FIC: Vampires, Demons and Torchwood, Oh My! (8/?)
Name: Vampires, Demons and Torchwood, Oh my!
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/Characters: Jack/Ianto, Spike/Buffy, Willow/Tosh, Xander/Anya, Martha, Owen, Faith, some minor OCs, other characters may follow later…
Summary: Sequel to Magic and Mayhem at the Rift. The Scoobie gang, now fully integrated into the Torchwood group and settled in to their new lives, discover there’s more coming through the rift than the odd demon and alien. This story is set post Exit Wounds, so there are minor spoilers. However, I have major problems with Exit Wounds and, as such, only some of the storyline happened (same goes for Reset which, although it happened, did not end like it did in the series in my head. Dead Man Walking and A Day in the Death DID NOT HAPPEN. I’m in my happy place now ...). Episodes like Adrift, Something Borrowed and Out of the Rain did happen, though (Like I said before: happy place) and may be referred to or even flash-backed to from time to time.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood or Buffy the Vampire Slayer … I do however own the cracked story idea - and proud of it, thankyouverymuch! I don’t own the title of this story either, however, that was thought up by the wonderful ickle18(I say wonderful because anyone who can come up with this title must be), the daughter of missthingsplace THANK YOU!
My other stories and links to the chapters of Magic and Mayhem (and Vampires, Demons and Torchwood) can be found here, at my master list.
So I decided Spike and Buffy were a little TOO cosy.
Enter conflict.
Also, see this post HERE for why I haven't gone round updating links and the like and why there may not be another chapter for a bit depending on whether I can cope with a laptop. You're lucky to be getting this one.
Previous chapters: Ch.1, Ch. 2 Ch.3 Ch.4 Ch.5 Ch.6 Ch.7
Chapter 8: Fallen Angel.
Saturday 24th February
15:16
Buffy looked across at Willow, who was hanging on her every word. “... and then I was in the future. There was this battle raging ... you were dead and Anya was dead and ... Jack could see me ... and Angel was there.” She sighed. “Angel was there,” she repeated.
“And this was the future?”
Buffy nodded. “Apparently. They showed me four places I could go ... home before I left, home now, here and now or stop taking the slow path and go help Jack fight the future. I chose now.”
“Why would they do that?” Willow asked, puzzled. “Seriously, why would some higher being want to help a lowly human girl beat death?”
“I don't know,” Buffy replied. “All I know is that I’m glad they did.”
“But ... if Angel is there in the future ...” Willow started.
“Then there’s a possibility he might turn up.” Buffy swallowed convulsively. “And if he does ...”
“The battle might happen.”
Buffy nodded.
“As long as Angel isn’t here, though, we’re safe, right?” Willow said.
“I don't know, Will,” Buffy replied. “I really don't know.”
Tuesday 29th July
04:21
An ear piercingly high pitched tune rang out in the darkness, a mobile phone ringtone, and pulled Buffy from her dream; the same dream she’d had every night for the past five months. After she’d ‘died’ she’d spoken to Willow, telling her all that had happened. Their conversation still haunted her.
Buffy rolled over in bed and hit the light on the bedside table, groaning as the electric light hit her. “I have to stop getting drunk …” she moaned, pain shooting through her skull.
“I agree, love,” Spike said, picking up the mobile phone and holding it to his ear. “Yeah?” he growled down the line. “Oh, it’s for me,” he told Buffy as he walked out of the room.
Buffy groaned and sat up in bed, looking at the clock. “Spike, it’s four in the morning!” she yelled after him, something she regretted doing as her hangover hit hard.
Spike chuckled as Jack spoke. “We’ve been trying to apprehend him for an hour now and we’re getting nowhere. Willow persuaded me that Buffy would kill me if we killed him, she won’t tell me why, and they’ve been trying to use spells to subdue him.”
“And?” Spike grunted.
“It isn’t working. We thought, maybe, you could come down here and help. You’re the only one not hung over so far.”
Spike shrugged, even though Jack couldn’t see it. “Tell me where and I’ll be there,” he said.
04:37
Spike arrived in the public park in time to see Ianto using anti-weevil spray against a wild-looking humanoid shape which looked about to pounce. Immediately, he vamped out, jumping between Ianto and the shape. The shape was wearing strangely average clothes; black pants, white shirt (torn almost to shreds) and a black coat (also torn in places). His face was obscured as he sized Spike up.
“What was it doing when you found it?” Spike asked Ianto, who was stood behind him.
“Fighting some vampires,” Ianto informed him.
Spike nodded. “Red, cast a netting spell and I’ll get him underneath it to be dropped, okay?”
Willow nodded, holding up her palms, eyes going back. Over the five months they had been working together, the group had learned how to cooperate well.
As soon as a net had appeared in the air, Spike lunged at the creature, the two of them rolling around on the ground until they landed underneath the net, both snarling and growling. Once the creature was where Spike wanted it, he yelled, “Now!” and rolled off of him as the net came down.
Trapped, the creature squatted, looking around desperately, his face finally revealed.
“Oh have to be bloody joking,” Spike snapped, throwing up his hands and walking away.
05:07
Spike walked into the bedroom, slipped out of his clothes and got into bed, spooning against Buffy’s back. Opening her eyes slowly so as not to be blinded by the electric light if it was on, which it wasn’t, Buffy said, “Spike?” Spike grunted. “What’s going on?”
“Work thing. Came home before sunrise. Tired,” Spike replied, nuzzling into her neck, something she had become scarily comfortable with. “Jack wants you in. He said as soon as possible. Can wait ‘til bloody morning.”
Buffy pulled away and turned over to face him, ignoring her hangover. “Did you say Jack wants me to go into work?” Spike nodded and grunted again. Buffy grimaced and climbed out of bed, much to Spike’s annoyance.
“Can wait ‘til tomorrow,” Spike mumbled into the pillow.
“It is tomorrow,” Buffy informed him as she pulled on her clothes and headed out of the flat. “I’ll see you a bit later.”
06:01
Buffy stood for a while in the tourist office, staring into the blank computer monitor and trying to make herself look moderately respectable. When she had walked in, she had looked like a girl with a hangover which, technically, she was. By the time she walked through the cog door and into the hub, she looked like a girl who hadn’t had much sleep - a drastic improvement.
Ianto was slumped on the sofa, a cup of highly caffeinated coffee cradled in his hands about to spill onto the floor, head lolling to one side, fast asleep. Buffy felt guilty about waking him, but she had to ask her question. She walked across and gently touched his knee until he looked at her, bleary eyed. “They’re in the vaults,” he mumbled before she could speak. She nodded her thanks and stood up straight, taking the cup of coffee and putting it on the table before it could spill.
With a sigh, she walked away from the cool lighting of the hub and walked down the stairs into the vaults below, her shoes clacking against the stone steps. When she reached the green glowing rooms, she was immediately assaulted by Willow.
“You don't need to be here,” Willow babbled instantly. “You really don't. We have everything under control. Totally under control. Everything is hunky dory!”
“Okay, you just said ‘hunky dory’,” Buffy said. “Now I know everything isn’t ... that.”
Willow paled. “Buffy, trust me, you don't want to look in the vaults.” But Buffy had already pushed past her, ignoring her shout of “Buffy!” as she walked through the corridor, elbowed past Tosh and stood in front of the only occupied cell.
“Oh my God.” Buffy paled, her eyes widening at the sight in front of her. “Angel?” she breathed.
She stepped towards the cell, expecting Angel to copy her motion, if only to attack her. When he didn’t move, she noticed he was chained to the wall. Her eyes darkened and she turned to Willow. “Where’s Jack?” she asked, quietly.
Willow’s eyes widened fearfully. “What...what are you going to do?”
“Just tell me where he is.” Willow didn’t speak. “Now!” she yelled, making Tosh jump out of her skin.
“Buffy, he was a danger to himself and those around him,” Tosh said, putting a hand on Buffy’s arm, which was immediately shrugged off. “We had to chain him up.”
“Where is he?” Buffy ground out through clenched teeth.
“His office,” Tosh admitted in a small voice, receiving a wide-eyed, questioning, look from Willow as a result. She shrugged helplessly as Buffy forced her way past Willow and ascended the stairs, walking straight past Ianto, who was fast asleep again, and storming into Jack’s office.
“Release him,” she demanded.
Jack opened his mouth to reply then shut it again. Jack Harkness was many things. Stupid was not one of them and though he was immortal, he was still knew when to be terrified of the girl in front of him. “Who is he?” Jack asked. “Why wouldn’t Willow let us deal with him? He is a vampire, correct?”
Buffy nodded mutely. “His name is Angel.”
“Oh ...” Jack said, realisation dawning. “The Angel.” Buffy nodded again. “The vampire with a soul.” Jack stood up and walked around his desk. “You know, back when you told me about the vampire you were in love with ... I assumed he was vaguely human like Spike.” He smirked. “I guess I was wrong. You’re a lot kinkier than I thought ...”
In the time it took Jack to realise he had said the wrong thing, Buffy had him pinned to the wall by his throat. His eyes widened. “He was not like this when we were together,” Buffy snarled, angrily. “It is ... was my fault that he ended up like this.” Jack tried to move, but she slammed him against the wall again, ignoring the shocked squeal from Willow, who had just entered the office.
“How ... how is it you fault?” Jack choked out.
“I stabbed him in the chest and sent him to Hell,” Buffy growled. “Now let him out!”
“I’m gonna have to move to do that,” Jack wheezed, Buffy’s hand painfully constricting his breathing. She sighed and released him, moving backwards, hanging her head. Jack massaged his throat as he stepped away from the wall.
“What is it with the females around here pinning us blokes to the wall by the throat?” Owen asked from beside Willow. Jack chuckled, just to be glared at by Buffy. He held up his hands in surrender as he led her down to the vaults accompanied by Willow, Tosh and Owen. Ianto was still asleep on the sofa (no one missed the fond smile Jack gave him as he walked by).
When they got to Angel’s cell, Jack paused. “Buffy…” he started.
“Unlock it.”
Jack rolled his eyes, looking helpless, and walked to the cell, using his swipecard to slide the glass to one side and giving the key to Angel’s chains to Buffy, who took it without comment, walking in and crouching down, not fazed at all by the sound of the door sliding shut behind her. “Angel?” she said, quietly. He looked at her, not recognising her face at all, it seemed, but she knew better. She still remembered what had happened last time. She briefly considered, as she unlocked his chains, getting Owen to attack her.
As soon as he was released, Angel lunged at her, growling and sending her flying across the cell to hit the wall. Jack made a move to help her, but Willow stopped him with a hand on his arm as Angel sniffed Buffy’s face, crouched above her.
“It’s me,” she breathed, fearfully. “It’s me …” She wasn’t sure what she was more fearful of; being mauled by the creature hell had turned Angel in to so long ago … or Spike’s reaction if he saw her right now.
Angel hissed and bared his fangs. Buffy gulped; she still remembered the feel of his fangs piercing her neck so long ago. Instinctively, she touched the scar the experience had left her and saw Angel focus on it. She tensed, but he merely sniffed it, snarled, and moved away to throw himself at the glass. The humans on the other side jumped away, but Buffy just reached out again. “I’m so sorry for sending you to Hell…” she breathed.
He hissed again and, this time, moved away, his face contorting into an expression she had only seen used on Spike. It hit her hard and she scrabbled to her feet, backing into the glass, which slid to one side as she got to it, thanks to Jack. She edged out of the cell and, as he glass moved back into place, watched him from outside.
“I’m sure he just doesn’t remember you,” Willow offered.
“He remembers me,” Buffy said with a sigh. “He did last time.” She turned away from the glass to look at Willow. “God, Will … when I saw the future … I just assumed Angel would be arriving from some time after graduation … I could have coped with that.” She looked at Angel through the glass. “But I can’t cope with this. He needs me and I can’t be there for him.”
“Why not?”
“Because I have Spike … how can I explain to Spike that I’ll be in this cell with him every night?” She looked round at her friend. “That’s what I did last time, did you know that? I sat with him every night for weeks … until … until he remembered me again.”
Willow gave her a pitying look.
“But I can’t do that for him this time,” Buffy continued. “Because I’m not his anymore … I’m Spike’s … and they hate each other. He needs me and I can’t provide what he needs…”
“When you saw the future,” Willow said, slowly, “you were still dead, correct?” Buffy nodded, silently. “So … we must have looked after him without you.”
“Unless he came through from a different time,” Buffy pointed out.
“Buffy, you’re important, we all know that,” Owen piped up, “but you’re not the centre of the universe.” Buffy gave him a hurt look and he held up his hands. “I’m just saying, you being dead or alive probably wouldn’t effect where or when the rift opens.”
“He’s right,” Tosh said.
Buffy sighed and looked back at Angel, who was watching her, warily, from inside. “He needs me …” she whispered.
“He’ll be fine,” Jack assured her. “We’ll take good care of him.”
Sighing again, Buffy walked to the glass and walked in, recoiling from the look of almost hatred Angel was giving her. The smart part of her realised that, most likely, Angel just saw her as another of his captors, but her heart kept screaming at her, like it had so many years before, that she had done this to him. She had sent him to hell … and he had every reason to hate her for it.
“Go home, Buffy,” Willow said, touching her cheek. “Get some sleep. We’ll look after Angel. I promise.”
Buffy nodded, silently, as she stepped away from the glass, heading back up the stairs into the hub. Jack turned to Willow, who was gazing at Angel, sadly. “So, how do you suggest we help him?”
Willow shrugged. “I really don’t know. How do you help a vampire with a soul who’s been trapped in Hell for hundreds of years?”
“I think,” Tosh said, quietly. “You should explain what, exactly, happened with Angel to us… if we want to help him, we’ll need to know.”
Willow nodded and followed Tosh upstairs into the hub, just to find Buffy and Owen sat on the sofa (Ianto had vanished without a trace. Tosh suspected he had gone to Jack’s bed to sleep. She idly wondered if that was really more comfortable than the sofa) drinking coffee and talking, quietly. Respecting their privacy, a gesture Tosh doubted Owen would return, the three of them walked straight past and up into the conference room.
07:13
Jack glanced at the clock, noticing they’d been talking about Angel for almost an hour. “A moment of true happiness, huh?” he said, after a moment.
“Sex; with Buffy,” Willow reiterated. It was practically public knowledge, now, what caused Angel to turn. She doubted Buffy would be too annoyed by her giving away the information. It wasn’t like people thought she was a virgin anymore.
“Yes … I got that,” Jack said. He quirked an eyebrow at her as he said, “Has anyone ever told you that your world is really strange?”
Willow shrugged. “We’re used to it. I still remember when I found out vampires were real for the first time.” She made a face. “I’m never going to forget that. I almost became a midnight snack!” Tosh reached across and squeezed her leg, comfortingly.
“You do make a very tasty midnight snack, though,” Tosh complimented, with a smirk. Willow smiled at her, only just resisting the urge to kiss her at that moment.
“So Buffy sent Angel to Hell to save the world … and he came back like this?” Jack quizzed. “Interesting. But he got better?”
Willow nodded fervently. “Yes, absolutely. He got much better … he runs … or ran … his own crime-fighting demon detective agency in L.A..” She pulled a face. “Still not sure why he hired Cordelia, though … hiring Wesley I can understand; he’s at least vaguely smart … but Cordy …”
“Who’s Cordelia and Wesley?” Jack asked, his head spinning from all the information he’d absorbed in the last hour.
“Oh … they’re just … well … I wouldn’t say they’re friends as such …” Willow babbled. “Wesley was Buffy’s Watcher for a while and Cordelia was our classmate in high school.”
“And this is relevant how?”
“It’s … not … I was just thinking out loud.” Willow blushed and looked at her hands, which were resting in her lap.
Sighing, Jack said, “This still doesn’t tell me how we can rehabilitate Angel though.”
“We just have to be patient with him,” Willow offered, “and Buffy … and Spike.”
“Why Spike?”
Willow groaned and resisted the temptation to bang her head on the table in front of her as she started up the next, long, story.
07:23
After Owen had driven her home and she had said goodbye at her front door, Buffy found herself sitting at her small dining table and crying into an early morning cup of coffee. She had been so happy the day before, at the wedding … she’d danced with Owen and Jack … then finally Spike had taken her into his arms and she hadn’t felt so loved since the Prom.
The Prom which Angel wouldn’t remember.
If she wanted to … she could start again with him once he was back to normal. He wouldn’t remember graduation or the Prom, or leaving her to go to L.A.. She wouldn’t have to tell him, after all, she could keep it a secret. She was sure Willow would go along with it, as would Anya… She ran a hand through her hair as she stared into her coffee.
She didn’t want to go back to Angel. She really didn’t. She wanted to be with the gorgeous vampire sleeping in their bedroom. She knew that. She wanted to tell him that more than anything in the world, but she still hadn’t got the nerve.
She looked at the bedroom door. She wanted to go in there, crawl into bed next to Spike and whisper to him to put his cool arms tight around her as she drifted back off to sleep, but she knew he’d know she’d been crying and know why because …
Oh God.
She stood up and walked to the bedroom door, pushing it open, quietly, and looking inside. He knew Angel was here. He’d seen him … he’d helped them capture him. She knew he was expecting her to go back to the man he’d told her she would never stop loving so many years ago. She still remembered his speech.
“You're not friends, you'll never be friends. You'll be in love till it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains, children, it's blood... blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.”
He had believed that, he still believed that. She leaned against the doorframe as she watched him sleep. She doubted he was sleeping very well. She knew she wouldn’t be if Drusilla returned having never left Spike in the first place, a Dru who still needed him, loved him, relied on him … But she also knew that she’d let Spike go if it would make him happy.
She knew he’d do the same for her. He may not have a soul in the traditional sense; but he knew when to love someone and let them go; even back to Angelus.
But she didn’t want to go back to him, of that she was certain. She just wished she knew how to make Spike certain, too. She walked across to the bed and peeled back the covers, crawling in beside her vampire lover. It never failed to amaze her how, even though he had no body warmth, he still managed to make the bed warm and cosy for when she got in. She rolled over and cuddled into his chest, gratified to hear him start to purr softly and snuggle towards her, his facial expression changing, slightly, enough to tell her that he was, now, sleeping peacefully.
She closed her eyes.
She could worry about Angel later.
Necks Chapter
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/Characters: Jack/Ianto, Spike/Buffy, Willow/Tosh, Xander/Anya, Martha, Owen, Faith, some minor OCs, other characters may follow later…
Summary: Sequel to Magic and Mayhem at the Rift. The Scoobie gang, now fully integrated into the Torchwood group and settled in to their new lives, discover there’s more coming through the rift than the odd demon and alien. This story is set post Exit Wounds, so there are minor spoilers. However, I have major problems with Exit Wounds and, as such, only some of the storyline happened (same goes for Reset which, although it happened, did not end like it did in the series in my head. Dead Man Walking and A Day in the Death DID NOT HAPPEN. I’m in my happy place now ...). Episodes like Adrift, Something Borrowed and Out of the Rain did happen, though (Like I said before: happy place) and may be referred to or even flash-backed to from time to time.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood or Buffy the Vampire Slayer … I do however own the cracked story idea - and proud of it, thankyouverymuch! I don’t own the title of this story either, however, that was thought up by the wonderful ickle18(I say wonderful because anyone who can come up with this title must be), the daughter of missthingsplace THANK YOU!
My other stories and links to the chapters of Magic and Mayhem (and Vampires, Demons and Torchwood) can be found here, at my master list.
So I decided Spike and Buffy were a little TOO cosy.
Enter conflict.
Also, see this post HERE for why I haven't gone round updating links and the like and why there may not be another chapter for a bit depending on whether I can cope with a laptop. You're lucky to be getting this one.
Previous chapters: Ch.1, Ch. 2 Ch.3 Ch.4 Ch.5 Ch.6 Ch.7
Chapter 8: Fallen Angel.
Saturday 24th February
15:16
Buffy looked across at Willow, who was hanging on her every word. “... and then I was in the future. There was this battle raging ... you were dead and Anya was dead and ... Jack could see me ... and Angel was there.” She sighed. “Angel was there,” she repeated.
“And this was the future?”
Buffy nodded. “Apparently. They showed me four places I could go ... home before I left, home now, here and now or stop taking the slow path and go help Jack fight the future. I chose now.”
“Why would they do that?” Willow asked, puzzled. “Seriously, why would some higher being want to help a lowly human girl beat death?”
“I don't know,” Buffy replied. “All I know is that I’m glad they did.”
“But ... if Angel is there in the future ...” Willow started.
“Then there’s a possibility he might turn up.” Buffy swallowed convulsively. “And if he does ...”
“The battle might happen.”
Buffy nodded.
“As long as Angel isn’t here, though, we’re safe, right?” Willow said.
“I don't know, Will,” Buffy replied. “I really don't know.”
Tuesday 29th July
04:21
An ear piercingly high pitched tune rang out in the darkness, a mobile phone ringtone, and pulled Buffy from her dream; the same dream she’d had every night for the past five months. After she’d ‘died’ she’d spoken to Willow, telling her all that had happened. Their conversation still haunted her.
Buffy rolled over in bed and hit the light on the bedside table, groaning as the electric light hit her. “I have to stop getting drunk …” she moaned, pain shooting through her skull.
“I agree, love,” Spike said, picking up the mobile phone and holding it to his ear. “Yeah?” he growled down the line. “Oh, it’s for me,” he told Buffy as he walked out of the room.
Buffy groaned and sat up in bed, looking at the clock. “Spike, it’s four in the morning!” she yelled after him, something she regretted doing as her hangover hit hard.
Spike chuckled as Jack spoke. “We’ve been trying to apprehend him for an hour now and we’re getting nowhere. Willow persuaded me that Buffy would kill me if we killed him, she won’t tell me why, and they’ve been trying to use spells to subdue him.”
“And?” Spike grunted.
“It isn’t working. We thought, maybe, you could come down here and help. You’re the only one not hung over so far.”
Spike shrugged, even though Jack couldn’t see it. “Tell me where and I’ll be there,” he said.
04:37
Spike arrived in the public park in time to see Ianto using anti-weevil spray against a wild-looking humanoid shape which looked about to pounce. Immediately, he vamped out, jumping between Ianto and the shape. The shape was wearing strangely average clothes; black pants, white shirt (torn almost to shreds) and a black coat (also torn in places). His face was obscured as he sized Spike up.
“What was it doing when you found it?” Spike asked Ianto, who was stood behind him.
“Fighting some vampires,” Ianto informed him.
Spike nodded. “Red, cast a netting spell and I’ll get him underneath it to be dropped, okay?”
Willow nodded, holding up her palms, eyes going back. Over the five months they had been working together, the group had learned how to cooperate well.
As soon as a net had appeared in the air, Spike lunged at the creature, the two of them rolling around on the ground until they landed underneath the net, both snarling and growling. Once the creature was where Spike wanted it, he yelled, “Now!” and rolled off of him as the net came down.
Trapped, the creature squatted, looking around desperately, his face finally revealed.
“Oh have to be bloody joking,” Spike snapped, throwing up his hands and walking away.
05:07
Spike walked into the bedroom, slipped out of his clothes and got into bed, spooning against Buffy’s back. Opening her eyes slowly so as not to be blinded by the electric light if it was on, which it wasn’t, Buffy said, “Spike?” Spike grunted. “What’s going on?”
“Work thing. Came home before sunrise. Tired,” Spike replied, nuzzling into her neck, something she had become scarily comfortable with. “Jack wants you in. He said as soon as possible. Can wait ‘til bloody morning.”
Buffy pulled away and turned over to face him, ignoring her hangover. “Did you say Jack wants me to go into work?” Spike nodded and grunted again. Buffy grimaced and climbed out of bed, much to Spike’s annoyance.
“Can wait ‘til tomorrow,” Spike mumbled into the pillow.
“It is tomorrow,” Buffy informed him as she pulled on her clothes and headed out of the flat. “I’ll see you a bit later.”
06:01
Buffy stood for a while in the tourist office, staring into the blank computer monitor and trying to make herself look moderately respectable. When she had walked in, she had looked like a girl with a hangover which, technically, she was. By the time she walked through the cog door and into the hub, she looked like a girl who hadn’t had much sleep - a drastic improvement.
Ianto was slumped on the sofa, a cup of highly caffeinated coffee cradled in his hands about to spill onto the floor, head lolling to one side, fast asleep. Buffy felt guilty about waking him, but she had to ask her question. She walked across and gently touched his knee until he looked at her, bleary eyed. “They’re in the vaults,” he mumbled before she could speak. She nodded her thanks and stood up straight, taking the cup of coffee and putting it on the table before it could spill.
With a sigh, she walked away from the cool lighting of the hub and walked down the stairs into the vaults below, her shoes clacking against the stone steps. When she reached the green glowing rooms, she was immediately assaulted by Willow.
“You don't need to be here,” Willow babbled instantly. “You really don't. We have everything under control. Totally under control. Everything is hunky dory!”
“Okay, you just said ‘hunky dory’,” Buffy said. “Now I know everything isn’t ... that.”
Willow paled. “Buffy, trust me, you don't want to look in the vaults.” But Buffy had already pushed past her, ignoring her shout of “Buffy!” as she walked through the corridor, elbowed past Tosh and stood in front of the only occupied cell.
“Oh my God.” Buffy paled, her eyes widening at the sight in front of her. “Angel?” she breathed.
She stepped towards the cell, expecting Angel to copy her motion, if only to attack her. When he didn’t move, she noticed he was chained to the wall. Her eyes darkened and she turned to Willow. “Where’s Jack?” she asked, quietly.
Willow’s eyes widened fearfully. “What...what are you going to do?”
“Just tell me where he is.” Willow didn’t speak. “Now!” she yelled, making Tosh jump out of her skin.
“Buffy, he was a danger to himself and those around him,” Tosh said, putting a hand on Buffy’s arm, which was immediately shrugged off. “We had to chain him up.”
“Where is he?” Buffy ground out through clenched teeth.
“His office,” Tosh admitted in a small voice, receiving a wide-eyed, questioning, look from Willow as a result. She shrugged helplessly as Buffy forced her way past Willow and ascended the stairs, walking straight past Ianto, who was fast asleep again, and storming into Jack’s office.
“Release him,” she demanded.
Jack opened his mouth to reply then shut it again. Jack Harkness was many things. Stupid was not one of them and though he was immortal, he was still knew when to be terrified of the girl in front of him. “Who is he?” Jack asked. “Why wouldn’t Willow let us deal with him? He is a vampire, correct?”
Buffy nodded mutely. “His name is Angel.”
“Oh ...” Jack said, realisation dawning. “The Angel.” Buffy nodded again. “The vampire with a soul.” Jack stood up and walked around his desk. “You know, back when you told me about the vampire you were in love with ... I assumed he was vaguely human like Spike.” He smirked. “I guess I was wrong. You’re a lot kinkier than I thought ...”
In the time it took Jack to realise he had said the wrong thing, Buffy had him pinned to the wall by his throat. His eyes widened. “He was not like this when we were together,” Buffy snarled, angrily. “It is ... was my fault that he ended up like this.” Jack tried to move, but she slammed him against the wall again, ignoring the shocked squeal from Willow, who had just entered the office.
“How ... how is it you fault?” Jack choked out.
“I stabbed him in the chest and sent him to Hell,” Buffy growled. “Now let him out!”
“I’m gonna have to move to do that,” Jack wheezed, Buffy’s hand painfully constricting his breathing. She sighed and released him, moving backwards, hanging her head. Jack massaged his throat as he stepped away from the wall.
“What is it with the females around here pinning us blokes to the wall by the throat?” Owen asked from beside Willow. Jack chuckled, just to be glared at by Buffy. He held up his hands in surrender as he led her down to the vaults accompanied by Willow, Tosh and Owen. Ianto was still asleep on the sofa (no one missed the fond smile Jack gave him as he walked by).
When they got to Angel’s cell, Jack paused. “Buffy…” he started.
“Unlock it.”
Jack rolled his eyes, looking helpless, and walked to the cell, using his swipecard to slide the glass to one side and giving the key to Angel’s chains to Buffy, who took it without comment, walking in and crouching down, not fazed at all by the sound of the door sliding shut behind her. “Angel?” she said, quietly. He looked at her, not recognising her face at all, it seemed, but she knew better. She still remembered what had happened last time. She briefly considered, as she unlocked his chains, getting Owen to attack her.
As soon as he was released, Angel lunged at her, growling and sending her flying across the cell to hit the wall. Jack made a move to help her, but Willow stopped him with a hand on his arm as Angel sniffed Buffy’s face, crouched above her.
“It’s me,” she breathed, fearfully. “It’s me …” She wasn’t sure what she was more fearful of; being mauled by the creature hell had turned Angel in to so long ago … or Spike’s reaction if he saw her right now.
Angel hissed and bared his fangs. Buffy gulped; she still remembered the feel of his fangs piercing her neck so long ago. Instinctively, she touched the scar the experience had left her and saw Angel focus on it. She tensed, but he merely sniffed it, snarled, and moved away to throw himself at the glass. The humans on the other side jumped away, but Buffy just reached out again. “I’m so sorry for sending you to Hell…” she breathed.
He hissed again and, this time, moved away, his face contorting into an expression she had only seen used on Spike. It hit her hard and she scrabbled to her feet, backing into the glass, which slid to one side as she got to it, thanks to Jack. She edged out of the cell and, as he glass moved back into place, watched him from outside.
“I’m sure he just doesn’t remember you,” Willow offered.
“He remembers me,” Buffy said with a sigh. “He did last time.” She turned away from the glass to look at Willow. “God, Will … when I saw the future … I just assumed Angel would be arriving from some time after graduation … I could have coped with that.” She looked at Angel through the glass. “But I can’t cope with this. He needs me and I can’t be there for him.”
“Why not?”
“Because I have Spike … how can I explain to Spike that I’ll be in this cell with him every night?” She looked round at her friend. “That’s what I did last time, did you know that? I sat with him every night for weeks … until … until he remembered me again.”
Willow gave her a pitying look.
“But I can’t do that for him this time,” Buffy continued. “Because I’m not his anymore … I’m Spike’s … and they hate each other. He needs me and I can’t provide what he needs…”
“When you saw the future,” Willow said, slowly, “you were still dead, correct?” Buffy nodded, silently. “So … we must have looked after him without you.”
“Unless he came through from a different time,” Buffy pointed out.
“Buffy, you’re important, we all know that,” Owen piped up, “but you’re not the centre of the universe.” Buffy gave him a hurt look and he held up his hands. “I’m just saying, you being dead or alive probably wouldn’t effect where or when the rift opens.”
“He’s right,” Tosh said.
Buffy sighed and looked back at Angel, who was watching her, warily, from inside. “He needs me …” she whispered.
“He’ll be fine,” Jack assured her. “We’ll take good care of him.”
Sighing again, Buffy walked to the glass and walked in, recoiling from the look of almost hatred Angel was giving her. The smart part of her realised that, most likely, Angel just saw her as another of his captors, but her heart kept screaming at her, like it had so many years before, that she had done this to him. She had sent him to hell … and he had every reason to hate her for it.
“Go home, Buffy,” Willow said, touching her cheek. “Get some sleep. We’ll look after Angel. I promise.”
Buffy nodded, silently, as she stepped away from the glass, heading back up the stairs into the hub. Jack turned to Willow, who was gazing at Angel, sadly. “So, how do you suggest we help him?”
Willow shrugged. “I really don’t know. How do you help a vampire with a soul who’s been trapped in Hell for hundreds of years?”
“I think,” Tosh said, quietly. “You should explain what, exactly, happened with Angel to us… if we want to help him, we’ll need to know.”
Willow nodded and followed Tosh upstairs into the hub, just to find Buffy and Owen sat on the sofa (Ianto had vanished without a trace. Tosh suspected he had gone to Jack’s bed to sleep. She idly wondered if that was really more comfortable than the sofa) drinking coffee and talking, quietly. Respecting their privacy, a gesture Tosh doubted Owen would return, the three of them walked straight past and up into the conference room.
07:13
Jack glanced at the clock, noticing they’d been talking about Angel for almost an hour. “A moment of true happiness, huh?” he said, after a moment.
“Sex; with Buffy,” Willow reiterated. It was practically public knowledge, now, what caused Angel to turn. She doubted Buffy would be too annoyed by her giving away the information. It wasn’t like people thought she was a virgin anymore.
“Yes … I got that,” Jack said. He quirked an eyebrow at her as he said, “Has anyone ever told you that your world is really strange?”
Willow shrugged. “We’re used to it. I still remember when I found out vampires were real for the first time.” She made a face. “I’m never going to forget that. I almost became a midnight snack!” Tosh reached across and squeezed her leg, comfortingly.
“You do make a very tasty midnight snack, though,” Tosh complimented, with a smirk. Willow smiled at her, only just resisting the urge to kiss her at that moment.
“So Buffy sent Angel to Hell to save the world … and he came back like this?” Jack quizzed. “Interesting. But he got better?”
Willow nodded fervently. “Yes, absolutely. He got much better … he runs … or ran … his own crime-fighting demon detective agency in L.A..” She pulled a face. “Still not sure why he hired Cordelia, though … hiring Wesley I can understand; he’s at least vaguely smart … but Cordy …”
“Who’s Cordelia and Wesley?” Jack asked, his head spinning from all the information he’d absorbed in the last hour.
“Oh … they’re just … well … I wouldn’t say they’re friends as such …” Willow babbled. “Wesley was Buffy’s Watcher for a while and Cordelia was our classmate in high school.”
“And this is relevant how?”
“It’s … not … I was just thinking out loud.” Willow blushed and looked at her hands, which were resting in her lap.
Sighing, Jack said, “This still doesn’t tell me how we can rehabilitate Angel though.”
“We just have to be patient with him,” Willow offered, “and Buffy … and Spike.”
“Why Spike?”
Willow groaned and resisted the temptation to bang her head on the table in front of her as she started up the next, long, story.
07:23
After Owen had driven her home and she had said goodbye at her front door, Buffy found herself sitting at her small dining table and crying into an early morning cup of coffee. She had been so happy the day before, at the wedding … she’d danced with Owen and Jack … then finally Spike had taken her into his arms and she hadn’t felt so loved since the Prom.
The Prom which Angel wouldn’t remember.
If she wanted to … she could start again with him once he was back to normal. He wouldn’t remember graduation or the Prom, or leaving her to go to L.A.. She wouldn’t have to tell him, after all, she could keep it a secret. She was sure Willow would go along with it, as would Anya… She ran a hand through her hair as she stared into her coffee.
She didn’t want to go back to Angel. She really didn’t. She wanted to be with the gorgeous vampire sleeping in their bedroom. She knew that. She wanted to tell him that more than anything in the world, but she still hadn’t got the nerve.
She looked at the bedroom door. She wanted to go in there, crawl into bed next to Spike and whisper to him to put his cool arms tight around her as she drifted back off to sleep, but she knew he’d know she’d been crying and know why because …
Oh God.
She stood up and walked to the bedroom door, pushing it open, quietly, and looking inside. He knew Angel was here. He’d seen him … he’d helped them capture him. She knew he was expecting her to go back to the man he’d told her she would never stop loving so many years ago. She still remembered his speech.
“You're not friends, you'll never be friends. You'll be in love till it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains, children, it's blood... blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.”
He had believed that, he still believed that. She leaned against the doorframe as she watched him sleep. She doubted he was sleeping very well. She knew she wouldn’t be if Drusilla returned having never left Spike in the first place, a Dru who still needed him, loved him, relied on him … But she also knew that she’d let Spike go if it would make him happy.
She knew he’d do the same for her. He may not have a soul in the traditional sense; but he knew when to love someone and let them go; even back to Angelus.
But she didn’t want to go back to him, of that she was certain. She just wished she knew how to make Spike certain, too. She walked across to the bed and peeled back the covers, crawling in beside her vampire lover. It never failed to amaze her how, even though he had no body warmth, he still managed to make the bed warm and cosy for when she got in. She rolled over and cuddled into his chest, gratified to hear him start to purr softly and snuggle towards her, his facial expression changing, slightly, enough to tell her that he was, now, sleeping peacefully.
She closed her eyes.
She could worry about Angel later.
Necks Chapter