Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name.

Author: Purpledodah
Fandom: Ats human AU.
Pairing: S/A W/X
Rating will be nc17
Disclaimer: Not mine, they got off 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


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


Chapter 6

The first part of Spike’s plan worked fine. After he got off the phone from talking to Lindsay and his boss he made tea, and got out his large first aid kit. He turned on the radio while Wes called Gunn.

Doyle came out the bathroom wrapped in a towel. He was black and blue all over. Spike winced but held his tongue as he checked the kid over. “You still bleeding anywhere?”
Doyle knew Spike was trying to be polite. But the bleeding had stopped in the night. “Nah, just sore, had worse done there. Just me bit’s are bruised and sore.”
“Can ya pee ok” Spike asked as he took a peek, Doyle was bruised and swollen, but nothing looked black and dead.
“Yeah, hurt a bit, not as much as when I got a good kickin’ in the kidneys, and there wasn’t any blood”.
Spike nodded satisfied, it would be painful, but Doyle would be ok. Spike considered sending Doyle for routine testing, but didn’t think the kid would go just yet. Perhaps when this was over he could help the kid get clean and off the streets, then pull the ‘you could make Angel sick’ card on him.
“Lookin’ at ya, it’s these deep welts on ya back that need attention. Gonna put some salve on em, and a dressing where it’s bad. Ok?
Doyle nodded and hissed as Spike carefully applied the antiseptic.

Wes hid a smile. Seeing the caring side of Spike come out was a kink of his. Spike was often described as vicious and nasty, not bothered when he had to act tough to get the job done. Yet there was a softer side, deeply loyal to those he loved. He had cared for Dru above and beyond what any other person would have in his shoes. Wesley himself was often the focus of that caring, if he was ill or hurt, however small, Spike fussed and acted like a mother hen until whatever it was healed up. Xander had always came to Spike with splinters knowing they would be taken out with the minimum of fuss, though now he did like Wes to make a fuss if he was injured, giving Wes big puppy eyes so it got kissed better.
Wes watched as Spike was totally focused on applying ointment and dressings, doing his best not to hurt Doyle further.

Doyle felt awkward, not used to being treated with anything like care by anyone but Angel. Spike looking at him, even gently lifting the towel to put the salve on the lash marks on his bum and thighs didn’t embarrass him, he was just a whore, used to being seen naked, hell he’d have took the towel off, but Spike had stilled his hand when he had gone too. No it was the gentleness of the touch, the quiet ‘sorry’ when he made Doyle flinch that had the tears falling.

Wes looked away, set about pouring tea and raiding the cookie jar.
Spike put a hand on Doyle’s shoulder. “Come with me mate, I’ll lend ya a clean set a togs, need ta keep these wounds clean yeah?” Doyle let himself be led away, too choked up too talk. The pup followed on Spike’s heels.
Spike rummaged about in drawers, tossing a bunch of clothes on the bed. He looked over, Doyle was still crying. “Shit, come ‘ere kid”.
Doyle found himself held gently, his head rested on a firm shoulder. “Let it out mate, just let go. I promise to do all I can to help ya. Me an Wes will keep Angel safe.” Spike didn’t know how the kid had coped, and his loyalty to Angel was astonishing in an addict. He also knew the fear of not being able too look after someone you loved. It was a fear that cut to the bone, and ate away at your soul. Spike hoped he wasn’t making empty promises, he believed they could do it, just well… best made plans and that…

Doyle cried, well sobbed more like, from fear, shame and relief of finally telling someone his burden. He felt a small spark of hope for Angel well up inside him.
“Angel doesn’t know he’s in danger does he?” Spike whispered.
“No, I couldn’t…”
“Shhhh, it’s ok, we’ll work it out”.

Eventually Doyle stopped crying, he dried his eyes and blew his nose on the tissue Spike gave him. Then Spike helped him get the clothes on over the dressings and salve, Doyle’s bruises and sore muscles not helping him much.

Wes looked up from drinking his tea when they walked back into the kitchen, he smiled, the kid looked better, so hopefully felt better, and therefore able to work with them better. Someone stopping every two minutes to cry could really slow things up. He was alright comforting witnesses when he had too, but Spike did it so much better, giving comfort freely, as Wes was a bit awkward about it.

Spike told Wes to call Xan, tell him to come back the back way, they didn’t want Angel seen on the street. Wes made the call, making it sound as though nothing was wrong as such.

Spike gave Doyle more tea, hunted in a cupboard and then gave him some pills for the pain, hoping they would do, and Doyle didn’t start going cold turkey on them.
“You got another fix with you?” Spike asked.
Doyle nodded. “Oh yeah, the Master made sure I had a few fixes, makes it more likely I’ll live to go back for more, and take Angel with me.”
That’s the way the drug worked, the more you had, the more you craved it, same as most addictive things.

Spike checked the time, turned the radio up, “want ya to listen to the news” he told Doyle.
They listened through the usual national headlines, then some local news. Doyle’s eyes going wide when he listened to Angel’s name and description being given out as a suspect wanted in the suspicious death of a police inspector’s wife. He sat open mouthed. Looking at Spike, who seemingly had sat calmly while his and his wife’s name had been given out on air.

“Spike I don’t understand, Dru, she….”
“Listen, far as anyone knows, I’m off duty, grieving my wife. Give it a while, and someone answering Angel’s description will be ‘arrested’ the real Angel will be here, safe.”
“But Dru? That’s not what..”
“Dru said to trust me, she told me to help. Dru would get a kick outta this. Makes her death less senseless. Anyway, it’s done.” Spike sipped his tea.

Wes and the boss hadn’t been able to make Spike change his mind, and it was such a good cover story.
“It buys you some time too. You can’t hand over what is locked up in a police cell, now can ya?”
Doyle smiled. “You’re sneaky and devious”
“Amongst other things” Spike smiled back. More comfortable now he had something to do, and Dru’s death would help someone.

Spike and Wes both took notes and asked questions. Doyle had kept his part of the bargain. They couldn’t believe the details he knew. This was the breakthrough they had needed.

“We need to come up with a way to keep you safe as well”. Wes told Doyle.
Doyle blinked. “Hell no. I want in on taking the bastard down. He trusts me to do as he says.”

Spike and Wes shared a look, both shrugged, not liking the idea. “We’ll run it by the boss, see what happens yeah?” Spike told him.
Doyle nodded. Last thing he wanted was the Master getting away.

“Could you have been followed here?” Wes asked him.
Doyle shook his head. “We left the squat too early for his goons to be around. We also walked in the front door of the free clinic, I told Angel we would go back later when there wasn’t such a long wait. Walked out the rear of the building and jumped over the wall. No one came over it, I kept checking.”
They believed him, if Doyle had gone to this much trouble to protect Angel, he wouldn’t lie now.

Wes made the call to the station. Spike looked out the front window. “Got a few journo’s turned up already” he told Wes when he spotted the guys from the local rags parked across the road.
Wes duly informed the boss, then hung up.

“We are going to have company, just the boss and Lindsey. If they are stopped they will just say they are coming to pass on their condolences in person.” Wes informed them both. Spike nodded his understanding. Lindsey could smooth talk his way around anything.

Spike looked over at Wes. “Are they off or on?” referring to the relationship between their boss and Lindsey.
“I’m not sure. Perhaps on, peace and goodwill to all maybe making them spend the holidays together”.
“Doubt the boss does peace and goodwill” Spike replied.
Wes smirked. “That is a very valid point”. They shared a laugh and made yet more tea.
Doyle was happy to watch and listen, he now saw them as Dru had. Loyal and dependable. If he half closed his eyes he could see their lifelines crossing. Even if he didn’t like this boss of theirs, he knew he could depend on them.

When the bell rang it was Wes that went to answer the door. He got caught up in the questioning that was happening on the doorstep.
Lindsey soon silenced the questions, well that is what the department paid him for.
“Thank you kindly folks, but this here is an unofficial visit. Friends coming to visit their recently bereaved comrade. Now I know you folks can respect that. So I ask you to please leave Inspector Barton alone. The investigation is just getting underway, any comments to the press will be made in the usual manner. Good day.”

Wes shut the door and led the way upstairs.
Gabe hid under the table at the first sight of high heeled shoes. He growled low in his throat when the owner of the shoes hugged Spike.
“Oh Will, this is just awful. I am so sorry about Drusilla. The timing for this case to burst open is terrible”.
Spike hugged his boss back. “Just one of those things Ma’am. Can’t be helped. Least this way Dru is helping someone out.”
“I’m off duty here Will, call me Darla.”
Spike smirked at her. Darla Kincaid could swing from ‘boss’ to ‘ballbreaker’ in a second. But as a friend she was pretty cool.

Lindsey also got in on the hugging, all but copping a feel of Spike’s arse. “You need anything, just name it, whatever. What am I saying? You’re a pigheaded English man, you won’t ask for help.” Spike snorted and hugged back. “So I’ll be watching you, ready to jump in, you listening to me?” Lindsey finished. He owed Spike big time. Often crashing on his couch when he’d had a fall out with Darla.

They all sat down round the table, Darla going over the notes already written, adding a few things as she thought of questions to ask Doyle. She listened patiently as Doyle explained he wanted in on the bust. She tapped the pencil on the table.
“Now there is no doubt that using you would be a damn site easier and quicker than waiting for an undercover operator to work their way in. But it would be dangerous, I couldn’t guarantee your safety for a start.”
“Just as long as Angel is safe, that’s the only guarantee I want. Sooner you take the Master down the better for everyone. Right?” He looked around at the nodding heads.

“Right first up, we need to make an ‘arrest’. We need a look alike. You guys got any ideas who we can use?” She asked Wes and Spike. Just as Xander and Angel stepped in the back door.

Darla had met Xan several times. Xander often did the odd bit of woodwork repair at the station. She happily turned a blind eye to his relationship with Wes. Hell Wes and Spike knew about her and Lindsey, and her dalliances with other partners, not always male.

“Well, well. Xander I didn’t know you had a brother” Darla raised a brow.
“Darla, this is Angel. Angel this is Darla Kincaid, our boss” Spike made the introduction. “And this is Lindsey McDonald, also an inspector but he handles the press amongst other things.”
Angel blushed “Pleased to meet you Ma’am, Sir”.

They smiled at him, trying to put him at ease, this kids whole world was about to come crashing down around him.

“Sit down here pet.” Spike pulled the chair out between Doyle and himself.
Angel sat, looking only at Doyle, smiling a little bit when Gabe moved from leaning on Spike’s leg to lick at Angel’s hand.

“Can I just say NO to what is going on in your head right now Ma’am?” Wes asked.
“And I have to agree” Spike put in.
“He would be perfectly safe, Wesley you could come along.” She was met with stony looks. “Well think of someone else we can trust, because we have to do it this afternoon, so that leaves us no time. Unless we use Angel himself”.

It got rather loud around the table, everyone spoke at once. Poor Angel had no idea what was going on. Xander was used to not knowing and left them to it. He knew he would be told if he needed to be.