Rising from her crouch Willow licked the blood from her fingers, one at a time, like she was licking grease from them, each finger making a slight popping noise as it slipped from between her reddened lips. She smiled and stretched, then used the tip of her black leather boot to roll the corpse beneath a row of bushes. It wasn't an attempt to hide it, more that the staring pale blue eyes were annoying her.
A noise behind her drew her attention and she turned just in time to avoid the stake aimed at her heart.
Snarling, Willow spun away as the stake slashed again. The little blonde was determined but...
Oh so broken.
Willow smirked and Buffy drew in a shuddering breath and raised the stake a third time.
Coming up behind her, Spike caught her wrist and the shaft of wood fell to the ground.
"Go," he murmured, his eyes not on the Slayer who stood still and limp, her eyes on the hard- packed dirt beneath her feet, but on his former lover who gave him an evil look and then laughed, a harsh, violent sound.
"I have to end her," Buffy said, her voice dull and empty.
Sorrow suffused his reply, "You're in no condition to end anyone, Slayer."
"If she keeps killing, I have to do my duty." This time her voice hitched with emotion and Spike looked down at her to see tears sliding from eyes that were ringed with bruises from lack of sleep.
"You won't be able to. Even if you were at full strength. You can't kill her anymore than I can." Releasing her wrist, Spike leaned down and said softly, "We lost, Buffy. Your best chance at survival is to surrender the Hellmouth to Angelus and leave Sunnydale. Go somewhere else and survive."
"Angel won't like that," Willow sang. "You siding with the Slayer. Your love for me really has made you weak and pitiful." The scorn was evident in her voice and she laughed again. "And she's not going anywhere, too in love with our sire to leave here. Eventually he'll get tired of her and kill her and we'll rule this town."
"Go home," Spike snapped forcefully and watched as Willow dropped her eyes and shoulders in instinctual submission.
"I'm not wrong," she said as a parting shot.
Willow muttered to herself all the way back to the mansion. Angel was sitting on his throne and she scowled at the sight of him brooding.
Nothing was as she'd expected it to be. Becoming a vampire was the best thing that had ever happened to her. She was strong and powerful, beautiful and smart. She wanted to enjoy this, love this new life, but everyone around her was spoiling her fun.
No one would let her kill the Slayer. Spike could barely look at her and wouldn't touch her. Angel only bedded her when she whined enough. Drusilla either wept in despair or acted like a complete maniac around her.
Maybe she should be the one to leave Sunnydale. She was smart and cunning; she could survive and eventually thrive. She certainly didn't need this so-called family. A brother ruined by love. A sister maddened beyond repair. A sire who, despite his protestations, loved a Slayer for fuck's sake. They were all sick.
This wasn't what being an Aurelian vampire was meant to be.
End