Xander and Spike were sent to San Francisco in order to prevent a
prophecy from being fulfilled. Giles was very specific in what they had to
do; thus, the task was quite simple. So Buffy said since it was SO easy she
didn't need to help. Xander couldn't destroy this simple task. Being loyal
to the end, Xander went -- dragging the Blond menace behind him.
The duo finished in record time, for once not having to wait for the
vortex to be open when they stopped it. So in order to congratulate
themselves, Spike suggested they stay for a while and see the sites.
"Well I don't really want to play the classic tourist…That's so
embarrassing," Xander said, while pondering his suggestion. "Still it would
be nice to be away from Sunnyhell //god, using Spike's expressions again//
for a little while."
"Don't worry, pet. I know the city like the back of my hand. Plenty of
fun to do without having to ride a single cable car," Spike assured her. "I
spent a good deal of time here, once. Dru had run off, again, and I was sick
of chasing her, so I chilled in the City by the Bay."
"When was that?"
"Oh. Hmmm…must have been a bit after the turn-of-the-century," Spike
thought back to his last visit. "Oh yeah I remembered I had to leave
extremely fast."
"Why?"
"Well let's just say you don't want to drop a fag on the ground, while
its still lit."
Xander looked at his companion, then exclaimed when his thoughts clicked,
"YOU STARTED THE 1906 FIRE??!?!?"
Spike just grinned.
Arthur gazed over to his lover of now almost 15 years. Curt was still as
gorgeous as ever. The two had moved to San Francisco after the fiasco in New
York. For even though Arthur stopped questioning "Tommy Stone," other
reporters did. Causing Slade and that bitch Shannon to out Arthur and Curt
as lovers, which caused him to lose his job. Although he could have gotten a
job at another paper, they choose to move to the West Coast feeling a change
of scenery would be good.
After settling in San Francisco, Curt opened up a record shop/company.
It was a branch off Jack Fairy's company. Curt had released a few new things
but enjoyed finding new, undiscovered, or overlooked bands and giving them a
good chance. He loved his job.
Arthur got a job at a local paper, with a new column that changed topics
every week. Sometimes the column was admonishing the terrible administration
that was still present two successors past Reynolds. Sometimes he was
speaking about the hypocrisy of different religions, taking a page for local
radio host Bernie Ward, for preaching love for your neighbor then acting in
terrible ways - homophobic ways. And sometimes simply covering the new bands
that Curt found, giving them even more publicity.
Now the happy couple was sitting in the back of the record shop, as it
wasn't a busy time. Curt was listening to some demos from a band from
Missing Mile, North Carolina. Jack had sent them over, saying they were a
good prospect. Arthur was just sitting back enjoying a break from writing,
and off course the opportunity to watch his lover.
As the tape finished, Curt smiled, "Arthur what do you think? I like
'em. They've got passion."
"They most certainly do. But I must say I wasn't really listening,"
Arthur saw a grimace fall onto Curt's handsome face. "Oh don't 'ate me,
love. How do you expect me to listen to music when I'm looking at you? I
can't concentrate on anything."
"That's not fair."
"What?"
"How can I stay mad at you when you compliment me like that?" Curt said
with a laugh that was silenced with a kiss from Arthur. Just as they were
getting into it the shops bell can be heard signaling a customer.
"Spike, you do know there are music stores in Sunnydale, right?" Xander
asked incredulously as the 1st stop they hit was some record shop downtown.
"Of, course I do, pet. But they sell Brittany Spears and such. No self
respecting vamp... scratch that, no self respecting person, regardless of
species, would listen to that crap."
"Oh, and now you are a music critic I see."
"Yup, I happen to have magnificent taste in all things," Spike answered
with a leer that wasn't subtle in the least. "And anyway you can get that
friend of yours back."
"Which friend and how?"
"Oh, I don't know his name. I don't listen to you that closely. The one
who bought you a Celine Dion CD for your birthday."
Xander thought for a minute, and all of sudden recognition came over his face
when he realized Spike was talking about one of his construction buddies, "Oh
you mean Mike."
"Yeah, that's the bloke's name. Didn't you mention that he had a thing
for Nirvana?"
"Yeah they're his idols," the plan was getting clearer to his. "Are you
suggesting I get him a really cool present for his birthday so that he feels
guilty about my present?"
"Exactly, luv," //My, my, my the whelp has a devious side to him// Spike
thought, //I'd never have guessed. Well, actually I would…//
The pair entered the store and started browsing among the many different
bins. Xander noticed all along the room were autographed pictures of famous
people -- rock stars, actresses, politicians, you name they had it, including
a few signed by Kurt Cobain.
"SPIKE! Look!!"
Hearing Xander holler at him, Spike spun around quickly to see what he
was so excited about. Once the vamp saw what the brunette was pointing to,
he knew his idea had been perfect. "That's great, pet. Now you just have to
convince the store owners to sell it to you."
"Oh yeah," Xander pouted looking deliciously sexy. "How am I going to do
that?"
Xander spun around when he heard another British accented person say,
"Well, when a hot guy like you wants something, who are we to say no?"
When the bell and chimed, Curt groaned, both aloud and in his own head.
//First customers of the day, have to come right now// As Arthur and himself
began untangling themselves from each other, they heard a quiet conversation
going on in the front of the store. The manner in which the duo spoke to
each other was teasing and natural - a true sign off real friendship.
Curt quietly followed his beloved Arthur to the front when the brunette
hollered at his companion. And of course now that they could hear the
conversation, Arthur knew the perfect thing to say, "Well, when a hot guy
like you wants something, who our we to say no?"
The boy smiled, and blushed, getting slightly flustered. "Well, that's
awfully nice of you. But, I think when you find out what I want you may be
less generous," he said with a perfect California monotone. "I want to buy
that Nirvana picture from you."
Arthur glanced back at Curt with a shocked look on his face. Curt could
tell it wasn't the request that surprised his lover, rather the blunt way in
which the young man asked. Most people would have subtly tried to slip what
they wanted into the conversation after perhaps flirting a bit.
Curt stepped forward, "Well, before we start negotiating things, how
about we introduce ourselves?"
"Kay, I'm Xander Harris. The bleached wonder behind me is Spike," Xander
said, gesturing to his friend who was looking in a bin of records under "Sex
Pistols."
"Well, this is Arthur Stewart. And I'm Curt Wild," Curt said with a grin
as he reached out to shake his hand.
"And I'm Curt Wild." Spike's head shot up as he heard the proprietor's
name. Curt Wild was not the man he expected when he had entered the little
Frisco shop. // Shit, shit, shit! Ok two options, 1 pray he doesn't
recognize me, or 2 keep my head stuck in this bin until the whelp is ready to
leave.// As Xander called him over, he realized the former was his only
choice.
"Spike get over here. You're being rude to these two nice men who just
might sell me the picture I want." Everyone except Spike laughed.
Xander looked over at him, when the blond didn't even crack a smile even
though Xander was flirting with two guys, "Spike you ok? I made a funny and
I don't even get a not-so-masculine giggle out of you?"
"Sorry, luv. Lost in my own world," Spike answered trying to reassure
him.
Giving him a final glance, she nodded and said, "Well in case you didn't
hear while you were visiting Oz, this is Arthur and Curt."
"Yeah, I heard. Nice to meet you blokes."
"Ah a countryman. What brings you to the New World Spike?" Arthur asked,
noticing that Curt was studied Spike quite closely. Enough that Arthur felt
a pang of jealously. But that disappeared when Curt's hand snaked around
Arthur's waist.
"Ah the usual, blood, violence, mayhem," Spike answered with a wicked
grin plastered on his face. "And you?"
"Same," Arthur replied with a laugh. "Actually, I came to be a
journalist."
Xander surprised everyone in the room, especially Spike, when he
exclaimed, "You're that Arthur Stewart?! I've been reading your stuff
forever. I love the articles on the administration."
"Hey, Xander since when do you actually read things?" Spike asked.
Xander's smile turned to a frown as he replied, "Well contrary to the
popular belief held by my "friends" I actually have some intelligence."
Feeling terrible that he had hurt the boy's fragile ego, and wanting to
be make it better, said, "Silly boy, you know I'd never think the same as
them. I know you have the same intelligence as one with my caliber."
Xander gave him a look, and retorted, "Ok, now you are really hurting my
feelings."
Curt and Arthur laughed at the banter being played out in front of them.
Arthur then responded to Xander's earlier question, "Yes, I'm that Arthur
Stewart. I'm not used to being the one recognized, that's usually Curt's
area of expertise."
"Yup, and sometimes, I recognize people too," Curt said with a look at
Spike. "Do I know you?"
"Maybe, you said you were Curt Wild right?" Spike answered, deciding he
draw out the inevitable for a bit.
"Yes."
"As in Curt Wild and the Rats? Curt Wild and Brian Slade? Curt Wild and
the Death of Glitter concert?"
With that last question, Curt had to look at Arthur before he said, "Yes."
"Then yeah, I know you. Met you and Jack Fairy in Berlin a bit before
the big shabang," Spike said. //God, how the hell am I'm going to explain
this! Normally, I'd kill 'em, but with Xan here and whatnot…//
"How in the world is that possible? You are at most 26 now in the year
2000. That was in 1975, ((Author's note: I think but I wasn't sure. Sorry
correct me if I'm wrong)) 25 years ago. You would have been a year old."
At that, Xander heaved a huge sigh, muttering, "Here we go again."
Louder he said to the other men in the room, "To use a quote shoved at me
many times by Giles "There are more things in heaven and earth than are
dreamt of in your philosophy."
A simple jaunt to San Francisco. Kill a demon, close a vortex, do a
little shopping. That was the plan. Xander was certain the plan was NOT to
end up running into a musician Spike had known from the good ol' days.
Especially a musician with a damn good memory.
"Ok, where should we start? It isn't the Slayer is real talk, so the
Chosen One speech is out - but maybe we can amend it…" Spike could see that
Xander's mumbled babbling seemed to confuse Curt and Arthur even more.
Spike sighed, then grabbed Xander by the shoulders, shaking him a bit.
"Pet, let's make it simple and to the point, kay?"
"Sure, Spike," Xander was happy to have Spike take care of this.
"Right, well here's how it is mates. I'm a vampire - turned in the late
1800's. I have always had an affinity for good music so when I wandered back
into London in the late 70's, barely recovered from Woodstock, I fell head
first into the magic that was glam…" Spike trailed off, and looked up at the
ceiling, realizing that the mortals probably had questions. Hell, Spike had
some of his own //Who was Tommy Stone really?// Looking that the journalist
and the singer he saw something that shocked the world weary vampire - belief.
~~~~~~~
When Curt recognized Spike, who he know remembered knowing as Will, he
couldn't believe his eyes/ This man had to be a descendent or something -
right? But damn it, he did look so much like Will.
SO Curt asked, and the Spike person knew about the Rats, Brian, AND the
Death of Glitter concert. It just wasn't possible,
Arthur had studied Spike, and Xander, with his journalistic eye when he
had met them, so when Spike said he knew Curt in Berlin … well, age-wise it
just wasn't possible. So, he asked the blond man in front of him.
Xander's sigh of "here we go again" didn't prepare either man for the
explanation that Spike had give.
Yet, if they could have Oscar Wilde's pin and seen the spaceship that
night after THAT concert - why couldn't vampires exist? After sharing a
knowing, and of course loving look, the men turned to Spike wearing twin
expressions of belief. Which for some reason shocked the blond ... //hmm
wonder why? I suppose normally it takes a bit more to convince people that
vampires are real// Curt thought.
"Ok, look man, I'm not saying I understand but I believe you. And if you
really are the Will I remember then I'm glad to see you again," Curt
explained, while putting out his hand. This caused Spike to look at it for a
bit as if he didn't know what it was, then while shaking himself, Spike
reached out and firmly clasped it/
//Hell,// Xander thought, //it took me a while to believe Buffy. I tried
to think she was building a little fence.//
~~~~~~~~~~~
When Curt held out his hand, Spike had a hard time pulling himself back
from the memories of when he had once again been called "Will." Those were
happy times, almost as good as now with Xander (not that he had told the
whelp). Sure he had missed his Sire ((Author's Note: Spike's sire is and
always will be Angel)) and Dru was showing signs of being unfaithful, but
Spike had fallen in love with a culture and a music that could only be called
Glam.
Xander broke the silence with his usual humor, "Alrighty then, now that
Clark has told Lois he's Superman //or really Lex has revealed himself as a
super-villain// can I please have the picture?"
The three older men laughed out loud, and Spike suddenly reached out and
hugged a now shocked Xander, whispering, "Xanpet, only you make me laugh like
this."
Xander blushed, yeah he had accepted that he was bi, but Spike openly
flirting like that with him was NOT something he was used to. //After all,
it's pretty rare for someone to show that kind of interest in ME.//
"Well, Xander, I've known few people with the ability to be as blunt as
you …" Curt started, when interrupted.
"You've never met Cordelia."
"… Anyway, I think we can arrange for you to have the picture. But
first, you & Spike, have to join us for a beer or something."
"Of course, mate. Reminiscing is fun. I rarely get a chance to with the
mortals I've met as they are normally pushing up daisies," Spike said.
"And joined the choir invisible," Xander quipped. ((AN: Anybody get the
allusion? It'll be at the end))
Only Arthur laughed at this well thought-out humor, as he was the only
one who remembered his Monty Python well.
TBC
