Remember Me

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Joss owns it all damn him!

Sorry this took so long, hopefully another chapter will be up sometime
this weekend. Thanks for all the reviews!

***

Chapter 21 - Interrogation Room B

"Am I under arrest?" Spike asked again.

"No. We told you, sir. We would just like to ask you a few questions."
Salazar answered, again.

"You've already done that, mate." Spike nearlowleowled. He was
tired and hungry. And it had been hours since he'd left Buffy that
morning. "I don't think I'm going to be answering any more questions
without my lawyer. I've already told you how I got the bruises."

"But you haven't fully explained your whereabouts last night." Benson
gave him a look that said 'I don't believe a word your saying'.

"And I've told you I'm not going to answer any more questions until
Giles gets here."

"Suit yourself." Salazar stood. "We'll just leave you to cool here for a
bit until your lawyer arrives."

After the two agents left the room, Spike stood and began pacing the
tiny area. What was he going to do?

It seemed like hours later before the nondescript door opened again.
Giles entered briefcase in hand.

"I came as soon as Buffy phoned this morning." He explained. He
sat, studying Spike carefully. "How are you William?"

"How am I? How the bloody hell do you think I am? They're treating
me like a felon! They haven't let me out of this room all day." Spike
was up and pacing again. Some of the tension had eased the
moment he'd seen Giles, but the worry and strain were still evident.
"Where's Buffy? Have you seen her?"

"Yes. She picked me up at the airport. She's waiting just outside
actually." Giles answered smoothly. Buffy had already filled him in
on the fact that the young couple were now engaged. This was
something he'd been hoping for, for quite some time.

Giles had been Will's lawyer since practically the first day he'd started
his business. He'd been around to witness the relationship between
Buffy and Will and was more than glad that they had finally decided to
move beyond the friendship they'd shared all these years. He held a
deep fondness for both of them, not having any children of his own.
And because he'd known them both and had been such a close friend
of the family Giles knew that Will could never do anything as cold as
murder.

"First things first, Will. You know I'm not a criminal lawyer. I've been
doing nothing but corporate law for the past 8 years now, and I think
you'd be best served by another attorney."

"What?" Spike was shocked. He'd been counting on Giles and he
wasn't sure he felt comfortable finding a new lawyer during this crisis.

"Don't worry, Will. I've found someone perfect for you. She'll be
arriving on a late flight tonight. And I'm not abandoning you." Giles
made sure to emphasize the last point. "I'll be sitting second chair if
they decide to actually take these ridiculous accusations to trial."

"What's this lawyer's name?" Spike asked warily.

"Joyce. Joyce Matthews. We're old friends. Went to university
together. Don't worry." Giles tried for a reassuring tone.

Spike stood still, eyes closed, head hung wearily. "Don't have much
of a choice, now do I?" He asked. "Can you get me out of here?"
Spike ached to see Buffy again. To reassure himself that she was
still there. Real. Waiting for him.

The last week was such a blur. A strange mix of fantasy and
nightmare combined. The realization that Buffy loved him. That she
knew he loved her and didn't run from the revelation. Buffy missing.
The agony and fear of not knowing whether she was alive or dead.
Their reunion. The beautiful night they'd shared before the ache of
leaving her hit him. The pain of separation, then the joy of seeing
her, touching her, loving her again. And then Angel, that bastard.
Threatening to take it all away. To take her away. His death. The
police. Buffy's eyes as he was led away this morning.

God, he needed to see her again.

Spike stared at the door, willing himself to see beyond it. Willing
himself to see his Buffy.

When the door opened once more Spike was startled out of his
intense focus. Benson and Salazar entered, nodding a greeting at
Giles.

"Gentlemen." Giles greeted them in turn. When they took seats on
the other side of the table, Giles began. "My client has been here for
several hours. If there's nothing more, we'd like to go."

"There are still several questions we'd like to ask." Benson insisted.

"I'm afraid Will has answered all the questions he can today. Now
unless you are planning on charging my client with something, we're
leaving." Giles stood one hand on Spike's elbow.

The two agents just sighed, and gestured toward the door. "You
know it might be better for you if you cooperate with us, Mr.
Huntington. It might turn out better for you in the end."

Spike gave the agents a long serious look, but said nothing. Instead
he turned, nodded at Giles, and they both swept quietly out of the
room.

***

Harmony was shaking. Her legs felt like lead, and she wasn't sure if
she could make it all the way down the hall. She clutched at Buffy's
hand, glad that the other woman had agreed to come with her. She
wasn't sure if she could do this alone.

She took a deep breath, nodding at Buffy before continuing down the
corridor. She thought back on the last week, the last few months
really. Harmony had finally admitted to herself that Angel didn't love
her. And more importantly, that she didn't love Angel. She'd tried.
She'd wanted, more than anything, for the kind of love that she could
see between Buffy and Will. But s kno known, deep down, that she
would never have that with Angel.

But, God, she hadn't wanted this either! She may not have loved him,
but she had cared about him. She'd been more than shocked to find
out what he'd been capable of. That he could hurt Buffy, hurt Will,
without remorse. She glanced furtively at Buffy, wondering what the
other woman was thinking. Did she wonder how Harmony could still
have feelings for Angel? Did she wonder why Harmony would care
about the monster that had hurt, and threatened, and nearly killed
her? Probably. Harmony wondered that, too.

Harmony gulped when they came to the double doors, Buffy at her
side, and a police officer in front. He turned to her, asking with his
eyes if she were ready. She nodded once, took another deep breath,
and followed him into the room. Her eyes tracked along the walls,
noting the contents of the room. The metal tables, the wall of
drawers, the men in white lab coats. Goosebumps broke out along
her arms, and she let go of Buffy briefly to rub them vigorously.

Her shivering grew when her eyes landed on a table at the far end of
the room. A white sheet draped over a mass of lumps beneath its
surface. She could just make out pale white toes sticking out from
beneath the sheet as she followed the officer toward the prone figure.
A lab technician was standing by the table, waiting patiently, pity or
maybe just boredom swam in his eyes.

"Ms. Kendall?"

Harmony blinked. By the look on Buffy's face she got the feeling that
they had been calling her name for awhile. She gave them a shaky
smile, and nodded. "Yes?"

"Are you ready?" The lab tech had his hand on the sheet the look on
his face morphing into one of expectation. At her second nod, he
threw the sheet back, revealing the pale and bruised face beneath.

Harmony let out a sharp involuntary gasp. Her eyes were wet with
tears, before she could even form the thought in her head that it was
him. "It's him. It's Angel." The words were barely audible.

He looked...peaceful. The bruises were a faded purple, but there was
no swelling left. Harmony leaned forward, studying his still face.
Suddenly her eyes caught sight of the tiny scar on his chin. He'd told
her, when they'd first started dating and were still in the getting to
know you phase, that he'd gotten ack ack in 5th grade when he'd slide
into home and ended up hitting a rock. The cut had bled painfully, but
the umpire had called him safe and that had been all he'd cared about
at the time.

She smiled at the memory of that conversation. At the thought that
they'd once been happy. Once been in that place where Harmony
had thought that she might just have met her prince charming. What
had happened? When had he become such an obsessed self-
involved jerk? Or had he always been? Had she just been blind?
Realizing where her thoughts were headed, Harmony mentally
castigated her self. The man was dead.

She turned on her heel, taking long striding steps to the door. When
she was finally out in the corridor once more, she turned gratefully
into Buffy's arms, taking comfort where she could.

"Come on," Buffy urged her. "Let's get out of here."

Harmony was happy to comply. She let Buffy lead her back down the
hall and up the stairs. She knew where they were headed. Will was
upstairs, being questioned about last night. Buffy wanted to be there
for him when he got out.

Harmony thought about the man upstairs. About the pain and fear
he'd seen in Will's eyes the night she'd run into him in the hall outside
his suite. d Wid Will have killed Angel? He certainly would have
done anything to get Buffy back that night. But would he have done it
after Buffy had been returned safely? Could Will just walk up to
another human being and kill them in cold blood?

Harmony threw a quick glance at Buffy. Could Buffy love a man who
could do something like that? She shook her head. Harmony didn't
know. She could tell, though, that Buffy didn't think Will had anything
to do with Angel's death. Buffy believed with all her being that Will
was innocent. And who knew the guy better? Again Harmony shook
her head, not really knowing the truth. Harmony stole another glance
at the girl beside her. For Buffy's sake she hoped that Will was
innocent. Would their relationship survive if Will were guilty?
Harmony didn't think so.

This time Buffy's hand reached out to grab hers. Harmony could feel
the tension radiating off of Buffy's petite frame. She squeezed Buffy's
hand trying to give off whatever bits of reassurance she could, even
as she prayed for the future of the wayward couple.