Buffy heard the buzzer say, “Angel is ready to see you now Buffy.”
Buffy looked down at her completely black outfit thinking that is just how she felt today. She used her card and pushed 3 and was taken up to the waiting room. Today there was no smell of cigarettes or leather or anything remotely Spikeish. She must have just really missed him last night.
She heard Angel say, “Come in.” Buffy walked in quietly and took a seat noticing the broken chair was either repaired really well or replaced with another that looked the same.
Angel looked at Buffy and asked, “What would you like to do today? Tonight we are both invited to Lorne’s club. They will have karaoke but I don’t sing. You can though. It will be a great way for Lorne to determine your direction if you are interested.”
Buffy shrugged not really interested but knowing she had to pretend to be, “That would be a great help.”
Angel nodded satisfied and made a note to double Lorne’s paycheck this week if he would tell Buffy that her plans lead her here. “So your day, what do you want to do? It’s cloudy so we could do anything. Take a walk together…,”
Angel was cut off as Buffy said, “Can tonight after we go to Lorne’s club, can we do some serious slaying?”
Angel thought about what Giles had said for a moment. Giles had said she was a walking suicide bomb but he’d be there to keep her safe and she seemed interested so he said, “Sure, there’s a big vampire nest on the east side of town I’ve been trying to wait for Gunn and Wesley to both be available for. I think Gunn is available tonight so we can have him suit up and go too if you want.”
Buffy smiled not feeling very happy inside but needing something to do that might give her a bit of a rush. She looked at Angel , “Can I go shopping?”
Angel looked into the hopeless sad eyes of Buffy and knew he couldn’t deny her. He had wanted her to spend a day out on the town with him but if she wanted to go shopping, he’d make sure she had fun. Angel reached into his desk handing over a credit card , “That’s my personal card. Knock yourself out. It has no limit. I’ll call Fred and she can go with you if you’d like.”
Buffy was so thankful Angel wasn’t going to try to take him herself. She smiled , “That would be great.” She liked Fred. Fred was buzzed and together Fred and Buffy went to go shopping.
Spike was mumbling the whole way in this desert. It was hot and for a vampire to be hot, it had to be really hot. He was hot, cranky, and peckish.
He was tempted to drink blood from his camel but then he’d have to walk. He wasn’t into walking in a hot desert for miles. He was thankful there was no sun but he couldn’t imagine how hot it must be in sunny days.
He yelled up to his three companions, “Seriously how much further do we have to go? I’m feeling mighty peckish.”
The only one of the three men he had ever heard talked turned around saying, “Good things comes to those who wait.”
Spike yelled back saying, “So does that mean there’s blood there?”
The man sighed and said, “Left side pouch, it’s probably even nicely warmed for you by not but ration yourself. Angel said to pack you 6 water skins full and that is all you would need.”
Spike opened the pouch taking out the water skin and taking a sip , “Bloody peaches putting me on a bloody diet. Is that some kind of joke? That teletubbie drinks enough for the whole city of L.A. to stay watered for a year and that’s just in one day.” He took another sip and put the water skin away wishing the trip was over already.
Buffy went through store to store. She didn’t buy much. She bought a book of poetry that was Spike’s favorite at the bookstore.
She frowned knowing that she had really nothing to remember him by, only the scar on her hand which she valued. It was one thing that could never be taken from her. She had also bought mostly red and black items. She didn’t do that on purpose. She just found she was naturally drawn towards things in those colors, which were Spike’s favorite. She did buy a dark blue dress as well but she had nothing to wear it to.
Fred was having lots of fun. She was buying tons of outfits enjoying the fact it was being put on Angel’s credit card. She commented that she has no females to shop with since Angel’s team is made up of males other than Harmony. Buffy found herself smiling sometimes, really enjoying Fred’s company. Fred had lots to talk about. Sometimes Fred would be rambling so much she’d have to stop herself short in the middle of the story to make sure Buffy didn’t have anything to say. Buffy didn’t realize Fred was stopping herself to cut Spike out of her stories.
They walked by a leather shop and Buffy found herself standing in front of the window with a long leather trench coat.
Fred watched Buffy’s longing expression saying, “Did you want that coat Buffy?”
Buffy shook her head as a stray tear fell that she quickly brushed away. Buffy took a deep breath to gain control of her emotions and whispered softly, “Reminds me of someone I once loved.”
Fred nodded knowing Spike had a coat similar to that so she said, “Sometimes it’s hard to forget the ones you love.”
Buffy nodded in agreement, “He died for a good cause. He saved the world you know. He saved me. Didn’t believe I loved him, the stupid vampire. I imagine he got to go to heaven. I was in heaven once, it’s a nice place…”
Buffy trailed off before she said too much. Fred wrapped her arm around Buffy letting her bags swing against her arm saying, “Want some ice cream?” Buffy smiled and nodded letting Fred lead the way.
Spike was tired. He had been on the camel for what seemed like hours. He could feel that it was still in the middle of the night but he was tired of bumping around on the back of this beast. Couldn’t Angel have been less creative on his choice of transportation? Spike was tempted to whip out his phone and give him a peace of his mind but didn’t want to do it until he had the bloody damn scroll in his hand. He hoped this scroll was written in blood or something that was really important because this adventure so far stank big deal.
When he agreed to fight the good fight, Buffy never had him running around in the desert looking for scrolls. He was told to go beat up some demons. Now that was his kind of work.
The talking wise man turned around saying, “Got a few hours left. We should reach the place about 2 hours prior to sunrise giving you plenty of time to get settled in for the daytime. We can sleep through the day then get up and travel by night per Angel’s instructions. He said you were not to travel by day unless we wanted to clean up a mess.”
Spike blurted out, “Yea the big poof would like that. Getting rid of his good ole pal Spike. Then he wouldn’t have competition and wouldn’t have a pain his royal fat ass. Life is just brilliant isn’t it?”
The wise man turned to face forward determined to let him have his tantrum with no audience.
Spike yelled up towards the sky, “I bet you are loving it you great powers to be. You think you can let Angel kick my ass? Well guess what? I’m better than that. I want to save the world one case at a time and if it means I take a bloody camel into the hot desert then that is what I will bleeding do!”
He took a water skin from his pouch and took another few sips of blood and sighed feeling discouraged and abused but confident he could deal with this and come out on top.