~ I'm thinkin' maybe dinner and a movie. I don't want to rush into anything.
Ive been hurt, you know. (Spike in What's my line Part 2) ~

***

~Prologue~

San Francisco September 2005

Coming home was special to her. Willow Rosenburg enjoyed almost every part of her life, but coming home in her own house and be able to be herself was something she had waited for almost the whole flight from Venezuela. To be honest - this time she noticed the urgent need to return home and to meet with her friends already two weeks before, but her business was to important and her job wasn't done at that time. She promised herself that this time she wouldn't leave for such a long time again - not until early spring anyway. Catherina, her best friend since university had promised that she could get a kitten this autumn, her own cat and Willow loved the idea that there would be someone in her house when she came home from one of her business trips, someone to love and someone she could spend time with. After she had closed the front door she let her duffel bag dump on the floor, toed of her boots, put her suede jacket on the coat rack and simply enjoyed the feeling of the thick blue carpet under her bare feet. Willow had bought this house in Twin Peaks one year before when she was sure that her computer company was more than successful and had spent a lot of work and money on it. The large living room she was now standing in was subdivided into an area with a hardwood floor in front of the fireplace and an area with two peach suede sofa and a coffee table between. There were also bookshelves lining the white walls and in one of the shelves Willow had placed her stereo system and TV. The same carpet she was standing on now was also laid in the three bedrooms and her study too. In two small glass cupboards close to the open fireplace lay several mystical souvenirs from countries she had visited. She owned daggers from the Turkey and Egypt, turquoise bracelets from Mexico and little jade figures from Japan. To her right was the entrance to the kitchen. All the kitchen equipment was out of beech like the floor in front of the fireplace and the kitchen-floor. There were soft rugs in bright blue, yellow and red on the floor and the French doors led to a terrace in the large overgrown garden with old fruit trees and Hazelnut bushes which surrounded the house. On the other side of the living room was the entrance to a short hallway which led to the bedrooms, study and the powder room. There were two bathrooms between the bedrooms and from her own bedroom - it was the left one - went a spiral staircase upstairs to the one large room in the attic. This was the real center of her company - the place she created her software programs and did her research. And it was the room she stored all her wiccan supplies and did her spells. She loved her house and in her eyes it was perfect now. Except that she lived there alone. But that would be changing. She would have her own cat like the real witch she had become in the last years. And perhaps she would
meet a nice man in this winter too.

***

~Part 1~

The hot steam of the large bathtub slowly filled the room when Willow came in wearing a white terry cloth bathrobe. This was one of the first things
she always did, soaking in a hot tub. It was more than taking a bath. It was part spiritual and part making herself home. She carried a plate with
grapes, cheese and some crackers, a wineglass and a cellphone and set it on the edge of the tub. She knew instinctually that she would have only some minutes till the phone rang and she had a nice chat with Cat, short form of Catherina, her sister-witch. Cat always knew when Willow's plane arrived and she had the best timing of all her friends. She and the other members of her wiccan-group where her family now. They were important in her life. And like Willow had expected, the phone rang after she had settled herself in the warm water, surrounded by vanilla scented bubbles. Willow grabbed the phone until it got the chance to rang a second time.

"Honey, I'm home!" she chirped into the receiver and burst than into a fit of giggles.

"Willow, are you OK?" Cat asked tentatively.

"Oh God, I always wanted to do that." was Willow's answer after she had calmed down a bit.

"Very funny, very, very funny ha, ha, ha. But soon my dear sister you're really able to yell that when you come home."

"So it was successful? Did she get kittens?"

"Yup. Oh, Willow it was great. Too bad you weren't here."

"Oh shit, really wanted to be here when IT happened, but this case in Venezuela was really hard work and I couldn't leave and you must tell me
everything that had happened." Willow demanded.

"So it was really strange, 'cause when it was time, you know, and Bob and his tomcat came and we were all in one room together Bastet gave me a look like she would ask us to leave to let her have some privacy. I felt like a peeping Tom and hurried out and when we came in again after two hours or so - Amun - that's the other cat looked like he was to pass out and Bastet looked like she had had a great cup of wipped cream and I had to laugh so hard. That was a month ago and now we knew for sure that she get kittens. And like I promised you, you can choose first." Cat finished breathless.

"I would have loved to see that. But now it's to late. Perhaps I'll be there when she delivers." Willow sighed while trying to angle a yellow rubber
ducky with her big toe.

"Yeah. I do have more news. Want to hear?" Cat teased.

"Yup." The rubber ducky was now happily swimming in the bathtub.

"Tony is back!" Cat cheered. "He arrived last week and it was like we knew each other since kindergarten. I can't tell you how happy I am." Cat had
meet Tony only once in person before. He was the oldest son of her and Willow's Wiccan-mother, Antonia Concelli, and Cat had started to send him
emails after she got one from him when he had stayed in Italy last year. He had stayed there a whole year and wrote her almost every day. "Willow, it is wonderful. He arrived and we started telling each other what we're feeling and it felt so right. He is simply wonderful. Even Bastet loves him."

"Oh, Cat. I'm so happy. After all those losers who wanted in your pants you finally found Mr. Right." Willow sighed and let a grape dump into her mouth.

"Yeah. Was about time, wasn't it? And I'm pretty sure you will find someone too this winter."

"I do hope so. Cat, I'm tired of being alone. I mean, sometimes it's nice to be able to do what ever I want to do, here in my house. I mean when I want to walk around all naked, nobody complains."

Cat had to stifle a laugh. "I'm pretty sure that nobody with more than one brain-cell and with eyes in his head would complain."

"Sush, you know what I mean. It would be wonderful when I would come home, yelling a 'HELLO' and there would be someone special and this someone would be happy. But perhaps this only a wishful dream." Willow replied and took a sip of her wine.

"Willow, hmm, perhaps this isn't that impossible." Cat suggested tentatively

"You mean because you found Mr. Right via email - I'm able to find me a lover too." Willow asked, trying to angle Mr. Rubber ducky's family with her
left feed too.

"No, I mean 'cause I think I know someone who could be right for you." Cat answered.

At that moment not only all of her toys fall into the bathtub but her shampoo, conditioner and vanilla scented body-wash followed their example.

"What do you mean - you know someone?"

"Well, when Tony came home he don't came alone."

"You mean another of his ever growing family?"

"Nah, it was his best friend."

"Is he a Sorcerer too?"

"Nope, but he is nice. Really. Even Antonia likes him. A lot. And he had spend the last year in Italy with Tony. And he is so easy to speak to. So
much fun to be around."

"CATHERINA. WHO IS HE?" Willow emphasized every single word.

"Oh, he is great. Handsome. And he.... and he isn't afraid of magic. And you can meet him tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Willow couldn't believe it. She wasn't really home yet and Cat had arranged a date. "Why would I meet a complete stranger tomorrow."

"Oh, but he isn't a stranger. Not to you anyway."

"You mean I know him." Willows mind went 100 miles the minute.

"That would be a YES. He told me that he know you. To be honest he said he couldn't wait to meet you. That's why I made up the date. But you're not alone with him. Tony and I are with you too. Oh, and we meet at Antonia's restaurant. You know what, he loves her meals, which is surprising when you consider that he don't need to eat human food and they always say that they don't like garlic. And I know for sure that he loves garlic." Cat was in a babbling-mode know, which was surprising 'cause it was usually Willow who was babbling when excited.

"What do you mean - he don't need to eat human food?" Willow felt her suddenly nauseated.

"Oh, I mean with him being a vampire and all - he don't need to eat. Especially not Spaghetti al pesto or Ciabatta with garlic."

"He is Vampire?" Willow asked breathless.

"Yeah, but a real nice one. And he is so handsome. And he is Tony's best friend too."

"How does he look like." Willow asked. "Is he tall, dark and brooding?"

*Please don't let it be Angel. It can't be Angel. He has to be with Cordy.* Willow begged silently.

"Nah, he is funny and charming. He has wrapped Antonia around his little finger."

*Ok not Angel. How many Vampires I meet before? Let's see I meet Angel and Spike and a couple of others, but they are all dust now.*

"Willow, are you there?" Cat asked insecure.

"Yeah, hmm, I'm here. What does he look like, please?"

"Oh, hmm, great body .... handsome face! But don't tell Tony that I said that."

"More precise?"

"Tall, lean, toned. Not bulky."

"Hair-color?"

"light brown"

"Eyes?"

"God, a wonderful blue. I would kill to have these colors." Cat sighed. She had dark brown hair and brown eyes.

*Oh god, it is Spike.* "Yeah, hmm. He is, hmm, right. I do, hmm, know him." Willow murmured.

"Oh, Ok that's arranged. We are meeting tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Antonia's. You could wear your green dress, you know. You look wonderful when you wear it."

"Hmm ..." *Perhaps he don't recognize me.*

"Antonia will be very happy to see you. She had asked about you several times."

"Hmmm ...." *Perhaps it isn't him.*

"And I'm so happy that you will meet Tony finally."

"Hmmmm .." *And even when it's him - I don't need to hide - I'm a grown up woman now.*

"Willow are you there? Please say something - I'm afraid you know - Could you please speak in whole sentences and stop making such noises?"

"Cat what's his name?"

"William Bradley. But Tony likes to call him Billy or sometimes Spike, like he is a dog or something. But I like Billy better."

"Oh. OK. I'm there tomorrow. What did you say at 5 p.m. That fine with me. See you tomorrow than. Bye." Willow tried to sound like usual.

"Yeah, bye" Cat answered, but Willow had already hang up.
 

~Part 2~

"What did she say? Is she coming?" Tony tried to speak with Cat while Spike was pacing the floor in front of him. Cat had promised to call them after she had spoken with Willow. She couldn't understand why Spike had made such a fuss about meeting her best friend but he had made his best puppy face and she hadn't been able to tell him to calm down. Since she had told them that Willow would come home soon, Spike had been a bundle of nerves. That was the day before and she was grateful when they would meet Willow finally at Antonia's little Italian restaurant.

"So we meet you around 5 p.m.? - No, that's ok with us. Isn't it Spike?" Spike gave him a thumps up and started to smoke another cigarette.

"What has she done? - Oh, I understand. - No Kitten, I don't know either why he is acting like this. And will surely ask him why Willow is acting strange too." Tony gave a Spike a glare that told him that they would have this conversation if Spike want to or not.

"Yeah I think they have a kind of history together too. - 'kay, bye Cat." Tony turned to the pacing Spike and gave him a questioning look.

"Mate I think it's time to tell me why you are acting like a caged tiger" he held up a hand when Spike tried to answer "and why Willow, a girl who's is well known for her babbling turns monosyllabic when Cat mentions you."

"Let's say we do have our own history." Spike tried to block the conversation.

"That's something I assumed before. You told me the whole summer about her. Her intelligence, her beauty, about her hair, her eyes, about her - how to [do] you called it - Willowisms. You were Mr. Motor mouth when it came to her forgiveness and now when you get the chance to meet her again, you are acting like this. I would really like to know why." He motioned for Spike to take a seat while he leaned back in his armchair.

"Let's say that when we meet before I wasn't in the right mood to tell her how I felt." Spike tried to find a comfortable spot on the sofa.

"And it wasn't good timing, too. The first time I really meet her I was drunk as a skunk."

"OK, that's not that good but I saw you drunk too and you became usually sentimental. Most of the girls like a men being sentimental. - Hmm, you
didn't puke in her lap, did you? I mean that would be disgusting?"

"No. Worse" Spike replied.

"I was mourning about my lost love life, asked her for a spell and threatened to shove a broken bottle in her pretty face. I would say that on a rate from 1 to 100 vomiting would be on 50 and my behavior would be 100."

"Oops. Yeah. What has she done?

"She was all her lovely self and tried to comfort me."

"After the whole bottle-in-face-fiasco?"

"Nah. She was all fiery then and .... Damn, you need to see her face when she is angry - a fire-goddess. Makes you all hot and tingly. Those eyes -
they are sparkling. And her body - she is glowing."

"Whow ... And what happened then. I mean did you two get together?"

"Nah. Stupid me left to search for Dru. I left her at the old factory with the moron."

"You left her?"

"Yep. Must have lost my brain-cells in the bottle."

"Did you meet her again."

"Yeah. Next time I tried to shove my fangs into her delicious little neck. You know she has the most beautiful neck a vamp can dream of."

"But you wasn't successful, was you?"

"Nah. It was embarrassing. Had this damn implant in my head. Tony, I really tried to bite, but failed. I've never failed before. Felt like a bloody
eunuch."

"And what happened than?"

"She thought it was her fault. That she wasn't bitable or such stuff. God, how damn much I wanted to bite her. Told her that if I could I would bite
her in a heartbeat."

"You told her?"

"Yeah and she got in comforting-mode again."

"And that was the last time you saw her?"

"No, when everything went havoc - I asked her little group for help. Last time I really met her she gave me a chocolate chip cookie to get the taste
of the blonde bimbo out of my mouth. The cookie was delicious."

"What blonde bimbo?"

"The slayer. Didn't I tell you that Willow and the slayer were best buddies."

"You bite the slayer?"

"Nah, I kissed her. Took me more than month to forget that. Was a 'traumatic experience'"

"And what happened than?"

"Willow left. About a week later the watcher told me that she had left go San Fransisco to study computer science. I found a letter in my crypt. She promised to get rid of that damned implant. Two months later I got that implant out of my skull. My Sire did it with equipment I've got shipped by Federal Express. Later left for Europe."

"So you waste two chances to tell her how you felt. And what do you want to do now?"

"I want to do it right this time. Nothing with bottles or biting. Show her how I feel. Thank her for helping me."

Tony looked at him unbelievingly. *Does he know that he loves her. God, 5 years to say - Thank You. That's a joke.*

"Didn't you always tell me that third time is the charm?" Spike interrupted Tony's train of thoughts, arching his scarred eyebrow.
 

~Part 3~

Willow hadn't been a happy camper the last night. She had vivid dreams about a certain vampire who wasn't blonde anymore. They had started out with the whole bottle-fiasco and became more and more erotic every time. When she finally left her bed in the early morning hours her mind was made up. She had spent a lot of time comparing the men she had meet the last years with Spike. Oz had been to tame and Mike was an brainless idiot and not able to have a nice conversation with - even though he had had a great body - and Sebastian had only saw her as a potential mother for his future children (2 sorcerers and 1 witch of course). And he had wanted to name them Merlin, Nostradamus and Pythia, too. The man had been a running joke. None of them had been able to make her heart-beat faster. They had been far away from what Willow would like to find in a man, a mate, a lover. So she had decided to show Spike what he had missed in the past and what there could be in the future. The last 5 years had given her the ability to see herself without insecurity. Cat had help her with this a lot. And that she had become a damn good witch hadn't hurt either. And so Willow Rosenburg spent the first day in her life with preparing for the late afternoon. She had never before checked out the contents of her wardrobe so thoroughly. When she had a light lunch at noon she was happy with her choices. She knew that she could spend the next hours taking a relaxing bath and doing her hair, nails and make-up. She wanted to show Spike a vision. She wanted to look natural and mind-blowing. She had wasted two opportunities to show him the real Willow. She didn't want to waste a third one.

****

At 3 p.m. Spike had changed his shirt for the fourth time and his pants for the sixth time. The latter was really amazing 'cause he had only three
different ones.

At 4 p.m. Willow has finally reached the seventh room of her meditation and was now able to do her makeup with trembling hands.
 

~Part 4~

When Willow arrived at Antonia's at 5 p.m. she saw Cat and two men sitting at a table. One of them was facing the door and had dark hair. He was
speaking with Cat and every now and than he touched her hand. He looked at Cat in a way Willow always had wished someone would look at her. That must have been Tony. He had the same friendly smile like his mother and the same dark eyes. Willow like him instantly. The other man was sitting with his back to the door, but even with his now light brown hair Willow knew in a split of a second that it was Spike. The way he sat there, he held his head or the way he played with his cigarette. He was wearing a light grey pullover with a turtleneck and a blue jeans. That was new. Gone were his red shirt and the black jeans and Willow didn't know if she was happy about this change or sad. His light-brown hair wasn't short anymore. It went down between his shoulder blades and was held by a small leather ribbon in the nape of his neck. He looked smashing.

The first one who noticed her arrival was Antonia's youngest son - Nicolas and he made a great fuss about it. So immediately everyone looked at her and - to be honest - some of the men in the restaurant couldn't get enough to look at.

Willow was a feast for their eyes. Her shoulder length red hair was framing her face and she was wearing only a little eyeliner. That was her whole
makeup. Her emerald velvet dress was tight and stopped just a hand's breadth above her knees. From the front it looked like it had a scooped neck, but when Willow turned around to greet one of the guests everyone could see that the décolleté on her back went down to the smaller of her back. She wasn't wearing a bra. It was impossible to wear one in this dress and it was obvious that her high and soft rounded breasts didn't need one at all. Spike's eyes wandered down the whole way to her small feet which were encased in a pair of matching shoes with a little heel - and boy the way his eyes had to travel was a long one. All the way down her shapely thighs, with a stop at her cute knees and ended at her slim ankles.

"Hi, did you enjoy yourself?" Willow's voice only slowly penetrated his brain. There was so much to see and to smell too and he was only one
vampire.

"Hi Spike, it's nice to see you too." She tried it again and when he only looked at her with his mouth wide open she waved her right hand in front of
his face.

Suddenly he noticed that he was drooling like a teenager and he tried to remind his manners.

"God, Willow it's really, really good to see you too."

The ice was broken. It didn't take much of time and the four felt comfortable around each other. That Spike went to Antonia and fetched some
cappuccinos with a dash of Amaretto for Cat and Willow didn't hurt too. Willow was relieved to see her best friend Cat so happy with Tony and she
was curious about him and particularly about his friendship with Spike.

"So Tony, how did you and Spike meet?."

"Oh it was rather simple - he saved my live in Rome."
 

~Part 5~

Rome July 2004

Tony had held his own pretty well in this fight when suddenly two men came from behind, grabbed his arms and closed his mouth while a cocky grinning third one started to cut his jacket and shirt with a sharp looking dagger.

That wasn't funny 'cause Tony had the clear idea what would happen to his skin and intestines when the clothes were gone and the interest of this
bastard went to vulnerable part of Tony. He tried to struggle again to free his mouth. If he would be able to speak he would be able to break free, but these kind of robbers seemed to know pretty well about his fighting abilities. The only consequence of his attentions was that the terribly
smelling guy in front of him cut into his chest for the first time. From then a lot of things seemed to happen very quickly. The face of that guy
changed into that of a vampire and he bent down to lick Tony's blood away.

The other two guys made a growling sound and tried to bite into his neck and at the same moment that the licking vampire turned into dust. It all
happened so fast that Tony saw the most of the coming events, which should change his life completely, only in a blur. There was suddenly another
vampire in front of him and his arms and mouth were free again. The newcomer put a stake back into his sleeve, changed his face back to human and started to tell him off.

"IF I WERE YOU, I WOULD TRY TO LEARN A BIT ABOUT HAND TO HAND COMBAT AND STREET FIGHTING BEFORE I WOULD DARE TO SHOW MY SORRY ASS IN PUBLIC AT NIGHT. AND WHAT DID YOU THINK OF TELLING HIM. AND THE WHOLE THING YOU TRIED TO DO WITH YOUR HANDS. WHAT DID YOU THINK YOUR'E DOING? KUNG FU FIGHTING; MY ASS."

If the wound in his chest hadn't hurt so badly, Tony would have been tempted to either laugh about the newcomer's attitude or tell him to shut up and kick the others ass. He couldn't choose and so he reached into the pocket of his coat and opened the stopper of the small flask he was now holding in his hand. He took a swallow, than a second one, tipped a little bit over his wound and than offered the flask to the really human looking vampire who had watched now silently.

"Want some?"
 

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