Chapter 14: Get Busy Living

A girl in the empty streets of Las Vegas ran as fast as her little legs could go, but being human and being in the dark gave her a disadvantage. Three vampires ran behind the girl, acting like she was there next meal but in fact they weren’t planning on killing her at all, they just wanted her heart to keep racing and get her tired her out.

Once the girl got to the end of the street she turned a sharp corner and came in contact with a man’s chest. The man grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her. The girl looked up and saw Angelus looking at her with fake worried eyes.

”Are you alright?” Angelus asked, sounding much like he had a soul at the moment.

The girl in his arms was breathing heavily from her chase. She looked behind her to see that the two demons were gone.

“There…there was someone…someone chasing me.” She said while panting.

Angelus pretended to look confused and then looked behind her shoulder and then back at her, “Well whoever it was are gone now.”

The girl turned around and tried to look into the dark corners to see if the attackers were hiding, getting ready to pop out at her. As she kept looking around Angelus from behind her began to smirk. As the young woman turned around to face him his smirk instantly went away and was replaced with a worried look again.

”What are you doing out late at night anyway…it’s not safe.” Angelus said in a tender voice.

“I—I’m on vacation…I just got here when all of this happened…” the girl explained.

”I see…what’s your name?” Angelus asked.

“Jessica…” she asked.

”I’m Angel…” Angelus gave his other ‘good name’. He knew that ‘Angel’ seemed more appropriate to use so she would start to trust him, maybe take it as a sign that he was her angel.

“Angel?” Jessica breathed out.

”I help people…” Angelus said with a little smile.

Jessica looked relieved, “You’re a cop?”

”Nah...” Angelus shook his head but continued to play his charming attitude, “Just a random guy, helping the helpless…it’s what I do.”

The smiled up at him, “Well how can you help me?”

Angelus’s smile grew a little bit more.

Across town few members of Angelus’s staff were gathered outside the main entrance of The Crypt Casino talking business and strategy. They all stopped talking and looked up when they saw a big black limo pull up to the curb in front of the casino.

A vampire driver came out and went to open the door for the backseat passengers. After a moment two regular looking guys in classy clothes exited the limo. They looked around at their surroundings as if they never seen Vegas before. A member of Angelus’s staff walked up to the two guys.

”We’ve been waiting for you.” Angelus’s employee said to the two.

“Well we’re here now. So…shall we see Angelus?” one of the men asked.

“He’s out for the moment.” The employee said.

”Really?” the guy asked, “Where is he?”

“Doing what he does best…” the employee smiled.

In the distance the scream of the woman named Jessica could be heard. All the demons and vampires that were surrounding the entrance of the casino looked towards the sound of the scream and smiled.

Angelus’s staff member turned back to the two classy gentlemen and continued to show his evil smile, “….he’s just helping the helpless.”

Sunnydale….

Buffy sat on the edge on the bed in the same room she smashed her fists through the mirror. She was staring down at the floor, making her hair fall in her face. She really didn’t know what happened to herself a couple of minutes ago; she didn’t know what made her instantly snap inside.

Spike walked into the bedroom from the hallway carrying some bandages and medicine for Buffy’s hands.

“You’re a lucky girl…found some bandages in the bathroom…” Spike said as he walked towards Buffy and kneeled down so he could tend to her hands.

Spike took both her hands and looked at them for a moment until he looked up and met Buffy’s eyes. He seemed like he wanted to say something to her but he could find the words, he just looked back down and started to grab some bandages for her hands.

Buffy raised her head a little, making her hair fall away from her face.

“How’d you find me?” Buffy asked softly.

Spike didn’t look up at her, “I have my ways…”

There was a moment of silence between them. Outside they could hear the crickets of the night chirping.

”Why won’t you leave me alone?” Buffy asked, breaking the silence. Spike look up at her. “Why don’t you…go?”

”I got no place else to go….” Spike said softly, “Besides…a friend of mine is in trouble…she needs help…” Spike pointed out.

Buffy looked down, knowing what he was talking about her.

”I’m a worthless cause…” Buffy got up off from the bed and walked to a different spot in the room.

Spike stood up, “Buffy—“

”I am!” Buffy turned around and had tears in her eyes, “There is no one left to live for here…my sister…my friends….their all gone…” she said the words as if they were breaking news to her.

”I know…” Spike whispered and looked away.

“I feel like I don’t even know myself…” Buffy said.

“I know the feeling…” Spike said.

”How! How could you possibly know!” Buffy shouted.

”You think you’re the only one that lost something! Those friends…your sister, they were close to me too…hate to admit, but they were.” Spike said, “I traveled for almost a century around this bloody awful world and I found nothing compared to what I had back here…with you…with those Scooby pals of yours…"

Buffy was surprised that Spike was actually say these words, ‘I thought…I thought he hated my friends’ she thought to herself.

“The best years of my undead life…” Spike shook his head and then looked back at Buffy, “You think I didn’t want to walk out in the sun, drink some holy water, or running into a stake over the years? I can’t even count the times I wanted to…but you know what kept me running…what made me make it to tomorrow?”

Buffy stood silent, waiting for the answer.

” ’Be brave…live…for me.’ ” Spike stated.

Buffy exhaled the breath she was holding. He just threw the words she said to Dawn the night she sacrificed herself right back at her. She thought it was unbelievable that Spike still remembered ever word even though she never said it to him.

“I know you probably weren’t applying those words directly to me…but I told them to heart…I pretended they were from you to me.” Spike said honestly.

Buffy had tears in her eyes as he walked forward to her. She stared at him as he raised one of his hands to brush her tears away.

”I know you hate me saying it but…I love you…and I will not lose you again.” Spike whispered, “You asked for help…so…I’m going to help.”

”And what if I’m beyond helping…will you give up?” Buffy whispered.

“Would be easier to do that huh? However…once I get started on something…I never stop.” Spike said softly. Buffy knew it was true; Spike wasn’t one to give in easily.

“So…what now?” she asked.

”We start from the beginning...” Spike said.

It was about an hour later that Buffy and Spike walked through the old broken down Magic Box and into the backroom. Buffy looked around at the room that was once her training room to see it wasn’t totally destroyed, some of the equipment looked useable.

Buffy turned to Spike with questionable eyes.

“I fixed it up a little.” Spike shrugged.

Buffy looked back around at the room for a second time and examined more.

“So…” Spike started, Buffy looked at him, “Shall we get started?”

Buffy thought for a moment that this whole situation wasn’t such a good idea and just wouldn’t work. However, Buffy knew that there was no other way; it was either get busy living or get busy dying.

“Let’s get to work.” Buffy said to Spike.

TBC…

Chapter 15: The Reason Is You: Part 1

August 2001…

A few weeks before the gang does the resurrection spell…

Spike was on Dawn duty that Saturday day night as the Scoobies were having their “secret meeting.” To Spike, it felt like the gang was having a “secret meeting” every other night. He also noticed that every time Tara and Willow came back from the meeting the two witches seemed to keep to themselves. Spike didn’t assume an apocalypse was coming since it wasn’t that time of the year and that he knew the Scoobies wouldn’t be that dumb to exclude him. However he has been having his doubts lately about it.

Spike stared at his five cards in his hand, but he didn’t see two queens, an ace, a nine and a four. All he saw was Buffy’s body lying in the rubble with her eyes closed.

Dawn looked up from her cards and saw Spike staring at his cards in a daze and not blinking. ‘He looks so sad…’ Dawn thought to herself as she looked down into her lap. She concluded that he was probably thinking about Buffy. However Dawn knew it was hard not to think about Buffy since it there was the electronic replica of her dead sister, the Buffybot, always walking around. ‘Thank god that fake thing went patrolling.’ Dawn thought to herself.

Dawn looked back at Spike with worried eyes. Ever since Buffy’s death she kept getting the same look that was being played on Spike’s face. Daze. Sadness. Depression. Pained.

“Spike?” Dawn spoke up softly. She hoped Spike would snap out of his daze.

However Spike was a million miles away from Dawn. He seemed to be out in his own little world where he went to grieve and blame himself for Buffy’s death.

‘…why wasn’t I fast enough?’ he questioned himself, ‘You could have saved her… if only you were fast enough’ he thought.

“Spike?” Dawn tried again.

’I let my bloody guard down!’ he scowled himself, ‘If I focused more or—‘

“Spike!” Dawn said a little louder and finally brought Spike out of his thoughts.

“Huh? What?” Spike came back to reality. He looked around and saw he was sitting with Dawn, and she was looking at him with worried eyes.

Spike sighed, ‘Got to stop drifting off…’ he thought. He hated it when Dawn was nearby when he was off in one of his daydreams; he couldn’t tolerate to see her sad and worried face that she gave him.

”You okay?” Dawn asked.

”Yeah…yeah…fine. So, did you pick up your cards?” Spike nodded to the deck of cards that sat on the coffee table.

”You know what? Let’s call it quits for the evening…I’m kind of tired.” Dawn said and set her cards down on the messy coffee table that was scattered with games and an empty pizza box.

Spike frowned when he realized he had been the one to spoil their evening of fun. Dawn got up off the couch and started to the stairs.

”I’m just going to go to bed.” Dawn said and continued to walk to the stairs.

Spike sighed and threw his cards on the coffee table.

Dawn paused at the bottom of the stairs and looked over at Spike. “I miss her too...” she said out of the clear blue sky. Spike closed his eyes and tightened his jaw, but he didn’t look at Dawn as she continued. “If you want to talk…you know I’m here…” Dawn said and started up the stairs.

Spike’s building emotions made him either want to kill something or cry but he couldn’t decide which. He was saved from making the decision when the front door opened to reveal the Scooby Gang.

“Were back.” Willow announced.

Spike looked over to the door and saw Tara and Willow setting a few books down while Xander and Anya strolled into the living room.

”Dawn upstairs?” Xander asked Spike.

“Yeah…she just turned in.” Spike got up off his chair and grabbed his leather duster that was sitting on the couch. He wanted to get the hell out of there and do some serious drinking.

“What’s your hurry?” Anya asked, noticing Spike was urging to leave.

”No reason…just…” Spike started as he got his duster on.

”Just what?” Anya asked. Tara and Willow walked into the living room and waited to hear Spike’s response.

”Nothing…” he shook his head.

”Is the Buffybot still out?” Willow asked.

”I guess…haven’t seen it.” Spike said, “So…was the meeting good tonight?”

Xander, Anya, Willow, and Tara exchanged nervous glances with one another.

”Yeah.” Willow spoke up, “Yeah…just fine.”

”Can I ask if these meetings are going to be continuing on a regular basis? Am I now the annual babysitter?” Spike’s tone seemed a little harsh. He was a little ticked off that he didn’t know what the Scoobies for not sharing and also a little ticked off with himself that he cared.

“What’s the matter? It’s not like you have a life.” Xander said, matching Spike’s tone.

”Xander…” Anya started. She hated that her “secret fiancé” was always picking on Spike. She didn’t understand why humans held grudges and that Xander can’t notice that Spike has been helping lately.

”What? He’s dead…” Xander mumbled to Anya.

“Right, dead…just a soulless demon that doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Did I get that right Harris?” Spike asked.

“Look guys don’t fight.” Tara tried to break up the two before it started to get ugly.

”He can’t fight…he’s chiphead…and Spike, you are a soulless creature so why should we trust you with our business anyway? The only reason we are letting you stick around is because it seems Dawn wants you here, which is a reason I’ll never get.” Xander said.

The room was dead silence. Spike and Xander glared at each other for a minute before Spike turned away and went towards the front door. Tara and Willow winced when they heard the door slam shut.

“Was that necessary?” Anya scowled Xander in a calm tone.

”What?” Xander asked, seemed to not be sorry for his hurtful words.

”Xander…” Xander turned to Willow when she spoke up, “I think you went a little too far.”

Outside the Summers house Spike walked over to his spot near the tree in the front lawn where he usually had a smoke. He reached inside for lighter but stopped when he heard Xander’s voice enter his head, ‘…you’re a soulless creature…’

Spike shook his head and looked back at the Summers house, “Soulless…he’s one to talk.” Spike mumbled the words and then went off into the night, trying to find the nearest place to get a drink. But Spike knew that a couple of drinks wouldn’t make everything okay and easy. Drinking only delays the pain for a little while, but for Spike it was enough to get him through the night.

Sunnydale 2082…

Everyday since the night Buffy stuck her hands in the mirror and heard Spike’s speech about how he was going to help Buffy had seemed different, and in a good way. She seemed like she was become her old Slayer self again.

For two weeks things have been smooth sailing. Buffy and Spike decided to move into the abandoned house that they found. They figured it was more comfortable than the crypt and closer to the Magic Box where they train.

“Come on luv…don’t give me those sloppy moves.” Spike said.

Both Spike and Buffy were training in the Magic Box before sunset. They put boards on the broken windows so Spike could avoid direct sunlight. At the moment they were practicing their sword fighting.

“That wasn’t sloppy.” Buffy said a little childish, “That was so unsloppy.”

Spike and Buffy continued to clash swords together. When they pined there swords together with equal force Buffy stepped back and dropped the sword and did a few back flips. Spike stood still with his sword when he watched her come back straight onto her feet. Buffy raised her arms in fighting stance. Spike raised an eyebrow at her motion. Buffy smiled and with her hand she motioned him to closer to fight her. Spike snorted at her.

”What? Too Matrix-y?” Buffy asked.

Spike shook his head and dropped his sword to the side and stepped closer to fight her. He raised his fist and they both paused for a second before they started to spar all over the training room. At times Buffy seemed to be winning and then in a split second the tables turned and it was Spike who was on top. But after twenty minutes of none stop punches and kicks they grew tired and stopped.

Buffy walked over to the other side of the room and sat on the old vaulted horse. She grabbed a water bottle and took a few gulps before lying eyes on Spike. Buffy noticed he was watching her every move.

Buffy held still and looked nervously side to side wondering why he was looking at her, “What!”

Spike chuckles and shakes his head, “Nothing…it’s just…you seem like your old self…that fight seemed…nice and familiar.”

Buffy raised an eyebrow at his choice of words, “Nice? Okay, you buddy are getting really weird…I’m just glad this didn’t turn into a session from a 80s movie…” Buffy paused and thought about what she just said and then looked up at Spike, “I mean 1980s…not…2080s, which is…you know what I mean.”

”Yeah I do.” Spike smiled.

”It’s hard to get use to…” Buffy sighed.

“Yeah…” Spike mumbled and turned around and gathered up some equipment, “I don’t know about you but that spar was good for my soul...it was…” Spike stopped instantly.

The words tumbled out of Spike’s mouth so fast he didn’t even have a time to catch himself. He turned around and looked at Buffy to see her reaction to his little confession. He saw her face was a little shocked and confused.

‘Oh my god…’ Buffy thought to herself as she kept staring into Spike’s eyes. She stared so deeply into his eyes that she actually started to see a little glimpse of the man inside the demon.

“Uh…” Spike started, but he could come up with a sentence.

”You have a soul…” Buffy stated. It wasn’t even a question. ‘I can’t believe I didn’t see it before…’ she thought to herself.

Spike nodded, “Yeah…I got one.”

”I…I don’t understand…why…how….” Buffy started questioning.

Spike looked down at the ground and sighed and then looked back up at his love. He opened his mouth and started to tell the story.

Chapter 16: The Reason Is You Part 2

2050…L.A…

“What will it be?” the bartender asked as he attended to his next customer.

“Whiskey.” A man with his head bowed down said, hiding his face and showing off his brownish hair that had blonde tips at the top.

“We’re out…all we got is human blood and some beer.” The bartender said.

The customer looked up at the bartender with eyes full of grief, sadness, sorrow, and a little bit of amazement at what the bartender said. Even though his hair had gone back to his natural hair color, it was still the same old Spike sitting at the bar.

“You don’t have whiskey but you have blood?” Spike asked.

”Yep…you want some or not?” the bartender asked.

Spike thought before that the world had gone down hill but now he could actually say it from just what happened between the bartender and him. A human bartender had just offered human blood.

”Where’d you get the blood?” Spike asked and narrowed his eyes.

The bartender laughed, “Does it matter? Its human…comes from a human.”

”Actually yeah, it does matter where you got it.” Spike said.

Both the bartender and Spike put on a staring match. The bartender could tell that Spike didn’t seem too pleased with the blood offering, and Spike could tell that the bartender was not pleased with Spike being so nosy. In the end the barkeeper pulled out a bottle of beer and sat it in front of Spike without taking his eyes off of him or saying a word. Then the bartender walked away.

Across the bar a few demons were stirring up a loud conversation that could be heard throughout the whole room.

”I’m telling you…he grants you anything you want!” One of the demons from the group exclaimed.

All of the other demons surrounding the storytelling demon laughed, thinking the demon was speaking nonsense.

”He does!” the demon spoke up again and brought in another round of laughs.

”Then how come we never heard of him?” a demon with spiky horns asked.

”Yeah!” all the demons grunted as a group.

Before the demon continued to tell his tale one of his fellow demons jumped in. “Hey maybe you have to see the Wizard and follow the yellow brick road to find this wish granting demon!”

Some of the demons and vamps laughed at the joke while others didn’t understand what was so funny.

”Wizard?” a young vamp mumbled. Clearly he wasn’t turned or was alive during the twentieth century.

“Wizard of Oz you dumby…it’s a classic.” Another vampire chirped in.

“Anyway…” the storyteller demon interrupted, directing the attention back to him. “This demon or thing, not sure what it is, grants wishes to anyone in the world. All you have to do is pass some trials and poof! Wish granted!”

“If you’re making this up you’re about to go poof.” One demon mumbled behind the rim of his beer glass before he took a gulp.

“I’m not lying!” the storyteller growled.

”You seeked this demon out then?” the demon challenged.

“Well…not really…” the storyteller demon mumbled, feeling ashamed.

”I knew it!”

“Look, some demon from Seattle told me the story about this creature. He went to the demon and wanted all this gold.” The storyteller explained

“Did he get what he wanted?”

The demon shook his head, “No…he didn’t make it passed the first trial…he was thrown out of the cave. He had to crawl his way out because he was so badly beaten.” The demon explained.

Back across the room Spike turned and looked at the demon gang. He heard everything while he sipped his beer and kept his back to the group. Spike seemed interested in the wish granted part of the story and wondered if it was true.

Unaware to the group of demons, Spike started approaching their table not caring if the group would act unfriendly towards him.

”Where is this demon?” Spike came straight out and asked.

All the demons turned and looked at Spike. Spike kept his eyes on the storyteller, waiting for an answer. For a moment everyone was quiet.

“What?” The demon shot out.

”The demon that grants wishes…where is it located?” Spike asked.

”What? Why?” The demon laughed, “You want something? You think you can perform the trials?” The demon turned to his buddies and laughed.

In a split second Spike had the demon in his grasp and pinned up against the wall. The rest of the demons didn’t bother to help they just simply watched.

”Just tell me what I want to know.” Spike said firmly and in a quiet voice that only the demon could hear.

”Uhh…” The demon stuttered, “What I heard the demon is in New Zealand….in the some cave or something…a cliffside...near a waterfall…”

Spike stared into the demons eyes, seeing if the demon had a hint of a lie in him. When Spike could see the demon was telling the truth he let him go and let the demon drop to the ground. Spike moved towards the exit.

The demon looked up and saw the back of Spike’s duster go through the exit.

“Going there is suicide!” the demon yelled out to Spike.

While Spike went to the door he mumbled, “Doesn’t matter, got nothing left to lose.”

New Zealand…

After jumping every form of transportation that was on earth, Spike was in New Zealand and standing outside in the night looking into a cave. He had to make a few pit stops to find the precise location but when all was said and done Spike was standing outside the cave. In the distance he heard the peaceful sound of a waterfall.

Spike was determined that when he entered the cave he wouldn’t leave without his wish.

Slowly and cautiously Spike entered the damp and dark cave. He slipped into game face so he could use his night vision. And when he got a few yards into the cave a deep voice stopped Spike.

“Stay where you are vampire…” the voice said. Spike looked in all directions around him and even with his night vision he couldn’t see the speaker.

“Where are you?” Spike spoke up.

“I am very much here.” The voice spoke again and breathed loudly. The voice seemed to be nearby but all Spike saw was air.

“Enough with the hide and seek…show yourself.” Spike said harshly. Then in a moment Spike was thrown up in the air and bounced off the wall of the cave.

”Do you dare to speak that tone with me again?” the voice after a pause.

Spike got up on his feet and mumbled, “Right…right. You’re the boss.”

“I should throw you out right now but I sense something about you, something unique in a way…what wish do want granted vampire?” the voice asked.

Spike sighed, “I want to change things…to change and make things better…to save her.” He mumbled the last three words very quietly.

”To change time…” the voice of the cave demon spoke.

“Yes…I want you to take me back…give me another chance to make things better...please.” Spike begged and waited for an answer.

“No…” the voice simply said, stripping all of Spike’s hopes and dreams away in one single word.

Spike’s face changed from hope to anger and pain quickly. “What…what the bloody hell---“

In a flash Spike was once again thrown across the cave and to the ground. Spike growled as he got up. “Right…right…sorry.” Spike mumbled as he got up, “Forgot you don’t like to be yelled at…”

”I do not grant those types of wishes…that is merely a dream of yours…I can not grant you that.” The voice said.

”Why not? What’s the difference?” Spike spoke out, trying to make it sound like he was notyelling at the demon. He didn’t want to be thrown down again.

”I do not give vampires their deepest desires… let alone alter time for them.” The demon voice said and breathed loudly again.

“Then what can I have?” Spike asked.

”Think about it for a while…I’m sure it will come while you perform your trials…that is if you still want to play my game.” the voice said and let out a little snicker.

“You don’t see me leaving.” Spike said.

The voice snickered again and from behind Spike a figure walked forward. Sensing someone else Spike turned around and noticed the figure that has come forward is a muscular man. Around the cave tiki torches light up magically, bringing more light so Spike could see around him.

Spike speaks up, “So I’m guessing Mr. Wannabe Action Figure here is the first test?” Spike’s question was directed to the demon voice.

“Yes…” the voice said.

“Right…so…no weapons?” Spike asked as he took off his duster and threw it in the corner.

”No weapons…” the voice said.

Spike turned to the big muscular man, “Well you heard the mysterious voice…come on…let’s entertain him.”

The muscular man looked at Spike and raised his fists and knocked them together. Both of his hands burst into a flames. Spike’s eyes widen and looks alarmed as the man swings at Spike’s head. Spike reacted by instantly ducking and maneuvering around the man.

“I thought you said no weapons!” Spike called out.

”Yeah…no weapons…for you.” The voice said.

Spike sighed in frustration and looked back at the muscular man who was starting to approach him again.

“Bloody hell…” Spike mumbles.

After three days of going trial after trail in the cave Spike had now a new definition of the word “pain”. He didn’t know how he managed to get through each trial and win without knowing really what prize he wanted in the end.

Spike stumbled out of one the tunnels of the cave covered in cuts, burns, and bruises. His shirt and boots were off and all that he was left in was his black pants. He walked towards the tiki torches and kneeled down on the ground and bowed his head down in exhaustion.

“You are worn down…” the demon voice spoke out to Spike.

Spike lifted him head, “I can go another twelve rounds if I need to…”

”Don’t need to…you have passed the required trials…” the voice said.

Spike’s head lowered down and he let exhaled a breath of relief. He would cry for joy if he could but he was too tired to even let tears come.

“You’ve had time…what one wish do you want?” the voice asked.

Spike closed his eyes and for some stranger reason he thought about Xander. He wasn’t sure why Xander came to his mind out of the blue, maybe he was just crazy from the torture.

‘Spike, you are a soulless creature so why should we trust you with our business anyway?’ Xander said.

To Spike it felt like Xander was saying those words right at the moment instead of way back when they were actually said in the Summers house in Sunnydale. The words stung just as much as they did the night Xander said them too.

”Well…what will it be vampire?” the voice spoke up.

Another voice appeared in Spike’s head out of the blue again.

‘And whatever you think you're feeling, it's not love. You can't love without a soul.’ Buffy said when she was chaining up in Spike’s crypt.

Spike made up his mind. He looked up and took an unnecessary deep breath, “I want my soul.”

2082….

Back in the training room of Sunnydale Spike had just finished his story of his soul, leaving Buffy speechless.

”…It was probably the only thing I wanted more than…well, having you back.” Spike admitted and looked up at Buffy.

Buffy looked down at the ground feeling like a brick load of guilt was placed on her shoulders.

She shook her head in disbelief, “Why…why would you do that to yourself?” She asked in a whisper.

Spike gave a little shrug, “I guess….I guess I thought that is something you would want. Something you would be proud of…”

Buffy looked up at Spike and stared at him in a new light, a new way that she never thought she would see him like.

Buffy got up off the crate that she was seated on while listening to the story and walked towards Spike. Once she was standing in front of him Spike looked up and met her green eyes. She lean in and gave him a soft sweet kiss on the lips. A kiss that seemed very much like the one she gave him eighty years ago in his crypt after he was badly beaten up by Glory. When Buffy pulled away Spike looked at her with question eyes.

”Why did you do that?” He whispered.

”Because… you deserve it.” She whispered back while looking at him with sweet innocent eyes.

Spike gave a little smile and bent his head down in embarrassment. However he was surprised when Buffy grabbed both sides of his face and slowly lifted his head to look at her and again brought her lips to his in a much longer kiss.

When Buffy backed away again Spike looked even more amazed, “And what was that for?” he said in a soft voice while staring at her lips before meeting her eyes.

”Honestly…I don’t know…” Buffy admitted and kept close to him for a moment before backing away. “Um…let’s get back to work.” Buffy said and walked over to punching bag.

“Yeah…” Spike snapped out of his daze and walked forward, helping Buffy continue with her training session.

TBC...

Chapter 17: Storm Brewing

Spike and Buffy were upset that there was no vampire action in the cemetery when they went on patrol. Ever since they kissed two days ago, all they did was analyze the meaning of the moment. It seemed that they were fighting a hell of a battle with their emotions and thoughts and they were dying to fight real demons instead.

“Cold night…” Buffy spoke up. After a constant twenty-five minutes of neither one of them speaking.

”Yeah…” Spike said and shifted his thought of how Buffy’s lips were so soft to the chill in the air.

”Must be January now…” Buffy said and then paused, “Oh my god…I have no clue what month it is…Do you know?” Buffy turned to face Spike.

Spike smiled and looked at his feet as they kept walking in the cemetery, “After you lived as long as I have and been traveling around alone everything doesn’t matter pet…the weather, the day of the week, all of it just doesn’t matter.”

’Makes sense…’ Buffy thought to herself, “Well…if you don’t care than neither will I…” Buffy said and tried to act all tough.

“But really you do care luv.” Spike said.

Buffy stopped walking and turned to face Spike.

”You’re human Buffy…its only natural that you care about those things…” Spike stood and explained one of his theories of humans.

Their conversation had ended when they saw that a gang of vampires started to approach them. Buffy and Spike noticed as the gang seemed eager to keep advancing towards them, with no intention of walking away.

Buffy turned to Spike, “Do you call doing this everyday natural and normal?” Buffy asked.

Buffy didn’t wait for Spike’s reply. She just walked forward and kicked the first vampire that she came in contact with. And all while Buffy was fighting she noticed that her opponent seemed hard to kill.

“Had enough?” the vampire growled as he kicked Buffy in the stomach and sent her down on the ground.

Buffy jumped to her feet and clutched her stake in her right hand and replied, “Not even close.” She punched him in the face and lounged her stake forward towards his heart but the vampire grabbed her arm and pulled it behind her back. He took his other hand and wrapped it around her, just below the neck.

The vampire leaned forward to whisper in her ear from behind, “You’re a feisty one…”

Buffy tried to free herself from his grasp but the vampire was just too strong.

“Now, now….struggling will only make me kill you sooner.” The vamp laughed and paused to notice Buffy stopped struggling,” Good girl…” he said softly.

”Spike!” she yelled across the cemetery.

Spike stake his last vampire when he heard his name being called. He whipped around and saw a vampire having a firm hold on Buffy. Spike started to run towards them, jumping over every headstone in his way.

The vampire cursed as he saw Spike heading towards them. Buffy took the opportunity to hit the vamp in the face with the back of her head. The vampire let go of Buffy and stepped back, rubbing the front of his game face.

“You are not worth it…you will sooner die slayer…” the vampire growled, “If not be me then by the Great One…Angelus…”

Buffy looked surprised by the name of her old nemesis that she thought was long gone. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped a little bit.

’No…’ Buffy thought to herself, ‘No!’

Las Vegas….

Vampires dressed in business suits and black ties sat around a huge conference table. They were all waiting for the boss to arrive and start the meeting.

“What’s this meeting all about?” a vamp mumbled to another vamp sitting to him.

”Didn’t you get the memo?” the vamp whispered back.

The vampire shook his head, worried that something would happen to him because he was not up to date with what’s going on.

”New employees…two new members…they’re Angelus’s top gun.” The vampire explained.

On cue Angelus opened the conference room. All of the staff members turned their attention to Angelus.

”Evening gentlemen…” Angelus said as he started walking in the room. Behind him walked the two men who arrived in the limo earlier. “Like to introduce you to the two new members of the team…Eli and Rufus…they are my big guns for the project I’m started. Try and make them feel welcomed.”

A nervous vampire raised his hand, “Umm…sir, what is there skill?”

”Glad you asked me that Harry…” Angelus smirked and sat down in a big leather chair at the head of the table.

“Uhh…Henry sir.” The vampire corrected Angelus nervously.

”I don’t care.” Angelus said and changed his smirk to a serious glare at the vampire named Henry. Henry took a big gulp as Angelus turned to Eli and Rufus. “Gentlemen…show uhh…is it Henry?” Angelus turned back to the squirming vampire, “Show Henry a little demonstration.”

Rufus and Eli turned to Henry and one of them mumbled a single word in ancient language and then poof, the Henry was burning up in his own chair. He screamed out in agony as Angelus watched in amusement. Within seconds Henry was a pile of dust sitting in the chair.

Angelus turned to Eli and Rufus and smiled, “That made my day….” Angelus turned back and addressed his nervous staff members, “Some may think Eli and Rufus here are warlocks…but they’re not…” Angelus got up out of his seat and became to circle around the table as he continued explaining, “They are wizards, hired for operation meltdown…”

”Meltdown sir?” a vampire questioned quietly.

“Hey if you want to be dust like Henry please interrupt again.” Angelus said.

The vampire slouched back in his seat and wished he could hide under the table.

“As I was saying…” Angelus stepped up to the necrotempered glass and gazed out into the city, “The plan…my plan, which came me a few weeks ago, gazing out the window, seemed so impossible, so out of reach…wanting to leave me in the shadows forever.” Angelus turned to Eli and Rufus, “Until you guys.”

”Plan boss? I thought we were already following through with a plan.” A random vampire spoke up.

“That is true but this new…” Angelus searched for the right word, “…inspiration…it will make our first plan even better.”

”And that would be sir?”

”To get rid of the sun…for good.” Angelus said.

Everyone in their seats straightened up with interest at their boss’s proposal.

”You can’t be serious…its impossible.” A vampire burst out after a moment of silence.

”Let’s let Rufus and Eli be the judge of that…” Angelus turned to the two wizards, “Is it impossible?”

Eli and Rufus exchanged looks with each other before turning to Angelus, “I—we don’t know sir.” Eli spoke up.

”We never had that request.” Rufus added.

”I’m requesting it now…it must be done.” Angelus demanded and slammed his fist down on the conference table.

Everyone seemed startled, even the two wizards.

“Angelus…” Eli started, “Our power is not strong enough to make the sun just disappear…it would put the whole galaxy into chaos…”

”Unless…” Rufus spoke up which made Eli and Angelus turn their heads to him, “Unless you don’t make the sun disappear.”

”What are you getting at?” Eli asked.

Rufus turned to his fellow wizard friend, “All we have to do is have an eclipse or cool down the sun and turn the fireball into nothing.”

Eli seemed a little uneasy about the suggestions, sort of like he didn’t want the sun to go away. However, Angelus started to put on a satisfying smile.

“Get working on it.” Angelus smiled at the Rufus and Eli.

Sunnydale…

Buffy just stood their in shock as she continued to process the news that Angelus is back. She didn’t even realize the vampire that was holding her earlier was beginning to advance to her again until Spike came up and tackled him.

Buffy shook her head and tried to come back to reality. She watched Spike stake the vampire and then turn to her with a little pissed off expression.

”What the hell happened? Why didn’t you kill him?” Spike asked.

Buffy stared at Spike for a minute before her face turned to anger too.

”Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked firmly.

”What!” Spike asked.

”Angelus!” she shouted and both of them were struck with silence.

”What?” Spike asked again, ‘How did she find out?’ he thought to himself.

“Don’t lie to me Spike…he’s back isn’t he?” Buffy asked seriously.

Spike stared at her and knew that he couldn’t protect from the truth anymore, “Yes…” he mumbled.

Buffy shook her head and let out a few hiccups of a laugh. Spike watched her as she threw her stake off into the distance and look around her surroundings, seeming to look for something to hit.

“Buffy…” Spike spoke up softly.

“Why didn’t you say something!” she burst out as soon as he said her name, “Why!” Tears formed in her eyes and within a matter of seconds they were streaming down her cheek.

Spike, seeing the tears took a few steps towards her to give her comfort, “Pet look—“

Buffy stepped back and rejected him, “No! Don’t touch me…you…you lied to me…” her last few words came out in a whisper.

Spike frowned at hearing her harsh words. “No…I was protecting you…” Spike said calmly.

“How can I trust you again…?” she whispered as she turned her back to Spike.

However Spike heard her whisper, “Hey…” he stepped forward and turned her shoulder around so she was face to face with him, “You can trust me…I didn’t know about Angelus until Clem told me…I swear I wasn’t lying to you.”

Buffy sniffed and then moved forward and wrapped her arms around him for a hug. Spike pulled her into his chest and he stroke her back as he heard her cry some more, “Oh god he’s back…he’s back…” she mumbled in-between sobs.

Spike continued to rub her back until her sobs subsided. He pulled her away so he could look her in the eye, “I’m not going to let anything happen to you…I promise…okay? We’ll get through this…we always do.” He gave her a little smile to reassure her everything would turn out for the best.

Buffy wiped away the rest of her tears and sniffed her nose. “Yeah…” she agreed with Spike, “I’m tired of this...I’m not being pushed around anymore.”

Spike noticed that she had a spark in her eye that he thought was long gone. He now knew that his Buffy was back in the game.

Chapter 18: Stain Her Blood

After the exhausting night that Buffy had, Spike insisted that she go back to the house and sleep. Buffy didn’t object; she thought she could go to bed and sleep another 80 years—she was so tired. Her emotional state had dropped so much from just hearing that Angelus was back. Buffy felt like she just got beaten up by the Master, Adam, and Glory all together.

Wanting nothing more than peace, Buffy lied in bed and let her dreams comfort her in her time of distress…

Buffy’s Dream…

Buffy stood centimeters from the edge of falling to her death. The last time she stood on the top of the tower she found a sense of peace when looking over the town of Sunnydale and at the sun rising. Even though chaos had erupted all around as walls of dimensions collided with open another, Buffy found peace. She found answers. But now, taking a second look she found nothing.

‘Everything was so clear…so shiny and beautiful…’ Buffy thought as she stood in the same spot that she jumped from the platform. At the moment she was wearing a black dress that made her blend in with the darkness that was all around.

”Come on Buffy!” a voice that felt more like an echo that had been traveling in a cave came from behind Buffy.

Buffy turned around and faced the young girl. It was Dawn at the age of 15 standing near the stairs of the top of the platform. She was wearing the same ritual dress the day Buffy died.

”You’re hair is longer.” Buffy simply said, not really focusing on how long it’s been since she had seen her sister.

Dawn ignored the comment, “Come on…” she said, wanting Buffy to come down the stairs with her. “Everyone is waiting…”

Dawn shook her head, “That’s a dead end...”

Buffy turned and faced Dawn and then looked down at her dark dress and noticed how dirty it was, and that it had little rips all over it. It was the same dress she wore when she dug herself out of her grave. “I should have dressed lighter…” Buffy looked up at Dawn, “Is it too dark for you?”

Dawn stared at Buffy, “At a time like this…it’s appropriate.”

Dawn slowly raised her hand towards Buffy, wanting Buffy to come forward and take her hand.

Buffy walked slowly towards Dawn. Each step she took the tower would rock back and forth. Once she reached Dawn, Buffy grabbed the small hand and felt a breeze blow around her. Both Dawn and Buffy were oblivious to the cold breeze and just stood staring at one another.

”It has to have the blood.” Dawn said to Buffy after a long silence between them.

Not knowing how to answer, Buffy looked around and saw she wasn’t on the top of the tower anymore. Buffy and Dawn were now standing at the bottom of the tower. Buffy glanced around and saw the figure of Ben, bloody and dead on the ground.

“What the…?” Buffy mumbled to herself.

She turned to where Dawn stood, “Dawn what is—“. Buffy stopped in mid-sentence when she saw that Dawn had walked away in another direction.

“Dawn!” Buffy called out and started running after her.

However with ever step she took Dawn seemed to be more out of reach. Giving in that she’d never reach Dawn, Buffy turned around and looked down in defeat.

”Friend of the bride or groom?” a voice asked Buffy.

Buffy raised her head and saw Ta'hoffren standing in front of her. Buffy’s eyes widened when she saw his face.

“She’s a friend of both of us actually.” A guy’s voice said.

Buffy turned to the voice and saw Anya and Xander.

”Xander?” Buffy said quietly, and looking as if she might cry any moment.

Xander and Anya were linked arm in arm, and dressed as if they were the bride and groom of a wedding.

”You’re getting married?” Buffy asked, looking confused.

Anya ignored Buffy’s question and instantly asked, “Did you bring a gift?” seeming very excited.

”Death is my gift.” Buffy said in a daze.

Xander and Anya turned to one another, “I don’t think you can exchange that gift…but hey, could have been worse” Xander said.

“At least it’s not a bunny.” Anya said.

Buffy grabbed Xander’s arm and pulled him aside, “Xander…what’s going on?” she begged.

Anya stepped up, “Don’t you remember?”

Buffy paused and glanced back and forth between them, “…no” she said in a small voice.

“Don’t worry.” Anya patted Buffy on the shoulder, “You’ll remember.”

Anya and Xander linked their arms and started walked away towards a bunch of chairs that Buffy hadn’t noticed until that very moment.

The area had chairs on the right and left of a short aisle. Buffy would have no doubt she going to Xander and Anya’s wedding until she saw that there was a coffin.

She watched as Anya and Xander walked up towards the coffin and separate to stand at either end of it.

Buffy, perplexed about what was going on, decided to walk towards the coffin to understand what was going on, and to see who was in the coffin.

As Buffy started walking down the aisle she passed familiar faces sitting in the seats. She saw Giles, Tara, Willow, Riley, her mother, Dawn (again), Oz, Wesley, and Cordelia. As Buffy passed each one of them not a word was spoken, Buffy just kept moving in a daze towards the coffin.

Before Buffy looked into the wooden box she looked at Xander, “I thought you were getting married?”

Xander shrugged, “Things don’t go as planned...”

”But you’re all dressed up.” Buffy frowned when looking at Anya and Xander in their wedding outfits.

”So are you.” Anya said and looked down at Buffy’s dark dress.

Buffy looked back down and still saw the rips and mud covering the plain black dress. And when she looked up and around Buffy noticed she was all alone except for the casket sitting right in front of her.

She took many deep breaths as she moved closer and closer to the opening of the casket. And once she gazed over the edge and inside the box she was face to face with herself.

An unconscious Buffy laid still in the box in the same dress as the other Buffy that was standing out the casket. Buffy squinted her eyes while looking at her dead self. ‘What?’ she thought to herself.

A hand came out and touched the shoulder of the Buffy standing outside the casket. The touch was comforting and for some reason Buffy had the feeling that it might be Spike. The thought made her relax and turn around to face the owner of the hand.

Buffy gasped when she saw who was really standing behind her.

“Surprise” Angelus said with a smirk. His hand grip on Buffy’s shoulder tightened and he quickly leaned forward and tilted her neck to the side to bite her.
 

Buffy didn’t have a chance to even let out a scream as he drank from her neck.

Buffy sat straight up in bed with a gasp. The pain of Angelus drinking from her in the dream felt so real that she lifted her hand and searched her neck. And when she drew her hand down she saw that her hand was covered with blood. Buffy’s eyes widened a little as she checked again her neck again and felt two little holes.

Down the hall of Buffy’s room Spike had fallen into a deep sleep in his own bed after sitting up for hours, not being able to sleep.

Spike’s eyes fluttered open when his nose registered the smell of metallic human blood. He looked around and quickly registered that Buffy was in his room standing at the doorway.

”Buffy?” he sat up in bed. All he was wearing was his black pants. His shirt and shoes were stripped off.

Buffy didn’t say anything and just stood there.

”What’s wrong? Why do I smell bl—“ he stopped when he saw that Buffy’s hand was covered in blood.

He jumped out of bed and was over by her in a split second.

“What did you do?” he asked as he check her arm for a wound but found nothing.

Buffy moved her hair slowly away and tilted her neck a little to show Spike the two holes.

“Bloody…” was all Spike got out as he stared at her neck.

Las Vegas….

Angelus was sleeping in his apartment on the top floor of The Crypt hotel when he gasped awake for some reason. He opened his mouth a couple times and realized there was a different taste on his tongue and teeth. Angelus ran his finger over his lip and saw blood. He tasted his finger and after a moment he started to smile and laugh hysterically. Angelus collapsed back into his pillows as he let his laughter subside.

He stared up at his ceiling with a smile, “She’s back” he said to himself. It wasn’t a question; he knew it for a fact. The blood on his lips didn’t lie.

TBC...

Chapter 19: Ask the Wizard

Buffy sat on the edge of Spike’s bed, holding a piece of cloth to her neck to stop the bleeding of her bite mark souvenir that Angelus gave her. She was still pretty shook up about the whole experience.

Spike entered the room barring bandages. Before he went over to her, he just stood by the doorway and simply stared at her, thinking about how Buffy’s luck has been so rotten lately. It seems that all Spike’s been doing since she got back has been watching her suffering.

Spike took a deep breath and moved across the room and kneeled in front of her. Buffy slowly took the cloth away fro her neck. Spike frowned and clutched his jaw when he saw the two punctures indented into her skin were still bleeding.

“I don’t understand…” Buffy started, “The last time I got bit by Dracula I didn’t bleed this much.” She finished.

“That’s the only thing you don’t understand?” Spike raised an eyebrow and started sorting through his bandages.

”Well that, and how the hell could Angelus bite me in my sleep.” Buffy admitted.

”My thoughts exactly…” Spike said and started applying bandages to her neck and taping them down.

Buffy stared at Spike as he continued to tend to her wounds gently. “He knows…” Buffy said.

Spike met Buffy’s eyes. “What?” he asked.

”He knows I’m alive.” Buffy explained.

”We don’t know that for sure.” Spike tried to make her feel better.

”Spike he knows…he bit me in my dream and drank my blood.” She exclaimed and got up off the bed and moved away from Spike.

Spike let out a long sigh before standing up and facing her.

”Luv even if he tasted your blood it doesn’t mean that…he doesn’t know that…” Spike stopped when he realized he didn’t have a good argument in his defense.

”Face it he knows and he’s going to make sure that I don’t stand in his way…” Buffy drew that conclusion.

”Buffy—“ Spike started but was interrupted by her.

”Now that I’m alive he knows I’m a threat…or…or maybe he doesn’t think I’m a threat…or…” Buffy was jumping to many conclusions but Spike stopped her.

”Buffy?” Spike said softly, hoping that his tone would get her attention. And it did.

Buffy looked up at Spike.

”Get some rest…we’ll figure this out in the morning…I promise.” Spike said.

”I can’t sleep! He could come after me in my dreams again and drink more or—“ Buffy started going hysterical.

Spike stepped up and grabbed her shoulders, “Hey…hey…” he said softly.

”He’ll come after me and—“

”Shhh….” Spike brought her to him. Buffy took the comfort, not realizing that Spike was still shirtless.

After a moment of silence between them, and Spike just comforting and holding her she stepped back and said, “Can I stay here…with you tonight?”

Spike was taken back by the question, wondering if he heard her right. “Uhh…alright” he answered.

Buffy walked around him and sat down on the bed and lied back on top of the covers. Spike went around to the other side of the bed and lied down too. Both of them stayed on there side of the bed, making sure there was plenty of space in the middle between them. They didn’t sleep a wink. Spike and Buffy just stared up at the ceiling.

Las Vegas…

Angel exited out of his bedroom and walked down the hallway towards the elevator while buttoning up his shirt. After his little dream and taste test of slayer blood he was fired up and wanted answers. He entered the elevator and pressed the button to floor number twenty, where his two wizards were staying.

After the meeting earlier in the evening, about Angelus wanting to get rid of the sun, Eli had a little trouble getting to sleep. He didn’t want the sun to go away and was against the idea completely. He was still part human and liked the sun. But for his own safety Eli played dumb and didn’t say a word to Rufus or anyone else about his doubts.

When Angelus came into the Eli’s suite the wizard had just dozed off from spending part of the night trying to get to sleep. Eli was wide awake when he heard the sound of glass shattering. He reached over and turned on his bedside lamp and saw Angelus standing by his doorway staring at him. Eli then looked over and saw pieces of glass of what was a vase covering his bed sheets.

”Get up, get dressed, and come with me.” Angelus stated.

Sunnydale…

Spike kept his eyes glued up towards the ceiling for hours, letting out sighs and listening to the wind hit the window. He didn’t glance away until he felt Buffy shift from her position on the bed.

Buffy had fallen asleep after two hours of lying still, wide awake. She tossed over in her sleep and faced Spike. He looked over at her and noticed she was in a deep sleep. After staring at her for a few moments he saw her let out a shiver. He instantly sat up and took a blanket that was at the foot of the bed and moved closer to her to cover her. However as soon as Buffy was covered with the blanket she moved closer to Spike and cuddled near his body.

Spike stiffened when she moved closer to him. He looked down at her small figure and noted to himself that this was the closest he was ever to her in a hundred years.

He relaxed gradually and rested his head back on a pillow, which placed his chin centimeters from the top of head. Spike could feel the heat coming from her body and hear the gently intake of her breath. The feeling of being so close to Buffy, relaxed Spike to the extent that he began to drift off to sleep.

Las Vegas…

Eli and Angelus walked into the dark and empty conference room quietly. In Eli’s hand he was carrying a suitcase.

”…I’m not sure if I remember how to do this…” Eli said nervously as he took a seat in a chair and set his briefcase down on the table.

“Well, we won’t know until we try now will we?” Angelus said with smirk and two hard pats on Eli’s shoulder.

Eli let out a sigh and started to open his briefcase as Angelus traveled over to the big picture window and looked out at Vegas in the nighttime. As Eli was set up his things he glanced over at Angelus.

”It’s a beautiful site…” Eli said gave an unsure laugh and smile.

Angelus turned to Eli, “Not as beautiful as it is in the day.” Eli and Angelus stared at each for a moment and then Angelus turned back to the window and sighed, “But being a vampire doesn’t give me those opportunities to enjoy that.”

”Yeah…” Eli laughed, “I guess that’s a disadvantage for you.”

”It won’t be for long…” Angelus said while staring out the window.

Eli looked up at Angelus’s turned back, “Yeah…I guess…”

Angelus turned around and walked up to Eli’s briefcase and pulled an object out. It was a crystal ball. “So this thing really works huh?” Angelus asked while studying the ball really close and then tossing it up and down as if it were a baseball.

Eli started to freak out when Angelus started using the crystal ball as a toy, “Gentle…please…gentle.”

Angelus stopped tossing the ball and looked over at Eli and smiled. “Think fast.” Angelus said as he tossed the crystal ball up. Eli scrambled and caught it in his hands.

“Well, lets get this over with…tell me if I’m right or if I’m just having pleasant morning breath…” Angelus said and crossed his arms against his chest.

Eli sighed and sat down in the chair and placed the crystal ball on a small silk pillow. The wizard chanted with his eyes closed for a few minutes. Angelus in the background rolled his eyes at the silly words that came out of the wizard’s mouth. Eli opened his eyes and leaned forward and looked into the crystal ball.

”I see a town…” Eli started as he looked into the crystal ball.

”Go on…” Angelus said.

Eli paused and continued, “The town seems to be trashed—out of control, unkempt…” Eli paused and waited again while looking in the ball, “I see a house…”

”Who’s house?” Angelus asked.

”I…I don’t know…there is a girl…” Eli said.

At the word ‘girl’, Angelus started to move towards the ball.

”The girl is full of power and is very important.” Eli continued.

Angelus looked inside the ball and saw nothing, “I don’t see a thing” he sneered.

Eli glanced up at Angelus, “I…it only works for me…only one person can look inside at a time.”

Angelus glared at Eli, “Tell me what she looks like.”

Eli looked back into the crystal ball, “Umm…she is small and petite…blonde hair….”

”Green eyes?” Angelus asked while not staring off in a distance.

Eli shook his head, “I don’t know…she’s sleeping…she is with a…a man.”

Angelus quickly shot his head down towards Eli, “A man?”

”Yes…uhh…he’s umm…sleeping next to her.” Eli described.

”Describe him…” Angelus demanded.

”He’s wearing…black…and has…bleached hair by the looks of it, but that can’t be right.” Eli shook his head.

Angelus let out a breath that seemed more like a growl, “Its right…”

Eli looked up at Angelus for an explanation. However Angelus just shook his head at thoughts that were swarming in his head.

“Spike…” Angelus mumbled in a tone that seemed distasteful.

’Buffy and Spike together…’ the thought bounced around in Angelus mind. ‘She’s alive and she’s with him…’ The thought for some reason sickened him to the point where felt like he was going to burst. Angelus felt the need to break something. He glanced down and took the crystal ball and threw it at the wall of the room, which startled Eli.

“Umm…” Eli said after a moment.

”Get to bed…we have a long day tomorrow.” Angelus stated as he started walking out of the conference room.

As soon as Eli was alone he got out of his chair and walked around the table to the broken crystal. He frowned at the site of his old crystal ball destroyed into a million pieces within a matter of seconds. Eli crouched down and started to gather pieces one by one.

TBC……

Chapter 20: Double Dealing

‘I really don’t want to open my eyes.’ Buffy thought to herself as she lied in bed. ‘Opening my eyes would mean facing all those problems that the world seems to want me to have, and that is something I really don’t want to deal with.’ She concluded with herself.

However, another voice in the back of her head, a voice that sounded a lot like Giles, was telling her to get up.

‘Buffy you have a scared birthright to protect mankind…get up.’ The voice of her former Watcher told her.

‘Come on Giles!’ Buffy’s thoughts argued with Giles, ‘I’m so tired…just give me five more minutes.’

‘In five minutes the world could implode…everyone is counting on you.’ Giles voice argued.

Buffy fluttered her eyes open quickly and stared up at the ceiling. ‘Okay you got my attention.’ She thought, ‘Stupid voice that sounds too much like Giles.’

She glanced around the room and noted how different the bedroom looked with rays of sunshine creeping through wooden boards that were placed on top of the two windows.

A small sigh next to Buffy made turn her attention to her companion sleeping just centimeters from her.

‘Were we sleeping this close before?’ she thought while looking at Spike’s peaceful face.

Her thoughts drifted elsewhere instead of why he was so close to her. ‘He really does look different’ she thought, ‘However it could be because you never seen him sleep before.’

Buffy took her time studying his features on his face, his cheekbones, his scar on his eyebrow, and his pink lips. They were the same lips she kissed just a few days ago…voluntarily.

‘Why did I kiss him?’ Buffy asked herself. ‘He has a soul now…which he got for me…but that can’t be the only reason why you did it…right? I mean he IS good now…but he’s Spike…the same Spike that tried to kill me eighty years ago…the same Spike that double crossed me whenever he had the chance and chained you in his crypt…but…he’s the same Spike that didn’t tell Glory about Dawn being the key and the same Spike that watched over Dawn and my friends while I was gone for so long…he was the same Spike that changed his whole life for me even though I didn’t ask him to.’

As Buffy watched Spike let another sigh and continue to sleep peaceful she reached over and caressed his cheek. At the moment she didn’t care if he woke up and was caught. After all, she thought he deserved much more than what she was offering. He deserved compassion.

Las Vegas…

Angelus walked down the main hallway and into the huge conference room where everyone was gathered at. In his hands he was carrying a small worn out shoe box. He walked half way to his seat and dumped out the shoe boxes contents. A bunch of papers and photos scattered across the conference table.

“Gentlemen, grab a photo…” Angelus ordered.

Everyone reached out in the middle of the table and grabbed one of the papers and looked to see Buffy’s face in pictures and hand drawings. Everyone’s photo or drawing wasn’t the same, but most of the pictures were taken when Buffy was young and in high school. It was obvious that Angelus had saved his things from his ‘Sunnydale Days’.

“I want you to study this woman’s face…” Angelus said, “I don’t care how you do it, but I want her face implanted in each one of your minds.”

Eli was also seated around the table next to Rufus. He looked at the photo of Buffy taken from a distance. She was standing outside of the old Sunnydale High school talking with Giles and Xander.

”Why do we need memorize her face?” Eli asked.

Angelus looked and stared at Eli’s cold expression. Eli knew who was in the picture and didn’t like where this meeting was going. Every since last night Eli had a new opinion of Angelus—he didn’t like him.

“Because I told you to.” Angelus said staring Eli straight in the eye.

“What if we find her?” one random vamp asked.

“Bring her to me…” Angelus said, “And I want her unharmed…I want her brought to me fresh and alive. Any bruises I see on her skin will result in all of your gruesome horrible deaths.”

”You won’t have much of a staff if you kill us all.” Eli challenged Angelus. Most of the vamps around the table couldn’t believe that those words came out of the wizard’s mouth.

Angelus didn’t say a word. All he did was stare daggers at the witty wizard that seemed to like walking on thin ice.

Rufus glanced back and forth between Eli and Angelus; he clearly didn’t understand the tension that was going on between them. “She’s human?” Rufus tried to change the subject.

“Very much, and with a few extra skills.” Angelus finally turned away from Eli. “She’s the Slayer.” He said.

Everyone started whispering instantly about the mention of the word ‘Slayer’.

“All of you shut up!” Angelus snapped, which made everyone grow to be quiet. “I know she’s the Slayer and she’s the one person you fear most…but not today…you will seek her out.”

A few members of Angelus’s staff gulped at the request.

”Also…if you see the souled vampire…the one and only Spike…Willy...I want him also brought to me…he may be accompanying the Slayer when you catch him…” Angelus explained.

”What’s he look like? Don’t you have a picture of him?” Eli asked.

“Bleached blonde hair…leather coat…wears all black…talks with a British accent…basically Billy Idol’s twin.” Angelus said while staring at Eli, “I believe you already saw him.”

Rufus turned to Eli, wanting an explanation but Eli ignored him.

“Both the souled William and the Slayer will show up probably within the next few days…” Angelus explained.

”Why?” one asked.

”Because gentlemen that sun out there…” Angelus pointed out at the opened window. “Well today was its last sunrise.” Angelus told them.

Eli’s eyes widened with surprise.

”Isn’t that right Rufus? Eli?” Angelus turned and looked at the wizards.

”That’s right…everything is set.” Rufus said to Angelus with a proud smile.

Eli turned and looked at Rufus in amazement. He had no idea about this whole plan. Eli looked back at Angelus, who was smirking at Eli’s confusion.

‘He double crossed me…’ Eli thought as he looked into Angelus’s evilness.

TBC...

Chapter 21: The Journal

Las Vegas…

When the meeting was adjourned Eli grabbed Rufus by the arm and pulled him away from all the other staff members.

”We need to talk.” Eli said sharply.

The two wizards walked down the hallway and into the elevator. Once the doors shut Eli turned to Rufus.

“What the hell!” Eli started.

”I see you’re upset.” Rufus sighed and stared forward. He crossed his arms against his chest and seemed to be waiting for the doors to slide open.

“You betrayed me! You went behind my back and---“

”And like you weren’t!” Rufus exclaimed and turned to Eli.

Eli had to do a double take at that comment.

“What?” Eli breathed out.

”Oh, don’t play stupid…I know…Angelus told me everything.” Rufus said harshly.

“Angelus?” Eli scrunched up his face. “What did he tell you?”

For some reason he was anxious to find out more about Angelus and his evil plans.

“He told me how you were trying to stop all the plans and go off and do your own thing.” Rufus said.

Eli knew that what Rufus was saying was mostly true but he would never admit.

”Angelus is wrong.” Eli said.

Rufus glanced over at his brother wizard and let out a huff of a laugh.

“You know what?” Rufus asked and paused, “It doesn’t matter anymore…whether you are a team player or not, you can’t stop this spell from happening.” Rufus said.

The elevator dinged and then the doors slide open. Rufus stepped out and started down the hallway towards his room.

He stopped half way and turned towards Eli in the elevator.

”If I were you, I’d either shape up and beg for Angelus’s trust or get out of town before he kills you for getting in his way.”

Rufus turned around and walked to his room. Eli just watched the doors slide shut in his face.

Sunnydale…

After Buffy woke up once in the morning, she fell back into a deep sleep again. The hours in the day passed while Spike and Buffy slept and soon it was sunset.

When Buffy finally woke up she found herself refreshed and comfortable. She also found an arm placed securely on her waist and another hand holding onto hers. Buffy finally figured out that it was Spike’s hands and that he was spooned up against her back.

‘Is it weird that I don’t find this at all weird and creepy?’ Buffy thought to herself as she kept perfectly still. ‘It was seemed like just yesterday that I hated him being in the same time zone with me and now here he is holding my hand….and I’m letting him!’ While Buffy’s thoughts ran wild in her mind she subconsciously started rubbing his thumb across the top of his hand. Her movement started to wake Spike up.

Spike slowly opened his eyes and found himself face with Buffy’s hair. He started to move his fingers around and noted to himself that he felt Buffy’s body in his hands. When Spike saw Buffy was moving her head a little and clearly awake he backed away from her body slowly.

Buffy turned her body around and lied face up on the bed as Spike did. They both turned and looked at one another.

”Sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Spike started.

”It’s alright.” Buffy interrupted.

They glanced away from one another for a second before turning back to each other.

“How’d you sleep?” Spike’s voice came out a little nervous.

“Good…” Buffy said and sat up and looked through the cracks of the windows. “Looks like we slept through the day; its sunset now.”

Spike sat up and took a glance too, “Yeah…you’re right.”

Spike turned around to Buffy. For the first time he noticed how close she was. Their faces were inches away from each other.

“So…do you want to patrol?” Spike asked.

Buffy looked down at her lap, “Actually…” Then she looked up at him, “I think its time we get a look at the big picture…”

Spike looked up at her with a confused look on his face.

Spike and Buffy rode down the streets of Sunnydale on Spike’s motorcycle. Buffy held on tight to Spike’s waist from behind him.

”Are you sure you remember where you put it!” Buffy yelled over the sound of the motorcycle so Spike could hear her.

”Yeah!” he yelled back, “We’re almost there!”

They rode off out of the town of Sunnydale and onto the highway. After about a few miles Spike made a turn and slowly made his way onto a dirt path. In the middle of the road he came to a complete stop. Buffy got off the motorcycle and started to look around into the dark night.

”Where are we? I thought you said it was here?” Buffy turned back to Spike.

”Keep your knickers on…we have to walk to get the rest of the way…there is brush up ahead and I didn’t want to drive us through a bunch of jaguar bushes.” Spike said and set his motorcycle next to a tree.

“Oh…” Buffy mumbled.

Spike pointed down the path, “Shall we?”

Buffy and Spike walked side by side in silence. Along their path they had to maneuver around big piles of brush and muddy areas.

”Well…here we are.” Spike said.

Buffy walked forward and looked up at a sign that labeled an entrance to their destination. ‘Sunnydale Junkyard’ is what the sign read.

They started walking through the junkyard around old washing machines and moldy furniture just sitting in the grass.

”Why’d you place out here? I thought you would…I don’t know, take it with you.” Buffy made small conversation.

”Well…I placed it out here a few years after you….” Spike glanced back at Buffy. They both stopped walking and shared a look. He didn’t want to mention her death so he skipped over that part. “Anyway…I didn’t want the battery to die…I mean it’s a classic…”

Buffy rolled her eyes and walked her way around a maze of old car parts. Spike stopped in place and stared off at something, causing Buffy to bump into his back. She backed up and stood beside him and stared at the same thing he did.

”Well…there it is.” Spike sighed.

Placed between a few other pieces of junk sat Spike’s old 1950s black Desoto in high grass. A bunch of leaves covered the top of the car and the headlights were broken. The car defiantly looked its age.

“We can’t drive that.” Buffy said.

”I know…” Spike said and took a few steps forward.

”Then why are we here!” Buffy asked loudly, not really caring if beasties heard her.

Spike didn’t answer her question; he was too busy trying to get the back of the car opened.

Buffy rolled her eyes and went over to help him. While he tried to open the back door she tried to open the front passenger door.

”Seems to have rusted shut or something.” Spike mumbled.

”You think!” Buffy said as she pulled with all her might and then finally the door flew off.

Both of them looked down at the car door still in her one hand and then looked up at each other. They shrugged and Buffy threw the car door across the junkyard. Spike started to rummage through the car, throwing beer bottles and newspapers out of his way.

“So if you didn’t want the car then what did you want?” Buffy asked as she crossed her arms across her stomach, seeming like she was cold from the chill in the air.

”Well you said you wanted to get a look at the big picture right?” Spike asked as he still searched inside the car.

”Yeah…” Buffy admitted.

”Well…” Spike came out of the car and in brought out in both hands weapons. “…you can’t look out the big picture without big weapons.”

Buffy and Spike traveled back to Sunnydale and made a pit-stop at the Magic Box. They walked in through the front door and looked at all the garbage and reins that made up the whole shop.

“You look out here for any weapons and I’ll gather the ones we already got in the back.” Spike said and exited to the back training room.

”Are you sure that battery you took from the car will work on car you got? And by the way, where is this car you got?” Buffy called to Spike in the back room.

”Don’t worry about it…” Spike shouted back to her.

Buffy walked behind what was the Magic Box store counter. ‘I bet if Anya was here she would kill me for being on this side of the counter.’ Buffy thought to herself and smiled to herself but then frowned. She knew it was her fault that she thought about her friends and family being gone. Buffy took a deep breath and concentrated on finding weapons again. ‘There is a time and place for grieving and that is not now.’ She thought to herself.

Buffy opened a few of the desk drawers and only found old newspapers and blank order forms from the Magic Box. After she shut those drawers she noticed that a few books on the bookcase across the room had fallen down. Buffy walked across the room, towards the fallen books and started to pick them up and read them. ‘The Pygmies Dark Monsters’ one book read which raised Buffy’s eyebrow. She set the book down and read the next book title, ‘Creatures of the Night in the Western Hemisphere’. The last book on the ground however didn’t have a title. Buffy picked it up and dusted it off and noticed in the corner there was an inscription of someone’s name that has slightly faded away.

Buffy squinted her eyes and tried to read out what the name was, “We…s…Wesley Wyndam-Pryce.” She read.

‘Oh my god…’ Buffy thought to herself.

“This is Wesley’s journal…” Buffy said to herself.

‘Why would it be in the Magic Box?’ Buffy thought to herself.

L.A. 2005…

Wesley sat behind a few piles of cardboard boxes writing in his leather journal vigorously. He seemed scared and trying to be quiet, as if he was in hiding.

He wrote:

’Dear Giles,

I am going to be brief since I don’t know how much time I have left. I’m giving you a heads up that Angelus is back and seems to have planned to stay. This was never supposed to happen. He has already gone through to my gang one by one and gotten to them…I don’t know how to even describe the hell that this is. I wish best of luck to you and hopefully you will get the news of his return and will find a way to stop him. God have mercy on us all…

Wesley’

Wesley shut his leather journal and placed it in a huge envelope and sealed it.

“Wesley?” the taunting voice of Angelus echoed in the room Wesley sat hiding in.

Wesley took a deep breath and gulp. He knew that he would not make it till morning but he hoped that his journal would. That was his last dying wish.

TBC…..

Chapter 22: The Secret Garden Part 1

Recap:

Buffy jumped off the tower to save the world and died. The Scooby gang performed the resurrection spell to bring Buffy back but due to the demons interrupting them, there were consequences. Buffy emerges from the grave 80 years after she died and finds a vampire controlled Sunnydale. Spike comes back to Sunnydale after hearing about a Slayer fighting in the Hellmouth. He has no clue that it’s Buffy.

However, when Buffy and Spike meet again and he tries to help her get through a tough time. Meanwhile in Las Vegas Angelus is running the show and trying to get his way. He hires two wizards, Rufus (the bad guy) and Eli (the good guy) to help his so called ‘Plan’.

Buffy finds out that Angelus is alive after he magically bites her in her dream. Spike and Buffy train. Spike reveals that he has a soul and tells Buffy how he got it and why.

Buffy finds an old journal of Wesley’s that reveals that Angel turned into Angelus and murdered all of Angel’s friends.

Sunnydale

Spike packed all the weapons and materials into the back of the car that he found and repaired. He shut the back door and then opened the driver’s door and slid in, seeing that Buffy had her seatbelt on and looked ready to go. She had elbow propped up near the window and her head resting on her palm looking out the window, turned away from Spike.

“I think were ready to go.” Spike said and turned the key and started the car. He looked over at Buffy and saw that she didn’t move her face from the window. Spike took a deep breath and then exhaled, then began to drive away from The Magic Box—where they were parked in front of.

An Hour Later…

The whole car ride Spike and Buffy were silent. Frequently Spike checked over at Buffy to see if she had moved her head away from her window. And when he saw that she didn’t, he let out a big sigh. Spike was surprised that Buffy didn’t snap at him for all the sighs he let out because in fact he was annoying himself.

Spike decided to try and strike up a conversation and get Buffy to talk.

”I uh…I spoke with Clem…told him what we’re up to…” Spike glanced over at Buffy and then back at the road. “He also helped place the engine in this car…I think it will make it to Las Vegas…He also wishes us luck and said he’d keep an eye on things around the town.”

Spike glanced back at Buffy and saw that she still hasn’t budged an inch.

“Alright luv…what’s wrong?” Spike let out another deep breath. “I don’t fancy talking to myself this whole trip.”

Buffy didn’t utter a word.

”Buffy?” Spike made longer glances from her to the road. “Buffy…will you talk to me please!” He raised his voice a little and hit the steering wheel in frustration.

Buffy quickly turned her head and faced Spike, and when he looked over at her he saw that her eyes had sorrow and sadness in them. His anger that she wasn’t talking to him seemed to melt away and turned into worry.

“How did my sister and friends die?” Buffy asked in a whisper.

Spike pressed his foot on the break and the car came to complete stop in the middle of the road. He turned the engine off and stared out at the front window to the darkness of the open road.

“What?” Spike asked quietly as he kept staring forward.

Buffy pulled out from under her coat Wesley’s journal that was she was kept close to her throughout the whole trip. She looked over at Spike and then down at the journal and passed it to him—holding it out for him to take.

“I found this in the Magic Box.” Buffy said.

Spike glanced down and saw a dusty old journal. Without looking Buffy in the eye, Spike took the journal she held out for him. He gazed over at the journal and passed his fingers over Wesley’s signature on the front cover.

”I read some of it…” Buffy explained, “Angelus killed them all…he killed Angel’s friends…and Wesley documented it all until he was murdered too…”

”…I know.” Spike whispered, “I remember…”

”Did Angelus kill my friends and sister?” Buffy looked over at Spike.

Spike, for the first time, took his eyes off the journal and looked up into Buffy’s eyes.

”No…” Spike answered after a few moments, “He didn’t kill them.”

Buffy bent her head down and looked into her lap.

”Then how did they—how did they die?” she asked.

“Listen pet, I don’t really think you should know. I don’t think you’re even supposed to know.” Spike said.

“Did they die naturally?” Buffy looked back up at Spike.

After a long pause he answered, “…yes…”

Buffy shifted back and forth to each of Spike’s eyes, studying them to see if he was telling the truth. She turned back to the window when she couldn’t find one spark of a lie in his eyes.

“That’s all I wanted to know.” Buffy whispered.

Spike let out a deep sigh and then turned the key and started up the car again. The rest of the way he kept quiet and didn’t bother trying to talk with Buffy. And somehow in the silence he could hear the tears trail down her cheeks and fall into her lap.

Las Vegas….

Angelus sat in his office at his desk and watched the clock on the wall keep ticking away.

”It is now 6:20 AM.” Angelus said and spun in his chair to his companion, Rufus.

Rufus gave Angelus a proud goofy smile, “Its time for the sun to rise…”

Angelus got up out of his seat and looked out the window to the city of Las Vegas. The sun was no where in sight.

”Well it was…time for the sun to rise…” Angelus said as he kept looking out his window.

“Our plan worked…the spell is cast and like you wanted—no more sun.” Rufus said.

Angelus turned to Rufus, “First off…it was my plan.”

”Right…right…sorry.” Rufus quickly stumbled.

“So…how strong is this spell? What exactly happened?” Angelus asked.

”Well…I WAS going to burn out the sun like what was planned… but I didn’t have enough power without Eli. The simplest way to create darkness was to just stop the earth.” Rufus said.

Angelus narrowed his eyes, “You stopped the earth?”

Rufus got a little bit nervous and skittish at the way Angelus was looking at him. “Umm…yes…for as long as we need the darkness, the earth will not move.”

Both of them stared back at each other in silence until Angelus let out a hiccup of a laugh. Then after a few laughs he started snickering evilly.

”Are you telling me….” Angelus started in between his laughter, “That…that…somewhere on the other side of the world humans are trying to go to sleep and instead of seeing a full moon will be getting the sizzling sun?”

”Well…yes…” Rufus gave a half grin.

Angelus got up out of his chair and started walking towards the door. As he kept walking his laughter did not die down. In fact, his laughter seemed to get louder as he exited into the hallway.

Rufus just stood alone in the darkness that was coming inside the window. On his face he displayed one look….worry.

Somewhere Between Sunnydale and Las Vegas….

“Where are we?” Buffy spoke up for the first time in hours.

”Trust me…” Spike muttered.

After being on the main highway for so long, Buffy didn’t seem to be worried about where they were going. However, after Spike took a turn onto a dusty old road she was started to get skeptical about where they were exactly going.

Buffy looked ahead and saw a sign that has big bold lettering. However she could read it due to the darkness of the day and the speed of the car was moving. She turned around and looked back at the sign when they zoomed by it.

”What did that sign say?” Buffy asked and turned back around and faced Spike.

“It’s just an old sign…” Spike said as he kept his eyes glued to the road in front of him.

”But what did it say?” Buffy asked again.

”Well…” Spike let out a sigh, “It just said that we entered a restricted area…but like a said, the sign is outdated and old.”

”Restricted Area? What does that mean? Are we—are we on government property or something?” Buffy questioned.

”Old government property.” Spike answered.

“What!”

”Relax…this place has been abandoned for twenty or so years…besides, who’s going to stop us?” Spike asked.

”I don’t, maybe the government.” Buffy said sarcastically.

“Luv…if you haven’t noticed already…the is no one here…” Spike said.

Buffy looked forward and saw a bunch of big buildings becoming clearer and clearer.

”Where are we?” she whispered.

Spike pulled the car to the side of one of the big warehouse buildings and turned off the car. He opened the car door but before he stepped out he looked over at a confused Buffy and said, “Well…it use to be Area 51.”

Las Vegas…

Angelus stood in the elevator by himself. His eyes were glued in on watching the floor numbers pass by quickly down passing the lobby and basement. Once the elevator reached the basement floor Angelus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small key and opened a box under the basement button that was labeled ‘A’. Angelus put his key in the slot and turned it round and round until he heard a click.

The elevator began to move again. It went down below the basement and to a secret floor. The doors opened and Angelus stepped out into a damp and dark quarters. The sound of pipes dripping and human moans could be heard along with the sound of Angelus’s shoes walking down a hallway.

“Please…please…” a cry was let out of a woman.

As Angelus continued to walk down a path he passed many dark cages containing weak figures. A few times as Angelus passed by a cage a fragile hand would reach out and try to touch him.

The place was a prison for hundreds upon hundreds of woman, men, and children. They were his prisoners because they were weak Angelus was strong. They were his prisoners because they were human while Angelus didn’t have a touch of humanity. They were Angelus’s prisoners because no one knew about them; no one knew they even existed down in his dark chambers. It was Angelus’s little secret.

TBC…