Part Four
Anger coursed through her veins, her hands unconsciously balling into fists as she stormed the streets looking for him. The search of her house proved fruitless; all she found was evidence of a struggle all through the upstairs and downstairs to which she already knew about. She made her way through downtown Sunnydale and into the dock section of town to the one place she knew might help her in the search for him. The old rickety door creaked open and the patrons inside ducked their heads lower as if she wouldn't see them. She didn't give them a second glance and walked briskly to where the bartender was standing with his back to her. She impatiently tapped him on the shoulder and shook him out of the trance he was in.
"Slayer! How good to see you, I didn't think you came around here anymore." Willy swallowed hard, his glance ticking from the demons in the place back to Buffy.
She shrugged and focused her attention on Willy. "I've been busy with more important things then coming down here and stirring up trouble with your clientele." She casually glanced back at the few low life demons chugging back beer and some other foreign substance she hoped wasn't a bodily fluid. They were rushing to finish up and leave before she changed her mind. Her gaze focused back on Willy. "I need to know if you've seen Angel."
He looked at her in confusion. "Recently? I haven't seen him in a couple years, and lemme tell ya, you don't know what a relief it is to have at least one of you people not knocking down my door and driving way my customers every other day."
She glared at him in annoyance and turned her attention back to the various lowlifes sitting at tables behind her. Most of them shifted uncomfortably in their seats, getting ready to leave any second. She clapped her hands to get their attention and when she had the floor, she continued. "Ok, I know you don't like me, and I don't like you guys much either, but I'm not here looking for a fight." She glanced back and gave Willy a more intimidating look and turned back towards the clientele. "I just want to know if anyone has seen Angel around here in the past hour or so, that's all." She looked around the small bar to see them shake their heads. Buffy sighed, she needed to find Angel, and walking around town all night long wasn't what she wanted to do; what she wanted was to find him quickly and beat him unconscious so that Willow could re-soul him. She turned to leave when she saw a small demon with green-tinged skin and horns hop down from the seat he was in and shuffle over to where she was standing by the door. Buffy crouched down to his level and he cleared his throat to talk. "I saw him about a half hour ago, he was asking some people around the downtown area where he could find someone named Xander Harris. I think he wanted to know where he lived. I'm not sure if he found that out, but that's where I saw him last." He cleared his throat again, and gave her a small apologetic smile. "Sorry, I've got a bit of a cold."
Buffy nodded, and smiled back at him. "Thanks, I appreciate the info, I hope you get better soon." She stood back up and gave a long hard look at Willy who in turn looked down at the glass he was drying with a towel. She looked at the small, harmless looking demon and silently nodded her thanks again before pushing the door open and stepping back out into the night.
She decided to walk back to Xander's apartment building just in case Angel really did find out where he lived. With a sigh and her fists still balled, she started to walk back in the direction she came.
***
Dawn glanced at the muted television in the living room, trying to figure out what the wheel of fortune puzzle was. Willow was talking to Anya and Xander about something in the bedroom and Andrew was in the bathroom trying to find some more band-aids for her cuts and scrapes. She looked over at Spike who was sitting across from her in the recliner, looking out the window, obviously spaced out. She looked down at her hands and realized that she had another big scrape on her left hand from when Angelus had pulled her out of the open window. She sighed and leaned back in the couch. Spike glanced over at her and got up quietly to sit down next to her on the couch.
"Can I get you anything Bit?"
She shook her head slowly. "No, its okay, I'm fine. Andrew's getting some band-aids for me."
She looked over at Spike to see a morose look upon his face. "What?"
He leaned over and gently touched her cheek. "I can't believe what he did to you. When I get my hands on him I'll -"
"- Spike stop, I'm okay, he didn't get a chance hurt me like he wanted to. Besides, you aren't going to do anything to him, he's getting his soul back and that'll be punishment enough for him." She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at him. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid?"
His face narrowed in anger, but he shook his head in agreement. "Fine, but I just -" He sighed and raked his fingers through his short platinum hair. "- I just wish that we didn't leave you alone in the house earlier." He crossed his arms across his chest and continued. "I should've been there to bash his head in, Harris is lucky he snuck up on Angelus or else the two of you would've been as good as dead."
Dawn touched his arm and his eyes briefly met hers. "I know you feel bad you weren't there, but you shouldn't, its no one's fault that he came to the house, no one knew."
He grunted in frustration. "But I made a promise to Buffy to protect you, and I haven't been very good lately about keeping it."
"You don't have to protect me Spike. Especially if it's just for Buffy's approval." Her statement was harsh, but it was the truth. She and Spike hadn't been close for over a year now and though she missed their friendship, she still got angry with him sometimes for the things he had done in the past.
He shook his head angrily. "Its not for her approval Dawn. Its because I care about you, and I don't want to see you hurt." He looked at her again and his face softened. "You were the first person in a long time to actually give a bloody damn about me, and I will never be able to tell you how much that means to me."
Dawn gave him a small smile, and winced at the pain she felt in her bruised cheek. "I still care about you Spike, I hope you know that." She got up painfully from the couch and grimaced at the pain she felt in her ankle. Spike jumped up and steadied her and tensed up when he felt her arms go around him in a hug. Not since she was fourteen had she hugged him like this and it brought back a flood of memories that had ultimately made them friends. He hugged her back in return and when she pulled back she smiled. "So we're okay again right?"
He nodded and gave her a sly smile. "Damn right we are Nibblet."
"Good, then let's see what everyone is talking about in the bedroom."
To be continued.
My muse has returned to me (yay) so hopefully within the week part 5 will be up! (
Anger coursed through her veins, her hands unconsciously balling into fists as she stormed the streets looking for him. The search of her house proved fruitless; all she found was evidence of a struggle all through the upstairs and downstairs to which she already knew about. She made her way through downtown Sunnydale and into the dock section of town to the one place she knew might help her in the search for him. The old rickety door creaked open and the patrons inside ducked their heads lower as if she wouldn't see them. She didn't give them a second glance and walked briskly to where the bartender was standing with his back to her. She impatiently tapped him on the shoulder and shook him out of the trance he was in.
"Slayer! How good to see you, I didn't think you came around here anymore." Willy swallowed hard, his glance ticking from the demons in the place back to Buffy.
She shrugged and focused her attention on Willy. "I've been busy with more important things then coming down here and stirring up trouble with your clientele." She casually glanced back at the few low life demons chugging back beer and some other foreign substance she hoped wasn't a bodily fluid. They were rushing to finish up and leave before she changed her mind. Her gaze focused back on Willy. "I need to know if you've seen Angel."
He looked at her in confusion. "Recently? I haven't seen him in a couple years, and lemme tell ya, you don't know what a relief it is to have at least one of you people not knocking down my door and driving way my customers every other day."
She glared at him in annoyance and turned her attention back to the various lowlifes sitting at tables behind her. Most of them shifted uncomfortably in their seats, getting ready to leave any second. She clapped her hands to get their attention and when she had the floor, she continued. "Ok, I know you don't like me, and I don't like you guys much either, but I'm not here looking for a fight." She glanced back and gave Willy a more intimidating look and turned back towards the clientele. "I just want to know if anyone has seen Angel around here in the past hour or so, that's all." She looked around the small bar to see them shake their heads. Buffy sighed, she needed to find Angel, and walking around town all night long wasn't what she wanted to do; what she wanted was to find him quickly and beat him unconscious so that Willow could re-soul him. She turned to leave when she saw a small demon with green-tinged skin and horns hop down from the seat he was in and shuffle over to where she was standing by the door. Buffy crouched down to his level and he cleared his throat to talk. "I saw him about a half hour ago, he was asking some people around the downtown area where he could find someone named Xander Harris. I think he wanted to know where he lived. I'm not sure if he found that out, but that's where I saw him last." He cleared his throat again, and gave her a small apologetic smile. "Sorry, I've got a bit of a cold."
Buffy nodded, and smiled back at him. "Thanks, I appreciate the info, I hope you get better soon." She stood back up and gave a long hard look at Willy who in turn looked down at the glass he was drying with a towel. She looked at the small, harmless looking demon and silently nodded her thanks again before pushing the door open and stepping back out into the night.
She decided to walk back to Xander's apartment building just in case Angel really did find out where he lived. With a sigh and her fists still balled, she started to walk back in the direction she came.
***
Dawn glanced at the muted television in the living room, trying to figure out what the wheel of fortune puzzle was. Willow was talking to Anya and Xander about something in the bedroom and Andrew was in the bathroom trying to find some more band-aids for her cuts and scrapes. She looked over at Spike who was sitting across from her in the recliner, looking out the window, obviously spaced out. She looked down at her hands and realized that she had another big scrape on her left hand from when Angelus had pulled her out of the open window. She sighed and leaned back in the couch. Spike glanced over at her and got up quietly to sit down next to her on the couch.
"Can I get you anything Bit?"
She shook her head slowly. "No, its okay, I'm fine. Andrew's getting some band-aids for me."
She looked over at Spike to see a morose look upon his face. "What?"
He leaned over and gently touched her cheek. "I can't believe what he did to you. When I get my hands on him I'll -"
"- Spike stop, I'm okay, he didn't get a chance hurt me like he wanted to. Besides, you aren't going to do anything to him, he's getting his soul back and that'll be punishment enough for him." She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at him. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid?"
His face narrowed in anger, but he shook his head in agreement. "Fine, but I just -" He sighed and raked his fingers through his short platinum hair. "- I just wish that we didn't leave you alone in the house earlier." He crossed his arms across his chest and continued. "I should've been there to bash his head in, Harris is lucky he snuck up on Angelus or else the two of you would've been as good as dead."
Dawn touched his arm and his eyes briefly met hers. "I know you feel bad you weren't there, but you shouldn't, its no one's fault that he came to the house, no one knew."
He grunted in frustration. "But I made a promise to Buffy to protect you, and I haven't been very good lately about keeping it."
"You don't have to protect me Spike. Especially if it's just for Buffy's approval." Her statement was harsh, but it was the truth. She and Spike hadn't been close for over a year now and though she missed their friendship, she still got angry with him sometimes for the things he had done in the past.
He shook his head angrily. "Its not for her approval Dawn. Its because I care about you, and I don't want to see you hurt." He looked at her again and his face softened. "You were the first person in a long time to actually give a bloody damn about me, and I will never be able to tell you how much that means to me."
Dawn gave him a small smile, and winced at the pain she felt in her bruised cheek. "I still care about you Spike, I hope you know that." She got up painfully from the couch and grimaced at the pain she felt in her ankle. Spike jumped up and steadied her and tensed up when he felt her arms go around him in a hug. Not since she was fourteen had she hugged him like this and it brought back a flood of memories that had ultimately made them friends. He hugged her back in return and when she pulled back she smiled. "So we're okay again right?"
He nodded and gave her a sly smile. "Damn right we are Nibblet."
"Good, then let's see what everyone is talking about in the bedroom."
To be continued.
My muse has returned to me (yay) so hopefully within the week part 5 will be up! (