A Perfect Fit, Chapter 16 of 19

[dawnofme]

Title: A Perfect Fit. Chapter 16 of 19
Genre: General, Romance, Humor, bit of action
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel: the Series
Pairing: Spike/Other, Buffy/Angel
Rating: R for sexual situations and language.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Buffy and Angel. Candy is my own original character and I do own her. This story is for entertainment purposes only. I'm not making any money off this.

Summary: Begins three months after the final battle in the alley in Angel, Not Fade Away. What's left of Angel's crew has moved back to The Hyperion, including a restless Spike. Someone interesting comes to LA, when Faith suggests that only Angel can help her. Many characters from both shows will make appearances. Angel, Harmony, Gunn, Illyria, Lorne, Buffy, Giles, Dawn, Angelus, Willow and others.
This Chapter:  One word:  Angelus.

(Previous Chapters Here)



Banner made by alwaysjbj
Beta'd by raynedanser

Chapter 16 ~ V.E.T.H.

  Spike and Candy left their suite at four in the morning.  It was bedtime for them, but Willow insisted they do this right before dawn.  This would give her daylight hours to complete her spells and incantations and keep Angelus imprisoned in the hotel in the event that he should escape.  Spike and Candy's job was to make sure he didn't.  Illyria job was to help with chaining him up and then guard the entrance to the sewers.  It was going to be a very long day. 

 Willow was finishing the last touches to her set up in the room next to Buffy's.  It was a mess to begin with so she wouldn't feel too bad if she blew something up.  She would be alone in the room for about five hours, she had food, and water set to one side.  She would be standing much of the time, so she had her comfy shoes on.

 She eyed the mountain of magically enforced chains lying on the table next to the door.  They had set up an elaborate steel frame under Buffy's bed that they could attach the chains to.  So many details had been worked out over the last few hours.  They all agreed that while Angelus would get a happy from being chained up, Angel would not.  Therefore, Buffy could not do her part while he was chained.  When it was done, Buffy was to put a robe on and knock on the wall.  Illyria and Spike would come in and chain him.  They were going with the theory that they had a few minutes since he did not lose his soul right away the first time years ago.

 Spike and Candy came into the room.  “Everything all set?”  Spike asked in a neutral tone, trying to sound nonchalant.  It wasn't easy, but he'd come to terms with it.  They were going to do this and if anything bad happened, he would blame himself. 

 “Yes.  Take the chains there.”  Willow was all business.  “No one comes into this room but me.”  She shooed them both out and shut the door behind her. 

 They had discussed and argued about who would watch over Angelus.  In the end, they convinced Buffy to leave the room as soon as Angel was chained and hopefully before he was Angelus.  Illyria couldn't watch over Angelus, because they were certain he'd push her too far and she would stake him while he was chained.  That left Spike and Candy.  Spike had spent years with Angelus and could hold his own and because Candy was new to the group, they didn't think he could get to her psychologically. 

 Angel showed up in the hallway with Illyria behind him.  The lot of them stood by the doors staring at each other in silence.  It was time to wake Buffy so Angel knocked on her door.  She opened it immediately.   The dark circles under her eyes showed through, even with freshly applied makeup.  She stepped out into the hallway.  “This is really awkward, isn't it,” she tried to smile, but failed.

 “No worries, Slayer.  Just remember your training.  We spent a whole year perfecting your technique.  You've got stuff in your arsenal that will knock his socks off,” Spike said to her.  He was trying to be funny, but like most times, he's humor fell flat on this group.  He sure knew how to put his foot in it.  Candy was even frowning at him.

 “Spike,” Angel ground out his name.

 “You’re a pig, Spike,” Buffy told him.  She didn't look happy with him, but what else was new.

 “Oink, oink, baby. No change there,” he told her with a smirk.  Candy smacked him on the arm, but she was smiling now and the corners of Buffy's mouth were twitching as she fought down a smile, too.

 Spike looked at them all just standing there.  There was no use dragging this out.  “We'll be in Dawn's room playing poker,” he informed Buffy and Angel.  “Take your time.  Really.”  He ushered Candy and Illyria into the room across from Buffy's.  “Just keep the noise down to a dull roar,” he had to add before pushing the door shut.

 Buffy and Angel stared at each other, not sure what to do now.  “Okay, kids it's show time,” Willow said playfully.  “I'll be in the room next door, absolutely keeping busy and not listening at all,” she insisted before she closed the door to her room.

 Angel fixed his eyes on Buffy.  “I need to talk to Spike for a minute.  Can you go wait in Dawn's room and ask him to meet me in yours?”

*

 Angel was slowly pacing the floor in Buffy's room when Spike strolled in.  “You wanted to talk to me?”  Spike stood just inside the door with an air of curious, caution about him.

 “Close the door.”  Angel waited until Spike did as he asked.  They stood a few feet apart, but Spike avoided his eyes.  “Why, Spike?” he asked him.  They hadn't had time alone to talk since the meeting a couple of days ago.  Spike had been avoiding him, unless they were discussing plans in a group.

 He knew what Angel was asking.  “I don't know.  Maybe because I knew it was possible.  Maybe because I didn't like seeing Buffy so sad.” Spike didn't like this conversation.  It was making him uncomfortable.  “Maybe because you're my family.”  He couldn't look at his grandsire when he said that.

 “It has to be you, Spike,” he told him quietly.

 “What?”  He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head in confusion.

 “If things go wrong, you have to do it.  You and Buffy are the only two who can beat me in a fight.  She shouldn't have to go through that again.”  Angel ran his hand through his hair.

 “This is not going to go wrong, mate.  By nightfall, Angelus will be a thing of the past, never to come out again.  I know it,” Spike said firmly with a nod.

 “Promise me, you'll do it.  If you hesitate, if you show any mercy, everyone that we love and care about will be in grave danger.”

 “Okay.  I promise,” he muttered.

 “I'm proud of you.” Spike looked at him with an open mouth and wide eyes.  “You still annoy the hell out of me, but I can truly call you friend.”  He held his hand out and Spike shook it.  Angel's grip turned painful and the older vamp glared at him.  “Oh and one more thing.” 

 It was hard for Spike to speak.  He had worked for over a century to hear Angelus say that he was proud, but he never thought he'd hear those words from Angel.  “Yeah?”

 “Never bring up your physical past with Buffy again.  It takes all my willpower not to vamp out and tear you limb from limb.”  Angel released the death grip on his hand and took a step back.

 Spike stared at him, chuckled and then broke out into laughter as he left the room.  Buffy gave him a puzzled look as she passed him to get into the room. 

 “What did you say to him?” she asked as she shut the door behind her.

 “Nothing.”

 She wet her lips as he took off his jacket and tossed it on a chair.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 The three of them in Dawn's room were on to playing gin rummy when Willow knocked on the door to signal it was time.  Spike and Illyria grabbed the chains and made their way to Buffy's room with Candy close behind.  Willow rushed back to her workroom.  She had to make sure she captured that soul. 

 Buffy stood by the bed in a long white terry cloth robe.  She smoothed her hair down and looked away.  Angel was passed out cold under the blankets.

 “What did you do to him, Slayer?”  Candy asked with a smile and a wink.

 Buffy looked down at his peaceful looking form.  With much effort, she was able to get his boxers back on and cover him up before they got there.  “Willow and I decided it was best if I knocked him out, you know...after.  We didn't say anything about that part of the plan.  He needed to not see that coming,” she smiled.  “Bad pun sorry.”

 Spike snorted.  “Well, it’s your M.O. To a tee there, Buff,” Spike said dryly.  His mind going back to the many times she'd punched him in the nose and left his crypt at a full run.  He threw his duster onto the end of the bed.

 “Shut up Spike or I'll pop you in the nose,” she told him.  

 Spike playfully hid behind Candy and peeked around her.  “See, proved my point for me.”

 “Just tie him up already,” she sighed as she stood back to let them do their work. 

  They checked and double-checked to make sure he wouldn’t be getting out of them.  They bound his hands and feet and wrapped chains around his torso and legs.  He was not going anywhere.  He was starting to stir, but he couldn't move much with the chains.  Buffy covered him back up with the blankets, then backed out of the room with her clothes and Angel's clothes and jacket and made her way to Dawn's room to shower.  Illyria followed her out to go stand guard by the basement door.

 Angel opened his eyes slowly and groaned as he tried to lift his head.  He watched Candy hang up Spike's jacket and then looked over at Spike who pulled a chair up to the bed.  “She knocked me out, Spike,” he told him in wonder.

 Angel was still with them.  Spike was thinking that it would be a good thing if they didn't need to do the ritual after all, when Angel's eyes rolled back and then forward.  He made a strange noise deep from his throat and his eyes illuminated.  He thrashed his head back and forth a few times before he went still.

 Spike backed the chair up and Candy sat in his lap and hugged him.  That was the strangest thing she'd ever seen and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.  They turned their attention away from Angel as the door creaked slowly open.

 Willow poked her head into the room but did not come all the way in.  She kept her eyes on Angel, but spoke to the other vampires.  “I got it,” she whispered.  “His soul is safely locked away.  Only disturb me if there is an emergency.”

 Spike could only nod and then the door was closed again.  Candy got up and pulled another chair next to Spike's.  He was staring intently at Angel when he turned his head and looked at him.

 “Well, if it isn't little Willie,” Angelus joked.  He lifted his head a little and stared at Candy.  “And this must be Candy.  I bet I can guess how you got that nickname doll.  I bet you taste delectable.  Why don't you untie me and we can get rid of Willie here and I can find out for myself.”

 Spike made to get off the chair, but Candy placed her hand on his knee and he sat back down.  It was going to be so much fun dealing with this git for hours. 

 “Real classy.”  She rolled her eyes upward.

 “Why don't you take a long nap, Angelus?  Say maybe six hours?”  Spike suggested.

 “I've got a better idea.  Let's get the hell out of here and go get some dinner.  Oh.  Wait!  You're not drinking from the tap anymore are you?”  He glared at Spike.

 “Nope.”

 “Your little whore is on a diet of pig's blood too, isn't she?”  Angelus ogled her and she sighed.

 “Do we have any duct tape?”  Spike asked Candy.  

 Angelus looked irritated.  “Okay, I'm bored now.  What do you need to know?”

 “I'm not sure what you mean?”  Spike sat back and folded his arms.

 “That last time those wells of intelligence brought me out, they needed my memory to defeat a beast.”

 Spike chuckled.  “You have no idea why you've been let loose, do you?”  Angelus glared at him.  “'m not saying.”

 “So Willie, where's your sire?”

 “Dru?  I have no clue.  Haven't seen her in a few years.”   Spike shrugged. 

 “Willie, Willie, I'm surprised.  I thought you'd never cut that umbilical cord.  So who wipes your mouth after a meal, now?  Oh wait, don't tell me, I know, it's Candy.”  Angelus chuckled.  “Is he still a messy eater?”  he mocked in a baby voice.

 “I'd wipe anything he asked me too,” she said.  If nothing else, a tied up Angelus was entertaining Candy.  Spike wasn't having as much fun.

 “I have to admit, at least you have good taste,” Angelus directed at Spike. “But you’re sadly lacking in variety.  A beautiful, dark haired, blue-eyed vampire?   She's a little shapelier than Dru though, I'll give you that.  But I know she's got to have more than a few screws loose if she's spending any time in your company.  Only the loony ones stay with you long.”

 Spike and Candy remained silent.  She looked at her watch and realized that it had only been a few minutes.  Five more hours of this windbag and she would be loony.  This made her laugh, and when Spike gave her a puzzled looked, she covered her mouth but she couldn’t stop the giggles. 

 Angelus cut into her laughter as he continued loudly, “And who can forget Buffy the Vampire Slayer?” he said in a derisive tone.  “The slayer of slayers does a slayer.  Sounds like a bad porn flick.  But hey, she was blond at least.  You were supposed to be killing each other; instead you were going at it like two dogs in heat.”

 “How is it that you know about Buffy and our little fling way back when, when Angel wasn't even there, yet you don't know why you’re out now?”  Spike just had to know. 

 “I don't get to see much when Angel's in the driver’s seat.  Except when he's angry enough to kill something.  When he found out about you and the slayer, I had a window to the world that went on for days.”  His grin was evil.  “So I understand that you two lasted a little under a year.  Figures.  You two are both terrible in the sack.”  He lifted his head up and spoke to Candy, “If you want to be with a real vampire, come and see me sometime.  All of his women do sooner or later.”

 “Shut up, you git,” Spike said through a growl.

 “Hey don't get mad at me,” he said in indignation.  “I taught you all I knew.  I tried to be a good example, but you’re just too slow and inept.”  Angelus stared at the ceiling.  “You couldn't even kill with finesse and now, you've got a damned soul and it wasn't even a curse.”  He looked over at Spike. “You’re the biggest failure the Aurelius line has ever produced.”

 They really needed to shut him up, Spike thought as he gripped the sides of the chair.  It would be so easy to just to take the stake out of his jacket and bury it in the ponce's chest.  Only problem was, he'd find one in his when Buffy learned what he did.

 When Spike didn't take the bait, Angelus continued.  He liked the sound of his own voice after all.  “I mean really, it shouldn't surprise me.  I couldn't beat real evil into you when you were a fledge.  It must be a wet dream come true to fight side by side with Angel to save the humans,” he chuckled. “It’s like some twisted version of that pathetic human group PETA.   Only it would be VETH.  Vampires for the Ethical Treatment of Humans.  How lame is that?”  He laughed then mocked in a retarded voice, “Hi. I'm Willie and I'm a card carrying member of VETH.”  In a normal tone he added, “Then some dumb-ass member of PETA comes along and stakes your ass for drinking pig’s blood.  Ah, hah, hah!” he laughed manically. 

 Spike threw Candy a disgusted looked when she burst out laughing too.  “I'm...Sorry...Spike,” she spit out between laughs.  Her phone rang and she continued to laugh while she fished it out of her purse.  She flipped it open, took a deep breath and cheerfully greeted, “Hi.  I'm Candy and I'm a card carrying member of VETH,” and started laughing again.

 “What the hell, vampire?” Faith shouted from the other end.  “What have you been smoking and what the hell is VETH?”

 That got her laughing harder. When she finally calmed down to speak, she made sure Faith was still there, before saying, “Angelus just started the first chapter of a new human rights group.  Vampires for the Ethical Treatment of Humans.  VETH for short.  Spike's going to be president and I'll be vice-president.  When we get Angel back, he can be secretary,” she told her and went into another laughing fit at the horrified look on Angelus' face.

 Spike leaned back in his chair and watched Candy give Faith an update on the Angelus situation.  He smiled at her and she winked back.  God, she was amazing and by some miracle, Angelus had shut up.  Perhaps it was Candy turning his joke around on him or he just wanted to hear what she'd say to Faith.  Either way, he was so grateful; he made plans to kiss her silly when she hung up.

Next: Chapter Seventeen: Harmony's Plan