Title: Shadow of the heart
Authors: Lore/Mally
Email : crossovermania@hotmail.com and amaltheans@aol.com
Pairing: B/S, X/A
Rating: pg-15 some swears and descriptions.
Distribution: Just Ask
Disclaimer: The usual: we don't own them.
Feedback: we're not above begging, please please please. Don't make me sick the bunnies on ya.
Author's notes- spoilers for sixth season, plays after Lullaby for Angel and Smashed for Buffy
Outside everything was quiet. Not to many people thought about walking down the street in the area surrounding the old Hyperion Hotel. Even now it's reputation alone was enough to hold the homeless away from the hotel. So yes, outside, everything seemed calm and quiet. Inside on the other hand, it showed how little first appearances really meant.
Angel held on to a stake as he watched his opponents, suddenly he ducked. A second later a Scythian dagger hit the space behind him where his throat would have been.
Wesley tried to raise his crossbow but the demons got to him first. Gunn grabbed the demon closest to him by the back, fighting to pull him off of Wesley.
Angel wanted to rush in to help, but before he could take a step in their direction two demons jumped on him. He managed to kick one off and fought the others' hold on his neck.
One of them was trying to get by them, they had to do something. Fred and the baby were up there.
Thank God that Cordelia was ready for them.
She lifted her axe, using every technique he'd been teaching her. Finally he managed to get loose, killing two of his three demons. Wes and Gunn were dealing with theirs as well.
He leaned up against a desk, then returned his attention to the one surviving demon.
It was shivering as he slowly walked to the demon morphing into his vampire face. The others held their weapons at ready.
"So, it looks like your all alone. tisk tisk."
Angel grabbed the demon. It tried to get away, but Angel pushed it against the wall.
"Talk."
"Just kill me already I'm not going to tell you squat."
Angel chuckled softly then he hissed in the demon's ear.
"You don't understand my friend. You see, the others, they're human, they like to think of nice comfortable ways of making people talk. Money, services."
The demon's eyes lit up at that for a second.
"Me on the other hand. I much prefer the more personal side of it.
You will talk. Do you know why? Not because I might kill you, cause hell, let's face it, I'll do that anyway.
You're going to talk cause there are thousands of ways to die and I reckon you know all about that.
It's not about dying, it's the way you die. And how slow and tortured I can make it."
The demons gray leather face paled slightly.
"What do you want to know?"
Angel shook of the vampire visage.
"Who sent you and why?"
******
Fred came peeking out the door, the baby was in her arms, his baby, his son. Connor seemed perfectly willing to sleep the day away. Fred was babbling tiny bits of nonsense to the baby who didn't even notice the carnage going on.
"Holtz." The demon almost yelled the name.
"Why"
The word came out as more of a growl than anything else.
Gasping, the demon spoke again.
"He wants you to suffer, like you made him suffer. He will kill everyone and everything you care about Angelus. The child, your friends, your loves."
The vampire sighed sadly
"I have no loves."
"He told us to keep you busy while he went to some place called Sunnydale."
"Buffy."
The name came out as a whisper. Angel tightened his grip around the demon's throat and choked him to death, as he stood still, for one single second terrified.
*******
Angel pulled up to the magic box after three hours of driving. It had finally gotten dark and Angel had grabbed the wheel as soon as it did.
"Giles should know where she is, that is, if she isn't already here."
"Giles?" Fred whispered from the back of the car.
"Buffy's watcher. He's her mentor."
"Yeah, like a coach, only for slaying instead of football."
Angel ignored Cordy's remarks.
"He owns this place. Don't worry, he's nice." As an after thought Angel added, "Just think of him as an older version of Wesley."
Wes snorted at that.
"Come on, lets go see them.", Angel moved to unstrap Connor from the car seat. But, Gunn had beaten him to it and held the baby in his arms. He didn't seem to want to hand Connor over.
Angel gave it an amused look and went up to the door of the magic shop, feeling a tingle of magic as he passed through it. Someone, probably Willow, had been placing magical wards around the store. Angel turned back questioningly, "Do we all have to go in?"
Cordy didn't even find it worth considering, creating a soft tingle of the bell as she opened it.
A young blond was standing behind the counter. She seemed familiar, but Angel wasn't sure, ... then he saw Xander get close to her and remembered.
Xander's girlfriend.
Now what was her name again?
Anne, Anita, An something.
Xander stared at him and pulled the girl closer to him.
"Oh gee, it's deadboy senior."
Angel started counting.
"What? Are we gonna get attacked by another bear?"
Three, four, five ...
Cordy didn't bother to wait.
"Some evil vampire hunter's out to kill Buffy."
Both Xander and ... Anya, that's it Anya looked up at that.
"Big dude, goes by the name of Holtz."
"A vampire hunter? Doesn't that like make him a good guy?"
Such a simple truth, vampire, vampire hunter, normally so black and white. Only this time the Hunter was threatening innocents to get to him.
"Don't start. We only just got Angel out of the broodmood of guilt over what he did to the guy as Angelus.'
"Oh?"
Xander seemed to want to say something but Angel interrupted him before he could go on.
"I killed his wife, his children. Darla and me. We turned his daughter, making her one of us. He has every right to hate me. He just has no right to hurt the people around me."
Xander glared at him, getting ready to say something. Even with their usual mutual dislike the boy still seemed stunned by the past.
At that point Connor decided to make his presence known and burst into a tearful wail.
Angel turned to his son, plucking the boy out of Gunn's arms. Gunn didn't really protest. He hummed a little lullaby, soft enough so only his son would have to hear it. For some reason people didn't seem to like his singing.
Connor on the other hand went still and smiled that sweet innocence only present in babies.
"Ooh a baby." Anya came looking.
"Did you have sex and have a baby? Who's the mother? He looks just like you. Was the sex any good? I thought you weren't supposed to ..."
She only stopped her questions as Xander put a hand over her mouth trying to shut her up.
Wesley cleared his throat and step closer to where angel was.
"Yes this is Connor, Angels son."
Xander meanwhile pulled Anya back, slightly further away from Angel. Staring at Angel in shock.
"It's all a little complicated, it has to do with a prophecy. Don't worry Angel hasn't lost his soul and the baby's human."
"We think" Gunn added.
"We don't have the time to explain it more thoroughly. We need to find Buffy"
Angel was holding his son and staring at Xander who was still trying to get between him and Anya, still not completely convinced.
"Holy macarolies!"
And that said it all.
"Buffy's probably up in Spike's crypt. I think I heard her screaming earlier."
Angel didn't hear another word. Buffy, Spike, oh God.
**********
She was lying there, moaning. His grandchilde was on top of her. Naked, the both of them. Angel couldn't think straight. All he could see was Spike about to hurt Buffy, doing ...
He just stood, simply holding on to the door, staring down at the mangled mess in the back of the crypt. She was holding on to the slab of the stone next to her, holding it till it almost cracked, moaning Spike's name. The vampire's back was turned to him but he seemingly heard something. Spike turned his head, almost confused. Angel grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the side of the room.
The vampire looked up at him with cold yellow eyes, licking the blood coming from his lip and got up slowly.
Buffy scrambled up, her eyes bouncing between Spike and Angel.
She pulled something towards here. A dark leather coat.
Spike's coat.
Angel nearly growled at the other vampire, ready to jump at him. Spike just leered at him. Angel ran up to him, pushing him against the wall. Spike just withstood his glare, a smile playing on his lips.
"So Peaches what are you doing here? Hmm, taking in dinner and a show?
Angel pushed a stake out of his sleeve, letting it whip out, ready to kill the younger vampire. Then someone grabbed his wrist and pushed him away. He stared up at her.
"Buffy?"
He looked at her, not believing his own eyes.
"Nobody stakes my boyfriend!"
Then she grinned at Spike.
"Except for me."
Spike grins at Angels fallen face
At that moment most of the rest of the gang chose to come running into the crypt. Xander stopped panting and seemed mixed between disappointment and happiness that no one had gotten staked.
"Do you mind Peaches I was just about to make my girl come."
His girl? She wasn't Spike's girl, she couldn't be.
Spike used the chance to pull loose and move away from Angel. He went to Buffy's side making sure to pull her close. Then he moved his hands over her breasts before grabbing the zipper of the coat and pulling it closed. Moving his hand on her, over the leather in a clearly possessive way.
"Boyfriend?" Cordy stared at them in disbelief.
Buffy just blushed and hid in Spikes embrace.
"O look the gang's all here. Haven't any of you wankers ever heard of knocking?"
Then Spike leered at the entire gang, but especially at Angel.
"Or are you all bloody peeping Toms?"
"Oh God."
Xander took one last look of Buffy and put his hand in front of his eyes.
"Leaving already"
He pulled on Angels arm, trying to pull him along with him. But the souled vampire just wouldn't budge, staring at Buffy and Spike in abject disbelief.
"Hey Nancy boy get out so we can dress, you bloody poofter."
The bleached idiot was just so smug, his look just said it all. Angel had to fight the urge to attack him again.
"Angel please..."
She seemed so secure in the others arms. So complete. Happy in a way he'd never seen her before. Not since he'd lost his soul.
He took a deep gulp and finally moved away, unwilling to face her and see that special look in her eyes given to Spike. The one she'd once had for him. He didn't look back and just left.
The others followed him out into the moonless night.
Cordy walked up to Angel , "Are you going to be ok?"
"She was ... with Spike."
The words fought to stay in his throat.
He hit a tree.
"Yeah." Xander gave him an understanding look. "Our thoughts exactly."
Then the boy got more serious.
"But it's her choice Angel."
Angel turned away from him.
"As much as I hate to admit it. He's good for her. In a sick, twisted kind of way."
"Have you all gone crazy?" Cordy stared at Harris, her hands on her hips. "She can't be thinking straight. I mean ... Spike."
"That's what I thought at first too. I mean, soulless killer and all that. But then .... It's been a long time since I've seen her smile. Spike makes her smile again."
Cordy made a face
"eww."
"Double it with a yuck. But ..."
He pulled Anya close.
"I can't explain it, and I don't think I want to. I'd probably want to knock myself unconscious if I really thought about it. It just happened this way."
Spike and Buffy came out, not quite holding hands, but their fingers touching. Both were dressed, their clothes were crumpled and Buffy's hair had seen better days, but both were smiling. Probably still laughing about his entrance. Laughing … God.
Spike lit up a cigarette and blew the smoke towards the gang.
"So what brings you here pet, come to give us your blessing?"
Angel felt pulled back to the problem at hand. The real problem.
"Holtz. He's back"
Spikes face hardened for a moment.
"Holtz? Wasn't he the man that hunted you and Darla for nine years and then just disappeared?"
"Yes."
"That's impossible Angelus. He was human, you said so."
"He still is. But he's here. Probably in Sunnydale."
Spike suddenly realized something. For one moment he let go of Buffy. Facing Angel.
"If Buffy gets hurt because of you..."
Spike growled as he faced up to his grandsire.
Angel felt his face changing as he growled back.
"I'm here to protect her."
Spikes growl grew an octave lower
"She doesn't need you no more, she has me now."
Both of them faced off, almost touching, then Buffy placed herself in between the two vampires, pushing them both back as she did so.
"I can take care of myself just fine."
Angel looked at her, "Can you? Is that why you're sleeping with that soulless monster?"
"That 'soulless monster' stood by my sister all summer while I was dead. That soulless monster has been helping out all year, helping us fight demons and other vampires. No matter what we, what I did to pull him down.
He may not be perfect. But at least with Spike, I know that he won't suddenly turn on me. And I know he won't just leave me. That's more ... That's more than I can say of any guy before him.
"Buffy"
Angel looked at her, his guilt obvious.
"I had to leave.
I didn't want to hurt you."
"Then you failed. Cause your leaving hurt me more than anything else you could have done. It hurt me, it hurt Riley..."
She fought to keep in her tears.
Angel reached out his hand to touch a strand of her hair.
"I'm sorry Buffy, I thought ... I was trying to keep you safe."
She wasn't listening.
"I could never love him. Because your shadow was still there, hanging over me. When I kiss Spike, that shadow's no longer there. I need that.
I need Spike"
Angel's face went blank at those words. He took a step back and turned around, walking slowly to where Fred was holding his son.
He reached out and took the baby, holding it to his chest, willing the tears not to come.
Cordy just put her hand on his arm, silently comforting him.
Neither of them noticed the man standing in the shadows, before his laughter broke through the air.
*********
Someone was laughing, a deadly glee audible in the eerie silence of the cemetery.
Holtz stepped out of the shadows.
"My my. Angelus it seems to me that you have made many friends over the past 200 years."
The man was still laughing as he looked at Buffy. Considering her.
"Slayer ." the word came out almost politely, though with a tad of revulsion as he stared at Spike.
"I have no quarrel with you Slayer. Just with Angelus and his bitch Darla."
"You're Holtz?"
The vampire hunter nodded.
"So what's the deal , demon or vampire?"
"Neither. I'm just a man. A man with nothing left to loose."
"Why?"
"Didn't he tell you?"
She shrugged.
"Angel's not much of a talker."
Then she crossed her arms across her chest.
"But if you're here to kill him you have to go through me."
"That doesn't sound like him at all.
He was all full of talk about my wife and how he killed her. He was full of screams when I had him in my grip after he murdered my children. My Sarah."
There was a sad whisper in his voice as he spoke the girls name.
"All I want is for him to hurt like I hurt. For him to suffer like I suffer. "
"But he has suffered. A lot. First his guilt, then over a hundred years when i sent him to hell. You're to late. Your work's done. Go back into the light or wherever you came from."
"No."
Buffy stood up ready to stand up to the man.
"But I will let him go now. Know this Angelus. You will pay."
Then Holtz turned his back to all of them, leaving them standing in shock. Too stunned for a second to react.
By the time the shock wore off Holtz was gone.
"Angel?" Buffy turned to him. "Please leave."
Angel looked at her, trying to find a last crumb of hope, finding none.
"Yeah mate, third wheel and all that."
"Spike please."
Buffy let herself rest against Spike's body. Spike's mouth so close to her exposed throat.
Angel closed his eyes.
He could hear it, Spike's lips touching Buffy's skin. He could smell their scent mingle. And as he knew she wouldn't see it, he let the tears fall, in silence.
Spike pulled her even closer and whispered into her ear," Lets go luv."
Angel looked up as he felt Cordy take his arm and lead him away.
finis