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: The Seduction of Spike, Soulmates, Willow's Lil' Secret, Shades of Grey, The Batpack Archive and Wacky Witch Willow. If anybody else 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? Emily Finn is mine. So is the story.
Thanks: Amanda, beta and grasshopper extraordinaire.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Chapter: Eleven~ The One
The telephone rang and Willow reached out sleepily to pick it up.
"Hello?" she said.
"Hey, Will, it's me, Buffy," the hesitant voice on the other end of the line said.
"Hi, Buffy," Willow said, pinching Spike's side when she heard his muffled, "Stupid bint."
"Listen, can we, uh, can we talk?" Buffy asked, her voice betraying her fear that Willow would say `no'.
"Sure, Buffy," she said, eager to maintain her relationship with Buffy, so long as her friend could come to terms, and not interfere, with her relationship with Spike. "Did you want to come over here?" Willow asked as she scooted up on the bed.
"Spike there?" Buffy asked, her voice even and nonjudgmental.
"Yeah," Willow replied as she looked over at the blonde vampire lying on his stomach and ran her hand over his back.
"Then probably not a good idea. I want to talk, not fight. At least, not today," she clarified.
"Okay. What did you have in mind?" Willow asked, her mind only partly on the conversation now.
"Maybe a walk to the park?" Buffy suggested tentatively.
"That sounds great. Want me to meet you at your place?"
"No. I, um, have some energy I need to work off, so I'll just walk over there and meet you, okay? I'll wait on the porch if you're not ready yet."
"You can come in and wait...," Willow offered as her fingers traced the ridges of Spike's spine.
"No, I don't think I'm ready for that," Buffy replied with a little laugh.
"Okay, about half an hour?" Willow asked distractedly.
"Okay, see you then," Buffy hung up the phone. Willow held the forgotten receiver in her hand as she watched her fingers trail over Spike's back.
"You gonna hang that up, luv?" Spike finally asked, his face turned to the side so he could look at her.
"What? Oh, yeah," she placed the handset back on the base.
"So, the Slayer's coming over?" he asked, trying for nonchalant and failing miserably.
"Just to meet me. We're gonna walk to the park. She wants to talk," Willow explained.
"I'll bet," Spike said bitterly as he rolled onto his back.
"No!" Willow denied as she laid her head on his chest and set her hand to stroking his stomach reassuringly. "I think she really wants to talk. She sounded...I don't know...almost sad." Spike wrapped his arms around her back and held her tightly against him.
"She's not taking you away from me. You're mine," he stated emphatically. How could he have come to love this woman so much in such a short time? Didn't matter. She was his, and no one was going to take her away from him.
"No one could *ever* take me away from you," Willow tilted her head up and looked into his eyes. "I am yours. And you...are mine," she slid up his body until her lips hovered over his, "and I love you." She lowered her face and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.
"Love you, too, Red," Spike ran his hands over her back and into her hair as he parted his lips to her.
"Mmm, I gotta go," Willow murmured resignedly, as she lifted her head, "if I'm gonna be ready when Buffy gets here. Need ta shower," she whispered as she kissed him again.
Suddenly Spike pushed her off of him, threw the blankets back and got out of the bed.
"Wh-where ya going?" Willow asked in shocked surprise.
"Turn the shower on," he said without turning around, "you gotta get going. Come on," he peeked his head back around the door, "I'll wash your back if you're a good girl," he smirked, his tongue brushing his lips. Willow's stomach fluttered.
"Oh, I'll be good," she jumped out of bed and raced to the bathroom.
***
Thirty-five minutes after she hung up the telephone, Willow stepped out onto the front porch to meet Buffy.
"Hey, Buff," she greeted her friend. "Sorry I'm late."
"Hey, Will," Buffy replied. "No problem," she stood from where she had been sitting on the top step. "Ready?"
"Yep, let's go," they both skipped down the steps and began the short walk to the park. Neither girl spoke, and the silence became uncomfortable. Finally, they both spoke at once.
"Willow..."
"Buffy...," both girls spoke at the same time.
"You go..."
"What did..."
Willow took a deep breath. "You go first," she said.
"How long?" the blonde asked the first question in a long list of questions.
"Well, about three weeks now," Willow admitted matter-of- factly.
"Three weeks?!" Buffy cried. "That's...I didn't...How...?" she paused, trying to gather her thoughts. "Why didn't I see it?" she asked sheepishly.
"Well, number one, you were busy, with school, and slaying, and Riley. And, number two, we didn't *want* you to see it. I knew you'd stake first, ask questions later. And he's much handier *not* a pile of dust," Willow patiently explained, waggling her eyebrows suggestively at the last.
"Oh, god," Buffy groaned. "Wait! That night at The Bronze, when Spike said you went outside for some fresh air...," she pointed a finger accusingly at Willow and the redhead blushed.
"Storage room," she admitted with a little shrug and a big grin.
"Wil-low!" Buffy exclaimed in equal parts shock and admiration. "The storage room?" Buffy was silent again, then said sadly, "The old Willow wouldn't have done that."
"There is no `old' Willow," the redhead scoffed. "Just me, feeling new things. He makes me feel so good, Buffy," Willow said. Buffy's eyes got big. "I didn't mean *that*! I meant, he likes to be with me! Can you believe it? This really hot guy, and he wants to be with me," tears filled Willow's eyes as her love for Spike filled her heart.
Buffy stopped walking and grabbed Willow's arm, halting her and pulling her around so they were facing each other.
"Of course I can believe it! You're wonderful! I'm not surprised that he sees just how wonderful you are...I'm just wondering what in hell you see in him! He...he's rude and obnoxious and arrogant and, oh, yeah, bloodsucking evil demon!" Buffy finished with a flair. Willow just smiled.
"You think I'm wonderful?" she asked, her head tilted to the side. Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Did you miss the `bloodsucking evil demon' part?" she asked.
"He's not evil," Willow insisted, her lips scrunching determinedly, then continued walking.
"But, bloodsucking demon," Buffy caught up to her.
"Buffy, I love you, I really do. You're my best girl friend. But I love Spike, too. I love him...well, this is gonna sound kind of corny, `cause it even sounds corny in my head, but I love him with everything I am." They reached the park and found a bench away from the children playing on the swings.
"I love his smile, his eyes...his hands...," Willow said dreamily.
"More than I need to know," Buffy held up a hand.
"I didn't mean like that! I meant, I like to look at them, to hold them, `cause they feel so strong. Well, okay," Willow giggled, "I like when they're touching me, too."
"Eww!" Buffy groaned. "So, it's just physical?"
"What? No!" Willow cried. "How could you say that? Or even think it?"
"I don't know *what* to think. I'm trying to understand how my best friend got involved with a vampire!"
"He's been around for a while, Buffy, helping out, it's not like he just came to town one day and we did it!" Willow retorted angrily.
"Yes, but he's also tried to kill us, and he helped Adam. And besides, `did it'?" she teased her friend.
"I know he's not perfect, Buffy...,"
"Not perfect?" Buffy repeated in astonishment.
"...what with all the killing and the drinking of blood thing, but I love him, and he loves me. He's good to me...he's good *for* me. He really makes me happy, Buffy. Please be happy for me," Willow shifted on the bench and took her best friend's hand in her own.
"You do look happy," Buffy admitted, "but Will, three weeks, that's not very long, and you've already tied your life to his. That sounds like forever."
"It is forever. It just *feels* right, Buffy. When we, uh, started seeing each other," Willow blushed, "it was...so...powerful. Almost like we were meant to be together." Buffy snorted.
"Well, I didn't believe it at first either," Willow smiled. "In fact, I kept telling him it wasn't going to happen again. You know, our, uh, seeing each other."
"Uh huh," Buffy couldn't hold back a small smile at her friend's discomfort.
"But I kept going back, searching him out. I couldn't think about anything but him. When I was in class," her eyes got dreamy, "I wondered what he was doing. Whether he was sleeping, or reading, or maybe thinking about me the way that I was thinking about him..."
"Oh, god!" Buffy cried, and Willow turned her eyes back to her friend. "You've got it bad."
"I do," Willow smiled. "I really do," she started to giggle. "We did it in the shower this morning."
"Willow! I so don't want to hear this," Buffy covered her ears.
"I didn't know you could do it in the shower," Willow continued.
"I'm not listening," Buffy sang, then began to hum.
"He's got such a great body," Willow's voice was back to dreamy.
"Ack! Stop!"
"No. You *have* to listen. It's what best friends do. Besides, I had to listen to you go on, and on, and on about Riley," Willow countered. Buffy took her hands away from her ears and looked resignedly at Willow.
"Alright," she huffed, then screeched and covered her eyes.
"What? What's wrong?" Willow grabbed for her friend worriedly.
"Oh, god," Buffy moaned, "I just pictured Spike naked...in the shower. I hate you." Willow laughed and it sounded so good, Buffy joined in. "I still don't like him, though, and if you ever tell *anyone*, especially him, that I pictured him naked, I will...do something really bad to you," Buffy threatened.
"I won't tell," Willow promised through her laughter. After their laughter had subsided, both girls leaned back against the bench, watching the children play.
"Uh, Will?" Buffy's brow was furrowed in concentration.
"Yeah?"
"Weren't you still with Tara three weeks ago?" Willow was silent and Buffy looked over to her to see a single tear sliding down her cheek. "Oh, Will, I didn't..."
"That's okay, Buffy," Willow wiped the tear away. "I *was* still with Tara, the first time, and that's the one thing I regret. Of course," she absently rubbed her cheek, "I regretted it a lot more before last night."
"That *was* kind of weird," Buffy said. "She really slapped you?"
"Yeah. Pretty hard, too. She was gonna slap me again, but Spike stopped her."
"Yeah, how'd he know?" Buffy asked, impressed.
"Stupid vampire was jealous, probably listening to every word we said," Willow replied. "Although, as it turns out, kind of glad about that."
"Spike was jealous? Of Tara?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, didn't you hear him growl when she walked in?" Willow gave a little shrug.
"No! Really?"
"Yep," Willow said smugly.
"So...why exactly did she slap you?" Buffy asked, returning to the topic of Tara.
"She called me a slut for sleeping with Spike, then slapped me," Willow shrugged her shoulders again. "If only she knew how much of a slut I really was."
"Stop that! You said yourself it was, uh, powerful, and, erm, meant to be!" Buffy reminded her. "Besides, you were broken up, so she had no right to be angry you moved on. Even though it was only two weeks ago you moved home," Buffy added with a smirk. "So, when did you say the first time was?"
"I didn't," Willow slapped Buffy's arm. "Do you remember the night I met you guys at The Bronze, first time we'd been out together in a long while, and Tara didn't come with me?"
"Yeah, the night you got hurt going home, right?"
"Uh, yeah, well, anyway, Tara and I had our first big fight that night. She'd been getting more possessive and jealous and didn't want to go to The Bronze with you guys. I told her I wanted to go, `cause we hadn't seen each other for fun stuff in forever, and we had this big fight. So I came alone. That, um, that was the first time."
"The first time? The first fight?" Buffy asked in confusion.
"No, the first...with Spike," Willow was afraid to look at her friend.
"You...with Spike...what happened, exactly?" the blonde asked.
"Well, we fought and I, um, hit him, then we were in an alley, tearing at each other's clothes, and it was...amazing. Then I remembered Tara and he said it hadn't meant anything and I ran home."
"Is that when you fell?"
"Uh, no, Buffy. See, I didn't actually, uh, fall. I lied to Tara. The bruise was from the brick wall...you know, in the alley," she explained at Buffy's confused look. Suddenly her face filled with understanding.
"Ah! So, you and Spike and a brick wall. Oh, god. Another image I didn't need to have," she slumped back with her arms crossed over her chest. "No wonder he was acting so weird that night, insisting on fixing you all up."
"Goddess," Willow matched Buffy's position, "that was so embarrassing. When Tara mentioned the bruise I just wanted to disappear. And then Spike was touching my back and, even though it hurt, he was making me all...,"
"Don't say it!" Buffy put her hand over Willow's mouth. Willow smiled and waggled her eyebrows as she pushed Buffy's hand away.
"He was so gentle," she remembered his light touch on her back. "Dawn figured out that something was going on that night."
"Oh, yeah, how come Dawn and Anya knew?" Buffy demanded wryly.
"They figured it out, and you know I can't lie worth sh, er, beans."
"They just, what, guessed?" Buffy asked incredulously.
"Well, sort of. Plus, they saw us kissing, the night we fought the Morkan demon. In the training room, after I patched him up," Willow admitted with another small smile.
"Any body else know before me?" Buffy asked in resignation.
"Uh, well, actually, Giles. Oh, and Mrs. Finn."
"Riley's *mom* knew? How did she know?"
"I don't know, but that night at The Bronze, she gave me the `I know' look," Willow nodded her head.
"And Giles?"
"Oh, had to tell Giles. We needed his help."
"With what? Or don't I want to know?"
"The claiming," Willow said. "Turns out, we didn't complete it by ourselves, `cause I'm human, it's different, so Giles looked it up in his trusty, dusty books and found a ritual we needed to do."
"And? What aren't you telling me?" Buffy asked, knowing Willow was holding something back.
"Spike's sire had to help us with the ritual," Willow spit out fast.
"Spike's...Angel? Angel was here? Wait, Angel knew before me, too?"
"And, um, Cordy," Willow swallowed hard. "But only because he brought her, I didn't tell her, he must have!"
"*Cordelia Chase* knew before me?!" Buffy's eyes got big.
"Um, yes," Willow's voice squeaked. "She gave me silk lingerie. Red," Willow added.
"And she brought you a present?" her voice sqeaked.
"Yes. Spike really liked it, too!" Willow smiled.
"Eww!"
"So," Buffy continued after a long silence. "Anybody else know before me?"
"Uh, no. Except, well, the Tara thing. But I didn't mean for her to find out. I was trying to tell you guys when she walked in and...I wanted to tell you before, `cause I really needed someone to talk to. But I was afraid you'd hurt him and I need him."
"I probably would have hurt him. I still want to hurt him," Buffy admitted. "I don't want you to get hurt."
"I'm not going to get hurt. But even if I do, you can't protect me from everything Buffy," Willow shifted again and put her hand on Buffy's shoulder.
"I can try. I just...I don't want to see you make the same mistake I made. Being in love with a vampire...is hard...and it hurts," Buffy looked down at the ground.
"I know. But things are different with us. I don't mean our love is greater, or anything," Willow quickly clarified at Buffy's hurt look, "just that, I'm not the Slayer, and Spike can't lose his soul and go all evil on us, because he doesn't have one, and he's not my first love...just my greatest," she sighed
"Oh, god," Buffy wiped her face. "Now you've gone and made me cry. I hate that." Willow hugged her and they sat like that for several minutes.
"So," Buffy broke the silence, "got anything planned for the rest of the day?"
"Nothing past waking Spike up when I get home," Willow smiled that self-satisfied smile that gave Buffy the wiggins.
"Again with the too much information," she said with a slight shudder.
***
Willow slipped into the bedroom to find Spike sprawled across the bed on his stomach, most of his head and his hands burrowed beneath the pillows. She quietly slipped out of her clothes, then crawled onto the bed. She placed a kiss at the spot where his neck met his back, then worked her way down his spine.
"I know you're awake, baby," she whispered near his ear as she slipped her hand beneath him until her fingers encountered his stiff cock.
"Bleedin' hell," Spike groaned as he pressed his hips into the bed, his cock into her warm hand.
"Roll over," she commanded, her voice still a whisper. Spike rolled until Willow could move her hand up. Her body against his back preventing him from rolling any further, he was half lying on his side, half on his stomach. Willow pressed her breasts against his back as she stroked her hand up and down his length.
"Willow," he moaned.
"Like that, baby?" she teased.
"Fuck, yes!" he cried as she ran her thumb over the tip, pressing into the slit, then rubbing his pre-cum over the head and pumping her fingers over that sensitive area.
"Willow...oh, hell, Willow...I want to be inside you," he was panting for unnecessary breath, his fingers tangling in the sheets, hooded eyes on Willow's face.
"You will be," she promised, as she climbed to her knees. She rolled him fully onto his back, then lowered her head and took him in her mouth.
"Bloody...Willow!" Willow paused only long enough to look up at him and wink, then continued sucking on his head as her hand pumped his shaft. She relaxed her throat and took him deeper and deeper into her mouth as her other hand massaged his sac, gently squeezing his balls and rubbing them together.
"Willow!" Spike's hands were in her hair, pressing her head down, and Willow took him in as far as she could, until she felt his tip rub the back of her throat. She started to gag, then breathed through her nose.
Spike felt his cock hit the back of Willow's throat and knew he wouldn't last much longer. He'd been worried that Willow wouldn't come back and hadn't been able to fall back to sleep. When he heard her come in the house he'd breathed a deep, though unnecessary, sigh of relief, then waited for her.
He'd listened to her undress, his cock already hard at the thought that she'd come back to him. He'd almost shuddered when she'd begun kissing him and couldn't hold back the groan when her fingers touched his already erect cock. He wanted her so badly.
Then she was pumping him and her breasts were pressing against him, then her mouth was on him and he'd never felt anything like it. The only thing better was being between her thighs. Then she was massaging his sensitive balls and his hands were in her hair, his own head thrown back. And then his cock hit the back of her throat.
"Ah, Willow! Bugger, Willow, I'm cuming, luv!" he warned. Willow felt his cock twitch as he spurt his seed into her mouth. She swallowed, then cleaned him off and licked her lips before looking up at Spike, who was looking back at her through hooded eyes.
"I said, I wanted to be inside you," he tried to growl. Willow just smiled at him.
"You will be," she closed her mouth over his cock and began to suck again, her nimble fingers working his balls, then sliding behind them.
"Red," he groaned as he felt his cock begin to rise. He grabbed her arms and pulled her up his body until he could touch her lips. He kissed her and she parted her lips, her tongue snaking out to tease his, then slipping back inside. His tongue following hers, he explored her mouth, running his tongue over her teeth, the roof of her mouth, before mating with her own.
As he plundered her mouth, he rolled them and let his hands explore her body. Her arms, her back, her ass, her thighs, her breasts, until she was writhing beneath him.
"Spike, please," she pulled her mouth away from his to breathe and whispered hoarsely. "Please," she lifted her hips and his hand slipped between her thighs as his lips recaptured hers. "Yes," she moaned, as his fingers slipped inside her. "Want you...need you...love you," she whispered as he pleasured her.
Spike lifted his head and watched her face as he brought her to orgasm. She was so bloody beautiful...and she was his.
When she was able to move again, Willow pushed him onto his back and straddled him. "Slide up," she said. Spike pushed himself into a sitting position, his back against the headboard. Willow crawled up his legs, positioned his head at her entrance and lowered herself on him.
"Oh, yeah," she moaned, her head thrown back. "That feels really good."
"Bloody right!" Spike put his arms around her, his hands on her ass, and lowered his head to her breasts. Willow rotated her hips, moving slowly, teasingly, on him as Spike suckled her breasts, laving her nipples. With every movement she rubbed her clit against him, sending shock waves through her body.
"Tell me you want me," she said as she lifted off of him.
"You know I do," he thrust up into her.
"Aahh! Tell me you need me," she pleaded.
"Always," his hands were on her shoulders, holding her as he drove into her.
"Tell me you love me."
"Forever," he pulled her to him and rolled them again. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he pumped into her.
"Oh, goddess, yes!" she cried. "Oh, Spike! Spike, please," she turned her head, baring her neck. Spike lowered his head, licked and sucked on her neck, then morphed. Willow felt his ridges against her neck and bucked, her hands going to the back of his head. "Yes!" she cried.
Spike slid his fangs into her and drank. Willow's body began to thrash beneath him as her orgasm ripped through her.
Spike knew he'd found heaven with Willow. The way her body felt around him, the taste of her blood, the sounds she made as she came. He withdrew his fangs from her flesh, then roared her name as she milked his release.
When Willow recovered, Spike was licking the puncture wounds in her neck. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"Nothing. Love you so much," she said.
"Love you, too, Red," he rolled to his side and pulled Willow against him. "Love you, too." Wrapped around each other, legs entangled, they fell asleep.
***
When they arrived at the Magic Box for research, Giles was the only one there.
"Hey, Giles!" Willow burst through the door with a big smile on her face.
"Willow, Spike," Giles greeted the two, then took a sip of tea. "I just made some tea," he lifted the cup and saucer he was holding, "would either of you like any?"
"I'll take one," Spike surprised them both by saying. "If you got any of that whiskey left," he added.
"Er, yes, I believe I do," Giles put his cup and saucer on the table. "Willow?"
"Do we still have water in the fridge?" she asked.
"I'll check," he turned back toward the kitchen, returning moments later with a mug of tea, the bottle of whiskey and a bottle of water. Spike and Willow were both sitting at the table with books in front of them, having removed their jackets and tossed them over the counter. Willow, having had no luck with searching the Internet, was resorting to the dusty tomes Giles preferred.
Giles set the drinks in front of them, took his chair, and watched as Spike laced his tea with a generous helping of whiskey.
"Thanks, Giles," Willow opened her bottle and took a sip of the water.
"Yeah, thanks, Watcher," Spike said, looking directly at the other man, and Giles realized the vampire was thanking him for more than the tea.
"You're, um, welcome," Giles replied, his voice nearly lost beneath the ringing of the bell as the front door opened to admit Anya and Xander.
"Hello, everyone!" Anya cried as she skipped down the steps.
"Hi, Anya, Xan," Willow greeted them.
"Hello, Anya, Xander."
"Demon girl, mor...ow!"
"You seem in an awfully good mood."
"Tea anyone?"
"What'd ya kick me for? That hurt!"
"It's a lovely day, even though I didn't get any orgasms. Hope yours were good," Anya slipped off her jacket and stepped around the table to sit beside Willow. "So, were they?" Willow blushed and Spike smirked.
"An," Xander warned.
"Xander's been a little testy all day," Anya continued.
"Anya!" he yelled. Luckily the bell rang again, interrupting them as Buffy, Dawn and Riley filed into the room.
"Hello!" Buffy began cheerfully, then paused. "What's up?" she looked at each of the persons seated around the table and saw that they were all staring at Xander.
"Are we just going to pretend that this is alright?!" Xander cried.
"What?" Buffy asked as she took her jacket off and draped it over the back of the chair.
"What?! What do you mean, what? This!" he pointed at Willow and Spike.
"Well, my understanding," Buffy began, "is that it's done. You, yourself, said last night that their lives are tied together. What do you want us to do?"
"Untie them!" Xander yelled.
"They're in love," Buffy said, and no one was more surprised than she, that she was sticking up for Spike.
"That...that's revolting!" Xander said.
"Says the guy who went out with Cordelia Chase," Buffy muttered.
"Did you just compare *Spike* to *Cordy*?" Xander asked in disbelief.
"Yes, I believe I did," Buffy sat.
"That's ridiculous!"
"You thinking we're going to be able to change Willow's mind, now that's ridiculous."
"You approve of this?"
"I don't like Spike, and I don't trust him," Buffy said.
"Hey! Wait just a...oh, yeah, right, I'm evil. Go on." Buffy and Willow rolled their eyes.
"But I *do* love and trust Willow. And if she...loves...the bloodsucking fiend and he makes her happy, then I'm willing to try and...deal."
"Buffy?" Xander was shocked that the one person he thought would back him up...wasn't. "Riley?" he turned to the other man.
"If Willow's best friends can't sway her, what can I do?" the ex-commando asked.
"Kill him!" Xander cried hysterically. Spike's face hardened.
"That's enough!" Willow stood and slammed her fist on the table. "I love you, Xander Harris, you're my best friend, but you don't have any right to tell me who to love! You don't have to like it, but I don't ever, *ever*, want to hear you say anything like that again. If I can't at least trust you not to hurt him, then we'll leave so you won't be tempted to."
The room erupted in shouts until Giles stood up and yelled, "Shut up! Everyone, just...shut up." He straightened his jacket, then sat back down. "That was...very immature."
"Sorry," a chastened Xander said.
"I meant me, but you, too," Giles replied. "Now, maybe I didn't explain things well enough last night, but I was sure you understood, harm Spike and you harm Willow. So, no matter how you feel about this situation, staking Spike is out of the question. Willow loves Spike and, as much as I hate to admit it, I believe he loves her also. This sort of thing, claiming, is not entered into lightly, Xander."
The brunette looked at his best friend and saw tears of sadness running down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Wills," he said.
"Oh, Xander," she leaned across Anya and gave him a hug.
"I love you. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you," Xander whispered.
"I love you, too, and I'll be fine. Better than fine, you'll see." The two pulled apart. "Now, apologize to Anya," Willow said as she wiped her cheeks off.
"I'm sorry, An, for taking this all out on you," Xander sat next to her and pulled her into his arms.
"That's okay," she wrapped her arms around him. "Can we have orgasms later?"
"Sorry, Buff," Xander said as he pulled away from his girlfriend, his hand tightly clasping hers.
"That's alright, I'm not the one you wanted Riley to kill," Buffy said softly.
"No," Xander closed his eyes. "Tell me I do *not* have to apologize to deadboy, junior.
"It would be character-building," Riley mumbled and Xander's eyes shot open.
"Thanks a lot, soldier boy!" He looked at Spike, who was now smirking at him, enjoying every minute of his discomfort.
"Sorry," he muttered.
"What was that?" Spike asked.
"Sod off!" Xander replied. "I ain't sayin' it again," he randomly flipped a book open. Buffy smiled across the table at Willow.
"Anybody want pizza?" the redhead asked cheerfully. Xander's head jerked, but he refused to look up. "Xan-der, I know you want pizza," Willow continued. "Come on, we'll buy," she reached under the table and squeezed Spike's hand.
"I'm not hungry," Xander responded.
"You're always hungry," Giles retorted with an un-Watcher- like snort. He looked up from the book he was perusing as the table fell silent. "Oh, did I say that out loud?" he asked. "What I meant was, yes, I'd love some pizza. Dawn, would you grab the phone?"
Dawn didn't move, just sat staring at the table.
"Dawn," Buffy leaned over the table and reached her hand out. "Is everything alright?"
"I don't think so," the younger girl shook her head.
"What is it, Niblet?" Spike put his arm around her shoulder. She looked up at him with a worried frown.
"I think Willow's that `the one' thingy the demons are looking for."