Title: Sun and Shadow
Section: Sunnydale II
Part: 8/His Triumphant Return
Author: Arsahi
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Angel the Series belongs to Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt, and Mutant Enemy. "Unknown" belongs to Lifehouse.
Distribution: Eh...gonna be stingy this time and say ask first. You can find my email address on my author profile.
Dedication: The normal people, you know who you are.
Rated: This part is rated PG-13.
Pairings: Angel/Cordelia, Fred/Gunn, Wesley/Take a Stab At It, Spike/Buffy, Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya, Riley/Harmony
Notes: This is my first crossover, folks. Be warned.
Timeframe: Post-Gone for BtVS and post-Dad for Angel.
~*~ His Triumphant Return ~*~
This doubt is screaming in my face
In this familiar place
Spike pulled around the perimeter of his cemetery. His crypt was hidden enough to conceal himself.
Sheltered and concealed
His hands controlled the steering wheel on their own, pulling onto Revello Drive and having somehow lost Angel and Cordelia in the process. As soon as he
realized where he was, he pulled out of the street and out back to where he'd lost Angel and Cordelia. Luckily, they pulled over and waited for him to catch
up as soon as they realized he wasn't following them anymore. It fascinated Spike how Angel still remembered his way around the Hellmouth, but then again, he
amended, the vampire had been living in Sunnydale for three years before he moved away. Spike smirked, taking comfort in the fact that he'd been around the
Slayer more than Angel had, no matter how little the comfort. He'd stuck around for a year, then disappeared for a year, then came back and spent the last two
and a quarter here. Collectively he'd spent more time in Sunnydale than Angel had. He should be leading them around.
He glanced at every passing car, checking to see if it was one of the Scoobies. Then he realized he'd only ever seen Xander's car and Giles's car. It
seemed none of the others knew how to drive. The way he saw things, everyone had been too busy to take the classes except for Xander with the Slayer stuff.
It didn't help that Angelus came back and that he and Dru had come to kill her. Well, he'd come to kill the Slayer. Dru came to recuperate...for the
first few weeks.
And if this night won't let me rest
Don't let me second guess
What I know to be real
Spike was nervous as hell, despite having just talked to Buffy that morning. The trio had just arrived in Sunnydale, having stopped for meals for Cordy
and making pit stops to call Lorne and Fred and Riley and Harmony and Wesley and Gunn to check on the baby. Suddenly, Angel and Cordelia pulled over again.
Spike, concerned for his new pals, pulled over as well and hopped out, seeing Cordelia grip her head in pain.
"Ow," Cordelia hissed as Spike came over. "A...a girl...a teenager...near...the Magic Box? Attacked by...oh my god it's Dawn..."
Spike was back in his DeSoto quicker than anything and took off to the Magic Box. He'd save Dawn. He wouldn't let Dawn be taken from Buffy. Never, never
would he let Buffy down like that.
Put away all I know for tonight
And maybe I just might
Learn to let it go
Take my security from me
And maybe finally
I won't have to know everything
Spike didn't even bother to park the car or turn it off. He simply launched himself from the driver's side of the DeSoto and heard Dawn scream. He dove
into the alley next to the Magic Box, tackling whatever big nasty was deciding to pray on his Li'l Bit. He didn't even know who or what it was, just that he
landed on the thing's stomach. He punched whatever it was a few times before realizing it was human...or partly human.
"Dude, get off!" the captive struggled underneath him.
Spike glanced at Dawn, "Bit?"
"...Spike, he's human," Dawn cocked her head at the peroxide-blond vampire.
Spike looked down at his captive. "You smell human all righ'. You look human. Bu' why would Cordy get a vision about you?"
The boy's face morphed into something ugly and green.
"Bingo!" Spike cried gleefully, proceeding to pull out a knife and chop the thing's head off. He rose as the remainders of the demon boy hissed and
evaporated. He looked at Dawn, and she looked at Spike. She smiled. Spike grinned and held his arms out to her, to which she rushed into and hugged him.
"Hey Bit. Missed you."
"Missed you too, Spike," she hugged him tight. "Buffy's going to be so psyched!"
"I dunno," Spike put an arm around the girl's shoulders and she put an arm around his waist, a friendly gesture they'd developed just before Spike left.
He walked out into the street with her, "Ge' in. I need t' park."
Dawn hopped in happily. "When'd you get here?"
"Jus' now," Spike pulled his car into a shadowed parking space and turned off the car. Then he sat there.
Dawn looked at him oddly. "Spike? You okay? You look like you're gonna barf or something."
Spike cracked a smile. "I feel like I'm gonna 'barf or something'."
"Ha ha," Dawn rolled her eyes. "Get real. What are you afraid of? Buffy? Xander? God, please tell me you're not afraid of Xander. Xander's like...
he's Xander. Xander's a non-scary thing."
Spike chuckled lightly. "No' afraid of the whelp. More afraid of big sis."
"Oh puh-leeze, Spike! She's gonna be so psyched that you're back!" Dawn rolled her eyes again.
"No, she's no' gonna be psyched tha' I'm back. I can tell you wha' she's gonna do. She'll look a' me, an' she'll say, 'Wha' are you doin' back?
Why are you here now?'," Spike sighed.
"Not true, Spike. C'mon, you have butterflies for nothing," Dawn got out of the car and went over to the driver's side, opening the door. "Get up and
let's go inside."
Spike looked at the steering wheel, then up at Dawn as he heard another car pull into the parking lot. He visibly relaxed. "Okay. Le's go," he took the
hand Dawn offered and let go, putting his arm around her shoulders as soon as he was standing. He walked over to Angel and Cordelia. "Hey you two. Lookie
who I saved."
"Dawn," Angel nodded, flinching slightly at the icy glare Dawn gave him.
"Hi Dawn," Cordelia smiled.
"Hi Cordelia," Dawn nodded. She looked up at Spike. "Let's go inside. Please. Now, preferably. Before another big nasty comes here?"
"Righ', righ', going inside," Spike turned and walked to the door of the Magic Box with her, Angel and Cordelia following.
"Buffy! Look! Look who's back!" Dawn cried, pulling Spike inside. Buffy looked up.
Her eyes went wide. "Angel?"
Spike felt the floor split open and swallow him. The knife that had been hovering above his heart plunged into his chest.
Buffy came over and gave Angel a hug. "Hey. Haven't seen you in forever. How's things? Hi Cordelia."
The knife twisted 360 degrees.
"We came with Spike," Angel told her. "See? Spike. With us. Us. With Spike."
"Oh hi Spike," Buffy looked back at Angel and Cordelia. "How's everyone in L.A.?"
And the knife kept turning and turning.
"Thanks for askin' Buffy, I've been fine," Spike muttered under his breath, walking over to the table where Willow, Xander, and Anya were sitting, pulling
Dawn with him. "Any of you lot have a bottle of anything alcoholically potent?"
"Sorry," Willow gave him a sympathetic smile. "How've you been?"
"No' tha' great," Spike sighed and sat down. "You?"
"I've been better," Willow sighed.
"Wha' about you, Xander? How's the weddin' comin' along?" Spike asked curiously.
Xander, startled, fumbled with his words for a moment before answering, "I'm fine. So is Anya. The wedding's moving along pretty good, we sent out
invitations last week."
Spike nodded. "Am I invited?"
Xander shrugged. "Did we invite him, An?"
"Of course we did," Anya nodded. "He's one of us, right? Of course he was invited."
Spike gave her a winning smile. "Thanks, Anya."
Anya returned the smile, "Sure."
Buffy was heralded over to the table the others sat around by Angel and Cordelia. The couple wedged themselves
between Spike and Willow, so the seating arrangement came out to be: Spike, Cordelia, Angel, Willow, Xander, Anya, empty
seat, Dawn, and back to Spike.
"What are you doing here, Spike?" Buffy asked.
"I've been having a grand ol' time in L.A., found this nice club called Y Seres. And I'm doin' good, thank you for askin',"
Spike answered instead.
"Well why didn't you stay in L.A.?" Buffy looked at him as icily as she could manage.
"Tha's a good question. Angel, I'll let you field this one," Spike put his arm around Dawn's shoulders and Cordelia's shoulders on the other side of him.
"Wait wait wait...why are you two getting along?" Buffy asked confusedly, sitting down in the empty seat.
"We have..." Angel started contemplatively.
"...an understanding," Spike finished.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Spike's really good with kids, Angel needed a babysitter. That's their understanding."
"You're so blunt," Angel rolled his eyes and nudged his seer with his elbow.
She wrinkled her nose and elbowed him back. "You males are always beating around the bush."
"Leave it t' Queen C t' fill in the blank," Spike said sarcastically.
"You are one to talk," Cordelia smacked him upside the head.
"...So you three are like...a team?" Buffy frowned.
"No' jus' us, luv. Me, Queen C, Peaches, Captain Cardboard, Fred, Gunn, Pryce, Lizard Boy, and Harm," Spike shrugged.
Buffy choked. "Riley?!"
"I did say 'Captain Cardboard' didn' I?" Spike blinked.
"You, Angel, Cordelia, Riley, Fred, Gunn, Wesley, 'Lizard Boy', and Harmony are a team?" Buffy was having trouble comprehending this.
"Yup," Spike nodded.
"Oh boy..."
"Home sweet crypt," Spike murmured, slinging down his duffel bag and looking around. He saw that someone had made themself comfortable in his former
home. "Hey, buddy."
The vampire looked up and saw him. He snorted. "You mind?"
"Yes, I do, actually," Spike shrugged. "So kind of you t' ask. Unfortunately I'm no' gonna be so generous--ge' out."
"Why? So the Slayer's lap dog can come crawling home?" the vamp rose and dove at Spike, who simply moved to the side and watched as the fledgling slid
out the door.
"Tha's exactly right. Bravo," Spike planted his heavy booted foot on the young vamp's chest, whipping out a stake. "Bye bye," he staked the vamp and
shook his head, going back inside. He shut the door and turned around...to find five more vampires had made themselves at home here. "Bloody hell! I'm
gone for wha', less than a month, and a whole brigade of friggin fledglings decide to nest themselves in my digs!"
One of them dove at him, and he ducked. He stood back up, face-to-face with a particularly nasty-looking vamp. Spike's fist shot out and planted itself
right between the vamp's eyes the same time as the vamp who had dove at him swept his feet out from under him. Spike fell to the ground, but his hands shot
out and grabbed the ankles of the two who had been on him. One of the remaining three jumped on him so he rolled over, subduing that one and staking him.
He tucked and somersaulted into one of the vamps he'd knocked down, successfully staking this one.
The three remaining vamps all advanced on him at the same moment, jumping on him like a pack of synchronized acrobats. One grabbed his head and slammed
it into the ground, one grabbed his legs and twisted them, and the other grabbed his midsection, forcing Spike onto his stomach.
Spike managed to worm his arms out of the vamp holding his middle's arms, shoving the one holding his head away and into the wall. He turned over, sat
up, and staked the vamp that was on his stomach, then kicked the one holding his legs's chin. He grabbed this vamp's head and gave it a violent jerk,
snapping his neck and promptly dusting it.
"Why don' you jus' run along, mate," Spike suggested, advancing towards the vamp cowering by the door. "Before I get really angry."
The vamp just sat there in terror, looking up at Spike. "Y-you..."
"Bloody hell," he ranted. "Why does everyone greet me like that?!" In his
irritability, Spike proceeded to dust the vamp. He looked at
his floor at the remains of the five vampires he'd just beat single handedly and groaned, reaching back to rub his head. He winced as soon as his cold
fingers touched the wound on the back of his head where the vamp had slammed his head into the floor and looked at his fingers.
Blood.
Spike sighed, knowing this was going to be a long stay.
As soon as the sun disappeared into the horizon, Spike left his crypt and took himself down to Buffy's house. Instead of knocking and waiting for
someone to answer the door, Spike simply knocked on the door and let himself in. "Honey, I'm home!" he called light-heartedly.
He hadn't felt so good in ages. In fact, he hadn't felt so good since he killed that Slayer back in the '70s. Life--unlife, Spike amended, was good.
So he joyfully made his way into the living room...
...to find Angel and Buffy on the couch, Buffy snuggled up to him.
Spike had to remind himself that Angel loved Cordelia, and not Buffy, before he could say anything.
"So, how're things, luv?" Spike squished in next to Angel and Buffy.
"I'd really better go," Angel said. He rose and patted Buffy on the head. "Remember what I said, okay?"
"I'll remember," Buffy rolled her eyes. "Bye, Angel."
"Bye," Angel left.
Score! Spike had a little party in his head. Why was he so giddy?
"Hey luv," Spike smiled. "Wha' are we watchin'?"
"We aren't watching anything," Buffy muttered.
"Dammit, Buffy," Spike threw his arms up and rose again. "Wha' the bleeding hell do you want from me?!"
"Keep your voice down," Buffy hissed. "I don't want to wake up Dawn. She came home early from school today, she wasn't feeling well."
Spike lowered his voice, but felt his face morph into his vampiric visage, not being able to rein the demon in without being able to yell. "You fight
with me, verbal and physical, you tell me you ha'e me, we ge' pu' under a bloody spell tha' makes us fall in love, you bloody team up with me three
bloody times, you shag me, and then you have the bloody stones to tell me that there's no we!" During his tirade, Spike's face had melted back
into its human planes, but his voice had risen. "You even bloody tell me tha' nearly a month ago, so I leave--and then, and then two nights ago you
tell me that you miss me so I come back!"
Buffy stared at him. How dare he say those things to her! "You know very well none of that is true! Okay, yeah, I missed you, but only because you're
a good help sometimes--sometimes on patrol!"
"And because you're depraved," Spike snarled under his breath.
Buffy slapped him. "Get out. Get out Spike!"
Spike stared at her for a moment, then grabbed her waist and kissed her brutally. He then released her and stormed out of the house.
Buffy stormed into Spike's crypt. "Okay. You know what? I'm really tired of this. We start to fight, we get our adrenaline pumping, and then--nothing.
Nothing. So, I'm telling you now. Be my sparring partner."
Spike looked at her hard for a moment. "Nope."
Buffy narrowed her eyes. "No?"
"Yes."
"Make up your mind."
Buffy punched Spike's forehead, which the peroxide blond retaliated with by sweeping her feet out from under her. She flipped herself up right, faked a
right-handed jab at her partner's face, but Spike caught it and barely moved in time to dodge the left hook she followed it with. It clipped the side of his
cheek. Spike decided that in order to fight to his best, he'd have to let his inner "grr" out again.
And so he did.
But it didn't stay out long, as he could never keep his demon out when he was around Buffy, at least not for too long. Everything seemed to slow down just
a little while Spike was watching Buffy's funny little movements that would give away her next move. She kicked him in the stomach, but before she kicked, she
had moved her fists just slightly, and tilted her shoulders so her left shoulder was slightly lower than the other, and vice versa for a kick from the other
leg. Her right shoulder tended to move forward just a little before she punched with either fist, and she looked at where she was going to kick you if she
was going to jump in the air and do a flying kick.
This was how Spike managed to dodge around back of her and elbow the small of her back. She rolled forward, jumping up and turning around to face him.
She watched him for his next move, and Spike knew she was doing the same thing he'd been doing a moment ago. May as well give her a run for her money.
Spike planted his boot squarely on her cheek, knocking her to the left slightly, but she reached up and grabbed his foot as it was falling. She gave it
a good twist, but as she did, he jumped and knocked her head with his other foot. He dodged behind her and grabbed her in a headlock, taking the fight outside
with no desire to ruin his perfectly good crypt. He released her and gave her a good shove, to which she replied with a flip. She faced him again and put up
her hands in a fighting stance.
"Come on, Big Boy, bring it on," Buffy challenged.
"You sure?" Spike taunted, hopping a little closer.
"Give me all you've got," she hopped closer as well.
Spike gave a roundhouse kick followed by a down kick, making Buffy stumble a little closer to the ground than she liked. Spike then kneed her chin--but
not too hard, didn't want to knock any teeth out--and kicked her behind. She flew over, landing on her back without enough time to tuck and roll. Spike sat
on her stomach and smirked at her.
"Do you give?" he asked, pinning her arms to the ground and lowering his mouth closer to her.
"Give what?" Buffy panted, watching his eyes and his lips.
"Give up," he lowered his mouth to her neck, kissing it tenderly. And then kissing it tenderly again, "To me?"
"Never," she murmured as he kissed her throat.
"Are you sure?" he kissed her jaw.
"No," she claimed his lips with her own, and the world around them spun and shattered.
Cordelia jumped up and ran to Angel as soon as he entered the Magic Box. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, kissing him
soundly. He returned it just as passionately, as the rest of the occupants of the shop stared at them. "I missed you," Cordelia murmured as soon as the kiss
was broken. "I don't like having to hide this from your ex."
"Neither do I," he kissed her again. "But she's so fragile right now. I don't want to break her heart and leave Spike to pick up the pieces."
"Though, not a bad idea. I mean, that's why we're here, right?" Cordelia kissed him and unwrapped her legs from his waist. Angel gently set her down.
"Somebody mind explaining what I just saw?" Xander asked of the group.
"I think we just saw Angel and Cordelia...kiss," Willow said cautiously.
"I know this has nothing to do with what we are discussing," Anya said, "but who's watching Dawn right now?"
A look of sadness flittered across Willow's face, "Tara."
"I understand," Anya nodded and turned to Angel and Cordelia. "So, have you two fornicated yet?"
Xander's face twitched and buried his head in Willow's shoulder, "Wake me when it's my wedding day..."
Willow patted Xander's head, "Poor Xander."
Cordelia wrapped her arms around Angel and rested her head on his chest. "I don't think it's any of your business, Anya. But remember the pesky curse?"
Angel whispered something to Cordy then.
"You what?!" Cordelia smacked his chest. "You...didn't tell me! Why not?!"
Angel kissed her forehead, "Because I didn't know whether you loved me or not...I didn't want to jinx it either."
"Jinx my ass," Cordelia muttered, settling herself back where she was.
"What was that all about?" Anya asked, ever the blunt one.
"Oh the Powers," Cordelia sighed. "I don't know whether to love those guys or ha--owwwwwwww!"
Angel held her up as she almost collapsed in his arms. He waited for her to announce the vision, but nothing came. "Cordy? Cordy?!"
"I...I'm okay," she panted, digging her nails into his arms and finding the ground again. "Sorry. Powers were a bit late with that vision...it's been
taken care of. I saw it." A lie, but they didn't need to know that.
Angel studied her for a moment, recognizing her lie the moment she started spewing it. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," Cordelia looked at the others then back at Angel, and knew that he knew that she was lying. She whispered, "Tell you later," and then looked
back at the others. "Aspirin? Glass of water? Something? Haven't any of you people ever seen me have a vision?"
"You don't have to be a bitch," Anya announced. She got a water bottle out of the pack she kept now that Giles had left under the counter. She tossed it
over, nearly hitting Cordelia in the head with it. However, Angel caught it and managed to open it one-handed. He even held it like a bottle for Cordelia to
drink from.
"Thank you," Cordelia smiled at him, then stood up straight.
"Where's Buffy? Is she due back soon?" Angel asked of everyone.
"She's...not here. I think she said something about patrol and Spike," Willow shrugged. "Weren't you the last one to see her?"
"Yeah. Spike came over and I left," Angel informed them. "By the way, do you mind if I use the phone? I want to call and check on Connor."
"Connor," Cordelia pouted. "I miss him."
"Who's Connor? Why is Xander always the last to know?" Xander asked pitifully.
"Connor's Angel's son," Cordelia explained. "Practically my surrogate son. He's Angel's and Darla's though."
Willow's eyes went wide. "Darla?"
"Yup. But...she staked herself, right Angel?" Cordelia arched an eyebrow.
Angel came down off the high he'd been on after kissing Cordelia, "Yeah." He picked up the Magic Box's telephone and punched the numbers to the hotel in.
:Hello, Angel Investigations, how may we help you?: Wesley answered the phone.
"Wesley, hi. It's me," Angel replied. "Who's got the baby?"
:I'm not sure at the moment. Fred perhaps,: Wesley confessed.
"What? You don't know where my baby is?" Angel glared at nothing.
:No, I know where Connor is. He's right here. I just wasn't certain if it was Lorne or Fred who had him,: Wesley corrected himself.
"Well, where are Gunn, Riley, and Harmony?" Angel inquired, leaning against the counter, frowning.
:Out taking care of business,: Wesley sighed. :Really Angel, you must calm down.:
"Sorry Wesley, my mistake," Angel rubbed his forehead. "So how is he?"
:He's fine. How is Sunnydale?:
"A Hellmouth, like always."
:May I speak with Cordelia?:
"Yeah," Angel covered the mouth piece, "Cordy, Wesley wants to talk to you."
Cordelia took the phone. "Hey."
:Have you had any visions?:
"Yes."
:Have you taken the medication?:
"No."
:I see. Lorne says "hello".:
"Tell him I said hi too. In fact, tell everyone I said hi."
Connor started crying in the background.
"Oh, Connor...put him up to the receiver, Wes." She waited until she could hear Connor clearly, "Hello Connor."
Everyone except Angel stared at her.
"What did we just do?" Buffy asked, her head settled on Spike's bare shoulder. They were both clothes-less and in the grass outside Spike's crypt.
"I could go through a play-by-play but..." Spike got smacked for that.
"I gotta go. You--"
"Tell anyone and I will dust you. Go' it."
Buffy rolled her eyes, "Bye."
"Bitch," he muttered.
Section: Sunnydale II
Part: 8/His Triumphant Return
Author: Arsahi
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Angel the Series belongs to Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt, and Mutant Enemy. "Unknown" belongs to Lifehouse.
Distribution: Eh...gonna be stingy this time and say ask first. You can find my email address on my author profile.
Dedication: The normal people, you know who you are.
Rated: This part is rated PG-13.
Pairings: Angel/Cordelia, Fred/Gunn, Wesley/Take a Stab At It, Spike/Buffy, Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya, Riley/Harmony
Notes: This is my first crossover, folks. Be warned.
Timeframe: Post-Gone for BtVS and post-Dad for Angel.
~*~ His Triumphant Return ~*~
This doubt is screaming in my face
In this familiar place
Sheltered and concealed
And if this night won't let me rest
Don't let me second guess
What I know to be real
Put away all I know for tonight
And maybe I just might
Learn to let it go
Take my security from me
And maybe finally
I won't have to know everything
