Inell's Fanfiction Archive

"Hi honey, I'm home," Buffy said with a smile as she began to hit Spike. He fought her as she kicked and punched, finally sending him to the ground. She lifted him to his feet, smiling as she said, "You know what? It's good to be me."

She hit him again before pushing him against the wall with all of her strength. Buffy watched Spike leave the warehouse, a triumphant yet tired smile on her face. She looked at her friends, moving towards them.

"Hey, Buff. Welcome back!" Xander said with a dazed look in his brown eyes.

"Yeah, you too," Buffy replied.

"You guys remember what happened?" Cordelia asked, relieved to see that Buffy was no longer the clinging wimp that she had been not five minutes before.

"It was way creepy," Xander said making a face, "like I was there, but I couldn't get out."

Cordelia looked at Angel, giving him her most flirtatious smile, "I know the feeling. This outfit is totally skin tight...."

Angel ignored her, moving towards Buffy, "You okay?"

"Yeah," she smiled at him as he took her arm and moved her towards the door.

"Hello? It felt like I was talking," Cordelia said, staring after them in disbelief, "My lips were moving."

"Give it up, Cordy," Xander said, rolling his eyes. "You're never going to get between those two. Believe me, I know."

Cordelia sighed before turning, looking at all the trick or treaters, "I guess we should get them back to their parents."

"Yeah, it seems like everybody is..." Xander stopped as he looked around, realizing someone was missing, "Where's Willow?"

********************

Willow sat up slowly, looking around and realizing that she was back on Mrs. Parker's porch. The spell must have ended. She had been at some warehouse, standing beside Xander as he had aimed his gun at Spike, then whoosh, she was back on the porch. She got to her feet, leaving the sheet on the porch. She glanced at her costume then back at the sheet. With a small smile, she turned and walked down the stairs. She needed to find her friends, make sure they were okay.

********

That damn bitch had beat him, again. Spike ran the back of his hand over his mouth, tasting the coppery taste of his own blood. He had almost had her this time. He had been so close, only to have victory rudely taken away. He had no idea what had caused the slayer to be so weak, but he'd loved it. The scent of her fear, the knowledge that her life was in his hands. It had been the most fun he'd had in weeks. Now, she was probably laughing about it with the wanker. He still couldn't believe that Angelus was fighting with her, soul or no soul. That made him even more angry than losing this round to the bottled blonde bitch. He'd hoped to give her to Drusilla as a prezzie, something to cheer his sire up. Since Prague, she'd been so weak. A slayer would have made a nice pick me up. Now, he was going back to tell her that he'd lost another round with the bitch.

Spike tossed his cigarette to the ground as he kicked a trash can. He smiled at the noise, wishing it were the slayer's bony ass he was kicking. What really bothered him the most was that she wasn't all that good. Sure, she could fight. But, all slayers could fight. If it hadn't been for her little group of followers and his damn grandsire, he could have had her before whatever spell she was under had worn off. No, he couldn't get lucky. Someone, somewhere always saw to that. He'd come to this town to fix Drusilla, get his Princess back. Now, he knew he wouldn't be leaving until the slayer was defeated. Third time was the charm, after all. The previous two slayers that he'd killed had been fun to play with, but they'd died rather easily. This bitch was going to be tough. Of course, killing her wasn't the only solution to his problem. Torture might be nice. Get the blood back in Dru's cheeks.

Of course, if their fights always ended with him losing, it was going to get old pretty fast. He wasn't the most patient man, already getting bored with this stupid town and the idiots that lived there. He wanted to win, damn it. It was now a matter of pride. He wanted that scrawny ass bitch telling everyone that he was better than her, that he was a winner. Let's see if Angelus looked at him with disgust when the slayer lost. He frowned as he realized that thinking of beating the bitch wasn't helping his mood. She'd hit him pretty hard, drawing blood and knocking him against the wall. Had he been weak, he might be in pain. Instead, he was just angry. He wanted to kill something, he decided. Find some nice little girl for a spot of torture and then dinner. He could bring his Princess some take out.

He turned down a tree-lined street, his eyes looking around in disgust. This town was supposed to be the mouth to hell, yet it seemed more like Hell itself to him. The stench of demons, the stupidity of everyone around him, the damn slayer. It all made for a right horrid little nightmare. Only good thing seemed to be that Drusilla was improving slightly. She was starting to get back to her normal self, the moments of clarity increasing. She still hadn't told him exactly why they were there, telling him to trust the stars. That was a joke. He didn't trust anyone or anything. A flash of red suddenly caught his attention. His blue eyes narrowed as he saw a girl walking on the other side of the street ahead of him. She looked familiar, he realized. He studied her for a moment before he remembered where he had seen her. This was too perfect, he decided. The slayer's little friend from earlier at the warehouse. Poor little Red, all by herself, no slayer to protect her from the big bad wolf. At the moment, he couldn't torture the slayer, but maybe she'd feel it if he fucked with her little friend. A wicked gleam entered his eyes as he smiled. He began to whistle softly as he crossed the street, following after the redhead. It seemed that today might just be his lucky day after all.

********************

Willow stopped at the corner of Park and Cherry, a thoughtful look crossing her pretty face. If she turned left, she'd end up walking towards the warehouse district where she had last seen her friends. If she turned right, she'd be headed towards their neighborhood. She glanced at her wrist, cursing softly when she remembered that she had removed her watch at Buffy's insistence that it did not go with her costume. She had no idea how long it been since she had been transformed back into her original costume. She seriously doubted that the gang had remained at the warehouse after finishing the fight with Spike, but there was a slight chance that they had waited for her to join them.

If she went to the warehouse, though, and they had left, it would end up taking her at least an hour round trip to end up back where she could have gone in the first place. Of course, if she went to Buffy's house and the slayer wasn't home, she'd end up taking even longer in the end. It was times like this that she wished Buffy wore some sort of tracking device. Smiling at that thought, Willow shook her head as she looked down one street then down the other. That might make an interesting Christmas gift, she decided. A two-way radio for patrol might be good. She mentally added that to her Christmas list, deciding that she could invest in six of them, give one to each of the group for times that they were separated and such. She could probably find some pretty good ones on sale after Thanksgiving.

Her attention was drawn to a group of children laughing as they came down the street. Their costumes were cute, their happiness evident. A nostalgic smile crossed her face as she remembered being like them not many years ago. She, Xander and Jesse had loved Halloween, never knowing the danger that existed when they had been out alone. When they had been younger, Jesse's Mom had taken them out. But, by the time they were eight, they were old pros and roaming the streets alone. Knowing now what lurked in the shadows of Sunnydale, Willow had no idea how they had survived. They'd just been lucky, she guessed. Flashing back on Jesse as she had last seen him, she sighed, knowing that his lucky had finally run out during their fifteenth year. She pushed those memories from her mind, concentrating on the present.

She tugged at her skirt as she stood, still contemplating which road to take. She should have brought her sheet, she decided as the wind chilled her. It was getting colder the later it got, and her short skirt and halter top provided very little protection from the wind. How had she let Buffy talk her into wearing this get up? While she could admit that she looked better than she might have imagined, it just wasn't really her. She did like the boots, though. She finally made her decision, deciding that Buffy must surely be home by now. If she knew her best friend, the blonde would already have changed and would probably be flirting with Angel. Her decision made, she turned to the right, taking a few steps before she heard it. Leaves rustling.

She looked around, not seeing anything. It must have been the wind. She frowned as she began to walk, holding her arms across her chest as she rubbed them for warmth. She might just go home, change into something comfortable and call Buffy. That would be better than taking a chance of disturbing Buffy if Angel was over. Besides, after fighting Spike, Buffy was probably pretty tired. She'd just go home and call her friends, let them know she was fine, make sure they were okay. She moved towards the edge of the sidewalk as another group of trick or treaters passed by, her foot stepping onto the grass as they pushed past her. She waited until they had passed before moving back onto the sidewalk. Before she could take a step, she felt someone behind her. A hand moved around her neck. She started to scream only to find another hand covering her mouth. She heard a chuckle in her ear as some man whispered the words 'Too easy' and then everything went dark.

********************

Spike smiled as he stepped behind the girl, his hand taking hold of her neck as he pulled her back against him. "Too easy," he whispered as he caught her scream, squeezing slightly with his right hand until she collapsed against him. He picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. She was lighter than he'd figured, delicate little thing. If he weren't careful with her, she might break. He laughed as he made his way back to the lair. Couldn't have her breaking yet. He had plans for this little girl. He'd even added a few things after she'd spent nearly ten minutes standing at the damn corner. He'd almost made his move then, tired of standing around idle. He had been good, though, knowing that the area was too bright, a bigger chance of being seen. He didn't want anyone to know he had Red until he was ready. This time, everyone would be playing by his rules.

His left hand searched his pockets for a cigarette, finally finding his last one. He'd gone through an entire pack that day. He'd promised Dru he'd try to cut back, knowing that she wasn't fond of the smell, so he tried to smoke mostly when he was out hunting. He paused as he lit his Marlboro, inhaling deeply before letting out the smoke. Smoking did absolutely nothing for him if he were honest. He couldn't even stand the taste. But, it relaxed him. It gave him something to do with his hands. It calmed him sometimes. He could quit tomorrow, but it was habit now. At the moment, it was quieting his demon who wanted nothing more than to hurt the redhead for what the slayer had done. He was trying to be smart, trying not to give into the need for blood so quickly. It wouldn't be nearly as fun as playing with her.

Angelus had taught him well. Taught him to enjoy the anticipation, to savor the experience. He usually didn't waste the time anymore in all honesty. He'd beat 'em, bite 'em then kill 'em. This girl, though, he wanted to enjoy. For every thing the slayer had done to him, he'd make Red suffer twice as much. His lips curled into a smirk as he debated what all he would do to her. He wanted her chained up and bleeding, screaming for mercy on deaf ears. She was such a little thing, it probably wouldn't take many lashes from his whip before she was begging for her life. He was planning on leaving his mark on her, something to remind the slayer constantly of her inability to protect those she loved. He could use the new knife that Drusilla had bought him in Prague, before everything went to hell over there. He could imagine the smooth blade of the knife on her pale skin, the screams coming from her pretty lips as her blood began to flow. He groaned softly at the image, yellow flashing in his eyes as he found himself almost being able to taste her sweet blood.

He didn't plan on killing the girl. Of course, when he was through with her, she might be praying for death. Death would be nothing, far too easy. There was no fun in that, no challenge. Any fledge could kill. It took a true master to torture without the death, to know the limits and the boundaries. Besides, he wanted her to know the cost of being the slayer's little friend, to rue the day she ever helped the blonde bitch. He remembered her pointing him out to the lanky boy with the gun, knew she had been there at the warehouse. She'd wish that she'd never been born when he was finished, he decided. She'd certainly wish she'd never heard of Buffy. See how the slayer bitch liked that. Losing her friend, not to death, but to fear. He saw a light shining from the warehouse window, wondering if Dru was back. He tossed the cigarette to the ground, stomping on it before moving to their lair. Yet another thing he hated about this damn town. A smelly old warehouse as their base of operations. He couldn't wait to leave this place. He glanced at the girl, wondering how long she'd be unconscious. He frowned impatiently as he realized that he'd have to wait on her, again. His eyes narrowed in anger as he pushed open the door. She'd better not be out long. It was time to play.

********************

Spike kicked the warehouse door shut behind him, looking around the vast empty space. He heard rats scurrying, their tails scraping against the pipes. He hated this place. It was drafty and dirty and disgusting. They were hiding though. Couldn't hide very well in a nice clean house in the suburbs. Though, with the amount of demons that lurked in these abandoned warehouses, a house might be the last place the stupid slayer would think of looking. Decided that he'd broach the subject of finding a house for the remainder of their with his sire, he began the walk to their shared quarters. He could smell her scent, knew that she had again stayed in for the evening.

He adjusted the little redhead on his shoulder, worry for his sire in his blue eyes. She had been so weak since Prague. Even when she fed, she never seemed to gain any strength. He had hoped that being on the Hellmouth would help her that the power of the portal would be what she needed. So far, it hadn't. While she was slowly regaining some of her strength, she was nowhere near what she had been before. That stupid doll of hers had said that they needed Angelus for her to be strong again. Personally, he wished he'd let that damn mob have Miss. Edith. Why they needed that souled bastard was beyond his comprehension. Of course, as much as he hated having to admit it, the silly doll was usually right. That meant playing nice with Peaches. Well, that or forcing him to help. Spike felt a smile cross his face at the latter idea.

He stepped into the room, seeing Drusilla laying on the bed, her eyes looking at the ceiling. He asked softly, "Have you eaten, luv?"

Drusilla smiled but did not look at him, "You've brought us a prezzie, haven't you? A sweet innocent little prezzie to unwrap and play with."

"Yeah, I brought a prezzie, Princess," he said, tossing the redhead to the floor carelessly. He moved to the bed, his eyes softening, "You didn't answer me, Dru. Have you eaten tonight?"

"Not hungry," she said, turning her head to look at him. She touched his face, her eyes clouding, "That nasty old slayer hurt you again, didn't she?"

"Yeah, the bitch got lucky," he said with a sneer. "But I took something that belonged to her so I'd say we're even."

Drusilla smiled as she outlined his lips with her finger, "I can feel your anger, my boy. Such wonderful anger. The power is barely restrained. May I see my prezzie?"

"She's down there," he said, nodding towards the floor. "One of the slayer's little shadows. Small little thing, probably not much of a challenge, but it will make that bottle blonde bitch hurt so what the hell?"

Drusilla crawled down the bed, looking over the edge at the redhead laying on the floor. She reached over and moved the girl's head, her fingers tracing the lines of the pretty face. "Pretty."

"Guess so," he snarled, having not paid much attention. "If you're into weak little humans. I just want to hear her scream, pet."

Drusilla's eyes clouded as she rested her palm on the redhead's forehead. She pulled her hand away, a small smile crossing her lips as she said, "Not so weak. This one is the slayer's best friend."

"Reason I took her, luv," he said, shrugging his leather duster off before kicking off his boots. "Hurting her will hurt the slayer."

"May I watch you play?" Drusilla asked, tearing her eyes from the pretty redhead's face to look at her childe. "I love to watch you play."

"Of course, Princess," he assured her with an easy smile, "you can even play too."

She shook her head, glancing at the girl, "No, this is your game to play. I will watch."

"Whatever," he said, moving to her side. "If you're going to watch, you need your strength. You need to eat something."

"Princess is hungry," she said, giving him a playful smile as she moved up and caught his lips. Spike pushed her away for a minute as he bit into his tongue, kissing her again as he fed her, shoving the girl out of the way as he moved closer to his sire.

********************

Willow was aware of the throbbing first. It was a terrible ache radiating throughout her entire head and down her neck. She grimaced as she swam through the pain back into consciousness. She kept her eyes closed, knowing somehow that opening them would make the pain intensify. After she had finally gained a grasp on her headache, she slowly opened one eye the shut it again, trying to block what she had seen. She had to be having a nightmare, she rationalized to herself. She tried to move her arms but found that they were restrained above her head. She heard the clang of chains from her efforts, the sound taunting her incapacitated state. She felt her arms tense in protest of her actions, seemingly weak from holding her body for who knew how long.

Willow moved her right foot, relieved in a way to find that it was not fastened down. She had a little freedom anyway. She tried the left after the right, noting that both feet were free of restraint. She had no idea where she was. All she could remember was walking home when someone had come behind her and then everything had gone black. Now, she was standing with her arms chained above her head. She could feel her clothes, so, thankfully, she was still dressed. Her shoes were gone, though, leaving her feet covered in thin black stockings. The floor was cold wherever she was, the bottoms of her feet almost numb from standing on the surface. She could feel something on the floor, dirt or grass or something that was poking through her stockings. She should have ignored Buffy and worn thick heavy socks instead of those silly thigh high stockings. But, thick socks did not match the rocker girl look that Buffy had been going through. Black silk did.

Before she could think of her situation any further, she felt someone kick the back of her knees hard, knocking her off balance. Her eyes flew open as she hung from the chains, her arms straining to keep her body balanced as she struggled to regain her footing. She gasped as her arms tried to support her full weight. Fingers wrapped in her long red hair as her head was pulled back, fear entering her eyes as she looked into a semi-familiar cold blue gaze.

"'Bout time you woke up," Spike said, his fingers tightening in her hair as he pulled her head further back, a sneer crossing his lips as he saw the pain in her green eyes, as he smelled the fear coming from her. "Starting to believe I'd kidnapped Sleeping Beauty or something."

It was then that gravity of her situation penetrated her mind. She hadn't merely been kidnapped by some demon or bad guy. No, she had been taken by Spike after he had been defeated by Buffy. He'd seen her that night, having made eye contact with her when she'd been helping Buffy. He'd frightened her then. Now, he scared her to death. She opened her mouth to ask what he had planned for her, but found that she had something gagging her. She'd been so caught up in the headache and the pain in her arms that she'd never even felt the material tied around her face. She gulped as she felt it rubbing against the sides of her mouth, biting down as she tried to get some sort of speech happening. It was no good. It had been tied tightly and blocked her from forming words. Instead, she was reduced to looking at Spike and remaining speechless.

"Looks like the little miss is all upset that she can't talk," he mocked, watching her face and clearly reading her thoughts. In her case, eyes were indeed the windows to the soul. "Don't worry, pet. I'll remove it in time to hear you scream."

"Her fear is so delicious," Drusilla spoke softly from the bed, her dark eyes watching the proceedings as a small smile remained on her lips. "Poor little kitten is scared, Spike." "Good," he said, looking at his Princess and smiling before looking back at Willow as the smile faded. "Your bitch friend pissed me off tonight, Red. Take a guess who gets to suffer for that."

Willow's eyes closed as a wave of helplessness and anger spread over her. She didn't have to guess. She knew who he planned to use for revenge against Buffy. And for the first time since she had become friends with the slayer, Willow wished they'd never met.

********************

"Look, Princess. I think she knows the answer," Spike said dryly before he released the girl's head. He kicked her legs again, a bit harder than before, watching as she struggled to stand. He felt a smile crossing his lips as he moved towards the table he had set up. This was going to be too much fun.

"She's a smart one, Spike," Drusilla agreed, moving to lay on the bed on her stomach, her chin resting in her hands as her eyes remained on Willow.

"I don't bloody care if she's a moron," Spike said, glaring at his sire as he tested the weight of the whip that he had picked up. "I just care about how loud she can scream," he continued as he swung his hand in the air, listening to the whooshing sound. This would work well, he decided. He set it down, moving to his sire. He bumped into the redhead on his way, chuckling as she remained standing this time. She was learning.

Willow watched as Spike leaned over and kissed the brunette that she assumed must be the Drusilla that she had heard about. She wondered if Buffy knew that she was missing. She somehow doubted it, knowing that her friend would assume she had made it home safely and was now sleeping. It would be early the next morning before anyone even knew she was gone, before they could begin searching. For all she knew, Spike had taken her away from Sunnydale when she had been knocked out. He was probably planning on killing her and leaving her body somewhere for Buffy. She hated the feeling of defeat that entered her head, knowing that even in the worst circumstances before, she'd maintained some sort of hope, some faith that Buffy would save her or that she'd save herself. Now, though, she felt at a loss. She was completely at Spike's mercy, and he knew it. Even if she somehow managed to get loose, she'd be facing two of the most sadistic vampires that had roamed Europe. She wasn't strong enough to kill one much less two. She was trapped.

Spike pulled back from Dru, smiling at his sire as he asked softly, "You okay, luv?"

Drusilla nodded as she smiled, "This is such fun."

"Just gonna get better," he promised as he pulled his shirt over his head, not wanting to ruin it with the little brat's blood. He walked back to her, wearing only his faded black jeans. He knew from experience that blood would wash out of those pretty easily. For some reason, it always ruined his shirts though. He didn't dwell on the reasons why as he saw her green eyes watching him warily, a bit of the earlier fight having left their depths.

Willow swallowed again as she saw his eyes. They were empty, completely void of any feelings except possibly anger. She steeled herself, waiting for him to shove her again, but he walked the other way. She relaxed her body slightly, crying out as his fist suddenly caught her in the side.

"Always be prepared for the unexpected, luv," he whispered with amusement before blowing her a kiss and moving behind her. "Your enemy is rarely going to be predictable. If he is, he's not a very challenging enemy."

Willow felt tears at the corner of her eyes as she struggled to breathe. The cloth in her mouth forcing it open was making her jaws ache, her head and the back of her neck were still throbbing, her arms were straining and becoming numb along with her feet, and now her side was hurt. She was tired and in pain and she knew it was only going to get worse. She should have stayed home and watched old horror movies. But, there was no reason to even dwell on that idea. She hadn't stayed home. She'd gone out and helped Buffy defeat a vampire that now had her completely at his mercy. And she knew she would suffer for her choice.

********************

Spike surveyed the table that he had set up to the redhead's right while she had been unconscious. He had pulled out every toy that he could find in the dismal warehouse, having lost much of his own private collection in Prague. There hadn't been much. A couple of knives, a few whips, some other instruments that he could use if needed. He could be pretty creative when he wanted to be, but, right now, he just wanted to hear some screaming. He finally chose a small but sharp knife. He held it to the light, his blue eyes moving over the blade as he slowly smiled. This would work perfectly, he decided. He started towards the redhead.

Willow had twisted her body slightly to watch him, needing to know where he was at all times. If he was going to destroy her, she wanted to see him coming. Her eyes widened when she saw him pick up the knife. One part of her almost hoped he'd just kill her quickly, take her away from this private hell before he did whatever he might do. Another part of her rebelled at that idea, wanting to fight and scream and claw her way to freedom. She moved her gaze over the table, not having a good enough vantage point to see much of what covered the wooden surface. She stiffened as he moved behind her, that coldly amusing smile on his face chilling her far more than the floor.

"Time to start, luv," he said huskily, anticipation having built up over the nearly three hours she had been passed out. He licked his lips as the fingers of his left hand became tangled in her hair. He pushed her head forward suddenly, moving her long hair out of his way. While he found the idea of her hair brushing against her blood covered back rather arousing, it was just getting in the way at the moment. He felt her trying to fight him, his eyes narrowing in surprise. Oh well, it was usually more fun when they fought anyway.

Spike took the blade of the knife and moved it to the bottom of her skimpy black shirt. He ran it over the hem of the black cotton, grazing her skin slightly. Her fear was rolling off her in intoxicating waves. With a quick movement, he pulled the blade towards him, tearing the material. He smiled as it ripped, baring the first glimpse of her pale flesh. He kept her head bent down as he cut his way up the cloth, finally reaching the neck. He used the knife to cut the strap of her bra, rolling his eyes as he saw the plain white cotton. Seemed a bit too vanilla for Red, too common. He'd have thought maybe black lace or something tempting and naughty. She seemed to have a bit of fire in her since she was still struggling against his hand while he was behind her with a knife.

White cotton it was, though, not that he cared either way. He tossed the knife to the ground, finished with it for the time being. He moved back to the table, picking up the whip he had tested earlier. It was small but damaging. He knew that it would break her skin easily, going far more deep than one of the larger whips he had found. He stuck it in his back pocket as he moved behind her again. She was trying to watch him, her eyes accusing but scared. He again moved his left hand to her head, this time just holding her head so that she faced forward. His fingers moved along the scarf he had used as a gag as his right hand moved to lay on her back. He could feel her warmth as his fingers spread. He pushed the sides of her shirt forward, letting them hang around her shoulders. Her back was finally bared to his gaze.

Pale flesh dotted with freckles. Smooth, untouched, no scars. His thumb brushed over shoulder blade, feeling her jerk forward at the coolness of his touch. Or maybe it was just his touch, he thought with a smile. "You have a very beautiful back, Red. It's a blank canvas, so smooth and pale," he leaned over and brushed his lips over a spot below her neck, hearing her heart start to beat faster. His lips curved into a cunning smile as his hand found the whip. He moved his body slightly towards the side, his fingers untying the scarf, letting it fall to the ground at her feet. He moved his mouth beside her ear as he whispered, "You can scream now," just as his whip hit her skin.

********************

Willow cried out as the whip hit her back, the force of his blow pushing her forward. She didn't scream, knowing that was what he wanted her to do. It hurt, though. That one blow made all the pain she had been feeling fade as her entire focus became her back. He hit her again, in a different place this time. She could feel him behind her, moving as he swung the whip. She felt his arm brush against her shoulder as his fingers continued their hold in her hair. He wasn't as cold as she might have imagined. She'd never touched Angel, not long enough to notice body temperature or lack thereof. She was cold, the room they were in having no real source of heat except the candles that covered several tables and dressers and a light burning overhead. Her feet were cold, her legs cold, now her back was bared and cold. She couldn't believe he had torn her shirt. Of course, since he planned to kill her most likely, she doubted her wardrobe really mattered all that much. She wondered if she was becoming hysterical. She was thinking about her torn shirt instead of concentrating on the fact that he was consistently beating her with a whip. Maybe she was in some sort of weird shock.

Spike frowned as he hit her again, putting more force into the blow. Still she didn't scream. He ran the whip over his tongue, tasting the first hint of her blood. His eyes moved to his sire who was watching with a small smile, her dark eyes on the redhead. He frowned at the look in her eyes, wondering why she was staring at the girl instead of him. He hit the redhead again, finally breaking the skin from the impact. That time she let out a soft cry. He smiled as he hit three more times, twice more breaking the skin. He saw the blood flowing, the scent heavenly. He leaned forward, running his tongue over one of the wounds. His eyes closed and he growled as it spilled onto his tongue. Pulling up, he hit again.

"It hurts, doesn't it, kitten?" Drusilla asked, a small smile on her pretty face as she watched the redhead drift off again. She watched her childe, having not seen that look in his eyes for quite some time. He was enjoying his game, liked playing with the pretty little girl. She had not seen him with such power since Prague, when he had slaughtered so many to save her. Her pretty boy. Since they had arrived in Sunnydale, he had been unhappy. She had sensed that unease, knew his dislike of the town, watched as he had become a growly bear. The slayer had not helped, defeating him several times in as many weeks. Had he not used so much energy saving her, helping her, he would have already killed the slayer. It was her fault, his recent unhappiness. She knew that he would deny that as any good childe would, but she knew. She wanted him to be happy. Soon, they could leave this town. When she was strong again, they could travel. He'd always enjoyed traveling. For now, she could do what she could to make him tolerate his stay there.

Her eyes moved back to the girl as she watched her face. Such a pretty little kitten. She could not believe that anyone so sweet as her kitten would be friends with that nasty old slayer. But, the slayer's stench surrounded the girl. Faintly, though, Drusilla could also make out the scent of her sire, knew the girl had been around him recently. She sighed softly as she thought of her lovely Daddy, wondering why he had not come for tea. Her attention was drawn back to the redhead as she forgot about her sire for the time being. She saw green eyes flinch shut as the sound of the whip hitting flesh echoed in their room. Still, the redhead would not scream. Drusilla smiled, rather proud of her kitten. Spike was frowning, clearly not pleased that she was not begging and screaming. Her foolish childe was too cocky at times, too arrogant. He could not see the strength in this little girl as she could. He believed all humans to be frail and easily broken, as most of them were. This girl was not. She may be an innocent, but there was such spirit in her eyes.

Drusilla ran her tongue over her lips as the redhead cried out, the scent of blood in the air. She could also smell the scent of her childe's arousal, knew that he was enjoying beating the girl. She was a pretty little thing, with those big green eyes and all that red hair. Drusilla had seen intelligence in those eyes had they watched Spike carefully. This girl was special, just as Miss. Edith had said. She smiled as she asked again, "Does it hurt, kitten? Can you feel him breaking open your back? The flesh tearing a little more with every blow from the whip. The blood flowing and coating your pale skin in such a lovely shade of red. Do you think he will eventually tire? That he will stop and let you rest?"

Willow heard the woman's words, finding her attention becoming focused on the pretty vampire. She didn't respond, her mouth dry from hanging open and screaming silent screams. She watched as Drusilla stood, walking towards her as her long white dress swished softly. She flinched as fingernails moved over her cheek, Spike's fingers keeping her from moving her head away.

"So pretty," Drusilla whispered, moving her fingers over the girl's face. She traced an outline of the girl's lips as she whispered, "He won't stop, kitten. The scent of your blood calls to him. It hurts so good, doesn't it, lovey?" Drusilla smiled as she urged softly, "Scream for me, pretty kitten."

Willow's mouth moved but nothing came out. She watched as Drusilla moved backwards, the woman's eyes watching her and she assumed Spike behind her. A smile crossed the vampire's pretty face right before Willow felt fangs bury themselves in her back. She found herself screaming as Spike bit into one of the wounds made from the whip.

"Good girl," Drusilla clapped her hands and giggled before resuming her place on the bed, her eyes watching Spike and the redhead as she waited for more of their game.

********************

Willow's scream faded away after the initial surprise of Spike biting her. The pain was no more than he had already caused with the whip, her entire back feeling as if it were on fire. She could feel her blood flowing slowly, sticking to her skin as he withdrew his fangs, his tongue licking the bite almost tenderly, as if he were savoring the taste. She closed her eyes as she waited, knowing that he had just gotten started. She wondered if she was going to die. Had Spike brought her there to torture her and then kill her? And, if not, what did he have planned for her? Her entire body was aching, not only from the whipping but from standing in such a restrained position for so long. She had lost most of the feeling in her feet due to the cold floor, and her arms were growing numb from being above her head. They felt worse than the time she and Xander and Jesse had gone to Disneyland, spending hours upon hours on the roller coasters with their arms waving above their heads. That memory left her mind as she felt fingernails scraping against her back. She gasped as he dug into one of the wounds caused from the whip, the pain unbelievable.

Spike smiled as he traced an open mark, his finger causing the skin to break apart even further. None of the marks was deep enough to scar permanently, he realized. He brought his finger to his mouth, sucking the blood covered digit inside as he licked the blood from it. She tasted wonderful, almost intoxicating, all sweetness and innocence but there was underlying presence that he couldn't identify easily. A power of some sort that made him need to taste more. He frowned as he moved away from her, having not expected her blood to be so tasty. Virgin blood tended to be better than most, but hers was different. It was unlike anything he'd ever tasted. He didn't like that, didn't like his reaction to her blood. He picked up a cat o nine tails, looking up at her through hooded lids, seeing that her eyes were closed, her body taut, waiting for him to strike. She was learning, anticipating his next move. He moved back towards her, his eyes not leaving her face.

Willow waited for what had to be five minutes, maybe ten. Nothing happened. She couldn't even feel behind her, heard no movements at all. She opened her eyes finally, needing to see if he had left. Her eyes widened as she found him standing right beside her, his eyes amused as they watched her.

"Lesson one, pet. Never close your eyes around the enemy," he said with a chuckle. "Gives them a bit of an advantage, wouldn't you say?"

She didn't answer, still trying to stop her heart from racing at finding him so close when she had been sure he was nowhere near. She watched him, angry that he found the entire situation amusing and scared because she had no idea what to expect from him next.

"Why, I could have slit your throat and you wouldn't have even seen me till it was too late," he scolded, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "I'd have expected more awareness from the slayer's best friend."

"Quit teasing," Drusilla scolded as she moved a pillow underneath her chest to rest against. "Kitten doesn't want to talk to you, Spike."

"Kitten can go to bloody hell for all I care," Spike said, raising his brow as he looked at his sire. "I like to talk."

"I know," Drusilla smiled indulgently before she looked back at the redhead who was watching them with fear and uncertainty.

"Right, then, let's play," Spike said, swinging his wrist and catching the redhead by surprise as the leather straps of his newest toy made contact with her upper thighs.

********************

Willow had thought nothing could be worse than the whip he had used on her back. His latest gadget proved her wrong. She didn't know what it was, but it had several long leather straps that hurt as they hit her skin. It was the same burning sensation as the other had caused only multiplied by a thousand. And he had moved his target. Standing in front of her, allowing her to see the amused smile and satisfied blue eyes, still so cold and empty despite the obvious joy he was finding in beating her. She wanted to beg him to stop, to cry, to pray to the gods that he release her, to threaten him, to argue. Something, anything would have been better than the silence she was able to produce.

"Damn stockings getting in the way," he said crossly as he looked at the silk covered leg. He moved behind her again, his cock throbbing slightly as he saw her back. The light covering of blood, his bite on her upper shoulder, the marks from the whip scarring her previously unmarred flesh. He leaned down, licking at a drop of blood before it disappeared into the waist of her skirt. His tongue moved from her lower back upwards, cleaning the area of the blood. When it was again pale freckled flesh, he smiled. Swinging his hand, he listened as the leather made contact with her skin.

Willow kept her eyes open, though she wished she could close them to block out her present reality. The leather hit her skin, tap tap tap tap...intensifying the pain that had already existed from the previous beating. She wondered how much blood she could lose before she'd pass out. She wondered if she would wake up if she did pass out. It didn't feel like a heavy flow of blood, though she wasn't really sure what a lot of blood would have felt like. She thought she would feel it more if there was a lot of it. So far, it was just slightly sticky, a few drops were all she was aware of. He had licked most of it off, it seemed. Her eyes closed slightly as she sucked in a breath as he added more strength to the blows. It hurt so much.

Spike used his new toy on her for half an hour. He changed the power in his swings, never building up a rhythm she could identify, keeping her off guard. In between swings, he'd lick at the blood or nibble her shoulder or bite her again. Three deep bites now covered her back, one on each shoulder blade and one low on her back. He'd not taken much blood on any of the bites, knowing that he would have enough of her before he was through and not wanting to waste any unnecessarily. He finally pulled back when her head fell forward, her breathing becoming a struggle as she tried to remain conscious. She was a fighter, he'd give her that. Most humans would have been out long before now, though he hadn't really done all that much damage considering. Angelus had taught him to move slowly, though, knowing it was far more enjoyable when they were aware of their torture. Beating an unconscious person was no fun at all. His eyes moved over her as he surveyed her back again. He saw that she had dug her nails into the palms of her hand, a light amount of blood drawn from the deepness of the wound. Her wrists were red and raw after having rubbed against her restraints for nearly an hour and a half now. He watched a drop of blood move down her arm, his eyes narrowing as he licked his lips.

He caught Drusilla's eyes, seeing his sire watching with pleasure. He smiled at her enjoyment, his hand lowering as he adjusted the erection that had been pressing against his jeans during the majority of Red's beating. Every cry, every scream, every gasp had made him harder. There had been once, when he had bitten her on her lower back, when he had had to stop drinking for fear of cumming in his pants like some silly school boy. He honestly wasn't fond of his reaction to beating her, to tasting her. He knew it was because he was using her to get even with the slayer. The thrill of teaching that bitch a lesson was turning him on. It certainly wasn't this little scrap of a human, with her long red hair and those suspicious green eyes. Humans did nothing for him.

He picked up the whip he had first used, moving it over the fresh blood that lightly covered her back. When it was soaked, he moved past her, his shoulder knocking her off balance as she used what little strength she still possessed to right herself. He could feel her eyes on him, watching him. She no longer closed them, having learned something finally. He held up the whip as he neared his sire, smiling as she licked her lips, her eyes watching the blood move over the hard surface. "A treat, Princess."

"Thank you, Spike," she said, taking the whip and licking it. She closed her eyes and groaned in pleasure at the taste of the redhead's blood. Opening them, yellow flashed as she sucked the whip into her mouth, licking away all traces of the blood. When she was finished, she looked back at the redhead, smiling as she set the whip down. She pulled Spike to her, her mouth going to his ear as she whispered, "Kitten likes your games, Spikey. Can you smell her? Those big green eyes, so scared yet so excited. She's frightened by what she's feeling, my boy. My poor little confused kitten. We must help her."

"Dru, you're daft," he said with a frown as he glanced at the girl, not completely understanding Drusilla's words. He sniffed the air, smelling only blood and sweat. He rolled his eyes, deciding that Dru had spent too much time indoors. Then, he smelled it. So faint that it was almost undetectable. His lips twisted into a wicked smile as he processed this new and surprising information. Red was aroused.

********************

Willow didn't like Spike's smile, not one bit. She hadn't liked Drusilla whispering to him or his whispered response either. She wanted to know what they planned. She couldn't change it, but she could at least know what to expect. Maybe she wouldn't be as scared of dying if she knew it was going to happen. Now, this smile. It was worse than any of the others. His eyes were watching her, studying her, a thoughtful look on his handsome face. Who would have ever guessed that the devil could look so handsome? That's what Spike was, she had decided somewhere during her last beating. A blue eyed devil meant to make her life hell.

"Aye, I'll help her, Princess," Spike said with a smirk as he kissed Drusilla briefly before facing the redhead. Her arousal changed things. There were so many more pleasant forms of torture that could scar her far worse than simply beating. After all, the mind was a terrible thing to waste. Who'd have guessed the little girl was into pain? This would work to his advantage and then some. He began to rethink his plans for her, new ideas taking shape as he moved towards her. This could be far more damaging than a few physical scars and some brief pain that would fade in time. Oh, yes, this was going to be fun.

"So, luv, what were you supposed to be?" he asked conversationally, his eyes raking over her. The skimpy black shirt hanging loose from being cut up the back. The short skirt barely covering her decency. Black silk stockings covering long legs that he knew would be pale as the rest of her.

Willow didn't respond, not able to breathe as he looked at her. The anger was still there, but the emptiness had faded, replaced by something she didn't recognize but scared her nonetheless. She watched his lips twist into a smirk, his tongue licking its way across his full bottom lip as he chuckled at her fear.

"Your costume?" he continued, gesturing to it. "What were you supposed to be?"

"Kitten, you'd better answer him," Drusilla warned, a smile on her face as she watched and waited. "You might make him angry."

"A rocker chick," Willow whispered, using Buffy's earlier description, her voice hoarse. She continued to watch him, preparing herself for his attack. He had no weapon, yet, but she expected him to lash out at any time.

"Rocker chick?" he snorted, rolling his eyes. "That had to be the slayer. What are you, really?"

"I don't understand," she said quietly, watching him.

He moved closer, taking hold of her chin as he smiled, "That's not the correct answer, Red."

Willow remained silent as his hands gripped her chin painfully. She didn't know why he was doing this, beating her than talking and insulting her before beating her again. It was all a game to him. Her entire life was in his hands and he found it amusing. She hated him, she decided. Hated him more than any other demon or person she'd ever met.

He moved his right hand to her leg, running his fingers over the silky stocking, "Do you know what you are tonight? Do you know the right answer?"

Willow felt his fingers move up her leg, touching the lace edge of her stocking before moving to her flesh. She felt the coolness of his touch on her leg her body tensing as she watched his eyes, finding herself unable to look away as he continued to speak, his hand moving higher up her leg.

"You're nothing more than a vampire's whore," he said softly, his hand moving against her panties, finding them wet. He moved his finger against them, sharply pushing against her clit as she gasped, her eyes widening in fear as she tried to move away from him. He removed his hand from underneath her skirt, showing the glistening evidence of her arousal as he smiled, inhaling the scent as his eyes stayed on hers, "Your body can't lie, pet. You're just my little whore."

********************

Buffy woke up with a groan, covering her face with her pillow as early morning sunlight filled her room. She slapped at her alarm, finally hitting the right button to stop the annoying beeping. She used to set it to music but found that she would often continuing sleeping, the music turning up in her dreams rather than waking her up. So, now, she was stuck with that damn beeping. She sighed as she realized that she had already hit the sleep button twice. If she laid in bed much longer, she wouldn't have enough time to get ready before having to run to school. That thought didn't please her at all, so she moved the pillow.

She sat up, running a hand through her hair as she yawned. She'd been out rather late the night before, the entire evening being pretty draining both physically and mentally. Angel had come back home with her, staying for nearly two hours and just talking before taking his leave shortly before dawn. The result was less than four hours sleep and a dull pain in her arm from being jerked around by Spike. A frown crossed her lips as she remembered just how close she had come to dying that night. Spike had proven to be a worthy adversary when she was at her best. At her worst, and he could prove to be her defeat. She didn't like that knowledge at all.

She went to the bathroom, taking a quick shower and brushing her teeth before moving to her closet. She opened it, noticing that Willow had left her school clothes over after changing. She picked them up, folding them and placing them in an empty sack to take to her friend. Personally, she thought she should burn them. The fuzzy sweater and baggy jeans did nothing to showcase Willow's beauty, instead hiding the fact that the redhead was hot. It would be the act of a true friend, destroying the clothes. Maybe she could sneak over and take all of Willow's comfort clothes until the redhead was forced into acknowledging that she was a babe. Buffy finally decided that such an act might destroy the friendship rather than help it so she'd be content in pressuring Willow to be daring as much as possible without the covert operation. Besides, she knew that her best friend was still gaining confidence, still trying to figure out who she was. It wouldn't help if she pushed too much.

Buffy finally chose a violet shirt and a pair of blue jeans, getting dressed quickly. She fixed her face and her hair, deciding that she looked pretty good to have been near death not twelve hours before. She picked up her phone as she went back to her closet to look for her shoes. She hit one, listening as Willow's number was dialed. She was going to see if she could just meet Willow at her house to drop off the clothes before school instead of them meeting at the end of the street like they usually did. It would be easier plus she was early for once. She kind of wanted to brag to her punctual friend that she was actually ahead of schedule. She found her boots, listening as the ringing continued. She went to her bed, grabbing a pair of socks on the way. Sitting down, she clicked the phone off, deciding she must have somehow hit the wrong button. Watching the phone, she hit one again. She glanced at the clock as it rang its fifth ring, knowing that Willow would already be ready and finishing any last minute homework corrections. She put the phone down, deciding that she was overreacting. Willow had been out late, too. There'd been that big fight with Spike and the tiny terrors. The redhead was probably running behind. Yeah, that had to be it. Or maybe she'd already left to meet Buffy. Enjoy the cool morning air after a rather hectic night. Buffy put her boots on and grabbed her coat, her backpack and the bag with Willow's clothes. She didn't want to keep her friend waiting any longer than necessary.

********************

Willow stared at Spike's finger, unable to deny the wetness she saw. This couldn't be happening. She could not be aroused by this. Disgust and shame swept over her as her eyes dropped to the floor. She was being beaten, was in more pain than she'd ever experienced, and she was wet. What did that make her? What horrible person was she? She wished he'd just kill her. She was so confused. What kind of pervert must she be? She couldn't be enjoying this, she couldn't. She felt tears threatening to fall as she struggled to deal with her body's reaction to her torture.

Spike saw the flicker of emotions in the green eyes before the looked at the floor. He smiled, pleased to see the self disgust. This was working out better than he had hoped. He'd figured some beating, a few scars and then leave her for the slayer. Fuck up the friendship and hurt the blonde bitch. Now, though, with this new knowledge, the game had changed. It had become more serious, in a way. It was no longer just about hurting the slayer. This was between him and Red. He wanted to break her, to make her admit the truth. His eyes flickered over her body, studying her silently as he sucked his finger into his mouth. She tasted much like her blood, innocent and sweet. Two things he hated.

He moved to the table, picking up a knife before moving back to her. He put the weapon in his back pocket as his hand moved under her chin. Roughly, he forced her to look at him, a slow smile crossing his face as he saw the defeat in her eyes. "You know, don't you? Nothing but a whore, my whore."

"No," she denied weakly, hating the idea of letting him win. She couldn't control her body, but she damn well could control her mind. He couldn't break her.

"Tsk, tsk, luv," he shook his head. "Admit it, Red, and I might stop."

"Go to hell," she hissed, rather proud of the courage she had found to make that statement. Proud until he pulled back and slapped her face so hard she could hear her teeth shake. A wave of pain spread from her face as her vision blurred.

"You want to play more? Fine," he smiled, glad that she wasn't finished with the game either. This was fun, he had to admit. The most fun he'd had since coming to this awful town. He glanced back at his sire and saw her watching, a small smile on her lips. He'd seen that smile before and it caused him to pause. She knew something. He studied her a moment, wanting to ask what caused that secret smile, but knowing that he would remain silent. Instead, he turned back to Red, admiring the imprint of his hand that was forming on her cheek. He felt his cock harden as he listened to the rapid beating of her heart, the sweet scent of her arousal mixing with the smell of sweat and blood. It was intoxicating, that scent. Unique to Red. He licked his lips as he saw her look at him finally, those green eyes wide with fear and strength. He reached behind his back and removed the knife from his pocket, smiling a smile that had caused grown men to cry like babies, huskily telling her, "The game is just beginning, luv," as he raised the knife.

********************

Willow flinched when she saw the knife, moving away from him as much as she could. She looked at him, freezing when she saw the look in his eyes. He was going to kill her. She was going to die. Despite everything, she rebelled at that idea. She didn't deserve to die. It wasn't her time. She still had things she wanted to do. She wanted to beg, but knew that words would do nothing. He wanted her to admit to a lie. She was not a whore. She was not his anything. She couldn't control her body, couldn't understand why she would be aroused by the pain she had felt, but that did not make her a whore. She'd rather die than give him the satisfaction of winning so she remained silent, ready for him to kill her.

Spike saw the defiance in her eyes, knew it would take more than this to break his little girl. This was just part of the game. If she broke too easily, where was the fun? He laughed softly as he moved the knife over her neck, the flat side touching her skin and causing her to jump slightly. Still she didn't beg. Good girl, he thought as his eyes caught hers. With a sinister smile, he moved his hand suddenly, listening to her breath catch and watching her eyes widen before she realized that he had cut into the fabric of her shirt and not into her flesh. He cut the fabric until the shirt fell to the ground, kicking it out of the way as his eyes remained on hers, reminding her that he had the power.

"Poor little kitten is cold," Drusilla said as she watched her childe, noticing that she had startled him, causing him to glance at her as if he had forgotten for a moment that she was there. She smiled as she sat up, pleased that he was enjoying himself.

"She's about to get even more cold, luv," Spike said with a wink before he looked back at the redhead. He avoided looking into her eyes, annoyed that they had captivated him just moments earlier. His hand moved to the middle of her cotton bra, pulling sharply, the straps ripping from the force of his action. He tossed the rag on the floor beside her torn shirt, his hooded eyes moving over her bare chest. Her breasts were pert and well proportioned to her body, a bit more than a handful but not as full as Drusilla's. More pale skin with only a few random freckles. Her stomach was flat, but she didn't starve herself; she wasn't skin and bones like so many girls her age. His eyes moved back up her body, noticing the pale pink nipples that were hard, either from the cold or excitement, maybe a combination of both. He didn't touch her, instead studying her intently without saying a word. For a brief moment, he wished he had Angelus' talent for sketch. He'd have enjoyed having a memento of this evening. Alas, his talents lay elsewhere.

He caught her eyes again, knowing that the anticipation was killing her. She was ready for him to strike, waiting for his blow, so instead he smiled. The smile didn't reach his eyes which were still cold and empty as they moved over her. He'd not shown a single emotion to her, not even disgust or hatred. It was if she wasn't important enough to rate. She could have been handled it all better if he was angry, if he was shouting and hating. Instead, this weird game of silence then conversation then pain was not predictable. She wanted to look away, aware that two vampires were the first people to see her half naked. She was ashamed that her body was reacting, uncertain what he now had planned for her, scared that she would not survive the night, and even more scared that she may wish she hadn't when he was finished.

Willow was barely able to stand, having lost the energy to keep her balance. Her arms were beyond the point of hurting, having to support most of her weight and hanging above her head. She was cold. Drusilla had been right about that. Her feet were frozen, the thin silk of the stockings providing no protection from the cold floor. Her back was wet and sticky, with blood she knew. She felt pain radiating from three central places on her back, all places where Spike had bit her. He had taken pleasure in that pain, just as he seemed to enjoy all of it. She almost wished she had just been weak and begged at the start, maybe she'd already be dead instead of facing whatever new games his twisted mind developed. No, if she was going to die, she was going to be strong. She wouldn't beg him for death, no matter what he did to her. She continued watching him as she thought, having learned that lesson.

"My little whore, the scent of your arousal surrounds you like perfume," he said softly, catching her eyes as he moved forward. His hand caught the front of her skirt, his fingers moving in between the fabric and her warm flesh. He felt her stiffen at the contact, her heartbeat racing even faster as he moved his fingers along her stomach. Lips twisted into a sneer as he pulled his arm back, ripping the skirt easily. Before she could realize what he planned, he had the panties off her, tossed to the side with the rest of her rags. Now, finally, she was bared to his heated gaze. He smiled as he whispered, "This is how you should always be, pet. Alive with arousal and need, desire clouding your judgment, wanting me to beat you, to give you what you so desperately crave. I can, you know. Give you everything you want."

"No," she whispered, not believing that she could want what he was saying, knowing that he was playing with her.

Spike laughed, "Ah, my sweet trembling little virgin whore. You can deny it all you want, but your body knows what it craves. Before I finish with you, you'll know the truth. No more running and hiding from who you really are, pet. The slayer can't save you this time."

********************

"Where's Willow?"

Xander looked up from his algebra homework and frowned at the blonde slayer that had just entered the library, "I don't know. I thought she usually walked to school with you."

"She does," Buffy couldn't ignore the sense of foreboding that was again nagging at her mind. "You're sure she isn't here?"

"Yeah," Xander said as worried dark eyes looked at Buffy, "She didn't answer her door? You're sure she wasn't just sleeping late or sick?"

"I have a spare key, Xander," Buffy said moving her hands over her arms as she began to pace, "the house was empty. I didn't see the clothes she wore last night, Xander. I'm really scared. Willow isn't the type to stay out all night. Especially after a fight."

"What's wrong?" Giles asked as he left his office, his eyes immediately noticing the agitation in his slayer and the worried look in Xander's eyes. "Buffy, what happened?"

"We don't where Willow is," Buffy said quietly, her voice a near whisper as she felt tears threatening to spill. "It's my fault. I felt like something was wrong but ignored it. I spent hours talking to Angel after we left the warehouse and never even called to make sure Willow had gotten home. She never went home last night, Giles."

"Dear God," Giles whispered, his mind conjuring up many visions of what could have happened to the quiet redhead. Gathering his thoughts, he said, "Maybe there is an explanation. Is there any where else she might have gone?"

"No," Xander shook his head. "We're all she has, Giles. She would have called us if something was wrong."

"I can't lose her, Giles," Buffy said softly, her nails digging into her arm as she stared at the floor, her eyes blurring from unshed tears. "She has to be okay. I have to find her. I have to save her. It's all my fault!"

"Buffy, snap out of it," Giles said curtly, not wanting to be rude, but he couldn't handle this with Buffy's hysterics. "She'll be okay. We'll find her. Do we have any idea what might have happened?"

"I don't know!" Buffy yelled at him, her hand moving through her blonde hair as she began to pace again, not even giving Cordelia a second look as the popular girl came into the library.

"What's wrong?" Cordelia asked Xander, her eyes watching Buffy. She knew something was wrong, having never seen the slayer quite like this.

"Willow's missing. She never made it home last night," Xander said softly, fear evident in his eyes.

"No," Cordelia shook her head, hoping they were just playing a joke on her. She had grown to rather like the redhead, though she'd never admit it to anyone. She would never let any of this little gang know she had started to care about them because she couldn't possibly be friends with any of them. Yet, hearing that Willow was gone made her sit down and whisper, "She can't be dead."

"She's not dead!" Buffy said, glaring at the cheerleader. "She can't be dead. I won't let her be dead. We're going to find her and then I'm going to kill whoever was stupid enough to touch her! No one messses with the slayer's best friend."

"Buffy, when is the last time you saw her?" Giles asked, knowing how difficult it was for all of them to put aside their emotions and focus on finding Willow, but it had to be done. The longer it took, the worst it might be for the redhead.

Buffy sighed, moving to sit down as she thought back, "It was before I kicked Spike's ass. When I had finished, once he had run away, she wasn't there."

"It was when the spell was broke," Xander said, "when we all became normal again and were no longer our costumes."

"So it would be safe to assume that she was taken back to her costume," Giles said. "That would have been several miles from where you were. It's obvious she never made it home, so someone had to take her on her way."

"What about Spike?" Cordelia asked softly, feeling them turn to look at her. "What? He's like so the obvious choice here. Buffy kicks his ass. He runs away and sees Willow. He's definitely strong enough to take her. And I don't think he'd care all that much about pissing Buffy off."

"She's right," Buffy whispered, the fear being replaced by anger as she said, "that bastard took Willow to get back at me. He's going to regret the day he ever set foot in Sunnydale!"

"Buffy, does Angel know where Spike is?" Giles asked, knowing that if Cordelia was right and Spike did have Willow, they had even less time than he had hoped. Another demon might have kidnapped the girl in exchange for something. Spike was a sadistic angry master vampire that wanted nothing more than to hurt the slayer that had defeated him repeatedly. They had to get to Willow before it was too late.

"I don't think so," Buffy said as she got to her feet. "I can go over there, ask him. We don't have a lot of time, do we, Giles?"

"I'm afraid that we might already be too late," he said truthfully, watching as the fear was replaced by determination in the teens' eyes.

"We're not too late," Xander said. "I'd have felt it if she was gone. She's still alive."

"I'm with Xander. Willow is alive and waiting for us to save her," Buffy said, praying to every God she had ever heard about that her words were true. "Come on, let's go talk to Angel."

********************

"Don't," Willow begged as Spike just laughed.

"Why do you deny it, Red?" he asked huskily as he moved his fingers between her legs, surprised to find out just how wet she was. He could drown in the scent of her. His eyes narrowed as he turned from her, not liking the direction of his thoughts. He caught Drusilla's eyes, saw his sire watching with a knowing smile. What did she know? What had the damn stars told her this time? With a growl, he faced his redhead again. "You want me, little girl. You want this. Before I'm finished with you, you'll be begging for it!"

"No," she whispered as she shook her head. She couldn't want him. He was a monster. God, why didn't her body listen to her mind? She could feel her juices dripping down her leg, she was so aroused. How could she be enjoying this? How could her body betray her by enjoying his touch? How could she find him arousing? He had beaten her, cut her, tortured her, and she ached for his touch. She was the monster.

"Yes," he whispered with a smirk as he saw the internal debate she was waging with herself. This was much more fun than just beating her and leaving her body for the slayer. He was going to break her into so many pieces the slayer could never put her back together. When he was finished with her, she'd crave only his touch, only his punishments. No other man would ever satisfy her dark desires. His eyes flashed as he thought of another man touching her, moving forward and roughly grabbing her chin forcing her to look into his eyes, "You're mine, Red."

Willow couldn't reply as his lips caught hers in a punishing kiss. She cried out in pain as his hands touched the wounds on her back as he brought her body flush against his. She could feel his erection pressing against her, feeling disgusted with herself as she felt the pain replaced by arousal. She hoped he killed her when he was finished. She couldn't deny that she was scared to death of him, just as she couldn't deny that she was more aroused than she had ever imagined possible. She didn't understand it, hated herself for it, but she couldn't control it. So much pain. Her body was on fire, her arms feeling as if they might break from being hung over her head for so long, her back was covered in her blood and his marks, her legs so weak she felt as if she might fall at any moment. And now, now he had changed his torture from whipping and cutting to this. Kissing and touching. It hurt her far worse than the hardest blow from the whip. She couldn't be enjoying this. She was a good person. She helped fight evil, killed demons. How could she be turned on by being beaten and tortured and now kissed by Spike?

"Whore," he hissed as he pulled his mouth from hers as she arched against him, the scent of arousal overwhelming. He couldn't remember wanting anything more than he wanted her at that moment. The lines between reality and the game were blurring as he found himself responding to her self hatred and disgust, to her need and arousal. He had to fuck her, had to break her, had to have her begging him for his touch, had to have her green eyes shining with desire instead of disgust. "No more denial, little bitch. You're mine."

With those words, he reached up and unfastened the shackles holding her arms. She fell against him like a ragdoll, her legs not able to hold her. She tried to get away from him, fear burning in her eyes as she seemed to read his intent in his eyes. Spitfire was still trying to fight it, to fight what she wanted, what he wanted. He chuckled as he easily subdued the girl that was weak from blood loss and probably hungry. He tossed her over his shoulder, her juices dripping on his bare flesh. He inhaled the scent as he walked, licking his lips in anticipation. Oh yes, breaking her was going to be the most fun. He carried her to the bed, tossing her onto it as he smiled wickedly, "Time to play, Red."

********************

Willow cried out as she landed on the bed. The soft cotton of the sheets rubbed against the wounds in her back, a grimace of pain crossing her face as she heard Spike's words. She looked up at him, her breath catching when she saw the look in his cold blue eyes. She had no doubts as to what his definition of playing would consist of, and, even as her body was aching for his touch, her mind was telling her to get away. There would be no turning back once he started playing. She would be forced to accept the perversity of her desire, unable to pretend that it was something that she didn't want. Willow began to scoot away from the end of the bed, her eyes still caught on his. Soon, she felt the cold wall behind her back. There was nowhere to run, no way to escape him or herself.

Spike watched her, his lips twisted into a sneer as she tried to move away from him. Did she think that running would change things? She wanted him, wanted this. She was enjoying it as much as he was. He frowned at that thought. He was enjoying this because it was going to get him some revenge against the stupid slayer. That was the only reason. It had nothing to do with the beautiful redhead with the big green eyes that clearly blazed with lust at the same time they flashed with self-hatred. He wasn't intrigued by the innocent little girl, wasn't consumed with a need to possess her, didn't want to teach her everything she was begging him silently to show her. He wanted to break her. That's all. A broken little present for the slayer. Nothing else. He didn't need anyone, and certainly not some human. He saw her reach the end of the bed, his eyes darkening as he watched her face, saw the resignation enter those pretty eyes as she realized that there was nowhere to run, watched as she seemed to accept her fate. She was his.

Willow knew that this was it. There would be no escape, no rescue. Spike was going to play and there was nothing she could do it. Nothing you want to do about it, a voice inside her head whispered. Where had it come from? This enjoyment of pain that was causing her to want Spike to touch her. Had it always been there, hiding underneath the surface, waiting for the right hand to bring it out? Why Spike? Why did he have to awaken her darkest desires? He had only taken her to hurt Buffy. Now, she was going to be raped by this monster because he had seen something in her eyes that had always been hidden.

Would it be rape, though, that annoying voice whispered? Even now, huddled against the wall, her eyes were watching him in anticipation mixed with fear. She was so aroused that she thought she might explode. Her body was weak, she couldn't even fight him off if she had wanted to. Didn't want to. Wanted him to touch her. No, she couldn't want this. Her friends would never understand. She wanted to go home, forget everything that had happened, forget that she could feel such strong emotions, forget the passion and need that was clouding her morals and her judgment. She made the mistake of looking up, her eyes catching his. Who was she kidding? It was just like he had said. She was his.

Enough of this. He wanted to play. Spike's hand moved to the button on his jeans. He unfastened it, pulling his zipper down as his eyes remained on hers. He freed his cock, pushing the jeans down and kicking them to the floor. He heard her surprised gasp as the fresh scent of fear mixed with her arousal. His eyes moved to her lips, narrowing as her tongue licked them. He walked forward, his thumb brushing over the head of his cock. He moved his left hand to her face, lifting her chin until her scared eyes moved from his erection to meet his eyes again. With a smile, he answered the questions that seemed to be running through her mind, "It *will* fit, luv. I'll make it fit. Now, open your mouth for me."

********************

"No," Willow whispered, fear now overriding the arousal that had been tormenting her not five minutes before. She had only ever seen pictures of a man's penis before in a Playgirl that Buffy had found in her Mother's closet. The men in that magazine had seemed big to her, her mind not able to understand how something that size could fit inside her. They had been nothing compared to the sight of a fully aroused Spike. He was long and thick and there was no way he could fit inside her without a lot of pain. She shivered slightly at that idea, her eyes widening as she realized that she would enjoy the pain. That made her protest even more, not wanting to be forced into acknowledging her own depraved needs. Her friends would be ashamed of her, think her as horrible as the demons that fought. She was human, she shouldn't be wanting to taste this darkness that Spike's eyes promised. She shook her head as she tried to move away from the edge of the bed. "No, please God, no..."

"Shhh, kitten," a soft voice spoke in her ear as she felt arms move around her side. Willow had forgotten that Drusilla was there. Oh God, there was no escape. The arms held her tightly, but gently, lips brushing against her ear as the female vampire whispered softly, "open your mouth for my Spikey before you make him angry. You don't want to see him angry, pretty kitty. You wouldn't survive it, little one. My sweet William doesn't understand what is happening, he's confused and angry and he needs you. So, be a good girl and open your mouth."

Willow felt the woman's lips on her neck, knew that it wouldn't take a second for Drusilla to kill her if she refused. She blinked away tears as she realized she couldn't fight it, couldn't fight them, couldn't fight her own twisted needs and wants. She closed her eyes as she opened her mouth, trying her best to ignore the anticipation that was tingling on every nerve ending in her body.

She felt Spike's grip tighten, his thumb brushing over her lips. They were sore, torn from where she had bitten into them during her beating. She felt the bed shift as Drusilla moved away from her, going back to her earlier position to watch. Willow cried out in pain as Spike's hand suddenly tangled in her long hair, pulling it. Her eyes flashed open and she found herself looking into his cold blue eyes.

"You will never close your eyes on me, Red," Spike said, his hand pulling roughly to stress the seriousness of his statement. He wasn't about to have her close her eyes and imagine that she was somewhere else, with someone else. That thought made him lean down until his nose touched hers, "No one else will ever touch you without my permission. If they do, I'll kill them and make you watch. And afterwards, I'll beat you so severely that you'll be praying for a death that I will never allow. You are mine, Red, only mine. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she whispered, having no doubt that he was serious. Why did she find the idea of belonging to him so appealing? She should have been horrified at the images his words had created, instead she was strangely pleased that he was so possessive of her. What was he turning her into? What was she becoming?

"Good," he snarled as he gave her a rough kiss, his teeth biting her lips until a soft flow of blood could be seen. He raised his head, his eyes catching those of his beautiful sire. He saw her smile softly, seemingly enjoying what was happening between him and Red. He looked away from those knowing eyes, hating that she could see things he couldn't. He loved his sire, was completely devoted to her, would do anything for her, but there were so many times he would feel left out of her world. His eyes looked into shining green eyes and he growled, not understanding why he wanted this girl so much. Sure she was beautiful, but he'd seen far prettier humans and never felt this pull towards them. She was strong, never begging even at the worst of the beatings. She was brave, sitting there now with unshed tears in her eyes as she waited for what he had planned for her, the thick scent of her arousal an intoxicating aroma that would be far too easy to grow accustomed to. Not liking that thought, his eyes darkened as he pushed her head down roughly, needing to feel the warmth of her mouth.

********************

Willow felt his fingers in her hair as she was pushed down. She found herself even with his erection, her eyes widening as she wondered what he expected her to do. She'd never done this before, having never even been on a date in her sixteen years. She looked at his penis, noticing that it appeared even larger up close. It had to be at least eight inches, she decided, if not more. There was a substance leaking from the top, coating the head in a white creamy film. She knew the technical details of what was happening, but only from what she had read. She watched him move forward slightly, his hand still stroking that enormous length as he brought the head to her lips. She opened her mouth slightly, knowing that was what was expected. Before she could even breathe, he had pushed half of himself into her mouth.

She was choking on his width, unable to adjust to the presence in her mouth. What was she supposed to do? She tried to remember things she had read, things she had stored up to use for the wonderful first time she was with a boy she loved. How terribly ironic that she would be using those techniques with a demon that was forcing her. She relaxed her throat as he moved inside her mouth, not wanting to gag. She moved her tongue slightly, hearing him groan above her, feeling oddly pleased that she was the cause of that sound. She felt his hands move to her head, one on each side. She gasped when he tangled her hair around his hands and began to move her head against him.

It was too much. She was gagging, unable to breathe. He wouldn't stop moving, his hands pulling tight against her hair as he kept trying to send more of his cock into her mouth. She felt tears on her face as he continued to fuck her mouth, that being the only word to describe what he was doing to her. Was it always like this? She felt herself gagging again as he went even deeper into her mouth and throat. She could feel his balls hitting her chin as he moved, realizing that he had managed to get his entire length into her mouth. He had said he would make it fit. She blinked back tears as she prayed that he would finish soon. This wasn't a pleasurable pain like the other had been. This just hurt, and she could barely breathe and it felt like he was going to rip her hair out.

"Slow down, baby," Dru's soft voice came from behind Spike as he continued to plow into the redhead's warm little mouth. He'd intended to tease her with his cock, make her beg to taste him. But, as soon as her tongue had touched him, he'd lost control. His eyes flashed yellow as he felt Dru's hands on his hips, slowing his thrusts. He turned to glare at her, angry that she had halted his actions. Looking into her eyes, he felt himself calming down. He looked at the redhead, saw the tears and pain on her face, knew that he was doing the one thing he had promised himself he wouldn't. He was forcing her. He couldn't very well break her and leave her in a million confused pieces if she wasn't enjoying what was happening. There was much more guilt if she begged for it, if she tapped the dark needs he had seen flash in her pretty green eyes. If he continued like this, she would be able to cry rape to the slayer and there would be no lie in her words. He hated losing control, hated her for making him lose it.

Spike loosened his grip on her hair as he slowed down, relief going through her as Drusilla stood behind him, the dark vampire's eyes catching Willow's.

"Lick him, my pretty kitten," Drusilla urged as she moved to sit beside the human. "like a lolly. Good girl," Drusilla began to stroke Willow's hair tenderly, easing the pain that Spike had caused when he had been pulling on it. "Look into his eyes, taste him, use your teeth...he likes it when you use your teeth."

Willow found herself obeying the female vampire, scraping her teeth over the head of Spike's cock. She heard him groan, her eyes looking up and catching his. She couldn't look away as he slowly moved into her mouth, her tongue running along his length. She began to participate, her left hand moving up to cup his balls like she had read about one time. She was rewarded by his moan and thrust at her actions. She squeezed them, feeling lips brush against her cheek before Drusilla again left them and went to sit and watch. Willow rubbed her legs together as she felt a fresh wave of wetness leaking from between her legs. This was different than it had been before, slower, more enjoyable. This was the act that she had read about in books. She moved her right hand around his back, not able to believe she was feeling brave enough to touch his ass, to fondle him, to do something she had read about and never imagined trying. She moved her finger between his ass cheeks, pushing it into him. He growled above her, stiffening right before she felt something spilling into her mouth.

She swallowed as much as she could, some of his release leaking onto her chin and breasts. She was still looking at him, feeling power for the first time since she had woken up in chains. She had made him come. His eyes flashed as he looked at her, pulling his still hard cock from her mouth as he roughly pulled her up, "Where did you learn that? Who taught you that?" he demanded, his words thick with anger.

Willow felt fear as she looked into his angry eyes, not understanding why he was upset. She heard herself whispering, "I read about it in a book. I'm sorry. I thought you might like it." "A book?" he snarled, seeing the truth in her eyes. Watching as she paled at the realization that she had spoken her thoughts aloud. She had thought he would like it. She had wanted him to enjoy it. Good, she was already starting to break and he had only just begun the game. He pushed her back onto the bed, his hand moving to run through his hair as he scowled. When he had felt her finger against him, he'd thought she had done it before. He looked at Dru and saw her smiling. What the hell was she smiling about? He looked back at Red, seeing the confusion mixed with lust that was so easy to read in her eyes. His lips twisted into a smile as he decided, "Time to fuck."

********************

Willow watched Spike, not at all sure what he was planning. He had said that it was time to fuck in a tone that could have been used to say that it was cold and rainy. She was trying to ignore the need that she was feeling, knowing that she was about to lose her virginity to a monster. A monster that she had just enjoyed sucking off, that she wanted to please, that she wanted to look at her with some emotion, any emotion, in those cold blue eyes. She knew that her friends would see the truth when they looked in her eyes, would see how depraved and horrible she really was at heart. She would lose them all, knew they would never understand what she, herself, didn't quite understand. She had never imagined that she had this desire inside herself. She was always the good girl, the one that scored perfect test scores and was always there whenever her friends needed anything. How could she be sitting here now eagerly waiting for Spike to fuck her? She could never face her friends again, knowing that something had been awakened inside herself that would not be possible to hide. Once she gave herself to Spike, because there was no longer any doubts in her mind that she would indeed end up begging him to fuck her, she knew that nothing would ever be the same again. And, a part of her, the part of her that had been whispering all the naughty thoughts in her mind, didn't care.

Spike rolled his eyes as he saw her face. Stupid bitch must not have any idea how clearly her emotions could be seen. She didn't even try to hide them. It was shocking she hadn't been killed years before, slayer or not. His eyes narrowed as he realized how easily she could have been killed. He'd nabbed her in less than five minutes. Once he had observed her, he could see that she was strong and powerful, but she was also weak, human, easy prey for demons that craved innocence. He didn't like the idea of anyone touching her except him. Her screams of pain and cries of pleasure were his to hear and enjoy, no one else. He felt his demon pushing forward as he realized what would need to be done. He'd take care of it, make sure she enjoyed every minute, make sure she'd never want another man to touch her. He reached for her leg, pulling her towards him.

Willow cried out when he roughly pulled her down the bed, surprise causing her to fall backwards onto the sheet. She grimaced as her back touched the cotton, her senses having become rather dulled to the constant pain that her back was giving off. Now, she couldn't ignore it. He continued pulling her towards the end of the bed, not caring that the sheet was reopening the wounds. He finally let her foot go when she was laying in a position he seemed to approve of. Her entire body was on edge, pain in her back, an ache between her legs, her breath ragged as she watched him, eager to see what his next move would be at the same time she was dreading facing up to her own needs and desires.

"You smell heavenly, Red," Spike said quietly, his eyes flashing as he licked his lips. "Blood and innocence and desire and fear. Who do you belong to?"

Willow swallowed, unable to look away from his cold blue eyes. He showed her no emotions, gave no hint that this was anything except a game for him. She knew it was the truth. This wasn't about caring or even like. He hated her, had no interest in her except to hurt Buffy. She needed to keep reminding herself that it was all just a game to him. She had never imagined giving her virginity to someone that didn't at least want her, yet she was about to hand it over to a demon that might very well kill her when he was finished using her. No, he wouldn't kill her. He wouldn't let her off that easily. He wanted her to suffer for being friends with Buffy, had to know that she would lose everyone she loved when he was finished with her. She almost wished she had the energy to fight him, to force him into killing her so that she wouldn't have to accept the truth about herself.

"Who do you belong to?" Spike growled as she refused to answer. He moved up the bed, his eyes still on hers as he reached out and squeezed her breast roughly.

"You, Spike, I belong to you," she whispered as her face twisted with pain and desire. With those words, she gave herself to him. Heaven have mercy on her soul, there would be no going back.

********************

"Mine," he hissed as his mouth caught hers, his hand continuing to roughly squeeze her pert little breasts. She arched against him, her mouth opening to him as she rubbed her pretty little warm body against him. He was surrounded by the scent of her blood, the marks he had made on her back easily reopening when they had brushed against the sheet. He moved his left hand behind her, running it over the wounds, pressing against them as he listened to her whimper of pleasure. Who would have ever guessed that the slayer's little shadow contained such dark desires? He had discovered them, had opened her eyes to the passion and need she so desperately craved and possessed.

Willow quit thinking as soon as his lips touched hers. She gave herself to him completely, accepting that she was a depraved and horrible person, not caring anymore about anything except the arousal she felt every time Spike touched her, looked at her, spoke to her. She needed him, wanted him, craved him, had to have more. She felt his fingers on her back, her body moving against his as she tried to get away from his exploring touch. She felt him tracing the wounds on her back, his fingernails digging into her flesh as wave after wave of arousal washed over her. How could she find this exciting? How could she be turned on by feeling pain? She whimpered as he moved against her, pushing her deep into the mattress. The ache between her legs was consuming, her need clouding her eyes and making her react in ways she had never imagined.

Spike moved his hand from behind her, pressing her back flat against the sheets as he moved it down her slim body. He finally reached the drenched curls between her legs, his bloody fingers brushing against her clit, pinching it as she stilled underneath him, her mouth ripping from his as she screamed in release, her body arching up as he roughly thrust three fingers into her tight warmth, his thumb brushing against her clit as she continued to cry out in pleasure. Her body was moving against his hand, her head thrashing back and forth against the pillow as he played her body, knowing exactly what she wanted, not giving it to her. The room was filled with the scent of sex and sweat and blood, his hand bruising her breasts as he squeezed the plump flesh, his mouth joining his hand as he bit into her, lapping at her blood as he continued his rough assault on her trembling body.

"Please," Willow whimpered, pressing down against his hand, feeling his fangs scrape against her nipples, felt him biting into her breasts, his tongue cool against her heated flesh. "Please, please, please," she began to repeat, wondering if she would explode from the pleasure she was finding at his hands.

He looked up, looked into her eyes, knew it was time. He smiled a cold smile, demanded, "What do you want, Red?"

"You, I want you," she whispered as she found herself caught again by those cold blue eyes.

"What do you want from me?" he asked lazily, cocking a brow as he moved his hand from between her legs, bringing it up as she could clearly see the blood and juices that coated it. He ran his tongue over his finger, his eyes flashing yellow as he tasted her.

"Don't make me," she begged, knowing that nothing was ever going to be the same, but also knowing that saying the words would make it all real, would force her into accepting everything, would mean there was no hope in forgetting this part of her soul. Who was she kidding? She'd never be able to forget this. It was part of her, and it would never be hidden again. He had done this to her, forced her into discovering the truth about herself, and she hated him at the same time she ached for him. She didn't understand, couldn't understand, but it was far too late to worry. It had been over the moment he realized she was aroused at the touch of his whip on her flesh. That had been the end of everything.

"Tell me," he demanded as he tasted her. God, she was delicious. He frowned, needing to be buried inside her. "What*do*you*want*?" he asked, punctuating each word with a squeeze to her upper thigh.

"Fuck me, Spike," she whispered, watching as he smirked at her, his eyes flashing yellow.

"All you had to do was ask, Red," he said with a wicked laugh as he moved between her legs, ready to give her what she wanted.

********************

"Buffy?" Angel looked at the blonde slayer, surprised to see her on his doorstep when she should have been at school. "What's wrong?"

"We need to talk," Buffy said as she looked at the vampire she loved. "Can we come in?"

"We?" he looked past her, finally noticing the rest of her group. No, not all of them. Willow was missing. He looked back at Buffy and saw her hazel eyes and sighed, knowing suddenly why she was there. "Willow's missing."

"Yeah," Buffy said quietly moving past him into his apartment once he moved to the side to let them in.

"What happened?" Angel asked after the four humans were seated in his living room.

"Willow disappeared last night," Giles said, his worry making him appear ten years older. "We think that she was taken."

"Do you want me to ask around?" Angel asked, not quite sure why Buffy wasn't looking at him.

"Do you know where Spike is?" Buffy asked, finally looking into Angel's eyes.

"Spike?" he was instantly alert, "You think Spike has Willow? Has had her since last night?"

"He was pissed, and she was there," Buffy said, not liking the way Angel was looking. "What is it?"

"Buffy, if Spike took her, it might already be too late," Angel said softly, knowing that was not what they wanted to hear, but knowing Spike well enough to know what he had probably done with the quiet redhead. Hell, Angelus had taught the blond everything about torture and revenge. This wasn't good. Not good at all.

"No, she's still alive," Xander spoke up for the first time. "If he did take her, what would he have done?"

"I can't answer that," Angel said as he looked away from them. It had been many decades since he had known Spike. He honestly had no idea what he would do to Willow to get back at Buffy, but he had some good suspicions, none of which these people needed to hear.

"Angel, can you help us find him?" Buffy asked, having a pretty good idea what Spike would do to Willow. And it was all her fault. Because Willow was her friend, the redhead was being beaten or worse. She had to get to Willow before it was too late.

"I don't know where he and Dru are staying, but I can try to find them after dusk," Angel said, knowing that it would be best if he found Willow before Buffy found Spike. He didn't want his childe or grandchilde to be hurt, but he wouldn't be able to stop Buffy from killing them if Willow died before they found her. "Dru has managed to cloud them from me, but I might be able to sense Willow."

"Thank you, Angel," Buffy said as she gave him a sad smile, her mind trying not to dwell on the horror that Willow was probably experiencing.

********************

Spike lifted her hips as he moved between her long legs. He moved his cock between her wet cleft, eyes closing slightly as he felt the warm juices coating him. He looked at her, saw the self-hatred in her eyes. Silly little bitch was ashamed at her reaction to him, had no idea how bloody beautiful it was to find someone that could accept the darkness in their heart, that would explore their deepest desires. He scowled at his thoughts, knowing he should be pleased to see the hatred. He wanted her to be so broken that the slayer would never able to help her. He licked his lips as he moved towards her neck, his hand moving his cock slightly into her. Man, was she tight. His fingers had practically been snapped off when she had come earlier, now he was finally going to enjoy that tight warmth. Her first man, her only man, he decided eyes flashing yellow as he nuzzled her neck.

He entered her completely as his fangs entered her neck, his thrust pushing her up and causing his bite to be even more deep. He listened to the sweet sounds of her cry of pain, her hands moving to his back as her nails dug into his flesh. He continued to drink from her as he began to give her what she had wanted. He fucked her. Hard. His body moving into her no longer virginal passage at a rapid speed, his cock coming nearly out before being thrust deep into her again. Her cries of pain were fading as she began to moan, her body moving against his as she began to meet the rough thrusts from his body.

Willow was dying. That could be the only explanation for what she was feeling. She felt Spike drinking from her neck, not caring if he drained her dry. It would be easier to just die, but not yet. She was so alive with need, taking everything he gave her. He fit. She didn't know how, but he had buried that entire cock into her. She was in pain beyond what she had imagined, but it was a dull pain that was quickly fading every time he sunk deep inside. She moved her hips to meet his thrusts, her eyes staring at the warehouse ceiling overhead as she gave herself over to the pleasure. She was relieved when he finally moved his mouth from her neck, his mouth catching hers as he shared the taste of her blood and release with her. She sucked on his tongue, her eyes meeting his as they kissed. How could it feel so good, so right? She just didn't understand.

Spike groaned when he felt her sucking on his tongue, his hand moving between their bodies as he roughly twisted her clit. He could feel his release coming and wanted to make sure she came with him. His reasoning was that she'd feel even more guilty if she came several times. Hard to look the slayer in the eye if you came multiple times at the hands of her greatest enemy. He felt her come nearly the instant he touched her clit, her muscles tightening around him so tightly that he had to close his eyes to keep from coming. He tore his mouth from hers, moving down and catching her breast. He sucked on her nipple, his free hand holding her back as their bodies slapped against each other. He didn't bite her again, knowing that she had already lost a great deal of blood. Couldn't leave her broken for the slayer if she died from blood loss. Instead, he nibbled at her breast, listening to her whisper his name over and over, her voice thick with desire. It wasn't long before he entered her deeply, his seed spilling into her as he growled, his mouth catching her cry of release.

Spike stayed buried inside her for several minutes, just tasting her mouth as she collapsed on the bed in exhaustion. Finally, he released her mouth. His blue eyes looked over her, taking delight in the sated look that had filled her pretty green eyes. His eyes moved over the bites and bruises that were already starting to cover her. Blood, sweat, tears, and come covered her body, her breathing ragged as she blinked at him sleepily. His eyes finally moved to bite mark on her neck, narrowing as he looked at the claim. He'd claimed her. What the fuck had he been thinking? He snarled as he moved from between her legs, blue eyes flashing with disgust and confusion. He hadn't planned on claiming the little bitch. He'd never claimed a human before. What had she done to him? He should kill her, leave her dead and broken body for the fucking slayer. He frowned as he realized that he didn't like the idea of her being dead. He had to get away from her, to clear his head, before he made anymore stupid mistakes. This wasn't the plan.

"Daddy's looking for our kitten," Drusilla said softly as her dark eyes watched her childe. She smiled slightly when he looked at her. Poor baby, still didn't understand. She looked at the redhead, glad to see that the girl was sleeping. She needed a rest. Spike had played with her for hours. She was a pretty kitten, just like the stars said. Drusilla would tend to her when she woke up, bathe her and find her a pretty dress. She looked back at Spike, dark eyes flashing yellow as she said, "He's helping the smelly old slayer try to take away our kitten."

"Really?" Spike didn't even notice the look in Dru's eyes as she spoke, nor did he pay attention to her words beyond the fact that Angel was looking for Red. Spike got to his feet, pulling his jeans on. His plan had just changed. Angel's involvement made a difference. They needed his grandsire's help to fix Dru before they could leave this fucking town. It wasn't likely that Peaches would help willingly, but, now, it would seem that he had something to trade. He'd get Dru all fixed up, and, in exchange, he'd give Red to Angel, knowing this was much smarter than just leaving the little whore for the slayer to find. He looked at Dru, glad to see that he was thinking again. His eyes moved to the sleeping redhead, finding it rather ironic that the silly little bitch would be his way of saving Dru, when all he'd intended was getting some revenge against the slayer. He'd call Angel, make the offer, and finally maybe they could leave this hell. He looked back at Dru, giving her a quick kiss before he moved towards the door, "I'll be back soon, luv. I've got a call to make."

********************

Drusilla watched Spike leave the room, a frown on her pretty lips as she sat staring at the now closed door. Silly boy, never listened to anything she said. She got to her feet, walking towards the trunk that was sitting a few feet from the bed. She kneeled down, a smile crossing her face as she picked up Miss. Edith. She gently brushed the curls away from her dolly's face, her fingers tracing the cool porcelain. "My Spikey's being a naughty boy. Never listens to his Mum," she whispered to her dolly, her head moving slightly to the side as her eyelids drifted halfway down.

Her eyes suddenly flashed open, a large smile crossing her face as she processed what her dolly had told her. It was going to be okay. She was going to be happy; her Spike was going to be happy. She giggled as she laid the doll down, careful not to dirty up her pretty dress, "Foolish childe, will learn that Mummy is always right. Won't he be so surprised!" She clapped her hands and giggled again, excitement in her eyes as she thought over what she had been told. She'd not say a word, she decided. Her pretty William never listened to her anyway. She'd keep it a secret, a big wonderful secret just between her and her dolly. She suddenly moved her head, her eyes snapping as they focused on one of her other dolls. She frowned at it, picking her up and glaring, "There shall be none of that, Felicity! My sweet William deserves to be happy! No tea for you," she finally declared as she snapped the neck of her doll, the negative whispers ending abruptly.

Drusilla looked at the broken doll, a pleased smile crossing her face. Teach her dolly to doubt the stars. The stars were always right, having never failed to be truthful with her in over a century. She threw her dolly against the wall, watching as it shattered. Felicity would not be able to whisper such mean things anymore. Drusilla turned her head, her eyes finding her pretty kitten. The girl had moved in her sleep when she had broken the doll, not as deeply asleep as Drusilla had first thought. Poor kitten, all dirty and scared and tired. A small smile crossed Dru's face as she turned back to her trunk. She looked through the contents, careful not to disturb her sleeping dolls. They had all been nice and deserved a rest. Finally, she found what she had been seeking. She removed the dress as she stood, her eyes looking over the pretty light green silk. She had had the dress for decades, having been struck by the color when walking through Italy. Spike had broken the window of the shop and taken the dress for her, a prezzie for his Princess. She had never worn the dress, though, instead tucking it away in her trunk to save. She looked at the sleeping girl on the bed and smiled. It would look wonderful against her kitten's auburn hair.

She walked towards the bed, carefully laying the dress on the edge. She did not want to muss her kitten's pretty new dress. Wouldn't she be so surprised to see her gift? Drusilla looked from the gown to her kitten, deciding that Kitten's next dress would be a darker shade of green, her pale skin would glow against the dark green material Drusilla envisioned. Shaking her head slightly, Dru licked her lips. Kitten needed to be cleaned up, then she could be dressed. Dru would dress her and then they could play games together as they waited for Spike to return. The dark haired vampire left the side of the bed as she walked towards a table that held a water vase and a bowl. She poured the fresh water into the bowl and picked up a clean cloth. She slowly walked back to the bed, careful not to spill a drop of water. She set the bowl on the small table beside the bed before sitting on edge of the mattress beside the sleeping redhead.

Drusilla put the cloth into the water, letting it soak before lifting it and twisting it to remove the extra water. She then looked at her kitten, wondering what the girl's name was. The stars had not told her, instead of whispering about darkness and pain and pleasure and happiness, visions of red hair and green eyes and the sweet cries of release and begging. No name yet for her kitten. She smiled softly as she moved her hand towards the girl's face, brushing her long dark red hair from her face. Pretty hair. Thick and soft even when soaked with sweat and blood and release. Dirty little kitten. Spike had marked her entire body, leaving no inch free of his smell, her blood, or his release. Dru's eyes moved to claim on her kitten's neck. She giggled softly as she moved her fingers over the deep bite. Poor Spikey, so confused and stubborn. He just didn't listen, didn't understand. He would though. The stars had told her, and she trusted them. With a soft sigh, she picked up the cloth and gently began to move it over her kitten's face.

********************

Willow was running down dark halls and twisted paths. She could hear whispers behind her, hunting her, and she ran faster. She ran until she felt like she was going to die, her body unable to run any more. She ran until she came to a bridge, a rickety bridge that caused her to stop running. She was scared to go across, her eyes looking down and seeing nothing but a dark, black hole. She had to stop running. She turned to face her enemy, her eyes widening when she found herself looking into her own eyes. She stared at the smiling image of herself, seeing the look of satisfaction in those knowing green eyes. She saw the bruises on her skin, the bites on her body, knew what she was looking at. Her hand moved up to her own neck, feeling the bite mark. Did she have that look in her eyes? How could she have found such pleasure in his touch? How was it possible that she was bruised and beaten and sated, aching for more? Her eyes looked away from her vision as she heard the whispers, widening as she began to make out the shapes of her friends coming to her, the pity and disgust in their eyes as the came closer and closer. She looked at the vision in front of her, her eyes closing as it walked towards her, moved into her, became a part of her. A sad smile crossed her face as she began to accept it, began to welcome it. Eyes snapped open as she looked at the faces of those she loved, those she called friend. She began to back away from them, had to get away from the accusations she saw in their eyes. She found herself falling, having forgotten the dark hole behind. She didn't scream, resignation entering her eyes as she fell. She suddenly felt arms around her, cold arms catching her. Lips on her neck, painful piercing of her skin as he drank from her, his whispered words letting her know that he wasn't going to let her go. Turning her head to look into cold blue eyes.

Willow gasped as she woke up, trying to remember where she was. She felt cool hands gently pushing her back down, her eyes finding concerned brown eyes.

"Poor baby had a nightmare," Drusilla cooed as she pushed the girl back down. "Shhh....it's over now. Close your eyes and breathe. It's going to be okay. I'll take care of you, pretty kitty."

Willow found herself obeying the crazed vampire, breathing deeply as everything came back to her. She cringed as she became aware of the pain that was consuming her entire body. Everything hurt, a dull pain that throbbed in various places at random intervals. She opened her eyes when she felt a damp cloth moving against her face. She was surprised to see that Drusilla was cleaning her. Her eyes looked around wildly, remembering that Spike had said that no one could touch her.

"Spike is a naughty boy," Drusilla said, seemingly understanding what the redhead was thinking. She felt green eyes on her face and smiled softly, "He is off making more of his silly little plans, talking to Daddy. Daddy's not going to be happy, but he's scared, scared for you my pretty little girl. He'll make Spikey happy, but not as happy as you."

Willow was too tired to follow the woman's words, to understand anything except that Spike was gone. She found herself listening to the soft words that Drusilla spoke, her accented voice nearly hypnotizing. She wanted to ask if Spike was going to kill her, if he was going to let her go, if her life was indeed ruined, but she couldn't speak, knowing the woman that was gently washing her was supposed to be insane and even more powerful than Spike, even if she wasn't as strong at the moment. Willow could feel the power, the strength, in much the same way she had felt it in Spike, had even felt it in Angel on those few occasions she had seen the souled vampire. Willow found herself both scared of that power at the same time she found it arousing. The danger excited her. Drusilla's touch was a contrast to Spike, the woman treating her tenderly, carefully wiping her face clean.

"So beautiful," Drusilla whispered with a pleased smile as she found her kitten watching her. "Do not worry about Spike, he cannot harm me for touching you. What is his is mine," she said as she saw the girl's eyes flash with concern at the feel of her fingers on her bare flesh. "He is my childe, my sweet William. You were my prezzie, pretty kitten. And he has gone and gotten you messy. Don't worry, though. I shall clean you up, and then we shall play. Do you want to play with me, kitty?"

Willow didn't know what to say. She was being given a choice? She had been a present for Dru? She was even more confused, not understanding why he would leave her with such an opportunity to try to escape. She felt fingers tighten in her hair as she found herself looking into dark brown eyes that were looking at her with growing impatience. Escape? There was no escape. Even as weak as she was at the moment, Drusilla was much stronger than Willow. Especially considering the pain her body was feeling, the loss of blood, the hunger. What had Drusilla asked her? Something about playing? Willow was scared to answer, had no idea what the beautiful vampire considered playing.

"Kitty," Drusilla frowned as the girl remained silent, "do you want to play with me?"

"Yes," Willow whispered, knowing that any other answer could result in her quick death. Drusilla was Spike's sire. If she upset Dru, Spike would punish her. She didn't want to make Spike angry or give him a reason to punish her. While she knew that death might be better than what awaited her, she didn't want to die. She was a survivor, always had been, always would be. If Drusilla wanted to play, she could play. Maybe Buffy would find her and rescue her. She tried her best to ignore the whisper in her head that was laughing at her, that knew she wasn't so certain she wanted to be rescued anymore.

********************

"Oh goodie," Drusilla smiled at her kitten's words, glad to have someone that wanted to play with her. "We shall finish cleaning you first, my pretty," Drusilla decided as she moved the cloth along the girl's face to get the last few traces of blood and seed. "Then I shall give you your prezzie. I think you will like it, my pretty kitty."

Willow found herself curious despite the circumstances. Drusilla had a present for her? What kind of present would an insane vampire give a girl that her childe had kidnapped and tortured and fucked? Would Willow enjoy the present? She found herself looking into kind brown eyes, surprised to see emotions in the woman's eyes. Spike's eyes had been cold and blank, giving her no idea what his thoughts were. Drusilla's were different, guarded but kind. She was not acting in a threatening manner at all, though Willow knew the woman could kill her in seconds on a mere whim. She felt Drusilla washing her, listening to the woman rambling again about her naughty William and his lack of understanding in the stars. Stars? She was hungry, unable to follow Drusilla's words. She just knew that it felt nice to have her body cleaned, it felt nice to have someone taking care of her.

"So many bites," Drusilla clucked her tongue as she moved the cloth over a bite on the girl's breast. She was careful not to disrupt the wound, not wanting it to start bleeding again. She did not wish to get blood on her pretty's new dress, and knew they would not be able to play if the girl was in pain. Her eyes narrowed as she smelled the intoxicating mixture of blood and Spike and Kitten. She leaned down, her long hair brushing over the girl's arm as she ran her tongue over the bite, licking it clean. She heard the girl gasp, could smell the sweet scent of fear and arousal. She looked up, catching confused green eyes. A soft smile crossed her face as her eyes flashed yellow.

Willow couldn't move, didn't know what was happening. One minute, Drusilla had been rambling about bites and how messy her Spike was, the next, she was licking Willow's breast. She watched as the vampire's eyes flashed yellow, a smile on her beautiful face as she leaned over and again licked the bite. Willow couldn't control the soft moan that came from her lips at the gentle touch of Drusilla. It was so unlike when Spike had touched her, his hands bruising and strong and painfully pleasurable. Drusilla's caress was soft and tender, her lips tasting instead of taking. Willow had seen into the darkest parts of her soul when Spike had touched her. Now, she was seeing the other side at Drusilla's touch.

"Poor confused kitty," Drusilla whispered against the redhead's tummy as she moved her lips down the girl's flesh. She tasted so good, salty and sweet. Dru could understand why Spike had been so possessive, so animalistic. The girl was heavenly, feeding her demon's desire for fear and innocence and need at the same time her soft moans were arousing the woman inside the vampire. The stars had not been completely honest, Drusilla realized. They had spoken of many things, but never once mentioned just how tasty Kitten truly was. Drusilla continued bathing the girl, wiping the cloth along the redhead's body until her flesh was clean.

Willow didn't understand how she could be so excited by Drusilla's touch. It was so unlike Spike's, yet aroused her in nearly the same manner. True, there wasn't the same ache, the same desperate need she had felt when Spike had touched her, had spoken to her, had beaten her, but there was a need nonetheless. She had never considered herself gay before, but she couldn't deny that her body was finding Drusilla's touch arousing. The cool fingers, the wet tongue, the soft lips. She closed her eyes as she concentrated on the feel of the woman's hands on her skin, blocking out the pain and hunger she was still feeling. She didn't know what she needed, what she wanted. She just needed.

********************

"Turn over, pretty pet," Drusilla ordered softly as she moved from the bed, taking the dirty water to a corner and emptying it before putting fresh water in the bowl. She watched as the girl did as she was told, no hesitation in her eyes as she moved to lay on her stomach. Dru's eyes moved over her back and cute little butt. The girl's back was covered in dried blood, the wounds still pink and tender, though it appeared that none would scar. Drusilla was very proud of her boy. While Spike had been extremely brutal with the girl, he had remained in control enough not to do any permanent damage, save for the claim bite on her neck. That would never fade, would always remain as a symbol of his ownership of the human. Drusilla quickly washed the girl's back, leaning over at times to taste the dried blood, careful not to reopen any wounds. When she was finished, she smiled. "You can turn back over, Kitten," she whispered as she looked at the girl. She could see the need in those lovely green eyes, the scent thick in the air.

She put the cloth in the bowl, her decision made as she moved her hand between the girl's legs. She would relieve the girl's need and then they could play. She slid her long finger into the girl, not at all surprised to find her wet. She smiled softly, knowing that, under different circumstances, she would like to enjoy the girl, to spend hours tasting her and touching her and enjoying her warm body. But, now was not the time. Spike was playing one of his naughty games, and Drusilla had no interest in playing. It was between him and Red, and it was not her place to get in the middle. She went about her business quickly, touching the redhead in the right places, listening with half closed eyes as the girl began to moan, began to move against her hand. She licked her lips as she listened to the sweets sounds of release spilling from the girl's lips, resisting the urge to bury her teeth in the warm sweaty flesh. Time for that later. When she felt the girl starting to relax, she removed her hand, bringing it up to her mouth. She licked it clean, her eyes flashing yellow at the wonderful taste. Even sweeter when not mixed with blood.

"Made it all feel better, didn't it, Princess?" Drusilla said softly, her fingers brushing through that glorious auburn hair. She brushed her wet fingers against the girl's lips, groaning when the girl opened her mouth and tasted them. She pulled her hand back, laughing softly, "Now you can see your prezzie."

Willow was confused, not understanding what had happened. Drusilla had given her an orgasm, played her body perfectly, giving her a different pleasure than she had felt with Spike. Now, the woman was talking about presents. Did she not expect the same in return? Spike had fucked her without really caring about her own release except as a way of making her feel even more guilty. Why was Drusilla not demanding repayment? Did she not find her attractive? Why was it disappointing that Drusilla had moved away from her with a giggle and a smile? This line of thinking halted as soon as she thought about Spike. Oh God, she'd let herself come at Drusilla's hands. Spike was going to be angry with her, sire or no sire. She shouldn't have done that, no matter how aroused she had been. She didn't want to make him angry, didn't want him to kill her. What had she been thinking? Her eyes nervously looked at the door as if she expected him to come in at that very moment and punish her. Why did her body find that idea so damn arousing? She was worse than a monster.

"Spike won't be home for a bit," Drusilla said softly, seeing the fear and desire in the girl's eyes as she looked at the door. She smiled as she looked at the door, "he's playing one of his silly games, doesn't even realize that it is no longer game. Foolish boy, never listens to his Mum," she turned her head back to look at the redhead, smiling as she said, "Here is your prezzie, Kitten. Shall we put it on so that we can play?"

Willow looked at Dru, surprised to see the vampire holding a beautiful gown in much the same style as the one she was currently wearing. It was a pale green and looked like something out of a Jane Austin movie. She nodded her head, having not really paid attention to her nudity since Spike had first removed her clothes. Now, looking at this wonderful dress, she found herself eager to put it on. She let Drusilla pull her to her feet, her face grimacing as she touched the floor, her legs not strong enough to hold her. Dru's hand held her up as she stepped into the dress. She continued to lean against the vampire as she was dressed, the gown just a bit snug around the waist and too big around her breasts, but it felt lovely against her tender skin. She sat back down on the bed, sighing as she struggled to remain sitting up.

"Wonderful," Drusilla beamed as she fastened the gown. The next gown would fit better, she decided. Snug against Kitten's pretty pert little breasts and longer, the gown ending several inches above the redhead's feet. She'd have it designed special, in a pretty dark green. Kitten would be glorious, Drusilla thought proudly. She picked up her brush and worked on the long red hair. Soon, she had it pinned up, a few strands hanging down against the girl's pretty neck. "All dressed. Now, we can play."

Willow watched the woman go to a trunk that was beside the bed, worry in her eyes as she waited to see what they would be playing. She relaxed when she saw Drusilla remove several dolls from the trunk, turning back to her with a pleased smile.

"Oh, it's been ever so long since I've had someone to play with, Kitten," Drusilla sat on the bed beside the redhead as she laid out her dolls. "We'll have such fun! This is Evelyn," a doll was given to Willow, "and this is Georgina, and this is Louisa," Drusilla continued introducing her dolls as the redhead leaned back against the pillow, playing with the dolly she had been given.

********************

Spike pulled his car over when he saw the sign marking the entrance to Willy's bar. He had left the warehouse fifteen minutes ago after getting dressed, decided he could use some air before going back. The sun was high overhead, heating the interior of his car despite the very dark tinting he had had installed years before. He liked the heat, enjoyed the warmth. There was a pay phone right down the street from the warehouse where he and Drusilla had taken up residence, and he could have already made the call and been back home. He wasn't stupid though. Be just like the bloody poof to have caller ID. Spike had no intention of giving anything away to the bastard, especially not his present location. So, he'd driven all the way across town to use the phone at the seedy bar, not giving a royal fuck if Peaches saw this number in his little annoying ID box, if he had one. Spike had also welcomed the chance to get away from the warehouse, away from HER and her intoxicating scent and taste and those eyes that seemed to look right into his mind. He shook his head, a scowl crossing his handsome face. Didn't matter. By this time tomorrow, he and Dru would be out of this hell town, the slayer would be trying to pick up the pieces of Red, and he'd have taken care of his Princess like he'd promised, getting her strength back without hurting her precious little Daddy.

He moved his coat over his head as he opened his car door, feeling the slight prickle of pain as the sunlight touched his flesh. He kicked the door shut and ran to the bar. Finally, he was in the safety of the doorway, his blue eyes looking at the bright street as he ran his tongue over his burned flesh. It would be healed by the time his phone call was over so he wasn't that concerned. He let the warmth of the sunny afternoon heat his body as he smiled. God, he loved warm afternoons. True, there was always a bit of pain involved in enjoying them, but what was pleasure without a little pain? He turned away from the dangers of the sun and entered the dark bar, his eyes moving around the small space as he located every inhabitant, dismissing them all as non-threatening. He gave a nod to the bartender, thinking that Willy rather resembled a rodent. He walked the length of the bar towards the back where the pay phones were set up. He stopped at the end of the bar, cocking his head slightly as he held open his hand. It didn't Willy long before he realized what Spike was waiting for. Nervously, he opened his register and handed him some change. This was one vampire he wasn't going to cross.

Spike took the change and entered the rather old-fashioned phone booth. He closed the door, not wanting anyone to overhear his conversation. Wouldn't do for the current Master of Sunnydale to be heard making deals with the enemy. He put the money in the phone, dialed the number he had memorized weeks before, listening to it ring. On the sixth ring, it was answered. "Bout damn time, Peaches."

"Spike?" Angel was instantly alert, moving so that his back was to the humans that were sitting in his living room. He didn't need them to know who he was talking to, not yet. "What do you want?"

"Are ye always this rude to your callers or is it just me?" Spike asked lazily, knowing full well how to piss off his grandsire. "Guess that explains why you don't have many friends. You can work on that, you know. Seek counseling. Learn to be polite."

"Don't test me, boy," Angel said, knowing full well that Spike held all of the cards. It was a good sign for Willow that his grandchilde was calling him. She might have just been taken for an exchange. She might not be hurt at all.

"And don't push me, Angelus," Spike stressed the vampire's name, his eyes flashing yellow as he spoke slowly, wanting to savor the power that he had in this situation, "or little Red might just get eaten by the big bad wolf." Angel wasn't around to see the smug smile cross Spike's face as he thought of just how much of Red he had already tasted.

"So you do have her," Angel sighed, his voice lowering as he asked, "what do you want for her, Spike?"

"You," Spike said as he rolled his eyes at Angel's stupidity, "your blood, that is."

********************

"What?" Angel was a bit surprised at the request.

"Dru needs your blood for some silly ritual that stars were on about," Spike clarified not wanting any doubts as to what he wanted from the older vampire. "Your blood in exchange for little Red."

"How much?" Angel asked, knowing that he had no choice in this.

"Not enough to kill you," Spike said with a snort, "'Tis a pity, that. World could do with one less broody bastard. Anyhow, it's just a bit, get my Princess strong again so we can leave this fucking town."

"You'll leave? After it's over?" Angel asked.

"The minute it's over," Spike replied truthfully. He didn't want to stay in this town any longer than necessary. He'd make sure that everyone knew he'd bested the slayer at her own game, using her friends against her in much the same way she had used them against her, and then he'd leave and never look back.

"Promise me," Angel demanded, knowing that, despite his many faults, Spike never broke his promises. It was a matter of honor amongst their family.

"Bloody hell," Spike muttered, finally saying, "If you give me the blood we need and don't try to stop us from leaving, I'll give you Red and Dru and I will leave this hell."

"She'll be alive and healthy," Angel said, giving Spike no doubts that there was no deal if Willow was hurt or dead.

"Who, Red?" Spike smiled, "Don't worry, Gramps. I ain't done nothing to your little bitch that she hasn't wanted. She'll be waiting for you to run in and play hero and save her once my Dru is fixed. How's that?"

"Have you hurt her, Spike?" Angel asked, needing to know what to expect once they got Willow back, needing to prepare Buffy and the others. He no longer knew Spike, didn't have any idea what the blond vampire was capable of doing to Willow just to get revenge on Buffy.

"What do you think?" he asked, making a face at the phone, wondering if Angel had any idea how pathetic he had become, before deciding that it was time for damage control. He didn't want to give Angel any reason to not fulfill their deal, "She's fine. She was sleeping with a smile on her cute little face when I left. Nice and alive, waiting for her friends to rescue her I'm sure."

"Keep her that way," Angel said, "we have a deal. When and where?"

Spike added extra money to the phone, not wanting it to stop when they were getting to the good part. "You're in agreement then, Angelus? Promise me, no tricks."

"No tricks, Spike," Angel sighed. "I'll do the ritual, you give her to me, and you and Dru leave town forever. That's the deal."

"A bit melodramatic, aren't you Peaches?" Spike asked with amusement, knowing that Angel was growing impatient, "Leave town forever? Sounds like a line from some cheesy late night movie."

"Spike," Angel's voice held a hint of warning. He'd rather do this the easy way, knew there was a much greater chance of getting Willow back without harm, but he could also do it the hard way if needed.

"Angelus, I hate this town. I hate the smell and people and the slayer and you. Do you really think I'd ever want to come back?" Spike growled. "I can easily promise that I will never come back to this hell. We'll do the ritual tonight, at midnight. Big warehouse over on Stephens Avenue, the one with the faded blue sign that mentions furniture. Second floor. I'll have everything ready. You can bring your slayer but no one else. If I so much as sense another one of her little gang, Red dies. If the slayer so much as makes one move to stop me and Dru from leaving, Red dies. If you don't hold up your end of the deal, Red dies. Do you get the theme yet?"

"I can come alone," Angel said, not sure if he could trust Buffy when it was Willow's life on the line.

"No," Spike smiled slowly, "slayer comes too. Got to have someone help you get the little bitch once we leave, you'll be all weak and shit. Besides, I'll have someone to talk to during the ritual. I'm looking forward to chatting with your bottled blonde whore."

"Spike...."

"Oh, would you look at that? Time's up. Midnight, Gramps. You and the slayer, me and Dru. After it's all done, we're out of this hell town and you can have Red back. Everyone's happy. See ya tonight."

Angel looked at the now silent phone as he sighed, running a hand over his face before he placed it back in its holder, trying to think of how he was going to explain all of this to Buffy and the others.

********************

"Who was that?" Buffy asked as Angel hung up the phone, turning back towards them. She hadn't been able to hear anything that had been said, the souled vampire having moved into the other room once the caller had been identified.

"Spike," Angel said simply, giving them a tired look as he sat down.

"What did he want?" Giles asked, having a suspicion that it had concerned Willow, his fear for the redhead increasing as Angel made a face.

"He called to make the offer," Angel said. "My blood to heal Dru in exchange for Willow."

"That bastard!" Buffy turned and kicked the couch, wishing it were Spike's face. "He has her. He admitted to it, then?"

"He has her," Angel confirmed.

"Is she...is she okay?" Xander asked, knowing that it didn't feel like Willow was dead, but also knowing that being kept hostage by a vampire was dangerous.

"He said she was alive," Angel shrugged, knowing it wasn't much help, "he claims she was sleeping peacefully when he left. I doubt he would lie, but Spike isn't the most predictable person in the world."

"I'll kill him," Buffy said.

"No, you won't," Angel said crossly. "I agreed to the deal. Tonight, I do some ritual for Drusilla. When it's over, he promised that he and Dru would leave town, never come back. We get Willow back, alive and well. That's the deal. He wouldn't have promised if he didn't plan on following through."

"I'm glad you seem to have such faith in him," Buffy glared.

"He is my grandchilde," Angel said slowly, "you will not harm him or Drusilla unless you want Willow's death on your hands. Do we understand each other?"

Buffy finally looked away from him, not sure if he meant that Willow would die by Spike's hand or his own. She loved Angel, truly did, but this was just more evidence to prove to her that it would never work out between them. There was no way that a vampire and a slayer could ever have a relationship. They could be friends, and it would hurt like hell, but at this very moment she could easily believe that he would kill her best friend himself if she harmed his family. She couldn't trust him, no matter how much she loved him. She could survive the heartbreak. She was the slayer. She nodded, answering him finally, "I understand."

"What are we supposed to do?" Cordelia asked as she looked between Angel and Buffy, not understanding what was happening, but able to know that something was going on.

"Nothing," Angel said, looking at her, Xander and Giles. "Spike made it clear that you are not to be involved, any of you. If he senses you tonight, he'll kill Willow. Buffy and I are the only ones he's allowing to participate."

"Do you trust him, Angel?" Giles asked, looking into the vampire's eyes.

"Yes," Angel said truthfully. "He wants to heal Dru and get out of Sunnydale. He took Willow because she was convenient. He'll give her back when he gets what he wants. I believe that she's alive and will be back with us by morning."

"Then there is nothing else for us to do except wait," Giles sighed, getting to his feet. He moved to his slayer, looking into her eyes, "Be careful, don't push him, and get Willow back to us."

"I will," Buffy promised. She moved to hug Xander, promising that she'd save Willow and would meet them at Giles after everything was finished. Once they had left, she looked at Angel, "what time do we meet them?"

"Midnight," Angel said sadly, knowing that something was different between them. He had lost her before he had ever had her. He looked away, "I'm going to take a nap. I'll be losing a lot of blood tonight and need to be rested."

"Can I stay here?" Buffy asked, giving him a small smile. "I just don't want to be alone."

"She'll be fine, Buffy. We'll get her back," he squeezed her shoulder, "and of course you can stay."

"You're a great friend, Angel," she said sincerely, giving him a hug before moving to sit on the sofa and spend the next ten hours impatiently waiting for midnight.

********************

Spike entered the warehouse a little over two hours after he had finished his phone call with Angel. He'd had a couple of drinks, played a game of pool with a visiting Kyriane demon, won some money, filled his car up with gas and then finally decided it was time to go back. He knew Drusilla always worried about him when he was out during the day, didn't want her to be concerned. She had a big night ahead of her. He hoped that damn doll had been telling the truth about this ritual ceremony shit. He wasn't really into all that magic stuff, personally, but he had seen firsthand that it was powerful and strong. If anything could give his sire her strength back, her sire's blood should do the trick. He'd given Angel the address of the warehouse next to the one where he and Dru were living. He hadn't wanted to risk Angel feeling Red before the ceremony was finished. Soulboy could promise all he wanted that he'd let him and Dru leave town, but Spike didn't trust the bastard as far as he could throw him. Thinking about throwing that prick made him smile as he walked towards his room.

He felt right proud of himself. He'd actually come up with a plan that was going to work. He'd fix Dru and be able to leave this town, and he'd hurt the damn slayer while doing so. He knew how irritating it would be for that little bitch to know she was helping to save Drusilla, and he had no doubts that his little Red wouldn't be resuming her position as best friend and shadow to the slayer which would hurt her even more. All in all, not bad for a couple of days work. By this time tomorrow, he and Dru would be out of this fucking state. He couldn't wait to see his sire getting back to normal. He'd spent his entire unlife taking care of her, but, the last few months, it had started to become stressful. He was completely devoted to her, would do anything to make her happy, was thankful that it would get back to normal. She would start feeding and become more active, she'd get that spark of life back in her eyes. He'd hated seeing her become so weak and dependent. True, she was always a bit like a child, needing someone to make sure she didn't get herself killed, but she was strong and had the ability to take care of herself so that he could get time on his own. Since Prague, he'd rarely had time for a lengthy smoke without worrying that she might wander into the sunlight by mistake. She'd gotten better since they had arrived in Sunnydale, but she still hadn't been herself. After this ritual, she'd be back to her old self. His Princess would be back.

He entered their room, shutting the door behind him as he took off his coat. He slung it over a chair, his blue eyes moving to the bed. He froze, eyes narrowing as he took in the vision in front of him. Drusilla was sleeping, her arms tucked around Red whose head was resting against Dru's breast. Those damn dolls were laying on the covers around them. They were bloody beautiful, they were, and they were his. His eyes narrowed in anger as he moved towards them. He wasn't angry that Drusilla was sleeping beside Red. No, what made him angry was that Red was wearing one of Dru's old dresses, a light green one that was rather striking with her pale skin and red hair. Not only was she dressed, but she had been cleaned up, a bowl with dirty water sitting on the floor beside the bed. She had been bathed, the blood and sweat and seed removed from her body. He growled softly at that, not liking the idea of his mark being removed so easily from her. His eyes could see the bite mark on her neck, the scent of his claim thick and lingering, but it wasn't the same thing. He'd not given her permission to bathe, had not allowed her to be dressed in a gown that was concealing her body from his view. He had told her before that she was to not let anyone touch her without his permission. What part of that had she not understood? No one was to touch her. She was his.

His eyes flashed yellow as he moved closer towards the bed, his hand moving behind Drusilla's head, pulling her head up as he disturbed her sleep. He saw her open her eyes, blink at him sleepily as she gave him a soft smile that did nothing to diminish his anger, "Mine!"

Drusilla looked at Spike with confusion, not understanding why he was hurting her, "Spike?"

"Mine," he growled again, tightening his hold on her hair. "I did not give you permission to touch her, to clean her, to cover her."

"Kitten was filthy and cold," Drusilla said, her eyes flashing yellow as she moved her head, trying to free herself from his grasp. "I wanted to play. What is yours is mine!"

"Not her," he sneered, his left hand grabbing her face so she couldn't look away. "Mine! No one touches without my permission. She is mine, only mine."

"William, you're hurting me," she whispered as she watched his eyes, the stars having not told her this. What else had the stars not told her?

"She's mine," he repeated softly, his tone threatening as he released Drusilla. He ran a hand over his face as he looked at the bed, his eyes flashing as he looked at the sleeping girl that was completely oblivious to what had just happened. He suddenly looked at Drusilla, his eyes softening as he whispered, "I'm sorry, baby. I don't understand what's happening. I didn't mean to hurt you. What's mine is yours."

"She's our pretty kitten," Drusilla whispered softly, her hand moving to hold her face where he had held her so tightly. She watched as he looked back at the sleeping girl, his _expression changing as he glared at the human. Her eyes moved to look at Miss. Edith, needing to know answers as to why Spike would hurt her. He never hurt her unless they were playing a naughty game. This hadn't been a game. She stared at the doll, her eyes half closed as she listened, a smile of understanding crossing her beautiful face. With sudden clarity, it all made sense. She sighed softly, glad that the stars hadn't lied to her. She would have been very angry if they had caused her William pain or unhappiness. She looked at him, saw him looking at Kitten with confused and angry eyes, the tension in him nearly visible. She moved towards the edge of the bed to give him room before she spoke the words, understanding what was happening now, knowing that it was inevitable, comforted by what the stars had told her, "You are giving her to Daddy, aren't you?"

********************

"I'm not giving that bastard anything!" at his sire's words, Spike turned to look at her, his eyes flashing yellow as he growled, "He won't touch her! She's mine! I'm giving her back to the slayer just like I planned. She won't let him near her when I'm finished with her!"

Spike turned away from Drusilla, anger radiating from his eyes as he looked at Red. She was still sleeping. Stupid bitch. She let his sire bathe her and dress her, knew that he had warned that no one could touch her. She hadn't listened, had ignored him. He didn't like to be ignored. He had had everything planned. It had been perfect. Dru would get fixed and they'd leave this town. The slayer would suffer and realize she had lost. The one thing he hadn't considered was that he didn't want Angel anywhere near Red. She was his, he had claimed her. He didn't want that miserable bastard anywhere near her, didn't want to just hand over his Red. He knew Angelus, didn't care if there was a soul or not. The prick wouldn't be able to resist his Red, not now that she had tasted the darkness and knew her own desires. Sure, she'd lose her entire pathetic little circle of slayer and friends, but his bloody grandsire would be lurking around, brooding in the shadows as he watched her, wanted her, obsessed about giving her what she would be so desperately craving. Oh, Spike had done good all right. He'd awakened her desire and would now be leaving her with no one except that bastard to give her what she wanted. Why couldn't any of his plans go the way he wanted? Why did he feel so possessive about this little slip of a girl? Why did his demon crave her blood as if she were a fine wine and he was a man dying of thirst? What made her so special, damn it?

With a snarl, he looked at Drusilla, saw her watching him, could see that she knew answers to his questions. The damn stars were probably rolling around in amusement at seeing him so fucking confused. It didn't really matter. He looked back at Red, smiling coldly as he realized that he had only a few hours to make sure she knew who she belonged to, to make sure she would never forget the feel of his hands, his mouth, his fangs, that she would never look at another man, especially that wanker of a grandsire, without fear in her eyes. He didn't trust Angelus around her at all, but he'd make sure that Red knew what would happen if she so much as looked at that bastard much less let him touch her. He pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it to the ground. Time to wake her up and remind her who she belonged to.

Spike moved to straddle her, taking both her arms and lifting them above her head, his hand easily holding both her slim wrists. He felt her stirring, could hear her heartbeat starting to beat faster as she began to wake up. He watched her face, saw her eyes open slowly, widening when she found him sitting on her, struggling as she realized he had her hands secured. He smiled, his cold eyes looking at her as he said, "Someone's been a naughty girl."

Willow couldn't look away from him, those cold eyes still completely void of emotion. What had happened? She remembered playing with Drusilla and all those dolls before falling asleep. Why was he so angry? Oh, there was no doubt in her mind that he was angry. It radiated off him in waves of power that she found both terrifying and arousing. Even now, trapped underneath him, her body was on fire. She could feel wetness starting to leak between her legs, her breasts aching for his touch, her body wanting nothing more than to feel his hands on it. One look from those cold eyes and she was already begging for more. What had she become? When had she accepted the darkness she possessed? Why wouldn't he touch her?

"I thought I told you that no one touches you without my permission, Red," he spoke slowly, his words having an underlying threat to them as he spoke. He saw her eyes widen as she finally understood why he was angry at her. He moved his right hand to the bodice of the gown that was concealing her pale curves from his eyes. With a snarl, he ripped the dress, "Mine," he said as he leaned down and covered her mouth with his, roughly tasting every inch of wet warmth as he continued to rip the dress from her slim frame. He felt her arch up against him, no longer even pretending to fight her need for him. He would have laughed at her willingness had he not been desperate to possess her, to remind her who she belonged to. And, by the end of the night, there would be no doubts in her mind. After he was gone from this town, she'd sleep with his face in her mind, his voice in her head, she'd ache for his touch, she'd fuck herself as she remembered everything about him and this night, and she'd never let anyone else touch her, never want anyone else to touch her. She was his, mind, body and soul. He left her mouth as he roughly grabbed her breast, "I don't like to be ignored, pet, nor do I like to repeat myself. I'm going to let it slide this one time because it was my sire and I am going to assume that was the only reason you allowed her to touch you. If it had been anyone else, they'd be laying at your feet dead right now. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she whispered, having no doubts at the sincerity of his words. How could she find someone that frightened her so sexy? How could she be listening to his threats and want nothing more than to feel him bruise her flesh?

"Next time you cover your body with clothes, make sure they fit properly," he said with a smirk as he lifted up and finished removing her dress. "There, that's better. This is how you should always be, my sweet little whore. Naked and aroused, aching for my touch, only my touch," he unfastened his jeans, pushing them down to the floor where he had thrown his shirt, his hand moving to hold his hard cock. He entered her easily, grabbing her legs roughly as he pulled her down against him. He began to fuck her hard, his mouth moving over the bite mark on her neck. He pierced it again, driving her deep into the bed as he thrust into her repeatedly, drinking from the wound on her neck as he released her hands, her fingernails digging into his back as she met every one of his thrusts. He continued to grab her flesh, pinching, squeezing, bruising, marking her. He felt himself coming, letting her neck go as he claimed her mouth, whispering, "Mine," against her lips as she screamed in release. He smiled coldly as he continued moving inside her tight warmth. He wasn't finished with her yet, the game not over until he decided. By the time he left her tonight, sated, exhausted, and completely accepting of her dark desires, the slayer and his pathetic grandsire wouldn't stand a chance at getting close to her ever again. His smile turned ruthless as he continued to thrust into Red, his mouth biting her breast as he listened to her gasp of pleasure at the pain.

********************

Willow cried out as Spike's fingernails dug into her back, reopening one of her wounds. She heard him chuckle at her cry of pain, a knowing look flashing in his cold blue eyes as he ran his tongue over her breast. She moaned, arching against his mouth as the pain was soon forgotten, replaced by the desire that was growing so familiar that it almost seemed like a part of her. He had been fucking her for hours. She was sore, the area between her thighs tender and sensitive. He had reopened the marks on her back, using his fingers to spread her blood until it was covered once again. They didn't hurt as much as they had the previous night, having had over a day to start healing, but there was still pain that sent waves of arousal through her body. She'd lost track of the number of times she had come, knew that he had found release six times so far only because he would whisper that she was his right before he would come, his tongue claiming her mouth as he sent his seed into her. She enjoyed it when he kissed her, his tongue taking possession of her mouth, luring her tongue into his, his hands squeezing her flesh, bruising her skin.

Spike continued to thrust into her, having no idea where his stamina was coming from, not caring. The hours were ticking by, leaving him with less and less time to spend with his Red. He had so much left to teach her, hated leaving an unfinished project, knew that she would be a wonderful pupil. He growled as he imagined Angelus stepping in as her tutor, his hands digging deeper into her back. Her cry of pain was real as was her low moan as she pushed against him. He found her amazing, a human that would gladly accept everything he gave and still want more. She had not only survived his torture the previous night, but she was still aching for his touch after a dozen orgasms in the last few hours. To think this wonderful creature had been buried in the shadow of the slayer. The darkness in her was a fantastic discovery, even more intoxicating when it was mixed with the purity of her soul. A true contradiction, his Red. Even now, clawing at his back, begging for a monster's touch, she still had an innocent glow about her. Reminded him of his Princess, it did.

Maybe that's why he found her so alluring. She was like his sire, powerful and strong and dark at the same time she was innocent and intelligent and quiet, those green eyes watching and studying, casting a spell on him. He found himself again caught by those eyes, his grip on her arms tightening as he found himself unable to look away. He sunk into her once, twice, three times before he felt himself come, "mine," he whispered before catching her mouth in another kiss. Pulling back, he frowned. His hand moved over her face, committing every detail to memory. He growled as he shook his head, looking away from those bewitching green eyes. He grabbed her hips, sliding out of her as he flipped her over onto her knees. He heard her gasp of surprise and smiled, leaning forward and running his tongue over her back as he slid into her easily. He began to move slowly inside her, their position letting him go deeper than before. He heard her cry of pleasure and smiled.

She was covered in blood again. Not as thick as it had been because he knew she had lost a lot, but enough to cover it as it had been before she had been cleaned. His seed was dripping from between her legs, mixed with her own release. He had pulled out and come on her stomach and chest, his hands rubbing his seed down her legs and around her neck. He'd taken her mouth again, this time keeping control as she had pleasured him, her face soon covered in his seed. He liked her like that, covered in his scent and his seed. Gave no doubts that she was truly his, would not be able to be ignored by Angel when he came to 'rescue' the girl, would leave no confusion as to who she belonged to. She was his. He'd had her mouth and her cunt, now he was ready to take her ass. He moved his hand over the twin globes, squeezing tightly as he lazily ran his tongue over her back.

He kept licking her, moving his hand across her ass until his finger was brushing against her. He felt her stiffen as she seemed to realize his intentions. The sweet scent of her fear mixed with the thick scent of sex. He pushed his finger into her, groaning as she tightened around him. He stopped thrusting into her, letting his finger play with her. When she started to relax, he added another finger. He moved his mouth over her back as she began to slowly move against his hand. When he felt that she was ready, he pulled out and positioned his cock against her. He savored her fear, waiting for her words. He teased her with his head, could hear her heartbeat racing, could see her moving back towards him. "What do you want, Red?"

Willow closed her eyes, knew that he was going to make her ask. He seemed to take delight in making her beg him, seemed to know that it only added to her shame to hear her desire filled voice begging him to fuck her, to let her touch him, to give her pleasure or pain or whatever her body was craving at the moment. When she had felt his fingers on her back there, she'd frozen. She found the idea of what he was planning disgusting yet exciting. She'd never imagined that she could feel so much sensation there, but she was learning so many things that it wasn't as surprising as it might have been.

"Be a good girl and tell Spike what you want," he said lazily, though there was a threat to his voice. He was fighting the impulse to just sink into her and be done with it. Why couldn't she say the words that he so desperately needed to hear?

"Fuck me, Spike. Please fuck me," she whispered, a loud scream coming from her lips as he buried himself into her. She felt herself ripping, feeling as if someone were trying to split her in two. So much pain. Tears filled her eyes as she felt his fangs buried in her neck, one of his hands on her breasts, the other between her legs as he began to move inside her. It wasn't long until she forgot the pain and began to meet his thrusts, need consuming her. It wasn't long before she was flooding his hand with her release, her soft cries of pleasure coming from torn lips. Without even thinking about it, she turned her head and looked into his eyes, whispering, "yours," before she caught his lips with hers. She heard him growl as he sunk deep inside her, his seed spilling into her ass and dripping down the back of her legs as they kissed, her body falling onto the mattress.

********************

Spike looked at the girl and frowned. Things had changed. He didn't know when, didn't know how, but somewhere during the last eight hours, things had changed. She was laying on the bed with a pillow behind her head, her body covered in bruises, bloody, and seed, and she couldn't have looked happier. There was a satisfied look in her green eyes and a small smile on her pretty face. Drusilla had just fed her after reminding him that their kitten hadn't eaten in days. Couldn't very well hand her over to the slayer half starved, could he? Angel's stipulation had been alive and healthy, after all. He watched his sire move to pick up the bowl and cloth from beside the bed and move towards Red. He growled softly, his eyes narrowing as he shook his head once. He didn't want her cleaned, didn't want his seed washed away. He wanted her to remember him, remember every vivid detail for the rest of her life, didn't like the idea of her forgetting him, forgetting what had happened. Things had changed.

Drusilla moved to place the bowl back on the dresser, not wanting to upset Spike by washing Kitten, even though she thought it wasn't very nice to leave the girl covered in remains from her naughty fun. The slayer would be most unhappy, as would Daddy, but she didn't disobey Spike. She was glad that he had at least allowed her to feed their kitten, the poor thing so hungry she had eaten every single crumb of the food that Drusilla had found to give to her. Pretty kitty needed a proper meal and a proper bath with running water and a proper sleep to get rid of those dark circles that were underneath her green eyes. She sighed as she looked back at Spike, knew that his plans didn't include baths and meals and sleeping. Poor kitten would be left all alone to face the slayer and Daddy and their disapproval and disgust. She had to trust the stars, though, and hope they were right.

Willow was still hungry. The bits of crackers and fruit that Drusilla had fed her had done nothing to diminish the hunger that had been growing for over a day. She hadn't eaten since lunch at school the previous day, and that hardly qualified as a real meal. She was so very tired, knowing she had lost so much blood in the last day that it was surprising she was alive. Her entire body was still in pain, but it was a nice kind of pain now, a comforting pain. She had accepted it, enjoyed it, hoped that she always felt like she did at this very moment. Satisfied, completely satisfied. Her eyes moved to the chair where Spike was sitting, his jeans unbuttoned, his cold blue eyes watching her suspiciously. He had been watching for nearly half an hour at least, having given Drusilla permission to feed her as he had pulled on his jeans and sat down to watch her. It was unnerving, those blank eyes looking at her, studying her. What did he see?

"It's nearly time to leave," Spike told Dru as he looked away from Red, his mind thinking about everything that was yet to come. He hoped this ritual worked. He wanted his sire to get her strength back, wanted out of this town.

Willow heard his words, her eyes flying to look at him. Leave? Where were they going? Why did the thought of him leaving upset her? Was she going to die now?

"Daddy will be waiting," Drusilla smiled, cocking her head as she began to twirl in circles, her white dress moving with her, "I'll be strong again, so very strong."

"Yeah, you will be," if it works, he added mentally as his eyes followed his sire, a smile crossing his lips as he watched her. It was nice to see her happy again, to see excitement in her eyes. He glanced at Red, the smile fading as his eyes hardened. She was scared, the fear reaching him. He smiled a cold smile, telling her, "You're not going to die, Red. There's no deal if you're dead."

"Deal?" she repeated softly, not understanding.

"You in exchange for Angel's blood," Spike said, smirking at her. "Nice trade. Dru gets better, we get to leave this hell town, and you get to run back to your slayer. Win win situation, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh," she whispered, suddenly understanding. He was giving her back in order to save Drusilla. All part of his game, she guessed. Oh God, she couldn't face Buffy and the others. After the things she had done, the things she had begged him to do to her, the desire she still felt....she couldn't see them. They'd know what she was when they looked in her eyes. She'd lose them all, had already lost her. Why didn't he just kill her? It would be better than leaving her like this.

"Pretty kitty, pretty kitty," Drusilla sang out as she crawled onto the bed, her lips capturing Willow's in a sweet kiss. She ran her fingers through the girl's hair, promising, "Don't worry, lovey. It will all work out, just like the stars promised. They never lie to me. Forget me not, Kitten."

"Enough," Spike said sharply, eyes narrowed as he saw Drusilla's hand move away from Red's face. "Dru, get your stuff together. We leave this town as soon as the ritual is complete."

He watched Dru move off the bed, a puzzled look on her face at the tone of voice he had used with her, but he didn't care. His eyes moved over Red's face, his lips curling into a slight smile as he saw the confusion in her green eyes, wondering if it mirrored his own. He moved to the side of the bed, sitting beside her as his hand roughly grabbed her chin. "I may be leaving this town, but that doesn't change anything. You're still mine. You will always be mine," his lips caught hers in a deep kiss, his teeth biting her tongue before he sucked it, finally pulling back. His blue eyes were emotionless as he continued, "Now, you're going to be a good girl and remember who you belong to, aren't you?"

"I belong to you, Spike," she whispered softly, knowing the truth in her words. She was going to lose everything she loved because of those words, and the only thing she could think about was that he would be gone, that she was never going to see his face or feel his touch or hear his voice or taste his seed or smell the intoxicating scent of vanilla and tobacco and blood and sex and power that was Spike.

"No one touches you but me," he reminded, his eyes flashing at the idea of Angelus being within ten feet of his Red. "You'll never forget me, will you my beautiful whore? I'll haunt your dreams and you'll wake from your sleep with your hands buried between your legs and my name on your lips," he growled, looking away from her, "after the ritual, Peaches and the slayer are going to come and fetch you, my pretty little bitch," he saw the fear flash in her eyes, knew that he had been right in assuming that she would want nothing to do with that blonde bitch now. Red was too good for that bitch, too strong to be stuck in her shadow. He again looked into her eyes, knowing it was time to leave, knowing that she might try to run rather than face her stupid little friends. He couldn't risk it, had to have her waiting here alive and well when Angel came for her. He moved his hand behind her neck, leaning down and running his tongue over his claim, savoring this last taste of her blood before he lifted his head, his eyes catching hers as they flashed yellow, his promise, "This isn't over yet, pet," the last thing she heard before he knocked her out. He knew from experience that she would be out for a couple of hours at least. That should be more than enough time to get this finished. He leaned down and kissed her lips one more time before he growled and got up, helping Drusilla get the rest of their things loaded into the car before they had to meet Angel.

********************

"I don't like this," Buffy said as she and Angel looked around the deserted warehouse. They had been there only a few minutes, but she didn't like the feel of the place. She just wanted to get Willow and go home. Angel had warned her not to threaten Spike, and she just wasn't sure how easy it would be to obey those instructions when she was confronted by the bastard that had kidnapped her best friend. If he had hurt Willow, he'd better hope he was out of Sunnydale.

"They're not here yet," Angel said, rolling his eyes as Buffy continued to complain. He understood that she was worried about Willow, could sympathize because he, too, was worried about the quiet redhead with the shy smile. But she didn't have to constantly complain about everything. He knew that the real problem was the fact that wasn't controlling this. Spike had the power, and it annoyed the hell out of the slayer. "Buffy, you have to promise me that you'll behave. Spike won't hesitate in having her killed if we don't follow through with my promise."

"I've already promised that I won't stake the bleached blond bastard," Buffy glared at him. "What, do you want it in blood?"

"Slayer's blood? Is that an offer?" Spike asked with a cocky smile as he entered the room. "Peaches, always a pleasure. Not!"

"Spike, Drusilla," Angel nodded at them both, his eyes watching Buffy.

"Can we get this over with?" Buffy asked, biting her tongue to keep from saying something Spike might find offensive enough to use as a reason to kill her best friend.

"Eager little thing, aren't you?" Spike snorted, moving towards the side of the room where there were two chairs. He pulled them to the middle of the room, helping Drusilla take a seat. She said she had everything needed for the ritual, so he was going to just stand back and let her take care of it all. He looked at Angel and the slayer, smiling as he showed them a cell phone that he had won earlier that afternoon, "One wrong move, I make a call and Red dies. Do we understand each other?"

"If you so much as hurt one hair on her head," Buffy started to say but found her mouth covered by Angel's hand.

"You need to put a leash on your slayer, Peaches," Spike warned with a cold smile as he lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall, his eyes moving to watch his sire. She was in control, laying out the materials as she hummed softly to herself. She didn't seem to have any doubts that this would work, her trust in the damn stars as annoying as always.

Drusilla looked up and smiled at Angel, "Daddy, you need to remove your shirt and then come sit beside me. It won't hurt that much."

"I would have done this if you had asked, Spike," Angel said as he moved to follow Dru's instructions. Even with a soul, he still had a loyalty to his childe and her childe.

Spike snorted, "Yeah, cause you're *such* a devoted sire. Bloody wanker, keep your mouth shut and listen to Dru. I don't want to hear another word from you," he tossed the cell phone in the air, giving Angel a pointed look. He almost laughed as the elder vampire reluctantly looked away. Man, this was right fun. He had all the power just by showing them this stupid phone. As if he would be stupid enough to leave his Red alone with a minion. Of course, they didn't have any idea which is what it all the more pleasurable. His eyes moved to look at the slayer, a smirk crossing his face as he saw her watching Angel and Drusilla. He took a long drag from his smoke, his eyes flashing as he decided that it was time to have a spot of fun.

********************

"So, slayer, what brings a gal like you to a place like this?"

Buffy turned her head to glare at Spike, "Just shut up and quit talking to me."

"Not very nice, pet. Also not very smart, telling the man that holds your best friend's life in his hands to shut up," Spike brought the cell phone up to his face, tapping it against his lip as he saw her eyes narrow.

"You know why I'm here," Buffy hissed, hating that he was in control, hating that he knew it.

"Yeah, I do," he smirked, "you're here because *I* allowed it. Guess I won this time, Slayer."

"You didn't win anything," Buffy said with a frown. She'd had to give in to this stupid plan to save Willow, but that didn't mean he'd won.

"How's it feel?" Spike asked with a smile, knowing he was going to enjoy this.

"How does what feel?" she asked, not even looking at him this time.

"To know that you're the reason poor little Red was formally introduced to the big bad wolf," he asked, blowing smoke in her direction as he watched her face. He smiled when he saw the guilt flash in her eyes, deciding that this was pretty damn fun.

"If you hurt her," she let the threat drop as she saw him playing with the phone.

"She's a cute thing, isn't she?" he observed casually, "Tastes wonderful. Innocent and sweet and addicting, like candy. Her blood? Well, I've tasted thousands of people and hers was beyond comparison. And to think I never would have found her if not for you."

"It's not going to work," she said tightly, her hands clenched into fists as she watched Angel. "I'm not going to give you any reason to kill Willow."

"Willow?" he looked at her suddenly, his eyes narrowing. "Is that her name? Willow....." a slight smile crossed his face as he rolled the name on his tongue. It suited her. He forgot about the slayer as he found his mind drifting back to the redhead, his eyes closing as he easily brought her image to his mind. He could still taste her, smell her. Wished he were buried deep inside her now instead of standing here waiting for this stupid ritual to finish. He found himself thinking about what he would like to do to his little Red, everything else temporarily forgotten as he let his mind wander.

They stood there for over an hour as Drusilla and Angel completed the ritual. When it was finally over, Drusilla smiled sleepily at Spike. She looked into his eyes, knew where his thoughts were, knew that he was still so confused. She felt stronger, tired but stronger. It had worked. By the end of the week, she would be back to full strength. She looked at Angel, giving him a small smile, "Thank you, Daddy."

"So, it worked?" Spike asked as he focused on Drusilla, trying to see a difference.

********************

"It worked," Drusilla confirmed with a smile. "I can feel his blood, can feel the power."

"Okay, good. That's done. We held up our end. Now, where is Willow?" Buffy demanded as she moved towards Angel.

"Uh uh," Spike said, shaking his head. "Doesn't work that way. Do you think I'm stupid enough to tell you where she is before Dru and I are out of this town?"

"What are you talking about?" Buffy glared at him. "The deal was fix your insane bitch and I get Willow back. Now, tell me where she is before I stake your skinny ass!"

"Buffy, shut up," Angel said, cringing as he stood. He had lost a lot of blood, but he wasn't so weak that he wasn't still threatening. "Spike, would you please tell us how it *does* work?"

"Never thought you'd ask, Peaches," Spike rolled his eyes. "You see, here's how it's going to go down. Dru and I are going to leave here, get in my car and leave this fucking town. Once we're out of the city, I'll give you a call on your cell and tell you where Red is. See? It all works out. We get to leave, you get to be the hero, and everyone is happy."

"I don't like it," Buffy said, looking at Angel. "For all we know, he's killed Willow and is just trying to get out of town before I can kill him."

"Kitten isn't dead!" Drusilla turned to glare at the slayer.

"I promised that Red would be waiting for you alive and well," Spike snarled, his eyes flashing. "I don't break my promises, slayer."

"Let them leave, Buffy," Angel sighed. His eyes caught Spike's as he said, "If he did kill Willow, he knows that I'd find him, soul or no soul."

"I'm so scared," Spike laughed, "Listen to your vampire, slayer, unless you *do* want me to have Red killed."

"The world is spinning, my sweet William. Topsy turvy, round and round," Drusilla said as she moved to lean against her childe.

"I don't like this," Buffy repeated, not trusting Spike at all, but trusting Angel enough to move away from the bleached blond. "If I ever see you again, you're dust."

"You'd be dead before you could lift the stake," Spike said with an arrogant smirk as he walked past the slayer. He looked at Angel and promised, "Don't leave this place. I'll call as soon as we get out of town. She'll be there, alive and well as promised."

"Take care, William," Angel said, having a feeling that this would be the last time he saw his childe and grandchilde for a very long time.

"Whatever," Spike said as he rolled his eyes, his arm around Drusilla as he left Angel and Buffy in the empty warehouse waiting for his call.

********************

"How long does it take to get out of town?"

"It's only been twenty minutes," Angel said, his dark eyes on the silent cell phone.

"This is Sunnydale. It doesn't take twenty minutes to get from one end of town to the other," Buffy said as she continued her pacing. "He's not going to call. I knew we shouldn't have let him leave!"

Before Angel could respond, the phone rang. He picked it up, "Where is she?"

"Don't I even get a hello?" Spike asked.

"I'm tired of your games. Where is Willow?" Angel demanded, his eyes flashing yellow.

"Across the street. Second floor," Spike said before he hung up the phone.

"She's across the street," Angel said as he turned his phone off. "Come on."

He and Buffy ran across the street, entering the seemingly abandoned warehouse and looking around. "Where is she?"

"Second floor," Angel said, sniffing the air. His eyes narrowed as he smelled the overwhelming scent of blood and sex. He took the stairs two at a time, worry in his dark eyes as he followed the scent down the hallway. He opened the door and stopped, his eyes widening in shock at what he saw.

"Where is she?" Buffy asked, pushing past him. "Oh my God!"

"That bastard," Angel whispered, his eyes moving over the bloody shape laying on the bed. The smell of sex was thick giving him no doubts as to what Spike had done to the shy redhead.

"Is she....is she alive?" Buffy asked softly, her hazel eyes looking at her best friend. This was her fault. She had caused this. Willow had been raped, tortured and possibly killed just because she was her friend.

"I can hear her heartbeat," Angel said as he moved closer to the bed. He watched as Willow stirred, her eyes opening slowly as she woke up.

"Spike?" she asked softly, having heard voices as she woke up.

"Willow, honey, it's Buffy. That bastard won't touch you ever again," Buffy said as she moved towards her best friend.

"Buffy?" Willow's eyes snapped open as she looked at her blonde friend, moving her head to find Angel standing at the end of the bed, his dark eyes studying her silently, thoughtfully. He knew. They both knew.

"He claimed her," Angel said softly, his eyes on the deep bite on Willow's neck, the scent of Spike's claim very strong. Why had he claimed her? It didn't make sense. Spike had no regard for humans except as food, yet he had claimed his hostage. Had it been yet another way to hurt Buffy? His eyes looked into Willow's, widening in surprise at what he saw.

"Claim? What the hell does that mean?" Buffy asked as she reached for Willow.

"No, don't touch me," Willow shook her head, moving away from Buffy. Spike would be angry with her if she let Buffy touch her, if she let anyone touch her. What did Angel mean by claiming? She had read books, certainly, but didn't think that Spike had meant to claim her. He had left without even saying good-bye. He'd merely been playing with her, trying to break her.

"This is all my fault," Buffy said as she watched Willow move away from her. She had lost her best friend. Spike had taken away the one thing that meant the world to her. He had won.

"Buffy, you don't seem to understand the seriousness of this," Angel said, looking at her and seeing the defeat in her eyes. She had lost Willow, though not quite the way she seemed to think. He'd seen the flash of desire in those green eyes, knew that a claim could not be given to one unwilling. There was more to the shy redhead than he had originally thought. And Spike had discovered it, used it, ruined her before leaving. So much damage done in so short a time. He ran a hand through his thick hair as he caught Buffy's attention, "He claimed her, Buffy. That means he considers her his."

"His?" Buffy didn't understand all these stupid vampire rules. All she knew was that her best wouldn't let her hug her and tell her that everything would be all right even though she sincerely doubted anything would ever be the same again.

"It means that she isn't safe," Angel said, knowing that Spike had promised that he would never return to Sunnydale, but also knowing that his grandchilde had never claimed a human before and wasn't the type to take such an action lightly. He had been devoted to Drusilla from the first, and Angel had no interest in finding out how serious he was consider this claim. They would need to protect Willow from Spike, just in case he decided to come back and take her.

"I thought you said he promised not to come back," Buffy said, "you said he could be trusted, that he never broke a promise!"

"I didn't know that he had claimed her!" Angel snarled, "That changes things. Means that it might not be just a game. With Spike, who knows? He might have done it just to piss me off and to drive her further away from you. It doesn't matter. All that matters is keeping Willow safe this time."

"I won't let him get her again," Buffy declared as she and Angel began to talk about ways to keep Willow safe from Spike in case he came back to get her, both so caught up in their talks that neither noticed the redhead pick up Spike's discarded shirt and leave the room at the start of their discussion.

********************

Willow walked out of the warehouse and looked around. She recognized the area, having spent many a night hunting demons in various nearby warehouses. She grimaced as she walked, finding the simple act rather painful. She had had to leave though. It had been too much. Angel and Buffy had been arguing, talking about hurting Spike, about keeping her from him. Couldn't they see that she was already missing him? She pulled his shirt tighter around her, inhaling the scent that still lingered.

She was no longer the Willow that they knew and loved. She had grown up over the last day, had discovered things about herself that were shocking but true, had accepted the darkness that was inside her soul, had embraced it completely. Spike had woken it up, had forced her into accepting it, then he had left. Why had he done it? Why couldn't he have killed her? It would have been easier than this. She had lost everything, her friends, herself, and now she was alone, would always be alone. She could never love anyone, could never be held. She belonged to Spike, would always be his. She didn't need a bite on her neck to know this, she knew it deep inside her heart. She didn't understand it, didn't want understand it, but the truth was there. He had opened her eyes to who she really was, taught her things about herself that she'd never known. And now he was gone.

She stopped walking as she took a minute to breathe. She hadn't imagined how painful it would be to walk. And cold. She was so very cold. Her feet were wet from the dirty alley, his shirt falling to her knees. There was a chill in the air that complimented her mood. Where was she going? She had nowhere to go. Soon, Buffy and Angel would quit talking about protecting her and realize she was gone. They'd look for her, probably find her not far away if this was any indication of how fast she'd be walking. They didn't understand, couldn't understand. They looked at her and still saw the Willow she had been before Halloween, before the night that her life had changed forever. She wasn't the quiet little girl that needed protecting. She was Spike's, damn it, or so he had told her dozens of times. Why had he left her? She felt a tear drip down her face as she wrapped her arms around her waist.

She needed to go home. Needed to think. What was she going to do? Why hadn't she thought about this when she had been begging Spike to fuck her? Why couldn't she hate herself for what she had done? Why couldn't she even feel guilty for what she was feeling? She had felt guilt in the beginning, when he had first touched her. She had felt disgust at her reaction, had hated herself for wanting him. Now, though, there was no hatred, no disgust, just acceptance. Something had changed, though she had no idea what. She turned the corner and crossed the street, walking towards home. She was so tired, she honestly didn't know if she'd make it the few miles to her house. She wanted to curl up somewhere warm and just sleep, hope that she would wake up with answers to all the questions plaguing her mind. She hadn't walked very far when a car pulled up beside her. She didn't look at it, hoping that it wasn't the police or anyone that wanted to hurt her. She wouldn't be able to fight them at all.

A door opened beside her causing her to look. Her eyes widened with surprise as she found herself looking into cold blue eyes. She couldn't stop the smile of pleasure from spreading over her face. He hadn't left her!

"Get in," Spike demanded, angry at finding her walking down the dirty street wearing just his old shirt. He'd known the fucking slayer wouldn't be able to take care of her. He arched his brow as she stood there silently, looking at him as if she didn't believe he was really there. Crazy damn bitch. He hated having to explain what he, himself, didn't understand, "I told it wasn't over, pet. Now be a good girl and get your ass in the car so we can get out of this fucking town!"

Willow did as she was told, sliding into the car without hesitation. He'd come for her. He hadn't left her. She gave him a shy smile, not sure what he expected of her. Not wanting to risk upsetting him and causing him to leave her here, alone. She couldn't stand that, didn't want to be where he wasn't.

"We're going to have such fun, Kitten," Drusilla said with a smile as she leaned over the back seat, her hands tracing over the girl's face. "Spike and I are going to show you the world. You're ours, forever ours."

"Dru, sit back and get some rest," Spike said, rolling his eyes. His sire hadn't shut up about the fun they and their kitten would have since she had realized his plan to stay in town until they could collect his Red. He'd suspected that she would leave as soon as she had the chance, knew she wouldn't want to be around that damn slayer and his grandsire any longer than necessary. He knew his Red, he did. In a way that he'd never know his sire and her silly stars. He cast a glance at Willow, knowing her name now. She was happy as a little lark, a contented smile on her pretty face as she sat beside him, though her eyes were nervous and confused, as if she wasn't sure what was happening. That made two of them. She definitely hadn't been anywhere in his plans for the future. But, things had changed, his plans had changed. "You look tired, Willow," he said, watching as she looked at him in surprise as he used her name. He gave her a smirk as he leaned over and kissed her roughly before saying, "Lay down and get some sleep," as he returned his attention to the road and getting as far away from this town as he could.

He knew her name. God, it sounded so erotic when he said it, his accent rolling the word in ways that made her body tingle. She was leaving Sunnydale, saw the sign coming up ahead. She didn't care. She'd call her friends once she was far enough away, if Spike would allow it, and she'd try to explain to them how alive she was, how he made her feel, how safe she felt when she was in his arms, and she'd make them understand that this was something she wanted, that she was happy and that they should be happy because she was happy. They would forget her when they learned the truth, would not spend time worrying about her or looking for her. She moved to lean against Spike, snuggling closer to him as he put his arm around her shoulder, her eyes closing as a small happy smile crossed her face. She was going to see the world.

Drusilla looked from her childe to the redhead and smiled, leaning her head against the window. She was happy that Spike had thought of a way to keep Kitten. Willow, not kitten, she corrected. Spike had told her the redhead's name as they had been waiting, Drusilla liking it instantly. She looked up at the stars as they drove, glad that they were leaving that horrible little town, glad that she was feeling stronger, glad that they had found their kitten. They would be happy, the three of them. The stars had told her, and they never lied. She would buy Willow pretty dresses and fix her hair and teach her so many things. It would be ever so wonderful. And, now that Spike's game was over, she could taste the redhead, could share her with her childe. Drusilla listened as the stars sang a new song to her of the years to come, her eyes softening with happiness as a proud smile crossed her face as she very quietly whispered back to them against the glass, "I've always wanted a grandchilde!"

THE END