SquidgeWorld Archive

"What code?"

Spike! Spike is here? Thought Willow as she stood outside Willy's place, formally known as Willy's bar. She heard the sounds of a fight, flesh hitting flesh. Creeping up the back alley, stake in her hand she heard Spikes 'friend' say "Next time I'll break the code." And saw him disappear back in to the bar. Spike groaned. Spike, oh God, Spike's hurt. Rushing up to him she found him lying bloody on the floor.

"Spike! Are you Ok?" Her eyes filled with worry for the 'neutered' vampire. Spike groaned again and looked up at her, defeat in his eyes. Kneeling beside him she gently touched his check.

"Spike what happened?"

"The bloody Initiative is what happened"

She turned his head so he was looking at her and gasped when she saw the blood running from his nose down his face.

"I'll be alright pet, just give me a minute. Remember, I'm a bad ass vampire."

She knew he had added the last part to try and make her smile, to try and take away some of the seriousness of the situation, instead she got angry.

"That's right you are!"

His eyes widened as he just stared at her, fire flashing across her bright green eyes. She stood up and looked toward the door.

"And who do they think they are picking on you?" She looked back at Spike.

Uh-oh. The look on her face told him she was about to do something that she really shouldn't.

"I should go in there and give them a piece of my mind!" She began walking purposefully toward the door.

"Pet! Red! Willow!" Spike shouted. He groaned as he hastily stood up, fighting the dizziness cause from having his head bashed against the concrete pavement. He grabbed her arm and spun her around. "NO!"

He swayed a little and Willow instantly grabbed his other arm with her free hand to keep him from falling down again. She just glared at him. He looked like Hell and she wanted people's heads to roll for this.

"You can't go in there." He tried to explain.

"Why not?"

"Because, well they'd bloody eat you that's why!"

Pain and worry now replaced the fire in her eyes.

"But look what they did to you Spike."

Spike looked at her. Here was a girl, best friends with the slayer, an ordinary mortal willing to risk her life to help him. Him, who was he? Someone who would certainly have killed her all those months ago when he went to her dorm room if it hadn't been for that damn chip. He was someone who was evil, but forced to do right. He was a failure as a vampire. He didn't deserve her help, or her worry, or most importantly her kindness, but here she was offering it to him, no strings attached. A wrong needed to be righted according to her. He became aware of a cut and slight bruising on her face. Now it was his turn to look worried.

"Me? Pet what happened to you?" He reached up to her face and gently touched the cut; she flinched at the pain.

"It,...it's nothing. It was Riley."

"RILEY! Riley hit you?" I'll bloody kill him. He thought. How could he hurt her, she's done nothing wrong. Not content with bloody vampires he's moved on to women now. I'll bloody kill him dead I will.

"Spike. Spike" Willow repeated trying to get his attention back. "It's,...it's not like that. He's sick. He pushed me out of the way, I fell and hit my head."

"I'll hit more than his head" Spike growled.

"Spike!" Willow stared at him wide eyed. Here is a 'bad ass vampire' willing to stand up for me, willing to fight for me even though he's just been beaten to a pulp himself. "Spike, let's just forget it. Let's get you cleaned up. We're all staying at Xander's place. You can stay with us,...incase your 'friends' come looking for you." She quickly added.

Oh great. Back to the dark damp dungeon of Xander's basement. He thought as Willow led him out of the alley supporting him with an arm around his waist, a support that wasn't really need by now as Spike had begun to heal but it felt good to him so he let her. At least I can look out for Willow if I'm there. That thought brightened up the darkness for him.

.............................

"Ssshhhh!" Spike hissed as he stopped abruptly causing Willow's arm around his waist to fall. He could hear her heart beat faster, he tried to block it out, concentrating in the 'hearts' behind them. They were being followed and the 'heart beats' meant only one thing, the Initiative. Spike grabbed Willow's arm and quickly changed directions away from Xanders house.

"Spike, what...?"

"Pet, no time. Initiative, we have to hide."

"But..." She slowed her pace slightly. In the blink of an eye he had grabbed her again and was pulling her along behind him, he pulled her closer to him and put one arm around her waist so that he was half dragging her.

They ran until Willow could hardly breath. Her chest felt so tight she thought it was going to explode. Silently Spike pulled her into the shadows of some trees and leaned her against one. She slumped to the ground gasping for breath. Spike checked that they weren't being followed. Nope, just one heart beat, one very fast heart beat. God I nearly killed her. He went back to Willow and sat next to her.

"You Ok luv?"

Willow nodded still gasping for that much needed air. She looked at Spike, her question clearly written in her round green eyes.

"They're gone, Nothin' to worry about now pet."

"Xanders...?" Willow finally managed to gasp. Spike thought about it a moment then shook his head.

"Can't go back there tonight luv, they might still be out there and catch us."

The fear returned to Willow's eyes. "Where...then?"

"Well, can't go back to my crypt, that's to dangerous, we could find another crypt..."

"NO!"

Spike looked at her, slightly a taken back at her out burst.

"I'm not...I'm not spending the night in some creepy crypt."

Smiling Spike answered, "They're not creepy, they have 'atmosphere' is all pet."

"I'm still not staying in one." Willow's resolve face became evident and Spike had to give in. Looking around he realised that they were near the outskirts of town. There was a motel not far; they could stay there.

"Come on pet, we'll get a room." Grabbing Willow's hand he pulled her to her feet and pulled her along behind him before she could say another word.

......................................

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

"Pet, you're heartbeat is kind of distracting me from sleep, care to slow it down?"

Spike sat in the easy chair of the motel room with his feet on the bottom of the bed. He glared at the still form of Willow lying in the double bed. He could sense her fear and her heartbeat kept getting faster.

"Sorry" She mumbled and pulled the covers closer to her chin. Spike closed his eyes again trying to drown out the deafening sound of her heart.

Five minutes passed.

Inwardly cursing Spike stood up. "Look, if you don't stop...taunting me like that, I will have to ..." He never finished the sentence, Willow cut him off with a tiny whisper.

"Something's wrong."

He looked at her small frightened frame and the tears behind her large expressive green eyes threatening to fall at any moment.

"With you?" He shakily asked as guilt riddled him for not reacting sooner. God I probably killed her making her run so fast. Although, on second thoughts, it's a possible way to kill humans. Run then to death then eat them.

"No. Xander" A tear slipped down her check. " I should be with him."

"Luv, I'm sure Xander can take care of himself." Yeah right who am I kidding? He couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag, the moron. He gently sat on the bed next to her and took her hand.

"I need to call him." Shakily she pushed herself up and reached for the phone. Spike placed his hand on her arm.

"I'll dial" He picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Yeah Giles it's me."

"Spike? Is that you?"

"Of course it's bloody me. Listen, Willow..."

"Willow! Oh God, what have you done to her?"

"What?! Bloody Hell watcher. Nothing, even if I wanted to remember?!"

"Yes, well, u, sorry. You're both Ok?"

"Yeah had to run from the Initiative. We're hiding out in that motel on the outskirts of town.

"Spike!" Willow whispered to him. "Xander. Is Xander there?"

"Hang on" he spoke into the phone. Turning to Willow he said "Getting to it luv. Bloody watcher thinks I ate you." He snickered to himself and winked at her.

"Listen mate." He said back into the phone. "Is Xander there?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"But what? Put him on the bloody phone."

Oh God, Xander, what's happened? Willow thought as she listened to Spikes side of the conversation.

"Spike, give me the phone!" She hissed, and grabbed it from him without waiting for a reply.

"Giles, please...Xander, oh my God are you ok?"

"Hey Will, yeah, I met Adam."

"Adam?"

"Yeah professor Walsh's little Frankenstein project. Nasty piece of work."

"Are you ok? Is Buffy?"

"Yeah, I just met the nasty end of an iron spike."

"Oh God. Are you hurt?"

"Nah. Giles keeps telling me it's just a flesh wound. I think I should get danger money for being Buffy's back up guy however."

Willow released a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding. Xander's ok, only a flesh wound. Nasty, but better than a fatal wound.

"Anyway, " he continued, "It's Riley that got skewered by the thing."

"Riley?!"

"Yeah, he's been taken to hospital, a military hospital, so I guess that means he'll be back on his 'vitamins'. All in all a good night. What about you Will, you ok?"

"Me? Yes, fine. Spike's here, " I'm here with Spike and I don't feel scared, I feel safe. What's that all about? She thought. "We'll be back tomorrow. I just wanted to check you were ok. I'll see you tomorrow. Take care. Say Hi to everyone. Bye Xand."

"See ya Wills."

Willow hung up the phone. A weight was lifted off her shoulders knowing Xander and the other were alright. But knowing there was another, new demon made up of other demons on the loose scared her more than she thought possible.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her and she looked up to see Spike. He looked different to her some how. He pulled her to his chest and gently rocked her. That's it. She thought. He's being nice. Not complaining about what he can't do, but just silently doing what he can, protect me. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Thank you" She whispered.

"Anything for you pet." I can still be evil and stuff and care for her can't I? Doesn't mean I'm like that poof of a sire.

That night they both crossed a line that changed them. They needed each other to survive; they needed each other to be whole. They were not going to let go.

The end is kind of weak I know that sorry, let me know what you think.