“Good evening, Mr. Hawthorn.”
Spike chuckled at the older front door’s man, “It’s Will, William or Spike, Manny, please? We’ve known each other for how many years now?”
“I believe it would be five, sir.”
“Yeah something like that, mate. Long enough for you ta call me by my first name.”
“Yes, sir…” Manny said before he caught and corrected himself, “I mean yes, William.”
Spike smiled and nodded, “That’s better. Now you have a good night, Manny.” He said already heading through the lobby of his penthouse apartment on the upper east side.
Business and life had been good to him, well mostly good. He was one of the best know PI’s in New York. Even the police had hired him from time to time. Especially when it came to cases that weighed heavily on the out of the ordinary or supernatural, even if they wouldn’t openly admit there was such a thing.
Yes, William Hawthorn was sorta an expert in that field, more a detective of things that go bump in the night, than a true private eye. In his six years of working with the police he’d solved over two hundred cases.
Some said he had a six sense, others said he wasn’t quite human. But whatever they might say he was still the one they called in on “special” cases. Even Spike himself couldn’t explain the how’s of what he did, all he knew was he could and wanted to help out others in some way.
The only thing he missed was a companion- a long term love of his life. One night stands, and here a month gone the next girlfriends got really old after a little while. He wanted someone to come home to, to love, to grow old with… and above all else have a child with. He knew most guys his age wanted just the opposite.
Most guys wanted to be out partying all night long, bring home lots of beautiful women a night that wanted no commitment, but not him. He just wanted to have a home with a wife and children. That’s all he had ever wanted.
“Oh William, sir, a parcel came for you today. I signed for it and left it in your front entry way, I hope that is alright?”
Spike chuckled again, “Course it is, thanks.” He called back entering the elevator.
Stepping in he punched in the code for the penthouse then sagged against the interior of the compartment on the way up.
Stepping out of the elevator he spotted the small package the door’s man mentioned. Spike smirked reading the name of the sender- Angelus and Drucilla Mac Masters.
He had to chuckle every time he saw their names on something. In high school the two of them were always fighting and breaking up at least three or four times a week. No one thought they’d last, let alone marry and have one of the most amazing relationships out of all of them.
The happy couple were going on their eighth year of marriage and had two gorgeous children, a son who was six and a daughter that was almost three. Both had their mother’s dark hair and long eye lashes. They were his god children and the closet Spike had come to having children of his own.
Walking through the spacious living room to the kitchen he set the package down on the table before taking off his long leather coat, laying it over the back of a chair then returned to the box. Opening it he found a drawing that little Sarah had done for him, another one that David had done of the beach and a cell phone with a sticky note attached to it.
“I’ve called and left messages for you for more
than a week, bud. So I decided to take drastic
measures and sent you the phone to call me with.
Angel.
PS. You don’t even have to stop and look up the
number just hit 2 and send. ”
He shook his head at how impatient his best friend could be sometimes.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to call Angel because he did; he just hadn’t gotten home before one AM any night in the last week and a half. He’d been working on one of those “special” cases for the police.
Turning on the phone he hit the number two then send, and waited for Angel to pick up.
“Hew-low?” a sweet, innocent voice chimed on the other end.
Spike smiled hearing his little princess. “Well hello sunshine, is Mommy or Daddy right there, it’s Uncle Spike.”
“Uncle Spikey- uncle Spikey did you get picture?” the toddler babbled. “Me draw you pretty with dumby brudder. He not help no matter what he or Daddy say. ”
“Sure did little luv, got it right here. Gonna put it up on my frig so everyone can see what you did. Now is Mommy or Daddy right there, princess?” he chuckled.
“Ummm…humm…boof”.
“Right luv, can I talk to Daddy then?”
“Yup,” the toddler said making her ‘p’ pop before screeching for her father.
Spike switched ears for the phone and tried to regain his hearing while waiting for Angel.
“Spike?”
“Yeah, it’s me, bloke… damn that girl’s got a set of lungs on her,” he said still trying to clear the ringing in his ear.
Angel laughed, “You don’t know the half of it, bud, but that’s nothing new,” he laughed again before continuing. “I see you got our little present, huh?”
“Just did. Sorry I didn’t call you back sooner, but didn’t think ya or Dru wanted a two AM wake-up call.”
“Ah, working on another big case, huh?”
“Always working on something you should know that by now, mate. The one I just finished however was particularly nasty. Fourteen hour days for most of it. Ended up being the husband killed his wife thinking she fooled around on him and the baby wasn’t his.” He sighed letting his voice show just how disgusted he really was.
“Turns out, it was the husband that was fucking around with anything he could get his hands on. Stinking bastard didn’t deserve either of them.” He growled still frustrated that the jerk got to live and the lady and child were gone.
“Damn… Spike you should really stop taking those kinds of cases. You know how much they bother you.”
“Would luv to, but you know I can’t when there’s a chance they might be found.”
“Yeah, I know you’re soft in the head as well as the heart.” Angel joked trying to lighten the mood.
He hated to see his best friend so upset and unhappy when he had a great life. He only wished that some day that he too would find the perfect woman and settle down.
“Ha ha ha…very funny you, git. Now you didn’t call me twenty times a day ta hear my sad story, so what’s up?”
“Got that right, man.” He said glad for the change in subject. “Willow called me to see if you had gotten the letter about our class reunion next month. She sent it out over a month ago and you were one of the few she didn’t get back. Well yours and Buffy’s, but she’s tracking that one down herself.
“I guess she left you a few messages and you didn’t return her calls. So she called Dru and asked if we could find out and let her know.”
Spike thought back on the past few weeks to a month and at first couldn’t remember seeing anything like that then it hit him. Walking over to his mess of a computer desk he started to shift though the stack of unopened mail. Finally coming to the letter Angel was referring to he opened it and quickly scanning it.
“Oh bloody hell,” he murmured. “Tell Red I’m sorry and that’ll I’ll be there. I’ll even do that sheet she attached and fax it to her tomorrow.”
“I swear if it weren’t for electric transfer and auto- bill pay I’d be the richest bloke living on the street.” Spike sighed at himself and the lack of memory he had sometimes when it came to things like this.
“Most likely, Spike. You know what you need?”
“A good stiff drink, a maid and a soft comfy bed right about now.” He sighed looking around the kitchen.
Angel laughed, “Naw… what you need is a maid, an accountant and answering machine that you know how to use.”
“Very funny, Angel, very funny. I hate to do this but I’ve gotta go, mate. Give my luv ta Dru and the little ones. Don’t forget ta tell Will I’m sorry. I’ll call you in a few days when I’ve had sleep. Night, mate.”
“Night. Go get some sleep and I’ll tell them. Talk to you soon, bud.”
Spike was so tired all he wanted to do was go to bed, but a promise was a promise so he flopped down in to the computer chair, cleared just enough space to write and filled out the survey that Willow had sent. When he was all finished he faxed it to the number that she hand wrote on the bottom of his.
After making sure it went Spike headed for the bedroom for some much deserved rest.
TBC…
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!