Truth and Myths
Chapter 3

Angel reacted instinctively, and slammed Spike to the floor as he hit the dirt. But the bolt smashed into ceiling and there was a thump behind them.

"Good thing I decided to follow you after I covered your tracks"

Angel and Spike picked themselves up and saw Fred standing over a now unconscious Rupert Giles. She was grinning, and had a sturdy metal staff resting against her left shoulder.

"Thanks again then." Spike grinned back at her. "Can you help me get Buffy off these things now?"

"Sure."

Angel was enraged. In game face, he stalked over to the crossbow, removed a bolt and prepared to drive into to Giles' heart. The bastard had done his last bad deed as far as Angel was concerned. He would die slowly and painfully. Not only could the Watcher have killed Spike or himself, but if a bolt had struck the equipment or Buffy, it could have killed her.

Spike saw Angel's movements out of the corner of his eye, leaped the ten feet, and stopped the downward arc of Angel's arm. "Don't do that, Angel. Not what Buffy would want."

"How do you know what she'd want?" Angel said rage and anguish in his voice.

"Don't know for sure. But I do know it's up to her to make it. Not me, not you."

Angel's shoulders slumped, defeated and sad, "That's why she loves you. You don't decide what's best for her, you let her do that."

Angel stood up and stomped the crossbow and bolts into useless fragments, far out of the reach of Giles, should he be waking up and faking continued unconsciousness.

Spike understood how Angel felt right now. Angelus had gleefully taught him that lesson many times with Druscilla. Buffy unwittingly had with Angel back in Sunnydale a couple of days before it was destroyed.

Buffy had come back to Spike, both then and now. Then with a warmth, openness, and kindness he'd never seen so strongly in her before, for him. Could it really be that she loved him? And even that she loved him more than Angel? Angel seemed to think so. But could he dare to hope?

After regaining his calm, Angel spoke quietly to Spike, "I know you said it was Buffy's choice, but those sedatives will probably take a while to wear off. Since you were Giles' major target this time, I think whatever temporary measures are needed to keep him from harming anyone should be yours."

"Suppose you're right." Spike thought for a few minutes then nodded to himself. "How about a bit of what he's done to Buffy. Keep him sedated and locked away, but where we can keep an eye on him all the time. Don't trust the types here. We should be his guards."

"Sounds like a good plan. We'll need their help getting him sedated and locked away though." Angel pulled out his cell phone. "Eve, get your team down here, no trigger happy types this time though, some of Fred's department with them as well."

Spike insisted on carrying Buffy all the way to Angel's office/bedroom suite. He sat down on the couch with her still cradled in his arms.

Buffy moaned something inarticulate as she came around. Spike kissed her on her forehead. Her eyes opened and she gasped sharply. "S-pike?" Buffy touched his face and when she realized she wasn't dreaming her cry was stronger and surer, "Spike!" she threw her arms around his neck and started to cry.

"It's alright luv, yeah I'm here. Came back just like you did. Well, not quite like you did, but yes, I'm here in the undead flesh."

Buffy relaxed and got control of herself, then she looked down in shock, "I wasn't this big before!" Then realizing the situation she smiled slyly at Spike and said, "You're gonna be a daddy."

He laughed and kissed her gently on the mouth. "Nothing makes me happier. You might want to look around now. Some other people here are happy to see you."