Brand New Me.

Author: Poppy.

Disclaimer: Not mine. I'm just shamelessly borrowing the characters for my own amusement.

Rating: NC-17. Yes, that's right! Smut!

Pairing: Willow/Spike.

Summary: AU. Willow decides to make some changes in her life...

Spoilers: Up to season 4.

Feedback: Yes! But please be kind; it's been awhile since I've written a new fic. Feedback is always welcome and greatly appreciated.

Notes: Oz has left, Spike is chipped and reluctantly helping the gang, and Tara doesn't exsist. "Lover's Walk" never happened.

Special Note: This fic was written for Kaz's Willow Fic-A-Thon. This fic is the reply to Willowluv's challenge. I answered the challenge by writing (as always) a W/S fic. The challenge included Willow getting a tattoo, the female tattoo artist being attracted to Willow, and it had to include smut, smut, and more smut! And, as always, I am happy to oblige. *grin*

Dedication: To Willowluv! I had a lot of fun writing this fic. Thanks for laying the groundwork so I could play! And to Kaz, for organizing the fic-a-thon to begin with. You rock, luv. : )

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The sun was shining down brightly on the campus of UC Sunnydale as the students walked and chattered, enjoying the picture-perfect weather. It was warm out, a cool breeze was blowing, and there was nary a cloud in the sky. However, the bright, cheery weather was a stark contrast compared to the mood surrounding the blonde girl and her redhaired friend as they stood in the middle of the quad.

The redhead known as Willow Rosenberg had stopped walking and turned to face her best friend incrediously, shock and hurt in her bright green eyes. "What did you just say?" She asked quietly, her voice bereft of emotion.

Buffy Summers, said best friend, bit her lip nervously. She hadn't meant to say it out loud, much less to Willow. "Wills, I'm so sorry. You know me and my big mouth..." She offered plaintively, inwardly cursing her stupidity. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I guess I'm not really thinking straight. I had to slay that Guvaara demon last night, plus I had to write that psych paper, and I didn't get much sleep..." She said apologetically. She winced when she saw the pain in Willow's eyes. "Will..."

Willow waved her hand dismissively, as if swatting away Buffy's excuses. "Look, Buffy, I don't care. Really. Just, tell me. Do you honestly believe that? Do you honestly believe I'm boring?"

Buffy bit her lip again, darting her hazel eyes away from the redhead's gaze. "Will, don't be silly! Of course not!" She exclaimed, smiling much too brightly. "You're our Wills, hacker and research girl extraordinaire! The bad-ass wicca in training!" The Slayer exclaimed.

"But I'm also still Old Reliable, aren't I?" Willow asked listlessly. "I'm still reliable-dog-geyser-doormat person, just like I was in high school, right? No matter how much I've changed, it doesn't seem like I've changed at all." She let out a shuddering breath. "Thanks, Buffy." She said dully, before turning to walk away.

The Slayer watched her friend walk away. "Willow? Where are you going? We have Psychology in ten minutes!" She asked.

Willow turned back to look at her. "I think I'm going to skip it. I don't really feel like going to class right now."

Buffy gasped, her eyes wide in shock. "What?! Will, you *never* miss class!"

Willow smiled sadly. "Another sign I'm still mousy old predictable Willow. Look, I'll see you later, Buffy, okay?" She said, before turning and walking away, heading across the campus yard, clutching her binder to her chest, her head lowered as she disappeared into the throng of students.

Buffy watched her go, a frown on her face. She looked up and smiled weakly when Riley kissed her cheek. "Hi, Riley." She said softly.

Riley Finn looked down at his girlfriend, concerned. "What's wrong?"

Buffy frowned again. "Willow. She's kind of depressed." She rolled her eyes. "And me and my big mouth, don't think I helped matters any." She looked thoughtful. "Maybe I can organize a movie night to cheer her up." She looked at Riley hopefully. "What do you think? Get the gang together, gorge on pizza and ice cream, watch some movies..."

Riley smiled. "I think she'd like that." He took her hand. "Come on, let's go before we're late." He grimaced. "Professor Walsh will have my head if I'm late..."

Buffy grinned, walking with him as they made their way to the building. "Well, since I like my boyfriend being non-decapitated..."

Riley just shook his head, pulling her after him.

***

Willow entered her bedroom, dropping her backpack on the floor, and curled up on her bed, not bothering to take her shoes off. She replayed the conversation she had had with Buffy as they walked across the quad.

Earlier, on the campus quad:

"I can't believe next week will be three months since Oz left." Willow said softly, letting out a sad sigh. "You know, at first, I really thought he'd come back, but now I'm not so sure..." She whispered sadly.

Buffy placed a comforting hand on Willow's shoulder. "Willow, you know Oz loves you. That's why he left, after all. He wanted to protect you. He didn't want you to be hurt." The Slayer said gently. "I'm not making excuses for him, or saying he deserves your forgiveness after the way he hurt you. but I can understand why he left." Buffy looked sad. "That's pretty much why Angel left, I think." She whispered.

Willow smiled sadly. "I'm getting better, Buffy, I really am. But it still hurts. I mean, Oz and I were together forever it seemed like." Her voice grew soft, and doubt flashed in her eyes. "Wasn't I enough for him anymore? Why couldn't he of come to me and talked to me? He could of, I would of understood. I would of given him anything he needed. He didn't need to go to *her*." Willow spat, referring to Veruca. Her eyes filled with pain. "Why? Why did he do it, Buffy? Why?"
 

Buffy patted Willow's shoulder. "I don't know, Wills. I don't know." She said softly, her hazel eyes sympathetic as she looked at her friend. It hadn't been that long since the Slayer had been in almost the exact situation. Being left by the one she loved, claiming it was for her own "protection".

"I can't even pretend to understand what Oz was thinking." Buffy said. "I mean, Veruca was a wolf, right? Maybe it was some werewolf thing or something."

"You think?" Willow asked insecurely, her voice hopeful. "Then he still loved me?"

"Of course he did!" Buffy assured the girl. "Like I said, the wolf in him probably recognized her as one of his kind and was drawn to her. She was something new, something interesting..."

Willow's eyes flashed with hurt. "Are you saying I'm not interesting?" She asked quietly.

Buffy's eyes widened as she realized how horrible that had sounded, and she tried desperately to backtrack. "No! No, Will, that's not what I meant at all! What I meant was, since she was a wolf too, Oz was probably attracted to her-" Seeing Willow flinch, Buffy realized she wasn't helping the situation. "No, wait! I didn't mean it that way, either! I-I meant that you and Oz were together for a long time and he loved you, but Veruca --or her wolf-- intrigued him --his wolf--" Buffy sighed, as Willow flinched again. She sighed, and dragged her hand through her blonde hair. She smiled weakly at Willow. "Wow, I really suck at this. What I'm trying to say, is that Veruca interested him somehow, and maybe since she was like him..." She trailed off.

"Yeah, because she's less boring and more intriguing than me, right?" Willow said softly, her voice tinged with hurt.

"No! No!" Buffy exclaimed hastily, desperate to rectify the situation. "Willow, you're great. You're sweet, pretty, smart, responsible, loyal..."

"But not exciting, or-or alluring, or sexy." Willow stated sadly. "I'm just boring old Willow."

"No, not boring. You're...dependable." Buffy stated. "You're...reliable."

Willow flinched, her mind automatically flashing back to the last time someone had called her "reliable".

Buffy was still hastily backpeddling, trying to smooth things over. "Reliable is good, Will. Like...like Old Faithful! Which is dependable, and-and reliable." She stammered, wincing after the words left her lips. Seeing Willow stiffen, she knew immediately she had said the wrong thing. She swallowed heavily when she had a sudden flashback to senior year, remembering when essentially the same words were spoken, and the VampWillow debacle that had followed. Buffy sighed. Great. Now all they needed was Xander around to make stupid cracks about Old Yeller. She looked apologetically at Willow. "Oh, Gods, Will, I am *so* sorry. I'm so stupid. I wasn't thinking..." The Slayer apologized profusely.

Willow just stared at Buffy, hurt flashing in her eyes.

"Besides, boring's not such a bad thing, is it?" Buffy was asking. "It could be worse, right?"

Willow just gaped at her, tuning back in to the Slayer's rambling attempts to apologize. She couldn't believe what she had just heard! "What did you just say?" She whispered, stunned.

In her room, Willow scowled as she replayed that conversation in her head, still somewhat hurt by her best friend's words. Buffy had pretty much, in a roundabout way, had agreed with her! Her best friend thought she was boring! Willow scowled again. Well, she may not be as exciting or interesting as a Slayer, but hey, she was pretty *darn* exciting! Bad-ass wicca computer hacker after all! She sighed, deflated. Oh, who was she kidding? She *was* boring! She flopped over on her stomach, clutching her pillow to her chest. She couldn't get mad at Buffy, after all, it was the truth. She *was* boring. She had always been boring. And she always would be.

She smiled slightly. Well, maybe she wasn't always boring. At least not in other universes. The *other* her, VampWillow, hadn't been boring at all. She had been beautiful, confident, sexy, enticing. She had even seen Angel checking out her vampiric counterpart. She giggled, remembering. Ever since she had seen the vampire version of herself from the bizzaro version of Sunnydale, she had to wonder if she could be like that. Well, not undead, but sure of herself, confident, sexy, strong, and beautiful. Could she do it? Would she be able to pull it off? Could she adopt the other Willow's confident, devil-may-care persona and not end up looking like a total idiot? Well, maybe she wouldn't *totally* like her. VampWillow really had been a 'ho. And kind of gay. Willow giggled, feeling somewhat cheered up. It was time for her to make some changes. She was sick of being the reliable Net Girl, the predictable sidekick. Yes, it was definitely time for some changes. "It's time for a brand new me." She said aloud, smiling slowly. She frowned, looking thoughtful. Where should she start? Her decision was made when she looked down at her multi-colored skirt and her tanktop. "The clothes. Definitely starting with the clothes." She muttered, taking her gold card out of her purse and giggling softly. The card was supposed to be used for emergencies, and Willow thought, wrinkling her nose, this situation definitely warranted. It was time to revamp her wardrobe. Speaking of vamps, she remembered her vamp self's fondness for leather. She also remembered wearing it when she impersonated her vampire self. She grabbed her purse and left the room, chuckling, making a mental note to make leather a staple of her new wardrobe.

***

Inside the crypt, the bleached blond tossed restlessly in his make-shift bed. He sat up, letting out a frustrated growl as he ran his hand through his hair. He was dreaming about her. Again. His beautiful redhaired Fire Goddess. Dreaming about having her, shagging her, claiming her. He had wanted her since the first time he had laid eyes on her, during that Halloween when everyone turned into their costumes. He didn't know what her costume was supposed to be, but he definitely liked it, her blood-red hair piled on top of her head, her pale milky skin glowing in the moonlight, the tight top and short leather skirt hugging the curves of her body...

He growled again, his eyes flickering gold as he thought about one of his favorite fantasies about the little redhead. It was during that night, but instead of chasing after the helpless Slayer and trying to kill her, he had gone after the redhead. And caught her. Had ripped that clingy top off her body, shoved her skirt up and felt those long legs wrap around him as he...

Spike let out a soft growl, trying to will his erection away. He had even gone so far as to go Angelus, after the bastard bedded the Slayer, and ask him for permission to claim the girl as his own. Surprisingly, Angelus had given Spike permission to have the redhead, and even seemed enthused about it. Spike knew that his sire assumed that Spike just wanted to play with the girl for a bit, then kill her. He didn't know Spike wanted the redhead for his mate. But before he could claim his Red, she restored the Poof's soul. Spike knew he would never be able to go near his girl with his sire around and aware of his plans, so he took his insane sister out of the country, fleeing to Brazil.

He had returned for his Red a few months earlier, finding her in her dorm room, crying over that mangy mutt, and about how he had left her. Spike had been determined to track down the werewolf, and give his pelt to his lovely redhaired goddess as a gift, but first he had wanted to claim his mate and make her his childe.

He had been devestated when he found himself unable to bite her, courtesy of the Commando bastards and the chip in his head. But his little redhead had actually *comforted* him when he couldn't bite!

If anything, that made him want her all the more.

And he *would* have her. She belonged to him. His plans were just a bit...delayed, that was all. But when the chip was out, oh, then he would have some fun. He groaned when he thought of all the things he would do with his Red at his side. They would rule the Hellmouth. He could almost see the rivers of blood and hear the screams...

He shook his head, the slightly glazed look leaving his eyes. In the few months since he had no option but to help the Scooby Gang if he wanted to survive, he had slowly and gently wooed his Red's friendship. They were now very close, much to his delight, and the Slayer's dismay. He knew his goddess probably had no idea of his intentions for her, otherwise she'd have the Slayer over to dust him in a heartbeat. He would risk it though, just for the chance to be near his Red. He laid back down, closing his eyes, trying to go back to sleep. There were still a few hours until sunset, until he could see his goddess again. He drifted off, a slight smile on his face, hoping to pick up that dream about Willow from where it left off.

***

Willow exited the boutique, carrying several bags, a large smile on her face. She had probably maxed out the credit card, but it was worth it. She had a completely new wardrobe now, full of things she had never dared to wear before. It was a toned down, less skanky version of the Vamp Willow's style. Beautiful, stylish clothes that even Cordelia and Buffy would envy. Velvet tops, leather pants, silk dresses, denim skirts, ankle boots...
 

She was positively giddy. "One step towards the new me." She giggled. She wondered what she should do now. Her eyes lit up as she got an idea. She could go show off her new, improved, better dressed self to the one person who would appreciate the change. No, not Buffy. The Slayer would probably think she was possessed. Same with Xander. Anya wouldn't care, and Giles probably wouldn't notice. Spike, on the other hand, would notice. And would most definitely approve. He had been trying to convince her for weeks that she didn't need to be the Slayer's shadow, the gang's doormat. And thanks to him, she was finally starting to realize that. She had always had a bit of a crush on the vampire, and really valued the friendship and support he had provided the past few months. She giggled again, hurrying home to change, eager to see the vampire's reaction to the her new look.

***

The sun had finally set, and Spike was starting to get antsy. He had dreamed of his witch again, and was now desperate to see her. He looked up, hearing a knock on the crypt door, and frowned. Who would knock on his door? He grimaced. If it was that bitch of a Slayer come to order him around, then she had another thing coming, because he would rip her pointy head off her bony little body, chip be damned. "What?!" He snarled, flinging the door open. The snarl died on his lips when he saw who was standing there. He gaped at her, stunned. It was his witch. And she was dressed differently. She had been beautiful before, but now she was just stunning. She wore a teal crushed velvet top with three-quarter length sleeves, a pair of tight black leather pants, and a pair of black heeled boots. She had on light makeup, and had her hair loosely curled around her shoulders. He just stared at her, wondering if he was having another erotic dream. He frowned, fairly sure he was awake. He could smell her scent so realistically. Well, if it was another dream, he really hoped it involved her pushing him back on the bed and riding him until she collapsed. He growled, feeling his already hardened member swell further.

"Spike?" Willow asked nervously, biting her lip. She wasn't so sure if this was such a good idea. He was just staring at her, not saying anything. "Uh, Spike?" She tried again.

Spike started when he realized she was speaking to him, and couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed when he realized it wasn't a dream, and most likely his redhaired goddess wouldn't be shagging him until they both passed out. "Er, yes, luv?" He asked, looking at her almost guiltily, afraid she would know what he was thinking.

"What do you think?" Willow asked nervously. "After Buffy and I had a fight, well kind of a fight, okay, not really a fight but I was mad at her, even though she was just pretty much agreeing with me about what I said but that didn't mean it still didn't hurt, because thinking it myself is one thing, but hearing it from someone else is another, and--"

Spike chuckled, cutting her off. "You're babbling, pet." He grinned. "Come on in, and tell me what's going on."

So Willow did. And she told him everything, from the talk she had with Buffy, to her own insecurities about herself, to her decision to completely change her life. Spike listened to the redhead talk, listening intently to her story, growling during the parts about the Slayer. When she finished speaking, she clasped her hands in his lap, and looked at him expectantly with her emerald green eyes. "Well? What do you think?"

Spike watched her thoughtfully. "Well, pet, I'm damn proud of you. It's about time you realized that you're much too good for that damn Slayer and her gits to take advantage of. You're special, pet. I see that even if the others are too stupid to." He told her honestly, groaning when he realized how sappy he sounded. He was turning into a damn poofter!

Willow grinned, and impulsively threw her arms around the vampire, hugging him. "Spike, thank you. That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me." She told him, sniffling as her eyes teared up, overcome with emotion.

When he felt her warm body pressed against his cold one, he realized he wouldn't mind that much being a poofter for her. "Welcome, luv." He chuckled, returning the hug. "Sides, it's true."

Willow pulled back, blushing slightly. "Oh. Erm, sorry about that. Um, hugging you." She stammered.

Spike chuckled again. "I'll let it slide just this once." He told her, humor glittering in his eyes. He grinned. "So, pet, new look, new you. What's next on the agenda?"

Willow looked thoughtful. "Hmm. Well, I got the new clothes. Maybe I should work on the attitude." Willow mused. "Only I won't be killing or licking people." She said, wrinkling her nose.

Spike just stared at her. "Uh, luv? Care to clue a bloke in?" He asked, raising a brow.

Willow's eyes widened. "Oh! You've never heard the VampWillow story?" She asked.

"Vamp...Willow?" Spike repeated, looking even more confused.

Willow giggled at the puzzled look on his face. She spent the next 10 minutes explaining how she and Xander had been caught playing smoochies by Cordelia, and about the cheerleader's subsequent wish about how nothing bad ever happened until Buffy came to Sunnydale, so she wished Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. Willow told the vampire about the alternate universe, about the Master and Puppy, everything Cordelia had told them after everything had been straightened out. Then she told him about when her vampire self arrived in their Sunnydale, and about all the havoc she caused.

Spike listened to the redhead tell her story, his eyes glazed as he imagined what a vampire Willow would be like. Glorious, he thought. He could do without Puppy, damn pansy-assed sire, but the rest of it sounded wonderful to him, especially the part about the chains and the leather and the riding. He could definitely spend an eternity or two like that. Listening to her talk, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she really was the one meant for him, meant to be his mate. He realized she had stopped talking, and was looking at him. He smiled apologetically. "Sorry, luv. I was thinking."

"Oh." Willow replied softly. She had seeing the glazed, almost hungry look in his eyes, and realized she probably didn't want to know what he was thinking about, probably about all the blood and terror she had described. From what Cordelia had told them, the other world was pretty much like a Disneyland for vampires.

"So, pet, you want to be a badass like your vampire self?" He smirked wickedly.

Willow shrugged. "I don't know. I just want to do something I've never done before, something exciting and new, something different." She said. She smiled at him hopefully. "You'll help, won't you?"

Spike raised a brow thinking of all the new and exciting things he could "help" her with. Most of them involved them being naked, a bed, and her writhing in ecstacy beneath him. "Sure, luv, I'll help you." He told her, his voice slightly husky.

Willow beamed at him. "Great!" She frowned slightly. "Now we have to figure out what to do..."

<Oh, I can think of plenty of things to do, pet.> He purred silently in his mind. <And we don't even have to leave the crypt to do most of them.>

He saw her eyes widen, and realized he had spoken aloud. He cursed softly, thankful he couldn't blush, otherwise he'd be bright red. He smiled weakly, hoping to be convincing. "I was teasing, pet." He lied.

"Oh!" Willow said, giggling. "Of course you were! I mean, it's not like you'd really want to do th-that with me." She said, giggling nervously, still thrown by his remark.

Spike frowned. Damn. He had made her uncomfortable. He resisted the urge to throw her on the bed and show her just how serious he really was. Instead, he just said the first thing that popped into his head. "Tattoo."

Willow blinked, confused. "Uh...what?"

"A tattoo." He told her, smiling as the idea became more and more appealing. "That's something new and different, isn't it? How 'bout it, Red? Wanna get inked?"

Willow shuddered slightly. "I-I don't know..." She stammered nervously. Wait. The *old* Willow was the scaredy-cat afraid to try new things. The *new* Willow was strong and confidant, always up for a challenge. She squared her shoulders, and lifted her chin. "I mean, sure."

Spike just gaped at her, stunned. "Wow, pet. Changed your mind awfully fast..."

Willow giggled at the shocked look on his face. She shrugged. "The old Willow was afraid to try new things. The new Willow isn't, so sure. Let's do it." She looked at him, worried. "Um, it won't be *very* painful, will it?"

Spike laughed, shaking his head. She really was adorable. "Probably not too much, pet." He told her.

Willow nodded. "Oh. Okay." She looked at him shyly. "You're coming too, right?"

Spike grinned, and took her hand, pulling her to her feet. "Course I am, luv!" He grinned again, tugging her out of the crypt. "Come on, ducks, I think I know just the place..."

***

Willow wrinkled her nose distastefully as Spike led her to the front of an old, worn-down building just on the edge of the business district. "Are you sure this place is safe?" She asked, seeing the flickering neon 'Tattoo' sign in the window.

Spike chuckled, and squeezed her hand. "Positive, luv. It's perfectly safe. I would never let anything bad happen to you." He told her seriously.

Willow nodded. "I know." She said shyly, smiling at him.

Spike *really* wanted to kiss her. Instead, he opened the door led her inside.

Willow blinked rapidly, her eyes trying to adjust to the floresent lighting.

"Hi!" A friendly voice greeted them. "Can I help you?"
 

Willow blinked again, this time in disbelief. A woman was standing in front of her, a friendly smile on her face. What was so shocking was that the woman had bright blue skin, ridges on her forehead, and violet colored eyes. "Um, h-hi." Willow offered weakly.

The woman smiled, her laughter tinkling throughout the room. "My name is Maeve. I'm the owner."

Willow found herself smiling back, not feeling threatened at all by the woman. "My name is Willow."

"It's nice to meet you, Willow. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." Maeve said, shaking the redhead's hand, marveling at the girl's beauty.

Willow blushed, smiling shyly. "Thank you."

The blonde vampire growled, not liking the way this woman was looking at his chosen mate.

Maeve looked over at the vampire, hearing his growl.

"That's Spike." Willow said, introducing the blonde vampire. She didn't see woman's eyes widen as she obviously recognized the name.

Maeve saw amber flicker in the vampire's eyes, seeing the possessive way he was looking at the redhead. "Ah." She said, gently letting go of the redhead's hand, deciding she didn't want to make the infamous vampire angry. She had heard stories about him that chilled her to the bone. She knew vampires were notoriously possessive, and it was obvious that this one considered the pretty little redhead his, and she didn't want to endanger herself by making him angry by intruding on his territory. "It's nice to meet you as well, Spike." She said, stepping away from the redhead slightly.

Spike nodded slightly, stepping closer to Willow.

"Are you thinking of getting a tattoo?" Maeve asked the redhead. "Let me show you the designs we have..." She led the redhead over to a wall, showing her the designs drawn and posted there.

Willow gasped, recognizing several of the symbols as ones she had seen in Giles's demonology books. She started to laugh as she suddenly realized where she was. She looked over at Spike. "You brought me to a demon tattoo parlor!"

Spike just grinned.

"Underground, actually." Maeve smiled. "We cater to the supernatural population. Demons, witches, vampires..." She chuckled. "I've seen pretty much everything."

"Red's a witch." Spike spoke up.

Maeve nodded. "I could feel the magick when she walked in."

Willow's eyes widened. "You could?"

Maeve nodded again. "You're very powerful, Willow. You have much potential. You really don't have any idea how much power you hold..."

"Wow." Willow whispered. "And here I thought I wasn't a very good witch."

"You are a good witch, luv." Spike told her, smiling.

Willow smiled back, before seeing the design she wanted. She pointed at it excitedly, jumping up and down. "Ooh! Spike, I want this one!"
 

Spike walked over to see what she had picked, smiling when he saw the simple pentacle. "Isn't it pretty?" She asked him.

"Beautiful." Spike told her, looking at her face.

Willow saw him looking at her. "I-I meant the design." She stammered bashfully.

He smirked. "I didn't." He told her, watching delightedly as his little witch blushed. He turned to look at the design, studying it, before turning back to her, looking at her consideringly. "So, where you gonna get it, sweets?"

Willow shrugged, slightly confused by his behavior. "I don't know. Probably just my ankle." Her eyes widened, and she clapped her hand over her mouth as she realized something. "Oh, Goddess! I can't put in on my ankle! My parents could see it!"

Spike raised a brow. "Problem, ducks?" He asked.

"My parents don't know I'm Wiccan!" Willow exclaimed. "They can't see it! They'd flip out of their proper Jewish minds!" She exclaimed, starting to pace nervously. "I wouldn't be able to wear shorts, or skirts, or-or even sandals! And they'd absolutely *kill* me if they found out I got a tattoo, much less one of a pentacle!" The redhead was close to hyperventilating.

"So get it somewhere no one will see it." Spike suggested off-handedly.

Willow nodded, trying to calm herself down. The *old* Willow would freak out. *She* would not. "Right. I could always get it on my thigh, or something." She said. She smiled. "Actually, that's a really good idea. Thanks, Spike!"

"Welcome, ducks." Spike murmured distractedly as he went to sit down in one of the chairs while Willow went to get Maeve. She brought the blue-skinned woman over, and pointed to the design. "I've decided on this one!" She announced with a smile.

Maeve smiled. "Excellent choice. Have you decided on a spot?"

Willow nodded. "Yes. On my right thigh."

"Great." Maeve said, going to ready the tools. "Just go ahead and slide off your pants, and have a seat in the chair."

Willow frowned slightly. "Don't I need to pick out a color, or something?"

Maeve winked a violet eye. "Leave that to me." She smiled.

Willow nodded. "Okay." She said, unbuttoning her leather pants, and slipping out of them, standing clad in only her top and her panties.

Spike watched her, his eyes darkening as he growled slightly, feeling himself grow hard as he watched her take off the leather. His growl grew louder when he saw the lacy scrap of panties she was wearing, and ran his eyes down her long, toned legs, again wondering what they would feel like wrapped around his waist as he buried himself in her. He growled again, and his eyes flickered gold.

Willow looked up at the sound of the growl, and froze when she saw Spike staring at her with lustfilled eyes, the color flickering between his normal blue, and the amber of the demon. She was shocked. Spike...wanted her?!

"Okay, Willow, if you'll have a seat, we can get started." Maeve said with a friendly smile, unaware of the tension between the witch and the vampire.

"Okay." Willow replied, looking at Spike for another moment before going to sit in the chair. Maeve disinfected the area of the tattoo with alcohol and wiped it down with gauze. Willow watched somewhat nervously as Maeve picked up one of the needles.

"S'okay, Red." Spike soothed from his chair a few feet away.

Willow smiled weakly, and winced slightly when Maeve started. It hurt at first, but then only stung a little, before the pain vanished completely. Willow looked puzzled, and Maeve smiled at her. "I used a bit of a numbing spell for you, Willow." She said.

"Thank you, Maeve." Willow said sincerely as the woman continued her work, concentrating on the task at hand.

Spike licked his lips, and felt himself harden even more when he saw the ruby red rivulets of blood run down the creamy skin of Willow's thigh as the design was made on her flesh. He growled and started to purr softly as he imagined licking the blood from his mate's skin.

"Done!" Maeve announced happily, stepping back to admire her work.

"Already?" Willow asked, surprised. She hadn't felt hardly any pain at all, just a tingling sensation that wasn't really at all unpleasant. She looked down at it and gasped. "It's beautiful..." She whispered.

The pentacle on her thigh shimmered with color, light blues, pinks, and violets glittering and swirling on the design. "How did you do this?" She whispered, looking at the woman incrediously.

Maeve's eyes glittered with mirth. "A truly great artist never reveals her secret." She teased.

Willow turned to look at the blonde vampire. "Spike, come look."

The bleached blonde made his way over to his witch, and looked at the tattoo, watching the different colors shimmer and swirl. "It's pretty, luv." He told her. He brushed his finger gently along it, catching a drop of blood. He raised it to his lips, licking it off, almost groaning at her taste. "And you taste delicious." He told her huskily.

Willow whimpered softly, feeling moisture pool between her thighs at his husky words. She watched the lust flare in his eyes again as he scented her arousal. Willow pulled on her pants, and smiled at Maeve. "Thank you so much, Maeve." She said sincerely.

Maeve grinned, and waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, Willow. You're very welcome." She smiled at the redhaired beauty. "I put a bit of a protection spell on it, so it will protect you always."

Willow's eyes filled with tears, and she hugged the demon tightly. "Thank you..." She whispered.

The blue-skinned demon just laughed. "You're welcome, Willow. I've been told that you're very important."

"What? By who?" Willow asked curiously.

"The Powers." Maeve replied, smiling. "They have such great plans for you, Willow. You are very, very important to them." She gave the girl a squeeze. She laughed again when she heard the blonde vampire growl as he glared at her. She let the redhead go, and stepped away from her slightly. "I think your vampire is getting jealous."

Willow blushed. "He's-he's not mine..." She stammered.
 

Maeve smiled. "Oh, but he is. His heart belongs to you. He is yours, just as you will be his. It's fated by the Powers." She patted the girl on the arm. "Destiny."

"Red." Spike called, tapping his foot impatiently.

Willow turned to look at him, and smiled. "Okay, okay. Jeez, Spike. Impatient much?"

"Just wanna go, that's all." The blonde replied. And he did want to go. To go take his Red home and shag the hell out of her. He had smelled her arousal for him earlier, and knew she wanted him too. Tonight, he would finally claim his mate.

Maeve walked the two to the door. "It was a pleasure meeting you both."

"Yeah, thanks." Spike growled, handing the demon a handful of bills, pulling the redhead out the door.

Maeve looked at the five crisp hundred dollar bills in her hand. Her brow furrowed. "Oh, this is much too much..." She said, looking up, seeing the two were already long gone. She chuckled, shaking her head slightly as she moved to straighten up. She smiled again, thinking about the redhead. "He is one lucky vampire..."

***

The two walked down the empty Sunnydale street in silence. After a long while, Spike spoke. "So, what were you and the demon chit talking about back there, Red?" He asked. The demon had been talking too softly for him to understand what she was saying.

"N-Nothing." Willow told him, blushing slightly. She was quiet for a moment, and then looked over at him. "Spike?"

"Yeah, luv?" Spike replied, looking back at her.
 

"Do you know what kind of demon Maeve was?" Willow asked curiously.

"Yeah. She was a Valzunia demon. They're aura-readers and messengers for the Powers that Be." Spike replied off-handedly.
 

"Oh." Willow stopped walking, and bit her lip nervously. "Spike, she told me something."

"She did?" Spike asked, turning to face her. "What'd she say, pet?"

"She said I was very important to the Powers, and they had big plans for me. She also said you-you were..." Willow trailed off, embarassed.

Spike raised a brow. "She said I was what, pet?" He asked.

Willow glanced him, before looking away. "Mine."

Spike looked at her for a long moment, stunned. "What?" He finally managed to get out, struggling to control his demon who was demanding he take the redhead and make her his right then and there.

Willow blushed again. "She said I had your heart, you were mine, and I was yours, and we were destined to be together." Willow told him nervously, hoping he didn't hate her or something after hearing this.

Spike was quiet for a long moment. "She said that?" He asked softly.

Willow nodded, still blushing.

"Drusilla told me pretty much the same thing after we arrived in Sunnydale." Spike said.

It was Willow's turn to be stunned. "What?" She asked, shocked.
 

Spike smiled at her. "Yeah, Dru said that 'the stars' told her you were meant to be my mate. She knew how I'd watch you..."

Willow just gaped at him. "Wh-what? You'd watch me?"
 

Spike laughed, stepping closer to her, touching her cheek. "Pet, I've wanted you for years. Wanted to possess you, that fire. Decided you were gonna be mine. I came back here for you. I would of made you my Queen that night if that damn chip in my head hadn't of gone off and ruined everything..." He scowled, remembering that night, and just how much he wanted to bite her, claim her, make her his.

"You did? Really?" Willow asked softly.

Spike stroked her hair. "I did." He nodded. "I love you, pet."

Willow looked at him shyly. "Do...do you think Maeve is right? A-About us?"

"Yes, luv." Spike told her without hesitation. "I do."

Willow looked at the vampire thoughtfully. She had fallen for him sometime during the past few months, but Oz's departure still wounded her deeply. Could she really risk it? Could she really risk being hurt again? She frowned slightly, realizing she was falling back into the habits of the *old* Willow. Scared to take chances, afraid to feel...

Finally, she made a decision, knowing in her heart is was right. She looked up at him, smiling softly. "Spike? I think so too." She whispered, blushing.

Spike's blue eyes lit with hope. "You do?" He whispered. His eyes darkened, and he cupped her face between his hands. "Pet, may I kiss you?" He asked huskily.

Willow nodded. "Please." She whispered. The word had barely left her mouth when Spike crushed his lips to hers, kissing her passionately, pulling her against him.

Spike kissed his goddess, purring softly as he tasted her soft lips, feeling her warm body against his. "I love you, pet." He whispered against her lips, swinging her into his arms, making her giggle. He purred and nuzzled her neck as he carried her back to his crypt. He laid her down on his bed, and just looked at her marveling at just how *right* his beautiful Fire Goddess looked in his bed. "Mine." He growled, his eyes flashing amber.

Willow nodded. "Yours." She whispered.

Spike removed his duster, and took of his black t-shirt. "Mine." He repeated, lovingly.

Willow stared at him with lustfilled eyes, looking at his pale, muscled chest. "What-what are you doing?" She asked softly.

"I'm taking what's mine." He growled, moving over her, kissing her deeply. He pulled back, staring into her emerald eyes. It suddenly occured to him that she was wearing far too many clothes. He let out a growl, and ripped her top from her body. Willow gasped. "Spike, that was *new*!" She exclaimed.

Spike grinned, nipping at her neck. "I'll buy you a new one, pet. Promise."

"You better." Willow giggled.

He growled softly, seeing her perfect breasts incased in the lacy bra. "Beautiful." He murmured, nuzzling the silk-clad mounds, suckling her nipples through the fabric, making her whimper. She threaded her fingers through his hair, holding him in place, mewing softly. He pulled back, chuckling at her mewl of displeasure, pleased she was so affected by his touch. "Just a second, baby." He purred. "You're still wearing too many clothes..." He moved his hands down her body, caressing her, unbuttoning her leather pants, sliding his hand inside, making her moan.

"Lift your hips, baby." He purred, sliding the leather down her body. He moved back and just stared at her, his purring growing louder. "So lovely." He murmured. She was stunning, and she was finally, *finally* his. "Spike, please..." Willow whimpered, her eyes full of lust and need.

"Shh." He purred, lowering his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply. He slid a hand inside her panties, fingering her wet folds, making her cry out against his lips. Spike growled, listening to her soft noises and cries of pleasure. He resisted the urge to take her hard and fast. He wanted their first time, their first mating, to be something she would always remember fondly during their eternity together. Bloody hell, he really was turning into a poofter! He looked back down at the half naked goddess writhing beneath him, and smiled. He may be a poofter, but if this was his reward, it was worth it. He stroked her with his fingers, impatient to be buried inside her. He pulled his hand from her panties, making her whimper in disappointment. He chuckled. "Still wearing too many clothes, luv." He purred, ripping her bra and then her panties from her.

"Those...were...new...too!" Willow panted, barely able to think coherently due to the pleasure she was experiencing.

Spike smirked wickedly. "I'll buy you new ones, but I'll probably just rip those, too. On second thought, maybe you should just forgo the panties, pet, we'd probably save a lot of money that way..."

"Spike!" Willow exclaimed. She felt like she was going to go crazy with need, and he wanted to hold a damn conversation!

"What?" He asked. Seeing the look of need on her face, he smiled sheepishly. "Oh, sorry, baby." He murmured, sliding his a finger back in her, making her sigh in pleasure. He brought her to the edge, and stopped, making her cry out, tossing her head from side to side, her eyes feverish with need. "Spike..." She whimpered.

Spike chuckled huskily, pleased at being the cause of her frustration. "Yes, pet?" He purred. He felt his already painfully hard cock harden even more and start to throb when she let out a sound that sounded remarkably like a growl. He chuckled again. "Need something, baby?" He murmured, brushing his lips over hers.

Willow whimpered again, trailing her hand down her body to finger her clit, her body shaking with her need for release. She gasped, and her eyes rolled back as she started to finger herself. Spike let out a deep snarl, almost cumming in his pants from watching her. He grabbed her hand, replacing it with his own. "Let me do that, sweets." He murmured, growling softly, latching on to one of her nipples, suckling greedily, purring as he tasted the silky skin. He pumped two fingers in her, growling his own pleasure when he heard the screams of hers. He felt her muscles tighten around his fingers, and her warm juices coating his hand.

Spike let out a feral growl, unable to take anymore. He had to possess her *now*. He swiftly removed his pants, and thrust his aching cock into her, making her scream. "MineMineMineMine..." He snarled as he took her, howling as she raked her nails down his back, drawing blood, the pain-pleasure sensation driving him wild. He tangled his fingers in her red tresses, yanking her head back, wanting to see his beautiful mate's face as she came. "Come for me, sweetheart." He purred. "I want to watch you cum, baby. Give yourself to me..." He encouraged, watching as she stiffened beneath him, and screamed his name, sinking her blunt teeth into his shoulder as she orgasmed.
 

Spike exploded into his own orgasm when he felt his love bite him. He roared, and filled her with his seed. He pulled her limp body into his arms, placing soft kisses on her lips. "Mine. Mate." He growled, still in game face, staring at her with amber eyes.

"Your mate." Willow replied sleepily, snuggling against him, reaching up to stroke the ridges on his forehead.

Spike closed his gold eyes and purred in pleasure. His game face melted away, and he looked at her with blue eyes. "I love you, baby." He whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"I love you too, Spike." Willow breathed, her eyes closing as she rested her head on his chest. Spike curled around her protectively, purring softly as he stroked her hair. "Mine." He whispered, kissing his mark on her neck and closing his eyes, following his mate into slumber as he held her in his arms.

***

Spike awoke hours later with a groan, feeling his Red's hot mouth sucking on his throbbing member. "Baby..." He purred, tangling his fingers in her hair, still wondering if all of this was a dream, still unable to believe that he really had her, and she was finally his. He growled as he came, pulling her to him, kissing her deeply. "Morning, baby." He chuckled against her lips. He saw his bite on her neck, and knew that he wasn't dreaming. This was real. And he couldn't be happier. He smiled at his mate, eyes full of love and mischief. "You know, luv, I really think I like the new you!"

THE END.

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