Willow kept her purse clutched tightly to her as she walked home from The Bronze. Oz and the Dingoes were playing an out-of-town gig and Buffy, Cordelia and Xander were too busy having fun to even notice that Willow had slipped out early to make her way home. Oh well, she thought as she passed the alley behind the popular teen hangout, she had her trusty stake and bottle of holy water. She'd be just fine.

While she was thinking that, she saw a man in a wheelchair with another man bent down and standing over him. `Oh no,' she thought to herself, `it must be some homeless man in trouble. That's probably a vamp looking to take a bite out of him.' With that, she ran to the man in the wheelchair, thinking she'd save him from being eaten.

Just as she reached the pair in the alley, Willow was stunned to see the man who had been standing over the wheelchair slump to the ground. Then the wheelchair spun around, bringing a confused Willow face to face with its occupant.

"SPIKE?!?!"

Willow was shocked, but not too shocked to reach into her purse for her stake. Unfortunately, in her haste, she dropped her bottle of holy water to the ground, shattering it.

"Well, well. If it isn't one of the Slayer's pets. Angelus told me about you. You're the smart one, right?" Spike asked as he wheeled slowly towards the redhead.

"Um…yeah, I guess so," Willow answered, her voice shaky even as she clutched her stake tightly. "What happened to you?"

"Well, pet, it's like this. I've been stuck in this bloody chair since your Slayer dropped a church organ on me. Pathetic isn't it, a Master vampire confined to a wheelchair? I got tired of feeding on the puppies Dru's been giving me. So I snuck out to see if I could find myself someone weak or drunk or stupid to feed on. It worked,
too. The guy on the ground back there was walking by and I just slumped down in my chair, looking all helpless. He came over to see if I needed anything, I told him I did, and before you could say `moron', I got myself the first taste of warm, fresh human blood I've had in a while. But I'm full now, Pet. So not to worry, you can put that big toothpick away. But I could use something else from you."

"And what would that be?" Willow asked warily, her feelings ranging from fear to pity for the bleached-blond vampire sitting in front of her. He might be in a wheelchair, but he was still Spike…vicious, evil Spike. But he seemed so sad, helpless and crippled—well, not too helpless, he had just killed a man, Willow reminded herself---and it seemed that even his beloved Dru didn't care about him. Plus, he was really handsome. `Bad Willow, think about Oz…Oz, Oz, Oz' Willow chided herself.

"Now, now, keep your mind out of the gutter, pet," Spike winked at her. It's just that Angelus has gone on a bit about how smart you are. Even talked about turning you to use your wits against the Slayer. And it's been a long time since I've had a really intelligent conversation. Dru's my dark goddess, but she's not much on the witty repartee. And Angelus is a right bastard. I spend as little time talking to him as I can."

Willow nodded her understanding while her mind reeled from what she had just been told. Angelus wanted to turn her to use against Buffy? No more walking home alone, that was for sure.

"One of my minions was a right smart one. Dalton was his name, but the damn Judge burned him. Dru and her bright ideas. Oh well. But I'm rather starved for interesting company, pet. So I was wondering if you'd mind sitting down with me somewhere and having a chat," Spike looked at Willow pleadingly, schooling his face into a pretty
convincing _expression of puppy-dog harmlessness.

Willow considered Spike's request for a moment. What harm would it do? It's not like she was tired. She had left The Bronze due to boredom rather than fatigue. Not much fun to be had watching Buffy dance with every guy in the club and Cordelia and Xander fight, then go off to make out somewhere while Willow table sat and took care of everyone's coats. So Spike's invitation was tempting. After all, she could do with some interesting talk herself. But…

"Is this some kind of trap, Spike? Are you just trying to lure me somewhere where Angelus can kill me?"

"Now I'm insulted, Willow," Spike said, surprising Willow by using her name. "How was I to know you'd be walking by here all alone tonight, hmm? We'll go someplace public, you pick. Just say you'll spend an hour or two with me…please?"

Spike looked at her with an _expression of almost pathetic longing on his face and Willow was helpless to resist. No one had ever wanted to talk to her so badly before.

"Okay, Spike, there's a coffee shop two blocks away. But no snacking on anyone there, or on the way there, or at any time when I'm around, okay?"

"You have a deal, pet," Spike said, turning a flirtatious smile on her as they made their way out of the alley.

They journeyed to the coffee shop side by side, Willow walking slowly beside Spike's wheelchair. "What would you like to talk about?" She asked her companion.

"Shoes and ships and sealing wax and cabbages and kings," Spike replied mischievously.

"You like Lewis Carroll?" Willow was rather surprised by Spike's answer to her question.

"I met him, pet," Spike told her.

And with that the duo was lost in delightful conversation as they entered the coffee shop and settled down to a very pleasant evening's discussion.


The End.