Wednesday morning was ushered in by gentle rain. The tapping against her window awakened Buffy who, caught in a dream, called out for her boyfriend. It was only when she opened her eyes that she remembered. As the familiar depression set in, she forced herself to get up and shower.
As the water heated, Buffy looked down at her inner elbow and slowly peeled away the bandage. The wound was healed. Her strength had returned to normal. She didn't miss the blood...but a part of her wondered if it had helped Spike...and if he would need more.
*****
Spike lay in the frilly bed listening to the rain patter on the metal roof and watching Drusilla sleep curled into a child- like ball. He was tired--the day was dragging at him--but he didn't feel comfortable sleeping next to her...not any longer.
Drusilla had finally drifted off thirty minutes before dawn, her body still quivering from what must have been her tenth orgasm of the night. Vampire endurance had kept her going. It was only the coming day that had finally drained her strength.
Thank God. Anymore and he probably would have killed her just to prevent her from killing him...Had he just thanked God?
A puzzled frown crossed Spike's face. Recently, he had been doing that too much. Only hours before, he had found himself praying that Lily would survive the beating...that she would continue to love him.
Vampires didn't pray. Demons didn't pray. What the Hell was wrong with him?
And why did it feel so right?
*****
In the cage, the three prisoners were asleep, curled around each other for comfort. Angel lay on his back, one arm around Lily and the other around Willow. His wounded chest had healed sufficiently to allow Lily to rest her head on it, as she slept on her stomach to allow her back to finish healing. Willow curled against Angel, her hand wrapped around one of his.
She twitched occasionally as a nightmarish image affected her, but her mind kept her asleep. Only in sleep was she able to escape the growing hunger which assailed her.
*****
The day passed quickly for Buffy and the remaining Slayerettes. Forced to attend class by Giles, who had run out of excuses to allow them to help him, none of them learned a thing, their minds and hearts on Willow, Angel and Lily.
As soon as the final bell rang, they all headed for the Library. Typically, Giles sat at the table with his head buried in one of the several ancient tomes which surrounded him.
At the sound of teenage tromping, he glanced up, then pushed his glasses farther up his nose. "Good, you're here."
"Yeah, last bell. Are those the same clothes you had on last night?" Buffy asked.
Giles flushed and straightened his tie. "Um, yes. I may have found something."
"Spill," Buffy demanded as Xander and Cordelia dumped their bookbags and took seats across from the librarian.
"I finally deciphered this book of Lily's on sacrificial magic. There's a spell, a rather obscure spell, buried amongst the usual spells for love, money and power, aimed at vampires. It calls for the sacrifice of virgin blood in, and I quote, 'the vessel of God, she who once did His sacred work and rid the world of demons, only to be slain and reborn in their image'." He looked up expectantly and saw confusion on two of the faces and understanding on a surprising third.
"A Slayer who died and was reborn a vampire. Lily," Cordelia said triumphantly.
"Very good," Giles murmured, feeling a strange sense of pride that at least one of the teenagers had understood him.
Buffy wasn't about to be shown up by Cordelia. "So, that would be why Drusilla needs Lily to drink from Willow?"
"Precisely. Lily is the one who will be sacrificed for the spell to work. As the crescent moon rises to its zenith, Drusilla will slit Lily's throat and bathe in the mixture of virgin and slayer blood."
"Ick," Buffy and Cordelia said in unison.
"So, would they be naked?" Xander asked in interest. The two girls turned and glared at him. "It's just...bloody clothes...yucky."
Giles looked at the book again. "Actually, they are to be naked, covered in runes written in blood...the blood of the sorcerer's sire." He looked up to see the horror cross Buffy's face.
"That's why she took Angel?" she asked in a shaky voice. Giles nodded. "We have to find a way to stop this spell," Buffy demanded, grabbing the book.
*****
The shaking of the cage awakened Lily and she sat up to see Willow being dragged towards the bathroom. The girl could hardly stand. Lily could see the trembling that shook her entire body.
Glancing at her watch she saw that it was just after 6:00 in the evening. The sun would be setting soon...and Drusilla would return. If they were going to take advantage of Angel's presence in the cage, they had to do it soon.
Unfortunately, Lily couldn't think of any way to do so that would pass muster with the guards. If they weren't constantly guarded, she'd just convince Angel to take Willow's virginity...but even the two idiots that before dawn had replaced the just slightly stupider ones would know enough to stop that.
Somehow, Lily had to make it look like she'd fed off of Willow. She didn't put it past Drusilla to drain Willow into a glass and force-feed her.
No, she didn't want it to get to that point.
Glancing down, she frowned at her breasts spilling from her dress, then took the torn ends and tied them together, partially covering herself. It would have to do. She didn't want to give the guards any ideas.
Angel sat up and scooted back against the side of the cage, absently scratching his healed chest. Lily could sympathize. The new skin on her back itched, too. The fresh infusion of blood had done its work.
A thought hit her. "Angel, did you feed before you were captured?" she murmured.
"Yeah. I should be fine through tomorrow night. I've gone longer," he answered back quietly, giving her a slightly puzzled look.
A plan began to form in her mind and Lily shifted so that she was sitting next to him. Leaning her head onto his shoulder, she nuzzled his ear.
"Lily?" he asked with a jerk of surprise. She whispered quickly into his ear and slowly he nodded in understanding and agreement.
"Hey! Get away from his neck," one guard yelled as he stomped over to the cage.
Lily moved away from Angel, pointing to his neck to show that there were no bite marks. The guard frowned at her, then went back over to the bathroom where Willow was emerging, hanging onto the door jamb for support. The guards half-carried her back to the cage and shoved her inside.
Willow curled into a ball, clutching her cramping stomach.
A smile crossed Lily's face and she reached out and touched the girl's arm, gently caressing it. Licking her lips, she let her fangs extend and jerked Willow into her arms, across her lap.
"Wha...? Lily, no!" Willow cried, feebly struggling against Lily's tight grasp. "Angel, stop her." Willow's eyes swung past Lily's shoulder and the sight made her scream. Angel had been replaced by his demon...and he looked very hungry.
In an instant he was beside them, his hand clamped over Willow's mouth to quiet her as he pulled her back against him. Tears began to stream down Willow's cheeks, wetting his hand, and she shook her head, terrified.
Lily raised the girl's wrist to her mouth and began to suck on the smooth skin, feeling the racing pulse beneath the surface. She could hear the guards murmuring approvingly and coming closer.
Angel pulled Willow's wrist away from Lily and brought it to his own mouth.
"No!" Lily protested, trying to grab the arm back as the guards began to hurry faster towards the cage.
Angel growled in warning. "There'll be plenty left. Dru needs me alive, too."
From the corner of her eye Lily saw that the guards had stopped their advance, giving each other confused looks at the mention of their mistress.
Angel bit into Willow's wrist and the girl shrieked against his hand, thrashing her legs as best she could. The smell of blood hit Lily and she pressed herself against Angel's side, nuzzling his throat and shoulder, as her fingers slipped into his hair.
With a hard tug, she pulled his mouth from Willow's wrist, took hold of it with her other hand and bent to the bleeding wound.
Fighting to ignore the overpowering smell of human blood, Lily bent to the wound in Willow's wrist, her mouth opening wide. With a subtle twist of her head, she dug her fangs into her own fingers which held Willow's wrist still, and drank a small amount.
Pulling away and burying her face in her hands, the wounded fingers hidden, Lily cried out. "Oh Lord, forgive me. Willow, I'm so sorry." She peeped over her hands carefully and watched a stunned look cross Willow's face, which was followed quickly by understanding. In apparent terror, the girl flung herself from the laps of the vampires' and cowered in a corner, clutching her bleeding wrist.
One of the guards grabbed Lily's hair and jerked her head up. He seemed satisfied at the sight of blood on her lips and fangs. Lily managed to squeeze a few horrified tears out of her eyes as she trembled and wrapped her hands together, burying them in her lap. She was confident that if any blood leaked onto the white silk gown, the guards would think it was Willow's.
The guards gave each other congratulatory high-fives and headed back to their card games, missing the sight of Lily quickly licking the blood from the already closed wounds on her fingers. His back to the guards, Angel grinned at Lily, who, because she faced the guards, forced the joy down inside her, before curling into a ball to get another hour's sleep.
*****
An explosion of pleasure woke Spike with a start. Realizing what was causing the ongoing jolts of delight, he groaned and opened his eyes to the sight of long black hair draped across his groin. For a split second, his brain whispered 'Lily', but he knew better.
Spike started to pull his hands down to reach for her hair, probably to pull her off, but maybe to hold her down--as his brain was short-circuiting from hot pleasure, he wasn't quite sure--only to feel a jerk around his wrists. Glancing up, he saw that his hands were tied to the bed posts.
"Um, pet?" he asked hesitantly.
Drusilla lifted her head just enough to grin at him, then resumed sucking him into full erection. Feeling her hungry mouth sliding up and down, Spike groaned again, wondering if she would ever get tired, then moaned as he felt himself about to reach climax.
She pulled back and sat up. Spike gaped up at her, then watched as she crawled naked up his chest, to kneel over his head. Her hands wrapped around his wrists, the nails digging into his skin, as she settled herself over his mouth.
"Well?" she asked impatiently.
Rolling his eyes, Spike darted his tongue out and began to lap at her clitoris.
After what seemed like an eternity, Drusilla bucked against his mouth, keening in pleasure as she climaxed. As she slipped off of him, Spike stretched his numb jaw and tried to give her a sexy look.
Ignoring him, Drusilla rose from the bed and walked over to the pitcher and bowl of water. She began to clean her body with rose-scented soap.
A throb of pain from his erect penis jolted Spike and he tugged on the thick bonds. At full strength he might have been able to break the ropes, but he was no where near full strength.
She was going to leave him like this! Hot and horny, even after the endless hours of fucking. Not that he really wanted her--well his traitorous cock did--but...
"Oh, Dru, pet, luvey..." he wheedled.
Drusilla turned to look at him as she settled a green silk dress over her hips. "Yes?"
"Come on, pet. Didn't I give you a very nice come?"
"Oh yes," she answered dreamily, smiling. Slowly her smile took on a very evil twist and her eyes hardened. "But, you also gave HER a very nice come...so, you don't get one."
Spike groaned and closed his eyes, trying to will his erection away. Feeling her hands untying him, he didn't bother trying to give himself release--she wouldn't allow it and, at this point, she was stronger than him.
"Get dressed," she ordered.
Burying his anger deep inside, Spike rose from the bed and did as she ordered, wincing as he tucked his erection inside his jeans, trying to think of something--anything--to turn his lust to disgust.
Unfortunately, he was still demon enough to be willing to rut with just about anything. Even the thought of his once evil sire fucking the oh-so disgustingly sweet Slayer wasn't enough of a turn off...and that was about the worst thing he could think of.
Cursing under his breath, Spike stomped after Drusilla towards the car.
*****
Soft whimpering jolted Lily from her doze and she looked up. Willow was curled into a corner of the cage, holding her stomach and rocking slightly as she moaned in her sleep.
Angel sat in one of the other corners watching Willow sleep. He knew Lily was awake without looking at her. "She's starving."
Lily rose to a cross-legged position and brushed her tangled hair over her shoulders. Her back was stiff, but the pain was gone. "I know," she replied sadly. "She's served her purpose..." Lily let her voice die off, not wanting to think about what would happen to Willow now.
Angel gave her a sad look and nodded in understanding. "I haven't fed on a human since..." He shook his head, rubbing his hands over his face.
"I know, Angel, but it was necessary."
He nodded again, then they both looked over to the door as it was flung open. Drusilla swept into the room followed more slowly by a rather subdued Spike.
"I'm back," Drusilla cried, spreading her arms wide. "Did you miss me, daddy?" Angel turned away from her and a pout crossed her lips, then it finally hit her. "Why is daddy in the cage with the bitch?" she asked in growing rage, storming towards the guards.
One of the guards cautiously approached her. Drusilla drew back her hand, ready to slash him with her claws, until he cried out. "Mistress, we have good news." Slowly, she dropped her hand and gestured for him to continue, her snarls letting him know it had better be really good news.
Spike approached the cage, his hands in his coat pockets, his shoulders slumped.
Angel sneered. "You look like a whipped puppy, boy."
Spike gave his sire a half-hearted snarl, then slipped his hand through the side of the cage to catch Lily's reaching one. He drew her against the bars and Lily clasped his fingers tightly.
"Are you alright?" she whispered.
"I'll survive. How 'bout you?"
Lily gave him a small smile and pressed her lips to his hand. Behind them Drusilla started to clap her hands and giggle in joy, then suddenly she was at the cage, pulling Spike away from Lily and sending him flying towards the sofa.
Lily glared at Drusilla's calculated look. "The guards say that you fed on the little virgin?" Lily forced a look of painful sadness across her face. "I knew it was just a matter of time. You are a vampire, after all."
Drusilla turned towards Angel who gave her a steady, calm look. "And you fed on her, too? I'm surprised you left her alive. You never were good at controlling your...hungers." She laughed again and spun over to where Spike sat warily on the sofa. Plopping on his lap, she ran her fingers into his hair, then kissed him hungrily.
"So, everything's falling into place, luv?" he asked cautiously.
Nodding, Drusilla began to nibble at his ear, then spoke clearly, "We don't need the virgin anymore."
Angel and Lily gave each other concerned looks, then heard a small cry of fear from the other corner. Willow was awake and sitting up, tears leaking from her eyes, as she shook in growing terror.
Trying to think of a solution that left the girl alive, Spike nuzzled Drusilla's neck, making her giggle. Finally, he came up with something. "You could give her to me."
"And, why would you deserve a prezzie?" she asked sharply, turning to face him.
He gave her a wide, lusty smile. "Because I'm starving from all the fun earlier...and it'll destroy the Slayer."
"You can eat anything and I can kill her and dump her where the Slayer bitch will find her just as easily," she retorted.
Still smiling, Spike frantically thought of another solution. "What if I turn her? She'll make a wicked vampire, luv." Drusilla frowned, looking down at him with doubt-filled eyes. "Think about it, Dru. She can lure all her little friends to us...including the Slayer."
"After tomorrow it won't matter."
Ignoring the sinking feeling in his chest, Spike persevered. "Without her, your spell wouldn't work. Let her become a vampire and serve you when you take over the world. She's very intelligent."
"You don't want her, too, do you?" Drusilla asked in suspicion.
Spike gave her a wide, innocent look. "Why would I want a skinny red-head when I have my dark goddess." As he murmured in her ear, his hand slipped up to squeeze one of her breasts through the thin silk dress.
Licking her lips in lust, Drusilla forgot about the fact that there were two dark goddesses and kissed him with hard, passionate lips, twining her arms around him. Finally, she pulled back and gave him a quick kiss on the nose. "Okay, you can turn her. When she wakes up tomorrow, she'll enter a whole new world. Miss Edith would like a new friend."
Relieved, but managing to hide it behind a leer, Spike slid her from his lap and rose to his feet. "Luv, why don't you go play some more with Angel and I'll take the girl to a safe hidey-hole and turn her."
Drusilla's eyes lit up and she jumped to her feet, hurrying over to the cage and calling for the guards. "Get daddy out of the cage and back on the wall."
The guards dragged Angel out of the cage and Drusilla traipsed after them, keeping one careful eye on Spike and the other two occupants of the cage.
Willow cowered back as Spike reached into the cage for her. "Please don't," she sobbed. "I don't want to be a vampire."
"Your other option is being dead," he replied in a sharp voice.
Scrambling away from his reaching hands, Willow clutched at Lily. "Please don't let him do this," she begged.
Feeling her heart rip at the girl's terror, Lily pried Willow's hands off her arms and handed her over to Spike. Unable to face the look of utter betrayal on Willow's face as Spike grabbed her, Lily stared down at her lap. "I'm sorry, Willow. We're out of options."
Unable to stand from hunger and fear, Willow collapsed at Spike's feet and didn't have the strength to fight him as he scooped her up in his arms. She was crying hysterically now and Spike pulled her face against his chest as he kicked the cage door shut. One of the guards hurried to lock it as Spike strode towards the door, praying that Drusilla was too wrapped up in Angel to think about any of this.
"Hush, red," he whispered. "Tomorrow, all your fears will be over."
As he carried her to the car, Willow glanced up and saw the nearly crescent moon shining down. The terror overwhelmed her and her mind slid into darkness.
*****
After the door closed behind Spike and Willow, Lily blanked her mind and turned towards the wall where Angel stood chained, pulling on the manacles. Drusilla stood in front of him, tapping one finger on her chin.
"I am surprised, my Angel, that you fed on the little virgin. That must just torment your poor soul..." Drusilla gave him a wicked grin and reached out to caress his chest with one red-nailed hand. He flinched at her touch and she laughed in delight. "And still torn up from our games yesterday. We always had such good games, daddy."
Drusilla pulled something out of her pocket and held it up to Angel. Straining to see it, Lily watched Angel's eyes shift away from the object. Drusilla turned it and Lily saw that it was a carved, wooden hairbrush.
"Do you remember this, my Angel?"
"I remember," he said softly, painfully.
Drusilla tapped the back of the brush on his chest and her voice took on that familiar dreamy quality. "You used to brush my hair with this, so gently, not pulling at all. I'd sit on your lap like a little princess and you'd brush and brush." She smiled up at him. "Then you'd turn me over your lap, bare my sweet bottom and spank me for hours. The pain was...exquisite."
"Drusilla..."
She smacked the brush harder against his chest. "Bad daddy. Where was I...oh yes." Grinning, she began to run the bristles of the brush over Angel's chest. "Then you'd make me kneel, by sore bottom all red and purple, and I'd open your fly and...I bet you'd like to hit me again, wouldn't you? Spank me till my bottom turns red?"
"No," he replied quietly.
Drusilla shrugged and slapped him hard across the face with the back of the brush. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. "Oh well, you're the one who deserves the punishment now anyway."
She tossed the brush over her shoulder and it clattered to the floor. Slowly she leaned in and licked the blood off Angel's chin, following the source back to the corner of his mouth, kissing him hungrily. When Drusilla finally pulled back, he glared at her and pulled impotently on the manacles.
*****
The feel of wind in her hair brought Willow back to consciousness. Opening her sore eyes, she realized she was slumped in the passenger seat of a convertible. Slowly rolling her heavy head she spied Spike behind the wheel. Her memories flooded back and she whimpered. Spike glanced over at her, then pulled to a stop at a red light.
Willow reached for the door handle. Sighing, Spike grabbed her and jerked her against his side before she could get the door open. Weakly Willow struggled against him, crying loudly now.
"Will you cut that out," he snapped finally.
"Let me go, please. No one has to know, please. Please," she begged, hiccuping between every other word, her terror nearly paralyzing her.
The light turned green and Spike punched the accelerator. "I think Dru might notice one less vampire." At Willow's broken sob, Spike wondered why he didn't tell her the truth and spare her the pain. A better question was why was he planning to do something that went against every instinct.
Suddenly Willow grabbed the steering wheel and the car swerved. Fighting to regain control and cursing under his breath, Spike managed to keep them from crashing into a mailbox, light pole and parked car, then he gave her a hard shove, sending her flying back against the passenger door.
"Don't try anything that stupid again," he yelled, slowing the car down to the speed limit. "You could have been killed."
He caught a glimpse of the bafflement which crossed her weary face. "What does that matter?" she whispered, tears still leaking from her reddened eyes.
"God knows," he muttered, turning down a side street. At the next stop, she again tried to open the door and again he pulled her against him, muttering continually under his breath about stubborn redheads who should know better. Willow lashed out and hit him across the nose with a tiny fist. Stunned, not by the pain or the force of the blow, because she was incredibly weak and had barely tapped him, Spike stared at her, then growled.
Willow saw his face change, saw his fangs and slumped into a boneless heap, half on the floor of the car. Morphing back to human, Spike sighed and pulled her up so that she was lying against him again, then flipped off the driver of the car behind him who was honking, and peeled off down the street. Maybe they could get to their destination without anymore aggravation.
*****
At the sound of the Library doors being kicked open with some violence, everyone inside looked up. Various expressions of shock crossed the faces of the occupants. Cordelia shrieked and Buffy grabbed a stake.
Spike carried Willow farther into the Library. The girl hung limp in his arms. She was alive, but he knew she didn't look it.
"Willow!" Xander yelled, rushing forward, then stopping, unsure of what to do.
Jenny grabbed for a cross lying on the table. Giles rose to his feet, then grabbed Buffy as she charged past him.
"You bastard!" Buffy yelled at Spike, pushing Giles aside.
"She's not dead," Spike yelled back, hoping to stop the attack he saw in the raised stake. "She passed out."
Giles took off his jacket and folded it on the table. "Bring her here," he ordered, taking charge. "Everyone back off. Buffy, don't attack. Not yet."
Everyone gave him a wide berth and Spike crossed the room to deposit his delicate burden gently on the table, careful to pillow her head on the Watcher's jacket. Then he took several steps back as everyone gathered around the table.
"Willow," Giles said, gently tapping her cheek. "Xander, get me some water from the bathroom. Cordelia, bring me the blanket on my couch."
Jenny set down the cross and caressed the hair from Willow's pale face, then looked at Spike. "What happened to her?"
He shifted uncomfortably, knowing he should have left as soon as he dropped off the girl, but some strange part of him wanted to help. "She hasn't eaten."
"Since?" Jenny asked.
"We took her."
Ice formed in Buffy's eyes and she crossed her arms over her chest, tapping a stake on her shoulder.
Giles yelled to Cordelia to bring some biscuits from his office as well. When she hurried back to the table, they covered Willow with the blanket and continued to try to awaken her. Xander carried a jug of water and a glass from the bathroom and joined the group around the table.
Lifting Willow's head, Giles trickled some water into her mouth. Slowly the girl began to swallow, then sputtered and coughed, her eyes flying open.
"Giles," she whispered in wonder.
"You're safe," he answered, choked up. "Drink slowly."
Willow took another sip, then used Giles to pull herself into a sitting position. Xander moved behind her to support her, hugging her gently.
"We had help from an unlikely source," Jenny said, gesturing to Spike.
Willow looked at him, then her memories returned. "You...you told her you were going to...turn me. You lied."
"I'm good at it," he quipped.
"You rescued me," she persisted.
"You would have made a lousy vampire."
A small smile crossed Willow's face. "Okay, maybe you aren't such a prick after all." Blushing at the gasps from her friends, Willow reached for the cookie Cordelia held out to her, then dropped her eyes and nibbled on it.
*****
As Drusilla stood in front of Angel, grinning at his growing anger, the door to the bunker opened and a little vampire came in carrying a book. "Mistress," he called.
Drusilla turned, then walked over to the vampire who held the book open for her. For a minute she read, then began to jump up and down, laughing in delight. She kissed the vampire hard on his stunned mouth, then danced back over to Angel. "We found it!"
"Found what, Drusilla?" he asked quietly.
She gave him a calculating look. "Wouldn't you like to know." Glancing over her shoulder, she shooed the little vampire away. "Go, find the right implements." He scurried out of the bunker. "I know why I need you," she sang, then grabbed Angel and yanked him forward to kiss him hungrily, ignoring his cry of agony as his shoulders dislocated.
"You bitch!" Lily screamed at the popping sound.
Drusilla released Angel, who hung in the chains, panting and groaning in pain, and strolled over to the cage. Lily gripped the bars, growling low in her throat. "Yes, bitch?" Drusilla asked with a grin.
One hand shot out of the cage and Drusilla danced back, grinning wider. "Can't touch me!"
"That was unnecessary," Lily hissed.
A coldness swept across Drusilla's face. "He deserves everything...every bit of pain I can inflict."
"For hurting you?"
Making a scoffing noise, Drusilla shook her head. "For leaving me. Just as Spike has left me. He too will be punished for all eternity." She began to smile and sway at the thought.
"He doesn't love you anymore," Lily said succinctly.
Drusilla growled, her eyes snapping back to Lily's cool demeanor. "He will...once you're dead. You and your...goodness have corrupted him," she sneered. "For a hundred years I was his world...I will be again."
"He wasn't lying yesterday. He needs my blood to survive."
"The blood of any Slayer turned vampire," Drusilla corrected. "After I've taken over the world, I'll turn Angel's little blonde slut myself and put her in this cage for Spike to feed on."
"That's not going to happen." Lily gave her a small smile and shook her head. "None of it."
Drusilla stomped her foot, but managed to contain her growing fury. "In a little over twenty-four hours, whore, it will all be over. My Hell will come to Earth...and you'll be dust."
Lily just smiled at her until Drusilla stormed over to the sofa to pout.
*****
Willow ate all the cookie, then took another sip of water as her friends told her how glad they were that she was okay. Her eyes never left Spike, who was growing increasingly uncomfortable under her calm gaze.
"My parents?" she suddenly asked Buffy.
"They...think you've been kidnapped. They called the police," Buffy answered.
Willow frowned, worried that her parents were worried.
"We'll need to call them," Giles began.
"And tell them what?" Buffy interrupted.
Giles nodded, pondering.
Willow interrupted the various suggestions coming from her friends with a quiet, shocking statement. "I need to speak to Spike."
"Over my dead body," Xander yelled.
"Gotta agree with him on that, Will," Buffy added, glaring at the vampire who stood in the middle of the room, arms over his chest, pretending to ignore them.
Willow persisted. "Buffy, he just saved my life. I really doubt he's going to hurt me now."
"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked, confused.
Willow swallowed hard at the memories and relaxed back against Xander. "Drusilla was going to kill me. Spike rescued me, convinced her he was going to make me a vampire."
"Why would Drusilla try to kill you now?" Jenny asked, then a thought hit her. "Did...did Lily drink from you."
Willow glanced at Spike who was looking at her with interest, then held up her wounded wrist. Everyone groaned.
"Will, how much did you lose?" Buffy asked a little frantic.
"Not very much."
Giles gently took hold of her wrist and began to examine the bite marks, then noticed that there were similar wounds on her other wrist. "Who bit you there?"
"Um, Drusilla. She was trying to make Lily hungry."
"Which obviously worked," Cordelia said, making a face.
Xander squeezed Willow closer. "You need to go to the hospital, get checked over."
"I'm okay," she mumbled. "Just a little weak. I need to talk to Spike."
Buffy gave a long-suffering sigh and stepped aside, gesturing for Spike to join them. Hesitantly he approached until he was about four feet from the table.
"Lily knows I'm okay, doesn't she," Willow said in a firm voice.
Spike sighed and nodded. "Do you really think she would have handed you over to me if she thought I was going to turn you?" He smirked. "Even if you do believe that she'll do anything for me."
"She'll let you do anything to her," Willow retorted. "That's not the same thing."
"True love," he quipped.
"Let her know she was right."
Spike gave the solemn girl an exasperated look. "And how am I going to do that? After your endless conversations in French, the guards know only to allow English to be spoken by the prisoners and even if Dru is busy torturing Angel, she'll hear me even if I whisper."
"What, torturing Angel?" Buffy yelled, stepping in front of Spike. "You said she wasn't torturing him."
He frowned down at her. "I said I hadn't seen any signs of torture, which at that point was true. He'll survive," he added coldly.
Furious, Buffy raised the stake only to have her wrist caught by her Watcher. She was so shocked that she let him disarm her and pull her away from the vampire.
"Not now, Buffy."
"Hey, I have an idea." Everyone stared at Cordelia. "Well, I do," she said defensively, reaching around her neck to unhook a delicate chain. She handed Giles a locket. "If we put a message inside and he gives it to Lily, maybe she'll have a chance to read it."
"That shouldn't be a problem," Spike said with a nod. "I can slip her the locket and she can wait until it's safe to read it. The guards are positioned across the room and Dru won't want to stay there during the day."
Giles found a pen and small piece of paper and began to write.
"So, where are they Spike?" Buffy asked in a deadly voice.
Spike began to back up. "Not yet, Slayer."
"We don't have time for this," she yelled.
"We have twenty-four hours. Get some sleep, preserve your strength, you're going to need it." Spike grabbed the locket from Giles' outstretched hand and strode out of the Library.
"Damn it!" Buffy swore.
*****
A groan from the wall sent Lily back to the side of the cage. Angel was conscious and she watched, wincing in sympathy, as he popped his dislocated shoulders back into place. The agony showed on his face, but he didn't make another sound as he swayed in the chains.
Drusilla had left fifteen minutes earlier, claiming to be exceedingly bored with both her captives. Lily really hoped she wouldn't be back.
"Are you okay?" she asked Angel.
He nodded slowly, then groaned again at the pain. "It's the one time I almost wish the demon was in charge...demons like pain."
"Maybe the torture is over for tonight," Lily said, trying to sound hopeful.
"Where'd she go?"
"She said we were boring and she was going out to scare little children or something like that. She's really insane, Angel."
He gave her a look of intense guilt and Lily shut up...she knew he wasn't responsible for this mess, but Drusilla was frightening in her insanity. Thank God Willow was out of harm's way...or at least she prayed that Spike had saved her...God, don't let her have been wrong about his intentions...
*****
"What should I tell my parents, Giles?" Willow asked as she watched the door swing shut behind Spike.
"Hm? Oh, that's a good question. I know you must want to see them, but we need to discuss a few things first. Can you wait?"
Willow nodded. Giles gave Buffy a 'go check the door' gesture and she went to see if Spike was gone.
"Coast is clear," she reported.
Giles sat down at the table and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Xander still cradled Willow on the table, but everyone else sat down, except for Buffy who paced.
"What do you want to know, Giles?" Willow asked quietly.
"Do you know where you were held?"
Willow shook her head. "No, I was unconscious going in and coming out. It looked like a warehouse. Basically a big room. The only room off of it was a tiny bathroom. I'm sorry."
"Willow, you have nothing to be sorry about," Giles said gently. "We are all so happy that you are all right."
"Got that right," Xander chimed in.
Buffy finally stopped pacing, an intense look on her face. "Angel, Willow, how is he?"
Willow tried to keep the look of sympathetic pain off her face, but knew she failed as Buffy's face fell. "I'm sorry, Buffy. He's alive, but...," she trailed off helplessly.
Buffy gritted her teeth. "What has she done to him?"
"Um, Buffy, please, he's okay..."
"WILL!"
Giles interrupted, saving Willow from having to describe acts she would rather forget. "Not now, Buffy. I'm sorry, but we have more important things to worry about. Angel is a vampire. He will survive whatever Drusilla does to him. We know she needs him alive."
Buffy made a sound somewhere between exasperation and a sob, then collapsed into a chair.
Giles took hold of Willow's wrist, the one that Drusilla had bitten, then looked at the other one. "When we asked you if Lily bit you, you didn't actually answer..."
Willow gave him a weak grin. "I'm not Lily. I don't trust Spike as far as I can throw him...which in my weakened state would be about a centimeter."
"Are you saying that Lily didn't bite you?" Jenny asked.
Giles pointed to the more recent fang marks. "To some extent there is sexual dimorphism in vampires."
"Huh?" Cordelia, Xander and Buffy chorused.
Giles gave them an exasperated look. "Male vampires have bigger fangs than females. Compare the two sets of marks. The second were made by a male."
Buffy gave him a confused look. "Wouldn't I have noticed this in all my many battles?"
"I would think you'd be to busy avoiding the fangs to measure them," Cordelia quipped.
"Did Spike bite you?" Jenny asked, then shook her head, a troubled look on her face. "But, then you could have mentioned it..."
Willow's face fell slightly and she sagged back against Xander. Her eyes met Buffy's and when the truth hit her best friend, she watched Buffy crumple. "I'm sorry, Buffy. It was Angel."
*****
Spike strolled into the bunker and immediately was delighted to see that Drusilla was no where in sight. Ignoring Angel's growls, he went over to the cage. Lily reached out for him, grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled her to him to kiss him as best she could through the bars.
"Spike?" she whispered.
"Don't talk," he growled, kissing her hungrily. Helplessly caught in her desire, she responded, her hand sliding beneath the collar of his t-shirt. Spike reached for her silk covered hip and began to smooth the dress up until he found bare skin. Lily's eyes widened in surprise as she felt his hand caressing her hip and sliding around to the front of her thong.
Moaning, she surged against his fingers, then gasped as she felt something small and metallic being slipped into the waistband of the bikini. "Ooh, Spike." Shivering, she grinned up at him and met his eyes which were full of mischief.
Lily wasn't sure what he had slipped her, but she had a feeling it was going to let her know that Willow was alive and kicking. Spike kissed her once more, tenderly, then gave her a regretful look and strode over to the guard who had come to watch.
"Where did Drusilla go?" Spike asked strongly.
"Um, hunting, I believe, sir."
"Is she coming back?"
"I don't think so. She said we'd be relieved before dawn. Do you want another go at the captive?" the guard asked, a little too eagerly.
Spike gave him a friendly clot on the shoulder. "Don't have time," he said, pretending regret. "But, you could throw Mr. goody two shoes in the cage with her. Give them both one last night of comfort before..." He drew a finger across his throat and made a rattling noise.
"Um, do you really think that's okay, sir?"
"The bitch drank from the virgin. They both have souls," he said, making a face. "So, they won't be killing each other. Yeah, for old times sake..." Spike grinned at the dumb brute. He knew his Slayer-whipped sire wouldn't do anything untoward with Lily, but he couldn't bear the thought of her spending her last day alone in the cage. Her last day. His grin became brittle and he knew he had to think of something to save her.
Finally the guard nodded and gestured for his compatriot. Spike went back over to Lily. With his back to the guards he was able to drop the devil-may-care charade. The pain in his eyes had her reaching for his hands. Lily brought them to her lips.
"I don't mind if they watch," she began softly, wanting to be in his arms one last time.
"I do...I don't know why...I don't know what's changed." Their sad eyes met, his searching and full of pain, hers full of wonder and love. Spike's hand ran gently over her head and he drew her forward for a kiss full of love. "I'll find a way to stop this, I swear," he whispered against her lips, bringing tears of joy and sorrow to her eyes.
The sound of the guards approaching, dragging a struggling Angel, forced Spike to pull away from Lily and step aside. With one more look of regret, he headed for the door.
Watching him leave, Lily let the gathered tears fall and buried her face in her hands.
*****
"Angel bit you?" Xander exclaimed. "I knew we shouldn't trust, dead boy," he finished in a disgusted voice.
"It wasn't like that," Willow tried to explain, her eyes never leaving Buffy's horrified face. "It took me a while to figure it out, but someone had to bite me...and it couldn't be Lily."
"He really drank your blood?" Buffy asked in a small voice.
"He didn't have a choice and he only took a little. They made it look like Lily was drinking too, but she bit her own fingers. No one thought to check the bite marks as closely as you did, Giles."
"Angel drank from a human," Buffy said slowly, rising to her feet, stunned.
"And may have saved us all," Giles said firmly. "The spell cannot work, at least not correctly."
"Did you find the spell?" Willow asked, excitedly.
Giles nodded. "But, we can go over that tomorrow. Now, I call your parents. Tell them...I don't know...that you stumbled in here, no memory?"
Willow gave him a worried look. "I'm not a good liar."
"Just act vague," Jenny said.
Giles went into his office and Willow reached for Buffy who hesitantly took her hand.
"Are you really okay, Willow?" Buffy asked quietly.
"A good meal and a real bath and I'll be as good as new," Willow tried to quip. Squeezing Buffy's hand, she continued in a more sober voice. "I wasn't hurt, well, except for the blow that knocked me out Saturday night. The only thing Drusilla did to me was bite me just the once and she didn't take much blood."
"But, she did stuff to Angel, didn't she, like she did last Fall."
Willow nodded. "Buffy, I can't talk about that...I don't want...to remember any of the details," she said haltingly. "If Angel wants you to know, he'll tell you." Buffy nodded slowly, trying to accept that she wasn't going to learn the truth without pushing Willow way too far.
"And Lily's okay, too?" Buffy asked, letting the Angel matter drop.
"Drusilla tortured her, but Spike kinda made it up to her." Willow couldn't keep the red from her pale cheeks.
"What? He kiss her booboos and make them all better?" Cordelia asked sarcastically.
Willow turned bright red and made a choking noise. "Sorta...kinda more than kiss..." Three sets of teenage eyes stared at her. She knew when comprehension hit Buffy and Cordelia--their noses wrinkled up and they 'euhed' in unison.
"What, what, what am I missing?" Xander asked, totally puzzled.
*****
Gently Angel pulled Lily into his sore arms and she crumpled against his chest, hugging him as she sobbed. Angel was a little surprised. She had seemed so strong, so confident through this whole ordeal.
Finally, Lily quieted down, the tears ceasing, until she lay still against his broad chest. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "It all just got to me..."
"It's okay." As he stroked her tangled hair over her slightly trembling shoulders, Angel looked up through the skylight at the moon high in the sky--almost a full crescent. He figured it was sometime after midnight...so around twenty-seven hours from now...Well, they had managed to disrupt one element of the spell, but was it enough?
Angel frowned in worry. Obviously Drusilla had discovered his purpose in the spell. Did she have all the other components? Could she reverse time even without the virgin blood?
And what had happened to Willow? Angel had watched in shock as Lily kissed Spike, seemingly so wrapped up in her lust for him that she didn't care that he had probably killed Willow or, even worse, turned her. Rationally, Angel knew that there was a slim possibility that Spike had simply let Willow go, but he knew his former protege better than most people...
Leaning back against the side of the cage, he shifted slightly, stretching his legs out. Lily turned and curled against him, then peeked over his shoulder at the guards. A puzzled look crossed his face as Lily slowly slid her hand down to the slit of her dress, then underneath the silk.
"What are you doing?" he whispered. The fingers of Lily's other hand ran across his lips, shushing him and he watched even more baffled as her hand slid down the front of her panties. He knew that Spike's kisses were powerful, but...
Grinning triumphantly, Lily pulled a small locket from her crotch. Twenty four carat gold, it had a big 'C' on it. Lily didn't think Cordelia was going to want it back. Carefully, she kept her hands as still as possible, not wanting to attract the attention of the guards as she used a thumbnail to open the locket.
Angel stared at the tiny piece of paper Lily began to unfold, then took the locket and quickly shoved it into a pocket of his jeans. They both read the message. In tiny, elegant script, it read 'The ear of grain saved the rose. John Byron'.
Even if Spike knew about the prophecy, he didn't know her married name. The only recordings she had ever seen concerning her only mentioned her first name. Lily, the dark goddess. Even the vampires who had killed him would not have known her husband's name. The diaries were known only as the Watcher Diary until they were archived. All references would have been to the Slayer, not to her personally. It was one more method of preserving the secret.
Lily looked up at Angel and smiled brilliantly as the puzzlement on his face changed to understanding, then extreme surprise.
"That son of a bitch," he muttered, then chuckled.
End Chapter 18