Title: The Aftermath
Author: Wildecate
Email: Wildecate@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss and not to me ya de ya de ya....
Summary: Willow is killed during a 'to the death' fight with a powerful sorcerer bringing two unlikely enemies together
Author's Notes: Go easy on me, haven't written anything for a while although anything positive would be good.

The bar was dark and no one really paid any attention to the slumped figure in the corner mumbling to himself.

Occasionally someone might glance up and look at the man wrapped in a huge overcoat when the man would look up and fix a bright blue eyed gaze on the watcher who would instantly look away embarrasssed.

The lonely figure lifted a hand, gesturing for another drink. He was drinking whiskey, bourbon - the sour mash raw in his mouth. He swallowed a mouthful and set the glass back on the table.

He stared off into space trying to put the troubling images out of his mind, the witch slumped on the ground, blood pouring from her nose, Xander rocking her backwards and forwards trying to bring her back to life and the Slayer standing off to one side. This had gotten through to her in a way that nothing else had. All her bravado, the facade of cocky confidence drained away as the sourcerer's spell hit Willow and knocked her straight to the floor. Something had taken over, something had snapped in Buffy and she had let rip. The sourcerer hadn't stood a chance. Taken by surprise he had quickly dropped his magical defences and met his Maker. But the damage had been done. Willow Rosenburg was dead.

He slammed the rest of his whiskey and glanced up when the door of the bar slammed open. Outlined in the darkness was a tall figure who looked very familiar.

"Spike?"

Spike sighed and stood up carefully aware that he had definitely had too much to drink.

"Hello Angel"

He slowly walked out of the bar, dropping money in front of the barman as he left. He got two steps out of the bar before a strong hand took hold of his coat and dragged him into the nearest alleyway before punching him hard across the face. spike instantly dropped on the ground and lay staring up at him dazedly. But he didn't bother getting up.

"You were supposed to protect them" Angel growled, hauling Spike to his feet and whacking him across the face again. Spike staggered under the blow and landed against the wall where he leant for balance.

"I did my best"

"Your best wasn't good enough" Angel shouted and took hold of Spike and pushed him up the wall. "Willow's dead"

For the first time Spike reacted. That got through as nothing did.

"I tried" he pushed Angel from him and looked at him angrily "You have no idea how hard I tried. I was fighting but for God's sake man, I only have one pair of hands. It was hard enough trying to keep them off Buffy let alone anyone else." Spike looked up and Angel who was genuinely stunned by the loss on Spike's face.

"I was fighting and then I heard a yell and when I turned round, she was down. And I was too late and she was gone.....and there was nothing I could do about it."

"Spike - don't try and tell me that you care." Angel sneered "You're pathetic. I know how much you you loathe Buffy and you certainly don't give a toss about Willow"

"Like she was ever really part of your world - you never noticed her. She was the first person you tried to kill though wasn't she?"

Angel was shocked - he hadn't known that Spike knew about that.

"And she still flinches when you come near her doesn't she? I wouldn't say that that shows complete trust in someone. At she knows where she is with me - I'm Spike, pretty damn evil, will rip your throat out at a moment's notice. Once anyway."

Spike stood up straight and visibly pulled himself together.

"I'm going to go now. I'm going to go and find a nice bottle of whiskey and we're going to make friends back at my place."

He turned away from Angel and walked up the alleyway but just before he reached the street he turned back.

"Funny, isn't it - mortals. You spend hundreds of years thinking of them as meat and now here I am about to drown my sorrows over one."

Spike disappeared off into the night leaving Angel alone in the alleyway.

A day later the Rosenburgs buried their daughter. They stuck firmly to their Jewish beliefs although they had not done so for years. Her death had been easy to explain - a car speeding through the night, bright headlights - not seeing the license plate.

Buffy, Xander and Giles were there along with Buffy's mother. Cordelia had sped up from LA and they stood silently together. Cordelia had been franctically trying to get hold of Oz but she had failed miserably.

That night as the moon rose, two other figures made their way up to the grave and stood silently looking at the headstone with simple words inscribed on it "Willow Rosenburg - much loved daughter and friend"

The moonlight glinted of Angel's pale skin and Spike's blond hair.

"Have you seen Buffy?" Spike asked quietly.

"No, I haven't. I didn't think that she would want to see me. I've got to go back to LA with Cordelia and I'm leaving tomorrow."

Spike nodded. "Probably best all round really. I'm keeping my head down and I'm probaly going to be heading out as well."

Angel nodded "Probably best all round" he asnwered absent mindedly.

Spike sighed and knelt and brushed his hand over the headstone.

"She was something, wasn't she?"

"She was something alright" Angel laid down the bunch of white roses that he brought with him.

He stood back and was about to speak when he caught a glint in the bond vampire's eyes and stayed silent. Angel laid a hand briefly on Spike's shoulder before leaving him alone.

"Well Red, I guess this is it. So much for me being your protector. I even failed there too. I did remember this though" Spike pulled a piece of crystal from his pocket and laid it beneath the roses. He could still remember the day they had met by chance in the magic shop. He had been collecting his weekly blood supply and she had been shopping for ingredients. A piece of crystal had been in the display cabinet and she had stood and stared at it for a long time before regretfully leaving it. He had returned the shop that evening and used up the last of his money on buying it. He didn't know what it did, nor did he particularly care but it was beautiful, glowing red and then purple and then blue.

Spike stood and realised by the glow of the sky that he had been there for most of the night and he had better head for shelter. He turned to leave and saw Buffy standing watching him.

There was silence for a moment and then Buffy spoke.

"You've been here all night."

Spike nodded

"Me too. I didn't want to disturb you."

Spike nodded again. For some reason he was unable to speak and instead he looked up at the sky, trying to hint that if he didn't find shelter soon they could scatter what was left of him across Willow's grave.

Buffy gave him a searching look.

"We'll go back to mine. You'll never get to your place in time."

The Summers' house was empty. deserted. Joyce had already left for work by the time Buffy and Spike made it through the front door - Spike making a run for it under a blanket.

"Hungry?" she asked and then stopped before Spike could say anything. She knew he wouldn't be. Like Angel Spike only ate to try and remind himself what it was like to be human. Only strong flavours, the sourest whiskey, the strong curry could get through but it made him feel alive for a moment.

"It's been a long night, why don't you get some rest. You can use my room." Buffy led him up the stairs and left him alone in her room, the curtains carefully pulled shut to shield him from the sunlight. She slept in her mother's room.

Spike awoke in the early evening and lay with his eyes shut. This was kind of surreal, lying here in the Slayer's bed, in total safety knowing that she wouldn't kill him. He turned over and inhaled deeply. Her pillows and sheets held the scent of her, strawberry and vanilla.

She came in walking softly and held out a glass filled with red liquid.

"Tomato juice" he asked trying to raise a smile. She mutely shook her head and handed him the glass.

"Bloody hell Slayer, you look like hell" he said noting the red rimmed eyes and the tear streaked cheeks. She looked like she hadn't slept for a week which was probably the case. They had all been putting the nightshift in for the last couple of days in an attempt to track down the sourcerer.

Buffy sat quietly on the edge of her bed looking down at him, watching the warm blood bring colour into his pale cheeks. Thoughtful girl, she had even warmed it in the microwave for him. Without noticing it, he stretched out and covered her tiny hand with his own.

"Penny for your thoughts" he said

"You're going aren't you - you said that to Angel last night."

"Well I figure Sunydale's got it in for me. One way or another I've nearly died about once a week since I arrived in this town and now I can't even bite people. I might as well have a soul and call myself Deadboy."

Buffy surprised him by smiling a little "You don't brood properly."

"I probably would. If I got my soul back."

Whoa - where did that come from.

"You've done a lot to regret?"

"You don't even need to ask that question Slayer"

This was true. Although Spike had never done anything personally to Buffy, she knew that he had history - his name was Spike for God's sake. What did that tell you about him? William the Bloody - the English didn't give out nicknames for nothing.

Buffy mumbled something and Spike got the impression she was saying something that didn't come naturally to her.

"You'll have to speak up Slayer"

"I said" Buffy was louder now but only just, she was speaking through gritted teeth "will you please stay for a little longer?"

There was a pause which grew and lengthened into silence.

He could make her suffer. He could make her squirm - he could remind her about this, her asking him to stay almost as though she needed him.

Buffy gazed at him, her blue eyes meeting his and she smiled hopefully.

"'Course I will"