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Disclaimer:
Takes place shortly after "Passion" but before "Becoming." They all belong
to the almighty Joss and the WB. I wrote it to entertain myself and my
good friend Grammatica, who first made me notice that Angel and Spike swapped
clothing almost every other episode!
Angel hid in the shadows as was his wont, watching Buffy, Xander, and Willow walk down the sidewalk. A smile creased his face as they passed, then he stepped out and called to her. She whirled, a stake already in her hand.
"What do you want?" She asked guardedly.
Angel spread his hands in a gesture of innocence. "Just wanted to talk, that's all." He watched Willow and Xander take up defensive positions around Buffy - not that it would do them much good if he really felt like killing tonight.
"Fine. Talk." Buffy said curtly. Angel shrugged.
"Spike's mage found a spell that negates the invitation spell. You might have company tonight."
"Who?"
"Spike's little pets, maybe. Spike, maybe. Drusilla, maybe. Who knows?"
"You?"
"No, not me. I've got other plans tonight. Maybe some other time."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Angel shrugged. "No reason." He joined the shadows again and disappeared. As he left he heard her running to where he had been standing, and chuckled quietly to himself. He'd heard Spike planning his visit to the slayer earlier, but he laughed as he mentally pictured the look on Spike's face when he found Buffy awake and pre-warned. He started to whistle.
At the factory, Spike took a few steps forward, and stumbled. "Blast!" he muttered. Drusilla floated in carrying a tire iron. "What's that for, luv?" he asked.
"A man above us got a flat tire," she explained. "If you hurry, you can help him fix it."
Brightening, he said, "Yeah, thanks, pet." His pacing took on a more purposeful rhythm.
Buffy hung up the phone and sat down on the bed. "I've told Giles what Angel told me. Now all we need to do is figure out why he told me."
Willow hugged her knees. "So, another sleepover with weapons?"
"Excellent idea, Will," Xander said. "Can I pick out the nighties?"
"Uh, guys," Buffy said, standing up. "IF Spike shows up and comes in with no invitation tonight, do you think I want you two here?"
"But it doesn't matter, because if he does have that kind of spell he can kill us all any time he wants to," Willow said.
Xander chimed in again. "And can I just ask why we're suddenly believing Angel again now, as if he's back to being good? I mean, why would he tell Buffy the truth, anyway? And if there was such a spell, why would he not use it himself?"
Willow answered, "Buffy asked him that, remember? And he said -- "
" 'I have other plans,' " Buffy finished. She thought for a second, then sat back down. "Well, since Angel doesn't want to kill me just yet - but instead he wants to kill you two, to get to me - and since Spike just wants to kill me, and has no particular use for you two" She let her voice trail off, eyebrows lowering in concentration.
Willow put her thoughts into words for her. "Ever get the feeling those two just don't get along?"
"Yeah," Buffy said thoughtfully. "Okay, change of plan. First we'll call Giles, then you guys will tell your folks you're staying here for the night."
"Whoopee!" yelled Xander, sitting down sheepishly when he realized the other two were glaring at him. He gave them an impish grin. "Now, about those nighties..?"
"I for one plan to add a crossbow and a kevlar turtleneck to my usual night attire!" exclaimed Buffy with a smile as she picked up the phone and dialed.
The phone rang again, startling Giles for the second time that night. It was Buffy. She outlined her plan briefly and waited for his response. It didn't take long.
"No. Absolutely not. Buffy, you put yourself at risk every night because it's your job, but you can't put the others in danger as well."
"But Giles, listen. Angel wants to kill my friends, and if he has the spell he can do that without my being there to protect them. Spike doesn't care about them, he just wants to kill me. They're safest wherever I am, if such a spell exists. By the way, DOES such a spell exist?" Buffy asked.
Giles absently flipped the pages of his book. "I don't know. Historically, there has been no
mention of it, but there are some gaps in the Watcher journals. Spells and magic are usually considered the domain of the occult, and that was Miss Calendar's forte, not mine."
Buffy heard the catch in his voice. "I know, Giles, I'm sorry. But we are staying here for the night, and I'm staying awake just in case. And we're all armed and everything. So we'll just see how tonight goes and report to you in the morning."
Despite their previous protestations that they wouldn't, both Willow and Xander fell asleep. Buffy sat by the window, crossbow in hand, waiting.
A few hours passed before she saw what she was waiting for. Spike walked slowly towards her house and began to climb the tree outside her window. She kept quiet and watched his progress by the moonlight shining on his platinum hair, and on the white mass he carried under his arm. He reached the level of her window and crawled across the roof towards her. When she moved, his head whipped up in surprise, which he quickly hid.
"Oh good, you're awake," he said easily.
Buffy's eyebrows lifted. "Uh, yeah, I usually try to be, when vampires approach me in the middle of the night."
"Good point," he admitted. He handed her the white bundle. "Here."
She opened it, spread it out, and it became "A shirt?" she said, utterly bewildered. "Why did you give me a shirt?"
"A WHITE shirt, luv. White, as in truce. I just wanted to talk."
"Nice change," Buffy said. "Why haven't you come in yet?"
Now it was his turn to be bewildered. "You haven't invited me. Not that I blame you for that, but it does make social calls a bit hard."
"But I thought your mage found a counter-invitation spell, or something. What's up?"
Spike laughed silently. "Ah, so the Angel of the night came to call, eh? Well, I had to tell him something! I couldn't tell him the real reason I was coming here, could I?"
Buffy narrowed her eyes. "I don't know. What is the real reason you're here? You said you wanted to talk so talk from there."
"Fine. It's about Angel." And Spike explained his whole plan. When he had finished, he rolled off the roof and dropped silently to the ground.
Buffy sighed as she watched him disappear. She wondered if she'd dreamed the strange visit, when she heard Willow say from the bed, "Buffy, I heard the whole thing. We'll go to Giles in the morning."
Giles greeted them at the door next morning, looking preoccupied. Cordelia was already there, seated at the table. As Buffy started her story and reached the part about Spike's giving her the shirt, which she unfolded along with the tale, Giles silently handed her the morning paper with a red-circled headline that read "HALF-NAKED DRIVER BRAINED WITH TIRE IRON." Buffy opened her fingers gingerly and dropped first the shirt, then the paper.
"EW!" was her well-considered remark before she continued with her story. When she finished, there were a few moments of quiet, broken by Giles.
"It certainly is generous of him to make the offer. If it weren't for last night's incident with the spanner, one might almost think Spike was the one with the soul now. There's only one problem."
"Motive." Xander supplied helpfully.
"Yes, exactly. Why would Spike want to help us get Angel's soul back?"
"Jealousy," Cordelia stated positively. "It's about Spike's girl. He's tired of Angel being back on the vampire dating scene."
"Cordy, that's sick," Xander tried to shut her up, but she kept talking.
"Listen, mister, I might not know much about vampires, which by the way, is what Watchers and Librarians are for, but I know a hell of a lot about dating, and I'm telling you -"
"Cordelia's right," Buffy interrupted, causing general consternation. "I saw Angel with Drusilla once, in the park a long time ago. Plus, he told me he used to be in love with her, so much that he brought her over. No, it makes total sense. If Angelus is back and warming up the cold soup with Drusilla, that would leave Spike injured AND left out. Sort of kicking him while he's down."
"In that case I don't blame him for wanting the good old Angel back," Xander said. "When he was helping Buffy all the time, he didn't have time for other girls."
"Boy," Willow observed innocently. "Jealousy can do some weird things to people, can't it?" All eyes turned in her direction. "What?" she said defensively.
In the factory warehouse, Spike settled comfortably into his wheelchair and smiled up at his beautiful Dru. "Thanks for the tip last night, ducks," he said. "It was a lot of fun, with the spanner and all."
Angel walked in wearing one of Spike's shirts. "Spike! How are you?"
"Better, thanks," Spike said stiffly.
"Yeah, I thought so. Heard about the tire iron incident and knew it had to be you, Sonny boy."
Spike noticed Angel's apparel. "Here, what's with wearing my clothes?"
Angel shrugged. "Didn't think you'd mind. Besides, don't you have an extra one, after last night?"
Spike looked away. "Lost it."
Angel grinned suddenly and changed the subject. "So, how's my little lover doing?"
Spike gritted his teeth and said, "She's in the other room, beheading Miss Edith."
Angel looked startled for a moment. "Not Dru! I meant the slayer! Honestly, Spike, do you really think I'd want to steal your girl?" Spike made no reply. Angel walked off into the other room, muttering, "Borrow her, sure, but steal her? I don't think so. She's a nut case!"
Spike steamed, but still managed to say nothing.
The next night he showed up at the library. He burst open the door and strutted in, flicking his cigarette on the floor. He looked around at the startled expressions on the faces of Giles, Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Cordelia. A large gym bag sat on the table in the middle. Spike let a slow smile spread across his face when his eyes turned to the orb of Thesula sitting on top of the bag.
"Good," he said. "You got one."
"Actually, we got --" Cordelia began, but Buffy kicked her under the table and smiled sweetly.
"Actually, we got, uh, ready early. Right." She finished.
Spike shrugged and didn't waste any more time on her. "Right, then, the plan's all set? They come in here, we put 'em in the cage, do the ritual thingie on Angel while I keep Dru out of your way. Right?"
"Perfect plan," Buffy said, still smiling sweetly. "Afterwards, can we fight?"
Spike laughed. "Afterwards, baby, is where the amnesty comes in. You let us two leave, and then you can have your way with anyone who's left behind."
"Sounds like fun!"
Spike listened. "Get ready, they're coming. Where can I hide?"
"Get in the cage first," Giles suggested. "It will lend verisimilitude to the proceedings, and afterwards, I give you my word we'll let you leave freely."
Spike eyed him suspiciously, but Giles' face was a picture of innocence. He shrugged and entered the cage, pulling the door so it was not quite closed.
Angel's voice rang down the hallway. "Buffyyyy! Loooooover! Yoo-hoo, I'm coming to see you!"
"Oh, god!" Buffy rolled her eyes. "I hope he decides to off me soon, 'cause if he doesn't, he'll just annoy me to death!"
From the cage, Spike laughed out loud. Suddenly, the library doors burst open and various vampire henchmen came in. Angel and Drusilla followed them in, like a king and queen making a grand entrance. "Bout time you got here," Spike commented dryly.
"Spike, aw, what happened? Did the slayer catch you on your second night out? Don't worry, kid, we'll get you out of there in a minute." Angel said sarcastically.
"Now!" Shouted Giles. Everyone sprang into action. Xander took a huge water gun out of the gym bag on the table and began hosing down all the minions with holy water. Willow stood at the doorway with a cross, blocking the exit, while Cordelia took the guarded the one in the stacks. Spike sprang out of the unlatched cage and kicked Angel in the chest, hard, then grabbed Drusilla and pushed her into the cage. Meanwhile, Buffy went around to each incapacitated vampire who had been baptized and methodically staked the whole line of them. She then turned her attention to helping Spike. She dragged Angel over to the cage and dropped him inside, then shoved Dru inside as well. Drusilla tripped over Angel's leg and landed on top of him.
Spike began to swing the door closed, but Giles shouted, "Spike, look out!" Spike looked behind him into the cage -- and got shoved into it himself!
"I thought I had amnesty!" he snarled.
Buffy, locking up the cage, smiled. "You do. When this is over, we'll let you go free." She glanced over at the others. "Now, let's get started."
The teenagers and their mentor formed a semi-circle around the table. Cordelia carefully placed the gym bag on a chair next to her. Giles lit some candles and placed them at intervals around the orb. One after another, Giles, Willow, Xander, and Buffy recited the lines of the spell. The orb grew hot and glowed. Just as it became almost too bright to look at, Buffy nodded to Cordelia, who withdrew two small objects from the bag and carefully placed them next to the glowing orb.
The three Orbs of Thesula glowed brightly, and the three vampires in the cage began to scream in pain. Their shrieks rose to a crescendo until suddenly the globes burst into fragments and the candles blew out. There was silence.
"What have you done?" moaned Drusilla. "What have you done to me? I was so happy, and now you've brought me back."
Angel's eyes flickered warily from Xander to Buffy standing next to the cage with her stake held at the ready. She swung open the door and stood just outside it. Giles walked over and flung a red rose at Angel's feet. "Remind you of anything?" he asked coldly.
At the sight of the flower, Angel's brown eyes filled with memory, comprehension, and tears. He crumpled to the floor inside the cage, weeping.
Spike stepped over him and walked outside the cage. He glanced from the weeping Angel to the moaning Drusilla leaning against the wall, and looked up at the slayer. "Nice work, Sweetie." He said with genuine admiration. "Sure seems to've worked all right."
"What about you?" asked Willow. "Didn't it work for you as well?"
"Well yeah," Spike admitted, then grinned at the redhead. "I'm afraid it's not that much torment for me."
"How could that be?" Giles wondered aloud.
"Well, Angelus was always a lazy son of a bitch, but he was a decent sort of bloke in spite of it. That, and he'd been brought up a good Catholic boy. And Dru! She was a nun! Where do you suppose their souls were, anyway?"
Buffy began to understand. "Whereas yours was..."
"...in the other place, that's right, pet!" Spike finished happily. "Yeah, I always was a rough bastard, but that burning for eternity gig sort of gets old after a few decades. Slayer, I'm grateful. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll leave you to deal with the leftovers." He walked towards the door, but as Buffy approached Angel and said his name, he paused and leaned against the doorframe, waiting to see what would happen.
"Stand up, Angel," Buffy encouraged. He obeyed, eyes streaming. "Look at me." His tortured eyes met hers. She touched his face lightly. "I loved you so much! And when I showed you how much, you turned on me and taught me how to hate you."
"I'm so sorry, Buffy -"
"Shhh." She put a finger against his lips and continued. "I know that the person who did those awful things isn't the same man I loved, but I also know that neither of us can live with the person who did those things." She picked up a stake and held it out at chest level, pointing at him. "It's up to you." She told him.
He understood. He took a moment to brace himself, then stepped forward into her embrace. They kissed fervently for a moment, and he said, "Thank you, Buffy!" Then he pulled her close to him and hugged her hard. His eyes widened slightly, and he exploded in a pile of dust.
Drusilla wailed and leaped at Buffy, who countered instinctively with the stake. Drusilla's face looked serene, and even sane for an instant before her ashes joined Angel's on the floor.
"Oh, wow!" breathed Xander.
"Harsh!" Willow agreed.
"How can people like opera when there's entertainment like this in the world?" came the unexpected comment from the doorway. Buffy started toward Spike, brandishing her stake.
"Two down, one to go!" She muttered.
Spike protested. "But slayer -- ! My amnesty!" He began to look nervous as she stalked closer. "Um, my soul? I've got a soul, now, you know!"
"So did they." Buffy informed him coldly.
Spike made one last bid for salvation. "I always thought you were cute, you know. If Dru hadn't been around, maybe we could've -- "
With an inarticulate roar, Buffy leaped at him. He turned tail and ran off down the hallway as fast as he could go, with the irate slayer close on his heels. Within seconds, they were out of earshot.
Xander
turned toward Willow and Cordelia. "So, you guys both ready for that history
test tomorrow?"
END
