Decernere, Part Five: Angel
Author: Batdz Angel (0/)
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any of its characters. They are the property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. This is just a way to honor them. And the song belongs to Yellowcard.
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Spuffy. Mentions of Tara/Willow, Anya/Xander, Spike/Dru, Dru/Angel, Angel/Cordelia, and Angel/Buffy.
Summary: After Spike's death at the hands of Glory, Buffy, Angel, and their friends find themselves learning about vampires and slayers. And the reason an insane vampiress chose a quiet, shy poet for her Childe.
Season: Alternate Season Five ending/Season Six.
Author's Note: For some reason, Drusilla started talking when I was writing a completely different story. So, here's the result of a moment that was supposed to be a fluffy Spuffy ficlet but wound up being something else entirely.
His Childe was gone.
He'd felt it, of course. The ache in his chest had been sudden and he had dropped his mug of blood with a start as he stumbled forward. Cordelia had been worried sick but he'd managed to convince her that he was fine, it hadn't been anything important.
But that ache had grown stronger and he had felt surprise, acceptance, sadness, and grief. He had felt Spike's death and it shook him to the core.
He was gone. Wild, quick-tempered, passionate Spike was no longer among the undead. He would never walk back into his life with a saucy and bellowing, "Peaches!" and laugh as he threatened to kill him. He would never send him postcards from all over the world with the words Hate you. Still got the soul? Spike scrawled on them and he would never be able to apologize to him for not giving him the benefit of the doubt...
He waited two weeks until the ache became to hard to ignore and called Sunnydale. He dialed Giles's number and when the Watcher came onto the line, asked about his errant Childe. There had been silence over the line and Angel swallowed the sudden lump in his throat before saying he would be there in the morning.
He called Buffy next and when she had answered the phone, had only been able to say, "When?"
She had grown quiet and then in a whisper, "How...?"
"He was mine Buffy," he says pained. "When?"
"Two weeks," she says and there is a catch in her throat that he notices and his unbeating heart hurts for her.
"What did he do?" he asks, dreading the answer.
"He helped save the world," she replies and then the story comes tumbling out, all of it and he is filled with shock and pride at his Childe. His Childe helped save the world, all for a young girl and his love for Buffy...
"Are you doing okay?" he ventures and Buffy says nothing before saying, "I'm dealing Angel. I promise."
"Buffy," he says. "It's okay. It's Spike. And you. I get it."
"Do you?" she asks and there are tears in her voice. "Do you really?"
"Yeah," he says and the ache in his chest is painful to the point his eyes water but he pushes it aside. He knows his Childe was in love with the Slayer, had felt it even as he died, and he mourns for Buffy because if anything, Spike would have loved her to the end of time, and he would have made her happy. And all Angel ever wanted was for her to be happy.
"Good," she says with quiet laugh. "Because I don't sometimes."
"I'll see you in the morning," he promises and when they hang up, he immediately prepares to leave for Sunnydale. He is on the highway within a few minutes, Cordelia by his side, and as he drives towards the Hellmouth, the ache in his chest is even more painful than before. He doubles over the wheel, manages to pull the car to the side of the road, and he can hear Cordy screaming his name even as he passes out from the pain.
End Part Five