Chapter 2
Spike looked around his new apartment, small but neat. The record company had loved him, and they gave him start up money. He still wondered exactly what had happened with Joe. He knew the guy was a demon but he didn't know how it really ended, except that Joe was dead and Buffy loved him, from a distance.
He sat down in a chair and reached for the phone. He hoped Buffy got his letter. He knew she would be mad that she couldn't send one back, because he hadn't had an apartment then. But now he did.
"Buffy?"
"Oh my god! Spike!" He held the phone away from his ear with a laugh. "I thought I'd never hear from you."
"I'm sorry. I didn't have a place until now. Buffy they're great. They gave me an apartment."
"Good. No big windows I hope."
"No. Did you get my letter?"
"Yes." He expected more of a reaction than that.
"Well?"
"I'm sorry Spike. That song. You said some stuff that really got to me."
"In a good way?"
"Ok. The line 'lose myself in you', Angel said to me when he tried to kill himself." Spike, waited for more, stunned.
"I had no idea," he said at last. "I'm sorry."
"You didn't know."
"So when am I going to see you? It's felt like forever. I've been itching to kill something with you."
"That's really romantic Spike."
"That's me. Take it or leave it, and I know you won't leave it. You crave it."
"Ew. Talk like that some more and maybe I'll hang up." She said in a husky voice. "You know you want it." she said mocking him.
"When are you coming to see me? This city is so bloody boring when I'm not with you…or singing."
"I dunno. It's been really slaytastic lately. I haven't had time off. I pretty much never have time off except for those 5 months where I was dead!"
"Don't talk about that." Spike said sharply, surprised at himself for being so uncomfortable with the memory. "I mean it wasn't a good time for anyone."
"Hello, talking to the one who was actually dead here." He heard a crash from her end. "I have to go."
"Bye." He hung up the phone, and felt extremely lonely. He was lonely in Sunnydale but at least he had Willy's. Thinking about that he pulled out a phone book and flipped through for the name of a decent bar, or any bar. He didn't really care. One ad caught his eye. It was worded strangely, something he bet most people wouldn't notice. But a vampire or demon might. "Caritas." He murmured mentally writing down the address.
He went to his room and looked around. It held a few changes of clothing and his guitar. A small television sat on a table. He grabbed his coat and left the apartment. Caritas wasn't too far away. It was down the basement of an average looking building. Spike recoiled at the disco moderness of it, but the moment he saw another demon he felt it would be fine. He would blend in, and no one would notice him.
Take that back, there was a stage. He gave himself a mental slap. It was a freakin karaoke bar. He turned to hightail it out but a green demon in a disco suit grabbed him. "Not so fast Blondie. Name's Lorne. I own the joint. I'm a psychic Anagogic demon who reads minds of people when they sing."
"Yeah. Good for you. See ya around mate." Spike tried to slip out from under the arm of the demon.
"Not so fast there. I think I sense a song in you."
"Yeah? Life's but a song, mate."
"That's my point. We've all got one to sing. Caritas is the place to do it. I can tell you're having some troubles. Why don't you get up there and we'll see what we can do."
"What am I going to sing? I don't even have a guitar."
"I knew it. I could tell. You've got that look. Sing anything. Maybe a little…Ramones? The Clash?" Spike licked his lips. His first impression was to kill this guy, but now, he killed people who didn't play games, who could see straight through bullshit and bollocks.
"Fine." Spike took the mike and clomped his way to the stage.
Spike looked around his new apartment, small but neat. The record company had loved him, and they gave him start up money. He still wondered exactly what had happened with Joe. He knew the guy was a demon but he didn't know how it really ended, except that Joe was dead and Buffy loved him, from a distance.
He sat down in a chair and reached for the phone. He hoped Buffy got his letter. He knew she would be mad that she couldn't send one back, because he hadn't had an apartment then. But now he did.
"Buffy?"
"Oh my god! Spike!" He held the phone away from his ear with a laugh. "I thought I'd never hear from you."
"I'm sorry. I didn't have a place until now. Buffy they're great. They gave me an apartment."
"Good. No big windows I hope."
"No. Did you get my letter?"
"Yes." He expected more of a reaction than that.
"Well?"
"I'm sorry Spike. That song. You said some stuff that really got to me."
"In a good way?"
"Ok. The line 'lose myself in you', Angel said to me when he tried to kill himself." Spike, waited for more, stunned.
"I had no idea," he said at last. "I'm sorry."
"You didn't know."
"So when am I going to see you? It's felt like forever. I've been itching to kill something with you."
"That's really romantic Spike."
"That's me. Take it or leave it, and I know you won't leave it. You crave it."
"Ew. Talk like that some more and maybe I'll hang up." She said in a husky voice. "You know you want it." she said mocking him.
"When are you coming to see me? This city is so bloody boring when I'm not with you…or singing."
"I dunno. It's been really slaytastic lately. I haven't had time off. I pretty much never have time off except for those 5 months where I was dead!"
"Don't talk about that." Spike said sharply, surprised at himself for being so uncomfortable with the memory. "I mean it wasn't a good time for anyone."
"Hello, talking to the one who was actually dead here." He heard a crash from her end. "I have to go."
"Bye." He hung up the phone, and felt extremely lonely. He was lonely in Sunnydale but at least he had Willy's. Thinking about that he pulled out a phone book and flipped through for the name of a decent bar, or any bar. He didn't really care. One ad caught his eye. It was worded strangely, something he bet most people wouldn't notice. But a vampire or demon might. "Caritas." He murmured mentally writing down the address.
He went to his room and looked around. It held a few changes of clothing and his guitar. A small television sat on a table. He grabbed his coat and left the apartment. Caritas wasn't too far away. It was down the basement of an average looking building. Spike recoiled at the disco moderness of it, but the moment he saw another demon he felt it would be fine. He would blend in, and no one would notice him.
Take that back, there was a stage. He gave himself a mental slap. It was a freakin karaoke bar. He turned to hightail it out but a green demon in a disco suit grabbed him. "Not so fast Blondie. Name's Lorne. I own the joint. I'm a psychic Anagogic demon who reads minds of people when they sing."
"Yeah. Good for you. See ya around mate." Spike tried to slip out from under the arm of the demon.
"Not so fast there. I think I sense a song in you."
"Yeah? Life's but a song, mate."
"That's my point. We've all got one to sing. Caritas is the place to do it. I can tell you're having some troubles. Why don't you get up there and we'll see what we can do."
"What am I going to sing? I don't even have a guitar."
"I knew it. I could tell. You've got that look. Sing anything. Maybe a little…Ramones? The Clash?" Spike licked his lips. His first impression was to kill this guy, but now, he killed people who didn't play games, who could see straight through bullshit and bollocks.
"Fine." Spike took the mike and clomped his way to the stage.
