Disclaimer: Everything BtVS and AtS is owned by Joss, ME, and all them over there. Everything Anita Blake is owned by Laurell K. Hamilton

Chapter 1

Willow stood in the graveyard behind a large tree, watching Spike and Buffy argue. It's not that she intentionally ran into them. She had just been out  walking, letting her mind wander when she realized where she was. Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she remained silent and very still.

�YOU ARE SUCH A BITCH!� Spike yelled at Buffy.

�Yeah, that bothers me. This coming from a vampire that CAN'T bite.�

Spike's eyes turned golden before  he suddenly clutched his head in his hands, his knees buckling as he fell  to the ground.

�Thinking bad thoughts again? Someone really should dust you. I'd do it except, well you're really not worth my time. Sunrise is soon. Have fun!� She turned around and walked away, never looking back.

Willow frowned at what she just saw. She knew her best friend could be a little high and mighty,  but this was beyond anything she could even think of. When Spike pushed himself up off the ground, she watched him carefully, following  him with her eyes. She remained a good distance behind so she wouldn't alert him to  her presence. Willow watched him enter the crypt and mentally debated with herself whether or not she should go in. She didn't even know why she was doing this. Slowly she walked up to the crypt door and pushed it open. She saw Spike's body freeze and then turn around.

�What do you want?� he growled.

�I�uh�I saw the argument,� she said stuttering.

�Come to make fun of me, have you? Well let's hear it, cause it's nothing I haven't heard before.�

�That wasn't��

�Get out,� he growled. He turned his back to her, not wanting company at this moment.

Against her better judgment , Willow walked over to him and placed a hand on his arm.

Spike spun his body around, grabbing Willow by her upper arms and pushing her forcefully against the wall. He felt the chip go off as pain shot through his entire body. It felt like someone was tearing him apart. This only made his grip on her more firm. �Told you to leave,� he snarled.

�I�I just thought I could�I don't know, help.�

Spike's eyes blazed golden as he smelled it. Fear. �Afraid?� he smirked. �I'm chipped, remember?�

�Yeah, but�you're still Spike,� she said in a shaky voice that didn't sound much like her own.

He eased the grip his hands had on her arms and took a step closer to her body. He knew despite the chip that his body radiated power and fear. But most of all,  he radiated a sexual presence. �I'm a demon, a vampire.� He leaned down to her ear. �You want to help? There are  three things that vampires enjoy. Feeding, fighting, and�fucking.� He took a step back from her and noticed how nervous she had become since entering his crypt. �I really don't see you letting me feed from you. I don't really fancy fighting with you.� He let his eyes rake over her body, lingering. �And that leaves�fucking.�

�That's...uh...not why I came here.�

�Figured.� He let go of her body. �That's a shame. We could have had fun.� Pushing her body away from him and towards the door, the chip went off and pain shot through his body. He fell to his knees for the second time that night. Spike lifted his head. �GET OUT,� he roared.

"Spike..."

"OUT!"

Willow, feeling defeated, made her way to the door. She gave Spike a sad smile, a look of compassion, before walking out into the night.

Chapter 2

The next evening, Willow sat on the couch of Giles' flat. Spike walked through the door and saw the Slayer and the Watcher sitting in front of Willow. �Why are you lot meeting here tonight?� When no one responded, he continued. �What's wrong with the witch?�

Buffy turned around and glared at him. �She was attacked last night.�

<Last night? Must have happened when the chit left my crypt.>

�You might want to take a look. It's probably been awhile since you saw a bite close up.�

�Buffy, it's not a bite,� Willow told her. �The fangs just grazed my neck.�

�I still want to know what you were out doing last night, Wills. You know how dangerous it is out there. Did you even have a stake on you?�

Willow refused to look at Spike. �I did. I just got lost in my own thoughts. Shouldn't the point be that I'm still me, breathing and all?�

�It is. I'm just worried.�

�Buffy,� Giles started. �We really should get back to our conversation.�

�But Wills is��

��fine,� Giles finished. �The fangs did not enter the skin and as she said, she is still alive. As your Watcher, I insist that I start to patrol with you again. It should start tonight.� Giles stood up and turned around. He noticed that Spike was still standing there watching him. Giles pointed at him. �You. You will stay here and watch her. I don't want her patrolling tonight.�

�You want me to baby-sit Red?�

�Just do it,� he told Spike in a fatherly tone that left no room for arguments.

Moments later, he watched as Buffy left, stake in hand with Giles right behind her. He glanced at Willow and then headed into the bathroom. A couple minutes later, he returned with a pin and a wet washcloth. He sat down next to her, knowing she would have to speak soon.

Willow watched him cautiously as he sat down. She then noticed the pin. To her, it seemed like a gigantic needle. �What do you think you're doing with that?�

�If you don't clean the wound properly, it'll get infected.�

�And the pin is for?�

�I'm gonna poke it in your neck, right next to the wound and��

Willow jumped off the couch as if something had just burned her. �No way am I letting you push a needle into my skin.�

�Luv, it'll get infected.�

�I don't care. I don't��

�It'll only take a few seconds.� He saw her starting to pace and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back to the couch.

�Spike, I don't like needles,� she confessed.

�Is that what this is about? You won't even feel it.�

�Not likely.�

�I can't hurt you, remember? If it hurts you, it's gonna hurt me.�

�But it's a needle.�

�Afraid, luv?�

�Yes,� she whispered.

It wasn't exactly the answer he was expecting. At that very moment, she seemed so fragile. �Close you eyes,� he said softly.

�That would have to be a no.�

�Trust me?�

�Again with the no.�

�Just do it,� he growled. Spike smiled as she promptly closed her eyes. He leaned over to her ear and started to whisper. They weren't exactly sentences, just words of comfort in a soft soothing voice. And it seemed to be working. Her heartbeat had slowed down and her body relaxed.

After a couple of moments passed, she opened one eye and turned to him. He was leaning back into the sofa. �Are you gonna do it or not?�

�Already done, luv.�

�Really? I didn't even feel it.�

Spike held the wet washcloth to her neck. �I told you it wouldn't hurt. I know how to take care of someone. I did it with Dru for practically a century. You got this last night?�

�Yeah.�

�After you left my crypt?�

Willow pushed his hand and the washcloth away. �Don't act like you suddenly care.�

�I don't care. I hate you lot.�

�Feeling is mutual,� she mumbled.

Spike turned his body to look at her. �I need to know something. How did you figure you were gonna help me last night?�

�I don't know. I thought maybe you'd want to talk about it.�

Spike gave a soulless empty laugh. �Why? So you can use my words against me?�

Willow's eyes blazed brightly as she stood up and glared at him. �I'm NOT Buffy. I wouldn't do that to you.�

He knew she was right and stood up to face her. �I know,� he said quietly.

�If you really knew, we wouldn't be having this conversation.� She turned around and headed for the door.

�Where are you going?�

�I'm leaving. Just stay away from me.�

�You're supposed to stay here.�

�You stay here.� Willow made her way out the door and into the night. She never noticed Spike behind her, staying to the shadows.

Spike walked a good distance behind her, following her home. He let out a warning growl to every vampire that dared to attack until she was home safely. Once the front door shut and she was inside, one thought came to his mind. Why do I care what happens to her?

Chapter 3

Willow woke up to a loud banging on her front door. She tried to ignore it at first, but it became louder and more insistent. Dragging herself out of bed, she glanced at out the window. �It's not even sunrise yet,� she mumbled. Still wearing a pair of boxer shorts and a t-shirt, she made her way down the stairs and opened the front door. Seeing the blond vampire in front of her, she became annoyed. �This better be good.�

�'Ello, luv.�

�I told you to stay away from me, Spike.�

�I know you did.� Spike cautiously looked up at the sky. �Gonna invite me in?�

Willow stood there for a moment in silence before answering him. �No.�

�No? What do you mean no?�

�I mean no, I'm not going to invite the master vampire into my home.�

Spike looked up at the sky. �Luv, it's almost sunrise. I'll burn if you don't invite me in.�

�I actually don't feel any remorse over that.� She started to shut the door in his face.

�Please,� he pleaded. �You know I can't hurt you.�

�You'll just be annoying. Go away.�

�Red? I��

Willow let out a loud sigh. �You're not gonna give up, are you?�

�Since when do I give up, pet?�

�Come in, Spike.� With a smile on his face, he walked through the invisible barrier and closed the door behind him.

He watched her quietly cover the windows and then turned around to face him. He pulled off his duster and threw it on the back of the couch like it was a regular every day thing.

Willow glanced at the duster and then at him. �Oh, you're not staying.�

�You can't just push me out into the sunlight.�

�Can't I?�

�Ok, you can. I was hoping you won't.�

�Why are you here�at my house�before sunrise?�

�Truth?�

�Would be nice.�

�I don't bloody well know.�

�How original.�

�Look, I just�� He growled out of frustration. He saw Willow take a step back. �You lashing out at me yesterday, the things that were said�it bothered me and I don't know why? I don't even know why I care about it but I do. I can't get it out of my bloody mind, so here I am.�

�So now what?�

�How about we sit down and you tell me about the wound on your neck.�

�It's not a big deal, like I told Buffy.�

�I didn't ask if it was a big deal. I just asked what happened.�

�If I tell you, will you leave it alone?�

�Yeah.�

�Fine.� She moved over to the couch and sat down. Willow watched as Spike took his place next to her waiting for her to start. �I was almost home when he jumped out of the bushes. He was a fledgling. He had no coordination. But my mind was kinda elsewhere and I didn't have a stake or anything.�

�Fledglings when they first rise and feed, they can get disoriented. What could you of possibly been thinking about that you were too distracted to notice you surroundings?� he asked seriously.

His innocent question made her mad. She turned her head and looked into his eyes. �Maybe I was a bit upset since another VAMPIRE had just yelled and growled at me!�

�Me? Luv��

Willow held up her hand to silence him. �Don't.� Willow stood up and walked over to the hall closet. She opened it and grabbed a blanket out of it, throwing it at the back of Spike's head. �You can leave now. You came to say whatever it was you wanted to say. And I told you what happened. There's the door. Take your duster with you.�

Spike jumped up, shocked. �You can't be serious! You're handing me a blanket and that's it?�

�If you had never come here, we wouldn't be having this argument. Would we?�

�You are so�so�infuriating!�

�Bite me!�

He strolled over to her until he was standing directly in front of her. �You don't know how close you are to that,� he promised.

�You're chipped, Spike. You can't hurt me, remember? No biting.�

He leaned down to her ear. �It won't hurt, baby,� he whispered seductively. �You'll be begging for my touch�my body�my bite,� he purred.

�Pig,� she growled at him and pushed him away. She watched him stumble back a few steps, almost falling. �Are you leaving or not?�

�Considering the sun, I'd say you're stuck with me for the day.� He took a couple steps toward her. �Pet, this wasn't�I had just wanted to come over and talk.�

�Funny. You weren't interested in talking the other day.�

Spike ran his hand over his face. �I don't�I don't even know why I'm here.�

Chapter 4