Right. This is it. The final chapter. Short, but I damn hope effective. Then again, probably not. Oh well, I hope you enjoy it anyway and I hope you had a good time reading it... AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! 107! That's my record, even more than Fledgling ever got! And that had more chapters! maybe I'm getting popular! starry eyes Although, again I'm not happy with this chapter, I never really am any more so there's no point holding it back.


Angel got up suddenly. He didn't take his eyes of the screen, off his boy writing and screaming in pain and fear. When Spike called out 'Angel', he almost left right then to go back, but Cordelia held his arm.

"It's the only way," she murmured and he complied reluctantly.

Spike began to whimper and Angel had to close his eyes. It was killing him, watching Spike in pain. He'd abandoned his Childe; he'd left him at the hands of two people Spike didn't trust.


Where is Angel? Where's my Sire? Why isn't he here why didn't he come? He's left me, he doesn't care any more, and I'm so scared - I need my Sire… "ANGEL WHERE ARE YOU!"


"I'm here, Spike, please!" Angel almost screamed at the CCTV screen. His heart was being ripped from him. Spike couldn't hear him. He was failing his duty as a Sire, he was leaving him Childe hurt and confused…He'd done it once before as well. Abandoned his Childer, abandoned his William.

After what felt like hours of agonising watching, Angel realised it was over. It was all over. Spike was still lying curled as much as was possible on the bed, but Willow turned the camera and nodded.

"It's done," she said, and Angel didn't need anymore. He was out of Caritas and back at the hotel within three minutes.

He charged upstairs and into the room where Spike was, closing the door gently and resting a hand on his Childe's shaking body.

"Will? William, I'm here, it's ok."

Spike turned over, his eyes full of tears. For the first time in so long, they looked straight at him, bright and shining. "Angelus? Why did you leave me?" His voice was wavering, held back, almost accusing.

Angel bit his lip, almost crying himself at the relief that Spike was back to normal. "I didn't – I mean, I did, I had to Will, for the spell to work, but I was watching the whole time." He pointed at the camera still in the corner of the ceiling. "See?"

Spike's eyes found it, and looked from Angelus to the Camera and back. "You… you never came. I called and called but you didn't come."

Angel pulled his Childe towards him and buried his face in Spike's beautiful hair. "I know," he said, desperately fighting tears, "I know, Will, I know, I wanted to baby, I wanted to so much but I couldn't. You needed to feel like that to get the spell to work, Will – I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I promise I'll never leave you again, every time you call I'll come."

"Like before?" Spike asked quietly, and Angel knew exactly what he meant.

"Like before," he confirmed. "Angel and Spike, Angelus and William, Sire and Childe. Like before, I promise. Exactly like before."


For Eleanor.