Author: Kay Tee maybeshedoes@yahoo.com
Distribution: Take it, but tell me where so I can visit.
Rated: R, for swearing and creepiness, plus some mild violence.
Category: Series
Original Character Warning
Songfic
Spoilers: Bad Eggs. Don't read this if you haven't seen that. For one thing, it won't make a lot of sense.
Disclaimer: In my dreams I'm Joss, but during the day I have to face the cold hard truth-- I'm a hack who steals characters. But I'm not giving them back! Or I am, just don't sue me, all I have are speeding tickets and student loans.
Summary: Spike can't take care of Druscilla all by himself, so he gets himself a slave to help. Angel runs into Eve outside the high school.
Author's Notes: Rommel and Caporetto is by John and Eileen Wilks.
More: I don't know if I like this format. It's a little different from the rest of the series, but so was part 7. Tell me what you think.
***
Angel inhaled deeply and smiled. It was a nice quiet night on the Hellmouth. He drifted in the general direction of the high school, but he really had nowhere he needed to be until midnight, when he would meet Buffy at her house.
Buffy. He was in love with Buffy.
He was attracted to Eve-- who wouldn't be-- but he was in love with Buffy. He had been mentally running through all the reasons that it was okay for him to cheat. He told himself it wouldn't mean anything because he loved Buffy, and didn't think about it until much later. But it was true; he was in love. He grinned goofily at the calm night air. He was in love.
In love.
With Buffy.
He tried to shake off the grin, but it seemed to be fixed permanently to his face. It was not very becoming for a soul-filled and repentant vampire, but he didn't care. He was in love! If he wasn't sure that somebody would see him, he would be dancing a little jig.
Angel whispered the words out loud, "I'm in love with Buffy Summers." He couldn't stop smiling, he had never been so happy since before he was cursed. He was so glad that he hadn't made a move on Eve; he didn't want anything to mar his perfect devotion to Buffy.
Buffy. He stopped a block away from the high school and stared at the building with fondness. Buffy was in there right now.
A panicked scream broke through the night, and Angel frowned. Of course, he was feeling too good-- something must be going wrong. He ran cautiously toward the sound of the scream, and saw Eve dashing toward him.
Angel barely caught the scared girl as she ran away from the school. "Eve, Eve," he shook the frightened girl gently. "Eve, what's wrong?" He demanded.
Her wide eyes took him in and she relaxed a little. She gulped in air, trying to calm herself enough to tell Angel what he needed to know.
***
Much, much earlier that day:
Eve bolted upright when Druscilla tickled her injured ear. The burn had become infected, and still hurt all the time.
"Druscilla," Eve said, standing. "What's up?"
"My Spike is sleeping, and I've got a pretty present. Want to see?" The vampiress asked, turning toward the main room of the warehouse without waiting for Eve's response.
The slave followed her mistress and stared blankly at an innocuous looking box sitting on the dining table. Druscilla opened the box gingerly, taking all the care of a priest at mass. "Look look," she commanded.
Eve looked. "It's a severed leg," she said without surprise. Just because Druscilla had abandoned her habit of turning little children, didn't mean that she had stopped being her insane eccentric self.
"A puzzle," Druscilla promised. "When Spike gets me all the other pieces, there will be a wonderful surprise." She ran a finger along the boot. "One in a river, another on the shore, the third in the mountains..." She smiled dreamily. "I love surprises!"
Eve smiled weakly and checked her watch. It was three a.m., and she wanted to go back to sleep.
An evil gleam lighted in Druscilla's eyes. "Touch him Eve," she ordered.
Obediently, the slave stepped forward and reached into the box. Before her finger connected with the leg, it shot out and kicked her in the chin. Eve fell back, stumbling to the ground with the force of the blow. Her mouth filled with blood, and she scowled at her mistress.
Druscilla clapped delightedly and began dancing in circles. "Wonderful wonderful surprise," she chanted.
***
"Eve. Wake up."
The slave blinked a few times, unused to being roused so gently. She looked up and smiled. "Spike. What can I do for you today?"
He frowned, and she stood up, recognizing his 'business' face. "I want you to get your things together, bring them upstairs, and... what was that vamp's name? The one we dusted last week?"
Eve scratched her head in confusion. "Brad?" What was going on here?
"Take his bed upstairs too. The office will be your room," Spike instructed.
Eve nodded, but asked, "Spike, what's going on?"
The vampire sighed, "Dru's got this idea. She found a leg..."
"Yeah, I saw," Eve started, but bit her sore lip when she realized she had interrupted her master.
Clearing his throat, Spike continued, "She wants to put this poor bloke back together again. Dalton says that once assembled, this Judge fellow will be able to destroy anything human with a glance."
"Why are you telling me all this?" Eve asked, thinking of whether or not she should warn Angel.
"Because when you tell your little friends, they'll stop him before he kills all the food," Spike explained patiently.
Eve smirked, "Yeah, or they'll die trying. But that's the point, isn't it?"
Spike suppressed a grin. "We're throwing Dru a party to celebrate. You are going to stay upstairs until you're out of danger. I don't fancy training a new slave at this point, so you had better just stay out of the way. Clear?"
Eve nodded solemnly. 'Clear."
Spike wheeled away and Eve gathered her few belongings.
"Oh," Spike called over his shoulder, "and stop by the library later, been a while since I had a good book."
Eve rolled her eyes at her master's back. She wasn't particularly fond of spying on the slayer and her friends, but Spike enjoyed hearing how they were all doing, so he occasionally sent Eve to visit them.
***
The sun was setting as Eve let herself into the library.
"Willow? What did you f-" Giles stopped when he saw who his visitor was. "Oh. Eve." He smiled and took off his glasses. "H-how are you? I trust you are adjusting to your freedom well?"
Eve shrugged noncommittally. "S'okay. I got bored. You have anything good for me?"
Giles gestured to the stacks. "The whole library is at your disposal," he said, glancing at the door.
"You expecting anybody?" Eve asked as she headed to the fiction section.
"Well, yes, actually. Willow has been doing a dissection of a- a- thing we found. Buffy is with her, and I'm afraid Joyce, uh, Buffy's mother, will arrive before Buffy returns." Giles wiped his glasses worriedly.
"That's a problem?" Eve asked.
Giles smiled to himself, "Buffy is, ah, grounded. She's not meant to leave the library unsupervised."
Eve smirked and headed back into the stacks.
***
She emerged twenty minutes later with Rommel and Caporetto, a history book on the First World War. She tromped down to the checkout desk and signed the book out. "'Kay, Giles, I'm taking off," Eve said, walking over to the cage where Giles was working. She leaned in the door. "Giles?"
"Huh? Oh yes, see you later then," he smiled.
Eve had just turned to go when a giant blue bug landed on her face. She dropped her book and frantically tried to pry the slimy thing off. Giles rushed to help her, but the second the thing hit the floor, it scurried away. "What the fuck was that!?" Eve exclaimed.
Giles searched the floor. "I think we had better get out of here," he announced. They headed to the main exit together, but were stopped when the creature jumped out at them again, landing on Giles's head and scrambling down his back. "Bloody Hell! Get it off of me!" He shouted, twisting awkwardly in an attempt to catch the monster.
Eve rushed to grab the thing, but it seemed to be stuck to the librarian's back. "Giles, I can't-"
He turned around calmly. "That's quite all right, Eve," he said pleasantly.
She shook her head, not understanding. "Giles, it's still stuck to you..." She saw another one scuttle across the floor from the corner of her eye. "God, we need to get out of here." She turned to run out the emergency exit, but Giles grabbed her arm.
"No, I believe we'll stay right where we are." He smiled sweetly.
Eve struggled to get away. "What? Are you crazy? Let me..." The second slimy creature crawled over Giles's foot as it made its way to her. The second it was on her new sneakers, Eve"s mind clicked into place. She kicked as hard as she could, her leg connecting with Giles's crotch.
The librarian let go of Eve, doubling over in pain, and she dashed from the room with the little blue monster still stuck to her. Outside, Eve slammed her foot into the brick wall, and the thing splatted, its blood spraying out and onto Eve's face. "Ulch!" She screamed, running as far away as she could. Her spine tingled, and she was sure there were thousands of the slimy creatures poised and waiting to eat her, or do whatever they had done to Giles.
She ran smack into somebody, and struggled uselessly to get away until she realized he was saying her name. Eve looked up into Angel's concerned eyes. "Eve, what's wrong?" He demanded.
Trying to calm herself down, Eve explained, "There's these little monsters, they get you, and... control you... I think..." She shuddered.
Angel glanced at the school. "Did they get Buffy?"
Eve shook her head, "I didn't see her, I don't know."
Angel started to walk away, but Eve grabbed his sleeve, "Angel, Druscilla's up to something bad. She's collecting body parts?" The vampire was pulling away, obviously not listening to what Eve was saying. "Angel, this is important, you could be killed..." Eve trailed off as he freed himself and darted into the school.
She shivered and looked around. Every shadow seemed to contain one of the slimy, alien-looking things.
She ran all the way back to the warehouse.
***
Eve stepped out of the shower and looked around her room. She didn't care why this place was her own; it was nice to have a real bed and a place to be alone.
Her clothes were dripping dry in the shower, so she tucked the towel extra tight around herself, and heated up a couple of packets of blood for Spike.
Druscilla and all the minions were out, so the warehouse was creepily silent as Eve made her way downstairs. She half expected one of the monsters from the library to leap out at her.
She knocked gently on Spike's door, waiting for him to call, "Come in," before entering.
Spike put the newspaper aside as Eve walked into the room. He was stretched out on the bed and getting damn restless. He had called in favors all around the world, trying to get the parts of the Judge guy sent in from where Druscilla said they were buried.
He was hungry, and wished his dark princess would bring him back something warm to eat.
Eve smiled apologetically as she offered Spike the blood packets. Without giving them a second thought, he tossed the packets onto the bedside table. Just as Eve was about to protest, Spike pulled her into the bed with him.
Eve laughed at her master as he kissed her. "Mmm, unh, so, I'm guessing that you're bored?" She giggled.
Spike growled in her ear, "Bloody right. Need a bit of mischief." He bent his head to Eve's neck, sucking hungrily, but not breaking her skin. Spike ran his tongue along the slave's jugular, and she shuddered involuntarily; the sensation reminded her too much of the slimy thing that had attached itself to her face for a few moments.
Spike pulled away and frowned at her, "What?"
Eve grimaced guiltily. "I had a... there was an incident at the high school." Recognizing Spike's confusion, she continued, "There were these little blue monsters, they stick to you, and it's like you're possessed." She shuddered again. "Ick, have I mentioned lately that I hate this town?"
Spike's brow furrowed. "Sounds like a Bezoar. They eat vampires." He pulled open Eve's towel and rolled her over, examining her back. "It didn't get you?"
Eve mumbled incoherently into the pillow, and Spike rolled her back over. "Almost, but no. It got Giles though, and probably Buffy too-- and I sent Angel in after it..." She admitted guiltily.
Spike shrugged. "No problems then." He grinned mischievously, and rolled them both over, so he was underneath Eve. "Entertain me," he ordered.
Eve laughed and bent her head to nibble on his neck. It felt weird to be in Druscilla's bed, but she pushed that thought away. "Are you getting any feeling back into your legs?" She asked.
Spike scowled. "No. Keep doing that."
Eve giggled and pressed her lips to the vampire's jugular. "Soon the feeling will come back, but movement will take a little longer."
Spike's growl shut her up, and Eve continued to 'entertain' her master in silence.
***
Eve stretched, catlike, and moved to get out of bed.
"Where do you think you're going?" Spike asked.
Eve smiled guiltily. "I thought you were asleep, I was going to my bed."
"Stay." It was 75% request and 25% command.
Eve sighed. "Dru'll be back soon."
"She won't care. You can sleep between us. It's nice to have a little warmth in the bed."
It took Eve a moment to realize that Spike wasn't being metaphorical. After some hesitation, she lay back down, snuggling into the vampire's cool body.
"Tell me something," he ordered.
"Something about what?" She really wanted to escape to her new bed and the privacy of the office that was hers now.
"Tell me why you never listen to that Van Halen CD I bought you. I've heard everything else you have but that one."
Eve sighed. "You didn't buy it."
"Don't dodge the question." Spike was much better than Angel at catching Eve when she tried to change the subject.
"I don't know. I guess... I guess it reminds me of love. I thought I wanted to hear it, but I don't."
Spike was silent for a long time before he asked, "Were you in love with somebody when we found you?"
Eve closed her eyes. "No."
They lay in silence for a long time before Spike said quietly, "You can go upstairs if you want."
Eve knew he was asking her to stay of her own free will, but she wanted to be alone. She slid out of the bed and wrapped the towel around herself. "Goodnight," she whispered, walking out of the room.
Upstairs, Eve stared at the Van Halen CD she hadn't yet played. It had been her boyfriend's favorite band, and 'I Can't Stop Loving You,' had been their song.
She popped the CD into her boom box and set the track to her favorite song, 'Not Enough.'
***
Downstairs, Spike could hear the faint sounds of an unfamiliar song. He shut his eyes and cursed himself as he waited for Druscilla to return from hunting.
*****
'Not Enough,' by Van Halen. From Balance.
To love somebody naturally/ To love somebody faithfully/ To love somebody equally/ It's not enough/ It's not enough/ It's not enough
To love somebody secretly/ And never touch/ To love somebody honestly/ And always trust/ To love somebody tenderly/ The tender touch/ Is not enough/ It's not enough
Love hurts you sometimes/ It's not so easy to find/ no/ Searching everywhere/ You turn and swear/ It's always been there
To love somebody foolishly/ And every once/ To love somebody hopelessly/ It hurts so much/ To love somebody equally/ Is not enough/ It's not enough/ It's not enough
Love takes a little time/ It's not so easy to find/ no/ Searching everywhere/ You turn and swear/ It's always been there/ Standing there
And if it don't come easily/ One thing you must believe/ You can always have trust in me/ 'Cause my heart will always be/ Yours honestly
Love hurts you sometimes/ It's not so easy to find/ no/ Searching everywhere/ You turn and swear/ It's always been there/ Standing there/ Love hurts you sometimes/ It's not yours/ It's not mine/ no/ Love is only to share/ You turn and swear/ It's everywhere/ Standing there/ 'Cause it's always been there