Part 7

William couldn't believe that this little slip of a girl in front of him had tricked him. HIM, William the bloody, had been tricked by what looked like a teenager. He was beginning to think that the petite little pixie had claws. She was silently contemplating him and it was starting to make him nervous. Not to mention the fact that he couldn't move. His grandsire Angelus had been training him over the years having taken over from Dru who wasn't quite up to it. In all the lessons that he received he didn't think don't piss off a witch was one of them. He'd have to improvise and hope his family never heard of this.

He had been cocky and told them he was perfectly fine hunting on his own. Whitechapel was easy pickings and what trouble could he get into?

Willow was silently watching Spike. What am I supposed to do now? Should I let him go and try to avoid him the rest of the time I'm here and hope he forgets about me or has the damage already been done and just go with it? Willow opted for the second option. She figured the timeline had already been screwed up if not by her then by the one that cast the spell. This may be her only time with Spike and she would take advantage of it.

"So you thought I would make a tasty morsel?" Willow finally asked.

That surprised him. His mind rapidly thinking of something to say to get him out of this. Flattery, all women liked flattery. They were stupid enough to fall for a glib tongue. Angelus was proof of that. He used flattery to lure his victims every time. He decided to give it a try.

"I heard you behind me and when I turned I saw the lamp shining off of your beautiful red hair. The moon was reflecting off of your porcelain white skin and I couldn't resist."

Willow rolled her eyes. "You were so taken with my beauty that you decided to kill me? Oh yeah, I'm flattered."

William tried another tactic. "You wouldn't have stayed dead for long."

Oh that was really the wrong thing to say. That just reminded her of that time in her dorm room. He was playing me even then, she thought. It had worked then but it wasn't going to work now. She was older and wiser. She narrowed her eyes at him and let more power escape.

William literally swallowed hard. He had no idea what he had said that had pissed her off even more. He thought he was complimenting her on the fact that he would have turned her. Yeah he just said the first thing that came to mind but now that he thought about it she would make a wonderful childe. Maybe he would talk to Dru and Angelus about that. He could sense a darkness in her and it was thrilling.

"Now, Red. Don't do anything drastic here. That was a compliment. It's not like I turn everyone I meet. As a matter of fact, you're the first one I thought about turning. I see a darkness in you that is exciting. That darkness and your power would make an unstoppable combination."

Willow knew in William's eyes that was a compliment so she let it slide. The fact that he sensed her darkness even now when she had been trying so hard to overcome it was a little discouraging. She guessed it would be a part of her like the demon and soul resided in her Spike forever.

William was becoming fascinated with his witch. Yeah, he thought of her as his witch now. He decided he could work on her and maybe recruit Angelus who was good at this sort of thing. The witch had a stronger mind and personality than Dru did when Angelus had turned her. He didn't think Angelus would break his witch and he would be there to make sure he didn't. As much as he cared for Dru, one crazy in the family was enough.

Willow saw a plan forming in his eyes but she had no idea what it was. Maybe I can manipulate him into helping me with the Ripper thing, she thought. "Release". She turned her back to him and went out the alley. She knew he would follow but she wanted to show him that she didn't fear him. Not many people would turn their back on a vampire.

"Hey, Red. Wait up." He couldn't let his witch get away from him. When he got along side her he asked, "What's your name? I can't keep calling you Red."

She stopped and looked at him. Looking into his eyes she could see the spark of the Spike he would become. "Willow, my name is Willow."

"A pretty name for a pretty girl."

Willow snorted. "Yeah, right."

"No really. Though you hide yourself under those baggy clothes I can tell what you're really like. Where are we going?"

Willow raised an eyebrow, "I'm going up to Bucks Row where I felt magick earlier."

William kept walking alongside her like she hadn't just said I instead of we. "You hunting another witch?"

"I'm hunting a human actually."

"Well I can help you there. I'm good at hunting humans."

Willow smiled, "I just bet you are. Why would you want to help me?"

He didn't think 'cause I want to find a way to convince you to let me turn you would be the right answer. He decided to stick close to the truth anyway, "You fascinate me and I think I could learn from you."

Hmm. A chance to form baby Spike. That would be interesting. She could definitely help him become snarky Spike. She liked that version of him the best. True he had been scary in high school but it was better than stalker/crazy Spike of the later years. Actually the latest version of snarky/souled Spike was the best. I'll have to think about that one.

"Okay, can you smell any blood in the area? I don't feel the slight pull of magick anymore."

William stopped and smelled the air. "There is a slight trace of blood over there." He pointed to the next street over.

About that time there was a shout, "Run at once for Dr. Llewellyn".

Crap the murder and discovery had already taken place. Willow sprinted towards the sound with William close at her heels. They came upon the scene just as a police constable was leaving Essex Warf. Willow saw a woman lying by a gateway with her hand clutching the gate. Willow heard running feet and with William went to stand in the shadows and watch.

The doctor looked at the woman and then said, "Move her to the mortuary. She is dead, and I will make a further examination of her."

When they loaded her up in the ambulance that arrived, Willow went to look around the scene before the Inspectors came. She noticed only a pool of blood that must have been from her neck wound. She turned to William, "Do you see any blood besides this?" She knew all the victims had been disemboweled and she didn't see the amount of blood that should be there.

"Nope, not even further down. That's all of it."

Very curious, Willow thought. Why wasn't there much blood? Only around the slashing of the neck. Too bad there weren't any computers yet, so she could hack into the coroner's office to see what they found. The police didn't even have modern forensic science to help them now.

"Well, not much I can do here."

"Is this the human that you were hunting?"

"No, but I think the human that I'm hunting did this."

William didn't understand the human that did that. Vampires see humans as food. Sure it's fun to torture the food before killing them but that is just to add to the taste. Fear makes the food taste so much better. But from the look on the woman's face there had been no fear at the time of death. Why bother killing her at all? She obviously had no money and it hadn't looked like a crime of passion. His witch seemed to be concerned that there wasn't the amount of blood that she was expecting. Why was that?

"Why did you ask about more blood, luv?"

Willow was brought out of her thoughts by William's question. "I saw this happening before it did. What I saw was that she had been disemboweled as well. Where is the blood from that?" She looked up at the lightening sky, "Shouldn't you be getting back to wherever you're staying? It's almost dawn."

William looked at the sky, he would have to leave soon but he couldn't lose his witch. "I have a little time, witch. I would like to see you again."

Willow smiled, hook line and sinker. Not that she would tell him where she was staying. She wouldn't have anything happen to the Giles. "I'm staying with friends in the West End but I'll be back in the Whitechapel area again. I'll see you here."

William thought the West End. Not that many red haired women around, he would make inquiries around the area to see where she was staying. He wouldn't wait for her to find him. He never was long on patience.

~~~~~

Ethan stood in the shadows watching Willow. Malcolm had left after the murder and he had stayed to watch the police. He couldn't believe it when Willow had come running up with the brown haired man. His luck was definitely changing. He had overheard the last part of the conversation and now he knew that she was staying in the West End. He would have to keep an eye on her.