David walked out of Lorne’s office and past the ghosts that were starting to crowd around him. A shiver ran down his spine and he started walking faster. They were starting to move in closer to him. He could hear Spike shouting and jogged toward the noise.
“Right now?” Angel asked as Spike hopped around anxiously.
“Yes. Right now, right here! Piss off! I’m trying to have a conversation here!” Spike shouted at the ghosts. David came around the corner to see them walking around Spike, just as they’d been coming at him. He dodged around one of them as it reached out for him.
“Sod off, would ya!” David said as he raced towards Spike. Angel, Fred and Wesley watched as Spike got more and more upset at the ghosts.
“Shut up! I don’t care…” Spike continued to argue with the ghosts.
“Who’s he talking to?” Wesley asked as they watched Spike ramble at empty spaces.
“Hey, the man said piss off!” David said to one of the obvious dead men who kept walking right up to Spike even as he tried to dodge him. David spun as a dead woman came up right behind him.
“You’re next,” she said.
“The hell with you!” David exclaimed to the ghost as he moved over towards Spike.
“Ghosts,” Angel answered Wesley.
“Where?” Fred asked as she watched Spike ranting at the empty air.
“Everywhere,” Spike responded. “The blighters are coming out of the woodwork.” Spike spun around to respond to another ghost. “No, I am not talking to you. Go away!”
“Don’t think they’re gonna listen to us anymore mate. Hey! He said piss off!” David shouted at another ghost that came up near him.
Gunn and Eve ran in. “We just checked with security,” Gunn said.
“They do hourly sweeps with the mystics to secure against spectral intrusion,” Eve said.
“So how many are we dealing with?” Angel asked her.
“Uh, none. Last sweep was 10 minutes ago. Spike is the only noncorporeal in the building,” Gunn answered.
“It’s coming for you,” said a haunting voice from the armless ghost.
David’s face paled. “Did she say I wasn’t here?” It’s ok, they never saw me before on the bloody sweeps. This is no different, he tried to reassure himself. So why does it still feel different?
“Check again,” Spike demanded.
“Maybe we should go back to the lab,” Fred suggested, her voice full of concern.
“No. I’m telling you they are here. You have to check again. Something’s happened. David, you tell them!” Spike was frantic.
“They’re bloody well everywhere,” David confirmed.
“It’s here,” said one of the ghosts.
Everyone looked around. “Where’s David?” Fred asked.
“Bloody hell. Fred, please. You have to use that perfect brain of yours and get us the hell out of this mess.” Spike begged.
“Spike?” Fred called out, looking confused.
“Where’d he go?” Eve asked.
“It’s okay. He does this sometimes,” Angel explained.
“Bugger,” David exclaimed.
“Does what?” Spike asked, looked at Angel confused, then looked at David.
“We should spread out, see if we can find him,” Fred said as they dispersed.
“They didn’t see me when I came in, did they?” David asked and Spike looked worried.
“We just need to find him. Maybe David’s seen him,” Fred suggested as they all went separate ways.
“Well, what are you goin’ on about? I haven’t gone anywhere. Fred?” Spike tried again.
“Fred?” David tried too. “Angel?” He said as he ran in front of the bloke, who walked right through him without any hesitation. “Not good,” he said as he turned back to Spike.
“I’m here! I’m … I’m still here!” Spike called out louder. “Fred!”
“She can’t help you now, William,” came a deep, haunting voice. “Nor you, David.” Spike and David spun towards the sound of the voice, and David moved in closer to Spike. “No one can.” The voice laughed a little maniacally.
Spike swallowed. “Is this the part where I say ‘Who’s there?’ and something creepy happens?” Something moved behind David, and they both spun around. “Thought so,” Spike said.
“Bloody hell,” David said and gulped as he watched Spike move in the direction of the noise. “Right then. Follow the creepy noises.” He stepped in behind Spike.
“Got a better idea?”
“No, just noting this is what we’re doing now,” David said. Spike ignored him and continued up the stairs with David close on his tail, looking around as he followed. They continued walking down the hall, before coming to the elevator that dinged and opened as they walked up alongside it. David jumped a little.
“Oh no. Haunted lift,” Spike said, a little dismissively. “Take a slice more to wet my knickers.”
“Never did like horror stories,” David remarked, looking at Spike who gave him an incredulous look.
“Seriously, mate? You’re a bloody ghost.”
David shrugged. “Life was already a horror story. We’re going in the haunted lift, aren’t we?”
“You want to stay up here by yourself, be my guest. I’m going to figure out once and for all what the bloody hell is going on around here.”
“Right. Haunted lift it is,” David sighed and walked in as Spike followed on his heels. They entered the elevator and it closed behind Spike. When the elevator opened again, they were in the basement.
“Had to be the basement,” Spike groaned.
“Bloody brilliant,” David complained, as he followed Spike out of the lift. The familiar chopping and scraping noise they’d heard earlier started again.
“I already played this one out,” Spike called out. “Not like another round’s gonna rattle my knobs.” They continued down the hallway, but there was no answer and the noise continued. As they came around the corner, however, there was no one at the desk. They walked closer. Spike leaned over to inspect the knife sitting next to the severed fingers, sitting in a pool of blood. David looked around nervously. One of the fingers twitched on the table, and a sing-song voice started.
“It’s gonna get you,” a woman appeared on the other side of the room laughing with a large piece of glass sticking out of her eye, dressed in a simple blouse and skirt. She looked like one of the lawyers that might have worked there once.
“What exactly would ‘it’ be, love?” Spike asked as he looked her up and down. David scowled in disgust. He was about done with these ghost games, and tired of the fear pooling in the pit of his stomach.
“Reaper’s gonna take you,” she started singing in response as she looked Spike and then David up and down, laughing again. David took a step back as she got closer.
“The Reaper?” Spike chuckled as he stuck his hand in the air. “Tall, grim fellow with a scythe?” David narrowed his eyes at the woman, confused. “Is that what all this boogie-boogie’s been about?”
“It hurts,” the woman said.
“I’ve been knocking around the land of the lost for months now, pretty as you please. Slipped through the cracks, did I?”
“Don’t worry, William,” she said. David studied her closely. He did not like where this was heading. She reached up and pulled the giant shard of glass out of her eye. “Haven’t forgotten you,” she said menacingly as she swung her hand through the air, cutting Spike’s cheek. David gasped and stepped backwards, caught off guard, as she vanished. Spike reached up to his cheek and pulled his hand away to see blood on his fingertips.
“Fuck,” David said.
They made their way back to the lab. “Think I know what they are, the things we’ve been seeing,” Spike said to Fred’s back as she worked on an equation. “They’re the welcoming party. Guess hell got tired of waiting. Reaching out for me now. Sent a boy around to collect me.”
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“I knew it,” Fred exclaimed, moving the file, and jotting something down. She hadn’t even noticed their presence, completely ignoring them in her focus on her work.
“He knows my name. Knows how to hurt me,” Spike sighed. David stood feeling helpless as he watched them. “I wanted to thank you, pet. How you tried to help.” David looked at the floor as he listened. He thought about what he might try to say next. “I wanted to tell you what that meant to me before I…”
“Damn, I’m good,” Fred exclaimed, a smile stealing over her face as she looked back at the equation.
“You are?” Spike asked, getting excited. David took a few steps forward ready to cheer, as he looked down at her papers.
“Freakin’ genius! Just cancel out the radical…” Fred was shaking her pen for emphasis as she went through the notes she’d made, getting more excited as she traced a potential solution to their ghostly dilemma.
“Thought you had me, didn’t you!” Spike said triumphantly, flashing a two fingered salute to the universe.
“Which causes a feedback wave that liquifies half of Los Angeles,” Fred said disappointedly as she finished the equation, her shoulders creeping up as she realized that it wouldn’t work after all.
“Bugger,” David cursed.
“What?!” Spike exclaimed.
“Auggh! I’ll never figure this out!” Fred took off her glasses and tossed them on the table, as she bundled up her papers and prepared to put them away.
“Yes, you will. Genius, remember?” Spike encouraged. She couldn’t give up now. Not when they were so close.
“Got that right!” David added, lending his support, though Fred still hadn’t acknowledged either of them. Strange, that. She was usually more aware of her surroundings. David frowned.
“Don’t throw in now, Fred. Please!” Spike pleaded as he reached in desperation for her shoulder. Fred gasped and spun around.
“Did you just …” David asked as they watched Fred look around the room.
“Spike? David?” Fred called out.
“That’s right, love. You felt it too, didn’t you? I’m here. We’re still here,” Spike said gesturing to the both of them even though she couldn’t see either of them. Fred continued to look around nervously. The lights turned off. “No! She can feel me. You’re not taking me yet! You’re not taking me!” Spike called out.
“It’s not bloody time yet. We still got time,” David called out as he spun looking around to see if a ghost was going to pop out, or this bloody Reaper that was supposed to be coming.
“Spike, or David … if it’s you, give me some sort of…” Fred spun and gasped, running into Angel who had walked in behind her. “Would everybody please stop doing that?” Fred pleaded, annoyed and relieved it was just Angel.
“Sorry,” Angel apologized. “I just wanted to let you know …”
“Angel, something was in the lab,” she interrupted him. “It … it touched me. I think maybe it was…”
“Fred, we did another sweep with the mystics. They didn’t find anything.”
“Screw the mystics. I know what I felt,” she insisted. “We have to find a way to contact them, before they’re really gone.”
****
They sat in the boardroom, waiting for the psychic to get there.
“Not gonna make a lick of difference,” David muttered, shaking his head. He’d been down this road before. It was always the same story – yet another psychic who wasn’t able to see him. Even Wolfram and Hart’s mystics had never been able to sense him on their security sweeps, not that Angel seemed to have realized that.
“What makes you say that?” Spike asked him.
“Never bloody worked for me before,” David shrugged, not volunteering any further information. Spike gave him a confused look, but before he could press further, Wesley spoke up, asking Gunn if they should reconsider.
“You think?” Gunn replied. “Seen enough horror flicks to know these things always turn out ugly.”
“What do you mean never worked for you before?” Spike pressed David, searching for a clue – any clue – about the man’s past.
“Just what I said. No one can ever bloody see me. Welcome to my world,” David admitted, sounding defeated as he studied his shoes. Spike frowned, starting to feel worried.
“What do you …” Spike started but was interrupted as the psychic and Eve walked through the door.
“I stand corrected,” Gunn mused appreciatively, and David rolled his eyes. The woman that came in was beautiful, with long blond hair, a red dress and choker that went along the length of her neck.
“Typical,” David said under his breath.
“All right, let’s get to it. Eve tells me that you’ve lost a couple of ghosties,” she said.
“Well, they’re not actually ghosts technically. More of a…” Fred started.
“Yeah, whatever,” the psychic interrupted, rolling her eyes.
“Yeah, this should go well,” David snarked, and Spike shot him a look. David ignored him and started pacing.
“Now, I have Pilates at the crack of why-am-I-awake, so we’re gonna move this right along. I will mutter a few calming words to try and get us in the zone and then we’ll see if we can scare up your missing spooks,” the psychic said, looking around the table. “Okay, clear your minds, which judging by the looks of you, won’t be that hard,” she said patronizingly. David chuckled to himself. Spike wasn’t finding any of this amusing.
“Should we hold hands?” Fred asked.
“Only if you’re lonely,” the psychic responded. “Now zip it and let me do my sweet funky.” She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I call upon the Guardian of Souls, the Keeper of the Passage.”
“Oh, what a load of shite,” David scoffed, resuming his irritated pacing.
“Would you stop it!” Spike snapped at him.
“Let our breath flow from what is to what is past,” she continued unaware of the ghosts arguing in the room. “Bless us with the presence of the lost. Grant us communion with the world beyond our reach. Give voice to those who can no longer be heard. I beseech you – open your gates, reveal your secrets.” She finally opened her eyes and gasped. “I sense a presence.”
“Oh, do you now,” David said sarcastically. Spike ignored him as went to stand next to the woman.
“Damn right you do.” Spike said.
“Very close,” she said.
“Skip the claptrap and tell ‘em to get me out of here,” Spike insisted.
“So much pain,” she said. David frowned.
“He’s in pain?” Fred asked.
“The dark soul. So much suffering.”
Spike started pacing. “Dark, pain, suffering. They’ve got it. Now, tell them to help me!”
“It’s coming. It’s coming,” she repeated.
“That’s not a good sign,” David muttered.
Spike glanced at him and shook his head. “I’m already here. We’re already here. What are you goin’ on about?”
“Oh, God, I can feel it,” she said a little fearfully. “The dark soul. It’s here.”
“Bloody hell, mate. I don’t think she’s talking about you,” David said, looking around the conference room.
“It’s … it’s the …”
“The Reaper!” Spike yelled as he lost his patience. “The bloody freakin’ Reaper! Go on, tell ‘em!”
“It’s the…” the psychic started and then screamed in pain.
“Woah!” Gunn gasped, jumping despite himself as the psychic doubled over, grabbing at her throat like she was trying to pry invisible fingers away. As they watched in horror, a trickle of blood ran down from her nose.
“What’s happening?” Fred whispered.
“Spike, stop it,” Angel snapped. He sounded almost scared.
“Fuck,” David stepped back, looking around.
“It’s not me, you git,” Spike yelped, looking wildly around the room.
“Let her go!” Angel said as he leapt to his feet, moving towards the psychic, who was gasping as blood dripped from her nose. Wesley stood up as well, ready to assist. She suddenly got very quiet.
“Are you alright?” Fred asked tentatively. The psychic spit blood forcefully into Fred’s face and then collapsed on the table.
“Wasn’t expecting that reaction,” David said to himself.
Spike scoffed, but there was an undercurrent of fear in the sound. “Now what’ll we do?” he asked as the team rushed to help the collapsed woman, ignoring the ghosts in their midst.
David shrugged. “Bugger this,” he said, shaking his head as he walked through the door of the conference room, leaving the chaotic scene behind.
Spike followed, calling after him. “Right then, where are you off to?”
“I’m gonna try Lorne.” David called back over his shoulder, not slowing his pace.
“Lorne? What’s he gonna do?” Spike asked, pacing back and forth in front of the conference room doorway as he debated whether or not he should follow David.
“Dunno. But I gotta try something!” David picked up his pace, breaking into a light jog as the distance between them increased.
“And what are you gonna try?” Spike shouted after him, still making no move to follow.
“I’m gonna sing.” David shouted back as he ran down the empty hallway.
“Sing? Man’s gonna bloody sing...” Spike complained to the empty hallway as he shook his head. “Right, like that’s going to make a difference.” In a fit of temper, he punched the wall, his hand vanishing through it easily. Bugger. Can’t even throw a bloody punch. Might as well give up at this rate, Spike thought as he sank to the floor, putting his head between his knees. After all, wasn’t like anyone was around to see him cry. Not that he was crying of course.
****
David burst into Lorne’s office, relieved to find him still there. Lorne had let them know he’d spoken to David earlier, and that David had confessed he was being dragged down to hell, then he’d left. David was relieved that Lorne hadn’t shared anything else, but he hoped he could get a message through to him somehow. Lorne had gotten something from him earlier, so maybe there was a chance he’d pick up on something this time too. David hovered over Lorne.
“Come on, mate. Let this work!” he prayed aloud, as he thought about singing for Lorne and how Spike had managed to reach Fred. He was feeling desperate. How am I going to do this? He thought to himself. Where do I start? Then he smiled, at the beginning, of course. He started to sing the song that had been stuck in his head ever since the ghost had given them the name – Reaper. He was also thankful for the weeks they’d spent next to a garage that doubled as the practice space for a Blue ?yster Cult cover band – he'd heard the song so often that he had it memorized.
All our times have come
Here, but now they're gone
Seasons don't fear the reaper
Nor do the wind, the sun, or the rain
He willed Lorne to hear him, but Lorne seemed completely oblivious.
(We can be like they are)
Come on, baby
(Don't fear the reaper)
Baby, take my hand
(Don't fear the reaper)
We'll be able to fly
(Don't fear the reaper)
Baby, I'm your man
He reached out and put his hands on Lorne’s shoulder but they started to move right through. Bugger. Come on, mate!
La, la la, la la
La, la la, la la
Don’t fear the reaper mate, he told himself. Come on, you can do this!
Valentine is done
Here, but now they're gone
Romeo and Juliet
Are together in eternity
(Romeo and Juliet)
40,000 men and women every day
(Like Romeo and Juliet)
40,000 men and women every day
(Redefine happiness)
Another 40,000 coming every day
David pictured a performance in his mind’s eye as he sang. He imagined dressing up, the costumes, the rehearsals, the stage, the spotlights coming down like they used today. Lorne had been a performer, hadn’t he? David concentrated harder, trying to picture Lorne holding a microphone to his lips and belting out this song.
(We can be like they are)
Come on, baby
(Don't fear the reaper)
Baby, take my hand
(Don't fear the reaper)
We'll be able to fly
(Don't fear the reaper)
Baby, I'm your man
La, la la, la la
La, la la, la la
To his shock and relief, Lorne started to hum. That’s it! That’s it! David concentrated, imagining the guitar riffs he loved so much, then grimaced, and stepped into Lorne.
Love of two is one
Here, but now they're gone
Came the last night of sadness
And it was clear she couldn't go on
Then the door was open, and the wind appeared
The candles blew, and then disappeared
The curtains flew, and then he appeared
(Saying, "Don't be afraid")
David imagined himself standing on a stage, singing with all his might. Don’t be afraid mate. You can do this, he reassured himself. He felt like he was one with Lorne, letting the music flow through him.
Lorne gasped. “David!?” he called out. David kept singing but let Lorne step away as he started looking around the room. Lorne closed his eyes, but David knew he could feel him. He had to!
Come on, baby
(And she had no fear)
And she ran to him
(Then they started to fly)
They looked backward, and said goodbye
(She had become like they are)
She had taken his hand
(She had become like they are)
Come on, baby
(Don't fear the reaper)
“Oh my god,” Lorne said. “I … I think I understand,” he said as he raced out the door. David followed fast behind him, hoping they would believe him.
