Title: Blinded With Science
Author: Jonquil
Email: serpyllum@yahoo.com
Distribution: Just ask.
Rating: R (strong language, violence, sexual references)
Spoilers: Fourth season, post-Oz, pre-Tara
Summary: Willow has re-fanged Spike, and must deal with the consequences. Followed by "In the Company of Wolves".
Feedback: reinforces the desired behavior.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to large corporations, and were created by the brilliant writers for Buffy and Angel.

Chapter 6


But the next evening, Spike rose early to find no Willow, only a note propped on the edge of the crypt. Block printed. Maybe she does know about the vampire literacy rate.

MEET ME AT THE BACK DOOR OF STEELE HALL AT 7:00. -WILLOW

Spike growled. What the fuck is Steele Hall when it's at home?

He finally found the building by asking a passing student. Time was, I wouldn't have even bothered to rip this moron's throat out, far less talk to him. Flannel shirt indeed. When he came into sight of the building, he saw the redhead standing next to a metal door, chatting with a tall lanky boy he didn't recognize.

The tall boy fiddled with the door, and Willow walked in. "Thanks, Calvin, I owe you one."

"No prob. Let me know if you find the missing dark matter, right?"

Spike waited for the tall boy to leave, then rapped on the door. Willow opened it.

"Oh, good, you're here. Come on, we need to get in and out before the watchman notices us. Not that he'd probably care, the physics majors are in and out all hours of the night, but still..."

Her voice was higher than normal, and she didn't quite meet his eyes. Good. That hasn't happened for far too long.

"Follow me."

Spike watched the pink, purple, and aquamarine skirt disappear up the institutional stairs, and headed after her. They climbed up two floors. Then Willow opened the hall door, scanned both ways, sprinted down to a door marked "Lab 235", and keyed in a code on the number pad. Bloody hell, I've seen enough labs to last me the rest of my unlife.

Willow looked back. "Hurry up, the lock will time out!"

Spike walked, deliberately slowly, to the door, and slipped inside just as the lock emitted a loud click.

To Spike's relief, the "lab" looked nothing like the cages and operating theatres he'd learned to loathe in captivity. It was a plain, high-ceilinged institutional room full of odd-looking machines, each covered with knobs, switches, and displays. In one corner was what looked like a pair of rabbit ears for an old-fashioned television. Willow did something to its base. Sparks began to crawl up from the base to the top, then disappear with a loud snap.

"Not that it isn't entertaining, luv, but I am not Frankenstein."

"Actually, I'd be Dr. Frankenstein, you'd be the monster. This is more sort of an experiment. Stand over here. You don't have to touch it."

"I've had quite enough experimenting, Red. I thought you knew what you were doing?"

"Spike, I know several solutions, and one of them should work. We're starting with the simplest one, then moving up. This one's really easy; you just have to stand next to it. Just watch the sparks."

Spike walked over to the rabbit ears and watched the sparks rise to the top. "It'll never replace television. Now what?"

Willow hugged herself. I hate this. This is the scary part. "We have to find out if you can hurt a living thing. I thought about borrowing a rat from the bio department, but what did the rat ever do to deserve that? I mean, the biologists kill rats all the time, but at least they're advancing human knowledge. And rats always make me think of Amy now anyway. So I guess you'll have to pinch me and see what happens." And she stiffly held out one arm.

Spike looked blank. Then he slapped the outstretched hand, and fell to the floor.

Willow, ignoring her hand, fell to her knees beside him. "I'm really sorry about that. This next one I feel a lot more confident about. It should work, honestly."

Spike raised his head and snarled, "Thanks so much for your confidence."

Willow stood up, turned off the Jacob's ladder, and walked across the room to another machine. This one looked like a silver mushroom on a tall, thin pillar. When she turned it on, it began to hum. She looked around, then dragged a small rubber pad next to the machine and stepped on to it.

Willow turned to Spike and assumed her best lecturing manner. "This is a Van de Graaf generator. It sets up a really high voltage at a low current. It's perfectly safe. Watch what happens when I touch it." Willow laid both hands on the mushroom, and her red hair suddenly became a halo. "As a side effect, it puts out an enormous EMP. I'm pretty sure this will do the trick. Now you try."

"Bloody Hell, witch!"

Willow lifted her chin. "Don't be a sissy. I went first. Your turn. Unless you're afraid..."

That did it. Spike strode up to the pillar, pushed Willow off the pad, stepped on to it and laid both hands on the mushroom. Nothing much happened. He stepped off the pad and looked at Willow, who had backed away.

"Remember, if I die, Willy gets the tape." She held out one hand.

"I remember." He walked toward her and slapped the outstretched hand with his right hand. No effect. Willow looked at him wide-eyed.

"It worked!"

Before she could say anything else, he struck her hard on the point of the chin with his left hand, and she slumped to the floor.