Author: Rosamunde 
Category: Spike/Willow
Raiting: NC 17, I guess...
Spoliers: No
Feedback: Yes please, send it to [email protected]
Author's note: The story is set in the middle of season four, after Spike get's chipped and before Tara and Willow meet.
Disclaimer: Spike and Willow belongs to Joss, the WB and Fox.

The rain made the headstones look shiny and new, and the air was filled with the smell of damp soil and wet grass. 

Outside  the wall that separated the realm of the dead from the world of the living, a late stroller hurried by, glancing around fearfully. He seemed to be looking for something, else he would never have come near this godforsaken place. Here nobody would hear you scream. The stroller knew that, and small pearls of sweat glistened on his forehead.

"Princess?" he called, his scared voice quivering. "Princess, come here. We have to go home!" He sounded almost desperate, this weedy middle-aged man, a perfect square with his trench and his hat, a leash dangling from his hand.
He whistled.

"Here Princess! Come baby, come to daddy! Princess! Come, Princess, come!"

But Princess didn't come.
And it soon became apparent why.

A dark figure suddenly stepped into the stroller's path from behind a tree.

The moment he saw him, the man knew he was in for trouble. Peroxide blond hair, a long, black leather trench, and a merciless look in the deep blue eyes. But what made the man's heartbeat almost stop was the cruel smile dancing on pale lips.

"Looking for this?" the stranger asked the stroller with a flat smile and tossed him something.

The stroller caught it without taking his eyes of the stranger, but when he noticed what it was a mournful scream escaped his mouth.

"Princess!"

The dog lay lifeless in his arms, its head hanging to the side in a strange, unnatural way. Neck broken. Princess was dead.

Tears welled in the man's eyes and he stared at the stranger unbelievingly.

"She was just a little doggy! Why did you... why did you do that?" the man managed to stammer despite his terror.

Another cool, cruel smile stole on the stranger's lips. 
He stepped closer.

"Because I can", Spike said calmly, and chuckled in amusement at the terrified look in the mans eyes.

Revealing his true demonic face, he took a step closer. Slowly. Threateningly. Powerful.

The man didnt even have time to scream. Not that anyone would have heard it, not in this part of town.

Run! Willow told herself, as she swayed to avoided a tree. She could hear the man following her, his steps closing in quickly. Her heart pounding frantically and she knew she had to reach the dorm to be safe.
Then she slipped on the wet grass and fell.

Her pursuer brutally grabbed her by the arm and turned her around to put his hand around her throat, choking her, making her gasp for air like a stranded fish, terrified. His face, only inches from hers seemed primitive an cruel. She had been in a hundred dangerous situations before, but no one that had scared her as much as this one.

As the rapist's hard lips hit hers she started to cry. She was shaking and her hands were shoving at his head and pulling his hair. But he didnt stop, didnt even slow down.

This is a nightmare, she thought. I'll wake up and this wont be happening.
But she didnt wake up.

Spike moved through the crowd and entered The Bronze. The place were packed and the soundlevel deafening. Stolen warmth flowed through him, making him feel vibrant and alive. 

God, it felt good!

He had been his chipless old self almost a month now, but every kill still made him feel ecstatic.

A glimpse of blond hair caught his attention. The Slayer... and her soddin friends, her tall boyfriend, the whelp and the annoying ex-demon - the whole scobbie gang, except for Red. The incompetent little witch had been the one that freed him from the bloody chip. It had been an accident of course. One of her spells blew up in her face, or more precisely in his, and somehow it had ruined the chip.

He thought back at the incident but, as always he could only remember a flash of blue light and the blinding pain. He guess he passed out. The next thing he could recall was Red's face soaring above him. The silly bint thought she had killed him and her green eyes were filled with tears. When she realised he was still "alive" and unharmed she threw her arms around him and gave him a hug. 

And right then and there, as he could feel the sweet smell of her hair and see the pulse beating just beneath the delicate skin on her neck, he knew he could bite in to her and savagely rip her throat out without the chip being activated. He didnt know how, but he knew that its rigid grip was gone.

He was free! 
Free to drink warm, living blood again. But instead of killing the red-haired girl and saticfing his hunger he pushed her away.

As he stood there at the Bronze, watching the slayer dance with her friends, he cursed himself for not killing the little witch when he had the chance.

As if she could feel his eyes watching her the slayer turned around and meet his gaze. Spike quickly looked away. Didnt want that blond bitch to know he had been watching her, didnt want her to see the bloodthirst in his eyes.

After the accident that had rendered him chip-less he had stayed out of her way. He didnt want her to know he was his old self again, not until he had decided what to do with her.

The blond girl said something to her boyfriend and started to approach him.

Annoyed, Spike turned his back to her, hoping she would get the hint and leave him alone. She didnt.

"Spike."

He turned around and faced her. "The real thing, baby." 

With a sly grin on his handsome face the vampire casually leaned against the bar.

"We haven't seen you in a while", the petite blond said.

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Did you miss me, luv?"

His comment irritated her. "Look, Spike-"

He cut her off. "Go back to your friends, Slayer", something evil stirred in his eyes, but his voice remained calm. "Just leave me alone."

There was something about the way he said it that gave her the creeps.
It was a warning.

The vampire finished his drink and left the girl confused.

Buffy watched him as he made his way through the room, filled with dancing people. The black, leather trench swung softly with the catlike movements of the peroxide blond as he disappeared in the crowd. There was a confident about him that hadn't been there last time she had seen him. Though she couldn't put her finger on it she knew there was something different about Spike, something almost threatening.

I should tell Giles, she thought as she returned to Riley, Xander and Anya.

He moved on top of her, his boots scraping against her ankles, his beltbuckle cutting into her. It was easier focusing on things like that, buckles and boots.

Then his hands clumsily fitted about the waistband of her skirt. She breathed in deep, holding back a hiccup, trying to still the moment, not believing it was happening. His hands pushed at her skirt. And she wished she had worn buttonfly jeans, at least then things would have been more difficult for him.

His hands were cold and unsteady as he managed to get the skirt halfway down her thighs. Struggling she tried to stop him the best she could, but his weight was pinning her to the ground. She felt like she couldn't breathe, like the terror and the tears were making her lungs collapse.

The man, still fumbling with the skirt, pulled away from her for just a second, trying to look in her eyes. She moved away and focused on the nightsky instead.

She must have drawend blood the way she bit on her lips as his hands looped through her underwear and slid them own.

"Don't!" She cried. "Please don't!"

His hand went over her mouth, stifling her words, and she knew then that she had no say in the matter.

His cold fingers moved into her. 

Jerking back in pain and fear she lashed out at his face, nearly getting his eyes before his free hand grabbed her wrists and held them tightly above her head.

And he didnt stop.

She wanted to be detached, but that's easier said then done, especially when he rose a bit and started fiddling with his belt. She couldn't breath when she heard the sound of his zipper, his weight fell back on her again, his mouth on her neck, her collarbone, fingers tearing at her shirt. And then she felt him, cold and hard, and she finally knew exactly what was going to happen.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you", a voice suddenly said behind them.
A familiar voice.

Despite the man's weight pinning her to the ground, Willow managed to turn her head far enough to see someone standing in the shadows only a few steps away. Her heart seemed to skip a beat. Could it be...?

Startled the man looked up. "You better stay out of this if you know what's good for you", he warned the stranger.

There was a low chuckle, and the voice calmly replied: "You better let her go if you know what's good for you, mate."

And then the figure in the shadows stepped into the light.

The rapist let out a gasp. "What are you?" he asked, his voice filled with dull fear, edging on panic.

"Vampire", the monster said with a smile that made it look all the more evil.

The man glanced at the girl  beneath him, his eyes filled with terror. He let go off her and was on his feet in a second. "L-look", he stuttered as he backed away from Willow. "Take the girl, just don't hurt me."

A cruel smile curled the demon's lips. "Naw... I cant do that. I have my reputations to think of."

Whit unexpected speed, Spike attacked the man.

Willow heard a scream of pain,  then a thump as the vampire let the rapist's body fall to the ground. Somewhat disoriented because of it all happening so fast, she stared at the corpse.

But how...? she thought.

"Are you okay?"

Spike's voice woke her from her daze. Speechless her eyes darted between the vampire's face and the body laying on the ground.

"Did he... I mean, are you...?" His voice trailed of.

"N-no... You saved me..." she answered, almost not believing her own words.

He took her hand and pulled her to her feet. She stood in front of him, shivering, wrapping her arms around herself, tears glistening in her green eyes. He took of his trench and offered it to her. "Here."

When she didnt take it, he draped the duster over her shoulders. She flinched when his fingers accidentally touched her neck.

Spike could feel anger welling up inside him. He regretted that the rapist's death had been an easy one. He wished he had made him suffer, made him beg for mercy. N one hurt his little witch and got a way with it! She was his to torment and the thought of anyone else hurting her made him clench his teeth in anger.

He looked down at her bruised and tearstained face. His Red.

"Come on", he said softly. "I'll walk you home."

She shook her head. "N-no... Buffy will be there, a-and... and..." Fresh tears started to fall down her cheek. "I-I don't want to tell her. I don't want to tell anyone... I was stupid walking alone... here... in the middle of the night..."

He wasn't surprised. Red was one of those who kept everything bottled up inside, always hiding her feelings, not wanting to bother anyone. 

Willow glanced at the man laying on the ground. Dead. Killed by Spike. 

How?

Somehow she had the feeling she knew why the chip stooped working but her thoughts were jumbled and distorted.

I should run. Get away before he kills me too! 

And she did want to run, not just from Spike but from the whole situation. But her legs were shaking so bad she almost fell to the ground. She started to feel dizzy and her body aced from the attack. She tried to ignore the darkness that threatened to swallow her but it proved to be impossible.

The last thing Willow felt before she slipped into unconsciousness was Spike's arms surrounding her, pulling her up as she slumped into him.

Now what do I do? Spike asked himself as he stood there with the unconscious girl in his arms. She felt light as a feather and the scent of her blood intoxicated him more then a bottle of JD could.

Not knowing what else to do, Spike took the girl to his crypt. The gloomy place was furnitured by only a table and an old arm-chair standing in front of a TV, and a bed in a corner  were the deadly sunbeams couldn't reach it. He put Willow on the bed.

"This is just Grand", he muttered to himself as he leaned down over the Witch's unconscious body. Gently he slapped at her pale cheeks. "Come on, Red... wake up..." He shook her still shoulders. "Snap out of it..."

"Aw, sod it!" He said, standing up looking down at her unmoving form. "I should just kill you and get you out of my hair... damn annoyance you are..."

He took a cigarette out of the pack that lay on the table. "Bloody damn annoyance", he reaffirmed, lighting the cigarette, moving his hands wildly as he continued to talk to the unmoving girl.

"I was just looking for a spot of fun, maybe a tasty snack... And what do I get stuck with? You, pet." He quieted and sat down on the bed beside the lifeless witch, stroking her tangled hair back from her bruised face. Soothingly his hand caressed her cheek as her eyelids twitched and she moaned in pain or out of fear.

"Hush, pet..." he whispered. 

"Now", he said, pulling the duster tighter around her stirring body. "The question is, should I just kill you, or should I really mess with the slayer?"

Planting a gentle kiss on her forehead, he answered himself. "Dilemmas, dilemmas..."

END