Chapter 3 – Chips and Dips
There was something wrong tonight and it wasn't the demons they were tracking. Spike kept glancing at Willow but she refused to look at him. Anya and Xander were slightly ahead of them and Buffy was leading them through the cemetery trying to find the Cankers. It was what they ended up calling them because no one could pronounce their true name of Cankurkiquorizokigoters.
They had been out here for almost an hour and they didn't seem to be getting any closer to finding them. Cankers traveled in groups of about five or six and had a tendency to attack humans as well as demons just for the fun of it. So, far they had terrorized a high school dance, Willy's bar and people leaving the Bronze. Even Riley and his troops hadn't been able to find them so Spike had been enlisted to help the Scoobies on this latest mission.
"Buffy, I'm going to check over here. I think I smell something. Catch up with you in a sec, okay?" Spike called.
"Okay, okay, shhh, don't want to alert them," Buffy called back.
Grabbing Willow's hand, Spike pulled her behind a crypt so the others couldn't see them. Startled she looked behind them to see if they were being observed as Spike backed her up to the wall forcing her to move her gaze to him.
"What's wrong, Luv?"
She couldn't help it. She gulped. Spike in a confined, tied up, kind of way was manageable. Spike in a Big Bad vampire way in a cemetery was playing havoc with her senses.
"No…nothing's wrong. Why would you ask?"
The blonde vampire took a moment to gaze at her wondering why he even bothered. He could sense both her unease and her attraction to being so close to him. It was a confusing mix even for him and he knew that if he wanted to be with her than he would have to be patient and giving. But that would be easy for him considering all the practice he had from taking care of Dru.
"I know that you don't want your chums to know that we're getting along but you haven't even spoken to me all night. That's all."
"I'm sorry." Willow dropped her head so she wouldn't have to look at him. "It's just all confusing, you know."
"I know. Maybe we should come up with signals or something," he teased.
With a grin Willow looked back up at him. "Stop." She suddenly looked around them. "We probably need to catch up with them again before they look for us."
"Yeah, you're right, let's go, like the proper little sidekick and hired help we are," Spike agreed.
"Spike, demon…"
"Yeah, I'm a demon."
"No, demon behind you."
Willow screamed for Buffy as Spike began to battle the demons by himself. There were three of them and he was having a hard time defending himself. As two of them grabbed him and looked like they were going to pop him like a wishbone, the witch repeatedly kicked one in the shin until he took a swing at her.
At the moment he swung she dropped down into a crouching position as Spike came off with a kick that sent the Canker over a tombstone. Buffy came running up as the demon landed on the ground and with a swing of her sword pierced its heart. This left two of the demons, one for each of the warriors. Xander, Anya and Willow tried to help the best they could but the one on one fights were pretty much going fine.
Then Spike was suddenly thrown against the crypt with the demon still holding onto him. To Willow's horror the claw hand of the Canker imbedded itself into Spike's abdomen. The vampire screamed as the hand was twisted into his guts. Without thinking Willow quickly uttered some words in Latin and the demon flew away from Spike. It landed on a cross marking a grave and impaled its large scaly body which killed it instantly.
"Are you okay?" The red head quickly asked as Spike bent double from the pain. She pulled her sweater off and pushing Spike back some, she pressed the material to his wound.
"I'll be okay."
By this time Buffy had finished off the other demon and along with the other two were watching the proceedings between Spike and Willow.
"You hurt bad, Spike?" Buffy asked breaking through the spell surrounding him and her best friend.
Not wanting to appear weak Spike straightened up and smirked at the Slayer.
"Don't get your hopes up. I think I'm going to make it."
"Of course, I couldn't get that lucky." She complained. "Let's go back and report this to Giles."
Slowly the party made its way back to the Watcher's flat with Xander reluctantly helping Spike on the way.
"So, are you two orgasm buddies now?" Anya asked as Willow looked back to check on Spike for the hundredth time.
A blush quickly covered Willow's face as Spike chuckled.
"Of course not, Anya, Willow wouldn't sink low enough to be with a bloodsucker like him. She just feels sorry for him. Right, Will?" Xander answered for them.
Willow hesitated to say anything. She knew if she denied that Spike and she were at least friends she would hurt him but if she came out with it then they would probably chase him away.
"Oh please, like Willow would go for a bloke like me. She likes the nice upstanding kind." Spike interjected before Willow could answer. He understood her dilemma and as long as he knew the truth it was okay for now. "Besides I'd drain her drier than the Sahara if I had half a chance."
"Yeah, like that will ever happen," Buffy supplied as she opened the door to the flat leaving it open for the rest of them as she went in. They slowly trooped through the door.
"Are all of you all right?" Giles asked as he saw Spike holding his side as he made his way down the hall to the bathroom.
"It was just my lucky night," Spike said over his shoulder.
"I'm going to go and help him get that cleaned up," Willow stated as she took off after Spike.
In the bathroom Spike was slowly pulling his t-shirt over his head when Willow stepped in. She reached into the cabinet and grabbed a washcloth and some first aid spray. When the cloth was wet she turned to the vampire who was watching her cautiously.
"Hold still, okay?" Willow told him as she carefully began to clean the wound. The demon had torn a big piece of his stomach when it had dug into him. "It looks like it might need stitches."
"Nah, vampire healing. It will be better by morning."
Green eyes flickered up to make sure he was telling the truth. Spike couldn't resist. He reached out and slowly twirled a lock of her hair around a finger and she froze as she allowed him the innocent caress. The air between them crackled with anticipation as she straightened up. Then Spike closed his eyes as he heard Anya make another comment about their togetherness.
"You had better go back out there, pet, before they send in blondie to rescue you."
Disappointment showed in her eyes before Willow turned to go but he couldn't help it, they both wanted it and the little puritans be damned. Spike grabbed her arm turning her back to him and kissed her hard and quick before releasing her. It was like a small piece of heaven for someone that had lived in the darkness of hell for a long time.
For Willow it was the temptation of sin as she touched her mouth in wonder. It was better than anything that she had imagined it could be. And she wanted more as she swayed toward him.
"Go," he whispered.
She snapped out of the reverie she was in and after nodding her head left to join the others. It took Spike a few minutes to finish bandaging his stomach and clear his head about the witch. It was too good and not a good idea all at the same time. He knew he would have to make a decision and a stand one way or the other soon. The best thing for Willow was for him to never be around her again but she was like sunlight tempting him to play in its warmth and he wanted all he could get.
When he strode back into the living room a few minutes later, his cocky persona fully back into place, the others gave him a questioning look. He merely raised his eyebrow at them, went and got a clean shirt to pull on then settled into one of the free chairs after confiscating a bowl of chips to munch on.
They ignored him from there on out as they closed up their little meetings and began to get ready to leave. Willow occasionally glanced his way as casually as she could but it was rare. He allowed his mind to wander as he replayed their brief kiss in his mind but he now allowed it to expand until his hands were roaming over her body and she was moaning his name.
"Good night, Spike," Willow said breaking through his fantasy and then she casually turned to Giles and repeated the sentiment to him.
"Night, hurry back to the security of your little dorm room, you two. Might be all sorts of things out there that want to snack on tasty little morsels like you," he teased while staring at Buffy but it was all directed at Willow.
And she knew it and blushed slightly as she thought of him snacking on her lips and neck. With hurried footsteps she rushed out of the flat with Buffy right behind her.
After the door was closed behind them and they had started their walk back to the dorm, Buffy turned to her.
"Are you sure that Spike is behaving? Because if he's not, I will be more than happy to take care of it." Buffy offered.
"No, Buffy, he's fine. We've just gotten a little more comfortable with each other, that's all. You know with the baby sitting and all."
"Yeah, how is that going? I know we've been taking advantage of your single state and all."
"It's fine. Really. At least I'm not completely alone if I'm watching him."
Buffy stopped in concern for her friend. She gave her a good looking over.
"Are you developing a crush on him? Because that's not a good idea if you are."
That settled it. There was no way that she and Spike could come clean with their feelings. Willow sighed softly as she realized that no matter what they did it was going to be rough for them if they decided to be a couple. "If he even wants us to be a couple." But to Buffy she said, "No, of course not. It's like Xander said I feel sorry for him. He's lost everything, his grrr stuff and I'm just trying to be a friend."
"Vampires don't need friends." Buffy declared as she started to walk again. Relief flooded her that Willow was still being her sensible self when it came to Spike. But there was also disappointment because it gave her one less excuse to stake the pest.
TBC
