Rating: R
Spoilers: S5 of Ats
Notes: Spike is a ghost trapped in Wolfram & Hart. Everything is AU from there.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Part: 1~
He wasn't tough enough.
At least, not tough enough to handle hell. He was Spike, one of the most feared vampires to walk this earth and now he was reduced down to this. A ghost roaming an evil law firm run by the one being that he hated the most yet loved unwillingly. He was already in hell metaphorically speaking but the literal terms kicked in as well. If being a ghost wasn't bad enough already, he was a ghost that tended to slip into hell occasionally when he faded out.
It had to be hell. There wasn't any other explanation for it.
He didn't want any other explanation for it either. That would bring on too many complications that he just didn't need anymore. All remnants of his past was burned and desecrated into the ground in Sunnydale. He refused to let his past haunt him once again. He had been through that once and had no desire to go through it again.
So, it was all forgotten now, Buffy and the bloody Scooby Gang. Love, honor, respect, pain, betrayal, all of the emotions that he felt and the experiences he went through were placed in the back of his mind. He would start out as something new here in Los Angeles. He would make Angel's life hell and try to find and start out new.
He would.
Or, at least he thought he would.
~*~
"You don't need to do this, you know."
Willow smiled at Giles's tone. Even after all that they had been through together, he still remained the caring father figure. "Yes, I do, there's no one else."
"I could-"
"No, Giles, you can't. It's not your responsibility anymore. And, it's not Buffy's anymore either. She's not the only chosen one anymore and she's still in her whole, you know, freedom mode and I don't want to put an end to that. She's happy. I want it to stay that way."
"You shouldn't have to sacrifice your own happiness though."
"I am happy," Willow said with a small smile, "I kinda miss it actually."
"Miss it?"
"The excitement and mystery of the world of what goes bump in the night. I liked it," she paused, "Well, I didn't like that I ran the risk of getting killed everyday and living on an evil hellmouth but umm," she looked down and shook her head, "You know what I mean, right?"
"I do," Giles put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Besides, it's just a delivery."
"It's more then a delivery, Willow, it's the Eye of Initia."
"Yes, I know," Willow nodded and spoke in a joke mocking tone, "The Eye of Initia, all mighty and powerful with the power to look into the future and destroy." She laughed, "Don't worry, Giles. I'll be fine. Besides, this has to be hand delivered to Angel. With the whole destroying factor, I'm pretty sure Fed-Ex-ing it is out of the option."
"I know you'll be fine and I trust that it will arrive in Los Angeles safely but I still worry."
"You're getting old, Giles, you're worrying too darn much."
Smiling, Giles gave her a tight hug before pulling back and saying, "I'll explain all this Buffy and the rest. You should be on your way now."
"Bye and take care of yourself, okay?" Willow said as she backed away, her suitcase in hand.
"Same to you."
~*~
"She's what?" Buffy demanded, "How come nobody told me this?"
"Because she knew exactly what you would say."
"Giles, we have to stop her. This is way too dangerous and she'll-"
"Be fine," Giles finished, "She's already out of the country anyway."
"What?!" Buffy asked, her eyes getting wide, "She's gone. Already?" Sighing, Buffy flopped down onto the couch behind her and pouted, "Am I really that predictable?"
"It's good that you care so much for Willow but she needs to do this."
"It's just a delivery," Buffy said, confused, "Isn't it?"
"It's more then that."
~*~
Willow's heels clicked against the pavement of the sidewalk as she arrived at her destination, suitcase in hand, wheeling behind her. Stopping at the front of the building, she looked up and covered her forehead, blocking the sun from her eyes. So, here she was. At the lair of the enemy, well, sort of. At least, they were supposed to be the enemy but really weren't because Angel ran it now and he's not evil. At least, when he's not Angelus. Shaking the rambling thoughts out of her head, she walked inside and as soon as she did, the security alarms went off. Confused, she looked around nervously as the guards approached her with full intent to restrain her. Willow held up her hands in defeat, "Wait, I didn't do anything. You don't understand."
The guards grabbed her arms in a bruising grip.
"Let go of me," she demanded before she put her palms together, "Release!"
The guards flew back a few feet, landing on their backs as she looked around the lobby, hating that she had caused so much attention. She spoke clearly, "I'm not looking for any trouble. I'm supposed to be here. Your boss knows about me. Ask Angel. Please." Willow sighed in frustration at the blank looks of everyone around her. Seeing a guard getting up, she rolled her hand into a fist and yelled, "Stay."
They remained frozen in place as she grabbed her suitcase and hurried to the elevators, knowing that she had to get to Angel.
~Part: 2~
She was alone. But, she wasn't sure if that was such a good thing.
Willow shook her head in frustration. How could she be so stupid? Giles had specifically warned her that the Eye of Initia was a dangerous object to be carrying around, of course Wolfram and Hart with their voodoo detectors would know that she was carrying something supernatural on her. Now, she had two frozen guards in the lobby and security chasing after her.
Wonderful. Just wonderful.
Willow almost winced as the doors opened. She really wasn't sure what to expect but certainly not nothing.. which is exactly what she got. The level on which Angel told her his office would be on was completely normal, nothing was out of the ordinary. Lawyers were rushing to and fro and instead of hearing panic.. she heard the clicking of heels against the floor and the rush of people doing their everyday jobs. Raising an eyebrow, Willow clutched the suitcase and walked out of the elevator, hearing it ding and close behind her. She moved towards the center of the floor, feeling as if she were in a completely different world. It seemed almost surreal.
This. This was what she had been afraid of. Normal people. There weren't any monsters. No intimidation of any sort.
Perhaps that should've scared her even more. But, it didn't. Right now, she was just focused on getting to Angel and explaining the cause for the havoc she wreaked in the lobby.
She walked towards the offices, the directions and details Angel had given her earlier completely slipping from her mind. She couldn't tell one from the other. You'd think with all the money this evil law firm had, they'd spruce things up with it, but no, every office looked exactly like the other.
Pouting, she walked up to what she assumed was the secretary's desk and looked over the counter, her jaw dropping at who was sitting in the seat.
"Hello, welcome to-" Harmony paused, "Willow?!"
Flinching, Willow forced out a smile as she stuttered, "H-Harmony. You're working. Here. In Wolfram and Hart." She paused, "Angel *does* know about this, right?"
"Of course, silly," Harmony said with a smile, "I'm *his* secretary after all. That's right, the big head honcho's secretary."
"Uh huh," Willow replied as she continued to nod her head. Why was she nodding in the first place? Feeling slightly uncomfortable, she asked, "Umm, which one is Angel's office?"
"You're a little early," Harmony said as she looked through the schedule book, ignoring Willow's question, "I had you penciled in for 4:00. It's 3:30."
"Flight got in earlier then expected," Willow said as she looked around the office, "So, umm, which one's Angel's?"
"Oh, he's in a meeting right now."
"What?"
"Meeting."
Willow gave Harmony a confused look, "Okay, but I need to see him. See, something kinda happened downstairs that's not of the good and I have a feeling he'll be knowing about it soon and thinking that it's a big bad when it really isn't, it's just me. So, I need to see him and explain and well, yeah."
"But, you can't. He's in a meeting."
"Okay," Willow said with forced patience, "I understand that he's in a meeting but I need to talk to him. This is important."
Rolling her eyes, Harmony sat back in her chair and picked up the ringing phone, deciding to ignore Willow.
Offended, Willow grabbed her suitcase off the ground and turned away from Harmony. Some help she was. Well, if that stupid ditz wasn't going to help her then she would just have to help herself. Somehow.
Walking out into the center, Willow sighed heavily and sent a silent prayer to her Goddess. When she opened her eyes, a young pretty brunette was standing in front of her. A friendly smile was fixed upon her face but she knew it was fake. There was something creepy about this girl.
"Can I help you?"
"I'm umm, looking for Angel's office."
"Do you have an appointment?"
"We're friends," Willow said hurriedly, "He's expecting me."
"Yes, Angel does have many friends but do you have an appointment?"
"Yeah, at 4:00 apparently but it's urgent that I see him now."
"Of course," the brunette said with a smile, "Right now, he's in the middle of something. Why don't we wait here?"
Irritated, Willow said, "I can't wait. Security is after me."
"I've taken care of it."
"What?" Willow asked, "How did you-"
"You're Willow, right?" The brunette asked at which Willow nodded slowly. "I'm Eve."
Not knowing how to reply, Willow simply stared at her, waiting for the woman to continue.
"You'll be fine. Just sit here," Eve led her to a group of chairs, "And, Angel should be done in a few."
Willow watched as she walked away with confused eyes. So, this was LA.
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