Willow knocked on Giles' door. 'Why does Buffy want to meet here?' she wondered.
"Willow! Glad you could come so quickly!" Buffy commented as she opened the door.
"Well, your call sounded urgent," Willow told her as she walked in.
"It is. I need your help," Buffy stated.
"What with?" Willow asked.
She then sat down and made herself comfy. "Spike."
'Not him again!' Willow thought. 'Wish I could just stake him. But it would be wrong to kill a helpless creature!'
"What about Spike?"
"I need a truth spell—to see if he's telling us the truth," Buffy explained.
"Oh," willow stated.
That didn't sound too hard and afterwards she could mourn the loss of Oz. Willow quickly left and retrieved her spell book. "Hey, Red! What's cooking in that mind of yours?" Spike asked as she sat down in front of the chained vamp.
"Shut up!" Willow chided.
She then took a deep breath in order to concentrate. She didn't want the spell to be messed up. "Verdad salir," Willow said carefully.
Spike laughed dryly. "What's that love?"
"Truth spell. You like?" Willow answered.
"No. They're a pain--" Spike stopped suddenly. "You put one on me? With one of those bloody no-lies-if-it's-a-direct-question?"
"Well, yeah it's the most efficient--"Willow trailed off and covered her mouth.
Her spell was only supposed to work on Spike not her too. "What's wrong pet? Not countin' on being affected too? Guess you got it wrong! 'Specially since you only have to say a little truth before you're free!" Spike stated gleefully as he rattled his chains.
"Hey!" Willow protested.
'What right did he have to insult my wiccan skills?' she thought.
"Let's make this a fun experience since we're both doomed to tell the truth for a while. You ask me a question and I'll ask you one. But you have to tell all, love, no stopping once you've told enough to be off the hook," Spike explained.
'This'll be so much bloody fun. Almost as fun as biting her but not quite.'
"Fine, but I go first!" Willow said.
Spike nodded, wanting his turn to be over with so he could have fun with the redhead. "How do you know so much about these types of spells?" Willow questioned.
Spike glared. He hadn't been expecting THAT question. "I'm from the bloody order of Aurelius. Strong magick runs in the family and I've encountered the infamous truth spell several times. Dru loved to use it on her victims," Spike answered.
"Hmm. How come magick runs in your family?"
"Apparently the Master ate a gypsy, gained their powers and passed them on to everyone he sired after that," Spike told her.
"Oh."
"What really happened between you and dogboy?"
Spike had been wondering about that ever since Willow had mentioned that Oz broke up with her.
Willow took a deep breath and braced herself for the stream of words that were about to come out. "He was falling for another werewolf, Veruca, and I tried to get revenge and then he left because he couldn't control his wolfy side!" Willow said.
"Sounds exactly like someone who wouldn't know a good girlfriend if he saw one!" Spike replied.
"Can you do magick?"
"Yeah but if I do too much I'll become addicted so I don't do any. The more powerful spells you do, the more addicted you get. Stuff you do wouldn't cause that."
Willow felt a sudden sense of hope. Spike could help her become a better Wicca. If he would only be willing. 'It wouldn't hurt to ask!' she thought.
"Could you help me become more advanced in spell casting?"
"Sure," Spike replied immediately.
He frowned. 'Why did I agree?' he thought.
"You're really breaking the rules, Red!" Spike told her.
"Sorry. One more. Did you tell Buffy the truth about the soldier boys?"
"Of course. Now for mine. Are upset that Oz left you?"
"No," Willow said surprising both herself and Spike.
Before they knew it, they were kissing. Spike and Willow pulled away seconds later, both disgusted with what had just happened. "That was a-a glitch in my spell. It meant nothing. Forget it happened. I don't love you!" Willow exclaimed.
"Got that right!" Spike agreed.
Willow did her best to avoid Spike after that. She figured maybe eventually her conflicting feelings for Spike would leave and she would be completely over Oz.
Willow slowly walked down to the basement of Xander's home wondering what was so urgent. Instead of finding Xander, she found Spike getting ready to dust himself. "Spike! What are you doing?" she cried out.
"What's it look like?" he retorted.
"You can't stake yourself!" she exclaimed.
" Why not? I'm useless even Buffy thinks so. Not to mention I can't fix a bloody pipe leak!" Spike said.
"Buffy doesn't think you're useless!" Willow argued.
"Right, that's why she's stopped thinking of me as a danger and more of just a harmless puppy who has inside info!" Spike replied. "No one would care if I was gone. World would be better off."
"I care. Sure you look completely wild in that Hawaiian shirt but you can't just stake yourself. You're helping me with magick and you're really understanding!" Willow told him.
"Fine, I won't stake myself but only 'cause I like you!"
"What's that mean?"
"What do you bloody think?"
Willow's green eyes got huge and Spike quickly said, "As a human, person, friend. I wouldn't eat you just turn you if I could. So our friendship could last forever."
Willow smiled. 'At least he doesn't love me. If only I could be sure that I didn't love him!'
