His Bad Penny

Part Three

August 1999

"But Papa, I don't want to go to school," Penny said, trying to pull Spike back towards the car.

"You're going to school and that's final," Spike told her. He gripped her small hand tighter and picked up the bag on the ground once again. "I want my bad girl to grow up smart, not dumb."

"I'm already smart," Penny said.

"Not the kind of smart I want you to be," he said.

"But-"

"Bad Penny Angelus, enough!" Spike exclaimed. He dropped the bag, lifted his little girl up under the arms and sat her down on the waist-high ledge beside the stairs leading up to the main building of the school. He bent his head slightly and met her dark eyes with his snapping blue ones.

"Now, I don't want to hear another word about not going to school," he said in a low, hard tone. "I worked my arse off to make you my daughter to be able to enroll you here where you can learn and be safe at the same time. Maybe I shouldn't have bothered, eh? Maybe I shouldn't have made you my daughter-"

"Papa, no," Penny said plaintively. "I want to be your daughter. I want you to be my real Papa."

"Okay then," Spike said. "If I'm your legal father, what does that mean?"

"It means that you love me?" Penny replied, hope shining in her eyes.

"No, it means that when I tell you to do something, you do it," Spike said brisquely.

"Oh."

The small word was filled with sadness and Spike felt like a heel. He ground his teeth together and reminded himself that he was an evil, badass vampire who would not be cowed by a tiny little girl. "But it also means that I love you, too."

Way to be strong, nancyboy, he thought. What was it about dark-haired, dark-eyed women that turned him into a weak-kneed wuss?

Penny threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I love you, too, Papa," she whispered fiercely.

"Oh hell," Spike grumbled, pulling his little girl closer for a tight hug, purposely inhaling her sweet scent.

After a moment, he released her, cleared his throat and tried to give her a stern look. "Right. Now, tell me the rules again," he instructed gruffly.

Penny took a deep breath and started reciting, "Never trust anyone but myself no matter what. Don't get into trouble during the day. Don't call Grandpoof unless it's a really big emergency because he doesn't know I exist and he'll be really, really surprised if I do call. Don't leave the school grounds. Get good grades. Don't let anyone push me around. Listen to everyone and make up my own mind. And everyone here is a human, not a mark," she smiled brightly, "but that doesn't mean I can't beat 'em up or take things from them."

Spike chuckled. "Very good. Just don't get caught with the last bit there, luv."

"I won't," she said solemnly.

"Alright, moppet, enough of this chit-chat," he said, swinging her down from the ledge. "Let's get you inside and settled before the sun comes up and fries me."

"Are you sure I can't stay with you instead?" Penny asked once more.

Spike morphed and growled at her. His little girl screeched and ran up the steps to the front doors of the dormitory Penny was assigned to. Her laughter reached his ears a moment later and he smiled tenderly, his face returning to its human mask.

He was going to miss her.

******

"Bad Penny Angelus, you get back in that bed now!" Spike yelled up at his little girl.

"But Papa, I-"

Spike's face shifted into its true, ridged countenance and he snarled, "If you're not asleep in the next two seconds..."

Penny disappeared in a flash.

"You're Hostile 17!" Riley exclaimed, staring in shock at Spike.

"He's what?" Angel said, frowning at Riley.

"Hostile 17!" Riley repeated, reaching for his stun gun.

"Riley, leave Spike alone," Buffy said.

"But he's Hostile 17!" Riley said again. "Do you know how long we've been searching for him?"

Spike slid his human mask back on and glared at the soldierputz. "Since November 16 of last year when I escaped from your bloody laboratory. I've been meaning to torture you a bit for putting this thing in my head."

"You're one of the Initiative people that put the implant in Spike?" Angel asked with slight menace in his voice as he stepped towards Riley. "I don't know whether I want to thank you or rip your head off."

"Peaches, I'm touched. I didn't realized you cared," Spike said.

"Don't push it, Spike," Angel growled.

Buffy stepped in front of Angel and put his hand on his chest. "Angel, calm down. I don't like what they did to Spike, either. It's just wrong."

Spike put his hand to his heart and smiled evilly at Riley. "Isn't it wonderful to know that you're loved?"

"Can it, Impotent-boy," Buffy said, looking past Angel. "Mr. Pointy is just begging me to find an excuse to stake you."

Spike's grin turned wicked and he gestured between Riley and Angel. "And which one of you two sods named your prick 'Mr. Pointy?'"

Angel growled deeply, the low rumbling filling Giles's living room. Giles arched a single brow when he heard the threatening sound, watching from the kitchen as the events unfolded, a cup of gin with a splash of tea added in his hand.

Riley's eyes bulged as he stared at Angel. "Buffy, get away from him," he said in a tight voice.

Buffy glanced over her shoulder at Riley. "Why?"

"Just trust me," Riley said, picking up his stun gun.

All hell broke loose inside of ten seconds.

"Riley, what are you doing?" Buffy asked as she turned around. Spike saw Angel instictively put his hands on her shoulders, pulling her back towards him as he started to step around her to put himself between Buffy and the threat.

"Look out!" Riley exclaimed, his gun raised near his face in firing position.

"Papa?"

Riley's body snapped around at Penny's voice, the gun still raised, and Spike went nuts. He snarled, his face morphing into fangs and ridges, as he launched himself towards Riley, using the coffee table as a jumping block. He tackled the soldier and howled out in pain as the implant in his head reacted.

Riley threw Spike off of him, rolled up to his knees and shot the blond vampire in the chest with the stun bolts. Angel was across the distance between them in a second, slamming his open hand up under the soldier's chin. The older vampire rammed Riley back against the wall divide next to the hallway, holding the light-haired man by the throat.

Angel's eyes turned golden as his gaze burned into Riley's. "Don't you ever hurt him again," he snarled.

"Papa! Papa!" Penny cried out as she came barreling down the stairs.

Angel tightened his hold on Riley's throat, and he hissed, "I should kill you for daring to touch what's mine, including Buffy."

"Angel, stop," Buffy said sternly as she crouched beside Spike. She quickly checked over him with an experienced eye. "Spike has just been paralyzed. He'll be fine in a few hours."

Penny threw herself onto the floor beside Spike, shaking him. "Get up, Papa! Get up! Don't leave me like Mama did! Get up!"

"Penny, sweetheart, he can't get up," Giles said after shooting a glare at Riley as he came out of the kitchen. He crouched beside her and touched her lightly on the back.

"Papa has to get up! He has to!" Penny sobbed. She wrapped her small arms as far around Spike as she could and pressed her face to his chest. "He has to!"

Spike wanted desperately to put his arms around his little girl, but he couldn't move to save his unlife. But when he could, the pillock'd better watch out. Somehow he was going to rip Riley a new one. He would be just as satisfied watching someone else do it for him as he would doing it himself.

"Angel, come help me move Spike to the couch," Buffy instructed.

Angel's face slid back into its human planes and he stared coldly at Riley for a moment longer before dropping the soldier. He snatched the stun gun from the floor, walked over to Buffy and handed it to her. "Destroy this."

Buffy took the gun and bent the muzzle until it was touching the grip. She rolled her eyes as she handed it back to Angel. "Happy now?"

"Yes," Angel grunted in reply. He turned and threw the gun back at Riley, who fumbled to catch it.

"Boy, Buffy, I keep forgetting how strong you really are," Riley said, staring down at his bent weapon. "I'd hate to get you angry with me."

"Riley, go home, okay?" Buffy said, as she and Angel lifted Spike off the ground after Giles pulled Penny back. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"I'm not leaving until I get an explanation about why you've been hiding Hostile 17 and why you're friendly with this," Riley gestured at Angel, "vampire."

Giles released Penny once Spike was situated on the couch, and the little girl scrambled over to the prone vampire. She knelt on the floor next to the couch, wrapped her arms around one of Spike's and laid her head down on his chest.

Buffy met Angel's dark, concerned gaze for a moment after the older vampire raised his eyes from Spike and Penny, then she faced Riley. She took a deep breath and let it out quickly. "Riley, I'd like you to formally meet Angel, my ex-"

"Lover," Angel finished in a possessive tone.

Riley's mouth dropped open. "You had sex with a vampire!"

The Slayer looked over at Angel and blushed. Flustered, she continued. "Angel isn't like other vampires. He has a soul."

"So that means what? He's harmless like Hostile 17 there?" Riley rubbed his throat. "I don't think so."

"It means he's like me," Buffy said. "Not quite human."

"Don't say that, Buffy," Angel told her quickly. "You're one hundred percent human and I haven't been in...," he paused, a pained expression flickering across his features, "...a long time."

Spike started playing the violin in his mind.

"All that's important is that Angel is good," Buffy said to Riley. "A little overprotective, maybe, but good."

Giles cleared his throat. "May I suggest that we continue this tomorrow? It is obvious that Spike will be unable to answer any more questions for awhile."

"Good idea, Giles," Buffy said. "Riley, let's go. I'll answer whatever else you want to know about on the walk back to campus."

"Sir." Riley nodded in a polite goodbye to Giles. He shot a wary glance at Angel as he walked past the vampire towards the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Giles," Buffy said to her mentor. She turned to Angel. "Will you be here?"

"Yes," Angel replied.

"Then I'll see you, too." Buffy gave him a small, sincere smile. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Buffy," Angel said softly.

Spike made the best gagging noises that he could. Penny raised her head. "Papa?"

Buffy left with Riley as Angel crouched down beside Penny. "Penny, your," he hesitated for a fraction of a second before continuing, "father is okay. He just needs to sleep, like you should be doing."

"Do I hafta?" Penny said.

Angel raised his gaze to Spike. Spike tried to convey to his Sire with his eyes that he didn't want Penny to leave his side. Not when he'd come close to having his little girl shot with electricity. If there were enough volts to paralyze a vampire, he didn't want to know what it would do to a seven-year-old, human girl.

"How about if I scoot Spike over so you can sleep here, too?" Angel asked her in a soft tone. "Would that be okay?"

Penny nodded enthusiastically. Angel rose and moved to the head of the couch. He put his hands under Spike's shoulders and, just before he shifted the blond vampire, bent his head to whisper in the younger man's ear, "You are an idiot."

Spike ignored his Sire, instead concentrating on the tiny moppet who climbed up over him and slid into the hole made between his body and the back of the couch. Penny settled against his side, pillowing her dark head against his chest, her small fingers clenching around the material on the front of his tee-shirt. A blanket descended over both of them, courtesy of Giles.

"You'll be okay with him here?" Angel asked Giles.

"Yes," Giles replied. "Spike may be annoying, but he is harmless. He stayed with me for a bit when he first came to us for assistance."

Chained up in the bathtub, Spike thought scornfully.

"I'll be up at the mansion if you need me," Angel said, heading for the door.

"Goodnight, Angel," Giles said.

"Goodnight," Angel said in kind. "I'll return tomorrow afternoon so we can resolve this."

"Very well," Giles said. Angel left and the ex-Watcher looked down at the pair on the couch. He shook his head, then shut off the light.

Spike heard Giles's footsteps as he retreated upstairs. With a mental sigh, the blond vampire closed his eyes -- an action he could do -- and fell to sleep listening to the soft sounds of Penny's steady breathing.

Part Four

October 1999

"Papa, hi!" Penny's happy voice came to Spike over the phone line.

"Hello, precious," Spike said into the receiver.

"Did you find it?" Penny asked almost immediately.

"Yes, I found the Gem of Amara," he replied, frowning in disgust at the debacle surrounding the gem.

"Yay! Now we can go to the beach and destroy other people's sandcastles and find clams and pry them open so they shrivel up like raisins and you can pretend to be a shark and tear people into pieces that wash up on the beach like that girl's hand in Jaws, which I watched on the cook's television last week after I stole it from Sister Jennifer's movie shelf and I almost got caught, but you told me to always have two ways to escape from a room, which I did, so I escaped before Sister Louisa saw me."

Spike shook his head at the number of words his little girl managed to spit out in one breath. When she paused to take another gulp of air, he spoke up quickly. "Penny, I have a some bloody rotten news."

"What is it, Papa?" Penny asked with worry. "Aren't you going to take me to the beach?"

"We can still go to the beach, but it's going to have to be at night," Spike said, with evident disappointment. "I don't have the gem anymore."

"Why?"

Spike's heart twisted in pain at the sadness in her voice. Anger at the circumstances of his losing the gem caused his reply to come out harsher than he meant. "Because I don't, Penny, that's why. Which means we aren't going to go to the beach or the park or the zoo or any of the other soddin' places I wanted to take you during the day. And I'd appreciate it if you never brought up that effin' gem again."

"O-okay," Penny said in a tiny voice. "I won't."

"Good," Spike said. He took a purposeful breath and let it out quickly. "Now, tell me about your classes. Are you getting high marks?"

"Yes," Penny replied.

"Making new friends?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"Kill anyone yet?"

"No."

"Well, you're still young." Penny giggled and Spike felt his anger slipping away. He smiled, glanced at his stolen Rolex, and said, "How 'bout you an' me head out to the beach tonight? Maybe someone will have gotten stuck in the riptide and we can watch 'em drown."

"Can we feed fizzies to the seagulls and watch them explode, too?"

Spike laughed. "Anything you want, my bad little girl," he told her. "I'll be by in three-quarters of an hour to fetch you."

"'K," Penny said. "Bye, Papa. Love you."

"Love you back, squirt," Spike said. Then, he hung up the phone, a smile still etched across his features, and sauntered back out into the night.

*****

"You both know that Dru..."

"Found dryer lint more exciting than you?" Buffy suggested caustically.

Spike glared at her. "Do you want me to explain or not?"

"Buffy," Angel said softly in warning, reaching over to put his hand on her wrist. He removed his hand quickly, as if it'd been burned.

Spike practically saw the band of electricity that connected Buffy and Angel when the two met each other's eyes. He smirked when Angel purposely covered Buffy's hand with his larger one. Bye-bye Commando-poof, Spike thought.

The three were sitting in Giles's courtyard, the late afternoon sun low enough in the sky to cast the open area in shadows. Penny was inside with Giles, eating an early dinner so that Spike could take her out around what little town there was after the sun set.

"Go ahead, Spike," Angel prompted, returning his gaze to the younger vampire.

"Right. Well, after my wonderful success in getting Dru back, I returned to LA," Spike said. "I was living in this condemned piss-hole in the barrio, working my way through as much alcohol as I could. Bad Penny just popped up one day and wouldn't leave." He shrugged. "After a bit, I got kind of used to having her around."

"And her parents?" Angel asked.

"I think her mum o.d.'d," Spike replied. "She was dead before I even knew Penny existed. No one ever came to claim the little chit and when I went diggin' up her past to make her my legal daughter, I found out she doesn't have any other blood relatives."

"So you really are her legal father? Government legal?" Buffy said.

Spike nodded. "But under the British government, seein' as I'm not a bloody Yank. Got us a couple of Green Cards, too, although they're not on the complete up-and-up."

"I take it your idea was to wait until Penny was about eighteen or nineteen, then turn her?" Angel surmised.

"Yeah," Spike replied. "I enrolled her over at O.L.P.H. outside of LA where she could get an education. Plus, it bein' a Catholic boarding school, she'd be safer there than pretty much anywhere. Another ten years down the line, she'd graduate, I'd turn her and we'd go terrorize the world together."

"Oedipus much?"

Spike frowned at Buffy. "What?"

"Never mind. Wrong gender, anyway," Buffy told him, shaking her head.

"What are you going to do now?" Angel asked, continuing the conversation.

"You mean because of the soddin' implant in my head?" Spike said. Angel nodded and Spike shrugged again. "Don't know, mate. If I can get the bloody Initiative pricks to fix me, it won't be a problem."

"And if not?"

"I'll think of something. You never know, ten years is a lot of time," Spike said. He smacked his hands down on the table and stood. "Any more questions? Penny and I got some quality catching-up time to get to."

"I have one more," Angel said. He gave his Childe a questioning lift of his brow. "William Spike Angelus? Bad Penny Angelus? Angel Angelus?"

Spike gave Angel a cocky grin. "What did you expect, daddy?"

Epilogue

June 2017

"...Carolyn Anderson...Jennifer Andrews...Penny Angelus..."

Spike smiled widely, clapping hard enough to make his hands hurt, as Penny climbed up on stage and accepted her diploma. The still small, Hispanic girl with sparkling black eyes and a short cap of dark hair waved to him from the stage as she made her way down the opposite side to retake her seat.

"That's my girl," he said proudly.

"That she is, Spike," Angel said from his seat beside the blond vampire.

"Did Penny decide where she was going to college yet?" Buffy asked, leaning forward to speak past Angel.

"She's narrowed it down to either some small school in the middle of a bloody cornfield in Indiana or Berkley," Spike replied. "According to her, they both have Criminal Psychology programs that are the bloody bollocks." He glanced down at the rows of graduating high school students below. "What about Myra?"

"Texas A&M, UNLV or the American University in Cairo, Egypt," Angel said. "Although I think the last one she chose just because she was mad." He frowned. "At least, I hope."

"Shh! She's up next!" Buffy scolded.

Spike and Angel turned their attention back to the stage as a small, slender, Hispanic girl climbed the steps, her long black hair brushing the middle of her red graduation gown. Out of the corner of his eye, Spike saw his best friend of five years break out in a huge smile as Angel started to clap already.

Who would have figured that ten years ago he had been trying to explain how he had a daughter to two semi-enemies who loved each other, but forced themselves to stay apart?, Spike thought, a genuine smile crossing his lips as he watched Angel's enthusiasm. It was funny how unlife changed over time. Those same two semi-enemies were now his best friends, together in every sense of the word, and they had followed in his footsteps when it came to the next stage in their lives.

Yes, Spike thought, returning his eyes to the stage. It was funny how unlife was forever changing over time.

"...Daphne Stevens...Georgia Suders...Myra Summers-Angelus..."

End