Title: Born Again
Author: Cilia
E-mail: cilia@mi.is
Disclaimer: Joss owns'em, but I'm taking them out for a short spin
Classification: W&S (friendship)
Rating: R 
Summary: This little story began as attempt to do something new and different. It focuses almost entirely
on Willow and her adventures in the Old World (Europe). Some time has past and we begin the story
when we meet an older more experience Willow, still old friends are around the corner and Spike has
always had knack for popping up when he's not wanted
So I hope you enjoy...
 
Born Again
Cilia

Prologue

Somewhere in the Old World a dark figure crouched on top of a crossbeam high
above a warehouse floor with no lights only shadows. Her information had
been good. The vampire count in the warehouse was now at twenty, with four
more to come. Then there was a crack as the beam started to give away.
            "Shit, shit, shit," the pitch of the voice gave away the gender
of the watcher as a stream of curses followed her when she jumped of the
beam, did a flip and landed in the middle of the group gathered below her.
            "Hey sorry for dropping in like this," she apologized as she
staked the first one and the reflection in her sunglasses showed it turn to
dust.
What followed was perfectly rehearsed ballet of slaughter. She caught sight
of two more coming in fast. She fell down in a split, thrust her stakes up
and was on her feet before the dust started falling. A kick sent another
flying into a stack of crates and dust followed.
            "Who are you?" bellowed the leader as another vampire charged
her and got dusted with ease.
"Willow," the girl greeted, "the wicca," she added and threw fireball at
him.
            "Get her." the leaders command turn into a scream of agony when
he was engulfed in flames.
            "Great now the rest will run," she muttered as the host in front
of started to retreat and soon she was alone with the shadows.
            "Willow the wicca, yeah that'll but the fear of god into them"
she muttered and removed her cap.
The girl known as Willow then dusted herself off, removed the sunglasses,
thus revealing a pair of green eyes and ran a hand through her short red
hair.
            "Well lame nicks aside I'm going home," she said to the
darkness, turned on her heel and walked out of the warehouse.

Chapter One

The sun came crashing in through the windows, streaking the apartment with
streaks of light and thoroughly annoying the bed's single occupant.
            "Go away," Willow muttered and rolled out of the beam.
Outside the city was pulsing with its steady rhythm and the lights shone on
the mirror above her dresser, on it hung four pictures. The first, from top
to bottom, was of herself, her best friend Buffy and Buffy's watcher slash
mentor Rupert Giles taken two days before she'd left for the Old World to
teach and slay vampires on her own, the slay part took up the better part of
her time though. The second picture was  black and white of a young man with
sharp features, blue eyes and bleached hair, Spike he had been fun, but
currently he was on walkabout something he said he did every decade or so to
refresh his feel for the world. This walkabout actually entailed burning
rubber from London to Moscow and get plastered in as many cities as
possible. The third picture was group shot of everyone that made up the
Scooby Gang, both active and reserve members, the four and final on was of
her parents, which they'd sent it to her on her twenty fourth birthday.
            In the bed Willow rolled over and came face to face with what
she'd declared loudly to be the most hated object in her apartment. The
alarm clock.
            "Eleven AM, school, teaching" then her brain made the
connection, "Class!" she exclaimed and jumped out of the bed.
Clothes came sailing from the drawers and landed on the bed. Blouse, jeans,
bra, panties, shoes.
            "Shoes." she said in a panicky voice and dove under the bed.
She dressed in hurry, putting the blouse on inside out, tripping over a
stake as she pulled on the jeans and the hobbling into the kitchen while
putting on the left shoe.
            "Laptop." she stated as she closed the laptop on the kitchen
table.
"Coffee." she mumbled and dumped two spoonfuls of instant coffee into her
"As matter of fact I am a rocket scientist" mug.
            "Car keys."  she said thoughtfully, looked around and spotted
the keys on upright stake on the counter. Out the door she went, grabbing a
black leather jacket with her, down the stairs and onto the street.
            "Hot seat, hot seat," she exclaimed when she sat into the car.
She pulled out onto the street, there never was much traffic in the street
where she'd made her home. It was in one of the oldest part of the city and
it only went one way, it came to an end at plaza, where on every Sunday
there was a market. The houses weren't tall only two stories, maybe three
and sometimes she could swear that time stood still here, but today it was
moving way too fast.
            She pulled into the University parking lot with a shriek and the
students and teachers alike smiled as she ran past them, the fact that she
was always in the nick of time was the stuff of staff room legends. She came
to a stop in front of her lecture room, she ran a hand through her hair,
took down the sunglasses and put on her teaching glasses. The sign said
Professor Rosenberg, advanced computer theory.
            "Morning Professor Rosenberg," her class greeted as she walked
into the room.
            "Morning class," she replied as she placed her laptop on the
desk, two roses and three apples adorned her desk.
            "Now last time we were talking about fractal mathematics and how
they could apply to codes and code breaking." she started her teaching.
As soon as the class was over, she was out the door and back on the road.
Now heading for the Church Library, on of the main reasons she'd decided on
this city.
            A large black car with darkened windows drove past her on the
way there. She looked as if in thought for a moment, but then shook her
head.
            "No this isn't the Hellmouth and therefore hellmouthy things don
't happen here," she said to herself.
Behind her the same black car, did a U-turn and stopped traffic for miles
behind it. The driver just ignored the shouts and honks and drove on.
            "I think this years walkabout is at an end," the driver said to
himself. Back at Willow's apartment the black and white picture of Spike
came lose.


Chapter Two


The Church Library was located in a massive building that had originally
been planned as cathedral in the early fifteen hundreds. But during its
construction it became apparent that the dome the architect had designed
could not be built, so the roof was leveled off and the massive building
turned
into a library, with a smaller church next to it.

Some said that the library resembled a prison, with its large courtyard like
reading space and the towering bookshelves that reached the fresco painted
ceiling. The bookshelves themselves were a masterpiece of craftsmanship. All
wood with five floors of walkways that went around the entire building and
across it at one point, so if you were going to get something from the top
shelves you'd better be ready to carry it down the narrow stairs that linked
the walkways together.

Amidst all this at the center table of the reading circle sat Willow
surrounded by big, musty tomes and her laptop. She seemed strangely at
home among the high bookshelves that towered all around her. With her black
leather jacket draped over the back of the chair and the sleeves of the
blouse rolled up, she paged through the latest tome.
        "Well it's not in here," she muttered, carefully closed the tome and
checked off the list on her laptop.
        "Something troubling you?" asked a low feminine voice.
Willow grinned and looked up from the computer screen.
        "Same old, same old Sister Agnes, teach, research, kill vampires,"
Willow
answered.
Willow had met the Sister on her first day at the library. She'd lost her
way and Sister Agnes had taken pity on the lost yank and given her the tour,
even helped her get in after closing hours when Willow desperately needed
some books. Sister Agnes had kind brown eyes and soft features and was a
true believer in God above and well aware of the things around her that most
people ignored.
        "So then fight goes well?" Sister Agnes asked with a small smile and
sat down in the chair next to her.
        "As well as to be expected, but these Old World vampires are tougher
then the ones around the Hellmouth," Willow answered.
        "And the ones last night?" Sister Agnes asked.
        "Heard about that did you?" Willow asked with a measure of pride.
        "The newspapers think it was a Russian Mafia deal gone affray,"
Sister Agnes answered.
        "Well they were right about one thing, they were not our local
stock, probably the reason they fled," Willow stated and there was a bleep
from Willow's screen as cartoon drawing of Giles stepped onto the screen.
        "Remember to slay and be careful," it said in a digitized voice.
        "That's my cue," Willow said and started stacking the tomes, but was
stopped by Sister Agnes's hand as it covered hers.
        "Allow me to do that for you. You have more pressing matters to
attend to," Agnes said with a caring smile.
        "Thanks Agnes, you're the best," Willow said and closed her laptop.
        "Godspeed Willow,"
        "Thanks I'll need it," Willow said, placed a small peck on the nun's
cheek and then babbling Willow made a comeback.
        "Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to. I mean I sometimes forget that
you're a nun and you're always so nice, too."
Sister Agnes smiled and waited until Willow's babbling subsided.
        ".and I'm sorry. Did I say that already?" Willow asked and looked
up.
        "Its quite all right Willow I'm not offended. Now go and save our
lord's creation," Sister Agnes said and patted her shoulder.
        "I'll just be going then," Willow's said and pointed towards the
doors.

Sister Agnes watched as Willow retreated towards the door and shook her head
with a smile as she picked up the tomes. As she looked up into the fresco
she sent up a small prayer.
        "Look after her, for old times sake?" she asked.

Willow walked out of the library and along its walls until she came to the
church that had been built next to it. She looked up at the church doors.
The sun had set maybe ten minutes ago, and the stars were coming out.
        "Well it couldn't hurt," she thought to herself and entered.
The church seemed small compared to the library it was built to serve, but
it was still impressive, even to a Jewish girl like herself.
        "Same god, different savior," she mumbled as she lit a candle and
looked up at the crucifix.
        "I'm sorry I pecked Sister Agnes okay," she said with a smile as she
thought about how truly ridiculous this was.
When she turned away from the burning candles she could have sworn she saw a
man kneeling in front of the altar out of the corner of her eye, but when
she looked better there was nobody there.
        "This is not the Hellmouth," she reminded herself and strolled out
of the church.
Inside the Church, the man who had been kneeling in front of the altar
stepped out of the shadows, looked up at the altar and crossed himself.
        "Thanks," he said with distinct British accent and placed a gold
coin in the collection box on his way out into the night. The black and
white picture on the mirror in Willow's apartment fell down onto the dresser
at the same time the coin made a clanging sound at the bottom of the
collection box.

Chapter Three

Another night came after the day as it always has been and as it always
shall be. The city was bright even during the night, but the narrow
alleyways betweens between the houses in the old town were dark and cloaked
in shadows. A perfect place to hide and wait for prey. In one such alley
between two tall gothic buildings a battle was being fought.
            "How many times have I got to tell you this," Willow said as she
kicked the vampire again her coat flapping as she spun.
            "Just give it up," she exclaimed and elbowed it in the face.
Five minutes out of the quiet street where she lived and she'd met her first
vampire of the night and this one was definitely a of the local stock,
tough, old and with fierce left hook.
            "You really think you can kill me?" it asked in a voice that
carried to accent.
            "As matter of fact," Willow said as she ducked another swing and
then landed a punch in his side. "I do," she added and followed through by
grabbing him, falling down and throwing him into the wall.
            "You're good kid, real good," the vampire said, "but time is on
my side. While you may have ruined my dinner for the evening, it matters not
so I bit you good night," he said and was gone.
            "Damn," Willow cursed and hit the wall.
The vampires of the Old World weren't stupid, probably came from living for
so long. The one who had just pulled Houdini on her was Michael, perhaps one
of the youngest of the cities elders. She'd staked his sire after a week of
constant hunting. The elders were refined and at times they could even be
charming. Kind of like those Anne Rise wrote about and Spike cursed about.
            So factor in their high intelligence and the fact that they were
few, but powerful. Willow was happy if she got maybe one a night, but there
was always a childe somewhere to fill the gap. Last evening had been dump
luck and she'd probably done the locals a favor by eliminating the
competition before it got settled in.
            "One more circle around the old town and then home to bed," she
mumbled.
The major plus of the city's elderly population of vampires was that they
didn't sire children in great numbers, they were more into snacking and that
made cemetery patrolling a thing of the past for Willow the wicca.
She'd found out early that each vampire had it's own hunting ground and many
were located in the old town. Her street was marked as her terrain and no
vampire stepped on it, after she staked the vampire that hunted there of
course. There were three save havens in the city that no one fought or fed
on, her street, the Church Library and the church that served it and finally
the spot called the Meeting Place located in cave under the city and
accessible only through its vast network of tunnels and catacombs.
            Willow looked up at the mark on the wall as she entered the
territory of a vampire named Nathaniel. Each vampires territory was marked
by their symbol or glyph, hers was marked with an ankh. Nathaniel was old
vampire and a true gentleman, but a fierce fighter. He thought of her as
sport, a slight amusement to lighten his evenings.
            "Well, well. What do we have here?" he asked as he stepped onto
the street with a smile on his face. His staff made a clicking said against
the brick laid street.
            "Swords or fists?" Willow asked calmly.
She'd given up the crossbow a while back, since they just seemed to either
sidestep the bolts or just catch them. So she went back to basics.
            "Swords tonight I think," he said and drew a blade from his
staff.
            "You know this isn't the way it should be done," Willow stated
as she drew a slim sword from her coat.
They were in stark contrast of each other, he with his top hat and in his
dark nineteenth century clothing and she in her a all black assemble, black
waistcoat and sunglasses. They truly were from two completely different
eras..
            "But it is so much more civilized," he stated as they started
walked towards each other.
            "My offer still stands," he said as they met in the center of
the street, "come work for me and I assure you that you wont regret it."
            "Sorry gotta calling remember," she said with shrug her
shoulders.
            "Very well then. Engard!"
The fights with Nathaniel were always fun and Willow confessed that being on
first name bases with vampires wasn't idle and having fun wasn't something a
designated honorary slayer should be doing, but that was just the way the
game was played here.
            "Good form," Nathaniel commented as he blocked her strike and
their sword crossed.
            "Not good enough if I'm going to kill you," Willow gritted
through her teeth and pushed him away.
            "Well it's been fun, but I really have to go now," he said,
disarmed her so she fell on her butt and was gone.
            "Damn, damn, damn," she cursed as stood and rubbed her sore
behind.
It would take some time before she could take down Nathaniel, but the real
problem was that they weren't the psychopathic killers like the vampires
around the Hellmouth  Granted they did kill, but otherwise they made no
plans to jump start the Armageddon They didn't even sire that many children.
Still it was a mission.
            "Some mission," Willow muttered as she picked up her sword.
            "Surrounded by vampires that think I'm incapable of killing them
and regard be as late night entertainment at best," she muttered as she
strolled along the street.
This was true, the vampires did consider her entertainment. That was until
she'd landed enough punches or stolen away one meal too many. Then they got
kind of angry, but they never banded together and so far that fact had kept
her alive.
            "What I would give for some action," she said and went into her
inner pocket in search for her palmtop, but found a letter with the seal of
Nathaniel instead.
            "Son of a bitch," she cursed as she opened the envelope and
unfolded the letter. It was writing in flowing letters and read:
            "Dearest Adversary,
                        It has been brought to my attention that one of our
kind entered the city no more than two nights ago. He's an elder, although
not by many years, but likely to cause trouble and therefore upset the
status quo. Would you be a dear and take care of this. If you do so I'll be
in your debt.
Yours truly, Nathaniel De'Night."
            "The nerve of that guy," she muttered as she folded the letter.
Still a new master in a town of master vampires could cause a stir and she
liked things as the were. She wasn't proud of it, but the death count was
low and the fights clean.
            "I'll think about it in the morning," she said and put the
letter back in her pocket.
Once she was home she changed out of her hunting clothes into a pair of
boxers and baggy t-shirt. As she turned down her bed she noticed that the
picture of Spike had fallen of the mirror. She walked over and fastened it
again.
            "Wonder what they're all doing?" she thought as she looked over
the pictures.
Somewhere in the city a dark figured walked out of a pub, music flowed from
the inside as he opened the door.
            "The sun will be up soon," he muttered in his British accented
voice as he swaggered down the narrow street without a clue that he was
being watched. Maybe just maybe if the alcohol level in his blood were lower
he would have noticed and taken instant action. But being on walkabout, well
kind of it was almost over. Spike or William the Bloody, the scourge of
Europe and parts of Asia Minor was too plastered to notice the female form
that followed him.

Chapter Four

Willow loved the Sunday markets, they came as a blessing after the Saturdays
spent reading through term papers. The people on her street knew that she
was responsible for keeping the vampires out, although they would never
admit to believing in them. All they knew was that since the young American
girl had moved in, there hadn't been a single killing.
            She was sizing up water melons at Old Mary's market stand. It
had a wide variety of gardening produce from melons to herbs that the old
woman kept under the table for special customers (mainly women who needed
something to help their men's problems). Everybody called her Old Mary,
well, because she WAS old. There was a young Mary of course, who was the
grand-daughter of the older. Both had the same brown eyes, but Old Mary's
hair was gray with age. Willow suspected that the old woman was wiccan.
            "Will there be anything else dear?" the old woman asked as
Willow placed the coins in her palm.
            "Nothing more for me today, Mary," Willow answered with a smile.
            "You sure, if your boyfriend isn't up to par then I have some
roots that might help," the old woman said and reached under the table.
Willow smiled. Old Maria did this every Sunday and she admired the old woman
's straight forward attitude.
            "You ask me that every Sunday and, as always, the answer is the
same," Willow answered in a gentle voice.
            "You don't have, nor desire a boyfriend. Yes I know, but you can
't blame an old woman for trying. Such a nice girl you shouldn't be alone,"
Old Maria answered.
            "See you next Sunday Mary," Willow's said with the same silly
smile.
Without Willow noticing, Old Mary slipped on envelope with some herbs into
her basket as she turned, the envelope also contained info that she and
young Mary had gathered during the week.
            "Good morning father Ezekiel," Willow greeted as she past the
church steps.
            "Morning, Miss  Rosenberg," the middle aged man greeted. Father
Ezekiel was in his late fifties, with graying hair and eyes that just
screamed confess. He had frowned upon many things in his congress, young
Mary and some of the younger women being one of them, but Willow was in his
good graces and frankly out of his jurisdiction.
            "So any new gossip," Willow asked with grin.
            "Nothing you don't already know Miss Rosenberg," the priest said
in weary voice.
            "The database holding up?" she asked. She'd designed a church
database for the church to keep track originally of the body count, but now
it was mainly used to log marriages and births.
            "No new entries on the funeral list thank god," the priest
answered and handed her a bottle of water.
            "Have a nice day father," she said with nod and placed the
bottle in her basket.
She'd only gone few steps from the steps when the local girls caught up with
her. Sure they were nice enough, but had no clue what went on in the city.
They also seemed to idolize her.
            "So flirting with father Ezekiel again," Little Mary asked, she
was the youngest of the Mary women and a spitting image of great-grandmother
            "Just keeping him on his toes," Willow answered innocently.
            "He's too old for you, but if you're into that sort of thing I
guess it's okay," Sarah, the storeowner's daughter stated. She was tall,
almost regal, with blond hair and blue eyes and rarely sat on thoughts. She
reminded Willow of two girls he knew.
            "I'm standing right here," Faith the daughter of said priest
exclaimed. She was short with powder blond hair and gray eyes and much to
Willow's pleasure the name was the only thing the girl had in common with
Faith.
            "Don't worry, what feelings I have for the old man are purely
platonic," Willow assured the girl.
            "It wouldn't hurt if he'd get some though," Sarah stated.
            "Sarah!" both Faith and Little Mary exclaimed.
            "Look boys," Sarah exclaimed and Little Mary sighed.
            "Take care girls," Willow said with a smile as she went on with
her shopping.
            "Keep up the good work," Mary said as Sarah dragged her and
Faith towards three fine, or at least in her opinion, specimens of the human
male.
            "Some things never change," an unknown voice said from behind
her and Willow had to fight the urge to spin around. Instead she calmly
turned around and faced the owner of the voice. It was a young woman, barely
twenty, with dark hair and brown eyes, hidden under delicate glasses and she
had an aura about her, something Willow couldn't quite put her finger on.
            "No, they don't," Willow nodded as she sized the new arrival up.
            "Where are my manners," the woman said and offered her hand. "My
name is Susan Swift," she said.
            "Willow Rosenberg," Willow said and shook the offered hand.
            "I was born here you know," the woman said as she looked around.
            "Here?" Willow asked and pointed down.
            "No actually over there," the woman said and pointed towards the
church steps, "I'm here to find father Ezekiel," she said.
            "Well he's probably still on the church steps," Willow said.
            "Nice to see things are still the same," the woman said, "well I
've taken up enough of your time. Have a nice day," she said.
            "See you around," Willow said and made mental note. Check up on
one Susan Swift.
            "Well, what more do I need?" she said to herself as she looked
over her basket. When she saw she had everything she needed she strolled out
of the market and saluting the local police officer that stood guard at the
entrance to the square. The night's patrol waited.
It was well past three in the morning when she got back from her rounds and
started hacking away, looking for information on Susan Swift. Unknown to
her, the house was being watched. Across the street, somewhere in the
shadows, a man from her past looked up at the light in her window.
"Bloody hell, why won't you let me be?" he cursed and lit a match that
illuminated his face for the moment. Spike had given up smoking at her
request and never started again, it was his way of remembering her.

Chapter Five

It's nice to be a world class computer wiz on a teaching scholarship that
includes the clause:  No work on Mondays. Willow thought so too. Monday for
Willow meant staying in bed and also the day specially designated as call
home day.
            "So how are things back home?" Willow asked as she tangled from
the ceiling. It helped her thing and she needed that since she'd found
nothing on Susan Swift.
            "Eat, sleep and kill world threatening demons," Buffy answered.
            "Faith behaving?" Willow asked as she hauled herself up.
            "More or less, you seeing anyone" Buffy answered and her smile
could be heard.
            "No, don't have the time, but five students have a crush on me
and three of them are girls," Willow said with a grin,
            "Bisexuality is a wonderful thing," Buffy stated.
            "Bi till the day I die," Willow exclaimed proudly.
            "It's a slayer thing," Buffy deadpanned,  "See Spike recently?"
she then asked.
            "No, why do you ask?" Willow asked in a tight voice.
            "Last time mom talked to him he was on his way through your part
of the world," Buffy explained.
            "No, haven't seen him and trust me I would have noticed if
someone of Spike's calibre blew into town," Willow stated.
            "And you know all about his calibre," Buffy giggled.
            "Die Buffy, die," Willow cursed.
            "But I'm right," Buffy stated.
            "Memories of my misspent youth," Willow stated.
            "Hey, it wasn't all badness!" Buffy stated"
            "We did have some good times though," Willow said with wistful
smile.
            "I could come visit sometime when things quiet down here," Buffy
said.
Willow allowed herself a small smile, they always talked about visiting but
they both knew that it was just a dream, something to fantasize about.
            "That would be nice, I could take you to the Library," Willow
said.
            "And we could go to the market together on Sundays," Buffy
added.
            "Shock the hell of Father Ezekiel," Willow added and they shared
a laugh.
            "I really miss you, you know," Buffy said.
            "Miss you too Buff," Willow said softly.
There was a moment's silence before the ever-cheerful slayer broke the
silence.
            "Well that was a dull moment," Buffy stated, "How are the
slayings?"
            "Hard, Nathaniel gave me good run for my money last night,"
Willow answered.
            "I still can't get over the first name thing you have with your
vamps," Buffy stated.
            "Well when you fight the same goddamn bastard night after night
for months you kinda can't avoid it," Willow stated.
            "I bet you have dinner with them," Buffy stated.
            "That happened only once," Willow snapped.
            "Touchy," Buffy retorted.
            "Well you should meet them, they're really very Anne Rice like,"
Willow explained.
            "Tell me about the plaza outside the church again?" Buffy asked.
Willow sighed at the sound of her friend's voice, but then started to retell
the count of the church plaza.
            "You walk up a small hill. To the east about five hundred yards
away from my house, if you walk in the late afternoon the sun hits you in
the face just as you reach the top of the slope. The church rises just above
the buildings around it and just across the plaza from the church there's a
restaurant were you can sit and watch the sun set over a glass of red wine,"
Willow paused as Buffy sighed.
            "Sometime my old friend," Willow said.
            "Hey I'm not old?!"
Willow smiled as Buffy launched into a full argument mode about who was old.
            "Now Angel he's old, Giles is old, but I'm not."

It was night by the time William the Bloody or Spike left his hotel room in
order to seek out another bar to spend the night. A shadow appeared out of
an alley as he passed it.
            "William the Bloody?" a soft female voice asked.
            "Who wants to know?" he asked as calmly turned around.
            "A friend of a friend," the woman answered.
            "Well I have no friends in this city only memories," Spike
answered as he felt a cold shiver go down his spine.
            "Willow is just a memory then?" the voice asked
The transition from being calm and in control to rage was always something
that happened in an eye blink with Spike and now was no exception.
            "Touch and I will rip your head off," he exclaimed in a frosty
voice.
            "Don't worry my temperamental friend I mean her no harm and this
is why I've sought you out," the woman explained.
            "You better talk fast then, because there's a bottle of strong
whiskey waiting for me after this conversation," he said calming down
somewhat.
            "I just want to know your intentions with her?"
            "I'm going to stay away, I'm no fool and I know that she doesn't
want to see me," he answered.
            "Will you aid her in times of trouble?"
            "Of course," Spike answered with a measure of pride.
            "Good," the woman said and like she'd appeared out of the
shadows she disappeared back into them.
            "Make that two bottles of strong whiskey," Spike mumbled.

Willow did a complete back flip before landing with her sword pointed
outward in one hand and a spell ready in the other, but there was none
there.
            "Damn you Danielle," she shouted.
            "Leaving a good fight like that," she then mumbled.
The sword disappeared and she started walking home, home to that dark and
lonely apartment.
            "Snap out of it girl," she cursed to herself.
She heard a familiar sound and smelled dirt. Her eyes lit up at the smell
and sound.
            "Fresh ones," she said with a predatory grin.

Spike stumbled out of the drinking establishment of choice for the evening,
he carried a bottle from the bartenders special stock. The only thing strong
enough to get him drunk and fast. The familiar sounds of battle.
            "Never a moment's peace," he mumbled as he swung himself into
the alley.
            "Bloody hell," he cursed.
A young woman was fighting what appeared to be freshly risen vampires. She
was in no danger of losing, well except for the bastard trying to sneak up
on her.
            "Aye," Spike called out as he grabbed said bastard and slammed
him against the wall.
            "Don't go anywhere," he said as he took a sip of the liquid in
his hand then smashed the bottle on the wall.
            "Release me," the vampire demanded.
            "Mmmy mo mam m," Spike mumbled as he lit a match.
            "Oh shit," the vampire cursed as Spike blew the liquid onto the

flame.
            "Bye now," Spike said in a cheerful voice, then upon feeling a
hand on his shoulder he started turning around to except gratitude from the
woman he assisted, but instead he found himself spun around and felt a fist
land on his cheek. Lying on the ground he kicked up at his attacker sending
her flying into the nearest wall. As he got up she tackled him to the ground
and pummelled him with lighting quick punches then suddenly stopping.
            "Spike?" she asked looking over dark sunglasses with green eyes.
            "Red." Spike mumbled before passing out.
            "Bloody hell," Willow cursed as he she hauled Spike over her
shoulder.


Chapter Six

Spike opened his left eye, then his right, closed his left and then his
right.
            "I saw that," Willow said from her seat next to her bed.
Spike opened both his eyes and tried to sit up, but quickly realized that he
was in no small amount of pain.
            "Oww! Luv, Red. What did you hit me with?" he asked as he
grabbed his head and lay back down on the bed.
            "Just my fist," Willow answered innocently.
            "So you still wear that bloody stone?" Spike asked with a sigh
and turned on to his side.
            "If you mean the Stone of Destiny then yes. I'm good Spike, but
not that good," Willow answered.
            "Enhanced strength, speed, endurance and agility, all wrapped up
in a nice little talisman," Spike counted of on his fingers.
            "You never did like talismans did you?" Willow asked with a
grin.
            "Not after that damned ring," Spike answered and flopped back
onto his back.
            "It did come in handy when you had to help me out didn't it?"
Willow asked.
            "Yes it did, but it also drove me insane," Spike countered.
            "Well, bygones," Willow said.
            "You beat the hell out of me that day," Spike stated.
            "And I've said time and again that I'm sorry, but you were in
the way," Willow stated firmly, but couldn't help but let a small smile
slip.
            "Council holding up their part of the agreement?" Spike asked.
            "More or less, I haven't been assigned a watcher and the covens
are keeping an eye on them," Willow answered.
            "Ever take it off, the stone I mean?" Spike asked covered his
eyes.
            "When I train of course, but otherwise no. You'll never know
when the next crisis might occur," Willow explained.
            "Well I'm going back to sleep, slash coma, then," Spike muttered
and closed his eyes.
            "You do that Spike," Willow said and stroked his cheek. She went
to get her laptop and the returned with it and a cup of coffee.

As Willow worked on her Slayer journal, her thoughts kept straying to the
vampire and what had happened in the past. "I must focus my thoughts, or
empty my mind is more like it, or I will never get this done.  It was four
years ago that I became a slayer through the pact forged with the Council of
Watchers. I received my training from Spike, a vampire that has once again
entered my life through circumstances that don't seem coincidental, but
then, nothing ever is."

"Buffy went off to fight a demon named Trask, and nearly died. Only Faith's
fortunate return to the light saved her from death. That and Spike's Gift of
Life. Spike is no longer immortal, and will die one day. But the damage to
Buffy's body was too severe. Her spine needed to heal, so Faith went out to
attempt to kill Trask, only to have her ass saved by Spike, myself and the
rest of the gang. So there we were, alone and without a slayer and there was
only one thing to do. Call the Council and ask them for the Stone of
Destiny.

The Stone is an artifact that's been in the Council's possession since the
Council's foundation back in the gray past. It was meant for use if there
was no Slayer for the current generation. It has happened before. We cut a
deal; we would be accepted back into the Council. They kind of had to now
that we had both Slayers on our team and they promised to make changes to
their traditions. Wesley is overseeing them. That's how I, Willow Rosenberg,
became the third Slayer of my generation.

Then the real fun part began, training. We had to cram a year's worth of
training into four weeks. That's when Spike came into the picture he knew
all the dirty tricks. Under the observation of Buffy and Giles we trained
together from dusk till dawn. Then one night about three weeks into our
training we became lovers, it was not something either of us had planned it
just happened.

Then came the time of the new moon and I set out armed to the teeth with
Spike by my side. I looked back at my friends as they watched me go, Buffy
in her wheelchair with Giles standing behind her. Faith, supported by Xander
and Anya, insisted on seeing me off, (I've never asked her why). Tara, my
beautiful Tara was there, our love hadn't lasted. I think my becoming a
Slayer had a lot to do with it, but she came nonetheless. I knew Angel was
driving like a maniac up from L.A. along with Wesley and Cordelia. Still I
didn't have time to wait.

I will someday write about what transpired that night when we fought Tarsk
together, but not tonight. I'm not ready and I never will be.

Willow looked up from her thoughts and just watched Spike for a long time.

I still regret leaving Spike and Tara when I left for the Old World, but it
had to be done. My life is my own now, but I'm not sure I want to keep it
that way. Granted Spike isn't husband material, but I would have said yes in
a heartbeat, once upon a time. Tara always holds a place in my heart, so
does Oz. Still none of them ever completed me and I wonder if I'll ever find
that person. I can seek solace in the fact that when I die I will be mourned
and missed. Pretty pathetic true, but when you fight the dark as much as
Buffy, Faith and I, death becomes a constant companion.

Willow saved the entry, closed the laptop and placed it on the nightstand.
Then stood and slipped out of her clothes and tugged on her pajamas. Granted
they weren't used as much as they once were, but she sure as hell wasn't
going to sleep next to Spike in shorts and a top.

            "Good night Spike," she said and kissed his forehead.

More to come