Title: Time To Act
Author: Dreamer
E-mail: DreamerV966@aol.com or realvamp966@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. They belong to Joss, and I can only dream and drool that they belong to me. Please don't sue, unless you want some dirty laundry and a lot of chores you won't get paid to do.
Rating: PG.
Feedback: Send me more, I'm addicted to feedback, and I'm suffering from withdraw. Plus, I need to know what I should call this series (It's getting too long to put down individually) and I really need to buzz of the feedback. Not to mention I want to know if you really like it.
Dedications: To Charibob, who posts my fan fic, and to my Mom, who going in for surgery soon. Mom, I Love You, and I hope that everything goes well.
Author's Notes: If you haven't read the rest of the series, this is not going to make any sense. Spike is not in love with Buffy, he has a thing for Willow. Angel's soul is permanent, and Tara, Anya, and Dawn do not exist. It is mentioned that Spike is a virgin in the story. When I say virgin, I am going off the fact that men become virgins again if they don't have sex for 7 months. (Women can't have sex for 7 years in order to be a virgin again.)

Spike walked through the door to Giles apartment. The place was a clutter of books, and Spike could make out voices from the kitchen.

Spike called out, "Hello," before walking over and sitting on a chair. Willow followed and sat on the arm. Spike got up, and Willow sat in the chair. Spike stood next to the chair for a minute before walking over to the chair across from Willow and sitting down there instead. Spike watched the little witch carefully, not even noticing the rest of the Scooby gang entering the room. He grew fonder and closer to her everyday, and after this demon was taken care of, he would miss her when she left. It wasn't like she was going far, just back to her house, but he actually enjoyed her way of doing things to annoy him and waking him up by jumping on his bed. Spike smiled to himself. The last couple of times she had done that, he had grabbed her waist and pulled her down and tickled her. But she never learned not to jump on his bed in the morning. Not that he minded so much now. Willow also didn't wear a bra to bed, and the jumping up and down in her nightshirt was more, interesting, that way.

Spike realized then that someone had said something to him.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch it."

Buffy shook her head. She had this silly smile plastered to her face. Come to think of it, so did his poof sire.

Giles spoke up, "It's time we took this demon out. We have found very little about what could kill this demon. But there is a prophecy."

Willow asked, "What does the prophecy say?"

Giles plucked his glasses from his face, and started to clean them. "It basically says that only one who has been dead can defeat the demon, yet it cannot be a she, and he cannot have experienced, umm, satisfaction, for the past year."

Buffy mummered, "I guess that leaves you out," to Angel, before pulling him down and biting his ear.

Spike spoke up then, "Well, I guess that makes it me."

Giles frowned, "But the prophecy also says that the man must be human."

Willow spoke up now, " But I can make Spike human, temporarily."

The Scooby gang looked at Willow in shock.

"What?!?" came the collective voice from the Scooby gang. Spike said nothing. He should of known she had been snooping in his stuff.

"Well," Willow began, "I was looking in Spike's books, and I came across a spell that would make a vampire human, for about two days."

"Wait, you mean there is a spell like that out there?" Buffy asked.

"Wait, you mean Spike has books in his apartment, you mean Spike reads?" Xander asked.

Willow looked at Xander for a minute, "Don't be a smart ass," before turning back to rest of the group. "Yes, there is a spell like that. I would have told you sooner, but I just found it this morning."

Spike was muttering to himself about finding better hiding spaces, while Buffy made the decision.

"Yes, we've got to get rid of this demon before it kills more girls. Everything I've done against it has had no impact on it." Buffy said.

Spike nodded his agreement. It was the only thing he could do.

Willow,looked up, "I could do the spell tonight, it phases of the moon are perfect for it. Then Spike could take it out yet this evening, enjoy a day of being human and seeing the sun, and be back to Spike by dawn tomorrow. I just need some things, but the rest of the stuff I have."

Willow quickly wrote down the list of things she needed, and handed ti to Giles. The Scooby gang went out to get the items on the list, while Willow and Spike went back to the apartment to prepare.
***

Spike met Willow's gaze for the first time in an hour while they were setting up a table for the ceremony. It had to be done at midnight, and they only had a hour before 11:30. The night was still young.

Spike voice was cold. "Did you read the spell completely before we left this morning?" He moved forward so that he towered over Willow.

"Um, no?"

Spike growled slightly as he said, "Then you must not have gotten to the part where it says unless the bloody spell is done perfectly, the person it is being done on will die."

Willow's mouth opened and closed as she tried to answer Spike. She hadn't gotten to that part. Willow started to back away from Spike, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. As Spike stared into Willow's green eyes, he knew that he had to tell her what he was so carefully hiding the past few days.

"Willow," Spike leaned his head so close that he was almost kissing her, "I love you. I wanted you to know because if I don't bloody survive the spell..." He didn't have to finish. She knew that then he wouldn't havbe a chance to tell her.

"Spike, I love you too," Willow said even before she realized it was true.

Spike leaned in and kissed her, and when he pulled away, he locked his arms around Willow in a tight hug. Spike never wanted to lose her, and he'd give the world to keep her safe. Or his life. He only wished that he could make love to her before they did this ceremony. But they couldn't, he had to be a virgin in order for the ceremony to work. And they both knew it. That doesn't mean that they liked it. Spike inhaled the smell of Willow's hair. Of her skin. He surrounded and envaded his mind with her. She was what he was doing this for, and if anything went wrong, he wanted to remember her when this was over. Wherever he ended up.

There was a knock on the door and then the Scooby gang walked in. Imagine their surprise at the sight of Spike and Willow standing there holding each other. Giles cleared his throat, and they pulled away and paid attention to the group. Giles held up the bag with the supllies Willow had needed. Willow rushed over and grabbed the bag, checking inside to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. She walked over to the table and started to set the items in their designated positions. She spoke to the group as she did this.

"I need you guys for the ceremony. Spike is going to be lying on that table, and you guys need to be behind me chanting in order for this to work."

The Scooby gang nodded. they walked over to the place where they would be standing. Willow arranged them the way she needed, and told them what they would be saying. And they all looked up at the clock. As the clock began to chime midnight, the group focased on the task at hand. It was time.
***

Angel watched Willow go through the spell carefully. He could not see exactly what she was doing from where he was standing, but then most of the group probably couldn't. He felt the entire room charge with the magickal energy of what she was doing. He felt it welling up into Willow, he could practically see it. Willow turned her head, and Angel caught a glimpse of her face. Her eyes and face seemed to glow with a inner light, and for the first time Angel realized how beautiful Willow was. Spike was a lucky guy. Willow had brought him back from hell, and bound his soul to him. Angel had known from the shared thoughts that Willow had a thing for him when she had done those spells. He never acted on it. At first it was because he thought he was still in love with Buffy. After some time, Angel realized that Buffy had been facination, not love. It was the whole forbidden romance thing. He had stayed together with Buffy, because he felt bad about taking away her virginity, and then leaving her. Plus, the sex was great. Angel coudn't help but wonder how Willow was in the bedroom. He'd have to find out sometime. Oh, that's right, she was in love with Spike now. And Spike was in love with her. Angel gritted his teeth as he continued chanting. Well, he had taken Dru away from Spike before, there was no reason he couldn't do the same with Willow.
***
Xander watched his best friend go into the final stages of the spell. He felt strange, kinda dizzy and tired, but that was probably from all the soda he drank earlier. Xander looked over at Willow and studied her for the first time in a long time. He hadn't noticed how pretty she had gotten, but he knew that she probably had something going on with Deadboy Jr. Oh well, but he kinda wished he had noticed when she was still in love with him, what an idiot he was. Oh, he wasn't completely dense, he noticed that Angel was checking out Willow too, and that Buffy and Angel's relationship wasn't as close as it used to be. Hmmm, maybe Deadboy and Deadboy Jr, would fight over Willow and give him a chance to slip in. Xander snapped to attention as Willow completed the spell.
***
Willow ended the spell and walked over to where Spike was laying on the table. She didn't dare touch him, right now that could mess up any changes that were finishing. Spike was still lying there after a few minutes and Willow began to worry. She couldn't hear him breathing, and she should be able to. It was the first time that he was going to need to breathe in awhile. Willow leaned closer to Spike and listened. Did she hear a heartbeat? If she did, it was too faint to tell. Angel walked up behind Willow and put a hand on her arm. Willow could tell the Angel was trying to see if his childe was alive or not. Although they fought, Willow knew that the bond between the two of them was closer then either of them would like to admit, and they really cared what happened to each other. Just as Willow was really starting to worry, Spike took a deep gasp of air, and opened his eyes.

***
Spike opened his eyes and felt the unbelievable need to breathe. He sat up, and looked around. Cor, his head hurt. It was the first real pain he felt since he was turned and he didn't enjoy it. He was surprised to even be feeling it. Spike looked up to see Angel's hand on Willow's arm. Spike felt the fury explode through him, and he lunged at Angel before he realized that there was nothing he could really do to him. Angel caught Spike by the shoulders, and held him for a minute. Then he pulled Spike into a tight hug. Spike was surprised by the show of affection, but he knew it was Angel's way of letting him know how worried he was. Spike shrugged it off, and Angel met his eyes. What was spoken in that glance was too quick for anyone to tell. Spike looked over at Willow. Willow looked relieved and frightened and worried all at the same time. Spike pulled her into his arms. He wanted her to know, even as a human, he still loved her, and only her.

Spike pulled away and heard Buffy say,

"Are we finished now?"

Spike heard the pissed sound in her voice and decided to humor her. A stake could kill a human as effectively as a vampire.

Giles said from where he was sitting on the sofa, "I think Spike shood go and get rid of this demon now."

There was nods from around the room and Spike went and put his coat on. He followed the Slayer out, and thought about what he had to do to kill this demon. He was detracted but he did hear Willow called behind him, "I love you."

Spike turned around. "I love you too, " was all he said before going out the door.