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~Part: 26~
Giles had gone to the kitchen, his heart heavy with the knowledge that somehow, they had lost the carefree Willow that they had known. Instead, there was this Willow, one that carried sorrow and loss, and seemed to be in love with Spike. She seemed older than the Willow they'd been so desperately searching for only a few days ago. But from the few things she'd said, her timeline had been much harsher. And in the timeline that this Willow remembered, his beloved Jenny was dead.
Had this new Willow ever had someone that she loved? Their Willow had been with Oz, but it had been a gentle, tender relationship, not the overwhelming passion that he could see in Spike's eyes, that had been in the vampire's voice while Willow had slept. Now that he'd seen the two of them talking, he could see it in them both, Spike loved Willow, and for some reason known only to God, Willow loved Spike. He shivered a bit at the idea, quite certain that he didn't like it, and that he couldn't change it.
The shy girl they had all known was gone, lost to them forever. He had no doubts that Buffy and Xander wouldn't realize this, that they would spend some time trying to 'help Willow get back to normal'. But perhaps this was normal for the new Willow. Had she always cared for Spike, or had that been some sort of strange side effect of her time travel? What would happen if... no, Giles knew what would happen if the chip in Spike's head were ever removed or stopped working. He would turn Willow. And Buffy would never be able to bring herself to kill the vampire with her friend's face.
Could this older, sadder Willow integrate with the others? Could she fit herself into their group? Giles could only wonder.
In the other room, Spike held Willow on his lap, his chin resting on her head. He had her in his arms again, his fiery princess, and this time, he wasn't about to let anything take her away. Not the Slayer, not some other man, and not some watcher with a talent for magic. She was back with him, and he wanted it to stay that way. Forever.
"I don't want to loose you again, Willow. It was... I didn't like it." His words were a soft murmur, barely loud enough for her to hear them.
She went very still, and then moved just enough to look him in the eyes, a surprised and delighted look on her face. "You... this isn't just being upset that your plan didn't work, and it wasn't a loss of power thing, was it?"
"No, it wasn't the power. It was you." His words were still quiet, as if he was afraid of anyone overhearing them. Being as they were essentially a confession of feeling, that Willow herself mattered more to him than power and ambition, it could be seen as quite a weakness.
"Me? All of that... outrage and... frustration was because you didn't have me?" Her voice was soft, filled with amazement. "I've never mattered that much to anyone before..."
He pulled her close, feeling her body relax against his, her breath warm against his body. "It was all for you. You matter that much, more than I can put into words."
"And... you matter to me. A lot, that's why I was happy that you wanted me with you forever. Which is why I don't plan to give you up." Her voice was soft, filled with warmth and happiness.
His fingers began to play with her hair, twisting the short locks around the tips of his fingers. "I think... part of me was... concerned that you only agreed to be mine because you had nobody else. That I was your alternative to being alone."
Willow sighed, and put her hand on his cheek. "I would never agree to spend eternity with someone that I didn't care about."
He smiled, feeling something inside go warm and happy and fluttery at her words. "So, we both... care. Maybe more than we're willing to admit. And you want to be with me. So, what sort of things do people do when they date?"
"hmm... movies, sometimes picnics, nice romantic walks... And then there's the club date, which I remember being a favorite of Buffy's and a bit crowded and noisy for my tastes. And of course, we tell our various friends and relatives that we're involved so that they don't walk in on us and freak out." She was running her fingers over the small scar over his eyebrow, part of her amazed that there was a scar that hadn't been there what felt like yesterday.
"Dating? Is that... is that all we'll be doing?" His voice had dropped, and there were amber flecks in his eyes.
With a look of pure mischief, Willow smiled. "That's all we'll tell them we're doing. They don't need to know all of our details."
"Devious of you, princess. I like it. But... there might be a few small details about the telling people part. Fluffy will throw a fit, and the Watcher's observant enough that he'll figure out if we're up to a bit more than movies. Then there's the fact that the person I should tell is Angelus..."
"Giles won't spend much time thinking about what else we might be doing. He won't want to know anything other than am I safe and happy. I can handle Buffy and any fits that she might throw. As for Angelus... umm... is he sane? Because the Angelus that showed up in.. the other Sunnydale, I guess, wasn't very sane. He tried to suck the world into hell."
Spike laughed, his eyes sparkling. "He's sane. Having a few issues with some evil law firm that I don't know the details of, but sane. At least as sane as he ever was anyhow."
"Then there's no problems. I'll just have to figure out a way to explain our 'sudden decision to date' in a way that shouldn't cause Buffy to flip." She was smiling, happy and confident that this time, she would finally have a chance to be happy.
~Part: 27~
Spike was feeling remarkably good the next afternoon. He'd talked with Willow, HIS Willow, and she still wanted him. They would date, and she would tell everyone that she wanted to be with him. He could just imagine how much it would upset the Slayer, and the images made him smile. But that also reminded him. He needed to tell his family, to tell Angelus.
"Giles? Mind if I use your phone? I need to make a call." It was obvious that he was a bit distracted from his tone.
Spike was dimly aware of the man looking at him, a slighlty puzzled expression in place. "Who do you need to call, and why? Is it a local call?"
Spike made a dismissive geture, as if waving the idea away. "Nahh... I need to call Angelus. Got to tell him about me and Red, considering. She's going to be part of the family, so tradition demands that I tell my Sire and all that. Besides, he's been awfully interested in my red witch for the past century."
Giles sat up, recognizing the name easily. "What interest would the Scourge of Europe have in Willow?
Spike was in the middle of lighting a cigarette, figuring that he would have time while explaining to Giles why he had to tell his Sire. "See, the red I met wasn't the girl the Slayer was pals with, she wsa this one. From the other time, all sad and miserable. And she said something about a pack of gypsies cursing him with a soul. It was some sort of revenge for eating a gypsy girl, I think. But that red told me, and I told him, and he didn't eat the gypsy girl. Which is a good thing, because if he had, if things had turned ut the way her timeline did, he'd have been here, all snuggled up and nauseatingly wrapped up in your Slayer. At least, until the curse snapped and he turned into a rampaging evil bastard that decided to open Acathala. Besides, I told him how she would be in the family some day. He's curious."
"Acathala... But why... well, you did say an insane version. This is... are you saying that this is the vampire version of telling your father that you've met the girl you plan to marry?" Giles sounded somewhere between worried and amazed.
Blowing a small ring of smoke, Spike nodded. "That sums it up. Sire, this is my Willow, I want her to join the family and be my mate for the rest of forever... yeah."
Giles sighed, resting his head in his hands. "Go ahead and call him. I'd prefer if he didn't drop in for a visit though..."
"Right. Since I think he's got his hands full where he is, that shouldn't be a problem." Spike picked up the phone, dialing slowly in an effort to remember the seldom used numbers.
"Yes, I need to talk to Angelus." Spike was talking into the phone, a small frown on his face. "Fine, Angel if you prefer. Tall guy, dark hair, a bit glowery? Put him on the phone."
"Sire... I've got her back. My Willow. The one from London, not the slayer's little friend."
"Of course she changed time! You aren't... sorry. She changed a lot. Some of it big, some of it smaller. But this is my princess, and I'm keeping her this time. So I'm being the dutiful childe and letting you know."
"I'm sure she'll understand about that. I can't bring her over yet anyhow, still got that damn chip. She's got a plan to work on that, but I'm not sure what it is yet. Anyhow, this will give me a chance to finish teaching her the traditions." There was a clearly fond tone to Spike's voice as he talked about Willow.
"Right... be careful. I still want an official blessing at some point, so don't go getting yourself killed on me."
Spike hung up the phone with a small smile, one that clearly said he was thinking of his Willow.
Giles cleared his throat, catching Spike's attention. "Willow is like family to me. If you break her heart, I will torture you slowly. To the melodious sounds of... the Backstreet Boys."
Spike shuddered, looking at Giles with a mix of horror and respect. "That's... that's vicious. But I don't plan to break her heart. Ever."
"Then that will never become an issue. I would hate to have to borrow Buffy's CD's."
~Part: 28~
Spike was still sitting there, a smile that managed to be smug and entirely delighted on his face. He was still sitting there when Willow arrived, her expression one of annoyance. "Red? Is someting wrong?"
"Not really. I just decided that the wardrobe that I had was lacking, and had to go shopping, which wasn't particularly delightful. Yes, I picked up The Outfit. I remember how much you liked it. I also got rid of quite a number of things that I can't picture myself ever wearing..." Willow settled herself into a seet at the table, her outfit not quite the same as the WIllow that had been with the scoobies before, but not radically different. She wore green jeans, but they fit her well, showing her long legs. The sweater was a nubbly texture, but not baggy, and it's blue and green pattern harmonized with the color of her jeans.
"I'm glad there's nothing seriously wrong then, luv. I called my Sire, he's delighted that I found you, and send his regrets that he can't come and met you for himself, but he's up to his ears in evil lawyers. I told him you wouldn't be insulted." SPike had a small grin, and a few amber flecks in his eyes, possibly from imagining The Outfit, which was what he'd come to call the image of the leather that WIllow's vampire double had worn, the illusion of which had seemed most shocking in the eighteeen hundreds.
Willow smiled at him, her fingers wrapping around the warmth of the teacup Giles had given her. "I'm not offended, really. I'm still not sure you didn't umm... over credit me with stuff, but... I'm glad we have your Sire's approval."
Then, she looked over at Giles, a small look on her face as Willow tried to remember. "umm, Giles? Miss... umm, sorry, Jenny? Did I remember to mention to you that Spike and I have decided to date?"
Giles cleared his throat, clearly not precisely comfortable with the idea. "I heard the two of you discussing it last night. I am aware of your plans to... date Spike. I just... please make certain that this is what you want, and if he will make you happy, then I will be happy for you."
Jenny gave a tiny smile. "I want you to be happy, Willow. I'm a bit worried that it might be a bit close to the... end of things with Oz, but... If the vampire can make you happy, go for it. And if he makes you cry, I'll do something horrible to him."
Willow gave a delighted smile. "So this is what it feels like to have parents... I like it. Now, we just have to break it to Buffy and Xander and Anya... who will probably ask if he gives me good orgasms."
Giles got a distressed look on his face. "Please... Willow, if we do fit the parent feeling for you at all, have mercy on us and do not answer that question."
Willow started to giggle, and ended up collapsed on the table, laughing so hard that the tears were rolling down her face. Spike had joined in, also amused, and eventually, even Giles and Jenny were laughing.
That was the moment that Buffy, Xander and Anya arrived, Buffy in the middole of a sentance about Willow. "... all I'm saying is that she's got to be all freaked by Oz. He died, and that's got to be hard for her to deal with, considering that they were dating and everything. So, she's probably going to be all..." Buffy's words were cut off by Anya's elbow, timed to coincide wih her cheerful sounding greeting.
"Hello Willow. You certainly... don't seem to be crying your eyes out over Ox... I mean Oz."
"No... no more tears over Oz. I've moved past that stage in my life. But... umm, you might want to sit down. I have somethign to tell you." Willow was trying to reign in her laughter.
She waited until Buffy and Xander had both sat down, and Anya was leaning against the wall before speaking. "I had... a very interesting time while I was... away from Sunnydale. It gave me time to do a lot of thinking, and move past some of the pain that I ended up taking with me. And... ummm, Spike and I are going to date now. Each other, as in WIllow-and-Spike."
Xander's face turned a sort of pale greyish color, and he gaped for a few moments, looking as if he was trying to form words, but failing to add any sound to them. Buffy was not so hindered.
"Spike!?! You want to date SPIKE! What in the world are you thinking? He's Spike! He's a vampire that tried to kill us all! He's evil, how many tiems has he said that he's evil? And we have no idea what sort of psycho promise thingy he thinks he has with you! He could kill you as soon as that chip fails! He's... he's... Spike!" Buffy's face was red, and she looked incredibly upset.
Willow looked at Buffy, and her eyes had gone cold and dark. Her voice was low and angry. "What am I thinking? Well, first, I'm thinking that this is MY life, and I can date whoever I choose. If I want to date Spike, I can date Spike. If I wanted to date Cordelia's ex Percy West, which I don't, I coudl do that, and it would not be your choice, or decision. If I wanted to decide that I'm bisexyual, and find some chippie on campus to have an affair with, you couldn't do a single thing about it! As it happens, I want to date Spike, and Spike wants to date me. Did anyone ask me before you got into your relationships? No, because I sure as hell would have told you to stay away from Parker. Did you ask before you got involved with Riley? Again, no. Xander didn't ask before he got together with Anya. My life, my dating choices. Deal with it."
Xander finally rediscovered his voice. "but he's Spike. What if the chip... what if he decides to hurt you? And why Spike? He's... vampire, evil, tried to kill us, remember?"
Willow looked at Xander, her eyes not nearly as angry as when she'd faced Buffy. "I know he's a vampire. I remember about the tried to kill us parts. He won't hurt me, and... because I want him."
Anya looked at Buffy, and smirked a moment before looking back at Willow. "He's quite attractive. And considering that he's a vampire, he should have quite a bit of stamina. Have you had orgasms together yet?"
Willow tried not to smile at the tiny moan that Giles made. "Anya... we only decided to date last night, and then i went home to my parents house while he... did not go to my parents house. I only got here a few minutes befor ethe resdt of you, so... when was there time?"
"Thank God... I do not want to hear... ever..." Giles low murmur was barely audible.
Buffy glared at Spike, as if she was convinced that this unexpected development was all his fault. "I do not like this one bit. He's evil. He's a vampire, he doesn't know how to have a healthy relationship. You'll only get hurt."
Xander just looked at her, his expression still stunned. "Spike? I mean... Spike? Are you really... but he's Spike."
Willow sighed, patting his hand gently. "Yes, me and Spike. Yes, I'm sure I want to be with him. He's not plotting to kill us all in our sleep, and yes, I really do plan to date him."
Anya smiled, her expression full of optimism. "Well, this means that you're not going to be crying all the time about Oz and him being dead, right? Instead, Spike will be giving you orgasms and keeping you very happy?"
Willow snickered. "Anya, I promised Giles that I would never talk about Spike and orgasms in front of him. But no, I will NOT be crying over Oz anymore. Spike and I plan to be happy. And now, I can say no more... sorry, random Beatles quote."
Buffy glared at Spike before stalking towards the door, her voice floating back to them. "I'm going on patrol."
"I don't think she's very happy about this, luv." Spike's voice was tinted with amusement.
Willow leaned back against him, sighing. "Well, that's too bad. This isn't about her, it's about me, about you. Us. This is about me wanting to be happy. She'll come around, or she won't."
"Is... is it okay if it takes me a while to get used to this?" Xander's voice sounded almost lost.
Willow gave him a tired smile. "I suppose that's... inevitable. But don't try to tell me that I can't.
"Right... because you can... date anyone you want. But... Spike is going to take a while to get used to." Xander didn't look so grey now, but he was definitely still adjusting to the idea.
Anya towed Xander away to the library, murmuring soemthing that Willow suspected she didnt' want to know about. She was left leaning against Spike in Giles and Jenny's kitchen. With a small smile, she looked up.
"That went better than I'd expected."
~Part: 29~
Buffy was most clearly not happy with Willow's decision. But she couldn't argue that parker had been a terrible mistake, or that it wasn't her choice who Willow dated. Instead, she kept making little comments intended to remind Willow just how dangerous Spike had been, of all the terrible things he'd done, even throwing in his systematic hunting of the Giles family. She also kept pointing out cute guys all over the campus, in the hope that Willow would decide that she liked one of them better, and ditch Spike for someone alive.
Not that Willow had any intention of letting Spike go. It had taken her a lifetime to find someone that she wanted that also wanted her. The simple fact that he was a vampire that had left a bloody trail of destruction and wanted to turn her and keep her with him for eternity wasn't a problem for her. He didn't do that anymore, she was also certain that she could think of better ways for him to occupy his time than attempting to unleash some demon. Maybe take power over a city or two. Maybe take... well, hadn't it been over a century for him since they'd been together?
Spike had made a promise that he wanted her with him, to be his mate. Eventually, his childe, but they would have to figure out something to do with the chip before that could happen. So, he was forced to be with her as she was, mortal and warm and breathing. He really didn't seem to mind.
Xander was coping with her 'sudden' decision fairly well. He'd told her several times that he didn't understand what she saw in Spike, but he hadn't tried to talk her out of it. He'd even promised her to make an effort to be nicer to Spike, just for her sake. The end result was that he was actually talking a good deal less to Spike, but it was fairly civil.
Anya had noticed the changes, as clearly as Giles. She'd been watching Willow, and found her one afternoon, sitting under a tree and gazing out at Sunnydale. "You aren't their sweet Willow anymore, are you? Things... your trip changed you."
Willow hadn't even had to look to know Anya would have an expression that said 'I told them so'. "My trip changed a lot. I changed history... not just a sort of general change, but I can see it all around me. They aren't the same as I remember..."
"SO you remember the way time and history was before your trip? Does that mean you have to guess what happened here?" Anya sounded almost curious.
Willow patted the ground in a suggestion that Anya sit. "It isn't quite like that. I remember my own timeline, and that's what feels real to me, but... there are these sort of memories of the new timeline. They have the details, but... it's like the emotions are a step removed, if that makes sense?"
Anya looked around, noticing their relative privacy. "So... are you and Spike having orgasms? When did you go? What does he have to say about that bite mark you had on your neck?"
"His comment about the bite had to do with timing... and since it's his, why should he be further upset than he already was about not getting to turn me? I ended up in London, in eighteen eighty eight, during the time of Jack the Ripper, and it was a lot colder there than it is here! As for the other question... we aren't having orgasms at this exact moment. I'm here, and he's asleep right now. But yes, the sex is wonderful, and he does have a lot of stamina. But I promised Giles no details in front of him."
Anya made a delighted noise. "I knew it! I knew he would be good for orgasms! He has that sort of manly sexual look... But... if you're from the other time, how well are you going to fit in this one?"
"As best I can. I still know who everyone is... but this... it feels like the light version, cleaned up for timid children, if that makes sense. The world won't be any problem, but Buffy... and Xander will both need some time to adjust to the new Willow. And the fact that the new Willow is dating Spike." The amusement was clear.
"Were you dating Spike before? In the old timeline?" Anya's voice held curiosity.
Willow gave a small smile. "NO. I had this crush on him, but... He was all wrapped up in Dru. We got involved in London, while I was away. It was... a lot more than just sex."
"What happens now? He can't bite anymore... and Buffy doesn't trust him." Anya was watching Willow with curiosity.
Willow gave a small, sad smile. "I know, the chip won't let him keep his promise. But we can find a way to get it out. I will find a way. Then, I'll be part of his family, and have someone to be with forever. But we aren't planning on the whole take over and go on a slaughtering bloodbath. Nothing against Buffy either. We just... we want to be happy together. And we will be."
"You plan to let him turn you." Anya's voice held surprise and just a hint of worry. "What will happen then? To us, to my Xander?"
Willow gave Anya a reassuring smile. "Nothing... not because of me anyhow. Xander has always been like family to me, and you make him happy. Giles and Jenny, they're like the parents that I wish I had, so they're safe. As for Buffy... she's been a little scarcer lately. It's sort of like she doesn't know if she can trust me now that I'm dating Spike... and Buffy and Xander don't need to know about the orgasms. I really don't think they're ready to consider that."
Anya nodded, her centuries as a Vengeance Demon giving her a different perspective on the whole becoming non-human concept. "It's good to have family."
"Better to have family and love." Willow had a smile now, one filled with happiness. "I've had to travel through time and change history to get it, but I finally have a family and someone to love, and I'm not about to let that go."
"Yes... although I've found the whole human thing a bit tricky, I'm happier now that I have Xander than I was as a demon." Anya's voice made it clear that she understood Willow entirely.
The two of them sat there, watching the people go about their days. Both content with the lives they had now, and delighted in their loves. The possibility of a friendship with Anya, something Willow had never expected before, only made things look better.