Part 26

Spike had barely finished drying off after his shower when he was ushered out of the bathroom and manhandled into the study by his manically grinning Mate. He wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not but decided to go with it. Not like he had much of a choice after all. He looked around and immediately recognized the set up for a major spell casting. One that he apparently was going to be the focus of. Shuddering at repressed memories of almost marrying the slayer thanks to a cocked up spell performed by a shy insecure girl who used to inhabit the body of the woman standing across from him Spike finally had to break the silence. "So...what's all this about then?" Willow's grin got even bigger and she actually started to bounce a bit. Once again reminding him of the girl she used to be, the one who made him cookies and stuck up for him when the others picked on him about his lack of bite. He wondered if that girl was still buried somewhere deep inside of the woman in front of him. The way that William was buried deep inside of himself.

Willow couldn't help the grin that was threatening to split her face in two. She was happy, probably the happiest she had been since she became who she now was. She was in love, and now she had the means to insure that she would never lose her lover. Spike looked a little concerned but he seemed to be accepting as well. "I found a spell. A spell to make you sun proof. Well, it also makes you stake proof and holy water proof as well. Oh! And crosses. None of that stuff will hurt or kill you anymore. Can I do it?" What the hell was that? She thought. I did not just babble!

Spike was still running through the facts as they were. No more death by sun, stake, holy water, and crosses wouldn't bother him either. Sounded good, too good in truth. And did she just babble? Seems a bit of Willow may have survived after all. "What's the catch luv? A spell that powerful always calls for something big. What is it?" Ah, there is a catch, and by the look on her face it's a doozy. "Come on luv, spit it out. I can take it."

Angelus and Buffy had formed a truce of sorts, details to be worked out later. The only thing that mattered right now was getting out of their prison. "Angelus? Do you know where we are?" "Sunnyhell, where else. The stage of my past most recent failures. That bitch my Childe has given himself to has some great master plan and I was supposed to fulfill some part of it." He shrugged and then continued. "But you know me Slayer, I don't play well with others. She found out that I was trying to get William to side with me and overthrow her leadership of the Hellmouth and now and I'm here." He purposely left out the part about the humiliating pain she had inflicted upon him. "How long have you been here anyway?" Buffy honestly didn't know how long she had been there. "A very long time, since she killed me and brought me back. She killed them all you know? Even Xander. I never thought she'd hurt Xander. I..I watched as she tortured Anya. She killed her in front of me. I don't know what happened to Dawn or Giles. She never tells me, I stopped asking. I don't think I can handle the truth." Angelus did something then that he swore he would never do, he felt grief. Grief for the Slayer. Without even thinking he pulled her close and put his arms around her. "We will get out of here. We will, and when we do I'll even help you find the answers you're looking for."

"You can't be bloody serious! I mean I love that thing!" Spike was pacing the floor of the study. "Of course you do. That's why it has to be what you give up." Willow was expecting this reaction from him. Although she didn't quite understand it. "You can get another one, hell I'll get you another one!" Spike stopped and looked at her as if she just told him that his child was going to die but it was okay because he could have another one. "It won't be the same! It won't feel the same, it won't smell the same, it WONT BE THE SAME! I don't want another one, I want THIS one." She couldn't help the smile that was tugging at the corner of her mouth, nor could she help the giggle she was trying to stifle. He stood there, in nothing but a towel, hair all over the place, stomping like a three year old. And now, to top it all off he was pouting! When he noticed her amusement and his demon face came out, complete with adorable pout, she lost it completely. The giggle turned into an outright fit of laughter and the smile was completely genuine. As were the tears rolling down her cheeks. "FINE! You can have me damn duster for the soddin' spell! But I don't want another one. I'll find something else to be famous for."

Angel and company were all settled in at the Crawford Street mansion. The generator was up and running, Gunn had gotten food, (something Angel was enjoying immensely) flashlights, batteries, candles and the ingredients for a few minor locating spells that Angel and Cordelia were attempting to perform. Hopefully they would have some idea of where to start looking soon. All this waiting around and hoping not to be noticed was wearing on everyone’s nerves.

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