Parts: 11 - 19
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Part: 11~
Spike was feeling uneasy. There was something nagging at him, and he couldn’t quite place what it was. He had tried ignoring in favor of Willow-watching, but it kept pulling his attention away from the lovely redhead.
Willow was working out. She had been running through her exercises, only stopping to meditate, and then exercise some more. Right now it looked more like she was dancing than going through katas. She had some song called Transylvanian Concubine playing at the moment and was moving in perfect time to the beat.
Spike would have chuckled at the lyrics to the song, had that feeling been demanding his full attention. No, instead he had stood and began to pace back and forth restlessly. This feeling was very familiar. He had felt this before but for the death of him he couldn’t place it! What was wrong with him!?
A warm hand on his shoulder startled the vampire so much that he jumped and spun, his game face coming forward and his body falling into a defensive stance. The owner of said hand jumped back as well, startled by Spike’s move. It was Willow.
“What’s wrong Spike?” she asked puzzled. She had never seen him so uptight before. She moved forward and wrapped her arms around him, not caring that he was still all grr.
Spike relaxed into the embrace and slowly calmed down. She was so soft and warm that he couldn’t help but melt into her. “Nothing’s wrong, luv. Just a little edgy.”
Without releasing each other they settled onto the couch that was in the far corner of the room. He didn’t know why, but just being held by Willow helped easy up the nagging a bit. It was still there, but didn’t demand his completely attention.
He maneuvered Willow so that she was sitting on his lap, nestled up against him, with his arms wrapped around her waist, and her head resting on his shoulder. It was an unspoken thing between them, that they both needed this moment of comfort. And the moment stretched on, until the both of them fell asleep.
~x~
Angel was feeling the same unease that Spike had been, but he had been able to place it the moment he felt it. Drusilla was slowly moving closer. And if she were heading to them (which he was almost completely sure she was) she would be there by dawn. Was it too much to ask for a peaceful evening around here?
Speaking of peaceful, he hadn’t heard a peep from Spike or Willow since they had both disappeared into the training room well over an hour ago.
He silently padded out of his office and into the training room. The scene that greeted him was somewhat disturbing. Willow and Spike were curled up fast asleep on the couch. Angel had no idea how they had gotten as tangled up with each other as they were and still managed to not have fallen off of the couch, but however they did it made for an incredibly cute image. Yes, the thought of Spike being cute was incredibly disturbing.
However disturbing it was, he couldn’t find it in his heart to wake them. In fact….
He quickly returned to his office, grabbed his art supplies and returned. This would make great blackmail material later, he thought with a slightly evil smirk. Not that the soul would let him do that to Willow (Spike he had no problems with). But on second thought maybe it would. He would just have to feel really bad about it afterwards.
He drew each line with perfect detail. Catching the only time he had known Spike to look even remotely innocent, and Willow’s pure beauty perfectly. Each line and curve had a certain precision. If pictures could say words, this one would have an entire story to tell.
He worked for about an hour before Wesley came in. “I have news, should we wake them?”
Angel put the notebook aside and stood. “No. Let them sleep. Willow hasn’t been sleeping well, and I have a feeling Spike is going to need the extra energy.” They both stopped for a second and wondered if Angel really said that before stepping outside of the room to continue their conversation.
Wesley didn’t miss the look of love and longing the dark vampire sent the couple before exiting. The watcher cleared his throat before speaking again, “I still can’t seem to find Ms. Rosenburg a teacher. I’ve tried all of my contacts but no one seems to wish to take her on. I am hopeful that one of Mr. Giles’ contacts will be helpful.”
Angel nodded. “Is that all?”
“Well no. I’ve found a prophecy that I fear may be linked to some current events. I have Cordellia and Gunn looking into it as we speak.”
“Great. Just what we need to complicate things more. Any ideas on what it’s about?”
“Not at the moment no, but I believe things may go faster if I return to help with the research.”
Angel ran a hand through his hair and nodded in assent to Wesley’s roundabout
request to leave. The powers were really screwing with them this
time. And he didn’t like it one bit.
~Part: 12~
Spike awoke when a low moan broke through his sleep clouded senses. For a moment he couldn’t remember where he was, or exactly what the warmth against his side was, but the knowledge came quickly as the scent of Willow assaulted him. His first move was to thank whatever gods had caused this, but the idea was quickly abandoned when he realized it was Willow who was moaning. And not in the good way either.
“Red,” he said poking her. “Wake up.” All she did was moan again. He was getting a strange sense of déjà vu here. But hadn’t they already fixed the magic problem? She hadn’t had an attack like this since the night she cast the tongues spell. “Come on now Red, let’s not start this again. Wake up for Spikey.”
“Nnngghh… scared,” was Willow’s muttered reply as she tried to bury herself into Spike’s chest.
Spike blinked, surprised. So it was a nightmare then. “What’s scarin’ you luv?”
“Dunno…”
The small redhead had broken out in a sweat by this point, and her voice sounded kind of distant and strained, almost like she had been running for a while.
“Well how do you know if it is scary if you don’t know what it is.” Any other time Spike would be amused that he was having a conversation with someone that was asleep.
“Just know..”
“Well if you wake up, maybe it’ll go away.”
“Can’t….”
“Sure you can luv,” Spike soothed running his hand through her hair. “Just open those pretty little eyes.”
“Trapped.”
With that Willow seemed to sink back into a deep sleep, her breathing evening out and all over her movements coming to a stop. Spike shook her a little to try and wake her. Then he shook a little harder. After that he did the only other thing he could think to do in a situation like this.
“PEACHES!!”
~x~
Angel had headed back into his office to review some cases, then joined the rest of the group in researching. All they had gathered on this prophecy so far was a redheaded witch would join with the dark and the light to save the shadow from hell unmentionable. Great load of crock if you asked the vampire.
They were all so engrossed in their research that the door slamming open made them all jump. All bodies were tense and eyes were turned to the door as a figure stepped through.
“Hello Daddy. Where is my precious?” Drusilla asked a very innocent look on her face as she clutched Miss Edith to her side and stared about inquisitively.
Everyone shook their heads to clear them of the though of how much the insane vampiress had just sounded like Golem. Angel, of course, recovered first. “Why are you here Dru?”
“Where is my precious? She needs me. All torn up inside she is. The scary man wants to chop my pretty tree down and bring back the one that was all so naughty and shall not receive any tea tonight.”
“That didn’t answer my question Dru, why are you here?” Angel tried again.
“Daddy is not happy to see his Princess,” she stated unhappily.
“Dru, I’ll ask you one more time. Why are you—“
“PEACHES!”
Spike’s call sent the entire group running. Angel and Dru reached the training room first. Dru made a yelp at seeing Willow and quickly extracted her from Spike’s arms and sat on the floor with the girl in her own. Spike could do nothing but sit and stare, the shock at seeing his beloved sire again temporarily overloading his mind. Angel made a move to remove the unconscious witch from his childe’s grasp, but was met with an angry hiss.
“My poor little one,” Drusilla moaned. “All trapped by the scary man. He haunts her dreams and burns her. Takes her power he does. Precious needs a guard she does. Make her as safe as houses.”
Angel blinked. Well she didn’t seem to be hurting the redhead. “A guard?”
“Yes. Every good knight must have one. And my precious is a knight just like my Spikey.”
“A shield,” Spike commented, speaking for the first time since he had called for Angel. “She means a shield. Something to keep whatever’s hurting her out of her head.”
All eyes turned to Wesley for confirmation. “W-well yes. I believe I may have come across a spell or two that would work in my research but—“
“Find them,” Angel ordered, “the sooner, the better.”
~Part: 13~
The spells had been performed, and Willow was up and awake again, much to everyone’s delight. Needless to say she was highly confused about how she ended up being in Drusillia’s arms, but had handled the situation quite nicely. She hadn’t even panicked.
“Wesley, you said there was a prophecy?” Willow asked after regaining her equalibrium. She really didn’t want to talk about what had been in her dream, so she had changed the subject hoping to get Wesley on a rant.
“Well yes. I’m afraid we don’t have much of it translated as of yet considering it’s in a very rare dialect. And some of the lines we’re not exactly sure of but I am hopeful that it shall be translated in full within the—“
Willow’s plan had worked like a charm.
As the watcher continued to drivel on, Willow let her mind wander back to the dream she had been so desperate to keep to herself. It had started well enough. She was standing on a bridge. On one side of the bridge was pure light, and on the other dark. Everything was fine. She was happy there. It was just her and her shadow.
But then things had changed. The bridge had begun to rock, and then planks had begun to fall out. She tried to run in one direction, but everytime she did, the shadow would begin to disappear. It would howl in pain until she returned to the middle.
Slowly the falling planks grew closer to the center and the bridge began to rock harder. Willow hung to the ropes for dear life, but it was all in vain. In one huge bang, the ropes holding up the bridge snapped, and she and the shadow plummeted down the endless chasm.
When dream Willow opened her eyes again she was alone, sitting in a room with one overhead light. No matter where she moved, the light remained directly over her, never illuminating anything but her own body.
“Tree…” something would hiss from the darkness. “Come to meeee…”
She’d leap back from the last place she heard the voice, only to have it come from right over her shoulder again. “Come to me…you belong to mee…”
That caused her to leap again, and this time she broke out into a run. No matter how hard she ran the voice would always be right there hissing into her ear, “You can’t lose me. You belong to me.”
Where was the shadow that she had felt so safe with? Finally she found a corner in the room. The overhead light seemed to draw nearer and wrap her in its warmth. The darkness closed in, shielding her from whatever was chasing her. And she could see the shadow, and she felt safe.
Until…”Ah, there you are my precious one. I told you that you couldn’t lose me.”
She curled back in the corner trying to hide. She no longer felt safe. No, now she only felt a sinking feeling. The feeling that for some reason she was growing weaker.
“That’s it my dearest one. You and now your power belongs to me!”
The light went out.
And Willow woke up in Drusilla’s arms.
“I say Ms. Rosenburg are you listening?”
“Oh! Sorry Wes, I guess I must have zoned out for a moment there! So what do you have translated of the prophecy?”
“As I said, I’m not to sure this is entirely correct but…
And on the 12th day The darkness comes To join with the warrior of light And the fiery witch Whose roots run deep To save the one Bathed in shadows From the hell that awaits And the evil that shall follow. The banana eats with the dictionary.”
“The banana eats with the dictionary?”
“Yes, that’s the line I’m not sure about.”
“Ah.”
~Part: 14~
Willow sat in Angel's overstuffed armchair reading over the prophecy again. She just couldn't figure it out. And it didn't help that the room was glowing. She absent-mindedly cast a levitation spell to bring another book to where she sat, and the glow disappeared. It seemed she had to keep doing these small spells every five minutes to keep her magic under control.
That last line just didn't make any sense! There was no other possible translation for the sentence "The banana eats with the dictionary." So if that's what the translation was, what the heck did it mean? Was a banana really going to eat with a dictionary, and if so what would they eat? Or was it some type of special code? Maybe it was meant to just throw people off. Well if that was the case, it had certainly done its job.
Just as she as about to throw the book across the room in frustration, Spike walked in the room and grinned at her. "I just heard this hilarious bloke sing this song on the telly. It goes, `I'm an asshole—e-ole-e-oleoleoleoleooooo. I'm an asshole, a real fucking assholeeee.'"
Willow couldn't help but giggle at that. Spike had discovered Dennis Leary it seemed. After that moment of mirth she sobered and looked Spike in the eyes. The vampire noticed the abrupt change of mood and plopped down to perch on the arm of the chair Willow was sitting in. "What's wrong luv?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to thank you for everything."
"What? But pet, I haven't done a thing `cept tease the poof a bit. And I know you're not thankin me for that."
"No you've done much more than that, and I do wish you would ease up on Angel a bit he's been very understanding about all of this."
"Course he has, Peaches has a thing for ya."
Willow blinked up at the blonde in surprise, "Angel? Have a thing for me? Are you sick Spike? Did you have some bad blood or something? Get hit in the head a little too hard lately? Feel dizzy? How many fingers am I holding up?"
"I'm not bleedin' ill, luv. I can see it in the way the poof looks at you."
"But he doesn't look at me any differently than you do…" Willow reasoned.
Spike answered he with a pointed look.
Willow blushed when the realization hit her. She suddenly found she couldn't look Spike in the eyes. "Oh."
Spike grinned at the blush and gently turned her head to look at him as he kneeled before her. "I've got a bit of a thing for you myself, Red. You opened my eyes, you did. Cleared the tunnel vision I had developed right away. Made me look past the slayer, made me look past Dru. And when I looked past them I saw you. They may have been my obsessions, but you love, you're my addiction. I never knew what love truly was until I loved you."
Willow felt herself tear up at the words. That was the sweetest thing she had ever heard in her life. And for them to be directed at her was just too much.
Spike took advantage at her momentary distraction at his words to close the space between them and press his lips against hers. He immediately became lost in the sensation of the soft warmth that was Willow. He nipped lightly at her lips, seeking entrance, and when her mouth opened his tongue quickly began to explore.
Willow was surprised at first. There she had been pondering the meaning of his beautifully spoken words, and then she was in liplock. If she learned anything from all of this, it was that Spike was very talented with his mouth. In more ways then one. Of course that thought made her blush, thinking of the other possible ways that his mouth could be talented.
It was at that point she just told her brain to shut up, and it did. She pressed herself against Spike the best she could in their current position. It quickly became easier when he pulled her down to straddle his lap on the floor.
They kissed with every ounce of passion they had stored, until they finally had to break away so that Willow could breathe.
"So much for being gay," the redhead whispered breathlessly.
Spike snorted before pulling her in for another kiss that was just as passionate as the first. He just couldn't seem to get enough of her. He pulled her body tight against him, as she had tried to do before. They ground against each other, both wanting more contact.
Spike's had found its way up Willows shirt, gently caressing her cloth covered breasts. Her hands drifted to rest right at the waistline of his pants, her fingers twining in his belt loops. Never once did they break the kiss.
And that was how Angel found them.
~Part: 15~
One would think that Angel would have flown into the room and pried the two apart. But he didn’t. The dark vampire found himself rooted to the spot, unable to take his eyes away from the kiss. It was so intense, so perfect that even he knew that Willow and Spike were made for each other. They just fit.
And that hurt. He knew it shouldn’t, but it did. It hurt quite a bit and he didn’t really know why. It almost felt like his heart was breaking. Feelings aside, he wouldn’t try to break them apart. In fact, he was planning on doing everything he could to keep them together. They deserved this, and they deserved each other.
With that thought in mind Angel left the two to their business, hoping that they would at least move it out of his study and into a bedroom. If they didn’t, they got to sanitize the room later.
~x~
Spike did notice that Angel had walked in, and was surprised at his grand-sire’s lack of action. He was sure that he would be dust by now. Of course he didn’t spend too much thought on the matter. Who could with Willow lips on their skin?
As the redhead’s hand caressed his member through his pants, Spike looked around for a suitable place to take his mate. While the poof’s desk had its merits, he didn’t want his first time with Willow to be there. They needed a bed and fast.
Spike moaned as Willow’s hand brushed against him again. “Luv. You need to stop.”
Willow immediately froze. Had she done something wrong? “Spike?”
He scooped her up in his arms, maintaining as much contact as possible. When she began to protest, he hushed her with another searing kiss. “I want to do this properly. So bed.”
Willow’s face lit up in understanding. As he began to quickly carry her up to his room, took her position to her advantage, and nipped at his collarbone. She enjoyed the little moans he would make when she bit or licked the right spot. His neck was especially sensitive. Must be a great zone for vampires.
Spike was about to give up and just take her against the wall by the time he made it to the hallway that contained his room. Stupid hotel. Willow seemed to be drawn like a magnet to all his sensitive bits, and her gentle teasing was slowly driving him mad. He swore he had never been so hard in his life. The only thoughts he could keep running through his head were, “Room. Gotta get to a room. Gotta take Red. Room Room!”
Ah! There it was! They went from hallway to bed in 2.85 second flat. Spike pinned the object of his affections to the bed and once again began devouring her with his lips. He started with her mouth kissing his way down her body. When he hit cloth he cursed himself for forgetting they were still dressed.
Willow moan when Spike’s hands touched the skin under her shirt. Suddenly, the shirt and her bra were just gone! He had ripped them off! She was about to make a disgruntled sound, but could only moan as his mouth latched on to her right breast. She had never reacted so passionately to this kind of stimulation before. She didn’t know what Spike was doing to her, but whatever it was, he didn’t want him to stop.
~x~
“Now Dru,” Angel growled, walking in a circle around his insane childe, “Why did you come here?”
She giggled and spun around in a little circle, before looking him right in the eyes. “I told you Daddy, I’m here to guide the little tree and teach her all I know about the Sparkly Powers or she may not be ready when the oh so naughty man comes.”
“You’re supposed to teach her magic?”
“Oh yes! Daddy does understand his Princess. He always has it is just right. But shhh Daddy we must be careful or the big bad wolf will hear and jump from his cage. We mustn’t allow that to happen. He’s rattling at the bars he is. I can tell. And if he gets out he’d ruin our oh so lovely party!”
Angel was ready to give up at that and just lock Dru in a room until Spike was around to decipher what she was saying, but she continued, “Poor Daddy is cross because of Spikey and the Little tree all splayed out in their love. It’s true that they are meant for each other, but don’t be sad Daddy. You are meant for them as well. The stars tell me so. We will all be ever so happy.”
And with that she flounced off, supposedly to the room he had given her earlier. Angel would have to be sure to check that she was in fact there. But now he had more important things on his mind. Could he possibly fit in the relationship with Willow and Spike? By the powers he hoped so.
~x~
Spike was in heaven, or as close to it as he could ever get. Feeling Willow’s warm body beneath him, around him, was unlike anything else he had ever felt. He was currently thrusting slowly into her, try to savor every moment.
Willow was quickly getting frustrated with that. “Please Spike,” she moaned. “Harder.”
Spike could never turn down Willow anything so he quickly complied. He of course found that he liked this faster pace better as well. Unfortunately he wouldn’t last as long with the added friction.
He reached down between them and began to gently rub her clit. He wanted her to come with him. “Come on baby. For me. Just let it go.”
Willow moaned louder and pulled Spike down for a kiss. As they drew closer to their completions, Spike’s lips moved down to her neck. Chip be damned he was going to claim her. She was his mate, and there would be no questions about it.
Their coupling escalated until both bodies were taunt with pleasure. And then it snapped. Spike felt like he was on fire as he spilt his seed into his lover. He quickly bit deeply on Willow’s neck and let her blood flow into his mouth.
Willow came the moment his teeth broke her skin. The sudden pain mixed in with the intense pleasure had proven to be too much for the young witch. After the stars cleared she found she couldn’t think, couldn’t move. It took all of her remaining energy to mutter a week, “Love you,” before drifting off to sleep.
Spike continued to lick at her neck until the blood flow stopped. At her muttered confession of love, he was sure his heart had started beating again he was so happy. Though, no matter how happy he was, he had just had what was possibly the best sex in his life, and a warm redhead next to him whose body heat was making him drowsy. He pulled the blankets over them, then curled around HIS Willow and drifted to sleep.
~Part: 16~
Wesley was tired. And confused. And that didn't make for a very happy Wesley. He hated being confused, and the tiredness added just put him in a right bad mood. Everytime he looked at the prophecy he got something different from it. Like who the darkness, shadow and light were. The only stable things about it were "the banana eats with the dictionary," and Willow. And lord if he knew how the dictionary statement fit in.
At first he thought the light was Spike and the dark was Angel because of their physical appearances. The reference to Willow had been a physical one, so it made sense that the others would be physical descriptions as well. But then who did that leave to be the shadow? How does shadow describe someone physically?
So then he switched it so that Angel was the light and Spike was the dark, Angel having a soul that aligned him on the lighter side of things and Spike being, well Spike being evil. But Spike hadn't been acting very evil so maybe he was the shadow. Or was Angel the shadow because of the fact the demon still existed within the vampire?
He still needed to figure out who the last person involved was. Was it possibly Drusilla? If Spike was the Light, and she was the dark, then Angel was the shadow and Willow would have to bond to Spike and Drusilla to save Angel. That was a good theory. Wesley didn't think it was the right one, because why would bonding with Spike and Drusilla save Angel and the world from evil?
Speaking of evil, what was the evil that follows? And what was the hell that awaits? Well there was another vote for Angel being the shadowed one. Most things that had to do with hell around here tended to do with the dark vampire as well.
Maybe pondering something easier would help clear his mind a little. How about the time frame. "And on the 12th day." The 12th day of what? Why was the 12th so bloody important? Great. Why in all of the hell did they make these things so bloody vague!? This was impossible.
Wesley sat back and began to clean his glasses. If he got all worked up over this, he'd never figure it out. Maybe he needed a nap. Clear his head a little. Maybe the answer would even come to him in a dream. He could only hope.
~x~
Willow was dreaming. She had to be. But her dream had never been this messed up before. Did she take some drugs before going to bed or something?
The sky was purple.
Enough said to the wackness of her dream right there. The world she was in looked like something right out of a Dr. Seuss book. One fish two fish red fish blue fish. And no I would not eat it in a house and no I would not eat it with a mouse.
To top it off there was a little red-headed girl that so looked like Willow when she was five sitting in the middle of a dandelion singing the 12 Days of Christmas.
"On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a heart that was still beating.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two bloody fingers and a heart that was still beating.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me Three rotting eyeballs, two bloody fingers, and a heart that was still beating.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me Four vials of poison, three rotting eyeballs, two bloody fingers, and a heart that was still beating.
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me Five dead bodies. Four vials of poison, three rotting eyeballs, two bloody fingers, and a heart that was still beating."
Willow really wanted to stop listening and walk away by this point, but for some reason she couldn't move and couldn't help but hear as the little girl continued on with her morbid song.
"On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me six shredded puppies. Five dead bodies! Four vials of poison, three rotting eyeballs, two bloody fingers, and a heart that was still beating.
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me Seven vampire bites, six shredded puppies. Five dead bodies! Four vials of poison, three rotting eyeballs, two bloody fingers and a heart that was still beating.
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me Eight modes of torture, seven vampire bites, six shredded puppies. Five dead bodies! Four vials of poison, three rotting eyeballs, two bloody fingers and a heart that was still beating.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me Nine whip lashes, eight modes of torture, seven vampire bites, six shredded puppies. Five dead bodies! Four vials of poison, three rotting eyeballs, two bloody fingers, and a heart that was still beating.
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me Ten ropes for bondage, nine whip lashes, eight modes of torture, seven vampire bites, six shredded puppies. Five dead bodies! Four vials of poison, three rotting eyeballs, two bloody fingers, and a heart that was still beating.
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me Eleven lost souls, ten ropes for bondage, nine whip lashes, eight modes of torture, seven vampire bites, six shredded puppies. Five dead bodies! Four vials of poison, three rotting eyeballs, two bloody fingers, and a heart that was still beating.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me Twelve major demons, eleven lost souls, ten ropes for bondage, nine whip lashes, eight modes of torture, seven vampire bites, six shredded puppies. Five dead bodies! Four vials of poison, three rotting eyeballs, two bloody fingers, and a heart that was still beating."
Suddenly the world around her was on fire. The little girl just giggled and turned to her. She spoke in a light singsong voice, "You must bind with the light and the dark or all of this will come to pass."
"But what are the light and the dark?"
"Your heart knows my dear. Your heart knows."
With that Willow awoke with a gasp.
~Part: 17~
When Willow awoke the first thing she registered was that Drusilla was sitting on the bed and looking at her with big brown eyes that seemed a little glazed but happy. She went to scream, but Dru's hand covered her mouth before she could even meep. "Come now precious," the insane vampire whispered, "and we must be as mice or Spikey will wake."
That's when it hit Willow that she was naked. And in bed. With an equally naked Spike. After having….well yeah (she blushed bright red at the thought of what they had done). And Dru was stitting on the bed with a clear view of her breasts. Kind of a sobering fact.
She jerked the sheet up to cover herself, and Drusilla giggled at her. "No need to be shy my pretty pet, it's nothing mummy hasn't seen before. Now we must go. We have much to learn and so little time."
Willow's mind was in shock so she really didn't argue. Drusilla turned her back, knowing Willow would want her to even though she thought it was silly. Mortals were so funny sometimes.
The mortal in question dressed faster than she had thought possible with a half aware mind. Dru seemed to sense when she was covered and turned and ushered the poor redhead out of the door. "Sleep well Spikey," she whispered to the vampire that hadn't even twitched for the entire exchange.
~x~
"Precious is scared of me but she shouldn't be." Drusilla seemed to be talking more to herself than Willow. "Princess is here to teach the little tree to play nice with that awful fire within her. To control the fire so it doesn't eat her up."
Drusilla was going to teach her how to control her powers? Willow wanted to laugh, but to her credit, she didn't. She didn't even snicker. She did break a grin, but nobody's perfect you know.
"Ah. Precious doesn't think she can learn anything from me. But the stars say she does. So come my little tree we must draw a circle and sit in it. Circles are good and safe. No corners no edges. No spots of weakness for the nasties to find. Or escape through." With that Dru took Willow's hand and dropped a piece of chalk in it. "Tut tut now lovey. We have much to learn and so little time. Now if you're a good pet and do what Mummy says, we'll have tea and cakes later."
Willow was an expert at babble. But Dru's babble was far out of her league. In hopes of appeasing the insane vampire Willow drew the circle and then kneeled inside it. Maybe if she got this over with, she could get back to bed.
"Good! Now you must clear your mind and think only of the flame. You have to look deep inside and find it. You have to listen to it and nurture it. Find what it's trying to tell you."
And the most amazing thing happened. The world faded from around Willow. She was alone. Then suddenly she was surrounded by flames. They flickered and danced around her, close enough that she could feel the heat, but no so close that they would burn.
And then the whispers came. "Willow….Willow….the light and the dark are one but not…the shadow will not exist without the light and the dark. Only if you bind them together will things be set right….."
"Time….time is sssshort….you must hurry."
"Angel…..Demon….Flame you musssst hurry."
~x~
Magic was so thick in the air surrounding the hotel that it woke Spike up. He nearly panicked when he couldn't find Willow. He exclusively remembered falling to sleep with the red-haired witch safely tucked in his arms.
He pulled on a pair of pants and rushed into Angel's room, intent on waking the other vampire and having him help find the redhead. Never once did it cross his mind that he should just go and look alone. No his first and only thought was "Need Angelus…need to find Red."
Angel's room was shadowed in darkness. The elder vampire was obviously in a deep sleep, completely motionless except for the occasional twitch that showed he was dreaming. Just what that dream was about Spike could never guess, but when he shook Angel's shoulder to wake him, the yellow eyes of his grand-sire's demon visage met his own blue.
And before the younger vampire knew it, he was pinned to the bed with Angel's lips passionately against his.
All rational thought left his mind.
~Part: 18~
Giles knew something. Xander was sure of it. Since the Englishman had returned, he hadn't spent one moment looking for Willow like he was supposed to. No, instead he had his face buried in one of his books. To top it all off, he wouldn't tell them what he was researching. Giles would just tell Xander and Anya they could leave and sent Buffy out to patrol as he poured over almost every book he owned.
So that night, he came back after Giles had told them to leave, determined to find out what the older man was hiding.
Giles was on the phone with Wesley and hadn't noticed Xander's return. "So you are sure that the prophecy is about her now."
"Yes, there was never any doubt, but Willow's vision has only served to greaten the certainty. If we could only defer what the rest of the passage means," Wes sighed over the phone.
"Did the rest of her vision clear anything up?"
"Not that I can think of. If I remember correctly she said something about binding an angel and demon together. That they were one but not. Quite confusing."
"Binding an angel and a demon? That is rather vague."
Xander just stared at Giles. Binding an angel and a demon? And they called him the oblivious one. It was simple. Wesley. Some female having a vision, most likely Cordy, about binding an angel and a demon.
"Uh, Giles," he asked, startling the poor ex-librarian. "Are we by chance talking about Deadboy's soul here. Angel getting bound to a demon. You know Angel to Angelus. Sounds like a recipe for permanent soulage."
Giles just stared at the boy for a moment. Was it possible? Of course! They had been overlooking the most obvious explanation. "Xander, pick up the other phone and explain to Wesley what you just explained to me."
So Xander did.
"Well, I do say Mr. Harris, that that is the best theory we have so far. So we now have the what and the when." Wesley said relieved that they were finally getting somewhere with this. And it was such a good thing too because according to Willow they were running out of time. "So all we have to do is find a suitable binding ritual so that Willow can perform it with Angel on Christmas."
Xander's breath caught. "W-Willow's in LA?"
So that's why Giles hadn't been too concerned about finding Willow. He knew where she was the entire time. He had known, and he had let Xander sit and worry about his little buddy. Xander had been so worried he hadn't been eating. And now to find that she had been so close the entire time filled him with anger. Anger at Angel for not calling, Giles for not telling him, Willow for leaving, and himself for not thinking to call LA.
"Well yes. She has been for quite some time. Spike brought her here." Wesley slowly explained.
"Spike's there too." It was a statement not a question.
Wesley answered anyway, "Ah. Yes. He and Miss Rosenburg are quite close."
"Oh."
"Xander now isn't the time to ask these questions. It can wait until after we advert the apocalypse that has been promised if Angel loses his soul. We'll be in touch Wesley."
And with that the phone conversation was over, and a book was dumped into Xander's arms.
"Now that you've gotten yourself into this you might as well help."
~Part: 19~
Spike moaned at Angel's touch. It had been too bloody long since he had been with his grandsire. Far too bloody long. Somewhere in his mind he knew he really shouldn't be doing this. What if Willow walked in and saw them? What would she think? It would be a big old mess for sure.
But fortunately (for us and Angel) that part of his mind didn't have control. The submit now, get fucked, and think about it later part was in control and enjoying itself right well.
Angel was enjoying himself as well. He had forgotten how easy it was to just get lost in his William. And they weren't even to the main event yet. No, they were just on the bed pawing at each other like a couple of randy teenagers. Wasn't life great?
He buried his face into Spike's neck, licking and nipping at the skin there as his hands worked on unbuttoning the boy's pants. Control was a lost cause when he felt Spike's hands quickly caress his erection before moving to remove his pants as well.
~X~
Willow knew they were running out of time. Hell they were out of it. They had a day left, and were no closer to finding out how she was supposed to bind Angel or Angelus or whatever it was she was supposed to be doing. Granted, Wesley's talk with Giles had cleared some things up, but not much.
The redheaded witch was currently watching TV, thinking that if she got her mind off of things, the answer would come to her.
That's when it happened. She was watching some little kids' learning show when they did a segment about the dictionary. They had an animation of little things starting with whatever letter they were one dancing with a book that said dictionary across the cover. The banana ate blueberries with the dictionary.
Hell. They had just run out of time.
"Oh dear."
Her mind went completely blank. She had to come up with something and fast. Then she felt it. Her magic was trying to tell her something… go upstairs. Willow's eyes flashed black as she complied.
~x~
Angel moaned as Spike's mouth surrounded him. The boy had always been good at this. The elder vampire could do nothing but lie back on the bed and let Spike do his work. Angel was sure his entire body was jello. Well, except for that one special part. After this he was never going to let Spike leave LA again.
"Ahem."
All movement ceased immediately and two pairs of guilty eyes trailed to the person standing in the doorway.
"Well don't stop on my account," Willow said with a smirk on her face and darkened eyes. She had actually been standing there for a few moments just watching them. They were beautiful together. She wouldn't have interrupted, but the same voice that had told her to go upstairs was currently screaming at her to jump in bed with them.
"Well you go `Ahem' and not expect us to stop?" Spike questioned after having turned to face her.
~x~
The rest of the group was downstairs trying to find a binding ritual. Things had been perfectly calm until the front door of the hotel suddenly slammed open. A dramatic rush of wind blew leaves into the room as a cloaked figure stepped inside.
"Step aside mortals or die! I am here for my master!" The wind swirled around the figure making the long robes he wore swirl around him. "Tell me where he is or I will make you wish you were never born!"
"Uhm. If you serve Angelus, you're just a little early," Cordelia pointed out.
"No! That's impossible! I timed my arrival perfectly. For your insolence you will be the first to die!"
Gunn, who had worked his way behind the over-zealous minion, put a stake in his back and the dust flew around in that dramatic wind. "Well, who feels like Chinese?"
"I was thinking more of Thai myself," Wesley answered.
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