Chapter 22: the approval.

Title: Reunion time.

Author: Nikka

Author notes: Hi everyone, If you need to know about summary, rate and all the rest it's all in chapter 1 I'll just remind you that English is not my native tongue so you may find some spelling & grammar mistakes, you're more then welcome to let me know about them but remember you may find them while you read the story. Have fun.

Disclaimer: Angel & Buffy's characters are not my creation (wish they were) they belong to Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt. Other characters that are not familiar from the show do belong to me.

Author's remark: My chapters as of ch 12 will no longer be reproof by Sigma due to the fact that I have no internet and I'm asking someone else to post the remaining chapters for me. I want to take this opportunity and thank sigma for all the help. And I hope you will continue reading my story even without the excellent work sigma has done. Thank you again sigma for all your great work.

It was nearly six o'clock and Angel and Cordy were still up stairs in their room. Buffy looked at the watch and debited on whether she should go up and wake them or let them be. Her thoughts were cut off by a sound coming from the kitchen. She grabbed a stake from underneath the couch and walked quietly but quickly into the kitchen.

She jumped in only to discover Spike. "Don't you ever give up? Haven't you had enough for one day?" She said sarcastically as she put the stake down on the counter. "What are you doing here?" She didn't have the energy or time to deal with him right now; she was supposed to meet the gang in 15 minutes in the magic shop.

"You think you can burst into my home…" Buffy cut but and ignored her.

"When you're not invited. Then you insult me and hit me and for the big finale you walk out leaving me with a sunny day indoors!" He raised this voice.

"First of all I insulted you because you acted like an idiot. Again." He tried to answer but she didn't let him she kept on. "Secondly you deserved that punch in the nose." She smiled when she saw it was still red and swollen. "And third, I knew you'll find a way to close the door." She smiled again in despise.

"You think this is funny?" He was really mad.

"Actually I do." She said and walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"Oh no you don't." He said and followed her. "You're not getting away that easily."

"What do you want Spike? Really?"

"You really want to know or you're just trying to get rid of me?" He asked.

"What is it a trick question? I want to know so I can to get rid of you." She teased him.

"Bloody hell why do I even bother?" He turned and walked towards the door.

Buffy was surprised; he actually seemed offended by her remarks. "Spike, wait." He stooped and turned. "I really want to know what is it you want from me." He looked skeptic. "Really I do." She said again trying to convince him.

"I want you to tell me why you came to see me today?" he asked.

"I already told you." Buffy answered back.

"No I want the real answer, Buffy." She wasn't used to him calling her by her name.

"I… I was telling the truth." She said defensively.

"No, you weren't. You're afraid to admit the fact that maybe deep down you have this part of you, the part you don't want to except, that cares for me. That cares for a demon. A demon without a soul." He looked at her she was surprised. He caught her off guard. She didn't know what to say. For the first time she had no witty remark, no clever comeback. "Buffy?" Spike said when she didn't answer him.

"What do you want from me Spike? Do you want me to admit to something that isn't true?" She lashed out.

"Not true, or denial?" He wasn't really asking, more stating a fact.

"I'm not in denial." She got angry.

"Then why can't you admit there's something going on between us?" He pushed on.

"Because there isn't, Spike. There never was and never will be." She emphasized that last part.

"Because you don't want to or because you're afraid?" He asked.

"Afraid of you spike? I don't think so." She laughed a bitter laugh.

"No." he smiled. "Afraid of yourself." The smile on her face was gone. "Afraid of what your friends might think. Afraid of what your precious Angel will think of you." She looked at him, didn't say anything, so he kept on. "I can only imagine what he'll say when he hears his beloved Buffy is in love with a demon without a soul. In love with a killer." He smiled thinking of Angel's reaction.

"You're delusional if you think I'm in love with you." Buffy whipped the smile of his face.

"No I'm not." He came close to her. "You like to say you hate me. You like to think you're better then me."

"I am." Buffy said, but didn't back away.

"You like that I'm near you like this." He took another step forward. "You like to think of us together, but afraid to admit it to yourself." He looked at her raising his hand and softly touching her chic. She let him. Then all of the sudden his expression changed and he backed away. Buffy seemed surprised by his behavior. "I'm tired of playing games." He said as he walked towards the door and opened it. It was dark outside. "When you're ready to admit what we both know; you know where to find me." And as he walked out the door he looked towards the stairs. "Hi Angel." He said with a smile and walked out closing the door behind him.

Buffy didn't move, she knew Angel probably heard most of her conversation with Spike, if you can call it conversation. She didn't know what to tell him. Spike was right; she was afraid of his reaction. She was afraid she'd see disappointment in his eyes. That's the last thing she wanted.

She heard his footsteps. He walked into the living room. She didn't say anything she just stood there.

"Buffy I…" Suddenly Cordelia walked in.

"Are we going?" She asked.

Angel looked at Buffy and knew it wasn't the time. "Yeah let's go. He said and headed for the door.

"You two go. I'll catch up." Buffy said.

"Why?" Cordelia asked confused.

"I have to check on Dawn." Buffy explained.

"No it's fine." Cordy said. "I just talked to her and she said she'll stay here with Lorne and Conor."

"Oh." Buffy was out of excuses. "Okay then let's go."

They hardly spoke all the way to the shop. They walked because Gunn took the car earlier.

"It's been ages since I've walked this streets at night." Cordelia said reminiscing.

"Not much have changed." Buffy said.

"I know, but still after almost 3 years in L.A. coming back to Sunnydale seems so strange." Cordelia explained.

"Strange how?" Buffy inquired.

"I don't know. It's like I don't belong here any more, like it's not home."

"It's not home." Angel said.

After that it was quite again. Cordy felt the tension between the two but decided not to bring the subject up.

Finally they reached the store. Everyone seemed relived that the awkward walk was finally over.

"Hi." willow greeted them when they entered. Everyone was there.

"Good you're here so we can begin." Giles said holding a book in his hand looking very tensed.

"Hi to you too, Giles." Buffy said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry Buffy, but we do have many areas to cover." He explained.

"Indeed we do." Buffy said imitating Giles. Giles ignored her and walked to where everyone was gathered.

"Where's Conor?" Fred asked.

"And Dawnie?" Willow added.

"They're both back at the house." Buffy said and set down.

Angel and Cordy set down as well, next to each other.

"Cordelia have you been able to remember anything else from your vision?" Giles asked hoping she'll have an encouraging answer for him.

"No, sorry. It's still a blank." Everyone saw the disappointment on Giles's face.

"Well then, maybe we can induce it in some way?" Wesley suggested.

"How?" Xander asked. I thought that you only see a vision one time."

"I do. I've never been able to go back to my visions, or induce them in any way.

"Then how can it…" Willow started to ask when Wesley began to explain.

"I've read in the inscription of Breujan that there is an ancient spell we can try."

"What kind of spell?" Angel asked suspiciously. He had a feeling that it wasn't an easy spell.

"No. You cannot mean the spell to…" Giles said shocked and then stopped when he saw the answer in Wesley's face.

"What? What is he talking about Wes?" Angel asked this time worriedly.

"It's a spell where you go back to your past life." Wesley explained.

"But it wasn't my past life it was someone else's life." Cordelia said confused.

"The spell can be modified to answer our needs." Willow answered when she finally understood which spell they were talking about.

"You know it?" Giles sounded surprised.

"I've glanced at it when I was looking for ways to…" She stooped. She looked at Buffy and everyone knew what she meant.

"When you tried to bring me back." Buffy completed the sentence and Willow nodded her head.

It was the first time since Willow found out what really happened to Buffy that they spoke about the subject. With everything that was going on they simply didn't have the time to talk about it.

"So you have some ideas on how to modify it?" Wesley asked curiously.

"I'm not sure." Wesley looked disappointed. "But I can try." Willow added. That made Wesley smile.

"Well then we'll need to start researching for ways to modify…"

"Wait a minute." Angel cut him off.

"Why are you so scared of this spell?" Angel referred the question to Giles.

"Well I…" Giles looked at Wesley and didn't know what to say.

"Giles." Buffy said and he turned. "Answer him." She ordered.

"It's risky." He said. Then he turned to Angel. "Really risky." He added.

"Risky how?" Cordelia asked.

"There has never been any documentations of this spell taking place and succeeding." Wesley answer instead of Giles. He thought it was his job considering the fact that the spell was his idea.

"I don't understand." Cordelia said quietly.

"That is why I didn't try it." Willow stepped in. "In all the books, and all the codex it says the same thing." Willow stopped.

"Said what?" Fred asked nervously.

"The subject of the spell never survived the transition from the past life to his own." Her words were like swords to the A.I.

"You mean…?" Gunn was afraid to even say it.

"They all died when they tried to end the spell and return to their own reality." Giles finished the explanation.

There was silence in the room. No one knew what to say. Except for…

"No!" Angel broke the silence.

"What?" Wesley asked surprised.

"You heard me Wes. No way I'm letting you do that spell."

"Angel if we want to know what is coming. If want to be prepared..."

"I don't care." Angel cut him off. "You're not doing that damn spell."

"Angel with all due respect I don't believe this is your choice." Giles came to Wesley's rescue.

"Giles, with all due respect I don't give a damn. He stood up and walked towards Giles. "YOU ARE NOT DOING THIS SPELL!" He said to him.

"Angel?" Cordy touched his shoulder. He turned quickly and startled her. She moved her hand. "We don't have any choice." She tried to reason with him.

"No! There must be something else we haven't thought about." He looked at Wesley and Giles.

"There isn't Angel." Cordy said softly. "We have to do this. I have to do this."

"Cor, I can't let you. Not now, now after..." He looked at her his eyes filled with anger and sadness. Everyone else just stared trying to understand what he was talking about.

"What happened now that changes everything?" Fred asked Gunn who didn't know also. No one knew except Buffy who said nothing.

"Angel, I know. But it will be all right. Don't worry." She tried to reassure him.

"But I do worry and I can't let you do this. I'm sorry." He said firmly.

"No angel. I'm sorry." Cordy said and backed away.

"Sorry?" Angel didn't understand.

"I'm sorry cause I'm not asking for your permission. I'm only telling you." Now he looked angry. "And before you get all mad remember how many times I let you go on a risky and dangerous mission? How many times I wasn't sure if you'd come back to me?" Xander looked at Willow surprised she looked back equally surprised. "I know you love me Angel." This time everyone was shocked. "But I face death every day and you can't always save me. This is my job. This is what I do." She looked at Buffy. "You know what it's like letting the woman you love go out and risk her life because she has to. Because it's her job." Buffy and the rest knew whom Cordelia meant.

"That's different. Buffy has super strength and she was never helpless." Now Buffy felt uncomfortable. "She has a fighting chance. She has skills, and she has her friends. You'll be all alone." His anger switched to sadness and fear.

"I won't be. You'll be there with me, you all will." She looked at the rest of the A.I. team. "Besides it's a different spell, Wesley said so himself." She tried to convince him. She didn't really want to do the spell without his support, without his approval.

"I can't lose you Cor." He came close to her.

"You won't, I promise you won't." She said to him while caressing his face.

"Angel?" Wesley said.

Angel looked at Cordy and knew there was no other way. "Let's do it." He said giving the final okay.

TBC.

Hi ppl,

Thank you for your reviews. If there is anything else you'll like to see on this fic (except more B/S, I got the message and I'm doing my best) please let me know. I always appreciate new ideas and I try to put them in the story, if I can of course.

So keep reviewing and I hope I'll post ch 23 this weekend.

Thanks Nikka.