Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name. chapter 3

Author: Purpledodah (find me on lj, username purpledodah)
Fandom: Ats human AU.
Pairing: S/A W/X
Rating will be nc17
Disclaimer: Not mine, they got of at my bus stop.
Warnings: m/m slash. Angst, some violence and drug abuse.
Summary: Angel is a homeless street kid, Spike is a New York cop.

This was written for a challenge set by katsa db lover over on strip_off_angel on lj
Chapter 3

Many thanks to rockstarpeach for the super fast beta, sablerose2 for the help with Dru, and w6c who did some research for me.

Fred had called Wes while Spike was in the shower. Wes entered the building just as Angel left. He walked right up to Spike, trying to place a hand on Spike’s arm. Spike moved, barriers up again, no one would touch him unless he allowed it, and right now he was not touchy feely.
“Spike I …. Oh God I just don’t know what to say”
“Nothing ya can say mate. Cept maybe explain why ya ‘ere”
“Fred called me to come pick you up. She said you’d walked here, and apart from what’s happened you’ve got stuff to take home”
Spike sighed and looked at the ‘stuff’ as the puppy wagged it’s tail at him. He supposed it was a bit much expecting the little fella to walk home in the snow. “Wes, meet Gabe” he hunkered down and rubbed behind the pup’s ears.
“Gabe?” Wes went over to the pair of them, confusion on his face.
“Yeah, just before… well this guy came in, said the pup was called Gabriel, I thought it was the angel thing Dru had went on about on Christmas day, so I kinda promised to take it in and find it a good home.” Spike had told Wes what Dru had said to him.

Fred had told Wes briefly what had happened, so Wes knew about the kid, ‘Angel’. “Perhaps she meant to look out for them both” Wes was the last person to take what Dru said with a pinch of salt. She had been far too accurate with things she had said to him over the years.

Spike shrugged, tired and emotionally drained. “Buggered if I know Wes”.
Secretly Gunn, Fred and Wes all thought the same thing, having the dog to look after if even for a short time, would perhaps help Spike hold it together. Spike took promises seriously, even when made to the homeless. He always came through on his promises.

Spike allowed Fred to hug him goodbye, and promised to call if he needed anything. Fred all but kicked him, knowing he had his fingers crossed so it didn’t count. He ducked his head caught out.

“Ya idiot, how many times have you done stuff for us? For the shelter? ‘bout time you let us pay you back, you listening to me Blondie?” Fred was close to tears.
Spike hugged her tight. “Look Fred, right now I don’t know what I want, when I figure it out I’ll let ya know. That do ya?”
“Just don’t forget you got friends that love you” she whispered.
Spike swallowed “Luv ya too pet” he whispered back, he shook Gunn’s hand, and untied the pup, Fred put the food in a bag and passed it to Wes to carry out.
Fred and Gunn watched them leave, arms around each other.

The snow was falling down thicker when they stepped outside, so Spike lifted the pup into his arms and carried it to Wes’ car. It licked his face, just the once. Wes held the door open and Spike climbed in, sat the pup on his knee, absently stroking the soft fur as Wes drove him home. They hardly spoke.
“What needs to be done first?” Wes asked after a while.
“Call the station, call a funeral home I guess.” He looked down. “Feed Gabe” he rested his head back against the leather head rest.
“I can make the calls, if that helps” Wes never took his eyes off the road.
“Would you mind calling work? Want to do the funeral myself” Spike never took his eyes off Gabe.
“Soon as we get home I’ll call.” He shifted a bit. “Want me to tell anyone else”
“Does Xander know?”
Wes shook his head. “I just said I had to go out”
Spike was touched by Wes’ loyalty to him. “Ya could have told him, not like we can keep it a secret” his voice was raw with emotion.
“Secrets have a way of buggering up around you and me.” Wes said. “But as Fred had called me without you knowing, I thought it prudent to hold my tongue”.
Spike snorted. “That’s a good way of putting it” he stroked fur, turned and looked at Wes. He could tell Wes was upset too. “You can tell them if you like, they need to know. Just…. Well just say she went peaceful like, in my arms. Oh and tonight I would ‘preciate it if I could be alone” he knew they would want to come and say nice things, offer help. He couldn’t cope with that tonight.

Wes nodded, understanding completely. “You just call if you think of anything. And I’ll keep the lot of them away tonight, but you know what they are like, they will expect to see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I know Wes. Just want to go over things in me head, look at her picture. I’ll call ya before I go to bed. Won’t hit the bottle mate, if that’s what ya thinking”

Wes shook his head. Spike had turned to booze when Dru had left him. Luckily they had got him sorted out, and no one at the station had found out. But it had been close.
“I know you would not go down that route again. If however you want company to toast her life, I would be only to happy to assist”

Spike smiled at the gentle reminder too not drink alone. “Will do mate, just not tonight. Tonight is more cocoa and them little marshmallow things.”

Wes smiled sadly. Joyce had made the hot drink for Dru, but Spike had got addicted to it, he still got Dawn to make it for him when he helped her with her homework. They were both often found, inky fingers and chocolate moustaches, heads together, deep in whatever little world they had gone too. Those were the times Wes had had to stop himself leaning in and licking Spike clean. Spike was oblivious to Wesley’s on and off lusting after him.

It wasn’t just the chocolate covered lips that sent Wes off lusting after his partner, no, watching him work could be sheer torture. Spike was a damn good cop. He got things done. He could charm information out of most anyone, then turn around and scare a confession out of the most hardened criminal. They made a good team, Wes did most of the research and then set Spike on who or what he found out. Spike was better than a sniffer dog at tracking and hunting down and his marksmanship was legendary, as was Wesley’s.

Wes parked up outside Spike’s building; he went in through a side door to get to his apartment. They looked at each other. “I’ll call the station, see who’s in today” they had for once had the holiday’s off. “Give me half an hour or so and I’ll call you up, tell you what they say”. Wes told him, wanting to offer comfort, but knowing it would be refused.

“Ta Wes. I’ll go up, get the pup settled and stuff, speak to ya later then…. And thanks mate.” Spike took the bag and the dog, and made his way round the side of the diner to his door. Wes drove off to park up outside his building when he saw Spike go inside.

While Spike gave Gabe a tour of the apartment, Wes was telling Xander about Dru’s death. Xander had always been a bit creeped out by Dru, but he hadn’t disliked her, just her way of ‘seeing’ stuff. He was upset, but more upset for Spike. Wes and Xander held each other tightly, each taking comfort in the other.

“What can I do for him Wes?” Xan asked.
“Nothing till tomorrow, he wants to be left alone tonight” Wes kissed Xander, a soft, gentle kiss.
“Yeah, but he shouldn’t be alone”
Wes shrugged, walking to the phone to call work. “I’ll call him when I’ve spoke to work, and he’s promised to call before he goes to bed, or if he need’s anything. Nothing much else we can do Xan. Perhaps tell the others” Wes answered. He knew Xander hated being the bearer of bad news, so he would be telling the others. He smiled as Xan turned the kettle on, Oh yes, Xander avoidance tactic number two.

Spike had walked around the apartment with the puppy on his heals telling Gabe what was what. Spike then called the funeral home. He made what arrangements he could over the phone, and got a time to drop by tomorrow. He still had his coat on so he opened the door to the back steps that led down to his back yard area. He and the pup slipped and slid down the snow covered steps, Gabe seemed to love it, and Spike was forced to smile at the antics of Gabe trying to get down them. Once down he spoke. “Go on mate, do ya doggy stuff” Gabe woofed softly and capered off in the snow chasing the snow as it fell. Spike made and threw snowballs for him, which Gabe eagerly chased after.

Eventually the pup, seeming a bit shy, hunkered down and did his ‘doggy thing’ Spike shovelled it up praising Gabe for being “Such a good boy”
They made their way back up stairs slowly, halfway up Gabe whimpered, so Spike picked him up and carried him the rest of the way. He set him on the floor to have him whimper again. Closer inspection showed hard lumps of snow had frozen to the tufts of fur between the pup’s toes. Spike shrugged off his coat and got a towel off the radiator. He sat on the couch and gently melted the snow with his fingers, as Gabe licked at his hands. He then dried the pup with the warm towel. By the time he had finished Gabe had dozed off on his lap. He settled him on the couch so he could go make a hot drink for himself.
He was just stirring his tea when Wes rang him. The name lit up on his display.

“Hi Wes” he said as he sipped hot tea and answered the call.
“Hello Spike. I called in. We both have loads of holiday time left, so they inform me” which was no surprise, they always did. This had been the first Christmas they had not worked in years. Spike had insisted they booked the time off so Wes could have a proper first Christmas with Xander. Being a cop’s significant other was bad enough at the best of times. So Xan had shut down for the holidays too, he and Wes had spent most of the time in bed, but no one minded, at least they were not indulging in their ‘outdoor sex’ kink.

“Don’t think I’ll need loads of time Wes, just need to get Dru’s funeral sorted and stuff”.
“Nonsense, besides you know the score”
Yeah he did.
“Yeah, right so what did they say” another sip of tea.
“Take a month out” Wes sipped his own tea.
“Fuck, what am I supposed to do with myself for that long” he had already found having the last ten days off boring.
“We shall think of something I am sure” Wes sipped tea, and got a kiss on the head from a passing Xander.
Spike grumbled. “But..”
“No buts. Besides I asked for more time off myself. I have extended my vacation time two more weeks, with the option to extend further. I lied, God forgive me” He chuckled.
“Wesley Wyndham Pryce I am appalled” Spike snickered. “Spill book boy”
“Well once I heard Inspector Chase would be paired with me till your return I wimped out”
Spike laughed out loud. “Ahhh right. Don’t blame ya mate. So I take it you are spending the time ‘helping’ me”.
“Well I will anyway, you know anything you want, I would only be too happy to help”
Spike was amused, he had took the time off with Wes so he didn’t get partnered with the ball breaker that was known as Cordy Chase. He also knew Wes had thought a great deal of Dru, so it wasn’t as if he was taking advantage of the situation. Wes had to be hurting too. Dru at her scariest had not ruffled his partner, and Wesley’s quiet manner had calmed her down too many times to count. Wes had often gone above and beyond the boundaries of normal friends and work partners for Spike and Dru, just as Spike had done the same for him, just less often.
“I’ll be sure to find the odd ‘task’ for ya then mate” Spike sighed. “Go snuggle up with Xan, enjoy the peace and quiet for a bit before ya go spillin’ the beans to the others.”

“Surely telling them first will give us less of a headache than keeping them in the dark and them finding out later will.” Wes counselled.
Spike hissed. “That’s why you are the clever git in this partnership Wes. Just tell them, but stress I want tonight to remember, before doing anything.” Spike felt a bit guilty demanding to be left alone, but if he didn’t do it now, he would never be left alone.

Wes laughed quietly. “I am not being clever, call it wary of women on the warpath”.
Spike snickered again. “Self preservation is good thing Wes. Just blame me, say I’m being a prick as usual. Besides I’m not alone, got Gabe with me.” Spike glanced at the sleeping pup. “Did you know dogs snored?”
“They dream too, their paws go as if they are running and sometimes they woof and whine” Wes informed him, remembering the dogs he’d had at home as a child.
“See got my evening entertainment all worked out, call ya later, and thanks Wes”.
“None needed, rest. I shall expect your call later” Wes hung up and surrendered to Xander’s hug.
Spike switched off his phone and curled up on the other end of the couch, pulling the blanket on the back over himself. He let the tears fall.