Chapter 2 – Arrivals

After hours, maybe days, of walking, Spike arrived in LA where he knew Angel was working against the forces of evil. Never would he work for him, but at least he knew that there was something to do here. Maybe he now had a soul, but the centuries he'd spent as a vampire had impregnated him with a thirst for blood and violence that was eternal. And that thirst was only stronger since Buffy's death: some demons would take a beating.

Now that he was immune to sunlight, perhaps Spike should find a normal apartment and a regular job … The thought made him laugh and he went looking for a cemetery. There he found a mausoleum that seemed good enough, smaller than the one he had in Sunnydale, but somewhat cozy. In a few hours, he had stolen enough stuff from surrounding stores to be comfortable enough: a bed, a small table, two chairs and oil lamps. He would keep furnishing the place later, but that would do the trick for the moment.

The "move" had distracted Spike for a few hours, but there he was again, alone with his thoughts and the horrible, horrifying truth. Perhaps would he have been better off if the world had ended, he thought. The first time Buffy had died, he had to take care of Dawn. Now he was truly alone. His head started to ache, it was all too much and he had to do something about it. He lit a cigarette as he got out of his crypt. For tonight, and perhaps forever, the only cure to his pain would be alcohol and, hopefully, a good fight. He walked along the closest boulevard and got into the first bar he saw.


Jess arrived in LA before the sunset, and wasn't ready yet to go back to his father's place. It had been almost a week since he'd left without a single word. His pride took over and he didn't quite feel like showing his face there. He preferred to wander around, walking on a boulevard where all kinds of stores, bars and restaurants interweaved. A small store, looking somewhat gothic got his attention. He came in, making a little bell hung by the door ring, but there was no one in sight. He didn't quite get the store, it just seemed like there were all kinds of stuff that didn't fit together. At the back of the shop he saw books and walked directly towards them. They were only about magic and other nonsense, so he turned around wanting to leave, but his eyes fell on a book that stood out from the rest. He took it in his hands to realize it was much heavier than it seemed. The cover, of a brown so dark it was almost black, was rigid and had a leathery feel to it. He gently caressed it and noticed it had a rich relief, although it was almost invisible to the eye. The pages were blank. Jess looked around: still no one. He just shoved the notebook in his bag and got out.

Jess got back into his car and decided to go to his dad for good. But on the way he saw a little bar and thought a couple of drinks might help him deal with his father. He sat down, and ended up ordering drink after drink, to the point where he could no longer feel anything. He'd better sleep in his car; he was used to it anyway. Without paying, he just got up and left, lurching in the dark of the night.