Make Me: Part 2
by TC McGonigle
Make Me
by T. C. McGonigle


Buffy and the gang belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy and the WB. Thanks for the inspiration.



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Part Two

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Melinda smiled to herself as she watched Angelus waltz Drusilla around the room. The plan was simple, it had to be considering with whom she was working. First she would infiltrate the Slayer's group and then betray them to the vampires. That was the part of the plan that she had told them, anyway.

"Soon we shall dance in the streets, my Angel, without worrying about that horrible little Slayer."

"Soon we shall dance on that horrible little Slayer's grave," Angelus chuckled. He let Drusilla dance off by herself. "Sorry you won't be able to join us, Spike."

"I wouldn't start practicing your steps just yet. This little Slayer is rather tenacious."

"Nobody can resist a Manipulator. Not even a Slayer," Melinda said with false confidence. What she said wasn't exactly true. Spike was resisting her and so was Willow.

Willow sat in the back of the library among the stacks of books instead of the table. Giles was still sequestered in his office, but all the others could talk about was Miss Quick. Willow didn't even want to think about the woman. She wasn't sure, mostly because she had never felt this way about anyone, but she thought she might hate Miss Quick.

"Willow," Xander startled Willow from her guilty thoughts, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Willow looked down at her book. Things weren't the same with Xander anymore, she didn't feel comfortable telling him things, especially feelings. "I think I miss Oz more than I thought I would."

"What's to miss? You saw him this afternoon," Xander frowned. He sat down, stretching his legs across the aisle.

"I know, but I won't be able to see him tonight or even talk to him until tomorrow morning."

"Hey, you're the one who picked a werewolf for a . . . friend who is male. Now you have to deal." Xander realized that what he said was harsh, but he couldn't help it. He had already had one friend's heart ravaged by an animal, he would rather have died than have the same thing happen to Willow. "Maybe you should talk to Miss Quick about this, Willow. She seems like a nice, sympathetic person. Just this afternoon, she let me go on and on about Cordy and how I don't understand our relationship."

Willow looked at Xander like he had just suggested she start table dancing at the Bronze for extra cash. "Why would I ever do that? I hardly know the woman!"

"Sorry," Xander experienced a brief moment of rare insight, "This is more about missing Miss Calendar than Oz, isn't it, Willow?" Willow didn't answer, partly because she was too emotional and partly because she was too stunned by Xander's perception. "Hey, we all liked Miss Calendar and despite the Angel/Soul thing she was a part of the team, but we can't hold that against Miss Quick. She deserves a chance."

"Why?" Willow jumped up, scattering books around her, "Why does she deserve a chance? What has she done that shows she can be trusted?" Willow stepped over Xander's legs and rushed out of the library.

"What's wrong with her?" Cordelia demanded when Xander returned to the table, "Did she just notice that nothing she's wearing matches?"

"Cool it, Cordy," Xander snapped, "Willow's still upset over what happened to Miss Calendar."

"Oh, well, I didn't mean anything," Cordelia offered Xander an apologetic smile. She was trying hard to become a real part of this group, mostly because it meant so much to a boy she couldn't believe she wanted to please this badly. "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm right."

"Of course," Xander sighed. Cordy wasn't as irritating now that he could kiss her. Miss Quick had helped him notice that fact. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean? Why shouldn't I be here? Is this some secret Xander/Willow meeting that no one else can attend?" Cordelia couldn't stop herself from flaring up. She was still a bit sensitive about Willow and Buffy, but not jealous of them.

"It was just a question," Xander grimaced. Was it just him or were the females going nutty all of a sudden?

Spike wheeled himself aimlessly down the alley. It was rough going with the wheelchair, but it was better than being in the warehouse and suffering through a misplaced celebration. Idiots, the lot of them! Thinking that that Melinda Quick woman, a Manipulator no less, was there to help them and get nothing in return.

"Bloody hell," Spike cursed, realizing that he had rolled himself toward a dead end. Turning around in the narrow and litter ridden confines of an alley was, unfortunately, a skill he had yet to master. Within minutes, he had himself wedged behind a trash can. "Stupid, buggering contraption!" Spike rammed the chair and himself into the wall, knocking his head against the bricks.

"Looks like you could use my help, Spike," Melinda emerged from the shadows. She smiled down at the bleeding, helpless vampire, "Lucky for you I'm a very helpful person."

"In exchange for what? My blind and undying trust?" Spike snapped into fang mode, "Don't count on it, Dearie. I don't like you."

"I don't like you either," Melinda scowled. She stepped forward and grasped the handles of Spike's wheelchair. "You are in my way." Melinda spun the wheelchair around. She bent down and picked up a splintered piece of wood.

Willow wasn't quite sure what to do or where to go after her confrontation with Xander. It was a sure bet that if Xander could perceive her feelings, then Miss Quick had as well. Willow turned down a dark alley, knowing that whatever danger that could face her there wouldn't be half as scary as Miss Quick.A loud bang further up the alley attracted Willow's attention. Her first instinct was to run and get Buffy, but there wouldn't be enough time for that to be any help. Willow ran toward the noise.

"I don't like you either," Miss Quick's steely voice stopped Willow's heroic entry. "You are in my way." Willow didn't think hard about her decision. She was in Miss Quick's way as well and whatever she did to this person, she would do to Willow sooner or later. She might as well get it over with. Willow ran into the alley and knocked Miss Quick down into the debris. The makeshift wooden stake in her hands clattered to the ground.

"Willow," Melinda gasped, "What are you doing? This. . . this creature attacked me."

Willow looked at Miss Quick's victim for the first time. Spike smiled crookedly up at her, "Don't believe a word of it, Ducks, you saved my life. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Willow stepped back. Leaving would be a good thing now.

"Willow," Melinda struggled to stand up. "You have to listen to me. Spike is a vampire, he can't be trusted." Melinda picked up the piece of wood. "You should stake him, Willow. Buffy would be proud."

Willow, under Spike's nervous gaze, slowly reached out and took the stake from Melinda. She stared at it, not wanting to face either of them.

"Don't let him make a fool of you, like Angelus made a fool of Buffy. Kill him for Buffy, Willow," Melinda's words made Willow's decision easy. She hurled the stake as far away from them as possible before grabbing the handles of Spike wheelchair and running.



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