Buffy gaped at Spike. He needed the blood of a Slayer? That unasked question in his eyes could not possibly be... "Are you nuts?"
Spike scowled and took another drag on his cigarette, watching her carefully.
Buffy's hands clenched on the table top, itching to grab the stake that was up one sleeve. "I'm not giving you any of my blood. Do I look stupid?"
"Well, actually..."
Buffy hissed and Spike chuckled. Seeing her all riled certainly lightened his mood.
"You are a delight, Slayer. All the other Slayers I've known have been so damn boring."
"Well, no one's ever accused me of being boring," Buffy snapped back. "Now, is this conversation at an end, so I can take your sorry ass outside and whup it?"
"Sorry, can't allow that, and, no, this conversation isn't over." Spike straightened in his chair, his demeanor becoming serious. Inside he winced as he forced the words out between clenched teeth. "If you want me to help you stop Dru, I need your blood." Once the proposition--his final betrayal of Drusilla--was out, he relaxed slightly.
Buffy stared at him. "So, what changed, Spike? Last night you were all 'I can't betray the great love of my life, but I can screw around behind her back', now you want to help me?"
Angrily Spike stabbed his cigarette out in an ashtray. But, whether he was angry at her snide tone or angry at himself for finally turning completely away from Drusilla, he didn't know.
"What kind of shitty trap is this?" she asked, drumming her nails on the table.
Spike's hand lashed out and caught her wrist, squeezing it tightly as he forced her to look at him. He spoke softly, but his fury rang in his voice. "Do you realize what I am giving up to help you, the Slayer, to save the world? Do you realize how unnatural this is? Can you possibly conceive of betraying the one being who has meant the world to you for a hundred years? This will destroy her."
Spike released her and Buffy fell back in her chair, stunned. He rose from the table, kicking the chair aside. "So, do you want to save the world, Slayer, or will you be sitting on your ass when the end comes?"
*****
From the cage Lily watched as Drusilla slid slowly to her knees, her hands caressing Angel's thighs. Wild-eyed, Angel watched her, knowing what she was planning and unable to think of one thing to say or do to stop her. His eyes flashed to Lily and she sent him a sympathetic look, gripping the bars of the cage, unable to look away.
The sound of a zipper being drawn open echoed through the room like a shot.
"My Angel, I've missed you so," Drusilla sighed. "Have you missed this? You always loved it so, especially when I was on my knees in front of you."
"Dru...please don't do this," Angel choked out, his voice harsh with pain and fear.
"Begging? Begging is useless, you taught me that," she replied icily as her hand slipped inside his jeans.
Angel groaned.
From the cage Lily had a clear view of what was going on. She knew that this was going to end badly. Angel's body was too human to deny Drusilla's touch and any response would heap more guilt on him.
Behind her Willow whimpered and Lily glanced over her shoulder. The girl's eyes fluttered open. This was not a good time for her to wake up.
"Go back to sleep," Lily whispered.
Willow's brow wrinkled and she blinked a few times. "Is it over?" She rubbed at her sore eyes.
Lily was silent for a moment, then moved to block Willow's view, groaning at the jolt of pain from her back. "No. Go back to sleep."
Like any typical teen, Willow did the exact opposite of what she was told, pulling herself up onto her knees. Before Lily could move again, she got a good view of Angel and Drusilla and turned bright red before sitting back on her heels and staring at the floor beneath the cage, shaking.
Hearing a low, masculine moan from behind her, Lily glanced over her shoulder and saw that Drusilla's eager mouth and nimble hands had made considerable progress.
"Oh, God," Willow mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself, trying to deny what she had seen. "Why...why is she doing that?"
Lily answered her in a quiet voice. "To punish him."
"How can that be punishment?"
Lily winced at the innocence fading from Willow's eyes. "Think about it, Willow. He'll see it as a betrayal of Buffy. Drusilla knows that physical pain will never break him."
The chains rattled loudly and a groan came from Angel. Willow buried her hands in her face, wishing she was a million miles away from the emotional destruction of her friend.
Scooting forward, Lily wrapped her arms around the girl's shaking shoulders and pulled her close, trying to soothe her.
*****
Spike looked down at Buffy expectantly. Finally, she gritted her teeth and gestured to him to sit back down. He did, lighting another cigarette.
"I don't want that mouth on my body," she sniped.
"I really don't want to taste you either. There's a much easier way. You cut yourself and drain the blood into a cup. I figure I'll need about a pint. It still won't be perfect, but I'm hoping that, combined with the vampire blood I just drank, it will restore enough of my strength."
"And you'll help me stop Drusilla?"
Spike sighed and nodded. "But only from behind the scenes," he warned. "If I go up against her out in the open, I'll lose all access to Lily and the others."
"Others?" Buffy's face dropped. "She has Angel, doesn't she?"
Spike nodded again. "Took him last night. She doesn't know why, but her visions have shown him being a part of all this mess."
"Is he...is he okay?" she asked hesitantly, hopefully.
"Of course, pet," he lied smoothly. "Chained to a wall, but in tip-top shape."
"In my nightmares, he's been tortured," she choked out, staring at him wild-eyed as she imagined Angel suffering.
"I haven't seen any signs of torture," Spike replied truthfully, knowing full well that Angel was probably in agony as they spoke. He couldn't feel a shred of pity for his sire, not after the decades of abuse he had heaped on Drusilla a century before.
"Where are they?" Buffy demanded.
"Oh, right. I tell you and you go charging in there and get yourself killed. I told you, you aren't supposed to know yet. I have to have some time to set things up."
"What exactly are you planning, Spike?"
"Um...I'm not really sure."
Buffy made an exasperated noise.
"Look, this betrayal stuff is all new to me!" he protested. "I've already managed to feed Lily. Her strength should be almost back to normal. I'll see what else I can do to sabotage Dru's plan."
Buffy finally let one of her deepest fears show in her voice. "Has Lily fed from Willow?"
Spike snorted. "Not likely. Even when she was being driven mad from the stale blood inside her, she wouldn't feed on your little friend."
"Lily believes that she's supposed to drink virgin blood for the ritual."
Nodding in confirmation, Spike answered her. "That's what I've gathered."
"Will Drusilla know if she doesn't drink?"
"If there aren't any bite wounds, she'll know that your Willow hasn't lost any blood," he said, frowning slightly.
"You can't bite without taking any blood?" Buffy asked, amazed that she was calmly discussing biting and feeding techniques with her worst enemy.
"It's very difficult and I don't know how much virgin blood Lily needs to ingest. One drop may be too much. So, we're left with a dilemma."
"You have two nights to find an answer," she said strongly.
"The easiest way would be for your little friend to lose her virginity."
Buffy gasped and shook her head at his suggestion.
"Don't worry," he replied in a rueful tone. "I'm not sure how feasible that is since she's in a cage with guards watching everything that happens." He thought for a few seconds. "Maybe if I throw Angel in there again," he began.
"I don't think so," Buffy snapped.
Spike smirked at her. "Even to save her?" He grinned at the hesitation that crossed her angry little face. "Uh huh."
"Oh, alright, if that's the best solution you can come up with," she replied with sarcasm.
He chuckled. "I'll work on it. But, first, my blood?"
Buffy sighed and rose to her feet. "Fine." She glanced around, realizing quickly that it would be impossible in this crowd. "The Library. That way, Giles can be on hand to stake you if you try anything funny."
Deciding to trust that she wouldn't stake him for the Hell of it, Spike stood up and a thought hit him. "Lily's been staying with you, right?" Buffy nodded slowly. "Can you get her some clean clothes?"
"Why?"
"Because hers are covered with blood."
"Oh, from the shooting?"
Spike squirmed for a second. "Yeah, right. I'll meet you at the Library in thirty minutes. It will give me some time to hunt up another vampire." He turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd.
Wondering what he wasn't telling her, Buffy headed for home, first making sure that he wasn't following her.
*****
Licking her lips and smiling in delight, Drusilla looked up at Angel. What she saw made her even happier. His head had fallen to his slowly healing chest, his body trembled, blood dripped from his wrists from where he had pulled against the shackles...but best of all, his eyes were dead --empty.
Tucking him away and zipping him back up, Drusilla rose elegantly to her feet, then leaned against him, regardless of the drying blood and his still open wounds. Resting her head against his chest, shivering as he flinched and moaned and raised his head away from her, she lapped at the congealing blood around one nipple and listened to the silence under his wounded skin.
No heartbeat--that silence was precious to her. Humans were so noisy. Even all the way over here, she could hear the little virgin's heart pounding in fear...or desire...or both.
"Have I hurt you, Angel?" Drusilla asked in a soft, wicked voice and looked up into his cold eyes. "Your body...your beautiful, wicked body betrayed you. Does that hurt in here?" she asked, patting his chest. "In your dead heart?" He didn't answer her, just rolled his head to stare blankly across the room.
One of Drusilla's hands slid up to his neck and pulled his head back, forcing him to look at her. "My heart is dead, too," she whispered menacingly. "You killed it." Raising on her tiptoes she licked her tongue over his closed lips. "You remember everything, don't you, my Angel? Everything you did to me...to poor little Dru."
He couldn't help it; he nodded, biting his tongue to hold in the babbling apologies that wanted to spew forth from his anguished brain.
"I was a good girl...a little virgin, like my virgin in the cage. I was going to be the bride of Christ...and then you tore it all away from me." Her voice began to take on a dreamy quality and her eyes glazed over. "You tore my life away, my family, my friends, my future....my innocence...and I hate you for it...and I love you for it."
Her mouth covered his in a hungry kiss. Lost in his inner turmoil and self-hate, Angel didn't respond. When she pulled back, his trembling lips whispered, "I'm sorry."
Drusilla released him and stepped back, a gleam in her eyes and laughter in her voice. "I'm not!"
*****
Feeling somewhat stronger after feeding on another of Drusilla's useless fledglings, Spike strolled into the Library, the picture of confidence, but all a-flutter inside. A glance at the wicked looking crossbow the Watcher held, sent a shiver of worry through him. Had this been a trap?
Buffy slowly walked towards Spike, frowning and tapping the knife she held against her leather covered--barely-- thigh.
"Your Watcher gonna shoot me with that thing?" Spike asked, covering his nervousness with sarcasm.
"Nah...unless you decide you want something fresh," she quipped back.
He saw that one of her arms had a bandage wrapped around the elbow and he could scent the blood still oozing from the wound. Following the direction of her gaze, he looked at the table and saw the science beaker filled with nearly a pint of blood.
"Maybe you should be sitting down," he mentioned as he headed around her towards the blood. Giles stepped in front of the table and Spike skidded to a halt.
"How do we know that we can trust you?" Giles asked, very suspicious of the vampire's change of heart.
Spike thought about it for a minute. "You don't. Of course, you two are the ones with the weapons. If I drink and leave and don't help you, all you're out is a pint of Slayer blood."
"Let him have it, Giles. For some reason, I sorta trust him...sorta."
Spike swept the Slayer a courtly bow, then edged around the nervous Watcher and picked up the beaker. With the first taste, he could sense the difference...the strength. It wasn't the same as Lily's, but it was close.
Draining the beaker, he set it back down on the table and turned to face the Slayer and her Watcher. "Thanks luv," he said with a grin. "Did you bring the clothes?"
Buffy gaped at him for a minute, then rolled her eyes and stomped across the room towards a plastic shopping bag, muttering to herself. "I don't know what the world is coming to. Here I am being chummy with my mortal enemy... giving him my blood, trusting that he'll help me. Everything's gone cockeyed!"
Buffy handed the bag to Spike who took it, grunted at its surprising weight and glanced inside.
"Jeans and a t-shirt would have been fine, pet. Is this everything she owns?"
Buffy sighed, shaking her head at the male's perplexed look over a simple thing like clothing. "You won't tell me where they're being held, so I got some clothes for both warm and cold places, plus something nice to make her feel better, plus underthings for that fresh feeling...plus there are some things for Willow. We're about the same size, but I wasn't sure what color would look best..."
Spike and Giles both groaned in unison.
"What?" she asked in all innocence.
*****
Drusilla left Angel with another pat on the chest, then strolled over to the cage. Willow had pulled away from Lily, curling into a corner, staring through the grating to the floor below. Hearing Drusilla's approach, Lily narrowed her eyes and clenched her fingers around the bars tighter as she carefully tried to judge the mood of her captor.
Looking over Lily carefully, Drusilla began to frown. "You should be a lot weaker, bitch."
"Slayer blood...bitch. It gives me strength."
Drusilla growled and Lily tried to look weaker than she felt. When she let herself slump slightly against the side of the cage, she was rewarded by a gleam in Drusilla's manic eyes. "It's only a matter of time. Now, where did my Spikey go?" she asked as she spun around and headed for the door.
As the door closed behind her, Lily let out a sigh of relief. "Angel," she called gently. He ignored her. She tried a few more times, then, not knowing what she would say to him if he did respond, she curled up on the floor next to Willow, careful not to let anything touch her back, and closed her eyes. Maybe sleep would heal her completely.
*****
Spike parked the car outside the bunker and slipped from behind the wheel, pulling the bag out of the back seat. As he walked towards the door, he wondered if Drusilla had returned and tortured Lily some more...or perhaps Angel. Knowing his former love's penchant for torture, she was probably still there.
How to explain his absence? Keep it simple and truthful. He had needed to feed and had done so. She didn't need to know that he had fed on two vampire bitches and the Slayer. Never having paid much attention to the particular blood scents of different vampires, she'd never know unless she bit him. Now, how to keep her from doing that?
Opening the door and glancing in, Spike was relieved to see that Drusilla was gone. The lights were still on and he could clearly see that she had been there. Angel's chest was covered with bloody wounds and burns.
Since there was nothing he could--or wanted--to do for Angel, Spike turned towards the cage. Lily lay on her side, her slowly healing back facing him. Willow sat watching her. She looked up as he approached the cage.
"How could you have loved her?" Willow asked in a trembling voice.
Spike looked closely at the girl. She was exhausted, pale, dirty, and thinner. Her eyes were reddened and circled with dark shadows. Her lips were raw from biting and he could see the ugly bruises and fang marks on her wrist. Yet, her spirit remained--a little beaten and the worse for wear, but still there.
"We don't choose the ones we love," he replied in a gentle voice, unknowingly mirroring Lily's words.
"She's evil. The things she did to Angel..." She swallowed hard, her eyes sliding to his unresponsive sire.
"He did worse to her," Spike answered coldly.
"Not him...never him." Her voice grew in volume and strength. "But, you can't see that, can you?" Maybe the hunger was getting to her, but she was mad and frightened and horrified and it made her reckless. "All you see is the demon you knew, not the man he has become."
Willow's voice, raised in anger, woke Lily. She immediately smelled the unique musky scent of her lover and forced her aching body into a sitting position, turning to face him. Wondering at his strong appearance, she slipped a hand through the bars and caressed his cheek. "How?" she whispered.
He answered her softly, eyeing the guards a little nervously, but they were barely paying attention to him. "A couple of vampires and the Slayer."
"What?" Willow yelled in horror. That caught the guards' attention and one rose to his feet, edging a little closer. "You bastard! No, not Buffy!" Willow began to cry. Lily's hand fell away from Spike's cheek as fear swept her.
"Yeah, I caught the Slayer and took a drink. She got away though," he said for the guards' benefit. With half an ear he heard one of them proclaiming his pride in his sire. Spike caught Lily's eyes, trying to convince her of the truth.
Slowly Lily turned to Willow and touched the girl's shoulder. "Willow, it's okay. She got away."
"Huh?" she sniffled, then grew angry and shoved Lily's hand away. "You'll side with him on anything, won't you? You'll probably offer him your throat to drain when he's done with you!" She spun away from Lily and hugged herself again, angry, frustrated, frightened for Buffy and growing more and more achy from hunger.
Lily sighed and turned back to Spike who was looking over his shoulder at Angel.
"He's really out of it, isn't he?" he commented, surprised that Angel hadn't responded to his mention of the Slayer. Had the girl really called her Buffy? What a stupid name for a Slayer. Shaking his head in surprise, he looked back at Lily and gave her a brief smile.
"Yeah," she replied, concerned. "Drusilla is...quite brutal." She frowned. "The Slayer really got away from you?"
"I got a pint. Look, the little bitch will be fine and fit to fight another night."
Lily wondered at the looks he was giving her. Had Buffy really done what she was beginning to think she had? Earlier the guards had warned her against speaking in foreign languages again...so it all came down to a matter of trust.
With a sigh, she reached out and caressed his cheek. He grinned and sucked her fingers into his mouth.
One of the guards approached and gave him a slightly deferential look.
"Yes?" Spike asked, caressing Lily's wrist with his gentle fingers as he kissed each finger.
"Um, sorry sir, but it's time for the meat to go to the bathroom."
"Oh, good, here I have some clean clothes for her to change into. Let her wash herself too; she stinks."
A muffled angry cry came from the other side of the cage. Spike handed the guards a pile of clothes from the bag, then held up a pair of black, silk, thong-style underwear and leered in appreciation.
"Those are mine, luv," Lily said with a lascivious grin. Spike answered her grin and stuffed them back into the bag, finding a pair of modest white underwear and handing them to the guard who was dragging Willow from the cage.
Lily recognized the t-shirt Spike had given the guard as being one that Buffy had worn the week before. If he had some of her own clothes as well as Buffy's...Buffy had to have given them to him. Wrapping her hand in the front of his shirt, she tugged him against the bars. "Get me out of here. I want to eat you alive."
Spike waggled his eyebrows at her. "You gonna put on those sexy knickers?"
"Do you think they'll let you in the bathroom with me?" she replied, feeling happy for the first time in a long while.
Spike's smile faded a little. "They'll insist on watching."
"I don't care," she whispered huskily. "I've missed you."
"I love you." Spike took both her hands in his and leaned his forehead against the bars, just able to touch hers. Lily let her eyes close and reveled in her lover's touch.
*****
The two lovers were unaware of time passing, but when Willow was hoisted back into the cage, she had taken the time to wash her hair and was dressed in a pair of running pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Running her fingers through her wet hair, she sat in the middle of the cage and glared at the lovers.
Spike pulled away from Lily and looked at the guard, giving him a cocky smile. "I'm gonna take her in the bathroom, get her cleaned up, maybe take a little nip, maybe mess her up a bit." He gestured at Lily as he spoke.
"Um, okay," the guard replied a little hesitantly. "The mistress, she, well she said you couldn't feed this one."
Spike frowned at him in confusion. "Why would I want to feed her? I don't need her fed to fuck her."
"Oh, yeah, sure," the hulk nodded happily. "Have fun, but...you'll have to leave the door open."
"Why would I have a problem with that?" Spike asked jovially, slapping his fledgling on the back. "Meanwhile, throw Angel in here with the meat. I might want to chain this bitch to the wall when we're done in there."
The guard nodded some more and called for his companion to help him with Angel as Spike pulled Lily from the cage and jerked her towards the bathroom.
Willow looked up as the cage shook with the weight of Angel's limp body being tossed in. He lay on his side, facing her, not moving, his eyes staring straight ahead. Noticing that his wounds were healing and the burns were fading, she reached out and gently touched his face. He didn't respond.
"Angel?" she whispered. "Please come back."
*****
Spike pushed a very willing Lily into the bathroom before him and hit the light switch, flooding the small room with light. It was clean, but sparse--a toilet, a sink and a rather useless mirror. There was also a rack with a towel and wash cloth, both obviously used by Willow.
Dropping the bag of clothes, Spike turned Lily into his embrace, pulling her against him by cupping her buttocks, careful not to touch her slowly healing back. Eagerly Lily wrapped her arms around his neck, tugging his mouth down to hers. Plunging her tongue into his mouth, she kissed him with all the passion, desperation and love he created in her.
Instantly hard and ready, Spike ground her lower body against his, groaning into her mouth and returning her savage kiss. Lily slid her hands down his sides, then up under his t-shirt to run her nails across his back, wishing she could melt into him.
Reluctantly Spike pulled his mouth free and out of the corner of his eye saw his fledgling standing outside the door, arms across his chest, watching intently. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he whispered against her ear before nipping it.
Lily shuddered and nodded. "God, yes."
Spike nodded and looked at the guard. "You. Warn me if Drusilla comes in," he ordered.
"Um...you're not going to try to feed her are you?"
"I told you I wouldn't, but your mistress is a little possessive about sharing me with other females. You can understand, right?"
"Oh, yeah, sure. We males got our needs."
"Yeah." Inside, he was rolling his eyes, wondering why he had made this idiot. Lily's nibbling mouth running along his jawline quickly sent all thoughts of his fledgling from his mind and he bit her ear. Lily squealed, heat flooding her, the new sensations easing the lingering pain in her wounded back. Quickly she had his t-shirt over his head and was flinging it out the door.
Her hands found their way around to her front and she quickly unbuttoned her shirt. Gently Spike peeled the rag away from her back, wincing as she hissed at the pain as threads pulled free of her wounds, then he tossed the bloody thing aside.
His hands cupped her breasts, massaging her erect nipples with his thumbs as he kissed her again, hungrily yet tenderly at the same time.
Lily kicked off her tennis shoes and reached for the snap of her stiff jeans. He helped her wiggle out of them, then slid one hand down the back of her silk panties, rubbing her bottom.
Moaning and pressing closer, she felt his erection straining at the front of his jeans and her nimble fingers unbuttoned the fly, freeing him. With a yank, he had her panties around her ankles. Stepping out of them, she kicked them out of the way.
As she caressed his staff with her nails and rubbed her breasts against his chest, Spike's other hand tangled in her hair and he started to lift her, urging her legs up. His hand brushed her back and she moaned, jerking forward. Aware that he had hurt her, Spike met her pain-filled eyes and gently pulled her towards him.
"This isn't going to work," he muttered into her ear. "I'll end up hurting you."
"No," she moaned. "I don't care."
"I do," Spike growled and stepped back from her, running an agitated hand through his hair. Lily looked down at his throbbing erection, felt the tension between her thighs sending hot spasms through her, and slowly turned. Grabbing the towel rack, she pressed her breasts against the cool tile.
"I'd be too tempted to bite you if I was looking at you," she said a little regretfully, in partial explanation. "And they'd make us stop." Her voice dwindled to a moan as his hands caressed her naked bottom.
Leaning gently in, he placed a kiss on her shoulder, then slid one hand around her hips. Lily parted her legs, giving him access and he plunged his fingers home. Before she could do more than gasp at the pleasure, his erect staff replaced his fingers and he thrust deep, his hands gripping her buttocks.
Lily pushed her hips back against him, moaning as he filled her. Even though it had only been a matter of days, it had seemed like an eternity. Sliding one hand down her body, she found her throbbing clitoris and began to caress it.
Spike flung back his head to keep from leaning forward and pressing against her sore back. Even though he could barely touch her, he was harder and hotter than he had been since their last time together. Lily's moans sent shudders through him and he began to thrust faster.
Lily could feel her climax building and silently begged him to join her. The only thing that managed to come from her mouth were long moans at each thrust of his hips.
Suddenly, her body spasmed into climax. Her hand gripped the towel rack as a guttural groan was dragged from her lips. Spike felt her body shake, felt her inner moisture soak him and let his own release come. Slamming into her, he pressed her against the wall, groaning in pleasure.
Slowly the lovers separated and Lily slid down the wall onto her knees, her legs unable to support her. "So good," she mumbled.
Shaking from his release, Spike staggered against the other wall and slowly refastened his jeans. He caught a glimpse of the guards watching them with avid interest. "Enjoy that?" he asked with a gasp.
*****
In the cage, Willow had given up trying to get Angel to respond to her. She tried to ignore what was happening in the bathroom twenty-five feet away, but the moans coming from the tiny room were so obviously different from the moans of pain that had echoed in the bunker earlier in the evening, that her eyes kept being drawn back to the sight. Every time she looked, she blushed some more and looked away, but it was fascinating. All the textbooks in the world couldn't have prepared her for the sight of two people making love.
At Lily's long groan, Willow forced herself to look away again and found Angel watching her. She reddened even more and buried her face in her hands. "Oh, God," she muttered.
Angel sat up slowly, barely reacting to the twinges of pain in his chest as he moved. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the couple rutting in the bathroom, but it didn't affect him. He was too lost in his guilt.
The girl's obvious embarrassment did begin to affect him. It made him feel more guilty. He had created Drusilla who had found the spell which had called for a virgin...Willow was here because of him, losing more of her beautiful innocence every moment because of him. In the end, this whole mess was because of him.
Pulling his knees up, he rested his elbows on them and buried his face in his hands.
*****
Back in the bathroom, both lovers had regained sufficient energy to stay on their feet. Not speaking, only reveling in their love for each other, they stood in each others embrace. Finally, still silent, Spike turned on the water and began to bathe Lily. He washed her beautiful hair, pulling the strands gently from the healing wounds and grimacing at the sight of blood mixing with the soap as it flowed down the drain, then, using the washcloth, began at her face and worked his way down her body.
Lily arched into his gentle touch. In her long existence, no man had ever bathed her. It would have been unseemly for her husband to do so and the vampires she had lured to her bed had been there only for sex and death. Spike was her first true lover in over three hundred years...and he touched her in ways no one ever had.
Turning her, Spike began to bathe the blood from her back, wincing more than she did as he touched the whip marks. None were bleeding any longer and all were healing. As he ran the soapy cloth over her trembling buttocks, he leaned forward and kissed the nape of her neck.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," she whispered back.
*****
Willow watched Spike bathe Lily for a moment, wondering if some guy would ever do that for her, then blushed more at that unbidden thought. Jerking her eyes back to the beaten man a few feet and a million miles from her, she sighed. "Angel, please talk to me."
When she, as expected, got no answer, Willow scooted over to sit beside him. Gently she slid her arm around his neck. When he made no response to this, she became bolder and urged his head down onto her shoulder. It was difficult at first, but finally Angel surrendered and slid down slightly, letting her guide his head down. His hands fell away from his face and he stared across the room, wondering why he had once again eluded death.
"Are you okay, Angel?"
Silently Angel begged her to stop talking to him, to stop trying to comfort him. He didn't deserve comfort. He didn't deserve her sweetness.
Eaten by remorse, Angel tried to pull away from her, knowing he didn't deserve her warm, gentle touch, but she held him tightly to her.
He knew Willow had seen what Drusilla had done with him. Although what remained of his rational mind could try to convince the rest of him that Drusilla had forced him, that he couldn't always control his body, he firmly believed a stronger man could have resisted...could have held back from the dark pleasure her touch had aroused in him.
Savagely Angel castigated himself, whipping himself emotionally much more brutally than she had physically. Of all the horrible things he had done in this long existence, Drusilla had been the worst. He remembered saying those words to Buffy...Buffy, oh God.
A sob broke from his lips and he forced the threatening tears down. Crying would be a release...a release from the pain and the guilt. He didn't deserve such a release.
"Shh, it's okay, Angel. Everything will be okay," Willow murmured, gently stroking his hair. Again Angel tried to pull away, but she wouldn't let him, a lot stronger than she looked. A shudder ran through him and he pictured Buffy standing before him...so pure, so beautiful. He had betrayed her...fouled the thought of her, his love for her. It was tainted by the physical release he had experienced at Drusilla's mouth and hands.
He had soiled their love...as he soiled everything he touched...and he had enjoyed it. His body had shaken with pleasure, he had moaned as Drusilla's tongue had touched him. He had allowed her to mold his weak body to her will.
He didn't deserve Buffy's love.
"Buffy will forgive you, Angel," Willow murmured, leaning her head down on top of his. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't help yourself." Angel made an angry, self-hating noise, and she tried to soothe him. "Drusilla's evil."
Finally Angel spoke and his voice sounded as if it was dragged from the depths of Hell. "I made her. She's evil because of me."
"Not you," Willow answered strongly, glad he finally was beginning to respond to her. "We've already had this discussion." Her tone of voice brooked no argument.
Another shudder ran through him and he drew his knees up tighter to his chest, wincing at the pain...pain he needed to feel to deny the truth of her words.
"Drusilla wanted to hurt you and she found a way to do it," Willow said softly. Her voice dropped even lower as sadness flooded her. "She raped you."
Those three little words broke through the dam in Angel and he accepted the truth of them. Although he still felt guilt, still hated himself, what Willow had said was true. Drusilla had raped him...just as brutally, just as destructively as he had raped her one hundred and forty years before... but, still, the one did not preclude the necessity of the other.
Another sob broke from his chest and the tears burst free, sliding down his cheeks. Willow began to rock him as he cried, trying to soothe him with gentle murmurs and even gentler touches.
"It will be okay, Angel. It will..."
*****
Totally oblivious to the angst in the cage, Spike was greatly enjoying drying Lily's glowing, slippery body. As he rubbed the towel between her legs, she moaned and clutched at his shoulders. He chuckled, then tossed the towel away, before delving into the bag. Pulling out the black thong, he held it up, swaying it back and forth in front of her face.
With an exasperated noise, she grabbed the panties and bent to slide them one. They fit like a second skin and she carefully adjusted the strap at the back. Spike pulled another article of clothing out of the bag and Lily just shook her head in amazement.
"Why do you have that?"
Spike shrugged and grinned. "She said that she thought you might like something nice."
"While I'm in a cage being tortured," she replied with heavy sarcasm, wondering what on Earth had been on Buffy's mind. Grabbing the piece of white silk from him, she slipped it over her head, wincing only slightly as it touched her back. It slipped down over her hips to reveal itself to be a long dress, held up by thin straps that criss-crossed over her back. It had a plunging neckline and side slits that went half-way up her thighs.
Spike grinned even more at the sight of her hard nipples pressed against the silk and the black of her panties showing through. She was incredibly sexy.
Running her fingers through her damp hair, Lily looked up at Spike, not surprised to see lust flaring in his eyes. "Now what?"
He sighed and gestured for her to proceed him out of the bathroom, before scooping his t-shirt off the floor and pulling it over his head. Lily scooted around the two guards who both leered at her, before turning and watching her every move, then glanced in the cage. Willow was holding Angel who appeared to be crying.
From behind her, Spike snorted at the sight of his sire crying like a baby. Lily frowned at his lack of pity, then felt his hand on her bottom, urging her across the room and she remembered his earlier words to the guard. Spike had had Angel taken off the wall so that he could put her in his place.
Lily spun to look at him and saw the truth in his eyes ...along with an incredible sadness. Biting her lip, Lily turned back around, squared her shoulders and walked over to the shackles hanging on the wall. "Do I get to face forward this time?" she asked sarcastically.
"Luv..." he began, then turned her gently around and urged her backwards between the chains. Lily didn't struggle or protest as he lifted one hand to the shackle, just pierced him with an incredibly hurt look. Snapping the shackles shut, Spike leaned forward and kissed her. "I don't have a choice if you want me to help you later," he whispered against her mouth, then kissed her deeply.
Lily melted against him. He was going to help her! Finally, he was free of Drusilla. Love erupted in her and she returned his kiss, caressing his mouth with her tongue.
"Oooh, is this a prezzie for me, Spike?"
The voice from the doorway held a hint of menace. Spike winced and released Lily, turning to face his ex-lover. "Pet, I was just warming her up for you."
"I bet." Drusilla strode into the room and Spike met her halfway. In total domination, she grabbed him around the neck and pulled his mouth down to hers, kissing him brutally. Pulling back slightly, she hissed. "I can smell her on you."
"And just what did you do with Angel?" he snapped back. Their flaring eyes met, then Drusilla laughed and kissed him again.
"Fair's fair," she moaned with a smile and a lick of her lips. Then she kissed him a third time and Spike wrapped his arms around her, returning the kiss, relieved that she had accepted him making love with Lily. He had known it was a risk that Drusilla would smell and/or taste Lily on him, and he had guessed about Angel, but he had hoped that her lust for both of the males in her life would make her more accepting of his desire for Lily. As Drusilla thrust her tongue deeply into his mouth, he guessed he had been right.
Drusilla shoved Spike away and walked over at Lily, looking her up and down. A puzzled look crossed her face. Lily remained impassive on the exterior, but inside her emotions roiled through her. She really wanted to rip off Drusilla's face.
"Where'd the pretty dress come from, Spike?"
"I stole it, pet. Doesn't she make a delicious sacrifice?"
"Well...yes...and she's all clean, too." Drusilla turned around and gave him a leering smirk. "Did my Spikey not want her all icky sticky?"
"Um, yeah." Spike took Drusilla's hand and tugged her towards him. With a giggle she collapsed into his arms, nuzzling his neck with her hungry mouth. Over Drusilla's head, he could see Lily glaring at him, tugging impotently at the chains that held her. He rolled his eyes at her, wishing she'd stop that. All she'd end up doing was cutting her wrists again.
Giving Spike a quick kiss, Drusilla spun away and danced over to the cage. Angel had quieted down and lay still, his eyes closed, his head in Willow's lap, She was gently stroking his hair. At the sight of Drusilla, she snarled.
Angel opened his eyes and forced himself to sit up, his wary eyes on Drusilla. She ran her hands over the bars and licked her lips. "Ummm, my beautiful Angel. Did you let the little virgin comfort you? Or are you still all racked with guilt?"
When he answered her, his voice was surprisingly steady and soft. "Drusilla, if you need to punish me...go on and do it. I understand."
Drusilla began to pout, crossing her arms across her chest. That was not the answer she wanted. "You're supposed to be in pain," she hissed.
"I am in pain. I have to live with what we did...what you did to me...It's just one more thing...and nothing compared to all the horrors I inflicted on you."
"They weren't horrors!" she yelled.
"And that you feel that way, is the most horrific of all."
Frustrated, Drusilla stamped her foot and glared at her sire, then spun back to Spike who had been closely watching the exchange. Shoving past him, she stomped back over to Lily, hoping for a better response from her.
Spike approached the cage and a slow grin crossed his face. "You really pissed her off, mate."
Angel growled. Willow scooted up against him and gently patted his shoulder. Under her touch, he calmed down, but extreme menace filled his quiet voice. "Did I hear you say you drank from Buffy?"
"Uh, yeah," Spike replied, glancing over his shoulder to see if Drusilla was paying any attention, knowing that with her enhanced hearing she would catch anything he said, no matter how low the decibel. She seemed to be engrossed in watching Lily grow more and more angry. "She got away before I got very much." His eyes tried to express what he couldn't say, but Angel didn't look like he was in the mood to try to decipher facial expressions.
"When I get out of here, I will kill you," Angel said succinctly.
"Yeah, right. First you have to survive, mate. You got a day and a half." Spike turned his attention to Willow who sat curled against Angel's side. Even clean, the girl looked terrible. She was trembling and he didn't think it was from fear. Unbidden the thought invaded his mind that he wished he could have brought her food along with the clothes.
Mentally shaking his head in exasperation at these bizarre thoughts of helping mortals that kept springing up, he remembered the Slayer's words. "Do the clothes fit, red?" Willow nodded, a little surprised at his nice tone. "Good, I," he began, stressing the pronoun, "wasn't sure about the color."
Willow swallowed hard, blinking away tears. "Thank you. It's a nice shirt. A friend of mine has one just like it."
He nodded at her, glad she understand, then turned away.
Over on the wall, Lily was trying not to listen to Drusilla's lascivious babbling about what she planned to do to Spike for the rest of the night. Since he had been a bad boy for having sex with Lily, he would be punished. The punishment apparently called for being tied to the bed and sucked dry--and not of blood. Lily made a face as she figured Spike's male body would undoubtedly enjoy it.
Suddenly, Drusilla pressed her velvet clad body against Lily's silk covered one. One hand delicately stroked Lily's cheek and the scent of roses filled Lily's nose. "He has you all hot and bothered, doesn't he?" Drusilla murmured. "I can smell it...lust...such a delicious smell." Smiling she placed a gentle kiss on Lily's rather stunned mouth, her hand sliding around the back of Lily's neck to hold her head still.
Pressing closer, forcing Lily against the wall until she moaned in pain from her sore back, Drusilla deepened the kiss, forcing Lily to open for the other female's tongue. Drusilla's other hand cupped one of Lily's silk covered breasts and she expertly massaged the nipple into rock- hardness.
Lily was unable to prevent a moan from escaping as heat swelled between her legs.
Drusilla pulled her mouth away from Lily's unresponsive lips and locked her insane eye's with her captive's slightly glazed ones. "You don't have to kiss me back," she whispered. "I can smell how aroused you are.
With a giggle full of glee, Drusilla ripped the front of Lily's dress, baring her breasts.
Spike's voice came hesitantly from about ten feet away. "Um, Dru, pet, are you sure..."
Drusilla interrupted him sharply. "You've had your fun, now it's my turn." She turned her attention to Lily's breasts and began to twist the nipples between her fingers. Lily bit her lip to contain her moans and jerked on the chains. "You can't get away," Drusilla whispered in insane glee. "All chained up with nowhere to go."
One of her hands left the hard nipple it had been tormenting and slid down over Lily's stomach to her aching mound. The fingers pressed inwards and Lily bucked.
She didn't want this to happen. Not that it would be the first time with a woman; not because it would hurt her all that much; not because she saw it as any kind of betrayal...especially since the betrayed was sitting comfortably on the couch watching them with a little too much interest.
Lily sent Spike a really nasty glare and he had the grace to look a wee bit discomfited...for about three seconds, then he tilted his head to get a better look as Drusilla's lips fastened over one of Lily's aching nipples.
No, she just didn't want to lose control to this witch!
"Umm, nice...like little pebbles," Drusilla murmured as she switched breasts.
Lily rolled her eyes and grimaced as Drusilla's teeth scraped across the sensitive skin. Shifting her body to bring her torso forward and away from the rough wall, Lily felt the other female's thigh slip between her legs, velvet against silk. She closed her eyes, hoping this wouldn't last long. It certainly wasn't very torturous, but that it was happening at all was annoying.
She really hoped that Angel had the sense to make sure Willow wasn't watching. The poor girl had seen enough this night.
Suddenly Drusilla bit the tender skin around the nipple and Lily flinched. Okay, that was a little torturous.
The pain faded and the rough treatment of her sensitive nipple began to send pulsing throbs through he body. The leg between hers pressed harder against her mound and Lily gritted her teeth in growing frustration.
Slowly Drusilla slid to her knees, running her hands down Lily's hips and thighs as she sank down. Lily shivered as the other female ran her nails in little circles on her silk- covered thighs and rested her head against Lily's stomach.
The teasing hands slid down farther and then began to drag the dress up over Lily's legs, finally baring her from the waist down except for the scrap of black silk and lycra. Drusilla tucked the front of the dress into the sides of the panties to keep it out of the way, then licked her captive's upper thigh.
Lily jerked as pleasure flooded her, centering on the hot, wet spot between her thighs.
Slowly, touching Lily as little as possible, Drusilla pulled the front of the thong to one side and looked at her prize. After what seemed like an eternity, Lily's eyes flew open, wishing she'd just get on with it. At the sight of Drusilla fixated on her crotch, licking her lips, Lily's eyes began to glaze over as the lust swelled.
Finally, a sharp-nailed finger began lightly to trace the outer lips, moving ever inward as it circled, but not touching her clitoris.
Moisture eased Drusilla's way as the fingers on her other hand buried themselves one at a time into Lily's hot channel. Lily felt her inner muscles constrict as pulses of pleasure began to radiate out from her core.
Drusilla began to piston her fingers in and out, the nails scraping Lily's vaginal walls, sending tremors of painful pleasure rocketing through her. Finally, Lily moaned, no longer able to restrain herself, and thrust forward against her tormenter's hand.
Grinning, Drusilla withdrew her glistening fingers and raised one to her lips. While Lily watched in a daze, she sucked each one clean, then turned to look at Spike. "Bad doggy," she scolded.
Lily realized Drusilla had tasted the remnants of his semen which were mixing with her own secretions deep inside her. She groaned and noticed that Spike was simply shrugging his shoulders at his former lover, apparently not embarrassed or bothered at all.
Giggling, Drusilla turned back to Lily. The panties had slipped back over her mound and Drusilla pushed them aside again, then slid her hands around to cup Lily's buttocks, spreading them so that the thong slipped between the cheeks. Lily whimpered as Drusilla massaged her buttocks and the silk brushed against her pulsing clitoris, then yelled as her captor's mouth claimed the hot knob of flesh. She couldn't help herself. It felt so damn good.
Drusilla's mouth alternated from gentle tonguing to nearly savage biting as she steadily built the pleasure in her captive. Continual moans were dragged from Lily's gaping mouth as her head thrashed on the wall and she pulled on the chains, gripping them with fingers turning white at the knuckles.
Thrusting her hips forward, Lily tried to grind Drusilla's mouth in farther, so close to reaching her climax. Her legs began to tremble and she flung her head back...and Drusilla pulled back, letting the silk panties slide back across Lily's crotch.
Lily gasped, moaned and shook...and Drusilla rose gracefully to her feet. Finally forcing her dry tongue to work, Lily whimpered a question. "Why?"
Licking her lips, Drusilla smirked and crossed her arms over her breasts. "Now, giving you release wouldn't be any fun for me. Not like with my Angel who betrayed his heart. I know my Spike too well. He'd never see it as betrayal. He liked it too much." She looked over her shoulder and gave him a wink.
Panting, whimpering, her body throbbing with desire, Lily erupted in fury. "YOU BITCH!"
Drusilla reached out and patted her captive's cheek tenderly, ignoring the angry snarls coming from her mouth. "A state of unfulfillment can be torture." With a big smile on her insane face, Drusilla pulled her hand back and strolled over to the guards. As she passed Spike, who had watched the interplay and was just a little bothered by it, she gave him his orders. "Leave her alone."
The tone of her voice meant business. Spike gave Lily a regretful look, then headed for the door. Lily made a low frustrated sound and muttered to herself. "Crap."
The guards rose from the table at Drusilla's approach. "Leave her on the wall for a couple of hours, then throw her back in the cage. Don't touch her other than that," she warned them. They made the appropriate agreeing noises and after informing them that they'd be relieved near dawn, Drusilla swept over to Spike, taking his arm and tugging him out the door.
Lily squirmed for a minute, trying not to lean her sore back against the wall, and cursed Drusilla under breath. Her eyes met Angel's across the room--both victims of Drusilla's sexual games--and silent sympathy flowed between them. Then Lily glanced at Willow and winced at the shock on the girl's face.
*****
Drusilla led the way into the warehouse and straight into their bedroom. Spike followed a little warily, wondering just what she had in mind for him. He knew he would pay somehow for making love with Lily.
Drusilla shrugged out of her velvet coat, then bent to unhook her boots and tug them off, leaving her in a long red velvet, sleeveless dress that molded to her body. She reached out and ran a hand down his chest. "Get undressed," she murmured seductively.
For a brief second Spike thought about rebelling, then began to pull his clothes off. Following her pointing finger, he sighed and lay down naked on the bed. Naked as well Drusilla sat down beside him, facing him with one arm propped over his waist.
"Let me show you what I did to daddy earlier."
"Um, yeah, sure, pet." Then he thought about it for a minute. "Not the beating part though, right, ducks?"
Drusilla sighed with longing. "I wish you would see how much fun it can be...all the pain and the blood...it makes you all slippery and slithery." She gave him a secret smile, then crawled over his legs, to sit lightly on his shins. Lowering her torso, she brushed her lips over his flaccid penis, then gave him a small pout of discontent.
"You used to always be hard for me, Spike...before she came along," she whined. Lifting his staff in one of her hands, she scraped her nails along the underside. He began to harden at her touch. "That's better," she said, placing a kiss on his stomach. "Soon, she'll be all gone and you'll have no one else to turn to but me."
Spike couldn't contain his groan as her hand tightened in menace.
"You know," she began conversationally. "You'll have to be punished for the rest of eternity for straying.
No fucking kidding. Spike smartly kept his mouth shut and let his eyes fall shut. Drusilla might be able to control his body, but she couldn't read his mind. As her mouth caressed his swelling staff, his mind drifted to Lily. In his mind, as Drusilla sucked him to full erection, he saw Lily doing the same.
A male, he couldn't help but respond to Drusilla's touch, but his pleasure came from remembering Lily and, as he exploded into his first orgasm under Drusilla's experienced mouth, he silently moaned Lily's name.
*****
After an hour spent counting the many ways she wanted to make Drusilla hurt, Lily dozed off, only to be jerked awake by the guards taking her down from the wall. Before she could even think straight they had hustled her across the room and tossed her in the cage. She moved aside, waiting for them to pull Angel out, but all they did was lock the door and return to their card game.
Lily looked up at Angel and saw the calculated gleam in his eye. She really doubted that they were supposed to be in the cage together. Net to where Angel sat, Willow lay curled up, asleep, yet restless. Lily crawled over to his other side and slid under his raised arm to lean against him, trying to hold the torn front of her gown closed. Gently he wrapped his arm around her neck, careful not to touch her back, and held her against his chest.
"Are you okay?" she finally asked in a quiet voice.
"I'll survive," he replied hesitantly. "How about you?"
"Yeah, me too. She can't really hurt me like she can you, no matter what she does. I don't have a history with her. The one way really to hurt me is to do the one thing I doubt she'll ever do."
Angel snorted, understanding. "Not as long as he keeps crawling back to her."
Lily sighed but was too tired to feel much exasperation. The night had been long and full of pain and she wanted to sleep, but still felt restless. It was hard to sleep during the night and there was a persistent throb between her legs.
"How's Willow holding up?" she asked softly.
"Well, apparently she enjoyed the show you and Spike put on in the bathroom," he answered in a light tone, avoiding mentioning that Willow had watched what Drusilla had done to Lily as well.
Lily glanced up at him, mock surprise on her face. "Was that a hint of teasing in your voice?"
He gave her a small smile and she settled back against him, pleased that he seemed to be recovering from Drusilla's attack on him. "I just don't see the attraction."
"Really? Now, I heard some stories..." she teased.
Angel growled in her ear, then squeezed her tighter, resting his face against her head. "Thank you for letting me know that I can smile again," he murmured.
"You're welcome. We can survive all this, Angel."
"But, not unscathed," he said sadly, glancing down at Willow. Lily followed his eyes and saw that the girl was trembling in her sleep. "She's starving...but, still, she thinks of me first."
"From the little I know of her, that seems to be her character."
"And Dru will destroy her," Angel answered bleakly.
Lily reached across him and gently touched the girl's shaking shoulder, trying to comfort her. "Over our dead bodies first," she promised them all.
End Chapter 17