Chapter 6 – Godiva Chocolates
Six Months Later
The vampire held Willow around the neck while her hands clutched its arm. It took her only a moment to regroup before her foot came down on his instep and her elbow slammed into his stomach. As his hold loosened she pulled out a stake and jammed it into its heart watching in satisfaction as he became dust before her.
Clapping sounded behind her and she whirled around to see who was there.
"Well, well, look at the little girl gone all bad Slayer wanna be." Spike mocked as he sauntered toward her. After looking down into her traitorous eyes that tore at his heart, he began a slow walk around her. "I like the leather, baby, makes me all hot and bothered." His hand slowly ran across her bottom making her gasp.
At the sound of someone running toward them, they both turned to see who it was and at the sight of the Slayer, Spike gave no reaction expect to merely raise his eyebrows.
Buffy stopped so suddenly she almost slid on the wet grass beneath her feet while her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened at the return of the vampire.
"Spike, what are you doing here?" Buffy's eyes quickly took in Spike's altered appearance then gave a small laugh. "What happened? Suck a GQ model dry?"
He only gave his half cocked grin as the two women looked over his new attire. A pair of black slacks and a dove gray silk shirt that was open at the neck line and around his neck was a slim gold chain with a bracelet to match around one wrist.
"No, I was fulfilling my promise to someone." His eyes flickered over Willow disdainfully. "But it seems the one that I have spent the last six months working for has moved on." He stepped so close to Willow that she had to tilt her head back to be able to look at his face. "How long did it take for you to forget me? Or was I just a walk on the wild side that you forgot as soon as I left?"
"I didn't forget you. Why would you say that?"
"Oz."
"Spike, you've been gone for six months with no word. What was she supposed to do?" Buffy interrupted. "We looked for you that night and you were gone."
"Wait for me. And as for not being around, wasn't that your plan? For me to leave." He laughed again softly as a finger stroked Willow's face.
"I'm not with Oz. And how did you know he was back in town?"
"Well, first I went by the dorm and you weren't there. Then I went by to see Joyce." Spike looked over at Buffy. "I really do like your mother. She's very sociable. We had tea and discussed some business that we are going to do together."
"Business together? What are you talking about?"
Spike ignored her, "Then I went by Giles. Last place I wanted to be after what happened the last time but for you I would have done anything."
"Would have?" Willow asked as she felt her heart sinking.
He cocked his head at her, "Giles, Xander and Oz were all too happy to let me know that you were back dating the wolf. That he came back able to control his moon phase changes. Congratulations. You have your first love back and the approval of the gang. Everything that you ever wanted."
"That's not true…I'm not with Oz. I told him I had to think about it." Willow protested.
"You've been gone a long time, Spike. It's like you said, Oz was her first love." Buffy tried to defend her friend's indecision.
"You had to think about it. That's it. I didn't. Every day of the time we have been apart, I have been trying to become someone who could claim you with pride. And here you are thinking about being with someone else. Well, if you ever decide then call me, I might have to think about it but you never know I might take you back."
Spike pulled a card out of his shirt pocket and slipped into the pocket of Willow's pants then turned and walked away as Willow started to cry.
"Buffy, why now? Why couldn't he have come back sooner? Everything is so confusing." Willow turned to Buffy burying her face in her shoulder.
"Spike is just hurt. If he really loves you then he'll be there. What was that card for?"
Willow pulled the card out and they squinted in the dim light to read it. "It says Emerald Antiques. Proprietor William T. Blood."
"He has a business? It's got to be a fake or illegal somehow."
"We can check it out." Her eyes opened in surprise. "Look at the address. It's the same as that old factory."
A car horn sounded and both girls looked up to see Spike slowly driving by in a white Porsche Boxster convertible. He waved at the two girls once he knew they were looking at him then sped off with tires squealing.
"What the hell? We have got to get to Giles to check this out." Buffy exclaimed.
~~~~~~~~
Giles was rubbing his forehead in confusion as Buffy spoke to her mother and Willow was on the computer trying to get information on Emerald Antiques.
"I knew he looked different but trying to pull off that he has a business and an expensive sports car, what is he thinking?" The Watcher commented.
Buffy clicked off the phone as she glanced around the room at the others. Xander and Anya were in the chair in the corner while Oz and Giles were sitting on the couch.
"My mother did agree to do business with him. She says he was very civilized while they drank tea and discussed art and antiques. He told her that he specializes in hard to locate pieces and would do special orders from her clients while she would show some of the pieces he has in stock that he wants to sell." Buffy explained as she walked over to Willow. "Did you find anything?"
"He has all the legitimate paperwork, both for himself and the business. Green card, deed for the factory and a business license."
"Wow." Buffy's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Looks like he's been busy."
"So, Willow how do you feel about letting him go now?" Anya asked.
"I didn't let him go. You all chased him away. I wanted to be with him." Willow declared.
"And now?" Oz asked quietly.
Willow's heart was tearing in two. She loved both of them in two very different ways for very different reasons.
"I don't know. I need to think."
"Well, I think that I am going to agree with him. When you know let me know." Oz told her then quietly left as they all watched him walk out.
Willow's eyes turned to Buffy as they filled with tears, "What do I do? I don't want to hurt anyone."
The Slayer went to her friend and after kneeling on the floor wrapped her in a hug.
"No matter what you do someone is going to get hurt. You are going to have to choose who you want to be with."
"Wait a minute," Xander exclaimed. "You can't actually be encouraging her to be with him."
"He has apparently changed. Why shouldn't she be with Spike?" Anya added.
"Because he is a mass murderer. A bloodsucking demon," Xander responded.
"Everyone settle down," Giles interrupted. "Ultimately it is Willow's decision. Spike is unable to hurt anyone and has apparently changed. But I think we need to investigate his business further before anything is decided."
An uncomfortable silence fell over the room as the Scoobies tried to absorb the changes that Spike had gone through and Willow's choice.
"I think Willow needs to get a good night sleep." Buffy said. "We are going to go back to the dorm."
The red head nodded her agreement. She just wanted to hide somewhere until everything became crystal clear to her.
There was very little talk between the two friends on the way back to the dorm. Buffy wasn't sure what to say to help Willow make a decision and Willow was going back and forth on who she wanted to be with. As soon as they walked into Stevenson Hall, their dorm monitor came rushing over to them.
"Willow, you got a delivery a few minutes ago. I hope you don't mind but I went ahead and put it in your room. Lucky girl." Then she rushed off again leaving Willow and Buffy looking at each in astonishment before they each gave a grin and rushed off to their room to see what was there. They laughed when Willow could barely get her key into the door and they stumbled over each other as they both tried to get into the room first. Buffy was as excited as Willow was to see what was there and who had sent it.
On Willow's desk was a large box of Godiva chocolates and a dozen red roses. With her hand trembling in excitement she went to pull the card off the flowers first but the envelope said to open the one on the candy first. She quickly opened it and it read, 'I changed my mind. I don't want to wait anymore'.
"It's in Spike's handwriting," Willow squealed as Buffy read over her shoulder. The card that was attached to the flowers said, 'I love you'. "Oh, Buffy, I…"
"You still love him, don't you?"
"Yeah, I do. Oz is Oz. I'm always going to love him but he's a part of my past and Spike is where I want to go. Can you live with me being with him? Because, I think, if you can then everyone else will come around."
Buffy took a deep breath as the realization that either Spike would permanently become a part of them or they might lose Willow. She glanced around as she tried to decide. Her gaze returned to her friend, "Do me a favor? Wait until tomorrow. Sleep on it. And let's go see this business of his and if it is legitimate and he really does want to change and you are still sure then yes, you will have my support."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Willow jumped up to hug Buffy. They began to chatter about the flowers, candy and Willow's possible new future.
Neither of them was aware of the lone figure that stood outside their dorm watching their window while smoking a cigarette and hoping that someone would come looking for him.
TBC
