Parts: 11
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~Part: 11~
It was Tuesday and Willow woke to find herself in the middle of a moral dilemma. The sleep she managed to obtain was fitful and she was not well-rested. She had been thinking, even as she dreamed, about how to use the information she found about Spike's chip. The additional research time she put in before bed had proven fruitful. After making her path was undetectable and untraceable, she proceeded to learn the layout their network's infrastructure. It was a common set-up and easy to navigate once inside. The chips were enabled via a specific program housed within the network and she was sure that by hacking into the Initiative's medical subsystems she could find and disable the link to Spike's chip.possibly every behavior chip she found there if feasible.
Once done she would destroy the real record and create a false one of Spike's chip so that it appeared enabled, but change the terminating information. If they ever tried to re-enable or do some sort of self-destructing command, it would seem to have completed, but nothing would happen to Spike. Without the true data they would never be able to link up to his chip again.
The thought of Spike, free and whole, thrilled her as she imagined the heights he could take her to, sexually, and the danger that freedom brought with it. She remembered him as he was when he kidnapped her and at the time she had been terrified, but excited by him as well. Later, after all the dust had settled, she had taken the time to examine her feelings and had come to the appropriate conclusion that she was insane, as insane as Drusilla, hence the undeniable and completely secreted attraction.
Perhaps not crazy, but most certainly conflicted.
Now that she had the cure to his most invasive problem she was afraid to implement her plan. Simply, he hated her friends, had spent a good deal of time, plotting all of their deaths. As soon as he was able, would their deaths, once again, be his sole reason for being?
It was this thought, brutally nagging, that kept her from running to the phone or, even better, Los Angeles and jumping in his lap with the news. And the one person she wanted to talk to was not an option because he would need an explanation, one that she was not willing or ready to give now, if ever.
With a sigh she rolled over and scooted out of the bed. Her laptop was on standby and she quickly got access to her email, perking up when she saw the message from Spike. She looked around as if there was another person in the room that could be looking over her shoulder, but there wasn't. Buffy and Riley had a date and the slayer never made it back. Willow was grateful for the solitude. Lately she seemed only enjoy the company of vampires. Her eyes flickered over the screen as she treasured every word.
Red,
The great poof has given me a proper seeing to, I'm sure you get my meaning, pet. and I have come to realize that I owe you an apology for the other day. After the bitch left. This is it. And don't get used to it.
Ouch!
He's looming over me right now and has just hit me in the head.soddin' bully. Will you protect me?
All this shit aside, when can I see you, luv?
That was as close as he would come to saying sorry or admitting he did anything wrong. And he did not mean it. She laughed and went into a drawer looking for underclothes. Thoughts of what Angel and Spike had been up to created a definite, wet stickiness in her panties and she needed to change. She was already very late for class.
~~~*~~~
Tara caught up with Willow at the library. The redhead did not mind so much as this was a public place and she would not be expected to be heavy on the affection.
"Hey, Willow," greeted the blond. She pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, nervous.
"Tara, hi." Willow looked up from her book and motioned for her to sit across the table from her, making no attempt to remove her back from the seat next to her.
"I missed you in class this morning."
Willow stifled the sigh and continued to look innocent. This was Tara way of asking where Willow was and why did she skip lecture. Her shyness did not stop her from being covertly demanding. Instead of falling into the trap of explaining herself, she only smiled.
"Yeah.do you have your notes? I could maybe, uh, copy them?" She asked.
Tara eagerly pulled a notebook from her bag. Willow could almost see the wheels spinning as she tried to find another way to broach the subject.
"Okay.here they are." She flipped through a few pages and passed the notes to her girlfriend. She took them with a grateful smile and began reading. Not much was covered today that she hadn't read in the textbook already.
"So what are you doing tonight? Do you wanna go to the carnival?"
"What?" The tiny witch looked up from the notes as she replayed Tara's words. "Oh, uh, no I think I'd better study this, you know, catch up." Or angst over whether Spike would come to kill this sweet girl if Willow removed his muzzle.
"Oh, yeah, okay." She went to stand before adding. "I could come by, study together?"
"I'll call you when I get home." She offered so the girl would just go. She would call, but only once it was so late that she could beg off.
~~~*~~~
Tossing her bag to the floor, Buffy flopped on her bed, enjoying it in a childish way as she bounced for a while. She had been out all night with Riley and still wore the clothes from their date. It was an icky feeling and she dreamed of a shower, but she was too tired to move at the moment.
She glanced at Willow's bed. It was unmade which was unheard of. She must have been late this morning which would also explain the redhead's laptop which was one) not with her and two) running.
Running.
Buffy sat up on her elbows and stared at it, knowing what she was planning was wrong. But really what was she planning, other than using her friend's computer to check her email and look up some things for a paper since it was already online.
Convinced, she slid off the bed and sat down at Willow's desk, really seeing what was on the screen. At first she was certain it was a dream, a nightmare actually. She had fallen asleep on her bed and the email from Spike to Willow was her own mind playing cruel tricks on her.
The great poof has given me a proper seeing to, I'm sure you get my meaning.
What did that mean? Did it mean what she desperately wanted to believe it didn't mean?
"Oh my God." She whispered, reading the words again and again, trying to find another explanation.
...I owe you an apology for the other day.
The other day was Willow's supposed vampire attack. Spike. He did that to her. And Angel knew. she was sure of it.
All this shit aside, when can I see you, luv?
"Oh my God." All the images from the other day flood her mind as pieces to the puzzle shifted, some falling in place, some still floating, ominous and disturbing.
She sat there, dumbfounded, the tiny part of her brain that continued to function, told her to search through the inbox, see if there are more emails. She would not get this chance again and Willow was obviously not the truthful friend she pretended to be.
The sound of keys, jingling just outside the door as Willow fumbled for the right one, put an end to that plan. She had often told the hacker to take the keys to her parents house off the ring, but Willow insisted on having them all on one ring and carrying it with her. She contended that she never knew when she might need to get in her old home. Buffy thought it silly at the time, but now she was appreciative for the noise they made and the blonde swiftly hit the button for standby and raced to her bed, stretching out just as the door opened. She turned, as if waking, and rubbed her eyes.
"Hey Wills."
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