The Summers Residence, Sunnydale, Twenty minutes later.
Family.
That's what Barry was recalling as he watched the interactions between Joyce and the others around the dining table. It brought back memories of having a meal around the table with Joe and Iris, and then later Wally; or being with Cisco and Caitlin in the Cortex having lunch or at a club for drinks. It had only been twenty minutes since Buffy walked back in through the kitchen and sat down next to Barry before asking everyone what she missed. Willow then told Buffy the story of drunk Barry and Caitlin, and the song they shared.
"And then they went home and smooched," chuckled Willow as Xander laughed while Barry's eyes opened wide before he waved his hands saying that Caitlin was just a good friend. He then sat back while the others started to talk about their lives, with Buffy and Dawn rounding back up on Joyce and her date the next day; to which Willow and Tara leaned forward to know more about the man that had asked her out once again. It would be later, an hour later, that Buffy would have to suddenly leave, telling Barry that she had to go meet a friend.
"This late at night?" asked Barry as he looked at the clock above them on the wall, and then at Buffy, feigning surprise.
"I actually have to meet this friend for a…"
"Anti-crime patrol…. You know, like a neighbourhood watch," chipped Willow as Buffy looked at her, and then back at Barry while nodding her head. She then pushed her chair back while Joyce looked up at Buffy, and asked her to be careful and call the police if she see's anything weird. Barry glanced over at Tara, who gave him a quick glance before looking away with a small smile and a shrug. It was almost immediately that Xander rose up off his seat, along with Willow and then Giles.. all of whom told Barry that they usually accompanied Buffy and her friend for her Neighbourhood Watch patrols.
"But after the patrol we usually end up at the Bronze," said Tara, "if you want to meet us there, then…"
"I used to work in the police department, so maybe I could come and help you guys out," said Barry who was chuckling inside at the Scooby's reactions, except for Tara who was simply hiding her smile while covering her mouth with a hand. As for they others, they were waving their hands and shaking their heads, with Buffy saying that the people they're meeting aren't too fond of strangers.
"We've done this for a long time, Barry," Buffy said, "so the groups are comfortable with us.. maybe another time?"
"Yeah, sure," Barry said as he stood up as well before telling Joyce and Dawn that it was about time he got back to his apartment as well.
"Maybe meet up at the Bronze?" asked Xander.
Barry simply nodded his head before Xander, Buffy Willow, Giles, and Tara headed for the living room while Barry walked towards the first door. He glanced at the group heading towards the sitting room before he placed his hand on the knob and turned it.
"Don't stay away from us, Barry," Joyce said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Barry looked at her while she said that he was invited to come by at any time. The young man simply nodded his head after saying goodbye to Dawn; he then looked over behind Joyce's shoulder at Buffy who was talking to Giles and the others with her back to him. Barry then looked towards Joyce, smiled, and then said that it was great to spend some time with them.
"Reminds me of the people I left behind," said Barry nodding his head.
"Like I said," Joyce replied, "you're welcome any time."
Barry then turned and walked out of the house and onto the porch just as the door was closed behind him. While he was walking down the stairs and towards his bicycle, Buffy had finished whispering to Xander and the others. She looked over her shoulder once the door had closed, and saw Joyce and Dawn walking back into the dining room. She then sighed, turned around and headed for the weapons chest in the corner with the others behind her.
"We could have had him come along with us, Buffy," said Xander as Buffy opened the top of the chest, and reached in to take out an axe with one hand, and a bag with the other hand, "instead of pretending to have a briefing about with parts of the neighbourhood we'll be patrolling."
"Before anyone says anything else," said Buffy as she crouched down and placed the axe, and then a few crossbows and daggers into the bag, "I don't want someone without any experience facing off against demons and stuff."
"He just wanted to help, Buff," Willow explained.
"Even so," said Buffy as Joyce walked into the living room, "it's still dangerous."
"Be careful?" said Joyce as Buffy stood up, turned around, and then nodded her head.
In the meantime, Barry had this sense that he was being watched. The hairs on the back of his neck and arms stood up as he pedalled the bicycle at normal speed. While riding down the street approaching a right turn, Barry looked over his shoulders as he applied the brakes. He narrowed his eyes and frowned when he saw a shadow slink back behind a house. He then turned and started to pedal the bicycle once again, the same sense of having someone watching him returning as he made that turn.
He knew that if it was someone, or something, watching him – then he shouldn't be using his speed. Barry suspected it was someone who was suspicious of him, and wondered if it was Buffy following him; although he didn't know why she would since he hadn't done anything to make her suspicious… and Tara had already told him, in private, after the Knights of Byzantium situation, that his secret was safe with her.
'So most likely it's not Buffy,' thought Barry as he made another turn into the street that led out of the neighbourhood. He kept on pedalling calmly until he couldn't feel as if he was being watched. However, to make sure that whoever watching him was satisfied, he continued pedalling on the bicycle until he reached his apartment. He then picked up the bicycle and took it up to his apartment at normal speed. Once in his room, Barry changed into his uniform at super speed before heading out once again as the Flash.
He left out the rear entrance to his building and then ran around a block searching for whoever it was that was following him. Once he found no-one, Barry extended his search area covering the streets and alleys, as well as the rooftops closest to his building in a few seconds. But he still couldn't find anyone as he stopped once again and looked around.
Shaking his head while hoping that it was just his imagination, Barry took off down the street at high speed. He ran around the city, and had even gone past Buffy and the others, who were headed towards a park near her neighbourhood. Barry watched as they stood still before taking off at high speed. He ran a few more times around the city before running out of Sunnydale after stopping a mugging. He then started to run towards Santa Barbara, and in the meantime, a manhole cover rose from an alleyway near Barry's apartment.
Spike pushed the cover aside while he debated with himself the purpose of following Barry, running through the backyards of various houses after the bicycling you man. Once he had his scent though, Spike went down into the sewers when Barry continued to look over his shoulder… Spike suspected that Barry knew he was being followed- the reason for which Spike went underground where he still followed Barry's scent through all the other scents. Ultimately, he reached his goal and climbed up to the surface. He found himself in an alleyway, and ran to the road. He sniffed the air, and then walked with his hands in his pockets towards a building across the road.
Growling as he looked up the side of the building, all he saw were windows; all of which were dark. He then ran up the stairs, certain that Barry's stayed in the building. He walked into the building, and then sniffed the air. Finding Barry's scent, Spike smiled before creeping up the stairs to the young man's apartment. He didn't know what he was going to do when he reached Barry's apartment though, all he knew was that his mission was to find out the truth about the young man who was present at dinner… a man who was given a place at the table that Spike felt should have been his; right next to Buffy.
Spike didn't do jealousy well as he remembered having seen Riley, Buffy's then boyfriend, entering a den where vampire fed on willing humans. The human got a high from being fed on, while the vampires had a source of human blood. It was a win-win proposition for everyone, but Spike followed Riley to the den, and once he had seen what was happening with his own eyes, he then approached Buffy while she was sleeping. As Spike continued to creep up the stairs, his mind went back to standing at the foot of Buffy's bed as she covered herself while he looked on for a few seconds before averting his eyes away, telling her that he had something to show her.
And then he took her to Riley, who had his eyes closed in pleasure while a vampire was biting into his arm. Spike told her that he was concerned that riley was making a mistake, and he wanted to make sure he dint die… but the truth was that Spike wanted Buffy to get rid of Riley. His feelings for the Slayer had grown… he desired Buffy even though she didn't see him the same way.. and he believed that the best way for her to see him as a saviour would be to show her what Riley had been up to.
However, it didn't work out that way exactly. She ended up being mad at the both of them, and although Buffy and Riley did break up.. she couldn't see Spike romantically. Then, Buffy kissed Spike as a ruse after he was rescued from Glory, and he felt her desire as well. He knew that the both of them were the same… they were beings of darkness and she would be happy with him.
And then Barry came into the picture, and Spike saw him as another Riley; someone not worthy for Buffy.
Spike followed Barry's scent to his apartment door, and then listened for any sound from inside the apartment. He knew it was a longshot to follow the man to his apartment; that Barry may still be in the room and Spike would have to come back later in the day after hiding out in the basement of the building when Barry would have to go to work. So imagine Spike's surprise when he didn't hear anything at all from Barry's apartment; no feet shuffling on the floor, no heartbeat, and no breathing. Surprised that the young man would have left just as he returned home, especially since there was only Barry's scent heading into the apartment, and no indication that he left, had Spike confused.
Then he remembered that the apartment itself was private property, and that he wouldn't be able to enter without permission. Taking a second to think, Spike cam up with a plan. Smiling, the man knocked on the door… he wanted to be certain if the apartment was empty or not.
Once he confirmed it wasn't empty, Spike placed his hand on the door knob, and then twisted it, breaking the lock and then slowly opening the door. He pushed the door inside, and then looked into the room inside, the light from the hallway illuminating part of the room. Spike just stood in the hallway, and looked into the now barely lit room, his eyes able to see in the dark without any need to turn on the lights. He looked at the fridge, and then at the tent and sleeping bags, and then at the air-mattress. He saw the various drawings on the wall closest to the mattress, and he focused his eyes. With the room a mess, and him unable to enter, Spike tilted his head when he saw some of the pictures. He looked at the drawings of a young woman standing arm in arm with Barry, the both of them laughing. He then saw another drawing of Barry with several others around a dining table, followed by another one with an older woman and man – unknown to Spike, he was looking at a drawing of Nora and Henry Allen. He continued to look at the other drawings before he saw one that made him knit his eyebrows in confusion.
It was a picture of Barry with Iris, Joe, Wally, Caitlin, Harry, Jessie, and Cisco on either side in what looked like a lab. And below the drawing was written in a stylized font; 'My STAR Labs family.'
"STAR Labs," whispered Spike before thinking to himself, 'I've been all around the country over the years and never heard about some place called STAR Labs.'
With eyebrows knitted, Spike then looked at the other drawing and focused on a drawing of a man holding a bow and Arrow with a young woman and another man behind a desk, he then looked at a drawing of a man on fire. Spike frowned before turning around, and then walking off down the hallway.
'This guy… wait a minute,' thought Spike to himself before he turned and rushed to the door once again. Spike focused his vision on the drawing of what seemed to be a police department bullpen. The drawing, like all the other drawings hanging on the wall was extremely detailed… and Giles focused more on one name on the table where the drawing of the dark-skinned man was leaning on while his arm was around a young woman – 'Detective Joe West; Central City Police Department.'
Spike stepped back as he recalled the day that Dawn ran away from home after finding out she was the Key. The day they had first heard of the Streak, and that Dawn was the first one to meet him.
'She said that the Streak was from some place called Central City,' thought Spike to himself, 'Willow even checked out records for Central City… and it doesn't exist. So how… oh, this is rich.'
Spike quickly ran down the hallway, the door to Barry's apartment remaining open; Spike knew that if Barry was the streak, then he needed to get out of there as soon as possible. He needed to tell Buffy of this new situation. He rushed down the stairs and then into the sewers via a manhole cover down the street. When Buffy went back into the house earlier that night, he lingered around the house and overheard Buffy inviting Barry to the Bronze later on that night.
Spike decided to make his way to the Bronze so that he could reveal to Buffy that her latest interest had lied to her. Now all he needed to do was wait for Buffy to arrive at the Bronze. And then tell her about what he found; and Spike just knew that Buffy would thank him from being hurt once again.
TBC.