A Man's Worth

Chapter 4

A/N: Part Four of the series. I apologize for not updating before. Work has been hell lately.

WARNING: This is not a happy fic. For those of you expecting something joyous, stay away from this story. You've been warned.

DISCLAIMER: You all know this belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing this show.

FEEDBACK: As you wish

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Right Place At The Right Time

Must remember.

Can't forget.

Must never forget.

-----------------------------------

One month, fifteen days ago.

"You're not making any sense."

"Shut up, watcher boy."

"I'm not a watcher anymore."

Spike looked into Wesley's eyes and saw something that most people saw in his own. He saw the pain and loneliness that those eyes held.

"Ok, we're not goin' anywhere today. We should rest."

Wesley stretched in his chair and looked at the time.

"It's four in the morning, you shouldn't be tired."

"Been keepin' human hours." Spike said, as he also stretched. He stood up and walked towards the door.

"Why are you doing this?" Wesley asked. Spike didn't turn as he opened the door.

"Told you. Ol' score."

The door closed before Wesley could reply.

----------------------------------

Spike wandered throughout the city, looking for a place to stay. He was tired of hiding and he wanted a good night's rest. If the watcher was right, they'd find Angelus soon, and his plan would work. He looked up and allowed himself a moment to rest. He pictured Buffy's eyes in his mind and he smiled. It was all for her.

Spike sighed and kept on walking.

There was no point in dreaming anymore.

----------------------------------

Two hours later, Spike barely managed to beat the sun running into the Hyperion. He had no money and had found no other place to stay. He carefully looked around, trying to hear if there were any humans in the hotel. After a couple minutes, he detected no heartbeat and no smells. He figured he'd be safe for the day, so he went into the hotel's kitchen, in order to hide the bags of blood he'd stolen from the hospital.

He was halfway towards the kitchen when a thunder shook him out of his thoughts. The sound of a small storm was coming from the lobby, and as soon as he came back, the force of the wind threw him out and almost into the deadly rays of the sun.

"Bloody hell!!" He shouted, before literall crawling back into the safety of the hotel. When the wind died out, light shone in the middle of the lobby with such intensity that Spike had to cover his eyes. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the lone figure of a woman dressed in white. Her hair was short and he was sure he had seen her before.

The woman scanned the place until her eyes fell on the vampire in front of her. She narrowed her eyes and recognition flashed through them.

"Spike?"

The vampire tilted his head and tried to rememeber when had he seen her. And it was obvious that she knew him.  The memory came back and he smirked at her.

"Cheerleader. Long time no see."

But Cordelia didn't seem to hear him, she turned around and seemed more like a lost girl than a higher being.

"Where's Angel."

Spike was about to answer when he saw her eyes close and she tumbled to the floor.

Spike didn't try to catch her.

-----------------------------------

Minutes went by and Spike grew anxious. Cordelia had fallen face first into the floor and had almost broken her nose. Spike had been remembered of his hunger upon seeing and smelling blood and went to eat before returning to her side.

He had not tried to wake her up because he had seen the way she had appeared on the hotel. She might have been a cheerleader once but the woman lying unconscious in the floor was way more than human. Power practicaly beamed out of her and her scent was different.

But Spike was sure of one thing. The girl was no longer human.

So he sat on one end of the floor, waiting patiently for her to awaken. After three minutes and twenty two seconds, he grew bored and decided to wake her up himself. He began smoking a cigarette and shouted at her.

"Hey! Rise an' shine!"

No movement.

"Oy! It's daytime!!"

Still as a rock.

"Fire!!"

When the girl didn't move, Spike took a few steps towards her. He surely didn't want to startle her and be burnt by a stray bolt or something like that. One did not get to be 120 by being careless. He carefully touched Cordelia's hand and frowned when she didn't even stir. He crawled closer and felt her wrist for a pulse. It was faint but it was there, getting stronger by the minute. He knelt down in front of her and cleared the hair off her face and wiped the blood from her nose. He listened to her breath and noticed that it was slow and steady. She was asleep, not unconscious.

Spike carefully managed to place Cordelia in his lap and lightly slapped her face.

"Come on, cheers, wake up."

Suddenly, he frowned. What the hell was he doing? Trying to help a woman who had been annoying as hell and had never shown him the respect and fear he wanted. He was lost in his thoughts when she began to stir. She opened her eyes and noticed that she was in Spike's arms and that his head was close to hers.

"Ahem."

Spike jumped and dropped Cordelia off his lap, who managed to avoid another hit to her head.

"Don't bloody do that!!" Spike shouted.

"What?! You were the one who had his hands all over me!"

"Like I'd even think about touching you!"

Cordelia sighed  and lifted up a hand.

"Ok, shut up, I don't have the time to be annoyed by you. Where's Angel."

Spike stared at her.

"You're the one who appeared glowin' in 'ere. You tell me."

"He's not here?"

"Do you see him anywhere?"

"Oh my God, this can't be."

Spike narrowed his eyes and stared at her.

"Why?"

"You wouldn't understand."

Spike growled and shook his head.

"Don' know what you all see in the poof."

"He's a champion of the Powers that Be, thank you very much."

"Oh, tha's soddin' great, jus' mope around for a century an' you get to be a champion. Tha's jus' fuckin' great."

Cordelia stared at Spike and her eyes turned white.

"I can't waste my time with you. I have to find Angel."

"Well, good luck, cheers. Been tryin' to do that m'self f'r a couple months."

Cordelia turned her pupiless eyes towards the vampire.

"What?!"

"He, lost you're hearin' alongside yer pupils?"

"Why are you looking for him?"

"Why does everyone 'as to keep askin' me that?"

Cordelia crossed her arms and stared at him.

"Because last time you were here you poked him with an iron bar?"

"He got off easy."

Cordelia sighed and rubbed her temple. If she couldn't win the argument, she might as well find the vampire useful.

"Do you have an idea where he might be?"

Surprising her, Spike answered right away.

"Don' know, cheers. Lost 'is track on the ocean."

"Dammit. He should have been rescued before."

"Rescued?"

"Something went off. This was not how it was supposed to go."

"Uhm, care to elaborate?"

Cordelia sighed and rubbed her eyes with her hands.

"We don't have time."

"Time for what?"

"I can't tell you. I need to find my friends."

"Uhm, you friends wit' the ex-watcher?"

-------------------------------------

Wesley sat down, trying to understand the things that Cordelia had told him in the past half an hour. Spike's mind was also analyzing the story that the higher being had related.

After a few minutes of tense silence, Cordelia sighed again and stared at them both.

"Look, it's not as if I told you something you had never heard before. Frankly, I'm more shocked that you, Wesley, trust Spike, who tried to kill us for like, a thousand times."

Wesley tried to focus on what Cordelia was saying.

"I'm afraid that my... association with William The Bloody is somewhat less appaling than the things you just told us."

"Yes, what are we waiting for , then?" Spike said. Both Cordelia and Wesley turned to look at him.

"Why are you so anxious?" Cordelia asked,

"Been asking the same for the past days." Wesley muttered. Spike just shrugged and stood up.

"No particular reason." With that, the vampire walked out of Wesleys apartment. He walked outside of the building, carefully avoiding any ray of sun and began smoking. He leaned on the nearest wall and exhaled the smoke. He was getting closer and then the cheerleader had to come up with such news.

That wasn't fair.

Angelus dying wasn't part of his plan.

End of Chapter