Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Category:
Fandoms:
Language:
English
Collections:
Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
Stats:
Published:
2020-11-04
Completed:
2004-11-19
Words:
5,099
Chapters:
4/4
Kudos:
13
Hits:
2,699

A Little Bit Of Rayne 8: Bitter

Summary:

RATING: PG
PART OF: A Little Bit Of Rayne
CLASSIFICATION: Spike/Fred interaction, mentions of Buffy/Angel, Faith/Robin and Wesley/Other.
SUMMARY: It's about to hit the fan at W & H when memories get restored and both Connor & Lilah return.
SPOILERS: Set about eight months after "Damage;" "You're Welcome" and consecutive episodes never happened.
DISTRIBUTION: Any sites with my fic up; you all have unspoken permission. I write it, you can post it. Everyone else just keep my name on it and let me know.
DISCLAIMER: If you don't recognize it, chances are it's my own creation. If you do, I don't own it. Joss Whedon, Kazui Sandollar, The WB, UPN, et. al. most likely do.
FEEDBACK: Please send it offlist and let me know it's feedback; I do rapid delete on my account due to a lot of spam.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Chapter 1: Part 1

Chapter Text

A Little Bit Of Rayne 8: Bitter
by Ragna
writinggoddess@aol.com

 

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Previous parts of this series can be found at http://www.panthermoon.com/sct/Rayne.html

 

The more you suffer
The more it shows you really care
Right?
~ from "Self Esteem" by Offspring

Spike pulled out his wallet and tossed a twenty on the bar counter. "I'm desiring tequila, mate. Enough to make me forget the world."

"Bad day?"

Spike turned around. "Fred."

Fred smiled slightly. "Hate to break it to you, but it's about to get worse. Angel needs you back at the office."

"You mean he actually emerged from the cave he's been dwelling in lately to grace us with a visit?"

"Faith's here."

Spike perked up slightly. "Glad to know she made it."

Fred's smile faded. "Um...she's hurt. Bad. It's taking more power and stuff than we have to help her."

Spike grabbed his twenty back off the counter and hopped off the stool. "Where's your bloody car?"

***

Angel shook his head, looking into the medical center that was on Wolfram & Hart's third floor. "I don't get it. It's been a month of nonstop demon fighting." He focused in on Faith, and then his eyes drifted to the man at her side.

This was the first time he'd met Robin. He almost felt like apologizing for what Spike did to his mother, but there was no real use in doing that because it wouldn't change anything. She was dead, and he'd been alone.

He wasn't alone now, though. Since Buffy's release from the hospital and Faith and Robin's arrival in Los Angeles, he'd easily been able to glide from the people he knew to the ones he didn't, Angel had heard. He was a nice guy.

He didn't deserve to watch his girlfriend struggle for her life.

Someone clearing their throat startled Angel. "I thought this might help," Lindsey said, handing Angel a piece of paper. "I know who he is. Made him talk."

Angel nodded. "And what did he say?"

"He said he cast a spell for you. Well, Lilah set it up, but it was your idea. He said he removed your son from everyone's memories and gave him a normal life."

Angel nodded again. No one knew about Connor, except maybe Lilah. But if her ghostly presence was haunting the firm, he wasn't aware of it. "How does this fit in with saving Faith?"

"Your son can save her if he kills a certain demon. The blood of the demon can go so far as to resurrect the dead. Sometimes, anyway."

"Sometimes?"

"These types of demons are hard to kill, and if they're too young, the blood is worthless. You need an adult's blood. The adults, though...they're vicious." Lindsey stared past Angel into the medical center. "He's a lucky guy," he muttered.

Angel raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. "Connor doesn't know who I am."

"He can, though. We can always have the spell done again."

"But that means everyone will know all the things that happened..." Angel began, but he trailed off. "No. Faith...she's a Slayer. She can heal..."

"It's not looking good, and you know it."

Angel sighed. "So, what do we do?"

"Well, remember that spell that cost me my arm so long ago?"

"Yeah?"

"I need it."

"Why?"

"Because I need Lilah's help, and she's already moved on. She's the only one with the expertise to commission a deal to get your son's memories restored."

"But like I said, everyone else's will return, too."

Lindsey shifted his gaze back to Angel. "There's an added benefit to all that. It means that...you haven't let the firm corrupt you. You were willing to give something that important up to save someone else."

Angel nodded. There was some truth in what Lindsey was saying. "How will it affect Connor?"

"I'll make sure it's made as easily as possible." He shifted his gaze back to the room. "We should start searching for that spell."

***

"So what you're saying is you and Darla shagged, she got knocked up, and you had a human boy?" Spike asked, leaning against the door frame. Everyone of importance was gathered in the small space of Angel's office: Buffy, Dawn, Fred, Gunn, Wesley, Jennifer, Harmony, Lorne and Lindsey. Robin was still with Faith.

"That about sums it up." Angel sighed. "I'm sorry I did it, but it was in his...and the world's...best interest."

Wesley opened his mouth to say something, an angry look flashing across his face, but Jennifer laid her hand over his. "So you figured giving him a chance at normalcy was the right thing to do, and now we need him, right?"

Angel nodded. "And...we need Lilah."

Wesley's _expression changed again, flattened and stunned. "She's dead."

"I have the spell to bring her back. Same one we used on Darla," Lindsey said.

"Why?" Fred asked.

"She commissioned the deal. We need her. She'll be alive again, and --" Lindsey stopped as everyone turned to watch Wesley bolt up from his chair and head out the door.

Angel turned to Jennifer. "You should go after him."

"Not until I know why he's pissed about Lilah being brought back," Jennifer said, crossing her arms. "Someone better spill."

Angel looked a little guilty. "Wesley...all he remembers is that a vampire got to her and...oh, shit." Angel stood up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Shit, shit, SHIT!"

"What's wrong?" Gunn asked.

Angel reached behind his desk. "Before we restore memories, I'm going to tell him something and I know he isn't going to like it."

Buffy looked at Jennifer. "I think we should go with him."

"Yeah...we may both need to hold Wesley back if this is as bad as I think it is."

 

end