AN: To me, this isn't as good as my other works in my opinion, but I don't want to abandon it either. I'm trying my best to mold it the way I want to. I'll get there.
Angel, Bella, and Spike walked through the lobby, both vampires on edge. They were talking to one another about the current situation, but Bella's head was somewhere else. She wasn't sure how to feel. She was in no way happy to see the family that ruined her life, and a rage settled inside her that she didn't know how to handle. If they were here, did that mean Victoria wasn't too far behind? The thought made her shiver. She lets Spike lead her to Angel's office, and she was faintly aware of Spike saying something to her. "Hmmm?" She hums, meeting his concerned eyes. He smoothed a finger over her forehead. "Are you alright?" He repeated, looking her over. She nods, sitting down on the leather couch. He raises a brow. Bella sighs out. "I don't understand why they would do that. Why scare me? Why didn't they just show themselves?" She questions, running a hand down her face.
Angel leans against the desk, his face in a scowl. "I don't think they were after you, more so Spike. Smelt him, thought you were in danger. As fast as they move, we're faster. It may not look like it, but some humans say it's like passing through time. They just blur. We're stronger, and a Cold One cannot take on a vampire like myself or Spike alone. It was stupid, however. They're in my city now, and the rules are different. This is your call Bella. I won't make you do anything you're uncomfortable with. However, I will get the information I need from them, and the rest is up to you. If you don't want to see them, I'll make them go away. If you wish to have no part in this meeting, you can stay in here. It's whatever you choose," Angel then looks to Spike who is staring out of the window, a look of concentration on his face.
Based on the little information he knew, Spike probably had a million thoughts in his head. If Lorne was right, which Angel had no doubt about, whether Spike realized it yet or not, Bella was about to become the most important thing to him. Not all vampires have that one specific person to complete them, and in Angel's case, that was a curse to him. Many vampires that were soulless were either savage, found solace with a partner, or just wanted to be alone. It seems that Spike was rewarded after all. Angel knew that Spike would disagree with anything that took him away from Bella, so he didn't bother with asking him to do anything else. Spike's main priority was keeping her safe. "I want answers. I want to know why they're here, if…she's around…" Bella trails off, her voice wavering slightly. "If they knew…" She whispers out, her brown eyes haunted. Spike lays a hand on her shoulder, and she glances up at him, fear in her eyes.
His own eyes hardened, and he sat down next to her. "I'll make sure you get those answers," Bella sucked in a deep breath, unable to help her nervous habit of chewing on her bottom lip. She looks up as a loud beeping overhead alerted them of something. "Nice to know it works," Angel mutters, hitting a button on his desk to signal the allowance of the Cullen's inside W&H. Bella wipes the sweat from her hands on her pants, swallowing. Spike stands, and Bella follows suit. He was this close to telling her to stay put, but that wasn't his place. It was different when he was with Buffy. She could handle herself, but Bella was just a normal human, defenseless, and by supernatural standards, physically weak. He did however believe that mentally, she was the strongest person he knew. To go through what she did, at the peak of adulthood, swayed by emotions, an outsider to the supernatural would have broken a long time ago.
He roams his eyes over her, pursing his lips. "Stay with me," He orders as Angel leads the way towards the elevators. Bella nods, and she stays in between them as they wait for the elevator to stop. Bella bounced from one foot to the other. The lamp on the reception desk flickers, and Angel raises a brow. He turns to Bella, waving his hand towards the lamp. "That you?" Bella shrugged, having no idea how her brain worked or this power. "I think so. The streetlight did the same thing while we were under it. I think your emotions play a major part in how this gift of yours works. If Fred were here, she'd say electromagnet something of the sort," Spike replies, looking at the lamp in thought. Spike fights the urge to take her hand, Lorne's words resonating in the back of his head.
I can't tell you everything, but that girl in there will need you one day. She will need you to be her champion. Her light in a dark, dark, place, and you vampire, you need to be that light, or she'll be lost to you forever.
Spike replayed the words on repeat.
She'll be lost to you forever
The elevator dinged, and Bella tensed up in preparation. She shook her hands, trying to calm her nerves a bit. She straightened her back, sucking in a deep breath as the elevator doors opened. Angel eyed the seven vampires, looking them over with scrutiny. He steps to the side as they exit, and Spike steps closer to Bella, his face hard and emotionless. As if time never passed, each member stepped off, looking just as she remembered, eternally the same age when they were turned.
Time didn't heal all wounds. Not her wounds.
Time was different for Bella than it was for them.
Time was never enough.
She almost couldn't stand to look at them. Disgust pooled in her stomach, disappointment on her brain. They weren't the creatures she thought they were. Jasper snaps his eyes to her, a surprised expression overcoming his features. She turned her head away, her nose scrunching up, brows lowering. "I think we can skip the greetings. You all know Bella, and we know you. Are you the one's trailing after Victoria?" Carlisle tilts his head, slowly nodding. "Yes. Alice has visions…" Carlisle started to explain but was cut off by Spike. "We know this bit already. Why were you trailing after Victoria?" Angel cuts Spike a look but gives him some slack. He wasn't in the mood for a long story time either. "Why don't we take this into my office?" Angel suggests, turning to lead them towards the room. The Cullen's follow, save but one, the young vampire clearing his throat for Bella's attention. She pauses in stride, turning her eyes to look at the boy that broke her heart so long ago.
"Can we speak for a moment? Privately?" Edward asks, waiting patiently for her response, looking slightly nervous. Bella turns to Spike who has his arms crossed over his chest. "Your choice. Say the words and I'll take care of it," He reminds, moving to go into Angel's office, turning his head one more time to make sure she was okay. Bella clasps her hands in front of her, and she nods at him. Edward takes a deep breath before looking to the floor. "Bella, I wanted to apologize. About what happened after your birthday. I lied to you that day," Bella narrows her eyes, licking her bottom lip as she waited for him to elaborate. "I left because I wanted to protect you. It was too dangerous, and I knew that it would be better if we left you alone," Bella isn't sure what to say, and as Edward looks up at her, his eyes pleading with her to understand, all of her feelings, old and new, turn into nothing but anger. "When Alice showed me how you would react, I-I hated to do it to you, but it was the best decision," He explains, stepping a bit closer, trying to get her to understand.
Bella however was somewhere else. She was thinking back to those months where she spent pining over him, wishing he would come back, he knew exactly how it was going to go, and yet, he did it anyway. "You knew? You knew how upset I'd be, and you left me anyway? Do you have any idea how much pain, and hurt, and heartache you caused me? It could have all been avoided if you just told me the truth!" She starts softly, her voice rising with each word into a harsh demand. Edward frowned, shaking his head. "I thought that time…" He started, taking a step back as Bella glared up at him with so much hate, he didn't need Jasper to tell him how she felt. "Time? What, that time would heal my wounds? Time would heal what you did? Time would heal the absolute devastation at losing my entire family and the few friends I had? You took all my time with you," She hisses, her eyes watering as she blinked her tears away.
Edward gasps, as he comes to realize something. "The funeral…it happened?" Bella pales. "What?" She asks, her eyes widening a bit as a look of downright horror appears on his face. "Oh god. Alice's vision…we were wrong. We thought that it had changed, that he was alive. That means those months where you were….we thought you were still upset over our leaving, but…it was because you lost them. Bella, I promise you, that if I knew…I would've come back…" Edward pleaded with her to understand that he didn't know. They had gotten it confused. Alice had seen visions of Bella after their leaving, upset, for longer than they would have anticipated, but they only thought it was because of them.
She had a vision of Bella attending a funeral but was unable to see any details concerning it. Then, there was no funeral in her visions, just Bella succumbing to depression, so they assumed that no one had died. Bella reached to her gut, a sound leaving her mouth that sounded like pure agony. Edward was next to her, steadying her so she didn't lose her balance. She sucked in a breath, letting out a cry of despair, her legs feeling like jelly as Edward held her by the arm, leaving the rest of her body dangling. "Bella," Edward murmured carefully, his eyes full of worry. Bella snaps her eyes to his, her brown orbs shining. "Do you have any idea of what she did to me? What she took from me? And you let her…" She gasped out. Edward was suddenly gone, but Bella paid no attention to the resounding crash that echoed around her. She bowed over on herself as her knees hit the floor, the flashes of what she saw playing behind her eyes, haunting her every second as she relived it. She could feel it as her mind once again took her to that dreadful day.
Spike had since crouched down in front of her, pushing her up so that he could see her face. He was asking her what was wrong, checking her over to see if she was hurt, and she tried. She tried to explain to him that this was their fault. They knew, and they did nothing. They didn't confirm or deny what Alice saw or didn't see. They assumed that everything was okay, and it never was. What Victoria did to her. Did Alice see that as well? All she was doing however was crying in between words, and Spike couldn't understand a lick of it. He pulled her head to his shoulder as she cried, her fingers clinging onto his jacket. The lights in the lobby flickered on and off, electrical sockets popping, and sparks falling down from the ceiling. She reached to her stomach again, feeling a horrible burning, and Spike looked down in alarm.
He could smell the blood, and he pushed her back, seeing a bloody 'V' forming against her shirt. She cries out in pain, reaching to her shoulder, and Spike removes her sweater, seeing claw marks appearing on her shoulder.
'Her light in a dark, dark, place, and you vampire, you need to be that light, or she'll be lost to you forever.'
Spike plants his hands on her face, shaking her a bit so that she would open her eyes. "Look at me," He commands, boring his eyes into hers as she opened them. "You need to calm down. Get out of your head. It doesn't control you, you control it," Bella starts to shake her head, and Spike nods. "You're stronger than you think. You control this part of you," He leans his forehead against hers, nodding to her. "Come on pet. Take control, I need you to take control and reign it in. I know it hurts, but I'll help you through this. Get out of your head and come to me,"
He smooths her hair back, looking her in the eyes, nodding as the lights started to cease their flickering. "That's it. Good girl," He soothes, gently coming to a stand, and bringing her up with him. He lifts her bridal style and heads towards Angel's office. Angel was waiting by the doors, making sure Spike had her under control, a look of worry on his face. Spike lays Bella on the couch, lifting her shirt to see her wound oozing blood. She goes to touch it, but Spike swats her hand away. "I can take care of this," Carlisle states, and Angel shakes his head. "Don't need your help doc," He goes around behind his desk, pulling out the first aid kit he had stashed there. After Bella's mishap with her hand, he thought it would be wise to have one on hand. He appears next to Spike who opens it and pulls out some disinfectant ointment.
He takes a cotton ball and soaks it in alcohol before gently dabbing at her wound, watching as it was healing up on its own, the 'V' starting to close. He could tell though that it was irritated, and after wiping up the blood, he lays a medicated compress on it before doing the same with the claw marks. Bella hisses on and off, sweat lingering on her forehead. "It's okay now," Spike murmurs to her, caressing her face with his hand. "What were you trying to say?" He questions, turning his head briefly as Edward stepped inside the room, dusting himself off. Tears spring to her eyes again, and wishing to not have a repeat, Angel answers for her. "Alice had visions of Bella after they left. She saw just about everything. They just weren't sure what was going on. Victoria wasn't making long-term decisions, and she kept planning, so things would change. They assumed that Victoria never went after Bella and that Charlie was alive and well after she realized a particular vision didn't cross paths with her anymore,"
Spike stared at Angel in disbelief, then the Cullen's. "You sodding sacks of sparkling dicks," He scoffs, looking over at Edward. "And you call me dangerous," Edward looks away, guilt in his eyes. "So then, what the hell are you doing here?" It was Bella who asked the question, still laying on the couch, her eyes on them. "Alice's vision of Victoria was unwavering, and nothing was changing. We knew that she was after you, and we've been trying to get her. She keeps evading us though," Jasper explains softly, trying his best to fight off the hatred that radiated off of Bella. "So that vision you follow huh? You're a bit too late don't you think? You think that you can just swoop in and save me from the bullshit you got me into? She's been after me for years and now you decided oh hey, that human…let's save her so she doesn't die," She pulls herself to a stand, holding her side. "I died a long time ago," She spits out, maneuvering her way out of Angel's office. Angel crosses his arms over his chest, watching her leave. "Still the overly dramatic Bella," Rosalie murmurs in disdain. Everyone gave her a look of complete hell, even Emmett. "I hardly think dramatic is the right category blondie. She's been through hell no thanks to you and your lot. She's a human that's been running from one of you for the past 5 years. She has no one, so watch what you say about my girl," Spike warns.
Edward's brows furrow as he looks at Spike. "Your girl?" It was a simple slip of the tongue, but for Spike, it felt natural to say. He was to be her champion, so hell yeah, his girl indeed. "Got a problem mate?" Spike asks threateningly. Angel sighs. "Not now. We have bigger issues. I need to know where you last saw her, and we can set up a trap. She needs to be taken care of. She's killing people here and leaving a wake of bodies. I don't particularly need law enforcement snooping around. So, put your issues aside, and help me save her if that's what you're really here for," Angel urges, looking the family over. He believed them when they said they were going to save her. But there was something else, besides everything else that was going on that rubbed him the wrong way.
Bella had managed to slip back inside Angel's office and made herself comfortable on the black couch, listening as all parties debated on the next course of action. The Cullen's were trying not to put Bella back on the streets, but it was clear that they were no good at tracking anything. Angel and Carlisle were going back and forth, Angel clearly annoyed. He turns to Bella, hating the thought of what he planned to suggest, but Victoria would only be satisfied with one thing.
"What do you say to being bait?" He asks, holding up his hand as the Cullen's tried protesting. Bella slowly comes to a stand, eyeing Edward. "He'd have to come along. It only makes sense. She wants me dead, but I know that there is nothing more than she'd love but to make him suffer. She still believes that he loves me, and we might as well play the part," Spike looks to Angel concerned. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" He intervenes. "It's all we have," Spike crosses his arms over his chest as Angel lays out the plan. Edward and Bella would walk the streets, hoping that Victoria would be more inclined to attack. The moment Edward gets wind, he is to activate a tracker, and it would lead Spike and Angel as well as the Cullen's to their location. If it seemed that Victoria would get away, he'd do whatever he could to get the tracker onto Victoria so that she could be traced discreetly. It sounded easier said than done. "Does this work for everyone?" He looks pointedly at Spike and Bella. Bella nods, taking a deep breath. "I want this over with,"
Edward just sighs, having no choice but to do it this way. "Fine. I'll need a piece of Bella's clothing to rub on myself. The more I smell like I've been around her the better," Bella tosses her jacket in his direction without sparing him a glance. Edward frowns, but steps to the side as he starts scenting her jacket. Bella's heart quickens just slightly as Spike moves towards her, his usual grin absent from his face. He holds out his hand for her and she takes it, letting him lead her outside of Angel's office. He leads her down one of the empty halls, and Bella realizes that he wished for them to speak without any other ears present. Bella watches as he paces in front of her for a moment, concern written over his face. "Are you absolutely sure you're okay with this? I know you want to get the bitch, but we can wait, plan this out better," Bella bites her lip in thought, shaking her head. "What if this is our only chance? I can't just let her slip away. It's now or never. I don't want to keep looking over my shoulder,"
Spike sighs, "I don't trust him," Bella frowns. "Well, you know where to look if I don't come back," Spike glowers at her, but nods. "That I do pet. If anything goes wrong…." He trails off, holding up a small device. "You hit this button. This one is yours. Slip it in your jacket pocket or something," Bella takes it from him, curling her fingers around it. "Hey," He murmurs, gathering her attention once more. "Don't be a hero. It doesn't always turn out the way you think," He's surprised when she throws herself at him, her arms going around his neck. She pressed her nose to his jacket, and he did the same to her hair, arms wrapping around her slim waist. "Leave that to you, right? A champion for us mere mortals," Spike chuckles, "Just you," He whispers. She pulls back, ready to question him, but he silences her with a finger to her lips. "I'll explain later. Please be careful," Bella nods, "Thank you for fighting for me when no one else would," He lays his hand on her cheek, only nodding in response.
He sighs, hearing Edward call for Bella. "Go on," He says, sending her back down the hall. He watched her leave, knowing his thoughts would be loud and clear to Edward.
Bring her back or you're dead
The more time he spent around Bella, the more he felt it. He felt that tugging in his chest, a deep feeling settling in his unbeating heart. Every part of him, good and evil, started to yearn for the human he knows everything and nothing about. Lorne has basically been telling him what he's slowly figuring out. There was still something though that was rubbing Spike the wrong way. What was this dark place? Could he save her from it? Lorne's words were a blessing and a curse, opening a door for Spike, yet leaving him behind a brick wall. It worried him. Deeply. By the time he gets back to the office, Angel was waiting by his desk, the Cullen's out in the lobby, softly talking amongst themselves. Edward and Bella were gone already.
He plops down on the couch, staring at the weird family that stood just a few feet away. Angel talks low, so low the Cullen's would only hear quiet murmuring. "There's something I think you should know. It's about Bella," Angel knew it wasn't a good thing to play with destiny, but no matter how much he and Spike fought, or how much they'd been through, from being his grandsire, enemies, allies, and friends, to a degree, he believed that Spike had the right to know the risks. What he could have, and what he could lose. "I think I'm figuring it out. She's my one and only or something like that, right?" Angel just nods, glancing up at him. "Apparently. I don't want to see you end up like me, losing everyone I love. If she's your other half, losing her would be like losing yourself, and as much as you annoy me, I'd rather not see you die if it's not during a fight," Spike snorts, looking at him, humor glinting in his eyes. "So you do care. Isn't that sweet?" Angel just rolls his eyes. "Whatever. What are they talking about?"
Bella stuffs her hands in her pockets, looking around. "Don't be so obvious," Edward chastises. Bella glares at him, "I think you lost the right to tell me what to do," Edward frowns. This really wasn't going the way he planned. "I apologize. I just want this to work as much as you do. I have another confession to make," Bella just raises a brow. "Okay?" She urges, looking up at him. "I still do love you. I never stopped loving you," Bella scoffs, looking away. "Unbelievable," She murmurs. Edward stops, grabbing the end of her jacket to stop her as well. "I mean it. I only did what I did to keep you safe, don't you understand that? You believed me so easily, if you would have just fought a little harder, I would have…" Bella cuts him off by yanking out of his grip. "If I would have fought a little harder? What about if you never left? It made no sense Edward. None of it. You can't blame me for this, for the way this turned out. I'm human, but you….you could have walked away a long time ago. When you left after that first day, you could have stayed gone, and yet you returned. Don't spin the tables on me," She snaps out, and continued to walk.
He caught up to her easily, sighing, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I was just doing what I thought was right. I'm here now," Bella swivels around, almost getting tripped up. "You're 5 years too late!" She hisses. As he's within touching distance, she pokes him in the chest. "Once this is over, I never want to see you again," Edward clenches his teeth, letting out a frustrated growl. "Understandable. But you won't even put yourself in my shoes to…" Bella throws her hands up in annoyance. "Your shoes?! What about mine?!" The streetlight across the street pops and goes out, making Edward look over curiously. "Just….forget it. Let's keep walking," He turns her around, and continues forward.
Bella is silently fuming next to him, and Edward is trying to listen for any out-of-the-ordinary thoughts. They walk down the street for another half hour, and Edward is convinced that their plan was a bust, but then he comes to a stop, halting Bella in the process. "I hear something," He whispers, trying to pinpoint the thought. His brow furrows however as he catches another thought, fleeting, but he knew it was hers. "Bella, you need to run. Right now," What that edge in his voice, and his alarmed expression, Bella wasn't about to argue. She turns around, ready to make a sprint for it, but a figure hopped down in front of her. It was a red-eyed vampire, with short brown hair, a smirk on his face. Edward was facing Victoria, his lip curled in anger. "What do we do?" Bella whispers out fearfully. They didn't count on a second vampire.
Edward doesn't answer, his head tilting to the side as thoughts upon thoughts filtered through Victoria's head. He narrowed his eyes however, his nose wrinkling. "You've got the Volturi suspicious," He states, and Bella eyes the vampire with fear. "Edward, I don't think this is the time for talking. Get it out," She hisses, deciding to reach in the pocket of his jacket herself, feeling nothing. At that point, Victoria lunges for Edward, and the mystery vampire, lunges for Bella. Before he can collide with her, he's bounced away, a zapping sound leaving his body as he's tossed away. Victoria has managed to toss Edward across the street and was aiming for her target. "Fuck," Bella whispers as Victoria runs right into whatever was protecting her, the action sending Bella flying into the alleyway. She hits the brick wall, falling into a heap, hands grasping her throat before she can even gain her bearings. Victoria is snarling down at her, her face clouded with fury. "We are going to have so much fun," Bella claws at Victoria's marble skin, her eyes widening.
Edward rushes his way into the alley but is stopped by Victoria's helper. Bella tears at Victoria's clothing, a breath leaving her as Victoria hoisted her over her shoulder before jumping into the air. She bounded over buildings, as Bella struggled to get out of her iron grip. She gasps as Victoria had ripped her jacket, specifically the part where her chip was placed. "He's going to find me, and when he does, he will kill you," Bella whispers, knowing that Victoria heard her. Victoria jumps down from one of the buildings, and Bella was moved too fast to even see where they were. Victoria harshly grabs Bella's face, squishing her cheeks together. "By the time your vampire finds you, you'll be in pieces," She smiles, and Bella suddenly feels herself falling, landing on cold, wet ground, a sickening crunch resonating in her ears. She blinks up, looking above at the small circle, Victoria's smiling face staring down at her, unable to muster out a scream as pain bloomed in one of her feet.
Victoria gracefully hops down, landing mere inches from her head. She crouches down, brushing some hair out of her face. "You made a few friends I see. They'll be planning your funeral. What kind of flowers should I send?" Bella doesn't say a word, and Victoria hums. She grabs Bella by the hair, dragging her deeper into the sewer.
AN: Alright guys. Please excuse any mistakes. Even though I've already brought in Victoria, this story is far from over. See ya next time. Question: Do you guys think I should do a Venom/Twilight oneshot?