Come Back to Me
by Spikesdeb
Chapter 17
“Angel…” Cordelia’s
voice had a strangely remote quality, seeming to emanate from elsewhere, her
lips barely moving as she drew his attention. He recoiled from her, startled by
her milky eyes. He realised he was
dealing with Cordelia the Power’s envoy, and not his friend and potential
lover. For the slightest instant
Angel felt a twinge of shame at his recent actions, a slideshow of
confrontations and frightened mystics cowering at his feet flickering through
his mind. The increasingly
unfamiliar sense of guilt was quickly eclipsed by a glow of satisfaction.
He’d managed to not only combat the metaphorical spanner in the works,
better known as Spike, by judicious use of the magical resources at his
disposal, but thanks to his special genius he’d also turned it to his
advantage. Instead of having only
one lever to use to keep Buffy in line, he now had two.
And okay playing them off against each other took time but made the game
all the sweeter and ultimately could only have the one successful outcome.
Knowing Spike as he did, once he accepted that the only way –
supposedly – to save Dawn was to sacrifice himself, he’d jump on the
martyr’s altar happy to plunge the stake into his own chest.
Of course it meant putting up with more of Buffy’s weeping and wailing
– even more so when Dawn’s temporary reprieve ran out – but he’d be
there to console her. Only natural
that she’d turn to the one thing she could be sure of in her life.
Him.
“I see your journey but it has ceased to be your true
path. You have become seduced from
it and there is imbalance. It is my
task is to see that balance restored. The
Powers That Be have sent their warrior to lead you to your true destiny.”
Angel watched her warily.
A warrior? Buffy.
She was his destiny, Buffy and the shanshu – he knew this already.
Didn’t hurt to have it confirmed though…
“You think you can influence the passage of time, bend
it to your own will. But you cannot.
You can only partake in the thread of life granted to you, the final
pattern is already set and will not be changed by your actions.
Angel, the course you are set on will destroy you and destroy many of
those you love. You have the chance
to put it right without further suffering. In
the end all will be as it should be, and your machinations will be as nothing.
Choose now, Angel.”
Cordelia’s voice was echoing tinnily around the room
clearly not coming from her physical presence.
Her eyes were featureless, white, inhuman.
She truly was the mouthpiece of the Gods.
Angel considered what she’d said and his prior dealings with the
Powers. He recalled his audience
with the Oracles after Buffy and he had fought the Morha demon and he’d become
human again – they’d spent that perfect day and night together – and how
they’d granted his request to return to his vampire state.
This time things would be different - he steeled his jaw; he would
have the Shanshu and he would have
Buffy. He could do it without the
Powers That Be and no longer needed to dance to their tune. He had his own power
now, he had powerful friends. He had
the whole of Wolfram and Hart at his disposal.
Cordelia had said that a warrior was to lead him to his true destiny –
and that warrior was Buffy, he knew it. And
besides, the Powers weren’t invulnerable – the slaughter of the Oracles was
testament to that fact.
He’d do things his own way.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
“Sorry, guys, kinda got caught up in the moment.
It’s a bit overwhelming when the Powers send out a broadcast, a little
tingly and strangely tasting of vanilla…”
Buffy blinked; no matter how often she saw
Buffy forced a smile.
“That’s okay, Will, it was just a bit sudden.
One minute you’re talking research, next you’re floaty spingirl and
making the weirdest humming noise.”
“Oh. I did
that out loud? Sorry.”
Giles cleared his throat noisily, both girls and Wes
turning to face him. Long seconds
passed. “Oh for heaven’s sake
– information please, Willow. The
clock’s ticking…”
“Sorry, sorry! Okay,
here’s the deal – the Powers are cranking up the gears.
Cordy’s awake and trying to even the odds but it doesn’t look like
Angel’s biting. Oh…you know what
I mean….”
“Cordy?”
“Yes, Buffy. You
did know she’s the Power’s envoy, didn’t you?
They send her visions and whatnot; she passes them on to Angel?”
Giles couldn’t believe she didn’t know, exchanging puzzled looks with
Wesley….
“Erm…nope; must’ve missed the memo.”
Buffy shook her head in wonder. “Cordy
has a direct line to the heavens? She
must be combusting with pride at the one-upmanship.
But I don’t get what she’s trying to do – and I’m not so sure I
want Angel saved or biting or whatever. He’s
messed with my sister and my boyfriend and I whup the ass of whoever tries that.
It’s traditional.”
“But, Buffy – this is what Althanea sensed.
Cordy must be the Powers’ secret weapon and to be honest, she’s their
best shot. Angel and she had been
getting closer. Fred told me she was
convinced something was going on between them, but then Cordy disappeared -
turns out she was embracing her goddess side - but Angel was broken.
If anybody can make him see sense, Cordelia’s the one.”
“Alright, I give up.
What’s next? And just to
get this clear – there’ll be no harming of Spike or Dawn. At all.”
Giles and
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Spike paced the small hospital room for the hundredth
time. Dawn was breathing evenly, her
cheeks slightly flushed, her heartbeat playing rhythmically through his brain.
Where the hell had Buffy got to? What
was going on? He hated being left
out of the loop at the best of times, and these times were a very long way from
the best. He had the distinct
feeling that his entire existence was being plotted out from on high like some
bizarre board game, gods with ringleted hair and beards sprinkled with gold
dust, supping on ambrosia and shaking gilded die from cups made from
hollowed-out skulls. And of course
they had sparkling emeralds in place of eyes…..
He chuckled to himself.
Sometimes his old life seeped through and in times of stress his mind
tended to hark back to the Classics. Bloody
Zeus…
He heard the soft click-clack of feet on the highly
polished floor and turned towards the noise.
The hard angles of his face softened as he encountered the gentle
features of the Texan genius.
“Hey,
Fred smiled, her entire face creasing up, doe eyes hidden
beneath her swinging brunette hair.
“Figured you might be needing some company, Spike.
Lorne’s in nervous wreck mode and hitting the cocktails, Wes and Giles
are buried in musty books and Charles is doing his darnedest to beat an innocent
punch bag to pieces!” With a
hundred-watt smile Fred stretched out her hands in front of her, the plate
she’d held hidden behind her now proffered up to her friend, the vampire.
Spike’s answering smile easily eclipsed hers.
“Spicy wings? For me?”
His voice was tight with wonder.
“Well, when I’m nervous or upset I eat and Willow
kinda told me you do too. Angel
doesn’t do that, you know. Well,
the occasional cup of coffee but not actual food.” She did the patented
nervous Fred shuffle. “Erm…you
do like these, don’t you?
Spike took the plate from her.
“You made them for me yourself?”
“Uh huh – but don’t worry if they’re not good, you
can spit out. Mathematical formulae
are easy but recipes…not so much.”
Spike took a hunk of wing and ripped into it.
It was good, but if it had tasted like rancid yak cheese he’d have
swallowed it with relish. Fred had
taken time to think of him. It meant
a lot. This lady was special and
he’d be adding her to the ranks of people he’d die for.
Strike that, she was already there.
“Just perfect, pet.
Best I’ve had. Thanks.”
Fred’s smile cranked up a notch, her eyes no longer
visible behind the crinkled eyelids. “Really?
I’m so glad you like them.”
They both moved towards Dawn’s bed, Spike chewing
noisily on the precious gift. Fred
reached out a hand to brush Dawn’s hair away from her eyes, unsure what to say
now she was here. Everybody seemed
to be occupied with stuff to do except her, although she’d been right in the
middle of something when the Angel bombshell was dropped.
Spike. Making him corporeal,
ensuring his presence on this plane of existence was permanent.
It seemed like the first part was done for her but she was too much of a
scientist to just assume everything was hunky-dory.
“Spit it out, love, no need to be shy.”
“I’m just…it’s swell that you’re here – really
here, with the solid body and all – but…”
“But you don’t want me to count my chickens, right?”
“Yeah…pretty much.
I just want to check things out that’s all, make sure the body thing
isn’t a here today gone tomorrow deal. Do
you mind?” Fred dug deep into her
pockets pulling out an array of gadgets that she laid on the bed.
Without waiting for an answer she started measuring and recording, brow
furrowed as she concentrated on her records.
The prod of a finger to his gut made him jump.
“Hey! No
poking!”
Spike raised his eyebrow to let the girl know he didn’t
for one second believe it was her doing.
“Not buying that huh?
Ah well, worth a try. Now
that you are here though I need to make sure you stay that way.
So…I’m gonna need some samples; you okay with that?”
“Would that be intimate samples you need, pet?”
Spike found he was having fun bantering with Fred; it was friendly, cosy
– kind of like with Dawn but he could be more risqué.
She was definitely one of his girls now.
And just look at that cute blushing thing she did when he got a little
naughty! “Yeah, whatever you need.
Don’t wanna be fading away anytime soon.
Do your worst.”
Fred set about collecting saliva samples, blood samples -
for all the good they’d be as it wasn’t really his blood but she wanted to
be thorough. Spike backed away when
she asked for a bit of his hair. He
wasn’t completely anal about it like Angel but still…he wanted to look good
for his lady.
“Don’t be such a baby!
I only want one hair with the follicle attached.
Keep still…there! Now that
didn’t hurt, did it?”
“No, but you’ve probably ruined the do.
Buffy won’t be happy…”
Suddenly the light atmosphere was gone.
He needed to make Buffy happy but with the sword of Damocles hanging over
his head he really couldn’t think of a way to do it.
Losing Dawn would kill her and she’d already told him that losing him
would do the same. Catch bloody 22.
A warm, soothing hand drew his attention as it lay on his
arm.
“Don’t worry, Spike.
We’ll fix it.
Spike smiled at her infectious optimism.
He wished he could believe her.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Angel sniggered quietly.
He was so powerful right now, able to deceive a goddess – or at the
very least, a god’s mouthpiece. Cordy
had fallen for the old tears and tantrums trick and wept in his arms with relief
that he’d been brought back to the righteous path.
It felt good. It was almost
as good a kick as snapping that gipsy girl’s neck had been.
Momentarily his insides squirmed. Wrong
– that was the word that flashed through his brain, but it was quickly
reburied. Hell, he’d get the
mystics to finish their spell, the bleached pain in his ass would be a fading
memory and all would be good. Buffy
and Cordy would see to his needs and he’d get his dues as lord of all.
And if they didn’t…well, he was on his way to see the beings that
could fix anything he wanted fixed.
++++++
“
“Oh...right. Erm…how
are you, Cordelia?”
“There’s no time for chatting.
Please, sit down.”
“I just saw Angel leaving; he looked pretty pleased with
himself. Your doing?”
Cordy sighed, her eyes troubled.
“It is because of Angel that I am back.
My time on earth was done but the Powers allowed me this one chance to
set things right. I owe Angel a lot,
“Yes, Willow. She’s
in a happy place. She misses you
terribly but she does want you to get on with your life.”
“This isn’t an ‘I’m the First Evil, please kill
yourself now’ deal is it, ‘cause I’ve got to say, not loving that the last
time round…”
Cordy looked puzzled, clearly having no idea what Willow
was on about.
“I’ve tried to reach Angel myself, tried to tell him
that the path he’s set on will bring nothing but pain and misery.
But he is too far gone along that path.
He’s made a deal with the devil but you don’t need to know the
details of that. What you do need to know is how to set things right.
We watched him use the resources of evil to further his own ends.
He is the former champion of the people and we are saddened to see a
great warrior turn to the dark. So
we sent another champion.”
“Spike.”
“Yes, Spike. His
presence here is our doing, but somehow Angel has found a way to tie Spike’s
fate with that of the Slayer’s sister, and we need assistance to make things
right. Will you help us?”
“God yes, of course – anything you need.”
Cordy outlined the Powers’ plans to bring Angel back to
the fold and to reward Spike with a second chance at unlife.
Neither of them noticed the man with an eye patch lurking outside the
door, nor the determined stride that took him away once he had heard enough.
++++++
Buffy strode along the corridor back to Dawn’s room.
She’d left Wes and Giles deep in research,
“Buffy! Hey,
where’re you rushing off to in such a hurry?”
“Angel.” Buffy’s
voice was cold as steel and she couldn’t bring herself to look at him.
She was struggling with the urge to rip and rend and if she spent one
more second in his vicinity she’d lose control and punch him.
“I have to go…later…”
With a burst of slayer speed she was off, rounding the
corner before Angel could react. He
smirked. Let her run, soon enough
she’d be running to him to lay her empty head on his shoulder.
He started whistling as he made his way to his rooms, manipulating
everyone was such a buzz! It was
good to be the boss of an evil law firm. The
door was already ajar; he kicked it open, vamp features to the fore, ready to
eat whoever had trespassed on his inner sanctum.
He growled at the man sitting behind his desk, feet on the surface in
front of him.
“Harris.”
“Don’t sweat it, dead boy.
I’ve got something you’re gonna want to hear….”