~*~
Chapter 23
~*~

Connor and Nina arrived at the Watchers Council building just after Giles returned from his visit to the Oracle. Angel had heard Spike suggest that they come to London during their last phone conversation but was still a bit shocked to see his
long lost son along with the girl he had left behind.

The new arrivals were settled into guest rooms in one of the small cottages on the grounds that the Council used when in emergency lock down. Since the Senior Partners had to have noticed the escape of Angel and Illyria and know that some plan was afoot, it was decided that all the group should be a safe distance from one another. Willow and Giles had even moved onto the property for the duration of the mission. Everyone had hopes that Buffy would be safely among them soon and life would resume its normal ebb and flow.

Connor came into the conference room with Nina trailing behind. They had been caught up on the situation by Andrew when he helped get them settled in their rooms. Angel had been notified of their arrival but was in the training room sparring with Illyria and Spike at that time. If the truth were known, Angel was feeling a bit at a loss for what to say to either of them. It had been so long since that day before the great battle that ended with Angel’s removal from both their lives.

"Hey, Dad. You look pretty good for all that time in the Salsa Dimension. Good to see you. I suppose Spike told you that I helped look for you for a long time until it started to look pointless. I figured you would want me back in school, Dad; it’s not that I didn’t care." Connor was still not comfortable around this man who took up the bulk of the angst in one set of his memories and no part at all in the other set. Reality can be difficult for a young person at the best of times, much less having multiple realities in one’s memory! Of course, there was very little of Connor’s life that could ever be called normal.

"Angel! You know, when I said you needed a vacation to Cabo to drink Margaritas and make love on the moonlit beach, I didn’t mean in another dimension OR without me!" Nina eased up to her long lost boyfriend and gave him a hug. "Glad you’re back in one piece. I missed you. We both have."

"Nina, Connor, it seems like I don’t have to introduce you two. It’s kind of weird knowing so much has happened here while I was gone. I’m so glad to see you both. Yes, Son, I know you didn’t give up on me. You did the right thing. I wouldn’t have wanted you to spend your life looking for me. I gave you up so you’d have a life, a good life." Angel reached out and awkwardly drew Connor into his embrace with Nina. "I hear you two have been rooming together the last few weeks. How’d that go, you get along all right?"

Spike watched his sire’s discomfort, knowing only Connor could understand the unease such a thought might give Angel. Spike had heard the stories of how Connor fathered a supernatural child with Cordy while her body was possessed. Angel had witnessed the tryst and it led to all manner of disaster with the relationships and loyalties of the L.A. crew. Angel had to be wondering if Nina was still HIS girl, not Connor’s. Wolf Girl and the sprog were even closer in age, after all.

"It’s all right, Dad. Nina and I have become good friends while you’ve been gone. We’ve looked out for each other, that’s all. She’s a good catch, but for some weird reason seems to be really into you. I’ll have to show you some pictures of my girlfriend. Her name is Mary O’Hara, but we call her Scarlett." Connor could see Angel visibly relax at the knowledge that he hadn’t lost another woman to his son.

Giles cleared his throat and drew the attention back to the business at hand. "While I am fully aware that reunions are quite important…necessary even…I am afraid the clock is ticking here. Perhaps I should give you the information passed to me by the Oracle of the Higher Powers and then we can go about our various duties. I feel certain the Senior Partners are more than aware of our intentions, if not our activities. Time is of the essence here."


Everyone took a chair and turned their attention to Giles as he related most of his experience, leaving out only the identity of the Oracle and the presence of Winifred Burkle. "This", he placed the smallish orb on the table before him, "is a device that will permit Spike to see the entry to the Partners’ realm. It will also allow him to see their true form and movement, rather than the images they project to confuse."

Spike stared at the object fixedly. His mouth had gone quite dry while looking at it. He took a sip of water before speaking. "This little bauble isn’t something I have to wear, is it? I mean, it’s not gonna start playin’ disco ball and shoot out rays or anything?" He realized they all knew he was remembering the amulet that he wore to close the Hellmouth and defeat the First Evil. "Not that it’s any big deal, just hate wearin’ pansy jewelry to every apocalypse. Don’t go with my image is all. Just once, I want the needed accessories to look all manly, like a nice shiny double-headed axe or somethin’. " He wanted to pick up the orb but feared his slightly shaking hand might give too much away.

Giles looked at the vampire and chose not to tease him for his rather rational nervousness at being made to use yet another magically enhanced tool to defeat the enemy. He hadn’t yet had time to question the vampire about his perspective
on closing the Hellmouth, but Giles expected the memory to be quite painful. He remembered being told how Spike’s form reappeared, screaming, in Angel’s office. Giles smiled gently at Spike and sought to reassure the vampire that this time he was not expected to just be a sacrifice.

"I don’t think you need wear it, Spike, although it is much smaller and not nearly as gaudy as the last amulet you were requested to wear. I quite agree that you should avoid such fashion statements in the future. You do need to have this on your person, however. Perhaps we can design a way for you to have it on without you having to look the princess."

"I’d appreciate that, mate. So, this thing gonna make me see how old and ugly my sire really is?" Spike attempted to deflect the worried thoughts with a bit of snark.

"Hey, just be glad mirrors don’t work on you either, Willy." Angel teased back. He took no small pleasure seeing how angered Spike got at the nickname he’d never allowed after that first introduction by Dru. Angel turned to Giles and asked, "So we’re still going with the idea that Spike has to go in alone to this battle?"

"Well, it certainly looks that way. As the Partners are able to distort reality and this orb is the only way to keep one’s vision clear, it would be best for only one to go in. You wouldn’t be of much help to Spike if he had to spend any of his energy protecting anyone else. It will be quite difficult enough defeating these beasts and keeping Buffy safe. No, we will best help Spike by sending him in there fully prepared and ready. Of course, I do understand how you feel. I want nothing more than to charge in there and get our girl back myself. We must not lose sight of the fact that these Partners have been around longer than any of us can imagine…except Illyria, of course. To defeat them, we must not miss a note."

"Spike, why don’t I sew that thingy in a pouch and then sew it to whatever you’re going to wear going in?" Dawn so wanted to contribute some skill. She had done a fine job making the bag for the hearts that had to be taken into the previous rescue mission, the least she could do would be to fire up the old Singer for the cause. "We could make the fabric magically enhanced or something, too, so you don’t lose it or have it cut off or something. Right, Willow?"

"Sure, Dawnie, I think we could manage that. Hum…maybe you could even sew up some special clothes that will work to help protect Spike while you’re at it? It’s not a far stretch to think of a magical armor kind of thing. We can look at different ideas after the meeting, okay." Willow understood just how Dawn felt.

"Just be sure it’s in basic black, right? Not going in to battle in any outfit the Bit decides to play "Humiliate the Vamp" with. Now’s not the time to work on some makeover project." Spike gave Dawn a stern glare. "Black and denim’s just fine, got that?"

Andrew shot up his hand at that and said, "Oooh! Wouldn’t leather be more … um … practical? I think a leather body suit would really be hot."

Spike lowered his head and glared daggers at the boy from under his lowered brow. "You’re not getting me in any superhero get-up, you git. No leather, no bleedin’ tights. No buggerin’ spandex either."

Xander clapped Andrew on the back and laughed, "Andy, you’ll just have to fantasize all those costumes, ‘cause it ain’t gonna happen. No capes either, right, Spike?"

"Damn straight," Spike replied seriously. "Only vamp wears a costume’s Drac and he’s a bloody joke, he is. Too many films made about the fictional exploits of that poof if you ask me. Bugger still owes me eleven pounds, the welsher."



~~~
Angel took his son and Nina on a tour of the Council grounds as soon as the meeting broke up. The sun had just set, but it was still light enough for a decent look around.

"I could help train Spike!" Nina suddenly stopped and had an excited look on her face at the thought of actually helping instead of just being protected.

"What are you talking about, sweetie? How can you possibly help train Spike?" Angel looked at his girlfriend as if she had run crazy.

"No, not all the time, but the full moon is later this week. Look, one of the partners is a wolf, right? Well, so am I three nights of the month. He could spar with me when I change. I know I’m not as powerful as this other Wolf would be, but the moves would be similar, I’d think." Nina was getting really thrilled at the idea. "It would make this werewolf thing useful for once."

"Nina, you can’t control the wolf on those days. You would be really trying to kill Spike, not spar or train. He’d have to really hurt you to save his own hide. I don’t see that it would help at all. I know Spike would be touched at the offer, but it just wouldn’t help, honey." Angel had felt real fear at the thought of his girl in any kind of fight with a vamp.

"Wait! Ok, Dad, I see your point about the sparring, but it wouldn’t hurt to really observe Nina while she’s all Wolf Girl. She’s right about the moves and instincts and all. Whatever we might learn watching her could help against this Wolf, right? Kinda like the football team watching a video of their opponents’ last game."

Angel looked at Connor and Nina and saw the desire to be proactive on their faces. "I don’t know how closely this Wolf acts to a werewolf …" He saw their crestfallen faces and added, "but it couldn’t hurt, you’re right. We’ll suggest it, okay?"

"So, where’s my little Ernie staying?" If Angel could blush, he would have at her use of a pet nickname in front of his son.

"Ernie?" Connor asked.

Angel looked at his feet and mumbled an answer. "Yeah, like Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street. I was turned into a puppet and we had our first date that way. Nina says I looked like Ernie in a bad mood." Angel turned hurt puppy eyes on Nina and said, "I’d appreciate it if neither of you called me that in front of anyone. Especially Spike or Xander."

"Only if I get the whole, complete story, Dad". Connor laughed at the picture of his dour daddy in plush.

"I’m staying in your room, Nina…if you’ll have me, that is." Angel finally answered his girlfriend’s question.

"Of course, silly. I was just trying to figure out what room I’d need to sneak into, if you weren’t in mine." Nina slipped her hand through the crook of Angel’s arm as they continued the tour.

"So, Son, speaking of stories, let’s hear a bit about this Mary of yours." Angel changed the subject.

~~~
Spike sat at the table after everyone else left the room. He was staring at the orb, occasionally reaching a hand toward it only to snatch the hand back before touching it. He hated the cold fear that had taken hold of him. Too much was on his shoulders. True, the last time he had a magic object given to him to win a battle, he expected to dust. He hadn’t been disappointed. The memory of the pain would never leave him, even though he had gone into it with his eyes open. The whole world was at stake then. This time it was HIS whole world. The entire plan to save Buffy rested on his ability to win, to get it right. He didn’t want to remember the whole Glory battle where his failure had led to his beloved’s death. He had to get it right this time. If that meant wearing all of Liz Taylor’s jewelry collection and burning slowly, he’d do it. That didn’t mean that the possibility didn’t make his entire body feel frozen, however.

Giles was walking past the conference room and noticed Spike sitting there looking at the orb. He could understand the vampire’s trepidation about magical objects. One couldn’t burn to ash and not have any leftover nervousness about a repeat performance. "Spike, I feel quite certain that this orb is benign. I really don’t think you need to worry there will be any nasty surprises from using it. This oracle seems to hold you in some regard. I’m sure he would have told me if there was any danger to you."

Spike shook his head as if to break a thrall and looked at the Watcher. He had only really heard part of what Giles had said but understood that the Watcher was trying to offer comfort about the bauble on the table. "Not that, Rupes, just don’t want to blow this, you know. If I had done a million things different on that tower years ago, Buffy wouldn’t have died then. All that stuff that happened because of her dying and getting pulled out of heaven … that shouldn’t have happened. I screwed it up then and can’t afford to screw up this time. Can’t let Buffy down again."

Giles sat down next to Spike and looked at him as if for the first time. "Do you mean to say that you feel Buffy’s death years ago was somehow YOUR fault?" Giles was astonished. Guilt and remorse weren’t things a non-souled vampire should have been able to feel and Spike had no soul at that time. Perhaps Wesley had been right and these vampires would be of value to the new Council. Obviously some of the
"facts" encoded in those old books of the previous Council were in error.

"Course it was my fault. Soddin’ little demon had me off that tower before I could even get to the Bit. I didn’t even take the wanker with me on the way down. I was the one supposed to die up there, not Buffy. Never forgave myself for that, never will." Spike had a bleak look at the memory.

"Don’t be daft! It was no more your responsibility to win that battle than anyone else’s, Spike! Surely Buffy has told you that. The fact that you helped at all is remarkable. The element of surprise seeing the demon you thought you had already killed put you off your timing, that’s all. Buffy made a choice up there on that tower, just as Willow made a choice in resurrecting her later. We all made … make… choices, Spike and not always the right ones. I chose to help Robin Wood try to stake you, for instance. Just think of how much damage that would have led to. The First Evil would have won. All those Turok-Hans would have eventually overrun the handful of Slayers there. As remarkable a choice it was for Buffy to make to share the power, it would never have won the battle alone. Look, there’s another choice with a few bad consequences. Dana was no more ready to be called as a Slayer than your sire Drusilla would have been. Good Lord, I just had a thought! We can only pray that none of those potential slayers had already been turned., There may
be vampiresses out there with slayer strength we have yet to find! " Giles paled a bit at the thought.

"You see, none of the fallout from THAT choice--the power sharing--is the fault of Buffy. There are some negative results from that choice, yes, but the good outweigh the bad. I am sure of that. Willow bringing Buffy back had a lot of bad fallout, but so very much good as well. I, for one, can’t imagine how my life would have been had Buffy stayed dead and that’s true for all of us. The only choice you made on that tower was to die, if necessary, to protect Dawn. Not accomplishing that isn’t a matter of any bad choosing on your part. Things happen, Spike, things out of our control. You did everything you could up there on that tower … more than anyone could have expected of you. It wasn’t your fault."

"What if it’s the same this time, Giles? What if nothing I do can save her?" Spike looked at Giles as if he were drowning and Giles held the only life preserver. "What if I’m not enough?"

Giles swallowed before answering, "Spike you are the best equipped to get it done. Of all of us, you stand the best chance. You’re not God, neither am I. You can but do your best. Train, prepare and just do your best. No one asks any more of you than that. The potential for failure is always there in any endeavor. The only guarantee of failure, however, if when you don’t try at all. You’ll do fine Spike. There has to be a reason you’re here to try this at all. You dusted in Sunnydale; by all logic, you should still be dust in the bottom of that crater. The Powers have brought you back for a reason, Spike. You serve a higher purpose."

Spike snorted. "Maybe they just don’t know what to do with me, eh? I mean, saved the world so hell might not be the spot, but sure not heaven material. Maybe I’m back cause there’s no other place for me."

"That’s nonsense! I’m sure there would be a bathtub in heaven to chain you up in until they decide what to do with you. It worked for me, after all," Giles laughed. He placed a comforting hand on Spike’s shoulder and said, "I’m sure you’ll do fine. You always give your best and that is all we ask."

Giles slipped from the room, leaving Spike to marvel at the Watcher’s words and attitude. Maybe things really were changing for the better. Spike got up and decided to hunt down Illyria for a final match up before getting a bit of rest for the night. Being around humans had turned the vampire into a creature of more than just the night and daylight would come far too soon.