Everything Changes Sometime

By Michelle McKague

Disclaimer- Buffy, Spike, Dru, Angel, and Xander belong to Joss Whedon, The WB, 20th Century Fox, and Mutant Enemy. I don’t own them, I wish I did but I don’t.

Author’s Note- Angel’s POV during the confrontation scene with Spike in School Hard. I’m considering doing a whole set of this type of story, tell me if you think I should.

Feedback- Please, please?

Spike was trying to poke a pole into the ceiling. He never did learn, that was beside the point. I lead Xander into the hall, and came face to face with Spike for the first time in nearly a century.

Spike: “Angelus!” I tried not to cringe at the use of my old name, it wasn’t exactly one I was fond of. Actually I tried to forget that part of the past, not that I could, you never forget evil. Especially if you’re the one who committed it.

I wrapped my arm around Xander's neck. How puny he really was, I could have killed him easily.....Stop that. No matter how tempting it was, I couldn’t even think about taking his life or any other. I’m past that now. I hope.

Me: “Spike!” I tried to display enthusiasm, even happiness, actually I tired harder just to hide my disgust.

Spike: “I'll be damned!”

He tossed his pole aside and we greeted each other with a hug and a laugh. It brought back memories, of a time long gone. We could never have that back.

Me: “I taught you to always guard your perimeter. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should have someone out there.” He was getting sloppy, a good demon always comes prepared. Hadn’t he learned anything from me?

Spike: “I did. I'm surrounded by idiots. What's new with you?” I suppressed a laugh at the thought of how much had changed with me. Spike wouldn’t believe it, I had become the opposite of what I had been. I decided to go with the simple answer.

Me: “Everything.”

Spike: “Yeah. Come up against this Slayer yet?” Buffy. The reason I was doing this, for her I had to play this act. Pretend to still be evil.

Me: “She's cute. Not to bright, though. Gave the puppy dog 'I'm all tortured' act. Keeps her off my back when I feed!” I laughed, almost wishing it was true. It would be so much simpler then.

Spike: Laughing so hard I thought he’d collapse. “People still fall for that Anne Rice routine. What a world!” If only he knew how true that “routine was”

Xander: “I knew you were lying.” God, don’t let the little twerp ruin the plan now. If he did, we’d both die and so most likely would Buffy.

I gave Xander a squeeze to shut him up. It didn’t work.

Xander: “Un-dead liar guy.”

I Grabbed him by the hair and shirt and held up his exposed neck. I really wanted to bite me, god help me I did.

Me: “Wanna bite before we kill him?”

Spike: “I haven't seen you in the killing fields for an age.” What do I say? Do I tell him of course he hasn’t seen me it’s been almost a hundred years since I killed a human? I don’t think so.

Me: “I'm not much for company.” Well it’s true, I prefer my own misery.

Spike: “No, you never were. So, why are you so scared of this Slayer?”

Angel: “Scared?” Not the word I would have used, I’m not scared of her I adore her. She’s my sunlight, but Spike would never understand or maybe he would. His attachment to Dru isn’t exactly inhuman.

Spike: “Yeah. Time was you would've taken her out in a heartbeat. Now look at you. I bet this, uh, torture thing is an act, right? You're not housebroken.” He’s right, there was a time I would have killed her in a second, but now all I can think about is saving her. Then I realised Spike was catching on, Oh no, this couldn’t be good.

Angel: “I saw her kill the Master. Hey, you think you can take her alone? Be my guest. I'll just feed and run.” I roared and bent to Xander's neck.

Spike: “Don't be silly! We're old friends. We'll do it together. Let's drink to it.”

We both slowly leant in to Xander's next. At the last moment Spike punched me in the face, making me stagger back. Damn, he knew.

Spike: “You think you can fool me?! You were my sire, man! You were my... Yoda!”

Angel: “Things change.” How simple, but true that statement was. At some point or another everything changed.

Spike: “Not us! Not demons! Man, I can't believe this.” He was wrong, demons changed. Everything changes, that’s the way it works. “You Uncle Tom!” He grabbed his pole from the floor. “Come on, people! This isn't a spectator sport!” Uh, oh that didn't sound good.

The vampires roared and attacked. Xander barged out the door that was behind him and ran. I followed as the other vampires gave chase. If we survived this night, I’d be forever thankful. But I knew that the fight was far from over, not even close.

The End