Chapter 8

It seemed that he had to go to London. If it wasn't for Angel, then it was for the previous promise to Wesley. Oh well, a quick visit then - maybe taking off for parts unknown and see what Angel found so great about the drifting life of a vampire.

Spike debated with himself as to whether he would use the W&H jet that Angel said was still okay and available. Although he hated owing favours, he knew that a plane trip was fraught with problems as he couldn't guarantee where the sun was. So reluctantly he asked for the jet to take him to London, but then to return without him. Eventually he would let Angel know what he would be doing with his time.

On his way back to his flat from Nina's he stopped off at the bank to collect the packet that Wesley had entrusted to him, from the safety deposit-box. There was a large sealed case with Giles' name on and a smaller box with Spikes name on. There was some money in the box - both Dollars and Pounds - so that Spike wouldn't have to steal to eat on his travels (well that was what the envelope said!). There was also a letter, which Spike read in the comfort of his own lounge, complete with a mug of blood and a large glass of whisky.

Dear Spike,

If you are reading this it means that we won - but I lost. Still hopefully it means that I will have met up with Fred again, so then I am a winner as well, aren't I?

I am sorry that with all my worries over what Angel was getting into and my sadness at the loss of Fred we didn't get to spend much time together. Although I think that you had even more major sorrows to work through than I did. I wish I could have managed to persuade you to go and see Buffy when you first became corporeal. However if you had then you probably wouldn't have been able to do this favour for me, would you?

As you can see I have put some details about The Shanshu Prophecy together – I have also included the same information for Giles. The Powers-That-Be had a great laugh at Angel’s expense, because I have now confirmed that you are the more likely recipient as you went and searched for your soul for altruistic reasons. However there are still other criteria that have to be met before you will be granted the transformation to human. These details are in Giles envelope, and I leave it up to you what you decide – maybe it will end up being up to Buffy ?? !! ??

I do hope that whatever the future brings, you will find the peace that you truly deserve.

Thank you, again, for your help
Wesley Wyndham-Pryce

Spike decided that Wesley was being very fair to him – it was great that someone felt that he was up to making his own decisions!

So he put both the boxes in his holdall as well as a few clean tee-shirts and a spare pair of jeans, then collected his spare cigarettes, a couple of spare stakes, shrugged on his new duster and walked out of his bed-sit. He had paid the rent for another few months, so to give himself a bolt-hole if he wanted it. For now, London and his future were ahead of him, so he walked to LAX to meet the jet with a real swagger to his step. Angel had organised the perfect flight times – so that he left in the dark, and arrived 10 hours later as it was turning to dusk.

###

Meanwhile

Things were quiet at The Watcher Headquarters. Giles had taken some of the trainee-slayers on a trip to Stonehenge and then to Bath. He had wanted to postpone things, but Buffy felt happy that Willow would find out the details and then they could make plans if necessary.

Dawn and Xander had also got a trip booked – to visit Paris. They had originally arranged it for the week following Giles’ trip, but hotels were pretty busy, so their plans were amended.

So Buffy was enjoying a time of tranquillity. She answered the phone to a couple of enquiries, and to a persistent double-glazing salesman, but other than that she was able to sit and watch as much TV as she wanted! However it seemed that William had other ideas. The evening was drawing in and as she was hoping to relax and curl up on the sofa in the lounge, he started crying.

“William, what’s wrong?” She asked him with no expectation of an answer. He had recently been fed and changed so she tried working out what could be causing him to be so unsettled. She walked him up and down, chatting away in a soft voice, hoping that he would relax as she did that.

“So, what is it? Have you got a tummy ache?” She asked as she rubbed him slowly. “No, what about your head, are you just feeling poorly?” She suddenly dreaded that he was coming down with some illness, just at the time when she was by herself. However, as she put her hand on his forehead, she also rubbed across a cheek that seemed slightly rosy.

“Oh, poor boy, is that what’s wrong? Are you growing a tooth? Is it trying to break out? I am sorry, baby.” She carried on with her soothing talk walking around the muted lights of the lounge area; not realising that she had a silent, but awe-struck observer.

“Poor boy – Just think what would have happened to your Daddy if he had this much pain ever time he grew his fangs. At least you only will have this for a short time. Never …”

The words penetrated her spectator’s brain and he gasped. She turned round in shock and for the first time almost harmed her baby by dropping him. Fortunately she was near a settee, so dropped herself and her precious bundle into it. As she stared, she realised that William had quieted and was looking at this new face.

“Buffy,” started Spike “Erm, I didn’t expect you to be here. I thought you would be in Italy, although Peaches said you were visiting Giles I didn’t dare hope that I would see you. How are you? Where is everyone?” He realised that he was rambling and trying hard not to mention or even to look at the baby; trying not to think about the implication of Buffy saying *daddy* about the child, although his brain hadn’t yet caught up with the rest of her sentence. Basically, he was hoping that Buffy was baby-sitting, because to think that it was her child meant that she had finally moved on and he was relegated to history.

The silence stretched as Buffy took in the sight she never thought she would ever see again . The man she loved – and at a loss for words!

“No, I have always lived in London. The story about The Immortal was to help us to investigate him, but that is just about finished now. The Scoobies are on holiday at present, so I was enjoying a quiet few days,” she finally filled in.

“Quiet,” he quipped. “It didn’t seem all that quiet when I arrived. Although the kiddy seems happier now? Are you doing a bit of baby-sitting so as not to work in The DoubleMeat Palace?” He asked in the continued hope that there was still some possibility of being with her, however remote that seemed.

“He’s fine” she replied, completely ignoring the question. “I’ll just go and settle him down and then we can chat. Do you still like hot chocolate?”

“With marshmallows? Yes please”.

So Buffy went upstairs leaving Spike to pace up and down the lounge. The minutes apart that this gave would allow them both the time to “take a deep breath” and so be able to chat and find out what the last year had done for them both.

They needed to discover if their last few days in Sunnydale had meant the same to both of them. And if the passing of the weeks had changed them.

Was the time now right for them, or had they missed their special moment, never to able to regain their unique relationship?



tbc