Understanding 2

Spike squeezed his eyes shut and banged his head once against the wall.
"What do you want from me, Angel?"

Angel released his hold on Spike and stepped back. "Nothing you don't want
to give. But I would like to know what you want out of all of this."

Turning around to face Angel, Spike let the wall support him. "Why is this
so important to you now? Why all this 'touchy feely' stuff all the sudden?"

Angel heard the wariness and suspicion in Spike's voice and winced
inwardly. ((It's not like he doesn't have reason to distrust you )) Angelus
had used the young Will's unvampire-like emotions against him again and
again until, eventually, he pretended to have none.

Angel moved to the bed and sat down on the edge. "This thing with Wesley
and talking about Doyle reminded me how fast everything can change. You
know that as well as I do." Spike didn't look like he was buying that
explanation, so Angel told him the rest of the truth. "I don't know if I
could live through letting myself love again and then for you to leave. I
just- I just want to know if you're going to be here when I wake up every
day."

Spike fought to keep his expression neutral. "You planning on kicking me
out?"

"No."

"Then I'll be here." Spike pushed away from the wall and walked across the
room to the trunk where Angel's detective novels were stored. He opened the
trunk and started rummaging around inside, his back to a very perplexed
Angel. After a long silence, he sat back on his heels and stared at the
wall in front of him. "Will *you* be here?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Spike."

Spike nodded and resumed his search. "Good. Then since we have all the time
in the world-" He stood and turned around, holding out the battered book in
his hand. "Then you won't mind reading this to me in bed?"

"Huh?" It was the most intelligent thing Angel could think of for the
moment. "You want me to read you-" He craned his neck and got a look at the
book title. "'The Maltese Falcon' in bed?"

"Yeah. Don't you like this one?" Spike put the book down on the bed and
started to get undressed.

"You want me to read it to you *now *?" Angel was beginning to feel like he
missed some important part of the conversation.

"You got something else to do right now?" Spike finished unbuttoning his
shirt and shrugged it off intending to throw it over the chair. He caught
sight of Angel's raised eyebrow, rolled his eyes and headed for the
wardrobe.

Angel watched as Spike carefully hung up the shirt and then quickly shed
his pants, hanging those up as well. ((I guess you can teach old vamps new
tricks.)) "No, I don't suppose I do." He stood up and pulled his own shirt
off over his head and paused for a moment, taking in the surreal quality of
the last few minutes.

Here they were, two 'creatures of the night', calmly and neatly disrobing
in preparation for what passed for a romantic sojourn in bed. An experience
that didn't, apparently, include sex, murder, mayhem or anything even
remotely vampire-like. With Spike.

Strange did not begin to describe how Angel felt at the moment. He shook
off the feeling and finished getting undressed. By the time he was
finished, Spike had left the room and was rummaging around in the kitchen.
Getting an early morning snack, Angel guessed.

While Spike was busy, Angel picked up the book and flipped through the
first few pages, frowning as he tried to remember the first time he'd read
it. Those years blended together in his mind; the ever gnawing hunger,
filth, moving, - always moving -, loneliness, almost unbearable guilt, and
the one thing that kept him from finding a conveniently placed piece of
sharp wood. Books.

"I'm gone five minutes and you're brooding again!"

Spike's voice cut through his reverie and Angel jerked his head up to see
his Childe stroll into the room holding two mugs. "I wasn't brooding, I
was- thinking."

"Sure, pet, whatever you say." Spike smirked and extended a mug to Angel,
motioning to the bed with his head. "Get in, I'm ready for my bedtime
story."

Angel accepted the mug from Spike and opened his mouth to ask-. something.
He suddenly couldn't remember what it was he wanted to know because Spike
had set his mug down on the bedside table and was now on the bed involved
in plumping the pillows and rearranging them. With his naked ass in the
air.

"Angel! Stop staring at my ass and get in bed."

Angel blinked a few times and refocused his eyes a little farther north,
meeting Spike's amused gaze. "Oh, right. Bed, reading- right." But he still
didn't make any moves toward the bed.

Spike sat back on his heels and pressed his lips together to keep from
laughing. It wasn't often that he could mess with Angel's head this way. He
knew he'd thrown the older man for a loop with his request, but Angel
really didn't seem to understand what Spike was trying to say with this
gesture. "Angel, drink your blood and get in bed."

Giving his strange Childe another long, confused look, Angel finally moved
to the bed and climbed under the sheets. Propping himself against the
pillows, he sipped at the blood in the mug, still observing Spike.

For his next trick, Spike drained his mug-o-blood quickly and leaned down
to snatch up the book from the end of the bed where Angel had dropped it.
He scurried back up the bed , slipped under the sheet and grinned up at
Angel. "You 'bout finished with that? 'Cause this book ain't going to read
itself."

Angel finished his drink and placed the empty mug on the floor next to the
bed. He accepted the book from Spike and nearly dropped it again when Spike
snuggled up against him, blonde head nestled on his chest where his
heartbeat should have been. He blinked in astonishment at the top of
Spike's bleached head, mentally shrugged, opened the book to the first page
and began reading.

************

"WESLEY!"

Cordelia's squeal and subsequent hugging attack on his person startled
Wesley as he came through the door of Angel Investigations. "Cordelia-.
really- I'm fine.. please-"

Cordelia stepped back and swatted Wesley's arm. "You just lucky that Angel
filled me in already, otherwise I would be totally annoyed with you."

"Angel's here then?"

"Yeah, he was up earlier- looking all rumpled and shoeless-have you *ever*
seen Angel shoeless- I haven't- it was weird, to say the least- and he kept
blanking out and getting this goofy grin on his face and- "

"Cordelia, your point?"

"Oh, right, well.. the Caped Crusader tore himself away from doing icky
things to Boy Wonder long enough to fill me in. I've been doing a little
research on your Mr. Worthington and I'm not liking what I've found so
far." Cordelia returned to her desk and clicked the mouse a few times.

Wesley positioned himself behind her chair and looked over her shoulder at
the computer screen. "Yes, I see what you mean. Obviously Worthington is
not his real name. The records for that name begin twenty-five years ago
and he's clearly older than that."

"Yeah, and he's got his fingers in so many high profile pies it's a wonder
no one has questioned him about his lack of background."

"Well, Angel said that he can influence people's minds so I would have to
assume he 'persuades' people to overlook certain things. What I find most
disturbing is his association with our favorite law firm."

"Who's association with what law firm?"

The voice startled Cordelia and Wesley out of their perusal of the computer
screen. "Geez, Angel! Creep much? Why didn't you use the elevator?"

"I didn't want to wake Spike. So, law firm-."

"Worthington. He's had some dealings with Wolfram and Hart but I can't
tell-"

Angel cut her off before she could say more. "I told you to leave him be,
Cordelia! I don't want to know anything more about that man and I want both
of you to forget you even know the name. Do you understand?"

Cordelia and Wesley exchanged a puzzled glance at Angel's harsh words.
Wesley nodded slowly and walked around the desk to stand next to the door
to Angel's office. "Very well, Angel. But I'd still like some further
explanation of last nights events. So if you would, please-" He entered
Angel's office and sat in the client chair awaiting his over-due
explanation.

Cordelia rolled her eyes and made a shooing motion at Angel. "You might as
well go 'cause it doesn't look like he's going to budge until you do."

"I meant what I said, Cordy. Worthington is dangerous and I don't want you
involved."

"Fine, 'daddy'. I can take a hint. Now go."

Angel sighed and rubbed the back of his increasingly tense neck. Why
couldn't they ever just do what he said? Was that too much to ask really?
He went into his office, shutting the door behind him. "Wesley, I know I
told you I would explain but there's really not much more to say. I told
you the important things last night."

The ex-Watcher narrowed his eyes and looked his employer for several long
moments before replying "So you say, but you seem to keep leaving out the
most important thing. What. Did. You. Have. To. Promise?"

Angel knew he was going to have to tell him eventually and wasn't quite
sure why he kept putting it off. Maybe because he thought he knew what
Wesley's reaction was going to be and he wanted avoid it. But, Wesley did
deserve to know. "Spike and I had to promise to do a favor for Worthington,
if and when he requests it, no questions asked."

Wesley stared at Angel in horror, speechless.

The door to the outer office swung open and Cordelia stumbled through. "You
didn't!"

"Cordelia, what have I told you about eavesdropping?"

"Whatever- Please tell me you didn't. You did, didn't you? I can't believe
you, Angel! Now we'll never get rid of Spike- not that he's been all that
bad lately, but still-"

"I hardly think that is the point, Cordelia." Wesley finally found his
voice.

"Look, it's not a big deal. Worthington knows there's certain things I
won't do and he assured me it would not be anything I would object to. And
he may never call in the favor. But I still don't want either of you
pursuing him or any information about him, do you understand?"

Before either could answer, Spike sauntered in to the office, having come
up the stairs. "You lot are loud enough to wake the dead. Is there any of
that sludge that passes for coffee about?"

"I was going to be nice and get some for you, but if you're going to insult
my coffee, you can get it yourself."

"Ooo, I'm hurt, Cordelia." Spike continued out the door to the outer
office, yawning as he went.

"Spike?"

Wesley had followed him out, but he'd assumed the ex-Watcher was leaving.
"What do you want?"

"I wanted to thank you for.."

"No need to thank me for anything. I told him to leave you there."

"Yes, but he didn't and you-"

"I didn't do anything for you, I did it for him."

"Be that as it may, I'm still trying to thank you for-"

"Fine. You're welcome. Anything else?"

"I just thought-that if we are going to be working together- that we
should.. um.. come to some sort of understanding."

Keeping his back to Wesley, Spike took a sip of his coffee, wondering where
this was going. "What is there to understand?"

"You don't like me and I don't like or trust you. But, if we are going to
both be working for Angel, we need to-"

Spike sighed and turned around. "Look Wesley. I'm here, I said I'd help
Angel. If helping Angel means getting you out of scrapes, I guess that's
what I'll do. But try to keep it to a minimum, hmmm? I really hate
listening to him whine about how everything is his fault."

"Yes- well- I'm very sorry about that. I will try to be more conscientious
in the future-."

"Wesley-. tell Angel, not me. I don't give a rat's ass but he does- for
some reason. So, if you're done yammering-"

The phone on Cordelia's desk began to ring- and ring- and.. "Hey, Princess-
Come answer the phone!"

"Well sheesh- like neither of you are capable of doing it!" Cordelia
stomped past the two men and picked up the phone. "Angel Investigations, we
help the- Oh, hi Giles- what- everyone's fine-it all got straightened
out... yeah.. yeah.. no, he went to the butchers.. no, actually he's right
here, hold on." She held out the phone. "He wants to talk to you, Spike."

"Me?"

"Yes, unless there's another vamp named Spike around here."

Spike crossed the room and took the phone from Cordelia's hand. "What do
you want, Rupert?"

Cordelia pretended to straighten some files on her desk and watched Spike
for any reaction that might tell her what was up. A quick glance at Wesley
told her he was equally curious of the reason Giles would call for Spike.

"And there's no other way, you can't bring him here, not even to the
phone?.. Fine, I'll be there as soon as I can- no, I don't know when..
that's not my problem.. no- no- I have to talk to Angel first... I don't
know if he's coming with me or not, that's why I have to talk to him...
Hey! Be grateful I'm agreeing to this at all!.. Whatever.. If you want me
to get there any time soon, I have to get off the phone and go get- fine"

He slammed down the phone and headed for the elevator.

"SPIKE! What did Giles want?" Cordelia caught up to him in Angel's office.

"Some demon has parked himself in Giles' back yard. Hasn't done anything to
anyone but he won't leave. Every time they try to get him to leave he says
the same thing over and over. Of course, they don't understand a word he's
saying, well, except for my name, that is. So, back to Sunnyhell for
Spike."

Cordy looked at him in amazement. "And you agreed to go? That's not like
you."

"You know Angel will make me go, easier this way." He shrugged and stepped
into the elevator, closing the door. "I'm going to go pack a few things,
when the poof gets back, send him my way, would you?"

*************

"Spike- I got some- you're packing.." Angel stopped in the doorway of the
bedroom, stunned.

"Yeah, I figure if I leave now, I can make it by midnight. Can I borrow
your car?" Spike never stopped shoving books into the bag which held one
change of clothes and an axe.

"You want me to lend you my car so you can leave me?"

Spike stopped what he was doing and turned around to look at Angel for the
first time since he entered the room. "Leave you? What the hell are you
talking about? Didn't Cordelia tell you-."

"I didn't see Cordelia. If you're not leaving, why are you packing?"

"Bloody Hell! I'm just going to Sunnydale for a few days. Giles has a demon
problem he thinks I can help with, that's all. I thought you'd want me to
go help the good guys." Spike crossed the room in two quick strides and
planted himself in front of his Sire. "This has got to stop, Angel."

"What?"

"You either trust me or you don't. I'll always come back- unless you tell
me to stay away. I thought we settled that this morning."

"I'm sorry.. I saw you packing and-"

"Angelus never questioned whether I was coming back, he knew."

"I'm not Angelus."

"Yes, you are, you've just forgotten. Now stop with the hurt puppy look and
let me get packed." Spike went to the bookshelf and plucked off two more
books that dealt with demon languages.

"I'm coming with you."

"Thought you might, your bag is all packed."

Spike suddenly found himself pressed up against the wall with Angel
grinning down at him. "Insolent Childe."

"Oh, yeah? So what are you going to do about it?"

***************

END
 

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