Angelusett’s Challenge

Spike Gets a Soul...Or Does He?

YYYYY

Challenge Requirements:

Had to include at least 4 parts of a very long list, this story will contain the following from that list: the quote "Oh my gosh, I'm a nymphomaniac!", someone whistling The "Flintstones" Theme song, Angel buying Willow another fish, someone trying a dildo, Spike listening to "Self-Help" tapes, someone forgetting to tape "Days of Our Lives" for Giles.

The song is "Shivers" (changed to suit my needs) and is written by Howard, and belongs to Mushroom Records.

Once again this is just a silly flight of fancy, a nonsensical story that I hope will make people smile and shake their head at the silliness of it all. I don't mean to offend anyone. Without further ado…

"I can't believe you did that!" spat Buffy, shoving Giles' front door open and striding into the living room, causing Anya and Willow to look at her. Smirking, Spike followed casually strolling along. "I could be dead now."

"Yeah, mores the pity you bloody well aren't," sighed Spike, flopping down onto a lounge chair and patting down his pockets trying to find his cigarettes. Glancing up at the still scowling Buffy, he snarled at her. "Oh get over it woman, I am not going to stake my mates."

"Mates? Well your mate was trying to kill me," stated Buffy, causing the two other girls to go 'oh' in understanding and shaking their heads in commiseration.

"Jules was not trying to kill you, he was having a cigarette and general chit chat with me," Spike gave up the search for his cigarettes and leant back into the welcoming comfort of the chair and stuck his feet up on the coffee table, earning a small smile from Willow. "It was his minions that were trying to kill you and unsuccessfully at that."

"And you didn't even try to help me! What is your problem? Angel was always..."

"Well forgive me for not being all soulful," spat Spike jumping up out of the chair and stalking towards the brassed off Slayer. "And wanting to kill my mates because they don't happen to agree with your long term philosophies and eat people."

"Well maybe that's the answer," Buffy screamed at him, clenching her fists.

"What? You change your pathetic philosophies regarding world peace and all that goodness crap?" Spike leered at her.

"No," Buffy smiled at him, tilting her head slightly and raising an eyebrow, causing Spike to back off. "We curse you."

"What?!" Spike doubled over as he roared with laughter. "Oh Slayer that's just too precious...me with a soul..."

Suddenly, he stopped laughing.  No one else was getting the joke and he eyed the Slayer suspiciously.

"You're joking right?" he just had to ask. She shook her head and Spike knew he was in trouble, the bitch would do it. "You're bluffing, Giles would never let you do it."

"It doesn't matter what Giles would say, he isn't here," she stated calmly. It was true, Giles was spending a week in New York apparently doing research...in fact he was spending the week locked away in an executive suite in the Hilton with Olivia, but doing research sounded much better than doing Olivia.

"You're crazy, I'm not going to become some sort of limp biscuit like my wanker of a sire," with that he tried to brush past her only to find himself kissing the floor with Buffy's knee holding him down.

"Get me something to tie him up with ~ something strong," Buffy screamed at the two shocked girls who were still debating whether or not she was teasing him about being cursed.

"Will you get off me you stupid cow," Spike screamed, panic setting in, causing him to squirm beneath his captor. Anya grabbed her large shoulder bag and delved into it depths, surfacing a few moments later with a pair of handcuffs, quickly fixing them to his wrists and effectively pinning them behind his back.

"Anya, why are you carrying handcuffs?" Willow asked, standing a small distance from the threesome on the floor.

"I went shopping," offered Anya and then she turned her attention to Buffy. "But I'll need them back before I leave, I have plans of restraining Xander."

"Oh bloody hell," muttered Spike to no one in particular. "How humiliating, I'm being restrained by a sex toy...this isn't fun you know."

"Shut up, Spike," hissed Buffy as she glanced over at Willow. "Do you still have the spell?"

"It isn't a spell Buffy, it's a curse," Willow frowned at the Slayer.

 
"It's all the same. We curse him and he has to help us," Buffy stated with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Actually there is a big difference, usually spells can be reversed, cursing is much more powerful," amended Anya and Spike groaned at her feet.

"Great so if you stupid gits fuck up I get turned into some pathetic excuse of an immortal for not killing my friends?" he banged his head against the floor. "Just stake me now."

"Shut up, Spike. Actually, Giles keeps a copy of the curse upstairs in his bedroom, " said Buffy, bounding up the stairs two at a time. Willow glanced from Spike's fallen form to the nimble body Slayer and sighed.

"Buffy, this is just...wrong! I mean, he has a point...if you had no alternative but to work for the forces of darkness would you be able to kill me or Xander?"

"You wouldn't kill Xander would you?" asked Anya, panicked by the idea of her beloved being dead.

"That's not going to happen and it isn't really relevant..." Buffy said quietly as she walked back down the stairs reading the curse.

"How's it not relevant ~ she's got a point...Slayer, you should really listen to her more, she's not just a pretty face," Spike grabbed at anything which might stop this roller-coaster of chaos they were currently riding, all the while silently cursing himself that he didn’t just stake the bastard

"You think I have a pretty face?" Willow smiled shyly at Spike before frowning and shaking her head. "That's not the point...I don't care what you say Buffy, it's just not right and I refuse to have anything to do with this." Willow stated and sat back down on the couch, crossing her arms and
doing her best to look pissed.

"Oh thank you," muttered Spike to himself, thinking they wouldn't be able to do the spell without Willow's help and making a mental note to show his appreciation to the redhead once all this crap had settled.

"Fine, you don't have to. Anya, wouldn't you like to wreak some vengeance? Make someone's life a living hell again...like the good old days?" Buffy asked, already knowing the answer by the glazed look of the ex-demon's eyes.

"No way. You and the demon are going to work the curse?" Spike yelled hysterically, twisting the handcuffs trying to break free.

"Ex-demon thank you very much and I'm quite good at magic," stated Anya, offended by his attitude.

"Oh yeah so good you bought an evil leather loving me from some freaky dimension," huffed Willow from the safety of the couch.

Spike stopped struggling for a moment...Willow? Leather? A multitude of tantalizing images flashed through his panic-stricken mind and a sliver of drool fell to the floor. Unfortunately the same image did nothing but install a deep-rooted fear that he was totally fucked if they did the curse.  He did the only thing possible, struggled and swore.

 
"That's it, you can go in the bathroom until we curse you," stated Buffy, picking him up by the scruff of his neck and dragging him down to the bathroom, returning to the lounge room a few moments later. Spike's curses and utterances followed her up the hallway.

"This isn't fair, Buffy, and you know that," Willow tried reasoning with the Slayer. “You shouldn't do this.”

"No, Will, I've had enough of him and his attitude. This is the only way. Look at Angel, look what having a soul has done for him," Buffy argued.

"Spike isn't Angel," Willow shook her head at her friend. Unfortunately, she was ignored as Anya and Buffy went about setting out the things needed, accompanied by the muted curses and promises of death from a peeved and jailed Spike.  Eventually, once everything was in its place, they stumbled their way through the curse, culminating in the crystal orb glowing purple for a moment before shattering.

The whole apartment became eerily quiet and the three girls merely stared at each other for a good minute before Willow broke the stillness by crossing her arms and turning her head toward the bathroom.

"Did it work?" Anya frowned.

"I don't know..." began Buffy, only to be cut off by a long and agonized wail from the bathroom. Willow stood up and glanced toward the room.

"Buffy, what have you done?" she almost sobbed.

"I hate my life," came the guttural cry of despair that was Spike.

"I think we can safely assume that it worked...either that or he's a manic depressive who just came off an incredible high of 100 years." Anya shrugged. "Can I have my handcuffs back now?"

Hesitantly, the girls made their way down to the bathroom, standing in the doorway to see Spike sitting in the bathtub, hands still firmly cuffed behind his back, knees drawn up to his chest while his head rested on them, rocking slightly.

"Get out," he murmured, not even looking at the three girls staring at him. "You shouldn't have to look at me, I'm nothing but a monster."

Willow's face crumpled, tears welled up in her eyes and she pouted, turning to glance at Buffy and shook her head.

"Okay, well can I have my handcuffs back? Then I'll go," Anya offered.

"Anya," admonished Willow, frowning at the ex-demon’s insensitivity.

"What? I want my handcuffs back. I have several imaginative ways of restraining Xander with them and I can't do that while Spike is wearing them."

"Take them, I don't deserve them," Spike all but cried and Willow shook her head at his wretched form still rocking in the bathtub. "Let me go, I'll greet the sunrise with open arms and do the world a favor."

"Oh Spike," began Willow, only to have the vampire cut her off.

"No, I don't deserve death, it's too good for me...I should be made to suffer, to do penance...oh god, the things I've done."

"Well, you can help me." Buffy all but crowed, grinning at the fact the curse had worked.

"No," Spike lifted his head and pouted. "I can't, I've...I've killed so many...and taken so much...pleasure...I can't kill now, not ever again. I should just stay here and live out the rest of the eternity in a dark little hole."

"What?" demanded Buffy, shaking her head and throwing her arms up in the air in frustration.  "I don't believe this, you can't just sit there. Angel didn't just sit there, he went forth and fought all the...baddies."

"I'm not Angel, I'll never be Angel," Spike spat, his voice full of venom, his face a mask of anger and hatred, causing the girls to raise their eyebrows in question. Just as quickly the look dissolved as his face crumpled and sobs wracked his body.  "I could never be what he is, good and compassionate...I just can't..."

"Oh now look, you've upset him," admonished Willow rushing over to his sobbing form and cradling his head to her breasts, stroking his blond hair.  "Shhh Spike, it's okay we don't want you to be like Angel..."

"Yes we do. Yes we do! That's the whole point in giving him a soul," insisted Buffy, flabbergasted that the whole thing had backfired.

"I hate my life," Spike's wail was slightly muffled against Willow's breasts.

"Okay...so can I get my handcuffs back now?" Anya asked, earning dead stares from the other three occupants of the over crowded bathroom. "I have plans and they involve the handcuffs."

***

"He's been whining for twenty-four hours straight now," Buffy growled from the chair, her foot jiggling in annoyance, brandy bottle firmly held in her hand, her face flushed from the consumption of the whiskey. All the girls, including a very reluctant Anya, had stayed after the cursing and were drowning their sorrows and hopefully the sound of Spike's whines with the help of Giles alcohol. "If he doesn't shut up, I'm going to stake him."

"Well it was your idea," stated Willow, crawling across the floor and picking up Anya's huge shoulder bag.

"Angel is souled, Angel is fighting the forces of evil. That's all I wanted ~ for him to help out and kill a few baddies. Is that really too much to ask?"

"First of all he isn't Angel, he is a totally different individual. Just because you give a vampire back their soul doesn't mean they will all end up the same," Willow scowled at her friend, this was about the hundredth time they'd had this discussion and still Buffy seem to refuse to listen to it. "Secondly, you are expecting him to kill his friends ~ which is just plain wrong. He's helped out before, but you can't expect him to kill his friends."

"Friends? Hello, they are still evil..."

"I hate my life," the muffled cry came from the bathroom, causing Buffy to roll her eyes and groan.

"I still don't know why I can't get my handcuffs back ~ you've ruined my plans," grumbled Anya, joining Willow on the floor and taking the bag from her hands.

"That's it!" Buffy hissed as another despair filled wail came from the bathroom, she pushed herself off the chair and grabbed the phone.

"What are you doing?" Willow asked as the blonde dialed a number. Buffy turned about and gave her a look of expectancy as she listened to the phone ring.

"Hi Angel...we've got a problem how long will it take for you to get here?"

"Angel?" Willow and Anya whispered to each other. Willow shook her head and looked at the huge black shoulder bag.

"I'm going to regret this, but what have you got in there?" Willow asked, curious as to what it held since it had produced the handcuffs. Anya leaned back against the couch and giggled, her hand covering her mouth.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked and Willow nodded as Buffy crawled back to her chair, taking a swig of brandy. Grinning, Anya turned the bag upside down and shook it, the contents spilling forth and sprawling across the floor.

"Oh my god," exclaimed Buffy as her eyes fell on various toys and bit and pieces that she had no understanding of. "What did you do? Hold up a sex shop?"

"No, I went shopping," Anya slurred slightly, grabbing the closest item, which happened to be a bottle of chocolate body paint. "Xander and I have been...well, you see he seems to be..."

She blushed furiously and Buffy and Willow stared at her.

"Having problems getting it up?" Buffy asked, her face screwing up in disgust as her alcohol laden mind put forth a number of images of her friends and their problems.

"You mean he's impotent?" Willow gasped, frowning at the heavy leather bound cock ring and testicle bag she held. Suddenly, she realized what it was and threw it down. "Ew, please tell me you haven't tried any of these things out on him yet?"

"I wish! Unfortunately someone appealed to my baser instinct of vengeance and now I'm stuck here," Anya shrugged and looked forlornly at the toys, clothes and other bits that lay scattered on the floor. "And no, he's not impotent, he just seems to be losing interest. I thought these might help."

"Okay, Xander losing interest?" Buffy frowned at Anya and set down the bottle so she could crawl across the floor to sit next to her. "I really don't think so. What makes you say that?"

"Well, we use to have sex all the time," Anya frowned and looked at the two girls, her eyes growing glassy. "But lately, we've only had sex about four times a day. I'm worried that he's losing interest."

"Four times? Now I really do hate my life," Spike yelled from the bathroom.

"Shut up, Spike," Willow and Buffy yelled in union. Willow shifted closer to Anya, smiling and patting her hand.

"That's a lot Anya, he's not losing interest, he's probably just...well..." Willow struggled to find the words to explain.

"You're killing him with sex! The guy’s probably exhausted," Spike's voice drifted down the hallway and an after thought was added. "I really hate my life."

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, Spike's right. Four times is above normal ~ I mean I've never ever done it four times in one day," Buffy offered and the ex-demon frowned at her.

"Yeah, but you've really only had one night stands," she stated. "So that's nothing to go on."

 "Honestly, Anya, Buffy and Spike are right.  Maybe Xander is just tired. If he was losing interest, then you'd know," Willow reassured the ex-demon.

"But four times a day? That's hardly...satisfying," she paused to reflect for a moment and then, as the situation hit home and she remembered the last Jerry Springer show she’d seen, her eyes widened in sheer delight, a wicked grin gracing her lips. "Oh my gosh, I'm a nymphomaniac! It's such a relief. Xander still loves me, we just have different sex drives. It's probably a good thing that I bought this as well."

Anya reached out and picked up something that had rolled under the coffee table and held it up for the other girls to see. It was a huge life-like dildo with balls and everything.

"Oh god, Anya! Are you actually going to use…that?" asked Buffy, somewhat shocked by the attitude of the girl in front of her.

"That's...big," Willow just felt she had to say something.

"What? What is it? What did she buy?" Spike called from the bathroom and everyone ignored him.

"What do you mean? I already have," she smiled at Buffy and then frowned.  "They let you try everything out at the shop, just to make sure it's suitable."

"You are just mind boggling at times, Anya," said Willow, shaking her head lightly, thinking she should draw Anya's attention away from the dildo before she offered to give them a demonstration. "What else did you get."

"Oh, you know, the usual," Anya spoke quietly, putting the dildo back in her bag. Both the girls shook their heads. "What, are you telling me you've never been in a sex shop? Never bought things?" Again they shook their heads and Anya looked at them like their faces had suddenly sprouted bright purple spots. "Well that's just weird. Okay, let's see. I bought a butt plug, that's this and you..."

For the next hour Anya had a totally attentive audience as she worked her way though her various purchases and explained their functions to the girls. Only once did Buffy embarrass herself by asking why the bead necklace didn't have clasps, turning bright red when Anya told her that they were love beads and how they were used.

"Very pleasurable, and the guys get off on it too, especially if you use them on him," Anya smiled as the Slayer dropped the elaborate string of beads and turned her attention to the various clothes. She picked up a leather cat suit. "I don't know why I got this, it doesn't really suit me."

"Why not?" asked Willow and Anya shrugged.

"I don't know, it just looks kind of off. I guess my legs aren't long enough or something," Anya sighed and looked at the leather outfit as Buffy stood up and held it against herself. She looked back at Willow. "Why don't you try it on, you're relatively tall and skinny, I think it would look good on
you."

"Can I try it on?" asked Buffy, fingering the soft shiny leather and Anya shrugged, nodding nonchalantly.  Buffy grinned and started toward the bathroom. "Oh, bad ass sooky vampire...where can I get changed?"

"Just get changed here," Anya said, working through the other clothes that were still scattered about. Pausing, she looked up at the two girls. "What? We've all seen it before."

Buffy shrugged and stripped off before shimmying into the leather outfit. Well trying to, it didn't really agree with her.

"I don't believe this," she hissed trying to get it on. "Why won't it fit?"

"Undo the side zip," Willow suggested, giggling with Anya at the twisted and painful look of the Slayer’s face. Finally, she managed to get it on and her cleavage spilled over the top of the tight leather, her nipples barely hidden.

"No, it doesn't suit you," Anya ran a critical eye over the blonde, for starters the bodice was too tight for her breasts, the trousers were far too long and she just looked ridiculous. She turned to Willow. "Your turn."

”I don’t know…leather isn’t really me…” Willow stated, hesitating for a moment before standing up and shedding her clothes. "But I guess no one is going to see it, right?"

Some ten minutes later she found herself encased in the tight leather with Buffy struggling to undo the zip.

"Just stand still. If you keep wriggling about I won't be able to..." Buffy was trying to pull the zip down when the head of it snapped off in her hand. "Whoops."

"Whoops?" exclaimed Willow, eyeing the little piece of metal that Buffy held and her eyes widened in horror.  "No, please tell me this isn't happening."

"Don't worry about it," Buffy said off-handily, flopping back down on the carpet. "We can cut you out of it later."

"So I'm just meant to wander about in a leather cat suit?" Willow hissed, walking about in circles and trying to get the zipper undone.

"Yes, we've been drinking - do you really want us to try and cut you out of it now?" Anya asked and Willow, that was a really valid point.

"I'm sober, I can do it," offered Spike from the bathroom and the girls ignored him. Frowning, Buffy crawled over to Giles bookcase and took out a bunch of cassettes.

"Look at this, Giles has self help cassettes," Buffy exclaimed before getting an attack of the giggles and collapsing on the floor. "Can you just see it, Mr Tweed sitting down and chanting whatever the hell is on these things to make him feel better? 'Oh I'm frightfully British and too stuffy to be emotional so I'll listen to self help cassettes'."

"That's actually a pretty sad reflection on his life," Willow said, making Buffy stop and frown.

"Yeah I guess it is..." suddenly Buffy was struck by an idea, grabbing the walkman off the bookcase, she got to her feet and staggered down to the bathroom. Pushing open the door, she practically fell in, kneeling before a rather shocked looking Spike still sitting in the bathtub. "Hallo Mr Grumble Bum, here put these on and listen carefully."

Without giving him a chance, she shoved the earphones on his head and pressed play. Grinning like an idiot, she picked up his empty mug and left him to the torture of American Self-Help tapes.

"No more feeding the baby every hour," she announced happily, carelessly tossing the mug aside and pausing to look at the two girls sitting on the floor. Well, Willow was sitting, Anya had passed out. "Okay, Anya is sleeping?"

"Yes, she has surrendered to the sweet alcohol induced sleep..." Willow stared at Buffy for a while, squinting at her. "But she still wants her handcuffs back...are you swaying, Buffy?"

"No, I'm not...the room is..." Buffy staggered about in a rough circle before collapsing on the couch and covering her eyes with her hand. "I think..."

"Buffy?" Willow asked, she was answered by a deep satisfied sigh and a light snort. "Buffy sleeping?"

Willow looked about the suddenly very quiet room. "Damn."

Pushing herself off the floor she picked up Spike's empty mug and the few abandoned bottles of alcohol and headed out to the kitchen, happily whistling the theme to the Flintstones while she cleaned up and tidied the mess they had created over the last few days. That done, she wandered back into the lounge room and glanced at the still sleeping girls.

"Wakey, wakey...hello? Vamp suicide watch going on because of you two..." Willow gently shook them, but it was hopeless. "Great, leave me on my own..."

Her thoughts were interrupted as Spike's voice wrapped around her in a hypnotic veil of misery and despair.

"I've been contemplating suicide, but it really doesn't suit my style, so I think I'll just act bored instead and contain the blood I would have shed," Willow pouted and could feel the tears welling up behind her eyes. Slowly, she made her way down the hallway, pausing in the open doorway to look at the restrained vampire. He was bopping away, his eyes closed, his face reflecting the misery of the song he was singing. "He makes me feel so ill at ease, my heart is really on it's knees, but hey I'm dead so that don't matter."

Willow frowned for a moment as a smirk crossed his lips at his own joke before his face fell back into the previous mask of misery.

"But I keep the poker face so well that even my mother couldn't tell. But my sire is so vain he is almost a mirror and the sound of his name sends a nervous shiver down my spine, down my spine," again the smile crept back onto his face as he continued to hum the song. Willow crossed her arms and eyed him suspiciously. For the past twenty-four hours he had done nothing but wail and whine, they had finally started giving him blood every hour on the hour to shut him up...and now he was singing.  But hey, apparently it was about his sire, still Willow thought it was a bit odd. Suddenly his voice screamed out as he sang. "There is no room for cheap regrets. He makes me feel so ill at ease, my heart is really on it's knees, but I keep the poker face so well that even my mother couldn't tell. But my sire is so vain he is almost a mirror and the sound of his name sends a nervous shiver down my spine, down my spine. Oh yeah, down my spine-eee-iny-ine."

He sang out with enthusiasm, his head and shoulders bopping along with the tune. Suddenly, he stopped, opened an eye and saw Willow standing in the doorway.

"Holy fucking shit," he hissed, suddenly very relieved he wasn't standing up. She was like a goddess, a very leather clad goddess. The shiny cat suit clung to her soft, subtle curves, the low cut bodice giving him a wicked view of her pert breasts, the shoulder straps drew attention to her naked arms and long expanse of neck. Red hair framed a slightly flushed face, which accentuated the green of her eyes, and the light from the hallway gave her a soft glow. "Am I dreaming?"

"No," she spoke softly, walking towards the bathtub, the leather clinging to her every movement. Leaning forward, she pulled the headphones away and bought one up to listen. So much for self-help tapes, he was listening to a local radio station, shaking her head she removed the walkman and tossed it aside, smiling as she sat down on the edge of the tub, her fingers straying to comb through his hair.  "How are you feeling Spike?"

He didn't have the chance to say anything because there was a loud and repetitive knock at the front door. Twisting about on the edge of the tub, she looked toward the bathroom door and sighed. "Angel."

"Oh bloody hell, I hate my life," moaned Spike resting his head against her leather clad back and inhaled the sweet combination of leather and Willow. Sighing, she got up and headed out of the bathroom and as he watched her move away, he cursed his very being for what he was about to say. "Please, don't leave me."

He begged, he'd actually begged ~ but wouldn't you with a leather clad goddess walking away? Giving her what he hoped was his best puppy dog face, he was more than certain that he'd get her to stay when Angel knocked again, this time calling out Buffy's name. Mouthing 'sorry', Willow
turned and left him.

"Fuck it all to hell," he spat a scowl darkening his face. “I hate my fucking life!”

Willow rushed over to the door, a quick glance about the room proved that Angel and his repetitive, urgent knocking hadn't woken either girl. Flinging the door, she plastered a huge welcome grin on her face and giggled at the hulking vampire standing in the doorway.

"Hello, Angel," she greeted him and he was silent. Staring, he took in her leather-clad body and glanced over her shoulder to where Buffy and Anya were sprawled on the floor.  Eyes widening in horror, he launched himself at her, tackling her to the ground and pinning her down.

"You're a vampire! I can't believe this, what happened?" Angel demanded his huge body easily crushing the redhead into the floor. Vainly, she gasped for breath and writhed beneath him, trying to gain some leverage to push him off.

"I am not a vampire. Get off me," Willow panted, struggling uselessly beneath him.

"Then why did Buffy call me?" he still made no move to get off her, but raised his head to glance about the lounge room. There was no sign of a struggle and he distinctly heard three hearts beating. Looking back down at Willow, he frowned. "And why are you wearing leather?"

"Buffy and Anya cursed Spike with a soul, Buffy couldn't stand his constant whining, so she called you, I don't know why or what she thought you'd be able to do, but she did and you're here...lying on top of me...you're heavy, you know that, don't you?" Willow said sarcastically, hoping he'd take the hint and get off her, he didn't. "I'm wearing leather because Anya went insane in a sex shop and bought everything she saw, including this outfit which she then said didn't suit her. Anyway, Buffy tried it on and it didn't fit, then I put it on and it fitted too well and the zipper broke ~ so I'm stuck in it until they sober up enough to cut me out of it...okay?"

Angel studied her face for a moment, his brow furrowing as he considered her story and still he didn't let her up.

"Okay, if I was 'evil', which I am not, would I be wearing these socks with this outfit?" she asked lifting her foot up. Cautiously, Angel glanced over his shoulder to see purple striped socks and  he immediately got up, helping her to her feet.

"Sorry," he apologized, shrugging and looking sheepish. "I just saw...everything and assumed...that leather is awfully...tight fitting."

Willow frowned at him and looked down at herself. "Yes, it is."

"So…Spike has been cursed?" Angel looked about for his childe and came back to the redhead dressed to kill in leather. "Why?"

"He refused to kill his friend and Buffy got mad," Willow looked down at her hands twisting them together. "I tried to stop her, I mean not everyone works better with a soul and that, but she did it anyway and now..."

"I hate my life," the low and mournful cry came from the bathroom and Willow shrugged, gesturing with her hands.

"Now we have..."

"A very depressed and suicidal Spike?" Angel sighed, remembering how difficult it had been to adjust to having a soul and a conscience again. "He's in the bathroom?"

Willow nodded. Angel gave her a half smile and patted her bare shoulder.

"It'll be okay, I'll talk to him...just give us some time alone," Angel let her go and disappeared down the hallway. He stood for a brief moment in the doorway, watching as Spike rested his head on his knees. "Hello Spike."

"Go away," Spike muttered through clenched teeth, his hands bawling into fists.

"I'm not going to do that. I know how...difficult...emotional this is, you need to talk to someone about it," Angel sat down on the edge of the tub, reaching out and touching his childe's shoulder, wincing as he flinched under his touch. "I know it's hard, Spike. The pain you're feeling, the hatred and self-loathing, it's natural. But you can help heal yourself, helping Buffy would be a step in easing your own pain..."

Spike gritted his teeth and hoped beyond hope that the girls, or rather Willow, would take pity on him and stick the self-help cassettes back on. It would be easier to listen to some cocky American rave on then listen to his sire's sympathetic ramblings. But no, he had to listen to the great poof, his eyes had glazed over within five minutes and after fifteen he had been able to lose himself in the pattern of the tiles in the bathroom wall. But now, an hour after his sire has first started his "how to live with a soul" lecture, he actually said something that caught Spike's attention.

"I've done a lot of things, probably worse than you, to those I care about. To Buffy, Giles and Willow...things that..."

"Yeah," Spike stated, cutting off his sire. "You killed Willow's fish."

"What?" asked Angel, startled that Spike had even spoken.

"You soddin' well killed her fish," he shook his head, clearing the fog that had settled in. "She bawled on my shoulder here one night. 'Oh, he killed them and strung them up like Christmas lights...only I'm Jewish so that's not relevant...but oh the pain and misery he caused me...' She was bloody well destroyed about those fish."

Angel stared at him for a moment, jaw dropping to the ground.

"Really? She’s still that upset about it?" he whispered, appalled that he could still be causing her that much pain. Spike nodded. "I had no idea."

Spike glanced up at his sire, the faintest smile crossing his lips as he saw the dark-haired vampire enter into a heavy angst ridden period of guilt. Time to add to it.

"I hate my life," Spike wailed, capturing Angel's attention, his blue eyes meeting his sire's chocolate brown. "And I hate your life too."

Willow looked up from the book she was reading. This was great, not only did Spike still hate his life he had also managed to incorporate Angel's life as well...and it was apparently enough to send Angel speeding from the room. Closing the book, she stood up.

"Angel? Are you okay, is Spike okay?" she asked, concern evident in her voice. Angel winced and looked down at the floor.

"I...I have to go do something, Willow. Stay here until I get back," he said, as he pulled the front door closed behind him.

"Yeah, I was really going out dressed in this," Willow shook her head and went to warm up some blood for Spike. Except there was something amiss with the microwave ~ Giles had muttered something about you had to jiggle the door or hit it or kick it or smash it to pieces with a hammer. The last option was Willow's favorite when Angel walked back in the door.

"Willow," he called softly to her, not wanting to wake up the other two girls.

"Mmm? Yes?" Willow asked, still poking and prodding at the microwave.

"I'm sorry...about the...well about the..."

Willow turned around to face him, he wasn't the most communicative person at the best of times, but now he just seem to be completely lost in what he wanted to say.

"Fish," stated Willow staring at the bowl he held in his hands. She frowned. "You bought fish? How is that meant to help Spike?"

"They're not for Spike, they're for you...to make up, or replace the ones that I..." he paused and frowned and shrugged, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. "You know..."

"Oh...oh, Angel, I'd forgotten all about that ~ honestly you didn't have to do this," Willow stated and then regretted it when his face fell even more. Quickly, she rushed over to him. "But thank you all the same...I'll...I'll treasure them."

Without warning, his arm shot out and grabbed her about the waist, pulling her in tightly against him, almost squashing her and the fishbowl.

"Er, Angel," she muttered into his chest. "I have to breathe."

"Sorry," he released her quickly and shoved the fishbowl into her hands. Buffy moved on the couch, drawing their attention.

"Oh, good. Buffy is waking...you can talk to her about Spike," Willow nodded and backed away from him, almost terrified he was going to hug her again, she didn't know if she could escape another encounter unscathed.

"Angel?" muttered Buffy, wiping the sleep from her eyes and focusing on the love of her life. She did the only thing possible, jumped up, tripped over Anya's sleeping form and fell into his arms. "Oh god, it's so good to see you again!"

She was just about to kiss him when something interrupted her train of thought.

"I hate my life," Spike's voice came between the two lovers and Buffy rolled her eyes, practically growling while Angel winced.

"Please tell me you can do something about that?" Buffy implored Angel, who merely shook his head.

"I've talked to him. But it's not that simple. It's going to take years for him to come to grips with the atrocities he has caused," he glanced up the hallway and frowned, not sure of how to explain it to Buffy. "The only thing you can really do is give him time to adjust."

"Years?" Buffy barely whispered, backing away from Angel and tripping over Anya once more, waking her.

"What? I'm awake..." muttered Anya, still half asleep and Buffy shook her head in disbelief.

"Years, Spike's going to be doing this for years," Buffy stated, staring blindly at some spot in the distance. "No, there's got to be something we can do, surely?"

Angel sighed, touched by Buffy's apparent concern over his childe's welfare. "There isn't anything you can do, just let him work through it. Look, I really have to go."

He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, glancing at the girls and Willow gave him a soft sympathetic smile, reaching out to take his arm. "That's okay Angel, thanks for coming down and trying to help. We'll be okay, you have a safe trip."

Buffy was to stunned with the information of years to even realize that Angel was leaving and only half returned the hug he gave her. Willow walked him to the door and was rewarded with another bone crushing hug from the vampire.

"I am sorry, Willow," he whispered in her ear before releasing her and walking off into the early morning darkness.

"LA is making him weird," muttered Willow closing the front door.

"Did he fix the whiner?" asked Anya, stretching out on the floor. "Do I get my handcuffs back?"

"I hate my life."

"What? Why is he still doing that?" huffed Anya, sitting up straight and paying attention.

"I can't take it anymore, we have to do something," Buffy was starting to sound desperate. "We have to put an end to this...we have to reverse it."

"You can't Buffy, it's a curse," Willow reminded her.

"But didn't the glowering one lose his soul at some time?" asked Anya. "It's the same curse, so how did that happen?"

Buffy and Willow looked at each other.

"Buffy slept with him," Willow stated.

"So go have sex with Spike." Anya stated calmly to the Slayer and she backed away from her.

"No! NO! I am not going to do Spike." Buffy protested.

"Well, I would but Xander seems to be into monogamy," shrugged Anya. "And no matter how painfully horrendous it is listening to that, I'm not going to risk losing Xander for some peace and quiet."

"Well, I'm kind of seeing Riley," offered Buffy, desperately thinking of a good reason. "So that's much the same. In fact, Willow you're the only person who really isn't in a relationship at the moment."

Both the girls turned to look at Willow, her eyes widened in disbelief. "You two aren't possibly suggesting..."

"It'll be easy," Anya offered enthusiastically. "I mean he's not had sex since Harmony and that was ages ago. He'll probably be a three thrust, grunt and sleep guy."

"Where do you get these ideas from?" asked Willow. "You are suggesting that I have sex with Spike. Even if he...well even if we do have sex what makes you think it will work? Isn't it 'perfect happiness'? Wouldn't that be Drusilla for Spike?"

"Oh please, he's a man! Once they get to thrust into something tight and wet they're all perfectly happy," Anya declared. "Now go and seduce him."

"No," protested Willow, backing away from the ex-demon. "You are just...well I can't think what you are...but you are!"

"Come on, Will," pleaded Buffy. "She has a point and you know he likes you..."

"Yeah, well, he's a man, he'd like anything..." Anya started only to have Buffy stamp on her foot. "Ow, what was that for? Oh, sorry the comfort 'of course he likes you' thing."

Buffy glared at her before turning back to Willow. "You know he does, he checks out your ass everytime you walk by him."

"He does?" Willow asked smiling slightly and blushing, she shook her head and frowned. "No, you're just saying that."

"No I'm not!" Buffy protested and took a step toward her friend, grabbing her arm and leading her to the couch. "Look, how's this. We set up Giles bedroom, all nice and romantic, and leave you two alone for a while. If something happens, it happens, if it doesn't...I stake him."

Willow thought to herself. "Fine."

"You'll do it?" Buffy asked, totally shocked that Willow would agree.

"She said she would, don't give her a chance to back out," said Anya grabbing Willow's hand and dragging her up the stairs. "We'll set up the room you get the sook.">”Great, wonderful choice you’ve given me Buffy, either I sleep with him or you stake him.  I told you not to do the curse in the first place and know you want me to fix up your mess!”

“No, I can fix him…I’ll stake him,” Buffy stated, with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.

“You can’t stake him,” Willow declared, rubbing at her temples.

“So you’re going to sleep with him then?” demanded Anya, grinning like a maniac and Willow grimaced.

“I guess I don’t really have a choice,” Willow glanced hesitantly towards the bathroom and Buffy enveloped her in another bone crushing hug before bounding down the hall towards the bathroom.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Buffy gleefully whispered to herself as she walked into the bathroom. Of course, he was still there, in the bathtub, looking rather pathetic. "Okay, let's go."

"I'm not going anywhere, I don't deserve to leave this tub," Spike moaned and Buffy sighed, glancing about the small tiled room.  She was so sick and tired of this.

"Spike," she called softly.

"Mmm?" he turned his head slightly and Buffy's fist connected with his jaw, his head bounced against the wall and everything went black. When he woke up, he was lying butt naked on a soft bed, a mass of candles flickering, casting shadows about the room. "What the bloody hell..."

Then he saw her, his redheaded leather-clad goddess and she smiled.

"Willow?" he asked softly, sitting up and rubbing his jaw. Her fingers replaced his and her green eyes caught his blue ones.

"Did she hurt you?" she purred softly, the heat of her breath making Spike shiver. Her lips replaced the fingers, soft kisses peppering across his bruised flesh, and her hand was making a feather light trail over his chest.

"Willow…pet...what are you doing?" Spike asked, his voice low and husky.

"I'm kissing it better," she murmured, working her way to his ear, biting the lobe, scraping her teeth over it and swirling her tongue around the curve. He moaned and leant into her touch, his arms snaking about her waist, pulling her leather-clad body flush against him. Her mouth moved back to his face, kissing his sharp cheeks and closed eyes, her tongue tracing the curve of his eyebrows before she kissed her way down to his mouth. Her lips hovered for a brief moment above his, hesitating.  "Do you want me, Spike?"

"How could I not," he sighed, earning a shy half smile from her as she lowered her lips to his, ravaging his mouth. His tongue played with hers, teasing, caressing, dominating and with a growl, he pulled his mouth away from hers and clenched his jaw in frustration. "No," he shook his head. "I...I can't do this...I can't live this lie anymore..."

"Lie? What are you talking about Spike?" Willow asked concerned. Suddenly the whole bed moved and Willow found herself flat on her back with Spike lying on top of her, his very masculine, very sexy and aroused body pinning her down. Grabbing her hands, he pushed himself up above her and smirked. "Oh god, it didn't work you don't have a soul. I knew it, I just knew it!"

"Oh Red, I couldn't help it," Spike laughed, his eyes wandering from hers to take in the reality of a very up close and personal Willow in leather. Lowering his head, he mouthed her neck. "Don't hate me for it, love. If they knew it didn't work they would have just kept trying."

"So you faked everything? I don't believe this. Let me go," Willow whimpered beneath him, her resolve and anger slowly disappearing with every soft kiss and lick he gave her neck and...oh god he was moving lower, his tongue tracing her collarbone.

"Why?" he asked, his mouth sneaking down lower, his tongue running across the edge of the leather that covered her breasts. "So you can go downstairs and say the curse didn't work? That they fucked up? Buffy would stake me quicker than you could imagine...is that what you want?"

"No," breathed Willow, arching up against his mouth as it closed around her nipple through the leather. He released her hands, his own running down over her exposed arms before tracing the smooth planes of her leather bound form.

"So what then?" he looked up at her, resting his chin between her breasts, his hands caressing her body, teasing her with promises of what he could do. Willow moaned and stared blindly at the ceiling for a moment, looking back at Spike only when his mouth created a distraction. Sighing, she ran her fingers through his short hair, wrapped her legs about his and twisted them, catching him off balance and rolling them over. Spike growled at her.

"Well," she breathed, lightly rubbing her leather covered crotch against his painfully hard erection. "I have to fuck the soul out of you..."

"But I don't have one," Spike smirked, thrusting up against her lightly. She granted him one of her delightfully wicked smiles.

"I know that and you know that," she moaned, dropping down and rubbing against his chest.  His mouth found her neck while his hands kneaded her ass. "But Anya and Buffy don't. We can't get away with this little deception if we don't have sex..."

Spike's fingers pulled at the leather, ripping the zip open and exposing her skin.

"Well I guess we don't have a choice then," murmured Spike against her skin. Giggling, Willow sat up and helped him pull away the confining leather, smiling as his eyes darkened with lust at the sight of her naked breasts.

"We are just going to have to make the best of a bad situation," sighed Willow before squealing in pleasure as Spike lunged at her.

***

Bang.

"What was that?" Anya asked, nibbling on the pizza she and Buffy were sharing. Buffy shrugged and picked up another piece.

"Don't know," she grabbed the remote and turned down the volume on the TV. There was another loud bang from upstairs. "Uh oh, that doesn't sound good. Do you think Willow is alright?"

"Please...she's been up there for twelve hours and they still haven't done the deed," Anya picked a piece of pineapple off her slice of pizza. "I'm sure she's fine."

"I don't know, I think I'll just go check on them," Buffy put her slice back down and licked her fingers as she made her way up the stairs. She was just about to knock on the door when it vibrated with a loud thud, like something being thrown against it. Urgently, she knocked. "Willow? Are you okay? What's going on?"

"Tell her everything's fine," whispered Spike, pulling back out of her, his tongue licking the sweat from her throat, and slamming back into her against the door.

"Everything's fine, Buffy," she panted, arching her shoulders back against the door and grinding herself against Spike, her arms wrapped about his neck, one leg hooked about his waist. "Spike is just..." he pulled back and thrust forward, hard and fast, with another bang. "Banging his head against..." he did it again, grunting loudly and causing Willow to gasp. "The door..." Bang. "We'll come down..." Bang. "When we've finished..."

"Well are you sure you're okay?" Buffy was still concerned.

"Oh YESSSSSSS..." hissed Willow, her hands digging into Spike's ass as he slammed into her pushing her over the edge into another mind splitting orgasm. On the other side of the door, Buffy shook her head and frowned.

"Okay, I get it, you want me to go away. I'm going..." muttered Buffy, totally unaware that the door hid a thoroughly messed up room and frantic couplings that would continue for at least another 48 hours. She heard Spike cry out, a passionate and animalistic growl, and her eyes widened. "Oh god, I forgot to tape 'Days of Our Lives' for Giles...he's going to kill me!"

YYYYY

Feedback

Back to Willow and Spike Index

Back to Main Index