TITLE: Promises Remembered (1/1)
AUTHOR: Horsey Spike
E-MAIL: HorseySpike@aol.com
SUMMARY: Spike checks on Angel.
SPOILERS: 'Graduation Day'- Season finale of BtVS Season 3
DISCLAIMER: Angel and Spike don't belong to me, and neither does any other BtVS stuff.
FEEDBACK: Por favor.
DISTRIBUTION: Want. Ask. Have.
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Mansion
Sunnydale, CA
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Spike crept into the mansion. The wolf was off duty, and he and the witch were talking in the other room.

He made is way silently to Angel's room, not really believing how bad it was, until he saw it.

Angel was sweating, and tossing and turning on the bed. The wound, right above his heart, was red and imflamed. Spike almost found himself gasping in the horror of it. He'd heard of this mystcal poison, but never saw what it did. Now he was certain he never wanted to see it again.

Uncaring of stealth, he walked over to the side of the bed, and picked up the washrag that was in a silver bowl. He dabbed it across his sire's face, wanting to find a way to make the pain end, do something to protect his sire. Old habits die hard, and when there wasn't something Spike could do to help, or to have done it in the first place, he didn't like it. The feeling didn't suit him.

Spike hated the smell of the sweat covering his body. It took a lot to get a vampire to sweat, and Angel was sweating buckets. It wasn't healthly for him.

Another, louder, moan of pain washed across the room, and Angel tried shrinking in on himself. A shudder passed his body, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"You're awake." Spike said, cautious, not having wanted anyone to know he was there.

Angel reached for Spike's hand, that still had the rag over his forehead. Spike let him hold it.

"You've been watching over me?" Angel asked in a weak voice. Spike hated that in his voice. He never heard it before, but instintly hated it.

Spike nodded to Angel, not knowing if he should say anything, the other two in the next room, not far away.

Angel started kissing Spike's hand. "I thought-I thought I'd never see you again." He whispered against it. Spike closed his eyes, not knowing how to respond. Was this emotion a side-effect of the poisen, or the real feelings?

"Yeah, but I just got here, mate. It's been the witch and the wolf who has been here more." Spike said, gently extracting his hand from Angel's grasp.

"I was wrong." Angel started shaking his head vemently. "I was wrong. I can't leave you. I need you."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "You left me over a hundred years ago. You didn't need me then. Why now?"

"Buffy?" Angel asked, squinting his bleary eyes.

Spike stepped back sharply. Never had he expected Angel to believe him to be Buffy. He was about to yell and do other things that would attract attention, but thought the better of it.

He reminded himself that Angel probably was delirous, the poison did that to him, and also probably went through something with Buffy, hence him wanting to see her on his deathbed. Spike decided to shove his anger to the side, and act compassionate.

"No, it's not Buffy." Spike told him, taking his sire's hand again. "It's Will."

"William?" Angel asked, again squinting. "No, you're not my Will. My Will has long, brown hair. You're Spike."

"I'm one in the same, mate. And you aren't feeling very well, are you?" Spike settled on his knees next to Angel's bed.

"Where's Buffy?" Angel asked, gripping Spike's hand tighter when a wave of pain passed.

"Don't know. She's probably off, finding a cure for you. No doubts she'll be back soon." Spike watched Angel's face with trepidation. "Who did this to you?" he hissed suddenly, lowly, dangerously.

"Faith." Angel said slowly. "The other Slayer. Works for Mayor." Angel winced, and took in several breaths to help rid the pain. "What's happening?"

"You've been hurt." Spike whispered, not liking what's been done, and silently promising to rip this Faith limb from limb, making her his number three, and the best of them all. "Poison. Vampire killer." Spike paused, as if deciding to go on. "But you can't die." He told Angel.

Angel closed his eyes as more pain wracked his already weak frame.

"You hear me?" Spike whispered. "You can't leave me. You promised never to leave me."

Angel opened his eyes slowly and stared at Spike.

"You remember when you made that promise?" Spike asked, oblivious to Angel opening his eyes, because he was staring blankly at the wall ahead. "Remember? We were Germany, and in that nice flat, with all the paintings, remember? And you came up behind me, with a blood rose, and said you'd never leave me. It was before you made Drusilla.

"It was the perfect night. Everything was just...right. The stars were bright, the blood and wine delicous, and we indulged on the locals, tearing into almost every home. Then we ran back to our flat on the outskirts of town, and we made love for hours. Remember?"

Angel was indeed remembering those nights with Spike.

"Remember how you told me you loved me? Even as a demon, you told me you loved me. You said we weren't supposed to have feelings, but you did, for me. I did for you."

Spike sniffed, not knowing he had been crying, and wiped away his tears, but more came.

"I don't know what happened with you this recent jaunt with Angelus being free, but your demon has gone wacko. Loonier then Dru. You really should keep him in the cage.

"Never to leave me." Spike mused quietly.

"I didn't want to." Angel got out, trembling from the effort, and the pain.

"No?" Spike asked. "Well, you still did. Don't know why. I would've understood. You could've came to me. Hell, I could've shagged that soul right out of you." Spike paused, and thought for a moment. Another wrack of pain crossed Angel's body, and his breath was labored, even if he didn't need it.

"You can't leave me." Spike whispered, rubbing his cheek on Angel hand. "We're supposed to see the new millium together. Remember Vienna? When you promised me that? You have to stay alive. You said we'd come back to Vienna, see the sights? Feed on the locals again? Then we were supposed to go back to our homelands, together, first to Ireland, then England. We can't do that if you go away."

Spike was crying unabashed at his sire's side. "Don't leave me." He whispered. "I can't go on, with Dru gone, and you gone too. Don't leave me. I need you. I almost didn't make it, when you dissappeared without a trace with your soul. It was only Dru who kept me from seeing the morning sun, saying you were still alive, but changed.

"I didn't believe her, but let her search for you. I only followed half-heartedly. But you were gone, and I was depressed, until there was tangible proof you were still alive."

Spike head shot up, when he heard voices in the other room.

"I've got to go," Spike said, standing ubrutly, hurting Angel's eyes. "The Slayer's here. Wouldn't want her to turn me into a pile of dust." Spike kissed Angel's hand, and went to let it go, when Angel grasped it with a sudden show of strength.

He tugged on Spike, and Spike stepped colsoer, keeping a wary ear out for the Slayer.

"Don't leave me." Angel said in a small, scared voice.

Spke heart twisted at the heart-felt comment.

"I've got to." Spike whispered, not wanting to, but letting go of Angel's hand. "I don't want the Slayer to turn me into a pile of dust."

Spike walked to the other exit of the room, other then the one the Slayer was at, and breking his resolve not to look back at Angel, he looked.

Angel was watching him with the guilt-ridden, soulful expression of his. Spike almost rushed back, and gathered Angel in his arms, hating and wanting to comfort the hurt that his sire was in.

Spike raised a hand good-bye, Angel weakly doing the same, and Spike whispered, "Don't quit Angel, don't you bloody quit. I'll be around."

Spike slipped out the door, just as the Slayer was coming in.

Spike stayed and listened to the Slayer conersation with im, listening to how she told Angel to drink her, and Spike only left when he was sure Angel was okay, and had rushed Buffy off to the hospital.

As cliched as it is to say, they have eternity. And Spike was going to insure that to be true.

-End