Title: In The Company Of Wolves
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. Sequel to "Blinded By Science".
Feedback: reinforces the desired behavior.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to large corporations, and were created by the brilliant writers for Buffy and Angel.

Chapter 3


The next Willow knew, Spike was dragging her out of bed. "Up, into the car, NOW."

"Wha..." Willow tried to rub her aching head, then realized she was still bound.

Before Willow knew what was happening, Spike picked her up, threw her over his shoulder, sending pangs and nausea through her body, carried her out to the car, and forced her in. Willow gasped out, "My books! My pack!"

Spike hopped in and started the engine. "No time."

As the car began to roll forward, Willow had an inspiration. "It has my name and address in it!" The car stopped, and Willow was thrown against the dashboard. Spike glared, reached over, and threw her back against the seat.

"Stay!" He leapt from the car, disappeared into the motel room, returned carrying Willow's pack, and threw it atop her. "Be a bloody Girl Scout and be prepared next time!" Then he slammed the car into gear and spun out of the motel parking lot.

As the car gained speed, Willow suddenly realized why Spike was in such a hurry. Oh, God, he's killed somebody else. And it's my fault. Without moving her aching head, she looked sidelong for bloodstains, but found none. I guess he's a tidy eater.

Spike grinned. "What a smart little girl. Quite right, too. That town would have been a trifle hot by dawn."

Willow spun to face him, ignoring the pain. "You killed someone! And you're laughing about it!"

Spike, unmoved, continued accelerating. "I'm a vampire, Red. Remember, 'wolves should be wolves'?"

"Oh, God."

"Not a factor here."

Willow sank back into the seat and looked out at the sky, which was still dark. She looked reflexively for her watch, but it wasn't there. Probably got lost during the Bondage-O-Rama. "How far are we going?"

Spike reached across and caressed her throat. "When I want a conversation ... which I don't at the moment ... I'll start it myself." Willow swallowed involuntarily, and he laughed and removed the hand. "Actions have consequences, pet." He lit a cigarette and drove on.

Willow began to cough, intercepted a glare, and stifled it. Not only have I been kidnapped, I'm going to die of secondhand smoke. If Spike doesn't just eat me first. He doesn't HAVE to go back to Sunnydale, after all. Better not remind him of that. But what happens when he figures it out himself? Oh, God, what have I done? She sank into a morass of guilt and regret.

After a couple of cigarettes, Spike interrupted her musings. "So, pet, time for some ground rules. As from now, you keep my hours. Move when I do. Don't bother unpacking, I don't plan to stay anywhere long. Understood?"

Willow tried to answer, but her throat was tight with tears.

"Do you understand? I expect answers when I do talk."

Willow swallowed hard and quavered "Yes."

"Don't snivel. It's boring. I hear enough of it from the soon-to-be-deceased, and you don't want me confusing you with them. Right?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I'm not supposed to c-cry." Willow bit off the last word, feeling her voice betraying her.

After a few moments of silence, Willow found a reservoir of courage. "And my rules--"

"Sorry, pet, doesn't work that way. Don't bore me, and don't annoy me, and you may yet survive to retrieve that tape."

Before her nerve vanished entirely, Willow said, "I thought you'd sworn off kidnapping?"

Spike gave her a self-satisfied smirk. "Hardly. I did swear off telling the truth to enemies. Some years ago, in fact."

The sky was beginning to lighten; the stars closest to the horizon were hard to see. Maybe he'll drive into the sunrise!

As it happened, Spike recognized dawn as well as did Willow -- somewhat better, being both more motivated and more experienced -- and pulled into a small motel well before the sky began to turn pink. He checked in, drove up to an end unit, carried Willow in (this time against his chest, cradled like a new bride), dumped her on the bed, returned to the car for her pack and a duffel, and set them on the floor. Then he began checking the curtains and preparing the room for the day.

Willow looked up at Spike from the double bed. "Spike? My hands and feet hurt. I still have a circulation, you know."

He turned from the window and quirked an eyebrow. "That could be remedied..."

"Not if --"

Spike strode over to the bed and grabbed her shoulders, hard enough to bruise. "Last warning, Red. Don't wear that threat out. You may need it." He took one of her hands, which was indeed somewhat cold. He sighed dramatically, then untied her wrists. Willow rubbed her hands, while Spike freed her ankles. He looked up. "Off with your clothes."

"WHAT?" She scooted back against the headboard, eyes wide.

He smirked. "Pet, if you don't want to be tied all day, I need some other form of restraint. Hand me your outer clothes, and you can be free. Otherwise, it's back to the ropes. I understand they make quite good prosthetics nowadays..."

Under Spike's sardonic eye, Willow kicked off her shoes, dived under the covers, removed her sweater and skirt, handed them over, then pretended to be asleep. Oh, God, what if he joins me?

"Very convincing." There was more than a hint of laughter in his voice.

Willow burrowed deeper, not wanting to meet his eyes. I don't know which would be worse: having him laugh at my underwear, or having him laugh at my body. Let's not find out. She heard Spike striding around the room for a few more moments, then felt his body land -- on top of the cover, thank Whoever -- next to her. She waited until she thought he must be asleep, then scurried to the bathroom. When she returned, he was sitting up in bed laughing at her.

"Have you considered a career as a secret agent?"

Willow felt a tide of color rising to her ears. She slipped under the covers and turned her back on the vampire. He flicked the back of her head with a fingertip. "Get some sleep. You'll need it." Trying hard not to think of unpleasant interpretations of that last, Willow drifted to sleep.




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