Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Up to BtVS season 5, "The Replacement"
Pairing: W/S
Disclaimer: I only wish I was talented enough to create characters as great as Joss Whedon's, but unfortunately I'm not, so I merely borrow them to play.
Summary: What would happen if it was Willow that was split in two during the Replacement instead of Xander?
Special thanks to my beta Salice. Thank you for all your work and your great suggestions!
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~Part: 1~
They were going on a Toth hunt, and if Giles' sniffer was accurate, they were in the right place. Willow crinkled her nose delicately.
"The city dump. Where smells go to relax and be themselves," Buffy quipped.
She walked along carrying a large ax, trailed by Giles, Riley, Xander and Willow. They were looking for the demon that had dropped in on the watcher's new magic shop earlier in the day. They weren't sure exactly what it was this creature wanted, but it had been looking for the Slayer. When a demon is seeking out a slayer, it can never be a good thing, so they decided to take the initiative to find him first.
Giles had gotten a distinctive impression from this tall robed figure in the form of an atrocious smell. Thus, their trip to the city dump in the hopes of finding Toth.
"People say they're recycling," Riley shook his head in disagreement. "They're not recycling."
Xander clapped him on the shoulder in sympathetic agreement, making a face of his own at the odors surrounding them.
"I found a spell so you can't smell anything, but it does it by taking your nose off, so. . .no," the young witch shrugged apologetically.
Muffled sounds of someone digging through the trash drew the group's attention and they quietly slipped around a heap of garbage and came across Spike doing his best homeless person impression, shopping cart and all.
"What are *you* doing here, Spike?" Riley relaxed his stance slightly, but still aimed a crossbow at the vampire.
The blond stood up, a cigarette dangling from his lips and an arm in his hand.
'Oh, Goddess! An arm!' Willow thought she might be sick, then took a closer look in the dim light and let loose a sigh of relief. A *mannequin* arm. Better some poor mannequin be laying around armless than a human being.
"Oh, there's a nice lady vampire who set up a charming tea room over the next pile of crap," his sarcastic reply was emphasized as he waved the arm toward the next nearest heap of trash. "What do you think I'm doing? I'm scavengin', ain't I?" The vampire held up a small lamp to indicate his newest find in his other hand.
"Very pretty," the redhead offered.
Spike nodded his head in acceptance of her compliment. "Thanks, pet." He turned and added the arm to his other assorted finds in the shopping cart.
Giles looked over the vampires collection of junk before asking, "Spike, um ... we're looking for a demon, um. . .tall, robed, skin sort of hanging off. Deep voice?"
The blond casually leaned against the cart. "You mean a great tall robe-y thing like that one?" He pointed behind the group of Scoobies.
The gang turned to see a large dark figure standing behind them. The demon aimed his staff at the group and a fiery bolt rushed from the glowing end toward them. The Scoobies ducked just in the nick of time, an avalanche of rubbish toppled as the magical jolt hit a heap behind them.
"Take cover," Riley yelled.
Spike grinned at the demon. "Big guy! Kick her ass!"
Toth let loose another bolt of magic, separating the group as they dove in opposite directions. Buffy and Willow dodged right, while the men dove to the left. The charge hit Spike's lamp, still held in his hand, and shattered it.
He looked at Toth, angry now. "Oh, very nice! I was on your side!" The vampire threw aside the remains of his demolished lamp.
The demon paid Spike no heed as he grabbed his shopping cart and began pushing it away, mumbling about bloody inconsiderate demons with bad aim. Toth aimed his staff again at the Slayer, then released another mystical bolt of light.
Willow saw the charge heading straight for her best friend, and for a second everything felt as if it were moving in slow motion. She flung herself toward the slayer, pushing Buffy out of the way. She heard the others yelling, but it sounded as if they were a world away. Then there was pain, and she was being thrown back into a pile of trash as the power of the demon's staff slammed into her back.
"Willow!" The Slayer rushed to her friend's side, finding her moaning in pain, but alive.
"Wills, are you OK?" Xander dropped to his knees, his hands hovering over her, fluttering, wanting to touch her to reassure himself she was OK, but afraid of hurting her.
Giles stood silent, worry etched on his face for the redhead.
Riley looked around for Toth. "Guys, he's gone."
"I'm OK," the redhead whispered, standing on shaky legs with her friends assistance. She swayed slightly, dazed.
Xander looked down at his best friend, dark brown locks of hair falling into his eyes as he steadied her. "Easy, Wills.
Giles turned to scan the dump with Riley. "He simply disappeared?"
"Looks that way," Riley answered, still wary. "Maybe we should just get Willow out of here for now, worry about Toth later."
"Retreat," Xander asked.
"Live to fight another day," the former commando nodded in agreement.
Buffy slid an arm around the still dazed redhead and slowly helped her walk out of the dump, Xander on her other side, kept a keen eye out in case the demon returned. Giles picked up Buffy's ax to follow and Riley brought up the rear as the group left the dump.
No one noticed the still figure laying half buried beneath a pile of garbage beyond where Willow had been thrown. A fall of red hair covered the face of the unconscious girl as the voices of the Scoobies faded away in the night.
*************************************
The gang made their way back to Giles' apartment, which was the closest. The former watcher checked over the blushing redhead, verifying there were no wounds created on her back from the demon's blast.
"What sensation did you feel from the charge, Willow," the older man asked as he gently tugged the back of her T-shirt down over her unblemished back.
"Well, it kind of burned, in a fireball kinda way, not like a mild sunburn burn, and it just knocked the heck out of me." She didn't want to meet Giles' eyes. He was like a father and had treated all of the Scoobies' various injuries over the years, but it still embarrassed her to have him lifting the back of her shirt like that. Especially with the others in the room.
"It knocked her a good ten, fifteen feet, Giles," the slayer said. Her worried gaze went to the quiet redhead and she wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Buffy then cringed delicately at the smell radiating from the girl. "Are you sure you feel OK, Wills?"
"I'm fine, Buffy," the young woman blushed again. Everyone in the room was looking at her. She really hated being the center of attention. It brought back reminders of the high school talent show. "Giles, I hate to be a bother, but, ummmm,. . ." She looked everywhere but at the people in the room. "I stink really bad. Can I use your shower? And borrow something to wear home?"
"Of course. You know where the towels are kept," the former librarian offered.
Buffy volunteered, "And I have a change of clothes in the spare room in case of emergencies like this. Why don't you just wear that?"
"OK, ummm, thanks guys." The redhead skittered out of the living room and headed upstairs for a change of clothes.
Xander frowned as he followed his friend's progress. "Do you think she's OK? She's acting, well, I haven't seen her act like this in years. She looks like a scared rabbit."
Riley nodded his agreement. "She is, but then again, she had a bad scare tonight. It's no wonder she's a little shaken up."
Buffy sat down on the couch. "Riley's right. I'm sure she'll be fine after a good night's rest. You guys go on home. I'll walk Wills back to the dorm when she's done with her shower."
"Maybe," Xander said softly, his gaze still fixed on the staircase. He shook himself free of bad thoughts. Riley was right. Willow had taken a hard hit tonight and was probably pretty luck to be alive. "All right, Buff, G-man, see you all tomorrow."
Riley leaned over and gave his girlfriend a kiss goodnight. "Take care of her, hmm? And you be careful too."
"I will. G'nite honey." She kissed her boyfriend back and grinned as he straightened, blushing when saw Xander's knowing smile.
"Come on, Commando Man. Give a guy a lift home," Xander said, opening the front door.
The two left, and the smile faded from Buffy's face as she turned her attention to Giles. "What do you think that blast was supposed to do? I mean she seems fine, a little shaky, but fine. Do you think there will be any aftereffects?"
"I'll look into it tonight, and try to find further information on this Toth and his powers. I think the best thing for Willow will be a good night's rest. She's been overworking herself between school, helping you patrol and working on her magics with Tara."
Buffy nodded. "Right. I'm sure after a good night's sleep, Wills will be back to her happy Willowy self."
************************************************
Willow felt the sun warm her face and she turned on her side, trying to block the rays from bleeding red through her thin eyelids. She felt something ookie against her cheek and opened her eyes. She wasn't in her bed. She wasn't in the dorm. She sat up, looked around the dump, and brushed the ookie, rotting banana peel from her cheek. The redhead had just one thought run through her mind.
"What the hell?"
~Part: 2~
Willow sat on the edge of her dorm bed, brushing her hair. Her back was still a little sore from last night, but not nearly as bad is she had thought it would be.
She felt the bed shift as her girlfriend crawled up behind her and wrapped an arm around Willow's shoulders. The blond nuzzled her neck and the young witch fought the urge to squirm uncomfortably.
"Hi, sweetie. How do you feel this morning?"
"Ummmm, OK, thanks. Tara. . .," she tried to gently disentangle herself from the arm wrapped around her torso. "Tara, I've got to get to class."
Her girlfriend gently cupped her left breast and teased her nipple taut. "You've got over an hour until you first class. It's Thursday, remember?"
Willow jumped up from the bed, blushing wildly. She couldn't meet Tara's eyes. This just felt. . .wrong. "I, umm, I need to go to the library first. Yeah. I need to get a book for my American Lit paper. Research! You know me, research girl. Gotta go."
The redhead scrambled madly around the room as she spoke, gathering up her books, tossing them in her bag and grabbing a sweater. She turned at the door, looking at a confused Tara. "I'm sorry," Willow whispered. "I've got to go."
Then she was gone. Tara was left gaping at the closed door. 'Well, that was. . .odd,' she thought. The blond shrugged to herself. 'Maybe she's just still sore from last night.'
The witch frowned. She hated that her girlfriend was involved in something so dangerous. She hated it even more when she got hurt, but she understood. Buffy and Xander were her best friends, and Willow felt she needed to help keep them safe. She'd been so upset when Buffy walked the redhead home last night and told Tara what had happened. Willow could have been killed. Tears filled the sensitive blonde's eyes.
Tara had wanted to comfort her girlfriend and hold her last night, but Willow had complained that her back hurt, so she slept in the other bed that normally only got used if they had company stay over.
The blond looked at the door again and sighed. Well, if she wasn't going to get any Willow smoochies this morning, she might as well go get some breakfast at the campus diner. Tara grabbed her jacket and headed out the door.
***********************************************
Willow gagged as she got a good whiff of herself upon entering her dorm. A hot shower with half a bottle of body wash was definitely in order. She reached into her pocket for her room key and groaned when she realized she must have lost it last night. Her R.A. was just walking past, and luckily the redhead was able to convince him to get the spare key and let her in her room.
She walked in and picked up the phone, immediately calling Giles. She hoped everyone was OK. Somebody better have gotten hurt in order for them to leave her there overnight. Not that she wanted any of her friends hurt, but. . .it's just the principle of the matter. They shouldn't have left her.
She grabbed her shower basket, noticing that everything was wet. Hmmm, Tara must have grabbed hers by mistake this morning. She held up the bottle of bodywash. Three-fourths full. Thank the Goddess. The witch tapped her foot impatiently as the watcher's phone rang and rang. A worried frown began to mar her smooth brow. 'Oh, no! What if something really did happen to all of her friends last night?'
Just as the thought crossed her mind, a groggy British voice answered the phone. "'Ello?"
"Giles? Giles, are you OK?" Willow twirled her hair around a finger, then quickly pulled it away when she came into contact with something wet and gooey. She wiped her hand clean on her ruined jeans.
"Willow?" Giles sat up in bed. "Willow, is that you?"
"Uh-huh. Is everyone OK?"
The watcher was puzzled. "Everyone? Yes. Everyone's fine. How are *you* feeling this morning?"
"Everyone's fine?"
"Yes, Willow. Buffy, Xander, Riley and myself are all fine. My question still stands. How are you this morning? We were all quite worried about you last night after our encounter with Toth." He reached for his glasses on the night stand, slipping them on and adjusting them properly.
"You were worried about me," Willow asked slowly.
"Yes. You were quite dazed last night. I take it you made it home all right?"
"Dazed?" Willow was lost. 'What the hell is going on,' crossed her mind for not the first time that morning.
"Willow, do you remember anything from last night," Giles asked, becoming quite worried at the girl's seeming confusion.
"Not really, Giles. Not after seeing the demon shoot his stick-thingy at Buffy."
"Hmmm, I didn't see any signs of concussion last night. Your eyes focused quite nicely. Maybe the trauma has caused you to repress the memories," the watcher suggested.
"Yeah. That must be it. Umm, Giles, I'm going to now. Umm, to shower. And think. I'll see you later for research?" Willow's head was pounding. Maybe she had told them all she was OK and when she went to walk home, collapsed. That must be it. 'Can't tell Giles that. He worries enough about us as it is.'
"Willow, are you sure. . ."
"I'm fine. I'm gonna go. I'll see you at the Magic Box later."
"Right, then. All right. See you later then."
"Bye, Giles."
Willow hung up the phone, even more confused than when she woke up in the dump. She felt something slimy trickle down her neck and shuddered. She could worry more about this later. Right now the only thing she needed was a hot shower.
**********************************************
Willow sat outside the building her first class was held on a park bench. What was wrong with her? Why was Tara's touch making her feel . . .wiggy? She loved Tara, right? They were soulmates.
She looked around at the people passing by and saw a boy from her Poly Sci class. He had tried to hit on her one day at the campus cafeteria, but then Tara had walked over and sat her tray down on the table. When the blond witch had leaned over to give Willow a soft slow kiss, the boy had blushed, backing away. "Sorry, didn't know you swung that way. My mistake."
At the time, she had found it hilarious. Now, she just felt, well, not ashamed, but maybe embarrassed was the word she was looking for. Did *everyone* have to know she was a lesbian? Was it really necessary? Tara didn't mind being openly affectionate in public and Willow hadn't before either. So what had changed?
************************************************
Willow got out of the shower, sniffing herself to make sure the large amount of bodywash she used had done the job. After tugging on her robe, the redhead grabbed her shower basket and padded down the hall toward her dorm room.
She saw Josh, who lived a few doors down from her and Tara, heading down the hall in her direction. Why hadn't she ever noticed before what a hottie he was? He always flirted with her in a teasing kinda way. She took in his black wavy hair and crystal blue eyes. His jeans fit him snugly and the V-neck sweater he wore hung off his broad shoulders just so. 'Yummy!'
"Hey Willow, how's it going," he asked as they came within speaking distance.
"Hi Josh. How are you?"
"I'm good," he grinned, looking down at the shower dampened redhead. "And you look good enough to eat." Josh waggled his eyebrows at her. He liked the petite redhead. She was always sweet and fun to tease, and how adorable was she when she blushed? Too bad she had a girlfriend.
"Hungry?" Willow grinned up at the surprised guy in a preditorial fashion.
"Huh?" Well, that was eloquent of him.
Willow laughed, then stepped close, running a hand over the soft sweater covering a firm chest. "I asked if your were hungry." The redhead let her fingers trace the lines of his pecs through the knitted material.
Josh laughed nervously. "OK, I get it. Tease Josh back day. Right, getting back at me for all the flirting. Did Tara put you up to it?" He covered her hand with his own, stilling its exploration of his chest.
"Tara? She didn't put me up to anything. Sometimes a girl just has certain. . .needs, that other girls can't fill, ya know?" Willow's hand holding her shower basket moved around behind the poor guy, and she gave his firm derriere a good pinch. "If you get hungry enough, you know where to find me."
The redhead stood on her tiptoes and pulled a shocked Josh down for a passionate kiss. She pulled back, nodding her head with satisfaction of the confusion and lust she saw there. "Remember, you know where I live. See ya around Josh."
The dark haired man stood gaping after the redhead as she walked down the hallway, swinging her shower basket as well as her hips. He held a hand up to his scorched lips. "Who the hell was that?"
~Part: 3~
Willow entered her dorm room and looked at the clock. If she was going to make class, she’d better get her derriere in gear. She tossed her shower basket in the corner, opened her closet and riffled through the clothes in there, hanger by hanger. With each passing minute the look of disgust on her face increased. "What on earth was I thinking," the redhead asked herself, pulling out a particularly gaudy purple, orange and gold ankle-length skirt.
Willow looked at the digital alarm clock on the night stand and weighed her options. She could rush around like a chicken with its head cut off to get ready for class and still miss the first ten minutes of the lecture. . .*OR* . . . The redhead grinned as she dug through her jewelry box and whipped out a gold card.
"Thank you Mom and Dad," she giggled, kissing the plastic which, her parents had lectured, was only to be used in case of an emergency. She looked at her closet in distaste once more. "I think my current wardrobe would qualify as an emergency."
Willow stripped off her robe and grabbed a pair of panties from her drawer. She slid them on, rolling her eyes at the tiny yellow flowers covering them. "I’ve got some *serious* shopping to do today."
************************************************
Willow sat in class and slouched down in her seat. Each time the professor asked a question and no one responded she called upon the redhead for an answer. What did she look like? A walking Encyclopedia Britanica? Sheesh! Everyone was looking at her, just like in high school. She could hear their thoughts now. "Teacher’s pet." "Suck up!" "Know it all!" Couldn’t her professor just leave her alone to take notes like all of the other students?
As soon as Professor Morris said the words, "That will be all for today. . .," Willow was sliding her notes and book into her bag, and she was out the door like a shot. She wandered over to the library and found a table in the back upper floor at which to study. She needed some quiet time.
She had just settled down, nose pressed into her botany text, when Willow felt soft lips against the nape of her neck.
"Eeep!" She spun around, her hand halfway into her bag to grasp her holy water when she saw her attacker. "Tara! You scared me."
"Sorry, sweetie." The blond witch sat down next to her girlfriend. "Are you still freaked out by last night? Do you feel OK?" She lightly rubbed Willow’s back and watched the girl flinch.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you," she fussed.
Willow felt bad. Yes, her back was still a little tender where she’d been hit by the demon’s energy blast, but that wasn’t the reason she shied away from Tara’s touch. It just made her feel. . .odd, and not in a good way. She turned her head to hide the tears forming in her eyes. What was wrong with her? How could she love Tara so much one day and cringe at her touch the next? She needed to talk to Giles. The demon must have done something to her.
"You just startled me, that’s all Tara. Ummm, I’m kinda tired. I think I’m going to go, uh, lay down." Willow gathered her books and shoved them in her bag.
"Oh. . .OK," the blond witch stuttered. "You do that. Y. . .You had a rough night. I’ve got class, but I’ll stop in and check on you later."
Willow nodded mutely and quickly left the library. Tara watched her depart. "She didn’t kiss me good-bye again," she whispered.
************************************************
The redhead giggled with glee as she held up a black silk demi-cup bra. "Ohhh, this feels nice." She ran it over her hand, and the material felt so smooth. Willow grinned and added it to her growing pile of lingerie. Silk, satin, lace. They made up the majority of her purchases. She was about to head to the counter to checkout when she saw a sales sign perched on a display table.
"Oooooh, G-strings, buy two, get one free. I’ve always wanted to try these. Guess it’s my lucky day," she thought as she zeroed in on the table and began picking through its contents.
*************************************************
Willow began to head back to her dorm room, then switched directions to head off campus. She needed some time to think and that wasn’t going to happen with Tara checking up on her every couple hours.
The redhead dug in her bag and produced a key chain. She verified it was the one with her parent’s house key on it. Maybe a little alone time at her old house would help her figure out what went so wrong between yesterday and today.
Within twenty minutes she was standing on her front steps, opening the door and entering. Willow picked up the mail scattered in the front hallway and laid it on the entryway table. If she recalled correctly, her parents were at a conference on parenting in Atlanta. She had rolled her eyes when she found out her mother was to be a speaker on dealing with difficult teen phases. Rule one, if you find out your daughter’s a witch, don’t try to burn her at the stake. It doesn’t work out for all concerned.
Willow made her way upstairs to her room, tossing her bag on the computer chair and throwing herself face down on the bed. She hugged her pillow close and breathed in the familiar smell of the fabric softener her mother bought. Maybe she would just take a little nap. She was still kinda tired. Nap now, think later. The redhead yawned and snuggled down in her own bed to sleep.
*************************************************
By the time Willow was done with her shopping spree she had put quite a dent in the "emergency funds" allocated to her gold card. The witch looked down at all of the bags she was hauling around and sighed. How on earth was she going to get all of this back to campus? She hadn’t planned that far ahead.
She tapped her black booted foot and took a second to admire her newest and favorite outfit. The black leather pants hugged curves she had never even known she had, and were slung low on her hips. The lime green silk halter ended at mid-stomach, leaving a pale expanse of skin exposed and accentuating her narrow waist, navel and curved hips. Her new black heeled boots completed the outfit.
Willow ran a hand through her freshly styled red locks. It fell in mussed waves around her face, and jagged tousled bangs emphasized her green eyes. She had also had a massage, a facial and a pedicure. All in all a good day spent. Cordelia would have been proud of her. That brought a smile to the witch’s face. The clothes she picked out were definitely not the softer side of Sears.
The day was growing increasingly warm and she was just debating whether she should call a cab to get back to the dorms when she was bumped from behind. Strong hands steadied her and lingered a bit longer than necessary on her bare shoulders.
"Sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t see you there," a voice purred above her ear. Willow rolled her eyes at the familiar voice and turned.
"Rosenberg?!" Percy West eyeballed the stunning woman in front of him and the look of shock on his face was replaced with one of appreciation.
"Hi, Percy. How are you?" Willow stood with a hand on her hip, head cocked at the jock.
"I’m good, and you look great." The look of appreciation was quickly turning to a leer.
The redhead resisted to urge to tell her former tutoree to look up because that’s not where her eyes were located. She then saw the keys in his hands. Car keys. Hmmm.
"Thanks. You don’t look like you’ve let yourself go either," Willow forced herself to smile up at the former high school basketball star. "What are you doing here?"
"Huh?" Percy finally raised his eyes from her breasts at the newest question. "Oh, shopping for my grandma’s birthday present." He held up a bag from Spencer’s. Willow didn’t even want to know.
"Percy," she pouted and moved a bit closer, "I didn’t expect to get as much as I did." She looked down at the dozen or so bags sitting around her feet. "Do you think you could give me a lift back to UC Sunnydale’s dorms?"
"Well, I kinda promised my dad I would. . .," he trailed off as the redhead trailed a finger down his chest.
"Please. Pretty please," she smiled up at him, tilting her head to the side.
"Well, I guess it’s not really that far," he shot a goofy grin at her.
Willow picked up the pink and white striped bags that held all of her new yummy undies. "Could you grab those for me," she asked, batting her eyes and looking at the other nine bags laying on the ground.
Soon Willow was following a loaded up Percy through the parking lot toward his car. This was just way too easy, the witch grinned.
~Part: 4~
Willow released a sigh of relief, and leaned back against the door she had just shut. Getting rid of Percy had been harder than she had thought. For someone of so few brain cells, he sure was a smarmy thing. But, hey, free ride home, he carried all of her bags up to her room for her, and he even invited her to a frat party that night on campus. One of his buddies from high school belonged to the house, and she vaguely remembered Percy’s fellow jock. His name brought to mind a crew cut, letterman jacket and no neck.
Willow had started to feel kinda bad about using her former classmate. . .until he groped her ass, that is. She had thanked him sweetly, told him she would think about tonight and pushed him out the door, closing it in his face. Why is it always the ones you don’t want groping you are the ones that do. . .not that she’d had that much gropage experience, mind you.
The redhead became lost in her lusty thoughts as she began putting her new clothes away. Visions of bleached blond hair and blue eyes came to mind. Hmmm, Spike. Now there was a bad boy. Evil vampire. Oh, and those tight black jeans and the T-shirt fairly painted onto his well-defined chest. Definitely grope-worthy. The only problem with that? He hated her. Not just her in particular, but all of the Scoobies, and especially the Slayer. He made that clear on a regular basis.
Sighing, Willow continued hanging up the results of her shopping spree. She was so lost in thought, the redhead didn’t hear the door open at first.
"W..W..Willow?" Tara stared at the girl who appeared to be her girlfriend, but not. The blond took in the leather pants, shimmering halter top and heeled boots with wide blue eyes. Her hair had been styled and tousled in a manner that reminded Tara of how the redhead looked after they made love.
The witch looked up from one of her bags and smiled over her shoulder at her girlfriend. "Hey, Baby, how are you?"
"I...I’m fine. How a..a..are you? Do you feel OK? How’s your back?"
"It’s fine. A little tender, but look," the redhead looked at her girlfriend curiously. How had she known about her back? She turned around and showed Tara her smooth pale skin exposed by the backless halter she wore. "Not a mark."
The blond gave her girlfriend a wobbly smile. "I’m glad you seem to be feeling better. When Buffy told me what happened I was so worried. And then this morning. . ."
"I know. I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what happened, but I’m OK, really Tara," Willow tried to assure her. She was certain her girlfriend had been worried when she didn’t come home last night. She must have run into Buffy on campus, and she told her about the fight in the dump.
"Umm, s..s..so, you went shopping? I thought you would be laying down," Tara said, walking closer and beginning to help Willow hang the clothes on hangers. She tried to hide her shock at some of the things her girlfriend picked out. They were sexy and some even revealing. Willow didn’t do sexy and revealing, unless they were alone.
"I am a little tired, and I thought about taking a nap, but then. . .shopping!" The redhead held up a black lace bra and matching G-string. "You like?"
The blond blushed. "They’re very, umm, lacy. So, uh, you skipped class your last class?" She was concerned. Willow was acting very oddly. Her mood swings today had Tara thrown for a loop.
"Yeah. I figured I could get the notes off of Nate. You’ve met him, remember? Tall, blond, yummy and oh, those hazel eyes you could drown in. We ran into him at the bookstore a couple weeks ago."
Tara did remember. She also recalled the handsome blond had been flirting with her girlfriend right in front of her. Willow had been oblivious, and told Tara he was just being friendly. The blond witch thought he had been a little too friendly. Nate had been touching her girlfriend’s hand and shoulder a bit too much for her liking.
"I..I thought you s..s..said he wasn’t your type," she said softly, staring accusingly at her girlfriend.
"Nate? He’s not. He’s a nice guy, but a little too soft," Willow commented as she cut the tags off her new bra.
"What do y..y..you mean, s..s..soft," Tara questioned as the redhead pulled more clothes from another bag.
"Don’t get me wrong. Nate’s sweet and all. Very cute, but not really all that assertive. He’s a little wishy-washy for my tastes."
Willow missed the hurt look on Tara’s face. "You don’t like soft? I thought you s..s..said you liked soft. I always thought you liked being the aggressive one."
"I do, baby, but not all the time. Sometimes you just need a change." Willow continued shoving her older clothes to the back of the closet to make room for the new.
"W..w..what are you saying, Willow," Tara whispered. Was Willow tired of her? Was she not enough?
The redhead rolled her eyes. Tara was great, but sometimes she was so insecure and needed her hand held. She was always the passive one in their relationship. Sometimes Willow just wanted more. Lately, she had been needing more, more often, and it was starting to get to her. She really didn’t feel like fighting right now though, so she would pacify her girlfriend then head out for a bite to eat.
"I’m not saying anything, Tara. I’m just stating that a little spice is good for a relationship sometimes. Look, baby, I know you’ve got class, and I’m kinda hungry. I’m going to head over to the cafeteria." She finished hanging up the last pair of velvet hip huggers and kissed her girlfriend passionately, surprising the blond with the force behind it.
"Uh, OK. W..W..Willow, are you s..s..sure you’re feeling OK?" Tara touched her bruised lips gingerly.
The redhead turned in the doorway and winked at her. "I’m fine, Tara. Stop being such a worry wart. Oh, I’m supposed to meet with Giles, and there’s this thing I might go to tonight. I ran into someone from high school and they invited me. Wanna come with?"
"I c..c..can’t. I have that paper due Thursday, and a test tomorrow." Tara motioned to the stack of books on her desk.
Willow just nodded. "OK, well, I’ll try not to make too much noise when I come home. I’ll see you in the morning."
Tara watched the door close behind her girlfriend and stared at it in shock. She would see her in the morning? How late did Willow plan to be out?
*************************************************
The redhead walked quickly through the streets, peering nervously over her shoulder periodically. She hadn’t meant to sleep this late and now the last rays of the sun were disappearing behind the buildings, leaving her to hurry through the shadows.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Willow muttered to herself. "How could I have overslept? Now I have to run halfway across town in the dark."
She gripped the stake in her jacket pocket tightly and darted a furtive glance behind her again. That’s probably why she didn’t see the body that leapt out in front of her until she ran smack into a firmly muscled chest.
"Aaaaccccckkkkk!!!" The redhead screamed, jumping back and withdrawing her stake.
"Put the wood away, Red, it’s just me." The bored voice of the shadowy figure in front of her held a decidedly familiar British accent. When the vampire took a step out into the dim light cast from the streetlight, Willow released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
"Spike, you scared me," the redhead accused in a voice quavering with residual fear. She even stomped her foot for good measure.
The blond stepped closer, bent his head to her neck and inhaled deeply. "That I did, Witch, and the fear smells bloody marvelous. Not too often I get to frighten humans nowadays, what with the Slayer ridin’ my arse nightly."
Willow backed away nervously, pocketing the stake as she went. "Right, well, uh. . ." The redhead looked around, trying to avoid his gaze. Spike’s eyes focused on her made her nervous. Her tummy got all fluttery when he looked at her with those deep blue eyes. It must be the fear. That had to be it, the fear left over from when he kidnaped her and again from when he attacked her in her dorm room a few months back.
"Headin’ over to see the Watcher at the magic shop, eh pet?" Spike lit the cigarette dangling between his lips with a snap of his lighter.
"Uh, yeah. I’m running a little later than I thought I would be. I meant to get there before sunset." The redhead rubbed her arms and looked suspiciously at the shadows lengthening around them.
"Well, let’s go then. Get you inside before some beasties find you and decide you’d make a fine snack." The vampire walked a few steps before turning around to see the witch standing there watching him in confusion. "You comin’ or what Red?"
"You want to walk me to the Magic Box?" Spike had never offered to walk her anywhere without threat of violence from Buffy or payment via cigarettes or blood by Giles.
"I leave you out here to get all eaten up and the Slayer’d have my ashes in an urn decoratin’ her mum’s mantle. Hurry up now, Witch. I ain’t got all night, ya know."
Willow hurried to catch up with Spike. As the darkness closed around the pair, the vampire scented her increasing fear. After several sideways glances as the nervous redhead, he finally gave into his curiosity.
"What’s wrong with you tonight? Pet, you keep up with whole fear thing, you’re goin’ ta have half of Sunnyhell’s undead population breathin’ down you neck. Fear’s like an aphrodisiac to us vampires. Makes us all horny," the blond smirked suggestively, enjoying the blush stealing up Willow’s cheeks.
"Ain’t that the truth," a voice echoed from a dark alley the two had just passed. Footsteps echoed as both Willow and Spike spun to come face to face with a group of five vampires. "She does smell delicious," purred the one that appeared to be the leader. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Fear and power. What a turn on."
The redhead gripped her stake so tightly in her jacket pocket, she was sure splinters were going to be a problem when all was said and done. "Spike," she questioned fearfully, "what do we do?"
"Spike? I’ve heard about you." The vampires started to laugh. "What a joke. Turning on your own kind and baby sitting a human? How the hell did you ever become a master? I think we’ll be doing the community a favor getting rid of a parasite like you. Get’em," the head vamp commanded.
All hell broke loose. Four of the demons jumped Spike, the fifth stalking Willow back into the alley. Spike morphed and fought the younger vamps. It wasn’t much of a challenge actually. They couldn’t have been more than a decade old, and two were quickly dusted.
The blonde’s gameface grinned maniacally at the two remaining creatures. "I love a good spot o’ violence at sunset. Makes my whole bloody night," he laughed.
He heard Willow scream from the alley and lost his concentration for just a moment, but it was long enough for one of the demons to get a roundhouse kick in at his head. With a growl, Spike quit playing with his opponents and dusted the remaining two before running toward the sound of a struggle in the alley.
When he turned the corner, Spike saw the redhead trying to fight off the vamp pinning her against the brick wall. The demon held her hand with the stake tightly and slammed it against the wall until Willow dropped her only weapon. She cringed when she felt a cool tongue trace her pulse point, struggling harder against the impossibly tight grip in which the vamp had her. The witch watched in terror as he lowered his head and she felt the pinprick of fangs on her neck. "Nooooooo!!!!"
Suddenly he was gone and all that remained was a cloud of dust settling at her feet. The trembling girl looked up at her savior, his fangs and amber eyes gleaming in the dim light of the alley. Willow threw herself into Spike’s arms, sobbing and clinging to the surprised vampire.
The blond stood with an armful of the slayer’s pet witch and felt her warm salty tears soak through his T-shirt. Awkwardly, he slid his arms around her and patted her back. "There, there, Red. Aw, don’t cry. It’s over. Spike didn’t let the beasties get ya." He looked helplessly around the alley, praying for some assistance. What the bloody hell did he know about comforting terrified humans? He was usually the one doin’ the terrifyin’.
Willow clutched at the duster and inhaled the smell of Spike with each hiccuping breath. He smelled like cigarettes, scotch and . . .who knew vampires used fabric softener? His murmured ramblings and pleadings for her to stop crying finally broke through the absolute horror that had filled her when for one split second she thought she was about to die. She took a deep breath to steady herself and snuffled against his shirt, trying to calm her nerves.
Spike lifted her chin with a finger beneath it and peered into her emerald eyes swimming with tears. "You all right, Red?" He was trying to ignore the smell of her blood trickling down her neck and collarbone from the shallow bite left by her attacker.
Willow was afraid she would break down again if she spoke, so she simply nodded her reply.
"Ready to go see the Watcher? You should have him patch ya up. Got a little nip there." Spike’s eyes dilated as he watched a droplet of blood slowly slide down her pale skin.
Again, with the nodding.
The vampire took a deep breath to steady himself and control the demon that was urging him to lap up the wasted blood. Instead of following his instinct, he grabbed the redhead’s cold hand and tugged her along behind him as he quickly strode toward the Magic Box. The faster Red was patched up the better.
~Part: 5~
The bell overhead rang as Spike pulled a still trembling Willow through the Magic Box’s front door. The others looked up from their research to see their shaken friend clinging to the vampire, but Buffy was the first to spot the blood staining the redhead’s neck and top.
"Oh, my God! Willow, what happened?" The slayer ran over to her friend and examined the bite mark that was still trickling blood.
Giles also saw the crimson stain on the redhead’s neck and collar. He hurried to her side, calling over his shoulder "Xander, get the first aid kit."
The dark haired young man took off toward the office to do the watcher’s bidding as both he and his slayer fussed over the pale witch. Buffy glared at Spike after seeing the twin puncture wounds on her friend, and let Mr. Pointy slip down her sleeve into her palm seamlessly.
"What did you do to her, Spike?" she hissed at the vampire in an accusing voice.
The demon rolled his eyes. "I saved her scrawny little arse, is what I did, Slayer. If I hadn’t run into the witch, she would have been a snack for the lot of vamps whose ashes are now blowin’ down Main Street."
"Willow?" Buffy looked at her best friend for confirmation.
"It’s true, Buffy," she whispered softly, letting Giles examine her for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. "I woke up late and thought I could make it before sunset, but I was wrong. Then I ran into Spike and he was walking me here, and we got jumped by a group of vamps."
"And you let them bite her?" the angry slayer snarled at the platinum blond.
"I didn’t let them do anything, you silly chit! I was taking on four of them and the other one cornered her in the alley. If I hadn’t gotten there when I did, there would have been one less of you bloody morons’ walkin’ around!" The vampire shoved his belligerent face in that of Buffy’s.
"Why didn’t you just let them have her?" Anya questioned from the cash register where she was lovingly straightening the money, making sure it all faced the same direction. She didn’t bother looking up from her task, so the former demon wasn’t aware of the death glares she received from the watcher and slayer, let alone the horror-filled look from her boyfriend. Spike was bewildered, and Willow looked terrified at the idea. "I mean, after all, none of us knew you were with her. You’re always telling us what violent and bloody deaths you wish on us. Well, you would have gotten your wish, with Willow at least. You could have even watched her pain and fear filled last seconds and we never would have known. Unless you don’t want us all as dead as you’ve led us to believe," she said, finally looking up from her now perfect cash drawer. Anya smiled at Spike, a knowing look in her eyes. "Maybe it’s just Willow you don’t want dead."
The blond vampire glared balefully at the former demon, her logic throwing him for a loop. "Rather do it myself when I get this chip out of my head. Made a promise to Red once," he grumbled, turning intense blue eyes on the hacker. "Intend to keep it, too."
The redhead shivered at his words. She knew what he was talking about. Willow remembered that time in her dorm room, before he discovered he couldn’t bite. He had given her a choice. ‘You can stay dead, or I can bring you back. . .to be like me.’
"Give it a rest already, Fangless." Xander rolled his eyes at the vampire. "So not in the mood for your threats right now. Why don’t you go suck on a tub of cow’s blood since that’s all you can stomach without getting the migraine from hell?"
Spike growled at the flippant youth. "You just moved past the slayer to the top of my list, moron!" He spun and was almost out the door before a soft voice caught his attention.
"Spike?" Willow looked at the angry vampire as Giles taped a gauze patch over the bite mark.
"What?" He bit out at the girl.
"Thank you. . .you know, for saving me tonight," the redhead offered with a tentative smile.
The blond felt his undead heart clench and cursed himself for turning into a ponce like his sire. "Yeah, well you’re at the bottom of my list, pet. I’m saving the best for last, and I intend to cash in on that promise one of these days."
With those words, Spike headed off into the night, looking for a way to relieve himself of the tension he felt. He had definitely been hanging around Red too much. He was having too many thoughts about the little witch.
The vampire stopped at the corner and looked toward on of the cemeteries. He needed to kill something. He turned in that direction, then paused and spun on his heel, turning back toward Sunnydale U’s campus. Better yet, he could use a good shag. He’d hit up the frat parties and see if he could find himself a willing chit. Maybe a hard fuck would drive the image of big green eyes and fiery hair from his mind.
*************************************************
Willow looked around the house. She was supposed to meet Giles and the others at the Magic Box, and she knew she should, but she was tired of being research girl. Just for one night she wanted to be party girl. They could do without her. Heck, they probably wouldn’t even miss her. The gang obviously didn’t bother walking her home last night after she’d taken some sort of mystical mojo hit for Buffy. They probably waved goodnight to her and sent the redhead on her merry way back to her dorm room without another thought.
The witch crinkled her brow. Giles had said he checked her out. Why couldn’t she remember it? Maybe she did take a bump to the head. Willow ran a hand over her mussed curls, trying to feel for a tender spot on her scalp and came up empty. She shrugged to herself. Maybe it was just a side effect of the demon’s magic.
A plastic cup filled with foamy beer appeared before her eyes, and Willow looked up to see Percy handing it to her. She accepted it with a nod. "Thanks," she yelled over the loud music.
"No problem," Percy shouted back. He leaned closer, his breath stirring the hair at her temple. "Glad you could make it Rosenberg. Honestly, I didn’t think you’d show. This never seemed to be your type of scene."
The witch took a sip of the alcohol and smiled up at her former student. "Everyone needs a change of pace every now and then, don’t you think? A good time to relax and let go?"
"Sure," he agreed over the din. "I just never saw you as a change of pace kind of girl." Percy ran a fingertip down her bare arm. "How much are you willing to let go tonight, Rosenberg?"
She tried to hold in her laughter, but her amusement shone in her eyes, even in the dim light of the colored paper lanterns hanging around the room. "Oh, I’m ready to let go," she purred, running a hand up his chest. Percy grinned and leaned in closer, only to have the hot number in front of him grab his hand and start dragging him to the center of the large lounge. The furniture had been pushed back to make room for anyone that wanted to dance.
"What are you doing," the jock asked as he was dragged into the midst of writhing bodies, bumping and grinding to the loud bass beat pulsing from the stereo system.
"I’m letting go," Willow yelled back. "I wanna dance."
The witch closed her eyes and raised her arms and drink above her head, letting her body feel the rhythm of the music. She began swaying and twisting to the incessant beat buzzing through her body, drowning out the conversations and laughter around her. Willow didn’t even mind when she felt Percy’s arm wrap around her waist, pulling her close to his body, feeling him moving in time with the music as well.
He was a pretty good dancer, surprisingly. The redhead let her body go and it moved sensually against Percy’s to the vibrations pounding from the speakers, her eyes closed and head thrown back. Which is probably why she didn’t see the platinum blond vampire in a leather duster enter the front door.
~Part: 6~
Spike peered through the dim light cast by those stupid paper Chinese lanterns hung around the room. He wandered toward the back of the house, finding the keg of beer that was a staple of these sorts of gatherings. He downed a cup and grabbed another off a passing football player who turned to drunkenly slur his displeasure only to be met with amber eyes and fangs. As Spike walked away, he had to smirk as he heard another voice.
"Ahhh, man. Check it out. Jenkins pissed himself!"
Yeah, he was the Big Bad. He still had it.
Spike wandered through the party, sizing up the chits littering the place, gyrating drunkenly against all of these mere mortals. They wanted a good time? William the Bloody could show them a good time. Only problem is, he wasn’t sure there was anyone here worth having a good time with. That one was too tall. The little blond reminded him too much of the slayer. The silly bint over there had been out in the sun enough for the both of them. . .for the rest of her life and his unlife put together.
And so the night went on, with Spike eliminating one after another female as a possible shag. He was just about to give up his quest and go find a demon to kill after all when he saw her. She was dancing sensually to a slow melodic beat with her back to him. The bass line thrummed through the house, sending vibrations through his spine. Leather. Leather is good. Good body. OK, great body, and the leather was hugging her in all the right places. That pale smooth skin looked good enough to sink his fangs into. Her hair was just above her shoulders, curled and tousled. . .and red. Spike felt his groin tighten. He’d never been one for redheads, but this one was calling to him. The sway of her body was pulling him in until before he knew it, he was standing right behind her.
Spike growled at her current dance partner, some moronic jock with dark hair and a grin too big and stupid to be genuine. He wrapped an arm possessively around the redhead’s waist and pulled her back against his body.
"Naff off nellie," he growled at the bloke dancing with the woman he was going to shag silly for the rest of the night, if he had his way. "Go find some other bint to play with. This one’s mine."
"Hey, the name’s not nellie, bud. It’s Percy. And that’s my date you’re groping."
Spike was still getting over the fact that the boy was admitting to a name like Percy when the soft voice emitted from the woman in his arms about floored him.
"It’s OK, Percy. We’re old friends. I’ll catch up to you later, k?"
The vampire looked down into amused green eyes. "Red?"
The boy was pressing his luck, though, and stepped closer, running a hand over her cheek, down her neck and over her collarbone. "Thought we were having a good time Rosenberg?"
Willow rolled her eyes and plucked Percy’s hand from her shoulder. "All good things must come to an end, Percy. But thanks for inviting me tonight. I had a lot of fun. But as you can see, my ride’s here, so gotta go. Bye!"
She spun, grabbed Spike’s hand, and led him off the dance floor. She tugged him down a hallway and pulled him into a dark room, giggling. She strained in the dark to see his face. "Thanks for the rescue. He was getting to be pretty boring. Why’re you here? Is something going on? Is Toth back?"
"Toth?" Spike was still stunned. The goddess he saw dancing out there, the one he wanted to take back to his crypt and shag until she begged him to stop was Red?
"Toth. You know, big ugly robed demon. Broke your lamp last night? Which, by the way, really a shame. It was a nice lamp. Spike, are you in there?" She waved a hand in the general direction of his face. She was judging from his voice, because the room was dark and she couldn’t see him at all.
"No. No demon alert. They haven’t sent up the bat signal, if that’s what you mean, pet. What are *you* doing here? Dressed like this? Without your witch?" Blue eyes raked over her figure appreciatively. His vamp sight was coming in handy in the dark.
"Oh, I decided to have a little fun. I broke in my emergency credit card from my parents." Willow leaned close to him, feeling the duster against her arm as she reached around him, searching for the light switch. She heard him inhale a sharp breath as her breasts rubbed against his chest.
Both took a moment to blink at the light after she flipped the switch. Willow pulled back and did a slow turn. "You like? I decided to go for something totally different. . .a new me."
Spike watched the way the leather moved and molded to her skin and admired the silky halter top the accentuated curves that he’d never imagined under those garish clothes she normally wore. "Nothin’ wrong with the old you, luv, but the new clothes are a definite improvement."
Willow finished her modeling and grinned up at him. "Thanks. And as for Tara, she had homework. Tests, papers, you know. The usual. I wanted a night out, so I blew off research and came to dance the night away."
She began dancing again to the music that could be heard pulsing from down the hall. It took Spike a moment to realize the little witch might be right sloshed. "Red, you been drinkin’?"
She placed a finger over his lips and leaned close, whispering conspiratorially, "Shhhh. Don’t tell. After the Buffy beer incident, the gang gets all cranky if alcohol is mentioned. . .except Giles who keeps a regular stock. Why is that, do you think," she asked, tilting her head in thought.
Spike wrapped his arms around her waist as she leaned against his chest, pondering the whys and wherefores of the watcher’s liquor cabinet. "Slayer probably drives him to drink, pet. I know she’s sent me off the wagon quite a few times."
Willow giggled and slapped his chest. "That’s not very nice, Spike. I admit, she can be a bit hard on you. I feel bad when she is. You’ve been pretty decent since you got the chip. . .well, except for the whole trying to turn us against each other so Adam could kill us thing. But other than that, not bad, ya know? It’s gotta be rough on you, having’ that lil ol’ chip in your noggin," she reached up and tapped his temple, and rested her chin on his chest as she contemplated the sad existence that is Spike. "For over a century you had free reign to slaughter and kill, then ZAP! One lucky shot from some commando and you’re sporting electrical hardware. It’s gotta suck!"
"Not pullin’ any punches tonight, are ya Red?" Spike grimaced down at the girl who was using him for a vertical bed at the moment.
He blinked. Then he blinked again. He reached a hand out and turned her head to the side and examined the pale column of her neck. The pale, smooth, unmarred column of her neck. Cool fingers ran over the length of warm skin, searching for an imperfection and found none.
"Here, now, where’s that bite?" Spike narrowed his eyes and looked at Willow suspiciously. "Who are you, and what have you done with Red?"
************************************************
Willow was tired. She had stayed out at the dump the night before much too late, then been on an emotional roller coaster all day long that she couldn’t quite explain. Her head hurt and if she had to look at her laptop screen one more minute she was sure to go blind. With a sigh, she shut down the machine and leaned her head back, rolling her shoulders to work the kinks out.
"Any luck, Willow," Giles asked from his spot at the research table.
"Sorry, Giles. Nadda. Zip. Zilch. Nothing. And the spots in front of my eyes are starting to grow other spots. Pretty pink ones with white centers."
"Maybe you should call it a night. You’ve had quite an eventful twenty-four hours. And after the scare you had tonight, it’s no wonder you’d be a bit on the tired side. Maybe you should have Xander drive you home."
Willow gave him a sleepy smile. "Thanks Giles, but there’s no reason for Xander and Anya to go out of their way to take me home. I’m sure Buffy and Riley will be back soon and he can drop me off right on campus on his way home. I’ll just catch a ride with them."
"Good. That means we have more time alone. Let’s go home Xander. I want to have sex," Anya declared, shutting her book loudly in her haste to leave with her boyfriend.
The sound of the back door in the training room opening and closing caught everyone’s attention. Buffy and Riley entered the shop through the doorway and waved at the group gathered there.
"Any luck finding Toth this evening," Giles asked.
"Nope. It was a Toth-free night. Instead we encountered four vamps, three Chaos demons and two Gra’sil demons."
"And a partridge in a pear tree," Xander sang as he pulled on his jacket.
"Nope. We didn’t slay one of those," Riley quipped.
"Were you able to find the poop out on our boy Toth," Buffy asked, hopping onto the counter and crossing her legs.
"You’re living Toth-free and so are we," Xander informed her. He held Anya’s coat for her as she slid her arms in the sleeves. "And we’re going home. I’m not even in school anymore and I think I still do more research and reading than all of Sunnydale U’s football team put together."
"See," Anya consoled. "You don’t need big biceps to be studly or smart."
"Thanks, An. . .I think," Xander answered.
The back door of the training room opened again. Buffy reached for the axe she had laid next to her and all present took a fighting stance except Anya who hid behind her boyfriend and Willow who clutched her laptop to her chest and stared at the door with wide eyes.
"Watcher! We’ve got trouble," Spike’s voice drifted to them from the back room.
"Spike? What is it," Giles asked, relaxing his arm which had quickly picked up a sword.
The vampire stood in the shadowed doorway. He looked around the room until his eyes rested on the timid hacker with a gauze patch covering the bite mark inflicted earlier in the evening.
"You’ve got Red," he said.
"Of course we’ve got Willow. Spike, what kind of games are you playing tonight," Buffy asked.
"No games, Slayer. You’ve got a Red," he said. He then stepped to the side and pulled a redhead in black leather and green silk out from behind him. "I’ve got one too."
"Hi guys," Spike’s Willow said, wiggling her fingers at her friends and herself. "I think something weird happened last night."
Xander gaped between the two girls. "Ya think?"
~Part: 7~
Chaos erupted in the room.
"Holy cow!"
"Oh, boy!"
"Which Wills is our Wills?"
"It could be a shapeshifter."
"There has to be some perfectly logical explanation for this."
"Oh, my God! She’s back! Will’s evil double vampire-self is back!"
"Would you lot bloody well shut your gobs?! Watcher, fix it!" Spike pointed at the Willow standing next to him.
The leather-clad Willow moved cautiously toward herself, sizing up her supernatural twin. Her other self wasn’t making her perusal very easy though. With an ‘Eeep!’ she ducked behind Giles and dug her nails into his arm in a death grip.
"Giles, keep it away!"
Willow rolled her eyes. "I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to see you."
"Yeah, sure," Xander began. "Then when we least expect it, BAM! You’re sucking us all down like human juice boxes!"
"She’s not a vampire, you idiot," Spike explained with a disgusted roll of his eyes. "She’s as human as the rest of you soddin’ lot."
Giles peered closely at the young woman Spike brought in with him. "Fascinating."
Buffy inched closer, looking back and forth between the two. "This is just. . .weird. Kinda like that old show, you know with the identical cousins that were opposites. I like the clothes."
"Thanks," Willow smiled at her best friend. "I finally broke in mom and dad’s credit card."
"The emergency one," Buffy asked with raised eyebrows.
"Yup."
"OK," Buffy turned to the rest of the group. "That’s *so* not the real Willow. I must have tried like five gazillion times to get her to crack and shop with that thing, and every time she shot me down, saying it wouldn’t be right. Emergency funds only."
"Hey, have you *seen* what I’ve been wearing lately? Fashion Emergency? That show is all about me. I don’t know what I was thinking."
The other Willow peeked her head around Giles, indignation clear on her face. "I happen to like my clothes, thank you. I think they make me look. . .individualistic."
"That’s not really the word I would use. More like a rainbow that’s been crushed by a sledgehammer," Anya began. "I would say this is a definite improvement in your clothing. I like the look."
"Thank you, Anya," Willow replied as she ran two hands over the supple leather on her hips.
"How can you say that," Willow whimpered, finally stepping out from behind Giles. "Look at me. . .er, her!" She waved a hand in her double’s direction. "I look like a floozy!"
Buffy came over and put a comforting arm around her friend. "Not like a floozy, Wills. Just like a. . .a. . ."
"A *hot* Wills," Xander said, looking at his friend in a way he hadn’t since their fluke era in high school. It only earned him a slap at the back of his head from Anya.
"Hey! No hot Willow. Not even lukewarm Willow. Ice cold *lesbian* Willow," she reminded her boyfriend.
The Willow that arrived with Spike raised her hand as if she was in class, waiting to be called upon. "I would actually say I’m leaning more toward bisexuality right now."
Willow shrugged out from under Buffy’s arm, bristling at her double’s words. "I am not! I’m gay! Me! Willow! Gay here, with a girlfriend. . .and we do. . .stuff. . .that only gay couples do. No more men for this girl. Uh-uh, no way, no how! Gay now!" She folded her arms across her chest, face flushed with anger, which quickly turned to embarrassment when she realized what had just spouted from her mouth. "Oh, Goddess," she murmured weakly, backing away from the stares of her friends.
During the babble defending her gayness, Giles had crept forward and taken the other Willow’s hand in his own. She tried to brush him off, annoyed when he attempted to take her pulse.
"Giles, I’m not a vampire," she whined. "I’m me, Willow. One hundred percent Willow, no substitutes allowed. . .which doesn’t exactly explain *her*!" She pointed at her still sputtering twin.
"I’m not a substitute. I’m me! Look at me guys, don’t you believe me? *She’s* the impostor here," she pointed at the other Willow who was rolling her eyes. "Look at her. The way she walks, the way she talks. . ."
Buffy started humming the theme song from the Patty Duke Show, not realizing it until both Willows turned to stare at her. "Sorry. Shutting up now."
Giles leaned in further as the smell of beer hit his nostrils. "Have. . .have you been drinking, young lady," he questioned in his best outraged fatherly voice.
Willow pouted. "I was at a party. I just wanted to have a little fun tonight. So I might have had a couple drinks."
Spike snorted, recalling how she had swayed in his arms, only to use him to lounge upon, barely able to stand in the darkened room. The dark glare from said drunken wicca sent his scarred eyebrow toward his hairline. "Don’t try to deny it, pet. You were right snockered when I found you."
Willow pouted, crossing her arms under her breasts, which just served to emphasize her subtle cleavage in the silk halter, earning Xander another slap to his head when caught looking. "Was not."
"Riiiiight. You just happen to go dancin’ with strange blokes all the time, right?" Spike pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his duster pocket, then squinted as the lighter flared.
"Oh, sure, Spike. Thank you very much, Mr. Vampire," she hissed at him. "Now I’ll get the third degree."
"Welcome, luv," he smirked at her.
"You were dancing with a *guy*? A strange guy," the other Willow asked, practically driving herself to heart palpitations at the evening’s developments. "What about Tara?"
"Tara had to study," she defended herself. . .to herself. "And it wasn’t some *strange* guy. Well, OK, strange, but not strange as in stranger. I ran into Percy today and he invited me to a party at one of the frats. I wanted a night out, so yes, I went and danced with Percy."
"Percy? Percy?!" Willow’s voice quavered in disbelief. "He invited me, uh, you, uh, us to a party?"
Willow winked at herself. "Guess he liked the new look."
"Really?" Wide green eyes looked at the self-confident carbon copy of herself.
Willow giggled and leaned forward to stage whisper halfway across the room to the other redhead. "Yep. Then I dumped him when Spike showed up."
"You ditched Percy?" The two Willows giggled together in delight.
"Ha! I know. That’ll teach him to call us a nerd!"
Buffy looked back and forth between the two girls. "Giles, how do we know which one is real?"
"Oh! Oh! I know!" Xander stepped forward. "It’s simple. Who knows the Willster better than anyone here? Who’s known her the longest?" He looked between all of the faces staring at him. "Me! I give her the Xander Harris Quiz of Authenticity. Ask her things only the real Wills will know."
Giles peered thoughtfully at the young man. "You actually have a very good idea, Xander, but I’m not sure we will be needing your, er, quiz of authenticity just yet. I would like the Willow. . .ssss to answer some questions first."
"What kinds of questions," Anya asked.
"I would like to know exactly when their world became divided, because I believe that is what happened."
"Great," Willow said as she sat in one of the wooden chairs, slouched. "More research."
~Part: 8~
Once all parties were seated, Giles began his line of questioning.
"Now, ladies, I believe that this is the result of the force from Toth’s staff that you both absorbed last evening. What do you remember from that point? Willow. . .uh, number one," Giles waved his hand indicating the Willow bitten earlier in the evening should speak.
"Well, I remember it hurt like heck. It knocked me into a pile of trash and then we all went back to Giles’. . ."
"Wait, I thought you said you didn’t remember what happened last evening after you were struck," he interrupted.
The other Willow leaned an elbow on the table and cupped her cheek while her other hand waved to get the watcher’s attention. "Uh, Giles, that was me."
He turned to look at the person he had mentally labeled Willow #2. "It was you that called me this morning with a case of, er, amnesia?"
"Yep. I woke up in the dump this morning all ooey-gooey and stinky-like. I called you once I got back to the dorm room because I thought something might have happened to everyone, and that’s why I was left behind."
The others looked at her with guilt written across their faces.
"Wills, I’m sooooo sorry." The slayer walked over and hugged the still slightly buzzed redhead. "Anything could have happened to you out there, alone all night. God, any kind of demon could have come along. . ."
"Buffy, it’s OK. I understand now. There are two of us. You thought you had me, and were taking care of me, uh, her apparently," Willow tried to soothe her best friend’s guilt.
Xander looked back and forth between the two redheads. "This is so confusing," he moaned.
"Pick-Up-Sticks confuses you, you moron," Spike criticized.
"Hey, listen here, Oh Impotent One. . ."
"Children!" Giles rubbed his temples as he raised his voice over Xander’s.
"I’m older than your granddad, Watcher," Spike grumbled.
"Then act like it for once, if you please. We need to get to the bottom of this." He stood and began to pace the floor. "There is no telling what ramifications Willow may encounter because of this or what side-effects she may face. We need to find a way to. . .well, quite frankly, to put the two of you back together."
"Guess that means more research," Riley stated, attempting to sound optimistic. It only earned him glares from the others in the room. "Hey, I’m just stating the obvious, here."
"Don’t do us any favors, GI Schmoe," Spike snipped.
"Riley is correct," Giles acknowledged. He walked toward his collection of books and began to pull out volumes he felt might be pertinent to their topic. "While the situation is most disturbing, it has at least given us our first clue regarding this Toth creature. We shall narrow down the search and look for demons who have the power to split a person into two entirely different entities."
He laid down a large stack of dusty tomes and everybody reached for one, their faces resigned.
Anya flopped into one of the chairs, with a pout on her face. "At this rate, I’ll never have sex again."
*************************************************
Two hours later Spike slammed his book shut and stood up. He reached for his duster which was hanging on the back of the chair he had been sitting upon.
"Well, I’d love to say it’s been fun, but I’ve been with you lot, so it would be a bald-faced lie."
"Spike, sit your undead butt back down. We haven’t found anything yet," Buffy ordered.
"I don’t see a sign where it says you’re the boss of me, Slayer," he growled.
She shifted in her seat, a stake sliding easily into her hand from some hidden spot in her sleeve. "Mr. Pointy says it quite nicely, I think. Now, sit!"
"Fine bit of good I’d be doing you, too, what coverin’ the watcher’s books with a fine dusty coat of Spike. In case you haven’t noticed, Slayer, it’s almost dawn, which means I’m outta here. I don’t fancy a suntan. I burn easy, ya know."
Giles squinted at his watch. "Oh, dear. It is late, uh rather, early. Spike’s actually right for a change. . ."
"Hey!"
Giles continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted by the vampire. "Why don’t we call it a night and pick up from where we left off this evening at sunset. I will need you all back here to research Toth further."
Willow stretched her arms over her head and bent back against the chair, hearing her back crack. Spike’s eyes were glued to the expanse of flat stomach exposed by this movement . He flinched as Buffy stepped into his line of vision, glaring at him. ‘Busted.’
"Keep your eyes in their sockets, you walking corpse," she hissed under her breath, not wanting to embarrass Willow and let her know she was being ogled by a perverted demon.
Spike smirked down at the girl and replied just as quietly, "For your information, I wasn’t given a choice ‘bout bein’ turned into a ‘walking corpse’. You’re the one that chose to shag one of us. Does the name Paingel ring a bell, pet? Tell me, do you still remember what he felt like, all hard and cold between your. . ."
"GILES, can I stake him," Buffy pleaded rather loudly to her watcher. "I promise it will be over fast and I’ll even sweep up the ashes when I’m through."
"Not right now, Buffy," he replied in a distracted manner as he tried to re-shelve all of the books they had gone through that evening.
Spike stuck out his tongue at the slayer in a very immature fashion and smirked at her disgruntled look.
"Fine," she grumbled under her breath. Then louder, "OK, Wills, come on. I’ll walk you back to your dorm. Tara will turn me into a lizard if I let anything else happen to. . .the two. . .of you." She turned and looked at the two opposite doubles, eyes wide. "Uh, does Tara know about the split?"
Both Willows slapped a hand to their foreheads and exclaimed "Oh, Goddess!"
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