“Both of you, sit still and be quiet,” Gunn ordered to the Teplir and his Queen, and joined the group hurrying to the training room. “Don’t make me come back in here.” They walked in to find Angelus and Buffy awake and angry, struggling against their chains that were held fast to the brick walls. Buffy was restrained on one side of the room, between the pummel horse and a balance beam, Angelus was on the other side, ensconced between two giant gym mats. They looked up as their captors filed in, one after the other.

“Buffy!” Dawn cried and ran to her, throwing her arms around her sister.

Buffy became rigid at the touch.

“You’re okay?” Dawn asked, pulling back and pushing a lock of hair from the Slayer’s eyes.

Buffy blinked. “I’m chained to a wall in my own training room, courtesy of my friends and my sister,” she said pointedly.

Her point was taken. “We weren’t sure…how you’d be,” Dawn admitted, rocking back on her heels. She rose and rejoined the group.

“All our loyal and trusty friends,” Angelus noted, looking over the motley group.

Cordelia spoke. “We’re going to fix you guys, don’t worry.”

“Not if I kill you all,” Angelus growled, rattling the chains.

“I’d like to see you try,” Gunn told him, wielding the ax.

Angelus’ expression didn’t change but his body relaxed as he sat against the wall. “So, what’s the plan? Research, give Wesley a huge headache while he does most of the work anyway, then try to save the day?”

“Something like that,” Xander told him, bravely.

“Giles left his books, Angel. We can fix you. Right?” Dawn asked them.

“Why am I tied up?” Buffy demanded. “I’m not a killer.” She shot a glare in Angelus’ direction.

“Not yet, luv,” he murmured with a grin and a wink.

“Sorry Buff,” Xander interrupted. “We just weren’t sure…Willow and Tara said you were a little different on account of being a little lighter in the soul department now. Couldn’t take the chance.”

Buffy turned her icy stare to him and he shivered. “I promise not to kill anyone,” she sighed heavily and they all looked at her speculatively. “What? I do.”

“I think you can just stay here for a little while longer,” Xander told her. He looked at his friends. “We don’t even know what we’re going to do yet. If she’s chained, at least we know where she is.”

There were some unsure nods and murmurs of agreement, and finally Willow walked to her friend and knelt down. “I’m sorry, Buffy. The chains and all…but we don’t know what’s going on yet. I think you’re safer here.”

The Slayer cocked an eyebrow. “I’m touched.”

“We’re going to figure this out. We’ll get your soul back, I promise. But, if we let you out…you might stake Angel. Or one of us.”

Buffy stared at her friend for a moment before turning her head and looking away, stonily ignoring the witch. Resigned, Willow stood up, swallowing the lump in her throat, and rejoined her friends.

“Dawn,” Angelus called out suddenly, his eyes trailing up and down her body. “All grown up. Aren’t you the delicious little morsel? I need to visit Sunnydale a bit more often…I miss all the…” he leered even further, “attributes.”

Dawn looked around, panicked.

“Don’t let him get to you, nibs,” Spike told her, taking her arm. “He can’t hurt you, being somewhat indisposed at the moment.” He glared at his grandsire.

Angelus winked and gave him a suggestive grin. “Playing the role of daddy, Spike? She’s a bit young…but I can see the appeal…she’s just starting to get all those nice parts.” His eyes trailed up her body again and Dawn blushed furiously, moving behind Spike to cover herself. Angel cocked his head to one side. “Of course…young would be the idea, wouldn’t it?”

“You’re sick!” Dawn spat.

Angelus laughed. “Ask him. It’s one of his favorite games…I remember. Dru liked it, didn’t she, Spike? Liked it when her man took over, gave orders. And it was delicious the way she screamed…Daddy. ‘Least…that’s what I remember.” He glanced at the rest of the group, singling out Xander, two sets of brown eyes locked on each other. “It must have killed you that I got there first.”

Spike assumed Angel was still speaking to him. Setting his jaw he walked over to Angel, knelt on the ground and leaned in. His breath, had he had it, would have tickled Angel’s ear. “Laugh it up, mate. You might have gotten there first…but I’m the one who gets to keep coming back. And I’ll tell you…she’s learned a few things since your day. Got a nice little adventurous side to her…gets off on the risk. It’s like…perfect happiness.” The use of present tense was not lost on Angelus. Spike smirked and stood up, sauntering to the back of the room.

Angelus stared at his grandchilde momentarily, turning the words in his mind, then lunged, only to be pulled back by the chains. The entire group jumped and took a step back. He struggled for a moment before giving up, and turned flashing eyes to Buffy, grunting at the strain of his struggles. “So…gave it up for another vampire, did you, Buff? One wasn’t enough…just couldn’t get the feel of me out of your mind, so you turned to another? You should have called…I would have been more than happy to accommodate you.”

Willow gasped. “What?”

“What’s he talking about?” Cordelia asked nervously, looking from Buffy to Angel.

Angelus laughed, a high, mean laugh. “Tell ‘em Buff! Tell them how you’ve been screwing Spike…that’s who Lorne was talking about, wasn’t it? Yeah…right…it’s all coming together now. Poor little Buffy, ripped out of happiness and thrust into the…well…maybe using the word thrust is a little inappropriate for our PG-13 audience here…”

Dawn took a step. “You—you’re sleeping with Spike?” she asked her sister, disbelief in her voice.

Buffy had been staring at the ground. At Dawn’s question she looked up. “Let’s not go into this.”

“At least tell him it’s not true!” Xander cried, joining Dawn. “It’s not true…right? Buffy?”

Buffy’s eyes ticked to his. She held them for a moment before giving him a shoulder jerk and settling back against the wall, her expression impassive. “I must admit, not my proudest moment.”

There was a moment of stunned silence before Spike, who had scurried to the back of the group, looked up, wounded. He stormed to the middle of the room, pointing a finger at Buffy. “If you had a working soul, you’d be telling them--”

He cut himself off, looking around.

“I’d be telling them, what, Spike?” Buffy asked, her chin up.

His eyes, sad now, held hers. “You’d be telling them that I was there for you, that we were there for each other, and that…it was something between us,” he admitted gently. With that, he turned on his heel and exited the training room.

The group watched him go. “I think I’m going to be sick,” Cordelia moaned, holding her stomach and looking decidedly pale. “God, Buffy…I mean, Angel was one thing. But Spike?”

Dawn wiped at tears on her face. “Buffy…why…how could you do that? Why would you do that? Do you love him?”

Buffy smirked, then let out a short laugh. “Oh, yeah, right. Love Spike. No, sorry. It was nothing.”

Willow took a shaky step forward. “What else, Buffy?” she snapped, angry and betrayed. “What else are you hiding from us? Got any kids, or a husband out there somewhere? Maybe a secret agent’s life you’d like to tell us about? How could you!?” She took a step back, unsure where to go or what to say. “We thought you were in Hell, so we brought you back. You didn’t bother to tell us that you thought you were in heaven until—but you told Spike! And Spike can hurt you, but you didn’t tell us that, either! And now this? He can hurt you…he could have killed you…” Willow stared at her in disbelief, shock and pain on her face. With an angry shake of her head she stormed out of the training room, Tara on her heels.

For a moment, no one spoke. The tension in the room was palpable.

Xander looked from Angelus to Buffy. “Let’s get out of here.”

They turned and silently left the room.

Buffy shifted her position for more comfort and settled back against the wall, closing her eyes. She was tired…worn out from the adventures of that day, and it was almost morning now. She hadn’t slept in twenty-four hours and even then it had been fitful hours in Angel’s hotel. That seemed like so long ago.

“I thought you had higher standards than Spike,” Angelus muttered after a moment. “He’s worse than the Army brat.”

“Shut up,” she told him impassively. “I’m trying to sleep.”

He smirked. “Feeling the shame?”

She didn’t answer him.

His eyes lit up. “Or feeling nothing…that must be worse. No demon inside to blame, just yourself. God…what a sorry existence, Buff.”

“Am I going to have to stake you to get your mouth to shut?”

“Mmm…striking a nerve when she thought she had none left to strike.”

She opened her eyes and glared at him now. “You never get tired of hearing yourself speak, do you?”

“How did it happen, anyway? Are you in love with him? With the danger of it all? Does he do it for you, Buff?”

Rolling her eyes she crossed her arms and ignored him.

“Make you feel all tingly inside, does he? But, I guess that’s the whole point now, isn’t it? To feel something?”

“I’m feeling something right now, if you want the truth,” Buffy told him. “Mainly it’s boredom at hearing you yap.”

He grinned at that, then sobered as his eyes settled on her neck. “Did you let him feed?”

Something in his tone caught her attention. It was…possessive. Shifting again, running a finger along her neck and down to her collarbone, she practically purred, “What if I did?”

His jaw set. “You wouldn’t.”

“I let you…of course, had I known then what I know now…I let you feed to save your sorry ass and then you just up and left me anyway…things might have gone differently.”

“You’d have done the same,” he snapped. “Forever my girl and all…”

“If you’re going to start quoting Paula Abdul, I’m going to sleep.”

The pop-culture reference was lost on him. Instead, his gaze steeled even further and he repeated, “Did you let him feed?”

Buffy cocked her head to the side. “Jealous, Angel? I don’t know why…it’s been so long since we were together. Years. And I’ve had lovers since then. How about you?” She smirked. “Oooh…sorry. I forgot. Jeez, I mean…your last encounter was so lousy you didn’t even activate the perfect happiness clause. How sad.”

“Lovers,” he spat. “You haven’t had lovers, my dear. You’ve been with a one-night stand who refused to call you after…and a farm-boy whose prior sexual encounters included clumsy groping in a barn with Ms. Cornfed 1995. And then there’s my grandchilde. Not the greatest track record, I must say. How low you sank…it’s disturbing, Buff, really. I’m pretty much ashamed for you.”

“As opposed to the gigolo status you achieved in your day. That really surprises me, Angel, it really does. I can’t believe Darla was so liberal as to let you take the dozens of lovers you bragged about. Of course, as a former prostitute…I suppose she felt she didn’t have room to talk. Then again, maybe she thought you needed more experience in that arena.”

He smirked suggestively. “If you want to call into question my prowess, I’m more than willing to give you another try, Buff.”

She glared. “I don’t think so, but thanks.”

“You sure? Just a little reminder of what once was?”

“We are done with this conversation. In fact? I’m ashamed I was even discussing my sex life with you.”

He rattled the shackles holding his hands. “If you say so. I figure it’ll be just another few minutes before I work my way free of these chains. Then maybe we’ll play.”

Her eyes widened as her stomach lurched. “If you touch me, I’ll kill you. With or without my hands bound.”

He grinned and began pulling on the chains in earnest. Buffy watched, horrified, and then began to mimic him.

*~*~*

“I want you gone,” Xander boomed as he exploded back into the shop, jabbing a finger at Spike. “Now. Hasta. Or how about, ‘Never.’”

The vampire turned around with a sigh. “Look. What do you want me to--”

Gunn stepped up and grabbed Spike’s collar, hauling him to the door. “The man said goodbye.”

“Hey! Wait a bloody minute!” Spike cried, struggling. “What did I do?”

“Wrong choice of words,” Gunn answered him as they neared the front door.

Spike wrestled free from his grip. “I’m not leaving.”

“Yes, you are,” Dawn told him, crossing her arms.

His eyes met hers as hurt flooded through him. Dawn remained rigid, staring at him, angry and unblinking. Finally, Spike swallowed and steeled himself. “Fine. Solve this one yourselves.” Grabbing a blanket from the floor he covered himself and threw open the door, running out into the street.

Gunn shut the door and walked over to Dawn. “You okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah…thanks.”

He grinned. “We’re quickly running out of brute strength around these parts.”

Wesley crossed to the coffeepot and poured himself a mug. “May I suggest we begin looking for a way to reinstate their souls if the Queen is unable, or unwilling, to help us.”

Tiredly, everyone moved to the table.

“Will…you okay?” Xander asked. Willow had walked to the front of the shop and now stood, staring out of the window as the sun began to peek over the horizon.

She shook her head. “Not even a little bit.”

He put a hand on her shoulder. “I know…me either. But…we can’t do this right now. Whatever…whatever she did, we’ll deal with it. But later. We’ve gotta figure some stuff out right now.”

Willow continued to stare out of the window. “I know.” Then, “Xander…what am I doing wrong?” Tears formed in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any minute.

“Nothing,” he assured her. “Nothing. We did what we thought was right when we brought her back.”

“She’s so…different…we’re supposed to be best friends. You, me and Buffy. And I don’t even…we don’t…she doesn’t tell us anything. She could have been killed. Spike could have--”

“Yeah, okay…she wasn’t exactly forthcoming with the information. And she was a little hasty in some of the decisions she made…but there might be an explanation for it all. Right now, I have to believe that. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around all of this. And I’m not gonna try. What’s important now is that we help her. We did this, we’re going to fix it.” He took her shoulders and turned her to him, waiting to continue until she looked into his eyes. “We’re going to fix her. And things are going to go back to normal.”

“I want to believe you,” she whispered.

Smiling gently he wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “Good. I want to believe me too. I was going for confidence there. What’d think? Too much drama?”

She tried to suppress a grin but it sneaked out. “Only if you’d added a ‘Today is our Independence Day’ in there.”

Now he grinned and slung an arm around her shoulders, giving her a squeeze. “Let’s go pretend to be listening to what Wesley’s researching.”

They walked back to the table and took seats in time to catch Wesley in the middle of an explanation. “You have to understand that the calling forth of someone’s soul is a complicated procedure. Traditionally, if a soul was taken by the use of magic, the only way to do so is to reverse that particular method. Since we don’t know the method we are at somewhat of a loss.”

“You said traditionally,” Fred. “What about untraditionally?”

Wesley shifted uncomfortably. “There are methods, that I’ve heard of. Ancient magics, older and far more archaic than the curse performed by the gypsies on Angel. But they’re dangerous, and, I’m afraid, extremely hard to locate.”

“Would the Council know?” Anya asked. “They seem to have lots of information about things no one else does. They knew about Glory.”

“Yeah, and it took Buffy refusing to jump through their hoops and pretty much threatening them to get the answers we needed,” Xander pointed out.

“I can see what I can find out from the Council,” Wesley admitted, “But I don’t have much clout with them anymore.”

“What about Giles?” Dawn asked. “They reinstated him, remember? He’s still a Watcher.”

“I’ll call him,” Xander offered, glancing at his watch. “It’s…I have no idea what time it is there, but this is important. He should know, what’s going on.”

“Should he?” Cordelia asked. “Buffy seemed pretty upset about him leaving. I got the impression they didn’t part on good terms.”

“It’s Giles,” Xander pointed out. “Buffy was miffed with him for leaving, but…it’s still Giles.”

“Call him,” Willow ordered.

He nodded and rose to use the phone but Gunn stopped him by cautiously raising his hand. “Ok, not to sound like I’m anxious to do some threatening, but…we’ve got their Queen, and we’ve got one of their boys,” he said, pointing to the two captives in the back. “What say I reexamine the witnesses again? Maybe if he thinks his queen’s in danger he’ll feel more like sharing.”

Wesley nodded. “I’ll leave that to you. And I feel I should speak to Mr. Giles as well.”

“Make with the Watcher-talk,” Cordy said with a small smile.

The two men nodded and walked behind the counter to use the phone.

“What should we do?” Tara asked. “I—I don’t mean to sound like I want to quit…but no one’s slept all night. We’re all exhausted. Maybe…we should get some sleep, then meet back in a few hours?”

Cordelia gave her a look. “Thank God someone said it. We’re beat. And…Mr. Summers will probably get a little upset if Dawn just never comes home.”

“Dad…” Dawn murmured. “I sorta forgot. Not used to him being around.”

Willow looked upset, but agreed. “She’s right. Both of you. We need sleep. And food. Dawnie, I’ll walk home with you.”

Cordelia stood and stretched. “So, sleep it is. Sadly, the only place we can stay is Angel’s mansion. And it’s creepy there.”

“I’d let you guys stay at my house, but…you know…” Dawn told them sheepishly.

Fred grinned. “We’ll make it like a sleepover at Angel’s. It’ll be fun.”

“Fun…yeah. Drafty old mansion. At least Angel’s got good taste. We’ll be sleeping on silk sheets,” Cordelia told them.

“So…what do we do with these guys?” Gunn asked, jabbing a finger at their hostages.

Xander, waiting to speak with Giles while Wesley was on, leaned over the counter. “I’ll stay, watch them all.”

“I don’t have any place to be,” Gunn offered. “We can take shifts. Besides…we have a Slayer with us, even if she is more on the whacked side than not.”

“Just like Oz-watch, back in the day,” Xander grinned.

Willow rolled her eyes. “Oh, good. Xander was always so great at that.” She gave Gunn a weak smile. “He snoozes.”

“We’ll see about that,” Gunn grinned.

“So, that’s it. Women to sleep on comfy beds. Men to stay and guard,” he thundered.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Men to lay off the testosterone while women sleep.”

They waited around a few minutes more until Wesley ended his phone call and handed the phone to Xander.

“What did he say?” Dawn asked, jumping to her feet.

“He was, of course, extremely upset, and very concerned. I had to talk him into staying in England, though in all honestly, I can’t imagine a situation in which we could need him more,” Wesley told them. “He did recall a few occurrences of soul transfers and the like that he thought might shed light on our circumstances here. He was going straight to the Council Headquarters once he was off the phone with Xander and will get back with us immediately.”

“That’s good, right? Now we’ve got England working with us,” Gunn stated.

“Giles will find something,” Willow said confidently. “That’s what he does.”

“That’s what Wesley does for us,” Cordelia said supportively.

Wesley smiled appreciatively. “Yes, well. The more minds we’ve got working with us, the better. And he will have access to many more resources than we do if he’s granted Council assistance.”

“He’s on his way,” Xander informed him, strolling back into the room.

“That was quick,” Anya said.

“He was sorta in a hurry to get gone,” he told her. “But he said to tell you all not to worry. I told him about your dad showing up,” he said to Dawn, “and he knows not to call the house with any info. So the shop’s Scooby Central once again.”

“We’re closing the store today, aren’t we?” Anya pouted. “My customers might not stand for this.”

“They’ll live,” Xander told her with a half-smile.

“Ok then…Gunn and Xander are on guard-duty, the rest of us are going to bed,” Cordelia said, rising and grabbing some of Connor’s belongings. “This little guy has been so good!” she crooned to the sleeping baby.

“One more reason to restore Angel’s soul as quickly as possible,” Wesley added quietly.

“What? Connor?” Fred asked, moving to the baby’s side.

“Can you only imagine what Angelus might want with his own flesh and blood?”

The group stood silently before Cordelia shuddered. “Like…wait for him to be old enough and then…”

She didn’t finish the sentence.

“Think they have father-son camping trips for evil, murdering duos?” Xander asked.

Chapter Seventeen: Burdens
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