As Angel decended the steps he looked up, only to see Buffy cradled in Spike's arms. He could feel the jealousy rising in him. It almost felt as though Spike had taken over his life.
"Evening." Angel first cleared his throat and then spoke.
"Hey Angel." Buffy quickly removed herself from Spike, and sat up, fixing herself like a teenager caught by a parent.
"Evenin' Peaches." Spike smiled.
Buffy looked at Spike, "I think I am going to escape this incredibly uncomfortable moment, and go tell Dawn about what's happened."
"Right love, don't let her pass out." Spike said with a smile, and kissed Buffy on the forehead before she got up and headed for the staircase.
"How'd she take it?" Angel asked tentatively.
"As expected I suppose. She made some remarks of disbelief and proceeded to pass out, a successful reintegration followed."
"Great." Spike could tell that Angel's voice was tinged with jealousy, that he had hoped she would reject Spike.
"You know, I didn't ask to be brought back here. What happened between me and Buffy when you were gone, I figured it long over, for her at least. Didn't have much left to live for, so I thought I'd use my end for a purpose. Of course it didn't work out as planned, but what does?"
"Yeah, fine."
"Don't 'yeah fine' me! You're my Grandsire, the closest thing to family I got, the least you could do is be honest with me!" Spike stood up and pushed Angel, "What do you want to fight is that it? Get your high and mighties out with a good old round of beat the hell out of Spike? Well go ahead then, get it out, cos I'm not gonna sit around here while you brood and fix your hair with the ol' misery hair gel!"
Angel punched Spike, and knocked the air out of him. Spike got up quickly though and, punched Angel in the mouth, splitting his lip, and then high kicked Angel in the chest. Both were surprised at the apparent more than human strength Spike posessed. Insurance, The Powers and their damn insurance Angel thought to himself. Spike tried to throw a punch at Angel, but he grabbed his arm, pulling it around to Spike's back, pinning it, and pulling him closer to Angel. "Is this what you wanted Spike? A bit of the old days? Fists and Fangs? Too bad you're a bit short on the fangs these days." Angel butted his head into the back of Spike's skull and pushed him down to the ground.
"Bloody Hell!" Spike yelled and grabbed his head.
"That's what I thought Spike, I'm still better than you, and you'd do best to remember that."
"My. Head. Is. Killing. Me. Pain. What the?" Spike's eyes rolled up to the back of his head and he curled up on the floor.
"What did you do to him!?!" Buffy ran down the stairs, Willow and Fred weren't far behind. "Jesus Angel, he's human, couldn't you take it out on someone else?"
"But he started it!"
"Yeah, I'm sure, stop being so adolescent." All three girls glared at him.
"But really! I swear, he started it! And he's really strong, not stronger than me, but strong, so its not like the fight wasn't fair." Angel was trying to be convincing.
Buffy grabbed Spike. "Spike can you hear me?"
"My head, it's pain." He said as he opened his eyes. "Thanks a lot mate." He said as he looked up to Angel.
"But, come on! I didn't hit you that hard!"
"I meant thanks a lot for just standing there staring at me, I think one of those visions you're girl Friday used to have just lobotomized me."
"See? I told you it wasn't my fault!" Angel crossed his arms over his chest.
"What did you see?" Fred asked.
"You know, typical girl in peril, dark alley, three ungodly pale vamps trying to make a snack out of her."
"Any idea where?"
"Seventh and Vine. Oh yeah, the vamps are each wearing some sort of ring with this blue stone in it, might want to grab one up if you can."
"Ooo is it that time again? I've just been itchin' to kill somethin.' " Faith announced coming out of the kitchen. Everyone turned and glared at her. "What? Not in a homicidal way! Gotta make sure they didn't spread those slayer powers too thin!" A collective breath of relief could almost be heard.
"Yo count me in, it's been a while since I've gotten to kill something that wasn't controlled by a people eating god." Gunn joined her.
"I'll go get Kennedy, you know she'll want in on this." Willow ran upstairs.
In a few minutes, Gunn, Faith, Kennedy, and Angel were well equipped with weapons and heading out the door.
Spike was still recovering from his first vision when Dawn came down the stairs.
"Well if isn't my little bit?"
Dawn walked up to him and slapped him, hard across the left side of his face. "That was for dying on us." She then proceeded to slap him across the right side of the face "That was for not telling us when you got back." She pulled her hand back for another when Spike reached out and grabed the wrist.
"I get the point Dawn. I'm sorry."
"I know, I just always wanted to slap someone like that!" Dawn smiled and reached out her arms to hug Spike. "I'm glad you're back, even if I was all jerky before."
"Beef or Turkey?"
"What?"
"Jerky, get it beef jerky? Oh never mind."
"Did they send you back with an even worse sense of humor? Cos that was lame with a capital la."
"So big sis' let you in on all the details then?"
"Yeah, somehting about Powers and stuff, I don't know, I'm just glad you're back. I was gonna call and get a pizza, cos I'm famished, and all previous attempts at the Dawn Summer's anchovy tortilla pizza have been failures. How do you feel about anchovies?"
"Don't know 'bout anchovies but this whole needin' food to survive thing has me a bit peckish."
Spike and Dawn headed to the kitchen, "After you Miss Summers." Spike held open the door and made a sweeping gesture wit his arm.
"Aren't you all gentleman like?"
"Well a man should have manners." Spike smiled at her.
"I am happy you're back."
"I know bit, I know." Spike said as he followed her in.
An hour later Angel and company returned.
"Were they supposed to be all gooey?" Kennedy asked.
"Yo, that was sick, and I mean that in a literal way." Faith replied.
As the four of them entered the lobby all heads turned to them. They were covered in blue goo.
"What happened to you?" Wesley asked.
"The Vamps, man, I never seen anything like it, when we killed 'em..." Gunn started.
"They didn't turn to dust, they turned into this, " Angel reached in his pocket and reached out with a hand of the blue substance, "and sort of exploded."
"Did I mention it was sick?" Faith asked.
"Amazing, I've never heard of this happening, are you sure they were vampires?" Giles walked over to the group.
"They looked like vampires."
"They were definate members of the undead club, I didn't see a soul on them, and they were definately vamps." Angel added.
"Camille-Varian." Spike said loudly. "They were Camille-Varian Vamps."
"What?" Giles asked.
"I'll match that, and raise you a Huh?" Buffy added looking surprised.
"What like I can't know anything?" Spike asked in defense. "They're vamps, a clan out of the Netherlands, me an' Dru crossed their paths 'bout 20 years ago in Amsterdam, scary, scary freaks, surprised I didn't recognize them."
"Yeah and that's sayin' a lot considering who you were with." Angel added, giving Spike the eye.
"But what about the goo? The goo is not very vamp-like." Kennedy asked.
"I've heard of them, they aren't like other vampires." Wesley said, "They aren't ex-humans, they are ex-demons who were turned hundreds of years ago."
"So how does that make them vampires exactly?"
"They are like regular vampires in every other regard, they drink blood, can die by the same means, they just were never human. Few demon races can be turned, fewer still that will take a human-like form. Most of these clans were wiped out during the crusades."
"Umm weren't the crusades about religion or something?" Dawn asked.
"Different crusades, these were carried out by vampires looking to cleanse the demon-vamp clans out. They almost succeeded."
"From what I'm covered in, I'm thinkin' they missed a group." Gunn said.
"Let me get a sample of that, I can take it back to the lab, I mean my lab." Fred grabbed a jar and filled it with goo.
"Oh yeah, I got you that ring you saw." Angel walked over and dumped a load of goo containing a ring on Spike's lap, "Sorry I didn't have a chance to clean it up."
"Sarcasm will get you nowhere mate." Spike scowled at Angel.
"It should be smelly, I mean with it being all jello like, it should be smelly, like blue rasberry or something." Buffy said as she poked at the goo, "But it's definately fragrance free."
"Fred are you headed over to the offices now?" Wesley asked.
"Yeah I better start running some tests on this right away, I'm not sure if it will spoil."
"Ooo like a science lab? Can I come too?" Willow asked,
"I'll join you. Rupert, would you like to join me, I've got books you talk to and the words appear, its amazing."
"Yes, we can take the ring, see if there is any information on it. You really can talk to your books?" Giles asked in eager anticipation. Wesley nodded.
Willow, Fred, Giles and Wesley headed off to the Wolfram & Hart offices. Angel, Gunn, Kennedy and Faith hit the showers.
"Mmm, I'm all yawn-y again." Buffy said as she raised her arms over her head in a yawn.
"You're best not to do that, causes a yawn-chain-reaction." Spike said as he too yawned.
"I think I'm gonna head up, I'm sleepy, again." Buffy looked at Spike, trying to read his reaction.
"I think I'm a bit knackered out myself."
Buffy and Spike headed upstairs. They stopped outside Buffy's room.
"Buffy, I..."
"Don't say it, I know, we won't be sharing beds."
"Is that alright?"
"I'm a big girl, I think I can fight the closet monster all by myself." Buffy smiled.
"Goodnight, love." Spike leaned in and gently kissed Buffy on the mouth, it was a quick, chaste kiss. It made Buffy want more.
"Yeah. 'night." Spike headed down the hall to his room. Before he went in, he turned and looked at her, gave her a little wave and went in. Buffy leaned against her door with a sigh. She went inside and crawled into bed. It was nice to not have to be the one covered in goo all the time she thought. She rolled onto her side, and fell into a deep sleep. It may have been deep, but it was by no means restful.