Violins And Heartstrings - Chapter 26

Spike pulled his phone from his pocket and stared at it, pressing the buttons he opened up his messages--no new messages. Sighing to himself, he dialled her number again.

He listened to the phone ringing at the other end of the line and when it switched to voicemail, he ended the call. He'd been getting that for the past three hours and now it was starting to worry him, Buffy wasn't answering her home phone and her mobile was switched off. All day he'd been fielding phone calls about the newspaper article and he'd finally managed to get the paper to agree to retract their misinformation and print the truth. All he wanted to do now was tell Buffy the good news.

Jumping into his car, Spike sped out of Manhattan and headed straight for her home. He kept one eye on his mobile phone the whole time he was driving and as he neared her house the feeling in his stomach worsened. Spike listened to the gravel crunching under his tyres as he crept up the driveway to her house.

He put the car into park and stared at her door--there was a note pinned to it. His stomach flipped.

Stepping out of the car, he repeatedly wiped his now sweaty palms on his jeans and walked towards the house, memories of six years ago were coming back to haunt him as he tentatively reached up and pulled the little cream envelope off the door. Spike stared at it for a few seconds before flicking it over and opening it up, as he unfolded the note he felt his heart pounding against his chest.

Spike,
I had to leave for Paris. Maybe it's a good thing, it will help me get my head straight about a few things. You can easily sway my judgement with a smile and when you look in my eyes, I feel lost in you. I need to figure out what's going to happen next. Hope you get this, I'll come see you in LA. Love you, Buffy.

Spike sank to his knees on the stone step that just this morning he'd kissed her goodbye on--kissed her without realising that she had been about to leave. He closed his eyes and breathed in the faint scent of her that lingered on her note--his brain telling him that she'd left him again, his heart struggling to say that she'd be back.

Looking up at her door he stifled his emotions and set his jaw tight, she'd eluded him for six years but now he had the power to move heaven and earth and he was damn well going to find her.

Standing up, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and walked back to his car. She'd raised the stakes this time and he wasn't going to let her slip away, he'd find her and he'd prove to her that he could make everything alright and they could be a family.


Bombing down the country lane Spike clicked the phone into place on his hands free set and waited for his manager to pick up. The trees whizzed past at a sickeningly fast speed and it still wasn't fast enough for him, he needed to find her. He was heading for the studio, some part of him hoping that the people there would be able to give him a clue as to where she lived in Paris, he knew Buffy and he knew she wouldn't run out on a recording session without giving them a decent explanation.

"Hello?" Xander's voice appeared over the phone.

"I need a favour."

"Spike? Anything for you."

Spike turned hard around a corner, not allowing himself to use the breaks in case he lost the tiniest fraction of time. "I need a plane ticket."

"For Los Angeles? Going back early, they weren't expecting you for another two days."

"For France, Paris to be precise--I don't know where she is but I'll take it from there." Spike pulled into the recording studios and skidded to a halt.

"Woah there. Paris? But Spike, you're meant to be in LA in two days."

"Tell them to wait. I need to find her." Spike yanked his phone off the hands free set and started striding towards the studio entrance.

"Find who?"

"Buffy. I've lost her again and this time I'm bloody well going to find her."

"Whatever you say, I'm just the willing slave. One plane ticket to Paris coming up."

"Thanks mate." Spike clicked the phone shut and leant against the receptionist's desk, turning his charm up to maximum.

"Hi, can I help you?"

"You certainly can, pet." He smiled wide at her and watched her blush. "I need a favour, love, was wondering if you could tell me where Miss Summers is."

"I can't disclose information about our guests."

"Sure you can." Spike decided to try a different tact. "See, I'm in love with the girl and she's done a runner. I need to win her back. Understand?"

"Oh, like in your movie, the one where the guy keeps missing the girl?"

"Yeah, something like that. Don't want to see my heart broken now do you?" Spike leant forwards a little more and flashed her a warm smile.

"No…" The girl replied dreamily as she stared into his eyes, her hand propping up her chin. "Wouldn't want that."

"Good girl." He pinched her cheek and she giggled. As she went through the records on the computer, he leant backwards slightly so he could read her screen.

"I can't find it. Um… I remember she said…she was going back to the Conservatory for a few days, I have the address right here, she said something about having to see someone, a girl, um…"

"Got a name in there for me?" Spike purred at her and she sighed.

"I'm trying…began with a 'W'…"

"Willow?" Spike felt his heart thud against his chest, hope rising up that she would confirm his suspicions.

"Yeah, that's it!" She handed him a piece of paper with the address scrawled on it and smiled.

"Thanks a million, love." Spike kissed her hand and bolted out of the door.

"Good luck." The receptionist called out after him as she stared at her hand then let out a long sigh. "Lucky girl."


Spike was heading back into Manhattan again, he'd tried to call the Paris Conservatory but couldn't get through--all lines were busy it said. Just as he crossed the bridge, his phone rang.

"Hello?" Spike hollered at the phone where it sat on the dash in the little hands free device.

"Spike. It's Xander. Got you a ticket on tomorrows evening flight to Paris. Don't bite my head off, I tried to get you on an earlier flight but they were jam-packed, sorry mate."

"Fine, it will have to do I suppose. I know where she's headed. I think she's gone to talk to Willow, she said the other day that she talks to her a lot and I think she wants to get her opinion on what she should do."

"Who's Willow?"

"My daughter."

"Your what?"

"I don't have time to explain. Call the studio in LA; tell them I'll be there next week, I promise. I can't let her slip away from me Xan, not now, not ever."

"Okay man. Do what you have to do to win the girl. It's like that movie…"

"I know. No need to remind me." Spike was going to get sick of hearing about that movie.

"Have a nice flight. I'll have them send the tickets to your apartment."

"Thanks again." Spike ended the call and stared at the traffic in front of him.

He didn't know what he was going to do tonight, he could keep trying to call Buffy but it probably wasn't a good idea. Spike chuckled to himself about that, he was about to fly over there to find her and he thought calling her was a bad idea.

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