Title: Vanilla and Kinks

Author: Witchy Red

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them.

Notes: NETHING else refer to previous parts

Loud screams could be heard from a certain house on Antino Drive. The neighbors peaked out their windows and then closed them tight, locking out the horrible sounds. They wanted no part of it. If they stayed inside whatever was out there would be gone in the morning.

Inside the two story house a young red-head struggled with her vampire lover as he tried to keep her from hurting herself. Spike held Willow's arms at her sides with as much strength as he could without hurting her. It didn't help. She continued her thrashing and high keening sounds emitted from her throat. Spike couldn't figure out what was wrong with her.

With all of Spike's attention on his witch he neglected to listen to the door and was surprised when the slayer and her gang of white hats burst in. Buffy rushed across the room and pulled a stake out of her jeans.

"What the Hell did you do to her?" She asked

"I didn't do anything!" Spike cried as Willow renewed her struggles. "We were walking home and she was feeling really tired. Then she just collapsed! When I got her back here and layed her down she started to thrash about. I don't know what's happening!" Buffy saw the panicked look on his face and put the stake back into her pocket. She kneeled next to the vampire and took one of Willows swinging arms. The instant she touched the witches skin she was scalded. She dropped the girls arm.

"She's burning up." Buffy said. Giles walked over and felt Willow's forehead. Her skin blistered his hand.

"Oh, dear. I do hope this is only a part of the transformation." Giles said.

"You hope!" Spike shouted. He slipped into his game face and grabbed Giles by the throat. Spike shoved him against the wall choking him.

"Fix her." He said. "Fix her."

Buffy pulled her stake out of her pocket again berating herself for ever putting it away. She raced over to where Spike was strangling her watcher but was intercepted by Angel.

"Don't." He said. Then he grabbed Spikes arm and squeezed. "You're going to kill him. If he dies he won't be able to help Willow or you."

"I'm fine." Spike growled but slowly let go of the watcher.

"Spike, you're colder than death but you're sweating profusely."

"I'm a vampire, peaches. I'm supposed to be cold remember."

"Not this cold. Something is wrong with you two." Angel continued undaunted. Spike was going to answer but before he could Willow sat up screaming her eyes popping open. Then she began to cry.

Spike rushed over to the couch and gathered the red-head in his arms. She wrapped herself around him and sobbed into him. Her small hands clung to his shirt and she pressed her body into his as if she couldn't get close enough. Her head was buried into his neck and he could feel the hot tears soaking his skin.

"Red, Luv, what's wrong. Baby, come on. Everything's okay. Just tell me what happened. You're safe. I swear. I won't let anything happen to you." Spike whispered into her ear as he smoothed her hair and rubbed her back.

Willow continued to cry. Her friends stood around her in a circle, unsure of what to do. Buffy hid her head in Angel's duster trying to keep anyone from seeing her tears. Faith and Xander's faces were identical masks of anger at whoever had done this to their friend. Giles and Wesley looked very uncomfortable and slowly migrated to the kitchen to pour tea for everyone. They were all silent as they listened the soft sobs of the one person they all loved.

Eventually Willow's tears stopped and her hold on Spike loosened. Spike slowly pushed her back until he could look down into her face. He stared into her eyes and wiped the tears from her face.

"Baby, what happened?"

"I saw." Willow said but she couldn't finish. She took a breath and then started again. "I saw her, the Whisper. I was her. She's so strong. I was in an old church or something like it. There was an alter. There were only candles lighting the room so I couldn't see it very well but behind the alter was some kind of design. It looked like circles and stars intertwined. Inside the design was a snake. It was glowing or something and all those demons that keep attacking us, they were chanting around the alter. The Whisper, I, was standing in front of the alter. I had a dagger in my hand. It was dripping, oh Goddess, it was dripping blood." Willow said. She started to cry again. Small sobs racked her body and Spike pulled her into his arms.

"Who's blood?" Wesley asked. "Did you see who the sacrifice was?" Willow nodded her head.

"It was Mrs. Sauri, the magick shoppe owner. She's the high priestess for the Oak Wind Coven. I've. . ." Willow stopped and collected herself. She couldn't believe they had taken Mrs. Sauri. She was the strongest witch in Sunnydale. "I've practiced with her a few times. The demon, the Whisper, she killed her." Willow ended. She looked down at her hands. "I can't believe she's gone."

"That means she is one sacrifice closer to completing the ritual. If she is not stopped she'll end the world." Wesley said.

"Hey there's something new, an apocalypse." Buffy piped up. Everybody looked at her. "What, it's not like we haven't done this before."

"Being the one who has to do the slaying is pretty new to me." Willow said shakily. She was close to tears for the third time that night. Buffy could have hit herself. She couldn't believe she had been so insensitive. Willow was seriously freaking out. She kneeled down next to Willow and grasped her hands.

"Will, I'm sorry. I was just saying that we've had prophesies of the apocalypse before and we probably will again. I'm not going to let this thing hurt you. I promise."

"You can't promise, Buff. This isn't your fight, not really. I'm supposed to do this. I'm supposed to fight her." Willow said.

"It's never been your fight. It's always been mine. I'm not going to let you get through this alone when you've never left me. We're in this together Willow, all of us, no matter what." Buffy said tearfully. Willow leaned over and they embraced, both of them crying. Spike rolled his eyes and extracted himself from Willow. He stood up and walked over to where Giles was massaging his neck.

"What the hell happened to her? She was hurting and I couldn't help her. I thought I was supposed to be her protector. How can I help her from that?" Spike said harshly and stuck a cigarette in his mouth. He was about to light it when Willow cleared her throat.

"No, smoking in my house." She said. Spike rolled his eyes again and muttered what sounded suspiciously like bloody hell before shoving the cigarette back into its box.

"You did protect me, Spike." Willow said, the joking had disappeared and warm trust filled her voice. "You got help. Sometimes that's all you can do." Spike didn't look convinced. Willow knew he felt like he had let her down but there was really nothing else he could have done. Willow realized there was nothing else she could say to make him feel better so she turned to the rest of the group. "This is bad but we've had bad before. Buffy's right. If we don't work together on this then we'll die and the world will be at the mercy of that bitch.