Story Title: Unexpected
Chapter Title: Soulless, Chapter 37
Time line:

December 2002. Annie will be 4 years old in February, 2003.

Buffy died in early May 2001, brought back in September 2001.

Summary:

Angelus is back and Spike has lost his soul. Can Willow re-soul the two vampires before it's too late?

Notes:

Doo-lally tap: Adj. Mad, crazy, insane. A madness that afflicted British soldiers in Deolali, India. There's speculation as to whether the soldiers went mad whilst stationed there, awaiting the troop ship home, or that they were sent to the sanatorium there after going mad elsewhere. [Late 1800s] To say someone was, or has, "doo-lally tap" meant he was mad.

**~**

SPOILER ALERT. If you haven't watched Angel, the Series and intend to, don't read the rest of this note. You can read the story, there's no real spoilers there, just skip this note.

If you’re wondering why there’s no Connor in my Angel universe, it’s because the reason W&H brought Darla back to begin with was to get Angel to sleep with her so he would lose is soul and turn back into Angelus. Since, in my Universe, Miss Calendar fixed the curse so it didn’t include the happiness clause, that tack wouldn’t have worked for W&H. No Darla, no Connor, no pregnant Cordelia with devil’s spawn. So, basically, the Angel universe has changed in my world . . .

Rating / Warnings:

NC17. Content is only suitable for mature adults. Contains explicit language, violence, sex and adult themes which may include rape, attempted rape, blood play and other adult situations that some people may find objectionable. If you are under the age of 17 or find any of these themes objectionable – GO AWAY. Parents, it is up to YOU to control what your children are reading.

Thursday, December 26th, 2002:

 

Buffy, Spike and Willow arrived at the Hyperion Hotel in L.A. in the early morning hours. Angel’s “gang” looked haggard as they sniped at each other, throwing blame around like a Frisbee.

 

The three guests listened to them for a few minutes before Buffy put a stop to it. “ENOUGH! I’ve heard just about enough of all this bullshit. I’m sure there’s plenty of blame for you all to have some, but right now you people need to pull it together!”

 

She looked around the hotel lobby at what comprised Angel’s “Scooby gang”. There was Cordelia and Wesley, who she knew from Sunnydale. Then there was Charles Gunn, who she’d never met, but Spike had told her that he was originally a free lance vampire hunter and was an excellent fighter. “Fred” was a slip of a girl with doe eyes, a big heart and brains to go with it and, lastly, there was Lorne, a green empath demon who looked like he belonged in the circus, not fighting evil in L.A.

 

Buffy sighed. “OK, here’s what we’re gonna do. Willow and Fred: Do a locator spell and find Angel, then you two get everything set up to re-soul Angel and Spike. As soon as we have a location on him, Charles, Spike and I will go retrieve Angel. THIS IS A CAPTURE MISSION ONLY. We are not going to dust him, no matter what happens. Are there any questions on that point?” Buffy looked at each of Angel’s people in turn to make sure they understood her. When she was satisfied that they did, she continued. “Wes. You, Cordelia and Lorne stay here in case he comes back.”

 

“How do you intend to capture him?” Wesley asked.

 

“Well, I was thinking we’d beat the fuck out of him and drag his ass back here in shackles . . . At least, that’s my dream.” Buffy allowed herself a small smile at the thought.

 

“Best plan I’ve heard in ages.” Spike wanted nothing more at that moment than to beat Angel into a bloody pulp.

 

Buffy sighed. “Barring that, we have a tranq gun and a stun gun, either of which should drop him long enough for us to get him back in his cage.”

 

“What about Spike?” Cordelia asked.

 

“What ABOUT Spike?” Buffy glared at her.

 

“Hate to be with the obvious, but he’s soul-less now, too! What’s gonna stop him from going all ‘Angelus’ on us? After all, Angelus can act like Angel . . . he fooled all of us. Spike could act like William just as easily then suddenly turn on us,” Cordelia pointed out.

 

Spike rolled his eyes but Buffy answered her, speaking through gritted teeth. “If anyone has any problem working with Spike, then you can leave now and hope that Angel doesn’t find you before we find Angel.” Buffy waved her hand towards the door. “What’s going to stop Spike from going ‘Angelus’ on us is simple: HE’S NOT ANGEL.”

 

“Any other stupid questions?” Buffy looked around the room. “Fine, let’s get to work, then.”

 

**~**

 

“Buff! I’m touched that you thought enough of me to come all this way!” Angelus held his hand over his unbeating heart and flashed wicked grin.

 

Buffy, Spike and Gunn had tracked Angelus down to a warehouse near the docks, thanks to Willow’s locator spell. Buffy and Gunn went in the front while Spike worked his way around to the back with the tranq gun. Angelus appeared to be waiting for them. He was near the center of the large space and kept moving, always keeping something (boxes, barrels, pallets) between himself and his would-be captors.

 

“I see you’ve upgraded your sidekick, Buff. Where is Our Sweet William, anyway?" Angelus paused, but when no answer was forthcoming, he continued. "Oh, poor girl, did you have to dust your soul-less lover?” Angelus asked in mock sympathy. “Looks like he got in a good bite before you killed him. Did it make you all hot and wet? Did you cum before you dusted him, Buff? Are you a screamer Buff? Did he make you scream?”

 

 

Buffy smiled, she knew this game much too well. “Why don’t you come over here and find out, Angel.” Buffy flipped her hair away from her neck where Spike’s scars were and turned it towards Angelus in invitation. “’Course, you never did make me cum . . . Too bad for you, guess you’ll never know.”

 

“Spike’s got you all worn out now, lover. I don’t go for sloppy seconds, anyway.” Angelus continued circling, every time Buffy and Gunn thought they had him between them, he would move a different way and end up on one side or the other.

 

“Really? What do you call Drusilla, then? A century with Spike and you were more than happy to take her back.” Buffy kept her tone light, as if they were strangers idly discussing the weather.

 

Angelus laughed. “Dru . . . Ahh, dear barmy Dru. That was priceless, wasn’t it? Spike killing her himself, and for what? To save YOU? Of course, I guess you paid him back for it. Did you let him fuck you in the ass, Buff? You know he used to really like that. Did you fuck him in his? He liked that even better, as I recall.” Angel ran his hand down to his crotch and rubbed hard on his growing erection. “Mmm, mmm, mmm. Sweet William always did have a tight ass.”

 

Buffy smiled sweetly at Angelus. "Why don't you come over here and I'll tell you all about how I rewarded William?" She took a deep breath. Where the hell is Spike with that tranq gun already? She dared not look behind Angelus for fear of tipping him off. She wished Spike would hurry and shut him up, though; she was getting tired of this game.

 

Buffy started again, figuring if she was talking, at least he wasn't. “So, what? We’re just gonna talk about old times here, Angel? Much as I enjoy a good ghost story, I love a good fight even better. You remember how hot it makes me to fight, don’t you? The sooner we dust you, the sooner Gunn and I can give each other a little aid and comfort. What’d’ya say?”

 

As soon as the words were out of her mouth she heard the tranq gun fire. The tranquilizer dart hit Angelus square between the shoulders. Angelus spun around to see who had fired on him. “SPIKE!” was all he could say before another two darts hit him, one in the arm and the other in his chest and he went down.

 

“Well, THAT was anticlimactic!” Buffy exclaimed as she headed towards Angelus' prone body. “I was really looking forward to beating the shit out of him! Let’s get him shackled and get out of here before he wakes up and I have to listen to any more of his crap.”

 

Spike stood over him with the tranq gun while Charles shackled his hands and feet. Handing the gun to Charles, Spike carried Angelus out of the warehouse, stuffed him into the trunk of the Desoto and they headed back to the Hyperion. Angelus was just waking up when they got back to the hotel and Spike jabbed another dart into his arm before he carried him inside and locked him back in the cage that had been built especially to hold him.

 

Willow and Fred had nearly completed the preparations to find and release the miss-placed souls from their magical container, but still had about a half an hour of work left. Spike took the opportunity to slip away from the others and make his way down the basement steps to where Angelus was caged.

 

“Our Sweet William! Now, aren’t you a surprise,” Angelus said with a slight Irish brogue as Spike walked up to his cage. “The witches I talked to said you’d lose your soul, too. Fucking hacks!”

 

“I did,” Spike said simply. “Jus’ like you wanted.” Spike tucked his thumbs in his belt buckle, shoulders squared and feet spread apart as he faced Angelus.

 

“What!? Then get me out of here, William! We can rule this town! Hell, together, we can rule ANY town!” Angelus approached the door, waiting for Spike to open it for him.

 

Spike pulled the key from his pocket and held it up for Angelus to see as he sauntered over towards the cage door. “Will we, then? You and me? You know the white hats want to put our souls back.”

 

“Fuck that, Spike! Isn’t this better? Don’t you remember the fun we used to have? We can have it again! Hell, you can even have Buffy . . . just turn her and bring her along!”

 

Spike smirked at him, but he stopped moving towards the door. “Turn ‘er, eh? So we can, what? SHARE?”

 

“Well, yeah . . . just like the old days!” Angelus lowered his voice conspiratorially, “You remember. You fuck her tight ass, I’ll fuck her sweet, hot quim . . . we’ll make her scream like never before . . . and she’ll beg us to do it again!”

 

“Yeah, that sounds bloody brilliant,” Spike said, his voice deep with desire. He rubbed a hand down the length of his erection through his jeans before stepping forward towards the door with the key poised to open the lock. “Angel?”

 

“Yeah, Spike?” Angelus was against the door, waiting for Spike to unlock it.

 

Spike leaned in close to Angelus' face, as if to whisper a secret. “GET BENT!”

 

Spike smirked and stepped back away from the door, stuffing the key back down in his pocket. “You bloody wanker! You've got the Doo-lally tap if you think I’d ever share Buffy with you! Nuttier 'an a fruit cake, you are!”

 

For once, Angelus had no snappy reply. He glared at Spike, hands curled into tight fists as Spike casually sauntered back up the stairs and out of the basement.

 

When he got back into the lobby, everyone was gathered around the small monitor that allowed them to hear and see everything that went on in the basement. Buffy was shaking her head with a barely contained smile on her face but all of Angel’s people were glaring at Spike.

 

“What? I thought it was bloody funny!” he said to the group who continued to glare at him. He shrugged. “You lot ‘ave no sense a’ humor.”

 

Turning to where Willow and Fred were finishing their preparations, he asked, “How’s it goin’, Red? I think the natives are gettin’ restless.”

 

“We’re ready!” Willow announced and she began the spell to find the lost magical container that had Spike’s and Angel’s soul trapped inside. As Willow repeated the chant to find the container, her power grew, her eyes turned black with Magick and a wind blew through the interior of the hotel in gusts and swirls. Suddenly, the safe in the wall of Angel’s office blew open and everything stopped.

 

“It didn’t work.” Fred looked at the empty safe. “That’s where it was, but it’s not there anymore . . .”

 

Willow walked over to the safe. “Aperio!” she said and suddenly the glowing glass container with the vampire’s souls in it appeared.

 

“It was there all along?!” Fred reached in and removed it from the safe.

 

“Yeah, I’d say your Shaman did some kind of hocus-pocus trick to it before he left so you would think it was gone,” Willow explained.

 

“Who picked out this Shaman, anyway?” Buffy asked Angel’s group.

 

“Angel,” replied Wesley tiredly.

 

Of course he did . . .” Buffy rolled her eyes. “OK, Will, can you put them back?”

 

“Yeah, no problem . . . Actually, I’ve been thinking about it, and we can release them into the ether and I can put them back separately right now. Then, voila! No more two-fer problems!” Willow smiled brightly.

 

“Great! Let’s do it!” Buffy encouraged her friend.

 

“OI, Red! Make sure I get the right one, yeah? Don’t wan’ the wanker’s bloody soul,” Spike instructed her.

 

Willow smiled, assuring Spike that he would get the right soul, before she took the magical container and smashed it on the floor. Two white lights emerged from it and swirled around the room as Willow began the spell to restore Spike’s soul. As she finished the spell, one of the lights entered the Orb of Thessula then, just as suddenly, came back out and slammed into Spike, knocking him to the ground.

 

“Bloody hell!” he exclaimed as he clutched his chest where the light had hit him. “Didn’ hurt like this before, Red! Fuck!” Spike writhed on the ground, clutching his chest and cursing as Buffy tried to do what she could to help him. After a couple of minutes the pain subsided and he was able to sit up, still rubbing the spot on his chest. “Are you fucking sure I got the right one, Red!? That bloody well hurt!”

 

“Yeah, Spike . . . it’s the right one . . . it’s just last time you weren’t so close to the Orb so it didn’t hit you as hard. It’ll be ok, really . . . it’s the right one!” Willow assured him.

 

Buffy helped Spike up as Willow started the separate spell to restore Angel’s soul. They all watched the monitor as the white light left the Orb and traveled down to the basement. Angelus, who was standing on one end of the cage was thrown all the way back against the far wall when the soul hit him. He too, writhed on the floor, clutching his chest and cursing as the soul re-established itself within him.

 

When it appeared that he’d recovered, Buffy asked Wesley if she and Spike could have a minute alone with Angel while Willow packed up her supplies. There wasn’t really much Wes could do to stop her, so he simply shrugged.

 

Downstairs, Spike unlocked the door and the two blonds stepped into the cage with the freshly re-ensouled Angel, who still sat on the floor, rubbing his chest. Buffy came up next to him and squatted down to his level; Spike stood behind her.

 

“Angel. Can you hear me?” Buffy asked.

 

Angel couldn’t quite meet her eyes. “Yeah, I can hear you, Buffy,” he said tiredly.

 

“Good. Listen hard." Buffy paused to make sure Angel was listening. "If you FUCK with me or Spike, my family or my friends again, I will lock you in a cage and drop you to the bottom of the ocean where no one will ever find you. You’ll be fish food for all eternity."

 

Buffy paused a few moments before asking, "Do you understand me? This isn't a joke. You know I CAN and WILL do it.”

 

Angel just nodded. Buffy stood up and grabbed Spike’s hand and the pair turned and walked out of the cage, leaving the door open.

 

“When'd you get so scary, Slayer?” Spike asked her as they reached the top of the stairs.

 

Buffy smiled at him. “When people started fucking with my family.”

 


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