"Vamp bites?  What vamp bites?" Willow asked innocently.
 
Buffy narrowed her eyes and looked at Spike.  She slipped a stake out of her sleeve.  "Now, Spike, when did you get chipless?  Do I need to stake you?"
 
"I still have the chip, Slutty, I can't bite you. Wouldn't want to anyway."  He shuddered.
 
Buffy frowned.  "Ok, I don't understand."
 
Willow sighed.  "His chip, it won't let him bite someone, because of the pain, right?"
 
"Yeah," everyone said.
 
Willow crossed her arms.  Everyone frowned, trying to figure out what Willow was saying.
 
Anya lit up.  "Oh wow, are you serious, Willow?"
 
Willow grinned.  "Yep."
 
Anya chuckled.  "Cool.  It's about time.  I've noticed looks since the beginning."
 
Willow glanced at Spike.  He grinned at her and shrugged.  "What can I say, pet?  I know what I like."
 
"I. Don't. Get. It."  Buffy crossed her arms. "And someone better tell me something now so I don't start staking."
 
"Buffy, you are my best friend, and I love you. If you even think of staking Spike, I'll cast a demon repelling spell on you so quick your head will spin," Willow said sweetly.
 
"She already repels demons, pet.  She doesn't need help in that category," Spike whispered loudly.
 
Willow covered her mouth to hide her chuckle.
 
"OH. MY. GOD!" Xander cried.  He stared at Willow.  "Let me totally rephrase my shock.  Willow, what the *hell* are you doing?"
 
Anya smiled, glancing up at the ceiling innocently.  "I didn't say a word.  Really."
 
Buffy growled angrily.  "*Someone* better tell me what's going on, and I mean *now*."
 
Anya sighed.  "Buffy.  If Spike bites someone and it's pleasurable, then the chip doesn't react."
 
Riley shook his head.  "Because he's not causing any pain.  That makes sense.  But that would mean... Oh, you mean... you two?" Riley asked.
 
"Over my dead body," Buffy exclaimed furiously.
 
"Ok, Buffy, seriously.  You can't tell me who I can and can't date," Willow said softly.
 
"Willow, he will *kill* you.  He's an evil soulless bastard."
 
"Thanks, Slutty," Spike said, grinning at the Slayer.
 
"I don't care, Buffy, he's not evil to me and I know that he's soulless.  I like him anyway.  At least *I* know when I wake up he won't have gone psycho on me and started terrorizing my friends."   Her eyes widened and she clamped her hand over her mouth.  "Oh...goddess, did I say that?"
 
Tears filled Buffy's eyes.  "That wasn't fair, Willow."
 
"I think I should go," Willow said softly.  "I can tell this is a big issue with all of you -"
 
"Hey, I think he's a hottie," Anya said.  "If he can bite you, and it brings you happies, and you trust him enough to not kill you, I say go for it.  How many people say they are dating a sexy English vampire?"
 
Willow laughed softly, a blush covering her cheeks.  "We aren't....we aren't dating," she said softly.
 
Spike growled softly at her side.  "Oooh, no, pet, no need to date.  You belong to me now."
 
She looked at him, clearly surprised.  "I...do?"
 
"There is no way I'm going to let something *this* good slip through my grasp.  I may not be the Einstein of vampires, but I'm not stupid," Spike said.
 
"Oh... Ok."  Willow looked back at Buffy.  "Well?"
 
"I don't accept it.  I never will.  Period."  She sighed.  "I'm going home now."  She turned around and walked out.  Riley frowned, shrugged, and followed Buffy out.
 
"See, he's her Toy. Follows her everywhere," Spike said.
 
"I don't like this.  I *really* don't like this. I mean, I couldn't stand Buffy and Angel, and he had his soul," Xander said.  "I..."  He frowned.  "I want to say don't do this, but I know if you want to, you will anyway, so. be careful.  If you get all grr, don't come kill me or Anya."
 
Willow smiled.  "I won't," she said.  She hugged Xander and whispered a small thank you to him.  He left with Anya.
 
Willow turned to Spike.  "Well.  Now what?"
 
He grinned mischievously.  "Run."
 
"Run?" she asked softly.
 
He vamped.  "You better run, Red, cause I'm going to get you."
 
Willow blinked, a tiny amount of fear creeping into her body.  She didn't know if he was just playing or if he were serious and was going to hurt her.  She turned and ran out of Giles' house.
 
Spike grinned, licking his lips around his fangs. "God, I love that bloody girl," he growled, setting off after her.  He chased her at a slow run, knowing that he could catch her anytime he wanted to.  He enjoyed the chase - it made him feel more like the vampire he, after all, still was.
 
Willow kept glancing back over her shoulder, wondering what Spike was doing.  She couldn't imagine him killing her... they'd just had the best sex she'd ever had.  She turned back to face forward, her hair in her face and stumbled, tripping over a fallen branch.  She cried out in pain as the branch scrapped her leg.
 
She looked up in alarm as Spike stood over her, his grin evil and menacing. "S..Spike... what are you doing?"
 
"Claiming what's mine," he purred.  His eyes strayed to her leg, softening momentarily.  He shook his head and looked back at
her, eyes golden.  "Blood." he said softly.
 
Tears filled her eyes.  "Wh... Are... are you really going to kill me?"
 
His laughter rang out through the trees.  "Always the curious one you are."  He grabbed her and pulled her up, pressing her quaking body against the tree. 
 
"Spike," she said softly, "don't do this. I don't understand..."
 
Spike inhaled her scent deeply.  "Do you know, pet, how long it's been since I've smelled real fear?" He licked her cheek.  "You are terrified of me.  Why are you so bloody scared?" He ran his fingers through her hair, gripping it tightly.
 
"B...B...Because....I mean, Spike, we just. well, you know what we did, and.. I thought that I meant.... something to you."  She turned away, tears trickling down her cheeks.  "Just get this over with..."
 
Spike smiled softly at the woman he somehow knew he'd be with forever.  He leaned in and buried his face in her neck, pushing his demon back down.  He nipped at her skin with blunt teeth, and began kissing her pulse point.
 
It didn't take very long for Willow's fear to dissipate into something more accurately defined as lust.  She turned her head and grabbed Spike's hair, pulling his head up. "Spike, what are you doing?"
 
"Claiming you, pet.  You are mine."
 
"You aren't going to kill me?" she asked hopefully, noticing the edge was gone from Spike's eyes.
 
"Of course not, luv.  You don't know how wonderful it was to sink into something so warm and tight... and your blood?  Effing intoxicating...  If I killed you, I couldn't bloody shag you.  Well, I could, but I had Dru for a hundred years, shagging dead people doesn't do it for me anymore."  He brushed his lips along her ear.  "I like your warm touch."
 
Willow moaned softly.  "Spike."
 
"Red." he whispered, sucking her earlobe into his mouth.  He sucked gently.  She leaned against the tree for support.  He slipped his hands under her shirt and ran his fingertips along her skin.
 
Willow shivered with the sensation.  Her skin was so hot from the running, the tension, his fingers were like tiny pieces of cool silk, tracing over her most sensitive areas.  She gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck when his fingertips brushed against her cloth covered nipples. "Spike. I need you."
 
"Shh," he whispered, moving his mouth back to her pulse point.  "Let me do this, let me please you.  You trusted me enough to let me bite you, knowing I could have killed you in a heartbeat, and I want to do this for you.  I want to make you happy."
 
Willow cupped Spike's angular cheekbones with her hands and turned his face to hers.  She smiled at him, placing a kiss on his nose.  "Spike, you do make me happy.  But you scared the hell out of me."
 
"I would apologize, but I wouldn't mean it.  The fear was bloody great.  I needed that."
 
She grinned.  "I could scream, if you want me to."
 
"Naw, it's ok," he laughed.
 
"Seriously.  Blood curdling.  You'd like it."
 
"Seriously?" Spike asked.  Willow nodded her head.  "Ok then Red, give me your best scream."
 
"Ok, hang on, I gotta get myself scared of something."  She closed her eyes.  She started to remember what it was like when Angelus was back and terrorizing she and her friends.  She remembered the fish of hers he killed, and how violated she felt, knowing he'd been in her house.  She remembered how it felt when she thought he was going to kill her.  She began to quiver in Spike's arms, reliving that hellish time in her Junior Year.  She took a deep breath and screamed as loud and terrified as she could.
 
Spike closed his eyes and shuddered.  He could smell her fear, feel her body quiver against him.  The scream was marvelous, it held the right amount of 'I'm going to die' fear.  His demon pushed forth.  He licked his fangs and thrust his hips against her. 
 
Willow gasped and opened her eyes, feeling his hard cock against her belly. "Spike," she said softly, "that really turned you on?"
 
"Fear is such a sweet intoxication.  It smells sweet, it tastes sweet, it sounds wonderful." He grinned.  "What were you thinking about?"
 
She opened her mouth, then closed it.  "Don't worry about it."
 
An eyebrow rose.  "Not me, then."
 
"No," she said softly.  "You, when you are being threatening, are truly frightening, but I've been through much scarier stuff in my life."
 
"Ah," Spike said knowingly.  "Peaches."  He closed his eyes briefly.  "I miss him sometimes."  He opened his eyes back.  "If you ever breathe a word of that to anyone, I will bloody rip your throat out, no matter how tight and warm you are."
 
She smiled, stroking his cheek.  "Your secret is safe with me.  Now, why do you miss him?"
 
"I miss *my* Angelus.  Not that wanker that you knew, he was just hell bent on the destruction of Slutty.  I miss the Angelus who changed me... who loved me.  I hate those bloody gypsies."  He growled softly.
 
"It's ok, Spike.  Do you think Angel loves you?"
 
"His demon does.  The soul doesn't.  The soul can't, he refuses to believe in anything that the demon believes in."

"I bet he does," Willow said.  "Or at least he likes you."
 
Spike snorted.  "Not likely, pet."
 
"We should go to LA."
 
"WHAT?" Spike asked.
 
"It would give us something to do while Buffy cools off. She is majorly pissed at both of us, so why not go to LA. We don't have to say hi to Angel if you don't want to."
 
Spike grumbled, "Fine, whatever."
 
She grinded her hips against him.  "I'll make it worth your while. Cordelia wants me to come visit."
 
Spike grinned.  "Cheerleader?"
 
"Yeah."
 
"I scare her. In that case I think we should go. But I don't want to see Peaches."
 
"Fine, we won't see Peach....er.... Angel."  Willow grinned.
 
*-*-*-*
 
Cordelia glanced at her watch.  "Willow will be here any minute."
 
Angel looked up at his temporary roommate until they obtained a new office building, thus giving Angel a place to live again. "Willow's coming?"
 
Cordelia looked down at him.  "I didn't tell you?"
 
"No," Angel shook his head, hiding a smile.
 
"Oh, damn.  Must have been Wesley I told.  Or maybe Dennis."  She frowned at him. "You don't mind sleeping on the fold out couch, do you?"
 
"For Willow?  I guess not."
 
Cordelia grinned.  "Good.  I am *so* excited.  We are finally gonna have new blood around here.  I mean, you are *so* old and broody, and Wesley....well, I love him to death, I do, but god.  I'm gonna have someone to go out with!"
 
"I thought you and Willow didn't particularly get along very well."
 
"We didn't, till I got poor and moved out of the Hellhole I call Sunnydale.  Now we email all the time."
 
Angel smiled.  "Well, sounds like you will have a lot of..."  He swung his head towards the door and glared at it.  "Fun," he said through gritted teeth.
 
"Angel?"
 
There was a knock on the door.  Angel stood up and stepped in front of Cordelia protectively.  "Let me answer," he said.
 
She glared up at him.  "It's Willow, for god's sake!  It's not like it's some big bad that's going to get me!"
 
"Let. Me. Answer. The. Door." Angel said again.
 
"Ok, OK" Cordelia said.  "Don't know why you are so hyped up on answering the damn door," she muttered, crossing her arms.
 
Angel went to the door and drew himself up to his full height, standing tall and dangerous.  He opened the door and glared.
 
Cordelia eeped.  "Spike!"
 
"Boy," Angel said dangerously.  "What do you want?"
 
"OH BLOODY HELL!  I *so* did not come to LA to see you!  What are you doing at the Cheerleader's apartment?"
 
"I live here -"
 
"Oh, no you don't, you wanker," Spike said, taking a step forward.  The invisible barrier knocked him back, much to Angel's enjoyment.  Spike glared at him.  "If you loose that soul one more time and become that bastard again, I'm so going to stake you. You aren't taking mine away again."
 
Angel frowned.  "Yours?"
 
"Spike!" a voice said from the entrance to the walkway to Cordelia's apartment.  "Didn't I tell you to wait for me?  I didn't want you to scare Del!  Now I'm *sure* she's going to let us in."
 
"Willow?" Cordelia and Angel both asked.
 
"Mine," Spike growled dangerously at his sire.
 
Angel blinked.  He'd no idea there was *anything* going on with his childe and the Wicca, which surprised him.  He and Willow had, like Cordelia, kept in touch.  She never mentioned anything about Spike.
 
Willow stepped up to Spike, kissing him on the cheek.  "Del, I'm sooo sorry for bringing Blondie without telling you, but I was scared you would say no, and I couldn't come without him.  Buffy would have staked him."  She looked up.  "Angel!"  She looked surprised.
 
Angel frowned, his eyes narrowing.  He sniffed at the air, then growled.  He launched out of the apartment, slamming Spike into the column behind him.  "You. Touched. Her!"
 
Spike squirmed against his sire, trying to ignore the pain screaming through his body. "What the fuck do you bloody care for?  She's not yours!"
 
"You claimed her, Spike.  You fucked her, then claimed her!  Does she know what that means?"
 
Spike struggled, grabbing the front of Angel's sweater.  "She knows she's mine, Poof!" He slammed his forehead into his sire's.  Angel stepped back slightly.  Spike used the opportunity to slip out from between his sire and the column.
 
"You had to have forced her!" Angel roared, grabbing his childe by the throat.  "There's no way sweet innocent Willow would do that willingly with you!"
 
"ANGEL." A strong female voice said loudly and firmly.
 
Angel blinked, the anger leaving his body.  He stared at his childe, who's feet were dangling almost a foot off the ground.  Dropping the blond, Angel turned and walked to Willow.  "Did he hurt you?"  Angel looked over her body, growling softly when his eyes fell on the twin bites on her throat.
 
"No," Willow said softly.  "I....rather liked it." She grinned at Spike.  "Me and him are *dating* now."
 
"No," Spike slowly shook his head.  "Not dating."
 
"Not dating?" Willow asked softly.  "Oh no, I don't think so, you aren't using me just for sex and blood."
 
"No I'm not. More than sex and blood. More than dating.  You. Are. Mine."  Spike's intense blue eyes bored into Willow's green. 
 
She smiled, a thrill rushing through her body and tugging on her heart.  "Yes. I. Am. Yours."
 
Angel sighed.  "And the bond starts."
 
"Angel, what the hell is going on?  And can we bring this inside?  I have neighbors, you know," Cordelia said.