Part 24

Willow nods towards Ethan and asks Malcolm, "You don't mind if Spike takes him back to the special room for later do you?"

He just shrugs and hands the chains over to Spike. "He's yours now. You can do whatever you want to him."

Willow waits until Spike takes Ethan out of the room and walks over to Angel and Malcolm. Angel reaches for her and settles her in front of him and nuzzles her neck. He wants to be able to thrust her behind him if Malcolm makes a move towards her.

"I can't thank you enough, Malcolm. When Angelus told me that he ran into you in the pub and that you could bring Ethan to me I didn't believe him. I thought if he eluded Angelus he would elude anyone." Willow gently disentangled herself from Angel and turned to give him a kiss. With a whispered, "I'll be fine" she took Malcolm's hand and led him into the sitting room.

Angel gave a small growl and his eyes turned yellow. Willow rolled her eyes, "Never mind him. He gets possessive sometimes."

"Angel and I have been discussing our options today while William was out. We agreed that if you did deliver Ethan to me we would offer you the option of joining us. Are you interested?"

"Do you mean you want me to join your triumvirate? I'm not interested in being a fourth. If I did join I would want the young one out. He's too young and not powerful enough. He is your weak link."

Willow smiled and reached up to kiss Angelus. It was a long and passionate kiss. When she finished she turned to Malcolm, "I apologize for that. I was just rewarding Angelus. I had begun to see that for myself and when Angelus suggested that you join our group I hesitated. But he said that if you were as powerful and as smart as we thought, you would refuse to join with Spike in the group."

Malcolm smiled. This was easier than he thought it would be. He knew Willow and he would make an unstoppable combination. He was even beginning to warm up to the idea of Angelus. He would have to see about that. "Then I accept."

Willow gave Angelus a hug and reached her hand out for Malcolm to join them. The sitting room door flew open and Spike stood in the doorway. "So you're just going to drop me?  For him? I knew you had feelings for my grand-sire and I could deal with that. But him? You think I'm your weak link? You think I'm weaker than he is? Not bloody likely." With that Spike threw two railroad spikes pinning Malcolm to the wall through his hands.

Willow jumped. She had no idea how Spike was going to kill Malcolm, he hadn't said. Angel tightened his hold on her and whispered, "Let him work. He's marvelous at this."

Spike stalked closer to Malcolm. "Thought you would take my witch away from me did you? No one takes her from me. If she needs me to be strong then I'll be strong."

Spike reached into his coat pocket and pulled out another railroad spike and a stake. Malcolm's eyes widened and he now realized he had underestimated the young vampire. With a flick of his wrist, Spike sent the last railroad spike into Malcolm's stomach. He walked until he was eye to eye with Malcolm and staked him in the heart.

Spike saw Willow shaking in Angel's arms and went to comfort her as well. They both stroked her hair and tried to give her comfort like she had comforted them the night she returned their souls.

~~~~

Hannah and Albert went to Willow's town house as soon as they received word that it was over. Hannah had brought the dress that Willow wore when she first came to London. Willow's note said that she was going to return tonight and she wanted to leave in the dress she came in.

Willow gave Hannah and Albert a hug goodbye. It would be hard for her to know that these two kindly people will have been dead over 50 years when she returns. The only thing giving her comfort was that she could see both of them in HER Giles. She saw Hannah's curiosity and intelligence and Albert's looks and kindness. She had asked Spike and Angel to look after them and protect them for as long as they could. They meant a great deal to her.

Spike and Angel followed Willow into the special room where Ethan was being held. The ingredients that were necessary for her time travel spell were all there and waiting.

She turned to Angel, "You will always hold a special place in my heart. I won't say goodbye because I know in my heart that I'll at least talk to you in a few hours." She had told him that he didn't live in the same town that she and Spike did. She whispered in his ear, "Please take care of Spike for me."

Angel tightened his arms around Willow. He didn't want her to go but he took comfort in the fact that he would meet her again in a hundred years. Time was irrelevant for vampires.

Willow bit back a sob as she made her way to Spike. Hoping this wasn't the last time she saw him and determined to be strong if it was. God this hurt as much as losing Tara had.

Spike gently caressed her face, "Don't worry, pet. You'll see me in a few minutes and I'll wait for eternity to see you again."

Willow was very grateful to the fates or her goddess or whoever that had let her find William. She turned to Ethan, "Let's go back."

Ethan gave a huge sigh of relief. He was ready to go back to his time and get as far away from Willow as he could.

Willow cast the circle around herself and Ethan. Taking the knife and cutting her palm and Ethan's, she dripped their blood along with the herbs in the bowl. Looking into Spike's eyes for what she hoped wasn't the last time she began her chant.

There was a shimmering in the air and white lights surrounded her and Ethan and soon they disappeared from Angel and Spike's sight.

~~~~

Ethan opened his eyes and looked around the park. His memories of his life before the spell were fading and being replaced by the events in this timeline. His memories of London and his time with the Ripper were still clear though. Maybe he would write a time travel book. Visions of millions danced in his head. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice the vampire stalking him before it was too late.

~~~~

Willow took in the surroundings of her attic/computer room. Well at least that hadn't changed she thought. As she looked around, her memories of her time in Sunnydale were being replaced by the ones that happened in this timeline. Dawn and Anya fading from her memories like they never existed.

She felt cool fingers helping her as she stepped out of her dress. She turned towards him when his arms encircled her waist and familiar fangs gently nipped her neck.

"Why didn't you tell me that we really first met in 1888 London?"

Spike rolled his eyes at her, "Oh I can see it now. When Rupert introduced us in the library that first day I should have said oh no Rupert no need for introductions, I've already met Willow. You see, we met in 1888 London as she was tracking Jack the Ripper."

Willow snorted. "Okay. No need to be snotty about it."

"Do you have any idea how hard it was to wait until you were a senior to claim you as mine and know that eventually Ethan would send you back in time?"

"Want me to do a spell and turn him into a rat now that we're back?"

Spike bent down to give her a lingering kiss, "Mmmm, very tempting. But right now I can think of something I would rather do."

"You always did bring out my dark side."

Spike raised her up to carry her out of the room, "And you always love the fact that I do."

"Willow, hurry up. You're going to miss your favorite part."

Spike nuzzled her neck and whispered, "Oh I don't know. I think we're just getting to your favorite part."

"Coming, Jessie." Willow yelled down the stairs. With a laugh she kissed Spike, "Well almost coming anyway."

Willow changed into shorts and tee shirt and with Spike made their way down the stairs to where their friends were waiting.

"Angel!" with a cry of delight she ran and jumped in his arms.

With a smile Angel hugged her close and whispered, "Willow anyone would have thought it was over a hundred years since you saw me last."

A voice said behind Willow, "You know if it was anyone else hugging Angel I'd take off this glove and melt their insides."

Willow smiled and turned to her friend, "Gwen. Are you and Angel still giving ulcers to Wolfram and Hart?"

Gwen smiled at her friend Willow. She was the first of Angel's friends to have accepted her. Freak and all. "Yep, just last week we stole an amulet that they have been wanting for years. You should have seen the look on Lilah and Lindsey's face when we took it."

"Come on everyone. Cordelia's show is about to start."

Willow just rolled her eyes at Jessie and looked at her friends. Gwen was nestled in Angel's arms. Buffy was sitting on Xander's lap. Jessie and Amy were next to each other on the floor. Spike pulled her down on his lap.

They liked to meet at Spike and Willow's to make fun and generally ridicule Cordelia's television show. They never made fun of their friend Cordelia just her goofy show. I mean could you ever see snarky Cordelia as playing a private investigator that used witchcraft and had a vampire as a partner? Spike and Angel liked to make fun of the vampire. Gwen and Buffy like to make fun of the stunts.  She and Amy liked to make fun of the witchcraft and Xander and Jessie make snide comments in general about the show.