Chapter 6
Idle Chatter
"Another, sir?" the bartender asked as he picked Spike's glass up and with a white rag, wiped the water ring that was left. Spike nodded. The bartender stuck Spike's glass under the beer tap and filled it to the brim, the white foam just barely being held back by the edge of the glass. Carefully, the bartender set the glass back down and Spike lifted it to his lips to take a big gulp. The bartender moved off to the other end of the bar to cater to his other customers.
In the back of the small pub, Spike heard a few words being thrown around, the ruckus becoming louder and louder by the second. Spike spun around on his stool and looked to see who was causing all the noise. Two demons, both of a different species, were hurling insults at one another, with no hope of stopping. Standing, Spike walked slowly over to the two of them, pushing through the crowded tables and receiving a few disapproving looks from people, which he ignored. "What's all the ruckus?" Spike said, leaning back on his heels slightly and putting his thumbs into his pockets.
"It's none of your concern vampire," the green one said, turning back to the other demon it had previously been fighting with. "If you hadn't stolen my cloven hoof we wouldn't be having this conversation," the demon said, continuing with the conversation that had been interrupted by Spike.
"I've told you already, demon, that I didn't steal your damn hoof. I don't have any use for it, why would I want it?" the second demon said, in a low, deep, raspy voice.
"You must know how much it is worth on the black market," the demon hissed. With that, it threw a punch at the other demon, striking it in the face and making the demon fall into the wall. The other demon quickly stood, and went to throw a punch at the green demon, but Spike caught it in mid-air, twisting the demons arm over and bending it back.
"See, now it's my concern," Spike said, elbowing the green demon in the face, and then breaking the other's arm. "Now take this outside or it'll get uglier," he said, releasing the demon he had a hold of. The two scattered as quickly as they could and scurried out the door.
"What'd ya mean, flaunting? I didn't flaunt," Buffy said, in a sort of pouty tone to Giles, who was in the kitchen making a pot of tea.
"It was not appropriate for you to bring the Immortal back here when you knew very well that Spike would be here waiting for your return."
"Look, he and Angel both said that they were over me. And he didn't exactly treat me like a basket of peaches when we went to help in LA."
"And so you think that justifies your actions? Clearly you're not as mature as you think," Giles stated, pouring the hot tea into a cup and placing the cup on a saucer to bring into the living room and sit down.
"I feel like I'm in high school again, and I'm sitting in the library listening to you lecture me," she stated.
"As well you should feel like you're in high school. It was wrong, and you know it was."
"I am sorry if Spike isn't over me, but that won't hinder me from doing what I want. Just because he's still in love with me, doesn't mean that I'm going to tip-toe around him forever. The same goes for Angel. And I know they both disapprove of my dating the Immortal, but there's nothing I can do about that. They know that they will both hold a special place in my heart forever, but I will not live my life trying not to hurt their feelings," Buffy said. She stood and walked out of the living room and down the hall to the bathroom. She needed a long soak.
Giles stood and returned to the kitchen, placing his cup and saucer gently on the counter. Dawn emerged from her room, and walked down the hall and into the living room, sitting in a lounge chair that had a clear view into the kitchen. "So…."Dawn said, attempting to break the silence.
"Yes, Dawn?" Giles asked, turning slightly and looking briefly at her.
"Do you think she realizes that the more she keeps using Spike, the less he's going to want to help us?"
"She knows. She just doesn't want to admit it," Giles stated, topping off his tea and adding a bit of sugar.
"Agreed. And I can't say that I like the Immortal either, but I can't imagine how Spike feels about him."
"Horribly, I know," Giles said, returning to the living room and taking a seat close to Dawn. "The Immortal has thwarted both Spike and Angel time and again, and for some reason he loves provoking them. The only person who would have any chance of stopping that is back there right now," he said, pointing down the hall.
Dawn nodded. "Fat chance of that happening," Dawn said.
All the while Buffy was soaking in the bath tub full of bubbles, she could hear every word Dawn and Giles were speaking, however low their tones.
Spike had had more than a few drinks by now, but he kept downing them as fast as the bartender could pour them. Every few drinks he'd take a break for about ten minutes, then start the routine over again. In all the years he'd been a vampire, he had not gotten drunk off his ass once, so what would make this time different?
The bell above the door rang as another customer entered. The person strolled over to the bar and sat next to Spike. Spike glanced over for a brief moment and a few seconds after the first glance his head shot back over to the person sitting next to him. "Illyria?" Spike asked to the blue-haired version of the now badass Fred look alike.
"Speak my name not," came the low, melancholy voice that was Illyria, the only thing that defined her now. She looked just like Fred used to. No blue hair, no body-tight red suit. Just the deep voice.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Spike asked.
"Martini with a twist, please," came Fred's usual chipper and pleasant voice from within the evil that now occupied her body. "My stealth was requested in the field of the watchman," she stated simply. "I am here because it suits me."
"Right, whatever," Spike muttered, downing half of his vodka. "So Giles sent you eh? Didn't even know you were in the country, much less the area."
"I traveled to my former place of rule only to find it as dismal as the place you call Los Angeles. This whole world wreaks of humanity and I cannot stand it. However, I occupy myself with mindless tasks that bore me utterly; tasks that I loathe. The one who resembles Wesley, the one who let your precious Winifred Burkle die, sought me out with special instructions."
"Really, and what might those special instructions be?"
"That I follow the one they seek to destroy on nights that align with a schedule he holds. I am to appear as Winifred Burkle did when she inhabited this body, and doing so sickens me. But I wish to remain on this earth, if only to explore much of it and to acquire the knowledge I seek. If these tasks shall help prevent the one who works to stop me, so be it."
'God has he got her wired,' Spike thought to himself. "Well imagine that. Me and the big blue workin' on the same team again. Can't say that I've had a bundle of laughs in my time here, but, I'm committed to the cause."
"Something troubles you."
"Yes, something does."
Illyria tilted her head slightly to the right, as was her trademark, and eyed Spike.
"I'm guessin' you wanna know what it is?"
"Well, if you wanna talk with me, that's fine. Not that you have to or anything, but I'm here and willin' to listen," came Fred's southern Texan accent from within the shell that represented so little of what Fred once was.
"Right." Spike downed the rest of his vodka and tapped the glass on the bar, letting the bartender know it was time for a refill. After the glass was full once again, and Spike had taken another sip, he looked at Illyria. "Well, seems that Captain Forehead signed away his right to the Shanshu back there when he was tryin' to get in good with the Circle of the Black Thorn. So, I'm the next in line right? Problem is that I don't know if I'll be around when the powers finally decide to give me what's rightfully mine and all. Not sure that I want to be around."
"You wish not to have what you have been seeking since becoming more human," came Illyria's voice again.
"It's not necessarily that. I went in search of my dark side, but instead of getting that, instead of getting put back to the way I used to be, I got this shiny new soul. So I tried to make the best of it. Tried to impress 'er. And what does she do? She let's me burn up and crumble in the Hellmouth while she goes an' makes merry with my arch nemesis."
"The half-breed called Angel."
"No, not that one. The other one. The Immortal. And now I'm back, all real boyish again, and she's still throwin' that ass in my face."
"The Immortal? The being existed in a form during the time of my rule. The being was a weakling then and remains that way now. During my rule, anyone who opposed or wronged me was instantly destroyed."
"Yea, but I can't just haul off and kill The Immortal. That would piss her off even more."
"You mean Buffy right? The one you and Angel are always fussin' about?" came Fred's voice once again as the bartender approached. She waved him off in a friendly manner—her drink was still full. She hadn't taken a sip. Realizing this, she did so for good measure, to make herself look more real. Then she glanced back to the demon she was following to make sure he was still there.
"Right, Buffy." Spike took another swing of his drink.
"Existence with hope that becomes false over time is not existence at all. It is merely existing. A waste of life is someone who worries constantly about things that cannot be changed."
"So you're tellin' me to give up on 'er?"
"Well, if she's never gonna love you, then what's the point? I mean, I don't mean to be harsh or nothin', but you shouldn't wait around for her when she clearly is with someone else."
"Yea, thanks Fred."
"No problem. And besides, that whole Shanshu thing, I'm not exactly sure that it's true anyway. I mean, Wes and I did some research on it, but not even he was convinced about its root in actual fact. All you can do is keep on moving along down the path of redemption, and get whatever's coming to you," she clearly showed signs of pain when she said Wesley's name, even though the being known as Winifred Burkle did not inhabit the body.
"Okay, I gotta get outta her because you're freakin' me out with that whole Fred thing," Spike said.
"My charge is currently exiting the building, and I must continue to follow him. Exchange whatever currency you use with this loathsome man. The man who resembles Wesley stressed that it was an important part of this world. In my day, any and all currency was paid directly to me—gifts from my people so I would look favorably upon them. Their worship is not yet lost on me." With that, Illyria, still in the form of Fred, stood and exited the pub a few seconds after the demon she was following went through the door. Once outside, she slipped into the shadows and changed back into her true form—blue hair, body-tight red suit, pale skin and all.