No Need to Lie - March 2009
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Spike paced nervously back and forth in the darkened warehouse. This was the part of being one of the undead that was definitely a downfall. He was anxious, he didn't want to be cooped up in this warehouse all day. He had places to go, people to kill. He had failed to ask Nick if there was a sewer entrance to the warehouse, which there had not been. He knew that wasn't the only thing he was anxious about. He had a gnawing pain in his side. He couldn't figure it out, there wasn't a wound there. It hurt when he breathed. He knew he didn't need to breath anymore, but he still did, out of habit more than anything. He lit another cigarette and attempted to sit for a few moments. He was so fucking restless and there was nothing he could do about it. Finally Nick came into Spike's office and shut the door behind him.
"Everything OK boss?" Nick asked nervously.
"No you twit. Did you even bother to check and see if there was a sewer entrance?"
"Spike, come on, I've always slept during the day - I figured it was safer for the only way to get in to be the front door."
"You thought wrong. Now I'm stuck here, all day. I've got no clue what soul boy and bitchy the vampire layer are up to."
"I have some good news and some bad news." Nick said, wincing while he said it.
"Get on with it." Spike replied impatiently.
"It seems that everyone is at the Hyperion, but it has magic wards over the entire building. Can't even get in through the sewer. Looks like it's reinforced so demons have to be re-invited in after every time they leave. A few scouts tried a couple small flame throwers, but they just bounced off."
"We'll deal with the wards later. So the bloody scoobs are hiding from good ol' Spike. That is amusing if nothing else. As long as I know where all of them are at - at all times, that'll be good enough for now."
Spike went back to throwing pencils at the ceiling where there were about a dozen or so already stuck, signaling Nick that he was done with him.
Nick walked out of the office and went to the basement portion of the warehouse to make a phone call.
"Boss," Nick began.
"Yes?"
"It's been done. Spike has been turned and you were right he's so excited about the prospect of killing the slayer that he been in a delirium of happiness all day."
"Did you assure that he can't leave during the day?"
"No problem big guy. Spike's not going anywhere until the sun goes down."
"Good. I don't want him getting impatient and trying to off the Slayer by himself."
"No problem, figure I'd distract him by a strip show/dinner performance later on. The guys hasn't been laid in over five years, he's gotta be getting a little itchy by now."
"Good. What did you tell him about yourself?"
"I was pretty honest with him, I know that Spike picks up on lies pretty well. The only thing he doesn't know is that I already have one boss."
"Do whatever you need to do to humor him. Keep him distracted at all costs. I don't want him to put two and two together."
"Boss, when's Dru getting here? Spike keeps asking about her."
"I've arranged it so she'll be there in three days. This plan is very important Nicholas. Everyone has to believe that it was Spike, and Spike alone that killed Buffy and Angelus. It cannot be traced back to me, under any circumstances. Those are the two I want dead. I don't care about any of the rest of them one way or the other."
"Sure Boss. Until Dru gets here, I'll try to keep him out of trouble."
"Make sure that you do."
And then the call was disconnected. Nick cracked his neck and went upstairs to play 'lackey' for his new 'boss.'
************************************
Angel made his way to Dawn's room and found that it had been empty. He then went to the bathroom and heard the water running. He knocked several times and no one replied. He warned that he was coming in. He was shocked when he opened the door to find Dawn huddled in the corner. She was naked and soaking wet. She also looked like she had been freezing, the hot water had been long gone, and Dawn just sat there, chilled to the bone. Angel made his way to the girl and draped an oversized towel around the girl's body. He then lifted her up and took her into her room and put her back under the blanket to get her warm. He sat next to her and took her hand.
"Dawn, what were you doing?" Asked Angel.
"I don't know. I just blanked out. I'm fine, really. I think I just need to eat something." Dawn said while sitting up.
"Dawn, you don't need to lie to me. Cordelia told me what happened last night. It's OK, just be honest with me."
Dawn stared at him, he eyes wide with shock.
"So you know that I let him in. I let him do what he wanted. I betrayed Buffy and I almost got Julia killed?"
"Is that what you think Dawn? You let what you thought was a man that you deeply love into his own apartment. Perhaps you shouldn't have acted on your desires, but no one could blame you. We all know how you feel about Will. Buffy knows too, I don't think she will see it as betrayal. She has her own things to work out right now, whether or not you almost slept with Spike is the least of her worries right now."
"I should have known though Angel. He told me he wanted me. Wanted *me* - he never wanted me though. I should have known."
"Why Dawn? Why should you have known? You have never given up on the hope that he would return your affections, why would you have stopped last night? I'm not saying that what you are doing to yourself is healthy. In fact it's not, you're wasting your entire life on someone that cannot return your affections. It's not something that we need to deal with right now, but at some point we are going to have to discuss this."
"I know Angel. It's like every time I think I'm over him, he does something wonderful and I fall in love with him all over again. I know it's not healthy. I know it wasn't fair to him, or Buffy, or even me. You can't help who you love though, right?"
"No you can't Dawn, but you can move on. I still love Buffy very much, but things would have never worked out between us. You have to know when to quit."
"I get that. I think I'm starting to anyway. I'm just so embarrassed though. I don't want to have to tell everyone exactly what happened, it's too humiliating."
"Don't bring it up then, unless someone specifically asks you about it. Until they do, simply don't bring it up. Last night was pretty hectic, I doubt anyone noticed that you ran in here less than fully dressed last night. And I know you blame yourself for Julia, but she's fine. You saved her, Cordelia told me that you were willing to do whatever you had to do to save your niece. You are very brave Dawn, don't forget that."
Dawn smiled at Angel and gave him a quick hug and then she remembered she was naked. She pulled the covers up to her chin and Angel left the room to let her get dressed. She felt better than she had. She wasn't doing back flips or anything, but she felt better than she had in months.
Spike paced nervously back and forth in the darkened warehouse. This was the part of being one of the undead that was definitely a downfall. He was anxious, he didn't want to be cooped up in this warehouse all day. He had places to go, people to kill. He had failed to ask Nick if there was a sewer entrance to the warehouse, which there had not been. He knew that wasn't the only thing he was anxious about. He had a gnawing pain in his side. He couldn't figure it out, there wasn't a wound there. It hurt when he breathed. He knew he didn't need to breath anymore, but he still did, out of habit more than anything. He lit another cigarette and attempted to sit for a few moments. He was so fucking restless and there was nothing he could do about it. Finally Nick came into Spike's office and shut the door behind him.
"Everything OK boss?" Nick asked nervously.
"No you twit. Did you even bother to check and see if there was a sewer entrance?"
"Spike, come on, I've always slept during the day - I figured it was safer for the only way to get in to be the front door."
"You thought wrong. Now I'm stuck here, all day. I've got no clue what soul boy and bitchy the vampire layer are up to."
"I have some good news and some bad news." Nick said, wincing while he said it.
"Get on with it." Spike replied impatiently.
"It seems that everyone is at the Hyperion, but it has magic wards over the entire building. Can't even get in through the sewer. Looks like it's reinforced so demons have to be re-invited in after every time they leave. A few scouts tried a couple small flame throwers, but they just bounced off."
"We'll deal with the wards later. So the bloody scoobs are hiding from good ol' Spike. That is amusing if nothing else. As long as I know where all of them are at - at all times, that'll be good enough for now."
Spike went back to throwing pencils at the ceiling where there were about a dozen or so already stuck, signaling Nick that he was done with him.
Nick walked out of the office and went to the basement portion of the warehouse to make a phone call.
"Boss," Nick began.
"Yes?"
"It's been done. Spike has been turned and you were right he's so excited about the prospect of killing the slayer that he been in a delirium of happiness all day."
"Did you assure that he can't leave during the day?"
"No problem big guy. Spike's not going anywhere until the sun goes down."
"Good. I don't want him getting impatient and trying to off the Slayer by himself."
"No problem, figure I'd distract him by a strip show/dinner performance later on. The guys hasn't been laid in over five years, he's gotta be getting a little itchy by now."
"Good. What did you tell him about yourself?"
"I was pretty honest with him, I know that Spike picks up on lies pretty well. The only thing he doesn't know is that I already have one boss."
"Do whatever you need to do to humor him. Keep him distracted at all costs. I don't want him to put two and two together."
"Boss, when's Dru getting here? Spike keeps asking about her."
"I've arranged it so she'll be there in three days. This plan is very important Nicholas. Everyone has to believe that it was Spike, and Spike alone that killed Buffy and Angelus. It cannot be traced back to me, under any circumstances. Those are the two I want dead. I don't care about any of the rest of them one way or the other."
"Sure Boss. Until Dru gets here, I'll try to keep him out of trouble."
"Make sure that you do."
And then the call was disconnected. Nick cracked his neck and went upstairs to play 'lackey' for his new 'boss.'
************************************
Angel made his way to Dawn's room and found that it had been empty. He then went to the bathroom and heard the water running. He knocked several times and no one replied. He warned that he was coming in. He was shocked when he opened the door to find Dawn huddled in the corner. She was naked and soaking wet. She also looked like she had been freezing, the hot water had been long gone, and Dawn just sat there, chilled to the bone. Angel made his way to the girl and draped an oversized towel around the girl's body. He then lifted her up and took her into her room and put her back under the blanket to get her warm. He sat next to her and took her hand.
"Dawn, what were you doing?" Asked Angel.
"I don't know. I just blanked out. I'm fine, really. I think I just need to eat something." Dawn said while sitting up.
"Dawn, you don't need to lie to me. Cordelia told me what happened last night. It's OK, just be honest with me."
Dawn stared at him, he eyes wide with shock.
"So you know that I let him in. I let him do what he wanted. I betrayed Buffy and I almost got Julia killed?"
"Is that what you think Dawn? You let what you thought was a man that you deeply love into his own apartment. Perhaps you shouldn't have acted on your desires, but no one could blame you. We all know how you feel about Will. Buffy knows too, I don't think she will see it as betrayal. She has her own things to work out right now, whether or not you almost slept with Spike is the least of her worries right now."
"I should have known though Angel. He told me he wanted me. Wanted *me* - he never wanted me though. I should have known."
"Why Dawn? Why should you have known? You have never given up on the hope that he would return your affections, why would you have stopped last night? I'm not saying that what you are doing to yourself is healthy. In fact it's not, you're wasting your entire life on someone that cannot return your affections. It's not something that we need to deal with right now, but at some point we are going to have to discuss this."
"I know Angel. It's like every time I think I'm over him, he does something wonderful and I fall in love with him all over again. I know it's not healthy. I know it wasn't fair to him, or Buffy, or even me. You can't help who you love though, right?"
"No you can't Dawn, but you can move on. I still love Buffy very much, but things would have never worked out between us. You have to know when to quit."
"I get that. I think I'm starting to anyway. I'm just so embarrassed though. I don't want to have to tell everyone exactly what happened, it's too humiliating."
"Don't bring it up then, unless someone specifically asks you about it. Until they do, simply don't bring it up. Last night was pretty hectic, I doubt anyone noticed that you ran in here less than fully dressed last night. And I know you blame yourself for Julia, but she's fine. You saved her, Cordelia told me that you were willing to do whatever you had to do to save your niece. You are very brave Dawn, don't forget that."
Dawn smiled at Angel and gave him a quick hug and then she remembered she was naked. She pulled the covers up to her chin and Angel left the room to let her get dressed. She felt better than she had. She wasn't doing back flips or anything, but she felt better than she had in months.