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Play It Again, Sam Part 5
Having some free time just now, and instead of hoovering the floors and other bothersome things, I thought I'd post some more fic. Hey - who needs a clean house, when there's fanfic in the world? (I mean fanfic generally, not my own little contribution. Just so you don't think I'm getting big-headed or anything).
I might be slow replying to comments, but I hope you don't mind.
Previous chapters here.
Play It Again, Sam
Part 5
“So, why did the army want a monkey paw?” asked Spike, picking up another book.
Angel looked up. “They didn’t - well from what the Major said, they were more concerned with the sudden gathering of the Venenum Cæruleus demons from all around the world - hence Riley’s team to find out what they were up to. They did know that there was something mystical involved, but I told him that we were dealing with it, and he didn’t complain.”
Spike smiled. “Now imagine if they’d gotten hold of it?”
He held up his hand mimicking a phone and lowered his voice. “Mr. President, we have obtained a magical monkey paw, what course of action do you want to take?”
Wesley frowned. The three men were sat in his office, desk littered with books, and in the middle a glass cube, in which the monkey paw floated serenely.
“There is no telling what the army might have done. Most probably more demons would have come to retrieve it, and there would have been a bloodbath. So actually they were extremely lucky that we got hold of it. I doubt anyone will challenge Wolfram and Hart for it.... we have excellent word-of-mouth advertising.”
Spike looked at him sharply, but Wesley met his stare calmly, and Spike muttered something about the advantages of evil law firms.
“Speaking of the army,” Angel said, “what are we going to do with Riley - and his wife? Spike - this was all your idea, I hope you have a plan! Actually, I take that back, your plans are usually rubbish. Damn, I really don’t have time to deal with this.”
Spike looked at the other vampire. “Don’t worry Peaches. Don’t have a plan as such, but since I can’t eat the wanker like I promised him, I thought it’d be fun to kill him with kindness instead! I figured we could send them sightseeing tomorrow. Get Lorne on it, he’ll probably be glad to have a project - and he’ll get to show off his pet movie stars!”
Wesley smiled. “Spike, that’s a brilliant idea! And then in the evening Angel could take them on a double date, presuming Nina is free.”
He turned to his boss, earnestness in his voice. “Angel, you really need to go out and have a break, you’re working much too hard.”
Angel looked from one to the other.
“I am NOT -”
Spike smiled slowly and cut in. “Wesley, you are a genius! Angel! What happened last time you met Mr ‘Kill-all-demons’? You beat him up, right?”
Angel thought for a moment. “Well, we were interrupted by some army guys, and later Buffy was rather pissed off because I’d roughed him up a bit...”
Spike’s smile was now one that a vengeance demon would recognise instantly. “Didn’t you see how freaked out he was earlier in your office? All you have to do is to treat him like a cherished client, and he’ll be more roughed up than if you put him in the training-room with Illyria for a day!”
He began to laugh. “And personally I really want to see his face when he meets Lorne!”
Angel started to smile.
Sometime later Angel closed another book that had proven of no use at all.
“I thought it was just a myth,” he said glumly, looking at the small, hairy, decapitated hand.
“As you know, the basis for myths and fairy tales is very often rooted in fact.” Wesley said absentmindedly, trying to read three books at once.
“Yeah - like the Gem of Amarra. Took a bloody mountain of research, but I found it, didn’t I!” Spike remarked, flicking through an ancient book with no concern for its age or value.
“You found the Gem of Amarra? When? Where?” Wesley said, stunned, and tore himself away from his tomes.
Spike looked at Angel: “You never told him?”
Angel looked distinctly uncomfortable. “Well, it must have slipped my mind - there’s always some apocalypse going on, you know.... ”
Spike smiled grimly. “Didn’t fancy talking about the hot pokers I guess. Not to mention that god-awful music! Can’t say I blame you. Never cared for torture you know, but I was desperate... I suppose I ought to apologise.”
Angel stared at him. “You’re apologising?”
Spike shrugged. “Why not - if you want an apology, that is? Buffy never -”
He suddenly stopped and his face lost all expression. Angel and Wesley glanced at each other, wondering what had happened.
Spike rose quickly and looked up without meeting their eyes. “Need a smoke, see you in a minute.”
And he was out of Wesley's office striding towards the lift.
“I presume this business with the Gem of Amarra took place before my arrival in LA.” Wesley said casually.
Angel was still looking at the space Spike had vacated.
“What? Yes. But that had nothing to do with Spike torturing me, and everything to do with Buffy. What the hell happened between them?”
Wesley looked uncomfortable. “Maybe we should just leave the research till the morning. I can get my department to find out how to destroy the paw, no need for us to stay up half the night.”
Angel considered this. “Fine. It’s a shame we can’t sell it on the black market, it would fetch a fortune.”
Wesley looked at him. “You can’t possibly mean that.”
The vampire looked at him with a strange look on his face, that made Wesley ill at ease. “We need money, this place is expensive to run.”
He got up, and when he got to the door, half turned. “If you see Spike, tell him I got a report of a few new vamp nests, if he wants something to do. I have some maps that might be helpful. Goodnight Wesley.”
And he was gone.
Wesley shook his head: “I should be used to it by now. But... vampires. Sometimes I wonder....”
Carefully picking up the cube, he went to store it away safely.
Go to Part 6
I might be slow replying to comments, but I hope you don't mind.
Previous chapters here.
Play It Again, Sam
Part 5
“So, why did the army want a monkey paw?” asked Spike, picking up another book.
Angel looked up. “They didn’t - well from what the Major said, they were more concerned with the sudden gathering of the Venenum Cæruleus demons from all around the world - hence Riley’s team to find out what they were up to. They did know that there was something mystical involved, but I told him that we were dealing with it, and he didn’t complain.”
Spike smiled. “Now imagine if they’d gotten hold of it?”
He held up his hand mimicking a phone and lowered his voice. “Mr. President, we have obtained a magical monkey paw, what course of action do you want to take?”
Wesley frowned. The three men were sat in his office, desk littered with books, and in the middle a glass cube, in which the monkey paw floated serenely.
“There is no telling what the army might have done. Most probably more demons would have come to retrieve it, and there would have been a bloodbath. So actually they were extremely lucky that we got hold of it. I doubt anyone will challenge Wolfram and Hart for it.... we have excellent word-of-mouth advertising.”
Spike looked at him sharply, but Wesley met his stare calmly, and Spike muttered something about the advantages of evil law firms.
“Speaking of the army,” Angel said, “what are we going to do with Riley - and his wife? Spike - this was all your idea, I hope you have a plan! Actually, I take that back, your plans are usually rubbish. Damn, I really don’t have time to deal with this.”
Spike looked at the other vampire. “Don’t worry Peaches. Don’t have a plan as such, but since I can’t eat the wanker like I promised him, I thought it’d be fun to kill him with kindness instead! I figured we could send them sightseeing tomorrow. Get Lorne on it, he’ll probably be glad to have a project - and he’ll get to show off his pet movie stars!”
Wesley smiled. “Spike, that’s a brilliant idea! And then in the evening Angel could take them on a double date, presuming Nina is free.”
He turned to his boss, earnestness in his voice. “Angel, you really need to go out and have a break, you’re working much too hard.”
Angel looked from one to the other.
“I am NOT -”
Spike smiled slowly and cut in. “Wesley, you are a genius! Angel! What happened last time you met Mr ‘Kill-all-demons’? You beat him up, right?”
Angel thought for a moment. “Well, we were interrupted by some army guys, and later Buffy was rather pissed off because I’d roughed him up a bit...”
Spike’s smile was now one that a vengeance demon would recognise instantly. “Didn’t you see how freaked out he was earlier in your office? All you have to do is to treat him like a cherished client, and he’ll be more roughed up than if you put him in the training-room with Illyria for a day!”
He began to laugh. “And personally I really want to see his face when he meets Lorne!”
Angel started to smile.
Sometime later Angel closed another book that had proven of no use at all.
“I thought it was just a myth,” he said glumly, looking at the small, hairy, decapitated hand.
“As you know, the basis for myths and fairy tales is very often rooted in fact.” Wesley said absentmindedly, trying to read three books at once.
“Yeah - like the Gem of Amarra. Took a bloody mountain of research, but I found it, didn’t I!” Spike remarked, flicking through an ancient book with no concern for its age or value.
“You found the Gem of Amarra? When? Where?” Wesley said, stunned, and tore himself away from his tomes.
Spike looked at Angel: “You never told him?”
Angel looked distinctly uncomfortable. “Well, it must have slipped my mind - there’s always some apocalypse going on, you know.... ”
Spike smiled grimly. “Didn’t fancy talking about the hot pokers I guess. Not to mention that god-awful music! Can’t say I blame you. Never cared for torture you know, but I was desperate... I suppose I ought to apologise.”
Angel stared at him. “You’re apologising?”
Spike shrugged. “Why not - if you want an apology, that is? Buffy never -”
He suddenly stopped and his face lost all expression. Angel and Wesley glanced at each other, wondering what had happened.
Spike rose quickly and looked up without meeting their eyes. “Need a smoke, see you in a minute.”
And he was out of Wesley's office striding towards the lift.
“I presume this business with the Gem of Amarra took place before my arrival in LA.” Wesley said casually.
Angel was still looking at the space Spike had vacated.
“What? Yes. But that had nothing to do with Spike torturing me, and everything to do with Buffy. What the hell happened between them?”
Wesley looked uncomfortable. “Maybe we should just leave the research till the morning. I can get my department to find out how to destroy the paw, no need for us to stay up half the night.”
Angel considered this. “Fine. It’s a shame we can’t sell it on the black market, it would fetch a fortune.”
Wesley looked at him. “You can’t possibly mean that.”
The vampire looked at him with a strange look on his face, that made Wesley ill at ease. “We need money, this place is expensive to run.”
He got up, and when he got to the door, half turned. “If you see Spike, tell him I got a report of a few new vamp nests, if he wants something to do. I have some maps that might be helpful. Goodnight Wesley.”
And he was gone.
Wesley shook his head: “I should be used to it by now. But... vampires. Sometimes I wonder....”
Carefully picking up the cube, he went to store it away safely.
Go to Part 6