It was a normal night in Sunnydale. Xander walked jovially into the library, pizza box balanced precariously in one hand, a bag of Twinkies in the other. "Who’s trying to end the world this week?" he asked, setting the food down on the table.

"Slime monsters," Spike said, coming up behind him and taking a package of Twinkies out of the bag. He didn’t have to eat food, but he found that he really liked the extra sugar boost the little sponge cakes gave him.

"Aaah! Junior, don’t sneak up on me like that!" Xander yelped. He looked at the vampire nervously as Spike vamped out, then proceeded to sink his fangs into the sugary goodness and suck the filling out.

Willow looked up from where she was sitting at her computer. "You are so weird," she said, then stood up and walked to the table, picking up a piece of pizza. "Giles found a new prophesy where orange slime monsters are going to come out of the Hellmouth and overrun the earth unless some chosen person--not Buffy this time--stops them. We’re just trying to figure out who the Chosen one is," she explained to Xander.

He glanced over to Buffy, who was keeping herself busy whittling new stakes and humming "Living La Vida Loca." Giles cringed every time she randomly broke into singing. "I see," he said, then picked up a book and two slices of pizza, and made himself comfortable at the table next to Oz.

Spike went to stand behind Willow, marveling at how fast the computer screen changed before her. "Find anything?" he asked quietly, licking the last crumbs of the Twinkie off his fingers.

She shook her head. "Nothing," she said. "I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to be looking for."

"May I?" Spike asked, gesturing to her chair. She nodded and stood, and he took her place and typed in a few things, then gave her back her seat.

"Thanks," Willow said with a smile. She waited as the screen loaded. "Hey, how did you know it would be here?" she asked.

"Wild guess," he said. "Whenever I look for strange things, I always check the Jerry Springer posting board first."

Willow laughed as he walked off, then read the information in front of her. Her eyes widened as she realized who the Chosen One was. "Oh, Giles is never going to believe this," she muttered, turning off the computer and walking into Giles’ office to tell him what she had learned.

"It’s imperative he doesn’t know until just before the time comes," Giles instructed Willow. "In fact, I think it’s best that nobody but the two of us know who the Chosen One is."

She nodded. "I think you’re right. But how do we make sure he’s where he needs to be?" she asked.

"You’ll have to stay with him all day, then somehow get him to the cemetery tomorrow night," Giles said.

"But.....school," Willow said, really not wanting to do as Giles asked.

He smiled. "Tomorrow is Saturday, Willow. No school," he reminded her. "And I think he’d wonder why I wanted to spend the day with him. It would be drastically out of character for me."

Nodding, Willow finally agreed. "Alright, I’ll spend the day with Spike," she said reluctantly. "But I won’t like it."

Spike looked at Willow incredulously. "You want me to *what*?" he asked, not sure he had heard correctly.

"Go out with me tonight," she repeated. "There’s a new bar I want to go to, but I hate going alone because all the guys hit on me," Willow explained with a smile. "Besides, you’re fun to get drunk with."

"Um...thanks?" he said. "All right, Red, I’ll go with you. Although I’m still not sure why you want to go get drunk tonight when we all have to go fight slime demons tomorrow night."

"I have a sobriety spell that should work on you," she said, not mentioning the fact that the spell required her blood, and she really wasn’t looking forward to casting it later.

He shrugged, and they left the library together, climbing into Spike’s DeSoto. Willow told him where they were going, and he headed in that direction, knowing exactly where it was. "You’ve been here before, haven’t you?" Willow asked him teasingly as the bouncer and the bartender both greeted him by name.

"Once or twice," he admitted.

Willow laughed, then headed over to the bar, ordering something strong for Spike, and a soda for herself. She looked back over to their table, watching Spike as he sang along with the band. With a sigh, she went and sat down next to him, handing him his drink. He downed it in two gulps, then stood and offered her his hand. "Dance with me?" he asked.

"Oh, Spike, I don’t think that’s a good...." she trailed off as he reached down and pulled her up and onto the dance floor with him. "Ok, fine," she sighed, trying hard not to stare as he moved fluently along with the music. "You’re a great dancer," she said after trying to keep up with him through three songs. The band started in on their next number, something soft and slow, and she looked up at him nervously wondering if he would still want to dance. A few seconds later, he answered her silent question, pulling her against him and wrapping his arms around her waist. She snaked her hands over his chest and up around his neck, leaning against him. His cheek rested against hers, and she could feel him smile. Pulling her head back, she saw the look on his face. "What are you smiling about?" she asked. "You look like the cat who ate the canary."

Spike just continued to look pleased. "Nothing, Red," he said. "It’s just been a while since I’ve danced. I’d forgotten how nice it is to have a beautiful women in my arms."

Willow blushed. "Umm....thanks, Spike," she said, burying her face in his neck so he wouldn’t see how red she had gotten. He chuckled, and she could feel the rumble of it in her bones. *Oh goddess, this is going to be a long night,* she thought. *But a good night.*

Eight hours and five bars later, Willow and Spike were back at his apartment, avoiding the rising sun. Spike lay on the floor while Willow sprawled out on the table above him, giggling as he threw his arm over his eyes and moaned. "Oh god, I hate hangovers," he whined. "What are you laughing at? You didn’t tell me you were going to order me alcohol all night, and you sodas. If I could move, I’d come up there and punish you for that."

Willow laughed even harder. "You know, for a big, tough vampire, you sure are a wimp," she teased him.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Ok, fine, you’re not," Willow said. "You’re a big baby who just pretends to be mean."

Spike sighed. "Yeah, you’re probably right. But don’t tell anyone."

She laughed again, then turned on her side, propping up her head with her hand to look down at him. "Are you kidding? I’m going to go call Buffy right now!"

He sat straight up, then moaned in pain. "Cor, that was a bad idea. My head feels like it’s about to explode. When are you going to do that spell, Red?" he asked hopefully, laying back down with his arms over his eyes.

Willow stopped giggling. "You want it now?" she asked.

He raised his arm and peered out from under it at her. "If it’s not too much trouble," he said. "I could really do without this headache."

She nodded. "Give me a minute," she said, the rolled off the other side of the table and walked into the bathroom. She washed her face and ran her fingers through her hair, wishing for a mirror. "Ok, Willow, you can do this," she whispered to herself. All the spell consisted of was her reciting a short incantation and him drinking a few sips of her blood. Steeling herself for an experience she was sure would be unpleasant, she took a deep breath and made her way back into the living room, where Spike was still laying on the floor. He looked up at her when she walked in and stood above him.

"Everything alright, Red?" he asked.

Willow nodded and kneeled down beside him. Touching his face, she murmured the words of the spell, then offered him her wrist. "Drink," she instructed.

"Do what?" Spike looked at her in shock.

"Go on. You need to in order for the spell to work," she said.

He allowed his fangs to elongate and dipped his head to her wrist, looking up at her trusting face one last time before he gently pierced the skin, licking up the blood that pooled on her delicate skin. Gasping as the purity of her blood hit him, he could only take a little bit before he started purring in satisfaction, curling up next to her and closing his eyes drowsily.

Willow stroked his hair as he fell asleep next to her. Yawning, she stretched out next to him and slipped quietly into dreamland.