
Title: Double Bubble, Toil andÉ (1/9/06)
Author: Slaymesoftly
Season: Alternate Season IV,
during the Will Be Done Spell.
Rating: R for language
Disclaimer: Joss said we could play with them, so
IÕm playing. Some dialogue may
seem familiar if it was taken from a episode of the show. Those would someone elseÕs words, not
mine, obviously.
Distribution: Written for the
Good_Evil Community, so no snatching without permission.
Notes: BetaÕd by the patient and willing
Always_jbj * hugs * This is supposed to be Òevil
WillowÓ, but IÕm afraid itÕs more like Òpetulant WillowÓ; and, of course, it
has a Spuffy slant because I donÕt seem to capable of writing anything
else. The lovely banner was done
for me by Tales of Spike Ð thank you, Sandy!
ÒWhy is Buffy kissing Spike?
And why is Giles standing around doing nothing as though he canÕt see
it? And Xander and Anya? What are they doing in a crypt at
night? They donÕt go patrolling
with Buffy. WhatÕs going on here?Ó WillowÕs voice was more puzzled than
concerned; even though it was obvious her friends were in dire straits.
ÒYou donÕt remember your spell?Ó the tall, horned demon in the green
robes asked with a frown. ÒIt was excellent. Some of the best vengeance IÕve seen in years.Ó
ÒVÉvengeance?Ó
ÒWhy, yes. What else would
you call it? The man who refused
to listen to you is now blind and can do nothing but listen. The friend who was more interested in
finding a vampire than staying with you is now in love with that vampire Ð a
love, which, interestingly enough, he seems to returnÉÓ The demons voice trailed off as he
rubbed his chin in thought. ÒInterestingÉ.Ó
ÒI said they might as well get married,Ó Willow mumbled, beginning to
see where he was going with this.
ÒAnd I told Xander he was a demon-magnet. This is all my fault!Ó
ÒExactly!Ó the demon crowed triumphantly. ÒYou managed to wreak appropriate vengeance on each one of
them, all by yourself, with no help from a vengeance demon. You are a natural!Ó
ÒBut my friendsÉtheyÕre being hurt! I didnÕt want that to happen.Ó
ÒYou didnÕt? Are you
sure?Ó His amber eyes bored into
hers in a manner that left no room for equivocating.
ÒWell, I meanÉI was hurtÉand they werenÕt being very sympathetic, soÉBut
I didnÕt mean for this to happen!
I mean, Giles- blind? How
will he read his books? And Buffy
and Spike? ThatÕs just ewwwwww!Ó
ÒThey donÕt seem to think so,Ó D-Hoffryn commented mildly, gesturing at
the viewing portal heÕd opened.
The vampire and Slayer could clearly be seen rubbing their pelvises
together while their lips remained locked in what Willow was sure was one of
the longest kisses sheÕd ever seen.
She quickly looked away from the two blonds making out on the floor of
the crypt and over to where her best friend and his girlfriend were battling
for their lives.
ÒWell, I didnÕt mean for every demon in the world to attack Xander!Ó she
sputtered. ÒI canÕt believe heÕs
not dead yet. Look at them!Ó
ÒI donÕt believe they are trying to kill himÉ.Ó
ÒWell then why are theyÉoh!
Oh goddess!Ó Her eyes flew
to the leader of all vengeance demons and she said, ÒIÕve got to stop
this! HeÕs already got a demon Ð
One should be enough for anybody.Ó
ÒAh yes. Anyanka. Such a
loss.Ó He gave a heavy sigh.
ÒCan you stop them?Ó she asked suddenly. ÒJust the demons attacking Xander and Anya. Can you make them stop without my
having to break the spell?Ó
The old demon shook his head. ÒI could not do that, although I can,
perhaps, make their attentions somewhat lessÉenthusiastic. Thereby decreasing the chances that
your friend will be injured accidentally by an overly aroused demon.Ó
Willow looked thoughtful.
ÒOkay, letÕs do that, then. Just do something so that Xander doesnÕt get
hurt Ð not physically, anyway.Ó
ÒAnd
the rest?Ó
ÒOh,Ó she said with firm conviction, ÒI think IÕll leave them to suffer
for the way they ignored me. For a while longer, anyway. Let them see how much they like being
ignored when they need help.Ó
ÒSo, you are taking my offer, then?Ó he asked hopefully.
ÒOh, no. I donÕt think so,Ó Willow responded cheerfully. ÒIt looks to me like I can wreak
vengeance any time I want to as long as my spell is in effect. I donÕt think I need you. But thanks for asking. Can I go back now?Ó
He handed her a business card with flaming letters on it. ÒPlease, keep my card. Should you change your mind, you will
always be able to reach me with this.Ó
ÒOkey, dokie,Ó she agreed, putting the card in her pocket. ÒNow send me
back. I want them to know who did this to them.Ó
With a loud whoosh and a puff of smoke, Willow found herself standing in
a crypt where the Watcher was clinging to the wall with one hand, begging for
someone to tell him what was going on.
The sounds of violence had ceased and all he could hear now were Spike
and BuffyÕs loud moans of frustrated lust as they tried to restrain themselves
in front of the other Scoobies, and AnyaÕs angry shouting as she tried to keep
the now obviously amorous demons away from Xander.
Willow looked around in satisfaction at the discomfort on the faces of
her friends. She had to admit that
Buffy seemed quite happy to be kissing Spike, but a closer look at her friendÕs
lust-filled expression and the vampireÕs amber-flashing eyes told her that they
were finding nothing comfortable about being surrounded by other people. She found herself giggling at their
subtle attempts to dry hump without allowing anyone to realize what they were
doing.
She walked over to Giles and casually poked him, laughing when the
Watcher jumped into a defensive posture and flailed around with the piece of
wood he was holding, searching desperately for the danger he expected to
encounter.
ÒRelax, Giles, itÕs only me,Ó Willow said Ð then winced when he
immediately allowed himself to slump against the wall, thereby hitting his own
head on the stone.
( Note to self Ð be very careful about saying anything that could be
interpreted as a command or wish!)
ÒWillow! Is that you? I cannot see you. IÕm afraid I appear to have suddenly
gone blind.Ó
ÒYes, you have,Ó she said, not unkindly. ÒI guess that will happen when you tell people you can see
their pain and you donÕt really mean it.Ó
She left the puzzled man leaning against the wall and walked over to
where Xander and Anya were surrounded by demons, all pushing and shoving,
trying to get closer to the terrified young man.
ÒI think he would prefer to see you fight for him,Ó she said clearly,
then stepped back as the demons immediately began to fight among themselves for
the right to challenge Anya.
Willow quickly moved the two humans away from the pile of snarling
demons and left them leaning against the wall beside Giles.
She then stepped back to the two people writhing around on the floor,
oblivious to the demon scrum only a few feet away. Willow watched with interest for a few seconds as the
vampire whispered endearments and tried to coax Buffy into leaving with him so
they could have more privacy.
When it appeared that Buffy was weakening, and was about to agree to
sneak out with the vampire to consummate their impending marriage before it
actually happened, Willow sighed and spoke.
ÒBuffy Ð Spike! Can you
stop kissing long enough to listen to me?Ó
ÒIÕm listening, Willow,Ó Buffy gasped, tearing her lips away
briefly.
ÒI think youÕd hear me better if Spike took his hands out of your
pants,Ó Willow snapped. The
vampireÕs hand immediately flew away from the SlayerÕs body as Buffy sat up
abruptly and said, ÒIÕm all ears!Ó
The red-haired witch had to smother a smile at the disgruntled look on
the vampireÕs face. He was staring
at his hand with suspicion; clearly not sure why heÕd so readily yanked it away
from the SlayerÕs warm body.
Behind her, she could hear Xander and Giles sputtering as they realized
what sheÕd said about where SpikeÕs hand had been.
ÒBuffy,Ó Giles ordered in his most authoritative voice, ÒGet away from
Spike immediately!Ó
BuffyÕs lip came out in a pout and she snuggled closer to the
now-sitting vampire.
ÒGiiiiles,Ó she whined.
ÒHeÕs my fiancŽ! I want to stay with him.Ó
ÒBuffy, trust us,Ó Xander put in.
ÒWhen this spell or whatever it is is over, you will thank us for this.Ó
Willow giggled as BuffyÕs hand crept behind her back to cup the bulge in
SpikeÕs jeans. The vampire growled
softly and reached around to pull her back against his chest, nuzzling her neck
as he did so. There were gasps
from the Scoobies when Buffy tilted her head, giving the former Slayer of
Slayers access to her throat, but the vampire just continued to nuzzle and lick
at her with no trace of evil intent.
Willow couldnÕt decide which would be more delicious Ð to let Buffy and
Spike have sex and then remove the spell, or to keep them constantly with other
people and therefore, constantly frustrated. Since she couldnÕt make up her mind, she waved her hand and
said, ÒYouÕre coming with us,Ó as she turned to lead the others back to the
WatcherÕs apartment.
As they picked their way through the cemetery, they saw more demons
rushing toward the growing melee taking place in and around the crypt they had
just left. Many of them gave
Xander long, lingering glances as they went by, but they dutifully went off to
join the fight for his affections rather than following him.
Anya was glaring suspiciously at the witch; noting the happy smile on
the face that had been so morose so very recently and she felt a growing
certainly when Willow met her look calmly.
ÒYou did the spell!Ó the ex-vengeance demon said loudly. ÒWillow did this to us. Look at her! She reeks of vengeance!Ó
ÒVengeance?Ó Xander turned
to look at his best friend since kindergarten and frowned. ÒWhy would Willow want to do a
vengeance spell on us? WeÕre her
friends. We love her.Ó
ÒSpeak for yourself,Ó Spike and Anya muttered simultaneously, exchanging
a look of demon solidarity just before Willow whirled and glared at them.
ÒI donÕt think Buffy wants to marry you anymore, Spike,Ó she said
clearly. ÒDo you, Buffy?Ó
ÒUm...Óthe Slayer looked
into SpikeÕs heartbroken eyes apologetically, ÒI just think I might be
tooÉbutÉÓ Seeing the look on his
face, she finished quickly, ÒBut I still love you!Ó
Willow frowned as SpikeÕs face relaxed. ÒWell, thatÕs alright, then,
pet. I still love you too. As long
as weÕre together, it doesnÕt matter if weÕre married orÑ
ÒNo you donÕt, Buffy!Ó the angry witch growled. ÒYou donÕt love him. And he doesnÕt love you.Ó
ÒWell, thatÕs a relief!Ó
Buffy relaxed, but remained close to the vampire who was looking equally
relieved.
ÒBloody right, it is,Ó he agreed, leering at her and pinching her
butt. ÒDoesnÕt mean I donÕt want
you though, Slayer. Still want to shag you silly!Ó
ÒRight back at you, Vampire,Ó she purred, turning to face him. ÒWhat do you say we let Willow lead
Giles home and we go find someplace lessÉcrowded?Ó
ÒMy thoughts exactly!Ó
Taking her hand, he began to pull her away from the horrified group
watching them.
Willow
stamped her foot in exasperation.
ÒYou arenÕt going anywhere!Ó she yelled. ÒExcept back to GilesÕ with us so we can watch you.Ó
ÒThey want to watch us, luv,Ó Spike whispered in BuffyÕs ear as they
froze in place, unable to move.
ÒWell thatÕs justÉewwww!Ó Buffy turned her head and glared at
Willow. ÒWhen did you become so
kinky?Ó
Throwing up her hands in defeat, the witch snarled, ÒFine, go do
whatever you want. I hope you
screw each other unconscious!Ó
While the two blonds took off running to find some privacy, Willow
turned to the horrified people watching her and said, ÒNow, weÕre going back to
GilesÕ apartment and you are all going to apologize to me for not caring about
my pain!Ó
She marched off in a huff, the three remaining Scoobies trailing behind
her begging for forgiveness as they followed her out the gate and down the
sidewalk.
Chapter Two
Days later, when Willow had finally tired of the constant tears from
Xander and Giles as they repeated over and over again how sorry they were to
have ignored her, how much they cared about her and how badly they wanted to
help her feel better, she waved her hand and said, ÒOkay, fine. Apology accepted. Giles, you can see again. Xander, you are no longer a demon
magnetÑÒ As Anya recoiled from her
boyfriend, Willow rolled her eyes and added, Òexcept for ex-vengeance demons.Ó
When they had all had time to re-orient themselves to normality, and
Willow had explained proudly how she had turned down DÕHoffrynÕs offer to make
her a vengeance demon, it suddenly occurred to everyone that they hadnÕt seen
Buffy or Spike since the night they left them in the cemetery.
All eyes turned to Willow and she shrugged. ÒI said they could do whatever they wanted. She might have staked him by now. ThatÕs what sheÕs always wanted to do.Ó
ÒAny yet, never has,Ó the Watcher pointed out, dryly.
ÒWillow, what exactly did you say about them when you put the spell on
us?Ó
ÒI just said if Buffy was so concerned about Spike, she might as well
marry him. Or something like
that.Ó
Giles frowned and took his glasses off. ÒSo, you did not say that they
were going to fall in love with each other?Ó
ÒWell, no, but wouldnÕt that be a given if they were getting married? I
mean, Buffy wouldnÕt marry someone if she didnÕt love him.Ó Willow couldnÕt see the problem and was
beginning to get bored with the interrogation.
ÒNot when it was a spell, it wouldnÕt,Ó Anya offered. ÒThey could hate each other and theyÕd
still want to get married.Ó
ÒAnd you didnÕt say anything that would make Buffy want to get all
groiny with the undead, did you?Ó
XanderÕs horrified voice showed that he was slowly picking up on what
the Watcher and his girlfriend had already figured out.
ÒOf course not!Ó
ÒActually, Willow,Ó AnyaÕs voice was hesitant as she noticed the growing
anger in the witchÕs eyes. ÒYou
did say you hoped they screwed each other unconscious when we left them in the
cemetery.Ó
ÒWhoops?Ó Willow began to
automatically apologize to the two furious men glaring at her, then remembered
her will-be-done spell was still in effect and they needed to be afraid of her,
not vice-versa.
ÒBuffy was more interested in finding Spike than she was in being a good
friend to me,Ó the witch insisted stubbornly. ÒIf she wakes up and finds out she had sex with him, it
serves her right!Ó
She glared defiantly at the other people in the room, more than a little
surprised at how good it felt to see the new fear and respect on their
faces. Although her innate good
nature would not allow her to torment her friends indefinitely, she couldnÕt
deny the surge of well-being that went through her.
She faced them with a new confidence, feeling the power flowing through
her as she said, ÒIÕm going to break the spell now. Not because I donÕt want it anymore, but because IÕm tired
of having to think about every little thing I say before I say it. But,
remember, IÕll always be able to re-do it anytime I want to.Ó
She muttered a few words and waved her hand. They all stared at her fearfully until she said, ÒGiles,
youÕre blind again.Ó The Watcher
gasped, frightened until he realized what she was doing.
ÒNo, no, I donÕt appear to be. It seems that the spell has been broken
and we are no longer obligated to do whatever you say.Ó
ÒNot unless I reinstate it,Ó she said warningly when she saw the angry
expression on his face. Her cold
eyes made it clear that retaliation would be in no oneÕs best interest and the
man gradually relaxed, turning instead to his scotch bottle.
ÒWhat about Buffy?Ó Xander asked with a whine. ÒSheÕs still with Spike.Ó
Willow shrugged dismissively. ÒThatÕs her problem. If she had sex with
him, sheÕll just have to stake him and lie about it. WeÕll probably never know
for sure.Ó
Across town, in a seedy motel, a blond girl stirred and groaned as she
opened her eyes and found them only inches from a vampireÕs amber gaze. With an Òeep!Ó she rolled away,
noticing immediately that she was naked.
As she watched, SpikeÕs equally startled expression softened and his
eyes went back to their normal pretty shade of blue. He was also naked, Buffy noted, as she grabbed the sheet and
wrapped it around her body. Which
left his body completely uncovered and still uncomfortably close.
ÒWhatÉwhat did we do?Ó she whispered, horror beginning to dawn on her
face.
ÒWe did what the witch told us to do,Ó he answered carefully, knowing
that he could be seconds from a dusty ending. ÒWe shagged each other unconscious.Ó
Buffy flashed back to WillowÕs parting words to them, then back even
further to the marriage spell that, even when cancelled, left them still in
love and then in lust. She dropped
back onto the bed and closed her eyes with a groan.
ÒOh. My. God. This is
awful.Ó
ÒI didnÕt think it was so awful, Slayer.Ó She could hear what could only be interpreted as hurt in his
voice and opened one eye to see his lower lip beginning to come out in a small
pout.
ÒI didnÕt say it WAS awful, Spike.
I said it IS awful.
Now. Now itÕs awful. Before it wasÉokay.Ó She blushed furiously and closed her
eyes again.
ÒJust okay?Ó he ventured, daring to lean closer and whisper into her
ear, finishing with a small nibble on the lobe.
ÒDonÕt.Ó Her voice was flat
and left no room for doubt. The
spell was over and they were back to being enemies.
ÒFine,Ó he huffed, standing up and defiantly refusing to hide his
nudity. ÒWeÕre back to hatinÕ each
other, is that it?Ó
ÒOf course, thatÕs it,Ó she grumbled back. ÒWhat else could it be?Ó
ÒNothing. Nothing at all,
Slayer. All is as it should be
again. I hate you. You hate me.Ó
ÒExactly. Vampire Ð
Slayer. Natural enemies.Ó She refused to look at him as she
hunted for her clothing, giving a small whimper of dismay when she found most
of it in pieces.
ÒOh, this is just terrific.
Look at my shirt!Ó She
forgot she was planning to not look at him and her eyes flew up to his as she
waved the shirt around. The
unguarded look of pure lust that she saw there took her breath away, but before
she could tell him to stop looking at her like that, he caught himself, his
expression changing as he snarled back, ÒWell, look at mine! Bloody animal, you are, Slayer!Ó
He waved his torn-in-half tee shirt at her, trying to ignore the way she
looked, all pleasantly disheveled and clearly nude under the sheet she was
clutching to her breasts as she fumbled with her clothes. Buffy averted her eyes again, not
wanting him to catch her ogling his naked body. A body which, after two days of
close inspection, she had to admit was extremely oglable.
She gave up on finding anything but her jeans, and quickly pulled them
back on. While she was doing so,
Spike had found his own pants and was trying to keep them up using just the
zipper. The top button had been
ripped off by the Slayer in her haste to let him free once they got into the
motel room.
They stood, facing each other, each clad in the only clothing they had
left, their eyes glaring even as their mouths began to twitch. Buffy caved first, the giggles escaping
from her tightly clamped lips.
SpikeÕs eyes twinkled as he joined her, laughing heartily at the two
superbeings reduced to having to sneak home worn out and shirtless. In no time, the Slayer was holding on
to a chair for support as she doubled over clutching her stomach and laughing.
The vampire shook his head, a deep chuckle erupting every few seconds as
he went around the room picking up small pieces of ripped clothing.
ÒWeÕre a fine pair,Ó he growled, shaking his head again. He dropped the scraps of cloth in the
wastebasket and turned to look at her once more.
ÒIt wasnÕt us,Ó Buffy replied primly, still holding the sheet across her
chest. ÒIt was a spell. ItÕs all gone now and we can go back
toÉto normal.Ó
ÒYes, I suppose we can,Ó he said quietly. ÒWhatever it was that Red wished on us, is gone now.Ó
ÒYes, gone. ItÕs totally
gone. Not aÑÒshe stopped when she
realized what heÕd said.
ÒYou think it was Willow?Ó
Her voice was shrill. ÒWhy
would she do that to me?Ó
ÒHow the bloody hell would I know, Slayer?Ó The anger in his voice was out of proportion to the question
and she blinked at him in confusion.
ÒSheÕs your git of a friend.
I guess she was really mad at you for something. Or else she thought it
would be funny. Ó
BuffyÕs face was thoughtful as she sat on the bed. ÒShe hasnÕt been much with the fun,
lately,Ó she mused. ÒNot since Oz
left. In fact she was really upset
when I said I had to leave to go look for youÉOh my god! ThatÕs it! She was mad that I didnÕt stay with her and she must have
done some kind of spell to make me want to stay with you.Ó
ÒRemind me to thank her for that,Ó he said with a leer, wiggling his
eyebrows at her.
Buffy blushed and said quickly, ÒNo one knows what we did. If we donÕt tellÉÓ
ÒWhy wouldnÕt I tell?Ó he asked with real confusion. ÒGot your dimpled knees apart Ð
multiple times, I might add. Even
had you suckinÕ on my---Ò
ÒYou wonÕt tell, because there is such an easy way for me to make sure
you donÕt.Ó
BuffyÕs expression left no doubt as to her meaning and he cocked his
head at her while he studied her face.
ÒWould you really stake me, Buffy?Ó The use of her name threw her off and she couldnÕt help the
way her gaze softened. ÒCould you
still do that to me? Now?Ó
Buffy cleared her throat and stood up again, still clutching her
sheet. ÒOf course I would. YouÕd still kill me if you could. WouldnÕt you?Ó
They stared at each other for a long minute, hope, fear and something
indefinable on both faces.
Finally, they simultaneously looked away, neither one mentioning that
the vampire never answered the question.
When they got to the door of the room, Spike gently tugged the sheet
away from Buffy and silently handed her his coat to put on. She gave him a grateful look and opened
the door saying firmly, ÒLetÕs go.
I have witchy, best friend butt to kick.Ó
Their arrival at the WatcherÕs was somewhat anticlimactic as by that
time they had gone to BuffyÕs dorm room and picked up a sweatshirt for her and
one of her larger tee shirts that she used for sleeping for the vampire. While he watched Buffy brushing her
hair and applying make-up in an effort to not look like a girl who had just
spent the previous two days in bed, he found himself deliberately inhaling her
scent off the shirt sheÕd given him and remembering what it was like to be
surrounded by that aroma. He hoped the long walk to the WatcherÕs apartment
would give his cock time to relax before he had to face Giles and the rest of
the Scoobies.
By the time they got to the apartment, they had rehearsed what they
would say should anyone ask where theyÕd been; they walked in confidently to be
met with interested stares of varying intensity.
ÒI presume you have an explanation for this, Willow,Ó Buffy surprised
everyone by taking the offensive.
Her voice was pure Slayer, and her friend flinched back in spite of her
newly discovered powers.
ÒIÉIÉÓ The memory of what
sheÕd been able to do and the admiration DÕHoffren had for her strengthened her
spine and she straightened up and met BuffyÕs eyes firmly.
ÒI did a spell to have my will be done. Everything that happened is because I said it would or
should. Nothing happened to anyone
that wasnÕt deserved. None of you
could make time for me when I was in pain, so I made sure you got to suffer
along with me.Ó
She shot a quick glance at the vampire growling softly behind the Slayer
and added, ÒI could have willed
you into dust, if IÕd wanted to Spike.
Instead of saying Buffy should marry you, I could have just said you
were dust and she wouldnÕt have had to leave me to look for you. You might want to think about that
before you start growling at me.Ó
She met his amber gaze defiantly, daring him to test her newly
discovered powers. ÒOr, I could just wish for the chip to start firing and
never stop. How does that work for
you?Ó
The menace in her friendÕs voice took Buffy by surprise and she glanced
at her Watcher for support. His
eyes contained a warning and a promise that they would address the issue at
some other time when Willow was not present.
Curbing
her own quick temper, and stepping on the vampireÕs foot before he could growl
again, she did her best to smile and sound apologetic.
ÒIÕm sorry, Will,Ó she said through gritted teeth. ÒYouÕre right. Your feelings should have taken
precedence over the escape of a dangerous vampire. I donÕt know what I was thinking.Ó
ÒHeÕs not dangerous anymore,Ó Willow fired back angrily. ÒYou said so yourself. HeÕsÉimpotent.Ó An outraged snarl from the vampire sent
everyoneÕs eyes toward his shifting face, thus allowing BuffyÕs embarrassed
flush to come and go unobserved by anyone except Willow.
ÒOr, maybe not so impotent?Ó she asked slyly. ÒExactly where have you two been for the past two days? And why are you still together now that
the spell is over?Ó
Spike quickly launched into their agreed upon story about running into a
pack of demons and being held prisoner until just a short while ago when the
Slayer was able to break her chains and they escaped.
ÒWhy didnÕt you leave him there?Ó Willow inquired with false
concern. ÒThe spell was broken.
There was no reason to bring him back.Ó
ÒGiles wasnÕt finished interrogating him,Ó Buffy said without missing a
beat. It had suddenly become much
easier to lie to her best friend than ever before. ÒThat is why I went looking
for him in the first place, remember?Ó
ÒOh thatÕs right.
Recapturing the harmless, chipped vampire was more important than having
ice cream with me. I remember perfectly.Ó
The two friends faced off across the room - the one so physically strong, the other with growing
magical abilities. The atmosphere
was tense for several minutes and the Watcher went so far as to begin muttering
a small spell under his breath, only pausing when the witch shrugged and said
dismissively, ÒThen I guess youÕll be chaining him back up in the tub, wonÕt
you?Ó
ÒOh for---Ò SpikeÕs angry snort was cut short by BuffyÕs hand on his
arm. ÒI came back willingly,Ó he
muttered. ÒWhere else was I gonna
go?Ó
ÒYouÕre going back in chains,Ó Willow said meaningfully. ÒUnless there is some reason Buffy no
longer wants to keep us protected from you, that isÉsome reason why she thinks
you wonÕt try to leave again.Ó
ÒCome on, Spike,Ó Buffy said grimly. ÒI wouldnÕt want you to get loose and eat anybody. Willow, for instance.Ó She pulled the protesting vampire into
the bathroom and gestured towards the tub. ÒIÕm sorry,Ó she said softly. ÒIÕm sure Giles will let you loose when she leaves.Ó
ÒLooks like RedÕs gone a bit power-happy, pet,Ó he said quietly as he
climbed into the tub.
ÒYeah, it does. I know this
is all about Oz leaving, butÉÓ
ÒThis isnÕt all about wolf-boy, Slayer. This is about your little friend getting a taste of some
power and liking it. YouÕre going
to have to watch her from now on.
PowerÕs addictive.Ó
He sat quietly while Buffy fastened the chains around his hands and
feet, looping them through the pipes and closing the lock with a click.
ÒBuffy ÐÒ
The Slayer shook her head.
ÒDonÕt,Ó was all she said as she stood up, refusing to look at him. ÒJust donÕt, Ôk?Ó
ÒNever happened, did it?Ó he asked quietly.
ÒNever,Ó she whispered, shaking her head as she went out and pulled the
door shut behind her. She found herself smothering an urge to go back and climb
into the tub with him and shuddered at the wrongness of it all.
The Slayer squared her shoulders and went out to talk to her watcher
about what they were going to do with a power-hungry novice witch.
As Buffy had said he would, Giles reluctantly released Spike from the
chains after Willow had left with a still-apologetic Xander and his seething,
but quiet, girlfriend. The two
British men and the young American woman sat in the living room trying to
decide how they were going to deal with WillowÕs newly discovered abilities and
her obvious willingness to use those abilities against her friends.
BuffyÕs anger had cooled to the point that she was struggling to defend
WillowÕs behavior, insisting that she had made her comments about all of them
without knowing that her will-be-done spell had worked.
ÒThe name of the bloody spell tells you all you need to know about her,
Slayer,Ó Spike growled. ÒMY will
be done. She went into it wanting to be in control and she got what she
wanted. ThereÕll be no stopping
her now.Ó
ÒAs much as I hate to say it, IÕm afraid I must agree with Spike,Ó Giles
sighed. ÒIt would appear that
Willow may not be a good candidate for more magical training. It might be best if she did not become
any more powerful and skilled than she already is.Ó
ÒSheÕs just upset about Oz leaving,Ó Buffy insisted stubbornly. ÒShe
would never have done that if she wasnÕt so unhappy.Ó
ÒPerhaps not, but now that she has tasted that kind of power, it is very
unlikely that she will be uninterested in exploring it more fully.Ó
ÒWatcherÕs right, pet. Magic
can be addictive and if she liked that little taste of controlÉÓ
ÒBut she didnÕt really hurt anybody! I mean, Giles was blind and that has to suck,Ó she gave her
Watcher a sympathetic look before continuing, Óbut it wasnÕt permanent. And the demons werenÕt trying to kill
Xander exactly.Ó She paused to
shudder at what they apparently were trying to do. ÒAnd it didnÕt hurt us. So we were engaged for a few hours. No
biggie. ItÕs not like we actually
got married and had to go get a divorce or one of those anal things.Ó
Both men stared at her with their mouths open until the Watcher managed
to choke out, ÒYou mean an annulment?Ó
ÒYeah, one of those. We
donÕt need one. Because nothing
happened. Nothing weddingish.Ó
ÒFor which Spike should be extremely grateful,Ó Giles said, indicating
the frowning vampire. ÒWhen Xander pointed out that you may have hadÉrelationsÉ
with Spike, Willow disregarded his concerns saying that you would just stake
him and no one would ever know.Ó
ÒShe said I would stake him?
Because we had sex? IF weÕd
had sex. Which we didnÕt, of course.Ó
She turned to the vampire and asked, ÒDid you Ðdo you think I would have
staked you for something like that?Ó
She sounded so offended that anyone could think she would do such a
thing that he wisely refrained from pointed out that she had threatened that
very thing only a few hours ago.
ÒNo, of course not, Slayer.
You wouldnÕt dust a bloke for doing something he did because of a
spell. ThatÕd be like getting
brassed off at your watcher because he couldnÕt see anything, wouldnÕt it?Ó
Buffy narrowed her eyes, trying to decide if he was mocking her, but his
blue eyes were looking at her innocently, showing nothing but faith in her
inherent goodness.
ÒWellÉyes, exactly. I wouldnÕt do anything like that. Even if there was a reason for it. Which there isnÕt. Because we didnÕt.Ó
It was the WatcherÕs turn to study her suspiciously.
ÒI believe we already established that, Buffy.Ó he said dryly, before
turning to look hard at the vampire.
Spike did his best to appear simultaneously both innocent and evil, leering
at Buffy as he said, ÒYouÕve got to admit we were sort of hot and heavy for a
while there, werenÕt we, Slayer?Ó
His ploy worked, the Watcher attributing BuffyÕs angry flush to the
vampireÕs reminder of how they had behaved while engaged and taking SpikeÕs
implication that it had never gone beyond that at face value. He settled back, suspicions that his
Slayer had indulged in intercourse with William the Bloody allayed for the time
being.
Buffy stood up and stretched, saying, ÒI guess IÕd better do a quick
patrol and get back to the dorm.
Maybe I can talk to Willow and get her to back off the magic for a
while.Ó
Spike jumped to his feet eagerly, ÒWant some back-up, Slayer?Ó he asked,
bouncing on his toes. ÒI could use
a spot of violence Ð even if itÕs just watching you pummel some poor demon --
before I come back here to be bored to tears byÑÒ Sudden recollection that he
was about to insult the man in whose house he was being permitted to hide from
daylight, as well as receiving regular meals of warm pigsÕ blood, made him
uncharacteristically careful of his words. ÒUnless the watcher is going to be home, that is,Ó he
amended quickly. ÒNothing like a
good chat with a fellow Brit to make a blokeÕs day.Ó
ÒI have no desire to ÔchatÕ with you, Spike,Ó Giles said tiredly. ÒI am going to bed shortly. You may sleep on the couch if you
like. I do not believe the sun
reaches quite that far into the room during the day.Ó
ÒI donÕt need any help, Spike,Ó Buffy said quickly. ÒLeast of all from someone who canÕt
hurt anybody.Ó
ÒI could yell, Ôwatch out!Õ, Ò he grumbled. ÒCome on, pet.
We might run into more of those demons and I could at least trip them or
something.Ó
Before Buffy could snap at him that she wasnÕt worried about the
imaginary Òdemons Ò, Giles spoke up and said, ÒThatÕs really not a bad idea,
Buffy. As much as it pains me to
admit it, Spike could be of some use if you should encounter them again. If nothing else, he could run for
help.Ó
SpikeÕs good humor vanished at the reminder that he would probably not
be of any use in an actual fight and he growled under his breath at the manÕs
words.
ÒFine,Ó she huffed. ÒIÕll
take him along in case I have to yell for help. Satisfied?Ó
Doing her best to ignore the vampireÕs smirk, she strode out the door
waving her Ôgood-nightÕ to her Watcher and heading for the nearest cemetery at
a good clip, Spike following her with long, ground-eating strides.
They made a quick pass through Restfield Cemetery, finding only one
fledgling looking for his first meal.
Spike leaned against a crypt while the Slayer toyed with the newly-risen
vamp for a few minutes, practicing some new kicks and allowing him to think he
was going to be able to taste the blood he could smell pounding through her
veins. When she tired of the game,
she staked the unfortunate vampire before he even registered that he was in
trouble and turned to see Spike watching her with admiration.
ÒGot to say, pet,Ó he drawled looking her up and down, Òyou are one
amazing Slayer. All that strength
and violence in such a pretty package.Ó
She
colored briefly before she remembered who was talking.
ÒThatÕs what Slayers are, Spike.
You ought to know, youÕve fought two of them.Ó
ÒActually, pet, IÕve fought four or five. Only killed two of them.Ó He spoke almost absently as he pushed open the door of the
crypt and peered inside. He
stepped in, disappearing from BuffyÕs sight and she followed him to the door
curiously.
ÒWhat are you doing? And
what do you mean youÕve fought four or five? Why arenÕt you dust?Ó
ÒIÕm looking for a place to live,Ó he replied, coming back towards the
door to stand in front of her.
ÒAnd IÕm not dust because they couldnÕt kill me.Ó
ÒBut you didnÕt kill them?Ó
He
growled before answering. ÒBloody
Watcher of one of the bints shot me in the back with a crossbow Ð missed my
heart, but not by much. One of
them just ran when she saw I was winning Ð I donÕt think she lived very
long. No confidence at all. The third oneÉÓ He stopped talking and moved back into
the crypt again, shifting into game face so as to be able to see everything. ÒThis would do me nicely,Ó he said
cheerfully.
ÒWhat about the third one?Ó
In her eagerness to learn more about his past experience with Slayers,
Buffy stepped inside the tomb and tried to see what he was doing.
ÒDonÕt know about her. I
know I hurt her, but she managed to get away from me and into a crowd. Somebody called an ambulance and that
was the last I saw of her. Had to
leave the city because Dru had one of her visions so I never got to follow up.Ó
ÒSo, youÕre saying you might have killed three Slayers?Ó Buffy could not believe he was speaking
so casually about murdering her sister slayers.
ÒMight have. DonÕt know.Ó He shrugged then turned to smirk at
her. ÒNone of Ôem were as good as
you, though. Nor as pretty,Ó he
added, moving closer to her. ÒNor
as passionate, IÕd wager.Ó His
voice became deeper and he stepped close enough to hear her heart rate go up.
ÒYou think IÕm pretty?Ó She
cursed herself for the stupid question, as well as the tremor in her
voice. Memories of the night and
day spent together while under the spell insisted on filling her brain with
inappropriate thoughts about the lips so close to hers.
ÒYou know I do, luv.Ó His
voice was a deep rumble and he ran one hand down her arm softly. ÒThink youÕre beautifulÉand sexyÉand
deliciousÉÓ
ÒDonÕt,Ó she said weakly.
ÒThe spell is over. We
canÕtÑÒ
ÒYes, we can, Buffy.Ó The
use of her name lent a seriousness to his words for which she wasnÕt
prepared. She briefly leaned into
him, allowing him to ghost his lips over hers before pushing him away abruptly.
ÒStop it, Spike.Ó
Ò Come on,
Slayer. You know you want to.Ó
ÒMy
body wants to, Spike. ThatÕs not good enough.Ó
ÒItÕs
good enough for me,Ó he said hoarsely, once again running his hand down her
arm.
Buffy
shivered and tried to ignore the sensations his cool touch created. ÒNot for me, it isnÕt,Ó she said
softly.
ÒI could make it be good enough,Ó he whispered as he ran his lips from
her ear down to her shoulder. ÒYou know I could.Ó
She closed
her eyes and shuddered as she fought the desire to forget who she was and fall
into those lips. She forced
herself to remember that this was a vampire who had killed at least two, if not
three, of her sister slayers and was proud of it.
ÒYou could Ð
for a while. Then IÕd have to go
home and face myself in the mirror.
And I wonÕt like what I see there.Ó She raised her eyes to his
face. ÒI want to like myself,
Spike. I donÕt want to feel
dirty.Ó
Something
inside his chest twisted into a painful knot and he suddenly craved to repay
her carelessly cruel words.
ÒLittle late for that, isnÕt it, Slayer?Ó He struck back the only way he
could. ÒWe pretty much covered
dirty last night. Or have you
forgotten already, whipping me like a racehorse while you rode me home?Ó
As soon as
the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Buffy recoiled from his reaching hand and her face went cold
and hard.
ÒThat was an aberration. A
spell. I was weak and let
you influence me,Ó she hissed at him.
ÒIt wonÕt happen again!Ó
(Bollocks!
Could I have fucked that up any more?)
Even while he was mentally chastising himself for what heÕd said, his
mouth was digging the hole deeper.
ÒWhoa! Slayer using multi-syllable words. Is that a fancy way of saying ÔI was horny and you were
convenientÕ?Ó