Act 2: Healer of the Broken Heart
© 2003 by Chris Regan
Spike's New Place
It is three AM Saturday morning, garage is quiet except for Spike as he is putting something on a car, he says to himself in a pleased tone "Now let him try to disappear."
#Angel's Office#
Angel sat in his office with his feet up on the desk, piles of filing sitting around the room. He saw Cordella standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips looking at him with her "You've had it this time buster look."
In his mind, he heard "Angel this place is a mess why these cases are finished and over why hasn't Harmony put these away!" this thought made him smile for she always made sure that everything was filed even if he couldn't find it she could. He watched as file drawers in his office started to open and papers started to float into the drawers as if they were filing themselves"
"See you later Cordy" as he leaves his office in disarray.
Harmony heard him threw the intercom but said nothing she thought, "I better tell Spike."
#In Spikes Office#
Getting up she walks to Spike's office, knocks.
She hears "Come in" then opens the door
"Spike, are you busy?"
He could tell something was bothering her "No Harmony we just closed a case. What's up?"
"I heard Angel over the intercom acting really weird, the com was open…"
"Has he gone?"
"Yea, just…"
"Just what"
"He was creepy, he wasn't himself."
"Explain Harmony," said Wesley.
"He sounded strange, I, I heard him talk to Cordy…"
"Harmony are you sure!"
"Yea, he had this wild predatory look in his eyes, it gave me the willies."
"Good job Harmony, we'll look into it."
"I thought you should know."
"Thanks again Harmony."
She gave a small smile then said, "Sure" and left.
After she left, Wesley said, "Are the trackers on his car?"
"Yes, I put them on all the cars he likes to drive myself and have been monitoring them."
Spike clicked a button and up the program came, they watched the car move on Spikes Laptop. Nether one speaking as they watched, it stopped in Glendale for two hours on a side street, off San Fernando road, then it came back to the office.
Spike scratched his head "He parked at the Bucket of Blood."
"How can you be sure?"
Spike smiled "That is where I met Lindsey the first time."
"OH"
He is back so we wait to see if another body turns up in the area."
Wesley looks at his watch and says, "It's Three I'm going home."
Spike says, "OK, see you tomorrow" as he gazes at the screen.
Wesley sees Spike is studying the pattern of Angel's car path. After Spike hears Wesley leave he saves that file, then renames it and started plugging where the young women where found.
It was late in the afternoon a few days later he, Harmony, Gunn, Illyria and Wesley got together for their weekly meeting.
"Spike here is you fresh blood."
Spike took a sip just right Harmony."
She smiled then said, Wesley, Gunn you want anything."
"A pitcher of ice tea if we still have some in the break room would be fine Harmony."
"I'll see if we have any made up" then she left.
Spike picked up a controller and flicked a button a large screen TV came on. Then went over to his computer and hit a few buttons and what came up was the trip that Angel had taken the few nights with the places that all the young women were found.
Wesley's eyes got big for he had saw Angel's trip of last few night. "Spike the women were dumped around the Bucket of Blood!"
Looking puzzled, "How about letting a brother in on the conversation?"
Spike and Wesley looked at him, and then said, "The line is the trip Angel has been taking for the last few nights, the dots represent where the young women were found."
"OH" He paces back and forth "You two think it was Angel."
"At this time it is all conjecture but it is a possibility after last night."
A knock at the door, it opened Harmony pushed a cart in with a pitcher, glasses and a tray full of yummy pastries, she looked at them, "Your tea, I bought fresh pastries this morning I… She looked at the screen "Holy shit no! However, I suspected he might be the one when I fallowed him the evening always started the same Boiler Makers at the Bucket of Blood, and then he would scope out the chicks around the area. More Boiler-Makers then he would disappear for half an hour I would find him a few blocks away from were the cops found another body which I found out after the fact, the last time I lost him and came back here I was doing paper work when he staggered in the lobby covered in blood."
"Harmony why didn't you tell us before"
"I did, I just forgot the part about him being covered in blood until now."
"The sent overwhelmed me, I remember taking him to his apartment we cleaned each other then I put on one of his shirts and left. He said nothing so I didn't either."
It had been twenty-four hours since Angels last little jaunt, and then a call came in asking them to join Detective Applegate at the morgue, a new victim had come in. Joe and the Detective were looking at a body.
#Morgue#
"Thanks for coming down"
"No Problem we needed a brake any way."
"What do you have Joe?"
Joe opened a door and pulled out a draw a blonde-haired person was laying there with bite marks and nasty bruises on her throat. Joe looked at her "She is a pretty little thing."
"Who is she?"
"Angie Monroe, according to her sister, she had turned thirty, had a good job as a designer."
"Spike you with us?"
Spike looked at the Detective "Yea I'm with you, where was she found?"
"In the back parking lot behind the hospital, she was visiting a patient."
Wesley shook his head "What a shame"
"Not really she was a fighter we got skin scrapings from under her nails."
In a quiet voice"Yea what did it tell you?"
"The person was Male and he was dead."
"I suspected as much I did a site map where all the girls were found the hub is a bar called the Bucket of blood."
"Got any suspects?"
"Yes but no firm leads yet."
Applegate shook her finger at Spike and Wesley "You two know something about what is going on don't you?"
"Not any more that you do, just a lot of guess work so far nothing concrete yet.
#Three days later#
Spike and Wesley fallowed Angel they both see Angel go into the Bucket of Blood. They go in, order a beer, and watch Angel. They sip their beers and see Angel walk to one of the tables.
They can't hear the conversation but they see Clem hand Angel a rolled up parchment, then Angel starts yelling at the guys from other table they hear the bar doors slam. Throwing back there drinks, got up and fallowed him out, they see Angel at the corner picking up a blonde woman that was dealing favors for cash, as they fallow them down a dark alley, Angel hanging on her then they start kissing as they round the corner.
Wesley and Spike rounding the corner as the woman screamed, she was fighting it was mined boggling to see Angel change, his face turned into a creature that looked more werewolf than vampire saliva dripping down off his fangs.
As time slowed, they watched in horror as she struggles to get free while Angel viciously bit her, she fought him then seeing him snap her neck then him saying to the dead body.
"You're not the one I'm looking for" then seeing him drop the body to the ground and walk away.
"Spike what are we going to do?"
Spike looks down "Call the cops tell them we found another victim. They will call Appletree as soon as they see the scene letting her know that there is a new victim on her case. We'll tell her we were fallowing a mark and as we got closer to this alley we heard screaming then it went silent we saw a male in black at the other end of the alley when we reached the woman he disappeared."
"She is going to know your lying, she knows you're a vampire and can move like the wind when you want too."
"Yea I know."
Spike called "There has been a murder in the alley at the cross streets Los Angeles St. and West Palmer in Glendale. Yes, we will wait until the cops get here. By the time the cops had finished Appletree was on the scene, they had told the cops what they saw.
She looked at them then said, "It looked like a highbred didn't it!"
In surprise, "Yea how do you know Detective?"
"Walk me to my car"
They did, she popped her trunk open, a large black brief case was sitting inside she took it out handed it to Spike, He looked at the top folder it had an envelope tape to it that read TOP SECTRET, BLACK OPS, "I would suggest you start with that folder and work your way to the present."
"Gees I didn't get you anything?"
She smiled "We cops of the underworld have to stick together."
"Are you done with us?"
"Yes you may go I know were to find you if we have more questions."
#Home again, Home again"
On the way home Spike stopped at a liquor store picked up a lot of boos, and then went to his new crib, it was bigger than the apartment he had had.
Spike drove up to a six bedroom, rancho style building. Wesley sat there staring at the house as they drove up. In the headlights he could see servant's quarters in a separate building.
When he stopped the car and got out the remote for the garage, he saw Wesley's surprise, he clicked it to open the garage.
He saw Clem and Whistler walking to the garage. "I rented out two servant's quarters apartments to Clem and Whistler, in turn they arranged for the house keeping staff, which cleaned both buildings."
"Oh."
Once the door was open he drove in, and then closed it. They entered the house though the garage entrance which lead to a short hall were a door stood open to a room with a pile of clothing on the floor, Spike seeing Wesley peering into the room "The washer and dryer are on back order suppose to be in next week"
"Ah" says Wesley.
They proceed down the hall into the kitchen where Spike sets down the bags of bottles he had been carrying "Leave the case here and I'll give you the grand tour."
Wes sits the case on the counter then fallow Spike.
They walk though the halls as Spike says, "At this time the only rooms that are furnished is the kitchen as you could see. This is the den it had a light oak wall paneling with bookshelves along two walls, on a shorter wall was a fire place and glass doors large screen TV and entertainment center."
"That must of cost you."
"Yea but I think Buffy will…"
Wes sees in front of the TV a love seat with tables at each end and a couch and coffee table. It front of the fire is a big bear rug on the other side to balance the furniture is two recliners with a table between them.
Spike says, "If you look through the doors you can see the pool and spa, there is also a door from the hall to get in there. My office is a crossed the hall it also has a door to the pool area."
"Spike you do realize you're showing the signs of nesting?"
"Yea I thought Buffy after all she has been though…"
He gets this strange look as if he just realized what he said and had been doing. He looked down for a moment then said, "Wes I know Buffy doesn't need me or want me… I just can't stop myself thinking about her. I feel like I'm going mad some times."
Wesley says, "I understand how you feel. I was talking to Giles the other day your not the only one there having trouble with Buffy."
"What type of trouble?"
Wesley took a deep breath she is Pregnant, and roaming the tunnels of the castle."
"Dam It!"
"The woman was always so dam independent."
Spike and Wesley leave the den they go down to the basement stairs Spike goes to a rack full of wine bottles opens a secret door this is my bedroom."
Wesley looked at the room it was very plain, a bed, dresser, refrigerator, cat on bed, cat carrier with noise and flame coming out of it.
Wes stops and says "a cat and a cat carrier with noise and flame coming out of it, Spike."
The cat hisses at Wesley. Spike says, "Garmon you silly cat it's just me!"
Then the cat sees it is Spike, gets up sketches and trots' over.
"Who is this?" Wesley says.
"Garmon"
"What's in the crate?"
Spike looked at it then walked over and kneeled down. "We have a guest stop that racket right now if you wish to meet him."
The cage went silent, "That is better" he opened the cage, out flew creatures of myth."
They all flew around for a bit to stretch their wings the two larger ones landed on Spikes shoulders while the little ones flew above Wesley's head.
"Spike what are these things."
"Butterfly Dragons"
"Were did you get them?"
"I was on the elevator on my way to vault V one night when it past basement level four where Wolfram & Hart keeps there odd animals there was screaming coming from that floor I took note of the floor after the elevator stopped. I went back up to the floor I found the two big Butterfly Dragons chasing the lab tech down the hall flaming him. That ball of fur rubbing your legs was letting the lab rats out of there cages and getting ready to pouch on the."
"Spike that explains what you found, what aren't you telling me."
"Smart guy where did you get him"
"Garmond, give him a minute."
Wesley looked at the cat."
"Yes Wesley he talks! You're not hearing things."
"How… Did they? I, I… ack I'm being attacked" said, Wesley. Wesley is swatting at two little flying beings around his head.
"Enough of that back on the perch with you."
"May I?"
"Sure"
"My name as you heard is Garmon I'm a male, even though I have this big long gray tabby coat. I was stolen from my home a farm in Britain, as a young cat, I want him to find Crissy she was the daughter of my mistress they were the only humans I spoke to before coming to Wolfram & Hart."
"OK, what about the dragons?"
"They were with me on the ship, a man by the name of Lindsey picked up our cages personally I think we were to be a gift for his boss, we were kept sedated and away from others until a year an ago."
"Then how did you survive?"
"They fed us of course but they gave us no other contact, I noted they left the door open so one night when they were feeding us I got out and roamed the room working my way to the open door. Each time after that they let me out until I was out in the next room then after a few days there I let the rats out of there cages. The next night I did the same but let the dragons out too. Between us we did a lot of damage and Spike heard the commotion the techs were afraid of Angel finding out."
"So I took the little monsters and we're one big happy family."
"How did you catch the Dragons?"
"Didn't, when I told the techs that I would take the lot off there hands they flew and sat on my shoulders just as you see them now."
"Then what about the little ones?"
They came along about three months ago; none of them will come to me."
"They…
One flew off the perch and landed on Wesley's shoulder."
"Well it looks like you have a new friend."
The two on Spike rubbed his chin then the one on Wesley did the same.
"She has chosen you her name is Tamon."
"She is very pretty her pink iridescent skin is beautiful. What are the others names?"
"The two sitting on Spike Shoulder, the wine colored female is Mona and the Golden Male is Mores. The little ones the, Ivar is the silver, Alpin is the white, Conn is the dark green, dive-bomber that you were swatting at earlier, Bran was the other wine colored bomber, Brid and Ana are the two blue one Ana is the brighter blue that's how to tell them apart. Cass is the Peach colored with the curly mane.
"Let's go to the up stairs bedrooms" Going back up to the main floor Spike went up another set of stairs to the second floor.
"Most of the rooms up here are unfurnished the master bedroom a guest room have the basic. The stair opened into a hall that over looked the pool. In flew the little dragon and onto a perch that had a square base with four up-Wrights and dowels in two sizes which connect the four two by fours in the shape of an oblong structure.
As Wes walked in the Master bedroom, its decoration was in pale shades of yellow on the walls with white base and crown molding. The bed was covered with a bright yellow quilt there was a pile of curtains on a white chair, sitting next to the chair was a dressing table, dresser.
"Why two master bedrooms Spike?"
Spike looked around for a minute trying to figure out how to say why "I… I'm having all of windows replaced with that special glass on the window at work; until the windows come in I'm sleeping down stairs…"
"Oh that must be costing you a pretty penny."
"You can't even imagine."
Spike stopped out side of a room "This is the guest room."
The walls were a soft blue with white trim some odd picture on the walls one with a anthropomorphic Wolf holding a small blue dragon another with a Lynx and a mouse on its head.
"There is a bath through that door and there are PJ's and swim trunks in the dresser, jogging suit, pants and shirts in the closet that should fit you."
They went back to the kitchen Garmon gingerly walked out a pet door and the other dragons flew out a hatch in the laundry room Mona, Tamon and Ana stayed. Spike could hear them fly in though the open skylight and dive bombing the pool for their evening bath.
After the tour, Spike got the glasses and the whiskey, Wesley got the case they went to the den opening the brief case Wes took the folders and sat then on the table.
He felt the envelope and felt something in it opened it and found an envelope with Spikes name wrote on it, Wesley hands it to him.
Spike took it sat it down, opened one of the bottles poured the whiskey then sat down and took a long draw from his whiskey-filled glass then opened the envelope.
Spike,
You can trust Detective Appletree she is one of my best people and I know you are keeping and eye on Angel. I know you and I are not friends but we do care about Buffy, Dawn and her friends by now, you have suspected or maybe even seen that the killer of the young women could be Angel but you don't know why. Some of my associates thought this might help you find the answers to these questions and any others you might have.
Sincerely, Riley Finn
During the time, he had been reading the note Wesley asks, "Spike what you are going to do about Angel?"
Spike looks at him then down, takes another long draw on his drink then pours another. "Wesley I don't know yet… The easy way would be to stake him but…"
"But what?"
"I keep getting this feeling he is part of a bigger picture and that we will need him."
"Need him, after what we saw him do last night!"
"Yes Wesley and I know what you're going to say"
"That he has become dangerous and maybe he has but we are his friends, we are his family, we have to do everything in our power to save him.
Wesley took his glass and downed the liquid then pours another.
"Spike I hope you're right."
Silent's falls between them, they both picked up a file folder and started to read the information, until Wesley says. "Spike listen to this the Prince of Blood was human at one time. A greedy sorcerer had cursed him in the hope that his bride who was young and very beautiful would turn on him.
The sorcerer did not count on the fact that she had great wisdom for her age and even with the curse, she didn't stop loving him in fact it made her love even stronger.
The prince found she had died after he had bitten her and drank her blood he lost all reason. For a time he wandered the wastelands looking for death but death did not come. He became a monster in such pain only the blood of others would give him any small amount of peace. But when he realized that he was the killer of the people he ran.
What the sorcerer Callan didn't know was the bride was the daughter of a god and a human. Her love for the young prince, her husband, her lover was to be his savior. You see the two where linked in life as in death by her blood.
A young Friar who was wise beyond his years searched in diligence for her and her handmaids. He found them in one of the towers in the old castle where the sorcerer lived.
With stealth and the help of one of the king's oldest friends, they stole her and her handmaids back and hiding them in the old nunnery until passage by ship was acquired. By the time it was acquired the Friar suspected the princess was with child, by the time they were in Briton she was showing.
In another part of the world there was a priestess of the dark skinned peoples. She was also of this special race of half breed she felt compassion for the beast that became man and she forgave him for she saw his pain. They had a child this child was gifted from the time she was small for she could see demons it was she that was the first slayer.
When there second child was to be born, a man with long white hair and red skin showed up with a tale that the prince's first wife was still alive, the prince had to go and see if it was true that his first love was really alive.
The one with white hair known as White Wolf had helped many in the past, during there travels they stayed in the homes of these his friends and business associates.
When the prince reached where his wife resided he was surprised to fine a child of close to two ½ years. His connection to this woman was stronger than he realized, for she knew of the priestess and that she had a girl child with him and there was a male child that was born to this priestess before he left.
#Present#
Drinking the rest of his Whiskey then pouring more Wesley said.
"Can you believe it?"
"Well, yea, men were expected to have sex with as many women as they could. That view has been handed down, even when I was alive."
"Yea it's that way even now."
"Shit!"
"What!"
"It's like going back in Angel's history, almost the same thing happened to him."
"What happened?"
"Angel had a son!"
"You want to tell me how that happened?"
"It happened along time ago Darla was the child's mother."
"Darla and Angel bumped uglie and she end up PG that is rich. Not that they weren't at it all the time when they were together. It's that they had a kid that is scary he must have been a piece of work."
"Yes he was his actions almost destroy the world twice, he was very unstable at the time."
Taking a long draw from his glass of whiskey "Where is he now?"
"He is here in LA."
Sipping his next sip out at Wesley from shock "Bloody hell Angel let him live?"
Wesley wiping the whiskey off himself as Spike got up went to the bar opened a door grabbed a towel and threw it to Wesley.
As Wesley wiped himself off "Well you might say he made a bargain with Wolfram & Hart which gave the kid a new history so the kid is stable now, I believe you met him, his name is Connor."
"Not the kid that was with you and Angel the day I was testing Illira?"
"Yes that is the one."
"WOW, know wonder Angel was so up tight at that time."
Wesley stifled a yawn as he noticed the sun creep over the fence out side of the window.
"You look tired go up stairs there are towels in the bath, pajamas in the closet, shower and get some sleep."
"Yes I could use it after last night." Wesley gets up and heads up the servant's stairs when Tamon lands on his shoulder "I see your back."
She chirps, as he mounts the stairs to the bedroom.
Spike watches them then heads toward the door leading to the basement with Garmon and the two older dragons fallowing.