Title: LA Willow
Author: Challie B
Email: challieb_0730@yahoo.com
Rating: PG so far
Disclaimer: Joss and Mutant Enemy own everything; I’m broke so don’t sue me.
Summary: Willow & Spike need to get away.
Feedback: PLEASE. I need it like a drug.
Distribution: Fire & Ice, Lover’s Walk, WitchFanFic. Everyone else ask and ye shall receive.
Author's Notes: < > = thoughts.

Part 4/?


Willow entered her house with a sigh of relief. She was free--for two weeks at least. She dropped her bag on the bottom step. She was amazed at the sight when she entered the kitchen: open boxes of cereal sat on the kitchen counters, half eaten bowls of mush were still on the table, and a frying pan filled with God knows what rested on the stove top.

Spike glanced up from his spot on the floor when he heard Willow’s footsteps in the hallway. He was trying to fish a piece of toast from between the fridge and the cupboard. Who knew two humans could make such a mess in only an hour. He’d been shocked when he’d seen the mess. Willow had worked hard to clean up the kitchen yesterday and their housemates trashed it again. He knew Willow would be pissed when she saw it. Looking at her face she seemed more stunned than anything. He sought to bring back the look of joy back to her face. "Sorry about the mess, Pet. I was trying to clean it up before you got home."

Willow glanced from the mess to the peroxide blonde. "Spike, don’t even try to tell me you made this mess."

"Wasn’t going to. I just said I was trying to clean it up."

"You know what?"

"What?"

"Don’t bother. I’m going on a trip. Do you want to come with me?"

"Where are you going?"

"LA."

"LA?"

"Yeah, LA Angel invited me. Do you want to come?" She saw him hesitate so she sweetened the deal. "You’ll get to pick on Angel for two weeks."

"Let me think about it."

"Okay. I’m going to go pack."

Spike watched the redhead walk out the kitchen. Actually, he watched her hips sway back and forth. Then he glanced around the kitchen again. he thought. He headed down to the basement to pack some of his belongings.

Willow grabbed a suitcase from the hall closet. She set it open on her bed. She filled it with clothes and shoes. By the time she finished she had to lean on it to zip it shut. Next she emptied her backpack and set all her school supplies on her desk. She unplugged her laptop and put it in the empty bag. Rummaging through her desk drawers she found a few disks she wanted to bring with her: her Disk of Shadows, occult research notes, a couple of blanks and as an after thought she tossed in Jenny’s disk. She planned on giving the disk to Giles, not that he’d know what to do with it, but she wanted to review it once more.

Glancing around the room she slipped her cell phone into her pocket. She pulled the heavy suitcase down the hall. At the top of the stairs she let it slide down on it’s own. She thought about sitting on it and sledding down, but knowing her luck she’d break her leg. As the suitcase landed with a loud thump on the hardwood floor, she followed more sedately.

Spike heard the thump above his head and rushed upstairs to make sure Willow was okay. He rounded the corner as she was righting the fallen case. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"I’m fine. Not sure about the floor boards, but oh, well. Can you carry this to the back door for me?" she asked.

"Sure." He grasped the handle and lifted the case with ease. He could feel how heavy it would be for Willow to carry it to the back door. "You are planning on coming back, aren’t you?"

Willow looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Of course. School starts in a couple of weeks."

"Of course."

He set the bag down by the back door. Willow set her back pack next to it. She pulled a cooler out of the pantry and started filling it with drinks and snack foods.

"If you want a snack on the drive you can put it in here," she said as she closed the lid.

"When did you want to leave?" he asked.

"Preferably before they get home."

"You make it sound like we’re running away from home."

"Aren’t we?"

He shrugged his shoulders in reply before pointing out an obvious fact. "It’s a little too day lighty for me, luv."

"Go get your stuff and I’ll take care of that. Sunset is in a couple of hours anyway."

"Okay, but I’m not riding in the trunk."

"Don’t worry," she smiled at him.

Spike returned to the basement to finish packing. Willow walked to where her car was parked in the drive. She pulled it up closer to the garage. Inside the garage she found the canvas they had used to block off the basement windows for Spike. Snatching the duct tape off the work bench, she returned to her car and proceeded to tape the canvas to the back window ledge. she thought to herself as she threw the free end over the front seat. She closed the door to make sure no sunlight penetrated the tent she created. It wouldn’t do to have her friend burst into flames while she was driving. It was pretty dark in there. she thought as she pushed the door open and crawled out.

She spotted Spike standing on the back porch. The first week Spike moved in they had built larger overhangs for the porches so he could step outside during the day to smoke. The front porch wasn’t that great but the back porch blocked most of the direct sunlight for the better part of the day. Willow stepped up on the porch step to explain her plan.

"I can load up the car and you can make a mad dash for the car. It should be dark before we reach LA and then you can drive."

He looked at the distance between the car and the porch. It wouldn’t take him more than a couple of seconds to reach the back seat. He crossed his arms over his chest. "We could always take my car, Pet."

"I am not riding in that death trap," she said as she brushed past him. They kept Spike’s DeSoto in the garage so as not to frighten the neighbors. Willow dragged their bags out to the car and put them in the trunk. She put the cooler and her backpack in the front seat.

"Is there anything you want in the back with you? Flashlight? Book? Pillow?" she asked.

"I’ve got my CD player in my jacket. I’m ready. Open the door."

Willow pulled open the rear driver’s side door and Spike pulled his trench coat over his head and ran for the car. He dove into the dark safety Willow provided for him. As soon as his black motorcycle boots cleared the door, she slammed it shut.

"That went well, don’t you think?" she asked as she slid behind the wheel.

"Not a bad job, luv. Kind of cozy back here," his muffled voice answered through the canvas. "Care to join me?"

"Yeah, right." She rolled her eyes as she started the car. She pulled out of the drive and headed out of town.




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