Summary: Dawn thinks she has seen Spike, and tells Buffy. Buffy brushes it off, telling her sadly that Spike is dead. (Which they all already knew from Chosen) Dawn insists they leave, feeling a little insecure knowing that someone who looks like Spike is in Paris.
Author's Note: Yeah, you probably think this is really silly but just keep reading. I promise you that things are going to get more interesting, namely when Buffy finds out Spike is alive! Please review!
Chapter Two: Reunion
'Buffy.' Dawn said, not taking her eyes off the door.
'Yeah Dawn.' Buffy said, taking a sip of her punch.
'I just saw Spike.' Buffy nearly spat out her drink. 'He just left the club, we have to follow him.' Dawn turned back to face her friends to see Willow and Xander's head shaking and to see Buffy's solemn expression.
'Honey, Spike is dead. There is no way that you saw him.'
'Buffy, I know what I saw.' Dawn insisted.
'It was probably just another guy with the same blond hair as Spike.' Xander said hopefully.
'How many people do you see around with Spike's shade of blond hair?' Dawn answered.
'Dawn, please. Can we not have this conversation? I know it's going to take some time, but please can we just let it go.' Buffy pleaded.
'Fine.' Dawn accepted defeat, but still believed what she saw. For just a moment, and then it was gone. The thoughts of him, the memories she so dearly loved and treasured. She decided it was best to believe that Spike was really gone, than to hold false hopes that he was still alive. Buffy had watched him dying, before she had to go. Dawn had to accept that, but she didn't want to.
Outside, Angel and Spike were standing in the alley just beside the club.
'Well, at least we found them before sunrise.' Angel said hopefully, breaking the silence as they waited patiently.
'Yeah, I guess. Can't we just go in there are grab them, bring them outside and explain everything? It's all I want to do.' Spike begged. Angel shook his head.
'We just have to wait.' Angel stood, his back against the wall and his arms crossed. Spike sat on top of a dumpster, waiting for the scoobies to come out.
Back in the club, Dawn was getting restless. She was tired after a long day, because Buffy was finally letting her patrol. She had patrolled a local park from about 7-10pm before heading into the club to let loose and also to meet up with Willow, Xander and Buffy.
'Buffy, can we go now please?' Dawn asked.
'It is getting kind of late Buffy, we should all get home and get some sleep.' Willow agreed, getting up and stretching.
'Okay, fine. We'll go then.' She led the way out, fighting through the crowd. The others followed.
Buffy pushed open the door, and from where Angel stood just inside the alley he could see as they piled out. 'Spike.' He whispered, moving into the shadows.
Spike slid off the dumpster, looking hopeful. 'Is it them?' he asked. Angel nodded. They listened as Buffy and the others began talking.
'Thankyou for letting me patrol Buffy.' Dawn said.
'So you were okay with it?' Buffy asked. 'I mean, nothing jumped out of the dark at you? You handled it okay?'
Dawn rolled her eyes. 'I'm not a little kid anymore. I can do this.' They had almost reached the alley, but had no idea what was waiting in the shadows.
'I know, it's just…' She didn't know what to add to that.
Suddenly, Angel stepped out of the shadows and placed a hand on Buffy's shoulder as they walked by. In reflexes, she turned to face him, grabbed his arm and flung him against the wall in the alley. With his already painful injuries, he grunted as he hit the wall. He landed in a heap on the ground.
'Bloody hell Buffy it's us!' Spike yelled, stepping into the light of a nearby streetlamp and glancing down at Angel who was wincing in pain as he tried to sit up.
They all stared in disbelief. 'Spike?' Buffy said.
'I told you I saw him.' Dawn cried, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Spike's shoulders.
'And I told you they'd be glad I was alive.' Spike sneered at Angel who was using the wall to climb to his feet. Spike groaned as Dawn touched his wounds, and Buffy ignored the fact that she had just found out Spike was alive.
'Are you hurt?' she asked, looking from Spike to Angel.
'Well, kinda, yeah.' Spike said. 'Don't know how bad yet, haven't had time to check.'
'Sorry Angel.' Buffy apologised, turning her attention to him. He stood, leaning against the sidewall as he clutched his shoulder.
'It's okay. It just… hurts.' Angel winced again in pain. He felt blood trickled from a wound on his torso, under his shirt.
'Let's get you guys back to our place and get you cleaned up. Then, I think you have some explaining to do.' Buffy said, gesturing for them to join her on the footpath.
On the way back to Buffy's place, Angel found himself having difficulty stoping the blood flowing from his stomach. Spike could feel a wound that had opened up when Dawn hugged him. Her hugs were always the tightest.
'Buffy…' Angel whimpered. It had been years since Buffy had heard him whimper like that. And the last time she would have, was erased from her memory in order for Angel to be made a vampire again.
Spike and Angel stopped as they reached the door.
'Oh right, you guys can come in.' Willow said, remembering that vampires can't enter the house of a human unless they are invited in.
Buffy helped Angel inside, and sat him down on an old couch in the lounge room. He groaned and blinked several times. Willow helped Buffy get his coat and shirt off, and they saw the extensive damage to his torso. Xander and Dawn were helping Spike do the same thing, revealing scratches, gashes and bloodstains all over his white skin. Buffy looked at both of their wounds in shock.
'What happened to you two?' Willow asked, shocked as well.
'Long story.' Spike said, gingerly taking a seat on a dining chair.
'You'll have to tell us once you're in better condition.' Buffy said, getting a bit concerned.
Dawn appeared at Buffy's side with a first aid kit, and Buffy took out some bandages. She paused, her eyes darting from Angel to Spike. She couldn't choose who to help.
'It's alright, love. He needs more help than me.' Spike said. She smiled and handed some bandages to Willow who began working on Spike. Buffy turned her attention to Angel, who she could tell was losing a lot of blood. His hand, bloodied, was pressed tightly against his stomach where blood was escaping from a deep wound.
'Get a towel from in the cupboard please.' She told Dawn. Dawn disappeared, but then reappeared in only a minute or two with two towels. She took the initiative and gently pressed one against Angel's bleeding shoulder. Buffy took the other and held it against the gaping wound on his stomach. Angel removed his hand fro only a second, and blood began to pour out.
'I never realised how much I bled.' Angel whispered. 'Or how much it would affect me…' He tilted his head back, straining in pain. Spike watched from across the room as Willow and Xander finished bandaging him up. He put his shirt back on and carefully made his way over to Angel.
'Angel,' he whispered. 'Angel.' He rolled his head to the side to see Spike sitting on the couch beside him. Without realising it, he was gasping and groaning as the minutes went by.
'Angel can't die from blood loss, can he?' Dawn asked. Willow shook her head and placed a hand on Dawn's shoulder.
'No, he can't. But it can immobilise him for quite some time. He'll need a lot of healing time after this.' Willow explained.
Eventually, Buffy got the bleeding to stop. She couldn't take him to a hospital, so she made a grave decision.
'Dawn, get me a needle and some thread.' She ordered. Angel looked up at her, and his eyes pleaded with her. 'I'm sorry Angel, but I have no choice. I've managed to stop the bleeding a bit by sticking some tissues on the wound. I need to sew it up, and you need to rest. Don't move.'
Willow stepped forward. 'I think it would be best if I did the sewing, don't you?' she suggested. Buffy agreed, since she didn't know how to sew.
Dawn brought a needle and some thread to Willow, and Buffy removed the tissues. More blood began to flow as the tissues were removed, and Angel groaned in pain as a few layers of skin were removed.
In only a few minutes, Willow had the wound sewed up. Spike still sat by his grand-sire's side, giving him support. He had taken over Dawn's job of bandaging up Angel's shoulder, and had securely done it so the wound would no longer bleed.
Everyone had found a seat by now, and were all crowding around Angel who was almost unconscious on the couch.
'Angel.' Buffy whispered. 'You've lost a lot of blood.' She emphasised on the word 'lot'. 'You need to drink some blood, so I'll send Xander down to the butchers to get some.' Angel feebly nodded, before going limp. Spike watched as his grand-sire stopped moving completely. He didn't breath, and because he was unconscious he didn't move. He was now literally a lifeless body.
'Xander, go get some blood. Lots of blood.'
A/N: Well, there's the reunion between Angel/Buffy/Spike and everyone else. I wanted something to drag out the whole "meeting up again" and I thought that the only way to do that was to have some of the effects of the injuries become visible. When Buffy was taken by surprise, she threw Angel into a wall. That opened up two of his wounds, which isn't good. At least Willow can sew. (Can she?)