a/n Chapter is unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine. Thanks to Spikeslovebite for her guidance, and RAE YOU SO ROCK!
 

Chapter 12

   "Might I ask why you went against my wishes when I expressly requested that you stay put in Sunnydale?" Giles asked in a tired voice.

    Xander looked at the Watcher like he was the world's biggest idiot. "Because gee, it's... well, Buffy," he replied, as if that explanation alone resolved every unanswered question in the universe. He turned accusing eyes towards the girl in question, hurt and betrayal in clear evidence on the boyish features that had not changed in the year she had been gone.

    "Buffy, what...? How...? WHY?" he asked in a series of babbling mono-syllables, taking a step to close the gap that Buffy had created between them, as if by sheer proximity alone he would receive the answers he so desperately craved. His school boy crash on his friend had not dimmed in the year she had been missing. If anything, it had solidified and grown until Buffy had been placed on a pedestal far above mortal reach.

    Another loud snarl filled the room, and all eyes found themselves pinned once more to the tensely coiled vampire, whose game face had slid back to distort the normally handsome features.  Giles actually found himself taking a involuntary step back, his eyes breaking free and searching hastily for the nearest weapon in response to the sheer savagery he was witnessing on the vampire's face. Giles feared the breaking point had just arrived, and knew it would be up to him to eliminate the threat. Oddly, he now found himself quite disturbed by that possibility, but didn't have time to dwell on the significance.

    "Whooo boy! Look out!!"  Elaine called out excitedly. She pointed a manicured index finger in Xander's direction. "You there...school boy. Do that again. You know, take another step towards Buffy. Because I'm really liking this. Yummy doesn't really even begin to describe it." She settled back and waited for the sinister, yet highly sexy reaction from Spike that she was hoping would commence. A front seat to ogle half naked, snarling, drop-dead gorgeous vampires.... life didn't get much better.

      Elaine noticed everyone now staring at her.  "What?" she cried defensively.

    A burst of laughter erupted from Buffy as she regarded her friend before settling her sparkling eyes back on Spike.  With a rueful shake of the head, Spike commented, "You're bloody insane, you know that, Elaine?"

    "I'll say," Rick agreed heartily, earning him another open palmed slap from his wife. "Ow!"

       It didn't take much for Willow to deduce that this was very obviously a normal play of events in Buffy's new life, and she wondered why Giles had not mentioned it in the message he had sent the day before.  But then she remembered that Giles's message had been heavy with the cryptic and light on the informative, hence their frantic trip across the country.

    Much to Elaine's dismay, Buffy crossed the room to stand next to Spike, who immediately wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her possessively against him.  The easy familiarity was yet another clinching piece to the puzzle that was turning out all kinds of wrong, in both the minds of Willow and Xander.

    Directing an irritated look towards the ajar front door, Spike finally bit out, "Mind closing the bleedin' door there, boy? You're letting all the heat out."

    That spurred Willow into motion, the harsh command causing her to jump to comply once she noticed Xander standing there, mouth now agape.

     Once the door had been closed, Willow turned to look at Buffy, her confusion once again in full evidence.

    The silence went on just a second too long, giving Xander a chance to snap out of his dumbfounded haze.

    "Buffy... what the HELL are you doing HERE with this.... THING!" Xander suddenly shouted, his mind finally coming to the correct conclusion that Buffy and Spike were a couple. Pent up anger over the painful separation took hold,  causing his voice to be sharp and accusatory.

    Beside her, Spike tensed once more, and Buffy braced herself in anticipation.  Giles  and his derogatory comments were one thing. But she knew if there was one thing that Spike admired, it was intelligence, and Giles possessed an impressive amount.

    But Xander?  She was seeing her old friend though Spike's eyes, and it was not a flattering sight to behold.

    Come to find out, however, it wasn't Spike that Buffy needed to concern herself with.

    "Excuse me, little boy..." Elaine broke in scornfully. "And who... exactly  are you?"

    Xander drew himself up, taken aback by the question. "I'm one of Buffy's best friends."

    Elaine crossed her arms over her chest and stared with a disbelieving look on her face. "Wow. Coulda fooled me."

    Xander looked to Willow for help. "We are. We're her best friends. Really." Willow announced, her voice lacking the necessary conviction.

    "Huh." Elaine adopted a bored look and threw herself back on the couch. "Go get me something to drink, would you, honey?" She pasted a hopeful look on her face as she batted her eyes at her husband.

    "What do I look like?" Rick grumbled. "Why don't you go get it?"

    "In a word? No." She looked at Buffy with her eyebrows arched. "Something happened in there today. and if Buffy won't go into her kitchen, there's no way I am going in her kitchen. So. Go get me something to drink. Now."

     Rick just signed in resolution and headed for the kitchen, knowing his wife would just keep up the nagging until she got what she wanted. Plus he liked to avoid confrontations at all costs.

    Spike decided to follow  Rick into the kitchen, more than eager to escape, and the palpable tension in the room suddenly eased with the vampire's absence.

      With an irritated sigh, Buffy lowered herself onto the couch. This was it. She knew there was no way she could do the avoidy thing anymore, not with Willow and Xander here. The unfairness of it all struck her once more, and she felt her temper flare.

    Yes, she had missed her friends. Yes, she had missed her Watcher and mother. But... she had not missed her calling and the pressure she'd had to endure because of it. None of them could ever know how much this last year had meant to her, and now here they were, intent on taking it away. The best thing that had ever happened to her, and she knew they were going to make her choose. Well, they weren't going to like her choice, that much was for sure.

    With a pained sigh of inevitability, Buffy gestured Xander and Willow further inside the cozy comfort of her home, gritting her teeth at the put upon attitude of Xander, who was clearly wondering why the rude woman and her husband weren't leaving.

    When everyone was seated in the now crowded living room, Buffy called out, "Hey Spike, coffee would definitely be of the good here... Could you make it?"

    "Bloody hell! Am I the soddin barmaid here?"  Spike snarled in response, but the sounds of coffee preparations were soon heard.

    Xander opened his mouth to retort, but the harsh look Giles tossed in his direction had Xander's mouth snapping shut before a word was uttered.

    "So... what happened in the kitchen today?" Elaine asked pointedly, her curiosity still piqued.  The aura of dread surrounding her friend did not go unnoticed either, and it set Elaine's teeth on edge as to the possibilities.

    "What part of 'trying to repress' did you NOT understand, Elaine?"

    Not one to give up, Elaine kept her unwavering stare focused on her friend. But Buffy held firm, pursing her lips together and shaking her head in juvenile defiance.

    "Buffy was protecting all mankind from the threat of nesting rodents," Spike supplied derisively, coffee mug in one hand, beer bottle firmly gripped in the other. He handed the mug to the thus far silent Joyce, and glared at the others. "You lot want coffee, you can get off your asses and go get it."  He squeezed next to Buffy on the couch, pulling her against him.

   "Yeah, like I'd really trust something you had a hand in making," Xander shot off, returning the glare from across the room.

   "Oh good lord," Giles muttered, getting up to replenish his drink from the bar. A pounding in his temple was beginning to make its presence known.

    "OH MY GOD!" Elaine exclaimed before anybody else could respond. "And you call yourself Buffy's friend, little boy?"

    "The name is Xander. And excuse me, but this is kind of personal business, so maybe you should like... butt out, Miss. Buttinksi." Xander's tone was belligerent as he glared across the room.

    "Personal business, my ass. YOU'RE making it personal by attacking my friend."

    Xander scoffed. "I never attacked Buffy."

    Elaine narrowed her eyes. "I'm talking about SPIKE."

    "Please... you call Spike a friend? He's a killer. Did you know that? That Spike's one of those things that kill people?" Xander shot back.

    Elaine jumped to her feet and placed her hands on her hips as she coolly regarded the idiot in front of her.  "I am well aware of what Spike is, Microbe."

    Rick came sauntering into the room. "Elaine, don't pick on the children."

    Elaine turned flashing eyes on her husband. "He started it."

    Rick turned his eyes upward. "Why me..." he felt the need to ask the ceiling.

    Spike was enjoying himself.  The look of pure outrage on the whelp's face was priceless, and Elaine's defense of him made him feel bubblier than he'd ever admit to.  Not usually one to let others fight his battles, this was one that was too entertaining to interrupt.

    "This is none of your business, whoever you are," Xander continued. "Where I come from, we stake vampires."

    "You know what? You really need a lesson in manners, Microbe Boy." Elaine began spooling up to deliver her rebuttal when she felt Buffy's hand on her arm.

    "Elaine, it's ok."

    "No, Buffy, it's NOT ok!"  Elaine glared at Xander. "Your supposed friends come in and all they have managed to do is insult you."

    "I NEVER insulted Buffy," Xander interrupted.

    "Hello, you insulted Spike, what the hell do you think that is?"

    "Telling the truth?" Xander replied righteously.

    "Xander!" Joyce, Willow and Giles called out in reproach.

    Xander turned incredulous eyes in their direction, before narrowing them on Buffy's Watcher. "Oh my god, I don't believe it. You accept this. YOU. We've been worried about her for a year, and all this time, she's been with HIM. From one vampire's bed to another, I guess."

    "Xander, do sit down and shut up." Giles commanded wearily, his headache intensifying.

    Elaine looked at Buffy, shaking her head in disgust. "Can I slap him? No wait! Can Spike eat him? Please!"

    "A world of no," Buffy replied, the anger that was working its way to the surface fleeing in light of Elaine's words.

    "Oh come on!" Buffy shook her head. "You're no fun," Elaine pouted.

    "Yes, he can just go and eat everyone else in this town," Xander commented snidely, his face splotched with anger.

    Giles had a sudden case of deja vu, and realized this is exactly how he must have sounded. Heaving a pained sigh, he acknowledged, "The people of this town are quite safe from Spike, Xander. And I do wish you would sit down and shut up. Your prattle is giving me quite a headache."

    Elaine looked at the older British man in shock.  "Whoa. What did you do with the other stuck-up tight ass that was here last night?"

    "Well, it would appear that cleaning up chopped rodent remains is a good method in discovering the truth," Giles announced cryptically, his lip curling in distaste as he recalled the task from earlier.

    "Ewww!" Elaine cried, her nose turning up delicately. "Buffy, what did you do???"

    "Hello? Repressing? Ring a bell?"

    "Yes, I don't think I care to... rehash those events." Joyce announced.

    "So, uh... did you manage to decide what we're going to do about Angel?" Willow broke in, anxious to change the subject.  Rodent remains, in whatever form, gave her that queasy feeling in her stomach that was so not of the good.

    Two blonde heads swung in her direction, shock clearly outlined on both faces. Willow quickly realized her mistake.

    "Oops."

    Buffy's face turned cold. "What do you mean 'Angel?'"

    "I uh..you know..." Willow floundered, looking desperately over at Giles.

    The headache was now excruciating, and Giles massaged his temple as he contemplated the best way to proceed.

    "Giles? What is Willow talking about?"

    Another pained sigh was exhaled, and Giles began to attempt an explanation. "This is what I wished to discuss with you Buffy, if you will recall. However, you wished to know nothing about my business here."

    "Yeah, I get that. It's my fault. Continue." The chill had not left Buffy's voice.

    "A month ago, Angel returned," Giles began.

    "Is it Angel or Angelus, mate?" Spike interrupted, trying to contain the fury in his voice. He glanced at his mate, relieved to see her face contained only a cold determination rather than the emotional upheaval he was afraid he would find.

    Giles removed his glasses off his face in gesture that was very familiar to Buffy.  "Well, neither of them, actually."

    "Huh?"
 
 

    tbc...
 

Thank you to Spikeslovebite for beta'ing this chapter!

Chapter 13

    "What I mean to say is, we have been unable to discern whether the soul is intact or not," Giles clarified. "Angel has remained in a highly feral state since he was returned."

    "Returned?" Buffy asked warily, her body tense.

    "Yeah, pretty much returned like an overdue library book or something," Willow commented. "One minute, we were sitting in the library doing the research thing; the next... POOF! One very wild vampire delivered in the middle of the room.  We've all been making with the research, but so far...." She shrugged helplessly.

    "You forgot the part where he dropped disgusting and butt naked in the middle of the floor," Xander injected a bit too vehemently.

    "Hello! Buffy's not the only one trying to repress certain things!" Willow cried, her face turning crimson.

    "So..." Buffy looked at Giles, "you're here... because Angel came back, is that it?"

    Another heavy sigh was expelled from the Watcher's lungs.  "Buffy, we're here because honestly, we've exhausted all outlets available to us.  The Council has been sniffing around-"

    "They don't know about Angel?" Buffy interrupted.

    "No, they do not.  Without having knowledge of why he was returned in such a manner, I felt it remiss of me to turn him over to the Council.  My instincts were telling me to stake the murdering bastard," Giles's face hardened with his harsh words, "but something else has been telling me that I would be making a very grave error if I did so. I believe at the very least, I need to know what occurred that last night."

    Both Spike and Buffy tensed simultaneously, looking to the other for support. In a flat voice, Buffy responded, "Angelus and I fought, he got his soul back, and I sent him to hell by sticking a sword through his gut. The end."

    Gasps echoed throughout the room. "Oh, Buffy...." her mom murmured, her face stricken with belated pain for her daughter.

    "I dealt with it. It's over." The look that Spike and Buffy shared did not go unnoticed.

    "How did you hook up with the Evil Incarnate here?" Xander asked, tense with self righteous anger. "Did you kill his psycho ho-bag or something? Or did she just suddenly see the light and dump his ass?"

    "Xander!" Willow shouted, slapping his arm. She could feel the temperature in the air chill by several degrees, something that had nothing to do with the cold weather outside.

    "What? Like you weren't wondering?"

   Buffy's face was dangerous as she beheld her old friend. "Spike accidentally staked her during the fight, and if you say another word about it, I will let Spike eat you."

    Xander was blown away by the vehemence that flew off his friend, and he didn't miss the flash of pain that crossed the vampire's face at his words. Finding himself oddly chagrined, he mumbled an apology.

    "Ok, while this is all sorts of irritating, it is getting nothing accomplished." Spike fixed a contemplative look on Giles. "I'm guessin' you didn't come all this way for just a  spot of advice, so why don't you just get on with it?"

    Giles cleared his throat uncomfortably.  "Yes, well... as I said, Angel has been back for a month now, and no progress has been made with his, er, rehabilitation."

    "And that means.... what?" Buffy asked.

    "He's still all fangy and grr...." Willow supplied, "but he seems to be trying to say something, just keeps making with the same growlies and stuff. We've been keeping him chained up at the, uh, mansion. I guess we were, uh, thinking that you could have better success at figuring out what he wants," she finished lamely, apology evident in her green eyes.

    Spike tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling, briefly allowing his eyes to close in frustration. "Buffy won't be able to get through to him," he bit out.

    The Watcher and his mate were the only ones who didn't look at him in confusion. "For whatever reason, only the demon is in control. Think the soddin' Slayer is going to be able to carry on a conversation with the monster? Not bloody likely."

    "And like you can," Xander said scornfully.

    "As a matter of fact, yes. What? You think you humans are the only ones worthy of having your own language? Bloody lot you know."

    "I knew Angel was trying to tell us something!" Willow said enthusiastically.

    "Don't suppose you tried to soul him up again, did ya?"

    Willow nodded. "I think the spell was wonky though, because nothing happened. No 'poof' or anything."

    Spike sighed at that comment. "What are you thinking?" Buffy whispered to him, already having some idea.

    Spike gave Buffy's hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm thinking that Angel is buried in there somewhere, but the demon is too strong."

    Buffy nodded in agreement, her mind spinning on the significance of that.

    Xander held up his hand in protest. "Hey! Whispering in front of the guests? Not good on the politeness front."

    Elaine arched one well-groomed eyebrow at Xander's complaint. "Guest?"

    "Ok, maybe not so much, but still. It's rude."

    Spike ignored the boy's complaint and directed his attention to Giles, who was massaging his temple with his fingertips.  "You need a vamp for this, Watcher."

    Giles raised his eyes quizzically to meet Spike's determined gaze. "Are you quite certain?"

    Spike snorted at that statement. "yeah, think I bloody well am."

    "I should have tried the soul spell again," Willow babbled, "maybe it would have worked a second time."

    "Nah, you did fine, Red." Spike looked at Buffy, giving her a lopsided smile that was full of meaning. "Guess we're headed back to Sunnyhell after all, pet."

~~~~~~~~

    The journey back to Sunnydale wasn't wrought with the raw, naked emotion that the long drive east had expelled from their mental well being; but it was far from stress free.  The group traveled by plane, taking advantage of the red-eye flight schedule that would keep the harmful rays from touching Spike.

    There were hurt feeling  and scathing remarks when Buffy and Spike insisted on traveling in separate sections from the Sunnydale group, but Joyce saw the desperation behind the seemingly uncaring request and put an end to the blustering. It didn't take much to realize that her daughter and Spike needed the time to themselves and Joyce was determined to give it to them.

    Upon reaching Sunnydale, Spike could finally feel the whisperings to his senses that screamed "family." His sense of worried anticipation increased, but the soothing touch of Buffy did much to quell his growing nervousness. She was with him, that he knew. Whatever was to occur, Spike was secure in the knowledge that Buffy was his.

    Buffy found Sunnydale not changed a bit in the year  she had been away. The elaborate normality that effected the town welcomed her back with open arms, but Buffy resisted the alluring pull. This wasn't her town anymore. She didn't belong here.

    Dawn was swiftly approaching as the weary group pulled up in front of the house that Buffy used to call her home.  Even though Giles was anxious to explore the possibilities that Spike had brought up, he knew it was foolish to expect anyone to rush into anything without some sleep.

    Ignoring Xander's loud complaints, Giles dropped Joyce and her daughter off, along with the vampire that called Buffy 'his wife.' Giles was surprised to find that he had little trepidation in doing so, instinctively knowing that the two women would not come to any harm in the demon's presence.  Buffy had, after all, been co-existing with the vampire for a year.

    The next twenty-four hours would be most telling, and Giles was quite anxious to get on with things. However, he drove himself wearily home to get some much needed rest, his own unease growing at the sense of the unknown.
 

tbc.

 FEEDBACK PLEASE!!
 

a/n sorry about the delay here!! I HOPE to be more update-y, but my muse kinda took a dive when my friend Kari Mouke left the fandom *sobs* Thank you for all the wonderful reviews you've given me! If I haven't responded back, I'm sorry. I have this BAD habit of saving the mail as new to respond to later and then it just seems to turn invisible. *sighs* I seriously appreciate all the support!! *hugs you all*

Thank you to Spikeslovebite for the quick beta job!!!
 

Chapter 14

    A scant eight hours later, the group re-convened at the mansion on Crawford Street. Giles was relieved to note the good health in which Joyce arrived, while shooting Xander warning looks regarding the thoughtless, snide remarks about housing a demon. Quite frankly, it was wearing on him, but he knew Xander was not about to let it rest.

    When Spike and Buffy arrived moments later, the mood was decidedly tense. The sewer tunnels had leant safe passage from the strong rays of the sun, yet Buffy couldn't help but express a few choice comments about the stench. The warm heat of the sun was something almost as foreign to her as it was to Spike, and Buffy found herself  longing for the cold, crisp New England weather.  The temperate sunny winter of Sunnydale just seemed... wrong somehow.

    Slightly on the smoldering side but no worse for wear, Spike dove through the wide double doors leading into the large front room of the mansion. He offered Joyce a smile in greeting and tipped his head in acknowledgment to Giles, but steadfastly ignored the others present.

    Not that Buffy blamed him, of course.  The baleful, resentful looks that both Xander and Willow were shooting his way set her teeth on edge.  She could see the hurt just rippling off of them; the knowledge that she had embraced an evil vampire while keeping them at arms length had caused a myriad of hurt feelings and bitterness.  However, Buffy did not feel inclined to remedy that situation any time soon.  Change had occurred in the year she had been gone, and at the very least, her priorities and loyalties had gone through a metamorphosis.  Buffy realized that there had been no maturation as far as her Sunnydale friends went, and a pang of sadness went through her at this realization. She had grown up -they hadn't.

    A familiar figure emerged through one of the side doors, and Buffy found her lips curling up in an instinctive smile. There was little about him that seemed changed, and she found herself buoyed by the utter normalcy. Well, if blue hair could be considered normal.  "Hey Oz.  Long time with the no see-age."

    "Buffy."  Oz nodded his head in greeting.  "Welcome."

    Buffy's smile widened at his words.  His greeting spoke volumes. Here was one person who hadn't just assumed she was 'back home.'

    "So how is, er... Angel?" Giles asked.

    Oz shrugged his shoulders, his face showing a hint of compassion.  "Not eating, not talking. The same."

    "Dear lord," Giles mumbled, shaking his head in consternation. The condition they were likely to find the vampire sparked images of unspeakable horror.  The vampire had not been faring well upon his departure, and Giles knew what lay behind the door was only bound to be worse.

    Spike shot his head up at Oz's statement, his eyes hardening with realization. "He hasn't been feeding?"

    "No. We have thus far been unable to entice him to feed," Giles revealed. "Either animal blood or human blood. It fails to provoke a reaction aside from a slight increase in growling and agitation."

    "Yeah. Keep hoping he'll just one day go 'poof', but sadly..." Xander let his sentence trail off, remembering the company he was now in. At the low growl that was directed his way, Xander  gripped the stake he held securely in his hand with fierce determination.

    "Xander, what are you doing with that stake?" Buffy's voice was mild and even; thus ten times more lethal than if she had shrieked at him at the top of her lungs.

    Xander brought himself up defiantly. "Last time I looked, I was in the company of vampires. As in, plural. Not really seeing the need to explain myself here."

    "Xander!" Willow hissed, shooting nervous looks in Spike's direction.

    "Xander, do shut up," Giles declared, his voice clearly heralding the irritation felt around the room. "Spike, is there some significance to his lack of hunger?"

    Spike snorted, barely keeping a hold of the mixed- yet torrential- feelings that had overwhelmed him the second he had entered the mansion. Memories had their own way of sneaking through even the staunchest of intent, digging and clawing until they threatened to devour every last reserve. His hold on Buffy tightened, and he could tell by the tenseness of her normally pliant muscles that the memories were not being kind to her either.  He ignored the disgusted look on the boy's face when Buffy melded herself into his embrace, and the urge to kill his first human in a year became practically overwhelming.

    "Yeah, it's significant," Spike finally got out.

    "Would you mind elaborating?" Giles asked, peering at him with curiosity.

    "Thought it'd be obvious to you, being a Watcher and all."

     A flicker of irritation passed across Giles's face before being quickly tamped down. "An explanation would be appreciated, Spike."

    "Please! He's just blowing smoke out of his ass. He doesn't know a thing," Xander complained loudly, his words sounding whiney and ridiculous even to his ears.  His brain and mouth seemed to be unattached, like two separate parts of his body. Sometimes even he was surprised at what was spewed from his lips.

    A clenched jaw and corded neck muscles were the only outward signs that Spike heard the complaints across the room.

    "Xander, one more unnecessary remark such as that, and you can kindly take yourself home." There was a hint of Ripper in the glare that was sent in the teen's direction.

    Xander slouched down, properly put in his place. His face held a sullen, mulish look that even Willow found irritating. She had to give Spike credit for not going all 'grrr' on Xander because even she had to fight the urge to slap her friend.

    "Spike?" Giles prompted once more, eager to hear the vampire's assessment over the lack of feeding. "The significance, if you will?"

    "The significance is that it kind of clues you in there that it's Angel behind the wheel."

    Giles's eyes widened at this revelation. "How so?"

    Spike shook his head at the Watcher's ignorance. "Really, Rupert. You Council members have got to get your asses out of the books and learn a few things. Tell me... has he been violent or pretty much whipped puppy dog?"

    "Er... he has been fairly easy to manage."

    "Right. Soul having."

    "How does that make it clear to you?"

    Spike rolled his eyes. "The demon is basically a wild animal, Rupert. Its sole purpose for existing is for death and destruction. It's the man that gives it the mannerisms of a human, but it's a soul that gives back the ability to decide between right and wrong. If it was Angelus that was sent back in his most primal state, there is one thing you can be bloody well sure of. Either the lot of you would be dead or he'd be blowing in the wind. No maybe about it.  It's the soul that's been refusing to eat, not the demon."

    "Please. You don't know that," Xander scoffed.

    'No, I do believe he is right. That makes more sense than anything I've been able to hypothesize," Giles announced, his eyebrows pinching together in concentration.

    Spike watched the wheels spinning in the Watcher's brain while trying to suss out his own emotions. After the initial anger had dissipated, the next reaction to hearing the news of his grandsire's apparent resurrection was fear; mind-numbing panic that everything good that had happened during the past year would be swept away with one mighty crook of the Poof's finger. Then he had summoned up the courage to look in Buffy's eyes and what he found there had humbled him. He saw her love, her passion, her utter devotion to him. Him. Spike. William the Bloody. Not Angel.  Buffy would never would be for Angel again. She was his.

    He took the opportunity to look once more into her eyes, and felt a small measure of relief when he saw no change in her response to him.  Buffy's green eyes still glittered brightly with compassion and love, and she gave him a small smile that spoke volumes. Yes, he could do this. Whatever happened with Angel, Spike knew he would not have to deal with competing for Buffy's attention. Buffy loved him, and the total abandonment with which she continued to show him her love never ceased to amaze him. Not for the first time, Spike thanked whatever divine intervention that was responsible for drawing them together.

    Spike could feel the presence of family close by and was suddenly compelled to be reunited with the only other member of their family that remained, now that Drusilla, Darla and the Master were no longer walking the earth. It had only occurred to him once that he was the last of his line; Head of the legendary Line of Aurelius. Oddly enough, it hadn't even rated a second consideration. That wasn't who he was anymore; or more telling, who he wanted to be.

    "Where is he?" Spike asked, more out of courtesy than anything-more than capable of sniffing out Angel.

    "He's chained up in the master bedroom," Giles supplied.

    "Chained?" Buffy asked. "I thought you said he was easy going."

    They all ignored Xander's snort. "I said easily managed, Buffy. However, as I stated at your house, he has not changed out of his vampiric face since we found him. We felt it was the safest thing for all of us if we kept him contained."

    Without further clarification, Giles led them towards the door that Oz had emerged from. Spike and Buffy drew up the rear, the feeling of trepidation growing with each passing step. The air seemed to thicken with desolation the closer they got, and as the door was opened, the smell of dank decay swept out to greet them.

    "I know this smell...." Buffy whispered, trying to lighten the mood. She knew Spike well enough to know that he was seriously disturbed. "It smells like our house."

    Spike's answering snort assured her that her goal had been somewhat obtained. But what they saw before them quickly wiped away all hint of humor.

    It didn't even look like Angel. That was the one thought that gripped them both, each struggling with their remnant feelings for the vampire. This... thing resembled nothing even close to the tall, self-assured specimen of their memories.

    He was chained to the far wall; thick, heavy links attached to wide manacles clamped on his wrists that ensured his continued captivity. But from what Buffy and Spike could see, this thing posed no threat.

    "How long has he been here?" Buffy asked, her voice thick with horror.

    "I told you, Buffy. A month," Giles supplied, now having visual confirmation that the vampire's condition had declined since he last saw him.

    There was no sign at all that Angel was aware of their arrival. He sat huddled on the tattered cot that was the only piece of furniture within his range. Even with all of his limbs drawn in and his head down, Buffy could see that Angel was in a state far past emaciation. What she could see of the bowed face showed a severe degree of gauntness; the supernatural ridges that lined his forehead jutting out in obscene contrast to the hollow cheeks, his fangs bared against bloodied, cracked lips. There were cartons of congealed animal blood scattered about the floor, seemingly untouched.

    Buffy had thought Spike's self-imposed starvation during their drive across the United States had educated her regarding the physiological effects of a vampire not drinking blood.

    But obviously there were far greater effects to be experienced in response to long term denial.

    There was little flesh covering the boney frame on the bed; a far cry from the robust vampire she had sent to hell. What flesh was in evidence had a sickeningly petrified appearance, grey in pallor.  Images of mummies flashed through Buffy's head, as she searched for any sign that this was Angel.

    Instead of the usual carefully styled wall of hair, his locks sported a month of neglect; matted and dirty, hanging over his shoulders. Or it could have been a year of neglect, Buffy realized, noting the changed length.

    He looked dead. As in, REALLY dead. Buffy nearly gagged at the stench of decay and the smell of unwashed vampire. He could just as easily been a corpse; intricately displayed on the cot... except for the low growls and grunts that rumbled from his sunken, boney chest.

    "How do you know it's him?" Buffy whispered to Giles.

    "His er, tattoo."

    Buffy nodded, tears springing to her eyes. Spike squeezed her hand and she looked to him for support, seeing the compassion and worry mirrored back at her.

    "We have to fix him," she murmured, eyes beseeching.

    Buffy gave a slight sigh of relief at the curt nod that Spike offered her in response.

    He may not like his grandsire, but he knew what needed to be done. Like the Watcher had said, there was something whispering in the back of his mind that to allow the death of the poof would be very bad indeed. After living with Drusilla for a century, he knew that sometimes those little voices had something important to say.

    Then the creature on the cot lifted his head, dead, expressionless eyes turned in their direction. A small flicker of awareness shone for just a second before being extinguished, and the creature growled loudly.

  Spike growled back.
 

    tbc....

 FEEDBACK PLEASE!!
 

Chapter 15

    It seemed like an eternity as the two creatures of the night held each other's penetrating gaze. Spike's demon had slid forward the moment Angel had called to him. He may like to think he was a man, but underneath it all, he was at the mercy of the ancient, mystical forces that had mated man and demon; thus creating the first vampire.
 
    Angel's call to him had been primal; filled with despair and regret, leaving Spike with the bereft knowledge that no matter what past transgressions had occurred between them; he would now do anything in his power to help the other vampire. Armed with the instinctive knowledge that the older vampire wanted his slow suicide sped up, Spike couldn't help but have his determination reaffirmed. That little niggling voice in his head would not leave him alone.
 
    Angel could not die. It was as simple as that.
 
    When Angel tipped his head once more in silent submission, a telling event  in itself-Angel had never allowed himself to become submissive to his grand-childe. Spike turned to Giles. 
 
    "Need to talk to you about a few things, mate."
 
    The term 'mate' did not go unnoticed by the Watcher, knowing instinctively it was not just a flippant term but rather a white flag in the face of adversity.  
 
     Giles nodded his head in a curt decisive manner and turned to the others.
 
    "Joyce, would you be so kind as to take Willow and Xander home?"
 
    The anticipated loud protestations soon ensued, causing Joyce and Giles to share an aggravated look over their heads.
 
    "I'll take them home," Oz announced calmly, reaching for his girlfriend's hand.
 
    "Thank you, Oz," Giles returned, his respect for the werewolf rising with each level-headed encounter. If only it had been Oz who had befriended Buffy on that first day of school rather than Xander.... Events most likely would have taken a much different course entirely, he thought wryly.
 
    Giles had to respect the way Oz herded Willow and Xander out, trying to take note of the subtle yet highly effective maneuvering skills he utilized. When the door to the mansion had slammed shut in a theatrical manner, Giles sighed with relief.
 
Looking at Joyce, then at Spike, Giles asked, "What did you wish to speak about?"
 
Spike's mouth flattened to a grim line as he shook his head. "Need to talk to Buffy first."
 
    Without waiting for a reply, Spike grabbed Buffy's hand and drew her out of the room.  When they had obtained a small measure of privacy, he gathered her carefully into his arms, a slight edge of paranoia still gripping him at having his girl in such close contact with the big poof.
 
    He needn't have worried though. Buffy clung to him, allowing her tears to fall. But they were not the tears of a lover, even Spike could discern that. They were merely the tears of sadness over the misfortune of someone who still held a small place in her heart.
 
    "We have to do something," Buffy whispered, now aware that her mother and Giles had entered the room and were eyeing them with impatience.
 
    "Yeah, I know." Both of them knew what was going to be necessary to get the other vampire on the path towards health, and Buffy suddenly wished her mom and Giles were not there. Things would be so much easier without them.
 
    Buffy turned in Spike's embrace to face the two intruding adults. She was willing to cut them some slack, seeing how affected they were as well. Buffy found herself surprised that her Watcher hadn't staked Angel on sight, and voiced that thought.
 
    "As I told Spike, there was something that was not allowing me to carry through with my initial intent, no matter how strong the desire was," Giles replied in agitation.
 
    Spike nodded his head.  "Yeah, Getting that same feelin'."
 
    Giles looked at him curiously, the implications astounding. "So... you think there is some... supernatural force at work here?"
 
    Spike snorted. "Well, can pretty much tell you my last feelings were that I hated the bloody bastard.  Shouldn't be entertaining these thoughts of seeing the wanker all fleshed out, ya know? So yeah, I'm thinking something else is going on here."
 
    Wrinkles appeared on Giles's forehead as his brow furrowed with the implication that they were dealing with an unknown that had the capability of altering their emotions. 
 
    "Yes, well, we may not even have a problem if we are unable to get Angel to feed," Giles finally announced in a tired voice.
 
    "I can get him to feed."
 
    Giles looked at him sharply. "Yes, I am certain that you could. But... I was under the impression that vampires required LIVING blood in which to obtain nourishment. I do not believe your blood will suffice."
 
    A barely discernable look passed between Buffy and Spike, one that filled Giles with a sick feeling of dread. "No. I cannot allow this."
 
    "It's none of your business, Giles," Buffy said softly, her entire body going rigid.
 
    "What?" Joyce asked in confusion. This is not what she had signed up for when she decided to have children, she thought with irritation. Demons and starving vampires.... Whatever happened to normal things like football games and broken curfews?
 
    Silence met her probing question. Joyce's eyes narrowed as they landed on the Watcher. "I'd like an answer to my question, please."
 
    Giles ripped his glasses off in consternation and focused his attention on getting the already spotless lenses even more so. "Er, Spike is suggesting that Angel be allowed to feed from him."
 
    "And what's the problem with that?"
 
    Again silence greeted her confusion, no one quite willing to meet her eyes.
 
    Joyce sighed with irritation then looked at the one person who she knew would supply her with the answer everyone else already possessed. "Spike?"
 
    Spike spared a quick look at Buffy who studiously ignored his gaze as she picked at non-existent lint on her sweater.  "I'll be feeding from Buffy first. That's the problem that ol' Rupert has."
 
    Joyce's gasp was immediate, outrage and concern brimming to the surface.
 
    "We will find another way," Giles said flatly.
 
    "Don't be a git," Spike announced loudly.
 
    Buffy found herself rolling her eyes at Giles' return to Stick-Up-the-Butt land. "Geez, Giles!  He's not going to hurt me or anything! And it's not like this will be the first time his fangs have been me either," she reminded.
 
    Giles cringed, not wanting to hear intimate details of Spike's protruding body parts sticking into his Slayer.  Still, he knew she had a valid point and he was just letting his own prejudice get in the way of a very sound solution to Angel's feeding problems.  "Very well, Buffy.  Assuming you know what is best in this case, I will bow to your superior knowledge.  However, I must insist on standing guard."
 
    "The hell you will!" Spike yelled in outrage. "Not runnin' a bloody peep show here, Watcher!"
 
    Buffy's eyes rolled of their own accord once more. "Spike, chill.  Giles, believe me when I tell you, it is so not necessary."
 
    "I don't think I'm comfortable with this either," Joyce said with a frown.
 
    Spike's jaw tensed and his eyes flashed with a surprising sense of betrayal. When he felt one small, but powerful hand on his forearm, he turned to look into her pleading eyes and his escalating resentment eased.
 
    "They don't know you like I do," Buffy told him softly.
 
    Spike looked over to where her mum and the Watcher were watching them with undisguised curiosity and cursed silently. From the look of determination on Rupert's face and the fear shadowing Joyce eyes, Spike knew privacy was not going to be an option here.
 
    Buffy looked at her mom and tried once more. "You guys can go. Really."
 
    To Buffy's chagrin, her mom pulled more tears on her. "Oh Buffy... I just can't leave you here with even the slightest hint of danger... I just can't bear the thought of losing you again."
 
     Buffy turned to Spike with a helpless look on her face, and he just shrugged. 
 
    Buffy sighed. "Alright, fine." She gave them both a hard look.  "But no interruptions, ok? And don't... say anything."
 
    Turning back to Spike, she jutted her chin out with determination. "So...we doing this or what?"

   
    A wicked grin slid over Spike's handsome face. "Oh yeah, we'll be doing... it, alright."

 
    Buffy shot him a warning look then angled her head to the side bravely, bunching her hair in a loose ponytail with one hand to keep it out of fangs way.
 
    "Oh no, not doing it like that, Buffy," Spike said in a low dangerous voice that Buffy knew very well. With wicked intent, he planted his hands firmly on her shoulders and guided her purposefully backwards until her butt hit the wall on the opposite side of the room where her mother and Giles insisted on keeping watch.
 
     "You know how you get," he whispered seductively in her ear.
 
    Already squirming, Buffy shot him a dirty look. "Don't you dare start anything with my mother standing right there!"
 
    "Don't have to start anything," Spike replied smugly. "Just have to do this." A low, rumbling purr sounded from his chest, and Spike rubbed his cheek against her ear to make sure she got the full affect.
 
    Buffy's head dropped back and hit the wall. "Oh, so not fair! You made with the purries."
 
    Slowly easing his body against hers so she was trapped against the wall, he lowered his head to lightly sniff her neck, alternately blowing short bursts of cool air over the promised site. Buffy's eyes closed against their will and she sighed with anticipation.
 
    "I know how to get your motor revvin, Buffy," he purred into her ear.
 
    "Good lord, do you have to turn this into such a...  production?" Giles complained loudly causing Buffy's head to jerk up, her face flooding with color. Spike had actually made her forget that there were spectators in the room.
 
    Spike turned his head around and leveled a harsh look on the Watcher. "If you don't soddin' well like it, you know where the door is. Not about to just bite her."
 
    "Rupert." Joyce's voice came through in quiet reproach and he whipped his head around to regard her.
 
    A silent battle of wills ensued until Giles finally heaved a weighty sigh and gestured to Spike to continue.
 
    When they turned back to the couple in question, a web of shock ensnared them both.
 
    Spike had wasted no time and now has his head positioned at Buffy's throat, the ridges of his demon clearly visible, the muscles of his throat contracting as he swallowed Buffy's life blood.
 
    But the surprising component was Buffy reaction. Her head was tossed back as it was earlier, but the abandoned ecstasy on her face painted a disturbing image of just how much she was enjoying Spike's ministrations.
 
    Her hands were clutching the leather lapels of his jacket and it was clear that the denim encased knee shoved between her legs and Spike's body pressed against her was the only thing keeping her upright.
 
    A low, rumbling sound reached their ears and Giles looked away in embarrassment.  Once again he had let his strict prejudices get in the way rather than trusting his Slayer and this particular vampire.  But a trustworthy vampire? It was a hard concept to wrap around his strict Council-ingrained brain. However, he was willing to work on it.
 
    Feeling rather like a voyeur, he took Joyce by the arm and led her outside, now willing to give his charge and William the Bloody the privacy they had requested; wishing he had done so in the first place.
 
    The look of acute pleasure on Buffy's face as Spike fed from her was one he could have done quite well without ever have seeing.    
 
TBC

Chapter 16

Spike drank longer than he would have liked, the knowledge that his blood would be more healing for Angel with every drop that he took enough to keep his fangs embedded in her flesh far beyond his usual stopping point.

But better for what? he couldn't help but ask himself.

Ignoring his own throbbing need, Spike took pleasure in knowing that this blood sacrifice Buffy was making for her ex-lover came with its own brand of fulfillment; his jeans sure to be damp from the ferocity with which his girl had come after grinding mightily against his thigh.

And that was a bit of all right.

Especially in light of the struggle he was most likely going to be facing in getting Angel to feed, and again he wondered why he was even bothering.

But he knew. Just as he knew his love for Buffy was absolute, he was aware that something was tampering with his emotions, allowing him to see the situation in a different light. Otherwise he would have been reacting with all the protectiveness of his inherent impulsive nature, ready to shield Buffy against the threat of pain and heartache.

Not to mention a little bit of his own heart.

Except something was silencing those reactionary urges and shoving them into the background, allowing him to see circumstances in a more logical manner until it had made perfect sense; because without the events having played out exactly as they had while they had been in Sunnydale the previous year, Spike would never have wound up with Buffy in his life.

Knowing that, all he could feel was gratitude rather than the seething hatred he had harbored since that night the mighty Poof had been sent to hell. For the gift of Buffy, Spike was willing to endure whatever agenda that had caused Angel to be tossed back from eternal damnation.

Carefully removing his teeth from Buffy's neck, he pulled back just slightly to gaze deeply into her eyes. One hand reached up to gently cup the side of her face as he asked, "You ok?"

Buffy's smile was languid, if not a bit on the sappy side. "Oh yeah, you could say that."

Spike's smirk was pure ego. "Guess I don't need to ask if that was good for you then, eh?"

"That would be a no." Buffy looked around, forehead furrowing. "Where did my mom and Giles go?"

"They skipped out about the time you started getting it on with my thigh shoved between your legs," Spike replied with a lewd smile. He watched her flush a pretty color of crimson. "Hey, we did warn 'em."

"Yeah, I guess." Buffy's face turned serious. "So now what?"

Spike sighed, pushing himself away from the tempting softness that his own body was sandwiching against the wall. "Now, I need to get the git to take a bite out of me."

Buffy bit back the shard of jealousy that stabbed her at his words, not realizing the impact of its existence on Spike, who crushed her to him once more.

"I love you," he murmured against her hair.

"I love you, too," Buffy responded, tipping her head back to capture his lips in a quick, hungry kiss. "And just so we're clear on this, it's you I want."

Spike pulled back, scoffing. "Please, like I was even worried about that." At her pointed look, he added, "Ok fine, maybe a little."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Like I'd want Angel back after everything we've shared this past year? Please."

The smile he gave her warmed her.

Drawing himself up with a sigh of resolution, Spike sent a quick glance in the direction of the room that had served as Angel's prison. His face hardened as he mentally prepared himself for the scene that was about to take place.

"Guess you'll be wanting me to stay here?" Buffy asked, studying his face.

His head jerked back and his eyes captured hers intently. "Yeah. Gonna have a hard time getting him to really let the demon out enough to go after me."

Buffy tipped her head quizzically. "Don't tell me, let me guess. You're going to use me to piss him off."

Spike's lips curled up in a slightly smug smile. "Well, yeah."

Buffy threw her arms around his neck for a brief moment, resting her cheek against the familiar hard contours of Spike's chest. "Good luck," she announced simply, her eyes telling him all that he needed to know.

++++++

As Spike slipped through the door that kept his grandsire in imprisoned isolation, the odor of decay and filth once more assaulted him. Thankful that he didn't need to draw the pungent air into his lungs in order to survive, he kept a careful eye on the pitiful creature huddled in the corner of the master bedroom.

There was no reaction as the heavy door slammed shut behind him and Spike took a moment to adopt the bad ass demeanor that he had used as an emotional shield in his life before Buffy.

Approaching the bowed figure, the contemptuous curve of Spike's lips slid into place with little effort.

"Well now," Spike began, "Isn't this just pathetic."

A slight flinch was the only outward sign that Angel was even aware of his presence, much less his voice.

"The almighty Angelus allowing himself to wallow in filth? Never thought I'd see the day. You wear it well, I might add," Spike mocked, one hand reaching into the deep pocket of his duster for the familiar weight of his cigarettes. He paused to light one with an exaggerated snap of his lighter before continuing the necessary torment.

"So... even Hell got sick of listening to you, is that it? Can't say as I really blame them."

Spike studied the submissive vampire on the ground in front of him, taking a step forward to squat in front of his elder. He took a leisurely drag of his cigarette before blowing the smoke deliberately into Angel's face.

"You've taken the tortured puppy-dog act and really run with it, haven't you?" Spike shook his head mockingly. "Bet you didn't expect to find Buffy not here. Must have come as quite a blow and all."

The mere mention of Buffy's name was enough to garner a response, and Spike knew he was on the right track. "Yeah, that was right convenient, let me tell ya. Because of that little stunt you tried by unleashing Hell on earth, your sweet little slayer was just ripe for the pickings."

A head topped with dirty, matted brown hair snapped up, the beginning vestiges of hatred beginning to simmer in the amber eyes that regarded Spike.

He smiled cruelly. "Yeah, ripe she was. I accidentally killed Dru, you know. You ruined everything that meant anything to me, you selfish prick. So the way I saw it? Taking your little slayer and breaking her was just a bit o' payback."

Spike fought back the nausea that swirled in his belly from referring to Buffy in such a crude fashion. It was just one more reminder of how much he had changed, and again, that knowledge refused to rile his demon. If he had been a different kind of vamp, more like Angelus, breaking Buffy would have been the reality.

But he wasn't like Angelus and never would be.

A rusty growl rumbled from the damaged vampire's chest, alerting Spike that his acting job was sufficient and he was getting through and pissing Angel's demon off. "What?" he asked mockingly. "Don't tell me that bothers you? You didn't seem to care when you were trying to run a sword through the bitch."

The growling grew louder and Spike knew it was just a matter of time - and words. "Glad you're back, by the way, so I can thank you for doing such a wonderful job of messing with the girl's head. Do you smell her on me?" Spike waved his hand - that had found its way between Buffy's legs earlier - under Angel's nose. "Got her dependant on the Big Bad. You got her so twisted in the head, all I had to do was come in and pretend to be there to pick up the pieces and your precious little slayer was all over me. Fucked her every night since."

Spike grinned at the smoldering fury that had built in Angel's eyes and was threatening to erupt. "And you know what the best part is? The bitch thanks me for it. Every night, I spread her sweet, little cunt open and pound her into the ground, and she thanks me for it." He shook his head in disbelief. "What a world."

The subsequent attack was expected. Angel may have been submissive earlier, but that was forgotten as he lunged at Spike with a savage snarl. If it even crossed Angel's mind why Spike was within striking distance, no heed was paid as the elder vamp attacked and sunk his fangs in Spike's throat, the demon desperate to reestablish control and punish his errant kin.

Spike was tackled backward, making no attempt to remove the vampire that had torn into his flesh, feeling the blood he had just taken from Buffy leaving his own body far quicker than it had entered. Spike knew once Angel realized he had been duped into feeding - with slayers blood, at that - it wasn't going to be pretty.

But for now, his mission had been accomplished. Angel was feeding, and Spike knew first hand the healing capacity of Buffy's blood.

"You pound me into the ground every night... and I thank you for it?" Buffy asked derisively from the doorway, arms crossed as she waited for them both to notice her presence.

tbc...
 

"You pound me into the ground every night... and I thank you for it?" Buffy asked derisively from the doorway, arms crossed as she waited for them both to notice her presence.

Chapter 17

Eyes wide with surprise, Spike's head jerked around at the sound of her voice, grimacing when the movement was accompanied with the pain of his skin tearing beneath Angel's fangs.

Buffy's eyebrow arched expectantly, and it was only the amused smile playing around her mouth that clued Spike in that she didn't begrudge him the crude words he'd used to get Angel enraged enough to attack.

"Yeah, you so wish," Buffy snickered, rolling her eyes at the lingering look of panic on Spike's face before he'd realized she wasn't damage-bound. He was so whipped, it was kind of cute, she thought fondly.

Spike read the expression on her face and opened his mouth to refute his whipped status when his attention was drawn back to the matter at hand - or rather, the vampire holding him down.

The sound of Buffy's voice had finally penetrated the rage-filled focus of what was currently functioning as Angel's brain, and with an anguished cry, the vampire in question tore his teeth from Spike's neck and frantically searched the room until his amber eyes fell on the girl whose virtue he now seemed determined to protect rather than destroy.

Time seemed to stand still as the thing that used to be her boyfriend devoured her with a yearning, savage look. Buffy searched the emaciated face with the overly-pronounced, ridged forehead for any hint of lucidity, watching as his body practically restored itself right before her eyes - thanks to the blood he had been duped into taking.

With a hard shove, Spike pushed Angel off of him and jumped to his feet; brushing off his leather duster in an unsuccessful effort to remove the filth that was sure to be ground in. "Disgusting," he muttered heatedly, swiping at one arm. He turned to glower at the vampire responsible when he caught sight of the guilt that burned in his transfixed stare. "Guess that answers the soul-having question," Spike remarked unnecessarily.

At the sound of Spike's voice, Angel growled a low warning and made a clumsy attempt to get to his feet. He made it no farther than his knees before the iron manacles around his wrists halted his progress. They watched warily as Angel's shoulders slumped dejectedly, the restrained limbs now hanging limply at his sides as he continued to regard Buffy with an almost disturbing reverence.

Spike and Buffy exchanged a brief look, wondering how this was going to play out. From across the room, it took her a moment to notice the rivulets of blood sliding down from the gaping holes that Angel had left in her husband's neck. But once she did, her entire focus shifted, immediately becoming one of concern.

"You're bleeding," she announced with a frown. Buffy stepped inside the doorway, intent on inspecting the damage up close.

Her concern toward Spike's well-being proved to be the catalyst that served to give Angel back his clarity.

Snarling fiercely, Angel moved with speed that neither thought possible, lurching against the chains that held him until they snapped, a loud clank echoing loudly throughout the room as they fell uselessly to the floor. Freed from his restraints, Angel lunged to intercept Buffy, determined to put himself between the slayer that he had wronged and the vampire who had used and abused her.

"No," he snarled, the word foreign and harsh from vocal cords that were rusty with disuse.

Buffy's forward motion ground to an immediate halt, and she looked over Angel's shoulder with a questioning look on her face. Spike merely shrugged, alerting her that it was going to be up to her. His part was done.

She rolled her eyes which prompted another growl from Angel. "It's ok, Angel," she attempted to explain, seeing the slight tinge of awareness return to his ridged features as her blood continued to heal his body.

But Angel ignored her attempts at placating him, shaking his head violently. "No," he repeated, his voice sounding stronger and more sure, his posture straightening as the primitive edge that had been dominating his brain began fading away. Buffy didn't know why "primitive" Angel was protective of her when "soulless" Angel had just wanted her dead, and realized she didn't particularly care.

Because right now, he was just in her way.

"Angel, Spike was just messing with you. He didn't mean what he said," Buffy tried to clarify, taking a careful step forward. "He didn't break me."

Spike snorted at that and Buffy pinned a determined look on him. "So not with the helping here, Spike."

Angel watched her face with a befuddled look. When his features smoothed out, Buffy was given the reassurance that they had accomplished the task that had sent Giles in a tizzy to find her. They had gotten through to him.

"B-Buffy?" Angel managed to get out, confusion furrowing his brow as his brain struggled to catch up.

Buffy sighed. "Yeah. Look, Spike didn't mean those... things... he said to you, ok?"

Angel took his eyes off her long enough to whip around in time and see Spike holding something to the angry holes in his neck, the large amount of blood Angel had taken from him creating his own healing deficit.

Buffy's eyes followed, needing to reassure herself that Spike was ok - but they quickly grew wide with outrage. "Is that my underwear you're using?" she gasped. "It is, isn't it?"

Spike had the good sense to look chagrined. "Well, yeah. It's all I have."

"And why do you have my underwear in your pocket?" she accused without thinking, mourning the loss of the pricey pair of silk panties that had a matching bra...

Her face flooded with color at the exact moment Spike tipped his eyebrow at her in lewd reminder of just when she had last worn that particular lingerie set.

And more importantly, when it had been bitten off her body in the back office at the bowling alley.

Angel turned back to her, his face bearing an even greater mask of befuddled misery. Buffy hurried to change the subject. "Anyway, as I was saying, Spike didn't mean those things he said about me. About us."

Angel's lip curled slightly, a growl rumbling from his throat. "Can... smell you."

The bright color returned to Buffy's cheeks. "Stupid vampires and their sense of smell," she muttered, not wanting to meet his gaze. Or that of the smug vamp behind him, for that matter.

"Don't know how you can smell anything over the stench in here," Spike commented, his own lip curling distastefully, but found himself enjoying Buffy's comely blushes - and the reasons behind them.

"Spike!" Buffy admonished, her head shooting up to send another glare in his direction.

"Wot? Just saying."

Footsteps in the hall outside created the very welcomed diversion, and Buffy actually was relieved at hearing Giles hesitantly approach the opened doorway.

"We're in here," Buffy alerted the watcher unnecessarily, thankful for the interruption. She wasn't trying to avoid talking about her relationship with Spike, she just didn't want to be with the explainy when Angel hadn't quite returned from his long-term residence on the wild side.

As Giles stepped into the room, his eyes widened appreciatively when he noted Angel's upright posture and the lack of demonic attributes. He still found the vampire on the skeletal side, but there was now a considerable change in the quality of skin that was stretched tautly over what used to be an adequate frame, the color no longer the mottled shade of true death.

"Angel," he greeted in a wary voice, making it sound more like a question than a welcome.

It didn't take Giles long to realize that he had interrupted something, the barely contained fury that surrounded the restored vampire almost a living and tangible thing. He was suddenly thankful that he'd had the foresight to have Joyce wait outside.

When his greeting went unanswered, Giles turned his attention to the other vampire present in the room, starting slightly when he took in his appearance. It was evident that the feeding had taken a toll on Spike as he beheld the way blood dripped from skin that was paler than it should have been - undead status aside.

Clearing his throat uncomfortably as the seconds ticked by, Giles inquired, "So, it was... er, successful?"
 

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