Title : A Rocky Brow
Series: Samian Wine and Pyrrhic Dances Stories 08
Author: Surnia
Rating: R
Pairing: Spike/Willow Buffy/Giles(sort of)
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer was created by Joss Whedon and is owned by 20th Century FOX. No copyright infringement is intended

Buffy was anxiously waiting for Willow when she arrived at school. She seemed quite elated, and Buffy raised an eyebrow and remarked. "Someone's cheerful today."

"It works! It works! It works!" Willow chimed.

Buffy scowled and said, "You don't mean he BIT you again because if he did, I have a very sharp stake with his name on it."

"No, not like that. I asked him to taste my blood to see if the protection well worked - and so that if it did work, he would know that my blood wasn't tasty. In a controlled situation. He promptly spat it out. So it worked! It worked!"

"Okay, Willow. You're well hyper. Did you have a lot of sugar or coffee as well? So you're safe from the blood-sucking bit. That doesn't mean you're *safe*. And anyway he could have been pretending."

"Oh come on, Buffy. This is the Hellmouth. How safe can we be anyway?"

"A lot safer than sleeping with a bloodsucker," she muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing, just don't let your guard down. I want my best friend to be one of the living, not dead or undead. Okay? Seeing you once as a vampire was wiggy enough."

"Don't worry so much. It's all under control."

Buffy rolled her eyes.

Willow continued to bounce, "I can't wait to the tell Giles! It worked! It worked!"

Buffy eyed her with concern, "Has Spike been feeding you drugs or something? Calm down, girl. Think calming thoughts."

By the time Buffy made it to the library that afternoon, Willow was already there, gleefully telling Giles how the spell worked. Although he was politely supportive, Buffy noticed from his familiar body language that he was still concerned for her. "God, she's still hyper," she said to herself. "Willow, can't you take something to calm down?"

"Why? I'm really really happy!"

Giles said, "Sit down, Willow. Buffy has a point. The protection is limited to Spike not drinking your blood. All sorts of other things could happen. You're not protected from other sorts of violence nor from other vampires. You have to be careful. Don't become over-confident."

Willow sat down and said, "I don't know why you're both so worried. Angel was fine with Buffy until he lost his soul. That isn't going to happen with Spike because he hasn't got one to lose! I mean - his being nice doesn't depend on a breakable gypsy curse! He's just nice."

"Willow," Giles said carefully, "Spike is a vampire: a vampire known for violence who's killed two Slayers. Vampires also have certain forms of behaviour which can be exceedingly harmful to humans. Even if we assume Spike's good intentions - which is a big assumption - he may hurt you unintentionally. At least, Buffy's Slayer strength could deal with that."

Willow looked at Giles and batted her eyes, "What forms of behaviour are we talking about, Giles?"

He eyed her sternly. "Willow." He started to slowly pace and then turned around, "Perhaps it would be a good idea if Spike were to come so that I could have a chat with him."

She blinked and said, "Giles, I don't really think..."

Buffy put in cheerfully, "And I can stake him."

Willow said, "I'll never forgive you if you stake him! Unless, that is, he does something really bad. Really bad. No staking unless."

"All right, but I'm still not happy about this."

"Willow," Giles said, "if you could bring Spike this evening?"

"If it will make you happy, okay. But NO staking. Absolutely NO staking."

Willow left and Buffy frowned at Giles, "I'm not happy about this."

He replied crossly, "And you think I am? I have a certain amount responsibility for this development."

"And I don't?" Buffy abruptly grabbed her and started for the door, stating, I'll be back tonight and we can put things straight."

"Aren't you going to train?"

Buffy looked a little uncomfortable. "Umm, I thought I'd give you another day to recover."

"Oh, I see. Very good. I'll see you later then."

He looked unhappily after her as she banged her way out of the library, hoping that he hadn't damaged their relationship by behaving foolishly.

***

That night Buffy came into the library when Willow had not yet arrived. To say that she was in a bad mood would be an understatement. While on patrol, she had spotted Angel and Drusilla yet again. She looked around and library and stated, "She's not here yet."

"No, not yet. How was patrol?"

"Fine." She flopped into a seat.

Giles was torn between asking if something was wrong and not asking because it might be him that was wrong. Instead he opted for a mug of tea and a book. Safe. He remarked neutrally, "She is a little late."

"Probably screwing on the hood of a police cruiser. Or in a playground on the merry-go-round."

His embarrassment at the first possibility was replaced by realisation of the true source of her mood with the second. Well, at least it wasn't him - or not completely. "I take it you ran into Angel and Drusilla." She looked up at him with a pout. "I'm sure he's just trying to do what he thinks is his duty," he said reassuringly.

"Boinking. A new form of duty," she muttered.

"Vampires," Giles mumbled.

"What?"

"Vampire behaviour. It's a method of dominance."

"So why can't he just do a horse whisperer thing?"

He blinked for a moment and then placed the reference. "Because Drusilla's a vampire and not a horse."

"I *had* noticed.

She sniffed, catching the whiff of tobacco and turned towards the door. It opened and Spike sauntered in with his arm draped around Willow's waist. He stopped a safe distance from Buffy and exclaimed cheerfully, "Slayer!" He nodded towards Giles, "Watcher. I'm here. Am I about to get the you-had-better-treat-her-right lecture? Cause I already had one from the soul-ridden Irish wanker."

Buffy asked, "Was this the removal of spine threat?"

"That's the one," he said with a grin, "and now I'll get the stake and holy water one, eh?"

Giles stepped into his office and then came out with a sword in his hand. "No, the sword one," he said coldly. "That will follow the spine removal and staking if Buffy should happen to miss the heart."

Spike looked at him and stated, "I have no intention of harming her."

"Good," Giles said, "just remember that and then I won't have to kill you."

Buffy jumped up and interrupted, "Excuse me, but I'm the Slayer, and *I'm* the one who's going to kill him if he hurts her."

Willow said, "It's okay, you two. He isn't going to hurt me, so no one is going to kill anyone."

"Or turn you into a vampire like Drusilla."

"Come on, ducks. It was the wanker that drove her mad and turned her. I freely admit to getting off on killing, but not torture."

"Oh," Giles said, "and just how did you get the name 'Spike' then?"

"That was just to cheer up Drusilla and impress my daft sire." Noticing the glares he was receiving from Slayer and Watcher, he said innocently, "What?"

Willow chuckled and remarked, "They think you're a homicidal maniac, Spike."

"That would be Angelus." He sat down at the table and said, "Tell ya what, Watcher, let's make civilised. We'll all have a cup of tea together."

They all looked at him as if he'd lost his mind or grown a second head. He rolled his eyes, muttering, "Americans," and sat down. Giles shook his head despairingly and went to pour two more mugs of tea. He glanced back at Buffy and said, "Buffy?" She shook her head, still glaring at Spike. He brought back a mug for Willow and asked Spike, "Milk? Sugar?"

"Neither, mate," he replied, pulling a bottle from his pocket.

Giles set the mug down. "That's an unusual way of drinking tea."

"Downright sacrilegious, eh?" He grinned at Buffy, "Now we can't kill one another after we've had tea together, can we, luv?"

"I really intensely dislike you," Buffy said, "and, yes, I can."

He looked at her with mock innocence, "But, pet, what would Joyce say?"

Buffy rolled her eyes in exasperation and looked at Willow, "How can you put up with him?"

Willow giggled, "He's cute."

It was Spike's turn to look exasperated. "Look, luv, I've told you before: I AM NOT CUTE! God, I hate that word."

"Sorry," she giggled.

Giles was still looking stern. "The fact remains, Spike, that if you do anything to harm Willow, you will have cause to regret it."

"A hasty demise, eh?"

Giles' eyes glittered and he said coldly, "Not hasty."

Spike looked amused, "The last time you went for not hasty, it almost got you killed." Giles didn't reply. Spike blinked anad added, "Or was that the point?"

"Spike," Giles said dangerously, "you just take care of Willow. All right?"

"Absolutely," Spike grinning, bending over and kissing Willow."

"Eww," Buffy said.

"Ta," he said, getting up and leaving with Willow.

When the door closed, Buffy looked at Giles and asked, "Do you think she'll be okay?"

"She's stronger than she looks. I hope so."

She said, "About what Spike said about the time you went after Angel..."

"I wasn't thinking clearly," he said evasively, "and you had better get on with your patrol." He went back into the office. Buffy shook her head and went out.

***

Things continued much the same for the following days. There was a certain amount of awkwardness between Giles and Buffy which the others didn't seem to notice as they were much preoccupied with worrying about Willow and Spike. Angel continued to stay with Drusilla, trying - futilely - to restore her sanity and to - equally futilely - to restrict her feeding habits. She continued to rant - about the nasty Slayer, the naughty Witch, yummy Watcher and Spike betraying her. When she learned that he was with Willow, she demolished her room in a rage. Angel did attempt to point out to her that she had dumped him.

Then one night Willow found a note from Spike saying that he had business to attend to and wouldn't be back until late. She decided to go home. She really had to insist that Spike supply her with a telephone line. On the walk back, she started to feel nervous. Something was wrong. Suddenly she was grabbed from behind and felt fangs sink into her neck. Shit! Careless! She pulled out her cross and stretched up to hold it against the head of the vampire who had his teeth in her neck. He roared and pulled away. She quickly opened a bottle of holy water she was carrying and threw it in his face. He screamed and staggered off, clutching at his steaming face.

Willow blinked and swayed slightly as she continued down the street in a daze. She eventually had to cling to a traffic light for support. Growing very light-headed, she saw a familiar zebra van which immediately stopped. Oz. She staggered to the door, opened it and crawled it. Oz glanced in the rear view mirror and saw two vampires running towards them. He gunned the van and sped off in the direction of the hospital. Willow was now holding a handkerchief to her neck which was turning red with blood and she looked very groggy.

"Willow? Willow, hang on there until we get to the hospital."

He ran several red lights on the way and, after parking the van, waited anxiously in the hall. He decided that he had better let Giles and Buffy know and he phoned them to say that he'd taken Willow to the hospital.

They were there quickly and promptly demanded to know what had happened. He told them that he had found Willow on the street, bleeding from a vampire bite, and had brought her to hospital. The staff were doing the relative-only information thing.

Giles approached one of the doctors and demanded, "How is Miss Rosenberg?"

"Are you a relative?"

"Her parents are away and I'm be acting in locus parentis."

"Well, she's lost a lot of blood, but she'll be fine. I've given her a sedative so that she stays still until morning. We don't want her losing any more blood. Do you know what sort of animal it was that bit her?"

"No idea," Giles said. "Can I see her?"

"Yes, but she's asleep."

Giles went into the room and turned to see Buffy behind him. Willow looked incredibly pale and frail on the pillow with a large bandage on her neck.

"I'm going to stake Spike."

"I think we should find out whether this was Spike first. There are other vampires in Sunnydale. If it wasn't Spike, Willow will never speak to you again." He looked at her and added, "But if it was Spike, I claim the right to behead him."

"Okay, then I'll stake him for letting her walk alone at night in Sunnydale."

Giles blinked and then smiled slowly, "You know, perhaps a bit a punishment would be in order - just to remind him of his responsibilities."

"Sounds good to me. Let's go pay a visit."

"Lead on."

They arrived at Spike's place and Buffy kicked open the door. The place was empty. Buffy swept through the place and discovered the note on the refrigerator underneath which Willow had scribbled a further note, saying she was going home. While they were reading the note, Spike arrived and, after examining the door briefly, remarked, "Guests. Cor, you lot really can't keep away from me."

Buffy spun around and kicked him the gut. Giles bashed him across the head with a bat he had brought with him. Lying on the floor, staring up with surprise at the two furious faces looking down at him, Spike suddenly felt a spasm of alarm. "Where's Willow?" he asked, "Has something happened to Willow?"

"Are you telling me that you're not behind it?"

"Behind what?" He leapt to his feet and grabbed Giles, "What the Hell has happened to Willow?"

Buffy said, "A vamp bit her. Oz found her staggering down the street and took her to the hospital."

Spike spun around and punched the wall, leaving a hole in the plaster. He spun around again and demanded, "Is she all right?"

"She'll make it," Buffy said, "she's sedated at the moment. So you're not behind this then?"

"Come on, Slayer, catch up with the plot. If I'd been behind it, she would be a vampire now. I do things myself."

"Oh, what about the Order of Taraka?"

"That was an exception, Slayer. I was trying to restore Dru."

Spike started to pace furiously up and down the room, thinking out loud. "Can't be local. None of the locals would touch her because they know I'd rip their fucking heads off." He continued to pace, "Except ..."

"Except?" Buffy asked.

Spike stopped and said, "Drusilla. The fucking demented cow. She'd do that. And what is your tosspot of a boyfriend doing about it! Don't tell me: the pounce is letting her walk all over him. Bloody typical!" He kicked a hole in the wall. "If she didn't enjoy it so much, I'd torture her to within an inch of her undead life!"

"I'll settle for a stake in the heart."

"I'll deal with her, Slayer, if it was her. You can deal with the wanker."

"He does have a name, Spike."

He spat on the floor. "I wouldn't dirty my mouth with it."

He started out the door and Buffy demanded, "Where are you going?"

He turned, "I'm going to find the pillock who did this and then torture him until he tells me who he's working for. Then I'll torture him a bit more and maybe leave him to make an intimate acquaintance with the sun."

Buffy said, "How will you know who it is?"

"I'll smell him," Spike stated and stormed out.

Buffy wrinkled her nose and said, "Eww."

"Well," Giles remarked, "I don't think he's behind it. And I think he'll find out who's behind this attack. I don't think that there's anything else to be done tonight."

Buffy looked up at him a little shakily, "I'll see you home in case there's anyone else out there on a crusade. Drusilla might have sent someone after you."

"I think that she'd do it personally." He shook his head when Buffy gave him an odd look. "Fine, let's go. And I think that Spike's efforts will be more fruitful at this point."

At Giles' insistence, Buffy followed Giles into his apartment. He was extremely worried about her. She seemed very down. And if Drusilla had launched her vendetta... Buffy sat on the sofa studying the carpet. He came back with two mugs of tea and sat down beside her.

"Buffy?" He noticed a trembling starting in her bottom lip. "Buffy?"

"It's all my fault!" she stated, a little numbly.

"I don't follow."

"If I hadn't been involved with Angel, none of this would have happened!"

Tears started to roll down her cheeks in spite of her efforts at self control. He pulled her into a hug to reassure her, "That's not true. You can't measure things like that. If you hadn't been involved with Angel, we might all be dead. There's good and bad in everything. It's not your fault." He thought to himself that he was the one who should be blaming himself. No point in mutual recrimination.

He stroked her hair, trying to calm her while wishing that he could calm his own emotions arising from the proximity which he was normally careful to avoid - until recently. "It'll be all right, Buffy. Willow will be okay."

She snuggled up to him and he shifted uncomfortably. "I don't wanna go home and be alone," she sniffed. "I have this feeling that if Angel shows up at my window, I'll bash him up."

"Well, I must admit that I won't be heart-broken if you do so."

"Giles!"

He quickly added, "He is a vampire.He'll heal. But I'd hate to see you upset by it. If you wish, you can have the bed and I'll sleep down here."

"I can't make you sleep on the sofa."

"Well, I often fall asleep on it so it can't be all that uncomfortable. In any case," he chuckled, "far better a cranky Watcher than a cranky Slayer."

She sat up and said, "How do you put up with me?"

"Well, you put up with me." he replied.

She bent over and kissed him on the cheek. Shaking his head, Giles watched her go up the stairs. There was much to be said for emotional detachment. It would be quite useful to actually have it.

***

After a great deal of searching, Spike finally got lucky in the alley behind Willy's bar. Although the smell of someone else's blood was fresher on the vampire, he caught Willow's scent underneath. There were three of them. But he only wanted one of them alive: the one that reeked of Willow. The one who was still sporting some nasty burns on his face. Lighting a cigarette, Spike swaggered towards them, and casually remarked, "So what have we here? Undead retards passing through town, sampling the local vintage? What pillock turned you?"

They snarled back at him. The middle one, who smelled of Willow, said in a mocking tone, "You must be Spike. I heard that you've lost it. You've gone soft. Can't hack it with a vampire cause you're all soft."

"Soft? Soft? I'll show you soft, you pathetic piece of spit," Spike spat. In a single movement, he grabbed one of them, crashed his head into the wall and then snapped his back across his knee. The crack was very satisfying. He left him groaning on the ground and grabbed the third one and, pulling a stake out of his pocket, staked him.

Surprised by the speed of the attack, the middle one had not yet reacted. He did so now and leapt at Spike. Spike easily side-stepped his rush and kicked him in the back, sending him sprawling. He yanked him up and crashed his head into the wall a couple of times until he was unconscious. He walked back over to the groaning vampire on the ground and kicked him viciously in the balls, eliciting a shriek of agony. "If you manage to survive and crawl away before dawn, tell your friends that no one touches what's mine." He gave him another kick and then slung the unconscious one over his shoulder and headed off for the warehouse that had the facilities he required.

Spike chuckled when he went inside. It was a bit dusty, but he had heard that Darla had set up this place before her untimely - or timely - demise. She was planning on amusing herself with the locals after the Master's victory. Never got a chance to use it. Might as well put it to good use. He cut off his captive's clothes and attached chains to his wrists and ankles and started to crank some levers. The vampire was soon suspended spread-eagled above the ground. Spike cheerfully got the supplies he needed and lit a cigarette, waiting for his captive to wake up.

A snarl alerted him to the fact that the vampire was awake. Spike sauntered up to him and, taking a knife, made a deep cut along the inside of one of his legs. He sniffed. Then dipped his finger in it and tasted. Willow. Definitely. Looking coldly at the vampire, he said, "I don't take kindly to anyone messing with what's mine. Who's your boss?"

"Fuck off, you punk prick!"

Spike sighed, "You really don't want to fuck with me. When it comes to torture, I had a good teacher. But we might as well cut to the chase. I really don't have time for this. AND IT PISSES ME OFF WHEN WANKERS DON'T ANSWER MY QUESTIONS!"

He opened a bottle of holy water and dripped it onto the vampire's naked chest. He yowled. Spike grinned at him and let the water drip down his groin, ensuring that some drops ran down his penis. The vampire screamed in agony. Spike made a clucking sound. "Screaming already? But we've only just started. This is just foreplay. You should have seen Angelus when he was on a roll. Look, mate, I'm a fair person. Tell you what: you tell me what I want to know, I'll make it quick. Don't tell me and you're in for a long painful night. Your call."

"Fuck you."

"Brainless," Spike sighed.

Picking up a knife, he sliced him across the abdomen and then stepped back as the intestines tumbled out. The vampire looked down with astonishment watching his intestines tumbling from his gut. Spike grabbed them and draped them over the vampire's neck. He walked to a table and came back with something in his hand. He grinned at the suspended vampire and said, "Anyone ever tell you how I got my name. No?" He brought out the spike from behind his back and arranging some of the intestines, plunged the spike through them and into his stomach. He brought over another spike, flourished it in front of his face and repeated the process.

Listening to the inhuman noises coming from the vampire, he picked up a dagger and ran it slowly over the vampire's testicles. Then he dipped the blade into some holy water and suddenly stabbed it through them and twisted. He found the blood-curdling scream that resulted very satisfying. He pulled out the dagger and dipped it in the water again and traced it up the vampire's thigh, leaving a trail of blood.

"Drusilla," the vampire gasped. "Drusilla, but I wasn't meant to tell anyone."

"Thought so," Spike said, putting the bottles and spikes away. He headed for the door, and the vampire pleaded, "Wait! You said you'd make it quick."

"Should have answered first time," Spike said, "but not to worry. The morning sun will catch you soon enough. I could make this last for nights and nights. You've got off easy." He gestured at the skylight, "Not that long until dawn. Something for you to look forward to." Then he left, locking the door behind him.

"Bitch," he muttered, marching along the street in a fury which increased as he walked, "psychotic demented fucking bitch."

He headed for the place where he knew that Drusilla was based along their sire. As he made for the entrance, a guard tried to stop him. Almost without slowing down, he staked him and strode in. Drusilla was sitting down at a table with her Tarot cards in front of her. "Spike?" she said.

He didn't reply, but went straight to her and yanked her head back by the hair and then banged in down on the table twice. "Fucking bitch." Bang! "Tell me why the fuck I shouldn't fucking kill you!" Bang!

One of the minions came up to grab him, but without a backward glance, Spike brought his fist up and the minion sprawled on the floor. He yanked her head backwards again. "I'm waiting for an answer, cow."

Someone had gone to fetch Angel. He ran into the room and was shocked at the sight of Spike repeatedly knocking Drusilla's against the table. "Spike!" he exclaimed.

Spike turned around, dragging Drusilla by the hair and propelled her towards Angel. When she sprawled at his feet, he promptly kicked her in the ribs, ignoring the sound of breaking bone.

Angel was astonished to see Spike use any violence against Drusilla. "Spike?"

Spike was still in a rage and shouted, "Do you have any control over this mad bitch at all! What kind of a fucking sire are you?" He kicked her in the ribs again and she groaned.

"Spike," Angel said reasonably, "suppose you tell me what this is about?"

"She sent some moron to kill Willow!"

It was Angel's turn to look shocked. "Dru!"

"Watcher cheated me," she hissed. "You don't hunt. You don't torture. You don't want the Slayer and her friends dead. You're not *my* Angel." She swayed to her feet with blood dripping from her mouth, "The stars told me. First the witch took my Angel and then she took my Spike. She's naughty. Naughty girls have to be punished."

Spike swung around and punched her in the mouth, knocking her to the ground again. "I *was* your Spike and then you dumped me for a chaos demon. Remember? *You* left me. *You* didn't want me. You touch Willow again and you'll regret it."

"Will you torture me?" she asked hopefully.

"You wish," he said. "No, tell you want I'll do. I'll entomb you somewhere with no access to blood. No bloody stars. No blood. No hunting. All alone. You know what that means, pet? You'll slowly wither away to nothing. And no one will hear your screams."

Drusilla shivered and said pleadingly, "You wouldn't do that to Princess, would you?"

"Other princesses have ended up like that. Just stay away from Willow." He glared at Angel, "Get her the fuck out of Sunnydale." Without a backward look, he stormed out of the warehouse.

Angel looked at Drusilla on the floor. He had a serious problem with Drusilla. The trouble was it really took a demon to deal with her. Attacking Willow. He'd be lucky if Giles didn't stake him after this. Even Buffy might. Well, at least he had to get her under immediate control. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Angel?" Drusilla said in her best little girl tone. Angel looked at her coldly and then threw her across the room. She crashed against the wall, and collapsed, clutching at her broken ribs. He stomped across the room, grabbed her hair and dragged her over the cage and tossed her in. He raised it off the ground and said, "No food for you until you learn to follow orders, Drusilla."

She snarled and made scratching gestures at him through the bars like a trapped cat. Deep down, he knew that the best thing all around would be to put an end to her - it would almost like putting down a pet, but he couldn't do it. She was his responsibility. He had made her like this. Of course, if he still been Angelus the soulless and conscienceless demon, he would have destroyed her without a second thought if he decided that she was a nuisance.

He wondered if he could train her not to kill if he took her away on her own. He sighed. Not likely. Angelus fashioned her too well. Ensoul her? She was already insane, it would probably be kinder to kill her. She couldn't cope. He glanced at the mewling vampiress in the cage. He really hated using vampire dominance to control the situation. Perhaps Giles would have some ideas. If he didn't shot him with a crossbow first. He glanced at the minions. He would have to do something to reduce their numbers and keep her from making more. Payback's a bitch.

A DISTANT TORRENT