Altered Perception

Finally, a plan. Sort of…

“What the bloody buggering hell was that all about then Angel?” Spike wasn’t the only one looking confused. Angel had gotten Lorne settled in one of the hotel rooms and then returned to the group. Spike had brought the rest of the group up to speed, he wasn’t particularly heartened by the fact that neither Giles or Wesley had apparently heard of the ‘trials of Tenebrion’ but both of them had immediately jumped into the books and hadn’t spoken since. Neither it seemed had Angel, “I have no idea Will, Lorne is able to read peoples destinies when they sing. Something he heard from you obviously gave him the name but I’ve never heard of it-“ “Aha! I’ve found it!” Wes exclaimed slamming a huge tome down onto the table, Fred gave a breathy scream and Cordelia sloshed her coffee over her hand. “Sorry” Wes muttered, looking slightly abashed “but it was right here in front of us the whole time”. He bent back over the book and started to read, apparently oblivious to the growing tension emanating from Spike.

Spike was vibrating with repressed anger, he knew that Wesley wasn’t doing this on purpose, the man was obviously as bad as Giles when he got engrossed in a prophecy or some such but goddamn it if the man didn’t tell him what the bloody hell this was about and how it was going to help Xander he would rip his heart right out of his chest and make him watch as he sucked the lifeblood right out of it “Arrgh, bloody buggering fuck, stupid fucking chip!” he growled, “Spike” Giles gave him a warning look, how the hell was it that a man who was almost a century his junior managed to give him exactly the same look his father had all those years ago?

Giles’ face softened “Wesley, perhaps you would be kind enough to share with us what you’ve learned?” Wes’ head shot up, “oh, of course, I’m so sorry. The trials of Tenebrion are the stuff of legend, I had always thought them to be fictional but it seems there may be some truth in the matter.” He read from the text and swiftly translated for the group “legend has it that a warrior can pass through the trials to fight for the life of another, however the trials are not to be taken lightly, it seems no-one has survived the trials in over a millennia.” Spike shot the man a look, “m’not so worried about that Wesley, if it gets Xander back then I can promise you that I’ll make it through them”. “Ahem, right. Very well, upon successfully completing the trials the warrior will be gifted with a dagger, the dagger of Tenebrion which apparently possesses the power to restore a person on the brink of death back to full health”

“Perfect” Spike leapt to his feet and rubbed his hands together, finally here was something he could do. And he knew that he could do this, he felt it. “So where do I go to get this dagger thing mate?” Wesley groaned, low and pained. As he raised his head from the text his gaze was fixed firmly on Spike and was filled with pity, “I’m so sorry Spike, you, you wont be able to complete the trials. Or I should say you may complete the trials but be unable to take the dagger. It can only be touched by those with a soul, should you attempt to touch it you would be killed the instant you used it to restore Mr Harris. I’m very sorry Spike, I can see how much this means to you even if I don’t understand why, there must be other ways of restoring Mr Harris and we will continue to look”.

Spike thought furiously to himself, if he wouldn’t die until he used the dagger to bring Xander back then he could still save Xander. Now all he needed was to get the where and how out of that bloody book. As he racked his brain for a way to get the group out of the room so he could get to the text he was distracted by a low growl. “Absolutely not” Angel’s growl caught everyone off guard, “OK, did I miss something here?” Cordelia asked, Giles stood and crossed the room to stand near Angel, “I agree with Angel Spike, Xander would never want to live knowing that you had sacrificed yourself to save him.” Shit, Spike hadn’t thought about the bond between him and Angel giving his plans away, and he should have known that the Watcher would guess his idea. “Will,” Angel’s voice was much softer now, “you can’t do this, but I can.”

Silence reverberated around the room, Spike was reeling. Angel was suggesting that he take Spike’s place in the trials. On the one hand his long dead heart leapt at the idea of having Xander back, on the other though, he had just reconnected with Angel, could he really ask him to do this? He started as Angel’s hand clasped his shoulder, Angel leant in close and whispered in his ear “you’d never need to ask Spike, I don’t fully understand it I mean, Xander Harris” he affected a shudder and Spike couldn’t help the snort of laughter, he knew that despite Angel’s posturing and apparent dislike of Harris that he respected him, how could he not? “But I do know what this means to you and this is something I can give to you my Childe.” As he pulled away Spike could see the confused looks on everyone’s faces at their closeness, well with the exception of Giles, the man was a watcher for a reason he supposed. Taking a deep breath he nodded, “but I’m going with you” he said and he smiled in response to the grin that crossed Angel’s face. “I wouldn’t have it any other way”.


“What the bloody buggering hell was that all about then Angel?” Spike wasn’t the only one looking confused. Angel had gotten Lorne settled in one of the hotel rooms and then returned to the group. Spike had brought the rest of the group up to speed, he wasn’t particularly heartened by the fact that neither Giles or Wesley had apparently heard of the ‘trials of Tenebrion’ but both of them had immediately jumped into the books and hadn’t spoken since. Neither it seemed had Angel, “I have no idea Will, Lorne is able to read peoples destinies when they sing. Something he heard from you obviously gave him the name but I’ve never heard of it-“ “Aha! I’ve found it!” Wes exclaimed slamming a huge tome down onto the table, Fred gave a breathy scream and Cordelia sloshed her coffee over her hand. “Sorry” Wes muttered, looking slightly abashed “but it was right here in front of us the whole time”. He bent back over the book and started to read, apparently oblivious to the growing tension emanating from Spike.

Spike was vibrating with repressed anger, he knew that Wesley wasn’t doing this on purpose, the man was obviously as bad as Giles when he got engrossed in a prophecy or some such but goddamn it if the man didn’t tell him what the bloody hell this was about and how it was going to help Xander he would rip his heart right out of his chest and make him watch as he sucked the lifeblood right out of it “Arrgh, bloody buggering fuck, stupid fucking chip!” he growled, “Spike” Giles gave him a warning look, how the hell was it that a man who was almost a century his junior managed to give him exactly the same look his father had all those years ago?

Giles’ face softened “Wesley, perhaps you would be kind enough to share with us what you’ve learned?” Wes’ head shot up, “oh, of course, I’m so sorry. The trials of Tenebrion are the stuff of legend, I had always thought them to be fictional but it seems there may be some truth in the matter.” He read from the text and swiftly translated for the group “legend has it that a warrior can pass through the trials to fight for the life of another, however the trials are not to be taken lightly, it seems no-one has survived the trials in over a millennia.” Spike shot the man a look, “m’not so worried about that Wesley, if it gets Xander back then I can promise you that I’ll make it through them”. “Ahem, right. Very well, upon successfully completing the trials the warrior will be gifted with a dagger, the dagger of Tenebrion which apparently possesses the power to restore a person on the brink of death back to full health”

“Perfect” Spike leapt to his feet and rubbed his hands together, finally here was something he could do. And he knew that he could do this, he felt it. “So where do I go to get this dagger thing mate?” Wesley groaned, low and pained. As he raised his head from the text his gaze was fixed firmly on Spike and was filled with pity, “I’m so sorry Spike, you, you wont be able to complete the trials. Or I should say you may complete the trials but be unable to take the dagger. It can only be touched by those with a soul, should you attempt to touch it you would be killed the instant you used it to restore Mr Harris. I’m very sorry Spike, I can see how much this means to you even if I don’t understand why, there must be other ways of restoring Mr Harris and we will continue to look”.

Spike thought furiously to himself, if he wouldn’t die until he used the dagger to bring Xander back then he could still save Xander. Now all he needed was to get the where and how out of that bloody book. As he racked his brain for a way to get the group out of the room so he could get to the text he was distracted by a low growl. “Absolutely not” Angel’s growl caught everyone off guard, “OK, did I miss something here?” Cordelia asked, Giles stood and crossed the room to stand near Angel, “I agree with Angel Spike, Xander would never want to live knowing that you had sacrificed yourself to save him.” Shit, Spike hadn’t thought about the bond between him and Angel giving his plans away, and he should have known that the Watcher would guess his idea. “Will,” Angel’s voice was much softer now, “you can’t do this, but I can.”

Silence reverberated around the room, Spike was reeling. Angel was suggesting that he take Spike’s place in the trials. On the one hand his long dead heart leapt at the idea of having Xander back, on the other though, he had just reconnected with Angel, could he really ask him to do this? He started as Angel’s hand clasped his shoulder, Angel leant in close and whispered in his ear “you’d never need to ask Spike, I don’t fully understand it I mean, Xander Harris” he affected a shudder and Spike couldn’t help the snort of laughter, he knew that despite Angel’s posturing and apparent dislike of Harris that he respected him, how could he not? “But I do know what this means to you and this is something I can give to you my Childe.” As he pulled away Spike could see the confused looks on everyone’s faces at their closeness, well with the exception of Giles, the man was a watcher for a reason he supposed. Taking a deep breath he nodded, “but I’m going with you” he said and he smiled in response to the grin that crossed Angel’s face. “I wouldn’t have it any other way”.