Remember Me

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Chapter Twenty –Six

"How the sodding hell do you plan on getting them to get Joyce here? You do remember that they aren't exactly a giving lot?"

"Could you keep your voice down?"

Spike tossed him a glare before stepping out of the bedroom and gesturing for Angel to go. Angel shook his head and they headed outside. Still not trusting Lindsey, they had no inclination to let the man know anything.
While he'd barely flinched when they'd tied him up and threatened his life, and while he did seem to care about Buffy in some small way, it didn't change the fact that he'd had part in taking her away from them and taking part in Quentin's diabolical plan.

They found Giles outside as well, sitting in a chair on the lawn, staring up at the sky and—smoking?

"Bloody hell, mind if I take one of those? I ran out." Spike waltzed up to
the Watcher and held out his hand.

Giles looked up at him wearily and then handed him one.

"Thought you quit," Angel said conversationally.

"I keep a pack in times of stress. This, I'm afraid, happens to be one of
those times."

"Well, brace yourself. Angel here has an idea. I'm sure it'll go as well as all
his other ones," Spike said jovially.

"Like your plan was any better to go after her. Nearly got yourself killed
you ungrate—"

"Would you both kindly SHUT UP!" Giles shouted at them, standing and inadvertently knocking the chair back.

Both vampires looked at the usual even keel man and shut their mouths
rapidly. Both hating that he seemed to have that affect.

"If you two would stop arguing and stop contradicting and each other for
more than two seconds I believe things would go a lot smoother. Do you
realize how much time the two of you spend fighting? If you put all of that
energy into helping Buffy, we'd probably have made more success by now.
Do you think this is how she'd want you to behave? You both claim to love
her so much, but what have you done to help her? Fighting each other is
only making things unbearably worse. I'd rather hand her off to Lindsey at this rate! If you both do not stop, I'll stake you both myself."

His words had a sobering effect as the words penetrated their minds and
settled. They looked at each other and nodded, avoiding each others gazes.
Giles rolled his eyes.

"What is the plan?" He asked on a weary sigh, righting his chair and
settling back down in it.

"I want to visit the Oracles. Make a plea on Buffy's behalf that Joyce visit
her and help her. Her mind. . . she's made it impossible to penetrate and get
through to her. She's strong, determined and most of all frightened," Angel
explained.

"That, I imagine, is what's giving her so much power," Giles pointed out.

"I'm obviously not welcome there. Joyce on the other hand, she would be."

"Do you think they'd grant your wish?" Giles asked.

Angel, giving up all pretense of being the calm and collected one, threw up
his arms in exasperation. "I don't know! I don't know if they would, but
what the fucking hell am I supposed to do? What the hell are any of us
supposed to do? I have to try, if I don't try then she could be lost to us
forever. I'm not just going to sit idly by and let that bastard swoop in and
take her away once and for all, or have her hate me for the rest of her life! I
want Buffy back and Goddammit I'm going to try everything I can to do
that!"

Giles stared at him, surprised. Spike, on the other hand, didn't seem so
shocked by the outburst. He patted Angel's back. "That'd be why I get on
you about the brooding. You keep it in and let it eat at you and look at you?
You go nuts. Not that I blame you. I feel the same way. I'm all on board.
My only request? I go with you. If we're gonna get our girl back, then I
should be there too."

Angel and Spike sat in Buffy's room, in uncomfortable chairs. They were
supposed to be catching a little shut eye before seeing The Oracles. Giles
was setting up for such the occasion. They both found, however, they
couldn't sleep. All they did was watch her sleep and let their minds drift.

"I say we put her in a bubble and never let her leave the apartment ever
again," Spike offered, breaking the silence.

Angel chuckled. "After this ordeal is over, I don't think I'm ever going to let
her out of my sight again."

"Ditto that. She's gonna have to stake me to get me to leave her side."

Silence fell.

"You think it'll work?" Spike asked.

"What have we got to lose at this point?"

"Gentlemen. We're ready," Giles said, popping his head in the door.

Each pressing a kiss to her forehead, they followed Giles into his study. In
the middle of it was a large circle in purple powder. Candles adorned what
seemed every nook and cranny of the room.

"I found an incantation to open the portal. First things first however. We
must cleanse you. I have some sage here. The Oracles will not see you with
all the murkiness following you." Giles lit a bundle of his sage and began
waving it around them. When he was finished, he ground it out in a nearby
cauldron and grabbed his book. "When I have finished saying the words,
the portal will open in the circle. You'll be able to return without any
problem as long as this circle stays intact. I don't forsee there being any
issues with that, so shall we begin?"

They nodded, mutely and waited as Giles began his speech. They watched
intently as what appeared to be a mist whirled and shifted until they could
both see a definite entrance and the other side of the portal. Stepping in,
Spike went first.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto," Spike muttered as they
entered a circular room with what appeared to be made of golden bricks. In
the center was a fountain, spouting water so pure, it sparkled. Glittering
coins filled the fountain.

"I didn't bring an offering," Spike said worriedly.

"Neither did I," Angel said looking around. "I'm sure Giles would've known
if we needed one."

"What is it you wish?"

Swiveling, they laid eyes a glittering pair. A man and a woman with the
brightest violet eyes they'd ever seen. The man had a golden, luminous hue
to his skin, while the woman had a silver hue.

Both vampires faced them and the woman started to laugh. "Vampires.
You wish to ask for our help?"

Spike bit his tongue. Being snarky wasn't going to help.

"We wish to help our girl," Angel said, ignoring their laughter and apparent
disregard.

"You share her?" The man asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes," Angel and Spike said at the same time.

"How interesting," the woman intoned as she weaved her way around
them, studying them up and down. "I sense," she sniffed. "Discord."

They both stood there, awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other.

"You both love her deeply and yet are conflicted by the one you share her
with," the woman continued and planted herself in front of them. "I've
never seen such an interesting mix of selfishness and selflessness."

"How can you help her if all you do is argue?" The man asked.

"Now hold on a second—" Spike started, getting really tired of hearing
these. . . beings. . . pick apart their relationship.

"Wouldn't it be easier if the other one was out of the picture?" The man
asked, cutting Spike off.

Angel and Spike's jaw dropped to the ground.

"Now look here," Angel started. "Spike and I might have our issues, but
what is between us, is our business and has nothing to do with what's
happening to Buffy right now."

"Ah, Buffy. The girl with power. She's quite the warrior," the woman
smiled knowingly. Then her expression saddened. "So much pain she's in
now. What is it you wish?"

"Don't you know?" Spike asked. "You're the Oracles. Isn't in your job
description to know?"

"Such insolence," the man said disdainfully, pointedly looking at Angel as
he made the comment.

Angel looked at him sheepishly. "Well, he does have a point."

"Interesting behavior. At once you cannot stand him, and yet, you defend
him," the woman observed, cocking her head to the side.

"No matter the difference between us, we still care for one another," Angel
told her.

"We're like siblings. . . we can be at each other's throats and yet once
someone else messes with the other, we're right there to defend them,"
Spike spoke up.

"And yet, when Buffy is in peril, you fight."

"Yeah because we feel helpless. It happens when you lose someone you
love and can't figure out a way—or agree on a way—to help them. You go a
little off your rocker, but our goal has always been the same. It's just been a
roundabout way to get there," Spike tried explaining, frustrated.

"Wouldn't it have been easier to just rid yourself of the other?" The man
asked.

"No!" Spike erupted. "Buffy wouldn't want that."

"Even if it's what you want?"

Silence fell.

"You wish for the woman to be visited by her mother, is that right?" The
woman asked, going back to where they had appeared.

"Yes," Angel and Spike said as one.

As if they'd never left, Spike and Angel found themselves staring at Giles
from the inside of the circle they'd stepped into.

"Well?" Giles asked.

The vampires glanced at each other.

"I don't think we're getting our wish," Angel murmured.

"Why didn't you tell us we needed a bloody offering?" Spike demanded.