Whose Reality?

Prologue

"Hi Buffy, hi Spike," Willow greeted the couple, her red hair tightly braided against the stiff wind. The thigh-length, black leather jacket she was wearing blew open, revealing a pair of black leather pants and a tight, dark grey shirt. "Kill any of mine tonight?"

"Nope," Buffy shook her head, her blond hair flying loose from her ponytail. She hugged her burgundy, calf-length coat closer to her, and wished she wore warmer clothing than her short, black skirt and long sleeve, burgundy top. "We haven't seen anyone at all."

"That could be because your mouth was around my-" Spike began, only to be cut off when the Slayer yanked hard on the leash that was attached to a leather collar around his neck. He dropped his head as the wind kicked up, making his own long, leather duster fly out behind him, buffeting against his normal black jeans and t-shirt.

"Has he been bad recently?" Willow asked with a quirk of her lips at the blond vampire's predicament.

"Very," Buffy replied, giving the redhead a wink. "He tried to claim dominance again a couple days ago. As you can tell, it didn't work."

"Naughty, naughty Spike," Willow tisked, walking up to him and running a red nail under his chin. Her four inch, thick heels made her the same height as him and she used that to her advantage. "Buffy, may I?"

"Go ahead," the Slayer nodded, loosening the leash. "Spike, obey Willow."

"Look at me," Willow commanded. She waited a moment, then dug her nail into the soft skin under his chin. "Look at me." Spike raised his head and met her eyes, but said nothing. "Did you try to dominate Buffy?"

"Yes, Lady Red," Spike answered, his voice quiet and subdued.

"Did it work?" Willow continued her questioning.

"No, Lady Red," he replied.

"Will you try again?"

"Not anytime soon, Lady Red," he said, a twinkle in his blue eyes.

Willow forced herself not to grin. "Will you tell Angelus of your attempt?"

"Not unless you say so, Lady Red," Spike replied.

"You know, we haven't seen you around the lair in awhile," Willow said. "I know Angelus has missed you."

"Sorry, Lady Red," he said. "Lady Buffy has kept me...on a short leash."

A rakish grin crossed his face and Willow couldn't keep her laughter in. "Buffy, your mate is horrible," the redhead giggled.

"I know, isn't he?" Buffy said, standing on her toes to give Spike a kiss on the cheek. "But he's all mine."

"Are we still on for dinner on Sunday?" Willow asked. "Cordy and Xander should be here around lunchtime. I told them I'd meet them at the library -- once I tie up the General for the day, that is - and Amy and Jonathan should be there, too."

"We're on," Buffy answered. "I'll be at school, anyway, trying to make teams for next week's gym classes. I swear, I never knew so much work went into being a PhysEd teacher."

"Try being the leader of a pack of vampires," Willow replied. "And run a multi-billion dollar company at the same time. Then we'll compare stress."

"Yeah, but you have your magick to help you," the Slayer said. "If one of yours gets out of line, you can make him lick your boots. I can't do that with the students at Sunnydale High, though there are times I am sorely tempted. Luckily, I have Spike here to go home to every night. Now him, I can make lick my boots."

Spike arched his eyebrow at that statement, but refrained from speaking. He was hoping to have a little fun with his sire later that night, but wouldn't be able to if Buffy decided to punish him. Although that prospect wasn't that undaunting, he hadn't been with Angelus for a couple of weeks, and he missed the male companionship.

Lightning lit up the cloudy, night sky and the wind kicked up even further, wheezing loudly through the trees in the cemetery. Willow grabbed the edges of her jacket and pulled it closer around her. The witch had to yell to be heard. "I think I'd better get going. If you see Angelus, tell hi-"

A bolt of blue-white lightning struck the ground directly between the three, blinding them with its brightness as it engulfed them.

Part One

"Slayer, are you ok?" Spike asked, his hands moving frantically over Buffy's body as she lay on the hard ground.

Willow sat up and moaned, holding her head. "Ouch, that didn't feel too good," she said. She concentrated for a moment, and the pain disappeared as she healed herself.

"No, Buffy, don't you dare be anything by ok," Spike growled, his voice tinged with panic.

Willow quickly scrambled over to the couple and pushed the vampire out of the way. She was checking Buffy's pulse and breathing when the Slayer groaned. "Damn, that hurts," Buffy hissed upon returning to consciousness.

"What does?" Willow asked, barely preventing Spike from yanking the blond woman into his arms. "Let me heal her first, Spike."

"My head," Buffy told her best friend. "I don't think it appreciated being smacked on the ground." Willow laid her right hand on Buffy's head and worked her magick. When the pain was gone, the Slayer grinned. "Thanks, Wills."

"You're welcome, Buffy," Willow replied with a smile. She gestured to Spike, who immediately pulled Buffy into his lap and held her close. That's when she noticed the wind had stopped. "Um, guys. I think we just had a Hellmouth experience."

"What do you mean?" Buffy said, her voice muffled by Spike's duster against her face.

"What happened to the wind? And the lightening?" Willow asked, looking up into the clear night sky. Not a single cloud was in sight.

Buffy looked up as well. "You're right. Muy wiggy. Looks like a trip to the Watcher."

"You think he'll be at the library on a Friday night?" Willow said as she stood.

"Yeah," Buffy replied, getting to her feet, then offering a hand up to Spike. "Giles told me earlier that he was going to catalog a new shipment of books after he dropped Cindy off at the airport."

"The Second Slayer is going on a trip?" Willow asked, as the trio started towards the high school.

"Don't sound so excited, Will," Buffy said sarcastically. "And yes, she's going to be gone for a week, so your pet vampires have a reprieve. Well, unless I find them."

"Slayer," Spike said, playing with the leash in his hand which Buffy had dropped when the lightning had struck. "I'd rather not go see your Watcher..."

Buffy shook her head and grinned. "You just want to go find Angel, don't you?" she said as she reached up to unclip the leash from the collar around his neck.

"You know me too bloody well," Spike replied, a grin on his own face.

"Go on," Buffy told him. "Have fun. I'll tell Willow when I want you home." Spike gave her a quick kiss on the lips, then turned and walked in the opposite direction.

"Great, now I won't see the General until sometime tomorrow afternoon," Willow grumbled fakely.

"After six years, you should be used to those two by now," Buffy said, wrapping the leash around her wrist, then linking her arm through Willow's. "Besides, Angel will probably share Spike with you, like he always does."

"Yeah," Willow grinned unabashedly. "One of these days, the four of us will have to get together again for a night of sinful pleasure."

"You are a wicked, pretend vampire, Wills," Buffy said, giving the hacker a wink. "I can't wait."

Spike let his meal fall to the ground, his face returning to its normal, chiseled planes. He stepped over the body and sauntered out of the alley, his keen eyes searching the throng of people walking from the theater for his sire. The movie that had just let out was a popular foreign, art-house film, something that Angelus would attend in order to feed on the lust-filled blood of the patrons.

Growling softly as an extremely tall couple paused to make-out in front of him, the peroxide- blond debated whether to rip their tongues out when he caught sight of the dark-haired vampire further down the street. With an expectant grin, he practically bounced around the couple and caught up to Angelus, as his sire had started walking away.

"Angelus, Angelus, Angelus," Spike tisked. "What's a vampire like you doing out here all alone?"

Angel came to a halt at the sound of Spike's voice. The last time he'd heard it had been back in December, when the peroxide-blond had returned to Sunnydale and kidnaped Willow to do a love spell. "Spike," he hissed, his hands clenching into fists. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," Spike replied. "The girls went off together and turned me loose for the night." At his sire's surprised face, he added, "I know, I know. Bloody stupid, eh?"

Angel's shock had diminished and was replaced by confusion. Spike was speaking to him as if they were...friends. "What do you want?" he finally asked.

Spike shrugged. "Don't care. I got until Red sends me home. Thought maybe the Bronze for a bit, then whatever."

Angel only half-heard Spike's words, because he was too busy staring at the thick, leather collar around the other vampire's neck. The meaning was obvious and had his mind reeling. If Spike had been dominated by someone and was here in Sunnydale, undoubtably that someone was in town, too. Which meant to the ensouled Angel, whomever had dominated Spike was extremely dangerous. He needed to tell Rupert, fast, but he also needed to keep close tabs on the blond vampire.

"Bronze it is," Angel said, falling into step beside Spike as they headed for the club.

"Hey Giles," Buffy greeted cheerfully as she and Willow entered the library.

Giles looked up from a book he was checking in behind the counter. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his eyes widening slightly at the sight of the hacker.

Willow giggled and Buffy rolled her eyes. "I think Cordy's starting to rub off on you, Giles," the Slayer replied. "We had a possible Hellmouthy situation and wanted to tell you."

"It was strange, Giles," Willow said. "That storm that has been brewing all day decided to shoot a lightning bolt to the ground right between us."

"Good heavens, were you hurt?" Giles asked, concern overriding his confusion. Last time he'd looked, there hadn't been a single cloud in the sky. Then again, he hadn't left the library since lunch.

"Just some major head smackage," Buffy replied. "But the wicked witch fixed me up."

Willow rolled her eyes this time, and continued. "That wasn't the weird part, Giles. After it hit, all the clouds and the wind vanished, like there never was a storm to begin with."

"I suppose that is rather odd," Giles said. "I shall-"

"Have to consult your books," both girls finished together.

"Er, y-yes," Giles stammered.

"Well, call if you have something," Buffy told him. "My worse half is going to be gone tonight, so you don't have to worry about interrupting anything." She gave him a devilish smile.

"And if you need me, send an email," Willow said, taking Buffy's arm again. "Have fun researching, Giles. If you don't call, I'll see you Sunday when Cordy and Xander arrive."

The two girls left the library, arm in arm, leaving a confused Watcher behind. Giles briefly reflected on Willow's attire, wondering if perhaps the doppleganger that the witch had summoned to this world had left behind some clothing, then shook his head. "Buffy must have chosen Willow's clothing," he said to himself as he went to start researching.

Ten minutes later, the library door swung open and Buffy walked in. "Giles, I had a wiggy meeting just now," the blond Slayer began. "I was in the cemetery with Faith, and we met this demon, who looked a lot like a leprechaun, and he offered us the Books of Ascension."

Giles gave her a curious look. "Weren't you wearing your hair up?"

Part Two

"Let's do something," Buffy said as she and Willow headed away from the school. "I don't want to spend my Friday night in the house."

"Where do you want to go?" Willow asked, her arm still linked with her best friend's.

"How about the Bronze?" Buffy suggested.

"What about your students? Willow said with a grin, having had this same conversation many times. "Won't they think it's skanky for their teacher to be there?"

"What about your pack?" Buffy retorted with familiarity. "Won't they call you traitor for hanging with the Slayer?"

"Yeah, but I've had sex with the Slayer," Willow replied, giving the blond a wink. "And your mate is a very feared vampire who isn't part of my pack."

Over the years, the relationship between Buffy and Willow had changed, including their roles on opposing sides. Willow controlled her pack with an iron fist; keeping them in line, and not allowing them to create unnecessary violence and bloodshed. Buffy, in return, ignored those specific pack members activities, unless she caught them feeding. Then it was everyone for themselves. The arrangement worked well, more because the vampires under Willow's care feared the redhead because they thought she controlled Buffy. Which the hacker did nothing to correct.

"Oh sure, use the sex defense," Buffy teased as they came to the Bronze. "Fight dirty."

"How about we dance dirty instead?" Willow suggested when she heard the music pounding from the club. There was no cover and the two girls quickly made their way through the crowd of teens. They dropped their coats on a large pile, then made their way to the dance floor, knowing that over the six years, the teens did not think the best friends naughty behavior was strange.

Angel and Spike were standing on the catwalk, leaning on the railing, and watching the dancers below. They'd been there for roughly half-an-hour, but Angel had no success in getting any information from Spike about who had dominated him because of the loud music. While they had been there, however, he learned that Spike did indeed think they were good friends, maybe even more, by his body language and the expression in his blue eyes.

Rage in the cage
And piss upon the stage
There's only one sure way
To bring the giant down

Defunct the strings
Of cemetery things
With one flat foot
On Devil's Wing

Spike suddenly latched onto Angel's arm, making the dark-haired vampire look at him in question. He saw Spike's nostrils flare, his eyes trained out onto the dance floor. "Cor, Angelus, look," he hissed, his hand on Angel's arm tightening.

Crawl on me
Sink into me
Die for me
Living dead girl

Angel had no trouble finding what Spike wanted him to look at. Swallowing heavily, his eyes drank in the scene below. He remembered seeing Buffy dance with Faith a few weeks ago, but it was not even close to how she was dancing at that moment with her female partner.

Then he realized that partner was Willow.

Raping the geek
And hustling the freak
Like a hunchback juice
On a sentimental noose

Operation filth
They love to love the wealth
Of an SS whore
Making scary sounds

Willow's black leather pants looked painted on, the grey shirt she was wearing tight across her body, emphasizing her breasts. Her heels made her several inches taller than Buffy, which she was using to her advantage. Angel wondered if perhaps vampire Willow from the other world did not get sent back, but then why would Buffy be dancing with her?

Buffy looked edible to Angel, as well. The burgundy top she was wearing screamed for him to look at what it covered, and her skirt was nice and short. But what really caught his attention was the knee high, laced boots. He closed his eyes for a second, and he saw the blond Slayer naked except for those boots. His cock pressed painfully against the zipper of his pants as he quickly opened his eyes.

He should have kept them closed.

Crawl on me
Sink into me
Die for me
Living dead girl

There was a crowd of boys around the two, leaving enough room so they could watch as Willow danced around behind Buffy. The Slayer leaned back against the redhead, and the two moved their bodies together, rocking their hips from side to side in an erotic pattern. Willow ran her hands up Buffy's sides as the blond weaved her hands above her head.

Angel's eyes about popped out of his head when he saw Willow's hands brushed over Buffy's breasts, then travel up past them along her arms to link hands with the Slayer. Buffy turned to face Willow, their hands now pressed palms together and they writhed on the dance floor.

Psyclone Jack
Hallucinating hack
Thinks Donna Reed
Eats dollar bills

Goldfoot machine
Creates another fiend
So beautiful,
They'll make you kill

Angel was suddenly dragged across the catwalk towards the stairs that led up to the manager's office. His eyes were torn from the two females, his demon flaring up because of the disruption, and he was about to backhand Spike for his action. At least, he was until he found himself slammed up against the wall by the stairs, where it was semi-dark, and found Spike's mouth smashed against his.

Crawl on me
Sink into me
Die for me
Living dead girl

Blood on her skin
Dripping with sin
Do it again
Living dead girl

Lust flaring up, Angel grabbed the back of Spike's head and held the younger vampire to him as their tongues warred. He knew it was wrong, but at that moment, he didn't care. After seeing that movie with Buffy, then seeing Buffy dancing with Willow, his hormones were haywire. And Spike seemed quite willing to make that problem go away, as the blond vampire rubbed his lower body against Angel's throbbing erection.

The dark-haired vampire broke away, his eyes flashing gold before returning to a blazing brown, and he growled, "Let's go."

Blood on her skin
Dripping with sin
Do it again
Living dead girl

Blood on her skin
Dripping with sin
Do it again
Living dead girl

"We haven't been here in awhile," Spike commented, as he followed Angel into the mansion. "Didn't know you still had it."

Angel shrugged, removing his coat and throwing it on the couch. Spike's duster followed suit, and the ensouled vampire watched as his childe looked around curiously. After a few minutes, his hormones and his aching cock couldn't take it any longer. He grabbed Spike and shoved him into the bedroom.

"Wondered how long it would take," Spike chuckled, as he kicked of his shoes and socks as his sire did the same. With a gleam to his blue eyes, he licked his lips in anticipation. It really had been too long since he'd last been with the dark-haired vampire. Angel growled at him, which only made his smirk grow. "What's wrong, mate? Did the girls' dancing get to you?"

"Shut up, Spike," Angel growled again, grabbing Spike's t-shirt and yanking it over his head.

Spike undid his jeans and let them fall to the ground, freeing his own throbbing shaft. He then reached out to unbutton Angel's shirt, but the older vampire brushed him off as he stepped backwards. Angel slowly ran his eyes from Spike's feet up to his face, pausing when he hit the unremovable leather collar fixed around the blond's neck. The younger vampire felt his skin burning where Angel's hungry gaze had traveled, and he knew he was in for an excruciatingly pleasurable night.

Angel hadn't seen this much of Spike since he'd lost his soul, and back then the blond vampire had been unable to stand. Now that he stood before Angel, his cock hard and erect with only a collar around his neck, lust and hunger slammed into the dark-haired vampire for his childe like never before. Angel wanted him and, despite the confusion marring his brain about Spike's return to Sunnydale, he was going to have him.

With a low snarl of desire, Angel stepped forward and claimed Spike's mouth in a punishing kiss. The younger vampire got his hands between them to unbutton Angel's shirt, then ran his nails lightly over the ensouled vampire's skin, before shoving the shirt off of his broad shoulders. As the material dropped to the floor, Spike moved to undo Angel's pants, but was prevented by his sire shoving him roughly onto the bed.

Angel descended over Spike, biting and licking the blond's neck around the collar, then down his body. Spike hissed when he latched onto a pert, male nipple, sucking it until it formed a hard peak. He then repeated his action on the other one, relishing in the sounds Spike was making deep in his throat. Continuing his exploration, Angel moved further down Spike's torso, outlining each of the muscles on the blond with his tongue.

When Angel got to the thatch of dark hair surrounding Spike's manhood, he inhaled the scent of his childe's arousal deeply, his own cock pulsing under his pants. He licked both creases along Spike's inner hips, causing the blond to jump. With a lust-filled smirk, he allowed his fangs to elongate and sunk them into Spike's thigh.

Spike growled loudly, grabbing Angel's hair and pulling him away from his thigh. He then forced the dark-haired vampire's face at his cock, making his wants clear. When he felt the cool tongue run along his shaft, Spike hissed again, his hips thrusting up uncontrollably. He loosed his hands from Angel's dark hair and instead grabbed the sheet on either side of him as his sire took him fully into his mouth.

In the game of dominance, rarely did one vampire freely go down on another, but in this instance, neither vampire cared. Angel sucked and bit and rubbed his tongue over Spike's shaft, bringing the blond to a near frenzy with his ministrations. He hadn't given anyone a blow job in a very long time, but by Spike's snarls and groans, he had obviously not forgotten how. And when his childe exploded into his mouth, Angel swallowed the cold semen greedily, milking the younger vampire until he was dry.

Angel rose up Spike's body, pulling his childe into a searing kiss, allowing him to taste himself on his sire's lips and tongue. When he broke away, his eyes met Spike's intense, blue gaze, making him thrust his hips against the blond's thigh. He quickly stood and removed his pants, watching as Spike's eyes immediately dropped down to his aching erection. With a gesture, the younger vampire was on his knees and had his mouth around it, causing Angel's head to drop back as he let out a sharp hiss.

Spike used all his training and experience to bring as much pleasure to the dark-haired vampire as his sire did for him. Seeing his mate so wantonly dancing with Willow had brought not only his cock to attention, but also images to his mind of the last time he and Angelus had watched the girls in bed together. His mind drifted as he sucked on expertly on his sire's cock to the picture of Buffy's face buried into Willow's red pussy, her own naked ass high in the air, legs spread wide enough to give him a perfect view of her dark, dripping curls. Spike felt his shaft grow achingly hard again.

Angel felt Spike's attention drifting and he grabbed the blond's hair, pulling him up, then shoving him back on the bed. With quick, jerky movements, he opened the night stand drawer and grabbed the bottle of lubricant he was extremely intimate with after every time he'd been around Buffy. Slathering his cock with the slick substance, he maneuvered Spike to the edge of the bed and put the younger vampire's legs on his shoulders. With two fingers, he prepared his childe's puckered opening, reading nothing but desire in Spike's eyes. He absently filed that information away to be dealt with later, as he pushed the tip of his cock into the blond.

With a snarl, Angel thrust into Spike, his eyes rolling up at the intense pleasure surrounding his cock. It had been too long since he'd been with anyone, and there was no way he'd last. Bending down, Spike's hips arched upwards as his legs were pressed back towards his shoulders, allowing Angel to penetrate more deeply. The dark-haired vampire captured Spike's lips again, thrusting into his tongue into Spike's mouth as he did his childe's body.

His orgasm went on and on, but Spike didn't seem to care as the younger vampire bared his neck for Angel. The blood flowed into his mouth like honey, giving Angel a taste of something sweet and utterly forbidden. Eventually he managed to stop shuddering and remove his fangs from Spike's pale skin, licking at the twin puncture marks above the leather collar to get the last drops of the coppery fluid. He could feel his childe's erection trapped between them, and pushed himself up to see Spike grinning at him.

"My turn," Spike said, his eyes dancing in hunger and anticipation. Angel nodded, his face dropping back into its handsome planes, as he moved from Spike. The younger vampire patted the bed before practically bounding to his feet. "Arse in the air, Angelus. It's been too many weeks since I gave you a good buggering."

Angel frowned as he climbed onto the bed. It had been well-over a century since Spike had last done what he was about to do. Thoroughly confused, he was going to ask what the hell the younger vampire was talking about when he felt Spike's fingers enter him. Groaning at the intrusion, he buried his face into the sheets and gave into the combination of pleasure and pain as his childe replaced his fingers with his cock.

"Fuck, Angelus, you're so bloody tight," Spike growled, thrusting into the dark-haired vampire's anus. Grabbing his hips, Spike began a hard pace, his eyes crossing at the muscles contracting around his shaft, squeezing him. He didn't know why his sire was so tight, considering he'd been having anal sex with him for six years, but all his thoughts scattered as his second orgasm took hold of him.

Collapsing onto the bed next to his sire, Spike let out a sigh of contentment, then looked at Angel with a grin on his face. "Next time, let's not wait so long, eh, mate?" he said to the older vampire, who was lying on his stomach. Running a finger along his collar, Spike winked at Angel and added, "Of course, my mate has to let me off the leash first."

Buffy and Willow giggled as they turned the corner onto Buffy's street. They'd spent a few hours at the Bronze, playing with each other and ignoring the boys who attempted to join in. There had been a few vampires in attendance, none that Willow had recognized, and the Slayer easily dispatched them in the alleyway. Now, they were heading back to Buffy and Spike's empty house to have some ‘girl time' together.

"You have to see what I did with the magickally enhanced chains you gave me," Buffy said. "Spike had no clue what hit him."

"I swear, Buffy, you're worse than I am when it comes to being a dominatrix," Willow said. "If Giles knew how you really spend your nights, he'd blow a gasket."

"Blow a gasket?" Buffy teased. "I think you've been hanging around Jordan...too...much..." Buffy's words trailed off slowly as her eyes lighted on her house.

Or rather, where her house was suppose to be.

Willow gasped, her eyes widening at the large, empty lot before her. "Buffy, your house is gone!"

"My house is gone," Buffy echoed in a small voice.

Shaking out of her surprise, Willow took control of the situation. She cast a quick search spell to determine if the house was there and invisible or if a spell had been cast over the two of them preventing them from seeing the house. Then she walked across where the lawn was suppose to be to visually check if there had been a fire which demolished the large house or tire tracks to point to foul play. She found none of the above.

"I don't know, Buffy," Willow called over to the Slayer, who was still frozen in her spot staring dumbfounded at where her house used to be. "It's just not here. It's almost as if it had never been here."

"But...my house," Buffy squeaked, gesturing helplessly towards the open lot.

Willow stood and straightened her coat, then walked over to the Slayer. "Let's go back to the lair."

Twenty minutes later, Willow stood with the same expression on her face as Buffy had on hers. The wind kicked up, blowing Buffy's burgundy coat open, as well as the hacker's leather one. The old boarding school, where Willow made her home with Angelus and the rest of her pack, along with her master, was nothing more than an old, rutted building.

Angel was on his way back from the shower when he heard someone calling his name. Dressed in a loose pair of running pants, he rubbed the towel over his hair as he entered the main room. "Faith, hi," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"Angel," Faith said, her eyes running over his muscular, bare chest and the play of muscles as he used the towel. "Um, can I talk to you a sec?"

"Sure," Angel replied, gesturing to a side room. He followed her in and sat across from her, dropping the towel off to the side. Patiently, he waited for her to begin.

"You know how you told me that once you kill someone, it changes everything?" Faith asked. She held out her hands. They were covered in dark blood. "It's not human, but..."

"Are you ok?" Angel asked softly, concern reflecting from his eyes.

"Angel, I'm so scared," Faith said, her voice choked up. She scooted forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him to her.

"Shh, everything is going to be fine," Angel comforted, rubbing her back. Faith released him slowly, pulling back so she was staring into his eyes. She leaned in to kiss him and he veered back sharply. "Woah. Faith, I can't...I mean, I can be here for you, but not like that."

"Because of Buffy," Faith said.

"A late night snack, Angelus?"

The two brunettes looked up to see Spike lounging shirtless in the doorway, a casual smirk on his face. He ran his fingers absently up and down the center of his chest, the bite on his neck above the leather collar still glaringly visible. He watched as Faith's eyes practically devoured him, making his brow quirk up in amusement. He straightened and circled around her, then positioned himself behind his sire. "Looks tasty. Are you going to share?"

"Spike, get lost," Angel growled.

"Am I interruptin' something here?" Faith asked, gesturing between the two men.

Spike flashed her a smile, one of his hands sliding over Angel's shoulder and partially down the older vampire's chest. "Oh, I think your interruption is quite timely, pet," the blond replied.

Angel grabbed Spike's wrist and yanked him down so he could hiss in the blond's ear, "Spike, enough. Go take a shower. "

"Fine," Spike sighed, flashing another devilish smile at Faith. "But I'm going to tell Red that you won't share your toys anymore." He straightened and sauntered out of the room, adding over his shoulder, "Maybe she'll take pity on a bloke, and let me play with her."

Angel gave Faith an embarrassed smile. "Sorry about that."

"You dog," Faith chuckled. "Hot damn. The King of Purity is hiding the salami with another guy. Wait ‘til B gets an earful of this." She stood and shook her head, a grin on her face. "I never pictured you for a rainbow. Guess that whole ‘curse' thing is a ruse, eh?"

Stepping around Angel, who was trying to come up with a proper defense, she said, "Have fun with your boy-toy, Angel." Then she quickly left the mansion.

Angel sighed and rubbed a weary hand over his face, then turned and wandered away, missing a light blue jacketed Buffy standing on the other side of the boarded up garden doors with a stunned look on her face, having heard what Faith said.

Part Three

"Giles!" Buffy yelled, banging on her Watcher's door. "Giles!"

The door opened, revealing a robe-wearing Giles, squinting sleepily at Buffy. "Buffy? Wh- what..."

"My house is gone!" Buffy exclaimed, pushing passed him and into his place, followed by a stunned-looking Willow. "Willow's, too!"

"I beg your pardon?" Giles asked, shutting the door.

"My house. Poof. No more. All gone. Buh-bye," Buffy said, pacing back and forth in front of the couch.

"A-and Willlow's, as well?" Giles said.

"It's like I never lived there, Giles," Willow said softly, not really paying attention as she tried to get her brain to work. "I checked for magick and foul play, but found nothing." Her eyes suddenly shot to Buffy. "Oh goddess, the sun. It'll be up soon. Where are-"

"I'm sure they'll find a place to crash, Wills," Buffy interrupted, sitting down next to her best friend and pulling her into her arms.

Giles rubbed his eyes and asked, "Do you suppose this is related to-to that storm incident earlier?"

"Two strange things in one night, I'd have to say a big Hellmouth-yes to that question," Buffy replied, then yawned. "Willow, we should try to get some sleep."

"Yes," Willow sniffed. "Problems are always less of a problem after you sleep."

"Giles, do you mind...," Buffy said.

"Oh, of course not," Giles replied. "If-if you girls don't mind sharing the bed..."

Buffy gave him a half-grin. "Since when have we minded?" She stood and escorted Willow towards the stairs. "‘Night, Giles. We'll meet you at the library when we get up."

"Very well," Giles said, watching them ascend the stairs. Then he realized he forgot to ask about Joyce and Willow's parents. "Best wait until later," he told himself, heading into the kitchen to make some tea.

"He's what?" Willow asked, astonishment written all over her face.

"Gay," Buffy replied, curling onto the end of her best friend's bed. The afternoon sun streamed through the French doors of Willow's bedroom, warming the Slayer's back.

"No way," the redhead shook her head. "You must have misheard. Maybe you mean gay in the happy definition of the word."

"Nope, I heard right," Buffy sighed, somewhat angrily. "Angel is a closet homosexual."

"Don't you think he'd tell you something as important as that?" Willow asked. "Or-or maybe it's some weird vampire thing. Remember, the-the other me? I...I mean, she kinda went both ways."

"I don't know," the Slayer whined.

"Well, what did he say when you talked to him?"

"Talked?"

"Buffy," Willow said. "You won't know the truth unless you talk to him first."

"Fine, I'll go over there later...," Buffy said.

"No, now. I give you leave to go," Willow said haughtily, pointing towards the door.

Buffy rolled her eyes, then stood. "Thanks, Will. I'll see you later at the library."

Wearing one of Giles' shirts under her burgundy coat, Buffy rang her mother's doorbell, hoping she still hadn't thrown out her old stuff. Then again, it had been only a few years since she'd moved out. "Buffy?" Joyce said, surprised, when she opened the door.

"Hey Mom," Buffy greeted with a smile, standing on her toes to give her mother a kiss as she entered the house. "I need to raid my room for something to wear and to let Willow borrow. You would not believe the wonderful things that have been happening to us. Be right back."

As Buffy ran up the stairs, Joyce frowned in puzzlement as she shut the front door. Why would her own daughter ring the doorbell when the front door was unlocked?

A few minutes later, the blond Slayer came down with an equally confused look on her face, dressed in a pair of running tights and a loose, green silk blouse under her burgundy coat, and carrying a bag of clothes for Willow. "Mom? I thought I left less clothes than that in my closet. Am I losing my mind?"

"I think the clothes multiply while you're gone, honey," Joyce replied with a smile.

"Oh, well, never mind," Buffy said. She gave her mother another kiss on the cheek. "Love you."

"I love you, too, Buffy," Joyce said, surprised once again. Her daughter wasn't normally so forthcoming with affection.

Buffy grinned and headed out the front door, pausing to add, "One more thing, don't try to call, because I seemed to have misplaced the house. Bye," then closing the door behind her.

"Angel?" Buffy called out as she entered the mansion. She shoved her hands in the pockets of her yellow coat, nervously clenching and unclenching her fists. "Angel?"

"Buffy," Angel said, pulling a shirt over his head as he came out of the bedroom. "Is anything wrong?"

"What? No," Buffy replied. "Nothing's wrong. I, uh, just stopped by to..., er..., ask you i-if you..., um..., h-heard about the Books of Ascension?"

"The Books of Ascension?" Angel said sharply. "What about them?"

"Some demon is trying to sell them," Buffy replied.

"Buy them," Angel told her. "As quickly as possible. Those don't need to fall into the wrong hands."

"What are they?" she asked.

"Cookbooks for making extremely powerful demons," he answered. "I'll meet you at the library as soon as I can, to help translate the books once you get them."

"Ok," Buffy said, turning to go.

"Buffy, be careful," Angel warned. "A lot of nasty things that can happen if someone else wants these books.

"I will," she replied, then left.

Angel quickly made his way back into the bedroom to finish getting dressed. As he sat on the bed to put on his shoes, his guest woke up. "What are you doing up already, mate?" Spike asked, not even opening his eyes.

"There are some things I need to do," Angel replied.

"She's got you hopping, eh?" Spike said, a grin crossing his face. "Maybe I should lend you my collar-"

"Shut up, Spike," the dark-haired vampire said. Spike chuckled as Angel left the room, then let himself fall back to sleep.

"How about the Hall of Records?" Oz asked, looking up at Giles. The former Watcher had filled them in on the information had given him about what the demon had said in regards to the Mayor and the Books of Ascension. "They should have some information on the Mayor."

"Excellent idea," Giles replied. "Wesley, why don't you go with them and see what you can find out."

"Um, excuse me, but isn't Wesley the Watcher?" Cordelia said in her normal caustic manner.

"That's quite alright, Miss Chase," Wesley said. "I-I also think it is an excellent idea. Shall we?"

"I'm going with Wesley's group," Cordelia announced, standing.

"There is only the one group," Giles sighed.

"Yes, and I am in it," Cordelia replied, then headed out the door with Wesley at her side, Oz trailing behind.

"Do you mind if I stay here and help you?" Xander asked Giles.

"Not at all Xander," Giles replied with understanding.

In the hallway, the trio heading out of the school met up with Willow coming in. "Hi," she greeted Oz with a kiss on the cheek. "Where are we going?"

"Hall of Records," Oz informed her as he took her hand. He took in her heavy, brown coat. "Cold?"

"It's freezing out there," Willow replied, pretending to shiver. "Brr."

"We could always snuggle close together, share body heat," he suggested. Then added with a sly smile, "Pretend we're Eskimos."

Part Four

"Xander?" Willow said, as she entered the library with Buffy.

"Hey Wills, hey Buff," Xander greeted absently, as he headed to the check out counter with an open book in his hand. He almost dropped the book when he was engulfed in a hug from an exuberant redhead. "Woah, what's with the hugging?"

"Goddess, it's so good to see you," Willow bubbled, giving him a final squeeze before stepping away. "I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow."

Xander couldn't answer because he was too busy staring at the hacker's outfit, then he was being embraced by Buffy. "You should have told us you were coming sooner. We don't get to see you guys as often enough as it is."

"Hello Buffy, Willow," Giles greeted, coming out of the stacks. "Did you sleep alright?"

"With a little help, we did," Buffy answered, stepping back from the dumbfounded teen. She gave him an odd look, then returned her attention to her Watcher. "So, figure out why my house is missing?"

"Willow, you-your clothes," Xander sputtered, staring at the tops of her breasts that swelled over her top.

"I know, I had to borrow them from Buffy," Willow sighed, brushing her hands over the black, velvet hip-huggers and white camisole, her black leather jacket completing the outfit. "Not my usual style."

Giles was slightly more prepared for the way Willow looked, but he was still reminded of the vampire-Willow that had graced their presence several weeks earlier. He shook his head and answered Buffy. "N-no, nothing yet, I'm afraid."

"So, where's Cordy?" Willow asked Xander, jumping up on the counter next to the pile of books. She picked the top one up and thumbed through it.

"She went with Wesley," Xander said the name snidely. "And Oz to the Hall of Records to find out more on our dear Mayor Wilkins."

Willow frowned at him. "Mayor who?"

"That's right, you missed story time," Xander replied. "Turns out the Mayor is after the Books of Ascension."

"What?!" Willow said, jumping to her feet on the counter in a move she'd done hundreds of times. She began gesturing wildly. "Buffy, we need to find out what happened to the lair!" Giles and Xander both stared at Willow in astonished confusion as she went on. "I think we had half the set! I remember Julia wondering why we got so many books she didn't read and those were some of them! If they fall into the wrong hands-"

"We are in deep trouble," Angel completed as he emerged from the stacks, making sure to stay in the shadows of the bookshelves to hide from the late afternoon sun. Both Giles and Xander turned in surprise at the sound of his voice.

"General!" Willow exclaimed, making a quick gesture with her hand. She suddenly disappeared from on top of the counter and reappeared right in front of Angel. Throwing her arms around him, she started to babble, unaware of the commotion she caused by teleporting herself. "Are you ok? Did you guys find shelter? Did you see what happened to the lair? Why are you here in the library? You hate it when I'm here. Were you worried? Have you seen Jordan or Carter or Matthew or Linda or Julia or Diana or Master Jonathan?"

Angel stared wide-eyed at the top of Willow's head, his arms awkwardly around her. He felt as though his ribs were being crushed, which had to be in his mind, considering the hacker was barely strong enough to use the tranquilizer gun. He let his gaze travel to Buffy, hoping that she would not get jealous, only to see her looking through an open book on the library table, not paying the slightest bit of attention to him.

"Willow, slow down," Angel finally said. She raised her head and looked at him with tears in her green eyes. "I didn't understand a word you said."

"That's because you never graduated Kindergarten," Buffy scoffed, not looking up from the book. Three sets of male eyes turned to Buffy at her snide tone.

"What was that, Buffy?" Angel asked, hurt registering in his eyes.

"Wills, it looks like it's time to get the old man a hearing aid," Buffy said, a half-smirk on her face as she met his gaze. She then dropped her eyes to the hacker, who had once again snuggled into Angel's embrace. "I'm going to go look around where my house was and the lair before the sun sets. Maybe there's something you missed last night."

"Ok, Buff," Willow replied. "Be safe."

"Hey, you know me," Buffy answered with a grin.

"Yeah, I do. Be safe," Willow repeated with an answering smile. Buffy laughed and made her way out of the library. The redhead sighed and looked up at Angel. "What's wrong, General? You don't seem like your normal, bad self."

"Um, I need to go," Angel said, disentangling himself from Willow without looking at her. He glanced at Giles. "I'll be back later." Before Willow could say anything, he quickly disappeared into the stacks.

Willow stared after him with confusion written plainly on her face. She knew not to go after him, despite her wanting to know what was wrong. She wondered if the problem with the lair was what was bothering him. Or having to come to the library, which he despised doing, to make sure she was alright. "That's probably it," she said to herself.

"Um, can someone tell me what's going on?" Xander asked loudly, breaking into her musings. She turned around and faced the two men staring at her strangely. "How did you get from the counter to over there? Why were you hugging Deadboy like he was your long lost love? Why did Buffy say those wonderful, but cruel remarks to him?"

"Xander, what are you talking about?" Willow asked, confused. She made a gesture and instantly appeared sitting cross-legged on the library table in front of them.

"That!" Xander pointed at her.

"Willow, did-did-did you just teleport yourself?" Giles asked, taking off his glasses to stare at her in amazement.

"Of course," Willow replied with a frown. "What do you think I did?"

"I had not realized you-you progressed so far," Giles said.

"What do you mean?" Willow said. "I've been able to teleport myself for over six years now, you know that."

The former Watcher started. "Six years?"

"Well, duh," the redhead replied, stretching her arms high above her head. Xander's gaze immediately shot to her cleavage and she smirked. "Xander, get your eyes off of my boobs. What would your wife say?"

"My what?" Xander said, his eyes shooting to meet hers.

"Your wife. You know, that woman you married after we graduated high school, goes by the name Cordelia," Willow prompted, then gasped. "You two didn't separate, did you? Oh no, Xander, I'm so sorry."

"Um, Wills," Xander said, backing up a few steps. "I'm not married to Cordelia. In fact, I haven't even graduated high school, yet."

Willow stared at him for a moment, then looked at Giles, who was studying her with great confusion. "Giles? Xander and Cordy are married, right? They have been for five years. They live in LA. You, me, Buffy, Amy and Jonathan were suppose to get together with them for lunch tomorrow."

"No, I am a-a-afraid none of that is-is correct," Giles replied, replacing his glasses. He straightened his posture and took on an air of menace. "Now, who are you and what have you done with Willow?"

"Giles, Angel says we need to buy the Books of Ascension, like now," Buffy rushed out as she entered the library, her yellow coat streaked with dirt. "I got the address of where the demon who has them is staying, now I need the moola."

"Just a moment, Buffy," Giles said without turning. He continued to stare at Willow, who was looking at Buffy with a puzzled frown.

"Buffy, when did you change clothes?" Willow asked.

"I've been wearing this all day, Wills," Buffy replied with a frown of her own. "Remember? When I came over to your house earlier? To talk about Angel?"

"But-but...," Willow trailed off as she looked from Giles to Xander, then returned her eyes to Buffy. "We stayed over at Giles' last night, remember? Your house is missing? The lair?"

"Um, no," Buffy said. "My house is right where I left it this morning, on Revello Drive."

"Oh goddess," the redhead gasped. She closed her eyes and said a quick centering spell to calm her unraveling nerves, then reopened them. "Giles, something is wrong. You saw Buffy with me at your house."

"That I-I did," Giles replied, turning to Buffy. "You were there."

"No, I wasn't," Buffy said. "I told you about the Books of Ascension, went on another patrol, stopped by the mansion to see if Angel knew anything about the books, then went home to bed. My home."

"Maybe we have a Buffy-double," Xander suggested. "And another Willow-double, like a couple weeks ago." He gestured to Willow. "It's obvious by her clothes this isn't my Willow."

"Xander, I haven't been your Willow since you started seeing Cordy back in 1998," Willow said, offhand, her mind chewing over the situation. "And you know the General would get pissed off if he heard you talk like that."

"You call Oz ‘the General'?" Xander asked.

"Oz?" Willow replied, her attention drawn to the question. "Who's Oz?" She received three dumbfounded looks in reply.

"Um, Willow, Oz is your boyfriend," Buffy ventured, a stake appearing in her hand. "You know, the musician who is sometimes a werewolf?"

"Oh, that Oz," Willow said, thinking back. "I haven't seen him in...oh goddess, it's been seven years now."

"Did you say seven years?" Giles asked. Willow nodded. "Willow, tell me what year this is."

"2005," Willow answered immediately. "Why, what year do you think it is?"

"It's only 1999," Giles replied.

"Oh goddess," Willow said, then promptly fainted.

Part Five

"Time travel?" Buffy said, looking at Willow who was not Willow, as Giles retrieved the smelling salts from his office.

"That is possible," Giles replied, returning to the main room. "She and the, er, o-other Buffy said they were almost hit by lightning." He opened the salts and waved them under Willow's nose.

"Do you want me to scrounge up the others, bring them back here to the library?" Xander asked.

"I think that would be prudent," Giles replied.

Xander paused. "That means yes, right?"

"Yes," Giles said. Xander nodded and left.

"Angelus," Willow groaned, as she came back to consciousness.

"Did she just say ‘Angelus'?" Buffy gasped.

Giles held up his hand as the redhead opened her eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Oh goddess, this wasn't a nightmare," Willow said, slowly pushing herself to a sitting position. She closed her eyes and healed the headache that had formed, then recast the centering spell. When she opened them again, she felt much clearer, but not happier. "We have a serious problem."

"Understatement, Wills," Buffy said. "Or should I call you something else?"

"Um, no," Willow replied. "I'm still Willow. Unless you want to call me Red, like the General and Spike do."

"Spike?" Buffy said, falling into a chair. "I don't think I want to know."

"Don't you know who Spike is?" Willow said.

"Oh, I know who that bleached moron is alright," Buffy scowled. "I should have staked him last time he showed up and ruined my not-relationship with Angel."

"When did he do that?" Willow asked.

"In December, the jerk," Buffy replied.

"December...what? 1998?" Willow said, her eyes widening at Buffy's nod. She turned to Giles, who was exiting his office after putting the smelling salts away. "I don't remember that happening. Giles, if I'm from the year 2005, why wouldn't I remember that?"

"Perhaps, like the vampire Willow, you are not from this time-line," Giles said thoughtfully.

"There's another vampire me?" Willow asked.

"What do you mean, ‘another'?" Buffy said, the stake she had put away, reappearing in her hand.

"Well, I'm kind of a-a-a pretend vampire," Willow replied.

"How does one pretend to be a, er, vampire?" Giles asked.

"Using lots of magick," Willow answered. "I've got several spells cast on myself, giving me strength, hiding my heartbeat, that sort of thing."

"But why would you do that?" Buffy said, still not trusting the redhead.

"Because if I didn't, it would be awfully hard to control the pack," Willow replied.

"Er, pack?" Giles said. "As in vampire pack?"

"I don't mean a six-pack," Willow joked.

Spike was out the door the second the sun settled over the horizon. His sire had not returned after leaving that afternoon, but he didn't worry about it. Willow had him at her beck and call, and it was great fun for the blond to tease Angelus about being whipped, both literally and figuratively.

Rubbing at the almost healed bite mark above the leather collar, Spike made his way down Crawford Street towards town. He absently wondered what happened to the brunette who had been at the mansion -- Angelus was never good at sharing - then put the thought out of his mind as his eyes lit on an easy meal.

As the lifeless body fell to the ground, he dug out a cigarette from the depths of his leather duster and lit it. After taking a deep drag, he continued on his way home. He had a Slayer to get back to before she came and dragged him kicking and screaming back to their house. And he loved to kick and scream, because the blond hellion that was his mate would then have to remind him of his place.

A smile crossed his face as Spike thought about the years of sex and violence and blood and love that was between him and Buffy. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think she would be with him as his mate. He was a soulless vampire, she was a vampire slayer, and never the twain shall meet. Unless one had a witch for a friend by the name of Willow.

A feather wouldn't hurt either.

That memory stirred his cock to life, and he quickened his pace. Rounding the corner outside of Sunnydale Cemetery, he heard the sounds of fighting. Since Cindy, the Second Slayer, was gone, it undoubtably had to be his Buffy. Flicking the cigarette away, he silently made his way towards the noise.

When he saw her, he couldn't help but grin. By the way she was fighting the three vampires, he knew something had pissed her off, right good. He would have to try and watch his tongue, lest it get burned by her fury. He almost felt sorry for his three brethren, considering Buffy was beating them to bloody pulps, rather than simply staking them.

"Lovely job, ducks," Spike said, as he moved into view after she'd finally staked the poor bastards. "Wish I'd been here to see the beginning, but Angelus took me up to the old mansion."

"Spike, come here," Buffy ordered, her stake disappearing up the sleeve of her burgundy coat.

Spike tried to keep the smile from his face, but he couldn't, as he walked over to her. "Yes, luv?"

Buffy's fist shot out and cracked him across the jaw, sending his head flying back. "What was that?" she growled.

"That was you punching me, pet," Spike replied, rubbing his jaw. He then realized his error, and didn't know whether to be scared or to rejoice.

Buffy's eyes narrowed and her second punch was strong enough to double him over. She spun and kicked him across his face while he was hunched over, sending him spinning to the ground. Without a word, she had her knee firmly dug into his back, pinning him down as she unwrapped the leash from around her wrist with practiced swiftness. After attaching it to the small ring on the collar, she stood and dragged him over to a nearby tree by his neck.

Even though he didn't need to breathe, Spike still gagged as the collar dug into his throat as he was pulled across the lawn. He knew the leash was magickally enhanced by Willow and it would not break no matter what it was put through, and he had a feeling that fact would be tested. He suddenly stopped moving and was about to look up when he felt himself being hoisted up by his neck.

Buffy threw the end of the leash over the thick limb, catching the other end. Using all her strength, she pulled Spike up until he was barely standing on the balls of his feet. His eyes were wide and pained as the leather cut into him from the tightness, and it gave her a thrill. Expertly tying the end of the leash off, she yanked the duster off his arms and let it fall to the ground.

With an evil grin, she turned him so he was facing away from her, making the leash twist once. She bent and snatched his duster from the ground, rooting through the pockets until she found the handcuffs she had put there the other day. When she looked up, Spike had wrapped his hands around the leash and was using his arms loosen the tension around his neck. She smacked him on the back of the head with the metal cuffs, then stood on her toes to snap one around his wrist.

Pulling his arm down as he tried to lash out backwards with his feet, she twisted it up sharply behind him to the point of breaking. Spike hissed in pain, and she used that sound to reach up and grab his other wrist, digging her sharp nails into the soft skin at precise points, until his hand released the leash due to the nerves being blocked. She quickly attached the other cuff around his wrist, then stepped away from him.

"You know, I thought I made it clear how you were suppose to address me the other day," Buffy finally said, her body becoming tense with excitement. Willow was right, she loved dominating Spike. Her hands snaked around his waist to undo the buckle, then pull the belt free from the loops. "Didn't I?"

"Yes," Spike said, trying to get enough air into his lungs to speak. "Lady Buffy."

Draping the leather belt over her shoulder, she reached around him again and quickly undid the fastenings to his jeans, then yanked the material down to his ankles. "Do you think that you can disobey me at whim?" she asked, stepping back to look at his taunt buttocks and the corded muscles of his legs with an appreciative eye.

"No, Lady Buffy," Spike gasped out, the words barely audible.

"How many lashes do you think you deserve for your disobedience?" Buffy asked, pulling the belt off her shoulder and wrapping the rounded end around her hand.

"As many as you wish, Lady Buffy," Spike wheezed, hoping she didn't make him count, because he doubted he could draw more air in to speak. The leather collar had ridden up slightly, and was now digging into the underside of his chin.

Buffy smiled wickedly at his answer. "You need to learn to keep your place, Spike," she told him as she brought back her arm and cracked him across the ass with the belt, the metal buckle cutting into his skin. She did it thrice more in rapid succession, then continued speaking. "I am the dominant one, not you. You will obey any command that I give, understand?"

She could barely hear his response because of his inability to take in air, but it was the correct one. "Good," she said, then began raining blows on his buttocks and the backs of his legs with the belt, leaving bloody marks each time the buckle hit his skin, as she started to tell him about her foul mood. "Our house is gone. The lair is gone. I can't figure out how or why, and it's pissing me off. I need to go back to the library and tell Giles what I didn't find, and to top it all off, I'm still horny from going to the Bronze last night. I so did not need your insolence."

Spike arched with each blow, trying to get away, as the sting of the leather and metal shot through him. It wasn't the worst punishment he'd ever received from her, but that didn't mean it was any less painful. His legs and ass felt like they were on fire and the way he was tied up was almost like he was in a hangman's noose.

Buffy stopped whipping him and admired her work. The criss-cross marks from the leather interspersed with where the buckle cut him made quite an interesting pattern. Tossing the belt over her shoulder again, she dug into the pocket of her own burgundy coat for the small plastic container she'd put in there the same day he'd tried to dominate her.

Unscrewing the cap, she ran two fingers over the top of the clear substance, then chose a mark at random. Efficiently, she laved the wound with the special cream she'd had Willow make for her. It took less than a second for Spike to let out a choked scream as his skin started to burn from the holy water within the clear cream.

"Do you want me to wipe it off?" Buffy asked sweetly, as she rubbed more over another cut. "Hmm?" Spike was trying to push away from her with the balls of his feet, but was having no success. She found a nice, long cut on his inner thigh and quickly spread a good amount over it. Finally, with an evil smile, she pushed one finger into his anus, letting whatever cream was left on it coat his inner muscles.

Deciding she'd had enough, she walked around him to look up into his face. His vampiric visage was evident, tears streaming down his face, and he was letting out a silent scream of pain. Her eyes drifted down and she smirked when she saw his engorged penis. He was just how she wanted him -- hard and at her mercy.

Capping the cream, she dropped it back into her pocket, then reached up and untied the leash. Spike fell to the ground at the sudden release, having not regained balance after being up on his toes. "On your knees," Buffy commanded, as she picked up the end of the leash.

Spike struggled for a moment to get himself to his knees without the use of his hands, since they were still cuffed behind his back. When he finally managed, he kept his head bowed in submission, the pain from the cream making him shake uncontrollably, causing him to clench his teeth together, his fangs piercing the inside of his lower lip so he would stay silent. He knew from experience that the cream would seep into his skin and the pain would disappear, but not right away.

"We are going to the library," she informed him. "I shall allow you to walk there, but once inside, I expect you to be on your knees at my side where you belong. You are not to speak to others unless I give you my permission." Her eyes dropped down to his erection, and she dipped into her pocket again and dropped a cock ring in front of him. "And I expect you to stay hard. Understand?"

"Yes, Lady Buffy," Spike replied, looking at the object in front of him on the ground. He knew he'd gotten off easy, because of what she had told him while she was whipping him, but that didn't make his response any different.

"Good," Buffy said. She kept the leash in her hand, as she walked around him to retrieve the handcuff keys out of his coat. She uncuffed him, then returned to where she had been standing. "Put the cock ring on, then stand and fix your pants."

"Yes, Lady Buffy," he said, doing as told. After his jeans were buttoned and zipped, she handed him his belt. After that was in place, he stood still, his head still bowed and his ridges still prominent, waiting for her next command.

"Get your duster and put it on," she ordered. She waited until he had done as told, then said, "Look at me." Spike raised his head, his yellow eyes meeting her hazel ones. "Mask on, Spike."

The vampiric ridges melted away with some concentration on Spike's part, the burning radiating from his anus and his legs making it extremely difficult. But whatever his mate wanted, she got, as long as she was the dominant. He was startled out of his pain, briefly, when she stepped forward and kissed him.

"Come on," Buffy said, after she stepped away. "Let's go find out what happened to our house."

"Yes, Lady Buffy," Spike replied, falling into step slightly behind her and to her left side. His cock throbbed beneath the material of his jeans, but he knew that all the pain would be worth it once he was buried deep inside his mate.

Part Six

Willow stopped talking to Giles on what she knew about the Books of Ascension when Xander returned. The former Watcher had decided to wait until everyone was gathered for her to describe what they had ascertained to be ‘her world', and he had sent the teenaged Buffy off to get the books. Her eyes took in the five people who came through the door, and she gasped when she found herself looking at...herself.

"Oh goddess," she said, rising from her seat and walking forward towards the brown coat-clad Willow. The other girl was clutching the boy's hand who was next to her, a slightly fearful look on her face. "That's me."

"Um...hi," Willow replied, stepping closer to Oz. Xander had explained about the other Willow, but seeing her in the flesh was very strange -- again. "You're not a vampire, are you? Because the last time I was here, I was a vampire. Not I as in me, I as in another me."

"No, I'm not a vampire," the leather-clad Willow replied. Then she smirked. "Well, not technically." She turned to the familiar-looking boy standing next to her double. "I remember you. You're Oz, right?"

"Right," Oz replied, taking in her outfit. He liked his Willow's choice of clothing much better.

"And I know Cordy," she continued, smiling at the brunette. "Although the Cordy I know has short hair."

Cordelia looked horrified. "Short hair? Eew. That's so Jen."

Willow frowned, wondering about the former cheerleader's reference, then moved her gaze onto the suited man standing next to her. "Who are you?"

"Wesley Wyndham-Price," Wesley replied, extending his hand cautiously. Willow shook it and almost giggled when she saw him wince at her enhanced strength. "Good grip."

"I work out," she replied, turning back to Giles. "So, do we wait for your Buffy to return?"

"No, I-I suppose we could get started," Giles answered, looking back and forth between Willows.

Willow rolled her eyes when she noticed what he was doing. Then she saw Angel emerge again from the stacks and her face lit up in happiness. "General, you're back!" She made a gesture and teleported herself in front of him, then hugged him. "You would not believe what happened to us. It seems we're in a different world..."

Angel was startled when the redhead appeared in front of him, but that wasn't as startling as seeing Willow standing across the library next to Oz at the same time. "Did the spell not work?" he asked.

"This is a different Willow," Xander replied, moving to take a seat.

When Willow heard Xander, she raised her head to look up at Angel. He glanced down at her, and she gasped when she saw his guilt-filled brown eyes. "Oh goddess, you're not Angelus."

Angel stiffened and pulled away. "What do you mean?" he asked in a tight voice.

The witch's leather-clad shoulders slumped and her bottom lip started to tremble. "You're not my Angelus, are you?" she said. "You have your soul."

Angel nodded warily, his mind trying to catch up to what she was saying. The Willow standing in front of him had thought he had no soul, and she sounded disappointed that he did. Suddenly his thoughts clicked on Spike and his behavior. The blond vampire had indeed been friendly to him, had desired him, had called him Angelus. He had thought Angel was Angelus, which brought up all sorts of different questions.

Willow forced her tears away, then looked up at the dark-haired vampire. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," she told him. Then she turned and looked down to the group now sitting at the table. "I, uh, guess we should start, huh?"

With a quick gesture, she teleported herself onto the top of the check-out counter, where she was most comfortable in the library. Although this wasn't her library, she still needed a place to center herself in order not to break down and cry. She closed her eyes and sent up a brief prayer asking for strength, then opened them to see the four newcomers staring at her. "Oh, I teleported myself. I guess you can't do that, can you, Willow?"

"N-no," the teenaged Willow replied. "But I can float a pencil. I'm really good at that."

Willow smiled at her. "That's a start. The first thing I floated was an oreo cookie. Right into my mouth. The General laughed for a good ten minutes at that trick."

"Who is this General you keep talking about?" Xander asked.

"Angel...well, Angelus, now,"she replied. "He's my mate."

Angel started again in surprise, his eyes darting to meet Giles' equally surprised look in return. "Are you sure?" Angel said.

Willow laughed. "Of course I'm sure," she replied, shrugging off her leather jacket. "I didn't torture him for hours just to hear him scream." She smirked. "Although that's fun, too."

The others were staring at her in horrified fascination, making her giggle. She wished Buffy were there to share in her mirth. A wicked thought crossed her mind. Perhaps when Buffy did arrive, they could really give them something to think about by playing tonsil hockey. "Ok, I guess we have to start sometime, before I give into my naughty thoughts and get all horny," she said, then giggled again at the faces they made from her statement.

"Let's see, as Vizzini said, when things go wrong, you always go back to the beginning," Willow started. "My name was Willow Rosenberg, but now I'm more commonly known as Lady Red. I am a twenty-four year old Witch, descendant of a long line of Witches by the name of Standisha, and I am second in command of a pack of vampires under a master named Jonathan. My mate is Angelus, and I live with him and my pack at the old boarding school...well, in my world, that is."

"Angelus, as in the evil psychotic killer with no soul?" Xander said.

She scowled at him. "Don't talk about my mate like that."

"Question," Oz said. "Do you mean mate like in animal terms?"

"Close," Angel answered for the other world Willow. "Male vampires usually choose a female they wish to have for a mate, and then that female has to dominate him in order to become his true mate. It's very complicated to understand unless you're a vampire."

"And you wh-where chosen by Angelus?" Giles asked the redhead on the counter.

"Kinda," Willow answered, crossing her legs to sit Indian-style. "When Angelus still had his soul, he chose me. I didn't become his true mate until after I got rid of it again, then dominated him." She grinned at the memory. "I'll never forget how amazed I was when I first made Angelus purr."

The others in the room looked at her, then up at Angel, who had a decidedly embarrassed expression on his face. Giles decided to change the conversation. "W-Willow, how is it that you are in command of a-a-a, er, pack of vampires? You aren't one."

"After graduation, Buffy went to visit her dad, Xander and Cordy went to Europe, my Giles went to England and Angel went down to LA to find a place for us to live," Willow explained. "I was walking home from the library after a long day of bookmarking sites for after my ‘death' and was grabbed by a vampire, which was really dumb, considering I can turn vampires to ash with a word."

"Your magick is that strong?" the teenaged Willow asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "I got Angel out of Hell and gave him a permanent soul before I even knew I was a hereditary witch. I made him a ring that allowed him to go out into the sun, I can teleport myself and other objects, I can stop aging any time and heal myself and others. The only thing I know I can't do is bring people back to life."

"You got Deadboy out of Hell? Xander said. "I thought he just appeared."

"No, I got him out of Hell," Willow said. She looked over at Angel. "I take it I didn't get you out of Hell in this world."

"No," Angel shook his head.

"And by the way Willow is holding hands with Oz, I take it you aren't with her," she surmised.

"I'm sort of with Buffy," he replied.

Willow nodded. "Ok, so that means things are different starting from when Buffy sent Angel to Hell to seal Acathala, because my Buffy never got back together with you...er, him."

"But you did?" Giles prompted.

"Yup," she grinned. "Angel and I got drunk and conned Cordy and Xander to come with us to the mall over Winter break my senior year. The four of us became close friends and a really good slaying team, if you ask me. Near the end of senior year, the Hunters came after me; I found out I was a Standisha; fell in love with Angel; and made him purr many, many times." She looked up at the dark-haired vampire and winked at him.

"With my ancestry, I found that the only way to get the Hunters to stop coming after me was to fake my death. After I got kidnaped by a minion of Jonathan's, I pretended to be a vampire in order to find out what he had planned for Sunnydale, and I needed the soul-less Angelus to do that. I won't go into the details about what it takes to rise through the ranks of a vampire pack, but I let Angelus do that, then I dominated him," she continued.

"Once I was pack leader under Master Jonathan, I learned he only wanted to set up a corporation and make money, as do most of the Masters in the world. And because I was his second in command and a whiz at computers, I am now the Vice President of a multi-billion dollar company," Willow said.

"But that doesn't explain why you still lead the pack of vampires," Wesley spoke up for the first time.

"They're my family," Willow replied with a shrug. "After learning that vampires are exactly like humans, except that they are missing their guilt emotion, it put the them in a whole new perspective. Even Buffy doesn't just kill vampires for no reason anymore. She'll only go after them if she catches them feeding. The string of Second Slayers, though, we let do their job. They usually aren't alive longer than six months, so I don't really worry. Mine know to avoid the Second Slayer."

"So, let's get this straight," Cordelia said. "You're a skanky-looking vampire wannabe who loves Angelus, the demon who snaps people's necks for fun, and Buffy lets all your pet vampires run around killing people, too?"

Willow burst out laughing. "I swear, Cordy, you are still the same tactless twit no matter what world I'm in. I don't know how Xander puts up with you."

"Eew, I'm with Xander in your world?" Cordelia said.

"Married for five years," Willow confirmed with an evil twinkle in her eye. "You both went to the altar virgins."

Continued