26/40
Author: BmblBee
Paring: What else? S/X of course.
Rating: Adult for language and M/M activity.
Disclaimer: None of the characters in this story belong to the Bee.
and she makes no money off them, or anything else. The Bee is broke.
Summary: The Rosebud Murders took an emotional toll on
everyone involved. Is love enough for a happily ever after or does
it take a hell of a lot of work and compromise to build a life together?
Spike and Xander struggle to find out.
Thanks to Petxnd for the lovely banner
Spike wasted no more time. He was a man on a mission and
couldn't be bothered with the petty distractions of an irate boss.
Besides, just like Willy Wonka, Spike held the golden ticket.
Or, in this case, the pink ticket.
The release slip that said he was no longer mentally incompetent,
dangerously psychotic, emotionally damaged, whatever the fuck
they thought Elvin Masters had left him.
Nope, Spike was back. Lead Detective William Pratt was cured
and hot on the trail of a killer.
All he needed now was a suspect, a motive, some evidence, and
Giles approval.
Piece of cake.
Spike zipped down the hallway around the bend, following the green
stripe on the institutionally grey walls to the offices of the Administrative
Services.
"Morning Harmony, Giles busy?"
The blond receptionist looked up and saw Spike breeze through the
outer office door, heading directly for the inner sanctum. Her eyes
lit up at the smooth cat like body of the detective.
Blond hair all smoothed back just waiting to be ruffled out of
shape. Expensive cut grey suit fitting his slim body all snug and sleek
over his firm tight ass.
Yeah, Harmony had heard all the rumors, but it just made
the possibilities more intriguing.
Harmony loved a challenge.
"Spiiiike! Hey, where you been keeping yourself? I haven't seen you
round for a while."
She purred, flipping her hair and dramatically licking her lips.
"No, he's not busy and neither am I. Haven't seen you around much.
Not since cracking that big case. I just love a big.........case.
You working a big one right now? Maybe I could lend you a hand
with that big one. Hmmmm? Think so?"
Spike paused with his hand on the cold metal of the door handle and
turned to face the babbling, incoherent receptionist.
"Huh? What? Yeah, sure, big one. Whatever."
With his brain focused and his resolve firmly in place, Spike disregarded
the unimportant squealing and call me's that crawled up his back and
rolled off his shoulders. He had often wondered how the hell Harmony
got her job here. Luckily, he couldn't care less.
Spike gave two quick knocks and entered before waiting for Giles
response. He closed the door behind him and dropped cheerfully
down in the chair across from the stern looking Chief Inspector.
Giles leaned back in his huge leather chair and laid his folded hands
in his lap.
"Well, well. If it isn't Detective William, pain-in-my-ass, Pratt. Do
you have any idea how much crap I have taken in the last two days
over that damn drowning case I gave you? It was a simple fucking,
tie up the loose ends case, Spike. What the hell are you doing? The
fuckin' nephew has called twice threatening me. Magistrate Ethan Rayne
called wanting to know what the hell was going on and accusing you
and me both of gross incompetence. So why don't you tell me just
what the fuck you are up too."
Unable to suppress the grin that played at his lips, Spike slapped the
pink copy of his release form down on the desk and shoved it towards
his boss.
Without taking his eyes off Spike's, Giles picked it up and propped his
reading glasses on the end of his nose. Immediately a scowl spread
across his face. Part of the fallout of the Rosebud case was his
acknowledgement of a substance abuse problem. He had been
dealt with in a major hearing by the IDC and considered himself lucky
to still be employed..
After lengthy discussion it was finally decided that he would be allowed
to remain on duty but be sanctioned by a temporary pay reduction and
was subject to random urine tests.
Neither of those things worried him. He had some money saved and he
knew his tests would be clean. No, the worst of it was the agonizing sentence
of bi-weekly meetings with the obnoxious Dr. Hiney.
His only consolation was that Spike had received the same sentence.
Misery, did indeed, love company.
"How the hell did you get the psych to release you so fast? Every time
I meet with him he just keeps asking me "Vat did your Poppa do to make
you smoke dat veed?"
Spike laughed.
"I guess I just said the right thing at the right time. But what's important
is that he did release me. I'm back! I'm Lead Detective again."
Giles pulled a form out of the top drawer of his desk and slammed it down
in front of Spike.
"O.k. Good. Great, glad to have you back on the job, now sign off
on this accidental drowning and report to your office. There are enough
real cases to keep you busy for weeks. I'll reassign O'Connor back
to his own division and notify Detective St. John that you will be joining
her."
"Sorry, boss. I'm already on a case. This wasn't an accident. This
old lady was murdered. I have a couple of suspects just haven't been able
to work out which one did it yet."
Giles eyes got big and he sat bolt upright.
"Oh, hell, please don't tell me you are accusing Mr. Jacobs of slipping
in and offing the old bird. You can't be serious. This is a highly respected
business man. A man with contacts."
Spike rose calmly to his feet. He grabbed the precious pink paper, folded
it neatly and tucked it in his pocket. He then skipped to the doorway.
"Well, gotta go. Not naming any suspects yet but when I'm ready to
make an arrest I'll let you know. By the way, Giles, just to show you
what a good sport I am, if I'm wrong about her death I'll wash your
car everyday for a month. Right down in the garage where everyone
can see."
Giles tried not to smile and failed. Despite himself, he liked Spike,
and more than that, he had a great deal of faith in him and his instincts.
"And if you're right? What do you want?"
Spike jotted down a short sentence on a scrap of paper and tossed
it to the Chief Inspector who looked at it and rolled with laughter.
"You got it!"
With a brisk nod of his head, Spike left the office, ignored the blond
bimbo at the desk who had undone two more buttons on her tight blouse,
and headed for the elevator, his feet floating several inches off the ground.
As soon as he spoke to Dr. Ahn he planned on driving back to the
mansion and doing some serious butt kissing, if Xander would let him.