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Fever

"Willow! Look out!"

The red head heard Buffy's words too late, a long sharp gash appearing on her chest as the all but invisible demon they were trying to kill marked her. She gasped, dropping to the ground in pain as liquid fire seemed to pour into her body, spreading outward from the marks. A scream tumbled from her lips as her blood trickled onto the ground, her body following as she collapsed.

"RED!" Spike bellowed, his eyes growing wide. He growled, his game face sliding forward as he ran to her side, grabbing blindly at the demon who had hurt the witch. A lucky shot managed to get him a hold on the creature's arm and he held on, swinging wildly with his other arm. "Slayer! Get that damned dagger over here!"

Buffy looked up from the lesser demon she had been fighting, kicking it one more time firmly in the head and running towards Spike. She slipped the enchanted dagger from the waistband of her pants, driving it home into the chest of the demon the vampire was holding before it knew what was happening. There was a soft gurgle and the creature slowly dissipated, fading back into the region of Hell it had been spawned from.

"Oh god," Xander gasped, moving from behind the tree he had hid behind to stand with his friends. His eyes raked over the still form of his best friend, tears clouding his eyes. "Is she. . ."

"No. She's not!" Spike snapped, glaring at the boy before bending to pick up the witch.  "The scratch isn't that bloody deep. It's the side effects I am worried about."

Buffy nodded slowly. She remembered all too well the speech Giles had given them before they left to hunt. He had said to stay as far from the demon's claws as possible because they were poisoned, tipped with something that would destroy a human in less than a week's time. A sob caught in her throat and she swallowed it down. This wasn't the time to panic. Maybe there was a cure they could find. There *had* to be something. "Let's get her to Giles' house."

*-*-*-*

Spike looked down at the red head sleeping none-too-peacefully on the bed next to him. It had only been five hours since the fight with the demon. Only five hours and yet she already looked like death warmed over.

He sighed unnecessarily, squeezing her hand gently. The feelings he had for such a small slip of a human girl were something he couldn't explain. He had never meant to fall for he- certainly never meant to fall so deep that he couldn't think of living the next day without her.  But that's what happened. Slowly but surely he had fallen in love with Willow, his little witch.

And now she was going to die.

Despite his lifelong conviction that demons don't cry, Spike felt tears begin to form in the corners of his ice blue eyes. 

"No change?"

Wiping quickly at his eyes, Spike turned to face the newcomer to the room. "Don't you think I would have gotten one of you twits if there were?" He growled softly.

Giles arched an eyebrow at the vampire. He wasn't too shocked by the blonde's obvious feelings for the red head. Not after everything he had observed over the past month. The little looks Spike would give her when no one was looking. The way he made sure to be the one patrolling with her. When he had gone overprotective after her injury, it had only served to confirm the suspicions the aging Watcher had had for some time. Out of the entire group, he feared for Willow the least because he was almost dead positive Spike would never hurt her.

"Right. . ." Giles murmured. "Angel called. Cordelia had a vision. About Willow. He's bringing something that might help."

The words rang hollow to the vampire's ears. He refused to get his hopes up, refused to show that he cared for her more than they already guessed he did. "Marvelous. When does the Almighty Poof get here?"

The former librarian shrugged. "I would assume within the next few hours. He was leaving as soon as he could."

Spike nodded. "Knowing Peaches he'll make it in less than two. Wanker can drive like a bat out of hell when he wants to."

Giles chuckled. "More like a vampire out of hell, I'd assume." He took off his glasses, missing the tiny smile that graced the sad pink lips of the blonde. "We will find something, Spike. You don't have to tell me you care for her. We all do. We're not going to let her go without a fight."

Turning, Spike opened his mouth, prepared to defend his demon status and assure the Watched that the girl was nothing to him, but Giles had already left. Frowning, the vampire turned back to the bed, his eyes again clouding with sadness. He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the sight of his Red laying so still on the bed, but no matter what he did he could still see her- eyes closed, face pale, her skin covered in a light sheen of sweat as her body slowly began to heat up from the toxins.

"C'mon Peaches.hurry up."

*-*-*-*

Willow's house was quiet when Angel finally arrived. He cut the engine to the car, staring at the house the red haired witch had grown up in. It had been given to her as a present from her parents when she graduated high school- thus giving her a place to stay and them the ability to not have to return if they didn't want to. It was one of the saddest presents Angel had ever witnessed a child be given. Even his own parents had loved him enough to care about where he was or how he was doing. They never would have gone months or years without seeing him.

He shut his eyes, leaning his head back against the headrest, trying to push the unhappy thoughts from his mind as he braced himself for what was to come. Opening rich brown eyes, he looked down at the packet on the seat next to him.

The cure.

Gingerly opening the faded envelope, the vampire took out the handwritten sheet of parchment, careful not to accidentally erase or smudge the ancient ink. He read over it one more time, praying that the words would change.

They didn't.

How could someone, centuries before, have created the only known cure to this demon's scratch and have done it so specifically to a situation only Willow could be in? Cordelia's vision had done little to explain the weirdness surrounding the whole thing. Only that Willow must not be allowed to die and that this would be the way to save her.

But why bond her to two of the undead and who would be the second?

Taking a deep, un-needed breath, the vampire slipped the parchment back into the envelope and opened his car door. He hit a switch on his key chain, turning on the alarm he had had installed after the incident in Gunn's neighborhood a few weeks before. In what he could only assume was the living room, a shadow stepped in front of the window, pushing aside the curtain to see out into the darkness, and Angel quickened his steps.

He knocked once on the door, raising his hand for the second rap as the door swung open. "You have it?" Giles asked quietly, ushering Angel in without a word.

Angel nodded, handing the packet to Giles. "You won't like what it has to say though, Rupert." He murmured. "She has to live though. The PTBs have said it must be so."

Giles looked into the emotion-filled eyes of the creature he had once hated and took a slow breath. He weighed the envelope in his hand, both anxious and apprehensive about opening it. What could be so horrible that it had even Angel upset? He nodded once, as if agreeing that they had to go to whatever lengths necessary to save her, before opening the envelope.

Behind the thin glasses he always wore, Giles' eyes grew wide. He took a deep breath, forehead creased in concentration as he tried to make sense of the incantation before him. "Bonded. . .to. . .two vampires?" He looked up at Angel. "How. . .where. . .why?"

Angel shrugged. "I don't know. It seems to fit her situation to the tee. Even describes her hair of flame and being friends to the Slayer. She's prophesized to do something big. We have to save her."

The former librarian nodded, frowning. "I realize. But who in the bloody hell are we going to bond her to?"

The dark haired vampire grimaced. "Me for one. The second."

"Poof. . .when did your sorry arse get here?"

Giles looked at the stairs, his eyes lighting with hope as Spike joined them in the living room. He turned back to Angel, a small questioning smile on his face.

"No," Angel growled softly. He looked over at the smirking blonde ambling down the stairs. "NO," he stated more firmly.

"He's the only one, Angel," Giles warned. "And we must save her, right?"

Angel growled. This couldn't be allowed to happen. If what he had read was correct, the spell would bind the three together for the rest of their lives. When the human ceased to exist so would the vampires involved. He had already made up his mind that he would turn Willow if she wished or allow her to grow old and die with her. But with Spike in the equation it would be entirely different. How would he live out the rest of his life with that bleached moron following him around?

Spike looked back and forth between his Sire and the Watcher, his smirk fading to an expression of utter confusion. "Mind cluing a bloke in?"

*-*-*-*

There had to be another way.

But there wasn't.

Glaring across the room at his Sire, Spike couldn't help but feel a sense of hopelessness weigh him down. It was either watch the witch he had come to love die or be bonded to his miserable excuse for a Sire. Eternal hell and misery or hell and misery on a different scale.

Choices, choices, choices.

"Spike.we don't have all day." Angel sighed. He could understand his Childe's wariness. There was no way in hell he would want this if it wasn't the only way for Willow to live. Barring that- even if she were facing her last breath he probably wouldn't consider this unless she was critical in the future.

But she was.

"Sod off."

The dark haired vampire sighed. "Look. We can do this the easy way or the hard way." He smirked, allowing enough of his darker side to come forward to hopefully cow his wayward Childe into obedience. "You don't have to be conscious for it, after all."

Spike looked up, surprised to see Angelus lurking so close to the brooding surface of the vampire across from him. His crystal blue eyes for a moment expressed true fear before he clamped down on the emotion. "Fine. But let me make it bloody clear that this is done under extreme pressure."

Angel shrugged, standing and moving next to Willow's bed.  He grabbed a brush from a small container on the nightstand, wiping off the excess ink on the side before gently picking up Willow's wrist. With delicate care he painted the necessary symbol for the rite on the inside of her wrist, blowing gently on it with air he didn't need until it dried. It would be there until the day she died. Wetting the brush again, he did likewise to his own wrist, committing himself to the actions to come without any second thoughts.  He looked up, dipping the brush one final time, and gestured for Spike.

Grumbling under his non-existent breath, the blonde haired vampire came to stand next to his Sire. He held out one of his arms, exposing the pale skin of his wrist to the dark haired vampire's expert artistry. Staring at the wall across from him, Spike felt a rush of something sweep through him. Like a premonition it came, stirring something deep within him - calming and sure.

Replacing the brush in the container of ink, Angel glanced one final time at his Childe. "Thank you for doing this for her. She doesn't deserve to die."

Spike snorted. "She doesn't deserve to be bonded to us either, but she's not getting much choice in the matter." He leaned over, brushing a small piece of hair off of her forehead. The skin was burning to his touch- glazed with sweat and containing a heat he knew wasn't healthy for her. The demon's toxin seemed to be spreading faster than normal in her petite body. "Ready whenever you are, Peaches."

Nodding, Angel paid the parchment on the sheet covering Willow. He glanced down, making sure he could read the scrawling writing clearly before picking up a slender knife from the nightstand. In hushed tones he read the first paragraph, slicing into the center of the symbol he had painted on his wrist. Taking Spike's hand in his own, he continued to read, nicking the blonde in a similar fashion. Finally, as he reached the last paragraph, he gently cut into Willow's wrist, the mark no more than an inch long.

As her blood began to flow freely from the wound, Angel continued to read, dipping his fingers first in his, then Spike's, the Willow's blood. He wiped them gently across Willow's lips, parting them enough to allow the coated digits to touch her tongue. This was all it would take to start her part of the bond.

 Smearing the digits again the their blood, Angel raised them hesitantly to his Childe's lips. He fought back a groan as Spike took his fingers into his mouth, suckling on them gently before releasing them back into the cool air of the room. They stared at each other for a minute before Angel was forced to turn back to the parchment, reading off the final lines as he, too, tasted of their blood.

He could feel the bond start the moment the last word was uttered. Something that hadn't been in the back of his mind before now suddenly appeared, making him hyper aware of the presence of both his Childe and the red head laying on the bed.  He took a deep breath, letting the un-needed air wash through his lungs in an act that was more calming than anything else.

"That was. . ." Spike breathed. He, too, had felt the bond activate and was left momentarily speechless. His mouth opened, preparing to speak further, when Willow's low moan cut him off. He smiled, placing the back of his hand against her forehead. Already he could feel the difference- though still warm, her skin was noticeably cooling. "Looks like it worked."

Angel nodded. He picked up Willow's hand, slightly surprised to see that the cut he had made on her had already healed.  It was, no doubt, just a side affect of the spell. Watching as her chest rose and fell with a more natural slumber, the older vampire smiled.  The new bond he had was teeming with emotions and for once, not even he could automatically adjust. "We should let her sleep." 

Tearing his eyes away from the sleeping witch, Spike gave his Sire a long hard look. He could feel the older vampire's worry for the mortal coming through their bond and knew that the dark haired man had no hidden agenda as far as this was concerned. "Yeah.you might be right. C'mon Peaches. Lets go annoy the Watcher and see what he can find out about this effin bond."

*-*-*-*

Loud.

Bright.

Noisy.

Annoying.

Spike.

Angel.

Groaning, Willow rolled over, trying to process the variety of noises trying to make their way into her pounding head. She sighed, blinking open her eyes as she tried to adjust to the light in the room. She had been having the weirdest dream. Something about a demon, being poisoned, a bond, and Spike and Angel.

As her eyes adjusted to the bright overhead light, Willow blinked in surprise. Asleep in chairs that had obviously been brought up from the living room were Spike and Angel. She giggled softly, the way their mouths were hanging open being at once too amusing for her recovering brain. She squinted, something on Angel's wrist catching her eye.

"No," she whispered, glancing down at her own wrist. Green eyes grew wide as she took in the details of the elaborate symbol painted there. As if it opened a floodgate, she could feel the bond at last - the thing she had thought of only as a 'weird dream' suddenly a part of her every day reality. {I almost died.They saved me.}

"Red?"

Willow looked up into Spike's blue eyes, swallowing. What should she do? Thank him? He had, with Angel's help, saved her very life. She could feel his concern in the back of her mind, trickling over to her like a stream. It was at once very weird and very comforting.

"Are you ok?" Spike kneeled by her bed, taking one of her trembling hands in his own. He knew she had to be going through a lot and there was still more for her to deal with once she was up to it - things that Giles had only just discovered about their bond.

Willow nodded hesitantly. "I can remember everything. But I wasn't awake. It's like. . ."

"You're seeing it through our eyes?" Angel asked, yawning. The quiet voices of his bondmates had woken him from a sleep filled with dreams he didn't want to think about. Dreams of Willow and Spike.doing things that he really shouldn't have even been dreaming about. He chalked it up to the bond, trying to ignore the feelings he had felt for his Childe during the bond rite itself and the feelings of lust he had always had for the red haired witch.  Leaning forward, the dark haired vampire did his best to conceal the noticeable bulge in the front of his slacks.

Spike coughed, feeling what his Sire was feeling through their bond. He shot the older vampire a glare. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen. He was *not* supposed to get roped into some sort of threesome with his Sire and Red.  The dark haired vampire returned the glare, not in the least apologetic for what he was feeling.

"You have our memories of the entire bloody thing, pet," the blonde haired vampire murmured. He smiled at her gently, knowing that there was no way to hide what he felt for her now. Might as well admit to it and try to make the best of the situation that had been forced on them. "Just like you can read our emotions."

The red head smiled. "Oh. . .so that means. . .wow. . .you like me?" She looked at Spike with eyes wide with innocence, eyes telling of a thousand hurts she had felt through her past lovers' betrayals. His hesitant nod was all she needed and her smile grew, the light of it shining like a thousand suns. "Wait. . .does that mean that Angel really is-"

"A wanker," Spike said simply, again glaring at his Sire.

She chuckled softly for a moment before her expression sobered almost immediately. "So. . .um.thank you guys for saving my life."

Angel smirked. "No need to thank us, little one. Especially not me. If it weren't for all the sacrifices you've made I wouldn't be here right now." He sighed, looking into her eyes. "There are a few things you need to know, though. This didn't come without certain. . .sacrifices."

Willow arched an eyebrow tiredly. She looked back and forth between the vampires. Spike was chewing his bottom lip nervously, looking anywhere but her eyes. With a fearful heart she looked back at the dark haired vampire. What had they done to save her?  "What sacrifices, Angel?"

"You have to understand. . .we did this to keep you alive. . ." Angel started slowly, meeting her frightened green eyes steadily. "On the most basic level we bonded your life to ours. For the rest of your life we will need to stay with each other. Being away for extended periods of time will cause nothing but pain for the three of us. . .you'll still age as usual and when you die the bond is broken. . ." He let the statements hang in the air, allowing the red head to absorb it all.

Willow sat perfectly still, thinking over Angel's words. Laughter began to bubble from her lips after a moment and she closed her eyes, letting the happiness wash over her. She laughed until she couldn't laugh anymore, her exhaustion catching up to her. Only then did she look at the faces of her companions. The shock and confusion marked in every line of their handsome faces was almost enough to send her into another fit of laughter despite her exhaustion.  She smiled softly. "You save my life. Tell me sacrifices had to be made. Hint that they are dire. And all it is is that I have to spend the rest of my life with the two of you?" She giggled softly, closing her eyes. Sleep was coming fast. "There are a lot worse things than spending the rest of my days with two handsome men."

Spike looked at the witch in surprise but she was already fast asleep. He glanced over at his Sire, seeing an expression he knew must be identical to his own.

Shock.

"Did she just say that she didn't mind spending the rest of her life with us?" Angel whispered, tearing his gaze from the sleeping beauty before him. He met the shocked blue eyes of his childe.

"And that we're handsome blokes." Spike smirked. It was almost too much to take in at once. In less than twenty-four hours he had gone from almost losing Red to being bonded with not only her but his Sire as well. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear the shock. "Well, Sire. What say we go down and raid the kitchen and make plans?"

"Plans?" Angel asked, standing and stretching. He smiled as his Childe did the same, letting his appreciation for the blonde's tight body bleed through their bond. The bleached vampire smirked at him.

"Plans. . .for the rest of her life. Where are we going to stay? Etc? Didn't you think about this whole bloody mess before we went through with it?" The blonde snickered, leading his Sire out of the room and down the narrow hall.

"Where to live. . ." the dark haired vampire murmured. "Well. I guess I was assuming you'd both come to LA with me. I have plenty of room at the hotel."

Spike nodded slowly. "Sounds like a plan, Peaches. Me, you and the chit living it up in the city of Angels." He grinned. "Can't wait."

"There will be no causing trouble, though, Spike. Remember what Giles said about the bond- if we get hurt *she's* going to feel it." Angel grimaced. The last thing he would have wanted was for the red head to have to deal with that. But it was necessary in order to keep her alive so, so be it.

"Yeah, yeah, Peaches. I know. I'm a family demon now." The blonde chuckled, remembering the last 'family' he had been in with his Sire. That one had involved sex and death and blood. This one would no doubt lack the death and blood. . .but maybe sex? He looked at his Sire appraisingly, imagining what it would be like to shag him again, with Red this time. He finally shook his head, grinning to himself.  "Me and you and Red. Its going to be one helluva lifetime, mate."

The dark haired vampire narrowed his eyes, a small smirk on his lips. He hadn't missed the lust coming across the line from his Childe. The next few years definitely would be interesting. "It certainly will be, Childe. It certainly will be.