Why the Caged Bird Sings…

Chapter 1

The spotlight was hard and hot on her bare back and the smoke stuck to her skin like sheets in the summer. But none of that mattered to her, after all this time she was used to the smell and the stick of the club. The familiar hush fell over the crowd when they saw the shimmer of her dress as she swayed her hips in anticipation…and when the piano started to sing she closed her eyes as she turned around to face them.

"You had plenty money 1922
You let other women make a fool of you,
Why don't you do right?
Like some other men do…"

Howls erupted from the audience. Feet stomping on the ground. Fists pounding on the shaky cocktail tables. The ice rattled around in the glasses. It sounded like a thunderstorm. And she was riding the wave. She hardly noticed them as she lifted her heel to the piano stool to stretch her leg.

"Now get outta here
get me some money too…"

Her breathy voice slunk out of the club on to the hot streets and crawled into his head where it swirled around until he stopped dead in his tracks on the dirty sidewalk.

"Get outta here
get me some money too…"

"Are you all right?" Alexander asked, looking up at his boss, William, who had a strange look crawling across his face. He waited for a reply or an acknowledgement, but none came. Will wasn't listening to him.

That sultry voice was haunting him…taunting him. Will followed the sound of her voice and his eyes came to rest on the door to the club—Heaven.

Heaven was a speakeasy run by the Russomano clan—Guiseppe and his son, Angelo. And it so happened that Will had to get here anyway. So be it. He started towards the door without a second thought until Xander grabbed his arm.

"What are you gonna do, just walk in there right now? Give your game away? We got the element of surprise goin' here. You can't just give that up to them!"

"Get your hand off me, Xander," Will's voice rumbled low in his throat. He flicked his cigarette off his nail and pushed his way through the door.

Xander stood there dumbstruck for a moment. "Damn Brits," he mumbled as he hurried in after Will.

"If you had prepared 20 years ago
you wouldn't be wandering now from door to door…"

The woman on stage didn't notice when the door swung open. A warm breeze came in with Will and the smoke from inside the humid club billowed and seemed to part when he entered the crowded room with his hat slung low.

"Why don't you do right…like some other men do…"

He slunk along the back wall, trying to maneuver closer to the stage without being seen...especially by Guiseppe or Angelo. Angelo was dubbed Angel because of his innocent face. But Will knew better. Angel wasn't so innocent and he should be avoided tonight if that could be helped. Will wasn't ready to deal with him…not yet. So he stalked through the club, he was merely a shadow in the shadows and he made it halfway across the room without a sound by the time Xander clumsily bumped his way through the entranceway.

Angel didn't see them enter. He was sitting at the bar fixated by the glittery light playing off Buffy's dress. He followed that dress up to her eyes and drowned in them. But she wasn't looking at him, as she should have been. So he followed her gaze into the darkness but couldn't see anyone in the shadows. He stood up from his stool—there was something amiss here. He could feel it even if he couldn't see it.

But Buffy could.

She was used to the darkness by now. She was always in the dark—always surrounded by it because she was constantly in the light. The spotlight was her place…surrounded by darkness. It was where she felt comfortable—where she had always been.

Of course she had seen him slink through the thick crowd. She could feel his penetrating gaze as he drew nearer to her. He was close now. She could see this stranger—his bright green eyes studying her every move. He was meticulous. A curly strand of his pale hair peaked out from underneath his sharp hat that he pulled low to try and hide his face. But he looked back up at her…he couldn't stop.

Until the glasses shattered and the table broke.

Trouble was brewing. And out of the corner of Will's eye he saw Angel head over to the door where the bouncers had Xander up against the wall. Angel's goons had recognized Xander…he was notorious for being Will's lackey.

Buffy's eyes flickered as she followed Will's gaze towards the door. She saw Angel pounding his fist into some man's gut and she had to look down. All this violence. All the time.

But when she looked up again, Will was gone.

Her song had ended and the crowd was thundering again.

Buffy couldn't see him in the crowd, so she slipped off stage and headed to her dressing room. But she didn't get very far. Just two steps into the dark and he caught her arm. She would have shouted, she turned to shout…but he was on her. His lips pressed against hers with an urgency she couldn't fight. She melted into him, her arms dropping to the side and they kissed with all the passion they could muster.

She felt his hand trace and linger on her face, brushing her lips…but by the time she was able to open her eyes, he was gone. Again.

And then she heard the crashing of tables and bottles. She stepped back on stage, behind the curtain and peered out onto the scene taking in all the madness.

Angel was shouting. "Get to my father! That rat bastard is here for a reason. Get to his side!"

But then a fist came out of the darkness and sent Angel to the floor. Will worked fast. He brought a blade out from underneath his long, black coat and slit the throats of the two goons that held Xander to the wall. Buffy could swear she saw him smile as they fell.

Will grabbed Xander and they walked out the door. Angel jumped up and raced outside, but Buffy guessed they were long gone, because he came in again a second later with his brows furrowed. He stared yelling and she ducked her head back behind the curtain where the darkness covered her like a blanket.

And she even smiled for a second, remembering his lips, his touch, the way he smelled…even the way he half smirked when he slit those men's throats…

Then her eyes went cold and her back stiffened. Angel was calling her name.