Chapter XII, Bandaged Mental Wounds,

Angel walked up to Spike, who was still sleeping on the couch, and sat down beside him. Buffy had called him and after calming her down, he had found out what had happend. He was a little shocked to hear the Darla hadn't listened to him when he told her to take care of him. 'She kicked him out?' He thought. 'He didn't know how to survive on his own! How could she do that to him? I thought he ran away from them, thats why I was so mad at him.' He felt guilty about leaving him though. He knew he could have taken William with him, but he didn't want William to see him like that. He knew William would have accepted him no matter what he was like, but in the state he was in at the time, it would have put a lot of pressure on William. He was also a little shocked the Spike had openly confessed to the whole Scooby gang.

"Spike?" He whispered, trying to wake up the sleeping vampire. There was no responce. "William?" He said a bit louder. Spike slowly opened his eyes and looked at Angel. He saw the look in his sire's eyes and smiled slightly.

"Angelus?" He asked. Angel laughed.

"Not quite..." He said. "But I can try." Spike jumped into Angel's open arms and for the first time in a hundred and twenty six years, he cried. Angel sat there holding the smaller vampire in his arms. About half an hour and a soaked shirt later, Spike climbed off of Angelu... Angel and sat down beside him. Buffy had left after letting Angel in and had left the two alone. Now there was an akward silence between them.

"Why did... how... Why didn't you take me with you?" Spike asked, not sure what to ask first.

"I don't know." Angel confessed. "I guess I was to scared of what you would think of me." Spike looked at him as if he were crazy.

"You know I wouldn't have cared what you were like." Spike said.

"I know, its just..." Angel didn't know what to say. "Buffy told me about Methalious." He said. "She also told me about what he did to you." There was a pause and Spike looked at him, wondering what he was going to say next. "I'm sorry." Angel said.

"Are you feeling ok?" Spike laughed. Now it was Angel's turn to be confused. "You just told me you were sorry." Spike pointed out. Angel thought about the situation and laughed. "Never thought I'd here you say that is all, took me by surprise." Angel laughed. There was another akward silence before Spike looked at him again.

"Why did you give my ring to Buffy?" Angel looked at him in confusion.

"What?"

"When you turned back into Angelus, You said you gave the ring I gave you to Buffy. You said the one you were wearing you bought yourself." Spike said looking down at the ring on his hand. Angel looked at him simpatheticly. He couldn't remember what Angelus had done to him, but he could tell it wasn't good.

"This is the ring you gave me, I havn't taken it off." Spike smiled a bit. Angel looked down at his hands, not sure of how to ask Spike the question thats been bugging him. "What did Angelus do to you?" Angel asked. "I mean, the second time, the first time I can remember. But... when I lost my soul again it's all a blur. I remember you being there but I can't remember what happened." He looked over to see that Spike's eyes were emotionless which was so unlike him. Usually there was some kind of emotion. Let it be hatered, love, anger, mischief... anything. But not now. Now his eyes were blank. "Spike what did he do to you?" Spike snapped out of the tance he was in and looked around.

"Nothing." He said before standing up and walking over to Gile's 'Liqour cabnet' and poured himself a glass of brandy.

"Your lying." Angel said, standing up and walked over the the counter where Spike was standing. Spike turned away from him and stared into his glass. "There's something your not telling me, and I want to know what it is." Angel said, and took the glass away from him. "What did he do?"

"HE RAPED ME!" Spike yelled. "Now you know, you happy?" Angel looked like he had been slapped in the face as Spike walked away from him and sat down on the couch, his back to him.

"No." He said. "What ever he did, I'm sorry." Spike sighed.

"It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that, its just..." Spike put his head back on the couch as Angel sat back down beside him. "I don't like talking about it ok?" Angel nodded. "It wasn't exactly the greatest thing you've... er... he's ever done to me."

"What is?" Angel asked.

"What is what?"

"What is the greatest thing he's done to you?" Spike thought about it a moment and shrugged.

"I don't know. Turned me I guess." Spike said. "Even though there are times when I wish he hadn't. Like when I met Methalious." He said. "You know its not even the fact that he raped me you know." He said going back to the previous topic. "I mean, I would have if he had asked its just... The way it happened... It reminded me to much of Methalious." Angel looked at him and smiled.

"You wanted me in that way." Spike looked at him.

"No, but I would have let him if he hadn't forced me." He shrugged. "I would have let him do anything." Spike said. Angel looked over at Spike and put his arm around him. Spike leaned into the embrace and smiled. "Kinda reminds me of the old days." Spike said.

"Do you miss them?" Angel asked.

"What the old days?" Angel nodded, Spike laughed. "Minus Darla and Dru, of course I do."

"I thought you loved Dru." Spike shook his head.

"No, I was just clinging to what I had left of those days." Spike said. "Why do you think I was so happy when you came back as Angelus. I didn't know he was different." There was another silence that was just on the brink of being akward.

"So, Methalious came back huh?" Spike nodded and hugged Angel tighter.

"Don't let him take me away from you." Angel nodded and kissed Spike's head.

"Don't worry I won't"

TBC... (Hums tune from jepordy) Oh hi... well... almost done... I think... maybe... should I have a sequel? Yes, No... anyway, next chapter up hopefully within the next... lets see I have an hour left before bed so... Maybe a short chapter... Maybe I'll type some more at school... I dunno... PLZ R&R