by Wil & Nina
Old Wounds Fuel the Flame
"Poor Buffy. Poor Riley," Willow said, as she and Tara made their way back to Giles' from the market.
"It'll be ok, they always find a way out things, right? I mean, from what you've told me, things have been a whole lot worse," Tara said hopefully. "We'll find a cure."
Willow smiled, happy to have someone like Tara to make her feel better, "Yeah, we will."
The two girls walked into Giles' condominium and placed the bags on the counter. Giles came down the stairs reading a book, and glanced up at them "Oh hello, girls. Willow, did you manage to run by the butcher's shop on your way back?"
"You mean for blood?" Willow asked, "I figured with Spike gone in LA we could skip the stop. Besides, I thought you stopped buying it for him when he got his own place."
"For the most part, yes," Giles answered placing his book on the counter and rummaging through the grocery bags, "However, Buffy and Riley are returning from their trip, with Angel."
"He's going to help us!" Willow exclaimed hopefully.
"Wesley believes they may have found a step in the right direction of a cure."
"Wesley? I thought he went back to England."
"Apparently he's returned."
"Who's Wesley?" Tara looked between Giles and Willow obviously confused. The two of them realized this and decided to fill her in.
"Wesley was Buffy and Faith's new Watcher after Giles was, um, fired from the Council. He wasn't very good at his job," Willow explained.
Tara nodded and glanced around at the sudden quiet in the room, "Where are Anya and Xander?"
"They went to... celebrate their newly established health," Giles answered. The girls nodded in understanding.
"You should really let Linda take care of those roots," Came a familiar voice, as the door swung open revealing Spike, hauling in a pile of books followed by Cordelia. "She does wonders with a colour pallet."
"You think she'd be able to do something a bit different with the top?" Spike let the books tip over onto the couch, then noticed the others as if just realizing their presence.
"Oh yeah... hey Giles, Willow, and other," Cordelia said brightly, then gestured behind her shoulder, "The others are still getting a few things from the cars."
"Hi, Cordy," Willow waved, "This is Tara."
"It would be, wouldn't it?" Cordelia held a disk out to Willow, "Research material on the new strand of the disease."
"...And your vision, Riley?" Wesley's voice filtered in.
"Fine, Mr. Price," Riley answered entering arm-in-arm with Buffy.
"Give him a rest, Wesley. I think he's exhausted enough without the interrogation," Angel finished as they all congregated in the front entrance. The vampire looked up and smiled a bit, "Good to see you, Willow. Rupert."
***
"So what Dead boy's trying to say is that holy water cured Riley?" Xander asked, trying to straighten the information out in his head.
"Don't call me that," Angel mumbled. "But in short, yes. We have to retest Riley to be sure, but he seemed to recover fully. Then we'll be able to take care of any of the people infected. We'll probably have to kill any infected vampires."
"And you'll know which vampires are infected, how?" Anya asked, "They don't have any side effects."
"Well, who have Angel and Spike had contact with?" Willow asked.
"There's Harmony and Drusilla," Xander counted off.
"Harmony's a vampire?" Cordelia cringed, looking at Spike "and you went out with her?"
"It was a phase. Look, go a head and kill Harmony for all I care. Actually, you'd be doing me and the world a favour. I'll even do it myself, but you're not touching Dru," Spike immediately leapt to his absent paramour's defense.
"Spike, we don't know who she's been with. She could be causing millions of deaths in the human and demon world." Angel reasoned. "She doesn't love you anymore. I wonder if she ever did."
"I don't bloody care!" Spike growled. "The slayer doesn't love you anymore and I don't see you offing her, do I?"
"That's not true, Spike," Buffy snapped.
"Buffy's human, she can be cured. Dru would die from the treatment."
"And that makes it alright to kill her?"
"It's what's needed to be done," Wesley put in.
"What's needed to be done!? Fag off you li'l nancy boy! What was needed to be done was to kill Angelus and be done with it. Was it done? No. What was needed was to let the Slayer get over the poof and go on with her sacred duty. Was it done? NO!"
"I'm not about to let Buffy die," Angel growled, "she doesn't deserve it."
"Not this soul mate rigmarole again. Did Dru deserve to be killed and given this by you either? She went insane because of you! Did I deserve to die in a plague-infested back alley? That's my bloody point. If you two still love each other then why is it Dru can't still love me?" the blonde vampire snarled earnestly. "Is it that hard for you to understand you're not the only damn creatures in the world who feel? I love Dru, and you're not dusting her. This is all your fault and it's not fair for you to choose if we live or die!"
Riley sat looking bewildered and a bit hurt. Where did that leave him in this wacky situation? Angel was the one who'd hurt Buffy, but she loved him too, didn't she? He wasn't entirely sure at this moment and only sat quietly.
Anya scooted closer to Xander, holding onto protectively, and eyed Cordelia with the same look, "He's right, you know. Demons feel too and it's not your place to play God."
Wesley and Giles looked rather surprised at Spike's outburst. The vampire stood toe to toe with Angel glaring into his eyes, "What do you say now, me dear sire?"
Angel looked away first, and sat down with a sigh, "If you can keep control of her, then we won't stake her. Is there anyone else who would cause a threat?"
"Faith," Willow voiced.
"But I'm ok, Willow," Xander spoke up, "Faith wouldn't have had it."
"Not then she didn't," Buffy whispered. "But when I stabbed her she did imply that she and Angel-"
"We'll go after Faith too."