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The pounding in her skull awakened Willow and she blinked at the bright lights that assaulted her stinging eyes. Coughing suddenly, her mouth dry, she closed her eyes tightly shut and curled into a ball. Slowly her mind began to sort the sensory perceptions. There was a bright light shining on her. Her entire body ached, especially her head. Her mouth tasted like the driest, dustiest cotton. She lay on something soft. Cool air conditioning blew across her skin, which made her realize that her jeans and sweater were gone, replaced by something...less.
Forcing her eyes open, she found herself in a white cube of a room, except for the wall in front of her which was mirrored from floor to ceiling with a white door at one corner. The only furniture was the twin hospital type bed she lay upon.
Her memories returned like a swarm of bees, and she clutched her head, groaning. Someone had hit her with the butt of a gun. One of those commandos.
One of those commandos who had captured Spike!
Ignoring the pain, Willow scrambled from the bed and ran to the door. She pulled futility on the knob, then turned to the mirrors and yelled, "Let me out!"
*****
Behind the mirrors, three sets of eyes watched her every move, studying, calculating. Computers hummed as information was processed, and a panel full of lights glowed.
"Her stress levels just shot up," a middle aged man in a white lab coat said.
Professor Walsh nodded absently, her eyes never leaving the girl pacing around the room.
Only when the door behind her opened, did she turn her attention away from Willow. A technician came in and handed her a computer print-out. She scanned it quickly, and a small smile formed on her face.
"This is very interesting."
"Do we get to let her go now?" Riley asked, unable to keep the anxiety from his voice.
"I know you liked the girl, Riley. So did I. But, she's not human."
Riley stared at his mentor in disbelief, then snatched the test results from her. He read them three times, his heart sinking more each time. "94.7%. She's 94.7% human. Can't we..." One shake from Walsh's head stopped him from continuing. He flung the report down on the counter top in disgust. "She's point three percent away from us not being able to hold her. Buffy's right. *You're* not human."
"Agent Finn," Walsh snapped. He shut up, but continued to glare at her, and she softened her voice. "Riley, I, too, am distressed by this turn of events. I had high hopes for Ms. Rosenberg. I'd thought to recruit her as a technician or computer specialist. But, even if she was 95% human, she was found with a hostile subterrestrial in her dorm room, and it protected her. In fact..."
"I know," Riley interrupted. "I was there." He turned and looked back through the two way mirror, watching Willow pace, her brow furrowed. She appeared to be deep in thought. "I'm going to go look in on the hostile," he said, as he rose to his feet and was out of the room before anyone could stop him.
He entered an identical room right next door. Two technicians were there entering data, occasionally glancing up at the vampire who paced in a pattern eerily similar to Willow's. As they had already run medical tests on him, they hadn't bothered putting him in a hospital gown, so with every step his leather duster swirled around him like a cape. Forrest sat at the far end of the room, feet propped up on the counter.
"He's one pissed off vamp," Forrest commented as Riley took a seat next to him.
"Has he maintained his human form the whole time?"
"Yep. How's the girl?"
"Pacing."
"Is she...a girl?"
Riley shook his head slowly. "94.7% only."
Forrest whistled softly. "Tough luck for her. What's demonic about her?"
"Something in her blood. Some enzyme."
"Could it be foreign matter? Something that's been introduced into her blood?"
Riley shrugged. "Doesn't really matter now. It's a part of her system and it's changed her. We just don't know how, yet."
"Well, no question about this one. He's a vampire, through and through."
"Yeah, but I've never seen one who can maintain his human facade for so long. Has he eaten?"
"Nope. Refuses the blood. Maybe he knows it's drugged."
The two men watched the vampire pace from one end of the room to the other, moving with an animalistic grace.
"I wasn't imagining things, was I Ri? He really tried to protect the girl?"
"He called her by name, told her to stay in the room, that he wouldn't let us hurt her."
"He escaped this compound and instead of going underground, he went to a dorm. Do you think they could be..." The look on Riley's face stopped Forrest from continuing.
"That's disgusting. Even is she's not quite human, he's a corpse."
"Necrophilia..." Riley shot him another look and Forrest raised his hands defensively. "Hey, everyone is thinking it. And, you know, she rooms with your girlfriend."
"Buffy's not my girlfriend."
"Uh huh."
*****
Spike finally ran out of curse words, having gone through at least a dozen different human languages and several demonic ones. Finally, he stopped pacing and stared at the mirrored wall. They were behind there, watching him, probably jotting down notes.
He couldn't believe he was back here! He'd managed to escape and, as soon as night had fallen, he'd gone straight to Willow's, only to be recaptured.
And...Willow...He'd seen her fall, a heavy gun crashing into her head. He'd yelled and fought and kicked, and they'd stunned him into unconsciousness. When he'd awakened...he'd been here. He wasn't quite sure how much time had passed, but probably several hours.
He was hungry, but he knew the blood was drugged and he needed to have his full faculties in place if he was to find Willow and escape.
He also wanted to determine why when he had hit those military guys, his head had nearly exploded. When he had hit the technician earlier, nothing had happened. Maybe the soldiers used some kind of spell or repellent field or something...
*****
Willow finally tired of pacing and climbed back up on the bed, sitting and facing the mirrored wall. "I hope you're having fun watching me. I'm going to sue your asses off when I get out of here. I'm an American citizen, born and bred and voting and everything, and I haven't broken any laws, so your holding me illegally."
She really wanted to ask about Spike, but knew that probably wasn't a good idea. Maybe he'd gotten away. She rubbed her sore head, trying to remember the chain of events.
Sometime before dawn the morning before, she'd been awakened by a panicking Drusilla. Spike had been missing for twenty four hours. Willow joined her in panicking, then met up with Buffy and they began searching. Finally, two nights later, Buffy had sent Willow home to get some rest and try to do both their homework, while she kept searching.
Spike had shown up, and they'd barely been in the middle of a huge amount of happy kissing and groping with a smattering of explanations thrown in when the lights had gone out.
Everything after that was kind of hazy. The door had been broken down and then soldiers had stormed in and grabbed her and...She'd screamed for Spike. He'd yelled for her. Then everything had gone black.
Well, she could be reassured by the knowledge that Buffy and the gang would keep searching and now...
Absently she rubbed her neck, and her eyes widened. Ever since she had awakened and sat up the first time, she had felt that something was wrong. Now, she knew what it was.
"Give me back my collar," she screamed, her face white in shock. They'd taken it off. Only Spike could do that. It hadn't been off in nearly eight months. She'd noticed that her engagement ring was missing, but that hadn't concerned her. But, her collar...
*****
In the computer room, Walsh picked up the embroidered leather collar with the broken lock, and examined it. "This seems to mean a lot to her."
"It covered up several old bite marks," the lab guy added. "But the skin beneath it is white, so I don't think it came off, just was pushed aside for the bites. There are traces of blood on it, too. Her's."
"I wonder what the symbolism is," Walsh mused.
*****
Willow was furious, but she had one hope she wasn't about to expose. Drusilla had displayed an uncanny ability to find her through a combination of her visions and the bond. Neither Willow nor Spike had the ability, but, Willow had to believe that Drusilla could find her. If Spike was here, as well, they'd tear this place apart to find him.
Angelus might not care about Spike's disappearance, but Willow knew he'd have half the Sunnydale vampires out looking for *her*.
*****
Nearly four in the morning and Buffy had finally collapsed into a fitful sleep. She lay curled on Angel's couch, her head on his lap as he absently stroked her hair. He noted critically that she was losing weight again. Between her slayer activities and their overactive sex life, it was difficult for her to maintain her normal weight. He bet she hadn't eaten since Spike's disappearance. He knew she hadn't slept.
As he wondered idly if there was any real food in the kitchen, the door to his suite flew open and Drusilla staggered into the room. She looked hideous--her face ravaged by tears and scratches. Her purple lipstick was smeared across her cheek, and her fingernails with the matching polish were digging into her neck.
Concerned, Angel carefully lowered Buffy's head to the couch, then rose to meet Drusilla. He grabbed her hand away from her neck, and she collapsed into his arms, sobbing.
"Gone, gone, gone," she chanted.
As he pulled her hair back from her face, he noticed that there were deep, bleeding gouges encircling her neck like a choker...or a collar.
"We'll find Spike, Dru."
"Not just Spike," she mumbled back, her eyes glazed. Suddenly, she looked up at her sire, sanity returning for an instant. "He got away. I felt him flying free, flying to her. And they were together and then...gone, both of them taken. I saw it. Soldiers."
"Willow?" Angel growled, suddenly understanding the marks on Drusilla's neck.
"Willow?" Buffy asked weakly, half asleep. Angel turned and saw her shoving herself up off the couch. Horror filled her eyes and she paled, shaking her head violently. "No, they can't have taken Willow, too."
"What soldiers, Dru?" Angel asked, confused. He had figured that Spike had been taken by a rival clan or something. "Humans?"
"Yes, yes, daddy. Humans, stinking and vile."
"I saw soldiers on campus, but...it was Halloween." Buffy frowned.
"For the last few months we've been hearing stories of demons and vampires disappearing. Rumors have been afloat of an installation where experiments are carried out. If figured it was the bloody Watchers, but they don't use soldiers." Angel scowled.
"If Spike was captured and managed to escape, the first place he would go would be our dorm room to find Willow." Buffy began to panic, her breathing increasing, as she paced. "I told her to go rest. She was exhausted. I sent her back there!"
"They took them, they took them. Down." Drusilla swayed, the sanity leaving her eyes as visions swamped her. "Under the campus, underground, white walls, bright lights, screams, oh so many screams. They torture us." She continued to babble until Angel took her shoulders and shook her hard.
"Dru, can you find them?"
"I...I don't know. I feel her, oh so scared and alone and..." Her fingers tried to go back to her throat, but Angel stopped them." They took it away from her," she whispered, "but they can't take away the bond. I'll find her, and in finding her, I'll find our Spike."
Angel nodded, then glanced at the clock on the mantel. "It's nearly dawn. We can't do anything until dark."
"I can," Buffy said, forcing herself to be strong. "If they're under the school, we can try to find blueprints, anything, anyway down." As she spoke, she grabbed her jacket and bag.
Releasing Drusilla, Angel turned to Buffy and caught her in his arms. "You need to rest, too."
"We have to find them now, Angel."
"We have to believe they aren't in immediate danger, and, if these soldiers are human, well, so is Willow, and..."
"No, you don't understand." She bit her lip, flushing slightly.
"The thirtieth day," Drusilla whispered from behind Angel, making him spin around, Buffy in his arms.
"What?" he barked.
"They like to wait. It heightens the pleasure if a month's worth of the enzyme is released at once. Today's the thirtieth day," Buffy explained dully.
"Idiot," Angel yelled. "I can't believe I sired such a fucking idiot!"
*****
Walsh set the collar down and turned to the technician. "I want to see them together."
The technician stared at her as if she'd grown a second head. "What?"
"I want to see how they interact. We've only seen vampires as uncontrolled animals. She's nearly human, and apparently has a relationship with this vampire."
"What if he hurts her?"
"Riley's report shows that the implant seems to be working, and, if it isn't, well, keep your finger on the button for the anesthetic gas."
The man sighed and nodded in agreement. "You're the boss." Pushing a button on the console, he gave an order to bring the male vampire into examining room 'b'.
*****
Riley and Forrest both started, then jumped to their feet. "What?" they said at the same time.
The technicians just shrugged. "You guys want to handle the transfer?" one of them asked.
"Yeah, I guess." Riley gave the absolute impression that this was a big mistake, but grabbed a mask off the back wall. Forrest followed suit and they went to the door to the examining room. Keying in the code, Riley pushed open the door, his taser in his hands.
Spike looked up from his pacing and stopped moving, watching them warily.
"Come with us." One of the masked commandos gestured with his weapon and Spike's eyes narrowed.
"No thanks. I like it here."
"We're taking you to your girlfriend," the second commando said, only to be growled at by the first.
Spike's heart sank and at the same time was filled with joy. Willow was here, but...Willow was here and alive...or
No, they hadn't said they were taking him to her corpse. Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his duster, he let them lead him out of the room and down a short hall to an identical door. It opened and he was shoved inside.
*****
Willow heard a click from behind her and hopped off the bed, wanting to be on her feet to fight off whoever was entering. She gasped when she saw Spike, and froze. The eyes he lifted to her shown with love, but he was looking past her to the mirrored wall. As the door slammed behind him, he nodded slightly and opened his arms.
Torn between trying to mask their relationship and wanting to be in his arms, Willow hesitated for a moment, then sobbed and flung herself at him. As Spike's arms wrapped around her waist, clutching her to him, she buried her face in his chest and cried hysterically.
"Shh, shh, pet, it's okay. I'm okay," he soothed, stroking her long, tangled hair.
*****
Behind the mirror, Riley and Forrest joined the professor, and watched as the technicians tested pheremone levels and other factors.
"Doesn't look like the hostile's going to hurt her," Forrest finally said, breaking the heavy silence.
"It appears that they know each other quite well," Professor Walsh added, jotting a few notes down on a clipboard.
Riley shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot as he watched the young woman cling to the demon.
*****
Spike raised one trembling hand to the bump on Willow's forehead, and cursed fluently as she flinched.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," she mumbled against his chest, holding him tightly. "I was just so scared about you."
"Me too, luv."
"I didn't think I'd ever see you again," she wailed.
"Willow, calm down," Spike murmured. "We have to think rationally so we can get out of here. They can't be holding you legally."
"Yeah, I threatened them with a lawsuit already. No response." She looked up, sniffling, then smiled as he kissed her tears away.
*****
"Oh, that's disgusting," Forrest interjected.
***** "Bloody bastards could have given us someplace to sit at least," Spike muttered as he slid down the wall to the floor, then pulled Willow onto his lap. Wrapping one arm around his neck, she lay her head on his shoulder, sighing pensively.
"We have a problem."
"We have a lot of problems, pet," he replied humorlessly.
"You know what I mean..."
Spike sighed and closed his eyes in resignation. "We'll wait as long as we can."
"No."
Surprised, Spike opened his eyes and stared down at her. "What?"
"What if this is the only chance we have to be together? I know it doesn't happen quick. In fact, it's just about as far the opposite of quick as you can get, but I really don't want the process to start. Spike," she whispered, "No one knows if the process can be stopped once it's started."
"But..." He nodded towards the mirrors.
"I don't care." She gave him a self-deprecating smile. "I did it in front of your whole clan, I think I can handle doing it in front of a bunch of doctors and soldiers. It'll be like a gynecological exam."
Spike laughed, grinning wildly at her. "Willow, you constantly amaze me."
She smiled back and pressed a quick kiss on his mouth. "One of the things you love about me?"
"One of a thousand." He lifted her free arm, pushing the loose hospital robe up past her elbow. "I'm hungry. Don't want to take too much." Pressing a kiss to the vein on the inside of her elbow, he morphed and opened his mouth. One fang grazed her flesh and she winced.
And, Spike howled, banging his head back against the wall and sending Willow flying, agony rampaging through his skull.
*****
"Well, it looks like the implant works," Walsh said a bit smugly.
"I wonder what they were talking about," Riley said almost to himself.
*****
Willow scrambled to her knees and over to Spike who had the heel of one hand pressed against his temples. "What happened?"
"I...I don't know." The pain faded and he dropped his hand, looking up at her. Taking her arm he turned it to look at the scrape from his fang. He hadn't drawn blood. "I started to bite and then...bloody Hell, it felt like a knife being shoved through my head. Actually, that would probably hurt less."
Willow gave him a confused look, her agile mind trying to come up with a reason for his pain.
Spike shook off the remnants of pain and lifted her arm to his mouth again. Taking a deep breath, he morphed, then waited a second. When no pain hit, he placed his mouth on her smooth skin. Still no pain.
His fang pierced her flesh, and he screamed, flinging himself into the corner of the room. Willow went after him, dragging his head to her breast and rocking him. "They did something to me," he finally mumbled. "I remember now. I remember when I hit one of those soldier boys, I felt the same pain."
"You can't hit anyone?"
"I think I can't *hurt* anyone." He raised his head, looking up at her with horror-filled eyes.
"But, you weren't hurting me," Willow protested.
Spike ran one shaking finger over the old bite marks and scars on her neck. "Tell me these never hurt, not even a minor pang."
"Well...okay, a bit, but..." Her eyes widened as the implications sunk in, and her breath caught in her throat. "No..."
He morphed again, letting his fingernails turn into sharp claws. Taking her arm, he prepared to puncture the vein, but again, he barely pierced her skin before the pain slammed into him.
Spike made three more desperate attempts, before Willow screamed at him to stop, his agony driving her crazy. Pain rolling through him in waves, Spike curled into a ball, shaking, as panic overwhelmed him.
Willow looked wildly around the room for anything to use to cut herself. Running over to the bed, she searched for sharp edges. After running her hands over every inch of the smooth metal frame, she sank to her knees, sobbing as the fear overwhelmed her.
As irrationality swept her, she dug her own blunt nails into her inner elbow, trying to tear open her skin.
"Willow, stop it," Spike admonished, his pain finally gone. Weak, but able to move, he grabbed her, pulling her to her feet. Tears streamed down her face.
"I have to. We have to!"
*****
"Odd," Walsh mused. "She seems almost desperate to feed him."
"I can't stand this," Riley groaned. "She's trying to rip open her own veins for the monster."
Forrest picked up the collar, toying with the lock. "I wonder if there's some kind of master slave thing going on here. Maybe she's so broken, she feels like she has to tend to all his needs."
*****
Yanking herself free of Spike, Willow flung herself at the mirrored wall, banging on the glass with her fists, trying to break off a shard. Spike grabbed her around the waist and hauled her backwards. She struggled wildly, kicking and screeching.
"Willow, all you're doing is bruising your hands and giving those bastards a good show," he barked angrily.
Slumping weakly back against him, fresh tears flooding from her swollen eyes, Willow sobbed, "I don't want to go insane."
"You won't," he swore vibrantly into her ear. "On my life, my heart, my existence, you won't. We'll find a way."
*****
"There's got to be something," Buffy protested, throwing her hands up in the air.
"Hey, I'm only the back-up hacker, remember?" Cordelia snapped, rubbing her neck, which was sore from hours sitting at the computer. "I can't find anything."
"They're on campus somewhere, I just know it," Buffy continued.
"They're not in the mainframe, and that's as far as I can get with Willow's passwords. There are a few encrypted sites..."
"Try to break into them," Buffy pushed.
Cordelia gave her an exasperated look. "I HAVE been. I'm not Willow. I don't have the expertise." She pushed herself away from the computer and rose to her feet. "I need a break."
"We can't stop." The Slayer began to pace around the room.
Giles walked into the den, a stern look on his face. "This bickering isn't helping Willow."
Jenny looked up from the blueprints she had been perusing for an hour and rubbed her sore eyes. "We could all use a break."
"We can't take a break," Buffy cried, incredulous. "Willow would never give up on us."
"We're not giving up," Giles replied, softening his tone of voice. "But, we've been searching for nearly eight hours straight. I sent Xander out for some food and he should be back in a few minutes. We all need to try to relax and eat something."
"I can't eat," Buffy muttered, pushing past Giles. She headed to the basement to work out some of her aggression on the punching bag.
*****
Angel was awakened by Drusilla's whimpers and her body thrashing against his. Propping himself up on one elbow he watched her, wondering what she was seeing in her dreams.
One hundred and fifty years ago he had turned this creature for her ability to see things--the future, the past, Heaven and Hell.
And now he had another prospect, a woman to be turned not for her insanity and precognitive ability, but for her intelligence and computer hacking skills. Together, Willow and Drusilla might very well become an unbeatable force. Under his control, they would give him the world.
Willow was nearly ready. Fully grown, her body and mind mature, her skills at their apex, she'd learned everything the mortal world had to teach her.
So, why had he held back? Why hadn't he turned her?
And, had he lost his opportunity?
"Find her for us all, Dru," he murmured intensely, his eyes never leaving the haunted expression on the face of the sleeping vampiress.
*****
After crying and fretting and crying some more, Willow had finally fallen asleep, her head on Spike's lap as he stroked her tangled hair. He'd been watching her for hours, his mind working through numerous scenarios, numerous possibilities.
He really wanted a cigarette.
And...he was growing hungrier by the minute.
Spike gave himself a sardonic smile. He wasn't even a threat to feed on his lover, so no wonder they just left him in with her.
He could feel their eyes on him, watching him from behind the glass, wondering what he was going to do. Just as he wondered what their next move would be. They were human.
And, Willow wasn't. He'd never told her, and, even earlier when she'd protested their holding her, a human, he hadn't been able to find the words. She hadn't been human for over eighteen months, since the first time he had fed on her blood.
He hadn't realized it at the time, hadn't noticed the change in her, but as they had both recognized the bond, he began to be able to sense it, to even smell it, especially if the enzyme built for the thirty days. It had changed her. He didn't know how much, but she no longer smelled wholly human.
Spike believed that it was this, as much as the collar, that kept the other vampires away from her. The scent marked her as belonging to another vampire, even more so than sexual marking, even more so than the evidence of a bite.
His fingers lightly traced old scars on her neck, and he felt a shiver of pure love go through him. Willow gave herself willingly, eagerly to him, providing him with enhanced strength through her precious blood. It had been nearly a year since he'd looked at the marks on her neck. Once the collar had gone on, it had rarely come off. Although he had offered to give her the key so she could remove the collar during the day, she'd refused, wearing it proudly. So, as it had been easily pushed aside for biting, he'd stopped trying to camouflage the marks, and he'd only removed the leather band a few times.
Willow had nearly a complete ring of bite marks around her neck, like a necklace, proclaiming to the world that she belonged to a vampire. Spike wondered what the scientists and soldier boys behind the glass thought of the marks. To them, did the marks proclaim her a whore or a slave?
Did they know what the collar they had removed meant? That it wasn't a slave's collar? That, in fact, it was almost the opposite? It meant she was the beloved of a powerful vampire.
Of course, if they realized that, then they would have to accept the fact that vampires could and did feel love, and Spike had a feeling that to those watching, he was only an animal.
He prayed that they didn't see Willow the same way.
*****
Professor Walsh entered the observation room after getting a few hours of sleep. Riley, Forrest and Graham, her three top operatives, were all crowded into one corner, watching the couple in the white room.
"I thought I gave you orders to get some sleep," she said a bit gruffly.
"We did, sir," Riley replied. "About as much as you."
She smiled indulgently and took a seat next to the monitoring technician. "Any change?"
"The female has been asleep for just over five hours now. The male appears to be fully awake. They haven't moved from that position. Occasionally he looks towards us, but mostly he just looks at her, and he keeps stroking her. Her respiration and heart rate are normal for sleep. He doesn't breathe, of course."
"Has he fed?"
"Negative. We dropped more packets an hour ago, but he just ignored them."
"Maybe he's used to human blood," Forrest chimed in.
"If they're hungry enough, they'll eat anything," Walsh responded. How are the tests on the enzyme going?"
The technician punched a couple of keys on the keyboard and one of the screens displayed test results. "We haven't determined what it does, though...it seems to be increasing. Between the first and second blood sample, taken three hours apart when she was still unconscious, the level has gone up six point three percent."
"We need to take another sample. Agents, set your tasers on maximum and accompany Dr. Keller. If the vampire puts up any resistence, knock him out." She turned to the doctor who sat at the far end of the console monitoring minute changes in the female's physiology. Dr. Keller looked pale, but picked up his medical bag.
*****
The opening of the door brought Spike out of his reverie and he watched warily as three masked soldiers and a white-coated scientist entered the room. The soldiers moved carefully, guns raised, and flanked him.
Spike didn't move, simply continued to stroke Willow's hair.
"We need to take a blood sample from her," one of the soldiers said.
"Fuck off," was Spike's reply.
"Look, if you don't let us do this the easy way, we'll have to shoot you, and then she'll wake up and you'll be unconscious for several hours."
Spike glared at the soldier, then looked down at Willow. Gently he pulled her up to her knees, shaking her awake. "Willow, luv, wake up."
"'m up," she mumbled, sighing into his neck.
"The nasty scientists want more of your precious blood, luv."
"Okay." As that sank in, Willow blinked her eyes open, then gasped and shrank against Spike's side. "Oh...I forgot."
Spike pressed a kiss to her temple. "The benefits of Morpheus, my love."
The doctor knelt down beside Willow, snapping on a pair of rubber gloves. "Miss, I need to take a blood sample. Please just stay still."
Willow nodded silently and held out her arm. As the tourniquet was applied and a vein was found, she watched the three soldiers, wondering who they were, wondering what they were thinking. The pin prick of the needle didn't even make her wince and she barely noticed the tube filling with blood, but a glance at Spike's gold tinged eyes showed her that he was totally aware of her blood being spilt. How long had it been since he'd eaten?
"Are you going to feed him?" Willow snapped.
One of the soldiers replied as the doctor removed the needle and swabbed the needle mark with a cotton ball. "He's been offered blood."
"Drugged," Spike snorted.
The soldiers shrugged, and Willow glared. "And just what did you do to him so he can't bite anymore?"
"Why do you think we'd tell you?" the doctor asked.
Willow ripped her arm away and spun around, shoving the crook of her elbow against Spike's lips. Before he could even latch on to suck, two of the soldiers pulled her away from him. She kicked and struggled, as Spike morphed and jumped to his feet, only to have a gun stuck in his face.
"Back off," one of the soldiers ordered.
"We don't want him feeding on her, so I think that separating them until the needle mark closes would be a good idea," the doctor said as he labeled the vial of blood. "Take her to the interview room."
"No," Willow screamed, trying to free herself from the two soldiers who held her. As Spike growled impotently, she was dragged from the room.
To Be Continued...