1860 – London, England – Early Autumn

Spike felt like a real pillock for letting it all happen and a big part of him wanted to turn away and not watch all the destruction, but he couldn't help it. Part of it was an evil thing. Just because he was house broken didn't mean all his urges had gone away and watching Angelus work was something else. And another part was just because he felt the need to keep a record.

He watched while Angelus tore Drusilla's family apart one by one. Starting with the more distant relatives, cousins, aunts and uncles, he maliciously murdered each one and made sure that she was the one that found them. When he killed her mother, he left her body naked and spread eagle. That was the first sign of Drusilla's sanity cracking. He left her father in much the same state. When it came time for Drusilla's precious sisters, he raped them in front of her before killing them and leaving her with the bodies.

That was when she fled to the convent and for a while she must have felt safe.

But Spike and Willow followed Angelus and Darla to the convent and watched while they killed all the nuns, shagged in the middle of the slaughter, practically on top of a raving mad Drusilla, before Angelus turned her.

Spike watched the slaughter of the nuns with a sort of glee, while Willow closed her eyes and hid her face in his chest, which would have been a strange sight to anyone looking as Willow was wearing her men's attire. But not even Spike could enjoy the torment on Drusilla's face when the last of her reality snapped like the bones of a rodent being squeezed by a boa constrictor. And he saw exactly what laid the death blow to her sanity. It wasn't all the murder, but the joy Angelus and Darla took in committing the murders.

Willow watched the last bit with tears in her eyes. Spike wasn't sure why he brought Willow to this, it just felt like the thing to do. He was closing a chapter in his life and he wanted her there with him when he did. But the look on her face told him that it was a bad idea. Carnage was not something that would sit well with his girl. For as much as he killed her every night, she didn't enjoy watching death with a smile.

"Let's get out of here," he whispered to her guiding her away from the scene.

She nodded her head and let herself be led away.

The horses were tied up quite a ways away so as to not be noticed by Angelus and Darla and Spike and Willow were no where near them when Willow was pulled out of his grasp and strong arms were pulling at him. He was face to face with Angelus and Willow was being held firm in Darla's arms.

"Well, well, well, let's see what we have. Peeping toms?" Darla cooed.

Angelus however didn't seem so relaxed. He looked confused and angry. "I know you."

Spike struggled to get free, but Angelus's hands were like steel. "Get the hell off me you pillock!"

Looking from Spike to Willow and back again, Angelus started crushing Spike's arms with his grip. "Willow? William? How the hell?"

Willow was calm. "We could ask you the same question but I think we all know the answer."

"Vampires?" Angelus asked.

Spike was about to agree with that statement thinking that it would get them free, but Darla had to be too damn observant. "This one isn't. She has a heartbeat and breathes."

Angelus slipped into his vampire face and growled. "What are the two of you?"

Thinking quickly, Spike said the only thing he could... taking from a vague recollection of vampire fiction. "I'm a vampire and she's my human slave. There was a ritual and now she's tied to me. She won't die unless I do." He let his vampire features show.

"Interesting," Angelus said. "How does this slave thing work?"

Much to Spike's relief, Angelus's grip relaxed. Spike took the opportunity and twisted his arms out of the grasp completely and headbutted the other vampire. Meanwhile, Willow did something to throw Darla back, probably something magical and they took off running hand in hand for the horses. Willow was muttering under her breath the entire time. He wasn't entirely sure what she was going on about, but if it had anything to do with the fact that Angelus and Darla weren't chasing them he'd have to thank her later.

When they reached the horses, Willow looked about ready to faint and Spike was concerned. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I'm fine... I just can't hold them back any longer. We've got to hurry." And with that she lifted herself up onto her horse.

Spike did the same and it was none too soon because he could hear hoof beats behind them. Angelus and Darla no doubt. Willow waited for him and they went off together, thundering through the near empty streets. They really needed to lose their vampire tails.

Taking the lead, Spike took them through tight quick turns, trying to lose Angelus and Darla but they were having no luck. It seemed that the pair were expert horsemen and even with their head start there was no losing them. Scenery was flying past them and Spike was now heading them out into the open where there were no buildings to hide hoping that it would scare Angelus and Darla away with the coming morning. Sunrise was still an itch that Spike could feel well before the sky ever showed signs of the sun. It wouldn't be long. If Darla and Angelus didn't turn back soon they would be fried.

The chase went on until the sky started to lighten with the coming dawn. And finally the hoof beats behind them were retreating. If they hurried and their horses didn't give out the two might actually make it to shelter before the sun set them on fire.

Slowing their horses and turning around Spike and Willow watched them retreat.

"Well I guess this means we'll be leaving London," Willow said.

"Which is too bad really, I was just teaching the Disher boy how to give proper head," Spike said purposely ignoring the fact that he had learned the boy's first name.

Willow laughed and headed her horse back towards the city at a slow trot. He followed her.

XxXx

The problem with Italy was that they didn't speak a word of Italian (or enough French in this case) and this was before everyone in the world started speaking English as a second language, so Willow and Spike were having a bitch of time trying to get things taken care of. It wasn't until their third day there that they found someone that spoke passable English who could translate for them. As it turned out Spike, for all his age and traveling, never bothered to learn any other languages. And Willow barely remembered any French from her high school classes.

After a week of living off their savings, Willow decided that they should consider looking for some kind of work. Learn the language. Start to try and settle down. Something. Because while they had some money, they weren't exactly swimming in it at the moment. Spike was being extra frugal which meant that he wanted it to last. They were staying in a one-room flat in the poorer end of a village that Willow couldn't even pronounce the name of properly, Sestriere, just 17 kilometers from the French border.

And what were they supposed to invest in here that would make them money? Willow didn't know and neither did Spike. It seemed that they needed to find jobs; something that was going to be difficult with the language barrier. But Willow was determined.

"We need to talk about finances, Spike." She wasn't going to put this conversation off any longer. They needed to discuss it now.

"We're fine, luv, so long as we don't spend like fools we can make our money last a good long time. And we even still have money back in London making us more money. We're fine. We aren't going to be homeless anytime soon. I've got it all covered." He was sitting at the table pouring a glass of wine.

Willow squinted at him. "Define 'a good long time' please."

He stood up and put his hands on her shoulders. "At least a decade and a half by just what we have now. That's not including what our money in London is doing."

She gawked at him. Not having had any clue that they had that type of money, Willow needed to sit down. "But we have to be careful with that money for it to last that long, right?"

"Right. We won't be living it up for a while yet. But it won't be too long before we're rolling in dough. Soon I'll know exactly what to do with our money and when and we won't have to worry about a thing." Spike carded his fingers through her hair. "So you know how you always worry that we're taking other people's jobs? We don't have to do that anymore."

That was at least one thing that Willow could be relieved about. It was nice to not have that worry dancing over her head.

"So, luv, what would you like to do?" Spike asked.

"If we're going to stick around here, we should learn at least one of the languages. I know some French from school, but my dialect seems to be off. I can't understand what people are saying."

"Let's talk smaller. What do you want to do right now?" he asked.

"Take a walk?" She looked out the window. It was almost sunset but she wanted to get out of the flat.

"Then we'll take a walk. It should be a lovely night. But put something warm on. It'll be cold."

Willow got her sweater and put it on over her dress and they left the flat just the way it was.

XxXx

It was a cool night especially this high up in altitude but they watched the sun set and moon and stars come out in all their glory.

"It's nice here," Willow said. "The stars are amazing. Look at all of them. There's barely any space between them."

Spike looked up at the sky and put an arm around his wife, "Yeah."

"The stars are amazing," said Angelus from behind them.

"They speak to me," Drusilla added as Spike and Willow turned to face them.

Darla laughed. "They don't look happy to see us."

There was no way Spike and Willow could run. Willow was only human and would be caught very easily. And it was nowhere near dawn, so they were stuck.

Spike put himself between the trio of vampires and Willow even though there was no way for them to kill her, he still felt the need to protect Willow, especially from Angelus. He was calculating the odds of getting back to their flat and waiting out the sun, but the odds were slim.

"I believe I was asking a question before you rudely interrupted me last time," Angelus said smoothly while he and Darla moved so that Willow and Spike were surrounded. "Tell me about this human slave thing."

Thinking quickly Spike said, "Why don't we go back to our flat and sit and explain it to you. It's all rather in depth." He was hoping to get he and Willow in the door before the trio of vampires asked for an invitation from Willow, the only person capable of inviting them into the flat.