The Harsh Light of Day

Note: here is the fourth chapter, on time
as I promised. I redid Under the Crypt to play it up to its full talent. Read
it. I have time to update. I’m feeling creative. I just got a visit from my
muse.

 

The Harsh Light of day

{{ }}=Xander

[[ ]]=Spike

Mommie=Willow

Mama=Tara

 

Dinner went fine. It started out tense at first, but
everyone got along. Angel was quite humorous, and easygoing. He seemed to genuinely
want to be part of the group again. And after realizing this everyone, even
Spike, opened him with open arms, any ideas of evil were soon quashed. Everyone
had different yet similar views on his change.

Spike- he seems the same, yet
not. He is so much more confident. He always was, but he is so open now. No
more broodiness spoiling the night, gentle almost. And he is being nice to
Xander. He never got along with him. Either he really is a changed vamp or he
wants something.

Xander- majorly creepy the way
deadboy is on everyone’s good side, even mine. He never liked me. What’s up
with that?

Willow- I knew he would come
around. He just needed to loosen up a bit.

Tara-I don’t see what the big
deal is. He seems great, maybe it’s because I never really knew angle. Like
knew, knew him.

Riley- I refuse to have an
opinion on this. I will agree with whatever Buffy wants be to agree with.

Buffy- this is new, oh well I’ll
deal with it as it comes.

Yet here it was two months later and everyone was
getting along peachy. They slept in the day, well some of them, and hung out at
night. Spike and Angel were able to try and put together that childe, sire bond
that neither would admit they missed. It wasn’t much, but it was start. Angel
quickly wormed his way into Jamie’s good graces as well as Tara’s since she
knew little about his past. This started up small, and short-lived arguments
between Xander and Angel over who got to spend more time with her. The little
girl adored Angel already, but when asked, as she usually was to end the fight,
she always chose her uncle Xander. It was believed that that was why she was
asked, because everyone knew she would always pick Xander, and no matter how
much she liked hi, Tara, as well as Willow, were both picky and cautious with who
handled their daughter.

Angel was also busy being the best ex boyfriend, and
bachelor for Buffy and Riley, helping with next June’s wedding. He hadn’t yet
seen dawn her being in her first year of college.

Giles was weird on the whole thing. He didn’t know
where he stood. He admired Angel, and he too was beginning to like him again,
but his left over watcher instincts told him something was up. Stuff like this
didn’t just happen. Either Angel was being wholly truthful, or very evil. There
was no way to tell, but Giles greatly doubted that it was the latter.

There was a night some weeks later,
when Angel had been there about 3 months that Xander was out for the night. He
was doing a favor for Willow and Tara. Angel took himself over to Spike and
Xander’s house a short while after sunset. There was a talk that he had put off
for some time that needed to be said now. Knocking softly on the door a few
times he stood back and waited for an answer.

“Oi. Peaches. What brings you
here?” Spike answered the door. He looked as though he had just woken up.

“Oh I’m sorry Spike. Did I wake you
up? I can just go if I did.”

“Nope your here now, might as well
stay. Come on in.” Angel took the invitation and sat down in a chair in the
living room.

“We need to talk Spike.” He said
quietly.”

“Something wrong peaches. Haven’t
seen you so serious since you fell into hell.” Angel just kept the sturdy look
on his face. “Look Angel you said you needed to talk. Now talk. What’ sup?”

“I need a favor.”

“Really? What sort of favor?”

“Well not a favor really. I’m
actually here to make good on your debt. Say. Is Xander around?” Spike looked
at him quizzically.

“No. He took the little one to the
park. Willow and Tara are at Buffy’s bridal shower. They were too busy. Say
what is this all about?”

“Like I said. You owe me. I’m just
here to collect on it.”

“Like here in Sunnydale to collect
on it, or here tonight. Cause if it was the first you should have brought it up
a while ago.

“I’m here tonight. That is why I
came a bit early. We need to talk. About it.”

“Okay fair enough. What do you
want?” Spike sat down all ready to have a nice negotiation, and get his debt
paid.

“I need you to get me Buffy.”

“You’re gonna need to be a bit more
logical peaches. She’s at her bridal shower. Haven’t you heard? No boys aloud.”
Spike chuckled

“No. Be serious Spike. I want Buffy
back and you’re going to get me her.”

“Okay not like I would have any
choice, but how and why.”

“Because I want her. You have the
easy part. I want you to sleep with her, and then make sure Riley finds out.
This will surely split them up, and poof. She comes back to me. The loving
Angel that is her best friend again. I would understand.”

“Are you out of you bleedin’ mind?
I would never do that. I am Buffy’s friend, and I was kinda startin’ to like
Riley, and Xander. What about him? Have you though about him?”

“If I am much mistaken he is the
reason you are in this position. You have to do this Spike. You have no choice.
You owe me. I gave you your love. I gave you Xander. I made him love you, and
fall for you. Now you are denying me my love that I ask of you humbly. This
isn’t tough Spike. You would only have to do it once. If you can come up with a
better way to split them up fine, but when I have Buffy, your debt is gone. I
have thought this through. There is no other way. I know you will have to make
sacrifices, and I assume being who you are you will fix this.”

“I will do none of it. Yes I owe
you, but I do not owe you this. You cannot ever compare Xander and me to you
and Buffy. It is not the same. Yes you
gave me Xander, which I love and cherish, but you cannot ask this of me, and I
won’t do it. Goodnight Angel. Go home.”

“Don’t make this hard Spike. You
will do it. One way or another. Don’t do something you’re gonna regret.”

“I said good night Angel.” Spike
went back into his bedroom. He heard the door shut a moment later. The nerve of
that guy, just coming in here and saying something like that. Okay he hadn’t
been pressured or anything, maybe he over reacted a little too soon, but hey.
This was a big deal. He wouldn’t do it. He had his Xander, and he was eternally
grateful to Angel for it, but his was asking too much.

Flashback:

“You understand the price Spike? You owe me now,
and the day will come when will pay me back no questions asked. That is
correct?”

“Of course. You do this, I owe
you, payment, blah, blah, blah, don’t worry peaches I’m good for it. You know
that.” Angel handed him a small package. It was indeed small. About the size of
a mouse in a box the size of a mouse pad.

“I assume you know how to use
it?”

“Of course you nonce. I’m not
stupid.”

End flashback:

That had
been 2 days before Buffy kicked his ass and he landed up in hell for a few
hundred years. That small package had changed his life. It had actually been a
small jar with a certain type of nymph dust. Or the dust of a muse. Calliope I think. One or the other anyway,
or perhaps both mixed together. It had worked fast, ensnared the boy’s senses,
and here they were now. Oh it wasn’t a spell. The dust of a muse did the same
thing she did. It inspired him; only this gave him ideas ove ave and desire,
for Spike. It opened up feelings that were already there and focused on them.
It would have happened without the dust, it just would have taken a lot of
time, and a lot of convincing not to mention it was Xander they were talking
about. It was practically a given that he wouldn’t have given in peacefully. So
in an essence Angel had just sped up what would have already happened. This was
by no means paying a debt; this was creating a new one.

Xander came home that night and was
met with a very different Spike. He couldn’t place if Spike was being romantic,
possessive or just plain sweet. He was showered with unexplained affection, and
when asked why the answer Xander received was weird and cryptic if anything.

“Got a visit from the pouf. He just
reminded me of a few things ‘s all.” And they spent the night together, just a
little bit closer than usual, but neither was complaining. Xander was happy and
content and so was Spike, with the exception of Angel’s words ringing in his
head.

“You have to do this Spike. You
have no choice. You owe me. I gave you your love. I gave you Xander. I made him
love you. When I have Buffy, your debt is gone. Don’t make this hard Spike. You
will do it. One way or another. Don’t do something you’re gonna regret.”

Something hit him just then. He
wasn’t being all moody and defiant because Angel was being unreasonable. He was
scared, scared of what could happen if he did this, and worse, he was scared of
what could happen if he didn’t.

Note: well I told
ya. You may not think it went well or that it was poorly written but trust me.
It came out just the way I wanted. Angel being calm and rational, and Spike
over reacting a little too quickly. Trust me it was done right. Let me know
what you think. I’m being repetitive. Enjoy the upcoming ones. They’re soon to
follow.