TITLE: Setting Things Straight
RATING: NC-17
PAIRING: Angel/Spike
SUMMARY: This is my first fanfic. It started off as a rewrite of Season 7 with Buffy going bad not sure where it will end up. Just wondered what would happen if Spike had some real support after he got his soul back

SPOILERS: All mainly Buffy Season 4 & 7, Angel Season 3 & 4
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters; they belong to Joss
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Spike's thoughts

# Angel's thoughts #

Part 16

"Spike, Angel says you have to get up now." Xander's voice yelled through the bedroom door.

Spike lifted his head up and peaked out from under the covers. He took one look at the sunlit curtains and buried his head back under the covers mumbling "It's not even noon yet, stupid wanker."

"Spike." Xander yelled again.

"Piss off whelp."

"Spike, Angel said you have to move now or you'll be late."

"Well Angel can bite my arse for all I care, now piss off and leave a vampire to sleep will ya."

"Okay." Xander replied much to Spikes surprise as he snuggled back down into the covers, enjoying the warm mummy feel and slowly drifting back to dream land.

"WILLIAM UP NOW." Angel's voice boomed in a very Angelus tone.

Spike leapt out of bed eyes still closed and started fumbling for his clothes. Angel stood there smirking loving the fact that he still had a little control over Spike.

With one leg in his jeans Spike finally came to his senses and turned to Angel looking very pissed off. "Why the fuck did you do that?"

"Because we have to go to Buffy's soon." Angel replied.

"I don't wanna go." Spike whined like a child.

"Tough, you're going."

"Why?"

"Because there's lots to sort out."

"Like what?"

"Well there's still The First to deal with."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Well you have yet to give me a good reason why I have to get out of bed." Spike said as he slowly climbed back into bed and pulled the covers over himself again.

Angel sighed and walked over to the bed and lay down next to him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Spike huffed.

"You know you can't lie to me so spit it out."

Spike huffed and sat up "Fine I don't want to go." He pouted.

"Why?" Angel smiled thinking how cute Spike looked all bed ruffled and pouting.

"Because."

"Nope not good enough. Why?"

Taking a deep breath Spike looked at Angel all childishness falling away. "Because of what happened last night with the Turok-hans." Angel gave him a confused look so Spike continued "Until now they, as in the Scoobies, have never really seen me as a threat, an annoyance yes, but never a threat."

"And you're worried that they will treat you differently now?" Angel finished for him. Spike nodded. "Well there's only one way to find out. Look you don't have to come if you don't want to but I'm leaving in half an hour." Angel leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead before leaving the room.

Spike sat there thinking then suddenly threw back the covers muttering, "Bloody hell. Why can't a vampire just sleep in the day and kill things at night. God I hate my life." As he quickly got dressed.

The two vampires carefully extracted themselves from the car and dashed into the Summers' residence under smoking blankets.

"I hate day time." Spike grumbled, still in a bad mood as he straightened his hair while stamping on the smoking blanket.

Angel just rolled his eyes.

"Come on time to face the music." Angel said as he led Spike into the sitting room.

Buffy stood as soon as they entered; still looking red eyed from tears and slowly walked up to Spike and slapped him hard on the face.

"What the fuck was that for?" Spike asked rubbing his cheek.

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you stop me and Riley?"

"Oh that." Spike said looking at an interesting mark on the carpet.

"Yes that." Buffy said tears welling in her eyes as she stood there, hands on hips. The rest of the potentials looking on a bit scared.

Spike sighed and his whole demeanour sagged and he suddenly looked very small.

"Well?"

Spike looked at her not sure where to start.

"You had the strength to stop us." Buffy yelled tears streaming down her face.

"Buffy luv..." Spike took a step forwards trying to take her in his arms.

Buffy backed away folding her arms over her chest. "No. I want to know why you didn't stop it? What we did to you was..." Buffy dry heaved as images flashed through her mind of the torture and rapes she had inflicted on the vampire standing in front of her.

"It wasn't you luv. Don't blame yourself."

"I don't blame myself. I blame you for not doing something about it." Buffy yelled.

Spike took a deep breath "I couldn't let him out. Not in that place."

Buffy looked at him willing him to continue.

Spike straightened and looked at her "I made a choice, and I paid the price." Spike simply stated.

"What do you mean?"

"If I had let William The Bloody out in the Initiative compound then no one would have walked out alive." Spike's voice was like stone. "I would have had no control over him and I doubt I would have been able to get control back from him. We both hate that place with a vengeance. So I made a choice."

"You let us live?" Buffy asked slightly confused.

"No, I let you live. Don't get me wrong if I ever see any of those solider boys again I will kill them soul or no soul."

Buffy nodded "And Riley?"

"Him too, but it will be fast that much I can promise."

"No, make him suffer." Buffy said with a vacant expression. Before shaking her head and looking at Spike saying. "Thank you."

Spike looked at her questioningly.

Buffy looked him straight in the eye "Thank you for letting me live."

Spike held out his arms and Buffy fell into them sobbing. Spike held her close as he ran his hands through her hair "You're worth it luv, you're worth it."

After the tears had dried Buffy said hello to Angel and Xander "Where's Dawn?" she asked.

"Looking after Connor for me." Angel replied.

Buffy smiled a sad smile "In other words she's refusing to let you near him and she wouldn't leave him."

Angel smiled sadly back "Yeah something like that."

"I'm sorry Angel."

"What for?"

"For making you watch." She said as her eyes misted over.

"Hey, no more tears, its done now." Angel said as he cupped her cheek in his hand and brushed away a lone tear with his thumb. "Come on we still have The First to deal with."

"We also have Riley to deal with."

"How do you mean?" Angel asked.

"He wants Dawn."

"Why?" Angel asked.

"Because she is the key."

"He's found a way to harness her power. Hasn't he?" Spike asked.

Buffy looked at him questioningly "Yes. How did you know?"

Spike smirked "You'd be amazed at what I know."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Fine don't tell me. The point is Dawn's still in danger. And we still have no idea how to defeat The First."

"Actually we do." Giles said as he walked forwards.

"Huh?" Came Buffy's confused response.

"Look you lot, I'm starving. You got any blood about?" Spike asked not really wanting to get involved in a deep discussion.

"Yeah in the fridge." Buffy replied before tuning her gaze solely on Giles. Who was already removing his glasses and polishing them.

Spike smiled and left them to it.

Entering the kitchen he spied Kennedy sipping a mug of coffee. "You hiding too?" he asked as he made it to the fridge.

"Yeah, is it that obvious?"

Spike just smiled as he poured his blood into a mug and set the microwave humming.

"Spike?"

Spike turned "Yeah pet?"

"I owe you an apology." Spike looked at her in surprise. "You were right. We aren't trained and we stood no hope of killing one Turok-han let alone three." Kennedy looked at her feet. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Thank you." Spike replied quietly. "So you wanna sneak away to the basement and do some training?"

Kennedy lifted her face and smiled "Sure can you teach me that flip thing you did?"

Spike smiled as he took his blood from the microwave and walked down to the basement. "How about we start with the basics and see what you know already."

Angel looked up and stretched; along with Buffy & Giles, they had been discussing what to do for what felt like hours. He looked around the sitting room and was surprised to see it empty. He was sure when they started their so-called "debate" the room had been full. "Where is everyone?"

Buffy and Giles looked at him questioningly.

"Good lord, I have no idea. Buffy?"

Buffy shook her head as she rose from her chair the others following. They walked into the kitchen it was also empty.

"Okay this is getting freaky, the kitchen is never empty. You don't think The First..."

Angel smiled and walked over to the basement door "No." He said opening it and leading the way down.

Spike stood in the middle of a circle of girls bare-chested taking them through some fight stances.

"So you finally finished sorting out the world?"

"Well no, not really." Giles muttered. "What are you doing exactly?" he asked accusingly.

"What you told me."

"I'm sorry?"

"Your words Watcher "Spike, you're in charge of training." So that's what I'm doing." Spike said innocently.

"Yes quite." Giles quickly turned round and walked back upstairs muttering, "I need a drink."

Spike stood there smiling as he watched Giles' retreating back only to be brought back to earth when Angel thumped him on the arm. "What?" He asked innocently.

"You know what." Angel said firmly "So what are you teaching them?"

"How to swear like a fisherman's wife, the secrets of a good shag and how to piss off everyone else in two words or less." Spike answered cheerfully.

Angel scowled at him.

"Fine I'm teaching them the basics of Tai-chi, followed by the basics in Jujitsu..."

"You know Tai-chi?" Angel interrupted him.

"Of course I do ya wanker."

Angel looked at him disbelievingly "So you taking them through the long chuan form or the sword form?"

Spike just looked at him "Neither." He stated matter of factually "It's the Spike special."

Angel crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow knowing he'd caught Spike wrong footed for once. "Really and why are you doing the Spike special?"

Spike sighed "Because the long chuan form has 108 moves half of which these girls don't need to know and don't have time to learn. The sword form though only having 32 moves doesn't really help them. The Spike special has 20 moves that works every muscle and helps to centre their balance and minds; and most of the forms are defensive. It also takes half the amount of time the others take. That's why we are doing the Spike special." He replied rather smugly.

Angel smiled in spite of being out manoeuvred "When did you learn Tai-chi?"

"Spent six years wondering round China, Japan, Korea and god knows where else." Angel looked at him questioningly "Dru and I were on a break." Spike huffed.

"You mean she dumped you again." Angel snickered.

"Yeah so."

Angel threw his hands up in defeat. "So what's a Spike special?"

Spike grinned, "Join us and see. You coming Buffy?"

Buffy just stood there bemused by the twists and turns her life was taking, nodded her head and walked over to join a rather red faced Xander, whether his face was red from exertion or the fact that he was surrounded by women Buffy wasn't sure, then again it could be the fact that Spike was standing there looking stunning with just his jeans riding low on his hips. Who knew with Xander?

TBC