Revenge Chapter 21

"You have a visitor."

"You're calling the wrong guy, mate… I don't get visitors."

"You have one, Carrington… just come with me."

Spike walked through the halls of the prison, following the guard who had called him. It was probably his lawyer who had forgotten to make an appointment to see him in private, or something of the like. Already dismissing the whole event beforehand, he walked to the room with hands in the pockets of the orange jumpsuit he had been forced to wear. The bleach was out of his hair since long and it had been cut short, so that only a bit of stubble was visible on his head.

The room was divided into two main parts, one for the prisoners and one for visitors. The separation was made buy a wall of solid glass, which was reserved for the convicts who were in for heavy crimes such as robbery and murder. A black phone was attached to one side of the glass, through which one could speak to another.

"Fifth." The guard said shortly as Spike counted the chairs until he was near the fifth and plopped down on it. He didn't look immediately at his visitor but just slumped in his chair as he expected someone familiar to sit there. A soft tapping on the window made him look up and startle at the same time.

"Buffy." He wanted to shout it, but that would have let to more trouble ,since there was a rule where you could not speak above normal voice, as it would disturb the other prisoners and their visitors. Spike gestured for her to pick up the phone and as she did, he really looked at her.

Buffy was still a bit pale from the endured psychological suffering, but all in all she looked nothing like the patient he had visited about a month ago. She had improved greatly and he was glad for that, but still he did not understand why she was with him. He picked up his phone as well.

"Hey Spike." A soft voice came from behind the glass.

"Luv, what are you doing here? I told Willow that I didn't want to see anyone."

"You don't have the right the refuse me this, Spike."

"No?"

This one word was uttered in a threatening manner, but Spike meant nothing of it. The loneliness had weighed on his soul, but he had done what he thought was best for everyone. As he would probably spend more years behind bars, he wanted to make people forget him, so that they would not suffer along with him.

"You don't… I so much wanted to see and hear from you. I just thought Willow was waiting for the right moment to take me with her, but it seems she has not seen you either. How could you cut yourself off like that?"

"I hoped to do the right thing."

"Well, you didn't… how are you?"

The quick change of subject made him pause in his words and think on the question which was being posed.

"I'm good, for the moment. My cellmate is a good guy and it's a modern prison. No torture practice or anything… as good as life can be here. How are you?"

"Much better as you can see."

Spike smiled softly, the first time he had in a long time. His hand automatically touched the glass and he gave a frustrated sigh.

"I wish I could have been there for you."

"You were… you helped me through… and now it is my time to help you."

"What do you mean?"

"Your lawyer asked me to be a witness."

"What!"

A few silence gesture were made by the guard and he nodded, trying to settle down a little as he glared at Buffy on the opposite side of the glass. How could his lawyer do this without even consulting him.

"How can you be a witness?"

"If I speak the entire truth of that evening and night… the jury will let you go free, I'm sure of it."

"No… Buffy, I can't let you go through all of that again. You were so ill after everything and now you want to relive it? No!"

"Yes."

Spike became frustrated with how she talked back to him. That was the old Buffy, the one he so loved and adored, but right now it was not what he needed. He brought the phone back to his mouth, calming down.

"No, and that is my final word."

With that he hung up the phone and signalled the guard that he wanted to go. Buffy looked at him with surprise, not expecting this kind of reaction from the man she loved. She had thought he would jump at the chance for the truth to be out and so he could be set free.

"Stubborn ass… I'm not giving up on you… you didn't either, why should I." She muttered to herself as she picked up her bag and walked back through the many gates which separated her from freedom. She would talk with Spikes lawyer about this and testify, with or without Spikes consent. He didn't need to know about it until the very day of the trial. She would not seek him out again.

Spike walked back to his cell and slammed the wall with his fist as his cellmate looked up at seeing him enter.

"What's wrong, mate?"

"My girlfriend wants to testify for me."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"No, not for her… I don't want her to suffer anymore for my sake. I think… I think I'm going to break up with her."

His cellmate nodded in understanding.

"Just be careful, alright Spike… you're a whole lot worse of alone."