Chapter 10

“Hey, Willow. Any change?”

“Huh! Oh, Buffy… has it been two hours? Are you alright?”

Willow was flustered, checking her non-existent watch in an effort to assure Buffy that she could be trusted to keep her promises. It was important that whatever she promised her friends, she didn’t let them down. Not again, never again.

Buffy smiled. “I’m good, Will. It’s only just coming up to two hours. Guess a power-nap really is that to a Slayer.” Her smile faded as she glanced around the room, obviously searching for something or someone.

“Is Spike here?” she asked, casually. It didn’t fool the witch.

“He blipped out on you again?”

Buffy nodded, chewing on her bottom lip. She wandered around the room distractedly straightening perfectly straight notices pinned to the wall before coming to a stop at the side of the bed opposite Willow. She smiled weakly before turning her attention to her sister, pale and still in the hospital bed.

“Buffy…I know it’s hard, but just think… Spike! You thought you’d never see him again and yet here he is. Gotta be better than nothing, right?”

“Yeah, Will. I guess. But… I’m terrified it’s all gonna be a temporary thing, you know? And I’ve only just found him -- what if he disappears and can never come back to me?”

A strangled sob made Willow cringe. How the hell could Buffy cope with all this without cracking up? Hindsight was a fine thing when it made you realise how bad a friend you’d been – but at least this time it wasn’t too late to do something about it.

Since they’d been in LA, Willow’s thoughts often returned to the night they’d thrown Buffy out of her own home; the standards they’d expected of her but never of themselves. And as for Spike… She felt ashamed – there must be a way to anchor Spike, make him solid again. She couldn’t bear to see Buffy suffering any more. Not to mention her own distraction was causing her to neglect Kennedy. The girl was still besotted with her, but it was only a matter of time before she tired of the one-way attention and either took off or threw a tantrum. Sadly at this point Willow wasn’t sure which she’d prefer. Thing is, having seen the way Spike looked at Buffy, seeing the raw love and devotion on Buffy’s face when she looked at her returned vampire, it just seemed to be so much more… real… than what she had with Kennedy. A sudden recollection of long, light brown hair, warm curves and soft hands reminded her how it should feel to be in love. With a sigh, Willow dragged herself away from gloomy introspection and back to the matter at hand.

“Well, since you’re back, if you’re sure you’ve had enough rest, I’ll head up to the lab, see what Fred’s come up with.”

Buffy turned a dazzling smile on her.

“Thanks, Willow. I’m fine, honestly. I’d rather you were, you know, trying to get him back for me -- because really that’s all I want. I just want him to come back to me. Well, him and the owner of a certain whiney voice that makes my ears bleed.” She gave her sister’s wan cheek a loving caress, taking the seat vacated by Willow and smoothing down the coverlet.

Willow’s voice was harsh with emotion when she spoke.

“Buffy, we will fix this. All of it. It may take a bit of time but we’ll make it right. Trust me. I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t, Willow. Now shoo! Go get me my vampire back!”

The witch laughed and turned to walk away, glancing back at the increasingly familiar sight of Buffy, book in hand, talking softly to her sister. She would fix this - she had to find a way.

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

“Speak!” Angel barked from his position by the window.

The mystic took a deep breath, willing his voice to sound strong and not betray the true fear he felt.

“Mr Angel, sir. He’s gone again. I think I can make it last a little longer this time. I’m tuning the magic into his harmonic resonance; each time I can make him out of phase, I get more information. As I said, I can make it permanent but it takes time.”

“And in the meantime, he’s making moves on my woman.”

The mystic remained stoically silent at that point. The whole building was abuzz with the boss’ doomed and hopeless obsession with the Slayer. The private meetings that had taken place when the white hats first arrived was available on VHS and DVD, audio tapes were also circulating, plus stills of the moment when Buffy told Angel she was baked but not for him were changing hands for a hefty sum. Some sly demon had even managed to get Angel to sign one. Amazing what you could get done in this firm.

The brooding vampire just didn’t seem to comprehend that no matter what happened to Spike, the slayer would not be running to his bed anytime soon, or to his anything. Everybody else could see it. Except him.

Still, orders were orders. If Mr Angel wanted Spike out of the picture permanently, Mr Angel would have that. The other twist he’d requested didn’t sit quite so easily with the shaman. Oh, he had no moral objections -- he’d kill his own mother for a promotion -- no, it was rather that he could sense the latent potential in the girl, potential he would dearly love to harness to his own ends. And if he carried out Mr Angel’s plan to the letter – that potential would never be fulfilled. He couldn’t believe the boss would be so petty and shortsighted.

He glanced up as he suddenly realised he was being addressed. In a blind panic his eyes flickered about searching for the quickest exit route. He had no idea what Mr Angel had just said and he wasn’t about to ask him to repeat himself.

“Why are you still here? Go – make sure everything is moving along. Everything. You understand? She has to make the choice.”

“Yes, Mr Angel. I’ll get right to it.” With a sigh of relief, he scuttled out of the office and away to the sanctuary of his cavern.

Angel smiled, a cruel gloat to his lips that hadn’t been there since Angelus had surfaced to fight The Beast. It comforted to him to have that smile. Reminded him what he really was.

If all went to plan, the Casper wannabe would be long gone and Buffy crying on his shoulder within the week. Life was good at the top.

He swung his feet up on the desk, leaning back in the overstuffed chair with his hands behind his head. He even indulged himself with a quick chorus of another Barry classic as he contemplated the future. “Bermuda Triangle – it makes people disappear, Bermuda Triangle…”

Lorne almost dropped his Seabreeze as he hovered at the open door. No… it couldn’t be… Angel would never…

But the song never lied. He needed to speak to Wesley, Fred, Gunn – and Willow. This couldn’t happen.

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

Buffy was relaxing back into the chair trying to come to terms with Spike’s sporadic presence, recalling with pleasure the tingle of electricity where Spike’s arm had rested on her waist earlier. From what he’d whispered against her ear, nobody else could touch him at all, passed right through him. Hadn’t there always been something special about their relationship? Okay it had started off as a special hate-hate, but then over time it became less about enmity and more about synchronising steps in an endless dance. Yes, she knew now just how very special. Her eyes closed as she pictured his achingly beautiful face, the full lips, deep blue eyes that swirled with emotion. She almost wept as she recalled how good his body used to feel hard against hers. Desire coursed through her, her heartbeat accelerating as the familiar hunger for him enveloped her. Her breath hitched as she could almost feel his fingers on her hair, her face, his mouth moving over her throat, the pulse point; sharp teeth grazing the skin then softly piercing the flesh with such gentleness…wait; that had never happened! What was she thinking? And why did that thought make her squirm in her seat?

“Hope those damp knickers are because of me, pet. And what were you thinking just then? Bloody pulse is deafening it’s pounding so loud!”

“Spike! You’re back!”

Buffy leapt from the chair, eyes wide with delight, launching herself at him, forgetful of his little problem. She passed right through him, but explosions of pleasure assaulted her body as arcs of electricity fizzled along her skin. She turned to face him, panting.

“Bloody hell – what was that?” Spike managed to get out through trembling lips. “Gotta tell you, pet, that was incredible.”

Buffy nodded, unable to force a word out. With a wicked glint in her eyes she backed up as far as she could then ran towards him at full pelt, gasping as the zing hit her again.

When she lined up to rush through him again, Spike held up his hands to forestall her.

“Whoa, Buffy! Nice as it is, luv, we don’t know if this is helping or hindering. And while I do like the tinglies, I’d kinda like to get all my facilities working as soon as possible. Got plans for your tingle time, kitten.”

Spike’s velvet voice hit her right in her pleasure centre. The thought of him whole and fully functioning brought a flush to her face and an ache in the pit of her stomach. She moved towards him slowly then, just wanting to be near. He spread his arms to allow her to get close and as she did so they both felt the frisson of their mingled auras. Buffy carefully inched closer till she felt the slight resistance against her hands, then slid them around him in a gentle embrace, closing her eyes and relying on touch alone. Slowly she laid her head on his chest, Spike bringing his arms around to hug her close, mindful not to squeeze too hard. It was a delicate balancing act; too quick, too hard, and the fragile barrier disappeared, arms closing on empty air. But standing in the sterile room, beeps and whirrs of medical equipment in the background, bursts of warmth rippling through them, it was pure heaven.

Spike began to purr his pleasure as his eyes closed, just holding Buffy like this was more than he’d dreamed of since he’d appeared in Angel’s office. And he trusted Red and Tex to work something out. Decent girls the two of them, both able to look past narrow prejudices and see that his love for Buffy, and hers for him, was real. Yeah, the brainiacs would fix it. They had to.

The two lovers were dragged back to reality when an alarm started to beep. Buffy raced to the bedside, looking at Dawn in a panic. Spike moved to stand behind her, frustrated that he couldn’t even feel for Dawn’s pulse, smooth her hair. One of his girls was hurting, the other one stricken, and he could do nothing. Absolutely sodding useless! He growled in frustration.

In moments, two doctors and a nurse thrust their way past the two to the bed, passing through Spike’s insubstantial body without comment. Concentrating on their patient, the professionals checked the equipment, turned off the alarm and swiftly gave Dawn a thorough examination while Buffy and Spike looked on, tense with worry.

When the silence got too much for her, Buffy begged for an explanation.

“What’s happening? Is she all right? What’s going on, please tell me!”

The doctors ignored Buffy and continued working, talking together in hushed tones.

“Spike…” she whimpered, her hand hovering above his arm.

“Answer the lady!” he snarled. The medics jumped back, disturbed by the menace in his voice.

The nurse turned to them. “Miss Summers, it appears there was a slight irregularity with Dawn’s breathing, for a short while… oh she’s fine, don’t worry -- it was just enough to set off the alarms but we’ve given her a thorough check and everything is unchanged. See?”

She pointed to the monitor for Dawn’s breathing and heart rate, now beeping in its familiar way. As the doctors retreated, Buffy’s wide eyes moved to her sister. She rushed to the bedside, gathering Dawn’s hand in hers and kissed it. With a final tick on the bedside chart, the medical staff drifted out of the room.

“Don’t do that again, Dawnie. I thought I’d lost you… I couldn’t bear it.” Silent tears coursed down Buffy’s cheeks as she gripped Dawn’s hand fiercely. She felt Spike move behind her to look over her shoulder.

“Hey, Niblet, let’s not give big sis a heart attack, yeah? And don’t you think it’s time you woke up? Haven’t even given me any backchat yet, don’t rightly feel like I’m back ‘til you give me an earful.”

They both watched, fascinated, as Dawn’s eyelids fluttered as if about to open and Buffy squealed when she felt a light grip from the hand clasped in her own. She forgot to breathe as she fixed her sister with an anxious stare.

Then, the grip relaxed, the eyelids smoothed out. There was no change. Buffy sagged, head bowed.

“I thought she was coming round. It’s the first time she’s reacted at all.”

“Must be my presence then, pet. None of you Summers women can resist me, that’s all!”

Buffy rolled her eyes at him. But then – maybe he was right. In all the time Dawn had been in the coma, she hadn’t reacted to anything at all. Was it just coincidence that it had happened when Spike was there?

“Spike… try speaking to her again.”

“Oh, right. Erm…don’t know what to say… erm… look ‘Bit, the folk here need the bed so move your arse. What?”

“Nice speech, Spike.”

“It’s hard to philosophise off the cuff. Besides, how’ll she know me if I’m all proper with her? She’s always liked the Big Bad bad.”

Buffy wasn’t listening, all her attention focused on her sister. Nothing. No movement.

“Ah, well. It was worth a try.”

“Yeah, it was. Hey, where’s Red?”

“She went to help Fred in the lab. Wouldn’t mind finding out how they’re getting on but…”

She moved her eyes back to the bed. No way she’d leave Dawn at the moment, Spike knew that.

“Don’t worry, pet. I’ll go and find out, report back as quick as I can.”

“But I don’t want you out of my sight. It’s been so long… I need you -- can’t take the chance you’ll disappear again.”

He smiled, reaching to smooth her hair, raising static electricity along its honey length with the passing of his fingers. “I know, Buffy. But you can’t go, can’t leave the ‘Bit; and I promise once I’m physical again I won’t leave your side for a second, never.”

“You promise?” Her pouting lip begged to be bitten. “Cross my heart,” he leaned in and gave it a try.

“Mmm, nice. Strange, but nice.” Buffy brought her arms up to keep his face close to hers, gently testing the limits of their intermingled auras. When Spike slipped his tongue between her lips, she had a wicked thought.

“Now that’s interesting,” she whispered around his kisses.

“Whassat, luv?”

“Don’t stop…I can multitask… just… well, if you can kiss me, with tongues and all… wonder what else you could… erm… you know… get in me…”

Buffy blushed as the words came out of her mouth. She hadn’t meant to be so blunt but once she’d started the sentence, she had no idea how to finish it.

Spike smirked. He’d been thinking exactly the same thing! And if the whole running through him was anything to go by, he’d probably pass out from the pleasure at more intimate intermingling. Not that he was planning on turning her down. He leaned back a little so he could look at her face.

“Are you channelling me, pet? You took the words right out of my mouth… bloody hell! That’s a soddin’ Meatloaf song!”

Buffy had no idea what he was talking about. But she didn’t care. He could recite the dictionary if he wanted; as long as he was here and she could listen to his voice, watch him.

“You know, Meatloaf? Big bloke, handkerchief… big voice... ’Bat out of Hell’?” Buffy’s blank look and shrugged shoulders amused him. “You really need to give up on the teen boy bands now, Buffy. I’ll teach you about music. But first things first…”

Spike lunged for her then, melding into her body but not passing through it, occupying the same space. The feeling was unbelievable – bolts of fire shot through them both, like before, but with Spike remaining in contact with her it was intense, wave after wave rising… When he felt Buffy’s trembling he stepped back, looking at her anxiously.

“Sorry, Buffy. Are you alright? I just thought… I’m sorry…”

Buffy was gasping, eyes bright, breathing ragged. “Why are you sorry? That was unbelievable. Oh, you are so getting out of those clothes later, mister.”

She grinned at him, the pink spots on her cheeks stark against the paleness of her drawn face.

“Now go and find out what Willow and Fred are up to. Run! Don’t be long.”

She grinned at him, and he saw a side of Buffy he never thought he would, fun, animated, eager to embrace life. And it was because of him. He thought his heart would burst with happiness. He grinned back at her, blowing her a kiss and gifting her with a full on quirked brow and tongue curl before he turned to seek out the witch and the scientist.

Buffy shouted after him. “Oh Spike! Bring Willow back with you. I need her to sit with Dawn… I have plans, you know…”

Spike laughed as he winked at her and walked away. Maybe things would work out after all.

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

Fred and Willow were combining magic and science in an effort to solve the Spike conundrum. Fred had taken numerous readings when Spike first appeared and she was writing equations on the board…and the wall…and the next wall…

Willow looked at her quizzically when she continued to write, muttering as she did so; having used up the available surface she moved on to the window. Eventually Fred sensed that she was under inspection and stopped her rambling, turning to face Willow, marker in hand and fingers smeared with black ink.

“Intriguing research paper you’ve got going on there,” the redhead stated, deadpan as she stifled the smile tugging at her lips.

Fred giggled, a pretty blush suffusing her cheeks. She pushed the dark-rimmed glasses back up her nose, smudging her face with inky fingers.

“Oh, it’s just force of habit. No actual paper in Pylea you know… not for a cow anyway. Well there was, but it was for wrapping things… not writing. There was this sort of leaf thing that felt like paper…but it also made a good tortilla and my tummy won over my brain.”

Willow let the southern drawl wash over her, finding herself drawn to the long and lean genius. In fact… but no, the Texan batted for the other team. And hey! Girlfriend already! Why did Kennedy keep slipping away from her conscious thought? She really needed to get a grip. Tonight. She’d do Kennedy time tonight.

“So, have you found anything out from those readings you took? Any explanation for the ghost-Spike effect?”

“It’s very strange, actually. He looks like a ghost; he even has ghostly qualities – the walk-through body, the dematerialisation. But he doesn’t register as a phantom on any of the known scales. He has body mass, which he wouldn’t have as a true spook. Also his body temperature. It doesn’t make sense. But I’m not giving up; back home they called me ‘Terrier’ because I never gave up once I got something between my teeth. Think that’s what got me through in Pylea, you know?”

Willow couldn’t do anything but watch this force of nature as she whizzed through complex calculations whilst barely looking at her work, her eyes sparkling and intelligent. She was adorable! No, not adorable… clever, professional. She needed to get out of here; the Southern Belle was looking way too enticing. Come to think of it, she’d left a lasting impression last time they’d met. Of course, that was when Willow was convinced the Texan was gay and on the prowl. Boy was she embarrassed when Wesley enlightened her!

“Well, I think I’ll go to my room, see if I can contact the coven. They should be able to come up with something. I’ll get back to you in a while. Ok?”

“Ok, Willow. I’ll do likewise. Good luck!”

Willow walked through the doorway, waving over her shoulder at the stunning scientist. ‘Cold shower time, Willow’ she admonished herself. So, she didn’t see Spike as he walked towards her. The first she knew was the uncomfortable ‘gloop’ sensation she got as she ploughed on through him.

“Red! Bloody hell -- not a soddin’ swing door, luv!”

“Spike! Sorry, sorry – didn’t see you, I was miles away, thinking of something…..”

Spike crossed his arms, raising his eyebrow and smirking as he sniffed the air around her. “Really? About something…. or someone?”

“Thing… something… I’m just…I have to go talk to the coven…”

The blush on her face matched the red of her hair. Spike laughed to himself as she scooted off before remembering Buffy’s parting words.

“Hey! Red! Hold on a sec.”

Willow stilled, gathering her composure and turned around. “Yes, what is it?”

“Nothing really, Buffy just wants to know if you could sit with Dawn later. We’ve got a lot to… talk about…”

She rolled her eyes. Talk yeah. That’s all that would be going on later, she was sure! What with the pulsing aura she’d seen enveloping the pair, the obvious connection. Yeah, talking. Right! And she was an opera singer.

“Sure, Spike. Tell Buffy I’ll take over, let you guys get into some deep…conversations.”

He laughed then, a big belly laugh. It was good to be back! He wasn’t going to waste a moment.

“Ok, Red, catch you later. I’ll just check on Fred, see if she’s got anything for me. Oh! Dawn sort of twitched… just a little, but Buffy was hopeful. Gone back to snoozing now though. Thought you’d want to know.”

“Really? That’s great! Well, not great because snoozing but still – it’s something. Thanks, Spike. I’ll head back to the medical wing in a little while.”

Spike stopped at the lab door, not sure why. Force of habit from when he actually had to open the door to go through it probably. Shaking his head at his idiocy, he moved through and into the room. Seeing Fred with her back to him, bent over a book, he thought he’d try a little haunting, see if he could get her to scream. He crept towards her, hands raised in time-honoured ‘boogie boogie’ way – only to be stopped two feet away when she spoke without even turning round.

“Hey, Spike! I’m glad you’re here, I need to do a few more scans if that’s okay.”

She spun to face him, catching him in the ‘grrrr monster’ pose. “Oh! Sorry – Spike… what were you doing?”

“Wha’? I’m just… thought you had a spider or something on you…”

Lame, very lame. He glowered at the scientist, daring her to contradict him. Her lips twitched but she managed to hold back the smile. “Oh, well… thanks.”

After a few minutes of strangely companionable silence, Spike spoke.

“So, did Red fill you in, about Buffy and me being all touchy-feely?”

“She did. What’s it like? Does it hurt?”

Spike smiled, remembering the feelings that surged through him when Buffy’s aura overlapped his.

“Erm…not what I’d call it luv; definitely not painful. Kinda nice actually, tingly, like putting your tongue on a battery, you know?”

Fred looked at him blankly. “Oh come on! Everyone’s tried that out; you must have!”

“Sorry, no licking batteries for this girl. I’ve eaten some pretty hot chilli peppers though; is it like that, but all over not just on the tongue?”

Spike considered for a moment before breaking into a wide grin. “Yeah, Tex. Exactly like that.”

Fred giggled, a deliciously infectious sound that filled the room. “I’ll just make a note. Can you stand over here, Spike, so I can scan you?”

“Yeah, whatever you need, kitten. So – you think you can help, solid me up and all?” His tone was light but his eyes betrayed the depth of his fears.

Fred didn’t know him really, only met him a few days ago. Angel was dismissive of him, more than that he was positively aggressive in his dislike. And for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why. So far all he’d displayed was a mischievous sense of humour and an all-consuming love for Buffy. What was there not to like? Then she remembered – Angel wasn’t exactly known for his laughing skills and Buffy had always been a touchy subject, according to Cordelia. That explained a lot. Well, if Angel was going to be such an ass about it…

“I think I can help you, Spike. There’s nothing that Willow doesn’t know about magic, and I’m pretty hot with the quadratic equations and stuff. Just give us a little time. Okay?”

“Yeah, luv, that I will.”

She began scanning him, noting temperature, electrical resistance and other parameters. She was engrossed in her work when the door burst open to reveal an obviously disturbed green demon.

“Lorne! You startled me… are you okay? You look a little… well, I’d say green but you know what I mean. What is it?”

“Fredikins, saddle up. I think we’ve got a major problem. You know when we were worried about the possible temptations of being in the Gingerbread House? Well, looks like Angel’s developed a sweet tooth. And who knows who’ll be shoved in the oven next…”

Chapter 11

“Lorne, I really don’t know what you mean…Gingerbread House?”

“You know, Hansel and Gretel…big bad witch…kiddies roasting nicely? No? Spike – help a demon out here.”

“What the Jolly Green is saying, Tex, is that Angel may be brushing off his black hat and snacking down on the AB pos again. Right, mate?”

“Wow. Nice turn of phrase and very succinctly put.”

Both demons turned towards the mystified scientist, expectant looks on their faces. Fred shrugged, a shy smile on her lips.

Spike sighed. “What he means is this place is doing stuff to Angel. And you can bet your last burrito that whatever it is, it’s not good.”

“But…he’s Angel… he fights evil and makes things better, tries to do right – he wants to atone! What could be happening to him? Come on, Lorne, you know Angel. He would never do anything bad. He’s… he’s ANGEL!”

“He’s also Angelus, pet.”

She turned her huge eyes towards Spike. He nodded slowly, reinforcing his words. When he was sure it had sunk in, he spoke to Lorne.

“So, what do you know?”

“Well, I know it’s not good. I was wandering past when he broke into a ditty, and he…”

“Don’t tell me - Manilow, right? He’s such a sorry prick!”

“Yeah, not as perky as the original but nearly in tune… well that’s an exaggeration… remind me to give you the critique later. His whole big secret agenda was just laid out there in front of me. And let me tell you, it’s not something they’d show on Family Favourites.”

“Look, I know you probably get off on the cryptic, mate, and I get that, but for the sake of the lady can you spell it out?”

“Oh, you’re so deliciously commanding, Spike! You ever thought of doing those self-assertion videos? Could make a pretty penny…and you so photogenic and all.”

Spike’s steely glare wiped the smile from Lorne’s face.

“Right, yeah – thing is, Angelcakes seems to have made himself some kind of sweet deal - and that’s on top of the one we know about. Not quite sure of all the details, but suffice it to say we’re gonna get screwed…and not in the hot groin and triceps kinda way.”

“Well, ain’t that a kick in the ass. But, grandpa always was a devious sod, not that anyone ever listens to me.”

“All I can tell is that he’s digging the big evil vibe hereabouts and he knows more about your sitch than he’s letting on. Also, there’s something about Dawn; I’m not really sure yet – and I don’t think he is, which is why I couldn’t read him fully. He still has the soul though… which is confusing me…”

“Not me - known some right bastards with a shiny soul sitting right inside. Nah, evil is evil. And Angelus is the most evil bastard you’ll ever meet.”

“No… I’ve read Angelus…it’s not Angelus. It’s Angel. Spikey, I really am without a clue on this one. Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

“Nope, but it wouldn’t hurt to give the troops a heads up. Tex, can you round up Lord Snooty and the Streetdude? I’ll get to Red and Giles, and get them to ring Faith. I think we’ll need the full deck. But quiet, mind. Don’t want to alert Angel.”

“Yeah, I’ll get to them. What about Buffy?”

“NO! Not Buffy. Don’t you think she’s got enough on her mind right now? I’ll clue her in, but not yet… when we have something definite.”

Lorne fretted a little at that. The Slayer didn’t seem to be the type who liked having things decided for her; but Spike knew her best.

“Ok, sweets. You call that little play as you see it. Freddles, any luck?”

Fred had been calling round to find Charles and Wesley. So far they weren’t answering.

“No, and I don’t think I should page them. I’ll just go for a little walk; maybe whispering in their ears is the best way to go. Where shall we meet up?”

“Well, I’m pretty much housebound. Few times I’ve tried to go walkabout, I’ve snapped back to these four walls so… parking garage?”

Lorne and Fred nodded.

“Ok, I’ll round up the Sunnydale contingent, leave the rest to you. Catch you in a little while.” He paused at the doorway. “Erm, Tex. Not to appear selfish but… anything?”

Fred gave him a beaming smile. She didn’t really have much to say, the readings were subtly different from those she’d taken initially, but his deep blue eyes just begged for reassurance. She would fix it. She would fix it all; she had to.

“Actually, Spike, you do seem to have a little more… presence. Temperature’s up two degrees and you have more mass. Which sounds good to me. I’m on it -- you’ll be back to touching stuff up before you know it………touching stuff… not up…sorry.”

She giggled, hiding her blushes with a sweep of hair.

“Thanks, Fred. I’ll owe you one.”

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

“Hey, Wes. Are you busy?”

Wesley knew the instant she entered the room; his neck got all tingly. She wore a perfume, light with a lemony signature, which woke all sorts of unaccountable feelings in him. So when he got his first whiff of it, he started smiling and eagerly turned to the door. He was looking at her when she spoke, and the joviality of her tone didn’t match the look on her face.

“Never too busy for you, Fred. What can I do for you?”

Thud. What couldn’t he do for her? Briefly forgetting the current crisis, she lost herself in his concerned gaze and swallowed hard. Really, he must have some inkling of her feelings…he must know that the kiss they’d shared, when Angelus was taunting them all during his last appearance, had awakened such deep emotions inside of her. He did know, didn’t he?

Shaking herself mentally, Fred pushed that to the back of her mind. She moved to embrace the bemused man, whispering in his ear whilst her arms were wrapped around him. He whispered his assent and she moved back from him, the pressure of his arms where he’d returned her embrace burning her skin.

Out loud, she made something up on the spot, suddenly wondering if they were being monitored. “Oh, Wes! Buffy told me that Dawn blinked at her…isn’t it marvellous?”

“Erm…yes, absolutely. I must go and see them both.”

An awkward silence ensued.

“Well…erm… I’ll just go and… I want to tell Gunn about… Buffy. Catch you later.”

Wesley nodded, the smile fading from his face as the implication of her words sank in. This was bad. He needed to speak to Giles.

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

“Red! Hold up!”

Spike came sprinting round the corridor startling Willow as she was leaving her room, arms full of the papers that now fluttered about her feet. She bent down to retrieve them and Spike knelt too, forgetting his handicap momentarily and fruitlessly tried to help. He whispered to Willow as their heads bent together, filling her in on what Lorne had told them.

“What?” the witch hissed, “I knew it! I told Giles there was something off about him. We have to tell Buffy.”

“NO! I just told Tex and Lorne, not yet. Not while she’s dealing with Dawn. We’ll tell her when we know more, yeah?”

Willow looked into his concerned blue eyes. He looked so resolute, so protective of her friend. Distractedly she wondered when she’d become so trusting of the vampire that she found herself nodding her agreement to his words. She wouldn’t tell Buffy about their fears just yet.

“Ok, but when she knows we knew, she’s gonna be pissed and I’ll blame you. So what’s the plan?” she whispered to him, still gathering the papers together.

“Well, Tex is gathering up the LA contingent so I said I’d give the Scoobs the heads up. Meeting down in the parking garage as soon as. Ok?”

Willow nodded. “Do you want me to tell Giles?”

Spike thought for a minute, was about to say yes but then thought better of it. “Nah, Red. I’ll tell Giles and maybe you can clue Faith in? What with me being telephone deprived at the moment.”

“Yeah, good point. I’ll do that. I think Giles is in Watcher heaven at the moment – you might want to head to the library. I’ll check in on Xander too and I’ll see you later.”

“Count on it, Red.”

Willow watched from the floor as he strode away, duster flapping behind him in his wake. Her nostrils flared as she took a deep breath. Oh boy, somebody was gonna be hurting real bad when Spike got his punching muscles back. Wouldn’t like to be in Angel’s shoes.

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

“…so I have now linked the two auras; as one gets stronger, the other one weakens. Is that what you wanted, Mr Angel, sir?”

Angel turned from the bank of monitors that graced one wall of his office. His glowering countenance split with a coldly sardonic grin; so malevolent it chilled the mystic to the bone. It was the most horrific moment of his life and he would wake with screaming nightmares seeing that face until he went to the grave.

“Excellent! She has to realise what’s good for her now. So, what? He’ll fade away once too often and ‘shazam’ no more pain in the ass?”

“Not exactly, sir. I’ve tied it all in so that it depends on what…she… wants. She has to make the choice.”

The look in the vampire’s eyes was dreadful.

“Perfect! Then she’ll have no choice at all. She’ll soon see who she belongs to… and he’ll be gone. And the fake prophesy? You have it ready?”

“Yes, sir… Mr Angel, sir. I have it here. It’s written on genuine twelfth century parchment in the blood of virgins. I’m quite proud of it…”

Angel brought the proffered scroll to his nose and inhaled the scent of the blood. It was delicious, and very tempting. Eyes flickering from brown to amber he managed to rein in his demon. “It works for me… Good job. There may be a reward in this for you. If we have a result…”

Strangely disturbed at the thought of being in the vampire’s good books, the shaking mage backed out of the room and headed for the boozy relief of the staff bar.

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

“Mr Giles! Ahem… Mr Giles!”

Giles tried to ignore the irritating buzz but finally closed the tome in which he’d been lost as he realised Wyndham-Pryce wasn’t going away. Remembering his manners, he kept his hand in the book, removing his glasses and looking quizzically at the interruption.

“Yes, Wesley? Is there something you need?”

Damn. He hadn’t thought past the finding of Giles. What should he say? Fred had whispered urgently that they had to be careful; how could he get Giles to leave with him without a fuss? And had Willow or Spike had a chance to speak with him yet?

Thankfully, at that moment Spike walked into the library and Wesley sighed with relief. At least he’d find the answer to one of his questions.

“Rupert, Percy – glad you’re both here. Need a quick word.”

Both men looked at him expectantly. Bugger. How to spill the beans without alerting Peaches, who no doubt had spies all over the place.

“Well, yeah…thing is… there’s good news! Dawn kind of reacted earlier. Just a little twitch or some such but a definite step up from just lying there.”

“Spike! Is she awake? What do the doctors say?” Giles was on his feet, glasses dangling from his fingers.

“What? Oh, no…like I say, just a movement. Doctor’s checked her over say there’s no change. But Buffy’s taking it as an encouraging sign, think I will too.” Giles looked at him puzzled at the way he was inclining his head and seemed to be beckoning him nearer.

“Spike, you appear to have developed a twitch -- is that a side effect of your non-corporeality?”

“Bloody hell” was muttered through clenched teeth and Wesley realised what was going on. Giles didn’t know.

“Yes, Spike. We’ll be sure to pop down and see Buffy and Dawn later. Fred…” Wesley stressed the name, “told me earlier what was going on. I just came down to tell Giles about it but thank you for thinking of him too. I’ll make sure he knows everything, and obviously Lorne already knows, so Fred tells me.” He stared at Spike hoping his convoluted speech had done the trick and Spike understood that he would tell Giles everything about Lorne’s reading.

Thankfully, despite some people’s opinion of him, Spike wasn’t stupid and cottoned on immediately. He smiled and nodded gratefully at the former watcher.

“Make sure you do, Percy. I’ll be heading off then - things to do, you know?”

Giles turned to Wesley, confusion wrinkling his brow. He opened his mouth to speak but Wesley forestalled him.

“I think this deserves a celebration, don’t you? Maybe a cup of what they laughingly call tea in this country. Over at the café perhaps? And if they can manage it a scone… my treat.”

Wesley shook his head very slightly as Giles still looked as if he was about to speak. Giles swallowed his questions; there was something going on here and he intended to find out what. Maybe it would be a good idea to get out of the building; the atmosphere within Wolfram & Hart was oppressive sometimes and he did need to clear his head.

“Yes, what a lovely idea. I’ll get my coat.”

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

“Faith? Hi, Willow here. How’s he doing? Good, good. So he’ll be back on his feet soon. Great! Erm…do you have time to come and meet me for…erm…for a drink?”

There was a silence while Willow listened to the other end of the conversation.

“Well, no… I haven’t always got on with you… but you know the whole Goddess thing and all, makes me feel connected. Just a drink… NO! I so do not fancy you… look, Faith, I need to speak to you about…girly stuff. Can you meet me, please?”

Another silence while she listened.

“Erm, I’m not familiar…and how have you found a ‘local’ so soon, you’ve hardly been away from Woods’ side. Yeah, I think I know where…all right, 15 minutes? I’ll see you then.”

She clicked off the cell phone, rolling her eyes. ‘Fancy her! As if… she’d eat me for breakfast! Oh no, bad Willow…’

The mental picture she’d just had widened her eyes and she took herself off to find Xander before heading to the bar down the block to keep her assignation with Faith.

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

“Hey Xand, how are you?” Willow recoiled from the smell of alcohol as she found him sitting in an empty office. His one good eye was bloodshot and he hadn’t shaved, wasn’t too fresh either.

“Just great, Willow. Never better – I’m thinking of dancing a jig to celebrate my life because it’s so incredibly good.”

Willow’s heart ached as she looked at her oldest friend. He’d taken the loss of his eye so well, had really come through in the crunch and helped out so much with the potentials. But the loss of Anya had changed him. He’d become bitter, cynical. And Buffy’s declaration of undying love for Spike had made things worse. He’d never accept it; Willow knew that. Truth be told, she thought it was time that he got away and tried to rebuild his life. But if she told him that, he’d think she wanted him gone. She didn’t; she wanted him back to the way he was. Anya’s death had been the catalyst for this downward spiral, and Spike’s reappearance had pushed him further.

She hesitated; maybe she shouldn’t involve him in this. After all, he’d kept pretty much to himself since they’d left Sunnydale, hadn’t even joined in any of the discussions. But if he found out about it later…

“Look, Willow, I don’t want to be rude but do you want something? I have a pressing appointment with a Mr Jack and a Mr Daniels that I don’t want to be late for and unless it’s urgent….”

“Erm…no. Nothing urgent, just checking in to see how you…”

“Well now you’ve checked. I’m fine, everybody’s fine, the whole world’s just fine and dandy. Isn’t that what you want to hear? You don’t really want to know how I feel because if I told you it would pop your happy little bubble. And we can’t have that now, can we? No, Willow, you go on home and snuggle your honey, tell Buffy to keep on mooning after the evil undead, and leave Giles drooling on his books. Dawn’s happy in coma-land so we don’t have to worry about what she’s feeling. Angel’s got this empire at his beck and call and the assorted demons that infest it seem to be happy enough that nobody’s whupping their asses. So I’m fine. Ok?”

Willow’s bottom lip started to tremble. This wasn’t the Xander she knew; how had he come to be so low? But she couldn’t spare the time to worry about him at the moment; there were bigger problems to deal with.

“Ok, I’ll… leave you to it then.” She backed out of the room fighting her tears.

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

Two hours later the parking garage echoed with sounds of argument and denial. Andrew had insisted on tagging along at first but when Harmony tried to follow her ‘Blondie Bear’ and his lover’s ex-nemesis along the corridors, a whispered command by the ghostly vampire had his wannabe doubling back to distract her. Andrew puffed out his chest, thrilled to be given a mission, and with a salute and a chirpy ‘oui, mon Capitain’ he dragged Harmony off to chat about girly things. Probably. That freed Spike to slip away and down to the meeting.

Lorne reclined against the door of the Viper, arms crossed, as he tried to pick up on the whirling emotions of the mixed group. He really must get them all to sing; that would sort things out. It might melt his eardrums but hey – a demon’s got to do what a demon’s got to do. He’d already told the assembly what he’d found out about Angel’s plans, which admittedly was little more than conjecture at the moment, and there was now the outpouring of disbelief and anger. Once they got round to the acceptance, he’d jump right in again.

Strangely, the most vehement defence of Angel came from Faith. She was just not willing to believe that the vampire who fought at her side and who had set her on the path to redemption would ever do anything to hurt his friends.

“Look, I’m not saying Angelus ain’t evil; hell he’s one twisted fucker and no mistake – I know. I’ve been inside the sick son of a bitch’s mind. But not Angel. You’re sure he’s not Angelus?”

“I am, my dark delight. Angel’s still in the driving seat, still got the soul and the brood. It’s just a little tarnished.”

“I just can’t see what would make him act like that. What could make him? Anyone?”

There was silence in the garage. Eyes shifted and feet shuffled. Nobody spoke for a while; nobody had the answer. Until…

“Buffy.”