Sleepwalking

Author: Spikedluv

Summary: Willow mysteriously starts sleepwalking.

E-mail: spikedluv@midtel.net

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~Part: 21~

By the time Tara arrived, Willow was nearly convinced that Spike wasn't going to leave her after he got the chip out.

"I'm not quite convinced, yet," she told Spike sadly, as she gently ran her hand over his face.

"What in bleedin' hell is it going to take to convince you, woman?" he yelled, frustrated.

"Forever," Willow winked at him, as she twisted away from him and climbed out of the bed.

"Grrr," Spike growled and made a grab for her, but Willow skipped out of his reach, giggling.

"Stop that! We need to get dressed. Again. Tara's going to be here soon," she reached for her jeans.

"What about a shower?" Spike asked. Willow looked like she was considering it, until the doorbell rang.

"Oops! No time! Get dressed," she hopped on one foot as she pulled her jeans on the other leg. Spike lay back on the bed with his arms under his head, watching her get dressed. She was absolutely perfect.

"Spike! Get...,"

"You're beautiful," he said. Willow blushed.

"That's not going to save you if I have to bring Tara up here to look at your head. The other one," she said without looking at him, her eyes roving over the floor. "Oh, where's my bra?" she cried when the doorbell rang again.

"Ahh, forget it!" she grabbed her t-shirt and ran out of the room, pulling it on over her head as she went. With a smirk, Spike pulled the bra out from under him and held it to his face, breathing in Willow's scent.

Running her fingers through her hair, Willow pulled the front door open.

"Hi, Tara! Sorry, I was...uh...come in," she stood back and waved the blonde in.

"That's alright," Tara replied as she stepped through the doorway.

"Spike'll be right down," Willow said. "Why don't we have a seat in the living room?" she ushered Tara into the room. "Have a seat," she moved her spell book and laptop to the coffee table. "I was just looking at the teleportation spell," she admitted. "Can I, uh, get you anything to drink?"

Willow turned when Tara's eyes shot to the doorway behind her. Spike was lounging against the doorframe in his black jeans and black t-shirt, his feet bare, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked imposing and intimidating.

"Spike," Willow scolded, "don't try to scare a witch, sweetie. Especially one who might be able to help you."

Spike rolled his eyes and walked into the room. His hair was still mussed from the shower and her fingers running through it, and the sight made Willow shiver. He was so damned sexy!

"Right," he said. "Where do you want me?" Willow knew exactly where *she* wanted him.

"In the chair here, is fine," Tara said, and Willow blushed at the track her own thoughts had taken.

Spike sat in the chair and Tara stood behind him. She chanted a short spell to clear and focus her mind, then placed her hands on Spike's head. She closed her eyes and let her senses run over Spike's head, 'seeing' the bio-matter, bone, tissue, nerves, until she found the mechanical. She studied it, saw how it had been attached, how it worked.

She opened her eyes and removed her hands from Spike's head. He stood immediately. That had really freaked him out. It was almost as if he could *feel* her inside his head.

"Gonna get some blood," he said, then sauntered out of the room. Wouldn't do to let the blonde witch know she'd affected him.

"Well?" Willow said when he'd left the room.

"I saw it," Tara said. "I could see how it was attached, how it worked. Now I just need to think about how we can remove it. If we can."

"Oh," Willow's face dropped. "You don't think...?"

"I just don't know yet," Tara said. "It might be very simple. Or it might not. I just need to...review...what I saw. We'll talk tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," Willow said, then led her to the front door. "Thanks for coming over, Tara, I really appreciate it. And Spike does, too. Even though you might not be able to tell," she smiled at the other girl.

"I know," Tara said. "I can tell."

After Tara left, Willow joined Spike in the kitchen. He was leaning against the counter, an empty mug beside him.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," he responded, his eyes going to her breasts as they moved beneath the t-shirt.

"What?" she asked, looking down. "Oh," she blushed. "I've gotta go find my bra."

"No," Spike said, breathing deeply, smelling both of their releases on Willow.

"What?" she asked, laughing.

"No bra," he said, commandingly.

"Spike, I need to wear a bra," she told him.

"No, not tonight," he replied, maddeningly.

"Why not?!"

"Wanna show 'em," he said.

"Show who what?"

"Show all of them, especially the wolf, that you're mine," he growled.

"And me not wearing a bra is how you're going to do this?" Willow asked, partly confused, partly amused.

"He'll be able to smell me all over you. And you all over me," he stepped toward her, backing her up against the island. "I want him to know that I've got you, and that he can't have you," he reached for her hips.

"So you just wanna make him jealous?" she pushed him back. "What, this is some pissing contest and you're marking your territory?"

"I've already marked you," Spike moved back in, trapping her between him and the island, his erection pressing against her stomach.

"Well, I, um, I marked you!" Willow retorted.

"Know," Spike smirked. "Do it again?" he breathed as he licked the bite on her neck, as his hands cupped and gently squeezed her breasts.

"Spike," Willow moaned, her hands slipping beneath his t-shirt.

A knock at the kitchen door startled Willow and she jumped. With a smirk on his face, Spike stepped back and allowed her to go answer the door.

"Oz!" she said when she pulled the door open and saw who was standing there. "What's up?"

"Giles said you weren't feeling well last night," he said.

"Oh! Yes, just a little tired," Willow told him. "Uh, come in."

"You're feeling alright now?" he asked as he stepped past her, his eyes going to Spike.

"Yes, very alright! I mean, fine," Willow said.

"Good. Going to Giles' tonight?" Oz asked.

"Yes, we were just getting ready to leave. Weren't we?" she asked Spike over her shoulder.

"Uh, yeah," Spike said, rubbing his hand over his chest. "Just...getting ready." He knew the wolf could smell them and he was getting hard just thinking about it. She's mine, wanker, he thought.

"Need a ride?" Oz asked.

"Oh!" Willow's eyes got big. "I don't know...,"

"You probably shouldn't walk," Spike said. "You're still a little...tired." Oh, yeah, this was fun!

"What?" Willow was surprised. She didn't think Spike would want to ride with Oz. Then she saw the smirk on his face. Darn vampire! He was rubbing Oz's nose in it, she thought, then caught herself before she could giggle at the image.

"I'll just go get my boots from the bedroom," Spike pushed himself away from the counter and headed for the hallway. "I'll get yours while I'm there," he added, making sure the wolf knew they shared a room, and a bed.

"Oh, okay," Willow said, then turned to see Oz staring at her. Suddenly she was self-conscious and she remembered that she didn't have a bra on.

"Excuse me...for just one minute," she told him, then skittered out the doorway after Spike.

"I need a bra!" she said as she ran into the bedroom. "I can't do this."

Spike grabbed her and threw her on the bed as she ran past him. With a big grin, he climbed on the bed and straddled her, lifted her shirt, then sucked her breast into his mouth as his other hand moved between her thighs.

"Spike! Spike, what are you...? Oh, goddess!" she cried.

He was sucking and kneading her breasts and rubbing his fingers against her center. The thought that Oz was right downstairs should have been a deterrent, but it turned her on even more. She grabbed his head and held it to her breasts as she bucked against his hand. Within moments, she was cuming.

"S-Sp-Spi-ike!" she cried his name as her muscles tensed and her body spilled her release. Spike placed small kisses on her lips and jaw until Willow was able to talk again.

"Wh-what was that?" she asked.

"What'd it do, fry your brain?" Spike teased. "I was pretty sure you'd remember what that was from the last time. Which was only, oh, about an hour ago."

"That's...that's not what I meant," she said, breathlessly. "Oz...Oz is right down stairs," she accused.

"Know," Spike smiled. "Think he enjoyed it as much as we did?"

"No," Willow shook her head dreamily. "I mean, that wasn't nice! And besides, you...you didn't..,"

"Nope," he smirked. "Gonna be hard all night," he teased, "and thinking about shagging you rotten," he nibbled on her neck, then rolled off of the bed to his feet.

"Spike," she complained. "That's just...mean."

"Leave those jeans on," Spike said as he walked toward the door. "And hurry. I'll be downstairs with the wolf."

"Oh, shi...shoot!" Willow sat up and grabbed for her boots. She stood up and looked down at her jeans, wondering if she should have changed them. But Spike and Oz were downstairs. She grabbed her jacket and threw it on as she ran down the stairs.

***

The ride to Giles' apartment was made in silence. Willow sat on Spike's lap with her book bag on her legs, and leaned her shoulder against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder, letting his breath tickling her neck.

Oz parked and, before he had the van in park, Spike was pushing the door open and helping Willow to the ground. Without a word to the wolf, Spike slid out of the van and slammed the door shut. He grabbed Willow's hand and led her to the steps leading down to the courtyard.

Oz caught up to them as Spike was pushing the door to Giles' apartment open without knocking.

"I'm sure she's just fine...," Giles broke off and turned toward the door as it opened. If he was surprised to see the three of them walk in together, he didn't say anything. "Willow, how are you feeling?" he asked in concern.

"I'm fine, Giles, thank you," Willow blushed at the fib she was perpetrating. Not that she wasn't fine, but that they hadn't come over last night because she was tired. Not that she wasn't...eventually. Very tired, actually. Exhausted, in fact.

"Uh, what? Sorry," Willow said as she realized that Giles was still talking to her.

"I was just saying that Wesley found something on the design on your ring and we may have all of our questions answered tonight," Giles repeated.

"Oh, good," Willow replied with fake enthusiasm.

"Why don't we all have a seat?" Giles indicated the living room. Buffy, Xander and Anya were already seated and Willow was surprised that they hadn't said anything. Then she remembered that she hadn't been able to really talk to any of her friends since the night, three nights ago now, when Spike's chip had gone off, and they had all found out about her and Spike's, uh, relationship.

"Hi, guys," Willow gave a little wave as she set her book bag on the table.

"Hi, Wills," Xander smiled weakly at her.

"Hi!" Anya said. "So, tell me, Spike looks like he could give great orgasms. Does he?"

"*Don't* answer that!" Buffy said.

"Yes, please don't," Giles added, his expression pained.

Willow, who had been unzipping her jacket to take it off, blushed, and remembered just in time that she was still braless.

"Want me to take your jacket, pet?" Spike asked.

"Uh, no," Willow pulled it around her. "I'll keep it. I'm a little chilly."

Spike laughed as he hung his duster up. He grabbed Willow's hand as he passed her on his way to the living room, sat in the recliner, and pulled Willow down on his lap. He smirked at the Slayer when he saw the look of disgust cross her face. He loved the feel of Willow on his lap, and if he could annoy the Slayer at the same time...bonus!

"So, Watcher, what'd you find?" he asked as he pulled Willow back against him, slipping his fingers beneath her t-shirt to rest on the warm skin of her belly. He heard her heartbeat speed up and pressed his fingers against her in response. Her breathing quickened. Sod! Her response made him want to touch her more. But the Slayer would surely stake him then.

This was torturing him, just as he thought it would. The scent of their combined release filled his nostrils and he wanted nothing more than to slip his fingers beneath her jeans and touch her. He wiggled his hips, pressing his erection into Willow's ass.

Giles was pacing from the kitchen to the living room. He took his glasses off and cleaned them before replacing them on his nose and speaking.

"Wesley recognized the markings on Willow's ring from when he had been researching Angel's curse," Giles said. "He went through several of the books he had on the Romany, and specifically, the curse placed on Angelus by the Kalderash clan. The design is, in fact, Romany."

Spike looked at him in shocked surprise. "Oh, bloody wonderful!" he cried. "You telling me I've been cursed by the same wankers that cursed Angelus?"

Willow barely kept herself from moaning as Spike touched her, then ground his erection against her. She couldn't concentrate, hearing only every other word Giles was saying, until she heard Spike's response.

"Hey!" Willow sat up, turned around, and slapped his arm. "What do you mean, cursed? You think whatever this is, is a *curse*?"

Spike knew he was in trouble. He tried to placate her. "Luv, I just meant...,"

Willow interrupted him.

"A-and if anyone was cursed, it was *me*!" she pointed at herself, then turned back to Giles. "What was I cursed with?" she asked worriedly.

Giles sighed deeply. This was the part he dreaded.

"True love, it would seem," he said.

~Part: 22~

"Huh?" Willow asked, staring at Giles dumbly.

"True love," Giles repeated, his expression weary. He'd done nothing but think about this spell since he'd spoken with Wesley yesterday.

"Oh," Willow said. "Well. Uh, that's good, right?" her brow furrowed in concentration.

"What?!" Xander yelped.

"I've heard of things like that," Anya commented.

"No! You've never heard of anything like this! He's a vampire! Willow," he turned toward the redhead.

"What?" Willow asked.

"He," Xander pointed toward Spike, "he...,"

"Spit it out, moron," Spike taunted as he gripped Willow's hips tightly. "Vam-pire," he sounded it out slowly.

"Vampire!" Xander squealed.

"Uh, yeah, I sort of noticed that," Willow said. "Your point?"

"M...my point?!" Xander couldn't believe his ears. "What about 'drain you dryer than the Sahara if I could'?"

"Changed my mind," Spike muttered.

"Forget about that right now," Buffy said as she turned to Giles. "It's a love spell?" she asked the ex-Watcher hopefully. "'Cause that can be reversed, right?"

Oz remained silent.

"Not a love spell, unfortunately," Giles said with a deep sigh. "True love."

"That's good, right?" Willow repeated.

"Yes, Willow, that's, uh, good. It seems that...,"

"No," Buffy said.

"Excuse me?" Giles asked.

"Number one, it's not good, and number two, Wesley must be mistaken," Buffy said adamantly.

"Yes, well, I can assure you that he is not," Giles told her.

While Buffy and Giles were discussing Wesley's interpretation of the design on the ring, Willow turned around to look at Spike. He was staring at his fingers, which were now playing with a loose thread on the arm of the recliner.

"Spike?" she whispered his name worriedly. He looked up at her. "Are you alright?"

"True love?" he asked, his face a blank mask. He'd been with Drusilla for over one hundred years. He'd thought that was love, even true love, but it had all turned to dust because he had never been what she wanted. Not really.

And now he had the witch. He'd been attracted to her before all this sleepwalking bollocks had started, but he'd never thought much about it. She was the shy, geeky friend of the Slayer, so what was there to think about, really?

His own subconscious had been at work though. He remembered the outfit she wore the Halloween that everyone turned into their costumes. He remembered coming back to Sunnydale for a 'spell' after Dru had dumped him. He remembered coming back to Sunnydale for the Gem of Amara after Dru had dumped him...again...and trying to bite the redhead.

Now he had other memories. The way she felt in his lap, the first time she'd sleepwalked to him when he was still tied up in the Watcher's tub, or the second time, when he'd been tied up in the moron's basement apartment. The hurt on her face when he'd called her 'useless', and the pain he'd felt when she'd burned herself the one night she hadn't come to him during one of her nightmares.

The night he'd bloody apologized, and Willow had rubbed his head when his chip went off. The night she'd come running to him in the cemetery, jumping into his arms and kissing him. The way she'd begged him to stop the hurt the second night they stayed at her parents' house.

Her embarrassment the day she realized that her dreams were actually being acted out. Their first time, the night he'd woken her up from the dream and she still wanted him. The way she sounded when she screamed his name, that night, then next morning, the next afternoon, and every day since then. The look on her face the first time he'd said 'I love you' and the look on her face the first time she'd said it.

How she'd stood up for him that night the chip went off when he'd accidentally hit the Slayer. Her offer to help him get the chip taken out, despite her fear, unfounded, that he would leave her as soon as he was free.

"I-isn't it?" she asked, and tried to smile at him.

"Can't get any truer," he said, his expression serious, his lips pursed.

"No," she smiled in relief, "you can't." She ran her hands up his chest to his shoulders, then leaned in and kissed him. He kissed her back, his hands running over her back.

"Oh, for god's sake!" Buffy looked over and saw them kissing.

"Sod off, Slayer," Spike said, pulling Willow against his chest. Willow snuggled against him and kissed his neck, her arms going around him. "So, this true love spell," Spike smirked at Buffy's reaction to the words 'true love', "what is it, exactly?"

"Ah, let me just get my notes," Giles walked over to the table and picked up the pad he'd written on. "Wesley found the Latin translation of the Romany spell and was able to translate it to English for us. It says," he straightened his glasses, "'Seek out my true love and reveal to me the destiny of my heart'." Giles looked like he might say more, then stopped. "And that's it," he said.

"That's it?" Spike asked. "Pretty paltry spell," he commented when Giles only nodded.

"So the ring, or the spell, reveals true love?" Oz spoke for the first time.

"So it would seem," Giles agreed, the pad tucked under his arm as he wiped his glasses furiously.

"And what else?" Spike asked.

"What do you mean, Spike?" Giles asked, with an almost guilty start.

"The ring, the spell, true love...how would that make Willow sleepwalk?" the blond vampire asked as he held Willow tight and kissed the top of her head. "Remember, people, the thing that started all of this?"

"Ah, yes, well, that's a very good question. Wesley and I spent some time speculating on that ourselves," Giles said as he slipped the glasses back on.

"And?" Spike prodded.

"Well, we don't know," Giles admitted, "although we do have some theories."

"Are you going to share?" Buffy asked when Giles remained silent.

"Oh, yes, of course. Sorry," he took a deep breath. "Going on the premise that Spike is Willow's true love," Buffy interrupted Giles with a snort, which he ignored, "this is what we've come up with. Willow," he looked at the small redhead in Spike's lap, "obtained the ring in September, before we even knew Spike was back in Sunnydale. At the time, she was still dating Oz," Giles said uncomfortably. "Eventually, Oz left, and Spike, uh, joined us."

Buffy snorted again. Giles ignored her again.

"It wasn't long after Spike joined us that Willow started sleepwalking. We, Wesley and I, believe that the ring, or the spell, was waiting, biding its time, if you will, until it recognized Willow's true love."

Buffy snorted again.

"That's really annoying," Anya commented.

"Yes," Giles agreed, "it is. May I finish?" he asked Buffy.

She just rolled her eyes and waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.

"We believe that the ring may have been trying to get Willow to *also* recognize her true love, but when she refused to do so consciously, for whatever reason, perhaps the fact that he's a vampire was a stumbling block, the spell used her subconscious to reveal her true love to her," Giles said.

"Well, would *you* want to recognize Spike as your true love?" Buffy asked snidely.

"But why the sleepwalking?" Xander asked. "Why not just a naughty dream or something?"

Willow blushed as she remembered that she had actually had several naughty dreams about Spike. She felt a rumbling in Spike's chest as he laughed silently at her. She pinched him and smiled to herself as he jumped and the rumbling stopped.

"Xander, you told us that Willow was prone to sleepwalking when she was upset and under a lot of stress," Giles told him.

"But that was years ago!" the boy protested.

"Be that as it may, I believe the sleepwalking was her body's subconscious response to the spell," Giles replied, "to reveal to her, her true love."

True love. The destiny of your heart. The words reverberated through Willow's head. The ring had helped her find Spike. She wanted to find that crazy old gypsy woman and kiss her. But, since Spike was right here, she'd kiss him.

Willow placed a small kiss on Spike's neck, then slipped her tongue from between her lips and pressed it against the spot she had kissed. She felt Spike tense as she continued to nibble on his neck. His arms tightened around her and his cock pressed into her butt.

Willow felt her body respond to him, her heart raced, her breathing quickened.

"If I'm right," Giles continued, "the ring, or the spell, once it found Willow's true love and revealed...him...to her, would no longer have any power. If you will recall, Tara said the spell on the ring was very faint. I think that's because it had already neared the completion of its...task, so-to-speak. Willow," he turned to the redhead.

"Hmm?" Willow jumped and looked over at Giles with an innocent look on her face. "What?"

"Try taking the ring off," he said. "If I'm right, the magic will now allow you to do that, or the lack of magic, rather."

"But it wouldn't come off before...," Willow pulled hard on the ring, expecting it to stick, and it went flying. "Oh, my ring!" Willow watched it roll across the floor and under the couch. "Spike, my ring!" she cried, pointing.

"Don't fuss so," Spike stood up and placed Willow on her feet. He walked over to the couch where Buffy and Oz were sitting, grabbed the end, and lifted it.

"Hey, you blond bloodsucker!" Buffy yelled as she was lifted in the air and tipped precariously. Oz placidly grabbed onto the arm of the couch and held on.

"Get the ring, luv," he ignored Buffy and looked at Willow, who immediately dropped to her knees and reached under the couch.

"Oh, goddess, it's all the way down here," she crawled between the couch and the coffee table as Buffy lifted her legs out of the way, and Spike found himself watching her butt. Willow grabbed the ring, crawled backward away from the couch, then stood, holding it triumphantly in her hand.

"I've got it," she said, showing it to Spike. Spike lowered the couch, then stepped over to Willow. "Thank you," she whispered, "I was afraid I'd lost it."

"It's just a ring, luv," Spike said sofly.

"No!" Willow corrected him. "It's...it's almost like an engagement ring or...something else."

"I can get you a nicer ring," he said as he put his hand on hers.

"No, you couldn't. This ring brought us together. It-it's special," she tried to explain.

Spike took the ring out of her fingers and held her hand. Willow held her thumb out and Spike slipped the ring on it, then lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the ring.

"Oh, that's so romantic!" Anya cried. "Makes me want to go home and have orgasms," she said wistfully.

"Me, too," Spike smirked down at Willow, who blushed.

"Eww, that's disgusting!" Buffy said.

"A mental picture I definitely didn't need to have," Xander said.

"Again?" Oz mumbled.

"Oh, dear lord," Giles muttered.

Willow ignored her friends. She put the hand Spike wasn't holding around his back, her fingers splayed as she pressed him against her.

"I love you," she whispered, as she raised to her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his lips.

"Mmm," he moaned softly, "love you, too, Red. Are we done here, Watcher?" Spike asked Giles, without taking his eyes off of Willow.

"Well, actually," Giles said, "there is something I need Willow to look up for me on that...dreadful machine."

"Make it quick," Spike said softly, smirking at Willow. He had plans, and they didn't include a computer. Or an audience. Well, at least not one with stakes.

"I will," she whispered back, smiling knowingly at him. "What is it, Giles?" Willow reluctantly stepped away from Spike and walked over to the table with the older man.

She pulled her laptop out and started it up as Giles explained what he needed. Overheated now from the looks, the words, the touches, she'd exchanged with Spike, she took her jacket off and hung it on the back of the chair, then sat down and began typing.

Spike considered sitting back down in the recliner and annoying the Slayer, but decided he'd rather be with Willow, so he walked over to the table and sat down next to her, watching her work. She was so beautiful. He watched her blush under his watchful eye. He wanted to taste her again. Her blood. Her release. He felt himself harden at his thoughts of her.

Willow could barely concentrate on the information she was trying to gather for Giles. Spike was staring at her, and it made her nervous and hot at the same time.

"Giles," Buffy said as she walked over to the table, "if you don't need me any more, I'm gonna go patrol."

"Alright, Buffy," Giles agreed.

Buffy put her jacket on and gathered her weapons. She said goodbye to Xander, Anya, and Oz, who were still sitting in the living room, then turned toward Willow.

"Goodnight, Will," she said, "I'll see you at school tom...what in hell is that?!" she asked angrily, pointing at Willow.

"What?" Willow asked, confused.

"Your neck! He bit you!" Buffy looked angrily from Willow to Spike. "You son of a bitch!" Buffy launched herself over the table at Spike, who automatically stood to meet her attack.

Soddin' Slayer! How he wished he had this bloody chip out. She wasn't going to take away what was his. He wouldn't let her, even if the pain crippled him.

"No, Buffy!" Willow stood and threw herself between Spike and Buffy. "Stop it!"

"He bit you!" the blonde girl yelled again, skidding to a stop half-way across the table so she didn't run into Willow.

"Yes, he did," Willow said, chagrined that she'd forgotten about the bite...and, oh, crap, no bra! She barely kept herself from crossing her arms over her chest. "It was...I wanted him to," she said.

"Does he have the chip?" Buffy asked.

"Yes," Willow said, "he has the chip." She didn't think now would be the appropriate time to mention that he might not have the chip for long.

"Then how..?"

"Oh! Oh!" Anya stood up, her hands shaking with excitement. "I know! I know!" she ran over to the table. "I've heard about this! He bit you during sex!" she pointed at Spike as she spoke to Willow. "Was it good?" she asked. "Did it make the orgasm more powerful, like they say? Did it?!"

"Oh, dear lord," Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, wishing he could turn off his hearing, too.

"Sod off, demon girl," Spike said. He had wanted the entire gang to know that Willow was his, but he could tell that Willow was embarrassed by the turn the conversation had taken.

"Can we not discuss my sex life right now?" Willow asked. "We all already know that I sleepwalked to Spike and that we're now living and sleeping together. Can we keep the details to ourselves?"

"I'd tell you," Anya said, her voice small and sad.

"We know," Buffy replied.

"Too true," Giles said.

Willow closed her eyes and counted to ten, then opened them and looked directly at Anya.

"Yes, and that's *all* I'm saying!" she held her hand up to forestall any further questions from the ex-demon.

"Oooh! I knew it!" she said, skipping happily back to Xander.

"I'm not biting you," Xander said.

"Willow," Giles slipped his glasses back on, "I do hope you know what you're doing."

"I do, Giles," she looked at him. "True love, right?" she smiled. "Destiny?"

"Bullshit," Buffy said, still angry.

"Buffy," Giles said, "weren't you going on patrol?"

"But...," she pointed at Spike and Willow.

"I don't think they need your help," Giles said.

"My...? Eww!" Buffy said.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said, "unless you need to report back tonight."

"Fine!" Buffy huffed. "I'll see *you* tomorrow, too!" she pointed at Willow.

"Goodnight, Buffy," Willow said tiredly. Just once she'd like to make a decision for herself. If Buffy thought she was going to convince Willow to give up Spike, she had another think coming.

"Arrgh!" Buffy walked out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

"Well, that went well," Giles sat down at the table, then stood again. "I need a drink."

Willow watched Giles walk over to the bookshelf and take down the bottle of scotch, then turned to Spike, who was still standing behind her.

"You alright?" she asked.

"You were like a tiger, defending her cub, or something," Spike said. Willow couldn't really read his expression.

"I hope you don't think that I think that you can't take care of yourself," she said hurriedly. "Except for, well, you can't, 'cause of the chip. But I know you could...,"

Spike put his fingers across her lips to silence her.

"Turns me on," he whispered.

"Oh. Really?" she asked. Spike pulled her against him. Willow felt his erection pressing into her stomach and blushed. "Oh," she said, her eyes wide.

"Everything about you turns me on," he said, then leaned down and kissed her.

"Ohhh," she moaned against his lips.

"Awww," Anya said.

"Ewww," Xander said.

"Think they'll ever stop?" Oz asked no one in particular.

"Why me?" Giles raised his eyes to the ceiling, then took a swig out of the bottle.

~Part: 23~

As soon as the children had left, Giles picked up the telephone and called Wesley.

"Wesley, Rupert Giles here. Have you found anything?" he asked hopefully.

"No, nothing yet," Wesley replied. "I'm sorry. I'll keep looking, of course."

"Thank you. I appreciate your help," Giles said wearily. "I'll call you tomorrow," he hung up the telephone and looked at the pad of paper he held in his hands. How he hated reading those words, dreaded thinking about what they meant. He ripped the sheet of paper off of the pad and crumpled it up. He didn't need his notes. He had the damned spell memorized. The whole spell, including the part he hadn't shared with Willow and Spike.

Perhaps he should have told them the whole thing. But he was too afraid of what Spike would do to Willow if he knew the rest.

"A paltry spell indeed," he muttered morosely.

*** *** ***

Spike pushed Willow up against the closed door and stared down at her.

"You have to stop doing that," he told her, his eyes dark and full of heat.

"D-doing what?" Willow asked, as her knees trembled.

"Looking at me," Spike whispered as he kissed her. "Can't take it when you look at me like that."

"Mmm," Willow moaned into his mouth as her arms went around his back, her fingers gripping his shoulders. "Can't not look at you like that," she said when he pulled away to let her breathe.

The walk home had been quick. Spike had taken her book bag and lifted a giggling Willow onto his back for a piggyback ride.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around him.

"What's it look like?" he asked as he started walking, one hand beneath her butt, the other carrying her book bag.

"Okay, then," she smiled. "Why?"

"'Cause you're probably still too tired and sore to walk, and I ain't riding with the wolf again! 'Sides, quicker we get home, quicker I can get you naked."

"Aha!" she laughed. "The truth comes out."

"More 'n the truth'll be cuming," he smirked and Willow playfully slapped his chest, then rested her chin on his shoulder, her head against his, for the rest of the walk home.

"Are we gonna get naked now?" she asked Spike breathlessly, his blue eyes boring into her, the door hard against her back.

"Oh, yeah," his hands slipped beneath her t-shirt to cup her unfettered breasts. "Definitely getting naked now."

*** *** ***

Willow remembered to set her alarm, so she made it to school on time the next morning. Her first stop was the dorm room she shared with Buffy up until a week ago, to switch books for class. After two classes and an hour in the computer lab, Willow met Buffy at the student union for lunch.

"How could you let him bite you?" was the first thing Buffy said when she sat down at the table Willow had already found.

"Hello, to you, too, Buffy," Willow said.

"Hello," Buffy groused. "How could you let him bite you?" she leaned over the table, her posture reflecting the tension she was feeling.

"I didn't let him, exactly," Willow put her sandwich down. "It just happened. And it was amazing, Buffy," Willow leaned forward, her elbows on the table, her eyes gleaming as she remembered the first time he bit her.

"What about the chip? Why didn't that stop him?" Buffy asked worriedly. If Spike started killing again...

"I don't know," Willow said. "Maybe because it felt so good," she practically swooned.

"I don't need to hear this part," Buffy held her hand up.

"Yes, you do," Willow insisted, "because I want you to get over it and never mention it to Spike again."

"Willow!" Buffy was shocked at the firm tone her friend had taken.

"I mean it, Buffy," Willow said. "This is between Spike and me. It doesn't concern you."

"But...," Buffy sputtered. "He could hurt you!"

"He could," Willow agreed, "but he won't. I love him, Buffy. And he loves me."

"He *can't* love!" Buffy insisted angrily. "He doesn't have a soul!" she hissed, lowering her voice when she saw people staring at them.

"You believe that, if it makes you feel better," Willow told her, "but I know differently."

"How?" Buffy asked. "How can you believe that he loves you?" she slammed her fist on the table.

"Because he tells me. And he shows me. I'm nobody special, Buffy. I'm not beautiful, like you. But he loves me. And I love him."

"That's bullshit! You are special! And he'd have to be an idiot not to see it. But, what I really don't get, is how you can trust him. What you see in him," Buffy said.

"You've never really given him a chance. He's very smart, and he can be kind, and he's very funny...,"

"Yeah, a laugh a minute," Buffy scoffed. "He's an evil vampire," she reminded her friend.

"He's a vampire," Willow agreed. "But he's not evil. Well, not totally evil. Would an evil vampire have helped me when I was sleepwalking?"

"He got...*sex*...out of it!" Buffy hissed.

"Not at first," Willow blushed. "That didn't come until later...much later."

"Willow...,"

"Buffy," Willow held up her hand. "It just is. Accept it. I never got to pick your boyfriends, you don't get to pick mine. Besides, I'm a big girl now, I think I can make this decision on my own."

"I don't know if I can accept you...sleeping...with Spike," Buffy grimaced in distaste, shuddering as she leaned back in her chair.

"Well," Willow shrugged, "I'd let you see him naked, to see what the fuss is all about, but then I'd have to kill you!"

"Eww!" Buffy cried. "Willow! That's...oh, god, I can't believe you put that image in my head!"

"Besides," Willow continued, "if you remember the 'my will' spell...was it really that bad?"

"I can't believe you reminded me of that! I kissed and...kissed...my mortal enemy! It was disgusting!" Buffy's eyes were wide with the remembered horror of it.

"I think he's very manly, and very nicely shaped," Willow said, imitating Anya.

"Stop!" Buffy cried, covering her ears.

Willow just laughed at the blonde's discomfort.

*** *** ***

Several hours later, Tara found Willow in the library.

"Hey," the blonde spoke softly to get her attention.

"Hey!" Willow looked up from the book she was reading. "What's up?"

"I did some thinking about the chip," Tara pulled out a chair and sat across from Willow.

"And?" Willow asked worriedly.

"I think we can do it," Tara began.

"Oh, thank you!" Willow breathed.

"But I'm not sure if removing it is the way to go."

"What do you mean?" Willow asked, confused.

"It might be safer to see if we can disable it. Less trauma to the surrounding brain tissue. Even dissolving it might cause some damage," Tara explained her reasoning.

"Oh," Willow sounded disappointed.

"I think it'll still work," Tara tried to reassure her.

"It's just...I kind of had an idea about removing it, with the teleportation spell, but if we're going to attempt to disable it...I don't know where to start," Willow admitted.

"Don't worry, we'll go to the specialists for that," Tara smiled.

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

"It's a computer chip, right?" Tara said.

"Yeah...," Willow replied.

"So, we go to the experts on computer chips and see how they'd disable one, and then we'll see if we can write a spell that'll to do the same thing. And we can even practice on chips that aren't already in someone's head," Tara added, at Willow's concerned expression.

"Do you really think this'll work?" Willow asked.

"I feel good about it," Tara said. "We'll know more after I get us a computer geek to talk to."

"Hey!" Willow said. "I'm a computer geek."

"You're not a geek at all," Tara smiled at her, then lifted her eyes behind her. "Someone you know?"

Willow turned her head and saw Oz standing a few feet away.

"Oz!" Willow said, surprised.

"Hey," he greeted her as he walked closer.

"Hi. Oh, uh, Oz, this is Tara, Tara, Oz," she made the introductions.

"Hi," Tara stood and held out her hand. Oz shook it. "Well, I've got to get going," she said. "I'll call you, when I get that information. Oz, nice meeting you," she waved and then turned and walked away.

"Who was that?" Oz asked as he took the seat Tara had vacated.

"Tara. She's a witch," Willow said. "I met her at a Wicca meeting. I think she was the only other real witch there!" Willow laughed. "So, what, um, what are you doing here?"

"I thought we should talk," he said.

"O-okay. Talk," Willow made a motion with her hands, giving him the floor.

"This thing with Spike," he began, "are you...are you happy?"

Willow smiled.

"I'm very happy," she said. "Thank you for asking," she covered one of his hands with her own. "No one else has," tears filled her eyes. Oz covered her hand with his other, sandwiching it between them.

"I just want you to be happy," he said.

"I am," Willow said. "I really am."

"Listen," Oz said, "about last night...,"

"Oh, listen!" Willow interrupted. "I'm sorry about Spike! He was just being all...possessive and jealous and...,"

"Uh, no, I meant at Giles'," Oz said. "I should have said something then, instead of letting Buffy and Xander browbeat you."

"Oh," Willow blushed, "that. Well, that's okay. I'm sure it was a shock to you. I mean, this whole thing, ever since you got back, one big...shock!"

"Kind of. So, Tara, she seeing anyone?"

*** *** ***

"Why do you smell like the wolf?"

"Geez, Spike!" Willow jumped. "Quit sneaking up on me like that!" she continued pouring the bag of blood into a mug, then wiped up the blood she had spilled when Spike made her jump. She put the mug in the microwave, then turned to Spike.

"Now, what was it you said?" she asked.

"Why...do...you...smell...like...the...wolf?" he repeated. He was leaning against the island, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes glowing amber. He had felt his demon react as soon as the scent of the wolf reached his nostrils.

"Don't you look at me like that! Or *talk* to me like that!" Willow stood with her hands on her hips. Who did he think he was, anyway?

"Answer the question," he growled. All he could think about was that she'd been with the wolf, just like Dru and the chaos demon all over again.

"No," Willow stubbornly shook her head, then turned to storm out of the kitchen. How dare he treat her...aahh!

With a loud growl, Spike grabbed her around the waist and spun her around, pulling her against him. He bent his head, sniffing her neck.

"Am I going to have to show you who you belong to?" he asked, licking the bite mark he'd left on her. He knew that Willow wasn't Dru, but that part of his brain wasn't in control right now.

"I belong to me!" Willow said, trying to pull away from him even as his insistent handling made her stomach flutter, the place between her thighs tingle.

"Wrong," he snarled. "You belong to me," he backed her up against the island, trapping her between him and the island, freeing his hands to roam over her body. He squeezed her breasts, pinched her nipples, then slid one hand between her thighs.

"Spike," Willow moaned, letting her head tip back as she clutched at his arms. She couldn't believe that she was getting turned on by this...this...caveman treatment! She was a woman of the...oh, goddess, what year was it now?

"Want me to show you who you belong to?" Spike sucked on the bite.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Willow cried. "Spike, please," she ran her hands up his arms to his shoulders, then down over his back.

"Tell me about the wolf," he whispered in her ear before taking her lobe into his mouth, nibbling and sucking on it.

"He just...oh, Spike! He just wanted to make sure I was happy," her voice rose to a squeal as Spike shoved his hand down her pants and pressed his fingers against her clit.

"What did you tell him?" he asked, his fingers stroking her, kneading her.

"Yes! Yes, I told him yes, very happy," she moaned. "Please, Spike, please!"

Spike slid a finger inside her as he ripped her shirt away and lowered his head to her breast. Willow's hold on his head, his shoulder, was the only thing holding her up as her legs threatened to collapse.

She started to keen as her muscles began to tense. Spike lifted his head and looked at Willow.

"Mine," he growled as he morphed.

"Oh, goddess, Spike!" Willow cried.

He placed his mouth at the bite, licked it, then sank his fangs into her neck, slowly sucking her sweet, intoxicating blood out of her as his fingers continued their ministrations. The feeling of his fingers on her, the pull as he drew her blood out of her, were finally too much.

"Spi-ike!" Willow screamed his name as she came. Spike withdrew his fangs, licking the bite until Willow's breathing became even and her heart rate slowed.

"Mine," he whispered against her neck.

"Yours," Willow moaned, barely able to speak. "Yours."

~Part: 24~

When Willow opened her eyes again, she was lying on her bed. Alone. She sat up and looked around her empty room, her heart thundering. Just then, Spike walked into the bedroom, a mug tipped to his lips.

The sight of him gave her a jolt. He was so darn...sexy. And not just sexy, but...sensual. He was like a panther, so beautiful and graceful. And he was here, with her.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly as he heard her heart racing, smelled her panic.

"Nothing," she shook her head and tried to smile. Spike managed to frown and roll his eyes at the same time, a freaky combination that made Willow shudder.

"Don't do that!" she said.

"Do what?" he asked.

"The...the frown and the," she was waving her hands about, "eye roll thingy...looks, uh, weird...together." He just raised his eyebrows as he took another sip of the blood.

"So, what had your heart beating out of your chest?" he asked. "And don't even try to lie this time. I can hear it."

"Oh," Willow said. Damn vampire senses! "Well. I was just, uh, disoriented when I woke up, um, alone," she lowered her eyes and watched her fingers pick at the blanket Spike had thrown over her.

"You want me to beat you?" he asked softly and Willow shivered.

"Uh," she still didn't look up, "not, um, not really. Unless," her heart sped up again, "you know, you're talking about something, uh, kinky."

Spike was glad he didn't have a mouthful of blood just then or he'd have spit it out all over the place. Willow...the supposedly mousy redhead...just said the word 'kinky'! And not in the 'use the word kinky in a sentence' kind of way, either! But in the, 'let's do something kinky' kind of way.

"Uh, Red?" he asked.

"Mmm hmm?" Willow was blushing madly and refused to look up at him. She couldn't believe she had just said that! Oh, goddess, what was he going to think? More importantly, what was he going to do?

"Feel the need to be spanked, luv?" he teased as he set his mug on the bedside stand and sat on the bed next to her. Willow felt the mattress dip and could feel him next to her, but she still refused to look at him.

"No! That's not..."

Spike grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her onto his lap before she could finish her sentence. Willow wrapped her arms around him and hid her face against his chest.

"I'm so embarrassed," she moaned with a slight shake of her head. What was she thinking?!

"I'm not," Spike said. "That's good information to have."

"Spike!" she playfully slapped him.

"Ever been spanked, luv?" he teased some more, trying to draw her out of her funk.

"No!" she squealed and Spike laughed.

"Wanna?" he asked.

"No!"

"You don't know what you're missing," he continued to tease her, his hands rubbing her back.

"I-I can't imagine enjoying that!" she said honestly.

"Probably never thought you'd enjoy shagging a vampire, either," he countered.

"Uh, well, got me there," she agreed.

"Or being bit," he breathed against her hair.

"And, uh, and there," she felt her body respond to his voice, his touch.

"Spanking can be fun," he tilted her head with his own and licked his mark.

"R-really?" she shivered at his words, his touch.

"Mmm," he moaned against her neck.

"C-can I spank you?" she asked, her voice trembling from the feelings his lips on the bite mark sent shooting through her body. Spike froze, then moved his head so they were eye-to-eye.

"You wanna spank the big bad, little girl?" he growled. Willow felt butterflies in her belly at Spike's tone, but she wasn't fooled by his growl, mainly because of the erection now pressing into her leg. She felt herself gain a little more confidence.

"You *were* bad, Spike," her voice was low and breathy, as she lifted herself to straddle his legs. She ran her hands over his chest and up to his shoulders, then slid them up the back of his neck and into his hair. "You may deserve a spanking," she bit his lower lip and sucked it into her mouth.

"Might at that," he agreed with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, as his hands ran over Willow's back, down to cup her butt, then up to her shoulders. "Think you got what it takes to punish the big bad?"

"Shut up, Spike," Willow said, sliding her tongue into his mouth, ensuring that he couldn't talk. She was taking no chances. She wrapped one arm around his shoulders and pressed herself against him, the fingers of her other hand firmly fisted in his hair.

She kissed him slow, exploring his mouth, tasting him. Spike's hands slipped beneath her ripped shirt, cool against the heat of her flesh. She kissed him a bit harder, sucking on his lips, battling with his tongue, nipping, as she rubbed herself against him.

"Shirt off," she insisted as she leaned back and reached for the hem. Spike lifted his arms and Willow pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor.

"You're beautiful," she breathed as she let her eyes and fingers roam over him. They started on his chest, trailing over his shoulders and down his arms, then up his back to his neck and into his hair. She leaned forward and pressed kisses to his lips, his cheeks, his forehead.

"I love you, Spike," she whispered as she trailed kisses along his jaw and down his neck.

"Willow," Spike groaned, his hands tightening on her back, slipping down to cup her ass, kneading her flesh. He'd still been partially hard from touching her in the kitchen earlier, and she was driving him mad.

Willow traced her tongue over the now-healed bite mark on his neck and Spike bucked against her. Willow pulled away and shoved him back on the bed. She looked down into his eyes as she removed her ripped top, then reached between her breasts and unsnapped her bra.

She watched Spike's eyes go from deep blue to amber and grinned down at him. She cupped her own breasts, squeezing gently as she ground herself against him.

"Willow," he groaned, reaching for her breasts. Willow removed her hands and leaned into his touch, her hands going to his chest, kneading his muscles as he kneaded her. She was running the fingers of one hand over the spot of the bite mark on his neck when the phone rang, startling her.

She laughed and Spike groaned.

"Probably demon girl," he managed to get out.

"How do you know?" Willow asked, not stopping her movements.

"Called earlier," Spike groaned. "Left message. Bronze. Tonight," he tilted his head when Willow leaned down to lick the bite mark again.

"Wanna go?" she asked, her voice vibrating against his neck.

"What?" he asked, barely able to think.

"To The Bronze," she clarified. "Wanna go?"

"Now?" he asked in disbelief and Willow giggled.

"Not now. Later," she giggled again.

"Oh," he said in relief. "Voluntarily hanging out with the Slayer?"

"I'll wear my hair up so she sees the bite mark," Willow whispered.

"Really?" he asked, a small part of his brain already thinking of other ways he could annoy the Slayer, the rest of it dead, or deader, since all of his borrowed blood now resided in his cock.

"And you can show her yours," Willow sucked on his neck.

"Yes!" Spike cried, his hips bucking against Willow.

Willow sat up and placed her hand on his chest as she leaned over him, reaching for the telephone. Spike watched her breasts dangling tantalizingly over his mouth. He tried to lift his head to grasp one in his lips, but Willow put her hand over his face and pushed him back down.

"Grrr!" he licked the palm of her hand and Willow slapped him lightly before putting it back on his chest.

"Hello!" she said cheerfully into the receiver as she continued to torment Spike by rubbing herself against him.

"Wills!" Xander's voice came over the line loud enough for Spike to hear. "What's up?"

"Oh, not much," she used her hand on Spike's chest for leverage and pressed herself more firmly against him, "yet." He grabbed her hips and pressed back. "You?" her voice was a bit breathless.

"Just got home from work. Did you get Anya's message about The Bronze?" he asked.

"No, but Spike just told me she called. We're Bronzing it tonight?"

"Yep, the whole gang. Uh," he paused.

"What?" Willow asked.

"Mind if I invite Oz?" Xander asked quickly. "I don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable."

"No, of course you can invite Oz," Willow slid her hand up Spike's chest and pressed against the bite. "Spike'd love to see him again," she smirked at Spike as he morphed, then slipped back to his human face. "What time?"

"Eightish?" Xander asked.

"Sounds good. See you then," Willow disconnected and smirked down at Spike. "Looks like you'll really be able to show off those bites," she said as she leaned forward to hang up the phone. It rang again and Willow looked at it in surprise.

"Hello?" she said as she sat back. "Tara, hi!"

Spike watched Willow's face as she listened, her brow furrowed in concentration and then she smiled. It was like the sunshine and it made Spike's heart ache.

"Okay, that sounds great. Listen, if you're not doing anything tonight, and my friends, or Spike," she gave him the evil eye and he shrugged, trying the innocent look, which didn't wash, "didn't scare you off, we're going to The Bronze. We're meeting there at eight. Alright. And, thank you, Tara," she disconnected again as she looked down as Spike.

"Now, where were we?" she asked as she tossed the phone on the bed.

"Right here," he tilted his head and pulled Willow down to his neck.

"Mine," Willow growled as she licked him.

"Yours," Spike groaned as he felt her teeth on him.

***

Willow and Spike were running late. Again. They walked into The Bronze at about half past eight, Willow's small hand clutched tightly in Spike's. Xander, Anya, Oz, and Buffy were already waiting for them at the table.

Xander and Anya sat together, then an empty chair, Oz, Buffy, and a second empty chair.

Willow and Spike stood behind the empty chair between Buffy and Xander.

"Hi!" Willow chirped a general greeting as she unzipped her jacket.

"Hello!" Anya was giddy. Well, giddier than normal, Willow thought, watching her bounce in her chair. It looked like she had already finished the first of whatever fruity concoction she'd decided to try tonight.

"Hey," Oz looked relaxed, though he was sitting up straight, one arm on the table, his hand around a cup of soda.

"Hey, Wills," Xander was leaning back with his legs sprawled out in front of him. "Spike," he grumbled as Anya slapped his leg not-so-subtly under the table.

"Moron," Spike said as he put his hands on Willow's shoulders.

"Will," Buffy greeted her friend. "Had to bring Spike, huh?" she groused.

"Nope!" Willow said as Spike helped her take her jacket off and hung it over the back of the chair. "Wanted to, though," she slipped her arm around his waist as he was taking off his duster, and tilted her head back for a kiss. He leaned down and kissed her as he laid his jacket over hers.

Buffy mumbled something under her breath.

"Did you say something, Buffy?" Willow asked, turning to look at her friend. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans and an emerald green tank top. Her hair was up, as she'd promised Spike, and tendrils framed her face and neck.

"No...," Buffy started to speak, then froze when she saw the fresh bite on Willow's neck. She opened her mouth to protest, then slammed it shut with an audible snap.

"Has the waitress come around?" Willow asked.

"No," Oz said. "They must be short. We had to go to the bar."

"Okay," she turned back to Spike, tilted her head back, and smiled at him cutely as she took his hand in hers. "Will you go get me a soda?" she asked with a pout.

"S'pose so," he grumbled, then leaned down and grabbed her lower lip between his teeth, making her moan. "Need a refill, demon girl?" he asked gruffly after releasing Willow's lip. Shouldn't have done that, he thought, knowing he now sported a hard-on.

"Yes, thank you!" Anya bounced again. "Bahama mama," she pointed at the cup.

"Any of you other gits need anything?" he asked.

"No, I'm good," Oz said.

"No!" Xander and Buffy both said. They wouldn't admit to being thirsty even if they'd been in the desert without water for three days, if Spike was the one offering them the water.

"Suit yourselves," he said, looking meaningfully at their nearly empty cups.

Willow sat down on the chair and looked at everyone around the table with a big, satisfied grin on her face.

"So," she said, "how's everyone doing?"

No one answered her until Oz spoke up.

"Devon said the Dingoes are going to be hitting some clubs in the area. They're going to let me play with them."

"Oz, that's wonderful!" Willow said.

"Yeah, great news, buddy," Xander agreed.

Spike returned to the table with the drinks. He set Willow's soda and his beer on the table in front of Willow, then handed Anya her drink.

"Thanks," Anya bounced again.

"How many of those have you had?" Spike asked.

"Oh, this is only my second," she assured him.

"Somehow, that doesn't make me feel any better," he replied as Willow stood to allow him to sit down. Spike sat and pulled Willow down on his lap.

"We have other chairs," Buffy pointed...pointedly...at the other empty chair between Anya and Oz.

"That's okay," Willow smiled at her after taking a sip of her soda and putting the cup back down. "I'm comfy right here," she wiggled on Spike's lap and put her arm around his neck. "Besides, I invited Tara. You comfy?" she looked down at Spike from her seat on his lap as her fingers brushed gently over the bite mark.

"Not really," Spike whispered as he put his hands on her waist and moved his hips just enough to press his erection into her leg. Willow just smiled at him.

"Aahh," Xander made a strangled noise as he pointed at Willow and Spike.

"What is it, Xander?" Buffy asked.

"Bite!" he managed to get out.

"Yeah," Buffy said disgustedly, "we discussed that last night, remember?"

"No," Xander shook his head, still unable to speak. "Willow...Spike."

Buffy frowned, then leaned forward and looked at Willow and Spike. Willow felt her eyes on them and leaned back, turning slightly so she could see the other girl.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"You...!" Buffy's mouth dropped open. "You...,"

"What?" Willow asked again.

"You bit Spike?" she finally managed to get out.

"Wow, really?" Anya put her drink down, her attention completely on Willow and Spike now. "So, does it work both ways?" she asked. "The orgasm, I mean."

"An!"

~Part: 25~

"Hi," Tara's voice came from behind Willow, and the redhead swivelled on Spike's lap to look at the other girl. "Sorry I'm late," she continued as she walked up to the table.

"Tara, hi! No problem," Willow greeted her, "we just got here ourselves. Have a seat," she motioned to the empty chair across the table. "Can we get you something to drink?"

"Thanks," she moved around the table to the chair between Anya and Oz. "No, actually, I passed a waitress and she's bringing me a drink." Tara took her jacket off, hung it over the back of the chair, and sat down.

"Wow," Oz spoke to the table in general, "she's good."

"I don't know if you remember everyone," Willow said. "Xander, Anya, Oz, Buffy, and, of course, Spike," she went around the table, pointing at each of her friends. "You guys remember Tara."

"Yeah, hi," Buffy snarled and Willow kicked her under the table. "Ow! What...?"

"Hi," Oz shook Tara's hand.

"Hey!" Xander gave a little wave and half-smile.

"Hello, Tara," Anya held out her hand, "nice to see you again."

"Hello, everyone," Tara smiled.

Just then the waitress showed up and placed Tara's drink in front of her. She took orders from the rest of the table, then left.

"Have I interrupted something?" Tara asked after she took a sip of her drink, noticing the tension around the table..

"No! No, nothing!" Xander yelped.

"They were just yelling at Willow for biting Spike," Anya offered, taking another sip of her drink.

"No one was yelling," Buffy muttered.

"Willow bit Spike?" Tara asked in confusion.

"And he bit her," Anya nodded conspiratorially. "During sex," she stage-whispered.

"Aahh," Tara nodded and smiled at Anya, a blush pinking her skin. She looked over at Willow who was snuggled up against Spike, watching Anya with an expression of bemusement.

"An," Xander groaned.

"So, Tara," Oz broke the tension, "you're a student at UC Sunnydale?"

The next hour was spent making small talk, until Willow asked Buffy where Riley was.

"Riley and I...aren't seeing each other anymore," Buffy said before taking a sip of her soda.

"Oh, sorry," Willow put her hand on Buffy's arm. "You okay?"

"Fine," Buffy smiled. "Didn't hurt as much as I thought it would." Her tone made it clear she didn't really want to talk about it.

"I'm glad," Willow said. "Everybody ready for another round?" she changed the subject. "I've got to run to the ladies room, I'll find the waitress and order another round on my way," she slipped off of Spike's lap and stood.

There was a chorus of 'yeses' and Anya stood.

"I'll go with you!" she said. "That's the proper way these things are done, right? We go to the bathroom in groups?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Thanks, Anya," Willow smiled at the girl, then leaned down to give Spike a quick peck on the lips. At Buffy's groan, Willow quirked her lips and deepened the kiss until she had to pull away to take a breath. In fact, she had to stand again, because Spike had pulled her back down on his lap to make the most of the kiss.

Willow took a deep breath and shook herself, then led Anya away from the table on shaky legs, in search of their waitress and the restroom. Spike smirked at her as she tried to calm herself. As soon as Willow was away from the table, Buffy started in on Spike.

"I cannot believe you *bit* her!" she exploded, her voice low and angry as she leaned over the table.

Spike just rolled his eyed.

"And you let her bite you! What kind of idiotic, stupid, imbecilic, uh, uh...,"

"Moronic," Xander suggested.

"Oh, sod off!" he took a sip of his beer as he gave Xander the two fingered salute.

"Yes, thank you!" Buffy pointed at him. "Moronic...person...does that?"

"The kind who's a vampire?" Spike suggested with a sneer, as he took another sip of his beer. He was suddenly, or not so suddenly, sorry he'd agreed to come to The Bronze tonight. During the past hour, Buffy hadn't contributed much to the conversation except sounds of disgust, which escalated as the evening progressed.

Spike was surprised she'd managed to keep her mouth shut this long and wondered if she'd have finally exploded from the pressure of remaining silent if Willow hadn't left the table. He wondered how much longer Willow would want to stay. Reluctantly, Spike tuned back in to the vitriol the Slayer was spewing.

"You are nothing but an evil, bloodsucking demon!" she was saying. "One day, Willow will realize that you haven't changed, but I'm not sure if I can wait that long. Just give me an excuse," she got in his face, "and I will stake you faster than you can even think it."

"That wouldn't make Willow very happy, Slayer," Spike smirked, egging her on. He couldn't fight her, so nothing better than seeing the Slayer in a full-blown snit.

"Willow would never have to know," Buffy's voice got even lower, more deadly. "It would be just like you to take off and leave her...,"

"Buffy," Oz's voice was even, not showing his discomfort with the turn the conversation had taken.

"Uh, Buff," Xander shifted in his seat.

Tara's eyes got big, but she remained silent.

Spike felt his demon raging inside him and had to fight to keep from letting him out to attack the Slayer, which would only cause him excruciating pain. Although, the headache he was getting from the internal battle with his demon was so bad, the added pain from the chip might be worth getting a good shot in at the Slayer.

"First," Spike held one finger up in Buffy's face, "I would never leave her, and she knows that. Second," he flipped up a second finger and Buffy jerked her head back, "everyone at this table just heard you threaten to dust me and tell Willow I left her. And they say I can't plan. You *are* just as dumb as you look, aren't you, you stupid bint?"

If there was anything Buffy hated more than the blond vampire, it was being reminded of her mental shortcomings. Being reminded *by* the blond vampire was more than she could take. She pulled her arm back and her fist shot forward, connecting with Spike's face.

The area around him erupted, and everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Spike's head snapped to the side. He turned amber eyes on Buffy and leaned forward as if he was going to rise, take her on despite the chip in his head.

***

"Spike!" Willow cried as she ran back over to the table. She and Anya were returning from the restroom when she saw Buffy punch Spike.

"Oh, my god!" Anya squealed as she ran after Willow.

"Buffy!" Xander yelped in shocked surprise.

"Whoa," Oz shook his head in disbelief.

"Oh, dear," Tara's hand went to her throat.

"Geez, Buffy, what do you think you're *doing*?" Willow shoved her way between the two of them, shouldering the blonde out of her way and gently pushing Spike back into his chair. She carefully pulled Spike's head around so she could see the damage to his face.

Spike glared back at Willow with amber eyes, his demon to the fore. He growled as Willow lightly prodded the broken skin over his cheekbone, his hands gripping the back of her thighs.

"Sorry, sweetie," she said without flinching away from him. "It doesn't look too bad, and it'll heal soon, right?" she asked as she leaned down and kissed the cut, letting her tongue slip out and lick the blood from it. Spike groaned and Willow's head shot up.

"That didn't hurt, did it?" she asked worriedly. He shook his head, unable to speak. It took all of his concentration to not grab her and take her right there. The concern on her face and in her voice, the feel of her tongue on his skin, the knowledge that she was tasting his blood, all served to make him want her.

"Can you put this away?" she asked as she kissed his ridged forehead. Spike could only nod. His nostrils flaring, he morphed back into his human face. Willow ran her fingers gently through his hair, then took his hand in hers, before turning to stare at Buffy with eyes that shot sparks of anger.

"Don't ever," she said, her voice low, dangerous, "*ever* touch him again."

"But, Will...," Buffy started to defend herself.

"I don't want to hear it. I've heard it all before. Evil demon, blah, blah, blah," she stood staring at her friend in silence for a long moment before continuing.

"You know, I can't believe you!" she hissed. "I just can't believe you. You of all people should understand. You fell in love with Angel!" Buffy started to speak again, but Willow silenced her with a gesture.

"And don't give me that crap about Angel having a soul. You fell in love with him before you knew he was a vampire, before you knew he had a soul. You just used the soul as an excuse to make it alright for you to love him after you found out."

"And you," she turned on Xander. "You have no place to judge me, either. You dated Cordelia, for the goddess's sake! She wasn't a demon, but she hated us and took every opportunity to let us know how much we didn't measure up to her high standards. Yeah, that was a real fun time. And then you started dating Anya, an ex-vengeance demon, not that I don't like you, Anya," Willow turned to the ex-demon in question, "just trying to make a point."

"That's okay," Anya said. "Please, continue." She thought Buffy deserved the put-down, and she was more than tired of Xander's hypocritical attitude, too.

"She was a vengeance demon for a thousand years! She granted Cordy's wish of vengeance and ended up causing vamp me to come here to Sunnydale, but it took you no time at all to forgive her. Why can't you give Spike even a smidgeon of the same chance you gave Anya?" she held her hand out, her thumb and index finger held close together.

"Wills...," Xander tried to appease her.

"I don't want to talk to either one of you right now," she waved his words away, looking between him and Buffy. "Don't you even care that he makes me happy?" she asked, angrily blinking back the tears that filled her eyes.

"I'm suddenly sorry I invited you to join us tonight, Tara. Please, forgive us," Willow apologized to her friend, then turned to the blond vampire behind her.

"Spike," she rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand, "can we leave?"

Spike looked up into her sad face and wanted to kill the Slayer. And the moron. Hitting him was one thing, hurting Willow, quite another.

"Sure thing, luv," he stood and wrapped his arms around her. His ears caught the change in music from a fast, pounding beat to a slow, thrumming one. "Come on," he shoved the chair back and led her toward the dance floor.

"Where are we going?" she asked in confusion. "Our coats...,"

"Well," Oz commented thoughtfully, as he watched Spike drag Willow to the dance floor, "that's certainly one way of showing your support. Care to dance?" he turned to Tara and stood.

"Uh, yeah, thanks," Tara's face mirrored the confusion she was feeling inside. This was quite the little soap opera she'd landed in. She took Oz's hand and let him lead her onto the dance floor.

"I can't believe you two," Anya said when the three of them were alone. "I hope you're proud of yourselves."

***

"I'd like a dance before we leave," Spike turned to Willow and pulled her against him. "That okay?" he asked as his hands ran over her back. He wasn't going to let the Slayer ruin the whole evening for them.

"Yes," Willow looked up at him and smiled, then wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. "I love you, Spike," she said.

"Love you, too, Red," he kissed the top of her head.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. She couldn't believe what she had witnessed. She knew Buffy didn't like Spike, but to punch him in the middle of The Bronze!

"'Bout what?" he asked.

"Buffy and Xander. They're being such jerks. And your poor face," she tilted her head back and reached up with one hand to trace a finger along the healing cut.

"'S alright," he said. "As long as you don't smarten up and listen to 'em, it'll be alright!" he attempted to make her smile.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Hmm?" he furrowed his brow in confusion.

"At the table, when she hit you. What happened?"

"Oh. You know, just the ususal, she just kept talking until she pissed me off and I had to open my big mouth, and you know how the Slayer likes to hit things," he explained.

"I know there's more. I'll find out anyway, I just have to ask Oz or Tara, so you might as well tell me," Willow replied, not believing his vague explanation.

"It's not important now," he assured her. And it wasn't, when she was in his arms.

"Tell me," she insisted. "Please, Spike, tell me."
 

"Red," he shook his head in defeat and closed his eyes. "Slayer said she's just looking for an excuse to dust me and you'd never know 'cause she'd tell you I left you," he spoke quickly.

"What?" Willow's feet stopped moving. "She said *what*?!" She couldn't believe it. Buffy had not only threatened to stake Spike, which she normally did on a daily basis, but said she'd lie and tell Willow that Spike had left her. Even after she knew how much Oz leaving had hurt Willow, Buffy would put her through the same pain again?

"Red, it was just talk, I'm sure," he tried to get her to relax again. "Come on, don't worry about it. She just...,"

"I'm going to kill her," Willow pulled out of his arms and had taken several steps back toward the table before Spike grabbed hold of her belt loop and pulled her back against him.

"Red, now don't go doing something you might regret," he twirled her around so he was looking down at her determined face.

"Oh, I'm not going to regret it!" she insisted. "Let me go," she tried to twist out of his grip.

"No," he pulled her against him. Nothing more he'd like to see than Red sticking it to the Slayer for him, but he wouldn't risk her getting hurt. A verbal slashing was one thing, Willow could hold her own there, but she'd never last in a physical contest with the Slayer.

"Spike, sweetie, let me go hurt the Slayer," she wheedled as she tried to pry his fingers off of her jeans.

"Since when to you call her the Slayer?" he asked.

"Since she hit you and threatened to dust you and lie to me about it! Now, let me...,"

"Cor, Willow, you keep rubbing against me like that, I'm gonna have ta shag ya right here," he moaned as Willow's struggles caused her breasts to rub against his chest, her stomach against his growing erection. "Now, let's just finish our dance so we can go home and shag."

"I wanna hit something, Spike," Willow fisted her fingers in his t-shirt. "I'm so mad at her!" she stomped her foot.

Spike looked down on Willow. Her skin was flushed, her breathing fast, her heartbeat jumping. He lowered his head.

"Take it out on me," he said, just before he crushed his lips to hers.

"Mmm," Willow moaned as she wrapped one arm around his shoulders, her hand on his neck, her fingers in his hair, the other still gripping his t-shirt and pulling him close. She parted her lips and Spike's tongue swept into her mouth in a bruising, demanding kiss.

~Part: 26~

Spike pulled Willow off of the dance floor and out the front door of The Bronze, pausing only long enough to grab their jackets off of the back of the chair. Neither one of them spoke to the three people still sitting around the table.

"Well, looks like *someone's* going to have sex tonight," Anya commented as she watched Spike lead Willow away.

"Shut up about the sex, Anya!" Xander yelped.

"Bite me, Xander," she stood up and grabbed her jacket. Turning away from the table she ran into Oz and Tara, who were just returning to the table from the dance floor.

"Leaving?" Oz asked, taking in the angry set of her face and the jacket in her hands.

"Yes," Anya replied. "I'm feeling a little ill," her tone indicated it was nothing physical.

"Need a ride?" Oz asked politely.

"I can give her a ride home," Xander said, frustrated.

"I don't want you to cut your evening short because of me," Anya said to Oz, ignoring her boyfriend.

"No problem. The fun has sort of gone out of the evening," he said. "Want to get out of here?" he asked Tara.

"Uh, sure," Tara replied, reaching for her jacket. "And go where?"

"Who cares?" Anya said as she led the way out of The Bronze. "As long as it's not here."

"Goodnight," Oz said as he followed the two girls, leaving Buffy and Xander alone at the table.

"Well," Xander said, tracing patterns in the condensation on the side of his cup.

"Yeah," Buffy replied, leaning back in her chair, her arms crossed over her chest.
 

***

Spike and Willow shrugged into their jackets when they hit the cool air outside The Bronze, then Spike took her hand and began dragging her down the sidewalk.

"Spike!" she tugged on his hand. "I can't walk that fast, sweetie," she reminded him.

"Don't need to go far," he cryptically replied as he slowed only long enough to swing her up in his arms, then continued on his way.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Need you," he replied. Willow noticed that his jaw was clenched, the side of his face ticking from the pressure he was exerting...to keep himself under control?

With one finger, Willow touched the tick, then traced his jaw. She leaned in and placed a feather-light kiss on his jaw, just below his ear. She licked and sucked on his earlobe, pulling it into her mouth and biting down on it.

Her body's reaction to Buffy's treatment of Spike, and her threat against him, had cooled somewhat after she and Spike has spent the three-song set kissing heatedly in the middle of the dance floor. Now her body was aching for something else altogether. And if that tick was any indication, so was Spike's.

"Cor, Willow! What are you...?" Spike groaned.

Willow didn't respond. At least, not with words. She ran one hand down his chest, kneading the hard, tight muscles she found there, as her mouth worked its way down his neck. She interspersed light kisses with sucking and nibbling bites, until she reached the bite she'd renewed earlier that night.

"Bloody...fuck!" Spike growled, almost stumbling as she licked the healing mark, then pulled it into her mouth, sucking hard to draw his blood to the surface.

"Willow!" Spike found the alley he'd been looking for and ducked into it after a quick check with his senses to make sure it was empty. He let go of her legs and let them fall as he pressed her back up against the wall.

Willow wrapped her legs around his waist, moaning into his neck as her center came into contact with his hard cock. She wanted him, needed him.

"Fuck, Willow!" Spike's hands went to her butt, squeezing and kneading as he held her so he could rub against her.

"Spike," Willow moaned again, the hand between them frantically tugging at his t-shirt until she could slip her fingers beneath it to touch the hard, cool flesh there.

Spike's hand in her hair pulled her face away from his neck. He buried his fingers in her hair as he captured her lips with his, parting them in a kiss full of passion and need. His tongue slipped between them, battling hers, claiming her mouth.

Willow's hand slipped beneath the waistband of his jeans, her fingertips encountering the head of his erect cock, her nails grazing the tip. Spike bucked and growled into her mouth at her touch. Willow's fingers pulled urgently at the button, until it slipped through the hole, then dragged his zipper down, freeing his erection into her waiting hand.

"Willow!" Spike pulled back and lowered his head to her neck, groaning. "Bleedin'...fuck...Willow...baby," Spike rambled as he thrust into Willow's warm hand. "Willow, Red, need you," he groaned as he lifted his head.

"Need to be inside you," he pushed her legs off of him and set her on her feet, his hands going to the front of her jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping them, sliding them down her thighs.

"Hang on," he told her, as he bent down and slipped his hands between her legs. His arms resting against the back of her thighs, he lifted her, his arms sliding down her legs until they were caught in the crook of her bent knees, her knees almost even with her shoulders.

He pressed his hands flat against the cold brick wall as the head of his cock butted against Willow's opening. Willow groaned as he moved his hips, his cock head sliding along her slit, bumping her clit.

"Spike, please," her fingers clenched his shoulder.

"Please what?" he teased as he slid his head inside her, then pulled it back out.

"Spike!" she cried in frustration. "In! Now! Please?!" she broke down and pleaded.

With a smirk, Spike slid into her.

"Oh...goddess," Willow's eyes went wide as the awkward position allowed Spike to fill her more than she ever thought possible.

"Like that?" he asked as he slowly pulled out, then slid back in.

"Goddess...yes...don't stop!" her hands had slid down his arms and her fingers were closing convulsively over his biceps.

"Not gonna stop," he promised as he began to move faster, his hips pumping, his cock thrusting in and out of her. "You feel so bleedin' good."

"You, too, Spike," she moaned, "you, too." She closed her eyes, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth and biting down on it.

Spike leaned forward and freed her lip, only to suck it into his own mouth, and then he was kissing her again, his tongue hard, demanding. Willow pressed into him, one hand slipping around his neck, her fingers playing with his hair as she kissed him back, the other continuing to knead his biceps.

"Willow...so close," Spike muttered against her lips, "so close, baby. Wanna taste you again."

Willow lowered her head to his neck and sucked on the bite. Spike bucked against her as his own mouth found the bite on her neck. There was moaning, and groaning, as they sucked on the bites, then Spike sank his fangs into Willow, and Willow clamped her teeth together, breaking the skin on Spike's neck, and they sucked, and they screamed as they came together.

***

The next morning came too soon for Willow. Although, it was actually much closer to noon when she woke up and crawled out of bed. A girl needs to get her rest, especially when she's shagging a vampire, Willow smiled to herself, then groaned as she tried to stand, her muscles stiff and sore. New positions were great, she thought as she hobbled out of the room in search of a hot shower, but this part sucked.

Spike watched her leave, his eyes little slits. He debated slipping back into sleep, or into the shower with Willow, but only briefly, before he slid out of bed and followed her. He could sleep anytime.

Willow turned around when he entered the bathroom. She looked his naked body over appreciatively, then went pale.

"No," she shook her head, holding one hand out in front of her to ward him off, "no, Spike, I can't. Please. I'm so sore."

Spike just smirked at her.

"What, you think I can't be around you without wanting sex?" he asked as he leaned over the tub and turned the shower off, letting the water fill up the tub.

"Oh, well, no, of course not," Willow was blushing and she felt the sudden sting of tears in her eyes as she realized how arrogant she must have sounded and how quickly Spike had disabused her of the notion that he couldn't think of anything else when she was around.

"You silly chit," Spike pulled her against him and ran his hands over her back. "I didn't mean it like that. I bloody well *can't* think of anything else when I'm around you, but I can control myself," he kissed her shoulder. "You *are* only human, as you reminded me the other day," he smiled down at her.

Willow looked up at him and tried to smile, her big green eyes watery.

"And I'll prove it to you," he promised, then leaned down and kissed her softly. "As often as you'll let me," he deepened the kiss, then pulled away and lifted her into the tub.

Willow let go of him and settled into the warm water, leaning forward to pour some of the vanilla scented bubble bath she'd offered Spike the first night they stayed in the house under the running water. While she was doing that, Spike slipped into the tub and settled himself behind her. Willow recapped the bottle and leaned back against his chest.

Spike ran his hands up her arms and over her shoulders, massaging her muscles as he did so. He tipped her head forward and massaged her neck, then drew his fingers down her spine, working the knots out.

"Oh, Spike, that feels so good," she moaned as he worked at a particularly stubborn knot.

"Gotta take care of my little human so I can shag her some more," he teased, as he concentrated on the knot.

"You're too good to me," she teased back, "and so unselfish."

"I'm doing it for you, baby," he insisted. "Now you've had a taste of Spike, you wouldn't know what to do without me."

"And modest. I've always admired that in a vamp," she groaned as his fingers moved down to her lower back.

"Modesty gets you nowhere," Spike affirmed. "Need to stick up for yourself, no one else'll do it for you," he pulled her back against him, his arms going around her middle, his hands resting on her stomach.

"I'd stick up for you, Spike," Willow placed her hands over his and they relaxed in the hot water.

"Know you would, baby. Bloody did, didn't ya?" he kissed the top of her head.

"Can I ask you something?" Willow asked after a few minutes.

"Sure, luv," he said, placing a kiss on her neck.

"Yesterday, when I got home from school, why were you so upset about Oz?" she asked, her fingers playing with his.

"Wasn't upset," he lied unconvincingly.

"'Am I going to have to show you who you belong to?'," Willow quoted as she rubbed her thumb over the palm of his hand.

"Oh, well, I 's just...mnls," he made and undecipherable sound.

"Huh?" she tilted her head back to look at him.

"Jealous," he repeated, rolling his eyes. This was bloody embarrassing.

"You were jealous?" she asked. "Of Oz?"

"You loved him," Spike was staring at her ear.

"I did," Willow nodded. "Or, I thought I did. Either way, I don't now. I love you," she twisted around and knelt between his legs, taking his face in her hands. "And what I feel for you is so much...bigger...deeper...than anything I've ever felt for anyone else," she said. "Ever," she leaned forward and placed a light kiss on his lips.

"Right," he tried to sound like the big bad, "I knew that."

"'Course you did," she smiled, then kissed him again.

"I did!" he insisted, then smiled sheepishly at her. "You know I love you, too, right?" he asked, his hands skimming over her back and down to her shapely butt.

"Yes," she smiled at him, "but you'll...remind me...won't you?"

"Often," he agreed, pulling her closer for another, longer kiss. Willow's hands slipped to his shoulders.

She pulled back, looking down into his beautiful blue eyes, then covered his lips with hers again, in a deeper, hungrier kiss. She swept her tongue into his mouth, kissing him like she wanted to devour him. Spike moaned into her mouth, his hands running over her back and butt, around to cup her breasts.

Willow lifted her legs one at a time and straddled his thighs, his cock growing hard between her own thighs as she continued to kiss him while rubbing herself against him.

"Willow," he groaned. "Thought you were too sore, baby."

"Mmm," she moaned as her hand slid down his chest, his stomach, her fingers wrapping around his cock and positioning the head at her entrance. "Was, but somebody gave me this really great massage."

"Red," he growled as she lowered herself on him.

"Spike," she kissed him as she rode him. Spike grabbed her hips and held her as he thrust up into her.

"Oh, Spike," she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her soft breasts against his hard chest, her clit rubbing against him as she moved her hips.

"Willow, you feel so bloody good," he groaned.

"You...ah, Spike, please, don't stop!" she cried.

"Not, oh, bloody, not gonna stop!"

Their movements became more frantic as their release neared, the bath water splashing around them. Willow lowered her head to his neck and licked the bite mark. At this rate, she thought to herself, it would never heal.

"Willow, please, bite me!" Spike cried as he pumped into her.

Willow didn't wait for him to ask again. She bit him hard, breaking the skin, then sucked on the open wound.

"Willow!" Spike roared her name as he slammed into her once more, then came, his seed spurting inside her. He pulled her against him and sank his fangs into her shoulder, sucking her blood. Willow moaned against his neck where she was licking the blood off of the bite mark. Her fingers clawed at him as her body tensed. She cried wordlessly against his neck as she came, her muscles clenching around him, milking the rest of his release.

"Oh, goddess, Spike," Willow moaned several moments later, when she could actually talk again. "I love you. I love you."

She had melted bonelessly against him after their orgasms and she didn't want to move, but she suddenly remembered Tara's impending visit.

"Oh, crap," she pouted with a deep sigh.

"What?" Spike asked as he held her against him, loathe to let her go.

"Tara'll probably be here soon," she whined.

"Tara?" he asked.

"Yeah. Uh, did I forget to tell you?" she tilted her head and smiled at him with wide, innocent eyes.

"Uh, yeah," he tweaked her nose. "What's the blonde witch want?"

"Work on spells," Willow closed her eyes, her body totally relaxed. "For the chip."

Spike was torn. He was excited that the witches were going to work on getting rid of the soddin' chip, but he didn't want to let Willow go. Finally, Willow took the decision out of his hands. She pushed herself away from him and sat up.

"Oh, goddess!" she cried as she looked over the side of the tub.

"What?" Spike asked, following her gaze.

"We flooded the bathroom!"

~Part: 27~

Tara and Willow were studying in the dining room, Spike watching television in the living room, when the doorbell rang.

Willow had showered after throwing some towels on the floor to soak up the water they'd splashed over the side of the tub. She dressed quickly and prepared a grapefruit while Spike finished his shower, then heated a mug of blood when she heard the shower turn off. They ate together, finishing clean-up just as Tara arrived.

The girls were reading the books Tara brought with her. Spike tried to help, but the blonde witch made him nervous ever since he'd met her, when he was afraid she'd find the spell that would take Willow away from him, not to mention the time he'd felt her inside his head. Eventually, he'd been banished to the living room where he pouted and turned MTV on really loud, even though he hated the music they were playing.

Finally, Willow had been forced to come in and turn the volume down. She'd chastised him for acting childish when they were only trying to help him and if he didn't want the chip out she'd send Tara home immediately and stop wasting her time.

Spike felt his unnecessary breath catch at her words. Willow saw his distress and relented. She fell onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him.

"I didn't mean it," she said. "I'd never stop looking for a way to remove your chip," she promised. Then she leaned up and kissed him. "Now, stop being a baby, and let us get some work done," she rose and playfully slapped the back of his head, mussing his hair.

"Hey!" he complained, his hand automatically moving to smooth his hair down. Willow just smirked as she turned and walked out of the room.

A thoroughly chastened Spike turned the television to an old movie, and promptly fell asleep, servicing his witch was taking a lot out of him, until the knock on the front door woke him. He jerked up and watched Willow answer the door.

"Anya!" Willow said, surprised to see the ex-demon. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I'm kind of bored," Anya said, "since I'm not talking to Xander right now. I cleaned my apartment, and went grocery shopping, and normally I'd go see Xander, but I can't, because I'm not talking to him. So, can I come in?"

"Uh, well, uh, sure," Willow stammered, then stepped back, allowing the other girl to enter. She shot a look at Tara over Anya's head and Tara immediately started to put the books they'd been reading away.

"You, um, you're not talking to Xander?" Willow asked.

"No," Anya sounded determined. "He was a jerk last night, and I'm mad at him, and I don't want to talk about him. So, what are you doing?" she asked, looking around.

"Oh, well, uh, Tara and I were just studying and Spike was watch..., er, sleeping, I guess," Willow corrected herself when she saw Spike, mussed hair and half-closed eyes, watching her from his reclining position on the couch. "Would you like anything to drink?" she offered, leading Anya through the dining room and into the kitchen.

"What have you got?" Anya asked as she stopped by the dining room table and lifted a book off of the table to read the title. "'Computer Electronics For Dummies'," she read off the title, then surveyed the books lying across the table. There were several other books on computers and some on spells.

"Why are you studying books on computer electronics?" she asked innocently.

"I'm taking a computer class," Willow said at the same time Tara said, "Special project."

The two girls looked at each other.

"Special project," Willow said at the same time Tara said, "Willow's computer class."

"For...my...computer class," Willow finished lamely and just stood staring at Anya. "So! Drink?" she tried to change the subject.

Anya looked from Willow's guilty face, to Tara's, to the books on the table, and back to Willow.

"You're trying to remove Spike's chip," she said.

"What?!" Willow asked. "Why would you...?"

"Oh, please!" Anya interrupted her with a frown and a wave of her hand. "I'm not as dense as another blonde I could mention. Uh, not you," she looked at Tara apologetically.

Willow looked up and saw Spike leaning in the doorway, his expression unreadable. Tara just nodded her understanding.

"Got any juice, and can I help?" Anya turned the book she held over and read the back as Willow's mouth dropped open.

"Y-you want to *help*?" her voice squeaked on the last.

"Yeah," Anya replied, distracted. "I mean, you're doing it because you love him, and not because you're evil, right?" she asked. Willow just nodded, her mouth opening and closing.

"And he loves you, right?"

Willow nodded again.

"And he's not going to kill us all because that would make you unhappy. Uh, that *would* make you unhappy, right?" she clarified.

Willow nodded again.

"I mean, I know Xander was a jerk last night, and I'm not talking to him right now because I'm mad at him, but...he's not going to kill Xander is he?" she asked.

Willow shook her head.

"Close your mouth, luv," Spike said. "'Less you plan on using it, of course," he smirked.

"Spike!" Anya twirled around, grabbing her chest. "Geez! I didn't know you were there. Uh, you're not going to kill Xander, are you?" she asked. "I need him for orgasms. After I start talking to him."

Spike rolled his eyes.

"Not gonna kill the moron," he said. "Red wouldn't like it."

"Okay," Anya turned back toward the table. "So, can I help? I don't know anything about computer electronics, although," she held up the book, "guess you guys don't either, but I can research, and help with the spell...if, um, if you want," her voice tapered off as the others just stared at her. "What?" she asked.

***

The four of them spent the rest of the afternoon researching computer chips. Spike was more comfortable, now that Anya had joined them, and was in a better frame of mind since he'd taken the short nap.

Just before the sun went down, Anya looked at Willow.

"Are we going to Giles'?" she asked.

Willow froze, then slowly lifted her eyes.

"No," she looked back down at the page she was reading. "I'll call Giles and let him know as soon as I've finished this section," she said as she highlighted something she'd just read, then made a note in the margin.

Fifteen minutes later Willow sat up in her chair, excited, but trying to hide it.

"Somebody read this section and tell me if it says what I think it says," she marked the page with a piece of paper and slid the book into the middle of the table. The three of them looked at each other, then Tara reached out and pulled the book over. Willow stood and walked into the living room to make the phone call to Giles.

She picked up the telephone and hit speed-dial as she sat on the couch. She nervously listened to the rings as she waited for Giles to pick up. Spike sat in the corner of the couch and pulled her onto his lap, his arms going around her as he rested his chin against the side of her head.

"Hello," she finally heard the familiar voice of the Watcher over the line.

"Hey, Giles," she said, as she relaxed back against Spike, her hand covering his.

"Willow!" Giles sounded surprised. "Are you running late?"

"No," Willow said. "We, um, we're not coming over for research tonight. And neither is Anya," she added.

"Really? What's happened?" he asked as he looked at the two young people sitting silently on his sofa.

"It's, well, it's a really long story, although, not really all that long, but I just don't want to talk about it right now," she started babbling, "but suffice it to say that I'm mad at Buffy and Xander, and Anya's mad at Xander, and I'm sorry, Giles, but I can't be in the same room with them right now, but if you need me for research on a big nasty, please don't hesitate to call me 'cause I'd come right over, but you don't, right?"

"Uh, no, Willow, I don't," Giles said when Willow took a breath. "You enjoy your night off. Buffy and Xander can help me with any research," he assured her.

"Alright," Willow said. "Thanks, Giles."

"Don't mention it, dear," Giles said. "Goodnight," he hung up the telephone and looked sternly at Buffy and Xander. "Why is Willow not coming over for research tonight?" he asked.

"I don't know," Buffy said guiltily.

"Try again," Giles crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her.

"We were just...voicing our opinion about how wrong she and Spike are together," Buffy lied and Xander looked at her in shock.

"They were brought together by a spell of true love," Giles reminded her. "How much more right could they be?"

"He's a vampire, Giles!" Buffy said.

"Yes," he took the opportunity to remind her, "and so was Angel. Come on," he turned away and walked toward the table. "I've heard rumors about a demon whose existence has only been speculation until now," he picked up the largest book on the table and handed it to Buffy. "I want to find every reference I can to him, try to determine what might be fact and what is myth."

Buffy looked at the book with loathing.

***

Willow ordered pizza, wings and soda, and grabbed some plates and napkins, while the others read the section that had excited her so. The food was delivered before they were done reading. Willow went to the door to pay for the food, then set it up on one end of the dining room table. By the time they were done eating, everyone had read the section and they were discussing it.

"An independent power source," Tara nodded her head. "Like a battery. That's reasonable."

"So we'd just need to disable the power source, right?" Willow asked. "Flip the switch off?"

"We could possibly even use the teleportation spell, like you originally suggested," Tara mused, "to remove the battery, instead of the chip."

"Can we remove the battery without disturbing the chip?" Willow worried.

"We'll have to practice," Tara smiled at her.

"Bloody right!" Spike spoke for the first time. "You're not going anywhere near my head without practice," he crossed his arms over his chest and tried to glower. Willow just stared at him like a wounded puppy.

"Grrr!" he growled and pushed his chair back, picking up his plate and mug, and carrying them into the kitchen. He threw the plate out and rinsed the mug in the sink, then curled his fingers over the sink and leaned against the counter, his head bent, his eyes closed.

He was so excited...and afraid.

"Spike," Willow slipped up behind him and rubbed her hand over his back. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"What if it doesn't work?" he asked. "I want it out so badly. What if it doesn't work?"

"Then we try another way. We're going to get it out," she leaned against him and wrapped her arms round his middle. "I promise, I won't stop looking," she turned her head and rested her cheek against his back. "I love you, Spike."

"Love you, too," he twisted in her arms and pulled her against his chest. "Love you so bloody much."

***

Spike and Willow lay in bed together. Willow was sleeping, snuggled up in his arms, but Spike couldn't fall asleep.

The others had left hours ago. Willow had settled Spike on the sofa with the remote, then cleaned up the supper remains, and turned out all of the lights before carrying in two mugs of hot chocolate and joining Spike on the sofa.

"What are you watching?" she asked as she handed him one of the mugs, then made herself comfortable beside him.

"Nothing, really," he snorted. "Just staring at the screen."

He'd surfed the channels until he found another old movie, and they settled back with their hot cocoa to watch the movie. Spike put his arm around Willow's shoulders and she cuddled up against him.

Spike looked down at her now. She was so beautiful. And not just the physical, though there was plenty of that. Her shiny, red hair, her big, green eyes, her porcelain white skin, her plump, kissable lips, the luscious round curves of her breasts and hips.

But she was also beautiful inside. Smart and sweet, cute and funny, caring and kind, stubborn and loyal, and fearless when faced with the pain of a loved one. He remembered the stands she had already taken in support of him against Buffy.

He couldn't believe how much he loved her. He wanted to kick himself for falling so easily for a human, but he was love's bitch and he knew it. No sense fighting against it. But she *was* human, and therein lied the problem.

One day, she'd leave him. She'd get old and die. Unless he did something about it. He wanted to be with her forever. Forever.

He'd turn her in a heartbeat...providing they could actually disable the chip. But that wouldn't be his Willow. He didn't doubt for a minute that she'd make a beautiful vampire, but something would be missing. The spark that made Willow...Willow...would be gone. He knew the demon would be magnificent...but he'd miss the soul.

Soul. Too bad that soul restoration spell the gypsies used on Angelus had that soddin' happiness clause. He pursed his lips in concentration, wondering if that clause could be removed from the spell. If Red and her witchy friend could figure out how to disable the chip, surely they could figure out how to restore Willow's soul without that pesky curse.

But, getting them to work on the spell meant Willow had to know he wanted to turn her. How to broach that subject, he snorted. Hey, Red, feel like giving up sunlight for, oh, say, forever, so you can live with me in the darkness? What in the world could he possibly offer that would be better than what he'd be asking her to give up?

There was money...somewhere...but he didn't know how to get his hands on it. Not that money would sway Red, but he could help make her life easier. What did that leave?

Oh, yeah, just him. And hell knew, he was no prize. Cor, he'd been moody and snarky today when she was just trying to help him. But he made her happy. She said so. Twice. Told the wolf. Told all of 'em, last night at The Bronze. Could he make her happy forever?

He remembered her words, when they were in the bathroom that one time, when she was still worried that he would leave her when he got the chip out. 'When you're able to kill again, will I be enough for you not to?' He'd assured her that he only wanted her.

But would he be enough for her to give up the sunlight?

~Part: 28~

The next day, Willow did homework in the morning while Spike, still tired from the tossing and turning he'd done the night before, slept. Before Tara and Anya were due, Willow woke him with a kiss and a mug of blood, sat with him while he drank it, then ushered him off to the shower while she took the empty mug downstairs and rinsed it out.

They had time for a quick hug and kiss before Tara and Anya arrived to help Willow revise the teleportation spell. They didn't go to Giles' apartment that night, or the next two.

On Monday, Tara obtained several computer chips with internal power sources and, that evening, the girls practiced removing the power source from the chip without damaging the chip or the surrounding tissue. The first time they attempted the removal, the chip sparked and melted, and the four of them stared at it in shocked horror.

"Don't worry, we'll keep practicing," Willow assured Spike, her big, green eyes wide.

The second time, the power source was removed from the chip without a problem, and the three girls exchanged high-fives. The third time, they hid the chip beneath a pillow to see if they could remove the power source without being able to see the chip. Tara showed Willow how to 'see' the chip in her mind, and then to hone in on the 'hot spot' that was the power source. Once they had the power source held firmly in their minds, the two Wiccans drew power from Anya to remove it.

The fourth time, Willow suggested that she hold the chip in a closed fist so they could make sure that the removal of the power source would cause no damage to the surrounding tissue. Spike, who had been watching the proceedings in silence, not wanting to disturb the practice sessions, stood and took the chip from Willow, holding it in his own hand.

"Just in case," he said. "I'll heal faster." He leaned down and kissed her, then sat back down in his chair at the dining room table. "Well, get to it!" he urged.

He tried not to show his agitation, but he was ready to bounce off of the walls. He needed to know that this would work. He closed his eyes and prayed to a god he hadn't thought of in over one hundred years. Then prayed to Willow's goddess, for good measure. After all, she was the one taking the chip out!

The three girls performed the ritual while Spike sat silently, barely able to hold himself still. The removal of the power source went without a hitch and the small battery landed on the table in front of Spike with a small tinkling sound. Spike opened his hand and they all stared at the intact chip and the undamaged skin.

"We did it!" Willow cried as she stared at his hand. "We did it!" she looked into his face with a smile.

Spike stood with a relieved grin, and Willow threw herself into his arms. He twirled her around as she planted kisses on his face, while Anya awkwardly patted Tara's shoulder with a 'good job'.

When the celebration quieted down, they made plans to get plenty of rest that night and meet the next evening to perform the teleportation spell on the chip in Spike's head.

***

Willow went to school the next day. She managed to avoid Buffy, but was unable to concentrate. Tonight they'd attempt to disable Spike's chip by removing the power source. So much could go wrong. Willow knew she shouldn't think about those possibilities, she should think positively, but she couldn't help it.

They could screw up and damage the tissue around the chip, Spike's brain, a thought that scared her to death, or they could fail, which would disappoint Spike immensely. Either option was not fun to contemplate.

And then there were the horrible possibilities that could occur if they did succeed. Spike could leave her. She knew he promised he never would, and she believed him. Mostly. But there was still a small part of her that feared that he would. Or he could be overcome with blood lust and go on a killing rampage. She didn't think that was likely. He seemed to have more control over his demon than that, and he wasn't some untrained fledgling. No, what really scared her was the thought of him leaving, not needing her anymore.

She took a deep breath before unlocking the front door and walking into the house. She had to be strong. She had to think positively, look on the bright side, and any other cliche she could think of. Goddess, if *she* was having reservations, how must Tara and Anya feel? She had assured them that Spike wouldn't kill them, or anyone. They had so much more to lose. Although, she thought morosely, she'd rather be dead than watch him leave her.

Geez, morbid much? She shook her head to rid herself of her negative thoughts. Positive energy, she thought.

The house seemed quiet. Willow was afraid to go see Spike in her present frame of mind. Instead, she lit some candles in the living room and sat cross-legged in one of the chairs to attempt a calming meditation.

"What are you doing?" Spike whispered from the living room doorway a half an hour later.

He hadn't been asleep when Willow got home, and he'd waited for her to come upstairs to him. When she hadn't, he went in search of her.

Willow opened one eye and looked at him, then smiled.

"Meditation," she whispered back. "Trying to calm and center myself for the spell." She unfolded her legs and stretched. "Feeling pretty relaxed now," she smiled. "What time is it?"

"Almost six-thirty," Spike said, glad that one of them was feeling relaxed. He'd been able to sleep the night before, when Willow was in his arms, but had tossed and turned the minute she got out of bed to get ready for school, his mind too busy to let him rest. One minute he was thinking about turning Willow, if they could get the bloody resouling spell to work without the soddin' curse, and if he could get her to agree to it, and the next he was worried that the spell to disable his chip wouldn't work, and they'd be back to square one.

He was feeling edgy and restless. He wanted to get this over with. He just needed to *know*, one way or the other, if it was going to work.

"They'll be here soon," Willow commented unnecessarily as she stood. "Let's get something to eat," she said as she walked over to him. She leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him. "I love you, Spike," she said.

"I love you, too, Red," he said, and she tilted her head back and smiled up at him. Spike could tell that she was worried. He leaned down and kissed her, deep and hard, trying to remind her how much he did love her.

***

They ate quickly and Willow was nervously fussing over the spell components on the dining room table, Spike slumped in a chair watching her, an unlit cigarette between his lips, when the anticipated knock sounded at the door. She started and dropped the bag of herbs she was holding, then glanced at Spike with a small smile before moving into the foyer to answer it.

"Hey, guys," Willow greeted the two girls when she pulled the door open. "Come on in."

"Hi!" Anya bounded into the house.

"Hi," Tara followed more sedately.

"Are you both ready?" Willow asked as she closed the door.

"Yes," Tara replied calmly.

"I haven't been able to think of anything else!" Anya enthused, clasping her hands excitedly. "This is the most exciting thing I've done since losing the vengeance gig! Well, you know, except for the orgasms from Xander."

Spike rolled his eyes. Tara blushed. Willow's lips twitched.

"Glad we can show you such a good time," Spike drawled from his seat at the dining room table, as he held the cigarette between two fingers.

"And I appreciate it," Anya smiled at him as she led the way into the dining room.

"You've got everything set up?" Tara asked.

"Almost," Willow said as she followed them.

They set out the rest of the spell components and were going over the spell one last time when there was another knock at the door. Willow looked at the others in confusion.

"I wonder who that is?" she looked at Spike nervously before walking over to the door. "Oz!" she cried when she opened the door and saw who was standing there. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Bloody hell! Spike rotated his head on his neck and pursed his lips. The soddin' wolf was really pissing him off, coming around where he wasn't wanted. And he had bleedin' bad timing, too!

"Wanted to make sure you were alright," Oz said as he stepped through the open door. "I stopped by Giles', he said he hadn't seen you in a couple of days. So, are you?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, of course, I'm alright," Willow said, her fingers nervously twisting the ring on her thumb. "I just didn't want to see Buffy, you know, after Friday night, and I've been, uh, busy...with, uh, school, and...stuff."

"Stuff?" he repeated. "Tara?" he said when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Hi, Oz," Tara gave a little wave as she tried to lean casually against the doorframe.

"What are you doing here?" he took a step toward the girl.

Tara opened her mouth to respond, then closed it, not sure what to say.

"We're just practicing," Willow said, pushing the front door shut and taking a step toward them. "Spells. I told you Tara was a witch, too."

"I remember," Oz nodded. "Anya, too?" he asked when he saw the other girl.

"Uh, yes," Willow said.

Bugger, this was giving him a headache! Would the damned pup just bleedin' leave?! He noticed Willow playing with the ring and frowned. The wolf was upsetting his witch.

"She's a witch, too?" Oz persisted, confused.

"Oh, no, just...magically inclined," Willow clarified.

"I'm very good at magic," Anya said. "Are you going to leave now, so we can continue?" she bluntly asked.

Spike smirked to himself, he was liking demon girl more and more. Oz peered further into the dining room and noticed Spike, just as he smirked. He looked from Anya, to an uncomfortable Tara, to Willow, who was shifting anxiously from foot-to-foot.

"What are you working on?" he asked.

"Oh, just your basic teleportation spell," Willow said, her hands fluttering.

"Can I watch?" he asked as he slipped between Anya and Tara and stepped into the dining room.

"Oh, well, there's really nothing to see," Willow rushed after him. "Pretty boring, actually. I'm sure you have much more...,"

She stopped speaking when she saw Oz pick up one of the computer books still lying on the table and read the title. He looked over the table at Spike, who looked back at him with an unreadable expression, behind which he was fuming.

The soddin' wolf was going to ruin everything! Or at least, slow it down. What if he convinced Willow that she was making a mistake? No, she wouldn't do that. But, what if he swayed the others?

"What are you doing?" Oz turned to face the three girls gathered in the doorway, holding the book up.

"I told you..," Willow started.

"Teleportation spell," Oz interrupted.

"Yes," Willow replied honestly, twirling the ring madly.

"What are you teleporting?" he asked. Spike slowly rose to his feet behind the wolf.

"That's none of your business," Willow said.

"*What* are you teleporting?" he asked again, more firmly. "Spike's chip?!"

"Yes," Willow straightened her shoulders. "Could you leave now, so we can get back to our spell?"

"Are you *nuts*?" Oz took a menacing step toward Willow. Spike was over the table in an instant as he morphed into his demon visage, books and spell components flying off of the table. He grabbed Oz by the back of the neck and threw him face down on the table. Well, he smirked to himself, that didn't hurt at all!

"Don't touch her!" he growled. "'Cause I don't need the chip out to protect her from you."

"Is this what you want to let loose on your friends, this town?" Oz struggled to speak. He felt the wolf straining to break free, but held it back, remembering the last time he'd confronted Willow and started to change. If he changed he would no longer be able to protect Willow. He'd kill her just as easily as he'd kill Spike.

Willow was breathing hard as she walked up to Spike and lay her hand on his arm, a combination of the fear of Oz's discovery, Oz's angry reaction, and Spike's actions in defense of her. Spike turned to look at her, amber eyes flashing.

"Maybe you should let him up," she ran her hand up his arm and over his shoulder soothingly.

"He was going to hurt you," Spike tightened his grip on Oz's neck, pressing him harder into the table.

"I'm fine," she assured him with a smile as she continued to rub his back. "Thank you," she added softly.

Spike just looked at her for a few moments, then let his demon fade away.

"Don't ever touch her," he snarled, then let go of Oz and stepped back. Willow moved into Spike's arms.

"You alright?" she asked worriedly.

"Him?" Oz croaked as he tried to stand upright, his hand going to the back of his neck.

Tara moved to Oz's side and helped him straighten.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Oz said as he stood. "You two see what you're releasing?" he demanded.

"He's not going to hurt us," Anya spoke decisively, "though he might still hurt you, but he can obviously already do that with the chip. Besides, he only did that because you threatened Willow. Can we get this over with?" she turned to Willow, then looked between Spike and Oz. "If you guys want to fight you can do it later. And, hey! If you both take your shirts off we could sell tickets!"

Everyone stared at her.

"What?" she held her hands out questioningly. "I've seen it on TV."

***

Willow pushed Spike into the kitchen for some privacy.

"I know why you did it," she said, kissing him, "but you can't just beat people up indiscriminately," she gave him a little poke in the chest with her index finger. "Although, it did kind of turn me on...a little bit," her eyes glazed over as she looked off into the distance. "But you still can't do that!" she snapped back to the present, gave him a little slap on the arm, then turned and walked out of the kitchen.

Spike watched her with a dazed expression, then followed her. He loved it when Willow took control. Willow reentered the dining room where everyone still stood in the same spot she'd left them, stopping in front of Oz with her hands on her hips.

"We're taking the chip out," she stated, "because I love him, and I want him to be safe. He's not going to kill. You don't have to trust him, but you should trust me enough to know that I wouldn't do this if I thought he would. You don't have to like it, but you do have to accept it. Now," she paused, "you can stay, or you can leave, but you can't stop us. Choose."

"Willow," his voice was pleading, but she just looked at him, her resolve face firmly in place. "Stay," he said, resigned.

"Fine," she nodded, then turned toward the table. "You'll need to be outside the circle. Anya," she handed the jar of sand to the ex-demon, "please start the circle. Spike," she held out her hand, "come sit over here."

Spike stepped over the sand Anya had started to pour around the perimeter of the dining room and took Willow's hand. She pulled him over to one of the chairs and he sat. She gave him a quick kiss, then turned her attention back to the scattered spell components, while Tara lit the candles.

Anya stepped inside it, and closed the circle. She set the jar on the table and watched as Willow poured some herbs into a bowl and tossed in a lit match. There was a poof as the herbs caught fire, and then a pungent smell as the smoke filled the room.

The three girls joined hands around Spike and began the invocation to the goddess. Their voices died down and Willow and Tara 'looked' for the chip and the internal power source. A squeeze of the hand told the other that they had both found what they were looking for.

Tara began to chant the Latin words that would teleport the power source, then Willow joined in, followed by Anya. They 'felt' the power source disappear from the chip and moments later, a small piece of metal and ceramic about a millimeter in width lay on the table in front of Spike.

The three girls performed the incantation to thank the goddess and close the circle, then the four of them stared at the 'battery'. Spike reached out to pick it up, holding it close to his face for a better look. He squeezed it between his thumb and index finger until it was nothing but powder and filaments, then looked up at Willow.

"Are you alright?" she asked, worriedly.

"Feel fine," he grinned.

"Did it work?" she asked.

"Only one way to really tell," Spike smirked at her.

"Okay, pinch me," she said, holding her arm out.

"I'm not going to pinch you!" Spike said. "Let me pinch one of them," he nodded toward Tara and Anya.

"Hey!" Anya cried, backing away quickly.

"It might not work on them," Willow explained, "with Anya being an ex-demon and Tara being a hereditary witch. Come on!" she shoved her arm in front of his face.

"Oh, fine!" he reached up quick and pinched her.

"Ow!" Willow cried, drawing her arm back. "That hurt! Hey! How's your head?"

"No pain," he laughed, then stood, shoving the chair back. He grabbed Willow into his arms and swung her around. "No soddin' headache!"

~Part: 29~

Spike put Willow down, but didn't let go of her. Now he was *really* bouncing off of the walls. He was dying to test the chip. He wanted human blood, he wanted some violence, he wanted to shag his woman. And not necessarily in that order. He really wanted to get rid of the others. Well, not *rid* of, rid of, just get them out of the house so he could be alone with Willow. But it wasn't going to be easy.

"That's wonderful!" Anya cried, enveloping Spike and Willow in a hug. Spike rolled his eyes. "That spell was so exciting," she continued as she stepped back. "I felt the energy go right through me!" she exclaimed, her hands fluttering. "I need an orgasm," she concluded.

"Back off," Spike warned.

"Not *you*!" Anya said. "Though Willow always looks satisfied. I need Xander."

"Say no more!" Spike held his hand up. Anya opened her mouth. "Please!" he begged. Willow shifted in Spike's arms, embarrassed. Tara blushed. Oz continued to look at them, confused, wondering how things had gotten so out of hand. Spike had his chip out and they were talking about sex!

Willow could feel Spike practically vibrating behind her.

"Thank you," Willow said to Tara and Anya. "I really appreciate your help with this."

"You're welcome!" both girls chorused, then looked at each other and smiled.

"Anya, *are* you going to go see Xander tonight?" Willow asked the ex-demon.

"Yes, I think I should forgive him and allow him to make it up to me by giving me orgasms. Why?"

"Please don't tell him about the chip. I'd like to do that," Willow explained.

"Okay," Anya happily agreed. "I'll be too busy having orgasms to talk about the chip, anyway," she assured them. "Can I bring him over tomorrow after work?"

"Yes," Willow agreed with a thankful smile, "that would be nice. Thanks, again. Tara," she turned to the other witch, "I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?"

"Of course," Tara said, quickly taking the hint. "I need to get back to campus so I can study for a test tomorrow. Can you drop me off?" she turned to Oz.

"Uh, well, sure," he frowned, then looked at Willow. "Willow, I don't want to leave you alone with Spike," he said.

"I've been alone with Spike before," Willow reminded him.

"Yes, but he was chipped then," Oz replied.

"He's not going to hurt me, Oz," Willow laid her hands over Spike's as they rested on her belly.

"Willow...," he began to protest.

"Oz," Willow looked at him with her resolve-face.

"Oh, god, don't look at me like that!" Oz said. "I'm worried about you!"

"And I appreciate it," Willow said with a smile. "But you don't need to be. I'm very safe here with Spike. He won't hurt me. And he'd never let anything happen to me."

Spike tightened his grip on Willow as he listened to her defend him to the wolf. He narrowed his eyes, wondering if she'd be mad at him if he got in one good punch. If the wolf didn't leave in ten seconds...

"And please don't tell Buffy or Giles, either," she continued. "I'd like to tell them myself, also."

"Willow...,"

"Goodnight, Oz. I'll see you tomorrow night. At Giles'."

"We're going to Giles' tomorrow?" Spike whispered with a grimace. He'd been so happy, not having to see the Slayer.

"Goodnight!" Anya called as she headed for the door.

"Goodnight," Tara said as she took Oz's hand and pulled him, sputtering, behind her as she followed Anya out.

"Goodnight!" Willow pulled out of Spike's arms and followed them, making sure the door was shut and locked behind them.

***

It took twenty minutes, but they were finally alone. Willow knew that Spike didn't want to stay in the house. He'd been bouncing around like a child with ADD ever since they determined that the spell had worked. She stepped up to him and took his hands, then rose to her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Go," she said to him.

"What?" he looked at her sharply, his mind running in a million different directions at once.

"You're bouncing off of the walls," she said. "Go, test the chip."

He looked at her in surprise.

"Really?" he squeezed her hands.

"Really," she tried to smile.

Spike didn't see the pain in her eyes, he was too excited about the chip being disabled. He grabbed his jacket and was gone into the night. Willow followed him on numb legs, making sure the door was shut securely behind him.

"Just...don't kill anyone," Willow whispered to herself and the empty house, "and come back."

***

Spike found himself walking down Main Street, looking at all the happy meals on legs once again available for the taking. His demon exulted, filled with the anticipation of tasting human blood again. Bloody hell, he was so hungry for human blood. He hadn't had any for almost four months now, and the heartbeats he heard around him were calling to him.

He felt his demon fighting to get out and struggled to keep his human face. He needed to feed, quickly. His eyes searched the few people walking down the street, looking for his target. There, his demon demanded, that one. Spike was almost on her before he realized she had red hair. He stopped, and his demon roared.

No! Not the redhead, he pushed his demon back down. Reminded him too much of Willow. He kept walking, looking around him, until he spotted a blonde woman walking down the street, distracted as she spoke angrily into a cell phone.

Now, this one reminded him of the Slayer. Her, he could do. He followed the woman until she neared an alley, then grabbed her and shoved her inside it. He knocked the phone out of her hand before she could scream, then covered her mouth. He paused for a moment as he realized that the chip hadn't zapped him when he'd pushed the woman into the alley, then laughed, loudly.

He breathed deeply of the scent of the woman's fear...of being mugged, beaten, raped, killed. He morphed and watched her eyes widen even further in horror at the monster she now saw before her. He tilted her head to the side so he could feed, tightening his hold on her as she struggled, tried to scream. He lowered his head to her neck and sank his fangs into her skin.

No pain. He couldn't get over the feeling of freedom. He was whole again! He drew the woman's blood out of her body, the taste of human blood exploding on his tongue. So much better than that pig's blood the Watcher provided for him.

He drank, rejoicing in the taste of human blood, the sound of the woman's heartbeat slowing as he stole her life. Spike realized the woman would die if he took any more blood and fought the demon for control. He pulled his fangs out of her neck and the demon roared as it was denied the final thrill of feeding, the taking of a life.

He dropped the woman where he stood. He was still so hungry. He needed to find another.

***

Spike wandered the streets for almost three hours. Fighting, and feeding, and enjoying his freedom. Freedom from the pain of the chip, freedom from that disgusting pig's blood, freedom from having to ask the Slayer and her goody goodies for help. When his need for human blood and violence was satiated, he returned home.

He quietly opened the front door of the house he shared with Willow and walked in, trying to be quiet so he didn't wake her. He heard Willow's heartbeat and saw her sitting on the stairs, asleep, waiting for him. He closed the door softly and Willow jerked awake.

"Y-you're back," her voice croaked and she fought to open her eyes.

"Of course, I'm back," he whispered as he took his duster off and hung it up. He turned back to the stairs and saw Willow now standing. He took a step toward her and she jumped into his arms, her legs going around his waist, her arms around his shoulders as she buried her face in his neck.

"I'm glad you're back," she whispered against his neck, and then she was kissing him. His neck, his jaw, his cheek, until her lips covered his. She was nibbling, pressing, her tongue slipping between them until she was staking claim to him.

She'd been so afraid he wouldn't come back. She didn't want to go to bed until she knew that Spike was alright, and she knew she'd never be able to concentrate on anything, so she'd lowered herself to the stairs to wait, and must have fallen asleep. The relief she felt when she saw him standing there was like a weight off of her chest.

Spike wrapped his arms around her and took a step back, then turned, pressing her back up against the door. He was full of human blood, his adrenaline pumping from the feeding and fighting, and just plain horny. He needed to shag his woman now. He rubbed himself against her as he took control of the kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth and battling hers for dominance as his hands cupped her butt, kneading, squeezing.

Willow tightened her grip on Spike, as if she could become a part of him. She ran her fingers into his hair and pressed his head to her, tilting her own head to allow him to deepen the kiss. Spike moaned into her mouth, then pulled back so she could breathe, his lips moving along her jaw and down her neck as she sucked in air.

"I love you, Spike," she moaned as she tilted her head to the side, giving him better access to her neck.

"I love you, too," he groaned, then sucked the skin of her neck into his mouth as he ground himself against her. "Need you," he carried her up the stairs as quickly as he could.

When he reached their bedroom, he peeled her off of him and tossed her onto the bed. He whipped his t-shirt off over his head as she watched him with wide eyes, her chest rising and falling with labored breaths.

He untied his boots and kicked them off, then knelt at the foot of the bed and slowly crawled up her body, listening to Willow's quickening breaths, her racing heartbeat.

Willow was so turned on. The knowledge that he had returned to her and their frantic kissing had excited her, but seeing him crawl up the bed to her with cat-like grace was almost more than she could take. She could hear her own ragged breathing, her thundering heartbeat.

"I said I'd always come back," he growled as he continued to crawl. Willow moaned.

"Spike. Spike, please," she sat up and reached for him, her hands sliding over his shoulders and down his back as she pulled him to her. Spike slipped one arm around her back, pressing her soft breasts against his hard chest as he allowed her to capture his lips.

She kissed him, hungrily, as if she could devour him and keep him with her always, her tongue ravaging his mouth as her hands ran over his body, refamiliarizing themselves with the hard planes and round curves. With a sudden move, she rolled them so that Spike was on his back and she was straddling his legs. She moved her lips to his jaw, placing small kisses along it, then down his neck and across his chest.

She flicked his nipple with the tip of her tongue, then ran the flat of her tongue over it before pulling it into her mouth and sucking on it as her fingers played with his other nipple, gently rubbing it, pulling and pinching, until she closed her teeth on him and felt his body jerk. With an evil grin, she moved her mouth to his other nipple, her fingers taking over for her mouth.

When she was done with his nipples, she moved down his stomach, licking, and kissing, and sucking, and nipping, until she reached his jeans. She unbuttoned them, loosening them just enough to give her access to his belly button. She licked and sucked around his belly button before dipping her tongue inside. She listened to his moans and groans of pleasure with delight, then moved her mouth to his side, where she sucked and bit, eliciting laughter from the ticklish vampire.

"Red, stop it!" he laughed as he grabbed her hair and pulled her away from him. With a wicked smile she pressed her face against the front of his jeans and closed her mouth over the shaft of his hard cock.

"Willow!" he cried out as her blunt teeth bit him softly through the denim, and then his zipper was down and his cock was freed, only to be captured by her lips. "Oh, god!" he cried as she sucked on his head, then slid her mouth down his length, taking him in until his cock head hit the back of her throat.

"Willow," he growled, lifting her head off of him and throwing her to her back. He knelt above her and ripped at her shirt and jeans until they lay in shreds on the floor. He lowered his head to breasts that bounced tantalizingly from the rough removal of her bra and drew a nipple into his mouth, running his tongue over it as he sucked on it, his fingers closing over the other.

"Spike!" she moaned, her hands clutching at his shoulders, the back of his head. Spike kissed down her belly as she had done to him, his hand moving between her thighs. Willow eagerly spread her legs to his questing fingers and Spike slipped them inside her, checking to make sure she was lubricated. He pulled his fingers out and rubbed them over her clit, causing Willow's hips to buck into his hand.

"Need you," he said again as he blue eyes looked down into green.

"Spike, please," she pleaded as she pulled him down for another kiss. He placed the head of his cock against her entrance, his hips moving as he slid teasingly along her slit. She groaned impatiently and Spike thrust forward, driving into her. Willow screamed as he entered her, wrapping her legs around his waist.

He pumped in and out of her and Willow lifted her hips, meeting each thrust, her hands running over his back, pressing him against her, as they continued to kiss. They were both worked up and didn't last long. Spike felt his balls tighten and reached between them to pluck at Willow's clit.

Willow moaned into his mouth as her entire body tensed, then shuddered as she came, a wordless keen filling the room.

Spike watched her face as pleasure racked her body. He felt her muscles tense around his cock. He moved his mouth to her shoulder, morphed, and pricked her skin with his fangs. He licked the blood that welled up out of the small puncture wounds, then came, her scent filling his nostrils, her taste on his tongue.

Spent, he fell on top of Willow. He tried to roll off of her, but Willow tightened her grip, holding him to her.

"Don't go," she mumbled, tiredly.

"Not going anywhere," Spike whispered, "just didn't wanna squish you."

"Feels good," Willow insisted, then let her legs fall down to the bed and entangle with his, her hands running gently over his back. "I love you," she kissed his shoulder.

"I love you, too, Red," he licked at the bite mark until it stopped bleeding.

"How...how, um, was tonight?" Willow asked. "Without the chip, I mean."

"Bloody amazing!" Spike replied. He heard Willow's indrawn breath and felt her heartbeat quicken. He raised his head and looked down at her. "Didn't kill anyone," he assured her, and saw her swallow hard.

"No?"

"No. Told you, never giving you up. Never," he pulled out of Willow and rolled off of her, so that he was lying on his side, facing her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. Willow went willingly, wrapping her arms around him and snuggling as close as she could get, ignoring the implications of Spike's statement as she rejoiced in his nearness.

***

Then next day, Willow made it to school on time, but barely. She alternated between being too tired to concentrate and too excited to concentrate. She ran into Tara after her last morning class, and they went to the student union together. They shared a long lunch as Willow talked about Spike.

She hadn't been able to share her feelings for Spike with any of her other friends, and they were bubbling up inside of her, looking for an outlet. Tara just sat back with a slight smile on her face at the irony, as she listened to Willow extol the virtues of her demon lover.

Finally Willow wound down and looked at Tara with eyes that shone with love and...mischief?

"So," she said, "you and Oz?"

Tara blushed. After teasing Tara for several minutes, both girls stood to go to their next class. As she stood outside the student union enjoying the sun that warmed her skin despite the cool breeze, Willow realized that they needed to celebrate the removal of Spike's chip. She should get him a present.

She sat down on one of the many benches around the campus and thought about what Spike might enjoy. He had different tastes in music than she did, so she wasn't sure she'd be able to pick out anything he'd enjoy. Besides, that didn't seem personal enough.

She crossed her arms over her belly and rubbed her hands over her upper arms as she closed her eyes and tilted her head back to let the sun play over her face. What to get, what to get, what to get, she thought. Aha! She opened her eyes and sat up with a smile on her face.

She had just the thing. Spike was gonna love it.

~Part: 30~

When Willow got home earlier than usual that afternoon, the house was quiet and she assumed that Spike was still sleeping. She tiptoed up the stairs and down the hallway to the bathroom, carefully shutting the door. She leaned back against the closed door and took a deep breath. She was so tired. Now she remembered why she hated shopping.

She carefully set her book bag down on the floor, then relieved herself and freshened up, washing her face, brushing her teeth, and combing her hair. She unzipped her book bag and removed one wrapped package and a small brown box. She blushed as she thought of the contents of the box. Shaking her head, she stood and straightened her shoulders. She could do this.

Walking into the bedroom she came up short. Spike was lying on his back...naked...without even the sheet to cover him. Willow spent several minutes taking in the beautiful sight of her naked lover. And he was beautiful. His muscular shoulders and arms, his strong chest, tapered waist, defined abs, the soft member that lay nestled in his brown curls, his legs.

She finally drew her eyes away from him and walked over to the side of the bed. She set her purchases on the bedside table, then crawled onto the bed, lying on her side, her head propped up on her hand. She reached out with her other hand, lightly brushing her fingertips over Spike, tracing a path from his throat, to each nipple, and down to his belly button before she got the first response from him.

"Red?" he asked tiredly without opening his eyes.

"Afternoon, Spike," she whispered seductively. Spike's eyes flew open, and confused and tired blue eyes stared up into mischievous green ones.

"Red?" he asked again.

"What, Spike?" she asked coquettishly as her finger traced a path to his groin, skirting his cock.

"Aren't you home early?" he asked, not moving.

"Yes," she smiled down at him as her finger continued down the inside of his thigh.

"Uh, why?" he asked as he tried to keep his body from shuddering in delight at her touch.

"Need a reason?" she asked, sliding down the bed to allow her finger to reach his ankle and foot.

"Mmm," Spike tried not to move as she tickled his sensitive skin, "guess not."

"I got you a present," she said as she slid back up the bed.

"You did?" he asked.

"Mmm hmm," she kissed him.

"What for?" he put his hand on her shoulder.

"To celebrate," she kissed him again, "the chip," and again.

"Willow," he groaned, moving to deepen the kiss. Willow pulled away with a grin.

"Open my present?" she asked as she reached behind her and grabbed the wrapped package off of the stand. She laid it on Spike's chest and he looked at it suspiciously.

"Just open it," she tickled his side. "It's not gonna bite. But I might, if you don't hurry," she teased.

Spike raised his eyebrows at her, then tore the paper off of the present. It was a book. He held it up and read the title.

"Poetry?" he asked in horror.

"Yeah," Willow smiled. "You said before you'd read me a poem." She noticed that Spike didn't seem thrilled with his present. "You don't like it," tears pricked her eyes. "That's alright," she shrugged, "I can take it back." She reached for the book. Why did she always have to be so stupid?

Spike could sense the change in her. Her body had gone from soft and sensual to stiff and tense, and he could smell the tears she hadn't yet let fall. He could tell that she was disappointed with his reaction. He pulled the book out of her reach and laid it on the bed beside him. He reached up and pulled Willow down onto his chest.

"I do like it," he assured her. "It's just...you surprised me, is all. No one's bought me a present in a long time and...I didn't realize you knew...well, I didn't remember that I'd mentioned...oh, hell!" he swore in frustration. "I didn't know you knew I liked poetry!" he finally got out.

"You really like it?" she asked, her head resting on his chest as her fingers played over the binding on the book.

"Yes," he squeezed her.

"Will you read me something?" she asked. Spike closed his eyes and shook his head. Could he *get* any more pathetic? He picked the book up and rested it against his bent leg, flipping through the pages until he found one he liked. He lifted the book, holding it with one hand, and read the poem to Willow.

Willow closed her eyes and listened to his voice as he read the poem. His voice was beautiful. She smiled as he read about love found, love denied, love lost, and love found again.

"Thank you," she said when he was finished and had put the book back down on the bed.

"Welcome, luv," he kissed the top of her head. That had been...nice. He groaned to himself. He was a bloody *demon*. He wasn't supposed to do nice. He was *evil*!

Willow was talking to him and had placed a small box on his chest when he came back to the present.

"What's that, luv?" he asked.

"I got you another present," Willow repeated breathlessly.

Spike heard her breathing quicken, her heart rate speed up, but paid it little attention as he stared in horror at the box on his chest.

"It's not another book, is it?" he asked fearfully.

"No," Willow's voice cracked. "Not a book."

Spike carefully lifted the lid and peeked inside. He dropped the lid in shock. He couldn't have just seen what he thought he saw. He lifted the lid again. Yep, he saw what he thought he saw. With a grin, he lifted the lid off of the box and tossed it on the floor. He lifted his present out of the box and looked at it with...anticipation, shoving the bottom of the box onto the floor with the top.

"Cuffs?" he asked with a smirk, finally noticing Willow's increased breathing and heart rate, her flushed skin.

"Yes," she squeaked. "Like 'em?"

"Love 'em," he rolled her onto her back and pressed down on her. He stared into her eyes as he pulled her hand away from his chest and held it above her head, fastening one of the cuffs around her wrist. He let go of her wrist and climbed to his knees. He ran his hand up her side to her armpit, then along the underside of her arm as he raised it so that both arms were above her head.

He dragged her body so that she was lying diagonally across the bed, reached above her and wrapped the cuffs around the post, then cuffed her other wrist. Spike watched with a smirk as Willow pulled experimentally at the cuffs. He listened to her hammering heart, her harsh breathing, smelled the heavenly scent of her growing arousal.

"Want me to read poetry to you now?" he asked as his hands moved down her arms to cup her breasts.

Willow, speechless, shook her head. She was so turned on by his response. First, she'd gotten all gooey when he read the poem to her, then she'd gotten all tingly when he opened the cuffs and forcefully rolled on top of her. He'd gently restrained her and was now touching her breasts. She closed her eyes, moaning.

"What do you want?" he teased.

"Spike, please," she pressed into his hands.
 

"Tell me," he whispered just before he lowered his head and sucked on her neck.

"Ahh!" Willow cried, as his touch on her neck and breasts shot bolts of electricity between her thighs. Her hips jerked as he sucked on her neck, gently kneaded her breasts, pinching her nipples between thumb and index finger. "Spike, please!" she cried. "Oh, goddess, please, touch me!"

Spike tore her shirt open and buttons went flying. He unsnapped her bra and dove for her breasts, licking, and sucking, and biting as his hands moved down to her jeans, tearing the button and zipper open, then roughly shoving them down her hips and off of her legs. Willow helped as much as she could, though concentrating on one thing was difficult.

A combination of his mouth on her breasts, the anticipation of his touch on her weeping core, and the inability to touch him as she jerked uselessly on the cuffs, all served to heighten her arousal.

"Spike," Willow moaned again, then screamed as his fingers found her center. "Yes, yes, yes," she groaned as he ran his fingers over her, then slipped one inside of her. She bucked her hips against his hand, moaning her approval as he slipped a second finger inside of her.

Spike released her breast from his mouth, immediately covering it with his hand, then moved his lips down her stomach, pausing to torment her belly button before continuing down her body.

"Spike, please," Willow was writhing in anticipation. "Please, please, please," she begged.

"Please what?" he lifted his head and smirked at her.

"Please!" she screamed. "Taste me, eat me, make me cum! Please, Spike, ahhhh!" she screamed as his tongue touched her.

Spike growled against her as his tongue lapped teasingly at her outer lips, and felt himself harden even further at her scream of pleasure. He stiffened his tongue and stuck it inside her, joining his fingers. Willow mewled and bucked. He pulled his tongue out and stroked the flattened surface over her clit, then flicked it with the tip. Willow was almost crying with her need for him.

Bloody hell! If he knew Willow'd like being cuffed this much, he'd have found his old set of chains. Maybe they could try that later, he thought. He wondered how difficult it would be to talk her into a spanking, now that she'd experienced this, as he sucked her clit into his mouth, strumming it with the tip of his tongue, then biting down softly with blunt teeth, his fingers flexing inside her.

"Spike!" she screamed and he felt her body tense. Willow began a wordless keening and her muscles tightened around his fingers as her juices gushed out of her body. Spike kept his mouth on her, drinking her juices, licking and sucking her sensitive flesh, and his fingers inside her, flexing and stroking, until he'd brought her to a second orgasm.

Pulling his fingers out of her spasming channel, Spike positioned his weeping cock head at her entrance, then drove inside her. Willow cried out as he filled her, tugging at her cuffs with hands that wanted nothing more than to grab him and hold him close. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, taking him as deeply as she could.

"Willow," Spike groaned as her heat enveloped him. "Baby, you feel so good." She was so warm, so bloody tight. And she was cuffed, with cuffs she'd bought him, begging him to shag her...he began to pump his cock into her, listening to her incoherent pleas for more.

"Yes, Spike, oh, goddess, don't stop, feels wonderful, oh, god, Spike," she chanted as he thrust into her.

He thought about the cuffs again. The cuffs she had bought and allowed him to put on her. He listened to her words, telling him how much she liked what he was doing to her. He looked down at her face, contorted with pleasure. He was gonna cum, but he wanted her to cum first.

Lowering his head to her neck, Spike morphed, and sank his fangs into her. He slowly drew her blood out of her, savoring the taste of it. Willow screamed as the sucking of her blood pulled on her core. She felt already abused muscles tensing as the orgasm ripped through her.

"Willow!" Spike pulled his fangs out of her neck and roared her name as her muscles clamped around his cock. He pumped one last time, and then his balls tightened, his own body tensing as he shot his seed into her. Spent, he fell onto her, his arms going beneath her to hold her close as he licked the bite.

Willow moaned as Spike unlocked the cuffs and pulled her arms down, massaging the blood back into them. When he stopped fussing, she pulled him back down to her and held him tight.

"Yours?" she asked softly, tears in her eyes.

"Mine," Spike said into her neck, once again lapping at the bite.

"Mine?" she asked, her fingers rubbing the healed bite mark on his neck.

"Yours," he groaned, morphing into his demon visage, then back again, "yours."

***

"Wanna take a bath?" Willow asked softly, not wanting to wake Spike if he was really sleeping.

"Are you sore?" he asked, lifting his head, immediately worried that he might have hurt her. She *was* only human, after all.

"No, I just...like it," she blushed.

"I'd love to," he smirked down at her, then placed a gentle kiss against her lips. "You're so beautiful," he said as he looked down at her face, the picture of satisfaction and contentment.

"So are you," she said, her hands running down his back.

"I'm not beautiful," he frowned. "I'm a demon! Evil! A bloody animal!" he tried to sound angry.

"That, too," Willow teased him as she pinched his butt.

"Hey!" he jumped and slapped playfully at her hands. "Don't bruise the merchandise."

"I thought you liked it a little rough," she smiled seductively up at him and waggled an eyebrow.

"Thought you wanted a bath," he growled, pressing his growing erection against her as he kissed her.

"Do," she said, returning the kiss. "Later."

An hour and a half later, Willow and Spike were sitting in the living room watching the television, waiting for Anya and Xander to show up. After their second round of bedroom calisthenics and a bath, Willow had called Anya to find out when she and Xander would be coming over, and then Willow had called to order a couple of pizzas.

Spike was trying to keep his attention on the program on the telly, but he was thinking about the moron's impending visit. He could tell how much it meant to Willow that Xander understand and accept her decision to be with him, and he was dreading the upcoming confrontation. He wasn't afraid that the moron would convince Willow that she'd made a mistake, but that he would say or do something to hurt her.

Oh, yeah, as if his relationship with Willow wasn't enough, she was also going to tell him about the chip being disabled. Yep, this was going to be a fun night. Willow jerked, startled when the doorbell rang. Spike squeezed her hand encouragingly, and she smiled tremulously at him.

"I'll get it," she jumped off of the couch and walked slowly over to the door. She wanted to see Xander, she wanted to straighten things out with him and tell him about the chip, but she really wasn't looking forward to his reaction.

Spike stood and followed her, leaning against the doorframe. No matter what happened with her best friend, he'd be there for her.

"Hi," Willow said as she pulled the door open to reveal Xander and Anya standing on her doorstep. Anya was glowing with happiness; Xander looked uncomfortable, nervous and sheepish at the same time.

"Come on in," she ushered them into the living room, touching Spike's arm as she passed him. Willow seated them on the couch, remaining standing with Spike at her side.

"We need to talk," she said. Xander nodded his head, then looked at Spike, who glowered at him, and back at Willow.

"Alright," he began. "Do you want me to go first?"

"No," Willow said, "me first." She took a deep breath, and reached for Spike's hand before starting. Spike squeezed her hand for support. Willow smiled at him and squeezed back. He'd do anything for that smile. The moron better not hurt her.

"I love you, Xander," Willow said. "You're my best friend. I can't remember a time when you weren't my best friend. And I love Spike. I love him so much," she paused as tears filled her eyes and made it difficult for her to continue. Spike rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. "He makes me really happy," she tried again, then sniffled as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Really!" she tried to laugh at the disparity of her crying as she told Xander that Spike made her happy. "Oh, goddess," she wiped the tears away.

"You don't have to like him. And you don't have to like *us*," she indicated their 'couple-ness'. "But, I need you to *accept* it, to let me make my own decisions, even if you don't agree with them. I need you to still be my friend, Xander," she started crying again.

"Oh, god, Willow!" Xander stood up and climbed awkwardly over the coffee table to get to her. He took her in his arms and held her as she cried on him. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I love you. I was just worried and, I mean, it's *Spike*! Evil undead! Bloodsucking demon! He, he's scary!"

Spike emitted a low growl when Xander engulfed Willow. He knew that she needed this, but he didn't like anyone touching his woman. He preened when he heard Xander's words, evil, scary.

"Stop," Willow said, "you're gonna give him a big head."

"Hey!" Spike said, wondering how she knew what he was doing when she couldn't even see him.

Willow dimly heard the doorbell ring again, felt Spike leave her side and heard him answer the door and pay for the pizzas. He carried the boxes into the dining room, then came back in time to hear Xander say, "I'll try."

"That's all I ask," Willow said. "Thank you." She stood back and wiped her eyes, then reached out and wiped a tear off of Xander's face.

"Oh, yeah, one more thing," she said, as if she'd just remembered, "we took Spike's chip out. Pizza, anyone?"

"What?!" Thud!

"Well, I'd say he took that pretty well," Spike drawled with a shrug.

"You broke him! Xander?" Anya cried.

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