Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Everything else belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and the WB.
Finished: April 18, 2001
~~ Realizations ~~
I wake up the next morning with Angel's arms wrapped around me, holding me close. Smiling to myself I realize that this is the first night in almost a week that I haven't woken up wondering where Angel is. I've been afraid of waking up and learning that somehow, Angel's condition has gotten worse. I feel safe in his arms and I know that I truly belong with him...even if he doesn't remember everything about himself.
I gently move Angel's arms from around me and slip out of bed. After a quick shower, I get dressed and write a note for Angel telling him I went to visit a friend and that I'll be back soon. It's 9:21, if I leave now, I'll be back in thirty minutes or less.
I stop by the butcher's on the way to Spike's, picking up a bag of pig's blood and arrive at his crypt soon after. I'm about to enter the crypt like I usually do, but deciding against it, I knock loudly and Spike hollers an invitation through the door. I walk in and Spike saunters up to me. "So I've heard Angel's taken ill," he says with a knowing smile. "What's he got?"
"I'm not here to discuss Angel, I wanted to thank you for helping me fight those demons last week," I say holding up the paper bag containing the blood. "I warmed it up just for you."
He grabs it from me and pulls out the bag of blood. "It's not warm, Slayer." he grumbles.
"It cooled off on the way here, I guess." I lie.
He shrugs and walks over to his microwave, putting the blood inside. *Spike has a microwave?* I wonder. "Where'd you get all your stuff?" I ask.
"Mostly from the dump. But some, like the mini-fridge, I picked up at the end of driveways," he explained. "Sometimes I just don't understand humans. I mean, the microwave works perfectly; you only need to heat things for double the normal time. And the lamp is--"
"Okay, Spike, I don't need the condition of each object or I'll be here all day," I say, I have to get back to Angel's. I miss him already. "I've got to get going and--"
"You shouldn't screw the sickly, Slayer," Spike sneers. "It doesn't become you."
"Whereas Dru was in perfect health for the hundred plus years you were together, right?" I retort in the same manner. I bite my tongue after remembering that Dru is no longer a problem. Should I tell Spike? The angry look on his face answers my question. Maybe later.
"Sod off," he mumbles. "You have Peaches to blame for her condition."
"Spike, how did you know about Angel being sick anyway?" I ask.
"Just vampire intuition," he replies coolly. Just then the door opens to the crypt and Dawn walks in. "Oh yeah, that and the fact that Nibblet told me."
She stops in her tracks as she sees me there. "Buffy, hi, how's Angel?" she asks, trying to avoid the obvious shock showing on my face.
"Dawn what are you doing here?" I ask.
"I'm just visiting Spike," she says.
"Why?" I ask incredulously.
"Because he doesn't treat me like a 'key'." she replies bitterly.
"Well, I was just leaving and so are you, Dawn," I say, grabbing her arm and pulling her out of the crypt with me.
"Why should you care who I hang out with?" she asks, wrenching her arm out of my grip after I shut the door behind us.
"Because it's Spike, that's why," I reply. "He's a vampire and even with his chip he can still hurt you."
"How?" she asks indignantly.
"Well he smokes like a chimney for one thing," I answer. "And he's just--creepy."
"I don't think he's creepy," she says, trying to hide a smile.
"Please tell me you don't have a crush on him," I say, exasperated. "He's a vampire!"
"Angel was a vampire." she retorts.
"Angel was good." I reply, glaring at her.
"Spike's can be too," she says. "He's changed, Buffy."
"What, that chip in his head?" I ask. "That's not change, that's just holding him back. He's like a serial killer in prison."
"Women marry them all the time!" Dawn yells, not making her side of the argument very effective. "But he's not like that."
"Look, Dawn, you're fourteen and he's--way too old." I say.
"Well, you were sixteen and Angel was way older than Spike is now," she argues. "Besides, it's not like Spike would even be interested in me. He's still in love with Dru. She's all he talks about, and it's making me crazy--pun intended. Look can we just drop it?"
"Fine, but if I catch you over there again, I'm telling Mom." I warn.
"Whatever," she sighs in defeat. "Why don't you leave me alone and go do a spell or something?"
I stop walking suddenly and nearly trip over myself. A spell. Why didn't I think of that? Dawn continues to walk in the direction of home and I run back to Angel's with the hopeful news.
He's still sleeping when I arrive and I quickly wake him up. He pulls me onto the bed and holds me close to him, smiling. "Good morning, cutie" he says in a sleepy voice.
"Morning, Angel," I say hurriedly, escaping his grasp and sitting up. "Get up and get dressed, we have to go see Giles."
"What for? It's Saturday," he says, rolling over.
"Because I might just have a way to get your memory back." I say, stealing the sheets off of the bed before darting out of the room only to be chased by him. He grabs me and begins tickling me but my squeals are muffled by a kiss.
Finished: April 18, 2001
~~ Realizations ~~
I wake up the next morning with Angel's arms wrapped around me, holding me close. Smiling to myself I realize that this is the first night in almost a week that I haven't woken up wondering where Angel is. I've been afraid of waking up and learning that somehow, Angel's condition has gotten worse. I feel safe in his arms and I know that I truly belong with him...even if he doesn't remember everything about himself.
I gently move Angel's arms from around me and slip out of bed. After a quick shower, I get dressed and write a note for Angel telling him I went to visit a friend and that I'll be back soon. It's 9:21, if I leave now, I'll be back in thirty minutes or less.
I stop by the butcher's on the way to Spike's, picking up a bag of pig's blood and arrive at his crypt soon after. I'm about to enter the crypt like I usually do, but deciding against it, I knock loudly and Spike hollers an invitation through the door. I walk in and Spike saunters up to me. "So I've heard Angel's taken ill," he says with a knowing smile. "What's he got?"
"I'm not here to discuss Angel, I wanted to thank you for helping me fight those demons last week," I say holding up the paper bag containing the blood. "I warmed it up just for you."
He grabs it from me and pulls out the bag of blood. "It's not warm, Slayer." he grumbles.
"It cooled off on the way here, I guess." I lie.
He shrugs and walks over to his microwave, putting the blood inside. *Spike has a microwave?* I wonder. "Where'd you get all your stuff?" I ask.
"Mostly from the dump. But some, like the mini-fridge, I picked up at the end of driveways," he explained. "Sometimes I just don't understand humans. I mean, the microwave works perfectly; you only need to heat things for double the normal time. And the lamp is--"
"Okay, Spike, I don't need the condition of each object or I'll be here all day," I say, I have to get back to Angel's. I miss him already. "I've got to get going and--"
"You shouldn't screw the sickly, Slayer," Spike sneers. "It doesn't become you."
"Whereas Dru was in perfect health for the hundred plus years you were together, right?" I retort in the same manner. I bite my tongue after remembering that Dru is no longer a problem. Should I tell Spike? The angry look on his face answers my question. Maybe later.
"Sod off," he mumbles. "You have Peaches to blame for her condition."
"Spike, how did you know about Angel being sick anyway?" I ask.
"Just vampire intuition," he replies coolly. Just then the door opens to the crypt and Dawn walks in. "Oh yeah, that and the fact that Nibblet told me."
She stops in her tracks as she sees me there. "Buffy, hi, how's Angel?" she asks, trying to avoid the obvious shock showing on my face.
"Dawn what are you doing here?" I ask.
"I'm just visiting Spike," she says.
"Why?" I ask incredulously.
"Because he doesn't treat me like a 'key'." she replies bitterly.
"Well, I was just leaving and so are you, Dawn," I say, grabbing her arm and pulling her out of the crypt with me.
"Why should you care who I hang out with?" she asks, wrenching her arm out of my grip after I shut the door behind us.
"Because it's Spike, that's why," I reply. "He's a vampire and even with his chip he can still hurt you."
"How?" she asks indignantly.
"Well he smokes like a chimney for one thing," I answer. "And he's just--creepy."
"I don't think he's creepy," she says, trying to hide a smile.
"Please tell me you don't have a crush on him," I say, exasperated. "He's a vampire!"
"Angel was a vampire." she retorts.
"Angel was good." I reply, glaring at her.
"Spike's can be too," she says. "He's changed, Buffy."
"What, that chip in his head?" I ask. "That's not change, that's just holding him back. He's like a serial killer in prison."
"Women marry them all the time!" Dawn yells, not making her side of the argument very effective. "But he's not like that."
"Look, Dawn, you're fourteen and he's--way too old." I say.
"Well, you were sixteen and Angel was way older than Spike is now," she argues. "Besides, it's not like Spike would even be interested in me. He's still in love with Dru. She's all he talks about, and it's making me crazy--pun intended. Look can we just drop it?"
"Fine, but if I catch you over there again, I'm telling Mom." I warn.
"Whatever," she sighs in defeat. "Why don't you leave me alone and go do a spell or something?"
I stop walking suddenly and nearly trip over myself. A spell. Why didn't I think of that? Dawn continues to walk in the direction of home and I run back to Angel's with the hopeful news.
He's still sleeping when I arrive and I quickly wake him up. He pulls me onto the bed and holds me close to him, smiling. "Good morning, cutie" he says in a sleepy voice.
"Morning, Angel," I say hurriedly, escaping his grasp and sitting up. "Get up and get dressed, we have to go see Giles."
"What for? It's Saturday," he says, rolling over.
"Because I might just have a way to get your memory back." I say, stealing the sheets off of the bed before darting out of the room only to be chased by him. He grabs me and begins tickling me but my squeals are muffled by a kiss.
