[Reviews - 99]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2604 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
for Katkin, getting darker
Life started to feel different, very different. Spike started to look for opportunities instead of waiting for them to come to him.

Nights were filled with talks with a beautify blond. That helped.

He’d been offered a three month contract in Chicago, ‘doing Shakespeare for College kids, and helping to bring it into projects in the wrong side of town.’ It was brilliant experience. He had been torn on whether or not to go. He didn’t want to leave when there was a chance his dark princess might come back.

That night led to another dream. Buffy was there, sitting on a bench looking out over the lake when he joined her. She had an easel set up and was painting the boat on the lake.

‘It’s beautiful here, isn’t it?’ she asked him.

‘Yes, it is.’

They just sat and watched the water for a while, Buffy adding a stroke of paint now and then to the image appearing on her canvas.

‘I’ve been offered a job.’ Spike eventually said.

‘Brilliant; what sort of job is it?’ Buffy sounded delighted at the news.

‘Three months in Chicago performing Shakespeare to colleges and kids projects. We have to do all sorts: play Lear one day, Benedict the next.’

‘I’d love to see you as Benedict, Much Ado was always one of my favourite plays. That or Petruchio in The Taming Of The Shrew. I wanted to bitch slap Bianca, she always came across as spoilt to me. Couldn’t see why her father had her as the favourite, Kate had more fire.’

Spike laughed, this girl was perfect. She got Shakespeare!!

‘I’d have to leave the apartment, and Xander of course. That’s the problem. The job is fantastic but I’d have to leave any chance of getting back with Dru.’

‘90 days isn’t long. Do you think there’s a chance she’d come back in that time?’

‘I really don’t know.’

‘Would Xander understand? He loves you as well.’

‘Yes: he’d get it, but what do you think?’

‘It’s a fantastic opportunity, you never know where things like that lead. Do you want to go?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then what’s the problem?’

‘I don’t know: it’s new? It’s scary?’

‘So let’s get this straight, you’re willing to give up a great opportunity with a job you’d love, for a woman who doesn’t really love you and isn’t in your life at the moment anyway because it might be scary?’

‘God I’m an idiot!’

‘No, just a man,’ she laughed.

‘Thanks for that, pet.’

‘It’s what I’m here for.’

Spike lay back in the grass and watched the clouds go by.

‘Do you think you’ll ever fall in love, luv?’ he asked.

‘I really don’t know. I’d like to, I dream the dream you know: 2.4 kids, dog, white picket fence, husband who loves me and comes home from work every day, but I don’t think it’s for me. I’m too screwed up. Pike and I have split up, what we had was good but he needed more.’

‘I’m sorry, what happened, can I ask?’

‘He wanted to go to the next stage and I didn’t, so he told every one at school I was frigid. So I have a new nickname…the ice queen. Makes me want to burn the place down. So rather than get into trouble I come up here and paint.’

Spike felt sorry for this beautiful woman, man if she was his he’d wait a lifetime to hold her. How could that stupid boy hurt her like that?
What was he thinking: he had no right to Buffy, no right to defend her. She wasn’t his: Dru was his dream, not Buffy, she had her own life. Man, he didn’t even know where she lived or even if she lived.

He lay back and watched the world go by, loving being close to Buffy as she painted, and was at peace.

His decision was made. He’d take the job.

First thing the next morning Spike phoned to accept the job and packed his bags for three months in Chicago.

Dru tried phoning the apartment everyday when she found out that Spike had gone out of town, but Xander didn’t answer her calls. He knew that Spike had given Dru his cell number and the number of the rehearsal rooms they were using, but Dru kept pushing Xander for information. It gave him the creeps.

Something was up. He knew it. All his spider-senses were tingling. So Xander was shocked but not surprised at what happened next.

He, Xander, had been in bed when the police had broken into the apartment looking for Spike. Xander had found himself handcuffed and answering questions all night about Dru, Spike and their relationship.
‘Where were you between 10pm and 4am this morning?’ The rather large detective was asking him.

It was midnight now. Xander had to think, ten pm night before last…

‘I was cater/waitering at a convention.’

‘Can you prove it?’

‘Well yes, there must have been a hundred people who saw me, we finished about 2am then I came home.’

‘Alone?’

‘Well, yes, but I got a taxi here. I got in about quarter to three, and spent an hour on the computer.’ Xander pointed to the machine in the corner. ‘I had a bit more of a project to do.’

The police officer went to the machine.

‘We’ll need to get an expert onto this to confirm your usage.’

‘Fine, whatever. I use it for my college course.’

‘Where is William Rayne AKA Spike AKA William Atherton?’

‘Chicago, doing a play, he’s been there a month and due to stay for another two.’

‘Can you give us his address?’

‘Well, yeh. It’s in my address book.’

Xander nodded towards the black book sitting by the phone. He knew that Spike had had nothing to do with whatever had happened. He couldn’t have. After all, they had said something about the night before.

‘Can I ask what’s going on?’ Xander said.

‘We’ll ask the questions.’

‘Fine, only wanted to help.’

The police were searching the apartment. They had been through his room, and had started on Spike’s. Xander was grateful Spike had cleaned out all his stash before he’d left. There was nothing there. Just bookshelves full of poetry and classics and a wardrobe with a few shirts and trousers. Nothing illegal, certainly.

One of the searchers came back with a photo album opened at a page with pictures of Dru, Darla and Angel. They had been taken on a day out at the beach. The tattoo on Angel’s back was clearly visible.

‘Who’s this?’

‘Darla, Dru and a guy called Liam ‘Angel’ O’Connor, ex-friends of Wills.’

‘You said that like you don’t like ‘em?’

‘I don’t. I don’t trust them, they used Will, Spike, to get into places, used his contacts, treated him really badly. They took off way back, then he got the job in Chicago. And I haven’t seen them round for 3 months or so. But Dru keeps ringing, we’ve got caller ID and she just rings and rings. I don’t answer.’


The Detective seemed to relax a little. ‘If I tell you a few details you can fill in anything you know. Deal?’

‘Deal,’ agreed Xander.

‘Dru and Co. have finally bitten off more than they could chew. Done what they shouldn’t.’

And Xander had been grateful whatever they had done had landed them in deep with the police. Perhaps Xander could get their claws out of Spike.

‘If I can help take them down, I’d be glad to.’

‘Seems Dru and Darla had tempted some poor Frat boy back to their place. They had a male friend who was waiting for them. This Angel O’Connor. Between the three of them they had raped the poor boy time and time again, bit him, cut him. He’s in hospital now. He might or might not make it, it is touch and go. They ripped out his throat. We want to talk to them urgently.’

‘I bet you do.’ Xander’s voice trailed off. Bit out his throat. ‘There was a ‘Vampire’ club down town. Aurlius, or something. They went there quite often. It’s mostly want-to-be’s but there are some nasty elements around as well.’

‘Thanks, we’ll get right on it. Hopefully they won’t have skipped town.’

‘They also went to the Hyperion hotel a few times.’ Xander added.

Xander was really relieved that Spike had been working on a play in Chicago for a month, so his alibi was air-tight. He helped the police as much as he could, dreading the next day when he would have to tell Spike what had happened. If Spike believed him, that is.

The police seemed content with all the information. They put out a search on Dru, Darla and Angel, full descriptions and wanted for attempted murder, rape, drugs. The list seemed to go on forever. Xander wondered what the hell his friend had gotten himself into.





You must login (register) to review.