TITLE: A Friendly Face
AUTHOR: nongenius
SUMMARY: Spike finds a friend at Wolfram and Hart.
RATED: PG
SPOILERS: Through Angel Season 5, Destiny
FEEDBACK: Email me or leave a review at fanfiction.net
ARCHIVE: More than likely okay, but please ask first
DISCLAIMER: I don’t own any of these characters, though I really wish I did. Unfortunately, for me, they all belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Fox.
NOTES: Written for hold_that_thought’s Fanfic Junk Drawer Challenge for girlwithjournal, who requested Spike/Cordelia (shippy or friendshippy), post-Destiny, humorous. I hope I managed to fulfill that. Thanks to hold_that_thought for the beta.

Spike wandered the halls of Wolfram and Hart, amused by the many sights. The people in the ritual sacrifice department were losing their heads--in some cases literally--over the latest memo banning ritual sacrifices. And the PR department was going crazy trying to downplay the fact that Angel had killed five clients in the past two days. It was almost worth being here to watch Fruity Fangs turn everything he touched into chaos.

Spike reached the end of the hall. This was a section he hadn’t explored yet, but based on his previous forays, he’d probably find something gory and gruesome. Already he’d walked in on a whipping, a sacrifice, and his personal scariest moment, Lorne making it with some demon from purchasing. He shrugged and stepped through the wall in front of him. The room was dimly lit by candles and a lone figure stood with its back him. “This is a private moment, isn’t it? Good. Those are the most interesting. So what kind of fun are we having today?”

“Spike?” a woman’s voice rang out. The figure stepped towards him, into the light.

Spike stared at her. “Hold on, I know you. You look different without a crossbow in your hands and that whole ‘move and I’ll kill you’ expression.”

“You can see me?”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “Don’t generally have trouble seeing people standing in front of me. Well there was the one time, but she was invisible and a damn tease. But you’re not either of those, now, are you?"

“Well, actually…” Cordelia stepped aside, revealing a body in a bed. Her body.

“Huh. Dead?”

“Comatose. You?”

“Dead. I think. It’s all very sudden.”

Cordelia nodded. “So you’re a ghost. That explains why you haven’t tried to kill me yet.”

“I’ll have you know, that’s the last thing on my mind. Got a soul now,” Spike stated, raising his chin slightly. “Even saved the world.”

“You? Please. I’m in a coma, not stupid.” Cordelia crossed her arms.

“Perfect example. Normally a girl in a coma is like a frozen dinner. Instant food. No fight, just bite. But now I see a girl in a coma and I have this strange inclination to try and help her.” He took a step forward, his eyes running over the supine body. Her arms were covered with marks and symbols, and an IV ran from her elbow to a box on the wall. “Kinda looks like you’ve gotten more than enough help here, though. If you can call it that.”

Cordelia sighed heavily. “They’re doing everything they can to wake me. Every doctor, shaman and mystic on the entire west coast has been through here.”

“At least you’re not dead. Which means you’re not a ghost. So what the hell are you?” Spike turned, confused.

“Astral projection? Beats me. I pretty much had myself convinced this was some kind of crazy dream or delusion until you saw me. I’ve never been this invisible in my entire life.” Cordelia frowned, “Aw, now I know what poor Willow must have felt like. Except I still have better fashion sense.”

Spike smirked. “Know the feeling love. People walk right through you. Like you’re not even there.”

“It’s nice to have someone to talk to,” Cordelia smiled. “A little human, well vampire, or actually ghost vampire, interaction. Well it’s nice.”

“Happy to help.”

Spike stepped through the wall with a smile on his face. “You wouldn’t believe what--hey, what’s the matter pet?”

Cordelia stood in the corner, her face to the wall, issuing muffled sobs. “Nothing,” she sniffed.

“Liar.”

She turned, her cheeks streaked with tears. “I miss my friends.”

“What are you talking about? People visit you all the time.”

“Yeah. They come in, all sad and quiet. They stare at me for a few minutes and cry or brood. Then they leave. I never get to hear them laugh, anymore. Never get to hear Wes’s bad jokes, or Gunn’s boasting. And I can’t leave this stupid room.” She punched the wall. “It’s like I don’t even have real friends anymore.”

“Thanks a lot.”

“You know what I mean.” Cordelia sighed.

“How bout I fill you in? Let’s see, Wesley’s jokes are still terrible, and all he ever seems to do is moon over Fred and say ‘We can’t let this place get to us.’” Spike imitated Wesley’s serious face.

Cordelia giggled.

“Now that’s more like it.” Spike grinned.

“Are you serious? Harmony’s been here this whole time and she hasn’t once come to see me?”

“Well to be fair, she’s not exactly the brightest bird. She gets lost at least once a day,” Spike smirked.

“Point taken.” Cordelia smiled. “What is she even doing here anyway?”

“Mostly annoying Angel. Makes you want to grab some popcorn and watch the show. Well if you could hold popcorn. Or eat it. Or sit.”

Cordelia’s face lit up. “You could bring her here!”

“Not on your life.”

Her face fell, and she glanced forlornly at her body.

Spike sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Gotcha,” Cordelia turned with a smile. “You are so easy.”

“You better be glad I have a soul.”

“I miss her,” Spike said as he stepped into the dim room.

“I know. You’ve only said it like every other sentence,” Cordelia rolled her eyes.

“I can’t even try to find her,” Spike sighed.

“And there’s the sentence that fills in the blanks.”

“I’m sorry. I’m probably boring you to tears. Hell I’m boring myself to tears. Just can’t seem to stop thinking about it.”

Cordelia sighed. “I understand, and I sympathize. Hello? Stuck in a room?”

Spike laughed half-heartedly. “Aren’t we a pair? No one notices us and we can’t go anywhere. If I weren’t already dead I might kill myself.”

“It’s not that bad.”

Spike smirked. “I guess being a ghost has its moments. Found out yesterday that Gunn has to coax himself in the bathroom. It’s hilarious to hear him, all ‘Come on, Charles, you can do it.’”

Cordelia laughed. “See? You went a whole minute without mentioning the B word.”

Spike smiled. “How bout that? Lucky you were here.”

Spike practically ran through the wall. “Watch this.” He steadied himself, then stared at Cordelia’s body. He slowly moved towards it, never breaking his concentration. Slowly and carefully, he picked up her hand.

“Oh my god! You’re touching me! Ew Spike germs!”

Cordelia’s hand fell through Spike’s. “You broke my concentration! And what do you mean, ew? You’re the one with Angel sweat all over your palms.” He wiped his hands on his jeans.

“You’re right. Angel does hold my hand an awful lot. It’s almost a little creepy.”

“That’s Angel for you.”

Cordelia smiled. “That was a neat trick. Do it again.”

Spike stumbled into the hallway, cursing under his breath. He hit the wall and cried out. “Bugger this. Where’s the fucking door?” He moved along the wall until he felt the familiar round knob. The door opened and Spike fell into the room.

“Spike?”

“The hell? I can still hear you.” He raised his head slightly, then dropped it back down. “Still see you too. Both of you. That’s a pleasant surprise.”

“What’s going on? Are you drunk?” Cordelia asked.

“Very. I’m celebrating my corporeality.” He turned onto his back and grinned up at the girl. “I actually left the city limits today.”

“You’re corporeal?” Cordelia paused, “That means solid, right?”

Spike nodded.

“Does that mean you’re like alive again?”

“Hard to say. Cause I’m still technically dead and all. The rules aren’t all clear. I wasn’t expecting to be able to see you,” he mumbled drunkenly.

“What are you still doing here, anyway? All you’ve done for the past few weeks is complain about two things: being a ghost and not being able to find Buffy. Well now you’re not a ghost, and you can leave, right? So why not go find Buffy?” Cordelia asked, hand on hip.

“It’s not that easy, pet.” Spike slowly stood. “You know, you think you’ve got it bad, but at least you get to see what’s going on. All the important people in your life, they’re all here. They visit you regularly. You can see them, hear what they’re saying, even if they can’t see you. Me? I died. Gone for all of three weeks and everyone I cared about, everyone I had any desire to be around up and disappeared. ‘Europe,’ he says. ‘Can’t reach her,’ he says. We both know he’ll never tell me. For all I know, I’ll go to Europe and find out I’ve been sent on a wild goose chase by Poofy McGelhead.”

“At least you get the chance to try.”

Spike opened his mouth to respond, but a quick look at Cordelia’s unconscious body took all the words out of him. Moving to the side of the bed, he picked up her cold hand. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I can’t very well stay mad at my only friend, anyways.”

“Yeah, about that. I really came to say goodbye, because wild goose chase or not, I have to find her.”

Cordelia smiled sadly. “I know.”

Spike squeezed her hand and was moving to kiss her forehead when the door flew open.

“Get. Away. From. Her.” Angel moved into the room, glowering.

Spike backed away from the bed, hands in the air. “Just paying my respects.”

“I would believe you, except, hey, you’ve already horned in on all the other aspects of my life, why not Cordy too?” Angel took a step closer, murder in his eyes.

“I didn’t realize there was anything there to ‘horn in on’. You been making time with the girl in the coma?” Spike asked. “Wouldn’t surprise me, guy with your upstanding moral convictions.”

In a flash, Angel had Spike against the wall, fists clutching the lapels of the duster. Behind him, Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Oh, this is typical Angel. Always with the fighting. He’s very possessive.”

Spike fought to suppress a snicker, but failed.

“You think this is funny?” Angel asked, dropping him. “Of course, everything’s just a big joke to you.” Angel walked over to Cordelia’s body. “How could you possibly understand?”

“You don’t think I know what it’s like to lose someone?” Spike slowly stepped away from the wall. “I watched Buffy die. Watched her jump knowing I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Then I had to watch her deal with being brought back to a world she considered hell. Where were you for all that?” He shoved Angel against the wall. “She went to you, I remember that. Ran to be by your side. Dropped everything, then came back pissed off and had to turn to me for comfort. And she hated me. I understand a lot more than you know, Gel boy,” Spike jabbed Angel in the chest with his finger. “And don’t you forget it.”

“Well put,” Cordelia said with a smile.

“Thanks,” Spike smiled.

Angel looked around, confused. “Who are you talking to?”

Cordelia laughed.

Spike winked at her. “Now, if you don’t mind,” Spike started, moving towards the door. “I have a lady to find.” He opened the door, and paused. “Cordelia, if you wake up before I get back, hit him for me. One nice slap on the back of the head.”

“I promise,” she giggled.

With a smirk, Spike left.