Let’s Dance

Let’s Dance!

Author: Snoopy

Rating: R

Spoilers: Season 5, some of season 6

Disclaimer: Joss owns these characters, I do not, I give up all claim on these characters (except for a couple of the ones that come into the future)

Summary: it’s almost 100 years in the future, Spike finds Willow after pining over her for nearly a century, but she’s not quite the same as he remembers.

Feedack: PLEASE! I thrive on it…it’s my life support…I’ll die without feedback! Well, maybe not die….but I’d really appreciate it!

Author’s Notes: Everything written in bold is a thought. I think that’s about all, everything is pretty basic. ENJOY! Be Nice!

~Part: 1~

"’Ello Pet." She recognized that voice. She hadn’t seen him in 96 years, 3 months and 28 days. Goddess how she missed that voice. Turning around to face him she knew she’d have some explaining to do.

"Hello Spike, long time no see."

He couldn’t believe it was her. 96 years, 3 months and 28 days since he saw her broken and battered body thrown against the wall of a crypt.

~2001 - Sunndydale~

The Slayer had been knocked unconscious and Willow was desperately trying to stop the 8 foot Mayal demon that had managed to best the seemingly invincible Slayer, but her magic wasn’t strong enough.

Spike was busy fighting off the group of Vampires that had banded with the Mayal demon when he heard a cry. Dusting the last Vamp he turned in time to see Willow get thrown. When he saw that she wasn’t moving both the demon and the man inside him cried out in rage and anguish. With an ethereal battle cry he grabbed Buffy’s abandoned and attacked the demon.

Spike and the Mayal demon blocked and defected each other’s punches and kicks with ease. The demon caught Spike’s foot as he tried to land a kick to the demon’s chest. He found himself being tossed backwards over the demon’s head. Still holding the sword he whirled around and swung, cutting the demon’s head clean off of his body.

He stood still for a moment, gasping for unneeded air, then he remembered. Willow. When he turned towards the spot where she lay his undead heart shattered and fell to his feet. Her body was gone and the earth that had been beneath her was scorched. She was gone.

~2097 – New York City~

"Willow. What? When did? How did you?" He couldn’t get the words out. He was caught in her flawless emerald gaze. "I saw you die!"

Willow flinched at the anger and hurt in his voice. She knew their reunion would happen eventually, and she knew that it would not be easy. She’d hidden from him for just shy of a century.

"I know. Trust me, there’s a perfectly good explanation to all of this," she said quietly, moving past him to the bar of the club that they were in.

Spike watched her walk away, noticing for the millionth time since he’d spotted her, just how much she’d changed yet stayed very much the same. Her fiery hair fell down her back, straight and layered from her shoulder blades to her waist. It still looked as soft and silky as he remembered. Those memories kept him sane through the years. She was wearing black leather pants that rode low on her hips and flared out slightly at the knee. Her shirt was red silk and only had the two buttons by her breasts done up, leaving her stomach bare from her ribcage to her lower abdomen, showing off her tight abs. She never had those before Spike thought to himself as he continued to stare at her from leaning on the bar talking animatedly to the bartender. He handed her a bottle of Tequila Gold and two shot glasses before winking at her. Willow turned from the bar and made her way towards Spike after picking up her knee length duster from the stool beside her.

Just looking at her after all this time made his blood run hot. He noticed for the first time the tattoo on her stomach, just below and to the side of her bellybutton. It was an intricately detailed sword done in black with red and orange flames twirling up around it. Beneath it were the words "Goddess of Fire" written in Gaelic.

What could that mean? He wondered as he followed her to a table on the second level of the popular New York demon night club. Anything and everything supernatural hung out there. Spike himself had been many times since it opened.

When they were sitting at a table near the railing, Willow poured the Tequila then looked around the table.

"I forgot the limes and salt." She said starting to stand. Spike reached out and stopped her.

"No sit, I’ll go." He said getting up and going back downstairs.

Willow sat back and shivered. After all this time, he still affected her like he did back in Sunnydale. Back when she was mousy little mortal Willow Rosenberg. He’d traded his favoured black jeans for leather pants and his red button was now a white silk one. He still had the tight black t-shirt and the legendary ever present black duster. She wondered if he still had the DeSotto, probably not since it’d be over 100 years old. No car could survive that long, especially with how Spike drove. His trademark bleached hair was now styled messy and spiked every which way, giving more meaning to his name. Willow giggle to herself at the tought, then the smile fell from her face as she realized that she loved him more now than she did when she was 20.

Downstairs Spike waited impatiently for Alex to get him the limes, unaware of the emotional anguish that the redhead was experiencing up at the table. He felt a hand touch his shoulder and whipped around, full game face to get rid of the annoyance.

"Woah, easy Spike." Luther, one of the Vampire bouncers said backing away carefully. He’d been witness to Spike’s temper before and didn’t want to be on the receiving end of it.

"Sorry Luther, I’m wound a little tight at the moment." Spike said loosing the game face and leaning back on the bar.

"So you’re here with Flame hey? Lucky son of a bitch." Luther said amirking as he gazed up at the second lever where you could make out Willow’s profile.

Seeing where the younger vampire’s gaze was directed he growled deep in his chest.

Luther glanced at him and smiled.

"No need to get your fangs all twisted dude. She’s just deadly sexy, that’s all. No one here has been able to make time with her, but everybody, from the friendliest demon to the meanest, wants her. She just has a way about her. She seems to be able to tame the beast within anybody."

Yeah, tames the beast. That would be the word for it. Spike thought to himself.

"Flame? Why do you call her that?" He asked.

"It’s her name. At least it is now. Nobody knows what her real name is. We just call her Flame on account of her red hair, the tattoo and the legend behind her."

"Legend?" Spike’s interest had been thoroughly peaked.

"Yeah. They say her blood is liquid fire. The purest life energy you could find. It keeps you warm for days. Makes a vampire feel almost human for a while. It’s euphoric. But nobody can seem to get a taste of her. She has amazing power in every square inch of her delectable little body and so far she’s invincible. Nobody has found her weakness yet and believe me when I say many have tried." Spike was enthralled. Willow, his Willow. Now an indestructible immortal legend among the demon world.

Spike had heard of the one the call Flame, but he had just passed it off as vampire lore. Stories made up to tell the childer.

"Well I’ll be." He muttered. He nodded his goodbye to Luther and grabbed the limes and the salt. When he got upstairs he saw her sitting at the table, lost in thought with a frown on her pale, eternally youthful face.

When he sat down she looked up at him and smiled. Dog how he loved that face. More and more, everyday for 100 years and counting.

"So Flame, where’ve ya been?" Her eyes widened at the use of that name. She didn’t’ think Spike knew. She started to tremble. He was after her blood. She knew he was. How else would he have found her? She started to panic.

Spike saw her face pale drastically as her heartbeat sped up. The fear was radiating off of her in waves, the demon inside him crying out at the delicious aroma. Something had the redhead spooked.’

"Pet, what is it? What’s wrong?" He asked, genuinely concerned. Willow’s eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"You’re hunting me!" She cried, scrambling up and away from the table.

"Bloody hell" Spike muttered under his breath as he got up to go after her.

"Unsheathe!" She cried, a sword just like the one on her stomach materialized in her hand. She was frozen and catlike in a fighting stance, waiting for the impending battle. The fight raged in her eyes as she had them locked on Spike. He was fascinated by her. Where did his little witch go? Not that he was complaining, this beauty before him was breathtaking. He decided to play this out as far as it could go.

"Kill or be killed Spike!" She all but growled at him as he started stalking towards her. They’d attracted a crowd of various demons, but neither gave any notice as their eyes were locked on one another.

"Alright Flame. You think you can take me on?" He said, his voice low and deadly. "You’ve never come up against William the Bloody!" They circled eat other, both waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Better men have tried." At that Spike growled long and low.

"Let’s dance!" They sprang into action. Punching, kicking, blocking. Spike had no intention of letting her win, but he wasn’t going for her blood. He was captivated by her, she was a better warrior then the slayer herself. Quicker, more imaginative, using the table as leverage, leaping almost flying over his head to strike behind him.

Willow couldn’t believe it. Spike, her protector, her friend, the love of her life for 100 years. He wanted her blood, wanted to try to find her weakness. Her broken heart caused her to fight for the finish. She vaulted over the railing and landed on the bar, causing the demons at the bar and on the dance floor to stop what they were doing and stare at the red head. Spike followed suit and landed on the floor in front of her. She kicked him in the head and sent him flying into a nearby poker game, scattering the demons sitting there..

She jumped down from the bar and Spike kicked her feet out from under her, catching her before she fell, pinning her back against him. She couldn’t move her arms, and she was far to aware of his hard chest pressing up against her back. Her senses were assaulted with her awareness of him. He traced his fingers along the back of her neck, skimming them across her pulse point as they traveled to her shoulder and down her arm. He felt her shiver and caught a whiff of her arousal. Grinning lethally he grazed his fangs against her neck, feeling her tense before placing a chaste kiss on her soft pale skin over top of a faint scar. Previously tasted, his demon roared inside him at the thought of another vampire touching what was his.

"I win Pet," he whispered against her ear, turning her to face him. She looked up at him with eyes full of fear, lust, defiance, regret and something else he couldn’t pinpoint.

"No Spike, you really didn’t. Nobody does." She said softly before whispering a few faint words under her breath then she promptly burst into flames and disappeared from sight. Spike jumped back out of the way so he wouldn’t catch fire. The floor where she’d stood was scorched, just like it was when he’d lost her. Now she was gone from him again, this time thinking that he wanted her blood.

"Bloody fucking hell!" He roared as he started to over turn tables and throw chairs around the room. After being forced out of the club by Luther and 5 other large vampires he stalked angrily down the New York streets looking for a meal. Angel, Spike thought to himself, Angel would know how to find her, the poof always seemed to know about stuff like this, bleeding wanker. With that thought Spike went back to his hotel room, grabbed his stuff, and started the trip to LA.

~Part: 2~

Spike drove like a mad man all the way to L.A, all the while thinking only of Willow and the recent events. She’d just vanished. He couldn’t figure it out. The legend that surrounded her was so mysterious, the tattoo, the fighting skills, and then the weird magic? The poof better have a bloody explanation, Spike growled in his chest as he thought of never seeing Willow again after finding her after all these years. I don’t know what’s going on Red, and I don’t know where you are, but I will find you, I swear it.

Angel heard the pounding on the door from his room in the basement and made his way upstairs. He threw open the door and was prepared to beat the living crap out of the person on the other side of the door. When he saw that it was Spike he wanted to pound his face in even harder.

"Spike! What the hell are you doing here pounding on my door trying to wake the not yet undead?" He growled as he was pushed aside by Spike’s forceful entry.

"Cut the crap Peaches. I need answers and I know you have them." Spike sprawled onto the sofa and kicked his legs out in front of him as he lit a smoke and watched Angel through slitted eyes. Angel took an unneeded breath and sat down across from his childe.

"O.K Spike, what can I do for you?"

"Willow." He watched angel’s eyes for a sign of recognition and was rewarded with a faint flicker of something. "You know where she is don’t you?"

"Spike, I really don’t know what you’re talking about, it’s been almost a century since the Scooby gang walked the earth, Willow is long dead." Spike stood up angrily and started pacing the room.

"Don’t lie to me you poof! I know she’s alive, I saw her not three days ago! And I know that you know how I’m going to find her again." He stopped directly in front of Angel with his hands braced on each of the armrests. Angel was silent for a moment, staring at Spike whose face was inches away from his own, then he pushed him away and got up out of the chair.

"O.K Spike, I’ll tell you, but you have to keep quiet and take into consideration that Willow probably does not want you to know about all of this or she would have told you herself." Spike snarled at him and sat back down to listen.

"Alright. Spike, Willow’s a goddess. You know, as in Mount Olympus, Zeus, Athena, Hera, Hercules, ancient Greece, yada yada yada. Now I know what you’re going to say, she can’t be, she was once mortal. Yeah, but see, she’s a different kind of goddess. She’s one of the Four Corners. Earth, Air, Fire, Water. They are all mortals who have been "blessed" with the pure blood of The Element. She’s a supreme power who has searched the earth for her corners. She chose girls who have the qualities that the four corners have. Willow was the last one. Her inner fire and her Wiccan power, she was the one that The Element was waiting for. But these girls have to die before they can be blessed. That night when you all fought that demon, when she was thrown against the wall, she died Spike. There was nothing you could have done to save her. Trust me." Angel stopped and studied his childe. Spike was sitting very still, his eyes focused on some faraway point, grief stricken.

"So, now she’s, a…immortal, pure-blooded, powerful goddess?" Spike asked finally, looking up at Angel. He nodded and handed Spike a glass of blood. He looked at it with distaste and glared up at his Sire.

"Peaches, I go that bloody chip out of my skull 30 god damn years ago, I do not drink bagged blood!" He said setting the glass down on the coffee table. Angel shook his head and gestured to the window where the sun could be seen just peeking up over the horizon. Spike rolled his eyes and turned back to glare at the glass of hated pig’s blood. Bleeding poofter, Spike picked up the glass and pinched his nose while he drank. Angel rolled his eyes at his immature display.

"O.K, so she’s a goddess, I sort of knew that already, but know in the literal sense?" Angel nodded. "So why and how do you know all of this and why did you not tell me? You obviously know how I felt about her, how I still feel about her, why did you keep her from me for so long?" Spike’s voice took on a desperate tone and Angel was shocked to see the emotion in the younger vampire’s eyes. He really does love her, I only hope he is prepared for her now.

"Willow was taken when she died, and was transformed into what she is now, I say what not who, you can’t forget, she’s not human anymore, and there is a lot of her that is no longer Willow. After she learned of her destiny she was let go into the world to find her way. She came to me because she wanted to see the Powers That Be. She wanted to ask them why she’d been ripped from everything she’d known, and why she was in such danger. You see, as one of the Corners, she is immortal, powerful, and legendary, but there is one thing that can kill them. They have to be drained completely, not just to the point of mortal death, completely, until there is no blood left in their veins, then they just sort of, fade away." Angel paused and waited for Spike to digest this information.

"So how do we find her?"

"I’m not really sure how to specifically find her, but I do know where to start looking." Angel said turning and leaving the room. Spike waited a beat before he followed him.

"So what do we do? Where do we start?" Spike asked impatiently. Angel held up a hand, motioning for him to be quiet. He was looking through an old book that looked like it had seen better years. Make that eons. Spike was impatiently shifting his weight from one foot to the other while Angel carefully turned the yellowed pages.

"You saw her in New York last?" At Spike’s nod he looked back down at the pages. "I don’t think she’d stick around there, if she was hiding from you I think she’d leave the city all together. You probably rattled her pretty bad, she didn’t think the two of you would ever cross paths again, so I think that she might just go home to regain her composure." Spike frowned.

"And where would home be?"

Angel looked up at him and shrugged.

"That’s the part we have to figure out. She never relayed that information to me. But if it’s anything like where the rest of the goddesses live, it’s beautiful and hidden."

"So where do we start looking?"

"Well, we summon The Element." Angel said shutting the book. Spike frowned.

"You mean it’s as easy as all that? You just say ‘here Element, we want to talk to you, it’s a matter of life or death’ and poof…there she is?" A large black and gold cloud of smoke that appeared behind him threw spike forward. He turned around and saw a small-framed woman with floor length white hair and large silver eyes tinged with violet. She was wearing white robes stitched with golden thread that glittered with every movement. Her skin was a translucent ivory color and she carried a large staff with a silver ball on the top. The ball was cut into four sections and had the words Earth, Air, Wind and Fire written on each section.

"So you’re The Element?" Spike asked getting up off the floor. "I didn’t think it’d be that easy to get you down here." The Element looked at him for a long moment, then smiled.

"You’re in love with her." She said in a soft voice. Spike stepped back and glared.

"Sod off, you don’t know anything about me." She moved closer to him, gliding over the tiled floor. She rested a hand on the vampire’s cheek; he stiffened and went to move out of her reach when his demon started to purr in contentment. He found he had no desire whatsoever to leave the warm touch of her hand. Tames the beast, he though to himself, I’ve heard that before.

"You love my Flame, you’ve loved her for years. I have watched you. You are in her thoughts, her dreams, her heart. But she hides. The Corners cannot love. They have the emotion, they feel it more than any other creature on the planet, but it is their curse. Love is their eventual downfall. But you vampire, you are different aren’t you? You aren’t going to listen to my words when it comes to leaving Flame alone. Be warned. She’s not the same." The Element had moved from Spike and was standing at the window, looking out into the day through the drawn curtains.

"How do we find her?" Angel said, standing from behind his desk and moving to Spike’s side. The Element turned around and smiled.

"She’s not far, you just have to call to her. One in the Air, one in the Earth, on in the Water and one in the Fire. Find the first you find them all. You know where to look." With that The Element blew the two vampires a kiss before vanishing in the same cloud of black and gold.

Spike and Angel stood still for a moment before looking at each other in confusion.

"I don’t know about you peaches, but I still have no bloody idea where to even start." Spike said sitting down in the nearest chair. Angel stayed standing, lost in thought.

"One in the Air, one in the Earth, one in the Water and one in the Fire. She said find the first, well…who was first?" Angel said thinking out loud.

"Well, we know that Willow wasn’t first, so it has to be one of the other three." Spike stated, his shoulders sagging with defeat.

"Well, we pluck the words right out of the most famous writings in the world. First, God created the universe. So, I’m thinking that the first Corner to be called was Air. So all we have to do is find her now."

"Bloody great, now how do you suppose we do that?"

"Fuck if I know Spike. I’m all tapped for ideas." Angel said rubbing his temples to relieve the tension in his head.

"OH! I’ve got it!" We find the tallest mountain in the world. It would reach the farthest up to the sky. If she’s in the air, then we could probably get there from that peak." Spike said hopefully. Angel nodded.

"Well, it’s worth a shot. Ready for a little trip Spike my boy?" Angel said patting him on the back.

"I’m ready for anything as long as it takes me to Willow."

~Part: 3~

Willow sat cross-legged in the middle of a circular room. There was soft music playing in the background, but she barely heard it. She was on a soft pallet in the center, surrounded by red and gold silk pillows. There was a fire lit in the fireplace, keeping the room at a comfortable temperature. All of the windows were covered with black velvet draperies, blocking out the mid afternoon sun that was streaming into the west tower room.

This was Willow’s Magic room. The walls were lined with spell books and ingredients of every kind. She often came up here to practice her spells, think or meditate. She was in such deep meditation that she didn’t notice the soft knocking at the door until it got louder and more insistent.

Swearing violently under her breath she untangled her legs and got up to murder whoever was on the other side of that door. Marcus, one of her vampire minions was in mid knock when she threw open the door.

"What the fuck could be so important that you had to come up here? You know you’re not supposed to come up here. It’s off limits. I should tie you up by your feet out one of these windows and let the sunshine do it’s work." Marcus shuddered and took a step back. If there was one thing he and the other minions feared it was Flames anger. She had a tendency to follow through with her threats unless given a good reason not to. Luckily Marcus had a good reason.

"You have a visitor. Downstairs. More than one actually." Willow cocked her head to the side and frowned. Who would come here to seek her out?

"Visitors? Who are they Marcus?"

"The Element, mistress, and the other Corners. They say it’s very urgent." Willow went immediately alert. Why are they here? There was to be a gathering in two nights, why here, why now? She started to panic as she followed Marcus down the winding tower steps. Pausing at the door to the throne room she ran her hands down over the red silk empire waist gown to smooth out the wrinkles from sitting so long. She took a breath before tilting her chin up and breezing through the door,

Four pairs of familiar eyes fell upon her as she stopped in front of them.

"What have you come to tell me that could not wait two more nights?" She asked them, her green eyes falling on The Element.

The goddess motioned for Willow to sit.

"There are two matters of great importance, one of which involves you directly. So I called the gathering early and came here to you."

The Element moved closer to the seated Corners and took a breath. "It is as I feared. He knows the fourth has been called and has achieved great power. He plans to attack." Wind, the goddess of Air gasped and paled drastically. Stone, the goddess of Earth shuddered and clutched onto River, goddess of Earth as she stood, anger etched upon her beautiful face.

"But we can fight him. It’s true; Flame has achieved great power and is gaining more everyday. All together we can beat him!" Willow sat quietly, completely lost as to what was going on. The Element seemed to sense Willow’s confusion.

"Flame, come to me." Willow stood and approached her. The Element grasped her hands and looked into her eyes.

"My child. The last. I had searched for you for eons. The final piece to maintain the balance of the Universe." She stroked Willow’s cheek tenderly. "The balance is about to be disrupted. Adromir, half god, half vampire. World’s most powerful wizard has been planning an attack. The four of you will combine your powers and fight him. Let nothing stand in your way and you can defeat him." Willow sensed that there was something more.

"But..?" The Element’s eyes saddened.

"He’s searching for you. He won’t stop until he finds you." Willow frowned.

"Who’s searching for me?" She asked, oblivious to the sad faces of the other three corners.

"William The Bloody." Willow’s heart skipped a beat. He’s still after me. Why? I love him so much, why does he want me dead? The Element saw the fear in Willow’s eyes and knew the cause. She enveloped the trembling girl in her arms.

"He’s not after your blood. He wants something a lot more dangerous." Willow drew away and stared at the great goddess, silently willing her to continue.

"He wants your heart."

"My heart? What does that mean?"

"You love him."

"No, I don’t"

"You love him. You’ve loved him for almost a century. My child, he loves you too. He’d tear apart every inch of this planet to find you again after you disappeared from New York without a trace or he’ll die trying. I’ve visited him. He’s enlisted the help of his sire, Angelus. I had sent them in the right direction to find you, but now that cannot be. You must find him. I feel as though time is of the essence. Either summon him to you, or go to him, either way, you have to tell him that he must leave you alone. Loving him will kill him. You cannot have this sort of distraction. The battle ahead is far too great." Willow stepped out of the goddess’ embrace and backed away from her,

He loves me. This feeling I have fought for so long is returned. Now I have to spend eternity without him. Living with these feelings, knowing his are the same, without him.

The Element watched the broken emotions rush through the red head’s eyes. She did not want to hurt the redhead anymore, but the girl had to know what was in store if she didn’t tell the vampire to leave.

"Flame there is something you need to see." She said putting her hands on either side of Willow’s temples. Willow closed her eyes as a vision flashed before her. She saw The Element and the Corners battling with all their might against a dark shadow. Behind them she saw Spike and Angel. Spike was trying to get to her side, but he kept getting hit by the magic that the shadow was throwing at all of them.

Willow shivered as she saw how beaten and bloody he was. Suddenly there was a great big flash of light and she saw Spike explode into dust, screaming her name into the night. She saw herself turn from the battle and run for him, screaming in pain and heartbreak. As soon as her back was turned the shadow grabbed her around the waist as he materialized into a solid form. His fangs pierced her neck and he drained her dry before shoving her sword through her heart. With Willow’s blood flowing through his veins he was more powerful, able to grab each of the remaining Corners and take their blood.

Thinking that she’d seen enough the Element took her hands away. Willow opened her terror filled eyes and staggered backwards. She had lived as a goddess for just shy of a century. A century of fighting, of learning and surviving, and Willow had not shed a single solitary tear. Not when she’d learned of what had happened to her, not when she found out when Buffy died, not when she learned of Xander’s passing at an old age, she never cried. In that room, with her maker and her sisters, she fell to the floor and wept like a child. Raw pain filled sobs wracked her body, coming straight from the depths of her broken heart.

River stepped towards the weeping girl on the floor and knelt beside her, lifting her head onto her lap.

"Flame, the passionate one. You know we cannot love. The feeling is too pure." Her crying only lessened a little bit as the goddess’ fingers brushed through her hair. Wind and Stone all knelt around her stroking her and whispering words of love and comfort to the broken girl.

"I’m sorry my child. I’m sorry I had to give you those images. But that is what will come to pass if you don’t tell William the Bloody and Angelus to give up their quest." Willow never lifted her head from River’s lap. Wind stroked her back in small soothing circles as the girl’s shaking died down.

"Come now little one. It’s not so bad. He’s a vampire; vampires are nothing to us but slaves. They are beneath us." She said comfortingly, never letting up the pattern on Willow’s back.

"Wind’s right dear heart. They are only good for one thing. Doing our bidding, whatever that may be." Stone said sending a sly wink in River’s direction. River scowled then turned her attention back to the red head.

"Pay no attention Flame. But please tell him. Even if it could work, our blood is like the Holy Grail to the vampire race. He’ll get a taste one day, by accident or not, and he’ll want more. You may end up having to kill him, or becoming dead yourself. You don’t want that to happen. We don’t want that to happen." Willow lifted her head from River’s lap and wiped away the tears that had fallen on her pale cheeks.

"O.K, I’ll tell him. But I’ll do it my own way." She stood and looked at the women around her. "We’ll win the battle, I promise. I will not let you down." With that she left the room.

"Good luck Willow." The four of them whispered in unison, all using her mortal name, knowing that the woman who had to do this had been dead for some time. It would take a strong will.

When Willow reached her bedchamber she called for three minions.

"I want you to find out where Spike and Angel are right now. Be quick about it. Then prepare two rooms in the east tower. Go!" The three vampires turned and ran at her command.

Willow selected her clothes carefully for her trip to the mortal world. She slipped on the floor length black silk skirt that rode low on her hips and had two slits up each side that went to mid thigh. A delicate silver chain sat loosely on her hips with a tiny pentagram on the end of the little tail going down from her belly button. She chose a red satin tank top that skimmed the bottom of her rib cage and had a very low neckline. Over top she put on her black fishnet shirt with long sleeves that came to a point on her hands where her middle finder on each hand came through one of the holes, holding it there. She laced up her knee high boots and clipped half of her hair back with a silver clip with three pangrams entwined with each other, leaving some down framing her face. There was a knock at the door just as she was putting the finishing touches on her makeup, lining her eyes expertly with black and silver.

"Come in." Marcus stepped hesitantly into the room. Willow stood and faced him, motioning for him to speak.

"Well?"

"We found the vampires mistress, they have decided to stop for a while in Dublin. The bedrooms in the tower are ready just as you asked."

"Wonderful, you’ll be rewarded Marcus. I’ll be back in a couple hours, and I’ll be bringing company. I want everyone to know that there will be two Master vampires staying under this roof for a while. I expect everyone to be on their best behaviour." She said emphasizing the last two words with an underlying threat in her eyes. Marcus nodded and helped her into her coat.

Let the games begin, she thought to herself as she whispered a few words under her breath and disappeared in swirling flames.

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