Chapter Ten

"What if we land when the suns up?" Willow asked as she boarded the private jet. Her body ached from the previous night and she found herself unable to look him in the eye.

"We won't disembark until sundown tomorrow. Relax love," Spike pulled her into his arms as the flight attendant shut the door behind them. He waved her away and settled into a chair with Willow in his lap. She tried to move from his embrace but Spike tightened his embrace, he pressed his face into the curve of her neck and sucked it teasingly.

"Spike, don't...please." She whispered horrified as his hand slipped beneath her top. She pushed herself free from his lap and moved into a large leather seat, she felt as if she were sitting in a cloud and she bit back a sigh. She buckled her seatbelt and flipped the blind up so she could see the tarmac. Spike watched her, drumming his fingers against the armrest. She had been skittish around him since he'd woke her up that evening, she wouldn't look him in the eye and she blushed if she so much as turned towards him. He smiled to himself, once they were settled in his lair in London he would turn her – she wouldn't be skittish then. As the plane began to pick up momentum he saw tears trickling down Willow's cheeks and she pulled the blind down violently as the plane lifted from the tarmac and sailed into the air. Once they were at a safe altitude she unclipped her belt and fled into the bathroom, his ears pricked at the sound of her sobs. What must it be like to know you're going to die? He'd never known of vampires whilst he was mortal, would he have been frightened if he did know of them? Would he have been scared of what he would become? He was yet to meet someone who knew they faced becoming a vampire. Even Drusilla had thought she would simply die; it wasn't until the last moment that Angelus had changed his mind. He clenched his fist thinking of Drusilla and the disgusting mess that was the Chaos demon she'd left him for.

"Willow!" He yelled knocking on the bathroom door.

"Leave me alone!" Her voice was thick and wavered. Spike debated whether to break the door down or to leave her in peace, he decided leaving her to be was probably the wisest choice right then. He wandered how she would feel about his London lair; he wouldn't be bringing her to motels or hotels anymore. Now she would live like him. When she finally emerged her cheeks were puffy, her eyes raw from her tears. Spike poured her a glass of whiskey and passed it to her wordlessly. "Thank you," she knocked it back with a grimace and passed him the empty glass back. There was a bed tucked away behind a partition, Willow lay down and curled into a tight ball.

When Spike checked on her she had thrown the duvet from the bed and had flung her arms over her face as if trying to defend herself. Gently he pulled her arms from her face and rested them beside her; he pulled the duvet over them both and pulled her close as the plane flew over the Atlantic.

Willow's eyes blinked as she tried to adjust to the over bright lights of Heathrow airport. She spied a sign to the ladies pointing towards the opposite end of the terminal. "Spike...do you mind?" She nodded towards the signs and Spike nodded. She hurried off excited to be able to put some sort of distance between the two of them. Dare she risk running away? You don't know where you are, you don't know the first thing about London. If you run away now he'll catch you, and he won't hesitate to turn you once he's caught you. Spike had not mentioned when he would kill her, but she knew it would most likely be soon. She would have to be quick yet careful if she was to escape him. As she emerged from the toilets a hand whipped her around the corner and she gave a startled gasp.

"Angel!" Never before had she been so glad to see Angel, she flung her arms around his neck and bit back a sob. "What are you doing here?"

"I guessed Spike would bring you here, he must have forgotten that I know some of his habits." He hugged her back lightly and gripped her chin to study her eyes as he pulled away.

"He hasn't...I'm not..." Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked them away. "Please take me home, now..."

"I am here to take you home, but not now." He slipped a crumpled piece of paper into her hands. "Tomorrow at sunrise as soon as Spike sleeps come to this address. A lady with red hair will let you in, Alessandra. Only come in when she is at the door, she knows who you are and she will expect you to come."

"What if I can't get away?"

"Then I will not be able to bring you back to Sunnydale." Willow looked at him hurt, "this isn't a game Willow. Tomorrow is your only chance – Spike won't wait long to turn you, I'm surprised he's waited this long. I won't bring you home if he turns you."

"Will you kill me?"

"I will help you Willow. No matter what, I give you my word." Angel kissed her lightly on the cheek and turned to walk away. Willow glanced at the crumpled paper in her pocket and quickly shoved it in her pocket.

Spike had followed Willow towards the toilets, keeping to the crowds so that she wouldn't see him. As she emerged he saw her disappear behind a corner and he felt his face harden. Before someone could notice he shook his head and walked carelessly forwards, keeping the toilets on his right so that eventually he could see who had grabbed her. Angelus. He fought to keep his face human, he should have known Buffy would send her dog to bring Willow home. As Angelus turned and left the witch alone he turned his back and stared up at a departure board, pretending to be engrossed in the various flights.

"Spike?" Willow touched his arm gently, she seemed more nervous than she had been with him. As if she was hiding something. His eyes swept over her and he knew better than to challenge her, let her believe she was safe. That he was naive. She would learn soon enough.

"C'mon love," he wrapped an arm around her shoulders possessively and squeezed her tightly against him. "Come an' see your new home."