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. Thanks so much for your help with the text of the book!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Chapter: Twelve~ The Prophecy
"What?!" Xander yelped.
"That's impossible," Buffy scoffed.
"What do you mean, Niblet?" Spike tightened his arm around the young girl's shoulder.
"Yes, Dawn, what do you mean?" Giles pushed his glasses up on his nose.
"I had a dream last night," Dawn said.
"Oh, no, don't tell me you're going to have prophetic dreams, too!" Buffy cried.
"No, it wasn't prophetic, more like, it made things clearer. I dreamed about something that already happened, and I saw things that I didn't see the first time. I mean, when it happened. Or I saw things differently," she tried to explain, then shook her head in frustration at her inability to tell them exactly what she meant.
"What was the dream about?" Buffy asked.
"It was about last night, when Tara was here." Spike growled as he remembered the blonde witch.
"Remember how Spike could hurt her? So we know she's not human, at least, not fully human, not anymore. And remember what she said to Willow, just before she left? She said, `I know you're the one, Willow. You're mine and I *will* have you'," Dawn quoted. "She didn't say, you're the only one for me, or anything else a girlfriend might say, just that you're `the one' and that she would have you. And you said yourself that she was getting really possessive and jealous lately," she turned to Willow. "Maybe because it was almost time for...whatever. Or maybe it's not really Tara, but a demon imposter, to get close to you, and that's why she changed so much, like a shape-shifter or something. All I know is, she was acting really weird last night," Dawn finished, feeling a little self- conscious.
"Oh, dear lord," Giles removed his glasses and rubbed at them furiously.
"That can't be," Buffy said in shocked disbelief.
"I never did like her," Anya commented acerbically, crossing her arms over her chest.
"B-but, Tara!" Xander held his hands out in shock. "She seemed so...quiet."
"You know what they say, it's always the quiet ones," Riley shook his head, glad he'd taken psych.
Willow just stared at the table in shock, her fingers gripping the book she held, her knuckles white. This was impossible! Tara, a demon and herself, the one, whatever that was? Okay, they lived on the hellmouth, Buffy was the Slayer, she was a witch, Spike was a vampire...odd things did happen. But, she'd know, right?
She turned to Spike and her eyes locked with his. His beautiful blue eyes that were currently filled with concern for her. She tried to smile, but it came out looking more like a grimace, she was sure.
"Red? You alright, luv?" If he'd thought Tara's actions last night had been anything more than those of a jealous lover, he'd have killed her then. He wanted to go out and find her now, and kill her in the most horrific manner possible. Which he could do now, it seemed. Stupid bint had the audacity to think she was going to take Willow away from him. No bloody way was he letting that happen!
Willow reached out and brushed her fingers over his cheek, letting her eyes answer for her. She dropped her hand to his and gripped it tightly as she looked around the table at the worried faces of her friends.
"How can that be true?" she asked. This wasn't happening. It just wasn't. She was so happy with Spike and now her friends knew about their relationship and things were supposed to be *good*, not more confusing! Jealous, possessive Tara she could deal with. Demon Tara looking for `the power of the one', and that `one' being Willow, she did *not* want to deal with.
"Well, we don't know that it *is* true," Giles said as he slipped his glasses back on his face. "For sure."
"How do we find out if it is?" Buffy asked, determined not to let anything happen to Willow.
"It doesn't matter whether she's this `one' thing or not," Spike said as he took Willow's hand in his other hand and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her against him. "As long as Tara thinks she is, she's in danger." He should have known something would screw this up. It seemed he could never do anything right. He'd fallen in love...*love* for hell's sake, and now someone, or something, was threatening her. Well, the big bad would just have to take care of what was his.
"Oh, god...I hadn't thought about that," Buffy replied in horror.
"Alright, then," Giles stood, falling easily back into Watcher mode. He began to pace. "We need to do two things, then. First, find out if Willow really is the, uh, `the one' and, also, what that means. Second, protect Willow until we've got this all sorted out."
"I've got Spike to protect me," Willow said, "but I don't really think this is going to be necessary. Wouldn't I know, somehow, if I was this...thing?" Denial was a good place to be, Willow thought. How could Tara be a demon? How could she be this unknown `one' thing the demons were looking for?
"We don't know that, Willow," Giles said as he turned to her, removing his glasses. "And better to be safe than sorry, so, you don't go anywhere without Spike."
"What about classes?"
"Or Buffy."
"You guys, I think you're overreacting. Tara was just jealous. And I don't need to be babysat!" Willow huffed, her back stiffening in indignation, wrapping her denial around her like a warm, cozy blanket.
She was going to be protected whether she bloody well wanted to be or not, Spike ranted to himself. He opened his mouth to tell Willow exactly that when Giles broke in ahead of him.
"Humor us," the ex-Watcher said as he slipped his glasses back on and looked at Willow, worry creasing his forehead. "Please. It would make us feel better to know you're safe."
Ah, Spike sat back. Watcher was good! He'd been planning on yelling at her, which would have gotten her back up, but the Watcher, he appealed to her love for her friends. Very devious. He'd have to watch out for him.
"Fine," Willow acquiesced, none to gracefully. "I won't go anywhere without Buffy or Spike."
They all sat quietly for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. Spike watched Willow. He knew the wheels were turning in her head. He waited for her to speak.
Willow sighed. "But how are we going to prove, or disprove, that I'm this one thingy?" she asked as denial started to slip away and she felt exposed.
"I think the first step," Giles took his glasses off again, "since we haven't had any luck finding anything on `the power of the one', would be to turn our attention to the demons looking for it. We didn't have any leads on them before, but now we might. We need to find out if Tara really is a demon."
"It might not prove, or disprove, anything if we find out she's *not* a demon," Dawn said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Giles asked, looking sharply at the young girl.
"She could be some kind of human...servant, or something...to the demons looking for Willow."
Giles looked at Dawn, blinking in surprise. When had the child become so intuitive? He sighed, not unlike Willow, and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Ah, that's true," he replied thoughtfully. "Well, why don't we cross that bridge when we come to it? First let's see if she's human or demon, then we'll go from there."
"How are we going to do that?" Willow shook off her denial and got into research mode. Once again, she'd be able to deal with this strange situation if she treated it like a research project.
"DNA samples. Do you still have the key to your dorm room?" he asked.
"Ah, no. I returned it to her when I moved out. But we may not have to get into the room. I might have some on my clothes...,"
"Ew, that's disgusting!" Xander said.
"Hair, Xander. I might have some of Tara's *hair* on my sweaters," Willow said in irritation, then couldn't hold back the smile as he blushed.
"Oh," Xander said. Spike snorted. Buffy giggled. Riley guffawed. Anya tried with difficulty to hide her smile. "Shut up, you guys."
"Oh, dear lord," Giles rolled his eyes and shook his head in loving exasperation. These were his children, after all, flaws and all.
"What?" Dawn asked. "I don't get it."
"Never you mind, Niblet," Spike said with another snort.
"Next question," Willow quickly moved on. "How are we going to get it tested?"
"If only I still had the resources available to the Council," Giles trailed off with a frown.
"Angel," Spike said immediately. Bloody poof. Angel that is. He'd already proved he'd do anything for Willow, by going to the wanker for the claiming ritual. The first step was always the hardest, or so they said. Daddy dearest had the resources they needed, so, as much as he hated it, to the ponce he would go. Again.
"What about Angel?" Buffy asked.
"Poof'll have the contacts, resources, we'll need," Spike admitted hatefully.
"You think? I'll call him immediately," Giles said excitedly.
"I'll do it," Spike responded angrily. "Can I use your phone?" In for a penny, in for a pound, he thought.
"Uh, yes, of course," Giles said looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure...?"
"I said I'd do it," Spike growled in reply. He tilted Willow's head and gave her a light kiss on the lips before letting her go and standing. He saw Xander silently staring at him with, what was that, respect, before he turned and headed toward the Watcher's office.
He sat behind the desk, his elbows resting on the arms of the chair, his hands steepled beneath his chin. He caught himself. Bloody hell! Now he was even mimicking the king of brood's favorite brooding position! He took a deep, unnecessary breath, then reached out for the phone.
The cheerleader answered and Spike wasted no time asking for Angel.
"Spike?" Angel asked warily when he came on the phone.
"Poof," Spike replied, scathingly. "Need your help," hell, he'd rather bite off his tongue than admit that.
"What is it?" Angel asked, suddenly worried about the friends he'd left behind on the hellmouth. Something must be drastically wrong for Spike to call and ask him for help.
"We think we have a lead on the demons that're after that `one' thing we've been researching...,"
"That's great!" Angel said. "Isn't it? Spike, what do you need my help with?" Angel wished he could beat it out of his childe. The suspense was making him anxious.
"Yeah, great, except it's not. We might also have a lead on `the one' itself," Spike replied.
"The power of the one?" Angel remembered.
"Well, `the one', anyway," Spike said.
"Well, what?" Angel asked after Spike was silent. He was going to kill him if...
"Willow," Spike's voice cracked as fear for Willow suddenly flooded him.
"What?" Angel asked, totally confused. They'd been talking about `the one' and now...
"We think...we think they might be after Willow," Spike said harshly.
"Oh," Angel replied, stunned. "How did you come to that conclusion?" he asked and Spike haltingly told him the story of Tara's visit and Dawn's dream and then explained about Tara's sudden possessive and jealous behavior just before she and Willow had broken up.
"What do you need?" Angel immediately asked when he was through.
"We're going to try and find some hair samples. We need them tested. By someone who'll know demon DNA when they see it. And we need it done quick," Spike replied.
"Done. When will you have the samples?"
"Tonight...or tomorrow morning. We're looking for hair that Tara might have left on Willow's clothes," he explained.
"Alright. I'll send Cordy down to Sunnydale to pick it up tomorrow morning. She'll probably get there around eleven, if that's alright."
"I'm sure that'll be fine," Spike said.
"What?" Angel spoke to someone in the background. "Oh, alright. Spike, Wesley would like to speak with Giles."
"Okay, I'll get him," Spike said.
"And, Spike?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't worry."
"I ain't worried," Spike lied belligerently. "Ya, poofter." He put the receiver down on the desk and stepped out into the store. "Watcher, phone."
"Oh, alright," Giles looked back at Spike over his shoulder. "Maybe we should all call it a night. Start fresh in the morning," he looked pointedly at Willow. Her face was pale and she looked like she was about ready to fall over any moment.
"Good idea," Spike said. "What do you say, Red?"
"Huh?" she looked up, suddenly tuning into the conversation around her.
"Call it a night," Spike repeated the Watcher's words.
"Oh, I, um, well...," Willow stammered as Spike pulled her to her feet.
"Good idea, Giles," Xander agreed. "My brain's fried....shut up, junior!" he added as Spike was just opening his mouth.
"Yeah, we need to patrol," Buffy said as she stood. She walked around the table to Willow and gave her a hug. "Don't worry. We'll figure this all out. We always do."
"I know," Willow replied. "It just...doesn't seem real. I feel like I just fell through the rabbit hole."
***
Willow was quiet the entire drive back to her parent's house. Spike helped her out of the car and led her into the house and up to the room they shared. She took off her jacket, tossed it over the back of her desk chair, and moved over to her closet. She opened the door and pulled out a sweater.
This had to be a dream, she thought as she stared at the sweater. Tara wasn't a demon. She wasn't `the one'. Tara had loved her. She wasn't `the one'. Her hand started to shake as tears blurred her eyes.
Spike watched Willow as she moved in slow motion, almost like an automaton, wondering what she was thinking. When he smelled salty tears and saw her hand begin to shake, he took the sweater out of her hand and tossed it on the dresser, then pulled her into his arms. Willow wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tight as she buried her face against his chest.
"It'll be alright," he promised as he ran his hands over her back. "No matter how this turns out, I won't let anything happen to you."
"We were together for almost a year," Willow mumbled against Spike's chest. "What if she never loved me?" She wasn't as afraid of the demons or of being `the one' right now, as she was of being unloved, unwanted.
"Then she's an idiot. Or a demon hell-bent on taking over the world," he added and Willow gave a little laugh. "Either way, doesn't make you any less lovable and, oh, yeah, *mine*!" Willow looked up at him with a tiny smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Will you hold me?"
"Always," he promised as he picked her up and carried her to the bed.
Spike woke the next morning to the sound of Willow pulling sweaters and shirts off of their hanger. He sat up and watched as she shoved a sweater under the light and examined it for stray blonde hairs. She frowned and tossed it onto a growing pile on the floor.
"Find any?" Spike asked as he pushed himself back against the headboard. Willow jumped and squealed.
"Stop *doing* that!" she complained with a slight smile. "Yeah, I found about a dozen," she pointed to a piece of paper on the dresser that held the strands of blonde hair. "That's probably more than enough for the DNA test," she pulled out another sweater, "but I wanted to get as many as I can so they can also see if there was a change in her DNA, you know," she glanced back at him, "since you can hurt her now and you couldn't before."
"What're you thinking?" he asked.
"I don't know if it makes any difference," she answered distractedly as she examined the sweater under the light, "but I wondered if maybe her father was right. Maybe her demon emerged on, or near, her 20th birthday. I don't know what that tells us, exactly. Just another piece of the puzzle, really."
Willow fell quiet as she finished examining this sweater, tossed it on the floor, and pulled out a shirt. She tried not to dwell on the fact that Tara might be a demon. That Tara might never have loved her at all. Wasn't hard. Now her mind was filled with questions about `the one'. What did it mean? What was it? Was it good? Evil? If demons were looking for it, it couldn't be benign.
"Spike," she finally broke her silence.
"Yes, luv?"
"What do you think `the one' is? Do you think it's bad?" her fingers pulled at the sweater. Ah, Spike thought, that's what was worrying her.
"No," he shoved the sheets back, climbed out of bed, and scooped Willow up in his arms.
"Spike!" she protested feebly. He ignored her and sat back on the bed with her in his lap.
"I don't know what this `one' thing is, luv, but I know it could never be bad. Not if it's you," he cupped her face with one hand.
"Why does she want it so badly, then?" Willow pressed her cheek into his hand.
"Maybe she thinks it's something she can use to give her power. But she doesn't know you very well if she thinks she can use you. And she doesn't know me at all if she thinks I'd ever let her take you away from me," he pulled her tightly against his chest. She was his, and no one was ever going to take her away from him.
They sat in silence for a few minutes as Spike rocked Willow in his arms. He didn't want to move, but he knew they had to get the rest of the hair samples before the cheerleader arrived at eleven. He nuzzled her neck, surrounding himself with her scent, then reluctantly pulled himself away.
"Let's finish with the clothes," he nudged Willow. "Cheerleader will be here by eleven."
"Okay," Willow agreed morosely. She didn't really want to leave the protective circle of Spike's arms. She climbed off of the bed and watched Spike as he stood and pulled on his jeans.
Two hours later, all of the clothes had been examined and rehung. The hair samples had been transferred to a baggie and placed in Cordelia's eager hands. After a hug and some whispered words of support, Cordy was in the car and on her way back to L.A. with the hair samples.
As soon as the door was closed behind the brunette, Spike took Willow's hand and led her back upstairs.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"You'll see," Spike replied enigmatically.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see," he repeated without looking at her.
"Spike!" she whined, but he just smiled back at her, which almost infuriated her. She was *not* happy and certainly not in any mood for Spike's teasing. He led her through her bedroom and into the bath, sat her on the closed toilet seat and turned on the water to fill the tub.
"What are you doing?" she asked again.
"Running you a bath," he replied as he checked the water temperature.
"I don't *wanna* take a bath," she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.
"You'll enjoy this bath, Red," he winked at her as he left the bathroom, returning moments later with candles she'd had setting about her bedroom. He set one on the tub and the other two on the sink, then lit them with his lighter.
"What's so special about this bath?" she asked petulantly.
"Me," Spike raised his eyebrows at her as he poured some of her vanilla scented bubble bath under the stream of water. He silently pulled a pliant Willow to her feet and began to undress her, then helped her step into the tub.
"Ah," she shivered as the hot water covered her.
"Too hot?" Spike asked worriedly.
"No," she shook her head as she scooped some bubbles up and ran the water over her arms. "Wh-what are you doing?" she finally noticed that Spike was taking his clothes off, too.
"What's it look like?" he asked teasingly.
"Uh, looks like you're taking your clothes off," Willow smiled at him, her mind suddenly on bare chests and taut abs instead of demons and `the one'.
"Knew you were the smart one, Red," he smirked at her as he unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, watching her face as she watched him strip himself of his clothing. He heard her breathing speed up as he shoved his jeans down his legs and stepped out of them. "You're supposed to be relaxing," he teased.
"Yeah, right," she mumbled, looking away from him.
"Slide up," he said as he walked toward the tub. She looked up at him, then did as he asked, watching over her shoulder as he stepped into the tub behind her and lowered himself into the water. "Lean back," he put one hand on her arm and gently pulled her against him.
Willow leaned back against Spike's chest and felt herself begin to relax as the warm water and the feel of Spike's hands rubbing over her shoulders and down her arms loosened tense muscles. She watched as if in a dream as he picked up the cup from the side of the tub, dipped it in the water and carefully ran it over her head, wetting her hair.
"Now what ya doing?" she asked.
"Gonna wash your hair," he replied softly as he poured another cupful of water over her head. He reached forward for the shampoo, squirted some into his hand and rubbed them together, then rubbed the shampoo into her hair, gently massaging her scalp.
Willow closed her eyes and relaxed with a deep sigh as Spike's fingers released the tension from her head and neck. She watched him fill the cup from the water still running out of the faucet and pour it over her hair, running his hand back to help remove the lather. When the shampoo had been rinsed out, Spike coated her hair with conditioner and massaged her scalp some more, before rinsing it out. Willow had almost drifted off to sleep, until she felt cool lips on her neck.
"That was nice," she said, opening her eyes a little, her voice a bit slurred.
"Just nice?" he asked as his hands, which had been massaging her arms, moved to her breasts.
"Mmm," she moaned, "I thought I was supposed to be relaxing?"
"Oh, you'll be very relaxed by the time I'm done with you," he promised as his hands moved down to her stomach. Willow moaned as his touch on her belly shot tingles between her thighs, and her fingers gripped his legs.
"Spike," she moaned his name.
"Yeah, baby?" he asked as one hand slipped between her thighs.
"Oh, goddess, Spike!" she arched against his hand as he rubbed his fingers slowly, maddeningly, over her clit. Though her muscles were fully relaxed, his touch had made her more sensitive than usual, and her body responded to him immediately.
"Open up for me," he whispered and Willow opened her thighs to him. Spike slipped a finger inside her and Willow wrapped one arm around his neck, the other hand still pressing against his leg as she rode his finger.
"More, Spike, more," she begged and he slipped another finger inside her.
"You like that, Red?" he asked as he pumped his fingers inside her, teased her clit with the fingers of his other hand.
"Oh, yes, oh, Spike, yes!" she cried as her muscles tensed and her entire body shook with her release.
"Feeling relaxed yet?" Spike whispered in her ear as Willow lay against him, recovering from her orgasm.
"Very," she replied with a smile. "What about you?" his erection was pressing into her back.
"Don't worry `bout me, luv," he spoke softly.
"I always worry about you," she turned in his arms and crawled up his body until she was straddling him. She dipped her head and kissed him as she lowered herself onto his erection. "I love you, Spike," she whispered.
"Love you, too, Red," he moaned as her heat covered him.
"Mmm, you feel so good," she whispered in his ear before sucking his earlobe into her mouth.
"So do you," he groaned as his hands closed on her hips. "So do you."
~~~*~~~
That night at the Magic Box, Spike pulled Buffy aside and made up a schedule so that someone was with Willow at all times. Buffy would pick Willow up for school, stay with her during the day as much as she could, and drop her off after classes. Spike would be with her every other moment until this crisis was over.
Two days later, Angel called the magic shop. The tests on the DNA weren't completed yet, but they had enough information to conclude that the hair samples did not come from a human host.
After three days of never having a moment to herself, Willow was ready to scream. She knew they just wanted to keep her safe, but the uncertainty of the situation was wearing on her nerves. She just wanted it over. Preferably, finding out that she was not `the one', although, Tara's DNA test not coming back positive for `human' sort of ruled that out. Unless she was mistaken. But how would they ever convince her of that? First they had to find something, *anything*, on this `power of the one'.
When Willow got home from school that afternoon, she heated some blood for Spike and woke him with a kiss. While he was drinking the blood, she pulled out a box of books she hadn't unpacked after moving home. She had a paper due in her advanced psych class and wanted her notes from last year to check something.
She pulled all of the books out and found the notebook she was searching for on the very bottom...of course. As she repacked the box, she noticed a book that she didn't recognize. By the binding, it looked old. It was probably one of Giles' books that she had borrowed and forgotten to return.
She put the box away and picked the book up, she'd take it to the Magic Box with her that night and return it, casually looking at the title. `Myths and Legends of the H'groth'. Hmm, it didn't sound familiar.
"What's that?" Spike asked as he set the empty mug aside. He'd been waiting for Willow to come home ever since she left that morning. He hated letting her out of his sight, even though he knew she was with the Slayer until she got home.
And now that she was home, he had better things planned than having her look at dusty old books.
"Don't know," Willow shrugged. "I found it in my box of books. Must be one of Giles' that I borrowed and forgot to return, but it doesn't look familiar." She flipped through the pages as she sat on the bed. She started to set it down on the bed and turn her attention to Spike, then frowned and picked it back up.
She flipped through the pages until she found what had caught her eye. A `purposely blank' page now covered with handwritten notes. Tara's handwriting. She started reading.
"What is it, luv?" Spike asked as he watched her go pale. When Willow didn't answer he moved to kneel behind her and read over her shoulder. "Bloody hell!" he swore.
`I have finally found her. The One. After hundreds of years of searching, I found her on the hellmouth of all places! Must tell the Most High of the great powers to be harnessed here. But, back to her, the One. She is fire, as the prophecy foretold. You can't see it, not on the outside, but I looked, and it's there, boiling below the surface. All that raw, untapped power. And *I* shall be the one to tap it. She will be mine. It is almost time.'
The book fell out of Willow's nerveless fingers and Spike caught it before it hit the floor. He laid it on the bed, then lifted Willow and leaned back so that his back was against the headboard and she was between his legs, resting against his chest. Spike reached over and picked up the telephone. He hit the automatic dial and picked the book up, reading the binding as he listened to the ringing on the other end of the line.
"Angel Investig...," the other end of the line was picked up by someone with an English accent.
"Poof there?" Spike asked impatiently. Willow relaxed against Spike. She was safe. She was loved. Finding the book was good. They needed the information. But still a little scary, because she had been telling herself that it was all a big mistake. That Tara wasn't a demon. That she wasn't `the one'. She couldn't tell herself that anymore. The nightmare was real. Thank the goddess she had Spike.
"Who?"
"Angel!" Spike growled.
"Oh, er, yes, just a...Angel," Wesley put his hand over the mouthpiece and called to the dark vampire. Moments later Angel picked up in his office.
"Spike?" he asked worriedly.
"Yeah, ever heard of a H'groth demon?" Spike wasted no time.
"Uh, no, can't say that I have. What have you got?"
"A book. It's called `Myths and Legends of the H'groth'. >From the handwritten notes inside, it looks like it belongs to Tara. I'll let the Watcher know so he can start researching, but can you...?"
"Of course. I'll have Wesley get started right away. Could you give me the spelling of that demon?" Angel asked.
"Yep. H'groth. H, apostrophe, G, R, O, T, H," Spike spelled it out for him.
"Okay, we'll get started on our end right away," Angel said.
"Right, er, thanks," Spike said before disconnecting, then dialing the Magic Box. He told Giles what they had found and told him they'd be to the magic shop as soon as possible to help him research it.
"You alright, luv?" Spike asked, wrapping his arms around her.
"I didn't want it to be true," she said, her voice small as she played with the buttons on her shirt.
"I know, luv," he whispered, holding her tight and kissing the side of her face.
"Don't let go, okay?" she turned in his arms and lay her head on his shoulder.
"I won't," he promised. "You up for some light reading?" he asked after a few moments of silence. Willow nodded her head and Spike opened the book to the table of contents.
"There," Willow pointed and Spike followed her finger.
"The Prophecy of The One," he flipped the pages and they began to read.
`The first recorded manifestation of The Power of the One was over 2000 years ago, but is reputed to be far older. It is believed that The Power of the One defeated the resurrection of the Old Ones, but their fate is unknown. The Power of the One again ascended to conquer the Hordes of the demon Asmodeus in 1527. It has been hypothesized that they will rise again.
It has long been believed among the H'groth that if one of our own could find the fire, subvert it and claim it, the power could be harnessed and the H'groth could rule the world.
An incomplete prophecy alluding to The Power of the One was uncovered at a hidden Jesuit monastery in Budapest in 1802. The H'groth warrior-priests slaughtered the worthless zealots, claiming the prophecy as their own. The author of the prophecy is unknown.
Though some sects believe it to be a farce, it has long been regarded as a true prophecy since the early 1900's. The recovered portion of the prophecy states:
And so it shall come to pass That The One shall rise again, Fire shall claim her mate, and With bonds forged by blood and Tempered...'
"What does it all mean?" Willow asked after she had finished reading.
"I don't know, luv, but we're gonna find out," he promised.
They took the book with them to the Magic Box and let Giles read it before Willow scanned the relevant pages into the computer and e-mailed them to Wesley. While Giles was reading the book, Willow began to search the Internet for any mention of the H'groth demons, the `Most High', or the defeat of the Hordes of the demon Asmodeus. Her search turned up nothing.
The next day in class, Willow suddenly realized that Spike might be in danger. If Tara was as determined to find `the one' as she sounded, she might do anything to obtain it, remove any obstacle in her way. And Spike would be the biggest obstacle.
She didn't know what she'd do if anything happened to Spike. She'd never forgive herself if Tara hurt him, and she didn't know if she'd be able to live without him, now that she knew what love, true love, felt like. That night she pulled Anya aside.
"I need a protection amulet for Spike," she spoke softly. "Will you help me with the spell? It needs to be powerful."
"Of course," Anya agreed. "I can't believe you asked me to help," she said with a gleeful smile. While the others researched the prophecy, the two girls pulled out spell books and reviewed protection spells. Anya finally found one that looked powerful enough without being too much for the two of them to handle, and they gathered all of the necessary supplies, except the last.
"Um, Spike," Willow stepped up beside the blonde vampire who was re-reading the prophecy at the research table.
"Yeah, luv?" he placed his finger on the page to mark his spot and looked up at her. She had that innocent look again, which meant he was in trouble.
"Could you come here for a second?" she waved him toward the back of the shop. Spike marked his page and closed the book, then stood and walked back with her.
"What is it, luv?" he asked as he put his arm around her back.
"Can I have some of your hair?" she asked, smiling up at him prettily.
"What for?" he asked, horrified, one hand going to cover his head protectively.
"I just need a strand. One teeny, tiny strand. You won't even know it's missing," she continued as she leaned into him.
"Again, what for?" he asked suspiciously, his grip on her back tightening.
"Spell," she whispered.
"What kind of spell?" he asked, scared. He hated the mojo anyway, but after her `my will' spell, found himself especially terrified of anything magical.
"Protection amulet," she replied softly as she put her arm around his waist and rested her head on his chest.
"For you? Good. That's good. Any little bit'll help," he said, then paused. "But why do you need my hair?" he frowned.
"It's not for me. It's for you," she looked up at him, her eyes filled with concern for his safety. Spike wasn't used to having anyone care what happened to him.
"For me! I don't need..." he started to bluster.
"Yes, you do," Willow spoke firmly. "Tara...we don't know what she'd be willing to do to get to me. I love you, Spike, and I don't want anything to happen to you. Now give me a piece of your damn hair...or a drop of blood," she showed him the pin she held in her other hand.
"Hey!" he grabbed her wrist. "Fine, I'll give you a drop of blood, but I'm coming with you, to make sure you don't screw it up. Don't wanna be kissing the Slayer again," he teased, sort of, as he followed Willow into the training room where Anya was setting up the circle.
"We just needed one strand of hair, not the whole body," Anya said with a smile as she placed the last candle.
"Ha, ha, demon girl," Spike said as he stepped into the circle with Willow and Anya.
Anya poured sand in a circle around the three of them, then knelt and lit the candles. Willow laid the amulet on the floor between them. Anya chanted and sprinkled some herbs on the stone. Willow held the pin out to Spike. He smirked and morphed, then sliced his finger with a fang and let several drops of blood fall onto the stone, then Willow chanted.
The three of them joined hands and Anya and Willow chanted some more, then sat back, exhausted. Anya lifted the amulet and held it to her face.
"It hums with power," she said. Willow took the stone and tied a leather thong to it, then tied the leather around Spike's neck. With her fingers still on the leather thong, she closed her eyes and chanted again. She opened her eyes and looked into his.
"I love you, Spike," she whispered, then leaned in and kissed him. Goddess, if anything happened to him...
"Love you, too, Red," he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. Bloody hell, if anything happened to her...
That night when they got home, Willow fell into an exhausted sleep, thankful that the weekend was finally here. Spike lay awake, thinking about the prophecy. He'd done a lot of thinking about the prophecy, since they'd found it the night before.
If Willow was the fire, as Tara's notes had indicated, was he the mate she claimed with bonds of blood? Were they part of the sodding prophecy? Was this even real?
"What's wrong?" Willow asked tiredly as she woke, then rolled over and snuggled closer to him.
"Is it real?" he asked as he trailed his fingers over her bare arm.
"Hmm, is what real?" she stroked is chest with her thumb as she drifted back to sleep.
"What we feel," he looked down at the red hair spreading across his chest. Just like flame.
"For each other?" He nods, unable to speak, and though Willow can't see it, she answers him anyway. "Of course it's real," she replies without hesitation.
Willow fell asleep with her arms around Spike. He tightened his grip on her and watched the sun rise outside their curtained window.
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