Some Devil 10/11
Title: Some Devil Author: twisted_reach Pairing: Spike/Angel, Will/Liam Rating: T Warnings: Starts with very strong language. Time frame: goes AU post NFA Summary: A take on how Shanshu might work - after the battle Spike wakes up to Will’s life. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 He stared at the computer, trying to concentrate on the paper he was supposed to be writing. This was the tough bit, actual research. His department had cut him slack last year, and he was trying to make up for it. He had some good ideas, but…
"What's the bloody commotion?" He stuck his head out of his office door. Students and staff alike were running down the corridor to the main entrance.
He collared as passing fresher, "Hey what's going on?"
"They said someone's been murdered!!" morbid glee on the kid's face, "We're going to look."
He was strangely relieved that he no longer shared in the youngster's relish. Rather, concerned, he looked up the corridor to Sandra's office. She was stood in the doorway mobile in hand and issuing instructions to the security guard rushing past.
"Will, go with Marvin, help him control the students. A girl's been stabbed just outside. First Aid are with her, Ambulance and Police on their way."
A short while later guarding a path and redirecting students to the other side of the building, Debbie and Lise found him.
"We heard something happened over this way, is the woman okay?"
"Yeah. She's still down there. Superficial from what I could see, defensive wounds."
The girl was on a gurney by the waiting ambulance. A blonde detective trying to get a few last questions in before she was put off finally by the paramedics and left them to load the girl into their truck.
"Defensive wounds?" asked Lise.
"Hands and arms." He mimed putting his arms up in front of his face to fend off an attack. Lise grimaced.
The ambulance drove towards them and they hurriedly stepped aside.
Debbie frowned, "On campus too. I thought it was safe here."
"It is safe here," he almost sighed it. He quickly changed the subject. "Wanna cuppa tea? Come back to my office."
"The British cure for every stressful situation, right?"
"Right."
Sandra was speaking to the lady detective when they came in the foyer. "Oh, Will. This is Detective Lockley, she said the young woman is okay and there's a call out to arrest her boyfriend."
Will nodded, "The ambulance just took her away."
"It was outside Jim's window. He called 911. Detective Lockley's partner is interviewing him." Sandra looked strained.
"C'mon, boss. I'll get you a cup o' tea too. Calm the nerves. Yeah?"
He walked towards his room. Debbie, Lise followed.
At the far end of the corridor, Jim's door opened and he and another man came out.
Will felt his insides numb, and the blood started to roar in his ears.
They were semi-silhouetted against the window at the end of the hall, and the man had his back to Will, but the slight apologetic hunch of the shoulders…
His spine ran cold, and the people in the corridor around him moved as if underwater. He waited for the familiar pain of let down, wished it over quickly, like ripping off a bandaid.
The figure shifted, handed Jim his card, now in profile.
He could feel every heartbeat pound in his chest, his head, hell his feet, vibrating through his bones. He wondered that everyone around him couldn't hear it. Far away he heard Debbie's voice "Will? Are you okay?"
Kate Lockley walked towards her colleague, who finally turned to face them… and stopped.
Will took a reflexive step forward, and kept going.
Kate turned confused, as her partner walked straight past her, ignoring her question about their case.
They stopped just short of each other.
"Hey." Angel looked… kind of awkward, shifty.
Will stared at him for a moment. Angel wasn't surprised to see him. He looked… He tried to clear his head with a slight shake, cocked it to one side, he frowned at Angel for a moment, then felt something click. Angel knew. Angel had been here and known he was too and hadn't…
The punch must've taken Angel as much by surprise as it took Spike, because he never used to go down so fast.
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" He followed Angel down, straddled him, rained punches wherever he could land them between Angel's flailing hands trying to grab his own, "HOW LONG? HOW LONG?"
There was a delayed flurry of activity and suddenly Will found himself with his face ground into the floor and his hands cuffed behind him.
"Kate, let him go."
"Not likely. Assaulting a police officer, Liam. Thought you'd be taking that a mite more seriously."
"I can handle this. Uncuff him, I just need to speak to him."
"You need to get that cut looked at and check he didn't do any more damage. He is coming to the station house."
Liam gingerly touched his cheekbone, coming away with blood on his fingertips; he sagged, "Just don't book him okay. Wait until I get there. Put him somewhere to cool off."
She hauled Will to his feet. He stared fixedly at the floor as she pushed him down the corridor with Liam in tow. Sandra, Debbie and Lise, with matching masks of shock, flattened themselves against the wall.
"Sorry, boss." Will muttered, he felt the flush of embarrassment and shame creep up his neck. Really fucked it up this time. I'd fire me if I was her. Oh bugger.
Sandra glanced up the corridor, Jim was already running down it with his hastily gathered coat and keys.
"I'll phone." as he jogged passed. She nodded.
"Wait!" with a quick glance at Lise and a squeeze of her hand, Debbie ran after him.
Will sat in the interview room with his head tilted back. Counted the perforations in the ceiling tiles.
"Fuck." he muttered to himself and squeezed his eyes shut, banging his head lightly against the wall.
Not that he'd ever imagined a reunion, but if he had, it wasn't what he'd have pictured. More embracing and tears, probably. "Fucking sap."
"You're not supposed to do that you know."
Will started out of his reverie, sat up and just looked at Angel, trying to keep a mask up. Put Spike on the surface.
Angel indicated the handcuff hanging uselessly from the table leg.
Spike shrugged, "Chafed. Had a paperclip on me."
Angel pulled out a chair and sat in front of him, not too close. There was a paper stitch on his cheekbone. He folded and unfolded his arms, fidgeting, ending up with his elbows on his splayed knees and his hands hanging between them.
"I met Cordy." Angel looked up and held his gaze, "She wasn't my Cordy. She's an actress, and by that I mean waitress. I ordered coffee from her in Starbucks. She flirted a bit, but she didn't know me."
Spike blinked, but made no other expression.
"Did you know Buffy's in an asylum here?" Angel continued.
Spike's gaze slid away to the floor.
"It's not her really either. Wesley's an actuary in London. Fred never left Texas. Gunn's barely on record apart from an arrest sheet as long as my arm. Nothing sticks though." Angel smiled, looking at his threaded fingers. "But they're not… them."
"Willow and Oz were students. Just graduated."
Angel looked up, relief that he was no longer carrying the conversation single handed, "Xander fixed the stairs in my building a couple of months ago."
Spike glared, "What're you saying, Liam? You looked up everyone except me? You found me and avoided me? What?"
"I- I did see you. You were in a bar, the day after your birthday. You were cursing me out to a bottle of JD."
Spike stood up suddenly, "Am I free to go or is your latest little blonde going to charge me?"
"Don't let her hear you say that or she might." Angel smiled.
Spike gave him a blank cold look. Quickly abandoning humour, Angel stood, "I'll show you out. Your friends are waiting for you."
Debbie and Jim hit him with a barrage of questions as soon as they left the building. He refused to be drawn on the why or the who, and eventually Jim just drove them back to the campus, in uncomfortable silence.
Sandra was waiting with a week's suspension, and a disciplinary hearing on Monday.
"I've really bollocksed it up this time, huh." He stomped heavily down the steps of the history block, juggling keys, laptop and case.
Jim turned suddenly, furious "You are so fucking lucky! If anyone else decided to haul out on a cop in the middle of work they'd be fired faster than they could fucking breathe! For Christ's sake, Will, get your act together."
Will gaped at him, "Jim. I'm-"
"Whatever, Will. I'll speak to you later. Right now I'm going home. Try and get the image of that girl being stabbed out of my head."
"-sorry." He watched his friend stride away, and felt like… a right bastard.