Savage the Hunt
Disclaimer: Joss owns Btvs
A/N: Hi all. I wanted to get to Buffy right away so thus this chapter was written. I'm gonna be getting into more in depth things with both Spike and Buffy in the next couple of chapters. I wanted to say as always thanks for the reviews and I hope you continue to enjoy. Next chapter should be out later on this week. Skyz.
Chapter Four-
Elizabeth Perkins studied her computer screen with an intensity the job didn't require. Her mind that should have been on fabric, was on her absent husband once again. She wasn't sure what was going on with her husband and she was worried about him. He'd been distracted lately and hardly had time for the children. With a wary sigh she blew out a breath and leaned back.
"What's up boss?" her assistant asked curiously.
Buffy glanced up a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Nothing much. Was just thinking is all. What's up next on the agenda Andy? I'm ready to make with the working," she told him with a chuckle.
Andrew bounced around as he went to gather his day planner and palm pilot.
"We've got a meeting with a Mr. Rayne in fifteen minutes over on Revello Dr. He wants the whole house done; since he's bicoastal he wants a little retreat here in good ol Sunnyhell. And…what's more he has the money to pay for it!"
She smiled at his enthusiasm as she rose from her desk.
She loved her job, and was extremely glad more than ever, that she'd persuaded her husband to let her pursue it. He really hadn't wanted her to work at all. He brought in more than enough money to look after his family. But she'd been going stir crazy with the twins, and had wanted something to do outside of the house. She had been interested in interior design and had pursued her degree in it. It had taken almost two years but earlier this year she'd finally gotten it.
She wasn't sure why her husband had wanted her to stay home; sometimes it seemed as if he never wanted her take a step out of the house. She'd known he wanted a wife who would take care of the house and the children. But she hadn't known he had wanted her to do it forever.
"Daydreaming again? Thought you wanted to make with the working," Andrew teased as he nudged her gently.
"Sorry," she muttered as she grabbed her purse and her sample catalog. "Ready?"
Andrew bounced onto the sidewalk as they left her shop and headed for the company car. Andrew adored the convertible VW Bug. It had been his idea to get it custom painted, and she'd laughed when she'd seen his choice. She'd known about his obsession with sci-fi shows and movies but…
He'd had the car painted black with stars; tiny little galaxies adorned it and a space ship. She recalled Andrew mentioning that it was the Enterprise. The newest version of the Star Trek franchise. And a big picture of Captain Archer's face.
It had absolutely nothing to do with her shop, but it made Andrew happy and it amused her to see him happy.
Getting into the small vehicle she waited for Andrew to start the car before she spoke again.
"So how did Mr. Rayne sound on the phone?" she asked idly.
"Sexy," was Andrew's immediate reply.
Buffy laughed and shook her head.
"You could tell from just his voice?" she asked dryly.
"If he didn't have a sexy voice there really wouldn't have been a point in meeting with him," he told her as he drove. "I'm on the prowl darling. And only the most sexy and gayest of gay need apply."
"My God you're something else Andy. Listen please don't hit on him. You know he could be a man's man and get all offended if you hit on him. What else did you find out about him? What kind of style is he looking for?" she asked.
Andrew pursed his lips.
"Well… He's English. Many a flashback of Doctor Who. He didn't get into what he wanted. He said he saw your web page, and decided he liked your style, and wanted you. He said you'd met an associate of his recently. I couldn't recall who. Run into anybody new?" Andrew asked as he turned onto Revello Drive.
Buffy frowned as she racked her brain, trying to think of whom he could mean.
"Oh. Well I met this man at the coffee shop a few weeks ago. He mentioned something…I didn't pay him too much attention, I had to get the kids from daycare. Hmm. Scouting ahead. What does this guy do again?" she asked curiously as Andrew pulled up to the curb.
Parking Andrew turned off the car and turned to face her.
"He said he was self employed. Either way he's loaded. And with that sexy voice I won't accept anything less than perfection. Now how do I look? Is my hair okay?"
"You look gorgeous as usual," Buffy told him laughing as she got out.
Andrew hurried to the sidewalk and waited for Buffy. Grabbing her hand he led the way up the walk to the porch of the house.
Buffy's gaze swept over the house and she noted the coziness of it. It looked like most of the other houses on this street, and she ignored the pang on longing that swept through her. She'd always wanted a house like this, but her husband had insisted they stay in the luxurious apartments on the other side of town. It wasn't that she didn't love her apartment, she did. It was just…
Her thoughts trailed off as the door opened and a man stood in the doorway.
"Hello," he greeted them and stepped into the light.
Andrew made a little choked sound in the back of his throat and Buffy couldn't blame him. Because to put it mildly the man…literally oozed sex appeal. She couldn't settle on what was most startling. His face which looked as if it had been carved out of marble, so angular and chiseled. He had slanting cheekbones that should have been illegal. A mouth with a full bottom lip that begged all kinds of attention. Then there were his eyes underneath dark brows, one with an intriguing scar… Artic blue eyes, piercing and entirely too intense as they met hers.
A sliver of awareness prickled her insides and caused her lips to part and her heart beat faster. Her eyes darkened and unconsciously she took a step back… She wanted to get away but…something held her there. Captive. Entranced.
His hair was a shocking white blond, slicked back off his face, leaving the planes and angles of that incredible face open to the appreciative eye. Her eyes couldn't seem to leave his, and it was only when Andrew leaned in close and whispered into her ear that she managed to look away.
"He's so mine," he whispered before he stepped forward offering his hand. "You'd be Mr. Rayne. This is my lovely boss Elizabeth Perkins and I'm Andrew. We spoke on the phone."
The man smiled slightly as he reached for Andrew's hand his eyes never leaving Buffy's.
"Nice to meet you both," he said his voice rich and deep.
Buffy blinked and then nodded vigourously.
"You too, so um…may we come in?" she asked abruptly.
"Of course."
Andrew gave a huge grin as he trotted in after Mr. Rayne as he led them in. Buffy reluctantly followed behind. She wasn't sure what she was feeling, but it certainly wasn't appropriate, she mused, as she put on her resolve face. She was determined to see this out and be as professional as she could. She didn't know what it was she'd felt when she had seen Mr. Rayne but…she would not dwell on it.
The house she noticed as she stepped in was empty much to her surprise. Usually people had a few bits of furniture in the place to plan their whole interior around.
"As you can see it's rather empty," Mr. Rayne stated with a little laugh.
Buffy made an attempt to look around with a critical eye as she wandered around the livingroom.
"So what do you want to do with this little place? Bachelor pad? Bring the wife and kids?" Andrew asked as he watched their client.
"Just a place to stay when I want to get away. Maybe it'll become a home later," he answered.
"Mr. Rayne," Buffy began.
"Call me…Spike." He looked at her then and waited to see if the name registered with her. When it didn't his shoulders imperceptible slumped, and he ground his teeth together in anger.
"Well…that's an unusual name. How'd you get it? Spike…I like," Andrew drawled out salaciously.
Buffy sent him a sharp look and he snapped his mouth closed, and silently retreated so Buffy could do her job.
"So…I brought my work catalog and if you'd like to take a look, we can get started," Buffy said with professional calmness holding out her thick notebook of previous jobs.
Spike reached out and took it, his fingers grazing hers.
All the fine hairs on her body stood on end, and a slight shiver wracked her small frame, she quickly took a step back.
"It all looks so good," he mused as he flipped it open and began to scan the pages.
~*~
Spike sat down on the motel bed and rested his head in his hands.
"Well?" Gunn asked as he eyed Spike.
"What do you want me to say?" Spike demanded. "She didn't recognize me Gunn. Not one flicker of recognition in her eyes. I know I was starin' at her like a loon but… I didn't think it would have been…so overwhelming seein' her again. It was one thing to see those pictures, but to see her in person…" he trailed off his voice going low and thickening with emotion.
He had some how come to believe during his time getting things set up here from L.A., that Gunn had to be mistaken. The woman he'd seen couldn't have been Buffy. Not his Buffy. She would not let him think she was dead, would never hurt him like that. He hadn't wanted the possibility of Gunn's theories to be true. So he'd come to Sunnydale determined that though the woman looked just like his wife, she couldn't possibly be his wife.
But that had all gone to hell when he'd opened the door and seen her standing there. Not more than a few feet separating them. Having looked into her eyes and seen all he needed to, he'd known.
And he hadn't expected it to hurt as much as it had. He'd tried to reason with himself. That it wasn't just Gunn's imagination, Buffy didn't know him. Had in her mind, never seen him before. And it had nearly taken him to his knees the pain had been so intense. He couldn't fathom Buffy being without her memories, not knowing a thing except for the man who'd taken advantage of her. Her would be husband, Spike's lips curled into a sneer.
He'd taken care to look as unlike himself as he could, but not so unlike himself she wouldn't recognize him. When they'd met in college he'd been rebelling and had bleached his hair as it was now. He'd wanted to look different and with the bleached hair he did. Add to the fact that he'd lost a good amount of weight and had become a leaner, thinner version of himself these past years, people wouldn't recognize him. He'd even down scaled his accent, putting in the most foul of cockney accents he could.
And still none of it had registered for her.
"Well I told you Spike," Gunn told him as he took a seat next to him.
The mattress dipped under Gunn's added weight and Spike lifted his head to glance up at him.
"I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't. I still don't want to believe it. But…Damn how's this gonna help me? How can I convince her if she doesn't even remember me Gunn?! I want her back. I need her back!"
In all these years he'd never dared to hope that he had a chance of finding Buffy. He'd offered a five million reward on any news on his wife's disappearance three years ago. He'd made it an annual thing having his wife's story air on the anniversary of her disappearance. Yet no word had come. And now looking back he wondered just how in the hell had this been kept quiet. This might be a little town but for fuck's sake they had TV's and satellites. They had to know who she was dammit.
"I get that Spike. I do. Believe me but there are things… She's got kids here man," Gunn reminded him gently hating it as Spike flinched, and his shoulders slumped even more.
"I know," he muttered as he shook his head.
"She's got this whole new life. A husband and kids. She's happy. I've seen her, I've seen her happiness, and that's one of the reasons why it took me so long to tell you. I'd hate to see her lose everything Spike."
Spike bolted to his feet rounding on Gunn as his arms swept wide, and he began to speak, his voice cold and cutting.
"Hate to see her lose it? What about me? What about the life she and I had? You think I deserved to lose her? To lose everything I held dear in one night?! And this prick, this bastard who's taken her-married her- deserves her?! Fuck that. Screw it and I'll be damned if I leave her here. Leave her to have her nice little family while I rot away!"
Gunn winced at the harshness of Spike's voice.
"I know that. All I'm saying is what if it's not some conspiracy thing? What if she actually loves her husband?" he asked quietly. He studied the backs of his hands waiting for Spike to speak. He didn't like playing devils advocate but someone had to. He knew Spike was used to getting anything and everything he wanted. He just wanted to point out that this might be one thing he couldn't have no matter what.
"You really think that Gunn?" Spike asked carefully as he slowly turned to face his friend. "That this is just a coincidence? That Buffy's been here all this time and no one felt the need to get that five million dollar reward? I find that un-fucking-believable. There is no way this situation is normal. Nothing about this is normal and nothing makes sense. I don't care if she doesn't remember me; I will make her remember me. She hasn't seen anything worth remembering until now. How do we know that her amnesia is permanent? I can't give up hope here Gunn. She's in my grasp and if I play this right I can have her. I know it!"
Gunn sighed and shook his head sadly.
"What if it is permanent and she never remembers? Are you going to show her pictures? The videos of you two? She'll see it but I doubt she'll be inclined to go off into the fucking sunset with you. You're getting your hopes up here Spike and it's wrong. She's got a life here and no matter what you think, she's not going to walk away from it as easily as you think. Buffy can be stubborn too and there are the kids-"
"Would you stop mentioning those bloody children?! I heard you the first thousand times Gunn!! She's got kids, she's got a husband and a home and she's happy. Well you know what? I don't give a damn about that. I can't and if that makes me selfish then so be it. I want her. She belongs to me and someone took her from me. If it was her would-be-husband I'll make him regret the day he was born. You don't know what it was like Gunn. Knowing she was out there….wonderin' if she was dead. I wanted to hope but hope takes too much out of you. I wanted her to be alive so bad…now that I know she is I'm not letting a little thing like amnesia stop me. If she doesn't remember me then fine. I'll just make her fall in love with me."
"And never tell her about your past?" Gunn asked incredulously.
