Title: Fun & Games
Author: Maureen
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but the story idea is mine. Woody
Woodpecker isn't mine either.
Distribution: If you want the story, just E-mail me and tell me where it's
going
Rating: PG
Violence: No more than a regular Buffy episode
Feedback: I revel in feedback. Send it to me at greek_amazon@yahoo.com
Author's notes: It's a Willow/Spike story. As usual, whatever I write will probably be disproven in the course of the show. (This is an old story, before I actually liked Tara. ^^) Dedication: All the glares in the story are dedicated to Jenny. Enjoy your glares, Jenny. ;D Summary: Spike's bored and seeks out the slayerettes' help.
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Spike pulled his cigarette out of his mouth and flipped it to the ground, where his boot promptly crushed it. He looked around the cemetery. Not a bloody human, demon or vamp around. Not even the slayer and her flippin' band of slayerettes. "That's it, I'm outta here," he muttered to no one in particular. Ever since that massacre at the initiative the demons had been playing it cool, probably waiting to build up their forces again. This, of course, made for the longest, most bloody boring string of nights the blonde vampire had ever seen. And it wasn't as though Spike could make his own trouble. Adam hadn't even had the decency to remove the flippin' chip before Buffy had ripped out his power source. "Inconsiderate bastard," he murmured under his breath. Spike realized that he was headed towards the slayer's house, where she was packing it in with her mom for the summer. He rang the doorbell and lit a cig while he waited for an answer. Mrs. Summers' eyes grew wide when she saw who was at the door. "Hello Spike," Spike pushed past her, walking into the house. "Hey Joyce, Buffy here?" He saw Buffy and her annoying new boy-toy eating dinner at the dining room table. "Spike," said Buffy, rising and abandoning her corn. "Hostile 17," agreed Riley rising to join Buffy. "Bloody Hell, will you stop calling me that?" "Joyce," said Riley, speaking past Spike. "You really shouldn't invite vampires into your house." "Actually," Buffy turned to Riley. "He was invited here before." "Buffy, that's not safe, just because he has a chip in his head doesn't mean--" Buffy cut Riley off. "Actually, we invited him in before he had the chip in his head," She winced. "WHAT??" asked Riley. Spike turned to Joyce, letting the lovers continue their quarrel. "So Joyce, what's Buffy's new guy doing here?" "Well, I wanted to talk to him, so Buffy invited him over for dinner." "Oh, initiation night," comprehended Spike. "Yeah," Joyce agreed and looked nervous for about two seconds. "I'm sorry, do you want some brownies or something?" "Brownies?" inquired Spike. "Yes, they're freshly baked." "I like brownies," said Spike tapping his cigarette. Joyce left for the kitchen and returned with a heaping plateful of steaming brownies. "Thanks luv," he said as he took the brownie at the top of the pile. "Oooo, brownies!" exclaimed Buffy, abruptly ending the argument between her and Riley. "Well," said Spike, leaving for the door, "I was hoping that maybe you had some evil we could fight, or something, but seeing as you don't, I think I'll go see Giles' and see what horrible demon feast is happening and such." Riley swallowed his brownie. "Giles is out of town with Olivia." "Bloody Hell, aren't any of you doing anything interesting?" "You could go to Xander's," commented Buffy. "Please, I won't go back to that hellhole if my life depended on it." "Forgive me if I'm wrong, Spike," cut in Joyce. "But don't you live in a crypt?" "Yeah luv, and your point?" "Well, isn't his place a little nicer than that? "You've never been to Xander's place, have you mom?" "Well, I gotta go now," said Spike as he exited the house. Well this was just flippin' great. For some reason, the slayer and company seemed to attract all the demonic energy and when they weren't doing anything, neither were the demons, which left Spike utterly bored. Buffy was with Riley, Xander was probably with that annoying little ex-demon, Giles was out of town with his girlfriend. Spike counted on his fingers. Wait. That left Willow. And her girlfriend Tara, his brain added. Damn. She was probably off with her. Still, may as well check. That little witch had a knack for getting in trouble. Maybe if she went patrolling with him, they'd run into something he could kill. Spike shrugged with his eyebrows and headed off to the redhead's house. She was also staying with her mother, and unlike Joyce, he somehow doubted that she'd invite him in.... If mother-dearest was home at all. This line of thought made Spike eternally grateful for the fact that Willow had a patio door leading directly into her bedroom. Of course, Willow still had to invite him in. Spike thought about that for a while. Actually no, she didn't. She just needed to agree to go on patrol with him, and he could ask her that without entering. Spike realized that he had reached the block that her house was on. He decided to take the back lane rather than risk her mother seeing him. From the bushes in her back yard he could see Willow sitting on her bed, holding a pillow and watching the tele. Cartoons probably. No annoying girlfriend that couldn't get a full sentence out properly. Spike suddenly realized that he had been berating her girlfriend a lot, before he put the thought aside, and walked up to her patio door. Willow didn't even see him, being to wrapped up in the antics of Woody Woodpecker to think to look outside. Spike rapped on the glass. Startled, Willow turned to see who was at her door. Seeing that it was Spike, she calmed down just a little bit. She opened that door. "Hi Spike." "Hey luv. Could you invite me in?" Willow looked at him with nervous green eyes. "You're not going to bite me, are you?" Spike went limp in exasperation. "I have a bloody chip in me head, I can't flippin' hurt you!" "Sorry," apologized Willow. "Come in." "Thanks luv," he said as he stepped inside. He surveyed the room. "Is your girlfriend here?" "Tara? No, she went out of town to see her parents." "Oh." was all Spike could manage. He found that Willow was looking at him nervously, when it occurred to him that he had been staring at her. They both broke their gaze at the same time. "Yeah, well," said Spike as Willow turned and grabbed the plate beside her. "Cookie? You liked them last time I made them." "Yeah," quipped Spike, slightly embarrassed that he had been staring at her. He bit into his cookie as his brain demanded to know what the bloody Hell had happened. He chalked it up to wanting a real meal instead of pig's blood. Spike finished his cookie and reached for a cigarette. "Don't smoke in here," commanded Willow. "Why the bloody Hell not?" he demanded, raising his voice. "Because I don't like it," she said quickly. "Now keep your voice down, mom's home and I'm not supposed to have boys in my room." Spike shrugged and put the cigarette back in its case. "That rule's still in place, huh? You're in college, you'd think it would have changed by now. Guess dating a girl's got its pluses when you've got to follow that law." Willow thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess it does come in handy." Again it was silent, except for Woody's annoying laugh. "So," said Willow loudly, breaking the silence first. "Did you come here for a reason, or did you just want a free cookie" "Right," said Spike being snapped out of an unknown daydream. "Yeah, patrol's boring as Hell, and for some reason you slayerettes seem to attract trouble." "So... You want me to tag along with you so you can kill something?" "Yeah," he paused. "Would you?" "Sure," said Willow, reaching under her bed and pulling out a crossbow. "I was getting pretty bored. Everyone's off doing something, and I've got nothing better to do than watch TV, because my girlfriend's far away, and patrol by yourself is really boring and... I'll shut up now." "Sounds like a plan luv. The cemetery's dead, I thought we might try the outskirts." "Ok," said Willow nervously. Spike laughed. "What's wrong luv? Afraid of a few demons?" "No, it's not the demons, It's.... Never mind, it's not important." Spike shrugged. "Whatever you say, pet."
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The swampy air of the outskirts sent the smell of algae deep into Willow's senses. Her crossbow was armed and at the ready as she and Spike crept about looking for any sort of demon or vampire or... Willow screamed. Spike whipped his head around. "What?! What?! You see a demon? Where??" "No, it's not a demon," she said shakily. "Then what is it?" "It's a..." She was on the verge of tears and yet also managed to look sheepish at the same time. "A... frog," she finished. Spike raised his eyebrows in surprise and inquiry. "You're afraid of frogs? How's that now? No, never mind, I don't want to know." "They're scary," Willow's voice was childish. Willow looked past Spike, wide-eyed and trembling. "F--FF--FF..." she began. Spike grabbed her wrists. "It's just a frog, it can't hurt you." Then Spike heard a gurgling noise behind him. He slowly turned his head around, releasing Willow as he did so. "FROG!!!" Willow yelled as she fell backwards into the mud, her crossbow landing on the ground beside her. Spike remained where he had turned, now staring eye to eyes with the world's largest and most dangerous looking amphibian. Only it's face could be seen as the rest remained submerged under the algae-green water, but it was rising quickly. And it was clear that it saw Willow and Spike as its next meal. It had a double ridge of horns running between its eyes. It surveyed them with a single eye as big as Spike himself, before it struck. It's sticky tongue shot out towards Spike. Only thanks to his vampire reflexes did he dodge it in time. Spike grabbed Willow off the ground , who in turn grabbed her crossbow and they began running, but the frog was relentless and could move quickly, even out of the water. Willow fired her crossbow. The arrow hit the frog directly in the chest, but it paid no heed. Willow realized that there was no way an arrow that small would make a difference on a creature that large. She hurled the crossbow at it, but it merely bounced off. The tongue lashed out again. Willow jumped and it missed, but she fell to the ground, mud splattering all around her. The tongue whipped forward again. "Bloody Hell!" Spike pushed Willow out of the way, causing the chip to react. Spike put his hand to his forehead in answer to the neurological pain. The tongue lashed out again, this time catching the vampire around the waist. "Oh, crap!" "SPIKE!" screamed Willow and caught his feet, hoping to hold him away from the amphibian's mouth, but she wasn't enough of an anchor. "Bloody Hell, woman!" he yelled looking at the red haired girl clinging to his feet. "Let go, unless you want to be frog food too!" Willow's eyes closed and she let herself slip into deep concentration. Then her eyes flashed open and glew bright green for just a second. The branches of the gnarled tree behind them ripped forward, grabbing Willow's ankles, providing a strong enough anchor to pull Spike from the frog's grasp. The vampire and the with flew backwards into the swampy forest. The blonde vampire landed on top of Willow. "Thanks luv," he said as he rolled off into the mud. "I need time, Spike. Try to stay hidden." Spike obeyed, crouching on the mucky ground. Willow sat and closed her eyes tightly. She opened her eyes, showing an exhausted look. "Dammit, Tara. Where's your strength when I need it?" But Willow closed her eyes again and the forest shook, or rather several trees did before they hovered above the ground and flew towards the frog that was closing in on their position. The first tree hit the frog, tearing clear through to the other side. The second and third trees embedded themselves in the frog's chest, and the frog emitted a high pitched shriek of pain just as the fourth tree cut through its skull, causing it to fall dead to the ground. "See?" said Willow to Spike. "Frogs are scary." "Yeah," Spike agreed and they both left for the city.
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Willow looked at the state that her companion was in. The vampire's bleached blonde hair was now brown and frizzy due to the mud that caked him from head to foot. There was no distinction between his formerly red shirt and formerly black pants. He had little flecks of green pond scum on his face and shirt. Willow giggled. "What's so funny?" Seeing the walking pillar of mud talk made Willow laugh even harder. "Come on, luv," Willow controlled her laughter enough to form words. "Have you looked in a mirror?...Well, no, I guess you wouldn't have...You look like a big mud...Swamp Thing! That's it!" "And you look very radiant yourself, luv," he said, removing some long, stringy plant from her shoulder. Willow was lost to laughter yet again. Once they arrived at Willow's house, she commanded silence. "I have to check if my mom's still home. If she is, then we have to be very quiet." Spike shrugged and made himself comfortable on a wicker chair as Willow headed down the hall. A few minutes later, she returned with cookies. "Good news, pet?" "She left a note. Some business thing. She won't be back 'til tomorrow night." "That's great ducks, but I don't see why it matters. I got my fighting quota, so I'll be on my way... Unless you had something else in mind," he added, purposely making the witch uncomfortable. Willow blushed. "Um...Well, you don't have a shower in your crypt. Or, um, a washer and dryer." Spike conceded to the girl's point with a shrug of his eyebrows and removed his mud-caked trench, boots and socks. His shirt soon joined them on the floor. He was enjoying making the little redhead uncomfortable. "Um, Spike, could you, you know, undress in the bathroom?" He grinned. "Sure ducks. Where is it?" "You can use that one," she gestured. "Down the hall. I'll use this one." She indicated the bathroom attached to her room.
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Willow turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. She picked up her shirt. "Oooo....Non-muddy clothes!" She mentally smacked herself for forgetting to bring them with her. She wrapped a towel around herself and ran into her bedroom, hoping Spike was still showering. The sound of running water convinced her that he was. Good. She began dressing and was halfway done when she heard the water stop. Nononononononononono! On bra, on! She fumbles to get the clasp done up as she heard Spike coming down the hall. Now all she needed was a shirt. "Red?" came the vampire's voice from the doorway. "AA! No, don't come in! I don't have a shirt!" He grinned and leaned against the doorframe. "I can see that." She blushed before glaring at him angrily. "You told me not to come in. So I'm not." A wicked glint hit Willow's eyes as the door slammed shut on Spike's nose. She grinned happily to herself. "No fair using magic, luv!" came his voice through the door. Willow put on a shirt and opened the door. "Ok, I'm decent now!" Her bright smile faded when she set eyes on him. In her own state of less-than-fully-clothedness she hadn't noticed that he was wearing nothing but a towel. "I thought you were decent enough looking before," he smirked. "Um..." Willow blushed again. She was getting tired of blushing. "Right! You need mudless clothes. Xander has some backups in case he ever..." she cut off when she saw the amused look on the vampire's face. "Anyway, I'll just go get them." She rooted through her closet. "AHA!" she yelled triumphantly and threw the clothes at Spike. "Change in bathroom. I know that the clothes aren't exactly... you, but they'll have to do," Spike wandered down the hall to the bathroom. After a few minutes, Willow heard Spike cry out. "Bloody Hell!" The opened and Spike stalked out in a pair of Khaki cargos, straight towards Willow. "I can deal with the pants, but I will not lose all dignity by wearing THIS!" he thrust a shirt that was apparently some kind of plaid- Hawaiian crossover into Willow's face. Willow bit her lip in an unsuccessful attempt not to giggle. "Even for basement-boy, this is pathetic," he continues through her laughter. "Well Red, you'll just have to tolerate me like this until my clothes are done. On the side Red, I'm not leaving until my clothes are done." He dropped the shirt to the floor and walked into the bedroom, leaving Willow laughing helplessly in the hall. After she regained control of herself, she followed into her room where she was greeted by Spike, who stood, arms crossed, eyebrow raised. "Done yet?" Willow broke into laughter again as Spike rolled his eyes and sat down on her bed. "I swear, I'll never wear Xander's clothes again. Twice is four times too many." Remembering the last time Spike had worn Xander's clothes only caused her to laugh harder. Willow calmed down when she began to run out of breath. "Sorry," she said, this time controlling the urge to giggle. "So, what should we do to pass the time?" At that, Spike turned towards her and raised both eyebrows. Willow's eyes grew wide as she blushed again, but recovered quickly. "Well, we could watch movies?" "Sure... uh, pet, you don't have a VCR with this TV," he said eyeing the TV from across the bed. "No, but the one over in the living room does." "To the living room then." The made it to the living room and Spike made himself comfortable on the couch, while Willow rooted through the videos. "Back to the future?" "No." "Indiana Jones?" "No. Think he's a bloody git. Him and Bond." "Well, that rules out my next suggestion," she turned to him. "Aren't there any movies you like?" "Sure, there are plenty. You just haven't mentioned any yet." Willow's face brightened. "Oh, I know! I bet you haven't seen this one." She popped a tape into the VCR. "What? What is it luv?" Spike demanded as Willow giggled. "You'll see. You should get a kick out of this." "Come on luv, tell me what movie it is," he begged as she hit 'play.' "Nope." "I'm gonna make you tell me." "Nuh-uh." Before she knew what was happening, Spike had playfully pounced on her and begun tickling her. Willow shrieked as she tried to get away. "Tell me." "No -- way," she breathed through giggles. "Come on, just tell me." "Ok, ok," she gasped. "Just stop." "Not 'til you tell me." "OK! It's -- Interview with a Vampire." having received the desired information, he stopped and grinned down at her. "Interview with a Vampire?" he questioned. "I think you'll find it funny. I do. My mom freaked out when we first watched it, 'cause I was laughing at all these really horrible parts. Shh..sh. It's on," she said, tilting her head back to look at the TV screen, then back at the real vampire that was in her living room. "You can get off me now, Spike." Spike grinned. "Oh, I don't know..." "Spike!" "Alright Red, I'm off! I'm off! Don't get your knickers in a tumble." "Sh. Just watch the movie." She sat up and looked at Spike. "You're good at getting the information you want," she pouted. "Don't feel bad Red, I've got over a hundred years of practice. Though most times, it isn't so painless." Willow looked at the vampire wide-eyed, remembering just how he got his namesake, before snapping her attention back to the movie. As the movie played through, the tension dropped and the pair laughed at the way they portrayed vampires. "Do they really think vampires sleep in coffins? I mean, I sleep in a crypt, but coffins?" When Willow didn't respond, Spike drew his eyes from the TV screen, fearing the worst. The last thing he wanted was the bloody slayer on his tail for losing Willow. He found the witch curled up and asleep on the couch. He didn't really want to wake her, but he didn't think he should just leave her on the couch. Being as quiet as possible, Spike turned off the tele, then walked to where she lay. Gently, Spike placed his hands beneath her and lifted her off the couch. In his arms Willow stirred sleepily. "Tara?" she asked hopefully, though her eyes remained closed. "No, luv. Not Tara. Shh...Sleep." Spike couldn't help but grin as the red-haired witch twisted and unconsciously nestled herself in his arms. He carried her down the hall to her bedroom, being mindful not to wake the tiny figure again. He laid her gently down on the bed and she sighed contentedly. "Well Red, I hope you're happy," he mumbled. "Now I have to stay until you wake up." He brought his fingers lightly over her face, removing a stray hair. He stopped his hand on her face and looked down at her. Seeing what he was doing, he snatched his hand back as though it had been burned and shifted to his demonic visage. What the Bloody Hell was that?? he reverted to his human form and walked dejectedly to a wicker chair in the corner, deciding he would sleep there for the rest of the night.
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Spike awoke suddenly, instantly shifting to his game face. He was prepared for any threat. The telephone rang again. He snapped back to his human face and shrugged his eyebrows as he lifted the receiver. He glanced at the clock in the corner. 8:00. Damn, it was daylight. He brought the receiver to his ear. "Yeah, Willow's pad." There was a stunned silence at the other end of the line. "'Ello?" Spike continued. "SPIKE??" came Buffy's voice through the phone line. "What are you doing at Willow's house?" she demanded. What was they slayer so cheesed off about anyway? It's not like he could hurt her... ...Unless the slayer didn't think he had hurt her. Of course, what else would he be doing at here at 8:00 am? "Do you want to speak to Willow?" "Yes." There was a mix of fear and anger in the slayer's voice. Spike liked it. He couldn't remember the last time she had been afraid of him. He decided to continue the charade. "Ok, I'll just wake her." Even over the phone, he could sense her shock. "Well, luv?" he rocked her gently, purposely using the name that only members of the Scooby gang called her. Willow grinned up at him with her pleasant morning-face. "Hi, Spike." "Morning, Red. Buffy wants to talk to you," he handed her the phone, hopefully scaring the slayer to death by calling her 'Buffy.' "Whoa, Buffy, slow down. This is morning Willow. You--I--" Spike couldn't let it end this quickly. He had to hold the power just a little longer. He tapped Willow's shoulder. "Just a sec Buffy. What, Spike?" "With the rest of your clothes. You can get them after I talk to Buffy." "Sure luv," he suppressed a grin, sure that by now the slayer was having a flip-fest at the other end of the line. "Buffy--I--no!--EEEEEEWWWWWW!! That's disgusting!" Willow glared at Spike who was howling wildly. "Yes, he's laughing his head off right now. What? Ok." Spike was hit in the head with a small pink pillow. "That's from Buffy," said Willow who threw another pillow at him. It hit the laughing vampire square in the chest. "That one's from me." Spike stood and snatched the phone from Willow. "HEY!" In between lifting it out of Willow's reach, Spike spoke to the slayer. "I really had you going there! -- Don't try to deny it. -- Yeah, sure. I just wish I could have seen your face. -- Don't be a spoilsport, it's all in good fun!" Willow grabbed the phone back from him. "Yes, I'll explain. -- Later. -- Yes, I have clothes on!!" Willow's face suddenly grew somber. "Ok, Giles'. Should I bring Spike? -- He's gotten around in daylight before. -- Yeah, Ok. Ten minutes." "What's up, luv?" "Trouble." "If I come with you, would I get to smash in some demon heads?" "Clothes first."
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Spike kept the blanket wrapped securely around him as he stood outside Giles' house. Pastel green wasn't exactly meant to go with black leather, but it was better than being fried. Barely. "Hey pet, isn't librarian-boy supposed to be out of town?" Willow looked at the vampire with intelligent eyes. "If he's back, it can only mean it's something really bad." "Good," commented Spike as Willow knocked on the door. There was no answer. Willow pushed the door, and it opened, revealing that it had not been locked. She inhaled sharply and looked about the room, which was uncharacteristically dark. "Buffy?" she turned to the vampire. "Oh God, Spike, what if something happened to them? What if --" "They're alive, luv. And they're here. I can smell them." "Oh God, they must be hurt!" Willow started to run into the house, but Spike vamped and held her back. "No, Willow!" he caught her, her name seeming unfamiliar and yet somehow right in his mouth. "What if what got them is still in there?" She turned her determined green eyes on his demonic yellow ones. "What if it is? I can't just leave them." Something in the witch's eyes made Spike release her, and he followed her into the house, remaining prepared for any attack. "SURPRISE!!" The Scooby gang jumped out from behind their respective couches, counters and tables. "Happy birthday, Willow!" Buffy embraced her friend in a hug. "Thank you!" grinned Willow, returning the hug. Dejectedly, Spike de- vamped, realizing that he wasn't going to be able to kill anything. "Hi, Willow." The shy blonde girl made herself noticed for the first time, waving from where she stood. Willow lifted her eyes to the direction from which the voice came. Her entire face lit up when she saw her. "TARA!" she exclaimed. "But I thought..." "I--I c-- I came back for your b--birthday." "That's so sweet!" She and Tara embraced in a tight hug, neither wanting to let go. Spike watched silently from the doorway. He was barely aware of the Giles closing the door behind him until the librarian spoke to him. "Could I take your --uh--blanket?" "What?" Spike was snapped out of his daydream. "Oh, right. Here." He handed Giles the blanket, and proceeded to join the crowd that surrounded Willow. "Right," he heard Anya's voice. "Well this is good. Willow's happy. Can we have cake?" At that moment Giles appeared from the kitchen carrying the birthday cake. The entire group, including the vampire, sang 'happy birthday' to a very happy redheaded witch. "Make a wish, luv." Willow whirled around, not expecting the blonde vampire to be directly behind her. Willow looked at her friends for support. "Come on Will," piped Xander. "Blow out the candles." Willow took a deep breath and exhaled, extinguishing all but one candle. She glared at the candle and the flame snuffed out seemingly on it's own. "I am Willow Rosenburg, Master of Candles!" The Scooby gang grinned and Giles left to cut the cake. Spike wandered away from the group to sit in a chair in the corner. He was lost in thought when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He glanced up to see Willow offering him a piece of cake. Spike smiled slightly and took the cake. "Thank you," said Willow and turned to rejoin her friends. THE END
What'd ya think? E-mail me at greek_amazon@yahoo.com
Feedback: I revel in feedback. Send it to me at greek_amazon@yahoo.com
Author's notes: It's a Willow/Spike story. As usual, whatever I write will probably be disproven in the course of the show. (This is an old story, before I actually liked Tara. ^^) Dedication: All the glares in the story are dedicated to Jenny. Enjoy your glares, Jenny. ;D Summary: Spike's bored and seeks out the slayerettes' help.
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Spike pulled his cigarette out of his mouth and flipped it to the ground, where his boot promptly crushed it. He looked around the cemetery. Not a bloody human, demon or vamp around. Not even the slayer and her flippin' band of slayerettes. "That's it, I'm outta here," he muttered to no one in particular. Ever since that massacre at the initiative the demons had been playing it cool, probably waiting to build up their forces again. This, of course, made for the longest, most bloody boring string of nights the blonde vampire had ever seen. And it wasn't as though Spike could make his own trouble. Adam hadn't even had the decency to remove the flippin' chip before Buffy had ripped out his power source. "Inconsiderate bastard," he murmured under his breath. Spike realized that he was headed towards the slayer's house, where she was packing it in with her mom for the summer. He rang the doorbell and lit a cig while he waited for an answer. Mrs. Summers' eyes grew wide when she saw who was at the door. "Hello Spike," Spike pushed past her, walking into the house. "Hey Joyce, Buffy here?" He saw Buffy and her annoying new boy-toy eating dinner at the dining room table. "Spike," said Buffy, rising and abandoning her corn. "Hostile 17," agreed Riley rising to join Buffy. "Bloody Hell, will you stop calling me that?" "Joyce," said Riley, speaking past Spike. "You really shouldn't invite vampires into your house." "Actually," Buffy turned to Riley. "He was invited here before." "Buffy, that's not safe, just because he has a chip in his head doesn't mean--" Buffy cut Riley off. "Actually, we invited him in before he had the chip in his head," She winced. "WHAT??" asked Riley. Spike turned to Joyce, letting the lovers continue their quarrel. "So Joyce, what's Buffy's new guy doing here?" "Well, I wanted to talk to him, so Buffy invited him over for dinner." "Oh, initiation night," comprehended Spike. "Yeah," Joyce agreed and looked nervous for about two seconds. "I'm sorry, do you want some brownies or something?" "Brownies?" inquired Spike. "Yes, they're freshly baked." "I like brownies," said Spike tapping his cigarette. Joyce left for the kitchen and returned with a heaping plateful of steaming brownies. "Thanks luv," he said as he took the brownie at the top of the pile. "Oooo, brownies!" exclaimed Buffy, abruptly ending the argument between her and Riley. "Well," said Spike, leaving for the door, "I was hoping that maybe you had some evil we could fight, or something, but seeing as you don't, I think I'll go see Giles' and see what horrible demon feast is happening and such." Riley swallowed his brownie. "Giles is out of town with Olivia." "Bloody Hell, aren't any of you doing anything interesting?" "You could go to Xander's," commented Buffy. "Please, I won't go back to that hellhole if my life depended on it." "Forgive me if I'm wrong, Spike," cut in Joyce. "But don't you live in a crypt?" "Yeah luv, and your point?" "Well, isn't his place a little nicer than that? "You've never been to Xander's place, have you mom?" "Well, I gotta go now," said Spike as he exited the house. Well this was just flippin' great. For some reason, the slayer and company seemed to attract all the demonic energy and when they weren't doing anything, neither were the demons, which left Spike utterly bored. Buffy was with Riley, Xander was probably with that annoying little ex-demon, Giles was out of town with his girlfriend. Spike counted on his fingers. Wait. That left Willow. And her girlfriend Tara, his brain added. Damn. She was probably off with her. Still, may as well check. That little witch had a knack for getting in trouble. Maybe if she went patrolling with him, they'd run into something he could kill. Spike shrugged with his eyebrows and headed off to the redhead's house. She was also staying with her mother, and unlike Joyce, he somehow doubted that she'd invite him in.... If mother-dearest was home at all. This line of thought made Spike eternally grateful for the fact that Willow had a patio door leading directly into her bedroom. Of course, Willow still had to invite him in. Spike thought about that for a while. Actually no, she didn't. She just needed to agree to go on patrol with him, and he could ask her that without entering. Spike realized that he had reached the block that her house was on. He decided to take the back lane rather than risk her mother seeing him. From the bushes in her back yard he could see Willow sitting on her bed, holding a pillow and watching the tele. Cartoons probably. No annoying girlfriend that couldn't get a full sentence out properly. Spike suddenly realized that he had been berating her girlfriend a lot, before he put the thought aside, and walked up to her patio door. Willow didn't even see him, being to wrapped up in the antics of Woody Woodpecker to think to look outside. Spike rapped on the glass. Startled, Willow turned to see who was at her door. Seeing that it was Spike, she calmed down just a little bit. She opened that door. "Hi Spike." "Hey luv. Could you invite me in?" Willow looked at him with nervous green eyes. "You're not going to bite me, are you?" Spike went limp in exasperation. "I have a bloody chip in me head, I can't flippin' hurt you!" "Sorry," apologized Willow. "Come in." "Thanks luv," he said as he stepped inside. He surveyed the room. "Is your girlfriend here?" "Tara? No, she went out of town to see her parents." "Oh." was all Spike could manage. He found that Willow was looking at him nervously, when it occurred to him that he had been staring at her. They both broke their gaze at the same time. "Yeah, well," said Spike as Willow turned and grabbed the plate beside her. "Cookie? You liked them last time I made them." "Yeah," quipped Spike, slightly embarrassed that he had been staring at her. He bit into his cookie as his brain demanded to know what the bloody Hell had happened. He chalked it up to wanting a real meal instead of pig's blood. Spike finished his cookie and reached for a cigarette. "Don't smoke in here," commanded Willow. "Why the bloody Hell not?" he demanded, raising his voice. "Because I don't like it," she said quickly. "Now keep your voice down, mom's home and I'm not supposed to have boys in my room." Spike shrugged and put the cigarette back in its case. "That rule's still in place, huh? You're in college, you'd think it would have changed by now. Guess dating a girl's got its pluses when you've got to follow that law." Willow thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess it does come in handy." Again it was silent, except for Woody's annoying laugh. "So," said Willow loudly, breaking the silence first. "Did you come here for a reason, or did you just want a free cookie" "Right," said Spike being snapped out of an unknown daydream. "Yeah, patrol's boring as Hell, and for some reason you slayerettes seem to attract trouble." "So... You want me to tag along with you so you can kill something?" "Yeah," he paused. "Would you?" "Sure," said Willow, reaching under her bed and pulling out a crossbow. "I was getting pretty bored. Everyone's off doing something, and I've got nothing better to do than watch TV, because my girlfriend's far away, and patrol by yourself is really boring and... I'll shut up now." "Sounds like a plan luv. The cemetery's dead, I thought we might try the outskirts." "Ok," said Willow nervously. Spike laughed. "What's wrong luv? Afraid of a few demons?" "No, it's not the demons, It's.... Never mind, it's not important." Spike shrugged. "Whatever you say, pet."
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The swampy air of the outskirts sent the smell of algae deep into Willow's senses. Her crossbow was armed and at the ready as she and Spike crept about looking for any sort of demon or vampire or... Willow screamed. Spike whipped his head around. "What?! What?! You see a demon? Where??" "No, it's not a demon," she said shakily. "Then what is it?" "It's a..." She was on the verge of tears and yet also managed to look sheepish at the same time. "A... frog," she finished. Spike raised his eyebrows in surprise and inquiry. "You're afraid of frogs? How's that now? No, never mind, I don't want to know." "They're scary," Willow's voice was childish. Willow looked past Spike, wide-eyed and trembling. "F--FF--FF..." she began. Spike grabbed her wrists. "It's just a frog, it can't hurt you." Then Spike heard a gurgling noise behind him. He slowly turned his head around, releasing Willow as he did so. "FROG!!!" Willow yelled as she fell backwards into the mud, her crossbow landing on the ground beside her. Spike remained where he had turned, now staring eye to eyes with the world's largest and most dangerous looking amphibian. Only it's face could be seen as the rest remained submerged under the algae-green water, but it was rising quickly. And it was clear that it saw Willow and Spike as its next meal. It had a double ridge of horns running between its eyes. It surveyed them with a single eye as big as Spike himself, before it struck. It's sticky tongue shot out towards Spike. Only thanks to his vampire reflexes did he dodge it in time. Spike grabbed Willow off the ground , who in turn grabbed her crossbow and they began running, but the frog was relentless and could move quickly, even out of the water. Willow fired her crossbow. The arrow hit the frog directly in the chest, but it paid no heed. Willow realized that there was no way an arrow that small would make a difference on a creature that large. She hurled the crossbow at it, but it merely bounced off. The tongue lashed out again. Willow jumped and it missed, but she fell to the ground, mud splattering all around her. The tongue whipped forward again. "Bloody Hell!" Spike pushed Willow out of the way, causing the chip to react. Spike put his hand to his forehead in answer to the neurological pain. The tongue lashed out again, this time catching the vampire around the waist. "Oh, crap!" "SPIKE!" screamed Willow and caught his feet, hoping to hold him away from the amphibian's mouth, but she wasn't enough of an anchor. "Bloody Hell, woman!" he yelled looking at the red haired girl clinging to his feet. "Let go, unless you want to be frog food too!" Willow's eyes closed and she let herself slip into deep concentration. Then her eyes flashed open and glew bright green for just a second. The branches of the gnarled tree behind them ripped forward, grabbing Willow's ankles, providing a strong enough anchor to pull Spike from the frog's grasp. The vampire and the with flew backwards into the swampy forest. The blonde vampire landed on top of Willow. "Thanks luv," he said as he rolled off into the mud. "I need time, Spike. Try to stay hidden." Spike obeyed, crouching on the mucky ground. Willow sat and closed her eyes tightly. She opened her eyes, showing an exhausted look. "Dammit, Tara. Where's your strength when I need it?" But Willow closed her eyes again and the forest shook, or rather several trees did before they hovered above the ground and flew towards the frog that was closing in on their position. The first tree hit the frog, tearing clear through to the other side. The second and third trees embedded themselves in the frog's chest, and the frog emitted a high pitched shriek of pain just as the fourth tree cut through its skull, causing it to fall dead to the ground. "See?" said Willow to Spike. "Frogs are scary." "Yeah," Spike agreed and they both left for the city.
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Willow looked at the state that her companion was in. The vampire's bleached blonde hair was now brown and frizzy due to the mud that caked him from head to foot. There was no distinction between his formerly red shirt and formerly black pants. He had little flecks of green pond scum on his face and shirt. Willow giggled. "What's so funny?" Seeing the walking pillar of mud talk made Willow laugh even harder. "Come on, luv," Willow controlled her laughter enough to form words. "Have you looked in a mirror?...Well, no, I guess you wouldn't have...You look like a big mud...Swamp Thing! That's it!" "And you look very radiant yourself, luv," he said, removing some long, stringy plant from her shoulder. Willow was lost to laughter yet again. Once they arrived at Willow's house, she commanded silence. "I have to check if my mom's still home. If she is, then we have to be very quiet." Spike shrugged and made himself comfortable on a wicker chair as Willow headed down the hall. A few minutes later, she returned with cookies. "Good news, pet?" "She left a note. Some business thing. She won't be back 'til tomorrow night." "That's great ducks, but I don't see why it matters. I got my fighting quota, so I'll be on my way... Unless you had something else in mind," he added, purposely making the witch uncomfortable. Willow blushed. "Um...Well, you don't have a shower in your crypt. Or, um, a washer and dryer." Spike conceded to the girl's point with a shrug of his eyebrows and removed his mud-caked trench, boots and socks. His shirt soon joined them on the floor. He was enjoying making the little redhead uncomfortable. "Um, Spike, could you, you know, undress in the bathroom?" He grinned. "Sure ducks. Where is it?" "You can use that one," she gestured. "Down the hall. I'll use this one." She indicated the bathroom attached to her room.
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Willow turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. She picked up her shirt. "Oooo....Non-muddy clothes!" She mentally smacked herself for forgetting to bring them with her. She wrapped a towel around herself and ran into her bedroom, hoping Spike was still showering. The sound of running water convinced her that he was. Good. She began dressing and was halfway done when she heard the water stop. Nononononononononono! On bra, on! She fumbles to get the clasp done up as she heard Spike coming down the hall. Now all she needed was a shirt. "Red?" came the vampire's voice from the doorway. "AA! No, don't come in! I don't have a shirt!" He grinned and leaned against the doorframe. "I can see that." She blushed before glaring at him angrily. "You told me not to come in. So I'm not." A wicked glint hit Willow's eyes as the door slammed shut on Spike's nose. She grinned happily to herself. "No fair using magic, luv!" came his voice through the door. Willow put on a shirt and opened the door. "Ok, I'm decent now!" Her bright smile faded when she set eyes on him. In her own state of less-than-fully-clothedness she hadn't noticed that he was wearing nothing but a towel. "I thought you were decent enough looking before," he smirked. "Um..." Willow blushed again. She was getting tired of blushing. "Right! You need mudless clothes. Xander has some backups in case he ever..." she cut off when she saw the amused look on the vampire's face. "Anyway, I'll just go get them." She rooted through her closet. "AHA!" she yelled triumphantly and threw the clothes at Spike. "Change in bathroom. I know that the clothes aren't exactly... you, but they'll have to do," Spike wandered down the hall to the bathroom. After a few minutes, Willow heard Spike cry out. "Bloody Hell!" The opened and Spike stalked out in a pair of Khaki cargos, straight towards Willow. "I can deal with the pants, but I will not lose all dignity by wearing THIS!" he thrust a shirt that was apparently some kind of plaid- Hawaiian crossover into Willow's face. Willow bit her lip in an unsuccessful attempt not to giggle. "Even for basement-boy, this is pathetic," he continues through her laughter. "Well Red, you'll just have to tolerate me like this until my clothes are done. On the side Red, I'm not leaving until my clothes are done." He dropped the shirt to the floor and walked into the bedroom, leaving Willow laughing helplessly in the hall. After she regained control of herself, she followed into her room where she was greeted by Spike, who stood, arms crossed, eyebrow raised. "Done yet?" Willow broke into laughter again as Spike rolled his eyes and sat down on her bed. "I swear, I'll never wear Xander's clothes again. Twice is four times too many." Remembering the last time Spike had worn Xander's clothes only caused her to laugh harder. Willow calmed down when she began to run out of breath. "Sorry," she said, this time controlling the urge to giggle. "So, what should we do to pass the time?" At that, Spike turned towards her and raised both eyebrows. Willow's eyes grew wide as she blushed again, but recovered quickly. "Well, we could watch movies?" "Sure... uh, pet, you don't have a VCR with this TV," he said eyeing the TV from across the bed. "No, but the one over in the living room does." "To the living room then." The made it to the living room and Spike made himself comfortable on the couch, while Willow rooted through the videos. "Back to the future?" "No." "Indiana Jones?" "No. Think he's a bloody git. Him and Bond." "Well, that rules out my next suggestion," she turned to him. "Aren't there any movies you like?" "Sure, there are plenty. You just haven't mentioned any yet." Willow's face brightened. "Oh, I know! I bet you haven't seen this one." She popped a tape into the VCR. "What? What is it luv?" Spike demanded as Willow giggled. "You'll see. You should get a kick out of this." "Come on luv, tell me what movie it is," he begged as she hit 'play.' "Nope." "I'm gonna make you tell me." "Nuh-uh." Before she knew what was happening, Spike had playfully pounced on her and begun tickling her. Willow shrieked as she tried to get away. "Tell me." "No -- way," she breathed through giggles. "Come on, just tell me." "Ok, ok," she gasped. "Just stop." "Not 'til you tell me." "OK! It's -- Interview with a Vampire." having received the desired information, he stopped and grinned down at her. "Interview with a Vampire?" he questioned. "I think you'll find it funny. I do. My mom freaked out when we first watched it, 'cause I was laughing at all these really horrible parts. Shh..sh. It's on," she said, tilting her head back to look at the TV screen, then back at the real vampire that was in her living room. "You can get off me now, Spike." Spike grinned. "Oh, I don't know..." "Spike!" "Alright Red, I'm off! I'm off! Don't get your knickers in a tumble." "Sh. Just watch the movie." She sat up and looked at Spike. "You're good at getting the information you want," she pouted. "Don't feel bad Red, I've got over a hundred years of practice. Though most times, it isn't so painless." Willow looked at the vampire wide-eyed, remembering just how he got his namesake, before snapping her attention back to the movie. As the movie played through, the tension dropped and the pair laughed at the way they portrayed vampires. "Do they really think vampires sleep in coffins? I mean, I sleep in a crypt, but coffins?" When Willow didn't respond, Spike drew his eyes from the TV screen, fearing the worst. The last thing he wanted was the bloody slayer on his tail for losing Willow. He found the witch curled up and asleep on the couch. He didn't really want to wake her, but he didn't think he should just leave her on the couch. Being as quiet as possible, Spike turned off the tele, then walked to where she lay. Gently, Spike placed his hands beneath her and lifted her off the couch. In his arms Willow stirred sleepily. "Tara?" she asked hopefully, though her eyes remained closed. "No, luv. Not Tara. Shh...Sleep." Spike couldn't help but grin as the red-haired witch twisted and unconsciously nestled herself in his arms. He carried her down the hall to her bedroom, being mindful not to wake the tiny figure again. He laid her gently down on the bed and she sighed contentedly. "Well Red, I hope you're happy," he mumbled. "Now I have to stay until you wake up." He brought his fingers lightly over her face, removing a stray hair. He stopped his hand on her face and looked down at her. Seeing what he was doing, he snatched his hand back as though it had been burned and shifted to his demonic visage. What the Bloody Hell was that?? he reverted to his human form and walked dejectedly to a wicker chair in the corner, deciding he would sleep there for the rest of the night.
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Spike awoke suddenly, instantly shifting to his game face. He was prepared for any threat. The telephone rang again. He snapped back to his human face and shrugged his eyebrows as he lifted the receiver. He glanced at the clock in the corner. 8:00. Damn, it was daylight. He brought the receiver to his ear. "Yeah, Willow's pad." There was a stunned silence at the other end of the line. "'Ello?" Spike continued. "SPIKE??" came Buffy's voice through the phone line. "What are you doing at Willow's house?" she demanded. What was they slayer so cheesed off about anyway? It's not like he could hurt her... ...Unless the slayer didn't think he had hurt her. Of course, what else would he be doing at here at 8:00 am? "Do you want to speak to Willow?" "Yes." There was a mix of fear and anger in the slayer's voice. Spike liked it. He couldn't remember the last time she had been afraid of him. He decided to continue the charade. "Ok, I'll just wake her." Even over the phone, he could sense her shock. "Well, luv?" he rocked her gently, purposely using the name that only members of the Scooby gang called her. Willow grinned up at him with her pleasant morning-face. "Hi, Spike." "Morning, Red. Buffy wants to talk to you," he handed her the phone, hopefully scaring the slayer to death by calling her 'Buffy.' "Whoa, Buffy, slow down. This is morning Willow. You--I--" Spike couldn't let it end this quickly. He had to hold the power just a little longer. He tapped Willow's shoulder. "Just a sec Buffy. What, Spike?" "With the rest of your clothes. You can get them after I talk to Buffy." "Sure luv," he suppressed a grin, sure that by now the slayer was having a flip-fest at the other end of the line. "Buffy--I--no!--EEEEEEWWWWWW!! That's disgusting!" Willow glared at Spike who was howling wildly. "Yes, he's laughing his head off right now. What? Ok." Spike was hit in the head with a small pink pillow. "That's from Buffy," said Willow who threw another pillow at him. It hit the laughing vampire square in the chest. "That one's from me." Spike stood and snatched the phone from Willow. "HEY!" In between lifting it out of Willow's reach, Spike spoke to the slayer. "I really had you going there! -- Don't try to deny it. -- Yeah, sure. I just wish I could have seen your face. -- Don't be a spoilsport, it's all in good fun!" Willow grabbed the phone back from him. "Yes, I'll explain. -- Later. -- Yes, I have clothes on!!" Willow's face suddenly grew somber. "Ok, Giles'. Should I bring Spike? -- He's gotten around in daylight before. -- Yeah, Ok. Ten minutes." "What's up, luv?" "Trouble." "If I come with you, would I get to smash in some demon heads?" "Clothes first."
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Spike kept the blanket wrapped securely around him as he stood outside Giles' house. Pastel green wasn't exactly meant to go with black leather, but it was better than being fried. Barely. "Hey pet, isn't librarian-boy supposed to be out of town?" Willow looked at the vampire with intelligent eyes. "If he's back, it can only mean it's something really bad." "Good," commented Spike as Willow knocked on the door. There was no answer. Willow pushed the door, and it opened, revealing that it had not been locked. She inhaled sharply and looked about the room, which was uncharacteristically dark. "Buffy?" she turned to the vampire. "Oh God, Spike, what if something happened to them? What if --" "They're alive, luv. And they're here. I can smell them." "Oh God, they must be hurt!" Willow started to run into the house, but Spike vamped and held her back. "No, Willow!" he caught her, her name seeming unfamiliar and yet somehow right in his mouth. "What if what got them is still in there?" She turned her determined green eyes on his demonic yellow ones. "What if it is? I can't just leave them." Something in the witch's eyes made Spike release her, and he followed her into the house, remaining prepared for any attack. "SURPRISE!!" The Scooby gang jumped out from behind their respective couches, counters and tables. "Happy birthday, Willow!" Buffy embraced her friend in a hug. "Thank you!" grinned Willow, returning the hug. Dejectedly, Spike de- vamped, realizing that he wasn't going to be able to kill anything. "Hi, Willow." The shy blonde girl made herself noticed for the first time, waving from where she stood. Willow lifted her eyes to the direction from which the voice came. Her entire face lit up when she saw her. "TARA!" she exclaimed. "But I thought..." "I--I c-- I came back for your b--birthday." "That's so sweet!" She and Tara embraced in a tight hug, neither wanting to let go. Spike watched silently from the doorway. He was barely aware of the Giles closing the door behind him until the librarian spoke to him. "Could I take your --uh--blanket?" "What?" Spike was snapped out of his daydream. "Oh, right. Here." He handed Giles the blanket, and proceeded to join the crowd that surrounded Willow. "Right," he heard Anya's voice. "Well this is good. Willow's happy. Can we have cake?" At that moment Giles appeared from the kitchen carrying the birthday cake. The entire group, including the vampire, sang 'happy birthday' to a very happy redheaded witch. "Make a wish, luv." Willow whirled around, not expecting the blonde vampire to be directly behind her. Willow looked at her friends for support. "Come on Will," piped Xander. "Blow out the candles." Willow took a deep breath and exhaled, extinguishing all but one candle. She glared at the candle and the flame snuffed out seemingly on it's own. "I am Willow Rosenburg, Master of Candles!" The Scooby gang grinned and Giles left to cut the cake. Spike wandered away from the group to sit in a chair in the corner. He was lost in thought when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He glanced up to see Willow offering him a piece of cake. Spike smiled slightly and took the cake. "Thank you," said Willow and turned to rejoin her friends. THE END
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