Imbolc With Spike

Series: The Holiday Series

Author: Spikedluv

Pairing: Willow/Spike (as it should be)

Spoilers: Nothing really. Takes place during season 4.

Summary: Willow celebrates the Wiccan holiday of Imbolc with Spike.

Notes: Fluff, the whole fluff, and nothing but the fluff. ** indicate emphasis.

Imbolc: The holiday of Imbolc celebrates the lengthening of the day and ushers in the new growing season. It is a time of growth and rebirth. Candles and bonfires are lit to speed the earth’s warming and to stress life’s renewal. February, from the Latin word Februum, is also the month of cleansing and purification. In addition, the maiden, the bride, is honored during this holiday. Brigid was the goddess of smith craft, poetry and inspiration, and healing. The holiday of Imbolc was called Brigid by many because she was also the goddess of fire.

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

E-mail: spikedluv@midtel.net

Distribution: The Seduction of Spike, Soulmates, Willow’s Lil’ Secret, Shades of Gray, The BatPack Archives, Wacky Witch Willow, Rapture, and Shippers United. If anyone else wants it, please take it; just let me know.

Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters, just borrowing them for awhile. Everything belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Enterprises, Grr Argh, the WB, UPN and whomever else they really belong to, although I wouldn’t mind having a Spike of my own. Who would? The story is mine, though.

Credit: I found all of my information regarding the Wiccan holiday of Imbolc from Wiccan Holidays and Sabbats, http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Café/1614/Celtwicc/Wicca/Wicca04.htm, and from Wiccan and Pagan Holidays, http://www.wicca.com/celtic/akasha/index0.htm. The ritual itself was taken directly from Wiccan and Pagan Holidays. Any mistakes or misinterpretations are solely mine. Thanks: Amanda, beta and grasshopper extra ordinaire.

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  Willow stood on the back porch in her bathrobe, surveying the backyard. A small pile of twigs and some larger branches lay in the middle of the small yard. Several feet away from the pile was a white sheet covered with spell implements. Midnight would usher in the new day, February 2^nd, the Wiccan holiday of Imbolc, or Brigid.Willow had performed the purification ritual on her bedroom earlier by using the ritual broom to sweep out the old; had bathed in water scented with vanilla to purify her body; and had lit several candles and placed them around her bedroom in honor of the holiday. She now stood poised to begin the Imbolc ritual, which she had decided to perform outside so she could light a bonfire.

Before setting up her altar, she had placed a protection spell around the yard so that no baddies could get in while she was performing the ritual. She had also put a blanketing spell around the property, so if the neighbors happened to wake up after midnight and glance out their windows, they wouldn’t see the good little Jewish girl dancing around her backyard, naked. Yep, naked.

Willow nervously fingered the tie at her waist. She had decided to perform the ritual skyclad, which was a nice way of saying naked. Completely naked. She knew the ritual wasn’t long or difficult, so she wouldn’t freeze to death. Also, she’d light the small bonfire, which would warm her up.

It was just the fact that she was going to be...naked. She took a deep breath and steeled her shoulders, and then strode forth, as she imagined the Celtic Fire Goddess Brigid might have done.

Willow took a long wooden match from the pile on the altar, lit it, and held it to the small pile of twigs. Once the fire caught, she added a couple of the larger branches, then stepped before her altar and dropped her robe.

Spike gasped and almost choked when he saw Willow drop her robe and stand before him, naked. Of course, she didn’t *know* she was standing before him. He’d followed her to her parents’ house that night, after she had left the Watcher’s apartment. He had been confused when she didn’t return to her dorm room, and had waited outside the house to see what she was up to before he headed out to kill something.

Hidden in the shadows around the house and on her balcony, he had watched her perform some spells, set up the small pile of twigs and branches and lay out the sheet in the backyard, and then sweep her already-clean room with an old broom. She then disappeared into the bathroom, coming out about twenty minutes later dressed only in her robe, the scent of vanilla wafting behind her. She lit some candles scattered about her room, and left.

He still wasn’t sure what she was up to, but wasn’t about to leave her alone when any nasty could sneak up on her. Silly chit! She knew she shouldn’t be outside alone after dark! What was she thinking? He jumped down off of the balcony to follow her.

Willow cast her circle by holding her right hand out and tracing over the Angelica leaves that outlined the circle. She envisioned flames of pure white rising up around the perimeter of her circle.

Inside the circle lay the white altar cloth. A pentacle candle wheel stood in the center of the altar. A light-green tapered candle representing the Goddess was at the top left of the altar, a light-yellow tapered candle representing the God, at the top right. In front of the Goddess candle and to the left of the wheel, was a small basket filled with white flowers, known as the Bride’s Bed. Atop the flowers lay a Brideo’gas; a traditional corn dolly.

A handful of acorns had been placed in front of the God candle and to the right of the wheel. At the front center of the altar was a potpourri holder with a tea light candle in its bottom. Before the altar was a cauldron, inside the cauldron a white pillar candle surrounded by crushed ice.

Beside the cauldron and within easy reach was a container holding a potpourri blend of basil, bay, heather flowers, cinnamon, and vanilla, long wooden stick matches, a container of water, three white four-inch stick candles, six amethyst stones, sunflower seeds, spiced tea, and a candle snuffer.

When the circle was complete, Willow stepped up to the cauldron and lit the white pillar candle, saying,

Next, Willow called quarters. She began with North, the element of Earth. Picking up the container of potpourri, she knelt before the altar and poured some into the potpourri holder, saying,

Setting the container down, she lit the candle at the north point of the pentacle candle wheel. Next was East, the element of Air. She waved her hand over the container, as if to create a breeze to carry the scent, and said,

Willow lit the candle at the east point of the pentacle candle wheel, and then lit the tea light candle in the bottom of the potpourri holder, saying,

She lit the candle at the south point of the pentacle candle wheel, and then poured a small amount of water into the potpourri holder, saying,

Willow shivered as she lit the candle at the west point of the pentacle candle wheel. Her skin was covered with gooseflesh, but she ignored it. She removed the white candle from the top point of the pentacle candle wheel, lit it, and invoked the Goddess and God by using it to light the light-green and light-yellow candles. She replaced the white candle, and said,

Willow lit the inner cross points of the pentacle candle wheel in succession, starting with the cross point to the right of the north point, saying,

Willow placed several acorns in the basket with the Brideo’gas, and then lit the three, four-inch candles, which represented the three aspects of the Goddess, and said,

Willow lowered her head in prayer to the Maiden Goddesses, Brigid, Aradia, Athena, Gaia, and to the Gods of Love and Fertility, Eros and Februus, and asked for their guidance and good health, for herself and her friends. If her mind briefly flitted over her unquantifiable relationship with Spike, she couldn’t be blamed. She then took the six amethyst stones and placed them before her on the altar cloth. With a few whispered words, she placed a spell of protection on each of them.

She reached out and took some of the sunflower seeds in her hand, popped them in her mouth and chewed, and then lifted the spiced tea to her lips and drank. When she was done, she thanked the God and Goddess for their presence and snuffed their candles. She thanked and released the quarters, saying,

Willow snuffed the candles on the directional points of the pentacle candle wheel, beginning with the top point, then the west, south, east, and north points. She then snuffed the cross point candles, and then the three aspects of the Goddess candles. She rose and stepped back from the altar, faced the cauldron, and said,

She released the circle and stepped out of it, and over to the small fire. She added a few more branches to it, and warmed herself in its heat, holding her hands out over the flames and staring into them. When her chill had lessened, she turned to pick up her robe.

"Spike!" she squeaked.

Spike watched Willow as she performed her ritual. He could hear the words she spoke from his place in the shadows of the house, but found himself mesmerized by the sight of her. He knew she was cold, could almost hear her teeth chattering, and shook his head at her stubbornness.

Halfway through the ceremony, he found himself having to rearrange himself in his jeans, as Willow leaned forward to light a candle, and the sight of her pert breasts, bathed in firelight from both the candles and the bonfire, were revealed to him, the nipples puckered from the chill night air.

When she finally rose to her feet and ended the ritual, stepping over to the small fire, Spike moved silently forward. He loved the way the firelight played over her porcelain-white skin and red hair. He slipped his duster off of his shoulders, the leather creaking loudly to his vampiric senses.

"Spike!" Willow cried in surprise when she turned away from the fire and saw him approaching her.

Spike didn’t speak in the two steps it took to reach her. He wrapped his duster around her and pulled her close to him, and then lowered his lips to hers for a light kiss. Her lips were cold and he could feel her shivering against him.

"Silly chit," he whispered, backing her back up to the small fire until he could feel its warmth.

"S-Spike," she stammered, partly from the cold, and partly from the shock of seeing him. "Wh-what are you doing here? H-how’d you get in?" she looked behind him, worriedly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused, as he held her close to his body, rubbing his hands over her back to warm her.

"I, uh, did a protection spell, a, a barrier," she said, as she let her arms go around his waist. "So nothing could come in and eat me while I was doing the ritual."

"Ah," Spike nodded his head, glad that she had taken some precautions before traipsing around naked in the dark. "I guess I was never outside the barrier," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked, snuggling closer to him. He wasn’t giving off any heat, but he was like a nice body pillow that warmed up as you held it.

"I followed you home from the Watcher’s," he admitted, as he continued to warm her up.

"Oh," Willow said, and paused. "I thought you were going to patrol, you know, kill something?" she asked.

Spike was silent for a moment before he took a deep, unnecessary breath and answered her. "Wanted to make sure you got home alright, first," his voice was gruff. What a ponce, he thought, as he ran his hands quickly up and down her arms.

"Y-you did?" she asked softly.

"Yes!" Spike snarled, increasing the speed of his hands on her arms.

Willow giggled. She felt like she was being shaken...not stirred.

"What’s so funny?" he growled, immediately assuming she was mocking him for the poof he’d turned into.

"You’re shaking me," she giggled again, as her voice shook with the motion of her body.

"Oh," he replied, slowing his hands. He was silent for a couple of minutes as he continued to warm her up more gently. "So," he finally broke the silence, "what kind of ritual were you performing?"

"Mmm," Willow felt so relaxed, "a ritual for the the Wiccan holiday of Imbolc, which celebrates growth and rebirth. Basically, the lengthening of the day and the warming of the earth in anticipation of spring," she explained.

"Ah," Spike nodded. "Is that what the bonfire is for?"

"Yeah," Willow nodded against his chest. "Plus, I knew I was going to be cold!"

"Are you still cold?"

"Hmm, no, warming up nicely, now," she smiled, tightening her arms around him.

"Well, that’s good then." he said. After a short silence, he tilted his head and looked down at the redhead resting against his chest. "Since I’m inside that barrier you put up, and I *am* the big bad...do *I* get to eat you?" he asked softly.

Willow stiffened and swallowed hard. She had been completely relaxed against him, but the husky, seductive sound of his voice stirred something deep inside her. She felt him pull the jacket away from her neck and lower his lips to her warmed flesh.

His cool tongue darted out to touch her and made her shiver with anticipation. Her fingers gripped his t-shirt as he licked and sucked on her neck, then nibbled his way up to her earlobe.

"Do I?" he whispered in her ear.

"Spike," she moaned, pressing herself against him and feeling the proof of his arousal against her stomach.

"Do I?" he whispered again, slipping his hands beneath the duster to tease her heated flesh. One hand moved down to cup her bum as the other moved up to cup her breast. His thumb grazed the nipple and it pebbled at his touch.

"Oh, god, Spike, please," she moaned, as she felt the heat and ache between her thighs that his touch, the sound of his voice, were causing.

"Please what?" he grazed his teeth over her neck as he kneaded her bum, tweaked her nipple.

"Please...yes!" she cried, as a pull on her nipple sent shock waves to her core. "God, yes, please!"

Before she had finished begging him to touch her, Spike lowered her to the ground and Willow found herself on her back beside the fire. Without a word, Spike squatted beside her and removed his boots and t-shirt. He pushed the duster away from her so that she was exposed to his sight.

"You’re beautiful," he breathed as he admired her. The firelight danced across her skin and made her hair shimmer. He knelt and ran his hands over her stomach, her breasts, and up her neck, his thumbs running over her lips. He moved his hands to her thighs, and looked up at her.

"The barrier’s still up, right?" he asked, as his hands gently parted her legs.

"Yes," she whimpered. Her body was so heated now, she couldn’t remember being cold. He just smiled at her, as if he could read her mind, and then climbed between her open legs, his hands kneading the inside of her thighs, his thumbs nearly grazing her center.

Willow let her head roll back. "Please," she begged, lifting her hips in a silent plea for his touch.

Spike lowered his head and kissed the inside of her thigh. At Willow’s moan, he licked her, and then sucked on the soft skin. The scent of her arousal was potent, heady, but he refused to be rushed. He moved to the other thigh, and nibbled on her flesh.

Willow grabbed at Spike’s head in an attempt to make him stop his teasing and touch her where she needed to be touched. Spike just pushed her hands away and moved further away from her, licking, kissing, and sucking on the sensitive flesh behind her knee.

"Spike!" Willow protested, sitting up and reaching for his shoulders. Spike allowed Willow to draw him to her, and placed a gentle kiss on her lips before sliding his tongue between them and plundering her mouth. With one hand on her back, he placed the other between her thighs and lightly brushed his fingertips over her.

"Spike," Willow breathed at the light touch. She grabbed his arm and pressed his fingers against her. "Spike, please," she pleaded.

Spike pulled away and smirked at her. Willow growled at him, and his smirk grew wider. He moved his hand to her shoulder and gently pushed her onto her back. With his eyes on hers, he placed both hands on the inside of her thighs and spread them wider, then slowly lowered his face to her center.

By the time his tongue reached out to taste her, Willow was aching with need. Her juices had begun to flow in anticipation of his touch, and coated the inside of her thighs.

Spike placed his thumbs against her, spreading her lips, and lapped at the sweet juices flowing from her body. His touch was slow and gentle, and he could tell from the increase in her breathing and the tensing of her body, that Willow wanted more. And then her hands were in his hair, and she was lifting her hips against his face, begging him for more.

"Spike, please, harder, please," her voice was husky and breathless. Spike loved the way she responded to his touch, the way he could make her beg for what he was dying to give her anyway. He increased the speed of his tongue, and shoved it inside her, licking and sucking at her. He pulled his tongue out of her and ran it over her clit, and Willow’s body jerked.

"Oh, god, Spike, yes! Do that ag... Ahhh, yes, yes!" Willow cried, as he stroked her clit, slowly at first, then faster. He sucked her clit into his mouth as he inserted a finger inside her, and Willow cried out.

"Yes, yes, just like...," and then Spike slid a second finger inside her as he continued to work her clit with his tongue, and she was reduced to a wordless keen as he touched the spot inside her that made her toes curl.

He felt her body respond to his touch, her muscles tensing. Her head rolled back, and her mouth opened in a wordless scream as her orgasm ripped through her. He felt her body begin to relax and increased the speed and pressure of his tongue on her, the pressure of his fingers against her. Her body stiffened and she came again. He placed his mouth at her entrance and drank the juices that ran from her body.

When she had stilled beneath him, Spike stood and removed his jeans. He knelt between her thighs and lifted her hips. Positioning his cock head against her opening, he watched her face as he slowly pressed in.

"Ohhh, Spike," she moaned as he filled her. She reached for him, but Spike ignored her. His hands on her hips, he held her as he pulled out and thrust back into her.

"Ohhh!" her eyes opened wide as he hit the pleasure spot inside her.

"Like that?" Spike smirked at her and pulled out again. He thrust into her, again and again, watching her face as he drove her to the edge once more. He held onto her with one hand and moved the fingers of the other to her clit, stroking her with his fingers as he pumped into her.

"Spike! Oh, god, yes, Spike, please, ahhhhh!" she screamed as she came again. Spike felt her muscles tighten around him. Before she finished, he dropped over her, his weight resting on his forearms, his hands in her hair, as he began to piston into her.

Willow could barely move. She lifted her legs around his waist, and placed her hands on his shoulders as she met his thrusts, her weakened muscles protesting. He felt so good inside her. He made her feel so good. She wanted to make him feel good, watch his face as he came.

Pulling him down to her, Willow nuzzled his neck, licking and sucking the sensitive skin over his non-existent pulse point. She grazed her teeth over his skin and felt him shudder. She closed her teeth on his skin and he began to babble.

"Willow, luv, Red, please, oh, hell, yesssss," he cried, as Willow bit down hard enough to break the skin, and lapped at the blood that oozed from the wound.

As she bit him, Spike lowered his lips to Willow’s neck without thinking. He morphed and sank his fangs into her soft skin, and drew on her blood. There was pain, then there was an electric charge straight to her center.

"Oh, goddess, Spike!" Willow screamed, as her already-sensitive body responded to the pull on her core. "Spike!" she came again as he pumped into her and sucked her blood.

The taste of her blood, seasoned with magic, and the feel of her muscles closing around him like a fist, took Spike over the edge. He felt the muscles in his body tense, his balls tighten and rise, and then his cock was swelling and pulsing, shooting his release into her.

"Willow!" Spike retracted his fangs and howled her name into the night. When he was empty, he lowered his lips to her neck and licked the puncture wounds. Willow didn’t move or make a sound.

"Willow?" he whispered her name. Nothing. "Willow?" he called again, louder this time.

"Hnn?" she managed. She heard him, she felt him, she just couldn’t move, speak.

"You okay, luv?" he asked, worried.

"Hmm!" she snorted. "Ask me that when I can move again," she said, when she managed to get her lips to work.

"Uh, how long will that be?" he asked, as he kissed her neck.

"Uhhhh, ‘bout a week, I think," Willow replied.

"That long, huh?" Spike sounded very pleased with himself.

"Not funny, Spike," Willow reprimanded him sleepily.

"‘Course not, luv," he agreed, as he nuzzled her neck and curled his body around her, arms and legs encircling her, holding her close.

They lay in silence until Willow spoke again. "You, uh, you bit me."

"Yeah!" Spike agreed. "Didn’t you like it?"

"Well, yeah," Willow admitted, remembering how the bite had made her cum. "But, um, how? And...you’re not going to kill me, are you?" she asked.

"Don’t know how," Spike said, and pinched her.

"Ow!" Willow slapped him.

"Ow, oh, bloody hell!" Spike grabbed his head as the chip fired. "Ow!" he yelled again as she slapped him.

"You okay?" Willow wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his head.

"Yeah," Spike groaned. "Guess the soddin’ chip still works."

"Then how did you..."

"Don’t know," Spike said. "Maybe ‘cause I didn’t intend to hurt you, just wanted to make you feel good. Worked didn’t it?" he smirked, recovered from the pain in his head.

"It was...alright," Willow shrugged beneath him.

"Alright?" Spike cried in disbelief. "Just alright?"

"Your ego doesn’t need any help from me," Willow responded as she absently rubbed his back with one hand, the fingers of the other combing through his hair. "A-about the killing me if the chip wasn’t working thing," she brought his attention back to her earlier question. "Would you?"

Spike was silent long enough to make Willow worry about his answer. "Might want to turn you eventually," he finally answered, careful not to look at her face. He didn’t want to see the fear or disgust that he expected. "Wouldn’t do it now, though. Like you all warm an’ stuff. Well," he corrected, "you’re *usually* warm. When you’re not outside, naked, in February!"

"Hey!" Willow defended herself. "I was ready to go in the house before, and *you* kept me out here! So...so...there!"

"Got me there, Red," Spike lifted his head and smiled down at her. "Ready to go inside now?"

"No," Willow pouted. "If we go inside I have to put all that away," she indicated the items on her altar. "Can we stay here a little longer?" she asked, as she tightened her arms around him, holding him to her.

"Well, okay, but my bum’s getting chilled," Spike complained.

"Well, here, you can lay next to the fire," Willow rolled so Spike was between her and the fire.

"Careful!" he cried as he felt the heat at his back. "Combustible vampire here!"

"I won’t let you burn, baby," Willow promised. "Well, you know, except for when you’re burning for me," she grinned at him.

"Very funny, Red," he replied, as he pulled his duster up around her so she didn’t get cold.

They lay in comfortable silence, until Willow spoke again. "I made you something."

"You did?" Spike asked, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "What?"

"On the altar cloth," she pointed. "One of the purple stones. And will you grab my robe, too?"

Spike pulled away from her and crawled over to the white cloth, on which laid six amethyst stones. He picked one up and held it out for Willow to see.

"One of these?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, "and the robe."

Spike grabbed the robe and crawled back over to her, lying back down between her and the fire. Willow took the stone from him and reached into the pocket of the robe, pulling out a brown leather cord. She strung the cord through a hole at the top of the stone and then reached around Spike’s neck and tied it.

She leaned back and ran her fingers over the stone that lay on his chest, and smiled.

"What?" he asked suspiciously.

"You look good, dressed just in my stone," Willow grinned.

"Uh huh," Spike raised an eyebrow. "And what is this stone for?" he asked, lifting it off of his chest and looking at it closely.

"I put a protection spell on it," Willow ran her fingers over the stone he held, and over the fingers holding it.

Spike froze, staring at her. He swallowed hard and tried to speak. "A protection spell? For me?"

"Of course for you!" Willow wrapped her arm around his waist and shifted closer to him, then reached down and pulled the robe up over him. "Don’t want anything to happen to you," she whispered against his chest after she had settled against him. "We do live on a hellmouth, you know!" she continued to mutter.

Spike pulled her close to him and kissed her shoulder. "Thank you," he whispered, moved beyond belief at this proof that she cared for him.

"You’re welcome," she placed an answering kiss on his chest.

"You know," he said casually, staring at the top of her head, "Valentine’s Day’s coming up. You got anyone you want to spend it with?"

Willow lifted her head and stared up at Spike. "I might," she said shyly. She lifted her fingers to his chin and pulled his face down to hers, and then placed a tender kiss on his lips. "You?"

"Might," he kissed her back.

The End

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