Prologue

      Initiative  Headquarters
 

"He's alive, now the question is, did it work?" Professor Walsh said,
looking at the blonde vampire through the glass.
      "The Procedure has been done many times before.  But this is
the first time a vampire has survived it." Doctor Windome said.
      "Someone has to go in and test the chip" Riley Finn said,
stepping forward.
"I'll do it.  I performed the operation, I would like to see it
through. Be ready if it doesn't work." Professor Walsh said, punching
the access code. The glass door slid open.
      "Good morning, I trust that your accommodations are
satisfactory?" she asked with a slight smile.
      "Where the hell am I?" Spike snarled.  Professor Walsh looked
at him for a few moments before answering him.
       "Your new home" she said.
<The bitch must be more loony than Dru if she thinks I'm going to
stay here.             *Nothing * is going to stop me from getting my
Red!>  Spike thought.
      "I'm really going to enjoy tearing your throat out." he said.
"I don't think so.  You see you've been implanted with a chip that
prevents you from harming humans without suffering neurological pain-
severe neurological pain" the professor said, attempting to appear
confident.
      "We'll see about that now, won't we." Spike said as came
toward her.  Professor Walsh held her breath as she felt Spike's
fangs brush her skin.  Then Spike pulled back howling and holding his
head with his hands. Sighing in relief, the professor smiled.
      "Professor Walsh are you alright?" Riley asked.
"Yes, I'm fine.  The operation was successful. Hostile 17 cannot harm
any human being." she said, leaving with Riley to discuss other
matters, he took one last look at the now defanged vamp, huddled in
the corner. Spike smiled to himself. <That performance deserves a
bloody Oscar!.>
 

Part 1

It wasn't that hard getting out, all he had to do was follow the air
vents.  Spike would have liked to have stayed and ripped the place
apart- pay the bloody professor and her solider boy back.
      But he had something * much * more important to do. The air
vent led him right to the University, where the girls' dorm stood.
<Perfect> Spike thought. No needing an invitation, he strolled in.
He knew exactly what room she was in.  Spike had spent weeks
memorizing her schedule, her every activity, her every graceful
movement.
She had an English paper due next Tuesday. As usual, she would have
done all the research and work well in advance, having it done at
least a week before it was due. Spike was right, she was in her dorm,
typing up her paper on her labtop.
      * Willow * she was so close, and now she would be his.
Willow didn't have time to scream, he was on top of her before she
could get her mouth open.  Spike placed two fingers on her soft
lips. "Shh luv, it only hurts for a minute." he said.
< Goddess help me, he's going to kill me!> Willow thought and
whimpered in fear. Seeing the fear, Spike stared at her strangely.
This was  * not * the way it was supposed to be.  She was supposed to
want this. To want to be with him. He was supposed to see love in her
eyes and a need to spend all of eternity with him. All he saw was
terror.
<I need a new plan> he thought and began to pull back.  A hand
grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.
"Get away from her." Buffy ordered.  Riley was right behind her with
a futuristic looking weapon.
      "Buffy don't hurt him. The professor wants him unharmed."
Riley said.
"He tried to kill Willow." Buffy said.
      "I told you, he can't hurt humans, the chip in his brain
won't allow it. He was just bluffing." Riley said.
Buffy didn't listen, Spike had always been too much of a threat for
her to just let him walk away.  She pulled her hand back for a
punch.  Willow got in her way, standing right in front of Spike.  For
a brief moment, he closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of
strawberries and something oh-so-Willow.
"Buffy, don't hurt him." Willow said.
      "Why not Willow?   We don't know a whole lot about this chip
thing." Buffy said.
"We know it works, otherwise he would have killed me." Willow said.
      "We need to send him back to the Initiative" Riley said.
"He's not an animal, you can't keep him locked up.  Buffy, if you
take him back there I'll…" Willow paused thinking for a moment.
      "I'll never help you with psychology ever again!" Willow
declared. Willow knew she was the only reason Buffy was passing that
class and barely holding on to a decent GPA.  Buffy looked at Riley,
and then back to Willow.  "Fine but he goes directly to Giles' house.
We can decided what to do with him there" Buffy said.
      Spike, who had been silent all this time, was grinning like
mad.  Willow was defending him, fighting with her own best friend to
save his life.  <Red, I didn't know you cared.>
 

Part 2

< I must be in love. I would have never gone this far for Dru.> Spike
thought as he put on the brightly colored Hawaiian shirt.  It was a
miracle he hadn't killed the Xander yet.    <I've seen crypts cleaner
than idiot boy's basement here.> Spike thought, putting the stake
down on the floor pointy side up.  It was time to speed up his new
plan.  Spike knew that Willow would come home with Xander today to
check on him.  Hearing footsteps, Spike got up on the table, leaned
forward a little and flung out his arms dramatically.
      "SPIKE!" Willow yelled she rushed towards him, pulling him on
top of her, landing on the floor.  Spike hid his smile and was sure
the next time he was on top of Willow, neither of them would have
clothes on.
      "What do you think you're doing?" Willow asked him getting up.
"What does it look like I was trying to kill myself." Spike said
sadly.
      "I can't believe you didn't ask me to do it for you." Xander
said, and Willow threw him a dirty look.
"Dru left, she chose some slimy demon over me, and now that I have
this bloody chip in my head. I'll never get her back.  There's no
point to my un-living, no one cares about me and never will again."
Spike said pathetically.
      "That isn't true! We care about you." Willow said.
"Speak for yourself." Xander said, earning him another dirty look.
      "Fine. * I * care about you Spike." Willow said, realizing it
for the first time herself. For some odd reason she felt if Spike
were to die, she wanted to die too.
      "Spike, pack your bags.  You'll be staying with me from now
on." Willow said.
"Are you sure, Red? I don't want to be too much trouble." Spike said,
sniffing a bit.
      "It's no trouble. I moved back into my parents house, and
they're never home." Willow said.
      "Alright I'll pack." Spike said trying to act reluctant.
<Why am I doing this? Why do I feel these things for Spike?> Willow
thought.  He had tried to kill her and her friends more than once, he
* had * killed countless number of people for almost two centuries
and yet…
      "I'm all packed and ready to go." Spike said with a smile
that kept on getting bigger, thoughts of Willow in his future plan
filling his head.  <Red, you're well on your way to becoming
mine.>
 

Part 3

"Willow, this has got to stop. For the past few weeks your entire
world has revolved around Spike." Buffy complained.
      "Buffy he's going through a hard time right now. He needs a
little understanding." Willow said.  She remembered how "sensitive"
Buffy, was with her break up with Oz.
      "He's a big boy, Wills, he'll get over it.  When was the last
time you went out?" Xander asked.
      "That's not important. Tara is picking me up tonight and we
are going to the Bronze." Willow announced.
      "Does Tara know about Spike?" Buffy questioned.
"I told her about him. She seems fine with it. She's very open
minded." Willow said.
      "Considering she's a witch and a lesbian, I should think so."
Xander said.
"Good, we'll see you two at the Bronze.." Buffy said as they
separated.
<They are right I spend way too much time with Spike> Willow thought,
walking to her house.   For the past weeks she had put him on suicide
watch. Willow was terrified of the possibility of Spike taking his
own life. She spent every moment of time she could with him, she
would have spent even more time with him, if he hadn't insisted that
she go to school.  Even then on lunch breaks she would rush home and
make sure he was all right and stay to watch Passions with him.  She
would cut classes so she could come home early, bringing a bag of
blood with her.
      <It's not just Dru leaving him, it's being chipped. He has to
get used to a whole new life> Willow pondered. It was so hard for
him, always being so depressed and broody. Willow did her best,
trying to be peppy and giving him lots of hugs, he seemed to like the
hugs a lot.
      "Spike, I'm home" Willow said closing the door.
"Hey Red, how was your day?" Spike asked. He seemed to be a little
more cheerful.
      "Good we got into a great discussion in class today" Willow
said.
"Why don't you tell me about it?" Spike said. Willow was surprised-
nobody asked her about her classes, if they did they would stop the
habit immediately for Willow would go on and on in detail about some
topic that would only seem interesting to her and her fellow advanced
classmates.
      "Well in class we were talking about…" Spike listened to
every word she said. He knew nothing about quantum physics, but she
made it sound like the grandest thing in the world.  Spike watched
her every move, the way she smiled when she got to some good point or
when she tucked her hair behind her ear.  Willow went on till sundown.
      "Well luv, sounds like you had an busy day. How about you and
me go out to a movie? There's nothing good on the tele tonight."
Spike said. He was tired of acting all sad and lonely, or rather like
his sire.  It was time to start courting Willow, start slow at first
let her get used to the idea of being alone with him and then he
would sweep her off her feet.
      "I would love too Spike, but I have a date with Tara." Willow
said, and then added.
           "I could cancel it." This was the first time Spike had
shown interest in going into the outside world again.
      "No, no. Is this Tara chit coming here? I have to make sure
that she's good enough for my Red." Spike said, sounding like he was
joking.  <Bugger, I slipped up and called her "my Red"> Spike
thought.  Willow didn't seem to catch it though; or maybe she didn't
mind. The door bell rang.
      "Oh no, she's here I didn't change. Spike can you get that?
Tell her I'll be down in a few minutes." Willow said, rushing up
stairs.
      Getting up gingerly, Spike opened the door and smiled. That
immediately made Tara feel uneasy. It was the kind of a smile a wolf
gives a rabbit before he kills it.
      "Um hi, you must be Spike, Willow told me about you." Tara
said stepping in.
"I didn't say you could come in. In fact, you won't ever be coming
here again." Spike said, vamping. Tara gasped and tried to yell, but
Spike choked the air out of her. She could hardly whisper out a few
words.
      "Willow..said,, you can't..hurt-" Spike squeezed harder.
"Oh yes I can. I haven't even begun.." Spike said, looking at
his "competition". Spike smiled and whispered a few words into her
ears.
      "You do that and you get to live." Spike said, and Tara
nodded.
"Tara, I'm having a little trouble finding my shoes, do you mind
waiting a few minutes?" Willow yelled from her room. Spike eased his
grip. "Tell her you have to leave." Spike said. At this point Tara
knew better than to argue.
      "Willow, I'm really sorry, but I just remembered I have
something to do. I'll see you in class tomorrow." Tara said hoping
she sounded believable.
      "Now get out." Spike pushed her out the door.  A few seconds
later Willow came down.  "That was odd, Tara never cancels out on a
date. She's been looking forward to this, we haven't spent any time
together in weeks." Willow said.
      "I wouldn't worry about it, Red. So how about that movie?"
 

Part 4

  "I thought you had a date with Tara." Buffy said, walking out with
Willow out of psychology class.
   "I did, she even came to my house, and then she canceled. I tried
to call her, but she didn't pick up the phone. It was a good thing
that Spike was there, we went a movie."   Willow said.
     "Spike being there is never a good thing, Wills." Buffy said,
annoyed.
  "Buffy be nice- Spike has been through a lot in the last few weeks,
try to be understanding." Willow said.
   "Spike is over two centuries old and you're acting he's like two!.
He's a ruthless killer, Willow and if he had his way, we'd all be
dead." Buffy said.
   "Look I don't want to fight. I'm going to get my book from Tara's
room. I'll see you in the cafeteria." Willow said and turned the
corner before Buffy could say anymore.
  (Tara doesn't have any classes at eleven, so she should be there)
Willow thought. Lately there had been a drift in their relationship,
Willow knew it was mostly her fault. She had been so busy with
school, research for Giles, being Buffy's confidante, which was
almost a full time job by itself, and taking care of her parents
house.  She had very little time for herself, much less Tara- and
then Spike came along. Willow had hardly even thought about the
blonde witch since he came back.  (Well, that's going to change. I'll
let Tara know that she is important to me and that she is a
priority.) Willow thought as she opened the door.
"Tara can we tal-.." Willow couldn't believe it. Tara was in bed, in
bed with a boy.  In the back of Willow's mind she remembered his name
was Jeff Dwyer, he was a jock did badly in classes and had a
reputation for being the big man on campus.
  Willow didn't know how long she stood there staring at the two
naked
bodies.  It was Jeff who spoke first.
  "I think I should be going now." He moved to get his pants.
    "No.. I think I'll leave." Willow said softly, as if in a daze.
She
slowly closed the door, she was still moving slowly when she heard a
few words.
  "Who was that?"
    "That's Willow she's just a friend, come back to bed." Willow
ran.  She ran home. She ran to Spike.
  "Luv what's wrong?" Spike asked when he saw the look on her face.
      "Tara.. she and Jeff..were…" Willow couldn't finish- she laid
her head on Spike's shoulder and cried.
  "Shh I know. Bloody chit didn't know what she had. Don't worry,
Red,
everything's going to be alright, I'll see to it." Spike said, softly
stroking her red hair.
  (Stupid bint. I'm going to kill her for this. Well, I am the one
who made her do it. Doesn't matter- she's going to die) Spike
thought.
   "Why did this happen? I know I haven't been spending that much
time with her. But couldn't she have told me she was unhappy or that
she found someone else? I had to find out about it by catching them.
My parents, Oz, Tara- why can't anyone I love, love me back? They all
leave me. Why?" Willow asked.
   "I don't know luv, they're all bloody fools." Spike said. He was
slowly rubbing her back now.
"I'm I going to end up all alone. No one to love?" Willow asked
almost to herself.
   "NO Red, you've got me. Remember that. I'll always be here no
matter
what." Spike said.
   "Do you mean it, Spike? Do you promise?" a teary-eyed Willow
asked.
Spike smiled and gently kissed her forehead.
    "I promise Willow you will always have me."
 

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