Until Reinforcements Arrive

Disclaimer: No pocket lint anywhere, must be a curse. Without pocket lint there's nothing.

Summary: Angel has come to help Spike whose power is building and needs to be controlled. Will they be able to save him?

Reviews: Yes please. Hey guys? Can someone please go r&r 'And This Lasts How Long?' so you can tell me what's wrong with it? I don't think anyone liked it but I can't fix it if I don't know what I did wrong. THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE GREAT REVIEWS!

A/N: Loving all the great feedback I've been getting. Keeps the muse happy, she really has no life. Don't know where this is going but the ride should be interesting. These people are still not sharing what they're going to do next so I guess we'll all find out together.

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Wesley and Cordelia rushed into the office where Angel was pacing agitatedly. Fred had retreated back upstairs to her room, as she was still wary of straying too far away from the safety of her own space.

"Angel, what's wrong?" Wesley asked.

"I don't know for sure. Spike's in trouble. I can't reach him. We need to go." Angel said, heading for the door.

Cordelia grabbed his arm. "We have to wait until dark. You'll do him no good if you're a big pile of dust."

The tall vampire looked down at her. "You're right. The instant that sun is down, we're going."

"Have you contacted Rupert?" Wesley picked up the phone, fairly certain that he already knew the answer.

Angel had the grace to look down. "No, go ahead. See what he knows."

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Giles answered the ringing phone in the Summers kitchen. "Hello, Summers residence."

"Rupert, I'm glad you're there. It's Wesley. Angel seems to think there's a problem with Spike." The younger ex-watcher said.

"Wesley." Giles turned around to gaze at the vampire in question. The blond had panic written all over his face. "Angel is, again, quite right. There does seem to be a problem. Yes, he's right here." He added in response to Wes's enquiry into Spike's whereabouts.

Wes looked over at Angel. "He's there."

Angel took the phone away. "Let me speak to him." He said to Giles.

"I can give him the phone but he seems to be unable to speak at the moment." Giles told the older vampire.

Giles walked slowly over to the table. He held the phone out to Spike, who looked at it as if it were a cross. The older man gently put the receiver into Spike's hand.

Xander and Dawn looked on with concern as the phone shook on its journey up to his ear. He opened his mouth but still couldn't make a sound.

They could hear Angel speaking. "Will, I know you can hear me. Calm down. It's okay. I'm coming as soon as it gets dark." Spike closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. "I need to know what happened. Talk to me." He commanded, in full Sire mode.

Spike tried again to speak but failed. With his eyes still closed, he opened the link. This time Angel was able to reach the younger vampire. 'Will, tell me what's wrong.'

'Sire, it's getting out. The magic. I can't stop it. It will hurt people if I let it loose. It's stronger than I told you it was. There's no limit to this power. It will take me over and I can't stop it.' The young wizard pleaded.

'Will, we're coming. I'll help you. We can beat this. Just hold on.' Angel sent assurances to his panicked Childe. He spoke aloud. "Give the phone back to Rupert."

Spike opened his eyes and held the phone out to the older man, his tremors a little less violent than they were before. Giles listened as Angel explained the problem. "Yes, I suspected as much. I'm sure there's a solution. We'll see you soon." Replacing the receiver, he sat down next to Spike.

Making sure he had Spike's full attention, Giles spoke quietly. "Spike, I'm beginning to believe that containment is no longer an option. We have to help you gain control of your power. That's the only way. The magic needs to become part of you. You need to accept it as part of your natural abilities. That means you need to use it. Don't let it use you. You have denied having your power for too long. Do you understand?"

Terror filled blue eyes wandered from one human to the next. Didn't they know what they were asking him to do? He could only see compassion and concern on their faces. He began to calm down. His Sire was coming and like a small child, he felt that would fix everything. Didn't they know that in vampire years he was still very young? Sure, he'd killed hundreds of people and two slayers, but then he was just trying to keep up with his family. He could feel the power starting to stretch out into his system. He could almost imagine the little sparks of electricity coursing through his veins. Could he use the power without losing himself? He was a lot older than the twenty year old fledge that he'd been when he'd been cursed, yes, cursed with the magic. Forcing the terror back, he looked at the former Watcher.

Giles watched the myriad of expressions cross Spike's face. He could tell the vampire was still afraid of the scope of his power but realization was also dawning in the deep blue eyes. He hadn't a clue what had actually happened the last time Spike's magical power had been given full rein. But, judging by the young wizard's terror, it couldn't have been good. The final expression on Spike's face was one of resolve. Rupert allowed himself the small amusement that Spike's resolve face would rival Willow's at any time.

Spike wondered at the spark of humor gleaming in Rupert's green eyes.

Xander noticed the 'resolve face' as well and allowed a small smile to grace his own face. He let out a little sigh of relief. "I knew you weren't going to flake on us." He told the blond. The glare he received was well worth the gibe. That meant Spike wasn't lost to them. The intense hatred he'd once felt for the chipped bloodsucker had softened over the summer to an occasional bout of irritation.

Dawn was the first to realize that Spike still hadn't spoken. She reached over and took his hand, on top of the table this time. She could feel the tremors still running through the slender fingers. "Come on now. I need you to talk to me. We need to know how we can help you." She watched closely as Spike visibly attempted to speak.

He swallowed, licked his lips and took a deep breath. Clutching Dawn's fingers, he concentrated on overcoming his hysterical muteness. "I'm hungry." He said almost inaudibly. Instantly his mug filled itself with fresh blood. The vampire looked at it, startled, then wrinkled his nose. Staring at it for a moment, the surface of the red liquid shimmered for a fraction of a second. A sigh of both relief and regret escaped. A smile quickly followed the sigh. He gazed at Dawn. "I did it. I controlled it." He marveled very quietly. She beamed at him.

Giles removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. Relief flooded through his being. A smile lit his face. It was a good beginning. He knew, even if the others didn't, what Spike had just accomplished. The mug had initially been filled with human blood and Spike had changed it. He'd resisted his natural instincts and rejected the lure of the original contents in favor of the less appetizing animal blood. Giles watched as the blond sipped the nourishment. They still had a very long way to go but it was indeed a very good start.

Xander caught the former watcher's attention and motioned his head toward the living room. They quietly moved into the other room so they could confer in private, or at least as private as they could get with a hearing enhanced vampire in the house.

"It's going to be hard, isn't it?" Xander asked, his attention still on the couple in the kitchen.

"Extremely." Giles confirmed, cleaning his glasses. "Angel will be here in a few hours. He can help Spike learn to control his power. He knows techniques and meditation practices that will help. It's going to take a while. He's going to need all the support we can give him. He admitted to being addicted to the power and it's going to take a lot to keep it from becoming an addiction again. That much unleashed power could be catastrophic."

The young brunette paced. "That means we have to help in whatever way we can. For Dawnie's sake we can't let this thing beat him. The last person we need starting another apocalypse is Captain Peroxide in there. We can't ask Willow for help, she's having her own magical issues. She's having a hard enough time accepting the possibility that Spike has more power than she does. I wish I knew just why she has a problem with that, but I don't."

"It was her practicing magic in this house without informing anyone that brought this whole problem out. The magical build up gave Spike a migraine and caused him to release the power in the first place. He just had to show off. Sometimes I wonder if he'll ever grow up." Giles said rather heatedly.

"Never planned on it, Mate." Spike said as he leaned against the doorframe. At the look on Giles's face, he smiled. "Not to worry, been kicking myself for that little display since about a second after the first petal hit the floor. I know it's my fault. That I shouldn't have been playing with the magic. And I should have told everyone about the power a long time ago. But I had truly forgotten I had it. It wasn't until you showed up to cleanse the house that I understood what was going on."

"Making up for your bout of silence, are you, Spike?" Xander teased.

"Well, I can't let you always do all the talking, can I Whelp?" Spike responded. A hint of fear still lingered in his dark blue gaze but the determination to beat the fear shone clearly on his lean features. "When did Peaches say he was going to be here?" He asked Giles.

"They were leaving as soon as it got dark, which would be just about now, and it will take them a couple of hours to get here." Giles answered.

The platinum head nodded. "That's right, he told me. Was just too out of it for it to sink in. Never meant for the lot of you to see just what a wreck I really am."

"Aw, Spike, we knew you were a wreck years ago." Xander informed him seriously.

"I'd be careful if I were you." Spike stated, he looked at the young man and concentrated.

"Hey! Put me down!" Xander yelped as he rose six inches off the floor.

"Okay." Spike shrugged and let him drop back down gently. He glanced at Giles as the older man started toward him. "It's okay Rupert. The magic isn't completely free yet so what is out is controllable. I was just panicked when I realized I wouldn't be able to contain it any more. You made me realize I have to control it. That I have no other choice. Last time it had free rein, I almost lost myself. I couldn't face that again. But I can't do it alone. I do need all the help I can get, but I can't ask that of you all."

"I'll help you all you need, but you have to leave me on the floor." Xander said with his feet firmly planted on the carpet.

"Sorry, I just realized that sparring with you could be a whole lot more fun." Spike stated with pure glee. "But I promise I'll leave you on the floor." He continued. "Did you ever call me in?" He asked suddenly.

"Oh, man, I forgot. I'll do that now." Xander headed for the phone. In a few short minutes, he arranged for Spike to have an indefinite leave of absence. Something Spike viewed with dismay, as he couldn't pay the bills without his paycheck. Xander noticed the dismay on the blond's face. "We'll figure something out. Don't worry."

The vampire nodded but still worried his lower lip with his teeth. He couldn't afford to be out of work for long.

Dawn came into the room and noticed her 'brother's' distraction. She glared at the other two men. "What did you do now?" She demanded.

"Nothing, Bit. I just realized I can't go to work for a while. Was just a bit concerned about finances. We should be okay. I have some set back." He didn't but he didn't want Dawn to worry about money. That was his job. His look at Giles and Xander warned them not to say anything about his lie.

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Xander went home a little while later saying he had to rescue his home from all those girls. Spike, Dawn and Giles were quietly watching television, quiet except for the problem of Spike changing the channel when Giles had the remote. The fifth time he did it, the older man got annoyed.

"Spike, could you please stop that?" He asked.

"Can't help it Rupert, you keep stopping on boring shows. I'll try not to do it any more. Just find something decent to watch, eh?" The younger man defended himself.

Dawn jumped up to answer the knock on the front door. She hugged Cordelia and Angel, giving Wesley a smile in greeting. "Great. Someone to referee. We're having the battle of the channel changers here." At the trio of puzzled looks, she waved her hand. "Giles has the remote but Spike keeps changing the channels."

Angel smiled, his Childe was better. Cordelia still had 'huh?' written all over her face and Wesley just looked intrigued. Giles rose to greet the newcomers. Spike waved a hand in greeting. Angel was the only one who heard the younger vampire's unneeded sigh of relief.

"Rupert." Wesley walked forward and extended his hand.

"Wesley, good to see you." Giles shook the proffered hand. "Did Angel tell you what was going on?"

"He told us some of it. What's been happening since we left Los Angeles?" The younger Brit asked. The two former watchers moved into the dining room to sit down and discuss the developments since Wesley's call. Wesley was amazed at Spike's seemingly amazing progress until Rupert admitted that he felt the young vampire was holding on by sheer force of will and out and out stubbornness. The last statement earning a big grin from the younger watcher. "Like Sire, like Childe?" He muttered softly. Giles nodded with a grin of his own.

Cordelia and Dawn sat down in the living room with Spike so they could catch up. Cordy was interested in Spike's problem but had resigned herself to a passive role. She was primarily there to help Dawn.

Angel took over the easy chair and silently watched his Childe talk to Dawn and Cordelia. He knew he was the only one who felt the massive waves of unease still pouring off the blond. Spike looked completely comfortable sprawled out on the unfamiliar sofa but Angel could see the restlessness of his hand as it tapped out a silent tune against one leg. Well, maybe he wasn't the only one who knew of Spike's nervousness as he watched the teenager pick up the tapping hand and lace her fingers through it, holding it still. The older vampire noted the way the pale slender fingers grasped the small warm hand as if holding a lifeline.

Dawn leaned over and whispered in Spike's ear, earning a sheepish grin and a nod. She looked over at Cordelia. "Would you like some dinner?" Dawn asked.

"That would be great." The older brunette smiled.

"Come on, then." Spike said as he got up. The girls followed him into the dining room with Angel silently coming in after them. "Okay, I need dinner orders. As it's kinda late we're going to use a short cut. Don't know how it'll work out but I'm gonna try. Okay, everyone find a chair." Everyone including Angel sat. "Now, ladies first. Niblet, what would you like?"

She grinned. "Pizza." A small pizza with her favorite toppings appeared in front of her.

"Cheerleader?" Spike was relieved with his small success.

"Um? Chicken cordon bleu?" Cordy asked.

"What do you want with it?"

"Rice pilaf and green beans, please." The plate appeared instantly.

"Wesley?" Spike turned to the younger man.

"Spike, what are you doing?" Wes asked.

"Making dinner and practicing magic control." Was the simple answer. "Now what would you like? Pretend you're in your favorite restaurant."

"Well, in that case, lasagna would be lovely." A steaming plate complete with garlic bread appeared. "Oh my." Wesley looked startled.

"Just don't breathe on me or Peaches. Right?" Spike turned to Giles. "Rupert?"

"Curry?" Giles requested.

"Hot or mild?" Spike wanted to know.

"Hot please." He answered. The plate appeared, laden with fragrant Indian cuisine. "Dear Lord." Giles murmured.

Two heated mugs of blood appeared on the table, one in front of Angel and the other at the vacant spot next to Dawn. Spike took his seat and looked around the table at the stunned faces. "Well, eat up and tell me how I did." He noticed something. Instantly glasses of water appeared at each place. Another omission was instantly repaired by the appearance of silverware and napkins. Dawn and Angel both noticed the tiny tremors of Spike's fingers as he reached for his mug. The blond avoided their eyes as he took a drink.

Everyone sampled their dinners and without further hesitation began eating hungrily. Each one complementing Spike on his efforts.

Angel was troubled. It didn't seem possible that Spike would recover so completely, so quickly. Then again, he mused, maybe the bleached menace wasn't quite as recovered as everyone thought. He watched his Childe closely, noting the almost unnoticeable shaking hands and the fear lurking in the dark blue eyes. He remembered clearly the events of the last time Spike's power had been out of control. It had nearly destroyed them all. He wondered if the headache had struck yet. They needed to find a way for Spike to control his power and avoid the migraines.

The girls dealt with the clean up as the men discussed sleeping arraignments. It was decided that Angel would share the basement with Spike. Spike used magic to place another twin bed down there. Wesley and Cordy opted to check into a motel. There was no sign of Willow or Tara and the group decided not to wait up for them. Giles decided to remain on the sofa for another night.

It started out as a peaceful night; Angel was the first to awaken when the night terrors struck.