""How. . .I mean. . .when. . .how did this happen?"

"He seduced me, Angel," Willow said. "He turned me on with his softly spoken words."

"What the hell was he talking about?" Angel asked, pacing back and forth. He and Willow were in the spare bedroom, talking, while Spike and Cordelia were out in the living room.

"Biting me. How much pleasure one can get from it."

Angel turned to Willow. "He didn't hurt you. He did it out. . .of love?"

Willow shrugged. "I don't know if it was love, or what, but it didn't hurt. It was rather. . . thrilling."

"Erotic embrace," Angel murmured, stroking his chin. "It's a form of draining victims, 'cept you don't drain them. They live and are fine, and they pretty much think they just had an erotic encounter with a stranger. But since you knew him, and what he was, and what he was going to do, you knew you were being bit."

She shrugged, looking down at her hands. "I guess. I liked it. That's all I know."

"How long?" Angel asked.

Willow looked up at him. "Yesterday." She sighed. "Buffy totally wigged."

"Hmm. She wants to stake him, doesn't she?"

"What do you think, Angel?"

"You can't let her," Angel said.

"Duh. Like I want her killing my lover."

Angel frowned, shivering slightly. "Ok, let's not call Spike your lover. At least not in front of me. That's just. . .a picture I'm not too fond of."

Willow crossed her arms. "What's wrong? Don't think I'm woman enough? I'm not the same sweet little innocent girl that you think I am. I had sex on Giles' couch while they were patrolling. I've done it in the woods."

Angel's face scrunched up in thought. "Yea, definitely a mental picture I don't need."

Willow growled softly. Angel's eyebrow rose. He chuckled. "You've been spending too much time with that childe of mine."

"Why can't Spike get hurt? Other than the fact that I would have to beat the hell out of Buffy for hurting my mate?" Willow asked.

Angel crossed his arms. "Did you just hear yourself?"

"Huh?" Willow asked.

"Repeat what you just said," Angel said.

Willow's mind rewound. "Why can't Spike get hurt. . .other than the fact that I would have to beat the hell out. . .of Buffy. . .for hurting. . .my. . .oh my goddess. My mate?" she asked softly.

"You are his," Angel said. "He is yours." He dropped to his knees in front of Willow and grasped her arms, looking up at her. "I don't know how it affects humans, but I know how it affects vampires. If someone hurts him, you hurt. If someone kills him, you will either die, or go insane. You are protective of him, he is protective of you. I'm actually rather surprised that he's allowing you to be here alone with me."

Willow closed her eyes. "He knows you won't do anything to me. It's the soul. I don't know if he'd trust you if you didn't have that."

"Unlikely, because I can assure you that without the soul, you and I wouldn' t be sitting here right now. You'd be on that bed, underneath me, moaning in pleasure and pain."

Willow shuddered slightly. "Don't lose your soul. I love you to death, Angel, but I don't want anything like that to happen to us."

"I don't either." He sighed. "You know though, that you will be with him forever now."

"Forever as in until I die, or forever as in you and I will still be talking 500 years from now?"

Angel sighed. "We better make sure we stay friends, cause I'm sure after 500 years of Spike, you will want someone else to talk to. He tends to get annoying, in that adorable way of his."

"Oh, goddess. Angel, I don't want to be a vampire!"

"Spike's not going to let you die, Willow." He growled. "That's why I'm so angry! He didn't tell you the consequences before he seduced you! You belong to him now! There will be no one else, period, unless he wants there to be. I doubt he will."

Tears filled Willow's eyes. "I don't. . .I don't know if I want this."

"Shh. . .we will figure something out," Angel said, pulling the sobbing red head into his arms.

*-*-*-*

"So are you going to change her?" Cordelia asked.

"I'm sorry?" Spike asked, glancing at her.

"Willow. You going to make her all grr?"

"She will be with me always. She's mine, pet, and I'm not letting her go," Spike said, turning back to the television.

"Does she know?"

Spike shrugged. "Doesn't matter. That's what's happening."

"You know," Cordelia said, "she's not going to be happy with that. Just because you had one night of great sex does not mean that you two should be together for eternity. And she didn't even have a choice in the matter. She's going to leave you."

Spike blinked. < The chit is right! > he thought. He growled. "She'll be fine with it."

"Oh, really?" Cordelia asked, crossing her arms. "She's twenty years old, and she's going to find out because of one bite and a couple of great times in the sack, she's going to have to spend the *rest* of eternity with you."

"I guess being a vampire, the idea of eternity doesn't bother me."

"But she's *human*, Spike. Not a vampire. Just a human. Eternity scares the hell out of us."

Spike glanced at his sire's assistant. "Just. . .leave me alone, chit," he growled.

Cordelia shrugged. "Whatever. I just hope this doesn't make you lose her." She stood up, smoothing her skirt out. "I'm going to talk to them."

"Well. . .I'm coming too."

"No, Blondie, stay here. Dennis will keep you company."

"Who?" Spike asked, glancing around the room. He knew that there were only two humans in the apartment.

Cordelia smirked. She raised her voice. "Give him hell, Dennis!" She walked back to the spare bedroom and knocked on the door.

"Come in, Cordelia," Angel's voice was muffled through the door.

Cordelia opened the door and gasped, rushing in and shutting it quickly. She rushed to the two on the bed. Willow was clutching to Angel, sobbing hard. "You told her?" Cordelia asked.

"Yea," Angel said softly. "She's not handling it well."

"You think, Angel? I wouldn't handle it well either, if I just got told I was going to have to spend eternity with Peroxide out there." Cordelia pointed towards the door, indicating Spike. She sat on the bed and stroked Willow's hair. "Don't worry," she murmured, "we will figure something out, Willow. I promise." Her eyes caught Angel's. The vampire was worried. Cordelia was sure that the look in his eyes was mirrored in hers.