Chapter 8

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AN: Thank you to everyone who has read, review, added to alerts, left kodos, commented, or any combination of the above it means the world to me. The next chapter will be out Tuesday.


Ten minutes after leaving the magic Box Wesley and Cordelia are pulling into the mansion grounds. After exiting Wesley's car both Cordelia and Wesley make their up to the room which Spike is in. When they enter they find Gunn standing over Spike clearing prepared to intervene if Spike decides to move again and Fred and Dawn standing together on the other side of the room. Dawn looking furious.

"You should get home Dawn." Cordelia tells the young girl as she enters the room.

"What did he do?" Spike asks Cordelia and Wesley.

"From what I could tell apart from breaking a door and a shelf all he did was talk and yell." Cordelia tells him.

"Where is he now?" Fred asks interested.

"He went down to the sewers. He said he needed to do some killing," Wesley explains and everyone exchanges concerned looks "Can you tell where he is? Or what else he is feeling?" Wesley asks Spike.

"All I can feel is anger." Spike tells him "Sire doesn't usually feel anger so those rear times when he actually does, this being one of them, it's consuming and it overshadows everything else. I can't tell what else he is feeling." Spike informs the others.

"Is he still ignoring you?" Dawn asks.

"Yeah."

"He's listening to what you're saying." Cordelia reveals "He told Buffy about how you're telling him that it wasn't her fault and how you were begging him not to do something he would regret." She reveals and the room drifts into silence.

"Cordelia's right. Dawn you should get home." Wesley says breaking the silence a few minutes later knowing that it won't be long before Buffy comes looking for Dawn.

"Yeah, I should." Dawn says walking over and giving Spike a hug "Call me when you're in LA."

"I will." Spike tells her "Maybe you can come and visit at some point." Spike suggests.

"Like Buffy will allow that." Dawn says once again angry.

"You be good for her Bit. Don't make things harder. She's doing her best." Spike tells her and right away he can tell that she has no intention of doing that "For me Bit. Do it for me." Spike requests.

"Okay. For you." Dawn tells him. "See you Wes, Cordelia. Nice meeting you Gunn, Fred." Dawn says.

"I'll walk you home." Gunn offers as from what he has heard about Sunnydale he doesn't think it would be a good idea for Dawn to walk home along.

"Thanks." Dawn says before the pair leaves the room. Gunn feeling that now that Wesley and Cordelia are back they can handle the vampire by themselves until he gets back.

"What the hell did you do to your leg?" Cordelia asks Spike as she noticed it as soon as she walked in the room but she didn't want to mention it in front of Dawn.

"Broke it again trying to follow Sire." Spike explains.

"You're an idiot." Cordelia tells him walking closer to have a better look. "I've got to re set that before your vampire healing kicks in and you end up with a leg at an odd angel." Cordelia tells Spike.

"It's not going to be easy." Spike tells her.

"Tending to vampire wounds never is." Cordelia tells him. "Fred, go down to the kitchen and heat up a glass of some of the blood in the fridge. Do it exactly like if you were doing one for Angel." Cordelia tells the young girl who nods and exits the room.

"You and I we're going to try and re set the breaks." Cordelia says to Wesley.

"This isn't going to be pleasant." Cordelia tells Spike.

"I know." Spike tells her.

"Wes, you hold the foot." Cordelia instructs as she puts her hands under Spike's injured leg, holding it above the mattress." One. Two. Three." Cordelia says and with a large amount of difficulty she attempts to a line the bones back into place. Unfortunately she is unsuccessful but she does cause Spike a lot of pain with her attempt.

"Sorry, Sorry, Sorry." Cordelia tells Spike sorry for causing him so much pain.

"Try again." Spike grows out.

"Okay. Let's try something different." Cordelia says "Wes I'll hold the leg in place this time. You try to re set it." Cordelia suggest and the pair switch places.

"No count down this time. Just do it." Spike requests and Wesley nods. With the same amount of difficulty as Cordelia experiences Wesley attempts to re line up the broken bones in Spike leg but unlike Cordelia he mages to succeed.

"Got the blood." Fred says re-entering the room.

"Perfect timing Fred." Cordelia tells her and she collects the blood of her and hands it to Spike.

"Thanks. All of you." Spike tells then sincerely.

"No need for thank yours Spike." Cordelia tells him "We couldn't leave you like that."

"Half of the Scoobies would have." Spike tells her.

"We're not the Scoobies." Cordelia tells him. "Can you have pain medication?" Cordelia asks curious.

"Can I? Yes, but it will take a lot for it to have any effect." Spike tells her.

"Is there anything we can do to help with your pain?" Fred asks concerned.

"Nah, theirs not Luv. Thanks for offering though." Spike tells her.

"What about sleep will that help?" Wesley asks interested.

"Yeah, but I can't sleep now. Not when Sire's out there like he is." Spike explains to him knowing that he doesn't want to try and sleep when Angel is out there so angry because of him and he can't help.

"If Angel was here instead of being angry and brooding what would he be telling you?" Cordelia asks well aware of what the answer is but wanting Spike to say it.

Spike rolls his eyes knowing what Cordelia is asking but he answers her anyway "He would tell me to get some sleep, that my healing was more important than worrying about him." Spike tells her.

"Exactly, get some sleep Mister." Cordelia tells him.

"You play dirty. I like you." Spike admits.

"You're not so bad yourself." Cordelia says after a laugh before exiting the room, Wesley and Fred right behind her.


After he entered the tunnels near the magic box Angel searches through the tunnel for something to fight. As it is the Sunnydale sewers he doesn't have to search for long. As soon as he finds some vampires he starts fighting them dusting almost ten in less than ten minutes. For almost half an hour he fights different vampires until he finds himself walking through the tunnels where a familiar sent hits his nostrils, Spike's. He can tell that the sent isn't more than a couple of days old and is strong meaning that he has come down this path more than once. Realising that it likely means that he is near Spike crypt Angel follows the smell. Once he arrives at the destination where the smell is the strongest he realises that his suspicion was correct and he has found Spike's home. As he looks around he realises that Spike's decorating hasn't changed in all the years he has known him. Apart from Spike's sent he can smell the more subtle sent of Cordelia, Wesley and Dawn which makes sense as they were here earlier and the stronger sent of Buffy, which he chooses to do his best to ignore. As he looks around he spots several large boxes under the draws. Angel walks over to them and upon finding them empty he places them on the bed and starts to fill them with Spikes possessions. He starts with the book collection as he knows that as long as he has his duster Spike cares more about the books than his clothes. Once he is sure he has packed up everything that is scattered throughout the room Angel puts the boxes in a pile and carries then upstairs. As he reaches the upper level he smiles when he sees the TV amused that Spike made sure he got a TV in the middle of the cemetery. After putting the boxes down Angel takes a look around the upper level to make sure there is nothing up here that Spike could want. As he is looking around he hears the door open and sees a demon walk in.

"Spike man, you okay? You didn't show last night." Clem asks as he walks in before spotting Angel. "Where's Spike? What are you doing with his things?"

"Spike's hurt. He's leaving town. I was collecting his things for him." Angel explains then realises who the demon must be "You're Clem. Aren't you?"

"Yes I am. And you're Angel." Clem realises.

"You know who I am." Angel says surprised.

"Of course. You, the Slayer and the Slayers Sister are all Spike ever talks about." Clem informs him "She hurt him again, didn't she? Badly I'm guessing for you to be here." Clem guesses.

"Yeah she did." Angel tells him "I don't know all the details about what has been going on between them but I know enough. Maybe you could fill in a few things for me." Angel says to the demon.

"What do you want to know?" Clem asks.

"Has he noticeably changed in the last few months?" Angel asks confused.

"He's more miserable if that's what you mean. I kept telling him to let the Slyer go. That she was only hurting him but he wouldn't. He's been fighting Vampire a lot more lately as well, but he made sure that the Slayer and her lot didn't know. He told me that he didn't tell them because no matter what he did she only saw him as a monster, and nothing he did was going to change that. If she did know what he was doing then she would say he was doing it for personal gain, but he wasn't." Clem explains.

"Thanks Clem." Angel says sincerely glad to know some more about what has been going on with his Childe. "I better get going. Spike's coming back to LA with me. If you're ever in LA look for Angel investigations and you'll find him." Angel informs Clem.

"Thanks." Clem responds sincerely "Tell Spike I'll keep his crypt for him as long as I can." Clem tells Angel who nods in reply before leaving.


For a long time after Angel, Cordelia, and Wesley leave the magic box Buffy, Giles, Anya, Xander, Willow and Tara are silent still shocked about the events that occurred.

"How long Buffy?" Xander asks being the first one who has seemed to gain the ability to speak back.

"It started not long after the musical demon was in town." Buffy tells him.

"You didn't have to go to him, Buff. You could have come to one of us; we're all your friends. We would have helped you." Xander tells her.

"Actually I couldn't. That was clear to me." Buffy says before exiting the shop.

'What does that mean?" Xander asks confused.

"Look at this door, Giles what are we going to do? Anyone could break in." Anya says looking at the remains of the door that Angel destroyed.

"We'll replace it Anya. It will be fine." Giles says before turning to Xander "Since she came back all of us myself included have been pushing Buffy to back to how she was to do things for herself. Because of that I feel that we may have led her to feel like she had no other choice but to go to Spike." Giles explains.

"That explains her going to Spike but hurting him the way she did. There is no excuse for that." Willow tells the Englishman.

"You're not taking Dead Boys side over Buffy's are you Will?" Xander says surprised.

"What's side? There is no sides I'm just saying that what Buffy did was wrong." Willow tells her friend.

"She's right." Anya tells her fiancée as she begins to calculate the inventory that Angel destroyed as Tara nods in agreement.

Xander would very much like to say something else on this topic but he decides against it and instead helps Giles to start to pick up the pieces of the door.


After leaving Spike's crypt Angel makes his way back to the Mansion. Though he is still angry about what he has discovered fighting the vampires has allowed him to vent some of that anger. As he enters the Mansion he places the boxes on the table besides Spike's draw and before he can react he finds Cordelia in his arms giving him a hug.

"Are you alright? You didn't get hurt did you?" She asks worried.

"I'm fine, and no I didn't get hurt." Angel tells Cordelia.

"Good." Cordelia tells him.

"What's with the boxes?" Gunn asks his boss.

"It's everything except the large furniture from Spike's crypt. I found myself there after dealing with some vampires." Angel explains.

"Oh." Fred says. "Um Angel, about Spike." She says in a timid, nervous voice.

"What about him? What happened?" Angel asks concerned as due to his own emotions currently being so strong and their connection not being back to the level it once was Angel is having telling what Spike is feeling at the moment.

"He tried to follow you to the Magic Box earlier." Gunn tells him.

"And he hurt himself more while trying to do so." Cordelia adds.

"How bad?"

"He re broke his leg. Cordelia and I had to attempt twice to re set it before we succeeded." Wesley explains.

Without another word to his team Angel runs upstairs "Angel he's probably asleep." Cordelia says like he is standing across the room from knowing that due to his vampire hearing he will hear her.

When he enters the room Angel finds that Cordelia was right and Spike is asleep. As quietly as possible Angel walks across the room has a look at both Spike's legs to make sure that his team set his Childe's leg correctly, not that he doubts them, but he wants to be sure. After assuring himself that his team fixed his Childe's leg correctly Angel walks around to the other side of the bed and once more lays down next to his William and puts his arm around him.

"Sire?" Spike asks waking up as Angel does so.

"Yeah it's me William." Angel tells him.

"I'm sorry you read that." Spike tells him "I'm sorry about everything."

"It's not your fault. None of it." Angel tells him.

"Yes it is. I knew she was using me and I didn't stop her when I should have." Spike tells him "She's not the one you should be angry with." Spike tells him.

"Why are you defending her? She hurt you so much and you keep defending her. Why?" Angel asks wanting to know Spike's reasons.

"You've got to understand. Slayers's been a bad place for a while. She was torn out of heaven by her friends and couldn't talk to anyone about what she was feeling. She was hurting so much that she felt numb. Using me how she did allow her to feel something even if it was disgust. It may not have been much but it was something and that's all that mattered." Spike explains to his Sire.

"What about you? How about what it was doing to you? And don't say it was doing nothing because I can tell how it affected you and not just by your injuries." Angel asks clearly still angry but trying to calm himself down.

"I don't matter. I'm a thing Sire. I'm nothing." Spike says to Angel as after months of hearing it from Buffy and being treated like a thing by Buffy, Giles and Xander he has truly began to feel like he is nothing.

Letting his anger get the better of him Angel pushes Spike onto his back, puts his arms either side of Spike's shoulders and his legs either side of Spike's so that he is hovering over him though being very careful not to put any weight on Spike so that he doesn't hurt him anymore than he already is.

"I never want to hear you say that again, you're not nothing and you're not a thing William." Angel tells Spike angrily. "I've talked to Clem and Cordelia gave me a message from Willow. You fight evil and you help people. A thing wouldn't do that. Don't say it's the chip that made you do that because it's not the only reason. We both know that if Angelus got chipped he would continue to kill no matter what or he would find someone to kill for him. He wouldn't fight for good. You changed William. Not because of anyone or anything else but because you wanted to." Angel tells Spike.

Spike's is touched by Angels words and he doesn't quite know how to respond so instead of responding verbally he uses his good arm to pull Angel down on top of him and kiss him. Using the kiss to express just what Angel's words mean to him.

As they kiss Angel feels through their connection everything that Spike is trying to illustrate through the kiss. The amount of emotion Angel is sensing is so severe that he almost doesn't feel the pain that is also present. The second that he does Angel rolls them so that he is on his back and Spike is on top of him.

The pair kiss like that for several minutes until they finally break apart though Spike makes no effort to move off of Angel.

"We've still got 7 hours until sunup." Spike comments.

"Yeah we do." Angel comments unsure why Spike is mentioning it.

"More than enough time to get packed up and get to LA don't you think?" Spike says to his Sire.

"Yeah it is." Angel says with a small smile "Are you sure you're ready to leave?" Angel asks.

"Yeah. I've said my goodbye to Nibblet. Gave her messages to pass on to Red, Glinda and Anya. I've got nothing else in this town." Spike explains.

"Well I guess it's a good thing I packed up your crypt for you." Angel tells the younger vampire.

"You did." Spike says surprised.

"Yeah, got everything but the furniture downstairs." Angel tells him. "Clem's going to keep an eye on it. He said to tell you he'll keep it as long as he can." Angel says "Not that you'll be needing it." Angel adds.

"We should let Cordelia, Fred, Charlie-Boy and Percy know that we are going to be leaving." Spike tells Angel.

"Yeah we should." Angel says but for several minutes neither one of them move. "You know Spike for us to actually be able to leave; you have to move off me." Angel tells the younger vampire.

"Knew I was forgetting something." Spike says as he with difficulty moves himself off of Angel.

"Be right back." Angel says giving Spike a quick kiss before leaving the room.


Half an hour later Spike's boxes are packed in Wesley's car as Angel's is too small. Cordelia is doing one last check around to make sure that they haven't forgotten anything. Spike is being carried by Angel to his car still wearing Angel's pants but one of his own clean tops and his duster. Fred is already waiting in Angel's car while Gunn and Wesley are pulling out of the mansion grounds in Wesley's car on their way back to Los Angeles.

"Have we got everything?" Angel asks as Cordelia returns back outside.

"Yep." Cordelia says as she climbs in the back of Angel's car next to Fred.

"Let go then." Angel says hoping in the driver's side.

"You've got to hit the welcome to Sunnydale sign as you leave." Spike tells Angel as they drive through the streets of Sunnydale.

"Why?" Angel asks confused.

"Because I always do. It's tradition." Spike tells him.

"Well you're not driving I am, and I'm not going to hit the sign." Angel tells him.

"Oh come on Sire. You've got to do it." Spike tells him.

"No." Angel says simply.

"You're no fun." Spike says pouting.

"Yes I am." Angel says insulted. "Just because I won't hit a sign doesn't mean I'm not fun." Angel argues back which thus begins an argument that occurs the whole way back to The Hyperion.


As Angel's car pulls into the Hyperion Cordelia jumps out the second that Angel puts it in park.

"Thank god." She says relieved "You two do realise that you fought for almost two hours over nothing." Cordelia says irritated as Gunn and Wesley walk out of the Hyperion.

"Next time I'm driving with you two." Cordelia says as she walks pass the pair and into the hotel.

"What happened?" Wesley asks Fred, who also looks relieved to be out of the car, as she walks pass.

"They've been fighting about nothing the entire way back." Fred explains as she follows Cordelia into the hotel.

"We've put all of Spike's boxes in the room across from yours. The one you said to make up for him." Gunn tells Angel as he exits the car and walks over to the passenger side "Thanks Gunn. Go home both of you." Angel instructs his friends.

"So you brought a hotel." Spike comments as he looks up at the building in front of him.

"Yep. Got a good price on it." Angel tells him.

"Yeah. Why's that?" Spike asks as they enter the hotel figuring that there has to be a reason.

"A demon festered here for fifty years." Angel explains. "Cordelia, go home. It's been a long couple of days." He instructs as he notices his friend still standing behind the desk.

"Just going to check the messages first." Cordelia informs him as he carries Spike up the stairs.

"So I've got a room." Spike comments surprised.

"Yeah, you do. I wasn't going to take you there though." Angel tells him.

"Yeah, where were you planning to take me then Sire?" Spike asks.

"Mine." Angel says as he pushes open the door to his own room.

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