his eyes finding hers again at last. "Was you. But that's my problem, you see." He smiled sadly. "I always did want to have my cake and eat it too. You and Graham and me would've been heaven - even if it was only in my dreams."
The blonde haired woman watched as he turned without giving her another glance, exiting the room without a sound. She breathed out a sigh of relief when the door clicked shut behind him, leaving her to her depression. The pain in her chest felt as though it would send her heart to bursting right out of her chest. Her stomach was tied up in knots, inducing nausea unlike any she had felt before in her life. It was a bitter kind of nausea, brought on by the pain of loss.
She collapsed onto the edge of her bed, fresh tears streaming down her face as her grief overwhelmed her. She had lost him to Graham.
But, the back of her mind reminded her gently, he wants both of you.
He dreams about having both of you.
Somehow, that didn't ease her broken heart very much at that moment.
Nothing could make her feel better.
Nothing.
~*~Part Ten~*~
The doors of his room slamming open shocked Spike out of the sleep he had been indulging in, the time still not even three in the afternoon according to the little digital clock on his nightstand. He would have been more worried if it weren't for the fact that he immediately recognized the person that came through the door by the gentle smell of her flesh, covered over by that silly feminine body wash vanilla stuff that she used each morning.
"Red? What're you doin' here? Little early."
The bed sank down under her weight and then she was there, in his arms.
"Had to come to you as soon as I woke up." She sighed. "Buffy knows."
"Buffy - " Spike nearly sat up in shock. The Slayer knew. "Bloody hell, Red."
"Yeah, I know." She whispered. "She seemed to take it pretty well last night, though."
"You told her last night? And I'm still alive."
"Well - as alive as you ever are." The witch grinned wryly. "Don't know how long her shocked daze is going to last, though. So, here I am - warning you. Be careful, baby."
"Of course, luv." He frowned in the semi-darkness. "This will just make things more interesting, right?"
"Right." He felt her nod. "More interesting. Just what we needed. As if sneaking out each night and coming to a veritable S&M wonderland wasn't interesting enough."
Spike chuckled despite the seriousness of the situation, gathering her into his arms even more fully.
"Get some more rest, pet. You can't have slept long at all."
Willow shook her head.
"Only a few hours. Was up late talking to Buffy."
"So - sleep." He ordered, closing his own eyes. He felt her relax against him, her even breathing indicating that she was at least trying to follow his request. The Slayer could wait for later.
When he was ready to wake up and deal with her, of course.
~*~*~
Buffy tapped her pen against her notebook, staring down at the same text page she had been looking for over an hour. Her entire world had morphed, right before her eyes, into something completely unrecognizable, and all within the space of less than twenty-four hours. Darkness was settling over the campus now. She hadn't seen Willow all day and assumed that the witch was at the Club, with Spike.
Spike.
There was a Master Vampire in her town.
And yet she didn't care.
Couldn't bring herself to care.
Maybe that was the kind of apathy that would get her killed, but she didn't think it was going to happen in -this- situation. Not with Spike. Not now. If he had been here to kill her, wouldn't he have tried already? Instead, the general vampire population had steadily declined. He had been making her job easier, whether or not she liked it.
And Willow was dating him.
Buffy shuddered. Willow was dating a vampire. Yeah, yeah, Buffy knew that those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, but it had been so long since she had dated Angel that she felt that the statute of limitations on being a hypocrite had to have long since been met. Okay, so maybe it wasn't her thing to date the dead anymore, but Willow certainly seemed to be happy with it.
In fact, looking back on the past months, the red haired witch was much happier than Buffy ever remembered seeing her. Not even her time with Oz had brought out that bright sparkle in her eyes, that sense of glowing happiness on her face. Spike was good for her, whether or not he was, basically, dead.
"And if he ever harms one hair on her head he'll be a lot more dead." Buffy muttered.
She threw her pen down, glancing around her empty dorm room. It seemed like so much time had passed since last night and her breakup with Riley. Her heart still ached, but the pain was dulling.
And she was ready to have a little fun.
And where better to have fun than the Club? There had to be some single, attractive men there that could make her pain go away, even if only for a couple hours. Maybe Willow could introduce her around. And, of course, Spike would be there and she'd get to threaten him with very real bodily pain. Riley was living it up with Graham, probably as she sat there.
Time for her to get some of her own.