Disclaimer: Joss and countless others own and distribute the actual BTVS.
I just change things around to where I like it.
Authors Note: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Reviews were much appreciated.
Neo: This is a Buffy/Spike story although to warn you there is a little Angel/Buffy but it's essential to the story line and I think you'll miss a lot if you skip the parts with him in it. It will be worth it in the end. P.S. I'm not particularly fond of Buffy/Angel either. Please keep reading.
Theoneandonlygurl: The reason that Angel's the link has a lot to do with the whole story and definitely will be revealed in due time. Thanks so much for your review. -Grace
Since Willow left things have been pretty quiet. Giles, Dawn, Harris and his girl have gone to the kitchen to formulate some sort of plan involving Angels presence when he finally does arrive, and I've been left here with Red's girlfriend. She's very shy and I'm thankful that I'm not really burdened with coming up with something to say. In the hours it's been since Red left I think that we've said perhaps five things; I don't exactly mind. My concentration has been focused on Buffy.
She hasn't said anything since the last "Angel" and that was about forty- five minutes ago. Can't say that I miss hearing that name. It's enough that I'll have to deal with the real thing soon, I don't need to know about what's running through her mind in regards to him. Was bad enough to have to call on him for help in the first place, I don't want to be talking about him now. Said Vampire seems to be stuck in my head though so it really doesn't make it that much better. Talk about him or think about him, it's all the same. I wonder when it was the last time that I saw him. It's been awhile, and if we were a normal family I would say too long.
I'm lost in my thoughts, barely noticing everyone's return from the kitchen. I look up into blank faces and my first thought is well, it doesn't look like they found much.
"Find something?"
"Not much, there's surprisingly little written about unexplained coma like trances. At least most of the time when she's unconscious it's because she's fallen from a building, or been hit by a gravestone. Something of the sort, but there's really nothing that explains this. Is Willow back yet?"
"Does it look like she's back?" I ask annoyed. What am I? Everyone's babysitter? "I'm going to say that you'd have been the first one she would have approached upon her return so uh, no."
"Okay, I get your point Spike. No need for forceful words."
I can't help but chuckle, forceful words. He hasn't begun to hear forceful words. Maybe he'll understand what that phrase really means when Angelus arrives. I'm really somehow doubting that his being here is going to be just a day in the park. If it weren't for Buffy, I wouldn't even be sticking around for it.
"What's the plan watcher?"
"To be honest Spike, there really isn't one. We've been online for hours trying to find something that even slightly resembles this and the closest we've come is a lucid dream. Of course, she would be able to wake from one of those so we're still as clueless as we were four hours ago."
"Can't we just shake her really hard?" The Wanker actually has the nerve to ask "Maybe that would help."
"Xander, we've gone over this before. If Spike's shaking her can't wake her up, then our doing the same isn't going to make any sort of difference. No, we'll wait for Willow, perhaps she's found something."
"Yeah, Will always comes through."
I sure as hell hope so; I'm getting tired of the drama of the entire situation. If this had happened a couple years ago I would have had no problem with waking her up with violence but now, I wouldn't do it. Not that a nice little spot of violence isn't needed every once in awhile, but now is definitely not the time. Besides, what sort of man beats a woman when she's asleep or unconscious or whatever the hell she is. I was that man but I'm not anymore, I love her too much for that.
"Isn't it about time for Angel to get here? It has been awhile since we called." Tara quietly voices her question.
"He should be here soon. If everyone could just be patient, I'm sure we'll have Buffy back with us within the hour."
"You won't have to wait long."
I can feel the tingle throughout my skin, I imagine this is somewhat Buffy's spider sense must be like. The cold shiver running along my spine. I know that feeling, I know that presence and I can smell him as if he were standing directly beside me. The whole of it gives me a huge rush, it always has. I hear the car doors slam outside.
"Why's that?" The Watcher asks
Car doors? Two doors. I wonder who it is that he brought with him. I wonder why he would have brought anyone with him. I'm surprised that he would even want anyone to know he was on his way here to Sunnydale. He's supposed to be so high and mighty, completely over her but that's obviously not true because he wouldn't have rushed to be here by her side if he were. I hear the weight on the wooden stairs outside, causing them to strain and stretch under the added weight. One step, Two...
"Because he's here."
The third step and the fourth before I hear his hand on the doorknob. I too have to brace myself for his entrance. I swallow hard, waiting for the moment I knew would always come. I knew that there would always be another time in our un-lives when we would see each other again. I knew that I couldn't stay away from him forever. It's only a brief moment before the door is thrown open and I look out onto the two forms of Angel and...Willow?
"Hey guys," she closes the door behind both of them "Angel picked me up. Nice of him huh?"
Not surprisingly the poof is already at Buffy's side, holding her hands in his. Didn't even bother to say hello to the Slayer's friends. He acts as if he never left and as if this is the only place he should be. He gently strokes her face, and I can feel a lump rise up in my throat. This is completely wrong; he shouldn't need to be here for her to get well again. I hate that he has this to hold over my head. The fact that he can save her when I can't. It's not from lack of trying, I can tell you that.
"It's worse than you made it sound Spike." He finally looks up after what seems like forever. "You should have called sooner."
"For someone who's only just arrived, you're really surprisingly insightful. It's too bad you haven't been here for the last four hours. Then you'd really know how bad it is." I'm fucking angry now. "And you know, the worst part of it is that she can't seem to get you out of her head. Angel this, Angel that. It's enough to make a person sick. I know I am."
Instantly he's on his feet, inches away from me. Eyes staring dangerously into mine just daring me to say just one more word. He looks me up and down gauging the threat I pose to him. It's been such a long time; it really is amazing how nothing ever changes. I think he'll always be the same each time I see him. That ridiculous hair of his, his dark eyes, generally somber tone, his crazed temper. Pathetic. And of course, blaming me right away for something that has nothing to do with the situation. It never fails; in his eyes I'll always be the one person that could never measure up. God I hate him.
"You want to pick a fight with me then do it," he growls "be not now, not here."
I won't fight with him now; I won't beat the shit out of him here. I won't jeopardize the woman I love. Of course that doesn't mean that I don't want to hurt him, it just means that I won't. I am the first one to move and I step around him, returning to Buffy's side under Angels careful watch, wishing I could talk to her, even if for a moment, to tell her once again how much I love her, but I know I don't dare. If Angel found out now, if I even dared to chance it, then we would never get anything accomplished today and Buffy would be lost to us for even longer. She'd be lost to me. There will be time for everything later. I can feel his eyes burning holes in the back of my head, his glare is almost deadly, but I do get some satisfaction in the fact that he left her a long time ago, she isn't with him, and I'm making him incredibly jealous at this very moment.
Willow launches immediately into what her suspicions are, about Teleportation being a suspect because of time issues. Giles quickly confirms her suspicions by calling all of the local airports. They have no record what so ever of a Buffy Summers flying either in or out anytime recently. That leaves really only one option, and Red beams at the thought that she possibly could have solved this problem. Of course, that still doesn't take care of the other issue at hand, the fact that Buffy's back doesn't actually mean Buffy's back.
It's almost funny in a way. Two master Vampires fighting over a Slayer. What a twisted sense of humor the Powers that Be have, to play with our lives as if we were puppets. I wonder how Angel thinks he's going to fix this. I sure as hell don't know but I'm not going to let anyone see that. A few words have been exchanged between the poof and Rupert and it seems that things are about to begin. I feel a hand on my shoulder, Angel's invitation for me to move. I look up into his face, completely unable to read what I see there. For the first time in years I realize that I really don't know this man at all anymore. Back when we were all together years ago I could have told you everything about what he was thinking or feeling with just a glance at his face, now, not much comes through to me. I do move away from her, but only just enough to intercede if she is in any way hurt or in pain.
"I guess you could just try talking to her first, and we'll go from there."
Angel nods before settling in beside my Slayer. I listen intently as he talks to her, just basically at first without any reply from her, and then he hits on something. The fact that he's the one doing the asking hasn't escaped her as I had somewhat hoped. And she does actually reply to his questions regarding the two of them. Every question he asks is eventually answered and that slow happy smile on her face tears me up inside. Angel too is smiling in reply to their conversation. That smile makes me want to let the demon loose. Questions of times and places, all answered and I find myself interested in the fact that she thinks she's somewhere in the future. An upcoming Apocalypse to be exact. Possibly the Prophecy to occur in a couple weeks? Maybe, it's hard to tell. A house, she's in a house, in a room with no windows and she's of course, there with Angel. She reveals to him, and to everyone else in the room, that they were together. Physically together. Great, I was kind of hoping that that would go unnoticed. "Buffy, can you see me now?"
"Yeah, you're sitting next to me on the bed. Is this some kind of game? All the questions? Because I'm really starting not to like it, can't we just get to the kissing?"
"Soon, soon." He agrees. "I just want to talk to you now okay?"
"'Kay. But hurry it up, I don't feel so good."
"What's wrong?"
"My chest hurts, and my head too. I'm so hot I just feel like I'm going to explode. And I keep thinking about things that I've never done, people I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"Like somebody's invading my head. These aren't my thoughts."
"Whose are they then?"
"How am I supposed to know. I didn't say to anybody, here, look! Come inhabit my mind."
Giles looks in my direction with a scowl on his face. I guess I'm completely behind this then aren't I? She did technically invite me into her mind once she attached my soul to hers, but I was kind of hoping that she wouldn't suffer because of it. Looks like we do know why she's in this state then. All my fault and Rupes and I are the only ones who know about it.
"So tell them to get out and lets go. You want to see the sun anyway don't you?"
"Yeah, this room is ugly without windows to see the sunrise. But no we can't go, I'll die if we do."
"No, I'll die if we do."
"What?"
"The sun, I can't be in the Sun." he insists.
"No, I can't be in the sun." Buffy insists. "You of all people should know that."
"Why not?"
"Because silly, I'm a Vampire."
Authors Note: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Reviews were much appreciated.
Neo: This is a Buffy/Spike story although to warn you there is a little Angel/Buffy but it's essential to the story line and I think you'll miss a lot if you skip the parts with him in it. It will be worth it in the end. P.S. I'm not particularly fond of Buffy/Angel either. Please keep reading.
Theoneandonlygurl: The reason that Angel's the link has a lot to do with the whole story and definitely will be revealed in due time. Thanks so much for your review. -Grace
Since Willow left things have been pretty quiet. Giles, Dawn, Harris and his girl have gone to the kitchen to formulate some sort of plan involving Angels presence when he finally does arrive, and I've been left here with Red's girlfriend. She's very shy and I'm thankful that I'm not really burdened with coming up with something to say. In the hours it's been since Red left I think that we've said perhaps five things; I don't exactly mind. My concentration has been focused on Buffy.
She hasn't said anything since the last "Angel" and that was about forty- five minutes ago. Can't say that I miss hearing that name. It's enough that I'll have to deal with the real thing soon, I don't need to know about what's running through her mind in regards to him. Was bad enough to have to call on him for help in the first place, I don't want to be talking about him now. Said Vampire seems to be stuck in my head though so it really doesn't make it that much better. Talk about him or think about him, it's all the same. I wonder when it was the last time that I saw him. It's been awhile, and if we were a normal family I would say too long.
I'm lost in my thoughts, barely noticing everyone's return from the kitchen. I look up into blank faces and my first thought is well, it doesn't look like they found much.
"Find something?"
"Not much, there's surprisingly little written about unexplained coma like trances. At least most of the time when she's unconscious it's because she's fallen from a building, or been hit by a gravestone. Something of the sort, but there's really nothing that explains this. Is Willow back yet?"
"Does it look like she's back?" I ask annoyed. What am I? Everyone's babysitter? "I'm going to say that you'd have been the first one she would have approached upon her return so uh, no."
"Okay, I get your point Spike. No need for forceful words."
I can't help but chuckle, forceful words. He hasn't begun to hear forceful words. Maybe he'll understand what that phrase really means when Angelus arrives. I'm really somehow doubting that his being here is going to be just a day in the park. If it weren't for Buffy, I wouldn't even be sticking around for it.
"What's the plan watcher?"
"To be honest Spike, there really isn't one. We've been online for hours trying to find something that even slightly resembles this and the closest we've come is a lucid dream. Of course, she would be able to wake from one of those so we're still as clueless as we were four hours ago."
"Can't we just shake her really hard?" The Wanker actually has the nerve to ask "Maybe that would help."
"Xander, we've gone over this before. If Spike's shaking her can't wake her up, then our doing the same isn't going to make any sort of difference. No, we'll wait for Willow, perhaps she's found something."
"Yeah, Will always comes through."
I sure as hell hope so; I'm getting tired of the drama of the entire situation. If this had happened a couple years ago I would have had no problem with waking her up with violence but now, I wouldn't do it. Not that a nice little spot of violence isn't needed every once in awhile, but now is definitely not the time. Besides, what sort of man beats a woman when she's asleep or unconscious or whatever the hell she is. I was that man but I'm not anymore, I love her too much for that.
"Isn't it about time for Angel to get here? It has been awhile since we called." Tara quietly voices her question.
"He should be here soon. If everyone could just be patient, I'm sure we'll have Buffy back with us within the hour."
"You won't have to wait long."
I can feel the tingle throughout my skin, I imagine this is somewhat Buffy's spider sense must be like. The cold shiver running along my spine. I know that feeling, I know that presence and I can smell him as if he were standing directly beside me. The whole of it gives me a huge rush, it always has. I hear the car doors slam outside.
"Why's that?" The Watcher asks
Car doors? Two doors. I wonder who it is that he brought with him. I wonder why he would have brought anyone with him. I'm surprised that he would even want anyone to know he was on his way here to Sunnydale. He's supposed to be so high and mighty, completely over her but that's obviously not true because he wouldn't have rushed to be here by her side if he were. I hear the weight on the wooden stairs outside, causing them to strain and stretch under the added weight. One step, Two...
"Because he's here."
The third step and the fourth before I hear his hand on the doorknob. I too have to brace myself for his entrance. I swallow hard, waiting for the moment I knew would always come. I knew that there would always be another time in our un-lives when we would see each other again. I knew that I couldn't stay away from him forever. It's only a brief moment before the door is thrown open and I look out onto the two forms of Angel and...Willow?
"Hey guys," she closes the door behind both of them "Angel picked me up. Nice of him huh?"
Not surprisingly the poof is already at Buffy's side, holding her hands in his. Didn't even bother to say hello to the Slayer's friends. He acts as if he never left and as if this is the only place he should be. He gently strokes her face, and I can feel a lump rise up in my throat. This is completely wrong; he shouldn't need to be here for her to get well again. I hate that he has this to hold over my head. The fact that he can save her when I can't. It's not from lack of trying, I can tell you that.
"It's worse than you made it sound Spike." He finally looks up after what seems like forever. "You should have called sooner."
"For someone who's only just arrived, you're really surprisingly insightful. It's too bad you haven't been here for the last four hours. Then you'd really know how bad it is." I'm fucking angry now. "And you know, the worst part of it is that she can't seem to get you out of her head. Angel this, Angel that. It's enough to make a person sick. I know I am."
Instantly he's on his feet, inches away from me. Eyes staring dangerously into mine just daring me to say just one more word. He looks me up and down gauging the threat I pose to him. It's been such a long time; it really is amazing how nothing ever changes. I think he'll always be the same each time I see him. That ridiculous hair of his, his dark eyes, generally somber tone, his crazed temper. Pathetic. And of course, blaming me right away for something that has nothing to do with the situation. It never fails; in his eyes I'll always be the one person that could never measure up. God I hate him.
"You want to pick a fight with me then do it," he growls "be not now, not here."
I won't fight with him now; I won't beat the shit out of him here. I won't jeopardize the woman I love. Of course that doesn't mean that I don't want to hurt him, it just means that I won't. I am the first one to move and I step around him, returning to Buffy's side under Angels careful watch, wishing I could talk to her, even if for a moment, to tell her once again how much I love her, but I know I don't dare. If Angel found out now, if I even dared to chance it, then we would never get anything accomplished today and Buffy would be lost to us for even longer. She'd be lost to me. There will be time for everything later. I can feel his eyes burning holes in the back of my head, his glare is almost deadly, but I do get some satisfaction in the fact that he left her a long time ago, she isn't with him, and I'm making him incredibly jealous at this very moment.
Willow launches immediately into what her suspicions are, about Teleportation being a suspect because of time issues. Giles quickly confirms her suspicions by calling all of the local airports. They have no record what so ever of a Buffy Summers flying either in or out anytime recently. That leaves really only one option, and Red beams at the thought that she possibly could have solved this problem. Of course, that still doesn't take care of the other issue at hand, the fact that Buffy's back doesn't actually mean Buffy's back.
It's almost funny in a way. Two master Vampires fighting over a Slayer. What a twisted sense of humor the Powers that Be have, to play with our lives as if we were puppets. I wonder how Angel thinks he's going to fix this. I sure as hell don't know but I'm not going to let anyone see that. A few words have been exchanged between the poof and Rupert and it seems that things are about to begin. I feel a hand on my shoulder, Angel's invitation for me to move. I look up into his face, completely unable to read what I see there. For the first time in years I realize that I really don't know this man at all anymore. Back when we were all together years ago I could have told you everything about what he was thinking or feeling with just a glance at his face, now, not much comes through to me. I do move away from her, but only just enough to intercede if she is in any way hurt or in pain.
"I guess you could just try talking to her first, and we'll go from there."
Angel nods before settling in beside my Slayer. I listen intently as he talks to her, just basically at first without any reply from her, and then he hits on something. The fact that he's the one doing the asking hasn't escaped her as I had somewhat hoped. And she does actually reply to his questions regarding the two of them. Every question he asks is eventually answered and that slow happy smile on her face tears me up inside. Angel too is smiling in reply to their conversation. That smile makes me want to let the demon loose. Questions of times and places, all answered and I find myself interested in the fact that she thinks she's somewhere in the future. An upcoming Apocalypse to be exact. Possibly the Prophecy to occur in a couple weeks? Maybe, it's hard to tell. A house, she's in a house, in a room with no windows and she's of course, there with Angel. She reveals to him, and to everyone else in the room, that they were together. Physically together. Great, I was kind of hoping that that would go unnoticed. "Buffy, can you see me now?"
"Yeah, you're sitting next to me on the bed. Is this some kind of game? All the questions? Because I'm really starting not to like it, can't we just get to the kissing?"
"Soon, soon." He agrees. "I just want to talk to you now okay?"
"'Kay. But hurry it up, I don't feel so good."
"What's wrong?"
"My chest hurts, and my head too. I'm so hot I just feel like I'm going to explode. And I keep thinking about things that I've never done, people I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"Like somebody's invading my head. These aren't my thoughts."
"Whose are they then?"
"How am I supposed to know. I didn't say to anybody, here, look! Come inhabit my mind."
Giles looks in my direction with a scowl on his face. I guess I'm completely behind this then aren't I? She did technically invite me into her mind once she attached my soul to hers, but I was kind of hoping that she wouldn't suffer because of it. Looks like we do know why she's in this state then. All my fault and Rupes and I are the only ones who know about it.
"So tell them to get out and lets go. You want to see the sun anyway don't you?"
"Yeah, this room is ugly without windows to see the sunrise. But no we can't go, I'll die if we do."
"No, I'll die if we do."
"What?"
"The sun, I can't be in the Sun." he insists.
"No, I can't be in the sun." Buffy insists. "You of all people should know that."
"Why not?"
"Because silly, I'm a Vampire."