All belongs to the Mighty Joss and his minions. I sadly am not one of them.
Reunions
Stepping from the elevator they were met with complete and total confusion. Angel paled from his normal white to a grey shade of blue as he took in the two figures standing together. He tried to speak but found that his voice had abandoned him. Instead he stood there opening and closing his mouth, eyes wide open. Spike broke the silence that hung in the air.
"Ello Peaches. How ya been?"
"Spike? But. . How?" Spike couldn't help but smile." Buffy you said he died." Angel turned his attention away from him and back to the woman standing at Spike's side and Holding HIS hand? Something was terribly wrong. He needed to sit. No he needed to kill Spike. Again. He started towards him and it hit him. There was something different. But that can't be. Spike was . . human? Had the amulet made him human? His amulet, the one Buffy took from him to give to Spike. For the first time in many years, Angel was nauseous. At the same time a strong ache in his chest began to grow. He glanced around him searching for a chair and found one.
"Buffy how did this happen?" Angel leaned forward, his head in his hands. Feeling as though he needed to fight to breath. He shouldn't need to breath at all. This was too much. He needed to wake up from this nightmare and now.
"Angel I'm not sure about that. Spike hasn't given us all the details yet." Guilt was a terrible feeling, especially when it was for being so happy about something that hurt someone you cared about.
"Peach. . Angel I need to talk to you. Alone. It's important. You got somewhere we can sit?" He gave Buffy's hand a little squeeze and leaned down to whisper to her. "I need to tell him some things I found out while I was gone. I'll tell you later, just thought since it's about him I could tell him first."
"Alright, what are Dawn and I going to do while you have your little talk?"
"You got cable? Cause there's this thing on VH1 that I wanted to see today." Dawn was starting to wish she had stayed with Xander and Willow. This was boring.
Standing up, trying to regain his composure, Angel pointed down the hall.
"There's a lounge down the hall. The fridge should have food in it. Anything you want that's not there just push the call button on the wall and tell Lily to get it for you. Spike my office is over here. Come on."
He was taking this a lot better than Spike had imagined. He hadn't tried to kill him. Yet. 'Better stay on my toes, he may be setting me up'
Buffy was a little skeptical about the leaving the two alone. There hadn't been any violence. Not even an attempt. What if Angel killed Spike, or Spike killed Angel? She was pulled from her thoughts by a hand that was dragging her down the hallway.
"C'mon Buffy, they'll be fine. They're acting like grownups."
Angel's office was nice. Bloody Hell, it was immaculate. This would be the way to live. Angel opened a cabinet and pulled out a rather large bottle of what looked like scotch. Seems me old grand dad has come to his senses and discovered the wonders of alcohol. Spike strolled over and took the glass that was offered.
"Care to tell me why it was you instead of me?" The smugness drained from Spike as he could feel the pain in Angel's voice.
"They didn't tell me that. Just a few tidbits that you needed to know."
"Well, . . "
"Right then. A few of these details I'm not too familiar with. In fact they don't make much sense at all but here goes. You didn't come back from that hell dimension because of the 1st. It really had nothing to do with it. Said you were released cause of your soul. Something about not being able to keep you there with a soul. When were you in a hell dimension? I thought Buffy killed you." The look from Angel brought him back to his list.
"Something called Shanshu was still to come. What the hell is a shanshu? Is that a good thing? Cause it's just. . ." The smile across Angels face was as big as the scowl had been just seconds earlier.
"Did they say when?" His tone of voice sounded almost desperate.
"Just that it was still to come and that you'd know before it happened. You gonna tell me what a shanshu is?" Spike had been trying to figure that one out ever since he came back. Amazin the things that can get stuck in your brain.
"It was a prophecy we found. It said the vampire with the soul would live until he died. We thought it meant me." Hearing the pain in Angel's voice had taken all the fun out of this conversation.
"It did mean you. I didn't take anything from you if that's what's got you so upset. I got to come back on my own accord. Said I'd been earnin it for a while, but that me goin to get my soul on my own put me over the top." Spike couldn't help but be proud of the fact that he had earned his redemption himself.
"How did you get back here? And how did you find Buffy so fast? She was headed to Cleveland last time I talked to her."
A smile came over Spike's face. This might not be hard after all.
"I remember them tellin me that I could come back, then I woke up exactly where I died. Don't know for sure how I got there or how long I'd been there when Buffy found me. She said she had figured out that I'd be coming back from these dreams she'd been havin. The whelp said they were somewhere in Texas when she told them they had to go back."
"I guess you're here for that little package you left for me to safeguard, huh." Things were looking up. Wes was right about Shanshu.
"Thought I might take it off your hands. Where did you leave it when you moved here?"
Angel reached into his desk drawer and pulled out something tossing it to Spike.
"Here. It's still safe. I left it at the hotel. The combination to the lock on the door is 7 3 0. Just lock it back up when you leave."
Slipping the object into his pocket, Spike tipped his empty glass in the direction of the bottle of scotch. Angel smiled, downed the remainder in his own and motioned towards the lavish chairs across from his desk.
"Have a seat."
x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Buffy sat in the 'lounge' as Angel had called it. She couldn't sit still. The two of them had been in there for a while now. There hadn't been any screaming or sounds of violence. What could they possible be doing for an hour and a half? Dawn had munched on several things from the fridge and had settled herself on one of the couches and taken over the remote for the TV. Maybe she could just sneak down and listen at the door. She stood and took a step in their direction when she heard his voice.
"We'll give you a call when we'll be back through. You let us know if anything changes with that cheerleader of yours."
Stepping out in the hall she could see Spike coming towards her, a smile adorning his face.
"Spike? Is everything ok?" He looked too happy to have just spent that much time in the same room as Angel.
"Everything's fine pet. Just catching up on a few things. You two ready to go? It's after 11 and we haven't eaten yet." Yes. Things had gone very well.
"I'm not hungry; you guys can just drop me by the hotel. The lobby was incredible, I want to check out the rest of that place." Taking the lead Dawn headed back to the elevator they had come up in.
"You going to tell me what went on in there all this time?" Her fear from before turning into curiosity.
"I'll tell you while we eat, let's go." He wrapped his arm around her waist and gave her a little tug steering her in the direction Dawn had disappeared.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Angel sat in silence. Taking in an unneeded breath he looked around his office. He'd give all of this up to be the one with a heartbeat. To be the one who may or may not be a new daddy in the months to come. Spike had given him a renewed since of hope. He would be human again. The phone rang and Angel picked it up.
"Angel, this is Dr. Ross. We've been caring for Ms. Chase."
"Is something wrong?"
"No quite the contrary, she's made incredible improvements in the last few hours. We believe she may be starting to wake up."
"I'll be there as soon as I can." Angel didn't wait for a response, he dropped the receiver and headed out the door. This day just got even better.
Reunions
Stepping from the elevator they were met with complete and total confusion. Angel paled from his normal white to a grey shade of blue as he took in the two figures standing together. He tried to speak but found that his voice had abandoned him. Instead he stood there opening and closing his mouth, eyes wide open. Spike broke the silence that hung in the air.
"Ello Peaches. How ya been?"
"Spike? But. . How?" Spike couldn't help but smile." Buffy you said he died." Angel turned his attention away from him and back to the woman standing at Spike's side and Holding HIS hand? Something was terribly wrong. He needed to sit. No he needed to kill Spike. Again. He started towards him and it hit him. There was something different. But that can't be. Spike was . . human? Had the amulet made him human? His amulet, the one Buffy took from him to give to Spike. For the first time in many years, Angel was nauseous. At the same time a strong ache in his chest began to grow. He glanced around him searching for a chair and found one.
"Buffy how did this happen?" Angel leaned forward, his head in his hands. Feeling as though he needed to fight to breath. He shouldn't need to breath at all. This was too much. He needed to wake up from this nightmare and now.
"Angel I'm not sure about that. Spike hasn't given us all the details yet." Guilt was a terrible feeling, especially when it was for being so happy about something that hurt someone you cared about.
"Peach. . Angel I need to talk to you. Alone. It's important. You got somewhere we can sit?" He gave Buffy's hand a little squeeze and leaned down to whisper to her. "I need to tell him some things I found out while I was gone. I'll tell you later, just thought since it's about him I could tell him first."
"Alright, what are Dawn and I going to do while you have your little talk?"
"You got cable? Cause there's this thing on VH1 that I wanted to see today." Dawn was starting to wish she had stayed with Xander and Willow. This was boring.
Standing up, trying to regain his composure, Angel pointed down the hall.
"There's a lounge down the hall. The fridge should have food in it. Anything you want that's not there just push the call button on the wall and tell Lily to get it for you. Spike my office is over here. Come on."
He was taking this a lot better than Spike had imagined. He hadn't tried to kill him. Yet. 'Better stay on my toes, he may be setting me up'
Buffy was a little skeptical about the leaving the two alone. There hadn't been any violence. Not even an attempt. What if Angel killed Spike, or Spike killed Angel? She was pulled from her thoughts by a hand that was dragging her down the hallway.
"C'mon Buffy, they'll be fine. They're acting like grownups."
Angel's office was nice. Bloody Hell, it was immaculate. This would be the way to live. Angel opened a cabinet and pulled out a rather large bottle of what looked like scotch. Seems me old grand dad has come to his senses and discovered the wonders of alcohol. Spike strolled over and took the glass that was offered.
"Care to tell me why it was you instead of me?" The smugness drained from Spike as he could feel the pain in Angel's voice.
"They didn't tell me that. Just a few tidbits that you needed to know."
"Well, . . "
"Right then. A few of these details I'm not too familiar with. In fact they don't make much sense at all but here goes. You didn't come back from that hell dimension because of the 1st. It really had nothing to do with it. Said you were released cause of your soul. Something about not being able to keep you there with a soul. When were you in a hell dimension? I thought Buffy killed you." The look from Angel brought him back to his list.
"Something called Shanshu was still to come. What the hell is a shanshu? Is that a good thing? Cause it's just. . ." The smile across Angels face was as big as the scowl had been just seconds earlier.
"Did they say when?" His tone of voice sounded almost desperate.
"Just that it was still to come and that you'd know before it happened. You gonna tell me what a shanshu is?" Spike had been trying to figure that one out ever since he came back. Amazin the things that can get stuck in your brain.
"It was a prophecy we found. It said the vampire with the soul would live until he died. We thought it meant me." Hearing the pain in Angel's voice had taken all the fun out of this conversation.
"It did mean you. I didn't take anything from you if that's what's got you so upset. I got to come back on my own accord. Said I'd been earnin it for a while, but that me goin to get my soul on my own put me over the top." Spike couldn't help but be proud of the fact that he had earned his redemption himself.
"How did you get back here? And how did you find Buffy so fast? She was headed to Cleveland last time I talked to her."
A smile came over Spike's face. This might not be hard after all.
"I remember them tellin me that I could come back, then I woke up exactly where I died. Don't know for sure how I got there or how long I'd been there when Buffy found me. She said she had figured out that I'd be coming back from these dreams she'd been havin. The whelp said they were somewhere in Texas when she told them they had to go back."
"I guess you're here for that little package you left for me to safeguard, huh." Things were looking up. Wes was right about Shanshu.
"Thought I might take it off your hands. Where did you leave it when you moved here?"
Angel reached into his desk drawer and pulled out something tossing it to Spike.
"Here. It's still safe. I left it at the hotel. The combination to the lock on the door is 7 3 0. Just lock it back up when you leave."
Slipping the object into his pocket, Spike tipped his empty glass in the direction of the bottle of scotch. Angel smiled, downed the remainder in his own and motioned towards the lavish chairs across from his desk.
"Have a seat."
x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Buffy sat in the 'lounge' as Angel had called it. She couldn't sit still. The two of them had been in there for a while now. There hadn't been any screaming or sounds of violence. What could they possible be doing for an hour and a half? Dawn had munched on several things from the fridge and had settled herself on one of the couches and taken over the remote for the TV. Maybe she could just sneak down and listen at the door. She stood and took a step in their direction when she heard his voice.
"We'll give you a call when we'll be back through. You let us know if anything changes with that cheerleader of yours."
Stepping out in the hall she could see Spike coming towards her, a smile adorning his face.
"Spike? Is everything ok?" He looked too happy to have just spent that much time in the same room as Angel.
"Everything's fine pet. Just catching up on a few things. You two ready to go? It's after 11 and we haven't eaten yet." Yes. Things had gone very well.
"I'm not hungry; you guys can just drop me by the hotel. The lobby was incredible, I want to check out the rest of that place." Taking the lead Dawn headed back to the elevator they had come up in.
"You going to tell me what went on in there all this time?" Her fear from before turning into curiosity.
"I'll tell you while we eat, let's go." He wrapped his arm around her waist and gave her a little tug steering her in the direction Dawn had disappeared.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Angel sat in silence. Taking in an unneeded breath he looked around his office. He'd give all of this up to be the one with a heartbeat. To be the one who may or may not be a new daddy in the months to come. Spike had given him a renewed since of hope. He would be human again. The phone rang and Angel picked it up.
"Angel, this is Dr. Ross. We've been caring for Ms. Chase."
"Is something wrong?"
"No quite the contrary, she's made incredible improvements in the last few hours. We believe she may be starting to wake up."
"I'll be there as soon as I can." Angel didn't wait for a response, he dropped the receiver and headed out the door. This day just got even better.