Note...This is the next in a series begun with Faded and Family.
Spike and Caitlin had been missing for two days.
Missing was perhaps not the correct word. Connor, who had been doing the grocery shopping, swore there was some food gone, and blood was missing from the fridge, so wherever they were, they weren't starving. Connor had left a note for Caitlin the night before, and something was scrawled illegibly under his neat handwriting, so he figured it was safe to assume she'd been around. But for two days, no one had seen the slim Slayer in her habitual jeans and flannel, hanging around questioning every statement Connor or Angel made. And no one had seen the blonde acerbic vampire in the long leather coat who wandered by the office on his way outside for a smoke and occasionally dropped a little sarcasim. No one missed their help researching – generally, Caitlin complained more than she read, and if Spike sat down and picked up a book, well, he usually had Faith or Caitlin distracted before he got around to opening it. Still, they were both good devil's advocates, and that's what Connor was looking for right about now.
The morning of the third day, he decided to look for them. He checked Spike's room on the fourth floor. Nothing. Just to be on the safe side, he checked Illyria's room, noting that nothing could be hiding in that room – it was more like an Army barrack with one twin bed, one blanket, and a trunk at the foot of her bed. She, of course, wasn't around either, but Connor had a sneaking suspicion where she went every night and he figured it wasn't likely that Spike and Caitlin were walking the long hike to Wesley's grave. He thought about telling the demon to take a car, but he decided she must enjoy the solitude, so he let it be. Caitlin's room was also empty. She had a little more stuff than Illyria – a small pile of books on the dresser and some clothes thrown over the back of a chair. He wondered what it was about the room that marked it as a girls. It wasn't anything like his sister's room, which looked like a pink cupcake, but it clearly felt feminine.
Faith's room looked a lot like his dorm room, clothes strewn everywhere and bed unmade. Unlike Faith, he wasn't normally a messy person, but he'd only been to his room maybe two times in a week and a half, and each time he'd rushed in for a change of clothes and a schoolbook or some notes he'd left there, then returned to the hotel. The next stop was Angel's room, which still looked the same as Connor remembered. Very neat, low light, brightly colored walls, and by his bedside, a large candle and three books. The first book was on the demon Acathla, pretty much required reading for their Senior Partner research. The second book was a collection of sketches. Almost everyone his father had come into contact with was in that book. Buffy, Darla, Cordelia, a baby that must have been him, Wes, Gunn, and a lot more people Connor had never met, some in 18th century garb, and some in more modern clothes. He flipped toward the back of the book – a shirtless man with large black tattoos on his chest...Spike, looking beat up and dangerous holding a long black piece of rebar menacingly, and Caitlin and Connor, sitting in the courtyard of the hotel. The third book was some kind of poetry. He wouldn't have been surprised to find a flower pressed in the book or something. It amazed him that his father could be so...he didn't know the right word for it, but the vampire was definitely old fashioned. Lately, Connor had spent some time wondering how he would have turned out if he'd never been taken to Quor-toth. It was a little creepy to him that he probably would have grown up thinking of Cordelia as his mother. And that she would probably still be alive.
He shied away from that line of thought and also from Cordelia's room. He was in no mood to find out if it had been changed or not. He also skipped Lorne's room, deciding to try to find them the old fashioned way. Feeling slightly stupid, he lifted his face, and inhaled, hoping to catch her scent.
From there, it wasn't a long search. They were in a room in that basement that must have belonged to a janitor or maybe the manager of the hotel. Caitlin lay on her stomach on the slim bed and Spike was sprawled across a reclining chair in the opposite corner of the room. Caitlin noticed him right away. "Connor!" she exclaimed. "Come see what we stole."
He looked where she was pointing, at the television. "Cable? How'd you manage that?"
"Spike noticed it the other day. The Laundromat down the street has their cable run in from the sewer. So we're not really stealing. Just sharing. Catching up on the Real World."
"This is Road Rules." Spike observed.
She leaned over her shoulder. "What's the difference?"
"Five kids instead of seven. And a Winnebago."
"Hmm." She turned back. "See what we've been missing?"
Spike and Caitlin had been missing for two days.
Missing was perhaps not the correct word. Connor, who had been doing the grocery shopping, swore there was some food gone, and blood was missing from the fridge, so wherever they were, they weren't starving. Connor had left a note for Caitlin the night before, and something was scrawled illegibly under his neat handwriting, so he figured it was safe to assume she'd been around. But for two days, no one had seen the slim Slayer in her habitual jeans and flannel, hanging around questioning every statement Connor or Angel made. And no one had seen the blonde acerbic vampire in the long leather coat who wandered by the office on his way outside for a smoke and occasionally dropped a little sarcasim. No one missed their help researching – generally, Caitlin complained more than she read, and if Spike sat down and picked up a book, well, he usually had Faith or Caitlin distracted before he got around to opening it. Still, they were both good devil's advocates, and that's what Connor was looking for right about now.
The morning of the third day, he decided to look for them. He checked Spike's room on the fourth floor. Nothing. Just to be on the safe side, he checked Illyria's room, noting that nothing could be hiding in that room – it was more like an Army barrack with one twin bed, one blanket, and a trunk at the foot of her bed. She, of course, wasn't around either, but Connor had a sneaking suspicion where she went every night and he figured it wasn't likely that Spike and Caitlin were walking the long hike to Wesley's grave. He thought about telling the demon to take a car, but he decided she must enjoy the solitude, so he let it be. Caitlin's room was also empty. She had a little more stuff than Illyria – a small pile of books on the dresser and some clothes thrown over the back of a chair. He wondered what it was about the room that marked it as a girls. It wasn't anything like his sister's room, which looked like a pink cupcake, but it clearly felt feminine.
Faith's room looked a lot like his dorm room, clothes strewn everywhere and bed unmade. Unlike Faith, he wasn't normally a messy person, but he'd only been to his room maybe two times in a week and a half, and each time he'd rushed in for a change of clothes and a schoolbook or some notes he'd left there, then returned to the hotel. The next stop was Angel's room, which still looked the same as Connor remembered. Very neat, low light, brightly colored walls, and by his bedside, a large candle and three books. The first book was on the demon Acathla, pretty much required reading for their Senior Partner research. The second book was a collection of sketches. Almost everyone his father had come into contact with was in that book. Buffy, Darla, Cordelia, a baby that must have been him, Wes, Gunn, and a lot more people Connor had never met, some in 18th century garb, and some in more modern clothes. He flipped toward the back of the book – a shirtless man with large black tattoos on his chest...Spike, looking beat up and dangerous holding a long black piece of rebar menacingly, and Caitlin and Connor, sitting in the courtyard of the hotel. The third book was some kind of poetry. He wouldn't have been surprised to find a flower pressed in the book or something. It amazed him that his father could be so...he didn't know the right word for it, but the vampire was definitely old fashioned. Lately, Connor had spent some time wondering how he would have turned out if he'd never been taken to Quor-toth. It was a little creepy to him that he probably would have grown up thinking of Cordelia as his mother. And that she would probably still be alive.
He shied away from that line of thought and also from Cordelia's room. He was in no mood to find out if it had been changed or not. He also skipped Lorne's room, deciding to try to find them the old fashioned way. Feeling slightly stupid, he lifted his face, and inhaled, hoping to catch her scent.
From there, it wasn't a long search. They were in a room in that basement that must have belonged to a janitor or maybe the manager of the hotel. Caitlin lay on her stomach on the slim bed and Spike was sprawled across a reclining chair in the opposite corner of the room. Caitlin noticed him right away. "Connor!" she exclaimed. "Come see what we stole."
He looked where she was pointing, at the television. "Cable? How'd you manage that?"
"Spike noticed it the other day. The Laundromat down the street has their cable run in from the sewer. So we're not really stealing. Just sharing. Catching up on the Real World."
"This is Road Rules." Spike observed.
She leaned over her shoulder. "What's the difference?"
"Five kids instead of seven. And a Winnebago."
"Hmm." She turned back. "See what we've been missing?"