Chapter 1

Slayer Dreams

Post ATS & BTVS. Surprises abound in different lands, different cultures, different times and a different relationship between Buffy & Spike. Magic and action thrives. The ATS crew is bitter after their treatment during S5 ATS by Giles, Andrew and Buffy. Starting w/a dream and phone call, the BTVS crew has to ask for the help of the vampire with a soul (unaware of Spike’s return). Can Spike and Angel get over the hard feelings? And old loves? Spike is cold and Buffy is hot for him. Can Buffy find a way back to Spike while they save the world-again? SPUFFY! B/S, A/N Bloodplay.

&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~

When she fell asleep, Buffy knew she was going to have a slayer dream.

Damn!

What? Another apocalypse?

The dream started, and she was confused. As a rule, she hadn’t understood most of her past slayer dreams until Giles decoded it for her, but this didn’t feel like any of her others. The look was like one of her regular Buffy dreams with a side dish of slayer prophecy. Normally, the slayer dream was about the future. However, instead of time as the focal point, the central character was Spike as he appeared in her every night, normal dreams.

In this first part of the dream, she could see Spike fighting. Not demons or anything. It felt more like sparring with someone. His opponent must be pretty good because Spike was going full out and, whoever it was, they were keeping up. Buffy loved to watch him move. He was grace in action, moving with speed, skill, and accuracy. One thing she could tell was that the opponent wasn’t her, but that she was watching from the sidelines and wishing she was his adversary. The dream left her wanting.

The dream shifted. She was with Spike in a room made of stone. She was arguing with him, definitely a heated debate. Unfortunately, she couldn’t tell what they were arguing over, but Buffy wasn’t too concerned about the dream. She and Spike had argued all the time. Why would it be any different in a dream? Then they were kissing, a passionate kiss. When they broke apart, Spike kissed his way down her neck. Nothing new in this dream from some of her others, until he shifted into game face. She could feel his fangs enter her neck. Strange, she wasn’t surprised.

The last dream faded to be replaced by blood. Lots of blood. Buffy could make out Spike laying on a stone floor with his pants leg in tatters and bleeding from shallow wounds on his lower leg. She could see a couple of people crouched over him, but she couldn’t make them out. Her stomach churned seeing Spike in that condition and she itched to go to him. But she felt that for some reason she couldn’t move closer. All she could do was wring her hands and watch him bleed.

Blood played a predominate role in the next part of her dream. She could see stairs- stairs that went up and up with blood rushing down. Spike was there, trying to climb the slick, stone steps of what looked to be a temple, and she just knew that he was trying to get to her. He looked desperate, but she felt disjointed. She knew what he was doing, but didn’t! The dream faded before she could see if he was successful or not.

The last was strangest of all. Nothing like any other dream she had ever had with Spike in it. She was suddenly thrown into a room with lots of plants and glass windows. There were two men in the room, both dressed in old fashion clothes. She guessed that they may be Victorian, but she hadn’t paid all that much attention to history class. She recognized Angel first. He looked so strange with long hair and fancy clothes. When she looked at his face, though, she saw pure evil. Buffy knew she was looking at Angelus, not Angel, and he was furious. She looked at the other man that was on the receiving end of his wrath. He was leaner in build and shorter. His hair was a light brown. Not until she got a good look at his face did she recognize Spike. Or should she say William? She might not have recognized him at all if Angel hadn’t been there. Spike was just as furious as Angelus. She could tell that they were yelling at each other, but again, as in the rest of the dream, there was no sound so she couldn’t hear what they were fighting about. Suddenly, just as Spike rushed Angelus, the dream abruptly ended.

Buffy awoke with a start. How can this be the future? Slayer dreams were prophetic. Not exactly, but more a suggestion of what was to come. How could this dream come true if Spike was in all of them? She wanted them to be true. What she wouldn’t give for him to be with her be anywhere for that matter! But Spike was gone. Out of her reach. Burned to ash. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it wasn’t a slayer dream. It just felt extra strong because Spike was in it. Her first instinct was to ask Giles, but no, she would keep this to herself. Keep it private, close to her heart.

&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~

TBC

 

 

Chapter 2

What a Difference a Phone Call Can Make

A/N: Thanks so much to Megan for beta-ing this story and for the encouragement.

&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~

“Good afternoon, Angel Investigations, LA Branch. How can I help you?” Every time Nina said that it made her smile. Helping Angel and seeing him everyday made her smile. She loved him so much.

An English accented voice came over the line. “Good afternoon. I was hoping to speak to Angel if he is in?”


“Yes, he is. Can you hold on?”


“Yes. Thank you.”


With eyebrows raised, Nina turned from the phone and looked over at Angel, whose own curiosity was written all over his face. “This guy on the phone wants to talk to you. He has a British accent, but not like Spike’s. More like Wesley had.”


“Nina, that was how Spike originally sounded before he was turned. Ask him about that sometime. He will love it.” Angel threw this over his shoulder as he headed for his desk. Even though he was setting Spike up, which he loved to do, Nina could see a tick in Angel’s clenched jaw. It still hurt hearing Wesley’s name, and to make it worse, he had a stinking suspicion who was on hold. To say that Wesley was a friend sorely missed was an incredible understatement. Spike, Angel, Nina, and sometimes Illyria- when she pitched in- made up a poor excuse for what he’d always brought to the table.

After the battle against the Black Thorn, Angel had disbanded what was left of Wolfram and Hart’s Los Angeles’ office. He and Spike had then gone back to the building and took as many books, weapons, computer data, files, numbers of the trustworthy employees- according to Lorne’s reading a few months back in the fall- and anything else they deemed valuable. Of course, the formula for the glass that protected the vampires from the sun and all of Angel’s cars fell into the ‘extremely valuable objects to go’ category with them to the Hyperion. In fact, Spike had the Viper at the moment. His own was a Masserati. Oh, not to be forgotten, they transferred enough funds to Angel’s account to last a century or two; so much that they had invested it and were living off the interest along with the profits from Angel Investigations.

Then under the name of Angel Investigations and using the trustworthy employees at Wolfram and Hart, Angel and Spike started up a hand full of branches in hot spots across the United States and Canada, ones that weren’t already crawling with slayers. No locations in Europe. Neither one of them wanted to go anywhere near the Watchers Council or a certain slayer in Rome. A complete about face from earlier in the year, neither of them had any desire to see the ex that they had in common. In fact, after the defeat of the Black Thorn, Angel and Spike had sincerely agreed for one of the few times in their existence to be done with not just Buffy, but slayers in general. As for organization of the business, Angel ran things from LA while Spike and Illyria traveled, checking up on branches in person. After his long, unappreciated stint in Sunnydale and then being so tied to Wolfram and Hart in LA, Angel was hard pressed to get Spike to stay in any one place for long, so the arrangement worked out nicely.

“This is Angel…Giles?...Yes, I am surprised you bothered to call us…” Nina was startled to hear the cynicism in Angel’s voice. She had heard bland and sarcastic, but not cynicism very often. “You have a problem that you need help with? Really? I’m shocked. Why don’t you send Andrew to handle it, and some of those new slayers. They certainly did a good job on us, but you can do the leg work this time. Thanks for calling. Bye.”


Nina got up from her seat and perched on the edge of Angel’s desk. She knew from experience that Angel was boiling underneath so she took his hand and lightly massaged it, trying to help him in some way with this obviously bad situation.

Angel would be happy to know that Giles felt the sting of his sarcasm. They both knew that Angel was referring to the incident of the mentally disturbed slayer, Dana. In typical Giles fashion, he chose to ignore Angel’s references and move on. “Wait…wait please, we have a situation developing at the Hellmouth of which we need your particular…your unique condition.”


“Don’t tell me. Wait. Let me think. Ahhh, you need a vampire with a soul.” Angel held his hand lightly over the mouthpiece and looked up at her. “Nina, guess what? I’m psychic today. Remind me to buy a lotto ticket later.”


Nina? That was a new player that Giles didn’t know about. Regardless of her, Giles was sorry to find that Angel was being less than helpful. Actually, he was shocked to find the usually stoic vampire smart mouthing him. First this Nina and second Angel’s attitude, two unknowns that didn’t sit well with him. “Yes, we do need you in Cleveland. To be exact, among a few other supernatural creatures, we need a vampire with a soul. We have an issue with the Hellmouth…er…leaking.”


That got Angel’s attention. “Leaking? Leaking? Giles, the Hellmouth isn’t some child’s beach ball deflating.”


“But…”


“But fine.” Angel let him off the hook. “Where do I go?”


He tried to cover it, but Giles’ voice sounded very relieved. “I am currently in England, but I will be leaving in a little over an hour, putting me there before you get there. The Hellmouth and our facilities are located in a suburb of Cleveland in an area called Tinkercreek. We are located in an old mansion where we outfitted the stables as a dormitory for the slayers-in-training.”


Angel interrupted Giles’ longwinded explanation. “I don’t think I will have any trouble finding it. You know, that whole vampire-hellmouth attraction. But, Giles…?”


“Yes?”


“I will be bringing my own crew. You know…so I can trust them.” He hung up before Giles could say anything more or give any orders that Angel had no intentions of following.

During the conversation, Angel had started to mention Spike as another vampire with a soul, but that wasn’t quite true anymore. After the big battle against the Black Thorn, Spike sort of Shanshu-ed, or whatever you would call it. The obnoxious punk was now a living vampire, which was a contradiction in itself. It was like the Powers That Be said that he was only half way to the reward. He still had a vampire’s characteristics, strength, enhanced senses, and stamina, and also human characteristics including breathing, able to go out in the sun and organs functioning. He was a supernatural human, but neither wanted to acknowledge that he was similar to a male version of a slayer, just with fangs and a need for blood. That was when they reminded themselves that they were done with slayers. Hell, after that phone call from Giles, Angel guessed they weren’t as done with the Watchers Council as they had wanted.

There wasn’t a day that went by that Angel hadn’t thought about how he had signed away his chance to shanshu. And Spike and Nina wouldn’t let it go- but for different reasons than his. Neither believed that you could just sign away his eventual fate, and they both believed that his successful fight against the Black Thorn earned him another chance. God, Angel hoped they were right.

He looked up into Nina’s beautiful face and immediately felt better, soaking up her warmth. But as he looked up at her, he thought about what Giles- said that more supernatural creatures would be needed. That worked into the plan nicely since Nina had been working with some gurus that specialized on control in creatures such as werewolves, and she had been progressing nicely and quickly. “Nina, how would you like to take a little trip?” After a quick kiss and explanation, he turned to his computer to surf for a hotel. “We need to get hold of Spike. He’ll just love this, and won’t they be surprised he’s back. Oh, and when you get him on his cell, put it on the speaker phone. I just gotta hear him blow up.”


“Hope no one is standing close to him when he hears this.” Nina was already headed to the phone on her desk. “He’s in Mississippi at the casinos on the coast. Our office there is having a problem with shertt demons.”


“Well, tell him to get his butt off the poker tables and meet us in Cleveland. I will get us some hotel reservations while you track him down.”


&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~

 

 

 

 

Chapter 3

Best Entrance Goes To...

In the old, colonial Tinkercreek Mansion, a watcher’s research session was in full gear. Towards the back of the building on the bottom floor, there was rectangular shaped room. There were double doors at one end and shelves of research materials on the three surrounding walls, leaving the fourth wall with the door unoccupied. The center of the room was sunken three steps down. In the sunken area there was a wide, posh u-shaped wooden table with a red leather top. Giles sat at the head of the table with Andrew on his right and Buffy on his left. Down the sides were various watchers, their slayers training at the Cleveland facility.

Buffy’s slayer senses suddenly went off the charts. She shot to her feet, and just before the somber atmosphere of the research room was shattered, the double doors slammed open. Whatever it was that had arrived, it had been moving fast.

Not it. They.

As the doors were still swinging on their sorely used hinges, four figures walked into the room, standing abreast of each other. However, due to the bright lights in the hall and the dim lights at the door to the room, the occupants of the room had difficulty making out just whom the newcomers were. From what Giles could make out, the left door had been thrown wide by what appeared to be a woman- judging by the outline of long hair and her curves. Next to her was another woman holding a much larger man’s hand. The man was wearing a long, black coat which flapped around his dark brown leather pants at the knees as he walked with attitude, a demeanor as if he ruled the room. That one Giles knew. Angel. They weren’t being invaded; Angel had arrived sooner than he had been expected. However, even though he had been told, he hadn’t expected Angel to bring three other people with him. Nonetheless, once Giles knew this was Angel, he dismissed interest in the others for the time being. He searched through his papers for his notes to discuss with the vampire.

Upon recognizing Angel, Giles may have relaxed, but Buffy, however, felt like the roots of her hair that she needed to dye were standing on end. The four were sending her slayer senses through the roof, more than just four run of the mill demons. Angel definitely wasn’t your average demon, but the other three felt strong, also.

She knew she didn’t know the first woman farthest to the left. What she noted about the second girl was that she was holding Angel’s hand. A girlfriend. Wow. It was a shock to her that Angel had a girlfriend. But who was she to talk. He had said that he would wait for her, but why should he when she hadn’t? And it wasn’t lost on her that Angel was wearing leather. Leather meant Angelus, his darker and dangerous side, and symbolized the dangerous power he was capable of. Buffy wondered what was going on.

When she glanced at the last figure on the right, who had practically broken the wood of the door when he had kicked it in, she felt the blood drain from her face, leaving her feeling light headed. As with Angel, the man wore a long coat, but this one was longer and moved with a heavier sway than Angel’s; the material was obviously leather. Of course, the hair was a give away. The lights from the hall had turned the color white. It couldn’t be. No longer trusting her legs, Buffy sank back into her seat. It just couldn’t be.

Angel and Spike stopped only a foot or so into the room, making it clear that they were cautious allies with those in the room.

Giles cleared his throat. “Well, uh…Angel…I see that you have made it.”


Angel tilted his head slightly and waited a moment, clearly annoyed by such an obvious statement. “Yes. Let me introduce you to Nina.” If they could have seen his expression, they would have seen it change from dark to light as he smiled gently down at her. “Nina, the man in the middle is Giles, the one that called our office. To his left is Andrew. You have heard me speak of him.” Missing the hard edge to Angel’s voice when he spoke his name, Andrew preened under the mention. “And on the right, is Buffy.” That is all he said of the slayer, dismissing her with a single sentence. He wanted to establish up front that he was with Nina, no longer pining for her. No way he wanted Nina to feel jealous or hurt due to his past with Buffy. “The rest of these people? I don’t know, and I am not sure that I care.”


The man with the crown of white hair raised his hand and spoke up for the first time. “Oh, I’m sure that I don’t bloody care.”


The English accent and the deep timbre of his voice that sent goose bumps up her arms cinched it for Buffy. She could live in denial until she could see his face, but her heart told her no. Spike was back. Oh, man, was she glad that she was sitting down because her legs now felt liquid.

At the same time as Spike spoke, Illyria stepped onto the table in front of her and began inspecting the people she stood above. Spike chuckled at the site. Since Angel had not introduced her already, he indicated Illyria with a sweep of his hand. “And this is Illyria. Illyria, luv, don’t get to close to the gits at your feet, or they might want to study you, put you in a petrie dish or some such.” Spike gave a wicked smile to all the people lining the room. He loved the sight of all these brainiacs with their mouths hanging open. “And me? You’ve got books. Look it up, kiddies. Spike. William the Bloody. Slayer of Slayers. And now call me Spike the Resurrected.” He left out the whole now human part. Little too much for their baby brains at the moment. In fact, he didn’t plan on telling the know-it-alls at all unless he had to.

Angel shook his head. “How about ‘Spike that never stays dead, gone, incinerated…nothing.’ Overall, he is annoying twenty-four seven. Right, Nina?”


She shook her head. “I think he is funny.”


“Don’t encourage him!” Angel put his hand over her mouth.

Illyria ignored Spike’s long list of titles, Angel’s ribbing, and stayed with the previous subject. Her voice dripped with superiority. “Spike, these people would try to study me as you studied me?”


“Yes, but not near as fun, pet.” He wiggled his eyebrows at the expressionless demon. That woman was bleedin’ fun to tease.

Spike’s implication of intimacy hit Buffy hard. Was this blue-haired demon his girlfriend? Both Spike and Angel had girlfriends?

Mirroring Illyria, Spike had stepped onto the red leather surface in front of him. But as Illyria had no hesitancy stepping on the books or bumping a coffee cup or two, as he talked Spike did his own graceful dance around the objects, turning and spinning on the table as only he could do so gracefully in a pair of Doc Martens. However, he lost all playfulness when he stood above Andrew. “Spankie. Angel and I have thought about all the advice and wonderful words of encouragement that you have relayed to us from your superiors.” With that Spike pointed at Buffy and then Giles.

Illyria stopped in front of Buffy, and looked where Spike was pointing. “This is the Giles, the man who presumed to judge you and Angel?”


Spike beamed at her and heard Angel give a snort of laughter. “Yes, luv. You’re spot on.” Spike turned his attention back to the boy. “Andrew, you piss-ant, remember that demented slayer” Unsure of where this was going, Andrew just nodded. “You brought out your dozen little slayerettes and took her from the brood guy back there. Gramps, tell the class what Spankie here said.”


Angel’s voice was flat, chilling in its own way. “To paraphrase, I was told that nobody in your camp trusts my camp any longer. Nobody. And to condense your other pearls of wisdom, anyone connected to Wolfram and Hart were traitors. We are traitors today, right, Spike? I just can’t seem to keep track which side we’re on.”


“Just call me Benedict or Arnold. What the hell, I’ll answer to either.” Spike put his foot on Andrew’s forehead and tipped him over, ending with a satisfying bang as he hit the floor. “You made sure, Spankie, that we understood that we no longer played on the same team. Quick history lesson. Angel helped against the master, Jasmine and the Mayor to name a few. I helped against Angelus, even though I wasn’t even on the white hat side yet, I helped against Glory, and I died fighting the First Evil. And then, kiddies, both Angel and I defeated the Black Thorns. Naaa, you’re right. Don’t trust us.”


Andrew tried to back pedal but just ended up sputtering. “It wasn’t my fault. The order came from Buffy about that slayer. Besides you can’t do this to me. I am on the Watchers Council.”


Giving a bark of laughter, Spike glared down at Andrew. “Just. Did. So bugger off.”


Angel started to say something else, but stopped. First because he liked watching the watchers squirm in front of Illyria and Spike, and even better squirming by Andrew and Giles. Spike was a master at mixing menace with taunting. Secondly, since the blonde vampire could always make Nina smile, Nina’s giggle now assured Spike full reign.

Ready to move on, Spike moved to stand in front of Giles. However, Illyria interrupted the festivities. She cocked her head to the side as she stared down at Buffy. “Right now, this one has strong emotions…”


Nina looked over at Angel in concern as he started coughing.

Across the room, Spike knew exactly how Angel felt. “Feel free to NOT share those little jewels, blue.”


It had taken all this time for Giles to find his voice. “You’re back.”


Spike looked down at the watcher. “Sharp as a witch’s ball, aren’t you, watcher?” Spike spun around and the tail of his jacket brushed Giles’ face, causing Giles to bat at them. Spike jumped down, and making a gentlemanly gesture, he offered his hand to help Illyria down from the table, drawing her over to stand in front of Giles. Illyria tilted her head down and looked at Giles as if he were an insect she looked forward to dissecting. “Call this the year of resurrection, Rups. Illyria, luv, show him Fred.”


When she changed into her human form, Angel stepped up to the edge of the steps. “Remember, Giles? I called you to find Willow to help save a girl’s soul, and you refused me. You. Refused. As you made so clear, no one having to do with slayers or the Watchers Council trusted me or mine any longer, so you wouldn’t help.”


All teasing and taunting had left Spike’s voice. His voice was low and full of contempt for his audience.

“Now you see the shell of the girl we wanted to save. Illyria was resurrected in her body. Fred had been a true innocent. If anyone deserved saving, it was her. Now we’ve sort’ve bonded with Illyria because she fought the apocalypse with us, but Fred left a permanent hole in the team.”


Illyria turned her head to a different seemingly awkward angle. “Wesley died performing his mission.” She watched as the man in glasses flinched at her words. “You feel guilt.”


Angel’s voice was bitter. Guilt was good. How about some more? “Did you even know that one of your comrades died saving the world? And Gunn, another member of our family died. Would you have cared?”


Still holding Illyria/Fred by the hand and with great show, Spike moved them down the length of the room and up the steps next to Nina and Angel, standing together in an obvious show of solidarity. Buffy noted how close Spike stayed to Illyria/Fred.

The brunette vampire pulled up to his full height. “Now, Giles, it appears that you need our help. Funny how these things happen.”


Keeping his eyes on the papers he was aimlessly shuffling, Giles tried to guide the conversation back to the present. “Yes, we do need a vampire with a soul. Actually, we are still translating the text, but we need a witch, a werewolf, a monarch demon. The part that mentions Shanshu with the vampire with the soul is still being translated…”


While Angel patted Nina’s hand, he and Spike shared a look. Shanshu? Interesting. “Well, we have driven a long ways, and I’m sure Nina would like to rest. Get ready the information you have so far and send it over to our hotel…


Since this was a much harsher, foreboding Angel and Spike than he was use to dealing with, Giles jumped at the opportunity to offer an olive branch. “We have an account at the Marriot on…”


Oh, Spike thought, he was going to really enjoy saying this. “Don’t need your blunt, Watcher. Send the information to the desk of the Wyndham Cleveland Hotel at Playhouse Square, and they will get it to our suite. Quite posh, it is.”


“If you want to go fab, that hotel is it.” Andrew added.

Four voices, Giles’, Buffy’s, Spike’s and Angel’s were in unison. “Shut up, Andrew.”


Sending a packet of information to a hotel wasn’t regular watcher procedure. Giles was positive that it just wouldn’t do. “I’m sure we need to do this…”


“Clean your ears out, Rupes. Send the papers to us. And when that information leaves your hands and comes to us, remember distrust goes both ways. So does trust. Quid pro quo.” Then Spike waved his hand once above his head, dismissing everyone in the room. “Ta, ta.”


The four turned to leave and found themselves facing what was surely slayers-in-training with their mouths hanging open. Spike loved the audience. He leaned in as if he was going to impart a secret of secrets. They leaned in with him, and then he gave them a loud, unexpected “boo.” The girls scrambled to move out of their way, and they walked through the opening.

Angel, Nina, Spike and Illyria stopped once they were on the steps of the mansion where Angel was safe from the daylight. Actually he was safe for a thirty feet diameter due to all of the old trees in the yard that their cars were parked under.

Spike was still hyped. “Now that was a great entrance.” Spike was bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I’m talking on a scale of one to ten, it was a thirteen.”


Angel nonchalantly shrugged. “It was ok…umf.” Nina jabbed him in the ribs.

Now that had the British blonde hopping “Ok?...OK? Just bloody ok?...You’ve got to be sodding kidding me...”


Illyria’s calm voice broke through his tirade. “The hinges were still holding the doors up.”


“There is that, blue.” Spike visibly deflated. “Ok, it was an eleven then.”


Before Illyria and Spike got into the Viper and Nina and Angel into the Masserati, the demon shook her head. “You found enjoyment in that?”


Spike and Angel looked at each other and said in unison, “Yes.” Out the open window of the car, Nina’s laughter drifted back to the mansion as they sped away.

~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&

TBC

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4

What Did I Do?

As the footsteps of the quartet echoed down the hall, the occupants that remained inside the room were totally silent. All eyes were on Giles- except for Andrew who was trying to get up off the floor, and Buffy who was starring at the spot where she last saw Spike before he turned the corner and left.

Falling down on his leadership duties, Giles was still at a loss of what to think, but then the jabbering of the slayers-in-training in the doorway broke through his stupor. “Girls…GIRLS, please go about your business. And Anne, be sure to shut the door behind you.” Once the doors were closed, he looked around at the other watchers. “Well…uhm…”


Before Giles could say anything that made sense, the doors flew open again. This time, though, Willow and Xander stood in the opening. The sight of her two friends broke Buffy out of her trance.

“Holy bleached blond nightmares, what is going on? I just heard that we had some trick or treaters. One playing a brooding, leather clad Angel and one playing a Spike in all his leather and peroxided glory. I hope you gave them tricks instead of treats.”


Nobody laughed.

Xander decided to take another tact. “Ok, Angel must have arrived, but who was playing the part of Spike?”


Willow moved to stand in front of her friend, who looked much too pale for her comfort. “Buffy? Who was here?”


Buffy’s voice sounded choked up when she answered. “Sp...” When she couldn’t even finish saying his name, she fled by a side door before Xander or Willow could ask anything else.

“Yes, it was Spike.” Xander and Willow had to look under the table to see Andrew, who was speaking. “The real Spike is back.”


Still looking under the table, Willow wondered what in the world was going on. “And this explains you on the floor because…”


“Spike put him there.” Giles took in a big breath and blew it out before continuing. “Seems that we had set the bridge to Angel on fire. And without knowing, now the fire has spread to Spike.”


Xander shook his head. “What bridge? I thought brood boy said he would help.”


Not surprisingly to anyone in the room, Giles took off his glasses and scrubbed the lenses. “It appears that we made a tactical error in our treatment of Angel and his compatriots. Both Andrew and I told them that we no longer trusted them. That we were in different camps now.”


“Way harsh, G-man.” Xander rubbed his hand over his face. “You know that there is no one as goody good as Angel…with his soul, that is.”


“I have to admit, though, it seems that I made the biggest error.” Drawing in a big breath, Giles let it out slowly. “Angel called a few months ago and asked to get in contact with you, Willow.”


Surprised, she blinked several times. “Me?”


“Yes. But I didn’t even let him explain why he needed you. If he was still with Wolfham and Hart, I told him that he wasn’t trusted. But now, as Spike has just shown us, Angel had been calling for your help to save one of his friends and team member’s soul. Now a demon inhibits the body.”


‘What a mess,’ Xander thought. “Where was this memo Willow and I missed? I may not be overly fond of Dead Boy, Senior, but I trust him.”


Willow supported her best friend. “Xander has a good point. Who exactly was it that didn’t trust him anymore?”


Not liking the question one bit, Giles looked anywhere but at Xander and Willow. “All of the Watcher’s Council. But more specifically, the distrust was created by me; Andrew because I told him to not trust Angel, and…and Buffy. Of course, even though Buffy and I did not know about Spike’s resurrection, he would and did still fall under the same umbrella.”


“Buffy? You mean ‘Angel is my soul mate’ Buffy? There is no way she wouldn’t trust him. And ‘I died to save the world for you’ Spike? Is it April Fool’s Day, and no one told me?” Xander just couldn’t believe what he was hearing. What had gone on while he had been in Africa?

“Was this when Buffy was in Rome?” Willow was starting to connect some of the dots.

Giles’s eyebrows met. “Yes, Buffy sent slayers with Andrew to forcibly take a damaged slayer from Angel. No violence had been needed, but the show of forces was still noted by Angel and Spike. Why?”


“Giles, we need to discuss some things, and I think it would be best if you cleared the room.” Willow looked around for a chair, but Xander was already bringing two. “Buffy wanted me to keep it to myself, but we need to talk about spells.”


*****

As Buffy raced out of the Watcher’s Councils on the main floor up to the floors above that housed the private quarters, she flew down the hall, thanking those above that she hadn’t run into anyone in the halls. When she made it through her bedroom’s door- which slammed shut behind her- she flew onto the bed and bounced a couple of times before she found a pillow to hug. The tears she had been trying to hide now flowed freely.

Of course, Angel had looked stern but not fuming as Buffy would have expected after their treatment of him. However, it did shock her to see him with a girlfriend, a girlfriend that must be taking the edge off the fuming. Surprisingly, Buffy was happy for him. Angel and she had always had such a tragic relationship, so she wished him well with this one. But she was crushed by what she and Giles had done to hurt him and those of his crew. Angel had every right to be angry. Who were they to judge the souled vampire that had proved himself over and over and over? Yes, Buffy hurt because she and Giles had hurt Angel.

But the word ‘hurt’ didn’t begin to cover how she felt about seeing Spike. Maybe mortally wounded would be better. After the ten thousand volt shock of his appearance had numbed enough to re-start her thinking processes, pain settled in as she realized that the stunning, blue haired demon was in all likelihood Spike’s girlfriend. Spike had treated her much as he had with Drusilla. Even though the demon did not look fragile, Spike demonstrated great consideration. Treatment that she would have never allowed, and Spike had known that then and must assume that now. Ironic how envious she was now of a demon.

And thinking about watching him move and interact with the room brought on the second bout of pain. The thought of Drusilla made her realize that Buffy hadn’t seen Spike so cocky and playful since he had rolled into Sunnydale with his black princess. However, that behavior had slowly died. The longer he had been in Sunnydale- the longer he had had contact with her- the more he had lost his high polished shine. She had tarnished what he had been for decades; but it was back, just without the evil part.

It was the Spike from his early days in Sunnydale when he was her enemy, and she had disbelieved and distrusted him. Even after he had proved himself to be an ally over and over; watching over her mom and Dawn, not giving in to Glory, fighting for his soul, standing by her no matter what she did to him. She had still distrusted him

From a few minutes before, she could still see a pair of blue eyes that were ice cold and a pair of brown from the front of the research room. Two vampires that were displaying distrust due to bad treatment from her and Giles. What had she done with that show of strength against Angel? What had Giles done by refusing Angel help?

And where was she while all this was going on? Trying to keep her moan as quiet as possible, Buffy knew where she was. She had been in Italy - not caring. Well, she cared now, and it hurt, throbbing though her body in waves. She wanted to run to them and try to work things out. This was Spike and Angel after all. They cared for her, didn’t they? Maybe if she had gone to retrieve the slayer herself- or maybe if she had trusted Angel with the crazy slayer and had kept an open line of communication- she wouldn’t be so hurt now.

Wake up and smell the mistakes, idiot girl.

*****

Buffy thought back to two days prior. She and Xander met Willow at the airport. When Willow saw her friends, her smile had been warm for Xander but faltered when she smiled at Buffy. They chatted and caught up in the car on the way back to the mansion, and then talked some more as Willow settled into her room. Dawn joined them at dinner, and everyone continued to talk until well past bed time. Willow noticed that there was something a little off about Dawn, as with Buffy. Afterwards, when everyone said their good nights, Buffy surprised Willow by following her to her room.

Willow settled on her bed and watched her friend pace around the room and chew her lower lip. “Come on, Buffy. I haven’t seen you in a while, but it’s still me. ‘Happy to listen’ Willow. Spill.”


“When I saw you at the airport, you first looked at me and frowned. Is there something wrong? I don’t want to be on the outs with you and not even know it or why.”


“No, Buffy, I love you, and you know that. It was…er…I don’t know how to say it gently so I am just going to say it. Your aura is off.”


“Off? Like I took it off and hung it on a coat hanger?”


Willow quietly laughed. “No, the color is off. It has a grayish tinge to it like it’s cloudy. And after talking to you all afternoon, I don’t think you caused the cloudiness. I think someone has done it to you, something like a spell.”


“Uh? What? Someone put a spell on my aura thingy, and I didn’t know it. No one else noticed by now? There are witches in and out of this place all the time.”


“Ok, ok. Relax. They just don’t know you as well as I do.”


“So can you fix it? Fix it now? I want a pretty, non-cloudy aura. Can I get it to match my new shoes?”


“Yes, we can do something about your aura situation.” Willow dug out two pink crystals from her bag. “We need to sit down facing each other. The bed will be fine. Take this crystal and hold it in your hand, and I will do the same.” When they were in position, Willow began. “Now, concentrate on the crystal and don’t talk.”


A few minutes passed before Willow spoke again. “That’s what I suspected…”


“It’s been like hours…What is it already? ”


“A spell. Someone did cast a spell over you.”


“Can you de-spell me?”


“Yes, it’s a weak spell. Easy. Let me see where it is centered, and then we will see about breaking it.”


Willow took her pink crystal and slowly moved it over Buffy, starting at her head. When she got to Buffy’s hand that was not holding the crystal, she stopped. “Got it.”


“Well…?”


“There is a swirl of black all around your ring.”


“But the Immortal gave it to me. I promised to keep it on always, and I never take it off.”


“This Immortal is your boyfriend?”


“Yes. He is sooo fantastic. If the ring is making a black aura, that must mean it’s good, not bad. He does love the color black. Something else must be connected to the spell. Try again.”


Willow looked into her friends hazel eyes for a long moment before shaking her head. “Does Dawn and Xander know about the Immortal?”


“Dawn does; she adores him.” Buffy’s answer was perky. “But Xander doesn’t know about him yet.”


“Let me go get them so you can show off your ring, ‘k?”


“Great.” Buffy held her hand out to admire the Immortal’s token of love.

Willow thought she was dealing with a Stepford wife. Maybe she was. First Willow got Xander out of his room. “Do you know about this Immortal guy?”


When Xander shook his head, water droplets flew from the shower he had just taken. “No.”


Willow caught him up on the situation on the way to Dawn’s room. “Dawnie, do you know about this Immortal?”


“Oh, yes. He is so wonderful and so good for Buffy.” Both Xander and Willow watched her eyes glaze over.

‘Oh, great,’ Willow thought, ‘another Stepford wife.’ “Did he give you that ring you’re wearing?”


“Yes. He’s so sweet.”


Xander had heard all he needed to hear. “I am sooo going to puke.”


After looking at each other, Xander grabbed Dawn’s arm so that Willow could get the ring off.

“What do you think you are doing? I can’t take that ring off. The Immortal…” When the ring was off, Dawnie looked stunned. Xander and Willow took advantage of her silence to explain. When they were done, Dawn looked at the ring in Willow’s hand as if it were a snake. “I can’t believe it. He seemed so nice, but he was manipulating us. What about Buffy?”


Willow nodded. “Her, too. I figured that it would take all three of us to get the ring off of her.”


And it did. They had to tackle her and jerk the ring off fast. Buffy protested even more than Dawn but ended up even more mortified. The Immortal had used her.

They listened to Buffy rant for awhile at the Immortal’s controlling of her before Willow interrupted. “But, Buffy, I told you that it was a weak spell. You must have wanted him or something about being with him…”


“You were missing someone.” Dawn knew. “You were missing him so bad.”


Buffy collapsed on her bed. “Yeah, I must have been susceptible because of losing Spike. I missed him so much that I must have been looking for anyone to make me feel better. But now that I can see clearly, the Immortal was no Spike.”


*****

Now, after seeing Angel and Spike, Buffy thought about what Willow had said. Could she blame her orders completely on how she handled the insane slayer situation on the spell from the Immortal? Damn it! All for a slime ball that had to put a spell on her to get her to stay with him, she had alienated two of the most important men in her life. Two men she would trust with her life.

And Rome. She had a feeling that there was more to the story about Rome than Andrew had told her. Actually, he hadn’t told her anything connecting Angel to Rome. Andrew was going to give her a very detailed explanation and very soon.

*****

TBC

 

 

Quid pro Quo

By MadRog (madrog@ev1.net)
www.sunnydale-tales.com

Summary: Post ATS & BTVS. Surprises abound in different lands, different cultures, different times and a different relationship between Buffy & Spike. Magic and action thrives. The ATS crew is bitter after their treatment during S5 ATS by Giles, Andrew and Buffy. Starting w/a dream and phone call, the BTVS crew has to ask for the help of the vampire with a soul (unaware of Spike's return). Can Spike and Angel get over the hard feelings? And old loves? Spike is cold and Buffy is hot for him. Can Buffy find a way back to Spike while they save the world-again? SPUFFY! B/S, A/N Bloodplay.
 

A/N: Sorry that this has taken so long. Megan had to do some judging and then has been sick. She still is so send her some good wishes.
 

Chapter 5 - Who the Hell Is At The Door?
 

Ring...Ring...Ring...Ring...

Nina, who was spooned up against Angel's back half asleep, whispered in his ear. "Don't you need to get that? We are here on business, so to speak."

Angel growled and then rolled over so that he could wrap his arms around Nina. "Let Spike get it. His curiosity will finally get to him." After a few more rings, Angel yelled, "Spike, get the phone."

"Lazy Bugger!" Spike slowly sat up in bed and rubbed his face.

"I heard that. Still a vampire over here." Spike could hear a touch of playfulness in Angel's voice. Nina was good for him.

"Damn eavesdropping vamp..." Spike jerked up the phone and practically growled out the word, "hello."

A hesitant female voice spoke. "Very sorry, sir. That package you were expecting is here at the desk. Would you like for us to send it up?"

"Yeh...yeh. Send away." Spike hung up, flopped back down, and promptly fell back asleep.

Knock, knock, knock...knock, knock, knock.

"Spike! Get the door."

"Your turn. Get the sodding door yourself." Spike rolled over and burrowed under his pillows.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Spike...!" Nina tried pleading.

"It's Illyria's turn." That should be fun, Spike laughed into the linens.

Angel wasn't playing anymore, not that Spike cared. "SPIKE!"

"Why do I get the bleeding deed?"

"You don't have a beautiful lady warming your bed."

"Angel!" Angel had sounded smug, and Nina sounded embarrassed.

"Well, there is that." He didn't bother yelling at Illyria. There was no telling what she was doing in her room, and he didn't want to know.

Spike got up and slipped into a pair of his jeans. Not bothering to zip them all the way up, he padded barefoot to the door. He jerked it open just as the young bell hop started to knock again. "Oh no, mate, your knocks don't meet the wood again."

"Your package, sir." The boy's eyes were huge taking in a half nude Spike.

As the package changed hands, Spike fished around in his pocket and came up with two crumpled dollars, a quarter and a nickel. That's what he handed the teenager before swiftly shutting the door in his face. Spike broke the seal on the large manila envelop and reached in.

Knock, knock, knock.

Spike walked off. "Now it's your turn, peaches."

"Not this time either, Spike." That was Nina's voice again.

'Bloody hell.' Spike spun around and stomped back to the door. "That cheeky bastard better not be looking for a better tip..." He jerked the door open. "This had better be fucking good."

"I think it is, potty mouth."

Spike's brain came to a roaring halt. "D..."

"Dawn. Yeh, that' my name. And you're Spike." Dawn looked down at his pants with its zipper only half way up and at his bare chest. Besides his condition of undress, there was something different about Spike, but she would leave that for later. "And I would say I'm seeing more of Spike than I expected." She tried hard not to laugh as he came out of his stupor and rushed to fasten his pants properly.

"Bit, I...uh...wasn't expecting you."

"You stole my line. Really wasn't expecting you...to be on this planet." With a crease between her eyebrows, she looked him up and down again before a grin grew. "Now can I have a hug?"

Spike opened his arms, and she stepped in. The hug was tight. Again she was struck that something was very different, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Too preoccupied on other things. As she thought before, it could wait until later.

Her voice was muffled against his chest. "You came to the Watchers Council's building and didn't even try to talk to me."

"I'm sorry, Nibblet." Spike rubbed her back as he had done many times before when Buffy had been dead. "We didn't really want to see anyone...even the people we did see."

Dawn pulled back so he could see her smile. "Actually, I'm ticked I didn't get to see you walking on the tables."

"Ah, Bit, it was a right glorious sight to see. Let me grab a shirt, and I'll spin you some yarns."

Dawn walked around the suite as Spike put on a t-shirt. They had the penthouse suite in the rounded end of the Wyndham Cleveland Hotel. What a view. "Geez, Spike, now this is my idea of a hotel room. I heard you turned down Giles' offer of a hotel. This is way, way better." Dawn wasn't surprised when Spike walked back into the main area wearing a black t-shirt. "Spike, you do know there are other colors than black, don't you?"

"Yeah, there's red." As Dawn laughed, Spike headed for the bar. "Bit, how about something cool?"

Dawn made herself comfortable on a sofa. "Sure, is there any pepsi?" One was flying her way just seconds after her request, which she did catch. "Nice hands, pet." Holding a beer, Spike settled on the sofa, turned so that they were facing each other.

"I've been training. Just think, all those days sweating, and now I can pluck soda cans out of the air. Yea, me, my hard work pays off."

They spent the next hour with Spike telling her stories about the last year. Stories that mostly made him look good and would embarrass Angel if he were in the room. When Spike got to the puppet story, Angel came out of his room with a dark frown. "Enough, Spike. I think she has the picture." He came over to stand above Spike. "Where is the packet?"

The dominance trick of towering over him just made Spike laugh. "Why, you great poof, you were eavesdropping."

"Yes." His frown washed away when he looked at Dawn. "Hi, Dawn. Good to see you."

Dawn smiled. "Hi, Angel. He was right, Spike. Alright already with the ha ha stories. Tell me what is up with you. All of you. Being cold to Giles and Buffy isn't the norm. So I have heard parts, but I want it from you." Dawn could see Spike tense at the mention of her sister. Oh, there are still feelings there.

After Spike pointed out the packet to Angel, the serious stories began. Even though the lack of trust had been directed at Angel, it still bled over to Spike and the other that worked with the brooding vamp. Dawn wanted to cry when he talked about losing his hands, and then Andrew took the slayer from Angel. What a thanks the two vampires had received for their retrieval efforts. She also made note to kill Andrew when she got back to the mansion. No wonder the jerk had been hiding since Angel and Spike had visited the Watchers Council. And Spike and Angel had been in Rome, and that rat hadn't told her or Buffy. She had to learn about Spike being back from today's events and the grapevine in the slayers-in-training. But he was here now, and she would be happy with that.

Finally, Spike was up to current events. "Nibblet, I am glad we are no longer with those Wolfram and Hart blighters, but they had the coolest toys. Special glass for vampires, company jets, and some bloody fantastic cars. I've got a Viper downstairs."

Angel laughed as the seventeen and one hundred thirty year old kids flew out the door to play with the very fast toy.

At a side door leading outdoors, Dawn stopped so abruptly that Spike hit her in the back.

"What? What's wrong? It's the red one on the front row. Let me grab the keys from the valet gits, and we can be off."

"But Spike, it's still daylight out, and we forgot a blanket."

"Then maybe I shouldn't do this." He walked out into the sunlight. Her mouth dropped open. Then he took her hand and placed it over his heart. "Or maybe I shouldn't do that."

She could feel his heart beating, and now she knew what was wrong upstairs when he had been half clothed. He had blushed, and he had been warm when she had hugged him. "You're human."

"It's called Shanshu, Nibblet. To be specific, a vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny, will Shanshu,become human as his reward. Now, Peaches and I are guessing that the Powers That Be decided I am only half way there. I still have my vampire capabilities."

"So you still go all grhh and have to drink blood, but you're all warm and breathing?"

"You got it."

Dawn's mouth was hanging open. "Oh my gosh...everyone is so going to freak."

"That's the rub, Bit. For now, let's keep this between us, 'k?"

"Ooh, a secret. Even better." She grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the valet.

By the time Spike and Dawn returned to the hotel suite and settled on a pair of barstools, Illyria was coming out of her room.

"Hey, EC, say hi to Dawn, here." Spike leaned over to Dawn to explain the initials - emotionally challenged.

Illyria glanced over when she heard Dawn's peppy "hi." She gave a very dead pan "hello" to the girl and continued on her way to the kitchen.

"Come on, Blue, do it with a little bloody enthusiasm." Spike gave Dawn a playful wink.

Without looking back, the blue and red demon threw over her shoulder. "No."

"Told ya, bit, she is very emotionally challenged, but I'm helping her. With a little elbow grease, we can make it through."

Angel spoke as he walked into the room. "More like driving her crazy."

Spike squawked at the slam. "Hey now..."

Angel held up his hands. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. Better her sanity under fire than mine anymore. Dawn, did blondie here use to baby-sit you?"

"One long summer, until Buffy came back from the dead." Dawn watched Spike flinch at the mention of Buffy's name. Yes, Spike still had some feelings. The question was, how much.

Angel's voice was full of pity. "You poor, poor girl." He easily ducked the apple Spike threw at him from the hotel's complementary fruit basket.

After Dawn was introduced to Nina, she sat back and watched the interaction. Dawn marveled at all four of them, all getting along, all comfortable being so close that they shared a suite without knocking holes in all the walls-- especially Spike and Angel. The name Dru alone had stood as a gigantic barrier between them. What Dawn was the most interested to observe was Spike and Illyria. Some chemistry was there, but the dynamics seemed complicated. In a way, Spike talked of and to Illyria like a girlfriend. He smiled, he teased and he watched her move through the room. But she did notice they had separate bedrooms. Then again Spike said they traveled everywhere together. How together was together? However, Illyria seemed to just put up with Spike's smart ass comments. What a great mystery to unravel, and no matter what, she bet her allowance that Buffy was going to go ballistic with jealousy. Even though Buffy had been with the Immortal, Dawn knew her sister still missed the blonde vampire.

Illyria's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Are there any of those croissant things left from this morning?"

"Ms. 'barely puts up with humans and vampires but wants one of those human made pastries' talks!" Spike teased before turning back to Dawn. "You've gotta love her."

'Really?' Dawn thought. Friends or lovers? Dawn definitely needed to solve this mystery. It had better be friend or that would conflict with her match making plans for her sister. Buffy needed Spike even though she may not know it. And Spike. Who was he kidding, the miserable man? He needed her sister!

Later at the hotel after Dawn left, Angel found a moment to privately speak to Spike. "Even though I am happy with Nina, it was still hard seeing Buffy today. But then I looked at Nina again and knew I've done the right thing. It's hard with the curse and all, but it's worth it. How are you doing?"

Looking at the scuffed toes of his boots, Spike thought for a moment. "Peaches, the truth?...I wanted to go straight to her, but then I reminded myself about her betrayal of trust and about the Immortal. And now seeing what you have with Nina, Buffy's type of heartache isn't worth it. I'd rather do a swan dive into the Grand Canyon. The Immortal can have her." Spike visibly shook himself and strived for a little humor. "Hey, have I ever asked if Nina has a friend?"

"You've asked, and yes, she does have friends, but no one for you." Angel laughed and slapped him on the back like it would knock his feelings for Buffy out. Spike hoped it would.

Regardless of the blow, Spike was lost in thought. He wanted to believe his own words about his resolve about Buffy, but wasn't one hundred percent sure. Spike knew Angel hoped for Spike's sake that he had meant what he said. Regardless, before they had entered the Watchers Council, Plan A had been hoping that Buffy was still in Rome, and Plan B was that she was there and they avoid Buffy if at all possible. Since she wasn't in Rome, they were at Plan B, and they had again agreed to stick to that plan.

And Spike didn't think it would be very hard to at least attempt to avoid the slayer. Not only was he pissed at her over the trust issue, but he was disgusted with her sleeping with the Immortal. No, it shouldn't be hard to stay away from her.

Famous last words, mate.

Before Dawn was three steps through the front door of the mansion, Buffy walked out of a side room, obviously trying to act cool.

Dawn wanted to laugh. Her sister must have been glued to a window. She was as transparent as the window in her curiosity. "You're back."

"Looks like." Dawn headed for the stairs while Buffy followed at her heels.

"So," Buffy tried to sound nonchalant. "Where have you been?"

Dawn flipped her hair over her shoulder. Yep, crystal. "As if, Buffy. As if you didn't guess already."

When Dawn opened the door to her room and stepped in, Buffy finally got enough courage together to ask, "How was he?"

"I assume 'he' is Spike, and he is doing great. They all are. Spike is so funny with Illyria." Dawn started to shut the door in Buffy's face, but hesitated. "But he and Angel are mega hurt and pissed at you and Giles. And I think they should be."

"But, Dawn, I didn't know..." She was talking to solid wood. And she hadn't known. She was still stewing over the trust issues. But what was this about that demon, Illyria, with Spike. She would hate to admit just how much she was disturbed hearing about Spike with someone else. Distrubed? More like crushed. She headed to her room, and a long night of lying awake and thinking painful thoughts.
 

TBC
 

Reviews would be very much appreciated!!


 

Chapter 6 - A Little Brimstone With Your Breakfast

"The hellmouth awaits." Spike was ready for the challenge and exuded so much energy that those around him could feel it.

This morning, promptly at eleven o'clock, Spike, Illyria, Angel and Nina, were met at the door of the Tinkercreek Mansion by Giles. Behind him hovered Dawn, Willow, and Xander. Last, in the very back, stood Buffy. Spike stole a quick glance that she didn't see. He wanted to laugh at her, but he couldn't. She had her hurt face on. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her head was tilted over to the side, displaying her pain. However, she just didn't know yet that her attitude, no matter what, was going to get her nowhere. Certainly not sympathy.

Giles opened the door to the Tinkercreek Mansion wider. "Welcome. I trust that you had a good night's rest."

"If you mean if the hotel was up to par, it was better than expected." Angel thought he would drive that little point home a little more.

"Quite." Giles cleared his throat. He had already heard from Dawn how posh the hotel was.

It appeared that Giles was going to go through some formal greeting. Spike decided to head off any of the rubbish. "This is Illyria, and this is Nina. Rupes, where's the hellmouth?"

Angel was relieved at Spike's tact and led their group inside and down the hall. Giles had to run to catch up.

No one greeted Buffy, and Buffy didn't try to greet anyone. Actually, she had been expecting some type of acknowledgement. This was Angel and Spike after all. Only Illyria had served her with a stare before she moved on to the next person. The last time she had seen the two vampires separately in Sunnydale, they had shown their love for her. Angel in a kiss and words. Spike in a grasp of their hands that burned with fire. Now the pair acted like she didn't exist, and she could feel it tightening around her heart.

Angel...in a way, she was happy for him if he was happy with this Nina. Months before, Buffy had already come to terms that her window of opportunity with Angel had past.

But Spike...she didn't understand him at all. He had loved her so deeply, and he hadn't even told her that he was back. With that thought, her heart constricted more. She wanted to know, but for her, talking and emotions weren't mixy things. Besides, how did you talk to someone that didn't even acknowledge your presence? When Spike had stepped into the hall with the rest of his gang, she started to open her mouth to say something? anything. After all, this was her Spike that couldn't get enough of her. But no, this wasn't her Spike. He passed her by without even a glance. She, however, looked her fill. This was the Spike of days of old, down to eye liner and black fingernail polish. This was Spike of the pre-chipped days. All attitude, air of danger around him, and most painful to Buffy, this was the vampire that hadn't loved the Slayer.

Giles led the way downstairs into their basement where the concrete was cracked with an approximately fifteen feet opening. Gold light like from a fire shone up.

Spike was the first to approach it. "Oh, you'll just love this house. Lots of space and ten bedrooms upstairs, just don't mind the Hellmouth in the basement. Just throw a rug over it."

"Spike!" Angel rolled his eyes as they approached the hole.

"Looks like this opening goes twenty feet down," Angel estimated. Out of instinct he wrapped an arm around Nina's waist when she moved a little too close to the opening for his comfort.

Illyria walked up and looked down. "That looks familiar."

"Good," Spike slapped her on the back, which put him on the receiving end of a glare, "You can show us around. Maybe a vacation spot, Blue?" As the other three were doing, Spike was peering down. "Why are these kind of places always lit. It's not like they'll get an electricity bill at the end of the month."

"When I had my little jaunt to hell, the walls there glowed. A little darker than this, but it was the walls giving off light. I'm guessing it's the same here." Buffy flinched at Angel's comment on the time she had sent him to hell.

"If I may interrupt?" Giles was just replacing his glasses on his nose. "We have a limited amount of time. This Hellmouth opens and closes on its own schedule and has moved twice so far. Once two blocks away and then the second time it moved back here. It has been here for the past three days, and it stays open for only about two hours."

Angel stepped up closer and looked down. "So since we just got here, how long do we have?"

Willow spoke up. "You were lucky arriving when you did. It has only been open for about fifteen minutes."

"Explore time, ladies and gents." Spike rubbed his hands together. "Chickies, that looks to be a twenty foot drop. The ladder was a nice touch to the decor, Watcher, but you didn't have anything in red?" Spike held out a hand for Illyria. "Ok, puss, you said that you knew your way around, so you first."

Long used to his ways, she took his hand and let him lead her to the edge. She looked down. Ignoring the ladder completely, she stepped into the opening and sailed down to land in a crouched position. Leaving Nina with Spike, Angel was next to follow in the same manner. Once down he looked back up and held onto the ladder to make it more secure while Nina was climbing down. When Nina moved to step on the first rung, Spike swept her up into his arms. With laughter in his voice, he called down below, "Peaches, catch!" and dropped her into a surprised Angel's arms.

"Damnit, Spike!!" floated back up, causing Dawn to giggle and combine with Nina's.

When Spike looked over his shoulder to grin at Dawn, he caught sight of Buffy moving towards the Hellmouth out of the corner of his eye. He turned to confront her. "No, no, missy. You stay top side."

Buffy stopped in her tracks, shocked. She had already been thrown off guard in Spike's treatment of Illyria, and now this. "Of course I go. I always go."

She again tried to step up to the opening, but Spike stepped in her way. When she still tried to advance, he stuck a finger in her face. He wasn't playing around. "The only people that go with us are people we trust." She slapped the offending digit away, but he stuck it right back in front of her nose. "Besides, we are tainted by Wolfram & Hart, so you had better not trust us with your life down there. And...if you come down with us? the contaminated? we're out of here. Don't push us. You wouldn't like the results." With that threat and a cocky salute, Spike took a step back and dropped down. "WhooHooo!"

Buffy wanted to scream and strangle that vampire at the same time. She wasn't sure which first, but she didn't want to show her feelings now because she could feel everyone's eyes on her. Instead, she moved so that she could look down into the hole and try to tell what was going on.

Down below, the gang broke up into the two natural pairs. Angel and Nina went to search the left as Spike and Illyria moved to the right. They soon disappeared from the view of those above.

The wait was boring. Xander, Willow and Dawn had left the watching to Buffy and Giles and were talking quietly, discussing the change in Spike and Angel. Dawn led the talk, telling them what Spike had told her. Buffy tried not to listen but couldn't help it. Every time they mentioned the Immortal, she felt like such an idiot. She had been sucked right in by the sneaky mega creep, and she let herself.

Just as Buffy thought she saw Giles doze off, Angel came into view. He jogged towards the direction Spike and Illyria had gone and was calling Spike's name. For a moment or two, he was out of view and then Spike and Illyria followed Angel back towards where he must have left Nina. Next, Spike appeared again. He looked up towards the hole.

"Watcher, we need a hammer, a chisel, and a sturdy rope down here. A long one." He was talking to Giles, but his gaze caught with Buffy's. He looked a moment longer before looking away. "And hurry it up, Rupes." Damn, that was the kind of thing he was trying to avoid. There can be no eye locks, Spike reminded himself.

Buffy, however, tried to catch his gaze again. He had only directly looked at her two other times, once in the library when he had first arrived and earlier when refusing to let her go below. This time she saw a glimmer of the vampire she had known, and she wanted to see that, know that again. She would keep trying. It just wasn't in her to quit, not on Spike. She had ruined all of her other chances in Sunnydale, but she wouldn't now.

When Giles returned with the rope he dropped it down to Spike, who then disappeared out of view again. Their wait wasn't long. Illyria and Nina came up first. Then Spike came up with one end of the rope. Once on the top, he started hauling up what looked to be a large flat stone, a tablet. Giles and Willow were on it as soon as it cleared the opening. Spike had trouble carrying it to the research room without stumbling on one of the two of them.

Once everyone was out of the Hellmouth and the basement, they reconvened in the Watcher's library. Angel seated Nina at the end of the u-shaped table, but he stayed standing in a position of dominance. In fact, everyone was seated except himself, Illyria, and Spike, who was pacing in the stacks of books in the raised area above the tables, appearing to inspect the books. He had too much energy flowing through his body to sit in a chair. And he would never admit it, but in his wanderings, he was able to catch glances here and there of Buffy when she wasn't looking. Nope, no admitting that, but damn, she looked good.

Angel kicked off the debriefing. "The area below was a twisting and turning maze."

From her spot near Giles, inspecting him, Illyria spoke up. "On purpose, so you get lost and stay until someone eats you or makes you a pet."

"Nice. Home sweet home." Angel nodded and continued. "If or when we go back down, we will have to have some kind of system to keep from getting lost."

"Get out the yummy bread crumbs, missy." Spike gave Nina a wink and she smiled back.

'How outrageous,' Buffy huffed to herself. 'She's Angel's girlfriend. He can't flirt with her.' She didn't realize that she was thinking like a child.

Angel continued. "Now, about the tablet..."

"It will be, as you would say, a road map. Where to go and what to do," Illyria stated matter-of-factly. She had moved on to inspecting Xander, who reacted with nervous squirming.

"A road map." Angel gazed directly at the Watcher. "Giles, get your Watchers on it. We need the translation by tomorrow."

Bristling at the obvious order, Giles responded. "They will get right on it. Now, about the information I sent you yesterday. I trust you..."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk. I wouldn't just throw around that "t" word, Watcher." Spike wagged his finger at Giles. "We might make a mistake and think you mean it." His words sounded playful on the surface, but his boiling anger hovered below.

Willow was troubled over the obvious tension building in the room. What did he mean, T word? "Trust?"

Spike tapped the side of his nose. "Got it in one, Red."

Interrupting before Spike could get them sidetracked anymore than they already were, Angel plunged on. "Let's get back to the topic, shall we? We did look over the papers. You have a hellgod, Zornerah, who is trying to come to our dimension through the Hellmouth. No surprise there. Our job is to retrieve something from somewhere, and that object will be used to block the hellgod from coming through. Got it. No surprise there, either." Angel was looking forward to this next part of the meeting. "We have chosen our team."

That brought Giles to his feet. "What? You've chosen? Giving you that information wasn't meant..."

"I have saved the world eight times, and Spike six times - one of which when he was still evil. We are champions in our own right. What we are not are your flunkies. We won't be taking orders anymore."

Hands to his throat, Spike looked like he was gagging. "And we are NOT bloody Scoobies. Ugh!"

"We are capable of calling the shots. Giles, we need you for research only. Otherwise, it's only our people." Angel lowered his voice and enunciated every word carefully. "It's all a matter of trust. Which by your own words, we no longer share."

Spike stepped down level with the table. "Your research said we need a monarch demon and a witch to guard the Hellmouth while a vampire with a soul, a werewolf, and a nonspecified supernatural go after the Vessel of Catarh, which will be used to block the hellgod. We found some mistakes in your research, but let's see. Who has the text?" Giles found the correct volume. "Now, let a lowly layman ask a question. What are these three words here?" He pointed in a text.

Giles adjusted his glasses. "Monarch demon. We are trying to figure out exactly where to find this particular demon, who is directed to guard the hellmouth."

Spike gave a dramatic eye roll. "Not a cutesy little butterfly, laddie. You missed a word. What's this middle one?"

Giles looked closely at the text. "What...uh...it's 'of.'

"So what we are actually looking for is a monarch of demons." Spike indicated Illyria with a grand sweep of arm.

Puffing up, Illyria stepped forward. "I ruled the world when demons ruled the planet. Now you humans are infesting it. My world. My army..."

Angel broke in before she got a full head of steam. "There you have it. She is a demon of demons..."

"And has no hesitancy to tell you," Spike finished for Angel. "Illyria is our monarch of demons. Next off, we need a werewolf and peaches' sweet meat fits the bill nicely. Now, kiddies, we have the mention of a souled vampire."

"Giles, on the phone you said you needed a vampire with a soul." Angel tapped a couple of books on the table. "Actually, in reading your direct translation, I noticed reference to Shanshu."

The watcher nodded his head. "Yes, quite. It did actually say past and future Shanshu, which would be you since Shanshu is only for a vampire with a soul. Of course we didn't know that Spike was back, making there two souled vampires in existence. But which one of you it applies to is now the question."

Spike slapped his hands together, starling everyone. "Hate to burst your bubble, Rupes, but that is in reference to both of us. Angel is the future part." Spike held his hand up when Angel opened his mouth to talk. "Now before we get into it, Peaches, you are the future Shanshu. I don't care if you signed the Shanshu away. That was my Shanshu. Yours is coming. It's in this bloody text. Enough already." Spike stepped over and opened a window and let light in without burning Angel. He stepped where the sun bathed him. "You'd think somebody would have noticed my tan by now."

Buffy was half way across the room to knock him out of the light before it registered in her brain that he wasn't going up in flames.

Spike, however, was enjoying himself and hamming it up, especially seeing Buffy's reaction. "I'm melting." Then he stopped and inspected his hand illuminated in the sun's rays. "Interesting."

"How many movies are you going to rip off?" Nina laughed at his antics. "The Wizard of Oz and The Pirates of the Caribbean. Besides, it would be better if you were holding a gold coin for that last one."

Spike dug around in his pocket and pulled out a coin. "How about a quarter?"

Dawn was just as off the subject of the meeting as he was. "And Johnny Depp is so gorgeous."

"And I'm not?" Spike looked horrified. Buffy thought he looked better, and that was saying something.

Dawn wasn't done yet. "Show off."

"Damn straight, Nibblet." Spike with arms wide open spun in the sunlight. "But before we get too far, I am a hybrid. A mixture of vampire and human. A vampire with all the benefits of a human, but still needing blood."

Buffy grabbed hold of Dawn's arm and whispered fiercely. "You knew?"

"Sure." Dawn wanted to laugh at her sister, Miss 'I don't know everything' but settled for a smile. Buffy was in such a bad spot, Dawn felt kinda sorry for her. "One hug, a little light, and I knew."

As much as he envied Spike's metamorphosis to part-human, Angel wanted to laugh at all the stunned faces in the room, especially Buffy's. But back to business. "We have one supernatural of our choice. Spike and I will think that one over tonight. And last, the witch to help guard the Hellmouth and then unleash this Vessel of Catah. Spike?"

"I'm thinking of that bonnie lass, Krista. She can be here in a couple of hours."

Angel considered and nodded. "Sounds good."

Giles leapt to his feet again. "We already have people for..."

"No." No one in the room questioned the firmness of Angel's answer. "We've been over this before. Since you no longer trust us, we will pick the people that we can trust. It's that way, or we leave you to your Hellmouth."

Giles looked like he was going to dispute the announcement.

Spike spoke to Giles, but looked at Buffy. "Remember in Rome? Andrew does, ask him, and so do we. Summed up in six words, kiddies. Get over it and move on."

Before Giles could ask about Rome, Angel laid down the law. "Giles, we are in the driver's seat..."

"And mine is a viper. Try catching that," Spike threw in.

Angel gave Spike a long-suffering glare, then looked back at Giles. "...Unless you have a vampire with a soul of your own."

As they left, Spike volleyed the parting shot. "Trust goes both ways. You brainiacs shouldn't have burned that proverbial bridge."

"You were in Rome and didn't ..." Buffy was talking to closed doors. She looked at all the others in the room. Everyone looked just as confused as she was about the reference to Rome. Oh, but one person didn't look confused. Her sister.

Buffy slowly turned to her sister as pain ripped through her. Rome. Had Spike been in Rome and didn't try to see her? Or did he? That wasn't like her Spike to not be more persistent. Or she guessed that was the point now, he was no longer hers. Regardless, she wanted him which means she wanted to make things right. What she needed now was information. "Dawn, what do you know?"

"I know that you need to ask Andrew." Dawn could tell and she was dying to, but she thought Andrew deserved to suffer for the Rome debacle. Buffy looked furious, but Dawn felt no pity for the rat.

Buffy had Andrew pinned against a wall on the second floor of the mansion with his feet dangling a foot off the floor. "All right, Andrew, let's have it. What happened in Rome concerning Spike and Angel?"

Andrew's eyes were wide, and his voice squeaked when he talked. "It wasn't my fault. I was just trying to do the right thing."

Buffy had her best Slayer glaring face firmly in place. Something had happened to turn Spike and Angel away from her, and she demanded to know what it was. "How come I doubt that? Spill."

Andrew's gulp was audible down the long hall. "They came to see you."

Buffy was so stunned that she let Andrew slide down so that his feet were on the ground. "You knew about Spike? They came to see me, and you didn't tell me?"

"Well, I meant to but just...forgot." He started squirming, trying to get away.

Her shock wore off and then came the fury. Andrew's feet were dangling again. "What did you do to make them so mad?"

"I..."

"Stop stalling. Tell me." Buffy had had enough.

"The Immortal. They thought it was a spell, but I told them that it wasn't and that you were happy with the Immortal and for them to move on."

Letting him down, Buffy was dazed. She wanted to wring Andrew's neck but settled for shoving him down the hall. No wonder Spike and Angel were so mad, and so was she. The two men that had loved her most in her life had been sent packing. First they were told that they were no longer trusted, and then they were turned away. She had a lot to make up for...if they let her. No, she would make them let her.

TBC

 

 


 

Chapter 7 - A Little R&R


 

"Aahhh, just what the doc ordered." Spike took another drink of his Guinness, licking the foam off his upper lip. The five of them: Spike, Angel, Nina and Illyria plus Dawn, were all at O'Reilly's on Euclid Street partaking in a little R and R. The bar was dark, crowded, had an alternative rock band playing and had Guinness on tap. Perfect. They immediately took over one of the pool tables in a back corner.

"Peaches, you play like a bloody turtle." Spike and Dawn were playing Angel and Nina while Illyria/Fred was playing some chump for money a couple of tables down.

Angel stopped for a minute, put his hand on his hip and scowled. "What the hell are you blabbing about, you idiot? They don't have hands. They barely have paws."

"My point exactly." Pleased that his grandsire had fallen for the joke, Spike laughed as he sank his shot.

During the third game where Nina and Spike were playing against Angel and Illyria, Spike felt someone touch his arm. Instantly alert, he swung around, tense. What he found wasn't threatening in the least. What he found was Willow wearing a tentative smile.

Willow prayed she would say the right things. "Spike, I hope I'm not disturbing you."

Spike shook his head coolly, unsure what she was doing in the bar.

Willow knew this might be hard, and she was right. "I know that we buried the hatchet earlier today, but I wanted to talk to you and Angel." She turned to address Angel. "Dawn told me why you are so mad with me. I want you to know that I had no idea that you had needed my help with your friend. Giles never even told me. You should have known that I would have come to help if you had needed me." Willow stood there wringing her hands.

Angel considered and then nodded. He did know Willow, and he did know deep down that she wouldn't have refused to help.

She turned to Spike

Spike melted at the expression on Willow's face. All his anger over the Fred incident was gone with those few words. There was no way this woman would have let Fred die without trying to help. He would just save his anger for Giles, the bastard.

Willow let out a sigh of relief. "Now, can I be the witch that you use for this hellmouth problem?" Her smile was much bigger this time.

After one of Angel's turns, he stopped the usual constant banter and walked over to Spike.

Nonetheless, Spike beat him to the punch. "She's here." He didn't even need to look to see Buffy. In fact, he didn't want to see her. He had felt her the second she entered the bar, and Angel's approach confirmed that Angel had, too.

Angel's jaw clenched but then relaxed some. "Yes, I feel her and wish I didn't."

Spike knew exactly what he was talking about. He blew out a long stream of air before answering. "I'm trying to get over the 'loving Buffy' illness. I'm staying away, and talking to her the least as possible during this bloody mission. And...I am making an educated guess that ignoring her will drive her out of her noggin." Spike's smile was wicked, but inside he wanted to saunter over there and kiss her senseless.

Angel smiled, also.

Spike moved away to teach Illyria how to smile sweetly and fleece for money some guys at the next table that had been watching her. He needed the diversion badly.

"Spike..."

Spike smirked. He knew what she was going to say. He had been teaching Illyria how to be a top notch pool shark for the last couple of months. "Buggered are you, Spankie?"

"Spike, they won't play with me any longer."

"I told you, luv, you have to lose once in a while to keep them playing. Sucker them in."

"Spike..."

"Look, blue meanie, they have a new keg of Guinness on tap, and you're messing with a perfectly good buzz. Piss off." Spike pretended to ignore her for a moment, but then turned his attention back to Illyria. "Try this, love. Go back over there, do an 'awe shucks' and maybe even throw in a nod this way, tell 'em how your boyfriend isn't being nice to you. Let's see how well that goes, pet." Illyria fixed her face in a pout with Spike's help and left for another try.

When Buffy stepped into the bar, the group from LA was easy to spot. In the far corner was a well lit, raised area with four pool tables. Why was she not surprised that the group was playing pool? Angel with his usual dark and handsome looks stood to the side of one table. What was unusual, at least to Buffy, was that he had his arm casually wrapped around the waist of the girl called Nina. A small smile played at his lips. Buffy had to admit she had never seen him so happy-- or had she ever seen him truly happy?

It was even easier to spot Spike with his hair appearing white under the bright lights illuminating the tables. And from what she could see, Spike was partnered with Dawn, and they were playing Willow and Nina. When neither one of them were shooting, Dawn stood close to Spike, laughing at his comments. Buffy had known that Dawn had grieved the loss of Spike, but seeing her now, Buffy realized just how much Dawn had actually missed him. And judging from the way Spike looked down at her, the feelings were mutual. What she had no idea of was that they were talking about her.

"Bit, big sis just came in."

Dawn started looking around. "And..."

"She's staying on the far side of the bar, at least for now."

Well, that wouldn't do, Dawn thought. How were these two going to get back together if they are never together.

Back by the bar, the more that Buffy watched, the more she felt like she was in an alternate reality. Angel watched Spike and her sister play pool against Buffy's best friend, and Angel's girlfriend. A truly warped reality. What had happened? Angel and Spike had hated each other with a passion. Willow had almost been killed by Spike - twice, and Angelus had tried to kill one and all. Now, everybody was all smiles. Go figure. They appeared to be friends out for a night of fun like she used to do with her friends at the Bronze in Sunnydale.

As she watched, Nina and Willow won the game. Buffy smiled a tiny curve of her lips, suspecting that Spike had thrown the match. Willow handed her pool cue to Angel as the girl whose natural state was that of a blue and red demon, came up to Spike.

And there she sat in the shadows stealing peeks at the group. Buffy was hurt. She couldn't believe Willow had come without asking her if she wanted to join her. But knowing Willow-- since she had unknowingly been in on the display of distrust shown to Angel and his crew-- Buffy suspected that she had come to bury any hatchet in the form of hard feelings. That blame lay on Giles and herself. Oh, and Andrew that must have reveled in playing the big man and telling the two vampires that they were no longer part of the team.

She wanted to put more of the blame on Andrew, but she had to take a good portion on herself. She had been the one to send Andrew and the slayers to collect the insane slayer. But could she completely blame the spell she was under from the Immortal? Most of it, but she had also jumped into the Immortal's camp too fast and too easily. She had been hurting so much from the last days in Sunnydale -- she had been searching for something that would make her feel good-- and had found that sleaze. She had been hurting from losing Spike and found a poor substitute. The other part of blame was definitely at Giles's feet. She couldn't help to be reminded how Giles had tried to kill Spike during that last year in Sunnydale. And the year after that, he had alienated Angel. She had questioned Giles's judgment in Sunnydale and maybe she should have questioned it even after Sunnydale was gone.

But Spike was acting like he had no blame in this melodrama. Ha. That blonde pest always had some blame somewhere or it just wouldn't be Spike. How was she supposed to run into his arms if she didn't even know that he and his arms were back? Just think. He told that rat, Andrew, but not her?!

And Angel. Whether he liked it or not, he should have known that she would have wanted to know that Spike was back. When he had come to Sunnydale that last time and smelled Spike on her, she had made it clear that she had feelings for Spike. He was almost as guilty as Spike was in this mess. And the wimps. Letting Andrew and the Immortal get between the strong bonds between herself and Spike and Angel. The more she thought about it, the madder she got. They fought to get Dru and Darla back, but not her?

"Buffy?"

Buffy had been so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed Dawn and Willow until her little sister had called her name. And when she did become aware of them, Buffy also noticed how cloudy both of their expressions looked. "Dawn? Willow?"

Willow put her hand over her friend's on the table where Buffy was sitting. "Buffy, what are you doing here?" What a stupid question, Willow thought, but they did need a conversation starter.

"Oh, just out for some fun." Why was Willow ignoring the obvious? Buffy didn't know where this was going, but she didn't think she was going to like it.

Willow hated to do this, but she and Dawn had agreed that it had to be done. "If you are trying to get up your nerve to go over there, don't. Tonight we think you need to leave."

"I can be here if I want to." Buffy puffed up and sounded like a petulant child

Grimacing, Dawn tried to help Willow out. "Buff, you are sitting over here just spying on us..."

Buffy went on the defensive. She would have put her hands on her hips, but she didn't think it would make much of an impression since she was sitting down. "I am not spying."

Shaking her head, Dawn continued. "I know that you have hurt since the moment that you lost Spike, and I know that is one of the reasons for that beast, the Immortal, but judging from the way that Spike and Angel are acting in the last day or so, it's not such a good idea that you should be here tonight."

Buffy could feel pain shooting through her chest. She loved those two men. Differing amounts over the differing years, but each for extended times. They were a part of her, and now they were completely rejecting her? "Who says? Angel? Spike?"

In a way, Willow felt sorry for her. Her friend had brought some of this onto herself, but on the other hand, so had Angel and Spike. A little honesty goes a long way, guys. Duh. "Even if they know that you are here, neither has said anything. Buffy, I know that you love both of them, in different ways, of course, and want to be over there with them, but Buffy, they are pretty bitter against you and Giles."

Dawn put her arm around her sister. She had seen the toll of losing Spike had taken on her sister, and wished that with Spike back, things would get better. But this might be rushing it a bit. "And I unfortunately agree that they have good reason. In the same way, you have every reason to be mad at them. Here you had been hurting over Spike when you didn't have to. Either way, maybe tonight is not such a great idea."

"Buff, we're not trying to do anything behind your back. We're just having a nice civilized night between friends."

"But what about her? Friend?" Jealousy flying like a flag, Buffy pointed at Illyria/Fred, who she could see had Spike's attention.

"She fought by Spike and Angel's side in LA." Dawn found the reference to Illyria interesting. Jealousy was a sign of the good. Love was still there, even though the Immortal had tried to erase it.

Out of hurt, Buffy turned on her little sister. "When did you become Spike's appointed mouth piece?"

"For what he did in Sunnydale and all the grief we gave Spike over the years, he earned my friendship again. And if he wants tonight Buffy free, then that's his choice." Dawn changed tact. "Buffy, the Immortal was scum. I can't talk, but we were both just too blind. You were just like a long string of other women with him, including Drusilla and Darla, which hurt Spike and Angel even more. You and Andrew chose him over Angel and Spike. I'm not saying that it is hopeless for you with Spike. Farthest from, but try to make peace some other time."

Buffy pleaded her case. "I was under a spell. Didn't you tell them that?"

Willow didn't let her off the hook. "But you fell for the Immortal's lines before you ever got that ring. And no, I didn't tell them about the spell. I think you should talk to them about the Immortal yourself."

Dawn wrapped her arms around her sister. "The mega love he had for you is still there. I know it. He just doesn't want us knowing it. Please, Buffy. I want you to be around and talk to Angel and Spike, especially Spike, but I don't think now is good."

Willow squeezed Buffy's hand again. "She's right, Buffy. They are both way, way defensive right now. If it is the future you are looking for, one more night waiting isn't very long."

Back at the pool table, Angel was now playing Spike. As Angel and Spike passed close to each other, Angel spoke in a hushed tone. "She's leaving now." He would have loved to have heard the conversation that had taken place, but the noise level in the bar and the distance away were too great.

"About bloody time." Just as Angel had, Spike had known the minute Buffy had walked into the club and felt it the minute she left. He may be part human now, but he could still feel vampires close by-- and his Slayer. Try as he might, he still thought of Buffy as his Slayer even though it had never really been true. Merely true in his heart. The only time he had allowed himself to glance her way was when Dawn and Willow headed in that direction. Oh, how he had wanted to be a fly on the bar during that conversation, but they must have said something convincing because Buffy had left instead of coming their way. He wanted to live in the land of denial, but he did have some fault in that he didn't tell her that he was back. Would things have been different? Would she be in his arms now instead of walking away? Spike could just kick himself because his traitorous heart followed her.

But then he remembered the night that she had asked him about the death of the two slayers at his hand. He had bragged and exaggerated while they had played pool. She had been cold. He had shown her the moves out in the alley, and she had been below zero. Then it all changed when she had pulled out her money to pay. He had tried to kiss her, and she had knocked him to the ground where the money rained down on him. Now he was the one cold to her. Well, he didn't need the money or the heartache anymore. He didn't need her. He just had to tell his heart to zip it up.

TBC

Reviews would be very much appreciated!! Huge thanks.

Next