Chapter Three: When the going gets tough, the tough gets organized.
The day after Adam brought Willow to his apartment he was a little late getting to The Magic Shop. This was probably a good thing considering the gang was talking about him. He might have nipped that conversation in the bud had Spike not grabbed the immortal and with smoking arm dragged him into the dark alley between the Magic shop and the shop next door.
"Bloody hell!" Spike yelled flailing his singed arm.
"Are you Spike?"
"You know who I am, that's good. But I know who you are, and that's better."
Adam gave the blond vampire a look that said 'what are you talking about'. Spike took the bait and smiled slightly as he lit up a cigarette.
"It's been a long time Dr. Adams."
Adam gave Spike a more thorough look and his eyes went large with realization.
"Oh my god, William!"
***
London, 1878
Methos or as he was going by at that time Doctor Benjamin Adams came down the stairs with heavy footfalls. He looked reluctantly into the face his patient Robert St. James's son William. The man, scarcely more then a child, really, looked back into the Doctor's eyes and quickly cast his eyes to the floor. Doc Adams walked over to the young man and rested his hand on William's shoulder.
"I'm sorry Will."
William looked up at Doc Adams, this man who had been his father's friend longer then he himself had been alive with his eyes over flowing with tears.
"Why?" he pleaded, with a voice little more then a whisper.
"It was his time, we can't live forever."
"Its no fair." William wiped away his tears.
"It rarely is."
***
Adam looked at Spike with shock, and Spike returned the look with a smirk.
"You lied to me Doc. I can live forever, and it appears so can you. Have you told the Scoobies yet?"
The immortal narrowed his eyes and glared at the vampire.
"Tell them and I'll…"
"You'll what kill me? Not bloody likely. You see Buffy likes having me around; I'm good in a fight and all. Now what would she say if she found out that her Watcher who she already doesn't trust dusted her favorite vampire?"
Damn it, Adam thought to himself, he has a point.
"What do you want?" At Methos' question, Spike's smirk grew larger.
"Cash, and lots of it."
***
"Willow I don't like the idea of you being alone with him. I don't trust him."
"Buffy, trust me he's not your enemy. When I was at his apartment he played some phone messages and there was one from the Council badgering him for some kind of report, and guess what he said as he erased the message?"
Buffy sighed and so wanted to roll her eyes.
"What?"
"He said 'bloody Watchers.'"
"Yes Will, clearly he's a saint and should be trusted with our lives." Xander commented from on top of the counter by the till.
"Trust me on this one guys. I was having one of my bad days and he was there for me. He didn't have to be so nice to me." As she noticed the look of doubt from the Slayer and Xander she sighed. "I'm just saying that you should give him a chance."
"Alright Will. If you think so, I'll keep an open mind. But I reserve the right to tell you I told you so when he ends up being just another control freak Watcher. Giles excluded of course."
It was at this time that Methos made his way back to the store. He noticed that the core of the 'Scooby Gang' was in the shop. Buffy, Willow, and Anya at the table and Xander sitting on the counter.
"Good evening all."
Willow smiled at the man, "Hey Adam."
The young witch's eyes then lit up as she remembered a little tid- bit.
"Oh I completely forgot. Adam knew Byron, isn't that cool."
"Hey wasn't he that big singer back in the early nineties?" Xander questioned.
"He was, that is until he was found beheaded behind stage at his last concert." Buffy added.
"Why would anyone kill Bryon?" Wondered Willow.
"And why whack of his head?"
"Actually Xander it's the only way to kill an immortal." All eyes in the store went to Anya. Adam shifted uncomfortably, afraid of what she was going to say.
"You see Byron was Lord Byron. You know the poet."
Again Willows eyes lit up. She had always been a fan of Lord Byron.
"Really?"
"Yup, I cursed him to be struck by lightning. I was rather shocked to see him wake up after that one let me tell you."
"What do you mean by he was immortal Anya?"
"I'm sure there are more pressing matters at hand other than a deceased rock star." Methos threw in, hoping to sway them from the road they were about to go down. He really didn't need them worry about immortals on top of everything.
"As much as I hate to admit it, Adam's right. I've been noticing a lot of Vampire activity around lately. Not the usual random attacks, no they seamed to be getting organized."
"Organized, How?" The Watcher inquired.
"Well they seem to be trying to add to their ranks vamps who have a clue." Buffy smiled at the somewhat confused look on her Watcher. Giles had often gotten confused with her and the rest of the Scooby's lingo.
"Most of the vampires I face are plain brute force, lacking in the intelligence department."
"What's different now?"
"Well, it seems that there have been a lot of attacks around the college. I asked around and it seems that the majority of the victims have been in the top of their respective classes."
"What do you think it means?" Xander wondered hopping down from the counter to sit at the table with the rest of the ground.
"Hate to say it, but it seems like a new big bad is in town."
Willow slumped her shoulders. "Great, just what we need."
The day after Adam brought Willow to his apartment he was a little late getting to The Magic Shop. This was probably a good thing considering the gang was talking about him. He might have nipped that conversation in the bud had Spike not grabbed the immortal and with smoking arm dragged him into the dark alley between the Magic shop and the shop next door.
"Bloody hell!" Spike yelled flailing his singed arm.
"Are you Spike?"
"You know who I am, that's good. But I know who you are, and that's better."
Adam gave the blond vampire a look that said 'what are you talking about'. Spike took the bait and smiled slightly as he lit up a cigarette.
"It's been a long time Dr. Adams."
Adam gave Spike a more thorough look and his eyes went large with realization.
"Oh my god, William!"
***
London, 1878
Methos or as he was going by at that time Doctor Benjamin Adams came down the stairs with heavy footfalls. He looked reluctantly into the face his patient Robert St. James's son William. The man, scarcely more then a child, really, looked back into the Doctor's eyes and quickly cast his eyes to the floor. Doc Adams walked over to the young man and rested his hand on William's shoulder.
"I'm sorry Will."
William looked up at Doc Adams, this man who had been his father's friend longer then he himself had been alive with his eyes over flowing with tears.
"Why?" he pleaded, with a voice little more then a whisper.
"It was his time, we can't live forever."
"Its no fair." William wiped away his tears.
"It rarely is."
***
Adam looked at Spike with shock, and Spike returned the look with a smirk.
"You lied to me Doc. I can live forever, and it appears so can you. Have you told the Scoobies yet?"
The immortal narrowed his eyes and glared at the vampire.
"Tell them and I'll…"
"You'll what kill me? Not bloody likely. You see Buffy likes having me around; I'm good in a fight and all. Now what would she say if she found out that her Watcher who she already doesn't trust dusted her favorite vampire?"
Damn it, Adam thought to himself, he has a point.
"What do you want?" At Methos' question, Spike's smirk grew larger.
"Cash, and lots of it."
***
"Willow I don't like the idea of you being alone with him. I don't trust him."
"Buffy, trust me he's not your enemy. When I was at his apartment he played some phone messages and there was one from the Council badgering him for some kind of report, and guess what he said as he erased the message?"
Buffy sighed and so wanted to roll her eyes.
"What?"
"He said 'bloody Watchers.'"
"Yes Will, clearly he's a saint and should be trusted with our lives." Xander commented from on top of the counter by the till.
"Trust me on this one guys. I was having one of my bad days and he was there for me. He didn't have to be so nice to me." As she noticed the look of doubt from the Slayer and Xander she sighed. "I'm just saying that you should give him a chance."
"Alright Will. If you think so, I'll keep an open mind. But I reserve the right to tell you I told you so when he ends up being just another control freak Watcher. Giles excluded of course."
It was at this time that Methos made his way back to the store. He noticed that the core of the 'Scooby Gang' was in the shop. Buffy, Willow, and Anya at the table and Xander sitting on the counter.
"Good evening all."
Willow smiled at the man, "Hey Adam."
The young witch's eyes then lit up as she remembered a little tid- bit.
"Oh I completely forgot. Adam knew Byron, isn't that cool."
"Hey wasn't he that big singer back in the early nineties?" Xander questioned.
"He was, that is until he was found beheaded behind stage at his last concert." Buffy added.
"Why would anyone kill Bryon?" Wondered Willow.
"And why whack of his head?"
"Actually Xander it's the only way to kill an immortal." All eyes in the store went to Anya. Adam shifted uncomfortably, afraid of what she was going to say.
"You see Byron was Lord Byron. You know the poet."
Again Willows eyes lit up. She had always been a fan of Lord Byron.
"Really?"
"Yup, I cursed him to be struck by lightning. I was rather shocked to see him wake up after that one let me tell you."
"What do you mean by he was immortal Anya?"
"I'm sure there are more pressing matters at hand other than a deceased rock star." Methos threw in, hoping to sway them from the road they were about to go down. He really didn't need them worry about immortals on top of everything.
"As much as I hate to admit it, Adam's right. I've been noticing a lot of Vampire activity around lately. Not the usual random attacks, no they seamed to be getting organized."
"Organized, How?" The Watcher inquired.
"Well they seem to be trying to add to their ranks vamps who have a clue." Buffy smiled at the somewhat confused look on her Watcher. Giles had often gotten confused with her and the rest of the Scooby's lingo.
"Most of the vampires I face are plain brute force, lacking in the intelligence department."
"What's different now?"
"Well, it seems that there have been a lot of attacks around the college. I asked around and it seems that the majority of the victims have been in the top of their respective classes."
"What do you think it means?" Xander wondered hopping down from the counter to sit at the table with the rest of the ground.
"Hate to say it, but it seems like a new big bad is in town."
Willow slumped her shoulders. "Great, just what we need."