Chapter 5
It was night again when they crawled out of bed. Across the street to the shop, their car was there, ready. The man at the counter smiled.
"'Ow'd it go?"
"Fine mate." They traded keys.
They were back in Spike's good old car. Safe from sunlight, even though it were night. He ran his hands on the cracked pleather. Elizabeth sat, her eyes closed, the book in her lap looking very tired.
"I imagine that as soon as we get back we'll be shipped off to America. I can't say I'm going to miss the scummy streets in London, vampires on every corner. It's kind of crazy that these people up here have no idea how fast the spread is. I wish we could stay here, away from it all." Spike cocked his head at Elizabeth, a little surprised. She hadn't said more than one sentence in a row the whole time they had been working together. "What?" She smiled at him.
"You're talking." Spike pointed out. "To me. None sarcastically."
"I guess I'm happy we're alive. I really thought that dragon would have gotten one of us. Did you see those teeth?"
"Had worse breath than most of the demons I've met." Spike agreed with a chuckle.
"You're coming to America with me right?" Spike didn't respond. "Please Spike?"
"What the bloody hell do you want me for? I'm no good for you Slayer." Spike said icily.
"You're just afraid." Elizabeth growled clutching the book to her chest. "I just thought," she started, loosening, "That it wouldn't be so bad if you came with me. We work well together."
Spike felt bad. It was heartbreaking to him to have to say no, but as much as he had thought about going back the past few days he didn't know if he could handle it.
"If you don't go with me, I'll have to go alone." A lump formed in his throat, like a thump of a heartbeat. After all they had been through he had grown fond of the girl, she reminded him of Dawn, like a little sister in a way. The look of her face reminded him all to much of the hope Buffy had in him before she died. It was enough to seal the deal.
"I'll go." Spike said, defeated.
"Thank you." Elizabeth laid her hand on the arm of Spike's ripped. Coat . Her head sank down on his shoulder, and her long blond hair cascading down his chest. So this was the girl behind the dark makeup and tough exterior.
Spike could tell when they arrived in London. It was not only the smell and the look but the feeling of darkness that permeated everything, not unlike Sunnydale, with the energy of the hell mouth circulating around the town. They drove straight to the Watcher's Council, the usual harrying at the gate before driving in.
The place always gave Spike a chill, and he knew it was from an invasion he did in 1940. He didn't think they ever forgave him, no matter what he did. The council was so different from what he remembered. The group of uppity British people had given way to young rebels, that mirrored his look in the 1970's. It was a group of people grim from war.
The women who opened the front door had spiky brown hair and a don't-mess-with-me attitude. "Hey Danica." Elizabeth said pushing in past the woman. She gave Spike a steely look before she let him pass.
"Do you have the book?" Elizabeth handed her the book.
"Good job." The woman said with no feeling. She shuffled off down the hallway and then turned with what seemed like an after thought. "The council is meeting. They'll give you instructions when they are done." She left and they stood there awkwardly.
"So…" Elizabeth pretended to admire a painting on the wall. "Why don't you tell me more about Buffy's friends?"
"When I left…When I left." Spike tried to tell her but it was so painful. "When I left Willow was a powerful Wicca, Xander was well Xander, Anya owned the magic shop, but she could be dead. She got hurt that time. And then there was her sister who she died trying to save."
"The key right?"
"Her name was Dawn."
"Sorry."
"And then there was Cordy and Angel, in LA. I suppose you know about them. I try not to keep track of them anymore. I keep to myself."
"I've heard of Angel, in the Watcher's Diaries. We lost so many of them in the fire a few years back. It's a pity." Spike remembered the fire. It was one of the first attacks at the beginning of the war.
" I think I'm going to go patrolling. Stay here." Spike spun on his heels and stomped out. He couldn't talk about it any more without getting worked up so he just left, as he always did.
He didn't have any stakes but he didn't really care. He was in the mood for beating the crap out of things and ripping hearts out. That was the kind of emotion the Scooby gang still managed to elicit from him.
"Damn them." Spike growled to himself. He wondered how they would react to this little Buffy. Would they know it was her the way he did, just by looking at her? A vampire got in his way and he shoved him against the wall, not really even seeing him, lost in his thoughts.
It was night again when they crawled out of bed. Across the street to the shop, their car was there, ready. The man at the counter smiled.
"'Ow'd it go?"
"Fine mate." They traded keys.
They were back in Spike's good old car. Safe from sunlight, even though it were night. He ran his hands on the cracked pleather. Elizabeth sat, her eyes closed, the book in her lap looking very tired.
"I imagine that as soon as we get back we'll be shipped off to America. I can't say I'm going to miss the scummy streets in London, vampires on every corner. It's kind of crazy that these people up here have no idea how fast the spread is. I wish we could stay here, away from it all." Spike cocked his head at Elizabeth, a little surprised. She hadn't said more than one sentence in a row the whole time they had been working together. "What?" She smiled at him.
"You're talking." Spike pointed out. "To me. None sarcastically."
"I guess I'm happy we're alive. I really thought that dragon would have gotten one of us. Did you see those teeth?"
"Had worse breath than most of the demons I've met." Spike agreed with a chuckle.
"You're coming to America with me right?" Spike didn't respond. "Please Spike?"
"What the bloody hell do you want me for? I'm no good for you Slayer." Spike said icily.
"You're just afraid." Elizabeth growled clutching the book to her chest. "I just thought," she started, loosening, "That it wouldn't be so bad if you came with me. We work well together."
Spike felt bad. It was heartbreaking to him to have to say no, but as much as he had thought about going back the past few days he didn't know if he could handle it.
"If you don't go with me, I'll have to go alone." A lump formed in his throat, like a thump of a heartbeat. After all they had been through he had grown fond of the girl, she reminded him of Dawn, like a little sister in a way. The look of her face reminded him all to much of the hope Buffy had in him before she died. It was enough to seal the deal.
"I'll go." Spike said, defeated.
"Thank you." Elizabeth laid her hand on the arm of Spike's ripped. Coat . Her head sank down on his shoulder, and her long blond hair cascading down his chest. So this was the girl behind the dark makeup and tough exterior.
Spike could tell when they arrived in London. It was not only the smell and the look but the feeling of darkness that permeated everything, not unlike Sunnydale, with the energy of the hell mouth circulating around the town. They drove straight to the Watcher's Council, the usual harrying at the gate before driving in.
The place always gave Spike a chill, and he knew it was from an invasion he did in 1940. He didn't think they ever forgave him, no matter what he did. The council was so different from what he remembered. The group of uppity British people had given way to young rebels, that mirrored his look in the 1970's. It was a group of people grim from war.
The women who opened the front door had spiky brown hair and a don't-mess-with-me attitude. "Hey Danica." Elizabeth said pushing in past the woman. She gave Spike a steely look before she let him pass.
"Do you have the book?" Elizabeth handed her the book.
"Good job." The woman said with no feeling. She shuffled off down the hallway and then turned with what seemed like an after thought. "The council is meeting. They'll give you instructions when they are done." She left and they stood there awkwardly.
"So…" Elizabeth pretended to admire a painting on the wall. "Why don't you tell me more about Buffy's friends?"
"When I left…When I left." Spike tried to tell her but it was so painful. "When I left Willow was a powerful Wicca, Xander was well Xander, Anya owned the magic shop, but she could be dead. She got hurt that time. And then there was her sister who she died trying to save."
"The key right?"
"Her name was Dawn."
"Sorry."
"And then there was Cordy and Angel, in LA. I suppose you know about them. I try not to keep track of them anymore. I keep to myself."
"I've heard of Angel, in the Watcher's Diaries. We lost so many of them in the fire a few years back. It's a pity." Spike remembered the fire. It was one of the first attacks at the beginning of the war.
" I think I'm going to go patrolling. Stay here." Spike spun on his heels and stomped out. He couldn't talk about it any more without getting worked up so he just left, as he always did.
He didn't have any stakes but he didn't really care. He was in the mood for beating the crap out of things and ripping hearts out. That was the kind of emotion the Scooby gang still managed to elicit from him.
"Damn them." Spike growled to himself. He wondered how they would react to this little Buffy. Would they know it was her the way he did, just by looking at her? A vampire got in his way and he shoved him against the wall, not really even seeing him, lost in his thoughts.