Chapter 11
**********
"Nope. Not enough time." Spike said very matter-of-factly.
"Time?" Wesley responded. "Not enough time for what?" He asked before quickly catching the crossbow Anya was now leveling towards Buffy again.
"Not enough time for me and the boys here to..." Buffy started with a suggestive smile, before Giles interrupted her.
"Spike, Angel, could you join me in the dining room please?" Giles requested moving toward the some what straightened room. Just before leaving the living room, he turned back toward the group near Buffy. "Uh, Anya, perhaps you should join us?"
"No way am I leaving that, that...hussy alone with my Xander. You heard her. She's still as horny as a Turbatten Forge Beast." Anya responded. Still trying to get the crossbow out of Wesley's hands.
"She's not alone Anya. Willow and Tara should be perfectly able to contain her within the circle. You can come with us and prepare something in the kitchen for when Xander wakes up." Giles suggested.
"Whatever. But don't think this is over." Anya directed to Buffy. "We are going to have a long talk when Xander is OK."
"Just talk?" Buffy said, effecting a pout with Angels human features.
This garnered a hearty laugh from Spike, a deep blush from Angel, and some indignant curses from Anya as Giles and Wes pulled her from the room.
"Now," Giles began, "I can certainly make a guess of it, but would either of you care to tell me exactly what is going on with Buffy at the moment?"
"Giles! I'm deeply shocked." Spike said with a feigned look. "I thought a man of your age would know about these things."
"Spike," Giles glared dangerously, "I may not be able to kill Buffy, but I certainly have no problems with staking you."
"It's the blood. My, er, the slayers, blood." Angel interrupted. "It has certain....effects....on vampires."
"And how long can we expect these, effects, to last exactly?" Wesley questioned.
"Hours, maybe a day. Maybe more." Spike said. "'Specially with her circumstances."
"Circumstances?" Wesley asked.
"Buffy might as well be a fledgling at this point. I'm surprised it took the demon this long to get control. She's going to need a lot of help learning to control it."
"But, Angel your body, your demon, is well over two centuries in age. No where near a fledgling." Giles pointed out.
"True, but Buffy's only had a little while to get used to it. She's a new soul, in a very old body, with a very old demon in it. Not a particularly nice one either." Spike commented. "In other words, a fledgling."
"So Buffy needs to learn to overcome her demon, and keep it in check. She's strong in spirit. I'm sure with the right help, she can do it." Angel said.
"Yes, I've no doubt she can prevail. The question now is, what do we do in the mean while?" Wesley asked. "Is there anything that will, um, well, counter the effects of the slayers blood she ingested?"
"Well, there is one thing that helps.." Spike started
"Finish that thought, and I swear I'll dust you where you stand." Angel said.
"You know I'm right peaches. Besides, aren't you dying to give that body of yours a test drive?" Spike leered for a second before a look of horror crossed his face. "I'm goin' outside for a smoke." Spike quickly excused himself as Giles and Angel both rolled their eyes.
"Well, you know. It has to be terribly confusing for him." Anya said as she carried in a plate of sandwiches and sat at the table to eat one of them.
"Yes, we're all terribly worried about the chipped wonder." Angel said.
"I'm just saying. He's in love with Buffy, and he hates you." She glanced up at Angel. "But you are in the body of the woman he loves, and the woman he loves is in the body of the person he hates the most. It's bound to be confusing. Especially given how lustful vampires can be." Anya pointed out. "Which reminds me," she again stared at Angel, "your girlfriend comes after my Xander again, and you can kiss that body of yours a dusty goodbye."
"She went after Xander?" Angel said incredulously.
"Actually, I'm fairly certain she went after more than just Xander." Wesley said glancing around at the others.
Angel groaned loudly and covered his face with one hand. "So who all do I need to apologize to?" he asked. When no one answered, he offered another question. "OK, who do I *not* need to apologize to?"
"Um, I don't think she tried anything with Willow or Tara. But I think that was only because they weren't in the room at the time." Anya offered. "Quite the appetite you vampires have. I'd almost forgotten that."
"Yeah, well, I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore do I?" Angel replied.
"No....but Buffy does." Giles said quietly. "So how do we go about instructing her to reign in her...appetites?"
**********
"So big guy, come here often?" Cordelia questioned as she stepped out on the porch.
"Only every night the earth spins round." Spike smirked, taking a large drag off his cigarette. "You wanna tell me what happened here earlier?" He asked as he gave a questioning look to Cordelia. She simply dropped her head and glanced away from him. This raised a concern in Spike. "She didn't hurt you did she?"
"No, no. She didn't hurt me. Just started something I've done in my dreams a dozen times before but never told anyone about. Problem is, it wasn't really the person in my dreams." Cordy bit out. Spike looked at her, studying her a few moments before returning to his cigarette with a shake of his head.
"Seems you and I have something in common then." Spike said. "And I don't see either of us getting what we want."
"But we could. I mean, ok so there is an ick factor to be considered. But we could just take our respective superbeings and go home. Pick up where things left off. Couldn't we?" Cordy finished very quietly.
"I mean, they are doomed anyway, right? So we just need to get them to see that this doesn't change anything. Angel's reasons for leaving haven't changed, except now they are Buffy's reasons. We just need to get them to see that." Cordelia offered hesitantly and looked at Spike before dropping her gaze back to the ground. "Yeah, yeah, I know. It was a nice thought for a minute though."
Spike gave her a sad smile before he too glanced back at the ground. "Yeah, it was. But everything *has* changed. Angel is already starting to see what a stupid git he was. As long as Buffy doesn't get as broody and noble as Angel was, then they might actually have a chance. Much as we want to be the one's they go home to at the end of the night, I don't think either of us could take that away from them."
"You know, you're pretty insightful for a vampire." Cordelia smiled a moment as Spike. "I bet that gets really annoying." She added.
Spike chuckled. "So I've been told luv."
"Guess this means we're stuck playing matchmaker on the Buffy and Angel show." Codelia sighed.
"'Spose we better suss out some sort of plan." Spike said.
"Think we should tell the others?" Cordelia asked.
"You mean so everyone can fret over Angels soul and the welp can pout over Buffy and threaten to stake me over the whole thing?" Spike asked.
"Good point. Guess it's just us then. Is it too late to back out of this plan?" Cordelia asked.
"Was wondering that myself." Spike responded.
**********
TBC.....
**********
"Nope. Not enough time." Spike said very matter-of-factly.
"Time?" Wesley responded. "Not enough time for what?" He asked before quickly catching the crossbow Anya was now leveling towards Buffy again.
"Not enough time for me and the boys here to..." Buffy started with a suggestive smile, before Giles interrupted her.
"Spike, Angel, could you join me in the dining room please?" Giles requested moving toward the some what straightened room. Just before leaving the living room, he turned back toward the group near Buffy. "Uh, Anya, perhaps you should join us?"
"No way am I leaving that, that...hussy alone with my Xander. You heard her. She's still as horny as a Turbatten Forge Beast." Anya responded. Still trying to get the crossbow out of Wesley's hands.
"She's not alone Anya. Willow and Tara should be perfectly able to contain her within the circle. You can come with us and prepare something in the kitchen for when Xander wakes up." Giles suggested.
"Whatever. But don't think this is over." Anya directed to Buffy. "We are going to have a long talk when Xander is OK."
"Just talk?" Buffy said, effecting a pout with Angels human features.
This garnered a hearty laugh from Spike, a deep blush from Angel, and some indignant curses from Anya as Giles and Wes pulled her from the room.
"Now," Giles began, "I can certainly make a guess of it, but would either of you care to tell me exactly what is going on with Buffy at the moment?"
"Giles! I'm deeply shocked." Spike said with a feigned look. "I thought a man of your age would know about these things."
"Spike," Giles glared dangerously, "I may not be able to kill Buffy, but I certainly have no problems with staking you."
"It's the blood. My, er, the slayers, blood." Angel interrupted. "It has certain....effects....on vampires."
"And how long can we expect these, effects, to last exactly?" Wesley questioned.
"Hours, maybe a day. Maybe more." Spike said. "'Specially with her circumstances."
"Circumstances?" Wesley asked.
"Buffy might as well be a fledgling at this point. I'm surprised it took the demon this long to get control. She's going to need a lot of help learning to control it."
"But, Angel your body, your demon, is well over two centuries in age. No where near a fledgling." Giles pointed out.
"True, but Buffy's only had a little while to get used to it. She's a new soul, in a very old body, with a very old demon in it. Not a particularly nice one either." Spike commented. "In other words, a fledgling."
"So Buffy needs to learn to overcome her demon, and keep it in check. She's strong in spirit. I'm sure with the right help, she can do it." Angel said.
"Yes, I've no doubt she can prevail. The question now is, what do we do in the mean while?" Wesley asked. "Is there anything that will, um, well, counter the effects of the slayers blood she ingested?"
"Well, there is one thing that helps.." Spike started
"Finish that thought, and I swear I'll dust you where you stand." Angel said.
"You know I'm right peaches. Besides, aren't you dying to give that body of yours a test drive?" Spike leered for a second before a look of horror crossed his face. "I'm goin' outside for a smoke." Spike quickly excused himself as Giles and Angel both rolled their eyes.
"Well, you know. It has to be terribly confusing for him." Anya said as she carried in a plate of sandwiches and sat at the table to eat one of them.
"Yes, we're all terribly worried about the chipped wonder." Angel said.
"I'm just saying. He's in love with Buffy, and he hates you." She glanced up at Angel. "But you are in the body of the woman he loves, and the woman he loves is in the body of the person he hates the most. It's bound to be confusing. Especially given how lustful vampires can be." Anya pointed out. "Which reminds me," she again stared at Angel, "your girlfriend comes after my Xander again, and you can kiss that body of yours a dusty goodbye."
"She went after Xander?" Angel said incredulously.
"Actually, I'm fairly certain she went after more than just Xander." Wesley said glancing around at the others.
Angel groaned loudly and covered his face with one hand. "So who all do I need to apologize to?" he asked. When no one answered, he offered another question. "OK, who do I *not* need to apologize to?"
"Um, I don't think she tried anything with Willow or Tara. But I think that was only because they weren't in the room at the time." Anya offered. "Quite the appetite you vampires have. I'd almost forgotten that."
"Yeah, well, I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore do I?" Angel replied.
"No....but Buffy does." Giles said quietly. "So how do we go about instructing her to reign in her...appetites?"
**********
"So big guy, come here often?" Cordelia questioned as she stepped out on the porch.
"Only every night the earth spins round." Spike smirked, taking a large drag off his cigarette. "You wanna tell me what happened here earlier?" He asked as he gave a questioning look to Cordelia. She simply dropped her head and glanced away from him. This raised a concern in Spike. "She didn't hurt you did she?"
"No, no. She didn't hurt me. Just started something I've done in my dreams a dozen times before but never told anyone about. Problem is, it wasn't really the person in my dreams." Cordy bit out. Spike looked at her, studying her a few moments before returning to his cigarette with a shake of his head.
"Seems you and I have something in common then." Spike said. "And I don't see either of us getting what we want."
"But we could. I mean, ok so there is an ick factor to be considered. But we could just take our respective superbeings and go home. Pick up where things left off. Couldn't we?" Cordy finished very quietly.
"I mean, they are doomed anyway, right? So we just need to get them to see that this doesn't change anything. Angel's reasons for leaving haven't changed, except now they are Buffy's reasons. We just need to get them to see that." Cordelia offered hesitantly and looked at Spike before dropping her gaze back to the ground. "Yeah, yeah, I know. It was a nice thought for a minute though."
Spike gave her a sad smile before he too glanced back at the ground. "Yeah, it was. But everything *has* changed. Angel is already starting to see what a stupid git he was. As long as Buffy doesn't get as broody and noble as Angel was, then they might actually have a chance. Much as we want to be the one's they go home to at the end of the night, I don't think either of us could take that away from them."
"You know, you're pretty insightful for a vampire." Cordelia smiled a moment as Spike. "I bet that gets really annoying." She added.
Spike chuckled. "So I've been told luv."
"Guess this means we're stuck playing matchmaker on the Buffy and Angel show." Codelia sighed.
"'Spose we better suss out some sort of plan." Spike said.
"Think we should tell the others?" Cordelia asked.
"You mean so everyone can fret over Angels soul and the welp can pout over Buffy and threaten to stake me over the whole thing?" Spike asked.
"Good point. Guess it's just us then. Is it too late to back out of this plan?" Cordelia asked.
"Was wondering that myself." Spike responded.
**********
TBC.....