Chapter 7 – Oatmeal and Raisin Cookies
Spike lifted his head from the computer at the first noise. Then he knew who it was with the second scrapping noise. They were trying to pick his lock. Idiots. Why don't they just knock? As if I don't know they are there. He didn't even go down the stairs but just jumped from the second level to the floor below.
By the time he was halfway to the door they were inside. She was with them. And that only made him angrier. It was just one more betrayal on top of the other that she would participate in the invasion of his privacy.
"Would you look at all this stuff?" Xander commented as he took a step toward the paintings that were leaning against crates.
"Put your foot back now."
Xander froze and looked up at one seriously pissed off vampire. Then just because he could he put his foot on the other side of the yellow line with a sneer. As soon as he crossed the line a shrill alarm vibrated around them.
They all jumped in response to the sudden noise and Spike smirked in satisfaction. Teach them just to wander into his place. He quickly strode to the alarm pad and punched in the right code. Once it was off Xander took another step toward the painting. He was actually interested in the bright colors that created a beautiful young girl standing in a forest. He got yelled at again as he reached out to touch it.
"Good God, did no one teach you any manners? Don't touch it!"
This time Xander listened. "Why not?"
"Because if I am not mistaken that painting is worth almost fifty thousand dollars." Giles supplied.
"Yipes, how did you get a painting worth that much?" Buffy asked.
Spike smiled as he looked them over and noticed that while everyone else was looking around the warehouse Willow was staring straight at him. It made him feel good that she was more interested in him than in his business.
Giles wandered up the center aisle looking over the eclectic collection of art, antiques and other pieces of oddities that Spike had. He also noticed that none of it from what he could tell was older than a century.
"It's all things you've collected since you've been a vampire," he stated.
"Well, well, give the Watcher a gold star," Spike retorted. "I collected it in my travels, had it stored first in London, then in New York and now here."
"Then its stuff that you took from your victims?" Buffy asked. "Stolen from people unable to report it stolen."
"Guess you will never know for sure where I got it. Some of it may have been taken from people dying, some of it won in games, some of it bought." Spike shrugged. "But none of it will show up as stolen when you research it. Legally it is mine. Fair and square."
"So, you're going to sell it off and live off of that money?" Xander asked as he continued to look things over.
"If you go to the end of this aisle and turn left there might be some things that would interest you, Xander. As for selling it, some of it will be sold, some of it traded. Different art galleries have agreed to show some pieces. Mostly I am going to set up a web site to catalog the items for sale. I also plan on buying pieces to keep my inventory interesting, sell items on commission for others that have difficulty in selling their collections and offer to locate requested pieces." Spike explained. His eyes never left Willow's face trying to gauge her reaction to his plan. A feeling of anticipation filtered through him when her eyes lit up when he spoke of the web site.
"Oh my God, I don't believe it. You have original Star Trek merchandise." Xander exclaimed when he found the section that Spike had directed him to.
"Your plan is very practical and should yield you quite valuable cash," Anya commented.
"Thank you, Anya."
"Do you carry mystical pieces?" Giles asked.
"I'm a vampire. Of course I do. Middle of this aisle in the back. You may go back there. I trust you to show some respect for the items." Spike turned to Willow and held his hand out. "Would you like to see the living quarters?"
When Willow reached out to take his hand, she remembered the tin she had clutched tightly to her. "I brought some cookies. They're oatmeal and raisin. I hope you like those."
"I shall consider them a rare treat."
Spike took the tin from her then clasping her hand in his, he led her up the stairs. Buffy dutifully followed behind to show support for her friend. Let the others get lost in looking over the stuff downstairs.
"It's not done yet. I've only been back a week now. I wanted to get things settled before I came to look for you."
Willow stopped.
"Why didn't you come and see me? Then I never would have…I mean…Oz has only been back for three days."
The vampire turned to look back at her as he cocked his head to the side. "Willow, it shouldn't have mattered when Oz came back if you were sure of me."
"I know." She looked down at the floor. "I told him today that I couldn't see him anymore. Even if you don't want me back I know that Oz is part of my past."
"I'm glad that you realized that." Spike tugged her hand and finished pulling her upstairs.
The loft he had created took over half the building. At the top of the stairs was the combination living and kitchen area. There was an open area that looked over the bottom floor all along one side. The other side was a wall of windows. To the right was where the kitchen was going to be and there was already a refrigerator humming away.
"I have some workmen coming in to start installing the kitchen cabinets and things tomorrow." He directed the girls to the left where there was a brick wall about six feet high partially jutting out. "Behind here is the bedroom."
They stepped around the wall so they could see. The only thing in the room was a mattress and some boxes with clothes hanging out.
"Here is the bathroom." It was the only part that wasn't completely open to the floor below. The room was located in the front of the building going in about a fourth of the way. "It was the men's locker room in the old days but will be converted into a bathroom."
"Is there a closet?" Willow asked. In her mind she was already picturing herself living here and was figuring out where things should go and the type of furniture that would be best. Of course this was all for in the future but she didn't see why she couldn't help Spike get things set up.
"I was thinking about having walk in closets included into the bathroom floor plan. I have some designs I could show you and you could make any suggestions you wanted."
Willow nodded, "I'd like that."
"This place looks like one of those pictures you see of those loft apartments in New York. It is totally cool." Buffy commented.
"I want to show you something else though. Come here," Spike said grabbing Willow's hand again. If this didn't sell her on the place nothing would.
The cat walk was still in place and led the way across to another area on the other side of the building. He pulled her across the way with Buffy still trotting behind. They stopped for a moment to watch Xander still looking over the Sci Fi collectibles and Anya and Giles looking over the magical pieces. Buffy giggled as she watched them unaware. Spike became impatient and started to lead Willow to the other side again.
"And this is the office. It was where the manager's offices actually were so there are walls to close off this area from the factory below." Spike pointed to the walls that went to the ceilings. "Over here I have set up my stuff for the business. And along the walls I am going to have bookshelves built in and I thought that across the way you could have your space."
When he finished he went quiet knowing that he had put his heart back out there for her to stomp on. He watched warily as Willow first looked the space over as if she was mentally measuring the place then made her way over to his space.
"Have you created your web site yet?" She asked as she sat in his chair.
"Not yet. I was hoping that a certain red head that has been driving me crazy would do it for me."
"I'd be glad to. I can come over after school tomorrow and we can start work on it."
"Are you going to pay her?" Buffy asked. "I mean if you two don't have a relationship then I don't see why you wouldn't pay her." She shrugged her shoulders for emphasis. It wasn't that she was trying to cause trouble but just prod the vampire to find out where his feelings were.
It was time. Double or nothing. Spike took a deep unneeded breath for courage, "Well, I was kind of hoping that when you came here from school that you would just be coming home."
Both girls froze in shock. They had both assumed that if Spike still wanted a relationship then he would want to date her not have her move in.
"You want me to live here?"
"Yeah, I do."
Spike came over and knelt in front of her taking her hands in his.
"I know that we haven't seen each other in six months but you are all I have thought about during that time. Planning and getting things ready so that we could be together. So, you would be proud of me. I know that I love you and I don't want to waste any more time before I claim you."
"Claim her? What exactly do you mean?" Giles asked. The others had come looking for them when they didn't come back down right away.
"Giles, you're a Watcher. You know what it means when a vampire claims a mate." Spike said softly as he stood.
"You want to turn her. No, no, you are not making Willow a vampire," Xander protested.
"I'm with Xander on that one," Buffy agreed.
"It's not your decision what I do." Willow said menacingly as she stood next to the man she loved. She had lost him once and wasn't going to do it again. "All of you leave right now. Spike and I will discuss what we want and I'll let you all know what I decide. What we decide."
"Willow," three voices cried out at the same time.
"No, leave. This isn't majority rules. I want to be alone with him for us to decide our future."
Slowly the others turned to leave knowing that they didn't have a choice. Buffy pulled Willow to her in a hug, "Don't make any decision you're going to regret especially if it's one that I might have to stake you for."
Willow nodded against her shoulder then watched as her friends left. She waited until she heard them file out of the building while Spike watched her. When she heard the door close behind them she looked at Spike with a worried expression.
"You don't want to actually turn me, do you?"
Spike only smiled as he pulled her to him in a hug.
TBC
