TITLE: Blaze Of Glory; Come Back To Me

RATING: R
PAIRING: Angel/Spike
SUMMARY; Sequel to Blaze Of Glory.

SPOILERS: Buffy Season 5, Angel Season 2 episodes 19 to 22 didn't happen, sorry no Fred. Also Joyce did not die.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters; they belong to Joss
FEEDBACK: Always wanted and adored.

A/N: Cause you all asked so nicely, many moons ago, and Setting Things Straight is kicking my arse and I've got itchy fingers!!! Thank you to Belle for giving me the idea for this fic. Thank you to Mera Heaven for all her advice and badgering without which this fic would still be sitting in my head,

A/N 2: I wrote this a while ago and have only just started sorting it out not stuck on StS any more and I would like to thank the queen of commas my beta Ely.

Part 8

"He's at home. He has to be. We're...we just need to get there, and he'll be there," Willow muttered.

"Which home Willow? He might go to his crypt, or Buffy's, or the mansion," Xander said.

"Then we split up." Willow smiled. "Dawnie is going to be so happy when she sees him."

"Right, in the meantime, Gunn and I will take Buffy back to hers and check there," Cordelia said pulling Gunn who had a still unconscious Buffy in his arms.

"I guess Anh and I can check out his crypt," Xander said with a slight shudder, he hated the cemetery.

Willow nodded. "Phone us if you find him."

"Sure," Xander yelled back as he walked away.

Wesley, Tara and Willow started walking towards the Crawford Mansion, quickly jumping out of the way when a small group of Hellions roared past them on their way out of town.

Dawn put the key in the door and opened it. "Angel gave me a key in case of emergencies," Dawn explained as she entered. "ANGEL," she yelled, "ANGELLLL"

No reply came. Dawn turned back and saw Spike standing there in the doorway. "It's okay, you can come in."

Spike smiled a small smile and stepped over the threshold.

Dawn grabbed his hand and led him in, closing the door behind him. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up," Dawn said leading Spike by the hand upstairs to the bathroom. She ran a basin full of hot soapy water before turning and looking at Spike he stood, slumped shoulders hunched over, covered in grime.

"Let's get that duster off shall we and have a look at you," Dawn said as she moved up behind him while Spike shrugged out of his duster. Dawn carefully laid it over the side of the bath. She reached for a washcloth and dropped it into the basin, before wringing it out.

Just then the front door slammed open.

"Dawn! Dawn! Are you there," Joyce's voice rang out.

Spike flinched at the loud sound.

"It's alright, it's just Mom. Stay here," Dawn said as she promptly dropped the washcloth back into the basin and ran to the door. "Its alright – I'm here."

"Thank god! You, young lady, have a lot of explaining to do," Joyce yelled as she and Angel stood at the bottom of the stairs while Dawn slowly started to descend unsure of what to say or do.

"Angel , Mom...I..."

"Dawn, it was very irresponsible of you to..." Angel stopped mid-sentence and Joyce gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

"Look," Dawn said quietly.

"What did you do," Joyce asked

"Me? Nothing," Dawn squeaked.

Spike stood there looking at Angel. Angel stood there staring open mouthed at Spike.

"William..." Angel breathed the word so quietly.

"He's kind of, um ... he's been through a lot ... with the ... death. But I think he's okay," Dawn said quietly before looking at Angel. "Angel, are you okay?"

Angel just stared at Spike, neither of them moving. Spike finally broke eye contact and looked down at his hands. Seeing them covered in blood, he quickly put them behind his back.

"Um, I was gonna fix 'em. I don't know how they got like that," Dawn said quietly.

Angel gasped. "Oh god – Little One, I'm so sorry." Angel finally found his legs and slowly ascended the stairs. "I didn't know. I would never have made you do that again. I'm so sorry," Angel said tears welling in his eyes.

"I had to claw myself out of a bloody coffin again..." Spike gasped as tears started streaming down his face.

Angel ascended the last stair and pulled his boy hesitantly to him. Tears were flowing freely between the four people there. "I'm so sorry Little One. If I had known...if I had known..." Angel sobbed rocking Spike gently in his arms. "You're really back aren't you?"

Dawn descended the stairs and fell into Joyce's arms as they both stood watching the two vampires embrace on the stairs.

Angel finally straightened and drew away, never losing contact with Spike. "Come on," he said leading Spike down the stairs to the sofa by the fire. Angel quickly sat Spike down and sat opposite him still holding his hands.

"Dawn, get some stuff, uh, mercurochrome, bandages," Angel ordered.

Dawn scurried away, quickly reappearing and handing Angle the bits.

"I'll stoke the fire and get this place warmed up," Joyce said moving towards the fireplace.

"How long was I gone," Spike asked Angel.

Angel stared at him. "Hundred forty-seven days yesterday. Uh ... hundred forty-eight today. 'Cept today doesn't count, does it," Angel said with a small smile. "How long was it for you ... where you were?"

Spike thought about it. "Longer," came the simple answer.

Angel just nodded and started cleaning Spike's hands.

Suddenly the door burst open.

"Is he here," Willow's voice rang out.

"You just ran away," Tara stated.

"Are you alright," Wesley asked.

"It was you," Dawn accused, "You bought him back and you didn't tell me."

"Not now Dawnie," Willow snapped.

"Yes now Willow," Dawn said loudly. "You brought him back and you didn't tell me, you could have at least have told Angel. Why?"

Willow stared at her unsure how to answer.

Angel answered for her. "Because they knew there was a chance that Will would come back wrong. So wrong that you'd have...that they would have to get rid of what came back, we wouldn't let her. If any part of what came back was Will, I wouldn't let her. And that's why she shut us out," Angel said looking straight at Dawn.

Dawn swung and looked at Willow accusingly.

"But...But..." Willow stammered. "We did bring him back. We bought him out of hell and home, it worked," Willow said happily.

Spike suddenly stood. "I, I think I...just wanna go to sleep," he stammered

"That's a good idea. You, you should sleep," Tara said quietly.

"Right. Long day. But, Spike...be happy. We got you out. We really did it," Willow said.

Spike just looked at her before turning to Angel. "My room still..."

Angel looked a bit hurt that Spike didn't want to sleep in with him, but quickly covered and said, "Yeah. Yes. It's still your room."

Spike nodded and quickly ascended the stairs.

"Right," said Wesley, "I had better phone the others and check on Buffy."

"What's wrong with Buffy," Joyce asked worriedly as she followed Wesley towards the phone.

Angel stood there staring at the stairs thoughtfully. Then he suddenly turned his gaze on the two girls standing there. "I think its time you left," he stated in a hard cold voice.

Willow looked at Tara uncertainly then turned to Angel looking confused. "But we bought him back?"

"You made him crawl out of a box," Angel stated

"But he's a vampire," Tara simply said.

"That may be, but Will hated it the first time – he had nightmares for years. I made a promise that it would never happen again."

"But we didn't know," Tara said.

"No, you didn't," Angel roared glaring at them. "because you never bothered to ask," Willow shifted uneasily,

Wesley slowly walked over. "Angel? Is everything alright?"

"NoWesley, it isn't. Now I suggest you all leave now."

Tara, Willow and Wesley started for the door. Joyce walked up to Angel and gave him a quick hug. "You look after him. I'll pop by tomorrow evening if that's alright."

Angel nodded and Joyce turned and went towards the door. "Come on Dawn."

"I want to stay," Dawn protested.

"Not tonight sweet," Joyce said taking her hand. "Besides, Buffy was on the phone whining and you know how bad she is as a patient and I'm going to need your help with this one."

Dawn dragged her feet as she walked to the door. Joyce smiled at Angel and he mouthed "Thank you." Joyce just smiled as she closed the door.

Angel stood staring at the door for a moment before he ran up the stairs and gently knocked on Spike's door. There was no answer; fearing the worst Angel quickly shoved the door open. Letting out a sigh of relief as he walked over to the bed and saw a bleached head poking out from under the covers. Angel quietly pulled a high backed leather chair close to the bed and sat staring at the sleeping form of his lover whom he thought would never see again.

Across town in the abandoned warehouse, Darla screamed in frustration. "Imbeciles – how could you let this happen?" She paced back and forth before five Hellions all on their knees, heads pressed to the floor before her.

"Mistress, we humbly beg your forgiveness, but it wasn't our fault. The Slayer had friends, lots of them, and Angelus, he was..."

Darla threw up her hands. "Silence," she screamed, "I don't want to hear excuses."

"Yes mistress," one of the Hellions whispered.

"Just get out of my sight – all of you," Darla said as she turned her back on them and stood thinking.

"Well, that went well. I thought you promised me the Slayer's brain."

"Glory, would you please, just for once, just stop your withering," Darla asked the hell god politely. She was beginning to wonder why she had teamed up with her, she was worse than Dru always hanging around.

Glory stood up straight. "Look here, I may still be recovering after the Slayer, but you owe me," Glory said as she walked forwards.

Darla raised her eyebrow and snorted. "I owe you," Darla screamed, "I don't think so."

Glory stood there hands on her hips. "I did what you asked – I gave you what you wanted."

"I did not ask to become pregnant! I wanted a way to make Angelus come back to me and I fail to see how this will achieve that. I do not want a baby – I want my Angelus back," Darla yelled.

"This is how you will get him back. Just think about it," Glory said losing the strength to carry on fighting as she slumped to the floor exhausted. "I hate this stupid body. I'm so drained."

Darla looked at the hell god slumped on the floor calculatingly. "How long before you start regaining your strength," she asked casually.

"I don't know, everything feels wrong."

Darla nodded thoughtfully.

Spike woke early and groaned as yesterday's events suddenly crashed back into his mind. Slowly he sat up and leaned against the headboard and looked around. His eyes fell upon the sleeping form in the leather chair. A small smile played across his lips as he saw how peaceful Angel looked.

Angel stirred and opened his eyes and smiled. "Hey Little One."

Spike just smiled in response, but it never reached his eyes.

"You want something to eat," Angel asked as he slowly stood and stretched.

"S' okay, I can do it," Spike said as he started getting out of bed only to find Angel looming over him. Spike looked up expectantly.

"Shove over," Angel directed.

"Why?"

"Please Will, indulge me."

Spike shuffled over to the centre of the bed giving Angel enough room to sit next to him.

Angel frowned "You slept in your clothes?"

Spike looked at him blankly, "I was cold."

"Oh," Angel said dumbly as he sat and started undoing his shirt. "What are you doing," Spike asked breathlessly.

"Feeding my boy," Angel answered.

Spike leapt out of the bed. "No," he squeaked.

Angel looked at him confused. "Will?...What?..." he stammered.

"No, Angel. No," Spike said putting his head in his hands.

Angel stood and walked up to him putting his hands on his arms and looked at him worriedly. After a while he said, "Alright. We'll mug it. Alright."

Spike visibly relaxed as soon as the words left Angel's mouth.

"Come on." Angel led him out of the bedroom and downstairs. Spike sat on the sofa, head once again cradled in his hands while Angel went to the kitchen and soon reappeared with two steaming mugs of blood. He handed one to Spike and placed his own on the coffee table while he made up the fire.

"You put marshmallows on the top," Spike said with a sad smile.

"Yeah, Joyce told me how you liked it," Angel explained as he lit the fire. He then sat on the sofa next to Spike and watched.

"Will...Spike...Are you all right," Angel asked

Spike shrugged. "I'm here. I'm good."

Angel nodded thoughtfully. "Will, if you're in...if you're in pain...or if you need anything...or if I can do anything for you..."

"You can't," Spike snapped

Angel nodded his head slowly. "Well, I haven't been to a hell dimension just of late, but I do know a thing or two about torment."

Spike stared down into his cup as if it held all the answers. "I was happy. Wherever I...was...I was happy. At peace." Spike took a shuddering breath. "I knew that everyone I cared about was all right. I knew it," he said tapping his chest above where his heart was. "Time...didn't mean anything...I was still me but different, you know?" Spike tilted his head and looked at Angel. He saw the understanding and looked back at his mug cradled in his hands. "And I was warm...and I was loved...and I was finished. Complete. I don't understand about theology or dimensions, or...any of it, really...but I think I was in heaven. And now I'm not." Tears glistened in his eyes. "I was torn out of there. Pulled out...by my friends. Everything here is...hard, and bright, and violent. Everything I feel, everything I touch...this is Hell. Just getting through the next moment, and the one after that...knowing what I've lost..." Spike sniffed and stood up.

"Will..." Angel said quietly.

"I need to clean up," Spike said. Angel nodded. Spike slowly turned and looked at him. "They can never know. Never."

Angel nodded again unable to trust his voice. Spike stood for a moment then placed his cup on the table and swung round and walked slowly up stairs. Half way up Spike stopped, straightened and said "It's Spike now, William died a long time ago." Angel felt a shudder travel through his body as the words come out cold and emotionless. Spike ascended the stairs. Angel sat there, tears threatening to fall as a multitude of emotions flowed through him all contradicting each other.

TBC