Monday had rolled around, and Willow had searched her closet for something that she could wear that would cover the mark on her throat. It wasn't that she was ashamed of Spike, or the amazing passion that they had shared over the weekend. She simply didn't want Buffy to hunt down her boyfriend and stake him. Willow wanted to spend a very long time with her Spike, which would be very difficult if he were killed.
There had been considerable frustration over the contents of her closet. She had ended up with a considerable pile of things that she didn't want to keep, and a few items that might work to cover the mark on her throat. Any vampire would still feel it, but the actual mark would be covered. Spike had promised to go shopping with her in an effort to help her find some more appealing clothing.
She had ended up wearing a pale blue sleeveless turtleneck with a pair of blue jeans. Her search for something to wear had taken so long that her hair had been left loose, falling halfway down her back like a crimson cloud. Spike had assured her that she was lovely, and given her a kiss for luck. She had seriously considered skipping school just so she could stay home with him...
She had gone to school, still feeling wonderful after her weekend. Well, maybe a bit sore, but she had never felt so loved, so cherished before. It wasn't until Willow had settled at her desk for her first class that she realized people were looking at her oddly. As if they were talking about her. Somehow, she had become the focus of rumor. Possibly the scene with her and Spike at the Expresso Pump?
It didn't take long for her suspicion to be confirmed. She heard a whisper about a 'sexy blond guy' and 'kissing'. Definitely the scene from Thursday. Willow tried not to smile, knowing that what they had seen was only the tip of the iceberg as far as what had happened. She knew that it was simply a matter of time before Buffy decided to ask her all about this 'mystery guy'. She had to figure out what she would tell Buffy, she didn't want to start by telling her everything.
It was a good thing that she had started planning what to tell them. As soon as she walked into the cafeteria, Buffy and Xander practically swooped in, herding her off to a corner table. Questions and broken bits of sentences were flying from them both as they tried to demand answers over each other.
'Who's this guy' 'how did you meet him' 'is he safe?' 'do we know him' 'why didn't you tell me?' 'kissing in the Espresso Pump?' 'I had to hear about it from Harmony, of all people' 'what were you thinking - no, please don't answer that!' ' no, do answer, and is he a studly?'
Finally, Willow stated to snicker, amused at the way that her friends were almost arguing over what they wanted to know. Xander wanted to know if this guy was safe, probably trying to find a way to ask if he was human. Buffy wanted all the details, and a detailed description of Willow's new guy. After a few more minutes of rapid fire questions, repeating most of them several times, Buffy and Xander finally came to a stop, realizing that Willow couldn't answer if they wouldn't be quiet so that they could listen.
After she managed to stop laughing, Willow decided to answer some of their questions. "His name is Spike, and he's got blue eyes. He's originally from London, you don't know him, and I'm perfectly safe with him. Buffy, you've been to busy juggling Scott and Owen to hear about him."
"Are you sure you want to get involved with some guy called Spike? I mean, Wills, Spike? That's the name of the big dog that was always chasing Tom the cat." Xander sounded worried.
"You have to come... ahh over to my house tonight and tell me everything, Wills. I want details! I'm your friend, I want to know about these things." Buffy sounded almost envious.
The rest of the day had been odd. People that had never had the time or interest to talk to her before gave friendly sounding hello's, she was the target of speculative and envious glances. Willow wasn't used to being the focus of so much attention. Nor was she used to the idea of her personal life being under discussion in the rumor mill of school.
End part 55.
Willow found herself drafted to patrol with Buffy. The stated excuse was 'I hardly ever see you recently.' Willow was trying to figure out if that meant 'I want to quiz you over this blond guy' or 'I want to talk about Scott' or possibly even 'I need help with one of my classes.' Listening to Buffy talk about Scott would be easy enough. So would helping her with studying something. But if she wanted to ask more questions about Spike... that could get tricky. She wanted to be careful how much Buffy found out at first.
So, Willow found herself meandering through the cemeteries of Sunnydale, with Buffy. She listened as Buffy talked about how cute Scott was, and about all the various things they had been doing together recently. They'd seen a couple movies, and been to the concert at the beach, and they'd danced together at the Bronze. She was going on about how he was all sweet, and nice, and a normal guy. He wasn't a demon, or a vampire, or any other sort of hellmouthy weirdness.
Willow could only nod at that. Yes, Scott was a human guy. Human guys were pretty normal. Buffy seemed to be pretty happy with how her relationship with Scott was going. Willow wondered how Owen would take that, seeing Buffy happy with Scott. It would have to hurt, seeing as how Owen had this huge crush on Buffy... The next sentence from Buffy's mouth made Willow gape in shock.
" I wonder why I haven't seen Angel lately? I'm a bit worried, that Dru vamp is trying to get him, and I don't intend to let her have my Angel." Buffy sounded annoyed, as if Dru were trying to take something away from her.
Willow felt stunned. Buffy had just been going on about how much fun she'd been having with Scott. How things were looking like they could get serious. Now, she was saying that Dru couldn't have HER Angel? That just sounded wrong, not to mention possessive. "Buffy... I thought you were dating Scott now? How can Angel still be your boyfriend if your seeing Scott?"
"Because he's... Angel's my... We have this thing, you know?" Buffy looked as if she was trying to explain something, as if she were trying to find the words for what she wanted to say.
"Buffy, there are words for girls who collect guys like charms on a bracelet. They aren't nice words. You can't keep Angel dangling on the side while you play with Scott. If you want Scott, fine, go for it. But you can't try to keep Angel at the same time. He's not a toy, he's not a pet..." A sudden vivid image burst into Willow's mind, of Angel on deep red silk sheets, wearing nothing but a collar. She turned absolutely crimson, and made a few noises as she tried to banish that image. Angel was gorgeous, but... that wasn't an image she needed. The only naked vampire that Willow wanted was Spike.
"Ummmm I was saying that Angel is NOT a pet. You can't just keep him and get another one. You have to choose. If you want Scott, then Angel isn't your boyfriend anymore, and you can't lay claim to him. If you want Angel, then you can't date Scott, it would be cheating." Willow's voice was firm, and she looked right at Buffy. She hoped that her friend would listen, would see the logic in what she was saying.
"You think I'm being selfish." Buffy sounded a bit hurt.
"Well, it's not that I don't want you to be happy, because your my friend and of course I want you to be happy but..." Willow's attempted explanation was interrupted by a green scaled demon with a row of spines down it's back attacking Buffy with a hiss.
Willow stepped back, her back now pressed against the wall of a crypt as she watched Buffy fight the green demon. It was snarling and hissing at her, looking and sounding extremely menacing. Buffy was insulting it, trying to throw off its attacks with witty quips. Buffy ended up with her lower lip split, and bleeding slightly from the side, and several slashes over her arm. Her pretty pink shirt was completely ruined, the sleeve torn entirely off, the front slashed where the demon's claws had almost caught her stomach, and splattered with the dark green blood that had flowed in the thing's veins.
"Yuck. Green demon blood... and I really liked this shirt. Nasty weirdly colored demon fluids almost always stain. Now, what was it you were saying before that thing interrupted?" Buffy sounded as if she felt a bit better now.
Willow sighed, hoping that her friend would follow her reasoning. "You can't keep dangling Angel and Scott. It's not fair to either of them. You have to choose one or the other, and let the one you don't pick know that you won't be dating or whatever anymore. That's the only thing to do. Because if they find out your seeing someone else while being sorta whatever with them, you'd better believe they won't be happy. Pick one before you loose them both. Although, I'd say since you've been spending so much time with Scott, maybe you've already chosen, and just didn't want to let go."
They walked quietly, and Willow could see that Buffy was thinking. Hopefully, she was thinking about what Willow had said, how she had to choose one and let the other go. While they walked, Willow decided to try to think of more interesting things than the mess that was Buffy's social life. Maybe... Spike, with that leather collar, and a rose in his teeth? Yeah, that was a much more enjoyable thought. She let her mind play with that image for a while, contemplating how things might go from there. Her pleasant fantasy was interrupted when Buffy spoke again.
"You're right, Wills. I can't keep them both. I just... I wish that I didn't have to choose. They both have some very nice things going for them. Any advice on how I should try to pick?" Buffy sounded sad now.
Willow gave a small smile. It sounded like Buffy would be reasonable about this, at least for the moment. She had this urge to say 'go with Scott, you won't make him loose his soul', but resisted. "You have to think about it. Which one of them can you see a future with? Who can you see trying to happily after with? Going to dances, having fun? Another thing, if you want to build a future with someone, you have to be able to accept all of them, the handsome outside and everything inside as well. Can you accept the fact that Angel is a vampire, and always will be? Or the fact that Scott... I don't actually know any major character flaws or difficulties about Scott, but I'm sure he has something that isn't perfect about him."
End part 56.
When Willow finally made her way back to her house, she found the lights on in the living room. Puzzled and slightly worried, she opened the door, slightly tense with nerves. Dru was inside, and she could smell tea. Breathing a sigh of relief, Willow closed the door.
"Someone's been naughty. Did you and Spikey have fun? I can tell that he Claimed you... and why were you off with that nasty taffy girl?" Dru's voice was colored with amusement.
Willow grinned, feeling oddly relaxed by having someone that she could talk about everything with Spike. "We had a lot of fun. It was... wow. He gave me poetry. As for Buffy, we had a talk tonight. Seems she's been seeing Scott lately, umm he's one of the guys from our school. I told her that it wasn't fair to try to keep them both, she has to choose one. Told her that she should choose someone that she could see herself having a future with, someone that she could accept all of, not just a few bits here and some from there. Also, I mentioned that neither of them would probably like it if they found out she was seeing someone else on the side.
Dru giggled, apparently finding that idea amusing. "But my Angel already knows that the taffy girl is seeing the mortal boy. I told him about it on the night that there was all the music by the waves. She is very naughty... do you think that she will stay away from my Angel now?"
"We can only hope. I know that she can't accept all of him, she has problems with the fact that he's a vampire. She doesn't like it, it makes her all twitchy. It's not a good thing for your boyfriend to make you all twitchy nervous. So, hopefully, she'll think about it and go with Scott, especially since she's been spending a lot of time with him anyhow." Willow was trying to think positive. Buffy wasn't an idiot. Actually, the Slayer was fairly smart, if she just thought about it instead of going with her mixed up emotions.
"I came here to show you. I found something... it's a spell that the ancient Egyptians used to link the souls of the dead to statues. I thought maybe we could use that to make a new soul spell for my Angel."
Willow sat up, eyes widening at Dru's words. "Really? I saw a program on the history channel that sort of mentioned that, about how... the spell was supposed to create a link between the soul of the dead and some statues that were specially made to look like the dead person, so they could act on behalf of the living. Wow... how did you ever get it? Do you think it would work on his body? I mean if we have the soul, and his body isn't exactly living anymore... umm... definitely something to look into."
Dru handed Willow a cup of tea, smiling at her friends words. "We went to Egypt once. I went to see the pyramids, and the great Sphinx, and there were all sorts of things. I talked with a little old sorcerer with funny marks on his cheeks, and he said that the ancients had many powerful spells. That they could bind the soul of someone to their body, so that they would be trapped within as long as even a single bone remained of them. His name was something odd... something about water. Ardeth something about water. He said that his wife had learned a lot more about soul magics that he had, but she didn't talk to the nightbound."
Willow looked up, wondering what sort of soul magics the ancient Egyptians had known. How much had been empty ritual, and how much had been real power? "Dru, do you know any way that we could get in contact with this guy? Would he even still be alive? Maybe he or his wife could send us some information?"
Dru looked thoughtful. "I don't know if they would still be alive. He was very old, and we were there almost twenty years ago. He said there was something about me, that I had a part to play in destiny. He said he didn't know what part I was going to play. But.. I can try to send him a message. I don't know if he's alive, or if he or his wife could help, but..."
That question considered, they settled into a lively discussion on the Egyptian spell, trying to understand how it worked, and what would be needed for each part of it, especially what would be needed to bind the spirit to the body. Parts of it could be very useful. Willow was getting a list of spell fragments that might be useful, but they still needed a way to blend them smoothly.
"Umm Dru? Giles and Miss Calander and Angel all found out that you're trying to help me find a way to anchor Angel's soul. They think... how did Giles phrase that? 'Dangerously unpredictable' is how he put it." Willow was still looking at the Egyptian spell, trying to figure out if it would be compatible with a South American fragment that Dru had found before, to prevent something from being lost or stolen.
Dru only laughed, and poured more tea.
End part 57.
After Willow had gone home for the evening, Buffy continued, not exactly patrolling, more like walking and thinking after dark. Willow had brought up a point earlier, and it wasn't a happy one. She couldn't have Angel AND Scott. She couldn't have Scott to do fun things with by day and Angel at night to be mysterious and kiss in the cemeteries. That wasn't fair to either of them, and there were words for people who tried to do that. Ugly, harsh words that Buffy didn't want applied to her.
She had to choose. She had to decide which of the men in her life to keep and which to let go. Should she keep Scott? He was cute, and alive, and funny, and they had so much fun when they went out. But.. he didn't know that she was a Slayer, didn't know what dangers lurked in the dark. She could tell him, but then he might freak out and leave her. Her other option was Angel, who was incredibly handsome, knew that she was a Slayer, and could help her fight the baddies that were around the hellmouth. He was also a great kisser. But... Angel was a vampire, and he always would be. Could she really open herself up to a vampire? Someone that drank blood, even if he did brush? Someone with centuries of time to have accumulated experience and exes?
Things had been nice with Scott, she'd had fun and laughed and felt almost like a normal girl. Things with Angel... she never felt like a normal girl, everything was too intense. But... could that intensity last? Could it be enough? Could she be the girl who's boyfriend couldn't come to the beach party because it was in the daytime? Could she give up the idea of a nice house and a family because her boyfriend was a vampire? Scott could give her those things.
Yes, Scott was human, and alive, and fun. They could go places in the daytime, and get married in a church and have kids and a house and happily ever after together. Now, all she had to do was figure out a way to let Angel down gently. After all, it wasn't his fault that she couldn't have a future with him, that he couldn't give her a lifetime filled with sunshine and happiness and laughter. Off to talk to Angel, to try to break it gently to him that they had no future together.
She found him in one of the cemeteries, sitting on a marble bench that had been set at a family grouping. He looked like he was brooding about something. Well... at least he was sitting down. Hopefully, this talk wouldn't make him feel too much worse. Oh, who did she think she was kidding? It was the middle of a cemetery, at night, and she was about to break up with him, to tell him that he could never give her the type of future that she needed. He would be devastated. "Angel? There's something... umm... We need to talk."
He looked at her, the moonlight making his skin look like some sort of carving, to smooth, to perfect to be real. His eyes were unreadable dark pools. "Buffy? I didn't expect... sit. What did you want to talk about?"
Ouch, right for the hard part. She didn't sit, instead pacing a bit near him, twisting her hands over themselves, uncertain of the best way to say this, to do this. "Umm I've been... thinking about things. About us... about the future."
"What about the future?" Angel's voice was soft, showing curiosity and a hint of something else. His expression was unreadable.
"We don't have one." The words tumbled out, and Buffy winced at their harshness. "I mean... oh, that sounded sharp. It's just... I was thinking about what I want in life, and... from the future. I wish things didn't have to be like this... you have no idea how much I wish things could be different." Her words had fallen to a whisper, and tears were gathering in her eyes. If things could only be different... if only it could be Angel that she shared her days and life with, if only they could be just two normal people...
Angel's voice as he spoke was thick with sorrow. "You want a normal life. All the things that I can't give you... sunlight and afternoon picnics and babies."
Buffy could feel the tears running down her cheeks. "Angel... I didn't want to hurt you..." She reached out, her fingertips brushing his shoulder. "I'm sorry?"
He stood up, the action somehow putting more distance between them, and when he looked at her, Buffy couldn't read his eyes at all. He was entirely closed to her. "I hope your future is as bright as you imagine it, Buffy."
With those words spoken, Angel walked away into the night. Buffy watched him go, feeling as if something had just been lost. A door to the future had just been closed, and she had the feeling that this was one of those things that could never be changed. She had lost him forever. Oh, he might still be here, in Sunnydale, but... no more midnight kisses for Buffy. She had just let him go, and it hurt.
End part 58.
While Angel was walking away from Buffy, Willow and Dru were talking about how to get in touch with this Ardeth water guy that Dru had met in Egypt, assuming that he was even alive anymore. If he had been old twenty years ago, he could be dead. Finally, they concluded that the best way would be to write a letter, and then use a small spell to send it to him. They wrote it, explaining that there was a small matter of a soul curse in danger of breaking, and could he or his wife possibly give them any information on the ritual used to enable the spirits of the deceased to act through the statues that had been left in their tombs? Or some other method to bind a soul to the vampire's body?
Dru wrote out the letter, and then sealed it, addressing it on the outside to Ardeth water-named, desert mage. She then wrote the words for the spell to send it on a different paper, and gave it to Willow.
"This is the chant, we say it, and picture the person that we want something to go to. In this case, you can't picture him, but if you use the words as well, you can help me cast it, adding your power to mine. Magic isn't that difficult, little tree." Dru was smiling reassuringly.
Willow looked over the paper, softly forming the words, wanting to be certain that she had the correct pronunciation. Dru smiled at her, and asked if she was ready. Willow nodded. "I'm entirely nervous, but I think I'm ready. I have the words here, and we got the right way to say them, and if you remember the guy, you said we need a clear mental image for this to work? I guess... it's time for the magic."
Dru took Willow's hands into hers, and the letter to the desert mage sat on the floor encircled by their hands and arms. They began to chant, and Willow closed her eyes, focusing on the letter going to this person, finding someone that could help them. Dru had closed her eyes as well, focusing on her memories of Ardeth. That was how they both missed seeing the green gold glow that started from their linked hands, and darkened to an almost jade hue, spreading to form a circle, swarming in little flecks over the letter and giving a humming presence to the room. With an audible 'pop' the letter vanished.
Hearing the noise, Willow's eyes snapped open, widening as she saw the last bits of the deep green glow that radiated from their hands, stretching wisps into a circle around... the empty place where the letter had been. "It worked.... it really worked. I just helped cast a magic spell... I just did magic!"
Willow was smiling, her expression somewhere between glee and amazement. It seemed so unbelievable, she had just helped cast a magic spell. "That was... amazing. I felt this humming, and it was like this warm feeling from inside.. is it always like that?"
Dru smiled at her, her eyes twinkling. "In some ways. The humming was from all the power... you have very strong magic. Sometimes, after a spell, you'll feel all tired, because it took a lot of energy. I'll just go now, Miss Edith says it's time for me to go home for the night."
Willow waved her a cheerful goodbye, and had just finished locking the house up when the phone rang. It was Buffy, and she sounded like she was crying. Concerned, Willow asked what was wrong. She spent the next two hours listening to Buffy tearfully tell her all about the painful breakup with Angel, how much it hurt to let him go, how much she would miss him.
As she listened to Buffy, she found herself wondering if anyone was there for Angel. Surely this had to hurt him worse that it had Buffy, after all, it had been Buffy's choice.
End part 59.
Dru walked into the factory, placing Miss Edith next to the lovely urn with the roses in it, ignoring the fact that the roses had long ago shriveled up, and the petals fallen away, leaving nothing more than branches of thorns in the vase. She could see Spikey, pacing, shooting angry glances at a notebook, growling phrases and words... talking about flowers and jewels and luminous eyes... sometimes he just didn't make any sense at all.
"Spikey... leave the paper be. I'm sure it's very sorry that it made you mad. We have something better to do than growl at the paper. The sticky taffy girl hurt our not daddy, stabbed her sharp words into him until his heart started to bleed... We need to go talk to our not-daddy." She wanted him to go with her. If Spike were there, she wouldn't be as tempted to carry her not-daddy off and try to make him purr with pleasure. That would be bad because they hadn't found the glue spell. His soul would scorch and burn and fly away... she didn't want that to happen.
Shrugging slightly, Spike put down the pen that he'd been holding, letting it sit on the paper, and walked towards her. "Right, the taffy hurt our not-daddy... so you want us to go visit him. I hope you know what you're doing, Dru."
They walked, and followed the feeling of their sire until they found a small apartment building. Dru opened the door, and they walked down a hallway, where the door to the last apartment stood slightly ajar. There was silence from inside, broken only by the faint hum of a refrigerator. Spike glanced at her, his expression worried, and she stepped through the door, worried about her Angel. With a small sigh, Spike followed her.
The apartment was dark, although they could see a few lams set about the room. Dru reached over to one, pulling the dangling chain and causing a soft amber light to spill through the room, illuminating Angel as he sat at the end of a black leather couch. There were various keepsakes from some of the places that he had been, and several gleaming weapons hung on the walls. The one window was covered with blinds and heavy velvet drapes, to prevent any sliver of light from entering.
Angel was sitting there, looking as if he had simply collapsed onto the couch, intending to just... what? Sit and be miserable? There were crimson lines down his cheeks, dried tears shed and not wiped away, and his eyes were dark with pain.
Dru walked towards him, her heart pained at seeing him so miserable. "Poor Angel, all hurt by the nasty taffy girl... she hurt you." She settled on the couch, pulling Angel's unresisting form closer, wrapping her arms around his waist, and resting her head on his legs.
Spike drew closer as well, drawn in by the pain. It radiated from his sire, filling the very air with knowledge of a pain that cut to the bone and laid the heart bare to bleed. He rested his hand on Angel's shoulder, squeezing lightly, a gesture meant to make the other aware of his presence.
Angel finally reacted, one arm sliding over Dru's back, and he looked at Spike, a slight frown on his face. "Willow... she Claimed you? Does she know... you didn't drag her into this blindly, did you?"
Dru chuckled, her not-daddy could be so silly. She twisted, rolling so that she was looking up at his face, smiling at him. "Silly... you can't make the little tree do something like that against her will. She wanted someone that would be hers forever, her very own knight and poet and big purring kitty... and Spikey needed his tree. She's going to be with him until they're both no more than an echo of memory... They bound themselves of their own will, ties of caring and destiny and fire... fire burning in the night... no, this tree will be safe from fire and pain..."
She listened for a moment, trying to find a way to explain the images dancing inside her mind, behind her eyes. "She's a fire fairy, all light and fire and power... we're going to make your soul stay with you.. forever, or until you die. But we wanted to make sure you were alright, that you knew you weren't alone. The stars said that the taffy girl hurt you."
Angel nodded, apparently not willing to argue or question how Dru had known. "Buffy wanted to talk to me earlier. She said we had no future together, that I couldn't give her what she wanted."
Spike hissed, pain flashing through his eyes. "Sounds like she did everything but say you were beneath her. We could kill her?"
Dru frowned, wondering something. There had been more... "Where did the mortal boy fit in?"
Angel shook his head, his body tense with emotion. "She never mentioned him. Not a single word. However much she claimed that she cared about me... it didn't stop her from going off with some... mortal boy. Someone her own age, someone that could be with her in the sunlight. She went with him, and she didn't even think enough of me to tell me. She didn't trust me with the truth. She's right, there is no future for Buffy and me."
They stayed there, huddled together against the pain of heartache and loneliness. They were a family again.
End part 60.
Tuesday, Willow was once again wearing a sleeveless turtleneck sweater, although this one was gray. She really needed to get some more clothing, more grown up looking things. It wasn't the pastel colors that bothered her, although a few strong colors might be good. It was the fact that so much of her clothing made her feel as if she couldn't be a grown up, as if her mother were trying to make her stay a small child forever.
She was not terribly concerned with her schoolwork, instead thinking about the events of Monday night. Not only about Buffy's break up with Angel, and the question of Angel's pain and did he have anyone, but... did that buy them more time to safeguard his soul? She had cast magic on Monday, and it had felt good. She also wanted to see if Giles knew anything about this desert magi that Dru had mentioned. Since Giles knew that she was working with Dru, she could simply ask him, rather than trying to find some 'sneaky' way to get the information.
During lunch, Willow found herself listening to Buffy talking about Scott, and how he was sweet and charming, and how they were now officially 'going out together'. Scott had even given her a ring as a present, a small silver ring with a heart in the middle of some other shaping, but Willow couldn't get a good look while Buffy was bouncing gleefully. They had made plans to go on a picnic that weekend, and intended to meet at the Bronze tonight and dance.
Apparently Buffy had recovered from her 'painful break-up' with Angel.
Then, Willow heard some unexpected and encouraging news. Xander had managed to find the courage to ask Amy Madison to go see a movie with him on Friday. Not only had he managed to ask, but she had accepted. He was hoping that everything would go well with the date, and then maybe he and Amy might end up as a couple. Xander and Amy... it was an interesting thought. They just might go well together.
Finally, her classes ended for the day, and she was free to talk to Giles. She wanted to ask questions, and Giles had different sources of information than Dru. So, she went into the library, and found a little bit here and there while Buffy talked to Giles. Eventually, Buffy left, saying something about coffee and Scott. She had made a date, and seemed entirely enthusiastic about seeing him, not in the least bit sad.
"So... Giles, can you tell me anything about desert magi? From Egypt? Because Dru said there was one she met a few years ago, and she thought that he might be able to give us some information for that spell, so I was curious about them and wanted to see if you could tell me anything." Willow let her question spill forth in a rush, hoping that it would make sense to Giles.
Giles sat up, almost spilling his tea. "The desert magi? By chance did she mean... did she mention any distinctive descriptions about this person?"
Willow was surprised. The way Giles was reacting... there must be either something really important about these desert magi, or some possible danger, or maybe multiple groups of desert magical type people... "umm she said that when she met him, he was a very old man, Ardeth something or other. She called him Ardeth water named. umm he was married, because Dru said that he'd mentioned his wife knowing a lot more about soul magics... Marks. She said he had funny marks on his cheeks. Does any of that help?"
Giles muttered something, and put down his teacup. After a few moments of muttering about half crazed vampires and unbelievable quirks of fate, he looked up at Willow. "That would undoubtedly be Adrdeth Bey. He's one of a tribe of magi that live in the deserts, the Watcher's council has had a few dealings with them, and prefers to avoid it when possible. Their ancestors were charged with guarding their homeland against an ancient and terrible danger, one that they wouldn't reveal to the Watcher's Council. Most of them are very reclusive, although there was one who somehow became involved with a pair of archeologists in the thirties... I believe they were named O'Connor or O'Connell. This magi that was involved with them made quite an impression, and he then further went against the traditions of his people by marrying an outsider. Actually, I think she was the tutor of the couple's son, and she was also supposed to be a powerful sorceress in her own right. She is not spoken of by name, only referred to as the Desert Rose. If she can actually contact them... if they are willing to offer any aid, I think it would be extraordinarily useful."
Willow smiled. "That's a relief. We umm... I cast a spell! It was so cool, well, it was more like Dru cast it and I helped, but there was this glowy light and I could feel this humming and wow..." Pausing for a moment, Willow savored the memory of the spell, the felling of accomplishment that it had given her. "We used this spell to teleport a letter to him."
Giles simply stared at her for a moment, before he managed to speak. "You cast... you and Drusilla sent a letter to EGYPT!?! With a spell... oh dear... Have you any idea what sort of power that takes?"
Willow looked at Giles, wondering why he looked so... well, torn between angry and worried. "Giles, Dru promised me that it was just a simple spell, and perfectly safe. The letter vanished, we were both perfectly fine, well, I was a bit giddy, but... why are you looking at me like that?"
"Do you have any idea how much power it would take to teleport a letter halfway around the world? Do you have any idea what happens if someone attempts a spell that takes more energy than they have?" Giles was definitely upset, although it wasn't purely anger. It looked like he was worried.
"Ummmm does that mean it takes a lot of energy? Dru said if a spell took a lot of energy, it would leave me feeling tired, but she said the spell to send the letter would be no trouble for me. Dru thinks I'm a fire fairy, with lots of magic. Honest, it didn't even make me feel tired." She didn't want Giles to worry. Perhaps he would calm down if she convinced him that the spell hadn't exhausted her? No, perhaps something entirely non-related would work best.
"Exhausting was spending three hours listening to Buffy tell me all about how she and Angel had to break up because they have no future and that it really really hurt her."
End part 61.
Giles picked up his teacup, sipping at it slowly. "Buffy and Angel broke up again? Do you think it will last this time?"
Willow made a small face at the reference to the occasionally soap opera like tendency of Buffy to be almost always breaking up or making up. "Buffy was telling us at lunch how things with Scott are. Umm, she's been sort of seeing Scott for a while. Scott seems to make Buffy pretty happy, so I think she's going to be staying with him. And I don't think Angel would want to take her back after this... and you can't forget about Dru. She wants Angel back."
Giles simply sighed, and drank more of his tea. "Please tell me that that's part of the reason why she's helping you attempt to anchor his soul?"
Willow giggled, feeling suddenly odd discussing the potential love life of her friend, the century old ( at least!) vampire. "Yes, Giles, that one of the reasons why she wants a workable spell soon. She doesn't want to be a dark dragon and scorch his soul away. So... there will be no more Buffy Angel saga going on."
After a bit more discussion about the various dealing that the watchers council had experienced in the past with the mysterious desert magi, Willow left to go home, feeling rather cheerful. Thing were looking up. She had her Spike, Buffy wouldn't be making Angel loose his soul, they had almost finished a spell to anchor it securely, and she and Dru had cast a magic spell.
She and Spike might be able to go shopping tonight, to get her replacements for the vast number of things that she'd realized she hated. It would be good to spend some time with him. As it turned out, they did go out shopping, although they could only hit a few stores before the mall closed. They found soft long skirts in a multitude of colors, skirts that were long enough not to show off everything but clingy enough to hint at her shape. They found new sweaters, that would still ward off the chill of autumn or winter, but were not as bulky, instead resting in gentle folds over her body.
Shirts in velvet and silk, tanks tops and long sleeved poet style blouses and some others that had seemed simply perfect for Willow. Towards the end of the trip, Spike had managed to pull her into a store that Willow wouldn't have had the courage to explore on her own. Leather pants and jackets and boots and skirts and bands for wrists and other places and items that she wasn't quite certain the purpose of... until Spike whispered into her ear, obviously enjoying the way she blushed crimson.
They ended up with two bags just from Leather and Stuff-It.
There was some amusement as they walked out to the parking lot, passing a dumbstruck Harmony. Willow simply ignored the blonde, and they put the bags into Spike's trunk and drove away. She and Spike had a few plans to test some things out once they got back to her house.
Wednesday, there was a box on Willow's terrace, not left by Spike or any normal delivery person. Tied to the top was an envelope, neatly addressed to Willow Rosenberg, with her correct address, Something about the handwriting nagged at her... Impatiently, Willow opened the envelope, eager to see what it was, to learn who had sent it.
It was from Ardeth Bey and his wife, the Desert Rose. They had included the ritual used to bind the soul of the departed to the statues in their image, and it also said that the box contained other things that would be 'very useful to you, young Willow'. After great temptation and some internal debate, Willow decided to let the box and it's content wait until after the ritual to bind Angel's soul.
By Thursday, Willow and Dru had cobbled together a binding spell, using part of the ritual that had been in the envelope. Something that should bind Angel's soul to his body, forever. Everything would be perfect to cast it Saturday night. She and Dru were reviewing it, wanting to make certain that every clause lined up, that there would be no loopholes or troublesome clauses. This spell was to bind his body and soul forever, or until he was dust.
Giles had asked them to perform the ritual somewhere defensible, and had asked if he could be there, as an observer. After a bit of debate, Willow had said that he could, although this wasn't to go into the Watcher's diaries. She had also told him that Spike would probably be there, and he would have to behave.
They'd settled on a small clearing, on a hill. It had an excellent view of Sunnydale, and of the stars. It was out of the immediate radius of the Hellmouth, although still in the area affected by it. They had made what preparations they could beforehand, and everything would be tested on Saturday.
End part 62.
Saturday evening rolled around, taking far longer than Willow or Dru wanted. Giles and Willow left in the last hours of the day, preparing the area for the casting, and making certain that they had all of the items and herbs needed for the ritual. There were the two carved scarabs that Dru had brought to Willow's house, one of a pale white stone, and another carved from a dark reddish stone that was slightly translucent. There was an assortment of herbs, and a few other powders, each of which Dru and Willow had carefully determined the need for, and a generous number of candles to set in the area to provide some illumination for Willow and Giles to see by.
Willow was mentally reviewing the words yet again when she felt Spike approaching. She smiled, looking up at the path that they had to be on, and spoke, her words directed at Giles. "Now remember that you promised to behave, and Spike is actually very sweet."
Giles looked at her, slightly puzzled as to why exactly Willow felt that he would have problems with her boyfriend. He was about to ask, feeling almost hurt that she would worry when an accented voice called into the night air, thoroughly interrupting his thoughts.
"Now, Willow, luv, don't go telling people that. Then they won't think I'm the Big Bad anymore, and I'll have to beat them away from you with a stick... or maybe a nice sharp sword. I'm sure I've got one of those somewhere." At the same time that this voice flowed into the clearing, two figures arrived, one clearly Drusilla, wearing a long pale gown, and the other a lean figure in a dark leather coat, bleached hair showing clearly in the darkness, someone too pale and too graceful to be human.
"That's Spike? Willow... he's... William the Bloody... vampire... he's a bloody vampire..." Giles voice wasn't particularly loud, due to the sudden shock of his realization, but it was clear that he did not like this surprise.
Willow looked over at her mentor, very nearly her father and smiled, her expression the sweet smile of someone in love. "Yes, but he's MY vampire. He promised to behave tonight... and he's not nearly as excessive as he used to be."
Spike grinned at the stunned watcher, and walked over to Willow, his arms going around her in a close hug, and not quite letting go. He glanced over at the Watcher, his arms still wrapped around Willow, and caressed Willow's cheek with his fingers. "You can breathe all normal again, Watcher. I'm not going to hurt Red, not ever."
Dru spoke, her voice drawing Giles attention over to her. "Spikey wouldn't hurt the little tree. He only came here so that he could have her and because I wanted to help my not-daddy. Now, they've tied themselves up with ties of fire and passion and blood... Spikey couldn't hurt the little tree, he's hers now and forever. Just like she couldn't hurt him. She gets a knight and poet and big kitty cat, and he gets a fire fairy, a tree, the dancing light of inspiration."
It was obvious that Giles didn't follow everything that Dru was meaning. He did follow enough to know that Dru didn't think that Spike would hurt Willow, that he had no other reason for being over the Hellmouth, and that Dru thought that Spike and Willow would be very happy together. He swallowed once, and looked around, finally deciding to simply light a few more candles and try not to think about Spike being a vampire.
Dru set out a few of her own candles, these scented to make what she had decided would be a soothing scent to cast magic to. There was lavender and apple and one that had a scent much like the ocean was supposed to smell. She let the watcher light them, since he seemed to want something to occupy him.
Willow and Dru anointed themselves with a carefully blended oil that was supposed to help them clear their minds and stay focused, and stepped into the diagram. With a final moment of silence, they began laying out the herbs, and chanting. Soon, this would be over, and Angel's soul should be bound to him forever.
End part 63.
Giles found himself watching the two women chanting. He could feel the power gathering, prickling at his awareness, making his skin more sensitive. He glanced over, seeing the blonde vampire watching, more precisely, watching Willow. Spike was pacing, not talking least he interrupted the ritual, but clearly wishing that there was something that he could do. As he paced, Giles thought he saw something on the side of the vampire's neck.
The chanting was continuing, and now the lines carefully placed with herbs and powders were glowing, a pleasant dark green color, reminding him of summer leaves in the sunshine. Spike stopped, looking at the glowing lines, and muttered something under his breath, something about magic, and green, and leaves, and that was when Giles became certain that he had in fact seen a bite mark on the vampire's neck, just below the ear.
Either Spike had a lover on the side, and would soon be upsetting Willow, or Willow had bitten him, possibly in an attempt to Claim the vampire. Considering the possessive tone that she had used when saying that Spike was hers, the latter seemed all to possible. But normal humans couldn't Claim a vampire, not effectively. Slayers could probably manage it, if they actually cared for a vampire that strongly, which he'd never heard of happening. A powerful mage or witch could sometimes Claim a vampire, but the degree of power required made that quite unusual.
There was a shape coming along the path.
Just as Giles was readying his crossbow, the blonde vampire was at his side, one hand holding the crossbow down, aimed at the ground, his expression a fierce scowl, and his words a low growl. "Don't try to shoot, that's Angel coming along the path."
Staggering into the clearing, Angel looked at the ritual, his eyes wide. He looked as if he had been pulled forth, and he took a hesitant step near the women, flickers of pale green reflecting in his eyes. His voice was a raw whisper of stunned amazement. "What are they doing?"
It was a valid question. The lines of the diagram were glowing a pale green with flecks of gold through it. The candle flames all around burned, the flames perfectly upright, regardless of the small breeze that was passing fitfully through the clearing. Willow was there, her eyes closed, a swarm of golden sparkles around her, while Dru appeared to be wreathed in deep green wisps that wrapped around her almost like snakes. They were both still chanting, and the power was still gathering.
Suddenly, with a feeling that would have been perfectly suited to an earthquake, the power shifted, no longer simply gathered, it moved, and Angel was wrapped in a green glow, like sunlight through leaves, with golden sparkles around. The glow appeared to seep into his skin, and he stiffened, then went limp, collapsing onto the ground as if exhausted. Giles didn't notice the similar glow that had surrounded Drusilla, being to busy watching Angel. Spike did, and his eyes widened in shock, wondering if that had also been an effect of they gypsy curse, and if so, what had it done to him? Angelus had been souled and shackled by guilt, Darla had become an obsessive violent harpy, Dru had sunk farther into madness... what of him?
At the same moment that Angel hit the ground, every candle in the clearing went out, and the glow that had emanated from the lines stopped. Giles stood there, blinking in the sudden darkness, attempting to see what was happening. Willow and Dru were approaching, Dru swaying, one hand at her temple. Willow swayed slightly, and leaned against Spike, her arms sliding around him. Dru half knelt and half collapsed beside Angel, her hand going out to brush a small lock of hair from his face.
"Are you alright, my Angel?" Dru's voice was tired, but also filled with worry.
At the same time, Willow looked over at Giles, a small, slightly rueful smile crossing her lips. "Now, that left me feeling tired. I think. I think that I'd like Spike to take me home now. Would you mind getting all the candles?"
Giles simply nodded, part of his mind still boggling at the thought that she had really done it, she had really cast the spell, and he had felt it's power. He no longer had any doubts that Willow was powerful enough to Claim Spike, and looking at them, he could actually see them as a couple. "I can get the candles... do remember to rest after this... expenditure of energy, and try to eat something energizing."
Giles watched as Spike went down the path, Willow's arm wrapped around him as she leaned into him, although how much was for the support and how much was simply for the contact he didn't know. Hearing the rustle of fabric, he turned his attention back to Dru and Angel, right in time to see Dru kiss Angel right on the lips.
"Ahh. I do hope that his soul is quite secure now?" The concern had been only natural, seeing that kiss.
Dru looked over at him, a smile making her look quite lovely. "Don't worry, owl. The little tree and I made certain that the spell would work, hold tight like superglue and bubblegum. We even used several bits that bound his soul, just to make certain that it wouldn't go anywhere until my Angel were all dust and memory. The little tree did her research on it."
Angel looked up, trying to gather himself up from the ground. "I can feel it, Rupert. It's different, but not painful like the gypsy curse was. It doesn't make me want to... how did you put it? doesn't make me want to mope in a dark corner. But I think I'd like to go home and rest now."
The two dark haired vampires carefully climbed to their feet, and slowly walked away, intent on going to Angel's apartment. If there was anything planned other than rest, Giles didn't want to know. As he was packing the candles up to take away, it occurred to him: how would he explain this to his Slayer? Undoubtedly, it would not be good if Willow's new friend Drusilla were staked, and even worse if Spike were staked, especially if his suspicions about Claiming were true.
Feeling the approach of a headache, Giles finished putting the candles into his car and drove himself back to his home. He didn't want to think any more about vampires or Claims or magic spells tonight.
End part 64.
Dru had helped her Angel back to his apartment, both of them leaning on each other far more than they wanted to admit. She could feel his muscles under his shirt, and she wanted to run her hands over him, to see if the shape of him was the same as she'd remembered for all those years, to see if he would still gasp if she nibbled and licked over the griffon on his shoulder. She wanted to make certain that he knew he didn't have to be sad and guilty and mope in the darkness anymore.
There were far more interesting things to do in the darkness. Interesting and passionate things that could be done without all this clothing on their bodies. She helped him into the apartment, discovering that he'd left his door unlocked. Careless of him, but she could hear no heartbeats from inside, sense no vampire.. no whisper of presences awaited them. She locked the door behind them, and turned to look at him, a shape in the darkness, his presence filling the air, an almost magnetic pull for her.
"My Angel, I think I should make sure that you were not hurt by all the magic." She could feel herself smiling as she walked towards him, deliberately putting a slight suggestive sway to her hips. "I think you've been neglecting yourself, not listening to the needs of your body."
She stopped in front of him, her hands running over his arms, the texture of the fabric easily noticed. She slid her arms up and over his shoulders, then down the front of his chest and under the bottom of his shirt, feeling the smooth muscles under his skin. With a sudden almost angry motion, Dru pulled the shirt up and over his head, exposing his smooth flesh to her hungry eyes. Dropping the shirt to the floor, she smiled.
"Princess will make certain you aren't moping or brooding for the rest of the night." Reaching back, she tugged the zipper of her dress down, and shrugged out of it, letting the fabric slide to the floor, smiling at the almost hungry look that lit in his eyes as he saw her own pale skin, only a few delicate bits of lace and her shoes standing between her and complete nudity.
Suddenly, his hands were sliding over her, and their mouths had locked together, tasting and exploring each other. Somehow, they found their way to the bedroom, and collapsed onto the bed, the dark red silk of the sheets folding over their bodies.
There was no brooding that night.
Spike had taken Willow to his car, worried that the spell might have exhausted her too much. She looked pale, and hadn't the watcher said something about making certain that she ate something to give her energy? Perhaps before they went back to her house, he should stop somewhere to get her some food. There was this little all night diner on the edge of town, mainly frequented by truck drivers and the occasional 'tourist'. It would be open, and there shouldn't be to many odd questions or concerns.
Willow didn't protest the suggestion, instead merely murmuring something that he couldn't quite decipher. She fastened herself into the seat belt, clearly a gesture of habit, and simply leaned against the door, her eyelids sinking down as if heavy. She was asleep leaning against the window of his car when they arrived at the diner.
"Red? Willow-mine, we need to get some food into you." Carefully, he opened the car door, shaking her shoulder slightly, enough that she woke up. She smiled up at him, her eyes still heavy with sleep.
"I think we need to step in here and get you some food. Anything in particular strike your fancy?"
They ended up inside, and he simply got himself a coffee, figuring that if he had something, it would look more normal. Willow ordered a big plate of blueberry pancakes, with berries and whipped cream on top. The expression of raw hunger on her face when the food arrived made him feel oddly jealous.
It was unnatural to envy a pancake anyhow. No matter how tempting the sight of her pink tongue swirling the whipped cream from her fork was, no matter how interesting the little 'mmmmm's' of enjoyment were, or the way her eyes closed and she got this little look of bliss while she swallowed...
He was jealous of the pancakes. Damn.
End part 65.
Finally, Spike could take no more. The sight of Willow licking the traces of berries and cream from her fork was not only making him jealous of the pancakes, it was making him think of all sorts of more personal places that he'd like her tongue to wrap over and around. He could just imagine her, her eyes darkened with passion, looking up at him through her lashes as she licked over his...
That train of thought was not helping. Not while they were in the middle of the diner, not while there were people watching. He had been wanting his Willow all night, wanting to feel her warmth surrounding him, to taste the intoxicating richness of her blood again, flavored by their passion and love. Pulling out some money from his wallet, he tossed it on the table, no longer willing to wait for the waitress to bring the check.
He picked Willow up in his arms, feeling his body tighten inside at her presence, and carried her out to the car, now far more impatient to get her to somewhere private than he'd been before. She was clinging to him, her head tucked onto his chest, her breath teasing it's way though his shirt to warm him. She wrapped her arm around him, her fingers sliding into his hair, caressing the base of his skull, her soft giggles letting him know that she knew what he was thinking, knew that he wanted nothing more than to take her home and explore every inch of her body all over again.
The trip to her house was a blur, and the next thing that was clear to him, they were in her room, clothing falling to the floor, hands all over each other, unwilling to wait just a few moments longer. They had a great deal of passion and impatience to deal with.
Later, as he lay in her bed, their bodies curled around each other, listening to the soft sound of Willow breathing, it occurred to Spike that Dru had glowed briefly, much like Angel had. With Angel, the glow had been an indication of the spell binding his soul. Did that mean that Dru had a soul as well? Or had she simply been somehow bound to Angel's soul, strengthening the bond that had already existed of Sire and Childe?
Had a measure of her mood swings came from the friction of the urges of her vampiric nature and a mortal soul? She had seemed more irritable and moody after... well, after the Kalderash spell. Had that been more than simply her uncertainty from Angelus vanishing, more than Darla's temper tantrum? If the spell had given Angelus and Dru both souls, did that mean he'd been given one as well? Eeehh, the thought made him shudder. Near as he could tell, the soul had mostly brought Angelus or Angel misery, and if Dru'd got one, it hadn't really helped her either.
He'd simply found himself responsible for the remnant of his family, responsible for Dru as he'd once been responsible for his mother in his mortal days. He'd had to remake himself again to become the responsible protector, to watch over Dru when she couldn't watch over herself. It was in some ways a reversal of the remaking he'd done after his turning, once again he took things seriously, once again he had to ponder consequences, although they were still often pondered after it was to late, like wondering if the demon he'd just killed had packmates that would be after him. Before, he would never have worried about it. But there was no internal conflict for him, no argument of soul against demon such as Angel had described experiencing. He was simply a blend of traits from his mortal days and his reckless vampire nights.
Willow shifted against him, her hand sliding over his chest, coming to rest over his navel. Her breath was now curling over her Claim on this neck, and that combined with the heat from her body, distracted him from introspection. He could feel the warm shape of her leg as it rested over his, feel the softness of her bare skin, still scented with the oil that she and Dru had used for their soul ritual, something slightly sweet and slightly spicy.
He could think of far better things to do than ponder nights long gone and how he'd changed through the years. His mate, his sweet wonderful Willow was here, curled so trustingly with him, sleeping peacefully. He could think of several interesting ways to wake her up... yes, silk scarves and rose petals and hmm... oh, he was definitely going to have to wake up Willow. She'd love that idea.
End part 66.
No matter how interesting the weekend turned out to be, it couldn't last forever. Eventually, as inevitably had to happen, Monday rolled around, and with it came school. Willow hadn't wanted to go, staying at home with Spike sounded much much more tempting. Especially after the way he'd woken her up, silk scarves wrapped around her body and rose petals scattered over the bed... mmm. But it had occurred to her that if she didn't go to school, someone would notice her absence.
The last thing that she needed for her relationship with Spike was Buffy kicking down the door to find out why Willow hadn't been in school and trying to stake her mate. That would definitely put a strain on her friendship with Buffy, and while the idea of playing Nurse Willow tending Patient Spike had some interesting possibilities, she'd rather it not be from actual injuries.
With reluctance, she had got ready for school, wearing one of the pairs of leather pants that she and Spike had bought on their shopping trip, in midnight blue, deciding that it went well with the light blue high collared blouse with sheer sleeves. The blouse concealed the bite mark on her neck, which had been renewed during their weekend's activities. She didn't think seeing Spike's Claim would be the best way for her friends to learn that her boyfriend was a vampire.
She went to school, again having all the attention from the people that used to ignore her. She got to hear all about Xander's date with Amy, how they had gone to a movie and had a lot of fun. She had also heard far more than she'd cared about Buffy's date with Scott that Saturday. They'd gone to the beach, and played in the water, and both of them had got sunburned, but they had 'a wonderful time'.
Finally, Buffy looked at Willow, and with a small smile, spoke again. "So, Wills. What did you do this weekend? Anything interesting?"
Willow looked at her, feeling a bit annoyed at the expression on her friends face, the one that implied that Willow's weekend couldn't have been very interesting, and felt the urge to tell her everything that she'd done since Friday. She resisted, at least partly. "Well, Friday was pretty much a lot of studying, but Saturday, I made Spike jealous of a plate of blueberry pancakes before taking him home for hours of passionate sex."
Having said that, she left the lunchroom, ignoring the wide eyes, gape-jawed expressions of Buffy and Xander, neither of whom could quite believe that Willow had just said that. With a straight face. Something very strange was definitely going on. Buffy immediately suggested going to Giles. Willow had be possessed, or under some sort of spell to be making remarks like that.
Immediately, they rushed to the library, wanting to Giles about Willow. The sooner they told Giles, the sooner they could figure out what was wrong and fix Willow. She just didn't say things like that... or wear leather pants. Definitely possessed.
"Giles! There's something wrong with Willow... and umm so very sorry to interrupt you and Miss Calander... umm... whatever it is that you were doing." Xander had been speaking before he had gotten a good look inside the library, and only to late realized that Miss Calander was sitting on Giles' lap, essentially straddling him, one hand on the side of his face. He was turning an interesting shade of crimson from seeing Giles in such a position.
Buffy stared, her mind attempting to deny the sight of the computer teacher sitting on Giles like that. Thankfully, Miss Calander was wearing pants, but... Buffy did not want to think of her watcher doing things like that. Ever.
Giles muttered something while looking skyward, possibly asking higher powers to save him from interrupting teenagers. The look that he shot towards Xander and Buffy was not a happy one. "What makes you think something is wrong with Willow?"
Xander paused, and closed his eyes. After a few moments, he spoke. "She was wearing leather pants. Tight leather pants, something that didn't look Willow-y at all. And then there was what she said... without blushing. There was something about making her boyfriend Spike jealous of blueberry pancakes and then she said... she said..."
Buffy filled in the rest for Xander, since he obviously wasn't having much luck getting those words out. "She said she took him home for hours of passionate sex. That is definitely not Willow-y. So, you see why something has to be going on with her."
Giles simply sighed, resting his head against Jenny's. This would be a very long explanation, and he didn't even have or want all of the information. "Willow has a boyfriend named Spike. He's older, and she seems very taken with him. While I neither know or wish to know about the accuracy of her ahh... summary of her weekend activities, I do know that you most likely have been busy talking about your own relationship issues rather than asking Willow about her life."
Buffy and Xander could only leave the library, feeling vaguely shamed by Giles' words. Possibly they could watch to see if Willow was showing any other behavior changes?
End part 67.
Buffy was muttering as they left the library, partly to Xander, partly to herself. "Willow and her boyfriend... the blond from the Espresso Pump. Why does Giles think I haven't been listening to Willow. I listen, really, It doesn't have to be about me all the time! I know what's going on in Willow's life..."
She walked past a group of guys talking about seeing Willow at the store, coming out of the leather shop with bags of stuff, walking with her blond boyfriend. They were also commenting that Rosenberg was 'unexpectedly hot' since she'd lost the fuzzy sweaters.
Xander could feel himself tensing as he heard the jocks talk. That was his best friend they were talking about like that! She didn't need half the school thinking that she was 'hot' or speculating about... good lord, that store sold what?!? "Oh, man... what has this guy done to Wills? Is this all his fault or... have we missed a few important things from our favorite redhead?"
Xander wanted to believe that Willow was still herself, that she wasn't possessed or enchanted or under any supernatural influences. It would be slightly better if this new behavior was because of Willow's new boyfriend. But... what if it was just Willow, finally given an opportunity to be more than a study-buddy? How would he cope if that were the case? Could he adjust to the idea of a sexual Willow? He'd have to, if he didn't want to lose his friend. Xander then realized that Buffy was still muttering about how she was Willow's friend, and she should know what was going on with Willow's life and there was no way that things between Willow and this Spike could be that serious.
Xander was beginning to think that Buffy was wrong. He had to talk to Willow. He was definitely hoping that the whole hours of sex comment was just for effect, that it wasn't the truth about her weekend. He just couldn't picture Willow that way. He left Buffy to go up the stairs, on his way to his math class, where he was hoping to follow some of the explanation of geometric laws.
After school, Xander met Amy, giving her a hug and a slightly hesitant kiss on the cheek. They'd gone out, and had fun, but this was still new between them. He didn't want to try too much too fast... and what if she didn't want him kissing her in front of everyone? She was hugging back though, and sort of tucking her head a bit and blushing. Not pulling away... maybe she was just feeling nervous about this new... something like he was?
"Hey Xan. umm I think I saw a couple of the cheerleaders trying to go find Willow and corner her for information on her boyfriend. Maybe we should go save her?" Amy was still blushing, but there was a certain twinkle in her eyes, a bit of smile at her lips that said she wasn't upset.
So, they went to the side court, where Xander knew that Willow exited the building after school. Willow was there, her fiery hair the easiest way to pick her out from the crowd of students milling about, or walking purposefully this way and that. They slipped through, and Xan reached out, tapping Willow's elbow to get her attention.
"C'mon, Amy spotted cheerleaders after you to ask about blondie-boy. Amy and I are here to save you."
Willow smiled at them, and they walked away from the school, eventually stopping at a small park on the way to Willow's house.
Amy looked at Willow, a slight grin on her face. "So... tell me some about this guy... and why is Buffy talking to herself today?"
Willow looked up, momentarily confused. "Buffy talking to herself? Ohh, umm I made this comment at lunch that wasn't what she expected. She must think I'm possessed or something. Is she still... uumm wigged?"
Amy and Xander both laughed, having seen Buffy still muttering about Willow at the end of school. Buffy was definitely still wigged by Willow's comment.
"Umm let's see. His name is Spike, well, actually, that's more of a nick-name, but it's what he uses. He was born in London, but he's traveled a lot. He's umm older than I am, and we intend to have a long and happy future together. You might have heard that we went to the mall last week, I got rid of some of the stuff from my closet that I hated."
Amy looked at Willow, as if she was inspecting something that Xander couldn't see, and then said something that confused Xander even further. "Why did your aura change? It looks different than it did last month..."
Willow sighed, one finger tucking her hair behind her ear. "That's... umm a bit complicated. I made a new friend, her name is Drusilla, and we've done a few spells... There was a big one this weekend. Or maybe... umm... maybe it has to do with Spike. See, umm... when I said he was older, I mean... oh, Xan, I want you to stay calm, okay? But, umm, Spike's a vampire. We've sort of... umm... we Claimed each other, so that's probably what Amy's picking up. He told me that it would leave a sign that could be felt."
Xander's eyes went very wide, and his jaw dropped. He tried to say something, but he only managed a few vowel sounds of surprise. That was not what he was expecting Willow to say about her boyfriend. Finally, he managed something slightly better than vowel noises. "Why... how... but, vampire! Biting... uhh... bad!"
Willow looked like she was trying not to laugh. "I know he's a vampire. As for the biting... " here Willow paused, as if remembering something. "There was no bad biting involved. The why and how... well, you know how someone ends up as a vampire. Spike loves me. Why should it matter that he's a vampire?"
End part 68