Chapter 19 – Eye of the Hurricane
Black clouds are rushing in
The storm is ready to strike
The lightening flashes through the wasteland
Caught between the earth and sky
Hear the thunder roar
Got to find the key to the open door.
Runaway, hideaway,
Into the eye of the hurricane
Find your way, to saving grace,
Inside the eye of the hurricane.
Impellitteri
“Daddy, Daddy.”
Spike turned to find Journey
racing down the front steps of the Hyperion. She was dressed in her pajamas and
clutching her teddy bear. It was almost eleven, making him wonder why she was
still up. Amanda wasn’t far behind her. His daughter heard the footsteps of the
trailing slayer and speeded up. He opened his arms just as she stumbled,
catching her in mid-fall. She wrapped her small arms around him, her precious
toy squashed between them.
“You’re here, you’re here,”
Joy cried. “I knew you wouldn’t leave me here.”
“I’m here, sweetheart,”
Spike soothed, rubbing her back. “It’s okay. Where’s Mum?”
“She at my Angel’s. She left
me and I don’t want to be here.”
“Joy,” Amanda said, sharply
as she stopped on the bottom step. “It’s not nice to lie. You chose to stay
here.”
“She’s also four,” Spike bit
out. “Not quite old enough to be making those kind of decisions.”
“They mean,” Joy said,
tightening her grip on his neck. Tears were falling in earnest now. “Please
take me with you.”
“Shush, baby,” Spike cooed, rocking
back and forth in his continued effort to calm her. “Daddy’s here.”
Now, he was grateful that
Dylan had twisted his arm to stop by the hotel on the way to dropping him off
at Angel’s. His partner wanted to surprise Faith with a trinket he had picked
up for her. He had received a message from Buffy while he had been with Angel.
It said that she was in town to meet with the Watchers and that she was at the
beach house waiting for him. He had assumed that his daughters were with her.
“Hey, Dad,” Raven called out
as she bounded down the stairs. “What are you doing here?”
“Dylan needed to drop
something off,” Spike said. His eyes swept over his eldest daughter fidgeting
with the hem of her flannel pajama top. Something was off and despite her best
efforts to hide it there was a shadow of guilt on her face. “How did you know I
was here?”
“Oh, I was on my cell phone
when Joy heard the jeep and took off,” Raven said, with a big grin. “It just
took me a minute to hang up and follow her down. We’re staying in Amanda and
Molly’s room.” She reached for her sister. ”Come on Joy. It’s past your
bedtime.”
“No,” Joy screeched, kicking
out at her sister. “Daddy taking me. Don’t wanna be here.”
“Shush, baby,” Spike said,
hugging her tighter. “It’s going to be all right.”
“Daddy, Mum is waiting for
you,” Raven said, avoiding his eyes. “It’s better that she stays here tonight. Amanda
is taking her over in the morning to play on the beach until we’re done with
the meeting.”
Their eyes collided as Raven
realized she had blundered. She had mentioned the morning meeting as if Spike
already knew. And there was no way for her to know that unless Buffy had
mentioned the message she had left for her husband. It only confirmed what
Spike had suspected all along. There was something going on between the two
women. For a second he thought that maybe Buffy was planning a little
rendezvous for the two of them but Raven wouldn’t be acting guilty.
“What’s going on, Raven?”
Spike asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“Nothing.”
“Let’s go, Daddy, please,”
Joy begged, bouncing in his arms. “I want to go see Mummy.”
“Journey,” Raven said,
softly. “Why don’t you stay here with us tonight?”
“No, you mean,” Joy said,
turning on the tears again. “You won’t let me look at TV.”
“And that isn’t a bad
thing,” Kate’s voice reached them. The small party at the bottom of the stairs
turned to watch Giles’ wife approach them. “I got a call from one the girls
that there was a problem down here. Are you the problem, little one?” Kate
asked, reaching over to stroke Joy’s hair. “You were happy just a little while
ago.”
“The girls talking bad ‘bout
me. They say I spoiled.”
“Case in point,” Raven
muttered, crossing her arms.
“Shut up, don’t like you,”
Joy declared, her piercing blue eyes were angrily fixated on her sister.
“Feelings mutual, brat.”
“Stop it,” Spike demanded.
“Both of you. What the…?”
“Now, now,” Kate said.
“Amanda, go back to your room. It’s after hours.” She waited until the girl
took off back up the stairs before turning her attention to Joy again. “Now for
you, young lady, your Mummy and Daddy need some grown up time. How about you
come spend the night with Benjamin? There are other teddy bears so that your
bear doesn’t get lonely.”
Joy appeared to be thinking
about the offer but then shook her head. She buried her face against Spike’s
neck and offered up a couple of loud sniffles. Spike looked over to Raven who
was standing off to the side still looking piqued. He decided to opt on the
side of caution. He nuzzled Joy’s cheek before kissing it soundly.
“I bet Mr. Lido would love
to go visit with Benjamin’s bears,” Spike whispered. “And you could stay with
him in his room and then you two can play in the morning before you get to go
to the beach. Maybe he could go, too.”
“Can he?” Joy asked, looking
over at Kate.
“Yeah,” she replied with a
smile. “I think we can do that. So, are you going to stay with us? I can make
you some warm milk before I tuck you in.” This time when Kate reached for her,
Joy let herself be transferred to the other woman’s arms.
“Don’t have to be with you,”
Joy said, staring daggers into her sister. “I’m going to have fun while you be
bored at meeting.” She stuck her tongue out at Raven over Kate’s shoulder as
she was carried away.
“Yeah, whatever, kiddo,”
Raven said. “Sweet dreams.” Her smile for her younger was anything but warm.
Spike let it go. He wanted answers and was only waiting for Kate to vanish from
view.
“What is going on, Raven?”
At least she squirmed a
little, but not enough. Raven looked up at him, her arms still crossed and now
one hip was thrown out for emphasis. “Nothing is going on. Maybe Mum would like
some time with you alone. You know she doesn’t really see you enough.”
Spike arched one eyebrow,
tilting his head at his daughter’s impertinence. “Is our marriage any of your
business?”
“Well, gee, let me think,
Daddy. Yeah, it is. Everything the two of you do affects us, kids,” Raven said,
tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Maybe you’ve forgotten in your little
‘mid-life crisis’ head trip.”
“Excuse me,” Spike said,
stepping closer to her. “I’d watch your mouth if I were you. You and Buffy were
the ones pushing me out the bloody door if I remember correctly. So, don’t be
trying to make me feel guilty.”
“Oh, yes, we wanted to make
sure that the world was safe, not for you to be playing around with some
little…”
“Stop right there,” Spike
ordered. “I’d think very carefully before you finish that sentence.”
“Or what?” Raven yelled.
“You’re going to ground me? Forbid me to patrol,” she flung her arm out. “Or
tell me that I can’t put my damn life on the line anymore. Go ahead, Daddy
dearest, punish me and maybe the pile up of dead bodies will get your
attention.”
He snapped his mouth shut as
he stared at his daughter. Something was really bothering her. He didn’t have a
clue as to what it was. Guilt did wash through him. Both of his girls were
having melt downs tonight and he was lost as to what to do.
“Raven, talk to me,” Spike
said. “I know I haven’t been home but…”
“Yeah, you haven’t,” Raven
said. “We need you, too. Mum, especially.”
“Is Buffy okay?”
Raven shrugged. “She misses
you.”
“Well, I miss her, too,”
Spike said. “Is that all that’s bothering you? Buffy being upset?”
The elevator doors opening
interrupted them. They turned as a slightly rumpled Dylan sauntered out of the
car and made his way across the lobby. He wore a satisfied smile as he stared
at the two of them.
“Hello, Raven,” Dylan said,
but he barely glanced at the girl. His gaze fixated on Spike. “You ready to
go?”
“Yeah, I need to get back to
Angel’s though,” Spike said. “Wait outside for me. I need to say good-bye to
Rave.”
“Sure, man, whatever,” Dylan
said, smiling as he looked at both of them then moved through the front door.
“Night, Daddy,” Raven said,
hugging him. She kissed his cheek. “Be careful. Don’t leave Mum alone too much.
She might learn that she doesn’t need you after all.”
And with that bombshell,
Raven turned and ran up the stairs, leaving a stymied Spike behind. He could
only stare at her.
~~~~~~~~
After watching Dylan’s jeep
roar off down the driveway, Spike turned to unlock the door of the beach house.
The sound of laughter greeted Spike when he stepped through the door. Buffy’s
giggle echoed through the short hall leading into the living room. Having come
prepared, with roses and champagne, for a depressed spouse, it was totally
unexpected. His hands fell to his sides still holding the presents as he stood
in the doorway.
All three of them were
there. He shook his head to displace the images that burned there and see the
actual persons that were in the room. Angel sat on the couch with one foot on
the coffee table. Cordelia lay with her head on his lap while Buffy sat on the
floor in front of the side chair. So, caught up in their joke they didn’t
notice him. But he noticed them. The bottle of wine on the table, half-filled
glasses in front of his Sire and wife, the state of undress the women were in
and the smell of pot hanging heavy in the air. He felt sick to his stomach as
his mind immediately thought the worse.
Logic took only a moment to
interfere though. Angel was still dressed, Cordelia was in silk pajamas and
although Buffy wore a negligee, she wore a robe over it. Only the silken
material lent any kind of sensuality to it. She was covered from her neck to
her toes. The pot was Cordelia’s. She used it to increase her appetite and to
relieve some of the pain.
Relieved, Spike cleared his
throat before walking in.
Buffy smiled a welcome at
him and he took a seat beside her on the floor. He draped his arm around her,
laying the roses in her lap and the champagne on the table.
“Oh, Spike, they’re beautiful,”
Buffy said, smelling the flowers then turning to him for a kiss. “Thank you.
What’s the occasion?”
“Just because I love you,”
Spike said, pulling her close beside him. “What are you all doing?”
“Getting Buffy high,”
Cordelia said, with a smile. “She’s such a prude that she wouldn’t do it
without you but I think she’s got contact high.”
“Did you want to, Luv?”
Spike purred, running his hand along her back. “Go ahead. I won’t care.”
“No,” Buffy said, looking at
him perplexed. “I’m fine. Been drinking plenty of wine and pot with it would be
very unmixy.” She giggled then Cordelia joined her.
“They’ve been like this for
the last hour,” Angel said, dryly. He stroked Cordelia’s short hair. “Laughing
over the stupidest things and making fun of everyone.”
Even though he knew Buffy
wouldn’t, he wondered if he was the target of any of their jokes. He wondered
if he had been discussed at all. Buffy was reaching for her glass of wine when
she almost spilled it. She was a little drunker than he first realized. He
still didn’t like it when she drank like this, especially if she had been
depressed earlier. Over the years she only drank on occasion with him. And for
her to expose herself to second hand marijuana was unlike her. It bothered him.
“You’re not mad at me, are
you?” Buffy pouted, caressing his face. “I didn’t mean to if you are.” She
kissed the corner of his mouth, letting her tongue dart out to taste his bottom
lip. “Am I your bad girl that needs to be punished?”
It was supposed to be a
joke. It wasn’t to him. It took him back. Back to the time he had seen in his
mind when he first walked into the house. A time when he learned exactly how
truly insignificant he was to Drusilla, Angel and Darla.
to be continued…
