Fic: BtVS/Angel: Spike/Riley: Under Glass 14/17: Developments
Title: Under Glass.
Chapter: 14/17: Leaving
Author: Trepkos
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel
Pairing: Spike/Riley
Rating: NC17 overall.
Standard disclaimer: no profit made, no copyright infringement intended.
Thanks for beta: shapinglight
Feedback: yes please.
NB. This fic has not been Brit-picked - please let me know if anything ain’t right.
Links to all my fic so far: Altered States
Previous Part Playing for Time Alliances
14: Developments
When Al told him that Riley had stormed out after a fight with his dad, Spike was concerned, but not frantic. The two of them had already been to the edge once, so it didn’t necessarily mean that anything had changed. Riley had gone to the cabin to sulk, and there was nothing he could do about it anyway, so when Todd suggested that they get drunk, Spike readily agreed.
He hadn’t told Todd what was going on, and Todd didn’t ask, so it was quite restful. In fact, Todd was such a quiet drunk that Spike started talking just to fill the silence. He almost got himself into hot water by waxing lyrical about the ‘old days’, which as far as he was concerned, ended with the Second World War. Then Todd put a Johnny Cash LP on his turntable, and Spike got really maudlin, and drank himself into oblivion.
When he woke up the next morning he found himself lying full length on the sofa under a couple of blankets. Someone had thoughtfully removed his boots.
“That Todd’s gonna make somebody a lovely wife one of these days,” Spike muttered to himself. Todd had already gone off to work but there was coffee left brewed in the percolator so Spike poured himself a mug, and called Al.
She had no news for him. She’d tried to get Riley to let her tag along when he’d gone off to work with some of the men, but he’d said she’d be in the way. Spike told her it wasn’t her fault; told her not to worry, but he could hardly blame her for doing the same thing he was.
Sighing, he sat down to sort through his thoughts so he didn’t forget anything that might help Willow. He’d given her the bare bones over the phone, and made some notes yesterday, but now he set it all down in an orderly manner; the changes in Riley’s behaviour, how the animals and other people had reacted, what Graham had said, and all the weird stuff that had been happening. Well, not quite all. He glossed over one or two details to spare Willow’s blushes and Riley’s reputation.
Then he went out to the store and replaced Todd’s bottle of JD that he’d despatched last night; after that, he tried to get some more sleep so he’d be fresh for whatever the night had in store.
Al’s mid-afternoon check-in brought bad news.
“Spike, Riley’s gone, and no one seems to care.”
Spike’s blood ran cold. “Gone? Gone where?”
“I don’t know. The guys he was working with say he just disappeared. Wandered off or something. When they went back to the pick-up to come home, Riley didn’t show.”
Maggie must have snatched him.
“Who was the last person to see him? What time was it?”
“He went off to do some work on his own at lunchtime. No one saw him after that. Todd stayed behind to look for him.”
“Good man.”
“But he’s not back yet either. That was two hours ago.”
“What about Graham? He still hangin’ around?”
“That’s the weird thing. He’s been helping me - trying to get Pops and Grandma to look for Riley, but he doesn’t go and do it himself. He looks kind-of helpless. I thought he was gonna cry.”
Willow wasn’t due in for another three hours, so Spike decided to see the lie of the land for himself.
“Okay, Al. Sit tight - I’ll be there soon.”
He locked the flat, got into his car and drove out to the farm. Jess started barking frantically as soon as he arrived, but she didn’t come to greet him, so Spike went on inside. He burst into the kitchen to find Josh and Sarah sitting at the table having tea and sandwiches. Al was standing in a corner watching them.
“Hey Josh, Sarah,” Spike said, trying to keep his voice calm. “Riley about?”
Sarah finished off her sandwich before answering. “Sorry Spike, he didn’t come back from work with the others.”
“So where is he? I need to see him.”
“Who cares?” Josh put down his mug. “I’d have thought you’d seen enough of him. I sure have.”
“Me too,” Sarah said. She picked up a cookie and made a beckoning motion with it before taking a bite. “But at least now he’s gone, you can come back home can’t you Spike?”
Spike glared at each of them in turn, and shook his head. “What is wrong with you people?” he shouted. “Your son, is missing. Shouldn’t you be organising a search party or assembling a posse or something? Don’t you want to know where he is? I do.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Sarah said. “Riley’s lived here all his life. It’s not like he can get lost, more’s the pity.”
Spike just stared. Al raised an ‘I told you so’ eyebrow, and Spike gestured to her to follow him.
Once outside she said, “See what I mean? Totally Stepford.”
Jess was still barking.
“She’s been going mental today, too,” Al said.
“She’s upset. I think she and Riley fell out.”
“I know. I thought he was gonna kick her. He made me tie her up to stop her following him around.”
Spike frowned. “Last I saw, she was avoiding him. She was following him?”
“All over the place, even to the john. I ought to go and let her off the chain.”
“No, leave her for now,” Spike said. “Don’t want her running off to find him without us. That wouldn’t do anyone any good. Has she got food and water?”
“I’ll go make sure. But what’s happening, Spike?”
“I think someone’s put a spell on Riley,” he told her. “Probably on your Gran and Pops too.”
Al’s eyes widened. “Magic? Is it a witch?”
“You could say that. But I’ve got my own specialist on the way. Gotta pick her up at the airport. She should be able to sort this out, no problem.”
He said that with more confidence than he felt. He still had no idea how good Willow was, or how far she’d be prepared go on his behalf.
“Okay then,” Al said. “I’ll go see to Jess. If there’s anything else you want me to do -”
“I know. I won’t forget.”
Spike went to the cabin. He searched through the trunk on top of the wardrobe and got one of Riley’s M9s and a couple of clips of ammunition. He stashed them in the glove-box of the Camaro. He hoped he wasn’t over-estimating Willow’s abilities, but if he was, brute force was always an option.
He arrived at the airport a few minutes before the flight landed, and stood shifting from foot to foot, hoping Willow wasn’t going to make things difficult, what with the kidnapping-and-bottle incident.
When an elegant, self-possessed young woman came through the gate, Spike almost didn’t recognise her. Willow had grown; or perhaps she was just standing up taller and not trying to avoid being noticed like she used to. Her attire was less fluffy than he remembered, and much better co-ordinated, in dark greens and purples. She had a large overnight bag over her shoulder, but it didn’t look as though it was weighing her down at all. Maybe she’d been working out.
As she came towards him, she looked as though she were scrutinising something, though her eyes weren’t quite focussed on him. He looked behind him but there was nothing there.
After a few seconds, she visibly relaxed. Loud in the echoing airport building she said, “So, Spike. You’re gay now.”
Spike shrugged and glanced around. “Kind-of.”
“Me too!” She grasped his arm impulsively.
Spike felt his eyebrows lift slightly. So that was what Wes had meant about Willow going through changes. “It suits you,” he observed. “So you and Fluffy finally got down and -”
“No! Not Buffy! And don’t think about me being gay!”
Spike grinned. “Rather difficult to think of anything else when you keep talking about it.”
“Oh! You’re still thinking about me with Buffy!”
“I wasn’t!” Spike raised his hands in self-defence. “Not Buffy.” He pursed his lips suggestively.
Willow frowned, then looking as if she’d swallowed a lemon. “Me and Cordelia?”
Spike snorted and shook his head. “No, but keep guessing, this is fun.”
“Just don’t think about me at all!”
“Okay, okay.”
“And I won’t think about you and Riley either. Any more.” She shook her head firmly. “No Siree!”
Spike snorted. “Won’t be any ‘me and Riley’ to think about if you can’t help me,” he said, dipping his head.
Willow put a hand on his arm. “Okay Spike. I’ll try. But there’s not going to be any bottle in face this time is there? Because Wesley promised -”
“No! No, I’m different now, and not just in a rainbow-coloured going-out-in-daylight way either.”
“Wait a minute! You’re out in daylight!”
“Greased lightnin’.” Spike rolled his eyes and flashed the Gem at her.
“The Gem of Amarra!” Willow’s face was suddenly pinched with suspicion again. “Did you steal that from Angel?”
“No!” Spike felt a little hurt. “It was a present, honest. I don’t steal stuff any more. Not from friends, anyway.”
“Angel’s your friend now?” Willow’s mouth made a half-mystified, half-disgusted shape.
Spike hunched his shoulders up to his ears. “Told you. I’m different.”
“Yes, you are, aren’t you?” She stared closely at his eyes. “Hey, someone didn’t by any chance give you a soul, did they?”
“No that I know of. Thought you were the only one who knew how to do that.”
“Well, I did put the ritual on the internet - just in case anyone had a vampire they wanted to en-soul. It seemed more humane than killing them.”
Spike stared at her for a moment. “How very bleedin’ public spirited of you,” he said. “Hey! Does that mean Angel will have hundreds of Mini-Me’s running around competing for brooding rights?”
“I never thought of that.” Willow sniggered. “So. What’s the sitch?”
~~
Chapter: 14/17: Leaving
Author: Trepkos
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel
Pairing: Spike/Riley
Rating: NC17 overall.
Standard disclaimer: no profit made, no copyright infringement intended.
Thanks for beta: shapinglight
Feedback: yes please.
NB. This fic has not been Brit-picked - please let me know if anything ain’t right.
Links to all my fic so far: Altered States
Previous Part Playing for Time Alliances
14: Developments
When Al told him that Riley had stormed out after a fight with his dad, Spike was concerned, but not frantic. The two of them had already been to the edge once, so it didn’t necessarily mean that anything had changed. Riley had gone to the cabin to sulk, and there was nothing he could do about it anyway, so when Todd suggested that they get drunk, Spike readily agreed.
He hadn’t told Todd what was going on, and Todd didn’t ask, so it was quite restful. In fact, Todd was such a quiet drunk that Spike started talking just to fill the silence. He almost got himself into hot water by waxing lyrical about the ‘old days’, which as far as he was concerned, ended with the Second World War. Then Todd put a Johnny Cash LP on his turntable, and Spike got really maudlin, and drank himself into oblivion.
When he woke up the next morning he found himself lying full length on the sofa under a couple of blankets. Someone had thoughtfully removed his boots.
“That Todd’s gonna make somebody a lovely wife one of these days,” Spike muttered to himself. Todd had already gone off to work but there was coffee left brewed in the percolator so Spike poured himself a mug, and called Al.
She had no news for him. She’d tried to get Riley to let her tag along when he’d gone off to work with some of the men, but he’d said she’d be in the way. Spike told her it wasn’t her fault; told her not to worry, but he could hardly blame her for doing the same thing he was.
Sighing, he sat down to sort through his thoughts so he didn’t forget anything that might help Willow. He’d given her the bare bones over the phone, and made some notes yesterday, but now he set it all down in an orderly manner; the changes in Riley’s behaviour, how the animals and other people had reacted, what Graham had said, and all the weird stuff that had been happening. Well, not quite all. He glossed over one or two details to spare Willow’s blushes and Riley’s reputation.
Then he went out to the store and replaced Todd’s bottle of JD that he’d despatched last night; after that, he tried to get some more sleep so he’d be fresh for whatever the night had in store.
Al’s mid-afternoon check-in brought bad news.
“Spike, Riley’s gone, and no one seems to care.”
Spike’s blood ran cold. “Gone? Gone where?”
“I don’t know. The guys he was working with say he just disappeared. Wandered off or something. When they went back to the pick-up to come home, Riley didn’t show.”
Maggie must have snatched him.
“Who was the last person to see him? What time was it?”
“He went off to do some work on his own at lunchtime. No one saw him after that. Todd stayed behind to look for him.”
“Good man.”
“But he’s not back yet either. That was two hours ago.”
“What about Graham? He still hangin’ around?”
“That’s the weird thing. He’s been helping me - trying to get Pops and Grandma to look for Riley, but he doesn’t go and do it himself. He looks kind-of helpless. I thought he was gonna cry.”
Willow wasn’t due in for another three hours, so Spike decided to see the lie of the land for himself.
“Okay, Al. Sit tight - I’ll be there soon.”
He locked the flat, got into his car and drove out to the farm. Jess started barking frantically as soon as he arrived, but she didn’t come to greet him, so Spike went on inside. He burst into the kitchen to find Josh and Sarah sitting at the table having tea and sandwiches. Al was standing in a corner watching them.
“Hey Josh, Sarah,” Spike said, trying to keep his voice calm. “Riley about?”
Sarah finished off her sandwich before answering. “Sorry Spike, he didn’t come back from work with the others.”
“So where is he? I need to see him.”
“Who cares?” Josh put down his mug. “I’d have thought you’d seen enough of him. I sure have.”
“Me too,” Sarah said. She picked up a cookie and made a beckoning motion with it before taking a bite. “But at least now he’s gone, you can come back home can’t you Spike?”
Spike glared at each of them in turn, and shook his head. “What is wrong with you people?” he shouted. “Your son, is missing. Shouldn’t you be organising a search party or assembling a posse or something? Don’t you want to know where he is? I do.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Sarah said. “Riley’s lived here all his life. It’s not like he can get lost, more’s the pity.”
Spike just stared. Al raised an ‘I told you so’ eyebrow, and Spike gestured to her to follow him.
Once outside she said, “See what I mean? Totally Stepford.”
Jess was still barking.
“She’s been going mental today, too,” Al said.
“She’s upset. I think she and Riley fell out.”
“I know. I thought he was gonna kick her. He made me tie her up to stop her following him around.”
Spike frowned. “Last I saw, she was avoiding him. She was following him?”
“All over the place, even to the john. I ought to go and let her off the chain.”
“No, leave her for now,” Spike said. “Don’t want her running off to find him without us. That wouldn’t do anyone any good. Has she got food and water?”
“I’ll go make sure. But what’s happening, Spike?”
“I think someone’s put a spell on Riley,” he told her. “Probably on your Gran and Pops too.”
Al’s eyes widened. “Magic? Is it a witch?”
“You could say that. But I’ve got my own specialist on the way. Gotta pick her up at the airport. She should be able to sort this out, no problem.”
He said that with more confidence than he felt. He still had no idea how good Willow was, or how far she’d be prepared go on his behalf.
“Okay then,” Al said. “I’ll go see to Jess. If there’s anything else you want me to do -”
“I know. I won’t forget.”
Spike went to the cabin. He searched through the trunk on top of the wardrobe and got one of Riley’s M9s and a couple of clips of ammunition. He stashed them in the glove-box of the Camaro. He hoped he wasn’t over-estimating Willow’s abilities, but if he was, brute force was always an option.
He arrived at the airport a few minutes before the flight landed, and stood shifting from foot to foot, hoping Willow wasn’t going to make things difficult, what with the kidnapping-and-bottle incident.
When an elegant, self-possessed young woman came through the gate, Spike almost didn’t recognise her. Willow had grown; or perhaps she was just standing up taller and not trying to avoid being noticed like she used to. Her attire was less fluffy than he remembered, and much better co-ordinated, in dark greens and purples. She had a large overnight bag over her shoulder, but it didn’t look as though it was weighing her down at all. Maybe she’d been working out.
As she came towards him, she looked as though she were scrutinising something, though her eyes weren’t quite focussed on him. He looked behind him but there was nothing there.
After a few seconds, she visibly relaxed. Loud in the echoing airport building she said, “So, Spike. You’re gay now.”
Spike shrugged and glanced around. “Kind-of.”
“Me too!” She grasped his arm impulsively.
Spike felt his eyebrows lift slightly. So that was what Wes had meant about Willow going through changes. “It suits you,” he observed. “So you and Fluffy finally got down and -”
“No! Not Buffy! And don’t think about me being gay!”
Spike grinned. “Rather difficult to think of anything else when you keep talking about it.”
“Oh! You’re still thinking about me with Buffy!”
“I wasn’t!” Spike raised his hands in self-defence. “Not Buffy.” He pursed his lips suggestively.
Willow frowned, then looking as if she’d swallowed a lemon. “Me and Cordelia?”
Spike snorted and shook his head. “No, but keep guessing, this is fun.”
“Just don’t think about me at all!”
“Okay, okay.”
“And I won’t think about you and Riley either. Any more.” She shook her head firmly. “No Siree!”
Spike snorted. “Won’t be any ‘me and Riley’ to think about if you can’t help me,” he said, dipping his head.
Willow put a hand on his arm. “Okay Spike. I’ll try. But there’s not going to be any bottle in face this time is there? Because Wesley promised -”
“No! No, I’m different now, and not just in a rainbow-coloured going-out-in-daylight way either.”
“Wait a minute! You’re out in daylight!”
“Greased lightnin’.” Spike rolled his eyes and flashed the Gem at her.
“The Gem of Amarra!” Willow’s face was suddenly pinched with suspicion again. “Did you steal that from Angel?”
“No!” Spike felt a little hurt. “It was a present, honest. I don’t steal stuff any more. Not from friends, anyway.”
“Angel’s your friend now?” Willow’s mouth made a half-mystified, half-disgusted shape.
Spike hunched his shoulders up to his ears. “Told you. I’m different.”
“Yes, you are, aren’t you?” She stared closely at his eyes. “Hey, someone didn’t by any chance give you a soul, did they?”
“No that I know of. Thought you were the only one who knew how to do that.”
“Well, I did put the ritual on the internet - just in case anyone had a vampire they wanted to en-soul. It seemed more humane than killing them.”
Spike stared at her for a moment. “How very bleedin’ public spirited of you,” he said. “Hey! Does that mean Angel will have hundreds of Mini-Me’s running around competing for brooding rights?”
“I never thought of that.” Willow sniggered. “So. What’s the sitch?”
~~