Chapter Text
Chapter One ~ She’s not vamp-average.
The Hyperion Hotel was lit up, looking warm and inviting from the outside. Spike tossed his cigarette down and crushed it with his boot. He imagined it looked like crap in daylight. He pushed himself away from the shop door and sauntered across the street. He wished he could be somewhere else. His restless nature and nervous energy were building up.
They limped away from that battle in the alley clearly not the winners, but still existing. They weren't really the losers either. The loss of Wesley was difficult for them all and Gunn was barely back in the game. They had moved back here and what a joke this place was. What a joke LA was. Dirty and ugly. He really needed to get out of this fog that he was in and leave Peaches to the brooding.
He hesitated at the doors. He could see Harmony at the desk, the bint, chatting away. What was she doing here? He would never understand Angel. She couldn't be trusted. Blue could do a better job at answering phones, and they wouldn't have to worry about losing clients to Harmony's appetite. Gunn was leaning his good arm over the counter, looking frustrated. It had been three months since the big battle and his other arm was out of the cast, but now still in a sling. Sucks to be human.
Spike changed directions and sat on a bench outside. What was he still doing here? The last months spent helping the helpless; Angel not missing a beat. They had opened for business as soon as the place was cleaned. Wolfram & Hart went back to what it was, but gave up on the idea of using Angel. They were busy scrambling to pick up the pieces left by dead, influential clients.
He really needed to get out of here, but where to go? Buffy had her new guy, the Immortal, and she didn't even know that Spike was no longer dust. He'd been working with Angel and if that got out, she'd have nothing to do with him. They wouldn't even help Fred because of her association with Angel and Wolfram & Heart.
He really needed to talk to Angel and come up with something. He couldn't stay here. It was uncomfortable and didn't feel right to be getting along so well with him. After the alley battle and saving each others' hides over and over, it was kind of hard to hold grudges. It was still fun to annoy him though; Spike was good at that, after all. Still, just didn't invoke the joy it did when he hated the poofter.
Inside Gunn straightened up and looked out the glass doors. "What's up with Spike? He seems a bit restless."
"Spikey's fine," Harmony quipped.
"Where's Angel?" Spike asked as he pushed through the doors, and rolled his eyes as the little bells jingled. They weren't a store for God's sake. That sound took him back to the days hangin' at the Magic Box. His days there with the Scoobies were full of unpleasant memories.
"He's on a mission with Illyria. Said he’d be back early, though. They left at sunset, right before you came down," Gunn offered.
"I'll just be in the office then," Spike nodded slightly and kept moving towards the office. Angel's office. Leaving the door open, he flipped on the light and tossed his duster on the coat rack.
He'd been messing with the computer as of late. He'd never had any interest in computers before; it started out as a way to pass the time until Angel could find him in his chair, in his office, messing with his stuff. Now he was just intrigued by it all. He was no artist like Angel, but he could do some pretty interesting things with Paint. He had just opened the paint program when he heard the doors "jingle" open. He focused his attention back to the screen, but looked up again when he heard a feminine voice answer to Harmony's greeting.
"Welcome to Angel Investigations. What can we do for you?"
"A..., well, I'm looking for Angel. I think I'm at the right place?" the voice said hesitantly. "Faith said he might be able to help me."
"The crazy slayer? You met the crazy one and you are still standing?" Harmony said in awe.
With that, Spike stood up. He was curious now. He went to the door so he could get a glimpse of their newcomer. Obviously a vampire. Faith had sent her? What was this about?
The vamp had a nice laugh. "Yes, I'm still standing. Faith is,.. a. ..different, but I wouldn't call her crazy."
"You should 'ave seen 'er a couple of-," Spike stopped as he got sight of the vision in front of him. She was a little over five feet tall, with dark brown, wavy hair and large blue eyes. Her blue print dress clung to her in all the right places, but looked modest at the same time with its mid-calf length. She looked like she just stepped off the cover of a fifties fashion magazine. He noticed Gunn was staring at her, too. Spike's eyes locked with hers and she hesitated for a moment before going over to him.
"Are you Angel? Cause I really need to talk to you. Your office?" she pointed even as stepped into it. "Please, I'd like to speak to you privately if you don't mind," she threw a look at the blond secretary stretching over the counter.
"That's not-," Harmony started, but didn't get to finish as the other woman grabbed Spike by the shirt and slammed the office door. She shrugged and went back to painting her nails.
Gunn stared at the closed door. "Damn, she's a vamp? Too bad, because what a hottie."
Spike moved to stand by the desk and turned to her. "I think you should know-"
"I know you don't normally take a case with a vampire,” the stranger rushed on. “I understand you help those in need of protection, but Faith said that you are the only one who would understand what I'm going through."
"That's not what I was going to say, luv. I'm not Angel." He leaned back on the desk.
"What? I'm confused. You're a vampire and a master, I sense it. Faith said Angel was a master."
"Name's Spike and yes I'm a vampire."
"I'm Candy," she said as she looked up at him shyly.
"Angel's out helping another poor sap right now. Have a seat." He motioned to the couch behind her. She sat down and he followed. "Maybe I can help you?" He felt drawn to the woman and it surprised him. He hadn't felt much of anything for another since Buffy.
"I think I'll just wait for Angel. My situation is unique." She leaned back and closed her eyes. "I've waited 58 years; I guess I can wait a few more hours." She sat up and leaned in closer to him. "This Angel. Does he really have a soul? I'm mean I believe Faith, but still I need to know."
"Yes, he does. Why is that so important?" She smelled good. He leaned back a bit to put some distance between them. Here was another bird fascinated by Captain Forehead. He leaned back and watching her face, she seemed to be struggling with the question. She looked at him and he tried his best to put his caring, you-can-trust-me face on.
She smiled at him and he was getting those interested vibes from her. "Are you and Angel friends?" she asked him.
"Well, I don't know if I'd go that far. We are family with a long history. Most of it not very pleasant." He looked off just above her shoulder to the closed door, so he was taken back when she suddenly blurted out.
"I have a soul, too." She stopped when he looked at her in shock. "You know like Angel? That's why Faith encouraged me to come here.” He shook his head a little and nodded. Hoping she’d go on. “I was in Cleveland when I met Faith, Robin and their group of Slayers. I wasn't sure if I would actually have the nerve to make it here. I asked Faith to keep quiet about me, just in case I changed my mind. I really do have a soul," she said quickly.
His eyes were drawn to her hands in her lap where she wrung them nervously. "I believe you. Shocked but, believe me, I’m sure you're telling the truth." Maybe that was why he was drawn to her. She was like him. Who was he kidding? She was just gorgeous and sexy and that was that.
"I have a soul, too, luv."
It came out more a whisper, but she heard him. She was staring at his mouth like she wanted to kiss him, but said nothing for a moment until his words finally sank it.
"Wait...Spike.” She pointed at him and her incredible eyes got wider. “You're the other one with a soul. But...you're gone."
"Right here, pet. Not gone."
"Faith said-"
"She was right. I saved the world." He rolled his eyes. "Turned to dust and all that. Long story really. Evil law firm brought me back."
"Huh?"
"Not important. Tell me when it happened?" Boy Peaches was gonna love this. Dipshit didn't like it when Spike stepped in. What's he gonna think of this bird here? Now there were three.
"Happened? When what happened?"
"Your soul; how'd you get it?"
"That's why I'm here. I need to know why I have a soul. I've always had it. One day I'm a nurse doing my job in Anzio, Italy during World War II. I met a British solider; who I thought was visiting an American friend in the ward. I wake up the next night and I'm dead. Had no clue what was going on."
"Didn't your sire help you?"
"Never saw him again,” she sighed. It was obviously hard for her to talk about her past. Spike felt the urge to reach up and pat her on the shoulder. He folded his hands in his lap instead. She continued. “I was ravenous and I knew I needed blood. I went back to the makeshift hospital and had my first meal. The soldier was dying and he never knew what hit him, but I felt terrible. I was a nurse there to save lives, not take them, “she frowned. “It was just an uncontrollable instinct.”
"So you just woke up with a soul.” It was quite a story, but she seemed sane enough. “So what do you want Angel for?"
"Well, I went on, fighting the urge to drain humans. I worked the night shift like always. No one knew what I was. I would steal blood from the surgery any time I could. I really didn't know I was different until I came across another vampire. She tried to seduce one of the soldiers, but I saved him. She practically tore me apart. I was amazed at how fast I healed from that experience. She called me a freak and not to interfere with her meals again. I realized that there was something different about me. When I went back to the States a little while later, I stayed away from others. Vampires and humans in the beginning. I survived by breaking into the hospital and sometimes getting blood from the butcher. Sometimes came across other vampires, but it was never pretty. I was in Cleveland, like I said and I met Robin one night when he was on patrol. Long story short, I stayed with that group for a while and Faith encouraged me to meet with Angel. I want to know how I ended up so different than all the others, you know."
Their eyes locked and Spike felt little arcs of electricity run through him. “Well, Faith did good sending you here. I bet we can help you find out how you got that soul.”
"What about you? Were you cursed like Angel?" He seemed so sure of himself. So together in all black. Even his nails were covered in chipped, black paint.
"No. I fought for my soul." He stopped and looked her in the eye. "I did it for love. Long story really."
"I'd love to hear it." She grabbed his hand and looked up at him with sympathy. "Did she appreciate what you did?"
He laughed sadly at that. "Maybe. I think she felt sorry for me mostly. I was such a wanker. She's a slayer. Killed two of them in my time. Couldn't kill 'er. Had to go and fall in love with her, I did." He stared at her hand covering his. It wasn't often that others touched him.
"Faith didn't say anything about a slayer staying here," she wondered out loud as she released his hand. He grinned at her as she looked around nervously. Well, she was smart enough to know that touching a slayer’s man was a good way to get staked.
"No slayer here. Last I heard she was in Italy with her new boy.” He paused, "Say, Peaches might not show up for a while yet. You wanna go get something to drink? I could show you a bit of LA."
She perked up at the offer. "I'd love to," she told him. They got up at the same time and stood face to face. Her lips were plump and glossy. If he leaned in just a little...
The door opened and they jumped away from each other. "Spike, what are you doing in my office? Again." Angel moved into the room and stuck out his hand. "Hi, I'm Angel. I understand you are in need of our services."
Candy looked him over and slowly shook his hand. Angel was tall, dark and handsome if you went for that type. "I'm Candy and yes, I came here hoping you could help me." She looked over at Spike. "We were just talking about it now."
Angel gave her his most charming smile, but spoke to Spike. "You can go now, Spike. I've got this."
Spike looked down and mumbled as he backed away, but felt a tug of hope when he saw her look of disappointment. "Actually, Angel, Spike and I were just on our way out," she said as she grabbed her purse off the couch. "We can go over the details a little later if you don't mind?"
Angel glared at Spike. He'd like to wipe that smug, self satisfied look right off his face. "Harmony tells me that Faith sent you. I don't usually help vampires, I dust them. For Faith, I'm willing to put that off long enough to hear your story, but I'd really like to hear it now."
"Why don't you call Faith and talk to her. She knows all about it," Candy said as she grabbed Spike's hand and pulled him out of the office.
Angel stared after them and threw his hands up just as Spike popped back in. "Keys." Spike held out his hand. "We’re going to Caritas and I'd rather not walk." Angel growled but tossed him the keys.