Chapter 22
“Damnit.” Now, she had to find a replacement mirror. Had to have been a trick of her imagination, brought on by the stress of the situation.
A quick glance in the mirror of the medicine cabinet showed a normal-looking Charlotte. It was time to change the bandage on her neck and apply more ointment. The holes were neater than the first bite she’d received, but they’d gone deeper. She would have bled out completely, but that hadn’t been Nicholae’s plan. He’d sealed the wound after taking what he wanted. Charlotte winced as she lightly dabbed the ointment on the scabs. No chance of losing the scar, this time.
She took her meds and treated the other marks from where needles and fingernails had punctured her skin. “Feel like a bloody pincushion,” she grumbled.
Soon, there was nothing more to do but try not to think.
~+~
Buffy and Spike arrived at the Hyperion at the same time.
“Hey,” Buffy said casually.
“Hello, pet,” he said softly. He was in ‘reserved Spike’ mode again.
“Any news?” she asked, as he held the door open.
He shrugged, indicating ‘not much’. “Took Charlotte home last night. She’s recuperating alright, all things considered.”
She nodded. “I can’t imagine feeling another personality riding around in your head. Have there been any more, um, outbursts?”
“No…seems you triggered that one on your lonesome,” Spike replied.
Buffy winced. “Sorry I ran. The Slayer part of me…it wasn’t happy, either…” she admitted.
Spike said kindly, blue eyes understanding, “It’s alright, luv. You’re designed to feel natural enemies, and so are we. The important thing is that no one got hurt. Charlotte’s just as concerned as you are about avoiding a confrontation.”
Buffy relaxed, relieved. “Okay. Willow hasn’t found anything, yet. I talked to her before I came over. Angel?”
Nina came out of the office. “He’s not here. He went out to ‘beat up a source’.”
“Ah. Kinda makes me miss Willy,” Buffy said nostalgically. Spike chuckled.
“Good times… Don’t suppose you’ve found a juicy tidbit in any books?” he asked the werewolf.
Nina shook her head. “Sorry. There aren’t that many in English.”
“Well, point me to the stack, luv,” Spike requested. He followed her into the office.
“I, uh, guess I’ll go patrol, then. Buffy and books - not so mixy,” the Slayer stated. She’d just be in the way if he was going to read books all night.
Spike already knew what she was thinking. “You don’t have to run off, Slayer. Could use the company.”
She smiled, relieved that he wanted her around. Buffy plopped into a chair. Nina brought her a cup of coffee, then went upstairs to study.
“So, I mentioned to Dawn in an email that Charlotte was injured over the weekend, but that she’ll be fine…”
Spike arched a brow. “Bit light on the details, eh?”
Buffy squirmed. “Maybe…but I didn’t want her rushing home because she’s all freaked out. She’ll be back in two weeks, anyway…”
“Well, don’t blame me when she starts yelling cuz she was kept out of the loop,” he replied. “Scary as it is, she’s not a kid anymore.”
“So, you catch her up to speed, then. She calls you more often than me, anyway,” Buffy retorted.
“That’s because I don’t grill her on every bloody aspect of how she’s fine.” He grinned smugly. “I’m more fun.”
“I’m all kinds of…fun,” Buffy sputtered.
“Are you two fighting again?!”
“DAWN!” she yelped unladylike. Buffy spun in the chair fast in surprise, knocking herself right off and landing awkwardly on the floor. “Ow.”
“Hey, guys,” Dawn greeted, smirking. She was feeling pretty smug for getting the drop on the supernatural two.
Spike came around the desk and hugged her. “Welcome home, Bit,” he said affectionately. “World travel looks good on you.”
Indeed. Buffy thought her sister could have stepped off a Fall Ready-wear runway. Bitch. “Blow all your money on clothes?” she asked.
“Nice to see you, too,” Dawn snarked, rolling her eyes. Would her sister ever lighten up?
The Slayer hugged her sister, feeling really short since Dawn was wearing heels. It sucked being the family midget!
“I missed you, dummy. I just wasn’t expecting you now. What happened to two weeks from now?” she teased.
“I got bored,” Dawn replied, shrugging. “I discovered that world travel is more fun if you have someone along. Is the apartment ready, or are you still living out of boxes?” she teased her sister.
“Ha, ha. I sorted everything out months ago, brat. Except for your room, of course.”
“Have you eaten, luv?” Spike interjected.
“Not since a couple hours ago. I could go for some American fare,” Dawn replied, grinning.
He clapped his hands together. “Great. Let’s head out, and then I’ll drop you ladies at home.” Spike looked at the mountain of luggage in the entry and exclaimed, “Bloody hell!”
~+~
Charlotte got ready for bed, and decided to check her messages. Three missed calls: Spike, Spike, and…Dawn? She listened to the teen’s message and smiled. Back in town, eh? She’d have to call back in the morning. Spike’s phone went immediately to voice mail, so she left a brief message that she was fine.
She would be fine, if she could just get back to her routine.
~+~
By luck, Angel hadn’t taken the Plymouth when he went out, so Spike used the big car to take Dawn and Buffy home by way of McDonald’s, then steered towards Charlotte’s. In case the little demon got curious enough to go walkabout, someone needed to be there to keep an eye on her. He was pleased to find the lights already off…meant Charlotte was obeying doctor’s orders to rest.
This went on for a few more nights: she’d leave a preemptive message that she was fine, and Spike parked all night to watch. By Sunday, she went out to meet him when he pulled up in front of her door.
“Spike, my landlord is getting on my case about having a guest who parks and stares at my door all night. He thinks you’re a stalker and is about to call the police. I’m fine. I’m going back to work tomorrow. Either go park in the guest area, or go away.”
“Char…”
“Don’t. Just try to let me get back to normal, okay?” she pleaded.
“But what about…”
“I’m fine. No sleepwalking, no midnight binges…go home, or go to Buffy’s.” Charlotte firmly shut the door and locked it, tuning him out.
What she didn’t say was that she’d been cuffing herself to the bed frame, just in case.
~+~
Charlotte kept to herself during the work week, except to have dinner on Friday with Dawn, in a turtleneck. It’s what she wore every day to school and would be, until the mark on her neck was nothing but a scar. She kept the girl talking about her travels, what she’d seen and done.
“Buffy’s insisting I get a job until college starts in January, which totally sucks, except that I do need to replenish my savings account, but I really don’t want to work in a Mall…so over that…” Dawn rambled.
She made the appropriate listening noises, but Charlotte’s mind wasn’t on the conversation. Eating out at a restaurant provided a new challenge – the assault on her newly enhanced senses. She finally begged off dessert, citing a headache, and drove Dawn home.
Ten minutes later, she ran into the Hyperion. Angel was flipping through a book on the counter.
“How do you stand it out there?!” she exclaimed.
“Stand…what, Charlotte?” he asked, approaching slowly as if she was a spook-able wild animal.
“Humanity! The noise, the smell…I went to a restaurant with Dawn, and it was…”
“Overwhelming.”
“Yeah!” she sighed. “I’ve been alright in the classroom, cuz it’s big, and I could focus on the music, but tonight…I can’t just not breathe!”
“Come, have a seat,” he replied, indicating the sofa. “Would you like some tea, or anything?”
Charlotte shook her head. “No, I’m okay.” She leaned back against the wall. “This sucks.”
“I’m sorry,” Angel said genuinely. “I wish we knew the solution.”
“I know…I trust you guys to try your best. It’s just…he violated me, and how can I get over it if just being alive reminds me…?” Her breath hitched. She swallowed the emotion and continued. “Did you make it hurt…when you killed him?”
“Not as much as I would have with no deadline,” he answered seriously.
She nodded, understanding. “He had your son.”
“Yeah. Um…I found that Tai Chi helped my concentration…before my soul was anchored. Can’t promise anything, but I could teach you,” Angel offered.
Charlotte shrugged. “Might as well try something. Ignoring it won’t make it go away, will it?”
“No… Well, Spike’s upstairs…” He stood to go back in the office.
Her mouth quirked to the side. “That’s okay…I’d rather not be mother-henned right now.” She stood to leave.
“Charlotte… Come downstairs. I have some time, and the basement’s quiet.”
“Okay.” She relaxed, relieved. Odd, that she preferred Angel’s company at the moment, when he’d creeped her out for so long. Life really did evolve…
An unconscious growl rumbled from her chest as she followed Angel down into the basement.
“Did you just…growl?” he asked, surprised.
Charlotte ducked her head. “There’s a scent in here…I feel…agitated?”
Angel inhaled, then looked like he might blush. “Buffy stayed with Nina over the full moon recently. I’m sorry…we can find another space…”
“No…I have to get used to it, right? Miss Demon can just put up or shut up. What do I need to do?”
He smiled at her tenacity and unrolled a mat. “We’ll start simple and do some basic meditation, okay? Have a seat.”
For not being a people person, Angel was a patient teacher. It took several minutes for Charlotte to clear her mind enough to just focus on her breathing, and then her senses. Once she was in the zone, he instructed her to keep her eyes closed and pinpoint where he was in the room.
“Take your time,” he said.
You could only gain control through practice – the body was no different. With no distractions or light, she had to focus on what she could hear and what she could smell. Of course, Angel was a highly experienced vampire, so he could move silently and remain that way indefinitely. But, for the purpose of the exercise, she had to have something to point to. He breathed very lightly, and she pointed to the far wall.
“Good.”
Silence again. She was sure he was circling her, moving about, but where? Movement displaced air, which flowed towards her nostrils as she inhaled, and she knew. Belonging. The feeling, or thought, bubbled forth from that primitive sector where the demon lived.
Angel sensed the change as it happened, right before Charlotte opened glittering green eyes.
“Charlotte?”
“Uh-huh…” She tilted her head, perceiving her surroundings. “It got bright in here.”
Angel shook his head. “Night vision. You’re in, uh, ‘game face’…” he gestured.
Her hands flew up to her face to feel for changes, but it was still smooth. Then, she pricked her tongue on a fang. “Ow.”
“What do you know?” he asked, crouching in front of her.
Charlotte listened. “There’s a human above us. I can hear their heartbeat. Probably Nina?”
He nodded. “Go on…”
She closed her eyes and concentrated. “Spike’s playing a video game. I can hear the beeps and bloops. And…she knows who she belongs to…”
“She?”
“The demon. She’s happy to be among family,” Charlotte added. “How do I shake this off?”
“Just relax and think of how you normally look.”
“Thanks.” She stood and brushed off her butt. “I’m gonna say hi to Spike, then take off.”
“You’re welcome. You made some good progress, and I promise we’ll keep looking for an answer,” Angel replied. “Goodnight, Charlotte.”
“’Night, Angel.”
~+~
Charlotte opened Spike’s door and stuck her head in. “Ya decent?”
“Come in, luv,” he replied, eyes still on his game. His fingers deftly flew over the controls. “What brings you by?”
Charlotte was rapidly rethinking her idea to say ‘hello’, as a bolt of lust hit her out of nowhere. Stop it! That’s my friend! she scolded the demon. Spike was sitting slumped in his chair, engrossed in his game and wearing no shirt. A sight that she normally appreciated, but wasn’t affected by. (Until being infected by a demon during the ovulation part of her cycle, apparently!)
“I was in the neighborhood, so I’m saying hello. Hi! But it’s late, so…” She turned to leave, then cursed vampire speed as Spike appeared in front of her. Please let me leave before she embarrasses me! “Gah! Don’t do that.”
“Sorry…just wanted you to know you’re welcome. ‘Just in the neighborhood’, eh? You smell like Peaches.”
Charlotte stepped back from him. “Huh? Oh, Angel…yeah, I talked to him for a bit downstairs. In light of current circumstances, he’s not creepy anymore.”
Spike’s keen eyes narrowed speculatively. “You alright, pet?” Her body temperature was elevated.
She nodded eagerly. “Yup. Fine as one can be with a hitchhiker in her brain. Well, the kids have a competition tomorrow, so I can’t stay…” Charlotte started to step around him, smiling apologetically. He stopped her, looking concerned.
“Char…”
“G’night, Spike. See you Sunday, maybe?” she added softly. Please let me go!
He nodded, though not satisfied. “Alright. You want me to walk you to the car?”
“That’s okay…I didn’t want to interrupt your game. I’ll see you soon.” She retreated further, sighing in the hallway, before continuing out of the lobby.
God, she’d never felt a craving like that before! This demon was all friggin’ Id. Hungry, horny, sleepy… Rather not be a teenage boy, thank you! Charlotte could feel the demon grumbling as she drove away.
“Get over it,” she told it out loud. “I am not jumping my best friend just because you think he smells good!”
~+~
Spike couldn’t help thinking that he’d just missed something. Charlotte had been…weird…tense. Was she still miffed about his protectiveness? He’d backed off like she asked… Spike inhaled to sigh, and felt his mouth water involuntarily. She…nooo… Not for him! The scent had already gone straight to his dick.
“Oi! Knock it off. Respect the lady!” he scolded his second brain.
Bloody hell…he needed to get out of this room.
~+~
Charlotte slept fitfully, dreaming feverishly erotic images. She awoke at sunrise drenched in sweat, exhausted, and really turned on.
“Cold shower, it is, then,” she grumbled, getting out of bed and pulling the sheets off to wash later.
She felt restless all day, like her skin was too small. Once her students were back at the high school and on their way home, Charlotte went back to her apartment to go back to sleep. Except that closing her eyes started the instant replay.
“Go away!” she groaned.
A knock on the door interrupted her tossing and turning. Charlotte grumbled, making her way to the door.
“Better not be a man,” she muttered.
“Hey, you!” Dawn said perkily, wrapping her in a hug. “Are you feeling better today?”
Charlotte grimaced. “Do I look better?”
Dawn closed the door and followed her friend to the couch. “Geeze, PMS-ing, much?”
She chuckled ruefully. “Close. So, what’s up?”
“Buffy spilled the beans about your…predicament.”
“Oh. It’s an…interesting…situation, eh?”
Dawn clasped her friend’s hand. “You wanna talk about it?”
Charlotte’s gaze dropped to her lap. “I don’t know… On the one hand, it’s deeply personal, you know? And on the other… It’s just so weird having this second set of emotions in my head. She’s all Id – you had basic psychology, right?” Dawn nodded. “Yeah, so she’s all Id…all about feeling and experiencing without reason attached to it. AndIthinkshehasacrushonSpike.”
“Say that last part again?” Dawn asked.
Charlotte sighed loudly. “I think she has a crush on Spike.”
Dawn’s eyes widened. “Wow, really? Just like that?”
“Just like that. He was hanging out in his room last night without a shirt – normally not a big deal – but I had to leave. Then, I have these intense dreams all night and wake up – at dawn! – sweaty and exhausted. It’s like there’s a 14-year-old boy in my head!”
“I would be so totally embarrassed!”
“Um, yeah! I’d probably jump the pizza boy right now. I’m declaring now that I’m not leaving the house while on my period!”
“I’ll remember to come chain you to the bed,” Dawn teased.
“This isn’t funny!” she exclaimed as the teen giggled.
She sobered. “Sorry. It kinda is, though, if you’re not you.”
“Oh, shut up.”
“Sorry. So, are you just gonna hide out until the horniness passes?”
Charlotte shrugged. “What else can I do? It was all I could do to control her impulses last night…one hot guy comes into my sight, and who knows what will happen?”
“Yeah, that’s kinda handy only if you’re married or something…” Dawn mused.
“Right. So, I’m not leaving the house until I have to go to work Monday.”
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