A/N : Thanx to all the reviewers; Girl version of Chandler, Spuffy-Spike-91, Moonjava, Moluvsnumber17, Celestia Nailo, Carol, bella-lover, sheilamarie, and ShalBrenfan. Support for this fic means a very lot since it's the first actual Angel fic I've tried to write. Here's hoping you all continue to enjoy it!
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 3
"We have to get them back" Angel paced the science lab frantically, to the point where Fred was worried he might wear a groove in her nice flooring.
"How?" Gunn's voice made the vampire pause for a moment "It's not like we can physically force them" he reminded him of Buffy and Spike's apparently ghost-like existence "Unless you plan on mojo-ing them into a bottle like a genie or something" he smiled and Angel turned to Wesley and Fred.
"Could we do that?" was his question. Wes shook his head.
"Angel, I think Gunn was making a joke" he said gently, but the boss didn't want to hear it.
"Well, we have to do something!" he yelled, slamming his fist on a desk, almost causing the whole thing to collapse, and everyone in the room to jump so much they nearly hit the ceiling.
"I'd love to be of service Angel-cakes" Lorne sympathised as he backed towards the door "but I have a meeting in five and, well, see ya later" he gave a little wave as he departed.
"I got a court appearance in a couple of hours" Gunn realised as he checked his watch "I should be going too" he said as he followed on out of the door.
"But guys" Angel called behind them, "we have to..." he gave up when he realised they'd already gone.
"Fred, Wes" he turned to his two companions that remained "you guys know science and magicks, there has to be some way to fix this"
"Well" Fred considered "it might be possible to re-corporealise them if that's what they want" she said making him smile, but then frown again when she continued "but it could take days, weeks, months, even years to figure out the right formulae for that kind of process, I mean we're talking about reintegrating matter into physical form at a molecular level and..."
Folders and papers flew from the desk as Angel's arm swept them off angrily. Fred backed up a couple of steps, disliking how violent he was getting. She wasn't really afraid, she knew he'd never hurt her but she still didn't like to be around when Angel got one of his angry-boy moods on.
"Fred, perhaps you could..." Wesley gestured to a point across the lab, hoping she would take his hint and leave so he could talk with Angel. They'd been through a lot together, known each other longer than any of the rest of the group. Perhaps he could get to the bottom of the problem once they were alone.
Fred nodded in understanding, and walked away still analysing figures on the clipboard she carried.
"Angel, what is the real problem here?" Wes asked as soon as she was gone.
There was a long pause before Angel answered.
"They never let her go, Wes" he breathed unnecesarily deeply "She fought enough, she should be at peace. Now she's stuck between two places, it's not fair" he shook his head as he studied the desk that he leant on.
"Not fair for her, or for you?" Wesley asked, understanding more where this anger was coming from now, when the vampire turned round and gave him a look "Angel, Buffy chose to let her life end and in Spike's arms" he said carefully "They profess love for each other which cannot be denied, and I know it probably hurts you to hear that but..."
"I could deal with knowing she was dead" Angel interrupted, shaking his head and walking a few steps away, as if not hearing Wesley's words would stop them being true "if she were in a better place, but this...how can I move on when I know...?" he trailed off not wanting to say it "How can I?" was his final question, but he didn't wait for an answer, just swept out of the room and disappeared.
Wesley looked over at Fred laughing with her colleague, Knox and he sighed.
"You just have to" he told the empty space where Angel had been standing, knowing only too well how hard it really was.
"I can't believe Angel would act that way" Buffy seethed as she and Spike stormed down the last flight of stairs, towards the doors at the front of Wolfram & Hart. It was unbelievable enough to think that her ex had taken over an evil law firm but the things he'd said to her and Spike, she thought he had more humanity than that.
"I can bloody believe it, stupid ponce" Spike cursed his grand-sire that he'd hated for so long, fully prepared to launch into a huge anti-Angel speech before he realised Buffy looked uncomfortable.
Seemed it was okay for her to take a pop at her ex, but he was less entitled right now. He didn't mind holding his tongue to keep her happy, point was she loved him and he loved her and nothing could stop them now.
"Let's not talk about him, eh?" he said, squeezing her hand which he still held in his as they reached the bottom of the stairs and turned towards the doors, "You never have to see him again if you don't want to"
"I just wanna see Dawn, and Xander, and Willow, and...oh" she stopped suddenly, two feet from the door, frowning hard.
"Oh, what?" Spike didn't understand until he followed her eyeline outside.
"The sun" Buffy pointed out "I mean, we're ghosts, or equivalent of but...you're still a vampire" she realised.
Spike tilted his head thoughtfully before letting go of the Slayer's hand and stepping towards the protective-glass door. Steeling himself against possible pain he thrust his hand through and consequently into the streaming sunlight. His eyes were tight shut when he did it but soon opened again when he realised there was no sensation of burning, no fire, not even smoke.
"Well, would you look at that?" he grinned at Buffy who's face also broke out into a smile "Guess there are advantages to the see-through status" he said, passing through the door and letting the light pour down on him.
To be honest it didn't feel like much, barely warm on his semi-existent body but at least he would see Buffy in the daylight for the first time since he'd fallen in love with her.
"You look good in the light" she smiled up at him as they stood on the sunnier side of the doors and he lent down to kiss her soundly, "Not the you didn't look great in the dark" she was quick to add when he finally stopped kissing her, "but this is good too"
He smiled at that, before taking her hand again, as they walked down the street.
"There are some disadvantages to the whole ghost thing though" Buffy sighed after a few minutes of comfortable silence "Which reminds me, where did you go before?"
"Before?" Spike echoed, pretending not to know what she meant, though in reality he just didn't want to think about it.
"In the lab" Buffy reminded him "You faded out and then came back, but you never told us where you went"
Spike looked thoughtful for a moment and looked the other way entirely when he finally answered her.
"I dunno" he shrugged half-heartedly and Buffy stopped walking, bringing him to a halt also.
"Spike, don't" she said sternly "I know you too well, you can't lie to me"
"Slayer, for soddin hell's sake" Spike complained when she looked up at him with those wide and innocent eyes. She was right, he was a lousy liar when it came to telling her untruths, but this was not something he wanted to worry her with, not now.
"Can't you just be glad we're still together?" he asked less loudly, running his fingers through the length of her hair "I thought it was what you wanted now. Despite everything you and me have come through this, more or less intact"
"You know I want to be with you, Spike" she said solemnly, covering his hand with hers when it came to rest on her cheek "I gave up my life proving it" she reminded him "but you have to be honest with me. Tell me where you went"
At first it was just plain curiosity that made her ask, now though she was starting to worry. Spike may have been evil and kind of untrustworthy before but he didn't lie to her, not since he first professed his love for her. If he seemed to be dishonest there had to be a reason and she was starting to panic that something bad was happening...again.
"Why do you think I even know?" Spike glanced away again when he spoke, unable to look her in the eye, "This bloody ghost thing's all new to me too y'know"
"Spike..." her tone and expression told him now was confession time or else there was about to be a serious falling out between them.
"Don't give me that look, Slayer" he warned, pointing a finger at her "or I swear to..." he paused when he noticed the hand in front of him was flickering like a flame on the wind, and that it wasn't just his hand but the rest of him too.
"Hey wait a minute..." he said, glancing at Buffy who reached out her hand to his. She seemed equally surprised to find her own form wavering and becoming unstable.
In a sudden flash of light they were gone, leaving a couple of passers by blinking in confusion. Surely two people had been standing there, just a fraction of a second ago?
Despite what Wesley had said, Angel would not give up. Although he had to agree that his main reason for wanting to free Buffy from her ghostly status was to get her away from being touchable only by Spike, he was also determined that she would still have at least a semi-normal life like she deserved. He had several volumes from the W&H collection piled on his desk and one in his hands as he continued to pace up and down, unable to be still til he'd figured this out.
Beside the books, on the desk lie the infamous amulet that seemed to have started all this off, and Angel only wished the folder of information that came with it had been saved from the Hellmouth too, it seemed though that they were not that lucky.
Rapidly he turned pages, noting any instances where amulets, ghosts, and the such like were mentioned. At length he came to one page that seemed particularly relevant, as it bore a picture that appeared to be the very bauble that Lilah had handed him the day he took over Wolfram and Hart. He picked it up buy the chain and dangled it in the light, comparing it's shape to that in the illustration.
"The Amulet of Fire" he read aloud to the empty room, "spoken of in the Prophecies of..." the name escaped him as a sudden gust of wind blew the pages of the book over, causing him to lose his place. Angel looked up in surprise to find no-one had opened the door to enter - so where was the sudden burst of air coming from?
Light began to swirl in front of him and he took a step back just as it began to mould itself into a form.
"What the...?" was all he could say as a pair of familiar figures appeared out of nowhere just as they had a few hours ago.
"Not a-bloody-again" Spike complained, closing his eyes and wishing himself away from here - anywhere but here!
"Buffy, you're back" Angel looked startled as he spoke to her.
Indeed the Slayer herself looked equally shocked as she glanced around the room. Her eyes eventually landed on Spike and she sighed.
"I'll say it for you" she said seriously, and he wondered what she meant until she yelled the phrase, "Bugger this"
To Be Continued...
A/N2 : Still like it? Hope you'll review please and let me know!