Just a Nightmare

by CCL

This story was written as part of the AoVD Lyric Wheel Project. The theme for the wheel was "Crossover." Lyrics were provided by Lilith.

Summary: Dom goes out for a drive and ends up on the 'weird' side of town. Or does he? This is a Buffy/Angel/TFATF crossover type deal. Don't look for the poof cause I only mention his name once or twice. I thought two vamps might be a little too intimidating for our fave street racer and thought the singing green guy was less scary. Well…okay… I'm not scared of him! ::giggles::

Warning: These lyrics were a bit tough. Heck the idea of sticking a Vin charrie in a different fandom was tough. This was the best I could come up with and I'll just apologize now for the bad writing. What can I say? Spike made me do it!

It was a cool night for August. The recent shower of rain that had blanketed LA heightened the humidity of the air but still Dom shivered as he made his way through the streets with his window down. It had been a long day. Too long. And now he was seeking the solace of a dark smoky room where the beer was cold and the patrons non-judgmental.

Due to the impending holiday and the day of the week, most bars were closed. Still Dom drove, seeking those glowing neon lights that would allow him to forget the events of the day and hopefully drown that nagging ache in his chest. A friend had told him of an out of the way club where the owner was a bit strange and the regulars even stranger. "Just don't forget your earplugs if you ever decide to go, man. The drinks are great but you might damage your hearing if you have to listen to those 'people' singing karaoke." Dom just chuckled at the memory and continued his quest for the elusive "Caritas."

The dusty black Desoto pulled into the parking lot with the subtlety of a freight train and the loud music faded only when the ignition was finally switched off. A tall blonde man kicked open the door in an angry rush and continued mumbling as he staggered towards the entrance to the bar.

"Never again, Slayer. You won't 'ave ole William the Bloody to kick around anymore! I'd rather work for the bloody poof!"

His vision blurred momentarily, making him stumble along the curb. The vampire reflexes kicked in a second too late and he crashed to his knees and rolled halfway out into the street and into oncoming traffic. Right in the path of a shiny red sports car.

Dom was scanning the storefronts down the side of the road and never noticed the blonde walking down the sidewalk. He slowed as he reached his destination, but not enough. As if in slow motion, Dom watched the Billy Idol look-a-like fall into his path and swerved a second too late.

"Holy SHIT!"

A loud thump, bump and whump as the body was flipped into the air, over the hood and finally landing in a heap behind the car. The brakes squealed in protest and Dom jammed down on the pedal and quickly cut the car off. He leapt from the driver side and hurried around to the crumpled form lying on the asphalt. He could see a large cut bleeding on the man's forehead and began rapidly checking the guy for a pulse in his neck and wrist. When he found none, his whole body began to shake.

"Fuck! As if my day wasn't bad enough? What the hell am I supposed to do now? I can't very well call the cops!"

Large brown eyes began to scan the street, searching for any possible witnesses to his crime as a plan started forming in his mind. 'If I just pull the guy over to the side of the road and leave, no one will ever know. The guy could have been some bum that just died.' He shook his head as he noted the expensive albeit well worn leather duster and boots. The youthful appearance of the dead man also didn't hold with Dom's theory of this guy being just another street urchin and Dom groaned again.

"I swear this just isn't my day!"

"Well how the hell do ya think I feel, mate? I had planned on getting sloshed not run over!" replied a distinctive british voice that sounded oddly annoyed.

The shaved head snapped around to do a double take as the street racer watched in abject horror while the 'dead' man got up and walked to the sidewalk.

Spike wobbled slightly as he brushed the dirt from his clothes and grumbled about wet jeans and Sunday drivers that never looked where the hell they were going.

"Ya know, all this modern transportation is fine and well. But we never had the problem of people running over a drunk fella when we traveled on horses. At least those bloody animals had the decency to side step ya when ya passed out on the road."

Dom could only blink and work his jaw up and down. His voice seemed to have left on the midnight train to Georgia and right now he wished he was with it. He ran two large, bronze hands over his face and rubbed diligently at his eyes, praying that his sanity would return and then he could deal with the dead guy like he'd planned.

"Are you alright, mate?" Spike inquired, shooting a concerned look at bulky guy still crouched on the street.

Finally speech returned and Dom could stop the two words that seemed determined to fall from his lips.

"You're dead."

Spike laughed and nodded. "Oh you're a bloody rocket scientist! Of course I'm dead! And a good thing too or you running me over would have done me in for sure!"

Dom widened his eyes and stared in shock as the words registered. "But you're..." dropping his voice to a bare whisper, "Dead!"

"Uh, yeah! Already covered that. Are you sure I didn't run you over and then tried to bite you? That damn chip can send out some powerful pain and I've been known to black out once or twice from it."

"Bite me? Chip? What the fuck are you??"

Spike puffed out his chest and stepped towards the racer with his hand extended. "William the Bloody, or Spike to most blokes. Vampire extraordinaire. At your service."

Dom had been reaching for Spike's hand until he heard the word "Vampire". Then he dropped his arm suddenly and went back to gaping at the man, resembling a goldfish rather than a human.

Sobered now, Spike helped the cowering man to his feet and clapped him on the back.

"Let's go grab a drink and I'll tell you all about it, mate. I promise, you won't be on the menu."

An hour and half later, the car had been parked and Dom was finally realizing exactly what his friend had warned him about. Caritas was definitely not your normal bar. And Spike wasn't your normal guy either.

As Dom nursed his corona and Spike gulped down several bloody mary's (heavy on the bloody, light on the mary) he listened to the bleached vampire's tale with morbid curiosity. The more he drank, the less Dom really cared that none of the story seemed to make much sense and sounded more like a television show he's seen Letty watching a long time ago.

Letty.

The thought seemed to erase the last few hours from his mind and Dom found himself drowning in misery once again. Letty was married and it wasn't to him.

"So what's your story, Dom. What had your knickers all in a twist that you just decided to drive through me rather than around me?"

Dom sighed and turned up the bottle, emptying the contents. He just shook his head, unwilling to pour out his heart like the vampire. Some pain was just not meant to be shared.

"His love got married today. To someone else. Am I right big fella?"

Dom looked up from the empty bottle to find a green skinned demon with red horns and eyes staring at him with a smile and fresh brew ready.

"Holy...."

"....cow ...yeah, I get that a lot. Listen you're not from around here are you, macho man? I'm Lorne. And let me tell ya honey, you're gonna be happy that it wasn't you down front at that church in a few years. Trust me."

"How do you know all this?" the racer replied.

"Well let's ignore the fact that you look like someone just stole your puppy and say that I just know. Your aura is screaming it. Along with a lot of other things but I think I'll hang on to those thoughts until you're sober. You won't remember it now if I tell you anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What he means is that you're sloshed and not really buying this 'Through the Looking Glass' Alice in Wonderland demon bar scene. So you'd just block it out mate. Takes time to adjust to the likes of us."

Dom looked at Spike with an eyebrow arched and Spike met the look with a smug smirk of his own.

"It's not you guys that are bothering me. Really. And it took 4 coronas for me to be able to say that. But the green guy is right. She got married. Married my best friend. And now I feel like such a fool for not seeing it."

"The name's Lorne, fella, and trust me when I tell you, your drinking buddy knows all about what you're going through. His true love keeps denying their relationship all together. Like he's invisible or something."

Spike winced at the mention of invisible but gave a sympathetic nod to Dom.

"He's right. Buffy keeps coming back to me and after a little ruff and tumble in the sheets, she goes back to pretending I'm the scum of the earth. I mean, I was perfectly happy in my crypt. Then the powers that be decided I needed to become the slayer's sidekick and WHAMMO! She just fell into my life. Now I'm her bloody lap dog and every time she leaves me, my dead heart just breaks all over again." The blonde took a long drag of his cigarette and exhaled slowly, watching the smoke circle his head. "Never again though," he said with determination. "I'm through with the likes of her."

"Yeah right, boy wonder. You and the champion keep saying stuff like that and yet you both go crawling right back to them. I swear if I have to listen to him whine more time about Cordy I'm gonna scream." Lorne shook his head and stirred his pink cocktail before taking a dainty sip. "You might as well face it guys it's destiny. You can't escape it."

Dom listened patiently but they both ignored his questions about the so-called "Champion".

"Another basket case like the two of you," Lorne supplied finally. "Why don't you tell us more about your lost love? This heartbreaker got a name?"

Dom shrugged and sipped his beer. "Letty. She came along right after my dad died. Stuck by me while I was in prison. I swear she was like a breath of fresh air every time she came to visit me. I'd known her before, of course. But not in that way. She was just always there. Hanging around my sister, following us boys around. When I thought I was gonna die after losing my dad, she just slipped under my defenses and pretty soon she had filled that empty space with her love. Hell I didn't know that love could feel like that, ya know?"

"Boy do I, big guy. Tell me more. I'm guessing something happened to cause trouble in paradise?"

Spike had shifted on his bar stool to face the racer and was now listening as avidly as Lorne.

"I bet that poof of a friend moved in when you weren't looking, right? My bloody sire does that to me every time!"

Lorne elbowed Spike to stop him from interrupting and Dom smirked but continued. "Nah, I fucked it up. Cheated on her. Stupid one night stand. She found out of course, but we talked and she said that she'd forgiven me. What a crock! I believed her though. Gave her everything I could. Even my heart." He eyed the demons in his company and added, "Well as much as you can give someone your heart, ya know?"

They nodded in agreement and he continued with his sad lament.

"So a few months back things go to hell in a hand basket. We all land in some pretty hot water and I've got no choice but to bail on the whole scene. She didn't want to be on the run with me, so I left her. Promised I'd be back for her as soon as things settled down. So when I came back two weeks ago instead of her welcoming me back she tells me that she's getting married. To Vince! I've known this guy since the third grade! So there I was today. Standing at the back of the church like some fool, watching her kiss him and say those vows and remembering what it was like to hear her say shit like that to me. Remembering what it felt like to kiss those lips."

The last sentence was barely whispered as Dom got choked up on the memory and took a swig of beer to wash down the lump that had formed in his throat.

His companions remained silent as he fought to pull himself together and continue. For that small reprieve, Dom was grateful. The three sat in an easy silence and finally Spike broke the reverie with a quiet comment.

"The bitterest pill, eh mate?"

Lorne perked up and looked sideways at the vampire while Dom stared in total confusion.

"What was that?"

"The bitterest pill. The whole deal. She pretty much mocked you by lying to you about waiting and saying it was all okay. Now you're wondering why the hell you went to all the trouble. The idea that she played you for a fool makes you sick to your stomach. And all you can do is take it. Just swallow it down and stuff it deep inside you somewhere. Trust me mate, you'll be choking on that pill for a long time. I should know. My Dru did that for over a hundred years and I still get ill thinking about how I lost her. And all over the slayer."

Dom rolled the words around in his mind for a moment and realized that really was the truth of it. Letty had hurt him. The same way he'd hurt her. And now he was having to swallow the same bullshit he'd given to her when he'd cheated so long ago. A bitter pill indeed.

"Well aren't you both just a ray of sunshine? Listen, I've got a Parlach demon waiting for a reading. Feel free to drown your sorrows, I'll throw it on Angel's tab." He cast a wink at Spike when the blonde vamp smirked in surprise. "Who am I to stand in the way of blocking out lost love, huh? Besides, he's due a little payback for that butchered version of Mandy I had to sit through."

Dom and Spike watched the green demon shudder for effect and then walk off towards some large, red creature that resembled an over grown smurf. They exchanged similar looks of amusement before returning to their private turmoil and the alcohol poisoning they were both working on.

Finally, as closing time neared, they both raised their drinks in a toast.

"To the bitterest pill. May they choke on it!"

And with a resounding clink they both passed out cold.

The Next Morning:

Dom woke up with his head throbbing in a strange hotel. The sun was already set below the horizon and he had no memory of what had happened in the last 24 hours. His dreams had been filled with strange images of dead men walking and green bartenders with horns. He laughed to himself and brushed the thought away, reaching for his boots beside the bed.

"Whew! Just a nightmare. I must have been really drunk after the wedding. I'm lucky I didn't get myself killed."

And then a familiar British voice spoke up, "Who had a nightmare?"

Dom whirled and met the demonic yellow eyes of Spike in full game face. It wasn't a nightmare after all. "It was real!" he muttered before fainting dead away.

Spike surveyed the mortal in confusion before reaching up to touch his face. When his fingers discovered the familiar ridges and jagged teeth all he could mutter was, "Ahhhh bloody 'ell."

The Song

The Bitterest Pill
Performed by The Jam

In your white lace and your wedding bells
You look the picture of contented new wealth
But from the on-looking fool who believed your lies
I wish this grave would open up and swallow me alive

For the bitterest pill is hard to swallow
The love I gave hangs in sad coloured, mocking shadows

When the wheel of fortune broke, you fell to me
Out of grey skies to change my misery
The vacant spot, your beating heart took its place
But now I watch smoke leave my lips and fill an empty room

For the bitterest pill is hard to swallow
The love I gave hangs in sad coloured, mocking shadows

The bitterest pill is mine to take
If I took if for a hundred years, I couldn't feel anymore ill

Now autumn's breeze blows summer's leaves through my life
Twisted and broken dawn, no days with sunlight
The dying spark, you left your mark on me
The promise of your kiss, but with someone else

For the bitterest pill is mine to swallow
The love I gave hangs in sad coloured, mocking shadows

The bitterest pill is mine to take
If I took if for a hundred years, I couldn't feel anymore ill!