Loosen End
Chapter 3
by Cynthia Taz (cynthia_taz@yahoo.com)
* Disclaimer and other information on Prologue.
// // = Voice
[ ] = Phone Conversation
~.~.~.~.~
Willow rubbed her tired eyes, and closed the book in front of her.
//Finish?//
"Hey." Willow turned and smiled widely at Tara. "Miss you."
//Me too.// Paused. //What are you reading?//
"Just some study materials for next week." Willow answered. She sat up from the bed, and started messaging her neck. "Anyway, I think I gonna visit Anya later."
//You know, if I don't know better, I would say you're in love with her.//
Willow laughed. "In love with Anya? No thanks. I don't think I can ever meet her 'organism quota of the day'. " Her laugher died down slowly, her smile turned into a frown. "It just, she had been through alot lately. A-and except you, she's the only one who won't walk on the egg shell in front of me."
//Buffy?//
"She can't even mention your name. Not that I'm really talkative to them nowadays but I think she's still angry with me." Willow sighed. "I guess I deserve-
//No you are not.// Tara cut her off.
"Yes I do."
//Why?//
Willow looked down, bitting her bottom lip.
//Becuase you hurt them?//
Willow nodded. To much Willow's surprise, Tara started to laugh. "What?" Willow frowned harder.
//Willow, seriously, how many times did they hurt you without apology afterwards? How many times did you help them and they didn't even bother to say a thank you afterwards? They own you. You didn't deserve being treat like that.//
"It's different..." Willow protested weakly.
//Well, if it's Dawnie who died, do you think Buffy would stop you from killing Warren?//
Willow thought for a long moment before shaking her head. "I don't know. May be."
//Trust me. She would break Warren into pieces at the spot.//
"You think so?"
//I know so.//
"B-but she won't try to destroy the world." Willow pointed out.
//Because she doesn't have that kind of power.//
Willow said nothing. Tara smiled.
//So, what about Xander?//
"What about him?"
//Still mad at him, huh?//
"I..." Willow stared at Tara for a moment, then sighed. "It just... I keep thinking what you have said earlier, about what if he didn't lie... all these mess..." She leaned against the headboard, staring at the ceiling. "One small lie. Just one small lie, and everything changed... and it's all my fault-"
Tara looked at Willow confused and at the same time amused. //Your fault... again?//
"If I ran faster and didn't get hit and went all coma then-"
//Honey, I told you about the scenario so you won't blame yourself on everything that had happened, not the other way around.//
"So you want me to blame all of these on Xander and his over-manly hormones?" Willow asked, confused. "Tara, I should be the one who shared a huge part of the bla-"
//No you're not.//
Tara said firmly.
//Don't forget if Buffy knew, then she won't need to send Angel to hell. They would still be together and everything would be so much better for all of us. What Xander did not only destroy Buffy and Angel, but also us.//
"Still, I could choose not to use and abuse dark magic and-"
//Then what? Let the hellmouth lose? If it's not you using dark magic to protect the hellmouth in the first place, it would have been opened way before you can resurrect Buffy.// Paused. //And I won't have the chance to come back.//
"Tare, I killed. I hurt you. I hurt everyone. I almost destroy the world!"
//And you regard having a chance being with me?//
"I regard putting you in that position in the first place."
//Willow, honey, don't be so hard on yourself. You don't deserve to suffer. You don't deserve to be blamed.//
Tara sat next to Willow.
//And everything will be fine. I promise.//
Willow smiled sadly at Tara, then looked outside the window. "Do you think Buffy would forgive Xander if she knows what I know?"
Tara shrugged.
//May be, but Angel was her life. She said it herself.//
"She forgives me though."
//It's different.// Paused. //And even if Buffy forgive him, I don't think she would go that easy on him.//
"Pay back's a bitch?"
//Possible. It's never a good thing to piss off a slayer.//
~.~.~.~.~
Buffy, Xander and Dawn were now at Xander's apartment. Spike was standing just outside the opened door, listening.
"You gonna live in that small room over there." He pointed at the room nearby. "I know it looks like a closet, but it's a room now. You're not gonna touch my food. I take the first shower in the morning, and if I use up all the hot water, that's your tough noogies." He then turned to Buffy. "And I hate this plan."
Spike didn't say anything, but just kept standing there. Xander looked annoyed. "Are you keeping up, or do you need some kind of English-to-Constant-Pain-In-My-Ass translation?"
"Invitation." Buffy whispered to Xander.
"Is there something more emphatic than hate? Can I revile the plan?" Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Fine." He turned to Spike. "I invite you in..." When Spike finally stepped inside the house, Xander added. "Nimrod."
"Don't want your soddin' food anyway." Spike said.
Xander ignored him, but turned towards Buffy. "I just don't understand. When his problems became your problems... more specifically mine?"
"The school basement is making him crazy. We can't just leave him there." Buffy reasoned.
Dawn looked at Buffy for a second, then frowned. "You guys aren't... You're not starting up again with the wh-"
"NO!" Buffy shouted. "No. A thousand gallons of no." Xander and Dawn stared at Buffy with the same disbelieve expression. "It just... things are different now. He has a soul."
"I'm sure that will be a real comfort when he soulfully attacks you again." Xander said sarcastically.
"What does that mean exactly that Spike is all soul-having?" Dawn asked.
"I don't know." Buffy confused. "But he's been through alot... okay, and nobody's attack-"
Spike walked towards Buffy, touching her arm, trying to get her attention. Instead, he startled her. "Sorry."
"No. It's me. I just-"
"Look. I'll go-"
"It'll work. It already is. You've been out of the basement for only half and hour and you've already stopped talking to invisible people." Spike raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so there was one episode in the car but..." She shook her head. "Just go to your closet." Buffy pointed at the room's door with a mothering tone. "Let's go Dawn. We still need to patrol."
Spike watched and sighed as Buffy and Dawn left.
~.~.~.~.~
Buffy and Dawn walked down the cemetery quietly. Dawn stared at her sister for a moment, opened her month to say something, but closed it before any words got out.
"What?" Buffy turned and looked at Dawn.
"Nothing." Buffy raised an eyebrow. "I... why do you help Spike?"
"He has a soul-"
"And what does that mean? We should feel pity on him becuase he has one?"
"I help him not out of pity Dawn." Buffy sighed.
"Then why?"
Buffy stared ahead and thought for a moment. "It's a good question."
"And the answer will just pop up in the middle of the night like a vamp?"
Buffy sighed. "It just... I don't know what I'm feeling. I think I can't stand him, but sometimes..."
"You love him?"
"No. I... I feel for him."
"Feel what, exactly?"
"Dawn..." Buffy gave her a warning look.
"I'm just trying to understand. I mean, none of it makes sense. First you say Spike disgusts you, but secretly you two are doing it like bunnies. And then Spike says he'd die for you, but he tries to rape you."
"For the record, Spike knew how wrong it was. That's why he went away."
"But to get a soul? Like that would make him a better man?"
"I know I won't." The sisters turned, and saw a vampire standing behind them. The vampire vamped out. "Scream for me." And he started walking towards them.
Dawn laughed, loudly. The vampire stopped mid-track. "What are you laughing at little girl?" He said angrily.
"I'm not little!" Dawn stopped her laughter and said seriously.
"He's right Dawn." Buffy said. "You are little."
"I'm taller than you." Dawn smirked.
"You..." The two of them started arguing. The vampire stood there, looking at them strangely. After some time, he finally had enough. He launched himself at them, but the two of them stepped back, causing him to land on the ground.
"Hey! It's rude to interrupt other people's conversation, ya know? Even soulless Spike won't do that."
The vampire hand shot up. "Spike?"
"You know him?" Buffy asked.
"I know him?" The vampire smiled. "He's the one who gave me all these power."
"Sire?" Dawn whispered, her eyes widened. She turned, and found the same expression on Buffy's face.
~.~.~.~.~
The door of the closest opened, and Spike walked out from the room. Xander heard the door, but he kept watching the television and drinking his beer. Spike looked at the back of Xander for a moment, before leaving the apartment quietly.
~.~.~.~.~
Two figures appeared in the dark corridor of the Sunnydale High. They each carried a huge backpack and a torch. The taller figure was holding a map, while the shorter one waiting impatiently.
"C'mon. Are you done yet?" The shorter one asked.
"I..." the taller one stared at the map for a second, and sighed. "I can't make out the way how this thing works."
"Why don't you say that earlier?" The shorter one scowled. He grabbed the map and started reading it. He looked up, and pointed at the left. "That way." He turned and started walking down the hallway.
The taller one followed. "Jonathan... are you scared?" He asked quietly.
"Of course I'm scared." Jonathan said, kept reading the map and looked around to see if they were on the right way. "Last time we were here, 33.3% of us were flayed alive."
"Then why are we doing this?" He whined.
"Because it's a right thing to do Andrew." Jonathan sighed. He stopped at the front of the door with a 'To the basement' sign on it. "Here we go."
~.~.~.~.~
Willow knocked on the door. Once. Twice. "Anya?" She frowned and knocked again. Still, no sound. She turned the handle, and found the door knocked. "Where did she go?"
//She's not here Will.//
"She isn't in the Magic Box. She isn't in her apartment." Willow thought for a moment, then asked in a small voice. "She didn't say anything about leaving Sunnydale, did she?"
//Well, you two haven't talk since that night.//
"I just hope she's alright." Willow said sadly, walking towards the stairs. "She was the only one who isn't look at me funny nowadays."
//I don't look at you funny.//
"No." Willow smirked. "You just look like you want to eat me alive."
//I want.//
Tara smirked.
~.~.~.~.~
Buffy grabbed the vampire's shirt, and shoved him against the wall. The vampire was kicking and shouting, trying to free himself from the slayer, but the slayer pointed a stake at his heart, causing the vampire to freeze. "You better think clearly. You said he sired you?"
"What?"
"You said Spike is your sire?"
"If that word means making me into vampire, then yes..." The vampire stared at Buffy for a moment. "You know him?" He asked hopefully.
"Oh yeah. She *know* him alright."
Dawn's quick remark wasn't lost by Buffy, but she kept her attention on the vampire. "When?"
"When what?"
Buffy shook him violently. "When did he sire you?"
"T-two days ago." With that, Buffy shoved the stake into his heart, ending his short undead live.
~.~.~.~.~
Willow and Tara was sitting on the grass under a huge tree. Willow was having a sandwich while Tara watching her eating.
"You know," Willow took another bite of her sandwich. "Buffy would definitely be pissed if she knew I was out having picnic in the middle of the night in cemetery without a slayer by my side."
//Do you think she would care about that?//
"Of course-" Willow looked at Tara for a moment, then sighed. "May be not so much but-"
//Honey, I was thinking... may be you should move out?//
"M-m-m-m-move out?" Willow dropped her sandwich and watched Tara with her eyes widened.
//Honey, calm down. I'm just saying, if it's so difficult for you to-//
"No, it's not difficult or anything. I mean, well, sometimes it's still awaken to be with Buffy or Dawnie or even Xander but we're getting better! Really! I-"
//They're still afraid of you Will. They don't want magic Willow. They just want a plain old Willow.//
Tara sighed and paused a bit before continue in a small voice.
//Sometimes I even wonder if they want plain old Willow around.//
"You think they don't love me anymore? But... but..."
//Will, I may be died, but I still have eyes. Even Anya treated you better... well, when she's still a vengeance demon anyway.//
"They... they're not that bad, really." Willow protested.
//Well, just a suggestion.//
Tara shrugged.
"Do you really think I should...?" Willow asked in a small voice.
//Do you?//
Tara smiled.
~.~.~.~.~
"Okay. Three hours ago you're telling me that he's harmless. Now you're telling me that he kill again?"
"We just found that out ourselves." Buffy protested weakly, sitting in the living room in Xander's apartment.
"And we are not even sure if the vamp is telling the truth." Dawn added. "I mean, if Spike is evil again, you should have already been dead." Xander eyes widened at Dawn's remark. "Not that I want you to die." Dawn added immediately.
"We need to keep an eye on him." Buffy said seriously. "Do you know where he's going?"
"How should I know?" Xander frowned.
"What should we do?" Dawn asked.
"I'm not sure." Buffy sighed, messaging her temper. "I guess research is in order."
"I don't think there are any books about how a chipped vampire can kill again."
"I can try to see if there's any increasing case of neck trauma death these couple of days." Dawn supplied. "We can check on the newspaper, or get Willow to check on the police report."
"I think Willow is going out for dinner tonight. May be we can ask her later or tomorrow morning."
"Then what are we going to do now?" Xander asked.
"We wait." Buffy looked at the two of them.
~.~.~.~.~
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Andrew walked beside Jonathan in the Sunnydale High basement.
"Would you stop whining?" Jonathan said angrily, and stood in front of Andrew. "You've kept whining and whining since we decided to come back to Sunnydale. I told you we-"
"There." Andrew suddenly pointed behind Jonathan. Jonathan turned, and saw a door between him.
"There?" He asked, walking towards the door. "Are you sure?"
Andrew swallowed hard, his eyes kept staring at the door. "Yeah." He chocked out the word.
"Okay." Jonathan shrugged, and walked towards the door. He didn't see Warren was now standing beside Andrew, smirking.
~.~.~.~.~
"I wish time would stop." Willow said quietly as she lied on the grass watching up at the night sky.
//I wish time move faster though.//
"Why?" Willow frowned and turned, looking at Tara, asking in a fearful voice. "You don't want to be with me?"
//Of course not sweetie! It's because I *want* to be with you.// Tara gave Willow her trade mark half smile. //I want to touch you, to be with you forever. The faster we can do the spell, the faster we can be together again.//
"Oh." Willow smiled. "I wish time to move faster then." She looked at her watch. "Well it's two twenty now so- two twenty?!" Willow jumped up immediately and started to panic. "Oh God! Two twenty! Buffy must be worried sick. We had to go back now!" She started picking up her things.
//Honey, calm down. Has she call?//
"Call?" Willow looked at Tara, confused.
//Yeah, call.// Paused. //Your mobile phone?//
"Oh right." Willow took out her mobile. "Oh." She sighed, and sat heavily on the grass again. "She didn't call." She whispered.
//I told you.//
"But... but... may be she's busy or-or oh God! What if she got hurt? What if some vampires attacked her and Dawnie? Oh God! Oh God! I got to... I got to..."
//Check on them?//
"Yes!" Willow started dialing when Tara voice stopped her.
//What if they're at home sleeping? You gonna wake them. It's a school night, remember?//
Willow frowned. "Oh." Paused. "May be I should go back then."
//If you want.//
Tara shrugged.
~.~.~.~.~
"We almost got this thing uncovered." Jonathan said, digging up yet another dirt in the basement at the Sunnydale High.
"Yeah." Andrew said.
"I hope Buffy will know how to destroy it." Jonathan said half hearted. Suddenly he stopped, looking at Andrew. "That's it! 36-19-27! My locker combination!" He smiled, and continued digging. "God. It's been bugging me all night!"
"Dude." Andrew said quietly. "We spent the last few years trying to forget about high school. Why are you trying so hard to remember it?"
"I don't know. I guess I miss it. Don't you?"
"Yeah, I really miss it." Andrew said sarcastically.
"No, I'm serious. I really miss it!" Joanthan stopped again and looked at ANdrew. "Times goes by, eveyrthing drops away... all the cruelty, all the pain, all the humiliation... it all washes away." Andrew stopped and stared at him. "I miss my friends. I want to talk to them, you know? I want to find out how they're doing. I want to know what's going on in their lives."
"You know what? They don't wanna talk to you...all those people you just mentioned. Not one of them is sitting around going, 'I wonder what Jonathan's up to right now.' Not one of them cares about you."
Jonathan shrugged. "Well, I still care about them. That's why I'm here."
Andrew sighed, and looked down at the huge metal pentagram with a horned goat head on it which was now underneath them.
~.~.~.~.~
Spike and a young woman were now walking towards an apartment building. They were talking happily. When they reached at the entrance, they stopped. Spike stood there, his hands in his pocket. The woman turned, smiled, and stepped closer to him. Spike smiled.
"Good night." The woman said, and hugged Spike.
Spike hugged back, and in a second, Spike vamped out, and sank his fangs into the woman's neck. The woman struggled trying to get free but couldn't. She turned weaker and weaker, until darkness finally consumed her.
~.~.~.~.~
Willow slowly walked towards the second floor, and found Dawn's and Buffy's room was empty. "That's strange." She said to herself. "It's a school night. Buffy always made Dawn sleep before twelve in school night. Where are they?" She went towards the phone. "No message." She picked up the speaker, and dialed Xander's number.
[Hello?]
"Xan- Buffy?"
[Willow?]
"Is Dawn with you?"
[Yeah. She's sleeping. So is Xander. Want me to wake them up?]
"No. That's alright. I just worried where you guys been... you know, empty house and all."
[Sorry. I guessed I forgot.] Paused. [Gosh, it's almost three.]
"Yeah. It's pretty late." Willow paused. "So... school holiday tomorrow?"
[Nuh. Xander will drive us back tomorrow morning. Um... Will? Can you check something out for me?]
"Sure."
[Can you see if there's more neck trauma victims these couple of weeks?]
"I'll boot up my notebook right now." Willow walked towards the dining table and started up her notebook.
[Will, you don't need-]
"It's alright." Willow sat in front of her notebook. "New big bad?"
[We're not sure yet. Spike may be involved.]
"Spike?" Willow frowned. "How?"
Buffy thought for a moment. She didn't want Willow to worry too much, especially since she just came back and going back to class. [Just rumors.]
"Um... okay." Willow sighed, thinking that Buffy didn't trust her, or even worst, not wanting to have anything to do with her. "Give me a sec." Willow quicky connected to the net and hacked into the Sunnydale Police Department like she had in the past six years. "Wow."
[What?]
"There're not much neck trauma these days..."
[Why am I sensing a but coming?]
"There're 10... no. 11 missing these couple of weeks. All young girls. I can pull out the files for you."
[Thanks. See you tomorrow then?]
"Um..." Willow thought for a moment. "I may be out early tomorrow. I'll just print out the files and left it in the kitchen so you can go through it tomorrow morning, okay?"
[Um... okay.]
"Good night then."
[Bye.]
Willow put down the phone, and collected her notebook to the printer, and started printing out files.
//I thought you don't have class tomorrow.//
"I don't." Willow sighed. "I just figure may be I can go back earlier and see if I can find a dorm room."
Tara smiled.
~.~.~.~.~
"It's it." Jonathan shoved away the shove. "We need to go tell Buffy now." He turned, and picked up his bag, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned, and found the hand belonged to Andrew. "What?"
Sudden pain shot through his belly. Jonathan looked down, and found Andrew holding a big knife that stabbed through his stomach. He looked up, opened his mouth, but no voice came. Andrew pulled out the knife, and stabbed it into his stomach again and again. Finally, Andrew pulled out the knife for one last time, and stepped aside. Jonathan fell, his body lying on the seal, blood flowing out from her small body.
Andrew swallowed hard, watching as Jonathan's life slowly drifted away.
~.~.~.~.~
"Where have you been?" A harsh voice directed towards Spike once he set foot into Xander's apartment. He looked at the blondie who's the voice belonged to, now sitting on the couch, staring at him.
"Just get some drink. What?"
Buffy stared at Spike, her eyes narrowed. "Nothing." She paused before continued. "Do you need me to bring you some blood?"
"No thanks." Spike paused. "Big Bad?"
"Not really." Buffy waved her hand. "Just get some sleep."
Spike shrugged and entered his new room, with Buffy's eyes fixing on his back.
~.~.~.~.~
Willow picked up her bag and opened the front door when the phone rang. She debated herself for a minute not to take the call, but gave up and closed the door again. She put down her bag and picked up the phone. "Summers' Resident."
[Hello. May I speak to Willow please?] Willow's mother's voice came through from the other side.
"Mum?"
[Oh hi honey.]
"Hey. You guys still in Paris?"
[Yeah.] Willow could hear her mother smiled from the other side of the phone. [The university is great. Your father and I both love it very much.]
"That's good."
[Oh, how's Tina, by the way?]
Willow paused for a moment. "*Tara*, mum. Her name is *Tara*." Paused. "And she is fine. *Very* fine." She said, grounding her teeth with un-spoken anger.
[That's great.] Her mother dismissed the name immediately. [Anyway, your father and I have been discussed and we think we would stay here for a longer time, probably at least a year.]
"Okay."
[If you are going to continue living with Bunny-]
"Buffy."
[Okay. Buffy. Right.] Her mother yet again dismissed the name immediately. [So if you don't want the house your father and I are going to sell it.]
"Selling the house?"
[Yeah. I'll call the lawyer and the agent later. Or you want to move back to the house? We can change it under your name. You can decide what you want to do with it.]
"Oh." Willow paused. "I guess. The value of the house isn't really high anyway."
[Tell me about it. The value just keeps decreasing.] She sighed. [Anyway, if you want to visit us, just give us a call. Okay? I'll call the lawyer and tell him to contact you for the documents.]
"Okay."
[I better go now. Your father and I are going to dinner with other professor tonight.]
"Bye."
[Bye.]
Willow put down the phone, her eyes focusing on it. "Her name is Tara." She whispered. "Tara." Again and again.
~.~.~.~.~
Anya eyes narrowed at Xander who was busy opening all the blinds in the living room. "Forget it Harris."
"C'mon Anya. You said you would do it on the phone." Xander turned and frowned a bit.
"But that was be-" She paused for a moment, her eyes shifting towards the closed door nearby. "Before you told me Spike's killing again." She whispered. "And now you want me to be alone with him?"
"You didn't mind being alone with him before."
"What was that?"
"Nothing." Xander shook his head. "Look, we don't actually know that he has killed anyone lately. Might all just be a mistake."
"Yeah, but you don't think so." Anya pointed at Xander. "Have you searched his room for clues? Trophies from victims? Killers like to keep trophies sometimes. Scalpers, necklaces made from human teeth."
"You know, it didn't occur to me to look, but thanks for the tip." He took his briefcase from the table and quickly moved towards the front door. "You'll be safe in here. Plenty of sunlight for you to hid in."
"What? That's it? You're not at least gonna leave me a crossbow or a flame thrower? Something to protect myself?"
"We don't want him to know we suspect anything." Xander said causally as he grabbed his hard hat from the cupboard nearby. "Besides, if he tries to leave, I don't want you to confront him. Call Buffy and just let her know that he's on the move." He stopped and turned his face fully at Anya. "You gonna be fine." He quickly turned and opened the door.
"Better be, because if I get vamped, I'm gonna bite your ass."
"Won't be the first time." He smirked before walking out and closed the door.
"What was that?"
~.~.~.~.~
Buffy frowned at the list of missing girls pictures in front of her. Her mind replaying again and again about the vamp she had staked last night.
"Miss Summers... Miss Summers?" Buffy jumped as she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned, and found the Sunnydale High Principle looking at her with an amused expression on his face. "What are you reading?"
"Um... nothing." Buffy quickly closed the file before he could peek. "Just some reports." She answered. "What's up?"
"Oh." Principle Wood smiled. "So, getting used to the exciting high school experience already?"
"Exciting with a capital E." Buffy smiled back.
"Good." He nodded. "Just tell me if you need any help." He said. Buffy narrowed her eyes as she watched the principle walked away.
~.~.~.~.~
Anya stood in front of Spike's room, her eyes staring it as if it had just took her money. She sighed for the last time, before turning the door handle and sneaked into the room.
Looking around quietly, she held tight the stake in her hand, and reached for the nightstand drawer. Opened it one by one, she searched for anything that might suggest if Spike had killed anyone recently. She frowned for a minute, her eyes turning towards the clothes on the floor.
Anya carefully took the leather pants and stuck her hand into the pocket. Suddenly, Spike's hand reached for her arm, and tightened it. Anya turned sharply at Spike, who still had her eyes closed. "Anya, do be specific and tell a fellow just exactly what you're doing here." He said, slowly opening his eyes.
"Well, Spike..." Anya tailed off, her mind racing. "I'm here, obviously... for... um..." She finally decided to say the one thing that had stayed in her mind 24/7. "Sex."
Spike blinked for a second, before shooting up from the bed, retreated from her arm. "Beg pardon?"
Anya turned fully at Spike, kneeing next to his bed. "You and me. Here and now. Let's go. Let's get it on, you big bad boy." She said, trying to sound arouse but fail miserably.
"Wait Anya. Just a minute. This is not exactly-" Spike paused, his eyes turned towards Anya's hand. "Is that a stake?"
"Yes. Kinky." Anya threw the stake away without second thought, stood up, and settled herself on top of Spike.
"Uh, well, yeah, but what do you-"
"Shh." Anya smiled nervously, pressing her finger against his lips. "No questions. No talking. I can't help it. I can't stop thinking about us and our brief but unforgettable time together. I mean, why else would I be here? It's not like I'm snooping around looking for proof that you're some sort of wicked serial killer." Spike raised an eyebrow as Anya laughed nervously again. "I don't know why I said that. Forget I said that. It's craziness talking. It's just nerves... nerves and horniness." She rolled her eyes. "Oh just shut up William, and take me. Take me now." She said, lowering herself towards Spike and started kissing his neck. But when Spike didn't response, Anya sat up again. "What?"
"It's not that I'm not tempted. Obviously, if things were different, you're a ripe catch."
Anya waved a little. "I got it. No problem, I understand." She stood, excusing herself from Spike, but stopped and sat down on him again. "You think I'm fat."
"Huh?"
"It's either that or the haircut."
"Ridiculous. The do's quite fetching."
"Oh right." Anya rolled her eyes. "Now you like the haircut."
"Love it." Spike raised both his hands.
"Sure, as a friend." Anya frowned.
"Anya..."
"You know, you were alot more fun when you didn't have a soul."
"Oh c'mon. I've just explained to you-"
"All I'm saying is soulless Spike would have had me upside down and half way to the happy land by now."
Spike sighed. He looked down at the thin sheet covering his naked body, before looking up again. "I need my pants."
Anya grabbed his pants from the floor and threw it at him, but still keeping her seat on Spike.
~.~.~.~.~
"Atcha."
//Bless you.//
Willow smiled back at Tara for a second before turning back towards the task in her hands. "How can a house get *that* dusty? It's like there's a dust demon living here for ages... well, if there's a dust demon." She shrugged, frowning at the now black cloth in her hand. "Eww."
//It's not that bad. At least your parents had put covers on most of the furniture.//
"That's true. I think it gonna take me couple days before I can finish all the clean up though." Willow stood up, looking around at the Rosenberg's house, and frowned.
Her frown quickly turned into a grin when she saw the half smile on Tara's face.
~.~.~.~.~
Anya, sitting on the couch in Xander's apartment, fluffy through the magazine in her hand, a small pout on her face.
"Didn't mean to hurt your feelings, luv." Spike said, walking out from his room, his eyes staring at the ex-demon's back.
"Who's hurt? I'm fine."
"Right." Spike sighed, and looked at the almost night sky outside the window. "Look, uh, I got things to do."
"Don't stick around on my account." Anya waved a little, her eyes never left the magazine.
Spike looked at Anya for a second and left. Anya put down the magazine as Spike closed the door, and reached for the phone. She dialed the familiar number. "It's me." Paused. "He's leaving."
~.~.~.~.~
Walking down the busy street, Spike moved quietly between the crowds, his eyes focused nothing but the ground. Suddenly, he stopped, his eyes slowly moved towards the musician who was playing a harmonica nearby. He moved again, his eyes no longer focused on the ground but people around. His lips moved slightly, humming along with the song from the harmonica.
Spike reached the entrance of a club, his eyes landed on a young woman standing in the line. He moved forward, whispering something in her ears. The woman turned, smiled, and walked off with him hand in hand.
Buffy appeared from not far behind, her eyes narrowed as she watched the two walking towards the other side. She started following, but stopped as her mobile rang suddenly. Buffy took out the mobile from her pocket, when a man dumped into her and knocked her mobile phone away. She cursed, bending down and pick up the phone. When she looked up again, Spike and the woman had already gone, disappeared in the crowded street.
Buffy cursed again, before finally answered the phone.
~.~.~.~.~
Willow picked up the phone, and dialed the number she had remembered by heart. She waited for a minute, before someone finally answered the phone.
[Hello?]
"Buffy?"
[Oh hey Willow.]
"I just wanna-"
[Will I really need to go now. We'll talk later, okay? Bye.]
"O-" Willow paused as she heard the dead tone from the other side. "-Kay." She put down the phone, before slowly looking around at the yet again empty Summers' house.
~.~.~.~.~
"So, um, what kind of name is Spike?" The woman asked as Spike closed up the distance between them in the dark alley. "So, are you gonna make me guess?" She giggled. "Alright." Spike stopped in front of her, their faces only centimeters apart. "I guess you're little bad, huh?" She purred, before kissing him.
When Spike didn't reply, the woman looked up again, her smile never left her face. "Am I right? Are you a bad boy? 'Cos I don't mind. You know," Her face slowly moved towards Spike's neck. "I was getting pretty bored waiting over there in that line. I hate waiting." She started nuzzled his neck. "Know what I mean?"
Suddenly, Spike eyes widened at the empty space over the woman's shoulder. The woman saw the change in his expression, and turned, followed his eye sight. "Is there-" Before she knew, Spike vamped out, and bit on her neck, hard.
~.~.~.~.~
Willow put down the last box of clothes on the front porch, nodding politely at the taxi driver who was helping her to move the boxes on the car.
Closing the front door, Willow stood there, her sad eyes looking at the house that she used to call home for a moment, before turning and stepped into the cab.
~.~.~.~.~
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