TITLE: Moral Of The Story.
AUTHOR: Ragna (WritingGoddess@aol.com)
RATING: FRT; the song lyrics deal with rape, and there's language.
SUMMARY: When Spike gives Lindsey a proposition, will he take it?
SPOILERS: About up to "Crush" I think. I haven't really watched most of this season, so this is based on stuff I've heard about.
DISTRIBUTION: Any sites with my fic up; you all have unspoken permission. I write it, you can post it. Everyone else just keep my name on it and let me know.
DISCLAIMER: If you don't recognize it, chances are it's my own creation. If you do, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kazui Sandollar, FOX and the WB own it or them. Various friends of mine are holding characters hostage. You may see them by appointment only. The song is "date Rape" by Sublime; I do not own it.
FEEDBACK: Sorry I'm not home right now I'm walking in the spiderwebs so leave a message and I'll call you back...in other words, I want it. Don't care if it's onlist or not, but I prefer offlist since I have quite a few lists on No Mail.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thanks, Mom, for the challenge (#150) at YGTS? I would have used "40 Oz. To Freedom" but I got an idea and used this one instead. I think this was the song you were talking about, anyway...

***

Let me tell you about a girl I know,
Had a drink about an hour ago.
Sitting in a corner by herself
In a bar in downtown Hell.

Lindsey glanced at the man standing by him. He knew all about who he was. William the Bloody, Spike...Drusilla's former demon lover. Listening to the woman ramble about him basically filled him in on all the information he needed to know.

Except why he was there that night, listening to a ska song about a man who raped a woman and how she got back at him.

"So, why am I here?"

She heard a noise and she looked through the door.
And saw a man she'd never seen before.
Light skin, light blue eyes, a double-chin and a plastic smile.
Well, her heart raced as he walked through the door
And took an empty seat next to her at the bar.
"My brand new car is parked right outside.
How'd ya like to go for a ride?"

Spike took a drag off his cigarette. "You're here," he said, "because I'm going to stop Dru. And you're going to help me. Because if you don't, I'll kill you." He took another drag off the cigarette and tossed the butt to the ground.

"You can't kill me, you're--" Lindsey began when Spike laughed harshly.

"Chipped? Think again, mate."

And she said, "Wait a minute I have to think."
He said, "That's fine. May I please buy you a drink"
One drink turned into 3 or 4 and they left and got into his car
And drove someplace real far.

Spike tapped his foot to the song and sang a bit of it. Lindsey just looked at him. "How are you going to stop Drusilla?"

"I'm going to stake her. She's shown me she really doesn't want me. The other...person...in this equation doesn't want me, either, and since I can't kill her I'll just have to settle for offing Dru."

"And what's that going to accomplish?" Lindsey asked. "Darla will just continue."

Spike shook his head, going back to the song playing from the new radio in the ancient car.

Now babe the time has come.
How'd ya like to have a little fun?
And she said." If we could only please be on our way,
I will not run."

"You know what this song's really about? Taking what you want and paying for it in the end. In this sap's case, it was literally. Do you know what it's like to get buggered?" Spike grimaced. "Not a great feeling."

Lindsey shook his head. "No idea."

"Be thankful." Spike lit another cigarette, taking a drag. "Anyway, everyone's actions have an equal but opposite reaction. Einstein said that, I think...but Dru's been taking and taking and not giving back. Time to make her give it back."

That's when things got out of control.
She didn't want to, he had his way.
She said, "Let's Go"
He said, "No Way!
Come on babe it's your lucky day.
Shut your mouth, were gonna do it my way.
Come on baby don't be afraid,
If it wasn't for date rape I'd never get laid."

"Then wouldn't that make your actions as bad as hers?"

Spike paused for a moment before taking another drag of his cigarette. "Maybe. Maybe not. But what she's going to help do isn't just going to destroy a certain broody vampire that we both dislike, and I know why you don't like Poof Boy," he said as he glanced at Lindsey's prosthetic hand, "but it's going to destroy the humans here as well. You included. You especially, actually."

"Why me?"

"Because you're very much on their side."

He finished up and he started the car
He turned around and drove back to the bar.
He said, "Now baby don't be sad,
In my opinion you weren't half-bad."

"So what if I am? Angel gets his..."

"And in the process, do you think he won't take out anyone and everyone who helps Darla and Dru?" Spike looked at the young lawyer. "He's not a complete idiot. He'll start hunting them down, one by one, getting rid of the weaker mass help, and then going higher up in the food chain. And he's got a personal vendetta against you for revamping his sire in the first place."

Lindsey thought for a moment. "I wanted to save Darla."

She picked up a rock, threw it at the car,
Hit him in the head, now he's got a big scar.
Come on party people won't you listen to me.
Date Rape Stylee.

"So she could be with you? Fat chance. She's been all over the Great Poofdini since he got ensouled. She just wants him in whatever way she can get him, as long as he ain't souled. You getting Dru to vamp her was the stupidest thing you could have done."

"Why'd you pick me?" Lindsey asked, segueing into what he really wanted to know.

"You have a sliver of a chance at redeeming yourself. Your partner's gone...she sold her soul ages ago. You still have one, and a conscience to boot." Spike grinned slightly. "Plus, I'm using this to get on the Slayer's good side, if she even has one anymore."

"Why save me?"

The next day she went to her drawer,
Look up her local attorney at law,
Went to the phone and filed the police report
And then she took the guy's ass to court.
Well, the day he stood in front of the judge
He screamed, " She lies that little slut!"
The judge knew that he was full of shit
And he gave him 25 years
And now his heart is filled with tears.

"Partly because Angel couldn't. It'll make him hate me a little less than he hates you. And if you get the hell out of here and help stop this before you get, he'll hate you less and less. You're a smart man. Go take your skills somewhere else and use them."

Spike took another drag. "Let me tell you a quick story. Darla was evil, pure incarnate almost, the first time she was vamped. But when she turned Angelus, she left her sire, The Master. They went off, rampaged through Europe and turned Dru and I in their process. Familial order, I'm Darla's great-grandchilde. Dru sired me, Angelus sired Dru, Darla sired Angelus and The Master sired Darla. The Order of Aurelis is what we are known as."

That night in jail it was getting late.
He was butt-raped by a large inmate, and he screamed.
But the guards paid no attention to his cries.

"But then Angelus ate the gypsy girl and disappeared. Popped back up after I bagged my first Slayer during the Boxer Rebellion. when he came back Darla flipped, went back to The Master. Became his lapdog. Then Angelus became Angel and staked her. She got hers in the end. Moral of the story is what goes around comes around. And you and your firm messed it up. You brought Darla back, you had her vamped."

Lindsey nodded. Some of this was old news, but some of it was new. "And now what?"

That's when things got out of control.
The moral of the date rape story,
It does not pay to be drunk and horny.
But that's the way it had to be.
They locked him up and threw away the key.
Well, I can't take pity on men of his kind,
Even though he now takes it in the behind.

Spike turned off the radio. "And now you have a decision. Help me off Dru then get the hell out of Los Angeles, or stay here and die, either by my hand or Angel's or maybe even Darla's. Dru's dead either way."

Lindsey looked at Spike. "You're serious."

"As serious as I'm dead." He picked up a stake.

Lindsey looked around. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'll take my chances with Darla."

"Then you'll lose." Spike vamped out. "And if you interfere with me staking Dru I will kill you." He opened the driver's door as Lindsey opened the passenger side door.

"No worries there. I didn't like her much anyway. But I'll be telling Darla about this."

Spike nodded. "I know you will. So fine, go ahead. Once Dru's dead, what happens up here really doesn't matter much to me anyway." Spike tossed out the half smoked cigarette, then shut his door. "I'll be off."

He leaned over, shut the passenger door, then turned the radio back on, driving out of the Wolfram & Hart parking lot and leaving Lindsey slightly bewildered next to his car.

Clapping was heard off to his left, and Lindsey turned to face Darla. "How'd I do?"

"Very good. Let Spike take care of Drusilla for us." Darla laughed. "She just took care of Lilah."

Lindsey didn't smile. "And now, me?"

Darla shook her head. "No...you, I think I'll keep for a while." She offered him her hand. "Now, let's get out of here."