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A/N Hey, just wanted to thank everyone out there who has reviewed this story, my very first in any fandom and my first bit of writing in a great number of years. I owe all thanks to my fantastic Beta, Holly, who has encouraged me more than I ever thought possible. Thanks also go to enigmaticblue for helping me double double check chapters before posting.

I am stunned by how much this story has been liked, so please, keep the reviews coming, they feed me like nothing else.




Chapter Six

Buffy quickly realised that Giles was talking to Cordelia on the phone, but for the life of her she couldn’t work out why. That was until Angel came prancing back through the door with a paper bag containing a number of bladders of blood. After that kiss she was finding that she needed to slightly reconstruct her memory. From scratch. She’d totally forgotten that Angel was here.

With a wary eye, she located Spike back on the couch, his arm slung wearily over his face and looking like he would have no energy for anything more tonight. It was time to give him some nourishment. Hmmm, Buffy nourishment. Her eyes crossed at the yummy thoughts that wordage provoked, but she quickly snatched the bag from Angel and went back to the kitchen to heat Spike some blood.

“Thanks,” she tossed over her shoulder at the hulking and sulking vamp before disappearing briefly round the corner. She popped her head back through the window opening, though, to let him know that Giles was talking to Cordy, and asked if he knew what it was about?

“Oh yeah,” he stumbled awkwardly. “Might.” And he followed her round the corner.

Giles seemed startled to have so many in his kitchen before realising his own lack of space as Buffy nearly barrelled them both out of the way on her way back out with the warmed mug of blood.

“Yes, thank you so much, Cordelia. That will be extremely helpful. I’ll put you onto Angel now, shall I?” Without further hesitation, he passed the phone back to Angel and made his own escape. He felt he deserved to observe his new house guest at least a little.


Spike came to at the tantalising scent of blood- human blood. He raised his body to take the mug from Buffy, and hesitated slightly before taking a sip. He cringed a little at the taste.

“Did I make it too hot?” He still couldn’t get over the concern in her voice.

“No luv. Jus it’s human. Doesn’ feel right all of a sudden.” His face crinkled at that observation. He was beyond hunger though so he concentrated on the liquid that flowed smoothly down his throat. When he finished, he raised his eyes to see both Buffy and her Watcher sitting in chairs angled toward him with shared pensive expressions on their faces. And to add to his surreal moment, along came Angelus with another chair. Then he was hemmed in.

“Right then.” He felt he needed to start things off as two of the three were looking at him like he was bound to be yesterday’s dust. His gaze settled on Buffy and he couldn’t help but smile at her besotted expression. To him it was obvious that he had really dusted and gone to some weird non-hell because this could not be real.

Giles nodded his head, took out his handkerchief and began to rub at his glass lenses as he tried to think of what to say.

“I’ve just had a call from Cordelia…”

“The cheerleader,” Spike butted in. Giles glared at him before continuing.

“Buffy,” he turned to address her. “That is why Angel is here. Apparently Cordelia gets visions like messages, I suppose from the Powers That Be…”

“You mean the ones that brought Angel back from Hell?” She interrupted, and Giles gritted his teeth, knowing he was in for a longer night than he desired.

“Yes, that would be them.”

“Right, so the cheerleader had a vision and now Peaches is on your doorstep. What does that have to do with me?”

“Well if you would all bloody shut up for one minute and let me tell the tale you’d find out now, wouldn’t you?” he exploded, jumping to his feet. Angel smirked as he saw Giles do the pace race he had witnessed earlier in the night, glad that this time he wasn’t the cause.

Everyone was silent, waiting for him to continue, but he seemed to be expecting another interruption. At their continued silence, he decided to resume. However, just as his mouth widened, there was a frantic knocking on his door. Almost exasperated beyond endurance he stomped to the door and flung it wide, and just managed to get out of the way before the Scooby Gang, including Anya and another blondish haired girl he didn't recognise, all but fell through the door in desperation, sounding like a gaggle of geese hyped up on demon speed.

“Giles, Giles, strange things have been happening, we need research…” they were all yelling at once then came to a screaming halt at the sight of Angel and Buffy sitting sort of together and facing someone on the sofa.

“What’s brood boy doing here?” Xander asked, pointing to the vamp in question.

“Oh…th-this i-is Angel?” Tara asked Willow. Willow nodded yes, her eyes wide with surprise.

They all continued around to the other side of the sofa until they could take in the fourth person in Giles’ home. Simultaneously they saw Spike. Willow and Xander both let out horrified screams and rushed behind Buffy and Angel. Tara and Anya continued to stand there with raised brows, not having a clue what had happened.

Xander pointed at Spike and breathed so hard in fear that he was close to hyperventilating.

“Buffster, all with the believing in your fighting skills and all, but why isn’t he tied up, or chained up, or hey, here’s one for ya, dusted?” His voice had reached an uncomfortable shrill tone and both Angel and Spike flinched. Swivelling his head back and forth from Spike to Angel, Xander made a comical leap behind Buffy, making sure she was his protector. Pointing a shaking finger at Angel, he asked in an unmanly faltering voice, “Is he still Angel?”

Spike burst out laughing.

“You are a right ninny, ya know that? Do you think the Slayer would be sitting all calm like next to the heaving poof if he was Angelus? Better yet, do ya think I would be anywhere near him if he was?” By the last Spike’s voice had a hardened edge that made Angel look away with regret.

“I never hated you Spike. You are my childe, and I’m sorry that Angelus is cruel.”

“Stop talking ‘bout him like he’s different to you. He isn’ someone else. He’s you, down to every ugly little moment. I need a smoke.” He rose on still unsteady feet and made to search his duster pockets.

“You can’t smoke in here,” Giles stepped forward.

“Look watcher, I’m bloody stressed to my bleedin’ eyeballs, and if I don’t have a ciggie soon I could snap under the strain.” His glare was mean, but a little twinge in his gut tried to tell him it was wrong to take his frustrations out on those trying to help him and he lowered his head in shame. “’m sorry,” he mumbled and plonked back onto the sofa, his head in his hands.

Having no understanding of her sudden compulsion, Buffy bailed on Xander and went to sit next to Spike and take his trembling hand in hers. Xander squeeked.

“Oh wow…” Tara breathed, staring in awe at the blonde couple.

“Buffy?” Xander and Willow questioned, their own reason for racing to Giles completely gone from their minds.

Giles for his part was fixated on Tara, realising he had never met her before, but wondering at what she was seeing that made her so astonished.

“Er, Willow, who is your friend?”

“Oh,” she blushed as all eyes turned to her. “This is Tara. She’s a really awesome witch.” Willow enthused.

“Will,” Tara seemed unaware that she was the subject of curiosity by almost all in the room. “Can you see it?” Willow looked at the pair on the sofa, looking heatedly into each other’s eyes. She couldn’t see what Tara might, but she could feel the tension in the room like a really heavy fog, and her eyes goggled.

“Oh my God, is it a spell?” Her eyes widened in alarm.

“I’m afraid not…” Giles grumbled, giving his lenses one last little swipe before replacing the glasses on the bridge of his nose, and tucking a hand in his pants pocket.

Reaching for Willow’s hand Tara used her other to motion the space around the two. “It’s beautiful Will, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Now all eyes were confused and Willow felt the need to explain, blushing again as she realised Tara was still holding her hand. She let go with a nervous, Willow giggle, and began.

“Like I said, Tara is a witch, she can see auras.”

Giles looked at the girl thoughtfully and wondered what this girl might add to Cordelia’s news.

“Right then, I suggest we all take a seat so we can have a chat and see if we can’t sort all of this out.”

“Merciful Zeus, do we just let them stay like that?” Xander pointed, his alarm not even receding a smidgeon.

“Buffy, do you really need to hold his hand.” Angel was obviously furious, but their eyes never left the other's as they mutually ignored him. “Giles,” he whined, back to that childlike feeling of hours before, and feeling really grumpy because of it.

He had a really uncomfortable feeling about this.





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