Title: COME BACK TO ME (1/2)

Author: Nishia

Rating: NC17

Summary: Spike, Angel & Giles are forced to work together to bring Buffy back from Hell.

Distribution: Ask and Ye shall receive Disclaimer: Everything is Joss's. Joss is God.

Acknowledgements: I wrote this story in reply to Inamorati's "Ghostbusters" challenge. I had a bit of trouble finding a reason for the guys to work together but I think it works. I hope it does.

Spoilers: This story takes place some time after "The Gift"

Feedback: smpchris@aol.com



CHAPTER SIX

Spike groaned loudly. The dark haired vampire was at his side immediately. Long legs stretched out in front of him, he balanced precariously on the edge of the couch where his childe was laying, gently stroking his hair and face.

"He’s coming round." Angel gestured to the watcher to come closer.

"Spike. Can you hear me? It’s Angel." Giles was standing now, at the end of the couch, by the blonds feet.

"NO! No no no." He half yelled, half whimpered, apparently still believing himself to be ‘there’. Angel and Giles shared a brief, worried look, then the younger vampire seemed to calm. "S…S…Sire?" He opened his eyes, just barely.

"I’m here." A soft voice replied, a hint of Irish brogue creeping through as it were apt to do when Angel’s emotions were raw. "I’m right here." He twined his thick fingers through Spike’s and brought the younger vampire’s trembling hands up to his face where he gently nuzzled them until both their tremors had subsided a little. "God Will, I thought I was going t’ lose ye. I was so scared."

The thought of loosing his beloved childe terrified Angel in a way that nothing ever had before and the fact that it had very nearly become a reality was just too hideous to contemplate. Try as he might though, he couldn’t forget the utter helplessness he’d felt at not being able to end Spike’s suffering, and the image of the young blond, unconscious and bleeding, at the mercy of whatever creature held him would be burnt into his memory for all eternity.

Still somewhat shaken from his near death experience and unable to think coherently at that moment, Spike stared hard at his sire. He didn’t understand anything that was happening to him. Nothing made sense. All he knew was that Buffy needed him, and Angel, well all he knew for certain about his estranged Sire was that he was there.

"Spike." Giles questioning voice cut in, bringing the younger vampire a little closer to reality. "Can you tell us what happened?"

Angel snarled loudly, making both Spike and Giles shiver with apprehension. He stared up at the watcher, his vampire face fully developed.

"What happened is that me childe nearly experienced his final death." He spat. "Those, THINGS….."

"Howler demons." The blond replied, the name coming to him out of nowhere, his voice so small that it went unheard as Angel continued to growl at the other Englishman.

"…..Damn near killed him. The last thing he needs right now is ye coming across like the bloody Spanish Inquisition. Let him rest for a while will ye?."

"I’m sorry Angel." Giles answered firmly, proud of the way he was standing up to Angel even in ‘Angelus’ mode. "But I can’t do that. If he’ s allowed to rest, those THINGS, whatever they were…"

"Howler Demons." Again the blond went unheard.

"…..may come back and finish the job."

Angel froze as the truth of Giles’ words sunk in and his vampire visage slowly dissolved into his human one, revealing for the first time to the other two men, the depth of his love and fear for his Will.

"Ye’r right. I’m sorry." He told Giles, his voice sounding uncharacteristically meek, despite the fact that his ‘Angelus’ brogue was still very much in evidence. He turned to his childe and smiled softly as he reached up to stroke his thumb over one pale, angular cheekbone. "I just dinna want to lose him is all."

"I know." Giles understood the older vampire all too well. Every time Buffy had been hurt he’d experienced the same helplessness that Angel was now feeling and when she’d died, he felt like a part of himself had died right along with her. To him, Buffy had been the daughter he never had and he had known that she felt the same way about him.

Spike noticed the change in demeanour of his two caretakers and breathed a small, metaphorical sigh of relief. He had neither the energy or the inclination to deal with their hostility right now. Relaxing into his sire’s gentle caress he once again spoke.

"Howler demons."

"What?"

"The hands that…the creatures, they were howler demons."

"Howler demons?" Giles questioned, unfamiliar with that particular species.

Angel sniffed the air, growling deep from within his throat when the scent of sulphur assaulted his nostrils.

"Howler’s. I should’ve known." He muttered, quietly berating himself for not noticing the signs earlier.

"You’ve had experience of these creatures?" The watcher asked, somewhat relieved that they now knew what they were dealing with.

"I’ve met them a couple of times." The brogue disappeared as he recalled his encounters with the afore mentioned howler demons. "Nasty, vicious beasts. More brawn than brains. Kidnapping’s not really their style. They usually just destroy anything that stands in their way."

Struggling against his sire, who clearly thought he should still be resting, Spike managed to sit up, though he began to wish almost immediately that he hadn’t for his head was swimming and his spine felt like Jell-O.

"I don’t think they were tryin’ to destroy me, just warn me off, but if you hadn‘t brought me outta there when you did, they‘d‘ve ‘ad to kill me anyways, coz that‘s the only way they‘d ‘ave been able to stop me." He gestured to Giles for something the Englishman couldn’t make out and when nothing was forthcoming he began to heave loudly. Seconds later, the vampire was presented with a washing up bowl into which he promptly vomited his last feed.

Giles glared distastefully at the contents of the bowl and then set it to one side, while Spike flopped weakly back onto the couch, his arm thrown over his eyes as a shield.

For a few moments, the three men fell into a uneasy silence, each nursing their own personal fears about what was happening, Angel also nursing his fragile childe. Eventually, the darker vampire spoke up.

"It doesn’t make any sense." He said. "Why would the howler’s want Buffy?"

"They don’t. The bloke they‘re working for does." Spike’s speech was slurring and his eyelids were drooping heavily as he fought sleep. Sleep however, was winning. Angel dragged him up to standing in one swift, easy movement and began walking him around the room, all thoughts of who the howler ’s mysterious employer might be, fleeing his mind. Right now, his only concern was his childe. Spike could not be allowed to sleep lest the demons should ‘finish the job’.

"Come on Will, stay with me."

"Hmmm?"

"Giles this is hopeless. We’re never going to keep him awake like this. There has to be another way, a spell, a potion, anything."

"Yes. Yes I’m sure there is." He glanced at his watch, noting that Tara would be long gone by now. "I’ll call the girls."

TBC:


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