Author: dsmith141
Title: In Search of Happiness
Rating: Erm this chapter probably isn't that bad, a few naughty words but nothing serious so probably about 12/k+
Disclaimer: I really can't stress this enough, as far as characters go I own bugger all, they all belong to my idol Josh Whedon and Mutant Enemy and all the other guys who have patents and lawyers and PLEASE DON'T SUE MEEEEEE!! +runs and hides+
Summary/catch-up: OK for those of you who have memories like holey buckets I'll recap. Buffy is DEAD, Xander and Anya are married, Tara and Willow are back together, Spike is in love with Tara and is developing feelings for Dawn, Dawn still crushes for Spike, Willow can use magic without going all black eyed and veiny but rarely does. That should about cover it :) Enjoy

Chapter 9

Spike turned the corner onto the main street, dull streetlights illuminating the bleak main street of Sunnydale. What was he thinking. She's only 15, she's still a bloody minor. She'll be 16 soon in England that'd be legal. No, bad Spike shouldn't be havin' those thoughts about the Nibblet. He had to get out of Sunnydale. He couldn't stand it. He was surrounded by unattainable women who were far too good for him. He missed home. He missed the English countryside, the view of the moors as fog intertwined itself with rolling hills. The moonbeams bouncing off the wet grass. The silver sheen across the hills on a clear night. He rounded the next corner and jumped into the DeSoto and took the first road out of Sunnydale, straight to the airport, and freedom from the shackles of his shattered relationships. Dru, Buffy, Tara, Willow, Dawn. His feelings and past experiences were chaining him down. He needed to get over them all.

--

Heathrow was practically empty as he stalked through Terminal 5. He walked out into the parking lot to steal whatever caught his eye and the bike he'd left on his previous encounter was still there, covered in parking tickets and clamped by the back wheel. He threw the parking tickets off the bike and ripped off the wheel clamp, throwing it at a nearby pay and display machine. He smiled, the minor display of aggression had made him feel a bit better for a moment. He was hit suddenly by the realisation that he didn't know where he was going. He fuelled up at the nearest petrol station and drove off, without paying of course, on the first road his tyres met.

By the time the sun had risen he was in Dartmouth and had checked himself into a little hotel, well less checked into and more scared the crap out of the manager until he let him stay for free. Bloody idiot, it's 4:30 am and I'm in desperate need of a room, don't they know what vampires are over here, we don't have bloody bank accounts. He slept throughout the day and woke up at about 7 when he heard some already drunk people wandering along the path outside to the pub next door. Spike went downstairs into the main entrance and flashed his trademark smirk at the manager to see all the colour drain from his face. He went down the street to a butchers he'd passedon his way into town to buy some blood with the money he'd stolen from behind the desk when the manager hadn't been looking. As he drank the bag he pondered on what he was going to do to entertain himself and he decided that in order to help him forget his troubles he was going to get royally pissed. He finished his blood and walked into the bar next to the hotel he was staying in.

He entered the bar and slid a twenty onto the bar.

"Decent bottle of whiskey and a glass please mate"
The barman ran his eye over Spike, trying to place his accent and his troubles, "seems to me that plenty o' people turnin' to this stuff to fix up their lives, That gent over there done nothing but stare at the wall"

Spike looked over to where the barman was indicating and saw Giles sitting there staring at a picture of the convent on the wall. "Bloody hell"

"You know him?"

"Yea, must be somethin bloody awful to make him turn to drink though." Spike picked up his whiskey, glass and change and walked across the bar towards were the watcher was sitting. "What's the trouble watcher?"

Giles looked up at Spike and rolled his eyes "Bugger off Spike"

"Now that's not too polite, 'specially seein' as I'm the one with the fresh bottle and you seem to be runnin' low. Now I'm gonna ask again. What's so bad it's worth you blowin you're brains out with booze?"

"Bloody witches that's what. I'm a sodding fool Spike. Never bloody trust them. Ever." Giles threw the whiskey in his glass into the back of his throat and grimaced slightly.

"Red say somethin?"

"No not Willow. Bloody Eleanor. Stupid aura cleansin' cow broke into my mind while I was sleepin' and saw who I was and got a touch annoyed. Complete over-reaction of course."

"Wait a minute is this the firecracker that gave me an earful about my bike?"

"Yes I believe you were acquainted."

"So she broke into you're head?"

"Yes"

"Christ. Lot of that goin' round what with Red doin' it to Tara a while back and now you. Seriously thinking about getting a pendant to stop that kinda crap. Could probably put a spell on an eyebrow piercing. Been after one of those for a while."

"Wouldn't it just heal as soon as the needle came out?"

"Yea probably. Sucks don' it."

"Yes Spike. Healing that's so fast a hole in you're head doesn't give you time to shove metal in it is an awful thing to have." Giles rolled his eyes and emptied another glass of whiskey.

"Hey I'm here offerin' my condolences and all I get is sarcasm"

"Yes because you've never in you're life resorted to such awful tactics"

Spike glared at Giles and took another drink of his Whiskey. He looked at the bottle of Bushmills to find it half empty. "It would appear we're runnin' low again watcher. What you say we go check out a few bars further up the river, get outta this place. it's a little dank even from my tastes and I live in a soddin' crypt."

"Fantastic plan. So what brings you here?"

"Just couldn't stand bein' in Sunnydale any more. Too many painful memories."

"How so?"

"Well all the crap I had with Dru there, and then Buffy, then Tara, then Willow and now the Nibblet's tryin' to bag me."

"Dawn?"

"Yea. Karaoke night at the Bronze and she basically declared her love for me through song."

"there isn't another Sweet is there?"

"Nar. Just karaoke"

"Ok. Well its obvious she's had a crush on you for quite a while. You aren't thinking of doing anything are you?" Giles swayed slightly in his inebriated state while shooting a disapproving scowl at the blonde vampire.

"No! That's why I came over here. Don't wanna hurt her by rejectin' her."

"Oh. Well I suppose that's ok"

The two sat exchanging casual small-talk about the disadvantages of love and memories of bad times in their past when they'd been screwed over by it. When the second bottle lay drained on the table before them Giles frowned again and lay his head down heavily against the table.

"Spike, it would appear that +hic+ that we're somewhat empty on the whiskey front"

Spike lowered his semi-drunken gaze to the bottle, "So we are. Come on then lets get outta this dive and get some more to drink"

The two stood, in Giles' case with difficulty, and left the bar. They walked further up the river and spent some time in the next three bars gradually getting more and more drunk. When they had been forced to leave their latest bar due to closing they staggered gleefully out and walked further up the river. The barrier between the footpath and the river was worn and broken in some places. It was high water and the river was moving slowly.

Giles was staggering waywardly. He'd done well to keep up with Spike so far but due to his lack of vampire alcohol tolerance he was suffering the effects much more. He stumbled over to Spike and laid his arm across his shoulders. Spike elbowed him off lightly causing Giles to fall through the barrier and into the river. Spike doubled over with laughter and moved over to look over the edge at a floundering Giles. He reached his hand down to the watcher laughing through tears.

"Come on you daft old git"

Giles looked up indignantly and pulled Spike in with him "not that old" Giles pouted through his shivering and pulled himself up the ladder at the side of the river. Spike pulled himself up after Giles still laughing at the watcher.

"Come on Ripper lets get you home."

Giles smiled and then his face fell in shock.

"Oh dear, I've just realised I have nowhere to stay tonight"

"Well come back to the hotel with me. I'll put you up for the night."

"Why thank you very much."

"It's ok. Only right"

The two managed to get back to the hotel after an hour of staggering through Dartmouth taking wrong turn after wrong turn and scaring a few locals.

--

Spike awoke the next day and rolled over in his double bed to see Giles sleeping beside him. He jumped back and was shocked again to find that they were both naked. He dove out of bed like a rabbit out of a foxhole and tripped on a stray bit of bed sheet landing with a loud bump onto a pile of wet, river drenched clothes. Giles awoke at the sounds and was as shocked as Spike had been.

"Oh god Spike what happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"NO! SPIKE WHY AM I NAKED?"

"I don't know!!"

"Hold on why are my clothes wet?"

"I dunno."

"Are yours wet?"

Spike looked over to his duster to see water pooling in the pockets "looks like it. Smells like river water."

"We must've fallen into the river."

"I don't care what happened I have no clothes, you have no clothes and my head is exploding so you must be in HELL."

"Yes there is a slight hangover going on here"

"Sod it all I'm taking a cold bath."

Spike sauntered out of the room into the bathroom leaving Giles to bury his head in the pillow.