Fic: Thanks with Tears, Angel/Willow/Spike, 2/50
Title: Thanks with Tears, Chapter Two
Info and disclaimers found here.
Previous Parts.
Chapter 2
Angel burst through the doors of the Hyperion just as the sun’s rays began to peak over the LA skyline. He stood there holding his childe as they smoldered from the affects of the sunlight on their skin.
Angel stood in shock after just barely making it inside before the sun rose. All eyes were on him as he continued to stand with Spike in his arms. As he calmed, he began to really feel the man he held so close to his body. Even through the leather duster, he was amazed at how thin Spike felt. Spike had always been trim, but he always had a pleasant amount of musculature to fill him out nicely. But now, all that was gone and it scared Angel.
He was brought out of his mental assessment by Willow. Lightly, she asked, “Angel, are you alright?”
He looked at her questioningly, almost as if he didn’t understand her question. Then he started to move. “Yeah, Willow. I’m alright,” he replied.
He made his way over to the couch and gently laid his childe down on it. As he pulled away, he finally got a good look at the younger vampire. He was amazed at what he saw. Spike looked like he hadn’t eaten in months. It is very hard for vampires to die from starvation, but it looked like he had given it a good try.
“Angel,” Wesley said quietly, pulling Angel away from his musings. “Willow was going to tell us what brought her and Spike here, but she insisted that we wait for you. I think we need to hear what she has to say.”
Angel sat at the table as Willow started to slowly tell the group about everything that had happened over the last few years. She knew that Angel had kept in touch with Giles somewhat, but she seemed unsure as to how much he really knew.
She told them about her foray into magic during college and Spike’s capture by the initiative. Angel could feel the anger rising in him as he heard Willow talk about what had been done to his childe. He'd not felt anything like that for the blond vampire in a very long time and the thought stunned him.
She talked about the fight against Glory, how they found out about Dawn, and Buffy’s death to save the world…again. Wesley, in particular, seemed to find that part of the tale very interesting. He made her promise that she would tell him everything about this in complete detail at another time.
She talked briefly about Spike and his obsession with Buffy. The group was very interested in the whole Buffybot incident. Angel could not believe his ears. Spike, his childe who had given him nothing but grief over his relationship with the Slayer, had fallen for her. He wasn’t sure how to deal with all this information.
She then began to tell them the hardest part of her story. She explained how she had brought Buffy back from the dead, thinking that she was in a hell dimension. It turns out she actually ripped the Slayer out of heaven and Buffy had not taken it well. Buffy began a painful relationship with Spike and Willow began an unhealthy obsession with dark magic.
She told them about her relationship with Tara and how the other young witch had died. The redhead had to stop several times during that part of the tale to keep the tears from coming. It was all just too fresh, the wounds obviously still raw.
She explained quickly about her turn to dark magic and how she killed Warren, the boy who had shot her lover.
With a tremor in her voice, she told them she'd decided to end the world.
But just when she was about to end everything, Xander had stopped her.
“Xander stopped you?” Cordelia asked. “Our Xander, the Zeppo?”
“Yeah,” Willow replied with a small smile on her face. “It’s not the first time, you know. We don’t give him nearly enough credit. You know, for being the only one of the group without some sort of super power, he sure has had his share of saves.”
She then told them about how Giles had taken her to England while she recovered. She thought he had taken her there to kill her, but he wanted to train her, so she could learn to control the power within her.
“Things went really well for a while,” she said shakily. “But then I started to get this nagging feeling that wouldn’t go away. It was as if someone was calling to me, but I ignored it for a while.”
Willow stopped to take a drink of her tea. She had been talking for well over an hour and her throat must have been sore.
“It was kinda freaky,” she started again shakily. “It was like I could hear someone crying in my head. I didn't understand it at first, it just wouldn't stop. Sometimes I heard names or sentences, when suddenly one day it hit me. It was Spike.”
“Spike?” Angel questioned. “Why would Spike be calling to you?”
“During our battle with Glory, I made a telepathic connection with him to give him instructions. I guess it just stuck.” Willow shook her head as if to clear her mind. “I don't really understand it, all I know is I heard him calling to me and I had to help him. He sounded so sad. So I left England immediately and followed the voice in my head. For some reason he led me to Africa. I found him hiding in some caves on the West Coast of Africa. He looked like he’d been through hell.”
“The Caves of Tribulation,” Wesley spoke up. “It's like a demon proving ground. Demons go there to ask for something precious and then are put through various trials and tribulations to prove their worthiness. If they survive, they get what they came for.”
“Well, Spike survived,” Willow continued. “But I think he’s gone a little insane.” She looked over at the blonde vampire who had curled up on the couch. He had resumed clutching at his head as if he was trying to gouge out something hidden there. “I just don’t believe what he asked for.”
“What was that?” Cordelia asked.
“His soul,” Angel replied, barely above a whisper.
“What?” the others at the table exclaimed.
“He has a soul,” Angel whispered, staring Willow in the eye. “Isn’t that right?”
“Yeah,” she whispered back. “I don’t know how or why, but when I found him, it was obvious he was different. In one of his more coherent moments, he told me he got his soul back.”
“What do you mean more coherent moments, Willow?” Angel asked. It was still hard for him to believe that Spike had a soul.
“Well, ever since I found him, he has been in and out of it,” she answered, staring into her cooling cup of tea. “Sometimes he talks to me like he knows what’s going on, but other times he screams or talks about things I think are from the past.”
“It’s hard, I know,” Angel started. It was difficult to talk about what it had been like for him when he'd first received his soul. He suddenly felt sorry for Spike to have to go through this. He knew how much it hurt. “Sometimes he can hear the screams of the people he killed, so it’s like reliving everything as it happened. It’s hard to remember what year it is when the memories are coming back so fast. Unfortunately, he will never forget. Every memory is like it just happened. So fresh, so real.” The more the dark vampire talked, the quieter he got. He suddenly realized that he needed to help Spike get through this. He had been so alone; he wouldn’t let Spike suffer alone.
Everyone sat in silence, as if they realized that Angel had just revealed something very personal to them. Willow smiled weakly as she reached over and lightly put her hand over his. He looked into her emerald eyes, wet with tears that were threatening to fall. He knew that she understood his pain and Spike’s.
“Well,” Willow continued with a sigh. “I was able to levitate him to the car I was renting and we started to head toward America.” The redhead rolled her eyes and giggled lightly. “Never fly with a slightly insane vampire unless you have lots of alcohol or lots of sleeping pills.” She looked fondly at the blond vampire on the couch. “Or maybe both. At first I thought we were going back to Sunnydale. It’s been my home all my life, but the closer we got, the more I knew we couldn’t go back there. It’s just too painful…for both of us.” Willow had to pause as tears threatened to fall again. This time, Angel reached over and squeezed the young witch’s hand.
“It wasn’t until yesterday that I realized that we were coming here” she whispered, glancing back down at the cup in here hand. “I didn’t know where else to turn. You’re the only one I could trust, Angel. You’re the only one who understands what he…what we’ve been through. Will you help us?”
Willow eyes bore into him, pleading with him for help and forgiveness. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she waited for his answer.
Angel could not believe that Willow would ever ask him such a thing. How could he not help them? He cared for them both so much, he would do anything to help them. “Of course, Willow,” he whispered as he stood to pull her into his embrace. “We’ll all help you.” The small girl began to weep as the vampire held her close and lightly traced small circles on her back trying to give her some form of comfort.
After Willow was able to calm down and collect her emotions, she slowly pulled away from the comforting embrace and visibly collected herself. As she sat back down in her seat, she looked at the group and asked with a small smile, “So, is there anything new with you guys?”
Tbc...
Chapter Three
Info and disclaimers found here.
Previous Parts.
Chapter 2
Angel burst through the doors of the Hyperion just as the sun’s rays began to peak over the LA skyline. He stood there holding his childe as they smoldered from the affects of the sunlight on their skin.
Angel stood in shock after just barely making it inside before the sun rose. All eyes were on him as he continued to stand with Spike in his arms. As he calmed, he began to really feel the man he held so close to his body. Even through the leather duster, he was amazed at how thin Spike felt. Spike had always been trim, but he always had a pleasant amount of musculature to fill him out nicely. But now, all that was gone and it scared Angel.
He was brought out of his mental assessment by Willow. Lightly, she asked, “Angel, are you alright?”
He looked at her questioningly, almost as if he didn’t understand her question. Then he started to move. “Yeah, Willow. I’m alright,” he replied.
He made his way over to the couch and gently laid his childe down on it. As he pulled away, he finally got a good look at the younger vampire. He was amazed at what he saw. Spike looked like he hadn’t eaten in months. It is very hard for vampires to die from starvation, but it looked like he had given it a good try.
“Angel,” Wesley said quietly, pulling Angel away from his musings. “Willow was going to tell us what brought her and Spike here, but she insisted that we wait for you. I think we need to hear what she has to say.”
Angel sat at the table as Willow started to slowly tell the group about everything that had happened over the last few years. She knew that Angel had kept in touch with Giles somewhat, but she seemed unsure as to how much he really knew.
She told them about her foray into magic during college and Spike’s capture by the initiative. Angel could feel the anger rising in him as he heard Willow talk about what had been done to his childe. He'd not felt anything like that for the blond vampire in a very long time and the thought stunned him.
She talked about the fight against Glory, how they found out about Dawn, and Buffy’s death to save the world…again. Wesley, in particular, seemed to find that part of the tale very interesting. He made her promise that she would tell him everything about this in complete detail at another time.
She talked briefly about Spike and his obsession with Buffy. The group was very interested in the whole Buffybot incident. Angel could not believe his ears. Spike, his childe who had given him nothing but grief over his relationship with the Slayer, had fallen for her. He wasn’t sure how to deal with all this information.
She then began to tell them the hardest part of her story. She explained how she had brought Buffy back from the dead, thinking that she was in a hell dimension. It turns out she actually ripped the Slayer out of heaven and Buffy had not taken it well. Buffy began a painful relationship with Spike and Willow began an unhealthy obsession with dark magic.
She told them about her relationship with Tara and how the other young witch had died. The redhead had to stop several times during that part of the tale to keep the tears from coming. It was all just too fresh, the wounds obviously still raw.
She explained quickly about her turn to dark magic and how she killed Warren, the boy who had shot her lover.
With a tremor in her voice, she told them she'd decided to end the world.
But just when she was about to end everything, Xander had stopped her.
“Xander stopped you?” Cordelia asked. “Our Xander, the Zeppo?”
“Yeah,” Willow replied with a small smile on her face. “It’s not the first time, you know. We don’t give him nearly enough credit. You know, for being the only one of the group without some sort of super power, he sure has had his share of saves.”
She then told them about how Giles had taken her to England while she recovered. She thought he had taken her there to kill her, but he wanted to train her, so she could learn to control the power within her.
“Things went really well for a while,” she said shakily. “But then I started to get this nagging feeling that wouldn’t go away. It was as if someone was calling to me, but I ignored it for a while.”
Willow stopped to take a drink of her tea. She had been talking for well over an hour and her throat must have been sore.
“It was kinda freaky,” she started again shakily. “It was like I could hear someone crying in my head. I didn't understand it at first, it just wouldn't stop. Sometimes I heard names or sentences, when suddenly one day it hit me. It was Spike.”
“Spike?” Angel questioned. “Why would Spike be calling to you?”
“During our battle with Glory, I made a telepathic connection with him to give him instructions. I guess it just stuck.” Willow shook her head as if to clear her mind. “I don't really understand it, all I know is I heard him calling to me and I had to help him. He sounded so sad. So I left England immediately and followed the voice in my head. For some reason he led me to Africa. I found him hiding in some caves on the West Coast of Africa. He looked like he’d been through hell.”
“The Caves of Tribulation,” Wesley spoke up. “It's like a demon proving ground. Demons go there to ask for something precious and then are put through various trials and tribulations to prove their worthiness. If they survive, they get what they came for.”
“Well, Spike survived,” Willow continued. “But I think he’s gone a little insane.” She looked over at the blonde vampire who had curled up on the couch. He had resumed clutching at his head as if he was trying to gouge out something hidden there. “I just don’t believe what he asked for.”
“What was that?” Cordelia asked.
“His soul,” Angel replied, barely above a whisper.
“What?” the others at the table exclaimed.
“He has a soul,” Angel whispered, staring Willow in the eye. “Isn’t that right?”
“Yeah,” she whispered back. “I don’t know how or why, but when I found him, it was obvious he was different. In one of his more coherent moments, he told me he got his soul back.”
“What do you mean more coherent moments, Willow?” Angel asked. It was still hard for him to believe that Spike had a soul.
“Well, ever since I found him, he has been in and out of it,” she answered, staring into her cooling cup of tea. “Sometimes he talks to me like he knows what’s going on, but other times he screams or talks about things I think are from the past.”
“It’s hard, I know,” Angel started. It was difficult to talk about what it had been like for him when he'd first received his soul. He suddenly felt sorry for Spike to have to go through this. He knew how much it hurt. “Sometimes he can hear the screams of the people he killed, so it’s like reliving everything as it happened. It’s hard to remember what year it is when the memories are coming back so fast. Unfortunately, he will never forget. Every memory is like it just happened. So fresh, so real.” The more the dark vampire talked, the quieter he got. He suddenly realized that he needed to help Spike get through this. He had been so alone; he wouldn’t let Spike suffer alone.
Everyone sat in silence, as if they realized that Angel had just revealed something very personal to them. Willow smiled weakly as she reached over and lightly put her hand over his. He looked into her emerald eyes, wet with tears that were threatening to fall. He knew that she understood his pain and Spike’s.
“Well,” Willow continued with a sigh. “I was able to levitate him to the car I was renting and we started to head toward America.” The redhead rolled her eyes and giggled lightly. “Never fly with a slightly insane vampire unless you have lots of alcohol or lots of sleeping pills.” She looked fondly at the blond vampire on the couch. “Or maybe both. At first I thought we were going back to Sunnydale. It’s been my home all my life, but the closer we got, the more I knew we couldn’t go back there. It’s just too painful…for both of us.” Willow had to pause as tears threatened to fall again. This time, Angel reached over and squeezed the young witch’s hand.
“It wasn’t until yesterday that I realized that we were coming here” she whispered, glancing back down at the cup in here hand. “I didn’t know where else to turn. You’re the only one I could trust, Angel. You’re the only one who understands what he…what we’ve been through. Will you help us?”
Willow eyes bore into him, pleading with him for help and forgiveness. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she waited for his answer.
Angel could not believe that Willow would ever ask him such a thing. How could he not help them? He cared for them both so much, he would do anything to help them. “Of course, Willow,” he whispered as he stood to pull her into his embrace. “We’ll all help you.” The small girl began to weep as the vampire held her close and lightly traced small circles on her back trying to give her some form of comfort.
After Willow was able to calm down and collect her emotions, she slowly pulled away from the comforting embrace and visibly collected herself. As she sat back down in her seat, she looked at the group and asked with a small smile, “So, is there anything new with you guys?”
Tbc...
Chapter Three