****
It was four evenings after the large tub was installed in their bathroom
and one evening after they christened it. Weather was fine
almost the whole afternoon. Willow had worked in her computer-room
and Spike had decided to visit Antonia and play in her kitchen.
When he came back around 6 p.m., carrying three grocery bags with Antonia's
and his new culinary creations, the sky begun to darken.
"Willow, I'm home." He called, closing the front door behind him.
Willow came out of the kitchen. "I do believe we [we'll] get a storm."
She told him nodding with her head in the direction of the
French doors which led to the living-room terrace. She smiled. "Perhaps
a really heavy one."
"Do you like that?" Spike was amazed.
"Yeah, since I was a little girl. I like it when the sky darkens and
you can see the clouds swirling. She sighed. "But I switched
off all computers. They don't like storms."
"What about the security system?" Spike asked while he put the food into the fridge, the ice-box and the cupboards.
"Is connected to the generator in the basement. Like the fridge and
the ice-box. We don't want to get your B negative get spoiled."
Willow told him while she inspected what he had brought from his visit
by Antonia.
"Hmm, always thinking about the others aren't you?" Spike kissed her neck.
"And about chocolate ice-cream." Willow answered and turned in his arm [arms] to catch his lips with her own.
***
"Pet, come out, quickly!" Spike called two hours later, after the had
finished their impromptu picnic in front of the open
fireplace. When she entered the terrace Spike pointed to the night
sky. The wind was blowing in gusts and Willow was barely able to
stand by herself. The sky had changed colors again. Now it was a dark
grey with light grey whirls in it. It looked fantastic. Spike
clasped his arms around his witch. It was getting colder every minute
and the fruit-trees in their garden had already left lots of
twigs. He could see that the street lamps didn't work anymore and the
neighbor houses didn't have electricity either. The only
source of light was the fire in the open fireplace in the living-room.
"What do you're think about camping in front of the fireplace tonight?" Spike asked Willow.
"Sounds romantic." Willow replied.
A little bit later they had replaced the blanket they had dinner on
with the mattress from their bedroom, the pillows and the
comforters. The storm was getting heavier every hour and when Willow
left the bathroom she could see the light of the flashes
dancing over Spike's body. He was laying on the mattress and waiting
for her to join him. Willow had never found the time to wear
the nightgown the had bought before their trip to Napa Valley again
after they had returned. She had decided that now would be a
good time. When Spike saw Willow entering the living-room he was amazed.
The light of the fire danced over the sheer material of the
gown, set highlights in Willow's hair and set her eyes sparkling. The
lace was not able to hide the glowing skin of his goddess. It
was more as if the gown begging to be undressed. Spike wasn't the vampire
to deny such a request.
When they both lay side by side later that night, Spike draw circles
on Willow's sweaty back. "If that is the reaction a storm
caused in a woman I begin to understand the men who drive through The
Great Plains hunting tornadoes." Spike teased her with a husky
voice "They only say they are doing it because of the natural phenomenon
or because of science. But I do know the real reason."
Willow gave him an exhausted smile. She didn't know what had happened
to her. She had never been this way before. Almost like a
tiger. She had even bitten him in his shoulder. But he didn't complain.
"Why do you think they are hunting tornadoes?" she asked
him.
"They want to get laid." Spike replied with a mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes. "Big time."
Willow couldn't help but laugh. In her mind she saw dozens of mobile
homes hunting a storm with dozens of woman who were acting like
a cat in heat and dozens of men who couldn't get out of their breeches
fast enough.
***
The next morning Willow woke up to the sound of the ringing telephone
and the answering machine taking the call. Seconds later she
heard Cat's voice "Willow when you come home, please call back. Bastet
had the kittens last night. I'm so exited. They are so cute.
Call back. Ok? Bye"
When Willow reached the phone Cat had already hung up. With the phone
in her hand she made her way back to bed where Spike sat
rubbing his eyes.
"What is it, pet?" He jawed.
"The kittens are born." Willow replied and dialed Cat's number.
***
Half an hour later Willow and Spike sat in the car and drove to Cat's
apartment. On their way they had a short stop by a bakery
where Spike bought croissants and donuts for breakfast. Willow had
insisted to visit her sister witch without delay and having
breakfast at Cat's had been her concession to Spike, who was always
thinking she didn't eat not enough. When they knocked at Cat's
door Tony opened it. He had moved in with Catherina the day before
and was obvious there when Bastet got had the kittens. He was
grinning like the Chestshire cat.
"We tried to reach you, but the telephone was dead." Tony told them
while they went into Cat's study. There, in one corner, was a
large cat basket. Willow's sister witch was sitting in front of it,
and looking at her feline and the kittens. Carefully and without
making noises Willow and Spike joined Catherina.
"Aren't they cute?" Cat whispered.
Willow was amazed. There were three little fur balls suckling at Bastet's
teats, while their mum washed their backs. A fourth one
was crawling to a particularly full part of the feline's belly. Spike
was pointing at this kitten. "Willow look." When Willow looked
at the kitten which was now suckling happily too and pushing her mother's
breast with her little paws she could see the interesting
pattern of the fur. Dark grey and light grey whirls twisted around
each other. Every time the little body moved it looked like the
whirls were moving too. Without a second thought Willow and Spike knew
which kittens they would like to take home in some weeks.
"May I touch it?" Willow asked both Catherina and Bastet.
"I think Bastet would allow it." Her sister witch answered.
Willow let her finger very carefully stroke the soft fur of the petite
feline and gave spike [Spike] a beaming smile. Catherina knew
immediately that Willow and Spike had chosen their kitten. "How do
you want to call it?"
It was Spike who made the suggestion "Stormy?" and Willow nodded her consent.
***
Later when the four friends sat in Cat's and Ton's kitchen, having breakfast, Cat asked "Why Stormy?"
"Because of the sky last evening." Spike answered. "When Willow and
I was outside to see the storm clouds on the night sky it looked
like Stormy's fur when she is moving.
"Yeah," Willow added "and she was born in a stormy night and she is
the only one of the kittens who has these kind of fur. The
others are all brighter and more brownish like Bastet."
"I was surprised about her color, too." Cat replied "Amon, the tomcat,
had the same color than Bastet. Your Stormy is the only
darker one."
"Perhaps it's a sign." Tony said. "We could ask Antonia when she is coming later."
"If it's a sign, than it's a good one. That I'm sure about." Willow smiled "I would love Stormy to be our cat."
"You just have to wait some weeks." Cat told her "And to visit her so
often as possible to create and strengthen the bond between
you and the kitten."
Spike noticed Willow's longing face when she looked to Cat's study door,
he teased "Perhaps you have more visits from us in the next
weeks than you would like to have."