Conflict of Interest

The next few weeks passed by in a drunken blur for Spike. He was so distraught over this new Buffy and Robin Wood thing that was obviously going on, he couldn’t stand it. He figured if he just stayed drunk, he wouldn’t have to worry about it. Unfortunately, when he was drunk, he thought about it even more but by then, he was so drunk to realize so drank more. It was an ongoing vicious cycle.

It was early one morning and he was passed out on the sofa in his office yet again when he awoke to raised voices from outside in the waiting room.
“I don’t care. I’m going in to see him whether you like it or not” Tara said.
“Mr. Giles specifically told me that NO ONE was to disturb him. That means YOU” Harmony shrieked.
“Just try and stop me, Missy” Tara pushed her way past Harmony and opened Spike’s office door.
“Spike? It’s Tara” she called as she entered the room.
“Why the bloody hell are you bleeding women shouting?” Spike sat up and cupped his throbbing head in his h.
“.
“I’m sorry Mr. Giles. I tried to stop her” Harmony was on the heels of Tara.
“It’s O.K. Leave us alone” Spike told her.
“Yes, Sir.” Harmony turned and left closing the door behind her.

Tara walked over to Spike’s small kitchenette and pulled out some filters and coffee from the above cabinets and turned to the coffee maker and proceeded to make a pot as Spike groaned behind her.
“I’ve been calling you for the last couple weeks, Spike. I was worried. You just don’t think about anyone else but yourself, do you?” Tara said angrily.
“I’ve been busy, pet” Spike replied.
“Yeah, busy being a drunken asshole” Tara responded. She rarely lost her temper or swore so Spike raised his eyebrow at hearing her do just that.
“What the hell does anyone bloody care what I do? Not like it matters.” Spike took the glass of water and aspirin that Tara was now handing to him.
“People do care, Spike. You just won’t let them get close enough. Besides that, you have a huge trial coming up. I’m sure your client would lto sto see his attorney in this condition. Jesus, Spike. It’s not just your life we’re talking about. You have responsibilities so yeah; others do care about what you do because what you do will affect them. If you would stop wallowing in self pity and not just think about yourself for one damn minute, you would see that.” Tara informed him.

“Yeah, Angel O‘Reilly. Like you even care what happens to that ponce. Poofter probably did it anyway. He gives me the creeps. But you didn’t here me say that.” Spike pointed his finger at her.
“That’s not the point, Spike. You gotta stop doing this to yourself. I’m sure Buffy would love seeing you like this” Tara played her card.
“Buffy? What the fuck are you talking about?” Spike averted his eyes.
“Spike, how long have we been friends? I know most people think I’m quiet wall flower Tara but you know, this quiet wallflower sees an awful lot and if you even look me in the eye and tell me you and Judge Summers haven’t been playing around behind closed chambers, I’ll call you a liar to your face” she told him.
“How did you know?” Spike knew it was useless to lie to her.
“I have assumed for quite a while now. The passing looks. The obvious going out of the way to annoy each other. No one spends that much time trying to piss someone off without wanting them big time and my Lord, the sexual tension you could cut with a knife.” Tara smiled.
“Buffy will kill me if she finds out I told you” Spike said.
“You didn’t tell me. I guessed.” Tara replied.
“So, how long has this been going on?” Tara brought his cup of coffee over to him and sat down next to him.

“It’s not going on anymore.” Spike looked down into his mug.
“Ahh. I see. Hence the drunken asshole persona you’ve been perfectly lately.” Tara sipped her own mug.
“I told her I’d leave Dru for her. Was going to bloody do it too but she broke it off with me anyway. I’m too beneath her. Bloody bitch” Spike ground his teeth.
“Did you ever think that maybe if you weren’t screwing half the women in town, getting drunk every night and notmentmention the fact that you should divorce Dru anyway, regardless of Buffy…well then maybe she wouldn’t think you weren’t so far beneath her? Come on, Spike. Do you blame her? Look at you. You’re a mess” Tara told him honestly.
“She made me messed up worse though” Spike pouted.
“That’s it. Blame everyone else for your problems. Spike, I love you a b a brother but you need a reality check. You need to get your act cleaned up. If you love her as much as I think you do, then you need to get it together. She asked about you yesterday at the bar and I’ve seen the way she looks at you and I think she cares just as much but she is never gonna come around as long as you are in this condition. You know I’m right.” Tara patted his leg.
“Better make another pot of coffee then. Don’t even make me give up smoking though because I draw the line there!” Spike ris his hand through his hair. “She really asked about me?”

Unknown to the two friends, Harmony stood on the other side of the door, glass pressed to it and listening in to their entire conversation. She turned and went back to her desk with a gleam in her eye.

Buffy pretended to laugh at something that was supposed to be funny that Robin just said. They were eating lunch at a café downtown on a Saturday afternoon. She had several dates with him over the last few weeks and each one left her longing for Spike even more, much to her dismay. Robin was a nice guy but she just didn’t feel any spark with him. Damn that bleached pest, she thought.

She hadn’t seen him around since that night at the bar. She knew he was working exclusively on the O’Reilly case and didn’t need to be in the courthouse for anything else but still, she usually would see him at Mac’s or around somewhere. She tried to discreetly inquire to Tara about his whereabouts the last time she was at Mac’s. Tara said she hadn’t seen him either and he was probably just working on the case, getting ready for the trial.
Yeah, probably getting drunk and screwing some bimbo is more like it she thought.

“Buffy? Hello? Are you in there?” Robin said trying to get her attention.
“Oh…sorry…must’ve drifted off.” Buffy blushed.
“I’m boring you aren’t I?” Robin frowned.
“What? No! Of course not. I’ve just got a lot on my mind. This huge trial and all.” Buffy covered.
“Yeah, I imagine that has got to take a toll and it hasn’t even started yet” Robin pointed out.
“Yeah, well…the anticipation of it” Buffy took a drink of her diet soda.

Later that day, Robin was dropping her off at home and walked her to the door as was his custom. They had kissed a few times and each time he tried to take it a bit further but Buffy had continued to resist.
“I had a nice time, again.” Robin smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her.
“Me too, Robin” Buffy let him kiss her, bringing her arms up around his neck.
Just as he was deepening the kiss, they both heard tires squealing and a loud crash.

They looked out to the street to see a big black Desoto scrunched up against a small tree in the tree lawn between the sidewalk and street in front of Buffy’s house. Beftheythey knew it, a bleached blonde head exited the driver’s side of the car and began spouting off curses that could be heard a mile away.
“Oh God!” Buffy gasped.
“Hey...isn’t that…isn’t that Spike Giles?” Robin squinted his eyes.
“I…uhh…I think so.” Buffy said knowing full well it was him.
“We better go see if he needs help” Robin said being the diligent good citizen he was.
“Uhhh…yeah.” Buffy followed after him.

“Are you O.K. Mr. Giles?” Robin walked up to the wrecked car.
“Does it look like I’m O.K.? Bloody fucking hell. My baby.” Spike looked at his car distraught.
“Do you need us to call the police or anything? You’re not hurt are you?” Buffy looked him over.
“Nice of you to care now seeing as it’s your bloody fault” Spike pointed at Robin and Buffy.
“Our fault? Huh? What?” Buffy said.
“Christ, giving the whole bloody neighborhood a free porn show. Distracted me as I was driving and BAM!” Spike looked at Buffy with disgust and she blushed in embarrassment.
“Now wait just a minute…” Robin began to defend Buffy’s honor.
“Save it, Robin Hood! Just take the show inside won’t you?” Spike rolled his eyes and pulled out his cell phone to call a tow.

“Like you’re one to talk. The whore of Sunnydale!” Buffy exclaimed as Robin’s eyes widened in shock at her saying such a thing to anyone.
Spike, having ordered the tow, slammed his phone shut and spun around to Buffy.
“Care to say that again, pet?” his eyes shone with anger and…hurt from seeing Buffy with someone else and her pointing out his sluttish ways.
“You heard me, Spike Giles! Everyone in this town knows what you are. You’re the pervert who was watching me and my boyfriend instead of the road so it’s your own fault!” Buffy shouted and turned and ran up her walk to her door.
“Boyfriend?” both Spike and Robin said at the same time.
“Buffy, wait” Robin followed her without a second glance at Spike.

“Argggggggggggg” Spike kicked his already smashed up Desoto in the side. He took his phone back out aunchunched in a number.
“Yeah, it’s me. I fucked up again. Can you come pick me up? I’mfronfront of her house. Yeah. My car’s smashed up. Got a tow coming for it. I need a ride though. Thanks, pet.”
He sat down on the curb and waited for Tara to get there. His nostrils flared and he clenched his fists as he was consumed with thoughts about what Buffy and her new “boyfriend” were doing inside her house now.

Tara and the tow showed up at the same time about 15 minutes later. Spike watched his baby being taken away and then got into Tara’s car.
“Care to explain what happened or do I not want to know?” Tara looked disappointed.
“Saw her with that wanker, Robin Wood. He was mauling her on the front porch.” Spike pouted.
“So you decided to run your car into a tree to stop them?” Tara looked incredulous.
“No! It really was an accident. I was distracted. Looking at her. At them. Lost control of the car and before I knew it. WHAM! Good thing I was going pretty slowly.” Spike explained.
“What am I going to do with you Spike? I get you sober for a few days and now you’re smashing your car in front of her house.” Tara shook her head.
“Sorry Sis. Hey, uhh can you drop me at Wesley Wyndham Pryce’s office? That’s where I was heading.” Spike looked out the window.
“Wesley? Isn’t he a divorce attorney?” Tara questioned.
“Uhh…yeah. Figured it was about time. Don’t you think, pet?” Spike turned back towards her, eyes begging for her support.
“It’s way past time, Spike. I’ll be happy to drop you there.” Tara smiled. She hated Spike’s wife Dru and that was saying something as Tara pretty much liked everyone. She always knew Dru was a manipulative cheating bitch though but William had been so in love with her back in the day and nothing she said would’ve changed that. He had to find it out on his own and he certainly had in due time.

Tara pulled up to Wy’s y’s office. She gave Spike a hug. “I’m proud of you for doing this, Spike. It’s the first step, well second if you count the sobering up a few days ago but you know what I mean. I’ll be here for you every step of the way. If you need anything, you know that.”
“Thanks, pet. I do. Welp, better bloody well get this over with before I lose my nerve.” He said as he exited the car and walked up to Wesley’s door front.

Wesley Wyndham Pryce was an attractive yet book wormish man. He looked more like an accountant or librarian than a divorce attorney in his tweed suit. Spike outlined the basics to Wes as he took notes and asked more questions. The meeting ended with Wes informing Spike he would draw up all the necessary papers and then have him back to go over them before serving Dru with them. Spike and he shook hands and Spike called Tara to pick him up and take him to get a rental car while his was being repaired.

Spike spent the last week before the trial started “getting cleaned up” as Tara called it. He had a cleaning service come in and clean his office top to bottom. He purchased a few new nice suits. He had his hair cut and re-colored. Most of all, he hadn’t had a drink since the morning Tara yelled at him in his office. He called Dru and told her had filed for divorce to which she laughed and told him she would take him for everything he had. He told her he didn’t bloody care because she already HAD taken him for everything he had except his soul and she sure as hell wasn’t getting that so she could piss off.

He had met with Angel several times to go over the trial and for once Angel appeared impressed. Spike’s appearance and behavior had done a rapid change and he appeared all lawyerly and professional now.

When the first day of the trial rolled around, he was feeling rather chipper, sans the Buffy and Robin Wood thing but he had tried to push that to the back of his mind as he got other things in his life straightened out. Tara was right. Until he cleaned up the other screwed up parts of his life, he didn’t have a chance in hell to get Buffy back. He would show her though!

Spike walked into court that morning, wearing a crisp, clean and stylish suit. His hair was exactly in place, his face clean shaven. He smelled great, weg Bug Buffy’s favorite cologne. He had a charming smile on his face. All in all, he looked like a million bucks. He knew it and everyone else in the room did too, namely the jury’s women who gave him appreciative looks.

“All rise for the honorable Judge B. Summers.” the bailiff stated.
Buffy was shocked when she entered the courtroom. What was he playing at now, she thought as she took in his appearance. She shook her thoughts off and looked at D.A. Harris.
“Is the State ready to begin its opening arguments, counselor?” she asked.
“We are, Your Honor” Xander Harris rose and walked around his table, sparing a quick glance at the transformed Spike. Spike winked at him and his cheeks tinged pink. I am NOT gay, he thought to himself as he walked closer to the jury box.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. I am Xander Harris and an assistant district attorney. My associates and I will prove to you all beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, Angel O’Reilly, savagely beat and stabbed his wife 19 times resulting in her death. We will prove that not only did he have motive, but opportunity and no alibi. I am confident that by the end of the trial, the truth will be out and you all will do the right thing in making sure that Mr. O’Reilly is held accountable for killing Darla O’Reilly, a young and beautiful woman whose life was cut tragically short due to that man” Xander pointed at Angel. “Thank you ladies and gentlemen”.
“Thank you Mr. Harris. Mr. Giles, you’re up” Judge Summers said.
“Thank you, Your Honor” Spike’s voice was like honey.

Spike stood and walked over to the jury box and half sat on the railing separating them from the floor of the courtroom.
“Good morning ladies and gentlemen. While we all sympathize with the loved ones of Darla O’Reilly, no one has been affected more by this horrible crime than her loving and devoted husband, Angel O’Reilly. The prosecution thinks that they can pin the blame on the grieving husband merely because of circumstantial evidence. They have no murder weapon and as I will show you, not very credible witnesses. All they have is an assumption. You will see that what they have cannot render a guilty verdict beyond reasonable doubt. I believe in my heart” Spike clasped his hand to his chest for dramatic effect. “That you all will provide us with justice and let this poor man go home to his family so he may begin to rebuild his life after this unspeakable tragedy. Thank you.” He made eye contact with each juror and then slowly sauntered back over to his seat next to Angel.

“Mr. Harris? Is your first witness ready?” Judge Summers asked.
“Yes, Your Honor. The State calls Police Chief Charles Gunn to the stand” Xander said.

Continued in Chapter 4- Witness for the Prosecution