To an Odd Partnership
Nick started to drive home, but he knew any attempt to sleep would be futile. He couldn't get the memory of staking that vampire out of his head. The wooden pole slid into the flesh so easily. Then the thing vaporized right before him, leaving nothing but a pile of dust. Nick decided to stop at a bar on the way home. It was a dank little hole in the wall, but to Nick it had a nice homey feeling to it. He walked into the dimly lit bar and sat on a stool near the back.
"Whiskey, straight."
Nick paid for his drink and sipped it slowly. He barely noticed the blond man who had sat down next to him. That is until he ordered his drink. Nick's head snapped around at the unmistakable English accent.
"I'll have Jack Daniels, on the rocks."
"What the hell are you doing here?" Nick demanded.
Spike turned and looked at the man on his left. He recognized Nick from the interrogation room.
"Hey! You're one of those CBS fellows."
"CSI! What are you doing in this bar? Looking for victims?"
"I told you, I don't bite people!" Spike answered haughtily, "I have my soul now. If I were to kill someone, or at least an innocent person, I would feel guilt and grief and misery."
Nick stared at Spike for a moment, and then shook his head. "Whatever."
"What's got your knickers in a twist? I am one of the good guys you know. We're more then willing to help you guys out….for a fee of course."
"What, you expect to get paid for this? For all we know this could be a hoax, just to get…"
"Get what? Rich? Publicity? Look mate, I've been doing this demon fighting thing for five years now trust me, there's very little glory."
"So why do it then? Why not just turn evil again?"
"It doesn't work that way. I went through torturous hell to get my soul back, to become a man again. All for the love a lady, but she didn't love me back, not even with a soul. Oh well, it helped me avert one apocalypse."
"You talk about apocalypse as if they are an every day occurance."
"Nah, more semi-annualish…like a Victoria Secret sale."
"Jesus, I can't believe I am sitting here talking to you about this."
"God, you are just as cranky as Angel. Do you spend all day brooding too? Oh, poor me, I was so evil, I was so bad, I have so much to attone for, I can't get laid, I'm out of hair gel… He just goes on and on, in his own quiet way."
"What do you mean, he can't get laid?"
"If Angel were to be with a woman, and got the big happy, his soul would go poof and he would turn into evil Angelus again. The last time I saw that happen, he tried to suck the whole world into hell. Trust me, it's not pretty. Don't EVER repeat this, but Angelus was one of the most brutal, evil, bad-ass vampires to ever walk the earth."
"Oh my God, he's with Kate right now. You don't think…"
"Relax, mate, Angel's head over lifts for one broad and one broad only…Cordelia."
Nick was confused for a moment. He took out his notepad and flipped to a page.
"Wait a minute, you mean Cordelia, the demon, goddess, evil, dead, now better Cordelia? The one who, with Angel's son Connor, gave birth to an evil goddess who tried to destroy the world."
"Yeah, it's a long story. Needless to say after many years of working together those two crazy kids have fallen in love. Of course they won't admit it to each other."
"Wow, I didn't know vampires could be so deep. Must be the soul thing."
"Oh hell no, I've fallen in love before I got my soul back."
"Oh. So why are you guys here anyhow?"
"Well, after we defeated Wolfram & Hart, we heard there was some evil brewing up here," Spike paused and looked at Nick for a second. "You know, I forget sometimes how vulnerable humans really are. You're really freaked out aren't you?"
Nick wanted to put a brave front, but couldn't, this was all too much.
"Yeah," he responded quietly.
"Aw, cheer up mate, Angel Investigations is here to save the day. Here, let me get you another drink. Barkeep, one for me, one for my friend."
The bartender filled two glasses and put them in front of Nick and Spike.
"Thanks. You know, you're not too bad of a guy…for a vampire."
"Don't mention it. How about a toast…to an odd partnership." Spike said, raising his glass. Nick reluctantly raised his as well.
Nick and Spike spent the next few hours swapping stories. As usual Spike did most of the talking.
Nick started to drive home, but he knew any attempt to sleep would be futile. He couldn't get the memory of staking that vampire out of his head. The wooden pole slid into the flesh so easily. Then the thing vaporized right before him, leaving nothing but a pile of dust. Nick decided to stop at a bar on the way home. It was a dank little hole in the wall, but to Nick it had a nice homey feeling to it. He walked into the dimly lit bar and sat on a stool near the back.
"Whiskey, straight."
Nick paid for his drink and sipped it slowly. He barely noticed the blond man who had sat down next to him. That is until he ordered his drink. Nick's head snapped around at the unmistakable English accent.
"I'll have Jack Daniels, on the rocks."
"What the hell are you doing here?" Nick demanded.
Spike turned and looked at the man on his left. He recognized Nick from the interrogation room.
"Hey! You're one of those CBS fellows."
"CSI! What are you doing in this bar? Looking for victims?"
"I told you, I don't bite people!" Spike answered haughtily, "I have my soul now. If I were to kill someone, or at least an innocent person, I would feel guilt and grief and misery."
Nick stared at Spike for a moment, and then shook his head. "Whatever."
"What's got your knickers in a twist? I am one of the good guys you know. We're more then willing to help you guys out….for a fee of course."
"What, you expect to get paid for this? For all we know this could be a hoax, just to get…"
"Get what? Rich? Publicity? Look mate, I've been doing this demon fighting thing for five years now trust me, there's very little glory."
"So why do it then? Why not just turn evil again?"
"It doesn't work that way. I went through torturous hell to get my soul back, to become a man again. All for the love a lady, but she didn't love me back, not even with a soul. Oh well, it helped me avert one apocalypse."
"You talk about apocalypse as if they are an every day occurance."
"Nah, more semi-annualish…like a Victoria Secret sale."
"Jesus, I can't believe I am sitting here talking to you about this."
"God, you are just as cranky as Angel. Do you spend all day brooding too? Oh, poor me, I was so evil, I was so bad, I have so much to attone for, I can't get laid, I'm out of hair gel… He just goes on and on, in his own quiet way."
"What do you mean, he can't get laid?"
"If Angel were to be with a woman, and got the big happy, his soul would go poof and he would turn into evil Angelus again. The last time I saw that happen, he tried to suck the whole world into hell. Trust me, it's not pretty. Don't EVER repeat this, but Angelus was one of the most brutal, evil, bad-ass vampires to ever walk the earth."
"Oh my God, he's with Kate right now. You don't think…"
"Relax, mate, Angel's head over lifts for one broad and one broad only…Cordelia."
Nick was confused for a moment. He took out his notepad and flipped to a page.
"Wait a minute, you mean Cordelia, the demon, goddess, evil, dead, now better Cordelia? The one who, with Angel's son Connor, gave birth to an evil goddess who tried to destroy the world."
"Yeah, it's a long story. Needless to say after many years of working together those two crazy kids have fallen in love. Of course they won't admit it to each other."
"Wow, I didn't know vampires could be so deep. Must be the soul thing."
"Oh hell no, I've fallen in love before I got my soul back."
"Oh. So why are you guys here anyhow?"
"Well, after we defeated Wolfram & Hart, we heard there was some evil brewing up here," Spike paused and looked at Nick for a second. "You know, I forget sometimes how vulnerable humans really are. You're really freaked out aren't you?"
Nick wanted to put a brave front, but couldn't, this was all too much.
"Yeah," he responded quietly.
"Aw, cheer up mate, Angel Investigations is here to save the day. Here, let me get you another drink. Barkeep, one for me, one for my friend."
The bartender filled two glasses and put them in front of Nick and Spike.
"Thanks. You know, you're not too bad of a guy…for a vampire."
"Don't mention it. How about a toast…to an odd partnership." Spike said, raising his glass. Nick reluctantly raised his as well.
Nick and Spike spent the next few hours swapping stories. As usual Spike did most of the talking.