Summary: As they leave Sunnydale behind, things go a little weird, leading Willow to do a little soul searching and Spike to do a little drum solo.
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For a long while they drove in silence. Occasionally Spike would glance over at Willow to see how she was doing, only to see her staring out the window with a blank look on her face, tugging lightly on her bottom lip. His own nervous habits led him to chain smoking and drinking whiskey, but since he was fresh out of Jack Daniels, he settled on the constant stream of smoke he was pulling into his dead lungs. After a few hours of this, he noticed he had only one cigarette left out of the two new packs he had gotten before they left. He also noticed the gas tank was getting towards empty, as was his stomach, so he pulled into the next truck stop he saw.
"Are you hungry pet?" he asked as if speaking to a small child.
"Hmmm? Oh, no." she replied absently.
"Just the same, I think you better eat something, and you should probably use the loo while were in there too. It could be awhile before we stop again."
After filling up the tank, he went around to Willow’s side of the car, letting her out. He wrapped a protective arm around her small frame and led her into the truck stop diner. Inside waitresses were bustling around, in a hurry to drop off orders. One of these women ran headlong into Spike, nearly scalding him with a pot of coffee that went crashing to the floor. The flustered girl looked up at the bemused vampire, apologizing profusely. She couldn’t have been more than sixteen; it was probably her first job. Spike gave her a charming wink, and assured her that it was quite alright, before asking her where the facilities were, explaining that his overly pale friend wasn’t quite feeling well.
After being pointed in the right direction, he escorted Willow over to the bathrooms, explained that he needed to go pay for their gas and told her to meet him back at the lunch counter. He knew she was still somewhat in a state of shock and felt fairly confident she wouldn’t try to run for it. Spike then doubled back to find the cute little waitress and make a meal out of her. To his luck, he returned to find her in the process of being fired, and simply followed her outside as she made her teary exit.
"That wasn’t very nice of them, was it luv?"
"What? Oh it’s you. Did you come to yell at me too?"
"I would never dream of yelling at such an exquisite creature as yourself," he said smoothly. His seduction routine was much too blatant to be used on the average girl, but this one was young and didn’t seem too bright. So he laid it on a bit thick, hoping to lure her away from all the lights, behind the building perhaps, where he could kill her quickly and return before Willow noticed he was gone. His plan worked like a charm, and he soon convinced her to follow him somewhere where they could talk ‘privately’.
"I’m a little surprised. I mean, when Isaw you come in with that redheaded girl, I just figured you two were together," the girl babbled, thrilled that such a hottie would be interested in her.
"Oh, we are pet," Spike responded, now that he had her alone.
"Then what do you want with me? Because I’m not that kind of girl," she replied, clearly irritated that he would try to pick her up with his girlfriend inside.
"What kind is that luv? The kind who goes off into the darkness with a man she’s known for only five minutes?" he asked innocently before turning towards her with gold eyes and fangs flashing, "Oh I know, the kind of girl that is found dead in a dumpster." He finished with an eerie calmness.
The girl let out a brief shriek before Spike clamped his hand over her mouth and his teeth on her throat. It was over quickly, and Spike was a little disappointed that she hadn’t put up more of a fight. However, as he was tossing her body into a nearby dumpster, he was pleasantly surprised to feel a warm, happy, euphoric sensation take over his body. He wasn’t sure what the girl had been on, probably one of those new designer drugs that were always in the news like ‘ecstasy’ or ‘GHB’, but whatever it was, it was no wonder she was having problems working.
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He returned to the diner to find Willow waiting for him at the counter. They found a booth in the corner and placed their orders with an old, wiry looking woman, who apologized for the wait, explaining that one of the waitresses had just been fired. Both she and Willow then shot Spike confused and nervous glances when he began to giggle uncontrollably at the mention of the girl. After the woman had gone to get Willow’s food and Spike’s coffee, he then began a drum solo on the table with his silverware, creating such a ruckus that people around them were starting to stare. Willow was unsure what to do about the situation, taking into consideration Spike’s temper. After more dirty looks from the customers she decided to intervene before things escalated into a fight and quite possibly dead bodies.
First she attempted to ask him nicely to quit his banging, and then a bit more forcefully, but Spike simply continued as if unable to hear her, adding the water glasses to his set. Finally she threw caution to the wind and reached out, grabbing his silverware away from him. As she did this, Spike looked up at her, as if seeing her for the first time, and grabbed her hand before it could make it back across the table. He carefully removed the fork and spoon from her grasp and set them aside, before lifting her hand to his mouth and placing a lingering kiss on her palm. He then returned her hand to the table, encasing it with his own, and tracing small patterns across its surface. The entire scene was observed by many around them, who had been watching the blonde lunatic during his drum solo, and it would have made a very romantic picture, if it weren’t for the maniacal grin Spike wore.
Willow started to become uneasy, both with his grin, and with the situation in general. It was almost as if she had been asleep ever since they had left the Bronze, and was only just now waking. She was in serious danger, and she needed to get away. She attempted to snatch her hand back, but Spike held fast to it, unaware of her growing fear. She glanced around, looking for someone to help her, but she knew that anyone who got in their way would only be killed.
As she continued to assess possible escape plans, she became aware that Spike had now moved on to singing very loudly some old tavern song involving wenches and lewd behavior at a bawdy, (whatever that was). She also noticed the waitress quickly returning to their table wearing an annoyed expression.
"I’m afraid you two are going to have to leave," she said flatly.
"Bugger Off! I’m not going any where until me and my lady here, get our food. So you can just hustle your wrinkly ass back to the kitchen and get our stuff," Spike responded somewhat hotly.
"Spike, the nice lady wants us to go, maybe we should. I wasn’t really hungry anyway," Willow said as if trying to pacify a child. She knew this place was probably her last hope of escape, but if he snapped in here, people were going to die. It was better to just diffuse this situation and take her chances with him on her own, than to have anyone’s death on her conscious. Unfortunately Spike wasn’t going for it.
"Sorry luv, but no can do. Their job is to provide a service to their customers, and we’re customers," he then stood and turned to glare at the old waitress adding with a deadly tone, "Service us."
At this the cook came out from behind the counter with a baseball bat in his hand and menace in his eyes. The diner grew deadly quiet.
"The lady asked you to leave, and I’ve already called the cops. So why don’t you beat it, before I have to come over there and bash your head in!"
"Oh I’d love to see you try it mate, I’ve just been itching for a decent spot of violence," Spike looked the man over with a sneer, slipping into his demon visage, "but I guess you’ll just have to do."
The quiet of the room was replaced by horrified gasps and chaos, as people quickly scattered to get away from the escalating scene involving an incredibly pissed off vampire. But before Spike could make a move toward the now cowering man, Willow summoned all her courage and jumped between the two.
"Spike I want to go now," she said forcefully.
"Soon baby, daddy wants to play a bit first," he responded keeping his eyes locked on the terrified cook, standing frozen behind the little redhead. She knew she had to act fast, and came up with a different tack.
"But I was hoping daddy wanted to play with me," she said with a little girl pout, trailing her hand lightly down his chest and dangerously close to his crotch.
Spike looked at her through his drugged haze, and his look of death was quickly replaced by a wolfish leer that sent shivers down Willow’s spine.
"Right, let’s go luv. This place would probably just give you botchulism anyway." And with that he wrapped his arm around her possessively and led them back out to the car.
After placing her securely inside, he sped back out onto the highway, looking for the nearest place to stop before dawn came, passing almost immediately the police car that had come to arrest him. Willow glanced behind her, seeing only glimpses through the painted over windows of the last hope she had of escape, as it quickly disappeared.
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The old black car drove on for nearly an hour, swerving back and forth, at times dangerously close to the ditch. Willow tried in vain to put her seatbelt on, only to find it broken. She eyed Spike warily, to see him leering back at her, before he swerved again, this time into oncoming traffic.
"Spike look out!" Willow screamed as an oncoming truck loomed dangerously close. Realizing the impending crash, he swerved the car back into their own lane and finally off onto the shoulder, coming to a stop. They sat there for a minute, Spike giggling wildly, and Willow shaking uncontrollably.
"Maybe you should drive pet." He said between giggles, sliding toward her and pulling her over his lap to trade places, hesitating briefly to give her a quick squeeze. She settled behind the wheel, having to sit on the edge of the seat to be able to reach the peddles. As she drove, Spike noticed her awkward position and removed his duster, placing it behind her to help compensate.
As his hands brushed against her back, he noticed the velvety feel of her dress and how wonderful it was. He lowered his head to her lap so he could feel the same sensation against his cheek. Willow, startled by the vampire putting his head in her lap, lurched forward in her seat, effectively wedging Spike’s head between her leg and the steering wheel.
"Ow! Red, my head," Spike began giggling again, "hey I’m a poet and didn’t know it."
"Oh, sorry," she said sliding back a little so he could pull his head back. "Umm, Spike, please don’t take this the wrong way, but what the heck is wrong with you?"
"It was that little girl I ate, she was on some really good shit," he said watching Willow visibly tense up.
"What girl? I was with you the whole time."
"Oh, it was that stupid bint that almost spilled coffee on me; I killed her while you were in the loo."
"That waitress, you killed her? How could you!?" she couldn’t believe her ears, here she had tried so hard to protect those people, foregoing her own safety, and he had killed someone anyway.
Spike loved to see her anger take over, the fire it gave her was such a turn-on. He slid closer to her, so he could whisper in her ear.
"I did it because I am a killer, it’s what I do luv."
"Don’t call me love," she said between gritted teeth.
"Well, I could just call you dinner," he said, his voice picking up a dangerous edge. At which point Willow swerved back off the road and slammed the car to a halt.
"Look you, you, big bully, if you’re going to kill me then just get it over with, because I’m tired of feeling terrified every minute!" she yelled, her eyes on fire and her teeth barred. Spike could hold back no longer. He grabbed her roughly by the hair, pulling her forward for a fierce kiss. Drowning out her scream of terror, he forced his tongue into her mouth, exploring the hot cavern thoroughly.
After the initial shock wore off and Willow realized that he was in fact, not going to kill her, her anger kicked back in and she bit down hard on his tongue, creating a deep gouge. Blood filled her mouth, but Spike didn’t pull back, if anything he redoubled his assault, thoroughly turned on by the taste of blood. Willow thrashed about, pinned between the door and the drug crazed vampire. When she began to make desperate choking and gagging noises Spike finally noticed her discomfort and backed off. Blood was dripping down her chin as he moved back slightly and the sight of it almost made him pounce on her again, until he noticed the look of pure hatred and revulsion in her eyes. Feeling a bit defeated he sat back in his seat, reaching across to wipe the blood from her chin. She flinched at the motion, but didn’t stop him.
"Drive," he said flatly.
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They finally pulled off just before dawn at a dingy motel. Spike got them a room, bringing a small bag in with him. Willow decided to take a shower and was happy to find that the evil bastard had remembered to pack a toothbrush and toothpaste for her. The taste of blood had been giving her a queasy feeling for the last few hours and she was happy to finally be rid of it. There was something else too, something besides the nausea the blood created. A feeling of raw power, almost like a narcotic, that had flooded her body the moment his blood had flooded her mouth.
She hated to admit it, but part of her could understand the appeal of drinking blood if that’s what it was always like, but she suspected it was likely just vampire blood, or perhaps even just Spike’s blood after killing that girl. She shuddered at the thought of part of that poor girl being passed to her. Even though the scene in the car with Spike had frightened and disgusted her, she found herself wanting to taste him again and it was chilling her to the bone. Willow stepped under the hot spray of the shower, and wanted to stay there forever.
How long ago was it that Spike had taken her? One day, two? It felt like a lifetime. He was going to kill her, and she knew it. He wanted her for a mate, and that meant he would have to turn her. What she didn’t understand was why he hadn’t done it already. Surely she would make a more willing partner if she were evil. Or maybe he didn’t want a willing partner, maybe he got off on the struggle. Her mind wandered back to their earlier encounter in the bathtub, and she felt herself start to become aroused in spite of her current situation. He sure seemed to want her willing then.
It was all so confusing. She was terrified of him, and hated him for the things he did, but some part of her, a darker part she hadn’t known existed, was turned on by him. All of it, the possessiveness, the violence, even the killing had some sort of sick appeal to her. She didn’t want to admit it, but after a lifetime of being a helpless doormat, she was drawn to his confidence and power. She felt another cold shiver go through her body, despite the heat of the water, just thinking such dark thoughts. What was happening to her? She felt like she was losing herself. She closed her eyes, sticking her head back under the water, and hoped she would drown.
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While she was showering, Spike placed a nightgown on the bathroom counter for her. He then went about preparing the room. He removed two pencils from the desk, and chucked them outside. He then disconnected the phone, before he took out a role of duct tape, using it to totally cover the windows. Finally he moved the bed in front of the door, making it virtually impossible for anyone to get in or out. Short of breaking the window, little Red was going nowhere. He then moved the TV to accommodate the new location of the bed, and undressed, slipping under the covers, and flipping on the set. As he waited for his princess he caught the end of an old ‘Three’s Company’ rerun, quietly congratulating himself for never giving into the fashion nightmare that was the ‘70s.
The drugs had begun to work their way out of his system, making him feel groggy and slightly hung over. He pulled a pack of smokes out of his duster pocket, which had been lying on a nearby chair. He was glad he had remembered to grab a carton on his way out of the truck stop earlier, but wished he had been paying closer attention as he looked down at the pack of ultra-lights. He sighed and snapped the filter off the cigarette before lighting it, his thoughts drifting to the naked girl showering in the next room.
He had already decided to give Red a bit of space. He wanted to break her down a bit, but not completely. He wanted her crazy, but he didn’t want her to lose her fire. Angelus had spent months with his psychological torture of Dru, and in the end she was such a nutter that he could barely stand to be around her. Spike didn’t mind the insanity, it may have been trying at times, but it kept things interesting. It also kept her dependent on him, or at least it had until Angelus had shown back up in their lives and shot everything to hell.
He missed having someone to care for, and wondered if Willow would wear insanity as well as Dru did. He was musing over his thoughts of the two women when Willow finally came out of the bathroom wearing the short nightie he had left her. The light from the bathroom was shining behind her, clearly outlining her body through the flimsy material. She reached out and switched off the light leaving only the glow of the TV to see by.
"If I sleep on the floor will you leave me be?" she asked.
"No." he replied simply.
"Fine." she said, slipping under the covers. She expected him to maul her, but instead he kept his distance.
A part of him wanted to apologize for the earlier incident in the car, he hadn’t meant to lose control with her, but if he made any concessions it would only make him seem weak so he kept his mouth shut. Spike stared intently at the ceiling, trying not to notice the half naked goddess lying next to him. He was trying so hard not to notice her that he was startled when she began to speak.
"What do you want with me?"
"I told you, I want a new princess."
"Which means at some point you are going to kill me, right?"
"That’s the plan pet."
"Then what are you waiting for?"
"You’re not ready yet."
Willow thought about this for a moment, he had only confirmed what she already knew, but had given her no indication what was to come, except for her eventual death.
"You could have taken any girl. Why me?" in her mind the answer was already clear, he had done it to get at Buffy and Angel, by taking one of their own. She was not prepared for his real answer.
"I chose you because you were simply irresistible," he said, turning to face her. "You’re more than just incredibly beautiful, you’re also smart, and sexy, and powerful." As he said this he brushed a wet lock of hair out of her face, taking in her stunned expression.
"You’re wrong. I mean I know I’m smart, but those other things aren’t me. I am so not powerful."
"Of course you are luv, you just have to let yourself go first. Now get some sleep, we’ve got a long night of driving ahead of us when we wake."
"Where are we going?"
"You’ll find out when we get there. Goodnight pet."
And with that he rolled over and closed his eyes. He was shocked at the calm way Red had questioned him about his plans and her own future death. He wondered if he should be worried, she was a smart girl and should probably not be underestimated, but she was likely just in shock and not plotting an escape. He pushed his suspicions out of his mind and tried to get some rest.
Still, he couldn’t sleep; instead he lay still, listening for her breathing to slow to a steady rhythm. When he heard her soft snores start, he moved closer to her, wanting to wrap himself around her warmth, but not wanting to wake her. Then as he lay watching her chest rise and fall, she rolled toward him, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder and wrapping her arm around his bare waist. He closed his eyes, relaxing in her warmth, thinking to himself how lucky he was that he would get to spend eternity with this rare beauty, as he was eventually taken over by his exhaustion.
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Willow woke with a start to find herself again in total darkness. Apparently Spike had blacked out the windows somehow. She stared off into the distance for a moment, waiting for her eyes to adjust, but when they didn’t cooperate, her other senses kicked in to offer her some clues. She was a little surprised to realize that she was sleeping rather intertwined with Spike’s dead limbs. How had she not noticed this before? Her head felt somewhat woozy, and the nightie Spike had given her was starting to itch. ‘Must be all the lace’ she thought absently, as she maneuvered slightly out of Spike’s grasp so she could pull the ridiculously small garment over her head. Relieved to have the rough fabric away from her skin, she settled her now naked body back into its former position.
She knew she should be uncomfortable lying naked with a vampire, but she wasn’t. Maybe Spike’s ease with his own body was starting to wear off on her. Or perhaps she had simply resigned herself to her fate. There was something rather freeing about knowing she was going to die, she no longer had to spend all her time worrying about what was right or wrong, she could just be. She wondered what would become of her soul when he killed her. Would her vampire self even notice when it had gone, or would she simply become evil and unaware that she had ever had a soul?
As she let her mind wander, her hands wandered also, tracing light patterns across Spike’s chest. At first she felt somewhat guilty, she was a good girl and she shouldn’t be here like this. She may be a prisoner, but she should be at least trying to escape or fight or something. After all, she hated Spike, right? But as she argued with herself, her fingers continued to caress his smooth skin, almost as if they had a mind of their own. His flesh was cool to the touch, but not cold, and she liked the way it felt against her cheek. Spike wrapped his arms more tightly around her, drawn to her heat, as she reached her hand up to trace the chiseled features of his face, but she froze when she felt him stir. She should have realized all her movement would have woken him.
Spike woke to find himself wrapped around a very naked Willow stroking his face. ‘I must still be asleep and dreaming’ he thought somewhat groggily. He reached his hand up to hers and found it to be quite real. His superior night vision could make out the dazed and somewhat frightened expression on the small redhead’s face. He couldn’t help but smile as he leaned his head down to kiss her.
He expected her to pull back, but she didn’t, instead she just sighed and pressed her body closer to his. Spike pushed her mouth open gently with his tongue, teasing her with soft wet kisses, trying to make up for his previous brutal assault on her mouth. Willow didn’t exactly know why she wasn’t resisting; all she knew was that it felt good to just give in. Accepting her fate, she was able to revel in the sensations flooding her body. She wondered if given a hundred plus years, Xander or Oz would ever be able to kiss this good. The thought only stayed with her for a second though as Spike trailed his hand to her right breast, cupping it slightly before rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger causing it to pucker and harden.
Willow moaned against his mouth, encouraging him to plant more wet kisses on her jaw before working his way down. He detoured on his way to her throat, to nibble her earlobe with blunt teeth, while his hand moved on to the left breast. When his lips brushed against her neck she stiffened slightly, but relaxed again when he simply continued with his soft kisses. He moved tortuously slow, as he kissed his way past her collar bone to finally press his mouth upon her hard nipple. Willow gasped and wrapped her right hand into his hair, using her left hand to try and pull his body on top of hers. Her increasing need was driving him crazy, but he forced himself to remain in control. He wanted her first time to be incredible. He wanted it to be all about her, but as he moved his body on top of hers, his own need became painfully obvious to both of them.
After giving equal attention to her other nipple, he continued his tour of her body, down her belly, and hovering briefly over her woman hood before moving on to kiss his way down one leg, and back up the other. By the time he returned to her hot center, Willow felt like she was on fire. Spike carefully separated her folds with one finger, resisting the temptation to slide it into her core. He knew it was selfish, and would perhaps be more painful for her, but he wanted his cock to be the first thing to feel the inside of her. Instead he planted another soft wet kiss on her swollen clit, causing Willow to let out another low moan, rocking her hips forward. He continued to nibble and suck on the hard nub, while his hands found their way back up to her breasts. Her breathing started to come in shallow pants and he could tell she was close, it was time.
Spike backed off, hearing a growl of protest from Willow. He pulled himself back up her body and planted a fierce kiss on her lips as he thrust into her incredibly tight channel. Her scream of pain was swallowed by his kiss, as her small frame tried to accommodate the sheer girth of his throbbing cock. The smell of her virginal blood filled his senses as he worked to keep their rhythm under control. He was close, but he wanted to hold back till she was satisfied. He reached his left hand down between their bodies and began rubbing her clit, driving her back toward the point of oblivion.
He felt her walls clench around his shaft, as the throes of her orgasm hit her. She clawed at his back, leaving bloody trails, her head thrown back, eyes shut tight, and a loud cry escaping her lips. Spike was overcome by her beauty and his need to possess her. He felt his balls tighten and his demon took over as he pounded into her, roaring his orgasm, he sunk his fangs into her bared throat, drinking deeply as he filled her with his dead seed.
He noticed her body becoming limp and stopped his feeding, pressing his hand against the wound to slow the bleeding. He hadn’t meant to drink so much, he only wanted to claim her, but her blood was so intoxicating, that he couldn’t help himself. He listened carefully to her heart beat, and was reassured to find that it was still strong. He would turn her soon enough, but now was not the time, he just wanted her to carry his mark. However, the blood loss had been a bit much, causing her to faint. Maybe it was for the best, she would need her rest, and it would give her a little time before she had to face the moral dilemma of her actions. Spike pulled her body on top of his, tracing circles on her back, and allowed himself to drift back to sleep, content and happy.