Part Three
It had been a long 3 months for Will. Spike had only stayed home for a month and then left again. That was 2 months ago. Will loved it when Spike was home for many reasons. It gave him chance to unload some of his burdens of being the man of the house at age 8. Also Riley stayed away when Spike was home. Riley seemed to be coming more and more now, more than ever. Will hated it, hated Riley. Will knew his mother’s feelings, she was so sure that his father was alive while her friends equally as sure he was dead. Will didn’t want to believe either, on the one hand if hi father was dead he would know that he at least loved him nut if he was alive what possible excuse could he have for staying away for 8 years. He didn’t know that he would soon find out.
Riley looked at the house belonging to the woman he would do anything for, literally. He would get rid of everything and everyone that would stand in his way of course his biggest obstacle now was her. She refused to listen t his feelings of love. Her heart still belonged to a man who had deserted her 8 years before, in her most vulnerable time. He had forced his way back into her life soon after her children had been born. He wondered whether he should have done that sooner since her strongest friendship seemed to be with the vampire that had remained by her side throughout the tears and changes of her pregnancy. He lived with that thought. How he hated those children of hers, a constant reminder of the man she had dumped him for. They looked like him. Emily was her mother in looks and shape. The only thing that stopped her being a younger version of her mother was her brown hair and eyes she had received from her father. Although they were twins they looked different. No one could deny there were similarities but still different. Will had his mother’s eyes. He always reminded Riley of a young Angel with green eyes. They didn’t even notice it but he did they way they stood when talking to him. They stood in a fighter’s stance as though ready to kick his ass, which he knew they could. Will had told him of this many times and Riley knew that if they didn’t their mother would for ever daring to attack her precious children.
Buffy smiled at the man stood in her kitchen and went to the door. A hunched up figure stood under a blanket. He rushed in as soon as the door opened. Buffy looked at her best friend and knew that he hadn’t found what they both had hoped he would. Spike held the Slayer as she wept from the knowledge that again she had lost her hope. But he knew differently.
“Buffy, it’s not that it never worked out this time. He was there.” Buffy looked up at him. “But they’d moved him on before I got there. The floor of the cell was charcoal, it was covered in paper. That’s how I knew that’s where he’d been. He held a scrap of paper to her. She looked at it. It was a drawing of her that spoke volumes of the love that Angel held for her. The care he’d taken to get every detail right. Spike left the Slayer looking at he drawing and went to the kitchen for blood. Another knock at the door Buffy was able to quickly open. She saw a man who was black and blue, with numerous cuts and wounds covering his body. His shirt was torn and his clothes and body were filthy. He looked up a pained expression in his face, which was covered in dry blood. Buffy exhaled the breathe in her lungs and looked as though she couldn’t believe the sight of what was on her doorstep. From the kitchen sounds of a rather deadly argument could be heard starting.
“What the hell are you doing here you fucking dickhead?”
“Well considering I love the woman in there I’m here to make things easier considering her bastard of a lover knocked her up and left her to raise his kids.” The man stood in the doorway looked panicked at the raised voices. He resembled a deer caught in headlights. But this was only so for a moment because then he turned and ran. Buffy stared after him, trying to figure out whether to believe her own eyesight and go after him or think that insanity had finally set in. unfortunately her mind was made for her as the sound of an extremely loud crash sounded in her ears and sent her to the kitchen. Ex commando and vampire had decided instead of words they would use fists. The ex commando had grabbed some spatula or something and was about to impale the very weak and tired vampire when his hand was grabbed from behind and stopped just before it hit it’s mark.
“Get the hell out of my home!” Buffy was near tears about everything. Riley looked at her and made no move to leave. Buffy backhanded him and he flew across the room. He stood looked at her and left. Spike held the Slayer again and she cried. She didn’t tell him about the man on the doorstep for fear she had imagined it.
Buffy left for patrol that night feeling tired and miserable. Since overhearing her children’s conversation 2 weeks ago she had tried to be upbeat and happier for them. It had worked but tonight she couldn’t. Their meal was eaten in silence and soon after Buffy left for patrol. Since the hellmouth had closed she had been patrolling less and less every year and tonight went against her routine but she had needed to escape that house, their house and their children. These thoughts clouded her mind in a deadly way and was unprepared for the vampire attack. The stake she had in her hand forgotten the vampire closed in. but for some reason Buffy could not summon the strength within her to fight. She thought of her children and her friends and Spike. She thought of what they said about Angel, that he was dead and now after all these years even with the things Spike had found she let her mind drift to what if he was dead. She wondered if by dying they would be reunited. The vampire’s teeth were dangerously close to her now and when she about to truly give in, her children again flashed before her and eyes and she knew she couldn’t give up, so she tried to stop the vampire. But he had her arms pined and she had given him serious advantage by waiting so long to fight back. But then the vampire was gone. She looked up into the face of her saviour. Riley. He held out his hand, which she took, and he pulled her up. He looked puzzled by her actions, which he had obviously seen. Buffy unable to keep his gaze looked round and saw a figure in the darkness. She knew that figure it was the man from her doorstep. He turned and again ran but she refused to let him go this time. She spirited after him. Her natural ability and his obvious injuries made him quick to catch. She put her hand to his shoulder and spun him round. She was face to face with the man and she was unable to believe the sight before her. She had wanted so much to see his face and never imagined it could look like this when he finally returned. Tears came tumbling down her cheeks. At the same time he began to cry. She wrapped her arms round him and held him tight, maybe a little too tightly as he winced from pain of his injuries but never told her to let go.
“Buffy?” the way he uttered her name filled her with the emotions she had tried to banish. More than anything she felt she must hurt and kill whoever could do this to her angel. But for now all she could do was hold her love while he sobbed.
“Angel. Angel my love, Angel. I’m here and I won’t leave you ever. You and me against the world from now on. I love you and I won’t let anyone hurt you. Angel I’m here, I’ll always be here.”
