Regret
Disclaimer: I own my candy corn. What little I have left that is.
Summary: A couple of guys have some regrets.
Reviews: The response to the last chapter blew me away. I love all of you. Readers Rock but REVIEWERS RULE!!
A/N: A few of you left reviews that I feel just scream for an answer. Here they are. Thanks to all of you.
Hieiko: Since you didn't venture a guess, I don't know if you were right. Everyone else has been wrong though.
Raiining: I'm wounded. :,,( I was the one who made Spike a wizard with suppressed powers. Although the magic became less of a major part of the story than his emotional and mental problems.
Imzadi: I guess Jake didn't have any Wheatabix when Will came back. Now really, how surprised are you that he would like something with little marshmallows in it?
Demonica Mills: Sorry, I forgot about the evil female watcher. Will correct that when Wes explains it to Jake.
Veganschoolgirl: You're welcome, I review what I like. Me? Cruel? Thanks!
SpikedAngel22: Not that I have anything against Spike/Angel stories (been reading a lot of them lately) I just don't feel brave enough to write one. The Spike/Angel meeting is pretty inevitable, should be soon.
WayWard Childe: Insolence? Kill? Eeep! And may I add Yikes! Please, O Dark One, don't kill me lest I never finish the story and no one ever finds out what Wes saw. (snicker) You leave the best reviews. Thanks.
To everyone else who reviewed but didn't leave anything I felt needed a comment or defense, thank you so very much for your remarks and support.
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Angel got out of bed and slid back into the clothes he'd shed just a few hours before. The need to escape the echoing accusation grew overpowering so he fled the bedroom. He made his way downstairs and sent Gunn up to the room he stayed in whenever the job kept him there late. Angel wearily sat down at the desk and called Wesley. He'd barely told his friend what happened when the line went dead. He dropped the receiver in frustration and glared at in impotently. He settled in to think and sat that way for a time. He'd heard Will's voice over the phone. He was curious about why the other vampire had been so anxious to have Wes hang up. He worried the problem around until he got a headache.
He went into the kitchen and got himself a mug of blood. Carrying it back to the desk, he sat down to brood some more. Not that he would have admitted to brooding. He checked the time and realized someone should call England and tell Giles and Willow. Picking up the phone again, he placed the call.
"Hello?" Giles answered the phone in the new Watchers Council and Slayer Training Center.
"Rupert." Angel said.
"Is something wrong? Is it Buffy? Dawn?" The former watcher caught the undercurrent of stress in the vampire's voice.
"No. They're fine. It's just…" He paused. "Spike."
"Angel, Spike is gone." Giles reminded him gently. The elder watcher knew Angel had been having a difficult time dealing with his Childe's death. He was the only one the vampire had confided in.
Angel laughed. Rupert was concerned to hear that there was no humor in the sound.
"Angel, what's wrong? What about Spike?" The questions rang clear over the international call.
"He's back." Silence followed the simple announcement.
Later Angel would swear that he'd heard Buffy's father figure clean his glasses. "Dear Lord." Giles breathed. "I don't think I will ever become accustomed to hearing statements like that. First Buffy and now Spike. How?"
The elder vampire recounted all the events of the past few days beginning with Dawn's discovery of the paintings and ending with the aborted phone call of just a little while ago.
"We're coming." Rupert said simply.
"Thanks." Angel told him.
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In England, Rupert turned to Willow and repeated everything Angel had told him. He sat down and tried to absorb the information as he recited it. Willow was momentarily speechless. She got out the number for Xander and quickly called him to give him the news. Once he got over the shock, he asked them to make arrangements for him to Los Angeles as well. Willow promised to call him with his travel itinerary.
"Buffy and Dawn are with him?" Willow asked for confirmation from Giles.
"Yes. Angel could not go with them as the mention of his name and the sound of his voice triggers a migraine." He confirmed.
"Goddess, poor Spike." Willow twisted her fingers in distress for a moment. "I could go look for some spell that might help. Maybe I can find a way to negate the power of the amulet."
"That's a good idea. But bring the books with you and make sure your cell phone is charged in case Buffy gets a chance to call." Giles picked up the phone to call a ticketing agent. "I'll make the travel plans."
The redhead nodded and raced upstairs.
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Angel hung up his phone and heaved an unneeded sigh. He still had a few hours to go before any of the humans got up. He glanced at the monitor and noticed that Lindsey was stirring. The vampire decided to go down and talk to the lawyer who'd been an irritant for years.
Heating the leftover tacos for the prisoner, Angel took them down to the basement. He set the plate and a can of soda on the floor and backed up to sit in a chair across the room.
"What have I done to make you hate me?" Angel asked softly.
"You make my bosses mad and when they're mad, everyone suffers." Lindsey told him bitterly as he popped the top on the can. He took a long drink then glared at this captor.
"Who suffers?" Angel couldn't prevent his curiosity.
"Me, my friends." Lindsey hesitated. "My family." The last was added almost too quietly for the vampire to hear.
Angel looked up sharply. "They threatened your family?"
"Why else would I go back? I used to enjoy my job with them. I made a lot of money. I had some power. Then you came along. Everything began to focus on you. You threatened their plans. You ruined everything. After Darla I was out. I was almost free. But they threatened my family and here I am, right back in the fold. So, yeah, I like making you miserable. Just as miserable as I am." Lindsey shoved his plate aside, his anger taking away his appetite.
"But what did I do? Why take it out on me?" Angel got up to pace.
"You killed Darla." Lindsey glared at the vampire. "If I can get rid of you they'll let us go. You should have worn the amulet. We both would have had what we wanted."
"I wish I had." Angel muttered.
"But that would have left them open to start their own apocalypse. You wouldn't have enjoyed your humanity very long. You need to find out how to keep them from getting it back. I don't know how. I don't think anyone does. They didn't expect it to come back. They need it but it's not vital. You know?" Lindsey laid down on the bed and turned away from Angel.
Feeling oddly dismissed and immensely unsatisfied, Angel went back upstairs. Cordelia was making a fresh pot of coffee. He walked up behind her. She stiffened as he slid his hands around her waist.
"I'm mad at you." She hissed.
He put his chin on her shoulder. "I'm sorry." He whispered in her ear.
"Doesn't help." She concentrated on filling the filter with fresh grounds.
"I love you." He tried again.
She shook her head, her fragrant dark hair tickling his nose. "I love you, too. But you were a jerk last night. You have to trust Wesley. He knows what he's doing."
"But it's Spike." Angel knew it was a lame defense.
"The Spike who doesn't know who he is. The Spike who gets a migraine, which I can certainly sympathize with, whenever he hears your name or voice? That Spike?" She turned in his arms and kissed him.
She smiled when he nodded sheepishly. "Wesley will call when he can. You know that it's possible Wolfram and Hart will cause us a lot of problems if they find out about Spike. I don't think this will last too much longer."
"Did you have a vision?" Angel asked worriedly.
Cordy shook her head. "No. I just have a feeling that Spike's natural impatience will come out and drive him to seek the answers. Now that he's seen Buffy, I don't think a little case of amnesia will keep him from getting back with her. You saw how much she loves him. That is not the same slayer I met at Sunnyhell High."
"I called Giles and Willow. They're coming." He told her.
She beamed. "Great! Will can go shopping with me." She slid out of his arms and got out a packet of blood for him.
"You're still going shopping?" Angel asked.
"Well, duh." She answered him with a huge smile.
"This is really going to cost me isn't it?" He realized in defeat.
She started the microwave and walked back into his embrace. "You betcha." She said just before she kissed him again.
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Jake walked into the living room and sat in the chair opposite of the sofa. He gazed at Dawn for a moment. She smiled at him.
"Hi." She greeted him.
"Hi." He answered shyly. "I see you found Will's cereal."
Dawn grinned. "Yeah. Wonder if the coffee's done?"
"When was it started?" Jake asked.
"About ten minutes ago." She answered.
He nodded. "It should be."
They jumped when they heard Will shout. "DAWN! DID YOU TAKE MY LUCKY CHARMS?"
Her blue eyes sparkled. "Busted."
They got up and headed for the kitchen. As they reached the door, they heard Wesley.
"Oh my God!"
Every one looked at Wes in surprise. He was staring at Will in shock. Dawn followed the former watchers line of sight. Her grip on the cereal box loosened. It fell to the floor spilling the sugary substance.
She screamed. "SPIKE! OH GOD! SPIKE, MOVE!"
"No! Stay where you are!" Wesley's order stunned the teenager and froze the vampire who had begun to move toward Dawn.
"But…" Dawn began.
Wes interrupted her. "Look!" He pointed at Will, who was still standing in front of the sink. Sunlight gilded the leanly sculpted muscles of his back and painted highlights in his platinum tipped hair.
Will finally realized what was happening. "Bloody Hell!"
