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Author's Chapter Notes:
The above quote is a lyric from the song, "The Bodysnatcher" by Billy Idol. It's from his new C.D. "Devil's Playground." (Is it just me, or does Billy Idol remind you of someone?) Please review! :-)
It didn't happen often in sunny Los Angeles, but it did happen. Storm clouds were gathering, in more ways than one. Angel could see the dark clouds swirling in the sky. He felt cold. Down to his core, he felt cold. The cold had been his only companion for so long that he didn't think he could recognize anything else.

That was until Spike showed up. Then, he began to feel something other than cold. He felt heat, boiling up from his toes and eating away at his heart. The heat should have warmed him but it only burned him through and through. He wondered how Spike could survive for as long as he had with a flame so bright inside of him that Angel could warm himself with just the echoes that he saw in Spike's eyes.

Angel had existed long enough that he'd seen that glow before. Spike wasn't unique. He'd tried to warm himself, long ago, in the shadows of Darla's light. He tried to bask in the borrowed light of Buffy, Fred and Cordy. But, that only left him shivering in the cold of their light's reflection. He had tied to find a resonance for his emptiness in the wake of the love of James and Elizabeth. But, all their love did was remind him of what he has been missing since he'd closed his eyes to Darla. He'd lost something he didn't even know he'd had until it was gone.

Spike wasn't the first, and Angel knew he wouldn't be the last to show him how incomplete he really was.

Outside, the thunder rumbled and crashed through the sky. Angel watched as lightening ripped a line of light through the darkening, grey skies. He watched as the droplets of water started their lazy path down the glass of his window. They came slowly at first, and then as the storm gathered strength, the water seemed to throw itself against the glass. It was as if the water wanted to do anything it had to, to escape the turmoil that Angel knew was coming.

Outside it rained. And, inside, Angel was cold.
****************

Buffy pushed Spike gently in the chest, "Take it easy, Spike. You haven't used your muscles in months. Just rest for a little while longer. If you take on too much, and hurt yourself, you won't be able to help me fight Drusilla."

"And, if I wait," Spike closed his eyes in trepidation, "I don't even want to think about it. I don't have the time to be mollycoddled, Slayer," the weight of his words showed in his voice, and on his face, " I don't have the time. And neither do you. Now, if you don't mind," Spike was pushing his bed linens aside, and trying to swing his legs over the side of the bed, "help me up."

Buffy shook her head looking at him with pity, "Spike, just wait ten minutes..."

There was a flame of disgust in his eyes, "Don't look at me like that, Slayer! I spent months holding on to the memory of your eyes. Sometimes it was the only thing that kept me from going mad. The idea that you were somewhere in the world; that those eyes of yours were, maybe, seeing the stars that I looked at every night kept me going, not just after the fiasco in that alley, but before. I remembered your eyes," his voice shook with emotion, " And, in all that time, on all those nights, I have never seen you pity me, until now."

Buffy was hurt, " Spike," she whimpered, trying not to let the venom sting her, "I didn't mean to..."

"I know, Pet," he hung his head, ashamed of his own anger, "just help me up. Please?"

Buffy knew that there was no use fighting him. Once he put his mind to something he wouldn't quit until it was accomplished. No matter how long it took and how much pain he had to go through to do it, if he wanted it bad enough, it got done.

"Okay," she conceded, " but you'll lean on me, if you need to, won't you?"

"Yeah, Pet. I promise."
********************

A representative from the Home Office, if one cared to look back through history, was behind every despot and mass-murdering psychopath, as if there were any other kind, of any consequence. Granted, the handling of the Angelus file didn't mean upward mobility for Holland Manners, but someone had to handle this. Someone who could be subtle, who could deliver the death knell, with a velvet glove and deliver it in such a way as to be unnoticed until the hammer had long since fallen. Holland was certainly qualified. He'd been deep in this assignment for years. Getting killed didn't let him off the hook; it just made his job much easier. After all, who needed to plant listening devices when one of your best agents was, essentially, incorporeal and could slip in and out, at any time, virtually, undetected.

Of course Holland would accept the bonus the Home Office offered him for completing this assignment ahead of schedule. He would be a fool if he did not. Although, he had to admit, he would have done this, at no charge, just to see the look on Angel's face.

Holland checked the calendar and took note of the projected end date for the "Sisyphus Project," as it was called around the office, and nodded, silently pleased with himself. He put the slim leather volume back in his breast pocket, and said, "We're ahead of the timetable. Nothing works better than an 'unscheduled' apocalypse to move things along at a good clip."
***************************

Watching him slowly prowl the room, Buffy could have jumped for joy. He hadn't been on his feet a whole ten minutes and he was already networking. She was almost jealous of the recipient of that smooth talk and those honeyed words, "I couldn't be more surprised myself," he said into the phone, "You're a bit of all right, George. How soon can you hire it," the elevated eyebrow showed that even he was impressed, "You remember the address, don't you? That's right. See you soon," he said as he hung up the phone.

"George isn't some fat old guy, is he?" Buffy asked, suddenly remembering that that tone was reserved for persons of the female variety.

"No, she's a little girl from Wolfram and Hart's motor pool. She's a genius with an engine. She can make an auto do things you've never thought were possible," he stopped when he saw Buffy's eyes glaze over. When she looked like that, Spike knew it was time to shut up, "And, I'm waxing a bit too poetic about someone who's not you, aren't I?"

At least he had the decency to look sheepish, "Kind of, yeah," she admitted.

"Sorry. It's just that, when I was a ghost, I didn't have many friends, aside from Fred. She was someone who didn't mind me popping in to see her on occasion. She got sacked before all the ugliness started," he smirked devilishly, " Started her own garage, with my help."

Buffy hated to encourage him, but the look on his face was too delicious. She smiled to herself, now she was even starting to talk to herself like him, "I'm almost afraid to ask."

The smirk got bigger, "Good instincts. I nicked some of Angel's best cars for her to tinker with," he shook his head at how gullible Angel was, "I kept telling him I'd wrecked the ones he'd lent to me. He never asked questions, he just let me have another whenever I asked. It was like Christmas."

"And," Buffy asked, shyly, "George isn't some old demon, right?"

"No. She's human. A bit on the young side," he paused to take in the flush of Buffy's cheeks, "But then, I am over one hundred and thirty, so young's relative, isn't it?" he smiled, he couldn't help it, Buffy looked so sweet, all flushed like she was now, "Why do you ask," he grazed her cheek with the knuckles of his hand, "You know it's you I love, right?"

The look in his eyes told her he was telling her the truth, "Yes."
****************************

It had taken some time to get all the players in their proper positions. Some of the groundwork for this project had been laid centuries ago. It was finally all coming into place.

Holland opened his umbrella as he exited the limousine. Today was one of the few days that allowed him to engineer things in the daylight hours. Just a few more hours, and they'd all be in the right place at the right time. Then, the real play could start.

As he entered the hotel, he shook his umbrella dry, and headed for Drusilla's suite.

Holland had been concerned about the guard that would, most assuredly, be placed at her door. But, he needn't have worried. The sentinel had fallen asleep. And, there wasn't much chance of him seeing anything anyway, he did have only one eye, and that was tightly closed, in sleep.

He gently rapped on the door, "Drusilla," he called, "we must go now if we're to get there on time. Mustn't be late, you know."

Drusilla opened the door, clearly confused, "Holland? But, it's not moonrise yet," she rubbed her eyes, sleepily, "And, I'm ever so tired."

"I know. But, it's raining, so no need to worry about that nasty old sunshine, at the moment," he smiled at her, "There's a nice, fancy car, with dark windows, outside for you and I to ride in," he held his arm for her to take, "Come on."

"But," she pouted, "I'll get wet."

"I thought of that," Holland said, showing her his umbrella.

"Oh, that's so thoughtful," she said, taking his arm, and gliding past her sleeping watchman.
************************

"Well, I'll be damned," Georgina said, as she hugged him, "I never thought I'd see you again! Not after that fireball. It took up a whole six city blocks!"

"Good to see you again too, George," Spike smiled, holding Buffy a little tighter, "George, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

The light of recognition shone in the mechanic's eyes as she looked at Buffy and nodded, No introduction needed. You're Buffy, right?"

"Yeah," Buffy answered.

Georgina shook her hand, enthusiastically, "It's nice to finally meet the legend. Are you sure you're not some movie star or something," she asked, nodding back at the door, "You need a passport, and a pedigree to get past that G.I. Joe at the door."

"No," she smiled, "I'm just me."

"Well 'Just me' ruined old Spike here for anybody else," she sighed, "Believe me, I did try."

"That you did," he agreed, "The reason I rang you, George, was to ask if we could borrow your garage for a few days. She needs a place to stretch her legs. My flat's a bit cramped."

"Sure Spike," she said, quickly, "I'm going on vacation anyway. You can have the run of the place for a whole week," she tossed Spike the keys to the car she'd driven to the apartment, "Here are the keys to the Viper. It's all gassed, and tuned, up and purring like a kitten."

"Thanks, George," he said.

"Where are we going," Buffy asked, as George left.

"Somewhere you can train."
***************

"But where are we going?" Drusilla asked.

"Somewhere we can watch it all come together," Holland replied.

"But, I haven't even sent the invitations," Drusilla sighed, "How will they know to come to my party?"

"Not to worry, Drusilla," Holland smiled, "I'll be sending them out, soon enough."
**********************





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