Chapter Forty-Four: A Little Chat, A Little Idle Talk of This and That
Spike turned in the direction of the doorway, with Connor in his arms, "Angel," He said.
Angel hurried forward and pulled Connor out of Spike's arms and into his own. Angel quickly scanned the baby for any signs that he had been hurt, "Oh come on," Spike said, irritated at the implication. "Why would I hurt him? First of all I can't hurt a human, even if I wanted to. Second of all why would I want to hurt little Connor here? He's blood. Besides, if I did anything to hurt the little nipper here the lot of you would make me fit in an ash tray."
"Right," Angel said. "I'll do it anyway if you lay another finger on my son."
"Lighten up, Peaches," Spike said. "What are you so worried about?"
"You and I both know what you're capable of," Angel said.
"The same could be said for you," Spike said. "Remember, you taught me everything I know."
"You picked up a few things by yourself," Angel said. "And I'm not putting my son at risk."
Spike stared at Angel, incredulously, "What was I doing that was so bloody terrible? I was singing him a lullaby. I fail to find the evil in that."
"There are a lot of people who would pay good money for my son. What's to stop you from kidnapping him and selling him to the highest bidder?"
Spike stared at him, hurt, "You think I'd to that? That kid's blood and I don't sell out blood, unlike others I know."
"I don't care," Angel said. "Stay away from my son. I won't want you anywhere near him."
"So then why don't you leave?" Spike said. "If you don't want me near your kid then leave and take him with you."
"I'd love to," Angel snapped. "But I'm not leaving Buffy, not until I know that she's going to be alright, her and her child."
Spike fought to keep from vamping out, "She's fine," He said, with barely controlled anger. "She and our child will both be fine."
Angel looked at Spike in disgust, "I hope you understand what you've done. How you've ruined Buffy's life."
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Spike asked.
"You know what I'm talking about," Angel said. "First you stalk her, then you trick her into sleeping with you."
"She made the first move," Spike pointed out.
Angel continued as if he hadn't heard, "Then you trap her in a relationship that gives her nothing but pain and make it worse by getting her pregnant."
"Actually that was Glinda's fault," Spike said.
"Now you're forcing yourself into her life and are ruining any chance she has at any kind of normal life."
"Buffy doesn't go for the normal life," Spike said. "She tried that route with Captain Cardboard but you and I know what she really likes. Well I do, you really didn't have a chance to realize what it is, with you it was over so fast."
Only Connor prevented Angel from attacking Spike, "Damn you, Spike, I'm not going to let you ruin her life. She deserves to be happy."
"For once we agree," Spike said. "And I can make her happy."
"No," Angel argued. "You can't. Buffy and her child deserve to have a normal life with a normal man."
"I am not abandoning my child," Spike said, coldly. "And don't even suggest that."
"I'm just saying.." Angel started.
"No," Spike said. "Would you abandon Connor? Would you have walked away from him?" Angel didn't answer. He just looked down at the baby in his arms. "I didn't think so." Spike grabbed his abandoned mug from the counter, "Did it ever occur to you that she might need me?"
"She doesn't know what she wants," Angel snapped. "She's been through hell and she's vulnerable."
"And I'm the one she turned to," Spike snapped. "The one who didn't demand anything of her when she came back."
"Except her," Angel said. "You just wanted Buffy. How long did you wait until after she was back before you threw her into your bed?"
"Like I said," Spike said, growing tired of this conversation. "She made the first move and before that I waited the best I could. I listened to her and was there for her when she needed me to be. Which is more than I could say for you."
"I saw her after she came back," Angel told him.
"Yeah and you didn't notice that she was drowning?" Spike asked. "I saw it right away and I'm not her supposed bloody soulmate."
"I saw that she was upset but I knew she'd been through a lot and I didn't want to pry." Angel defended himself. "I respect her unlike you."
Spike started toward Angel, Connor or no Connor, he'd had enough of Angel. Spike was just about to yank the baby out of Angel's arms so that he could beat Angel to a pulp when a voice stopped him.
"Knock it off, both of you, you're going to upset Connor," Cordelia said, coming into the kitchen. She took Connor out of Angel's arms and told them both, "Okay, now the two of you can kill each other if you want but keep it down. I could hear the two of you all the way upstairs."
"Did we wake anyone up?" Spike asked, thinking of Buffy and Dawn.
"No," Cordelia said, looking annoyed at both of them. "I checked. Buffy was sleeping soundly and so was Dawn. You just woke me up." She headed upstairs, Connor in her arms, "I'm going back upstairs. Come on Connor, let's give your Daddy and Spike room to fight it out. You're coming with me," She looked over at them, "Let's hope they didn't influence you too much." Then she left with Connor.
Spike and Angel stared at each other and Spike finally said, "Back off, she doesn't need the pressure from you. You have your family with little Peaches and the Cheerleader. Let Buffy have hers with me, the Nibblet and the little bit."
"She deserves better than you, all of them."
"And your kid deserves better than you," Spike said.
"I agree," Angel said. "He does but he's mine and I love him."
"That's how I feel about my child," Spike said. "And Buffy and Dawn."
"If you hurt any of them." Angel said.
Spike rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I get turned into a dust pile. I've heard it all before."
"I mean it," Angel said.
"Fine," Spike said. He leaned against the counter and said, "So how are things in L.A.?"
Spike turned in the direction of the doorway, with Connor in his arms, "Angel," He said.
Angel hurried forward and pulled Connor out of Spike's arms and into his own. Angel quickly scanned the baby for any signs that he had been hurt, "Oh come on," Spike said, irritated at the implication. "Why would I hurt him? First of all I can't hurt a human, even if I wanted to. Second of all why would I want to hurt little Connor here? He's blood. Besides, if I did anything to hurt the little nipper here the lot of you would make me fit in an ash tray."
"Right," Angel said. "I'll do it anyway if you lay another finger on my son."
"Lighten up, Peaches," Spike said. "What are you so worried about?"
"You and I both know what you're capable of," Angel said.
"The same could be said for you," Spike said. "Remember, you taught me everything I know."
"You picked up a few things by yourself," Angel said. "And I'm not putting my son at risk."
Spike stared at Angel, incredulously, "What was I doing that was so bloody terrible? I was singing him a lullaby. I fail to find the evil in that."
"There are a lot of people who would pay good money for my son. What's to stop you from kidnapping him and selling him to the highest bidder?"
Spike stared at him, hurt, "You think I'd to that? That kid's blood and I don't sell out blood, unlike others I know."
"I don't care," Angel said. "Stay away from my son. I won't want you anywhere near him."
"So then why don't you leave?" Spike said. "If you don't want me near your kid then leave and take him with you."
"I'd love to," Angel snapped. "But I'm not leaving Buffy, not until I know that she's going to be alright, her and her child."
Spike fought to keep from vamping out, "She's fine," He said, with barely controlled anger. "She and our child will both be fine."
Angel looked at Spike in disgust, "I hope you understand what you've done. How you've ruined Buffy's life."
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Spike asked.
"You know what I'm talking about," Angel said. "First you stalk her, then you trick her into sleeping with you."
"She made the first move," Spike pointed out.
Angel continued as if he hadn't heard, "Then you trap her in a relationship that gives her nothing but pain and make it worse by getting her pregnant."
"Actually that was Glinda's fault," Spike said.
"Now you're forcing yourself into her life and are ruining any chance she has at any kind of normal life."
"Buffy doesn't go for the normal life," Spike said. "She tried that route with Captain Cardboard but you and I know what she really likes. Well I do, you really didn't have a chance to realize what it is, with you it was over so fast."
Only Connor prevented Angel from attacking Spike, "Damn you, Spike, I'm not going to let you ruin her life. She deserves to be happy."
"For once we agree," Spike said. "And I can make her happy."
"No," Angel argued. "You can't. Buffy and her child deserve to have a normal life with a normal man."
"I am not abandoning my child," Spike said, coldly. "And don't even suggest that."
"I'm just saying.." Angel started.
"No," Spike said. "Would you abandon Connor? Would you have walked away from him?" Angel didn't answer. He just looked down at the baby in his arms. "I didn't think so." Spike grabbed his abandoned mug from the counter, "Did it ever occur to you that she might need me?"
"She doesn't know what she wants," Angel snapped. "She's been through hell and she's vulnerable."
"And I'm the one she turned to," Spike snapped. "The one who didn't demand anything of her when she came back."
"Except her," Angel said. "You just wanted Buffy. How long did you wait until after she was back before you threw her into your bed?"
"Like I said," Spike said, growing tired of this conversation. "She made the first move and before that I waited the best I could. I listened to her and was there for her when she needed me to be. Which is more than I could say for you."
"I saw her after she came back," Angel told him.
"Yeah and you didn't notice that she was drowning?" Spike asked. "I saw it right away and I'm not her supposed bloody soulmate."
"I saw that she was upset but I knew she'd been through a lot and I didn't want to pry." Angel defended himself. "I respect her unlike you."
Spike started toward Angel, Connor or no Connor, he'd had enough of Angel. Spike was just about to yank the baby out of Angel's arms so that he could beat Angel to a pulp when a voice stopped him.
"Knock it off, both of you, you're going to upset Connor," Cordelia said, coming into the kitchen. She took Connor out of Angel's arms and told them both, "Okay, now the two of you can kill each other if you want but keep it down. I could hear the two of you all the way upstairs."
"Did we wake anyone up?" Spike asked, thinking of Buffy and Dawn.
"No," Cordelia said, looking annoyed at both of them. "I checked. Buffy was sleeping soundly and so was Dawn. You just woke me up." She headed upstairs, Connor in her arms, "I'm going back upstairs. Come on Connor, let's give your Daddy and Spike room to fight it out. You're coming with me," She looked over at them, "Let's hope they didn't influence you too much." Then she left with Connor.
Spike and Angel stared at each other and Spike finally said, "Back off, she doesn't need the pressure from you. You have your family with little Peaches and the Cheerleader. Let Buffy have hers with me, the Nibblet and the little bit."
"She deserves better than you, all of them."
"And your kid deserves better than you," Spike said.
"I agree," Angel said. "He does but he's mine and I love him."
"That's how I feel about my child," Spike said. "And Buffy and Dawn."
"If you hurt any of them." Angel said.
Spike rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I get turned into a dust pile. I've heard it all before."
"I mean it," Angel said.
"Fine," Spike said. He leaned against the counter and said, "So how are things in L.A.?"