Chapter 35

"So it would appear," Giles said. He eyed Faith, "And not a moment too soon."

Faith lowered the gun when Giles stepped over the Threshold and set his small bag down before closing the door behind him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in England."

"What are you doing here? I thought you were in prison," Giles retorted. He then noticed Wesley in the doorway to the dining room. "Wesley?"

"Hello, Rupert." Wesley nodded once. "What brings you back here?"

Spike glanced to his right, Willow was still kneeling on the floor with Harris in her arms but both had turned to look towards the front door. Willow's eyes met his, round with surprise; she looked just as shocked as he was.

Xander wiped hurriedly at his wet cheeks. "Giles," he murmured. "G-Man! Is that you?" He scrambled to his feet almost knocking Willow off balance as he did so. Finally there was someone here with some common sense, someone who understood how things should be, someone who understood him and what he was feeling.

"I told you not to call me that," Giles complained good naturedly, leaving the foyer and coming into the living room. He was immediately enveloped in a huge bear hug from Xander.

"So glad you're here."

"I'm here for a reason, Xander," Giles pulled back and stopped short when he saw Xander's face. "Oh dear God, I'm too late, aren't I?"

"You know?" Willow stood up and went to hug Giles too.

"About Angelus? Yes, I know," Giles looked from one sorrowful face to the other, the last two of the original team to remain in Sunnydale and put themselves between the town and danger. "Who?"

Xander swallowed, "Anya," he said thickly.

Willow stepped back figuring it was better to leave the two of them together, two men who had lost the women they loved to Angelus. She went immediately to Spike, automatically reaching out to touch a hand to his chest. It was like a compulsion, she had to be close to him when he was around and simply had to touch him. She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile; Giles might be back but nothing between them changed. Nothing could ever change that.

"If you know about Angelus, didn't you think to call us and give us a head's up?" Faith asked crossly.

"I tried calling you as soon as I found out about it," Giles said. "I know a coven of witches back in England, they had a vision that Angelus would be back. The vision only came a few hours ago, I tried calling here but no-one answered. I called the shop but there was no answer there either. There was a plane leaving for California so I got on it. If Angelus was back I felt you would need all the help you could get. " He looked again between Willow and Xander. "I wouldn't leave you two to face him alone."

"Why not?" Spike asked snidely. "You left them to face everything else alone."

Giles blanched, guilt crossing his face for a moment. It galled him that the evil, soulless vampire was right. That he had fled Sunnydale leaving the children behind and Spike had been the one to stay. He had let them all down, he had let Buffy down; but Giles couldn't bear to stay in Sunnydale without Buffy there. He had lost two women he loved and cared about to the horrors of Sunnydale; first his beloved Jenny and then his beloved slayer. He had loved Buffy like a daughter and had felt the loss of her like a knife to the heart.

"It seems," Giles said slowly. "That they haven't been alone." He looked pointedly at Faith.

Faith rolled her shoulders straining for nonchalance. "Willow said I was needed here. Figured I'd be more help to the world in Sunnydale than behind bars."

Giles frowned and rearranged his glasses. He couldn't exactly deny the truth of that statement but he wasn't entirely sure of the wisdom of bringing Faith back to the Sunnydale. He would discuss this with Willow at a later date after they had dealt with the more urgent matter of Angelus' return.

"We were just on our way out to find Angelus," Wesley said bringing the conversation back to the more pressing issue. "Will you be joining us?"

"Yes," Giles said with a sharp nod. "I will indeed. I can see you're a man down." He patted Xander on this good arm.

"Vampire's," Xander said with a sigh.

"Do you have a plan of attack?" Giles picked up the cross bow abandoned by Xander.

"We intend to capture him and hold him until Willow can put his soul back," Wesley explained. "We're in difficulty with that at the moment, Angelus broke the only orb of thesulah we had."

"Lucky I brought one with me then," Giles said. "I believe in being prepared for all eventualities."

Spike had the sudden urge to punch old Rupert in the face. The bloke abandoned Willow and the others, left them to fend for themselves without a slayer to back them up, placing mere mortals between the people of Sunnydale and certain death and then he just showed up over a month later with that disapproving look on his face at what he found in the place he left behind and spouting about being prepared. How prepared had Willow, Xander, Anya, Tara and Dawn been to take up the mantle of the slayer? It was not their job to fight evil they did it because they believed it was right and Giles had left them with only a vampire as an ally.

"Wonderful," Wesley brightened considerably at this news. "Willow, do you think you could perform them spell while we're out looking for him?"

Willow nodded. "I'll call Faith on Angel's cell the moment it's done so that you know who you're dealing with when you come face to face with him."

"I think I'll visit the bathroom before we go," Wesley looked expectantly at Faith and she directed him upstairs, taking the cross bow from him as he passed her.

"Spike," Willow said softly, gesturing to the dining room.

He followed her into the room, rounding the corner to hide them from view and was slightly startled when she slipped her arms around his neck and brought him in for a kiss. "You'll be careful, won't you, Spike?"

"Always am, pet," he replied, rubbing his cheek against hers, taking in her scent from her neck. "You be careful doing that spell. We don't know exactly where Angelus is love, the witch hunter might be closer than Angel will be when he comes back and might get to you before we get back."

"I'll be fine," Willow promised. "Tara has put up wards around the house which should alert us if the witch hunter shows up."

Spike nodded absently, stroking his fingers through her hair he stared at her, taking her all in hardly able to believe that she allowed him so close to her, that she wanted him as much as her eyes told him she did even now.

Willow shivered at the light touch of his fingers and couldn't help wishing those fingers were trailing over her skin rather than her hair. She closed her eyes for a moment a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she lost herself in the sensation of Spike touching her. "I don't want you to go."

Spike blinked in surprise. "Won't be gone long, love. Won't take that long to find the wanker."

Her lips pursed into a pout. "Can't you just stay here? If you hadn't healed so quickly you'd be staying here anyway."

Spike's brow furrowed. It wasn't like Willow not to want all hands on deck to defeat the big bad, and she knew just how destructive this particular big bad could be and she wanted him to stay? Again that feeling nagged at Spike that something wasn't quite right.

"Faith needs my help, pet. She's got two bloody watchers as back up, probably doesn't fill her with confidence. Besides," his lips parted slightly as his tongue tucked into his cheek. "I owe Angelus a few licks."

Willow gasped quietly, her stomach muscles fluttering wildly. He was just so handsome and undeniably sexy. He did things to her that no man living or undead had any right to do to a woman; and he was completely unaware of how his natural reactions to things affected her without even meaning to.

That little gasp rippled over his skin, the sudden stutter of her heart beat stirred something deep inside him and caused his jeans to pulse. Catching her in his arms completely unheeding to the fact that anyone could poke their heads around the corner to hurry him up and see them, Spike crushed her to him and kissed her hard. It was only when the metallic taste of blood touched his tongue that Spike realised that he had scratched her lips with his fangs. So caught up in her had he been that Spike didn't notice when the natural change had come over his face and the demon had come forth. Willow clearly wasn't bothered by it and his hips surged forward in appreciation, pressing against her, causing her to moan in the back of her throat.

Spike was just debating the merits of slipping inside her and taking her quickly against the wall, and judging by the way she was squirming against him Willow probably wouldn't be adverse to that idea, when the sound of smashing glass caused them to break apart with a jerk.

Willow looked round wildly and gave a sharp cry when the scent of petrol and smoke filled her nose and fire started to lick its way along the dining room floor.

Spike grasped her hand tightly and pulled her forcefully after him. Screams came from upstairs when they reached the foyer and Willow realised that the smashing glass had not just been in the dining room, the curtains at the living room window were on fire and red and orange flames were dancing across the back of the sofa and creeping across the carpet.

Faith reached for the door, startled when Spike grasped her by the arm and yanked her back. "What?"

He stepped closer to the door Willow stilling clinging to his hand refusing to let him go. He spat on the door handle and it sizzled. "It's on fire."

Faith winced and clenched her hands together, she would have touched that door handle if Spike hadn't stopped her. She could almost feel the pain that would have caused.

Tara and Dawn came scurrying down the stairs herded by Wesley. "The bedrooms are on fire." Wesley said, looking around him with dismay at the dining room and the living room.

"Kitchen!" Giles headed through the house with Xander, Tara and Dawn at his heels.

"You're back!" Dawn exclaimed happily.

"Yes," Giles agreed. "I'll explain it all to you later."

Willow, her hand still holding Spike's as tightly as she possibly could didn't follow them, Spike never moved from his spot beside the door. "Spike?"

He looked down at her, his chest tightening at the look of utter adoration and complete trust she gave him. She was willing to be guided by him, believe whole heartedly that he would keep her safe and Spike was terrified he would fall short and disappoint her. "No point, love," he said quietly.

"We can't get out that way," Xander returned from the kitchen with Tara at his side and Dawn holding to Giles hand.

"I could have told you that," Spike said. "We're surrounded by fire, its a little game Angelus likes to play."