Poetry and Cars by jamies

William really didn’t like Cordelia. After four months of knowing her he had yet to find anything pleasant about the self-absorbed woman who made his new friends’ lives a misery.

Xander and he had bonded over beers and pool at the local club known as the Bronze. Angel was keeping well out of their way, still smarting from the couple of run-ins they had had. And here they were at the Bronze, supposedly meeting up with the girls - who were late. Things between him and Buffy were good, she seemed to appreciate his warped and wacky sense of humour, but then Xander was one of her best friends.

He set himself up for a sweet shot that would give him the game when he heard the screech that could only come from Harmony Kendel.

'Ooh look, it's the dyke brigade! You’re only queer 'cause no boy will go with you...’ She could reach notes that would hurt a bat's ears, William thought as he tried to ignore the woman. He didn't want trouble but he couldn't stand by as she had a go at Tara and Willow. The two women had worked their way into his once shattered heart and, along with Buffy, started to heal him. William stood up and headed over. He knew that he could help the girls but he hated confrontations.

'Glinda, Red? You OK?' He asked as he came though the crowd. The girls looked at their unlikely saviour: he still wore the button-down shirts and looser jeans that they first met him in, his floppy hair covering his face, but at that moment he looked like a knight in shining armour... even if the armour was denim blue.

'Yep, we’re fine William, Harmony was just removing all doubts as to her IQ level.' Willow grinned; Tara looked the other way, trying not to laugh. She hated confrontations too, and just wished people would leave her and Willow in peace.

'What do you mean?' Harmony tried to work out what had been said, proving Willow's point for her.

Cordelia just looked down her nose at them all. None of these people were worth bothering about: it wasn't as if they were famous or anything.

'Come on Harmony, we've got to go and find something decent to wear for Daddy's party. It's going to be huge; leave the losers alone,' she said as she grabbed Harmony's arm. With that she turned sharply on her Manolo Blahnik's and stalked out of the Bronze to do some damage to Daddy's card.

'I just wish that once I could find a way of wiping that smirk off of her face,' Willow grouched, and Tara rubbed Willow's shoulder to try and sooth her girlfriend.

'She has been giving us grief since the first day of high school. I had hoped she would go to college somewhere else, but it never happened...' Willow shivered and gave Tara a grateful look. Then smiled up at their saviour.

'Thanks William, I hate facing them down, they just make me feel so insecure. Hey, have you seen that Vampire's Kiss have a new track out? I found it on YouTube, it's really hot.' Willow was chattering so quickly she missed the shadow that flickered across William's face for a moment. 'Would you like me to download it for you? They said it's going to be number one. It's had thousands of hits already and they are setting up a website to sell the CD!' Willow smiled and went back to her coffee and her homework.

'That would be cool, thanks,' he managed to squeak out before heading back to the game of pool and Xander.

Things were definitely getting better on the Buffy front, he thought to himself as he slammed a ball into the corner pocket. He was wiping the floor with Harris but the younger man seemed to be taking it well.

'So Harris, how goes the work hunt?' He asked as he lined up the next shot: just three more balls and the game was his.

'I've got an interview with a construction firm next week, it'll beat handing out ice creams or delivering Pizza.'

'Good luck with that,' William told him as he sent another ball home.

Angel and a couple of his cronies wandered over, and shoved themselves into William as he lined up for a shot.

'Oops,' Parker said and William counted to 100 before turning his attention back to the table. Angel then spilt his drink on Xander and William knew it wasn't going to end well. He could sense the vultures circling for the kill.

'Hey dead boy, you're not actually going to let him get away with that are you?' A very familiar voice said and Xnader turned to see a beautiful blond woman with a wicked look in her eye grinning at his pool partner.

'Well I thought he might wet himself if I bit him,' William said with a perfectly straight face.

Xander looked at the woman. She was amazing, and behind her was a mountain of a man and another blue-haired one. They were all grinning at William. Angel looked uncomfortable.

'This one,' The woman pointed at Angel, 'making up for having a small dick obviously, and you, what are you doing here?' she asked as she leapt into William's arms and kissed him soundly.

Xander's brain finally registered what the woman had said as William put her down and held his hand out towards the men. 'That should be my question, shouldn't it? What are you doing here?' William asked with a grin. It was good to see the gang again.

'Well, we came to see you,' the bigger of the two men told him.

'Clem!' William hugged him before nodding at the blue haired man. 'Oz...'

'We came to talk but we wouldn't want to interrupt anything.'

Angel pushed his way into the group. But he was confused, why weren't they running away from him and his cronies?

'You lot had better back off if you know what's good for you; we want a little word with Xander here about daring to play on our table.' Angel said in his most authoritative voice, trying to ignore the comment the woman had made about the size of his dick.

Clem started lauging, giggling, and leant back on the post behind him. Anya looked at Xander and smiled. Nice muscles on the boy, she thought as she helped herself to William's beer. Oz shrugged and sat quietly out of the way. Xander thought that they were all cowards leaving William to deal on his own. He tried to move forward to stand by his friend, but Clem shook his head.

'Leave him to it,' he said and William grinned.

'I need a good workout,' William grinned and he looked almost feral. Oz and Clem seemed to share a look and stepped out of the way.

Xander did a quick head count. There were six including Angel and he still couldn't get past the new arrivals.

Angel took a swing at William using Xander's abandoned pool cue as a weapon, but whereever it was he expected William to be, he wasn't there. To Xander's eyes it seemed like the Brit was dancing with his opponents. Xander couldn't see some of the moves as they happened, but William was grinning. Angel went spinning round at one point, nearly hitting Anya who was still drinking from someone else's beer.

It seemed to be over in seconds. Angel was limping away and a couple of the jocks were carrying obvious wounds, but William was still standing and still grinning.

'Now I'm really happy to see you guys, and have missed you like crazy!'

'Even me?' Anya asked with a sparkle in her eyes.

'Even you, demon girl.' His voice was soft as he spoke to her. 'But what the fuck are you all doing here?'

'Getting a drink,' Oz said, lifting his empty glass.

'Well it's like this, Spike: we have a little proposition for you.'

'It's William, not Spike,' he growled.

'We need you, William.' The name was said most pointedly. 'We have a chance at really making it big, but Darla wants in. In fact she has already released Blue Swan and is desperate for the whole album to be released. Please mate, its our second chance at the big time,' Clem told him passionately.