FOOLS FOR LIFE:

CHAPTER 24: COMMON GROUND

"My honor was severely blemished that night!"

"Oh that's just nonsense." Spike shook his head.

"I should take my revenge out of your skin!"

"Revenge!?" Spike said. "For what? That was a decent bar fight mate. We traded blows fair and square and you know it."

For a second the demon in front of him seemed to swell with anger. Then his expression changed.

"You are correct." He said as realization hit his face.

"There ya go...." Spike nodded. Vraak slumped back into his seat on the dirty couch with a depressed look.

"You defeated me in honest combat." He said quietly. "You were the better warrior. I have no right to grievances. It only adds to my shame!"

"Hey now," Spike said earnestly. "Don't take it too hard. Could have easily gone the other way."

"You're just saying that." The demon pouted.

"No, mate, no!" Spike insisted as he sat down next to him. "That trick with your tail? Pfff, never saw that coming! Really, you almost had me."

"I did almost taste your blood." Vraak admitted.

"I know mate, I know. When you were smashing into my face?" He mimicked it out for a second. "Almost had me there. You just got a little cocky, thought I was out for the count already. Happens to all of us at some point."

The demon half shrugged in compliance. His face was clearing up a little though.

"Smoke?" Spike held up his pack. "Thank you." Vraak said as he took one out. "That was pretty clever." Spike looked up with a questioning look. "That thing with the bottle." Vraak said, referring to their fight again.

Spike smiled. "Thanks, yeah, I used that one before." He held up his lighter.

"Thank you no, I have my own." He breathed out of his nostrils and little flames came out that lit the cigarette.

"Handy...." Spike noted as he put away his lighter. "Say mate, if you don't mind me puttin' my nose where it don't belong.....well, I'm kinda surprised to see you here."

The demon shifted uneasily in his seat. "I...have need of Rack's....services."

"Hm. Well, it's just that you don't seem..." he gestured around the room. "the type, if you know what I mean."

His gesture had inadvertently included Anya who sat in the only other free seat. In between the sweaty business man and a demon with a wide mouth that kind of slobbered and who kept looking at her strangely.

"Just sayin'..... you know what I mean. Not exactly surrounded by upper class, are we?" Spike continued.

"Hey!" Anya said.

"Uh, not you luv." Spike added.

"Your soul-other?" Vraak asked, looking at Anya.

"Her? My...?" Spike shook his head. "Oh no mate, no, no, just...someone I know."

" 'Just som'one oi kno'" Anya mockingly repeated. "They're always so much nicer *before* you have sex with them. Then, it's 'oh, you're so special'....."

"Ahem" Spike cleared his throat. "Not now.....?" She shrugged as he turned back to Vraak. "So, like I said, not a place I expected a bloke like you to hang around."

Vraak nodded somberly "It indeed vexes my warrior's soul to even be in the presence of these vermin."

Anya opened her mouth to protest again but Spike cut her off with a quick gesture. She folded her arms and grumbled.

Vraak sighed. "I would not be here if it was not...necessary."

"You an' me both." Spike said. "Got a prob of my own. Hey, I've done my share of dealings with shady types but this lot is not my bag. So what's your itch then? Nothing against enemies I wager. You Shybarii know how to deal with those right?"

"Of course!" the demon confirmed with a proud glint in his eyes as Spike knew it would. Then he sighed again. He bent over to Spike who leaned in. "It's...well...you met my soul-other, did you not?"

Spike pulled a painful face. "Did I ever. Some parts of me still hurt."

The demon nodded. "Only added to my humiliation. And it was not the first time she had to finish my battle. I fail her in many of my duties."

Spike nodded, trying to think of something comforting to say, then looked up suddenly. "Uh, when you say dutieS.....plural..."

The demon looked away. "Yes, several...duties." He groaned and rubbed his eyes.

Spike remembered the demon's wife. 'Can't blame the bugger' he thought, but wisely didn't say it. "And that's why you're here?? To.....well...." he leant in and whispered. "...to have Rack give you some magic nuggets or something and put the lead back in your pencil?"

The demon groaned and nodded. "It is a great shame...." He looked at Spike. "My soul-other....she is very....dominant. She is stronger than I, as all female Shybariis are. And she has a fiery temper. It is difficult sometimes."

Spike leant back into the couch and took a drag of his cigarette. "TELL me about it." He blew out the smoke with a worn out 'pffffffff'. "Women eh?"

"You too?" Vraak asked.

"I could write a book. If it's not 'oh you're disgusting, you're beneath me', it's 'I'll never touch you again.'. THEN it's 'oh come here I want you' and they do things to you..."

His voice trailed off and Vraak nodded as he finished the line. "That you could never dream of..."

"Yeah....." Spike mused. "And right after that, it's back to 'oh don't touch me, that was perverse, will never do that again, you're beneath me'."

Vraak nodded again. "Until next time! When you are expected to forget the pangs of her earlier words!"

"But do we learn?" Spike asked spreading out his hands.

Vraak shook his head. "We do not."

"Damn straight. We're there for them just like the time before, and...."

"We get the same results....disdain and belittlement." Vraak sighed.

"That's what I'm saying!" Spike pointed his finger in the air as if to underline his words. "And the most you get for your troubles is another punch in the nose. If yer lucky!"

Vraak looked at Spike, with utter empathy and said again. "...you too?"

Spike winced...... "Just tonight mate...pfffff. Let's say I still got marks in places I'd rather didn't. You know?"

Vraak shifted in his seat, uncomfortably. "Indeed."

"They use you for sex, then toss you out." Spike said again. "Women....All the same."

Anya loudly cleared her throat and shot Spike an annihilating look as she folded her arms. He'd forgotten she was there.

"Uh....'cept you of course, luv." He tried.

Anya just glared.

Spike stared at the ceiling, avoiding her look. Good time for this Wizard bloke to show up. Time was a factor here..he wasn't going to play nice and wait in line forever. Of course a waiting room filled with demons and wizard wannabes alone could be problematic...

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TBC!