Rating: NC17
Pairing: Willow/Spike (as it should be)
Spoilers: Through end of season 4.
Summary: Spike, Willow and a prophecy.
Notes: Fluff, the whole fluff, and nothing but the fluff. ** indicate emphasis. Another of my WIP that I'm finally going to finish!
Feedback: It's ALL about the feedback (and naked Spike)! Don't make me beg, it's not pretty.
E-mail: spikedluv@midtel.net
Distribution: If anybody wants it, please take it. Just tell me where it goes so I can keep track...OK, so I can pull it up and just stare at it for a while!
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, just borrowing them for awhile. Everything belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Enterprises, Grr Argh, the WB, UPN and whoever else they really belong to, although I wouldn't mind having a Spike of my own. Who would?
Thanks: Amanda, amazingly wonderful beta and grasshopper extraordinaire.
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~Chapter One: Madness~
It was Saturday night at The Bronze, and Willow was sitting alone at their table watching Buffy, Riley, Xander and Anya on the dance floor. She and Tara had fought earlier that evening about the amount of time Willow spent with the Scooby gang. Tara hadn't wanted to spend the evening at The Bronze, but Willow hadn't seen all of her friends together for a fun time in a while and wanted to go.
Tara had stormed out of their dorm room saying she was going to the library. Willow had been stunned at the venom in her lover's voice; they never fought! After crying for an hour, Willow had dried her tears and joined her friends at The Bronze. She rarely saw them these days when there wasn't danger lurking and she missed them. How could Tara not understand that?
Buffy had welcomed her with a hug and Xander had brought her a soda. Then they'd left her to go dance. To be fair, they had asked her to go with them, but she'd felt like a fifth wheel and so she had declined.
Now she was sitting alone at their table, watching her friends with their significant others and wondering why she always ended up alone. Even when she had a girlfriend she ended up alone! She took another sip of her soda, which did nothing to improve her mood, so she grabbed Anya's drink.
She didn't know what it was, Anya was always trying something different. This one was red with a slice of pineapple and a cherry on the edge of the glass. Willow took a cautious sip. It tasted...mmm...like kool aid! She took another, larger sip; yep, this one was a keeper. Xander would just have to get Anya another one.
***
From his seat at the bar Spike watched jealously as Buffy and Riley danced, their bodies close together. He glanced over to see Willow sitting alone before turning his attention back to the dance floor. Buffy laughed at something Riley said and Spike felt a rush of angry frustration. Soddin' soldier boy! He decided to do something to relieve his frustration and, grabbing his drink, sauntered over to the redhead.
"Witch," Spike said as he pulled a chair from the table, turned it around and straddled it. "Where's the blonde witch?"
"At the library," Willow answered without looking at him, her eyes staring sightlessly at the dance floor, her expression glum. She lifted her glass, well, technically, Anya's glass, and took another sip.
"The library? On a Saturday night? Have a fight, did we?" he asked hopefully.
"What do you want, Spike?" Willow finally turned to look at him. The bleach-blonde vampire was dressed in his usual outfit; black jeans, black t-shirt, black duster, black combat boots. Willow wished he'd take the duster off; she loved the way his t- shirt...whoa! Hold up, there, what was she thinking? What was in this drink, anyway?
"Can't a bloke just stop by to say `hello'?" Spike asked as he tilted his drink to his mouth, wondering what had gotten into the redheaded witch. She was usually the only one of the gang who would tolerate him, even when he was in a bad mood.
"You don't even *like* us, Spike. In fact," she sneered, upset with her earlier train of thought, "the only reason you hang around us at all is because of *Buffy*."
"Watch it, Red," Spike warned, as her words hit a nerve.
"Or what?" Willow finished Anya's drink and slammed the glass on the table. "You'll bite me?" she stood up and marched toward the door. Oh, goddess, oh, goddess...I just yelled at Spike, she screamed inside her head. I don't yell at people, even when they really piss me off, much less evil vampires. It actually felt good, maybe I should do it more often. Uh, oh, she heard Spike behind her. Or, maybe not.
***
Spike slammed his drink back and tossed the glass onto the table as he stood and charged after Willow.
"Hey!" he called as he caught up to her outside The Bronze.
"What?" Willow turned to glare at him, her hands on her hips. She was wearing one of the long skirts she preferred and a long-sleeved peasant blouse with an elastic collar that bared her neck and most of her shoulders. It kind of reminded Spike of the top she'd had on the night he'd tried to bite her.
"Dead on, was I?" Spike smirked as he matched her stance, his hands pushing his duster back to rest on his hips. "You and the little witch had a fight?" he saw her flinch and he was back in the game! Yeah, this was...fun.
But the witch recovered quickly. "Why do you care?" she snorted. "Why are you even still in Sunnydale? Why don't you go find someone to take that chip out? Oh, yeah," Willow tapped the side of her head with her hand as if she had just remembered, "you're in love with *the Slayer*!"
"Watch it, witch," Spike snarled, but Willow was on a roll.
"I thought it was only nancy-boy vampires with a soul who fell for the Slayer."
"Hey! Just `cause you and blondie had a little fight doesn't mean you can take it out on me!" Spike yelled, conveniently ignoring the fact that that's exactly what he had been planning to do.
"Why not?" Willow challenged. "Isn't that what you do? You get a chip in your head, poor Spike, so you take it out on us," Willow waved her hands in the air. "Drusilla leaves you, *again*, poor, poor Spike, so you take it out on us...,"
"Leave Dru out o' this!" Spike growled as he grabbed Willow around the throat, immediately releasing her as the pain from the chip kicked in. "Aahh!" he fell back against the wall and slammed the heel of his hand into his forehead.
Willow put her hand to her throat. "You...you...vampire!" she screamed in frustration.
"Oh, good one, Red," Spike replied with his trademark smirk before looking away and rubbing his forehead. Bleeding chip.
Willow didn't think she'd ever been this angry before. Before she even realized what she was doing, she pulled her fist back and punched him in the mouth. Hard. She spun around on her heel and began walking down the sidewalk.
Ow, she shook her sore hand as she walked away from Spike. Stupid vampire, anyway, she thought.
She'd had a crush on Spike since the night he'd tried to bite her. He'd been so upset that he couldn't...perform...and she'd felt the surprising need to comfort him. Plus, he was really hot, with those eyes and those cheekbones and those arms...But he'd never noticed her since then.
Sure, he'd *said* he wanted to bite her, but since then, nothing. And then he'd helped Adam and was generally...mean...and had gone and fallen in love with Buffy. But then, who wouldn't. In fact, who *hadn't*, she snorted to herself. Even Xander, her best friend and first unrequited love, had fallen for Buffy.
Of course, now she had Tara. Who wasn't talking to her right this minute. Who had grown more possessive over the last few weeks, jealous of her friendship with Buffy. Although why she would be was beyond Willow. It wasn't as if she spent a lot of time with Buffy, who always seemed to be with Riley. Not that Riley was a bad sort, he was just...always there! They didn't even patrol together anymore because now Buffy had Riley.
***
Spike looked up at Willow's retreating back in surprise, the pain in his head forgotten as he licked at the blood that oozed from the cut on his lip. With a considering look he pushed himself away from the wall and followed the redhead.
They had walked two blocks away from The Bronze, with Willow muttering to herself, before Spike made his presence known. He silently caught up to her and with vampiric speed stepped in front of her, spinning on the balls of his feet to face her, his duster billowing out behind him.
Willow collided with his chest with an, "Oomph." She took a startled step back, her heart beating rapidly with fear until she realized that she had run into Spike.
"What do you *want*?" she cried angrily as she slapped his chest.
"That's the question, witch," Spike said as he took a step toward her, forcing her to step back. "Not sure I know the answer," he took another step forward.
"Leave...me...*alone*," Willow demanded bravely even as she took another step back, her green eyes locked onto blue.
"Can't," step forward.
"Won't," Willow stepped back and ran into a brick wall. She looked around to see that Spike had directed her into an alley. A deserted alley where they were alone..completely alone. Now she was caught between a...a brick wall and a...a hard Spike, she giggled hysterically to herself as her heart rate sped up. Oh, goddess, be careful what you wish for.
"Can't," Spike repeated as he put his hands on either side of her head and looked down at her trembling lips. Lifting one hand off of the wall he gently brushed his thumb over her lips.
"Don't," Willow turned her head away, confused by the gentle touch. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as her breathing increased. Spike took a strand of red hair and ran it between his fingers.
"Stop *touching* me!" Willow batted his hand away nervously.
"Can't," Spike said again as he rested the fingers of one hand lightly on her shoulder and then dragged them down her chest until they rested just above her breast.
"Wh...why are you doing this?" Willow asked breathlessly. His touch was evoking such feelings of...of desire. Desire? No, no, no, not desire! She couldn't have desire for Spike! Well she could, but it was supposed to stay inside her head, where no one could see it.
"Don't know," Spike replied as he cupped her breast, flicking his tongue out to catch a drop of blood from the cut on his lip. Oh, goddess, Willow sucked in her breath and closed her eyes as Spike touched her breast. Yep, desire.
"Spike...stop," she protested as she blindly tried to push his hand away from her.
Spike ignored her, her struggles as ineffectual as a moth batting against a window pane, and grazed the tip of his thumb over her nipple. Willow's eyes flew open and she gasped, then opened her mouth to issue another objection. Spike cupped the side of her face with his free hand, then lowered his head and crushed his lips to hers.
He dragged his tongue over her lips before slipping it between them to rake over her teeth and the roof of her mouth, finally twining about her tongue. Willow pushed futilely against his chest as she moaned her objections into his mouth. Suddenly her hands were kneading his chest as she pressed her body against his, craving more contact.
Her moans became those of pleasure and she kissed him back, her tongue forcing itself into his mouth. She tasted blood as it oozed from the cut in his lip. Taking her lips from his she licked the blood off of his lip and then pulled his lower lip into her mouth and sucked on it. Spike pulled back, breathing hard, one hand still cupping her face while the other kneaded her breast.
"You cast a spell, witch?" he asked as he looked at her through slitted eyes. She was flushed, and panting, and, bloody hell, she smelled so good.
Her green eyes wide, swollen lips slightly parted, Willow just shook her head. Please, kiss me again, she thought. As if he read her thoughts, Spike lowered his head and kissed her again, his tongue sweeping into her mouth. Moving both hands to her hips he pulled her against his hardening erection as his chest pinned her upper body to the wall.
Willow placed her hands on the back of Spike's head, tangled her fingers in his hair, and pressed his mouth closer to hers as she deepened the kiss. Oh, yes, this was better than any dream she'd ever had about Spike.
Grabbing the neck of Willow's top, Spike pushed it down off of her shoulder, knocking her arm down and exposing her breast. He lifted his head to gaze at the treasure he'd uncovered and breathed deeply in appreciation.
"Glad you didn't wear a bra tonight, witch," he teased before lowering his mouth and sucking her nipple between his lips. Willow closed her eyes and moaned, her other hand still clutching the back of Spike's head.
"Oh, goddess...Spike!" His touch shot tingles through her body. Without raising his head he pushed her other arm down, pulled the shirt off of her shoulder and tweaked the nipple of her uncovered breast between his thumb and index finger.
"Spi-ike," Willow moaned his name in pleasure as moisture seeped from her core. Spike lifted his head from her breast as he smelled her arousal.
"Red?" he asked as his nostrils flared. Grabbing her skirt he hiked it up until he had gathered the length of it around her waist. Oh, goddess, oh, goddess, Spike wanted to...heck, she wanted to.
"Spike, no, we...we can't...," Willow protested even as her fingers fumbled with the button on his jeans. What was *in* Anya's drink, anyway?
"Have to," Spike told her as he ripped her underwear off of her, held them to his nose and breathed deeply of her scent.
"Oh...goddess," Willow moaned as his gesture caused her knees to shake and her insides to quiver.
"Sure you didn't cast a spell?" Spike asked as he tucked her knickers into his duster pocket and slipped a finger between her folds, his thumb teasing her clit. Willow soundlessly shook her head `no' as her head dropped back against the wall and her hands gripped his hips for support.
"Spike...Spike, please...," Willow could barely stand as his fingers slid in and out of her slippery cleft.
Bloody hell! Witch had him so worked up he was gonna cum in his pants if he didn't get inside her. With one hand Spike pushed his jeans down his hips. Withdrawing his fingers from her he grabbed Willow behind her thighs and lifted her, spreading her legs. Pressing her back against the wall Spike positioned his head against her slit and lowered her heat down over his painfully hard erection. He buried his face in her neck, his lips sucking her pulse point, his hands gripping her bum as he pumped into her.
Willow wrapped her legs around his waist and, because she couldn't raise her arms, grasped his biceps, her fingers squeezing in time with each thrust as his pelvic bone ground against her clit.
Cor, she was so tight...and hot. The heat burned him and he plunged into her faster, harder, slamming her into the brick wall with each thrust.
Willow soon began mewling and Spike knew they were both close. Reaching between their bodies he pinched her clit between his thumb and index finger, and Willow came, keening his name. Spike drove into her once, twice more, and then followed as her grasping vaginal muscles milked his release.
They stayed in that position until they had both caught their breath; although, in Spike's case, it was unnecessary breath. Willow soon felt her brain clear as if a fog had been lifted. Oh, goddess, what have I done, she thought. Tara.
"Spike," she punched his shoulder weakly. "Let me down," her voice cracked.
Spike pulled out of her and Willow carefully lowered her feet to the ground, then pulled her shirt up and pushed her skirt down. Spike tucked himself back in, then zipped and buttoned his jeans.
"What have we done?" Willow whispered, appalled at her behavior with a man...a vampire...who didn't even like her. Yeah, he was darn sexy, but she was taken! She had a girlfriend! Okay, they'd had a fight, but what she had just done...! She had cheated on her girlfriend, and with someone she wasn't even sure she *liked*. She had just had sex, incredible, earth-shattering sex, with Spike. In an alley! With Spike! And, goddess help her, she wanted to do it again. It had been like heaven.
"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Red, it didn't mean anything. Just a good shag," Spike mocked. He was angry at her reaction and he wondered why.
*He* wasn't upset about what had just happened, then again vampires were amoral creatures. He'd wanted her, he'd taken her. Although, he had to admit, he was a little bit surprised that it was the little redhead who'd gotten him so hot he could barely think. Then again, he was in love with Buffy. Shouldn't he feel a little bit guilty about shagging her best friend? And not `just a good shag' like he'd told her, but a really great shag.
"Just a good shag," Willow echoed sadly. I cheated on Tara, just had the most intense sex of my life, and it wasn't anything, `just a good shag', she thought. Did that make it better or worse?
"Right," Spike agreed without hesitation as he pulled out his pack of cigarettes.
"Right," Willow repeated wistfully and then, with a muffled sob, turned and ran out of the alley.
"Bugger all!" Spike took a deep breath and punched the wall, re-pocketed the pack of cigarettes, then turned to follow Willow, making sure she got back to the dorm safely. He didn't understand it, but the mousy little redheaded witch had just given him a glimpse of heaven. And he wanted to see it again.
***
Because Willow's life didn't suck enough already, Giles called an emergency Scooby meeting the next evening and Spike's presence was required. When Spike walked into the Magic Box, deliberately late, Riley, Buffy, Xander, Anya, Tara, Willow, Giles and Dawn already sat around the research table.
Spike jumped up on the counter and said, "What's up, Watcher?"
"Got somewhere to be, Spike?" Buffy asked sarcastically.
"I have an unlife, you know," Spike told them defensively.
"Doing what, scaring little kids out of their lunch money?" Xander taunted.
"Sod off," Spike told the brunette.
"Yes, well, thank you for fitting us into your busy schedule," Giles said. "Buffy ran across a demon last night that we can't identify. I was wondering if you were familiar with it." As Giles paused Spike nodded for him to continue.
"It was blue with green spots, had a, er, tusk, about four foot long, hooves on two appendages and, um, claws on the other two appendages," Giles concluded.
"And it stank," Buffy added, wrinkling her nose. "Why do they always have to stink?" she asked the room in general.
"Did it have one eye?" Spike asked Buffy disinterestedly as he picked the chipping black polish off of his nails. He watched Willow through slitted eyes. She had blushed when he walked in and was trying her best to not look at him. He could hear her heart beating fast and smell her...fear? Embarrassment? What was she bloody afraid of? Maybe that he'd tell the rest of her friends what they'd done? That he'd tell the blonde witch? Right, like he wanted to get staked or turned into a lizard or some such.
"Uh, yes," Buffy answered Spike's question and Giles looked at her sharply.
"You didn't think to mention that?" he scolded.
"Sorry, it must have slipped my mind due to the overwhelming stinkage factor," she apologized.
"So, you recognize it, then," Giles turned his attention back to Spike.
"Morkan demon," Spike answered, bored, still not looking up from his nails.
"Didn't we see that one?" Giles immediately turned back to the table and began searching through the books piled there.
"Yeah," Xander replied, "but it said the Morkan demon was green with yellow spots and only had a small tusk."
"Adolescent," Spike commented. "That all?"
"Wait just a minute, Spike...where did I put that bloody book?" Giles exclaimed in frustration.
"Maybe that's the one that fell on the floor," Willow leaned over to pick up the book in question and winced in pain as the movement pulled at her bruised back.
Tara, who was watching Willow like a hawk these days, caught the wince and immediately asked, "Willow, are you alright?"
That morning when Willow was getting dressed Tara had seen the physical results of her activities with Spike the night before, her bruised back and scraped knuckles. Tara had been horrified at the bruise on Willow's back and demanded to know what had happened. Willow had told Tara that she had fallen on the way back to the dorm last night. She had lied to Tara and Tara had believed her without question. Willow felt awful, but thanked the goddess that Tara hadn't seen the finger-shaped bruises on her butt.
Everyone looked at Willow, including Spike, who glanced up under hooded eyes, and she blushed even more under their scrutiny.
"I'm fine, Tara," Willow assured her girlfriend softly, trying to keep her from making a big deal out of it, as she handed the book to Giles.
"It's your back, isn't it?" Tara demanded.
And thus, Willow had the answer to her question. When she had found out about the meeting, and that Spike would be there, she had thought to herself, great, what else could *possibly* go wrong. Well, now she knew.
"I'm fine," Willow touched Tara's arm, but Tara, who was already angry at the time the Scooby gang monopolized, wouldn't be deterred.
"You're not fine," Tara turned to the rest of the group seated around the table. "Why didn't you walk her back to the dorm last night? You all know what's out there, why was she alone?"
"We didn't know she had left...," Buffy tried to defend them.
"She fell!" Tara ignored her. "You should see the awful bruise on her back."
Spike's head jerked up at the mention of a bruise on Willow's back and he saw her blush crimson. Willow was embarrassed beyond measure at Tara's unknowing reference to proof of her and Spike's...madness...of the night before and she pointedly ignored him.
"It's *nothing*," she emphasized, remembering Spike's words of the night before, `didn't mean anything...just a good shag'.
"Wills, are you alright?" Xander asked worriedly.
"I'm fine," she tried to reassure him. "*Really*," she looked at Tara, "I'm fine."
"You're not fine!" Tara, unappeased, cried angrily and stood, knocking her chair over. "These people are supposed to be your friends, and they let you get hurt! Yet you defend them. It's always *them*!" Tara pushed past Willow's chair, accidentally hitting her back, and ran out the door.
There was a moment of stunned silence until Spike, who had seen Willow flinch when Tara had bumped her back, jumped off of the counter and stepped up behind Willow's chair.
"Let me see," he gently pushed Willow forward and unceremoniously lifted the hem of her shirt, baring her back.
"Hey!" Xander yelped and pointed at Spike.
"Don't touch her!" Buffy stood menacingly, automatically reaching for a stake.
"Sit down, Slayer," Spike replied distractedly.
"Spike! I'm fine," Willow clutched her arms to her chest so that her breasts stayed covered, since her back had been too sore that morning to even contemplate wearing a bra. Tears of mortification dimmed her eyesight as she was reminded that she and Spike had...had...and that she had enjoyed it...and that she wanted to do it again. Not just last night, but still...right now. And he didn't. Goddess, what was *wrong* with her? It was so-o wrong. And not just because of Tara, but because it was *Spike*!
"Bloody hell, Red!" Spike swore softly when he saw the size of the ugly black and blue bruise that covered her back. How in soddin' hell had she gotten a bruise like that without his chip going off, he wondered.
"Oh, Willow," Giles moaned in sympathetic pain as he leaned over to examine her back.
"Let me see!" Dawn jumped up and ran to stand beside Spike behind Willow's uncovered back. "Ew! That's ugly...and...kind of cool, actually."
Willow laughed through her tears. She placed one elbow on the table and rested her forehead in her hand while the other arm continued to lay protectively over her chest.
"Don't you have something you can put on this?" Spike asked Giles as he absently stroked Willow's back soothingly.
Oh, goddess, he was touching her! Despite the pain in her back, she had lied to Tara when she told her she was fine, she felt heat spread from her belly.
"Yes, I believe I do," Giles rose to search the first aid kit in the training room.
Dawn looked suspiciously from Spike's worried frown, to his hand on Willow's unresisting back, to Willow's blushing face buried in her hand.
Buffy pushed Dawn out of the way to get a look at Willow's back. "Oh, Will, I'm so sorry," Buffy touched her friend's shoulder.
Willow felt even worse. She had lied to Tara and was caught in its web. Now Buffy thought that this was *her* fault. Goddess, if she ever found out about Spike she would kill them both.
"Buffy," Willow tried to mitigate her guilt, "this was in no way your fault."
"You shouldn't have walked home alone," Buffy whined
"See! It was *my* fault. It's just a little bruise."
"Not so little," Dawn muttered and Willow scowled at her. Dawn stuck her tongue out.
Giles returned with the lotion and some cotton balls. Buffy turned to take them from him but Spike beat her to it.
"Hey!" Buffy cried, trying to grab the bottle from Spike, causing him to inadvertently hit Willow's back.
"Ow!" Willow cried. Her body jerked involuntarily and fresh tears filled her eyes as Spike's elbow hit her bruise.
"Sod off, Slayer," Spike growled as his eyes turned amber.
"Buffy, please," Giles pulled her away from Spike and Willow, and Dawn once again slipped in to watch Spike tend to the redhead.
Xander, Anya and Riley wisely remained silent.
"Sorry, Red," Spike apologized to her as he uncapped the bottle and poured some of the pungent liquid onto the cotton ball. Willow didn't know if he was apologizing for hurting her just now or for what had happened last night.
Spike gently dabbed the cotton ball over her back, then tossed it to the floor in frustration, "This isn't gonna work!" He tilted the bottle over Willow's back and poured the liquid directly onto the bruise, then carefully rubbed it in with his fingers.
Goddess, that felt good, Willow closed her eyes.
Dawn shrewdly watched Spike's hand and noticed Willow relax under his gentle touch. A fall, my fanny, she thought to herself.
When Spike was finished he tenderly pulled Willow's shirt back down and patted her shoulder, "There you go, Red." He re-capped the bottle and handed it and the unused cotton balls to Giles. Retrieving the used cotton ball he had tossed on the floor Spike went to the bathroom to throw it out and wash his hands.
When he was finished, Spike gripped the sink and stared at the empty mirror, then lay his forehead against it as he wondered why he even cared. It was just Willow. Right, like it had just been a `good shag'. Bloody hell, he'd only rubbed medicine on her bruised back and he had a hard-on! But she'd felt so soft and smelled so damned good!
The little witch must have cast a spell. He was the big bad. He didn't get all moony-eyed over little girls. He adjusted his pants and pulled his duster around him. Spike emerged from the bathroom to find everyone waiting in silence, in the same position he had left them.
"The Morkan demon is vicious," he volunteered, "especially when it's in heat and searching for a female," he paused. "They'll try to mate with anything that moves. To kill it you need to remove it's tusk and pierce it's brain through the exposed flesh," he concluded before leaving in a swirl of black duster.
How ironic, Willow thought. Maybe that's what had happened with them, she blushed as her mind replayed their almost frantic coupling. Did vampires go into heat? Oh...did witches?!
***
Spike left the magic shop, kicked a bench and slammed his fist into a brick wall, reopening the freshly healed cuts along his knuckles. Why did he give a bloody hell that the witch had been hurt? He got what he wanted, right? Wham, bam, thank you witch. He was a *vampire*. He was *evil*. The big bloody bad.
"Bugger," he muttered. He'd gone soft on the witch. How did that happen? *When* did that happen? One minute he was in love with the Slayer and jealous of soldier boy and the next he had an uncontrollable urge to possess the redhead. He had shagged her against a wall in an alley...and enjoyed it. Had, in fact, wanted to do it again...and again.
And tonight, in front of everyone, he'd rushed in to fix her up when he'd realized that she'd been hurt because of him. He'd touched her soft skin and heard her heartbeat and smelled the scent that was Willow...and wanted her. Oh, sure, he'd wanted to shag her again, but what scared him was that he'd wanted to pick her up and hold her, protect her. Bugger, he'd been in Sunnydale too long, it had to be the water, er, blood, here; he was turning into a nancy-boy just like his sire.
"Bleedin' hell!" he swore as he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and shook one out. Placing the cigarette between his lips he flicked his lighter, tilted his head and held the flame to the tip of the cigarette. He took a deep breath and sucked the smoke into his dead lungs as he replaced the cigarettes and lighter in his duster pocket.
He pulled the witch's knickers from his other pocket and held them to his face. He didn't need to, he could smell her scent even with them in his pocket, but he wanted to touch them. He closed his eyes. He could still smell the tears and the embarrassment she had felt in the magic shop when her secret was revealed. And her arousal, when he had touched her back. Oh, yeah, she had wanted him too, the big bad. Maybe that's what had scared her. Because it sure as bloody hell scared him.
He tucked the knickers in his pocket, leaned against the wall and waited for the witch to leave.
A couple of minutes later Buffy and Riley left for patrol. Soon after, the lights in the Magic Box went out and the rest of the gang exited the building. They called their goodbyes to each other and Xander and Anya got into Xander's jalopy; Giles, Dawn and Willow climbed into Giles' convertible. Xander pulled out and headed toward the residential end of town; Giles did a u-turn and headed toward the UC Sunnydale campus where he'd drop Willow off before taking Dawn home and staying with her until Buffy returned.
Spike pinched out his cigarette and tossed it in the gutter, then took off with vampiric speed toward the university. He was standing under a tree near Willow's dorm when Giles pulled up and let her out. Giles stayed by the curb until Willow had entered the building and turned to wave at them. As soon as Giles drove away Willow stepped back out of the dorm and looked around as if she were searching for something. With a deep sigh she closed her eyes and tilted her head back, lifting her face toward the sky.
After a moment Willow lowered her head and opened her eyes; Spike was standing right in front of her. Her breathing and her heart rate sped up, not because he had startled her, but because she still wanted him. But she couldn't...wouldn't. She didn't even stop to wonder why she wasn't surprised to see him there.
"Is that what happened to us last night?" she asked softly, looking down at the step as her foot nervously scuffed the concrete.
"What?" Spike tilted his head to the side.
"Do, um, do vampires go into heat?" she whispered, embarrassed.
Spike wanted to smile. "Not that I know of, Red. Why?"
"It was just so...," she hesitated.
"Violent? Hard? Fast? Rough?" he spoke angrily, trying to break the spell she wove around him just by being there.
"I was going to say...powerful," Willow blushed and swallowed hard.
"Powerful," Spike repeated evenly. "Yeah, that it was," he grabbed her face between his hands and kissed her, softly at first and then hungrily, until Willow was grabbing onto him and kissing him back.
Spike pulled away and kissed her forehead, "Get inside, Red." Willow sucked air into her lungs and turned to go. Behind her Spike whispered huskily, "And next time? You can be on top."
Willow froze. "There isn't going to be a next time. I mean, you love Buffy and I...I love Tara. And it's just wrong," she spoke without looking at him and then walked into the dorm.
"Oh, there'll be a next time, Red," Spike promised softly as he slipped his hand into his pocket and fingered her knickers. "No doubt about that."
~Chapter Two: The Last Time~
Willow didn't see Spike for five days, but during that time her relationship with Tara deteriorated to the point that one of them had to move out of the dorm room. The blonde had suddenly become too possessive and jealous of any time that Willow spend away from her. Because Willow had a home in Sunnydale, she decided to move out and back into her room in her parents' house.
The following Saturday morning found Willow packing up all of her belongings and moving back home. After unpacking, Willow spent most of the afternoon at the Magic Box with Giles and Anya. While Anya handled the customers, Willow and Giles researched.
A woman had been killed earlier that week and her body found last night. The news had mentioned mutilations, so Giles had Willow hack into the coroner's office to read the official report. As Giles had feared, the woman's reproductive area had been badly mutilated. Plus, ew, Willow thought, the woman had been dead for at least three days before she was found by a couple of kids skinny-dipping at the lake.
Since Buffy and Riley hadn't found it yet, Giles wanted to know if this was the work of the Morkan demon. They were trying to find any and all information about it that they could, including the manner in which it mated, the length of its mating season and where it might like to hide out.
Just before sundown Giles asked Willow if she would go to Spike's crypt and bring him back to the magic shop. If the Morkan demon was still in Sunnydale and responsible for this death, they might need Spike's help.
Willow wanted to tell Giles that she couldn't go get Spike, but she didn't have a good reason to give him. `I'm afraid that I'll jump his bones' didn't seem appropriate, though it would certainly have the desired affect of Giles not letting her anywhere near Spike. However, the resulting explanations might be the end of her and Spike. Not, her and Spike, as in, a couple, because they certainly weren't that, but her life and Spike's, er, unlife, would be cut short.
In the end Willow meekly agreed and now stood outside Spike's crypt in the waning sunlight, where she had paced for the past 15 minutes, loathe to enter. Suddenly the door was pulled open and Willow jumped back. Spike stood in the doorway, protected from the setting sun. He was wearing a pair of black jeans, top button unbuttoned, and nothing else. Oh, goddess, Willow felt her eyes bugging.
"You coming in, or gonna stand there all night?" Spike asked. He had sensed Willow's approach and waited for her to come in. Spike hadn't seen her in a week and his body felt as if he were going through withdrawal. Afraid she would leave without working up the courage to enter, Spike finally decided to confront her.
When Willow didn't answer he just turned away and walked back into the dark crypt, leaving the door open. She hesitated, then thought, why bother leaving now, he already knows I'm here. She followed Spike into the crypt and shut the door.
Spike was leaning against the tomb, lighting a cigarette. He closed his eyes and took a long drag, then looked at Willow as he blew out the smoke.
"What's up, Red?" he asked calmly, noting that for the first time in a week his hands weren't shaking. Willow shifted nervously as he looked at her. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but no sound emerged. She cleared her throat and tried again, this time keeping her eyes on the floor.
"Giles wants you to come by the magic shop. Buffy hasn't found the Morkan demon yet and he, um, thinks it might have killed a girl."
"Need my help, eh?" Spike asked rhetorically as he took another drag. "What's it worth to you?" he looked at her.
"What?" Willow guiltily looked up from her examination of his bare chest. Who knew what Spike had hidden under his duster all this time. No wonder she wanted him. No, no, no. Bad Willow! No wanting. Well, maybe wanting would be okay, but definitely no having. Nope, none at all. Well, no *more*.
"My help," Spike repeated as he flexed his biceps, watching Willow's eyes glaze over, "what's it worth to you?"
"You want money?" Willow asked in confusion. Negotiating with Spike had never been her job. Did Giles even pay him anymore, or did Buffy just beat him up?
"Nope," Spike answered, startling her. If he didn't want money, what did he want?
"If you don't want money, what do you want?" she decided to ask him.
"A kiss," he finished the cigarette, pinched it out and threw it toward the can in the corner, missing.
"A...a kiss?" Willow stammered.
"A kiss. One itty-bitty, teeny-weeny kiss," Spike smirked. He placed both hands on the tomb and flexed his biceps again, having noticed the reaction he got last time. "I'll even promise not to touch you."
"Just one kiss and you'll help find the, um, the, uh...the demon?" she decided not to bother trying to remember its name because at this point her brain was officially mush.
"Yep," he agreed solemnly. Well, as solemnly as he could when he looked like the cat who...who...whatever the darned cat had done. Something about cream...or a canary? Yep, mush.
Willow slowly walked over until she stood in front of him. Oh, goddess, up close his chest was even more magnificent. And he had really great shoulders...and why did his biceps keep *doing* that? Wow, her gaze lowered, she'd heard of washboard abs before but never really knew what it meant. Wow, she swallowed hard.
"Red?" he called her name and she looked up into his deep blue eyes. "That kiss?" he reminded her and her eyes lowered to look at his lips. The same lips that had kissed her, that had sucked on her neck, that had wrapped around her breast...oh, goddess, she felt the familiar tingle in her belly.
Spike was on sensory overload. He saw Willow's chest rise and fall as her breath quickened, heard her heart rate speed up and smelled her arousal. He wanted to grab her and pull her to him, but was afraid that any move he made would scare her away, so he just stood there, watching her, waiting for her to make the first move.
Willow felt lightheaded and reached out to grab Spike's arm for support. Her fingers closed around his biceps and she closed her eyes. His skin felt cool. She ran her hand up his arm to his shoulder.
Willow opened her eyes and took a step closer until her body was just touching his. Bracing herself on his shoulder she lifted her other hand and placed it behind his head. Rising to her tip-toes she pulled Spike's head down to hers and lightly grazed her lips over his. Flicking her tongue out she licked his lips, then sucked his lower lip into her mouth and bit it.
Spike was in heaven. The heat of Willow's hand sliding up his arm to his shoulder, her other hand pressed against the back of his head, her body just touching his, her soft lips, her tongue...bloody hell, she bit him! With a growl Spike grabbed Willow's hips and pressed her body close to his, then crushed his lips to hers hungrily. He was like an addict desperate for a fix.
Willow moaned into his mouth as her hands explored his body. Slipping through his hair, over his back, around to his stomach, back up to his chest...she couldn't get enough. Willow finally pulled her mouth away from his, leaned her forehead on his chest and gulped in big lung-fulls of air.
"You," she tried to catch her breath, "you promised not to touch me!"
His hands rubbed her back, her arms, her neck, then tangled in her hair. "No, I said I *would* promise, but I never did," he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.
"Spike?"
"Mmm?" Spike murmured into her hair. He didn't want this moment to end.
"What are we doing?" Willow asked breathlessly as she placed her hands on his waist and flicked her tongue out to graze his nipple in a very un-Willow-like manner.
"Bloody hell, Red!" Spike jumped in surprise and Willow felt his erection pressing against her stomach.
With a heady rush of power she closed her mouth over his nipple at the same time she closed her fingers over his erection through his jeans and squeezed. Spike's hands tightened in her hair and Willow felt his chest rising and falling against her head with unnecessary breaths.
Shifting her lips to his other nipple, Willow drew her hand up to Spike's stomach and slipped her fingers beneath his waistband. He grabbed her hand and spun them around so that his lower body pinned Willow to the tomb. Grasping the hem of her shirt he lifted it over her head and tossed it on the tomb.
"Right! *Today* you wear a bra," Spike commented as he cupped her breasts and squeezed them, then struggled with the clasp.
Willow stretched her arms out to the side and gripped the tomb, bent her upper body back over the tomb and let her head fall back on her neck, watching Spike through hooded eyes. She didn't know how or why, but he wanted her. The thought that she had turned him on, made him lose control just as she was, brought a rush of wetness from her core.
The scent of Willow's arousal made Spike want to rip the bra off of her, but he finally managed the clasp and slid the straps over her shoulders. He placed his hands at her waist and gazed at her hungrily before lowering his head to suckle her breasts. With a moan, Willow raised her hands from the tomb and wrapped them around his head, pressing him to her. Spike wrapped his arms around Willow's back to keep her from falling backward and moved his mouth to her other breast.
Letting go of her with one hand, Spike reached between her thighs and rubbed her swollen mound. Oh, goddess, Willow jumped at his touch. She'd never felt so...electrified. His every touch set her off.
Spike raised his head to Willow's neck, the racing of her blood begging him to taste it. He licked and sucked her pulse point as he moved both hands to the front of her jeans, slipped the button and unzipped them. Grabbing the waistband he pushed her jeans and panties down over her hips. Lifting her he set her on the tomb, removed her sneakers and pulled her jeans and panties off. Spike stood back and looked at Willow, naked Willow, on his bed.
Willow leaned back on her hands and, breathing heavily, watched Spike's eyes as they roamed over her body. "Spike," she whimpered as his gaze brought a fresh wave of heat.
Spike sniffed the air and smiled at her knowingly. With his eyes locked on her expressive green ones, Spike licked his index finger suggestively, slid his hand between her thighs and slipped his finger between her folds.
Willow was too far gone to care if he was mocking her. She felt his hand between her legs and spread her thighs to accommodate him. As his thumb pressed against her clit Spike pumped his finger in and out of her, spreading her, then slipped in a second. Oh, goddess, Willow's eyes almost closed as her body reacted to Spike's touch, but she didn't want to stop looking at him.
Pulling out of her suddenly he dropped to his knees in front of her and, with his hands on the inside of her thighs, lifted them and spread them wide. His tongue darted out to lick at the juices that ran from her and Willow moaned at the contact. Then his lips were sucking her clit. His tongue slipped between her folds and he lapped up her juices and created more.
"Oh, goddess, Spike...Spike...," Willow moaned as she lifted one hand from the tomb and buried her fingers in Spike's silky hair, grinding herself against his face as she came.
Spike stood, licking her juices off of his lips and removed his jeans. He climbed up next to her on the tomb, slid her back, then pressed her down and moved between her legs.
Willow boldly reached her hand out and wrapped her fingers around him.
"Bloody hell!" he cried as she stroked him. "Willow, baby," he groaned.
"Say that again," Willow commanded as she stroked her thumb over his tip, her other hand clinging to his shoulder.
"What?" Spike ground out. Her hot hand on him kept him from thinking clearly. "Say what?"
"My name," Willow begged. "Say my name again."
He couldn't take any more. Pushing her hand away from him, Spike positioned his head at her entrance and slowly slid between her folds, then paused for her to adjust to him. He leaned down on his elbows and kissed her, sweeping his tongue into her mouth, until she wrapped her legs around his waist and pushed against him, indicating that she was ready for him to continue.
"Willow," he whispered against her lips as he thrust into her. "Willow," he sucked on her bottom lip. "Willow," he licked her neck. "Willow," he bit her earlobe.
Willow thrashed beneath Spike. She was so turned on by him; his breath and tongue tickling her neck, his pelvic bone grinding against her clit, the way he said her name. "Spike! Spike...Spike, please. So close," she begged for release.
"What do you want, Willow?" he asked as he continued to pump into her.
"Spi-ike," she moaned in protest.
"Say it, baby," he rubbed his body against her clit as he watched her face.
"Spike, please...please, make me cum! Spike!" she screamed her release as he reached between them and twisted her clit. Willow's body tensed as the orgasm ripped through her and Spike slammed into her once more before joining her.
***
When Willow opened her eyes she was still lying on the tomb and Spike was lying beside her, his head on her breast, his fingers moving softly over her bare skin.
"Spike," she whispered his name.
"Mhmm," he acknowledged her without moving.
"I think...I think you paralyzed me!" Willow complained and she felt him smile against her breast. He flicked his tongue out and grazed her nipple which puckered immediately.
"There's parts of you still workin'," he teased.
"Very funny," Willow commented, raised her hand to slap the back of his head, then buried her fingers in his hair.
"Spike," she said his name again. "What are we doing?" she repeated her question from earlier. "This is wrong, aaah!" she moaned as Spike shifted his head on her breast and sucked her nipple into his mouth.
"No, we can't," she insisted weakly as his tongue laved her breast sending tingles to her belly where his hand still traced random patterns. "Spike," she tried to push his head away from her, "this is wrong! We have other...,"
Spike felt a rush of rage as he suddenly remembered Tara and thought about her touching Willow. "You get rid of the blonde witch," he lifted his mouth from her breast and demanded angrily.
"Really?" Willow pulled his hair until he looked up at her. "Why's that?" she had a dangerous glint in her eyes, but Spike ignored it.
"`Cause I don't share," he told her arrogantly.
"Number one, you're not sharing, because this isn't happening again," Willow insisted even as she felt herself get wet at his words. "And number two, what about Buffy?" she demanded.
"What about her?" Spike asked in confusion, his mind already swirling with the heady scent of Willow's arousal.
"You're in love with her," Willow reminded him.
To his surprise Spike realized that the Slayer hadn't crossed his mind at all since that night in the alley. He'd been too busy thinking about Willow...and how to get her beneath him again. "What if I am?" he growled, not wanting Willow to know that he was whipped.
"I don't share either," Willow pushed his shoulder and rolled him onto his back, straddled him and slid her wet heat down over him. "This is absolutely the last time," she whispered huskily as Spike's eyes rolled back in his head.
***
Two hours after Giles had sent Willow to get Spike, the two finally showed up at the Magic Box. Willow rushed through the door ahead of Spike, her hair disheveled and her color high. "Sorry we're late!" she chirped to the gang already seated around the research table.
"Willow!" Giles looked up from his book. "Where have you been? We were worried about you."
"Well, um, Spike had to, er..." Crap, she thought to herself, why hadn't she thought up an excuse? Spike must have fried her brain when he...no, no, don't think about that!
"Don't get your knickers in a bunch, Watcher. Had to make a blood run. I'm all out an' Red didn't know how long this was gonna take," he swept his hand around to indicate the gang at the research table.
"You should have let us know you were going to be late," Giles reprimanded softly.
"Well," Willow retorted defensively, "as soon as they run electric and telephone lines to Spike's crypt, I'll be happy to!"
Spike smirked at Willow's response while everyone else stared at her as if she had lost her mind. Xander took the opportunity to speak up.
"This is a perfect example of why I've been thinking...,"
"Bloody hell, everyone duck, Xander's been thinking," Spike muttered from behind Willow, loud enough for everyone to hear. Willow reached back and slapped his arm.
"`Oh, sod off'," Xander imitated Spike's English accent to Willow's and Dawn's amusement, and then continued. "I've been thinking that we need a way to keep in touch when we're on patrol. And, obviously, for times like this. What would have happened if Willow had run into trouble, some big bad or something?"
"She did," Spike whispered for Willow's ears only as he slipped a finger beneath her shirt and ran it over her lower back. Willow blushed and reached behind her to slap his hand away. Her fingers wrapped around his and she just held it, instead.
Dawn peeked over at the two of them from beneath her lashes and smiled to herself.
"I was originally thinking, this," Xander pulled out a device and slipped it over his ear, "so we could communicate on patrol. Riley had it in his equipment left over from the Initiative. Unfortunately, there's only the one. It's no- hands, has a built-in speaker," he indicated the earpiece, "and microphone," he indicated the mouthpiece, "and has a wide range. However, for times like this," he indicated Willow and Spike who quickly dropped their hands, "we might want to invest in cell phones."
"I know," he held up his hands at Giles' expression,"you're worried about the expense. These babies," he removed the device from his ear, "are expensive, so we'd have to save up. Or steal them from the armory. But we could start with one or two cell phones that we'd store here with all of our other equipment, to take with us when we went on patrol, or, on an errand, such as tonight."
"Xander," Willow's mind finally stopped with the naughty thoughts concerning Spike enough to assimilate everything Xander had said, "that's brilliant!"
Xander preened under Willow's admiration, "Thanks."
"Smart men make me horny," Anya announced and Willow blushed. Vampires, at least a certain bleach-blonde vampire, seemed to make her horny.
"Ah, yes, well then, let's get started, shall we?" Giles uncomfortably changed the subject.
Willow seated herself in her usual chair while Spike removed his duster and leaned against the counter.
"Willow and I have been researching all afternoon," he paused and turned to Willow. "Ah, shall we wait for Tara?"
Willow blushed when she heard Spike growl. "Actually," she looked around the table, ignoring the vampire by the counter, "Tara and I, uh, broke up."
The room erupted with shouts of disbelief until Willow held her hand up to quiet them. "Things haven't been good between us for awhile and it was time. I'm fine with it. Really," she assured her friends.
"I'll bet," Dawn muttered as she looked between Willow's red face and Spike's surprised one.
When Giles continued his explanation of what he and Willow had uncovered that afternoon, that being not much, but it took Giles a while to say it, Willow looked up at Spike, who was staring at her. She tried to stare back; he raised his scarred eyebrow and smirked at her; she blushed and looked away.
The witch was having him on earlier when he'd told her to get rid of the blonde witch! Spike felt himself harden as he remembered her telling him she didn't share either, just before she covered him with her wet heat, and wished he hadn't taken his duster off. He also remembered her telling him it was the last time, but he knew that part wasn't true.
"So, Spike," Giles finished, "I hoped you might have some more information on this Morkan demon."
"Hmm, what?" Spike turned his attention back to Giles.
"The Morkan demon. We're trying to figure out if it's responsible for this death and if we have to be concerned about others, or if it's just...,"
"A rotten human being?" Spike finished for him with a sneer.
"Er, exactly," Giles responded.
"I told you everything I know. The demon's vicious, especially during it's mating cycle, and it'll shag anything that moves," he looked over at Willow who blushed again.
Giles sighed deeply, "Then we still have a lot of research to do. Spike," he had already turned back to the book in front of him, "would you be so kind as to join us?"
"Does he have to?" Buffy whined.
With an evil glint in his eye that turned Willow's knees to jelly and made her glad she was already sitting down, Spike walked behind her, brushing his fingers along the back of her chair, and took the empty seat to her right that was normally reserved for Tara.
It seemed symbolic, somehow. Spike had filled Tara's place in her bed, although, technically, they'd never actually *been* in a bed. Willow blushed as she remembered the naughty things they'd done. Not that they were ever going to do them again, she reminded herself. And now he filled Tara's place at the research table.
Spike scooted his chair closer to Willow's and picked up a book. He opened the book and casually leaned back in the chair to read it. Under the table he moved his leg so his thigh brushed up against Willow's and she gasped in surprise.
"What is it?" Buffy's supernatural hearing picked up the sound and she looked over the table at Willow.
"Oh! Um, nothing! I just read something really, uh, gross. Icky, ew!" she shuddered and turned the page, burying her face in the book.
Spike smirked behind his book and looked at Willow's blushing face out of the corner of his eyes. He knew from experience how far down that blush went. Looking up he saw Dawn staring at him and Willow with a considering gleam in her eye. Spike winked at her and she smiled back.
***
After researching for about an hour Spike sat up and put his book on the table. "Here," he said, "I think I found something."
"What is it?" Willow leaned over to look at the book, resting her elbow on the table as she read, her shoulder brushing against Spike's chest. Bloody hell, Spike thought to himself.
"Oh, oh, yeah!" Willow bounced excitedly in her chair. "He found something! Whoever wrote this," Willow flipped the cover to look at the title, "this Winters fellow, didn't use the name `Morkan' but he describes the demon perfectly, down to its stink-factor, and he says they like to hang out near fresh water, so...the lake?"
Willow turned to Giles, "That's where that woman's body was found. Do you think the demon would be stupid enough to dump the body near its lair?"
"Yes, the body was found there," Giles agreed. "However, even if the demon *was* that stupid, do you think it would still be there, with all the activity surrounding the, er, recovery of the body?"
"Only one way to find out," Spike said, sliding his chair back to stand up.
"Yes, of course," Giles agreed.
It was decided that Spike, Willow, Xander and Anya would join Buffy and Riley in their search for the demon, while Giles stayed at the magic shop with Dawn.
Willow was more than ready to give up research and go do some slayage; the physical activity would help her. She hadn't been able to concentrate at all, what with Spike brushing his thigh against hers, and flexing his biceps, and his sexy voice.
While everyone else was gathering their weapons, Willow took Giles aside. "Giles, maybe we should call Angel, just in case, and see if they have anything in their data base," she suggested quietly so Buffy wouldn't hear them.
"I already did," Giles admitted with a look over his shoulder toward the training room to make sure Buffy wasn't around. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" Willow groaned as Giles reseated himself at the research table. "Well, let's look on the bright side, if we find it, we'll have something to add to the data base!"
"Here, Red, got you a weapon," Spike snuck up behind her and held out the axe he carried.
Willow jumped and turned around, her hand over her heart, "Don't *do* that!" She slapped his arm, then said, "I can't carry that!" as she took in the axe.
"Oh," he looked down at the axe, "then how about this?" he pulled his other hand from behind his back and held out two stakes and a dagger.
"Very funny," Willow told him as she pocketed the two stakes. "What am I going to do with that?" she indicated the dagger.
"Keep yourself alive if we run into that bloody demon!" he lay the axe on the counter, then shoved her jacket off of one shoulder and arm, slipped the shoulder strap of the dagger over her head and arm so that the dagger lay across her chest, and pulled her jacket back up. By the time he had finished the rest of the gang was assembled behind him.
"Well?" he turned to look at them. "What are you waiting for? Don't you have some big evil to fight, Slayer?"
"Jerk!" Buffy brushed past him followed by Riley, Xander and Anya.
"That's so sweet," Anya whispered as she passed him and Spike growled at her. Anya flipped him off with an innocent look and Willow and Dawn laughed.
Spike turned to glare at the two of them. "What's so funny?" he demanded.
"It *was* sweet," Dawn said as she gave him a hug.
Spike growled again. "I'm not sweet, I'm *bad*," he hugged her back.
"Stay safe," she whispered.
***
The six of them managed to squeeze into Xander's car, with Xander, Anya and Spike in the front seat and Willow, Buffy and Riley in the back. When they got to the road leading to the lake, Xander slowed down and pulled over to the side.
"Should we leave the car here?" he asked the rest of the group.
"Yeah," Buffy agreed from the backseat, "we don't want to alert the demon to our presence. Pop the trunk, Xan," she said as she crawled over Riley and opened the door.
"Hate to break it to you, Buff," Xander said as he climbed out of the car, then helped Anya out, "but only the newer cars allow you to `pop' the trunk. Mine still needs the actual key."
They all gathered at the back of the car and Xander unlocked the trunk. Everyone reached in for their weapon of choice, except for Willow who already had her weapon strapped to her chest.
"We should divide up, cover more ground," Spike suggested.
"Right," Buffy said. "Xander, you and Anya follow the road, but stay hidden. And be careful. Riley and I'll go around this way," she pointed to her right, "Spike, you and Willow go to the left. That work for everyone?"
There was a chorus of yes's.
"Um, what do we do when we find it?" Willow asked.
"Those earpieces would come in handy right about now," Xander commented.
"Yell," Buffy said, before she and Riley moved into the trees surrounding the lake.
"Right," Willow nodded as she watched Xander and Anya move down the side of the road.
"Ready, Red?" Spike asked and Willow giggled.
"What?"
"That sounded funny. Ready, Red?"
"Ha, ha," he replied dryly. "Shall we?" he held his hand out toward the trees on the left-hand side of the road.
"I guess," Willow said as she moved off of the road and into the trees. Once they were under the trees Spike took the lead. The canopy filtered the moonlight and he reached back for Willow's hand, guiding her through the darkness. They walked slowly, trying not to make any noise, carefully searching the area around them. Half an hour later they reached the beach; there had been no sign of the demon.
They began to walk around the lake when Willow suddenly froze. "Ew! What's that smell?"
"Demon," Spike replied, his voice low.
"D-demon? Are you sure?" Willow squeezed Spike's hand.
"Yep. Smelled a Morkan demon before. Nasty stuff," Spike told her.
"Oh," Willow swallowed hard.
"Come on," Spike tugged on her hand and they began walking again.
"Th-the smell's getting stronger," Willow announced fearfully after she and Spike had walked about a hundred yards.
"You're telling me," Spike replied. "Try having *my* sense of smell."
Spike stopped walking and Willow, who had been looking around them, walked into his back. "Sorry," she whispered.
"S'okay. I think we found its nest."
"Really?" Willow peered around Spike and saw a bundle of clothes. "What's that?"
"Probably victim number two," Spike said. "Stay here," he told her, then let go of her hand and walked closer to the bundle. He reached down and pulled back a piece of cloth, then quickly threw it back down, stood up, and backed away.
"Well?"
"Victim number two," Spike confirmed, his voice muffled through the hand that was covering his nose.
"What's wrong?"
"She's been there awhile."
"How could that be?" Willow asked. "The police were all over this place just this morning when they found the other girl."
"Yeah, well, you know the Sunnydale police force," Spike said derisively. "Maybe they took one look at victim number one and hightailed it out of here."
Suddenly there was a splash in the lake and Willow and Spike both turned to see the Morkan demon emerging from the water. Its head and shoulders were above the water now and Willow had a real clear view of the four-foot long tusk protruding from its forehead and its single eye. She gulped.
"Sh-should we yell now?" she asked Spike.
"Wait `til I engage it, then yell for the Slayer," Spike replied without looking at her. Willow turned toward Spike and gripped his arm. He looked down to see concern in her eyes.
"Just stay back, you'll be alright," he assured her.
"I'm not worried about *me*!" Willow said, glancing over her shoulder to check out the demon's progress. Its torso was out of the water now and the moonlight glinted off of its blue, leathery skin. Its green spots and, ooh, the claws at the ends of its arms, were now clearly visible. "I-I'm worried about you. Just, because, you know, you help us fight evil, not because I want to have sex with you again. Because I don't. Ever," Willow said without taking her eyes off of the Morkan demon. "H-he's big," she noted.
"But I'm bigger, `n badder," Spike leaned down and whispered in her ear and Willow jumped, turning her face back toward the vampire.
Spike smirked down at her, then brushed his lips across hers. "Get back now," he said. "And remember, wait `til we're fighting. Don't want `im to decide to run away!"
Willow took a couple of steps back and pulled the dagger out of it's sheath. "Be careful," she whispered. Spike didn't respond and she wasn't sure if he heard her.
Then he said, "You too, Red."
Spike moved forward to meet the Morkan demon which was over a foot taller than the slim vampire. "Hey, mate."
"What do you want, vampire?" the demon asked in a booming voice as it took its last steps out of the water and onto the beach.
"Nothing personal," Spike replied, "but I'm here to kill you."
"You think you can hurt me?" the demon asked incredulously, then laughed. "You are so puny. I will kill you slowly and let you watch while I take your woman. She has power, I can sense it. Perhaps she will be able to satisfy me, where these others could not," he waved his arm toward the body on the beach.
"I-I'm not his woman," Willow protested softly.
"Do not lie to me!" the demon roared. "I can smell you all over him."
"Oh. Oh! You don't think he'll tell Buffy, do you?" she asked Spike's back.
"Why don't we worry `bout that when we both get out of here alive," Spike suggested.
"Right. Good idea," Willow agreed, tightening her grip on the dagger.
"C'mon, big blue," Spike taunted the demon. "Let's dance."
The demon roared, then lowered its head and charged Spike.
Willow screamed, "Buffy! Buffy!"
"Willow?" she heard her friend's distant reply. "Willow, where are you?"
"On the other side of the lake, on the beach," Willow yelled back. "Hurry, we found the demon!"
Spike ducked under the tusk and stepped to the side, then swung his axe at the tusk. He didn't bother trying to disable the demon, that would only piss him off. He needed to kill the demon, and there was only one way to do that. The axe hit the tusk and bounced off. The vibration in the handle stung Spike's hands and he almost dropped the axe.
The demon swung around before Spike could recover and swiped at him with its claws, leaving four long tears in his t-shirt, just missing his beloved leather duster.
"Hey! Watch the coat!" the vampire yelled as he skipped backward.
Spike regained his balance and closed on the demon, swinging the axe above his head to distract the demon, then burying the blade in the back of it's knee. Maybe disabling the bugger wasn't such a bad idea. The demon roared in pain and dropped to one knee as its leg refused to support its weight.
Spike moved in and swung at the demon's shoulder, disabling its arm, then stepped back out of range of the claws and wildly swinging tusk. Spike jumped as the demon was trying to rise to its feet and kicked its forehead at the base of the tusk. His momentum carried him over the demon's head and he rolled into a ball as he landed, then rolled to his feet with the axe still in his hand.
Running back toward the stunned demon, Spike swung the axe at its forehead. At the same time the blade connected with the base of the tusk, the demon's good arm connected with Spike's head and sent him flying through the air.
The demon roared in pain as its tusk, already damaged by Spike's previous attacks, tore out of its forehead, leaving a gaping hole. The demon grabbed its head and bellowed in agony.
Willow saw Spike hit the ground hard, and knew that he wouldn't be getting back up as quickly this time. While the Morkan demon was distracted by its own pain, Willow snuck around behind it. Gripping the dagger tightly in her right hand she stepped up beside the demon. Sensing her presence the demon lowered its hands and looked at her with its single glowering eye, giving Willow an unobstructed view of the wound in its forehead.
She reached out with her left hand, drawing the demon's attention. As it rolled its eye toward her left hand and swung its clawed arm at her, Willow raised her right hand and struck, burying the dagger to the hilt in the hole left behind by the excised tusk. The demon toppled over, dead instantly, but its arm, already in motion, connected with Willow's shoulder and knocked her to the ground.
Groaning, she climbed to her knees and crawled over to Spike, who still hadn't moved. "Spike," she called his name as she shook his shoulder. "Spike!" she called louder.
"What?" Spike sat up suddenly, cracking his forehead against Willow's.
"Ow!" Willow sat back on her heels and rubbed her forehead.
"Bloody hell!" Spike grabbed his already aching head with both hands as the chip went off.
"You're hurt," Willow reached one hand out toward Spike's bloodied t-shirt while the other cradled her head.
"Willow!" Buffy yelled as she ran up to them followed by Riley, Xander and Anya. "Are you alright? What happened?"
"We found the demon," Willow motioned behind her as she continued to rub her forehead.
"Oh, god!" Buffy exclaimed. "He smells worse dead!"
"Yeah," Willow agreed. "How come nobody thought to bring a crossbow?"
While Spike and Willow sat on the ground, recovering from their battle with the demon, Buffy retrieved their weapons and wiped the gore off of them as best she could in the sand. Then she and Riley dragged the body further down the beach to be burned. After the flames had died down, they walked back to Xander's car and headed back to the Magic Box.