65

Angel had actually managed to achieve a few moments in which there was neither work nor phone to disturb him or prevent him from leaning back and putting his feet up. He should have known it wouldn't last.

A wad of paper hit him dead center of his forehead. He caught the paper as it bounced off, and flung it back in the direction it had come from without sitting up.

"Hey! That woulda hit me right in the eye, you nit," Spike complained. "Went right through me bleedin' head."

"You're breaking my heart," Angel said sarcastically. "You know, I just knew that if I had five minutes with nothing to do, you'd have to put in an appearance, Spike." He sat up. "In some ways, you're as predictable as a hangover."

"But a lot more fun," Spike remarked. "It's a good thing I dropped in on Rose this morning. I almost got beaten to the punch for tomorrow night."

"Someone else asked her out?" Angel's eyebrows shot up. "So how come you're not all bent out of shape about it?"

"'Cause it was Fred doing the asking, that's why," Spike explained. "They're on for Saturday night. Some kind of girl thing."

Angel's brow furrowed. "Does she even have any friends, or acquaintances outside of Wolfram and Hart?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Spike replied. "She did tell me that she was new in town, though. Give the lady a little time to assimilate. The way she is, I bet she grew up in some little wide spot in the road no one's ever heard of."

"No doubt," Angel agreed, remembering just why Rose hadn't had time to make friends. Spike had no idea just how well she had.., what? assimilated? He sat there carefully counting on his fingers. "Better watch it Spike. Your reputation might begin to suffer if people knew that you used a four syllable word."

"I know words you never even heard of," Spike bragged. "Just because I don't constantly explore the outer limits of my vocabulary doesn't mean I don't have it."

"You ever think of giving up the 'bad boy' image?" Angel asked. "You know, grow up, get a respectable job, act like an adult."

"Piss on that," Spike said rudely. "Considering how regularly I used to get the crap kicked out of me when I was a wimpy little nobody, I think I'll stick to the current persona, thank you. 'Sides if Rose doesn't have a problem with it, I sure as hell don't."

"Have you worked out tomorrow night's itinerary?" Angel started fiddling around with a pen, tapping it on the desk top. Mostly just to irritate Spike. "Or are we just going to have a repeat of last week? And do you intend to tie up my Friday nights on an ongoing basis?"

Spike held up his index finger. "One, no, I haven't." The middle finger joined the first. "Two, no, I want to vary things a bit, too early in the relationship to fall into a rut." A third finger joined the other two. "And three, what difference does it make? You don't have a life anyway."

Angel sighed. "Well, you'd better get the particulars worked out by tomorrow night. So why don't you run along and do that and leave me in peace for just a little bit?"

Spike started into his Cheshire Cat routine, and was irritated no end that Angel didn't even watch the whole act.

&&&&&&&

Rose got caught up in doing her own research, and had forgotten the time, when Wesley walked in. He glanced at the screen, which she hurriedly cleared. But not quickly enough.

"What was that, Rose?" Wes asked suspiciously.

"Just some personal research I'm doing," Rose answered, not quite able to keep a guilty look off her face. "I didn't realize how late it had gotten. I'm sorry, Wesley. I'll stay late to make up for it if you'd like."

"Right now, I'm more concerned with just what exactly you were using in your personal research," Wesley remarked. "Because it looked like a highly classified file. So classified, in fact, that I have to ask permission to access it. Have you been hacking into the system, Rose?"

"Of course not!" Rose said indignantly. "I wouldn't do anything like that. Besides, I haven't the slightest idea how." She saw that Wes' face still looked suspicious. "I got the codes legitimately, Wesley, honestly I did."

"The only person who could have given you those codes is Angel," he stated. "Care to tell me just why he felt you should have them?"

"Because he took an interest in my research and wanted to facilitate it," Rose mumbled.

"And might your department head know just what that research involves?" Wesley was looking decidedly put out.

"Finding a way to make Spike corporeal," she replied in a small voice. "Trying to, anyway. I haven't had any luck so far, though. Unless you count bad luck."

Wesley's look became sympathetic. "I see," he said quietly. "This is very important to you, isn't it, Rose?"

"You couldn't possibly imagine how important," Rose remarked dryly. "But I am very sorry that I let it cut into my working hours. It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." Wesley made a feeble stab at sounding severe, but his heart wasn't in it. "Why don't you get back to your paid work now, hmm?"

"Certainly, sir." She figured that she'd better be extra respectful at the moment. Wesley saw through it, though, and laughed. Then, he left. But Rose just had a feeling.., She picked up her phone and dialed a number.

"Harmony? This is Rose in research. May I speak to Angel a moment?" She waited a few minutes while Harmony put her on hold, thankful that Harmony didn't take the opportunity to snipe at her. "Angel? I'm not sure, but Wesley may be coming up to speak to you. I lost track of time, and he caught me going through classified files. I'm pretty sure he believed that I came by the codes honestly, but he still didn't look pleased. Yes, well, I just thought you ought to.., Oh, he is. Good-bye then."

Rose sighed. She hadn't misread the situation. Wesley had entered Angel's office while she was still on the phone with him.

&&&&&&

"Angel, I'd like to have a word with you, if I may," Wesley planted himself right in front of the desk. "I can certainly understand you taking an interest in Rose's pet project, but I'm somewhat put out that you gave one of my subordinates access codes to highly classified information without at least informing me."

"Do you believe that Rose shouldn't be trusted with such sensitive material?" Angel asked. "Or do you think that she can't handle the information safely?"

Wesley blinked. Whatever else he had expected, he hadn't thought that Angel would go on the attack. "Well, neither one, to be honest. She's eminently sensible. But that's not the point. As department head, I feel that I ought to know what is going on in my department."

"It isn't exactly going on in your department," Angel pointed out. "Listen, Wes, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it, but it honestly didn't occur to me to do so. This is, as you said, Rose's pet project. And I think you can understand why I might take an interest in it as well. It's not even technically a company project. I simply allowed her access to the information to try to facilitate her research. And I do trust her, implicitly, or I would never have given her those codes. As a matter of fact, I offered, since it didn't occur to her to ask."

Wesley found himself neatly hulled and sunk before getting a real chance to get a shot off.

&&&&&&

The comedy club that Spike had chosen as the sight of his second date with Rose was turning out to be a real bust. Wouldn't it just have to be that the night he'd choose to come here that the line-up would be some of the most boring no-talents you could possibly imagine. Rose's lovely laugh that he prized so much, had lost a great deal of its allure by being forced. Angel looked bored to tears, and if Rose hadn't been along, Spike would have left long since. But he hadn't made a contingency plan, so this was it. If it didn't work out, there was nothing to do but take Rose home, and a large part of the point was to get her out and about. Angel had left to get Rose another soft drink, Spike hadn't been able to talk her into trying anything alcoholic, when a couple of mid-level suits from the law firm sauntered over to the table and made themselves at home.

"Well, well, well, look here," the first one said. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that the spook has a date."

"Hey, sweetcheeks," the other one said. "Why don't you drop the transparent one there and hook up with us. We'll take you to a real class establishment, not like this dive."

"It's not the class of the establishment that concerns me," Rose remarked quietly. "But the class of the company. Given that, I believe that I'll stick with Spike."

Spike had been about to jump in, but since Rose was handling it so well, he just sat there and smirked at the suits.

"Maybe she likes slumming," the first one slurred, they were both fairly well marinated. The first one had taken Angel's seat, next to Rose, and he familiarly put an arm around her shoulders, and failed to take a hint when she tried to shrug him off.

"Push off, you git," Spike growled. "The lady's with me. And in case you haven't got brains enough to take a hint, she doesn't care for your company."

"Hey, the spook speaks." The second one laughed. "So what if we're hitting on your girl, Casper? What are you going to do about it? Say boo?"

Both of them thought the remark uproariously funny, and started in laughing. Rose tried again to get the jerk to unhand her, but to no avail.

Rose turned to look him in the eye and said quietly, "Were you planning on using that hand again? Ever?" Her soft gray eyes had gone as hard as agate, and even Spike had to concede that she hit on the right note. Problem was, he didn't think she had the know-how or stomach to carry through with her threat.

Instead of being intimidated, the idiot squeezed her closer. "You don't want to threaten me," he laughed. "I've been at Wolfram and Hart long enough to learn a few things. You really want to be nice to me, honey."

"Wrong, and wrong again," Rose replied. She casually reached up and grabbed hold of the man's pinky and bent it backwards till it gave an audible snap.

He gave a yelp of pain. "Why you little bitch," he snarled. "You're going to pay for that one, baby." He stood up, and grabbed Rose with his good hand and yanked her out of her seat.

"Get your hands off the lady." Angel had come up behind them, unnoticed in the crowd. He studied their faces carefully. "When you show up to work Monday, you'll be escorted by security to your offices just long enough to clear out your personal effects. You're both fired."

"Wait just a minute," the second one protested. "We didn't do anything to her, just a friendly little chat. Then she goes and breaks his finger."

"And maybe it's time that you boys grew up enough to realize that when a lady says no, she means no." Angel hadn't backed off an inch. "Now if the two of you don't get the hell away from her, I may be forced to take steps." He gave them an evil grin. "And I guarantee that you'll have a lot more broken than one little finger."

The two ex-employees exchanged frightened glances and immediately left, not just the table, but the club itself.

Angel seated Rose, then resumed his seat. "You all right, Rose?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "You didn't have to fire them on my account, Angel."

"I fired them because I happen not to like the type," Angel stated. "I would have done it no matter what woman I saw them harassing. It just happened to be you."

Spike shook his head in disgust. So far, his track record at planning dates with Rose was taking a beating. First the demon, now a couple of drunken predators. Still.., He tried to salvage the situation. "I still can't believe that you're the same woman that went into hysterics over a spider, pet." He grinned at her. "I never thought you'd have the gumption to actually hurt the wanker."

"I didn't like him touching me," Rose replied. "I feel almost as.., contaminated as I did when that demon spurted blood all over me."

"I hate to be a wet blanket," Angel remarked. "But I suggest that we cut the evening short tonight. What do you say, Rose?"

Rose looked expectantly at Spike, silently asking his opinion. "Your call, pet," he said softly, still happy that she had wanted his opinion over Angel's. "I've got to admit that this night has pretty much been a bust. Sorry, luv."

"You couldn't have known," she said gently. She realized that both of her escorts were still watching her, waiting for her to make a decision. "We might as well leave," she remarked. "To be entirely honest, Spike. I'm perfectly happy just sitting at home and talking to you. You don't need to take me out to show me a good time."

Spike felt both much better and much worse. "You might think a little differently if I had been able to make better choices." He got up abruptly. "C'mon, pet. Let's blow this dump."

Angel stood. "Maybe the two of you should wait while I bring the car around. Just in case Rose's admirers are still hanging around waiting to try something."

"I'd rather we all stayed together," Rose said quietly. "Besides, I'm sure you'd be able to defend us." She gave Angel a smile that soured Spike's mood considerably.

"Uns pour tous, Tous pour uns," Angel said with a grin.

"Give it a rest," Spike muttered disgustedly. "You are most definitely not a bloody musketeer." He looked from one to the other of them, and nearly did a vanishing act. Rose looked like she had sensed his intentions, and her face fell. He sighed. "Come along, pet. Another quiet night at home it is." He still couldn't quite believe that after how badly he'd screwed up that she still wanted to be with him. The thought made him smile. He had screwed up. And yet, she still wanted to be with him. He was beginning to hope harder than ever that her research efforts hit paydirt.