The Fall of William
By: skyz
Disclaimer: Joss owns Btvs.
A/N: Hi all. I know I started another story by this title but decided to put that on hold and work on this instead. Reviews are always appreciated. Regardless though I'm gonna keep posting. This idea just won't leave me alone. Also this is absolutely AU. Enjoy. Skyz.
Prologue:
His bright blonde head was dipped low as he cupped his hands together and lit the cigarette that dangled from his lips.
Hard, cold blue eyes studied the street with barely veiled contempt. He snapped his lighter closed and lifted his head sucking deep on his fag. Shifting slightly he looked up and down the sidewalk before he abruptly tossed his fag away and made his way slowly across the street.
He jogged slowly up the steps of the large brownstone and quickly fumbled in his pockets and pulled out a small kit filled with the tools of his trade.
In a matter of seconds, he'd unlocked the door and unarmed the security alarm. He shut the door quietly and paused in the foyer looking around.
In his mind, he saw the blue prints of the house flash before his eyes and moving instinctively, he made his way to one of the many dens on the second floor.
Pushing open the door, he strode in and made his way to the farthest wall where he removed the large picture that hung there and smirked as a safe was revealed.
Clucking his tongue, he narrowed his eyes and slowly turned the knob recalling the combination from previous use. It opened soundlessly on well- oiled hinges.
Quickly he scanned through the papers that littered it. Past the money. The jewels. They held little interest to him at the moment. What he was after was worth far greater than all those combined.
He let out a small grunt of triumph as he located the small piece of paper he had been looking for.
Stuffing it in his pocket, he closed the door of the safe and replaced the picture. Studied it and decided it was just right.
He dug into one of the pockets of his duster, pulled out a ski mask, and pulled it on. Making his gloves were secure he quietly made his way upstairs and turned to the left and headed for the master bedroom.
He paused out side of the large oak door and pondered what would be the right way to go about this. Finesse or wham bam?
Smiling beneath the mask, he figured wham bam would do nicely.
Lifting his foot, he kicked in the door and watched in admiration as it fell off its hinges and toppled to the ground.
The couple that had been sleeping soundly came awake with screams of fright. The woman clutched the sheet to her chest and screamed as he entered.
His eyes never left the man though.
"Get outta here lady," he ordered softly as he pulled out a long thin wire and began to wrap it around his hands.
The woman cast one terrified look at the man beside her before she scrambled out of the bed and ran for her life.
"Oh my God," the large man gasped out in horror as the man approached him. He scrambled falling out of the bed and began to crawl.
"Don't do that," the man issued softly.
"Please! Please. Jesus.....Jesus man c'mon I'll give you whatever you want! Please-I can-no, no, no-"
"I warned you," the man said as he crouched beside the whimpering man.
"I had to do it!!! I had to do it Spike. For the love of God please! Don't end it this way. It was her. She made-"
"She made you?" Spike asked incredulously. "You think I believe that? I didn't see you rottin' in any cell. You look me in the eyes and tell me she made you betray me Riley."
Riley trembled and opened his mouth to speak.
But no words came out.
"Please...."
"You're just another number on the list Riley. Goodbye."
~*~
Chapter one:
Willow Rosenberg slowly made her way past the milling bodies that littered the first floor of the Watcher Corporation and took the stairs to the second floor where the executives' offices were located.
In her hand, she gripped a large manila envelope so tightly her knuckles had gone white under the strain.
She was making her way to her boss's door when an annoyingly happy voice came from behind her.
"Where're you headed Willow? Not to see the boss I hope. She's got a busy morning," Anya Jenkins spoke up from behind her a cup of coffee in one hand and an itinerary book in the other. She was studying Willow carefully.
Willow forced a strained smile.
"This is important Anya. I have to see her," Willow muttered as she moved to the door and reached for the doorknob.
"Wait," Anya exclaimed rushing forward, spilling her coffee and cursing sharply as it scalded her. "No. Willow no one is getting past me. She made it very clear she didn't want to be disturbed."
"I have to it's about-"Willow broke off and flushed as she realized what she'd been about to say.
Anya's eyes widened and her brows shot up into her hairline.
"Oh my God," she squealed. "Tell me it is not about-"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Willow interrupted her in a rush not wanting to hear Anya's question. Knowing if she did, she would spill everything and she couldn't not until the boss knew.
Anya shook her head and stepped back.
"Holy hell," she muttered, "I'm glad it's you and not me goin' in there. Cuz when you tell her the shit's gonn-"
"Shhhhhhh," Willow hissed as she knocked quickly on their boss's door and turning the knob quickly strode in shutting the door in Anya's curious face.
"Anya I thought-"Buffy Summers began irritated at being disturbed turned in her chair and faced the door.
Her brows rose as she saw it was Willow instead of Anya.
"Willow," she muttered with a sigh and watched as Willow shifted nervously under her curious stare.
"Buffy....hi.....um," Willow stuttered out and clenched her hands together so hard they crumpled the envelope.
Buffy's eyes traveled down Willow's usual weird outfits that befit her life as one of the best computer hackers in the world. All pink and red mixed with black, it was an eye catcher and an eye sore. Nevertheless, Buffy couldn't help but smile; it was one of the things she loved about Willow. She didn't have a need to dress to impress, her mind and skills spoke for her.
"What's wrong Wills?" she finally asked, as it appeared Willow wasn't going to continue the conversation.
"Um..." Willow tried again but Buffy's private line rang and she made an apologetic face as she jerked it up. Willow was relieved as Buffy began to speak and quickly placed the envelope on the desk and made her way out.
"So....?" Anya asked excitedly as soon as she saw Willow.
Willow grimaced and wondered what kind of bestfriend she was if she couldn't even tell Buffy one simple thing?
Then she reminded herself that that one simple thing would not endear her to Buffy and right now, she didn't want to be on Buffy's bad side.
"Didn't tell her," Willow muttered and hurried away.
Anya cast one terrified look at Buffy's door before she took a seat behind her desk and prepared for the fall out she knew would be coming.
~*~
Buffy glanced curiously at the envelope Willow had left, as she spoke to her mother. Reaching out she opened it and frowned slightly at what she saw.
"I know mom," she muttered aloud as she pulled out a stack of large black and white photos.
Her eyes widened slightly as her gaze scanned the first photo of a completely fire gutted house. She flipped through some more of the same house, pictures of the inside.
Absently she answered her mother's questions until her gaze fell on the picture of the coroners pulling a stretcher a sheet covered body on it.
That wasn't what caught her attention however. It was the woman crumpled on the doorstep of the house.
She wasn't anything spectacular, she wasn't more than a normal woman who'd been woken up in the middle of the night and watched as her entire life burned to ashes. It wasn't her appearance that bothered Buffy but the woman herself.
Buffy's mouth thinned and she narrowed her eyes as she flipped to the last photo.
A lone figure stood across the street from the house. A cigarette casting his face in a small light that accented his cheekbones. He stood staring at the house a cold contemplative look on his face.
A look that said here I am, fuck you.
A look that made Buffy's heart stop for a moment and her face pale as the blood drained from her face.
She abruptly hung up on her mother and dropped the pictures as she rose shakily to her feet.
Grabbing her coat she wrenched open her door and sped out the pictures fluttering slowly to the ground in her wake.
"Boss?" Anya asked carefully as Buffy shrugged into her coat and rushed past.
"I'll be out for the rest of the day," was all Buffy said as she disappeared into an elevator.
Buffy fled her building as if she could out run the ghosts of her past come back to haunt her. As if leaving them behind wouldn't make it real.
But running didn't help.
As she collapsed in her car, she let out a ragged breath.
Closed her eyes and pictured them.
Riley Finn and his mistress as she'd last seen them.
In an interrogation room no less than a month ago. Arrogant and right in their belief they had nothing to worry about. Nothing could be pinned on them.
And nothing had been.
She'd been a silent observer of the interview and had barely resisted the urge to insist she take over as she had jurisdiction. However, the higher ups had strictly forbid her to get herself or her agency involved with Finn or else. So she'd watched as he'd talked circles around the local police detectives and walked out with his ho on his arm.
Now he was dead.
It was not entirely a shock to know he'd died. Riley hadn't had many friends since he'd been an egotistical bastard with a penchant for violence. But where he lacked in friends he made up in business associates.
He'd been a semi powerful man with powerful friends and connections that went so deep some would never be discovered.
But that hadn't made him invincible as those pictures bore witness to.
For every connection Riley had the man that had killed him had more.
Where Riley wasn't liked or respected the man who'd killed him was.
Buffy opened her eyes and with shaking hands started her car.
Spike....
She pulled out of the parking garage and shot down the street without a backwards look.
She didn't have to look to know.
To know he was behind her...
Watching...
Waiting...
Looking for the perfect moment to strike back.
They called him William the Bloody. The empire he had created had been vast and far-reaching. One that people had thought impossible to topple. Spike as he was known to close friends had made it his job to keep that image up.
People expected what his name implied. No guts no glory he had been fond of saying. So he'd done what he had too in order to keep the respect he deserved and demanded from those around him.
His business was anything for a certain price. Drugs, weapons, jewels anything he deemed worthy of his attention and you gave the right amount of money he could get.
William the Bloody had been thought of as invincible.
Until the day, she'd walked into his life.
Until he'd fallen, so hard and fast, he hadn't known what hit him when his precious empire was methodically destroyed and he found himself in a prison cell.
There was only one person to blame for that.
She knew he had a list....
Everyone who was less important would fall....until there was only one person left to finish off.
Her.
Buffy raised haunted hazel eyes to her rear view mirror and blinked as an image of blazing blue eyes and a sharply angled face filled with betrayal filled her vision.
She blinked again and the image was gone.
She knew without a doubt that he'd loved her...just as much as she'd loved him and by the time, this was over surely neither of them would survive it.
As she drove she thought back to how it all began. Wondering again how it had gotten so complicated. When the lines between right and wrong were so blurred, she had knowingly given everything she had to a criminal. Someone she had been assigned to destroy.
By: skyz
Disclaimer: Joss owns Btvs.
A/N: Hi all. I know I started another story by this title but decided to put that on hold and work on this instead. Reviews are always appreciated. Regardless though I'm gonna keep posting. This idea just won't leave me alone. Also this is absolutely AU. Enjoy. Skyz.
Prologue:
His bright blonde head was dipped low as he cupped his hands together and lit the cigarette that dangled from his lips.
Hard, cold blue eyes studied the street with barely veiled contempt. He snapped his lighter closed and lifted his head sucking deep on his fag. Shifting slightly he looked up and down the sidewalk before he abruptly tossed his fag away and made his way slowly across the street.
He jogged slowly up the steps of the large brownstone and quickly fumbled in his pockets and pulled out a small kit filled with the tools of his trade.
In a matter of seconds, he'd unlocked the door and unarmed the security alarm. He shut the door quietly and paused in the foyer looking around.
In his mind, he saw the blue prints of the house flash before his eyes and moving instinctively, he made his way to one of the many dens on the second floor.
Pushing open the door, he strode in and made his way to the farthest wall where he removed the large picture that hung there and smirked as a safe was revealed.
Clucking his tongue, he narrowed his eyes and slowly turned the knob recalling the combination from previous use. It opened soundlessly on well- oiled hinges.
Quickly he scanned through the papers that littered it. Past the money. The jewels. They held little interest to him at the moment. What he was after was worth far greater than all those combined.
He let out a small grunt of triumph as he located the small piece of paper he had been looking for.
Stuffing it in his pocket, he closed the door of the safe and replaced the picture. Studied it and decided it was just right.
He dug into one of the pockets of his duster, pulled out a ski mask, and pulled it on. Making his gloves were secure he quietly made his way upstairs and turned to the left and headed for the master bedroom.
He paused out side of the large oak door and pondered what would be the right way to go about this. Finesse or wham bam?
Smiling beneath the mask, he figured wham bam would do nicely.
Lifting his foot, he kicked in the door and watched in admiration as it fell off its hinges and toppled to the ground.
The couple that had been sleeping soundly came awake with screams of fright. The woman clutched the sheet to her chest and screamed as he entered.
His eyes never left the man though.
"Get outta here lady," he ordered softly as he pulled out a long thin wire and began to wrap it around his hands.
The woman cast one terrified look at the man beside her before she scrambled out of the bed and ran for her life.
"Oh my God," the large man gasped out in horror as the man approached him. He scrambled falling out of the bed and began to crawl.
"Don't do that," the man issued softly.
"Please! Please. Jesus.....Jesus man c'mon I'll give you whatever you want! Please-I can-no, no, no-"
"I warned you," the man said as he crouched beside the whimpering man.
"I had to do it!!! I had to do it Spike. For the love of God please! Don't end it this way. It was her. She made-"
"She made you?" Spike asked incredulously. "You think I believe that? I didn't see you rottin' in any cell. You look me in the eyes and tell me she made you betray me Riley."
Riley trembled and opened his mouth to speak.
But no words came out.
"Please...."
"You're just another number on the list Riley. Goodbye."
~*~
Chapter one:
Willow Rosenberg slowly made her way past the milling bodies that littered the first floor of the Watcher Corporation and took the stairs to the second floor where the executives' offices were located.
In her hand, she gripped a large manila envelope so tightly her knuckles had gone white under the strain.
She was making her way to her boss's door when an annoyingly happy voice came from behind her.
"Where're you headed Willow? Not to see the boss I hope. She's got a busy morning," Anya Jenkins spoke up from behind her a cup of coffee in one hand and an itinerary book in the other. She was studying Willow carefully.
Willow forced a strained smile.
"This is important Anya. I have to see her," Willow muttered as she moved to the door and reached for the doorknob.
"Wait," Anya exclaimed rushing forward, spilling her coffee and cursing sharply as it scalded her. "No. Willow no one is getting past me. She made it very clear she didn't want to be disturbed."
"I have to it's about-"Willow broke off and flushed as she realized what she'd been about to say.
Anya's eyes widened and her brows shot up into her hairline.
"Oh my God," she squealed. "Tell me it is not about-"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Willow interrupted her in a rush not wanting to hear Anya's question. Knowing if she did, she would spill everything and she couldn't not until the boss knew.
Anya shook her head and stepped back.
"Holy hell," she muttered, "I'm glad it's you and not me goin' in there. Cuz when you tell her the shit's gonn-"
"Shhhhhhh," Willow hissed as she knocked quickly on their boss's door and turning the knob quickly strode in shutting the door in Anya's curious face.
"Anya I thought-"Buffy Summers began irritated at being disturbed turned in her chair and faced the door.
Her brows rose as she saw it was Willow instead of Anya.
"Willow," she muttered with a sigh and watched as Willow shifted nervously under her curious stare.
"Buffy....hi.....um," Willow stuttered out and clenched her hands together so hard they crumpled the envelope.
Buffy's eyes traveled down Willow's usual weird outfits that befit her life as one of the best computer hackers in the world. All pink and red mixed with black, it was an eye catcher and an eye sore. Nevertheless, Buffy couldn't help but smile; it was one of the things she loved about Willow. She didn't have a need to dress to impress, her mind and skills spoke for her.
"What's wrong Wills?" she finally asked, as it appeared Willow wasn't going to continue the conversation.
"Um..." Willow tried again but Buffy's private line rang and she made an apologetic face as she jerked it up. Willow was relieved as Buffy began to speak and quickly placed the envelope on the desk and made her way out.
"So....?" Anya asked excitedly as soon as she saw Willow.
Willow grimaced and wondered what kind of bestfriend she was if she couldn't even tell Buffy one simple thing?
Then she reminded herself that that one simple thing would not endear her to Buffy and right now, she didn't want to be on Buffy's bad side.
"Didn't tell her," Willow muttered and hurried away.
Anya cast one terrified look at Buffy's door before she took a seat behind her desk and prepared for the fall out she knew would be coming.
~*~
Buffy glanced curiously at the envelope Willow had left, as she spoke to her mother. Reaching out she opened it and frowned slightly at what she saw.
"I know mom," she muttered aloud as she pulled out a stack of large black and white photos.
Her eyes widened slightly as her gaze scanned the first photo of a completely fire gutted house. She flipped through some more of the same house, pictures of the inside.
Absently she answered her mother's questions until her gaze fell on the picture of the coroners pulling a stretcher a sheet covered body on it.
That wasn't what caught her attention however. It was the woman crumpled on the doorstep of the house.
She wasn't anything spectacular, she wasn't more than a normal woman who'd been woken up in the middle of the night and watched as her entire life burned to ashes. It wasn't her appearance that bothered Buffy but the woman herself.
Buffy's mouth thinned and she narrowed her eyes as she flipped to the last photo.
A lone figure stood across the street from the house. A cigarette casting his face in a small light that accented his cheekbones. He stood staring at the house a cold contemplative look on his face.
A look that said here I am, fuck you.
A look that made Buffy's heart stop for a moment and her face pale as the blood drained from her face.
She abruptly hung up on her mother and dropped the pictures as she rose shakily to her feet.
Grabbing her coat she wrenched open her door and sped out the pictures fluttering slowly to the ground in her wake.
"Boss?" Anya asked carefully as Buffy shrugged into her coat and rushed past.
"I'll be out for the rest of the day," was all Buffy said as she disappeared into an elevator.
Buffy fled her building as if she could out run the ghosts of her past come back to haunt her. As if leaving them behind wouldn't make it real.
But running didn't help.
As she collapsed in her car, she let out a ragged breath.
Closed her eyes and pictured them.
Riley Finn and his mistress as she'd last seen them.
In an interrogation room no less than a month ago. Arrogant and right in their belief they had nothing to worry about. Nothing could be pinned on them.
And nothing had been.
She'd been a silent observer of the interview and had barely resisted the urge to insist she take over as she had jurisdiction. However, the higher ups had strictly forbid her to get herself or her agency involved with Finn or else. So she'd watched as he'd talked circles around the local police detectives and walked out with his ho on his arm.
Now he was dead.
It was not entirely a shock to know he'd died. Riley hadn't had many friends since he'd been an egotistical bastard with a penchant for violence. But where he lacked in friends he made up in business associates.
He'd been a semi powerful man with powerful friends and connections that went so deep some would never be discovered.
But that hadn't made him invincible as those pictures bore witness to.
For every connection Riley had the man that had killed him had more.
Where Riley wasn't liked or respected the man who'd killed him was.
Buffy opened her eyes and with shaking hands started her car.
Spike....
She pulled out of the parking garage and shot down the street without a backwards look.
She didn't have to look to know.
To know he was behind her...
Watching...
Waiting...
Looking for the perfect moment to strike back.
They called him William the Bloody. The empire he had created had been vast and far-reaching. One that people had thought impossible to topple. Spike as he was known to close friends had made it his job to keep that image up.
People expected what his name implied. No guts no glory he had been fond of saying. So he'd done what he had too in order to keep the respect he deserved and demanded from those around him.
His business was anything for a certain price. Drugs, weapons, jewels anything he deemed worthy of his attention and you gave the right amount of money he could get.
William the Bloody had been thought of as invincible.
Until the day, she'd walked into his life.
Until he'd fallen, so hard and fast, he hadn't known what hit him when his precious empire was methodically destroyed and he found himself in a prison cell.
There was only one person to blame for that.
She knew he had a list....
Everyone who was less important would fall....until there was only one person left to finish off.
Her.
Buffy raised haunted hazel eyes to her rear view mirror and blinked as an image of blazing blue eyes and a sharply angled face filled with betrayal filled her vision.
She blinked again and the image was gone.
She knew without a doubt that he'd loved her...just as much as she'd loved him and by the time, this was over surely neither of them would survive it.
As she drove she thought back to how it all began. Wondering again how it had gotten so complicated. When the lines between right and wrong were so blurred, she had knowingly given everything she had to a criminal. Someone she had been assigned to destroy.