Part Two
Author's Note: I tried to be humorous in some parts of this, espically the Spike and Angel interactions. If I fail, well then I know to stick to the angst. LOL.
II. Spike
He dreamt. He dreamt of her, and her long blonde hair and blue eyes that always seemed to sparkle wickedly when she was slaying...and doing other, more enjoyable things.
To him.
He saw her face when she realized what was going to happen back there in the school, that he was going to die. He saw the words before they came out of her mouth, and he knew she didn't mean them. As nice as they sounded, as much as he wanted to hear them, she didn't mean it.
((I love you.))
((No you don't, but thanks for saying it.))
He decided to get up. Spike sat up, blinking. Downstairs there was noise–the sound of Fred making morning coffee, of Gunn turning on the tv, he could even hear Wesley down there, turning pages in those books. One wouldn't think that flipping pages made a sound, but when you were a vampire, the tiniest sound became magnified.
Like breathing.
Spike used to lay awake listening to Buffy breath. For some reason, it made him feel real, made him feel like he was connected....to....something. He felt the sudden pain of his death, wincing. That had been an experience Spike could have gladly lived without. So the old poofter was right when he said one day on Earth registered to a thousand years in hell. Time flew by when you were being punished.
The last sounds he heard where the sounds being made by Cordelia. She rose earlier, but she stayed inside her room while the others were downstairs, peddling away in their boring life. Spike tilted his head, listening to her. She was brushing her hair, perhaps doing her make up. He could smell the perfume she was wearing. It intriqued him. She intriqued him, that this once brainless creature, friend of Harmony had changed so much.
Plus, she was nice to look at.
And better company than Angel.
So she had some things going for her. He'd heard the story–bits and pieces of it, enough to understand what had gone on. Some evil demon thing had took over her body, made her do things she normally wouldn't have done.
He understood. Just as his soul had taken over him, made him fall in love with the one woman he should never develop feelings for.
Souls and demons, were there a difference really? Spike didn't think so. Spike was always the last to rise, the last to bed. Angel got up first, pittering around and checking things, setting the office up. Fred was always next. Gunn reluctantly came to life, followed by the new and improved Watcher Boy Wesley.
It was nine o clock. Spike walked downstairs, bleary eyed, yawning and running smack into Fred.
"Jesus woman, watch where you're going." Spike mumbled and took a seat on the round couch. Fred sighed impatiently, readied her cup of coffee and asked him if he wanted one.
"Coffee?" Spike looked at her like she was crazy. "What for?"
"To get woke up?"
Spike shook his head. "No thanks. Pass." He said and yawned, contemplating falling asleep on the couch but knew that wouldn't make Nancy any happy. Like Nancy was ever happy. Spike thought with a snort. He sighed to himself, his steel toes kicking the couch.
"Spike, don't do that." Angel said with a frown, walking in. "You'll ruin the upholstery." Spike almost burst out laughing. Gods. Angel sounded so...domesticated!!!
"Oh." Spike said waving a hand. "Forgive me Your Poofness. Wouldn't want to ruin the royal upholstery." He paused, frowning. "What's upholstery?"
Angel dead panned and pointed to underneath the couch, where Spike had been kicking his heels. "That. See? Look, black marks from those boots." He took the newspaper he read in the mornings and swatted Spike hard with it.
Spike laughed. "You're a woman Angel, you know that? Only women tend to worry 'bout stuff like...what was the word? Upholstery?"
Gunn looked slightly amused by the whole conversation. Spike seemed to get under Angel's skin. Gunn noted. It often resulted in hillarious after affects. Except getting bailed out of jail. That hadn't been too fun. Stupid vampire had talked Gunn into taking him to a casino while they went past Las Vegas for a mission, and he had played Blackjack. Spike kept swearing the Blackjack dealer was cheating him, cause he never lost at Blackjack. Gunn told him to come on, they were going to be late but of course Spike waved him off.
Turned out the Blackjack dealer *had* been cheating Spike. Spike had started a fight with the Blackjack dealer, and they'd ended up getting kicked out. One drunk vampire wasn't going to say sorry. He'd went back in there and him and Gunn had been escorted out by police.
Angel hadn't been too happy.
And that was the last time Gunn went anywhere with Spike.
And bedlam had broken out. The vampire seemed to enjoy the bedlam he had caused.
And that had been in the first week Spike had been here. But he wasn't all bad. If you weren't Angel that was. He was a good fighter, strong and seemed to make do with what was around him. Gunn could appreciate that.
"Charles?"
Fred's voice cut into his thoughts. He turned to her. "Yeah baby?" he asked, giving her a soft smile while Spike, who was watching them made gagging noises.
"I was asking you about the Morris case." Fred replied. "What was it again? Exterminator problem?"
Gunn nodded. "Exterminator problem of the other world kind." He said. "Lady found a nest of demon eggs in her basement. Should be pretty easy to take care of." Fred bobbed her head. "Oh you Angel and Spike can handle that, surely."
"Oh surely we can." Spike drawled, imitating Fred. Angel glared and counted to ten. Ever since Spike had been here, he'd been getting migraines more often. Cordelia told him Spike knew he was pestering Angel. If he just acted like he didn't bother him, Spike would leave him alone.
Angel had learned the hard way ignoring Spike never made anything better.
If anything, it made it worse. Spike was like a child with the constant need for attention. He had the span of a three year old.
"Well." Spike rose. "Shall we get into the Nancy Mobile to start another day of saving innocent, helpless victims?"
"It's daylight." Angel said dryly.
"What? You're just going to let *daylight* stop you? Oh dear. And I thought Angel was the Champion!" Spike cried out, pretending to be shocked. Angel glared, hands balling into fists. Just one little punch. Ok, maybe not so little. But it would make him feel a hell of a lot better!
"Spike." Angel growled.
About that time, Cordelia walked downstairs. "Hi guys." She said shyly. Tucking a strand of her now dark hair behind her ears. "What's going on?" She asked. Cordelia was wearing a red long sleeved mid riff and a pair of jeans.
Spike and Angel both turned, eyes on the seer. This was interesting. Fred wondered if they both knew they were in love with the same woman.
Well, Angel was still in love with Cordelia.
She was almost sure that Spike was *starting* to fall in love with her as well, or else Fred was making too much of this.
But it sure was fun, anyhow. "Hey Cordelia." Fred greeted with a big smile. She was still all nervous like around her. "We're just talking about the Morris case." She said.
"Oh. Lady who never cleans up her basement?"
"That'd be her. Wanna join me and Gunn for some rousing demon fun?"
Gunn arched a brow. "We're going?" He asked Fred. "But I thought–"
"We're going." Fred said firmly. She wanted to be Cordelia's friend again. She wanted to trust her, to tell her it was Ok.
"So we're going." Agreed Gunn.
"Oh. And the new team of Super Friends are ready again." Spike muttered from the couch, where he had continued to kick the upholstery, making Angel's upper eye twitch spasmodically. Angel eyed his childe. "Well if you don't like it you can always...leave..." Angel said hoping this would happen. He didn't know how much longer he'd be able to put up with Spike!!!
"Nah." Spike stopped kicking and looked up. "I rather like it here, Angel. I like to torment you." he said with a wink at his sire, and rose. "But as much fun as that is it does get boring here." he told him. Cordelia looked at him, went to the weapon's cabniet and handed Spike an axe. "Good then you can come with me, Fred and Gunn."
Spike just stared at her. And shrugged. "Might as well."
****
"Lady never said anything about her basement being huge." Grumbled Gunn as the trio made their way to Morrison's basement. Fred nodded. "I know...just where is this demon thing hiding at, anyhow?" Asked the former librarian, gripping her sword.
"My guess is the darkest area." Cordelia said. This was her chance to get back in the game, to get her friends back as well. She knew that Gunn and Fred still were wary of her, they remembered the evil Cordelia who even knocked down Queen C. But it hadn't been *her*. Couldn't they understand this?
"Ah." Spike said, his senses honing in on an object in the far corner. "There it is." He pointed it out. Sure enough, a demon with tentacles was hiding in the corner. Noises came out of it, as well as a foul stench. Spike made a face. "So you all always get the smelly asignments and Angel gets the hero gigs?" He asked fanning the air in front of him.
"Pretty much." Said Gunn.
"I'd ask for a refund." Spike said, causing Cordelia to chuckle. She ended up liking Spike. He was humorous and kept doing Angel impressions on their way to the Morrison case. It had been amusing. She couldn't help but laugh.
"So heads or tails?"
"I'd say tails!" Gunn exclaimed as the monster-demon sprung to life, seeing them.. It roared, and stumbled towards them. A tentacle reached out and wrapped around Gunn, lifting him high in the air. "Little help here?"
"Sure thing!" Fred rushed forward and raised her sword a bit awkwardly, slicing down on a tentacle. The monster roared this time in pain, but didn't release it's hold on Gunn. It just grew a longer tentacle.
"Oh." Cordelia said. "This is going to be fun." She was being sarcastic, of course.
Spike grinned. "Oh but it can be." He said. "You can't kill it–not in the usual way or else those legs of it are gonna keep growing back." He turned to her. "We've got to get it's heart."
"Someone help!" Gunn was being waved in the air, and feeling a little sick to his stomach. Just then, the demon made a gurgling sound and Gunn was doused with demon slime. Sticky, smelly demon slime.
Gunn cringed. "Oh man Angel *does not* pay enough for this!"
"And where would the heart be?" Cordelia asked, turning to him. "Since you seem to know it all, that is."
Spike shrugged. "Only one way to find out." With a feral grin, he charged towards the monster, jumping on one of the tentacles. "Hey ugly! Where's your heart?"
The demon-monster answered by flinging Spike off him, sending the vampire propelling in the air. Cordelia smirked. "Yeah, that worked real well. You know what I find works with demons? Killing them."
Spike froze. He stared at Cordelia for a long moment, stunned. He had once uttered that exact phrase–well, minus the demon part to Buffy.
((You know what I find works with Slayers? Killing them...))
It was as though she had read his mind. The vampire felt a shiver run through him.
"Yeah, killing them works great, so chop to it!" Gunn yelled. He was still in the grip of the monster, squriming and eyeing his weapon, which wasn't very far. Just a little bit closer...he silently willed the demon to move that way. Gunn tried to move, and was almost there....
Spike picked himself back up, grabbed Cordy's axe and charged towards the demon. He sliced the axe towards the demon's belly, cutting it. It made a sound, and dropped Gunn. Gunn made a mad dash for his weapon, grabbing it and rushing back towards the demon.
"So where's it's heart?" Gunn asked.
"See that little spot below the eye?" Spike pointed it out. "That'd be my guess." He moved a step back and then lifted his arm to toss the axe there. He missed.
"Well...so much for that theory." Said Spike as nothing seemed to happen. Suddenly, the demon made a gurgling sound, and it started to squirm. The gang stopped, watching.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know." Spike's eyes were on the demon. He frowned. The demon seemed to raise. And raise.
"It's gonna explode!" Spike yelled. "Come on!" He started moving for the door. Too late. There was a loud popping sound and the demon burst into bits, which showered down on the Angel Investigation crew.
"Ewww!" Cordelia shouted as she and Fred were both covered in demon bits, slime and probably other things they were better off not knowing what it was. "This is just..."
"Ew?" Asked Fred, whiping her face. "I think we need to charge Mrs. Morrison extra. Who's with me?"
"Aye." Said Cordelia, Gunn and Spike. Spike made a face. "And then I say we go to Captain Poofter and demand a raise for this."
"Sounds good to me." Cordelia lead the way up the stairs, shaking demon goo off her. She was smiling though, even covered in the gunk. She was home....really home. Fred looked over at Cordelia.
"Welcome back." She told her with warmth, meaning it.
