Takes place after �Into the Woods.�
No sooner had the words finished from Halfrek�s mouth than she had vanished, leaving Spike perplexed and more than a little plastered, due to the abundance of alcohol he had consumed before his little side trip, finally catching up with him.
Spike blinked at where Halfrek had stood for a few seconds.
�Uh Spike?� the weasel like bar tender gulped as Spike swayed towards him
�What?� is wasn�t a bark, more an inclination not to give in to the urge to puke while his mouth was open.
�We�re closing now.� He swallowed wishing for the millionth time tonight that the Vampire had chosen somewhere else to have his little pity drink, especially as it seemed it was on the house.
�Yeah?� Spike growled and turned on his heel, promptly falling over his other foot, which despite all brain signals had remained where it was. �Who moved the bloody floor?�
Contrary to popular theory Vampires can get a hangover, a fact which Spike was all too well aware of when he woke up the next afternoon wishing he could detach his head.
It had been a weird night all told, first he�d gone to tell Buffy about Soldier boy getting sucked on for cash; he wrinkled his nose at the memory, like he�d have bitten the great oaf even for cash. Then Buffy had beaten him up for telling her, Spike growled and then immediately wished he hadn�t as his head threatened to spontaneously combust. Then he�d gone out to get well and truly sloshed but Halfrek had turned up and�
Bloody hell.
Spike sat up and waited none too patiently for the world to stop circling so he could build on his last thought without re-enacting a Jackson Pollock on his crypt floor.
Halfrek had taken him back in time to see the Vampire version of Willow come to this reality. He fallen hard for the Vampire and even harder for the human version and had recognised his pathetic little Slayer obsession for exactly what it was. Nonsense. Complete and total, mind-numbingly excruciating bollocks. He was a Vampire for hells sake not a wimpy second class soul-carrying corpse in a rut like his Sire Paingel. He was a proper Vampire.
And he was gonna get himself a witch.
He jumped off his bed and crumpled to the floor.
As soon as the world stopped spinning.
Willow sat at the window in the Magic box staring out into space. It was a dark night with heavy cloud cover promising rain for the next day.
�Yes ladies and gentlemen, Willow Rosenberg the weather witch.� She giggled softly to herself at her ridiculous thoughts glad that no one else could hear them, even if the gang researching away behind her would look over. They were too into what they doing- which sounded like a discussion on the merits of marshmallows.
Xander was heading the conversation of course, championed by Dawn and Anya with Tara and Giles on the opposing side. Willow head left them to look out of the window a while ago and was content to simply watch and enjoy them.
Of course, she thought her smile darkening that was probably all very well due to the strange thoughts she�d been having recently. She had always tried hard to fulfil people�s expectations of her; the dutiful daughter, the smart scholar, the best friend, the girlfriend, the hacker, the researcher and now the witch. But recently the idea that she was so much more often came thundering through her brain, especially when they asked her to do something to fulfil her role.
�Hey Willow, jump on the computer and research this?� her mind snaps at Giles What, you speak ten different languages and the computer frightens you?
�Hey Will, can you talk to Anya about proper public conversation again?� No you dated the demon; deal with her crap by yourself.
�Hey Willow can you take care of Dawn for me, Mom�s out of town and I have to patrol with Riley.� Yeah I bet it�s real hard to patrol with his tongue down your throat.
�W-w-w-Willow? Do y-you want to do a spell w-w-with me?� No, I am sick of all our time being spent on spells; do you even want to talk to me?
It wasn�t like her to think such hurtful thoughts, especially about her girlfriend; it was getting harder and harder not to just blurt it all out. Last night had been the final straw. Tara had been going on about a spell while they were in bed and she snuggled closer to Willow but suddenly Willow didn�t want to snuggle with Tara, she wanted to be left alone. She had forced herself to lie there until Tara fell asleep and then she had taken the couch, to be gone before Tara woke up.
Willow sighed; maybe she was sick with something.
The door to the Magic box rattled open forcing her out of her thoughts. It was Buffy looking a little anxious.
After greeting the others with a too-bright smile she turned to Willow.
�Buff, you okay?� Willow asked quietly.
�Yeah, its just.� She sighed �I had a fight with Riley this morning about that vampire joint that I burned down last night.�
�The pay to be sucked on thing?� Willow frowned, she couldn�t imagine why they wanted to pay to be bitten- it was painful.
�Yeah.� Buffy sat near her and lowered her voice �Can I tell you something Wills?�
�Anything.� She vowed and Buffy grinned like she knew it and she did, Willow would always drop everything to help her friends it was part of who she was.
�Spike came to me last night; he took me to a Vamp hang out. He took me to see something. Riley was paying to be bitten.�
Willow gaped �Why?�
Buffy stood up and began to pace restlessly �He said something about me shutting him out and wanting to get back at me for the whole Dracula thing, there was even something about Angel in there.� She huffed �I just don�t get it.�
Willow sat quietly waiting for Buffy to run out of steam or thoughts, whichever came first,
�Will?�
�You have been pushing away girl lately which is understandable, with the new training and your Mom being sick. Its part of being a grown up to take things on for yourself and part of being a Slayer to think you have to do it all alone. But you are not alone Buffy, you have all of us and Riley. Riley feels bad because he doesn�t have his superpowers anymore and he needs to feel needed, just like any guy. He knows that Angel will always be special to you and he feels threatened by that because Angel can help you and can fight with you without you having to look out for him. The whole sucking thing was probably a way for you to notice that he needs you.� She paused to let her words sink in �Talk to him, tell him that it�s him you choose and him that you want, don�t push him away and let him help.�
Buffy swallowed painfully and smiled at Willow �Thank you.�
�Oh and it might make him feel better if you cried on his shoulder. Big wet tears with added sniffles.� She added teasingly. �Makes him feel all manly.�
Buffy snorted �Thanks for the visual, of course I may just do that anyway. I just can�t believe the lengths he went to and that Spike knew. This crush Spike has on me is disturbing.� She got up to leave and then turned back giving Willow a kiss on the cheek. �I love you Will.�
Willow beamed and pointed over her shoulder �Tara will get jealous.�
Buffy�s face was a mask of horror �I didn�t mean�� she saw the look on Willow�s face �Minx.�
�But I got ya.� Willow grinned at her friend �Go pick up Dawn, smooch with boyfriend.�
�Later.� Buffy, as always took Willow�s advice. After all Willow was her best friend and knew how to make things better.
�Hey Wills, come back me up here. There is a difference between white and pink mallows right?�
�Yup the pink burn easier over corpses.� Willow said without thinking and then turned slightly as the conversation stopped.
�Ew.� Dawn giggled �That was gross.�
Willow gave her a lopsided smile �I try.�
�Come over sweetie?� Tara simpered with stretched arm that normally Willow would crawl under.
�I need some air actually.� Willow amended hurriedly and went out the back entrance to the alley way to sit on the crates that were kept there from the shop next door.
Where was everything going in her life? She was doing great at college, she was a natural at the book learning and her Wicca skills had come along further than any of them knew. She found herself having to hide how great her talents really were from Tara who had started to look at her oddly every time she used magic. It wasn�t right to have to hide things from your lover but here she was delving into the harder volumes and being able to master the things in them with worrying ease. She was fast approaching the breaking point and the strange thing was that up until a few days ago she hadn�t even realised that she had one. It had all started so innocently. Annoyingly it had been Spike who had bought it up, the thought of the bleached blonde never failed to put a look of confusion on her face, he was such a mystery and yet not really at all. It seemed that all he needed in life or unlife was to be needed and loved, he didn�t crave power, he just wanted his bite back which she supposed was understandable, she knew that if someone stole her Wicca powers she would do anything to get them back. But that was his whole philosophy, to have fun and be loved, it was so simplistic it blew Willow�s mind, which had had trouble coping with Buffy�s Carpe Diem theory anyway. Anyhow Spike had been talking about something to Dawn and out of the blue he had said something about humans only having 70 odd years to live and people on the Hellmouth even less so unless they were planning on being vamped it was important that they take as many risks and live. Although she hadn�t been strictly listening his words struck a chord with her.
What exactly had she done in her 20 odd years on this earth? Dated twice. Saved the world on occasion and gone to college. That was it and that was when her feelings of discontent started to filter in. Then over the last two days they had gotten worse and worse until she hardly knew what to think and only knew that she couldn�t go back to how she had been now that the thoughts had been had.
Spike stood across the street and watched the chit as she left the Magic box and sat on some boxes across the alleyway from the shop. She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, lost deeply in thought. He took the opportunity to watch her unhindered. She really was beautiful; her long red hair even looked luminous in the fluorescent lighting that lit the alleyway. Her skin was peach soft and he knew that if he got close she would have the smell of vanilla and strawberries on her. She was looking lost and Spike wondered what had her so confused and alone and why she wasn�t in there with the rest of the damn Scooby�s doing whatever it was they thought was so all fired important.
Still, he was never a Vampire to waste an opportunity like that so he pulled his coat closer to him, braced himself and waltzed over to her.
�Hey Red.�
Willow looked up, speak of the devil and he shall appear.
�Spike.� she nodded and went back to staring at her feet, tensing when he decided to lean on the wall opposite her.
�Everything okay, Pet?� he asked sincerely
�Hmm.� was her noncommittal answer.
�How come you�re not in there with the rest of them?�
Willow looked up �Why the questions?�
�Expressing a bit of interest.�
�In me?� her look was openly sceptical and it irked Spike.
�What if I am?� he said defensively �I seem to be the only one.�
�What�s that supposed to mean?�
He threw up his hands �I meant that here�s you looking all puppyless and they are all in there talking about hell knows what and yet here I am asking you what�s wrong.�
�Marshmallows.�
Spike froze �Say what?�
�They�re talking about marshmallows.� She said with pursed lips and a mischievous look in her eyes.
�Huh.� Spike gave a snort of laughter, he reached into his pocket and after pulling out and lighting a cigarette, he leaned back against the wall �So the conversation not intellectual enough for you?�
Willow ducked her head to hide her smile �Not really.�
�Right.� He bit his lip �So you want to talk?�
Willow sighed and thought for a second �You know when you�ve looked at someone a certain way for so long-� she paused, talking slower to choose her words more carefully �And then one day when you look, it�s like you�ve not really seen them before?� she looked up at him.
Spike swallowed hard- was she talking about him? �I think so pet.� He took a drag of the cigarette and blew out the smoke.
�What do you do?� she seemed generally puzzled.
�I guess you re-evaluate your relationship with them then.� He watched as a troubled look appeared on her face.
�But what if it�s you that�s changed and not them?�
�Same diff, everyone changes pet, you grow up and grow apart or together. You have to move with it or you end up unhappy.�
Willow looked up and did a double take at him �Wow.�
�What?� his lips curved at her appraising look
�I think that�s the most profound thing I�ve ever heard you say.�
�I have my moments.� He smirked at her and watched her blush. �So what inspired the introspection?�
Willow wasn�t sure what to tell him, it wasn�t like they had ever been bosom buddies, in fact he more often than not ridiculed her and tried to kill her. Why was he playing nice now?
�Stuff.� She shrugged.
The back door opened startling them both and Tara popped her head around the corner. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Willow and Spike�s little one-to-one.
�Hey Willow, we were wondering where you were.� She glared at Spike and smiled at Willow.
�Just needed some air.� Willow gave a sigh and pulled herself to her feet and shooting Spike an apologetic look, she walked back into the shop.
Spike finished off his smoke and he thought deeply about the look in her eyes and her words. Had she been talking about him? Could she be as intrigued by him as he was her?
Spike couldn�t help the grin that graced his sexy features as he thought about the witch. She definitely was an enigma; a bundle of darkness and light. Sweet innocence and devilish deviousness, her thoughts alone were enough to keep him entranced for centuries. He never knew what she was thinking; okay previously he hadn�t given it much thought but having totally eradicated the Slayer from his thoughts his attention was now free to focus on the delicacy that was the witch. And focus he would. She thought she was gay? He was Spike, he was the big bad; she would be helpless against his persistence. She�d be his in no time. He smirked as he thought about stealing her away from that wet dishcloth she called a girlfriend.
Well no time like the present to start.
He took a final drag and crushed the glowing cigarette under his boot. Then he opened the door and whirled into the Magic Box.
Willow ignored the curious looks that her girlfriend was sending her and smiled at Dawn.
�Buffy was going to sort something out with Riley so we can take you home.�
Dawn smiled at them �Actually I�m going to Janice�s tonight, all night slumber party.�
�Oh I remember them,� Willow smiled back at her �Junk food, talking about boys, pillow fights, girls walking around in little pyjama�s.�
�Hey that was my fantasy.� Xander protested with a mischievous look at Anya �Want a slumber party?� he paused �Without the talking about boy�s part.�
�Yeah.� Anya bounced in glee as Tara looked askance at Willow.
Willow shrugged not really wanting to get into that tonight.
Tara sidled over �So we have the place to ourselves?�
�Uh�I �uh.� Willow stammered, not wanting to tell Tara that the last thing she wanted to do right now was have sex with her girlfriend, and that in fact the very idea made her feel awkward.
�We could go now?� Tara purred not noticing the stiff way Willow was standing next to her.
�Uh.� It wasn�t the brightest thing she could have said but she was short on excuses and she had never been a good liar.
�Actually Red�s coming on patrol with me while the Slayer is chewing on her boy toy.�
Spike watched as Willow swallowed and stiffened as her girl moved closer. His eyebrows rose as he sensed her reluctance to touch Tara, and his demon crowed that it obviously wouldn�t be as hard as he�d thought to break them up. When the blonde witch snuggled into her he could practically feel Willow recoil. He watched her flounder for an excuse not to go straight home and to bed with the girl. And since her plans and his obviously meshed, that is, to get her away from her witch, he decided to help her out.
�Actually Red�s coming on patrol with me while the Slayer is chewing on her boy toy.�
Willow turned to him and her relief and gratitude evident in her eyes went a long way to soothing his demon.
�Uh yeah, I kinda asked Spike to patrol with me since Buffy went to make up with Riley.�
Tara moved away and scowled at Spike �Can�t he do that by himself?�
�No bleeding way, I�m not a sodding Scooby, if some demon gets a bite out of me it�d be weeks before any of you lot noticed. If Red comes with me at least I get some insurance.�
�So you�re gonna put Willow in danger just in case you come across something bad?� the girl could be aggressive when she chose to be, noted Spike.
�It�s okay Tara; he was doing it as a favour for me. I would have gone alone.� Willow tried to placate her lover as the others looked on in surprise at mild mannered Tara arguing with them.
�I could have gone with you.� She insisted
�I thought Dawn was at home, I wanted you to stay with her.�
�Well she�s not now, so I can come.� Tara finished smugly
�Not bloody likely.� Spike glared at her �You have to make sure Nibblet gets to her mates okay, and around demons you�re about as useful as a wet rag.�
Tara glared back with anger �I could turn you into a toad.�
�Ew frog fear!� Willow shuddered, drawing attention to herself �its okay baby. Me and Spike can patrol and you take Dawnie back. We�ll be done in no time.�
Tara backed down slightly as Willow touched her arm.
Spike smirked at the fact that he had gotten his own way and fought the childish urge to stick his tongue out at her.
He helped Willow into her jacket, much to the bemusement of the rest of the Scooby�s.
But he didn�t care as his fingers accidentally grazed her chest as he went to help her zip up.
�I can manage.� She hissed at him.
Spike held his hands up in mock defeat.
�Ok then pet.�
�Bye guys.�
Willow wasn�t sure why Spike had helped her out of that tight spot of why he seemed to want to be a therapist suddenly.
As they walked through the graveyard, she watched him out of the corner of her eye. He seemed nervous about something and then it hit her- of course. She sighed.
�Spike, I know you probably don�t want to hear this but it has to be said.�
�What�s that then pet?� he asked with a smile at her anxious tone.
�Buffy is happy with Riley, she really is. I know that you told her about Riley�s habit and I�m sure she�s grateful to you for bringing it all out in the open but-�
�But what?� he put his head on the side and watched hungrily as she bit her lip.
�She doesn�t like you like that Spike. This crush you have on her is only going to end up with you getting hurt, either by Buffy emotionally or by Riley physically. I can see why you�d like her but it�s not healthy for you Spike.�
Spike stared at her �Worried about me?�
Willow didn�t know how to answer that �We- I guess.�
He started to give her a slow smirk �Nice to know, but have no fear pet. I came to the same conclusion last night after she was done rearranging my face into her own portrait of pain.�
�She hit you?� Willow frowned �She didn�t mention that.�
�What Miss Stake- happy? She tried to beat the crap out of me. I, happy to say, am over her.�
Willow breathed a sigh of relief �That�s good. For you.� She added hurriedly.
�So why the concern about my love life all of a sudden Red, Jealous?� he raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
�N-no, I just was wondering why you were hanging out with me and then I got it.�
�Got what?� he seemed to be annoyed at the statement.
�Well when both Angel and Riley wanted to date Buffy they both came to me first to get inside information on what she liked to do, where she liked to go, her favourite stuff. I figured you were the same. Except for you I guess you�d already know quite a bit, having been around us for so long.�
�And that�s the only reason I�d hang around you?� he asked, his voice thick with sarcasm.
Willow shrugged trying not to show her sad face �Sure, why else would you?�
He stared in disbelief at her �Are you serious?�
�What?� she didn�t see why he appeared so shocked.