~Chapter 2: Calvary~
Spike sighed heavily, feeling the tension further rise within him. He looked down at the bright orange shirt and pants he presently was sporting, letting his eyes drift over the bold black letters that let everyone know that he was currently a inmate of the ‘Sunnydale County Police Department.’ The words stared back at him, mocking him with their dirty appearance, and making him feel even more helpless.
“Bloody ‘ell.”
After being through the process of booking for the first time in his life, (he may have been a rebel in his way, but he wasn’t a criminal), he had been given the chance to use his one phone call, and used it to call his sister, Winifred. Following a very confusing conversation on what had just happened to him, Fred assured him that she would pick up Dawn from school, and look after her until this whole misunderstanding had been resolved and he was let go. She even offered to take Dawn out to Pizza Planet for dinner so Spike wouldn’t have to worry about getting her dinner when he came home.
Spike was grateful for that, and promised to make it up to her when he could. He and Fred had always been close, Spike always the one to look after his younger sister. Growing up in a house with two workaholic parents whom they rarely saw, the two siblings had grown to rely on each other immensely throughout their early years, always sticking together at school and on the playground.
When their parents separated seventeen years ago, Spike was fifteen, and little Fred had only been thirteen. Their mother, Trish, had decided to move back to Texas to find a house near her own parents, taking Fred with her. Spike had been devastated to loose his little sister and best friend, and had tried everything he could to go with them. Their father Liam, however, was adamant in the fact that Spike had to go with him. It would have been fine, except Liam dropped the bomb that he was moving his editing business to England, and had to be there to get the company off the ground and up and running.
So Spike had went to England, leaving his mother and sister in Texas. He threw himself into the fast-paced London night life and lived it up. But when he went home to an empty house later, he missed having a sister to confide in.
So after graduating high school at the top of his class, Spike returned home to California to study history. Trish had remarried some time ago, to a rich advertising CEO named Roger Burkle, who had moved the middle-aged woman and her teenage daughter to Los Angles. Fred had just turned sixteen, and was very excited to have her older brother and idol back to look after her.
The time that had passed had changed the two siblings, and the had both become strong independent people, never relying on their parents for anything. Spike had become a strong willed man with a natural charisma that made people drawn to him. Fred had grown into a mature young woman who was timid, but very charming. She had even managed to capture the heart of Spike’s long time lawyer, and best friend, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce.
The sound of a metal door opening could be heard throughout the holding cells, where Spike was sitting. The blonde’s head snapped to attention immediately, his body straightening as he craned his neck to see down the empty hallway. A male officer came into view, and Spike recognized him as the older captain of the Sunnydale Police force, Mr. Lockley.
“Let’s go, Pratt.” Lockley called out, fishing through the set of keys in his hand until he found the right one to unlock the door.
Spike rose to his feet, walking quickly over to the opening cell door. “They cleared this thing up then, mate. Found that all this was a stupid bloody misunderstanding, an’ I’m free to go?”
Lockley laughed, like he had hear everything Spike was saying from somebody else before. “Like hell, Pratt. You’re lawyer’s here.”
Spike ran a shaky through his already mused hair, separating the gelled back curls and giving him a disheveled look. He still had yet to be told exactly what the charges were, opting himself to wait until Wes got here to help clear the matter up. But the other Brit was good at what he did, having won many cases since passing the bar exam.
If anyone could make sense of this whole situation, it was Wesley.
~*~*~*~
The interrogation room was fairly small, the long steel bars of the cell doors serving as walls for two of the four sides. The other two were of white dry-wall, with two small windows in the middle letting a stream of bright sunshine in. The beam shone down on the single metal table with a white tabletop and two chairs on either side of it that stood in the middle of the room.
Spike sat in one of the chairs, idly tapping his fingers on the tabletop, his head throbbing and his stomach in knots. He wasn’t sure if it showed, but he was scared beyond reason right now. After hearing that Wesley had indeed shown up, and the charges were not being dropped as he had been sure they would, Spike was really starting to wonder if something was wrong. The officer that had brought him in had told him that he was being charged with sexual assault of a minor, and now after having time in a very cold and musty cell, Spike thought he may have figured out what was going on. The only real thing it could be was-
The doors were opened then, and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce strode into the room purposefully. His crisp black suit, white dress shirt, and leather briefcase gave him the impression of a hard-dealing lawyer that wasn’t in the mood to negotiate. He had thin glasses that added to the appearance of a book smart man who knew the who’s and what’s of law. The expression on his face showed that he was ready to get down to business.
A young woman followed him into the room, carrying her own briefcase, and a stack of papers cradled in her right arm. She had long honey blonde hair, that was pulled back into a neat bun, a few stray hairs escaping their confines to fall around her face. She had a modern gray suit on, consisting of a fitted jacket that was held together in the front with a single button, and a knee length skirt with a small slit up the right side. Black pumps added extra height to her petite form.
“William, what in God’s name is going on?” Wesley asked, sitting his briefcase on the table and taking a seat. His normally classy British Accent taking on a roguish, deep tone.
“Funny. I was about to ask you the same bloody thing.” Spike replied, leaning forward on his elbows. “Wes, I am beyond confused right now. I need to know how the hell I ended up in here.”
Wesley sighed heavily, looking away for a moment as if to collect his thoughts. Turning back to his friend, he met his eyes and pursed him thin lips.
“You’re being accused of sexual assault, Spike.” Wesley leveled with him, not bothering to use his real name.
Spike blinked, shaking his head slowly. “I got that, Wes. They told me when they brought me in. What I don’t understand is why.”
“A student of yours came forth with a story. Told her father that you were helping her with her studies and took advantage of her.”
“A student-” Spike stopped himself, all of the pieces falling into place. His first assumption had been right after all. “Dru.”
Wesley nodded, looking behind him at the blonde girl, taking the manila folder she offered him and turning back to Spike. He opened it and looked over a sheet of paper. “A Drusilla Rayne, sixteen years old, a sophomore in your Advanced American History class. She says that you offered to help her with an assignment after school. She says that when you made an inappropriate pass at her, she tried to leave, and you stopped her and proceeded to assault her.”
Spike stared at him in disbelief.
“Are you bloody kiddin’ me?!” He shouted, jumping out of his chair to pace in front of the table. The guard standing by the closed door went to sit him back down, but Wesley put up his hand in protest. He backed off, but kept a watchful eye on the pacing man.
“I assure you that I’m not, Spike.” Wesley told him seriously. “Now, this is a very serious crime you’re being accused of. The school board is very put out that such a thing could occur right under their noses, and will be willing to testify against you in court to save face.”
“Testify?” Spike whispered, not feeling very well. “It’s going to trial?”
Wesley nodded slowly. “Of course.”
Spike stopped pacing for a moment to look down, bringing his hands up to run through his hair nervously. He felt faint, like he might fall over if he tried to moved, and worried that words would not come if he tried to speak.
“Spike, please tell me you weren’t helping Drusilla Rayne this past Tuesday at two o’clock.” Wesley pleaded in a fevered whisper, leaning forward.
Spike raised his head to look at him with tears in his blue eyes.
“She said that she needed help with an essay I assigned to her class. Said she wasn’t clear on the topic. So I offered to stay after with her to explain it better; help her get started with the first paragraph.” He confessed, knowing that he was in serious trouble.
“Oh, dear lord, Spike.” Wesley breathed, hanging his own head.
“I helped her with her bloody paper, Wesley. But that’s it. I would never-” He stopped himself, obviously over with distress, his blue eyes going wide. He suddenly started pacing again, watching as his feet moved quickly along the grimy tile.
Wesley watched on, feeling helpless to alleviate the state his friend was in. He looked up to his assistant and gave her a pointed look. She immediately pulled out another file, and handed it to the lawyer. Wesley took out a longer sheet of paper, and a fancy pen, sitting them on Spike’s side of the table.
“I’ve put together a statement that proclaims your innocence. You have a hearing tomorrow morning at eight o’clock. At which time I’ll make a plea, and a bail will be set. Once the bail is met, you’ll be free to go until the trial, which gives us time to put together our case.” Wesley told him.
“What does the statement say?” Spike asked, not stopping his pacing.
“What I figured you say before I talked to you. That you didn’t do it.”
“‘Course I didn’t bloody do it.”
“I never thought for one second that you did, Spike.” Wesley said honestly. “But all the evidence does point to you.”
“Point to me?” He asked incredulously, stopping his pacing then. “Point to me?! Wesley this is-” His voice caught in his throat.
“Wesley, they’re trying to accuse me of rape!” His voice rose to new heights and the blonde girl jumped from her spot behind Wesley, her hazel eyes widening. Spike’s eyes immediately went to her petite form, and noticed for the first time how pretty she was. He shook his head then, trying to clear his head of all those crazy thoughts.
Yes, hit on the paralegal who’s helping you get off on charges of SEXUAL ASSAULT, you bloody git!
“Spike, I will fix this. I promise you, I will. But you need to stay calm and try to keep a level head about this. You didn’t do this, and I will be damned if they try to put you away for something you didn’t do.”
Spike finally let his eyes leave the captivating hazel ones he was drawn to, and turned his attention back to the man helping him out. He nodded softly, sitting back down and looking over the statement. Looking up as a new thought came to him, he frowned.
“This means I spend the night ‘ere, then?”
“Yes, it does.”
Spike nodded, looking back down briefly before meeting Wesley’s understanding eyes. “Will you an’ Fred look after Dawnie for the night?”
“‘Course. We’ll be glad to have ‘er.”
Spike nodded, letting a small smile cross his face when he thought of his little girl. “She doesn’t have school tomorrow, and usually gets up ‘round nine. She’ll want pancakes, pro’lly the funny shaped ones with chocolate chips in ‘em. She likes to take bubble baths on the weekends, so you have to have extra bubbles. And make sure you get her, her Barbies from home, ‘cause she takes them in the tub with ‘er. And be sure t-”
“Spike.” Wesley stopped him, smiling. “I got it. Fred knows everything. Dawn’ll be just fine. We’ll take good care of her.”
Spike hesitated for a moment, then nodded softly, reaching over to grab the pen that Wesley had laid out for him. He signed the statement and slid it back without saying a word.
Wesley gathered his papers then and handed then back to the blonde silently. “Spike, I assure you, that this will all be taken care off accordingly. Dawn will stay with Fred and I for the night, and tomorrow we will go before the judge. I assume you will be making your own bail, then?”
Spike nodded, a gesture which Wesley returned.
“Okay, then. I will see you tomorrow morning.” Wesley stood, grabbing his briefcase, and turning to go.
The blonde girl hung back for a moment, a deep frown mirroring her features, as she gazed at Spike, watching him stand.
“Buffy? Are you coming, dear?” Wesley called, turning back to look at her.
She looked up sharply at him, then back to Spike, who stared at her blankly, too worn out to form a thought. She gave him a small, shy smile, and he could tell it was meant to set him at ease.
Spike nodded softly, returning her smile. She turned to go, stopping behind Wesley.
“Oh, and Spike.” Wesley called out, waiting until Spike looked up, and giving him pointed look, at which Spike nodded.
Then they left.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
It's weird being on time with updates. Now I just need to finish the epilogue of POY. :D I was blown away at the response to the first chapter, and now I feel the pressure. I hope you all like what I'm doing, and are not disappointed. This story will develop slowly, so please stay with me;)