Love Stepping Lightly

By Elka

Title: Love Stepping Lightly
Author: Elka
Email: [email protected]
Post Date: 01-08-00
Rating: PG13/R
Part: 1 of ?
Distribution: The regulars.
Disclaimer: Joss makes me frisky as a puppy.
Spoilers: Season four.
Feedback: Makes my heart sing.
Author's Notes: Guess who's back? With reassurance in her step
and a song in her heart.

-----

She stared at him over her drink, her finger tracing circles
around the rim of the glass. Her motions distracted him, averting
his eyes from the pulsing bass of the music.

"Enjoying yourself, luv?"

"Immensely." She replied dryly.

Spike sighed, leaning back in his chair; he folded his arms
above his head, clasping his hands behind his neck. His cockiness
took over, thickening the air.

"I knew you'd come around, I could see it in your eyes."

Willow returned her hand to her lap. "See what?"

"You want me. I knew it."

Her eyebrows shot up, a look of clear doubt and amusement crossing
her face.

"Hardly."

He wavered slightly, only to recover with an almost violent
sneer.

"You're here aren't you?"

"So are you." Willow shot back. "This wasn't my idea. Buffy
and Xander set us up, I had nothing to do with it."

"Keep telling yourself that, baby cakes, maybe you'll believe
it one day...or night when you're naked in my arms, screaming
my name."

"Ugh." She glared at him with disgust. "That'd be a dream and
a half." The sarcasm dripped from her lips, falling flatly
on the table.

"You love me, pet, and you know it." Spike's arms fell to his
side. "You can't still be pining over that mutt."

Anger flared. "Don't." She managed. "Don't you ever talk about
Oz."

"He's not coming back." He drowned the rest of his drink. "Get
over it."

Willow's steely gaze didn't diminish. "You don't know. Not
about him. Not about Oz. Not what it's like."

"I don't know, do I?" Spike leaned forward, watching her with
an intensity of a century and a half of heartache. "I know
more pain than you could ever bear."

She backed off slightly, letting a few silent moments pass
before grabbing her jacket and hurrying out of the club without
a word.

He pushed his chair back, swiftly following her, keeping a
healthy distance until they were far enough down the street.

"Willow. Stop. Listen to me."

She shook her head, not turning.

Spike grabbed her wrist, not liking being ignored.

"Luv. I'm sorry. Really."

"No you aren't. You don't care." She struggled before relenting
to his strength.

"I do. You're hurt. I see that." He titled her chin to his
face. "I've been there, pet. Been there many times. I hate
what the wolf did to you. And if he ever came back, I'd kill
him myself."

"He is coming back." She clenched her teeth.

Spike released her, but she didn't turn away. He brushed the
fringe from her eyes, fingering the red locks between his cool
fingers.

"He was a lucky lad, blind to what he had."

Her eyes met his.

"You think he was lucky?"

Spike considered his words carefully. "Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm not exactly having the time of my life here. Hate all
this bloody commando bullshit. Wish I could get my teeth back
and get the hell out. But you make me happy, I guess. Make
things a little better. Even if the Slayer and her minions
keep trying to make a love connection, you're like a ray of
moon in my life."

Willow giggled, blushing. "You mean sun."

"Sun, bad. Moon, good."

"I have to go. Thank you. And I'm sorry." She patted his arm.
"Tomorrow."

Spike nodded. "Tomorrow."

He stood and watched her walk down the street until she disappeared
into the darkness. He turned, a small smile on his face.

Then he was down, out cold on the sidewalk.

His attacker stood over him, a thick tree branch poised tightly
in the air.

"I'm not a mutt."

-----
Spike shook off the painful throbbing in his head and pulled
himself to his feet, glancing around quickly. The cemetery.
A sniff in the cool night air placed the wolf about twenty
feet behind him.

He whipped around to face him, full vamp face, his glowing
eyes boring into Oz. Spike could smell his fear. It was good
that he was afraid.

Oz was the first to speak.

"Glad you could join the fun."

Spike grinned through his fangs. "Wouldn't miss it for the
world, mate."

"What were you doing with Willow?"

"We were out. The Slayer set us up."

Oz paused. "She's mine."

"I know. I can smell you on her. You've claimed her."

Oz stepped forward, a wooden stake visible in his left hand.

"You know what happens now, right?"

Spike reverted back to his human disguise.

"Yes."

"I still have a demon in me. I hold the claim."

Oz raised the stake, gathering his hate toward the vampire
before plunging down.

His arm broke in six places under Spike's powerful hold. The
pain was too much, even for Oz to cry out.

Spike smiled as he snapped the boy's neck, savoring every crack
and break.

He glanced down at the lifeless stare, licking a spot of blood
off his finger.

"Funny thing about that claim?" He kicked the limp, disfigured
body. "I don't bloody care."

-----