Breaking away

Chapter 3

A couple of hours later Spike found himself back in the club. He had just finished up with customer number 2 and was now busy hauling in customer number 3. If business kept going this good he'd be able to split in a day or two. For a moment a weird scent caught his attention. It was hard to smell it over the sweat and lust in this place but he could catch a faint whiff. Seems he wasn't the only demon in this club tonight. For a moment he contemplated sniffing it out but decided that getting the bloody hell out of this place was more important. He was about to approach the blond guy that had been casting wistful glances at him all night when a more familiar scent caught his nose. "Bloody Hell." He only just managed to turn around when a hand closed over his throat and he was pushed back into a wall.

"What the hell are you doing here Spike." His name was spat out at him like it was the most disgusting he had ever tasted. Just what he needed. The bleedin' dark avenger hanging around, making things more difficult on him. He had been hoping to avoid him entirely. Even kept a low profile for once. 'Course this would just convince the ponce he was planning something. Which incidently, he was. Getting out of here being item number one but the poof was never going to buy that. Bleedin' ridiculous, that. Might as well give him what he expected then. Not like dear old grand dad was going to let him go until he got it. Would probably only beat him up in an effort to prove that the great Angelus would never buy it. Never mind the fact that Spike wasn't selling. Well.... Not selling what the ponce thought he was selling at least.

So with some effort he managed to scrounge up enough effort to force a haughty smirk on his face, not realizing that it didn't reach his eyes and put on his best annoying childe voice. "Heya peaches. Didn't expect you to hang around here. What, with you being a bloody eunuch an' all." 3...2...1... And there was the sucker punch to the stomach he had been expecting. He winced as Angel's fist dug into his painfully thin stomach. He had managed to eat something today but at this point he was so malnourished that the pig’s blood he had managed to scrounge up was bloody useless. Especially if you counted the fact that he couldn't eat more then one and half a bag of it without throwing it back up. It seems his stomach had shrunk quite a bit over the last few months.

He forced his attention back to his pissed of grandsire. He managed to hold on to his smirk through sheer force of will. He just couldn't care right now. He was still sticky from his last two costumers and he was so tired of dealing with this. Part of him just wanted to hand his sire the stake he kept on his person for emergencies and beg him to use it. Not that he would. He was no quitter. No matter how tired he was. 'Sides. Wouldn't do to leave the Little Bit all by herself. She needed him. As long as she was still around he would endure. He always did. "Tsk tsk, peaches. That a way to greet your long lost family." He forced a hint of disdain into his voice. Mentally patting himself on the back when he succeeded.

"Not lost enough apparently." He couldn't stop the wince fast enough so decided to cover it by tilting his head. "Apparently not." He said, trying to keep the weary resignation out of his voice. The git frowned at him. Apparently he hadn't managed it quite as well as he had hoped. Best do something to piss him off before things got awkward. "Buffy says hi by the way." Knowing that some of her sent still lingered on his shirt. A deep whiff and the poof was once again glaring. "What did you do to her." He gave him a leer. Pressing his tongue against his teeth and wiggling one brow suggestively. "Nothing she didn't beg me for first." That had earned him another punch. To the face this time. "If you hurt her..." He couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped him. "Yeah... You'll what... Stake me like you did Darla?" He asked him. Bitterness colouring his voice.

"I didn't hurt anyone." He stressed the I clearly. "Not to worry gramps. Will be out of your nancy hair-do soon enough. Just trying to scrounge up some cash before moving on is all." The poof was back to frowning at him. Was probably going for broody. The ponce only looked constipated to him though. "You're stealing..." "Not stealing anything ya ponce. Can't afford to get caught. Can't defend myself, remember. Earning my money tonight." Bloody idiot looked at him all confused before he took another sniff off air. His eyes widened as he finally understood. Angel released him and stepped back. "You're..." Spike nearly snorted. Great. He had managed to disgust his grandsire. At least he was fending for himself. Not his fault he was neutered. He searched his pockets for his cigs and lit one up.

Angel finally looked his form up and down. Noting his starved appearance no doubt. He grabbed one of Spike's slender wrists. "You're coming with me." His voice was determent. "Like hell I am." Spike tried to tug his wrist free, not that he expected to succeed. He was far to weak and too exhausted from the constant battle with his depression. Angel led him to the car and pushed him into the passenger’s seat. Hopped into the drivers seat himself and drove off. The blonde vampire sighed as he finished his fag and flicked the remainder out the window. That done he curled up in his seat, deciding to rest his eyes for a moment and falling asleep seconds after.