Lindsey´s Angels 19
March 10, 2005
8.41 pm
"God, I can´t believe we´re actually doing this. After *everything* that... that´s gone on... it comes down to this" sniffled Joyce, raising a shaky hand to wipe at the tears flowing down her cheeks even as she leaned into the comfort offered by Graham´s arm around her shoulders. "No. It´s always... *always* going to be no."
"I know. I can´t believe it either. I can´t believe that it´s so simple. Easy even." stated a grim–faced Cordelia from her perch on top of Doyle´s knee. "I vote yes"
"I´m with Joyce, I don´t like this but he´s got rights. He´s done good you know?" Doyle added quietly as he absently rubbed Cordelia´s thigh. "Before all this I woulda just said ´yeah, do it´ and that would be it but now... I can´t. I vote no."
"Riley, Graham. What do you say?" asked Angel, as he turned from Cordelia and Doyle to look at them. Accepting their votes of yes, he sighed and looked towards Wesley. "Wes...?"
"Angel, I honestly don´t know. On one hand, I shudder at the very thought of this, I don´t like it at all but... on the other, what other choice do we really have? This could be our only option because if there is another, I can´t for the life of me, see it." replied a clearly upset and weary Wesley. Slowly rising to his feet from sitting on the couch next to Angel, he moved to the center of the library and faced the gathered friends. "This decision is going to have consequences no matter what we do. I know full well that Tomas is telling the truth, not only about how he got past the wards placed on the Hyperion and into Cordelia´s room but with what he is telling us about the Original Senior Partners and the ritual he has been performing."
Taking a moment to gather a breath as he saw that he had everyone´s full attention, Wesley looked hard at each of the gathered friends, slightly dismayed by the hope he saw in their faces. Hope that he would figure another way out of the mess they now found themselves in. As he swept his gaze from Riley, Wes looked at his lover, a small sad smile settling across his face as he took in how hard Angel was trying not to let his stress get to him. Wesley certainly didn´t envy his lover´s choice but in the end, it had to be Angel who drove a stake through Spike.
"What is this going to do to Xander if Spike gets killed? This is really going to put his recovery right back to square number one... We have to think of him as well?" pleaded Joyce, her resolve to save Spike hardening as she watch Angel look at her briefly before dropping his gaze to the floor. "Remember how well he was doing be... before... ?"
"Square number one? Joyce, I don´t want to be cruel but Xander is so back to square number one it´s not funny. Jeez, he´s like back to square number minus one hundred! This is not going to make that big of a difference to his ´recovery´" snorted Cordelia, trying not to let the older woman´s tears make her break down as well. Cordelia knew this was the right decision. It had to be. She was not going to think about the good of Xander´s well–being. "And anyway, it´s not like Xander even likes Spike anymore. God, have you even *seen* him talk to the moron since he´s been back? It´s like a total silent treatment. You all saw how fast he ran from Spike as soon as he was able to... as far as I´m concerned, if Xander no longer needs that bleached idiot then Spike is as good as gone."
"I think you´ll find that Xander ran to the bathroom, not from Spike" stated Graham, not quite ready to dismiss Spike as easily as Cordelia so obviously had, no matter what his vote may have been.
"I don´t care. The fact is that Xander ran in totally the opposite direction from Spike, who may I say is still in that weird coma or whatever and Xander has not said one thing about Spike going all ´grrrr´ over him. And...*and* he hasn´t even asked about how Spike is doing. There´s like this whole frostiness on Xander´s part going on, he´s not all ´touchy–feely´ like he was before."
"Cordy... you saw Spike when he caught that sick fuck, Tomas´, scent as we were bringing him up to the fourth floor. You saw him run out and try to defend Xander, going with the Twilight Instructions and keeping the danger away even when all he wanted was to run away. Shit, you *saw* him... and you heard him... *I* heard him... whimpering like an abused puppy. You know what he did. All that swearing, screaming... the pain he must of gone through just so he could zap himself out." snapped Doyle, on the verge of losing his temper. "As for Xander, when has ´Scott´ been talking to anyone... huh? You know full fucking well that it was Spike and not that bloody therapist that got him as far as he was last time and if Xander doesn´t wanna speak to Spike then just let it be... don´t go making something outta nothing."
"He is *not* Scott. Don´t you call him that. He may still think of himself as... as... that... but here, with us, he is not Scott!" Cordelia replied, her voice dripping with ice. In one swift movement, she left Doyle´s lap and promptly sat in the chair Wesley had recently vacated. "Don´t you dare try to make me feel guilty for making the right choice and it isn´t just nothing."
"Fuck Cordelia, there is no right choice but we have to decide which is going to be the least wrong choice and I think offing Spike is the really wrong one." Doyle shot back, his anger coming to a head as he struggled to keep himself calm.
"Doyle, Wes, Joyce... it´s no longer just about Spike and Xander. What did Tomas tell us... the ´Souless One´ has to be destroyed to stop the ritual. He told us that was the only way to prevent the completed ritual sending the Original Partners back to their home world." said Graham, not daring to look at his lover for fear of finding her angry with him. "And Doyle, you know what the PTB has been sending you visions of... you can´t just ignore them."
"I´m not ignoring them. Could not even if I wanted to, bloody pain demands all my attention besides, it´s the clearest f´n vision I´ve ever had. Don´t see why they can´t do it every time, you know, lay it all out simple like they did this one." agreed the Irishman. "I know what they showed me, pretty hard to miss it really, heads still hurting from it. Showed the Original Partners goin´ home, just about everyone who works at Wolfram and Hart dying from something, what I don´t know but somehow, if that happens, the balance between good and evil is upset which is gonna lead to people being born who will plunge our world into something like the Dark Ages again but this time, only worse because everything and everyone will go ´KABOOM´ and that´ll be the end of it all."
"See? That´s why Spike should just be staked now. It solves everything and it´s easy. Angel, you´ve already killed one of your kids before so it´s not like this is going to be hard for you or anything... you know, just plunge the wood in and... ?"
"End it all?" prompted Angel, his visage twisting at the suggestion. "Mmmmm. Just like that?"
"Well, yeah. Hell yeah, just like that. One good thrust and the world will be saved!" Cordelia replied, making plunging movements with one hand. Ignoring the scowls from the others in the room, she continued her reasons why Spike should be staked. "Angel, if you don´t do it, then I will. I think you should just be a man and do it."
"Cordelia, what about what Drusilla said? It wasn´t her insane mutterings but the Oracles that spoke through her, it was predicted that Xander and Spike would be safe and, I hope, happy. Everything that she has said has come true and what if Spike´s death somehow interferes with getting Willow back... I´m not saying it would but what if?" Joyce replied, looking earnestly at the younger woman, certain that if she kept pushing, Cordelia would be on her side of the camp very soon. "Do you really want to take that chance?"
Doyle nodded along to Joyce´s words, adding that was one reason he was so reluctant to kill Spike. He put it to the friends that if the Oracles had thought that the only option was Spike being killed, then they would have said so through the twice deceased Drusilla.
"No, of course not but all that means is that we have to get Willow back before we off Spike. He´s still dead as far as I´m concerned, well, deader that is. I think that we should make the deal with that weirdo Tomas and get his brother back. After all, thanks to the PTB and Doyle, we know where he is or at least where his body is. I mean, the vision showing the ´rain man´ being buried pretty much says he´s dead right?" admitted the brunette woman, annoyed that Joyce was starting to make her think twice about her decision.
"Yes. I think that despite everything, Cordelia is right. Willow is our first priority and we could probably use her magic skills. I´ve had a thought, if we get rid of Spike, there is no guarantee that another ´Souless One´ will be born sometime in the future. Better to have what you know close than risk this all happening again. Leaving the world´s future in less capable hands" stated Wesley. Letting the idea settle upon everyone for a few minutes, he turned slightly to one side so that he could guage Angel´s reaction to his theory.
"Angel, you haven´t said much about this. Tell us?" asked Wesley gently.
For a long moment, Angel sat quietly, his gaze on the floor before he rose slowly to his feet. Giving the crowded room a twisted half grimace, the vampire awkwardly cleared his throat and started to speak hesitantly.
"I think its best if Spike is... dealt... with."
"No! How can you do this... after all he´s been through? Angel, you can´t... you just *can´t* do this him." pleaded Joyce, her tears flowing freely once again. "All that time you spent with him when he was so sick? You... *you* gave him your blood..."
"Joyce, please unders–"
Cutting Angel off, Joyce stunned the gathered friends with her next barely whispered words. "You lay one hand on him and you´ll have me to deal with."
Graham shivered as he heard his lover´s voice take on a tone that he had never heard before, the sheer iciness of Joyce´s words lending weight to what she had just said. There was no doubt in his mind that Joyce would follow through on any threat that she made towards Angel, something that he knew would signify the end of any continuing friendship between those gathered in the library. "Joyce, I don´t want to see Spike go either but you have to look at the big picture here. It´s either the world or him?"
"And what if there is an easier way out of all this? Hmmm, what then? What if we find it and it´s too late for Spike?" Joyce questioned, all the while holding her gaze with Angel´s, determined not to give in. "We help Tomas get his brother back on the condition that he gets Willow and finds some other way of dismantling the spell. He´s desperate for Ethan, you saw him, you know he´ll do anything for his brother. Just by his coming to us proves that."
Coughing a few times to clear his throat, Doyle turned his face towards Joyce´s voice, regret etched clearly across his expression. His face flushing with both shame and embarrassment, Doyle spoke quietly "I... uh, I think I gotta go with Angel and the others on this. I´m so sorry Joyce, I really don´t like this whole idea. Shit, I mean, I don´t mind the bloke and he´s a bit of all right at times and I know I said he´s got rights and all that but I got three kids and another one coming to think of... you know? I´m sorry"
"Sorry? Don´t say sorry to me. Say it to Spike. Wait until he wakes up and say it to his face... don´t wait until his funeral to say sorry. Oh, he´s only Spike, a vampire. He´s not a person so he doesn´t get a funeral, he doesn´t get a say in his own life." Her voice hitching, the older woman shoulders shook as she went on. "Why won´t you all help me on this? Why? I know Spike has done some terrible things in the past but that´s what it is... the past. Please... God, please help me? I can´t..."
"Joyce?" asked Angel, taking a few steps forward to be closer to his friend. Reaching her side, he awkwardly wrapped his arms around the stiff woman, one hand running up and down her back in a soothing manner until he felt her relax into his arms. "Joyce?"
"I can´t... he´s a piece of her. You all are and I won´t lose another piece of Buffy." sobbed Joyce, her words slightly muffled as she pressed her face into Angel´s shoulder. "I know he hated Buffy, h..he used to tell me that all the time but th..that was ok because it was Spike saying it. He´s meant to hate her and if he isn´t here to remind me how much he hates her, th..th..then who will? Who´s going to tell me?"
"He tells you that?" demanded Riley, the grief from losing Buffy once again dredged to the surface. His jaw clenched from the effort not to give in to his own desire to shed tears, the ex–Initiative soldier stared at the carpet beneath his feet. "That bastard actually *says* that to you? How can you keep on defending him when he says shit like that? No respect, absolutely no respect for the dead has he?"
"Whose going to tell me the truth about her battles? None of you can tell me what it was like to go up against her... only Spike and Angel can... and Angel doesn´t want to tell me. Every time I´ve asked one of you to just tell me a little about what it was like for her to be a Slayer, you brush me off. You tell me that she did a great job, she was the best Slayer who ever lived. You´ve put her on such a high pedestal, I feel that I can no longer see her for what she was... my daughter. All I can see is a legend." admitted Joyce, her breath hitching even as Angel continued to rub a hand over her back. "Spike tells me everything not what you think I should hear. Usually it.. it´s ´stupid bint this and bloody twat that´ and I can barely stand to hear what he says about Buffy at times but he leaves nothing out and I´ve never asked him to either."
"So? You should have asked us properly. Didn´t it ever occur to you that he might just be feeding you a line of lies?" asked Riley, his gaze rising slowly from the floor to meet Joyce´s as she barely managed to look over Angel´s shoulder. "You just said he has no respect for her. I can´t believe you sit and talk about Buffy with him..."
"I don´t want to listen to someone pin a pair of wings on my daughter. I want the truth. With *nothing* left out and as for respect, Riley, I didn´t say Spike had no respect for her because it´s not true, he does."
"Really and how do you know that?" "Because every so often, admittedly rare, one of his stories end with Spike telling me how glad he was that the demon of that particular story wasn´t the one to take Buffy down. That she deserved someone who would match her capabilities." Joyce sniffled wetly into the black knit pullover Angel was wearing, allowing a small smile to grace her face as she continued. "Even rarer still is when Spike admits that she is the best he has ever fought and it had only come down to sheer luck that he had gotten away. That he couldn´t best her if it had come down it."
Silence descended on the room, broken only by the sound of Cordelia´s footsteps as she went to settled herself on Doyle´s lap once again. No–one knew what to say about Joyce´s admission, the gathering of friends feeling a little shocked and unsettled by her words. There was another hitch in Joyce´s sobs as she gathered a breath to speak again.
"Wh.. when Spike first came back, I..I had to tell him what had happened to everyone at the Magic Box. Had to fill in the blanks as he was a bit fuzzy. Spike told me the chip shorted out most of his memories of that night." taking a shaky breath, Joyce gently untangled herself from Angel´s embrace and crossed over to the couch where Riley sat, still glaring at the carpet. With a little nod at Graham, she indicated for her lover to move across and make room for her by Riley´s side. Squeezing between the two men, Joyce leant in close to Riley, putting an arm around his shoulder, refusing to let the tall blond shrug it off.
"He didn´t remember about B..Buffy, Tara or any of them so I had to tell him. You should have seen his face, Riley, he was so shocked. Spike told me that she didn´t deserve to die that way... that she should have gone out in an even match, not by a coward´s hand..."
Shifting slightly in his seat, Riley couldn´t help but frown furiously as he felt the burning of his eyes get stronger. His gaze still concentrated on the floor between his feet, swallowed awkwardly as a thick lump rose in his throat. "He.. he said that?"
"Yes he did."
"Really.. Spike said all that about Buffy?"
"Yes. Not even an ´f´n slag´ in hearing range either" Joyce replied softly, between hiccups. With a quick glance around the room, she couldn´t help but give a short bark of laughter as she saw that everyone was purposefully not looking at Riley and herself.
"He would never admit to saying that would he?" gulped Riley as he ground the heels of his palms into his eyes in the hopes of stemming a flow of tears.
"Not a chance. Ever, and if you ask him, he´ll just tell you to get stuffed anyway."
"God! Way to make a girl feel guilty about wanting to save the world and stake a vampire!" protested Cordelia loudly, breaking the uncomfortable atmosphere that had descended on the room since Joyce´s initial outburst.
"You´re not the only one!" mumbled Angel as he felt his ever present guilt get a rather hefty top–up. Running a hand over his face, Angel sank himself heavily into the vacated armchair once again, his earlier euphoria at having Tomas finally in his grasp was all but gone as he came to the reluctant conclusion that no matter what was decided between the group of friends regarding Spike´s future, there was the very real possibility of some friendships being lost for good. Catching Riley´s eye for a moment, Angel couldn´t help but give the other man a fleeting golden–eyed glower.
It really was Riley´s fault that the discussion was happening at all... and Angel´s own idiot mouth. An angry Riley had confronted Angel about Lindsay´s death, telling the vampire that he had had no right to go to such extremes without consulting the others beforehand, Angel striking back with a question of who was running the show. An argument had raged between them for almost an hour before Riley had shouted that he should have had the opportunity to be present for Lindsay´s death, if not even been given leave to spend time alone with the deceased lawyer. Opportunities that Angel had taken as his natural right.
Not wanting to admit that Riley had had a good point, and feeling just a little more guilty than usual, Angel had been unable to stop himself from snarkily suggesting that they take votes on the next up and coming death. A suggestion that had been immediately agreed on by an equally snarky Riley and a previously silently watching Graham and Joyce. Upon finding himself cornered, Angel had stomped over to the Lobby´s main intercom switchboard and proceeded to inform everyone who hadn´t heard the argument about the agreed upon results.
And now, where had all this discussion got them today? Pretty much nowhere, tears and anger staining the atmosphere of the library. Just like any other meeting they usually had. Damn Riley, if he had just shut the hell up and let Angel do what was best, then Spike would have been a pile of dust and the world saved hours ago.
With a low growl that he just managed to disguise with a heavy sigh, Angel was somewhat startled to see that the friends were silently looking towards him. "Uhhhh, what?"
"Angel, I´ve just run through what everyone has agreed on but obviously I haven´t done my job properly because you weren´t listening... were you?" Wesley arched an eyebrow at his lover, a slightly sour expression on his face as he waited for Angel to reply.
"Yes. Yes I was... ahhhh... but how about you run through it once more just to make sure we have got it all and there´s no mistakes?" Angel smiled brilliantly at Wesley, studiously ignoring the snickering of his gathered friends as Wesley huffed in annoyance.
"Fine. Now, just to make sure that we *all* understand what the plan is, I´ll start again." stated Wes, glaring at Angel for a brief moment before turning his attention back to the group. "Number one, although we do have a confirmed solution to the PTB´s predicament, it is... and I can´t stress this enough really, Spike´s death is a final solution. No Cordelia, you cannot just go right ahead and do it so don´t even bother getting up, sit back down please and don´t look at me like that."
Secondly, we will accept Tomas´ offer of help to get Willow back from the dimension in which she is currently situated in return for getting Tomas´ brother back and his help in searching for another solution to ending this ´Soul of Blood´ ritual. Thanks to the PTB, we can facilitate Doyle´s vision of Ethan Rayne and some of Tomas´ own blood to use as a beacon for locating Ethan while both Joyce and myself cast the spell in the wading pool. Angel, and I´m assuming that you are listening, Graham and Riley will go through the water wall to retrieve Ethan´s body along with Doyle... "
Interrupting Wesley, Doyle added that because that mornings vision had provided such a detailed account of all the various levels and rooms to the desert facility, if a starting point was described to him, then he was sure that he could get around by touch alone.
"I know you say you´re pretty confident about this but are you sure? I mean... ?"
"Yeah Angel, I am. The whole thing is pretty much burned into my mind, its like the Powers That Be went all out on this one, I can tell you where every nook and cranny of the place is because its just *there* in my head... all in 3D living colour. And I wanna do this." Doyle turned his face towards where he thought each of his friends were sitting individually, hoping that his hearing had got it right even as a cold hard expression settled on his face. "I´m part of the team, I don´t have a choice but to do this."
"Well thank God you´re going to give them all directions, seriously, remember how long Graham and Riley were lost in Walmart for a couple of weeks ago?" added Cordelia, laughing along with Joyce as the two women recalled having to get Walmart´s customer service to call the two ex–soldiers to the Service Desk to locate them.
"Mmmm. Thanks a lot for that one you two, nothing says ´you´re a mature adult´ like an over the air announcement that says your mother is waiting at the desk for you and if anyone recognizes the so called ´lost child´, could they please escort them to the service desk." grumbled Graham good–naturedly, pleased that the practical joke played upon both him and Riley was now being proven useful at breaking up the remaining tension in the Hyperion´s library.
"Yup, ditto to that." replied Riley, a broad grin gracing his face as he joined in the laughter. Risking a look at Angel, his laughter rose another notch as he took in the vampire´s slightly embarrassed look and realized that Wesley had more than likely been forced to pull the same stunt, and Angel hoped that Wesley didn´t decide to bring that particular gem up at anytime soon. He caught Angel´s eye and with a tiny nod towards Wesley, he snorted loudly when Angel looked away sheepishly.
"Yes... yes, hilarious." grinned Wesley, his former tense stance falling away into a more relaxed posture now that the last of the tension had been chased away. Purposefully not looking towards a vampire who was doing his best to become invisible, Wesley went on.
"As I was saying, Doyle will be guiding you through the complex and I don´t think I need to stress that time will be of the essence do I? Now, honestly, we just don´t know how long the water wall actually lasts even if Joyce and I maintain physical contact. So, in and out as quickly as possible. Now, while that is happening, Tomas will be waiting in the training room with the rest of us for you all to get back.
Now, thirdly, once everything is done and providing we all get through this fairly unscathed... Angel, listen... we have decided that you *must* do something about Spike and these Twilight Instructions. I know that it is essentially a Sire/Childe issue but what happened with W´nth, and to a lesser degree the rest of us, can´t be allowed to happen again."
Angel sat silently, taking in the words. As much as he hated to admit it, he wasn´t sure that he could do anything about the Twilight Instructions but he knew that even though Spike had a chip that was supposed to stop him hurting humans, everyone was worried for their physical safety. And Angel knew that they had valid point especially as while in the full throes of the Instructions, Spike had managed to not only attack one of the black clad mercenaries at the Magic Box but had also injured Wesley by pushing him down the stairs of the Hyperion. Something that could have had fatal consequences if luck hadn´t been on Wesley´s side that day.
A little puzzled by the fact that he didn´t think they had gone through this particular topic during the meeting, Angel thought that even with his minor zone out before he would have picked up on the words ´Twilight Instructions´, if not the name Spike. Clearing his throat, he raised his suspicions. "You´re right, this is a Sire/Childe issue and I don´t remember having this discussion before."
"We talked about it before you came up... you know, the whole what to do with the bleached and might I add *still* unconscious creep upstairs routine. I vote we just stake him and be done with it as soon as Willow is back, whose with me?" declared Cordelia, repeatedly elbowing Doyle in the ribs in an effort to get him to agree. "You agree with me, don´t you Honey?"
"Ooof. No. Ouch. Stop it."
"Oh yeah, kinda forgot that you´ll say yes now and in five minutes time it´ll be no and then yes again.. should I go on?"
"Ow.. shit Cordy, stop will you? I know what I said before but I mean it this time... so *no*" said Doyle, grabbing and holding onto Cordelia´s arm mid sentence. "But Angel, Wes is right. You have to do *something* about Spike. It´s dangerous... he´s dangerous even with the chip, especially with Xander being around. Can´t you just go back into his head and fiddle around a bit more?"
"ARE YOU *NUTS*?" shrieked Cordelia, wrenching her arm away from Doyle´s grip and slapping him across the upper arm. "Like, Oh my God! You know that Angel is just gonna stuff up and make it worse... the proof that he messed it all up the second time is on the floor upstairs."
"He´s on the bed and thanks Cordelia, I really appreciate the vote of confidence." replied a surly Angel, his good mood quickly disappearing into the beginnings of a major brood. A sudden tiredness came across him as he went on. "You´re right. I admit it, you are. It worked to a degree last time only in the fact that he is now more responsive of the Sire/Childe bond but as for the rest... you´re right."
Silence drifted down on the library, everyone feeling tension start to build up once again as they digested Angel´s confession.
Looking around at the worried faces of his friends, Angel´s gaze came to rest on Wesley, the vampire silently pleading for his lover to help him. He shifted to the side as much as he could as Wesley limped across the room and perched himself on the chair´s arm. Angel took a small comfort in Wesley´s close presence and the instant Wesley laid a warm hand on his lower arm, Angel felt more relaxed. Holding Wesley´s gaze, Angel spoke with a whisper, "I thought... you know... I did?"
"Thought you were doing the right thing? Making things a little safer for Xander?" prompted Wes in an equally soft voice.
With a small nod, Angel unconsciously rubbed his larger hand over Wesley´s. "I didn´t know that this would happen, that he would be so aggressive."
"Neither of us did. We didn´t know and it´s as simple as that. All that matters is that you had the best intentions at heart." smiled Wesley, realizing that through Joyce´s talents, everyone else in the room had heard his part of the exchange. "It´s something that we can deal with later. Joyce and I have done a great job on the seals to his room. Double bonded so that he can´t get out and that you are the only one who can get in."
"That´s right, he can´t get out until they are lifted and yes, we´ve also done both the closets and bathroom. Treated them as separate rooms so they have a complete set of seals on them as well." added Joyce once Wesley was silent. "I don´t want there to be any chance of Tomas getting his hands on Spike again."
Everyone immediately agreed with Joyce´s words, heads nodding and more than one person shuddering at the memories of seeing Spike immediately after being rescued from Tomas´ workroom.
"Speaking of Tomas, how´s Spike gonna be now that they´re both under the same roof?" questioned Doyle, prompting a heavy sigh from Angel.
"I´ll have to talk to him as soon as he´s awa... "
A crackle of static from the rooms intercom cut off the vampires words, the anxiety and fear staining the words that followed worrying Angel to his very core.
//Angel? Angel... Sire?//
Jerking himself out of the seat fast enough to displace Wesley, Angel was startled to realize that no one else had heard Spike, everyone asking who it had been on the intercom and shrugging their shoulders as it was put down to either Christopher or Leo playing around.
"Angel, are you all right?" queried Wesley, looking oddly at him.
"Oh yeah, fine Wes. Uh, just going upstairs to check on Spike, see if he´s awake and hungry." answered Angel, noting somewhat distractedly that everyone else was following his lead, getting up and stretching stiff limbs in a clear indication that the meeting was over. "He should be awake by now."
"And knowing Spike, more than a little annoyed at being locked in his room?"
"You know it."
"Angel?"
"What Wes?"
"Tomas... tread delicately. Not that Spike would ever tell us, especially me, but he has been terribly affected by this and I suspect that he will be for very long time after this is over." stated Wesley gently, glancing at Joyce for a brief moment as she recited his words to the rest of the friends as they passed through the library doorway. "The herbs."
"Tip of the iceberg." nodded Angel. "It won´t be a civilized talk, with Spike it never is but I´ll do my best."
Angel leaned in close to Wesley, breathing in the calming scent of his lover. Pressing his lips gently to Wesley´s, he allowed the kiss to deepen, Wesley teasing him by flicking his tongue gently between the cooler lips while Angel wished he could shut the rest of the world out and envelope himself in such comfort forever. All too soon, Wesley drew away, muttering something about checking the wards on the rest of the Hyperion´s rooms.
He watched Wesley pass through the library doors and stood silently as he wondered how he was going to get Spike to accept the deal that had been made with Tomas when his Childe had every right to demand that Angel fulfill his Sire duties, for Angel to destroy what had hurt Spike when he so obviously couldn´t himself. Shaking his head, Angel strode through the doorway, into the corridor and started up the steps.
//Poof... Angel? Sire?//
WIP
