"Immortal Beloved..." CV...

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...Ok, just had to do one more...but I absolutely, positively...On my mother's soul...

Ok, I'm lying...But me poor ole mum would just say, "so long as I like it, it's ok..."

***

Oh, God...

First visit home with soul and she has to be touring London...he shook his head, hoping that perhaps...

"William!...William!!...Hey!!!..."

No such luck...

"I know thee not, old girl, fall to thy prayers..." he whispered to himself...

He stopped as she reached him, pulled at him... "William?...Oh, geesh...I can't believe..."

"Yes?...Ms. Summers?..."

"I can't believe it...Or that suit...Say, how are you managing...?" she indicated the bright afternoon sunshine...

"Our firm's acquired some daylight protections...Sorry, I'm on my way to an appointment with my publisher...Nice to see you again, Ms. Summers...Hello, Ms. Rosenberg..." he nodded to Willow...Who was still eyeing his light brown dress suit, spectacles, and rather longish, brownish-blonde hair...

"What?...What the hell's...?...Spike?..." she tried to embrace him but he pulled free and stepped back before she could...Eyeing her coolly...

"I'm afraid you have the wrong person, Ms. Summers..."

She frowned... Looking at Willow who shrugged...

"My name is William...Soames Walthrop...I believe you're looking for a demon named Spike, currently residing in Hell..." he said precisely, eyeing her...

"Oh...I get..." she started to take a classic hand on hip, glare pose but was a bit non-plussed to find he'd started off... "William?..." Willow tried...

He stopped, shaking his head...And turned...

"Ms. Rosenberg?..."

"William, what the fuck is going on?...You're mad at me?..." Buffy had reached him, Willow a bit reluctantly now, right after her...

"Ms. Summers?..." he stared at her... "Did you ladies want something?...I'm afraid if you need a Champion, you'll have to contact our firm...I only do that business by appointment through the office now..." he waited a moment...

"You didn't even tell me..." Buffy began, trying a glare again...Willow looking uncomfortable, glancing at his set face...

I don't think that's happiness to see us, Buf...

"It hardly mattered..." he replied coldly..."You'd moved on...And so have I..."

"I told you...At the Crater..."

"As I told you...That was kind of you..." he nodded... "Excuse me..."

Well...Willow thought...Xander loses five bucks...He didn't ask if His Benevolence appreciated it as much as he did...

"Look, Will...William?..." Buffy followed after him... "You gotta understand..."

He stopped again, as she pulled at his arm...

"All right, then..." he sighed... "It being my home turf, let me do this the right way, by my old human lights...Uh...Look, Ms. Summers...It pains me to say that the outcome of our previous acquaintanceship was not such as would lead me to wish to pursue any further relationship...I should like to receive no future attentions from you, nor do I intend to offer any such attentions to you...In short, Ms. Summers...My bloody cookies are no longer available to you...I wish you all good fortune with yours in your future life...Ms. Rosenberg..." he nodded to the blinking Willow...

"Good day..."

With that he turned and strode off...

"Willow?...What the hell's he doin'?..." Buffy looked at her for an answer...

"I think it's called a brush-off, Buf...Though maybe here in England..."

"He's been hexed or something...Check his aura thing or whatever..." she was looking after him as he continued to the corner and flagged a taxi... "Come on, we gotta follow him..."

"Buf...I don't think..."

"Right, you better teleport us to the cab...You still got enough juice for that these days?..."

"Not a moving one...Buffy, I really don't think we..."

"Hey, Cab!!!..." Buffy put a hand out to hold the cab that had stopped short in front of her as she ran out to intercept it... "C'mon, Wil..."

"Lady?...You crazy?!..."

"Follow that cab...That one, by the corner, yeah..." she waved a credit card and cash at the passenger window, throwing the back door open... "Willow, come on!!..." she grabbed at and dragged a glum Willow into the back... "Go on, move it!!!.." she hollered at the driver's window...

"You're the boss, lady..." the driver shrugged, pulling out...

"Buffy...He didn't seem..." Willow tried gently...

"Probably mind control..." Buffy shook her head... "Bet Angel lied to us about defeating the Partners with the local Slayer help Giles sent...Or maybe it's Drusilla..." she brightened...

Yeah...That would be perfect...Buffy closes the evil circle and saves her honey from his wrathful ex- with good ole Mr. Pointy...Yeah...

"Buf...I think maybe he just..."

"He loves me...You know that...There's something evil at work..."

Like maybe the two years you never did anything to see if he was ok in Heaven or wherever?...Willow did not say...

"You think...?" Buffy paused... "Wil, You think maybe he knows about...?"

"I think anyone who read 'People' this past year knew about you and the Immortal, Buf..." Willow sighed...

"But that was only a filler...I mean he's not around anymore, right?...Not a keeper..."

Hmmn?...It sure seemed back last year like you and he were...Till he started talking about an Immortal needing 'space'...And even I saw something was wrong when Andy came back, trying to be so tight-lipped and mysterious and the rumors about Spike started flyin'...

I mean, no offense, Buf...she thought...But if it were me hearing the slightest indication that Tara might still be...

"Some big bad is up to something and she's gonna pay...Hey, maybe it's the First, warping his mind again...Hey, put it to the floor, pal!..." Buffy called to the driver...Who shrugged and increased speed...Slightly...

Fortunately the London afternoon traffic keeping the other cab in range...

"What'd he mean, 'you've moved on and so have I'?...Wil?..."

"Ummn...Probably that you've found someone new...And..." she blinked at Buffy's murderously dark glare...

"...so he wants to make it easy for you..." she finished in near-squeak...

Times like this I still wish I hadn't blown the old wiccan battery out on Slayer powerup...She eyed the glaring Slayer...

"Then he must be in some dark bitch's grip..." Buffy nodded... "He'd never want to make it easy for me...He loves me..."

Perhaps he's just...Escaped some blonde bitch's grip...Willow did not say...Swaying as the cab lurched round a corner...

"He looked kinda nice it the suit..But I couldn't believe the hair...Wait?...Did he say 'appointment with my publisher'?..." Buffy asked... "You think he's writing again?..."

God, no...Reverse time and let the First win, anything but that...Willow sighed...

"That'd be so neat...I could be his Muse and all...I look great in those Greek robes...Remember when we did that bit from that Greek play in high school?..."

"Indelibly imprinted on my mind, Buf..." she sighed... "But Buffy, I think..."

"He said he'd love me to the end of the world...He died for me...This is a trick, an evil..." she looked, crestfallen, at Willow, then the window...

"A trick..." she firmly repeated... "Heck, even I've been magicksed with love spells and all...Hey, he's losin' us, move it, pal!!!..." hard smack at the divider plexiglass...

"Hey!!...One more like that and out you go!!..." the driver called back...

"Sorry...Hurry!!..."

"...Or it could be a hate spell...He loves me but Dru or maybe Harmony...Or some really worthless bimbo...Is making him...But it's just making him..."

"Not like me...so much..." she stopped...Looking at Willow...

"He...Couldn't..."

"Sure...It must be a spell..." Willow nodded hastily... "Hey, pal!! Pick it up!!!..." she called...

***