Chapter 4
Spike was itching to get back out again, without making anybody, especially Peaches suspicious – it seemed like the clock crawled, he checked on Buffy – she was still sleeping, and Xander was still pig-snoring and farting, and he left the others to the research.
“Ahem…are you going to help or are you just going to flit around the place being useless?” Angel asked with as much sarcasm as he could muster
Biting his tongue, Spike had the over-whelming desire to tell Angel to ‘go fuck himself’; he couldn’t – thinking quickly he said,
“Actually, I’ve just thought of somebody who might be able to help”
“Really, then I’ll come-“
“NO – er no…you scare him – WILL scare him – you threatened him – years ago…if I go alone, well, he might just talk to me” Spike said, hoping he sounded convincing. Angel gave a wry smile…
“I scared them? – Who is it?”
“A- a S-Styk demon…” Spike said, desperately trying to lie on his feet – a habit that he’d got out of, since he’d got married………
“Styk demon eh? Name?” Angel had a ‘faraway’ look in his eyes, like he was remembering something…Spike got exasperated and blustered,
“I don’t bleedin’ well………look, *I* call him Twiggy, don’t know his real name – now if you don’t mind, the sooner I get there, the sooner I can get back with some info”
“Or not”
“Okay, or not, but it beats sitting around here having to look at you”
Angel rolled his eyes and went back to reading the ancient tome, the Ars Daemonicus; they were only on the letter ‘B’.
Spike made his way to the back of the Bronze and without a sound entered the alleyway that lead to the back of Willy’s Bar and Grill………
*************
Back home a shade over an hour later, Tara practically met Spike on the doorstep.
“At last you’re home – Buffy’s awake”
“What – is she-“ Not waiting for a reply, Spike took the hall stairs three at a time, pushing past Angel standing in the doorway, Willow stood from sitting on the bed
“How is she Red?”
“I’m dying!” Buffy croaked
Spike smiled, and took the place where Willow had been sitting – he could see that the witch had given her water and painkillers, and a large icepack to help the throbbing head.
“Come on, let’s leave them” Willow said, pulling Angel away from the doorjamb. Reluctantly he followed the witch back down stairs.
“Oh you’re not dying pet…poor baby-kitten, I’ve been so worried about you” Spike gently held her tear-stained face, kissing her forehead.
“I missed our supper – Willow said I’ve been out for over a day”
“Never mind about that, they’ll be other anniversaries…can you remember what happened sweetheart, hmm?” Spike shifted so she was cuddled up to his chest, and he soothingly rubbed her back…
“Willow asked me that, just before you came in, no, nothing, I didn’t see anything or anybody didn’t even dust a fledge…god my head hurts – I swear something is in my brain trying to dig it’s way out with a pneumatic drill and a blunt fork!”
“Well, you shush then kitten, and get some more rest until the Advil kick in, okay?” Spike bent his head and kissed her forehead gently again
“Spike”
“Yes baby?”
“Can you get me some more water, I’m parching”
“Sure kitten, and I’ll let it run cold”
He pre-empt her second request, went to the bathroom, let the tap run a while then filled her glass and carafe with the cool water
“There you go kitten,” Spike whispered, putting the drink on the nightstand for her, but she had already gone back to sleep.
As he made his way back downstairs, he heard Xander let rip with a fart that sounded like somebody was ripping a yard of calico fabric…
Grimacing, he marched into the lounge, went over to the sofa and giving the offending shapeless lump on the sofa a good dig in the (What he hoped) was the shoulder with a sharp pointed finger, Spike said,
“Do that again Harris, and you’ll be sleeping under the stars tonight, I PROMISE you! Geez – you STINK!”
A grunt emitted from under the cover and a very tousled, bleary-eyed Xander appeared
“Wha- where am I – who am I – Geez my HEAD, WHAT am I- Oh god!” the ‘lump’ that was Xander on his knees on the sofa collapsed and he began to emit this funny little whimper/moan. Willow came into the lounge, wafting the stinky air and she pulled the cover off him
“Here swallow these, and drink this” she held out the water and painkillers she’d put ready earlier.
“Huh…Will – what’s goin’ on…god, oh god my head is going to explode!”
“No it isn’t………” Willow took the empty glass of him
“Feels like it…what happened to me anyway?”
“You tell us – you bowl in here – “ Spike began
“Um deadboy, how would you like to keep it down a little, dying man here” Xander cringed and rubbed his temples
“Oh I can assure you, you keep farting like you have been, and you’ll be frightened you’re NOT gonna die by the time I’ve finished with you!”
“Spike!” Willow said sharply
“Well – he stinks – bloody animal!”
“Go put the kettle on please?” Willow asked. Spike was just about to protest, saying he wasn’t going to run round after the whelp making him black coffee when he didn’t even want to give him house room, when Tara appeared with a tray of steaming mugs………
**************
While everybody else was in the lounge questioning the whelp, Spike went into the dining room and picked up the ancient book on demonology, the Ars Daemonicus, and he fished out the scrap of paper he’d written on at Willy’s and turned to the section that began with the letter ‘I’.
**************
“You MUST remember SOMETHING, surely” Angel pressed
“Um…no – oh god are you SURE I can’t have any more painkillers yet Will, these aren’t working?”
“Not for (she looked at her watch) three hours and forty minutes, now come on Xander, this is important, THINK!” Willow said
“Really, I can’t - oh…”
“Oh, what?” Willow asked him, following his gaze to the traffic cone sitting by the fireplace
“Come on Xander, this is very important, Buffy’s been affected the same way – loads of people have – but we don’t know what’s causing it”
“I’m trying to think………is there nothing, you know, ‘witchy’ you can do to help my head, I’m dying here?” Xander just wanted to crawl back under the covers and quietly die…he certainly didn’t want to answer the barrage of questions!
“Too dangerous, come on Xander, you were looking at the traffic cone…do you remember where you got it from?” Willow gently cajoled
Xander had a flashback to getting the cone off this really nerdy guy in the rain? There was certainly a lot of water sloshing about, and purple foam? Boy – that was weird…but it made no sense to him……… Meanwhile, back in the dining room…
“Ah-ha – you little beauty, so Willy my boy, you were tellin’ the truth for a change………right!” Spike had found exactly what he was looking for………
***
After practically being reduced to tears, Willow felt some pity for her poor friend’s plight, and told him to go back to sleep.
Angel wandered into the dining room with her, while Tara went to wash up the mugs.
“So Spike, did your little friend come up with anything?” Spike had been careful to put the Ars Daemonicus back how he found it at the letter ‘B’
“My friend? – Oh, you mean Twiggy – couldn’t find him – he wasn’t in any of his usual haunts” There was a kerfuffle outside, and then a knock at the front door, and Spike frowned, who could this be at this time of night?
“Clem – come………in – oh god, not you as well!” Clem staggered into the hallway almost falling, brandishing the empty casserole dish he’d taken the rest of the Chinese home in the other night.
“Bought dor yish…ha…ha mean…bought… your… dish … back………’ow’s Buff – (hic) Buffy?” Clem staggered
“Oh hey, um, lets get you a seat there, shall we?”
“Who’s that?” Angel asked Willow
“That’s Clem, the one that bought Buffy home the other night…seems like he’s been affected with whatever this thing is”
“There you go…um Tara?” Spike began
“I know, hot black coffee, I’m onto it”
“Thanks pet – now Clem – here, I’ll take that shall I?” Spike carefully took the dish off Clem, who stared at his friend owlishly.
“S’wunerful!, Was, truly-ruly wunnerfull!”
“What’s that then, mate?” Spike asked half smiling half frowning
“That grub you cook – (hic) cooked…bes’ I ever ‘ad…you’re my bes’ mate you are…put it there pal” Clem held out his hand for Spike to shake
“Oh – er right, um yeah…” (Spike shook his hand vigorously!)
“Tell you what mate, you look dead beat, why not stop here the night, hmm – s’no trouble”
“Yeah – wow…could (hic) anybody ask f’ra berrer mate than you – nope…you’re the bestest-ist bes’ mate ever, ever, ever you are…yeah”
“Whoops, there you go…here let me help you…through here………that’s right, into the den…look, nice bean-bag…now, you lie down there and go to sleep…there…just get a throw to cover you…now relax and I’ll come see you in the morning, okay?” The only reply Spike got was a soft snore. Smiling, Spike went through to the others.
“Will he be okay?” Willow asked
“He’ll be fine, right now, can I leave you two in charge of the um – incapacitated ones?” Willow and Tara nodded
“Good, you come with me, I gotta lead from Clem” Spike fibbed to Angel
“Really?”
“Come on, before the trail goes cold”
“Oh right!” Angel grabbed his own leather duster and followed Spike out into the night.
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