Bloody hell, Spike thought as he wrapped his arms around Willow.  The last thing he wanted was to announce their relationship to the Watcher, who'd tell the Slayer, who'd shove a redwood through his chest, but he couldn't think of anything else to do.  This need, this compelling need to mate with Willow, which had seemingly been sated by the claiming, both before and now, *was* unnatural.  And possibly dangerous, at least for Willow.  She was only human, after all.

"C'mon," he roused her, "let's take a shower an' go see the Watcher."

After they had both showered and dressed, they set off for the Magic Box with Spike under a blanket in the backseat since the sun was still a couple of hours from setting.

Giles and Anya looked up when a smoking Spike burst into the shop.  Willow followed quickly behind him, shutting the door.

"Hi!" Anya greeted them, then paused as she noticed Willow's flushed appearance and Spike's drawn features.  "What's wrong?"

"We, um, we need to, uh...,"

"We need ta talk ta the Watcher," Spike tossed the blanket on the table and strode into the training room.

"Something's wrong?" Giles asked.

"Where, um, where's Dawn?"

"Buffy already picked her up."

"Oh."  Willow gave Anya an apologetic look and turned to Giles, "Can we talk to you, in the, uh, training room?  Please."

"Of course," he agreed.  "Anya," he spoke to the ex- demon, "let me know if you need me."

`Thank you' Willow mouthed to Anya as she led Giles into the training room leaving Anya behind the counter.

When she pushed through the beads Willow found Spike sitting on the horse with his elbows on his thighs, his duster thrown beside him, a cigarette in his hand.

"Why don't you, um, sit down," Willow suggest as she stood awkwardly in the middle of the training room between Giles and Spike.

Giles sat in a corner of the couch, crossed his legs and removed his glasses.  "Is this about the two of you?" he asked.

"What?  How?  What?"

"Two very good questions," Giles commented as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, briefly pondering the feeling of deja vu.

"Emily," Spike said.

"What?" Willow was still confused.

"Emily mentioned it ta the Watcher before she realized it was a secret.  Didn't think he believed her, though."

"I *didn't* believe it.  Or at least I didn't want to.  What do the two of you think you're doing?  He's a vampire, Willow.  And she," he turned his attention to said vampire, "she's just a girl.  A young, human girl.  And if you hurt her...,"

"Not gonna hurt `er," Spike mumbled as he took a long drag on the cigarette.

"*If* you hurt her," Giles continued, "I will hunt you down and tear you apart before I stake you.  Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

"Giles, please.  I appreciate your concern.  Really I do. But we've got much bigger problems right now," Willow said.

"Problems?  What kind of problems?"

"Well, it's like this," and Willow told him the story of how she and Spike got together, about the compelling need for each other, including the fact that she was still with Tara the first time, that Spike had claimed her after the vampire had attacked her and how the need for each other had diminished after the claiming, until that afternoon.

"We thought, or, at least, I thought, that the hormonal thing, or whatever it was, was calmed by the claiming, but today...Giles, today I could have killed someone.  I was in such a hurry to get home to Spike I, I broke every speed limit and ran stop signs and we...we didn't make love, we just, we just...,"

"Mated like animals," Spike supplied with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," Willow hissed in agreement.  "It was scary.  We, we needed to, you know, three times before we were, were...,"

"Satisfied," Spike spoke up again.

"Yes," a pacing Willow held up her hand and covered her eyes.  "And even then it wasn't until we, um, you know, bit each other again that it ended."

Willow looked over at Giles to see him sitting with his elbows on his legs and his head in his hands.  "Giles?" she approached him.

Giles took a deep breath, sat up and slipped his glasses on.  "Okay, first things first.  How was Spike able to bite you?"

"Uh, well, grr," Willow made a face and clawed her fingers, which made Spike roll his eyes, "then fangs, neck, bite," she finished.

"Right," Giles looked at her oddly.  "What I meant was, why didn't his chip go off?"

"Oh.  Oh!  Well, I never really thought about it.  Did you?" she turned to look at Spike.

"Thought about it," he admitted.  "Figured it didn't go off `cause ya wanted it."

"Oh," she looked back at the Watcher.  "Would that work?"

"I don't know.  Perhaps I should have Spike try to hurt me...,"

"Sod off, Watcher," Spike pointed his lit cigarette at the other man, "I ain't getting no bleedin' headache just so you can experiment."

"Very well.  We'll worry about that later.  May I see the bite?" he asked Willow.

"Of course," she practically ran the rest of the way over to him and knelt in front of him, exposing her neck.  She heard Spike growl behind her.

"Shut up, he's helping us," she muttered.

Giles probed at the bite, then asked, "Has he bitten you anywhere else?"

"Um, yes," Willow said, "but not, uh, claiming bites.  You know...,"

"Durin' sex," Spike interjected with a smirk.

"Right, what he said."

Giles placed his hand gently on Willow's shoulder.  "And you've bitten him?"

"Yes."

"May I see the bite?" he asked Spike.  Spike didn't answer and finally Willow snapped from the stress, "Spike!"

"Oh, bloody hell, alright," he dropped the cigarette, his third in a bout of chain smoking, and stamped it out as he slid off of the horse, then walked over to the couch.  Giles stood up and tilted Spike's head to examine the bite, then stood back.

"So, let me get this straight," Giles began to pace the room, swinging his glasses in his hand.  "Willow bit Spike and drank some of his blood and Spike bit Willow and drank some of her blood to claim her...," Giles found it easier for his peace of mind to speak in the third person.

"Actually," Spike said, "I was just gonna mark her.  For protection from other demons, but she bit me and...that changed everythin'," he leaned down and kissed the redhead under discussion as his hand rubbed her back.

"Have you ever claimed anyone before?" Giles asked.

"No."

"A vampire, another human?"

"I said no, mate," Spike was getting agitated.  He hated laying his unlife out like this for the pillock.

"Have you ever seen anyone else, er, claim someone?"

"No."

"What are you...Giles, do you think we did something wrong?" Willow squeezed Spike's hand.  "Oh, goddess, I did it wrong," Willow moaned.

"Stop it," Spike shook her.  "Quit thinkin' you're a screw up, `cause you're not."

"Let me check my book.  I remember reading something...," Giles was gone before he finished the sentence and back just minutes later with a book in his hand.  He sat down on the couch and paged through the book until he found the passage he was looking for.

"Oh, my," he said, staring at the ceiling.  "Just as I thought."

"What?  What is it?"

Giles silently handed Willow the book and pointed out the relevant passage.  Willow quickly read the paragraph then looked up at Spike and handed him the book.  Spike read the passage then angrily threw the book down on the floor.

"No way!" he yelled as he paced the room.  "No bleedin' way am I askin' that wanker for anythin'!"

"We have to," Willow said with tears in her eyes.  "We have to finish it.  Unless we can undo it.  Do you want to undo it?"

Spike stopped pacing and looked at Willow.  Her face was pale and her eyes red-rimmed.  He walked to her and swept her into his arms, "No, I don't wanna undo it.  Bloody poof!" he buried his head in Willow's neck.

"Shall I make the call?" Giles asked softly.

***

"What are you going to say?" Willow asked, her voice muffled against Spike's chest.  "I mean, I know you have to tell him what happened, but...are you gonna tell him we made a mistake?  `Cause it's not a mistake Giles, well, except for the fact that we didn't finish it, but, I mean, me and Spike, we're not a mistake, and if you're going to tell him that, that we are, then...then I'll make the call."

"Oh, Willow," Giles stood and placed his hand on her head despite Spike's warning growl.  "You are so young.  And you're making such a huge decision.  And talk about opposite sides of the Hellmouth.  You haven't even told your friends.  This isn't a healthy...,"

"Giles," Willow turned in Spike's arms and took the Watcher's hand in hers.  "I know it seems out of the blue, but I, well...oh, darn it!" she stomped her foot.  "If you tease me about this I swear I will turn you into a frog!" she tilted her head back to look at Spike then looked back at Giles.

"I've had feelings for Spike for a while," she admitted.  "Of course, not exactly the kind of feelings I had *today*, but, you know, crushy-type feelings, where I'd get all butterflies-in-the- stomach and stutter and blush and other, not-crushy-type feelings where he'd just make me laugh, or mad or cry, even.  I never said anything because, well, I knew you would all think I was crazy and because I never thought Spike would have any kinds of feelings towards me except the drain-you-drier-than-the-Sahara kind.  But then one day, whammo, we collided, and it felt good.   Although, ew, I didn't mean that kind of good!" she said in response to the look on Giles' face.  "Except, well, that kind of good, too," she admitted with a small smile.

"I know it seems weird.  I mean, on the one hand you've got Willow, computer-geek-extraordinaire and on the other, Spike, too- sexy-for-my-clothes and, oh, vampire," Willow continued to babble, trying to explain her feelings for Spike.

"I was rather thinking innocent young girl, amoral killer," Giles muttered.

"And you know the reason I haven't told Buffy is because she's a stake-`em-first, ask-questions-later type of Slayer and I just won't have the same kind of warm, fuzzy feelings toward a pile of dust as I do toward, well, you know, the real thing," she ran her hands over Spike's arms as they crisscrossed over her stomach.

"You're going to have to tell them," Giles said.  "If you're going to do this you have to do it all the way.  You can't wear scarves forever," Giles motioned toward her neck, "and sooner or later Buffy is going to figure out that you never show up without Spike anymore, and that he's living at your house."

"I know," Willow admitted, "but I was trying to put off the fireworks as long as I could."

"And I don't want to be responsible for keeping your secret. I mean, what if I slip?"

"You?" Spike asked.  "I'm more worried about Niblet or demon girl spillin' the bloody beans."

"Dawn and Anya know?"

"Well, they sort of figured it out," Willow admitted.

"How?"

"I don't know, but Dawn knew that first night, you know, when I had the bruise on my back," Willow explained.

"That bruise...was from...Spike?  Oh, dear lord, I need to sit down," Giles lurched toward the couch.

"Um, did I leave that part out before?" Willow tried to smile brightly.

"Yep."

"Yes, I believe you did."

"Oops!"

***

In the end Willow decided to make the call.  As much as she wanted Giles to break the news to Angel so that he could yell at the Watcher before she had to talk to him, she wanted to control the flow of information.  She sat at the desk in Giles' office, her toes nervously tapping on the floor as she listened to the telephone ring.

There was a click at the other end, then Cordy's recorded voice saying, "Hello, you've reached Angel Investigations..."

"Shoot," Willow looked over at Spike where he leaned against the wall smoking another cigarette, "it's the machine."

She waited until the beep, "Hi, Angel, it's, um, it's Willow.  Listen, I really need to talk to you.  Everyone's fine, no emergency, but really important, to me," she babbled at the machine.  "If you could call me back.  I'm at the magic shop right now...,"

"Hello, Willow?" a breathless voice came on the line.

"Cordy?"

"Hold on," she was trying to catch her breath, "I ran for the phone.  Whew, what's up?"

"I, um, I need to talk to Angel.  Is he there?"

"Yeah, brood boy's here," Cordy said.  "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, yes, everything, and everyone, is, are, just fine. It's, um, it's sort of personal.  You know, having to do with me, personally."

"Right.  Hold on," Willow heard muffled voices in the background and then, "Hello, Willow?"

"Angel!  Hi.  How are you?" Willow's hands were damp.

"I'm fine.  Cordy said you needed to talk to me?"

"Yes, right.  Well, I, um, I found someone.  I mean, I'm seeing someone," she heard Spike's snort of laugher.

"That, uh, that's nice, Willow," Angel sounded puzzled.

"Right.  What I really mean to say is we, um, we're...getting married.  Eloping actually.  No, that's not it either, exactly," Willow admitted after seeing Spike raise his eyebrows.  She took a deep, calming breath and decided to bite the proverbial bullet.

"Okay, this is it.  Angel, what do you know about the vampire- human claiming ritual?" Willow asked.

"Willow, what's happened?" Angel sounded worried.

"Well, I sort of did it, except we didn't know about the blessing-of-the-Sire part and so we're stuck in the middle and we need you to come to Sunnydale and complete the ritual or I think we're going to go mad, both of us," Willow spit out.

Willow heard absolutely nothing on the other end of the line.  "Uh, Angel?" she squeaked.  She heard him take a deep, unnecessary, steadying breath.

"What did you say?" he asked flatly, his voice devoid of emotion.

"I said, I sort of did it, except we didn't know about the blessing-of-the-Sire part and so we're stuck in the middle and we need you to come to Sunnydale and complete the ritual or I think we're going to go mad," Willow repeated a little more slowly.

There was another pause, then, "Is Spike there?" he forced out through clenched teeth.

"Yes," Willow swallowed hard as she looked up at the blonde vampire.

"Put him on the phone."

"Angel, I...,"

"Put him on the phone, Willow."

"Angel, please...,"

"*Now*, Willow," Angel growled and Willow broke into tears. This wasn't going well at all.  She looked up at Spike with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"He wants to talk to you," she held out the receiver.

"Come here," Spike pushed away from the wall and held his arms out.  Willow dropped the handset on the desk and fell into his arms, crying as if her heart would break.  It was all just too much.

With one arm around Willow's shaking shoulders Spike lifted the receiver and placed it against his face.  "You made her cry, ya bleedin' wanker," he said, his tone calm, deadly.

"What in hell have you done?" Angel demanded.

"I claimed my mate," Spike said in the same voice.

"Listen to me, William...,"

"No, you listen ta me, Angelus.  I've claimed her.  An' she's claimed me.  An' I, *we*, are not gonna beg ya fer yer blessin'. We'll find some other way, a spell maybe.  Red's a smart little witch now, ya know?"

"Boy...,"

"Sod off," Spike hung up the phone, picked Willow up and sat down in the chair, holding her in his lap.

***

"What happened?" Giles stood in the doorway.

"He upset Red," Spike answered shortly.

"Willow, are you alright?" Giles asked as he walked into the office.

Willow sniffled and nodded her head.  "I shouldn't have let it bother me," she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.  "It was just, you know, on top of everything...,"

The telephone rang and they heard Anya pick it up, "Hello, Magic Box, how ma...hold on.  Giles, it's Angel!"

"Thank you, Anya," Giles called back.  Spike reached out for the telephone but Giles covered the vampire's hand with his own.  "Let me."

Giles picked up the receiver and placed it to his ear, "Angel."

"Giles, is Spike there?"

"Yes, he is."

"May I speak with him?"

"No."

"No?"

"No," Giles paused.  "Did you yell at Willow?"

"He growled at me," Willow tattled in a small voice.

"No. Well, I may have raised my voice," Angel replied.

"Willow says you growled at her?" Giles asked.

"Yes," Angel admitted, "I may have done."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to speak with Spike."

"To yell at him, too?"

"No.  Well, maybe.  Alright, probably."

"And how is that going to help Willow?"

"I'd make sure he kept away from her."

"It's a little too late for that, Angel, or we wouldn't be calling you to ask for your assistance in completing the claiming ritual."

"Look, Giles...,"

"No, you look," Ripper exploded, "Willow is a grown woman and as much as I might question her choice in a mate it *is* her decision to make.  It's not mine and it certainly isn't yours.  You left, remember?  And I realize that Spike is your childe, and you could probably order him to stay away from Willow, but from what I understand, you left him, too.  Now," the ex-Watcher continued without giving Angel a chance to respond, "Spike and Willow have...chosen to be together and they need your blessing because Willow is human and the ritual isn't complete without it, and it's causing some complications.  Do you really think that they would have come to either one of us with such a sensitive issue if it weren't important?  You have two choices.  You can come up here and help them complete the ritual or you can stay in L.A. and leave them on their own, *again*."

"That's hitting below the belt, Rupert," Angel said after a short pause.

"Did it work?"

"What are the complications?"

"A need to re-claim each other, frequently, combined with, er...,"

"The urge to hump like bunnies," Willow muttered from against Spike's chest.

"...the urgent need to mate," Giles looked askance at Willow and tried to ignore her comment.

"Has he hurt her?" Angel asked.

"No," Giles looked at the blonde vampire cradling the young redhead, "in fact, if I didn't know he was Spike and a vampire, whom I loathe and fear, I'd actually believe he loves her."

Despite the warmth of the young girl in his arms Spike couldn't help but preen at Giles' words.  He feared him.  Yeah, he was still the big bloody bad.

"Tell me everything," Angel sighed in resignation.

***

Willow was extremely nervous.  It was an hour past sunset, and Angel would be there in less than an hour to help them complete the claiming ritual.  She and Giles had set up the items they'd need for the ritual in the training room and she was now pacing up and down the floor of the Magic Box, anxiously awaiting Angel's arrival.

"Sit down, Red," Spike grabbed her arm as she made another pass by the table.

"I can't," she placed her hand over his, "I'm too nervous to sit."

"You're drivin' me crazy with all that pacin' to an' fro," Spike tugged on her arm, pulling her onto his lap.  "Sit here with me for a minute."

Willow gladly allowed herself to be drawn onto Spike's lap. It was where she felt the safest and, surprisingly enough, the calmest.  She rested her head on Spike's shoulder and let her mind drift back to the night before.

After Giles had hung up the phone she and Spike had just stared at him until he said, "He's coming.  Tomorrow night."

Willow had let out the breath she didn't even realize she'd been holding.  Angel was coming.  He'd help them and then everything would be okay.  Angel was coming.  Oh, goddess, Angel was coming!

She'd approached Anya with only part of the story, telling her that Angel was coming to discuss her and Spike's relationship, and asking her to keep Buffy away from the Magic Box.  They decided that Anya would tell Xander and Buffy that Giles had plans for the evening so he was giving them a night off from research and she would further suggest that they go to The Bronze.  To keep Buffy from getting suspicious that Willow wouldn't be joining them at The Bronze, they'd say that both Willow and Giles were attending a seminar on witchcraft.  No one would be surprised that Spike didn't show up.

Everyone showed up for research as usual.  Luckily Buffy was caught up in the latest Riley-saga and didn't remember that Willow had left school early or mention her red eyes.  Willow pulled Dawn away from the group to ask her if she could stay with her friend Janice the next night, giving her the same story about Angel's visit.  Dawn made the phone call from Giles' office, then brought it up to Buffy as if she'd forgotten to mention it earlier.  Willow felt a small twinge of guilt for encouraging the girl to lie, but pushed it away.

Once Dawn had asked Buffy if she could spend the night with Janice, Anya took her cue and `just remembered' that Giles had given them the next night off and plans were made to Bronze it.  Not much research got done after that, not that Willow had been able to concentrate on research before that.  When Buffy and Riley got up to head out on patrol the gang broke up.  Willow claimed a headache, Anya said she needed a foot rub and Giles decided to sit with Dawn at the Summers' residence.

Willow and Spike went home that night and simply held each other.  Neither one could sleep, and just as the sun was peeking it's head over the horizon, Spike kissed her.  A long, gentle kiss that promised everything would be okay.

He slowly pulled her clothes off of her and ran his hands and his mouth over every inch of her body, skirting her breasts and her center, teasing her with his tongue and fingertips until she was begging him for more.

He loomed over her, his hands trapping her arms to the side of her head, and lowered his head.  His tongue flicked her already puckered nipple and she moaned.  He flicked the other nipple and she tried to arch into his mouth.  He looked at her and smiled, then flicked her nipples again.

"Spike," Willow spoke the first word since he had kissed her and he closed his mouth over her nipple, sucking on it and pulling, then nipping it with blunt teeth.

"Aahh!" she cried as he did the same to the other nipple. And then he was kissing down her belly, his tongue swirling around, then into, her belly button.  He let go of her arms as he moved lower, his breath tickling her, his tongue darting out to taste her.

She spread her thighs and he watched as she opened to his gaze.  "Please," she begged and he drew his tongue along her slit, then over her clit.

"Yes, more!" her hands were in his hair, urgently begging him to touch her and he happily complied.  He sucked her clit as he slipped a finger inside her, then another, bending them to press against her.  Stroking and sucking until Angel's impending visit was the farthest thing from her mind.

He felt her muscles clench around his fingers as she came screaming his name and he drank her juices, then licked them off of his fingers.

Willow pulled his t-shirt over his head and then unfastened his jeans, shoving them over his hips and down his legs.  Spike kicked them off and Willow pulled him to her.  She took him in her hand and stroked him, spread the liquid seeping from the tip over the head with her thumb, then positioned him at her entrance.

She lay back and placed her hands on his shoulders, wrapped her legs around his waist and lifted herself, drawing him into her. Spike moaned as she covered him with her heat.  With her legs around his waist she lowered and raised her hips, letting him slide out of her, then drawing him in again.

With a growl, Spike pressed her to the bed and thrust into her.

"Tell me you want me," he demanded.

"Yes," Willow hissed as her body welcomed him.

"Tell me you need me."

"I do," she scratched his back.

"Tell me you love me."

"I love you," she pulled his head down and pressed her lips to his.  "I love you, Spike."

He slammed into her as her soft lips rained kisses over his face, along his jaw.  "I love y-o-u!" she screamed as he pinched her clit, sending her over the edge, slamming into her one last time before joining her.

"I love you, too," he whispered, the sound barely heard through the blood pounding in her ears.

He pulled out of her and moved off of her, resting his head on her shoulder, his arm and leg thrown over her.  Willow's arm was around Spike's shoulder and she ran her fingers through his hair. They held each other in silence until Spike heard Willow's breathing deepen as sleep claimed her.

"I liked poetry," he whispered, then shut his eyes and joined her in sleep.

They slept the day away wrapped in each other's arms.  Willow woke and turned her head to look at the clock.  Five o'clock.  Still about three hours until sunset, five until Angel arrived.  She crawled out from under Spike and headed for the bathroom to shower.

After she had showered she stood looking in her closet.  What did one wear to a claiming ritual?  Goddess, she was practically getting married...to a vampire.  None of her friends even knew that she liked Spike, much less, *liked* Spike.  The only people attending the cere...ritual, were two men, well a man and a vampire, who didn't approve of their relationship.  And darn it, she had nothing to wear!  She felt tears welling up and angrily swiped them away.

"What's the matter, luv?" Spike asked from the bed.  He'd been awake for a while, drinking in the sight of his woman.

"I don't know what to wear!" she whined.

"Well, I like the outfit you're wearin' now," Spike told her with a smirk.

"Very funny," Willow crossed her arms to cover her breasts and then an evil thought crossed her mind.  "You think Angel'll like it?" she asked as she opened her arms wide.

Spike growled and Willow laughed as she ran and jumped on the bed, tickling him.  To her surprise he yelped and tried to get away from her.

"You're ticklish?" she asked, trying not to laugh as Spike practically fell out of the bed to stand beside it.

"No," he denied.

"Liar," she crawled over the bed toward him and he backed up.  "C'mere Spike," she licked her lips and crooked her finger.

"No way.  Besides, I gotta...," he paused and held his hand up to silence her.  "Someone's here," he grabbed his jeans and pulled them on as he half walked, half hopped to the door.  Willow grabbed her robe and belted it around her waist as she followed him.  He snuck down the stairs and looked into the living room.  Nothing.

But he could still hear the heartbeat.  He stood still for a second and freed his senses, then pointed toward the front door.  "On the porch."

Willow hurried in to the living room and carefully pulled back the curtain to look out on the porch.  She saw the top of a small brunette head.  She strode swiftly to the front door and with a "Get back," to Spike pulled the door open and stuck her head out.

"Dawnie?"

"Um, hi," Dawn looked up from her seat on the porch and waved her hand.

"What's wrong?"

"Plans with Janice fell through and I, um, well, I didn't want to go home `cause then Buffy would know and that would screw up your plans for tonight.  So I thought I'd come here.  I mean, I could stay here if you don't want me at the Magic Box.  I don't need a babysitter," she insisted.  "Or I could go with you.  I'd stay out of the way.  And I wouldn't eavesdrop, no matter what stupid Carrie says."

"Who's Carrie?" Willow asked, then, "Never mind.  Just get in here."

Dawn picked up her book bag and slunk through the door.  "Uh, hi, Spike."

"Niblet."

"I, um...,"

"I heard."

"I didn't mean to screw up your night," she looked anywhere but at the two people in front of her.

"You haven't.  Hungry?" Spike asked as he led the way into the kitchen.

"Uh, a little," Dawn said, glancing at Willow before she followed him.

Willow smiled and padded after them.  He would never admit it and he'd probably kill her for thinking it, but Spike was really a nice guy.

"You're not gonna feed me that, are you?" she heard Dawn ask and walked through the kitchen doorway to see Spike holding a bag of blood in his hand.

"What's wrong with it?  It's yummy.  Tastes great on cereal, too," he slit the bag and dumped the contents into a mug.

"Yeah.  I think I'll pass," Dawn slid onto a stool at the island, dropping her bag onto the floor next to her.

"You like chicken stir-fry?" Willow asked.

"Yeah.  You ordering out?" Dawn replied.

"No!" Willow opened the refrigerator door.  "I'm making it," she pulled out the plastic container of marinating chicken breasts, which were supposed to be last night's supper, and the container of marinade.  She pulled a skillet out of the cupboard and sat it on top of the stove, then turned on the burner.  She sprayed the pan, dumped some of the marinade in and added the chicken breasts, then covered it.

"I'm going to get dressed while that's heating up.  You want something to drink?" she asked Dawn before she left.

"As long as it's not red.  Or thick.  Or smells like blood."

"We have lemonade, soda and water.  Help yourself, you know where the glasses are."

Willow decided that what she wore was the least of her worries.  She picked out a pair of black jeans because Spike was wearing black, and because it would hide any spilled blood, and a red fitted t-shirt with cap sleeves and a rounded neck.  She pulled on socks and a pair of short black boots.

Before leaving the room she looked into the mirror and laughed.  She hadn't combed her hair when she got out of the shower and it was all over the place.  It's a wonder Dawn wasn't afraid to come in the house!  She combed her already drying hair and pulled it back in a barrette clasped at her neck.

When she got back to the kitchen she heard Dawn saying, "So, you like, need his permission to...date...Willow `cause she's human? That's so archaic."

"Archaic?" Spike repeated.  "I was thinkin' humiliatin'.  I can't believe I have to ask my soddin' sire for a favor."

"Or you could look at it as romantic."

"Romantic?"

"Yeah, you know, in the olden days, like back when you were born, you had to ask the father if you could court the girl, so it's just like getting daddy's blessing."

"Daddy's blessing?" Willow asked as she walked in the kitchen.  "Yeah, I guess it could be romantic, if it didn't make me so nauseous I think I'm going to throw up," she walked up to where Spike was leaning against the counter in the spot she'd come to think of as his and leaned into him.  Placing her hands on either side of his face she drew his head down to hers and gave him a light kiss.

"Go take a shower and get dressed," she slapped his butt as she pulled away.  Spike grabbed her around the waist with one arm and lifted her.  With the other hand holding her head steady he crushed his lips to hers and kissed her breathless, then sat her back on her feet, winked at Dawn and walked out of the room.

"Wow," Dawn said.

"No kidding," Willow breathed as she placed her fingers against her lips.

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