After Adam's defeat, the spoils of the 314 project are up for grabs. Spike & Willow find themselves at the centre of a web of intrigue.

Disclaimer: Any characters and locations from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series are the property of Mutant Enemy

Chapter 13: Back to work.

Spike had been given the following day off but when he next returned to work his head and body were still throbbing, the first because of the alcohol he had taken and the second because of the woman he had not. As it turned out things were not destined to get any better. The moment he arrived he was summoned to Nat's office and this time its owner was not only present, but looking distinctly menacing - as were the group of thugs who were sharing the room with him. The hairs on the back of his neck rose when one of them detached himself from the group and stood between Spike and the only door.

"Well, if it isn't the great lover himself."

Nat's tone dripped with sarcasm and the pack of minions behind him snickered unpleasantly.

Playing for time, Spike simply shrugged his shoulders insouciantly, saying: "One does one's best."

Nat's grin grew more predatory and he reached for the remote control sitting on his desk. "One's best? Hardly. When I was looking for a bit of video entertainment last night I was expecting something quite different from this."

He pressed a button and the TV screen across the room came alive with the image of Spike sitting on a bed beside the form of a sensuously writhing Willow. He watched as the scene unfolded and saw himself draw back his fist to launch a devastating blow to her head, the two of them simultaneously crumpling in pain at the moment of impact.

"If it had just been that, I might have thought you were afraid that you couldn't get it up. But this tells rather a different story."

Nat hit the fast forward button and the tape moved inexorably on through the hours Spike had spent nursing a succession of bottles and then to the conversation that he had shared with Willow just before they had been so rudely interrupted.

"Seems the pair of you know each other rather better than I'd thought. It's not healthy, you know, fraternising with the living. You can pick up all sorts of nasty things from them - like death, of the permanent kind. Care to explain what's going on before I have you torn to pieces?"

It was either him or Willow and, thwarted lust or no, Spike knew damn well whose skin it was that he was going to save.

He rounded on Nat. "I'm just doing the job you should've been doing. If this place could be bothered to do its security checks properly you'd know that she's a friend of the Slayer's. That lot don't do anything by accident so I decided to find out what she's doing here. That's why you caught me outside her house the other night."

Nat looked sceptical. "If she's a friend of the Slayer's why's she cozying up to you instead of putting a stake through your misbegotten heart?"

"Look, things ain't been easy this past year and when the chips were down I did some things I'm not proud of just to make sure I survived. But on this occasion it's paid off. The bint trusts me and I can use it to our advantage."

"So, what's she doing here?"

"The Slayer's boyfriend used to be part of this place. He heard about the redevelopment and they got curious, particularly when word of hirings got round on the demon circuit. The pair of them were too well known to infiltrate, so they got Rosenburg to do it for them. She's their tame computer whiz - but then you know about her skill in that area already."

Nat nodded "Yeah, part of the parent organisation clocked her when she was back in high school, her and some boy name of Osborne - but he seems to have done a vanishing trick. Her name came up with flashing lights when we ran it through the checks, but there wasn't anything about her other activities. Not really surprising in a town like this...all sorts of things fall through the cracks for some reason."

Spike had to agree with that one. There was a lot they'd missed about Willow, and wolf-boy too for that matter, which was fortunate for him. "Yeah, very little happens by chance in this town and you'd do well to remember it. Anyway, now that you know about the girl, what're you going to do?"

Nat deliberated for a moment. "If the Slayer knows about the place, then we don't want to sic her on us by killing her girl. She's better left alive and used as a source of misinformation. You say she trusts you so I'll leave it up to you to handle it."

Spike smiled. He'd deliberately avoided leading Nat to this conclusion to make sure that he thought it was his own idea. He'd also needed to make sure that Nat had no idea of the importance of Willow's continued survival. It had been a gamble, but it couldn't have worked out better - having Nat sanction his contact with Willow would make life a great deal easier.

"I'll be like her best buddy."

But Nat hadn't finished "Don't think this means I'm happy about what you've been up to and you'd better make damned sure I'm kept in the loop in future. I'm all for independent thinking in my staff but I wouldn't like any...misunderstandings to arise."

Spike tried to look suitably abashed. "You can trust me."

"I'd better be able to."

Spike held Nat's gaze for a long moment before nodding sharply. At that Nat gestured for the goons to leave and sank down into the chair behind his desk. Spike waited until the last had left and closed the door behind him before asking, "you're not going to report me then?"

Nat shrugged "Nah, so long as you keep your nose clean in future I won't need to involve anyone else. Besides, Rauk doesn't like to be bothered by day-to-day stuff like this, he's got bigger things on his mind."

Spike was relieved and let it show on his face. "It's good that he trusts you like that. The pair of you must be very close."

Nat grinned ruefully, gesturing to the decanter of brandy on the sideboard. "D'you fancy a drink?"

Spike nodded and poured a generous measure for them both into the tulip shaped glasses. Handing one to Nat held his own to his nose, swirling the glass and inhaling the complex aroma.

"Richard Hennessy? So, are we going to take Talleyrand's advice and settle down and discuss its virtues?"

Nat smiled. "For all your wide-boy act, you've not lost your nose or your academic pretensions," he paused for a moment, "or your infallible instinct for trouble."

Spike shrugged "All part of my charm." He took the seat on the other side of the desk and eyed Nat with interest. "You don't normally break out the good stuff for one of the hired help. Got something on your mind?"

Nat sighed. "More of a matter of what, or rather who, Rauk has got on his. Someone of the female persuasion who's interfering more than she ought."

"That's the trouble with women, always more trouble than they're worth," Spike agreed.

Nat raised his glass to Spike "I'll drink to that."

"So, what's the problem?"

"Things used to be right cushy here. We had a nice little niche, something to work for. Then this bird came along and suddenly Rauk's listening to her instead of following his own muse. I don't like it and I certainly don't like having to pass on some of his latest decisions to the boys. It's strange, I'd never have taken him for a lap-dog."

"Comes to us all mate." Spike said, ruefully.

After taking another sip of Cognac and rolling it around his mouth, Nat replied, "yeah, I know. Just hope it doesn't screw up a good thing."

Spike decided it was time for his most sincere of faces. "Well, you know I've got your back if the shit hits the proverbial."

"Heh - makes me all warm inside, that does."

The pair laughed, but then Nat's expression sobered. "Spike, we go back a long way. I know you're a tricky bastard, but the way things are going at the moment I think you're the closest thing I've got to someone I can trust."

Spike swallowed the last of his drink. "Better the devil you know, eh? Need me for anything in particular?"

"Nah, just keep your eyes peeled, that's all, I'll let you know if anything comes up." He paused, "and Spike, don't make me regret trusting you - you won't enjoy the results."

Spike made as if to leave and then turned back again as if something had just occurred to him.

"By the way, assuming this all pans out the way we want, I'd take it as a favour if Rosenburg was part of my final payoff. There's a lot of scores I need to settle with the Slayer and once the chip is history there'll be all sorts of things I can do to the chit that'd drive her spare, not to mention being a whole heap of fun."

The lightening of the atmosphere was almost perceptible and Nat grinned at him indulgently, "That's my boy. There've been times recently I thought you were going soft on me, but I should have known better. I know the Company has it's eye on her, but I'll see what I can do to make sure the girl's yours to do with as you will...so long as you make it more entertaining than the last time."

Spike joined in with Nat's laughter. "It'll be my pleasure..."