New Game Chapter 8 /16

Sequel to Afterglow and third installment in Dive into Destiny Series

Author: T.Claybourne

Rated PG-13 to NC-17. Sex Violence and language

Pairings involve Spike /Original ( as set up in last story) Angel/ ? Wesley/? Faith /?

Thanks to my Beta, Hawera and my muses, Kurt Cobain, John Lyndon (AKA Johnny Rotten) and Joe Strummer.

Chapter 8 Corporate Sponsorship

Mia licked a long streak of blood from Spike’s chest and looked down at him. “ I’m taking Angel to New York tonight.”

Spike grabbed her by her shoulders, and narrowed his eyes. “This is my punishment for getting the last word.”

“No, I haven’t thought of that yet, but be warned, there will be a punishment.”

“Then what the bloody hell is this?” He shook her as he flipped them and slammed her to the mattress.

Mia stared back up at him and calmly responded. “There is a possibility we might not make it back, and I’m not risking you.”

“What are you on about, pet? This is sounding a bit too dramatic.”

“We talked about this: Wolfram and Hart. Spike, if we don’t come back I ….”

“I’m through. I’ll walk out into the sun.”

Mia smiled, “Now who’s sounding dramatic? You know this plan and no one else does. The least you could do for me would be finish what we started. Of course you might end up falling in love with her again and….”

Spike slapped her face and Mia laughed. Spike looked at her seriously. “I don’t trust that blighter, Em, let alone Wankers and Hart.”

“We don’t trust anyone, Spike, we’re vampires.”

With a smirk Spike said, “I trust… you.”

Mia’s brow went up. “Do you?”

“At least half the time.”

Mia laughed a deep throaty laugh. “And when is it you don’t?”

“When you have me in bed: you could pull my head from my shoulders at anytime. That, and how do I know we actually do everything I think we do? It could all be thrall.”

“I leave bruises, don’t I?” Mia grinned back at him.

With his smirk turning into a grin, Spike replied, “That you do, love, that you do.” With that his eyes turned yellow and he sank his fangs into her breast.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Faith smoked a cigarette and looked across the kitchen table at Spike who was also smoking.

“So, nothing. You won’t say a word about just exactly where they went and why?”

Spike put his feet up on the table. “I already told you everything I know. She said New York City.”

“And you just sat there calmly when she told you she was going with Angel?”

Spike smiled at Faith and then smirked, “Thought it would give us some quality time, pet.”

Faith looked away briefly. “If I believed that, Blondie, I’d have you halfway to the best side of happy town.”

“To which town, Faith? Sounds like an intriguing place. Is it?” asked Wes, leaning in the door.

Faith bit her bottom lip. “Two days all alone with two sexy English men and their accents. She probably did it to torture me.”

Wes threw the morning paper on the table. “Read the headlines, Faith. It will most likely give you insight into what they were up to.”

“The FBI captured the serial killer being called ‘The Gardner’. Mr. Joseph M. Crowely, accompanied by his attorneys, gave himself over to authorities in the Law Offices of Wolfram and Hart of New York. He confessed to the murders and his attorneys are requesting a quick sentencing.”

Faith laughed, “They got Wolfram and Hart to take the heat off us.”

“It would appear so. It seems Angel’s original worries about the firm were unfounded. The contingency plan I mentioned, well Mia must have used it. She obviously has offered them something that made them want to work with us. I believe it may be Angel himself.”

Spike rose and went to the counter. He poured himself a large measure of bourbon. Faith had noted that he had been drinking steadily since Mia had left.

“I think we should all have one of those, Spike, and celebrate,” she said.

“ Sod off. Get your own bottle.”

Wes, still leaning in the doorway, suggested, “Faith, you and I, we should go to bed. Let’s save the celebrations for when they get back.”

Faith flashed a quick look at both Wes and Spike. “How very human of you, both of you.”

Spike had her pinned to the wall before she knew it. “Been around a vampire of your strength a long time, Faith. There are ways around it.” He punched her hard in the face drawing blood from her nose. He landed three more in the same spot before she could even block it.

She shoved him off her. “You’d better remember she isn’t me. Mia started out good and then became who she is now. Me, I walked in the dark a long way before I got here. I know a thing or two about being evil.”

Spike glared at her. “I think you and I, we both do. But you should know this. Mia was a vampire, hindered by a soul once. The demon waited for its chance. It was constrained by the “Powers That Be” making her human. So you should listen to me when I tell you the demon she is now as full on evil as you are ever going to see this close. If you don’t believe that you are as stupid as the Scoobies always thought you were.”

“I wasn’t talking about Mia, but about you. You don’t know what I am capable of, Spike.”

Spike smiled, then laughed. “ Oh, you don’t get it do you, Faith?”

“Oh, I get that without you Mia would be much more powerful. You’re so fucking human you keep her in check. Who knows where we would all be without you. Maybe we should find out.”

Wes cleared his throat loudly. “We’d be dust, Faith, or worse simple minions. She needs none of us. It’s Spike that wants to play and he keeps Mia wanting that as well. They are a team with or without us. The only Spike you knew was either chipped or soulful, you never knew the real William the Bloody. Perhaps you might recall reading something about him during your studies with your first Watcher. He wasn’t actually known for being a nice guy. He was the second deadliest known vampire, slayer of slayers. Mia learned how to be the vampire she is today somewhere.”

Spike stared coolly at Faith. “ Mia’s a real quick study, isn’t she, Wes?”

“Always was. Faith, the lesson here is that every member of this team is dangerous: we were picked for that very reason. However, Mia and Spike, they started the team and either one of them is capable of ending any one of us any time they like. Besides, even if you were lucky enough to succeed somehow in doing what you threatened, you would have to face her.” Wesley stepped forward and tapped his chest. “ I only lied to him. What do you think she’d do to you? Although I can’t say I know Mia as well as Spike does, I reckon that you would have a long and lingering end. And just so you realize it, if she wanted my help or Angel’s she would get it. You know we would help her, although I doubt if she’d want it. No, Faith, you’d be facing a long tortuous death, if she even gave you death.”

Spike added, “ I imagine she would eventually involve sunlight: sunlight and railroad spikes. That’s what I’d do if anything happened to her: long months of torture, ending with a long slow exposure to sunlight while you were pinned with railroad spikes.”

Faith glanced away and swallowed hard, then looked back at Spike. She lowered her eyes slightly, and touched her nose. “Damn, Spike. How bad is this? It hurts to move my eyebrows.”

Spike chuckled, “Think back about twenty years ago, remember the broken nose I had when you visited London?”

Faith’s eyes widened. “Please tell me it’s not that bad.”

“It’ll heal, vampire,” said Wes with a smile.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buffy threw the newspaper on the coffee table. “They are working with Wolfram and Hart now.”

“Blood…. E…Hell.”

Xander grabbed the paper, “Gee, this just keeps getting better and better.”

Gunn leaned back and sighed,” She joined up with them just to piss me off.”

Xander laughed bitterly. “Sorry, it’s not funny, I mean the situation, but she actually may have done it for Gunn’s benefit. I’m pretty sure she remembers that he used to work as a lawyer for them. Hey, Gunn, here’s a slice of ‘in your face’ and a scoop or irony on the side.”

Buffy shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked out of the window at the beach. “That may not be her. The subtle torture before the kill, that sounds like…”

“…..Angelus,” stated Giles. “And irony by definition doesn’t really fit this situation.”

“No, she did it. It was to keep them out of the mix and to get the FBI off their backs,” Gunn replied. “I would have done it that way. She used Angel, the curse and all those prophecies as leverage against the partners. The Angelus you’re talking about wouldn’t go near that scenario of bargaining with the curse. I’ve got to hand it to her, she’s really got game.”

Willow came in the living room and looked at their faces. “What did I miss?”

Fred shrugged her shoulders. “Not much. Mia just asked Wolfram and Hart to take care of the FBI’s national manhunt for them and they did.”

Willow was silent for a moment. “That was the coven on the phone. They have completed the inter-dimensional spell for Mot. The only problem is that we need a huge group of Wicca to perform it in close proximity, or a mystical power source to draw on.”

Buffy turned to Willow. “I thought you were holding off on the Mot situation.”

Willow cocked her head and smiled. “I was thinking that what will work for one big, evil death guy, might work for a group of evil death guys. We can use the Scythe as the power source, and I’ll send them all to another dimension…permanently.”

Buffy grinned, “She’s going wish she’d succeeded in sucking you dry.”

Xander said, “Sheesh, Buffy, couldn’t you said that a little more tactfully?”

Buffy looked at Xander. “Did you just suggest that I should say something tactfully?”

Giles chuckled, “If we hadn’t just gotten that news from Willow, I might take that as a sign the world was ending.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mia pushed an Angel billowing smoke through the door with a laugh, and then folded her umbrella. “Now the house will be all smoky-smelling, tough guy.”

“Sorry, not doing it. I’m not using an umbrella to get around in the daylight. It makes me look like an old lady.”

Spike and the others came out of the kitchen and down the hall to the foyer. Spike didn’t even pause in his stride. He went straight to Mia and scooped her up, kissing her hard, then he put her back on the ground and stood back.

“What in the hell are you doing out in this day’s early light? Your flight back wasn’t due in until tonight.”

Angel spoke first. “I’m confused. At first I thought he was glad to see you, but now…”

Mia glanced at the others. “I’m not too sure how glad he is, Angel. Will you look at Faith’s nose? What have these crazy kids been up to? I’ve never had a bruise like that after one of our days in bed but…. Hmmmm?”

Wes chuckled as Spike seized Mia, wrapping his arms around her and picking her up. He carried her up the stairs.

Angel shrugged his shoulders. “That answers that question. I guess he was happy. Now, Faith, you tell me how you got that nose job.

~ ~ ~~ ~ ~

Spike dropped Mia on the bed. “Get undressed, woman.”

“Why, you miss me?”

“No, I’m a vampire. We don’t do things like that.”

Mia smiled, “What do we do?”

Spike grinned and pushed her down. “We drink…a lot, and punch other vampires…uber vampires in the nose. What about you?”

“Me, I used thrall to make Angel take me to a revival of ‘Rent’ on Broadway.”

Spike laughed and dropped down next to her. “ Does he know?” He laughed again.

“Oh yeah.” Mia giggled. “I only did it to get us to our seats.”

“”Rent, the musical.” Spike was trying to quit laughing when he asked. “What did he say?”

“Oh, the normal, I’d pay for it and blah di blah. He admitted that he liked the music but the words were just too….hopeful… for the both of us. He also kept calling me Maureen, after one of the characters.”

Spike straddled her. “The loud mouthed dike?”

Mia cocked her head. “Yes, how’d you…”

Spike started unbuttoning the buttons of her blouse. “I’ve been around a long time, Mia.”

Mia sat up to meet his mouth, kissing him. “I thought the guy playing Roger was pretty good looking.”

“Because of his platinum hair?”

Mia grinned, “Yes, that and he had a kind of rock music-like voice: it was sexy. D’you want to sing for me, baby? I love your singing voice.”

Spike pulled her blouse from her. “Seems a coincidence that the girl Roger falls for is named Mimi, and the last time you were here in New Orleans you called yourself Mimi: I’m wondering…”

Mia grabbed the collar of Spike’s t-shirt and ripped it in half, down to his waist. “ If you’re not going to sing then shut up, Spike.”

“Make me.”

Mia laid back, looked up and said quietly, “I want you.”

Spike kissed her, crushing her lips; his tongue entered her mouth. Mia nipped it with the top of her teeth. Spike pulled his mouth away dragging his bleeding tongue across her lips. He pushed away to look her in the eyes.

Mia smiled up at him. “Works every damn time.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Spike lay naked, looking up at the canopy of the bed. Mia’s head was on his chest, and half of her body lay on him with one of her legs wrapped over one of his. He ran his hand from her naked buttocks up to her shoulder. Mia made a small sound similar to a purr.

“Tell me about New York, love.”

Mia put her chin on his chest and looked at him. “That was subtle and well-timed. Is this your way of asking if anything happened with Angel?”

“And when the bloody hell have I been subtle or well-timed?” he chuckled.

“You were well-timed just moments ago.”

Spike pulled her body up from where she lay so she was looking down at him. “What happened with Angel?”

“After the musical we went hunting.”

Spike smiled at her, “Don’t act daft.”

“I’ve never hunted with him; I had way too much fun.”

“I meant at the Law firm, you twit.”

Mia flopped on her back. “What? That’s it? No getting growly and threatening me until I swear we didn’t do anything you and I would have?”

Spike turned on his side and propped himself up on his elbow. He looked down at her head on his hand. “I can tell you didn’t.”

Mia turned and looked at him. “How?”

“Angel just let me bring you up here way too easily. If something had happened there would have been fangs flying.”

“Maybe I told him to hold back.”

Spike chuckled, “You can try it on, pet, but I know you and the reaction I just got from you. It is fairly obvious you haven’t had any satisfaction of that sort in over twenty four hours.”

“Maybe he just couldn’t sa…”

Spike’s laugh interrupted her. “Fine. If you want it, I’ll do what pleases you.” His eyes turned yellow and he pinned her to the bed. “What’s my line, love? I want to get it just right. Should I start with, Mia you didn’t sodding do anything with…..?”

With a grin Mia said, “You are so damn arrogant. You think you know me so well, and are so sure of yourself.”

Spike’s eyebrow went up. “Would you have it any other way?”

Mia gave him a quick kiss and pushed him off her. “No, you bastard. So you want to hear about New York. New York was a city like no other…. it just doesn’t sleep at night. Which is great for you if you are a vampire and….”

“Em, now you’re just trying to brass me off.” His face returned to human and then once again he was propped on his elbow, chin on hand looking at her.

“Of course. OK, it was fucking like I walked in to that Law Firm on Elvis’s arm. He’s like some dead but resurrected rock star to those people. I couldn’t understand them wanting to do business as quickly as they did. All the prophecies I read deal with him having a soul. Of course, I mentioned we had possession of the curse but I didn’t actually say I would use it.”

“And Angel, what did the poof do while you took care of business?”

“His reactions were helpful. And that’s it, the rest is national headlines.” Mia stood and began dressing.

Spike pouted, “Where are you going?”

“Out. I promised Angel we’d have a hunt before we left New Orleans.” Mia continued to dress. She sat down to put her boots on.

He sat up. “Like bleeding hell you will. You hunt with me.”

“I’ve hunted alone with the others.” She finished tying her boots and stood.

“With Faith.”

Mia shrugged, “So, I told you, I had fun. You know nothing happened, I don’t see a problem.” Mia headed to the door.

Spike jumped up blocking her way, and grabbed her by the shoulders. “You don’t see a problem? Whose suggestion was this hunt? You don’t need to tell me, it was his. You bloody well know the hunt is almost like…”

“But it’s not. Come too.”

“You’re not going.”

Mia looked at him and raised her brow. “I’ll admit that you standing there blocking the way in all your lovely glory was making the decision a bit harder, but just now, those few words of yours cinched it. Now, get out of my way,” She hit him, throwing him into the wall and knocking him out. Mia sighed. “Now look what you made me go and do, and after I wanted you to come with us.” She left, slamming the door behind her.

Angel was waiting for her in the foyer. Mia put on her coat.

“I didn’t think you’d be on your own.”

Mia smiled at him, “Are you disappointed?”

“No. Hell, no.” Angel opened the door.

“Let’s go. Do you feel like Cajun, Creole or something else tonight?”

“Let’s wander down to the Quarter and see what wets our taste buds.”

~ ~ ~ ~

“Sod, sod ,sod.” Spike pulled on his boot at the top of the stairs, lost his balance and went tumbling to the bottom. He sprang up and looked around to be sure that no one had seen. Faith came out from the kitchen.

“Spike, what was that?”

He looked around and grabbed at the table at the bottom of the stairs. “Table tipped, I’ve righted it.”

Faith smiled, “Ok, because I could swear I heard you fall down the stairs.”

“You’d be mistaken. Has that swollen nose damaged your hearing?”

“Yes, now that you mention it, I wasn’t able to hear where Mia and Angel were headed.”

Spike glared at her. “Faith, that’s why we are given great scent sifters. We don’t need to be given directions.”

“Yep, have fun with that tonight.” She turned.

Spike bent down to tie his boots, then grabbed his coat and stormed out of the door. He knew they would head to the French Quarter.

~ ~ ~

Mia had tucked her arm under Angel’s. ”So, was yours Cajun or Creole?”

“I think it was Kentucky Fried.”

Mia laughed,” You’d better be careful. I feel a Xander Harris comparison coming on.”

Angel groaned, “You are so good at this type of torture. I want to know where you learned it because I know Spike never got this good at it.”

She laughed again, “Oh he’s good with the torture, very good.” She looked up and saw Angel smile.

“So, are you going to tell?” asked Angel.

“About what happened in New York? The others don’t need to know and Spike, well he’d….”

Mia and Angel were suddenly shoved and they stumbled together into an alley.

“I’d what?” Spike’s fist connected with Angel’s face.