After Adam's defeat, the spoils of the 314 project are up for grabs. Spike & Willow find themselves at the centre of a web of intrigue.

Disclaimer: Any characters and locations from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series are the property of Mutant Enemy

Chapter 12: Unwelcome guests

Spike hoped that the state of the room was sufficient to give the impression that it had been witness to a night of wild debauchery. Keeping his eyes firmly shut, he performed a quick mental checklist: scattered clothes, empty bottles, rumpled bedding and a naked couple tightly entwined within it - so far so good. Of course, had he been fully functional, there would have a good deal of blood soaked into the silk of the sheets, but his condition had been sufficiently publicised by Nat's snide tongue that the absence would not be remarked upon. He only hoped that the absence of other telltale traces on the bed linen would be overlooked.

He had left the door to the bedroom open and he tracked the sound of two sets of footsteps across the room and over to his side of the bed. A hand touched his bare shoulder and he jack-knifed up, lashing out with his fists. There was no pain, confirming that at least one of the pair wasn't human.

"Easy, buddy. We're just here to collect the baggage."

Spike focused on the two. As he had expected they were vampires, not his boys but a couple from Nat's personal staff. One was rubbing his jaw, a testament to the fact that his blow had landed true. He forced a grin onto his face, "Just don't like being snuck up on. Mind you, it doesn't happen that often, so make the most of the experience."

The pair laughed and his victim responded, "Yeah, well, I guess it was justified. She's a pretty little piece for a human, wouldn't mind a bit of that myself."

Spike couldn't afford for anyone to try to have a bit of fun with Willow in her supposedly unconscious state. Either she'd fight back using her magic and the skills the Slayer had taught her, or she'd call out for him. Either way the gaff would be blown. He'd have to do something about it, even though he could imagine what that bit of additional gossip would do to his growing reputation for eccentricity when it got round. Nevertheless, it seemed to be worth it.

"She is, and a good lay too. I might decide to plough that furrow again and wouldn't take kindly to anyone sowing his oats on my land, if you get my drift."

The two exchanged grins and the undamaged half of the pair quipped, "It's pretty hard to miss, given that you were obviously about to do another bit of sowing when we barged in."

The other chimed in, "Yeah, hard being the operative word," and they both laughed.

Spike glanced down at his all too obvious erection and shrugged ruefully. "What can I say? It's been a while since this particular Energiser Bunny got the chance for a bit of fun. Now I've broken her in nicely I don't want her picking up any bad habits, so you can just keep your grubby mitts to yourself."

"Heard and understood. We'll just take her back and tuck her up safe and sound."

Spike nodded and busied himself with his clothes as one of the pair picked Willow up out of the sheets. She moaned gently, curling sensuously into his arms, and Spike had to admire the way she played her role despite the embarrassment and fear that she must be feeling. He wasn't sure how long she could keep it up and, in order to keep their attention on him rather than her, he asked, "Just wondering, how do you intend to get a naked woman out of here without attracting attention?"

"Same way we got her in. There's a handy underground car park for loading and unloading and tinted windows do the rest. The whole block belongs to the Company and some of the key staff have got apartments here. You do well and perhaps they'll move you in as well."

"Yeah, that'd be peachy." Spike filed the nugget of information away for further reference. Rauk wouldn't live here, but it was certainly possible that Nat did.

"We'll take her straight back to HQ where she'll have a nice refreshing nap. They'll probably tell her she's been overworking and give her a couple of days off to recover. Reckon she'll need it, then?"

Spike grinned, "Might take more than a couple of days."

"Need a lift back?"

Spike accepted the offer, giving as it did the opportunity to keep an eye on Willow, and followed the pair out of the flat and down to the basement car park where a sleek, black car with the promised tinted windows was waiting. Willow was slung onto the back seat like the piece of meat that his companions obviously regarded her as.

Taking the front passenger seat, Spike recalled that it wasn't such a long time ago that he had regarded Willow in the same light and he wondered how he had allowed her to become something more than a simple tool to him. The fact that he wanted a piece of her wasn't what bothered him - after all, he wouldn't be the first vampire that liked to play with his food - and it wasn't that he was getting all protective, because that pretty much happened with every half-way intelligent female he knew if he was close enough to them for a while. What really bothered him was that he was getting to like her and there didn't seem to be a damn thing he could do about it. The thought was not a particularly comforting one and, as such things do, it stayed with him while he gazed morosely at the lights of Sunnydale as the car wove its way back through the darkened streets.

When he got back to the crypt he got blind drunk for the second time that night.