Chapter 20

Reinforcements Anyone?

Angel and Connor filed out of the sewer just as the chopper landed and Wesley, Gunn, Ilyria and Spike filed out, weapons ready for the fight that was over.

Spike strode over to Angel, battle axe in hand, looking the area over for any threat. Confusion soon filled his face when he realized there wasn't any.

"So, where's the evil you needed the big bad to help you fight?

"Dealt with."

"Well then, to the important matter. Where's Bu-"

"Spike, don't even go there."

"I bloody well will go there."

"Seriously Spike if you really," Angel had to fight to get the word out, "love her, you'll let her be."

Angel looked pointedly over at the girls across the green who were still wrapped up in each others arms.

"What's happened? Are they hurt? Why aren't you helping them?"

"Because it's the kind of hurt neither you nor I can fix."

"What the hell are you talking about? I have no idea what's going on here."

"Big surprise there."

"Yeah, that's right, insult the man with the very large axe."

Angel stepped forward. "You threatening me Spike?"

"Yeah I suppose I am."

Wesley stepped in between them. "I don't know what's going on here, but your son looks like he could use your support right now."

"The air reeks of sadness. Such a useless human emotion." Illyria was now circling Connor who didn't even appear to notice her. "He no longer warms to me; he's drowned in love loss over that girl."

"Wes, take Illyria and put her back in the chopper. Actually, everybody get back on board. We will be leaving soon."

"Angel, isn't there something we're here to do?"

"Things have changed."

Angel quickly filled Wesley in on the situation with Dawn and Connor, and the Senior Partner's interest in it all.

"Well, I have to say, this is all very intriguing. I mean, what are the odds that your boy and Buffy's sister would ever even meet outside of you and Buffy, let alone fall in love? Just amazing. And this new situation. Simply extraordinary."

"Wes, stop sounding so damned excited about our problem, and get to work on solving it."

"Well, it is strange that I am about to research a way for two teenagers to engage in sex, didn't see that happening. However, remember that problem Cordelia had with Groo. That potion she sent you to get, perhaps. I mean it isn't nearly the same situation, but it could be a good sign, you know, that there's hope."

Angel looked over to see Connor standing almost catatonic, watching Buffy and Dawn across the field. "Great," Angel said distractedly, "Let's start with that."

"And there's always surgery, for one or both of them, invasive sure…but mortal, and this could be a strictly mystical problem…just astounding really, beyond belief…"

Angel walked away, leaving Wesley just standing there marveling over this new puzzle to be solved. Unfortunately it wasn't a child's game, but the life of two children of unfortunate circumstances that neither created, but was born into, and who were now forced to deal with the consequences of. When Angel reached Connor he simply placed a hand on his shoulder, Connor jumped, but still didn't look away from Dawn.

At Angel's gentle prodding, Connor slowly turned his head toward him, a single tear now slipping out of his eye, which he quickly wiped away.

"You'll help me. Help me find a way to fix this." It was barely a whisper, but Angel caught every shaky word.

"Yes. And we will. I promise you." Angel looked longingly across the field, his own anguish visible.

"Because you never want me to feel the way you do right now?" Connor said. Angel looked at him questioningly. "You know, hopeless. The way you look at her, like it's impossible. I never want to feel that for Dawn. I never even want to think it."

"I wish none of this were happening to you right now."

They were both silent for what seemed like forever. Each of their gazes locked on their lost love. Finally, Connor spoke. It was a quiet voice full of resignation.

"I don't know how to say goodbye to her."

"You definitely are my son."

Connor looked at him not understanding his comment.

"Let me give you a piece of advice that comes directly from my own personal experience. They don't like it when you just leave. It may be less painful that way, but a goodbye is absolutely necessary."

"What wuss wouldn't say goodbye? I never considered just leaving her. Seriously who would do that?"

"Well in my defense I did tell her in advance that I wasn't going to say goodbye-"

"Whatever Dad, I think I'll field this one on my own."

Connor walked over to Buffy and Dawn. When he got there, Buffy pealed Dawn out of her arms and moved her into Connor's, and slowly walked away, hoping her sister would make it through this as she listened to her burst into heavy tears all over again. She slowly walked across the field, and fell into Angel's arms, still reeking of her sister's anguish; he held her and gently stroked her hair and whispered words that were not about meaning but about the soothing tone of his voice, until she was able to calm down. Buffy looked up at him and he wiped away her final tears and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"Angel, this has all happened before except it was me crying into Willow's lap, trying with all my will to just breathe and it was you I was grieving for. I can't stand that she has to go through this. I wanted her to have the life I couldn't, never my exact life!"

"Well, if it helps, I don't think you turned out so bad, and although we were apart I never stopped loving you."

"What has our love ever gotten us but continued pain? I just can't stand for them to suffer the same fate."

"I promise you, I will use every resource Wolfram & Hart has to ensure that doesn't happen."

Just then Spike cleared his throat, gaining both Buffy and Angel's attention. Buffy's eyes lit up slightly, while Angel's got dangerously darker.

"Hello Love."

"She's not your love."

"Angel, can I please…I haven't seen him since I watched him die. I need to see that he's ok."

"He's fine."

"Don't give me a hard time about this; you know how I feel about you. I love you. You and I have a connection no one will ever be able to break. But he and I are connected in a different way and I need-"

"Go, please! If it means I won't have to listen to you talk about your feelings for Spike, then just go. Any more of this and the likely-hood Spike will be returning with me in any form other than a pile of dust is pretty non-existent. I'll be in the chopper." He grabbed her then for one last long deep kiss. She moaned and instinctively moved in closer to him, attempting to draw every last inch of his body against hers, for who knew how long it would be before they saw each other again. Angel pulled away slowly, not wanting to break the contact, yet at the same time knowing he must.

Buffy dazedly looked up at a satisfied Angel. "So, was that for me, or Spike?"

Angel smiled wryly. "I just think of it as a win-win." He let go of her and turned to walk toward the chopper. He stopped mid-way and turned back to look at her one last time before he got on board.

Buffy ran towards Spike nearly knocking him to the ground as she threw herself into his arms.

"So, you're glad to see me?"

Buffy let go and punched him in the face.

"Or not."

"I'm pissed as hell! What was that dying production? Then I find out, by the way not from you, that you are alive and in LA. And you didn't even bother to call and let me know that you weren't dead."

"Actually, still dead. But thankfully no longer ghostly."

"You know that's not the same thing, and don't use that 'I wasn't corporeal so I couldn't make a phone call' crap on me."

"Well, I thought I'd done one better, when I came to Rome to see you, but you were too busy shagging the immortal to see me, us, whatever."

"Don't you start with me too. Every girl's allowed to make a few bad romance choices in her life."

"And where do I fall on that list, love?"

"It's hard to say, I pretty much have you straddling the middle."

"So there's straddling eh?"

"Don't start with your dirty innuendoes."

"Fine, fine. Well, nobody wants to be the good guy, so I guess that will have to do. Anyway, it may not seem it but I was hoping this would be a good meeting, well after the rescuing you ended up not needing, I mean. But it's not going so good with the smootchfest I just had to witness."

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that. Things have just been, well, intense is an understatement."

Spike looked over at Dawn and Connor who still sat on the ground entwined in each others arms. "So I see. Is there anything I can do?"

"Spike I-"

"Don't worry slayer, I know the score, you and Angel, the love that will never die, Romeo and Juliet never had anything on the two of you."

"But I want to explain, about what I said-"

"I knew then, just as I told you, that you didn't mean it. You thought I was dying. It's no bid deal."

But Buffy could see as he looked away from her as he said the last that he was lying. It was a big deal.

"I meant it."

He looked questioningly and intensely into her eyes. She loved that look, the one that she could actually feel penetrate her. However, it didn't affect her in the same way it once had.

"We became so close that last year after you got your soul. Fighting together, working side by side. You were my strength and the closest friend I have. You hold a piece of my heart that no one will ever be able to touch, not even Angel."

Spike took a step closer to her so that he was standing just a breath away, his head bent down towards hers, their lips mere inches apart. "A friend, Slayer? Are you sure that's all I am to you? That it's all you want?" He didn't move as he spoke the words in a slow sexy whisper.

Buffy stepped back away from him, hoping the distance would help her regain her senses. As much as she knew she was in love with Angel, she still felt her skin excite at the nearness of Spike. But it didn't mean she was in love with him, just that a part of her would probably always lust for him in some way. No man had ever touched her the way Spike had, the darkness in her, only to her innate slayerness did it feel right. But it wasn't right for the person she wanted to be. Not a slayer, but a woman, free of the ties to such darkness.

"Well, I guess that answers that."

"Spike, are you going to be ok."

"You know, I kept telling myself it was always going to be him, but I think deep down somewhere inside I held out hope, ya know, as crazy as I knew it was." Spike drew himself up and seemed to come to terms with her decision.

"Yeah, well, I think it only fair that I be allowed to continue torturing Angel on this subject. Sadly, some days it is the best part of my day watching him squirm over images of you and me together."

Buffy looked past Spike to see Angel sitting in the chopper watching them closely. "You two are awful. Half the time I don't think it's me at all you are arguing about. I'm just one of your excuses at your attempts to continually one up the other. So have your fun, just leave me out of it."

Buffy leaned forward and gave Spike a kiss on the cheek before she allowed him to fold her up in his arms for a proper good-bye.

When he jumped up into the chopper, the only ones left on the green were Dawn, Connor and herself. She stood a good distance from them, and wasn't sure they were ever going to let go of one another. That is until Buffy saw Angel climb out of the Chopper and start to make his way towards them.