In the Name of Love

By Tales of Spike

Spoilers: Story started just prior to As You Were and runs through to the end of Hells Bells. From there on the story goes AU, so Normal Again, Entropy etc. haven't happened and won't. For purposes of Angel characters, it's assumed Cordelia and Groo are still on holiday and Connor is still living with Angel at the Hyperion, just because it makes my life simpler.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Joss and his friends own everything and everyone.

A/N: Another fairly short chapter, but it seemed like a good place to stop, and it's our turn to finally get to see Seeing Red so I wanted to be finished early.

Feedback: I'd really like feedback, I get all insecure without it and start to think no one's reading this crap I produce, so bring it on at Sandy.Osborne@blueyonder.co.uk.

Chapter 14

Spike was sure the Watcher was trying to hit every pothole possible and while the coffin he'd chosen was comfortably padded, it didn't actually help much when the whole thing was sliding from side to side in the back of… whatever he was in the back of. Suddenly Spike had a vision of Giles driving through central London in a car not unlike his old Citroen with a coffin loosely strapped to the roof rack. 'Not even Giles, I hope.' But then Giles was a man with a past, and he could be ruthless when it was called for, if he thought someone might have taken advantage of his charge, for example.

Spike tried to remember exactly what information he had given the other Englishman when he originally asked for his help. More to the point, what might he have heard from Willow or the other Scoobies? It would be just Spike's luck to be in the middle of a transatlantic flight when Xander finally realised why Spike had been doing "nude push-ups" and the bricklayer would waste no time informing the Watcher. Just because he'd finally got Buffy to agree to make a fresh start with everything out in the open, didn't mean that the rest of the group were okay with it, (if they knew).

He pressed a button to illuminate the dial on his watch. It was fifteen minutes since he'd thought he'd been transferred from the plane to his latest mode of transport. Surely, if he'd wanted the Watcher could have found somewhere quiet to pull in and let him out by now. Instead of which he seemed to be taking up rally driving, causing Spike to rattle around in his ever so slightly claustrophobic padded cell.

He decided he was going to just have to make the best of it at least until they stopped moving.

Giles cast another glance in his rear view mirror. He'd changed lanes three times and taken several unnecessary turnings but the white van with tinted windows was still following, hanging back far enough that they could duplicate any sudden manoeuvres Giles made.

Finally, Giles found himself first in line at the traffic lights. Just as they were about to change he slammed the van into gear, cut through the filter lane and swung across in front of the oncoming traffic taking the right hand turn with a second to spare. The white van was still boxed in several cars back and its occupants were unable to see Giles next sharp turn. Once he was sure the van wouldn't be easily spotted he moved round to climb in through the rear doors. He unscrewed the brass plated wing nut fastenings on the coffin and finally released a slightly battered vampire.

"Bloody hell, Watcher, you could have taken it a bit easier on the bends."

"Come on, someone's been following us since the airport. I think there's an underground station a couple of blocks that way. The van's hired so if we leave it unlocked, it's a pretty fair bet to report it stolen."

Spike paused to rip open the cardboard box that was used to transport his "personal effects" pulling out a black duffle bag. He rummaged around until he found his lighter and a pack of cigarettes. Lighting one, he said to Giles, "I guess that means that flying out of Reno instead of LA didn't help."

Giles, looked the vampire up and down. "That's a new look for you." Spikes hair had been cut shorter, both on top and at the sides, to blend in the partly regrown shaved section. Lorne had touched up the mid brown hair dye to cover both where it had washed out and the root growth. Most startlingly, as a concession to his mode of transport he was actually wearing a suit. It was a black suit, with a black shirt and a deep bluish violet tie, but it was a suit. Instead of his normal boots he wore a pair of black dress shoes, and Giles was sure that whilst he couldn't place it there was something different about his face.

"Just in case customs at either end decided to open things up and have a look… and it's the eyebrow. It's called make-up." The distinctive double scar through Spike's eyebrow had indeed been disguised, or at least made far less noticeable.

The pair made their way via the underground to the area of London where the lawyer who had visited Spike had his office. They found a couple of hotel rooms since Giles thought it was unlikely that he would manage to get a train home by the time they finished their discussion. They did make a slight detour on the way to call at an off-licence and pick up a bottle of good scotch.

Soon the pair were safely ensconced in Spike's room with a generous glass of whisky each and their respective ties loosened off.

"You're paying all the charges for that van, by the way," said Giles.

"Never expected anything else."

"How much money have you got in those accounts you sent me details of anyway?"

"Enough to clear all their debts, put both of them through college, pay for a couple of weddings and have plenty left over… not that they would accept it if they thought it came from me." Spike raised an eyebrow in Giles' direction. "If something does happen to me, you'll see it all goes to her and Dawn, won't you?"

"I'll make sure they get it."

"Good. So, did you manage to get that information I asked you about?"

"Yes, I did, though I don't know where you think it's going to get you." Giles pulled a piece of paper with a name and address from his jacket pocket.

"If anyone outside that firm of lawyers knows who bought that contract, then it'll be her, and if anyone can convince her to talk, it'll be me. There's no point breaking and entering if I can find out what I want with a couple of questions."

"And then what?"

"Then I see if it was sold on again, until I find out who had it last."

"And…"

"And I make sure that whoever it is, isn't going to be making any payments to any assassins."

"I feel I should tell you that I can't condone murder."

"Oh, this isn't going to be murder. When someone comes after me the way they did, it's suicide." Spike's eyes were deep blue, so dark as to be almost black. "No-one uses the people I care about to get to me and gets away with it."

"Haven't you used that as a means of persuasion yourself in the past?"

"I can't say I haven't. Let's just say I plan to provide an object lesson for anyone else who wants to try threatening my girls." Spike reached in his bag and withdrew several objects of the type that gave him his name.

He looked across at Giles. "If Riley Finn hadn't turned up when he did, I would be dead, so would Buffy and Bit would be left on her own. That's why when I find out who's behind this, it's going to get messy and if you tell me you would do any less to someone who would hurt them, then you're not the man I think you are."

* * * * *

An hour later attired in a rather more casual manner than before, Spike was checking out the lawyers' offices. Even at half past eleven at night there still appeared to be people working. A security guard was seated at a desk in the main foyer where he could see everyone entering or leaving the building. Nevertheless, Spike noticed that every so often someone would come out onto the fire escape at the back of the building, smoke a cigarette or two, and then go back in. You just have to love these no-smoking buildings.

Spike kept watch on the building for another couple of hours, noting that almost all the staff left by twelve-thirty, and after they had gone the security guard was joined by a colleague who had evidently been patrolling the building earlier. The two talked while they drank coffee from plastic cups that the second guard had brought with him and when they finished the first guard left to do his rounds of the building and the second guard took over at the front desk.

Spike suspected that the smokers had probably temporarily disabled the alarm, which should have sounded when the back doors to the offices were opened, or the alarm system was not switched on until all the legal staff had left. Either way Spike could make it work for him.

* * * * *

The next day was dull and forecast to remain overcast and wet. This let Spike indulge himself and he toured the shops of Camden and Carnaby Street. He deliberately avoided buying another coat similar to his duster, but he did get a leather jacket cut like a blazer and another pair of New Rocks. He bought a couple of shirts and a couple of pairs of black jeans. To top off the purchases he bought some black hooded tops. Then because he couldn't resist the idea he bought a little mini-kilt, some hooped black and red tights, a black T-shirt with Union Jack print and some knee-high DM's, all in Dawn's size. The kid would just look so cute all in punk gear, even if she made him wait till next Halloween before she'd wear it.

Before he headed back to the area where he was staying he called into a florist and left with a large bouquet of pink and white roses. He headed back to the hotel to get changed. He was almost ready to leave when there was a knock at his door, immediately followed by Giles' voice.

"Spike?"

Spike opened the door. "You gave me a bit of a scare there, Watcher. I thought you'd headed off home."

"Well, I went home and picked up my car, reported the van stolen and so forth, but I decided it might be better if I was more readily available if you were in need of assistance. Anyway, I've arranged to stay in town at a friend's while you're here. If you need to get hold of me, this is the number. I must say, it doesn't look as if you're planning on doing anything larcenous tonight. In fact, appearances would seem to indicate that you're going on a date."

"Sort of, hopefully, except the only thing I'm trying to score is information. You on the other hand…" Spike looked pointedly at the name Olivia, which was written above the phone number Giles had just given him. "Here, you take these, I'll pick up some more on my way." He passed the bouquet to Giles as he left the room. As he walked down the corridor ahead of Giles, back towards the hotel reception he couldn't resist a jibe. "Old guy like you probably needs things like that more than I do anyway."

"I say…"

After a tube journey, a visit to an off-licence and a visit to another florist Spike arrived at his intended destination for the evening. The apartment block was rather plush and though he was out of touch with London property values he knew that something like this would run well into six figures. Either her family had money, or Giles was making a lot more than he let on. Given Buffy's financial difficulties he suspected the former. He wondered if his little plan was going to work as well as he hoped, but decided to brazen it out. He'd timed his arrival for seven-thirty, reasoning that if she had a date, she hopefully wouldn't be getting picked up until at least eight, but by seven-thirty she should definitely be back from work.

He pressed the button for the intercom through to her flat. "Delivery for Miss Macallister." He lowered his head slightly so that the video camera above the door wouldn't show a clear picture of his face. He needn't have bothered. A buzzer sounded and when he pushed the outer door he found it open. He made his way up to the third floor. When he reached the apartment the door was slightly ajar. He knocked lightly on the doorframe.

A young woman came to the door, dressed in a robe with her dark hair still wet.

"Hiya. D'ye need a signature?" The Scottish accent confirmed that this was not the girl he was looking for.

"Actually, pet, it's not really a delivery, just me some wine and some flowers. I thought it'd be a bit of a surprise. Is she not in?"

"Ronnie?" The name he'd been given was Veronica, but he reckoned that was close enough.

"Yeah."

"She'll be back in a wee while. She's just gone to get some videos. Come in and have a seat while you're waitin'."

'That'll do very nicely', thought Spike, crossing the threshold unimpeded.

"So how do ye come to know Ronnie then?" The girl continued the conversation as she moved through to a bedroom, closing the door over, but not quite shutting it. He could hear sounds of her getting dressed as they continued.

"Well, it was when she was in America a couple of years ago. I just thought I'd look her up while I was over here for a visit."

"So when you said surprise, ye meant really big surprise."

"I think so."

The girl reappeared wearing jeans and a vest top. "I must say ye're an improvement on that creep that's normally hangin' 'roun'. I'm Isobel, her cousin, by the way."

"Will… Which creep's this?" Spike had an intuitive feeling this was something he needed to know.

"That auld guy she works with or for or whatever. Always wantin' to give her lifts. Sendin' flowers, supposedly 'cos she's so good at her job. No' that she isn't, but anybody other than her would know he's just an auld perv."

She picked up a card lying next to a vase of carnations. "See."

'In appreciation for your efforts above and beyond, Q'

"Yeah, definitely, pet, pervert."

End of chapter 14