Bonded

Author: Sinecure

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~Part: 6~

Willow woke up, stretching languidly.  Her whole body felt stiff and sore, but she didn't know why.  What she did know was that the body beside her wasn't Tara, it was Spike.  There was no mistaking it this time.  Spike was once again in bed with her. Why?  Three times in two days he'd slept beside her, two of those times he hadn't needed to.  What was going on in that mind of his?

She tried to extricate herself from his hold, but they were so tangled together she couldn't move without waking him up, and she didn't want to do that.  She was laying on her stomach, Spike was on her right, laying on his side.  His left leg was between hers, with one of her legs curled around his.  His arm was draped across her lower back, his hand resting on her hip.

His other hand was under her, cupping one of her breasts.  She moved a bit, slightly uncomfortable at the thought of Spike's hand on her breast.  As soon as she did, his thumb brushed over her nipple.  The traitorous flesh hardened, and electricity shot through her, warming her.  Her stomach tightened with the familiar feeling of desire, and she had to bite her lip to keep from moaning.

That is the last time I sleep naked, she thought.

Of course, it was all Spike's fault.  If he'd keep his hands to himself, she wouldn't be desperate to get away from the vampire before she did something she'd regret.  He was naked too, but her hands weren't all over him... oh, wait.  Well, how did that get there?

Her right hand was on his lower abdomen, extreme lower abdomen.  Her fingers brushing against his... um, she'd just move that right now.  She slid her hand away, touching the gauze covering his wound, making him groan.  She sucked in a breath and held still.  When he didn't wake up, she moved her hand again, successfully getting it away from... parts of him.

Sighing in relief, she was extremely surprised when she felt his mouth on her neck, sucking at the flesh there.  Not biting, not hurting, just... sucking.  His tongue flicked against her skin, making her feel wonderful things... things that she shouldn't be feeling.  Not with Spike.  And who knew Spike could induce such... warm, tingly feelings in her?

Buffy didn't know what she was missing.  Buffy!  Oh, boy, Buffy would not be happy when she found about this.  Not happy at all.  And Tara.  She was once again betraying Tara.

It's just a hickey, her mind cajoled.  Spike was giving her a hickey, that was something to be thought about later, right now she needed to focus on the feelings and... no.  She needed to stop him from causing those feelings.  Stop him.  Wake him up.  Move.  Do something other than lay there enjoying it.  Don't press into his mouth, don't arch into his hand against your breast, and don't think about what that hand on your back could be doing if it weren't just draped over you.

But most of all, don't touch him.  Stop holding his head to your neck, stop sliding your hand down his back and over his hip, making him moan.  Stop--

Her hand touched gauze and she jerked back, falling off the bed and landing on her butt.  "Ow," she moaned, glaring at the bed.  "Stupid vampire."

Loud laughter sounded above her, and Spike peered over the edge of the bed, a grin tilting up the corners of his mouth.  "Falling for me, pet?"

Willow rolled her eyes and slapped at his arm.  "How long have you been awake?" she asked him, pulling on the top blanket, which was partially underneath him.  He lifted up slightly, and the blanket was freed.  She wrapped it around herself and stood up.

His grin widened.  "Long enough to wonder just where your hand was headed."

Willow knew her face was going through a rainbow of reds, but she hoped he couldn't see her in the darkened room.  Not as dark as she'd prefer, since it was daytime and sunlight was showing around the edges of the blanket-covered window.  Still, maybe he couldn't--

"Oh, look at that... turning all kinds of shades of red."

Willow sat primly on her desk chair.  "You were the one who was wrapped around me.  I was simply trying to get free."

Spike sat up, naked as a jaybird, sucking in a pain-filled breath.  "Likely story, Witch."

Willow sighed, and grabbed some clothes from her drawer, dressing quickly with her back to him.  As soon as she was through, she tossed the blanket back on the bed and turned on the light.  "Lay down, and I'll get the first aid kit and some blood."

He did so, crossing his arms behind his head.  "Don't have to tell me twice."

She paused in the doorway.  "Um, could you maybe put some pants on or something?  Otherwise you're on your own."

Spike grabbed the edge of the blanket and dropped it in his lap as she left.  Modesty at this late date?  She'd had a boyfriend who was a werewolf, a girlfriend who was a fellow witch.  She'd cheated on both, slept with a vampire, had her hand in naughty places, and had dabbled in dark magic.  Yet, through all that, her innocence had remained intact.  It was almost unbelievable.  If he didn't know her personally, he wouldn't believe it.

But he did know her personally.  Very personally.  If he wasn't in such bad shape from the hole in his stomach, he'd be trying to know her personally right now.  But, as it was, he could hardly move without pain lancing through him.

She came back into the room, and handed him a glass of blood.  He pushed himself into a partial sitting position, sipping at it while she went about setting out the gauze and tape and other stuff.  One of her small hands worked on getting the old tape off. After a minute of watching her wince, and feeling her nails scrape his skin, he reached down and ripped it off.

She yelped in sympathy or something, and he had to laugh.

"Ow," she said with a wince.

He rolled his eyes.  "I told you I've got a higher tolerance for pain, Willow."

"Yeah, but I still hurt like a human, thank you very much."  She rubbed her own stomach with a glare at him, sitting back on her heels.  "Besides, this still needs to be cleaned, just because you're a vampire doesn't mean you're immune to infections and diseases."

Spike raised an eyebrow at her.

She rolled her eyes at herself and sighed.  "Well, okay, it does mean that, but... well, maybe I should just leave it then?  Or... or I could just slap a piece of gauze over it and hope the blood sticks to it enough to hold it there.  I was trying not to hurt you any worse than you already are."

What the hell was her problem?  He downed the rest of his blood and sat up.  "I'll get it myself.  You're free to... annoy someone else."  He stood up, letting the blanket fall and grabbed the first aid kit, heading into the bathroom.  He needed a shower anyway.  He made it to the bathroom and shut the door, leaning against it.  Damn, why was he so weak all of a sudden?  He hated this.  Hated having to depend on others.  Especially weaker, mortal others.

It had to be a side effect of the bond.  If that was all he got, he'd be getting off lucky.

He turned on the shower and stood under the spray, letting the water run over him.  He could hunt now... so why wasn't he?  The big hole in his stomach was an immediate deterrent, but what about after that?  He could feed off of anyone he wanted to now.  Anyone.  As long as he didn't cause too much pain, alerting Willow, who would then alert Buffy.

Heck, if he could get close enough, he could even snack on Buffy.  But Buffy would never let him close enough.  She didn't like him.  Used him to protect her sister and precious friends, but wouldn't let him touch her, or kiss her... definitely not let him taste her.  He slammed a hand against the flowered tiles.  Stupid bitch.

Why did it have to be her?  Why not Willow?  He was positive he could have seduced her.  Hell, he had seduced her, last night.  He could probably even get her to fall in love with him.

Wouldn't be that hard, he thought.  He knew he was good looking.  It wasn't conceit, just simple fact.  Not like he could take credit for his physical appearance, he had genetics to thank for that.

And wouldn't that show Buffy?  Get her best friend, her smartest, most sensible friend to fall in love with him.  She'd be forced to reassess her opinion of him.  To figure out if maybe there might be more to the vampire than she thought.

Then he'd make her beg a bit, maybe use her, and treat her like crap same as she did him now.  Yeah, that was definitely a plan.

Shutting off the water, he dried off and bandaged his stomach.

How to go about it though?  Play the Big Bad and appeal to the rebel in her?  Nah.  He doubted there was any of the rebel in Willow.  Not enough to reach anyhow.  Play the friend, while slowly seducing her?  No, that would most likely just backfire, reminding her of Xander's obtuseness.  The sensitive routine was too... distasteful.  Well hell, he was running out of choices.  What was he supposed to do?  Be himself?

He chuckled at that.  Uh-huh.  That would do it all right.  She'd just fall at his feet when she saw how-- hold on.  There was a thought.  Be himself... hmm.  Worked with Dru.  Of course he'd had the advantage of her being insane.  And his sire.

It worked with Harmony, that stupid bint.  A shudder went through him.  What in hell had he been thinking when he shacked up with her?  Truth be told, he hadn't been thinking... his body had.  She was a good lay.  That was about it.

So, would it be so hard to get Willow to fall for him just by being himself?  It was possible, and if not, he could always resort to play acting.

Decision made, Spike wrapped a towel around his waist and headed into her bedroom.  Her empty bedroom.  Damn, where'd she go?  Listening for her heartbeat, he realized that she'd left.

Now he was pissed.

~~~*~~~

Tara watched Willow fidget nervously on the couch.  She wanted to go to her, hold her, comfort her, but that wasn't an option now.  They were breaking up.  Willow was leaving her.

"... just woke up," Willow was saying.

Tara forced herself to focus on Willow's words instead of the loss and regret that was seeping into her heart, but it was hard.

"I didn't know, I'm so sorry, Tara.  It doesn't mean anything."  She leaned forward, pleading with Tara.  "We can get past this... I still love you.  You-- you still love me, right?"

She looked so small and alone, so wounded, that Tara nearly broke down and went to her.  Nearly took her in her arms, and held her close, vowing never to let go.  But if she did that, she would only make things harder on her lover.  The bond between Willow and Spike was complete, permanent.  Nothing she or anyone else did would matter.

So, did she still love Willow?  Tara wanted to deny it, make it easier on her, but she couldn't.  "Yes.  I still love you.  I want things to be right again, b-- but, they won't be."

"But, Spike is... nothing.  Not even someone I have any type of feelings for whatsoever.  He-- he's a vampire.  A demon.  I--"

"Am bound to him now.  And probably forever."  Tara forced a smile to her lips, praying it didn't look too strained.  "Vampires are jealous by nature.  Possessive.  Here," she said, jumping up and grabbing a book off the table in front of Willow.  She debated quickly on whether she should sit beside her or not, and finally decided she would.  "I was doing some research last night... after you called."

Willow looked away from her, and Tara saw the guilt flash across her face.  And a hickey on her neck.  Tamping down the hurt, and her imagination, she turned to the page on bonds.

"It says that bonds are usually temporary, which I already knew.  But, that they can become permanent if the two individuals, um, well, they use a lot of big words, and stuff to say have sex.  And you did."  Now it was her turn to look away.  It hurt her more than she wanted to admit that Willow had cheated on her.  Even if it wasn't completely her fault.

Willow put her hand on Tara's knee, but withdrew it when Tara flinched slightly.  "Well, that doesn't mean anything, really.  Just that we're connected somehow.  And it's just me, I think.  I-- I feel his pain.  And that's really all."  She looked into Tara's eyes desperately.  "Please don't leave me," she whispered.

Tara closed the book and stood up.  "I'm not leaving you.  You left me when you slept with... him."  If Willow didn't leave soon, Tara was going to beg her to stay.  She had to keep reminding herself that it would be a bad idea.  "I don't blame you.  He's h-- handsome."

Willow frowned and shook her head.  "No, he's not.  I mean, yeah, he's that, but that's not what happened.  I didn't realize who he was," she stressed.  Standing up, she slowly moved toward Tara.  "I was still half asleep, and he was too... Tara, I love you.  I want to be with you, not Spike."

Tara shook her head and backed away.  "Willow, you don't understand.  The bond--"

"No," Willow shouted, sobbing now.  "You don't get it.  The bond is a small, minuscule thing.  Barely even there.  I want you.  I lost Xander, and Oz, and then I almost lost you to Glory, please, Tara, please... just give it a chance."

Tara hardened her heart.  "No.  It won't work.  Here, take the book with you and read it.  Then you'll know why.  Please," she whispered, crying herself now.  "Just go."

Willow took the book from Tara and dropped it to the floor, pulling Tara into her arms.  She pressed her lips to the blonde's and cradled her face with tender desperation.  "I love you," she whispered, and kissed her again.  Tara closed her eyes, not wanting to watch Willow leave her.

As soon as the door shut, Tara fell to her knees, sobbing.  "I love you too, Willow," she whispered back.

~~~*~~~

Spike was sitting on the couch, impatiently waiting for Willow to come back, when the door finally opened and she came in.  He'd been about to go out looking for her.  Drinking blood and wandering around the house had occupied him for a total of ten minutes, but then the boredom sank in.  Anger followed.  How dare she go off and leave him there alone when he had plans to make her fall in love with him?  But now she was home, and he could forget about all of that and concentrate on winning her over.

Not wanting to appear too eager to see her, he stayed sitting, stretching his arms out to either side of the couch back and tilting his head back to see her when she... fell to the floor crying?  What the hell was this then?

"Pet?  Uh, Willow?"  He got up when she didn't answer, and stood beside her.  "What's the matter, love?"

She looked up at him with her big ole green eyes shining with tears, her lower lip quivering, sniffling pathetically, and he saw his chance.  He knelt down and held his hand out for her to take.  The next thing he knew, he was laying on the floor, and Willow was glaring down at him.

"You can live here if you want, since I don't know the particulars of the bond, and you have to stay alive in order for me to stay alive, but you stay away from me."

Angry that she was daring to tell him what to do, Spike stood up and shoved her back against the wall.  "I already told you, Witch, I'm not a bloody dog.  Don't order me around like one."  He stood back a bit, looking at her critically.  "Now, what's the crisis?  Did Xander break a nail?  Did Buffy have a thought?  Or no, I'll bet your witch got out a complete sentence without a stutter."

Willow walked past him without answering, and Spike was left staring after her, feeling very unsatisfied with how his seduction was going so far.  It's possible he'd been a bit too sarcastic, he'd have to work on that.

His stomach was healing nicely, so he decided to head out and practice his hunting skills.  It'd been a while since he'd hunted humans, he might be a bit rusty.  The cemetery was as good a place as any.  He was as apt to run into vampires as he was humans, and if he ran into Buffy or any of the others, he could cover his ass by telling them he was patrolling.

He lit a cigarette as he walked down the darkened streets of Sunnydale.  The town he hated.  Filled with the people he hated.  But even more than that, it had the people he could eat.  Drinking from Willow had awakened his bloodlust, big time.  He once again craved his blood warm from a body, not warm from a machine.  Wanted the taste of skin mixed in, not ceramic.  Wanted the thrill and excitement of hunting humans, not the dull pleasure he got out of drinking microwaved blood from a coffee mug, wrestled out of a plastic bag.

And, thanks to the Litchock, and Willow, he could once again taste fresh, warm, human blood.  And he would... just as soon as one came along!  Christ, where were all the meals... uh, humans, when one wanted them?

A sound from behind him drew his attention and he sniffed the air.  Heard a heart beat.  Human.  A hint of perfume wafted to him, and he smiled.  Female.  His favorite.  Drunk.  Also a favorite.  He continued walking, turning down the first alley he came to.  The woman went past, her high heels crunching on the pavement, sounding loud in the stillness of the night.  Spike tossed his cigarette to the ground and left the alley.

His prey was a few yards ahead of him, walking slowly.  Unsteadily.  She stumbled a little, catching herself on the wall, and giggling.  Spike, playing the concerned gentleman, caught her arm, holding her up.

"Are you all right?"  Charming smile in place.

"Oh, um, hi there," she giggled, leaning against him weakly.  She reeked of beer and cigarettes, hair spray and make-up.  Her blonde hair was an obvious dye job, since her red roots were showing, but she'd done her best to hide them.  Her tight black dress was riding high on her thighs at the moment, and Spike had a hard time keeping his hold on her, when all he wanted to do was throw her down and walk away.  "Have you seen my car?"

Spike blinked at her.  "What?"  She probably wouldn't taste very good, he thought.  Certainly nothing like Willow did.  He could probably search the world over and never find a human who tasted as good as Willow.

Who cares?  He couldn't have Willow anymore, so he may as well get past that now.  The drunk woman was looking around, presumably for her missing car.  Spike checked to make sure they were alone and dragged her into the next alley.  She laughed shrilly, but stopped when he shoved her roughly against the brick wall.

"Ow," she whimpered, rubbing the back of her head.  She squinted at him, and leaned forward.  "Hey."  She pulled something out of her purse and promptly dropped it when Spike vamped out and grinned.  "What are you?"

"Hungry."

The woman screamed, and tried to push him away, but Spike had had enough.  He shoved her back against the wall, wincing in anticipation of pain.  When none came, he shoved her head to the side and bit into her neck.  A sigh escaped him as he fed.  He'd missed this.  Missed the feelings, the emotions, the excitement... all of it.  He felt great.  Like a God.

Draining the girl was fun, she grabbed his arm, clutching him in a death grip, only easing when her heart slowed.  Spike dropped her to the ground, and lit a cigarette.  Time to check on Willow... see how well she'd fared through all that.

Willow popped three aspirin into her mouth and took a gulp of water, washing them down.  She was going to kill Spike.  No, first she would torture him, then she would kill him.  A few well placed stakes, a couple bottles of holy water, crosses strapped to flesh... oh, yeah.  Definitely a little of that.

Massaging her aching head, she went back upstairs to her bedroom and laid down.  Her eyes drifted shut and her body relaxed just as Spike stumbled into the room.  Drunk.

She sat up, startled.  Her head pounded, making her feel miserable.  "Get out," she told him angrily.

He walked, a bit unsteadily, into the room, and knelt beside the bed.  Taking her face in his hands, he examined her, ignoring her attempts to pull away.  "Just wanted to make sure I didn't kill you.  Don't want you to die."

"Aw," she said sarcastically, slapping his hands away from her face.  "How sweet."

"Yeah.  Stupid bond'll probably kill me too if you die."  He yawned, and shrugged out of his duster, then knelt back down and laid his head on her stomach.  "Always so bloody tired now," he mumbled.

"Hey.  Excuse me."  She tapped his head to get his attention, which only made him snuggle closer, and wrap an arm around her waist.  "I'm not your personal pillow."  She wanted to shove him away from her, but that would require too much movement.  "Spike?  You better not be asleep."

"Almost was," he growled, lifting his head to glare at her.

She sneered at him.  "Poor baby.  Go.  Away.  You kill someone, and then come here expecting... what do you expect?"  She shook her head angrily.  "You can sleep in my parent's room, the guest room, the couch, I really don't care, just don't expect to sleep in here."

Spike sat back and pulled his shirt off.  "Didn't kill anyone.  I left her alive.  And I bloody well *am* gonna sleep here."  He pulled off his boots and crawled over her to the other side of the bed.

"Fine.  I'll sleep in my parent's room."  She sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.  Nausea swept through her and she had to run to the bathroom.  After throwing up everything she'd eaten that year, Willow rinsed her face and mouth.  Feeling miserable, which was happening way too much since this bond thing had happened, she sat on the cool tile floor and glared in the direction of her bedroom.

"I hate you, Spike," she whispered, then jumped when he knocked on the door.  "What?"  She leaned her sweaty forehead against the tub with a sigh.

"You okay?" he asked.  The words sounded so alien coming from him that Willow had to laugh weakly.

"Just peachy."  Climbing to her feet, she opened the door and went past him into her room.  "You can go away now."  She went to her French doors and pulled the blanket aside, slipping outside.  A sigh escaped her as the cool night air blew against her heated skin.

Spike didn't follow her outside, as she'd half expected him to do.  He seemed to always be there lately, to annoy her, and piss her off.  She had a feeling he was up to something, but she didn't know what.  She sat down on the porch, and pressed her forehead against the glass panes, closing her eyes.

The results were in; she'd definitely gotten the worst part of this bond.  Pain, and lots of it, seemed to be her new theme.  And what does Spike get?  Not a damn thing as far as she could see.  It would have been nice if he'd gotten something.  Anything.  Her emotions maybe.  Willow grinned.  That would have been funny.  But cruel.

And you getting his pain isn't cruel? she thought.

Okay, true.  But it wasn't like it was his fault.  Besides, he seemed to have gotten her weaknesses.  He was always tired, always sleeping.  Maybe he would be perpetually tired for the rest of his--her--life.  If it ended there.

She sat up, remembering the book Tara had given her.  The answers might be in there.  She went downstairs to get the book, then took it back up to her room.  She didn't see Spike, so she assumed he'd either left, or gone to one of the other bedrooms.

~Part: 7~

Willow dropped down on her bed, the book falling unnoticed beside her.  That can't be right.  The book is wrong, that's all there is to it.  No way was she stuck with Spike for the rest of her-- their lives.  Long lives.  Immortal lives.  Oh, boy.  She'd read it wrong, that's all.  So the bond they had sounded like a Proximity Bond, didn't mean it was... just that it was similar.  Very similar.

Gotta call Giles.  He'll know.  He knows about that stuff.  All the bonds mentioned had a lot of things in common... things she could deal with.  It was that last big doozy of a one that Willow didn't like.

Phone.  Where's the phone?  On her desk where it always was.  Duh.  And Giles' phone number?  Speed dial.  Okay, we're rockin' now.  She picked up the phone and took it to her bed, sitting cross-legged in the middle of it.

Giles answered on the first ring, sounding annoyed.  "Hello?"

"Is this a bad time?" she asked.  "I could call back."

"Oh, Willow, uh, no.  Is something wrong?"  She heard him cover the mouthpiece and say something to someone.  A customer, she assumed.  He came back on a second later.  "Willow?"

"Um, I think I found out what kind of bond it is."  She restlessly traced a finger along the binding of the book.  "But, you have customers, I'll come down there."

"No, that was just Xander.  He and Buffy are leaving for patrol.  Hang on, please."  She heard him once again cover the mouthpiece.  Muffled voices came through the phone, and Willow was sure she heard Xander say he was coming over.

"Giles... Giles!  Tell Xander no.  Giles!"  He couldn't hear her, she knew, which only frustrated her even more.

Finally, he came back on the line.  "Willow, um, I just talked Xander and Buffy out of stopping by," he said in a low voice, obviously not wanting to be overheard.  "I told them you weren't feeling well.  But they may decide to go anyway."

"Thanks, Giles.  I don't think I could face them right now.  Not with what I just found out."

"And what's that, love?" Spike asked from the doorway.  He was sober, shirtless, and smoking in her hallway.

"Giles, I have to go, but check out the Compendium of Magicks by Rafael."  She hung up the phone and glared at Spike.  He waited for an answer, which she wasn't ready to give him.  He wasn't going to be happy.  At all.

So, she grabbed his cigarette instead, and went outside.  "I told you not to smoke in here.  It stinks."

Spike took his cigarette back and blew smoke into her face.  "Do you really expect me to obey non smoking rules, pet?"  He leaned against the wall, watching her.  "So what's the news?"

Willow felt trapped.  She didn't want to tell him, but he was sure to spot a lie.  And could she lie to him?  He deserved the truth.  He deserved... not to be tied to a no longer completely mortal girl he couldn't stand for the rest of their lives.  Not to have to protect her to ensure his continued existence.  "Wanna hear something funny?" she asked with a weak smile.

"No, I don't really like funny all that much... unless I'm the one doing the funning.  How about you just say it?"

Willow nodded.  "Right.  Okay.  So, hey, ever wanted your own personal witch?"

Spike stared at her through narrowed eyes.  His cigarette, dangling from his fingers, sent wisps of smoke swirling between them.  She had to squint through it to see him, and wished she hadn't.

She knew he was a vampire, was reminded of it almost daily, usually by him, and had healing bite marks on her neck from said vampire.  But, she'd almost forgotten.  When the smoke was blown aside by a stray breeze, Willow was forcefully reminded.  Forcefully, because he'd vamped out, and she was now pinned against the brick wall of her house.  Pain showed up in two places at once, her throat, which was being held by Spike's hand, and her head, which was receiving pain from his chip.

Sick and tired of being hurt and manhandled by him, just in the three days that the bond had been in place, Willow braced herself, drew her foot back and kicked him.  Unfortunately, she didn't have any shoes on, so the effort was more pathetic than painful.  She didn't even feel a twinge of his pain.  But it did succeed in getting his attention.

His face morphed back into human, and his hand loosened.  "How long?" was all he said.

Trying to pry his fingers from her throat, Willow answered him absently.  "Until I die."  Realizing what she'd said, and worried that he might take the opportunity to try rid himself of her, she hastened to add, "But... you don't want to kill me.  'Cause--"

He smiled humorlessly, pulling her closer with his hand, which was still attached to her throat.  "Kill you?  I don't want to kill you."  His face was inches away from hers, his lips hovering just above her own.  "Shag you?  Maybe.  Feed off of you?  Definitely.  Kill you?  Now why would I do that, when you're my best chance at having a normal, somewhat chipless life again?"

Willow's breath caught in her throat when his lips pressed lightly to hers, once, twice.  Her eyes slid shut in anticipation of the next touch, but it never came.  She tried to get her emotions under control, but it was difficult when every inch of him was pressed against every inch of her.  When his hands--when did his other hand get up there?--were holding her face so softly, caressing tiny circles with his thumbs.  And, oh, his leg was between hers now.  His lips were on her neck, sucking and nipping at the skin.

Sure, she could get her emotions under control... anytime now.  In an alternate universe maybe.  And if that sexy voice, owned by the gorgeous vampire seducing her, wasn't whispering in her ear.  Whispering sweet-- Buffy?

"What?"  Her eyes flew open and she was faced with a smirking Spike.  His eyes were darkened with desire, but other than that, he was in complete control.  Unlike her.  She was breathing so hard she felt like she'd run a mile... an extremely pleasant mile.  Focus, girl.  "What?"

He chuckled deeply and disappeared into the shadows.  "Buffy and the moron are here," she heard him say, then nothing.

Willow groaned.  Buffy and Xander had the worst timing... Buffy and Xander?  Oh, boy.  What were they doing here?  Giles told them not to come, so, of course, they came anyway.  Rude friends.  Sweet friends.  The best.

Straightening her clothes, she went into her room, and ran downstairs.  On her way through the foyer, she spotted the extremely noticeable bigger-than-it-was-before hickey on her neck and slapped her hand over it.  Damn.  Make-up?  Too late.  High collared shirt?  Upstairs.  Hair?  Check!

Deep breath, open the door, and smile.  "Hi, guys.  What's up?"

Buffy hug.  Oops, keep the hair on your neck.  Xander hug.  Xander inspection.  Uh-oh, he's seen the hickey.  Bad, really bad.  He's searching the living room, must distract him.

"Hey, let's go into the kitchen.  Want a soda?  Some water?"

"Sure.  Water's always good," Buffy said, then frowned.  "Xander?  Hey, nosey."

"Huh?" Xander replied, preoccupied with his not so surreptitious search.  "Soda.  Sure.  Thanks."  He finished his immediate search and was headed for the stairs, when Buffy grabbed his arm, halting him.

"Xander, what is the matter with you?" she asked in irritation.  "You've been weird all day.  You and Anya fighting or something?"  She sat at the kitchen table, while Willow got out a bottle of water and a can of soda from the fridge.  "Thanks, Will."

"Yeah, thanks, Will," Xander added.  "Oh, hey.  Got anything else in there?  I just remembered, I'm all soda-d out."  He watched her shrewdly, gauging her reaction.  "I think I'm more in the mood for something... red.  You know, that thing that most people find disgusting?  You got any of that?"

Buffy was looking from one of them to the other, frowning in confusion.  "Red stuff?"

Willow shook her head.  "Oh, that stuff.  Um, no.  We don't have any left... of the disgusting red stuff.  Sorry."

Xander shrugged, opening his soda.  "Oh, well.  Coke it is then."

"Red stuff?" Buffy repeated.  "If I didn't know better, I'd think you guys were talking about blood.  Or V8."  She laughed lightly, then stopped when the other two didn't join in.  "Okay.  So, Giles said you were feeling blah, though he used more words, and not the actual, 'blah' word.  How you doing?"

Willow smiled.  "Good.  I'm good.  Just had a headache, is all.  Not a big deal."  She nodded in affirmation of her words, but Buffy and Xander were still watching her.  Feeling like she had to offer more, she decided to tell them about Tara.  Just not the particulars.  "Um... Tara and I-- well, Tara-- we broke up."  Gosh, what's that tickling her eyes?  Couldn't be more tears, could it?  Nah.  Couldn't be that.  She sniffled, and bit her lip.

"Oh, Will," Buffy said softly, "I'm so sorry."  She got up to hug the other girl.  "Are you all right?  I mean, of course you're not all right, but... are you?"  She smiled sadly, and shrugged.  "Sorry.  I'm bad at this kind of stuff.  I'm more the action type.  I could go beat her up if you want."

Willow chuckled through her tears.  "No, that's okay.  Thanks anyway."

Xander hugged her too, and whispered, "I'll kill him."

Willow held him still, not letting him go.  "Hurt him, and you hurt me," she whispered back.

He nodded, and sat down, looking very helpless.  She smiled, and ruffled his hair lightly.

"I'm better now, you guys should probably get back to your patrol... or would that be, *start* patrol?" she teased.  They both looked a bit chagrined, and she laughed.  "Go on.  I'll be fine.  I have Ben, Jerry and a few others to keep me company."

"We don't have to.  Giles isn't the boss of us," Buffy said impudently.

Xander laughed at her and pointed.  "Is too.  Ha ha."

Buffy rolled her eyes and pouted.  "Shut up."  They all stood up, and headed to the front door.  "Yay, patrol," she deadpanned.  "I love my job."  At the front door, she turned a stubborn look Willow's way.  "I'll be back over afterwards though, okay?"

Willow's eyes widened in panic for a moment, before she realized she'd just have to make sure Spike wasn't around when Buffy showed up.  "Um, okay," she agreed, "but no chick-flicks."

Buffy grinned.  "Got ya."

Xander, once again looking around them in a very suspicious manner, turned to them with a shudder.  "Me too," he told them.  "I'm coming too."

Now Willow did panic.  If Spike knew they were coming over, especially Xander, he'd probably stay here just to taunt him.  And there was no way she could keep anything secret if Xander stuck another stake in Spike.  "Um--" she bit her lip, not wanting to lie anymore than she already had, but, she couldn't take the chance of a confrontation turning deadly.  She'd like to keep her life thank you very much.  "You know," she said with a yawn, "I'm actually really tired tonight.  Why don't-- um, we can do this tomorrow."  Seeing Xander's suspicious look and Buffy's stubborn look coming back, she sighed.  "Actually, I'd just sort of like some alone time tonight."

Buffy backed off with a sympathetic smile.  "Okay.  But tomorrow, there'll be bonding.  I mean it."

Willow had to fight a giggle.  "Definitely some bonding going on," she agreed.

They hugged and said their goodbyes and did the general friend banter until Xander and Buffy finally left.  Willow shut the door behind them, and slumped against it, closing her eyes with a sigh.

Her eyes flew open again when an arm encircled her waist and a hand brushed her hair off of her cheek.  Amusement flickered in Spike's eyes.  "Miss me, pet?"

Willow shook her head mutely, determined not to let him see how he affected her.

The hand on her cheek slid down to her chest, resting just above her heart.  "Liar."  He grinned wickedly and kissed her with such intensity that she was left gasping for breath.

She pulled her mouth from his, and pushed against his chest.  "Spike?"  Instead of answering, he seemed content to lightly kiss her jaw and neck.  What was it with vampires and necks?  Well, duh.  Still, he's constantly attached to mine, like a leech.  Ew, nasty thought.  And he's staring at me now.  "Hi."

His mouth quirked in amusement.  "Am I boring you?"

Her snort let him know just how bored she hadn't been.  "No.  But we need to talk about the bond, 'cause otherwise I'm gonna chicken out and not tell you, and then you'll just be angrier, and angry vampires are not the best house guests."

He pushed away from her with an impatient shrug, a hint of annoyance lighting his eyes.  "Right.  Well, let's hear it.  How much more screwed up is my life going to get?"

She swept past him, into the living room.  Dropping on the couch, she turned to face him, her jaw set in irritation.  "Your life?  How about mine?  I'm the human here.  So far, I've got the raw deal.  I get the joy of all your pain.  The implant's probably going to give me brain damage.  And on top of that, I get the added responsibility of causing people's deaths."

He dropped into the chair across from her, a humongous sigh leaving his lips.  "I don't plan on killing anyone.  On purpose.  It'd kill you, and most likely me right along with you.  But I do intend to feed.  Unless..."  His gaze swept slowly over her.  "Care to donate a couple times a week?"

"Most definitely not."

His shoulders lifted in an unconcerned shrug.  "Then I'll just have to snack on the local population."

She glared at him, her temper rising.  "Stop trying to manipulate me, you jerk."

His eyes widened in mock innocence.  "Manipulate you, Willow?  Certainly not.  I wouldn't think of doing such a thing."  A crooked smile split his face.  "Okay, I am.  But, it's fun."

Looking forward to taking him down a peg or two, she grinned.  "Ever heard of a Proximity Bond?"

He shook his head, bored eyes lighting on his black-coated fingernails.  He chipped at the polish there, flaking it off.

"Well, that's what I think we've got.  It means we have to stay within five miles of each other at all times, and some kind of physical contact is needed once a week, sort of like recharging a battery or something.  Gosh, poor you."

He looked up expectantly, waiting for the rest.  "And?"

She frowned, disappointment lacing her words.  "Not poor you?  I mean, I'm not exactly mortal anymore, which means you're going to be stuck with me for what could be a really long time.  Maybe even a couple of centuries.  If I die, you die, and vice versa.  That's not..." she fluttered her hands in front of her, "you're not mad?"  She could feel a pout coming on, but she covered it with a frown.  "Why aren't you mad?"

His laughter took her by surprise.  She'd expected anger, fury and rage.  Not laughter and amusement.  "How is this a bad thing?  Just... be prepared to leave town when I want, and give me a little touchy feely once a week, what's not to like?"

She jumped to her feet, anger replacing her confusion.  "Oh, I think not.  Little Willow gets to follow the big bad vampire around for the rest of her life?"  She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him.  "Not gonna happen.  In fact... you can follow me."

"Not bloody likely," Spike shot back, his eyes pinning her in place.  "And, I think I'd like to request a weekly shagging."  He sniffed importantly and stood up, pacing.  "Yeah.  Also, I want some of your blood, at least once a week... though, I guess that could go with the shagging."

Anger didn't even begin to describe what she was feeling now.  She was so far beyond anger, she was... PO'd.  "That is so not gonna happen."

His smirk knew absolutely no bounds, it soared across his face like a bird.  "I think it will.  Way I see it, you either do what I say, or feel the pain from the implant while I snack on the local population.  I might not kill anyone, but I'll make sure they hurt.  A lot."

She was shaking her head almost before he started speaking.  "Sorry, Spike, but I don't think so.  See, I have this friend, who happens to be a Slayer, and she kills vampires like you nightly.  And since she really doesn't like you all that much, despite the fact that you're in love with her, she'll kill you."

Spike rolled his eyes at her empty threat.  "Kill me, kill you," he reminded her.

She crossed her arms over her chest, looking him right in the eye.  "Then I die."

"You wouldn't," he taunted, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I would," she confirmed.  "I'm human, I have a conscience, I'm one of the good guys.  I so would."

"Fine," he sighed.  "What does it matter anyway?  I have no intention of leaving yet.  We'll figure something out when and if one of us decides to leave.  Deal?"

Willow considered it for a minute, purposely angering him with her slow agreement, before finally nodding.  "Deal."

A slow smile spread across his face.  "So, want to pick up where we left off?"  He added a lascivious wink for good measure.

Willow scowled.  Not at him unfortunately, but at her body's reaction to him.  "No," she lied, "I don't."

He shrugged and went past her.  "Think I'll stop by the shop for a bit.  Been a while since I saw the gang.  You know," he said thoughtfully, "I never did thank Xander for staking me."  He tilted his head to the side.  "No time like the present, right love?"

Willow shook her head and sighed, following him into the hall.  He was trying to get a rise out of her.  Again.  What was with him?  Why was he constantly trying to taunt her?  Especially after his big 'don't use Buffy to taunt me' speech that first night.  "I wouldn't suggest it," she told him wisely, crossing her arms over her chest.

He paused at the front door, and turned back to her.  "And, uh, why not?" he questioned.  He tightened his jaw in annoyance.

Willow almost smiled.  He looked damn sexy, but also kinda... pouty.  She kept her smile to herself and leaned against the wall.  "You think Giles and Xander will greet you with open arms?  You'll be lucky if they don't stake you on sight."

Spike conceded the point with a nod.  "Then take a walk with me, Witch."

She found herself agreeing and out the door before she realized what she was doing.  Going out into the dark night with Spike was probably not a good idea.  Oh, lighten up, she told herself, he can't hurt you.  A spring in her step, she strode beside the tall, blonde vampire, not looking into why she felt sort of happy.  And why she was getting such a workout trying to keep up with him.

She grabbed his arm, intending to tell him to slow down, but tripped on something in the middle of the street instead.  She went flying forward, landing on her hands and knees, and sliding a bit before coming to rest by the curb.  Pain lanced through her palms, and knee caps, followed quickly by a burning sensation.  She sat down on the curb, stretching her legs out, trying to ease the discomfort.

Spike stood in front of her, then knelt down, grabbing her hands.  "Nice job," he approved.  "What was that?"

She glared at him, wincing when he brushed the dirt and pebbles from her palms.  "I tripped."  She looked over his shoulder at the object that caused her to fall.  "Oh, no," she whispered, trying to stand up.

Spike pushed her back down with a hand on her shoulder.

"But--" she pointed behind him.

"Sit.  If you fall on your face, I'm not picking you up."  He stood up and walked over to the object she'd tripped on.  "Bugger," he muttered, bending down to look at the severed head.  The body was nowhere in sight, but they didn't need it to know who--or what--it had been.  "The Litchock."

Willow dropped her head into her hands, moaning not in pain, but in despair.  "There goes my last hope of having the bond reversed."

"Was there actually a chance?"  He reached out to pick up the head, but thought better of it, settling for kicking it gently out of the street.  "Pretty eager to get rid of me, aren't you, love?"

She absently watched the head roll under a car, and sighed, lifting her eyes to his.  "Yeah.  I mean... aren't you?  Eager to be rid of me?  You can't like this."

Spike sat down next to her and lit a cigarette.  Leaving it dangling from his lips, he took her hand, resuming his earlier ministrations.  "Doesn't bother me that much."  He sighed, looking off into the distance.  "Besides, Giles will probably find a way to fix it.  Doesn't he always?"

"Yeah," she agreed, brightening considerably.  "He does.  We all do.  You're right, we'll figure it out, and things will go back to normal, and we'll be free of each other."

"Right."  He tossed a look over his shoulder at the Litchock head.  "Guess you'll be wanting to tell Giles about that."

Willow nodded.  "I should.  Tomorrow."  There was no hurry.  The thing was dead, it wasn't going anywhere.  She frowned at herself.  How callous was that?  Very.  "Or I can call him."

Spike rolled his eyes and stood up.  "If you're not going on account of me... don't.  I'm a big boy, I can occupy myself for a few hours."  He leaned against the car, watching a bird fly overhead.

Willow stood up as well, and took a few tentative steps.  Her knees didn't hurt too bad, and she didn't fall on her face like he'd expected her to do.  Yay for her.  "That's what I'm afraid of."  Ever since their argument earlier, she'd been thinking about this a lot.  With no pain, he was bound to feed whether it hurt her or not.  So, what if she did donate a bit each night?  Would that make her like Riley?  Would it... make her a blood ho?

He shrugged, grinning at her.  "Told you, pet, you could make donations, that way you wouldn't have to worry about it."

"Okay," she agreed quickly, before she lost her nerve.

He started coughing, and yanked his cigarette out of his mouth.  "What?  I didn't-- what?"

"If you're going to go out and feed off of people, hurting me through the chip, then I may as well be the one you feed off of."  She bit her lip nervously.  "Right?"

"Wrong," he disagreed, starting towards the magic shop.  "I'm not feeding off of you."  His voice was strong, determined... and he was so obviously trying to convince himself.

She sighed, sagging in relief.  "Oh, thank God.  I really don't think I could do that."  But she didn't want to live with the pain of his chip every night either.  Maybe even a few times a night... how often did a vampire feed a night?  "Um, I don't suppose you'll go back to bagged blood?" she asked hopefully, leading the way down one of the dark, empty streets.    He looked at her sideways, raising a scornful eyebrow.  "What do you think?"

She nodded, chuckling just a little.  "I didn't think so.  Guess I'll have to find a spell to block the pain then."

"You think there is one?" he asked curiously, grabbing her elbow to steer her around a broken bottle.

"I don't know," she said absently.  "What was that?"  Pointing behind them to the pieces of brown glass in the street, she turned her astonished gaze to his.

He tossed a confused glance behind them, shrugging.  "Beer bottle?"  He sucked in a breath, rubbing his stomach lightly when she nudged his side.

"Oh, sorry," she winced, mirroring his movements.  Her abdomen didn't hurt so much as his hurt and was causing her pain.  It was also still extremely bruised and icky looking.  It'd be nice if she'd gotten his faster healing.  It wasn't fair.  And yes, she was in the running for Whiner of the Year.  "Um, anyway, I meant--" letting out her breath in a rush, she shrugged.  "Nothing."  If he wanted to be a gentleman, who was she to comment on it?  Maybe this was his part of the bond... her courteousness?  Right, she scoffed silently.

Spike watched her oddly, probably wondering what the heck she was on.  "Uh-huh."  Gesturing around them, he finished his cigarette and dropped it, stepping on the butt.  "You do realize we're not on our way to Giles', right?"

"Darn.  You noticed," she said flatly.  "Of course I realize that.  I just needed to-- well, I figured while I was out anyway, I should... um, I have to--" she stopped, wondering why she was embarrassed about having to go to the store.  Big deal, so what?  It was just that... Spike and shopping weren't words that went together.  Hell, he didn't even shop for clothes apparently.  Either that, or they'd had a real big sale on black jeans, and black t-shirts.  Probably the five-fingered discount.  "Um, I just have to--"

"Pause me to death?" he laughed.  "You know, I think the blonde witch has been a bad influence on you.  Made you fall back on old habits or something."  Now it was his turn to nudge her.

She hardly noticed the physical pain, she was too wrapped up in the mental and psychological.  Tara.  She was gone.  Out of Willow's life forever.  "Don't have to worry about that anymore," she said softly.  "I told her about the bond last night.  She knew.  She knew I'd cheated on her."  Willow frowned, feeling the familiar guilt tear through her.  "Knew that it was permanent now."

He stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him.  "I'm sorry."  He seemed as confused and stunned as she was to hear the sincerity in his voice.  "I didn't set out for any of this to happen."

"I know," she assured him.  "And, mostly, I don't blame you."  She smiled crookedly, feeling it slip away almost before it appeared.  "Tara thinks that-- well, basically she thinks I'll never be able to have a normal relationship ever again.  Because of the bond."

He snorted in disbelief.  "Why?"  In that one scornful word, he'd managed to pack in a whole lot of distaste, catching Willow off guard.  She stared up at him, a little confused.  Since when did Spike hate Tara?  Seeing an equally confused expression on his face, she decided not to ask him about it.  Looked like he wasn't so sure himself.

"I don't know.  She said something about vampires being possessive, but I don't know what she meant."  I was a bit busy having my heart ripped out, she thought.  Again.  Now, not only was she whiny, but she was being overly dramatic as well.

Seeing the distaste once again on his face, she wondered if this wasn't what Tara had meant.  Vampires were possessive, and with a bond keeping him and Willow together, he'd be even more so.  But would that really bleed over into active dislike of her ex?  It was worth some thought.

He didn't say anything, didn't even seem to be paying much attention to her anymore.  His eyes were skyward again, on that same bird from before.

"We're bound for life.  That's gotta be daunting for her, knowing I'll always be around, but she won't be."  He sighed heavily.  "She also knows that we--"

"You what?" a whiny, yet angry voice inquired.

Willow shared a look and an eye roll with Spike as they both turned to face the newcomer.  She stood there, all long blonde hair and snotty glares.  Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her foot was tapping.  She looked more comical than threatening.

"Harmony," Willow greeted, not one iota of warmth in her voice.

"Willow," she greeted right back.  "Spike."

Spike rolled his eyes.  "Now that we all know who were are, what do you want?"

Harmony pouted, stepping closer to Spike, trying to look innocent and sweet.  She failed miserably.  "When I saw you with *her*," Harmony griped, "I thought you were finally getting around to killing her.  I mean, I did ask you to do it two years ago, and maybe you were a little slow in doing it, or not even doing it for me, but I figured it'd be fun to watch.  So I followed you, but, you're not killing her.  You're just being her Xander."

"My Xander?" Willow inquired, but they both ignored her.

"Harm," Spike said angrily, "you know damn well I can't kill her."

She shrugged expansively, raising her arms out.  "How was I supposed to know it was still there?  Besides, I thought maybe you'd grown a backbone and overcome the pain or something.  I met this guy in L.A. who said that--" Spike's hand around her throat cut her off.

"Shove off, Harm, or I'm going to kill you for good.  Got it?"  His face vamped out, his eyes boring into the other vampire's.

She nodded frantically, and he let her go.  She gasped a few times out of habit, and backed away.  "God.  You're both dysfunctional, you know that?  And I--"

Spike growled impatiently.  "*Now*, Harm, not an hour and a half of bitching from now, you stupid bint.  Get the hell away from me.  And stay away."

Harmony sneered at him, her upper lip curling back like an angry dog's.  "Make me."

Willow rolled her eyes again, tempted to leave the two alone to... whatever it is they were doing.  Or wanted to do.  Mad, passionate sex maybe?  That wasn't a pleasant thought.  Not so much the visuals, though that was disturbing too, what bothered her was the twinge of jealousy that jumped up and screamed, 'no!' in a tiny voice.  Afraid of what that twinge meant, she turned away and continued on her journey to the store.  They could duke it out alone.

Three blocks later, she heard footsteps behind her and felt a hand on her arm, halting her.  Expecting Spike's impatient face, and irritated voice, she was already in an eye roll when she turned around.  But, it wasn't Spike.  Wasn't Harmony either.

"Tara," she whispered, stunned to see her.  It was too soon.  She needed more time to get over her before she faced her... in the middle of a darkened street in the middle of town.  Preferably, they'd see each other in the daylight, inside, away from demons and Spikes.  "What--"

"Shh," Tara said softly, raising her finger to Willow's lips.  Her eyes were gentle, her smile tender as she cradled Willow's confused face in her hands.

What was going on here?  She stepped back, putting some distance between them.  "We broke up.  You can't just come around and... do whatever it is you're doing."  Her eyes filled with tears as she fought the impulse to take Tara into her arms and hold her.  Kiss her.

Tara must have read her mind, because she suddenly grabbed both of Willow's wrists, pulled her closer and kissed her.  Desperately.  "I love you," she whispered before disappearing.

No, not disappearing, turning into a six foot tall man.  And a vampire at that.  He was looking a little confused... no more so than she felt at the moment.  "Lady, you always kiss strange vampires?"

"Kiss?" she said incredulously, her eyes widening.  "I didn't kiss-- you kissed... what the hell is going on here?" she asked no one in particular.  "And where'd you come from?  My girlfriend..." realizing she was talking to a completely strange... vampire, she pulled out her stake and dove at him.

He easily caught her hand, halting the stake as it pierced the flesh of his chest.  They both stared at the small drops of blood appearing on his stark white shirt.  His golden eyes turned to dark green, his ridged face to smooth skin.  A nice handsome face stared back at her, brow furrowed in confusion again.

"Maria?" he queried.  A grin split his mouth just before he grabbed her in a bear hug.  "I thought you were dead, baby.  God, I'm glad to see you.  Immortality is boring without you."

Willow, aside from being confused and stunned, was having a little trouble breathing with his arms holding her so tightly.  She mumbled her protest, squirmed a bit, and tried to get her stake out to dust him with.  It was stuck firmly between them in her hand, but, he finally let her go, dropping her to her feet before pulling her along by her hand.

"Hey, hey, guy.  Whatever your name is, I'm not this Maria chick, I'm Willow, and why am I telling you this?"  She swung the stake around again, and once again, it was stopped by him.  He looked all hurt and stuff.

"Baby, tell Jack what's wrong.  You still mad that I left you behind to face the Slayer alone?"  Contrition covered his face, and his eyes softened, while his voice turned cajoling.  "I had to leave, sweetie.  She was wicked deadly that night.  And--"

"And," Willow finished for him, "tonight, I'm deadly.  Buh-bye."  She yanked her stake out of his chest, and stuck it back in her jeans pocket, dusting her hands off.  "Ugh, vampire dust is disgusting."

"Good," Spike said, crossing the street toward her.  "Then maybe you'll refrain from turning me into it any time soon."

Willow shrugged lightly, in a much better mood than before.  "Maybe.  Maybe not."  She looked behind him, making sure there were no more vampires hanging around.  Like Harmony.  "Where's your bimbo babe?"

Spike glared at her as he fell into step beside her, but she could hear him laughing.  "Running home to her new boyfriend 'Jack', I guess.  She just spent the last two minutes extolling his virtues.  And comparing me to him."  He shook his head in disgust.  "Needless to say, I came out lacking."

Willow burst out laughing, looking back at the pile of dust that Jack used to be.  "I think he's a bit lacking now as well."  She pointed to what was left of Harmony's boyfriend.  "Jack's a little under the weather right now... and forever.  It's probably for the best anyway.  He was in love with someone else."  She started off to the store again, leaving Spike to follow.

"You found out all this in the short time you were alone with him?  Must've been a chatty bloke," he mused, getting in front of her and turning around to walk backwards.

"Well," she said, contemplatively, "not really.  More like, um, I kissed him, apparently--"

Spike's eyes shot to hers, disbelief written all over his face.  "What?  You kissed him?"  They were directly in front of the store now, but he stopped walking, forcing her to stop as well, or run into him.  "If you're that hard up, babe, I'd be glad to--"

"The way it happened from my POV," she said loudly, talking over him, "was she kissed me.  And then she was suddenly a he.  I tried to stake him, but he stopped me, and then he thought I was his girlfriend Maria."  Finished with her explanation, she moved around him and headed into the store.

"Wait, wait, wait."  Spike ran after her, grabbing her arm as she headed into the cookie aisle.  "So, what are we thinking?  A spell?"

She shrugged, taking a package off the shelf and continuing down the aisle.  "I don't know.  You tell me.  This is as new to me as it is to you."  Another package of cookies and she was on her way to the beverage aisle.  She handed Spike the cookies and took a couple of six packs off the shelf.

He was hardly paying attention to what she was doing or what he was carrying.  His mind was on the problem of her seeing Tara in a vampire.  "Has to be a spell.  Or maybe some kind of reality distortion."  He frowned, accepting the chips and popcorn she set on top of the cookies.  "Where'd that idea come from?  I don't even know what a reality distortion is.  Sounds like something Dru would say," he chuckled, following her to the check out lane.  This late at night, the store was mostly empty, so they were the only ones in line.

The clerk was reading a magazine and snacking on grapes.  Willow set all her items on the conveyor belt and pulled Spike along with her.  It was like he was in a trance, paying only minimal attention to the world around him.  It was kind of annoying, actually.  "Spike, hello?"

The clerk looked up briefly as she scanned the items, giving Willow a small smile in greeting.  Her eyes settled on Spike and pretty much stayed there, her whole face looking years younger than her over forty or so.

Willow sighed in annoyance, wondering why everyone seemed to be taking such an interest in Spike lately... including her.  But then she realized that Spike was looking back just as intently.  She frowned, wondering if there was a story there that she seriously didn't want to know about, and groaned aloud when he clenched his jaw in anger.

"Dru," he bit out, circling the counter to the checker who was now more frightened than attracted.  "What the hell are you doing back here?  I told you I didn't--"

Willow grabbed his arm, keeping him from advancing anymore on the poor woman.  "Spike, whoa, stop," she ordered, fighting to hold him there.  Aside from her fine holding back qualities, he didn't even notice she was there.  "Spike."

"Lady, what's his problem?" the clerk asked, backing even further away.  She was practically climbing on top of the conveyor belt in her haste to get out of his reach.  "Time for his medication?"

Spike snarled at her, thankfully not in his game face, and spun away.  Willow quickly grabbed her groceries, tossed the money on the counter and ran after the delusional vampire.  "Spike, wait... please," she panted, already winded by the time she hit the parking lot.

Spike was standing on the sidewalk, looking around in confusion, an altogether too frequent occurrence in the last half hour.  "What just happened?" he asked when he saw her.

"If you're that desperate," she mocked, striding past him.  "Welcome to the club of strange and unusual, hope you enjoyed your stay."

He caught up to her, another all too frequent occurrence tonight, and took one of the bags from her.  "Oh.  Well, wasn't that fun?  Let's go drop these things off and look it up.  Something's going on, and it's probably not a good thing.  Never is in this town."

Willow agreed whole-heartedly.  Whatever it was that was happening, seemed intent on making people think they were seeing a loved one.  But, was that all, or was it a loved one they were separated from?  "Spike?"

"Hmm?"  He was busy digging a cigarette out of his pocket and trying to light it while holding the bag of groceries.  Not an easy feat for a human, but a piece of cake for a vampire.  "Yeah?"

"Do you still love her?"  He looked over at her, taking a drag off his cigarette.  She hefted the weight of her bag around, and switched hands.  "Dru I mean, not Buffy... I know you still love Buffy.  But, well, I saw Tara, and that vampire saw his girlfriend Maria, you saw Dru... so I figured we were seeing the people we loved."  Her nervous tirade trailed off into silence.

His eyes shot to hers, looking a little surprised about something, but he didn't say what.  "She's my sire, and the woman I spent more than a century with, of course I love her.  But I'm not in love with her anymore."

That wasn't happiness shooting through her.  Fighting a sudden smile, she nodded.  "Okay, so maybe it's just people who are on our minds.  I was thinking about Tara a few minutes before I saw her in Jack.  You were thinking about Dru.  Hey," she said, allowing the smile to surface, "problem solved... well, partially.  Now all we have to do is figure out why we're hallucinating.  And we can do that at my house, rather than paying the angry Watcher and male best friend a visit."  Giving him a haughty look, she pointed down the street with her free hand.  "Home, James."

"Cute.  You're a funny witch."

~Part: 8~

Spike looked up from the enormous tome on his lap when Willow sighed heavily.  He wasn't actually reading the Latin words on the pages, he was too busy wondering if he should step up his seduction of her.  He'd caught her little slip-up outside the store earlier.  She'd said loved.  Not love, or in love, the exact word she'd used was 'loved'.  Which meant, not only was she no longer attached to the blonde witch, but she was also no longer in love with her.  So he didn't have to worry about breaking them up, but would she be amenable to his sudden advances?

"No," Willow repeated for the third time, the phone cradled between head and shoulder as she flipped through a book similar to Spike's.  "Um, Giles, I didn't look *that* closely.  It was a severed head, lending itself to uckiness."  She rolled her eyes and smiled as she listened.  "That's ok.  But, I think the-- yeah.  Way more important."

Spike turned his attention back to the pages in front of him.  She'd been on the phone for five minutes already, and because of Giles' chattiness, she was just getting to what he was supposed to be researching.  The hallucinations.  He hadn't any idea what he was looking for.  A demon, a spell, both?

"No, Giles.  No, he's-- yeah.  If you could call it behaving," Willow laughed, smirking at Spike.

Spike glared at her, offended.  "I never 'behave', love.  I'm a rebel."  She waved her hand, trying to silence him.  He went back to his book with a smirk.

"Okay, Giles.  Tomorrow.  Yep.  Bye.  Oh, tell Buffy and the others hi for me.  Uh-huh.  Okay, bye."  She hung up the phone and carried her huge tome over to the couch, dropping down with a sigh.  "Giles is very happy to know that you're not--"

"Running around biting every human within reach?" he asked in exasperation.

She nodded as she flipped through pages.  "Pretty much."  After a few minutes of silence aside from the flicking of pages, she stood up, tossing her book down on the seat she'd just vacated.  "Maybe I should go to the Magic Box," she told him.

He didn't glance up at her, though he wanted to.  He could hear it in her voice, she was nervous and biting her lip.  He'd like to bite that lip, which is why he kept his eyes firmly on the words in front of him  "Why?  We have books here."

"But Giles has better books," she reasoned.  "And my laptop, which I left there the other day."

Now he did look at her, a niggling suspicion worming its way into his thoughts.  He narrowed his eyes at her.  "If you're that anxious to get away from me, then go."  He was rather proud of himself for not letting her hear the anger in his voice.

Her eyes widened as if the thought had never even entered her mind.  "Oh.  No, it's not that.  At all," she assured him.  "It's just that... well, Xander's there, and he's mucho liable to spill the beans to Buffy, and I want to be the one to spill the beans to Buffy 'cause of how he's biased and all.  Plus, I wanted to talk to him about the dangers of staking you."

He wasn't at all happy with the thought of having Buffy in on their secret.  It was a sure bet that she'd be around all the time if she knew, to protect poor little Willow from the big bad vampire.  How could he seduce Willow and avoid Buffy if she was constantly underfoot?  Returning his attention to the book on his lap, he casually said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"You w-- but why?  You think she'll take it badly?"  She must've realized how dumb a question that was, because she snorted and answered herself.  "Well, duh.  Of course she'll take it badly."

"What's the sudden rush?  I doubt the moron will say anything, not with Rupert around."  He shrugged, unconcerned.

"Yeah, because Xander's always been one for not saying something when he shouldn't," she laughed.

The doorbell rang, halting anything he'd been about to say.  Willow looked around in a panic, her eyes widening to comic degrees.  She yanked the book from his hands and tossed it on the couch.

"You've gotta go.  Upstairs somewhere," she said distractedly, pulling him to his feet.  "I think that's Buffy.  And I'd kinda like to tell her before she has a chance to stake you."

Spike didn't immediately let go of her hand, though she tried to walk away, and was now pulling at it a little wildly.  He stepped around the coffee table, drawing her closer to him, his fingers holding tight to hers to keep her there.  "Worried about me?" he asked softly, leaning down to kiss her.  Instead of touching his lips to hers, he let them hover above hers for a few seconds.
She frowned in confusion, her mind completely on whoever their unwanted guest was.  "Huh?"

"Nothing," he chuckled, pressing his lips to hers before straightening up and leaving the room.

Willow stared after Spike for a minute, touching her tingling lips with her fingertips for a moment.  She tried to calm her breathing and pounding heart, thankful that this time, he wasn't the sole reason for her heightened heart rate.  The person at the door was the main cause.  Ack, speaking of which.  She ran to the hall, yanking the door open just as Buffy was about to knock.  Luckily Buffy saw her in time, halting the hand about to crack open Willow's forehead.

"Hi!" Willow greeted her, giving her a big strained smile.  "What are you doing here?"  Realizing how rude that sounded, she rushed to assure her, "Not that that's a bad thing... you being here.  Just that, I thought you weren't going to be.  Here."

Buffy shrugged, slipping past her into the hallway.  "I thought you might want some company.  After the way we all treated you after Oz left... well, I thought maybe you were just saying you didn't want company."  She turned to face Willow, looking all cheerful and upbeat.  "So what do you say?  Wanna spend some girlie time together?  You, me, a dark cemetery and not a lot of vamps hopefully?"

Hearing a familiar creak in the floorboards nearby, Willow grabbed Buffy's arm, pulling her out the door and slamming it firmly behind them.  "Buffy, are you coming on to me?" she teased, casting a cautious look over her shoulder at her bedroom window.  Empty.  Good.

Buffy tripped over thin air, but caught herself before she dragged both of them down on their faces, turning around to glare at the offending air.  "What?  I-- no.  I was just... I meant--"

Willow rolled her eyes at Buffy, giving her a pointed look.

Buffy grinned shamefacedly.  "I'm doing it again, aren't I?"  She sighed as they reached the sidewalk along the street.  "I'm not freaked, I'm really not.  It's just different is all."

"Not so different," Willow countered.  "Love is love, no matter what gender the person is."  Or species, she added silently.  Tossing another surreptitious look over her shoulder at her house, she hoped Spike had the good sense to just stay away from Xander.  He should be okay if he avoided... well, actually everyone.

"Do you miss it?" Buffy asked, startling Willow.  Buffy tossed her a sideways look.  "Being with a man, I mean.  Is it... well, I know there are things that you can-- and probably, for all I know, actually do... with Tara.  But that's not my business, and I'm going to just pretend I didn't ask that, and move on.  So, nice weather we've been having, huh?"

Willow burst out laughing as Buffy's face went from a warm golden shade to a sickly pale one, and then moved on to bright red.  "Actually, no, I don't miss it, but not because of the me and Tara doing... things reason.  Or because I miss men.  There's a whole other reason."  She ended up mumbling the last bit, but Buffy caught it and stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"There's someone else!" she accused, her eyes widening, then narrowing.  "Is that why Tara broke up with you?"

Panic assailed Willow, and she had to stop herself from hyperventilating.  "No, that's not why-- well, yes.  But not because... oh, boy."

"Spill," Buffy ordered with relish.  "I need vicarious thrills now.  I'm thrill-less lately."  She looked away sadly, but her grin returned quickly.  "Come on," she motioned to the Shady Pines Cemetery across the street and started that way.

Willow stared after her for a few good long seconds.  She debated running in the opposite direction, but discarded that idea.  Buffy had slayer speed, she'd catch her in no time.  And the only other option was to kill Buffy.  Sighing, she crossed the street, joining Buffy in the cemetery.  Just as she passed through the gates, she felt a hand wrap around her throat and yank her backward.

"Spike?" she whispered, turning to look behind her.  Definitely not Spike.  Big muscles, stringy black hair, and lots of make-up. "Oh, hi... um, s-- sir.  You're supposed to be Cher, right?"

"Shut up," the vampire hissed angrily, tightening his hand around her neck.  "Hey, Slayer, I've got your girlfriend here!"

Buffy, having felt the vampire, or heard their exchange, was already aware of the situation.  She stood a few feet away watching them.  "I can see that," she agreed, pulling a stake from her jacket pocket.  Her eyes shifted to Willow as she circled around them.  "You okay?"

Willow nodded jerkily and smiled.  "Uh-huh.  Look, Buffy, he's Cher," she said encouragingly, trying to placate the vampire.  A cough escaped her when the hand once again tightened on her throat.  "Sorry," she whispered, fighting to breathe.  It was a little difficult now, since he seemed intent on crushing her windpipe.

Buffy casually tapped the stake against her left hand, strolling around them.  Cher-wannabe turned Willow with him as he kept Buffy in sight.

"Cross-dressing," Buffy mused, smirking at the vampire.  "Your idea, or the human's?"  She shook her head at herself.  "Doesn't matter.  Either way you die."

The vampire, mostly silent until now, sighed heavily, his whole chest expanding with the force of drawing in air.  Willow felt like she was on an inflatable mattress.  "Look, Slayer, and... Slayer's girlfriend, I just want a meal.  No fighting."  He tipped Willow's head to the side, peering down at it.  "Come on, just let me have her.  She's used goods anyway."

Willow's eyes widened.  Crap, Spike's bitemark was there.  Oh, and the hickey.  Big hickey.  Now in plain sight for Buffy to see.  And, noticing Buffy's eyes narrow, she did see.  "Funny story," Willow said with a weak laugh.  "And, I'll tell you it just as soon as I think of one," she muttered miserably.

"Who bit you?" Buffy asked harshly, the vampire holding Willow practically forgotten in their discussion.

"Um," Willow squeaked out through her pained throat, "remember that whole other reason why I don't miss guys?"  She was trying for flippant, hoping Buffy would see the humor in the extremely non-humorous situation, but all she succeeded in doing was making Buffy even more angry.

"A vampire?" Buffy said in disbelief, her eyes solely on Willow.  "The 'whole other reason' guy is a vampire?"

"Hey," the vampire holding her said, sounding a little neglected.  "You give it up for other vampires, we get that.  Great.  Donate to me."  He pushed her away from him for a split second, turning her as he did so, then his fist shot out, connecting with the whole left side of her face.

She went flying backward, landing hard on the ground.  Through a haze of pained tears and dirt in her eyes, she was able to make out Buffy and the vampire fighting.  Grunts and groans sounded all around her as she struggled to sit up.  She pushed her arms under her, trying to move into a sitting position, but her elbows wouldn't lock, and she ended up hitting her head on the cold, hard ground again as she fell backward.

She thought maybe she passed out for a few seconds, because the next thing she knew, a hand was yanking her up, shoving her neck roughly to the side.  It was the same guy, she realized, squinting through her one good eye to see Cher-hair hanging in front of her.  Teeth ripped into her neck, and she started to struggle, wondering where Buffy was.

"Ah-ah," Buffy's voice said from behind them, "you didn't say please."

The vampire let her go, shoving her away from him.

Willow opened her eyes and forced her feet under her.  Her knees quit trying to turn to rubber, and strength and reason was returning to her.  Buffy was fighting the vampire a few feet away, and it didn't look like she had the upper hand.  Spying a tree a couple of yards from the fighting couple, Willow headed that way, intending to break off a branch and help her friend.

Just as she got to the tree and reached over her head to grab the closest branch, she felt a hand wrap around her neck.  Again.  Tired of being manhandled by this vampire, she swung around, biting back the nausea threatening to overwhelm her, and shoved him away from her.  Surprise was the only reason she was able to get him away from her.

"Willow," Buffy shouted to her left.  "Get out of here!"  Following her words was a blur of movement in the night.  Buffy landed on the vampire's chest, knocking them both to the ground with a grunt.

Instead of running, Willow once again grabbed the branch and this time snapped it off.  She snuck up behind the vampire currently on top of Buffy, and shoved the branch into his back, dropping to the ground in exhaustion.

"Ah, heck," the vampire muttered, looking down at his chest.

Willow dropped to the ground as the vampire exploded into dust, rolling as she fell, so she wouldn't land on her face.  Mostly it worked.  She rolled the wrong way and ended up hitting only the left side of her face.  "Ow," she groaned, laying there, unmoving, staring at the blades of grass immediately in front of her eyes.  They alternately moved toward and away from her as she breathed.

Buffy crawled over, checking her over to make sure she was all right.

Willow smiled.  "I'm okay," she whispered, wondering why her voice wasn't as loud as it should be.  Her throat hurt a lot, but certainly not so much that it should barely let her talk.  Clearing it, she tried again, but had the same result.  Raspy and low.  "I'm good."

Buffy tossed her a disbelieving look.  "You're so *not* good, Willow."  She frowned in concern, and knelt before Willow, helping her up with a groan.  She wrapped her arm around Willow's waist and started them off in the direction of the Magic Box.  Her concerned glance quickly turned into a strained smile, meant to be reassuring.  "And don't think I'm coming on to you," she chuckled, tightening her arm around Willow's waist, "'Cause, I don't care what you say, I'm not putting out."

Willow laughed tiredly, forcing one foot in front of the other.  She was close to losing consciousness, she knew, and she tried desperately to hang on, fighting off the blackness that was creeping around the edges of her vision.  "That's okay," she told Buffy, "I don't think Spike likes to share anyway."  She had to stay awake to protect Spike.  If she didn't, it was possible she'd wake up to a deader than usual Spike.  Or not wake up at all.

Buffy snorted with laughter and scorn.  "Oh, please.  Spike doesn't have any say in who or what I do."

Willow nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.  "So, remember that funny story I was going to tell you about the vampire that bit me and the whole other reason guy?" she asked.

Buffy came to a complete standstill, causing Willow to run straight into her.  "Not Spike?" she inquired, almost fearfully, looking extremely grossed out.  At Willow's nod, she stomped her foot angrily, repeating loudly and more forcefully.  "Not Spike!"

"Jealous?" Willow chuckled before falling to the ground unconscious.

~~~*~~~

Buffy carried Willow into the Magic Box, causing the two customers in the shop to gasp and run out.  Giles, hardly sparing the couple a glance, rushed to take Willow from her.  She gratefully relinquished her burden, sighing in relief.  She was strong, had her Slayer strength, and had extra stamina due to her concern for Willow, but after two miles of carrying her, Buffy had started to tire.  A third mile had nearly killed her.

Giles, not as strong as Buffy, sagged with the sudden burden of carrying a human body.  He barely managed to keep his footing as he made his way to the training room, laying her on the couch in there.  "Vampire?" he asked Buffy, climbing to his feet to get the first aid kit from the bathroom.

"Uh-huh."  She knelt beside Willow, using her shirt to wipe away some of the blood from her neck.  Her jaw clenched in anger when she saw the bitemark under Cher-wannabe's bite, not to mention the hickey surrounding it.  "Spike bit her," she told Giles when he returned.  The fury in her voice didn't escape her Watcher.

"I know-- wait, he bit her?"  His startled gaze flew from Buffy, who was suddenly gaping at him, to Willow, who wasn't moving at all.  "That bloody bastard," he ground out.

"You know?" she repeated, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him, wondering when the hell everyone had gone insane.  "Care to share?"  She laughed shortly, tossing a look at Willow.  "Don't think I'll get anything out of Spike, because, according to Willow, he doesn't like to share."

Giles popped the clasp on the blue metal box, and set it on the floor by the couch, kneeling down next to it.  "The Litchock demon that hit them with magick bound them together.  It's not Willow's fault, and I suppose it's not even Spike's fault, but if he did this to her, I'm taking back my promise not to kill him."

"She's been bound to Spike for... what?  Three days now, and no one cared enough to inform me?"  The thought hurt.  That her friends didn't think she could handle the truth.  Okay, it's possible she would've tried to stake Spike to save Willow, maybe even without getting all the information first, but that they hadn't trusted her enough to even try.  It hurt.

In the middle of cleaning up the blood with an alcohol pad, Giles turned to her briefly before going back to his task.  More out of discomfort, she thought, than an urgent need to clean the dried blood off of Willow's neck.

"Since you died, you've been... distant," he informed her, confirming her previous thoughts.

Instead of denying it, she nodded, sitting at the end of the couch by Willow's head.  She lifted Willow's shoulders and scooted under her, smoothing her red hair from her bruised and bloodied face.  "So, what's involved with this bond?"

Giles sighed as he cut a square of gauze and four pieces of tape.  "It doesn't matter.  If Spike did this, the bond will be gone very soon."  He pressed the gauze to Willow's neck, smoothing a piece of tape across the bottom of it.  "Just as soon as I get a stake to dust him with."

Buffy frowned, not really wanting to defend Spike, but she couldn't in good conscience let Giles kill him.  "He didn't hurt her.  We were on patrol, sort of.  Actually, it was just a walk to spend time together, but I decided to patrol a little more while we talked."  She dropped her head on the back of the couch, shifting a little so her hair wasn't caught behind it.  "I shouldn't have--"

"Lament later," Giles told her, getting to his feet.  "What happened?"

"A cross-dressing vampire that wanted to be Cher hit her, full force.  He also bit her, but didn't get a lot."  Smoothing the hair from the stark white gauze on Willow's neck, she stared at it, as if she could see right through the thin material.  "There was another bitemark under there.  I'm pretty sure it's Spike's."  Raising tired eyes to Giles, she asked her question again.  "What's involved with this bond, and how long will it last?"

Before he could answer, the door to the training room slammed open.  Buffy's head shot up to see Spike standing there, panting like a human, looking around wildly before his eyes settled on her lap.  No, not on her lap.  On Willow.

His entire posture relaxed and his face went blank.  He tried for casual and annoyed, but none of them bought it.  "Don't you people answer phones around here?"

Buffy scooted gently out from under Willow's head and stood up.  She stayed away from Spike, not sure she could keep a handle on her fury at the moment, and judging by the way his eyes had narrowed, and his fists were clenching as tightly as his jaw, she didn't think he could either.

"You bit her," was all she said.  There wasn't a ton of accusation in there, but some had leaked through.

His eyes flew to hers, narrowing even further.  "Did not," he tossed back.  "What, uh, what happened to her?"

His voice was oh-so casual, like he didn't care at all, but considering his eyes had barely left Willow since he'd barged in, Buffy knew better.  And she marveled at the news.

Giles set the first aid kit on the pommel horse, and turned to Spike with a feral look.  "Buffy knows about the bond.  And I know you bit Willow."

Spike looked caught.  He patted down his pockets for his cigarettes and finally shoved his hand deep into his duster pocket, coming up with a crumpled pack.  He shook one out, planting it between his lips and lighting it.  Looking up through the smoke, he shrugged.  "It was an accident."

Buffy laughed derisively.  "What, you slipped and your fangs accidentally landed on Willow's neck?  'Oops, my bad'," she mocked, doing a really bad imitation of his accent, "'didn't mean to bite ya, love.'"

She saw Giles' lips twitch along with Spike's, and turned a glare his way.

Willow moaned behind them, shifting on the couch.  She was still asleep, but if Buffy had to bet, she'd say only for another few minutes.

Spike's eyes moved away from Willow for a second, settling on her, and she was surprised to see none of the creepiness she'd gotten used to seeing on his face.  She could've jumped for joy, but she was afraid the stalker routine had only been switched to Willow.  And that was unacceptable.  Willow's swelling eye and purpling skin attested to the fact that she couldn't defend herself against Spike if he tried to hurt her. And he would, he was a vampire after all--

"How did you bite her?" she asked suddenly, realizing the implant wasn't working on him anymore.

"She gets the pain," he mumbled gesturing to Willow with his cigarette.  "But before you go trying to stake me," he hurried to add, "you might want to know that she could die as well.  Tell her, Rupert."

Giles rubbed the back of his neck tiredly.  "It's true."

Buffy nodded, considering Spike's words.  "Are we taking his word for it, or do we have proof of that?"

"Look at her stomach," Spike told her.

Buffy frowned, glancing down at Willow.  Her shirt was big, oversized.  Pain filled reasons? Buffy wondered.  She'd certainly done that enough herself.  Leaning down, she lifted the hem of Willow's shirt and gasped.  "What happened?"  Her entire abdomen was covered in mottled bruising.  Faded, but still rather recent.  "Giles?" she said louder, demanding an answer.  "What happened?"

Spike answered for her.  "I got staked by--"

Giles sighed, turning a glare briefly toward Spike before facing Buffy fully.  "Go get the Compendium of Magicks by Rafael, it's under the counter."

"No--" she began, only to be cut off by a very angry Giles.

"Get the damn book, Buffy."  He motioned toward the front of the store.  "The answers are in there.  It can tell you more than I can."

She nodded, fighting the urge to yell back.  That wouldn't solve anything.  And, hey, look at her, thinking before hitting.  She left the room behind, searching under the counter for the book.  And, naturally, there were a ton of books on the shelves.  Large, leather bound tomes.  Ancient looking.  Sighing, she knelt down, beginning her search for the Compendium of Magicks by Rafael.

Luck was with her, because it was only the fifth book she checked.  Hefting the huge brown thing in her hands, she stood up and headed back to the training room.  Giles' voice had her pausing in the doorway to listen.

"...bite her again, I'll--"

"Yeah, yeah," Spike sighed, sounding extremely bored.  "Heard it all before, Rupert.  Haven't hurt her yet, have I?"  He paused only long enough to answer his own question before continuing.  "No, I haven't.  Won't be either."

Buffy moved into the room, joining them by the couch.  Spike was sitting in the spot she'd vacated when he showed up, the cigarette no longer dangling from his lips or his fingers.  Dropping the book into Giles' hands, she glared at Spike.  "Hands," she warned him.

Spike looked up from his perusal of Willow's bruises to toss her an exasperated glare.  His hand, the one threading through Willow's hair, left her to rest on the back of the couch.  "Jealous?" he smirked, though there was no real conviction behind the words.

Giles handed her the open book, pointing at the right page.  "It's one of these, though I've no idea which one.  I haven't had a chance to look through them since Willow rang earlier.  The shop's been busy, and with Anya off tonight--"

"Proximity Bond," Spike supplied, rolling his eyes at Giles.

Buffy looked at him in time to see him move his arm back to the top of the couch.  Her eyes narrowed at him, threatening him with bodily harm if he didn't stop touching Willow, but they both knew it was an empty threat.  She wouldn't hurt Willow through Spike just to prove a point.  Or drive a point home.  A nice, sharp pointy point.

"Proximity Bond," she muttered, sitting on the pad on the floor and getting comfortable.  The book was heavy, and her arms were still recovering from carrying Willow three miles to the Magic Box.  Tracing her finger down the page, she quickly skimmed through the worst of the bond's restrictions.  Flipping to the next page, she hoped that was all there was, nothing major, just a little space limitation, and yuck, touching.  But a brief, supervised touch could be arranged every week.  No big deal.

But then she read what was on the next page, and remembered Willow's words earlier.  "Giles," she said tightly, "how did their bond become permanent?"  She didn't know exactly why she was asking, since she was pretty positive she already knew the answer.

There was no way Willow would do any of the things listed here, except maybe one.

"I have no idea," Giles answered.  He looked over at her, frowning in concern.  "Why?"

Buffy stood up and dove at Spike, wrapping her hand around his neck.  "Tell me it was consensual," she demanded, though it was more a plea than an order.

"It bloody well was consensual," he yelled, offended.  His hand tightened around hers, trying to remove it from his neck, but he wasn't trying very hard.  His eyes darted to Willow.  "You're hurting her."  He shoved Buffy away from him.

Giles was now beside her, glaring down at Spike as well.  "So Xander did have reason to stake you."  His tone was cold, his eyes hard.

"Wait a minute," Buffy interrupted, "Xander staked Spike?  He knows too?  Am I the only one who doesn't know about the damn bond?"

"Yes," Spike answered spitefully.  Looking up from his examination of Willow's neck, and the faint bruising there from the vampire earlier, he turned to glare at Giles.  "Xander did not have cause to stake me.  If sex is a crime, better kill everyone in this room."

"Hear hear," Willow mumbled, opening her eyes to look up at them.  The left one was swollen shut, the right one was dimmed with pain and weariness.  Her whole face looked like a giant bruise.  She pushed herself slowly into a sitting position, sighing and hanging her head once she got there.  "Could 'ow' possibly be more of an understatement?"

Buffy watched Willow with a frown, and opened her mouth to speak before she could stop herself.  "You slept with Spike."

Giles tore his glasses off, wiping at his eyes as if he could erase the sight of the two of them sitting there all comfortable next to each other.  At least they were keeping their hands to themselves.

Willow lifted her head, her good eye fixing on Buffy.  "It was an accident."

Spike snorted with laughter, while Buffy rolled her eyes at her.  "You two are just hazards waiting to happen, aren't you?  He accidentally bit you, you accidentally slept with him."  She shook her head.  "What next?  Is he accidentally going to kill you?"

"No, I'm not going to--" Spike began angrily, jumping to his feet.  "I can bloody well control myself.  Been doing it for a few years thanks to this thing," he tapped his temple, "and I'll continue doing it."

Willow groaned at all the yelling, and gestured to the first aid kit.  "Does that have aspirin in it?" she asked Giles.

"Oh, uh, yes."  He opened it and handed her the bottle.  She got unsteadily to her feet and attempted to go to the bathroom for some water, but Buffy pushed her gently back down on the couch.  "I'll get it, you rest."

Just before she reached the door, it once again slammed open.  Xander stood there, leaning over to catch his breath, pointing behind him.  "Guys, I just saw-- Willow!"

~Part: 9~

The next afternoon, Willow was ensconced in her bed, with her laptop on her lap, and a snarl on her lips.  "Stupid mouse."  She shook it unnecessarily, knowing it wouldn't help in the slightest, but feeling better for having done so.  She'd gotten lazy lately, used to using an external mouse with her laptop, since most of the time it was on a table, or another flat surface.  The small pad on the keyboard wasn't as easy to use anymore, so she tended not to.

And, when one was bedridden-- strike that.  When one was forcibly bedridden, using an external mouse could be difficult.  And when one was not allowed to so much as cough without someone running in to see if she was okay... well, that got a little frustrating.

She shut the laptop down, yanked the mouse cord from the back, and slammed the top shut, setting both on top of her nightstand.  "Stupid laptop."  And really, did it stop there?  No.  "Stupid friends," she added, sitting back with what some might term a pout, but was definitely not a pout.  It was more a frustrated pursing of the lips.  Or a-- she sighed heavily.  Now she was reduced to arguing with herself about her facial expressions.

Seeing someone walk by her open bedroom door, she called out to them.  A little company right about now would be great.  She sat straighter, propping another pillow behind her back.  Actually, it would've been great at anytime over the past twelve hours.

Xander rushed back, stopping in the doorway.  He pointed the way he'd been heading, shrugging apologetically.  "I was just-- bathroom.  Sorry."

Willow's head dropped back on her pillow with a groan.

"Bloody boring, these friends of yours are," Spike said from the doorway.

"Oh," she said happily.  "Someone's actually talking to me."  Patting the bed beside her, she scooted over with a grin.  "Sit.  Talk.  Please."  She'd happily admit she was begging for company if it got her some.

He stayed leaning against the doorjamb, with his arms and ankles crossed.  "Why don't you just tell them to bugger off?"

Willow laughed, imagining lining all her friends up and telling them to bugger off.  "Yeah, that'd make them leave faster," she scoffed.  "Besides, they're only concerned about me.  Can't really fault them for that."

"Yes I can," he griped, pushing away from the doorjamb.  "Haven't had a minute to myself since they paraded over here.  I'm half tempted to go back to my crypt, but I can't seem to make myself give up the soft bed."  Stepping further into the room, he glanced about, like he'd never seen it before.  Like he hadn't spent several nights in there, in the very bed she was sitting on.  The soft bed.  Her soft bed, with her in it.

Good thing she had all these really pretty bruises all over her face, otherwise she was sure he'd see the blush stealing across her cheeks.  "Any luck?" she asked, placing the books piled beside her on the floor.  At his raised eyebrow over his shoulder at her, she clarified, "Finding the cause of the hallucinations."

"Not yet."  He lifted the blanket still covering her French doors just a bit.  Sunlight flooded across her face, forcing her to squint through her good eye.  He dropped the blanket back into place with a sigh.  "Although for a minute there, we thought we'd found something.  Turned out to be a false alarm since we're not being eaten from the inside out by--"

"Parasites.  Yeah, I found that too."  She leaned back, watching him pace around the room.  "Have there been anymore instances?"

In the twelve hours since being driven home by an overprotective Giles, an overly bossy Buffy, and an overly confused Xander, she hadn't had much time to talk to Spike.  Not that there was anything dire she needed to speak to him about, but still it was nice to have the chance to do so if she wanted to.  As it was, she was lucky if she got to talk to anyone, let alone someone she wanted to.

Spike shrugged, sitting in her desk chair.  "Nobody tells me anything, unless they think I did it."

Ignoring what was most likely a very fundamental truth, she said, "You know, I've been thinking."  She glared at the doorway and the distant sounds of voices from downstairs.  "I've had plenty of alone time to do just that.  But, I was thinking--"

"Excuse me," Xander rudely interrupted from the doorway.  "What are you doing in here, Spike?"  He gave Willow a sideways look, full of disappointment.  "Willow, he's--"

She sighed heavily, once again dropping her head back on her pillow.  "A vampire.  Evil.  Going to kill us all one day.  Using me to get to Buffy."  She lifted her head, fixing Xander with narrowed eyes.  "That about cover it all?"

"Well, yeah," Xander muttered, glaring at Spike when he started laughing.  "Shut up."

"Good," Willow told him, then waved her hands at him imperiously.  "Go away, we're talking."

Spike snickered a whole heck of a lot at Xander, not bothering to hide his amusement in the least.

"But, Will--" Xander began, frowning when she cut him off.

"Ah-ah!  You've had plenty of chances to talk to me, but you were too busy.  Now I'm talking to Spike, so go away."  Once again, she fluttered her hands at him in a shooing motion, trying very hard not to laugh at Xander's apoplectic look.

He sighed, and slunk out of the room.

Willow laughed aloud at the dejected look on Xander's face.  It'd been a while since she'd had anything to laugh about, and it felt good.  But, poor Xander.  She'd treated him horribly.  The next time he came up, she'd apologize to him.

Spike tilted his head toward the door, then stood up and headed for it.  Willow, afraid he was leaving, sat up, wincing a little at the pain in her head.  "Don't--"

"Not going anywhere," he told her, shutting the door with a soft click before joining her on the bed.  He hopped in beside her, stretched his legs out and leaned back.  His hand rubbed the back of his head.  "Still hurt?"

"Uh-huh.  Not bad though, just a little achy.  Yours?"  It was weird how his aches and pains hadn't healed quickly with his vampire healing.  She still hurt, and he still hurt because of her.  But he hadn't complained yet.  Not to her anyway.

He grabbed the bottle of aspirin off the table by her bed and a glass of water next to it.  Popping open the bottle, he shook out a handful, handing three to her, and taking three himself.  She dry swallowed them, but took the glass from him gratefully, handing it back after swallowing a healthy gulp or two of water.  Setting the water glass and aspirin bottle back on the nightstand, he settled down more comfortably, sliding his arm around her.  "Now what were you thinking about?" he inquired.

After a second or two of uncomfortable awkwardness, she relaxed into him, leaning against his chest a little.  Her eyes closed of their own volition.  He always made her feel so peaceful.  Why was that? she wondered, snuggling just the slightest bit.

"Willow?"  He shifted to look down at her, shaking her a bit.  "What were you thinking about?  Before the moron interrupted you?"

She considered slapping him lightly on the chest for calling Xander a moron, but couldn't find the energy to do it.  "About the hallucinations."  She forced her eyes open, knowing she'd be falling asleep soon if she didn't.  "Um, they sort of strike me as more of a distraction than a danger."  She sighed heavily, getting a large dose of Spike-scent.  Why did he smell so good?  He was dead, he should smell dead.  Not like coffee and-- "Cinnamon?" she muttered, looking up at him.

"Cinnamon rolls," he confirmed, a small smile creeping up on one side.  "Are you sniffing my clothes, love?"

His voice was normal, his eyes clear and bright, yet he made the words sound dirty.  She made a face at him.  "Can't help it, you reek of cinnamon, which is better than cigarettes.  Anything is better than those things."

"Mm," he agreed absently.  "Better get used to them.  I'm not quitting anytime soon."

Of course he wouldn't.  And she hadn't expected him to, still, she'd continue to badger him about it with the hope that he'd get sick of her complaining and drop the habit.  "So, the hallucinations," she said, clearing her throat, "I'm thinking spell."

He stretched his neck from side to side until it cracked, then settled further against her.  "A spell to what?  Annoy people?"

"Maybe," she said, shrugging helplessly.  "Or maybe to occupy us.  So far it's only happened to me, you, that Jack guy, and Xander.  As far as we know... that is all we know, right?" she asked, sitting up.  Spike's arm dropped from her shoulders, leaving her in no way feeling bereft.

"That's all I know.  I stopped listening after awhile because demon girl was getting on my nerves."

"She does have a tendency to annoy people," Willow agreed, softly rubbing her bruised cheek.  The aspirin wasn't working yet, and her whole face was starting to throb.  "But, it's not Xander's fault he saw Cordelia.  Anya knew he loved her, hello, that's how we met her."

"I almost felt sorry for him," Spike chuckled.  "Until I remembered it was funny."  He tilted his head to the side, listening, then sat up.

"Someone coming?" she asked, settling back down on the pillows.  Let them catch me laying in bed with Spike, she thought rebelliously, maybe they'll realize that, hey, it wasn't any of their business.

"Just the watcher, and he's too stodgy to bust in here and demand I leave."  He laid back again, keeping his arms to himself this time.

She wanted him to hold her, to wrap his arms around her and kiss her.  To make love-- hold on there.  No she didn't.  She just wanted comfort from him.  Pain had her in its grip and she wanted comfort.  That's all.

She shook her head at herself.  "Giles isn't 'just' anything," she told him.  "He's like a father to me, and a mentor, and-- not the point I was trying to make about the spell."  She switched back to the original topic, keeping one eye on the door, just in case Giles did decide to barge in.  "Spells have been used before to occupy the adults in town, why not just us?  The slayer and her friends?"

"Does this have something to do with candy bars?" he asked.

She looked up at him in surprise.  "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Rupert mentioned it earlier.  Something about babies and a demon in the sewers."  He laid back, yanking one of the pillows out from under his head and closed his eyes.  "Didn't pay a whole lot of attention, heard it all before."

She rolled onto her right side, propping her head up with her hand.  Her eyes, as they always seemed to do lately, fixed on Spike.  He didn't look any different than he usually did, so why did she feel so differently about him?  Was it all the bond's doing?  Or had she always felt something for him?  Thinking back, she couldn't ever remember a time when she'd felt anything but dislike for him.  If she thought about him at all.

Fear was another thing she'd felt when thinking of Spike.  Except that night in her dorm room, when he'd tried to cheer her up.  She'd been feeling pretty darn low that night... okay, if she was honest with herself, she'd been feeling low since Oz left.  That night had only been worse because she'd found Oz's things gone from his dorm room.  Knowing he wouldn't be coming back to her, she'd taken it personally.

When Spike showed up and tried to bite her, then couldn't, she'd taken that personally as well.  Not even a vampire wanted her.  To kill, but still, she'd been convinced it was because she was un-biteable.  Unattractive.  Unwanted.  Spike assured her otherwise, even remembered the sweater she was wearing the night he kidnaped her and Xander for the love spell.  His words had taken the sting out of what she'd perceived as his rejection of her.  She'd even calmed enough to return the favor, feeling a small sense of kinship, but as soon as she remembered who he was, she'd gone back to disliking him.  The sympathy had reappeared the time he tried to dust himself in Xander's basement, but that was only pity.  Then back to the disliking.

That was changing though, and the more time she spent with him, the more she grew to like him.  Was that so horrible?  She was bound to him, had to live near him for the rest of their lives, and according to the book, it would be a long life indeed.  Humans bonded to vampires shared their somewhat immortality.  She was going to live a very long time.

Maybe even centuries.  Oh boy.  That was a daunting thought.  Outliving everyone she knew, everyone she loved.  She was essentially a vampire without the bad parts.  No blood drinking, no killing tendencies, and no aversions to sunlight, crosses, garlic or anything else vampires should avoid.

"I'm immortal," she whispered to herself, trying out the word for the first time.

She shivered lightly when Spike's eyes opened, focusing on her lips before moving up to her eyes.  "Just now realizing that?" he asked softly.  His eyes dropped to her lips again before sliding closed.

"Uh-huh," she mumbled distractedly, leaning down to press her lips against his before realizing what she was doing.  Jerking back before she touched him, she was startled to feel his hand on the back of her head, halting her retreat.  Her eyes shot back down to his, finding them still closed.  With a light, gentle touch on her head, he forced her to do what she'd wanted to do in the first place.  She reached up to touch his cheek before settling her lips softly against his.

It was a light kiss, pleasant and arousing.  Unfortunately, her face hurt too much to go any further, and his stomach, still with a stake-sized hole in it, wouldn't allow for more entertaining pastimes.  Still, the kissing was nice, and she'd continue to do that until she was forced to stop.

A knock sounded on the door, forcing her to halt way sooner than she wanted to.  They sighed into each other's mouths, chuckling at the annoyance in both their voices.  She pulled away, dropping to the pillow behind her.

"Come in," she called, hoping her face wasn't as flushed as it felt.

The door opened slowly, almost as if whoever was opening it thought they were going to find hastily dressing people inside.  "Um, Willow?" Buffy called, halting the door halfway open, and not coming inside.  "Can I come in?"

Willow sat up, ignoring the smirk on Spike's lips.  Lips that tasted really good.  Lips that she wanted to taste again, and soon.  "Sure.  We're not naked anymore."

Spike burst out laughing as the door slammed all the way open.  Buffy took two hasty steps inside before coming to a halt when she saw them on the bed together, fully clothed and looking un-rumpled.  She rolled her eyes in annoyance, and sighed, looking extremely uncomfortable.  "Funny."

"I thought so," Willow laughed, wincing at the pain in her face.  Both her and Spike reach up to touch their faces.  "Ow," she mumbled.  "How many aspirin can you take before it becomes a problem?" she asked idly.  Seeing Buffy still standing there, unmoving, looking everywhere but at the bed, she threw the covers off of herself, scooted to the end of the bed rather than climbing over Spike, and stood up, fully clothed in her favorite flannel pajamas.

"Where are you going?" Buffy asked sternly.  "Bed rest for twenty four hours, remember?  You promised."

Willow needed to get away from Spike, she was having a hard enough time thinking without him sitting there all sexy and tasty.  Besides, it was obvious Buffy didn't feel comfortable with either of them when they were together.  So, instead of talking there with him, or making him leave, she figured Buffy could accompany her to the bathroom while she took a bath.

"I need a bath, you want to talk.  Two birds, one stone."

"Oh, hey," Spike said, jumping to his feet.  "Can I join ya?"  Both girls tossed Spike a withering glare and he shrugged, holding his hands up innocently.  "What?  You expected me not to ask?  Please," he scoffed, shaking his head as he left the room.

Willow was busy gathering clean clothes when something occurred to her.  She turned around with her hands on her hips, glaring at Buffy.  "How come no one brought me a cinnamon roll?"  This time there was a definite pout on her lips.

Spike took the stairs two at a time, announcing his presence to the people in the living room long before actually reaching it.  Xander, sitting on the couch with a book on his lap, pointedly ignored him, while Giles simply glanced up and went back to his own book.  Dawn, the only other occupant in the room, jumped up and followed him into the kitchen.

Truthfully he didn't mind so much that she followed him around, it felt rather good to be idolized.  If he couldn't have her fear, he'd have to make do with her worship.

While going through the hated ritual of warming up a bag of blood for his dinner, he tossed her a curious look.  "Something on your mind?"

"Sort of."  Dropping into one of the wooden chairs circling the round table, she pointed to the microwave, which held his blood.  "Why are you still eating that stuff when you can kill again?"

"You want me to go out and kill someone?" he asked in mock surprise, hiding his grin at the stricken look on the girl's face.

"I didn't mean--" she immediately started to protest.

"I know what you meant," he chuckled as the microwave beeped.  Taking out his steaming cup of pig's blood, he joined her at the table, spinning his chair around and straddling it, comforting himself with the thought that as soon as both he and Willow were better, he'd be hunting humans again.  Just as soon.  Which meant he needed to get some more blood, as this was the last of it.  "Willow's hurt," he explained, looking at her over the rim of the cup.  "If I hunt-- with no killing," he stressed, when she immediately opened her mouth to say something, "then she'll get the pain from the implant.  Don't wanna hurt her anymore than she already is," he admitted, calling himself all sorts of pansy.

She nodded, looking at him and then her hands.  "You slept with her."  There was no accusation in her voice, but it was there in the way her eyes wouldn't exactly meet his, and the way her thumb traced along the edge of the table.  "I-- I thought you loved Buffy."  And in her words.

Spike sighed, not wanting to get into a deep discussion about the intricacies of love with Buffy's sister.  He kept silent, watching her steadily.  Wrapping his cold hands around the mug, he let the warmth seep into his palms as steam curled lazily up from inside.  He blew on it absently, wondering what Willow and Buffy were talking about.  Him?  Or more specifically, him and the bond, and possible ways to get out of it?

This merry band of Slayerettes didn't easily give up on things they thought needed changing.  Even if the people involved didn't want things to return to normal.  Or at least one person involved.

Hearing the water turn on upstairs, he glanced at the ceiling, forcing himself to keep his thoughts well away from a naked, wet Willow.  A sigh escaped him at what he was reduced to.  Something about Willow had gotten under his skin these past few days, and he couldn't seem to stop thinking about her.  That small kiss upstairs before Buffy interrupted them hadn't been leading anywhere important, not with both of them too sore to do anything, but it hadn't exactly satisfied him either.  He'd still be up there using his mouth in ingenious ways if he had his druthers.

"It doesn't just go away," Dawn said, interrupting his thoughts.

If he hadn't known she was talking about loving Buffy, he'd think she had some eerie insights into his thoughts on Willow.  But, no, she was still stuck on the love thing.

Now she was looking him in the eye.  "At least, it doesn't just go away for humans.  Maybe vampires are different," she mused spitefully.  "Maybe they're--"

Spike turned narrowed eyes her way and leaned forward.  "I like you, Dawn, but I'm only saying this once; stay out of it, it's none of your business."  Seeing the flash of hurt on her face, and hating himself for even caring, he softened his tone, trying to explain himself.  To a kid, he scoffed silently.  "It's a little more complicated than that, all right?  I never wanted to love Buffy.  It's not hunky-dory fun when the person you care about detests you, so, don't blame me for trying to move on."

She nodded, somewhat mollified, but not willing to completely drop the subject.  She was stubborn, just like Buffy.  "So, Willow's just a distraction for you.  A replacement."  She sat forward, narrowing her eyes at him.  Him, for Christ's sake.  "Are you using her?"

"Dawn," Buffy said from the doorway, drawing their attention.  "Go."

"Where?" the younger girl asked, turning her glare from him to Buffy.  "You won't let me go to Janice's, and--"

Buffy rolled her eyes with a sigh.  "When I actually am trying to get rid of you, that's when you don't realize it?  Living room," she ordered.  "Now."

"Hey!"  Dawn jumped to her feet, glaring at Buffy from across the room.  "I have just as much right to be here as you."

Buffy stalked closer, her arms crossed over her chest, annoyance written plainly across her face.  "No, you don't, Dawn.  You're not a part of the team, you're a relative of one of the members of the team."

Spike ignored the bickering girls, preferring to sit and sip at his blood rather than involve himself in another one of their arguments.  In fact, as he downed the rest of his blood, he decided he'd just leave.  The room, not the house.  Couldn't leave the house until sunset, which couldn't come soon enough for him.  He stood up as unobtrusively as he could, a little surprised when neither one noticed.  Once out of the kitchen, he chose his recent favorite seat, the steps to the upstairs.  A few minutes later, Dawn flounced past him, glaring and huffing at Buffy who stood in the doorway to the kitchen.

Giles, sighing heavily as he watched Dawn stomp up the steps, set his book down with a yawn.  "Did Willow find anything on her laptop?" he asked.  Whether the question was aimed at him or Buffy, Spike didn't know, but he answered anyway.

"She thinks it might be a spell for someone to distract us.  Well, you all.  Mentioned that candy thing too, but thought it may be aimed only at your little group this time."

"Sort of like the Litchock did with the bond," Buffy said thoughtfully.  "Oh, hey.  What if it's the Litchock doing it?"  She pushed away from the doorjamb and sat on the couch, facing Giles.  "But, if it is, what's with all the distraction tactics?"

Giles pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.  "That would make sense, wouldn't it?  If the Litchock wasn't dead."

"Wait.  It's dead?" Buffy asked angrily.  "Just... thought you'd throw that little detail in too when deciding what not to tell me?"  She sat back with a huff.  "I'm supposed to be the one in the know.  Now I'm... know-less."

"Who says the one Willow and Spike found was the same one we fought?  Or the only one in town?" Xander asked with a shrug.  "Not all demons are loners, right?  So, say there's a whole gang of them in town, trying to distract us for some reason."

"But why?  What could they be after?" Buffy asked, looking to Giles.  "Ideas?"

He shook his head with a sigh.  "It could be anything.  The one in the cemetery that night, it attacked you first?"

Spike stretched his left leg out, pulling a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket, fishing one out.  He was almost out, he'd have to pick up some more.  Blood and smokes.  And if he had to put up with these guys any longer, he'd also be getting some alcohol.  "It attacked me first," he muttered around the cigarette, searching his pockets for his Zippo.  Where the hell was it?  "I ran into these guys while chasing it," he explained, "but yeah, it attacked first."

"Attacked a vampire.  Without provocation?" Giles pressed, grabbing a book from the table in front of him and flipping through it.

"Yeah, I just said that didn't I?" he snarled, still searching for his lighter, and coming up with nothing.  Stomping up the stairs, he pushed open Willow's bedroom door to see if it was in there.  Dawn was sitting on the chair by the desk, reading a book.

She looked up when he came in and started tossing the sheets and blankets to the floor.  "What are you doing?"

"Lost my lighter," he said absently, lifting the pillows and tossing them to the floor.

"And it'd be in Willow's bed, why?  You had it earlier-- ew!  We were all downstairs, and you and Willow were in here having sex?"  She twisted her face up in disgust, looking like she wanted to dart from the room.

"Hey, gutter brain," he said with a sigh, "neither one of us is in any shape to do anything.  We were just talking."  Opening the drawer in her nightstand on a hunch, he found what he was looking for.  "How'd it get in there?" he asked, turning a suspicious look on Dawn.

"I don't know," she said with a shrug, going back to her book.  "Ask Willow."  When he left the room to do just that, she yelled, "I meant when she was done!"

He chuckled at the panic in her voice, and headed toward the bathroom.  The door was locked, which didn't surprise him.  Instead of breaking the lock and storming inside, he knocked lightly on the door.

"Who is it?" Willow called after a few seconds.  She sounded half asleep.

"Me.  Let me in."  He waited patiently for her to climb out of the tub, probably pull on a robe, or wrap a towel around herself to cover up her nakedness.  Her wet nakedness.  Slick with water, skin dripping droplets of hot, soapy--

"Bloody hell," he groaned, shoving the thoughts away.  Now wasn't the time.  Not when he couldn't do anything about them.  And why the hell wasn't she opening the door already?  "Willow.  Open the door."

"Um, no.  I'm taking a bath," she said slowly, as if he was five and she was explaining mommy's 'alone time' to him.

Instead of getting angry, he shifted from one foot to the other, crossing his arms over his chest.  "All the more reason to let me in."  Satisfaction shot through him when he heard her sharp intake of breath which was almost covered by the sound of her rapidly beating heart.

"Yeah," she scoffed to herself, obviously not thinking he could hear her, "if I let you in, there'd be less cleanliness and a whole lot more dirtiness."

Spike chuckled in amusement and reached out, snapping the flimsy lock on the door.  There was a large splash as he went into the steam-filled room, and a gasp of surprise.

"Spike," she hissed, looking frantically around for something to cover herself with.  "Get out of here.  Buffy'll kill you, and I can't really blame her at the moment," she said pointedly, finally settling for grabbing the clear plastic shower curtain and holding it in front of herself.  Her wide, panicked eyes only served to amuse him more.

She was acting like quite the modest virgin.  Pointedly ignoring her demands to leave, and her embarrassment, he leaned back against the door, his eyes skimming along the little he could see of her.  Her left leg, bent at the knee and crossed over her right one, a hand covering her breasts, which were currently underwater, and obscured by the plastic shower curtain.

"Modesty now?" he muttered, digging his lighter from his front jean pocket.  Holding it up between two fingers, he tilted his head toward her.  "Wanna tell me how this got into your nightstand?"  He pushed away from the door, moving toward her, making sure she saw him rake his eyes over everything she thought she was hiding in there.  "I told you I'm not quitting."  Stopping at the edge of the tub, he knelt down, gripping the edge of the white porcelain, and leaning quite close to her.  Her face--her mouth--was mere inches from his own.  His eyes dropped to those tempting lips and he forgot what he wanted to say.

Her own eyes were on his mouth as she sat silently watching.  Waiting?  She opened her mouth, parting those lips he wanted so badly to taste, and drew in a shuddering breath.  A drop of water slid down her shoulder from her dripping hair, which was slicked back, away from her face.  The bruises covering the entire left side of her face were even more visible with no hair to obscure them.  They were darkening, making her face appear shadowed with a rainbow of colors.  Multi-colored, that's what she was.

She dragged in another breath, bringing attention to her chest, which, had he not already been fascinated by her bruised face and tempting lips, he might've already been observing.

"Spike..." she whispered, her eyes dark with want and need.  "What--"

He shoved himself away from the tub, spinning around as he stood.  "My lighter," he said, almost desperately, reminding himself as well as Willow of why he was there.  "Don't take it again."  Resisting the urge to turn back and look his fill, to grab her and yank her out of the tub and wrap his arms around her dripping body as he laid her on the tiled floor, he put one foot in front of the other until he reached the door.  "I'm going to Willy's," he added, twisting the doorknob harder than necessary, and hurrying out into the hall.  Once out there, he slammed the door shut and leaned back against it, taking a deep breath.  His hand moved down to place his lighter back into his pocket, but ended up adjusting his tight pants instead.  Staying where he was for a few minutes was probably a really good idea.

~Part: 10~

Spike yanked open the door to Willy's and strode in like he owned the place, and several more just like it.  A few vampires turned to look at him, but most just ignored the new patron.  Once the curious ones saw who it was, they went back to their drinks, uninterested.  It galled him no end that the demons in Willy's dive were unafraid of him.  Unaware that he had his bite back.  Mostly.

They'd find out soon enough though, oh yeah.  And that day would be fine.  As long as he didn't kill anyone.  He'd definitely do some biting though, and a lot of feeding.  A smirk crossed his lips at the thought.  The smirk died almost immediately.  This is what I've been reduced to, he thought.  Putting on a show for the other demons just to get a little bit of the respect he deserved.  Deserved, damn it!  He was a bloody evil vampire, feared by many, hated by all.

Except Dawn.  And Willow.  Joyce had kind of tolerated him as well, but-- ah, Christ.

Dropping onto a stool at the bar, he waited until Willy deigned to notice him and saunter over.  His fury roiled inside him at Willy's dismissal of him.  Maybe this then was his victim.  Feeding only, not killing.  Pity, that.

"Spike," Willy said loudly, glancing around nervously.  "Where, uh, where's the Slayer?  She with you?"

Spike glared at the weasel-y little man, seriously wondering if Willow could stand just a little more pain.  Just enough for him to punch that smug look off of Willy's face.  Instead of finding out, he continued to stare at Willy, making him squirm just a little.  When he'd had enough of that, he inhaled deeply and looked around as if he had all the time in the world.  "Beer."

Willy grabbed a mug from the shelf behind him and filled it with cheap, watered down beer, then set the dripping mug down on a napkin in front of Spike.  "Three fifty," he told Spike, not making a move to leave.

Like Spike didn't pay for his drinks when he came here.  Well, okay, mostly he didn't.  But he was offended nonetheless.

"I'd also like ten bags of blood.  And, uh, make it human."  Pulling a wad of cash from his back pocket, he counted out the bills, placing a hundred on the bar beside his beer.  Willy's eyes were glued to the cash, Spike knew.  Didn't even have to look up to see those beady eyes locked on the green bills on the bar.  He counted out another fifty and set it on top of the hundred.  When Willy's hand darted out to take the money, Spike slapped his hand down over Willy's.

His vow not to hurt anyone went out the window when Willy only sighed and tried to take the money anyway.  He tightened his hand on Willy's, digging his fingernails into the man's flesh, making sure it hurt, a lot, but not enough for Willow to send a stake his way.  He kept his eyes fixed on Willy's face, watching, waiting for the second when he realized Spike wasn't in pain.  And it was worth it.

Willy's eyes slid slowly, almost dreadfully, from the money to Spike's face.  An audible gulp could be heard in the suddenly quiet bar.  Fear poured off the man, mingling with the smell of his sweat and other things Spike would rather not identify.  Fear that he'd caused.  Spike was back, and now everyone knew it.  Everyone in the bar anyway.  Wouldn't be long before the whole town knew as well.

"S-- Spike," Willy chuckled, trying to pull his hand free.  "You've got your bite back."

Spike nodded, loosening his grip only when Willy let go of the bills on the counter.  "Yeah, I do."  He stood up, leaning forward menacingly.  "Wanna be my first kill?" he asked, vamping out with a grin.  "First of the night, that is."

"No, no," Willy said, backing away, bumping into the shelf behind him and setting glasses and bottles to rattling.  "I'd prefer not to die, but thanks for the offer.  Means a lot," he assured Spike, nodding for emphasis.

Spike morphed his face back to normal and sat back down, slapping his hand over the money jovially.  "Too bad.  What say you get that blood then, huh?  Gotta keep up appearances for the Slayer and her gang, don't I?  Can't let her in on it too soon.  Got plans for them."  If the demons had any idea that the biggest plan on his mind at the moment was how to make Willow fall in love with him, they'd probably already be planning his lynching.

"Human blood," Willy mumbled, rushing off to the back room to get it.  "Coming right up," he laughed, like they were two friends, out celebrating a kill.

Sighing heavily, Spike spun around on his stool, staring down every last one of the vampires and demons gawking at him.  Standing up, he clapped his hands loudly, and rubbed them together.  "So.  William the Bloody is back, kiddies," he told them eagerly, enjoying the respect and fear this news generated.  Noticing one occupant in a booth not paying attention to him, Spike stalked over there, grabbed the vampire by his long blond hair and slammed his face onto the filthy table in front of him.  A bowl of peanuts went skittering across the surface, landing in the lap of the booth's other occupant.  She stared wide eyed at her companion as blood flowed freely from his now broken nose.

"Pay... attention," he chided.

"Sorry," the vampire mumbled back, trying to stem the tide of blood from his broken nose which only ended up smearing it across his whole face.  "I-- I didn't realize..."

Spike shrugged, dropping the vampire with a chuckle.  "That Spike was talking?"  He turned away, walking a few feet closer to the bar, nodding thoughtfully.  A gracious smile lit his lips.  "I'll forgive you this time."  He took the stake from his duster pocket and paced back over to the vampire.  No one in the place, including his companion, warned him.  There was silence, except for the scuff of Spike's boots as he grabbed the bleeding vampire by his shirt and yanked him to his feet.

The relieved smile on his bloody face turned sickly when Spike plunged the stake into his heart.  "Changed my mind," Spike said, shrugging apologetically as the vampire's dust littered the floor, covering Spike's pants and boots.  "Damn it," he muttered, brushing himself off.  He looked and sounded irritated, but when his head rose up, there was a feral grin there, and not one of the creatures in Willy's doubted that Spike was whole again.

Willy, who had been standing in the doorway to the store room, watching the scene unfold, pushed forward, holding a small box.  He carried it behind the bar and hefted it up beside Spike.  His eyes once again shot from the money to Spike, waiting for permission before reaching for it.

"Well don't just stand there," Spike told him, waving his hand at Willy.  "Go get my change."

Willy stared down at the hundred and fifty in his hands, and swallowed.  Hard.  "Uh, Spike... there's no change.  In fact, there's not enough here to cover the blood.  You're twenty short--"

Spike's eyes slid dangerously to Willy, daring him to finish that sentence.  He had the money to pay for the blood, and they both knew it.  In fact, Spike would wager that every last demon in the place knew about the wad of cash in his pocket, but a little theft wasn't beyond him.  He quite enjoyed it actually.  And the fear on Willy's face was beyond worth it.  He'd missed this.  Instilling fear in humans and respect in the other demons.  The whole night was turning out to be a hell of a lot of fun.

"I'll, uh, have your change in just a..." he trailed off, leaving to get money from the cash register.

Spike idly wondered how much the man would feel safe in giving him back.

Five? Spike scoffed silently, raising his eyes from the five dollar bill Willy had shoved in front of him.  He shrugged, sticking it into his pocket with the rest of the pilfered money he'd taken off the drunk woman the night he fed.  The night of his first taste of warm, pumping human blood in two years.

Willy sighed in relief, leaning against the bar for a second before pushing away and attempting to flee.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Spike said impatiently, standing up and grabbing the man by the back of his shirt, yanking him back in front of the box of blood.  "I'm not done yet."  Letting go only when he was sure Willy wasn't going to take off again, he sat back down.  "There's a demon been hanging around.  Maybe more than one.  I want to know why."

"Still doing the Slayer's work?" a southern accented demon said from a few seats down, his long brown tentacles fluttering above his mug of beer as he sneered Spike.  The white ten gallon hat on his head was pushed back with a third tentacle as he turned to face the vampire.  "You're still whipped, boy."

Spike was extremely proud of himself for not jumping up and picking a fight with the Tarlafug demon, since he'd most likely lose.  Tarlafug's were nearly invincible, unless you had a steel-bladed sword blessed with holy water to decapitate it with.  Spike didn't have anything steel on him, and definitely no sword, so he spared the demon not a glance.

"Litchock demons," Spike clarified for Willy, snapping the bartender's attention back to him.  "What do you know?"

Willy gestured to the bar behind Spike.  "They can tell you whatever you want."  He sniffed and leaned closer.  "These Litchock guys aren't well loved by the vampires in town."

"They've been killing us off," someone said from across the room.

"Not even bothering to see if they've got the right one before killing us," another said.  "It's sick."

Spike chuckled at the disgust in the vampire's voice and once again turned on his stool.  Facing the room of mostly vampires, he was surprised to see them all nodding and agreeing with each other, discussing the Litchocks.  "What do they want?" he called above the din.  Realizing they were all too riled up and getting angrier by the second as they talked about the Litchock demons, he turned back to Willy.  "What's going on with the Litchock?"

Willy leaned his elbows on the bar, looking like he was back in his element since the attention of most everyone was currently off of him.  Spike wanted explanations, therefore he probably wouldn't be killing him anytime soon.  "There's a big uprising in the ranks of the Litchock.  They've got this... hierarchy, like the British Royals or something.  But lately, there's been insurrection in the ranks, and the current king is dying."

Spike nodded thoughtfully.  "So the successor, most likely a son--always is the males in these things--isn't going to make it to power?"  Great, a big bloody war in Sunnydale.  Why couldn't these things take place in cities like Tulsa, or Albany?

"Right," Willy agreed, as animated as he always was when something bad was going to happen.  "The rival family kidnaped the son.  Soldiers and guards from the king's family followed their trail straight to Sunnydale."  Pausing, he reached behind him for a mug, and filled it with beer, taking a healthy swig of the foamy liquid.  "I'll give you one guess what was hired to take the kid."

Spike watched him wipe his mouth off with his sleeve and resisted the urge to roll his eyes.  The man was just... dirty.  "A vampire," he guessed, hardly paying attention to Willy's nod.  "Why bring the kid here though?  Why not just kill him?"

Willy threw his head back with a laugh, his whiny, nasally voice sending shudders down Spike's spine.  "See, that's the thing.  Against themselves, they're peaceful.  It's only other species they kill.  They brought the brat here to keep him from receiving the power when the king kicks the bucket.  As soon as power is transferred to the one they want in power, the son'll be returned, unharmed."  He shrugged, taking another gulp of his beer.

"Hence the vampire population being gunned down," Spike said thoughtfully.  If this was true, then he needed to get to the others, let them know what was brewing right under their noses.  Feeling generous, Spike downed his beer, picked up his box of bagged human blood and tossed a twenty on the counter.  That just about covered his tab for the night.

"Thanks, Spike," Willy gushed, practically salivating on the twenty.

"Mm," was Spike's only reply.

The Tarlafug spun around as Spike passed him, leaning his tentacles back on the bar like a cowboy of old as he tipped his hat back.  "No hard feelings, friend?  Didn't know it was the vampire killers you were after."

Spike shrugged, unconcerned with the Tarlafug.  The demon waited patiently for Spike to acknowledge his apology.  Ignoring the demon's outstretched tentacle, Spike shoved the box under his right arm and left Willy's behind.

~~~*~~~

Dragging her sore, tired body down the stairs was a lot harder than she'd imagined it would be, but Willow was never one to give up easily.  She stopped halfway down the stairs and waited for the pain in her head to subside, muttering all the curse words she knew at the Cher-wannabe.  That actually left a lot to be desired, but she didn't care, she just repeated some of the harsher ones and then continued gingerly down the steps.

Everyone in the living room looked up as she came down the last step.  She stood there, trying to figure out whether or not she should collapse on the couch, or the last remaining chair.  The couch was closest, so she slowly moved toward it.  Xander's legs proved to be the biggest obstacle, but they were quickly removed.

"You don't look so good," he told her, not unkindly.  His face showed only concern, and she really couldn't fault him for that.

She was concerned about herself.  If she kept having Spike thoughts--naughty, naked, want-him-in-a-bad-way thoughts--they'd have to lock her away and slap a Dunce cap on her head.  Spike didn't care about her.  He only wanted her blood, and a roll in the hay.  Though, sometimes he could be really sweet, she didn't fool herself into thinking this was anything but an attempt to get into her good graces.

Giving him the benefit of the doubt was a really hard thing to do when she knew of his past.  Had been a painful part of that past.

Sighing gratefully, she leaned her head back, closing her eyes in relief.  She probably should've stayed upstairs, but boredom had settled over her once again after her bath.  With Spike gone, it was just no fun.  So she'd gotten dressed and headed out of her room after downing a handful of aspirin, heading to the living room.  To her friends.  She opened her eyes, glancing around lazily.  They were staring at her.  All four of them.

"I'm fine," she told them, sitting up straighter.  It almost killed her, but she was able to paint a decent picture of a healthy girl sitting amongst her friends.

Dawn, sitting beside Xander on the floor, leaned over to him and whispered in his ear.  Willow ignored both her and Xander when they glanced over.  She chose instead to concentrate on reading the book in front of her... just as soon as she leaned forward to grab it and put it on her lap.  Easier said than done.  Her head pounded painfully, her pulse throbbing loudly in her ears until she thought her brain had to explode under the pressure.  Thankfully, it didn't.  Only throbbed less when she yanked the aged brown tome off the table and onto her lap.  Just as planned.

"Oh.  Willow, do be careful," Giles chided.  "That book's over a century old and quite rare."  He smiled to show he wasn't being angry, just priggish.

Willow nodded, darting a quick look Xander's way.  Still watching her.  "Guys?  What are we researching?" she asked the room in general as she flipped through her hard won book.

"The Litchock," Buffy answered, closing her own book with a thump.  She turned sideways on the couch, lifting one leg up, so she could face Willow.  "That stuff you told Spike earlier, about it trying to distract us?  Well, the spell being to distract us... what if it was the Litchock?  Or, since maybe that one's dead, another one."

"And," Giles added, pushing his glasses further up on his nose, "if so, why are they here?  Why are they trying to distract us?"

"Yeah," Dawn said, "why didn't it just kill you outright?"  Her head shot up when silence fell.  Four sets of eyes were fixed on her face in disbelief.  "N--- not that I wanted it to.  I'm just saying."  She shrugged a little uncomfortably.

"So you're thinking there's a whole mess of 'em here for some reason?  A Hellmouth-y reason?" Willow asked.  Figures, she thought, sighing.  Nothing can ever be just plain old dumb luck.  Just an accident.  Had to be a reason behind everyone's actions in this town.

"Oh, ooo, ooo," Xander called out, gesturing to them as he stood up with his book.  "I found something.  Good news.  The best."  He dropped the opened book on the table and grinned at them all.  "The bond can be reversed.  *If*," he stressed, holding up a finger to quiet them all down, "if we can find the same demon that cast the spell."  He clapped his hands together loudly, turning to Giles.  "It's possible the one Willow and D.B. Junior found wasn't the same one, right?  Of course, it is," he answered, too excited to listen to any naysayers.

Giles grabbed the book from the table while Buffy and Dawn crowded around his chair to read over his shoulders.  Excited chatter floated around the room, only one voice missing, though no one noticed in their own happiness.

Willow was still on the couch, still had her book in her lap, staring at the curtained window across from her, trying to figure out how she felt about this news.  It was possible to be free of the bond.  Not a definite, but a definite possibility.  She could be free of Spike.  The small part of her heart that had come to care for him halted its beating for a few precious seconds, forcing her to take notice.  The other part of her heart resumed its normal beating, overriding the caring part.

No joy shot through her at the thought of life going back to what passed for normal in their lives.  No excitement and happiness.  Nothing but an emptiness that was quickly settling over her.  She didn't want to give up this thing she and Spike had.  She wanted to see where it went, what would happen.  In spite of his pain giving her a headache.  Even after the thing in the bathroom, or maybe because of the thing in the bathroom.

Having trouble seeing, since she'd been staring unblinkingly at the window, she closed her eyes to relieve the dryness.

She felt someone sit next to her, taking her hand in their own.  Large, male, had to be Xander.  She opened her eyes with a forced smile, trying to put as much happiness as she could into her face.  "This is... good news," she whispered.

"Is it?"  His solemn eyes gazed into hers, searching for something, but she couldn't be sure what.

"Yeah."  She nodded for emphasis, widening her smile until her cheeks started to hurt.  "It is."

He leaned closer, glancing over at the trio around Giles' chair.  "Dawn said Spike went into the bathroom while you were taking a bath."  His jaw clenched tightly, but he held back on the anger and judgement for the time being.  "You don't... like him do you?  I mean, in a strictly non-friendly way."

She considered lying, considered not telling him that Spike had, in a very short time, come to mean a lot to her.  "Yes, I do," she said truthfully, placing her hand over his clenched fist.  "Xander, I wouldn't have slept with him unless I cared a little.  I--"

"What?" Xander yelled, jumping to his feet.  "You slept with him?  You--" he turned away angrily, kicking at the coffee table, sending books and papers soaring across the room.

"Oh, dear Lord," Giles muttered, frowning at Willow.

Silence descended, as Xander stormed away from her.  Buffy, who'd jumped up at the ready, relaxed slightly, giving Willow a sympathetic look.

"We didn't tell you for this very reason," Giles told Xander, who was pacing in front of the stairway.  When Xander only glared at him, Giles stood up angrily.  "Calm down," he ordered.  "Remember, if you hurt Spike, you hurt Willow, so don't even think about going after him again."

Dawn stood across the room, nervously tugging at her hands.  "I-- I'm sorry.  I thought Xander knew.  I thought he *knew*."  She chuckled humorlessly, her bitterness for Buffy showing through.  "I figured, if I knew, everyone else had to know already."

"It's not your fault," Willow sighed, getting to her feet.  "I'm the one who told him.  You just... helped me along a little."  She smiled reassuringly, but the smile died when Dawn suddenly frowned angrily.

"Wait," she said huffily, swinging toward Giles.  "What do you mean, 'hurt him again'?  Xander hurt Spike?"

Buffy groaned, letting her head drop back in exasperation.  "Dawn, I didn't tell you that part because I knew you'd be upset, and--"

"Upset?" Dawn repeated incredulously.  "You're darn right I'm upset.  But not because you didn't tell me.  I'm pissed at Xander for hurting Spike.  He had no right--"

Xander, for the first time that any of them could remember, turned to Dawn and told her sternly, "Stay out of this.  You don't know-- what that monster does isn't just something you can shrug off because he's leashed by a piece of whatever."

Dawn crossed her arms over her chest, huffing some more.  "I know.  I know what he is."

Xander crossed the room to stand in front of her.  "No you don't, Dawn.  Look at Willow, that is what Spike does to people.  Only, they're usually a lot less living when he's through with them."

"Xander," Willow said tersely, seeing Dawn's frown and the tears in her eyes.  Willow was furious him, and the whole situation and everyone involved in it.  "Leave her alone."

"Xander," Buffy warned him, "stop it.  You're scaring her."

"Good," Xander shouted.  "Because someone needs to.  Spike is a killer, same as every other vampire out there.  Same as Angel," he said spitefully.  "I'm just trying to make her realize it before it's too late."

"I get it," Dawn whispered through her tears.  She stared hard at Xander for a few seconds before running past him, up the stairs.

Buffy sighed and went after her.  "Thank you, Xander.  That was very helpful," she tossed over her shoulder angrily.

Willow glared at Xander, who looked back at her steadily, his eyes hard and unyielding.

"You know, I bet Anya would like some company at the store right about now," Willow told him.

Giles' eyebrows rose at her harsh tone, but she didn't take it back.  Xander chuckled without amusement.  "Trying to get rid of me, Willow?"

"Yes," she answered, sitting back down on the couch before she collapsed.  Forget aspirin, she thought, rubbing her aching head, I need a nice Morphine drip.

Giles headed into the kitchen while Xander continued to glare at Willow.  She had her eyes closed, but she could feel him watching her, knew he was trying to figure her out.  Figure out how she could care about a soulless demon.  Sleep with a soulless demon.  Well, she thought, being a little petty, I just can, so there.

After a few minutes, Giles returned with a steaming cup of hot tea, handing it to her with a sympathetic look.  She took it gratefully just as Buffy and Dawn came back downstairs.  Dawn was still grumpy and obviously pouting, as she looked everywhere but at Xander.  Buffy sighed, shaking her head despairingly, sharing a small smile with Willow.

"I have to patrol.  Dawn," she said sternly, turning to her sister, "be good.  Xander," her voice was much harsher than it had been just seconds earlier, "come on."

Giles sighed, kneeling down to pick up the books and papers on the floor.  "Be careful.  And keep an eye out for the Litchock."

"Will do," Buffy called back, dragging Xander to the door.  Just as they reached the foyer, the door swung open, emitting a grinning Spike striding straight into Buffy.

He reached out to steady her with one hand, then moved further into the room, dropping the box in his other hand on the floor. "I just found out there's a whole bunch of-- hey!" he yelled, when Xander pushed him back against the closet doors.  "Hands off, mate, you're gonna hurt the girl."

Xander loosened his grip on Spike's duster with a quick glance at Willow to see if she was all right, then turned back to Spike, who wasn't resisting at all.

Buffy grabbed Xander's arm, trying to pry him away from Spike, but Xander kept his hold, not giving another inch.  "Xander, don't you hurt them," she ground out through clenched teeth, holding back on hurting Xander.

"I warned you, Xander--" Giles began, starting toward them.  "Let him go."

Dawn was standing a few feet away, looking ready to start crying again at any moment, but she was standing strong.  Willow was proud of her, especially when she finally rushed toward the others, intending to help pull Xander from Spike.  Willow herself kept quiet, bracing herself for the pain she knew was coming.  She couldn't resist turning sideways to watch, knowing that if the other three couldn't pry Xander away from Spike, then she didn't have a prayer either.  So she stayed seated, watching Spike.  Waiting for the first sign of violence from him.

He stood tall, not backing down at the threat or fury in Xander's face, eyes, and posture.  It was all over Xander, the restraint he was using to keep from hurting Willow.  But it was also in Spike.  As Xander's hands clenched tightly into the leather of Spike's duster, Spike's hands clenched into fists at his sides.  As Xander glowered at Spike, Spike sneered back.

"Guess what?" Xander said harshly.  "We found a way to reverse the bond, and just as soon as we find the Litchock that cast the spell, we'll break the bond."  A smile curled Xander's lips, a truly menacing look accompanying it.  "And then I'm coming after you."

Spike's eyes shot to Willow's at the news.  She tried to figure out whether he was happy at the chance of being free of her, but his face was blank, not one iota of emotion on there.  He turned back to Xander, ignoring everyone else in the room, and let his face change.  "Get the bloody hell off of me," he snarled, reaching up with his arms to break Xander's suddenly loose hold.  He pushed away from the wall, getting in Xander's face.  "Bring it on, Harris," he said softly, and not one person in the room mistook the hostility in his voice for anything less than what it was.

Willow, tired, sore, and sick of all of her friends, stood up and trudged slowly up the stairs.  "You can all leave now," she called over her shoulder.  Pushing open her bedroom door, she listened for the sound of the front door closing, and breathed a sigh of relief when it finally did.  Not bothering to see who left, and who stayed, she grabbed her pillows from the floor, along with a sheet, and laid down, letting the tears of pain fall.

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