A karaoke bar.

That's where Cordelia's vision had led him.

It was just Angel and Cordelia there, Wesley checking up on possible demon types and researching, or ready to at Angel's call. Though it would most likely be Cordelia calling.

But a karaoke bar? Couldn't these demons get a little taste?

No, to be more accurate, it would be a karaoke club, there was dancing to the horrible singing. But apparently Angel was the only one who thought the singing was horrible. Everyone else in the club, including Cordelia, liked it.

Angel wondered what happened to the days classical music was the cool thing, and operas were where people went to get live music. Now, it had degraded to this!

Angel repressed a sigh.

This would be different if the demon was attacking. Angel always had that to look forward to. Funny, he was wanting the demon to attack so this ---- couldn't go on any longer. Angel hoped he didn't get sent back to ----, or he would be listening to the wails of these people for an eternity. He visibly shuddered at the thought.

Cordelia offered him a drink. "Lighten up, have a drink, enjoy the music." She gave him a bright smile, and offered him the drink again.

He took the drink, if only to get it off her hands. "How did you get this?" he asked suspiciously. She wasn't 21. She might look like she'd possibly be, but still young enough to be carded.

"Ah, psh," She waved her hand. "I've been getting drinks for years. It's amazing what flirting gets you." She gave him another bright smile, and turned back to the stage, where someone was performing a horrible rendition of "Ice, Ice, Baby," by Vanilla Ice. Angel winced as the mortal tried to do a jump, switch leg thingy ((You know, the dance step Vanilla Ice did)) and fell on his ass. It looked like it hurt. But the mortal got up, and continued doing really badly. Angel was torn between whether he should feel happy or sad about this.

On one hand, a mortal wasn't hurt. On the other, he was still singing. Angel was still in the deciding process of what would be worse: Silencing the mortal forever, or listening to this for another minute and a half. And the decision was quickly leaning towards the first choice.

Angel shuddered again, and glanced at Cordelia. She was supposed to be scanning the crowd for anything that looked like her vision. It was another vague one, worse then the 'ugly, gray, blobby thing' one. This one, all she had was this god-awful karaoke bar, eh, clubaa. That was it. And the over-hanging threat of danger, but that was in all the visions. So said Cordelia.

But Cordelia was failing on the job. She was watching the stage, not the crowd. Angel sighed, and started scanning the club for her. The noise maker on the stage stopped, and Angel breathed a sigh of relief, not wanting the next person to come on. He fingered the ax hidden underneath his coat, just in case he had an urge to chuck it at the singer's head.

"And next we have a crowd favorite. Tonight, he'll be singing, 'The Show Must Go On,' by Queen, and he dedicates it to someone in our audience tonight. He said they'll know who they are. Please welcome, the ever blood-thirsty," Angel perked up and looked to the stage, "William."

Angel almost dropped the ax when he saw Spike walk out on stage. As it was, his jaw hit the ground, and maybe the first layer of ----.

He was missing his duster, clad only in blue jeans and a navy T-shirt. A haunting tune picked up as Spike pulled the microphone from the stand, and flipped the cord, so he could walk around holding the microphone.

His baritone voice, highlighted with his British accent started singing.

"Empty spaces - what are we living for?
Abandoned places - I guess we know the score.
On and on.
Does anybody know what we are looking for?"

Spike gazed the crowd, his eyes resting on everyone and no one, until he found Angel and Cordelia standing near the back of the club. His eyes flicked over Cordelia, then focused on Angel for a few seconds, before he began to look over the crowd some more.

Angel still hadn't scooped his jaw up yet.

"Another hero, another mindless crime.
Behind the curtain in the pantomime,
Hold the line.
Does anybody want to take it anymore?"

Spike was almost swaying with the music, like Dru did, only other people could hear this music, and Angel found himself transported to a time where he and William would sit around and listen to music, until William's hyper-activeness kicked in, and he either waltzed Angelus or Dru around the room, or when they refused, swayed and danced by himself.

Angel closed his eyes and could see the young vampire, almost innocent--like he had been in those first years. The curling, dark hair, though not as dark as Angel's own, tied back, or let free, curls blowing around his face, even if it wasn't windy out.

"The show must go on.
The show must go on.
Inside my heart is breaking.
My make-up may be flaking,
But my smile still stays on."

The words and meaning were not lost on Angel. Though he didn't fully comprehend what was going on with Spike singing the song, he understood that Spike had dedicated it to him, and it touched something inside of him. It had been a long time between caring gestures from his boy.

"Whatever happens I'll leave it all to chance.
Another heartache, another failed romance.
On and on.
Does anybody know what we are living for?"

Angel observed the females in the club. They had all moved closer to the stage, in effort to get near this bleached wonder who seemed to be the best act of the night, and whom many probably only came to see. Even Cordelia had moved closer.

Angel let go a wry smile. Still the same old thing. Seduce, then feast. They used to do that, be it at a party given by some rich host, or at a worn-down tavern, they seduced the best of the crop, before feasting savagely on their chosen.

Though guess their won't be any feeding for Spike tonight, though. With the implant...

"I guess I'm learning.
I must be warmer now.
I'll soon be turning 'round the corner now.
Outside the dawn is breaking,
But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free."

Spike moved off the stage, and was moving in the crowd, touching, or sliding against the mortals, tantalizing both male and female with his sexual prowess.

Angel felt his mouth go dry.

"The show must go on.
The show must go on - yeah.
Ooh, inside my heart is breaking.
My make-up may be flaking,
But my smile still stays on."

Spike got about half the way through the crowd to Angel, when the microphone cord wouldn't let him go any further. He turned and headed back for the stage. He had however got close to Cordy and gave her a wink and brushed his hand over her cheek. The girls around Cordy were instantly jealous.

"My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies.
Fairy tales of yesterday will grow but never die.
I can fly - my friends."

Spike turned and gave a piercing look out into the crowd, stealing his way past defenses, and boring into several souls. But he purposely left one soul untouched. The dark haired, vampire with a soul, that is.

"The show must go on - yeah.
The show must go on.
I'll face it with a grin.
I'm never giving in.
On with the show."

Spike jumped onto the stage, ignoring the steps, and turned to face the crowd again. He eyes passed over the crowd again, until they found Angel, and they rested on the dark haired, souled vampire.

"I'll top the bill.
I'll overkill.
I have to find the will to carry on."

The song was concluding, but that line sang to him directly from Spike hit him in the heart. It was the time, a couple years back, when Angelus had been set free. It described what Spike went through. Angel's heart almost broke when he thought of that.

"The show must go on." Spike whispered the last line, his eyes dropping, the emotions getting to him. What the emotions were, he wasn't sure he could tell anybody. He placed the microphone back into the stand, and walked off stage, amidst claps and cheers and whistles. He hadn't cast one backwards glance at the crowd and at Angel.

Cordelia moved back to her boss. He was still standing there, shell-shocked. She smiled a knowing smile, then headed out of the club. She had done her job.

The PTB had contacted her saying they wanted Spike for their team, and the only way they could ensure his loyalty would be through Angel, now with a permanent soul. So, Cordelia got to play a little matchmaker, taking Angel to see Spike at the karaoke club as the vision had said, making up a vague lie about a demon. She wanted Angel to see Spike again, and hoped a little spark from the past would blaze again.

By the look on Angel's face, she guessed she wasn't wrong.

___________

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