Chapter eight

"Aren't you going to scream, child?" the vampire asked Willow getting close to her. He was baring her fangs at her.

~ And besides, you took me down with a lamp once, Red...you're full of surprises...~

Willow smiled when Spike's words came up in her minds. Panic had momentarily clouded her judgment, but she had a mission to accomplish and sure as hell, she wasn't going to be stopped by a newly risen vampire, that didn't look much older than her and that had called her *child*

Her smile widened and she shook her head stretching a hand toward the vampire gesturing at him

The vampire blinked at her and in other circumstances perhaps she would have found that occurrence almost funny, she opened her mouth and slowly mouthed, "Ignis incende"

She had never tried that spell on a vampire, just on inanimate objects; she had just to hope it was going to work.

She all but jumped when the vampire abruptly burst into flames, soon turning into dust, just as she heard other footsteps approaching.

She swallowed, she stretched her hands ready to repeat the spell but her arms went numb when she saw who it was.

They were different...but she had no doubts whatsoever about whom it was.

Eric and Spike.

Her heart began pounding in her chest, as the moon revealed more of their faces and bodies.

Eric's hair was longer, it brushed his neck. He was dressed in black, from head to toe

<Well, what were we saying about living the cliché?>

She couldn't help smiling at her thought and shook her head,

...her breath caught in her throat when she looked at Spike or rather William.

She had to blink back tears when she saw him.

His hair was ash-blonde, longer than she was used to seeing. He was dressed in brown, a long leather brown duster hung on his shoulders.

On his face there weren't traces of his usual cockiness. She swallowed, taking some steps toward them.

"Are you all right?" Eric asked getting close to her.

Willow nodded, then gestured at her throat and shook her head, trying to explain she couldn't speak.

"Are you mute?" William asked getting close to her as well.

Willow nodded again, and shrugged weakly smiling at him. She couldn't believe she was next to William ...she couldn't believe he was alive ....really alive. She meekly raised her head to look at him and met his eyes in the half-darkness.

<Why is the look in your eyes...so sad? >

She silently wondered. Eric's voice shook her from her thoughts, though, when he said, "I can feel magic on you"

Willow sighed and nodded.

"I presume she did set that vampire on fire with magic.” William said and Willow noticed how his accent was different. It wasn't yet the accent she was used to hearing....it vaguely reminded her Wesley's or Giles'.

Eric shook his head and said, "No...I'm referring to much powerful magic...am I correct?"

Willow nodded again at him and took another step toward them; she was tempted to roll her eyes when both Eric and Spike took a cautious step back.

She rummaged through the pocket of her jeans and took the white envelope Eric had given her from it. She then handed it at the other Eric.

"What is it?" he suspiciously asked.

<Why don't you just open it? Just my luck...I've just met Fox Mulder's vampire alter ego! >

She silently wondered, with an irritated shake of her head. She heard William trying to suppress a chuckle, she looked at him, he was meekly smiling at her ...and Willow felt that human William hadn't smiled a lot.

William got close to Eric and asked in a low voice, "Couldn't you just open the envelope?"

Eric though, wasn't listening to him; he had noticed the chain that was hanging on Willow's neck. He got close to her and grabbed her by her shoulders before asking, "Where did you take this chain?"

Willow tried to break free from his grip, but winced in pain when it strengthened

<Gee, Eric, break my shoulders, will you? >

Eric looked at her and abruptly let go of her shoulders. He took a step back before repeating, "Where...did you get this chain?"

Willow sighed, pointing first at the vampire, then at the white envelope he was still grasping in his hand and mouthed, "Just Read It"

Eric nodded at her and opened the envelope. She noticed how he frowned and turned his back at him while reading the letter.

"Did he hurt you?" William asked.

Willow looked at him and nodded. William shrugged and said, "I'm sorry, my friend does not realize how strong he is"

Willow just arched and eyebrow at him. William smiled at her but asked, "May I know what were you doing here?"

She shook her head no but weakly smiled at him. Willow saw his face hardening and the gentleness in his eyes disappear.

She knew that look. She had seen it just a few hours before when he had gone to face Electra.

<Great, he doesn't trust me...>

"William?" Eric's voice called. He had turned, the white envelope had disappeared. He was looking at her with a strange look in his brown eyes.

William turned toward the other man, Eric smiled and said, "She can be trusted, I say we should all exit the graveyard...don't you agree?"

They all nodded, Eric led the way outside the graveyard, they had been walking for a while outside it, when Eric stopped and said, "William? Take her in your room"

Willow saw William blinking at Eric's words and asking, "Are you sure?"

The vampire nodded and said, "Yes, I am...we shall meet tomorrow morning to define the details..."

"Should I take her with me?" William asked.

Eric looked around before nodding. He took a long look at Willow then said, "I do not mean to be impolite, but you do look quite tired...and cold, please, let me..." he took off his black coat and carefully put it on her shoulders.

Willow nodded her thank you, again Eric looked around then looking at both of them said, "I must go now...be careful..." he paused, and looked at Willow for some instant then added, "both of you..."

He turned and quickly walked away. William and Willow looked at each other for some seconds before starting to walk again. William couldn't help looking at the young woman, taking in her outfit. A tight, very tight shirt and trousers.

Her hair was short....she definitely was dressed in an eccentric way. She looked at him as if she was trying to read him, his thoughts. He had noticed how she had been studying his features, how she had always looked for eye's contact.

He noticed gooseflesh on her face, and how her lips were almost livid from the cold. She looked very pale and tired and in pain, there were deep circles under her eyes.

"Are you feeling all right, M'Lady?" he asked suddenly stopping walking.

Willow stopped as well and weakly nodded at him. Truth was she wasn't feeling alright. Her shoulders hurt like hell, and there had to be some residual effect of the spell Eric and Giles had cast on her, because she could barely stand on her own legs.

"The room where I live in...is not very far from here...may I suggest you to put the coat on?" he pointed at her jeans and shirt and said, "To hide your outfit..."

Willow nodded and with some effort managed to put the coat on. William was looking at her arching an eyebrow, he pursed his lips then said, "Your shoulder is probably dislocated..."

<Gee...you think?>

She silently sarcastically asked, then shook her head at her thoughts.

<Note to self: Going back in time definitely hasn't improved your attitude...>

She nodded at William, but had to lean against a wall when her head began spinning. She could feel blood buzzing in her ears.

She closed her eyes and began taking deep breaths. She heard William getting close to her saying, "I do not think staying here is very wise of us"

Willow just cocked an eyebrow at him then tightened Eric's coat around her tiny form, and took some tentative steps, her vision blurred, she blindly looked for a support, William was immediately by her side and she held back a gasp, when he effortlessly scooped her up in his arms. Willow blinked, when she felt one of his arms around her waist while the other was supporting her shoulders, making sure not to hurt her dislocated one, she noticed he was wearing a ring on his left pinky finger. It had a sapphire on it.

Although it was a cold night, William's body was warm through the fabric of his shirt. Willow had to close her eyes when she felt his breath against her hair. She rested her head against his chest, although he didn't have any smell, she inhaled to full lungs, wanting to savour that moment, she wide-opened her eyes, though when she heard his heart beating in his chest. Its sound was very slow, almost inaudible...but she had heard it.

Silent tears rolled down her cheeks, she closed her eyes letting them fall, feeling all the weight of the last hours on her, while she slowly drifted into sleep, lulled by William's breath and heart-beat, she couldn't help fearing things were going to get more complicated than she had expected.

When she had volunteered to go back in time, she had just thought about Spike...about taking the blood to save him, she hadn't considered the impact that seeing William would have had on her...she hadn't considered the hypothesis she couldn't be strong enough to go on.

Never had she missed Spike more than in that moment, in William's arms.

*~~*~~*~~*~~*

~ He had woken her up, after he had entered his room. He had placed her on his bed, then had lit a few candles. She had looked around, then once again her eyes had been on him and he had barely resisted the urge to scream at her. He had shaken his head. Why that girl kept looking at him?

"We ought to take care of your shoulder"

She had nodded at him, then had gestured at him to get close to her. He hadn't understood at first, then when she had pointed at Eric's coat he had nodded and helped her out of it.

His fingers had brushed the skin of her neck. He had closed his eyes, silently cursing his lack of sexual activity. Eric hadn't kidded when he had told him that he was going to give up on everything accepting to become an Eletti.

He had sat on his bed, and had been surprised when she hadn't even flinched. "Turn...it will hurt, I am sorry"

She had shaken her head while turning.

"Could you...er...take your shirt off? I do promise my intentions are honourable"

She had turned toward him, and he had been taken aback by the look of absolute trust in her eyes, yet she had shaken her head no.

He had frowned, not understanding at the beginning then had sighed and said, "Of course...you can not move your shoulder"

He had hesitated just a second then without warning had pulled at her shoulder, setting it back in place.

She hadn't screamed, of course and he had been surprised when she hadn't passed out for the pain. She had turned toward him flashing him an angry glare.

Then she had smiled at him and mouthed a thank you ~

"You h...hurt her" Spike weakly said turning to look at Eric. The older vampire didn't turn, he was sunproofing the windows, with Xander.

"That vampire hurt her..." Eric said matter of factly.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Xander asked stopping working.

"The tosser...hurt Red..." Spike said.

There were some burns' wounds on his hands and his throat. Although the pain was still excruciating, he was feeling more lucid than when he had been injected with the poison.

He had been forced to drink blood, that had given a bit of strength back to him...he had read though, both in Giles and Eric's eyes, how that blood was just a mere palliative...it was only postponing the inevitable outcome.

He wasn't giving up, though. He refused to give up. He was relying on his strength, on every once of it he still had.

"Did you hurt Willow?" Xander asked.

"I didn't know she was hurt..." Eric said shrugging.

"Like hell..." Spike mumbled.

~ "You are most welcome ...I do not know your name, though."

He had got up from the bed and had gone to his desk, taking some sheets and his pen. He had handed it to her saying, "Can you write?"

She had rolled her eyes at him and had nodded, taking the objects from his hands. She had sat cross legged on the bed and had slowly written on the sheet, handing then it back to him.

"Willow?" he had asked.

She had nodded. William had smiled at her and had said, "You are very welcome, Willow."

He had noticed how she had swallowed and nodded.

"You ought to sleep now. I still have some work to do. "

She had frowned for a second then had gestured at the sheet and the pen. He had given it back to her. She had quickly written something on it and handed the sheet.

William had blinked at what had been written on the sheet.

"14 November 1880" he had said, wondering why she had closed her eyes and shaken her head.

She had sighed and had laid down on the bed, curling on a side of it, giving her back at him.

He had shaken his head and turned, sitting then at his desk to write his report. ~

Eric was looking at Spike, his eyes were open, a strange expression on his face. It was evident he was in pain, but the recollections that were forming in his head and the herbs he had added on the blood were making it bearable.

He looked around. Anya was asleep on one of the armchairs; Xander was sleeping on the floor, a blanket covering him. Giles was in the kitchenette, heating some blood, much on his insistence Buffy had gone to sleep.

They were planning to go to Electra, as soon as the sun set...as much as he hated to admit it, they were too tired and angry...they had already fallen once for her trap, they couldn't afford to make the same mistake twice.

He knew she wasn't going to run away...that wasn't her style. The fact that she had injected William with that poison showed that. She was going to wait and see the outcome

Whatever that was going to be.