Their conversation had barely gotten underway when Snyder and Lindsey began talking over each other, debating the merits of Spike’s pre-determined deal with the LAPD.
“In good faith, I think---“ Lindsey shuffled his papers.
“I refuse to even consider---“ Snyder sneered.
An insistent tapping on the glass of the next-door viewing room cut both of them off.
“Excuse me,” Snyder stood angrily, ready to give a piece of mind to whoever dared interrupt him.
He stepped through the door, and slammed it behind him.
“Look, Spike, I’m going to do my best, and you have the entirety of Wolfram and Hart behind you, but---“
“It’s alright, mate,” Spike said softly, keeping his voice down in case they were being observed. “Know you’ll do what you can. Not like I didn’t know this was coming.”
“Luckily, we have leverage besides what’s in the disks. But if Angelus talks, we’re screwed.”
“He won’t. Bastard thinks he can beat the system, won’t even occur to him I know more than I’ve ever let on before it’s too late.”
“Thank God for Dru, that’s all I have to say. Who would have thought she’d turn on him.”
“She mentioned to me, whispered some sort of sodding riddle when I found her talking to Buffy in the kitchen a bit back. Figured she was just being Dru, didn’t think much of it at the time.” Spike frowned at his own mistake, then tried to push any thoughts of how things could have gone differently had he listened to her from his mind.
“She made her own deal, getting no time. And that account you asked me about, all set up. She’s set for life.”
“Good.” Spike grabbed a tissue from the table in front of him and systematically began shredding it, while his leg jittered beneath the table.
“Have you considered what might happen if Angelus makes a deal of his own? Gives up the Mayor, or Trick, or any of the other guys above him?”
“He won’t. He’s not that stupid. But if he does, he’ll be dead the day he walks out of prison, or even before. Not too worried about that.”
“You think?”
“I know. And none of his other…employees would come after me, their loyalty to him isn’t that strong. Everyone knows he’s a right bastard, no one will give a fuck.”
“Lilah’s representing Fred, but unfortunately there’s not a lot I think she can do. But if anything can be done, you know Lilah’s the one who could do it. I’m guessing three or four years.”
Spike’s shoulders sagged. “I never should have dragged her into this.”
“Do you want---“
Snyder came back into the room, a disturbingly pleased expression on his pinched features. “Well. Let’s get back to this, shall we?”
After two hours of pacing the area right outside the room where her fate—and Spike’s fate---was being decided, Buffy accepted Willow’s offer of coffee, and sat to gulp it down without tearing her gaze from the door.
She finally gave in to what her body was telling her, and rose to go use the bathroom after commanding Xander to come get her if there was the slightest bit of movement from the interrogation room. She headed down the hall, but stopped short as she saw Gunn leading a handcuffed Fred towards the station’s exit.
The pair stopped at the door, next to a uniformed officer, who Gunn quietly said something to, causing him to leave. Gunn placed his hands on either side of Fred’s face, and began to whisper to her. Buffy struggled to keep from bursting into tears again as she watched Fred lift her head and press a sweet, chaste kiss to Gunn’s lips, before the cop returned and pulled her away.
Buffy ran into the bathroom and struggled to regain control of herself. She bent over the sink and suppressed tears, then raised her head and stared at the haggard, drained face looking back at her.
Once she’d returned to her seat, it was only a few minutes before a familiar figure crossed her vision, his hands cuffed behind his back, a murderous look in his dark gaze. Despite the instantaneous shaking inside her, Buffy maintained her calm and collected attitude, and rose to confront her tormentor.
“Hi, Liam,” she said smoothly. “I hope you’re enjoying our fine hospitality.”
He leered at her, trying to mask his obvious panic. “Buffy. I was disappointed I didn’t get to talk with you, they sent in some other dipshit to try and question me. What is it, baby, afraid to be alone in a room with me? Don’t be scared, I can’t hurt you here. Much.”
“You can’t hurt me at all.”
“I beg to differ. Still high, baby?” His voice sank to a deep growl as his eyes raked over her body.
She rolled her eyes at him. “Still in jail?”
“It won’t stick.”
Buffy laughed at him, which he clearly didn’t appreciate. “You’re going away permanently, Liam. Sorry to disappoint.”
“We’ll see.”
“Guess we will,” she said lightly, which seemed to infuriate him even more. “Just satisfy my curiosity with one question. Not like you can satisfy anything else.”
“I’d be careful who you talk to like that, little girl.”
“Look around. You don’t hold the power in this place, I’ll talk to you however I want.” Buffy stepped closer to him, staring him directly in the eye, her confidence not wavering. “What was the point of killing Giles? He wasn’t in your way, he didn’t have any information for you. Why?”
“But Buff, I didn’t do that!” He affected a mask of perfect, boyish innocence, then lowered his voice so only she could hear. “That was sad, confused Fred. But if I had been planning to do something evil, and wrong like that…it would have only been to mess with you, beautiful.”
She wouldn’t allow her revulsion, or her guilt, to show on her face. “Get him the fuck out of my sight,” she commanded the cop next to her, then returned to her seat, blocking out the sounds of his laughter as he was walked out of the building.
Buffy sat, and she watched the door, and she waited.
They finally exited, first Lindsey looking smug, then a cranky Snyder, and then Spike, looking completely and utterly drained. She stood quickly, hopefully, and watched as Snyder gestured to a nearby officer and had him fasten handcuffs onto Spike’s wrists.
The room was a flurry of activity, full of people and loud noise, but the only thing Buffy could concentrate on was the blank, hard look on Spike’s face.
She headed towards him, not a desire in her mind except to hear his voice.
“What happened?” She asked quietly when she got to him. He said nothing. “Spike, please, just tell me.”
“What did you do, Buffy?” His voice was low, almost angry, and held none of his earlier warmth.
“What? I didn’t do anything,” She lied.
“Snyder steps out of the room for five minutes and all of a sudden he’s offering me my old deal. What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything. And that’s great,” Buffy smiled, glad her plan had worked. “I can visit, and with good behavior---“
“No, pet. Whatever you did, take it back.”
She gawked at him. “But—“
“No.”
“Grace, time to go,” Snyder barked, and two policemen grabbed his arms and dragged him away. Buffy couldn’t stop the constant flow of her tears as she watched him being led from the room and out of her sight.
She was only frozen for a moment, then ran after Spike, catching up with him just before he was put into the back of a police car. She stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, and paid no attention to the cop looking at her curiously.
“I don’t care what you say, and I did what I had to. I’m waiting for you.”
Buffy kissed him briefly, her tears falling onto his lips, then spun and ran back into the building, not staying for the reply she knew would break her heart irreparably.
Spike watched her go, the tears burning his eyelids hurting more than when the bullet had slammed into his flesh, the salt of her own on his tongue making it harder to maintain control. He responded to the nudging of the cop, sat in the back seat of the car, and wouldn’t look back as they drove him away, no matter how much he wanted to.
As soon as Spike had left the station, Snyder spun around and searched for someone to take his aggressions out on, and a nearby officer, complaining about the FBI’s presence in the station and unaware of the short man within earshot, became his target.
“I just don’t think it’s right,” the young man was saying to his friend. “Especially considering we’ve been working this case for---“
Snyder stomped over and cut him off. “You! This is my station for as long as I want it, and this case is MINE, young man, and you better accept that.” The rookie instantly cowered, and tried to sputter an apology, which the shorter man paid not attention to. The other cop slowly backed away, as if moving any faster would garner him the attention of the irate agent. “I haven’t exactly enjoyed my day so far, and your ineptitude is not making it any better. I think I need to have a little chat with your boss, talk about what kind of ingrates he’s employing, completely ignorant of the way the hierarchy works. You know what? I think I’m going to write you up. For insubordination, for laziness, for-“
His phone rang from his pocket, and he continued to glare at the young man as he pulled it out. His face paled as he glanced at the name on his caller ID. “This isn’t over!” He yelled at the officer before scurrying down the hall.
Taking a deep breath, he answered his cell. “Hello, Mr. Mayor, sir…yes, it’s all taken care of…I had a stroke of luck, one of our agents offered to take an extended leave of absence and confess her multitude of sins in exchange for honoring Grace’s deal….yes, so he’ll be out in less than a year.”
Listening carefully, Snyder began making notations on his calendar. “Yes, of course. I would have made the deal regardless, Summers quitting was just a bonus and an excuse for my change of heart....You know if Angelus does attempt an ill-advised confession, he will be dealt with immediately...if that’s what you want, sir, I’ll make it happen. He’ll be dead within the week.”
No, Buffy’s life hadn’t turned out the way she’d wanted it to. With her career slowly crumbling before her eyes, she’d had two options. Suck it up, and pray for leniency, spend years at a desk pushing paperwork and hoping for one more shot. Or take a chance, and do what she had to in order to buy Spike the freedom he knew he deserved. She had known Snyder’s hate for her ran deep enough that he’d accept her immoral offer. He did, with hardly a fight, and now it was done. No turning back.
She’d wait. She’d find her true purpose in life, eventually.
And she needed Spike by her side when she did.
To be concluded tomorrow...please, please, let me know what you think!
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Oh. My. Gosh. When I shamelessly fished for reviews, I didn't expect such a huge response! A thousand million thank yous to all my readers, especially those who reviewed the last chapter and wished me a happy day of birth! I had a lovely, relaxing day and all your comments made me smile so much! I can't even begin to tell you how much it meant to me. Thankyouthankyouthankyou again! Enjoy the chapter, and tomorrow will be the conclusion!