Xander's fingers were torn and bloody from trying to pry the nailed
board loose from the window casing. It wasn't working. He sat down
carefully on the cot under the window.

Willow's footsteps echoed on the stairs as she descended them carrying a
tray of food. She placed it on the table beside the cot.

"Feeling any better?" she asked.

He shot her a venomous glare. She sighed and turned to leave.

"When are you going to let me out of here? Or are you planning on
keeping me here like emergency rations?" he asked.

"What's the first thing you'd do if we let you go?" she responded.

"Take a hot shower," he answered.

She shook her head, "You'd run to Buffy, and she'd be on our doorstep,
stake in hand, within minutes."

"What if I promised not to tell?" he asked.

"I'd call you a liar," she said.

"Which is pretty hypocritcal coming from you," he replied.

"I'm not a hypocrite," she told him. "I'm a liar. I admit it."

"You're a vampire with a pulse; that's what you are. Spike might as well
bite you and complete the transformation," he spat.

"That's interesting," she stated. "Is every woman who speaks her mind a
blooksucking fiend, or has that honor been reserved especially for me?"

"Answer one more question for me," he said.

She nodded her consent.

"What do you see in him, aside from a hard fuck?"

"My future," Willow replied. "But the hard fuck's nice, too."
***
"What are we going to do with him?" Willow asked as she and Spike walked
the campus.

"We could drag him to the library and string him up from the rafters by
his--"

"Spike," Willow warned him with a soft giggle.

"I know," he grinned. His hand found hers, and their fingers
intertwined. "We can't let him go, luv."

"But we can't keep him locked in the basement indefinitely, can we?"

"He's safe enough there," he shrugged.

"Okay," she yielded.

"Spike?" Willow said after a short silence.

"Yeah."

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

"The watcher," he answered.

Willow stopped walking, "What?"

"We take the watcher."

"Giles? Are you crazy?" she cried.

He shook his head, "Not him. The other one."

"Wesley? What the hell would you want him for?"

Spike laughed at the disgust in her voice.

"He's such a worm," she told him.

"Still, he's the slayer's guide--"

"Barely," Willow interrupted. "I doubt he could guide her out of a broom
closet."

"The point is, pet, it'll give the rest of them a good shaking," he
explained.

"While they're still dizzy over Xander," Willow said.

"Exactly," he nodded.

"How are we going to get him?" she asked.

"The same way you get to any worm. Dig him out. Want to help?" he
grinned.

"Yes," she answered.

"I thought you might," he chuckled.
***
Wesley started at the loud rap on his door. He closed the book he'd been
reading and dropped it onto the coffee table. He swung the door open and
found himself looking at Willow's frightened expression.

"Wesley! You have to help me," she cried.

"Wil--Miss Rosenburg! What are you doing here? We feared you were dead,"
he told her.

"Please, we have to get Buffy! Hurry!" she grabbed hold of his shirt
sleeve and pulled him out the door.

"Wait. Let me get my jacket," he said.

"There's no time!" she insisted. "We have to hurry!"

The watcher moved away from the safety of the open door and followed the
terror-striken young woman down the sidewalk. Two vampires moved out of
the shadows behind him. Wesley's eyes widened in confusion as he felt a
cold, steely hand clamp over his mouth. His confusion turned to panic as
a blonde demon, who could only be Spike, appeared behind Willow and
enfolded her in his arms.

"That was too easy, pet," Spike said over Willow's shoulder. "Lamb to
the slaughter."

Willow laughed and placed her hands over the ones about her waist, "He's
not exceptionally bright."

"Hmmm, the council's standards have dropped dramatically," Spike noted.
"Oh, well. A watcher's a watcher."
***
"Where are we?" Wesley asked as he looked around the musty basement.

"Somewhere near the community college," Xander answered.

"And you've been here since you went missing?"

Xander nodded, "We have to find a way out of here because I don't think
Spike plans on letting us go while we're still breathing."

"I don't see how we'll ever get past all those demons," Wesley said.
"What is Willow doing with Spike?"

"Belive me; you don't want to know. Don't count on her helping us," he
told Wesley.

"Buffy will find us; I'm sure," Wesley replied.

"You think so? I'm still here," Xander pointed out.

The trembling watcher swallowed hard and scanned the basement for a way
out.
***
"The front door was wide open, and Wesley was no where to be seen,"
Giles said.

"Maybe he stepped out to get the morning paper and got lost," Buffy
suggested.

"This is serious, Buffy. Our numbers are dwindling rapidly," he
admonished her.

"I know," she nodded sadly. "It's almost as if someone had a personal
vendetta against me. If I didn't know better, I'd think it was Spike."

Giles looked at her.

"It can't be Spike. He's dust," she reminded him.

"Is he? Did anyone actually see the minion drive a stake in him?" Giles
asked.

"This isn't his style. He'd have shown himself long ago," Buffy said.

"All the same, I don't think we should dismiss the possibility out of
hand. Check out the lair over by the river. See if there's been any sign
of vampire activity there."

Buffy sighed, "Okay. At least I'll feel like I'm doing something."
***
"You realize the consequences of your actions, don't you?" Wesley asked
Spike.

The vampire looked down at Willow, "Is he for real?"

"Yup," she grinned. "That's our fearless leader."

"And the council threw out Giles in favor of him? Unbelievable."

"You're looking better, Xander," Willow said.

Xander rose from the edge of the cot, "I'm touched by your concern."

"Better?" Wesley repeated. "What did they do to you?"

"Nothing that a good sharp stake wouldn't fix," Xander answered.

Wesley turned his attention to Willow, "Why are you doing this? You're
one of us."

"Don't waste your breath. She can't hear you," Xander advised him.

The watcher took a step toward Willow, "Whatever is wrong, I can help.
Surely you haven't turned your back on your friends in favor of this
evil creature."

Spike positioned himself between his lady and the watcher, "There are
all kinds of evil. You can ask your mate here to explain the evils of
using people in the name of friendship. She's mine now; you'd be wise to
remember that."

"This is insanity!" Wesley said. "Willow, this man will destroy you!"

"This man handed me my self-respect," Willow replied. "You don't know
anything about me. Keep your sage advice to yourself."

Spike grinned and took her hand to lead her out of the basement. Wesley
stepped behind them and clutched Willow's shoulder. She wheeled around
to him, eyes blazing.

"Willow, don't go. You don't know what you're doing," he begged her.

"I know exactly what I'm doing, you blind twit," she sneered. "Get your
hand off me."

"Listen to me!" he pulled at her shoulder, drawing her away from Spike's
side.

The vampire growled threateningly, and his game face emerged as he
advanced on the watcher. Welsey screeched and released Willow to fling
himself behind Xander.

Spike's features resumed their human form, and he gave the trembling man
a pathetic stare. Welsey groaned inwardly, embarrassed by his display of
cowardice, and absolutely mortified by the realization that he had wet
himself.

End.

next