Angel glanced up at the door, frowning. He felt a familiar presence outside the building. It was Spike! He rolled his eyes. "Great," he said to himself. "Now I have to deal with the bleached blond wonder." As he got closer to the door to sling it open and tell his childe to go bother someone else, he began to hear two soft heartbeats. He frowned. "What the hell is going on? I know he's not bringing dinner. If that's the case, I swear, I will stake him so fast. . ."
Angel pulled the door open. Spike grinned. "Dad! Red and I are home!"
The older vampire blinked. Willow was in Spike's arms, curled up to him, her face in his neck. She was obviously sleeping. "Spike," he said softly. "What are you and Willow doing here?"
"You said she could come, and I wasn't letting her come by herself. She's got a little one to watch out for. I thought I'd help."
"You? You thought you would help Willow?" Angel asked, surprised.
"Well, yeah, Peaches. I actually like her. I know, I know, shocked the hell out of me too. But I'd rather be here with you and her and the baby than the bloody Slayer."
"That I can understand," Angel smirked. "Come on in, Spike."
Spike walked in, putting Willow on the couch. He watched her for a moment, then turned to Angel, who still had the same dopey look on his face the younger vampire had seen moments before. "I'm warning you, Angelus. If you loose the soul and hurt Red or the baby, I will stake you."
Angel's demon bucked. "I can't do this," he said softly. "He wants her, I want her. . .I didn't think. . .I wasn't thinking about wanting her this much. Hell, it's been a year since I've seen her, I figured that my feelings had changed."
"Don't worry, Peaches. We'll figure something out," Spike said. He looked up at his sire. "As much as I completely can't stand you, I would feel better if we were here with you. If a human tries to hurt her, I can't protect her. You can. Plus, I think that the soul would make a good role model for the little one."
"Thanks, Spike."
"Yeah, don't let it go to your head. I still hate you," Spike grumbled.
"Yeah, I know, Spike."
*-*-*-*
"Hey, mate."
Wesley glanced up, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "Er. . .hello, Spike. And how are you today?"
Spike took a deep breath. "You know, Watcher, I like you. You are still scared of me. I don't get that often anymore. Even the bloody cheerleader doesn't 'eep' around me anymore. You have a great healthy dose of fear about you."
"W. . .W. . .Well, Spike, er. . .you may not be able to. . .hurt me, you are still a. . .dangerous man," Wesley said. "I know Angel would not allow you to harm me. . .but that doesn't stop the reaction. . .of fear."
Spike clasped Wesley's shoulder, the former watcher visibly jumping. "I won 't hurt you, mate, if you do me a favor."
"What could I possibly do for you?"
"I need a spell. Something to make the Poof's soul permanent. I don't want Angelus coming back. Not with the baby coming."
"You care a. . .great deal about Willow and the child, don't you?" Wesley commented.
"I know, it surprised me too. Imagine, William the Bloody, caring about a human and her kid." Spike shrugged. "But then I'm not your typical vamp, I guess. Gotta thank dad for that one." He glanced at Angel, who was smiling at Willow.
"I will try to find what. . .I can," Wesley said softly. Spike scared him, but he could see the depths of concern in the blonde vampire's eyes about his boss, and the pregnant red head that had come to LA. "I think I might have a spell that will work, but. . ."
"But?" Spike asked.
"Let me look it over before I say anything."
"Ok," Spike agreed.
*-*-*-*
Willow smiled at the new man who had joined the group in Angel's office. He was young, maybe her age or younger. "Hi, I'm Willow," she said softly.
"Gunn. Angel's told me a lot about you, and your friends back in Sunnydale."
"Really?" she asked. "Was it good?"
"Most of it. Except for there's some annoying little shit that gets under his skin. Xander or something like that."
Willow giggled. "My best friend. Yeah, he hates Angel. It's a long story." She sat on the couch in the office, wrapping a blanket around her legs.
"So the blonde, he's a vamp too?" Gunn fiddled a little with his jacket pocket. Willow realized with horror that there was a stake in his jacket.
"Uh, yeah, but Spike is fine. He's not going to hurt you. Well, not physically anyway. He can't. There's a chip, it's a long story. Don't kill him."
"If Angel trusts him, then I trust him."
Willow sighed a breath of relief. "Thank Goddess."
Gunn smiled at her. "So you like him?"
"What?" Willow shrieked.
"You like the blonde. It's obvious."
"No. . .no I don't. He's just a friend of mine. . ."
"Uh-huh, I'm sure," Gunn grinned.
"Hey, guys!" Wesley said, interrupting them. Willow was thrilled that Wesley had saved her from the embarrassing conversation on how she felt about Spike. "Ok, here's the deal. Spike and Angel and I have been talking a great deal this afternoon. There is a good chance that Willow and Spike will be staying with us in LA. Now, Willow, as everyone knows, is pregnant."
"Not one of the vamps' kid, is it?" Gunn whispered.
"Vamps can't get you pregnant. No, my baby's daddy is a werewolf," Willow whispered back, her hand on her stomach.
Gunn looked at Willow strangely. "You guys are a bizarre lot in Sunnydale."
Willow grinned at him.
"Anyway," Wesley continued, "we want to make sure that Angelus won't come back, because if he does, he will hurt the baby. So I have found a spell that will intertwine the demon and the soul, binding the two, so that the soul can never be lost."
"Cool!" Cordelia cried. "But I have a question. If his demon and soul are intertwined, does that mean that the demon will be closer to the surface?"
"It does," Wesley said.
"And does that mean he will brood less?" Gunn asked.
"It should," Angel said. "The demon doesn't brood."
"Let's do it!" both Cordelia and Gunn sung.