Walking Wounded

Part 1

Hearing the door to the crypt open with a bang, Spike ripped the
blanket away from himself angrily and jumped up out of the bed,
grabbing his pants and growling.

"Bloody no good Slayer and her band of merry morons," he grumbled.

The Slayer and the Watcher had been barging in, unannounced and
demanding his help for months, trying to find the little redheaded
witch that had gone missing.

Stomping up the ladder from his room in the cave below, he decided
it was high time he put an end to it.

"Spikey?" Harmony whined from behind him, "Make the Slayer and her
friends go away."

"Workin on that, Harm," he grumbled as he reached the top of the
ladder, wondering why it was that he put up with her incessant
jabbering. Zipping his pants up half way he was suddenly reminded of
why and wondered if he were to rip out her tongue, how long it would
take to grow back.

Stepping into the crypt, he immediately stopped and glanced around.
The door was open, allowing the last few rays of light at sunset to
stream in, illuminating the dusty atmosphere. Not seeing the Slayer
or Watcher, he suddenly sensed something else. Something he couldn't
quite place. A demon; no doubt about that, but there was something
more…something he was just not quite getting.

"I know you're here, so you might as well come on out," he yelled,
picking up a nearby axe. "And I'll beat you bloody, right quick and
get back to my nap," he added under his nonexistent breath. Waiting
a moment, hearing nothing, he continued to look around the seemingly
empty crypt.

Suddenly the door creaked slightly, and he spun back to face it,
shielding his eyes against the streaming rays of light. Stepping
closer to the entrance, he stopped when the door moved a bit more
and a hand slowly crept around, gripping the cold stone. His eyes went
wide as he watched a small face peek around, framed with red hair.

"Willow?" He asked, taking another step toward her, but stopping
short of the rays of light threatening to burn him.

Stepping around and pushing the door shut, she looked up at him with
the uncertain, pouting eyes of a little girl.

"Hungry," she whispered, her voice sounding hoarse.

"Red, where have you been? What happened to you?" He asked, stepping
up to her, taking in her appearance. Something was off, though he
wasn't sure what. Maybe he was more off his game with the chip than
he thought, or maybe he just didn't want to solve the riddle.

Her hair had been cropped unevenly at her shoulders and her face
looked pale, her eyes wide and childlike. She was wrapped in a
tattered blanket and he noticed several spots on her hands, arms and
legs that appeared to have burns.

She looked away from him, glancing around the crypt. Reaching out to
touch her, he barely grazed her shoulder before finding himself face
to face with a vampire, a hand wrapped tightly around his neck. She
looked up and her golden eyes slowly focused on him before her face
shifted back to its human mask and he saw recognition pass across
her features.

"Spike?" She asked quietly, her voice unsure.

"Yeah, pet, it's me," he answered, as she pulled her hand back and
clutched at the blanket around her. "What happened? Who did this?"
He demanded, surprising himself at the anger coursing through him at
having something taken away from him. Truth be told, she never
actually belonged to him, but he had plans for her. She should have
been his. He should have killed her, turned her, made her his
childe, and he would have too, had he never gotten the damn
chip. "Give me a name and I'll kill the bastard myself," he growled.

"The bastard," she said, looking up with a crooked smile, "is
already dead."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "How did this happen?"

Rolling her eyes she started to walk around the crypt, running a
hand lazily along the stone walls. He was amazed at her shift in
personality, going from fragile little girl to striking, confident
vampire, and felt hypnotized by her every word and movement.

"Spike, I know it's been a while since you could bite, but I would
think you would remember how it goes. They suck your blood, you suck
theirs…or, well, in my case, they force theirs down your throat…
still works the same though."

He watched her, not believing the differences in the redhead. She
was self-assured, almost arrogant, and strong. She reeked of power and
darkness, and something else he couldn't quite place but knew he
should be able to, while still maintaining a bit of vulnerability
and childlike innocence. It was intoxicating.

"How did your sire die?" He asked.

"I killed him, more or less," she answered simply, not looking
toward him.

"You, a mere fledgling, dusted your own sire?" He asked
incredulously, not sure if he should be nervous or impressed.

Willow spun around, glaring at him. "I may be a fledgeling," she
told him, the last word full of disdain, "but I'm strong, and I'm
powerful. You don't experience as much torture and pain as I did
without learning a thing or two."

"Spikey? What are you doing up there?" Harmony called up from below.

Willow looked at him, cocking her head to the side, an eyebrow
arched and a smirk on her face. "Still with Harmony? Amusing."

"Watch it little girl," he growled, not liking her mocking tone. She
may be a vampire now, and a strong one at that, but he was a Master,
over a hundred years her senior, and that still meant something,
chip or not.

"Spike, what is SHE doing here? And why is she wearing THAT?"
Harmony asked as she appeared out of the cave entrance. "Are you
cheating on me with HER?"

"Harm, not now," he grumbled, glaring at her.

Climbing up and into the crypt, she stood staring at Willow, hands
on her hips. He could see where this was leading and let out an
aggravated sigh, not in the mood to watch the two women fight just
then.

Willow let out a low, menacing growl. "Leave," she said, looking at
Harmony.

"No way! This is my home and Spike is MY boyfriend, and I'm not
going to listen to some little geek who…"

"Harmony!" Spike interrupted her, glancing at the windows and seeing
that it was now dark outside. "Why don't you go out for a walk and
get a bite to eat?"

"Why should I leave? She's the one…"

"Leave," Willow repeated, stepping closer to the blonde, "or I will
kill you."

"Oh yeah? Well, guess what, dork? I'm already dead, so how can you
kill me if…"

With a lightning fast movement, Willow had a stake pressed
menacingly against Harmony's chest. The blonde looked down and backed away.

"Oh, that kind of kill me. Well, fine! I'm leaving! But because I
want to, not because some geek…" Willow stopped her with another low
growl, and Harmony quickly turned and left the crypt.

Part 2

As the door slammed shut behind Harmony, Willow winced and doubled
over, hunger pains coursing through her. Her strength was drained
and she knew her tough-girl facade was nearly ready to crumble.

"Pet?" Spike watched her with concern, again mesmerized by how
quickly she could go from appearing so strong to seeming so weak. He
wasn't sure if he wanted slap her or hold her and suspected that she
wasn't any more sure of what she would want than he was.

"Hungry," she whimpered, hating how weak she sounded. "Need to feed."

"One sec," he told her, before disappearing down the ladder and
reappearing a moment later with a packet of blood. "Here," he said,
tossing it to her. "It's cold and it's not human, but it will do."

She regarded the packet with a scowl on her face. "Want to hunt," she
told him, pouting. "Don't want…this." She threw the packet of blood
to the ground and crossed her arms defiantly.

Spike growled at her before leaning over and grabbing the blood.
Definitely wanted to slap her, he decided.

"You want those pains to go away, you drink this, now," he told her,
his tone cold and angry.

"Want human blood," Willow whined, tilting her head to the side and
continuing to pout.

"Well, for the moment, it's this or nothing."

Finally she gave in and took the bag from him, quickly draining the
contents, a distasteful look on her face.

Watching her as she licked her blood-stained lips and tossed the
empty packet to the ground, he noticed again the burn marks on her
body, now understanding that they must have been caused by the
sunlight.

"Red, you're hurt."

She snorted in response and lets out a harsh, bitter laugh.

"Come down to the bedroom," he said, turning to the ladder. "I have
something to help it heal faster."

The redhead followed him silently down into the cave and stood,
looking around uncomfortably.

"Sit," the older vampire said, pointing to the bed. She didn't move.
"Sit," he repeated more forcefully.

"Don't really feel like it," she replied with a slight pout.

"Well, I'm not asking what you feel like doin," he told her,
aggravation evident in his voice. "Now, sit!"

She moved to the bed, grumbling and plopped down, adjusting the
blanket, securing it around her chest and holding it in place.
Retrieving some lotion, Spike walked over to the bed, looking her
over. Kneeling in front of her, he pulled one leg forward and rested
her foot on his bent leg, lifting the blanket to her knee.

"I can do this myself," she complained, as he began to smooth on the
soothing lotion.

"I know that," the blonde said, glancing up at her briefly with a
slight smirk before looking back at the burned flesh. A moment later
he switched to her other leg.

"What were you thinking, running out in the daylight?" He asked,
sounding angry with her, though neither was quite sure why.

"I was thinking it was the best time to run from a group of
vampires," she said with a roll of her eyes.

He paused in his work, looking up at her with an eyebrow arched in
question.

"I also sorta forgot I didn't like sunlight anymore," she added
quietly.

"You forgot? Aversion to sunlight not usually something a vampire
forgets, pet."

"Yeah, well I haven't been a vampire all that long," she explained,
sounding much less confident and much more like her old self, "and…I
never really had to worry about that before."

"Why's that?"

"All the time I was there…never left the same room," she explained,
her voice lowering to a whisper, her eyes downcast.

"How long ago were you turned?" He asked, thinking it must have been
months ago.

"A week, I think," the redhead answered.

His eyes widened in surprise.

"How…how long was I gone?" She questioned, suddenly suspecting it was
much longer than she thought.

"Nearly five months," he told her.

She simply nodded. After finishing with her legs and arms, he stood
up and looked down at her.

"Lay down across the bed. I'll get the burns I saw on your back," he
told her, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Turning and stretching out, she loosened the blanket from around her
chest, allowing him to pull it down on her back. His mouth hung open
in shock as he took in the scars crisscrossing her back, clearly the
work of a brutal beating. Running his hands lightly over the marks,
his voice was slightly shaking when he spoke.

"Willow. When did you get these? It had to be before…"

"I tried to escape," she told him, her voice sounding timid and
childlike. "I used magic and I tried to escape. I didn't make it."

She said no more and he silently smoothed the lotion over her back.
Pulling the blanket down further, Spike noticed another mark on her
lower right hip. Again, he couldn't help but think that this should
be something he would recognize but wasn't able to say why.

Feeling his hand brush over the mark, she glanced back over her
shoulder.

"A brand," she explained. "To show everyone that I belonged to him,
that I was his property."

Feeling her shudder at the thought, he moved back up to her shoulder
and began to knead her shoulders and back gently, massaging out some
of the tension.

"Why did you come here, pet?" He asked softly, nothing but curiosity
in his voice.

"It was the closest," she told him, the young vampire's voice
sounding weary, "and I knew I wouldn't be invited into anyone else's
home."

"You would have gone to the Slayer for help?" He asked in surprise.
He knew, of course that they were friends, but that, coupled with a
vampire's natural fear of the Slayer should have kept her as far away
from Buffy as possible.

She shook her head. "Not for help. For a meal."

"You can't think you can take on the Slayer, Red."

"I can, and I will. She left me there, and then she took everything
away. He told me. He kept saying that she wouldn't come, but…Willow
kept on believing…that her friends would find her, and save her. And
in the end, they didn't. She…she was weak, and eventually she
broke."

"You weren't weak, Willow. You survived months as a vampire's pet.
I'd say you were pretty strong."

"No!" She said harshly, arching her back up a bit and looking back at
him.

"She was weak. They were able to break her and she ended up begging…
begging for her own death. But I learned, and I'm strong. And I'll
have him begging before he dies."

"Thought you said your sire was already dead," he said, confused.

She didn't answer him and he suspected he would get nothing further
from her on the subject just then. Something she had said earlier
suddenly came back to him.

"Where exactly were you kept? You said it was nearby."

"Another cave below a crypt in this cemetery," Willow answered.

"No," he denied. "We searched this cemetery, high and low, no stone
unturned and all that. The Slayer's been searching for you since the
day you disappeared. Bloody thorn in my side over it."

"Well, I guess she didn't search hard enough," she said softly,
hatred burning in her eyes, mixed with just the slight remnants of
pain. Settling back down, she allowed him to continue to rub in the
soothing lotion and massage her back as she stretched her limbs like
a kitten, yawning lazily.

"You should get some sleep, pet," he told her. "You'll be safe here,
at least for now."

"You won't contact Buffy or Giles, will you?" She asked. He shook
his head no.

Turning her head, she looked him right in the eyes. "I don't want my
soul back, Spike. I have no use for it. I want vengeance, not
redemption.

"I understand, pet," he told her before she finally allowed herself
to close her eyes and drift off to sleep.

Part 3

When she woke, hours later, it took her a moment to remember where
she was…to remember what happened. It's was always like that when
she first woke. She would have thought that once she became a demon
she would not dream, or at least that a demon would not have
nightmares. Yet each and every night her dreams were plagued with
painful, horrifying memories and flashes of scenes she couldn't quiet
piece together anymore.

Realizing where she was, she let out an unneeded breath of air and
sunk back into the warm blankets. Turning her head, she saw the
blonde vampire, seemingly asleep next to her and smiled, enjoying the
unfamiliar sense of protection he offered, though she would never
admit to herself or anyone else that protection was something she
sought.

Rolling onto her stomach she inched closer to him, resting her head
on his hard, cool chest and closed her eyes, taking a moment to
breath in his scent. He didn't move, and though she suspected he
wasn't really sleeping, she was content to have this moment to just
feel his presence so close to her.

Feeling his skin against her own, she was acutely aware of her
nakedness under the blankets, though that had long since become of no
concern to her. Smiling slightly, she thought back to her former,
human self and chuckled at how mortified she would have been to be in
this position. But, truth be told, that Willow had lost such modesty
long before she was ever turned. Living for months as a vampire's
personal pet will do that to a person. Thinking back she couldn't
quite pinpoint the moment, but she knew at some point she just became
numb in her own body, unaware of her existence. She suspected that
was when he decided it was time to turn her.

Watching Spike carefully for several moments, she finally determined
that he must be asleep and decided to drag herself out of bed. Her
tummy rumbled and she was reminded of just how hungry and weak she
was. Looking around, she found a pair of leather pants and a black
shirt that belong to Harmony and slipped them on before quietly
climbing the ladder. She was just about to open the crypt door when
a cold hand clamped down on her arm, startling her.

"You know, for a vampire, you're not very observant," he quipped, his
face hard and unreadable.

Willow shrugged, "I knew you were there."

"Right," he replied, clearly not believing her. "And just where is
it that you think you're sneaking off to?"

"Hungry," she said in a small voice. "Wanted to go out and have a
little fun."

"Yeah, well, you go out now, you become a big pile of dust real
soon," he told her. "Sun's nearly `bout to come up."

She peaked out the small windows and saw that the sun was indeed just
about ready to rise above the horizon. Damn. She would have to start
paying better attention to things like that. The prospect of nothing
but more cold pig's blood did not appeal to her right then. She
stomped her foot angrily on the ground, crossing her arms and looking
like a child about ready to throw a temper-tantrum.

"Sorry luv, you're out of luck for now," he told her, hopping up onto
a sarcophagus and lighting a cigarette.

"No fair," she said with a pout, arms still crossed. "This is no fun
at all. Don't wanna be stuck here with YOU all day."

"Yeah, well, tough luck that. I'm not exactly fond of the idea of
being trapped indoors with a bratty little fledgling myself you
know." He knew already, at this point, how to get a rise out of her,
and though she was fully aware that this was his sole intention, she
still couldn't help but feel her blood boil at his words.

"This bratty little fledgling," she ground out through clenched
teeth, "could kick your ass across this room."

He hopped down onto his feet and approached her, taking one last drag
from his cigarette before tossing it to the ground, blowing the smoke
in her face. "You think so?" He asked, his face now inches from
hers, a smug smile spread across his lips.

"My magic is stronger than ever," she told him. "You wouldn't stand
a chance."

"That right?" He countered. "Well, little girl, your magic might be
strong, but YOU are weak and worn down right now and I'm thinkin even
Harmony could kick your little ass."

At his words, she flew into a rage, launching herself at him, fists
flying. He caught her easily, holding her at bay, eventually turning
her back to him and pinning an arm tightly behind her. His other
hand slipped up around her neck, pulling her tightly against him.

"I wouldn't go around threatening master vampires, pet," he whispered
into her ear, "unless you WANT to be feeling a stake through your
heart."

Willow growled lowly and attempted to pull her arm free from his
tight grasp, unsuccessfully, before twisting her body and elbowing
him hard in the stomach.

Feeling his grip loosen with the impact of her jab, she took that
moment to pull herself free and stumbled a few steps away from him,
struggling to keep from falling over. She hadn't realized just how
weak she was feeling until right then. A second later, she felt
herself being slammed hard against a wall, her back connecting
harshly with the unyielding stone. Her hands were pinned above her
head and she tried desperately to focus on the face in front of her,
though the room was now spinning.

He watched her for a moment, his face again an unreadable mask. His
grip on her wrists was painful and she could feel the full length of
him pressed firmly against her slender body, unyielding. Finally he
took a step back, though still holding her arms above her head with
one of his own. Raising his free arm up to her mouth, he offered it
to her.

She stared for a moment at the offered wrist, struggling internally.
The scent of his blood just below the surface, strong and rich,
called to her, but she knew what this meant. It's was a sign of
weakness, to drink from him, and she would be accepting her
submission to him openly, which was something she didn't feel ready
to do. Finally, though, the overwhelming hunger within her won and
she clamped her mouth down around his wrist, biting deeply and
drinking greedily, little rivulets of red running down the sides of
her mouth.

When he decided that she had enough, he pulled his wrist away,
hearing her whimper in protest and quickly lifted her up, carrying
her back down to the bed which he was surprised to find himself
considering "theirs" now.

Part 4

"Willow, I'm so glad you could join me for a while."

The voice was deep and filled with a mocking tone. It made her
cringe and want to run away. Looking around, everything was hazy and
she knew the same as every other night, she would find no release
from this.

"You know, we never really got the chance to hang out…just you and
me. I mean, there was that one time I stopped by, but let's be
honest, that wasn't really about you. It was never about you. It
was always about her. So let me ask, do you think it's still about
her?"

She squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as possible, hoping against
hope that she could block him out completely. Suddenly, there was a
loud cracking sound and her head flew to the side, immediately
followed by a sharp sting on her right cheek. Her eyes flew open
and she looked up at him, feeling the ache spreading from where he
had just slapped her.

"I asked you a question, Willow."

She stared at him for a moment, desperately trying to remember what
the question had been. Thinking about something…about someone else…
oh! Is it still about her? Well, of course it is! It always is!
Quickly, she nodded her head.

"Well, see now, Willow, that's where you're wrong. This time…it's
all about you. You and your little spells and tricks, your little
rituals…you know I should have just killed you a long time ago…saved
myself a lot of trouble."

Again she closed her eyes tightly, only to feel his hand grip her
jaw tightly, her eyes popping open again.

"Keep your eyes on me, unless I tell you otherwise, got it?" He
growled.

She simply nodded her head.

"This time," he told her, "it isn't about the Slayer. Has nothing
to do with her. In fact, I'm pretty sure she doesn't even have a
clue you've gone missing. What do you think? I think it will be
days before she even notices you're not around." His voice was cruel
and taunting and nothing like the quiet, soft voice she remembered.

Willow shook her head frantically. "No! She'll know…she'll come
for me."

"Is that right? See, cause I happen to think the Slayer is a little
self-absorbed. Tends to take little notice of the people around
her, you know?" He chuckled at his own words and saw her shudder.

"She'll notice I'm gone," she told him, her voice shaking. "She'll
find me."

His only response was a long, deep laugh and she let her shoulders
slump slightly, feeling her arms pulling against the chains behind
her. Her head tilted downward and she felt a few tears slip down
her cheeks.

Suddenly, the redhead felt something cold and sharp against her
neck. It slowly trailed up along her jaw line, to her cheek before
being pulled away.

Looking up, she saw what he held in his hand; a large knife, shiny
and sharp and her eyes widened in horror at the many uses he might
come up with for that.

"Ready for some fun?" He asked, that horrible gleam in his once
deep, kind brown eyes, before she felt the sharp metal scrape
painfully up one arm and let out a terrified scream.

~*~

"Hello?" Buffy called out, opening the door of the all too familiar
mansion and peering inside. She could see that it hadn't been lived
in for a while, but still suspected she would find him here.

"Angel?" She called out, making her way through the large, empty
house.

Standing in the doorway to the bedroom, she looked in and her body
relaxed slightly as she saw the dark haired vampire sitting on the
bed, his head rested on his hands, his elbows on his knees.

Angel's head shot up and he looked toward the slayer with blood-shot
eyes.

"Angel," she said softly, knowing that it was really him, soul and
all.

"Buffy, go away," he choked out, covered his face with a large
hand. "Don't look at me, just…"

"Angel," she spoke quietly, moving toward him and sitting slowly on
the edge of the bed, tentatively reaching an arm out to touch his
shoulder. He immediately shrank back from her and she pulled away.

"Angel, what happened?" She asked.

"I…I don't remember…only bits and pieces…but…"

"How did you…lose it again?" She questioned.

"Not sure. There…there was a demon…must have done something…
extracted it…I…how am I back?"

"Giles," she told him. "Cordelia called, told us about...you...Giles
used the ritual...the one that Willow used last time."

"Giles? Why didn't...Willow...oh god," he groaned, covering his
face again.

"Willow…couldn't do it. She's been missing for…for a long time,"
Buffy told him. She hesitated before continuing, not wanted to ask
what she was about to, but knowing she had to. "Angel…do you know
what happened to Willow?"

The vampire looked up at the blonde and she knew…immediately, by the
haunted look in his eyes…she knew.

"Is…is she alive?" She asked, her voice catching in her throat.

Angel shook his head. "She's…he…I turned her," he whispered, seeing
Buffy's eyes widen in horror. "I took her, I tortured her and I
turned her."

~*~

Spike jumped up, hearing the girl next to him scream. Reaching
over, he pulled her struggling body into his arms, shaking her a
little, trying to wake her from whatever nightmare was plaguing her
sleep.

Finally, she opened her watery eyes and looked up at him, relaxing
slightly when she saw where she was and who she was with. She closed
her eyes again and a moment later pushed at his chest, shoving him
away. She glared at him, hating this weakness within her.

"You alright, pet?" He asked softly.

"Fine," she answered, not meeting his eyes. She knew it was night
time, could feel it and pulled herself up out of the bed and moved
toward the ladder.

"Where are you going?" Spike questioned, following her.

"Need to feed," she answered with a growl as she reached the top of
the ladder.

"The Slayer will find you," he told her.

"Counting on that," she replied, not bothering to look back at him
as she pulled on a leather coat.

Grabbing her arm, he spun her around to face him. "She finds you,
she stakes you, whether she wants to or not."

"Care to make a wager on that?" She asked with a smug smile.

"You are FAR too cocky for your own good," he replied. "Reminds me
of…"

"Who?" She asked, hands on her hips. "Who do I remind you of?"

"Never mind," he growled.

Just then the door to the crypt burst open and Harmony came walking
in, glancing at Spike.

"I'm back my little Spikey-bear! I thought I would give you time to
take care of…oh, she's still here. I'm gone for one day, and what…
now you're sleeping with…her?"

"Harm…"

"You are supposed to be MY boyfriend!" She shouted, stomping her
foot on the ground.

Spike let out a deep sigh before lunging at the blonde, gripping her
neck tightly. "You know what Harmony? Not anymore. Consider us
broken up!" With that he shoved her hard, sending her across the
room and against the door.

"Oh yeah! Well…you can't break up with me `cause I'm breaking up
with you first! Yeah! I'm dumping you! We're through! So you can
just-"

"Get OUT!" Spike bellowed and Harmony quickly turned, running out
the front door.

Spike looked toward Willow and saw her sauntering toward him, a grin
on her face.

"Oh, someone's a grumbly vampire tonight," she said in a little girl
voice, a small pout on her lips spreading into a smile. She leaned
herself against him, running a finger along his lips and felt his
arms wrap tightly around her.

"Yeah, well, that was long over due," he told her.

"I kinda like the strong, forceful Spike," she purred, licking at
his neck.

The blonde let out a slight moan before speaking. "Yeah, well, you
don't seem to like it so much when I'm forceful with you, luv."

Willow let out a little whimper, though her lips were still in a
pouty smile and she shrugged slightly. "Sometimes I do."

"That right?" He said, a grin spreading across his face.

Willow nodded, rubbing herself against him. "Mmm hmm…and maybe when
I get back, you can…get a little forceful with me downstairs."

"I think that maybe we could…when you get back? Thought I told you
not to go out there," he growled, pushing her slightly away from
him, though still holding onto her waist firmly.

"Need to feed," she said with a pout. "Come on, Spike, don't you
miss it? Don't you miss the smell of their fear, the thrill of the
chase, the satisfaction of sliding your fangs into their throat?
It's our nature, Spike. It's how we survive."

"Of course, I bloody well miss it," he told her, gripping her more
tightly in anger. "Would do just about anything to get this damned
chip out of my head…"

"You know, I could probably get it out with a little magic," she
told him with a sly smile, running a hand through his hair. "Bet it
would be easy as pie."

"That…that's not the point. The Slayer is…you could do that?"

Willow nodded, still smiling up at him. "Mmm hmm." She felt his
hands loosen on her waist and tried to take a step back.

"Did you know how to do it when you were still alive?" He asked
suspiciously.

Willow frowned and growled. "That Willow wasn't nearly as powerful
as I am," she told him, shoving at his chest and stepping away.
"She was nothing. I can do anything. And right now, I'm going out to
hunt."

"You are not going out there to get yourself killed," he snarled,
grabbing her arm again.

"Wanna bet?" She said before narrowing her eyes and using her magic
to send a shock through the hand holding her, knocking him back off
of her.

The redhead was surprised as she felt herself become dizzy from the
simple bit of magic and stumbled a few steps toward the door. In a
flash, Spike was standing in front of her.

"You think you're so strong, so powerful, but right now, you're
weak. You wouldn't stand a chance with the Slayer," he told her,
catching her as she stumbled again and almost fell over.

She tried to push him away, but he simply tightened his arms around
her, holding her in place. Closing her eyes, the vampire quickly
centered herself for a moment and suddenly felt the blonde thrown
off of her, back against a wall.

Spike shook his head and looked up, growling to see that the redhead
was already gone.

Part 5

Buffy wandered through the cemetery, not entirely sure she wanted to
find what she was looking for. The prospect of coming across her
former friend and having to stake her did not sit well with her.
However, she was the Slayer and this is what had to be done.

Hearing a woman scream, Buffy's head shot up and she took off in a
full run toward the sound. A few seconds later she came upon the
scene she had most feared. She could see the back of the redheaded
vampire, holding onto a blonde woman as she drank from her.

Reaching forward, she grabbed the vampire's shoulder and pulled her
back. Willow dropped the woman, who was nearly dead already and
spun around, glaring at the Slayer.

"Hey, I wasn't finished," she whined. Cocking her head to the side
she smiled slightly. "Maybe you wanna be the main course?" Lifting
her hand up, she wiped at the blood on her lips and chuckled.

"Don't think so," Buffy responded, pulling a stake out and holding
it up.

"Buffy, you're going to stake me?" Willow asked innocently, giving
her former friend her best puppy-dog look. "I was your best
friend. You know, the reason I'm dead is because of you. And now…
now you're gonna stake me?"

"Don't have a choice," Buffy stated, trying to ignore that the
vampire before her wore the face of her best friend.

"Well, if you wanna play…" Willow began, before suddenly lunging for
the Slayer with a snarl.

Buffy quickly held her arms up, holding the vampire at bay before
shoving her away and kicking her further back.

"Willow, we don't have to do this," Buffy told the redhead.

"Aw, but I was so looking forward to it. I'm thinking after you're
dead…I'll go visit your little sister, Dawnie."

Buffy's face hardened and she pulled her arm back before connecting
her fist with the vampire's jaw, sending her sprawling backwards
onto the ground. Willow quickly jumped up, wiping at her own blood
now mingling with the left over blood she had stolen a few minutes
before.

"Stay the hell away from her," Buffy said through clenched teeth.

"Come on, Buffy. The girl idolizes me. I'm, like, her role-model,"
Willow said with a smile. "Bet she'll taste real yummy too."

"Willow, that's enough."

Willow spun around, hearing the deep, male voice.

"Oh, look…it's the Slayer's little puppy," Willow said with a grin.

"Watch your mouth, little girl," Angel growled, stepping closer to
her.

Willow raised her eyebrows and smirked at him. "Enjoying having the
soul back, Angel?" She asked sweetly, hearing him growl in reply.

Looking down, she saw a small kitten that the woman she had fed from
had been carrying. Leaning down, she lifted the purring feline up
into her arms, cooing at it and scratching its head.

"Come on, Angel," she purred with a smile, nuzzling the grey
kitten. "Don't you think I know how much this is hurting you?"
Holding the cat up in the air, she swung it around playfully, not
looking at Angel as she spoke. "I mean, not only were you unable to
save poor, helpless, innocent little Willow..." She paused and
brought the cat down to cradle it at her chest, glancing up at
Angel. "Well, she really wasn't all THAT innocent any more, now was
she? But not only were you unable to save her...YOU are the one that
killed her. YOU drained her life away and YOU damned her for all
eternity." She looked back down at the cat with a smile. "Isn't
that right, little kitty?" Holding the cat up just over her face
she let its paws bat at her nose, giggling for a minute before
glancing up at the older vampire again. "See the mean old vampire,
kitty? He tries so hard to pretend to be something he's not...tries
so hard to not act like the animal he is. I mean, Spike at least
has the excuse of a chip to not bite. You...you can bite but you
never do. Well..." she paused again, fingering the faint scar on
her neck, "almost never." She smiled again as she felt and heard
the cat purring in her arms. "You can pretend it's not there,
Angel. You can pretend you're not evil, but we both know...don't
we? We both know it's there, just under the surface, just dying to
break free. You can't fool me. Buffy, maybe, but me? I've seen
it, haven't it? I know what you are...without the mask? We both
know what you are. And to think, all it would take to bring it out,
for good, is just one single moment of happiness."

"Don't think for a second you have the power to give that to me," he
growled, clenching his fists at his side.

She let out a small chuckle. "Maybe I don't, but I'm sure I can find
something that would."

Angel cringed as the deceptively innocent looking girl glanced back
at the kitten.

"That's gotta be some guilt," she mused as the cat batted at her
face playfully and she giggled again. "See da mean old vampire bein
all grumbly and broody, kitty?" She cooed to the kitten before
turning toward Buffy.

"I WILL kill you, bitch," Willow growled, before glancing down at
the kitten purring contently in her hands, watching it for just a
moment, before suddenly letting her true face slip forward and
sweeping her head down with a snarl, sinking her fangs into the
cat's neck, draining it dry. When she was done, she let the dead
animal slip from her hands and turned to walk away.

Buffy moved to go after her but Angel stopped her.

"What are you doing? I can't let her just walk away," Buffy argued,
glaring at the dark haired vampire.

"She's my childe, Buffy," he told her. "I can't let you kill her."

"What? You killed your sire," she replied. "You tried to kill
Spike…he's your grandchilde…"

"This is different, Buffy. The things I did to her…she's right…it's
my fault. You can't kill her."

Shrugging his hand off of her, she looking up in anger. "Do you
think I like this, Angel? Do you think I like the fact that my best
friend is an evil, blood-sucking demon who wants to kill me and
everyone I love? Do you think I enjoy knowing that I have to kill
her?" Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away in
the opposite direction, leaving Angel standing alone in the dark,
quiet cemetery.

Part 6

Hearing the door to the crypt open, Spike stood up from the chair
he'd been sitting in, waiting impatiently.

"Ah, she returns," he said, sounding bored. "Have a good time?"

"Yep," she responded with a smile. "Ran into an old friend of
mine."

He raised an eyebrow in question.

"The Slayer. Interrupted my meal," she said with a slight pout.

"The Slayer, caught you…feeding…and didn't kill you?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Angel stopped her."

"Angel? Why would he stop her?"

"He has his reasons."

Before Spike had a chance to question her further, he suddenly
sensed something. The Slayer.

"Bugger," he mumbled, trying to decide what to do.

"What?"

"The Slayer, she's coming here, looking for you, no doubt. Go
downstairs," he told her.

"Don't wanna," she said, another pout crossing her lips.

Grabbing her shoulders in a painful grip he shoved her toward the
trap door with a growl. "I SAID to go downstairs. Now! You go and
you stay down there and don't say a word, got it?"

Knowing better than to argue further, she climbed down into the cave
below and sat on the bed, listening intently to the sounds above her.

~*~

The door to the crypt flew open and slammed loudly against the stone
wall.

"Ah, Slayer, always such a pleasure to welcome you into my home,"
Spike said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Not in the mood for games, Spike," Buffy told him as she walked
toward the vampire.

"Good then," he replied. "Let's skip the witty repertoire and jump
right to the reason you're barging in here tonight. Find a new lead
on the witch, have you?"

"Something like that," she responded vaguely.

"Do tell," he said, jumping up onto the sarcophagus and lighting a
cigarette.

"Willow's been turned. She's a vampire," Buffy said, her voice full
of pain and guilt.

Spike's eyes widened as he feigned surprise. "And you know this
how?"

"Angel…he…told me," Buffy explained.

This time Spike's eyes really did widen from surprise. What did
that poof have to do with this? "Angel? How did he know?"

Buffy let out a sigh before beginning to explain the story as
briefly as possible. "We got a call from L.A. Apparently, Angel
was fighting a demon and it extracted his soul. That was months ago…
not long before Willow was taken, as luck would have it."

Spike sat stock still, taking in what the Slayer was saying.

"Apparently, the newly unleashed Angelus decided to head back to
good old Sunnydale…even the score or something like that, found
Willow and took her. There was pain and torture…" Buffy's voice
caught in her throat as she desperately fought to keep the mental
images away. "And then, apparently, he turned her, just before Giles
restored his soul."

Spike sat, staring at her in a strange mixture of shock and anger.
Angelus! He should have known. How could he have overlooked
something so obvious? Bastard always did get there first, didn't he?
How could Willow not tell him that Angelus was her sire?

"I ran into her earlier tonight…had a fun little exchange of words,
among other things and then Angel came along and let her go. I need
to find her…now. I need to know if you've heard anything…know where
she might go?"

Spike shook his head. "Wish I could tell you, Slayer, but I haven't
got a bloody clue. I'll keep my ears open though, talk to a few
demons I know, so what I can find out. Might take some time though."

"The sooner I find her and get this over with, the better," Buffy
said quietly, walking toward the door.

"What happens when you do find her?" He called out, needing to hear
the answer.

Buffy turned back to him and shrugged, a frown on her face. "I kill
her," she replied simply, before turning back and walking out the
door.

Part 7

Willow was sitting on the edge of the bed, biting at her nails
nervously. She had heard their entire conversation. He knew. He
knew about Angelus and Angel and she was really not looking forward
to his reaction.

Would he stake her on the spot? Or worse yet, would he leave her,
now that he knew?

Hearing him coming down the ladder and moving across the room, the
younger vampire kept her head tilted downward, not able to meet his
gaze. He stopped just in front of her, looking down. Finally, she
turned her eyes up toward him. His face, as usual, was stony and
cold and completely unreadable.

"Few things we need to talk about, pet," Spike said in a voice so low
and calm that it was eerie.

"Oh?" She said, trying to sound as sweet and innocent as possible.
"What's that?"

"What's that?" He repeated, incredulously. "How about the fact that
Angelus is your sire?! Or the fact that you said your sire was
dead?! Or that you said that YOU killed him!!"

Willow flinched as the blonde yelled, reaching down and yanking her
up by the arms, so that she was standing right in front of him.

"I…I…I didn't SAY that I killed him exactly…I…I said more or less,"
she explained, feebly. "A-and it's true. He is dead. Angel's back,
my SIRE is dead…and it is my fault, because I was the one that had
the ritual to restore the soul in the first place. I should have
destroyed it a long time ago. The Watcher never would have…"

He stared at her for a moment before responding, his voice again low
and frighteningly calm. "Why did you not tell me that it was
Angelus?"

"I…I was afraid you wouldn't…let me stay," she admitted in a tiny
voice.

Spike contemplated this for a minute, before letting out a deep sigh
and shoving her away from him. The redhead stumbled backwards and
landed on the bed behind her, looking up at him fearfully.

"You come running to me for help, when all along, you belong to him!"
He yelled, pacing the room in front of her.

Willow jumped up from the bed, shaking her head back and forth. "I
don't belong to him," she growled, her eyes flickering gold. "He
left."

"Yeah, well that's what he does best," Spike said bitterly.

"I DON'T belong to him," Willow vehemently repeated.

"That right? And who exactly do you belong to?" He asked.

"I belong to no one," she told him, clenching her fists at her side,
her demon threatening to jump forward, bubbling just below the
surface.

"Wrong answer," he growled, suddenly upon her, his hand wrapped
around her throat tightly. "You belong to me now, got it?"

"I belong to no one!" She choked out, trying to pry his hand from her
throat.

"You belong to me," he repeated, his tone deadly as he released her
from his grip. "You will do as I say and you will NOT go out again
without me, understand?"

"You don't want me to go out and hunt because you can't!" She
accused. "You're weak and you're leashed and you want me to be no
better!"

Letting her go, she stumbled back slightly before he suddenly lashed
out, backhanding her hard across the face. "Watch it, girl…you are
treading dangerously now," he warned.

Willow simply crossed her arms over her chest and raised her chin up
defiantly.

"You aren't my sire," she growled. "You can't command me."

In a flash, he had her pinned face-first against the cold, unyielding
wall, an arm held painfully behind her back. She mentally noted that
she was finding herself in this position far too often as of late.

"Who is the one who will protect you, who will feed you, who offers
you a soft bed, who will make you quiver and moan?" He growled lowly
in her ear, "I may not be your sire, but you WILL respect me as if I
were. Understand? You tell me your sire is dead? Then from now on,
for all intents and purposes, you belong to me."

Turning her head slightly to the side, she glanced backwards toward
him, a sly smile spreading across her lips. "Maybe you need to show
me a little," she said in a low, seductive voice.

Letting out a deep growl, Spike lunged forward and sank his fangs
deep into her neck, his bite claiming. He savored the rich flavor of
her blood as it flowed into his mouth. Willow moaned and bucked back
against him, feeling the pull of her blood. Biting a little deeper,
Spike heard the younger vampire whimper and it was music to his
ears. This little spitfire was his now. He had claimed her and no
one would be able to take her away.

Part 8

When he had finally taken enough from her, he pulled his head back,
spinning her around. She was dizzy and panting, blinking several
times to try and force her eyes to focus again. Before she could
regain her composure, his lips descended upon hers in a claiming
kiss. Were it necessary for her to breath, surely she would be dead
as he claimed her mouth forcefully, passionately sucking every last
unneeded breath from her.

The blonde's grip was solid and painful, only serving to stir her
passion all the more. Willow was clinging to him desperately,
moaning as he pulled his lips from hers and bent his head, licking at
the mark he had just made on her neck.

A second later, she felt herself being swept up off of her feet, and
carried down into the bedroom below. Spike tossed the redhead
roughly onto the bed and she scrambled up into a kneeling position,
reaching out to pull him toward her. He stepped back, out of reach,
just as she grabbed for his shirt, and she let out a whimper, pouting
at him.

"Spike, please," she whined, running her hands down her body
wantonly, pulling open her shirt, revealing her bare chest.

The blonde smirked at her, slowly undoing the first two buttons of
his shirt and running his hand down, along his chest, his eyes glued
to hers.

"Who do you belong to?" He asked in a low, gruff voice.

Willow frowned and let out a low growl. "I DON'T belong to ANYONE,"
she ground out, feeling the anger begin to bubble up again.

Suddenly, Spike lunged forward, pushing her backwards, pressing her
against the mattress, his weight holding her down. The younger
vampire struggled beneath him, only serving to amuse him.

"Thought I already explained this to you, luv," he told her, leaning
down and running his tongue along his claim again. "You belong to
me. Now, how can I get you to understand that?"

At that, Spike attacked her lips again with his own, the kiss
dominating. A moment later, he suddenly found himself flipped onto
his back, a small but powerful redhead straddling his stomach. Willow
leaned down with a feral grin and licked at his neck before
whispering seductively.

"I don't belong to anyone, Spike." Her voice was sugary-sweet and
when she brought her head back up he was surprised, though pleasantly
so, to see her true face had emerged. She was beautiful as a human,
but as a vampire, she was completely stunning.

"Want you, now," she said with a pout, suddenly gripping his shirt
and ripping it open, running her nails along his pale, smooth chest.

Spike's head tilted back as his eyes closed and he let out a deep
moan.

"Mmm, puppy likes," she purred, a sly grin on her face.

Spike's eyes popped open at her words and he reached out, grabbing
her shoulders firmly before suddenly flipping them both over again.

"I am not your puppy," he growled, his angry growing as he saw the
redhead giggle at him. "You will learn to obey and respect me, girl,
if I have to beat it into you."

"Ohhh, is that a threat or a promise?" She cooed, running her hands
along his chest as he hovered over her, her nails digging in and
leaving delicious red lines in their wake.

Spike grabbed both of her small wrists and pinned them over her head,
holding both hands tightly in one of his. "It's a guarantee," he
growled.

Willow grinned again, feeling her arousal growing, and bucked up
under him. Spike let out a growl, tightening his grip on her wrists
and watching her wince at the pain.

"Please," she whispered, closing her eyes tightly, "wanna play."

"Who do you belong to?" He questioned again.

She opened her eyes and looked straight up at him, not saying a word,
though her glare held nothing but pure defiance.

With movement so swift that even she wasn't able to register it,
Willow suddenly found herself completely naked, held down and covered
by an equally naked Spike. The feel of his cool skin against hers
was too much and she struggled to free her arms which were once again
pinned firmly above her head.

Seeing the blonde vampire lean over to the table next to the bed, she
turned her head try to follow his actions. A second later she heard
a snapping sound and her head tipped upward, feeling cool metal clamp
down around one wrist. She saw him clamp the handcuffs over the
other wrist and began pulling at them, realizing that she couldn't
break free.

"You wanted to play, didn't you?" He said with a snicker, before
beginning to kiss his way down her body. Starting at her neck, he
slowly moved down her chest, purposely ignoring her small, firm
breasts, smiling against her skin as he heard her whimper in protest.

Taking his time, moving at an achingly slow pace, he kissed and
sucked his way down her stomach until he reached the fragrant
juncture between her legs. Pausing, he glanced up to see her
writhing, eyes closed, chained to the bed, deciding that was the way
she should always look.

"Who do you belong to?" He questioned, hearing nothing more than a
whimper as she bucked up again, protesting the loss of his mouth. A
moment later, he heard her moaning as he tasted her, licking and
sucking at a pace as slow and cruel as he had moved down her body
with.

"Spike, please," she begged and he smiled against her, feeling her
body tensing, knowing she was so close.

Again, he pulled his head away, looking up at her, licking his lips.

Slowly, he crawled back up her body, kissing her deeply, letting her
taste herself on his lips. She moaned and bucked up again, begging
for more.

Positioning himself at her entrance, he thrust in with one fluid
motion, hearing her scream in a mixture of pleasure and pain.
Beginning an immediate rhythm, he slowly slid in and out of her, over
and over until he had the redhead panting and moaning incoherently
beneath him.

Knowing she was just about to go over the edge, he stilled his
movements, giving her a cocky grin as she looked up in complete
frustration.

"Who do you belong to?" He questioned, seeing her clamp her eyes shut
and hearing her moan.

Reaching out, he pinched a nipple hard between his fingers, twisting
it painfully, and she gasped and arched her back, her eyes popping
open and staring up at him again. She tried to move her body beneath
him, desperate for any kind of friction or movement, but he easily
held her still.

"Tell me," he whispered, "and I'll give you everything you want."

Finally she let out a deep, unneeded breath and whispered, "You, I
belong to you, Spike."

Immediately he resumed his rhythm, speeding up and pounding into her
hard and fast, hearing her keening as she came, her already
impossibly tight walls clamping down around him, pushing him to his
own climax.

Both thoroughly sated and exhausted, Spike collapsed on top of the
redhead. As they both came down, he heard her whimper and lifted his
head, suddenly afraid that he had been too rough with her. She gave
him a pouty smile and lifted her arms slightly, indicated the
handcuffs.

"Sorry, luv," he mumbled, leaning forward and undoing the cuffs,
tossing them to the ground. He rolled off of her, pulling the
redhead with him and smiled as she snuggled closely to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Willow whispered in a sleepy
voice. "I was just afraid that..."

"Shhh," he interrupted. "No worries, pet. Just remember, from now
on, you belong to me, and no more secrets, alright?" Spike wasn't
even sure why he felt such a strong need to claim this fledgling as
his own, but for some reason, he did. She was his, and he knew it,
and no other thought could have made him happier. He felt her nod
against his chest before they both quickly drifted off to sleep.

Part 9

Spike was slowly pulled from his sleep and turned, stretching.
Feeling for the vampire next to him, and finding nothing, he
suddenly sat up, looking around the room.

"Something wrong?"

He looked toward the dark corner where the voice had come from.

"What are you doing?" He questioned.

"Wanna go out," she told him as she made her way back to the bed,
now fully dressed. She climbed up onto the mattress and crawled
toward him.

"Thought I told you not to go out without me," he growled, trying to
ignore the seductive way in which she was moving toward him.

"Who says you aren't coming?" She whispered, as she leaned over him,
kissing his lips lightly.

"Where exactly is it that you think we're going? You know that
Buffy will still be looking for you."

"My parents are in town, for the moment. Thought I'd stop by and say
hello."

"Have a nice little family get together, that it?" He asked. "Sit
around, chatting over dinner?"

"Something like that," she replied with a smile. "Although, I don't
think there will be much chatting. It's gonna be more like `ow,
please no, oh the pain!'" She sat up, tossing her hand over her
forehead dramatically before giggling.

"So I get to sit and, what, watch you have a nice meal then?" He
grumbled, pushing her back a bit and sitting a little taller.

The redhead pouted, sitting back on her heels. "Thought you'd join
me," she said quietly.

"I think you're forgetting about a little chip problem I have," he
growled.

"Chip problem all gone," she told him.

His eyes widened and he gave her a questioning look.

"Took care of that when I woke up. Figured it was better to do it
when you were still sleeping," she explained.

"You took care of it, as in..."

"As in all gone, go bye-bye," she said in childish, mocking voice.

"You-you made it go away, just like that?" He asked, not able to
believe it.

The redhead nodded, "I told you I was powerful." She smiled as she
saw the wide grin cross his face and leaned in toward him
again. "So, you're pleased?"

Spike nodded, "More than you know." He told her, reaching out and
grabbing her shoulders, pulling her in for a deep, passionate kiss.

When he finally pulled away, she looked up at him, eyes shining.
"Then, can we go out and play?"

"Absolutely, luv. Can't think of anything I'd rather do."

"Really?" She whispered seductively. "Nothing?" She ran a hand up
his chest slowly, her nails lightly scraping the pale skin. Willow
smiled, feeling him shudder slightly.

"Almost nothing," he whispered, grinning, just before pulling her
into another searing kiss.

Part 10

"What exactly do you expect me to do?" Buffy yelled in frustration.

"Buffy, it's Willow."

"No, Xander, it's not. I-I'm sorry, but it's not. If you had seen
her, the way she acted, the things she said, it's not her."

The dark haired man looked down at his hands in his lap, not knowing
what to say or do.

"This is my fault," Angel said quietly.

"No one's arguing that point here," Xander growled, glaring at the
vampire. "We should have staked you a long time ago."

"Enough!" Giles yelled. "This isn't helping."

"Giles, what do we do?" Buffy asked.

"I wish I knew the answer," he responded sadly.

"What about giving her a soul, like Angel's?" Anya suggested,
smiling as her boyfriend's face lit up.

"No."

Everyone turned toward Angel.

"What do you mean, no?" Xander demanded.

"You can't do that to her. You have no idea how difficult it is, to
exist like this, with a soul."

"Well, it's better than letting her run around killing people, or-or
dusting her!" Xander shouted.

"Think about Willow, the Willow we know, the guilt of what she's
done, it would kill her," Buffy said quietly.

"Well, she hasn't been a vampire for that long, right? You said it
was only about a week or so since you turned her, right?" Xander
said hopefully. "So how much damage could she have caused in that
amount of time?"

"Willow was...she was with Angelus for months, Xander, and he-I the
things she endured, even before she was turned, she wasn't your
Willow anymore. She was broken over and over." Angel's voice
cracked with emotion, the horrifying memories of what he had done
flooding his mind. He looked up seeing Xander staring at him, his
face red with anger.

"What exactly did you do to her?" The younger man ground out.

Angel shook his head. "Tortured her in every way imaginable. Raped
her, beat her, was creating another Drusilla."

"Why would you want another crazy childe?" Anya asked.

"It's Angelus' favorite game. See how long it takes to break them.
Willow lasted longer than anyone I've ever known. By the time he-I
was ready to turn her, oh god." He closed his eyes, pushing back the
tears that threatened to fall. "She had lost the will to fight.
The fire, the light in her eyes, it was gone and she retreated into
herself. Looked more like a lost little girl than the strong woman
she was. In the end, she begged to be killed, turned, she didn't
care. She just wanted it to be over."

"You sick bastard!" Xander yelled, jumping up and lashing out at the
vampire.

Buffy caught him and held him back, "Xander, stop!"

"No! Why are you still protecting him! You just listened to what he
did to her! How can you defend him?!"

"I'm not defending him," Buffy stated, glancing toward Angel
gravely. "He didn't have his soul, it wasn't Angel, just like this,
now, it isn't Willow. I-I'm not defending him, but now isn't the
time, Xander."

Finally, he calmed down a bit and backed off, sitting back down next
to Anya, but keeping a steady, deadly glare on Angel.

"What happened after you turned her?" Buffy asked.

"It was just as planned. She was completely evil and completely
devoted to Angelus," he told them. "The vampire version of her that
you all met last year, that was nothing compared to what Angelus had
created. She's devious, ruthless and cunning. She isn't insane
like Dru, either. There's a part of her, something that's off, but
it isn't the same."

"You're telling us that she's completely ruthless and evil, but we
can't stake her and we can't give her a soul?" Xander questioned.

Angel simply nodded.

"What happened when you got the soul back?" Buffy asked.

"She had only been awake a few days and was still weak from
everything before. I had been staying with her, hadn't had the
chance to take her out hunting yet. I was keeping her below one of
the crypts in the cemetery. She was asleep when you did the
restoration. I-I ran out. I didn't know what else to do, so I-I
left her there." The eyes of everyone else in the room widened as
he spoke. "There were maybe 8 or 9 minions there, with her. She
was weak still, too weak to have fought them," His voice trailed off
as he covered his face in shame.

"You left her there? You left her there with them?!" Xander shouted.

"I-I was confused. I didn't even remember that she was there until-
until later, and by then, she was gone."

Buffy nodded, "She escaped. So, she must be stronger than you
thought. That still leaves us with what to do with her now. Give
her a soul or kill her."

part 11

"Did you have fun, Spike?" The redheaded vampire wrapped her arms
around the blonde's waist as they leaned against the side of the
house.

"Had a blast, luv," he said with a smile, his tongue snaking out and
licking the blood from her lips. "Though I have to say, I expected
them to taste a little better. A little more like you."

Willow made a face and pulled back, looking at him, her arms still
around him. "Wanna go have some dessert?" She asked with a sly
smile.

"What did you have in mind?" He questioned, leering at her, waggling
his eyebrows.

"Thought maybe we could go pay a visit to the Summers' home," she
told him, leaning in and licking his neck seductively.

His smile quickly faded and Spike yanked her back harshly, his grip
on her shoulders painful and unyielding. "Told you to stay away
from the Slayer," he growled.

"Wasn't talking about the Slayer," she said with a pout. "Wanted to
see if maybe Dawnie wanted to come out and play."

"You're completely insane, you know that?" He told her, tightening
his grip on her. "You lay so much as a hand on that girl's head and
Buffy will stake your ass faster than you can blink, got it?"

"Come on, Spike," she whimpered, jutting out her lower lip. "All
the things they did to you while you were chipped, all the
humiliation. Don't you wanna have any fun?"

The blonde let out a deep sigh, loosening his hold on her
slightly. "Of course I do, luv. Just don't want to lose you is
all. Just got you, not ready to give you up just yet."

The redhead grinned and leaned in, kissing the older vampire deeply,
running her hands under his shirt and scraping her nails along his
pale skin.

"You're trying to distract me," he accused.

"Is it working?" She whispered with a sly smile.

"Not sure," he told her, his eyes closing briefly. "Why don't you
keep trying and I'll let you know."

~*~

Buffy and Angel were out on patrol, still having come to no decision
on what to do about Willow. They were both tense, neither saying
much of anything to one another. Finally, Buffy broke the silence.

"You know, I meant what I said," she stated quietly. "I know it
wasn't you, your soul was gone, but, I won't defend you on this
either."

Angel nodded sadly. "I understand," he told her. "You know if I
could do anything to change this, I would."

Buffy nodded slowly. "I know, but you can't. Look, maybe we should
split up, cover more ground," she said, needing a little time
alone.

Angel nodded and they each turned, going their separate ways.

Entering the cemetery, Buffy paused, her head lifting up, and she
looked around cautiously. She sensed something, something familiar,
yet different.

"Spike," she muttered, realizing what it was and turning around,
finding him right behind her.

"Slayer," he said with a feral grin.

"What are you so happy about?" She questioned.

"Just got me a new shirt," he said, opening his coat and displaying
his silk covered chest. "Was a gift, from a very dear friend.
That, and well this."

With that, he pulled his arm back before punching the Slayer as hard
a possible, sending her sprawling backwards. Buffy scrambled to her
feet, looking at him in shock.

"The chip…it's…"

"Gone," he said with a wide grin. "I'nt that just neat?"

"How?" She asked.

"Ah-ah, that would be telling, now wouldn't it?"

"Willow," she whispered, realization dawning on her.

"Well, you ARE good. Got it on the first try. Yeah, Angel turned
the little witch, and guess who she came running to?"

"Willow removed your chip?" She asked quietly, still in slight shock.

"Having a little trouble getting this, aren't you Slayer?" Spike
said with a chuckle. "Let me explain, then. Angel left Willow and
she came running to me. I took care of her, she removed the chip and
a great big blood bath is in the making."

Suddenly, Buffy lashed out, punching Spike hard. His head snapped
back, but he quickly recovered, punching her back. He was about to
hit her a second time, when Buffy caught his fist, holding it
tightly.

"Looks like, this time, Slayer, you lose," he told her, before
swinging with his other arm and knocking her out with one solid
hit. Looking up from the fallen slayer, Spike felt something. Pain
and anger...coming from Willow. Leaving the Slayer unconscious on
the ground, Spike turned and walked away, in fast pursuit of Willow.

part 12

Willow was standing in front of a crypt, looking at the ivy winding
around the stone. She felt him approaching before he was even close,
and fought the clenching feeling in her stomach. Now was NOT the
time for weakness.

"Angel," she said coolly, without turning around. "Could feel you
coming a mile away."

"How?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

She turned her head and glanced at him over her shoulder. "The bond
still works, even if you choose to ignore it."

"Willow, I-"

"Don't!" She stopped him. "We don't have anything to say to each
other."

"Yes, I have to explain to you that-"

"Alright then," she interrupted, "I have nothing to say to you, and
you have nothing to say that I could possibly want to hear. So, you
can turn around, walk away and go to hell."

"Watch it, childe! I am still your sire and you WILL show me
respect," he growled.

"MY sire? My SIRE?! YOU lost all rights and privileges that come
along with that title when you abandoned me, leaving me alone with
those," she stopped herself, her hands fisted at her sides, nails
digging into the palms of her hands enough to draw blood. She stared
him down, her eyes filled with seething hatred.

"Willow, I-" Angel paused, inhaling deeply. That scent…it surrounded
her. Recognizing who it belonged to he growled, seeing the mark on
her neck. "Spike," he ground out. "He's claimed you."

"Is there a problem with that?" She asked innocently just before
finding herself slammed back against the crypt, staring into the
yellow eyes of her sire.

"How DARE you allow someone else to claim you!" Angel growled,
holding the redhead in a painful grip. "You are MINE! I made you."

Angel knew that all control was lost. Angelus was out and ready for
blood, and every fiber of his being screamed that he let him go.
This was his childe and he would not allow her to be claimed by
someone else, least of all Spike.

"Awww look," Willow said with a smile, ignoring his painful
grasp, "Daddy's all mad now." She gave him a pouty smile, letting
him know that she did not see him as a threat anymore.

"Watch it, little girl," the older vampire growled. "I am your
sire. You will treat me with respect or I will be forced to remind
you of your place."

Suddenly, Willow grabbed Angel's arms and shoved him off of her,
glaring at him in hatred. "You might have made me, but you are NOT
my sire!" She yelled. "You left me alone, to die. Spike, he takes
care of me. He protects me. You! You are nothing to me."

"Pet? He bothering you?" Her body relaxed slightly as she turned her
head to see Spike walking up behind her. She tried to hide her
extreme relief at his appearance. The blonde came up to her,
wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and she shook her
head, looking back at him and smiling before he captured her lips
with his own in a passionate kiss that was as much for her own
reassurance as it was for show in front of Angel.

When they finally broke the kiss, she turned her head back, seeing
Angel watching them, struggling to keep his temper in check. "You've
been replaced, Angel," she said with a wicked smile. "You're nothing
to me now."

"Do you know why it feels so right for you to be with him, Willow?"
Angel asked in anger, his voice low and dangerous. "Because he's MY
childe. You BOTH belong to me. You BOTH were sired with MY blood.
The only reason you want him is because he feels like me."

"That's NOT true, Angel," the redhead growled, knowing without
looking that there was a pained expression on Spike's face. For all
of his macho bad ass talk and actions, she knew his insecurities, and
Angel had just hit every one of them.

"He doesn't feel like you. He's better to me than you ever could
have been. He offers me the world. All you ever did was take it
away." She grinned as she saw him physically flinch from her verbal
onslaught. If he was going to use words to hurt the one she loved,
she would throw them right back at him.

"Angel, the truth is you despise Spike because he's the demon you
will never be. He knows who he is and he's not held back by
something as disgusting and wrong as a soul or guilt or love of a
Slayer," she spat the last word with disgust.

With that, she closed her eyes, taking a second to center herself,
and muttered a few words. When she opened her eyes she smiled,
seeing that her sire was gone.

"Where did you send him, pet?" Spike asked as he kissed her ear and
neck.

"Right were he started," she told him with a sly smile.

~*~

Angel gasped for unneeded breath, as it felt like his insides were
being torn out. Suddenly, the painful sensation stopped, leaving him
feeling dizzy and disoriented and it took him a moment to focus his
vision. Looking around, he realized that he was no longer in the
cemetery. Looking around, he recognized immediately where the witch
had sent him…her old bedroom. The place where he had ripped from,
the night that he had taken her away.

Part 13

"Bored now."

The words echoed through the alley behind the Bronze as slow
footsteps sounded. He watched her as she slowly walked toward him,
stepping over one of the bodies that she had drank from earlier. As
she lazily ran her fingers along the brick wall beside her, Willow
lifted her eyes to look at him.

"Not having fun anymore, pet?" He asked as she reached him.
Reaching out with one hand, he caught her wrist and pulled her
closer to him, placing his hands on her waist possessively.

"They're bein all quiet now. They don't wanna play nice with me,"
she said in a slow, sugary voice, sticking out her lower lip.

He took her chin in his hand, tilting her head up a little to look
directly at him.

"They won't even scream anymore," she told him, gesturing toward the
body of a girl on the ground near their feet, before darting her
tongue out, licking lightly up his cheek. "Will you scream for me?"

"I'm thinking maybe I make you scream, pet," came the husky reply.
Gripping her hair, he yanked her head back and kissed her roughly.

After a minute, she pulled back and looked at him, smiling
slyly. "But I like to be the one to make people scream."

"I know luv, but I reserve the right to make you scream or do
anything else that I want." He shoved her roughly into the wall, his
mouth claiming hers as she purred softly.

Suddenly he pulled back, feeling a fang bite into his tongue.
Grabbing her hair in a tight grip, he slammed her harder against the
wall.

"Don't forget who you belong to, little girl. I AM still the
Master. Maybe you need a little lesson to remind you."

"Mmmm, maybe I do," she whispered with a sly smile. That was all
the encouragement that Spike needed. At those words, he easily
lifted her up, tossing her over his shoulder, before swiftly heading
toward the crypt.

Once he kicked the door shut and headed down to the cave below,
Spike set her on the ground and led the redhead over to a pair of
shackles on the wall, binding her there. Willow peered up at him
with lust filled eyes, licking her lips and grinning.

"Spikey wants to play," she purred. "Gonna make Willow scream."

"You'll be more than just screaming, luv. You'll be down right
begging before I'm done with you," he told her.

"Mmmmm, promise?" She whispered.

Spike simply grinned at her before stepping forward and claiming her
lips with his own in another brutal kiss.

~*~

Angel stumbled out the front door, feeling sick to his stomach as
the world around him spun. Images and memories flashed through his
mind of a young, sweet, innocent redhead, and clashed horribly with
those more recent encounters with the vampire version of the once
human girl.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

Angel spun around, startled by the voice behind him. He let out a
deep sigh, seeing the one person in the world that he knew could
make him feel worse than he already did.

"I asked you a question," he said angrily, stalking toward the
vampire. "What the hell are you doing here? Haven't you already
done enough damage?"

"I didn't mean to come here. She-she did it. She sent me here,
somehow, and…"

"Right, whatever," Xander said dismissively.

"What are YOU doing here?" Angel asked suddenly.

"Heard Willow's parents were in town," Xander told him. "Was hoping
to get here before…" He looked down, a sick expression on his face.

"She killed them?" Angel asked, his voice quiet and full of dread.

"Like sire like childe," Xander spat out, pulling a stake out of his
pocket and holding it up, ready to attack the souled vampire.

"Watch it, Harris. You have no idea what you're talking about,"
Angel growled, feeling himself tense defensively.

"I know that my best friend is dead. I know that she is out tearing
up the town right now, feeding and killing, and I know that you're
the one who killed her. Not really any more information I think I
need." Xander said, his voice dark and menacing as he took a step
toward Angel.

"Xander, listen to me. If there was anything I could do. Any way I
could take back what I've done…"

"I got something you could do," Xander told him with a cruel
grin. "You could die."

"Killing me won't bring her back," Angel reasoned.

"No, but it sure as hell will make me feel a lot better. Besides, I
figure I get you out of the way, there won't be anyone arguing to
not give Willow back her soul. Dust you, have Giles do the ritual,
abracadabra, I have my best friend back."

"You think that's all there is to it?" Angel scoffed. "Don't you
think there's a reason that I am the way I am?"

"What, you mean a broody murderer?" Xander shot at him.

"It's a curse, Xander. A curse. You give her the soul and it won't
just be like having Willow back, as if nothing happened."

Xander let out a growl. "Right, because you tortured her until she
was nearly insane!"

"No! Because she'll still be dead and she'll still have the demon
inside of her, screaming to drink, hurt, kill, destroy. And Willow
will have to fight that every day for the rest of eternity. She'll
have to fight it AND live with the knowledge of what she's done."

"Whatever she's done, it's not her fault!" Xander shouted, taking
another step closer to Angel. "It's your fault! You took Willow out
of the body and put the demon in her."

"But you still hold me accountable for what happened when my soul
was gone," Angel said quietly. Xander opened his mouth, ready to
argue the point, but then closed it again, unsure of what to say to
that. "Willow will be over-run with guilt over the lives she's
taken, the people she's hurt, the things she's said and done. Do
you want Willow, your best friend, to have to live an eternity like
that?"

"I just-I just want her back," Xander said, suddenly sounding
defeated, his arm dropping to his side, his fingers still loosely
gripping the stake. He looked away from the vampire, feeling the
tears fill his eyes. "I just want her back. I want to talk to her,
and hug her and I just want her back."

When he finally looked up again he realized that Angel was gone and
he was standing alone on the darkened front lawn.

Part 14

The next night, Giles was sitting alone in his home, pouring over
book after book, hoping to find something, though he had no idea
what he was even looking for, that would make their current
situation better. Suddenly, he was pulled from his deep thoughts by
a frantic knocking at the door.

Standing up wearily, he wondered who it was, and grabbed a cross and
stake off of the table, just in case. It was well past sunset,
after all, and any of his young charges would have had no problem
walking into the apartment without knocking.

Pulling the door open, Giles took a precautionary step back before
letting out a sigh of relief, seeing that it was only Angel standing
at his door. A very upset looking Angel, actually, but never the
less, he would take an upset looking vampire with a soul, over a
smiling vampire without one.

"Angel, come in," Giles said quietly, ushering the vampire into the
living room and shutting the door. "What can I do for you?"

"I think you should do the ritual," Angel blurted out.

"What? Well, I must say, I am a bit surprised. What's made you
change your mind?"

"Xander was right. I can't expect you to not kill her and not soul
her. We can't let her just run wild. It isn't right to let her
kill freely, and I can't control her."

"Yes, well I certainly think you've proved that well enough,
however, are you sure that this is the best thing to do, giving her
a soul? It won't be easy for her."

"I know," Angel replied quietly, looking away from the watcher, "but
it's the right thing to do. It won't be easy, but at least, maybe,
some day, she can still have some sort of normal life. I can help
her with the demon, to so extent at least, and…"

"Angel, I think that you and I both know that she will never have
anything close to a normal life," Giles interrupted. Again, the
vampire looked down in shame.

"I know," Angel admitted, "but this is better than destroying her."

"I can't help but wonder if your intentions are not of a more
selfish inclination," Giles told him. Angel gave him a surprised
looked. "To be the only souled vampire in the world, must be
terribly lonely, and to be able to make yourself a mate that is the
same…"

"No. This isn't about that," Angel insisted, though in the back of
his mind, he wondered if any part of what Giles was saying was
true. "She and I, we aren't even- she's with Spike, now, and he's
claimed her."

"Yes, Buffy did mention to me that she had a little run in with
Spike last night and that he and Willow were together. She also
said that his chip is gone."

"I figured as much," Angel stated.

"He won't be easily willing to let her go, you know," Giles told
him. "What do you plan to do about that?"

"Not sure," Angel admitted. "Spike is strong and stubborn, and he
isn't going to allow someone to take away something that he wants,
especially something that belongs to him. I don't want to kill him,
though."

Giles raised an eyebrow in surprise at that last statement, though
he supposed that he shouldn't have been quite so surprised. The two
vampires had a history, and though much of it might be mired in
fighting and hatred, there was a bond there, even if neither was
willing to admit it.

"We could leave the country, though I don't know if that would
really stop him," Angel continued. "I'm sure he would search the
world for her if necessary, until he found her."

"Once she has the soul, though, he might not be as interested in her
anymore," Giles stated.

Angel nodded, but didn't look convinced. "It's possible, but I
doubt that. Spike is just too unpredictable to gage his reaction
just yet. I suppose I'll just cross that bridge when I come to it.
Deal with him when I have to. For now though, just get together
everything you need for the ritual. The sooner we do it, the
better."

~*~

Willow rolled slightly, moaning softly as she felt an ache spread
throughout her body. She and Spike had spent hours `playing' and
now she was sore and tired and hurt in all the right places.
Turning around to look at the blond vampire, Willow's sleepy smile
suddenly faded as she saw that she was alone in the bed.

Immediately, she began to panic. He was gone! He had left her and
she was alone. She began to think that maybe he had just used her,
to get the chip out, and now that he had what he wanted, he had up
and left.

Looking over to the pile of clothes that had been discarded the
night before, she felt dread fill her as she saw that his leather
duster was gone.

Willow sat up, frantically looking around the dim room, clutching a
blanket to her chest like a lifeline. She wasn't sure what to do.
She was strong and powerful and she knew she could survive on her
own, but the very thought that someone else had abandoned her…

Jumping up off of the bed and wrapping the blanket around herself,
the redhead began searching the floor for the clothes that she had
been wearing, wanting, no, needing to get out of there as fast as
possible.

Spotting her black, leather pants across the room, she scurried over
and bent over to pick them up. Suddenly, the young vampire let out
a snarling growl as she felt strong hands grip her hips and pull her
back forcefully into a hard body.

Bolting upright, Willow felt her true face slip into place as she
spun around, growling, and was shocked to see Spike standing before
her.

"What did I tell you about not being aware of your surroundings," he
chided, though a playful smile slipped across his face.

Willow simply scowled, not wanting him to sense the immense relief
she felt as seeing that he was there, that he hadn't left her.

"You're in an awful hurry," he told her. The smile soon faded from
his lips, though, as he looked deeper into her eyes, which were now
green again, and he could see the glint of vulnerability and fear in
them.

"Pet, what's wrong?" He asked in concern, taking her arm and pulled
her with him to the bed. He sat and moved her to stand between his
legs, looking up at her, noticing that she wouldn't look him in the
eye.

"Didn't go too hard on you last night, did I?" He asked, running his
hands behind her and over her still sore ass.

Unable to help herself, Willow let her eyes flutter closed and
moaned softly. "Mmmm, no, just hard enough," she told him, not
seeing the vampire grin at her words.

"Good, then," Spike said, squeezing one cheek before smacking it
sharply, loving the sound of her squeal that followed. "So what had
you all upset?" He questioned, seeing her face fall as her eyes
opened to look at him.

"Who says I was upset?" She stated, coolly, not wanting to appear
weak in front of him.

"Willow," he scolded, "don't lie to me. Tell me, now."

Unable to disobey, she looked away before speaking. "I thought you
had left," she whispered.

"I did leave," he told her, confusion evident on his face.

"I didn't think you were coming back," she explained.

Realization dawned on the older vampire and he let out a deep sigh,
mentally kicking himself for not seeing this coming. She was, after
all, the childe of Angelus, so he shouldn't have been surprised. He
should have been more than used to picking up the pieces after his
grandsire had taken off, and the truth was, there was a lot more of
Drusilla in Willow than Spike cared to admit.

"Luv," he started, pulling her closer and down onto his lap,
delighting in the feel of her against him, "I'm not going anywhere,
alright?"

Willow looked up at him with anxious, uncertain eyes. It still
amazed him how she could be so powerful and strong one minute and
then seem so vulnerable and fragile the next. Yet one more way she
reminded him of Dru.

"You're stuck with me for the rest of eternity, whether you like it
or not. I'm not Angelus. I won't promise you the world and then
turn and run the other way, got it?"

The redhead nodded before smiling slightly. Spike leaned in,
kissing her forcefully, his arms wrapped tightly around her. When
he finally pulled away, licking the mark on her neck territorially,
he saw a questioning look on her face.

"So where did you go then?" She asked.

"Went to visit our old pals," he told her, smirking as she scowled
at him.

"You went there without me?" She said, pouting. "You had all the
fun, spoiled all my games."

"Not quite, pet," he told her. "Didn't let them know I was there.
Just wanted to stop by, see what they were up to."

"And?"

"And…" This was the part he wasn't really looking forward to telling
her. He wasn't sure how she would handle it. "Angel was there,
talkin to the watcher. Told him to give you back your soul."

Spike watched as the words registered with her and the redhead
suddenly vamped out again, straining to control her anger.

"Then I guess it's time I paid a visit to my old pal, Giles," she
said, an evil grin spreading across her face, knowing that Spike
would not object this time.

Part 15

"So, what exactly are we waiting for at this point?" Anya questioned.

"There are a few different ingredients this time," Giles explained.

"Different?" Xander asked, sounding nervous.

"Yes, well, I've gone over the translation of the spell used on
Angel to restore his soul and altered it slightly."

"Are you crazy? What if something awful happens? What if it's like
that horrible, horrible movie with the mouse whose sweeping the
floor and he makes the one broom turn into two brooms and then they
turn into four brooms and all of the sudden, there's an army of
brooms, and-and what if you create an army of vampire Willows? Do we
really need a vampire Willow army to fight? I mean, one is certainly
bad enough, don't you think?"

"Anya, I assure you, I will not be creating an army of vampire
Willows," Giles told the woman, shuddering at the very thought.

"Why change the ritual at all?" Xander asked.

"Well, because, quite frankly, I don't want to ever have to worry
about another Angelus-on-the-loose episode. This will ensure that
her soul is bonded permanently."

"You mean, she can, you know, have a moment of, uh, happiness, and
not go all grrr on us?" Xander question, hopefully.

Giles nodded with a soft smile. "Exactly."

"This is so great! She won't have to just be another version of
brood boy, then!" Xander stated happily. "She can have her soul but
still be happy."

"Oh, I'd say I'm already pretty happy." The three looked up toward
the door of the shop, shocked to see the very redhead in question,
standing before them, a bleached-blond vampire behind her, his arms
around her waist.

"Look, Spike," she said in a sweet, child-like voice, "toys."

"They look like rather boring toys to me, luv," Spike replied,
leaning into her back and nipping at her ear, enjoying the small
purring noise coming from his mate.

"Hey! I am not boring, buster!" Anya shouted, before realizing what
she was saying. "I-I mean yeah, you know, I'm really very boring.
You don't want to play with me, trust me. Giles over here, he's
much more fun."

"Anya!" Both Giles and Xander exclaimed, the three temporarily
forgetting about the vampires who were looking on in amusement.

"Play now?" Willow asked, looking back up at Spike.

"Sure thing, pet. Just be sure to save a little for me when you're
done."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Xander yelled, looking
around in nervous fear.

"I think it means that she is going to eat us," Anya told him in a
harsh whisper.

"Actually," Willow said, stepping closer to the huddled trio, "I
think it means that I'm going to make you scream a lot before I kill
you."

Seeing Giles' hand sliding back on the counter behind him, ever so
slightly, Willow suddenly reached out, grabbing his arm and spinning
him around, holding the arm tightly against his back. Giles winced
and tried in vain to pull away.

"Naughty, naughty, Watcher," Willow chided, before leaning in and
licking his neck, grinning slyly.

Willow turned to look up at Spike, who was watching with a false
look of disinterest. He could see the pain and smell the fear
coming from the watcher. This had been too long in coming.

"Problem, luv?" He asked.

"Rupert, here, wasn't playing fair. He was gonna try and cheat,"
she told him.

"No, really, I wasn't. I was just-" Giles was cut off as searing
pain shot through his arm. Willow pulled tighter, smiling in
satisfaction as she heard something snap.

"No talking, only screaming," she chided. "Bet I can make you scream
real good. What do you think?"

The redhead slipped into her true face and was about to lean in to
bite the watcher, when she suddenly heard the bell on the front door
ring.

"I don't think you're going to be making anyone scream just now."

Willow rolled her eyes, seeing Buffy and Angel standing at the front
door.

"Oh, look, it's the slayer and her puppy," Willow said, sounding
bored.

"Let him go," Buffy commanded.

"But, he's gonna be so yummy. I mean, yeah, he might taste a little
stale and all, but I promise, I'm REALLY going to savor this one."

"Willow, let him go," Angel growled.

The redhead looked toward her sire with a sneer. "I thought we
already covered this, Angel. I don't take orders from you anymore."

"Willow, trust me, you don't want to do this," Buffy tried to
reason, keeping one eye on Willow and one on the blond vampire to
her right.

"Oh, right, because you're going to give me a nice, fluffy little
soul, right?" Willow stated, rolling her eyes. "Well, sorry, but
not really interested."

"Willow, listen to me," Giles started, before the vampire yanked him
a little more firmly into her grasp.

"Shhh," she hissed. "Be quiet like a good puppy and pretty soon
Willow will make you bark."

"Willow, don't make me hurt you," Buffy warned.

"Aww, but Buffy, you're so good at it. And I gotta say, I do sorta
enjoy the pain. Just ask Spike."

Willow giggled as she heard Angel growl and saw Spike smirk. No one
seemed to notice Xander inching up behind her, a cross in hand.

Suddenly, Willow let out a loud snarl, spinning around and jumping
away from her former friend, throwing the watcher away from her, as
she felt the cross burn. Kicking out, she easily knocked the
offending object from his hand, and Xander quickly backed away.

The redhead turned back around, glaring at everyone in the room, a
low growl rumbling deep in her throat. Spike stepped up behind her
cautiously, wrapping an arm around her and purring into her ear.

"Might be a good time to make our exit, luv," he told her.

Willow shook her head. "Didn't get what we came here for."

"And what exactly was that?" Buffy asked, still holding her stake
high, ready to do whatever was necessary, but hoping it didn't come
to that.

Willow glanced over at the table with the orb and a few books and
old papers on it. "Just want to make sure that none of you were
hoping to become the new resident witch," she told them, moving over
to the table.

Picking up the orb, she looked it for a few moments, contemplating
exactly what it was that she held in her hand. This is what had
taken everything away. This little orb was the very object that
they had used to take her sire away, placing that horrible,
disgusting soul back into his body. Rage bubbled up inside of her
until she could take no more and suddenly, with a snarl, the vampire
threw the orb across the shop, smiling in satisfaction as it
shattered against the wall.

"Willow," Xander whispered in dread.

"Aww, don't be all sad, Xander," she told him with a cruel
grin. "Trust me, I'm much happier this way. The Willow that you
knew, she was pathetic. I'm practically the goddess herself."

"We can always find another orb," Giles told her with a groan, as he
pulled himself up from the floor.

"Thought of that," she told him. "I am, after all, the smart one of
the group." She lifted up the papers containing the ritual and
handed them to Spike. "Lover?" She purred. "A little help?"

"With pleasure, luv," he replied, taking the pages and pulling out
his lighter, quickly setting them on fire.

"Willow, stop!" Angel shouted, lunging for the vampire holding the
burning pages. Willow yelled out, holding out her hand, and Angel
suddenly froze in place. Hearing her yell out again, the older
vampire found himself thrown back into a large display, hitting the
wall hard and feeling the shelves and objects fall around him.

"Sorry, Daddy," she purred. "Looks like your little girl's all
grown up." Turning toward Spike, she smiled, seeing the last of the
papers fall to ash on the floor. "Spike, I think it's time to go
now."

She held out her hand, and just as Spike was about to reach out and
grab it, Buffy lunged for the redhead, tackling her to the ground.
Spike was about to pull the slayer off of his mate, when strong,
solid hands suddenly gripped his shoulders, holding him back.

"Let me go, you sodding bastard, or so help me…"

"Sorry, Spike, can't do that," Angel said with a slight grin. Both
looked toward the two women fighting on the floor, Spike struggling
to free himself and Angel holding onto him easily enough.

Just as Willow jumped up and punched the slayer, Spike stomped down
hard on Angel's foot, feeling his hold loosening, and spun around,
punching him hard in the jaw. Giles, Xander and Anya stood,
huddling in a corner, watching the two pairs battling one another.

"Come on, Slayer, show me what you can really do," Willow taunted.

"I don't want to kill you, Willow," Buffy said as the two circled
one another predatorily.

"Awww, well, that's too bad, cause I'm really looking forward to
spilling your blood," Willow shot back, before lunging for the
blonde.

"Looks like your girl is having a little bit of difficulty," Angel
told Spike. Spike turned to look toward the two women. Angel saw
his moment and took it. Grabbing the younger vampire, he lifted him
up off of the ground in one, swift movement, and before Spike could
even register what was happening, Angel heaved him forward with
every bit of strength in him. The blond vampire found himself
propelled through the front display window, glass shattering around
him as he landed with a thud on the street. His eyes slowly opened
as he groaned and tried to lift himself up, stopped by Angel's
booted foot on his chest.

"Think she's still love you when she has a soul, Spike?" Angel
taunted, knowing exactly where to aim to do the most damage. "Think
she'll still want to have anything to do with you?"

"Shut your mouth!" Spike yelled, gripping the heavy boot and shoving
hard, knocking Angel back away from him. "You bloody, righteous
bastard! First you abandon Dru and I, and then Willow. You think
you deserve to have her back, now?"

"Bottom line, Spike, who got to her first? Huh? Who tasted her
innocence and drank it until there was nothing less? Who was the one
that was able to bite her?"

Spike visibly flinched at the verbal onslaught, his borrowed blood
boiling.

Willow looked up in alarm, hearing the glass smashing, and seeing
Angel step through the broken window. Unforunately, had no time to
wonder if Spike was okay as she continued to fend off the slayer's
advances, but knew that Spike could certainly take care of himself.

"I can see you're starting to get tired," Buffy told Willow. "Why
don't you just give up right now."

"I'm just getting started," Willow replied.

"Yeah? I don't think so." At that, Buffy spun around and used every
bit of strength in her no throw a right hook directly at the young
vampire. She stopped and watched as the redhead fell to the ground,
unconscious. Glancing toward the front of the store, Buffy saw that
Angel still had Spike distracted outside. She and Xander quickly
grabbed the unconscious vampire, running out the back door to where
Xander's car was waiting, and drove off as fast as possible, with
Giles and Anya following not far behind.


"You may have been the one to turn her, but I'm the one she came
to. I'm the one she's wants," Spike told Angel, standing up and
punching him hard in the jaw.

Angel simply laughed cruelly. "That right? So, where is your mate
now, then?"

Spike stopped, fist in the air, and looked back into the shop
through the broken window. Not seeing or hearing anyone, he shoved
Angel aside and ran into the shop, looking around frantically. "What
the hell did they do with her?"

"Do? She left, Spike. She saw her chance and she took it.
Couldn't run out of here fast enough. Guess she doesn't care about
you that much after all, huh?"

Spike growled loudly before lunging for Angel, punching the older
vampire hard enough to knock him off of his feet.

Not waiting around, Spike ran out the back door, and looked up and
down the street, trying to catch a hint of where his mate had run
to. Her scent seemed to stop just outside the shop and he had no
idea how to trace her. Finally, he decided to head back to the
crypt, hoping he would find her there.

Angel pulled himself up off of the floor slowly, rubbing his aching
jaw, and watched with a silent frown as Spike went out in search of
the redhead.

Part 16

Spike grabbed a nearby folding chair and threw it across the room
with a growl. She hadn't returned. It was well past daybreak and
Willow had not returned home. He didn't really believe that she
would have just left him, but there was a small part of him that
wondered if she had. More likely, though, the slayer and her friends
had taken her, somehow, and were holding her somewhere. The very
idea made him rage with anger and he swore that one way or another,
he would get his mate back. \par

~*~

"You think you can keep me here forever? I can get out easily
enough!" Willow shouted into the dark, empty room. "I'll be free,
you'll all be dead, and I'll be happy!"

"What are we going to do?" Xander asked, trying to ignore the sounds
of the vampire screaming in the basement.

"I have a friend shipping another orb to me. It should be here by
tomorrow night," Giles told him. "We just have to hold her here
until then, and keep Spike out."

"Well, he doesn't have an invitation any more, so that
shouldn't be all that hard," Anya stated.

"Yeah, well this is Spike. I wouldn't put anything past him," Angel
grumbled.

"You shouldn't have let him go," Xander shot at the vampire.

"It's complicated," Angel replied, glaring at him.

"Yeah, with you it always seems to be, doesn't it? With me, not so
much. I see a vampire? I kill a vampire."

"It's always so black and white for you, isn't it Harris?"

"Guys, stop," Buffy said harshly, quieting them both. "How do we
ensure that she doesn't get free between now and then?" She asked
Giles.

"The restraints holding her down there are magically reinforced
and enchanted, so not only can she not break them with vampire
strength or magic, but she will be unable to use her magic against
us as
well."

"Neat," Buffy said quietly.

"Something wrong?" Giles asked. "Other than the obvious, of course."

"Just want to get this done as soon as possible," she told him.

~*~

Willow heard the door to the basement open and shut, followed by
footfalls coming down the steps. A moment later, Angel appeared in
front of her, a mug of warmed blood in his hand.

"Thought you might be hungry," he told her softly.

"How thoughtful of you," she shot back.

Opening the cage door, Angel walked in, shutting it behind him. He
brought the mug up to her face and she inhaled the scent, grimacing.

"Pig's blood," she growled. "Last time I had to drink that was the
day I escaped from that prison you left me in."

Angel swallowed hard, trying not to let her effect him.

"Drink," he growled back, holding the mug up.

"I'd rather get the good stuff," she told him in a silky voice, a
sly grin on her lips.

"You know you aren't getting human blood here," he told her.

"Not talking about human blood," she explained. "Come on, daddy.
Give your little girl what she needs."

"Enough, Willow. Drink the blood," he told her.

"Not really hungry," she lied, still grinning, as she leaned forward
against him slightly.

Suddenly, Angel's arm reached out, grabbing a fist full of hair at
the back of her neck, and he yanked her head back slightly.

"I told you to drink," he growled menacingly.

"And I told you that I don't take orders from a vampire with a
soul," she ground out through clenched teeth.

"You WILL obey me childe. I created you and you will do as I say,"
he told her, still holding tightly to her hair, giving another yank
and hearing her whimper slightly.

"Did ya like it?" She asked in a child-like voice. Angel gave her a
questioning look, his grip loosening just slightly.

"Did you like making a childe? Did it make you feel all strong and
manly? Come on, Angel, admit it. You loved it. Even with the soul,
you know you loved every minute of it. Look at you now."

Angel let go of her with a shove, putting the mug down on a nearby
table.

"You're playing with fire, little girl," he ground out.

"Good thing I like the heat," she told him with another grin. "You
know, the things that Spike can do with hot wax…"

Feeling his control slipping, Angel backhanded the younger vampire,
watching as her red hair spun around her face. Willow turned back,
still grinning, licking slowly and sensually at the blood that was
now on her lower lip.

"Mmm...yummy. Wanna taste, Angelus?" She whispered, flicking her
tongue over the small wound. "Come on, just a little taste."

Suddenly, Angel had his hand tangled in her hair again, pulling her
head back slightly, as his lips devoured hers, the taste of her
blood in his mouth. His kiss was deep and possessive and gave into
every baser instinct that he had.

Feeling her fang scrape along his tongue, Angel suddenly pulled
back, tasting his own blood mingled with hers.

"Watch it, childe," he said harshly, watching her pant with need.

"Just wanted a small taste," she whimpered, pouting before him. "A
little treat for bein so good?" She pushed her hips forward,
gyrating against his hardened member.

Angel groaned, closing his eyes for a moment, before finally pulling
himself away from his childe. He heard her whimper in disapproval.

"You WILL learn to behave," he told her, though his voice lacked the
conviction that it held before. Finally, he headed back upstairs, in
desperate search of a cold shower.

Part 17

Spike stood in front of the house, contemplating his course of
action. His mate was inside. He knew that much. He could feel her.
He could also feel Angel and the Slayer. No doubt they were
expecting his little visit this evening. They might not be the
smartest bunch, but they weren't THAT stupid.

Luckily for Spike, neither was he. He had listened in to their
little conversation earlier. Rupert had ordered another orb. He was
still planning on doing the restoration. Well, Spike would just have
to make sure that they never got the chance.

He nodded his head and watched as a vampire walked up to the door, a
box in hand. He rang the door bell and waited. A moment later, Buffy
opened the door.

"Can I help you?" She asked cautiously.

"Delivery for Mr. Giles," the vampire told her. "Express package
from England."

"Oh, of course. We hadn't expected it so soon," she said in
surprise, taking a step back. "Please, come in."

"Don't mind if I do," came another voice. Spike pushed the minion
out of the way, and stalking into the house, smiling smugly as Buffy
looked on in shock.

"That invitation was not for you," she told Spike.

"Funny thing about invitations," he told her. "They can be terribly
vague at times. A general "please come in" applies to just about
anyone in the vicinity. Boys?" At that, at least a dozen vampires
came pouring into the house, ready to attack. "You should really be
more careful about who you invite into the house from now on," Spike
chided with a mocking grin.

Buffy and Angel began to fight off the vampires. Almost
immediately, they found themselves surrounded by snarling demons.

"Angel?" Buffy yelled out, moving in a slow, defensive circle,
glaring at the vampires, feeling Angel's back against her as they
moved.

"We need to get downstairs, before Spike does," Angel yelled back.

"Xander and Anya are down there," she told him, pulling a stake out,
ready to fight.

"Why does that not give me much comfort?" He asked dryly, sinking
slightly lower into a crouch, prepared for the impending attack.

Without further warning, the fight began, two demons attacking each
of them. Buffy easily kicked away one vampire, while plunging a
stake into the heart of the other. Angel used his own stake to dust
one of his attackers, just before flipping the other over his
shoulder, impaling him on the stake that was held back by the
Slayer. Buffy looked up in surprise, feeling the vampire fall onto
the stake.

"Thanks," Angel tossed over his shoulder, the fight continuing.

They were far out numbered, but lucky for both Angel and Buffy,
neither were used to a fair fight and both were able to hold their
own easily enough. Unfortunately, though, the distraction was
enough to allow Spike to slip away, unnoticed.

Part 18

"Bored now," Willow complained, glaring at Xander and Anya who stood
before her nervously.

"Um, maybe we could get you television or something, to pass the
time," Anya said uncertainly.

"I can think of something much more fun than that," Willow replied,
leering suggestively at the girl.

Anya scowled and moved a little closer to her boyfriend. "I think
she's hitting on me," Anya whispered harshly.

"Damn straight I am," Willow replied with a wicked grin.

"I hope you aren't planning on having fun without me, pet." Willow's
eyes shot up to the top of the stairs, along with Xander's and
Anya's, as Spike began to descend them. "You know I at least like to
watch," he scolded with a grin.

"Spike," Willow purred, learning against the bars that separated
them. She knew he'd come for her.

"Spike?" Anya questioned, cowering behind Xander.

"Spike!" Xander shouted nervously, holding up a cross bow, aiming
for the vampire's chest, while Anya hid behind him, both of them
backing up toward Willow.

"Great, we all know my name," Spike said with a roll of his
eyes. "Let me make sure you never forget it." At that, he let his
demon visage slip forward.

Suddenly, Anya let out a shrill scream. Xander spun around, trying
to keep one eye on the blond vampire, the other cast toward his
girlfriend, who was now being held by the neck by a growling
Willow.

Willow's hand was gripping the former demon's neck tightly as she
held her against the cage bars.

"Look, Spikey," Willow purred in a child-like voice. "I caught a
little prezzie."

"Nice work, luv," Spike replied with a grin. "I suggest you put that
crossbow down, unless you want to see your little girlfriend here
with her neck snapped," he told Xander.

"What's to stop you from killing us once I do put it down?" Xander
asked.

"Hmmm…" Spike said, pretending to look pensive. "Nothing! Guess it's
a bit of a stand off, ain't it? But I'll wager that Red here will
have your girl's neck snapped before you can even contemplate
pulling that trigger."

"Why don't we test that theory," Xander replied, not really thinking
about what he was saying.

"Xander!" Anya yelled in fear and anger. "Let's really NOT test that
theory."

"I'd listen to the girl, whelp," Spike suggested. "Drop the weapon,
now."

Willow squeezed a little tighter, delighting in the pained squeal
that came from the girl in her grasp. Hearing Anya cry out, Xander
slowly put the cross bow down on the floor, backing away from it.

"Smart move," Spike told him smugly. "Open the cage."

With a defeated sigh, Xander moved to the cage door and opened it.
Before anyone knew what had happened, Willow moved with vampire
speed, from inside the cage to outside, once again, holding Anya's
neck tightly.

"Hey! That isn't the way it works!" Anya argued. "He lets you out
and you let me go."

"I don't really like those rules," Willow told her in a silky
voice. "This is much better." Leaning in, Willow licked Anya's neck,
from her collarbone to her ear, delighting in the girl's whimpers
and feeling her shudder in her grasp.

"Not really time to play, luv," Spike told the redhead, becoming
increasingly antsy. Those minions wouldn't hold Angel and Buffy off
for that long. "We need to go."

"Awww," Willow pouted. "Spoil all my fun." Spike gave her a pointed
look. "Just one little taste?" She asked, licking the girls neck
again. "I promise I won't take a lot."

"Hey!" Xander yelled, taking a step forward.

"Back off," Willow growled, kicking back, catching Xander hard in
the chest with her booted foot, still holding tightly to his
girlfriend. Xander fell backward, gasping for breath.

"Xander!" Anya yelled out.

"I wouldn't worry about him," Willow told her in a seductive
voice. "I'd worry more about you." At that, she slipping into her
true face and slowly bit into Anya's neck. The girl tried to scream,
though it came out as little more than a whimper, as she felt her
blood being drained from her.

Spike had been listening to fighting above them, and suddenly sensed
Angel approaching.

"Time to go, Willow," he told her, leaving no room for argument.

With a disappointed whimper, Willow released Anya, letting the
gasping girl drop to the floor. In a flash, she and Spike were up
the stairs, and they were just about to make their way out the back
door, when Willow collided nose to chest with a very angry Angel.

"You are not leaving this house, Willow," Angel told her sternly.

"Actually, I think you're wrong about that," she responded
flippantly.

"You are not going with him. You are MY childe and you WILL do as I
say!"

"Angel, let me explain this one more time," she told him. "YOU are
nothing to me. Spike, is everything. Where he goes, I go." At that,
she punched him as hard as possible, sending him staggering back
slightly. "And just think, Daddy," she added with a grin, "I'm
everything YOU made me."

"Way to go, pet," Spike said proudly. "Knew you had it in you."
Shoving a dazed Angel aside, the two ran from the house and into the
night.

part 19

As they reached the crypt, Spike pulled Willow to him, leaning back
and kicking the door open. He pulled the redhead inside, claiming her
mouth with his own. The younger vampire fell into him, sighing as the
kiss deepened. She felt Spike run his hands around her, gripping her
shoulders passionately, as he continued to plunder her mouth with his
own. The redhead closed her eyes and leaned into him, giving into the
kiss.

Suddenly, without being aware of what was happening, Willow was
ripped away from Spike's embrace and she felt herself colliding with
the hard, unyielding floor. She looked up at the blond in stunned
silence, as he glared down at her with a look of disgust.

"You taste like HIM!" He bellowed. Immediately, Willow realized her
mistake, and knew that she was about to pay for it.

"Spike, I can explain. I was just…" She began, but the blond vampire
wasn't listening. Borrowed blood pumped in his ears, as the anger
raged inside him.

"You touched him," he accused. "You kissed him. What else did you
do?" His voice was low and lethal.

Willow began to shake her head. "I didn't do anything. Just a kiss.
Just to-" Before she could finish, Spike grabbed her shoulders and
yanked the redhead up from the ground in a painful grip.

"You are MINE!" He shouted, shaking her slightly. "How DARE you do
anything with him!"

Willow briefly considered using her magic on him, but knew that doing
so would only make the situation worse. Spike was like a wild animal
who had just been threatened, and for all intents and purposes, he
was. She understood that.

"I'm sorry, Spike," she whispered. "I didn't realize-"

Not waiting for her to finish her sentence, Spike gripped her arm and
pulled her down into the cave below the crypt, before easily throwing
the younger vampire onto the bed, and straddled her hips, holding her
down easily enough.

"You belong to me," he told her forcefully.

Willow nodded. "I do. I'm yours, Spike." She was surprised at how
easily the words poured from her. It wasn't too long ago that the
very idea of belonged to anyone disgusted her. But now, after
everything, she knew that she belonged to Spike. She knew that she
belonged to him, just as he belonged to her. There was no question
there. "I'm yours, forever," she told him, sincerity clear in her
voice.

Lunging downward, the blond vampire bit into her neck deeply, causing
Willow to arch her back and buck up into him. Spike released his
painful grip on her arms as his hands began to explore and claim
every inch of her body. Willow reached out, gripping his shoulders,
pulling him closer as he continued to drink from her, running one of
her hands through his soft hair.

She wasn't aware of the murmured words that spilled from her lips
over and over. Spike didn't even hear her chanting until he had
finally pulled away, knowing he could drink no more. That was when he
finally heard her soft words, being whispered over and over as her
eyes fell shut, exhaustion taking over.

"I belong to you, Spike. I belong only to you."

"Don't ever leave me, baby," he whispered, as he pulled her close to
him, wrapping his arms around the redhead and contently falling
asleep.

~*~


Hearing the door open, Xander, Giles and Anya looked up wearily from
the kitchen table. Xander had been watching as Giles cleaned and
bandaged the wound on Anya's neck, not willing or able to leave her
side.

"Did you get it?" Giles asked as the Slayer and the souled vampire
walked in.

Angel simply nodded.

"Ran into a little trouble," Buffy told him. "Turned out that we
weren't the only ones trying to crash the party."

"Spike," Giles surmised.

Buffy nodded. "He sent a few of his goons over to try and intercept
the package. Took a little effort, but we dusted them all and got the
orb."

"He's really pulling out all the stops here," Angel mused, more to
himself than anyone else.

"Yeah, well, he may have won a battle or two, but we're winning this
war," Xander said, determination in his voice.

Buffy walked over and handed the orb to Giles.

"No more waiting," she said decidedly, as Giles looked over the
object. "We do this, now." The others simply nodded in agreement.

Everything else had already been set up. It merely took the lighting
of a few candles, the chanting of a few words, and the ritual was
begun.

part 20

Willow was pulled from her sleep, feeling a burning sensation in her
chest. Sitting up, she glanced over to see a still sleeping Spike,
as he rolled onto his side and tucked the arm that had been around
her underneath his body.

Doubling over from the pain, the redhead gasped and pulled back the
blankets, swinging her legs around and standing quickly, stumbling
away from the bed. She didn't understand what was happened, where
this pain was coming from. It felt like she was burning up from the
inside out, and had no way to stop it.

Just before she reached the ladder, Willow gasped again and fell to
her knees, her eyes shut tightly as she clutched at her chest.

"Spike," she tried to call out, though it was nothing more than a
hoarse whisper.

Glancing back, she saw that the blond was still sleeping in the bed,
completely unaware of her pain and anguish. Suddenly, the pain
seemed to triple, and Willow felt some kind of energy hit her, full
force, and immediately, she knew.

"No! No, not now! Please," she tried to cry out, though she could
barely hear her own voice.

The redhead knelt, her hands against the cold floor, panting as
tears began to slip from her eyes. Everything was hazy and she felt
extremely disoriented. She had no idea where she was or how she had
gotten there. Opening her eyes, she looked around, though she
couldn't make out any of the shapes or images surrounding her.
Blinking several times, she continued to look around in confusion.

Suddenly, things began to come back to her. Angel, Angelus, Spike,
Buffy, Anya, Xander, oh god, she was, she had, oh god. She had
killed. She had hurt and killed so many. Looking back over toward
the bed, she saw the still sleeping vampire, and panic swept over
her. Pulling herself up, she stumbled to her feet and took a few
shaky steps to the ladder, before quickly ascending and running from
the crypt, having no idea where she was heading.

~***~

He had to find her, and he had a pretty good idea of where to look.
There were only so many places that Willow would have gone. Angel
had explained to the others that it was best that he go and find the
redhead, alone. She would be overwhelmed with grief and guilt and
every other painful emotion right now, and there was no doubt that
she would not be ready to see her friends just yet. Angel only hoped
that he would find her alone, without Spike, and that she would
allow him to provide whatever small comfort he possibly could.

Walking quietly into the seemingly empty house, Angel immediately
heard the faint sounds of sobbing coming from Willow's old bedroom.
He had suspected that she would end up here, not having many other
choices.

Once he had reached the bedroom door, he pushed it open tentatively,
not entirely sure of what exactly he would find on the other side.
Looking into the dark room, he could see the redhead in the corner,
on the floor, her arms wrapped around her legs, as she rocked back
and forth, sobbing.

Moving to her quickly, he paused for a moment, trying to gage
exactly what his actions should be. He didn't want to startle or
frighten her, and he didn't want to give her any other reason to run
from him.

He could hear her mumbling something, as she rocked back and forth,
but had to strain to understand it.

"Bad. Bad. Evil. Bad. So bad," she muttered over and over, oblivious
to his presence.

"Willow," he called out softly. Getting no response at all, he
called out to her again, this time placing a hand gently on her
shoulder.

Willow's head shot up, and she glanced toward him, a startled and
terrified look on her face. Her wide eyes ran over his face again
and again, as if she was trying to recall exactly who he was.

"Angel?" She whispered, her voice unsure and hoarse from
crying. "Angel, what happened?" She asked quietly. "I can't
remember, only little bits, and-and bad, evil-evil, bad…" Dropping
her eyes down, Willow began to rock back and forth again, banging
her head against the wall with every mumbled word, seemingly
forgetting about the dark haired vampire.

"Willow," Angel called out again, gripping her shoulder in a gentle
but firm grasp, forcing her to stop rocking and look up at him
again. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her face was tear-stained.
Despite everything, Angel couldn't help but think that even now, the
redhead looked completely beautiful, if not completely vulnerable
and helpless.

"Come here, childe," he growled softly, pulled the unyielding
redhead into his embrace, allowing her to cry her heart out, her
sobs tumbling out into his chest as she clutched him tightly, as if
afraid to ever let go.

part 21

Waking up, he knew immediately that he was alone. Sitting up, Spike
looked around the dim room, frowning at not seeing a certain redhead.
Standing, he quickly threw on a pair of jeans and made his way up to
the crypt. Again, there was no sight of her. Glancing toward a
window, he could see that the sun was just about to set.  

She wouldn't have left during the day, at least, he didn't think so.
Her scent was most recent near the doorway, and he could feel fear
and pain trailing along through their bond. Not good. One thought
immediately entered his mind. The Slayer. She must have somehow taken
the redhead again. Just how she was able to steal his mate from the
very bed that he slept in, he had no idea, but there was one thing he
was certain of. This time, when he got Willow back, he would finish
the Slayer off. 

Going back down the ladder, Spike grabbed a shirt and his leather
coat, dressing quickly and heading for the tunnels. It was time to
put an end to this once and for all. 

~*~

Willow opened her eyes and looked around groggily. She was in her
room. Snuggling down further into the blankets, she closed her eyes
briefly, reveling in the soft warmth of the bed. The night had been
plagued by nightmares, death and destruction most prominent, and she
felt as though the night had lasted for months. 

Turning onto her back, Willow let out a soft sigh, grateful that
those horrible dreams were just that, dreams, as in not real. Pulling
the blanket up a little further over her chilled body, the redhead
felt a sudden, slight movement next to her, and her eyes popped open,
her head whipping to the side. 

Her green eyes widened as she took in the concerned gaze of the dark-
haired vampire next to her on the bed. Oh god. It hadn't been a
dream. It was real. She was a-a vampire! She was evil! Oh god, she
had killed her parents. She had killed so many. She and Spike had, oh
god, Spike. Anya! She had bitten Anya! Had she killed her? Willow
couldn't quite remember. And Angel! He had sired her. Well, Angelus
had, technically.  

A part of her screamed at the very thought of the vampire that was
beside her. A part of her, a horrible, unfamiliar part, revolted
against Angel and everything that he was. She felt hate and anger
surge through her at the very thought of her Sire, and yet a strange
pull toward him at the same time. 

Everything seemed like a horrible, hazy dream. She had her soul now.
She was sure of that. That painful guilt hadn't been there before
then. Oh god, she was dead. Glancing down at her chest, she took a
deep breath and held it, noting that not only did her chest not move
at all, but she was having no difficulty not breathing. 

Grabbing one wrist with the other hand, she felt for a pulse. After
several moments of waiting, and feeling nothing, Willow reached up to
her neck, her eyes tearing up as she confirmed that her heart was not
beating. 

Oh god. She was dead. She was dead and evil. Her friends would hate
her. Her life was gone, and yet here she still was. It was wrong. All
wrong. And Spike. Oh no, no, no. She had left him. She had just left,
and she couldn't go back, but, oh god. Did she want to go back?
Again, there were those conflicted voices in her head. One was
giggling, her arousal rising, at the very thought of him. The other
was shaking, memories of everything they had done together filling
her mind. Willow, the old Willow, would have been repulsed at every
moment. She should have been repulsed. She knew this, and yet, she
wasn't. Intrigued, maybe. A little aroused? Most definitely. But
strangely enough, not repulsed.

Willow's eyes flickered up again, grazing over Angel's face. She
whimpered, feeling those conflicting emotions. She hated him, but she
cared about him. He was Angel. Angel had saved her life, but then, he
had also left her. Angelus had tortured and killed her, but then, he
had been such an attentive sire… until his soul got shoved back into
his body, and he ran out on her. But then, he must have been the one
to bring her soul back. 

Willow ducked her head down with a quiet moan, dropping her forehead
to her knees as the voices assaulted her mind. Shaking her head back
and forth, trying to make them both shut up, she became aware of the
fact that Angel was speaking to her. She had no idea how long he had
been talking, her own mind running in a million different directions
and not allowing anything else in. 

Trying to focus, she was finally able to make out what he was saying.

"Willow, please, look at me. Are you alright?" Willow shook her head
slowly, looking toward him but not really at him. "We need to talk,"
he told her softly, reaching out and gently touching her shoulder.

Willow flinched and pulled away, her eyes darting around the room
nervously before settling on him again, and finally really seeing
him. 

"Angel?" She whispered in a tiny voice, tears slipping down her
cheeks. "I don't understand." 

"I know," he told her softly, reaching out again. This time, she
didn't flinch, but instead fell into his embrace. There was still
that part of her that cringed and fought against his touch and the
weakness it brought out in her, but the redhead was so exhausted from
her internal struggle.  

"I'm sorry, Willow," he whispered as he held her tightly. "I'm so
sorry." 

Part 22

"Have you heard from him yet? Did he find her? How is she? Is she
alright?"

Spike stayed in the shadows, up in the loft at The Magic Box,
listening as she and Xander spoke.

"Giles talked to him late last night," Buffy told him. "Guess she
was as he had expected, but alright, more or less."

"When do we get to see her?" Xander questioned, his voice carrying a
hint of desperation.

"Not sure," the Slayer told him. "Angel made it real clear that we
would have to wait until she was ready to see us. I mean, think
about it, Xander. She killed people. She's a vampire."

"Yeah, but now that she has her soul…"

"Doesn't matter. I mean, WE know that we love and forgive her, but
Willow…This is going to be tough for her, you know?"

Xander simply nodded miserably, and Spike turned away, seething with
anger and hatred.

They had taken her away. Just as his grand sire had been taken away
a century ago, now Willow had been taken away. Actually, thinking
about it, Willow had left him. She must have gotten up in the middle
of the night and run from him. Spike's mind flickered back to Dru,
and her betrayal and deceit. She had left him too. Angelus had left,
Dru had left, Willow had left. They all left in the end, didn't
they?

Waiting until they left, he headed back to the sewer tunnels. Once
back at his crypt, Spike sat, waiting impatiently until the sun set,
and he could head out toward a certain redhead's house, suspecting
that he would know exactly where to find her, and undoubtedly, his
grand sire as well.

~*~

When she had finally calmed a little, the younger vampire turned a
little and leaned against her Sire, not looking up toward him, but
out into the darkened room. There were blankets covering the
windows, which she was sure that Angel had placed there the night
before. Despite the deceiving darkness, Willow knew that it was
nearly time for the sun to set. Spike would be waking up soon, if he
hadn't already, and he would know that she was gone. He would know
that she had left.

Feeling the redhead settle against his chest, Angel wrapped his arms
around her protectively and stroked his fingers over the soft skin
of her arms. His embrace felt strange to her. She felt agitated and
calm at the same time; frightened and protected all at once.

Seeing that his childe was deep in thought, Angel leaned down and
whispered into her ear. "What are you thinking about, little girl?"
His deep, husky voice sent chills up and down her spine, reminding
her more of Angelus than Angel, and she turned her head, tilting her
eyes up toward him briefly.

"My head's kinda over-filled right now," she told him, her voice
small and child-like. "Hard to tell where one thought ends and the
next one begins." Angel nodded silently, waiting for her to
continue. "This feels strange," she confided, even as she snuggled
further against him.

"Strange?" He questioned, starting to pull his arms away.
Willow quickly grabbed onto his hands, securing the strong arms
around her once more, not nearly ready to let go of the protective
embrace just yet.

"It-it feels wrong and right at the same time," she told him, her
voice small and unsure. Again, Angel simply nodded. "I-I mean, I
feel safe with you, a-and…" her voice trailed off as she struggled
to find the correct words.

"Loved?" Angel suggested quietly.

Willow nodded slowly, as if not entirely sure that was the word she
had been searching for.

"A-and then, at the same time, I feel like, I know it's wrong, and I-
I don't understand. I hate you. I do. A-and there's this-this voice
in my head, and-and…"

"Willow," Angel began to explain, "I'm your sire. It's right that
you should feel safe and protected with me. We have a bond that is
different than any bond you could ever have with anyone else." His
mind drifted to a certain blond vampire, but he quickly forced that
thought from his head. "On top of that, we're both ensouled, which
I'm guessing is adding to it all."

This time, it was Willow who nodded silently, taking in everything
he was saying.

"But you have bonded yourself with Spike," Angel added, not able to
hide the disapproval in his voice. "I think that's where the
conflicting emotions are coming from."

Again, Willow nodded, feeling her eyes fill with tears again at the
thought of the blond vampire.

"I belong to him," she whispered, her voice so quiet, Angel barely
caught it. The redhead's eyes drifted off again as she thought about
her mate. "Or, I did, before the soul, but now…"

"The soul doesn't change the bond, Willow," Angel told her, though
he wished that it did.

"I belong to him, and I belong to you," she mumbled to herself. "But-
but now, with my soul, I'm not the same, and he won't want me." A
sob escaped her lips as her voice cracked with the last of her
words.

Angel tightened his embrace around her as the younger vampire held
onto his arms with a strong grip.

"Don't be so sure about that, Willow. Spike has a tendency to
surprise you," Angel told her. She turned her head around to look up
at him again, her eyes wide and wet.

"But you and he…now…he doesn't…" She began, before Angel cut her
off.

"That was my doing, Willow. I'm the one that left him. Not the other
way around."

Willow nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing, her expression turning
dangerous.

"The question is, childe, do you still want to be with him?"

"You left me, as well, Angel," Willow told him in a low, angry
voice, ignoring his question. The redhead pulled away from him
quickly and glared at him. "You took everything away, you promised
me the world, and then you left me, alone."

"Willow, I…" he began, not entirely sure what he could possibly say
to that. "I left, I know, but…"

"No!" She shouted harshly, standing up. "You left me, Angel. You
rejected me, just like you rejected Spike. A-and I thought it was
because of me. I thought that I had done something wrong. Spike did
too, you know. He still does. But I was always the smart one, wasn't
I?" She gave him a cold smile as she spoke. "I get it now. It was
never about me. It was about you. It's always been about you! You
and your damned self-loathing. Why should I think that you would
ever accept me, when you can't even accept yourself? What do you
hate more, Angel? The demon that plagues your mind, or the soul that
never lets it rest?"

Angel didn't have an answer for that, and it was probably better for
him that way. He was beginning to think that there was no way he
would ever be able to make this right.

Willow glared at him, hatred glinting in her eyes before they slowly
began to soften. She was tired and weak and enraged all at once.
Her mind was a maze of thoughts and confusion, but one name echoed
over and over. Spike. She wanted him and she needed him, but
Willow suspected that now, the vampire would have nothing to do with
her. She wouldn't blame him, really, but she had to try. She had to
tell him, to let him know that she still loved him, even if he threw
her out without a care in the world.

Angel tried to get up, to follow the redhead as she retreated toward
the door, but she quickly spun around and held up a hand. "Down!"
She yelled. "Stay."

Angel fell back onto the bed, realizing that he was unable to move.

"Willow..."

"I love him, Angel," she told him. "I do. I love him, with my demon
and with my soul. I love him."

"Yeah, I figured that," he replied sadly, sighing before
adding, "Have you tried not to?"

Willow walked toward the door and opened it slowly, before turning
to look back at her Sire. "Haven't you?" She asked, a small, cruel
smile slipping across her lips.

Part 23

Willow made her way toward Spike's crypt, uneasy and unsure of what
to say or do. Upon hesitantly entering the small building and
climbing down into the cave below, she realized that he wasn't
there. Having no idea where he might have gone, and not being
terribly eager to press forth with what was coming, the redhead
decided to sit and wait for him to return.

~*~

Spike stalked toward Willow's house, anger, hatred and betrayal
radiating from him in waves. It was a dangerous combination, which
more than one unlucky Sunnydale citizen had already discovered the
hard way.

As he reached the house, Spike could feel the newly borrowed blood
pumping through his veins, as if his pulse was really pounding. He
could smell his grand sire, clear and present, along with his mate,
though her scent was considerably less prominent.

Spike made his way to her bedroom and threw open the door, glaring
at the vampire he found on the other side.

"You bloody bastard," he growled, startling Angel.

"Spike. Listen…" Angel began to try to reason with the blond. He
could feel the effects of Willow's spell beginning to wane, though
he was still unable to move from the bed and had no way to defend
himself against the younger vampire.

"No! You listen to me!" Spike yelled, grabbing a nearby chair and
smashing in on the floor. Angel winced and shrugged his head back as
much as possible, as wood splitters exploded through out the room.
Spike reached down and grabbed a broken leg, holding the sharp edge
outward toward his grand sire.

"I'm done, Angel," Spike told him, taking a menacing step toward the
immobile vampire, holding the makeshift stake up. "I'm done
competing with you. I'm done playing all the little games. It's
always about you, isn't it? Angel's gotta get to everything first,
doesn't he? Had to have Dru first, and look what you did with her.
Fucked her up right good. Can't so much as think straight thanks to
her daddy," Spike growled, the last word ground out through clenched
teeth.

"The slayer has been nothin but a fucking thorn in me side, thanks
in part to you. I get that bloody chip shoved in me head, and do you
try to help me out? Course not. Just turn your back, same as you
always done."

Angel began to open his mouth to protest, but Spike took another
step toward him, waving the stake over his head, effectively
silencing the older vampire.

"You gotta go bite a gypsy, get yourself all good and cursed, and
then run away from us, as if we're the tainted ones, as if we done
something wrong, as if WE were an abomination! And then when you
came back, the first time, you were a right bastard, Angel. What you
done…"

"I know," Angel admitted quietly, guilt covering his features.

"Shut. Up!" Spike yelled, kicking the bed frame hard before reaching
over and gripping a lamp, smashing it against a wall. "I'm talking
now! Willow! You had to go and fuck with her, didn't you? Didn't
you! You had to fuck up her mind, just like Dru. Play all your
damned games till she was good and broken. And then who did she come
running to, huh? Who do they always come running to? Me! Only this
time, your precious little childe wasn't quite so insane as I'm sure
you had hoped, was she? Oh sure, she turns half way round the bend
time and again, but she's still there, and she's still sharp as a
knife. Damn bit smarter than you, I'd wager. And she was cunning,
and strong and brilliant and beautiful and MINE! She was mine, and
you just couldn't stand that, could you?"

Spike took another step toward the cowering vampire, Angel gasping
for unneeded breath as Spike continued on.

"You just couldn't stand that she would choose me over you, could
you? So you had to go and take away the one thing that was mine. You
had to fucking curse her with a soul, to make her like you, to make
her run back to her daddy again, that it? Well congratulations,
Angel, you did it. You got your wish. Your little redhead has come
running back, on bended knee no doubt, just begging to service her
precious sire." Spike grimaced at the mental picture that he had
just painted himself and fought back the hurt and pain he was
feeling. Tears would come later. Now, it was time for vengeance.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't stake your sorry ass right
now," Spike growled.

Angel swallowed hard, looking up at his grand childe with pain-
filled brown eyes.

"Because she doesn't want me," Angel told him. "She loves you. She's
gone back to you, Spike. Willow chooses you."

"Like hell!" Spike yelled, moving closer to the brunette with a
menacing growl. "Don't lie to me! I know she was here, with you! She
left me to go running back to you!" This time there was no hiding
the hurt in his voice.

"She was here," Angel agreed, "but she left. She'll be coming back
to you, Spike. She will."

Not entirely sure of what to make of this, Spike took a step back,
glaring at the other vampire. "Why should I believe you?"

"She's not here," Angel reasoned. "She left me immobilized here, to
go out searching for you, didn't she?"

Finally, Spike turned away, dropping the stake to the floor and
walking toward the door. Just before he walked out, he heard Angel
speaking again.

"Spike, for whatever it's worth, I'm sorry that…"

Angel never got the chance to finish, as Spike immediately pounced
on him, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him up, before
landing three solid punches to the face. Dropping the older vampire
back to the bed carelessly, Spike turned and stormed out, pausing
for just a moment and not bothering to turn around.

"Way too little, Angel, way too late. Go to hell."

Part 24

Willow was curled up on the bed, facing the wall. The mattress was
soft and comforting, but she wasn't entirely sure that was what she
wanted just then. Spike was hard and jagged, and that was where she
felt right. Soft was foreign, and she couldn't remember if that was
something she preferred of not.

Her thoughts ran through her mind, like confused, blind mice,
traveling through a maze. Finally, she sat up on the edge of the
bed, far enough away from its comfort to be safe for the moment. She
bit her nails nervously and held her head, trying to stop the
battling voices. Good verses evil, the ultimate battle, right there
in her pretty little head, and she couldn't make it stop. Be a good
girl, be a bad girl, she wasn't sure which she would rather give
into, which would be easier. It was all so muddled now.

The demon screamed at her for being so weak and pathetic. The other
Willow, the one that was just recently shoved back into that cold
body, huddled into a ball, whimpering and begging the demon to stop.
The thoughts of what it begged her to do made her sick, and Willow
wondered briefly if it was possible for a vampire to vomit,
suspecting with increasing certainty that it was.

She was never this weak as a human. In fact, at certain moments, in
certain light, she had been down right courageous. The picture of
strength and heroism. This, however, was not one of those times.

Walking into the crypt, Spike knew immediately that she was there,
and let out a sigh as he reached the bottom of the ladder.

"So, she returns."

Willow jumped and spun around, startled by the older vampire.

`I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry,' she repeated mentally,
over and over.

`Damn right you're not going to cry. You will NOT regress to THAT
again,' the demon with in her raged. She shut her eyes tightly,
shaking her head, begging them both to stop.

Spike watched her, disturbed at how much she resembled Dru at that
moment, and the anger welled up inside of him again. Damn Angelus,
always rendering the women he loved completely insane. He might have
been too late for Dru, but he'd be damned or, well, damned again, if
he was going to lose Willow now.

"Spike," she began.

"Come back to collect your belongings, Red? Wanted one last chance
to tell me how I disgust you?" He questioned. He remembered what
Angel had said, that she had left him for Spike, but he certainly
didn't trust his grand sire, and after all the lies and betrayal in
his past, Spike wasn't willing to take chances.

"Spike, I-I'm so…"

"Don't say it! Don't you dare tell me that you're sorry," he
growled. "I won't hear that! Not from you."

"Spike…"

"Why. Are. You. Here?" He ground out.

"I needed to see you," she admitted, quietly.

"That right? And why would that be? You're all pure and soul-having
again. Got your friends back. Got your sweet, little Angel. Got
everything you want, I'd say."

She was both completely surprised by and fully expecting what he had
just said. On one hand, she wasn't expecting him to be so open about
his own fears. On the other hand, she did expect him to think no
less than that she would abandon him for Angel once the soul was
back. This is how she knew…knew that he wasn't aware of who he was
talking to. He didn't understand, and she began to realize that
there was only one being on the earth that could understand, and she
wasn't too keen on seeing her Sire again any time soon.

Willow shook her head, tears filling her eyes. "I want you," she
whispered.

"Why would you leave me, abandon ME, if you want me?" He yelled.

"I was afraid," she admitted.

"Afraid of what, exactly," he questioned, clearing not totally
believing her yet.

"That you wouldn't want me, like this, with this," she clutched her
shirt, her hand over her chest, "I didn't want you to see me this
way," she told him, tears slipping down her cheeks. "All caring and
weak and full of guilt," she spat out in distaste. "I'm-I'm damaged.
Why would you want this?"

"Willow," he started, walking toward her, his voice softening. He
let out a deep sigh before reaching out and cupping her chin,
tilting her face to look up at him. "You're asking that of a vampire
that wasn't even able to bite before you came along."

"But this, Spike, it's different. I'm different. I'm not your
Willow, and I'm not their Willow. I'm lost in between and I-I don't
know what to do."

Raising a hand up to her face, Spike saw her flinch, thinking that
he intended to strike her, but instead he slowly reached out and
caressed the faint bite mark on her neck.

"Doesn't this mean anything to you?" He questioned.

"Does it mean anything to you, now?" She asked. "This mark, you gave
it to someone I no longer am."

"You're still you, Willow," he assured her, "and you still belong to
me, no matter what."

The redhead smiled slightly at his words, thinking maybe he did
understand. Maybe he could help her, maybe he did want her, the new
her, even if she was a bit defective.

"I didn't think with the soul, you would want me. It-I'm not strong,
and…"

"Red, you're talking to a vampire who wasn't even able to feed
himself properly, and had to turn to the slayer for help," he told
her, his voice full of disgust at the mention of the slayer. "You
are strong. Now all we have to do is find a way to rid you of that
pesky soul, and…"

Her face fell and she blocked out the rest of this words as she
realized that he didn't understand. He didn't understand at all, and
now, not for the first time, she was completely alone.

Part 25

"When are they coming?"

"Soon, Xander."

"Well, when is soon? Can't you be a little more specific, Giles?"

"I don't know exactly. He just said they'd be here soon."

"But she is coming?"

"Yes, Xander."

"And Spike is coming with her?"

"Yes, Xander." Giles let out a heavy sigh, trying to remain patient.
He knew that the young man was nervous, with good reason. Willow was
coming to see them. She had her soul but was still with Spike. Angel
had filled them in on that much. Just what her state of mind was or
how she would react to seeing them, though, no one was sure.

"Well, I for one don't understand why you're so excited," Anya
complained. Xander glared at her. "Well, I mean, she nearly killed
you."

"That was before, Anya," Xander reasoned. "She has her soul now.
Things are different."

"Yes, but what does that mean, exactly? Different how? Okay, so she
probably won't try to eat me again, but is she going to be all sweet
and chummy like before, or is she going to be like a female version
of Angel? She still has that demon inside of her, not to mention all
that lovely new guilt brought on by maiming and killing dozens, and
biting into the necks of perfectly innocent former demons."

"Anya," Xander began, his voice holding a hint of warning.

"She's right." Everyone spun around, hearing Willow's voice from the
doorway.

"Sorry," the redhead apologized with a sheepish grin, "didn't mean
to be all lurky."

"Willow," Giles greeted her. "Come in, please."

The redhead entered the shop, followed closely by Spike, who was
glaring at the small group.

"Will," Buffy said with a smile, taking a step toward the redhead.
Willow turned toward the slayer, confused by the mixture of emotions
that stirred at the near proximity of her natural enemy. Before she
had a chance to say anything, though, Xander ran toward her,
startling the vampire as he grabbed her, hugging her tightly.

Not expecting the sudden embrace, Willow's demon visage slipped
forward and she let out a snarl as she pulled away from her former
best friend. Xander stumbled backwards, staring at her with a
mixture of shock and fear.

Willow backed away, turning her face from his gaze, willing it to
return to her human mask. This was the last thing she wanted to
happen. She couldn't bear for them to see her like this.

"No, no, no, no, no," she began to mumbled, as she shook her head
back and forth, over and over, her eyes shut tightly. She couldn't
look at them. She couldn't stand the looks of disgust that she knew
would be on their faces.

Spike stepped up to the redhead as the others looked in stunned
silence. Very slowly, the older vampire reached out and pulled her
toward him, caressing the ridges on her face. Teary golden eyes
glanced up at him and he smiled softly.

"Shhhh," he cooed, stroking her face. "It's alright, luv. Just calm
down."

His voice was soothing as he continued to quietly murmur and stroke
her face, wiping the tears away as they fell. She still felt a
certain undeniable distance between her and the older vampire,
knowing that the soul was a big orange road block for both of them,
but Willow allowed herself the comfort of his embrace just the same.

"I can't do this," she whispered, her tone desperate.

"You can, Willow," he told her, conviction in his voice. "You're
strong. You can do this."

The young vampire simply shook her head before burying it in his
chest, everyone else in the room momentarily forgotten.

"Willow, listen to me," Spike said, his voice more stern but still
quiet. Gripping her shoulders, he took a step back so that he could
look at her face. "You can, and you will do this. Understand?" The
redhead slowly nodded, sniffling and wiping away the steams of tears
before shifting back into her human visage.

Turning back around, Willow looked toward Xander, whose face held a
mixture of emotions. To her surprise, though, none of them included
disgust. Pain, fear and sadness. This was what she saw, and it hurt
to know that she was the cause of it.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean…"

"No, Willow," Xander interrupted. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…I
mean, I should have known that…I'm sorry."

Willow looked back up toward Spike, as if asking what to do next. He
simply looked toward the slayer and watcher who were standing
nearby.

Giles cleared his throat before speaking. "It's, uh, good to see
you, Willow," he told her. Willow simply nodded and looked toward
the blonde next to him.

"Buffy?" Willow wasn't sure what to say to her former friend. They
were enemies now. She could feel it in every fiber of her being.

"Willow, I…" Buffy began to speak, taking a step toward her. Willow
quickly back away, stumbling into Spike, who wrapped an arm around
her in reassurance.

"Buffy, I'm sorry," Willow told her, shrinking further back into the
blond behind her. "I'm so sorry, about everything, and I…"

"Willow, stop. You have nothing to apologize for," Buffy told her
sincerely, trying to avoid looking at the blond vampire.

"Excuse me," Anya interrupted them. "Buffy, what do you mean she has
nothing to apologize for? She killed people. She hurt people. She
bit me!"

Xander moved toward Anya, trying to quiet her, but Willow held up a
hand, biting her lip in an attempt to hold back her tears.

"She's right. I did, and Anya, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, well, sorry doesn't take this scar away from my neck, now
does it?" The former demon said scornfully. Willow simply looked
down at the floor, not sure of what to say. Anya was scared, and
when she got scared, she got defensive, but she was right too, and
Willow knew it.

"Anya, I think that…" Giles began to speak, before being cut off.

"No! She did bad things, and you all want to pretend like none of it
happened. But it did happen, and no matter how much you want to
pretend that it's not true, the demon is still in there. You know
it's true. You just saw it," Anya argued, glaring at Xander.

The brunette opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She
was right. No matter how much he wanted to pretend that the soul
made the demon disappear, he knew now that it didn't really work
that way. She was still dead and still a demon, and nothing would
ever change that.

Willow glanced from Xander to Buffy and Giles, waiting for someone
to argue the point, but knowing that no one would. No one could.
Anya was right. She was a demon. She was evil, and she always would
be.

Turning back to Spike, she looked up at him with watery eyes. "Can
we leave now?" She asked, her voice barely a whispered. Spike simply
nodded, casting a final glare at the silent group, before wrapping
an arm around the redhead and walking away.

Part 26

"Come here, pet," Spike growled lowly, after they had reached the
cave below the crypt, and grabbed her hand, pulling her in to him.
Leaning down, he nuzzled the mark on her neck, as Willow stared
blankly at the wall behind him. 

"Spike," she began to speak, though her words came out as little more
that a hoarse whisper. 

The blond vampire ignored her and began to trail kisses up and down
her neck, starting off with slow, delicate brushes of his lips across
her skin. As he made his way from shoulder to ear, and then back
again, the gentle kisses slowly turned to sucking and nipping. 

"Love you so much, baby," he whispered to her. 

Willow remained unmoving, staring at the dark wall, her mind swirling
with thoughts and emotions. He loved her. He loved her as a demon,
but the soul, that was something else entirely. That was something he
could tolerate until they found a way to remove it. She knew he
wanted it gone, and that thought broke her unbeating heart. Her soul
was who she was, and while a part of her knew that not having it
would make everything so much easier, Willow still couldn't imagine
it being gone again. 

Angel had a soul, and he was a good vampire. He helped people. He
didn't hurt anyone, and he didn't cause pain and fear, and he also
didn't feel happiness. Not even one moment of happiness. That thought
scared her most of all. She knew that Giles had altered the curse so
that it was permanently bonded, so she supposed that she didn't
really have to be like her Sire. She could be happy and still keep
her soul. That raised another question in her mind. Was there really
any way to remove the soul, and if not, would Spike truly accept her
as is? 

Beyond that was the thoughts of her friends. They wanted to accept
her and to love her, but deep down, they all knew that things had
changed. She was no longer fighting along with them. She was what
they fought against, and even if she did have the soul, and even if
she did not pose a threat, she would always be separated, always be
in the dark. 

"A little active participation here would be greatly appreciated,"
Spike whispered, interrupting her thoughts as he began to unbutton
her shirt. Willow looked up at him, as if she had forgotten that he
was there, and Spike attempted to appear unhurt. 

"Sorry," she mumbled, still looking completely uninterested. 

The blond let out a frustrated sigh and stepped back, sitting on the
bed and pulling the redhead down onto his lap. 

"Crowded in there, I'd wager," he mused, caressing her temple. Willow
nodded slightly, biting her lower lip and looking down at the ground. 

"Willow, look at me, luv," Spike beckoned, tilting her chin up
again. "What is it?" He could see her mind spinning and wondered
exactly what she was thinking. 

"What if you can't get rid of it?" She asked, her voice breaking
before leaving her throat. Spike gave her a confused, questioning
look. "The soul," she clarified. "What if you can't get rid of it?
Giles said that he made it permanent, and to be completely honest, I-
I'm not all that sure that I want it gone." 

Willow watched his face, trying to gage his reaction to what she was
saying. He sat for several moments, taking in what she had said,
before responding. 

"Willow, I just assumed that you wouldn't want it. Just doesn't seem
natural, but if you do…" 

"I don't know!" She sobbed, tears slipping from her eyes. "I hate it.
All that pain and guilt and-and…but at the same time, it's me, you
know? And I just-I just don't know." 

The redhead buried her face in the older vampire's chest, and Spike
wrapped his arms around her tightly. He had some suspicions that
Willow might not want to give up the soul once she had it, but had
hoped that after tonight, she would reconsider. He hated to see her
so sad and in such pain, and in the back of him mind, fear lingered.
It would only be a matter of time until she couldn't handle this
anymore. It would only be a matter of time until his demon, his
killing, his unsouled evil became too much for her, and she ran away.
And Spike knew exactly to whom she would run. Angel.  

It made sense, really, that she would go to him. He was the only one
that would truly understand her. They had a bond that no one else
could share, and that thought made Spike seethe with anger. When all
of her little friends were dead and gone, the poof would still be
around, still pretending to be all good and moral, deep down hating
himself and all he was. 

"Willow," he began to speak after she had calmed down a bit. "Luv, I
just want you. Whether that's with the soul or without, I still want
you," he told her, despising the desperation in his voice. 

Willow looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

Spike rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. "Yes, really. I'm not going
to lie. I'd very much prefer you without the soul. You're bloody
magnificent when you're evil, but even still, I'll take a souled
Willow to no Willow at all." 

"I don't even know if there is a way to remove it," she
confided. "And I just don't know what I want. It's so hard, the
guilt, but…" 

"I know, luv," he interrupted, before claiming her lips with his own
in a gentle yet insistent kiss, hoping to drive away the troubling
thoughts, even if only for a little while. 

Willow felt herself melt into the blond vampire as he deepened the
kiss, wrapping his arms around her tightly. 

Feeling the redhead's lips part as she sighed, Spike took the
opportunity to allow his tongue to explore her mouth, tangling and
dancing with her own. Suddenly he jumped, feeling a fang scrap
against his bottom lip, and the blond pulled back, licking at the
drops of blood oozing from the small knick.  

Spike glared at her with a sly grin. Willow readily returned a grin
of her own. "Even with my soul, I can still be a little evil," she
told him, her voice low and sultry. 

The older vampire let out a low growl before lifting the redhead off
of his lap, and tossing her onto the bed, pinning her down before she
even knew what was happening. In one motion, Spike had her shirt
ripped open and was trailing kisses from her collarbone to her waist. 
Willow squirmed beneath him, desperate for more than the feathery
light kisses that she was receiving. He seemed to still insist on
treating her like a fragile flower, instead of the demon that still
lurked inside, and her frustration was ever growing. 

Finally, unable to take anymore, Willow used every bit of strength in
her, and suddenly flipped them over, straddling a startled blond's
hips, grinding into him as she smiled triumphantly. 

Following Spike's lead, the redhead quickly removed his shirt and
began to tease him in much the same way that he had teased her, her
long red hair trailing along his smooth, pale skin as she kissed her
way down his body. 

Spike gasped and bucked up as Willow reached his bellybutton and
swirled her tongue around it. He felt her unbuttoning his pants and
inching them lower on his hips, as her tongue traveled further down,
never going quite far enough to satisfy. 

After a few more minutes of teasing, the older vampire decided it was
time to remind her who was in charge, and quickly flipped them back
over, once again straddling the small vampire, pinning her arms above
her head. 

Willow gasped and arched up, as Spike took one rosy nipple into his
mouth and sucked, biting down on the hardened nub. A moment later, he
repeated the reaction on the other breast, his hands skimming down
her bare arms and to her waist, where they made short work of the
clasp on her jeans. In one swift movement, he had the rest of her
clothing removed, and leaned over her, capturing her quivering lips
with his own as he ground his denim clad erection into her. 

"Spike, please," she begged, trying to pull his pants away, desperate
to have the offending fabric gone. She whimpered as he pulled away,
and watched with lust filled eyes, as he quickly shucked his pants,
tossing them to the ground. 

In the next instant, he was upon her again, and slid inside of her
with one fluid motion. Willow keened as she felt him enter her, and
immediately wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling the blond in
closer, desperate to feel every inch of him against her. 

As Spike began a slow, teasing rhythm within her, Willow closed her
eyes and gripped his shoulders tightly. This, right here, was heaven
for her. This was it. It was all she needed. Spike loved her, and she
belonged to him, and nothing else mattered. 

Silently, the redhead made a plea to her goddess, to keep her here,
in this moment, at all costs. 

As the blond vampire began to speed up his movements, neither he nor
Willow noticed the light blue mist that began to surround them. A few
moments later, Willow was crying out as wave after wave of ecstasy
washed over her. She felt Spike bite into her neck and shudder as she
shook around him, and heard him murmuring incoherently to her as he
licked the wound. 

The older vampire moved to the side and settled down next to her,
wrapping his arms around her tightly, as Willow rested her head on
his chest and closed her eyes. A feeling of perfect contentment
washed over her, and the very last thing that she could recall was
calm serenity as a part of her drifted away. 

Part 27

Angel sat in a dark room, brooding in the silence of the large,
empty mansion. He needed to get back to L.A. There was no reason
left for him to stay, and he knew it, but a part of him was still
reluctant to leave.

Hearing the front door open, the vampire turned in his chair, eyes
widening as he saw Willow walk in. Angel quickly stood up and took a
few steps toward the redhead, as she walked toward him tentatively,
uncertainty in her eyes.

"Willow?" He wasn't sure why she was there. Was it possible that she
had changed her mind? Could she possibly be choosing him over Spike?
His dead heart soared at the very thought.

"Angel." She gave him a small, warm smile a she stepped up to
him. "I had to come and see you. I need to tell you something."

Angel gave her a look, urging her on. "Angel, I've been thinking, a
lot. I saw Buffy and Xander. I'm guessing you already knew that."

The older vampire nodded. Buffy had told him about the
meeting. "Heard it didn't go over very well."

Willow shook her head. "They'll never be able to accept me. Not
fully. Just like they were never able to accept you." She saw the
pain in his eyes and continued on. "I figured something out, though,
Angel." Willow took a step closer, letting her hand lightly run over
his, playing idly with his fingers. "Just because they will never
accept me, it doesn't mean that I can never accept me, and I do…
accept me, just as I am, evil and all."

Willow gave him a soft smile and Angel wondered at exactly where
this was going. He felt her hand playing with his, her fingers so
much smaller. She looked up at him with childlike eyes and it caused
his heart to ache.

"Willow…"

"Wait," she stopped him, placing a finger against his lips. "Not
done." She gave him a reproving look before smiling slightly
again. "I am what I am, Angel, just as you are. We can't change
that. You're my sire, and I love you. You have your soul, and I love
that part of you too. I want you, need you, in my life."

Willow saw the look of hope enter his brown eyes and tried to keep
from smiling. "Spike does too," she added, not able to completely
keep the smirk from her face. "He may not be willing to admit it,
but he wants you in his life as well. We both do. We want you,
Angel, the demon and the soul, for eternity."

Angel felt his eyes water as he heard her words. They wanted him.
Willow and Spike, both of them, wanting him and needed him and
accepted him, all of him. It was too much for him to comprehend, and
the vampire felt waves of happiness wash over him. He had never
thought the day would come when either of the other vampires would
ever accept him into their lives again. And now, to hear Willow
telling him this, Angel never though he would feel so completely and
utterly content and whole.

Suddenly, and just a moment too late, the older vampire felt a
horribly familiar burning sensation in his chest, and double over,
falling to his knees, grasping his chest desperately.

"Angel?" Willow asked, looking down in concern.

"Willow, oh god," he croaked, barely able to speak. The pain torn
through him and he knew exactly what was happening.

"Angel, what's wrong?" The redhead questioned, a look of complete
innocence on her face.

"Willow, you need to go, before it's gone, before I lose my…"

"Soul?" She supplied, no longer trying to hide the cruel, taunting
smile, allowing it to slip across her features. "Well, I think it's
a little late for that."

Angel looked up at her in confusion. He didn't understand what was
happening.

"Come on, Angel," she said with a sugary sweet smile. "It isn't all
that hard to understand. It's not like you haven't been through this
before. Moment of happiness, soul goes bye-bye."

"But, I didn't…"

"Spike was right. It was easier than I thought it would be. Spout
out a few words about love and acceptance, and you'd be over come
with happiness. Kind of pathetic, don't you think?"

Angel looked up at the redhead, pain and betrayal etched on his
face. "Why would you…"

"Why?" She asked incredulously, laughing cruelly. "Oh, how could
your sweet little Willow do such a thing," she taunted in mock
horror.

"But your soul," he whispered, still grasping at his chest.

"Oh, right, that. Turns out I wasn't the only one who thought that
was a bad idea. One little prayer and the Goddess removed it. Neat,
huh? As for the why, well Daddy, I think you can figure that out.
You turned me and then you left me. You took my sire away when he
was the one thing that mattered to me. Then, I found Spike."

At those words, the blond vampire stepped out of the shadows and
walked up behind the redhead, wrapping an arm around her waist and
kissing her deeply.

"And he was more of a demon than you ever could be," Willow told a
still dazed and confused Angel. "Now, I'm returning the favor, and
taking away the one thing that matters to you, your soul."

Willow smiled cruelly as she looked down at her sire, comprehension
washing over him. "Poetic justice, don't you think?" She asked,
before turning toward Spike and kissing him deeply.

After finally pulling away, Willow gave one last glance toward the
gasping vampire at her feet.

"Bored now," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Ready to go, luv?" Spike asked, completely ignoring Angel.

Willow nodded. "There's nothing left for me here," she told him,
entangling her fingers with his as they turned to walk away, hand in
hand, leaving Angel behind as his soul was slowly ripped away.

"You know, pet, I didn't appreciate you saying all that stuff to the
bastard about me wanting and needing him," Spike told her, his voice
a mixture of scolding and humor as they walked out the door.

"You can punish me for it later," she whispered with a sly grin,
before pausing to kick the door shut with a slam.