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| Mazzy & Prebuffy present |
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| ******PreBuffy****** Angel looked up the very same instant Spike entered the bar. Every nerve in his body tightened and he wondered what the hell he was supposed to even say to him. They weren�t friends, despite their bizarre bonding of yore and a good many years of much enjoyed bedlam between them. They weren�t necessarily enemies either. One would never severely hurt the other, not that they didn�t try, and Buffy had said Spike had changed. Then, a mere second later, Wesley walked in behind him. Great. Super. Not only did he have to deal with Spike, he had to face Wesley too. Angel rolled his eyes and turned back to the table of demons in front of him. Commanding the presence of King Arthur and his knights, he stood regally and all eyes went directly to the motion. He took in the scene for a moment before admonishing, �You�ll have to excuse me, gentlemen. I have to tend to something important. I shall return.� Spike chuckled heartily from behind him as he finished. �Still big with the formalities, huh Daddio?! All big gestures and the King�s English.� Angel bared his teeth at the other vampire. �Not now, Spike, I�m in the middle of a discussion. Please have a seat somewhere else!� Spike rolled his eyes and headed for another table, but not before uttering a rather loud �Ponce!� under his breath. Wesley sat beside him and chummily ordered two beers and some buffalo wings. Angel took another moment to assess the tables on each side of him. �Rock,� he said facing the demons, then turned to the other table and mumbled, �and hard place.� He looked back and forth again. �Okay. Hard place it is.� He pulled out a chair next to Spike, dragged it a couple of feet away from the table and sat down. He frowned at the duo. �Well?� Both men remained uncharacteristically silent. Angel sighed. �For starters, perhaps you could explain what the two of you are doing here. More specifically, here together.� Spike raised his head and looked at his grand-sire, eyes twinkling. �Jus� havin� a pint, matey. Somethin� wrong with that?� Wesley nodded in agreement, face barren of any emotion. �Too many things to list,� Angel replied. �But maybe you could be a little more specific. I doubt you just happened to meet outside. And you�re covered in sewer stench. Need I continue?� Wesley pulled his chair out and roughly pushed it back in. �Fighting demons. In a sewer,� he replied tersely. �Were Fred and Gu�� Before Angel could finish, Wesley stalked over to another table, beer and snacks in hand, and sat down, back towards his former boss. Spike took in the whole scene with mild interest, bordering on revulsion. �What�d you manage to do to piss him off? We were gettin� on just fine before you came along.� Angel glared at him and replied in his best I�m-talking-to-an-idiot voice. �Let�s talk about you, shall we? What�s this soul thing you�re trying to pull? A new way to get Buffy to trust you so you can get close, then try to kill her.� Spike�s jaw went rigid and he purposely pushed the axe in front of him out of both of their reaches. Angel snorted. �Like I need a weapon to break your neck.� Spike banged on the table, startling everyone else in the bar. �You�re not the only thing in the world who can change his spots,� he said quietly through gritted teeth. �I guess I was tired of the fun end-the-world schemes and decided to fight for good.� Angel snorted again and leaned back in his chair. �Yeah, right. And I�m Spiderman. What�s really going on?� Spike remained silent. Angel leaned over the table and shifted into game face. �So, if I told you I was evil again, you�d do what?� Spike leaned back, relaxing his own facial muscles into the familiar feral grin he always wore when conversing with Angelus about mass murders and mayhem. He licked his bottom lip, anticipating the warm fresh blood he hadn�t tasted in so long. Sitting nose to nose, brows knotted and teeth bared, they looked like a scarily comical Felix and Oscar, about to spar over a lost favorite mug. Other demons in the bar were observing the spectacle with interest, wondering if they were about to witness a fight. But Spike simply shifted his face back and slouched back in his chair. �I�d let the Watcher stake your buggered arse,� he mumbled. �And then I�d be able to go home.� ********* Xander led Cordelia back into the Bronze like a man on a mission. But as soon as he spotted the trio of his girl-type-friends and one extremely pissed off ex-girl-friend, he stopped. Looking between the only two women he had really loved, he suddenly felt like sinking into the floor. Then, Buffy caught his eye, glance pregnant with understanding, and he remembered why he was in this sticky situation to begin with. Cordelia needed his help. Recalling the parallels between his current jam and the nightmare Buffy had to live with, he blew out a breath. If Buffy could help Cordy while constantly worrying about Spike and Angel being alone together in a whole �nother city, he could do it while here in good ol� Sunnydale. He just hoped neither of his demon-ex-lovers tried to kill each other either. He briefly took a moment of silence and prayed neither of the situations turned deadly, and continued towards the table, Cordelia in tow. �Cordelia and I were outside talking,� he began when he was cut off by a slap in the face. �Oh, I�m sure you were talking,� screamed the voice that he assumed belonged to Anya. The bright lights behind his eyes prevented him from actually seeing his attacker. When his vision came back into focus, he saw her in front of him, in full vengeance form, looking s-c-a-r-y. �I hate you, Xander Harris. I hate you so much!� She stormed out of the club, near tears, the rest of the patrons looking on in curiosity. Xander turned his blurred vision back to the rest of the girls and sighed. �Actually, we kinda needed her help.� Buffy plopped into a vacant bar stool with authority. �Whatever. You looked like you had something important to say. Did Cordelia remember something?� �Uh, kinda. Actually, I did. I�m thinking this is something like when we all lost our memories. Maybe there�s a spell that can recover what she�s missing. Ya know, a reverse Tabula Rasa.� He looked pointedly at Willow. She looked at Buffy. �Uhhhhhh�� Xander shook his head and continued. �Or, we could use a variation of the spell you used on Glory when she brain-sucked Tara.� Willow�s eyes widened. Xander instinctively flinched. �Sorry. I just mean the situation was kinda the same, with the missing pieces and stuff.� �No, no, it�s okay,� Willow said after a deep breath. �I just�� Dawn patted her arm and tried to mask the discomfort in the air. �We don�t have to talk about that right now, do we? We�re supposed to be having fun.� Willow smiled encouragingly and put her hand over Dawn�s. �No, it�s really okay. But Xander�s right. We need Anya. She�s our supplier. And I really don�t think she�s on board right now, considering�� She nodded in Cordelia�s direction. Xander sighed. �I guess that means I have to do some major recon in the begging department.� He placed an arm around Cordy and looked into her eyes. �Are you going to be okay? You�re in good hands, ya know. And I�ll be back as soon as I can.� The rest of the table shot meaningful glances at each other as Xander continued. �You should try to relax and have some fun, okay?� Cordelia nodded and released herself from his grasp. �I�ll be fine. You go and get the crazy broad. We�ll stay here and girl talk.� As Xander exited the club, the girls tried to look composed and not show the anxiety that had them all antsy and worried. �He�ll be fine,� Dawn said, breaking the silence. �Right?� �Oh sure,� Buffy replied. �Absolutely. Hey, weren�t we about to ride the wave to Liquorville. �Cause, liquor; I could use more.� Willow waved over a passing waitress and signaled for another round. She turned back to Cordelia, eyes falsely bright and cheery. �So, what were you two talking about anyway? Old times? Nothing about me and some inappropriate clothing-related issues, I hope.� Cordelia stared at her strangely. �Well, if you mean your outfit could use some, oh, I don�t know, Calvin Klein, then no. But, yeah, we were�uhhh�discussing�old times.� Willow glanced down at her shirt, confused by Cordy�s sudden change of opinion about her attire. Apparently she had given up being nice in favor of her usual directness. Cordelia barely took notice as she went on. �You guys were my friends right? Did I love Xander?� Buffy picked up her glass and took a small sip. �Well, you once told me you thought you did. But that was when we were being tracked by some demons during homecoming.� Cordy shot a horrified glance her way. �So this IS my life. And it always has been. I feel a little sick.� Dawn smiled at her. �Oh, you shouldn�t. We all have to deal with this stuff. But that�s why we�re here to help. We get it.� Buffy smiled at her sister�s wisdom. So much for her age. She would have never ventured to say that at 15. Realizing she DID need to be a bit more helpful, she turned to Cordelia. �Not everything was bad. Scary, but not bad. You�ve done a lot of good things, Cordy. Every time we had an apocalypse, you were right there to help us whatever way you could. Well, then, you didn�t do the glow thingy, but you did a lot. Helped a lot. Drove a lot.� �Drove a lot?� �Even watched me sometimes,� Dawn interjected. �I needed a lot of watching back then!� Buffy smiled. �Oh, yeah. And this one time, we all turned into our Halloween costumes, and you were the only one who didn�t. You helped then! And also, you helped with spells. And honesty. You�� �That�s it!� Willow shouted. Buffy, Dawn and Cordelia all stared at her like she had grown another head. She looked around, embarrassed, and covered her flaming red cheeks with both hands. �Sorry,� she said quietly, ducking her head. �I didn�t mean to interrupt.� Cordelia sighed. �It�s okay. This is getting me nowhere anyway.� She turned to the dancing crowd and stared wistfully at the vibrating mass, searching for lost memories of similar times. Buffy�s forehead creased and she gave Willow a hopeful look. �That sounded like an �A-ha!� Care to share?� �I was just thinking of the spell.� �Really? And you got an �A-ha!�?� Willow smiled sheepishly. �Yeah. I was thinking that when I did the spell for Tara, I had a conduit. Glory. I mean, she did the sucking of the brain, which made her the obvious choice, but I think if I can find another one, I could alter the spell to pull Cordy�s memory back from wherever it is.� �That sounds dangerous, Will. What if wherever it is, is bad?� Willow regarded Buffy�s look with a grimace. �This is not like bringing you back, Buffy. That was your whole essence being gone. This is just one small part of Cordelia. And it can�t be anywhere bad. It�s just gone.� �I wish Giles were here,� was Buffy�s reply. Willow bristled angrily. �What, you don�t trust me? I�m not talking off the top of my head here. I�ve been to see the coven. They recuperated me. I can use magic without going dark.� She turned the other way and sighed deeply. �I wish Giles were here too. At least he has some faith in me.� Buffy gritted her teeth to avoid rolling her eyes. �Will, it�s not that I don�t trust you. It�s just� More magic? I can�t see it being�uneventful. Things get broken. People get broken�� ******** Angel sat up abruptly and his game face melted off. He was so shocked by the haunted look deep in Spike�s eyes, he forgot to mock his answer. He knew Spike had frequent obsessions, but who didn�t? And he�d been around for the majority of the time when he was with Dru. Never had he seen him look so miserable. The poignant way he had said �home� worried him. Was there really something good he was harboring? He found he didn�t have trouble believing Spike, hot-headed, passionate, and always a fool for love, hadn't gone off and done something as drastic as getting his soul back. It irritated him even more. When had he started believing in SPIKE? He hated Spike. The contemptuous look returned to his face. �What do you mean you �want to go home�? Since when is Sunnydale �home�? Your crypt is gone and you certainly can�t stay anywhere else. What the hell do you have in Sunnydale that�s so important?� Spike raised his eyes and contemplated his mentor with a look of extreme melancholy. He really despised the overbearing older vampire, but he really didn�t want to have to be the one to tell him about Buffy. He didn�t want to see the look in his eyes. This was hugely different from the Drusilla thing. He grimaced and decided it was best to get it out himself before Angel found out from someone else. �Buffy. I have Buffy.� The word shock didn�t give justice to the look on Angel�s face. He really didn�t even have a look on his face. He had gone completely blank. Spike continued against his better judgment, the words spilling from his mouth in an attempt to get out as many as he could before Angel stopped finding this ludicrous and realized he was serious. �I don�t want to hurt her. I love her. I have for a while now. Ask her. We�ve been through a lot. That�s why she asked you for help. Because we both want me to be a better man.� He refrained from adding �Please don�t hurt me� to the end. That wasn�t manly. He may have an explanation for his grand-sire, but he wasn�t going to grovel. Angel would have to deal, or kill him trying. He repeated, �I love her,� for emphasis. Then he locked his jaw and stared at Angel tersely, waiting for a response. At the current moment, Angel�s brain seemed to have taken a mini-vacation. Why hadn�t he figured it out before? All the times he had called the house to check on them, hearing a male voice in the background. He had tricked himself into believing it was Xander. Or someone else. He knew Spike was "helping" now-a-days (if you could call it that), but he had no idea he was allowed free roam of Buffy Territory. Just the thought of him in her house, in her room, oh, good lord, in her bed� Angel felt himself get light-headed. He couldn�t even look at Spike. He was afraid if he did, he�d kill him right there. He tried to clear his mind of the images, but to no avail. He gnashed his teeth together and muttered, �I need some air,� before standing abruptly and stalking towards the door. Wesley looked over his shoulder after Angel passed by and raised his glass. Spike let out an unneeded breath in relief and tried to manage a smile for the Watcher as he took the seat Angel had vacated. �What on earth did you say to piss him off so badly?� �Oh, nothing,� Spike replied. �Just that I�m in love with Buffy.� Wesley spit a mouthful of beer across the table, splattering several others. �You�re what?� he sputtered. �With whom? You must be joking!� �Nope,� Spike said quietly. �I feel the same way about her you do about that Fred girl. With pretty much the same outcome.� Wesley scoffed, but didn�t deny it. He frowned and questioned, �What outcome is that?� Spike laughed for the first time in months. �Well, I�m sitting here with YOU, aren�t I?� Wesley stopped to think for a moment, them burst into contemplative giggles. �I see your point.� When they had both stopped laughing, the ex-Watcher leaned forward and grabbed a wing, dunked it in the sauce, and sat back. �How exactly did all of this happen?� Spike sighed. �I don�t know. One day we were fighting�� |
| Note: The following story takes place prior to Buffy season 7 "Selfless" and prior to Angel season 4 "Spin the Bottle". This commences an AU B7/A4 |
| PART VI |
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