Chapter 6 - Smells
The plush leather of the first class seat was soft against my skin. I had chosen to wear my red backless shirt and a pair of blue jean shorts on the plane because when it comes to plane rides, I am all about the comfort factor.
I hated planes. They were just too damn small and there was no where to run if the need came up. I guess it was the slayer in me. But it made me nervous to know that there were really no usable exits available to me.
Angel sat beside me and Andrew and Willow occupied the two seats behind us. Andrew was in fact directly behind me and he kept raising and lower his tray like a five year old. It was annoying as hell and I was really proud of myself for not losing my temper and yelling at him.
Angel was holding my hand talking to me about work. We had always been pretty touchy with each other and it was nice to feel that human contact. Even if it wasn't really coming from a human.
The nausea had not in fact become a thing of the past yet and I was fighting like crazy to keep my dinner down. There were several times he asked me if I was all right. But again I was beaming with pride over the fact that I hadn't had to use one of the barf bags they give you.
The flight took us three hours but it was direct so I napped on and off and really enjoyed talking to Angel. Maybe I had missed him without even realizing it.
We had steered very clear of the talking shop in the small cabin where others could easily overhear, but it only lasted for the first hour. Then I couldn't help myself any longer.
" So tell me more about this new threat. What do you know about him ? " I asked.
Angel sighed and rested his head against the headrest. " I really don't know much. I was hoping we could hit a few of the local popular nightspots and see what we could dig up. The only things at this point that I do know are that he is pretty new around, well informed and very powerful. "
It was my turn to sigh then. I hated not knowing what exactly I was facing. The dark had never been one of my favorite places. Research and information had saved my ass almost as many times as Mr. Pointy, especially when it really counted.
" So you're saying when we get in tonight we are going clubbing ? " I smiled.
" If you're up to it. We can go tomorrow if you're too tired. " he answered.
Willow leaned up and rested her head over our seats. " Did you say we are going clubbing tonight ? " she asked, her tone excited.
" Demon clubbing. " I answered.
" Oh, " she said and sat back down.
" I'm not going to have you treating me like glass the whole way through this am I ? " I asked Angel, leveling him with a glare.
He looked away sheepishly. " I'm sorry. I just know how tired you've been. I can see how tired you are now. I don't want you to push yourself too hard. "
" I'm fine." I told him, still a little sternly. " I'll be sure to let you know if I'm not. I understand what it means to be someone's backup. " I physically made my voice softer.
" You can count on me, just like you always could. I've got you covered. "
He smiled and squeezed my hand. " All right. I'm sorry, but if you have a problem you have to promise to let me know. I won't baby you anymore as long as you promise me that. "
" I promise. " I told him. " Now what's the plan ? "
"Well, first thing we do is try to find out as much as we can about this thing before he calls us. I want as much information as I can get before we have to knock down with this, that way we will know exactly what to expect. " he answered.
It sounded like a first rate plan to me, especially since I had just thought the same thing earlier.
Angel's apartment was one of those plush, cushy places that says he was financially okay, not rolling in the big bucks, but definitely okay. Willow and I dropped our bags into his spare room and we all made our way back to the living room. We scattered to the various seating, Willow and Andrew took the two nice comfy chairs on the sides of the couch and Angel and I took the couch.
We all stretched out for a minute and just tried to relax. We were just getting settled when Angel jumped up like he had forgotten something and took off into the back of the apartment, telling us over his shoulder that he would be right back.
A minute later he was coming back into the room with something in his hands. " I thought you might like this. " he told me, handing the bundle over.
I looked at it for a second before I let out a squeal, I reached out and snatched it out of his hands, unfolding the soft, leather as I did. Spike's coat.
It fell over me like a blanket, covering me from shoulders to ankles. I breathed in the smell of it and almost cried out loud. As I sat there inhaling, all I could think about was that it smelled like home.
It's kinda funny how smells can affect you like that. I mean I could never describe exactly how Spike smelt if someone asked, but breathing in that leather jacket, it was unmistakable. It would be like trying to explain to someone what grass smelled like or a rose. You couldn't put it in words, but you recognized it the minute it hit your nose.
I wrapped myself up in his jacket and closed my eyes, just enjoying the feel of it.
" I knew you would want it. I meant to bring it with me to get you, I guess I forgot in the rush. " Angel said, sitting back down and stretching his long frame out with his feet propped on the oak coffee table in front of us.
" Thank you, " I said, knowing I could never tell him how much having it really meant to me.
" How did you get it ? " I asked, " He was wearing it when he died. "
" He didn't know, apparently, he woke up in what used to be Sunnydale wearing the same clothes we had been wearing when he went into the fight. "
" What else did he say about it ? I mean did he know how it happened ? How he got back ? "
" Not really, he was still remembering bits and pieces when he left. All he could think of was something about being rewarded for his sacrifice and that there were more rewards waiting for him. " Angel said.
" So are we going tonight or waiting till tomorrow ? " Willow asked.
I looked at her and Andrew, gauging them and shook my head. " The places we will be going, you two will stick out like a sore thumb. Angel and I will go. You guys, get on the computer and see what you can find out from the local papers about any bad stuff going on. "
Angel agreed with me, although he wasn't too sure about the papers idea. Apparently crime in LA was a lot more active than in Sunnydale and things like that just didn't make the papers here.
" It's no problem I can just hack into the police computers and see what I can find. " Willow informed him.
Angel just shook his head and went to his bedroom to change. I followed along behind him. " Just don't get caught. We don't want to get Angel in trouble with the police. " I told her over my shoulder.
" I won't get caught. " she assured me.
I slipped into a pair of black slacks and I kept the red shirt. It wasn't too badly wrinkled from the trip, considering it didn't really have a back and all. Then I pulled my hair back out of my face and secured it with a ponytail holder. That done I went back into the living room.
Angel came out a few minutes later in a pair of well-fitting black jeans and a stripped button down shirt. As soon as he came into the room, he went to the hall closet and pulled out several stakes, a crossbow with wooden bullets, two guns and a box of ammunition.
I was right he had the weapons covered.
I accepted three of the stakes and twirled one of them in my hands to get the feel of it. It wasn't Mr. Pointy but it would do for now. Sliding two of them into my back pockets, I slipped the third on into my waistband at the middle of my back.
I watched him load the guns and fill a couple of extra clips as well. I really didn't like guns and I told him as much.
" We have no idea what we might be facing. " He explained. " I want my backup to be ready for anything. "
I conceded his point and slipped the shoulder holster on that he was handing me. Putting the gun away, I took Spike's jacket and pulled it over my shoulders to camouflage it. I had to roll up the sleeves a bit and it was a little longer than I normally would have worn a jacket, but all in all it looked okay.
Angel put on a holster as well then went back into his bedroom, after grabbing the crossbow. When he came back out the crossbow was gone and he was wearing a leather sports coat. I couldn't see any of his weapons actually but I knew they were there. Although I did wonder where in the hell he was keeping the bow.
After getting Willow set up on the computer and Andrew set up in front of the television, we were off.
It felt surprisingly good to be heading out like we were. I really hadn't realized how much I missed this kind of thing since leaving Sunnydale. I should have been glad that this part of my life was over, but instead I was excited. Maybe Spike had been right all those years ago, maybe I was messed up.
I was in the middle of those dark thoughts when Angel's voice brought me out of my revelry.
" What are you thinking about ? " he asked.
" Something Spike said a long time ago. " I answered, truthfully.
" What ? " he prompted.
" He told me death was my art. That I lived for the kill. "
" Do you believe that ? " he wanted to know.
I looked down at Spike's jacket, the one I had beat the hell out of before everything turned around, the same one I had stripped off of him more times than I could count.
" I guess maybe I do. I miss this. " I told him thinking how good it felt to be with someone I could say something like that too. Most people would think I was crazy.
He just smiled at me. " I knew you wouldn't last very long, cooped up out there, not fighting the fight anymore. "
I smiled back at him. " This is my last hurray. After this I won't have much choice about whether I should settle down or not. " I touched my stomach lightly. " Life made the choice for me. "
" You are happy about the baby though, right ? "
" Nothing has ever made me happier, except maybe hearing that Spike was alive. " I answered without hesitating.
" Cause last night, you didn't seem so happy. " He was just turning into a part of town I wasn't feeling very good about. Several store fronts had busted out windows with boards over them, streetlights were out, trash littered the road on both sides. It was your basic run down neighborhood, but something in my danger sense told me there was more to it than that.
" I think I was a little taken aback last night. I didn't know what to think. " I said, trying to keep talking about what we were so I didn't have to think about where we were.
" But now everything is good ? " he made it sound like a question.
I nodded. " Yep everything is good and as soon as we find Spike and I can take him home, everything will be great. "
He frowned and turned to me after pulling into a parking space outside a noisy, rundown dive bar. " How do you think Spike is going to feel about this baby ? " he asked, seriously.
" He will think it's as wonderful as I do. " I answered.
" Are you sure ? " he said, " I mean, Spike has never been the fatherly type. We certainly aren't talking about Ward Cleaver here. "
I thought about that for a few minutes, just staring out the front window. Several people passed in front of the car as I sat there. I really had no idea how Spike would react to the baby. But Angel was right, he was definitely not the fatherly type. What would I do if Spike didn't want to have a baby ?
" Buffy ? " Angel said, bringing me out of my thoughts.
I jerked my head to look at him. " I have no idea what he'll think. " I admitted numbly.
The look on Angel's face said he really hadn't meant to open this can of worms. " I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give you more to worry about. Sometimes I say things without thinking about it first. I'm sure everything will be fine. "
I was suddenly not very sure about that at all.