Books books everywhere...

Spike wasn't usually the kind of person you would see in a library, let alone holding a giant book and reading through it like it was nothing. But that is what you would see if you went into the downtown London library. The library was the only place Spike knew of that could force people to be quiet, and that was one thing that he really needed right now. That and he loved to read. For the most part Spike was a lazy drunk, but reading was one of his only passions. Almost all that week he had gone out drinking, but he was out of money to do that this night. So he was sitting in a chair in the back of the library reading a huge book about sci-fiction. He was wearing his favorite floor length leather black coat over his all black attire. Leather black boots, a black button up shirt, and some black jeans. He loved this outfit. Since he didn't have a drop of alcohol in his system, and the day before he couldn't get any drinks, his empathy ability was on overdrive. Anyone that came within 5 feet of him, he would be able to tell you how they felt. He hated this ability.

For some odd reason Clayton had decided to go to the library. He had no idea what compiled him to do so but he did. Like normal he was dressed in western wear. He even had the boots to go with his snug blue jeans and button down plaid shirt. He walked down a row of books his eyes looking at the bindings his head tilted to the side to read the titles. “What the hell are these?” he asked him self quietly trying not to disturb the others who where in the building. He saw another guy sitting there with a huge book in his hands. Had he seen this guy before? It was possible that he had bumped into him one night long before he met Cassidy when he’d spend almost every night at a bar. If they had bumped into each other when Clayton was drunk it wouldn’t have turned out good.

For almost an hour Spike had been totally deep in an adventure book he had read several times before. He loved how it made him feel to read about the swordsman fighting off bad guys. So he didn't expect to suddenly be feeling curious and confused. He knew these where not his feelings. He jump a pinch when they hit him at first, but he really didn't want to have to deal with someone elses feelings. He kept the book up to his face so that he didn't have to see the person that was near him. If they thought he was busy then maybe they would leave him alone. From past experience he knew that most people would not leave others alone when they where lost and confused. But Spike could only hope that this one would.

Clayton wasn’t really into reading that much. He’d rather be out working with animals but he couldn’t do that all the time. He pulled a book off the shelf and looked at it. The look on his face told you that he had no idea where to begin reading this thing. Even when he had been in school he had avoided opening his books. It wasn’t because he couldn’t read its just that he didn’t want to. The only thing any one had ever seen him read where letters from Delilah, his best friend in the whole world and now the mother of his son that he never knew he had. “How do I open this thing?” he asked out load flipping the book over in his hand and trying to open it for the binding and not the open side.

For a little bit Spike thought that he would be left alone, but knew that it was all to good to be true. When Spike hear what the guy had to say he rolled his eyes. Every person in the world knew how to open a book. But Spike knew that if he didn't help this person that he would never get rid of him. So Spike closed his book quietly like, then put it down on the table that was next to the chair he was sitting in. "Need some help with that, Mate?" Spike asked the guys, seeing his attire for the first time. The guy looked like he had jumped out of one of the cowboy books. Plaid shirt, blue jeans, boots and a cowboy hat. Spike didn't know weather to laugh or roll his eyes. He thought better about doing either. He might be upset with being bothered by the guy but being rude was just to much effort. Spike then stood up and walked over to the guy, waiting for him to say if he needed the help or not.

Clayton looked up at the guy when he spoke. “No I just need to get this dam thing open,” he replied glaring down at the book in his hands, “stupid ass book,” he muttered under his breath placing it back on the shelf where he had gotten it. He picked up another one and began the same process of trying to open it as he had tried with the other one. “God dam books,” he cursed under his breath. Slowly Clayton was changing. He hadn’t had a drink since his first fight with Cassidy and he hadn’t even though about looking at another woman. The one thing he was really having a tough time with was the cussing they had a daughter on the way and he needed to stop that before she was born.

Spike listened and watched the guy get more and more frustrated with each book he picked up. Spike could feel the anger surging through his body. Most of it was his own anger from the guy mistreating the book and acting like an a child. If he didn't calm the guy down soon Spike would be throwing punches soon. "Hey calm down, Mate. It's not that hard. Here look." Spike said, picking up a book from the shelf and opening it with ease. "From how your acting, Mate, it looks like you don't even want to be here. So why did you come here?" Spike asked him, hoping that the anger would go away quickly. For a second Spike looked down to see what book it was that he had picked up. It was a pirates and soldiers book he had read only once before. It was a good book.

“How the hell?” he asked as the guy opened the book, “only book worms could do that,” he glared at the book in his own hand. Clayton looked up at the guy as he questioned why he was here, “Look mate, that is none of your business, but if you really want to know I have no clue why the hell I’m hear. This is just where I ended up coming.” Maybe it was the fact that Cassidy was many months pregnant and very hormonal or maybe it was that he needed to get out of the house for a little while he really had no clue why he had come here. Though he had no way of knowing if Cassidy needed him while he was here. What if something went wrong with the baby while he was gone. Surely she would send an owl to Jess if she needed her.

The guys anger was not subsiding and it was getting harder and harder to keep the feelings from bothering him. Spike took a deep breath then looked back up at the guy. "Listen....if you don't calm down your going to give me a headache then I'm going to need some alcohol and I don't have the money for alcohol right now. So unless your going to buy me a drink I would suggest calming down and either reading something, since you are in a library, or leaving." Spike said knowing that what he had just said was probably going to start a fight. A library was a bad place to start a fight. But when Spike had no alcohol in him and he had to feel what everyone else was feeling, he got a little bit angry.

“If I bought you a drink then I’d have to buy my self one. My wife doesn’t particularly like it when I drink,” Clayton said quietly. He looked back down at the book in his hand tilting his head as he opened and closed the book a few times. “wow that’s all I had to do the past 20 years or so.” he began laughing at him self. He looked back up at the guy for the first time he realized he was wearing all black. “Never get married and have a kid,” he said to him, “it may seem like fun but before that baby is born the mother is very easily up set.” he looked around the library and set the book down again. “come on I’ll buy.”