A Very Ordinary Evil Page 5
Part 16 - Hunter, Prey
Back at Spike and Willow�s apartment.
�Who would want the Order of Taraka to kill us?� Willow asked, confused and scared.
�Pet, we don�t know yet if it�s just one or both of us. Either way, we�ll need to get Ripper here.�
�Yeah, we do. I just don�t understand it.�
�Well, I did hire them a few years ago. I wonder if my contact�s still around.� Spike mused.
�Right then,� Willow said, taking charge of the organisational aspects of anything which resembled research; as she usually did. �You call your � contact and I�ll call Giles.� She took out her cell phone and looked at Spike who had not moved. �Well?� She asked.
�I can�t call him luv, I need to go and see him, if �him� is the right word.�
�Oh. Well, I�ll call Giles. It�s late but he�ll understand, under the circumstances.� She called Giles and asked him to come over. Explaining, briefly, what had happened she also asked him to bring any information on the Order of Taraka that he had available.
Within ten minutes, Giles had arrived. He had obviously broken every speed limit on his way over. As the door was opened to him, he came through it, carrying a large bag of books and asking, �How do you know it was the order?�
Spike threw him the ring. �That�s how.�
Giles nodded as he looked at it. �It�s the Order. What happened; all the details please.� Once they had explained everything that had happened, with Giles chuckling during the explanation of Spike�s apparent clumsiness, he looked seriously at them. �I would say that we have some problems. First is that we don�t know if Willow, or Spike, or both of you were the target or targets. I�m inclined to think that it was either Spike or both of you who were targets, because there was no immediate shot at Willow. Which is what would have happened had she alone been the potential victim.�
Willow nodded in agreement. �I�d come to that conclusion as well, Giles. I didn�t want to say anything until I spoke with you though.� Giles nodded as Willow continued. �What I don�t understand though, is who would want Spike dead, and why? Or both of us for that matter.�
�I know I�ve pissed off a lot of � people in the non-human community by working with the slayer, pet. It could quite simply be that.�
Spike slipped into thought again. �Red, what spell did you cast on the bloke with the crossbow?�
�Oh, a teleport. Why?�
�Did you send him anywhere in particular?�
�No, he could have emerged anywhere. I wasn�t worried. He was trying to hurt you.�
�What do you mean by �anywhere�, luv?�
�I mean, I need to focus on the destination when I activate the spell. I didn�t worry about that. So he could be anywhere. Next door, in Chicago, in the middle of Mount Rushmore, twenty thousand feet above the Pacific. Anywhere.�
Giles looked at Willow, then looked at Spike and grinned evilly. �Just never piss her off, old son. The potential results are just too horrible to contemplate.�
Spike tried to glare at Giles, but it was clear that he was amused as well. �So, getting back to the core of the conversation, Ripper, what are we going to do about this?�
�Spike, you mentioned to Willow that you had a contact. Why don�t we talk to this � contact?�
Spike looked at the time. �It�s getting late mate. It�s summer. We won�t be able to get there in time. We�ll have to hold off until tomorrow night.�
�Is there anything else we can do Giles? Anything at all? I don�t like this. It scares me.�
Spike came over to the little redhead and wrapped his arms around her. �Listen pet, we�ve got through far worse things than the Order of Taraka.� He looked over to Giles. �I just had a thought. Do the Order accept payments to stop pursuing a contract?�
�No, it�s against their Code. They see it as dishonourable.�
�Somehow, I didn�t think it would be that easy.� Spike�s tone was bitter as he spoke. �So, what we have to do is to find the contractor and either kill him or convince him to withdraw the contract. That�s just great!�
�Well, I would say that you have at least a few days before the next assassin is dispatched.� Giles observed, trying to see the positive side of things. �It gives us a little time at least to speak to your contact.�
�Wait a minute, when Spike hired them, they sent three against Buffy.� Willow recalled, suddenly worried.
�That was because I arranged for it like that pet. I thought several threats, simultaneously, would be useful against the slayer.�
�Oh. You don�t do things by halves, do you handsome.�
Spike chuckled ruefully. �No. Didn�t help me any though.�
Giles sighed. �Well, we�re at a dead end here. I suppose we should go and see Spike�s contact tomorrow night. If it�s all right with you both, I�ll leave these here and head home to bed.� So saying, Giles left the couple alone.
* * * *
Giles arrived shortly after sunset, to find Willow and Spike waiting for him. Spike was obviously dressed to intimidate, being entirely in black. Willow looked different, he noticed. There was a hardness in her eyes that he had never seen before. She projected a hostile self-confidence which genuinely surprised him. In addition, her clothing was radically different. A black long sleeved tee shirt, a pair of handcuffs on her right wrist like a double bracelet, urban combat fatigue pants and black Doc. Marten boots presented the little redhead in a different, almost frightening, light. Giles stuttered a greeting, too shocked by Willow�s appearance to do more.
�Ready, Ripper?� She asked. There was a harshness about her voice as well that left Giles floored.
�W-Willow? What on earth is � all this about?� He asked, gesturing at her.
She laughed. The same laugh Giles had always known. �I see it�s worked then.� An impish smile danced over her face.
�Worked, what worked?�
�Spike�s idea. He thought that I could help scare people tonight. That is what �putting the frighteners on� means, isn�t it?�
�Er, yes. It does. Is Spike teaching you London slang?�
�Not really, I just let him be himself, and if I don�t understand something, I usually ask. The clothes are mine, but the rest is a glamour, of sorts. Oh, I don�t know where Spike got the handcuffs.�
Spike was grinning at the exchange. �Let�s go, shall we.� Spike said, and led the way to his DeSoto. Giles noticed the sawn off twelve gauge Spike carried under his duster and began to get worried.
Spike drove out towards the Interstate. �Listen up, I don�t want to have to repeat myself. We�re going to a small town called Bitterwater. That�s where my contact is.� He continued to accelerate to a speed which both Giles and Willow found unnerving. �The contact isn�t a human. He-and I use the term �he� advisedly-is a demon of sorts. A Matarral, if you want to be specific.�
�I recall the name. Nothing else though.� Giles interjected.
Spike continued, explaining. �Matarrals are a species of hermaphroditic demons. Most tend to be very androgynous and look almost human. This one is, by their standards, somewhat more macho than a pro wrestler. They�re also tough as nails in a brawl, that�s why I�ve got the shooter. This bugger lives alone, passing as a local. Most of the people up there think he�s a reasonable fella, so we have to be careful not to piss them off either.�
�Why are things never easy?� Willow asked rhetorically as she started to rummage through her bag for some empty crystals. �I can set a truth spell and a will weakening spell in these, but they�re my last two. Do you have any more in stock Giles?�
Giles looked back at her from the passenger seat. �I don�t have the faintest idea, I�ll check and let you know tomorrow.�
�Oh, Red, luv. I forgot to mention that these Matarrals are much more resistant to magic than most demons or people.�
�This just gets better and better,� Giles sighed. �Is there anything other than your bloody sawn off that I can use?�
�Not really. A crossbow would seem just a little outr�, mate.�
Sighing, Giles started to think about what else could go wrong. He was rapidly coming to the conclusion that they had jumped into this half cocked.
As they began the climb into the mountains, they started to become reflective. Spike broke the silence. �I�m hoping he�s at home. He�s a lives a little way from the town, so we may be able to get in and out without anyone knowing.�
�And if he�s not?� Giles asked.
�We go and find him. We�re on a tight schedule. We don�t have the time to pissfart about.�
�Great!� Giles and Willow chorused in tones of sarcasm.
They eventually reached a small house, made of wooden planks, about a mile past the town. Spike pulled in and the three got out. Leaving Giles and Willow at the car, Spike walked to the door and knocked. A middle aged woman answered. Spike spoke to her, being as polite and charming as he could. After two or three minutes, he returned to the others. �Well, that was a balls-up. She�s the new owner. She bought the place from a deceased estate last year. My contact died. She didn�t know how.� Spike looked angry and upset. �Oh bugger it all! What else could bloody well go wrong?� He snarled, kicking at the small stones of the gravel driveway.
Dejectedly, the three got back into the black DeSoto and started the return trip to Sunnydale.
* * * *
On their return, Giles immediately drove back to his own apartment, while Willow and Spike collapsed on the sofa. As Willow curled into him, she looked up and asked, �Should we go and ask Willie who the new contact is?�
�That�s both a very good and a very bad idea pet.� Willow looked at him, slightly confused, so he explained his reasoning. �Willie would almost certainly know who the new contact is, but that contact was probably the person who arranged things for whoever is after us. Now, I�d rather they didn�t find out that we know who it is. The element of surprise �n�all that. What we need is a stalking horse, someone who can find out from Willie who the contact is, and then tell us.�
Willow nodded in thought. �That�s a bloody good idea,� she said, thinking. �Who shall we�� She was interrupted by a peal of laughter from Spike. �What?�
�You said �bloody�!� Spike began to dance around her, chanting like a nine year-old. �You said �bloody�. You said �bloody�.�
�I did not! Did I? Oh Goddess, I did! This is scarier than anything else that�s happened so far. We�re beginning to talk the same.� Suddenly, Willow began to laugh. Once she had started, she simply couldn�t stop. She lay helpless on the floor, eyes tearing as she convulsed helplessly. Spike watched for a moment before he felt himself succumbing as well. Within a few seconds he was lying, equally helplessly, on the sofa, gasping for unneeded breaths as he tried to compose himself.
Some minutes later, when their mutual laughing fit had eventually subsided, they realised that they needed to continue their conversation. �So,� asked the redhead, �Who can we use as a stalking horse?�
�Ah, that�s the tough part. I have no bleedin� idea.�
Willow nodded. �Well, lets sleep on it. With a fresh mind, we may be able to think of someone tomorrow.�
Part 17 - The Face of the Enemy
The following day
Willow lay in bed, thinking. She was trying to think of someone trustworthy who could meet the new contact for the Order of Taraka without revealing who they were reporting back to. She sighed mentally. Anyone they knew well enough to make contact was also well enough known to the local demons as either one of the Scooby gang or one of their friends. It seemed to be a catch 22. She sighed as she rolled over to examine, once again, the motionless body of her sleeping lover. The question would not stop pestering the little redhead, but think as she might, she could not think of anyone suitable.
Spike became aware of Willow�s ongoing restlessness. He opened his eyes and looked at her, to see her gazing at him in return. �What luv?� Spike asked, still sleepy.
�Nothing really, I�ve been thinking, racking my brain, trying to come up with someone who would make a suitable stalking horse.�
�Ah. Can I at least get functional first?� As he asked, Spike staggered from the bed, dragged on a pair of shorts and then blearily made his way into the kitchen. He began muttering, ostensibly to himself but actually to amuse Willow. �Bloody hell, nearly a hundred and fifty years old and I still feel like something the cat dragged in when I wake up. You�d think I�d get used to it, but no. So much for the theory of evolution. If it was true I should used to waking up by now. Darwin was a stupid sod anyway. Didn�t know his arse from breakfast.�
�Spikey!� Willow called from the bedroom in a singsong voice. She tried to smother the giggling fit she had as she called him.
Spike returned to the bedroom, much faster and better coordinated than when he had left. �Damn it Red, do I ever call you Willy?�
Willow looked at Spike for a moment and his wordplay suddenly hit her. �Oh you!� She yelled as she threw a pillow at him. Spike ducked and grinned before heading back to the kitchen.
Willow decided that she needed something to help her wake up. Coffee seemed a good idea. She still gave thanks to the Goddess on a regular that she had outgrown her teenage hypersensitivity to caffeine. Realising that she would now need to make it herself, she rolled out of bed. She wandered, still slightly disoriented, into the kitchen. She saw Spike loading the microwave with his breakfast as he scratched himself absent-mindedly. She stood and watched, absorbed by his unconscious grace and his sheer physical beauty. Dressed as he was, in only a pair of shorts she could drink in the image of his body without interference.
Spike felt Willow�s eyes lingering on him as he was warming his blood. He turned, to look at her, and saw her lost in thought. �What�re you thinking pet?�
�Huh?� Spike�s question jolted Willow out of her daydream, but not to full consciousness. �I was wondering how I got to be so lucky.�
Spike sighed as he heard the confusion and self-doubt in Willow�s voice. He also thought back to the discussion about vampires of a week previously and remembered what he thought he had detected. If he had not been so deeply focused at the time, he would have checked then. Now seemed an equally appropriate time though. �Red, if you�re going to keep flogging yourself like this, the least you could do is ask me to do it for you.�
Willow looked at him blankly. �What?�
Spike chuckled as he clarified things for his petite lover. �If you want to be punish yourself for being with me, ask me to do it instead. I�ll give you a damn good spanking.�
Willow felt an immediate rush of desire hit her as Spike spoke. {The idea of being bent over his knee � I am sick. Oh Goddess!}
Spike immediately detected the surge of the redhead�s arousal. He chuckled to himself as he did so. {This is just getting better and better. No need to push things though. It�s a natural part of who she is.}
Spike looked at Willow as her face ran a gamut of emotions from embarrassment to arousal, desire and eventually self-loathing. �Red, love, what�s wrong?�
�Nothing. Well, another attack of � Can we change the subject, please?�
�No pet, I don�t think so, not this time. Come and sit down.� Spike led an unresisting Willow to the sofa and pulled her onto his lap. �Now, what upset you so much?� He asked gently.
�This is just so embarrassing!�
�What is luv? Just take your time, talk slowly, remember the breathing thing.�
�Promise not to hate me?� Willow�s voice was plaintive, almost scared as she asked.
Spike looked into her eyes, fixing her with his gaze. She was as capable of moving as a rabbit in a spotlight when he spoke. �Nothing you could say would make me hate you, little one.� His voice caressed her just as sensually as his hand would. �Now luv, just start at the beginning, and when you get to the end, stop.�
Willow nodded and gulped. Drawing breath, she began. �A couple of years ago � oh Lady, a couple of years ago, Anya and Xander mentioned something about � spanking.� Willow flushed a beet red. Drawing in a shaky breath, she continued. �The idea sort of � intrigued me. E-e-excited me. When you mentioned it just now �� Willow�s face remained as red as before, but she also looked down, ashamed of what she had just admitted.
�Is it really surprising luv?� Spike asked her. �Think for a moment about how you used to react to your parents� attempts at discipline. This comes from the same place. I know that at the moment you must feel like a freak. You aren�t though.� Spike reached out to gently lift her chin and he kissed her, very softly, on the lips. �Remember, this was always part of who you are. It was there before you told me. You haven�t changed. You�re still the Willow I fell in love with.�
�B-b-but I�m a pervert. I�m disgusting.� Willow�s shell of self-esteem shattered again as she tried to understand why Spike could still possibly care for her.
�Okay pet, now listen to me. Can you trust me until sunset? Can you accept that I love you until then?� Willow nodded, mute from fear. �At sunset, we�ll go shopping. To a bookstore, and I�ll buy you a present or two. Deal?� Once again, Willow could only nod.
* * * *
As sunset neared, Spike and Willow got ready to go shopping. As they were about to leave, the telephone rang. Willow picked up the handset �Hello?�
�Willow? It�s Giles here.�
The little witch giggled slightly. �I can tell it�s you by your accent, Giles. What can I do for you?�
�I�ve got a potential � errr � recruit for us to use. Can you come around?�
Willow covered the handset as she asked Spike, �How long for the shopping?�
�Dunno, pet, an hour maybe?�
�Giles, can we get there at around, say, ten or so?�
�That should be � acceptable.� Giles answered. He kept his voice even and calm. He had really wanted them immediately, though.
Spike and Willow drove off, heading for the shopping precincts. After parking, they walked towards some of the local bookshops. After several false starts, they reached the one shop Spike was seeking; it was gloomier and less frequented than most. Leading her to the back of the store, he looked at the category signs hanging over the shelves.
Willow was surprised when he made a beeline for the back of the shop, Spike moved quickly, almost dragging her as he hurried towards the shelves. When he got to the �Relationship� section, he started scanning through the books at an astonishing rate. He moved with almost preternatural speed, flicking books one after the other as he thumbed through the stock. He eventually ended up with three books on the floor between his feet. Willow watched, trying in vain to see the titles of the books which he looked through at such speed.
He picked them up and immediately headed towards the checkout. �Hold on, Mister!� Willow snapped.
�What pet?� Spike looked confused.
�This is a bookshop, isn�t it?� Willow�s sarcasm was self-evident.
�Uh � yeah?� Spike was now utterly baffled, he had moved well past confused.
�So, the very least you could do is let me look around!�
�Huh?�
Willow sighed. Sometimes people were just so obtuse. �I want to see if there�s anything I want to read in here Spike. You know, that thing I do with the little paper things while you�re watching TV.�
Spike looked at her and grinned. �You�re a cheeky brat, aren�t ya.�
Willow responded with what she considered an appropriate level of maturity. She stuck out her tongue and flounced off to the science fiction section.
Spike�s grin broadened. �Red, you wave your bum at me like that again and I�ll spank it for ya!� He called out, making sure that she heard.
Willow blushed once again. She immediately took a deep and abiding interest in the bookshelf in front of her. Unfortunately, it was a shelf on Accountancy, and she immediately realised that her standing there, looking at the books in that shelf was about as believable as Cordelia ever learning tact.
She moved on to the science fiction section and began browsing, looking for something new, but by an author she liked. Spike came up behind her, humming softly but off key. She turned and looked at him. �Can you hold on, I want to get this,� she said, waving a book under his nose as they walked towards the checkout together..
�Sure luv. I�ll just drift out and have a fag.� The shop assistant looked strangely at Spike, but Willow merely nodded.
She paid for her book and joined him. They walked back to the car with his arm over her shoulder, and with Willow leaning slightly in towards Spike. As they entered the car park, she looked up at him and asked �What books did you buy?�
�Wait until we get home pet. We need to get to Giles� first.�
�All right.� Willow wasn�t particularly concerned about the books Spike had bought, it was just idle curiosity, so she turned on the radio, searching for a tolerable station. {He forgot my present though.} She sighed mentally.
They parked outside Giles� and immediately went inside. �Sorry we couldn�t get here earlier, Giles � and what is that bastard doing here?� Willow�s unaccustomed swearing halted the conversation as effectively as a runaway goods train.
The bastard in question smiled coldly at Willow. As Spike entered behind the little redhead he stood and offered his hand �Ethan Rayne.�
�I�ve heard about you.� Spike said contemptuously to the Englishman. �Cursed chocolate, Fyarl demons. Imaginative but giddy. Another bloody poof, probably went to a Public School, too.�
Giles looked up, offended. �He went to the same bloody school I did, Rugby.�
�QED.� Spike smirked back at Giles.
�So, Giles,� Willow asked coldly, �Why is this � individual here?�
Giles looked up at her as though she had missed the obvious. Grinning, he said, �Willow Rosenberg, please meet Stalking Horse of the Fukawe.�
Part 18 - Memories of Odysseus
Immediately after Part 17
�Giles! How can we possibly trust him?� The final word Willow spoke was spat out like an epithet. �And how did he get out of � wherever it was the Initiative sent him anyway?�
Giles smiled mirthlessly. �When the Initiative was shut down he was released, into the Nevada deserts. I suppose they either expected the desert to kill him, or they just didn�t care.�
�I can understand that, Giles.� Willow�s voice still cold and ruthless. �I wouldn�t care myself. Not after what he�s put us all through.� Giles was shocked at Willow. He had never seen her like this about a human being, so uncaring, so � malignant. �I can see your face Giles, I�m sorry, but if you recall, he killed me that Halloween when everyone turned into their costumes. If you hadn�t broken the spell, I�d still be a ghost. I really don�t like him. And as for trusting him, well ��
�Red has a good point, Watcher.� Spike interposed. �I�d trust this bugger,� he indicated Ethan, �as far as I could throw an elephant. And what guarantee do we have that he�ll do what we want?�
Giles smiled again, and once more the smile was cold. �Ethan will do precisely what I ask him to because � well, I have his soul trapped in this jar.� Giles held up an ancient Egyptian urn. �And, if it�s released without the proper ritual, Ethan will die.�
�Which only leaves one question, mate.� Spike spoke up. �How did you find him?�
Giles smiled. �I�ve been hunting him for months. Since the Initiative shut down, I assumed that Ethan would have ��
�Officially shut down.� Spike interjected. �Do you really think that they would just go away, Watcher?�
Giles sighed and nodded. �True, Spike. Very true. Anyway, I assumed that Ethan would have been released then. I employed a private investigator to find him and bring the toerag to me; because frankly, I wanted to get him back to England and out of our hair. The Investigator arrived with him earlier today. The timing couldn�t have been better. With Ethan restrained I performed the soul catcher spell, and here we are.�
Willow nodded slowly. �I have to agree, Giles. He�s perfect for our needs, with one small exception. How do we know he won�t arrange for the Order to kill us?�
Giles grinned back at Willow. �It�s very simple. I have these for you, by the way.� He took out a small paper bag and handed it to the little redhead. She looked inside to see perhaps fifty of the small crystals she used to lock her spells in.
Willow smiled up at Giles. �Thank you, Giles. I really do need these.�
�As I was saying,� Giles continued, �Ethan reports in by �phone each day, and when he finds out who wants the two of you, or just Spike, dead, he comes back here. We listen to him while the effects of a truth spell and a will weakening spell are operating.�
�Er, Ripper �� Spike interjected once again. �Was it for the best to allow this sod to hear what we�re planning?�
Giles looked up at Spike. �He would have to know the details anyway, and what pressures we can bring to bear to make him behave. Otherwise he�d try something � foolish.�
The blond nodded, thinking. Suddenly, he moved over to Ethan and lashed out a fist, connecting hard with the renegade warlock�s chest. As he did so, he doubled over, screaming and holding his head. The chip had functioned. He stood groggily and grinned at Willow. �Well, pet, there�s a piece of confirmation for your theory.�
Willow looked up at Spike, and slowly grinned. She should have realised that he hadn�t forgotten her experiment, even if he acted during the process as if it was all a game. Smiling, she said �Thank you, handsome. It does help. It confirms our supposition very nicely indeed.� Walking to him, she reached up to take his head in her hands, and as she massaged his temples, kissed him gently.
�How very cloying. The witch and the vampire. All lovey-dovey. Ripper. Bring me a bucket, I think I�m going to puke.� Ethan� sarcastic, spiteful tone cut through the room like a knife.
Giles, walked over and casually took hold of Ethan�s ear and twisted, hard. �Behave, and don�t be rude to my friends, or I may decide to just break that jar.� Giles let go and walked back to his desk.
�Let�s not get all aggro about this Ripper.�
Willow looked up at Giles, and said, �One day, I intend to find out precisely why you were called that.�
Ethan immediately volunteered. �Oh, it�s because he used �� Ethan�s sudden desire to share information rapidly grew to a halt as Giles handled the soul jar.
Willow looked up as he had begun to respond, and when he stopped looked over to Giles. �You�re no fun,� She pouted at the Watcher as she spoke.
�Entertaining though this is,� Spike spoke up, �what about laying out the details for chummy here so Red and I can go home.�
�Yes, I suppose now is as good a time as any.� Giles took his glasses off, pinching the bridge of his nose, in his habitual manner. �Ethan, you know we want you to do something for us.� Ethan nodded as Giles continued. �We want you to find the local contact for the Order of Taraka. When you do, let us know who it is. Once you have done this, I want you to try and get close to them. I�ll give you further instructions then. Just a reminder; should any of my friends suddenly die during this process, I�ll break the jar instantly.�
�Once I�m done, I�ll want some money and a ticket home, Ripper.�
�Ethan, if I were you, I�d just be content to keep my life. But I will send you back home. I don�t want you in this country any more than you would want to stay here.�
�How very � generous of you Ripper. And what guarantees do I have that you wont just break the jar when I�m done?�
Willow interjected, harshly. �You don�t. Now deal with it or become a snack for my man here.�
All three men looked at Willow, unbelievingly. None of them had ever seen her this ruthless. Why, they wondered, did Ethan bring this out in her. Spike and Giles also knew that asking her would get them nowhere. Neither had ever seen such a ferocious resolve face.
�Do you want us for anything else Giles?� Willow asked. It was obvious from her voice, posture and demeanour that she wanted nothing more than to get as far way from Ethan Rayne as she possibly could.
�Uh � no, I don�t think so Willow, why don�t you and Spike head off home.� Giles tried to make his voice sound as everyday as possible, but he just failed. Willow detected the quaver and lifted an interrogatory eyebrow, then she smiled, realising what he was saying, took Spike by the hand and left.
* * * *
Driving home, Spike grinned at the delicate little redhead next to him. �Your present is in the books I bought, luv. We�ll have a look at �em when we get home.�
Willow smiled as she realised that he had not forgotten after all. She leant in and hugged him fiercely. �Thanks, Spike.� It was all she said, but it was more than he needed.
When they arrived at their home, Spike went to make coffee for them both. He had a feeling that they might need it once Willow saw what he had bought her.
Willow wasted no time in opening her present once they got inside. While Spike made coffee and, unbeknownst to her, watched her open the bag. She had not even got to the sofa, but was sitting cross-legged on the floor as she began to look at the book titles. �SM-101�, �Screw the Roses, Send me the Thorns� and �Different Loving�. {What on earth are all these?} Willow wondered. She opened the first book, and read the chapter headings, as she did, she started to blush furiously. �Spike!� She yelled. �Get your cute little butt in here. Now!�
Spike called back, �Wait a second luv, I�m just pouring the coffee.�
Spike returned with three mugs, two for him, and one for her. �Would you rather I ate in the kitchen pet?� he asked, crouching down beside her.
�No. I�m used to it, and when you feed, you look rather yummy, from the nose up.� Willow looked down as she mentioned it, suddenly horribly aware that she may have either insulted him, or demanded sex or the Goddess only knew what, she resolved to learn more about vampiric etiquette.
Spike finished drinking his blood, wiped his mouth carefully and then took a mouthful of coffee. He leant over and kissed her on the forehead. �You say the sweetest things, little one.�
Willow moved over slightly so that she was almost in his lap. �What are these books?� She asked, both curious and slightly frightened at what the answer was likely to be.
Spike pulled her in, very tightly. �They�re books that can teach you that you aren�t the only person in the world with feelings like yours, that it�s not a sickness or perversion. Reading them will help you understand how your desires formed and also give you some sane guidelines if you decide you want to experiment. Just remember that I love you, as you are. You don�t have to do anything in here just to please me. Yes, I know most of this stuff, Angelus was very thorough and I enjoy it, with the right person. But I�d rather have you without experiments than lose you because I insisted.�
Willow looked up at him, somewhat confused. �I don�t understand. You enjoy � these things but you would hold back to make me happy? Why?�
�Because that�s the nature of love, pet. Anyone in love tries to make their partner, or partners, happy.�
�Partners?�
�Love doesn�t have to be monogamous pet. Before Angelus got his soul handed to him on a platter, I loved both he and Drusilla. I tried to make them both happy. Of course, Angelus only loved Angelus, so it wasn�t the same as with you and I.�
Willow giggled and curled even closer into her lover. �I can see that from when he showed up here. All ego and obsession. Now, show me what you like in these books. I want to understand you too.�
Spike chuckled as he complied, idly flicking through pages. Willow stopped him when they reached a photograph of a woman wearing a wide leather collar. �Can I have one of those?�
Spike looked at her and whispered softly into her ear, �Pet, you really should read the text first.�
Willow nodded and thumbed back to the beginning of the chapter. She began to read and almost immediately began blushing. Spike could smell her arousal growing as she read. {She really does want this.} The thought flowed through his mind.
The little redhead looked up at the blond and said in a dreamy tone, �It sounds wonderful. The chance to be able to let go, to have no responsibilities, even for a short while. To know that I wouldn�t have to make decisions and just react. I don�t know that I would want that all the time though.� She looked up at him, worried. �Would that be all right?�
Spike laughed, pulled her close and opened one of the other books. He quickly found the section he wanted and gave it to her to read. It was titled �Negotiation.� �You want more coffee luv?� Willow nodded absently as she began to read.
As he returned, she looked up at him, eyes full of questions. �This check list they talk about. What�s that?�
Spike smiled. �It�s a list of � different � things that are included under the umbrella term of BDSM. You use the check list to indicate which ones you like and which ones you don�t like.�
�Ah.� Willow hardly acknowledged Spike�s input before she returned to reading. The blond vampire grinned as he realised that his lover would be absorbed for the rest of the night. He chuckled quietly and went to find a film to put into the video. Soon, he was lost in the worlds of �Babylon 5� and didn�t even hear Willow come over to him.
The little redhead walked over and sat at Spike�s feet, her head leaning back between his knees. She was curious about something, and was testing a theory. The vampire started to stroke her hair, and Willow sensed it was quite unconscious. His fingers repeatedly trailed through her red locks, caressing her scalp and creating a marvellously soothing effect on her. She relaxed even further, her head beginning to loll back into his lap. She felt like purring as Spikes ministrations continued. Eventually, as the tape ended, Spike looked down at her and grinned. �You feel all right, pet?� He asked.
Willow grinned up at him and answered. �I�ve never felt better, Sir.�
Part 19 - Learning the Ropes
The following evening
The telephone rang, jolting both Willow and Spike from their respective books. Willow, being nearest, answered. It was Giles, asking if they could come over. They immediately headed out to see the Watcher.
On their arrival, they saw that Xander, Anya and Cordelia had got there before them. As soon as they entered, Giles spoke. �Good, sit down. Now that you�re all here I have some news for you. Buffy is being released, in a week�s time. Unless she has a relapse.�
The expressions varied amongst the group. Willow, Xander and Cordelia hopeful, even happy, Spike disgruntled and Anya non-committal. Willow raised the question that everyone had to be asking themselves. �Does she know about Spike and I?�
�Ah,� Giles said, sadly, �she seems to have convinced herself that it was one of her delusions. She�s in complete denial about your relationship,�
Willow nodded sadly. �What about everything else though?�
Giles smiled somewhat ruefully. �No one there was able to diagnose her properly until a former combat psychiatrist examined her. He diagnosed post traumatic stress disorder and combat fatigue. He came to see me privately and asked if she had been part of the Initiative. Anyway, one thing led to another and he took her treatment over. Since he started working with Buffy, she�s come on in leaps and bounds. Except her denial about Willow and Spike. He would like to speak to the pair of you, privately. Could we arrange that?� Giles took a sip of tea, and looked at them.
�I don�t have a problem,� Willow answered.
Spike looked more skeptical, however. �Is this bloke part of the Initiative?�
�To be honest, Spike, I don�t know. He certainly knows of it, at the very least. And I quite understand your reservations. If, however, we could include some safeguards for you, would that make you more willing to speak with him?�
Spike thought and decided that, if he was going to meet anyone who may have contact with the bastards who had chipped him, he was going to be in control. �I may � under the right circumstances.�
�I can tell you now Spike, he�s not a surgeon, he won�t be able to remove the chip. Whether or not he�s in the Initiative.�
Spike looked levelly at Giles. �I do know the bleedin� difference, Watcher. I just expect the little shits to try and grab me again. We would need to make any such meeting safe, for Willow as well as me.� He turned to look at Willow. �Is that clear, little one?�
�Yes,� Willow answered meekly. No one else noticed Spike raise his scarred eyebrow at her, the sudden look of both apprehension and anticipation that crossed her face.
�Or, Ripper, he can talk to us on the phone if he wants.�
�Let me speak to him again, and find out what he thinks. I�m inclined to believe that, if he insists on meeting you personally, Spike, there may be a problem.�
The blond vampire nodded. He was torn. He admitted to himself that he was terrified of being recaptured; but at the same time he did want to help Willow, which meant trying to help the slayer. Also, speaking to someone who knew of the Initiative, and therefore also accepted the existence of demons, may be interesting.
�All right Ripper, mate. Call him and let me know what he says.�
* * * *
Driving home, Spike looked at Willow. He chuckled, a low, deep tone in the back of his throat. �So, little one, any second thoughts about what you�ve read?�
Willow went pale, and began to chew on her bottom lip. She nodded. She looked up at Spike and tried to explain, �There are things that scare me, that make me have second thoughts, but the idea excites me at the same time. I want this, Spike, I really do. I�m just scared of what it might lead to. And as for some of the things on that checklist. Ewwwwwwwww. Goddess Spike, I had to look some of them up in a medical dictionary!�
Spike smiled encouragingly at her and pulled her close to him into an affectionately rough embrace. �When we get home, pet, we�ll talk about this. At length.� Willow looked up at him again and nodded, before relaxing into his embrace.
After getting home, the lovers walked slowly inside, almost drifting. Their hips brushed together repeatedly as they walked. Once inside, Spike immediately headed to the kitchen to make coffee, and also prepare himself a meal. Willow continued into the lounge and flopped into the sofa, immediately picking up �Screw the Roses� and started to idly flick through it.
Once Spike had prepared the coffee, and his blood, he came into the lounge, handed Willow a cup and sat next to her. �Time for a talk, pet.� Willow looked at him, and nodded, apprehensively.
Spike took a breath and began. �One thing that these books never mention, luv, is that what you�re thinking about doing is rather like Pandora�s box. Once you open it, you can never, truly, go back. Yes, you can pretend, even enjoy, but once you start to experiment it becomes part of you, in a way that it never can just from fantasising. In that sense, any decision you make is final.�
Willow nodded. �It is? Why can�t I just say �I don�t like this� and go back?�
Spike smiled. He loved her logical mind. Apart from anything else it was wonderfully refreshing after a century of living with insanity. �It�s not that simple pet. Even if the experience itself isn�t pleasurable, the act of giving over the control, granting your partner that power, remains. You start to ask yourself questions like �if he had done X instead, would that have been better?� �If I had relaxed more, would it have been as bad?� and so on. Eventually, you�ll try again. It�s because it�s part of who you are. There�s a rightness about it that you can�t deny. The only way to avoid it is to never start.�
�So why do some people feel like this, like the way I do?�
Spike chuckled as he embraced her. �Red, luv, if I knew the answer to that, I�d be on the talk show circuit. From what I�ve read, it seems that there is some relationship between childhood neglect or abuse on the one hand and � a kinky orientation on the other. It�s not always the case though. There are lots of abuse survivors who�re as vanilla as they come, and there are kinksters who had perfectly wonderful childhoods too. If anything, I think it�s partly nature and partly nurture. I do think, though, that an abusive childhood is more likely to bring out any underlying inclinations though.�
Willow nodded, awed partly by the sheer length of Spike�s statement and partly by the fact that he was revealing sides of himself that no-one had ever seen. She was certain that he wouldn�t have spoken like that with either Angelus or Drusilla, and who else was there. The thought of a brain like his, being essentially trapped and unable to communicate with its intellectual peers for over a century made her shudder, amazed that he was still sane.
Spike smiled encouragingly at her. �It�s your decision pet, no-one else�s. What do you want?�
Willow looked up and asked, tremblingly, �I want you to teach me Spike. Teach me to be honest with myself. Teach me who I am.� The quiet certainty in her voice surprised Spike.
�Are you sure luv, really sure? Remember what I said about Pandora�s Box.�
Willow nodded and answered, in a small but determined voice. �I�m sure.�
Spike simply nodded. �Well pet, do you want to start now, or have a couple of days to think?�
�Now.� Willow gulped, her heart suddenly accelerating.
All right then pet, take your clothes off.� Willow looked at Spike, confused. �It�s not that hard an instruction is it pet?�
�N-n-no.� Willow looked down and started to slowly unbutton her blouse. The next thing she felt was Spike�s finger tilting her chin up, so she was looking ahead, at him.
�This is your first instruction, your first order, if you will. You are not, under any circumstances, to look down because you feel ashamed or belittled. I know it�s going to be hard for you, but it�s very important.�
Willow nodded and asked, �What if I disobey?�
�Well pet, you�ll be punished. We�ll have to find out what you do and don�t like, of course, because if spankings turn you on, you aren�t going to be punished with one.�
Willow pouted.
Spike laughed as he said, �Keep undressing little one. I want you naked. Do you understand.�
�Yes Sir.� Willow looked a little shocked. The honorific had come unbidden to her lips. She continued to remove her clothes, a little self-consciously, as Spike watched, apparently impassive, but she could see the stirrings of his arousal inside his jeans. When she had finished, and stood before him, naked, she asked, �Now what, Sir?� Once again, the honorific had emerged without her needing to think about it.
�Simple pet, come and sit here, at my feet,� Spike smiled as she did as instructed. He noticed that, when she moved towards him and sat, there was an unconscious grace that simply wasn�t there normally. It was as if, with the load of decision making removed from her shoulders, she was suddenly in touch with her sensuality in a way she had never been before.
�We�ll just spend a normal night, pet, watch some telly and then go to bed. However, you may not dress or leave the room without my permission. Do you understand? I also expect you to ask any questions that may occur to you, on whatever topic. Is that also clear?�
Willow looked up at Spike, nodding as she once again said, �Yes, Sir.� She found that, as the television was turned on and they relaxed into their normal behaviour-other than the obvious difference of her being naked-she started to feel strangely lightheaded, as if she were drifting slightly. She found it surprisingly easy to relax, resting her head on his thigh as they watched an old Film Noir classic together.
During one of the advertising breaks, she looked up and asked �Spike, why am I feeling sort of � floaty, drifty?�
�You�re just beginning to feel what sub-space is like, pet. You�re just touching the edges a little. You wouldn�t have noticed yet, but you�re aroused as well.� Willow looked surprised at that statement. Spike just chuckled and said �Check, pet. You�ll see I�m not fibbing.�
Willow blushed as she very self-consciously lowered a finger to her nipple. It was erect. {That proves nothing, I could be just slightly chilled.} She thought to herself. Flushing a beet red, all the way to the top of her breasts, she lowered her hand, to run it through her pubic hair cautiously. {Goddess, I�m drenched, and I didn�t even feel it!}
Willow looked up, shocked. �How on earth did that happen?�
Spike just smiled at her. �Because you feel right, you�re more at peace now than you have been for a long time. By the way pet, would you do some more coffee?�
Willow found herself standing automatically, which surprised her. She walked to the kitchen to pour the coffee and she suddenly realised that she hadn�t been in even slightly self-conscious about her nudity. Surprised, she wondered why she had appeared to change so quickly. When she returned with coffee for them both, she resumed her seat at Spike�s feet and asked, �Why am I so calm about being naked, when you�re still fully dressed?�
�Let me answer that question with a question, pet. Would you feel comfortable if I were anyone else?�
�No!� Willow squawked indignantly, horrified by the very thought.
�What about when you were with wolf-boy? Or Tara?�
�No,� Willow once again confirmed, although much more calmly.
�In other words, luv, it feels right between you and I; you and I alone. Is that right?�
Willow nodded, and began to drop her head. Recalling Spike�s instruction at the last moment, she jerked her head back up quickly. He chuckled. �Excellent, little one. You deserve a little reward. Come here.�
Willow rose and moved closer to him, smiling shyly. She was unsure why the words of praise had effected her so much more profoundly than ever before. As she moved in, Spike suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace and looked at her. �Ready for your reward, pet?� In response to Willow�s nod, he slid a hand between her thighs, marvelling at her wetness. He gently parted her lips, teasing them with his fingers as he sought her clitoris, finding it, he began teasing and stroking until the little redhead was panting and on the edge of orgasm. Then he stopped. He fixed her eyes with his and questioned her. �What do you say little one?�
Willow slowly refocused on Spike, away from the sensations that were still threatening to engulf her. �Huh?�
�Do you want to cum, pet?� There was a mischievous grin on Spike�s face as he asked.
�Ohhhhhhhh yesssssssssssss� Willow moaned and hissed at Spike.
�Well, pet, what do you say?�
�Please?� Willow whimpered as Spike continued to tease her to the edge, only to pull back at the last moment.
�Almost right, little one, try again.�
�Please Sir? Please may I cum?� Willow was beginning to get both frantic and frustrated as she began to plead, to beg with Spike.
�That�s it, pet. You have to ask permission.� Spike grinned wickedly as he suddenly tweaked her clit, hard. Twisting her hard nub between forefinger and thumb pushed the aroused redhead over the edge, she keened in pleasure as her orgasm rolled over her in waves. Willow shuddered and cried as she hit peaks she had never experienced before. As the crescendo of pleasure ebbed, Spike let her slump, exhausted to the floor.
The blond looked down at Willow, and drank in every image he could of her. Her body heaving as she gasped for air, the flush that ran from her neck to her abdomen, the slick moisture of her arousal shining on her thighs. He slipped off the chair to sit next to her and whispered in her ear �Was it good, luv?�
�Uh-huh.� Willow managed to groan at him as Spike bent and effortlessly lifted her from the floor.
�Who do you belong to, little one?� He asked as he carried her into the bedroom.
�You, Sir.� She murmured, happier than she had ever felt before.
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