Title: Of Trust and Lies

Author: Gillian Silverlight

Distribution: My site, those that already post my fic, others please ask.

Disclaimer: Joss and the WB owns them, I just play with them.

Summary: Long involved challenge from Bridget at Lindsey’s Angels (S/B, A/B, L/B)
Fic to include: Spring break, Holland Manners not being dead (although she didn’t say for how long! <G>), the line: ”You can’t fight evil with a macaroni duck!”, Cordelia, Lindsey, and undefined evil of some kind, crossover with BtVS, a deceased character not actually being dead, someone getting a speeding ticket at an inopportune time, the Host, The Host drunk as a skunk, Ethan Rayne, a missing shoe, Frat boys singing at Caritas, a power outage, someone locked in a closet, a cow, lyrics to ‘Face to Face’, two unlikely people getting locked in the closet, a tornado, the line: “If I want you opinion, I’ll ask you to fill out the necessary forms.
(That’s it! I have them all!)

RATING: NC-17  <Contains scenes of non-consensual sex>

Lyrics: ‘Face to Face’ by Souixsie and the Banshees; ‘What My Heart Says’ by Christian Kane <Our own Lindsey! >

Dedication: To Holly, for being so wonderful to find and send me the MP3 for ‘Face to Face’ by Souixsie and the Banshees; To Pandora for always being so very supportive and encouraging; To Saber ShadowKitten for actually getting me started on writing fic and being encouraging while I was scared to death; To Theory Queen for her encouragement and support; and finally; To Patty for all the chats, the support, sharing ideas and being the world’s most wonderful beta.

Of Trust And Lies

Classes were out for Spring Break, finally!
Buffy had been looking forward to these two weeks for longer than she had imagined. She planned to sleep late, relax, catch up on her movie watching and all the things she’d not had time for during the last rush of exams before break.
She hadn’t even had much time to see Spike during the last couple of weeks. Oh, he’d come over several nights to help her study for her history exams.
* Nice to have a study partner that was actually there to help with studying. *

They had gone to the Bronze with the gang last night and he’d stayed over, which meant Buffy hadn’t really gotten much sleep.
* I think Spike and I tried to make up for the last couple of weeks all in one night last night. We keep this up for a few days and I won’t even be walking, much less patrolling! *
As Buffy snuggled back into Spike’s arms, she smiled to herself and started to drift back to sleep.
Until the phone rang, that is…
* Oh Hell! Who could that be? It had better not be the world needing to be saved! I SO need a break! *

Spike muttered as the shrilling of the phone woke him up. Buffy grabbed at the receiver, almost snatching it to her ear. Her clock flashed 7am.
“Do you have any idea what time it is or how tired I am?” She growled into the phone as her greeting.

“I guess I woke you up, huh? Sorry, but we’ve got a bit of a problem and I was hoping that you and Spike might be able to come down and help us.” Angel’s voice drifted through the telephone line.

“Angel? Spring Break just started today. I’m exhausted from exams. Can’t we put the crisis on hold for a few days?”
Spike heard Buffy’s identification of the person on the other end of the phone, even though she was trying to be quiet. “What does my bleedin' grandsire want this time of morning?”

Buffy covered the receiver with her hand and whispered to her lover, “He says the world’s gonna end, blah, blah, woof, woof, needs us to come save it, yada, yada.”

“Bloody hell! What’s the problem now?” Spike grumbled as he pulled the cover over his head.

“What seems to be the problem, Angel?” Buffy asked him in a resigned voice.

“We’re not exactly sure, Buffy. Cordelia had a vision about an evil presence in the city, but she couldn’t get anything better on what it is.”

”So you woke me on the first morning of my Spring Break for an-I-don’t-know-what-it-is-evil?”

“Well… yeah. We know it has something to do with Wolfram and Hart, that corrupt law firm that’s a constant pain in our sides. Besides, none of us can go around there to check anything out. They have photos of all of us.”

“Okay, Angel. Let me have a couple of hours to get some things together and then we’ll head that direction.”

“Will Spike be alright in the car? The sun is out... Well, kinda.”

“I had all the windows tinted and some of those pull-down-shady-things added. He’ll be fine.”

“Okay then. So we’ll see you in about 4 hours or so?”

“Yeah, about then.”

“Okay, Buffy. See you then, and... Thanks.”

“It’s alright, Angel. See you soon.”
Buffy hung up the phone and told Spike what Angel had said about the danger, the law firm, and Cordelia’s vision.

“So what things do we need to do first, luv? Other than pack a few things?”

Buffy slid back down under the covers and wrapped her arms around Spike, moving closer to nibble on his neck, “Oh, things like this…”

“Ummm, I like your mornin’ ideas, luv.”

“Spike, don’t you have something better to use your lips for...?”
It was at least another hour before they finally managed to get out of bed.

~*~

Buffy made arrangements for Dawn to stay with Giles while she and Spike were in LA. Slayer and vampire had caught a quick shower, grabbed a few clothes, then Buffy packed her weapons bag with a wide assortment of items, since they didn’t really know what they were going to need.
Finally they were on the highway, heading toward LA.

About 3 hours after leaving Sunnydale, Buffy and Spike pulled into the covered parking area for the Hyperion. They grabbed their bags and headed inside, almost running over Wesley as he was coming out the door.

“Ahhhh! Buffy! A-and... S-Spike? “ Wesley looked shocked to see the blonde vampire standing in the lobby with the Slayer.

“Hi yourself, Wesley. Yeah, Spike... Doesn’t Giles keep you up on things these days? He’s one of the good-guys now.” Buffy told her ex-watcher.

“H-how...? He didn’t get a soul, did he?” Wesley was clearly nervous around Spike.

“Bite your tongue, you soddin’ git! No, I didn’t get a bleedin’ soul! The government boys put a chip in my ‘ead and then, well, I discovered a few things… Spike was hesitant to tell the ex-watcher much of anything. He at least trusted Giles, or knew what to expect from him, but Spike had no idea what to expect from Wesley.

“Oh… What kinds of things did you discover, Spike?”  Wesley asked him, unsure about having Spike there.

“He discovered he was in love with Buffy and if he wanted to have a chance with her at all, he had to behave and help her out. Right?” Angel walked up behind Wesley in time to hear the last bit of conversation.

“Another vampire in love with the Slayer?” Wesley looked amazed as well as somewhat confused.

“Well, yeah. “ Spike told Angel’s co-worker. His tone implying that any idiot could tell why he and Angel both would be in love with Buffy.

“Wesley, catch up on the news later, please? You’ve got to grab that stuff on the list first...” Angel looked pointedly at Wesley, hinting strongly for the ex-watcher to get on with the errand.
“Come on in guys. I fixed you a room upstairs. Cordy and I can fill you in on what we know so far. It’s good to see you, Buffy” Angel couldn’t keep the tenderness out of his voice, even though he tried to remain business like.
“Nice seeing you too, Spike,” He told his childe, before Spike could complain about being excluded.

They walked into the lobby heading toward several chairs pulled up around a huge book covered table. Angel told Spike which room was ready for them and Spike grabbed the bags, heading up the stairs to drop off the luggage before returning back downstairs for the planning session.
Just as Angel and Buffy got to the sofa, Cordelia came out of a back room, “Angel, have you seen my other black shoe? I left them next to my desk and I can only find one of them now. They only cost me a small fortune and they’re my favorite pair.
Oh, hi Buffy. So have you seen it, Angel and why is Spike coming down the stairs?”

Buffy was trying hard to keep from laughing at her former school mate and Scooby member as she harangued Angel about her shoe only to make an abrupt left turn in conversation at first sight of Spike. Angel simply looked at Buffy and gave her that familiar little smile with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

As Spike walked over to sit next to Buffy, draping an arm casually around the blonde's shoulders, Cordelia could only stare.

“Ah, Cordelia... Are you waiting for a snack?” Angel asked her with a snicker.

“Huh?”

“Flies... Your mouth's hanging open.” The dark haired vampire told her.

“Oh…” The brunette ex-cheerleader sat down on the other sofa. “Why is Spike here? Do you all not know that he’s a vampire? And how did he get here in the daylight?”

“Cordy, he’s got a chip in his head and can’t hurt humans. He helps the gang in Sunnydale like you used to, well, kind of...  He’s in love with Buffy and they're a couple now. They came down to help with the vision you had this morning.”
Angel knew all the basics, having previously been filled in by Giles soon after Buffy and Spike had come to an understanding. He didn't like the situation but was trying to make the best of it.

“Gad! What is it with you vampires and Slayers, or is it just THAT Slayer in particular? Jeeze!” Cordelia rolled her eyes, emphasizing how strange she thought it all was.

“Jealous much, Cordy?” Buffy asked her, trying not to laugh.

“Hey! No more than last time you asked me that. How are you Buffy? I’m sorry about your mom.” The brunette told her with real sympathy.

“I’m doing better. Spike has helped a lot. So tell us about this 'big bad' you need our help with.” Buffy told the two brunettes.

“Cordy had a vision this morning of something evil appearing in the next day or so. It has something to do with the law firm I told you about, which means there is a good chance that a particular lawyer named Lindsey Mc Donald is involved in some way.” Angel stood up from his chair and started pacing.
“The firm has vampire detectors installed, so they're alerted if I go inside. Plus, as I mentioned, they know all of us here by sight. We’d be caught as soon as we went in the building. They don’t know you two though.” Angel explained to the blonde duo.

“Ah, Angel... in case you haven’t noticed lately, I’m still a vampire even if I can’t bite people. If they have bleedin’ detectors, they’re gonna notice me, don’t you think?” Spike told his grandsire with a great deal of restraint, due in part to Buffy's hand gripping his arm under the table.

“I know where the detectors are and can get you past most of them. But they’d still pick me up by sight on the cameras.”

“Okay, Angel. Say you can get us past all this stuff of theirs... What are we suppose to look for once we get in there?” Buffy asked her ex-lover.

“I can tell you how to get to the room downstairs where they do most of their magick. I’m sure that is where they’ll do whatever it is. Lindsey's pretty good with magick, so he’ll most likely be there as well.
But tonight, I want to take you over to a local bar.”

“You wanted us to come down here just to go out?” Buffy asked Angel, like he’d taken leave of his senses. She was a bit miffed, after all, about having her break interrupted.

“Not exactly... This is a different kind of bar. The owner is a friend of mine and can read a person’s soul when they sing... Get clues to their destiny and such. So I was thinking, maybe he could do that and we might be able to pick up a bit more information on what’s going down.”

“Oh, great... Now you want me to sing too? C'mon Angel... You know I don’t sing... except to myself.” Buffy told him.

“No, it’s okay... If the Host can endure Angel's attempt to sing, he can listen to anybody... You should have been there when Wesley, Gunn and I sang. It was awful!” Cordelia told the blonde Slayer.

“Cordelia, please.” Angel said, patient resignation threaded through his words.

“Alright, we’ll go. But I’ll have to go get something to wear. So will Spike.  We didn’t bring anything to go out in, just working and relaxing clothes.” Buffy explained to Angel.

“That’s okay. I’ll even give you my credit card. Cordelia can go with you, since all the shops know her.” Angel was totally deadpan as he made the last comment.
Cordelia didn’t even pick up on the comment, not with an offer to go shopping with Angel’s credit card.
Spike looked at Buffy, “Luv, can you pick up something for me so I can stay here and talk to Angel about where the cameras and such are... Make a plan of sorts.”

“Sure, Spike. Not a problem..." She grinned at the blonde vampire, knowing just how little he wanted to really stay. "That way we can cover more ground.” Buffy glanced at Cordelia before leaning over to kiss Spike. Catching up her purse, Buffy turned to leave with Cordelia.
“Thanks, Angel. We’ll be careful with it.” Buffy told Angel, referring to his credit card, as she headed out the door with Cordelia.

~*~

As the two girls were prowling through stores and racks of clothes, Cordelia asked her not-so-close-friend, “So what’s up with you and Spike? I mean, I thought you loved Angel like forever...”

Buffy sighed at the reminders.
“I do love Angel, Cordy. I always will. It’s just not the same way now. We’ve both moved on with our life. We’ve accepted the fact that we can’t be together, so it’s just better this way.”

“I can see that. But Spike?” Cordelia was still amazed at the change in the blonde vampire in addition to Buffy actually being in a relationship with him.

“You know he’s always been different, Cordy. Well, he got that chip in his head from an undercover government group and he couldn’t hurt anyone not even to protect himself, so he came to us for help. He started working with us once we accidentally discovered he could hurt demons and other vampires. After a while, he realized that he loved me and I finally realized that I care about him too. It's a different relationship than I had with Angel, but we're happy with each other. He’s there for me, Cordelia.”

“Of all the things I’ve learned since I got here and have been working with Angel, is that just being a demon doesn’t make you bad. And even the bad ones can love. Having someone be there is a good thing.” Her voice was laced with sadness as she thought about the fact that she and Doyle hadn’t really had much chance to find out for themselves before he was killed. She really missed him.

“What Cordy? You sound so sad.” Buffy asked her, concerned about the ex-cheerleader.

Cordelia told her about Doyle and the events that had led to his death; her acquiring his visions when he'd kissed her goodbye. The first and last kiss she'd ever had from the half demon.

“Wow! That’s as wiggy as the thought of you being with even a half-demon at all, Cordy.” Buffy remarked to her, amazed at the changes in the brunette and what she'd struggled though in such a short time.

“Yeah well, he didn’t have any better fashion sense than Xander Harris ever did. Why do I pick these men that can’t even dress?!” Cordelia retreated into her usual sarcasm to push back the pain she felt from Doyle's death.

Buffy laughed at the sudden visualization. “Maybe so you get the fun of teaching them how to dress and shopping with their money?”

“Well, there is that.” The brunette said quite seriously.
The remainder of the time was filled with more shopping, more gossip and even a little bonding between the two women.

~*~

Angel glanced up as Buffy and Cordelia entered the hotel, laden down with packages. Angel thought of the damage that Cordelia alone could do to his credit card and felt the first stirrings of panic rise inside.
“Did you two leave anything in the stores for anybody else?” He asked them rather pointedly.

“Actually, Angel... No. We got it all. The rest is in the car for you two to bring in for us.” Cordelia told the dark-haired, worried vampire, with a perfectly straight face.

Angel felt his panic grab a firm foothold on his wallet, as Spike and Buffy both started to laugh. Spike at his grandsire’s obviously upset state, and Buffy at the expression on Angel’s face. She decided to take pity on him. He did have to put up with Cordelia all the time after all.
“No, Angel, this is all we got. Honest, and most of it's Cordelia’s. She picked up a few things for you as well, but I have to warn you, none of them are black.” Buffy told her ex, struggling to not continue laughing.

“ ‘S what you get for letting these two out with your money. You never learn a bleedin’ thing do you, Angel?” Spike growled at his grandsire.
Buffy glanced quickly at Angel before looking firmly at Spike. She sensed that things might not have gone so well in her absence, “Babe, will you take these up to our room for me please? I’m really tired from all the walking we did.” She gave the blonde vampire a sweet smile.
Spike hurried to take the boxes and bags from Buffy, kissed her quickly and carried the packages up the stairs. As soon as he was out of sight, Angel chuckled.
Cordelia just looked at Buffy with admiration in her hazel eyes. “Wow! That was SO cool! “

“I never thought I’ve ever see my childe, William the Bloody, hurrying to carry packages for anyone. My complements, love. He must really love you.” Angel wiped a blood-tinged tear from his eye caused by his laughter.

“Alright, guys... Don’t pick on my fellow just cause he’s helpful.” Buffy admonished them with a slight smile.

“Oh, it’s not the helpful part at all, Buffy... It’s the way he responded so quickly and did just what you asked him. I’ll have to get you to tell me how you did that.” Cordelia told Buffy even though she was looking pointedly at Angel.
Angel KNEW he was in serious trouble if these two ever started exchanging 'men-training' tips.

                                   ~*~

Wesley finally returned from his errands weighted down by an assortment of rather strange looking objects. He explained that they would help to distort the vibrations of the sensors that detected vampires while some of the other devices would help them to detect the presence of magick being worked.
By the time everyone knew how to operate all the various devices, amulets and other odd objects; it was getting late in the evening. Angel suggested they might want to all go change so they could arrive at Caritas before it was too late to possibly get a bit of time on stage.
With some grumbles from Buffy and Spike, they all trooped up the stairs to change. Cordelia was also at the hotel for the next couple of weeks while she was having some repairs made to her apartment. A Chakruth demon had followed Angel and Wesley there one night and ripped out her front door along with a goodly bit of wall.
Wesley had decided not to go with them, having previously made other plans for the evening, and Gunn was out on a specific surveillance job and otherwise unavailable.

Buffy had gotten a short navy blue brushed leather skirt with a pale blue silk tank top and a simple navy blue linen jacket. She had splurged and gotten a pair of low-heeled, close fitting, black leather boots that caressed her legs up to the knee.
She’d picked up a pair of dark blue linen pants for Spike, which showed all the vampire’s assets without being too tight to move or sit. The shirt was long sleeved; a pale blue heavy brushed silk a couple of shades darker than his eyes. Buffy had also gotten him a pair of short ankle length brushed leather boots.

Cordelia had found a wine colored silky dress that was sleeveless in a raglan cut, with the collar being a matching velvet band that fastened around her throat. Since she still hadn’t found her other shoe, she bought a new pair that was a deep inky black with a velvet look finish. She’d loved them in the store and even more once she put them on.

In her never ending efforts to get Angel out of all black, Cordelia found a deep wine silk shirt for him, almost like the one Buffy purchased for Spike. Angel’s had a bit of flare at the end of the cuffs so they slid over the upper half of his hand. It might have looked effeminate on someone else, but she knew the dark haired brooding vampire could carry off the look and be completely masculine.
On a previous shopping trip, she’d gotten Angel a pair of black linen slacks very similar to the ones she helped Buffy find for Spike, and the same boots in a non-brushed finish.

Buffy and Spike were downstairs first. They sat; waiting on Angel and Cordelia, knowing neither would be downstairs soon. Angel, however, was the next one down.

“You two look very nice. That’s a good color on both of you.” Angel told the blonde pair, as he gazed at Buffy.

“I see Cordelia is still trying to wean you out of all black. That wine color looks really spiffy on you, Angel.” Buffy told him.

“Sleeves’re a bit fluffy aren’t they?” Spike asked his grandsire. He knew the shirt looked good on Angel and that the older vampire could wear that style, even though Spike had no desire to do so. It reminded him all too much of when he was human and William.

“No, they’re not ‘fluffy’, they’re simply 'flared'." Angel had made almost the same comment earlier, only to be firmly corrected by Cordelia. "Are you planning to aggravate me all night about my shirt, Spike?”

“No, just until I get bored of it.” Spike replied with a very off-handed attitude.

“Spike!” Angel growled at the younger vampire.

“What? Can’t a bloke ‘ave a ‘obby?” He asked with false innocence.

“Spike, Angel... You two play nice or I’ll stake the both of you!” Buffy had no intention of listen to them snipe at each other all night long.
Cordelia finally came down stairs about 15 minutes after Angel.

“Hey, that looks really great, 'Delia. Nice that my money went to good use.” Angel teased his co-worker and friend. He had to get a good remark in wherever possible to offset the many times he’d felt the sharp edge of her tongue, and the nickname she disliked was always a good start.

“Well, Mr.-broody-in-black, it’s nice to see you out of the all black for once. The shirt looks good.” The brunette planned to have a nice evening and decided she'd simply ignore Angel's attempt to irritate her, no matter how much they both normally enjoyed such banter.

“Yeah, it does. Thanks, Cordy. So we ready?”
There was a chorus of assents, then they trooped out to Angel’s car.

“Still driving this old trap, I see, Angel.” Spike casually commented.

“Yeah, and you probably still have that spray painted tank of yours too. Don’t pick on my car!” Angel snarled at his childe.

“OKAY! I will not have the two of you fussing all night long and ruining my evening, so just stop it right now.” Cordelia informed both men very pointedly.

“It’s just that testosterone poisoning, Cordy.” Buffy remarked, getting in her own jibe at the two vampires.
That one comment took care of the mild fussing between the two men, and they rode to the bar in quiet.
In just a few short minutes they pulled up in front of a nicely lit club that the sign proclaimed was Caritas. Angel suddenly remembered that he'd better warn Buffy about the club before she staked half of The Host’s customers.
“Buffy, this is a demon bar, and the owner is a demon as well. So please don’t kill all the customers. My friend would be a bit upset with me.”

“Not to mention that this is one of my favorite places to go. I’d not be able to show my face there again for weeks.” Cordelia interjected.

“I promise I won’t kill the customers. Okay, Angel? Cordelia?” Buffy told them a bit huffy.

“Don’t be upset, luv. You know those Slayer instincts kick in sometimes before you think about it.” Spike tried to calm the Buffy’s slightly ruffled feelings.

“Yeah, but don’t you start, Spike…”

                                                                              ~*~

Angel left the car with the valet, escorting Cordelia inside the bar as Buffy followed, her hand on Spike’s arm. Angel and Cordelia were well known among the regulars, who greeted them as they passed. The dark-haired vampire took them to his usual table and sure enough, it was only minutes before the Host dropped by to say hello to them.

“Well, hi kids. Long time no see, Angel. What has it been? Two days now?”

“Yeah, about. I brought a couple of friends. Cordelia had one of her visions and we were hoping you might see a bit of what we’ve got to deal with. This is Buffy. The guy with her is Spike.” Angel explained to the Host.

“Like as in, the Slayer, Buffy and your vampire childe, Spike? What? Do you hate me Angel? Last month it was that gunfight and brawl. I just get the place back together and you bring me a Slayer with all the demons that hang out here, not to mention another one of your brood?” The green skinned demon moaned in mock anguish.

“Hey, I didn’t start that brawl. And I did pay you for the damages, after all. Besides, they promised to be on their good behavior.” The dark haired vampire told his friend.

“ True, you did pay for the damages. So you gonna be on your good behavior as well?”

“Am I not always on my good behavior?” Angel looked a bit indignant.

“Do you really want me to answer that? I know you don’t. So let me work these kiddies in to the program for tonight. What do you two want to sing?”

“Sing? Ah, we hadn’t thought about it really. Can we have a few minutes to decide?” Buffy asked the demon, a bit trepidatious about the entire idea.

“Sure, Sweetie, take your time. I’ve got to go get those frat boys off the stage first. They have been in here by the droves tonight, Angel. Good for business but keeping my security busy!” He melted back into the crowd heading toward the stage, Buffy assumed.

“So, Spike... What do we sing?” Buffy asked anxiously. “I think I’m gonna need a drink or two before I can get up there in front of all these people.”

Angel heard her comments and got a waiter over. Buffy and Spike gave their drink orders, as well as Cordelia and Angel’s. Spike and Buffy discussed the various merits of songs. She wanted something really sing-able; Spike wanted something by his favorite band, the Sex Pistols. Buffy finally put her foot down about it and they settled on a song they had heard one night and had laughed about since parts of it seem to fit them so well.
So when the green skinned host came over, they gave him the name of the song they’d agreed on.

“I know that one. I think we even have it. Nice song. Okay, you two are up after this next group of college kids.” The green-skinned man quickly vanished again in the crowd.

“Does he do that all the time, Angel? Just vanish like that?” Buffy asked in amazement.

“Yeah, all the time.”

                                   ~*~

Finally it was Buffy and Spike’s turn. Buffy hoped she’d gotten enough alcohol inside of her to not freeze up on stage. She could fight vampires, demons, all kinds of things that would frighten anyone else, but to sing in public? She’d rather take on a Varden demon any day. She looked at Spike, standing next to her; the music started, she opened her mouth with him and started to sing:

‘Face to face
my lovely foe
Mouth to mouth
raining heaven's blows
Hand on heart
tic tac toe
Under the stars
naked as we flow
Cheek to cheek
the bitter sweet
Commit your crime in your deadly time
It's too divine
I want to bend
I want this bliss but something says I must resist’

The blonde couple made their way through the first part of the song and then settled on a new ending rather than sing the entire song. Making their way back to the table, Buffy’s knees were shaking. By the time they had arrived and taken their seats again, the Host had made his way to them from the other side of the room.

“Well, alright then. Yeah, there’s some bad mojo about to happen. Someone that’s involved keeps dropping into your life every so often and creating havoc for you, Angel-cakes. He’s working with someone you know, Buffy.
You guys and gals to need to keep your heads, cause there are gonna be some things way out of your control because of what these people are about to stir up. You just gotta remember it’s all the magick and nothing else. Hang on to your hats, kids, I think one of your problems is about to take the stage.”

Angel looked around and cursed under his non-existent breath. Settling down on the stool on stage was none other than Lindsey McDonald.
“What is he doing here?” Cordelia asked rather indignantly to no one in specific.

“Looks like he came in to have a few drinks and sing, like the rest of us. We may hate his guts and wish him dead, but he has a right to be in here too, Cordelia…unfortunately.” Angel looked back at the blonde pair across the table.
“Buffy, Spike… that’s the attorney I was telling you about earlier, Lindsey McDonald. He helped the law firm bring Darla back. That’s when he lost his hand.”

“How did he lose a hand doing that, Angel? Did Darla bite it off or something?” Buffy was puzzled about the statement and the grim satisfaction under his words.

“No, he was about to burn a scroll we needed, so I threw a pretty wicked scythe at him. It took his hand off.”

“ANGEL! “
“Bloody hell! And you wonder the soddin’ git has it in for you?”
Spike and Buffy tried to talk at the same time about Angel’s startling revelation.

“Well, it did seem to make him a bit angry.” The vampire chuckled darkly.

Just then the host slipped back in next to their table. “Let’s listen up and see what he’s got to say to us here.” Their table was silent as they concentrated on Lindsey’s singing.

‘So let them say it’s wrong
For me to love you
They could never feel,
the way that I do when you,
when we’re close like this
And they can’t see inside my soul,
and they don’t know the love we know
all they do is waste their time
They can never change our minds,
It’s what my heart says,
That is what I listen to
It’s what my heart says that tells me,
That tells me what to do
It’s what my heart knows,
And that’s the only,
only truth I know is real
All I know is what my heart says to me...’

“Ummm, this is not good. He’s doing something with that song, but I can’t see what. It’s got some kind of shielding that’s keeping me from seeing. You guys might want to get out of here before he sees you.”

“Mate, I think it’s too late.” Spike told them very quietly. He and Buffy had their backs to the stage, but Angel was sitting where he could see the stage perfectly and unfortunately, be seen just as easily. Spike had turned slightly to see the man on the stage however, and caught the expression on the lawyer’s face.
“He just looked straight at you, Angel and that was not a nice smile. Oh yeah, he knows you’re here...” There was a bitter undertone to the blonde vampire’s words.

“We better go. In case he hasn’t seen you with me, let me go first. I’ll get the car and you meet me out front.” Angel got up, leaving them sitting there.

“Does anybody feel a bit weird other than just me?” Cordelia asked them, feeling puzzled but unsure about what.

“Yeah... Let’s get out of here. At least we know one of the people we have to watch out for now.”
Buffy stood, heading for the exit with Spike and Cordelia following her as the petite blonde Slayer threaded her way through the crowd.

As the four friends drove back to the Hyperion, they speculated about what Lindsey might have done, and the fact that all of them felt rather… odd. By the time they’d arrived at the hotel, they still have no answers.

Cordelia and Angel went to their separate rooms while Buffy and Spike entered the room they were sharing. Still trying to make up for what they felt had been lost time while Buffy’d studied for finals, it was at least another hour before they allowed sleep to claim them.

                                   ~*~

Alone in her room, Cordelia tossed and turned in restless sleep while disturbing thoughts skittered through her head. She was there but still alone. Angel was also alone, but didn’t want her. He was still in love with Buffy. Buffy who was only a few doors down the hallway with Angel’s grandchilde, Spike. Two incredibly sexy vampires currently under the roof of the hotel and neither one of them wanted her. They both wanted Buffy.

Angel also tossed in his room, yet not in sleep for sleep would not come. His mind refused stop reminding him that Buffy was just down the hall. The only woman he’d ever loved, right there in the hotel but not with him. She was with his grandchilde, Spike.
Angel loved her but couldn’t be with her. She cared about his reckless, arrogant grandchilde. In fact, with his enhanced vampire senses, he knew what they were doing…
They were together, while he lay alone.

Across town Lindsey McDonald was having strange thoughts that kept him hovering on the edge of sleep, unable to fall over into the oblivion of rest that he needed. Working magick was always tiring to him after the initial rush of energy, of power, even when someone else had set up the spell. Activating it was work.
But something was very wrong. Lindsey’s thoughts kept turning to the file the firm had on the Slayer. They had researched her as a possible weapon against Angel, knowing the vampire loved the slender blonde. Lindsey saw her pictures in his mind’s eye.
* Could she really be that beautiful? What is it about her that would cause a vampire would be in love with her, much less two of them? The second one doesn’t even have a soul. Why didn’t he kill her? Darla would kill her, or Dru would, in an instant. * His mind wandered further and further.

* What is she like? The Slayer is supposed to be as strong as a vampire… What would it be like to feel that strength under me, around me, panting, sweating, as my own sweat slicked skin slid over hers…? What the hell is wrong with me! *
Lindsey sat straight up in the tumbled bed as the sweat from his thoughts turned cold as ice on his skin in an instant.

Determined to find out what was wrong with him, Lindsey dressed quickly, almost running to his car. He drove through the neon-illuminated night in Los Angeles to the building that housed Wolfram and Hart. He pulled into the underground parking, turned off the car’s engine and ran inside.

                                   ~*~

The door to the special chamber slammed back into the wall behind it as Lindsey came through it. The pentagram was still on the floor and the candles sat in the corners, extinguished and cold, but the man who had drawn the design and started the work for the firm was asleep on the foldaway bed off to the side behind a folding screen.
The man had asked to stay there for protection. That was fine with Lindsey, as it let him keep a closer eye on the man they’d hired to help with this particular ‘special project’.
Upset by his recent thoughts and a bit angry, Lindsey went to the sleeping man and hauled roughly at his arm to wake him. “Ethan! Wake up now! What the hell did you do!”?

Ethan Rayne sat up rubbing the sleep from his eyes as Lindsey repeated his questions.
“W-what do you mean what did I do? I set the spell in that song as was decided. You were suppose to go sing it if Angel was in that club. What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Angel was there. I did sing the song. I felt it activate. But something’s wrong! You were going to lure the Slayer here to start the spell as soon as Angel got close to her.”

“Yes. That’s exactly what it is suppose to do. I planned to make a call tomorrow to lure her here if you succeeded tonight. You said you activated it, so what’s the problem?”
Ethan’s voice was arrogant.

“It DID activate! I can’t get her out of my mind. I want to see her. I’ve been having thoughts about her…”

“I see.” The older man interrupted, a dark chuckle under the scorn in his voice.” It affects anyone with an attachment to her in any way. Well, well, well. How delicious. This means I don’t have to lure her here. She must have been here already. In fact she had to have been in the club as you sang the spell, if it has affected you as well. This means Angel is already feeling the effects. Soon his desire for her will get the better of him and he’ll take her, losing his soul in the process. He’ll be Angelus again as you wanted, but even if he doesn’t lose his soul he’ll be distracted enough to not notice the rest of what we’re about to call up. But you… This is just too delightful. If you’re feeling an attraction to her as well, then you must already have been lusting after her. Been amusing yourself with her photos, have you? My, my, this should prove to be interesting.”

Lindsey clinched his hand, trying desperately to not hit the man. They needed him for this project and had already paid him a pretty penny for the work he was going to do for them. True, he might not live long enough to spend it afterwards, but they’d paid him up front as agreed. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt the firm.
“So what if I did? Take this spell off me now! Make it stop! What if I run into her?”

“If I break the spell to remove it from you, then Angel will be free of it as well. After the work we did to set it up, with what we still have left to do, I don’t think removing it is a very good idea. You’ll just have to deal with it, ol’ boy. And if you run into her, why I suspect you and she might have a very interesting time.” Ethan chuckled again. * Oh, this is priceless! The stupid idiot tied himself up as well. With the Slayer here, chances are she brought that other vampire with her they told me about. I can see it now! Him, Angel and Lindsey all out to have her. In one stroke I can get her back for all she’s done to me. Not to mention getting my revenge against Angel and Giles too. I can’t wait! *

                                   ~*~

Angel had tossed all night. He was NOT in a good mood at all. Cordelia was in the same irritable state, finally telling everyone that she needed to go check on her apartment as well as run some errands for herself and the office.
Angel felt that leaving was the best thing Cordelia could do. He was upset with her but had no idea why. She’d not done anything for him to feel the way he did, but he still felt that it would be best if she left for the day.

After Cordelia was gone, Angel showed Buffy a stack of files that might have information they could use, so she was diligently going through them when Wesley showed up that morning. Angel wanted the ex-watcher to take Spike through the underground tunnels so that the other vampire could check out the area around Wolfram and Hart, as well as learn his way around the area. In case anything went wrong, it might be necessary for Spike and Buffy to leave the law firm in a hurry and they would be safer if at least one of them knew their way around. Angel also asked Wesley to stop in and update the Host on last night’s events after they had left Caritas. The dark-haired brooding vampire just wished he knew exactly what last night had been.

Once Wesley and Spike left, Angel went to help Buffy look through the files. That activity lasted all of about three minutes before Angel started pacing the small room.
He was having problems. She was here, he was next to her and he could smell her scent like an elusive perfume. But the even larger problem was that underneath the familiar odor of her body wash, light cologne and just the simple scent of her, was the scent of his grandchilde. They’d had sex, probably that morning. Spike had touched her body; held her in his arms, felt her warmth around him as he had been inside of her… It was driving Angel insane.

“Buffy. I’ve missed you, love. I’ve missed holding you, kissing you. I need you, Buffy.”
Angel had been standing behind her, breathing in her unique scent when he was completely overwhelmed by his feelings and told her how he felt.
At his words, Buffy had gotten to her feet with a slight frown in her face as she turned to look at Angel.
“Angel, what is wrong? What’s going on? Why are you telling me this? We’ve been through all of it before. You left me, you told me to move on. You know we can’t be together without you losing your soul. I did what you told me to do. I’ve moved on and I’m with Spike now.”

“It doesn’t matter, Buffy. None of that matters. I love you. I don’t think I’d lose my soul now. There is just too much pain and guilt about what I did last time and I didn’t lose my soul with Darla, I don’t think I’ll lose it with you now.”

“With Darla? What are you talking about Angel? You risked yourself with Darla? You slept with Darla?!”

Angel couldn’t say any thing, instead pulling Buffy to him in a punishing grip, kissing her mouth hard, forcing his way past her lips with his tongue, seeking, feeling. He tried to drink her sweetness in like licking the last drop of wine from a glass.
Buffy struggled against her ex-lover, but he’d pinned her arms and she couldn’t break free without seriously hurting him; something she didn’t want to do.
He’d always been just that tiny bit stronger than her, but they couldn’t do this! She loved Spike, he loved her.
Yes, she still loved Angel, but not the same way she used to love him. That was in their past.

Angel wasn’t concerned with their past, only the fact that Buffy was here now, in his arms and he was kissing her. He picked Buffy up, still in that punishing grip, carrying her up the stairs to his room and fell to the bed with her. He held on to her, pinning her with one hand and the weight of his body, freeing one hand to rip her clothes from her body, then freeing himself from his clothing. Pinning her to his bed, he continued to kiss her as his hand sought her center.

* Oh god! What do I do? I can’t get free without hurting or killing him, but I can’t let him do this! Spike!!! *
She screamed inside her mind for her new love as her old lover was forcing her body to be a traitor. He knew her, knew her body and all the right buttons to push to get her body to respond to him.
Then it was too late as Angel pushed himself inside of her.
Buffy gasped as he filled her with the hard length of him, still holding her tight, his weight pinning her to the bed, then he moved against her and her body responded. Angel kissed her until she was breathless, her traitorous body moving with him from the sensation in all the right places. Angel raised his head, murmuring her name, whispering endearments against her skin, biting her neck with blunt teeth. She knew if he changed like this, she was dead. He’d drain her right here.

‘Another life
another time
We're Siamese twins
writhing intertwined
Face to face
no telling lies ‘

The sensations Angel stirred inside of her were too much. Although Buffy tried to resist, he knew her too well, knew her body. The climax caught her suddenly without warning, sending her shattering over the edge as waves of shuddering release poured through her, setting her skin on fire, tripping across nerves like lightening in the air.
Her grasping, clutching muscles and her wordless keening sent Angel over the edge with her. He fell from that dark precipice as his body found the release he’d been seeking.
Slumping against the blonde Slayer beneath him, Angel gasped for un-needed breath as the world spun around him in dizzying swoops.
* What have I done? How could I? Buffy… Spike… Oh, God! Don’t let me lose my soul again! *
Angel begged silently from the depths of that same precarious soul.

Slowly the world settled around Angel, around Buffy. Angel pulled back from her, saw the tears spilling down her face and the guilt of what he had done slammed into him hard.

“Buffy, I’m so sorry. I don’t know how I could lose control like that. I’m so sorry, love. Please forgive me. Please, Buffy!” A blood tinged tear crawled down his cheek un-noticed.

Buffy opened her eyes and tried to unclench her fists. Spike... What was she going to say to Spike!
“Angel, is that still you?”

“Yes love, I still have my soul, but I feel more horrible than you can possible imagine about what I’ve done to you. ”

“You might be surprised. I can imagine a lot. Let me up, Angel. I have to go shower before Spike gets back. You’d better do the same.” She let the anger rise, seeping into her voice as she got up, gathering up the scraps of her clothing. * Glad they weren’t anything special. At least I won’t have to explain to Spike where they went. *
She realized in that instant that she wasn’t going to tell Spike what had happened unless she had to... It would hurt him horribly and she couldn’t do that. She didn’t want to be the cause of a fight between him and Angel, but she knew that Spike wouldn’t hesitate to attack Angel if the blonde vampire knew what Angel had done.
Minutes later she stood in the shower scrubbing at her skin, trying to wash the feel of Angel off of her along with the rest of him. Tears rolled down her cheeks again, mingling with the water from the shower.

Angel turned the shower up higher. He could only hope that he and Buffy could wash his scent off of her and her’s off of him. If not, Spike would know. In fact, he’d know the same way that Angel had known Buffy and Spike had made love that morning, simply by smell.
For the first time, Angel cursed their vampiric sense of smell.

Angel told himself that he could close the door to his room until he could change the sheets. He hurried, wanting to take care of that before Spike got back, if he could. He wanted to finish his shower and clean up the room before Buffy finished her shower. He had to talk to her, try again to explain… But Angel had no idea how to begin. He didn’t know why he’d lost control, why he’d taken Buffy the way he had. The dark-haired vampire knew that her body had responded to him. He remembered all the things they’d done before he’d ever made love to her that disastrous first time, knew all the right places to touch to evoke a response from her. And he knew she’d be feeling as guilty as he did because she’d taken a kind of pleasure in what they’d done.
With a wordless agonizing scream, Angel slammed both fists into the shower wall, breaking several tiles. Not only had he raped Buffy, betrayed Spike, and added another layer of guilt to his already over burdened soul, he’d told Buffy about Darla.

                                   ~*~

Angel managed to get the sheets changed before Buffy came back down. He was just coming back up from the washer in the basement when she came down the stairs.
He could see how skittish she was of him and didn’t blame her at all.

“Buffy? Are you alright, love? I’m so sorry, Buffy. We need to talk about this. I have no idea why I… why that happened. You know I’d never hurt you on purpose.”

“I –I’m okay. As in not physically hurt, okay. I’m not going to tell Spike unless I have to, Angel. It will hurt him horribly.” Buffy was fighting back more tears.

“I got the sheets in my room changed and opened the windows and closed the door to the hallway. I’m hoping it’s enough to keep him from detecting the scent of us.”

“Oh, no! I’d forgotten about that vampiric sense of smell. Did the shower take care of it? On both of us?”

“Let me see. I promise I won’t touch you, love.” Angel stepped close to her, careful to not touch her, and breathed in.

“Buffy... He may know. I can still detect my scent on you. I could smell his scent on you earlier, before…”

“But he’d kissed me when he left. Maybe it was just that.” Buffy was getting frantic.

“No, Buffy. I could tell he had made love to you this morning. That scent.”

“N-nooooo!” Buffy collapsed into the chair, crying. Angel went to her, wanting to hold her, to comfort her, but was afraid to touch her again after what he’d done.

The front door opened as Spike and Wesley walked in. Spike saw and heard Buffy crying. He’d almost dragged the ex-watcher back to the hotel because he’d had the feeling that Buffy needed him, that she was in trouble. Not in danger, but in trouble all the same. Spike reached to gather her close into his arms, and his nostrils flared as he noticed something...
* It can’t be... It’s not possible! Buffy wouldn’t... Angel... His grandsire wouldn’t do that to him. Not again! *
Anger flared behind Spike’s eyes. He fought to keep his demon in control as he gently pulled Buffy’s sobbing form into his arms and looked over the top of her head at his grandsire. “What the bloody hell has been going on Angel!”

Wesley approached the two vampires and sobbing Slayer carefully, not understanding what had happened, but knowing that something had gone wrong while he’d been out with Spike. Seeing how upset the small blonde Slayer was, Wesley felt a rush of protectiveness.
* Where did THAT come from? Something’s not right! *

Spike looked like he was about to punch Angel. Angel looked horrible. Buffy was sobbing like she’d break, and he was feeling very protective of her. Wesley knew something was very, very wrong.

“Spike! Angel! Wait a minute! Something’s happening...”

“Damned right something’s happening. He’s had Buffy while I was gone, and I’m gonna take him apart. He’s not doing this to me again!” Spike quickly thrust Buffy into the arms of her ex-watcher and whirled to punch Angel in the face.
The older vampire didn’t try to protect himself and fell with the blow. Spike stood over him, fists clinched, waiting for Angel to get up so he could knock him down again.

Wesley had eased Buffy to the floor as she struggled to get out of his arms, stepping between the two vampires with him. Buffy clung to Spike, tears still rolling down her cheeks, but she seemed to be in control of herself otherwise. “Spike, listen to Wesley! I think he may have an idea about what has happened. There is something seriously wrong, Spike!” Buffy pleaded with her lover.

“Yes, something just happened to me as well when we walked in. There may be more here than we are seeing. Let’s sit down and try to figure this out. If that doesn’t work, the two of you can beat each other senseless then.” Wesley tried to get the two vampires to listen while he tried to make sense of what had happened.

Spike sat slowly, his arm around Buffy, holding her close as she clung to him. She had stopped crying but her eyes were red and swollen, her face tear streaked.
Angel sat across from them, looking more guilt ridden than Wesley had ever seen him.

“Alright, before we get into what happened, is anyone hurt?” Wesley asked them all.
He got three tenitive head shakes and took that as an indication that no serious physical damage had been done.

“Alright. When we walked in, I had a sudden rush of very protective feelings for Buffy. Now, it’s not that I don’t care about her, because I do. What I’m getting at is that this was very sudden, very odd, totally out of proportion for what I would normally feel. It happened as soon as I got close to her. Keeping that in mind, explain to me what happened. Take your time and be through. As much as you may not wish to talk about it or hear it, I’m going to need some details.”

Angel explained in very halting sentences what had happened. His sudden overwhelming feelings, his subsequent semi-rape of Buffy, and the sudden over-whelming guilt.
It was all Spike could do to stay in the chair, but Buffy had turned into his shoulder as she cried, needing him to hold her. Besides, there was that one phrase…

“Luv, what did he mean, semi-rape?” Spike asked her hesitantly.

“Spike, I’m so sorry. From when he and I were together before… He knew all the right things, places… my body responded even though I was terrified and crying and screaming for you in my head. Please don’t be angry with me, Spike. I’m so sorry.”

“Buffy, look at me.” Spike tilted her head up to look into her eyes, one finger beneath her chin. She raised tear filled eyes to look at her lover’s worried face while he continued, “Luv, you have no shame in that. I understand. Your body can react even when you don’t want it to.” Spike pulled her closer in his arms, resting his head on her’s as he kept talking, trying to calm her.
“It’s okay, luv, I’m here. I love you. I won’t leave you. Your screams got through to me. I told Wesley I thought I ‘eard you. That you were in trouble.”
Spike reassured his distraught love.

“Didn’t you tell me the Host said something about that song Mr. McDonald did last night? And that all of you felt off, odd last night afterwards?” Wesley asked them.
“I believe he cast some type of spell on you that has to do with Buffy. Each of us has feelings for her in some way. They appear to be amplified or altered in someway. Most likely Cordelia has also been affected. I have the things necessary in the stores to break this spell for all of us here. I’ll take care of it with Cordelia as well, before she and Buffy have any problems.”

“You mean this happened… That I hurt Buffy and betrayed Spike because of Lindsey’s magick?” Angel asked Wesley, anger building inside of him.

“Well, most likely Wolfram and Hart brought someone in to do this for them and let Lindsey activate it. It’s entirely possible that this was meant to distract you and all of us from something else they’re planning. While this is most disconcerting, it has caused no actual damage, although that could have been a moot point had you lost your soul again, Angel. However, they couldn’t have known Buffy was here in town.” Wesley suggested to Angel.

“Wes, get this fixed, please so we can go rip their arms out and beat them with’em.”
Angel growled.

“Now that sounds like fun.” Spike told his grandsire. He was still very upset with Angel, but if magick was involved, then he couldn’t really hold Angel totally accountable for what had happened. But the younger vampire wasn’t going to forget about it either. *A nice spot’o violence would ‘elp quite a bit. * Spike thought to himself.

~*~

Wesley went downstairs where they kept their various supplies and pulled out everything he knew he’d need to do a general spell breaking. That should take care of all but the most specific spells. He looked the ritual up in his books to be sure he’d remembered it all correctly. Fortunately, he had.

The lobby worked well for this due to its non-carpeted floors. They were easy to clean afterwards and there was plenty of room.
Wesley quickly set everything up and got all of them inside the space he’d laid out.
He was ready to start the counter-spell when Cordelia hurdled through the front door in a towering rage and determined to hurt somebody.
She turned to see all of them at the end of the lobby and her eyes focused on Buffy alone.

Cordelia stalked toward Buffy, so angry they could almost see the rage roil around her like lightening crackling in the air. “Buffy… How dare you come here and get everyone upset! You want them all to yourself, every one of them. It wasn’t enough that you had Angel, but now you have to have Spike and wave him under Angel’s nose. See, now you even have Wesley there with you as well! This has got to stop and I’m going to stop you!”

Angel quickly intercepted Cordelia before she could actually attack Buffy. Holding her in a firm grasp, he brought her back into the space Wesley had set up. Cordelia struggled for all she was worth, her anger increasing her strength, but still she was no match for Buffy. If Angel could restrain Buffy before, he knew he could easily restrain Cordelia now.
“Wesley, hurry! I don’t want to hurt her.” Angel told the former watcher while he held the struggling brunette.

Wesley started the charcoal in the censer, tossing in the various ingredients as he chanted the words to the counter spell. The smoke wafted through the room, as he chanted.
Picking up the censer, Wesley swirled it around the circle and directly in front of each person it to be sure the slightly glowing fumes touched every one of them where they stood.
As she drew in a deep breath of the smoke, Cordelia’s struggles suddenly stopped. She looked at Angel, who was still holding her and relaxed into his arms. She had no idea what had happened, but she knew that whatever it was, she could trust Angel.

~*~

Across town, Ethan Rayne was setting the final touches on the work they would be doing later that night. With Lindsey’s reaction to the spell from the previous night, he was satisfied all was working well.
* That yappy lawyer was quite disturbed when he left. Serves him right for not checking closer. I just wish I could be there to see all of their faces as it affects them. They should be well into the fights by now. * Ethan chuckled to himself. And this time, there would be no Rupert Giles to interrupt him.

Back in his apartment, Lindsey was pacing, a haggard figure in the daylight. He’d not gotten back to sleep that night and the image of the blonde Slayer wouldn’t leave his mind. He wondered for the umpteenth time if this was how Angel felt about Buffy, or even Darla.
*God! What is this thing Angel has for these blondes and why do they keep getting to me as well? Surely I can’t have the same taste in women as that damned vampire. That would make me more like him than I ever want to be! *
The pacing continued unabated...
He had more time until Ethan would need him tonight.

*********************************************

The counter spell finished and the effects now dissipated from each person touched by the smoke, Wesley cleaned up. He felt fine himself. Cordelia seemed to be much better. Time to go talk to all of them and see how everyone really was. They were all huddled into their own small space on the sofas when Wesley got back from downstairs. He also sat away from the rest of them.
”So, how is everyone feeling now? Any further oddness?”

“Wesley, what happened? Why was I so angry at Buffy? I don’t understand any of this.” Cordelia asked him.

“It seems that Mr. McDonald’s song actually cast a spell that affected everyone feelings toward Buffy. If they had a link to her in any way, it amplified or altered those feeling in some way when they came near her. We think it was a distraction for something else they’re planning. It may most likely be tonight.”

“ How dare they do something like this to us, to me! I’ll – I’ll grab the first thing I can get my hands on and hit them so hard they won’t know what happened, starting with Lindsey McDonald!” Cordelia had abandoned the sofa to pace around the room; full of anger at what the law firm had done to her and to all of them. She’d picked up a small item one of the children at Anne’s shelter had made for her. It had been on her desk and she’d used it to illustrate how she was going to hit Lindsey.
This was not a laughing moment, but Angel was fighting laughter inside, seeing the item Cordelia was using to hit the imaginary lawyer.

“Cordy, You can’t fight evil with a macaroni duck!” Angel chuckled at her.

“Maybe not, but I can use it to tell them what I’m gonna do to them for messing with us.”

“How is your apartment coming along, Cordelia?” Wesley asked her suddenly.

“They are getting ready to put the door back in, why? What does that have to do with any of this?”

“Unless Angel has some kind of objections, I think that you should go home tonight. You being the seer for Angel makes you a unique hostage for Wolfram and Hart; so until we know what they are up to, I’d feel better if you were elsewhere. If you can’t go to your apartment, I’ll give you my keys and you can go to mine until we’re finished tonight.”

“But, I don’t...”

“Cordelia. I think Wesley is right. I think we need to keep you out of this until we know what’s happening. Please, Cordelia?” Angel interrupted her beginning protests.

“Okay. If you think it’s that important, I’ll go.”
Cordelia took Wesley’s keys from him; hugged Angel, leaned over and kissed Buffy’s cheek and then hugged Spike as well, much to everyone’s surprise before walking out the door.

“Alright. I really didn’t want to discuss the rest of this with Cordelia here. So how are the rest of you? Buffy, are you alright? Angel? Spike?”

“I’m still a bit shaken, but I’m ok. I think I want to go lay down and rest a bit, please?” Buffy told all of them. She looked pale under her normal slight tan.

“Yes, that’s a good idea. Go ahead, Buffy and rest for a bit.” Wesley assured her.

She stood up and Spike rose with her, still holding her to him. “Luv, I’ll walk you up and then I need to come back down here. We have to plan this for tonight, ok?”

“Of course, Spike. I understand. Just don’t fight each other, please. I don’t want either of you hurt, not because of me.”

Spike turned and looked at the other two men. “I’ll walk her upstairs and then I’ll be back.”

Spike helped Buffy up to their room. She lay down and he kissed her tenderly then turned out the lights, closing the door quietly behind him and going back down stairs.
He went over to the sofa he’d just left and sat back down, then looked at Angel.
“I don’t know what it’s going to take to make this right, but you’re gonna ‘ave to fix this with ‘er and with me before tonight.” Spike told his grandsire.

“I know, Spike. I don’t know how to say enough how sorry I am. Just tell me what to do to fix this.” Angel pleaded quietly to his grandchilde.

“The spell is broken, but what you did to Buffy won’t just go away. You betrayed me again too.” Spike told Angel, with a grim expression on his face.

“If I can make a suggestion?” Wesley asked them.

“Sure, Wes…”

“Spike, just stay with her when she needs you and support her. You’re not upset with her are you?”

“No. No, I’m not. If she ‘ad wanted to do what ‘appened, she wouldn’t have been so upset even before I came in the door. I know from my own experiences with Angelus, that you can’t always control what your body responds to, even if you don’t want it to ‘appen. I also know that Angel was ‘er first love, and just like Dru will always be special to me, even though I’m in love with Buffy; Angel will always be special to ‘er. Bloody hell! If it wasn’t for ‘im, she wouldn’t be who she is now and might not be with me at all.” Spike ran his hands through his hair, as he so often did when he was nervous or upset. “I’m angry with you, Angel. Magick was involved, but that only excuses so much.”

“I know, Spike. I know. Would it be alright if I go apologize to her again after she rests for a bit?”

“I think you should. But I’ll go up first and let ‘er know and stand just outside the door, so she’ll feel safer.”

“Okay. We’ll do that then. What about you?”

“You may be my grandsire, Angel but as long as she is with me, as long as she lets me stay with ‘er… If you ever touch ‘er again like that, or ‘urt ‘er at all, I’ll kill you myself. You can count on it.”

“I understand. I don’t blame you either. In your place... Well, I wouldn’t be as foolish as I was before, and let’s just leave it there.”

“Alright, then. If you two have that settled, until Buffy wakes up, I think we need to work out a plan for tonight.” Wesley wanted to get the conversation back on track if the two vampires had resolved some of their differences.

“You might want to be including me in that plan for tonight. I think I can help you a bit here on one condition.”
Angel spun around in shock! He KNEW that voice! But it couldn’t be, he was dead, Angel saw him die!

“DOYLE!” Angel jumped to his feet and ran to hug the Irish half-demon. “How?”

“Sit down, Angel. Let me tell you what I know. Cordelia isn’t here is she? I don’t want her to see me because I can’t stay.” Doyle told them.

   **********************************************

Doyle explained that the Powers had become aware of the magick Wolfram and Hart were trying to do. They were going to bring back someone who needed to stay gone. They were trying to bring back Holland Manners.
Doyle had been sent to help them for this one thing and to make sure that Holland did not come back, or if he did, that he was taken back out. If he made it back, who ever destroyed him would also die. The Powers couldn’t lose any of them in the fight going on between good and evil. Doyle had already died, and could do so again without endangering the delicate balance that existed now between good and evil.
Wolfram and Hart were upsetting that balance by bringing Holland back, so the Powers were allowed to let Doyle return long enough to resettle that balance.

“Doyle, I just want to tell you something while I have the chance. I loved you like a brother and I miss you every day. Cordelia was lost without you. So if it helps you any, I think she would have loved you. What you did was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen in over two centuries. Even though I miss you, I am so proud of you.” Angel had wanted to let Doyle know how he felt and while he’d hoped the half-demon had known wherever he was, Angel wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to let his friend know.

“It does help, Angel. It helps a lot. After this is all over and I’m gone again, tell Cordelia... Tell her I love her. I don’t want her to have to see me die twice.”

“What about me, Doyle. I’ll have to see you die again.” Angel said with sadness lacing his voice.

“I know, and I’m sorry, man. But I also know you can handle it. Remember what you’ve already had to handle. You know it was what you did then, that made me understand. That gave me the courage to take the step I needed for my own redemption.
I’d never have made it without you, Angel. You know it helped your goals too, don’tch’a?”

“No, I had no idea. I’m glad you found yours, Doyle. I wouldn’t take that from you ever, but I’d give up whatever they added to my ‘sheet’ just to have you back here with us.”

“Thank you, Angel. You and Cordelia were the only family I’d had for longer than I can remember.” Doyle clasped Angel’s forearm as he looked at the vampire.
“Ok, before we start bloody crying here, let’s get this plan going.” Doyle told them. They could hear the suppressed tears under his voice.

Wesley and Spike knew they’d have to find out more about Doyle and everything he’d referenced after this was over if only to satisfy their own curiosity. Wesley and Angel explained to the temporarily resurrected Bracken demon what had happened the previous night with Lindsey’s spell and the following repercussions today.

“Ow! That’s rough. So how’s she doing?” Doyle was concerned.

“She’s upstairs sleeping. I should go check on her.” Spike told the new comer as he got up and headed for the stairs.

As Spike opened the door to the room he was sharing with Buffy, she stirred in her sleep, opening her eyes enough to see that it was Spike that had entered their room.

“Luv, are you ok? Feelin’ better now?” Spike asked her.

“Ummm, yeah. I think so. You ok, babe?” Buffy asked her lover with her voice husky from sleep.

“Yeah, luv. Angel and I talked and he knows exactly how I feel about this. I told him I wouldn’t put up with anything like that again. He wants to come talk to you about it, luv. Are you ok with that if I stay outside the door? Yeah, I’m still brassed off at the wanker, but I think he’s really hurtin’ about what he did.”

“I’ll talk to him, Spike, but only if you are right there. Outside the door is fine as long as it’s open.”

“Let me go tell him, luv. We have to get this settled before tonight.”

“I know.” Buffy looked at her lover. She was sad about hurting him, even though she’d not been able to stop what happened. She also loved him even more for accepting this in a way he never would have a year ago.
Spike leaned over to kiss her, then went back to get Angel.

  **********************************************

Lindsey had finally managed to get a couple of hours of uneasy sleep and felt better than he had earlier. The desire for the Slayer hadn’t left him, but with more sleep, he didn’t feel quite as driven, as he had been earlier. He thought that his decision about what to do had helped as well.
It was simple. He was going to have her. He could see to it that the Slayer and everyone with her was knocked out, then he’d take her to one of the firm’s other holdings, chain her up if he had to and he’d have her.
Afterwards, it didn’t really matter what happened to her. He was sure that Holland might even have a few uses for her after Ethan brought him back.
Lindsey thought about how badly this would hurt Angel as well. Nothing like getting two birds with one stone, so to speak.
With those happy thoughts churning in his head, Lindsey got dressed and ready to leave for tonight’s festivities.

When Lindsey arrived in the lower room, he found Ethan Rayne with almost everything set up for the work they would be doing tonight.

“So are we all set for this?” Lindsey asked the older man.

“Just about. All we’ll need to wait for is the proper time and we can start. After that, we should be finished in about 30 minutes.” Ethan explained to him.

“Good. You think they will show up here to try and stop us tonight?”

“I think they may know that something is going on, but I also think that the spell you activated earlier will distract them, put them off and that will be to our advantage. If for some reason they do show up, they will not be at their best and can be easily defeated.” Ethan assured the young lawyer.

“We’re dealing with the Slayer, two very strong vampires of the Aurelius clan, and an ex-watcher. They get help from somewhere, we just don’t know where yet. And you think they won’t be a problem? Don’t underestimate them like others have done with just Angel in the past. You’ll be sorely disappointed.” Lindsey patiently explained to Ethan, knowing that what he really wanted to do was feed him to those two vampires. Unfortunately he couldn’t do that. They needed him for this project tonight. Besides, Angel wouldn’t eat the idiot anyway.

“I’ve had my own run-ins with Angel and his Slayer. However, I don’t think they will interrupt us. But as I said, if they do, we simply stop them. They will be weak, distracted. You have the tasers; take care of them if they show up. We’ll be ready to start an hour after the sun goes down. We’ll be in the correct planetary hour then.” Ethan explained to Lindsey as he walked away to finish the last details.

Lindsey looked at Ethan’s retreating back, clenching his fist again. He really was starting to hate this man.

   *********************************************

Angel went up the stairs with Spike. Doyle and Wesley had decided to trail along behind the two vampires. Wesley to be sure things didn’t get out of hand, Doyle out of curiosity. He’d only seen the Slayer once before.

Spike went in the room with Angel right behind him.
Buffy was sitting up and reached her hand out for Spike. He went to her side, taking her hand, leaning down to kiss her.
“I’ll be right outside the door, luv, if you need me.”

“Okay, Spike.” Buffy squeezed his hand before turning it loose.

Spike walked back out the door, leaving Angel standing there looking at Buffy.
“Can I sit down, Buffy?” Angel asked her, feeling very uncomfortable.

“Yeah, go ahead, Angel.”

He pulled the chair over closer to the bed so he didn’t have to shout across the room to talk to her, then sat down.

“I don’t know how to tell you how sorry I am, Buffy. I’ve never done anything like that ever…  Oh, Angelus would have done it without thinking twice, but not me. And never to you. You know I’d never even think of doing such a thing to you, Buffy. I know we’ve both gone our own ways and tried to move on, but I do still love you. I always will. It was the spell Lindsey did last night. I know that doesn’t excuse what I did, but I wasn’t in complete control, Buffy.”

“Angel… I know. I understand. I’ve been thinking about it and realized that it was like when you were poisoned. I forced you to drink from me, something you’d never have done otherwise. It was just a different force that made you to do this. But it can’t ever happen again, Angel. I still love you, but it’s not the same as it was. You insisted I move on, and I have. This hurt Spike too and I can’t do that to him. So I guess what I’m saying is, we put this behind us and go on from here. But if anything like this ever happens again, Angel, as much as I don’t want to hurt you, I will.”

“I understand, Buffy. I don’t blame you at all.” Angel reached his hand toward her slowly, “Friends again?”

She took his hand and stood up, taking a step closer to hugged him quickly before stepping back  “Friends, Angel.”

He smiled at her. She’d forgiven him! He was afraid she wouldn’t and he didn’t know if he could have stood that.
Buffy took his arm and they walked out of the room right into the little eavesdropping group in the hall. Spike came to put his arm around her. Wesley looked at her a bit sheepish while Doyle just looked interested.

“Oh, Buffy. This is Doyle. I think you met him once before. It’s a bit of an odd situation but I think we should all go down stairs and fill you in on what we know and what we’re planning to do.”

They told to Buffy about Doyle, what he’d explained to them about Wolfram and Hart’s plan to being Holland back, and they discussed a way to try and solve the problem. They’d wait until shortly after dark and then break into the lower levels of the law firms building.

   *************************************************

It was about an hour after sunset when the five fighters pulled into the underground parking deck at Wolfram and Hart. The two vampires had the devices Wesley had obtained to distort the vamp detectors in the building. All of them had one of the second devices to disrupt the video cameras in the building.
Spike picked the lock on the first door and they entered, keeping to one side of the hallway. Buffy and Doyle took the lead. Angel had given Buffy directions to find the room they needed to get into.

They made their way through the maze of hallways in the building, avoiding cameras as much as possible and depending on the devices for the others they couldn’t avoid. As they approached the underground chamber, Doyle and the two vampires felt a vibration that echoed in their very bones.
“They’re doing the spell now!” Doyle whispered back to them.

“Hurry!” was the only thing Angel said before he broke into a run down the hallway.

They rounded the next corner to find the door of the room they sought.
Since Spike couldn’t attack any humans, he would handle any non-human in the room. That might include Holland Manners if the ritual brought him back, but they couldn’t be sure. Doyle would be the one to take Holland out if he was there, while Buffy and Angel would stop anyone else. Wesley was their lookout.

They were ready. On the whispered count of three they hit the door running. The wood burst in, slamming back against the wall. As they exploded into the chamber what they saw was frightening indeed.
Standing inside a pentagram inscribed on the floor was none other than Ethan Rayne! Lindsey, at his side, was assisting him and in the center of a triangle at the base of the pentagram was a sickly greenish, glowing, swirling mist that was trying to solidify.
Doyle head for the mist but just before he managed to reach the mist, it solidified into the form of Holland Manners! He saw the group heading toward them and flashed them a wicked grin. He still had the gaping wound in his neck where Darla and Dru had drained him.
Doyle dove into the man, taking him down to the floor. Reaching around to his waist, Doyle pulled an odd looking device from behind him, trying to aim it at Holland while still gripping the man tightly. Holland was fighting Doyle, but was still quite weak from his seconds old re-emergence from Hell. As they struggled, Holland managed to catch Doyle in the jaw with a punch. Doyle staggered back, but kept his grip on the lawyer’s arm.
“Lindsey! Get over here and help me.” Holland yelled at the younger man.
Lindsey started toward Holland only to be knocked off of his feet as Spike tackled him. Spike went down clutching his head.
Doyle struggled with Holland and finally managed to get the odd device aimed at him correctly.
Doyle triggered the object the Powers had given him, and there was a blinding flash of blue light. When it dissipated, both Holland and Doyle were gone.

“Noooo!”

It was a sound that echoed through the room. Lindsey and angel both cried out the single word, but for very different reasons.
Lindsey saw the work they had done, all the planning for the last several months disappear in front of his eyes, while Angel saw his friend vanish again. Even knowing it would happen hadn’t helped prepare him to see Doyle die again. Rage flooded the dark-haired vampire, as he grabbed for Lindsey and missed. Ethan was the next closest and Angel managed to grab his shoulder just as Buffy connected a good, solid, right cross with Ethan’s jaw, further knocking him into Angel’s grasp.

“Lindsey! Don’t let him get away, Buffy!” Angel yelled at her.
She pivoted on one foot, launching herself at the fleeing lawyer. He was trying to reach a dark object on the wall. Just before Buffy could grab him, Lindsey stepped onto a floor mat of some darkish material and pressed the object.

Electricity arced across the room, hitting everyone in the room with the exception of Lindsey. Everyone collapsed leaving only Lindsey standing. The young lawyer quickly picked the blonde Slayer up in his arms and carried her out of the room, down the maze of hallways to the parking deck and put her in his car. He took the precaution of handcuffing her and tying her feet before closing the door. He also had a small hand tazer in his pocket in case she regained consciousness before he got her where they were going.

Back in the underground chamber several minutes later, Angel started to wake, groaning and holding his head. Ethan Rayne was still unconscious, so Angel grabbed a cord, tying Ethan’s hands and feet. Staggering over to Spike and Wesley, Angel shook them, trying to bring them around. Spike recovered next. He too moaned and clutched at his head.
As Spike sat up, he looked around the room for Buffy.

“Angel! Where’s Buffy!” Spike yelled, panic hitting him completely.
 Angel stopped in the middle of assisting Wesley to rise and looked around.

“Dammit! Buffy’s gone. So is Lindsey. That ass of a lawyer has kidnapped her!” Panic filled Angel.

Spike had run out of the room and down the hallway to the garage. The lone car previously parked there when they had arrived was gone. He turned and slammed his fist into the wall.
He heard the bones crack and the concrete shredded the skin on his knuckles.
Spike heard Angel enter the garage. Without even looking up, Spike told his Grandsire, “She’s gone, Angel. He took her. She’s gone.” Blood-tinged tears ran unheeded down his face as he stared into the empty garage.
Angel laid a hand on the younger vampire’s shoulder. “We’ll find her, Spike. I promise. Let’s get Ethan and Wesley and get out of here. The sooner we do, the faster we can find her.”
Spike followed Angel back to the chamber, shoulders slumped in his grief. He could only hope she’d be alright, that Lindsey wouldn’t kill her.

   **********************************************

Angel drove back to the hotel. Wesley had recovered by the time they had arrived. They got Ethan inside and Wesley went to call Cordelia knowing they’d need her to help find Buffy. That done and Cordelia on her way to the hotel, Wesley went to help Spike question the now conscious Ethan while Angel called Kate. He knew she’d have someone come pick the man up and take him to jail.

Ethan was refusing to answer Wesley or Spike.
Spike couldn’t hit the man and although Wesley did, he wasn’t getting through. Angel came back to take over.

“Where did Lindsey take Buffy, Ethan?” Angel held him by his shirtfront as he
 growled into Ethan’s face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It was the same reply Wesley and Spike had gotten.

Angel allowed his face to morph. “ You might want to tell me now.”

“I don’t know.” Angel and Spike could hear the fear under Ethan’s voice this time.

“Wrong answer!” Angel jerked the man’s head to one side and bit into his neck. He jerked Ethan’s head the other way and bit the other side as while Ethan screamed.

“Angel!” Wesley exclaimed. He was worried Angel would kill the man.

“It’s ok, Wesley. Go watch for Kate. Spike and I will handle this. We won’t kill him. That’s much too good for him.”

Wesley looked at Angel in his demon face, Ethan held in Angel’s grasp with blood oozing down both sides of his neck. He had to trust Angel completely in this and turned and walked out the door to wait for Kate.

“Spike, have a drink, I opened the ‘bottle’ for you.” Angel told the blonde vampire.

“Don’t mind if I do.” Spike told him, as his face morphed as well.
Ethan sat in the hands of two very demon faced vampires, both with their faces buried in the sides of his neck, both sucking at his very life from the wounds Angel had made.

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk! Don’t kill me!” Ethan screamed.

Both vampires lifted their heads, blood staining their mouths.

“Damn, Angel. I was hungry too.” Spike remarked. He knew they weren’t going to kill the man regardless of how much they wanted to. He might just know where Buffy was, and if Buffy found out Ethan was dead at their hands, she’d likely stake both of them.

“Talk, before I let him finish his dinner.” Angel told the magician.

“Lindsey was affected by the same spell that got you. He was determined to have the Slayer. He went to one of the law firms other holdings this after noon to set up a place to take her. I don’t know exactly where it was, he didn’t tell me, but he was only gone a short time. He had a cup of coffee with him when he came back. It was from the Omelet House. That’s on Main Street, over from Santa Monica, toward Venice. It must be close by there.”

Cordelia walked in just then, taking in the scene before her.
“A-angel?”

“It’s ok, Cordy. Just a threat.” Angel reassured her.

Angel sent Spike to get bandages and items to clean up their prisoner while he told Cordelia what had happened. She went immediately to look for the holdings of Wolfram and Hart in the Santa Monica/Venice area.

Ethan was all cleaned up and bandaged by the time Kate arrived. Angel explained to her what had happened and what he’d done. She took Ethan away; turning turned him over to a police friend she’d called. They escorted Ethan to a waiting police car, then started toward the jail. Kate went over to the computer to help Cordelia look for where Buffy might be being held by Lindsey.

**********************************************

‘The masks they slide to reveal a new disguise
You never can win
it's the state I'm in
This danger thrills and my conflict kills’

In the backroom of an older warehouse between Santa Monica and Venice Beach, Lindsey laid Buffy on a bed he’d prepared earlier, chaining her hands and ankles after he’d removed her clothes. He’d covered her with a light blanket while he waited on her to wake up.

Fortunately for him, Lindsey didn’t have to wait long. Buffy’s Slayer healing had kicked in, bringing her around from the tremendous jolts of electricity that had hit her in the chamber at Wolfram and Hart and in the car when she’d begun to regain consciousness.
As consciousness finally returned, Buffy kept her eyes closed, reaching out with her senses trying to determine where she was. She could tell that she was chained, and had been stripped. There was someone in the room with her, but not a vamp. She was guessing human because she could hear them breathing in the quiet surroundings.
She finally opened her eyes, seeing just a dim light on to her left. As she slowly turned her head, she saw Lindsey, sitting in a chair next to the bed.

“You’re Lindsey, right?”

“Yeah, how did you know?”

“Angel told me who you were. Why am I here? Why am I chained and naked? Where are Angel, Spike and Wesley?”

Lindsey moved from the chair to the side of the bed. He reached up to stroke Buffy’s hair and face with his hand as he talked to her. “You’re here with me. Where doesn’t matter.  Angel and the other vampire were hit with the same tazer that got you. I don’t know where they are now and don’t really care. As for the rest of your question, you’re here because I want you. I intend to have you and there isn’t much you can do about it.”

“Do you really think I’m just going to co-operate with you? Seems you don’t know as much about me as you think you do.” Buffy was angry, but beneath the anger was a touch of fear.
“And what the hell is it with you men that you think you can just knock me out, chain me up and expect me to fall all over you!”

“I have no idea who might have done that to you before, but I can promise you that if you don’t ‘fall all over’ me, as you put it, I’m quite capable of killing you. I think it would be interesting to treat you to some of the same ‘courtesies’ your ex did to me.” He held up the missing hand to make his point.

“You expect me to just let you rape me? Is that the game plan here?” Buffy was getting angrier by the second as the lawyer spoke to her.
“You’re a good looking guy, so why all this to get to me? Is this just to get back at Angel?”

Lindsey leaned closer to Buffy, tweaking the blanket down to expose her breasts to his view. He leaned his head down taking one nipple in his mouth, rolling it with his tongue before releasing it. “I’m sure you’re more than aware of the spell that got put on all your men. Well, I got caught in it too. We had no idea you’d be there in the club. And yes, I know that this will hurt Angel. But it doesn’t have to hurt you unless you refuse to co-operate.”

“How did you get caught in the spell? You have no feelings for me for the spell to have used.”
Buffy hoped she could keep him talking and stall what he had planned for her.
“Besides, Angel and I have moved on with our lives, he’s seeing someone else, so am I. This isn’t the way to get to Angel.”

“Don’t lie to me Buffy. I know Angel slept with Darla and then threw her out. I know you’re with one of his vampire family. You might have both moved on, as you put it, but you came here to help him. He’d drop everything to help you. You two still care about each other, so yeah, this will hurt him.” He captured the other nipple in his mouth, treating it the same, then biting gently before releasing her.
“This is going to happen, Buffy, you can enjoy it with me and make it easy on yourself, or you can fight and be killed. It’s your call here.” Lindsey quickly stripped off his clothes.

* Maybe if I pretend to co-operate, I can get him to let me go, so I can escape from him. I can’t close my eyes and pretend its Spike; he’s too warm. I can pretend its Riley. There aren’t the feelings there, but I can focus on the memory and fake it… maybe. *
“And if I co-operate, are you going to turn me loose? It’s awfully hard for a gal to get as involved as she might like, chained up like this. I can’t use my legs, I can’t touch you with my hands, we can’t change positions...”

“Good try! I’ll see how you do the first time around. If you can convince me, then we can release one chain at a time.”

“Ok. You still didn’t say how you got caught in the spell…” Buffy questioned again. He had avoided that answer, so there had to be a reason for it.

“I saw the file the firm has on you. I was impressed. The more I read, the more impressed I was. Not to mention that you’re beautiful. So much power and energy all wrapped up in one small package. I thought to myself, ‘who is this woman that can get not only a souled vampire to love her, but an unsouled one as well’. I was determined to find out. The spell used that fascination with you to catch me.”

* Okay... time to jump in here so I can get out of this. *
“So what are you going to do with that fascination, Lindsey? Talk me to sleep, or are you gonna put your mouth where your words are?” Buffy knew she’d have to be careful about how she taunted him.
*God, all those times tossing insults with Spike before, might just come in handy right now. *

At her words, Lindsey ripped the blanket off of Buffy, leaving her completely exposed to his view. She blushed at the intensity of his stare.
He stretched out next to her, propping himself on his bad arm, so he could have access to her body with his remaining hand.
Lindsey ran that hand over the beautiful body of the woman next to him. He didn’t want to hurt her at all, but he didn’t want her to know that.
He didn’t want to rape her either. He wanted her to give herself to him. Even if it wasn’t real.

Buffy closed her eyes and arched into his hand. She let her mind wander back to when she and Riley were together when it was good. If she could hang onto those sensations…

Lindsey leaned enough to cover her lips with his own, licking her bottom lip, asking for entrance. Buffy parted her lips under his, as his tongue sought her own, battling for dominance. She caught his lower lip and gently sucked it into her mouth, causing him to groan slightly into her mouth. She could feel his erection already pressing into her leg.

The young lawyer assaulted Buffy’s senses as he kissed her and used his mouth to work his way down her body, stopping to pay special attention to everything that caught his interest on the way to the warmth of her center. It seemed that he was a man of many interests…

Buffy felt him gently ease in between her legs, as his mouth continued to trace wet fiery trails on her skin.
He dipped his tongue into her sensitive folds and Buffy arched her back, hissing at the touch of his tongue inside of her.
Lindsey paid close attention to the bundle of nerves peaking out of her dark curls, as each stroke brought more sound from Buffy.
He added first one finger then a second one as he explored the tight, wet, warmth of her, while his mouth continued to tease the sensitive bundle of nerves.
Lindsey felt the Slayer stiffen under his touch. That stiffness moved in slow motion into an arch of her back followed instantly by a low wordless scream as her body responded to his ministrations.

Buffy lay gasping for breath as she gathered her thoughts. She remembered what Spike had told her earlier. That just because her body might respond even thought she didn’t want it to… Well she didn’t.  But she believed what Lindsey had told her. She believed that her life depended on making him think she wanted this.

Lindsey looked at Buffy, heard her ragged breathing. He decided to take a chance and reached down to release the shackles around both of her ankles.
He moved back up her body to cover her lips with his again. She could taste the mingled sweat from both of them with the taste of herself.
He rested his body over hers, keeping most of his weight on his forearms. He was still rock hard as his erection pressed into her abdomen. Buffy brought her legs up and wrapped them around his hips, pulling him closer to her.

“Umm, that’s my girl. God, you feel so good. Better than I could ever have imagined.” Lindsey whispered to Buffy as he nuzzled into her neck.

Buffy kept her eyes closed, a different image held firm in her mind. Riley hadn’t worked at all. She’d had to imagine Spike and ignore the wrong feel of the body next to her.
“Let me have my hands loose, too, Lindsey. I can do this better that way. I want to touch you.”

“Not yet.”
He moved back down to capture a breast in his mouth. Gently scraping his teeth across her nipple, he felt it harden under his tongue. Buffy whimpered again. Inside her mind, she just wanted it to stop.
He switched sides, paying the same attention to the other breast, as he cupped the first one in his hand, feeling the weight of it.

“Lindsey… Please, Lindsey. I want you. Now.” Buffy murmured.

He raised himself over her again, capturing her mouth in a searing kiss, as he reached between them to guide his hardness to her wet center.
She felt him slide inside of her, filling her with his length. Buffy moaned as she pulled her lip into her mouth, biting on it.

Lindsey lay still inside of her, feeling her warmth sheathed around him. He made his decision and reached up to release her left hand, leaving the right one fastened.

Buffy moved her hand behind his head, holding him to her, kissing him deeper, harder.
When they broke the kiss, both of them were panting for breath. He began to slowly move inside of her, adjusting his angle so he made sure to stroke her clit with every motion he made.
Buffy trailed her hand down his body, resting finally on his buttocks. She curled her hand, allowing her nails to grasp his flesh harder, as if to urge him on.
She knew from the way he was positioned against her, what was going to happen. She rode the sensation, letting it crest over her as she held tightly to the thoughts of Spike in her mind.

Lindsey felt the beginning spasms of Buffy’s flesh around him and increased his pace slightly until he felt her muscles clench around him. Those famous Slayer muscles he’d heard about, dreamed about; as they grasped him so tightly he knew he only had seconds before he followed her with his own release.
She’d given another of those wordless screams as she climaxed around him, Lindsey gasped her name as his overtook him.

He lay spent on top of Buffy, his hand gripping hers, his fingers intertwined in hers.
He knew he had to pull himself together.
Lindsey raised his head and moved slightly sideways to prop on his elbow again. He wanted to look at her face.
He traced the lines of Buffy’s jaw and cheek, her lips and eyebrow with his fingers as he spoke to her.

“I know I wasn’t the one you thought of, but you made me feel like I was. Thank you for that. You really are beautiful, Buffy. If things were different, I could wish… I could wish you were really mine.”

Buffy was shocked at his words. She’d been about to break free, but his words stopped her. “Why, Lindsey?”

“You’ve touched something in me. The spell is gone now. I felt it break. But what I feel inside is still here. I understand now why you have two vampires in love with you. With his soul, Angel never stood a chance against falling in love with you. Even the other one, without a soul, probably never had a chance against you.”

As he looked into her eyes, he kissed her gently again, then released her other hand and slid off of her. He reached out his hand to help her sit up on the side of the bed.

“There is a phone in the next room. Please give me five minutes before you call them to come get you.
And Buffy…”

“Yes, Lindsey?”

“I never had a chance against you either.” He looked into her eyes once more, then turned and gathered his clothes to walk out of the room.

Buffy sat where she was, waiting, shivering even though it wasn’t cold.
Finally she got up, picking up her clothes and left the room. In the next room, as Lindsey had told her, there was a phone. There was also a bathroom in the corner. Buffy went straight for the shower.

**************************************

The police office had put Ethan Rayne into the back of his car and started for the station.
They had driven maybe 3 blocks when the mumbling Ethan had been doing finally took affect.
The sky ripped open, crashing bolts of lightening and hail down around them. The officer couldn’t even see the end of the car hood’ the rain and hail were so heavy. They hit the back edge of a parked car and the police car rolled, wrenching the back door open. The instant the car had stopped, Ethan was out the door and running. The rain hid him even as the hail pelted him unmercifully. Within a matter of seconds, Ethan Rayne was swallowed up into the storm.

************************************

Kate and Cordelia were searching for a possible location for Buffy on the computer as the storm began.
“I think I found it!” Cordelia shouted as a deafening clap of thunder echoed through the room followed by a jagged streak of lightening. They heard an explosion outside as the computer went down with all the rest of the lights.

You never realize how much noise surrounds you from lights, motors, appliances or other equipment until it all stops. The silence seemed to swallow them.

Angel was the first to break that silence. “Is everybody ok?”

He heard affirmatives from everyone in the room. Cordelia reached inside her desk and grabbed a flashlight, handing the spare to Kate.
The women worked with the men to find candles, oil lamps and get them lit.
They all huddled around Cordelia’s desk.

“Angel, we have to go find Buffy.” Spike was worried before but with the onset of the storm, he was frantic.

The older vampire reached over and clasped Spike’s shoulder, trying to reassure him. “We will, Spike. We’ll find her.” He turned to look at Cordelia and Kate through the golden gloom. “What did you find right before the power went out?”

“A warehouse over in Santa Monica, off of Pacific.” Cordelia scribbled down the address and handed it to Angel.

“Ok, Spike and I will head there. Wesley, I want you, Kate and Cordelia to go check out Lindsey’s apartment. Maybe you can find some kind of clue there just in case Ethan lied or Lindsey changed his mind about where to take her.” Angel handed them a card with his cell phone number on it.
“I know Cordelia’s number, here’s mine in case anyone forgets. Call me if you find anything”

Wesley, Cordy and Kate headed to Cordelia’s car while Angel and Spike got into Angel’s car. Each group left the covered parking toward their separate destinations.

The rain was still pouring, laced with burst of hail at intervals. Cordelia drove with grim determination toward Lindsey’s apartment. Kate had given her the address from police files.
When they finally arrived there, the girls made sure they had their flashlights in their hands. The lights were large, metal and made excellent weapons. As they made their way up the stairs of the building, they felt it sway slightly.

“This isn’t good.” Cordelia whispered.

They continued down the hallway to Lindsey’s apartment.

“What is that noise?” Wesley whispered to both of the women with him.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was a tornado, but L.A. doesn’t have tornados!” Kate answered him.
The roaring kept getting louder every second.

There in front of them was the door to Lindsey’s apartment. Wesley started to give it a good hard kick, when Cordelia reached over, turned the knob and opened the door.

“Get inside here, quick. It’s a tornado out there!” Lindsey yelled at them from down the hallway of his apartment. He held open a closet door as they saw the swirling funnel outside the large picture window. Cordelia grabbed at Wesley’s arm.
Caught up in the twisting wind was a large black and white plastic cow from some nearby building.
“Wesley!” Cordelia screamed over the roar of the wind, “We got cows!”

Wesley grabbed Cordelia’s hand on his arm and pulled her down the hall at a run. Behind them the picture window imploded just as they made it inside the closet with Kate and Lindsey. The winds slammed the door closed behind them, all of them huddled on the floor of the closet seeking the most shelter possible.

They wanted to ask the lawyer where Buffy was, but the shrieking of the winds made any conversation impossible.
The four desperate individuals clung together, as the building shook and they heard things in the apartment thrown and smashed into the walls. If there were any walls left standing…

As abruptly as if a switch had been thrown, the noise stopped. The thrumming of the rain could be heard, but the winds were gone. They struggled to their feet while Lindsey reached for the doorknob. It turned but wouldn’t open. Wesley leaned a shoulder into the door to help push, trying to open the door. They could feel something heavy blocking it and were unable to dislodge the obviously large object.
They were locked in the closet.

   **************************************

Angel and Spike made it to the warehouse just before the winds screamed at them.  Further back down the beach the ocean was lashed upward into the parking lot past the pier. Rides, booths and equipment were smashed into rubble and washed over into the ocean.
The two vampires fought against the wind, stumbling into the building.
As soon as they were inside, they started calling Buffy’s name.

“Angel, wait!” Spike grabbed the older vampire’s arm as he heard an echo of sound from a side room.
They headed toward that sound, calling Buffy’s name again.

“Spike! Angel! In here!” Buffy was screaming to make herself heard over the wind, rain and pounding of the hail on the metal roof of the building.

Scrambling over fallen debris, the two vampires made their way to the small bathroom where Buffy was huddled in the shower stall. Spike and Angel huddled down next to her. Buffy had thrown herself into Spike’s arms. He held her close with one arm while he held on to Angel with the other. Angel wrapped his arms about both of them as far as possible. Buffy was sheltered between the chests of both vampires as the wind ripped pieces of the building off.
The roaring of the winds kept on until they thought they would be deaf, then in the middle of the raging violence, it stopped.

Their ears rang in the sudden quiet. All they could hear was the rain continuing to pour down upon them.

“Buffy, luv. Are you ok? Did he hurt you?” Spike asked her as he hugged her to him.

“I’m ok, Spike. He didn’t hurt me.” Buffy reassured her lover.
“Can we get out of here, please?”

“Yeah. “ Angel and Spike replied together.

The two vampires picked their way through the rubble around them, helping Buffy over obstacles where necessary.
It was a challenge to find a way out, as the warehouse had almost been leveled. Angel had parked his car in the lee of a brick building next to the warehouse. Luckily other than a few branches, and some palm fronds, the car was untouched.

As Angel drove away from the destroyed warehouse, Buffy crawled into Spike’s lap and began to cry.

****************************************

In the corner of the closet, Lindsey found his baseball bat. He couldn’t use it any longer with just one hand. But it might get them out of the closet.

“Here, we can take turns hammering at the door with this to try and knock a big enough hole for us to get out.” Lindsey held the bat out to Wesley.

“I don’t really think that’s a very good idea. Someone might be injured.” Wesley told him; not wanting to admit he’d never even held a baseball bat.

“When I want your opinion, I’ll ask you to fill out the necessary forms! Just do it!” Lindsey growled back at the Englishman.

“Give me the damned thing!” Kate said, pushing her way to the front of the closet to take the bat from Lindsey. “Get down on the floor so I don’t hit any of you. When I can’t swing it any longer, someone else can take a turn.”
Kate methodically started hammering away at the outside corner of the door.
Before they had managed to get out, everybody had taken a turn. Lindsey had to work one handed, but he managed.
Finally the hole was large enough for Cordelia to squeeze through it. It was a simple matter to tip the desk back over that had gotten lodged under the doorknob and open the remains of the door.

“Hold it right there, mister. I’m calling Angel to see if they found Buffy. If not, you’ll be going with us.” Cordelia told the lawyer as Wesley and Kate grabbed him by the arms. He didn’t even struggle.

“Yeah” Angel answered his cell phone. He knew it had to be one of the other group.

“Angel, did you find Buffy? Is she ok?”

“Yeah, Cordy. We have her. She’s ok. You guys alright? Did you find Lindsey?”

“We found him right as a tornado hit here. We got trapped in the closet, but everybody’s okay... Angel, we had cows! Outside the window, of course, but cows!”

Angel chuckled at his secretary and friend. “Well, leave the cows, Cordy and bring Lindsey back to the hotel with you. Wait a minute.”

Buffy had reached over and grasped Angel’s arm at his words about the lawyer. ”Leave him. Don’t bring him to the hotel. He didn’t hurt me.”

“Are you sure?” Angel asked the blonde Slayer.

“Yeah, leave him there.”

Angel shrugged “Leave him, Cordy. Buffy said to leave him there. Just meet us back at the hotel.”

“On our way, Boss.” Cordelia clicked the phone off then looked back at the lawyer. “You get a reprieve. Buffy said to leave you here, that she was okay. That you hadn’t hurt her. That true? Cause if you did hurt her, I’ll come back to hurt you myself.” Cordelia told the lawyer in no uncertain terms.

“It’s true. I didn’t hurt her. I won’t ever hurt her.” Kate and Wesley had released his arms as Cordelia had rounded on him. Lindsey slowly walked away from the three puzzled faces, paused a moment to turn and look back at them. “She gets everybody she touches like this doesn’t she?” Lindsey didn’t wait for an answer, just walked away, shoulders slumped.

“What the hell was that?” Kate asked no one in specific, as they watched Lindsey disappear in the gloom.

“I don’t know, but let’s get out of here. I’m sure Buffy can tell us when we get back to the hotel.” Cordelia told them and headed first with her flashlight. Wesley walked between the two women and their pool of light.

***************************************

Angel and Spike had gotten Buffy back to the hotel by the time Wesley, Cordelia and Kate arrived.
Everybody went to clean up with Kate borrowing clean, dry, clothes from Cordelia and Buffy. Wesley did the same, borrowing from Spike and Angel.

When they were all showered and dressed in dry clothes, they headed back to the lobby.
Wesley and Cordelia had scrounged food and made coffee on the old alcohol stove in the storeroom. Spike and Angel raided the blood supply in the refrigerator.

“Buffy, are you sure you’re alright? What did he do? Why did he kidnap you?” Angel asked his ex-lover.

“Angel… Can we talk about this, just you and me and Spike, please? I just can’t discuss this in front of everybody. You can tell them later, please?”

Cordelia got up before anyone else could say a thing and sat back down next to Buffy.
“Buffy, I told that lawyer I’d hurt him personally if he hurt you. I’ll sit here with you and Spike will sit on the other side, but we need to know, Buffy. Honey, we care about you.” Cordelia slipped one arm around the blonde and held her hand.

“Luv, we’re right here. Ok? Just pretend you’re only talking to me. I love you, Buffy; tell me what happened. Just look at me, luv.” Spike urged her. He knew the lawyer hadn’t hurt her physically, but if he was under the same spell as Angel, Spike was worried about what the man might have done to Buffy.

Buffy gripped Cordelia’s hand tighter, remembering not to crush the brunette’s hand. She reached over and took Spike’s hand as well and looked into his face.

“I woke up in the building, chained to the bed and stripped…”
She told Spike what had happened, how Lindsey had threatened her life, how she’d agreed to go along with it so she could get loose, how she’d kept imagining Spike’s face in front of her, touching her.
“ Then he said something really strange. He said I’d ‘touched’ something inside of him.  That he’d felt the spell break but that what he was feeling inside of himself was still there. That he understood why two vampires love me. He said that with your soul, Angel, that you never stood a chance against falling in love with me. And that even the one without a soul, you Spike, probably never had a chance against me either. He told me where the phone was, asked me to give him five minutes before I called you, and then said the really wiggy thing before he walked away. He said he never had a chance against me either. I took a shower, got dressed and before I could call, all hell broke loose.”

Spike gathered Buffy close into his arms, holding her tight.
* Bloody hell, she’s been through a lot the last couple of days. Oh, Buffy, I love you so much. I wish I could have protected you better. *
“Buffy, it’ll be ok, luv. I’m here. I love you. I’m not going anywhere unless you’re there.”

“That kinda explains something weird he said before he walked away from us at the apartment. I’d threatened him if Buffy was hurt and he just looked at us and said he hadn’t hurt you, that he’d never hurt you, and said that you got everybody you touched like this. But what exactly does it all mean?” Cordelia was still puzzled.

“It means he’s in love with her too.” Angel said quietly.

   ********************************************

They were all exhausted. Everybody went to bed, not even trying to make it back to their various apartments.
Spike held Buffy as she cried for a long time. He reassured her over and over until she finally went to sleep.
He woke before Buffy did the next morning. Sliding carefully out of bed, Spike went downstairs. Cordelia was up and had made coffee like she’d watched Wesley do last night.

“Cordelia, can I ask a favor?”

“Sure, Spike.”

“Will you go up and talk to Buffy. She thinks she betrayed me by co-operating. I tried to talk to her, but I think she needs another woman this time. I don’t care Cordy, as long as she’s alive to come back to me.” Spike slumped forward in his chair, face in his hands as his shoulders shook with his silent sobs.
Cordelia put her arms around Spike’s shoulders and held him as he cried.
Angel and Kate walked in and found them just like that.

“Angel, I think you need to handle this one. Kate and I need to go upstairs,” Cordelia told the brunette vampire quietly.
Angel stepped over and took her place comforting Spike.

Cordelia and Kate went upstairs to find Buffy sitting in bed, arms around her knees as she rocked back and forth crying silently. They sat on either side of the emotionally wounded Slayer and talked to her.

“… so he said he didn’t care, Buffy, just as long as you were alive to come back to him. That’s what matters to him.” Cordelia finished up.

“That’s what matters to all of us, Buffy.” Kate echoed.

“Buffy, I need to ask you one more thing. Promise me you won’t get upset again, okay?”

Buffy nodded at Cordelia.

“Did he use any protection?”

 Buffy’s eyes widened with shock. Her hand flew to her mouth. “Noooooo!” She whispered in a pain filled voice.

“Don’t panic, Buffy. You’ve just been used to vampires. It’s okay… Just go to the doctor and get checked when you get home. It’s not like Spike can catch anything from you, but just go be sure you’re safe, okay?”

“Let’s get you dressed. There is a very blonde vampire waiting for you downstairs and he ‘s worried out of his mind.” Cordelia told her friend.
“Kate, would you go reassure them and tell them Buffy will be down in a few minutes.”

“Sure, Cordy.” The blonde detective hugged Buffy again before she left.

     ***************

Angel and finally Wesley had been doing the same job downstairs with Spike that Cordelia and Kate had been doing upstairs.

Kate told them what had happened and been said. She also told Spike about Lindsey’s lack of protection and to make sure Buffy got checked when she got home.

It was about half an hour before Buffy came down with Cordelia.
Buffy and Spike were inseparable the rest of the day.

Everyone stayed at the hotel again that night. Angel and Kate had gotten the emergency generator started, so they had hot food again, and although no TV, they had videos. The friends spent the evening relaxing, watching movies and eating popcorn.

When they finally went to bed that night, Buffy asked Spike to make love to her. He was more than happy to fulfill her wish.

Buffy and Spike left the next afternoon, heading home.
Angel left soon after they did, heading to Caritas. He’d had to bang at the door for a while before the Host opened it and let him in. Angel’s green-skinned demon friend was drunk!

“What are you doing?” Angel asked his friend.

“Whasst it look like? I’m getting’ drunk! ‘Tween you and tha’ weather… Got no power, can’t do any business…” The Host peered closely at Angel through bleary eyes.

“So what happened? Never mind. Go shing me a shong. Got batteries...”

Angel obliged. He finished the song Buffy and Spike had started just a few nights ago.

‘They say follow your heart
follow it through
But how can you
when you're split in two?
And you'll never know
You'll never know
One more kiss
before we die
Face to face
and dream of flying
Who are you?
who am I?
Wind in wings
two angels falling
To die like this
with a last kiss
It's falsehood's flame
it's a crying shame
Face to face
the passions breathe
I hate to stay but then I hate to leave
And you'll never know
You'll never know . . .’

“Oh, boy! …Thought I had it bad….” The Host mumbled, while Angel sang.

*********************************

Buffy had made Spike drive home. She had other plans for him.

“Buffy! Luv, we have a cop behind us.”

Buffy sat back up, and wiped her mouth, as she grinned at Spike. “Last time you made me get the ticket. This one is your turn, lover.”

Spike struggled to get his clothes put back together before the office got to the car.

**************************************************

It had been three weeks since Spike and Buffy had returned from LA. Buffy had been feeling dizzy for the last few days and wasn’t sure why.
This morning as she woke, nausea suddenly assailed her. She grabbed her mouth with her hand as she bolted from the bed to the bathroom and was violently sick. She felt cool hands on her shoulders as she continued to empty her stomach until
finally, when she thought it might be safe to move away from the toilet, she reached a hand up to hit the lever, and leaned back against Spike where he sat behind her on the floor.

“Luv, what’s wrong?” Spike asked her, his voice full of concern.

“I don’t know Spike. Maybe it was something I ate last night.” Buffy told him, her voice barely a whisper.

“Let’s get you back to bed, luv. I’ll go make you some tea.” Spike picked her up and carried her back to their bed, laying her down before he went to the kitchen to make her a cup of tea as he’d promised.
While the water was heating, Spike picked up the phone and called Willow.

“Hello?”

“Red? It’s me. Can you and Tara come over to Buffy’s?”

“Spike, what’s wrong? Is Buffy ok?” Willow’s concern came through the phone loud and clear.

“I think she’s ok. Can you keep this information quiet, Willow?”

Spike never called her Willow; something was up, “Yeah, Spike. What is it?”

“When we were in LA helping Angel, that lawyer down there cast a spell that made everybody who had feelings for Buffy go a bit wiggy, as Buffy would say. Angel got overwhelmed and, well, had his way with her, but he didn’t hurt her and didn’t lose his soul. But the lawyer kidnapped her and did the same. He didn’t hurt her but he’s human, Willow. She’s been complaining of feeling dizzy the last few days. When she woke up this morning, she ran to the loo and threw up.”

“Oh dear Goddess! You think she’s pregnant!”

“Yeah, I think she might be. Can you bring one of those test things with you? I’ll be here with her and I won’t leave her even if she is, but she might need a couple of her gal friends here once she knows that’s what it is.”

“We’ll be there in a few minutes, Spike.”

“I’ll leave the back door unlocked. Come on in when you get here.” He hung up the phone, got the boiling water and made a cup of tea for Buffy. While it steeped, Spike heated a mug of blood for himself. He added a bit of sugar to Buffy’s tea and then took both mugs back upstairs.

“Feeling any better, luv?” Spike asked Buffy with concern.

“A bit.”

He pushed both pillows behind Buffy and helped her sit up; handing her the cup as he sat next to her on the bed, and drank his own breakfast.

“Umm! This is good, Spike. I hadn’t realized that tea tasted this good. Did you do something different to it?”

“Just made it with love and stirred it with my finger to sweeten it for you.” He told her with a straight face.

Buffy stuck her tongue out at Spike.
“Do that again, luv, and I’ll get it.” He leaned closer to her.
She obligingly stuck her tongue out again at him. Spike promptly drew it into his mouth as he kissed her. She could taste the sweetness of her tea and the sweet metallic tang of the blood he had been drinking.
Buffy whimpered deep in her throat, as she grasped the back of his neck with her unoccupied hand, pulling him in closer.

They had just broken the kiss when a voice drifted up from down stairs. “Hello? Buffy, Spike?”

“Up here, Red.”

“Ah, are you two decent?”

“Never Wil, but we’re both dressed.” Buffy laughed at her best friend.
“What are you two doing here?” Buffy asked as she saw Tara enter the room behind Willow.
Both girls looked at Spike.

“I called them and asked them to come over, Buffy. I think I know why you’re sick.”
Spike told her gently.

“Spike? What is it?” Buffy was confused and worried. He sounded like it was something serious.

“Buffy, come on with me and we’ll find out the problem.” Willow told her as she took the teacup from Buffy’s hand and sat it on the nightstand, then grabbed Buffy’s hand to lead her out of bed and to the bathroom. The door closed behind them.

Tara sat with Spike, lending him moral support. “I-it’ll be ok, Spike.”

“Yeah, I know. Buffy may be upset though. I just need her to know I’ll be here for her.”

“Then tell her. Make sure s-she knows h-how you f-feel about her. Don’t just assume she knows.”

“Yeah. You’re right. Thanks, Tara.” Spike kissed her on the cheek.

The bathroom door opened and a pale, crying Buffy came back out, followed by Willow.
Willow saw Tara and Spike glance at her and nodded once quickly.
Spike got up and went to Buffy, taking her into his arms. The tears started in earnest.
He picked her up and went back to the bed, sitting down, holding the blonde slayer in her lap.
“You’re pregnant, aren’t you, luv?” Spike asked her.

“Spike, I’m so sorry, how can you forgive me?” Buffy sobbed onto his shoulder.

Spike pushed her slightly back from him so he could see her face. “Buffy Anne Summers, you did nothing to be sorry for! You did what you had to do to save your life. Having you here with me means more to me than what happened between the two of you. I love you. I won’t stop loving you. I won’t leave you. As far as I’m concerned, this is OUR baby, Buffy.”

“Spike? Are you sure? I love you so much.” Buffy threw herself back onto his shoulder.

“Yes, luv. I’m sure. I need to call Angel and ask him to get me all the proper papers, Buffy. I want to marry you so I have the right to protect you and the baby. I love you. Will you marry me, Buffy?”

She pulled back to look into Spike’s eyes. All she saw there was love and concern for her.
“Yes, Spike... Yes, I will.”
He captured her lips again in a kiss. It was full of tenderness, of promise, and of love between them. He finally broke the kiss so Buffy could catch her breath.

“Luv, let me call Angel and get those papers started. The sooner I get them, the sooner we can be married. You probably need to talk to your girl-friends too.” Spike kissed her and went to call Angel.

“Angel Investigations” Cordelia answered the phone.

“Cordy, let me speak with Angel, please.”

“Spike? Sure, hang on while I get him for you.”

A minute later, Angel answered the phone. “What’s up, Spike? Everything ok?”

“Not exactly, but it will be. Buffy’s pregnant.”

“What?! Lindsey…” Angel growled through the phone.

“Yeah. I need you to do three things for me, Grandsire. Please?”

“You never invoke that Grandsire-childe bond unless it’s serious, Spike. What do you need?”

“First, I need the proper papers to prove who I am so I can marry Buffy. Second, I’d like for you to be my best man at our wedding. She’s already said yes to marrying me.”

“All do-able and I have no problems with either of those. What’s the third?”

“Don’t kill him. Get word to him that Buffy is pregnant. And tell him this exactly. If he ever comes near her again, or bothers us in any way, I’ll eat him alive and then rip him to pieces. He has the right to know she’s carrying his child, but he also needs to know he’d better never come near my wife and child.”

“I’ll make sure he knows. I’m proud of you, Spike. Congratulations and take care of her and my grandchild. I’ll see you soon.” Angel hung up the phone handing it back to Cordelia.

“Cordy, I need you to get Lindsey McDonald on the phone and then leave me alone in here to talk to him, please.”

“With pleasure, Angel.” Cordelia told her boss and friend as she dialed the phone.

“Wolfram and Hart, how may I help you please…?”

   Gillian Silverlight 4/12/01