”’M not saying I’m going down there, all right?” Spike crossed his arms firmly over his chest, his face leaving no room for discussion. “But if you two think I’m just gonna stay here and wait for you to get back, you’re seriously mistaken. ‘M going with you.”
“Dammit, Spike, would you stop for two seconds and listen to yourself?” Angel threw his arms up in frustration. “I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation! This is ridiculous, Buffy, please tell him to stop being an idiot and step back into reality.”
Buffy bit her lip, her eyes darting hesitantly between the two vampires. “Angel, I-“
“Ha!” Spike shouted triumphantly, pointing his finger at Angel. “The Slayer agrees with me. Take that, you big-“
“Actually, I don’t.” Buffy wrapped her arms around herself, mentally preparing for the outburst she knew was about to come. It wouldn’t change anything, though. Her mind was made up. “I’m sorry, Spike, but I can’t let you do this.” The moment the words were out of her mouth, she realized it had been the wrong thing to say.
“Oh, I’m sorry, you can’t let me? I know you didn’t just say that.” Spike’s eyes narrowed dangerously. He’d had absolutely no interest in returning to Rowan’s house, until it was clear to him that his sight was finally returning. He didn’t know how to explain it, but it changed everything.
She let out a deep sigh. “Spike, please, be reasonable about this. I almost lost you a few days ago. You barely made it out of that basement alive, and you’re still not fully recovered. Why would you even-”
“You’d hold us back.” Angel ignored the angry look Buffy threw in his direction. “I’m not trying to be cruel, but it’s the truth. You know it as well as I do, Spike. As long as you can’t see where you’re going, you’ll be no help to us, nor to Rowan. In fact-“ He was cut off as Spike’s fist hit him straight in the face, and stumbled back in surprise.
“Okay, Angel? You totally had it coming.” Buffy rolled her eyes and turned to Spike, who was smirking, “Nice hit, honey. You’re still not going.”
Spike’s face fell. He tilted his head to the side. “Watch me.” Then he turned around and deliberately bumped into Angel, almost knocking the dark-haired vampire off his feet, and continued towards the door. “Sorry, Gramps, didn’t see you there!” he called out over his shoulder, sounding anything but apologetic.
“How...?” Angel stared after Spike in disbelief before looking at Buffy, who was shaking her head in irritation. Seeing her obvious distress, he let out a sigh and put his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to him again.”
~ ~ ~
“Tell me about the others. Before me.” Rowan really couldn’t care less, but he figured it might buy him some time. Besides, if he could get Morou to keep talking, it was possible that the demon wouldn’t pay as much attention to what he was doing. After all, it wasn’t like Morou would consider him to be much of a threat at the moment.
Morou leaned in closer. “They were all weak. Just like you. And when their time came, it was always the same. They begged Morou to end their sorry existence.”
“Did you?” Rowan was pretty sure he already knew the answer to that, but couldn’t keep from asking.
The creature smiled, cruelly. “Eventually.”
Rowan gulped, horrifying images of his own painful death flying through his mind. “So, have you always been here? In this house, I mean. Was it just a coincidence that I was,” he hesitated, searching for the right word, “chosen for this? If I hadn’t moved in here-“
“You are nothing. A nobody. How could someone like you afford a house such as this one?” Morou watched him expectantly.
“I...” Rowan frowned. That was a good question. When he thought about it, he realized he couldn’t remember. “I got a good deal?” The uncertainty in his voice was obvious.
Morou leered at him. “Or maybe an offer you simply could not resist.”
The Senior Partners. Of course. The last of the pieces were falling into place. They had set him up from the start; not only lured him into coming to work at Wolfram and Hart, but into this house as well. Rowan’s eyes widened, understanding finally dawning on him. “My power?” he asked, doubtfully.
“Very convenient, don’t you think?” The beast let out a rumbling laugh. “It must have been nice, feeling important for a while. Too bad it was all a lie.”
Rowan shook his head in denial, closing his fingers around the small object beneath his hand. “You’re wrong. So, maybe the Senior Partners did give me the ability to sense things. But I’ve been using that power for the sake of good. I’ve been helping.”
“You have,” Morou agreed, his face mere inches away from Rowan’s. “Surely all your friends appreciate everything you have done for them. By the way, how is the vampire?”
“Who, Spike? Funny you should ask.” Rowan chose that moment to pull out the hand he had kept hidden behind his back, not hesitating as he quickly flicked the zippo lighter on and shoved the flame right in the demon’s face. “He sends you his regards.”
~ ~ ~
Angel cast a look in the rear-view mirror and his eyes immediately fell on the sulking slayer in the back. Buffy had yet to say a word since they left the hotel and she stubbornly kept looking out the window, not bothering to hide the fact that she was still upset.
Then he glanced at Spike, who was sitting next to him in the passenger seat with a grim expression on his face and restlessly tapping his foot, causing his leg to bounce up and down. “So...” Angel lowered his voice as he addressed the other vampire, “Mind explaining to me just what it is you hope to achieve by this, aside from pissing off your girlfriend?”
Spike didn’t answer at first. Instead he brought his left hand up in front of his face, moving it first away from him and then closer again – with deep concentration. He blinked a few times and then moved it again. Finally he let his hand drop back down in his lap. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.” Angel turned his attention back to the road. “Because it makes absolutely no sense to me, Spike. You know you can’t fight this guy. Not to mention that the last time you went to Rowan’s house, you nearly ended up dust. Why are you so eager to get back there?”
“Because he’s stupid, that’s why.” Buffy finally spoke up from the backseat, her voice cold. “He knows I worry about him, but since my concern for his well being obviously hurts his bad-ass vampire ego, he’s making sure I’ll pay for it.”
“Hate to disappoint you, luv, but not everything’s about you,” Spike stated in a low voice. “Give me some bloody credit, will you? No, I can’t fight this bleeding fucker. And even though my sight’s getting better, I realize there’s still a good chance I’d end up stumbling over my own feet.”
Buffy sighed. “Then why, Spike? Is it because of Rowan? Because you sure as hell don’t owe him anything.”
Spike let out a snort. “No, ‘s got nothing to do with Rowan. My motives are a bit more selfish than that.”
“Explain it to me, then,” Buffy pleaded as she watched his downcast head. “Why would you ever want to go back to that place?”
The blond vampire was quiet for a moment, keeping his eyes down. Finally he raised his head. “’Cause I wanna watch the bastard burn.”
Buffy opened her mouth, then closed it again. Angel remained silent, clearly having no idea how to respond to that. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Buffy worried her bottom lip between her teeth, knowing she had no right to deny Spike that satisfaction. Had she been in his shoes, she would have felt exactly the same way.
Still, a stubborn little voice at the back of her mind kept whispering that something might go wrong. Not that she would ever suggest it out loud, but there was always the possibility that Rowan would fail, that he wouldn’t be able to defeat Morou. It was after all a kill or to be killed situation, and there was a big chance Rowan would end up with the shortest straw. Then what?
Knowing that she wouldn’t be allowed to lift a finger to help, Buffy felt anger and frustration well up inside her. She was the Slayer. And here was this one evil creature that she couldn’t slay. The problem was, she wanted nothing more than to tear this Morou apart with her bare hands. After all, this was the monster that had hurt Spike, and nobody got away with that if she had anything to say about it.
Angel’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “Hate to bring this up, but what if Rowan’s already-“
“Angel, be quiet,” Buffy cut him off, a warning note in her voice.
“Like I’m the only one thinking it,” the dark-haired vampire muttered sulkily to himself.
Buffy rolled her eyes. The rest of the ride went by in an uncomfortable silence. About five minutes later, they could finally see Rowan’s large house tower up before them. They had arrived.
TBC
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Betad by Mabel Marsters. Thanks to IamGhost, guest, JO, PhotographyNut, cordykitten, Bridget and shelly for reviewing the last chapter!