Eye of Eleos Chapter 77/
References to Btvs episode ‘Harsh Light of Day’ written by Jane Espenson and the Ats episode ‘In the Dark’ written by Douglas Petrie (with a pilfered line or two from his script).
Apologies for how long it has taken to get this chapter wrangled properly. Between RL and Characters simply refusing to do what I wanted it has been like herding cats! But the long Cat Drive is at an end and I have an update. Already working on the next chapter so I’m hoping it won’t be anywhere near as long a delay in updates the next time.
Again, much appreciation to all still reading and special love for all who take the time to comment.
Chapter 77
She saw him immediately. She’d been looking towards the door in anticipation having remembered this Frat party fairly well. While her in-time self was focused on the perfidious Parker, GhostBuffy had been on the lookout for her ghostly counterpart eagerly. It was plain that he was searching for her as well.
When she first experienced this encounter she remembered being both annoyed and amused seeing Spike with Harmony. Now, with her deep, real, and altered emotional reaction to all things Spike she felt the pull of the green-eyed monster. She hated thinking of him with Harmony Kendall at all.
“Ride for a ride? Really?” Ghost Buffy’s eyes crinkled with laughter. “THAT was your Harmony pick-up line?”
GhostySpike looked embarrassed. He’d forgotten just what he’d been up to that Buffy might have seen. Harmony Kendall had been a low point in his life. The memories gave him a basket filled with mixed feelings. The gentleman his mother had raised recognized his ill-treatment of the ditzy vampiress while the demon within knew her for what she was, and what she wasn’t, in the grand scheme of things.
“Was a bit sloshed and a lot desperate.”
“Uh-huh,” Buffy quirked a brow as effectively as Spike ever did. “The face plant into her boobs when you slid off the barstool kinda gave it away.”
Spike blinked, “Didn’t mean anything, not even to her. S’posed to be a one-night thing. Fair exchange, all up front and honest like.”
“Maybe should have let her know that was the plan ‘Blondie Bear, don’t ‘ya think?” Buffy teased. “Maybe you wouldn’t have had to try to shake her off over and over.”
“Poor daft cow was clueless. Didn’t even know how to properly hunt. No clue how she wasn’t dust already.” Spike sighed. “Gave her a ride home. Her folks loaded her bedroom stuff up and gave her a few quid to hold her over, no invite… they weren’t as thick as their offspring.”
“So is that what you were doing at this party? Teaching her to hunt?”
“Well,” he shrugged, “Yeah. Bird was too inept to survive long. Figured I’d teach her and maybe she’d sod off to France like she was always goin’ on about.”
“And…?”
“Well... And I’d kind of spilled the story about what I was plannin’ and either had to keep the fluff brain quiet till I got it or she got bored and left.” He rolled his eyes at his slightly younger self. “Got her cushy furniture tucked away in a cave and figured it was comfy enough to crash on till I got my shiny.”
“And how’d that work for you,” Buffy giggled.
Spike glared at her taunt. Buffy knew full well how it all went tits up between Harmony’s giving away their presence AND his quest.
“Too bad Harm didn’t target YOUR git. Save you a bit of hurt.” At Buffy’s scowl, he amended the snark quickly. “Didn’t eat the one we had there so need only have put the fear of … somethin’ in him if we had picked the Wanker.”
Spike knew full well his original reaction to this encounter. Both then and now he was jealous. Even being unaware of his own attraction to Buffy back then he knew that he hated seeing her making cow-eyes at the floppy-haired college boy. ‘First thought was that the Wanker wasn’t good enough for her.’
Buffy smirked. “Wouldn’t have stopped him. But… might have slowed him down enough for me to get off his radar.” She thought back to the predatory Frat boy who was carving notches in his bedpost like it was an intramural sport. “Nice STD might have done him some good. He should have had that mystical Chumash syphilis instead of Xan.”
“Prob’ly will wind up with somthin’ like that eventually,” Spike nodded. “Want me to hunt him down and play a bit once we’re back in the real world? Promise it’ll only hurt a little while.”
Buffy snorted. “Not worth the headache. Let’s leave him to Karma and maybe a bit of viscously spread but totally true gossip once I’m back on campus. Lots of hints about performance and size issues.”
“Be worth the bug zapper to make him piss himself too… maybe in front of one of his targets,” Spike offered again. Parker Abrams had hurt Buffy and that was not something Spike was willing to just forgive.
“I appreciate the thought, but ... no…” She remembered how hurt she’d been when she’d discovered how she’d been played. “Well, for now anyway. Keep that for the nuclear option.”
“Could act the part of the scorned lover. Longin’ looks at the Plonker in front of the girls. Make ‘em wonder a bit.”
“That might make him even more popular with some of the girls,” Buffy smiled. “Gay men are sometimes seen as a challenge. Is this your Victorian past showing up making some side-eye at gay guys?”
Spike looked affronted. “Hell no! Nothin’ wrong bein’ who you are. Vamps play a bit loose in sexual roles anyway. Should be proud of who you are regardless long as no one’s gettin’ hurt and everyone’s on board. Just know that to a bastard like that any question ‘bout his sexuality’d likely send him round the bend‘s all.”
The in-time pair had yet to run into one another but it was coming up soon. Time for the shades to be together was running short. It always seemed to move far too fast for either of them.
“So. How DID you get rid of Harmony?”
“Didn’t. She got rid of me. Came out of the labs and she didn’t fancy dealin’ with a neutered vamp. Had her ‘image’ and all. Fancied herself some kind of Queen of the Damned like in that book by that Rice Bint. More like Barbie Elvira”
Buffy felt anger on Spike’s behalf. True, he’d been less than loving towards the vapid vampiress but nonetheless, he didn’t deserve to be tossed out while unable to even feed with nowhere to go.
Buffy wondered at Spike’s luck. ‘He was probably not even surprised.’ How often had anyone lifted a finger to help Spike after he was turned? Dru mostly forgot about him when he was injured, especially when he was in the wheelchair. Spike seemed to accept that he just wasn’t worth anyone’s effort or care. ‘Well, I’m going to change THAT once we’re back to realtime,’ she vowed.
Buffy thought back to Thanksgiving and how he’d shown up at Giles’ place looking terrible and asking for help. ‘That had to be a real hit to his pride coming to his enemies that way. He was desperate and we all knew it too.’
She thought back in shame at how they had taunted him, made him wait for the blood he desperately needed . She remembered how he’d not gone into game-face even though he was obviously starved. True, he’d been obnoxious and overbearing as well but there was such a look of need on his face. ‘We never even really asked about what had happened to him. Just made fun of him for not being able to feed himself.’
“Sorry. Really sorry, Spike.”
“Whas’at?”
“For how we treated you on Thanksgiving and since then. With the making fun and the bullying and the chains in the tub.”
Spike looked gobsmacked. “Took me in. Couldn’t ask for more’n that. You lot did more for me than anyone else ever has.”
“We’re supposed to help those who are hurting.”
He still looked confused. “Didn’t expect the help I got. Figured at best I might get shelter long enough to make my escape from the ruddy soldiers after me, maybe get a bit of Wilbur passed my way.” He shrugged. “Also thought it possible you’d just do me proper… either option was better than gettin’ recaptured by the Gestapo.”
“Still,” Buffy insisted, “We’re the good guys. We shouldn’t bully someone who is already hurting. You really only got nasty when we started in on you.”
“I’ve been an annoyin’ prat. Took pleasure in it too.” He ducked his head and looked a bit ashamed.
“You’re a vampire. You’re expected to pull stupid stunts and say stupid things. Do whatever evil you can think of. We’re the white hats, we should have been better, done better.” She laid her hand on his arm. “We WILL do better. All that ends now.”
Spike’s eyes teared up as he realized she truly cared about his feelings. “Same here. Be a proper, decent, guest. Really am grateful even if I’ve gone out of my way to not show it.”
“Clean slate?”
Spike grinned and nodded. “Total blank.”
Buffy considered that he might be happier at her mom’s house once the spell broke. She knew that Joyce liked him well enough and there wouldn’t be even a hint of chains, much less bathtubs if he stayed there.
Their attention was taken by the ruckus their in-time selves were making as that Buffy discovered Spike and Harmony with a passed out ‘take-out-meal’ sagging between them.
“See you outside,” GhostBuffy grinned. “Got some more talky-time.”
***
Buffy smiled sweetly at Spike. It was wonderful to be able to share some of the things she’d only been able to think about until their too infrequent get-togethers. She was excited to realize that they might actually be getting to a place where their times together would be more frequent. ‘Actually getting close to catching up to real-time even,’ she thought excitedly.
“You know she gave you to me, don’t you?”
Spike looked puzzled at the seeming non sequitur. “Harm?”
“No, silly. Dru.”
“What do you mean?” Spike was still puzzled although less so than when he thought she meant the ditz he was saddled with at this point in time. “Where do you get that idea?”
“Well, besides her pretty much telling me?” Buffy laughed at his gobsmacked face. “Dru could see me, you know. From the start. Guess I was one of her many pixies. Anyway, she was always letting me know in words or dirty looks that you were still hers for the time.”
Spike was stunned.
“When she sent you away this last time though… she made sure I knew that she was letting go. That you were mine. I got the feeling she was doing it out of love, as much as she can anyway. Dru might not be able to love back properly but she recognizes it in you. She wants you to be loved the way you love and knows she can’t. She knew you’d never leave her unless she forced you to go and that you’d never get the love you deserved if you stayed.”
“Knew that last time was really the last. We’d parted before but it never felt like an end. Not till then.”
“I’d like to think of it as more of a beginning.”
.
***
Ghost Buffy waited for her Spike to show up knowing he would soon appear. She thought back to watching Spike and his team unearth the Gem of Amara.
Buffy had enjoyed watching Spike ordering his minion crew around at the dig. He really ran it quite professionally.
Harmony flitting about was the only aspect that seemed to get under his skin and deflect from the goal. ‘He really IS a goal-oriented vampire,’ Buffy mused.
The room filled with shiny goodies had made her gasp. ‘Idiot only took the ring? We are SO going to have to do something about that eventually. At least that sinkhole will make finding the place easier. Mom’s freakage will be epic when she sees some of that stuff. Could be bye-bye College loan right there. Serious shoe shopping too.’
High School Buffy couldn’t help but understand the urge that led Spike to ram a stake in Harmony. ‘If it’s not unicorns it’s Paris,’ Buffy shook her head. ‘Two thoughts at one time. That has to be a record for Harm.’
Still, the stake had managed to single out the prize rather effectively.
Spike telling Harmony she could help herself made the attempted dusting all better to the vapid vampiress as Spike slid the ring on his finger and left her to it.
Buffy was pretty sure Harmony wouldn’t bother to take too much. There was plenty to go around and it looked too much like hard work for the former mean girl to try to haul out all the loot. Plenty enough to get her to Europe with just a few items really.
***
And there he was! Freckle-curious-Spike had caught depresso-Buffy off-guard, but this Buffy was ready and waiting.
“You really were quite the Indiana Jones,” Buffy teased. “Should have figured if anyone could dig up a legend it would be you. You managed to hunt down the things you needed to cure Dru back when we first met after all.”
“Had it in my head that if I found the bloody ring I could finally take you on, get you out of my system once and for all.” Spike looked sheepish and would have blushed if it were physically possible. “Lying to myself, ‘o course. Shouldda realized what was really happenin’ when I didn’t just take you out then.”
The pair glanced at the daylight fight their past selves were engaged in. Buffy obviously didn’t have her head or heart in the fight even as Spike taunted and goaded her.
GhostSpike shook his head in disappointment. “Was really lookin’ for a proper dust-up or dustin’ in that fight but you were already beaten down ‘cause of that Nancy bloke who toyed with you and then ditched you.” He sighed. “Glad neither of us did die, but fightin’ you at your best is still one of life’s pleasures. Felt cheated.”
“Sorry?” GhostBuffy gave him a lopsided grin.
“Have to admit most of my problem was jealousy. Hated that some boy had you and tossed you aside while you wouldn’t even give me a black eye and busted nose much less the time-of-day.”
“Are you saying that was just one weird vampire version of pulling my pigtails because you liked me?” she giggled.
“Kinda. Not too mature for over a century I suppose.” Spike smirked a bit. “Know now that I already loved you, just didn’t want to know it then. Came out in violence. Vampires get those two things mixed up even on a good day actually.”
Buffy just rolled her eyes and chuckled. He wasn’t telling her a thing she didn’t already know.
“Still can’t believe you gave my ring to that Wanker!” he pouted.
“Me either now that I’ve grown up a bit and had time to see how he really is. What was I thinking?! It might have made him happy enough to send his soul back to wherever and unleash Angelus with the ring of power! HE wouldn’t be looking to see if he freckled. Wouldn’t be ‘looking for a fair fight’ and ‘unhappy if he didn’t get it’ either. He’d do something sneaky and all stalkery.”
“Wouldn’t have lost his soul. Nothin’ to give him a perfect happy. Likely never lose it that way again.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Spent some time mullin’ over that whole ‘perfect happy’ clause while stuck in that wheelchair watchin’ Angelus takin’ my woman and plannin’ on total destruction of everything else.”
“And?”
“The key word is perfect, Pet.” Spike drew in a deep breath and prepared to share his conclusions with Buffy on the issue. “See, we all have different things that make us happy. Has a lot to do with our character for one thing. Some folks are happy with very little. Others never seem to get enough. Now Angel will try to tell you that he’s not the same bloke as Angelus, like they’re separate beings all playin’ roommates with that body and brain but that’s a lie.
“Same bloody bastard at his core.” He let out a huff of disgust. “Don’t mean there’s not a difference. All of us have different aspects to our personality, facets… don’t make us some multi-personality nutters’ like that poor Sybil Bint. Way I figure it, to be perfectly happy all of his bits and bobs had to be happy, and that’s not easy to do with the nasty demon in him and a guilt-ridden soul also on board.”
“So bully for me? I managed it… how?”
“Well, the soul came from Liam. He wasn’t much of a man, barely capable of love but at least had the basic human desires in him. The soul loved you best as he could, selfish prat that he is. When you loved him back… well. You were everything he always fancied. Young, sweet, beautiful, innocent. Kinda lass he had to coerce back in the day but there you were offerin’ him your heart and body. Perfect happy for the soul.”
Buffy nodded but looked a bit unsure still. “Okaaaay but the demon sure didn’t love me, didn’t want me.”
“Not true. The demon did care and hated that you made him care. No humanity in Angelus’ demon, even the Judge proved that. BUT you could and did make the bugger perfectly happy too. See the demon got what made it happy too. Corruptin’ the virginal, pure livin’ embodiment of good. The Slayer. The Champion of the Powers. Even more of a prize than Dru was and she was a saintly chit before he got her. Probably only woman might be a bigger prize to the bastard wouldda been the Virgin Mary. There you were… all that was pure and uncorrupted and you were laid out for his takin’.”
Buffy shuddered. Spike’s logic made a sort of macabre sense.
“So not just the soul was perfectly happy but the demon too, ergo that perfect happiness that broke the curse. Like one of those perfect storms that are so rare they might as well not exist, or one of Harm’s unicorns. Had to make both the soul and the demon happy and they don’t have the same criteria usually… not till you. Don’t think there is anyone or anything ever going to appeal in that perfect way to both ever again.”
“What about if we’d gotten together again?”
Spike shrugged. “Not certain, but I doubt the soul would have gone walkies. Demon wouldn’t have any perfect happiness seeing you as already corrupted. No. No swivin’ the soul out of gramps now. Everything had to be just so to make it perfect enough for the soul to go. Had to be you, and had to be the way you were then, not the grown-up version.”
Buffy knew what would give HER perfect happiness in that moment but knew the spell had to run its course. She was grateful they were able to touch at all even if it lacked the full substance that they would have once they regained their bodies.
Being able to touch, however lightly, and kiss, was wonderful but did more to stoke the fires of desire for the full feeling only a corporeal body could offer.
They did kiss, the whisper of a promise for the more that they both yearned to experience. Each time they found themselves together they were drawn to one another like starved creatures presented with a feast. Still, it didn’t fully satisfy either of them.
‘Havin’ but not is a form of hell,’ Spike had decided. ‘Just as well maybe since these jumps can pull us apart at any time.’
He could feel that time drawing near even as the thought crossed his mind. “Pet, you’re not gonna like the next show you get in the whole Spike memory lane trip. Want you to remember that I’d do it all different now.”
“Well, same here. The past is past and we can’t undo it.” She let her lips move over his softly and savored the kiss that hinted at so much better to come. “For one thing, I’d have kept that ring somewhere secure instead of sending it to the wrong guy.” She rolled her eyes remembering her choice to send it to Angel, thinking him such a hero at the time.
“Couldn’t let you have it… not then, but Angel was a bad choice and I have NO idea why Giles didn’t put up a fuss. I mean, it didn’t even cross my mind that magic that would make a vampire invincible might be a disaster if Angel ever lost his soul again. Think I’ll have to take a trip to LA and get it back before someone or something gives him another perfect moment. Who knows, he might find some saint or nun or something and poof!”
“Well, he always did fancy the Sisters. But, wasted trip, Love. Wanker smashed the gem.”
“What! Why the hell would he do that? I mean I guess I’m glad he doesn’t have access to the power but really… It was meant to help fight the good fight.”
“To be fair, don’t think that was the purpose of the ring originally but can see it bein’ helpful. Too late though.”
“He could have just sent it back,” Buffy pouted.
“Likely didn’t trust himself. Plays a good game about bein’ so righteous with that soul but deep down he knows himself.”
The fighting versions of the pair were finally actually having a decent brawl and the ghostly version knew their time together was getting close to an end and once Buffy pulled the ring from Spike’s finger they would part once more. There was the consolation of knowing they’d meet in the flesh before too long and have all the time in the world.
“Not gonna like what you see even after I get back to Sunnyhell but for a different reason. Never told you lot ‘bout all that went on in those labs. You all seemed to think there was nothing wrong with the whole thing, just a bunch of demons after all. Gave me enough grief about the chip, could imagine what some of you might have said if you knew the whole of it.”
Buffy worried about just what he meant by that and shuddered knowing she’d be seeing soon enough.
“Seriously, once this spell is over we have to take down the Initiative. Top of the to-do list. It’s one thing for me to kill dangerous demons. It’s my calling and it’s not like the police and jails can handle the kind of evil they get up to. What you’re hinting at going on there … that’s not keeping a moral balance, that’s the kind of wrong the NAZIs did. Evil is evil no matter who is doing it and we’ll need to figure out how to best deal with them since they’re humans and I can’t just slay them.”
“We’ll get it sorted, love,” he pulled her into a tight embrace.
“I haven’t seen it yet but … “ she pulled his head down and kissed him tenderly, “I’m so sorry you suffered. We’ll fix it.”
Spike gave her a half-grin. “‘M okay now. Had a big-hearted enemy take me in, keep me safe. Helped me get stronger while I sorted out the permanent changes. ‘Sides, not my first-time gettin’ tortured. Angelus could give ‘em pointers.” He snuggled closer enjoying her compassion. “Brought me to you. Brought us to this spell. Reckon it was worth it in the long run. Gave me a quick course in relearnin’ Being Human 101.”
Buffy frowned, “That doesn’t make it okay.” She’d already figured out that the experiments going on were more on the lines of torture even before Spike suggested it. “It makes it worse! They are humans with souls. They should have an easier time seeing how wrong what they’re doing is. Torture shouldn’t happen, not humans in a lab, not anyone trying to get information from somebody, and not with Angelus either.”
Spike cringed a bit remembering the next scene Buffy would most likely be watching. He rarely indulged in torture knowing it was not a reliable method of information gathering. He’d rarely indulged in it himself, at least the doling out part.. Besides he’d never been one to enjoy the pre-show from any angle. He’d hired someone to do the actual hands-on dirty work, and who he chose was likely to piss off Buffy too. He hoped her newfound empathy would hold.
***
Buffy giggled as she watched Spike mimic Angel. ‘No wonder he gets under Angel’s skin if he turns that sarcasm on him face-to-face.’
Spike smoked and glared down at the would-be hero in the alley.
‘What is it with Angel and alleys? Wonder if he’ll give this girl a cross necklace along with his vague warnings or if I was just special.’ It WAS nice to see that Angel had finally become proactive in helping the innocent at last. He’d done precious little of it in Sunnydale.
‘Big fluffy puppy with bad teeth,’ she snorted. Spike really was cracking her up with his monologue. He was really on a roll. Buffy wondered if she could look at Angel behind the wheel of a car again without thinking of it as an ‘Angelmobile’ after this.
***
Angel gave Spike a disgusted look. “Might as well go home, Spike. The gem of Amara stays with me.”
“Why? Because you are a vampire detective now? What’s next…vampire Cowboy? Vampire fireman? … OH! Vampire ballerina!” Spike snarked.
Angel made some small attempt at a joke about having the legs for it as the two fought over the ring. None of Angel’s quips came close to being as funny as Spike’s though. Spike was getting the better of Angel in the fight too until backup in the form of Cordy and some Irish guy showed up.
Spike put on his most charming face and smiled at Cordy ingratiatingly. “Cordelia, you look smashing. Did you lose weight?” It managed to distract the girl for a moment. Just long enough for Spike to make a clean getaway.
Buffy laughed. “Flattery works on her every single time.”
***
She watched Spike lure Angel into yet another alley. Having a bit of a snack on a random woman in the area Spike had seen Angel patrolling had worked like a charm. The creepy vampire Spike had hired to help him retrieve the ring took the detective by surprise. ‘Does Angel just not sense other vampires?’ Buffy wondered. ‘He should have known it was a trap. Some detective!’
Spike looked grim as he watched as his helper hogtied Angel, “I may be a slow learner, but I eventually do learn.”
“Yes,” Buffy nodded. “All the worst evil you ever did you learned from him. Didn’t indulge much after he left you though.”
***
“Well, I know why Spike was nervous about me watching this. Not sure if I need to lecture him about torture when I see him next time or not. I’ve got a feeling he got the message loud and clear. Not like it’s his usual style anyway.”
Given how many times Buffy had witnessed Angelus relishing the torture he visited on William in their early history, she didn’t have as much sympathy as she might have otherwise. Actually, Angel got off fairly easy all things considered. Some pokers and hanging from chains all set to classical music were nothing on the broken bones, internal injuries, and starvation that Angelus used to employ to perfection.
“Spike never did learn the lessons Angelus tried to teach when it came to inflicting pain and enjoying it. He could do it, just didn’t want to.” She could see that Spike was impatient to have Angel just give up the whereabouts of the ring to get it all over with quickly. Angelus would have enjoyed it taking a nice long time.
She listened as Spike demanded the ring and taunted Angel as Marcus shoved in another poker. “HEY!” she glared in indignation. Buffy was going to have something to say to Spike about that ‘Slutty the Vampire Slayer’ crack though even if she didn’t give him grief over the torture-for-hire. “THAT part is going to cost you at least a new pair of boots and plenty of groveling, mister,” she promised her missing Spike.
Buffy also noticed how Spike left the other vampire to his work instead of just staying to watch and savor. “Really isn’t into this part of being the Big Bad.” But she already knew that. She knew just what sort of vampire… sort of man… her Spike was by now.
Instead, he trashed Angel’s apartment while looking for the ring to no avail. She had to smile watching him gleefully vandalize even when there was no point to it. All the ruckus managed to alert Angel’s team who were waiting for him when his search moved upstairs to the office.
He managed to talk his way out of the Angel Investigations office by dangling Angel’s whereabouts in return for the ring. He’d let Angel’s people find the bloody thing for him.
Cordy didn’t even use her crossbow. ‘Or fall for more flattery,’ Buffy conceded. She was impressed with her old friend’s slight character growth.
***
Marcus, the hired vampire, had been methodical and Angel had clearly suffered but his team and Oz came to the rescue in the end.
The ring was offered up in exchange for Angel only to have Oz and his van keep it from Spike’s eager hands. It felt slightly anti-climactic.
Strangely enough, and much to Buffy’s satisfaction, not one of them even tried to dust Spike as Marcus scurried out with the prize. Spike had to put out a couple of flames from the sunlight that had filtered in, hitting him just right to ignite his hair, but no one even seriously tried to end him.
‘Interesting that Angel just let Spike leave after all that.’ Buffy thought once again about how Angel never seemed to consider ridding the world of his offspring even as he talked about how dangerous Dru and Spike were, how many they killed. The soul didn’t stretch to dusting his own. ‘Guess in his own weird way he cares about his family even if he treats them like crap.’
***
She watched as Spike glowered at Angel as the bigger vampire destroyed the ring. Once more Angel didn’t seem to sense his grandchilde in the area as he smashed the gem to bits. Buffy rolled her eyes at how oblivious Angel was about so many things, not the least being unaware of potential danger. “Guess he wasn’t just inept in ‘helping’ me, he just was inadequate. Hope he gets better with the skillage or he won’t last long with his new venture.”
Spike clambered into the DeSoto and raced back towards Sunnydale.
“Oh, Spike! Glad as I am that you did come back, you would have been so much better off just going somewhere else to cool off for a bit. You’re like a homing pigeon where Sunnydale is concerned. But, I guess we both know that it’s me by now and not the Hellmouth.” She had to smile knowing the real reason he kept coming back was that she already had his heart.
“Every other man in my life has gone running even my own dad. Spike… he always comes back,” she nodded in satisfaction. It was going to be bad for him in those labs and hard to watch. Knowing he survived and came to her gave her the courage for what was to come next.
A/N:
Yup, I know that in canon we did NOT see Spike watch Angel destroy the ring. I made that one tiny change to canon because I wanted a reason for Spike to have told Buffy the fate of the Gem. That will mean a slight tweak in the next chapter but the canon alterations are very minor.
In canon Spike is angrily stalking Buffy when he’s captured. But it makes no sense he would have left LA if he still thought the ring was there. Being so angry makes sense if he knows all his hard work was for nothing with the ring destroyed and being angry at the Slayer who sent the ring to Angel makes sense then.
What to do if you find treasure
https://www.usgoldbureau.com/news/what-to-do-if-you-find-treasure#:~:text=Don't%20treasure%20hunt%20on,anything%20over%20100%20years%20old.
Is finders-keepers a real thing
https://www.vice.com/en/article/3azyx8/who-keeps-buried-treasure-found
California and finders-keepers
https://time.com/10118/california-gold-coins-finders-keepers-john-mary/
https://blogs.findlaw.com/law_and_life/2015/04/if-i-find-treasure-can-i-keep-it.html
Signs they are attracted to you (and vice/versa)
https://krisgage.medium.com/signs-theyre-attracted-to-you-8cdd47019f14
On the male brain (stumbled on this while looking for something else but informative)
https://www.livescience.com/14422-10-facts-male-brains.html
Aggressive behavior not as attractive as males believe
https://psmag.com/social-justice/aggression-not-as-attractive-as-men-believe-3495
Sybil
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Ardell_Mason
Dissociative Identity Disorder
https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Dissociative-Disorders
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissociative_identity_disorder
Why torture does NOT work (except as a plot device) in spite of what TV/ Books/ etc. might try to tell us
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5198758/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-interrogated-brain/201603/why-torture-doesnt-work
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/we-rsquo-ve-known-for-400-years-that-torture-doesn-rsquo-t-work/
https://mythcreants.com/blog/stories-need-to-stop-promoting-torture/