Pairings: Willow/Angel(us), Buffy/Spike, Dawn/Gunn, Xander/ Illyria, Eve/Wesley
Warnings: Spoilers ATS Season 5 and Btvs 7
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Summary: When Angel loses his soul over in LA, The Scoobies head over to restore it not knowing Spike is also there!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Part: 1~
Las Vegas
Willow was sick of cleaning, her hair was scruffy her clothes were full of dirt and she was just sick of it all. Buffy, Dawn and herself had all moved to Nevada after the little incident with The First. And of course their new house was dirty and Willow being the nice but foolish person she was had offered to clean up. God did she regret that. Above her she heard the door slam, and then footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Hey Will." Dawn greeted "Do you know where Buffy is?"
"Yeah, she just nipped out to get us some more dusters as all the ones we already had are swamped in dirt." Willow replied
Just then they heard the door open again. Dawn ran upstairs to greet whoever it was, before quickly returning with Buffy by her side. Willow looked at the items Buffy had bought and gave her a questioning look.
"Hey, I can't help it the clothes shops were calling to me!" Buffy murmured
"I'm not even going to pretend to act surprised. Have you got the Cleaning things?" Willow asked
"Course I have!"
"But the question is, are you going to help me clean." Willow questioned.
Buffy looked at Dawn then at Willow then at Dawn again
"Fine! But Dawns gotta help too!" Buffy whined
Willow looked at Dawn. Dawn just nodded.
"Great, then you better get changed," Willow looked at Buffy "That is, into some cleaning clothes because you don't want these dust bunnies all over your nice new clothes!"
Buffy and Dawn looked at each other, sighed and made their way upstairs to get changed.
They returned 15 minutes later in their cleaning gear. Buffy smiled
"Right then, let's get down to business!"
L.A.
Spike was bored. He'd been waiting for about a hour for Wesley and Illyria to show up and they still weren't there. At first he'd just figured they had forgotten but now he was worried. He'd thought about going and telling Angel but he just couldn't be doing with the poof at that moment in time. Finally giving up on the idea that they might actually show up he set off walking to Gunn's office. Just as he rounded the corner he saw them talking to Gunn. He stalked over to them.
"Err, Hello!" Spike stormed "Did either of you even think about the little arrangement of us meeting up."
Illyria looked at him then turned to say to Wesley.
"He is giving of the scent of frustration. I think he may be mad!"
Wesley looked over his shoulder at Spike
"I think you may be right. Sorry Spike we completely forgot!"
"Yeah I figured!" Spike replied.
He headed for Angel's office hoping that maybe annoying the poof would get rid of a little of his frustration. As he entered the office the phone began to ring, seeing that Angel wasn't there he answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hello, who is this?" The person on the other end asked.
"It's Spike, who the hell are you."
Just as he asked this Eve entered with a cell phone to her ear.
"Guess who!" She spoke Spike hung up the phone realising that it had been her on the other end.
"What do you want Eve?"
"Nice to see you too Spike! Anyway the senior partners have some bad news; well I suppose that depends on what you class as bad news." Eve replied
"Just get on with it!"
Eve smiled then after a long time finally spoke,
"It's Angel, He's lost his soul!"
~Part: 2~
"What do you mean, `Angel's lost his soul?'" Spike asked as his brows furrowed in confusion. "I thought he could only loose that poof-y soul of his if he had a moment of perfect happiness."
"That's why the senior partners are so upset. They have no clue as to how he lost it," Eve stated calmly. She didn't look worried or scared in the least, which was throwing the blond vampire off. Something wasn't right.
"In other words it's muckin' up their plans to use Angel as they please. So, where's my old sire now anyway?" he sighed.
"Angel? I thought I seen him walking around earlier around seven this morning. Haven't seen him since," stated Gunn as he casually strode into his boss's office followed closely by Wesley and Illryia.
The ex-demon-god cocked her head sharply to the side studying Eve.
"I do not trust this one. She reeks of."
"B.O.?" Spike quipped snidely, smirking all the while. "Yeah, I could smell it as soon as she entered the office." Gunn hid a chuckle. No one trusted the young woman connected with the senior partners. Eve pursed her lips together and shot daggers at each of them.
"Look," Eve sighed. "We don't have much time before your champion comes in and rips out each and every one of your throats. So, I suggest that you call in reinforcements to help you out with your little problem."
"Our problem?" Wesley asked perplexed.
"Yes, your problem. Ask Blondie here to fill you in. The senior partners are having no part in this. Good luck," she winked, right before turning on her heals leaving Spike to tell the others about Angel the not-so-soulful- anymore vampire.
Spike rolled his eyes at her exit, that's why the bint was so calm. The senior partners were going to sit on their lazy asses and watch, which meant a safe haven for the bitch.
"Well, that's just bloody-fuckin' great!" the blond vampire growled as he kicked at Angel's desk.
"Why is the white-haired vampire punishing the gelled one`s things?" Illryia asked watching Spike continually kick at the helpless piece of furniture and throwing things from the desk into the wall.
"Because, Smurfett, I'm pissed!" he replied seething. Illryia stood up straighter after being called a smurf again.
"Spike," Wesley tried to get the vampire's attention, but no avail. "Spike.William!" Oh, that did it. That got the blonde's attention. Spike froze his movements and slowly turned his head towards the ex- watcher. Wesley swallowed as he seen his eyes flicker amber then back. He kind of accidentally pissed the vampire off even more, if that were possible. "Tell us what in the world is going on."
"Yeah, vamp-man, don't hold on us," Gunn added.
Spike began to laugh almost hysterically. Before he told them the wonderful news.
~~~*~~~
Dawn rushed over to the phone as it rung after turning down the radio they had turned on while they cleaned.
"Hello?"
"Hi there cutie, is Willow there?"
Dawn's brows furrowed as she heard the slightly familiar voice, but couldn't place it.
"Um, yeah, she's right here. Hold on," she said hesitantly.
"Willow, it's for you," she stated as she made her way back to where she had been dusting in the living room.
"Oh, thanks Dawnie. Who is it?" the red head asked.
"Some guy, didn't get his name," she shrugged. That voice, where had she heard it before? Oh, great that was just going to nag at her until she found out from Willow.
Buffy followed Willow into the kitchen to get some more cleaning supplies.
"Hello?" she heard the witch say into the phone while she opened up the cabinet under the sink. It was when she heard her gasp and the hang up of the phone when she looked up to see a very pale Willow.
"Willow? What is it?" Buffy asked concerned.
"It--It's Angel," she started not really looking Buffy in the eyes.
"What about Angel? Is he ok? Is it serious?" the slayer began to panic.
Meeting her eyes with hers she told her the news, "He's lost his soul."
Dawn stopped in the door way right when Willow had told the news. Angelus. Oh, this was so not good. Really, really not good. She remembered the last time he was free and had tried to kidnap her a couple times after he had killed her kitty, Mr. Whiskerson in front of her. Even if the memories of that were fake they seemed really, very real to her.
"Who told you this?" Buffy finally managed to ask.
Willow looked at Dawn then back at Buffy then the floor. Should she really tell them that it was a mightily pissed off Master Vampire who was now free from the soul that was she twice imprisoned him in or lie?
Raising her eyes to meet their curious ones she said the first thing that came to mind.
"I don't know. It was an anonymous caller."
~Part: 3~
Buffy sat in her bedroom staring out the window, she really didn't know what to do, I mean even after all that had happened with Angelus before she had never really begun to think what she would do if it happened again. She had only just found out that it wasn't the only time that Angel had lost his soul again, Willow had informed her that he had also lost it last year and had headed down to LA to restore it.
Willow had offered just to nip down there again and restore it, but Buffy was having none of it. Willow understood how Buffy felt but she still wished that Buffy would just let her deal with it. The only thing Willow was worried about this time was that Angelus was free and roaming around LA.
Willow decided that maybe she should go and see her friend as when she went to bed earlier she didn't look too well.
"Err Buffy?"
Buffy snapped her head around and looked at the door. Forcing herself to smile she watched as Willow headed over to her and sat down next to her on the bed.
"Are you ok?" Willow asked
"I'm fine just tired and worried. I have no idea how we are supposed to give Angelus his soul back without any hassle," Buffy replied
"I know Buffy, but don't worry about it, there's nothing we can't face remember?"
"Huh?" Buffy looked confused
"Hey missy, you were the one that sang it to me so don't start with all this 'huh' business," Willow joked
Buffy just smiled in return.
"Maybe we should be off to bed we've got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow, and I don't want to even think about what lays in wait," Willow suggested
"Ok. Well, I will just go and make sure Dawnie's alright then I'll be straight to bed I promise."
Buffy forced herself to get up and turned lazily down the corridor heading to her younger sisters' room. Dawn's room was bigger than Buffy's with a large window to the left of the room opposite the bed. Buffy poked her head through the door to see a sleeping Dawn lying on the bed. Buffy sighed and quietly closed the door.
She slowly made her way back to her room and collapsed on the bed letting her eyes fall shut and slumber take her over.
****
Willow woke with a start; her red hair fell past her shoulders as she dragged herself out of bed and into the bathroom. It felt so strange having to walk down the corridor to get to the bathroom. As Willow let the water wash over her body she began to think exactly what it was she was going to have to do. Then she realized another complication. (Why in the world was Angelus calling me? 'Cause he wants to play with you like a cat plays with a mouse before they tear it apart Urgh, he is so infuriating! I so need to make his soul Permanente.). She knew she had to tell them about the caller before they got to LA otherwise she suspected there would be anarchy.
She stepped out of the shower and dried herself off all the while wondering how she was going to explain everything. Suddenly she felt herself bang into something hard.
"OH! Buffy I'm sorry," Willow mumbled
"It's okay; you were just in a world of your own," Buffy smiled
"Buffy, Erm, look, I have something to tell you," Willow hesitated
"Well?" Buffy questioned
"I.Um It doesn't matter." Willow murmured
"Wills, I can tell when there is something wrong with you just get it out," Buffy persisted
"I will tell you before we go, it's just." Willow looked at the floor, "Not now."
Buffy sighed but agreed to wait for whatever it was Willow wanted to say. Buffy hadn't seen Willow like that for a along time, all stammering and nervous. She worried that whatever Willow was trying to tell her may not be good news or at least not easy news to tell.
"Okay, well I'm just off to get dressed," Willow said
"Fine," Buffy paused then turned back round and faced Willow again "Wills?"
"Yeah?"
"Hurry up I want to get to LA ASAP the sooner we get there the sooner all this is over."
Willow just nodded but deep down she had a feeling that maybe when they did reach LA it wouldn't be over; it would only just be starting.
****
Angelus was bored, earlier he had been eavesdropping on his fellow colleagues when they were talking about him. He was cranky now; he had so hoped to surprise them when the time came to killing them. Hey he might've even pretended to be his soulful counterpart for a while just to screw up there minds even more. But no! The stupid senior partners had to go and spoil all his fun. I mean after all this time with them wanting to bring him back when they finally do suddenly they want Angel! What a load of morons. He grew restless after listening to them argue over the past ten minutes, until he heard Wesley mention that little witch to come and re-soul him again. With a smirk he turned on his heels towards the nearest phone without an audience around it. He had missed the little redhead in her last appearance, having been in his version of Hell. She had been so cute the last time he'd seen her in Sunnydale, so innocent and pure. He just couldn't wait for her to show up, finally a reunion and boy was it going to be fun.
next | back