“Sure, Will. Why don't you go wait outside?” Angel suggested, giving him a strained smile.
Will blinked, “Why don't they come home with us? We could watch movies and I could show them my room.” Will looked at Buffy hopefully, “It's really cool.”
Buffy smiled at him, “I'm sure it is. But I have homework to do. History.” Buffy sighed.
“I can help! I'm good at History!” Will announced, getting up and coming over. Giles visibly flinched, as he got too close.
“Are you O.K?” Will asked him.
“Yes, I'm quite alright.” Giles subtly closed the book with William the Bloody's antics written out in lurid detail.
Will seemed satisfied by this and hopped up onto the table, “They aren't half as mean as you said they were.” He looked at Angel reproachfully.
As Will chattered to Buffy, Willow and Xander, Giles led Angel aside, “Why exactly did 'Spike' retreat so quickly once the fight was over?”
“I don't know. Sometimes he stays out for days, sometimes he refuses to come out at all and I have to do all the fighting myself. I guess he just didn't want to be in the situation.” Angel ran a hand through his gelled hair, making sure it was still in place. Will enjoyed messing it up and not telling him about it.
“Could we speak to him? Ask him a few questions? I'm sure he might have more answers about the exact nature of this… disease. He is aware of 'Will's' existence?”
“Yeah, he knows about Will. He talks about him disparagingly but he's pretty protective all the same. I guess you could try and call him out.” Angel shifted uncomfortably. Spike had that effect on him. His companions other incarnation often said things Angel would rather not revealed.
“You just say his name? Ask for him and he'll come?” Angel didn't answer and Giles walked determinedly over to the group at the table and drew Buffy aside.
“We're going to try and draw 'Spike' out again and try to get him to talk.”
“Why?” Buffy asked, looking over at the vampire talking excitedly to her friends, “He's fine where he is. You saw how confused he was after the last time.”
“Buffy, one of the most infamous Slayer-killers of all time is seated in out midst and you don't want to ask him anything? Don't you think that's a foolish thing to do?”
Buffy flushed and gritted her teeth, “Angel said he didn't want to kill those girls. He had to. Giles, just leave him alone!”
But Giles walked up to Will and tried what Angel had done earlier, “I'd like to speak to Spike. Can Spike come out, please?”
Will just blinked at him and glanced nervously over at Buffy, “Is he O.K?” He stage whispered, “I don't think he knows what he's doing. What's a Spike?”
Angel pulled Giles back, “He doesn't want to come out-“
Giles ignored him, “I know you're in there and I know what you did! I demand you come out and face me!”
Will was looking frightened now, “I-I-I don't-“
“You want to meet him so badly? Fine!” Angel stalked over to Will and something subtle shifted in his gaze.
Buffy felt a violent shiver go down her spine.
Angel placed a hand on Will's thigh, “Hey, Will do you want to play a game? Do you want to make me happy?”
Will's eyes were saucer-wide and Buffy could see he was starting to tremble, “Stop it!”
Angel slid the hand further up and Will jumped back sharply, but Angel didn't let him go, “Come on, sweet boy. I just want to see you. It won't hurt, I promise.”
“Stop it!” Buffy gave Angel a shove that sent him sprawling and Will skittered back until he fell off the table. He promptly cowered under it whispering something. Buffy bent down and heard the words, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned Bless me, Father, for I have sinned…” over and over and over.
Everyone sort of froze in the horror of the moment. Then the whispering stopped. Will slid out from under the table and stood up.
But he wasn't Will anymore.
Spike was across the room in a split second and he had Angel by the throat, “Like to play, Angelus? You wanna fuck with him, hmmm? You sister-raping, sick fuck.” Spike gave him a Glasgow kiss and laid him flat in a mess of blood.
“Wait!” Buffy called out running over. Spike was occupied kicking Angel in the kidneys, but when Buffy moved to grab his shoulder he caught her hand before it made contact.
“Not now, love. I'm a little busy.”
“Stop! It's our fault. We wanted him to draw you out so we could talk to you.” Buffy left out the 'it was all Giles' idea' part, valuing her Watcher's life.
“What the fuck did you do that for? You like watching? You like seeing him scared?” Spike turned on her suddenly.
“No! No! I didn't know that was what he was going to do! We're sorry, O.K.” Buffy raised her hands up, showing him she didn't want a fight.
Spike's shoulders relaxed, “What do you want with me?”
Buffy glared over at Giles, who seemed to be seriously reconsidering his earlier insistence.
“We-we wanted to ask you about the Slayers you killed and about what you know about this-split in your personality… personalities.” Giles started cleaning his glasses, making sure he was at a good distance and Buffy was between them.
“I need a smoke.” Spike muttered, scrubbing at his face, “Why can't I get the little blighter to carry a pack around. Fine. Two slayers. One in China. One in New York. We fought, I won and they died. What else is there?”
“There wasn't any other way to resolve it? You had to kill them?” Giles continued.
“Have you ever fought a Slayer? They don't quit, not ever. And neither do I. The fight was going to last until one of us died and I was damn sure it wasn't gonna be me.”
Buffy sort of understood what he meant. If she faced an enemy, there wouldn't be a draw. It would have to be to the death.
“How exactly did you kill them? The reports say they were some of the best Slayers on record, most particularly Nikki Wood.”
Spike rolled his eyes, “I had a good day. How the fuck do you think I killed them? They were good. I was better. I nearly dusted a couple of times but I didn't. They were fast. I got faster. They tried something new but I knew a few better moves. I've lived a sight longer than they did, you have to remember. I haven't seen it all, but I'm getting bloody close.”
“Indeed.” Giles replaced the glasses on his face, wishing he could be taking notes, “Angel mentioned you felt remorse.”
“Yeah, I'm sorry they had to die. I'm sorry they wouldn't listen to me when I told them to leave us the fuck alone. I'm not sorry for two of the greatest fights of my unlife, I can tell you that much. I just wish the ending could have been different.”
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