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Chapter 13.

Deciding on a picnic lunch in the backyard, to celebrate Spikes new sun allergy-free state, the whole group worked together to lessen the load on chef Spike. Lying on the grass, he let his head rest in Buffy’s lap while she gently ran her fingers through his hair, deftly removing the gel and releasing the soft unruly curls. He basked in the warmth of the sun, as it seeped into his bones, for the first time in more than a hundred years. Lulled by his happiness and purring in contentment, Spike was, at first, unaware that he was being spoken to. “Hey kitty...ya with us?” Dawn giggled.

“Huh?” he inelegantly replied, opening one eye and fixing it on Dawn.

“I asked if you were with us...what with the purring and all.” Dawn grinned at her reposing friend.

Lifting his head slightly and looking at his chest in surprise, Spike cringed in embarrassment. “Bugger.” He softly commented.

“Hey! Leave the purring guardian alone. I like it.” Buffy grinned as she protected her, embarrassed, mate.

“The curls are sweet too.” Tara lightly commented, her eyes merrily dancing.

Spike abruptly sat up, his hand covering his curls. Narrowing his eyes in displeasure at Buffy, he mustered up as much dignity as he could, stood and silently made his way inside.

Sharing amused glances, everyone laughed.

“BUFFY! Get your arse up here...you have to see this!” Spike’s excited voice floated down from upstairs.

“Reflection?” Buffy checked with Anya.

“Reflection.” Anya confirmed.

As Buffy closed the kitchen door after her, she failed to notice the blanket covered vampire, smoking his way to the shaded back porch, or the two humans who hesitantly followed the vampire into the back yard.

Throwing off the blanket and stomping on it while patting his hair, Angel ensured that nothing was on fire. Drawing himself up to his full height while projecting a pose of benevolent magnificence, Angel imparted his words; “Where’s Buffy? I’m here to save her.”

Momentarily nonplussed by the gales of laughter that followed his declaration, Angel tried another tactic; “I’m challenging Spike for his claim. That way when I stake him, Buffy will be safe and out from under the evil influence of what ever spell he has her under.”

The laughter resumed, interspersed with a variety of comments.

“You appear to be under several misnomers, Angel.” Wesley commented, dryly.

“Yeah...like the one where you think you could beat Spike...delusional much.” Dawn scoffed.

“So Buffy’s under a spell now is she? Ah...let me guess...another vision that I don’t remember having?” Cordelia mocked, still really pissed about the early morning visit.

“What exactly have you been told, Angel?” Giles asked, tiredly.

“Now I know where I’ve seen you before!” Anya exclaimed happily, appearing relieved at her sudden memory. “You’re the Vampire I gave those gypsies the curse for.”

Time seemed to stop, and then every individual there, focused on the excited ex-demon.

*******

Allowing Buffy to breath, Spike removed his lips from hers and used them to softly caress her along her jaw-line to her neck, nuzzling gently at his mark. Buffy groaned in enjoyment. Pausing for a moment, Spike lifted his head, tilting it slightly to the side, clearly listening to something Buffy could not hear. “Pet, we might want to head downstairs...the poof is here.”

“Later. Busy. More smoochies.” Buffy demanded, decisively.

*******

“Are you saying that Anyanka wrote the curse used on Angelus, Anya?” Giles stared at her in amazement.

“Well yes, but it was a special case. When I saw what he’d done to that young girl, I had no problem helping.” Anya acknowledged.

“Is it possible to alter the curse, so that his soul can be anchored?” Wesley queried.

“Why would you want to do that? Hasn’t that poor girl suffered enough? You think it’s not enough that she was raped, sodomized, tortured and murdered? Now you want to tie her to him for all eternity?” Anya demanded, incensed.

“What do you mean ‘tie her to him’?” Giles requested in confusion.

“Her soul. Right now she’s happily making him relive every bad thing he ever did. Anchoring her soul to him makes her as much of a prisoner as he is, but allows the demon more freedom.” Anya explained.

“Are you telling us, he was cursed with the soul of his victim?” Wesley asked, horrified.

“Well his own soul would have been useless. His human soul, I mean. From what I understand, the human he was, wasn’t much better than the demon he became.” Anya replied, bluntly. “But, I don’t understand, why don’t you know all this? He was told it all, at the time. Didn’t he tell you when he was working with you?”

“Angel was told all about the curse, at the time?” Giles clarified, glaring at the brooding Vampire, a sudden disquieting suspicion starting to form. “Pray tell us Anya, was he also told about the loophole and how the curse could be broken?”

“Well of course he was. They weren’t stupid, you know.” She responded, guilelessly. Unwittingly, igniting, a dangerous fuse.

Glaring menacingly at the Vampire, who was now trying to make himself invisible, and stalking to the door and into the house, Giles made his position clear; “If Buffy or Spike don’t stake you, I will.”

*******

“Pet, let’s go. Watcher’s upset.” Spike pulled on his tee-shirt as he headed out of the bathroom. Leaving Buffy to, hurriedly, follow.

When the two reached the living room it was to find the agitated watcher, pacing in fury.

“What happened, Giles?” Buffy flew to the side of the man she thought of as her father.

“The bastard knew, he bloody knew.” Giles spat out furiously.

“Knew what, Watcher?” Spike asked calmly, with concern.

“The soul, the curse and the bloody loophole. He knew it wasn’t his soul. He knew how the curse worked and the bastard knew how to break it. He bloody well knew. He couldn’t control himself and Jenny died.” Looking at the horrified expression on Buffy’s face, coupled with Spike’s look of shock, Giles made his intentions clear. “Either one of you dusts him, or I will.”

*******

“Angel, I think it would be best if you leave. I really don’t think now is the time for any more confrontations.” Wes suggested, with quiet dignity.

“But he doesn’t understand...it wasn’t what he thinks...I mean, how was I to know...” Angel was interrupted by, ever the peace maker, Lorne. “Angelcakes, later okay. That way every one gets the time to calm down. Just a suggestion though…you might not wanna bring the wonder twins with you?” He cautioned, indicating Willow and Xander with a nod of his head.

Covering up with his blanket in defeat and nodding to his advisors, Angel raced back to his car, leaving the two ex-scoobies to follow, or not.

“Tara? Baby? Why didn’t you come back last night? I waited for you.” Willow moved hesitantly toward the gentle Wiccan.

“No, Willow. Just stop.” Tara stated, firmly. “What you’ve done. The spells you’ve used. What you’ve done to me. I’m sorry Willow, but I can’t be with you any more. I can’t trust you and without trust, you can’t have love.” Calmly leaving the devastated girl behind, Tara walked inside.

“Well fine, if that’s that way everyone’s gonna be, we’ll be leaving. Come on Willow, Ahn.” Xander held out his hand to the ex-demon.

“I don’t think so Xander Harris. Go find yourself someone who won’t mind being second choice to another woman. I deserve better than you.” Anya stated with finality and, lifting her head proudly, marched inside.

“You go girl.” Cordelia commented, impressed, following the ex-demon.

Lorne, Dawn and Wesley, after sharing a glance, chose to go inside, too. Leaving a stunned Willow and Xander, in the backyard, both thinking the exact same thing; “But it’s not my fault.”

Wordlessly leaving the backyard of 1630 Revello Drive, Xander thought about all that had happened. Regretting the decision to call Angel, he considered his options.

‘Riley! Why didn’t I think of him, he’ll help.’





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