James Marsters had said in an interview that he’d really like for Spike to kick Angel’s arse. I’ll try to help him out.

Title: The Soul’s Way Back

Author: Gillian Silverlight

Rating: PG 13

Disclaimer: They do not belong to me, but to Joss and the WB. I’ll return them after I’m through playing.

Summary: After Joyce’s death.. (That’s all I’m saying)

 

 

The Soul’s Way Back

 

 

            It had been two very long, trying years since Wolfram & Hart had brought Darla back to life, then had Drusilla Turn her again. The two female vampires had tried to wreak a bloody streak of death and mayhem through the City of Angels, or at least the city of Angel. Los Angeles.

It had taken everything Angel had to keep their destruction to a minimum while he sought them out, attempting to stake them time and again. Often he’d miss them by a breath, which none of them even had.

Darla and Dru had been very wary of Angel since he set them on fire two years ago.

But tonight, finally, he’d managed to stake Drusilla. He felt no remorse at seeing his insane Childe crumble to dust. He’d only wished he could have gotten Darla as well.

 

Over the last two years, Angel had changed. The sweet caring Angel was gone. But the vicious demon Angelus hadn’t taken his place this time. He’d become something else, someone else. He didn’t really know who or what. He was harder than before. Maybe it was just that his feelings were buried so deeply, he might never get them back out again. He didn’t really know. Actually, he didn’t really care.

 

During that time, Angel knew that Dru had made at least one trip back to Sunnydale, trying to get Spike to side with the women against Angel. It hadn’t worked. Angel had heard from Giles about Spike getting that government chip in his head. He’d heard about the changes it had made in Spike. Angel couldn’t really even care much about that either.

 

He kept up on the news occasionally. He’d make sure that Buffy was safe, but the blonde Slayer was about the only thing he really cared about other than exterminating Darla and Dru, and bringing Wolfram & Hart down to their collective knees. Darla and Dru had helped a lot with that.

 

* That’s what vampires do. Bite the neck that feeds you. * Angel thought sarcastically to himself..

 

He was sure now that Dru was gone, Darla would hide out for a while. Dru might have been her sire this time. But Darla had been his sire. They’d spent 150 years or better together once. He knew her. He knew what she could do, would do. He’d have to run her back out of the ground and then try again to run her to ground.

* Or to dust in this case. *

 

Maybe he should take a bit of time to go talk to Giles, check on Buffy, look in on Spike. The vampire equivalent of a vacation.

Angel made a sound that should have been a chuckle. It wasn’t. It was a nasty exclamation of sound. It was almost obscene in its anger, disgust and indifference.

The three people, who had cared about Angel once, had seen this happening to him. But like a mirror, he just couldn’t see it himself.

 

So Angel headed back to the hotel that was his home. One vampire in all those rooms. The only person in that huge space.

* Fitting. Just like Buffy is the only person in this vast space I used to call a heart. *

 

Only the walls ‘heard’ the irony of his thoughts.

 

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

 

So much had happened in the two years since Spike had finally told Buffy that he loved her. It was when Drusilla came to Sunnydale to try and recruit him. Dru had wanted him to help her and Darla against Angel. Dru had wanted to kill the Slayer. Spike couldn’t let that happen, and in the end, Dru had left, going back to LA.

It made three years now, that Spike had been working with the good guys. It was also two years since Joyce Summers had died.

Spike remembered that night. Buffy had found her mother dead on the couch in their home. Dawn had been at the Magick Box with Giles, Anya and Willow. It was what had saved her life. That hell-god, Glory had tried to force Joyce to tell her about the key. When Joyce had refused, Glory had killed her.

Buffy had been terrified, thinking Dawn was dead too. Between the shock of her mother, and Dawn, Buffy had run straight to him for help. She’d just closed him out of her house a couple of weeks before when he told her how he felt about her.

But that night…

Spike had helped her find Dawn. He’d had Giles take Dawn to his house to watch over her. Buffy couldn’t protect Dawn that night, or for the next few nights.

The Slayer had been simply a young woman who’d lost her mother that night. Spike had helped Giles take care of the funeral arrangements, then had held Buffy all night as she cried between nightmares.

She’d asked him to move in with her and Dawn right after the funeral. He knew she didn’t love him, but it let him be close to her.

It was enough.

He’d protected both of them. He’d lain next to Buffy for many nights, holding her, trying to keep her own demons away.

They’d finally managed to defeat Glory, but it was much too late for Joyce. He missed her hot chocolate, their talks, and her companionship.

It had taken another year before Buffy had let him into her heart. He wasn’t sure even then how she felt, just that she told him she cared about him.

Now, just a couple of months ago, she’d finally told him she loved him. It had been worth the wait.  But he wished Joyce were still here.

 

 The three of them made up a strange household. Dawn, still in her human form, yet no more human than himself or Anya; himself, and Buffy. They had grown accustomed to their arrangement and actually enjoyed it now. Dawn had moved into Buffy’s old room finally, while Spike and Buffy had taken Joyce’s room. Buffy said it made her feel closer to her mother.

They had sun proofed most of the house so Spike could move around freely during the day. He and Buffy had set up a training space in the basement in addition to the one Giles had in the back of the magick shop.

 Angel hadn’t come to Joyce’s funeral, or even called Buffy. She’d been hurt, but had finally gotten over that too.

Time will do that.

Spike had seen enough time to know it could heal a lot. Giles heard from Angel occasionally. But Angel didn’t contact anyone else. The Watcher told Spike, but they never mentioned it to Buffy. They didn’t wish to hurt her.

 

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

 

Angel drove into Sunnydale that night. He went straight to the mansion. It was still his after all.

He had to spend some time cleaning up the part he planned to use, but he shut the doors to the rest of it. No sense in cleaning space he wasn’t going to use, and he wasn’t moving back. Odd how both places he owned were so huge, with only himself to occupy them.

He’d accepted that he would never be with Buffy when he went to LA. A point that had been driven home when he’d given up his accidental humanity for her life, for keeping the world safe.

* Keeping the world safe.. Hell, it was all he could do to keep himself safe and try to keep most people safe from Darla and Dru. Although Dru wouldn’t be a problem anymore. *

 

He just wanted to see Buffy. Spend some time with the woman he loved and try and find himself again. She’d always been a reflection for him.

 

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

 

 

Buffy was at Giles’ house doing some research. Spike was doing her patrol for her when he noticed a sliver of light in one of the lower windows of the old mansion. Thinking some new vamps might have taken up residence there, he went to check it out.

Spike flung open the door and noticed immediately the place was clean.

 

*That’s bloody odd. Most vamps don’t care one way or the other if the place is clean. *

 

He walked quietly through the lower rooms and found clothing and other items in the rooms. The refrigerator had been plugged back in and had a few bags of blood in it.

Spike turned suddenly at a slight sound.

 

“Angel! What the bloody hell are you doing here?”

 

“Hello to you too, Spike. It’s still my house. I thought I’d come see it. Take a break, a bit of a ‘vacation’ if you can call it that.”

 

“A break from what?”

 

“I’ve spent the last two years trying to keep Dru and Darla from killing too many people while I tried to hunt them down. Dru is dead, by the way.”

 

“Well, I can say I’m sorry, but it’s just words. What we had was gone a long time ago. I knew it was only a matter of time before you killed her.”

“What about Darla?”

 

“She’s still out there. You know she’ll be hiding for a while now. So I came to get away from it for a bit. I’m tired. And I just wanted to see Buffy.”

 

Spike tensed a bit at Angel’s words.

“Things have changed a bit for the Slayer over the last couple of years, mate. You might want to think about that.”

“You’ve certainly not kept in touch with her. Didn’t even call her when her mum died.”

 

“Joyce is dead?”

 

“What did I bloody well just tell you? Yeah, Joyce is dead. She died two years ago. You never called, or even came to the funeral. I thought the Watcher called you?”

 

“Oh, he probably called Cordelia and Wesley.”

 

“And they just forgot to tell you, is that it?”

 

“I’ve not worked with them for the last two years. I see them occasionally, but we don’t speak.”

 

“What the bleedin’ hell is going on with you, Angel?”

 

Angel was getting a bit angry at Spike’s comments and questions.

“Where do you get off judging me, Spike?”

Angel’s voice was low and dangerous.

 

“When you start hurting people that were your friends.”

Spike was getting pissed as well at Angel’s seeming indifference, not to mention the inference that Buffy had just been sitting back waiting for him.

 

“It’s none of your business, Spike. I’d suggest you stay out of it. Besides, when did you start to give a damn about anyone other than yourself or your insane Dru?”

 

“Several years ago, mate.”

“You might want to talk to the Watcher before you go looking for Buffy.”

 

“Don’t even think you can tell me what to do, Spike.”

Angel had menace in his voice as he very slowly moved toward Spike.

 

“Not telling you what to do, you bleedin’ prick! I made a suggestion. You lose your hearing along with your feelings?”

 

“Get out, Spike. Right now, just get out.”

Angel advanced another step toward his childe.

 

Spike pushed his anger down and shrugged at his Sire.

“Suit yourself.”

He turned on his heel and walked back out the doors, leaving the mansion.

Spike headed straight to Giles’s house to let him know they might have a problem.

Once inside, Spike went to Buffy and kissed her.

She kissed him back, running her hand up and down his arm.

 

“Umm, nice. Spike kisses. But I still gotta go over this stuff.”

 

“ ‘S ok, luv. Needed to talk with the Watcher for a minute anyway.”

 

Buffy frowned, becoming alert. “Is there a problem, Spike?”

 

“No, luv. Just something I wanted to tell him about.”

 

Buffy relaxed again into the couch next to the pile of books and Willow. They’d been really concentrating on the material when he’d gotten there.

 

“ ‘K, Babe. We’re almost finished here. Go home then?”

 

“Yeah, luv. Dawn about ready too?”

 

“Yeah, She’s just finishing up some spell work with Tara and Anya.”

 

Spike kissed the blonde again then went to pull Giles outside.

 

“What did you need to talk to me about, Spike?”

 

“Angel’s here.”

 

“H-here? Where? Why?”

 

“I saw light in the mansion. Thought it might be vamps trying to move in. I went to check it out and there he was. Bleedin’ wanker seems awfully brassed off about something. Got damned nasty with me, he did.”

“Said he’s dusted Dru, Darla had gone into hiding and he came here for a ‘break’! Said he wanted to see Buffy.”

 

“Oh, dear!”

 

“Yeah. Bloke doesn’t seem to be himself. He’s not Angelus, but there is something wrong there. Said he wasn’t in contact with Cordelia or the other Watcher either.”

 

“Wesley had mentioned that to me, but did not go into detail.”

 

The two men discussed everything that had happened and that each of them knew before going back into the house. Spike and Giles thought there might be trouble with Angel being back. More trouble than just what was going to happen once Angel found out that Buffy was with Spike.

 

“Do you want me to try and contact Angel first?” Giles had some thought of possibly heading off what he felt would be a big problem. He wanted to keep Angel on ‘their’ side, as it were. With the changes Giles was hearing about, he wasn’t sure what the problem was, although he could tell there was one. Spike and Buffy as a couple would only add to it.

 

“Don’t know, Watcher. Could make it worse. Might make it better. But I know if you got hurt, the Slayer would kick my arse. Then when you got well, I’d have to kick yours.”

Spike teased Giles, knowing the watcher would understand the caring under the words without Spike having to actually say them.

He cared about the ‘gang’ these days, even though Xander still made Spike want to take him apart at times. He didn’t want to see any of them hurt. He just wasn’t good with telling any of them how he felt, except for Buffy.

 

“I think I can manage bit of conversation and stay out of trouble.”

Giles suppressed a smile, knowing what was under Spike’s words.

 

“ You let me know what the wanker has to say.”

 

“I certainly will, Spike. I’ll be careful, don’t worry.”

 

“ ‘S alright then.” Spike looked at the other man in his Slayer’s life who was so important to her. They both turned and walked back inside.

 

Giles wasn’t sure how he was going to approach the conversation with Angel, but knew he’d find a way.

 

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

 

Late the next afternoon, Angel heard a knock on the door of the mansion. Wondering who it could possibly be, he opened the door.

 

“Hullo, Angel. I heard you were in town. I came to see how you were.”

Giles could think of many places he’d rather be than here at this place, but he had to find out what was going on before it exploded all over all of them.

 

“Hello, Giles. This is the last place I would have thought you would come. Come on inside, if you wish.”

“How did you know I was here?”

 

“Ah, Spike told me he had seen you.”

 

“You talking to Spike these days?”

Angel was a bit surprised, but then again, he supposed Spike was still chipped. Maybe his Childe had decided to help Buffy and her friends out. If so, why had Spike not mentioned it last night? All he’d said was that Buffy had changed.

 

“Y-yes, Angel. He’s been helping us for the last three years now.”

“How have you been? I know you aren’t working with Wesley and Cordelia any more, although I’m not sure what happened between all of you.”

Giles let the unspoken question hang in the air, waiting for Angel to pick it up. Instead Angel just shrugged and walked over to the couch in front of the fireplace. Giles followed and sat in the chair to one side.

 

“It’s really very simple. There were things I needed to do, they didn’t understand, I fired them. We don’t talk. I did go to check on them when Wesley was shot a couple of years ago, but Cordelia told me they had no need of me, so I took them at their word.”

 

“Angel, I doubt they meant that. You know how Cordelia can be. I’m sure she was upset about Wesley at the time.”

 

“Yeah.” Angel just shrugged.

 

Giles saw what Wesley had tried somewhat to tell him about with Angel, and saw plainly what Spike had sensed last night. He wasn’t sure what was going on at all, but it worried him.

 

“So, Giles… how is Buffy? Spike said last night that her mother had died a couple of years ago? Is Buffy still in the house?”

 

“Ah, yes, Angel…she is. Dawn too.”

 

“Dawn?” Angel looked puzzled about the name, but Giles knew he’d mentioned Dawn to Angel previously.

 

Giles explained again about who Dawn was and why she was with Buffy, why everyone considered Dawn to be Buffy’s sister. Basically everything that had happened surrounding her and the whole incident with Glory, including Joyce’s death.

 

“Sounds like Buffy has had a hard time of it. She ok?” Angel finally asked Giles.

 

“Y-yes, she’s doing well.”

“Angel, you should be aware that Buffy has someone in her life now. You always said you wanted that for her.”

Giles tried to ease into this subject and hoped Angel wouldn’t ask the identity of the man with Buffy. He also felt he should remind Angel that the older vampire had wanted Buffy to have the things in a relationship that Angel himself couldn’t give her. Giles knew he had never thought it would be his own Childe and didn’t wish to be the one to have to tell Angel that now.

 

“Yeah, I did want that for her. Right now, I just want to see her. I still love her, Giles.” “She’s the only one I’ve managed to keep much room for in my heart.”

“It’s not easy to have to kill your own Childe. And although Darla is now Drusilla’s Childe, she’s still my Sire. It’s a big mess. So I’m having to deal with killing one of my own as well as trying to kill my Sire. It’s not a good thing.”

Angel looked more dark and brooding than Giles had ever seen him before. The watcher could feel the weight of the vampire’s words. He knew this had taken a toll on Angel. Giles only hoped that it wasn’t one they would all end up paying for….

 

“I’m sure it’s not, Angel I have read enough to have a vague understanding of what you might have been feeling about this.”

“So did you fire your associates to protect them?”

 

“Yeah. They never seemed to understand that though and I really couldn’t explain it.”

“I thought they’d have more understanding. Guess I was wrong.”

 

“Are you alright, Angel? You seem.. Ah, different. More than one might think even with what you’ve had to deal with…”

Giles was hesitant to even mention the subject, but they all need to know what was going on if they could.

 

“I don’t really know what to tell you, Giles. I am and I’m not.”

“I know I’m different, but I don’t know really why or how. Trouble is, I don’t really seem to care either.”

 

“Would you be willing to allow Willow and her coven to check and see if they can pinpoint a cause?”

 

“I don’t know. Let me think about it”

 

“Alright. Just let me know Angel. I’m sure they will help as much as they can if it’s possible.”

“I’d better be getting back home now. I do have some research we’ve been working on.” “Nothing serious, just a Gardania demon in the area.”

 

“Hmm. They aren’t too bad unless you get them irritated. If you need a hand, let me know.”

 

Giles had stood and was moving around the chair toward the door.

 “Certainly Angel. Take care. I assume I’ll speak with you later.”

 

Angel just sat where he was, almost like he’d withdrawn from the conversation.

“Yeah. Later, Giles.”

 

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

 

Buffy was upstairs in shower when Spike called Giles that evening.

 

“Watcher, is everything ok? Are you OK? Did you go try to talk to him?”

There was no need to clarify who they were referring to; they both knew it was Angel.

 

“Yes. I’m fine. I went and talked to him. You were right however, there is something .. off about him. Something I can’t put my finger on. I think we should find out though. I’ll call Wesley and see if he has any information we don’t.”

 

“Ok, just be careful. I don’t like the feel of this.”

“We’ll see you in a bit, Giles.”

 

Spike got off the phone. He’d heard Buffy come up behind him so he’d changed the subject quickly. He turned around to take her into his arms, leaning down to kiss her as she raised her face to him.

He kissed her deeply, seeking reassurance in her touch and taste. Even after the last two years of being with her, she was still like a fine wine, a wonderful drug to his senses. Kissing her, touching her, was bottled sunshine. It burned him with every touch, setting his senses on fire, filling him with her.

Buffy broke the kiss, breathless….

“Spike?”

Her eyes were dark with passion; desire coursed through her blood and he heard it in her voice as she’d said his name. Filling the one word with longing and need.

 

He reclaimed her mouth with his own as he scooped her up and carried her up the stairs to their room. All else fled his mind as he laid her on the bed, going down beside her.

Buffy tugged at his shirt. He was more than happy to do exactly what she wanted. Spike savored every opportunity to make love to this woman who intoxicated his senses, who‘d captured his heart.

 

                                    ******************************************8

 

“Ummmmmmm.” Buffy stretched next to Spike, then trailed a hand down his chest, as she kissed him again.

“We both need a shower now, Babe.”

 

“You can make me need a shower all day long like this, luv.”

 

She pulled him into her arms a bit tighter. “I love you, Spike.”

 

“You know I love you, kitten.”

 

“Tell me why again?” She teased him.

 

“I have no idea. You’re bad tempered. You beat me all the time. You threaten to stake me at least once a week. And I can’t live without you.”

 

Buffy giggled at his reasons he often gave her for loving her.

“Well, I used to threaten to stake you at least once a day, so you know I love you now since it’s only once a week.”

 

He rolled over her and growled in her ear.

She laughed at him again and shoved him off of her.

“If you start that, we’ll never get over to Giles’. Get up you lazy vampire!”

 

“Me! Lazy! Who was it that seduced me back to bed, wench!?”

 

“Guilty as charged.”

She laughed at him again as she rolled off the bed, pulling him with her by his hand.

 

“Shower. Now.”

 

“Bleedin’ chit! Ordering me around all the time…..” He grumbled back, teasing her as they always did.

 

They hurried through their showers and dressed. They headed over to Giles’s house, holding hands like always.

Spike was not thinking about Angel at the moment. Even if he had been, he’d not have had an explanation for not holding Buffy’s hand.

Unknown to them, Angel stood in the shadows across the street. He’d seen Spike come out of the house with Buffy. Had seen them holding hands, laughing as they walked away.

The growl started deep in Angel’s chest, a rumbling sound that crept it’s way up to his throat where it emerged as a solid growl that oozed out of his throat at what he’d seen, what he imagined. His imagination was very close to the truth in this case, although he had no way of knowing that.

 

* She’s MINE! How dare he be with her! *

 

Angel suddenly remembered that her watcher had said Buffy had someone in her life now. The next growl came tearing out of his throat, splitting the air around him, filling it with the anguish he felt inside.

 

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

 

Several blocks down the street, Spike heard his Sire’s growl of pain. He glanced quickly at Buffy. She’d stopped, listening, but seemed to not be sure if she’d heard something or not.

 

* Bloody hell! He must have been watching the house! Bleedin’ pillock! Glad we’re far enough away she didn’t hear him as good as I did. *

 

“Luv, lets get on to Giles’ before there is a problem.”

 

“Did you hear that, Spike? What was it?”

 

“Heard something, luv. Might have been that demon you’ve been researching.”

 

Buffy looked back the way they had come. “Yeah… lets go, Babe.”

They walked a bit faster to the watcher’s house.

 

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

 

Buffy and Spike arrived at Giles’ house. She immediately started telling her watcher what they had heard.

 

“Giles, we heard something making a growl-ly scream on the way over. Do we know any more about that demon? What kind of sounds it makes or anything?”

 

“I don’t remember seeing a reference to sounds, Buffy. However, I’ll look for that.”

 

Giles looked at Spike, question in his eyes. Spike saw it and gave a slight nod of his head, narrowing his eyes a faction. Giles caught the confirmation that he feared was what had happened. He was afraid there was going to be trouble now. He had to get Spike alone for a minute to talk to him.

 

“Buffy, can you pop upstairs to check if Willow and her coven are finished with the working they were doing, please?”

 

“Sure, Giles.”

She turned and kissed Spike and then headed up the steps.

 

Giles grabbed Spike’s arm and pulled him out of view.
”We’re going to have to tell her he’s back” Giles told the blonde vampire urgently.

 

“Yeah, he must have been watching the house and saw us come out. It was him that screamed. I recognized that voice and the reason for it. He’s pretty brassed off right about now. He may be dangerous.”

 

The two men nodded in agreement as they heard Buffy coming back down the stairs.

 

“Giles, looks like they are almost finished. Willow indicated about 2 minutes more.”

 

“Good.”

“Buffy, come sit down. We need to talk.”

 

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

 

As Buffy had sat down on the couch, with Spike next to her. Giles and Spike explained that Angel had come into town, the conversations that had occurred, the changes they had both felt and seen in the dark haired vampire, and the fact that the scream Buffy had almost heard was Angel.

Willow and her coven had come down stairs during the conversation. They all sat down waiting until Giles had finished talking.

 

“Giles, you’re right. There is something wrong. I think it’s magickal in nature, but we really need him here to find out more and certainly to try and fix it.”

 

“Willow?” Buffy asked the redheaded witch.

Willow had been her best friend for years, but she seemed to know what was going on before now. That meant even Dawn knew, since she was also a part of Willow’s coven.

 

Willow knew what Buffy was asking.

” Buffy, Giles just told me this evening. We were trying to find out what this change in Angel is, that everyone has noticed. We think it’s magickal. But it’s been there a while.” “From what Giles told me, possibly for the last two years.”

“That’s not good.”

 

“Is that why he’s been so weird to everyone? Why he never came when Mom died?”

 

“We think so, Buffy. He may be dangerous right now. You needed to know before you went on patrol.”

Giles tried to reassure her and warn her all at once.

 

“We’re gonna go over to your house and help Dawn make sure he can’t get in. She is in your old room, after all.” Willow told her friend.

She got up and hugged Buffy as the coven headed out the door.

“We’ll do what ever we can to be sure everyone is ok, Buffy. Angel too.”

 

“Thanks, Will.”

 

Buffy then turned back to Giles and Spike.

“Giles, would you excuse us for a minute please?”

 

“Y-yes. But don’t blame Spike, Buffy. I agreed with him that we should just be quiet for right now. Neither of us foresaw this happening this quickly.”

Giles left the living room heading into his kitchen to give Buffy and Spike some measure of privacy.

 

“Ok, fang boy, what else are you keeping from me?”

 

Spike knew he was in trouble when she started on the name-calling. If he didn’t solve it, a good right cross might well be next.

 

“Luv, Angel was too off last night. I wanted to know what was happening before I told you he was here.”

“Bleedin’ care about you, as you well know. So I was trying to keep you safe.”

 

“I know, Spike. I love you too.”

“I do understand. I just wish you’d told me anyway. Now he’s not only weird but pissed as well. So what are we gonna do?”

 

“We’re gonna be bloody careful on patrol, that’s what.”

“The witches are protecting the house. We have to try to get him here or somewhere safe so they can try and figure out what is wrong with him and fix it if they can.”

 

“Ok. But no more secrets, Vampire. I still have a feather.”

 

Spike blanched even paler than normal at THAT threat. Buffy had never told anyone how ticklish he was, but she did threaten him with it occasionally and even tickled him unmercifully at times.

 

“N-no need, luv. No more secrets.”

“Bloody torturer you are, wench.”

 

Buffy smirked at Spike’s dismay at her choice of ‘weapons’ against him. Then she flung her arms around him.

 

“I don’t want him hurting you either, Love.” She mumbled into his chest.

 

Spike took her by both arms and pulled back a bit so he could see her face..

“Slayer, I’ll be fine. I promise.”

 

Buffy searched his face; his eyes for any sign of a lie from him, but found none. He did believe what he was telling her. She wasn’t planning to leave him alone any more than he was planning to leave her alone. She knew Angel too. He’d go after Spike first, she thought.

 

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

 

Once Angel had recovered a bit from seeing the one woman he loved with Spike, he went across the street to the house. He was going to find out what was going on and find out right now!

Opening the front door, he headed up the stairs to Buffy’s bedroom. As he opened the door, he realized that Buffy wasn’t in this room any longer. This must be where her new sister was sleeping.

Thinking Buffy had gone into her mother’s old room, Angel went down the hallway to it.

As soon as he opened the door, he wanted to hurt someone. It smelled like Buffy as he’d thought it would. But it also smelled like Spike! And strongest of all was the scent of recent sex. Sex between Buffy and Spike!

Angel felt his hands clinch into fists.

* I’ll kill him! She’s MINE! I’ll kill him for touching her. *

 

As Angel moved back down the stairs toward the front door, he heard voices outside. He recognized Willow’s as one of them, but none of the others.

* Must be Buffy’s friends with that new sister. *

 

Angel turned and quickly went out the back door to keep from being seen. He headed off in the direction of Giles’ house.

 

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

 

Buffy and Spike had left to go patrol. Both were keeping a close watch for Angel as well, but they knew how quietly and silently the older vampire could move when he wished. This was likely to be one of those times.

 

They swept through their usual patrols, tension tightening them to almost breaking. Yet they saw no signs of Angel anywhere.

 

“Spike, I’m worried about Giles. He went to talk to Angel today, so Angel knows now that Giles knows about you and I. He might go over to Giles’ house. I think we should check on him.”

 

“Ok, luv. I think we should too. Something’s wrong with Angel. I just don’t know what the bleedin’ hell it is….”

 

The couple headed back to the Watcher’s house.

 

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

After the crisis with Glory was over, it had been slowly discovered that Dawn had something odd about her. Perhaps it was the fact that she had been a being of pure energy when the monk’s formed her into a human. They could only alter the form she took, not what she was..

Dawn had power. Very strong power. It would occasionally leak out creating havoc, especially when she was upset. Willow and Tara had finally suggested to both Giles and Buffy that it would be a good idea to teach Dawn how to harness that energy and utilize it for positive purposes. The Slayer and Watcher had agreed, having been on the receiving end more than once of one of Dawn’s ‘energy storms’ when she was upset.

Dawn was more than happy to work with Willow and Tara to harness her energy. It made her feel more accepted, more grown-up and like she was contributing to the fight they waged constantly.

With the three of them working together, they finally worked out a plan to restore Amy back into her human form. Giles had looked over all their notes and had agreed. So finally one full moon, the ritual was done and Amy was once more among the large and non-furry.

It took a while to teach Amy how to be human again. Willow didn’t think she’d ever apologize enough for feeling that she had failed Amy all that time. Amy didn’t hold it against Willow though and happily joined the working magickal group they had gradually been forming.

 

“Wil, I think we have enough to officially have a Coven now.” Tara told her partner one day.

 

“Do you really think so?” The redheaded witch asked her.

 

“Yeah, I do. Why don’t we ask everyone when they come over tonight to study?”

 

“Yeah. Good idea. Thanks Tara.” Willow gave her lover a hug.

 

When everyone arrived for magick study that night, the idea of a formal Coven was presented and discussed for a while. Finally it was decided to take a vote. It was unanimous. Everyone agreed to them being a formal working Coven as long as Willow was in charge of it.

 

Over the next few months, Anya also asked to join the Coven. She’d had some magickal talent before she was offered the position as a vengeance demon. It seemed that even in her current human body, that original talent remained with her. It was a part of who she was, not what form she wore, just like Dawn.

 

Their last member finally came as well. Gillian was a little redheaded witch that had come from a different dimension. She had heard about the Coven and had approached Willow asking to join. She was accepted in.

 

This meant that the Coven of the Wolf Moon had 6 members now. Occasionally when they needed it, Giles would also work with them, but for the most part, it was just Willow, Dawn, Tara, Amy, Anya and Gillian.

 

As they worked together, the three who evolved into the anchors for the major work were Willow, Tara and Dawn. The other three would take turns relieving an anchor point when necessary, or adding their energy to the anchors. They were the focus of the energy the group produced. The anchors formed the energy and used it as one might a tool.

 

They were very handy to have around for some of the work needed to help the slayer.

 

 

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

Willow, Dawn and the rest of the coven did the protection and uninvited spell on the Summers house to make sure Angel couldn’t get inside. They were careful to be sure Spike wasn’t shut out of his own house in the process.

 

“Willow. I think someone has been in here already.”

Dawn told her teacher, noticing the open door to her room and to Buffy and Spike’s room. They always left those doors closed so each could have privacy.

 

“Is there anything disturbed in either room?”

 

“Mine’s ok, but Buffy’s is ah.. Well it’d be hard NOT to notice that Buffy and Spike had been, ah, in bed before they left.”

 

“Oh, Goddess! Are we finished here?”

“Quick, back to Giles’ house. NOW!”

 

Willow had a sense of panic. Not only had Angel been in the house, and had already seen Buffy and Spike together, but if he knew they were sleeping with each other and living together…. Giles’ house hadn’t been protected.

 

The entire coven headed back to the Watcher’s as fast as they could get there.

 

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

 

Angel had made his way back to Giles’s house. He wanted some answers and he wanted them now.

He didn’t bother to knock. He just opened the door and entered the house. Giles heard the door and came back into the living room, only to find Angel standing there sniffing the air.

 

“They were both here. How long has this been going on?”

Angel advanced toward Giles in a most threatening manner.

 

“Angel, I told you Buffy was seeing someone. I know you are aware that it is Spike. They have been together since her mother died.”

 

Angel grabbed the watcher by the front of his shirt and pushed him back into the wall.

“He’s LIVING with her.. He had sex with her!”

“You didn’t think I should know about that!?”

 

“I didn’t think it was my place to tell you, Angel. They need to talk to you about that.”

 

Angel dropped Giles back to the floor. He turned and shook his head.

 

“You’re right. I didn’t need to threaten you. I apologize. I don’t really know what’s wrong with me anymore. It just seems to always be there.”

“I either get very angry and can’t seem to control it, or I just don’t give a damn at all.”

 

“Angel, I discussed it with Willow earlier. Her coven did some long-range checking and they feel there is some magickal problem that is affecting you. Let them check it out and see if we can’t solve the problem. They need you here for that.”

 

“Even if they can solve what ever is wrong with me, how is that going to solve Spike being with Buffy?” Angel growled at Giles through clinched teeth and tightened jaw.

 

“It might help you understand more if you talked to them about what has happened.”
”But solving the magickal problem could allow you to understand better without your rage getting in the way.”

 

“Yeah, it might.”

“When can they……..

 

Angel was interrupted as the front door flew open and Spike and Buffy were standing there. Buffy went quickly to Giles. After the first glance at her, Angel just stared at Spike, the anger building in him again.

 

“Giles, are you alright?”

 

“Ah, y-yes, Buffy. Angel and I were trying to talk. He is aware of your current living arrangements.”

“I have also just informed him of the magickal influence Willow found and the need to investigate it further.”

“Buffy!..” Giles broke off and yelled as he saw Angel suddenly launch himself at Spike, who was still standing in the doorway.

 

The two vampires rolled out the door, struggling. Both had morphed and Spike was having to defend himself against his sire.

All of the rage that had been building had surfaced full force in Angel. He wasn’t thinking about anything except trying to tear Spike apart.

 

As Angel came through the door at Spike; Spike rolled backwards, catching Angel in the stomach and throwing him in an arc into the front courtyard. Angel landed on his back heavily, but rolled back to his feet quickly. Spike was right there.

Angel lunged at Spike, catching him across the jaw, spinning him back into the wall. Spike pushed away with both hands, back toward Angel, catching the older vampire with a kick to the chin.

It knocked Angel back across the bench and Spike was right there on top of him, punching as hard as he could. He didn’t want to have to hurt his sire, but he wasn’t going to let Angel hurt Buffy, nor himself, if he could help it.

Both men punched and blocked, kicked and clawed at the other.

 

Buffy and Giles stood in the doorway watching in shock and fear. Buffy had wanted to run to help Spike, yet Giles had restrained her. Getting between two raging vampires was just not the place to be.

Angel had always been good at martial arts, but the last couple of years of training with Buffy had improved Spike’s moves much more than Angel had suspected. Plus Spike had always been a dirty in-fighter.

 

At one point, Angel managed to grab Spike’s arm, trying to twist it behind him. Spike jumped and twisted with the arm, coming down behind and to one side of Angel. He let himself slide down and kicked Angel’s feet out from under him. Spike shifted the grip on his arm so that he had Angel’s arm instead, pulling him downward as he fell. Spike landed on the shoulder joint of Angel’s arm and felt it separate under his weight and the impact of both of their bodies.

The pain was enough to give Spike a few seconds of advantage as Angel growled in pain.

Spike rolled and punched with his whole upper body, catching Angel in the jaw again, this time just right to knock him out.

Buffy rushed over with Giles to secure the unconscious Angel. As they were bringing the unconscious vampire into the house, Willow and her coven rushed up.

 

“Are you ok? What happened?”

“Take him to the ritual room and grab those shackles out of the chest.”

Willow hurried her group up the stairs and threw the spell preparations together to check Angel for the interference they’d gotten a hint of earlier.

 

Once Angel was secure in the ritual space, Buffy and Giles explained to Willow what had happened, as Spike leaned against the wall trying to recover from the fight.

 

Dawn went over to the blonde vampire. “ Are you ok? You don’t look it.”

 

“I think I tore something in my own bloody shoulder when I landed on him.”

 

Dawn closed her eyes and placed her hands on Spike’s shoulder so she could ‘look’ into it. She saw the deep red energy line indicating a tear. As she held her hands over his shoulder, she concentrated and a cold green light shone from her hands into the injured shoulder as she repaired the damage.

Spike ground his teeth against the pain. He’d known this was going to hurt. Dawn was a good healer, but it always burned like being set on fire when she healed.

As the green fire moved through the shoulder, repairing the torn muscles, the sensation became more bearable. Finally Dawn was finished. She looked at Spike with unspoken question.

 

“Yeah. It’s gone now, Nibblet. Thanks.”

“Hurt like bloody hell as usual.”

 

Dawn just grinned at him as he stretched the arm.  Satisfied with her work, she turned back to the ritual space. Willow would be waiting for her.

But after two years of Spike living with she and Buffy, and 3 years of him protecting her, he came first before the current concerns with Angel.

* Besides, if we have any more problems from Angel, Spike needs to be whole to be able to handle them. *

 

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

 

Willow, Tara and Dawn made up the three main points of the work they did. Each reached forth with their minds and the energy at their command to shield as well as probe whatever had been done to Angel.

Finally, they had done all they could for one session.

Willow went to talk to Buffy, Giles and Spike about what they had found.

 

“There was some recent, like the last few months, ties placed on him. We severed those and burned them back to their source, so whoever did them is going to be a hurting puppy.”

“But there is something much older there that I’m not sure about. We’re going to have to check it out deeper later.”

 

“It’s not the curse for his soul that you felt, is it, Willow?” Giles asked with anxiety coloring his voice.

 

“No, nothing like that. Since I put his soul back, I can tell the ‘feel’ of my own work.”

“This isn’t mine and isn’t nice.”

 

“What are we going to do with him tonight?” Buffy was concerned. She didn’t want to leave him there at Giles, but wasn’t sure how they’d get him anywhere else.

 

“We’ve barriered him into this room. Kinda like keeping him out of a house, this keeps him in just this room.”

“Besides, he’s out pretty good right now. And once he wakes up, Dawn is gonna have to put his shoulder back together. Spike only had a small tear in his. Angel’s is pretty messed up.”

 

“If you’re sure he’ll be safe here for the night….”

 

“Yeah, we wouldn’t risk you, Giles.”

 

It was agreed that they’d leave Angel where he was for the night, or what little was left of it.

The coven members headed to their own homes, as did Spike and Buffy with Dawn. Everyone was going to meet back there the next afternoon as soon as they could.

 

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

 

When Spike and Buffy had gotten back to Giles’ house the next afternoon, Angel was awake, although obviously in pain, as well as rage simmering just below the surface.

 

Buffy and Spike sat outside the door of the ritual space trying to talk to him.

 

“Angel, You need to know that I never meant to hurt you. You told me to get on with my life, and I tried to do that. I never expected to end up with Spike. It was something that just happened. He was there for me after Mom died…”

 

“So he just took advantage of you while you were hurt!” Angel was not in a reasonable mood.

 

“No Angel, * I * asked him to stay in the house. I couldn’t sleep; I couldn't protect Dawn by myself. It took both of us as well as all the magick Willow, Tara and Dawn could manage to finally defeat Glory.”

“She was a hell-god, Angel.”

 

“He didn’t have to stay! He could have said no!”

 

“Yeah, mate, I could have. But the Slayer and Nibblet needed me. If I hadn’t been with them, they would have wound up like Joyce. Is that what you prefer?”

“Bloody hell, Angel. If I’d let them get killed, you’d have been bleedin’ out for my throat for that. There is no way to win with you!”

“Besides, I love her too. Why do you think Dru left me in the first place?”

 

“What can you give her? I wanted her to have a normal life!”

 

“Angel, dammit, you know she’s not normal. She tried normal. He bloody well couldn’t handle it.”

 

Buffy put her hand on Spike’s arm to stop him.

 

“Angel, you met Riley. He couldn’t handle that I’d been with you. He couldn’t handle what I do, who I am. I can’t do normal, Angel.”

“You and I can’t be together. We know that. You’d lose your soul. That’s not a problem with Spike.”

 

“What about children, Buffy?”

 

“Angel, I never expected to even live this long. I don’t expect to have children. I can’t do my job with a child, much less pregnant. What part of this are you not understanding?” “Are you getting jabbed with the point of the ‘N’ or falling through the ‘O’?”

“I can’t do normal. As in NO.”

 

“But why him, Buffy?”

 

“He understands me, Angel. I don’t want to hurt you, but the complications between you and I are just not there with Spike.”

 

“I do love her, Sire. You know bleedin’ well I’ll protect her.”

 

Angel allowed his face to morph and crawled away from them both.

“I don’t like it! I don’t like it at all!” he snarled at them.

 

“You don’t have to like it, Angel. But this is the way it is. I thought you might be at least a bit happy that I was safe and loved.”

Buffy felt the resignation and bitterness in her voice that she couldn’t swallow. She got up and walked away, looking for Giles.

He was downstairs. She walked into his arms as he tried to comfort her, yet unsure of what to tell her.

 

Back upstairs at the door, Spike continued to watch his sire. The sensation of wrongness was better, but it was almost as if by releasing part of the bindings on Angel, the whatever it was that Willow said was much older, seemed to be stronger. He wished they’d hurry up and get there.

 

“Angel, when the coven gets here, Dawn is going to heal your shoulder. Will she be safe with you?”

 

“Yeah, why not?”

 

“Well, it’s gonna hurt. A lot! She’s never managed to heal without it being bloody painful. May have something to do with her energy. Can’t have you killing or hurting the Slayer’s sister.”

“So can you keep the demon under control?”

 

Angel didn’t answer right away. He was thinking seriously about what Spike was asking him. He knew his anger was out of control and if pain got added.. he didn’t think he could keep his demon submerged.

 

“Maybe not. Not with pain added. I have enough trouble keeping it down now. Seeing you two last night finished most of my control.”

 

“Ok. I’ll come in and help when tha’ Nibblet gets here and is ready.”

“Right now, I’ll go get you something to eat while I check on the Slayer”

 

Spike uncoiled his lean graceful body from the floor and headed down the stairs. He found Buffy still in her watcher’s arms. She’d been crying, but had finally reached that snuffling stage at the end of it.

Giles looked at the vampire over Buffy’s head, and then shifted her into Spike’s arms.

 

“He needs something to eat. Can you heat it up and take it to him?”

“Don’t go in the room.”

 

“Y-yes, I can do that. Willow and her bunch should be here soon.”

“I told Xander not to come since he still is not fond of either you or Angel. No sense in adding more hostility to this.”

 

“Good.”

 

Spike looked down at Buffy.

“Are you better now, luv?”

“Want a cup of tea?”

 

Buffy nodded and Spike urged her to the couch, where she said down. He went to make her a cup of tea.

 

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

 

Willow and her coven had finally arrived. She went to discuss with Giles what they planned to do, while Dawn started up the steps. She knew she had to go repair Angel’s shoulder.

 

“Nibblet, wait. I’ll go up with you.”

Spike looked at Buffy.

“Are you better, luv? I might need you as well. Just stay outside the room unless there is a problem. If there is, get your sister out right then.”

 

“Do you think Angel will hurt Dawn?”

 

“Luv, he’s got bloody little control over his demon right now. You know Dawn hurts when she heals. Can’t help it, it just is.”

“Add pain to his lack of control.. He said he might not be able to keep the demon under control.”

 

Buffy looked scared for her sister. She sat the cup down and followed Dawn and Spike upstairs.

Buffy stayed outside the room, while Dawn and Spike entered. Spike knew that once in there, with the protection Willow had put on the room last night, he’d not be getting back out until they let him out. So if Angel went off again, he’d have to finish it in there.

 

Dawn approached Angel and put her hands on his shoulder, reaching inside for the damage.

“Angel, this is going to hurt. I‘m sorry.”

 

“It already hurts. So if you can heal it….”

 

Dawn concentrated. That green glow started out of her hands and into Angel’s shoulder.

It was like fire running through him and he struggled to hold still while Dawn worked. The fire bit at him, scorching him inside. He felt the demon fighting to surface as he fought to keep it down inside of himself.

The scalding fire continued to pour out of Dawn’s hands into his shoulder, and spread through his body. The glow around her hands started to crawl across his chest and back, lighting the room with the green tinge, creating the smell of burned air on the room, that tangy ozone odor. The green fire had moved up Dawn’s arms to her elbows, yet still she poured that energy into the brunette vampire before her.

Angel was writhing with the effort to keep his demon under control until suddenly it broke free as his face morphed. Slamming both hands into Dawn, he knocked her away from him and into the wall of the room.

 

The rage engulfed him like a living thing, pushing him further away from seeing the room and all those in it. It was like looking through a narrowing tunnel. He saw Buffy rush into the room and grab her sister, pulling Dawn toward the door of the room.

Angel dimly recognized that the blonde holding him down was his own childe. Something in him only knew that the person holding him was keeping him from the tiny blonde escaping the room and he wanted her.

 

Spike was having to struggle to hold Angel down. He kept trying to get to Buffy.

With the rage behind his normal strength, Angel managed to break free of Spike’s grasp.

He lunged for Buffy, grabbing Dawn and tossing her toward the wall away from the Slayer.

Angel barreled onto Buffy, managing to wrap her somewhat around him and threw both of them toward the barriered door. He angled their bodies so that Buffy hit the barrier first, going on through it. Angel slid through right behind her and rolled their bodies so he hit the floor outside the door first, keeping Buffy from any more injury than necessary.

He staggered to his feet with Buffy firmly in his grasp and plunged headlong down the stairs and out the door.

The shadows swallowed him as he ran holding Buffy.

 

Back upstairs; Spike had caught Dawn to keep her from getting hurt. She slammed into him as he slammed into the wall. Bruised and shaken, Dawn scrambled to her feet.

She tossed a handful of that green fire at the barrier in the doorway, opening it so Spike could get out of the room.

Spike staggered a bit after the impact with the wall, but he was up and out the now open door as quickly as Dawn could open it. He took the stairs several at a time trying to catch Angel and Buffy.

A few seconds were lost as Willow was trying to come in the door as Spike was trying to go out. Giles yelled at Willow to move and let Spike by, but those seconds allowed Angel to vanish.

Spike stopped and allowed his demon to surface, screaming a growling challenge into the night.

He turned back to Giles’ and told them quickly that he was heading to the mansion to see if Angel had taken Buffy there. Giles said he’d gather the others and meet Spike there as well.

 

“If I get there and they aren’t there, I won’t stay. I’ll go look anywhere else Angel might try to hide.”

With that, Spike ran out into the night, desperately afraid for Buffy.

 

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

 

Angel lay Buffy down on the floor of the cavern he had chosen to hide in.

He’d used this place before in emergencies, so unless someone had found them, there might still be a few supplies there. One of them would be a lamp. There should also be a blanket. Buffy would be cold.

He found the lamp and got it going, it was small but at least the darkness was not as heavy on them. The blanket was there too, still rolled into a tight bundle. He unfastened it and covered Buffy, who was still out cold. He’d had to knock her out when she started to struggle, although he’d not been happy about having to hit her.

Angel’s shoulder was still not completely healed, but he thought that Buffy’s sister had managed to do enough so that his own healing ability would handle the rest of it pretty quickly.

 

Buffy had stirred and started to regain consciousness. Angel heard her groan and went to her.

 

* Oh, damn…. Feels like my jaw is broken. *

“Angel?”

Buffy saw him kneeling down next to her. She wasn’t sure if she should be frightened right about now or not. She had no idea what he might do to her. He was not acting like the Angel she had always known.

 

“I’m here, Buffy. Sorry I had to hit you, but you were fighting me.

“ I had to get you here so I could talk to you.”

 

* Jeeze, what the hell is it with vampires kidnapping me so they can talk to me! *

“Angel, what do you need to say to me that you couldn’t say at Giles’?”

 

“I had to get out of there, Buffy. I couldn’t stand seeing you with Spike.”

“Why, Buffy? Why him?”

 

“Angel, after my mom died, I was so upset…I just wanted to die too, but Dawn needed me. Glory was still after her, was still after me. Glory didn’t know Dawn was the key.”

“I couldn’t defeat Glory on my own even before. Like we told you, it took me and Spike as well as all the magick that the gang could come up with to defeat Glory and keep Dawn and the rest of us safe.”

“Spike had already told me that he loved me. I rejected him. I was a real bitch to him. But when Mom, died, he was there for me. He took care of me. I didn’t love him then. I wasn’t even sure I liked him at all, but you’d left me, Riley had left me, Mom was gone… I needed someone there with me. Can you understand at all?”

“I needed to have someone make me hold on to staying alive, to help me keep Dawn safe, to help me fight Glory… Spike was there. I asked him to stay with me, with us.”

 

Buffy’s voice trailed off as she thought about how she had been back then. She never wanted to be in such an awful place again. It had been worse than when she had had to send Angel to hell.

“After a while, I realized that I didn’t hate Spike. But I also wasn’t letting anyone inside my heart. Bad track record there.. I couldn’t deal with any more hurt.”

“But he stayed, Angel.  He stayed and kept me alive, kept me sane. It took me a year or so to finally let myself even care about him. It’s only been the last few months that I finally let myself love him.”

Her voice got soft….

“It doesn’t mean I don’t love you, Angel. I’ll always love you. But you told me to move on with my life. I was finally able to do that. It just was with Spike.”

 

“ I can understand why you needed help, Buffy. I understand about being lonely. I miss you, you know.”

Angel got up and paced the floor of the cavern, rubbing his face with his hands.

“I don’t really care about anybody else these days. Nothing seems to matter except you.”

 

“Angel, you heard Willow. Someone has done something magickal to you. That may be what is causing this. I know Wesley and Cordelia cared about you too. Let’s go back and let Willow fix whatever this is…”

 

“NO! They’re not poking around in my head!” Angel advanced on Buffy, his face full of anger.

 

“Angel! It’s ok….” Buffy sounded a bit higher pitched from fright. Angel was not stable right now, and she wasn’t sure what would set him off.

 

“Ok, just don’t talk about that.” He turned away from her and sat on the far side of the cavern, away from her, just glowering at her.

 

* I hope Spike finds us soon. God, I’m scared. I’ve never been afraid of Angel, just Angelus. *

Buffy saw against the wall of the cavern, blanket pulled around her, shivering. But it wasn’t from cold; it was from fright, and just sheer reaction to all that had happened the last 24 hours.

 

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

 

Spike almost ran all the way to the mansion, even though he was sure Angel wouldn’t take Buffy there. It was the first place all of them would think to look He didn’t think Angel would go to the old factory either. Angel would have taken Buffy somewhere that he would feel safe. Somewhere he’d feel they wouldn’t look.

As Spike hurried through the most obvious places, he remembered one Angel had mentioned once when he’d been Angelus

Now if Spike could just remember where it was.

 

Giles and the rest of the Scoobies had arrived at the mansion. They found Angel’s car and clothes, but he wasn’t there. Neither was Buffy or Spike…

 

“I think this was a bit too obvious. I hope Spike has some idea of where Angel would go to hide.” Giles was clearly worried about Buffy. He wasn’t sure what was going on with Angel and Wesley hadn’t been a lot of help.

The other ex-watcher had told Giles all he knew about Angel’s oddness, however, it wasn’t much.

 

“Giles, I think we should set up a warning system here like we did with Glory, so if Angel comes back, we’ll know and someone can follow him if he doesn’t have Buffy with him.”

 

“A warning would be good, Willow. I don’t even want to think about what it might mean if he comes back without Buffy. He was quite incensed about Buffy being with Spike.”

 

“Giles, you know it took us a while to get used to it too. Xander never really has adjusted to it. Imagine what Angel must feel like.. After all, he’s loved Buffy for years now. So he comes back and finds her with Spike? He didn’t really have any time to get adjusted to it, like we all did.”

 

“Umm, I see your point, Willow. It doesn’t make her any safer though.”

 

“Yeah… I know. I’m worried too, Giles” Willow laid her hand on the watcher’s arm in comfort for both of them.

 

Willow organized setting up the warning spell around the mansion. Once that was done, they went back to Giles’ to wait for any word from Spike.

 

“Willow, I think we need to tell Xander. He can help look for Buffy.”

Anya didn’t think that he should be left in the dark about what was happening, and one more person to look could be helpful.

 

“She’s right, Wil. He should know. He’s been her friend as long as you have, you know.”

Tara didn’t often agree with Anya, but she did on this one.

 

They all agreed, so Anya called Xander, but Giles and Willow both talked to him to explain everything that had happened. He was going to come to the house and when Spike came back, if Buffy wasn’t with him, Xander would go back out with Spike to help him look.

 

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

 

Spike decided to go back to Giles’ house. He’d had an idea that he thought might work, but he knew once he told the others, they were not going to be happy. But it was to help find Buffy and that was all that mattered to him right now.

 

Once Spike had arrived back at the house, he asked Giles and Willow to speak in private. They were going to have to know, but he didn’t think it was a good idea to tell everyone.

 

“What is it, Spike? Have you found any traces or do you have an idea on how to find them?” Giles was worried and trying hard to stay calm.

 

“I have an idea that might help find Buffy.”

“You might not like what I’m gonna tell you, but you need to know so we can find her.”

“When a vampire makes love… sometimes at the, ah, important moment, we.., ah, bite our partner…”

 

“You WHAT! How could you! I thought you loved Buffy!”

Willow was shocked and upset! She couldn’t believe that Buffy let Spike do that.

Giles was looking at Spike with murderous intent.

 

“Calm down! I said you wouldn’t bloody like it! But it’s not like that!”

“It’s a small bite and it’s not to drink from them, it’s… it’s just to taste.. You get their emotions and sensations through the bite. It’s feels good for both people.”

“You know I love, Buffy. I wouldn’t hurt her for anything.”

 

“So, how long has this been happening?” Giles asked the vampire very quietly. That voice that Spike knew meant he was in trouble.

 

“Since soon after Buffy and I got together. It’s just a part of it for us.. like…well, without getting bleedin’ personal, let’s just say it’s like kissing for most couples. Besides, I’m not the only one that bites.”

 

“WHAT! You mean.. she wouldn’t.. So will she…?”

 

“No, Red… I’d have to drain Buffy until right before she died and then she’d have to drink my blood. This isn’t like that at all. It’s maybe a spoonful at a time for me. Just a few drops for her”

“You know this chip works on intent as well as actions.. What the Slayer and I do.. Well, it doesn’t make this bleedin’ chip try to fry my brain, so you know there is no intent to harm her and no harm being done to her. And the ONLY reason I’m even mentioning it, is because it does create a link between us.”

 

“A link? Like as in you can use it to find her?”

 

“I think so. I need you to make the link stronger so I can feel where she is..”

 

“Oh…”

“Can you tell where she is at all now?”

 

“No, I can only tell that she’s alive.”

 

Giles got close to Spike and looked very hard at him…

“Once this is over and she is safe, I want to know more about this.”

 

“Watcher, I’ve never hurt her and I never will, but this is part of our private sex life and if Buffy wants to talk about it, we will. But otherwise, it’s none of your bloody business.”

 

Giles just stared at Spike for a minute, then swallowed and took a step back.

“I’m sorry, you’re quite right. It’s not really any of my business. I can see that she has not ever been harmed by it and from what you say, this has been happening for about 2 years now.”

“I apologize.”

 

“ ‘S’ok. I knew you wouldn’t like it. Buffy and I understand. After all, as much as I hate to think about it, I’m not her first vampire.”

“It’s not something the watchers would give you instruction on…”

 

“Yes, you’re certainly right about that.”

* Why do I get a Slayer that falls for the vampires..?! *

 

“You do know that other Slayers have gotten involved with Vampires before, don’t you? “Did you know the Council had their own Watcher’s kill’em?”

 

“N-n-no! I had no idea!” Giles was shocked, how could they do that? But then, he knew the Council could be very ruthless and often withheld information if they so desired.

 

“Yeah, knew a bloke that was involved with a Slayer. Went sunbathing after her Watcher killed her.”

 

“Oh good lord….” Giles dropped heavily into a chair, completely shocked.

Willow reached out a hand to Spike. She could tell the thought of that upset him a lot.

 

“Let’s go make that link stronger, Spike, so we can get her home.”

 

Spike just nodded and followed Willow. He knew that if anything happened to Buffy, that might just be his choice as well. He didn’t want to think about anything happening to her.

 

Willow did the spell quickly, and Spike felt the pull toward Buffy. Now all he had to do was find her with it.

That and get her away from Angel.

 

As Spike started to leave to find the Slayer, Xander appeared by his side.

“I’m going with you.”

 

“What for? You don’t even bleedin’ like me.”

 

“You’re trying to find Buffy, and if you do, Angel will be there too. You can’t handle him and get Buffy out at the same time.”

“Even if I don’t like you being involved with her, she loves you and you do protect her.” “She’d be very hurt if something happened to you. So I ‘m coming too.”

“Besides, if she can’t walk, it will take two of us to bring her and Angel back here.”

 

Spike weighted Xander’s arguments in his head. The boy had a point, even if it didn’t make Spike happy.

He nodded at Xander and they left together.

 

“Was that a good idea?” Willow asked no one in specific…

 

“I certainly hope so.”, was Giles only comment.

 

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

 

Buffy woke from a doze, feeling stiff and uncomfortable. The cold of the cavern had seeped into her bones, it felt like. Her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she looked around the cavern and saw Angel still sitting where he had been, still glaring at her.

* No way to do this but to just do it. *

She got up and walked over toward Angel. Buffy kneeled down beside him reaching out to touch his shoulder.

“Angel…?”

“Talk to me please, tell me what’s wrong. Let me help.”

 

Angel was silent. Buffy was afraid he wasn’t even listening to her or that he’d withdrawn somewhere else, when he finally looked at her and spoke very low.

“Buffy, I don’t know what it wrong. I know there is something. I’ve been sitting here wanting to rip your throat out, but wanting also to hold you in my arms and never let you go.  I didn’t dare do one, for the other.”

“I keep telling myself that it’s Spike, but I know it’s not just that. The rational side of me knows that hurts very badly, yet it’s what I wanted for you.. to be happy. If it happens to be with Spike… I’m not happy about it, but I understand.”

Angel ran his hands over his face again, trying desperately to keep a grip on the place he was right this second.

“I know he loves you, I know he will be devoted to you. But it hurts that he can be with you when I can’t”

 

Buffy felt badly for Angel. She could tell this was hurting him, yet she didn’t know how to make it any better.

“Angel, I’m sorry…”

 

“No, Buffy, you don’t need to apologize.”

“I knew when I met Riley, that he wouldn’t last. Remember, I told you I didn’t like him.” “And he was a part of those people that chipped Spike. It is as horrible a thing to do to a vampire as to give them a soul, but if they hadn’t done that, Spike might have killed you instead of just being in love with you.”

“Riley was normal, and I’ve finally had to accept that you aren’t. You’ve never been. If you were, you wouldn’t be the Slayer. So a ‘normal’ boyfriend isn’t going to work for you. I can’t be, as much as I’d like to be. That leaves Spike, unfortunately for me.”

 

Angel got quiet again and just stared. Buffy realized he’d gone back to whatever private hell he was in. She sat next to him for another couple of minutes and then went back to the other side of the cave with the blanket. She was also worried, with the state Angel was in right now, what was going to happen when his hunger drove him to the point he had to eat. It had been almost 24 hours now.

 

As Buffy sat in her own thoughts, she failed to notice Angel watching her; he’d started to growl low in his throat. Finally it got loud enough that she did hear it.

*Oh, god, what do I do now? What’s wrong? I don’t want to hurt him, but I don’t want him hurting or killing me either. *

 

Angel launched himself at Buffy, his face morphing as he crossed the distance between them. She was trying to fight him without hurting him, but she was going to get killed that way.

Buffy fought back with all she had. The cold and the lack of food or sleep was taking its toll on her. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold him off.

Angel kicked a rock under her feet causing her to stumble just a fraction. It was enough, he was on her, pulling her head back to bite her neck.

Just as his teeth sank into her flesh, she heard a sound outside and screamed as loud as she could.

Spike and Xander erupted into the cavern. Spike grabbed Angel pulling the older vampire away from her. Xander grabbed her and half pushed, half carried her out of the cavern. She heard the sounds of fighting behind her as the world spun and went dark around her.

 

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

 

When Spike had grabbed Angel, pulling him away from Buffy’s neck, he threw Angel back into the wall. Spike’s own face morphed as Angel pulled away from the wall and charged the blonde vampire. They met with a stunning impact. Spike swung, hitting Angel in the face, and followed it with a quick blow to the stomach with the other fist.

Angel caught Spike with a heel palm to the side of the head. Spike shook his head, shaking the effects of the blow off and slammed a kick hard into Angel’s hip, knocking his back into the cavern wall again.

It took Angel a few more seconds to get back up. Spike pressed his advantage by another fist to Angel’s jaw, dazing him enough to manage to get the older Vampire into the same sleeper hold he’d used on Dru so long ago.

Within seconds, Angel was out. Spike picked his sire up, throwing him over his shoulder and carrying him outside.

As he reached Xander and Buffy, Spike dropped Angel to the ground reaching for the manacles to secure him.

“How is Buffy? Is she ok? “ Xander could hear the fear in Spike’s voice as he asked about the Slayer.

 

“Well, she’s lost some blood, but her pulse is ok even if a little weak, and her heartbeat’s strong. I think we got there just in time.”

 

Spike had the manacles on Angel’s wrists, and dropped the ones for his ankles to pull Buffy into his arms. He held her close, rocking her. To Xander’s amazement, he saw tears roll down the vampire’s face as he murmured to Buffy, holding her close.

 

Xander finished the manacles on Angel’s ankles, as he watched the blonde vampire.

* He loves her! He really loves her! I thought it was just an act, that he was waiting for… something. But he loves her. *

Xander finally found compassion for the vampire even if he still didn’t like him. He knew Spike had saved Buffy’s life countless times, especially from herself after Joyce had died.

He thought he could treat Spike better now. He understood the vampire more than he ever had. Xander also wasn’t sure he liked the understanding. Life was much simpler when you could just hate them.

 

“Spike… Let me carry Buffy back to the van. I can’t carry Angel. We need to get them back. Especially Buffy. I’ll drive so you can hold her.”

 

Spike looked at the brunette that had despised him for so long, tears unheeded on his face. He knew Xander had finally accepted that he loved this woman in his arms. It was a start.

Spike nodded and gently handed Buffy to Xander. He leaned down and picked Angel up, throwing him over his shoulder again. They took them to Xander’s jeep. Angel was placed in the back and Spike got into the passenger seat. Xander carefully handed Buffy to the vampire. He went around to the driver’s side and started the jeep, heading back to Giles’ house.

 

“Spike, I need to apologize to you. I had suspicions about you all this time. I finally realized tonight that you really do love her.”

“It doesn’t mean I like you any better, but I do know that you love her.”

 

“Thanks. Still don’t like you either, but yeah, mate… I’ve loved her for longer than any of you even know.”

                                   

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

 

Xander and Spike pulled up at Giles’ house and carried Buffy and Angel inside. Xander laid Buffy on the couch while Spike took Angel back upstairs to the ritual space. Willow let Spike back out and Anya and Tara stayed in the room with Dawn while she took the opportunity to finish the work on Angel’s shoulder while he was unconscious.

Then they all went back downstairs to check on Buffy.

Spike was sitting on the couch holding Buffy again, while Willow worked on her. Giles was standing back watching when Xander approached him and motioned the watcher to one side.

 

“Yes, Xander, what is it?”

 

“Giles.. I just found out that Spike really does love her.”

 

“Yes, he does. What made you realize it?”

 

“When she was hurt…  After he knocked Angel out, he picked her up in his arms like he’s doing now, and rocked her, just holding her and crying. I didn’t know vampires could cry,”

 

“Yes, especially the older ones, or the Master vampires. You did know Spike was a Master Vampire?”

 

“I guess.. I hadn’t really thought about it.”

 

“He is. It makes a difference for them. Spike has always been somewhat different than the normal vampire. He seems to have much more refined feelings, especially as far as the softer emotions are concerned.”

“I know I’ve seen them together more than the rest of you. Certainly more than you have. I knew sometime back that he loves her. He’ll stay with her as long as they both live.” “He’s kept her alive in more ways than one.”

 

“It just seems weird. Doesn’t mean I like him any better either. But I do understand more about him than I did.”

 

“Xander… It would make things easier for all of us if you got along better with him than you do.  And since you are living with a 1000 year old plus ex vengeance demon, perhaps weird isn’t a judgment you should toss out about them.”

 

“Yeah…” It was all Xander could say as he watched Spike with Buffy. He knew if it had been Anya, he’d probably not be a lot different at all.

 

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

 

Buffy was still a bit weak from blood loss, but she was awake and had been drinking juice and Giles had made her eat. Spike had gone out and gotten her a steak. He insisted she needed the iron. As much as she hated to admit it, it had been good and just what her body wanted.

Other than to get her food, Spike had not left her side. He helped her up the steps so she could watch what Willow and the others were doing to Angel.

He had awakened as well and had been fed from Spike’s blood supply in the refrigerator. Buffy had made sure that Spike had eaten as well.

Dawn had finished the healing on Angel’s shoulder. In fact, it was the pain from that healing that had made him regain consciousness again.

 

The coven had Angel in the center of their ritual space now, and the three primaries were doing deep searching to determine what had been done to him. Willow looked almost like she was in a trance. Anya, Amy and Gillian held the barrier and fed energy to Willow, Tara and Dawn.

 

They worked for what seemed like a long time. At various times bits of colored glow had run across Angel’s form or across the women in the circle. The last one had been a bright blue white light that had flickered over Angel. It must have hurt because he had cried out, and fought against his shackles. Finally he had passed out again. Buffy hoped he was ok.

The coven members all looked quite a bit worse for wear.. Especially Willow. She always carried a lot of the load when they worked. Buffy worried about her.

 

Finally finished. They left Angel where he was and everyone went back down stairs. The women all needed to eat and drink now. Willow tried to fill them in as to what she had found.

 

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

 

“OK, some of this I got from the trance, some of it I got from what Giles learned from Wesley. All the pieces fit together now.”

“Back with that bunch of lawyers brought Darla back, they had some demon person that showed up to help them named Vocah. He also did a delayed spell on Angel. I think if Wesley will look in that scroll.. What is it.. the Prophecies of Aberjian, he can find more information about it.”

“There have been several entities, all with the plan of taking Angel out of the fight for goodness….”

Willow stopped and looked at Buffy, tears forming in her eyes as she remembered what she’d found.. A day that Buffy didn’t remember. Her heart hurt for her best friend. Maybe she’d tell Giles later, but not Buffy. It would only hurt her.

“..Anyway, I managed to get rid of most of what this Vocah dude did, but I need the rest of the information to finish it up.”

 

Giles went in the other room to call Wesley and have him look for the information. After a few minutes of conversation, Wesley decided that he and Cordelia would come up and bring the scroll. Willow might need it to finish the work.  Wesley understood more about why Angel had seemed to desert them.

Giles returned to the group to tell them that Wesley and Cordelia were on the way and would be there in a couple of hours.

 

Buffy, Willow, Spike and Giles went back up to check on Angel. He was still shackled and was more like the Angel they all knew, but he still ‘felt’ a bit off.

Willow and Giles told the older vampire what had happened and about the call to LA.

They gave him some more blood and left him alone for a while.

 

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

 

“Watcher, Buffy really needs to sleep for a while. At least until the LA crew gets here. Can I take her up to the guest room?”

 

“That’s a good idea Spike. Take her up and let her sleep. I’ll come wake both of you when Wesley gets here.”

 

“Both of us?”

 

“You know she will want you with her, Spike. A-and you look a bit worse for wear right now as well.”

 

“Thanks ever so much, Watcher.” Spike growled at Giles, but smiled at him to say he was teasing. “Yeah, I’m pretty bushed as well. Damned near asleep on my bloody feet.”

 

“I’ll call you later.” Giles reassured Spike again. The blonde vampire went and picked up his love, taking her upstairs to the guest room.

 

“Luv, we both have orders from your watcher to get some sleep for a bit.”

 

“Only if you’re gonna stay here and hold me Spike.” Buffy was upset by all that had happened, she was weak from blood loss and just wanted to have Spike hold her and make her feel safe.

 

“Always, Luv.” He lay down next to her and pulled her slight body into his arms. Buffy raised her face to his and kissed him softly.

“Spike, I love you. Thank you for saving me again.”

 

“Buffy, I have loved you for a long time. I’ll always love you. Without you, I don’t have a reason to be here.”

 

She kissed her lover again and then snuggled into his arms further, and drifted off to sleep.

Spike lay awake a bit longer as he looked at the woman in his arms. He was always amazed to be with her, to have her love him. He never thought it would happen. He used to think he’d been happy with Dru, but after having been with Buffy the past couple of years, he knew he’d told her the truth. He didn’t want to live if it meant being without her. He had never been as happy in his life or un-life, as he was now. With that thought, he followed Buffy into sleep.

 

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

 

It was actually about three hours later when Wesley and Cordelia arrived. Giles went up to the guest room to wake Buffy and Spike. As he opened the door, he stopped to just look at them. Spike had his arms around Buffy, she had an arm cross him and her head pressed into his chest. It would have been hard to get the proverbial pin between them without sticking both of them.

There was such a look of contentment on both of their faces that he hated to wake them.

He thought back to two years before. Joyce had died, Buffy was inconsolable. Spike had been the only one able to get through to her. Giles had been afraid she’d throw her life away in her despair. But Spike had watched over her and forced her to stay and to heal.

Giles didn’t care what the Council said, Spike might not have a soul like Angel, but he was more human than a lot of people walking the streets.

Willow slipped into the doorway followed by Xander. They both stood and looked at the sleeping couple as well. Willow sighed. She was so glad that Buffy had Spike and that he loved the Slayer so much.

Xander was amazed again at the tenderness he saw between his friend and the vampire he’d hated all this time.

“I had no idea it was real. I though it was a game, a plot he was doing to cause a problem.”

Willow patted Xander’s shoulder. “No, he loves her. It’s easy to see, especially now, but he loves her. And she needs him.”

 

While they had waited for Wesley, Willow had taken Giles aside and through many tears, had told him what had happened between Buffy and Angel. All about the Morah demon, Angel’s sacrifice and that he was the only one until now that knew or remember about the time he was human and with Buffy. Giles had been amazed and stunned. With that weighing on the vampire as well as the rest of the guilt he carried, no wonder he’d been vulnerable to the kind of magick that had been done to him.

 

“Well, let’s wake them up. We need them downstairs.” Giles went close to the bed and touched Spike’s shoulder. The vampire woke instantly.  “Spike, can you wake Buffy and come down? Wesley and Cordelia have arrived.”

 

“Yeah.. Gim’me a minute to get my head straight, then I’ll wake her and we’ll be down.”

 

Giles nodded and left the room. Willow and Xander had already gone back downstairs.

 

Once Buffy and Spike got there. They were greeted by Cordelia and Wesley, then everyone got to work on the scroll.

 

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

 

“I think this is the passage we’re looking for.” Wesley told them. Willow and Giles looked it over.

 

“It seems to be, can you translate these couple of words?” Willow asked the two watchers.

 

They gave her the translated wording. She re-read the section again.

“Yeah, that’s it. I can work with that and take care of this.”

 

Before they could say anything, Willow ran up the stairs to the ritual space. She went in to talk to Angel.

 

“Angel, Wesley and Cordie brought the scroll here. I’ve looked over the section that covers this and I can finish removing what Vocah did to you.”

“I also need to tell you that I found out what you did.. the morah demon and all. I’m so sorry, Angel. It was a beautiful thing you did. She’s lucky to be loved so much by both of you, you know.”

 

“Oh… you know? You didn’t tell her did you?”

 

“No, Angel. I don’t think she could stand it. You each have your burden to bear, I guess. She sent you to hell and has to live with that everyday. You gave up your humanity for her and you have to live with it everyday.”

 

“And what does Spike have to live with everyday besides the woman I love.” Angel’s voice was bitter.

 

“Angel.. He’s had to live with being unable to bite, having no soul, being in love with Buffy when she couldn’t stand him, knowing she loves you and always will. No, he doesn’t have the same burdens you and she do, but he does have them. He’s been distrusted without even the saving grace of a soul to rely on.”

 

“Yeah… but it doesn’t make me feel any better about him being with Buffy.”

 

“Just remember that without him, she’d probably be dead and neither of you would have her.”

 

Angel was silent. He did think of that, but it was hard to deal with his childe being with the one woman in his life and unlife, that he had ever loved.

 

“I’ll be back in a little bit to finish this up, Angel.”

Willow walked back out of the room and went back down the stairs to go over the ritual with the others.

 

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

 

Willow and her coven had gone back up to the ritual room. Wesley and Giles were also inside to assist in whatever way they could.

Spike, Buffy and Cordelia waited outside the door.

 

“Sprits of the elements, we call thee forth to hear our plea. Powers That Be, we beseech thee to correct that which has been wronged…”

“Remove from thy instrument the chains and fetters that bind him from thy purpose. Allow again the light of his path to show him the way in the darkness of the worlds…”

 

Willow used the scroll as a guide as she finished the unbinding on Angel.

Once it was almost at the end, Angel was covered in a coruscating icy-blue light, which then burst forth like a small nova in the room.

Angel fell to the floor, gasping for un-needed breath.

 

“It is done. So mote it be!”  Willow’s voice rang through the room, a bell-like tone underneath.

 

The barrier around the room keeping Angel in fell away with Willow’s last words.

 

“Well, done, Willow.” Giles told her as he came to help her ease into a chair. He remembered from his earlier days that this level of magick could be very draining for the focus that handled the brunt of the energy work.

 

“How are you feeling, Angel?” Wesley looked concerned at his former employer.

 

“Kinda light, Wes. Light headed, and like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I didn’t realize until now that I’d been like I was wading in mud. Now that it’s gone I can tell what it had been doing to me.”

“I’d really like to talk to you and Cordelia. I think I have a lot of apologizing to do.”

 

“Quite. I think a conversation can certainly be arranged. Are you staying at the mansion? “Do you have room for us for tonight?”

 

“Yes and yes.”

“Let’s see if the others need anything else from us tonight. If not, we should go. I’ll have a lot of talking to do here tomorrow as well.”

 

Giles and the others assured Angel that it was fine for him to leave with Wesley and Cordelia, as long as he was feeling ok. They all planned to meet again tomorrow to talk over the things that needed to be said. Angel offered the mansion for the meeting, as he had more room there, and they’d imposed on Giles enough already.

His invitation was readily accepted.

 

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

 

Dawn had gone up to bed already. She was exhausted from the healing she’d done over the last couple of days as well as the heavy magickal work the coven had done.

Buffy and Spike were in their room.

 

“Luv, I was so worried about you. I was afraid that I’d never see you again.”

 

“I was kinda worried about the same thing, Spike. But I didn’t want you to get hurt trying to rescue me.”

 

“Buffy, don’t you understand that there isn’t anything else for me if you are gone?”

 

She looked into those beautiful blue eyes and saw that he meant every word that he said.

 

“Spike, I don’t know what to say.. I-I- it’s overwhelming to know that I mean that much to you. But I know that I don’t want to be without you either.”

 

“As long as I have anything to say about it, that will never happen, luv.”

 

He leaned forward to kiss her as a promise.

Words were soon unneeded between them as they let each other know how much they cared.

 

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

 

The next afternoon, everyone meet at the mansion. There were so many groupings and regroupings as everybody got matters handled between them. By the end of it all, Angel, Wesley and Cordelia were going to be a team again. Giles and Angel had made peace with each other, as had Angel with Buffy and Spike. Even Xander made a form of peace with Angel and most of all with Spike, to everyone’s amazement.

Willow had promised Angel that neither she nor Giles would ever tell Buffy what Willow had learned about the secret he kept.

Everyone had promised to stay in touch better and much more often.

 

The next evening, Wesley, Cordelia and Angel all left to go back to LA. Buffy and Spike had stopped by the mansion to see them off.

 

“Spike, you better take care of her. If you don’t I’ll be back to kick your ass.”

 

“You know I’ll take care of her. But after the last few days, I think we’ve seen who can kick whose arse now, Sire. Don’t make me have to come do it again.”

 

They both laughed and shared a hug with much male back pounding.

Angel went to Buffy to tell her good-bye. Spike stepped into the other room to give them a moment alone.

 

“I’m sorry I frightened you and hurt you, Buffy. I love you and always will.”

“He’ll take care of you, love. But if you ever need me, you know all you have to do is call.”

 

“I know, Angel. I’ll always love you too. I’m glad you understand about Spike. I do love him.”

 

“I know, Buffy.” He leaned down to kiss her for the last time. They knew she was with Spike now and so even though they still shared a love, they would have to try to be friends.

 

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

 

Several years later, Wesley called with the news that Angel had been killed. He had given his life to save a very gifted young witch. She was now working with Wesley and Cordelia in Angel’s place.

Everyone had been shocked and upset. Buffy and Spike most of all. They had gone to LA to get Angel’s ashes that Wesley and Cordy had saved. The two in LA had been as devastated as Buffy and Spike, but they were managing to handle it.

Buffy and Spike took Angel’s ashes back home to Sunnydale. They buried him in an urn on top of the hill overlooking Sunnydale. The same one that Buffy had found him at years before when the snow fell that helped to save him. He’d left a will to divide everything up, so the Scoobies now owned the mansion.

 

It had been several months after Angel’s death when it was discovered that Buffy was pregnant. There was no doubt that it was Spike’s, but the how was just not understood. It was an impossibility, yet it had happened.

About half way through her pregnancy, Buffy had one of her prophetic dreams.

A voice had spoken to her and told her that very special individuals got to come back. The Powers That Be would decide who was chosen to have their soul returned to earth and another chance at life. They had to go through the process from the beginning though, and this mean being born. In rare cases, the returning soul could choose who they wished to be born to for their new life.

This particular one had requested the PTB’s to come back through Buffy. She was told that only very special souls were allowed this and that this soul had earned the right as the Prophecies of Aberjian had told so long ago.

So to accomplish the Prophecy and to allow this soul to be reborn through her, Buffy had to be able to become pregnant. Spike, as her mate, was the chosen vessel to assist in the pregnancy.

 

When Buffy woke, she told Spike about her dream. They both knew that it was Angel’s soul that would be in her child.

 

The baby was born, and was a dark haired little boy. They named him Liam, and always called him Angel. He was.

 

Angel was two, when Buffy was pregnant again. This one was a little girl. She wasn’t sure who had come to be in this child, but she and Spike named her Drusilla. She was a sweet dark haired beauty who could read the stars. It seemed Dru’s soul had earned a second chance for the torment she had suffered.

 

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

 

The two new Oracles were watching through their window at the various humans involved in the salvation of the world.

 

“You see what will be coming soon..” The male Oracle made a simple statement of fact.

They could see forward or back in time as well as the present.

 

“Yes. I disagree with the choice though. That lower being has worked hard to help in the Work. They have been true and faithful to the Task. This should not happen to them like this.” The female Oracle was quite disturbed about what they had seen.

 

“You know we can’t change what is to be.”

 

“Perhaps not. However, that one has earned so much more…” The female Oracle mused thoughtfully and walked away from the World Window to put events into motion.

 

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

 

Buffy and Spike had been together for 20 years. She was pregnant again for the third time. Giles was getting too old to be her watcher, but he was wonderful as a grandfather.

He kept Buffy sane when, half way through her pregnancy, Spike was killed.

It had been so very ironic. After all the years of fighting and all the battles they had made it through, it was a truck that had overloaded lumber on the back. The lumber broke lose and although Spike had rolled out of the way of most of it, one small piece splintered and caught him.

Buffy and Giles buried his ashes next to Angel’s on the hill.

 

 At the appropriate time, the third child had been born. He looked exactly like his father. The beautiful blue eyes, the blonde hair (even though his father’s had been bleached).

Still very much alive, Buffy was no longer the Slayer. She had arrested during little William’s birth. Another Slayer had been called. At 40 she was the oldest slayer ever. It was time to retire.

Not to mention that Angel, Dru and William keep her much too busy.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                Gillian Silverlight 2/27/01