--Ten years earlier--

Spike was sulking. Adam had been defeated three months before and life went on for everyone. Everyone but him.

Willow had started dating that Graham bloke, which angered the fangless vampire. He couldn't kill, and he couldn't have the witch he'd wanted for so long. Graham just swept in and took what he thought was rightfully his. His unlife was SO unfair.

"Graham," he heard his witch whisper, "I have to tell you something."

"What?" Graham replied, looking up from his book to the shining face of his girlfriend. He was good to Willow, much better than dogboy had been. For that, Spike was happy. But it was Spike that should have brought that special smile to her face, not that Commando guy.

"I love you."

Graham jumped up in the middle of the massive research party at Giles' house, grabbed Willow and spun the squealing girl around, narrowly missing the coffee table. "I love you too!" he exclaimed.

Everyone chuckled and went back to their research. Everyone but Spike. His heart broke. He knew now that he'd never have a chance with her. Once Willow proclaimed her love....

He stood up quickly, his chair falling backwards. "I'm leaving. For good." He was to, he couldn't stand to see them together.

Willow pulled out of Graham's arms. "For good?" she whispered.

"You'll never seen this vampire again," Spike promised.

"Spike, I know you are still angry about Adam, but don't leave --"

"He betrayed me, you bloody witch! I can't be here anymore!! I hate every single one of you and I can't bloody KILL YOU!" he yelled.

Tears filled Willow's eyes. "He was EVIL, you stupid vampire! What did you expect? It's not like YOU haven't done it! Hell, you did it to get the stupid chip removed!" She looked down. "You betrayed me."

Spike's heart ached at her accusing words. She was right, he had betrayed her. He had almost broke up her and her best friends, all for his own selfish reasons. But he was never going to let Willow know that he cared that much.

"Damn straight, chit, and don't you ever forget it. You know, if he'd followed through, I would have killed you first."

Tears streamed down her face. She was so angry -- how could she have ever had any kind of feelings for that stupid vampire!? "JUST LEAVE!" she screamed.

"FINE! Take a good look, kids, cause you are never seeing me again!" Spike yelled, slamming the door on his way out. True to his word, no one in that room had seen him since. He left Sunnydale and went to Angel, knowing that deep down, his sire would fix all the pain he felt, whether by actually consoling him, or just driving a stake into his heart. The almost non-existent human part of Spike prayed his sire would have mercy on him and kill him with dignity.

Spike stayed in LA with Angel, Cordelia, and Wesley for a couple of years. He was amazed that Angel's friends never breathed a word of it to anyone back in Sunnydale, and appreciated it.

He knew when Willow and Graham got married. It was at that point, while the three were gone celebrating Willow's joy, that Spike wrote his sire a small thank you note and left a forwarding number. It was with that joy that the vampire left the country in pain.