THE BLUE BOY
by Lynn K. Hollander
Chapter 8 -- Lessons
SUNNYDALE
"It's an auto, so..." Mac started to say.
"I thought it was a car," Mante said.
"It's an automobile," Cham said.
"It's an automatic shift," Mac said. "Before we start, let me say that I don't put up with back seat drivers."
"What are they?" Baudier asked.
"All right!" Mac said. "Only Mante can talk. You two, in the back seat, shut up."
"I didn't think I was that close," Mante said.
"That was pretty good. Let's try Baudier."
"Can I talk now?"
"Yes."
"That one makes it go," Mante said.
"Hey!" Mac said. "You're in the back now. Shut up."
"I was backing up," Baudier said.
"What is this parallel to?" Cham asked.
"What does the little red light mean?" Mante asked.
"Oops."
"Where did that lamp post come from?"
"I'm not getting paid enough for this."
"Look, we'll buy the car."
"Who's the best driver?"
"Cham," Mac said.
"Are you sure? He goes so slow."
"Remember what I said about the speed limit? And staying in your own lane? You two will be stopped the first time you tear down the center of the street. Cham is the best driver of all you three."
"I'll drive us home." Cham said smugly.
***
Spike drove Anya, Willow and Tara over to the Bronze after Giles told Anya she could go. Xander Harris eventually joined them, kissing Anya before he said, "Hi."
"Hi, Xander," Willow said.
"Harris," Spike said. "How's the job going?"
"The client's dithering about the wood," Xander said. "We sat around, getting paid, sure, but it was a waste of time. She'll probably end up going with wallpaper, anyway."
"She should appreciate you more," Anya said. "Only not too much."
"Baby," Xander sighed, meeting her eyes and smiling goofily. Anya smiled back the same way. They leaned across the table and kissed again.
"Spike, is that a friend of yours?" Willow asked.
"No, but you're right," Spike said, following the Witch's eyes.
"Oh, god, he's after the dumb blonde," Tara said.
"And she's falling for it," Xander said.
"Well, he is cute," Anya said, "in a fifties bad boy sort of way."
"I'll handle him," Spike said. "Someone grab the girl."
"Me," Xander said.
"Got a stake?" Willow asked.
"Oh, yeah," Spike said.
"You can't do that here," Spike said.
"Slayer's dead, who's going to stop me?"
"We will," Xander said.
"Why do you care?"
"We like the Bronze peaceful and quiet. If you're hungry, have some Cambells. In any case..." Spike broke off as the vampire swung at him. Spike shrugged and staked him.
"You're getting good," Xander said.
"Practice."
"No, your style is changing."
"A stake isn't that different from a dagger."
"You have to be a little more precise about where you put it."
"Only if you're fighting vampires."
"Thank you," the girl said.
"Stay out of alleys," Xander said. "Especially with someone who just picked you up."
"He was only going to show me his car," the blonde huffed.
"Sure."
Xander and Spike returned to the others.
"Are there more vampires than usual around?" Anya asked.
"About the same, I think," Spike said. "We don't migrate with the seasons, you know."
"I'm surprised you don't go dormant," Tara said.
"That would just make us easier to stake," the vampire pointed out. "Contra-survival. Who wants a lift home? I'm leaving."
"Us?" Willow said, looking over at Tara.
"Yes, I think so. It's late."
***
Ann parked her new Jaguar down the block from Willy's. She entered the bar and approached Joshua.
"What do you have for me?" she asked him.
"A morlik, a taldis and a kardo. They say they're willing to listen to you, and Willy says you can use the room."
"Good. Introduce us."
Antrag, sitting with Baudier and Cham, watched Ann, the bartender and the three demons. "Is she one?" she asked.
"No," Baudier said.
"How can you tell?" Cham asked.
"She's paying them."
"I hope my father never finds out about this," the nursemaid worried, watching Ann and the humanoid morlik, leave via the paneled door to the right of the bar. The demon's scaly skin glimmered with a silvery cast in Willy's improved lighting.
***
Spike had a private errand to run after he dropped the Witches off at the Rosenberg home, but eventually he drove down the long driveway off Los Robles Road, hearing the lions roar. There was a new building, situated off the north and west corner of the house. Apparently Ann had found a car and decided she needed a place to put it. She had added a double garage, white stucco with a roof of photo-voltaic panels that looked like a standard metal roof in a light gray color and that matched the house as if had always been there. The new garage was joined to the main house by a covered walkway with three graceful stucco arches and a metal roof. Spike put the Mercedes in the old garage, entered the main house through the kitchen, then went upstairs to his room.
When he had returned to Sunnydale, after stealing the Viper from Ann and disappearing with it for more than six weeks, he had been captured by rogue Watchers bent on murdering Buffy and Rupert Giles. Getting free of them and deciding Ann was the best ally he could find, if he could convince her of the seriousness of the problem, he had driven the car back here, hoping he could explain before she staked him, stoned him or just took back her car and kicked him out.
This was the room she had locked him in, while she brought first Giles, then Buffy here to safety. It had been just another of Ann's guest rooms then. Since that time, she had made some changes: It was bigger, the walls had shifted out when she added the en suite bathroom and enchanted the closet. He was pretty sure the set back French balcony in the sitting area hadn't been here at first.
After that situation had been resolved, after Arlack Armel had disappeared, he had been free to go. Feeling contrary, unappreciated and wanting to make a nuisance of himself, he'd stayed. Without comment, Ann had let him. Well, mostly without comment: Rupert Giles had reminded him once, in Ann's presence, that Willow and Tara would be glad to cast a spell on the house that would keep any vampire out. Ann had said mildly that the Witches' spell probably wouldn't work and that anyway, she liked having Spike around, since she thought he was a good companion for Gang Long.
He opened the drapes and the balcony doors. A waist high railing filled the opening. He leaned on it and looked north, over the terrace. Gang Long, Roujin and Binwen, playing in the pool, gave no sign they had noticed him, and certainly they had every excuse for being preoccupied.
Well, Spike thought, digging far back into his classical education, shades of Krishna and the Gopis, or maybe Hercules and the daughters of Thespius, an incident the recent TV series had completely ignored. The activity in and around the pool was definitely dalliance, but it could also be termed informal play, since there was a lot of laughter and no bowing. One might even call it good, clean fun, considering all the soap bubbles in the spa. He turned off the lights and watched for a while. He could still appreciate a good orgy, at least as a spectator.
He didn't hear the door open, but from behind him came a giggle. He turned. Licorice stripes and turquoise knobs. Shit. "Oh, no. No. This is a bad idea," Spike said in Alvish. "I do a lot of really bad things, but I draw the line at little girls. A friend of mine is about your age. Out, and find your clothes."
"I'm as tall as you are!" Jiding said, also in Alvish.
"Jingwu said..."
"Ann? Ann sent you? That bitch. No," Spike insisted. "Thank you, but this is a really bad idea. Out. And put on some clothes."
"Lout!" Jiding said, as Yanghao burst into tears. The yunü vanished.
"God," Spike said, running his hands over his hair. The worst part was, he had been really tempted. He was still really tempted. Jiding was right, she was as tall as he was, which didn't lessen the guilt he felt for lusting after someone as physically immature as she appeared. He went down to the library, shutting the French doors on the north wall and pulling the drapes. He settled down at the computer and found the London Times editorial page. Intellectual argument, that was what he needed; failing that, he needed to exercise his innate idiosyncrasies.