Ripe  

'I never should have blown up that library,' Giles thought
as he opened his own front door to find Buffy, Willow
and Spike making themselves quite at home. Again. He
glanced at the vampire still not ready to accept him as
a Slayerette. He'd proven his worth in the past few weeks,
but he was still a demon.

"Hi, Giles," Willow greeted him cheerfully.

"Um, yes," Giles said as he set down his groceries.
"Hello, Willow--- and um, Buffy, Spike."

"Oooh, did you get the chips?" Buffy asked as she ran
over and started going through the bags.

"Chips?" he asked in confusion.

Buffy sighed. "I told you yesterday. You're out of
chips. Sheesh, Giles. Write this stuff down." She had
removed most of the contents of two bags onto the
counter before groaning. "Raisins?" she said
incredulously. "You actually bought raisins?"

"I like raisins," he protested grabbing the box from
her hand. "And need I remind you that I live here. You
see, my name's on the mailbox, I pay the rent, hence I
buy the raisins!"

"Somebody got up on the wrong side of cranky today!"
Buffy said rolling her eyes.

Giles frowned at her and started to put away the
items scattered on the countertop.

"Raisins are good --- well, they're good for your
digestion; they help keep you regu-" Willow saw Giles'
tart expression and stopped trying to help and sank
back down onto the couch.

"You didn't happen to pick up any pig's blood, did you?"
Spike asked hopefully.

"Darn, I knew I forgot something," Giles said
facetiously.

"Oh, sure. Easy for you mate, you've got your
bleedin' raisins, haven't you?"

"Well, I for one, am starving. Giles, you really
should plan better before having company," Buffy
scolded.

Giles opened his mouth to protest, but snapped it
shut, knowing it was useless.

"Guess I'll have to fend for myself," Buffy said
dramatically. "I'm going to Mom's; you wanna come
Wills?"

"No, I think Spike, and I are onto something. I'll see
you back at the dorm later."

"Suit yourself. There's a dinner out there with my
name on it and I intend to Slay it or -- maybe just
eat it. -- Bye," Buffy said as she bounced out the door.

"Have you found something?" Giles asked.

"Maybe," Willow said as she paged through a thick
volume sitting in her lap.

Spike slid down next to her, his arm going around the
back of the sofa behind her. Giles joined them in the
living room. He noticed the way Spike was leaning too
close to Willow, peaking down her blouse. He cleared
his throat and they both looked up at him inquiringly.

Giles smiled at Willow, who smiled and went back
to her book. The Watcher then caught Spike's eye
and gave him a hard look, which the vampire promptly
ignored and scooted even closer the redhead.

"So, Red, what has that lovely little brain of yours
found?" Spike cooed.

Giles rolled his eyes.

"I think that if we can lure the demon to a wooded
area, we can use the spell of Garanock."

Spike leaned in closer, ostensibly to look at the page
Willow was reading. "You smell tasty, Red," he
purred.

Willow's eyes went wide with alarm, but there was a
spark of something else.

Giles growled menacingly. "Spike."

"What? No, her perfume, Watcher," he said.

The way Spike said the word "Watcher" always
managed to get under Giles' skin. Coming from the
vampire it was an insult, mocking with more than
a hint of disgust.

Spike turned back to Willow with grin. "Lavender, isn't it?"

She nodded shyly as a light blush colored her cheeks.

"Very -- rrrowwwrrr," he purred, his eyes flashing.

"Yes, w-well," Giles sputtered. "I think t-that's
enough r-research for one day," he said as he pulled
Willow unceremoniously off the sofa. She barely
managed to keep a hold of the book.

"But, but, we just got started," she protested.

"Yes, we're just getting started," Spike added with a
suggestive wink.

Giles glared at the vampire. "I think you're quite
finished."

Spike chuckled to himself. Humans could be quite
amusing really, if they weren't so pathetic. If the Watcher
has a thing for the little witch, what's stopping him?

"But-" Willow started.

"You - you run along Willow," he said taking the book
from her hands. "Good work-um, on that spell thing."
He gave her the bums rush toward the door.

"If you're sure you don't need me," Willow said
obviously confused by this sudden turn of events.

"I'm sure," he said as he heedlessly pushed her out
the door and closed it with a definite snick.

"What about my needs?" Spike said.

"You!" Giles said harshly as he returned to face the
vampire. "What the bloody hell do you think you're
doing?"

"Surely, I don't know what you mean," Spike said
imperiously.

"Willow!" the Watcher bellowed with his eyes
narrowing.

Spike laughed. "A tasty morsel, isn't she?"

"Not for the likes of you, she isn't," Giles warned.

"And why not? That idiot werewolf's gone. She
unattached--- and lonely--- and ripe," he smirked.

"This is Willow, not Harmony or one your--- your
chippies," Giles exclaimed.

"Chippies? Christ! You really need to get out more,"
Spike snickered. He eyed the Watcher carefully to gauge
his reaction. Smiling slyly, he continued. "She's a plump plum
waiting to be plucked. And I'm just the man to do
the plucking."

Giles frowned, his mind awhirl with images, pleasant
and horrid.

'Oh, definitely has a thing for her,' the vampire thought
pleased with himself.

"Ever had rebound sex?" Spike asked casually. "Nothing
quite like a woman with a broken heart. Sad and angry.
You never know what they might do," he added with a
grin. "A shoulder to cry on, to nibble on."

"She's just a child," Giles said halfheartedly.

"You are crusty, aren't you?" Spike said with disgust.
"Blind as well as stupid."

A spark of anger flashed across the Watcher's face.

"Red may seem demure, but let me tell you, it's the
quiet ones that give you the best ride." His eyebrows waggled.
"Wild sex kitten on the loose!"

"Watch your mouth," Giles warned him, feeling Ripper
starting to claw at the gate.

"I wonder if she tastes as good as she smells?" Spike
wondered aloud, deliberately baiting Giles. He looked at
the Watcher and purposely asked. "Don't
tell me you haven't noticed? I'll bet she's sweet and juicy
like a ripe berry."

"Shut your mouth," Giles hissed, Ripper just below the
surface now.

"You know, Watcher, you're right for once," he said
getting to his feet. "Time to stop talking-"

"Thank God," Giles said taking a deep breath.

"And start doing," he finished with a smirk.

"Where do you think you're going?" Giles demanded.

"To pick a plum, old chum."

"Hang about a bit," Giles said grabbing Spike's arm.

"Why should I?"

"You're a vampire--" Giles started, but Spike cut him off.

"Oh, of course. Why didn't I think of that?" Spike
said snidely. "Ta!"

He easily pulled out of the Watcher's grip and strode
for the door. "I'll give Willow your best. That shouldn't
take too long," he said with a smirk as he slammed the
door behind him.

* * * * *

Giles threw back the remainder of his drink, the ice
cubes barely melted.

Visions of sweet, innocent Willow giving herself to that
peroxided devil played across his mind. With great force
of will he pushed those thoughts away, only to be rewarded
with the image of Willow in a leather catsuit clawing at
Spike as they -- "Good Lord!" he choked out, tugging
on the collar of his sweater.

"She wouldn't," he mused aloud. "Would she?"

A knock on the door shook him from his reverie.

"Willow?" he said as he opened the door. "Come in. Are
you all right?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine. I just got this note from Spike
asking me to meet him here." She looked around the
apartment a bit disappointed. "I guess I'm early."

"Please, sit - sit down," Giles said gesturing to the
living room. He looked at her for a long moment before
removing his glasses, cleaning them, and starting to pace.

'Uh-oh,' Willow thought. 'Giles is in lecture mode.'

He glanced at her nervously, finding this subject
entirely discomfiting.

"Willow, I think I should warn you. Spike, well,"
Giles struggled. "He - what I mean to say is. He -
Spike likes you," he finished lamely.

"Oh." She noticed the frown on Giles' face and made
the connection. "Oh!"

"Yes, and he might try something.," he continued,
hoping he wasn't frightening her. "I just thought you
should know - to be prepared. Ah, in case you need to
fend off his--- advances."

"Right," Willow said softly, a sort of dreamy look on
her face.

Giles saw her reaction and his heart lurched. "You-you
would fend him off, wouldn't you?"

Willow blushed and looked down. "I - I don't know.
This is all kind of sudden."

"Sudden?" Giles yelled. "You don't know?" He shook his
head and looked to the heavens. "He - he's a vampire,
for God's sake!"

"Well, yeah. But he can't bite anybody anymore and-and
Buffy dated a vampire," Willow reasoned.

"That's entirely different."

"Why? Because she's the Slayer?" Willow demanded.

"No. Because she's - that is, you're - Well, you're
Willow," Giles responded as though it were an
explanation.

Willow sighed sadly.

Giles stopped pacing and looked at her with concern.
"You can't seriously be considering this?"

"Well, he is -- " she said trailing off, imagining
Spike. She looked up at Giles nervously, who was
glaring back, and then ducked her head. "He said he's
thought about me," Willow added shyly.

"He - he has? When?" Giles demanded.

"That night he tried to kill me," she said wistfully
"He even remembered my sweater. The pink one with-"

"With the little flowers?" Giles finished. "I remember
it," he added softly.

Willow nodded, missing the significance of Giles'
statement. She looked at him with eyes full
of loneliness.

"It's nice to know someone ---" she looked down
bashfully. "--wants me. I'm not feeling too
wantable these days."

"Oh, Willow," Giles breathed as he knelt down in front
of her. He took her hands in his. "You are a
beautiful, desirable woman."

She looked at him, her emerald eyes a mixture of doubt
and hope. "Do *you* really think I'm beautiful?" she
whispered.

"Yes," he said leaning in, his gaze drifting from her
eyes to her mouth. It wasn't magic, but he'd fallen
under her spell. Forgetting everything they were, he
kissed her.

Willow met his mouth shyly at first and then grew
bolder as his hand gently caressed her cheek. She
parted her lips and ran her tongue across the seam of
his mouth.

He eagerly opened himself to her, letting her control
the intensity of the kiss. She let her tongue dance
along his teeth before dipping deeper into his mouth.

The feel of her small tongue darting against his
caused an ache of arousal to surge through him. He
gave up all pretence of restraint and dove
into her mouth. His kiss hot and demanding.

Her small hands snaked around his neck as she met him
passion for passion.

So caught up in the heat of a fantasy realized,
neither noticed the lone figure at the window.

"I must be a bloody fool," he whispered with a sigh.
"You owe me one, Watcher." With another sigh,
the vampire headed off into the night.

The End