Chapter 7
She was a woman on a mission. Susan had not said anything to her husband about what had happened the night before at Willow's shop, but she had told him that Willow was coming with them tomorrow and that she was going to ask two more people to stop by. Steve had been leery, but had not said anything. He knew his wife would not be stopped when she had something in mind, and apparently, this was important so he let it go, gave her the keys, a kiss on the cheek, and told her to have fun.
It wasn't a long drive to the small bed and breakfast that was owned by Stan and Estelle, but she made it last, going over in her head just what she would say to the people who had stopped by.
Their appearance had startled her, especially when the woman had gone from the sweet, filly, almost girl-like visage to that of the leather and blue hair. That had taken some getting used to, but once Willow had explained that it had been a revealing spell and that all the woman had been doing was a simple glamour spell, Susan had felt better. She could even understand why the woman had made herself up to look like she had. Not many people would accept someone in leather, let alone bright blue hair.
Finally, she made it to The Cabin and stopped. Taking one last look in the mirror, Susan decided she looked presentable and stepped out of the car and up to the door. She only knocked once before letting herself in. Estelle was the first one to see her and smiled brightly offering up a hug and a kiss.
"My, my, Susan, don't you look all pretty," Estelle said, holding her at arms length to get a good look.
"So do you Estelle," Susan said, laughing when the old woman just waved away her compliment.
"So what brings you here," Stan said, coming up to her and laying a kiss on her cheek. "Should've told us girl, we would've had something made for ya."
"Don't worry about it, Stan. Besides, I'm here to see your two house guests," Susan said.
"That so?” Stan asked. The two guests Susan spoke of were worrying him. They did not come down to eat, nor were they seen until after dark. "Odd ones, them. What would you be wantin' to see them for?"
"Their friends of Willow," Susan said. She did not think much of Stan's comment. He thought most people were odd and surely, the man that had accompanied the blue-haired woman was not what they would consider normal with the platinum blond hair.
"Oh? They didn't say who it was they was lookin' for. If we'd known it was our redhead we woulda been a bit nicer," Estelle said. "They'd just come off the street, see? An' middle of the night too. It was enough to make one leery, but the girl seemed nice enough. Don't know why a nice girl like her would be travelin' with that English man, but to each their own I suppose."
Susan smiled. Estelle was always up on the latest town gossip.
"Oh, I meant to tell you, Steve found a wonderful house for the winter inland. We're going there this weekend, and Willow is coming with us," Susan said. The trade was gossip and you did not get some without giving up a little of your own. She and Steve going for the winter was nothing, but to get Willow out of her store if only for a weekend would have Estelle buzzing on the phone all day. She hated to trade Willow's privacy away, but if she did not, Estelle would harass her until she gave something else up.
"Really? How'd you manage to get that girl out of her shop?” Estelle asked. She was genuinely concerned about Willow so this was more then just gossip to her…it was good news.
"It wasn't easy," Susan said, sighing. "The harder part will be getting her to agree to come for the entire winter. It worries me to know she's sitting above that shop all winter long alone."
"I know what you mean. That poor girl needs to get out more. I hope you can get that through her thick skull. If not, I'll stop by and pack her stuff off so she'll have no choice but to go," Estelle said with a firm nod of her head.
"And I don't doubt you would," Susan said laughing. "I think she'd have a fit too."
"Probably so," Estelle said.
"They're up on the right, first door," Stan said, breaking the conversation. His wife would talk all day if Susan let her, and Susan usually let her.
"They’re in the same room?” Susan asked. For some reason, she had not thought they were a couple, though, she guessed it could be so. Susan had not gotten a good look at the man, but the woman seemed pretty enough, even with the electric blue hair. Just because there was a man did not mean he would come specifically for Willow. Susan scolded herself for being a hopeless romantic.
"Yeah, didn't ask for two," Stan said, a knowing sound to his voice.
"Thanks, both of you," Susan said and headed up the stairs. She stopped at the top and looked at the door to the right. It was closed and no light came from under the door. Maybe they were asleep, she thought. They had come by the shop late last night. Or maybe they were just night people. It happened, though it was rare for Kitty Hawk. Everyone tended to be morning people. The sunrises were worth every yawn and cup of coffee it took to wake up.
Straightening her shirt and hair, Susan took a deep breath and brought her hand up to knock when the door was opened and she was face to face with the blond haired man. Not having had the chance last night to really look at him, Susan now took the opportunity. It was a cursory look, but already she could tell he was pale but handsome with dark brows and a scar over the left eye. The eyes caught her. They were ocean blue, deep blue. It was a color the banks rarely got to see due to pollution, but the days it shone through, everyone was out to take their look. And now, she was looking into the ocean depths in front of her. It took her breath away.
"Hi, I'm Susan, we uh, well, we didn't meet last night, but I saw you," Susan said, holding out her hand. The man did not take it, but continued to look at her, not saying a word. It was a look that left her feeling naked, as if he was stripping away her skin a piece at a time to see the inside.
"I want to talk to you about Willow," Susan said, dropping the happy guise. When all else fails, she thought, go for straight to the point. The man stepped back, letting her into the room with a short nod of his head. The room was darker then Susan had thought it would be. The curtains were drawn tight and only the small table lamp sat on the side of the bed lit up the room. There was, however, no one else in the room, just the man, and a bed. The bed was the standard Queen size that Stan and Estelle had in every room they offered. However, the bed was made which left Susan with the same curiosity as to whether the woman and man was a couple or not.
“Talk,” Spike said, taking a seat on the bed. He took out a cigarette and lit it. Susan stepped out of the path of the smoke, not being a smoker herself and waved at the smoke that followed her.
“I’m Susan, a friend of Willow’s, and you would be?” Susan asked. Already she thought this man to be rude beyond measure. First the silence, then the one-word sentences, and then the smoking without even asking if it would bother her. If this was the type of friends Willow left behind, Susan really could not blame her.
“Spike. Now what’s this ‘bout, Red?” Spike asked. He had not decided what about this woman intrigued him, but she had come up to see him. Hopefully, he could get her out and the information he needed before Illyria showed back up and scared her off.
“That’s an interesting name…Spike,” Susan said. She was beginning to think her trip here was not as good an idea as she thought.
“Came with the coat,” Spike said, lifting the corner of the duster.
“Funny,” Susan said, placing a hand on her hip. “Did that come with the coat too? If so, I’d get my money back.” She had had enough of…Spike...now.
He took an extra moment to look at her. She was like everyone and like no one at the same time. Hints of Buffy and Xander peppered her actions and her speech. “See why she likes you,” Spike said finally.
It was that moment that Illyria chose to walk through the door behind Susan. She had been in the bathroom cleaning off day’s worth of filth. This place had been the first place she felt was worthy enough to clean in. Seeing Susan, Illyria shifted to the visage of Fred, but not before Susan had caught the direction of Spike’s eyes and looked.
“Oh my,” Susan whispered, placing a hand over her mouth and taking a step back.
“Gig’s up, I’d say, Blue,” Spike said, waving a hand absently at Illyria. “Might as well drop it, pet.”
Curiosity grabbed at Susan and she lifted her hand to the woman's hair, the one he had called Blue. The woman took a step back, staring at her. Susan's hand dropped back to her side and she watched in wonder as the small, frail woman transformed into the leather again.
"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it," Susan whispered to herself. She had thought she had been prepared to see the blue woman, even to see the guise she used, but Susan was stunned. Even with Willow explaining it, a part of her still had not believed that Willow could do what she said she had done or that this woman could do what Susan had just witnessed.
"What is she doing here?” Illyria asked, looking the woman up and down. It was the human from the witch's shop the night before, but her presence here in their room was baffling the god.
"Came to talk 'bout, Red," Spike said. He wanted to know just what it was this woman had wanted to say. The sooner she said what she had to, the sooner she could leave, and the sooner Spike could call Dawn and tell her that Willow was fine and well and he could leave the witch alone. Just like she wanted.
Suddenly Susan felt like a fly in a web with two deadly spiders looking at her. Again, she wondered just how Willow had come out the way she had if she had been surrounded by people like this growing up. However, these were not the people of the Banks Susan was used to dealing with on a day-to-day basis. Moreover, Willow was not from the Banks either. It had taken a little getting used to Willow. She was different, shy, soft-spoken, but had an edge to her that had seemed to be forged in fire, hard and unbreakable. Perhaps whatever had given Willow her edge had caused these two to be callous and hard in another way. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, Susan straightened up, looked them both in the eyes in turn, and smiled.
"I don't know anything about Willow before she came here. She has kept that part a secret. I know she had friends she missed, people she loved, but beyond that she hasn't said a thing," Susan said. Idly, she wondered if perhaps these had been two of the people Willow had often wondered about.
"However, Willow is my friend, practically my best friend, and I have to know...are you here to hurt her?"
If the idea had not been so absurd, Spike might have actually been offended at that question. However, as it was, he could only try to hold back the smile. When that did not work, he tried to hold back the laughter that threatened to bubble forth. When Illyria cocked her head to the side to look at him and Susan matched that look unknowingly, Spike lost it and burst out laughing.
Susan had been taken off guard by the laughter and had actually jumped when she heard it. From the short time they had been conversing, Susan was sure this Spike had never once had a laugh or a smile. To see him like that let her guards down. It put her at ease. If he could laugh, even at such a serious question, meant he could not be all bad...though that was relative to the answer to the question. When Spike had calmed down some, he looked at least a little apologetic.
"Well, are you?” Susan asked. She wanted the answer. It did not seem like he was here to hurt Willow, but he had...if unintentional. She just wanted to make sure it was unintentional.
"It is not our intention to harm the witch, merely to see that she is safe," Illyria said when Spike did not immediately answer. She looked to the woman, Susan, and held eye contact with her. The woman seemed to be studying her. Suddenly, Illyria found another human on her list that she would never harm. It was becoming longer and longer the more time she spent with Spike. She was not sure yet, what she thought of that development.
"Good," Susan said finally. "Then I'd like to invite you to my house at this address," she took out a piece of paper, and handed it to Spike, "this weekend."
"Shouldn't be invitin' strangers, pet," Spike said slowly, taking the piece of paper from Susan. He had not thought Willow had told her friend about all the creatures of the night, but he had at least expected her to tell this woman about the basics, without going into detail.
"You're not a stranger, Spike, you're a friend of Willow’s, and therefore someone I wish to get to know better," Susan said. She turned to Illyria. "Both of you. Dinner will be at 5pm."
"We'll see 'bout stoppin' by on our way out," Spike said. He did not think Willow knew about her friend's plans and he did not want Willow even more upset then what she seemed to be that night. Spike watched as the woman waved, and they said their goodbyes. He looked to Illyria whose face, was as usual, impassive and expressionless.
"Yeah, 'M not so sure myself," Spike said, laying the paper on the bedside table before he lay down to stare at the ceiling. He took Illyria’s expression for one of hesitation.
More than anything Spike wanted to go, to take Susan's offer and open invitation and corner Willow until she told him just why she took off. Maybe even explain to her what had happened to him. The other part was telling him to be reasonable, to just call Dawn, let her know they had found Willow and that she was all right and just skip town. The witch had done well for herself and it was not Spike's place to go and ruin it all just because he wanted to talk to her.
Sitting up, Spike dug through his pockets until he came up with Dawn's card. Quickly he dialed the number for her office in London, waiting as it rang.
"Dawn Summers, how may I help you?” Dawn said, somewhat more subdued then normal. Right from the start Spike thought something was wrong.
"'Bit, 'S me," Spike said. "What's wrong, pet?"
"Spike?” Dawn asked, her voice wavering. "Oh God, Spike! It's...it's Giles..."
"Shh, pet," Spike said, when Dawn's voice broke down. He could hear the soft sobs through the phone and he cursed himself for not being able to be there for her. "What happened?"
"He just didn't wake up Spike," Dawn said quick and panicked. "I went to go tell him he should move to the bed he had in his office, but when I went to move him he was cold. No like you cold, but real dead cold. Like mom when I saw her at the hospital. He was just slumped there. Oh God Spike. It was awful. I mean, he looked peaceful and all, and the doctor said he didn't feel any pain, just kind of slipped away. But...I was hoping...He missed her, you know? I just thought...damnit Spike! It's just not fair!"
"We found her," Spike said softly after Dawn finished her explanation. He had known Rupert had not been in the best of health, but he had not expected him to go like that, not that quickly.
"Willow? You found her? Where? Where was she? Did you talk to her? Oh, Spike, you have to tell her about Giles. I'm sure she'd want to know."
"'S all right, pet, I'll tell her. She's...she's doin' well. Got a right nice shop all set up. Like the Magic Box, but not as stuffy. Few decent friends lookin' out for her as well."
"Good. Good. Just, when you talk to her...let her know I miss her? Ever since she left...well, she was like a sister to me, and I miss her, I miss having a sister like that."
"I'll tell her, pet," Spike said, not digging for meaning into what Dawn had said. Something was wrong with Buffy, or she had separated herself from everyone again. "Should call Peaches and see if he won't have a chat with the Slayer, yeah?"
"Maybe," Dawn said. "Promise you'll tell Willow I love her and that I miss her. Promise me you'll tell her about Giles."
"I promise, Nibblet," Spike said.
They exchanged their goodbyes and Spike hung up the phone. Illyria had been standing there the entire time, one hand slowly rubbing along the band of Wesley's watch. They looked at each other for a long moment before Illyria moved and sat next to Spike.
"I do still feel for him," Illyria said, still fondling the watch. It was hard for her to admit, that feeling of caring, of wishing that someone were back in her life. Death was death and it was permanent. She knew this. She dealt it out for most of her existence. Yet, for the first time, she wanted to take the death back, to give life instead of death, for joy instead of pain, for understanding instead of absolutes. It had not been all of Wesley's doing either that had made her change her mind about things, about life and humans in general. It had been a vampire. It had been Spike. She could see his pain at the loss of this Giles, this Watcher, as Wesley had been. She knew enough to know that spike had not cared much for this Giles through his existence, yet now, when the human was gone, he grieved.
Spike nodded and withdrew another cigarette, lighting it. He now had no choice but to talk to Willow.
"Up for a party, pet?” Spike asked, looking at the paper Susan had given him.
"I do not wish to wear a hat," Illyria said, taking memories from the shell as to what a party was and what happened during them.
Spike smiled, laughing ruefully and said, "Don't think it'll be that type of party."
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