[Reviews - 243]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 5101 times

- Text Size +




"Spike."

Hank glared as he took the chair opposite the desk, facing his ex son-in-law.

"Hank, I want to thank you for coming here," Spike said, noticing the look of contempt the older man was giving him. "I just hope you can help me after I'm done telling you about why I left your daughter."

"Either that, or I'll kill you," Hank said in a matter of fact tone, his expression angry.

Spike nodded his understanding, believing the man wasn't lying. He figured it was best to start from the beginning. So many things concerning his own childhood affected his actions concerning his son.

"I was raised by my mother. My father left when I was barely two years old and I haven't seen him since. Not that my mum did a bad job at raising me, but I always missed having a dad. So when Dru showed up with Nigel and gave me the ultimatum of leaving Buffy and being with them, or she'd take him where I would never find him again, it made me act rashly. I knew she'd make good her promise and I'd never see my boy again. Dru is not my mum, do I have to say more?" he explained, wondering if it made a difference with Buffy's father.

Hank leaned back in his chair and watched the emotional display before him. Most of it he already knew from when he'd done a background check on the man before he married his daughter. The rest he would find out later today once he ran a background check on this Dru person.

"I take it you don't trust the mother of your son to take care of him properly?" Hank asked.

"No, I don't," Spike answered, "Over the past couple of months I've tried to find evidence against her, but I keep coming up empty handed. I get the feeling she's threatened him not to say anything to me when I'm alone with him. I need to protect my son from his mother and the only way is either to stay with them or find a way I can leave and take him with me. She can't ever be alone with him again."

Hank recognized the deep pain in the younger man's eyes and wished he could make it all go away. He realized that Spike Bledsoe had made one of the toughest choices in his life when he had chosen his son's safety over his own happiness.

"I'll do whatever I can to help you. But if I find you're lying to me for some reason, there is nowhere you can hide from me," Hank warned him.

Spike sighed in relief before he told Mr. Summers the rest of his plan. "I plan on getting my wife back." He felt Buffy's father should be made aware of his intentions toward his daughter.

"I'm glad to hear that," Hank replied, giving the young man an encouraging smile. "She needs you more than you know. Does she know why you left?"

"I told her just what I told you, but I'm thinking that she wasn't really paying attention," Spike said. He realized Buffy probably hadn't heard him, but instead focused on what she'd thought it meant. "She is my world, my everything, but she has family and friends to look after her. My son only has me."

"Not anymore. He has us," Hank reassured the young man. "Let me get some people on this and I'll get in touch with you. I think it would be best if no one knew we are talking."

"I agree," Spike said right before he asked, "How is she?"

"Maybe you should call her up sometime, ask her yourself. In fact I think you should call her very soon." Hank hoped Spike would do as he said.

Today, seeing Spike voice his love and what he had tried to sacrifice for his son, made him look at the young man in a different light. Unlike him, Spike had thought about his child before his own happiness. Hank remembered a long time ago when he'd placed the job before his family. It had been the worst decision of his life, and one he would always regret.

"Maybe I’ll just do that," Spike replied, feeling better now that he knew he was not alone anymore.

"I’ll need everything you can give me on this Dru character," Hank informed him as he became very down to business.

Spike wondered what line of business Hank was in, but had never asked before now. "Hank, what do you do for a living?"

Hank just smiled as he answered, "There are just some things you just don't talk about. You never know who might be listening in."

Spike nodded his head in understanding as he pushed the large envelope toward the other man. He decided not to ask any further questions as he watched Hank put the information inside his briefcase.

"Take care of yourself and your son, and if you need anything call me," Hank said before he turned and left Spike sitting at the table.

Hank was sure he would have everything he needed to know about Nigel and his mother by the time he got back to his office. His gut instinct had told him to do it ever since Spike had called him. He had some of Drusilla's information from the background check on Spike.

******

Buffy again found herself somewhere from her past. She looked around the church where she was supposed to be married a long time ago. The people looked happy and excited to be there. Dawn was peeking out of the door leading to the back of the church. All things she had missed having been locked away in the back putting on her wedding dress.

She noticed Faith was sitting in the last pew at the back of the church with a smug look on her face. It was as if she knew ahead of time what Angel was going to do and was here to watch it happen. It hit Buffy then that the bitch had actually come to gloat.

Once she heard the Church Bells ring, she looked toward the back of the church and watched as the door flew open. Out ran her past self with tears falling and a look of devastation on her face. That day Angel had come to her and told her he didn't love her and never did, and he couldn't marry her.

It would seem he had only thought of how she fit the image of an executive's wife. How she would have been the right one for the job to raise his children. Instead, she had insisted on staying in college and making a career of her own.

"Buffy, I tried, honest I did. But I just can't marry you," Angel told her as she stood before him in her wedding dress with a shocked expression on her face.

"Angel, it's our wedding day," she replied, not knowing what else to say.

"I'm sorry, but I just couldn't put on the monkey suit and make myself lie anymore," Angel explained, the look on his face telling her that he wanted nothing more than to just turn around and leave her there.

They had dated for the last two years when Angel had asked her to marry him. Now the day was upon them and he was tearing her world apart.

"Why would you be lying?" Buffy whispered as the tears threatened to fall.

"Because I'm not in love with you is why," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Buffy, I found someone else. Someone who completes me and gives me what I need."

"Then why did you ask me to marry you?" Buffy asked as she wrapped her arms around herself, wondering when she was going to wake up from this nightmare.

"Other than Cordy, you were the best one for the job of being my wife," Angel said as he gave her a look of such indifference that she knew he wasn't lying. "You fit the image of the perfect hostess, wife, and mother when we first started dating."

"You were never in love with me, it was all a lie." Buffy finally realized she was just another step in his career plans.

"I could have come to love you, I think, but you wouldn't put me first. You planned on finishing school and starting your own career, without once thinking I would need your support," Angel explained. "Well, I found a woman who is willing to put me first and is willing to do more in bed than just have sex."

Buffy felt like he had just stabbed her with a knife. The pain to her heart was so great she found herself unable to breathe at first. She had to leave. She could no longer stand there and listen. She lifted her dress and ran as if the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels.

The whirl of white passing her made her dizzy, and she found herself suddenly standing in her mother's house once more. Finding herself again a spectator on her past life, she wondered where this was leading her.

It wasn't until weeks later that she found out who Angel had left her for. For about three weeks, she had locked herself away in her room. She only came out to use the bathroom or to eat something when forced by her mom. Finding out that Angel had left her for Faith was totally by accident.

"I can't believe he married her so soon after leaving my baby girl on their wedding day," Joyce fumed at her husband.

"I know dear, I wish I could do like in the olden days and call him out," Giles agreed, the anger in his voice evident.

"Faith Wilkins, of all people! I just can't believe it."

"I can. After all, she is the mayor's daughter," Giles sighed. "She can open a lot of doors for Angel in the future."

"Yes, but she is such a…how do I say it without sounding like a bad person?" Joyce's frustration was obvious as she tried not to speak ill about the loose woman.

"I know what you mean, my dear wife," Rupert said as he put his arm around her and pulled her close. "I cannot believe they married so quickly."

"I can't believe he had the nerve to marry her in the same church he was supposed to marry Buffy in," Joyce ranted.

"Angel married Faith? When?" Buffy asked. She felt like her world was spinning out of control once more.

"Buffy, honey I didn't know you were down here." Joyce moved toward her daughter only to stop when Buffy stepped back.

"Just tell me," Buffy demanded angrily.

"They were married yesterday at St. Catherine's," Giles told her reluctantly.

"St. Catherine's. He married her in our church," Buffy repeated dully as she turned back to the stairs. "I think I need to get out of here for awhile…get some air."

Joyce and Rupert watched as she climbed the stairs as if in a trance. Not twenty minutes later, she came down freshly showered and dressed in her running clothes and shoes.

"I'm going for a run," she told them offering up a weak smile.

Learning that Angel had moved on with Faith Wilkins made her realize she couldn't let this break her, but she did promise herself to never let anyone that close ever again.

Buffy watched herself leave the house and wondered why she had not stuck to that vow. Why had she let Spike Bledsoe worm his way into her life? She should have had this trip down memory lane before they were married.

*******





You must login (register) to review.