There was more silence. There was always silence at first between the two
vampires. But it was merely a matter of time until one broke the silence.
It was Spike's turn.
"How?"
Angel turned to him, willing himself to reply to the question. "How what?"
"How did you kill her? Darla I mean. How could you kill your sire?"
Angel sighed, he had been waiting for this question to come. "It was the hardest thing I ever did in my entire existence."
Spike nodded and lowered it voice to a guttural tone. "You were a fool."
"I was in love."
Spike looked up. "But she was your sire! How could you just turn your back on that?"
"It was for Buffy; I told you."
"It was wrong."
Angel raised his voice. "I did what I had to do! You think it doesn't kill me to know what I did? But I loved Buffy, and I still do and I did what I had to do to protect her."
Spike was about to retort but he decided to bite his tongue. He didn't want to piss Angel off into throwing him into daylight. He muttered what sounded like an apology. Angel disregarded it and continued to drive. They had been driving for hours already and it wouldn't be long till they reached Sunnydale.
"Do you love her?"
"Yes."
"I mean really love her?"
Spike looked up at his grandsire, apprehensive of what he was getting at. "I would do anything for her."
Angel smiled as an idea came to his head. "Then come with me to LA."
"What? Why?"
"I can't tell you why because otherwise you won't come."
Spike grunted irritably, and nodded. "LA hasn't treated me too well you know."
"Well, this time you aren't going to torture me for a piece of jewelry."
Spike choked an uncomfortable laugh. "Oh yeah. What did you do with the gem anyway."
"I destroyed it," Angel told him flatly.
Spikes eyes widened immensely. "You really are a ponce. You realize that don't you?"
Angel smiled. "So I've been told."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Angel pulled up the driveway of the Hyperion and put his car in park.
"Home sweet home," he sighed, more than happy to see the familiar hotel.
"Wow, this is... big."
"Yep, but it'll do. Come on."
Spike followed his grandsire in through the large front doors of the hotel. He took note of the beautiful garden in front and the magnificence of it all.
"You were always one for luxury then, weren't you mate?"
"Always." They continued their way through the lobby toward the front desk. NO one was around and Spike wondered if that was unusual at three- thirty in the morning. He walked around the back of the desk while Angel was looking for his friends. He saw an office and a pile of books on the desk. He picked one up and looked at the cover, which read: "William the Bloody." Spike laughed and opened the book, flipping through the pages.
"What was I thinking," he muttered to himself. He was interrupted by the creaking of floorboards and whizzing of an arrow by his head. He turned quickly to see Cordelia holding a crossbow and reloading it quickly.
"Cordelia! Wait!" He protested.
"Shut up!" She warned him. "Where's Angel?"
"I don't know. Looking for you lot I reckon."
Cordelia narrowed her eyes. "You're here with him?"
"Yeah. He told me he wanted to take me to LA for something. He wouldn't tell me what. And I can't hurt you anyway. You have heard about the chip, haven't you?"
Cordelia nodded nervously and lowered the crossbow. "If you try anything you'll be blowing in the wind before you can say 'stake', you got me?"
"Loud and clear," he replied. He was about to say something about her hair or weight or something but decided against it, seeing as how Angel was walking into the room. "Well, if it isn't the man of the hour."
Cordelia whirled around and upon seeing Angel she threw her arms around his neck. "Oh god, Angel! We were so worried."
Angel reciprocated the hug and told her how happy he was to see her. They released each other and just stood for a moment.
"Was everything okay while I was gone?"
"Yeah. Connor's fine."
"That's good. And the others?"
"Everyone's fine, Angel. You were only gone for four days."
Angel nodded and looked at Spike who looked embarrassed, maybe even humble. Angel was unsure of what to say, so he didn't say anything.
"Is anyone else here?" He asked Cordelia.
"Yeah, Lorne is in the Caritas and Fred and Gunn are upstairs."
"Wes?"
"He doing some recon."
"By himself?" Angel asked worriedly.
"It's nothing, not a big case. Don't worry, he'll-"
As if on cue, the front doors opened and Angel, Cordelia and Spike went to see who it was. Angel was pleased to see who was walking in.
"Hey Wes."
"Angel! So glad to see you're alright!" He told his friend excitedly.
"It's good to see you to Wes."
The British man looked from Angel to the bleached vampire. "Spike, I presume."
Spike shifted uncomfortably and nodded. "We- uh- haven't met have we?"
"No, not as of late," Wesley told rather uneasily. "What are you doing here?"
"I brought him Wes. Don't start anything," Angel told him warningly.
"Alright."
"Hey what's the- Angel?" Fred called as she was descending the stairs. "Oh my god! You're back!" She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hey Fred," he said to her quietly.
"Hey!" Gunn called out from the top of the stairs, a squirming baby in his arms. "You guys woke the... Angel? My man!" He said excitedly as he walked down the stairs. "So you got us all worried for nothing."
Angel smiled warmly but couldn't take his eyes off his wriggling son. He extended his arms and Gunn handed Connor to his father.
"Hey Connor."
Connor giggled tiredly. "Dada!"
"I'm back, honey. Daddy's all finished with his business. Did you have a nice time while I was away?"
Connor just smiled at his father in response and wiggled out of his arms. He toddled around on the ground for a moment before walking over to Spike. Spike wasn't sure what to do with the very young child that was standing before him, looking at him thoughtfully, so he kneeled down and spoke to him.
"Hey Connor," he said to him softly. At eye level, he could fully see the features of the baby. "He looks like her," Spike absentmindedly told Angel.
Connor laughed again at grabbed Spike's hair. "Hee hee! Hair!"
"Ow!" Spike groaned at the tugging. He pulled the fingers from his hair and held the small hands in his own. "Careful there bite-sized, you gotta be gentle with old Spike."
Connor looked perplexed. "Hmm... Spike?"
"Yeah, that's me. Spike."
Connor smiled and held him arms out for Spike to pick him up. "Up! Up up up!"
"I don't know if that's such a good idea."
"Oh go on," Angel told his grandchilde. "What are you afraid of?"
Spike shrugged and picked up the child who felt warm in his cold arms. He smiled endearingly at the child, feeling a certain bond with the baby which in a way, was his blood.
Angel looked at Spike holding his son and he sighed unnecessarily. He the sight of Spike with the baby was one he never thought he'd see.
'Maybe he really has changed.'
"Spike," Angel called, interrupting the blonde's fun. "We've got to do the thing."
Spike looked confused. "What thing?"
"Yeah Angel," Cordy interrupted. "What thing?"
'I'm taking him to Caritas,' Angel mouthed to her. She nodded understandingly and choked back a laugh at the thought.
"We've got to go now," Angel told him. Fred walked over and took the baby from Spike's arms; she blushed when their hands met. She turned and hurried away, taking Connor upstairs to his room.
"Let's go then."
"Okay," Angel nodded at him. He smiled at his friends and turned to lead Spike Caritas. The entered the club from the back door and it was still packed full of demons and people alike.
"What is this?" Spike asked, enchanted by the look of the place.
"This is Caritas, a self-proclaimed sanctuary." Angel looked around for Lorne who was probably off somewhere talking to someone he had read. He was about to lead Spike over to the bar when he saw the Host who obviously saw him.
"Angel! Bubbulah! How was the trip?" He asked energetically.
Angel smiled warmly. "It was... interesting."
"Uh-huh. And who's your friend?"
"This is Spike. I want you to read him."
Lorne nodded. "Does he know what he has to do?"
"No," Spike answered. "What exactly do I have to do?"
"Well sugar cakes, it's very simple. You've done kareoke haven't you?"
"How?"
Angel turned to him, willing himself to reply to the question. "How what?"
"How did you kill her? Darla I mean. How could you kill your sire?"
Angel sighed, he had been waiting for this question to come. "It was the hardest thing I ever did in my entire existence."
Spike nodded and lowered it voice to a guttural tone. "You were a fool."
"I was in love."
Spike looked up. "But she was your sire! How could you just turn your back on that?"
"It was for Buffy; I told you."
"It was wrong."
Angel raised his voice. "I did what I had to do! You think it doesn't kill me to know what I did? But I loved Buffy, and I still do and I did what I had to do to protect her."
Spike was about to retort but he decided to bite his tongue. He didn't want to piss Angel off into throwing him into daylight. He muttered what sounded like an apology. Angel disregarded it and continued to drive. They had been driving for hours already and it wouldn't be long till they reached Sunnydale.
"Do you love her?"
"Yes."
"I mean really love her?"
Spike looked up at his grandsire, apprehensive of what he was getting at. "I would do anything for her."
Angel smiled as an idea came to his head. "Then come with me to LA."
"What? Why?"
"I can't tell you why because otherwise you won't come."
Spike grunted irritably, and nodded. "LA hasn't treated me too well you know."
"Well, this time you aren't going to torture me for a piece of jewelry."
Spike choked an uncomfortable laugh. "Oh yeah. What did you do with the gem anyway."
"I destroyed it," Angel told him flatly.
Spikes eyes widened immensely. "You really are a ponce. You realize that don't you?"
Angel smiled. "So I've been told."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Angel pulled up the driveway of the Hyperion and put his car in park.
"Home sweet home," he sighed, more than happy to see the familiar hotel.
"Wow, this is... big."
"Yep, but it'll do. Come on."
Spike followed his grandsire in through the large front doors of the hotel. He took note of the beautiful garden in front and the magnificence of it all.
"You were always one for luxury then, weren't you mate?"
"Always." They continued their way through the lobby toward the front desk. NO one was around and Spike wondered if that was unusual at three- thirty in the morning. He walked around the back of the desk while Angel was looking for his friends. He saw an office and a pile of books on the desk. He picked one up and looked at the cover, which read: "William the Bloody." Spike laughed and opened the book, flipping through the pages.
"What was I thinking," he muttered to himself. He was interrupted by the creaking of floorboards and whizzing of an arrow by his head. He turned quickly to see Cordelia holding a crossbow and reloading it quickly.
"Cordelia! Wait!" He protested.
"Shut up!" She warned him. "Where's Angel?"
"I don't know. Looking for you lot I reckon."
Cordelia narrowed her eyes. "You're here with him?"
"Yeah. He told me he wanted to take me to LA for something. He wouldn't tell me what. And I can't hurt you anyway. You have heard about the chip, haven't you?"
Cordelia nodded nervously and lowered the crossbow. "If you try anything you'll be blowing in the wind before you can say 'stake', you got me?"
"Loud and clear," he replied. He was about to say something about her hair or weight or something but decided against it, seeing as how Angel was walking into the room. "Well, if it isn't the man of the hour."
Cordelia whirled around and upon seeing Angel she threw her arms around his neck. "Oh god, Angel! We were so worried."
Angel reciprocated the hug and told her how happy he was to see her. They released each other and just stood for a moment.
"Was everything okay while I was gone?"
"Yeah. Connor's fine."
"That's good. And the others?"
"Everyone's fine, Angel. You were only gone for four days."
Angel nodded and looked at Spike who looked embarrassed, maybe even humble. Angel was unsure of what to say, so he didn't say anything.
"Is anyone else here?" He asked Cordelia.
"Yeah, Lorne is in the Caritas and Fred and Gunn are upstairs."
"Wes?"
"He doing some recon."
"By himself?" Angel asked worriedly.
"It's nothing, not a big case. Don't worry, he'll-"
As if on cue, the front doors opened and Angel, Cordelia and Spike went to see who it was. Angel was pleased to see who was walking in.
"Hey Wes."
"Angel! So glad to see you're alright!" He told his friend excitedly.
"It's good to see you to Wes."
The British man looked from Angel to the bleached vampire. "Spike, I presume."
Spike shifted uncomfortably and nodded. "We- uh- haven't met have we?"
"No, not as of late," Wesley told rather uneasily. "What are you doing here?"
"I brought him Wes. Don't start anything," Angel told him warningly.
"Alright."
"Hey what's the- Angel?" Fred called as she was descending the stairs. "Oh my god! You're back!" She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hey Fred," he said to her quietly.
"Hey!" Gunn called out from the top of the stairs, a squirming baby in his arms. "You guys woke the... Angel? My man!" He said excitedly as he walked down the stairs. "So you got us all worried for nothing."
Angel smiled warmly but couldn't take his eyes off his wriggling son. He extended his arms and Gunn handed Connor to his father.
"Hey Connor."
Connor giggled tiredly. "Dada!"
"I'm back, honey. Daddy's all finished with his business. Did you have a nice time while I was away?"
Connor just smiled at his father in response and wiggled out of his arms. He toddled around on the ground for a moment before walking over to Spike. Spike wasn't sure what to do with the very young child that was standing before him, looking at him thoughtfully, so he kneeled down and spoke to him.
"Hey Connor," he said to him softly. At eye level, he could fully see the features of the baby. "He looks like her," Spike absentmindedly told Angel.
Connor laughed again at grabbed Spike's hair. "Hee hee! Hair!"
"Ow!" Spike groaned at the tugging. He pulled the fingers from his hair and held the small hands in his own. "Careful there bite-sized, you gotta be gentle with old Spike."
Connor looked perplexed. "Hmm... Spike?"
"Yeah, that's me. Spike."
Connor smiled and held him arms out for Spike to pick him up. "Up! Up up up!"
"I don't know if that's such a good idea."
"Oh go on," Angel told his grandchilde. "What are you afraid of?"
Spike shrugged and picked up the child who felt warm in his cold arms. He smiled endearingly at the child, feeling a certain bond with the baby which in a way, was his blood.
Angel looked at Spike holding his son and he sighed unnecessarily. He the sight of Spike with the baby was one he never thought he'd see.
'Maybe he really has changed.'
"Spike," Angel called, interrupting the blonde's fun. "We've got to do the thing."
Spike looked confused. "What thing?"
"Yeah Angel," Cordy interrupted. "What thing?"
'I'm taking him to Caritas,' Angel mouthed to her. She nodded understandingly and choked back a laugh at the thought.
"We've got to go now," Angel told him. Fred walked over and took the baby from Spike's arms; she blushed when their hands met. She turned and hurried away, taking Connor upstairs to his room.
"Let's go then."
"Okay," Angel nodded at him. He smiled at his friends and turned to lead Spike Caritas. The entered the club from the back door and it was still packed full of demons and people alike.
"What is this?" Spike asked, enchanted by the look of the place.
"This is Caritas, a self-proclaimed sanctuary." Angel looked around for Lorne who was probably off somewhere talking to someone he had read. He was about to lead Spike over to the bar when he saw the Host who obviously saw him.
"Angel! Bubbulah! How was the trip?" He asked energetically.
Angel smiled warmly. "It was... interesting."
"Uh-huh. And who's your friend?"
"This is Spike. I want you to read him."
Lorne nodded. "Does he know what he has to do?"
"No," Spike answered. "What exactly do I have to do?"
"Well sugar cakes, it's very simple. You've done kareoke haven't you?"
