Hero

Rating:         NC17

Pairing: Willow/Spike (as it should be)

Spoilers: Through end of season 4 to be safe.

Summary: AU beginning of season 5; Spike's there for Willow when she feels left out.

Notes: Fluff, the whole fluff, and nothing but the fluff. Started this one months ago and just went back to it.  I don't really know what a song-fic is, but I don't think this is one, the song just sounded so Willow/Spike to me, and gave me the idea, hence, fic.  * * indicate emphasis.

Feedback: It's ALL about the feedback (and naked Spike)!  Don't make me beg, it's not pretty.

E-mail:         spikedluv@midtel.net

Distribution: If anybody wants it, please take it.  Just tell me where it goes so I can keep track...OK, so I can pull it up and just stare at it for a while!

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, just borrowing them for awhile.  Everything belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Enterprises, Grr Argh, the WB, UPN and whoever else they really belong to, although I wouldn't mind having a Spike of my own.  Who would?  `Hero' was written by Enrique Iglesias, Paul Berry and Mark Taylor and performed by Enrique Iglesias.

****************

Hero
Written by: Enrique Iglesias, Paul Berry and Mark Taylor
Performed by: Enrique Iglesias

Let me be your hero

Would you dance if I asked you to dance?
Or would you run and never look back?
Would you cry if you saw me cryin'?
And would you save my soul tonight?
 

Would you tremble if I touched your lips?
Or would you laugh?  Oh, please tell me this,
Now would you die for the one you love?
Oh hold me in your arms tonight.
 

Well, I can be your hero, baby.
I can kiss away the pain.
I will stand by you forever.
You can take my breath away.
 

Would you swear that you'll always be mine?
Or would you lie?  Would you run and hide?
Oh, am I in too deep?  Have I lost my mind?
I don't care...you're here tonight.
 

I can be your hero, baby.
I can kiss away the pain.
I will stand by you forever.
You can take my breath away.
 

Oh, I just want to hold you.
I just want to hold you, oh yeah.
Am I in too deep?  Have I lost my mind?
Well, I don't care...you're here tonight.
 

I can be your hero, baby.
I can kiss away the pain, oh yeah.
I will stand by you forever.
You can take my breath away.
 

And I can be your hero.
I can kiss away the pain.
And I will stand by you forever.
You can take my breath away.
You can take my breath away.
 

I can be your hero.
 

****************

Part One:  Saturday

It was a Saturday night in late September and the Scooby gang was at the Magic Box researching.

"We're going to The Bronze before patrol," Buffy announced to Giles as she closed the book she had been reading.  Riley, Xander and Anya shut their books and the four of them stood from the research table and reached for their jackets.

Willow looked up from the computer screen at her friends in surprise, "You're going to The Bronze?"

"Yeah.  Do you want to come with, Wills?" Buffy asked the redhead as she pulled on her jacket.

"Uh, no, sounds like you guys already made plans.  Besides, I need to finish this research for Giles," Willow said cheerfully, trying to mask the hurt she was feeling that her friends were excluding her once again, and turned her attention back to the laptop in front of her.

"Okay, then, we're off!" an oblivious Buffy called out as the group left the shop.

Spike had joined the research party out of boredom, and because it would allow him to annoy the bloody `Scooby's', which always made him feel good, er, bad.  He was sitting on the counter, shoulders slouched, book in hand, when Buffy made her announcement and he looked over the top of the book at the Slayer and her friends.

He noticed the bright shine of unshed tears in Willow's eyes that she tried to hide and wondered how her friends could be so unaware of her pain.  He watched the two couples leave the Magic Box, chattering and laughing, then jumped off of the counter and, with a quick, "Need a smoke," followed them out into the night.

Spike leaned against the brick wall of the Magic Box and lit his cigarette, letting the group take several steps away from the shop before he spoke, "You don't really believe her, do you?"

"What are you talking about, Junior?" Xander didn't try to hide his annoyance as he turned to the bleach-blond vampire.

"Red," Spike took a long drag on his cigarette before continuing, "you don't *really* believe she'd rather sit in there an' do research than go to The Bronze?" he blew out a cloud of smoke.  "You bein' her best buds an' all?" he mocked.

"I *asked* her to go...," Buffy defended herself.

"Right," Spike interjected.  "Can you say `after thought'?"

"... and she said she didn't want to!"

"What she doesn't *want*," Spike emphasized, "is to feel like a fifth wheel every time the four of *you* gits `re around."

"We don't make her feel like a fifth wheel!  Tell him Xander," she turned to Willow's oldest friend for support.

"Well, actually," the brunette began, his mind drifting back, "I remember, back in high school, when Willow was with Oz, and I was dating Queen C, and Angel was...well, you were single...Willow made a point of having us act un-couple-y around you."

"What?!  Why?" Buffy asked in surprise.

"So you wouldn't feel like a, um, fifth wheel," Xander admitted, chagrined that he may have inadvertently hurt his best friend by leaving her out.

"What do we do?" Buffy asked in a small voice.

"Go *get* her!" Spike was exasperated that he had to be the one to make them realize that they'd been ignoring the redheaded witch.  "Don't let her give you `no' for an answer," he continued as the group moved back toward the shop, "and for hell's sake, don't let her know that *you* morons weren't the ones to figure it out!"  He shook his head as he took another drag off of the cigarette.  Idiots!

He listened as the group stomped back into the Magic Box and surrounded Willow.  "Giles," Buffy said, "can this research Willow's doing wait until tomorrow?"

"Oh, um, well, yes, I suppose that it can," he stammered, surprised to see them all back in the shop.

"Good, `cause we're taking Willow with us," Buffy announced to her ex-Watcher, then turned to her friend.  "Turn that off and get your coat on," she pointed at `that darn contraption', as Giles called it.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Willow looked at her friends in confusion.

"We decided that we wouldn't have as much fun if you weren't there, Wills," Xander told her.

"Yes," Anya agreed.  "You must come."

"What they said," Riley smiled at her and tilted his head toward the others.

"But...,"

"No `buts'," Buffy interrupted her.  "Turn off the computer and come on.  You know if I do it you're sure to lose something important," Buffy waved a finger toward the keyboard in mock threat.

"No!" Willow cried, bending over to cover the keyboard protectively with her arms.  "I'll do it; just let me save this...," she tapped some keys, then flipped the power switch and closed the cover.

"Okay, now put your coat on," Buffy picked up Willow's jacket and held it for her.

"Buffy!  I'm not a child," Willow huffed as she obediently turned around and stuck her arms in the jacket sleeves.

"Bye, Giles!" everyone called to the stunned shopkeeper and moments later Willow was hustled out the front door, Buffy dragging her by one arm while Xander held the other, Riley and Anya bringing up the rear.

"Change your mind, Red?" Spike asked as the gang filed past. He took a last drag on the cigarette before pinching it out and tossing it into the gutter.

"I guess so," Willow called back over her shoulder and Spike smiled to himself as he reentered the shop.

"Well, Watcher, looks like the party's over," he grabbed his duster off of the counter and swung it around his shoulders.  "Guess I'll be heading out myself," he turned toward the door.

"That was a very nice thing you did, Spike," Giles commented.

"What're you talking about, Watcher?" Spike asked.

"Having them come back for Willow."

"That wasn't my doing," the blond vampire denied.  "And don't let me ever hear you call me `nice' again, or I'll bite ya, no matter how much this soddin' chip hurts," he exited the shop in a billow of duster leaving a smiling Giles behind.

Part Two: Sunday

The next day Willow slept in until nine o'clock and then called Giles to make sure she could get into the Magic Box where she had left her laptop.  Giles said that he would be at the shop by one o'clock that afternoon to continue researching and Willow told him that she'd be by to help.

After showering and dressing in a long flowing skirt, a tank and a pair of sandals, Willow called Buffy and Riley and made plans to meet at the campus cafeteria for brunch at eleven.

Since she had a little over an hour to kill before heading for the cafeteria, Willow made herself comfortable on the bed and began reading the next chapter in European History.  She and Buffy had recently started their second year of college and Willow wanted to do better this year than she had last year, what with the debacle that was Adam taking up much of her time around finals.

A couple of minutes before eleven o'clock, Willow locked the door to her dorm room and began the trek over to the cafeteria.  It was a beautiful, sunny, fall day and Willow enjoyed the walk.  She arrived at the agreed meeting place, having very originally chosen the front steps to the dining hall, and sat down to wait for Buffy and Riley.  She wasn't sure why she bothered to arrive on time, they never did.  Always wanted just one more...well, she wouldn't think about what Buffy was getting these days and she wasn't!

After Oz had left last year she had been heartbroken, a fact her friends never let her forget due to the `my will' spell which had gone awry.  Particularly Buffy, who would glare at her on occasion and mutter `Spike lips' under her breath.  Willow didn't know what Buffy was complaining about, Spike's lips looked mighty fine to her. Especially when he smirked...or did that pouty thing...oh, naughty Spike thoughts.  Bad Willow!  She giggled to herself, that was probably what had pissed Buffy off the most, she *had* enjoyed it! Goddess, if Spike thought that he'd never let Buffy hear the end of it.  Buffy would really kill her then, best friend or not!

She had met a fellow Wicca named Tara and they had become friendly, but it had soon become obvious that Tara was interested in something more than friendship.  Willow had told her that she just wanted to be friends, and they had tried, having their interest in witchcraft in common, but it had been too difficult.  So, now they just said `hi' if they saw each other in the halls and went their separate ways.

"Hey, Wills," the arrival of a breathless Buffy and Riley pulled Willow out of her thoughts.

Willow turned her wrist over and looked at her watch, 11:15.  "Have to run?" Willow teased.

"Very funny," Buffy pouted.  "Can we just go eat?  I'm starving," she pulled Riley up the steps after her.

"When *aren't* you starving?" Riley asked.  "I don't know how you can pack it away and stay so skinny."

"The *best* Slayer power!" Buffy assured them.  "Metabolism."

Willow followed the couple shaking her head.

***

An hour and a half later, Willow sat on a bench outside the Magic Box waiting for Giles to arrive.  She had gotten there a couple of minutes early and was replaying her conversation with Buffy in her head.

"You're going to the Magic Box to meet Giles?" Buffy had asked innocently when Willow mentioned her planned research session.

"Ye-es," Willow admitted cautiously.  "Why?"

"Would you do me a favor?  It's really big and I'd owe you for life," Buffy cajoled.

"You *already* owe me for life," Willow reminded her.  "We've moved on to your offspring now."

"Oh," Buffy was taken aback.  "Which one are we up to?"

"Just the second."

"Okay!  So will you?"

"Will I what?"

"TakeSpike'sbloodtohim," Buffy spit out too quickly for Willow to make it out.

"What?  Stop mumbling, you sound like me!"

"Take Spike's blood to him," Buffy repeated more slowly.  "Giles asked me to do it, but I don't want to see the bleached wonder and, besides, he likes you!  He even...ow!" as Riley kicked her under the table.

"You alright?" Willow asked.

"Yep, just a pain in my...*foot*.  A cramp, I think," Buffy assured her friend with a glare at Riley.

"What were you going to say?  He...what?" Willow asked.

"Oh!  He, um, he's not as mean to you!" Buffy finished triumphantly and Willow frowned.

"Well, he's not," Buffy whined.  "He likes you.  Okay, *like* might be too strong a word, `cause Spike doesn't like any of us, he...*tolerates* you better than the rest of us!"

"That was a glowing endorsement," Riley muttered.  "I know I'd do it for you."

"Oh, be quiet, you!" Buffy smiled sweetly at him.

"You just want me to drop his blood off to him?" Willow confirmed.  Buffy nodded with a beseeching smile.  "That doesn't sound too bad," Willow allowed.  "Just remember, I get to name them, too!"

"Name who?"

"The offspring that you owe me."

Willow didn't know why, but she felt uncomfortable around Spike.  However, she'd die, well, color her hair purple, anyway, before admitting it to Buffy, so now she was stuck taking his blood to him.  If she felt uncomfortable around Spike in a group setting, how would she feel one-on-one?  Not that anyone was going to be *on* anyone else, she clarified to herself.  Wow, why did that thought just make her think other naughty thoughts about bleach-blond vampires with pouty lips?  She shivered despite the warm air.

A red convertible driven by Rupert Giles pulled up to the curb in front of Willow drawing her attention away from Buffy's favor, and thoughts of Spike lips.  "Hey, Giles," she stood up and waved.

"Afternoon, Willow," he greeted her as he climbed out of the car.  "How was The Bronze last night?"

"It was alright," Willow told him as he walked around the car, "if you enjoy sitting at a table with your friends while they snuggle and then by yourself while they have vertical sex on the dance floor...and did I just say all of that out loud?"

"Yes," Giles nodded his head, eyes wide, as he unlocked the front door to the magic shop.  "Some of that information I could have done without."

"Sorry," Willow laughed apologetically as Giles held the door for her.  "They try, but couples going out with single friends, it's like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole."

Willow followed Giles into the kitchen where he put a pot of water on to boil for tea.  "Before I start helping you research, Buffy asked me to take Spike's blood to him this afternoon."

"Why can't Buffy do it?" Giles asked as he spooned loose tea into the pot.

"I think she'd rather be smooching with Riley than arguing with Spike," Willow smiled.

"So she makes you go?" Giles was bewildered.  "Does she think it's going to be any more fun for you?"

"She *said* she thinks Spike `tolerates' me better than anyone else, I think she was just trying to come up with something that would make me do it for her."

"Well," Giles shrugged his shoulders, "she's probably right about that.  But, that doesn't mean that she should use you to do her dirty work."

***

Twenty minutes later Willow stood outside Spike's crypt with a cooler of blood.  To knock or not to knock, that is the question, she thought to herself.  Oh, heck, he's probably sleeping, anyway. I'll just sneak in and leave the cooler and he won't even know I was there.  Well, not until he sees the cooler, anyway, `cause then he'd know *someone* had been there.

Shaking her babbling thoughts away, Willow pushed the crypt door open just far enough for her to slip through without allowing in too much sunlight, then closed the door behind her.  In the dim light she could make out Spike's sleeping figure on the tomb.  She moved toward the corner where he had his chair and television and quietly sat the cooler on the floor by the chair.  She turned around to leave and screamed.

"Aahhh!" Spike was standing in front of her, wearing only a pair of jeans, with his hands on his hips and his head cocked to the side.  Naked Spike chest!  Holy *cow*, she swallowed hard.

"Looking for something, Red?" he drawled with a smirk as he listened to her racing heart.

"Don't *do* that!" she slapped his arm when she'd recovered enough to think straight.  "You scared me!  And, no, I wasn't looking for anything.  There's nothing in here I'd *want*," she looked around the dark, dusty crypt.  Except maybe, naked Spike chest and soft, pouty Spike lips, she amended to herself.

"No?" Spike raised his eyebrows and flexed his muscles, drawing Willow's attention back to his naked chest.  "Nothing?" he smirked again.

Holy...goddess!  Could he read her mind?  Oh, that would be bad.  Very bad.  Especially since she couldn't seem to stop the naughty Spike thoughts.

"No!" she adamantly denied, the heat between her thighs belying her words.  "I was just delivering your blood," she pointed to the cooler as she spoke, "and I didn't want to wake you!"

"Wasn't sleeping," he walked back over to the tomb, pulling his cigarettes out of his pocket as he went to give his hands something to do.  He shook one out of the pack and lit it as he leaned back against the tomb.

"Fine!" she huffed as he walked away from her.  Nice back, too, she thought, then closed her eyes to block the sight.  Oh, this was bad. *Bad*!  Buffy was *so* dead.  But, no, because Buffy could never know about the naughty Spike thoughts.

"Thanks for the blood," he said after taking a soothing drag on the cigarette.

"You're welcome," Willow opened her eyes.  She was calming down, now that her heart wasn't beating so fast.  "Well, I guess I'll be going now," she turned toward the door.

"How was The Bronze?" Spike asked, partly because he wanted to know and partly because he wanted to keep her from leaving yet.

"Why is everyone so concerned about The Bronze?" Willow asked shaking her head in wonder.

"Who else was asking about it?"

"Giles."

"Really?" Spike's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, and it was fine."

"Just `fine'?"

"It's just...it's tough being single in a group of couples. They like doing couple-y things, like holding hands and whispering and kissing and dancing...anyway, they try," she repeated her words to Giles.  "It's just not the same."

"The same as what?"

"The same as *before*.  Sometimes, I really hate change.  I mean, I knew things were going to change when we graduated high school and started college, I just didn't think *we* were going to change," she looked into Spike's blue eyes, surprised to find understanding.  "Best friends forever!" she laughed mockingly at herself with a slight grimace.

"Well, I'd better get back before Giles thinks you ate me," Spike raised his eyebrow, smirking at the redhead and she blushed as she realized the double meaning in her words.  "I mean, bit me and...and drank all my blood.  I've got to go.  I'm supposed to help him do research," she started backing toward the door, "and I need to go.  Now.  Bye," she turned and pulled the door open, racing out into the sunlight where she'd be safe from Spike, but not from her own treacherous thoughts.

***

Spike finished his cigarette and pinched it out before tossing it into the can by the chair.  There was just something about the redhead that made him want to protect her.  He figured it was because he understood her pain at losing dogboy; after all, he knew what it felt like to be dumped.  He was intrigued with the little witch - despite her `my will' spell - or maybe *because* of it.

He was disgusted that he had kissed the Slayer, but he was amused that the seemingly shy witch had some fire hidden underneath all that...goodness...and had punished her friends for ignoring her pain.  They'd all been so apologetic, Willow for doing the spell and the rest for ignoring her, then once it was over, they'd ignored her again.  Spike couldn't understand how they could so easily dismiss the redhead.

But lately he'd found himself thinking about more than protecting her.  He wanted to run his fingers through her beautiful red hair and over her porcelain white skin.  And today, he remembered how her tank top hugged her breasts, how her nipples had puckered when she'd stared at his bare chest, how delicious her arousal smelled, and how easy it would have been to back her up against the tomb, lift up her skirt and bury himself inside her human warmth.

Bloody hell!  Spike unfastened his jeans and wrapped his fingers around his erection, stroking himself as he thought about sinking into Willow's tight, wet heat.  He moaned her name as he spurt his dead seed over his hand and stomach.

Spike cleaned himself up and then lay down on the tomb to try and get some more sleep, but thoughts of Willow raced around his mind.  What was he doing, thinking about a human?  He was becoming a bleedin' nancy-boy, just like his bloody sire.

Part Three: Monday

Spike took the sewers into the basement of the Magic Box and entered the store from the door behind the counter.  Willow was leaning over the research table with her back to him.  She was wearing another long skirt, a sleeveless v-neck crop top and sandals.  The skirt pulled tight across her bum as she searched through the books piled on the table, her shirt lifting to expose the bare skin of her lower back as she reached across it.

For the past 24 hours his mind kept torturing him with thoughts of Willow and he'd needed to see her again, smell her, and the sight of her bent over the table, with her tight little bum and that little bit of bared skin, made him hard.  He thought about walking up behind her, pushing her skirt up, grabbing her hips and...He pulled his duster around him to hide his erection and leaned back with his elbows on the counter, waiting for Willow to turn around and notice him.

"Giles, I can't find it.  I don't think it's...aahh!" Willow turned away from the table and saw Spike leaning casually against the counter.  She grabbed her throat and tried to slow her breathing. Damn...darn...vampire had scared her again.  He did it on purpose, she just knew it.  He was so aggravating and annoying and...and sexy, with those cheekbones and blue eyes and wavy hair that was mussed up just so and...whoa!  What was she thinking?  No!  No sexy Spike.  She felt herself blush.

Oh, yes, it had been well worth the wait.  She screamed and Spike smelled a smidgeon of fear and heard her heartbeat speed up as her blood pumped furiously through her body.  Then she flushed and Spike smelled the scent he was dying to experience again...Willow's arousal.

"Don't *do* that!" she yelled at him as she stepped closer and punched his arm with her little fist and Spike smiled.  "You big...stupid...vampire!" she was mad at him, but madder at herself for her reaction to him.  Why did she have to want someone who would never want her back?

He was...he was Spike!  Sexy.  And funny, when he wanted to be.  And kind...again, when he wanted to be.  And so-o sexy, all the damn, *darn*, time.  Stupid vampire.  She should think of his bad points.  Okay, he was arrogant, but wouldn't you be if you were that sexy?  Stop that, bad points!  Okay, arrogant and obnoxious and mean, sometimes and...and, oh, yeah!  He was *dead*!  Which should be a big turnoff, but made Willow suddenly wonder if his hands would feel cool on her heated flesh...

"Willow, did you find that dratted book?" Giles asked as he came out of the kitchen with a cup of tea in his hand, thankfully interrupting Willow's train of thought.

She blushed a deeper red and tried to hide her face by bending over the table again.  "No, I couldn't find it.  We have too many books out here," she felt herself starting to babble and she couldn't stop, "we should really reshelve some of them.  I'll just put them in alphabetical order by title and you can look them over and see which ones need to be kept out," her hands began to gather the books while she tried to make her mind focus on the titles rather than the sexy...*darn*...vampire standing behind her.

"Good idea," Giles agreed as he lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip.  "Spike," he said as he lowered the cup and noticed the vampire, "good, lord, it's not sundown already, is it?" His eyes darted toward the front of the shop where the sun filtered through the blinds.

"Nah, couple hours yet," Spike told him, partly thankful for the Watcher's sudden appearance which had made his erection rapidly deflate, and slightly disappointed.

"Then, uh, what are you doing here?" Giles asked, confused. Spike rarely came around unless they asked him to, and even then he complained.

"Bored," Spike shrugged his shoulders.  "Figured you and Red would be here researching.  Where's demon girl?"

"*Anya*," Giles emphasized, "had to leave early."

He thought she'd be here!  Willow tried to keep her mind focused on her task, but the sound of Spike's voice disturbed her concentration.  Oh, please, get a grip.  He didn't say he came to see *you*.  Yeah, but he thought I'd be here; he wouldn't come if he thought Buffy or Anya would be here, would he?  *Would* he?  Of course not, they'd probably keep him away, she giggled to herself.

"Something funny, Red?" Spike asked from right behind her. Willow straightened up and turned around to find herself eyeball to, well, to chest, with Spike.  Hard, muscular Spike chest covered in black cotton.  When had he removed his duster?  She'd been so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't heard him move. Where was Giles?

"Wh-where's Giles?" she asked.

"Said something about looking for that book in the training room.  He might've been reading on the couch," Spike breathed in deeply, savoring the scent of her hair, her skin.

"Oh!"

"You finished alphabetizing these things yet?" he nodded his head toward the books on the table.

"Hmm?  Oh, no, not yet," Willow struggled to comprehend his words as her mind was once again filled with naughty thoughts of Spike.

"I'll help," he brushed past her, his arm grazing her breast.

He heard the sudden intake of her breath and her quickening heart beat, felt her nipple pebble against his arm as he brushed against her and smelled the heady scent of her arousal.  He grew hard and realized that he'd made a grave error in judgment.  Cor, he should never have come here; being with her an' not touching her was gonna kill him.

The two of them were busy sorting the books when Giles emerged from the back room, both trying to keep their minds on the business at hand.  "Nothing!" he groused. "How are you two coming?"

"Almost done," Willow assured him as she stood back from the table.  Bending at the waist she looked under it.  "Oh!  There's some more books under here," she started to get on her knees to crawl under the table and get them.

Spike grabbed her arm to stop her.  "I'll get `em," he told her as he dropped to one knee and reached under the table.  His jeans tightened painfully across his erection, but it was better than watching Willow on her hands and knees with her pert little bum up in the air and him not able to do anything about it.

When the books were all alphabetized on the table Spike and Willow stood back to allow Giles to read the titles.  "We should keep this one out...and this one...this one's definitely got to stay out...,"

"Um, Giles," Willow finally interrupted him as the `keep' pile began to seriously outnumber the `reshelve' pile, "we're trying to clean the table off.  The books will be right here, on the shelves," she modulated her tone as if she were talking to a two year old and pointed toward the shelves, "you'll be able to get them *any time* you want them."

"Are you patronizing me?" Giles huffed.

"Just teasing," Willow smiled at him.

"Oh, alright, reshelve them all...hey!  Here's the book I was looking for!" he reached out to pull it off of the table.

Spike looked over his shoulder, "Found that one on the floor."

"Wonderful!" Giles disappeared into the training room with the book.

Willow grabbed a couple of books from the table and walked over to the book shelves to reshelve them.  When she turned around Spike was standing there with a pile of books in his arms.

"I'll hold, you shelve," he told her.

"Oh!  Alright," Willow's voice was breathless and her hands shook as she reached out to take a book off of the pile.

Spike wanted to groan as he watched her fingers curve around the books, her hair brush her neck, the delicious flush that now looked like part of her skin and made him wonder how far down it went...

They were almost done reshelving the books when Giles exploded out of the back room.  "I think I found something.  I need `The Demon Realm' by Huntington," he looked at Willow expectantly.

"I think we just reshelved that one, let me get it," she turned around and ran into Spike, who was still standing there with books in his arms.

"Sorry," Willow whispered and blushed as she stepped around him to pull the book Giles had requested.  She handed it to Giles and watched him flip the pages, stopping to read when he found what he wanted.

"Yes!  This is it!" he rushed back into the training room.

Willow laughed and shook her head, then reshelved the rest of the books, doing her best not to stare at Spike's arms.

When they were finished Spike sat in a chair at the table and Willow, afraid to be too close to him, leaned against the counter.

"Willow," Giles called from the back room, "can you look something up for me?"

"Sure," she called back and moved to the table to set up her laptop.

"What's he researching anyway?  Some big evil coming to Sunnyhell I should know about?"

"No, Angel...,"

"Bloody poof!" Spike muttered.

"Be nice," Willow slapped the back of his head with one hand as she reached in front of him with the other to grab her laptop.

Spike grabbed her forearm and pinned it to the table and she gripped his shoulder for support so she didn't fall into his lap.  "I can be nice," he whispered in her ear.  "I can be *very* nice," he brushed his fingers lightly along her arm.

Just then the door opened and the bell jingled as Buffy and Riley entered the shop.  Spike let go of her arm and Willow swallowed as she pulled her laptop across the table.  She realized her hand was still on his shoulder and pulled it back as if she had been burnt. She blushed as she wondered what she would have done if Buffy hadn't come in just then.

***

Buffy and Riley were more of a hindrance to research than a help because Buffy insisted on baiting Spike, who couldn't let any little slight go, and the sounds of their arguing filled the shop. However,  her presence was actually a help to Willow, who could research knowing that Spike's attention was diverted.  It made her too nervous to think when she could feel him staring at her.

Eventually, Willow and Giles had found the information Angel was looking for and Giles picked up the telephone to call him.  "Going out for a smoke," Spike rose to his feet and headed for the alley in the back of the shop, not wanting to be there when the Watcher was talking to the poof and wanting to get away from the Slayer.

"Why don't you two go patrol?" Giles suggested to Buffy and Riley, sick of her and Spike's tiresome bickering.

"Are you sure you don't need us for something?" Buffy asked, not wanting to leave before Giles called Angel.

"I'm sure."

"Alright, tell Spike we'll take the east end tonight," Buffy reluctantly stood and put her jacket on.

Relieved, Giles dialed the phone.

"Want me to go?" Willow asked hopefully.  She hadn't been patrolling with Buffy in ages and, even though Riley would be there, she missed being with her friend.  Also, she didn't want to be there when Spike got back.  He made her skin feel all tingly.

"No, Willow, it's too dangerous.  You stay safe," Buffy told her.

"Dangerous?" Willow asked in surprise.  "When hasn't it been dangerous?  I used to patrol with you all the time!" she left the `before Riley came along' unspoken.

"I know, Wills, but it's too distracting to have you there," Buffy smiled apologetically.

"Distracting?" Willow found herself repeating Buffy again.  "I can take care of myself, Buffy!"

"I'm sorry, Wills," Buffy said, not knowing why Willow was so upset.  She'd rather not have to patrol.  "Maybe next time."

"Yeah, maybe," Willow agreed doubtfully, hiding her face behind the computer screen.

Soddin' Slayer, Spike swore to himself as he eavesdropped on their conversation.  He had stayed when he heard Giles order the Slayer off to patrol; after all, *she* was the main reason he'd needed a fag in the first place and if she was leaving...

He heard Willow ask to accompany them and her tell Willow that it would be too dangerous.  She was so damned blind!  Red was practically begging for attention an' even after Saturday night she was too bloody wrapped up in soldier boy to notice.  If anyone was gonna be a distraction while she was on patrol it was the pup.

He waited until he heard the front door close, then swaggered back into the shop.  If the Slayer didn't want to pay attention to Red, he would.

"Where'd slutty an' her pup go?" Spike asked snottily as he sat across from Willow.

Willow didn't rise to the bait, just sighed and said, "On patrol.  She said to tell you that they're taking the east end tonight."

"What're you doing now?" he asked her.

"Just checking my e-mail.  I was hoping to hear from Cordy," Willow tried to hide the misery in her voice.

"So, you're not busy?"

"Ha!" she huffed softly.  "No, I'm not busy," she shook her head.

"Good, then you can patrol with me," Spike stood and grabbed his duster off of the counter.  He turned around to see Willow still sitting at the table, staring at him in surprise, her eyes wide, her lips slightly parted.

"C'mon!" he urged her.  "We don't have all night.  Well, actually, *I* do, but I'm sure good little girls like you need to get to bed early," he slipped his arms into the jacket, then tugged it smooth across his shoulders.

Willow still hadn't moved.  "I'll just get in the way," she said sadly.

"Piffle!  I need someone to watch my back.  The Slayer has her soldier boy, but they expect me to go out by myself all the time.  S'not fair, I tell you.  Where's your jacket?" he looked around the shop.

In a daze, she pointed toward the training room.

"Well, go get it," Spike took her by the arm and lifted her out of the chair, directing her toward the back room.  "Make sure you've got a couple of stakes," he reminded her as he followed her.  "An' grab a couple for me.  I'm gonna grab an axe."

When they were armed, Willow with a stake in her hand and an extra in her jacket pocket, Spike sporting a large axe and two stakes in his duster pockets, they walked back into the shop to let Giles know they were leaving for patrol.

"We're off, Watcher," Spike announced.

"Patrolling?" Giles asked.

"Yep," Spike sailed by without stopping and pulled the front door open.

"You're going too, Willow?" Giles asked.

"Y-yes," Willow stuttered, suddenly afraid he would tell her she shouldn't go.

"Oh, well, um, fine.  It'll do you some good to get out from behind that, that infernal machine!" Giles pointed at the laptop and Willow smiled brightly.

"Really?"

"Of course.  Some fresh air, some exercise, maybe getting to dust a vampire," he was rubbing his hands together in what might pass for glee in the reserved Brit.  "Well, yes, off with you, now," he waved a hand toward the door and, with another smile, Willow walked toward Spike, twirling the stake between her fingers.

Cor, she was beautiful when she smiled.  Willow slipped past him and Spike looked back at the Watcher, who was staring at him.  He raised the axe in salute and Giles dipped his head in acknowledgment.

"Are you sure I won't be in the way?  A...a distraction?" Willow asked after Spike had pulled the shop door closed.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Spike waved his free hand in the air as if to push that thought away, then took her hand and led her down the street.  Liar, he thought to himself as her warm hand filled his cool one, she'll be a distraction, alright.

***

In the first cemetery Spike dusted a fledgling.  He sensed the newly made vampire and led Willow to the grave where it was just digging it's way out.  "While I'm fighting," he leaned down and whispered to Willow, "keep an eye out, okay?"

"Okay," Willow agreed breathlessly and Spike didn't know if it was because of the coming fight or his breath tickling her neck. He sort of hoped it was a little of both.

Spike took his time with the fledgling, toying with it.  He had a lot of suppressed emotion to vent and this was the unlucky fledge.  When he was done he walked back to Willow who was staring at him with her hands on her hips.

"What?"

"You were just playing with him!" she accused.

"I had a lot of, uh, aggression to work out," he told her.

"Buffy?" Willow asked sympathetically.

"Uh, yeah. The bloody Slayer really pissed me off," Spike lied as he grabbed her hand and started out of the cemetery.  The Slayer had nothing to do with his pent up frustration this time, it was the raging hard-on caused by the little redhead at his side.

"Where are we going next?" Willow asked.  When Spike gave her the name of the cemetery she said, "We have to pass the Espresso Pump to get there, right?"

"Yeah," Spike drawled, suspicious.

"Can we stop for a mochachino?  To go?" she begged.

"I thought you didn't drink coffee?" Spike said.

"I, um, I do, sometimes," she hedged, knowing that if he knew about her reaction to caffeine he'd never let her near it.  But she was so nervous and he was holding her hand and she needed some caffeine, dammit!  Darn it, she meant.

"Alright," he agreed.  "Just don't let it interfere with your fighting," he dropped her hand and threw some fake punches toward her face and upper body.  She just stood there and raised her eyebrows.

"Please!  I'm not here to fight.  I'm just here to watch your, um, your...," her mind went blank.  Drat, she had been watching his hands and his legs while he fought, but what was she supposed to be watching?

"Back?" Spike suggested with a smirk.

"Yes!  Back," Willow turned away and walked off toward the coffee shop.  She really needed that caffeine.

By the time they reached the third cemetery the caffeine had kicked in.  Willow was bouncing off of the walls, well, tombstones, and chattering a mile a minute.

Finally Spike couldn't take it anymore.  He wrapped his fingers softly around her throat and backed her up against a tree.  "Why is it," he snarled, "that you don't drink coffee that often?"

"Oh," Willow giggled nervously.  She was in trouble now!  "I, um, I have this, ah, mild reaction to, uh, to caffeine," she tried to smile reassuringly at him.

Spike growled and his face morphed; Willow felt her juices seep from her core at the demon visage and closed her eyes.  Oh, goddess, she thought as her stake dropped from suddenly nerveless fingers.  She opened her green eyes to stare deeply into Spike's amber gaze, until her attention was rudely diverted.  "Uh oh, vampire," she croaked.

Damn vampire, he was gonna kill it for interrupting them. Well, he was gonna kill it anyway, but he really hated to be interrupted, especially right then.  He had smelled her arousal all night and it was killing him to keep his hands off of her, but her scent had suddenly become stronger when he morphed and he had been ready to shag her right there against the tree.

He turned to face the vampire with a growl, then said to Willow out of the corner of his mouth as he saw four vampires standing in front of him, "I thought you said `vampire'?"

"Oops!" she bent down to pick up the stake she had dropped when Spike morphed.

"Stay behind me," he stalked forward.  "Hey, boys, come to play?" he called to the four vampires.

"Get him," the leader ordered and the other three rushed him.  Spike swung the axe he'd held close to his side and decapitated the first vampire who exploded into a cloud of dust, blinding it's mates.  On the back swing he took the arm off of the next vamp and heard Willow's "Ew, yuck" from somewhere behind him.  He kicked the squealing vamp to the ground and headed toward the third who took one look at the axe and his dis-armed friend and turned to run.

Spike swung the axe around and let it fly.  It struck the vamp's back and knocked him to the ground.  Spike pulled a stake out of his pocket and staked the now-one-armed vamp, then walked over to stake the vamp he'd just knocked down.  Hearing a struggle behind him he turned to see Willow fighting the leader.  Bugger!  He'd forgotten about the fourth one for a minute there.

When Spike went to stake the `Runaway Vamp' as Willow had dubbed it in her caffeine fogged mind, the last vamp had moved toward her.  Willow knew that she couldn't take the vamp, she just needed to keep it distracted until Spike could get there.  It reached out to grab her and she struck out with her hidden stake, scratching it's arm.

"Ow, that hurt, you little bitch!" it yelled before lunging at her.

Willow backed up and side-stepped, trying to keep the vamp off balance. It seemed to be working until she tripped over a headstone.  The vamp stood above her and laughed.  "You're going to taste good," it bent down to grab her and exploded into a cloud of dust.

"You're an idiot," Spike told the dissipating vamp and then looked down at Willow.

Before the dust had settled he was kneeling next to her and she had raised herself up on her elbows to watch him.  Goddess, he was sexy.  He'd looked like an avenging angel as he'd come toward her through the cloud of dust.  My hero, she thought to herself.

"You alright?" he asked worriedly as he ran his hands over her bare legs, her skirt having ridden up when she fell, checking for broken bones or sprains.

"Yes," Willow answered breathlessly.  "I should have brought my water gun.  Put that away," she ran her fingers over his forehead ridges.

"Oh, sorry," Spike brought his human face forth.

"Don't be sorry!  It's just easier to scare `em if they don't see it coming," Willow smiled at him, then giggled when he reached her knees and tried to shove his hands away.  "Sorry," she said breathlessly, "ticklish!"

"Really?" Spike waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Don't you dare!" Willow rolled over onto her knees and tried to climb to her feet, but her skirt tangled around her legs and she was momentarily trapped.

Spike moaned as Willow's bum wiggled in the air as she tried to unwrap the skirt from her legs.  Finally unable to stand it anymore he stood up and grabbed her around the waist.  Lifting her up he deposited her on her feet and watched in disappointment as her skirt fell down around her legs.

"Thanks," her voice was still breathless.  "So," she backed a step away from him so she could think, "did I help?"

"You were a big help," Spike almost groaned as she brushed her hair away from her neck where he could see her pulse jumping.

"Do I get an assist?" she asked excitedly, bouncing on her feet.

"An assist?"

"Yeah, you know, like in basketball, the guy who makes the basket gets the, uh, the basket, and the guy who passed him the ball gets an assist.  And in soccer, and, um, hockey, and, oh, baseball, on defense.  An assist, because they, um, assisted.  So, do I get one?" she was still bouncing.

"Did the Slayer give you assists?" he queried thoughtfully.

"Uh, no.  She was usually too busy talking about Angel."

"Ah."

"So-o?"

"Alright, you get an assist," Spike agreed.

"Cool," Willow did that cute little thing with her eyes and shoulders that Spike loved.  Yep, bleedin' nancy-boy, just like his bloody sire.

They didn't run into anymore vamps that night.  Spike figured that Willow's caffeine-induced chatter scared them off, but he loved it.  The sound of her voice was like music to his ears.  Or poetry. Not that he'd ever let any of the Scooby gang know he liked poetry.

By the time they got back to the Magic Box Willow's caffeine high had lessened and she was almost back to her old self, but Buffy, who had beaten them back from patrol, noticed right away.

"You let her have caffeine!" she pointed an accusing finger at Spike after Willow had bounced through the door yelling for Giles to tell him about her assist.

"Sod off, Slayer," Spike growled.  "Number one, I didn't know how the caffeine would affect her and number two," he raised an eyebrow, "I enjoyed it!"

"You did?" Willow giggled again and Spike couldn't help but smile at her.

"Come on, Wills, let me walk you back to the dorm," Buffy said disgustedly as she reached out to take Willow's arm.

Willow pulled her arm away and said, "No, thank you, Buffy, Spike already said *he'd* walk me back."  She turned away from Buffy and pulled her book bag across the table to put her laptop inside. Oh, goddess, why did she say that?  He was going to kill her.  What if he told Buffy she was lying?  She'd look so foolish.  And then she heard his voice.

"Speed it up, there, Red, I need to be in bed before sunrise," he supported her lie and Willow smiled to herself as she zipped her bag.

"`Night Giles, Buffy, Riley," she said as she breezed past a sputtering Buffy and up the steps to the front door, "see you tomorrow!"

***

"Thank you, Spike," Willow told the vampire after they had walked for several minutes in silence.

"For what?" he asked.

"Well, for walking me back, and for not telling Buffy that I lied," she grimaced.

"You watch my back, I'll watch yours," he told her.

"Really?  Thanks," she smiled as she shyly reached for his hand.  He closed his fingers around her tiny hand and squeezed.  Cor, he loved it when she smiled at him.

When they got to the campus, Willow's footsteps slowed.  She didn't want this night to end.  She'd had so much...fun...with Spike, and he seemed to have fun, too, and she was afraid that tomorrow everything would go back to normal, and he would only tolerate her.

Spike noticed her distress.  "What's the matter?" he looked around them for danger, noticing that they had reached Willow's dorm.

"I...I don't want this night to end," she admitted softly.

"Why?" he asked.

She couldn't stop herself, she was going to say it.  "Because tomorrow you won't like me again," she felt tears burn her eyes and tried to blink them away before he noticed.

Spike swung her around to face him and lifted her head with his thumb under her chin so he could look into her eyes.  "Red, I could *never* not like you."  She was looking up at him as if he were her savior, or as if he could be.

"In fact, I like you a lot," his voice was husky as he pulled her closer to him and pressed her body against his.

"But I don't know if I can be your hero, baby," he leaned down and brushed his lips over hers.

Willow was in heaven.  Spike's hands were gentle, his body was hard, oh, goddess, some parts harder than others!  And then he kissed her and she felt as if she were floating.  And *then* his words penetrated her lust-fogged brain.  "Oh," she whispered in embarrassment, "I said that out loud?"

"Mmm hmm," he answered as his tongue ran across her lip.  He pulled her bottom lip into his mouth and sucked on it.

"Oh, goddess," Willow moaned, although with only one lip it sounded more like `oh, gothez', and dropped her book bag.  Raising both arms she gripped the back of Spike's head and pressed him to her, instinctively sweeping her tongue inside his mouth, needing to taste him.

Spike kissed her, running his hands over her back, cupping her bum, pressing her against his erection.  He pulled back, his chest rising and falling with unnecessary breath.  "Willow," he kissed her again, quickly.  "You'd better get inside before some big bad gets you."

"You'll protect me," Willow whispered breathlessly against his lips, *really* not wanting the night to end now.

"Baby, I'm the big bad at the head of the line," he kissed her again before stepping away from her.  "Get some sleep," he kissed her forehead, then picked up her book bag and handed it to her before disappearing into the darkness.

"I'm not going to be able to sleep *now*!" Willow moaned and Spike smiled to himself as her words reached his ears.  He had to get away from her before he picked her up and carried her into the bushes to finish what they'd started.

Part Four: Tuesday

Willow got to the Magic Box early the next afternoon.  She knew it was probably too early to see Spike there, but it was the only place she'd be able to run into him without going to his crypt and making a complete fool out of herself.  What if he didn't mean what he said last night?  Oh, goddess, what if he *did*?

She hadn't gotten much sleep as thoughts of Spike filled her head.  He'd said that he liked her, *a lot*, and he'd *kissed* her! She had daydreamed her way through classes.  Thank the goddess none of her professors had called on her.  That's when she had decided to study at the Magic Box instead of the library in hopes of running into Spike.

She'd agonized over what to wear.  She didn't want to look obvious, so, no short, short skirts for her.  And she wanted to be prepared in case he asked her to patrol with him again, so, no long skirt and sandals.  Goddess, she was pathetic.

She finally settled on casual - a pair of gray sweats, a green tank top, with no bra, okay, maybe not *too* subtle, comfortable sneakers and a brown, orange and green plaid flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up, to cover her up in case she decided later that the `no bra' thing was a bad idea.

Then she agonized over what to tell Giles about why she'd shown up so early on a Tuesday afternoon.  There wasn't any research, but she could tell him that she wanted the company while she studied, and she could be there to help if anything came up.  She shoved her European History text into her book bag along with her lap top.  Oh, or she could ask him to teach her another magic spell!  She threw in a book she had `borrowed' from Giles last week along with some herbs and candles.

Here goes nothin', she thought as she locked her dorm room door behind her, then squared her shoulders as if heading off to battle, and began the trek to the magic shop.

The bell jingled as Willow pushed the door open and entered the Magic Box.  "Good afternoon, welcome to... oh, it's just you. You're not going to buy anything," Anya said as she turned back to the register.

"And good afternoon to you, too, Anya!" Willow called back cheerfully.  "Where's Giles?" she asked as she put her book bag down on the table.

"Running errands," Anya answered absently, "bank, post office, something like that."

"Oh.  So, how's it going?"

"With the store?" Anya asked, still not sure about human figure of speech.

"With the store, with your life...," Willow trailed off.

"Oh, well, the store is doing well.  We've had many customers today and several actually bought something.  It was very exciting. I love the feel and smell of money," she ran a bill through her fingers and then held it to her nose.

"Oh, well, that's great!"

"And orgasms with Xander couldn't be better!" Anya added.

"Oh, well, that's, um, great, too."  Not only didn't she want to know about Anya's orgasms, especially with Xander, but the thought of orgasms made her think about...

"Spike!" she saw him duck into the shop through the basement door and felt her whole body tingle as if she had been hit with an electric current.

"Red," Spike greeted her casually.  "Demon girl."

"You mean that in a friendly way, right?" Anya asked as she looked at him over the money.

"Uh, yeah, right."

"What, um, what are you doing here so early?" Willow's voice was breathless.  Please let him say me, please let him say me...

"I had an idea last night," he moved around the counter and indicated for Willow to join him at the table.  They both sat.

"What, um, what was your idea?" Willow traced patterns on the table top, afraid to look at Spike.

"Remember last night..."

How could she not, she wanted to moan.  She'd *never* been kissed like that before.

Spike heard Willow's moan and fought to keep control.  Bloody hell, just looking at her, even in a pair of sweats an' a flannel shirt, had him hard.

"...when that vamp knocked you down?" he forced himself to continue.

"Well, he didn't actually knock me down," Willow admitted.  "I tripped...over a headstone."  Oh, goddess, he was going to tell her that she shouldn't go on patrol, she bent her head down further, her hair covering her face, so he couldn't see how disappointed she was.

"Well, I thought maybe you should..."

Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes...

"...learn some self-defense."  Willow's head shot up.  He didn't say she shouldn't patrol!

"And once you've mastered that, maybe some offensive moves."

Willow tried to smile, but now she felt like crying because, not only had he *not* told her she couldn't patrol, he wanted to teach her to fight.  "Really?"

"Yeah.  One of these days I might need you to save my cute little bum, instead of just watching my back," Spike told her with his trademark smirk.

"Really?" she asked again, almost afraid to believe it.

"Stop that," he wiped a tear off of her cheek with his thumb.

"I thought you were going to tell me that I was too clumsy to patrol," she admitted with a self-deprecating laugh.

"Piffle!  Even the Slayer, with all her super powers, needs to train, doesn't she?"

"Yeah," Willow said after she had thought about it for a minute.

"You need to practice fighting just like you practice magic," he told her.  She smiled at him and it was brighter than the sunshine and lit up Spike's dead heart.  "Got some time this afternoon?" he asked and Willow happily nodded.

He took her hand and pulled her out of the chair and toward the back room, "Gonna be in the training room," he told Anya.

"Okay," the ex-demon said without lifting her head.

In the training room Spike took his duster off and threw it over the couch.  "We'll start with some basic self-defense moves. You might wanna take that," he indicated the flannel shirt, "off, you're probably gonna get warm."

"Okay," Willow started to pull it off, then pulled it back shut over her chest.  "Oh, no."

"What's wrong?"

"Oh!  I, um, I...I didn't wear a bra," her voice was so low he wouldn't have been able to make it out if he wasn't a vampire and she looked like she wanted to cry again.

"Bloody hell!" Spike groaned and Willow thought he was mad at her.  He grabbed her by the shoulders and marched her backward until her back hit the wall, then he leaned down and kissed her.  Willow's hands grabbed at Spike's waist as his lips assaulted hers.

He buried one hand in her hair and tilted her head back so he could deepen the kiss.  His other hand moved down her back to cup her bum and press her against his erection.  Willow's hands roamed over his body, exploring his back, his chest, his butt.

"Spike," Willow moaned as he moved his lips to her neck, licking, sucking, nibbling.  "Oh, goddess, Spike, please, touch me!"

He didn't need to be asked twice.  Both hands moved beneath the flannel shirt to cup her breasts through the thin cotton of the tank top as his lips continued their assault on her neck.  He kneaded the mounds and pinched her nipples and Willow moaned, her own hands tearing at his shirt.  Once it was free of his jeans she slipped her hands beneath and ran her fingers over his cool flesh.

Spike moaned at her touch and moved one hand to cup the heat between her thighs.  Willow jumped in surprise, then mewled as his fingers pressed into her slit and rubbed over her clit.

"Spike," she hissed as her juices seeped from her core. Grabbing her bum, Spike lifted her until he was pressing against her center. Cor, she smelled so bloody *good*!

Willow wrapped her legs around his waist and grabbed his shoulders for support.  Spike leaned in and kissed her and Willow moved one hand to the back of his head, the other going around his shoulders to pull herself closer to him as she kissed him back.

With his hands gripping her bum and his body pressing hers against the wall, Spike rubbed against her.  Within moments he felt her body tensing as she prepared for her release.  His face morphed and he knew he wouldn't be far behind.

Willow felt his face change as he neared his climax and forced him to look at her.  She leaned up to kiss the ridges at his forehead, then lowered her lips to kiss him.  She shoved her tongue into his mouth and ran it over his teeth, cutting it on his fangs. She heard Spike growl into her mouth as he tasted her blood, then the world shattered as her orgasm overtook her.

What in bloody hell was she doing?  She looked at his demon, kissed his forehead ridges, then shoved her tongue into his mouth and cut herself on his fangs...he tasted her blood and growled.  He felt her muscles stiffen as she came, her mouth open in a silent scream, and he came with her as he sucked her blood from the cuts on her tongue.  He was in heaven.

Spike took a few more sucks on her tongue, then let it go and leaned his now-smooth forehead against hers.  "Red?"

"Mmm?" she answered with her eyes closed.

"Can you walk?"

"No!" she wrapped both arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck.

Spike smiled as she snuggled closer to him.  "I'm just gonna walk over to the couch," he told her.

"Mm'kay," she breathed in Spike's scent.

"Red," Spike said when he reached the couch, reaching behind him to unhook her legs.

"No," Willow tightened her legs and then moaned as her still- sensitive flesh pressed against him.

"Baby, I just want to sit down.  I'm not gonna let you go," he reassured her.

Willow loosened her legs as she tightened her arms around his neck, assuring that he wouldn't let her go.  Spike sat down on the couch, Willow's legs straddling his and she leaned against him, her tongue darting out to taste his skin.

"Uhh," he moaned as her hot tongue pressed against his cool skin.  "You'd better not do that, baby, unless you want to start this all over again," he warned as he tilted his head to give her better access to his neck and Willow felt him harden against her.

"*Are* we going to do this again, Spike?" she whispered huskily, one hand slipping between them to rub his chest as she sucked on his neck.  She couldn't believe how...forward she was acting.  She was a big `ho.  But she couldn't help it.  When he touched her she got all hot and felt like she was melting.

"Hello, Giles!" they heard Anya say loudly from the other side of the training room door.

"Drat!" Willow leaned back and pouted.  "We can't do it again."

"Don't worry, baby," Spike grabbed her hips and leaned forward to kiss her bare chest above the tank top, "we'll do it again."

"Promise?" Willow raised her eyebrows and smiled sexily.

"Bloody hell, yes," he stood and dropped her on the couch.  "You stay here, I'm going outside for a smoke," he searched his duster pockets for his cigarettes.

"Won't it be obvious, then?" Willow giggled.  "What with you needing a cigarette, and all?"

"Very funny, Red," Spike adjusted himself in jeans that suddenly seemed too tight as he walked toward the alley door.

"Spike, wait!" Willow fell off of the couch in her haste to stop him.

He turned around to see her kneeling on the floor and grinned, "Not now, Red."

"Now who's funny?" she frowned at him.  "You can't go out there, it's still daylight."

"Oh, bugger, forgot about that.  There's got to be some shade out there somewhere," he started to open the door.

"Is getting away from me so important that you'd burn for it?" she asked angrily as she rose to her feet and stood with her hand on her hips.

"I'm not trying to get away from you!  Well, actually, I am, but that's `cause I want to shag you to death and the Watcher's back!" he protested.

"At least let me check it out first," she pushed him out of the way, opened the door and poked her head out.  "If you're real careful and stay close to the building you can make it to that shed thingy over there," she told him as she pulled her head back in.

"Thanks, luv," he leaned down and pecked her lips before slipping out the door.  Willow leaned against the wall, her fingers on her lips, a dreamy expression in her eyes.  Spike lips!  She didn't know what Buffy was talking about, Spike lips were...wonderful.

***

Several minutes later Giles came in and found Willow still leaning against the wall.  "Hello, Willow.  Where's Spike?  Anya told me he was here."

"Oh, hi, Giles," Willow smiled happily.  "He just went out for a smoke.  I had to check and make sure it was clear," she explained her presence by the door.

"Did you come early because you needed something?" Giles asked.

"No.  Spike's gonna teach me some self-defense!" Willow told him excitedly.

"Did something happen last night?" Giles asked worriedly.

"Just the usual, I kept a vamp busy until someone else could dust it," she frowned at her  inability.  "Is everything okay in the research department?" she changed the subject.

"Yes, nothing new.  Knock on wood."

"Where's Spike when you need him?" Willow asked with a giggle.

"I heard that, Red," Spike said as he pushed the door open and slipped back inside, making Willow giggle harder.  "You ready?"

"Yep!"

"Want to help, Watcher?" Spike offered.

"Um, no, I'm sure you can handle it.  Besides, I need to go over the inventory.  Anya spends all day looking at the money and not checking the inventory," Giles huffed as he shook his head and left the room.

"Okay, Red, let's get to it," Spike said as he stuck his cigarettes back in his duster pocket.  He turned around to see that Willow had shed her flannel shirt.  "Bloody hell!" he moaned as he saw her pebbled nipples poking at the material of her tank top.

"*Are* you going to be able to handle it, Spike?" she teased, her voice raspy, then blushed at her forwardness.

"Oh, I'm gonna handle it, alright, Red," he took a menacing step toward her and Willow, giggling in a combination of fear and desire, took a step back.

"Spike, you're supposed to be teaching me...,"

"Oh, I'm a good teacher, little girl," he took a quick step forward and grabbed her around the waist.

"Spi-ike!" she laughed as she tried to push him away.

"Just a tiny little taste," he begged, blue eyes staring into green as he lifted his thumb to graze her nipple.

"Well," Willow moaned, "maybe one teeny, tiny...oh!" Spike's lips were on her breast before she finished, sucking as much into his mouth as he could, then sucking on just the nipple, biting it.  "Oh, goddess!"

Spike pulled away from her, then backed away so that he wasn't touching her, holding his hands out to the side.  His eyes were wild and his unnecessary breathing erratic. "Self-defense," he reminded them both.

"That's right," Willow agreed breathlessly as she ran her eyes over his body, pausing at his erection, "you need to teach me how to defend myself against the big bad."

"Stop that!"

"Stop what?" she asked innocently.

***

An hour later, when Anya interrupted them, they'd actually gotten some practice in.  The door opened and Anya poked her head into the training room, "Buffy's...what are you doing?"

Spike had Willow's back pressed against him, one arm wrapped around her neck, with both of her hands grasping his forearm as she got into position to throw him.  "He's teaching me self-defense!" Willow cried excitedly.

"New method?" Anya asked and they both remembered at the same time that Spike's other hand was cupping Willow's breast.

Willow grabbed Spike's hand and hid it behind her back as she blushed, "We're improvising."

"Mmm hmm, I just wanted to let you know that Buffy was here," Anya remembered the reason she'd come back in the first place.

"Really?" Willow asked, disappointed.  "She's early!" she pouted, just stopping herself from stomping her foot.  Her training session with Spike would probably be ending, especially since they were only training half the time.  She certainly didn't want Buffy to walk in on *that*!  Talk about a mood breaker.

"Really," Anya confirmed.  "Giles has her busy right now, but I think she's been looking for you."

"Oh, darn!" she'd have to go face the music for leaving the Magic Box with Spike last night.  "Wait!" Willow cried out as Anya started to pull her head back out the door.  "Watch me!" she was like a kid who had learned something new and Spike smiled behind her.

She pulled Spike's hand back around and placed it on her stomach and replaced her hand on his forearm.  "Ready?" she asked him.

He tightened his grip around her neck and on her stomach, then nodded," Ready."

Willow relaxed so that Spike was supporting all of her weight and bent forward, pulling him, or she would if he wasn't a vampire who knew what she was doing, off balance.  She planted her feet then rolled forward, pulling on Spike's arm and flipping him over her head.  He landed on his back and she ended up next to him on her knees.  She pretended to stake him, then draped her body across his chest, pinning him to the floor, and looked up at Anya with a big smile on her face, "Neat, huh?"

"Yeah!" Anya agreed.  "But are you sure it's self-defense? It looks more like foreplay."

"Uh, yeah," Willow blushed and climbed to her feet giving Spike a hand up.

"Well, I've got to go finish counting the money."

"Okay, thanks for the heads up," Willow called to Anya's disappearing head.

"Here," Spike handed Willow her flannel shirt as he picked up his duster.

"Why do we need these?" Willow asked.  "I'm hot."

"It's `cause you got hot *before* that you need it now," Spike told her with a smirk.

"What do you mean?"

"You've got a wet spot on your sweats, not to mention, these," Spike dragged his thumb across a puckered nipple, "have their very own wet spots."

"Mmm," Willow moaned, thrusting her breast into Spike's hand as she remembered how he had sucked on her breasts after he'd flipped her to her back that first time...and the second time.

"Anya was right."  At Spike's questioning look she explained, "It is like foreplay."

"Witch," Spike growled as he brought his other hand up to pinch and pull at both nipples.

"Spike," Willow moaned as his touch sent tingles straight from her breasts to her center, and dropped her head back.

"Tell me, Red, what were *you* doing here early?" he kneaded both mounds and leaned down to bite a nipple as her scent perfumed the air.

"I was hoping you'd show up," she grabbed his head and pulled his lips to hers.

Spike cupped her face with his hands and kissed her back, then broke it off, stepped away and slapped her bum.

"Get your shirt on, Red," he told her as he continued to back toward the door, "the Slayer'll be back here looking for you any minute now an' you don't have enough lessons under your belt to protect me from *her*, yet!"

Willow laughed as she pulled her shirt on and buttoned it.  "Don't worry, Spike," she patted his arm as she passed him, "I can be your hero, too, baby."

***

"Willow!" Buffy looked up as the redhead came out of the training room. "Where have you been?  I've been looking for you all day!"

"I was in class and then I was here," Willow told her friend as she joined Buffy and Giles at the research table.

"*Spike*," Buffy snarled as the blond vampire followed Willow out of the training room.  "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't know you owned the place, Slayer," Spike bit back.

"He's teaching me self-defense," Willow decided to jump right in with the truth.  Buffy'd find out sooner or later, anyway.

"He's what?"

"Teaching me self-defense," Willow repeated slowly.

"Why?"

"Because I want him to."

"Did you ask him to teach you?" Buffy demanded.

"What difference does it make if I asked him or if he offered?" Willow asked.

Buffy stood up and got in Spike's face, "You're going to teach her just enough so she thinks she can handle the big bad out there and she's going to get herself killed!"

"I'm trying to keep her alive, Slayer!" Spike spat back.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Buffy," Willow stood and stepped between Buffy and Spike.  "You don't get to make this decision.  What time is it?" she turned her attention to Anya, pointedly ignoring the irate blond.

"Seven-thirty," Anya replied.

"Are you going home or is Xander coming here right after he gets out of work?" Willow asked.

"He's coming here," Anya continued to count the money in the register.

"Well, I'm hungry.  You guys want to order pizza or something?"

"I'm sick of pizza, Xander always gets pizza.  Can we get something else?"

"Sure," Willow said.  "You want to go Italian and just get something on the menu or do you want to go Chinese, or something?"

"Mmm, let's stick with Italian, I haven't had Fettuccini Alfredo in a while," Anya decided as she counted.

"Okay," Willow turned to the other two humans in the room, "Buffy, Giles, what do you want?"

Buffy wasn't ready to let the issue of Willow learning self- defense from Spike drop, but she realized that now was not the time to discuss it, "Chef salad, no onions, house dressing."

"Should we get something for Riley?"

"No, he won't be here until later."

"Giles?"

"Hmm?" he looked up from the book he was reading.  "Oh, um, antipasto with Italian dressing, thank you."

"Anya what would Xander like?"

"Pizza with everything!" Xander walked into the magic shop with jingle.

"Xander!" Anya called his name and ran out from behind the counter to jump in his arms.  Xander caught her and she grabbed his face for a long kiss, "I've missed you."

"Hey, Xan.  What size?" Willow asked when they came up for air.  "It's just you, we're each getting something different."

"Medium," Xander managed to say before Anya kissed him again.  "Missed you too, baby."

"Spike," Willow turned to the blond vampire, "would you like anything?"

"What're you having, luv?"

"Manicotti."

"I'll just have some of yours."

"No you won't!" Willow laughed.  "I've seen you put it away, and you don't share nice."

"I'd share nice with you," he whispered for her ears only.

Willow placed the take-out order, with two orders of Manicotti, then held out her hand, "Cough up the dough, Spike and I'll go pick up supper."  As her friends were digging money out of their wallets she leaned closer to Giles and asked, "Do you have any blood in the frig?"

"Uh, no, I don't think so, but let me go check," he rose from the table and disappeared into the kitchen, coming out moments later and shaking his head `no'.

Willow nodded and turned to Xander, "Xan, can I borrow your car?"

"Sure," Xander pulled out the keys, "just don't let Junior drive."

"Hey!" Spike protested.  "I'll have you know I have a perfect driving record!"

"Yeah, that's what the `Welcome to Sunnydale' sign says," Xander retorted.

"That's different," Spike muttered, "did that on purpose."

Willow grabbed her driver's license and some cash out of her book bag.  "Here," she handed the money she had collected to Spike, "put this in your pocket and lets go," she slipped her license into the pocket of her flannel shirt.

When they pulled away from the curb Spike turned to her, "I thought the Italian place was that way."

"It is, we need to go to Willy's first to pick up some blood," she told him mater-of-factly.

"You don't have to do that, Red, I still have some blood in my crypt."

"Nonsense, you need to eat, too.  And if you're going to be teaching me self-defense you'll be around the shop more and should have a supply of blood there."

"It could be dangerous...," Spike began, then stopped at Willow's look.

"Tell me you didn't just say that to me."

"Oh, bloody hell!" Spike leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes in defeat.  "Sorry," he mumbled, "and thanks."  Yep, bleedin' nancy-boy.

Willow smiled as she drove toward Willy's Place.

***

When they got back with the food everyone cleared the table off and emptied the bags while Willow placed all of Spike's blood in the refrigerator except for the one she threw in the microwave.  She returned to the research-cum-dining table to see everyone digging in.  She put the mug down in front of Spike and took the chair beside him.

"Thanks, luv," he smiled and took a sip of the blood.

It was the best meal Willow remembered having in a long time.  All of her friends were here and no one fought, although Buffy acted as if she was walking on eggshells around her.  The reprieve lasted through research; Giles had them adding as much information as they could to the demon database provided by Angel.  It ended when it came time to leave for patrol.

Buffy saw Willow putting her jacket on and couldn't hold her silence any longer, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Patrolling.  With Spike."

"No!"

"Yes," Willow replied, resolve face in place.

"Then we're all going together," Buffy insisted and the four of them walked out the door to patrol.

Patrol was boring.  Willow and Riley stood back and watched Spike and Buffy in their unspoken competition to see who could kill the most vamps.  She and Spike didn't have any time alone together to talk, much less to touch each other, except for the time Willow was watching Spike's swagger and she tripped over an exposed tree root.

Spike had come back and stood over her with a smile on his face.  "Not watching where you're going, Red?"

Willow had shaken her head `no'.  "I was watching you," she admitted as Spike gave her a hand up, pulling her into his body and holding her, until Buffy had realized they were missing and called back to them to hurry up.

They had returned to the magic shop to report to Giles on patrol and Buffy had insisted on walking Willow home, ensuring that she didn't spend any more time alone with Spike.

Before they reached the dorm Willow whispered, "I have class until four-thirty tomorrow, I can't get to the magic shop until five."

"I'll see you when you get there," Spike smiled at her.

When they reached the dorm Willow waggled her fingers at him in `goodbye' and smiled at him.

"See ya, Red," Spike winked and walked away, his duster swirling about his legs.  Willow watched him go until she couldn't see him any longer, then turned to her friends.

"Goodnight, Buffy, Riley," she said and then skipped up the steps to her dorm with a big smile on her face, already thinking about seeing Spike the next day.

Spike stood in the shadows and watched her enter the building, then walked around to where her window was and waited until the light went on.  He lit a cigarette and smoked it while he watched her shadow move around the room.  When she turned the light off he headed for his crypt.

Part Five: Wednesday

Willow was out of breath when she finally walked into the magic shop ten minutes after five.  The professor had held her last class late so she could finish making her point; then Willow had to race back to her dorm room to get ready.

She had washed her face, brushed her teeth and hair and changed into a pair of green sweats, white sleeveless t-shirt, *with* a bra, and her comfortable sneakers.  She dabbed a bit of perfume between her breasts knowing that a little went a long way with Spike's sense of smell, then repacked her book bag.  Grabbing her jacket and locking the door she was off.

She ran most of the way, slowing down to catch her breath only when she was a block away from the magic shop.  When she reached the Magic Box Willow combed her fingers through her hair before pushing the door open.

"Hi, Anya," she said to the blond rearranging the window display.

"Hello, Willow.  What do you think?" she stepped back and indicated the display she was working on.  "Giles said I could be in charge of the window display," she told the redhead proudly.

"I think it's...actually...very good," Willow told the other girl.  "What's this?" she picked up a strand of dried...something.

"Um, chicken intestines," Anya said when she looked up.

"Ew!" Willow dropped it and looked at her fingers as if she might see some residue, then wiped them on her sweats.

"They're very good," Anya told her as she continued to work on the display.

"You mean you *eat* them?" Willow asked in disgust.

"Oh, no.  I meant good quality."

"Oh," Willow shuddered.  "Where's Giles?" she asked as she turned away from the girl and headed toward the research table in the back of the shop.

"Office, I think," Anya answered distractedly, but Willow was no longer listening.  She'd seen Spike lounging in the kitchen doorway sipping from his mug of blood as he watched her talking with Anya.

"Spike," she said shyly and he heard her heartbeat speed up.

"Red," he drawled and crooked his finger at her.

Willow dropped her book bag on the table and moved toward Spike as if in a dream.  He held his arm out and she slid her hand up his arm as she moved into him.  He leaned down and kissed her, then backed her up against the door jam and deepened the kiss until he had to pull away so she could breathe.

"You ready?" he whispered in her ear.

"Mmm, for what?" she asked breathlessly.

"Training," he licked her neck.

"Oh!" Willow laughed as his tongue tickled her neck.  "I was, but now I'm all ready for something else," she ran her hand over his chest, then down to cup him through his jeans.

"Hey," Anya's voice broke the spell that had been woven around them, "I like sex as much as the next person, well, maybe even more than the next person, but this is a place of business."

"Oh, goddess!  We've been scolded by *Anya*!" Willow laughed and Spike groaned.

"Can I kill her?  She's an ex-demon, it might not hurt too much."

***

They trained for an hour.  First Spike showed her a new throw and then they reviewed the throw she had learned the day before. Next he taught her some blocks and had her hit the punching bag. When he finally called an end to the training session Willow dropped to the mat where she stood and groaned.  "I'm *never* going to be able to move my arms again!"

"Come on, baby, give Spike a big hug an' a kiss," Spike teased.

Willow lifted her hands off of the mat in an aborted attempt to lift her arms, then dropped them back to the mat.  "That's just...mean!" she told the smirking vampire standing over her.

"C'mere," he grabbed her foot and dragged her over to the couch.  Willow giggled and let her arms trail behind her.  Spike sat down on the floor and leaned his back against the couch, then swung Willow around and pulled her into a sitting position between his legs.

"Whacha doin'?" Willow asked lazily.

Without answering Spike began to massage the muscles in her upper arms and shoulders.  "Ah...oh...yes...that feels *wonderful*," Willow moaned.

Suddenly there was a knock on the training room door.  "Are you guys decent in there?" Anya called.

"Go away!" Spike yelled at the same time Willow said, "Come in," and Anya poked her head in the door, hopeful of what she might find.  Spike might be dead, but he was a hottie.

"You're both fully clothed.  Why was Willow making all that noise?" she asked.

"He's massaging my very, ooh, sore muscles," Willow told her.

"I just wanted to remind you that Xander and I are going to the movies tonight, so we won't be here for research."

"Bloody hell, you're leaving us alone with the Slayer and soldier boy?"

"Um, yes!" Anya said.  "Xander will be here any minute, he called and said so.  Shall I send him back when he gets here or are you going to be, uh, busy?"

"We'll be out in a minute!" Willow laughed.  She seemed to be laughing at everything lately.  "What's Giles doing?  Ooh!" she bent her head forward to give Spike better access to her neck.

"Pulling books off of the shelf so you can continue updating that demon data thingy," Anya said.

"Bloody hell, didn't we just put those books away?" Spike asked Willow.

***

After Xander and Anya left for the movies, Willow, Spike and Giles spent a comfortable hour updating the demon database.  Buffy and Riley arrived around eight o'clock and research ground to a halt as Buffy picked quarrel after quarrel with Spike.

"Enough!" Giles slammed his fist down on the table.  "Buffy, go patrol."

"I'm not going if they're not going," Buffy huffed like a two year old.

"We're almost done with this one," Willow said as she squinted at the screen.  "I just want to finish it and then we'll patrol Spike's area."

"No!  I'm not...,"

"Buffy!" Giles stood.  "Spike and Willow are going to help me complete the section on this particular demon and then they will patrol Spike's assigned part of town.  You do not need to babysit Willow.  You will go patrol your designated area. *Now*!" he pointed toward the door.

"But, Giles...,"

"Go!" he pointed again.

After they had left, with Riley tugging at Buffy's arm, Giles slumped down into his chair and, elbows on the table, rested his head in his hands.  "Bloody hell," he moaned massaging his temples.

"Headache?" Willow asked.  "Will an aspirin help?"

"No," Giles paused, "though scotch might."

"How about a massage?" Willow asked.  "Spike gives really good massages," she grinned at the screen as Spike growled, "Red," and Giles shuddered at the thought and said, "No, thank you."

Patrol was quiet which bummed Willow out, because she'd come prepared with her holy water gun this time.  Then she realized it was probably *too* quiet.

"Do you think Buffy's been here?" she asked Spike.

"I know the twit's been here," he snarled.  "I can smell that cheap toilet water she wears."

"What should we do?"

"We'll cover the area we're supposed to, make sure she didn't miss anything."

"That means we'll be done quickly, right?"

"Most likely," Spike agreed.

"Will we have time for smoochies later?" Willow asked with a suggestive lift of her eyebrows.

"We'll make time for smoochies," Spike pulled her to him and kissed her.

After a useless patrol, Spike and Willow returned to the Magic Box and reported to Giles.  Buffy and Riley hadn't returned yet, since they were doing self-imposed double duty that night, so Spike and Willow left for the walk back to her dorm.

They held hands and made plans for the next day.  Willow had an evening class from six to nine, so they agreed to meet at the magic shop around nine-thirty for patrol.

When they reached the dorm Spike pulled Willow into the shadows and kissed her senseless as he ran his hands over her.  When he pulled away her whole body was thrumming.

"Get some sleep, Red," he whispered as he shoved her toward the door.

"Spi-ike!" she pouted, stomping her foot.  "Don't *want* you to go yet!"

He looked at her with burning eyes.  "Tomorrow," he said, "plan on spending the night."

"O...okay," she whimpered.

***

Willow got ready for bed in a daze.  She was going to sleep with Spike.  Not that they'd actually be doing much sleeping.  Aaahh, she moaned as she fell back on the bed and hugged a pillow to her chest.  What was she thinking?  He was a vampire!  But, so-o sexy. But, what if she was no good?  What if he was disappointed?  What if Buffy found out and killed them both?

"Oh, goddess," Willow moaned softly, "I'm such a `ho!"

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