A/N : Thanx so much for all the reviews; Amandamanda3, Xtremely-Canadian, igore, msberry, candypir, GoldenAngl99, Ginifer, AnononA, kim, Moonjava, sheilamarie, wicked-angel3, xmadbrilliant, Celestia Nailo. I really appreciate it a lot. I love all your ideas, suggestions, and wonderful supportive words. Here's the latest chapter...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 17
It was a couple of hours since Spike had finished telling Buffy the awful tale of his girlfriends demise, and the sun was setting in the sky once again. He'd more or less cried himself to sleep, sheer exhaustion taking over after so much physical and emotional stress. Buffy was sitting on the couch with his head in her lap as he slept, but despite the fact she felt almost as tired as he did, the land of dreams could not take her.
Buffy Summers'mind was in over-drive as she went over the story she'd been told by the man she loved. As stupid as some might say she was, she believed every single word and she loved him still despite his indiscretion that he himself believed to be the cause of Drusilla Walker's death. Buffy was just so relieved to know Spike hadn't been holding the gun that took that woman's life to care that he had betrayed said woman with another, although there was something that didn't quite add up there either.
All would become clear, Buffy promised herself that, and she would promise Spike the same when he awoke. Somehow they were going to prove his innocence in all this and if she could, Buffy planned on bringing Angel down for what he'd done. She wasn't sure whether she could prove he killed Drusilla, it was still a possibility that she shot herself that night, but if O'Connor drove her to it he still deserved punishment, and he was going to get everything he deserved, Buffy would see to that.
Spike stirred a little, waking up at last.
"Buffy?" he asked groggily, enjoying those couple of seconds between asleep and awake where he couldn't remember how awful things had gotten last night, the terrible memories he'd had to dredge up again.
"It's okay, Spike, I'm here" his sweet angel's voice told him softly, her hands caressing his face and his hair. Though he could have happily stayed that way forever, reality was seeping back in through the cracks of his conscious mind and he knew there were things that needed to be said and done, things that couldn't wait.
"Buffy" he said as he pulled himself up to a sitting position beside her, but before he could say anymore she interrupted.
"Spike, I've been thinking" she told him, "I have access to records, information that could help prove you're innocent, we might even be able to prove that Angel..."
"No, Buffy" he interrupted her instead this time, a sad smile on his lips as he ran his fingers through her hair, "I'm not worth risking your job, maybe even your life for" he told her, "You don't even know me, not really"
"How can you say that?" she said, looking hurt, "It doesn't matter that I've only known you a few weeks, I know that I love you and that's all I need to know" she assured him, getting hold of his hand in hers and kissing his fingers, "I believe everything you told me, because I know you wouldn't lie to me"
"Don't think I could if I wanted to do, pet" he admitted, "I've fallen for you so hard and fast...I didn't know I could feel love like this again"
Buffy had tears in her eyes when she leaned in to kiss him. What started off soft and sweet soon intensified, both of them needing to show their love and trust for the other, as well as feel that which the other was giving to them.
"Do you want me?" Buffy whispered in his ear as she lay on top of him on the couch, uncertain if they should do this now, whether he'd want to after all that had happened.
"I do" she was relieved to hear him answer, but less happy when he pushed her away slightly, "Buffy, I want you and I love you but...how can you feel the same now that you know what I did?" he asked her, looking truly upset and confused.
"I can't care about what you might have done" she told him huskily, "What I feel for you is too strong, I need to be close to you, I want to show you how much I love you" she told him, pressing her lips to his once again. He couldn't fight her, he didn't want to and they tenderly made love right there on the couch. The where and the why didn't matter, they both just needed to feel the love and trust they had for each other. Afterwards sleep claimed them both and despite the deep, dark nature of the night before, they slept soundly in each others arms until the next morning came.
-
When Spike awoke the next morning it was to the sweet sensation of being kissed by the woman he adored.
"Hey" she smiled when his eyes opened, "I didn't want to leave you sleeping but I have to go" she told him sadly.
"I wish you could stay" he said softly, holding her tightly, "I wish we could both stay here forever so none of it mattered anymore"
"Me too" she agreed enjoying the feeling of being in his arms for a little while longer before she really had to move. He reluctantly let her go and she gathered up her things, realising she should be at work in an hour and she still had to go home, shower and change and make herself presentable before then. How she would deal with seeing Angel after all she'd heard about him she had no idea, but face him she must.
"I'm going to fix this" Buffy promised her lover as they stood on either side of the doorway, "I swear, I am going to do everything I can, and we are going to prove that you didn't do this"
Spike nodded that he believed her, before taking her in his arms and kissing her tenderly.
"I don't know what will happen next, but I do know I love you" he swore, "I don't ever want to lose you, I don't think I could bear it"
"You won't lose me" she promised him as her hand caressed his cheek.
One last kiss and she finally left, a woman on a mission as she strode down the stairs and headed home. She washed, did her hair, and changed her clothes, arriving at work just ten minutes after she should've, and it seemed that no-one really noticed anyway.
She'd been at her desk just half an hour, moving through files on the computer, when she found the information she was looking for. She saved all the files to a disk which she stuffed into her purse, before going back over all the vital pages on the screen in front of her.
There had to be something she hadn't seen before, especially since she was now looking at this from a different angle. Before she was so sure Spike was guilty, now she was out to find solid evidence that he couldn't be.
"No. No. No..." she muttered to herself, skipping down lists of reports and records, "Bingo!" she said suddenly when she caught sight of something that might be of use. If Angel had been at Spike and Dru's apartment the night she died, surely someone must have seen him. Here she had possible witness statements which she printed out and quickly filed away in a folder. She checked her watch and realised she had meetings to attend and other work to do, it'd look suspicious if she spent too long digging over old information like this. At least tonight she could check over what she'd found again and with any luck she'd have some semi-good news for Spike.
-
He'd paced the apartment so many times he was surprised there wasn't a visible mark on the flooring, but still William Blood couldn't not make himself be still. His world had been turned upside down by Buffy Summers and whilst he was thrilled to have her in his life, the true magnitude of what had happened the night before was finally sinking in and it was worrying him intensely.
He'd told her everything, every detail of his past life with Drusilla. How they lived and how she'd died, all about Angel and Darla. If perchance she was an actress, and she'd have to be an incredible one, the nightmare might be far from over but only just beginning. He knew he couldn't be locked up for sharing another woman's bed on the night his lover died, but there was no way to tell if Buffy was who she claimed. Anything could happen now, the worst scenario being that her promises of love might be a lie and he might never see her again. Spike was almost certain that would kill him, as he finally sat down on the couch and stayed there a few moments. Here she had proven just what she felt for him. Indeed she might be a very talented actress but no-one could fake the look he saw in her eyes as they made love. God, if only those moments could last forever, when they were together in every possible sense of the word. The rest of the world just melted away then and she was the only thing in his mind and heart. Nothing lasts forever, that he had learnt the hard way and as much as he wished he and Buffy might have something long-lasting, he could not allow himself to fantasise too much.
Still, she had promised to help him prove his innocence, something Liam O'Connor seemed determined to take away, but how was someone so evil and powerful ever to be brought down, without sinking to the same devious levels and becoming the thing you hate the most?
The answer, though he didn't know it, lie beyond the door.
-
Buffy stood outside Spike's front door, looking around nervously and clutching a file of paperwork to her chest. He cautiously opened the door until he realised it was her and opened it fully, immediately pulling her into a hug.
"I have good news" she told him, "At least it could be"
They sat down at the table and she opened up the file, showing him the list of names she'd got, all the people who were living in the apartment block where he and Drusilla used to reside. Also she had the witness statements, one of which quite clearly said a dark haired man of Angel's build had been seen on the night in question. Unfortunately, as Spike pointed out, old Mrs Jennings from across the corridor was not exactly of sound mind most of the time. Her word would hardly stand up in court.
"It seems most people were out that night" Buffy sighed, "All except your less than sane old lady friend and...oh, maybe this one" she frowned as she came across a name with no information next to it. Most of the people of the list had a note by their name, giving some idea of where they were the night of the murder, all except one.
"Resident of apartment seven" she read aloud and it was Spike's turn to look puzzled.
"That was the place just round the corner from ours" he told her, "but no-one ever lived there"
"Guess again" Buffy told him, passing the piece of paper over and pointing to the name, "Rented by Miss Illyria Martinez for six months up until two weeks after the mur...after that night" she amended, mentally kicking herself for being so thoughtless.
"That's impossible" Spike frowned, "I never saw anyone go in or out the place"
"Maybe she worked weird hours or something" Buffy guessed, "The point is she might have seen something, we'd be crazy not to check it out"
"Think you can find her?" he asked and the blonde nodded firmly.
"I'm a cop Spike" she shrugged, "It's kind of my job to find her if it'll help solve a case"
"Is that was this is really about?" he looked affronted by her comment, "Are you only doing this for your job?" he asked wide-eyed unable to believe what he'd heard. She should have been offended by his lack of belief in her, but after all that he'd suffered, she couldn't find it in her to be mad at him for that.
"I'm not going to lie" she said looking down at her hands on the table, "It'd be good for my career if I pulled this off, and proved Angel guilty" she admired, "but Spike, you know this is for you" she said looking up again and taking hold of his hand in hers, "You know I love you, you have to, there are only so many ways I can find to prove it to you"
Spike looked into her eyes, and saw the truth and love within in them. He sighed.
"I'm sorry, pet" he said, picking up her hand and kissing it, "This isn't the easiest thing in the world for me, probably one of the bloody hardest actually" he told her. She got up from her seat and walked round the table, putting herself on his lap and hugging him.
"I know it's hard for you" she said as they held each other, "but we're going to work this out. Angel will suffer for what he did"
"I believe you, Buffy" Spike assured her, glad that for the first time in so long he actually had someone and something in his life worth believing in. Buffy was the light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel that he'd been stuck in, but only the proof of Angel's guilt, and that same man's suffering, would truly set him free from the tortures of the past.
To Be Continued...
A/N2 : Well, that was another bundle of high emotion fiction...try saying that three time fast! Anyway, please let me know what you think of the new chapter in the usual way and I'll update again as soon as I can.
