Damage

"DRUSILLA!" Spike screamed as he ran up the steps towards her quarters.
He flung open her sitting room door and found her perched on the sofa, her porcelain doll, Miss Edith, in her hand.
"The baby fishes have been burning in your head, Spike" she said to him.
"Is it true? Tell me it's not true, Dru" Spike stormed over to her already knowing in his heart what the answer was.
"My baby boy went to see my sweet angel. That is true" Drusilla said dreamily.

All the built up frustration and anger and guilt and about a dozen other emotions finally burst forth from Spike like water bursting through a breaking dam.
"BITCH!" Spike slapped Drusilla across the face.
"You lying, whoring bitch!" Spike grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.
Drusilla just stared blankly on with no emotion in her eyes.
"I gave up everything for you! All these years! Years of my life taking care of you! What a fool I was! What a fool I am! Why Dru? I gave you everything you wanted! I did anything for you! I loved you heart and soul and this is how you repay me?" Spike ranted.
"16 bloody years of being your nursemaid. Bathing you, cleaning up your piss and vomit, shoving medication in your mouth. Bawling my eyes out over you."

Spike let go of Dru and slumped to the ground in a heap.
"10 years of not being able to make love to my wife. 10 fucking years I sat holed up in this house not living." Spike lifted his tear stained face to Dru and sobbed out, "Why him Dru? Of ALL people, why did it have to be him?"
"He's my daddy, Spike. I've always loved my angel, not you. You were so easy to fool though. A perfect lap dog. Grrr. Bark. Bark...but you're a bad dog now Spike. A very naughty doggy." Drusilla purred.
Spike face fell. He was crushed. She have never loved him. He spent two decades with a woman who never loved him, raising a child that wasn't really his. A perfect lap dog. He was a pathetic idiot, Spike thought to himself.

He still loved his son though and Riley WAS his son. He didn't give a rat's ass whether it was his sperm or the great poof's that made him, he was HIS son. He had been the one there when he was born. He had raised him. He had been there for his first steps and words and first day at school and first everything. Not that bastard, Angel. It had been HIM there. He might've lost his wife to him long ago but he would be damned if he lost his son to the likes of Angel Masters.

Spike calmly stood up and walked to the door.
"By the way, Drusilla. You should know that I have filed for a divorce and I am getting married to another woman. One who loves ME and is having MY child, I might add. I guess that makes us even, no?"
"Yes, I know all about your sunshine, my sweet William." Drusilla said and then resumed playing with her doll's frilly dress.
Spike shook his head and exited the room closing the door behind him. He leaned his head back against the wall, "God, I need you now Buffy. I need you so much baby" he whispered out loud.

Just a couple more days until her birthday. He wasn't sure he could hold out that long without her. He went downstairs and called her cell again. Same message. He called her house direct line then and Dawn answered.
"Hey bit, can I talk to your sister, please?" he asked.
"Umm...is this Spike? Cause if it is, my mom said I'm supposed to hang up on you." Dawn said hesitantly.
"It's William then" Spike said tongue in cheek.
"Well in that case..." Dawn giggled slightly then he heard an ear piercing, "BUFFY!!!!!!!!!!!!! TELEPHONE!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Hello. Who's there?" came Buffy's voice.
"Hey luv, it's me. I think I'm deaf now. Does your sis always do that?" Spike said.
"Yeah, it's in the "Bratty Younger Sisters Handbook 101"" Buffy teased.
"I miss you. I need to see you." Spike said returning to serious mode.
"I know. Me too...but Mom...God...just a couple more days Spike...then we'll be together..." Buffy sighed.
"I have some things to tell you and I...God..I need you Buffy" Spike started to cry.
"Spike? Spike..what's wrong? What happened, baby?" Buffy was concerned.
"Just...stuff...God, I'm such a nancy boy blubbering all over myself on the phone to you." Spike tried to save his manly image.
"It's O.K. Spike...look...Mom is still at the gallery...maybe I can get away for a couple hours...can we meet somewhere?" Buffy asked.
"Just come over to my place...well, I guess I'll have to pick you up anyway" Spike offered.
"What about Riley and ...umm...your wife?" Buffy inquired.
"Riley is out of town right now and Dru...I don't care anymore. Don't ever call that bitch my wife again. She knows about us. Don't worry about it." Spike explained.
"Ummlriglright...come pick me up. I'll get Dawn to cover fo. Sh. She still owes me for the jelly bean incident. Don't ask." Buffy said.
Spike chuckled, "I won't. I'll be there in 10 minutes. Love you." Spike said.
"Love you too." Buffy replied and hung up the phone.
"DAWN!!!!!!! GET IN HERE!!!" Buffy screamed.
Like sister like sister.

Riley pulled into the Hyperion Hotel parking lot. Armed with only Angel's name, he had found his home address and called there first. He had asked for Angel and the lady who answered the phone identified herself as Darla, his wife and told him he was at the hotel. Hotel? What hotel? He politely asked Darla and she said, rather bitchily that it was the Hyperion Hotel and huffed as if he should have known. He barely got out a thanks before she hung up on him.

Riley took a deep breath and got out of his car and walked to the main entrance of the grand hotel. He went inside and walked to the front desk.
"How can I help you?" the chipper clerk greeted him with a smile.
"I'm here to see Angel Masters. His wife Darla said I could find him here." Riley stated.
"Oh...Are you a friend of the family?" the clerk asked, interest peaked that the attractive young man knew Mr. Master's wife.
"Something like that" Riley replied.
"He is in his offices. Let me see if he is available. What's your name?" the clerk said and picked up a telephone.
"Riley. Riley Finn" he answered.

"Hello..Mr. Masters, there is a Mr. Finn at the front desk to see you." the clerk said.
"I'll be right down" Angel Masters said gruffly.

The clerk replaced the receiver and smiled at Riley, "He said he would be right down. You can have a seat in the lounge while you wait for him" she motioned to the area across from the front desk.
"Thanks" Riley walked over and took a seat.
Meanwhile Angel was grinning as he rode the elevator down from his penthouse office suite. After all these years good old Spike decided to show up. What was he here for? Money? Revenge? Sure as hell wasn't to reminisce about the good old days. Angel sneered and snickered at the thought of his long time nemesis. Hearing "Mr. Finn" from his employee and he immediately assumed it was William Finn, aka Spike.

Angel strode into the lobby area and over to the front desk. The clerk pointed out who was waiting for him and he looked across the room to see a young man, around 18 with sandy brown h bui built like a football player. As he walked closer and got a better look he couldn't help but notice some familiarities about the young man.
"Mr. Finn, I presume?" Angel said as he reached the boy.
Riley stood up and swallowed the lump in his throat, "Yes, Sir. Riley...nice to meet you" he stuck his hand out and Angel shook it.
"Do I know you?" Angel said bluntly.
"I don't know. You tell me." Riley replied.
"Look kid, I don't have time for games. I'm a very busy man. Got a hotel to run and all." Angel said irritated.
"You own the entire hotel?" Riley asked obviously impressed.
"Yes. Now are you going to tell me who the hell you are and what you want?" Angel demanded.
Even impressed about the hotel, nothing else about Angel's personality or character was very impressive to Riley. He was slightly irritated himself how mean and snotty Angel was behaving. Maybe his demeanor would change when Riley told him so without further ado, Riley blurted out, "I'm your son. I'm sure you remember my mom, Drusilla. She is hard to forget."

Angel's eyes widened in surprise and then clarity and then anger.
"I have a son and his name is Conner. You're not my son nor will you ever be my son. Yeah, I know your mom. She's a tart and for all I know, half our college alma mater's football team could be your father. How dare you come to my hotel and stage this scene? Isn't your mom married to William Finn...your last name is that, no?" Angel said.
Riley was stunned with hurt and anger but answered anyway, "Yes, she's married to William Finn. He...he thinks he is my dad...until now. Mom just told me..." Riley began but was interrupted by Angel's boisterous laughter.
"This is too funny. That stupid idiot...been playing house with Dru all these years and father to someone else's brat at that." Angel sneered.
"Yeah...yours! Mom said.." Riley began again.
"Look boy, I don't give a shit what your whore of a mother said to you. You're as much of an idiot as Spike is...you deserve him for a father. But even if he isn't...well, it's STILL not ME! You need to get the hell out of my hotel and don't ever show your face here again." Angel threatened.

Riley's eyes filled with tears. He had been hoping that his father would throw his arms around him and say how much he loved him and had missed him for all these years and that now they could all be one big happy family. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
"Please...Dad..just...let.me..Mom loves you so much...she told me...we can all be together..." Riley cried.
"Don't you ever call me that again...I ain't your Dad. Look...I fucked your mom...along with everyone else she knew but that's all it was. I never loved her and never will. I HAVE a wife and son now. You're nothing to me. Jesus, look at you...all crying sniveling and snotty. You may not be Spike's biological brat yot you sure as hell can tell that asshole raised you. Poor little William always was the fool." Angel continued on.

Riley finally had enough as rage boiled through him. He pushed Angel backwards then swung and landed a punch to his face. Angel hit the floor and people around the lobby and lounge area gasped and began to murmur.
"You're right about one thing. You AREN'T my father. MY father is a decent and kind man who loves his family and takes care of them even when it's the hardest thing in the world to do. MY father loves me and if I am an idiot, it's only because it took me until now to realize that. My father would do almost anything for me and yeah, he's made some mistakes but he's the best dad anyone could have ever had. He isn't a fool. YOU'RE the fool! You aren't half the man that he is and you never will be. That why you had to steal his girl? Make fun of him? Fight with him? You were so jealous of him and everything he was that you're not, weren't you? So you gotta be the big man and cut him down, make him hurt? You're a pathetic piece of shit with your fancy hotel and designer suits. I feel sorry for your wife and son. My dad has more class in his pinky finger than you have in your entire body. You don't have to worry about me coming back here. I'm going home...where I belong." Riley turned and walked away, his head held high.
"What the fuck are you looking at?" Angel yelled at the audience they had gained as he lifted himself off the floor, hand holding his rapidly swelling eye and face and staggered away.

Buffy smiled brightly as she saw Spike's car pull up into the drive. She told Dawn goodbye and was out the door in a flash running to his car. Buffy jumped into Spike's car and threw her arms around his neck and sloppily kissed him.
"I missed you so much. Drive fast." she breathed.
"Put your seat belt on Sunshine and I will" he replied.
She fastened her belt and Spike put the car in reverse. Dawn watched them from the front window as his car disappeared down the street.

Continued in Chapter 18- Starry Eyes