UC Sunnydale Campus
Willow walked down the hallway of the Stevenson Hall dormitory. She opened a door and entered her room. Upon closing the door behind her, she was suddenly overtaken by a tall demon that placed his hands on either side of her head. An electric current swirled around her head and the pair disappeared.
Sometime later, the Scooby gang – minus Willow – and the two vampires walked down the hall of the dormitory. Buffy was still annoyed that during the whole trip to the college she couldn’t separate the two vampires. What was up with that? Last week they couldn’t stand to be in the same room with each other and now they refused to be separated, Buffy thought sarcastically.
“Why did we have to bring them,” Buffy asked as she motioned toward the two vampires.
“Because they are affected by the same spell that we are and Willow can set things right again,” Giles replied.
“Well, I don’t see why we have to be here for the spell to be undone,” Spike said. He didn’t like any type of magic, and yet he was always affected by it no matter where he was.
Buffy pulled a stake out and turned toward the blonde vampire. “I can remedy that.” She held up the stake and stepped closer to Spike.
Angel moved swiftly between the two blondes and grabbed Buffy’s wrist. “No you won’t. Spike’s uncomfortable around magic. It’s the anxiety talking.” He looked over at Spike. The blonde’s eyes blazed with anger at the threat of the stake.
“You wanna have a go at me, Slayer? Go ahead, come and get me,” Spike growled.
Angel rolled his eyes. Spike was spoiling for a fight with the girl. He hoped that they found Willow quick and reversed the spell before the showdown he was witnessing came to blows.
“Spike, shut up,” Angel growled at his wayward childe.
“She threatened me with a stake first, Angelus,” Spike said petulantly.
Spike’s use of his name was not lost on Angel; he was just growing weary of the argument between the two people he cared for to correct his childe. He snatched the stake from Buffy’s hand and threw it, embedding it into the far wall. “Now it’s not a threat so drop it.”
Giles had watched the interplay and then turned and opened the door to Buffy and Willow's room. Giles led the way inside, Buffy followed with a frown on her face. Angel and Spike stood outside the door, effectively barred from entering due to the invisible barrier. When the Slayer and Watcher failed to notice the problem, the dark vampire cleared his throat.
“Um, Buffy?” Angel said to get the Slayer’s attention.
“What?” Buffy turned and stared at Angel in mild confusion before she noticed the dilemma. “Oh. Come in.”
Angel pushed Spike through the doorway before walking in himself. He looked around the empty room. Other than a large blackened circle adorning the carpet, nothing else seemed out of place.
Buffy knelt down and touched the area cautiously. “This is burnt,” she observed.
“Good way of stating the obvious,” Spike snarked which earned him a thump on the back of his head from his Sire.
Anya narrowed her eyes at the blackened carpet. There was no way he would come here. Would he? Her ex-boss wouldn’t come here. She thought twice and came to the conclusion that with the way Willow was still grieving the loss of Oz, yes, he would show up. After all, didn’t he show up while she was grieving her own failed relationship over a thousand years ago?
“Ta'hoffren. Bastard, he's opened a portal here,” she stated openly.
“Who?” Buffy was confused as to whom that Da’Hoffyman whoever was.
Spike, already bored with the search, was going through Buffy’s closet. All Drusilla had were long formless dresses that hid her curves. Looking through the Slayer’s closet though, it was an assortment of short tops, stretchy pants and low-rise jeans and Spike was enjoying the mental picture of her in them.
Holding up a sheer skirt with fuzzy garland around the bottom, Spike whistled, “Oh, fluffy.”
Everyone turned to see what Spike was talking about. Buffy was mortified to see that Spike was even in her closet. Angel adopted a bemused, albeit broody; look on his face when he saw his childe hold up the garment. “Spike,” he warned.
Spike smirked and quipped, “Hey, Angel? Have you ever seen her wearing this? I don’t suppose it would hide much.”
Buffy stomped over to Spike and snatched her skirt back. “Shut up, Spike. Either help or stay out of the way,” she snapped as she threw the skirt into her closet and slammed the door, “and stay out of my closet!” Turning back to Anya she asked, “Who’s this guy you mentioned?”
“Ta'hoffren. He made me a demon 1120 years ago,” Anya replied.
“Why would he attack Willow?” Buffy wondered.
“I don't believe he did,” Anya said.
**************************
Willow found herself standing in absolute darkness. She looked around and there was nothing but black. It seemed to suffocate her. A second later there was a flash and a transparent blue light drifted through the air. It grew brighter as it formed a tall shape. A blue demon with horns materialized in front of her. She stepped back in shocked surprise. She looked around her and saw that both she and the demon were surrounded by a large number of demons from various clans. When she looked back at the demon in front her, she realized he was speaking to her.
“You have much anger and pain. Your magic is strong, but your pain — it's like a scream that pierces dimensional walls. We heard your call,” he told her.
“I-I'm sorry,” she stammered. “I'll try for a quiet rage. Bye.”
Willow turned and tried to make a quick exit, but the minor demons formed a tight circle and she was trapped in the center with the tall demon. She stopped when he called her back.
“Our intention is not to quash your potential — quite the contrary,” Ta'hoffren assured her.
Willow slowly turned back to face the tall demon. She was scared and confused.
**************************
Anya, Xander, Buffy, Angel and Spike were walking through the cemetery. Angel felt that it was safer to walk between Buffy and Spike to keep the bickering duo from physical violence if he could help it. So far they had managed to snap at each other and sneak punches when they thought he wouldn’t notice. He was a vampire, damn it. Of course he noticed it! It was like baby-sitting a couple of five-year-olds. Whatever possessed him to sire childer was beyond him at this point. Oh yeah, Drusilla wanted a playmate.
To turn his mind on something else he asked Anya a question. “So, Anya, what’s the deal with Ta’Hoffren. What’s his story and what would he want with Willow?”
Anya shrugged. “I'd been dumped, I was miserable; doing a few vengeance spells — boils on the penis, nothing fancy.”
“Please, skip ahead,” Xander begged.
“Well, Ta'hoffren got wind of me, he offered to elevate me,” Anya explained.
“Meaning?” Buffy asked while giving the blonde nuisance her best death glare.
“He made me a demon,” Anya replied.
Buffy ignored Spike then. She was more worried about her friend than the irritating vampire. She whirled on Anya. “Oh God, Willow. You can summon this guy from this crypt, right? You can make him stop--”
Spike cut her off when he saw the large crypt. He practically scampered up to the ivy-laced crypt. “Oi! Wouldn't this be a perfect hideaway, Sire? We can live here and hunt – I mean save the hopeless, err, helpless and all that rot.”
“Spike, I am not living in a crypt. You couldn’t pay me enough to live in a crypt. I’ll take my underground apartment in L.A., thank you,” Angel stated.
Angel must have taken more blood from Spike than he first thought. His boy was utterly daft to think he’d give up his creature comforts to live in a crypt. He’d spent a century living in nothing but the best hotels, eating the help, dining on aristocrats and his boy suggested living in a crypt? He’d rather be homeless again than live in a crypt. Even his sparse apartment that he used to have here in Sunnydale was better than a crypt.
A demon lumbered their way. Xander saw it and pointed, “Hey, evil undead . . . demon.”
Angel and Spike turned and saw a demon that seemed to be rushing toward them. Angel thanked any higher power for the distraction over his childe. Before he could ascertain the threat, Buffy walked up to the demon like he was an everyday guy walking in the cemetery at night and gave him fair warning. “Okay, listen — now we're gonna do this without ruining the foliage.”
The demon took the warning as a challenge and punched Buffy. The Slayer and the demon engaged in tennis fisticuffs until she got the better of him and tossed him aside. As soon as she had rid herself of one demon, another appeared.
When she realized that they were never going to stop appearing she yelled, “Find some place to hide until we figure out how to stop these things from showing up!”
All five of them took shelter inside the crypt, barricading it as best they could. Anya ran to the far side of the building. She knelt down and drew a circle surrounding herself in the dirt.
“Blesséd be, the name of Ta'hoffren. Let this space be now a gateway to the world of Arash Ma'har, where demons are spawned,” Anya chanted.
**************************
In Arash Ma'har, Ta'hoffren was still trying to convince Willow to join the vengeance demon fold.
“The pain and suffering you brought upon those you love is inspiring. You are ready to join us here in Arash Ma'har,” Ta’hoffren said in a pleased tone.
Willow was confused. She didn’t bring anyone pain. She was dealing with her own emotional pain. Why did everyone else make it about their own? “Pain? What pain?”
**************************
Buffy was currently being choked by a demon that had reached through the crypt window. She thought she would surely faint until Spike looked over from where he and Angel were looking for something to barricade the door.
“Buffy!” Spike yelled at her. “Would you stop messing around and help here!”
Buffy would have given a retort but as it was, all that came out were choking noises. Stupid blonde vampire, he could help me now damn it. That’s why he’s here isn’t it!?
“Spi-ike!” Buffy managed to choke out. “He-lll-ppp!”
“Oh, for the love of --” Spike stalked over to where Buffy was plastered against the crypt wall by a demon’s arm protruding through the window. Taking a statuette from its resting place on a nearby base, he hit the demon hard a few times before he loosened his hold on the Slayer. Buffy ducked out of the way of the arm and glared at Spike. She snatched the statuette from the blonde menace and started hitting him with it.
“I don’t *thwack* know how Angel *thwack* puts up with you *thwack* enough to *thwack* trust you to *thwack* help me! You arrogant *thwack* bleached * thwack freak!” *thwack*
“Uh, Buffy! Not doin' well here,” Xander yelled at her.
Anya was still chanting. “We come in supplication. We bend as the reed . . . in the flow of the, uh . . . . No, wait . . . we-we come in the flow of the, uh . . . Ugh!” Anya was at her wits end trying to remember a chant she hadn’t practiced since Ta’hoffren made her a vengeance demon. She took a deep breath. “Blesséd be, the name of Ta'hoffren . . .”
Angel stalked over to the blonde couple, grabbed the statuette out of Buffy’s hand and held it threateningly between them. “If you two don’t stop fighting and help get us out of this mess, I’ll knock you both in the head with this thing.”
Spike smirked. “Yes, daddy.”
Angel glared at his childe. “Spike come help with this tomb.”
Spike nodded and then added petulantly, “Doesn’t Buffy have to help too? I think she should, Sire.”
Angel grabbed the back of his boy’s head and pushed him toward the tomb.
“Well, it’s not like you have to protect me, Spike. Just help me!” Buffy grated out.
“Oh, so then what was that I just rescued you from, Slayer? A scruffy, overzealous puppy?” Spike shot back.
“Um, guys … a little help here,” Xander yelled.
The demons had finally busted their way into the crypt. Spike and Angel rush over to help the boy, but not before Xander was fighting a demon and already beginning to lose. Buffy, on the other hand, was holding her own in Slayer fashion. Anya stopped chanting and turned to look behind her. Seeing a demon beating up her boyfriend, Anya got to her feet and attacked the one assaulting Xander, but she was promptly tossed aside.
Spike and Angel sized up their enemy and then exchanged a look. They rushed their opponent. Spike hit him with a closed fist sending the demon staggering back. The demon shook its head to clear it just as Angel delivered his punch to the demon’s face. Spike tripped the demon as he staggered back, causing the demon to fall. When he was laid out, Angel and Spike pounced on him in full vampire countenance. Almost immediately, they fell into their old patterns of a century ago and found a rhythm with each other: one withdrew while the other swung on the demon.
**************************
Back at Arash Mahar, Ta'hoffren opened a dimensional rift and allowed Willow to see what her spell had done to her friends.
Seeing them fighting a horde of demons, Willow grimaced and drew into herself. “Oh God! But I didn't mean to!” she exclaimed.
Ta'hoffren shook his head. “Oh, but you did. This is the result of your power. You will make a fine vengeance demon.”
“No, please! You have to help them!” Willow begged. She couldn’t stand to see her friends hurt.
“It is not my concern. You are my interest in this matter,” Ta’hoffren stated simply.
Willow was frantic. She had to get back to Sunnydale and help her friends. “Really . . . no offense intended, Sir. I mean, you've been super-nice and everything, but . . . I don't want to be a demon. I just wanna go back and help my friends,” Willow pleaded.
“That is your answer?” Ta’hoffren asked solemnly.
“It-it is,” she stammered.
Ta'hoffren’s face took on a menacing scowl. “I'm sorry to hear that,” he said calmly. He shrugged then, and in a lighter tone said, “Oh well. Here is my talisman.” He held up a metal disc and Willow accepted it. “You change your mind, give us a chant.”
Ta’hoffren waved his hand and Willow disappeared.
**************************
Angel was struggling with a demon as yet another one appeared on the scene. Just as Spike took care of his own demon, the newcomer jumped him knocking him to the floor. Angel hit his current adversary in the face knocking him down and went to help Spike. He pulled the demon off his childe and twisted its neck in one smooth motion.
Spike looked up at his Sire and felt something electric pass between them. He couldn’t remember how long it had been since he was so in tune with the older vampire. They had fought together as if a day and a century hadn’t passed between them. He apparently even had Angel watching his back – or front as the case may be – now as well. It was strange. He didn’t know if what he was feeling were his own emotions or those brought on by Willow’s spell. It was driving him crazy.
Angel held out his hand to help Spike to his feet. “Are you okay, Spike?”
“Yeah, I would have taken him, just surprised me is all,” Spike replied taking the proffered hand and rising to his feet.
Angel squeezed Spike’s shoulder affectionately before releasing him all together. He wanted to examine his boy all over by touch just to be sure he was unharmed but with the Scooby gang and Buffy so close he couldn’t risk it. Not without a multitude of embarrassing questions arising from such a display, no matter how innocent he meant for it to be.
Across the room, Anya and Xander were still thrashing the same demon that had attacked Xander in the first place. They had yet to succeed in defeating it when Willow suddenly appeared in the crypt.
“Let the healing power begin,” Willow chanted to the room. “Let my will be safe again. As these words of peace are spoken, let this harmful spell be broken.”
As soon as Willow said the final word thunder crashed and lightning flashed. Just as suddenly, the demons disappeared. Angel and Spike immediately put some distance between one another. Their minds were equally foggy from the disenchantment of the spell. They stared at each other with something akin to disbelief that they were even standing in the same building and not antagonizing one another.
“What are you doing here, Angel?” Spike asked confused.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Angel replied annoyed.
“I live here. This is my town since you walked away from it,” Spike bit out. “Quite literally. L.A. is your town. Remember? You threatened to remove me from there.”
“Yeah. I remember setting you straight on exactly whose town you were playing your little games in over a ring, Spike,” Angel pointed out. “I also sent you back here to help Buffy but I can see how well you listened to that instruction. How you ever survived all these years after I left the fold is beyond me, Spike.”
“Dru and I survived just fine on our own once we got you and Darla out of the picture, you arrogant, self-important, poncy…” Spike ranted.
“William, if ye want ta see another moonlit night, I would suggest ye refrain from finishing that tirade,” Angel growled in Angelus’ voice.
Spike came up short at the tone and accent Angel used. He’d heard it a lot over the last few hours. It seemed as though Angelus had been trying to break through his souled Sire all night. Spike stared at Angel with a mixture of disbelief, confusion, fear and something he really didn’t want to give a name to.
“Angel?” He had to be sure he was talking to the broody ponce and not his evil twin.
“What?” Angel replied in his normal voice.
“You aren’t reverting back to Him are you?” Spike wondered.
“No, I’m not Him. It’s just that you’ve always managed to bring him out in me,” Angel replied.
“Oi, now I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult, mate,” Spike was half teasing, half serious.
“Hey guys! Look there’s Will,” Buffy said loud enough to get the vampires’ attention.
All five of them scanned the room and saw Willow standing at the back of the crypt. They all stared at her like she’s a strange anomaly. She smiled sheepishly at her friends and gave a slight waved.
“Um, hi, guys,” she greeted.
**************************
Giles’ Apartment
Willow was in the kitchen baking chocolate chip cookies. She was currently scooping a finished batch onto a plate that Anya was holding for her.
“How long are you going to keep making these?” Anya asked out of boredom.
“Oh, until I don't feel so horribly guilty,” Willow replied. “Which I figure is about a million chips from now. Also, I have to detail Giles' car.”
Willow took the plate from Anya and walked over to where Xander and Giles were sitting. She knew that cookies weren’t the all-forgiving way to go, but she hoped it was a start.
Holding out the plate to the Watcher, she said in offering, “Look, cookies. A very not-evil thing I did.”
Spike asked more to the room that Willow in particular, “So what exactly happened with your spell, red?”
Startled Willow turned toward Spike who stood a foot or so away from Angel and leaned on a curio cabinet. “I don’t know what you mean,” she said innocently.
“Sure you do. What did that little will of yours have us all doing exactly,” Spike prodded.
“You don’t need to embarrass her anymore than she already is, Spike,” Angel said softly.
“Well, I wanna know what she had me reacting to, damn it,” Spike bit out.
Willow gave Angel a grateful smile before answering. “I apparently turned Xander into a demon magnet and said that Buffy should see what’s going on around her more and Giles received eagle-eye vision and now he’s back to wearing glasses again.”
“Yeah, yeah. Enough about the slayerettes, what about me!?” Spike was getting impatient. A brief thought of how many he could take out before Angel stopped him passed through his mind.
Willow set the plate back on the counter and thought back to what she may have said about Spike. “Hmm. I don’t quite remember.” Spike gave her a scowl and she quickly said, “Something about waiting to relive old times with Angel.”
“Reliving old times! Willow, bloody hell! Reliving old times is slaughtering a village. Reliving old times is draining the innocent! We weren’t reliving old times. You sent me back to acting like William the fledgling you daft bint!” Spike told her.
“Spike! Will you shut up?” Angel growled at his childe.
Spike spun on Angel and pointed a finger at Willow. “That witch made me feel weak and . . . and a fledge again, Angel!”
“Did it kill you? I rather enjoyed it myself,” Angel mused.
Spike scoffed. “You would, you bleedin’ bastard.”
“Hey what’s with calling me a bastard?” Angel asked.
“Because you are… you always took delight in the weaker side of anything. Just look how Dru turned out. Had to have a toy to play with and now she’s broken and as loony as a --”
“Why do you always go for Drusilla in an argument?” Angel asked tiredly.
“Why not when she’s a prime example of your devilish charm?” Spike shot back.
“So are you, you insufferable miscreant,” Angel grated out.
While the vampires were arguing with each other, Willow offered the plate of cookies to Buffy. “Eat a cookie; ease my pain?”
Buffy took one and bit into it. “Mm. Better?”
“Well, baking lifts about 30% of my guilt, but only 7% of my inner turmoil. Guess that'll just take awhile,” Willow moped.
“It'll happen,” Buffy assured her.
“Hey, red,” Spike spoke up, ignoring Angel’s barbs, “don’t I get a cookie. After all, you did me the most damage.”
“No,” Buffy said reflexively.
“Spike, you’re a vampire. How you can stomach human food is beyond me,” Angel said in disgust.
“Hey, I didn’t suck the joy out of life the second I became a vampire unlike some people we know.” Spike looked pointedly at Angel.
“I was quite happy before Darla presented me with a gypsy. I was cursed with this soul. It almost killed me! I’ve spent a hundred years trying to come to terms with infinite remorse over what we did. So excuse me if I don’t find little things such as human food a source of happiness,” Angel growled.
“A little too happy if you ask me. I can see why they put that clause in there. They’ve never actually seen a deliriously happy Angelus,” Spike mumbled to himself. Out loud he said, “You should let some of that guilt go, mate. It’s starting to make you look old. Get out and enjoy life more instead of trying to save every downtrodden ponce you stumble across.”
“That’s my mission in life. What’s yours? Annoying everyone around you? No wonder Dru left you!” Angel shot back.
“First of all, that’s what those Powers That Fuck You use as an excuse to keep you on a leash, and second of all, you have no clue what the bloody hell went on between Dru and me, so keep out of it, almighty souled wonder!” Spike growled.
Angel had had enough from his errant childe after having to endure the comments all day. He drew back his fist and punched Spike in the nose so hard he knocked him to the ground. He stared down at the blonde while he tried to keep his anger under control. Anger management, my ass. I don’t know what Cordelia’s talking about when she says I have an anger management issue. All my anger comes out because he drives me to it.
“Ow! You bloody ponce,” Spike wiped the blood from his nose and got back to his feet, glaring at his Sire. He probably deserved it, but he’d never confess that to the wanker.
“I can't take any more, Spike. Stop with the soul and wanker comments or I’ll take you out of this world permanently,” Angel said in a deadly calm voice.
“Well, then don’t make assumptions about my relationship with Dru that you have no clue about since you bleedin’ left us, then,” Spike pouted.
Willow walked up to the two vampires tentatively. They turned and glared at her. She jumped back a little when she saw their eyes had turned to their demon-gold color during the argument.
She held the plate of cookies up shakily in offering. “Did I mention about the sorry part?”
Spike’s eyes bled back into their human color of cerulean blue upon seeing Willow stand beside them. Not that he forgave her yet for what she did with her spell. He actually did like the red-headed Wicca. It was just that she had no clue about harnessing her magic. He grabbed a cookie off the plate. Staring at Angel, Spike bit a chunk out of it and silently dared his Sire to comment. Angel watched him with an aggravated expression and then waved his hand noncommittally and walked away.
Spike was the most infuriating childe he had ever come across. He wasn’t like this when Drusilla picked him out as the newest addition to their family. William was young and sweet and untried. Spike was abrasive and unruly and irritating. The more Angel thought about the way the blonde vampire was now made him grit his teeth.
Then there was the blood bond between them and now the completed Sire claim. What he had told Spike after it happened still held true. Spike was all Angel had left of the Aurelian clan. He wasn’t rethinking the claim, though maybe he should after the fight that had just occurred between them.
No. He was not second guessing that decision. Wasn’t the fact that Spike drove him insane that appealed to him? Angel thought about himself as human, as Liam. Spike now was so much like he was then. Maybe the Powers were paying him back for his wasted human years by dealing with his favorite childe now.
“I don’t regret completing the Sire-claim,” Angel said so softly that only Spike heard it as he intended.
Spike sobered up at the barely audible words. He looked at Angel and found his Sire staring at him meaningfully so he knew he didn’t mistake what he had heard. The blonde was completely serious when he nodded in acknowledgement to the dark vampire.
“I have to go. Gotta get back to L.A. before Cordelia decides to redecorate the office in a floral print,” Angel commented.
“Well, it was good to see you again,” Giles said conversationally.
Angel nodded toward the watcher as he walked toward the door.
“See ya’, Deadboy,” Xander gibed.
Angel’s mouth lifted in a ghost of a smirk at the nickname. He looked at Buffy and the familiar heartache tugged at his chest. It was an ache that would remain until the day he left this world. He couldn’t begin to know what to say to explain his relationship with his childe to her, so he didn’t try; only nodded his head in her direction and walked away.
He had his hand on the knob when he said, “Willow, try to be more careful with your spells next time. He glanced over at the redhead still standing beside his childe. His gaze moved to Spike. They shared a silent understanding and Angel walked out the door, gently closing it behind him.
