[Reviews - 16]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2838 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the second - and last chapter. I know it's short, don't sue me!
I don't own any of the characters.
Thanks to Nichole for all her help
Chapter 2


July 2008


“I’ve got your mail, boss.” Harmony reached over the desk in the reception and handed Angel a bunch of envelopes.

“Thanks, Harm. And how many times do I have to ask you not to call me that?”

“Sorry, old habit. So, how was Buffy?”

Angel sighed.

“The usual. Nothing’s changed in five years, I’m doubting they ever will...”

“Love’s a strange thing...” Angel shot a look at Harmony. “What?”

“Nothing... I’ll be in my office.”

Angel walked into his office and sat down behind the desk before starting to sort through his mail.

“Bills, bills, more bills... what’s this?” He had reached an envelope that seemed to have been through the entire country several times. He could see post marks from places like New York, San Francisco, Detroit, Miami and more on the worn envelope, the first date from the post office read May 31st, 2003. He weighed it in his hand. Heavy. He put the envelope to his ear. No ticking, at least. Couldn’t be too dangerous. He opened the envelope and poured it’s content on the desk. It was the amulet he had given Buffy all those years ago. His mind wandered for a while, like it did when he visited her at that horrible place. More than once he had wished that he had ignored her and stayed for the fight. If he had worned the amulet, maybe she wouldn’t have been laying in that bed now... His thoughts were cut short as the light in the room started flickering and a wind came from nowhere, stirring up smoke that came from the emulet. Soon the entire room was filled by the smoke, and Angel couldn’t see anything at all. After a few seconds, the air cleared and Angel was greeted by a familiar voice.

“Peaches?”

“Spike?” Angel stared. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I have no idea... where exactly is here, anyway?” Spike looked around the office, a confused expression on his face.

“You’re at my office in LA. You don’t know how you got here?”

“No clue. Last I remember... the Hellmouth, that medallion started working, I was starting to burn... Buffy... I told her to leave, and then... it’s all pretty fuzzy...” Spike rubbed his eyes, trying to bring some clarity to the blurred images running through his mind.

“You don’t know where you’ve been?” Angel ran a hand through his hair, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Just told you, I was in the bloody Hellmouth with that necklace thing, and now I’m here. Damn, I have to get back to Sunnydale, what if they need my help?” He started walking to the door but Angel caught him halfway.

“Wait...” He grabbed him by the arm. And pulled his hand back as if he had been burned. Which, technically, he almost had.

“What?” Spike turned.

“Your skin... it’s... warm...” Angel said.

“What? No, it’s not, vampire, remember? Just like you. No body heat.” Spike answered in a defensive voice.

“I can hear your heart beating too. Spike, I think...” Spike cut him off, annoyance obvious.

“What? Peaches, you bloody well tell me now, or I swear I’ll...” He took a, somewhat, threatening step toward Angel.

“I think you’re human.” Angel sat down on his desk, trying to grasp the situation.

“What? But... that’s not possible...” Spike sat down too, on the couch against the far wall.

“The prophecy...” Angel’s voice wasn’t much more than a whisper.

“The what now?” Spike looked puzzled.

Angel rested his head in his hands before looking up at Spike to explain.

“There’s an ancient prophecy that says that the vampire with a soul will be rewarded with humanity after fighting in an apocalypse.”

“Oh... never heard of that one.” Spike frowned.

“Well, you didn’t have much of an interest in it too long ago. I’ve been researching it for years now.” Angel sighed loudly.

Spike realized something.

“You thought it was meant for you, didn’t you?” There was a hint of malice in his voice, as well as sympathy for his grand sire.

“Well, I was the only vampire with a soul for a very long time, why wouldn’t I think so?” Angel got up off the desk and started pacing the room.

“Sorry to disappoint you. Well, gotta go. Need to get back to good ol’ Sunnyhell.” He once again started at the door.

“Wait.”

Spike turned again. “Now what?”

“You don’t know how long you’ve been gone, do you?” Angel met Spike’s eyes, seeing confusion there.

“What do you mean? I was in Sunnydale, the medallion did it’s thing, then I was here. It’s only been a couple of minutes, half an hour tops.”

“No Spike.” Angel ran his hands over his face. “I think you should sit down.”

“I bloody well won’t sit down. What are you talking about?” Spike crossed his arms in front of his chest in a defensive pose.

“Spike, it’s July 21st 2008.” Angel watched as what he said dawned on Spike. “The battle in Sunnydale was over five years ago. There’s no Sunnydale left, just a big crater in the middle of the desert. The Hellmouth is gone, as well as the First, for all that I know. There’s nothing there.”

Spike sat back down on the couch.

“Buffy...” Angel could see the fear in Spike’s eyes.

“She made it out. Most of them did.”

“Most of them...”

“There were casualties, of course. A lot of the new Slayers... and Anya. But Buffy and Dawn and the others... they made it.” Angel revealed.

“Thank God...” Spike realized what Angel had said, beside the fact that Buffy and Dawn had made it. “Demon girl. Damn! Where are they now?”

“From what I’ve heard, Giles went back to England to set up a new Council. Willow and Xander moved to Boston a couple of years back, they’re married now and have a daughter. Dawn and Andrew are in New York, she’s at NYU, majoring in art. The Slayers are spread out over the world. Faith and the principal went to Cleveland and the Hellmouth there.”

Spike looked up at him. “And Buffy?”

Angel avoided his look. “She’s here, in LA.”

“With you, is that what you’re trying to say?” Spike got up and approached the desk. “I swear, if you touched her I’ll...”

“No, Spike, she’s not with me. She’s not with anyone.” Angel got off the desk and started pacing the room, avoiding what he knew he had to do.

“What do you mean? Where is she?” He asked.

“Buffy is at a place called Sunrise Mountain. It’s a nursing home that takes care of long-term patients.” Angel turned to look at Spike as he talked.

“What does that mean? Tell me straight out, damnit!” Spike felt the fear rising again and tried to push it down.

“I don’t know if you remember, but during the battle down in the Hellmouth, Buffy was stabbed in the stomach by one of the Turok-Han. After the battle, she lost consciousness. They went to a hospital here in LA, since there were a lot of injured girls. The doctor said that she was unconscious due to the blood loss and would wake up, but... she never did. She’s still in a coma, and she has been for the past five years.”

Spike just sat there for a couple of minutes, taking everything in.

“But... she’ll be OK, right? She will wake up.” He sounded like an insecure boy, pleading for Angel to say everything was was going to be OK.

“The doctors say that there’s no medical reason to why she isn’t waking up. She’s breathing on her own and her heart’s strong. She’s on IV for the nourishment, but other than that she’s physically fine.”

“So why doesn’t she wake up?” Spike looked to Angel for answers, but he couldn’t give any.

“They don’t know. One of the doctors, he believed a lot in the minds power over the body and stuff like that, he said that her subconscious didn’t want to come back. It was keeping her body in the comatose state because it was a better place than the alternative, which would be life.”

“So we’ll just have to make her want to wake up then.” Spike got up and headed for the door. “Where’s this place?”

“Look, Spike. We’ve done everything we can to get her to wake up – Dawn, Giles, Xander, Willow, me. I really don’t think there’s anything you can do.”

“Just tell me where the bloody place is and let me worry about the rest.” Spike practically shouted.

Angel raised his hands in the air. “Fine, fine. I’ll drive, it’s pretty far. Just... don’t expect anything. And don’t be too disappointed when she doesn’t wake up.” He took his car keys from the desk and left the office with Spike.

*****

“Hi, Sandy. Is it OK if we see her?” Angel greeted the night nurse at Sunrise Mountain.

“Hey, Angel. Weren’t you here just an hour ago?”

“Yeah. I brought a friend of Buffy’s. He’s been... out of the country since before she came here. He didn’t know what happened, and he wanted to see her. Is it OK?” Angel used his charm on the nurse, knowing that visiting hours were long over.

“Sure thing, sweetie. Just call me if you guys need anything.” Sandy went back to the files she had been going through.

“Thanks.” Angel turned to Spike. “Come on.” He lead the way down a hallway and stopped in front of a door. “This is it.” He reached out to open the door, but Spike stopped him.

“D’you mind if I see her alone first?”

“Fine.” Angel stood back.

Spike opened the door and slowly walked into the room that was lit only by the moonlight that came in through the window until he was right next to the bed. He looked down at Buffy. She looked so small and helpless. He laughed to himself. She was anything but helpless. He touched her cheek and sat down on the edge of the bed. He took her hands in his and placed a kiss on her forehead.

“Buffy, love, it’s time to wake up.”

He felt, more than saw, her eyes flutter before she opened them and looked at him. He smiled and she smiled back.

“I’ve been waiting for you.” Her voice was not more than a whisper, but he heard. So did Angel, who had opened the door to see what was going on. When he saw the couple, he quietly closed the door again.





You must login (register) to review.