"You're angry," Willow stated as she watched her sire
staring out
across the hilltop.
Spike forced the tension from his body and placed his
hand on her ass,
"Not with you, baby. Damn him! He's taken everything
from me for as
long as I can remember."
"He won't take me," she promised.
He looked down at her, "Won't he?"
"No. I love you, Spike."
He smiled sadly, "I believe that, Willow. Dru loved me, too."
She took his hand and nipped at his fingertips, "I'm not
Dru. I'm not
anything remotely like her."
"No, you're not," he agreed.
"Do you wish I were?" she asked.
He groaned and pulled her against him, "No, luv. Drucilla
was what
Angelus made her. She was never really mine. I filled
a void that
Angelus refused to even acknowledge existed. Even after
everything he
did to her, he was still all she wanted. Willow, I won't
lose you to
him."
She leaned against him, resting her head on his silent
chest, "I don't
want Angel. Please believe that."
Spike placed a kiss on her head, "I believe you mean it,
pet, but he's
already gotten to you. He makes you see him the way you
used to."
Willow drew back and looked up at him, "I see you the
way you are.
Angel was never what you are. He never could be. He won't
take me away
from you."
Spike clutched her close to him and kissed her, tired
of hearing
Angel's name on her lips.
"Hungry, luv?" he asked.
"Yes," she smiled
***
Angel sat on the steps of the apartment building. Stopping
Willow had
only been a temporary solution to a serious problem.
He'd managed to
convince Kirsten he'd found her on her front lawn near
her car. There
had been no vampires, no abduction, just a jumbled dream,
the effect of
the blow to the side of her face and a lapse into unconsciousness.
She had begged Angel not to tell Xander about her delusional
apparition. There was no need to upset him, and he'd
had enough of
demons without having to worry that she was having nightmares
about
them.
If only Willow were as easily persuaded. He needed to
talk to her
alone, but Spike was making it damn near impossible.
The more time that
elapsed, the more difficult it would become for him to
reach that human
remnant inside her, and it would become increasingly
easier for
Willow's demon to ignore it. He considered approaching
Giles and asking
for his help, but that would necessitate telling him,
at the very
least, that Willow had been turned. It wouldn't take
long for the
perceptive watcher to figure out she was here in Sunnydale.
Too risky.
He'd have to find a way to handle this himself.
***
Willow's mood was dark and quiet. Spike took her hand
as they left the
remains of their victims in the alley.
"What is it, baby?" he asked.
She turned angry eyes on him, "I'm weak!"
"You're not weak," he told her.
"No? I let Xander's little bitch go! What the hell was I thinking?"
"She doesn't matter, pet. You said yourself, she's not
the one you
want," he reminded her.
"No," she agreed. "So let's track down the one I am after.
How do we go
about finding him?"
"He works in an office building across from the post office,"
Spike
told her.
"Doing what?" she wondered.
Spike shrugged, "Probably emptying trash bins. He gets
off work at
6:00, drives home to change clothes, and picks up his
woman for dinner
at 8:00."
Willow was staring at him in shocked silence, "How do
you know all
that?"
"We may have left Sunnyhell, luv, but I never gave up
my position. I've
had two of the boys trailing him every night since we
got here."
She threw her arms around his neck and planted a wet kiss
on his lips,
"You're brilliant!"
Spike chucked and kissed her back, "They're eating Italian tonight."
"How do we get him away from her?" Willow asked.
Spike smiled, "Come on, pet. Let me show you how it's
done."
***
They found Xander's car in the restaurant parking lot.
"Ever flattened a tire, pet?" Spike asked as he drew a
knife from his
pocket and flicked open the sharp, narrow blade.
He knelt at the rear wheel and sliced the tire.
He stood back up and slipped the knife back into his pocket,
"Now, he
can't drive his intended home, and he sure as hell won't
leave her
standing out here while he wrestles with a spare."
"All this trouble just to get him? Why not just grab him
and be done
with it?" Willow suggested.
"Because," he wrapped an arm around her neck. "We don't
want his
beloved screaming to the slayer that her boyfriend was
dragged off by a
tall blonde bloke and a gorgeous redhead."
Willow giggled and turned to kiss him, "I love the way
your mind
works."
Spike led her to a van parked a few spaces away and drew
her around to
the other side. Ten minutes later, Xander and Kirsten
exited the side
door. He stopped as she pointed at the car. Xander stooped
down to
inspect the tire. He spoke quietly to his finacee before
walking her
back to the building and opening the door for her. He
returned to the
car and unlocked the trunk.
"Let me," Willow whispered.
Spike nodded, "I'll be right behind you, baby."
Willow approached slowly and stopped, resting her hand on her hip.
"Need some help?" she asked quietly.
Xander whirled around, and his mouth gaped open at the sight of her.
"Willow!" he gasped. "Willow! What are you--"
Xander's eyes filled with terror as Spike moved in behind his childe.
"Oh, my god!" Xander attempted to sidestep the couple.
"Well, not exactly," Spike smirked as he grabbed Xander's
throat and
slammed the man's head into the raised lid of the trunk.
He dragged the limp body back to the van, threw open the
doors and
hoisted him into the back. Spike climbed up and pulled
Willow in after
him.
"We're stealing a van?" she exclaimed. "The police will
come looking
for it!"
"We're not stealing anything, luv." He turned his head
toward the front
of the van and barked, "Daniel, drive."
Willow laughed out loud as Spike's minion straightened
from his
slouched position behind the wheel and pulled out of
the lot.
"You had this entire thing all planned out!" she said.
Spike grinned, "You said you wanted him, baby. And what
Willow wants,
Willow gets."
End.