AN: While Spike triest to comfort Buffy, in which he is not succeeding, Angel is getting closer to his goal.
Revenge 4
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Spike looked thoughtfully at the phone for a few moments, almost willing it to ring and give him the answer he wanted. The sound of someone knocking on the door awoke him from his daydreams and he opened it, to find Willow and Tara there.
"Spike!" The redhead squealed, throwing her arms around him and holding on for dear life.
"Nice to see you too, Red." He answered with a small smile, looking at Tara for a moment. "Who's this then?" He asked rather curiously. Willow straightened and actually blushed.
"Well... you see... she's... my girlfriend."
"Are you into birds now, Red? Didn't see that one coming." Spike said quietly as he looked at the obviously happy couple.
"Well girlfriend, come on in, welcome to the family."
He hugged the stunned Tara quickly and guided them in the house, where his mood grew somber again.
"We wanted to know how Buffy was doing. She met us to eat some pizza and she was talking about you when suddenly... she just ran off. She looked like she had seen a ghost."
"I think she has." Spike replied, sighing.
"How do you mean?"
"She thinks she has seen Angel."
It was enough explanation for Willow, although Tara didn't understand what was going on. The redhead laid a hand on Spikes arm and as he nodded, she went up the stairs to Buffys room.
"What... what is wrong with Buffy?" Tara asked quietly. She had never met Spike before and he looked a bit intimidating. She had never been a loudmouth and she rarely felt comfortable around people. She had trusted Buffy from the beginning, because she accepted the relationship between her friend and Tara so easily. Spike however was an entirely different matter.
"Red has probably never told you... Angel was a guy who terrorised us all for quite some time. He finally got sent to jail a few years back."
"Oh."
"Yeah, and now Buffy thinks he's out."
"Are you sure about it?"
"No." Spike answered as he glared at the phone. "I called the jail but they won't tell me a fucking thing."
As Tara and Spike talked, Willow sat down beside Buffy. The young woman had cried herself to sleep, but had woken up at the sound of the door being opened. She was jumpy and nervous, looking around at every sound.
"Buffy, that wasn't Angel... he's still behind bars, he has to be."
"But you don't know that! You didn't see him, Will! He hasn't changed a bit, he just has another haircut! He's here, I'm telling you he's here!"
In jail Angel had gone to wearing all black clothing. He found it more appropriate plus one would notice him less in the dark. In those few years he had grown out into a young man, stronger because of the exercise he had gotten, the hours in the gym he had spent. The man of the diner looked up for a moment as he saw Angel, clad in a dark jeans and black sweater, a coat brushing over his broad shoulders.
"Can I help you with something?"
"Yeah, the sign said you wanted someone to help you."
Angel had never figured he would have to stoop so low to get a job. For him a job as a waiter meant the gutter, he was used to so much more. In jail he had learned to be satisfied with far less and at the moment he would be happy if he could earn some money;
"Are you any good? Have you done it before?"
He shook his head denying and the man sighed.
"Alright, you can try out for one week. If I'm not happy with you, you're out."
"When do I start?"
"Tomorrow."
The ex-prisoner thanked his boss and walked out, feeling much better about himself. He actually had found a job and one in Sunnydale at that. Meeting Buffy in the centre of the town had spooked him a little, but her reaction had done him some good. She was still afraid of him and that was all he wanted to know. He knew from the past that she came to this diner all the time and he hoped it hadn't changed. He was planning on surprising her on a few occasions.
As Willow came down from the bedroom, her face stood unhappy.
"She wants you, Spike, she's scared." She sighed. "We better go, this is not a good time."
Spike heard the door slam behind him as he rushed up the stairs towards his girlfriend. He took her in his arms, but she pushed him away.
"Love?"
"You don't even believe me! You of all people, Spike! How could you!"
"Buffy, I..."
"Just go." She said as she turned her back to him. As he walked out of the bedroom he cursed Angel silently. Even without being there, the man could still ruin everything. He sighed and prepared himself for a night on the couch.
