Changing Lives by Mabel Marsters

1 :: 2 :: 3 :: 4 :: 5 :: 6 :: 7 :: 8 :: 9 :: 10 :: 11 :: 12 :: 13 :: 14 :: 15 :: 16 :: 17 :: 18 :: 19 :: 20 :: 21 :: 22 :: 23 :: 24 :: 25 :: 26 :: 27 :: 28 :: 29 :: 30 :: 31 :: 32 :: 33 :: 34 :: 35 :: 36 :: 37 :: 38 :: 39 :: 40 :: 41 :: 42 :: 43 :: 44 :: 45 :: 46 :: 47 :: 48 :: 49 :: 50 :: 51 :: 52 :: 53 :: 54 :: 55 :: 56 :: 57 :: 58 :: 59 :: 60 ::

Chapter 51

By the time Oz had dropped the boys home Spike was feeling distinctly worse for wear. As soon as he got inside he went to take a dose of his painkillers, which were overdue by more than an hour.

“How did the sound check go?” asked Rupert.

“Yeah good, thanks,” said Spike, “Look, I’m sorry but I’m gonna ‘ave to go and lie down for a bit, okay?”

“You go ahead, Spike. I think you’ve done remarkably well to do what you have today,” replied Rupert.

“I can go through all the footage I’ve got, so don’t worry about me,” added Rich.

Spike gratefully went to his room. He pulled off his boots and lay on the bed. He closed his eyes and prayed that the pills’ effects would soon kick in, as his back was killing him. After a time, he fell asleep.

Ooooooo

Rich was delighted with the film that he’d shot. The parts where they were just fooling around as they warmed up and tuned their guitars made a good impression. Rich had to admit that there was definitely something about Spike on stage that held your attention, more than just his voice, which had an edge to it that set it apart from most singers he’d heard. He had followed Ron back to his office and got permission to film during their gig tomorrow. He decided that the more material he had the better. Rich worked diligently, transferring the video from the camera to Spike’s laptop.

Ooooooo

Spike reappeared a couple of hours later, looking slightly dishevelled but more comfortable. He saw Rich still huddled over the computer.

“So is it any good?” he asked, walking up behind him.

Rich pulled the lid of the computer down.

“Yeah, it’s great, but yer not seeing it yet. It needs editing and setting up properly first,” said Rich quickly.

“Okay, okay,” grinned Spike, “Who do you think you are? Tim Burton? Spielberg?”

“Hardly,” said Rich, “but it doesn’t mean that I can’t get it looking as good as it can.”

“Yer really do sound like our manager,” joked Spike, “I just hope yer don’t expect any wages.”

“I’ll ‘ave a percentage share of yer first album, ‘ow’s that?” Rich held out his hand. “Deal?”

Spike shook it. “Deal, just don’t ‘old yer breath, eh?”

“You guys will make it, Spike, I know yer will,” replied Rich seriously.

Spike just grinned at him. “I’ll just settle for doing a good gig tomorrow night.”

Ooooooo

Later on the whole gang descended on Rupert and Spike’s apartment. After about ten minutes of teenage chatter Rupert stood up.

“Buffy, is your mother at home by any chance?” he asked.

“Yeah, she is.”

“Well, in that case, I think I may go and pay her a visit. I’m sure it will be much more relaxing.” He smiled at them knowing that they were just as delighted for him to go out as he was.

“Bloody open plan living,” he muttered to himself. There was no way the six of them could fit into Spike’s room.

He picked up his jacket and keys, waved goodbye and disappeared with a sigh of relief.

“Look, guys,” said Xander hesitantly, “I’ve got something I need to tell you.”

Spike and Rich exchanged glances, guessing what he was going to say concerned Cordelia.

“Um…well…it’s just that…well…” Xander swallowed hard. He was incredibly nervous of telling them after what had happened to Spike.

“He’s seeing Cordelia,” said Spike with a grin, putting him out of his misery.

“You’re what?” snapped Buffy, “After what she made happen to Spike?”

“Hey, pet,” said Spike softly, putting a hand on her arm, “ Go easy, I’m still ‘ere, aren’t I? I’m okay. It wasn’t really her fault; we’ve all done dumb things, yer know. She just panicked.”

Xander glanced at Spike gratefully and Spike nodded his head, acknowledging him.

“But it’s still Cordelia!” shouted Buffy.

“Buffy,” warned Spike, “If I’m cool with it, surely you can be?”

Buffy calmed down a little. “I guess so. It’s just when I think what could’ve happened to you…I can’t bear it,” she said with tears glistening in her eyes.

Spike leaned forward and kissed her. “But it didn’t, did it?” He put his arm around her and she snuggled in closely.

“I know you’re all not big with the liking of Cordelia but we get on really well. We’ve been seeing each other since the day that Spike first sang at the Bronze. We kind of kept it quiet to see how we got along and…well…we don’t want to keep it quiet anymore.”

“I’m pleased for you,” said Willow.

She’d been friends with him since kindergarten and now that she had Oz she worried that he felt left out.

Oz opened his mouth to speak but Spike silenced him with a look, knowing that Oz was going to ask him why he hadn’t wanted Xander to be driven home by her that night. He hadn’t told Oz what she’d said because he thought that she hadn’t seen Xander after that and so it didn’t need bringing out in the open. Spike intended on having a word with her about the threat she’d made to him but didn’t want it to be mentioned in front of the others.

“Cordelia?” asked Rich, “She’s the one who came ‘ere and wouldn’t stop crying, right?”

“Yeah, she is. Rich wanted to know if she had an off switch,” joked Spike.

“A remote control Cordelia, now that’d be worth seeing,” laughed Buffy.

Xander was thinking something similar but the functions he’d like her to perform were definitely different to the ones Buffy was thinking of.

“So is she coming to the Bronze tomorrow?” asked Oz, “I hope you’re still up for ‘roadie’ duties?”

“Yeah, ‘course I am. She’s meeting me there so I can help beforehand and help you pack up afterwards.”

“Hey Rich, do you want to go and get some snacks and drinks from the kitchen? We may as well munch something while we’re talking,” asked Spike.

“Sure.”

“I’ll help,” said Buffy getting up and following him through. She wanted to ask him something.

She got out a couple of bowls as Rich raided the cupboards and refrigerator.

“Um…Rich…I can understand why Spike doesn’t talk about his family but can I ask you something?”

Rich turned to face her. “Yeah?”

“Um…” she hesitated. She didn’t know how to ask but she’d been thinking about it since Spike had woken up in the hospital, “er…what was Spike’s dad like?”

Rich smiled at her. He’d been worried what she was going to say but he was happy to answer that one.

“He was a great bloke. We used him like our own taxi service most of the time.” He got a lump in his throat, thinking of all the times he’d picked them up from parties and never complained when they were late. “He was a right one for practical jokes, too, him and J…Spike were always fooling about. I wish my dad was half as much fun as Mr. Norman had been.”

“Oh,” said Buffy, recalling Spike’s words, “He must really miss him.”

She picked up a bowl of potato ships and a six-pack of Coke and quickly went back to the others.

“You okay, pet?” asked Spike, noticing that she had a bit of an odd look on her face.

“What? Oh, yes I’m fine. I’ve just got a bit of a headache,” she lied.

“Here, let me take yer mind off it,” said Spike, kissing her, “Is that any better?”

She smiled at him, seeing the concern he had for her in his eyes. “It’s certainly helped, thank you.”

Ooooooo

For the next few hours they talked about anything and everything – the way teenagers do.

Rupert kicked them all out when he got back.

“Come on, I’m sure you’ve all got homes to go to?” he joked as they left.

He surveyed the debris of the snacks that they’d demolished whilst he was out.

“I don’t suppose you boys are hungry enough now, but I was going to order some Chinese food.”

“We’ll ‘ave some Rupert, we’re still ‘ungry,” said Spike.

“I don’t believe you! After all that’s been eaten?”

“Hey Mr. G, it must ‘ave been mostly the others, right Spike? I mean we ‘ardly ate anything,” added Rich.

“I don’t believe that for a minute, but okay, I’ll still order some.” He went to get the menu from where it was pinned up in the kitchen.

Ooooooo

Buffy didn’t get to sleep for a long time. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Spike’s first words when he was starting to come around.

“Mom? It hurts so much. Why did Dad hit me again; was I bad?”

Rich certainly hadn’t seemed like he’d been covering up the fact that Spike’s dad had been violent. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind.

“It must just have been that he was all muddled up with the concussion.”

She finally fell asleep.

Submit a Review!