[Reviews - 599]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2824 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry for the lack of posting....had the worst case of wiiters block...
Spike sat on the floor at the airport terminal he was scheduled to leave from. His girl snuggled between his legs, leaning against his chest. Never had he felt so peaceful sitting here with his arms wrapped around Buffy as she napped. For the first time he looked forward to the future, knowing she was going to be a part of it.

Looking around he watched the others as they interacted. Willow and Wesley were sitting next to each other talking, as the redhead scribbled in a notebook. He was sure they were planning their wedding and it made him happy for the couple. Anya, Xander, Darla, and Colin had wandered down to the pub they'd passed on their way here.

Next, he watched as Giles and his family laughed and joked with each other, wondering if one day he and Buffy would be doing that. He knew they'd never have biological children, but that didn't mean they could never have a family. The years spent with his friends taught him that. For they all were his family. More so, then the ones that participated in his conception that he never knew.

"Life is good." He sighed as he closed his eyes and let the contentment he was feeling lull him to take a short siesta.

*******

Officer Ray Allen and his partner Chris White watched as the forensic team went through the stateroom with a fine tooth comb. His hunch was they'd be calling in the homicide unit, for he was holding the evidence in his hand that made him think it was a blackmail scheme that went bad.

The pictures now in his possession where of two nude males, one of them being the missing man Angel O'Conner. With them was a letter demanding money for the negatives, strongly supporting his theory of foul play. Both where sealed in a protective covering, so they could check them for fingerprints later on.

"Shame all the guests are gone." Ray mentioned as he looked around the stateroom.

"Yeah…most like the killer is already on a plane on their way back home." Chris replied, thinking it was one of Mr. O' Connor's co-workers.

"Maybe, maybe not…let's not limit our search here. I'm thinking one of the crew was involved here." Ray reasoned as he tried to piece together what they did have so far.

"I guess we need make a call and get a few more people here, so we can start to interrogate the staff." Chris replied, "This is going to be a shitty case, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know it…famous star missing. The tabloids will have a hay day with this. I feel sorry for the cruise line."

"How about I take those down to the lab and see if they can get me some decent facials of the other man and of Mr. O' Conner?" Chris offered, not feeling comfortable using evidence to try and get the name of the other man, without it being proceed and tested properly.

"Great, you do that and I will see about contacting his agent and letting him know what is going on here." Ray agreed, "Maybe he can give me some insight as to Mr. O'Conner's last day."

"You do that and I will contact man in charge of the convention, and get a list of everyone involved and how to contact them." Chris added, and then said, "I will call the boss and see who he can round up to help talk with the crew."

"You do that and I'll handle the captain and have him make arrangements for some rooms we can use."

"Ray, you better call the wife, I don't see us being home for dinner." Chris sighed, "I'm calling mine now and letting her know."

"I hear ya, and is she going to be pissed." Ray grumbled, and then asked just to get his partner's opinion, "Do you think we'll find the body?"

"Nope, I think the man is fish food. I suspect this is going to go down as one of those unsolved mysteries."

"Where is that 'Untouchable guy', now when you really need him?" Ray snorted, as he pulled out his cell phone to call his boss.

Before he could dial he noticed Mr. Hunter approach with a worried look on his face. "Can I help you Mr. Hunter?" Ray asked.

"I sorry officer, but it seems we have another passenger missing."

"Really, any connection to Mr. O'Conner?"

"Not that I'm aware of, she wasn't a part of the party he was with. She had traveled alone." The second in command said, wondering why this was happening now.

Ray dialed his partner's number and informed him, "Hey, Chris get your ass back here, buddy. Seems we have a female passenger also MIA now, to add to our list. Yeah, I know it just keeps getting better and better."

*******

Lorne sat on his patio, relaxing. A couple of hours ago he'd dropped everyone off at the airport, himself living fairly close by. The thought of going to L.A. to visit Andrew later in the week brought a smile to his face. Just when he was about to fall asleep the phone rang.

Getting up and walking over toward it he couldn't help but thinking why he was about to answer it. Then it occurred to him it could be his buttercup calling to say a final goodbye. It was time for they flight to be leaving.

"Hello."

"May I speak with Mr. Cartis?"

"This is he."

"This is Officer Chris White with the Ft Lauderdale police department."

"Is there something the matter Officer White?"

"There seems to have been a problem with one of the guests on the cruise, Mr. Angel O'Conner, to be exact."

"And just what has Mr. O'Conner done to warrant you calling me of all people?" Lorne couldn't help but ask his voice sounding perturbed.

"It would seem he's missing and he never departed from the ship that we can tell. All of his belongs are still there, unpacked." Chris replied.

"Still, how does that pertain to me?" Lorne reiterated.

"Well, since you hired him to be on this cruise, we just thought you might be able to put some light on his week. Give us a list of the other guests, your employees, and the fans who was involved. Tell us about the last time you saw him, and if you noticed anything suspicious." Officer White's voice had become official and direct as he relayed this information. "Could you be so kind as to gather all I've mentioned and meet me down at the Port Authority down here at the docks?"

Lorne had a bad feeling about this as he answered, "I will get everything I have together and meet you there."

"Do you know if any of the other guests would be available to come?"

"No, their flight should have left by now. But I will bring my assistants down and we can help go over what he know and help you in any way possible."

"Thank you Mr. Cartis, for being so helpful in this matter." Chris said, wondering to himself just how many states was he going to have to call.

Lorne hung up the phone and immediately called Lindsey to let him know to meet him. By how cozy he and Cordy was acting lately she was sure to be there as well. He understood both his assistants' anger and worry once he hung up from them, for he too was sure they were done with the scoundrel, Angel O' Conner after today. Next he left Andrew a message to call him as soon as he could.

*******

Buffy stood with William's arms around her as everyone said goodbye. The only ones that would be meeting them at the gate in L.A. would be William, Wesley, and Giles. She knew she had it bad for her guy, when just the thought of a few hours apart made her feel queasy.

"Buffy, I'm so happy you were able to forgive me." Darla said as she hugged the young woman. "I really hope we can become friends?"

"There is nothing to forgive, not really. You did the right thing in the end. From what I'm hearing that wasn't easy to go up against Angel." Buffy assured her she held no grudges. "And one can never have too many friends."

"You both will have to come to dinner when you're in L.A." Colin invited them.

"Sounds like a plan, mate." Spike agreed as they shook hands.

"Have a safe trip Buffy, and I promise to keep an eye on your man here." Colin teased while giving her a wink.

"You do that Colin, and just remember if he even gets a chipped nail you'll have to answer to me." Buffy replied as she playfully glared and pointed her finger at him.

"I promise, no harm will come to your William, my lady." Colin promised as he bowed before her.

"Okay, my turn." Anya moved over to hug her new friend, while Darla and Colin moved down toward Willow and Wesley. "I have something for you, and my phone number is in it, call anytime."

"You have something for me?" Buffy asked, shocked the woman would buy her something.

"It's a loaner, and I need it back when you're done. I have more for you later as well." Anya replied, as she handed Buffy what appeared to be a book in some gift wrapping. "Don't open it on the plane if you're easily embarrassed. It's a book on sexual positions with pictures and instructions."

Buffy blushed while Spike chuckled and said, "Leave it to you to give my girl something interesting to read when we're alone."

Anya ignored him as she directed her next statement toward Buffy, "Just remember, sex is an expression of love, but can also be a weapon in getting back at the one you love, by withholding it. There are mechanical devices you can use to take the edge off while you wait until you think they've learned their lesson."

Spike about choked before he responded with, "Hey, no tellin' my girl such things. I'm sure she'll learn it on her own."

"Or you could teach her the right way to use one." Anya was quick to point out, giving him a smirk and a wink.

Buffy giggled as she watched both Xander and William looked at Anya stunned. She knew without a doubt she was going to enjoy getting to know Mrs. Harris more. Taking a page out of Anya's book of bluntness Buffy said, "I'm sure he will."

Spike looked down at his girl and noticed the sparkle in her eyes and knew he was going to enjoy teaching her everything he could. But then again, he was sure there was going to be a few things she was going to teach him as well.

"Love, you baby." Spike said as he leaned down to gently kiss her lips.

"Well, I will let you both say your goodbyes." Anya said as she reached back to take her husband's hand. "We will see you at the Wedding if not sooner."

"It was great meeting you Buffy hope you make the big dope here bring you to the cook out in a few weeks at my house." Xander said as he leaned in and softly kissed her cheek and said, "Welcome to the family."

His words brought tears to her eyes as she hid her face in William's chest and sighed. She left Sunnydale being alone, with only Willow really in her life. Now she'd be returning with, as Xander had said, a family. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined finding all of this good fortune while on vacation.

Spike hugged her close, not wanting to let her go even for a second. If both flights had not been sold out, they'd be flying together. Just the thought of their being apart for a few hours made his skin crawl. It scared him to think she had gotten so under his skin in such a short time. He couldn't help but wonder how he'd feel about leaving her alone after being with her fifty years.

"I have to go, Kitten."

"I know me too."

"Think of me."

"More like dream of you, I'm still so tired." She said as she fought off a yawn.

"And lovely dreams we'll be having." He said before kissing the top of her head.

"William, it's a good thing I'm going to move to L.A. with you."

"Yeah, a good thing, don't think I could be that far away from for that that long."

"Yep, and I don't want to find out either." She sighed as she leaned back so she could look up at him. "Will it always hurt this much to be apart, even after fifty years?"

Spike couldn't help but laugh, "Goldilocks, I was thinking the same thing. I guess we can ask each other again on our fiftieth anniversary. Now give us a kiss, the sooner I go the sooner we meet again."

"You better make it good one."

"Only the best for my girl." He whispered as he claimed her mouth with his.

Spike felt a tap on his shoulder causing him to reluctantly release her lips. "This had better be good." He said while leaning his forehead against Buffy's.

"It's time to go or you'll be walking home." Wesley chuckled.

"Go on, like you said sooner the better." Buffy sighed, as she stepped back. "You just be waiting for me when we land. I'm so going to need for you to hold me."

"I will be there with arms wide open, baby."

Buffy stood and watched him walk away feeling a mad rush of tears start to form. She fought hard to keep them at bay when he turned around at the entrance and blew her a kiss. Once she could no longer see him see turned to Willow and hugged her close.

"Why am I acting like this?" She asked, trying to regain her composure.

"I was like that the first time Oz went on the road." Willow said as she hugged her back. "It's all new, fresh, and like a dream right now."

Jenny agreed, "I second that."

"I feel like a big cry baby." Buffy mumbled.

"I think you're newly in love and acting normal." Jenny gave her opinion.

"God, it's only for a few hours. How will I react when he will be gone for a day or more?" Buffy asked as she turned to look at Jenny.

"The more secure you become in the relationship the more you will find ways to handle it. Just don't become clingy and needy. It's the one thing that will destroy it." Jenny decided to offer to give her something to think about.

"Please shoot me if I show sighs of doing that. The last thing I want is to become a weak clingy girlfriend, and so don't want to be like that as a wife."

"Buffy, something tells me you won't, but I will remember you said I could point it out if I notice it." Jenny said with a wink. "Now, I think we'd better get our tails in high gear and make it to our plane."
"Would be a bad thing to miss the plane, Spike would brood and Buffy would pout." Willow teased.

"Oh, like you and Wes would be any better. I saw the little emotional goodbye between the two of you."

"Nope, I had something in my eye is all, and that's my last and final answer." Willow explained, trying her best not to miss her man as well.

"If you say so my dear." Jenny smirked as she waved her daughters away from the window. They'd been watching their father's plane leave. "Personally I can't wait to see my husband again, and we've been married for fifteen years."

"How do you do it?" Buffy asked, "He works in L.A. for the most part while filming and you and the girls live in Arizona."

"Trust, love, and communication is what I think is the key to a long and healthy relationship. You can live in the same house and still end up losing everything. He knows if he cheats I'm gone, and the entertainment business keeps no secrets. It might take them a few years, but it all comes out in the end. Then there is the best invention of mankind to assist in long distance relationships…the phone. Now Rups and the girls do the internet camera, 'cause he needs to see them. He checks to see if they are growing up on him too fast. Then he comes home or we join him over the weekends.

Willow looked down at her watch and said, "We had better get a move on if we want to catch our plane."

"Oh, Lord how time flies." Jenny exclaimed as she turned toward the girls and told them to hurry.

*******

"Wake up sleeping beauty." Wesley said as he nudged his friend awake.

"No, pretty dreams, lovely in fact." Spike sighed as he opened his eyes and glared.

"Need to fasten your seatbelt, dear." Wesley told him while he coyly blinked his eyes. "I can't let my best man get all bounced about on the landing."

"Oh, Luv, it's nice to know you still care." Spike chuckled as he sat up and refastened his seatbelt as the captain announced their final approach.

"I just do not wish to face the wrath of Willow and Buffy if I let anything happen to you." He reasoned, with a dramatic sigh.

"Whatever gets you through the day, pet." Spike teased.
"But seriously, Spike. What are you going to do if they offer you the part in the Superman movie?" Wesley asked.

"It depends when they start filming. My first priority is the show." Spike answered, letting his friend know he would not cause any problems at the studio. "I'm not Angel, I have work ethics."

"You know Robert would bend over backwards to work something out for you." Wesley suggested, knowing the man would be happy for Spike if he was offered the part.

"Yeah, but in all fairness I don't want to burn my candle at both ends. I have someone else to think about now too. I won't do anything that will jeopardize my relationship with Buffy." Spike made sure to lay all his cards down on the table. "If I had to choose between her and my career, she'd win hands down."

"You love her that much?" Wesley asked, for clarification.

"Yeah, I do. I would rather enjoy my life poor and in love with her, then rich and miserable without her." Spike informed his best friend, meaning every word.

"I agree." Wesley said, "I feel the same about Willow."

"We can make sure we get side by side trailers and be neighbors." Spike joked.

"I really don't think it will go that far. I have faith we both will find a way to make it all work." Wesley reassured him, knowing Spike had the talent to go far if the young man wanted to. "I will hold you to the being trailer park neighbors though."

"Right now I just want to talk with the powers and see what they have planned. I refuse to go or think any further than that." Spike told him as he heard the captain on the P.A. tell the crew to prepare for landing by taking their seats.

"When are you coming to Sunnydale?" Spike asked.

"Tomorrow, we've decided to stay at my place tonight and then introduce me to Willow's parents tomorrow." Wesley answered, feeling nervous even now concerning the fact of meeting his future in-laws.

Spike could hear the worry as he replied, "If they don't like you, they need their heads examined."

Wesley chuckled as he told him, "Buffy said the same thing last night at the bar."

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

"I hope you're right. With her being Hebrew and me being Catholic…it can be a problem." Wesley explained.

"Does Willow practice her faith?" Spike asked.

"Not religiously, like myself." Wesley answered, knowing if the shoe was on the other foot; his parents would be having a fit. "You know my parents would eat her alive."

"Fuck the people who only share DNA with ya." Spike growled. "They lost any right to tell you how to live your life, as far as I'm concerned."

Wesley smiled as replied, "You couldn't have said it better."

"You bet."

"When are you going to Sunnydale?" Wesley asked.

"Was going to go tonight, but now I'm thinking about it might not go until the morning." Spike sighed, "By the time I unpack the dirty, and repack I'm going to be so tired. I will run it past Buffy."

"You could just grab a few clean things and do the laundry at Buffy's. You will have some free time when she's working." Wesley suggested.

"Hmm, that sounds like a better plan." Spike agreed, as he leaned back waiting for the plane to touch down.

"That's why I was born." Wesley chuckled.

"Can truly say I'm happy you found your way out of the egg." Spike teased, knowing the one part of flying his friend didn't like was the landing. "You never did tell me how it felt to be hatched."

"Because I was too young to remember, is why. I'm beginning to wonder if it was a premature hatching, you know cracked before my time." Wesley snorted.

"Why do you think that?" Spike asked, suspicious he'd just walked into his friend's trap.

"I made friends with you."

"Ha, ha, watcher…here I thought it was because we came from the same egg and they separated us at birth." Spike playfully pouted.

"Well, there is that." Wesley conceded, as he smiled warmly. "I like that idea. We are hatched siblings."

"I'm beginning to think you both were dropped on your heads as children." Giles interjected, trying to keep from laughing.

"Hey, no funny comments from you old man." Spike smirked, "I'll tell your wife you where being mean to us."

"Oh, yes, we must remember her soft spot for the two of you." Rupert chuckled.

Everyone sighed with relief when the plane finally landed. Now came the waiting for their women and families to join them. Everyone left the plane and said their final goodbyes until next Saturday. The three men made arrangements for the baggage to be help until after the other plane landed. The receptionist told them where the next plane would be landing and they headed over to meet it.

*******





You must login (register) to review.