Chapter 1: Coming back

The dim alley was quiet and eerie, only a couple of dog's barks were heard. A dark figure breezed through the empty street; his duster billowed behind him as he treaded in wide steps. He slowed his pace when he sensed something…or someone nearby. Putting a complete halt, he narrowed his eyes and glanced around his surrounding.

The short hair on his nape straightened as he tried to distinct the oddity. He normally didn't bother if it was only a presence of ordinary human being or harmless demon. But he could detect something peculiar…and familiar.

"Who's there? Show me yourself!" He called, eyes searching for the person in question. A rather loud rustle was heard in between empty cardboard boxes and garbage bags. Angel stalked towards the source of the noise warily. It was too dark to see this stranger, he needed to use his vampiric strength to make out its silhouette. Few curses slipped from the person seated in the middle of the boxes and Angel bugged his eyes in shock. He had shaken the thought of the only person that had the uniqueness he had been sensing. Yet he was initially right. There, in front of him, the person he never thought he would see again was trying to get on his feet…his childe.

"Spike? You're alive! Buffy said you-" Angel stopped himself when the man in front of him tilted his head and confusion passed over his features.

"Who are you? What did you call me before?" He drew his brows in a frown and the same emotion crept over the brunette vampire.

"You don't remember me? It's me, Angel."

"No. Should I? What kind of a nancy boy name is Angel anyway?" He snorted, then looked down to himself. Shocked at his lack of clothes, he instantly covered his crotch. "And what in the bleeding hell am I naked like a freshly born baby?" He yelped.

Angel was still frowning as he peeled his duster off and handed it to Spike while mumbling, "Huh. For a person who lacks of memories, you surely have colourful words."

"What did you say?" Spike asked, putting the duster on and buttoned it completely.

"Nothing. We need to get you to my place and figure this out quickly. And I should contact Buffy, too."

"You keep mentioning that name. Someone I know?" The brunette was silenced for a moment, looking at the other man pensively. He doesn't remember anything or anyone at all, does he? Shaking the thought off, he placed a hand on Spike's back and led him to his car.

Just as they were about to reach Angel's vehicle, Spike suddenly held his head in his hands and screamed painfully. He crouched down to his knees, blurry images flashed into his mind swiftly and he pressed his digits on his skull desperately as if to lessen the pain.

"Spike, you alright?" The larger man's voice didn't seem to get through his brain as he stared blankly at the empty space, hands slowly dropping to his sides. Angel shook his body harshly but he stayed motionless, his expression was unreadable as if he was lost. All he could hear was the distant voice that uttered the same words over and over again, though he couldn't understand what it was saying.

A shadow slowly appeared amid white fog and neared him. It was a female figure but its visage was still unclear. She extended her hand to him and called him in a gentle voice. "Spike…" He was unmoving, his lips slightly parted. The female stranger called him again, and again, and again until her voice lowered and gradually became a male voice.

"Spike!" Angel shouted at his face, shaking his body more forcefully. Spike blinked, finally stepped out of his stupor. He looked at the brunette who had worried expression across his façade.

"What?" Spike asked numbly, his breath somewhat turned into pants. A jolt of surprise coursed through Angel as his ears picked up a sound that only human being could produce. A heartbeat. A raced heartbeat. Why didn't he recognize that before?

"Y-You're human!" He exclaimed incredulously.

"What?" The other man asked again, now rather in confusion. The vampire didn't answer him. Instead, he helped him on his feet and gestured him to climb into the convertible.

"We need to get you to hotel as soon as possible." With that said, Angel turned the steering wheel and drove into another empty LA street.

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The double front doors of Hyperion Hotel were swung open and all of the original AI employees turned their heads to the two men that just entered.

"Spike?" The former watcher stared at the blond man in shock. Confusion once again reached Spike as he stared back at Wesley. It seemed like every one knew him yet he didn't recognise any of them.

"Whoa, whoa! Don't tell me this is Spike, your childe, Angel!" Gunn spoke up while eyeing Spike. Angel glanced at the man next to him before turned his attention to his employees.

"Yes, he is. Somehow he returns to earth…as human." He walked further to the lobby with Spike in tow. Frown washed over the AI employees at the revelation.

"Y-You mean someone has resurrected him? Like Darla?" Fred asked.

"God, I hope not. Who would want to do that anyway?" The brunette vamp scowled. Spike glared at him instantly.

"Well, then if he wasn't resurrected, the only way for a vampire to return as human is if he-"

"Shanshued." Wesley cut off Fred's sentence. "The prophecy has happened. Spike shanshued and he is now human." He immediately fled to his office and searched for a certain ancient book.

Angel was taken aback, then laughed incredulously. "No, that's not possible, Wes. This is Spike we're talking about here. Yes, he had a soul but didn't you tell me that the prophecy was about me? I mean, come on. What had he done to deserve this?"

"Um, Angel…" The brunette watcher looked up from the book he just read. "The prophecy never mentioned anything about a cursed soul." Angel looked perplexed.

"Oh." He glanced at the blond man with slightly narrowed eyes. "Great! First he got a soul and now he took my shanshu." He mumbled to himself, miffed. Spike eyed the vamp before he turned his head to the rest of people in the lobby.

"What are you people talking 'bout? Vampire, prophecy…what in the sodding 'ell is happening 'ere?" Spike asked, more confused than ever. These people surely had lost their minds. They kept discussing about supernatural things as if they happened everyday.

"Wait, you don't remember?" Wesley stepped towards him with a frown.

"No." At the single word Spike supplied, Wesley turned his head to look at Lorne who had been strangely quiet ever since Angel and Spike arrived. The psychic demon heaved a sigh in exasperation.

"Oh joy! I'm sensing singing coming on." He said in a fake enthusiasm. Rounding the lobby desk he guided Spike upstairs. "Let's get you clean up and nicely clothed, shall we? And then you can sing for me afterwards." He smiled to the blond man who eyed him warily nevertheless followed his order in reluctance. "Just hope you won't give me any miserable and sorrow." He mumbled under his breath, smile still plastered on his green face.  

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"Lorne, open up! You can't do this every time I ask you to read someone's mind." Angel pounded on the demon's door loudly, waiting for it to be ripped open.

"Well, if you didn't ask me to read someone in sorrow, maybe I would've opened this door by now." Angel drew his brows together.

"What do you mean someone in sorrow? Spike was in sorrow?" A beat of silence passed before Lorne decided to open the door and let the vampire in.

"It was terrible. Somehow I didn't feel or see anything happened to him after he was…you know, dusted." Lorne sighed as he slumped into his couch and Angel followed, sitting next to him.

"Spike was dusted? How?"

"Didn't the blond slayer tell you how he died?" At the shake of head Angel gave him, he looked down thoughtfully. "I guess she was too heartbroken to tell you how it happened." He frowned at Angel's sudden outburst of laughter. Yet he still continued in a quiet voice. "She loved him, Angel. I don't know if it still matters to you that she had moved on but-"

"How do you know she loved him?" Angel stood up abruptly, looking down to the demon in disbelief.

"She told him. And I still can feel what he felt. It was true joy and happiness…and loved. But all the while, he also felt sad and sorry…or maybe it was pity." For a minute, Lorne spaced out, his mind replaying the scene of the final battle in the school basement.

The vampire sat down again, agape at the discovery. "You said he was in sorrow. Is there more I should know about?" His voice was quiet. The fact that the former woman of his existence was in love with her once mortal enemy still hadn't sunk in fully.

"There is a lot more but I don't think it's none of your business. It rather involves him and the slayer." At that, Angel snapped his head to him, rage started to build as thoughts of Spike hurting Buffy flashed across his mind.

"You mean he hurt her? Because if he did, I swear I'm going to kill him myself, human or vampire."

"Whoa…hold on, knight in shining armour. It wasn't like what you thought it was." Lorne paused for a while and then mumbled to himself. "Although he did try once."

"He did?!?"

"AND he felt very horrible about it. That's why he went to get his soul back." Lorne quickly spoke up before his boss got more pissed off. Angel eyed him warily.

"What did he do?" He spat, trying to control his rage.

"It's none of your business, Angel and it will stay that way. It's between him and the slayer. Besides, it's not like Spike was the only participant in the wrecked relationship."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Again, none of your business, remember? And now that I've told you, so shoo! I need to get my beauty sleep." Lorne hurriedly ushered Angel to the door and locked it immediately before Angel could protest.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Angel waited patiently for the phone to be picked up. Three rings later, someone on the other line greeted him. "Hi, may I speak to Buffy, please?" He waited again as he was put on hold. A female voice soon filled through the speaker and he instantly recognized it. "Buffy, guess who's just come back to earth!" 

to be continued.