Part Five Of
THE PARADISE SERIES
By Bitch Willow
Rating: PG-13 for swearing
Classification: Willow/Oz and Willow/Spike with a little Angel jealousy.
Disclaimer: Well?I don't own anyone, but if I could, like, borrow Spike, or
Angel, or Doyle, or even Oz or Xander for a bit, that'd be great. Hell-A is
a reference to the books of Francesca Lia Block.
Summary: Spike comes back to Sunnydale, where he is received by the Scooby Gang.
How will Willow and Spike react to their first meeting since (gasp) the kiss?
(Could I write a crappier summary? Let's not find out.)
Author's Note: Takes place in the beginning of the fourth season of BTVS and
the fist season of Angel. It'll have some of the same story lines, but it's
pretty much all my alternate universe from now on. Sorry about the W/O, it's
only for a bit. (And I had to put Doyle, my new favorite character in here!)
Author's Note 2: Sorry this took so long to get out. My modem was fried, so
we had to take the whole thing in?but now it's back, so I dedicate this story
to my beloved computer.
Spike stepped off the plane and smelled the sweet Sunnydale air. < Yep, smells like blood, > he mused to himself. < I'm home. >
Not that that made him feel any better about all this. It might be nice to come to a familiar place to see people he knew, but he still had to work with the good guys when he was a firm believer in bloodshed and violence. And, he'd have to work with?no, he wasn't gonna say her name. It'd be enough of a temptation just to work in the same town as her, so he was damned if she was going to fill his thoughts as well. Maybe he'd get lucky and not have to work with her or even see her at all. For the, well, unlife of him, he wasn't sure if that would be a good thing or a bad thing.
"Spike!" And oh, looky here. His favoritest person in the world. At least, his favorite broody bastard of a vampire. "Took you long enough to get here. When did your plane take off, tomorrow?" Angel was scowling at him as Spike brushed past.
"I got held up." < By daylight, you bloody twit. Couldn't very well take off in the day. > It was only close to four AM, so what the hell was Angel so damned snippy about?
"I've been waiting her since sunset," Angel hissed. Oh. Well, that answered that question. Spike rolled his eyes.
"Look, I've had to take four different planes to get here. I was in Budapest when I got blackmailed into helping the little...what do they call themselves, the Scooby Gang? Besides, I wasn't exactly over anxious to get here and fight evil. I am evil, if you hadn't noticed."
"I'm frightened," the other vampire replied dryly. "Well, I'm not exactly in ecstacy to have you here, either, but I managed to show up on time."
"Do they know I'm coming?" Spike picked up his bags and looked around the landing space. < The hell is his car? Does the bastard think I'm carrying all this to my apartment? He's fucking kidding himself. >
Angel reluctantly put out a hand to receive one of Spike's bags. "Yeah. They're not exactly sure that you're on the level, but I explained the whole 'demon sponsor' thing to them. Or rather, Doyle did. Not?well, exactly, since even he doesn't get the whole thing, but the basic flow of it was explained. Buffy says that still she wants to beat you up, but she'll let you live for a while. Long enough to know if you're screwing with us."
Spike raised an eyebrow, following Angel to wherever the hell he was going. "You've seen Buff?" he smirked. "Must be difficult. The whole 'look but don't touch' thing you two have going on. But then, that's why you left town, ain't it?"
Angel dropped Spike's bag to the ground with a slam, then turned to the bleached vampire. "Speaking of which, there is the subject of Willow that we should discuss."
Spike groaned internally. < Cor, him too? Is there anyone who doesn't know? > He managed to swallow and then speak. "What about 'er?"
Angel shrugged, picking up Spike's bag and continuing on. "Don't touch her."
"Not planning to, mate. Why would I?"
Angel sighed. "Look, I came to the factory with Buffy after you called. I mean, the fact that you called should have been indication enough, since you didn't just leave them there to die... Anyway, I could smell you on her, and she told me...she told me that you two kissed."
Spike cursed. "Who else has she told?"
"No one. I mean, why the hell would she? Buffy would have tracked you down and killed you?if Xander didn't."
"But if you could smell me on her, couldn't her little boyfriend? The werewolf?"
Angel shook his head. "No. His sense of smell isn't good enough to distinguish vampire from human male?and since Xander was down there?"
Spike nodded. "Good. I should have realized that, of course, but?"
"Yeah, you always have been slow." Spike shot Angel a dirty look, and he grinned. "Anyway?" He sighed. "Why her, Spike? What happened?"
< Well, I saw a beautiful girl, and I fell...I mean I was attracted...damn. > He shook his head. "I was drunk, man." < I wasn't that drunk, but still. Let's pretend and not get our ass kicked, shall we? > "And she was there, and she's a pretty little chit?why the hell do you even care?"
"Willow's my friend. I don't want her hurt by you, or taken advantage of. She told me it was an accident, and that she's going to be staying away from you, but you do have a history of?not stopping 'til you get what you want."
Spike ignored Angel's last comment. "Well, there you have it. We'll be avoiding each other; she'll be surrounded by her friends and her little boyfriend, and we both realize it was a stupid accident. Never happen again." Spike bit his lip as Angel stopped.
"This is my car."
Spike whistled. "Damn, Angelus. When did you develop some taste?" To Spike's surprise, his sire chuckled. "And a sense of humor?"
"Around the time Doyle and Cordy started working with me. It's pretty hard to maintain broodiness when those two are around. Get in."
"My bags-"
"I'll put 'em in." As if to prove his point, Angel opened the trunk and lifted in a suitcase. Spike shook his head and jumped over the side into the passenger seat.
"Whatever you say, mate. Less work for me."
Angel shut the trunk and got into the car. "Look, Spike. I'll put up with you if I have to. I'll even get along with you. But let me emphasize this-if you ever, ever again put a hand, or a fang, on Willow, I'll stake you. You got me?"
Spike swallowed and sucked in a breath, wishing he had a cigarette. "Got you."
Angel took off without another word.
* * *
Spike eyed Giles apartment skeptically. "This is where the white hats are meeting now?" He shook his head sadly. "Humans have no taste."
"Yeah, well. What can you do?" Angel made his way up to the door, then turned to Spike expectantly. "Well?"
"Do I 'ave to?" Spike whined. "I mean, how much contact am I gonna have to have with anyone but the Slayer, anyway? Doesn't it get down to, she tells me to fight something, an' I fight it?"
"You also have to help them research. You're old, and you know a few languages. You'll have to meet them."
Spike grumbled to himself, but followed his sire up the walk anyway. Angel knocked lightly on the door.
"Behave, okay Spike? Don't make any smart-ass comments that get you staked."
He was about to open his mouth to defend himself when the librarian (or rather, former librarian, since the school had been burnt to a bloody crisp) came to the door.
"Oh. Angel...Spike. Come in." The other Englishman seemed justifiably nervous to be inviting the two demons into his house. < Smart man, > Spike thought absently.
Angel walked into the apartment, gesturing for his reluctant childe to follow. "I'm gonna kill you someday," Spike muttered under his breath.
The gang of mostly humans was gathered in the tiny living room, with the Slayer, that kid he'd kidnapped along with Willow, and a brunette chick Spike assumed to be Cordelia. Perched on the arm next to Cordy was a man Spike immediately placed as 'not human,' supposedly the "drunken Irishman" (in Tristan's words) who was Angel's demon guy. Sitting in two chairs on the left of the couch were?Willow. And her little werewolf boyfriend guy. Spike sucked in another breath and sat down on the right of the couch.
< Don't look at her, mate. Only get yourself into trouble. > Willow herself was trying, rather successfully, not to look at him. < Her hair is just as bright as last time I saw it. Shorter, but God, is she beautiful? >
" 'Ello there, bud," the little demon guy Doyle said. "Welcome to our little clan. You've met Buffy, this," gesturing to the girl next to him," is Cordelia, this guy over there is Xander?" He leaned forward and grinned. "You kidnapped him before, didn't ya? Not that I blame you?anyway, the guy who's house we're in is Giles. The werewolf over there is Oz, and the cute little redhead next to him?that's Willow. But then, you've already met, have you not?" Angel and Willow both threw him a dirty look, and Spike bared his fangs a bit.
< Annoying little git, isn't he? > "Yeh, I've met the happy little band. And you're Doyle, right?" The Irishman nodded an affirmative. "I guess Tris was right about you."
Doyle gulped. "You got Tristan?"
Spike grinned like the sadist he was. < So, there's conflict there, eh? This could be interesting? > "Oh, yeah. I believe he described you as?what'd the chap say again? A 'useless drunken Irishman?' "
Cordelia gulped down a laugh, and Angel didn't bother to. Doyle scowled. "Blackmail, William. Blackmail."
Buffy leaned forward, elbows on her knees. "What is the blackmail, anyway?"
Spike rolled his blue eyes. "If I told you, it wouldn't be blackmail, now would it?" < Idiot. >
Buffy looked confused. < Not that it's difficult to confuse the Buffster? > "No, I guess not. So, okay. Why are you being blackmailed into helping us?"
"Yeah, that's all important or whatever, but the part I don't get is that Doyle is a demon. How could you not tell me? I mean, I've known some pretty squiggly demons in my time, and you don't resemble any of them. And you asked me out?" Cordelia was off on some sort of little rant.
Doyle looked pained. "The Princess is having a bit o' trouble dealing with the whole 'I'm a demon' thing. Makes her nervous, or some such shite."
Spike sighed and rolled his eyes, taking out a cigarette, which Angel quickly snatched out of his hand. "Look, I don't really care what relationship problems you and your sweetie are 'aving at the moment. All I want to do is meet you all so that can go find a nice apartment in this hellhole I've been forced to return to. Now, I've been on four flights since Tuesday, so you'll forgive me if I'm not all giddy with joy at the thought of bein' your therapist." That said, he slouched against the nearest wall as the others looked at him in amazement.
"Well," Cordelia huffed, her rich-girl sensibilities obviously overwhelmed at the thought of someone not pondering her needs.
"Um, perhaps it's best that we get Spike out of here and into his apartment before he does something?vampiric. Angel?"
Angel rolled his eyes. "Don't coddle him. He can't kill or hurt any of you."
"That's right. Or the Powers That Be would be on his ass before you can say 'Grr.' " Doyle grinned from his perch on the side of the couch.
Spike growled. "Shut your hole, half-breed." < The bastards right, though?fucking demons. Should've known there'd be a catch. >
Xander sighed, rolled his eyes, and stood up. "Look, if you guys are all done bickering like children, I have to go to work. Like a grown-up. Anyone care to join me in the adult world?"
Silence descended, and the group looked somewhat taken aback. Then Cordy spoke up. "Wow. That's probably the first and only time Xander's ever made a valid point. Let's shiver with fear, shall we?"
"Hey, I'm not making any trouble. I'm just sitting here quietly. It's the LA Three who are squabbling with him," Buffy pointed out. Angel, Cordy, and Doyle all miraculously found something more interesting to look at.
"That was very mature of you, Xander. Here, here." Giles looked fairly shocked that Xander had a mature side, let alone was willing to expose it.
Now was Xander's turn to look sheepish. "Actually, I sort of just needed a ride. Anyone offering?"
Cordy perked up visibly. "Don't I have to go anyway? I want to take in some Bronze action before we head back to Hell-A."
"Sounds like a plan." Xander and Cordy walked out the door arm in arm, to the amusement of the others in the living room.
"Aren't they cute together?" Willow mused. < Finally, a chance to hear her talk. I was beginning to think she'd lost her vocal cords. >
"Sure. Cute," Doyle scowled.
"Super-cute," the werewolf guy, Oz, said. Willow and him grinned at each other, and Spike had to fight the growl rising in his throat. < She's not yours, man, and you knew you weren't gonna be able to have her. But this is fucking hell. >
Angel, apparently noticing Spike's frustration, gestured to Doyle. "That's our cue to leave. Spike, we'll take you by the apartment and I'll give you the phone number and address of the place me and Doyle are staying. You can call if you need anything."
"We already have your number, so if we need you, we'll let you know." Spike turned to glare at Buffy, who was sitting sweetly on the couch.
"Um, even if we don't call, you'll need to come back here tomorrow to meet with us. We have a manuscript, and it's in Japanese?you did spend some time in Japan, early in the century, did you not?"
Spike sighed. "Yeh. See you then, mate."
Following Angel and Doyle, he walked to the door, breathing in the air that was lightly laced with the smell of the witch sitting in the living room. he decided. < I'm home. >
THE END
Next part will be from Willow's POV. Should be exciting.