AN: A big thanks to my betas; Jessica and Chelsea. This obviously strays from Angel canon cause I didn't realize it until one of my betas brought it to my attention, but some readers may think Angel is just pretending to turn evil like in the show. Nope and it'll continue to stray further from canon after this.
Spike scooped Buffy up and held her tightly, forgetting everyone else was there, even his growling grand-sire. All that mattered was that for the second time the love of his unlife was suddenly back from the dead. All he wanted to do was carry her off to some dark, private place to reacquaint himself with every inch of her body.
Willow appeared at his side and pulled him back to the present somewhat. "Oh my god. Is that Buffy? Is she really back again?" She looked up at him. "I swear I didn't do another spell."
He buried his nose in Buffy's hair and inhaled deeply. "Smells of her, at least." He looked towards the others. "How... how long has she been here?"
Fred looked towards Angel to see what he would say, but he just continued to glare in Spike's direction. Wes finally stepped forward to bite the bullet. He might as well tell them and hope they would help keep Angel from trying anything.
"For several months now," Wes said. "Late summer we received an envelope with the amulet inside. Her spirit came out of it and she has been haunting our offices in a way. Only recently was she made corporeal again."
"She's been here that long an' you blokes haven' told us?" Spike growled.
"Well..." Fred fidgeted and glanced at Angel again. Wes squeezed he hand to reassure her that she should go ahead. "We- we were under orders not to say anything."
A couple growls had Wes moving them back from the two vampires, not wanting them caught in the crossfire. "Apparently he thought it best not to say anything until we got her corporeal again. She started... disappearing more frequently the longer she was here and for longer periods of time. Perhaps he did not want to put you through losing her again since we weren't sure if we would be able to keep her with us." He didn't know why he was making excuses for Angel's behaviour, but hoping it would avoid too much bloodshed.
"Bloody hell! You can' decide that for us!" Spike spat at them. "Even if she was only back briefly, it would be worth it t' see her again an' give her a proper good-bye. Right, Red?"
Willow nodded, looking at Angel mistrustfully... especially since he was in game face now and still growling at them all. She looked back towards Spike, though, when she heard a small groan come from the petite blonde in his arms.
Buffy gave another soft groan and snuggled into the arms that were holding her so protectively. This was nice, she thought groggily then opened her eyes slowly to blink up at the owner of said arms. She frowned in confusion as she saw the same mirage that had made her faint. Spike. He was looking down at her with concern. The arms felt solid enough. She reached up to touch his face and felt it was solid as well. She turned her face slightly and saw Willow standing over her as well. Had they come back like she had?
"What... did I finally die for real?" she asked curiously then looking around, seeing the others there as well. "Huh?"
"Buffy, we're alive." Spike shook his head, voice hoarse with emotion. "An' so are you. It's a bloody miracle..."
"Why does she think we're dead?" Willow looked at the others with a suspicious frown. "Something else you want to fess up?" Her eyes had darkened dangerously.
"They said the Hellmouth collapsed and destroyed Sunnydale," Buffy spoke up, looking up at Spike with wide eyes, drinking him in.
"It did," the witch's face softened as she looked over at her friend. "But we got away safe, and they knew that."
The slayer's eyes shot to Angel accusingly. "You... you said they were all dead! My friends! My sister! Spike!" She growled. "I cried for months and you continued to let me believe they were all DEAD!" She started to push herself out of Spike's arms, trying to get at the other vampire with murder in her eyes and hot tears running down her cheeks.
Spike held onto her, tightening his arms around her so much he was nearly afraid he would crush her so soon after getting back his girl all whole and healthy. "Pet, calm down a bit. You're goin' t' work yourself up an' you were only recently unconscious. Please, pet." He pleaded with her when she nearly turned her rage on him. He could take it. Was even used to it after all this time. But, he couldn't take the crying. Never. Not his girl.
He leaned his face close to hers when he was finally sure she wouldn't have bitten his nose off. He brushed a light kiss across her lips then moved his face to murmur in her ear softly, soothing words then a soft pleading. She looked at him silently for a moment then finally nodded, swiping at her tears with the back of her hand. He stood and looked towards Angel, face back to a mask of anger.
"Tell us why. WHY? Why did you torture her? Why did you keep her from us? WHY?? Tell us, goddammit! We're givin' you a chance t' explain yourself an' perhaps save your ugly neck from being a pile of dust in a minute when I let her loose." He growled, unable to keep himself from vamping and giving a loud growl. He would enjoy seeing the big poofter getting his finally, but as always, his first instinct was to protect his girl. He knew if he just let her go dust the ponce, she would later start asking these questions with no one there to answer them.
All eyes were on Angel again as he continued to growl at them. Finally, he took a step towards Spike to glare down at the younger vampire.
"Because she's mine. Mine. I couldn't let her run off to you as soon as she was corporeal again or beg for me to call you here while she was still a ghost. She's mine, but you've done something to steal her from me!" He reached out and jerked Spike away from Buffy. "You've always been a thorn in my side, William. I should have destroyed you when Drusilla dragged you home." He lifted Spike off his feet. "I should have been the one fighting by Buffy's side. Not you. You should have died on the Hellmouth. Not her. But, I plan on rectifying the situation."
"No! Angel stop!" Buffy jumped up and grabbed at Angel's arm. "Why are you acting like this?"
He shrugged her off and shoved her away. "I'm acting the way I should have acted when I first heard my wayward Grand-Childe was trying to make a third slayer conquest of you."
Spike growled when Angel shoved Buffy. "Oi! Don' lay a hand on her!" He brought his feet up into Angel's chest and shoved hard, leaping away to go to Buffy's side. "She doesn' want a wanker like you an' you don' deserve someone as good as her. So just give it up an' bugger off!"
Angel snarled and lunged for him again. The two vampires grappled in game face like wild animals in the middle of the room, growling and roaring. The others backed up, not wanting to get dragged into the fight and hoping Spike gave Angel a good pummeling for his behavior.
Buffy was watching them fighting over her with wide eyes. In only a few short minutes, her world had spun out of control. She had found out everything about her life, or un-life, for the last few months had been a cruel lie formulated by Angel to keep her close. She was frozen in place in shock. Spike and her sister and her friends... they were alive! Angel had lied in the cruelest of ways. Watching her wail in agony after delivering the heinous news and waste away for these past months from grief... All the while, he had been plotting to manipulate her. She had not been so naive as to think Angel lived up to his namesake, at least not for many years now. But, she never thought him capable of this when he was his soul-having self. Maybe she HAD been naive if he really was...
"Stop!" She finally shouted and dashed forward to try to pull them apart.
Willow grabbed her arm. "Buffy... you know, even with your slayery powers, it's probably not best to get between two angry vampires. It's like getting between two rabid dogs... but you know, with vampire strength and stuff..."
Buffy actually growled at her friend in frustration. "I can't just let Angel maim Spike."
"Have some faith in Spike... not to mention, you might be sorry tomorrow if you kill Angel..." the witch looked at the vampires, eyes filled with disgust as they landed on Angel. She never did see what her friend saw in him. She put up with him for Buffy's sake mostly.
"I won't. His actions have been unforgivable. He told me my friends and family, everyone I cared about, were dead! He let me waste away in despair for his own selfishness. I... no, I won't miss him. Not this way. I'll miss the way he used to be and THAT man is apparently dead already." She shook her head. "And I have a sneaking suspicion he knew the amulet would kill the person who wore it and knew I was going to give it to Spike, though he probably didn't know the person would appear in his office as a ghost. He just didn't bank on me changing my mind and wearing it myself." She smirked acidly, "Though, if I had known, would have let Spike wear it so he could have appeared in Angel's office to give him hell."
Willow's face darkened. "So you're sure of your decision?" Something dark moved behind her eyes.
Buffy nodded.
With permission seemingly given, the witch turned and flung out her hands. The two vampires were flung apart and Angel was lifted off his feet, kept immobile by unseen hands. "Buffy, it was you who was wronged. So you get to do the honors."
The slayer shivered a bit at the hints of Willow's dark side. It had been so long that she had nearly forgotten that the soft, caring redhead had such dark places inside her. Months ago, Buffy had been sure her friend was finally in control of herself and her magic, asking her to do one of her most powerful spells to awaken all the potential slayers in the world. But, grief had caused her to lose control before and maybe after Buffy's death... Were they on shaky ground again?
She shook it off for the moment turned towards the immobilized Angel. She growled at him to show she was a part of his lynching before heading over to check on Spike.
"Are you okay?" She bit her lip and knelt by him, reaching out to touch his cut lip.
"Bloody wonderful, luv," he gave her a grin. "Nothin' can' take away the joy of seein' you again."
"We have some... talking to do after I take care of our problem here." She grinned back and licked the blood from his lip off her finger slowly, "You're mine."
Her eyes flashed silver briefly before she quickly stood up, not giving him a chance to respond. He froze, watching her walk off in shock. She just... He gasped at the flurry of emotions that fought inside him at the possible ramifications of what she just did. He could only watch her, totally floored and unsure if he was able to walk at the moment. So instead he sat there with the world's goofiest grin spread across his face.
Angel roared as he noticed the exchange that went unnoticed by the humans. "I won't allow such lunacy to happen! Over my dusted body!"
Willow glanced between them, aware she had missed something but figured that if it pissed off Angel this much then it was probably a good thing so she smirked at Angel. "I think that's probably only adding to the appeal of it."
"You little bitch," he spat at her and she responded by stretching his limbs painfully until he cried out in agony.
Buffy strode over to Angel angrily and brought her leg up into his groin. "Don't talk to my friends like that. You don't deserve to even speak to them. To even look at them." She punched him square in the jaw. "I'm not yours. Haven't been yours in years. You're not even the same man I fell in love with. My Angel wouldn't have done this. You've changed. This place has changed you. And you don't even care, do you? Because so far you've used it to get whatever you've wanted, huh?"
"And yet, I'm still like him," Angel arched a brow in Spike's direction. "He's a selfish son of a bitch and does things much worse than this. So why do you fuck him and stake me?"
"Cause I love him and you have a small dick," she grinned. "Not to mention, he has made improvements while you have obviously made declines in character." She frowned. "He got his soul by choice, not against his will. And quite frankly, he was a very good man even before he got his soul."
Behind her, Spike smiled proudly at her words. He could burst into flames at that moment and die a happy man, but he seriously hoped that didn't happen seeing as he would miss out on the shagging later.
Buffy licked her lips and put on an innocent face, glancing left and right before leaning in close to whisper in Angel's ear. "Me and Spike are going to fuck for many, many, many hours and I'm going to do things we've only dreamed about for the last few years. When I get done with him, he's not going to be able to move for days. And, the only thing keeping me from getting down to it with him is first I have a bit of business to get out of the way. You." She leaned back and smiled wickedly.
Angel's eyes narrowed at her. "You didn't love me. You're just a slut who spreads her legs for anything lacking a pulse."
Her eyes widened in shock and in a blur of movement it was Spike who was there to slam his fist into Angel's face. "Don' you dare talk t' my mate like that!" He continued to punch his Grand-Sire. "You've had more partners than she's ever had an' in one month! An' such a bleedin' hypocrite when you've shagged nearly every vampire over a hundred." He sneered. "Even the men..."
If it was possible, Buffy's eyes widened even more until she was afraid her eyes would pop. There was an implication there, but she ignored it in lieu of her shock. Angel wasn't the first to say something like that to her, it was just more hurtful coming from him.
She shook her head slowly. "Stop Spike... just end this. Please. I can't take anymore of this. My heart is just not up to it." She closed her eyes and let out a breath. "Just end it."
Spike slid an arm around her and whispered soothing words into her hair. He rubbed her back and Willow came over to do the same, showing her support. "I'll get you a stake or somethin' else useable, pet." He headed over to a chair in the waiting area near the elevators.
"No..." she shook her head again. "You do it, Spike. After all the things he did to you, you deserve to drive it home."
"No, you should, luv, I know you want t'."
"Together then?"
He grinned and came back with a broken chair leg.
He held it out in front of her and she linked her hand over his, smiling up at him softly. "To a new start?"
He nodded and bent to kiss her forehead tenderly. "Let's do this before any more shit spouts out of this poofter."
"You can't seriously be about to do this," Angel looked shock, but they only nodded with impassive faces. He looked towards Fred and Wesley, "And you're not even going to try to stop this?"
They shook their heads slowly and Wes stepped forward. "I tried to warn you from the start. If you had listened to me, instead of the evil selfish voices in your head, the maybe you wouldn't be in this predicament now. The Angel we had befriended wouldn't have treated us like hostages. So we agree with them. The Angel we knew died the minute you started making deals with the senior partners."
Angel snarled angrily at him and opened his mouth to probably insult them some more, but they never found out. Before he could utter a word, the two blondes slammed the makeshift stake through his chest and he immediately burst into dust. As the dust settled, the small group just stood there silently. They didn't know what to say or what to do. None of them regretted staking him after everything he had done and wanting to prevent what he might have done if they let him continue down the path that he was taking.
The elevator dinged and snapped them all out of their thoughts so that they swung around to look towards it almost guiltily. Gunn and Lorne stepped into the room and looked at them, noting the signs of struggle and their dazed expressions. Lorne looked to the side where Harmony was peeking around the edge of her desk.
"What happened here?" Lorne asked, looking back towards the others. "Looks like there was a party and my invitation was lost in the mail."
"More like a lynching," Harmony muttered as she got up, straightening her skirt. "Does this mean I can go back to drinking the good stuff?"
"Harmony, get out of here before you get the same treatment." Spike snarled.
Her eyes got wide and she nodded, darting down the hallway.
Fred walked over to Gunn followed by Wesley. She smiled up at him, "It seems that Spike and Willow showed up and accidentally discovered Angel's plot." She winked.
"Oh," Gunn winked back.
Willow looked between then and suddenly smiled widely herself. "Buffy was the slayer we came to pick up, wasn't she?"
Fred laughed and nodded. "We finally had enough of his lying to Buffy and his temper. We decided to come up with a plan to get you guys here to accidentally run into Buffy after he went as far as hitting Wes." She sighed, "Whatever deal he made with the senior partners... it obviously affected him, cause we can't totally blame it on working in a place like this. WE didn't turn evil... we only went along with it out of fear."
"I totally understand," Buffy nodded as she came up beside Willow. She put a hand to her face, "But we can all catch up and decide what to do about the consequences tomorrow I think. Right now, I'm emotionally and physically exhausted. And I really don't feel like staying here tonight..."
"No problems, pet. We got ourselves digs over at the Sheraton. My suite is your suite," Spike grinned. "Me an' you got stuff t' discuss, like you said... or does that wait 'til tomorrow, too?" He definitely wanted to know why she had done the blood thing. Was it just to piss off Angel or did she really intend to go through with it?
"I'll see when we get there. Maybe some stuff can be aired out tonight... not sure I can wait no matter how exhausted I am. So happy to-" She noticed the others watching them intently and blushed. "Let's just call it a night and get to the hotel."
Willow nodded and slid her arm around Buffy. "Sure thing. Do you have anything upstairs you need to get?"
"No. Up until a couple days ago I had no body, so I really had no need for clothes. Since then I've been borrowing... well... Cordelia's old things until we could get some time to go get me new stuff. Angel offered to send someone to get clothes, but I wanted to buy my own things." Buffy shook her head, "Now I know why he was trying to avoid it..."
"Cordelia's old stuff?" Willow picked out that bit frowned. "What?"
"Long story. Maybe the others can fill you in on the way to hotel."
Buffy walked into the suite and went over to flop onto the sofa immediately, barely taking in her surroundings. She threw an arm across her face and groaned. What a just all around bad day. Yes, a good thing had come out of it technically. But, still... a really really bad day. She knew once things wore off... adrenaline or whatever she was going on, it would hit her and she wasn't even sure she wanted Spike to be there... but she couldn't tell him to go away. She needed him around after thinking he was dead for so long. So many things she had to tell him before she lost the nerve or other things got a chance to intrude again.
Spike walked in and looked down at her then knelt beside the sofa. He reached out lay his hand on her stomach, slipping it under the blouse to stroke slow, soothing circles. "You okay, luv?"
She lifted her arm slightly to peek at him from under it. "Not my best, but considering the day I had... I'm okay."
"Anythin' I could do t' make you feel better?"
She gave a slow smile. "You being here is helping." Her eyes started to water, "I missed you so much and I-" her throat tightened. "I thought I'd never see you again. I almost didn't want to become corporeal again, but now I'm glad I didn't just let myself fade away."
"Shh," he leaned in to kiss her softly. "I missed you, too. Was a right drunkard an' Red can tell you better than I can about how I was. I was too drunk t' remember much. She looked out for me somewhat an' so did the Bit. Made sure I didn' stake myself while I was inebriated, but wasn' able t' stop me wanderin' the halls naked at night a couple times." He smirked, "Scarred your watcher for life, I did. You would've been proud."
She chuckled and got up to slide off the couch into his lap. She laid her cheek on his shoulder with a sigh, "This feel so nice. I needed this so badly." Her eyes drifted close. "I could stay like this forever."
"You can. But, then that's what you were up t' when initiated the claim back at the law firm, yeah?"
"Yeah."
"So it wasn' just to piss off Peaches?"
"Huh?" She lifted her head and looked at him shocked. And slightly offended. "You think that's why I did it?"
"I guess I didn' want t' get my hopes up too much." He glanced away.
"Spike... I guess it's true that my actions in the past obviously didn't inspire trust in me... but it wasn't to just make Angel mad. That was just a nice by-product." She bit her lip. "I didn't mean what I said down in the Hellmouth. You know that right? I only said it to get you out of there." She clutched at him desperately. "Please, forgive me. Please."
"Shh." He kissed her softly, lingering on her lips for a moment before forcing himself to continue speaking instead of losing himself in the kiss. "I forgive you an' I understand."
She slumped weakly against him, relieved to hear him say that. He wrapped her in his arms and got up, carrying her into the bedroom. He turned down the covers and laid her down before sliding in beside her. She turned into his embrace and they curled up silently, understood that when they woke up they would straighten the rest of it out. But, for now they were content to have each other again and lay entwined.
Flashback to Sunnydale High basement
"C'mon!" Faith called and started up the stairs. Spike motioned to her and she made an impatient sound before dashing out of there.
"You have to go, Spike!" Buffy told him angrily.
"Not leavin' without you, pet," he shook his head.
"I can't go anywhere. I have to stay and finish this, make sure it's done. Make sure the threat is gone for good." She pointed, "You have to go. Get to safety. Go take care of Dawn and make sure she's okay."
"No. I love you an' stayin' with you 'til the end. This life into the next."
"Spike, I don't love you! I never loved you and I never will! I keep telling you that and you never seem to get it! Just go!" She pushed him towards the steps angrily. "Get out of here! You're just a vampire and even with your soul you're still not good enough for me! Sometimes, I can't even stand to look at you! You'll never be good enough for me!!" She screamed at him, tears running down her face.
He looked at her stricken then frowned. "Fine. Have it your way..." He got up and turned towards the steps, starting to go up them then looking back. "And you're wrong." With that he started running up the stairs to avoid rocks as they started falling from the ceiling on him.
Buffy stretched as she woke up then sat up slowly. She started to slide towards the edge of the bed, but Spike's arm tightened to draw her back. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure he was still asleep then pried it off so she could get up. With a small smile, she bent to give him a small, tender kiss before going into the kitchen to turn on the coffee maker. While she was waiting for the coffee to brew, she padded back into the bedroom and to the bathroom for a shower.
She was starting to wash her hair when the curtain was she sensed him moving about and with a smile waited, knowing he was coming to her. She rinsed her hair, not looking up as the glass door slid open and let the steam billow out into the room. It seemed like he stood there forever, though, so she finally looked at him impatiently.
"You're letting all the cold air in," she chastised him with an eye roll.
"Sorry, pet," he said with a smirk and stepped into the shower with her then slid the door closed again. "Was just admirin' such a stunnin' view of my lovely golden slayer under the water, like a goddess at a waterfall..."
She blushed and looked away. "You obviously never lost that poet in you..."
"No matter how I tried t' bludgeon the wanker t' death," he agreed good-naturedly and reached out to skim a hand over her body with a soft purr. "So beautiful..."
"Spike..." She smiled up at him and went into his arms, holding onto him tightly as it hit her again how happy she was to have him back. To have him safe and sound in her arms. Well... until the next apocalypse.
tbc...