Cocktail: The Past Always Comes Back To Haunt You
by ForeversEnough
A/N: Okay, so I decided that I’m going to do very little justifying, because there is really no excuse for how long it’s been since this story was last updated. My co-author has not been online anytime since this was last updated, and she hasn’t responded to her e-mail. I guess she decided to abandon me with this story, and I don’t think that I really wanted another WIP on my hands. After making an LJ today though, I was going through some of the old reviews I have received, and friending some of those people, and then found that a lot of people enjoyed this story, and that I really should continue it, even if they have decided to not read it anymore. It’s going to be a lot of work to write on my own, because I really loved working with someone else for ideas and such, but I will try it for all of the readers. I hope you stay with me on this, and I hope you forgive me for the long wait! Also, check out my brand new LJ and leave a comment or friend me, because friends are very, very welcome! http://www.livejournal.com/users/foreversenough

Cocktail

Chapter 14

Spike sighed as we walked into his empty, dark apartment around 3 in the morning. He had spent hours arguing, reminiscing, and just plain taking to Angel in the hospital. He shrugged out of his duster, and hung it up on the coat rack near the door, wishing that he was also shrugging the thoughts out of his head.

Knowing that there was no way he would be sleeping any time soon, he walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a beer, before walking back to slump down on the couch. He picked up the remote and turned on the Late, Late Show. He didn’t at all pay attention to what was on the screen, he just kept staring at it, lost in his thoughts from before.

“I know what I bloody did, and I regret it!” Spike yelled back, “I could have….You’re supposed to learn from my bleeding mistakes!”

“How can I learn from your mistakes? I’m too busy cleaning them up most of the time!” Angel countered.

“That’s beside the point Liam. Ever since we were younger, I’ve been living in your shadow. Don’t act like you don’t know this, because you do. You thrive on the power that people give you over me, and it kills you that finally, I have a power over you!”

“But that’s not what you thought then is it? If it was, you wouldn’t’ve took a knife to your wrists, would you have?!”

“I don’t need a reminder,” Spike spat, rolling up the sleeves of his duster. “I stare at these scars everyday and remind myself how close I came to dying. They may be faded, but I will always see them, and I will always now that they were there.”

“So you never told me, what did Cecily do that made you want to kill yourself?” Angel asked, not knowing what else to say.

“She told me I was beneath her. She told me that I should’ve died instead of my mum in the accident, because at least my mum was a good person. She told me that it was my fault,” Spike gulped, as tears pricked the corners of his eyes at the mention of his mum.

“Sticks and stones, Spike my boy. You shouldn’t’ve let something like that get to you,” Angel told him.

“And you shouldn’t have let this mess you got yourself in get to you!” Spike threw his hands up in the air exasperated. “If everyone committed suicide when they dug themselves deep into a mess, there would be no more bloody people on this earth! You got yourself into this mess, now it’s time to get yourself out of it, the right way.”

“How? By getting out of the hospital and meeting someone like Drusilla? Because a hell of a lot of good she did for you Spike,” Angel pointed out, too stubborn to admit that what Spike had said was true.

“Angel that isn’t the bloody point. I’ve moved on,” Spike growled, his jaw clenched with anger.

“Yeah, to my girl,” Angel emphasized.

“She’s not your girl. Not anymore,” Spike told him.

“But she was mine first, wasn’t she?” Angel questioned.

“You know, you would think after a near death experience that you would change Angel. But here you are, your same old pansy self. My advice to you is to grow up. I don’t care if a birth certificate has you older than me, numbers mean nothing. You’re still the immature bastard that goes crazy when something doesn’t go his way.”

“Maybe I am William,” Angel smiled, an evil glint in his eye. “But to everyone, including Buffy, you’re still second. You’re still my shadow.”

Spike didn’t even flinch as the beer bottle shattered in his hand and blood begin to pour from cuts made from shards of glass. He knew that Angel was right; he did have Buffy second- if you could even say he had her at all. But that doesn’t mean that he has to follow in Angel’s footsteps- not again. Spike was going to get himself out of this mess, and be the bigger man. He was going to go over to Buffy’s tomorrow and apologize to her. Whether he was right or wrong, he didn’t care. Pleased with his decision, Spike smiled to himself. He suddenly felt pain in his left hand and looked down to see the shattered beer bottle and blood dripping. “Bloody hell!” He swore, before quickly getting up and heading toward the kitchen. He grabbed the first aid kit and made quick work of bandaging his hand before heading back with a broom and dustpan to sweep up all the broken glass. After dumping it in the trash he had to smirk to himself. “I must really feel for this girl.”

---

“It’s Saturday morning, and I’m up at an un-godly hour,” Dawn groaned, as she made herself a bowl of Fruit Loops in the kitchen. Deciding that some cartoons must be on at 11 AM, she carried her bowl with her to the living room, and sat it on the coffee table. She then positioned herself to sit on the floor between the coffee table and the couch, letting her back rest on the couch. Trying to keep her head from falling back onto the soft cushion, she grabbed the remote and flicked to Cartoon Network. She grinned when she saw that iMucha Lucha! was on.

She munched happily as she watched the cartoon, becoming more awake as the minutes passed. The phone rang and Dawn ignored it, figuring that Buffy would get it from her spot in the kitchen. When the phone rang two more times, Dawn remembered that Buffy was still in bed and she was letting her sleep from her emotionally draining night. “Hello?” Dawn answered out of breath, as she had rushed to the phone to get it.

“Hey Dawnie!” Willow greeted, chirpy as ever in the early morning hours.

“Willow, hey,” Dawn greeted back. “How are you?”

“Swell. You?”

“Sleepy.”

“At 11 AM? You’re crazy. Where’s Buffy?”

“She’s still asleep.”

“I take back the you being crazy thing, and give that honor to Buffy.”

“Well, she had a hard night. Angel and Spike drama.”

Willow groaned at the mention of Angel’s name. “I never did like Angel.”

“Me neither and they are finally over.”

“But Spike on the other hand, now he’s a catch,” Willow went on.

“Yeah,” Dawn sighed dreamily as her teenage hormones being to go crazy. “But maybe not anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Willow asked, her voice taking on a tone of confusion.

“Spike said some pretty nasty things to Buffy last night,” Dawn explained, not really wanting to go into details.

“Why would he do that? It’s so obvious he likes her,” Willow pointed out, still confused.

Dawn inwardly groaned. She really didn’t feel like explaining something to Willow that was Buffy’s business, even if Willow was her best friend. A knock on the door saved Dawn from having to explain to Willow.

“I have to go Willow, there’s someone at the door. I’ll have Buffy call you later,” Dawn said quickly, before hanging up the phone and rushing to the door as the knocking got louder, hoping that it didn’t wake up Buffy.

Dawn opened the door to reveal a very handsome looking Spike, holding a dozen red roses in is good hand.

“What do you want?” Dawn greeted Spike coldly, scolding at him. Inside, she was very glad that she was dressed and out of her rubber ducky pajamas.

Spike gulped under the pressure of the youngest Summers stare. He thought that Dawn would be the easy one to win over, considering she took such a quick liking to him. “I came to uh, see if uh, big sis was here,” Spike finally spoke up.

“She is,” Dawn said, not budging nor making any movement to let Spike in.

“Can I see her?” Spike asked, looking past Dawn and into the house.

“Why? So you can say more hurtful things to her?” Dawn questioned.

“Look Dawn, I said some things to big sis yesterday that I didn’t mean to. I was tired of fighting with everyone,” Spike sighed.

“So you took it out on her. Very smart,” Dawn said sarcastically.

“You’re not going to let me in, are you?” Spike asked agitatedly, giving up.

“Very good, captain obvious.”

Spike looked hurt, that he had lost not one but two Summers girls. Dawn saw the crestfallen look on his face, and immediately wanted to invite him in, but couldn’t let her sister go through more pain. “Can you at least give her these?” Spike asked, holding out the roses to Dawn.

Dawn sighed, giving in. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”

Spike smiled, “Thanks bit. It means a lot.”

“Look, I’ll give these to Buffy, but that’s it. It’s up to you to sort things out, but you can’t coming running here the night after, and expect her to have already forgiven you. She was really hurt at what you said Spike. Unlike Willow and me, Buffy can’t tell that you have feelings for her, and you’re not making her see it any better. A dozen roses ain’t going to do the trick either buddy, so you better figure something out before you come back here, okay?” Dawn took a deep breath after his speech, waiting for his reaction.

Surprising her, Spike smiled. “Thanks nibblet. You just gave me a great idea.” Not waiting to hear anything else she had to say, Spike turned around with a quick “see you later”, and made his way back to his car.

Dawn frowned, wondering what she had just got Buffy into. Closing the door, she looked at the roses in her hand, and decided that she would keep her word and give them to Buffy for him. Heading to the kitchen, she grabbed a vase and filled it with water, before cutting the rose stems shorter, and putting them in as well.

“Who was at the door Dawn?” Buffy asked, stumbling into the kitchen while rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“No one,” Dawn answered, jumping. She didn’t feel like getting into the conversation with Buffy. “But these were on the doorstep,” She pointed to the vase on the counter.

Buffy smiled as she leaned over to smell the roses. “I can’t believe Angel decided to apologize to me already.”

TBC!

A/N: Again, so sorry about the long wait. Leave a review, and stop by the livejournal!


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