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Chapter 2
Sunnydale, CA
"Good job, Slayer!" Spike laughed as he leaned against a large tombstone.
"Shut up, Spike!" Buffy yelled as she tried to wipe off the green demon pus that covered her petite body. "You call yourself backup? I think all you can say is that you just sat on your ass while the Trackstar Demon pissed all over me."
"Actually, it's a Trochlar Demon." Spike answered with a smirk. "And I did have your back, pet."
"Don't call me pet!" She screamed as she started to stomp away.
"Oh, come on!" Spike responded as he jogged to catch up with Buffy. "I killed 'im in the end!"
"Whatever, Spike." Buffy sighed. She closed her eyes briefly and said, "Just leave me alone."
"You best wash up, pet. Don't think Cap'n Cardboard will shag you tonight smelling like shit, literally. And I'm sure that green goo will do wonders for your hair color!" He chuckled.
Buffy quickly turned back to the blond vampire. "You know what? Go away. No one cares if you're here anyway! You're just a neutered pain in my ass!" For a second, Buffy thought she saw a hurt expression in Spike's eyes. It was so fleeting that she probably imagined it.
Spike walked up to her. "Fuck you, Slayer!" His nostrils flared. "See if I help you and your pathetic lot again!" He turned in the opposite direction and strode off.
"PROMISE!" Buffy shouted to the retreating form. "Stupid vampire." She mumbled as she began the walk back to her dorm wondering if her hair color would survive her latest patrol.
"Stupid bitch." Spike mumbled and pouted as he walked towards his destination. Before entering through the door, he looked around to make sure he was not followed. He opened the heavy cast iron door and marched in. Suddenly he found a sword pointed towards his throat.
"Oi, watch where you point that thing!" He said as he tried to back up from the sharp object.
"Spike, is it too much to ask for you to possibly knock once in awhile?" The sword was retracted.
"And where would the fun be in that, Watcher?" Spike plopped down on the plush green couch and placed his Doc Martens on the coffee table.
Giles straightened his glasses and proceeded towards the kitchen. "The usual, Spike?"
"Yep. Blood and whiskey. The perfect combo." He spoke as he fiddled with the TV dial. "You should try to come into this century, Watcher. Buy yourself a new telly, mate."
Giles returned to the room with a tray with Spike's drinks and a cup of tea for himself. "And risk you coming over more often? I think not." He answered playfully.
"How was patrol?" He asked as he placed the tray on the coffee table.
"Saved Slutty's arse once again." Spike answered but was met with a disapproving glare by Giles. "Sorry, BUFFY, not Slutty." He corrected himself. Spike walked over to the chess set in the corner and was joined by Giles. "So, whose move was it?"
"I do believe it is yours." Spike sat down and placed his drink on the table. He slapped his hands together as he contemplated his next play. After about 10 minutes, he moved his piece. Giles silently acknowledged the bold move and continued formulating his.
"You know, Rupes, " Spike voice pierced the quiet, "you should come down to Willy's and play poker."
Giles looked up annoyed with the interruption. "Do you not use kittens as currency?" Spike nodded. " I will not go to a demon bar and play poker for kittens with demons." He answered emphatically.
"Yet, you'll sit here on a Saturday night playing chess one?" The vampire smirked.
"Well, I cannot say much for the company." He answered sarcastically as Spike pretended to be hurt by the statement. "Chess is a civilized game that takes wit to play. Somehow, I am amazed that you defeat me regularly.
Spike snorted as he looked at the Ex-Watcher. "You really think I'm a stupid bloke, don't ya?"
"Living as long as you have, Spike, it is inevitable to accumulate some knowledge." Giles answered politely insulting the blond vampire.
"Just because I talk like gutter trash, don't make me trash, ya know." He answered plainly.
Giles realized he hurt his feelings. "I did not mean to offend you Spike." He smiled. "I detest losing." The two shared a smile and continued the game. After some time, again, Spike spoke.
"I went to University." He said with his head bowed as he continued to concentrate on the chess board.
Giles looked up with an amazed look in his eyes. "Come again?"
The blond vampire sighed and began to speak in his native high class accent. "I attended Oxford University. I studied to become a barrister as my brothers and father had done before me. I excelled in my studies and was to graduate with top honors."
Giles sat transfixed as Spike's true voice emerged. Spike seemed lost in his thoughts as Giles spoke. "What prevented you from completing your studies?" The Ex-Watcher knew the answer before he finished the question. He watched Spike's head fall again. "You were turned by Drusilla."
"D-Drusilla?" Spike asked and realized he hesitated. "Oh, yes, Drusilla." He hoped Giles did not notice his babbling.
Giles stared at the vampire anomaly for some time. "Why Spike? Why all the bravado...the accent...the hair..all of it?" Since Giles and Spike became friends, the older man had understood that Spike did not often talk about his past. Giles could relate to this as well; he did not share his past indiscretions.
Spike hesitated but realized that he trusted the fellow Englishman. For the first time in his life and unlife, he felt as though he had a friend. And this friendship was the only good thing that had resulted from the chip.
"I hold our conversations in the strictest confidence, Spike. Please know that." Giles smiled warmly. "While I do not condone your life as a demon, the chip has given you an opportunity to relate to humans in a totally different manner. It cannot be easy to deny one's nature, but you have always appeared to me to have a strong sense of humanity." He could tell that Spike wanted to speak, so he was quiet until his friend was ready.
"Angelus." Spike whispered.
"What?" Giles asked perplexed.
"To answer your question. I adopted the accent etc. because of my S...my Grandsire ." Giles noted a sadness to his voice.
"He said the name William didn't strike fear in people and that I was weak and pathetic." Spike laughed bitterly. "In life, people thought I was weak and pathetic and in death, nothing had changed. So, I decided to transform myself." Spike's voice rose a bit and he had a look of pride on his face. "I started calling myself Spike and, " Spike paused as he looked at Giles, "well, you know why." Giles nodded his head. He spared Giles the graphic details. as he saw him shudder a bit.
"'M sorry, mate. Bit violent, I know." He smiled. "Angelus started noticin' me after that. Said he was proud of me."
"Did this mean a great deal to you?" Giles asked as he removed his glasses.
Spike sat silent for a moment before answering. "At the time, yes."
"You do not seek his approval anymore?"
"Why should I?" Spike stood up and paced the room. "The stupid poof treated me like shit most of the time and up and left me...I mean us without even a goodbye." The vampire was seething with anger. Giles noticed that Spike had said that Angel left him, but he quickly corrected himself. The Ex-Watcher pondered the nature of the relationship between Spike and Angel.
"Does his abandonment still hurt?"
"You a fuckin' shrink now Watcher?" Spike hissed at his fellow Englishman.
Giles ignored Spike's anger for the time being. "How did you react when Angelus returned?" He saw Spike lowered his head and chuckled.
"Was real happy for about 10 minutes. Wasn't the same person, though. Don't know if being caged for all those years made him go bonkers."
"How was he different? You said he treated you poorly before...what changed?" Giles asked.
"Was just different, 'kay, Giles?" Spike did not want to delve into his past relationship with Angelus anymore.
Giles thought back to his time at the mansion as he suffered torture at the hand of Angelus. He remembers hearing the screams of Spike echo through the home when he would receive a brief rest from Angelus' attention.
"Angel doesn't give a piss if I'm dust in the wind or not, so let's drop it, 'kay?" Spike's eyes pleaded with Giles.
"Indeed, Spike. I am sorry to upset you."
Spike sat down exhausted. " 'M sorry. Just don't like to talk about the past. What's done is done."
Giles nodded. "Well, I think we shall call it a night. Feel free to use the couch tonight, Spike."
"Ta, but I should get back to me crypt. Don't wanna have ta make a mad dash for me digs tomorrow if I wake up too late. Might end up all dusty and that would give the Slayer a happy and we can't have that." Giles smiled as Spike walked towards his duster.
"Goodnight, Spike."
"Night, Watcher." Giles closed the door behind him.