Part 15: Spike

BOOM!

Everyone stopped what they were doing, to gaze stunned at the open doorway of the mansion. They watched as Spike staggered inside, closely followed by Buffy and Angel. The three Fates trailed behind uncertainly, and quickly went to stand by the druids.

"Just once," Buffy exclaimed, as Angel dragged Spike over to the fireplace and chained him there, "I would like to have one week...Hell! one day where something supernatural wasn't happening!"

In the uneasy silence that fell, Giles asked quietly, "What happen? And why is Spike here?"

Glaring at Angel, Buffy grumbled, "My husband wouldn't stake him...and wouldn't let me do it either!"

In exasperation, Angel turned around and said, "I told you Beloved, I can't allow you to do it. I've already broken two of the rules the vampiric world lives by. If I break a third...they'll send the Taraka Order after me. The only reason they haven't done it before now is because of who I was before I received my soul!"

"You've broken two?" said Spike curiously. "I thought it was just the one: aiding your enemy. Which even I've done, and is the most forgivable of all the rules. Considering everyone breaks it at least once or twice."

"He doesn't know about you killing Darla?" Buffy asked as she looked at Angel.

Spike's eyes grew huge, as he stared at Angel in horror, and stammered out, "You killed Darla? You killed your SIRE!"

Without looking behind him, Angel smashed his elbow into Spike's face. The soulless vampire slumped to the ground unconscious.

In a very quiet voice, Angel said to the Slayer, "No one knew about Darla, Buffy. Everyone thought that you killed her."

"WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU DONE THAT OTHERS HAVE TAKEN BLAME FOR ANGEL!" Buffy shouted.

Willow clung to Oz, shivering, as she asked Giles in a small voice, "Make them stop. Please?"

"BESIDES YOU? NONE!" Angel drew in a deep shuddering breath, then said in a lower tone of voice that throbbed with the rage he felt -- his and the demon's --, "That was one of the reasons I was so feared before my soul. Never once did I break one of the rules set by the vampire world. Not even my grandsire could give claim to that!"

"And who's your grandsire, huh?" Buffy snapped back. "Who is he or she that makes you say that!"

In the silence that fell, Spike said quietly, "The Master."

In a split-second, Buffy's face went from red with anger, to white as a sheet in shock. A shudder coursed through her frame, as Angel reached out to the Slayer in concern.

"Beloved?"

In a weak attempt at humor, Buffy said, "Is it like a rule or something that all of your bloodline have to come to the Hellmouth at least once?"

With an uneasy chuckle, Angel said, "As far as I know, all but Penn have made an appearance."

Buffy then said, a hint of irony in her voice, "Should I even ask?"

Angel leaned forward, and caught his wife's lips with his own. In a soft whisper, as Buffy leaned comfortably against the souled vampire, he then said, "No, Love. You shouldn't."

"Are you guys done being mad at each other?" Willow asked in a strained voice.

Buffy looked up into Angel's eyes, and whispered, "Yeah, Will, we are."

"Good. Now can you answer Giles' question about Spike being here?"

Buffy burst into a fit of giggles -- which she muffled in Angel's shirt--, as Angel said in a dry voice, "Seems Dru dumped him for a Chaos demon, and for some reason decided to come here."

"Felt me sire 'ere, and decided to go to 'im and complain," Spike muttered, looking everywhere but at Angel.

Dropping his face into Buffy's hair, Angel said in a muffled voice, "I should've staked him while I had the chance."

With a groan, Angel fell into bed not long after sunrise. Moments later, Buffy came into the room yawning, Darkmoon following.

"All we need do now is wait," said Darkmoon as Buffy crawled into bed beside her nearly asleep husband. "The Mayor will Ascend in roughly three weeks, and the harpy will show up two weeks after that."

"But what are we going to do with Spike?" Buffy asked as she yawned again.

In a quiet sleep-filled voice, Angel said, "Leave that to me."

Angel gazed down at Spike, his face expressionless. He then turned to gaze around the room, to see what was happening. He watched as the curtains keeping the sun out were removed. Not one speck of sunlight touched where Spike and Angel were.

Once all he had asked everyone to do was done, they left. Even Buffy left, with a last glance at her husband, before shutting the door. Returning his gaze to Spike, Angel -- not to gently -- nudged the vampire, and said commandingly, "Get up, Spike."

After a few minutes' prodding, Spike woke up, and sat up suddenly when he saw the sunlight filling the room.

"What the 'Ell!" he exclaimed.

Instantly, Spike found himself on his feet in a vice-like grip, gazing terrified into his sire's rage-filled eyes. "Never say that word around me," Angel hissed.

The souled vampire released Spike, his eyes returning to their emotionless state, as he said flatly, "Welcome to your version of Hell, childe of my bloodline."

"How so, sire?" Spike asked, his voice spiteful. "My version of that place was when you took Dru from me."

A small cruel smile traced Angel's lips, as his eyes seemed to become red with Hell's fire.

"You experienced then was just the Hell of the mind." If possible, Angel's expression became even crueler. "What you are going to experience now is the Hell of the body...as only one who has survived the torments of Hell can show you."

"No! NO! Please sire! I beg you!" Spike cried out as he cowered away from Angel.

"Why should I?" Angel hissed. "This is nothing compared to what I went through!"

"No more," Spike whispered, shuddering. "Please, I can't take much more."

Angel studied Spike, then nodded once, curtly. "Very well," Angel said as he stood. "Oh, and Spike?"

Spike looked up wearily at his sire, as Angel said, "Next time you come around any I have claimed, you will find yourself dust. And another thing," Angel stepped backwards into the sunlight, and whispered, "I cannot die."

Three hours after sunset, Angel strolled into the high school library. Within seconds, Buffy flew into his arms, and held him in a tight grip.

"It worked?" she asked breathlessly.

Angel pulled Buffy back slightly to look into her anxious-filled eyes, and said softly, "It worked. He won't ever be coming back here again."

"Good." Buffy said firmly, then pulled the souled vampire over to the table where everyone was sitting. "We've had a breakthrough on what type of demon the Mayor's going to turn into."

"We can destroy him by either using a spell...or by blowing him up." Angel looked up from the drawing of the demon he was studying. "I would like to avoid destroying the school as much as possible."

Giles nodded in relief, then asked, "What type of spell would be needed?"

"One that only paladins can use," Angel said as he looked at Buffy.

"Then what are we going to be needed for," asked Xander in annoyance.

Buffy broke away from Angel's gaze, and turned to look at everyone else, saying, "We'll need you guys to distract any reinforcements that he'll probably use to keep everyone together...while we handle the Mayor directly."