~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Part: 71~
Willie felt the fight drain out of him, knowing that he had only one choice. He couldn't live with the knowledge that he was the reason that innocent girl was raped and tortured by Spike, knowing he had to insure that she would remain unharmed. He looked at Angelus, his eyes defeated as he whispered, "You promise that you won't harm her?"
"I said we'd play nice," Angelus said, smelling the sweet scent of victory.
"Not good enough. I want you to promise that you will keep her protect her from harm. I won't tell anything about that sweet little girl until I am assured by Angelus, master of Sunnydale, member of the Aurelius clan, that she will have his protection and the protection of his family," Willie said simply.
"That's a mighty big promise," Angelus said thoughtfully, not liking the idea of offering his family's protection to a witch of all things. True, he had planned to be friendly to her, knowing it never hurt to have a witch on your side should the occasion arise where she was needed, but there was a major difference between being somewhat friendly to the spell caster and giving his promise that his family will protect her.
"She's got natural power, more than I've ever felt in a witch before, especially one her age. I'd like to know she's going to be kept safe from any threats or danger that might come along in the future," Willie said quietly, letting Angelus know that he would be getting himself a powerful and strong witch in the bargain. He had other reasons for making this part of the deal, besides keeping the nice girl safe from future dangers, he wanted to make sure that Angelus and Spike were not able to break their promise and simply kill her or torture her once they realized that she was pure and good.
Angelus looked at Spike, saw the blond smiling. Stupid boy was probably overjoyed at the idea of having his own pet witch to play with and watch practice spells. Drusilla was fond of magic, but she didn't have a natural gift like this witch appeared to, her spells usually working but sometimes not. Of course, Angelus didn't like magic that much and tried to do things without involving it whenever possible. He didn't trust it, thought it was too vague, too much of a risk. His eyes narrowed as he thought of his upcoming plans involving the removal of the threat of the mayor, knowing that magic might come in handy during that fight. Finally, he nodded once, agreeing, "Done."
"Say it," Willie said, knowing he was pressing his luck but not caring.
"I promise that my family will protect your little witch from outside harm," Angelus said sharply, not liking making deals with this pathetic human in the first place, and especially not when they forced him to protect a witch. His eyes blazed with anger as he said, "Now, tell me what we want to know."
Spike was thrilled at the idea of adopting the witch into the family, wondering if she'd let him watch her practice. Maybe she and his Princess could play together, a smile crossing his face as he realized how happy that would make Dru, having someone to do spells with and such. He knew that Angelus wasn't happy about it, but, oh well. They'd find her and see if she was as powerful as Willie said. After that, they could get Drusilla and go home and give her all the prezzies they'd bought her and she'd smile and probably dance a little and it would be great, just being with his family and being happy. God, he sounded absolutely like a pathetic human with those thoughts, deciding he didn't care at the moment. He wanted to find his Princess and give her a big hug.
"She came in Thursday night, late, after midnight I guess," Willie said, thinking about that night, "Real pretty little thing. About five foot six, I guess, long legs for her height, flat stomach, perky breasts, graceful neck."
"Can we get to the part where you tell us her name and where to find her?" Angelus asked in a caustic tone.
"I don't know," Willie said honestly, "no names were exchanged. She came in, I felt her power, she politely asked for some blood, I sold it to her, she paid cash, she said thank you, and she left."
"You can go back to the other," Spike said, "So, she was a looker, huh? Perky breasts and long legs. Sounds delicious."
"Spike," Angelus rolled his eyes as the blue-eyed blond winked at him.
"Sire, I was merely trying to obtain an adequate description so that we could locate our witch," Spike said innocently, even more eager to meet the spell caster now that he knew she was not only powerful but also gorgeous. Playing nice might not be that difficult at all.
"Willie, I made a promise to protect her yet all you give me is vague details. How can I find her?" Angelus demanded.
"She's a kid," Willie said quietly, "sixteen, maybe seventeen. Didn't flinch at all when confronted by a bar full of demons. Brave and smart and nice and innocent. Pretty green eyes that seem to see inside your soul. Red hair that fell past her shoulders. And, well, there is one other thing."
Angelus was paying close attention, his eyes narrowing as his mind brought forth an image of a pretty redhead with big green eyes that was intelligent and always nice. No, it couldn't be. He asked, "What? What's the other thing?"
Willie sighed, knowing that this was the clincher, the reason he'd made Angelus promise to protect her, saying simply, "She smelled of the slayer."
"The slayer?" that got Spike's attention, all thoughts of playing with the witch leaving his mind as he heard that one dreaded word. If the slayer had somehow managed to get hold of Drusilla, God only knows what his Princess was experiencing. He looked at Angelus, seeing the look of recognition in the elder vampire's dark eyes, feeling a little less alarmed when a wicked smile crossed his lover's handsome face.
"Thank you, Willie. I think we can take it from here," Angelus said as he stood and walked towards the door, Spike right behind him. Well, well, well. This was definitely an interesting turn of events. The little witch that Willie had been so keen on protecting was none other than sweet little Willow. He didn't know what the redhead was up to, having never sensed any magic about her when they'd been together, but he had to admit that he certainly was intrigued. Once there were outside, he looked at Spike and smiled, "It's Willow, the slayer's little friend."
"And this has you smiling why?" Spike asked, recognizing the name, trying to place the face. Pretty girl, kind of quiet, shy, slayer's little shadow. He remembered seeing her a few times, never paying her much attention. He'd dismissed her as harmless, never seeing the magic talents that Willie spoke of, a bit annoyed that he'd not paid her more attention now.
"Because, dear boy," Angelus caught Spike's eyes as a wicked smile crossed his face, "I know where she lives *and* I have an invitation to her home."
Spike slowly smiled, "Well, then, what are we waiting for? Let's go find our witch and see what she knows about Drusilla."
~Part: 72~
"So, you see, Cordelia used to be my worst enemy," Willow told Drusilla, "but now she's become a really good friend. I hated Xander when he first started dating her, though, because he lied to me and kept it a secret. Eventually, I saw that she made him happy and I realized that she wasn't a horrid bitch once you really got to know her. She gave her friends to be with Xander and that means a lot to me. He's my oldest friend and I just want him to be happy."
Drusilla smiled, "He was not your destiny, kitten."
"I guess not," Willow agreed, looking back now and finding her crush on Xander amusing in some ways. She thought she had loved him for years, but it had mostly been because he cared about her and was there for her. She had shared more private things with Jesse, sort of voiding him out of the potential crush category, leaving only Xander to adore in a more girlfriendly kinda way. They wouldn't have worked out as anything other than friends, and she was grateful that they had never tried because she would have hated losing his friendship.
Drusilla giggled, "Your tummy is growly again."
"I think it's telling me that it's time for some dinner," Willow laughed after her stomach grumbled again. She glanced at the clock, seeing that it was half past six. The sun had gone down not long ago, when she'd been telling Dru about her and Cordelia's not so great past and how time had changed them both and how they were now friends. Drusilla hadn't mentioned anything yet about returning home so Willow decided not to say anything either. She was enjoying talking to her new friend, reluctant for their time together to end, knowing that it wouldn't be much longer before the brunette vampire had to return to wherever her home was before Angelus and Spike came back to town.
"What are we having?" Drusilla asked as she stood and moved into the kitchen. She saw a look of sadness in her Willow's pretty green eyes, frowning as she studied her best friend. "Why are you sad, pet?"
"It's nothing," Willow gave her a smile, the sadness leaving as quickly as it appeared. "What would you like to eat? You can choose."
"It was not nothing if it caused you to be sad," Drusilla said softly, concern in her eyes.
"I was just thinking that it was dusk and the sun has gone down and soon you'll be going home," Willow sighed, being completely honest with her friend.
"Do not be sad, Willow-mine," Drusilla smiled affectionately, "I am not leaving you. Shall I make us milk shakes? I'm ever so excited to try. Delia showed me every step."
"Milk shakes sound good," Willow nodded as she returned Drusilla's smile, knowing that her friend was right. She didn't need to be sad since Dru wasn't leaving yet. She moved to the refridgerator and surveyed the contents. There wasn't much there, the redhead making a mental note to go grocery shopping the next day. She looked in the freezer, helping Drusilla get out the chocolate ice cream so the vampire could begin making the milk shakes. There was some frozen dinners but none looked that appetizing. Finally, she looked at Drusilla and smiled sheepishly, "Okay, it doesn't look like there is much of a choice for dinner. I can make us some grilled cheese sandwiches, there's some soup in the cabinet, I've got some noodles and rice, and there are a couple of frozen dinners."
"What would go with milk shakes?" Drusilla asked thoughtfully.
"Grilled cheese and chips would be pretty good," Willow decided, watching Drusilla smile.
"Then that is what we shall have," Drusilla declared with a laugh. "I'm having ever so much fun, Kitten."
"Me too," Willow agreed as she got some butter and cheese from the fridge and moved to the cabinet to get some bread.
"I love you," Drusilla said as she gave Willow a hug, squeezing her friend tightly, knowing that the redhead did not hear those words nearly enough.
"Love you, too," Willow replied as she hugged Drusilla back.
"Do you think that I should have milk shakes instead of tea at my party?" Drusilla asked with a speculative look in her eyes. "My dollies always have tea. I believe that they would enjoy the tasty treats more before I put them away."
"A milk shake party instead of a tea party?" Willow asked, a smile crossing her pretty face as Drusilla gave the matter serious thought. "I know I'd much rather have milk shakes than tea, but it is your choice. How many dollies do you have?"
"Ever so many," Drusilla said, "Miss. Edith is my favorite. She will adore you, pretty pet. She will understand that it is time for to take a long nap, not at all minding when I put her away. She is very tired, and she'll be ever so proud that I do not need her anymore. Will you help me put them all away? Careful not to hurt them, pretty paper and their own separate box for each with their name written in pretty letters."
"Sure, I'll help you pack them away," Willow promised, knowing that it was an empty promise since she wouldn't be able to help Drusilla put away her dollies, but not wanting to upset Drusilla by reminding her that she'd be returning to Angelus and Spike and that they would not allow them to continue being friends.
"They'll love you, Willow, just as I do," Drusilla said softly, a pleased smile on her face as she began to plan the menu for her milk shake party. She knew that Cordelia and Buffy would prefer the tasty frozen treats over tea, also, thinking about how happy her dollies would be when they met her new friends.
~Part: 73~
"We are nearly out of chocolate syrup," Drusilla informed Willow as she squeezed the syrup into the blender.
"I'll have to add that to the grocery list," Willow smiled, "Buffy wouldn't know what to do if she ran out of chocolate syrup. Can I ask why you're using syrup if you've already got chocolate ice cream?"
"Because, the syrup adds that special bit of oomph and makes it all the more chocolatey," Drusilla recited, giggling as she proudly remembered Cordelia's instructions.
"Oomph?" Willow repeated with a smile, her green eyes shining with amusement as the brunette vampire carefully measured out the remainder of the ingredients for the milk shakes. If you had told her three days ago that she'd be spending Saturday night in her kitchen making grilled cheese and milk shakes with the childe of the master of Sunnydale, she'd never have believed it. As it was, here she was watching Dru make them extra chocolatey milk shakes and quoting Cordelia's instructions.
"Yeppers," Drusilla said, her eyes amused as she watched Willow laugh.
"You've been listening to Buffy," Willow laughed when heard one of the slayer's favorite expressions.
"Is that bad?" Drusilla asked, loving the sound of Willow's laughter and thinking that the redhead looked very beautiful when she smiled that way.
"Yeppers," Willow said seriously, her green eyes shining with happiness as she listened to Drusilla laugh.
"You are teasing Buffy and she is not even here to defend herself, Kitten," Drusilla scolded playfully, watching the redhead prepare their dinner.
"It's not teasing if it's true," Willow said primly, her lips curved into a smile as she went back to fixing the grilled cheese sandwiches.
"May we watch a movie while we eat?" Drusilla asked eagerly, having enjoyed the movies they had watched the previous evening.
"That sounds like a good idea," Willow declared with a smile at her friend. "Anything particular you want to see?"
"I trust you, Kitten. You can choose," Drusilla said as she began to hum happily. She turned towards the blender, putting the last of the necessary contents into the device. She ran through the list in her mind, making sure she had not forgotten anything. Satisfied that she had followed Cordelia's instructions carefully, she was ready to mix the contents to make the milk shakes.
"Maybe something with music," Willow mused when she heard Drusilla singing, putting the last finished sandwich onto a plate and turning the burner off. She turned to her friend, noticing that she was about to start the blender. Green eyes widened suddenly as she moved forward quickly, "Drusilla, wait…."
Drusilla had already pushed the button on the blender, moving with vampire speed towards the door, her eyes wide with surprise. Willow pushed the off button, finishing her sentence as she looked down at her arms and shirt, "you forgot to put the lid back on."
"I'm so sorry, Willow-mine," Drusilla whispered as she looked at her best friend now covered with globs of the milk shake that had splattered when the blender was turned on. The counter was messy, too, but it looked like the majority had drenched the redhead.
"I never knew those things were so messy without the lids," Willow said as she looked up at Drusilla, laughter in her eyes. The two girls looked at each other for a few seconds before they both started laughing.
"I forgot the lid," Drusilla said, relieved that Willow was not angry with her, the fear and worry leaving her hazel eyes as she heard Willow's sweet laughter.
"Duh," Willow said as she pointedly looked down at her T-shirt that was now covered with globs of ice cream. Her arms were sticky and she thought she could feel the stuff on her face.
"Who sounds like Buffy now?" Drusilla teased.
"Hello! Covered in bits of milky ice cream syrupy stuff," Willow said with a smile, "No teasing the milk shake covered redhead."
"Sorry, pet," Drusilla giggled as she moved closer and picked up a towel to clean up her mess. "You should go upstairs and take a shower. I shall clean this up and try again, with the lid this time."
"I think I will run up and wash all this off," Willow decided as she smiled, "Buffy and Cordelia are going to laugh their butts off when I tell them about this."
"It does taste good," Drusilla defended with a smile as she dipped her finger into the blender and tasted the bit of milk shake that had been mixed.
"Sorry, Dru, this is so gonna be shared with the others!" Willow laughed as she moved towards the door. "I'll run up and take a quick shower. Could you put the plate of sandwiches in the stove? It will keep them pretty warm. I'll be back down in a few minutes."
"I shall have the milk shakes finished by then," Drusilla promised, humming as she began to clean the mess she had made. Suddenly, she stopped humming, a pleased smile crossing her face as she looked out the kitchen window and stared at the stars. Company was coming.
~Part: 74~
"Do ye think this might be a trap?" Spike asked his grandsire as they walked down the dark streets of Sunnydale towards the redhead's house.
"It had crossed my mind," Angelus admitted, "before I remembered that we are talking about Buffy, who is definitely not the sharpest crayon in the box and is more than willing to uphold our unspoken truce."
"Yeah, but you said Red was one of those brainy girls," Spike reminded, thankful that they had a possible lead in finding Drusilla but also concerned that said lead was closely connected with the slayer.
"That she is," Angelus nodded, "but she's not about to do anything that puts her friends at risk. Willow's much too caring and compassionate for that. Silly girl had to be up to something if she went to Willie's, but I seriously doubt she's a threat."
"Strange, that," Spike observed, "her going to Willie's and getting blood. What would the slayer's pet shadow want with human blood? And all this talk about magic and power, yet you were buddies with the slayer's little gang and never felt anything from her, did you? And wouldn't she have uninvited you to her house after you killed the gypsy and all?"
Angelus grew thoughtful as he remembered his first night back at the high school. He felt himself hardening slightly as he remembered the feel of Willow in his arms, the intoxicating scent of her fear mixed with the sweetest scent of arousal as she'd struggled against him, rubbing her tight little body against him, her heart racing as he'd sucked her neck. She'd been scared but she'd also been turned on, something that had surprised him, made him realize that there was more to the shy little bookworm than what he'd thought, causing him to wake from many a dream of sharing her with Spike and sinking into that tight warmth over and over again until she was hoarse from screaming their names and begging for more. He'd seen her since then, felt her eyes watching him, knew she felt that same attraction even as she quickly looked away. A sensual smile crossed his lips as he confidently answered one of Spike's questions, "She hasn't uninvited me."
"Like that, is it?" Spike asked when he clearly saw the evidence of Angelus' growing arousal, curiosity in his blue eyes. He'd seen the redhead in question a couple of times when he'd gone against Buffy and the brats, not remembering anything particularly interesting about her. Sure, she'd been cute enough and her innocence had called to him, but he'd been worrying about trying to kill the slayer and hadn't paid her much attention. It would appear that Angelus had given her much more thought.
"I never felt any power from her," Angelus ignored Spike's statement, having no real answer for the blond. He'd never given Willow much thought when he'd had the soul, too busy concentrating on Buffy, his lips curling in disgust at the stupidity of the soul, ignoring the beautiful and intelligent redhead in favor of the vapid and common slayer. The soul had enjoyed the conversations he'd had with the witty redhead, finding her brilliant and fascinating, but he'd never given her much thought as anything other than the studious best friend of the girl he thought he loved. Angelus, though, had been captivated from the first, preferring the shy girl with the agile mind and innocence just begging to be corrupted. It was no accident that he'd gone after her first, rashly acting without thinking, planning to take her and make her his and use her until she no longer mesmerized him. When he'd felt her in his arms, smelled the scent of her innocence mixed with arousal, tasted her flesh as he'd sucked her neck, he'd realized that he was acting foolishly. He had left without her, deciding to wait so that he could savor her corruption.
Instead, he'd found his family, looked into Spike's brilliant blue eyes and felt as if he were finally where he belonged, though there was still some restlessness. He'd made plans, secured his position as Master of Sunnydale, he'd eventually killed the gypsy, the threat of being recursed with a soul dying with her, and decided that killing Buffy was far too easy. He'd decided on a truce because it caused much more emotional stress on his former lover than merely killing her. It was fun, taunting her and seeing the knowledge in her eyes that he had won. He'd not forgotten Willow, though, seeking her out when he was hunting, enjoying watching her and thinking of the things he had planned for her. He had no plans to do anything about the attraction he felt for the pretty redhead, at least not at the moment, having too much to worry about without starting a seduction of the innocent Willow. Seduction? Where had that word come from? He planned to fuck her, make her beg for him, keep her until he tired of her and either kill her or toss her back at the slayer. Personally thinking the latter idea was rather appealing because it would surely hurt Buffy far more to see her best friend used and broken than to just kill her. Now, though, after his forced promise to Willie, he wasn't going to have much of a choice in the matter. He couldn't harm her, couldn't kill her, but he sure as hell could still play with her when he was ready.
"I hope she knows where Dru is," Spike muttered as he kicked a rock out of his way. He never planned to leave Drusilla alone again, hating not knowing where she was and not having her around. He loved his sire dearly, was completely devoted to the beautiful brunette, and he missed her terribly.
"If she does, we'll find out," Angelus said as he was pulled from thoughts of sharing the pretty redhead with the man beside him, knowing that they were close to her house and he needed to be prepared to be seductive yet threatening to get information from Willow. He still wasn't convinced that she was this powerful spell caster that Willie was so protective of, but he was intrigued. A wicked smile crossed his face as he saw her house in the distance, telling Spike, "Her house is right up there. Come on."
Drusilla had cleaned up the mess and proceeded to make more milk shakes. This time, she put the lid on and they turned out perfect. She was so proud of herself, eager for Willow to finish her shower so the redhead could taste her creation. She had just finished putting away the last of the materials she had used when she felt them. She left the kitchen, moving into the living room towards the door. She glanced down and made sure that she had not messed up her clothes, relieved to see that they were still in excellent condition. She heard the shower still running upstairs, knowing that the redhead had only just started it. She slowly opened the door as Angelus and Spike started up the stairs of the porch, a large smile crossing her face as she looked lovingly at them. They both looked at her with surprise, probably not expecting the door to open before they could even knock. Drusilla smiled as she excitedly said, "Daddy! William! I'm so glad you are finally here! I've missed you both ever so much!"
~Part: 75~
Angelus was surprised when the door swung open as he and Spike reached the front porch. When he saw Drusilla standing in the doorway, smiling at them both and talking about missing them, he was astonished. In over two centuries, both alive and undead, he had rarely been speechless. This was one of those rare occasions and it was unsettling and left him slightly off balance. During their walk to Willow's, he'd run through various scenarios in his mind of what to expect once reaching her house. Having Drusilla open the door and greet them had never even been a random thought.
Spike was elated to see his sire, relieved to see that she appeared completely healthy, and, judging from the smile on her beautiful face and the gleam in her eyes, very happy. He was about to tell her how much he'd missed her, not bothering to over think the situation, knowing full well that Angelus was probably doing enough thinking for both of them, and give her a hug when she spoke.
"I've been expecting you both," Drusilla smiled fondly at her sire and childe as she stepped to the side. "Please, come inside."
"Drusilla, what's going on?" Angelus finally asked, eyes suspicious as he studied his childe for any signs that she was up to something, seeing nothing except affection and pleasure at seeing them. He frowned, running a hand through his hair as he wished he understood what was going on.
"Luv, you know it doesn't work that way," Spike said softly, knowing that Angelus had an invitation to this house and would be able to go inside and hug his Princess while he was stuck standing on the porch. It just wasn't fair, he scowled.
"Pretty William," Drusilla said, her eyes affectionate as she smiled at him and held out her hand, "Trust me, my pretty pet. Come inside. Give your Mummy a hug."
Spike smiled at her words, deciding what the hell, and he took a step, fully expecting to be knocked backwards by the barrier, instead finding himself stepping into the house. His blue eyes showed his confusion but he didn't ask questions yet, instead pulling his sire against him and giving her a big hug, muttering, "Drusilla, luv, I've missed you. We've been worried about you. Don't ever scare us that way again."
Angelus watched them as he stepped into Willow's house, his dark eyes thoughtful as he tried to figure out what was happening. Realizing that he was completely clueless about what was going on, he tried again to get some answers from Drusilla. He cleared his throat, watching Spike pull back from the hug, his eyes finding Dru's as he asked again, a bit louder and a bit more forcefully, "What's going on, Drusilla?"
"Shhh," Drusilla scolded him, "Not so loud, Daddy. Kitten is taking a shower and I do not want you to frighten her."
"Kitten?" Spike arched a brow as he looked at his sire, now noticing things his earlier elation at seeing her had overwhelmed. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, surprise in his blue eyes at seeing his sire wearing pants. She also smelled different, the basic essence of Dru still there, but also now smelling like apples and vanilla and some other scents he hadn't been able to place yet. Her hair was loose, framing her face in gentle curls, and she was obviously very happy. He didn't understand what was going on, now understanding why Angelus was confused. He asked softly, "Dru, pet, what are you wearing?"
"They're called blue jeans, silly," Drusilla beamed as she looked at her new clothes and then looked back up. "They are like yours but blue instead of black. I wonder if yours would be called black jeans or if they would also be considered blue jeans despite the color difference. I shall have to ask."
"You look smashing, Princess, but why the change? You never wanted to wear pants before," Spike said, his tone slightly bewildered at the changes in his sire. It wasn't just the clothes, though that, in itself, was surprising. It was in her eyes and her smile, in the way she was comfortable and relaxed and strong.
"They are ever so comfortable!" Drusilla smiled at her childe, thinking how wonderful it was to have him and Angelus with her again, eager for Willow to finish her shower so that her family could meet.
"Drusilla," Angelus' tone was sharp but he kept it low, not even realizing that he was obeying her instructions to not be so loud. "What the hell is going on?"
"Cranky Daddy," Drusilla frowned as she looked away from Spike to focus on Angelus, "being rude to Princess. There shall be no treats for you!"
"Princess, luv, Angelus' has been really worried about you. We both have," Spike said quietly, glaring at Angelus for being a rude bastard and upsetting Drusilla. He turned his attention to his sire and smiled softly, "He doesn't understand what's happening and you know how crotchety the old man gets when he's confused."
"Old man?" Angelus asked sharply, his dark eyes narrowing as he looked at his lover.
"I did not mean for you to worry," Drusilla said sincerely, looking at her sire and smiling, "I am sorry, Angelus. Please, come inside and sit down. We shall have a nice talk while Kitten finishes her shower."
Drusilla took Angelus and Spike's hands and walked them into the living room. She motioned for them to sit, taking a seat on the sofa, leaving room for Willow to sit beside her when the redhead came downstairs and joined them. She was ever so excited to see her Daddy and William, having missed them both during their journey to the city of the angels, and she could not wait to introduce her new friend to them. She knew that they did not understand, the stars having warned her that they would be confused, but she would make sure that they did not frighten her Willow.
"Suppose Kitten is this Willow chit that owns the house," Spike said as he sat in the chair Drusilla indicated, a slight pout on his lips when she didn't allow him to sit beside her. He leaned back, his blue eyes studying Drusilla as he tried to figure out what was going on.
"Willow is taking a shower?" Angelus said slowly, ignoring the vivid images that came to mind as he concentrated on understanding what the hell was going on, completely confused and puzzled. Nothing made sense anymore, all of his theories blown away the moment Drusilla opened the front door and invited them inside. How had she invited Spike inside if Willow was still alive, which she obviously was judging on the heartbeat he could distantly hear and the sound of the shower running upstairs. He shook his head, giving Drusilla an aggravated look as he asked for what had to be the hundredth time in the last five minutes, "Drusilla, what is going on?"
"The stars told me that you two were coming to visit," Drusilla said, ignoring Angelus' question as she continued, "and I did not think you would ever get here! Did you enjoy your visit with the angels in the city? You returned early, I felt you arrive this morning, before the sun rose. Did you not have fun playing with the angels?"
"Our trip was successful, Princess," Spike said, "but we should not have left you alone. We came home early because we missed you."
"I was not alone, pretty William," Drusilla said softly, a smile crossing her face as she thought about Willow and her new friends. "I had ever so much fun!"
"What are you doing here?" Angelus asked, impatience giving his words an edge, "How were you able to invite Spike inside?"
"So many questions," Drusilla whispered as she looked into Angelus' eyes, "bzz, bzz, bzz…questions in your mind, wanting answers. You do not understand, do not trust what you see, poor confused Daddy, you do not hear the stars, do not listen to their words." Drusilla reached out and ran her fingers over Angelus' cheek, "You shall hear the answers and pst, more questions will buzz through your head like bees…bzz….bzz. Pretty Daddy, you will enjoy solving this puzzle. Family and love and everything will be as it should."
Spike frowned as he listened to Drusilla, usually able to follow her ramblings rather well, but finding himself rather lost in this latest discussion with the stars. The only thing that really mattered to him was that she was okay, that she wasn't hurt, that they had found her. Angelus, on the other hand, couldn't allow himself to be content that they had found Drusilla unharmed. Course not, cause that would be easy. Spike wanted to understand, too, but he wasn't going to whine and demand answers when it was obvious that Dru wasn't planning on answering any questions yet. Angelus always had been a stubborn fool, and Spike decided he'd better try to get Drusilla to talk or they'd be there all night with Angelus frowning and asking questions. He asked, "Princess, baby, why don't you just give Angelus some of those answers?"
Drusilla was silent as she moved away from Angelus and resumed sitting, her eyes looking at both her sire and childe as she listened to the noises in the house. She quietly warned, "Do not scare Kitten. My pretty pet saved me, and I will not allow either of you to harm her or frighten her. Perhaps she will provide you with answers if you are polite and ask her nicely." A soft smile crossed Drusilla's face as she looked away from the two startled vampires and focused on the stairs. Willow was coming.
"Hey, Dru," Willow called out as she started down the stairs, drying her hair with a towel as she was greeted with silence, "How about we watch Rock N Roll High School? It's got great music. I just love," Willow entered the living room and looked up then, her green eyes widening in shock as she saw the two dangerous vampires sitting across from a smiling Drusilla, whispering, "Angelus and Spike."
~Part: 76~
"Willow-pet, we've got company," Drusilla smiled at her best friend, watching as the redhead froze in the doorway, her eyes large and confused.
Angelus looked away from Drusilla, his dark eyes finding Willow standing inside the doorway. The silly girl was staring at them with shock, wondering briefly if he'd look that dumbfounded when Drusilla had opened the door, deciding that maybe she'd be able to give him some answers that made sense. He thought about her words as she'd entered the room, his lips twisting into a smirk as he said, "Why, Willow. I didn't know you cared!"
Willow didn't understand what Angelus was talking about, still on the shock of finding them both sitting in her living room. She was scared, having never expected to come downstairs from her shower to find them in her house, but she was also a bit curious why they hadn't tried to kill her yet. What did Angelus mean he didn't know she cared? Her eyes grew thoughtful as she suddenly remembered what she'd been saying when she entered the room. She'd been gonna say she loved the Ramones but had been surprised at finding the two gorgeous vampires that she'd said their names instead. Her green eyes were dismayed when she realized that Angelus had made a joke. She looked at Drusilla, seeing her friend watching with an affectionate smile on her face, seeming to think there was nothing wrong with inviting two dangerous vampires into her home. She sighed, not knowing what they were doing there, finally looking at Spike as she became aware of his eyes lazily moving over her.
Spike looked at the human that had entered the room, his blue eyes sweeping over the pretty little redhead as a slow smile crossed his face. This was the witch. He could feel her power though it wasn't what he'd expected. He realized that she was probably unaware of her natural gift, just learning about her talents, had no idea she was so strong. He took in her bare feet, long legs that were displayed by the shorts that fell a few inches above her knees, past what he assumed was a flat tummy concealed by the T-shirt that had the name of the local high school, remaining on the soft swell of her perky breasts that were covered by the cotton of the shirt for a few seconds longer than proper, up the smooth column of her neck that was unmarred and made his fangs itch to taste her, past delectable lips that were still parted from her whispered words, a cute nose that appeared to have a couple of freckles, finally meeting green eyes that were staring at them with shock and just a hint of fear and curiosity.
It was the eyes that did it, he realized, running his tongue over his lips as he cursed himself for never paying attention to this girl before. She was enchanting, power and innocence, fear and strength, beautiful and sexy. Yeah, he definitely wouldn't mind playing with her. He watched her eyes as a wolfish smile crossed his face, his voice husky as he said, "I don't believe we've been properly introduced, pet. The name's Spike. And you must be Kitten."
Willow felt her heartbeat increase as Spike spoke, her knees weakening slightly when he purred the word Kitten in a way that did things to her body that were probably illegal in several states. Stop it, Willow, she scolded herself, knowing all too well that this was not the time or the place to melt into a puddle of drool and that ogling them was not something that needed to be done at the moment. She didn't understand why he was being friendly, introducing himself, giving her such a thorough and heated appraisal. The redhead now completely understood what was meant by being mentally undressed, her nipples hard and her panties growing just a little wet from his clear and blatant approval of her body and this was so not the time to be aroused and have them smell it on her and figure out what she was a horrible person for finding them, the enemy, so darn attractive. She gathered up her courage, deciding to go along with whatever game they must be playing in hopes that she'd at least escape with her life, giving him a shy smile as she said, "I'm Willow. We've met before, but I think you were preoccupied with killing me."
"Nothing personal, luv," Spike was surprised, loving that she had responded to him with no hints of fear, wondering if he was just imagining the look of lust in those gorgeous green eyes, knowing that he was probably annoying Angelus with his flirting but not caring.
"Course not, cause, hey, I tried to kill you too," Willow found herself smiling at the blond vampire as they discussed unsuccessful attempts on each other's lives. And she'd thought her first conversation with Drusilla had been weird.
"Sit down, pretty pet," Drusilla urged as she patted the sofa beside her. "I'll fetch our food. Your tummy will be all growly and empty if you do not eat, Willow-mine."
"Willow, perhaps you can answer some of my questions," Angelus said slowly, irritation in his eyes that he'd been ignored as the pretty redhead had flirted with Spike right in front of him. Trust Spike to forget about the serious things, like figuring out what the fuck was going on, to flirt with the lucious redhead.
"There shall be no questions until my pet has fed," Drusilla said, a smile on her face as her eyes narrowed in warning.
"God damn it, Drusilla!" Angelus snarled, past the level of patience that he prided himself on, "I want to know what hell is going on here! We leave for Los Angeles and come back to find you staying with the slayer's best friend. What the hell happened? And why were you able to invite Spike inside? And I don't want to hear anything else about the blasted stars! I want answers!"
"Hey, quit yelling at her! Don't get all loud and rude or I'll…I'll…kick you out!" Willow threatened, her eyes blazing with anger as she faced Angelus. She looked at Drusilla, seeing the proud smile on her friend's face and said, "Go ahead and get the food, Dru."
"Kitten's got claws," Spike remarked lazily, his blue eyes flashing with arousal as he looked at the spitfire that had challenged Angelus in order to protect his sire. She was brilliant, with her hair tousled and wet against her face, her eyes sparking with anger, her cheeks flushed from rage. Spike was definitely intrigued by this human, attracted might be another suitable word.
She'd yelled at him. Shy, sweet little Willow, slayer's best friend and shadow, had just yelled at him. In front of his childe and grandchilde, none the less. His brown eyes were smoldering with anger and, though he'd deny it, admiration as well as arousal. She was protecting his childe, something that surprised him and made even more questions come to his mind. This was not going well, he frowned, thinking how ridiculous this entire experience was. It was like some horrible comedy of errors, not at all what he'd expected when they'd left the mansion earlier. Not even what he'd expected when they'd left Willie's Tavern not even an hour ago. He wasn't exactly sure what he had expected, but this was definitely not it. He could sense her power, knew that Willie had not been exaggerating about her magical talents, also realizing that she didn't have a clue about her abilities. He wanted nothing more than to slap her for her insolence, for daring to raise her voice to the master, for threatening him, and it annoyed him even more that he couldn't. He'd promised to protect her and not to harm her, and Angelus was a man of his word. Fuck, he scowled, not wanting to look away and admit defeat.
"Daddy, sit down and stop glaring at Kitten," Drusilla said as she entered the room again, putting a tray on the table as she sat beside Willow. She smiled fondly as she handed the redhead a plate with her food and a glass that had the milk shake that she had prepared successfully the second time. She eagerly asked, "Is it good, pretty pet?"
Willow smiled at Drusilla as she took a sip of the milk shake, nodding as she said, "It's delicious, Dru. Very chocolatey."
"Daddy, here is your treat," Drusilla handed a glaring Angelus a glass with the milk shake she had made and another glass that had warmed blood. She looked at Spike and smiled, "Here, pretty pet. I made it myself! It is chocolate and ever so tasty."
"You made it?" Spike arched a brow as he looked at the glass she handed him. With a shrug, he took a deep drink, slowly smiling as he said, "Princess, this is fantastic."
"Really?" Drusilla leaned back and rested her head against Willow's shoulder as she took a sip of her own milk shake.
"So, what? We sit here while Willow eats and then I can finally get some answers?" Angelus asked, unaware that he was sulking as he glowered at them all. Spike was supposed to be on his side, damn it, yet the blond was drooling all over Willow and flirting with the redhead while undressing her with his eyes and then he was drinking the milk shake and humoring Drusilla.
"Daddy is cranky when he is confused," Drusilla confided to Willow before looking back at Angelus, "you will have answers if you are nice and ask politely. Now, be a good Daddy and hush up. Taste your treat. I made extra after the stars informed me that we were having guests. Willow, do you still call blue jeans blue jeans when they are black?"
"What?" Willow looked up and stared at Dru. She'd been eating, focused on her food, not believing she'd yelled at Angelus and was still alive, also not believing that Spike appeared to be flirting with her and that she'd kind of flirted back. She'd never anticipated sitting in her living room, drinking milk shakes, arguing with Angelus and flirting with Spike. She smiled affectionately at Drusilla as she answered, "I'm thinking that they're still called blue jeans because they're denim and just a different color, but I'm not the fashion expert."
"I shall ask the expert then," Drusilla decided before taking a bite from her sandwich and resting her head back on Willow's shoulder, hoping she would remember to ask Cordelia that question when next they spoke.
Angelus was about to sharply ask who 'the expert' was, but he kept his mouth shut, not wanting to be chastised by his own childe or the human witch again. He looked over at Spike, rolling his eyes when he saw the blond dividing his attention between ogling the unsuspecting redhead and looking at him with a mixture of amusement and attraction. He took a drink of the milk shake Drusilla had given him, human food not having much interest to him unless the human was the food, Spike being the fan of junk food and such. He took a drink, reluctant to admit that the milk shake was quite good, taking another drink as he continued to glare at the other three people in the room, deciding that he'd better get some damn answers when Willow was finished eating or he'd, well, he didn't know what he'd do but he'd think of something suitably threatening if they refused to answer his questions. He was the Master of Sunnydale, Angelus, half the Scourge of Europe, feared by many throughout the world, evil and sadistic and cunning and dangerous and powerful! Would be best that they remember just who they were dealing with, he thought with another glare at them, taking another drink of his milk shake as he waited for some answers.
~Part: 77~
Willow deliberately took three times as long to eat her food. She nibbled on her sandwiches as she thought, trying to figure out what the heck was going on as well as trying to figure out a course of action to get herself out of this mess. She'd hoped to avoid any kind of confrontation with Angelus and Spike concerning the events of the last couple of days, having some foolish idea that Drusilla could simply return home before they did and they'd never know what had happened. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She should have thought of every possible scenario and planned for it, something that she usually did when faced with unusual circumstances like helping Buffy fight some demon or another or when she had to study for a test as well as helping with research and she was sure she could think of a dozen other examples of times when she'd be able to logically think of every problem and come up with a solution. This time, though, she'd been surprised and honestly had no idea what to do.
Everything changed that night in the park. Was it really only two days ago? She found it hard to believe that, in less than forty-eight hours, her entire life was now so different. When she'd first helped Drusilla, she'd done it because she hadn't been able to just walk away and leave the woman to die. She'd not thought about the consequences, focusing on saving Drusilla. After she'd successfully saved the vampire, then she'd started thinking a little bit more about what would happen next. At that time, she'd never once imagined becoming so close to Dru in such a short time, of becoming friends and sharing her new friendship with her other friends. The idea of Buffy shopping with the daughter of the master of Sunnydale was just not something she'd have ever expected to happen. Willow had figured Dru would just go home and that Angelus would either not find out about her helping his daughter or that he'd be grateful and ignore it or, okay, so a naughty part of her mind had thought up vivid ways in which he could repay his gratitude but that hadn't been a realistic thought so it shouldn't count in her mental discussion with herself.
Once she and Drusilla had spoken, once they'd started to become friends, Willow had intentionally tried *not* to think about what would happen when her new friend left. She'd hoped that Angelus would just remain in the dark, a bit scared of his reaction that his daughter was friendly with his greatest enemies, figuring his anger at that turn of events would surely override any gratitude he might feel at realizing she'd helped save Dru. It would have been better in so many ways if Drusilla had just returned home and Angelus had never found out about the last two days. But, another part of Willow had to argue that it would have terrible to lose her friendship with Drusilla, the vampire now knowing more about her and her life than even Buffy. Not that Willow expected their friendship to be able to be continued at all, but it might be better to just get this confrontation with Angelus out of the way and at least know what his course of action was going to be.
She would either die for daring to become friendly with his daughter, not to mention yelling at him and threatening him, which she now had to admit was a pretty stupid thing to do, or he'd leave after breaking the tentative truce he'd seemed to have made with Buffy and it would again be open season on her and her friends. Drusilla had said to trust the stars, that everything would be okay, but a part of Willow was pretty bad at blindly trusting little bits of light that twinkled in the night sky, no matter how lovely their song was. If she did make it through this, what would you call it? Meeting? Whatever, if she survived this talk then she'd at least be able to warn Buffy about Angelus' plans and they wouldn't be surprised when he started playing his stupid games again.
If she didn't finish that damn food, he was going to go over and finish it for her! Angelus was seething with anger as he watched Willow take little bites of her sandwich, knowing that she was deliberately taking her time. It was more annoying than he could even put into words to be the master of Sunnydale stuck waiting patiently to get the answers that he wanted because some little teenager wanted to make him wait! No matter how beautiful she was or how much power she supposedly controlled, he was getting impatient and restless, about ready to forget his promise not to hurt her if she didn't start explaining what the hell was going on soon. He took another drink of the milk shake, letting the straw rest against his lips as he glared at the oblivious redhead.
Angelus was getting impatient, that much obvious to anyone with eyes. Spike was a bit amused by his lover's behavior, if he were honest, rarely seeing the elder vampire not in control of the situation. Angelus loved having control, in every aspect of his life. From minions to hunting to family to fucking. Angelus wanted to say what happened when, enjoyed having people jump to do whatever he told them, liked to make the plans and insure that they were carried out the way he wanted, liked the entire dominant master vampire role. Spike liked the power, too, the rush of having people obey and of being feared and respected. It was pretty damn cool, but it wasn't his entire existence. The minions, hunting, fighting, all those areas of his life, then, sure, he was in complete control and had the strength and power that caused others to obey him, like his grandsire.
He was a master, feared around the world, maybe more so than Angelus because he was known for his lack of patience and his unpredictability while the elder vampire was known as a game player, cruel and cunning but patient and observant. Angelus would go into a party and flirt and seduce and soon have his victims practically begging for him. Spike could also play that game, having learned it from the best, memories of parties with Angelus as they'd play with their victims and have such delicious fun getting them to follow them willingly, but he wasn't usually that controlled. He'd go into a party, raise some hell, listen to everyone scream and beg and then take what he wanted. Chaotic, sure, but also pretty damn fun. With Angelus, he had control, he could enjoy the thrill of the hunt and of playing with their victims. After Angelus left, well, it had never been the same. He'd never had the patience to just spend hours wooing a victim when Drusilla had been waiting for him.
Spike could clearly see that his lover's patience was being tested by this pretty redhead who nibbled on her food like a little mouse, her green eyes thoughtful and obviously trying to figure out what was going on. She could join the club. He'd been doing his own thinking in between watching Angelus and the redhead. He respected the human that had protected his sire, having an idea that she was the reason Drusilla was still with them and not dead. He'd felt the pain through the bond the other night, knew his sire had been hurt, logically deciding that this girl must be the reason Drusilla was no longer hurt. That, in itself, earned his devotion and respect. Spike wasn't used to respecting humans, having little use for them, never really knowing many that hadn't been potential and eventual victims or possible minions of the human variety, intended to help him during the daylight hours he was stuck inside. He'd definitely never sat in a rather comfy chair that was surrounded by the stench of the slayer and waited to have a conversation with one before. It was kind of interesting, he had to admit, something new, different. It didn't hurt that the human in question was gorgeous and innocent and magical and attracted him in a way that he'd not felt save for his sire and grandsire. She was a spitfire, standing up to Angelus with no fear in those pretty green eyes, okay just enough fear to prove that she *was* human but not the waves of cringing fear that usually surrounded humans that were caught face to face with an angry Angelus. Spike had to hope she finished her meditation period soon, though, before Angelus did something rash. Spike wasn't used to Angelus acting rashly so he had no idea what his lover might do if his patience finally dissolved, a bit curious in a way but not wanting to see it if it involved the cute little redhead with whom his sire was so fond. She'd better finish that food soon, he decided as he leaned forward and put his empty glass on the table.
Willow came out of her thoughts when she heard Spike move, looking up as she realized that a lot of time had passed. She drew her bottom lip into her mouth as she knew it was time to quit procrastinating. Angelus was glaring at her, even more angry than he had been before, which was kind of scary at the same time it was sort of turning her on though she did her best to ignore those thoughts. Spike was definitely not used to sitting still for so long, his foot tapping the floor as he kept moving and adjusting his position, his blue eyes looking from her to Angelus. She felt Drusilla beside her, the vampire's hand taking hers and squeezing, giving her a beautiful smile as she took her plate and set it on the table before settling back beside her and putting her head on Willow's shoulder. Willow sighed softly, knowing that she couldn't put it off any longer. It was time.
~Part: 78~
Willow sat back and looked at Angelus, meeting his dark eyes without flinching, softly saying, "What do you want to know, Angelus?"
"All of it," Angelus simply said. He saw the surprise in her eyes and had to wonder if she honestly expected him to ask her specific questions. He'd learn far more listening to her rambling explanation, knowing Willow well enough to know that she said far more when she was babbling than she did when she was answering something specific.
"Tell him how we met, Kitten," Drusilla urged, having remained silent while Willow ate, spending her time watching her Daddy and William. Daddy was angry with her new friend, but not because they were friends, because he did not understand. Daddy hated not understanding, not having the answers, not being the master of every situation. William was intrigued by her Kitten, his blue eyes curious and lusty when they looked at her pretty friend. Drusilla knew that he did not mind not understanding, satisfied that she was safe and concentrating instead on Willow. Poor Kitten had no idea what to do, not completely trusting the stars, her lovely green eyes worried and uncertain. Drusilla knew that Willow trusted her, though, and that gave the redhead more confidence in the situation.
"Yeah, how'd you two hook up?" Spike asked as he leaned back in his chair, settling in for the story.
"Well, it was Thursday night," Willow recalled, not sure who she was supposed to be looking at so she divided her time in between trying not to cringe at the anger and annoyance in Angelus' dark eyes and trying not to ogle the beautiful blue depths of Spike's eyes that were looking at her with curiosity and interest. She thought back, "I was going home from school and decided to take this dirt path because it was a bit more scenic and not quite as dangerous. As I was walking, I heard singing and followed it to the lake. That's when I saw the woman, and she appeared to be hurt. I went forward to help her, to see if she was okay."
"Ye didn't know her, you were in a dark area off the beaten path, and you still went to her?" Spike asked, not sure if he should admire her or if she was just bloody stupid.
"It might not have been the smartest thing, but I couldn't just walk away and leave her there like I didn't see her," Willow defended, knowing that it did sound kind of stupid, especially for the best of the slayer, when it was spoken out loud.
"Greg took me hunting," Drusilla spoke up, "he was mean, wouldn't let Princess dance for the stars. They were all mean to me, saying nasty things, whispering about me in the dark, the stars told me to go hunting. They said that I would be ever so happy if I listened to them, if I went to the lake and danced for them. This nasty smelling demon attacked us. He killed Greg and scratched me, but I killed him. The stars told me to sit down and wait, said that a precious angel would save me and that everything would be as it should. I sat down and sang with the stars, and then Willow found me."
"I didn't realize it was Dru until I checked the wound and looked up. By that time, I knew she was hurt kind of bad, losing a lot of blood. She asked me to help her and I couldn't say now," Willow explained, giving her friend a soft smile, "she fainted and I had to carry her back here. Dru, honey, that reminds me, maybe we should cut down on all the chocolate. You're pretty darn heavy!"
"Silly kitten," Drusilla giggled, her blue eyes shining with amusement.
"What happened next?" Spike asked, not believing that this little slip of a human had carried his sire all the way to her house from the lake.
"Why did you help her once you realized who she was?" Angelus asked quietly, having remained silent during the explanation, curious despite himself why Willow, best friend of the slayer and someone whom he'd tormented for months, would help Drusilla.
"She was alone and needed me," Willow said simply, continuing her story, "anyway, I got her here and realized that she'd lost even more blood than I thought. I noticed some similarities between her wound and one Buffy had a few weeks ago, it was poison and I realized that she might have been poisoned, too. So, I went to Willie's and got some blood for her. Came back here and fed her. She came to and acknowledged the poison, said she was feeling better. Um, I think after that I was pretty exhausted and we just went to sleep, didn't we?"
"Yes, Kitten. And the next day, I woke up and felt ever so peaceful. Willow pet woke up and decided to stay home from school to spend the day with me," Drusilla beamed, "I had Cocoa Puffs and then Buffy pet came over and let me have chocolate doughnuts that were ever so delicious and then Cordelia sweets came over and we went shopping! I went to a mall and there were so many shops and I bought these blue jeans and ever so many other things with Kitten's plastic card that her parents give her so they do not feel guilty for deserting her and I bought you both prezzies! And then we came here and had a slumber party, I think is the term they used. We watched movies and danced for the stars and it was so much fun!" Drusilla said excitedly, missing the stunned expressions on Spike and Angelus' faces.
"Wait a minute!" Angelus said sharply, "You went to a mall? With the slayer and the cheerleader? What were you doing with the slayer?!"
"Her name is Buffy," Drusilla corrected softly, "and she is my friend. She shared her chocolate with me and gave me a nightgown and is ever so sweet. And Cordelia helped buy clothes and taught me how to make milk shakes. They are my friends, Daddy."
~Part: 79~
"Friends?" Spike repeated slowly, seeing the hurt look in Dru's eyes and wishing he could say something to make it go away, but, friends? With the slayer and whomever this Cordelia chit was? He had no problems accepting the redhead, she'd saved Dru after all. Didn't hurt that she was a gorgeous witch with whom he was attracted and intrigued. The slayer, though, was, well, she was the slayer! How could his sire sit there and call that bottled blonde bitch a friend?
"Yes, friends," Drusilla whispered, her eyes troubled as she wondered if the stars might have been wrong. Daddy was angry again and William was annoyed. What had she done to upset them? She had thought they would be happy that she had friends, having expected some problems because Buffy was a slayer but trusting the stars when they said it was going to be okay.
"We should go," Angelus said abruptly, wanting some time to think about this and clear his head, knowing he was close to exploding over the knowledge that his daughter had been 'hanging out' with Willow and Buffy and Cordelia. Did she not understand the term enemy? Slayers were enemies, this one even more so because of the past he shared with her and her little friends. While he was grateful to Willow for finding Drusilla and saving her, he could not accept his daughter referring to the slayer as a friend.
It was just…….ridiculous! He would take her home and let her have some time to think about it, give himself some time to calm down so he wouldn't yell or be mean, then he'd talk to her and explain how vampires could not be friends with humans, especially not slayers and their friends who spent their time fighting vampires. He thought it was pretty easy to understand the logic of why they'd be on opposite sides, vampires versus vampire slayers, but trust Drusilla to miss the point and not see how illogical any kind of relationship between the two groups would be.
"I'll help you get your stuff, Princess," Spike volunteered, not protesting his lover's decision to leave. He wouldn't have minded a little more time with the pretty redhead, but that was before Drusilla's bombshell concerning her friendship, a scowl crossing his handsome face as he even thought of that word in connection with the slayer.
"No," Drusilla said quietly, her eyes resolved as she waited for her Daddy to yell. It wasn't long.
"What do you mean no?" Angelus asked, his voice raised as he tried his best to keep control of his temper.
"I shall not leave without Willow," Drusilla said simply, squeezing her best friend's hand tightly.
"Drusilla, sweetie, maybe you should just go," Willow said softly, able to see how close Angelus was to losing it, not wanting to witness or be the object of his anger should he finally give in to his demon.
"Not without you," Drusilla shook her head, "the stars said I should stay with you. I can not lose you, Kitten. I will stay with you."
"Drusilla, I'm going to count to ten," Angelus said sharply, running a hand over his face as he saw the stubborn look in her pretty blue eyes. Fuck, why did she have to do this right now? He was tired and confused and just wanted to go home and fuck Spike and then get some sleep, hoping that everything would be back to normal tomorrow.
"Is her stuff upstairs?" Spike asked Willow when he heard Angelus saying he was going to count to ten, figuring it would be better to already have Dru's stuff together so they could leave. He received a nod from the redhead, moving from the group towards the stairs, listening as the human told him where it was.
"Several bags on the floor by my bed. First door on the right from the stairs," Willow said, feeling Drusilla's nails digging into the palm of her hand.
"I am not leaving Willow, Angelus," Drusilla told her sire, ready to receive the brunt of his anger should he strike, knowing she could protect Willow if need be.
~Part: 80~
"Ten, nine, eight," Angelus began to count, his dark eyes not leaving Drusilla's blue eyes as they faced each other.
"Damn, Princess, did you buy everything at the bloody mall?" Spike asked as he came downstairs with so many bags he was barely able to carry them all. He stopped speaking when he saw that Drusilla had stood up, still holding tightly to Willow's hand, facing Angelus as his lover was nearly seething with rage.
"Seven, six, five," Angelus continued to count, admiration in his eyes as Drusilla faced him. His lovely daughter usually avoided confrontation except when she was defending those she loved. She was protective of those she cared about, her facing him confirming that her feelings of affection for Willow were true. She would never have dared confront him if she did not truly care about the redhead that had saved her. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Why couldn't things work out the way he had planned? He'd figured he'd get Drusilla home, pretend that the last two days never happened, and that everything could just sort of go back to normal.
"I'm not leaving her," Drusilla said softly, seeing the change in her Daddy's eyes as he counted. He was still angry, but he was no longer a danger. She did not understand, but she knew that she should confess the truth to him in case he had decided to simply kill Willow to get her to leave, knowing that he had not bothered to concentrate or he'd have smelled her bond with the redhead. She had claimed all of her friends the previous evening, knowing that even a basic claim from one of her lineage was enough to insure their safety from a majority of threats. She had shared her blood with them as she had tasted theirs, allowing them to hear the stars but also being rather sneaky by muttering the words needed to perform the simple ritual that extended her protection over them. She knew that they would not mind her protection, loving her as she loved them. It was all she could give them, to show them how much they meant to her. Sharing her stars and her blood, letting them listen to the lovely song and keeping them safe. Daddy would be ever so angry when he found out the truth so she decided not to say a word yet, hoping that he would not find out until he was in a better mood.
"Four, three, two," Angelus counted down, arching a brow as she simply stood her ground. He frowned, muttering curses under his breath as he swung his eyes to look at Willow. She was obviously confused and a bit scared, holding on to Drusilla's hand and looking worried for her friend. Friend. Damn it, why hadn't they just taken Dru to LA? It would have prevented all this and he'd have at least not had to try to figure out some way to solve this current problem, much less the other problems stemming from Drusilla's journey to the lake. He told Willow, "Fine, she won't leave you, so I guess that means you're coming with us until we can fix this mess!"
"What?" Willow squeaked, shaking her head suddenly, "No way! I mean, there is no way I'm going with you! If you're gonna kill me, just do it here. I'm not going to wherever it is you live so you can, what? Torture me and then kill me?"
"I'm not going to kill you," Angelus said, rolling his eyes at her decision to finally get hysterical after he figures out a good enough solution for the time being. "She won't go without you and I'm not going without her, so, that means, you're going with us. If I wanted you dead or tortured, I'd have done it months ago. Really, Willow, I thought you were the smart one. This is the only solution to this current dilemma. Now, quit your hysterics and come along like a good girl."
"Oh, you can meet my dollies," Drusilla smiled at Willow, surprised that her sire had decided to invite Willow to stay with them but loving the idea. "Daddy was ever so smart thinking of having you come stay with us! We'll have such fun! You can stay in my room and we can plan my party for the dollies and you can help me prepare the boxes for when I put them away and we can."
"Princess, honey, maybe you should keep some of those ideas a secret and surprise her," Spike suggested with a soft smile at his sire as he saw the completely dumbfounded expression on Willow's face. He had to admit that Drusilla was right. Angelus had had the best idea, the blond smiling at the idea of having the cute little witch staying at their house. He wouldn't mind learning more, everything, about her plus he'd wanted to watch her cast some spells and he wouldn't mind attempting a bit of a seduction when the time was right. Hell, she was protected as the master's personal witch, so what better than to have her staying with the master? It made perfect sense. Plus, it meant his beautiful sire was not going to be on the receiving end of Angelus' anger, though he had a feeling that tonight's shagging was going to be wickedly rough.
"I can't go with you," Willow said again, hating to upset Drusilla but knowing that there were limits that any normal person had, and the idea of blindly going off to stay who knew where with two dangerous and sexy master vampires, well, that was past her limit.
"Really?" Angelus smirked, arching a brow as he finally felt back in control. He moved forward swiftly, tossing her easily over his shoulder, his hand resting on her cute little ass to keep her in place, "Guess we'll have to take you, then."
"Put me down!" Willow squealed as he tossed her over his shoulder like she didn't weigh anything.
Drusilla clapped, "Silly Daddy! Kitten, I'll get some of your stuff and we shall collect the rest later, once you're settled in!"
"Drusilla! Help me!" Willow said, squirming on Angelus' shoulder as he held her in place, trying to ignore the fact that his hand was on her butt.
"You're coming home with us, Willow-pet," Drusilla said as she moved behind Angelus' back and smiled at her best friend. She leaned forward and kissed the redhead's cheek before laughing, "I shall run upstairs and gather your things. I'll be back ever so quickly then we can take you home!"
"If you don't stop squirming, I'll be forced to knock you unconscious," Angelus said conversationally, smirking as the redhead became still at his words. He leaned his shoulder against the doorway as he waited for Drusilla, hoping she wasn't too long. He wanted to get home and try to figure out what the hell was going on and how he was going to fix it.
Drusilla ran back downstairs, a wide smile on her face as she handed William the bag that she had packed for Willow, kissing him briefly as he grumbled about all of her packages and now having another bag to carry. She moved to open the door, allowing Angelus and William to pass her by, shutting it behind her before she moved to Angelus' side, taking Willow's hand. She saw the redhead glaring at her, smiling as she said, "Trust the stars, pretty kitty. You are safe. It will be ever so much fun! Do not be angry with me, please?"
"I'm not angry at *you*," Willow said, turning her glare to Angelus' back, noticing that she had a rather great view of his butt from her position. Shaking her head slightly, she continued, "You're not the one that is carrying me around like a sack of potatoes and threatening to knock me unconscious."
"A sack of potatoes wouldn't be nearly as annoying," Angelus remarked, "that unconscious option is sounding better."
Willow stuck her tongue out at the vampire's back, sighing as she realized that she was stuck. Drusilla wasn't any help, seeming to think that it was great that she was being forced to go home with them, not at all scared that Angelus was luring her there so he could kill her, which was one of the foremost thoughts in Willow's head. Spike seemed amused by the whole thing and would definitely be on Angelus' side if she suddenly started screaming for help as they walked. She'd have her neck broke before she could finish the first scream, most likely. She felt Drusilla's fingers on her cheek, looking at her friend and sighing again, giving her a small smile that was the best she could manage under the circumstances.
"Do not worry, Willow," Drusilla whispered, smiling as she said, "We will be home soon!"