Home : Stories by Author : Stories by GG Noel : Blood of the Heart ~ Failure
Summary: There's a way to bring Buffy back, but it's going to take everyone to do it.
AUTHOR: GG Noel
EMAIL: ggordonnoel@yahoo.com
RATING:
PG
SPOILERS: Post S5.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, Joss owns all.
DISTRIBUTION: Take it, Just tell me where it goes.
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She’s been dead for two months….
Despite the front he presented, Gunn didn’t like blades. Or needles, for that matter. But it wasn’t often that a demon attacked him with a four-foot needle. It was always a sword, or an axe, or some other big knife. So he wasn’t feeling too good about the machete the vampire had at his throat at this particular moment. He felt much better after the vampire exploded into a pile of ash.
“Angel…what’d you have to do that for? I had ‘em! Now I got to dry clean vamp out of my jacket. And I just got this…”
“I know. Cordy bought it for your birthday…she dragged me out to shop for it…”
Angel pulled him from the ground. They walked back to the Plymouth, Gunn trying in vain to get the dust off of his jacket. If this had been a few months before, Gunn would have expected the vampire to crack a lame joke, or to make a subtle dig about Gunn’s fear of Cordelia. But the last few months had been hard, and besides, Gunn knew that there was a part of Angel, too, that was afraid of Cordelia’s moods.
“So what’s with these vamps using machetes? Why don’t they just go for the throat?…and what’s this about you going shopping…I’d have paid to see you at the mall…”
“She thought it would cheer me up…”
“Oh so this was when?…”
“The week after Buffy died.”
“Oh…”Gunn knew this was a subject that Angel did not want to talk about. He was surprised Angel even said her name. Cordy was the only one that Angel ever talked to about her, and even that was in private. Gunn could tell that those conversations hurt Cordy as much as they hurt Angel. But Cordy was adamant that Angel was not going to brood and shut down on her ever again, and had said so loud enough that Gunn and Wesley had been able to hear it in the lobby.
“So what’s the deal with the vamps?”
“They’re the Nogar clan. They find using their teeth to be uncivilized…”
“So they do what instead?”
“Slice open the jugular, and drain the blood into thermoses, and take it home to drink.”
“Take it home…”
“Yeah…and season it…like Cordy does with mine…”
“Cordy seasons your blood?…”
“Yeah…with cinnamon…”
“What that woman does for you…”
They arrived back at the Plymouth. Gunn knew that Angel had an unhealthy fondness for the jet-black convertible. He guessed he probably didn’t appreciate the four Nogar leaning on the hood.
Angel smiled.
Gunn saw the grin out of the side of his vision.
“Now what are you smiling about?”
“I need a new thermos.”
Angel rushed the Nogar, knocking two across the hood of the Plymouth and one to the ground. Gunn attacked, and took a right cross to the jaw before staking the vamp closest to him. He whirled to get the other, only to see its head flying toward him. As the vampire’s body exploded, it revealed another vampire behind him, this one looking like a reject from a casting call for Sid and Nancy. Why it had attacked the other vamp, Gunn didn’t know. But a vamp was a vamp. The punk vamp turned and ran toward Angel. Oh, no he didn’t. Gunn swung his stake, dead toward the new vamp’s heart.
“NOOOO!”
Gunn suddenly found himself floating ten feet above the ground. He looked down to see the new vamp take out one of the Nogar. Angel’s other opponent exploded into dust.
It was only then that Gunn noticed that the new vamp wasn’t alone. There were two girls standing at the back of the Plymouth. One looked to be about fifteen, dressed in a knee-length black leather skirt and a matching jacket. She didn’t look nearly as frightened as one would expect a girl of that age watching a vampire battle to be. The other, the redhead, he recognized. She was the one that had been there the night they had gotten back from Pylea. The one that had told them about Buffy. For some reason, Gunn thought she was named after a tree or something…
“Angel…”
“Willow…Dawn…Spike…what are you guys doing here…”
“Savin’ your ass, it looks to me, mate…”
Great, not only was it a punk vamp, but a British punk vamp.
“Yeah…sure…Dawn, you shouldn’t be out here…it’s not safe…”
The younger girl walked toward Angel and hugged him. “We had to see you…”
“I could have come to Sunnydale, Dawn…you know I would’ve come…”
“She said we, you prat…”
“And you’re a part of this we, Spike?”
Dawn broke the hug, and looked up at Angel. “He’s with me.”
Angel’s brow furrowed. “Spike’s with you…why?…Willow care to explain this to me…?”
“He’s part of the team, Angel.”
“Since when?”
“We’ll talk about this later. We need to see Wesley…” Gunn was shocked at the commanding tone of her voice.
Judging from Angel’s reaction, Gunn didn’t think this was how Willow normally acted.
“Willow what’s this about…”
Gunn could tell that the other vampire was getting impatient.
“Red, tell the poof to get in the car and let’s go. Time’s wasting…”
“You’re right…I’ll ride with Angel…you and Dawn think you can follow us?”
“Yeah…” The vampire and the girl walked toward a black DeSoto parked at the end of the alley. What was it with vamps and black cars?
Angel stepped forward and grabbed Willow’s arm. “Willow…two questions before we go anywhere…”
“Sure…what?”
“One…you are going to tell me what Spike thinks he’s doing here, right…”
“I’ll tell you as much as I think appropriate…”
“Appropriate, what’s that mean…”
“Some of it’s not mine to tell…you’ll have to ask Spike…what’s the other question…?”
“Are you going to let Gunn down…?”
She looked up, a sheepish grin on her face…”Oh, sorry…”
Gunn floated gently down to the ground. Too weird.
Angel hesitated as he got behind the wheel. “Damn”
“What?”, asked Willow, “Are you hurt?”
“No…just forgot to get a thermos.”
The Plymouth pulled onto Sunset and headed toward the hotel with Gunn taking the back seat. Willow stared out at the cars as they whizzed by.
Angel took a deep, unnecessary breath.
“So…about Spike…”
“What about him…?”
“Part of the team…?”
“Has been for a long time…”
“I don’t think Buffy would have wanted…”
“Buffy was the one who insisted on it. When we were fighting Glory, Xander and Giles didn’t want him there. Buffy overruled them…”
“Why would she do that?”
“She trusted him. I trust him. We all do. Even Xander now.”
“And Giles…”
“In England on Council business. That’s why we need to see Wesley. He’s the closest thing to a Watcher we’ve got with Giles gone.”
“But Giles trusts Spike…?”
Willow turned to Angel. “Yes, Angel, he does. We all do. Get over it.”
“But this is Spike…the guy who tried to kill you all how many times?”
“And you’re Angel…the guy who killed Ms. Carpenter and tortured Giles…”
“That’s different. I didn’t have a soul then.”
“Well, Spike still doesn’t. And he still helps. Still does the right thing. What’s your excuse? As far as I can tell, the only difference between you now and you then is your sudden aversion to leather pants…”
“Leather pants?” Gunn asked.
“Willow, I…”
“I’m sorry…that was out of line. I know you’re not that Angel…but just give Spike a chance. He’s proven himself to us. He proved himself to Buffy.”
“Angel wore leather pants?”
“But why…why did he do it?…and why’d you bring Dawn?”
“You’ll have to ask him. As far as Dawn goes, a lot of this has to do with her, and Spike won’t let her go anywhere without going along to protect her.”
They pulled into the hotel parking lot. The DeSoto pulled up next to them, the Sex Pistols blaring. Gunn could see Dawn shaking her head to the music and laughing.
As they entered the hotel, Cordelia’s voice called down to them.
“Angel, that you? I’ve went by the butcher shop and they were out of that lamb blood you like so much, but I…”
She turned the corner, and walked straight into Spike. She leapt back, screeching.
“Well, hello to you, too, pet. Quite the little domestic dolly you’ve got here, Angel. Cheerleader even does your shopping for you, eh?”
Spike had always liked Cordelia. She had spunk.
“What is he doing here…”
“We need to talk to your Watcher type. He around?”
“We…who’s we…” It was then she saw Willow and Dawn standing with Angel.
“Oh hey guys…you’re here with him? And Dawn…love that outfit…”
“Really? Spike bought it for me…”
“Spike bought you this…okay first what is Spike doing buying you clothes, and second since when does he have taste…?”
Dawn was about to answer when Cordelia was distracted. Gunn walked past her to put his weapons back into the locker.
“And what did you do to that jacket? I just bought that for you…”
As Dawn watched Cordelia question Gunn about his treatment of the jacket, Angel pulled Willow aside.
“Okay, Willow, what’s this all about…”
“I’d rather wait till Wesley gets here…”
Spike smiled. “Oh, go on, Red. Tell him.”
“Tell me what?” Angel had seen the look on Spike’s face before. It was usually before he killed someone.
“Tell him, Red. After all, it’s your idea…”
“Spike, I don’t even know if we can do it…”
The smile dropped from Spike’s face. “Not a matter of if, luv. It’s a matter of when. We will do it, or I’ll die trying.”
Angel had had enough. “What are you talking about? What are you going to do?”
The smile returned to Spike’s face. “Angelus, my boy…we’re going to get her back.”
“What…Buffy?”
“Of course, you git. Who else?”
“How?…”
Spike nodded at Willow. “Red, you wanna fill the boy scout in?”
“Willow?”
“I was looking through my spell-books the other day trying to find a way to keep my fish from dying…I can’t seem to ever keep fish in my aquarium…hey that’s another thing you…”
“Willow…”
“Oh yeah…so I came across the spell we used to call forth the power of the first Slayer that we used against Adam…”
“Buffy told me about it…”
“Anyway, I was reading and I found this section I never read before…”
“And…”
“This is the good part, mate, you’ll like this…”
“Spike…”
“Well, go on…”
“Anyway, this section isn’t about calling the first Slayer. It’s about calling A Slayer.”
“A Slayer? I don’t understand.”
“I can call forth the soul of the Slayer. I can call Buffy.”
“You can…”
“Yeah…”
“But what about the new Slayer? The one called when Buffy died?”
“That’s one of the reasons Giles is in England. There wasn’t a new Slayer called. Seems Faith’s it. And the Council isn’t happy about that.”
“No I guess not. But I still don’t understand…what good will calling her soul do? She’s dead, Willow. Calling her soul won’t change that.”
Spike laughed. “You’ve not been around Will for awhile, have you?”
“What’s that mean?”
Willow hesitated, then started to speak, “I think I can make her a new body.”
“You can what? Nobody can do that. No one can bring someone back from the dead.”
“It won’t be bringing her back from the dead. It’ll be like….Buffy 2: the Sequel. I’ll just make her a new body, like the old Golem spells. Only she’ll be humany and not Golemy. Since the monks made Dawn out of Buffy…I think I can make Buffy out of Dawn…well…kind of..”
“So why haven’t you done it? Didn’t Giles have an Orb of Thessala around somewhere?” That was the extent of Angel’s knowledge about soul spells. He thought he should probably know more given his personal situation, but hey, he had demons to kill. Wesley did his studying for him.
Spike stepped out his cigarette. “Don’t you think we thought of that? Orb won’t work. We tried it. Seems this calls for something else. That’s why we’re here.”
“I don’t understand.”
Willow took a page of weathered parchment from her bag. “Yeah, this part of the spell is in a language I don’t understand. I would’ve scanned it and sent it to Giles in London, but it seems to not like being scanned. So we thought maybe Wesley would know…”
Just at that moment, the ex-Watcher came down the stairs into the lobby. “Wesley would know what?”
Angel turned to Willow. “Explain it to him. Wesley, do this. I don’t care what you have to do, help her.”
“Surely, but what…”
Willow took Wesley by the arm, and led him back into the offices. “C’mon, Wes. I think Angel and Spike are going to have big macho vampire talk. And Angel’s right. I need your help.”
“What? Spike? …Angel?”
“Just go, Wesley…”
As the ex-Watcher and witch stepped from the room, Spike lit up another cigarette.
“Put that out.”
“Touchy, touchy. Here we bring good news, and you’re not polite to the messenger. What manners…”
“Upstairs, now.”
They stepped onto the roof, and Spike leaned against the edge, watching the ashes flick off of his cigarette onto the ground below.
“So mate, planning on throwing me off?”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you here?”
“Well…one, Nibblet wanted to come. Two, I want this to work.”
“Why?”
“Is that all you bleedin’ say these days?”
“Why does it matter where Dawn goes, and why do you care if Buffy comes back or not. I thought you’d have been dancing on her grave.”
“WHAT do YOU know about it?”
“Explain it to me, William…because I swear if you touch a hair on Dawn’s head…”
“That’s the last bloody thing I’d ever do…”
“And why is that…”
“I promised…”
“You PROMISED? Promised what? Who?” The last promise Angel remembered Spike keeping was to bring Dru a set of Siamese twins for her to kill on her birthday. That was the kind of promise Spike made and kept.
“I promised Buffy I’d protect Dawn. I promised I’d protect her until the end of the world, and I’m damn well going to do it.”
“I don’t get it Spike. Where is this coming from?”
“Buffy asked me.”
“SHE asked YOU…”
“Yeah, you wanker, she asked me…your hearin’ goin’ in your old age?”
“Why would she ask you?”
Spike was starting to get pissed. “She couldn’t rightly ask you now could she? You weren’t there, and I was…that’s what gets you isn’t it? When the chips were down, she didn’t call you. She counted on nasty rude Spike instead of big heroic soul-having loverboy Angel…that’s it, isn’t it you poof?”
“That was her call. I just want to know why she made it. Why’d she trust you, Spike?”
Spike hung his head. “Because she was Buffy, I don’t know. I didn’t deserve it, that’s for sure.”
“No, you don’t. But you seem to have convinced everyone else you do. How’d you manage that, Spike? And why’d you even try.”
Spike turned away from Angel, and stared down at the street. “Because…”
Spike had an expression on his face that Angel could remember seeing once before…but when was it?
“Because…”
“Yeah, because…”
It finally dawned on Angel. Spike had that same look the day Angel first saw him. The day that Cecily had crushed his hopes of ever winning her love. Angel, Drusilla, and Darla had watched from the shadows and laughed. It didn’t seem as funny in retrospect.
“You loved her…”
Spike spun, and held his head up. “Yup…you got me…only thing is, there’s no past tense to that. I love her, and always will.”
Angel stood next to Spike and they both looked up at the sky. He could tell Spike meant what he was saying.
“I can understand that. It was hard not to love her.”
“Isn’t that the truth... You’re the only one who doesn’t look at me like I’m a loonie when I say that. You told me once that she made you feel human. At the time, I thought you were full of crap. Now I know what you meant.”
“When did I say that?”
“When we were planning on killing her, a couple of days before I beat you over the head with a tire iron and she stuck a sword in you and sent you to Hell.”
“Oh..yeah…don’t reminisce about that time much…”
“Would guess not…”
“Spike, Angel, you up here ?”
They turned to see Dawn beckoning to them. “C’mon, Wesley’s finished translating.”
Gunn was incredulous. “So you’re telling me that this Spike guy is like Angel’s grandson?”
Cordelia scrunched her nose. “Something like that. I’d have to ask them again, but I know Drusilla’s in there somewhere.”
“Drusilla’s that creepy vamp that looks like Morticia Addams and talks to dolls, right?”
“Yeah…oh hey, here’s brood-boy now…”
Angel, Spike, and Dawn stepped out of the elevator into the lobby. Dawn sat between Cordelia and Gunn, while the vampires stood at opposite ends of the room. Wesley and Willow walked in from the back offices. Wesley was carrying a very large book in one hand, and the scrap of parchment that Willow had given him in the other. He set them down on the desk, while Willow made a place for herself beside Dawn. Willow reached her hand out to Dawn’s and gave a little squeeze.
Angel looked at Wesley….”So…”
“So, yes….”
“Yes, what, you prat? Can it be done or not?” said Spike.
“If Willow is capable of what she says she is…”
Dawn leaned forward…”Yeah…”
“Then it’s possible.”
Spike and Angel both grinned widely, until they saw each other grinning.
Cordelia stood and walked toward Wesley. “So why don’t we get this Bringing Back Buffy Bonanza started? What are we waiting for?”
Willow smiled. “That sounded like something Xander would say…”
Cordelia turned… ”As if...”
Gunn stood. “Cordy’s right. What are we waiting for? I want to meet this chick…”
Before anyone had even seen him move Spike grabbed Gunn by the collar and lifted him in the air. “Buffy’s no chippie, mate. I’d be watching my tongue if I were you.”
Angel gripped Spike by the shoulder. This new Spike was going to get some getting used to. “This coming from the man who called her Slutty the Vampire Slayer.”
“That was before I knew better. Besides…I didn’t mean it.”
“Sure you didn’t. But Gunn’s right, Wes…what are we waiting for?”
“Well, it seems that the reason that the Orb of Thessala didn’t work to call forth her soul as it did in your case, Angel, is, well, how to put this delicately…her soul is more powerful than yours.”
“Oh…oh…what do you mean?”
“A Slayer’s soul is more powerful, larger…”
“Better…” said Spike.
“Yes…better than a normal human’s. An Orb of Thessala cannot contain that rich a soul. It’s simply too much power to fit.”
Spike grunted. “I could have told you that…”
“Yes, well, there is however, a way to draw Buffy’s soul from the ether using a variant of the spell that called for the First Slayer. We could then contain it.”
“Just not in this Orb of Cecily thing?” asked Cordelia.
Wesley held back a smirk. “Yes. We need two items…here, “ he said, turning the book to where Cordelia and Dawn could see it. “This is the Chalice of Osiris..and these….these are the Black Pearls of Rumin.”
Dawn looked back at Willow. “So how’s this spell thingie supposed to work?”
Willow smiled, her eyes glowing with excitement. “Oh it’s real cool, first I form the body out of mud…”
“Mud…?”
“Yeah, mud and some of your hair. Don’t worry, she’s going to be all human once I contain her soul in the pearls, then dissolve the pearls in the …what do I dissolve them in, Wesley?”
“The Chalice must contain the heart’s blood of a vampire…”
“yeah, so I dissolve it in that, and make MudBuffy drink it, then she’ll turn into RealBuffy. At least I think…”
Angel smiled. “So all we have to do is get this cup and these pearls and we’re set.”
Dawn was looking closely at the pictures. “I think I’ve seen this cup somewhere before…”
“Where?” said Wesley. “There are only two known to exist in the world, and one’s under lock and key in St. Petersburg. The other’s been missing for centuries.”
“Well, I’ve never been to Russia, so I think it was in Sunnydale somewhere…”
“And the pearls?” asked Willow.
Wesley’s face took
on a grim expression. “They’ve been lost for at least a hundred years.
The last known location was in Amsterdam in 1894. They werestolen from the body
of the visiting Princess of Norway. She was killed with the
rest of her family in their box at the Opera.”
Angel raised his head from the spot on the ground at which he’d been staring. “Did you say 1894?”
That got Spike’s attention…”Yeah…and Amsterdam…it couldn’t…”
They both grabbed the book and looked at the drawing Wesley had shown Dawn.
They looked at the picture, then at each other. They both grinned widely, and this time they didn’t look away. Instead they started laughing.
Gunn was puzzled. “I don’t get it. Some joke you guys want to share…”
They turned toward Gunn and the girls. Dawn thought Spike was almost crying. She had seen him crying a lot over the last two months. This was the first time she had ever seen it in happiness.
“Let’s just say,” said Angel between laughs, “that we have a pretty good idea of where they are.”
“And why is that,” asked Cordelia…
It was Spike’s turn to laugh. “Because….you’re looking at the two vampires that stole them in the first place…”
Wesley’s face brightened. “Oh…that makes things considerably easier. You just have to go get them, then…”
Angel and Spike looked at each other knowingly.
Angel’s face darkened. “It’s not going to be quite that simple, Wes…”
“And why not?”
Spike smiled at Wesley, his face suddenly shifting into demonic form. “It seems we’re going to have to do a little hunting…”
~*~*~*~*~
The man dropped, his body lifeless, his blood drained from his body. The woman stood over him, wiping the last traces of blood from her mouth.
“He tastes all funny….like he was made of huckleberry jam…”
Her blonde companion dropped another body at her feet. “How the hell do you remember what huckleberry jam taste like? It’s been 140 years since you’ve eaten solid food.”
“No, it hasn’t…Spike used to make breakfast for me.”
“Oh yes. He still likes to eat the human food, doesn’t he?”
“Oh yes, my Spike. Used to let me cut the chickens’ heads off, he did…”
“Let’s not talk about Spike. It just reminds me of that Slayer.”
“Ah you went and made me smile. Reminding me that that naughty Slayer is dead. Spike crying, crying, crying…such beautiful pain he’s in…”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Saw it, I did.”
“I wish you could tape those visions of yours, Dru…”
“Oh, Darla…it was delicious, “ said Drusilla.
She lifted her hand to her neck, and stroked it in the ecstasy of the memory, her fingers intertwined with the strand of black pearls around her neck.
Dawn sat on the edge of the bed trying to find a channel on the TV that was showing something other than Diagnosis Murder or Xena. One of the cool things about coming to visit Angel was that you never had to look for a place to stay. Angel always had the room. One of the benefits of living in a hotel. You’d think if he could afford this kind of place he could spring for some cable.
There was a knock on the door….
“Dawn…”
“Yeah, Angel..come in…”
Angel stuck his head in. It was always awkward for Dawn to talk to Angel. Not that she ever really had, in reality. But she remembered doing it, and so did he. And even in false monk-created memories, their conversations had been awkward. Now that Buffy was gone, it was even more so…
“So…”
“Yeah…”
“Dawn…I’ve got to ask you a question, and I need you to be straight with me. Can you do that?”
“Yeah…”
“Is Spike…is he hurting you in any way or …”
“No…Spike loves me. He’d never hurt me.”
“He loves you. You’re sure of that.”
Angel sat on the bed next to her, sliding her calf-high leather boots to the side of the bed to make room for his feet. Leather boots with three-inch heels. She’d definitely been hanging around Spike.
“Yes, I’m sure. You haven’t seen him, Angel. He’s different than he used to be.”
“So I’m told. But Dawn…I’ve known Spike for over a hundred years…and this…thisjust doesn’t sound like him…”
“Well…maybe…maybe…it’s the him that was supposed to be.”
“That’s a nice thought, but I don’t know, Dawnie…”
Dawn hated being called “Dawnie”. Buffy had called her that. She much preferred“Nibblet” or even “Platelet”.
“What don’t you know? He loves me. He loved Buffy, too. He still does, I cantell. When he doesn’t think I’m looking, I’ll catch him with a tear in his eyes.”
“Spike…crying?”
“Yeah…Angel…when Buffy died…we were all there….and Spike…Spike just collapsed. He was crying so hard. Giles and Willow had to drag him away so he wouldn’t burn up in the sun. I think Willow put some kind of spell on him to put him to sleep or something because he didn’t come around until after the funeral.”
“So that’s why I didn’t see him there.” Not that he had been looking for him.
“Yeah. Willow didn’t think he could handle it. I thought Spike was going to be mad at her, but he wasn’t. I saw him one night at her grave. He was just lying there…hugging the tombstone. Then he didn’t come out of the crypt for a few days. Until I went and got him.”
“You went and got him?”
“Yeah, I told him Buffy wouldn’t want him moping around. He said something about doing what Buffy wanted. Next thing I know he moved into the house.”
“Moved in? Giles allowed that?”
“Giles really couldn’t say anything about it. Spike had bought the house.”
“What?”
“Yeah, it had been up for sale before Buffy died. We really couldn’t afford to live there. Buffy couldn’t keep up the payments. So she put it up for sale, and the realtor lady called the week before all the Glory stuff happened. Said she had a buyer. Buffy didn’t know it, but Spike was the buyer. He was going to buy it, and give it to her as an anonymous present. So she didn’t have to worry anymore. Spike never wanted her to know. I don’t think she thought he had that much money. I wouldn’t know now if Buffy hadn’t died.”
“Spike used to spend all his money on Drusilla, going to the opera and stuff like that. I guess I never thought about what he did with his money.”
“Well, he always liked to pretend he didn’t have any. I think he liked makingBuffy mad when she had to pay him for something.”
“She paid him?”
“To help. At first…then…he just did it…”
“Did Buffy ever say anything to you about Spike?”
“Just to stay away from him…then things got really bad…and she always took me to Spike. After Glory tortured him…”
“What?”
“Yeah, it was bad. She wanted to know who the Key was, and he wouldn’t tell her. So anyway, after that…I think she trusted him…no, I know she did.”
“And did she know about him…”
“Loving her? Yeah…he told her.”
Angel laughed. “I would have loved to have seen the look on her face when he told her.”
“Oh, believe me, it was funny. Full on Buffy panic mode. She didn’t believe it was possible.”
“I tend to agree with her.”
Dawn’s face reddened. “Why? Spike has feelings just like all of us. More so, maybe…”
“But Dawnie…he doesn’t have a soul”
“So…he says he loves me…that he loves Buffy…and I believe him…” Angel could see that Dawn was getting defensive.
“I know you do. Why?”
“You haven’t been around, Angel. You haven’t seen him around Buffy, around me. And since she’s died…if you had seen him the way I’ve seen him, you would know better.”
“How have you seen him, Dawn? Has he been violent?”
“Not toward me. He still patrols, and I think that gets out a lot of his pain.”
“He patrols? Buffy’s patrols?”
“Yeah, he seems to think that someone has to do it, that Buffy would’ve wanted it…”
“He’s right…”
“I know. That first night he went out on patrol, I followed him…”
“Dawn, that was dangerous.” But typical Dawn.
“I know, I know. Spike told me later forty times I wasn’t to follow him again.”
“So he knew you were there…”
“Only after I tripped over one of the knights’ bodies…”
“Knights?”
“Yeah, those weird medieval guys who were after Glory…”
“The ones that attacked the RV you guys were in?”
“Yeah…Spike went out and well…I guess this isn’t a good thing…”
“What, Dawn?”
“He killed them all.”
Now that sounded like Spike.
“I don’t understand. Willow said the knights were human. I thought Spike had a chip in his head, and he couldn’t harm humans.”
“He does.”
“So is the chip malfunctioning? I thought it was supposed to cause him pain whenever he did anything. If he can kill again, Dawn, there’s no way…”
“Don’t you even say that, Angel…I’m staying with Spike. I’ve already had this argument with Giles.”
“But if the chip isn’t working…”
“I think it still is…”
“So how…?”
“I think he was just in too much pain already for him to notice.”
Angel knew that Spike felt pain. But not that kind.
“Buffy’s death hit him that hard?”
“Yeah…it did…”
“Dawn…you said Buffy trusted Spike. And she knew that he loved her?”
“Yeah…”
“So did she…did they…?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
Dawn could see the relief on Angel’s face.
“Would’ve been cool, though.”
Angel smirked.
“So Buffy wasn’t interested, then…” Of course not.
“I didn’t say that…”
“I don’t understand.”
“I think it hurt her. She felt guilty.”
Guilt and Buffy. Not a new combination.
“How?”
“A lot of ways. At first she said maybe Spike only loved her for being a killer. She thought it was icky. She revoked his invitation to the house, everything. Then that happened with Glory and she…I think she knew that he loved her even though he thought she could never love him back. And I think that hurt her worse.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Because of you…”
“Because of me…” Of course.
“Like you said…he doesn’t have a soul.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“He loved her even though he thought she’d never love him, Angel. Without a soul…when you didn’t have a soul, you…”
“Tried to kill her. I get it…what’s it say about me that I didn’t love her enough to stay with a soul…and he can love her without one?”
“I know she knew he loved her…really loved her. And it confused her.”
“So how do you think she felt about him.”
“She trusted him with me. And with Mom when she was alive.”
“I know.”
“Angel, I’m sure if you were there, she would’ve trusted you, too.”
“But I wasn’t, was I? I left.”
“Well, you weren’t the only one. Riley left, too. She tried to make Spike leave. He wouldn’t.”
“No, I guess Spike wouldn’t. He’s too stubborn for that.”
“Angel, I don’t know how she felt. I know how he makes me feel, though."
“And how’s that?”
“Safe. Loved. Protected.”
“So what’s your dad think about you living with Spike?”
“Dad doesn’t even know Buffy’s dead. He never calls. I didn’t think he deserved to know. Willow fixed the…Willow fixed it so I don’t have to worry about anybody taking me away…”
“Dawn…”
“I’m happy where I am, Angel. And if we can get Buffy back it won’t be a problem. Why tell her she’s dead, if she’s just going to be alive again?”
“She will be, nibblet.”
They turned to see Spike standing in the doorway.
“Time for bed, pet. Tell Angelus goodnight, and get those jammies on.”
“It’s still early, Spike.”
“By the time you get ready, it’ll be late. I’ll tell you what…you get ready in 20 minutes, we’ll watch this,“ he said, holding up a video tape he’d been hiding behind his back.
Angel was confused. “What’s that?”
Dawn smiled. “Passions!”
“Yup. Snagged the tape out of the machine before we hit the road. You do have a machine we can use, don’t you?”
Angel laughed. “Yeah, I’ll bring you mine.”
“Mighty kind.”
Dawn ran into the bathroom and began to brush her teeth. As soon as she had shut the door, Angel stood and faced Spike.
Spike looked him straight in the eyes. “So mate, did I get the nibblet’s approval?”
“You know you did.”
“So you believe me.”
“Yes.”
“So…”
“So…”
“Drusilla…”
“and Darla…this is going to be fun…”
“Going to be a gay old time…”
Dawn was concerned.
“Is it going to be a problem for me to get into here?”
Cordelia smiled. “No. We have an in with the owner.” She scanned the Caritas crowd. “There he is…hey, Lorne! Hey!”
Dawn saw a green-faced, two-horned demon in a loud red suit about to go on stage. He pointed to something near the stage and Cordelia nodded in acknowledgment.
Cordelia led Dawn, Willow, and Spike to a table to the side of the stage that had a reserved sign on it. Willow was wearing a dark green skirt, lace-up boots, and a red blouse that showed more cleavage than Cordelia would have expected from Willow. Spike had changed into blue jeans and a white linen dress shirt with a black t-shirt underneath. He still wore his ubiquitous leather duster. Cordelia admitted to herself that he looked good.
Spike looked around warily…”Uhh…Cordelia…”
Cordelia looked up from the song list that sat at the table. “Yeah, Spike…”
“Not to be the pot calling the kettle black…but what kind of place is this?”
Willow scrunched up her nose. “What do you mean?”
Spike was a bit shocked. “Look around, Will. More non-human types than human.”
Willow then did exactly that, and spun her head around. “Hey, I guess you’re right. I didn’t notice.”
Dawn laughed. “You’ve been living on the Hellmouth too long.”
“So…Cordelia?”
Cordelia was straining her neck, looking toward the bar to where Angel and Gunn were both raptly engaged in conversation with a pretty dark-haired girl.
“Cordelia…?”
“Huh…?”
She hadn’t heard a word he’d said. “Oh…I thought you knew…”
Cordelia was still staring at the bar as though it was about to explode.
“Calvin Klein is a vampire…”
“That’s nice…”
“and Angel told me he was going to be getting married to Wesley soon…”
That got her attention.
“Huh, what?”
“I want to know what kind of place you dragged the Nibblet into.”
Dawn rubbed Spike’s hand. “I’m sure it’s safe, or Angel wouldn’t have brought me here.”
Cordelia chuckled. “Safe, oh yeah. You can’t even fight here. Literally can’t.”
Willow perked up. “Really?”
“Yeah. No fighty in Caritas.”
Spike was still testy. “So…you still didn’t tell me what this place is…”
“It’s a demon karaoke bar.”
Dawn leaned forward. “Demon karaoke?”
Cordelia’s face darkened. “Yeah…unfortunately, we might have to listen to Angel sing.”
Willow’s eyes widened. “Angel..sings?”
Spike stood up. “No way I’m staying around for that. I heard him once a hundred years ago and that was enough for one undead life.”
Cordelia laughed. “Sit down, Spike. Believe me, I agree with you about Angel. That’s why Wesley made that excuse about having to call Giles. But it might not be him that has to sing.”
“Has to sing?” asked Dawn.
“Yeah. That’s what Lorne does. He listens to you sing and sees things in your soul.”
“Like visions…”
“More like guidance…”
Spike leaned back in his chair. “So Angel brought us here why? We already know what we have to do.”
“Because Spike…” Angel said as he sat in the seat across from Spike…”unless Dru gave you a forwarding address, we’re going to need some help finding them.”
“Now why would you want to find those two Sour Sallies?”
Spike looked up. The demon Cordelia had referred to as Lorne was standing with one hand on Angel’s shoulder and the other on Gunn’s.
Gunn rolled his eyes. “You know why. You always do this.”
Lorne cocked his head in resignation. “I know. I just hate having to tell Angel he doesn’t get to sing.”
Looks of relief swept over the faces of Cordelia and Gunn. Dawn laughed at the combination of their relief and Angel’s obvious disappointment.
“I…I don’t?”
“No,honey, you don’t. This ain’t really your fight anymore, and it hasn’t been for a while now. Besides I know you’re eager to tackle Copacabana, but I ain’t ready to hear it yet.”
Willow silently mouthed “Copacabana?” to Gunn. He shook his head.
“Don’t ask.”
Spike grinned. “Such a disappointment. We don’t get to hear the illustrious song-stylings of Captain HairGel. Such a tragedy…”
Lorne nodded his head…”Yeah…”
Spike rubbed his hand over Dawn’s head. “So, Platelet, I guess you’re up.”
Lorne shook his head and walked over to Spike. “No, Billy boy…I’m afraid it’s time for your debut.”
Angel laughed. Spike glared at him.
“Shut up.” He stood and turned back to Lorne. “Listen Don Pardo, I’m afraid you’ve got the wrong vampire for this gig. The cheerleader said you looked into people’s soul while they sang. Me, I’m soul-free.”
Lorne put his hand on Spike’s shoulder. “Two problems with that, Billy. One, I told Cordy that because that’s the best way to explain what I do. And two, I wouldn’t be so sure about that soul-free part.”
That got everyone’s attention.
“What did he say?” asked Dawn.
Angel leaned back in his chair. “Spike’s got a soul.”
“I do NOT.”
Lorne smiled at him. “Listen, I won’t know until you sing. But it’s got to be you.”
“Why not little bit? She’s her sister…”
“It’s got to be you. Now go pick out a song. I’ve got to introduce the next act.”
Lorne walked toward the stage. Spike stood there, shocked. Dawn walked up, took his hand and walked over next to the stage to the DJ booth.
Angel smiled widely. “This ought to be good.”
Cordelia smirked. “I wouldn’t talk if I were you, Barry. Who knows, Spike might actually be able to carry a tune, unlike some people.”
Gunn let out a deep breath, and whispered an aside to Willow…”Here it comes…”
“Here what comes?” she asked.
“Just watch…”
Angel let out a low growl that Willow had only heard before when Angelus had been holding her by the throat.
“Cordy, what is your problem?”
Cordelia swizzled her drink lazily. “Oh…nothing…nothing…just thought you’d be paying more attention to this quest to return the supposed love of your life back from the dead…”
“Supposed…?”
“I’m sorry. Did I say that?” She gave a facetious grin. “Anyway….how’s Fred?”
Gunn took Willow’s arm. “Speaking of Fred, I think I’m going to go introduce Willow and let you guys talk this out.”
Angel’s eyes glared. “You do that.”
Cordelia let out a deep breath. “Yeah, you go do that.”
Willow glanced back at her two friends as they walked toward the bar. “Are they always like that?”
“Lately, yeah.”
“That’s not good.”
“No…it’s
not. But hey…hey…tell me…you’ve known them longer than I
have. You
tell me what’s going on.”
“I don’t know. I mean Angel’s always been kind of Mr. Spooky-I-don’t-share, andCordelia…well, Cordelia’s different than she used to be.”
“Well, that Mr. Spooky crap don’t fly with Cordelia, I can tell you that. They’ve been yelling at each other ever since we got back from Pylea…”
“Ever since Buffy died…”
“Yeah…”
A small demure brunette walked up to them from behind the bar.
“Gunn? Who’s this?”
Gunn turned back toward the girl. “Oh hey, Fred. This is Willow. She’s a friendof Angel and Cordy’s from Sunnydale.”
“Oh hi. Do you like tacos?”
Willow was confused. “Sure…you serve tacos here?”
“No…not yet. But we will! Or at least we should.”
“Haven’t we met before?”
“Yeah, you have,” said Gunn. “We brought her back from Pylea.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah…”
Back at the table, Angel and Cordelia were staring holes into each other’s eyes.
“Out with it, Cordy…”
“Nothing, nothing…I just thought that Buffy was the love of your unlife…”
“She was…she is…”
“So what are you doing flirting with Fre-AAAAAAAAAH!” Cordelia bent under the table, holding her head. Angel rushed around to hold her up.
“What did you see?”
“Oh, you won’t believe this one…”
“LET’S GIVE HIM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE, FOLKS!”
Willow turned toward the stage to see Lorne patting a four-armed demon on the back.
“Thank you, Ravlock, I’m sure Rod himself would’ve enjoyed that. C’mon folks, give Ravlock a hand, we all think he’s sexy, don’t we?”
The demon shuffled off the side of the stage, taking a couple of bows along the way.
Gunn motioned to Willow. “C’mon, look’s like it’s showtime. We better get back to the table.”
They sat as Dawn made her way back to the table. She took a seat between Willow and Angel.
“So, Dawn,” asked Cordelia, “what’s he going to sing, Rock the Casbah?”
“No…”
“Anarchy in the U.K.?”
“No…just listen…”
They looked back to the stage, where they could see Lorne whispering in a hushed voice to Spike. Lorne got a big grin on his face.
Lorne stepped back to the microphone. “Okay, folks. We’re in for a treat tonight. Occasionally we’ve been treated to a song from our local vampire with a soul…”
People started to get up from their seats and grab their jackets…
Cordelia laughed at the look on Angel’s face as Lorne calmed the audience’s fears.
“…but I’m afraid that he can’t sing for us tonight because well, it’s not his turn.”
The audience sat back down.
Angel looked around in disbelief. “I’m not that bad.”
Gunn took a swig of his drink. “Yes, Angel, you are.”
Dawn could see than Spike was nervous. “Guys…can we just listen…”
They turned back to the stage where Lorne was finishing his introduction.
“Let’s give it up for…Spike…!”
Spike walked with his head down toward the microphone.
“Uhh….thank you…I’ve always liked this song…and well, the Nibblet picked it out for me…so here goes…”
Angel leaned back in his chair as Lorne took Spike’s seat next to Cordelia.
“This ought to be good,” chuckled Angel.
“Shut up and listen, Angel…” snapped Dawn.
The music started. Spike started to sing.
Cordelia almost dropped her glass, and Willow held her breath. Spike was singing Otis Redding’s ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is.’ And he was singing it well. His eyes were closed, and Willow could tell that he wasn’t singing to the people in the audience. His audience wasn’t there, not in body.
When he stopped, the crowd was silent. Then they broke into raucous applause.
Lorne took the microphone from a sheepish Spike, who didn’t know quite how to react.
“Definitely a vampire with soul!” cracked Lorne.
Spike looked up. “What the hell do you mean by that?”
“Just sit down, puddin’. I’ll be with you after I introduce the next act.”
Spike took his seat as a rather dowry looking demon with three eyes started in on “Candle in the Wind.”
“That was…good, Spike…” said Cordelia.
“Yeah, Spike,” agreed Willow. “I didn’t know you sang.”
“In the shower, luv…”
“I didn’t know you showered, “ snapped Angel.
“Bugger off.”
“Yeah, man,” said Gunn. “At least he had the stones to do Otis, not Manilow.”
“Will you all just get over that already?”
Dawn whispered in Spike’s ear. “She would have liked it, Spike.”
“I’m sure she did,” said Lorne, as he pulled a chair up to the table.
“So…” said an impatient Spike…”now that the talent show is over, tell us where Dru and Darla are.”
“They’re here in LA.”
Willow was shocked. “You got that just from hearing him sing?”
“No, I got that from the awful rendition of ‘My Favorite Things’ that Darla sang last night.”
Spike grabbed him by the collar. “You knew that when we walked in here and you didn’t tell us?”
“You needed to sing, blondie. I’ve got some things to tell you and your grand-pop here.”
“So we don’t get to hear?” asked Dawn
“No, honey, it’s for vampire ears only…”
“So, what?” sputtered Cordelia, “Are we supposed to leave?”
Spike’s face narrowed. “That would probably be good. Willow, can you see little bit back to Angel’s.”
Angel looked up in surprise. “No, I think you guys ought to wait for us.”
“Sit down, Angel,” muttered Spike. “Red can take care of things.”
Lorne shifted in his seat. “That’s an understatement.”
Willow smiled at that thought as she, Cordelia, Dawn, and Gunn walked toward the parking lot. She really could take care of herself. Not only herself, but others. It felt good.
Cordelia took Angel’s spare car keys from her purse. “Well, guess it’s vamp’s night out.”
Willow looked at Cordelia. Something was wrong with her, she could tell.
“Gunn, you think you and Wesley could watch Dawn for me when we get to the hotel. I need Cordelia to take me somewhere.”
“Sure…”
Cordelia looked at her, curious. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
“So get on with it. Why’d you have me sing like a nancyboy?”
Lorne set his glass back on the table. “Okay, first, Otis was no nancy-boy. Besides you sang the hell out of that song. Your girl liked it.”
“Dawn picked it out, of course she liked it.”
“I’m not talking about little puddin’ head. I’m talking about her big sis.”
“What?” asked Angel. “Buffy’s dead.”
“Just because she’s dead doesn’t mean she doesn’t have taste.”
“And what’s this about being ‘his’ girl?”
Lorne held his hands up in a defensive posture. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. I only know what I know. And I know that she liked it.”
Spike brought the shot-glass of blood to his lips…”So what else do you know.”
“I know a couple of things. First is, you guys can’t do this like you normally would.”
“What’s that mean?” asked Angel.
“Your immediate problem. You can’t do this like why you’re doing this doesn’t matter. It does. You can’t do it like you would’ve if she wasn’t in the picture.”
“O-kay, “ grumbled Spike. “That tells me less than nothing.”
“I can tell you this,” whispered Lorne, as he leaned his head between the two vampires…
They listened in rapt attention as he said…”Dosie-do”
“DOSIE-DO?!”, yelled Spike, “what the bleedin’ hell does that mean?”
“Shhh…” cautioned Lorne…”I’ve already told you too much…”
Angel calmed Spike, motioning him to sit back down.
“Lorne, you said you had something else.”
“Yeah…this other thing you’re looking for…you already know where it is…”
“We do…or at least blondie here does…”
Spike was still annoyed. “Spit it out.”
“You have to face your failure.”
Spike swallowed. He knew then of what Lorne was speaking. His failure had a face. One he had avoided thinking about. And it was still walking somewhere in the world.
“I’m not going to fail.”
“I didn’t say you were. In fact, if that song told me anything, you’re going to do it.”
Spike snorted. “Damn right I am…c’mon, I want to see Dawn to bed.”
Angel rose, and took Spike aside. “I’ll be right back. I’ve got to go talk to Fred for a second. She doesn’t know anything about Dru or Darla. She deserves a warning.”
“All right.”
Spike stood at the door, a cigarette dangling from his lips. A cigarette he almost dropped when Lorne tapped him on the shoulder.
Spike struck a defensive posture…”Oh, it’s just you.”
“I’ve got something else to tell you. Something that wasn’t for Luscious to hear…”
Spike grinned at the euphemism for Angel. “So out with it. What else?”
“She knew. And so do you, at least you do now.”
“Knew what?”
“Who you are.”
“Who I am? Of course, she bleedin’ knew who I was…”
“In your soul.”
“In my…”
“In your soul…she knew…and she still does.”
All the borrowed blood drained from Spike’s face.
“You mean?…”
“Time to go,” said Angel, walking from the bar. “We’ve got another stop to make before we go back to the hotel.”
Spike, still stunned, just stared at Lorne.
Cordelia stared at the water. The tide was on its way out, and the sand was wet beneath her feet.
“So, Willow, why’d you drag me out here?”
Willow walked up to a drier spot on the beach.
“Sit down.”
Cordelia sat down across from her, both of them sitting Indian style.
“Okay…now what?”
“Do you trust me, Cordelia?”
“Yeah, sure, but…”
“Really…do you trust me?”
“Yes, Willow, I trust you. What’s this about?”
“I need to see if I can do something. And I think it’ll be a lot easier if you help me.”
“Okay…let’s do it.”
Willow held her hands up to Cordelia’s temples. “Close your eyes, Cordy…”
Cordelia did as she was told. Suddenly images began to form, shift. She looked down. There was something in her hands. It was a…
“Ooooh…gross”
“Keep your eyes closed. What do you see?”
“It’s a head. I’m holding a head in my hands.”
“Look around. Do you see anything else?”
Cordelia tried. “I don’t seem to have control of my eyes. I can’t look where I want to.”
“Just wait.”
Shadows crossed Cordelia’s vision. There was movement behind her. She watched as a woman came into view.
“Darla.”
“Good…good. Now open your eyes.”
Cordelia opened her eyes and stared at Willow. Willow’s eyes were a solid black.
“Willow, what’s with your..?”
Willow blinked and her eyes were back to normal. Maybe Cordelia was seeing things.
“Willow…what was that?”
“That…was Drusilla…”
“Oooh..you put me in Drusilla’s head?”
“You’re both seers. I could have done it by myself, but it was just easier if you helped me.”
“Spooky.”
“Yeah…”
Cordelia moved to get up. Willow just sat there.
“Willow?”
“You want to talk about it?”
What was she talking about?
“Talk about what?”
“Talk about him. About Angel.” Cordelia was different, but not different enough to hide when something was on her mind.
Cordelia sighed and sat down again. “What about him?”
“What’s going on with you two? You just about bit each other’s head off back at Caritas…”
“Which he could do literally…I don’t know…it’s just been hard…”
“Since Buffy died…”
“Yeah…”
“I don’t think he blames you…”
“I never said he did.”
“I was just in your head, Cordy…”
Cordelia’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t know if she liked Willow being in her head.
“Okay…but he does.”
“Why would he? You weren’t even there when she died. I know I was there, and I didn’t see you or Angel anywhere. So he shouldn’t blame you, or himself. She jumped, Cordelia. Sure she jumped to save the world and all, but she still jumped. There’s no one to blame here.”
“Angel could have stopped it. I know it.”
“So your point is…”
“I was the reason Angel couldn’t save her. He was off in Pylea because I got sucked into that stupid portal…”
“He came after you…”
“Yeah…when he should’ve been here…when he should’ve been with you guys back in Sunnydale fighting this Glory chick…is it true what Spike said, did she really have a bad perm?”
“Yeah…but listen…Cordelia…it’s not your fault. It’s not Angel’s fault. How long were you guys in that other dimension?”
“A couple of days” mumbled Cordelia
“A couple of days…so two…”
“Yeah…”
“This whole thing with Glory started around that time, Cordelia.”
“So…what’s your point?”
“Buffy didn’t call Angel. She could’ve. We ran from Sunnydale. We could’ve come to LA, to you guys. We didn’t.”
“What are you saying?”
“I really don’t think even if you guys weren’t in a different dimension that Buffy would’ve asked for help. And what about your visions?”
“What about them?”
“They’re to guide Angel, right?”
“Yeah…”
“And did you see Buffy or Glory? Dawn?”
“No…no…I didn’t…yet another thing he can blame me for.”
“I think Angel was where he was supposed to be.”
“You think?”
“Wesley told me than when you got sucked into that portal that Angel panicked. He wouldn’t let up until they went after you.”
“Your point?”
“He cares.”
“I know.”
“I don’t think he knows how much.” And Cordelia doesn’t seem to face it either.
“Well, too much. Buffy died because he wasn’t there.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Well, I do. And I know that Angel does, too…”
“He’s wrong.”
“Willow?…you’ve changed…”
“Yeah? I guess so. So have you…”
“Happens when you get head cracking visions….”
“Yeah…”
“So…”
“So…”
“So Dawn said Xander was getting married?”
Spike and Angel stood in the darkened room, waiting. The room was white, and the shadows created by the moonlight through the bars in the windows stood out starkly on the walls.
“So why are we here again? Dawn’s going to be asleep by the time we get back…”
“Cordy’s vision.”
“Her vision?…cheerleader’s visions trustworthy or is this just a wild goose-chase?”
A door at the other end of the room slid open. A man in a uniform stood there, beckoning to them.
On closer examination, Spike saw that the man was actually a demon. One that passed for human, but a demon nonetheless.
Angel walked toward the demon, palm extended. Spike suspected it held a hundred-dollar bill.
“Hello, Leroy, how are you doing?”
“Fine…fine…what do you want?”
Angel put his arm around the demon. “You don’t like my visits, Leroy?”
Spike recognized this side of Angel from before he had a soul. Angel may not admit it, but he enjoyed intimidating people who deserved it. He was beginning to think the only difference between that Angel and this Angel was more self-control. And the leather pants.
Leroy looked warily at Spike. “You usually come alone.”
Spike smiled at the man. “ ‘lo mate. How’s tricks?”
“Fine. C’mon, let’s go…”
He led them down a dimly lit corridor.
“She’s waiting.”
Angel turned to Leroy and put hand on both of Leroy’s shoulders.
“Leroy, Leroy, Leroy…”
“Yeah…”
“I’m afraid this is going to be my last visit. You see, me and my friend here,” he said, indicating Spike…”we’re on the parole board.”
“You mean…”
Spike got where this was going and joined in. “Yeah, Leroy…I’m sure no one will even miss her, will they, Leroy?” Spike shifted into game face.
“No…no, they won’t…I’m sure they won’t…”
“Good…now lead on…”
Spike’s face returned to normal as they walked down the corridor to their destination.
Spike and Angel stared through the bars.
She looked back at them, twiddling her thumbs. Spike had spoken to her once, but never seen her in the flesh. She looked like Buffy had described her. Chaos with cleavage.
“Hello boys.”
Angel grinned.
“Hello, Faith.”
Wesley had been totally unsuccessful in getting Dawn to go to bed. He had even been forced to sit through an episode of that horrid soap opera that she liked so much.
“Now that that’s done, Dawn, you really need to be getting along to bed.”
“Not until Spike gets back.”
“He and Angel could be some time.”
“Well, then I’ll be up for some time.”
Wesley walked down the hall. He heard Willow and Cordelia laughing. He peeked in Willow’s room to see them looking at some pictures. Probably the ones Cordelia had taken of Angel on his birthday when she had made him wear the pink shirt.
He turned to find Dawn behind him.
“I thought I told you to go to bed, young lady.”
“I need to talk to Willow.”
“All right…but only for a few minutes.”
They knocked quietly on the door, and Dawn proceeded to plop on the bed between Cordelia and Willow. Wesley looked on uncomfortably from the doorway.
“Willow?”
“Yeah, Dawn?”
“Xander called. He wants to know when we’re coming back to Sunnydale.”
“He doesn’t like patrolling with the Buffybot, does he?”
“No, it still gives him the creeps.”
Wesley had to ask. “Buffybot?”
Willow grinned. “Ask Spike.”
Cordelia laughed. “I don’t even want to know…”
Willow turned back to Dawn, “I don’t know Dawn. Since Drusilla and Darla are here, I don’t think we should stay. But I think Spike needs to be here to help Angel get the pearls.”
Dawn looked up…”I’ll be okay here, won’t I?”
“Darla has an invitation here,” cautioned Wesley.
Willow quickly dismissed that. “I took care of that.”
“When, I didn’t see you perform the ritual.”
“I didn’t need it.”
“You didn’t need it?”
“Nope…”
Wesley didn’t understand, but he accepted it.
“Nevertheless, it would be better if you were back in Sunnydale. Besides, doesn’t school start soon?”
“Not for another two weeks.”
Cordelia suddenly brightened. “Dawnie, I’ll tell you what. How about I go back with you and we’ll go school shopping?”
“Okay…I guess…”
“Dawn does have a point, however,” said Wesley. “Willow is going to be much too busy preparing the spell to protect Dawn. And with Spike and Angel busy here…”
“We’ve taken care of that,” said Angel, appearing in the doorway.
“Really?”
“Yeah…we have. Spike and I are going to stay here. Willow, you, Dawn, and Cordelia will go to Sunnydale tomorrow.”
As soon as he said it, Angel knew Cordelia wasn’t going to like it.
“So you’re ordering me…”
“Didn’t I hear you offer to go anyway?”
“Damn vampire hearing…”
He thought she would be used to it after all this time.
“Besides, you know Darla will see you as a target.”
“I hate that bitch.”
“I’m sure she feels the same. That’s why you’re going.”
Wesley cleared his throat. “That still doesn’t protect Dawn.”
“No mate, it doesn’t.” Spike said as he entered the room, walking over to Dawn. He kneeled in front of her.
“Nibblet?” he asked calmly…
“Yeah…?”
“You trust Angel and I, don’t you?”
“You know I do.”
“Okay then, trust us now…”, he said. He got up and leaned his head out the door. “You can come in.”
Willow gasped as Faith stepped in the room.
“Hey Dawnster. Long time no see.”
Willow thought she saw something in Faith’s eyes. A combination of hope and fear, an expression of a little girl that seemed out of place.
“Angel,” whispered Cordelia…”I’m not sure this is what the vision meant…”
“You saw Faith fighting something, right? And Dawn was there?”
“Yeah…well, it’s kind of hard for Faith to protect Dawn while in jail.”
Willow stood and approached Faith, staring her down.
Faith hesitated. “Hi, Red…listen…I …Angel told me about Buffy…actually I kind of felt it when it happened…but…I’m sorry…”
Willow cocked her head. “Are you?”
“Yeah…I know you don’t believe me, but B meant a lot to me.”
“Uh huh…”
Willow almost thought she sounded sincere.
Dawn took Faith’s hand. “I believe you, Faith.”
Faith looked down at her. “Thanks, Dawnster. That means a lot. How you holdin’ up?”
“Good, I guess. So you really going to help us?”
“Yeah,” said Faith, turning back to meet Willow’s eyes. “yeah, I think I am.”
“Fine,” said Willow. “Faith…can I talk to you out in the hall…”
“Sure…”
Willow stood waiting for her, staring at the floor.
“Listen, Red, I really am here to help. I don’t know what Buffy told you about…”
“She told me enough…” said Willow.
“Okay, so you know I got a lot to make up for. But listen…Angel is willing to trust me…and all I’m asking for is a chance…”
Willow nodded her head. “I’ll give you a chance. Buffy would’ve. Look at Spike. But I’m only going to say this once, Faith…”
“So say it…”
Willow raised her head. Her eyes were a glowing crimson, with what Faith thought was lightning shooting across them.
“If you hurt Dawn…if you hurt any of us…you’ll have to answer to me…and I don’t play as nice as I used to…”
“aahh…I understand…” Jesus, thought Faith. What’s she turned into?
“Good.”
“Good.” Willow’s eyes shifted back to normal. “So…how was prison? Did you have cable?”
Spike and Angel stood watching as Willow sat across from Cordelia and held her hands to her temples.
Angel leaned in and whispered to Spike. “What’s she doing…”
“You know what we talked about last night about how to approach Dru and Darla?”
“Yeah…”
“I talked to Will about it when we got home last night. She said she and the cheerleader had already been working on it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“She’s going to use Cordelia to send Dru a message.”
“I still don’t get it.”
“Aren’t you Mr. Wizard these days? She’s going to give Dru a vision. One we want her to see.”
“She can’t do that. There’s no way to get in a vampire’s head. Even telepaths can’t read vampires.”
“Will can.”
“You’re serious.”
“She’s done it before. Talking in my damn head, even.”
“She’s gotten that powerful…”
Spike turned to his grand-sire. “Boyo, after what I’ve seen if she said she could walk on water, I’d believe her. Hell, that’d be lightweight for her. Shestood toe to toe with a hellgod, and from what Buffy told me, she was giving as good as she got for a while.”
“Really…”
“Yeah…”
“Who’s training her?”
“That’s just it. No one. This isn’t learned magic as far as I can tell. Of course you always went more for the magic mumbo-jumbo that I did. But from what I’ve seen, it’s just pure power mojo. She wants to do something, she does it.”
“That could be a problem.”
“I think you meant to say, ‘Good thing she’s on our side’, didn’t you, mate?”
“Yeah..I did,” said Angel. But he meant what he had said. He had never met a witch as powerful as Willow had become. He’d never even heard of one that could do what Spike was saying she could do. “It won’t hurt Cordy, will it?”
“I don’t think so.”
“So what do you think Dru’s seeing?”
Spike grunted… ”You in leather pants.”
Angel smiled. This could work.
“Hey,” said Dawn, tapping Spike on the shoulder. “Are they about ready?”
“Yeah, I think so. Willow?”
Willow held up her hand for a moment, then smiled and looked at Spike. “All done.”
Cordelia got up and walked toward the bathroom.
Angel followed…”What’s wrong…”
“I’m going to throw up.”
“It hurt that much?”
“No…I was in her head…and it was …horrible…”
“I know…”
“She’s screwed up even for a vampire…”
“I know. I made her that way…”
Cordelia realized the guilt behind the statement. Great. That’s all Angel needs. More guilt. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“You didn’t. You’re right. It’s horrible.”
Cordelia flinched as Faith walked into the room. She still had to get used to the idea that both Faith and Spike were on their side.
“We ready to go? I think I got the car all loaded. Dawnster, you want to drive?”
“Can I?”
“No,” said Angel. “Cordy’s driving.”
Faith turned her head toward Angel, a sly grin on her face. “Oh, so that’s how it is, is it?”
“Knock it off, Faith. Willow, did she see what we wanted her to see?”
“As far as Drusilla’s concerned, we’re all dead, and you and Spike killed us.”
“Perfect. I still can’t believe you could do that.”
“Sometimes I don’t either. But I need to give you some details so you can keep the story straight.”
“Okay, let’s go out in the hall. Spike, you think you can manage to get the rest of them ready to go?”
“Yeah. C’mon, wagon trains ho and all that.”
He and Willow stepped out in the hall and began to walk toward Willow’s room.
“So tell me…”
“Okay, so Spike told you the basics…”
“I’m Angelus, me and Spike evil, yeah, got that…”
“Well, some things I didn’t tell Spike.”
“Like what?”
“Drusilla knows Buffy’s dead. And she knows that Spike loved her.”
“Yeah…”
“So she wouldn’t believe that he would be around Angelus if Buffy had been the one to give you the Big Happy…”
“You think she’d assume he’d kill me.”
“I don’t know about that. But she knows Spike wouldn’t like it.”
“Okay, I’ll buy that.”
“So instead I made her think you slept with Cordelia.”
“I DID WHAT?”
Willow smiled to herself. Angel wasn’t shocked. He was embarrassed.
“You slept with Cordelia, then killed her. That’s what Drusilla thinks happened.”
“All right. But Dru knows I loved Buffy…”
“Darla will believe it though, won’t she?”
“Maybe…” No maybe about it, thought Angel. The whole reason he had fired his staff was to keep Cordy away from Darla. And away from himself.
“Angel, given what Drusilla knows about Spike’s feelings for Buffy, it had to be someone else. And Cordelia’s the closest thing you have to a girlfriend.”
“Huh…I don’t know, Willow..” He’d liked to hear Cordy’s reaction to that statement.
“You jumped blind through a dimensional portal to save her, Angel.”
“You’ve been talking to Gunn.”
“And Wesley…and Cordelia…”
“Willow…”
“It’s all right, Angel. One thing you should know, though. Cordelia blames herself for Buffy’s death.”
“What?” It made sense when he thought about it. Cordelia had been holding more and more in since they got back from Pylea.
“She thinks if you hadn’t run off to save her, you’d have been helping Buffy. And you would have saved her….”
Angel stared at the wall…
“Don’t you go thinking that, too, Angel…”
Angel quickly stared up at her. “Spike was right. You can read minds.”
“That one wasn’t hard. Listen…what do you feel guilty about? Saving Cordelia or not being there for Buffy?”
“You know I don’t feel guilty about saving Cordy…”
“ Then don’t feel guilty about not being there for Buffy. You were where you were supposed to be. Who knows? Maybe this is all for the best. I mean look at this. Faith, Spike, all of us…together… Buffy would’ve liked it.”
“Yeah, she would have.”
Dawn was actually looking forward to the trip back to Sunnydale. She had always liked Faith. Whenever Faith was around, Buffy had acted differently. She had been more fun. And Faith had never treated Dawn like a stupid kid. She always talked to her like an equal, and Dawn liked that.
Faith sat in the back with Dawn, while Willow rode up front with Cordelia. They were headed up Hwy. 5, the top up on the Plymouth.
“So, Cordelia…”
“Yes, Faith?”
“Dawn tells me Xander’s getting married…”
“So I heard…”
“Who is this chick?”
Cordelia made a face into the rear-view mirror. “Anya. I don’t know if you met her.”
“Oh, yeah…the demon chick. Xan-man always was a little kinky.”
Willow stared back at her. “Faith…”
“Hey…Dawn knows about this stuff, don’t you, Dawnster?”
“Uh…yeah…”
Willow was not pleased. Dawn could tell. She had that tone in her voice she always got when she really meant something.
“Just lay off, Faith.”
“Hey, I was just asking. I like Xander. Always have.”
Cordelia chuckled in disbelief. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s the impression he got when you were choking him to death.”
“Hey…I don’t care what he told you. I think he was having fun.”
Willow shook his head. “I’m sure, Faith. Just do me a favor, and show Xander and Anya some respect. You’ve got a chance here, and only because Angel said so. I won’t be as generous, and neither will Spike.”
“I get it, Red, I do. So tell me…what’s the deal with Spike?”
Willow stared out at the road sign. 170 miles to Sunnydale. She couldn’t wait.
“He’s Spike. What else you want to know?”
“I know he’s Spike. I mean, I know what B told me about him, but that’s it.”
Dawn turned to her. “Buffy told you about Spike?”
“Yeah…well, she wrote me about him…”. She dug into a bag that was lying in the floorboard and carefully removed a stack of letters held together with a number of rubber bands. Dawn thought she looked worried that they would fly out the window of the Plymouth if she wasn’t careful.
Willow turned, curious. “I didn’t know Buffy wrote you…”
“Once a week for the last year. She actually came and visited a couple of times.”
Dawn carefully took the stack of letters from Faith. “I didn’t know.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not surprised. I don’t know why she did it….I’m glad she did, though.”
Willow could see Faith was sincere. “So…what’d she tell you about Spike?”
“Mainly about how crazy he drove her. At first. Then, I don’t know…”
“What?” said Dawn, interested.
“Then she just seemed to talk about him like…like I don’t know…like he was one of the Scoobies…but different. She didn’t joke about him anymore. Anytime she mentioned him it was real serious…”
Willow smiled. “That’s accurate.”
“So what’s the deal.”
Willow looked into Faith’s eyes. She really wanted to know.
“What do you think the deal is?”
“I don’t know. I mean he’s a vampire…why’s he want Buffy back so bad?”
Dawn laughed. “Oh…that’s easy.”
“I don’t get it,” Faith said. “I mean he’s not like Angel, is he?”
Cordelia chuckled. “He’s nothing like Angel.”
“So what’s the deal? He playing a double agent game or what?”
“Like you did?” snapped Willow.
Faith took in a breath. “Harsh, Red. But I deserved that. But why?”
“He loved her,” said Dawn.
“Really?” said Faith. “Huh…that explains a lot about how B talked about him.”
“How do you mean?” asked Willow.
“The last time she came to visit was when you guys came down to LA with your dad when your mom died. I’m sorry about Joyce, by the way. I liked her.” Faith thought of the Christmas she had spent with Joyce. It had been the closest she had ever had to a “normal” Christmas.
“She liked you, too,” said Dawn.
“Thanks…anyway, I asked her about Spike, thought she’d go on one of those patented Buffy rambles about how nuts he was, and how she was going to stake him or something, and she just got real quiet then changed the subject. It was like she didn’t want to talk about him.”
Dawn looked out the window. “She probably didn’t. Spike and Buffy…well…after a while it was a little tense.”
“She didn’t know what to do,” said Willow. “It’s not like Spike is the easiest guy to figure out.”
“What’s to figure out,” said Faith, “he’s a vampire.”
“And you’re a slayer.”
“What’s your point, Red?”
“Is that all you are?”
“I don’t know what you mean…”
“You want us to think there’s more to you than just killing, don’t you?”
Faith lowered her head before responding. “Yeah, I guess I do…”
“Well, there’s more to Spike than just being a vampire.”
“Huh…”
“Yeah, took us a while to believe it, too.”
“Hmm…I guess I’ll get the dirt later.”
Cordelia looked back at her, exasperated. “And you really think Spike will tell you? He doesn’t even know you.”
“No…” laughed Faith, “but we’re getting B back, aren’t we?”
Willow smiled. “Yeah…yeah we are.”
“Are you guys are cool about doing it this way?” asked Angel.
“Yeah,” said Gunn. “It makes sense. Besides, we both know Cordy would kill both of you if you screwed it up.”
“OOOh…” mocked Spike, “nothing scarier than a brassed-off cheerleader.”
Wesley chuckled as he fit a bolt into his crossbow. “You obviously don’t know Cordelia that well.”
“No, can’t say I do.”
“In any case,” said Wesley, “It’s perhaps the only viable plan. And you’re sure of the location?”
Angel nodded. “Confirmed this morning. And it only makes sense.”
“Blondie just better make sure he minds his manners,” said Gunn.
Angel was ready. “Let’s do it.”
Spike and Angel got into the black Aston-Martin that Wesley hadn’t even known Angel had. Wesley and Gunn followed in Gunn’s truck. It wasn’t long until they arrived at their destination.
Gunn looked the building up and down. “Isn’t this the place where…”
“Where I let them have the lawyers…yeah…”
Spike chuckled. “Dru told me about that.”
Angel glanced at him. “Did Buffy know?”
Spike turned, a serious expression on his face. “No mate, she had enough on her plate at the time. I saw no need.”
“Thank you.”
“Yeah, well, enough of that. Let’s to business, then.”
Angel broke the door down to find Drusilla lounging on a long black divan. Darla paced the room. She looked up at him and smiled.
“So, it’s true…”
Angel tossed Wesley’s body to the ground in the hall, stepping over where Gunn already lay on the floor. He licked the blood off of his hand as Spike lit up a cigarette.
“Yeah baby…we’re back.”
Lorne and Fred dragged Gunn and Wesley’s bodies back to the truck.
“You’re sure they’re not dead? They don’t look good…no they don’t look too good at all.”
“No, they’re not dead, honeykins. Just a little anemic. We get them back to the hotel, put a little orange juice in them, a little transfusion they’re good as new.”
“I hope so…I hope Angel knows what he’s doing.”
“I do, too, honey, I do, too.”
~*~*~*~*~
The car impressed Darla. “Nice…”
“Glad you like it…now get in,” said Angel sternly. He could see Spike was getting impatient. They had spent the previous night thinking of creative ways to entertain the girls without actually killing anyone. They settled on getting drunk. He had to admire Spike’s self-control. Usually when he was drunk he spilled whatever was on his mind. Not this time. Angel could tell that Spike was dead set on their goal. But Spike was easily frustrated. Having Dru around didn’t help the situation much. He watched as Drusilla got into the back seat. Spike moved to get in next to her, when Angel caught his arm and whispered so quietly that not even Darla’s vampire ears could hear him. “I just figured it out.”
“What? We don’t have time for this, mate. It’s now or never.”
“Dosie-Do, Spike.”
“What?”
“Swing your partners, Dosie-Do…”
Spike grinned knowingly. Angel handed him the keys, and got in next to Drusilla.
Darla was confused. “What’s going on?”
Spike smiled coyly to her. “Seems, pet, that Angelus has of late developed a fetish for the raven-tressed. And me,” he said, licking his lips…”I’m just getting a taste for blondes.”
Darla smiled and shook her head. “Spike you know I’ve always been too much for you…”
“Pet, you’ve been dead for a few years. I’ve learned a few things while you were off the mortal coil.”
“Dru told me you were in love with the Slayer…”
“Oh, that. We all have our phases…she’s in her dead phase these days I believe.”
“Yes, she is…” Darla laughed and got into the car.
As Spike walked around the car to the driver’s side, he laughed to himself. “And it’s only a phase, if I have anything to say about it.”
The Plymouth pulled to a stop in front of the magic shop. Willow and Dawn knocked on the door, and Cordelia could see a girl she recognized as Anya peek through the curtain.
“Hey, can I get a little help here?”
Cordelia looked back to see Faith lugging the stack of books that Willow had borrowed from Wesley for the spell.
“Yeah, sure. Hold on.”
Faith still ended up carrying a stack of books so tall it covered her face. Cordelia thought Faith could handle it. What else was slayer strength for?
They walked in to see Xander hugging Dawn. Willow motioned them over.
Xander looked up and saw Cordelia. A mixture of elation and panic crossed his face.
“Oh hey, look, honey, look who they brought…it’s the floosie….”
Faith dropped her stack of books on the table. She might as well have dropped a nuclear bomb in Xander’s pants.
“…and the killer. It’s Faith…look, Willow, it’s Faith. Do you not see Faith there?”
“She’s with us, Xander.”
“Why would you..how…?”
“Angel and Spike insisted.”
“So we’re taking orders from vampires now…”
Faith smiled, and slyly stepped toward Xander. She ran a finger down his chest, and leaned in and kissed him on the nose. “I missed you too, Xan-man.” As she did it, she realized it was true.
“Excuse me?!”
Faith looked over to see Anya staring at her. Cuter than she thought she’d be. Xander had done okay.
“Who is this trollope with her hands draped inappropriately on Xander?”
“Uh…honey…” This was not a situation Xander ever thought he’d be faced with. He never thought he’d see Faith again. And for the first time, he was unsure of how he’d felt about that.
“She better get her hands off you or I shall remove them. I know 413 ways to remove hands, you know. I’ve had a lot of practice…”
“Anya, honey…this is Faith…you remember me telling you about Faith, don’t you?”
“Faith…the Slayer Faith? The evil one who tried to choke you?”
Willow stepped forward. “She’s trying to put that whole evil part behind her…aren’t you, Faith?”
“Sure, Red….”
Dawn was following the conversation like it was a tennis match. This was better than Passions.
Anya wasn’t about to let up. “But didn’t you…and her…you…”
Faith laughed. She ran her pinky around her lips, seductively sucking on the tip. Xander was captivated. At least until Anya slapped him.
“Xander! Are you listening to me…?”
“Oh, yeah, yeah…that was a long time ago, wasn’t it Faith? And it was only the once, so that really doesn’t even count, does it?” He was trying to convince Anya. He didn’t know how much of it he believed himself. “Right, Faith?”
Faith straightened and tried to look innocent. “Yeah…it was a long time ago…”
Anya calmed. “Good…now that that’s settled, Dawn come back here and help me order the pizzas. I can never remember if Willow likes the little horrible tasting fishies or not.”
As Anya and Dawn walked back into Giles’ office, Xander turned toward Willow, only to see that she had walked back out to the car with Cordelia. He looked around. He was alone. With Faith.
“So Faith…”
“Xander…”
“Been a while…”
“Yeah..it’s been a long time…”
Okay, that was enough of that, Xander thought. “I’m just going to go…”
“Sure was tasty, though,” said Faith.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Faith, I think we’re way past the…”
“You think about it. I know you do. I know I do.”
“Faith…what do you want me to say…?”
“You don’t have to say anything…I can feel it…”
“No…no you don’t…”
She stepped closer to him. He smelled the scent in her hair, something he remembered from a dream.
That thought was interrupted by Faith’s hand between his legs.
“Don’t I?”
Oh, God, Xander thought. I’m dead.
“Did I tell you my fiancee used to be a vengeance demon?”
Dawn cleared her throat. “Excuse me?”
Faith backed off. “Yeah, Dawnster?”
“It’s been a while. I can’t remember what you like on your pizza.”
Faith smiled at Xander and winked. “I like it all.”
Dawn nodded her head slowly. For some reason she didn’t think Faith was just talking about pizza.
“Oh, and Xander…Anya wants to know if you want sauerkraut and pineapple or ‘that boring pepperoni’.”
“Huh…what…sauerkraut and pineapple?…Excuse me ladies, I think we have a culinary emergency on our hands.”
Willow’s voice came from behind her.
“Having fun, Faith?”
Faith turned to see Willow and Cordelia standing at the door with their bags.
“I thought you were going to respect Xander and Anya.”
Faith nodded her head, acting for all the world like the kid caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar.
Willow shook her head in disapproval as she walked past Faith to the back.
Faith looked up and exchanged glances with Cordelia and Dawn.
“For what it’s worth,” said Cordelia, “I thought it was funny.”
“Tell me again what she’s doing here? Or Cordelia? And where’s Spike?”
Xander hit Buffy’s training bag that still hung there. Willow sat on the couch, watching Xander punch at it. He’d been doing that a lot in the last two months.
“He went with Angel to kill Drusilla and Darla…”
“Oh well at least that’s a good thing…wait, didn’t Angel kill Darla already?”
“That was the first time…”
“Oh…What?”
“Cordelia will explain. She knows the story better than I do. Anyway, Spike insisted on protection for Dawn while he was in LA, and I’m going to be too busy to really protect her.”
“What’s Dawn need protecting against? I mean Glory’s dead.”
“Yeah…well, I don’t think Spike cares. Spike talks like there’s somebody still out there that wants to hurt Dawn. And he believes it.”
“I know it…I know he does…but why Faith? I mean why not that Rifle guy?”
“Gunn. He was helping Angel. Besides, I think they wanted someone with a little more ‘oomph’ if you know what I mean.”
“I know all about Faith’s ‘oomph’, too much, if you ask me. I don’t trust her.”
“You didn’t trust Spike, at first. Or Angel…give her a chance.”
“Why should I?”
“Buffy would’ve wanted you to.”
That stopped Xander cold. She was right.
“Well, I didn’t always agree with Buffy.”
“Xander…”
“All right…” he said, as he went over and took a seat next to Willow on the couch. “She asked me about it, you know…”
“What?”
“Buffy asked me about Faith. Actually she asked me to write her in prison.”
“When was this?”
“Right after Buffy’s mom died. I told her I’d think about it.”
“You didn’t do it…”
“No…I couldn’t…I couldn’t figure out why Buffy would even want me to…”
“I think…that was just Buffy being Buffy.”
“Yeah…hey Willow…you trust Faith on this?”
“Yeah…yeah I do. Angel told me something about Faith…”
“What?”
“She called him from prison the night Buffy died. They were off in another dimension, so she left a message on the machine. She was crying, Xander. She dreamed Buffy’s death. She had all the details. She even knew what Buffy said to Dawn before she jumped. She was begging Angel to make sure it was just a dream.”
“Whoa..”
“He had to go tell her it was true. She didn’t take it well.”
“Nobody did.”
“Nope…but that’s why we’re doing this, isn’t it?”
“Yeah…Willow…you ever think we’re being selfish?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…Buffy had a rough life. Now she’s at peace. If we bring her back, are we just going to take that from her?”
“I don’t know, Xander. I mean, can anybody really know?”
“I guess not.”
“So maybe we’re selfish. But I think it’s the best kind of selfish.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, Angel…I love it…it’s so…depressing.”
Drusilla stared up at the hotel, and leaned her head into Angel’s chest.
Spike and Darla were curled up in the back seat. Angel could see that Spike couldn’t last much longer. He saw something in Spike’s eyes he thought he’d never see. Disgust.
As they walked up the steps to the lobby, Angel saw that Gunn had been busy. All the exits had been blocked except for the lobby door. Dru and Darla were going to walk in, but they would have to get through Spike and Angel to get out.
“C’mon, luv, let’s go” muttered Spike, dragging Darla up the stairs.
Darla giggled. “Spike…”
“Yes, luv…”
“Angel said I wasn’t any good. Do you believe that?”
“When was this, luv?”
“Back when he had a soul. Before that little secretary of his…I don’t believe that…”
“Believe what, pet?”
“That that little…girl…could do what I couldn’t…I mean I know I’ve got skills in that arena…”
“You sure got her beat on the time put in, I’ll give you that, pet…”
“Damn right…”
Spike was watching Angel, curious to see his reaction to Darla’s little tirade. He knew Angel had a soft spot for the cheerleader. Well, he’d see soon enough.
Angel rolled his eyes as Drusilla twirled around him.
“Go on in, Dru. I think I left a couple of snacks in the upstairs bedroom.”
Drusilla stopped twirling.
“Are they still warm…”
“Oh yes…and young. A little present Spike brought me.”
“Has Spike been naughty…”
Spike grinned. “Just the Slayer’s kid sis and the Harris boy.”…
Darla stopped. “They’re not dead? I thought you killed them. Why aren’t they dead?”
“They still trust me, pet. I figured why let it rot before I’m ready to eat? Besides, I thought we could kill them together…”
Darla gave him a light slap on the chest. “Well, why didn’t you say so.”
Angel and Spike nodded to each other. “Let’s go in,” Angel said. “We’ve got some killing to do.”
They walked into the lobby, and stopped as Drusilla began another mad twirl around them, looking at the ceiling.
“It’s loverly, Angel.”
“I’m glad you like it, Dru. Spike?”
“Yeah….”
“You ready?”
Spike closed the doors behind them and slammed the bolt shut. He pulled Darla into an embrace, and began to nuzzle her neck.
“Anytime, mate.”
Darla looked up into Spike’s eyes. “What are you two boys up to?” She sounded like a seventeen year old on prom night.
“We’re getting someone a present.”
“Ohhh…is it for me?”
Angel looked up to the balcony and shouted “NOW!”
“Not bloody likely, pet…”
Spike gripped Darla by that shoulders and turned her away from him, Wesley’s crossbow bolt piercing her heart. As she exploded into dust, Drusilla screamed.
She looked up into Angel’s eyes. “I don’t understand. What’s going on?”
Spike walked up to her, and kissed her on the cheek.
“Her…I can still smell her on you…you reek of her…”
“I probably do, pet. Angel…”
“Say night-night, Dru,” said Angel as he twisted her head in his hands, making a loud cracking sound. Spike bent down and ripped the pearls from her neck.
Wesley and Gunn hustled down the stairs.
Angel nodded to them. “Nice shot, Wes.”
“Well, it’s not often I’ve got a stationary target like that.”
Gunn was looking down at Drusilla. “Why isn’t she dust?”
“We didn’t know if the pearls were powerful enough to survive a dusting. So we just snapped her neck.”
“So she’s not dead.”
Spike stroked her forehead. “No…she’ll heal eventually.”
“So vamps can walk away from a broken neck.”
Spike nodded. “Oh yeah. Buffy broke my back once.”
“She did…”
“Oh yeah. It was a real nice dust-up.”
“And now you’re trying to bring her back from the dead?”
“Yeah. Funny, inn’t it?”
Angel slung Drusilla over his shoulder and the four men walked toward the stairs.
Angel stopped and looked back at the lobby.
“Hey Spike…”
“Yeah…”
“You think this place is depressing…?”
Spike looked around. “Naw, mate. I’m finding it right cheerful.”
Dawn was in the kitchen making waffles when the nine-foot snake burst through the front door. It had her pinned against the refrigerator and had started to squeeze when she suddenly felt something wet on her face. She opened her eyes to find it was the snake’s brains.
Faith wrestled the snake away from her and kept stabbing. Dawn reached out to her.
“Faith…Faith….”
Faith’s face was contorted into a wide smile. She just kept stabbing it.
“Faith…it’s dead…”
The Slayer stopped, finally hearing Dawn’s voice. She looked around. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
“Thank you…”
Faith didn’t know how to react. Nobody ever thanked her for much.
“Hey, yeah, no problem. That’s what I’m here for, right?”
Willow and Tara ran through the door.
“What was that? We saw the door…OH…”
Faith smiled, twirling the knife in her hand. It was one of Buffy’s that she had found in the weapon chest in the living room. Dawn had tried to get her to sleep in Buffy’s room, but Faith couldn’t. She just couldn’t. Instead, she slept in Joyce’s room. Besides it had the bigger bed.
“Dawn, are you okay?” asked Willow.
Dawn held her hands in front of her, obviously trying to keep from touching herself.
“Yeah…Five by five, right, Faith?”
“Yeah, Dawnster, five by five…”
Tara stared at Faith. Willow had described her as a “cleavagey slutbomb”. But she had also asked her to be nice to her. Now here she was. She could tell she was a slayer, but she was different from Buffy. More visceral.
“Hi…I’m Tara…” she said, extending her hand…
Faith wiped the blood from her blade against the snake’s skin. She reached to shake Tara’s hand, but had to switch the knife to her other hand.
“Glad to meet you…again.”
“Uh…yeah…”
“First time I wasn’t exactly myself.”
It dawned on Tara that she had forgotten that Faith had been in Buffy’s body. She wasn’t sure of the etiquette for the situation.
Dawn fidgeted against the refrigerator, not knowing what to do with herself. “Ooooh…this is so gross.”
Willow glanced nervously at Tara. “Listen, Faith, why don’t you go get dressed, get Dawn cleaned up and I’ll take care of this...mess.”
Faith looked at herself. Her Tool t-shirt was covered in blood. “Damn, this was my favorite shirt.”
Tara watched as Faith and Dawn went upstairs. She glanced back down at the snake.
“Good thing Faith was here.”
“Yeah…I’m thinking maybe we should’ve stayed over here.”
“You didn’t get back from the shop until 3, Willow. This could have happened last night, too, and you wouldn’t have been there. And isn’t this why Faith is here?”
“Yeah…I just don’t like it. I mean…where’d it come from.”
“I don’t know…how are we going to get this out of here?” She didn’t want to worry Tara with her suspicions. But she had suspicions. Suspicions she was sure Spike would share.
“How to clean up a dead nine-foot snake carcass…hmm….Like this!”
Willow extended her palm in front of her and slowly closed her hand into a fist. Tara was shocked to see the snake suddenly turn into ash.
Willow smiled. “Tara…”
“Yeah…”
“I think the broom is in the hall closet…”
Wesley was looking through the massive stack of papers on the two tables in the back of the magic shop. He, Angel, Spike and Gunn had arrived in Spike’s DeSoto just before daylight. They had stuffed Drusilla in the trunk. What he had feared would be a trip full of smart remarks and loud punk music had instead turned into a very interesting conversation about the English countryside, Dadaist literature, and Angel’s inability to bowl. Gunn had fallen asleep.
It was hard to believe that Willow and Spike had done all this research without direction from Giles. The Council was doubtful of Willow’s plan. Giles suspected, and Wesley agreed that their hesitance to help stemmed partially from Spike and Angel’s involvement and partially from the Council’s wariness of Willow’s growing power. The Council would eventually help, Wesley was sure. They needed Buffy back. They needed a Slayer. Wesley had been careful, and he though somewhat clever in his communications to Giles, indicating Faith’s involvement by saying that everything was “five by five”. He could hear the surprise in Giles’ voice. Giles accepted the necessity of Faith’s presence, and the wisdom in keeping it from the Council.
Wesley stared down at the stack of papers. There was a stack in Giles’ studied hand, a stack in Willow’s feminine scrawl, and a final stack in a florid hand that Wesley guessed could only be Spike’s. Spike had apparently been researching the vagaries of soul containment and revivification. Wesley would have been more surprised at Spike’s apparent erudition if he had not spent three hours in a car with the vampire the previous night. He was still surprised when he ran across the poem.
“A Summers’ Elegy”. Wesley sat and read, the sun setting outside the office window. The more he read, the more he wept. Though it never said so, Wesley could tell that Spike had written it about Joyce and Buffy. It was haunting and lyrical, and very well written. It had reminded him of a poem he had been read long ago in a graduate seminar at Cambridge. Then he realized why it was so familiar.
He looked up to see the sun drop below the horizon. His suspicion would be easy to confirm. He walked over to the bookshelf that housed some of Buffy’s textbooks from her last semester at UC-Sunnydale. Yes, there it was. The pages were even marked. He smiled when he saw what was written in the margins.
Spike, Angel, and Dawn were sitting in the Summers living room when Wesley arrived. He could hear Faith and Gunn’s laughter from the kitchen. She would not allow anyone else in, saying it would ruin the surprise. That Faith could cook at all was a surprise to Wesley.
“Hey Wes,” said Angel. “How’d the research go?”
“Good, good…I did find something Spike might want to see.”
“What’s that, mate?”
“Well, Mr. Sumner, someone wrote a review of your work,” said Wesley, placing an open book on Spike’s lap.
Dawn scrunched up her nose. “Mr. Sumner?”
Wesley smiled. “You are the poet William Sumner, aren’t you, Spike?”
“Well, that’s my name, and I do write an occasional ditty, but no one ever thought enough of it to call me a poet.”
“Yes. Someone did. Look.”
Spike looked down at the pages in front of him. The poem was “Her Beauty Effulgent”. He had written it about Cecily right before he had met Drusilla. Turning to see the cover, he saw he was holding a copy of The Norton Anthology of English Poetry.
“Damn, what do you know. I’m published.”
“You have been for years. Your poems were published posthumously by your great-nephew. They’re a staple of Victorian literature in colleges everywhere. I would have thought you knew.”
“Why would I read anything about Victorian literature? I read it when it first came out. Besides, I wasn’t any good. Bloody awful, in fact.”
“Well, it appears Buffy didn’t think so.”
“What do you mean?”
“That is her book from the English Poetry class she took during her last term. She wrote in the margins.”
Spike was eerily quiet. “I knew she had the class. We had a long argument about Byron once, I just…”
“Spike,” said Angel. “Tell us what she wrote.”
Spike took in a deep breath, and read the bright purple scribbles that ran alongside the poems. There were four of his poems in the book, and Buffy had analyzed them all carefully, the corners of the pages turned down to mark the spot.
There were arrows pointing to a passage, where she had written the word “Familiar.” Another with the note “I’ve heard this before.” Yet another marked with the description “beautiful”. He saw where she had underlined the words “heat” and “desire”. In the margin next to the line were the words “It’s him.”
What was written next caused him to laugh. By what he thought was a very overwrought and self-indulgent description of the light reflecting off of Cecily’s hair was written the comment, “And I had to settle for ‘you have stupid hair’?!”
Finally, he came to the ending stanza of the poem:
“I am content to drown in my love, for it is a death worth dying.”
Buffy had circled it four times. Underneath were written the words, “He’s telling me the truth.”
Spike put his hands over his eyes, and tried to hold in tears. Dawn reached carefully over and put her arm around him.
“Spike…can Angel and I see?”
“Sure, Niblet…sure, why not?”
Dawn took the book and handed it back to Angel. Angel looked down, and laughed.
Spike looked up, annoyed. “I’m glad you find it so bleedin’ funny, mate…”
“Spike,” he said calmly…”She finished the biographical sketch of you. It’s pretty funny.”
Spike chuckled between his tears. “What’s she say?”
“Well, it mentions your disappearance at the age of 26 from a public reading. Buffy goes on…’And this is when he met a crazy lady with pale skin who sucked the life out of him. He then got a bad dye job, and went on to a career in the rail transportation industry. He did this for a long time until he met a very beautiful young lady who was very smart, had very good hair, and kicked his ass a lot. From then on he was a very kind loving man who stood by the young lady when she needed him.’”
“That’s about right…” Spike laughed.
Angel furrowed his brow.
“What’s wrong, Angel?” asked Wesley.
Angel smiled. “She doesn’t mention me anywhere in here.”
Dawn threw a pillow at him, he dodged and the pillow hit Gunn as he emerged from the kitchen.
“Whoa…what’s that all about…”
Dawn giggled. “Sorry. Angel was just teasing Spike.”
“Well, you guys better get ready for dinner. Faith cooked up some ribs, and the girl can do barbecue. I never tasted sauce this good before…”
Spike raised his hand…“Uh…waiter…is there any blood on the menu?”
Faith walked in from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a paper towel. She walked up to Gunn, put the end of the towel in her mouth and proceeded to wipe sauce off of him like she was a mother cleaning her child’s face. Gunn didn’t know whether to be scared or turned on.
“I saved you guys some…” she said, “but I thought Dawn said you liked barbecue.”
“Well, I like hot wings.”
“Then you’ll like this. Trust me. Now come on…your blood is getting cold. Wes, you want to help Gunn set the table?”
Wes was astonished at Faith’s new-found domesticity. “Of course.” Looking at Spike, he was glad he had shown him the book. He considered telling him how moved he had been by the “Elegy”, but thought better of it. It may be something too private to speak about.
Gunn, Faith and Wesley walked into the kitchen.
Angel handed the book back to Spike. “I’m going to go get Cordy. And Spike…”
“Yeah…”
“We’re going to do it.”
“I know we will, mate.”
As Angel walked upstairs to wake Cordelia from her nap, Dawn nestled up next to Spike. She looked up into his eyes. He still was almost about to cry.
“Hey, Spike…”
“Yeah…”
“I remember where I saw the cup…”
“I know, platelet…I do too…”
“Doc?…”
“Doc.”
Time to face my failure, Spike thought.
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