The Evil That Men Do
Author: MeB (aka XanWill4Ever)
Email: lenoxfiles@hotmail.com
Spoiler: Majority takes place in the summer after the First Season. There are scenes that takes place some time after Lovers Walk from Season 3. There may be some slight AU, but not much.
Summary: Willow loses her memory and finds help from a private investigator in Boston.
Disclaimer: The characters from Spenser For Hire belong to Robert Parker. All characters from Buffy tVS belong to Joss.
Disclaimer Note: The Lost Boys idea is borrowed from the movie "The Lost Boys" which starred Keifer Sutherland. The actual characters in this story are just four vamps who saw the movie and they simply took the name for themselves.
Rating - R - SL/V/AC xwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxw
8
THE SCOOBIES
"Stay out of sight," Angel whispered to Xander and Giles. "Someone else is here."
Giles nodded, and he and Xander kept to the shadows.
They had traveled through the tunnel system that ran beneath the city of Boston. They came to a large opening and it turned out to be a subway station that was no longer in service. Angel stood upon the old tracks as he looked around. His eyes soon stopped their search when he discovered the source of his intuitive warning.
Someone was standing on the platform. He was standing in the light, but his features were in shadow. Off to the man's right, there was someone else in the shadows near the end of the platform. A third person was on the man's left, also in the shadows.
Angel focused on the man who was standing in the light. "I knew I'd run into you sooner or later, David," he said casually.
David stepped forward. His face was revealed in the light now. His youthful face grinned as he looked at the vampire standing upon the tracks. "Well, I'll be a son-of-a-bitch. This is a surprise." He chuckled. "I haven't seen you since the Tea Party."
"That was a long time ago."
"Yes. It was, Angelus." David paused to regard him. "Or is it just Angel now?"
Angel didn't say anything.
David nodded his head knowingly. "You reek of good will, Angel. You almost smell like a human. I don't like it. I also know that you didn't come here alone. I can smell human blood."
"I just want to ask you a few questions, David."
David shook his head and he smiled. "No...no, you don't. You want to kill me like you killed Little Mikey."
Angel paused. "I see. I was wondering why there were only three of you. Usually there's four."
David regarded him. He knew that something had happened to Little Mikey but now he was certain that it wasn't Angel who was involved in his disappearance. He thought back to that night when Hawk had said something to Little Mikey. Little Mikey hadn't told him what Hawk had said.
And now Little Mikey was gone.
"What do you want?" David asked Angel.
Angel didn't hesitate. "I'm looking for someone."
"And you want me to help you find this someone?" David laughed. "Human or demon?"
"She's human. Her name is S'ushi Alyssia."
David tried not to look surprised. "Why the hell do you want to find S'ushi?"
"That's between me and S'ushi."
He laughed and shook his head. "You are a piece of work, Angel. You and your human friends are asking me to lead you to S'ushi Alyssia? This is unbelievable!" He raised his hands and laughed.
Marco and Damien laughed, too.
David stopped laughing as he regarded Angel thoughtfully. "You know, this isn't hard to figure out. You're not really after S'ushi, are you? You're after another girl. One with long red hair and beautiful green eyes. That's the girl you seek, isn't it?" He watched Angel closely. "Isn't it? Oh, I see it now. Angel is looking...for Willow."
Angel clenched his teeth and he balled his hands into fists.
"This girl must be real special," David began, "to cause a vampire with a soul to come-a looking for her. But you know what?" He showed his demon face and ran his tongue over his upper teeth. "She was like Maxwell House Coffee...good to the last drop."
From his hiding place, Xander began to step out but Giles held him back.
Angel moved toward David.
David laughed. "Spread out, boys! Go home! This fight is for later!" He knew that Angel had a soul, but he also knew that Angel was extremely dangerous. He had to warn S'ushi about him.
Angel jumped up to the platform and David simply waited for him. Then David grabbed him as he was getting his balance and spun him around. He slammed Angel into a post, kicked him in the back, and then he shoved him off the platform.
Angel hit the tracks. When he got back to his feet, Giles and Xander had joined him. They looked up at the platform.
David was gone.
From somewhere in the tunnels, they heard the echoes of his laughter.
***
Marco was laughing himself as he ran through the tunnels. He was going to meet with David and Damien back at the warehouse and he couldn't wait to see them. They would share in a good laugh at Angel's expense as they plotted his demise. Marco was looking forward to it.
He was also looking forward to the night. They had every intention of hunting for Little Mikey's killer, for surely he had to be dead by now. Little Mikey was never absent from them for very long. Through deductive reasoning, it only made perfect sense to them that it had to have been Hawk who had killed Little Mikey.
Marco turned a corner and something struck him in the throat, causing him to fall hard onto his back. Gasping for breath, he looked up and saw that he had been clothes lined by a large black man with a bald head.
It was none other than Hawk himself.
Glaring at him, Marco got to his feet and attacked Hawk with a vengeance. Hawk was already braced for the attack. He lowered his body, grabbed a hold of the charging vampire by the arm, and he flung him over his back. The vampire crashed to the floor, but he was quick to climb back on his feet.
Unfortunately for him, Hawk was a lot quicker.
Hawk brought his foot into Marco's stomach, causing him to double over. Hawk then brought both of his fists down onto Marco's back, forcing him to the floor.
Hawk didn't plan on allowing Marco any recovery time. His method of fighting was to hit the enemy hard and hit the enemy fast.
Besides, Hawk hated vampires almost as much as he loved exterminating them.
He kicked Marco in the side. As Marco tried to roll over to protect his side, Hawk kicked him in the face. Then he reached down, picked up the vampire by his clothes, and he slammed him face first into the wall. He slammed him once more and dropped him onto the floor.
Marco stumbled back up and he slumped against the wall as he turned to face Hawk. He pointed at the black man. "You bas--!"
Hawk's fist collided with his face.
After a few more poundings from Hawk, the beatings finally stopped. Marco found himself with his back against the wall. The wall was actually helping him to remain on his feet.
Marco glared at Hawk through swollen eyes. "Y-you killed Little Mikey!" he accused.
"What a coincidence," Hawk said casually, "'cause now I'm gonna kill you."
Marco realized that he didn't have the strength to fight Hawk. For a human, the man was quite strong. And he had already given him a nasty beating.
Marco had no choice. He had to bargain with the man. He had to plead for his life. "I...I can give you something. I know what S'ushi is doing."
Hawk grabbed him by the throat. "S'ushi is going to go for a swim when I get to her. That's what she will be doing."
"Please," Marco pleaded, gasping.
Hawk loosened his grip. "Are you begging?"
"They're going to Spenser's firehouse apartment...to get Willow." He gasped. "S'ushi sent seven men."
Hawk thought about that. He also wondered how Marco knew to call the girl Willow. Could that be her real name after all? Finally, he grunted. "There's a word for people like you. Know what it is?" He brought his face close. "Dumb. Spenser don't be living at the firehouse no more."
"But...but I gave you something! You have to let me go!"
Hawk flashed him his teeth in a smile. "You think I'm a cop and this is a plea bargain? Think again." He grabbed Marco by the head with both hands.
"No!" Marco shouted. "What are you--?"
Hawk twisted hard.
SNAP!
Marco's headless body fell to the ground as his face registered surprise. Hawk dropped the head after the body and watched them both turn into dust.
Hawk dusted himself off. He straightened his attire, and he turned around with the intention of leaving from the tunnels. But as he turned around, he came face to face with Angel.
Hawk could tell the difference between a living being and the walking undead simply by looking at them.
He recognized Angel for what he was.
Before Angel could stop him, Hawk's hands gripped him by the head and he began to twist.
_______________________________
SPENSER
Willow was anxious. She has taken to sitting on the couch with her arms wrapped around her knees. Her eyes were filled with tears and my heart felt like it was being torn asunder.
I couldn't bear to see her like this.
I was angry that the cruel fates had brought her to this, but at the same time I was a realist. Things happened. There was no reason or method to why things happened the way they did. They just happened. That's just the way life was. Life is always throwing curve balls at you no matter how hard you try to continue on with your life.
The curve ball could be anything from a diagnosis of cancer to being taken away from the comfort of your own home and waking up in a hospital bed not knowing who you were. There were no true guarantee's in life except for what you made of it yourself.
I was going to continue on with my life until I couldn't go on any more, cancer be damned! And as long as I still had breath within me, I was going to find a way to get Willow her own life back.
I sat next to her and instinctively wiped my fingers at her tears on her face. "I know it seems bad right now, but it will be all right," I tried to assure her.
She just looked at me.
"Can you remember anything?"
She shook her head.
"Does the name Willow mean anything to you?"
She looked thoughtful. Then she nodded, but she still seemed hesitant. I thought that the name of Willow meant something to her when we were looking up at the Weeping Willow tree at the park, for she had reacted positively to the name. But now she just appeared to be uncertain of how the name Willow meant to her. Only that it did.
I held my hand out to her and she grabbed it. I wondered again about the significance of such a simple gesture. What did it mean to her?
"Sometimes a hug helps the hurt go away," I said gently.
I wrapped my arms around her and she put her head on my shoulder with her face toward my neck. I could feel her tears on my neck as she cried softly. She didn't make any sound other than the occasional sniffling that accompanied crying, and sometimes she would take a few deep breaths.
I never felt so damned helpless in all my life. I myself was a man who hardly ever shed a tear. Oh, sure, maybe when I was a kid. But since becoming a grownup, I never even sobbed watching a sappy love story with Susan. I was so tough that I could cut onions until they were mush and still be a man who did not shed one single tear.
But as I held this weeping girl in my arms, I could feel my own throat tighten with emotion. I wanted to cry. I really did. The only reason I didn't was because I wanted to be strong for her. I'm not saying that crying is a weakness...I just wanted her to feel safe.
Even so, I wasn't used to feeling like this. I usually take on all of my cases with a lot of vim and vigor, but now I was convinced that they both went on vacation. What the hell was wrong with me? I should be out there roughing up the neighborhood, asking questions...getting in people's way. Stepping on toes.
But I couldn't leave Willow alone.
I had to rely on Hawk for the people pushing. At least I knew he was good at that.
I still felt so damned helpless. I felt like I wasn't doing enough for Willow. I held her for a while and my thoughts again turned to the child I never had. I found myself wondering if Willow would ever accept me as a father if she couldn't go home. Then I realized that I was just being selfish. She was somebody's daughter. Not mine. I had to find a way to get her home.
I looked at my watch.
It was twelve o' clock. Noon.
I had told Hawk that if he wasn't back by noon, then I would take Willow some place safe. There was a safe house on the outskirts of Boston that Quirk let me use from time to time. It sat next to an old cemetery. Hawk knew where it was and if he didn't find us here, then he would look for us there.
"Willow," I said, moving her gently so I could look at her, "it's time for us to go."
She nodded.
We both got up from the couch and I decided that I should try to get her to take her medicine again. I put her medicine on the counter and I put mine on the counter, too.
Willow just watched me.
I went to the refrigerator and I pulled out two bottles of water.
Now I was showing off. I held onto both of the bottles in one hand, and as I held them with one hand, I used my other hand to open both of the bottles. Not many people could do that little trick but I was big and I had big hands. So I could pull it off.
At least it brought a half smile to Willow's face so I was reassured that I was half impressive. Half was better than nothing at all.
I placed one bottle of water onto the counter in front of her and I placed the other in front of me. I then opened my prescription of MS Conton pills and I took one out.
I showed it to her. "This is for me. I have a doctor like you had at the hospital and he told me that I have to take this...for pain."
Her eyes locked onto mine. I got the strongest impression that she was trying to see my pain. The medicine I took was only masking my pain, and I was aware that it would come to a point where it wouldn't mask any of it. I really didn't want to reach that point. I had to wonder if Willow understood what I was thinking because she was looking at me with eyes of deep perception. I saw concern in her eyes.
She was worried about me.
I opened the Xanax and took out one pill. I placed it in front of her beside her open bottle of water. "This is for you," I told her. "It will help keep you from being too anxious."
She looked at the pill, but she didn't pick it up. Then she did that cute thing with her nose as she looked up at me with an inquiring look.
I smiled warmly at her. "I'm not going to make you take it. I will leave that up to you. I'll take mine and I'll take it alone if I have to. Okay?" I had my pill in my hand.
I didn't really think she was going to, but she picked up her Xanax.
I took mine and she took hers. But then it got a little tricky. I drank from my water bottle to wash it down. Willow swallowed her pill dry. She never touched her water bottle.
I looked at her. "Don't you want your water?" I asked her.
She looked at it and she shrugged hesitantly.
I prided myself as a private investigator, so as a P. I., it was time to do my detective work. I detected.
I looked at the water bottle and tried to determine why Willow wasn't drinking from it. She had picked the water out from the store so I knew that she wanted water instead of the sweet stuff. But why didn't she want this bottle?
I looked at the cap lying on the counter.
Then I realized...It was because the bottle was open.
I decided to try something. I took a new bottle of water from the refrigerator and without opening it, I set it before her.
She looked up at me.
I looked at her.
She picked up the bottle, she opened it, and then she drank from it.
I frowned as I thought of the implications.
Suddenly, her eyes widened.
"Willow, what is it?" I asked with concern.
She picked up the Xanax subscription and pointed at the label. She seemed excited about something.
"What is it?"
She pointed at a word printed on the label.
"Xanax?" I inquired. "What are you trying to tell me?" Then I held up a hand. "Wait a minute."
I went into my den and I grabbed a pen and a pad. I came back out into the kitchen as I flipped the pad open. I handed it to her and gave her the pen.
"Can you write it out for me?"
She nodded. She was excited about something. She wrote onto the pad and then she gave it to me. And she was smiling. The smile seemed to say, "I found something."
I looked at what she wrote.
It was a single letter.
X.
I frowned. What the hell did that mean? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
TO BE CONTINUED--
Author: MeB (aka XanWill4Ever)
Email: lenoxfiles@hotmail.com
Spoiler: Majority takes place in the summer after the First Season. There are scenes that takes place some time after Lovers Walk from Season 3. There may be some slight AU, but not much.
Summary: Willow loses her memory and finds help from a private investigator in Boston.
Disclaimer: The characters from Spenser For Hire belong to Robert Parker. All characters from Buffy tVS belong to Joss.
Disclaimer Note: The Lost Boys idea is borrowed from the movie "The Lost Boys" which starred Keifer Sutherland. The actual characters in this story are just four vamps who saw the movie and they simply took the name for themselves.
Rating - R - SL/V/AC xwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxw
8
THE SCOOBIES
"Stay out of sight," Angel whispered to Xander and Giles. "Someone else is here."
Giles nodded, and he and Xander kept to the shadows.
They had traveled through the tunnel system that ran beneath the city of Boston. They came to a large opening and it turned out to be a subway station that was no longer in service. Angel stood upon the old tracks as he looked around. His eyes soon stopped their search when he discovered the source of his intuitive warning.
Someone was standing on the platform. He was standing in the light, but his features were in shadow. Off to the man's right, there was someone else in the shadows near the end of the platform. A third person was on the man's left, also in the shadows.
Angel focused on the man who was standing in the light. "I knew I'd run into you sooner or later, David," he said casually.
David stepped forward. His face was revealed in the light now. His youthful face grinned as he looked at the vampire standing upon the tracks. "Well, I'll be a son-of-a-bitch. This is a surprise." He chuckled. "I haven't seen you since the Tea Party."
"That was a long time ago."
"Yes. It was, Angelus." David paused to regard him. "Or is it just Angel now?"
Angel didn't say anything.
David nodded his head knowingly. "You reek of good will, Angel. You almost smell like a human. I don't like it. I also know that you didn't come here alone. I can smell human blood."
"I just want to ask you a few questions, David."
David shook his head and he smiled. "No...no, you don't. You want to kill me like you killed Little Mikey."
Angel paused. "I see. I was wondering why there were only three of you. Usually there's four."
David regarded him. He knew that something had happened to Little Mikey but now he was certain that it wasn't Angel who was involved in his disappearance. He thought back to that night when Hawk had said something to Little Mikey. Little Mikey hadn't told him what Hawk had said.
And now Little Mikey was gone.
"What do you want?" David asked Angel.
Angel didn't hesitate. "I'm looking for someone."
"And you want me to help you find this someone?" David laughed. "Human or demon?"
"She's human. Her name is S'ushi Alyssia."
David tried not to look surprised. "Why the hell do you want to find S'ushi?"
"That's between me and S'ushi."
He laughed and shook his head. "You are a piece of work, Angel. You and your human friends are asking me to lead you to S'ushi Alyssia? This is unbelievable!" He raised his hands and laughed.
Marco and Damien laughed, too.
David stopped laughing as he regarded Angel thoughtfully. "You know, this isn't hard to figure out. You're not really after S'ushi, are you? You're after another girl. One with long red hair and beautiful green eyes. That's the girl you seek, isn't it?" He watched Angel closely. "Isn't it? Oh, I see it now. Angel is looking...for Willow."
Angel clenched his teeth and he balled his hands into fists.
"This girl must be real special," David began, "to cause a vampire with a soul to come-a looking for her. But you know what?" He showed his demon face and ran his tongue over his upper teeth. "She was like Maxwell House Coffee...good to the last drop."
From his hiding place, Xander began to step out but Giles held him back.
Angel moved toward David.
David laughed. "Spread out, boys! Go home! This fight is for later!" He knew that Angel had a soul, but he also knew that Angel was extremely dangerous. He had to warn S'ushi about him.
Angel jumped up to the platform and David simply waited for him. Then David grabbed him as he was getting his balance and spun him around. He slammed Angel into a post, kicked him in the back, and then he shoved him off the platform.
Angel hit the tracks. When he got back to his feet, Giles and Xander had joined him. They looked up at the platform.
David was gone.
From somewhere in the tunnels, they heard the echoes of his laughter.
***
Marco was laughing himself as he ran through the tunnels. He was going to meet with David and Damien back at the warehouse and he couldn't wait to see them. They would share in a good laugh at Angel's expense as they plotted his demise. Marco was looking forward to it.
He was also looking forward to the night. They had every intention of hunting for Little Mikey's killer, for surely he had to be dead by now. Little Mikey was never absent from them for very long. Through deductive reasoning, it only made perfect sense to them that it had to have been Hawk who had killed Little Mikey.
Marco turned a corner and something struck him in the throat, causing him to fall hard onto his back. Gasping for breath, he looked up and saw that he had been clothes lined by a large black man with a bald head.
It was none other than Hawk himself.
Glaring at him, Marco got to his feet and attacked Hawk with a vengeance. Hawk was already braced for the attack. He lowered his body, grabbed a hold of the charging vampire by the arm, and he flung him over his back. The vampire crashed to the floor, but he was quick to climb back on his feet.
Unfortunately for him, Hawk was a lot quicker.
Hawk brought his foot into Marco's stomach, causing him to double over. Hawk then brought both of his fists down onto Marco's back, forcing him to the floor.
Hawk didn't plan on allowing Marco any recovery time. His method of fighting was to hit the enemy hard and hit the enemy fast.
Besides, Hawk hated vampires almost as much as he loved exterminating them.
He kicked Marco in the side. As Marco tried to roll over to protect his side, Hawk kicked him in the face. Then he reached down, picked up the vampire by his clothes, and he slammed him face first into the wall. He slammed him once more and dropped him onto the floor.
Marco stumbled back up and he slumped against the wall as he turned to face Hawk. He pointed at the black man. "You bas--!"
Hawk's fist collided with his face.
After a few more poundings from Hawk, the beatings finally stopped. Marco found himself with his back against the wall. The wall was actually helping him to remain on his feet.
Marco glared at Hawk through swollen eyes. "Y-you killed Little Mikey!" he accused.
"What a coincidence," Hawk said casually, "'cause now I'm gonna kill you."
Marco realized that he didn't have the strength to fight Hawk. For a human, the man was quite strong. And he had already given him a nasty beating.
Marco had no choice. He had to bargain with the man. He had to plead for his life. "I...I can give you something. I know what S'ushi is doing."
Hawk grabbed him by the throat. "S'ushi is going to go for a swim when I get to her. That's what she will be doing."
"Please," Marco pleaded, gasping.
Hawk loosened his grip. "Are you begging?"
"They're going to Spenser's firehouse apartment...to get Willow." He gasped. "S'ushi sent seven men."
Hawk thought about that. He also wondered how Marco knew to call the girl Willow. Could that be her real name after all? Finally, he grunted. "There's a word for people like you. Know what it is?" He brought his face close. "Dumb. Spenser don't be living at the firehouse no more."
"But...but I gave you something! You have to let me go!"
Hawk flashed him his teeth in a smile. "You think I'm a cop and this is a plea bargain? Think again." He grabbed Marco by the head with both hands.
"No!" Marco shouted. "What are you--?"
Hawk twisted hard.
SNAP!
Marco's headless body fell to the ground as his face registered surprise. Hawk dropped the head after the body and watched them both turn into dust.
Hawk dusted himself off. He straightened his attire, and he turned around with the intention of leaving from the tunnels. But as he turned around, he came face to face with Angel.
Hawk could tell the difference between a living being and the walking undead simply by looking at them.
He recognized Angel for what he was.
Before Angel could stop him, Hawk's hands gripped him by the head and he began to twist.
_______________________________
SPENSER
Willow was anxious. She has taken to sitting on the couch with her arms wrapped around her knees. Her eyes were filled with tears and my heart felt like it was being torn asunder.
I couldn't bear to see her like this.
I was angry that the cruel fates had brought her to this, but at the same time I was a realist. Things happened. There was no reason or method to why things happened the way they did. They just happened. That's just the way life was. Life is always throwing curve balls at you no matter how hard you try to continue on with your life.
The curve ball could be anything from a diagnosis of cancer to being taken away from the comfort of your own home and waking up in a hospital bed not knowing who you were. There were no true guarantee's in life except for what you made of it yourself.
I was going to continue on with my life until I couldn't go on any more, cancer be damned! And as long as I still had breath within me, I was going to find a way to get Willow her own life back.
I sat next to her and instinctively wiped my fingers at her tears on her face. "I know it seems bad right now, but it will be all right," I tried to assure her.
She just looked at me.
"Can you remember anything?"
She shook her head.
"Does the name Willow mean anything to you?"
She looked thoughtful. Then she nodded, but she still seemed hesitant. I thought that the name of Willow meant something to her when we were looking up at the Weeping Willow tree at the park, for she had reacted positively to the name. But now she just appeared to be uncertain of how the name Willow meant to her. Only that it did.
I held my hand out to her and she grabbed it. I wondered again about the significance of such a simple gesture. What did it mean to her?
"Sometimes a hug helps the hurt go away," I said gently.
I wrapped my arms around her and she put her head on my shoulder with her face toward my neck. I could feel her tears on my neck as she cried softly. She didn't make any sound other than the occasional sniffling that accompanied crying, and sometimes she would take a few deep breaths.
I never felt so damned helpless in all my life. I myself was a man who hardly ever shed a tear. Oh, sure, maybe when I was a kid. But since becoming a grownup, I never even sobbed watching a sappy love story with Susan. I was so tough that I could cut onions until they were mush and still be a man who did not shed one single tear.
But as I held this weeping girl in my arms, I could feel my own throat tighten with emotion. I wanted to cry. I really did. The only reason I didn't was because I wanted to be strong for her. I'm not saying that crying is a weakness...I just wanted her to feel safe.
Even so, I wasn't used to feeling like this. I usually take on all of my cases with a lot of vim and vigor, but now I was convinced that they both went on vacation. What the hell was wrong with me? I should be out there roughing up the neighborhood, asking questions...getting in people's way. Stepping on toes.
But I couldn't leave Willow alone.
I had to rely on Hawk for the people pushing. At least I knew he was good at that.
I still felt so damned helpless. I felt like I wasn't doing enough for Willow. I held her for a while and my thoughts again turned to the child I never had. I found myself wondering if Willow would ever accept me as a father if she couldn't go home. Then I realized that I was just being selfish. She was somebody's daughter. Not mine. I had to find a way to get her home.
I looked at my watch.
It was twelve o' clock. Noon.
I had told Hawk that if he wasn't back by noon, then I would take Willow some place safe. There was a safe house on the outskirts of Boston that Quirk let me use from time to time. It sat next to an old cemetery. Hawk knew where it was and if he didn't find us here, then he would look for us there.
"Willow," I said, moving her gently so I could look at her, "it's time for us to go."
She nodded.
We both got up from the couch and I decided that I should try to get her to take her medicine again. I put her medicine on the counter and I put mine on the counter, too.
Willow just watched me.
I went to the refrigerator and I pulled out two bottles of water.
Now I was showing off. I held onto both of the bottles in one hand, and as I held them with one hand, I used my other hand to open both of the bottles. Not many people could do that little trick but I was big and I had big hands. So I could pull it off.
At least it brought a half smile to Willow's face so I was reassured that I was half impressive. Half was better than nothing at all.
I placed one bottle of water onto the counter in front of her and I placed the other in front of me. I then opened my prescription of MS Conton pills and I took one out.
I showed it to her. "This is for me. I have a doctor like you had at the hospital and he told me that I have to take this...for pain."
Her eyes locked onto mine. I got the strongest impression that she was trying to see my pain. The medicine I took was only masking my pain, and I was aware that it would come to a point where it wouldn't mask any of it. I really didn't want to reach that point. I had to wonder if Willow understood what I was thinking because she was looking at me with eyes of deep perception. I saw concern in her eyes.
She was worried about me.
I opened the Xanax and took out one pill. I placed it in front of her beside her open bottle of water. "This is for you," I told her. "It will help keep you from being too anxious."
She looked at the pill, but she didn't pick it up. Then she did that cute thing with her nose as she looked up at me with an inquiring look.
I smiled warmly at her. "I'm not going to make you take it. I will leave that up to you. I'll take mine and I'll take it alone if I have to. Okay?" I had my pill in my hand.
I didn't really think she was going to, but she picked up her Xanax.
I took mine and she took hers. But then it got a little tricky. I drank from my water bottle to wash it down. Willow swallowed her pill dry. She never touched her water bottle.
I looked at her. "Don't you want your water?" I asked her.
She looked at it and she shrugged hesitantly.
I prided myself as a private investigator, so as a P. I., it was time to do my detective work. I detected.
I looked at the water bottle and tried to determine why Willow wasn't drinking from it. She had picked the water out from the store so I knew that she wanted water instead of the sweet stuff. But why didn't she want this bottle?
I looked at the cap lying on the counter.
Then I realized...It was because the bottle was open.
I decided to try something. I took a new bottle of water from the refrigerator and without opening it, I set it before her.
She looked up at me.
I looked at her.
She picked up the bottle, she opened it, and then she drank from it.
I frowned as I thought of the implications.
Suddenly, her eyes widened.
"Willow, what is it?" I asked with concern.
She picked up the Xanax subscription and pointed at the label. She seemed excited about something.
"What is it?"
She pointed at a word printed on the label.
"Xanax?" I inquired. "What are you trying to tell me?" Then I held up a hand. "Wait a minute."
I went into my den and I grabbed a pen and a pad. I came back out into the kitchen as I flipped the pad open. I handed it to her and gave her the pen.
"Can you write it out for me?"
She nodded. She was excited about something. She wrote onto the pad and then she gave it to me. And she was smiling. The smile seemed to say, "I found something."
I looked at what she wrote.
It was a single letter.
X.
I frowned. What the hell did that mean? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
TO BE CONTINUED--