Title: Bloodlines Parts 1 thru 29 and Epilogue
Author: P'al Kwai
E-Mail: isisbaast@aol.com
Ratings: NC-17. Throughout this series, there will be language, violence, abuse, torture, bloodplay, religious/mystical/biblical reference with a vampire theme, incest, and EXPLICIT m/m slash. If any of this offends you, PLEASE do not read.
Pairings: Spike/Angel
Spoilers: BtVS through Season Five, and Angel through Season Two.
Disclaimer: I don't own BtVs or Angel characters. Joss Whedon, David Greenwald, Mutant Enemy and the WB...all rights. Some ideas and terms LOOSELY used from "Vampire: The Masquerade, the role- playing game created by Mark ReinHagen for White Wolf Game Studio. No infringement intended.
Feedback: PLEASE, I'd love to hear from you.
Dedication: To Red and Donna my beta-readers. And to all the ppl who helped me or contributed to this series: Saber ShadowKitten, Jessica, ShadowSword, Amanda, and Kristin.
{ } denotes thoughts ** denotes emphasis
Part 1
Together with Riley and Xander, Buffy was keeping a watchful eye on her mortal enemy, who was sitting innocently on Giles' couch. A deal had been made. Riley got one of the Initiative doctors to take the chip out of Spike's head, and Spike, in return would help them bring down Adam. If successful and still alive, he would then leave Sunnydale and never come back. But Buffy was still wary; the chip was now out, and Spike was known for not keeping his word.
"Now tell me again what Adam said..."
"Cor, Rupert," Spike rolled his eyes, "How many times do I have to go over this?"
Buffy leaned over to look Spike in the eye. "Until Adam is dead, Mr. Man Without Chip."
"Sod off Slayer." Spike pushed her angrily away.
But the push was weak at best, making Buffy look at him in surprise. {What the hell is wrong with him? He doesn't look right. He's flushed. A vampire is never flushed?} "You OK Spike? You look like you're not feeling right?"
"You have your head sliced open, and see how you feel."
"Sorry I asked Mr. Bitchy."
"Didn't I just tell you to sod off?"
Buffy let out a snort of laughter, "Like you scare me, chip or no chip."
"Children, please..." Giles began but was interrupted by a knocking on the door. "Wesley, Cordelia? What a surprise!" Riley had opened the door to the two very agitated visitors.
"Thank God, you're all here. We've got a problem." Wesley began. "When we arrived at work today...Cordelia and I, ...we had an unpleasant surprise..."
"Angel's soulless again." Cordelia interrupted Wesley's ramblings.
"WHAT!" They had the attention of the whole room.
"This is a joke, right?" Buffy said weakly.
"I don't think this bloke knows how to tell a joke." Spike was sizing Wesley up carefully.
"Shut-up Spike." Buffy turned to give him an evil look, but was surprised to see that there was no mockery on his face. He looked deadly serious.
"How could this have happened?" Concern was written all over Giles' face.
"Some strange woman came to visit him last night. They were still talking when I left for the day. And this morning when Wesley and I show up for work, guess who's there to greet us?"
"Did he try to hurt you?" Buffy was groaning to herself. Adam and ANGELUS! A nightmare come true.
"No." Wesley shook his head. "Insulted and taunted us a bit, but said he didn't have any interest in hurting us, as he needed to get to Sunnydale quickly to find his Childe."
"Childe?" Giles pushed his glasses up, turning to Spike. "Is he referring to you? I was always unclear on who sired you. Some references have said that Angelus was your Sire; others have said Drusilla."
"Dru's my Sire." Spike said shortly, but not very convincingly.
"That's funny, because I'm sure that Angel once told me that he sired you." Xander loved to stir up the pot.
Frowning at Xander, Spike quickly changed the subject. "What did the tart look like?"
"Tart? Oh the woman that came to visit last night." Thinking hard, Cordelia tried to remember what she looked like. "Medium height. Different looking. Shoes didn't go with her outfit."
Six pairs of eyes rolled.
"Hair color? Eye color? Fat? Thin?" Xander prodded her.
"She looked semi-Chinese, but she spoke English like Giles and Spike...well, more like Giles."
Buffy looked at Cordelia in bewilderment. What kind of description was that?
"Did Angel call her Alex?" Spike asked Cordelia.
"Yeah, yeah!" Cordelia looked excitedly at Spike. "That's right. Alex."
"Who's Alex?" Wesley turned to Spike.
Shrugging his shoulders and trying to look nonchalant, "A vampire friend of Angel's. Goes way back."
"Spill Spike." Buffy knew he was holding back.
"A powerful vampiress who also practices the black arts." Shaking his head, Spike spoke quietly to himself. "But I don't understand why she would want to desoul him."
{Black arts!} "Well that would explain..." Wesley was interrupted by Giles' front door flying open.
*Angel.* Game face on. Hand around the throat of a very frightened Willow. "Rupert, invite my friends in, and you can have Red back."
"Are you insane? I won't invite them in." Giles looked over at the two vampires standing behind Angel in the doorway.
Tightening his hand around Willow's throat, causing her to squeal, Angel growled again. "Invite them in. I'm not here to fight with you."
Thinking only of the frightened girl in the demon's grasp, Giles blurted out an invitation to the two vampires. As they stepped into Giles' apartment, Angel released his grip on Willow, giving her a small push toward Buffy.
"What do you want...Angelus?" Giles eyed the vampire carefully.
Smirking at Wesley and Cordelia, "Didn't waste any time spreading the word. But none of you need to worry, I'm here only to reclaim my Childe." Angel looked over at Spike.
Spike, still looking poorly, was slowly inching his way toward the staircase.{I can jump out of one of the upstairs windows.}
Reading his mind, Angel crossed the room, a predator stalking his prey. "I have minions surrounding the building. You can't get away. It's time for you to come home now, Childe."
Backing up, Spike sent a pleading look over to Buffy. "Slayer?"
Buffy grabbed Angel's arm. "He doesn't need to go with you."
Angel glared at her, yellow eyes flashing with rage. Pushing her hand off his arm, he growled at her. "Don't interfere, Slayer. You've done enough damage to him."
{Damage? What harm have I done to Spike lately?}
"William," Angel shrugged out of his duster, and began unbuttoning his shirt. "You need to come with me now."
{What the hell was the Poof doing? Undressing? And fuck! Why do I feel like I'm burning up inside?} "Not gonna come with you mate."
"He never did listen well, did he?" An exotic looking woman walked gracefully through the door.
"This is all your fucking fault." Spike yelled at the newcomer.
"And hello to you, too, William. Still have a mouth on you, I see." The woman grinned cheekily at him, but then turned deadly serious. "Go to your Father, Childe. You've been poisoned. You need your Father's blood."
A confused Spike looked at Angel, who had with his index finger, had opened a vein across one dark nipple. The enticing scent of his Angel's blood hit Spike like a sledgehammer. It had been so long! And one rarely got the chance to taste a Sire's blood. Trying to ignore the scent, Spike turned angrily toward Buffy. "What are they talking about? What did you have done to me?"
Mystified Buffy looked over at Riley who could only shake his head helplessly. "Spike I don't know...anything about this?"
Spike turned his rage on Riley. "Take me back to those quack doctors of yours. I want an cure."
"There is no antidote." Willow spoke up, fear still evident in her voice. Stepping toward Spike, she went on to explain. "Your...ah...Sire had me check into their computer records. It's an experimental poison. An antidote was never developed. And now..." She trailed off looking at Angel fearfully.
"Your Adam blew up the lab and all your friends with it. Good riddance to all of them, but now there are no records or persons I can torture to give me the answers I want. But to make me feel better, I guess I could always torture you." The last sentence was a deliberate taunt at Riley.
Shock, disbelief, and anger warred within Riley, making him forget for a moment who Angel was. "You lie!" Lunging at Angel, he hoped to take him down with a flying tackle, but so much stronger, Angel had him around the throat before Riley could even take a swing at him. "I should have killed you when I had the chance." He hissed at the mortal.
"Angelus!" The vampiress, Alex barked at Angel. "You're forgetting why we're here."
Growling, Angel dropped Riley to the floor, and then lunged so swiftly that the humans in the room never saw him move. Grabbing Spike by the back of the hair, Angel pulled his head back, exposing his throat. Biting into his Childe's jugular, Angel drained Spike until he became limp in Angel's grip. Reacting, Buffy started toward Angel but was stopped abruptly by one of the two vampires that Giles had invited in.
He was a handsome vampire with cruel, dark eyes and strange markings on his face. "This is not your concern, Slayer."
Kneeling down, Angel pulled Spike to his breast, holding his head to the bleeding wound. "Drink Childe. My blood is strong."
Hesitantly at first and then unable to resist, Spike began to suck the sweet nectar, as Angel gently stroked the back of his head.
"Make him go to sleep. He's less of a pain when he's asleep." Alex had picked-up Angel's duster and was wrapping it around Spike.
Standing up with Spike in his arms, Angel looked over at Giles and then at Buffy. "We're not here to cause any trouble. In a couple days, we'll be gone, and we won't be back."
****
Part 2
Spooned up against his Childe's back, Angel had one arm and one leg wrapped tightly around him. It was a familiar position, used mostly for self-defense though, as William couldn't stay still, awake or asleep. Numerous times Angel had awakened with a bloody nose or a split-lip. Fighting his demons, or perhaps running from them? Feeling the younger vampire stir, Angel tightened his arm around him. {Ah, he's awakening.}
"How are you feeling, Childe?" A whisper in his ear. Spike did a quick assessment. The fire inside of him was definitely better. Felt stronger, too. Only...a burning on the outside of his neck, like someone had held lit cigarettes to the area just alongside of the Adam's apple. "Neck burns...," trying to release his hand to feel the area.
{Damn! That should have been healed by now? The poison must interfere with his vampiric healing ability.} Biting his index finger, Angel smeared some of his blood over the 'mark'. "My fault Childe. Didn't want to cause you more pain, but I couldn't wait any longer. Had to rectify my mistake."
{Mistake? Mistake? What the bloody hell was the poof talking about?} "What...??"
"A Blood-Childe is always marked. I should have marked you as mine years ago."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Anger, or perhaps it was fear that gave Spike enough strength to roll on his back, throwing Angel off of him. But before Spike could grab his neck, Angel had straddled him, pinning both of his hands above his head.
"My Childe." A growl.
Although he knew it was true, Spike couldn't, wouldn't admit it to Angel. "Memory failing you, old man? I was sired by Drusilla in 1873."
{Ah-h yes, the myth that I began and perpetuated.}
"I remember the night well." Spike wasn't going to back down. "Sitting in the street, I looked up, and there was this black goddess of a woman. It was a warm night with a ..."
"...slight breeze. The moon was full, low in the sky. The air smelled like jasmine." Angel interrupted him. {Dru's fantasy. Like the air in London ever smelled like jasmine.} Dru was always eager to please her Daddy. After being told that she should tell anyone who asked that she was William's Sire, she promptly invented the whole event, complete with minute details. "Dru always did have a good imagination."
"Fuck you!" Spike looked up at Angel with hate in his eyes. Memories of his 'childhood' began to flow through him. Memories that Spike had carefully locked away in a corner of his mind. Living with Druscilla for so many years, it had been easy to fall a bit into her madness, and believe the 'easy' truth. That truth erased all of young William's emotional baggage: the longing, the hurt, the rejection, the abandonment. The years went by, and he became more and more liberated, so much so, that one hundred years later he would be able to meet his Sire with a cool detachment. "You never acknowledged me; you rejected and abandoned me. You have no claim to me anymore. And I refuse to recognize you as my Sire." Spike spat these last words out at Angel.
Patience at an end. True face showing. Angel tightened his grip on Spike's hands. "You're so foolish Childe. Do you think that mere words can change who you are, who I am?"
But Spike was never one to go down without a fight. Trying to buck Angel off of him, he struggled to free his hands, but Angel had had enough. Shifting his weight, he easily pinned the smaller vampire. With one hand, he entwined his fingers in Spike's hair, yanking up his head, and sinking fangs into the carotid artery. Draining him to the point where the younger vampire could only lay on the bed weakly, Angel bit into his own wrist, letting the blood flow. It was time to take control!
Spreading his Childe's legs wide, Angel repositioned himself, and in one deft movement he sank himself into his Childe while at the same time pushing his bleeding wrist into the boy's mouth.
Hating himself for being weak, but unable to resist, Spike latched on, sucking greedily. {I'm lost now. There's no turning back.}
With slow, easy strokes, Angel coupled with his Childe, reveling in the feelings that flowed through him: lust, pleasure, dominance, control, and...love. But there was still one last thing that needed to be done. Abruptly he pulled himself out of his son. Nose to nose, he quietly began to ask the questions. "Who am I."
Groaning, Spike felt the separation from his Sire. {Oh god, no. Please Sire. Don't Stop!} Raising his hips to his Sire's, he pushed up desperately, wanting more.
"Answer me!" A sharp command.
Trying to get his brain to work, Spike searched for answer. "My Sire."
Growling, eyes flashing with anger, Angel dug his fingers into Spike's scalp causing pain. "I'm your Father, Childe, and a Childe always belongs to the Father."
"I belong to you." Spike agreed.
Appeased, Angel shifted himself, merging his body again with his son's. Afterwards, head on his Sire's chest, his Sire's arms and legs wrapped tightly around him, Spike could feel himself starting to fall into a deep sleep. Whether it was his own will or his Father's will 'pushing' him to sleep, he didn't know or care. Another whisper in his ear. "You're home now Childe."
****
Part 3
The sun was setting when Spike awoke again finding himself alone. He felt great! No burning. No pain. No weakness. Sleep and his Sire's blood, the cure-all for anything!
Without his Sire's presence to muddy his thinking, he began to go over the events of last night and early this morning. His Sire's gentleness last night had confused him. In the past, a session with Angelus usually consisted of being thrown over a table and fucked until he was bleeding and raw.
This was not the Angelus that Spike had known more than one hundred years ago, nor was he the Angelus of two years ago. Which begged the question: what the hell was going on? Maybe this was some elaborate hoax that Soul-boy, and that cow, Alex had dreamed up? Pretend that Angel had lost his soul? But for what purpose?
It didn't add up, and it was giving him a bloody headache. Stomping downstairs in the mansion he used to call home, he went in search for some food. There had to be some captive humans around. No chip now meant that he could finally taste human blood again. He was slightly surprised when the thought of warm human blood did not elite the hunger he would have thought, but instead a nauseous feeling. {Too much animal blood. Ruined my digestive system.}
"Where's the food?" He asked a female minion who quickly jumped up and began to heat up...pig's blood! "I'm not eating this shit." Temper flaring, he threw both mug and blood at the female's face.
"Practice some self-control." Spike's elder brother had walked into the kitchen.
"Sod off. Where's the human blood, or better yet, where are the humans?"
"No hunting or killing. Father's orders."
"What kind of stupid directive is that. The old man must be losing it." Spike mumbled half to himself. {Fuck the order. I'll just go out and do a little hunting on my own. It's been too long anyways.}
His brother must have read his face. "Don't cross him today. He's *not* in a good mood." But Spike was already out the door. Making it to the front door, he was almost out when a strong hand stopped him. Alex.
"You're not to leave William."
"Says who?"
A raised eyebrow. "The poison in you is dormant now because of your Father's blood, but any kind of trauma to the body could activate it again. You need to stay inside out of danger. Are you listening to me?"
"Fuck off." {Bloody interfering old bitch. Always meddling. Probably making all this crap up just to make his life miserable.}
"William!" Alex tightened her grip on him. "This isn't a joke. We're talking about your life here."
"Get your bloody hands off of me." Spike pushed her away. "And shut the fuck up. I don't want to listen to your lies anymore!"
"William!" Angel had heard the ruckus and had come to investigate. Instantly Spike found himself backing down, an old habit. The mere presence of his Sire always had that effect on him. The look on Angel's face was not promising, and Spike backed up a few steps, flinching, waiting for the blows. But they never came.
Angry, but controlled, Angel stared at his Childe. "You *will* not leave the mansion! Disobey me, and you'll find yourself chained to the bed."
{Yeah, right daddy.} Spike watched as the two elder vampires walked away. {But I've never been very good at doing what I was told.}
**
The day had started out bad, and it was going down fast. It began with bad news from New York. The Master there had refused Angelus entry, and to fight his way in was unthinkable, not with this motley crew of Brujah minions. They were now stuck here in Sunnydale indefinitely.
And then William. Within an hour of getting out of bed his Childe had managed to bully a minion, insult his brother, and get into a fight with Alex. Angel had forgotten how aggravating William could be at times.
But it hadn't ended there. After disciplining his younger son, he was greeted by news from some of his minions that a large, odd-looking demon had stopped by, inquiring about their Master's plans. Adam. Something would have to be done about him, too.
And now this! A group of minions had come to him, arrogant and rebellious. Their spokesperson was a young, male vampire, less than fifty years old. These young ones, no respect for their elders. Ignorant really, as they had no clue to his power.
"Master." Not said submissively, but with a sullen touch of condescension. "We don't agree with your ban on hunting. If you're so *scared* of the Slayer, I'll go and take care of her." His meaning was clear; Angelus was a weak, old man, living on his reputation alone.
Growling, Angel grabbed the vampire, two hands on either side of his head. "She'd stake you, before you'd even get a first punch in."
"You think she's so strong, but maybe it's just you that's so weak!"
Totally enraged at this blatant lack of respect, Angel tightened his hands, and with a swift twist and a yank, tore the minion's head right off his shoulders. He watched the head and the body dissolve into dust with satisfaction. Let this be a lesson to the others.
Shocked and frightened, the others cowered back against the wall. They had never seen such a show of strength.
Standing hidden around a doorway, Spike watched with interest. All his doubts regarding his Sire had been removed. The rage was pure Angelus. No soul there.
With Angel's attention diverted by the minions, Spike swiftly slid around the corner, heading for a secret exit. He had used this exit two years ago, when he had snuck out to find the Slayer. It was the perfect time, as Alex had left for New York to plead Angel's case to the Master there. The only one left that he had to worry about was his dumb-ass brother, but he was probably guarding the front door, and Spike had no plans to go anywhere near the front door.
Originally he had planned to sneak out and go hunting, breaking two rules, a sure bet to get his Sire to go through the roof, and maybe discover what Angelus was up to. Spike couldn't explain Angelus' unusual behavior, but figured that it probably was another one of his games. His Sire was a master at inflicting wounds, physical and emotional. Case-in-point his toying with the Slayer two years ago. This whole concerned father act was probably just a set-up, and in a week or so, he find himself booted out on the street, or worse yet, stripped of his status as Blood-Childe and thrown in a corner somewhere.
But overhearing the news about Adam, Spike's plans changed. The Slayer hadn't finished him off yet, which meant that all the Scoobies were right now at Giles' house, plotting and planning. Spike had an agreement with the Slayer to help her with Adam, and he now planned to keep it. She would be his ace-in-the-hole against Angelus, and he would need one. Angelus allied with Alex and reunited with his oldest son, Djoser was a deadly combination. Clearing the mansion's grounds, Spike broke into a run heading for the former Watcher's house.
****
Part 4
"Ma'am, your flight has been delayed because of fog. As soon as the fog lifts at J.F.K., we will get you out on the first available flight. And that's all I can tell you now." The young woman behind the counter said this to Alex with a touch of disdain masked by a false politeness, giving Alex a strong urge to lean over the counter and rip the woman's tongue out. Defeated, Alex went back to sit down, briefly contemplating following the woman when she went on break and killing her discreetly in the bathroom. But no, she couldn't take any risks at all. For William. For the Clan.
Earlier in the month.
Victor, one of the precious Blood-Childer of the Tremere Clan had been taken captive by the Watcher's Council, but for the first few weeks no one even knew he was missing. Victor was known for disappearing for weeks at a time, usually because he was drunk on his ass somewhere. When they finally realized that he was missing, the search began, but it was too late. By then the Watcher's Council had sent him home to his Father, a blackened, living shell, insides melted away, body so hot to the touch it burned.
For almost a year now rumors had been flying about in vampire circles about a poison. A poison developed specifically for vampires. A poison that killed. Vampires began dying in parts of Europe and now on the eastern coast of the United States. No one in the Tremere Clan has been affected by this tragedy yet. Until now.
They had managed to keep the Childe alive for more than a week. Rumor had it that a pureblood vampire such as Anton, Victor's father, was immune to the poison, so they fed the Childe his Father's blood. It did slow the progress of the poison, but in hindsight Alex wondered if they had really done Victor a favor. They had just prolonged his suffering. A couple of times Alex seriously considered staking him, but Anton would not hear of it, and no one was allowed to kill a Blood-Childe except the Childe's Father or the Master of the Clan. He finally died in his Father's arm, trying to pant for air that he didn't need, his eyes screaming at them, his body just bones with a charred, black skin covering.
.
Already knowing where Victor had been held prisoner, the grief-stricken Father went on a rampage. With a group of highly competent minions, Anton stormed the Council's facility with only one objective, *revenge*. Alex joined the vigilantes, but she had another objective besides revenge, she sought information.
And she found him. A bearded man whose I.D. badge labeled him 'Clinic Director'. Knowing that pain was a great motivator, she began breaking bones in his body.
"An antidote. Is there an antidote?"
"No antidote." Teeth clenched in pain. "And there never will be one. Once it enters the
system, the poison turns into a lethal substance that eats away the insides of a vampire. No possible antidote."
Leaning the man over the counter, Alex grabbed his head intending to snap his neck, but knowing his fate, the man could not help but have one final taunt for the vampiress.
"One of your prized Blood-Childer is already dead, and another one was just recently poisoned. The bloodlines of the once mighty Tremere Clan are being cut-off. Your Clan will cease to exist."
{A valid threat.} "Who else has been poisoned?" Alex snarled at the man, but he remained silent, now comprehending that in his arrogance he had talked too much. So Alex motivated him some more, with a well placed kick to the front of the knee, shattering the kneecap. Screaming the man would have fallen, but Alex held him up easily. "*Who*?"
Between gasps of pain, he somehow answered her. "I-n California, a-a military grou-p, co-olaborat-ing w-ith us, poi-soned the Ch-ilde never marked, the o-one with t-he mis-nomer, Wil-liam the Blo-ody."
{*William*!} Alex was stunned. Few knew that William was a Blood-Childe. Angelus had invented a whole series of lies to keep William's true identity a secret, and for the past century William, himself told anyone who asked those same lies. "How do you know about him?"
His head spinning, knowing he would soon pass out, the man only shook his head, smirking at the vampiress. It would be his only victory.
**
"...we need to get to him. He needs your blood!" Alex studied the souled vampire sitting across the desk from her. She had never seen him since he was cursed. Some years ago she had heard that he was in New York, and had considered looking him up, mainly to have a good laugh, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. What goes around, comes around; Angelus had gotten his just desserts.
Staring intently at a pencil in his hand, Angel just shook his head. "Perhaps it's for the best. He's an uncontrollable killer. In good conscience I can't be part of trying to save him."
Alex was outraged. "He became a killer to please his Father. He's your Childe, your Blood-Childe, and you would have him die a slow, tortuous death? That soul of yours must have eaten away your brain."
Angel closed his eyes as the guilt washed over him. Alex was right. Spike had become a killer, because that's what Angelus had always wanted. "Go to Sunnydale and stake him then, but watch out. There's a military group there that specifically hunts and captures vampires and demons. There's also a powerful Slayer there. I would recommend that you don't anger her."
Alex was speechless with fury. {Bloody, self-righteous hypocrite. Even with a soul, he still couldn't do right by William.} "As his Sire and Father, you're the only one who can legally kill him."
"I do not think of myself as his Sire and Father anymore. And Spike hasn't acknowledged me in that way since we've met up again over two years ago." A fact which rather annoyed Angel, although he would not admit this to anyone. Conflicting emotions warred through Angel. A part of him wanted to rush to Sunnydale to rescue and protect his Childe, but his soul, his soul kept telling him it was for the best. Wesley had been right; a part of Angel wanted to die. The world would be better off with his death and the death of his Childer.
"Who the hell cares what either of you think! We're vampires, and we're bound by our laws and customs." {Christ, Angelus with a soul was even more contemptible than the old Angelus ever was! ...Angelus without a soul...} Alex's mind began to whirl. Would the old Angelus be so quick to just dismiss William? Granted, he had physically and emotionally hurt William in more ways than anyone could count, but even so, he had always been very protective when it came to anyone else hurting his Childe. A logic that Alex never understood, but being irrational was Angelus' forte. Making up her mind quickly, Alex stood up, taking a few steps backwards, concentrating hard. {Gypsy curse. Child's play, really.}
Still fighting with himself, Angel didn't at first realize what she was doing, until he looked up and saw her eyes flashing red. Hurdling over his desk in one swift leap, Angel lunged for her. But he was too late, as the majik flowed from her body hitting him in mid air causing him to fall to the floor, body engulfed in pain.
Alex watched the prone figure carefully. Angelus always was an unpredictable son-of-a-bitch. If he chose to attack her, she needed to be ready. Although confident of her abilities, she knew from past experiences that Angelus was a vicious, extremely strong fighter. One small miscalculation on her part, and she would be dust, but to her great surprise, the vampire she had known for years looked up at her, eyes shaded with sorrow with memories from the past. "My Childe needs me, and I won't fail him this time. Help me save him. Help me to bring him home where he belongs."
****
The Tremere Clan, the best organized of the vampires, manipulative, intelligent, and aggressive. In my world, this is the Clan of Angelus, Spike and Alex.
Part 5
Buffy paced the room nervously. They had come up with a plan to destroy Adam, by employing an Enjoining Spell. Willow, Giles, and Xander would perform the ritual with Wesley standing guard against Adam's minions, as it was crucial that the spell not be interrupted. Buffy was fast changing her opinion about her former Watcher; he now seemed quite competent, and his attitude! From a pompous ass to quite a team player.
But still, Buffy would have liked another quote, unquote warrior to guard her friends. If only Riley hadn't fallen apart at the seams, but after finding out that all his comrades and friends had been killed, he had become quite despondent. He was now back home in Iowa, recovering and hopefully finding himself. God...if only...Buffy was so desperate that even Spike would look good now. As if she had the power to wish someone there with her, Spike suddenly appeared in Giles' doorway!
"Hey Chaps, help has arrived. So what's the plan for Adam?"
Looking up from his book, Giles sighed. "Did no one ever teach you to knock?"
"Wot for, when your door is always open?"
"Why are you here anyways? Didn't you leave town with Angel?"
"Glitch in the travel plans, but don't get your knickers in a bundle." Quickly looking over at Buffy. "Orders from the big Poof, himself. No hunting. No killing. Doesn't want to piss off the mighty Slayer." Spike grinned broadly.
{That didn't sound like Angelus.} Buffy was puzzled.
Cordelia, always quick to notice one's appearance. "What's that funny mark on your neck?"
Spike groaned to himself. Without a reflection, he had forgotten about his 'mark'. Racking his brain to come up with a quick and simple explanation that would satisfy these nosey humans, Spike thought fast, but after glaring at the two Watchers, he realized that it was pointless. They knew.
Giles was studying the mark intently. "This is incredible. I've never seen a vampire with such a mark before... the mark of a dhampir. Spike, you never mentioned that you're..."
"Dee hamper! Dee hamper! What the hell is that?" Xander interrupted Giles.
Spike, too was confused.{Dhampir? What the bloody hell was the watcher talking about?}
"A dhampir is a child, born of a human mother, fathered by a vampire. They're very rare."
"Didn't you tell me that vampires are unable to father children?" Buffy was stunned.
"Most can't. But those that can trace their bloodlines to the original vampire, Caine are able to reproduce."
"Only some of them." Spike corrected him. "And we're called 'Blood-Childer', not dhampirs." {Dhampir, my ass. A made up human word.}
"Yes...yes...of course. That's what makes dhampirs...ah, I mean Blood-Childer so rare. And from what I've read they're honored, cherished, protected, because they are of the bloodline, and they represent the Clan's future hope that the bloodline will be continued."
"Angel's son." Wesley, too was staring at Spike. "Born to him and then turned by him."
*Angel's son!* Four pairs of jaws dropped.
"You don't look anything like him." Cordelia stopped filing her nails long enough to give Spike a good once-over.
"Bloody hell." Spike grumbled under his breath. "Yeah, and I say a prayer to the vampire gods everyday thanking them for that."
"Why did Angelus never mark you before? And nothing in the historical records even hinted at such a relationship. In fact, many don't even have Angelus as your Sire."
{They're not going to be satisfied until I tell them the whole friggin' story.} "Angelus was always ashamed of me; he never acknowledged me as his Childe, let alone, his Blood-Childe."
"So, Deadboy Junior, what kind of father-son bonding moments did you have with dear old dad? A little catch in the backyard? Did he take you to a ball game? Build you a tree house? Come on, spill. Inquiring minds want to know." Xander had gotten up and had walked over to Spike.
Spike resisted the urge to tear the boy's throat out, since the Slayer was standing only a few feet away. Now was not the time to piss her off, since he might need a favor from her in the near future. "According to our laws, vampire fathers have no contact with their Blood-Childer until it's time to go and claim them. I met daddy for the first time when he came to turn me. But after I was turned, we had many bonding moments. Yeah, daddy and I bonded all the time. He'd beat me almost everyday, except the days when he locked me in a closet without food and forgot about me. Sometimes, if I really pissed him off, he'd whip me until most of the flesh on my back was gone. And when the old boy got randy, he'd throw me over a table and bugger me for hours on end." {There, that should shut them all up.} It did. "Now, this conversation is beginning to bore me. Don't we have more important things to discuss, like destroying Adam?"
But Wesley still needed to have one more point cleared up. "Spike, you've got poison in your system. Does Angel know that you're here helping us?"
"I'm not a five-year-old. I don't need..."
"He's now marked you, and judging by his actions last night he wants you safe and out of danger." Wesley persisted.
"Listen you stupid git. My relationship with Angel is my business. You humans should be jumping for joy that I'm here to help you with demonoid boy."
"If you were to get hurt, or killed while helping us, Angel will have our..." Wesley was stopped short by a discreet jab to the ribs by Giles.
"You're quite correct." Looking at Spike. "None of this is our business. And yes, we're ecstatic that you're here, willing to help us. Now let me explain to you about the Enjoining Spell, oh, before I start, Wesley didn't you say you had a rare spell book back at you hotel room that we wanted to cross-reference?"
{Hotel room?? I'm staying here with Rupert...} Comprehension dawned quickly on Wesley. "Yes, of course, I'm right on it." Grabbing his jacket, he sprinted quickly out the door.
45 minutes later.
Laying on Giles' couch, head and shoulders hanging over the couch's arm, Spike thought that his head would explode. He had always known that Giles was a little bit of a windbag, but this was ridiculous! "Giles, I don't need to hear the whole friggin' spell, word for word. I know what I'm suppose to do, so let's just get on with it."
"Listen pea-brain." Buffy understood that Giles was stalling. She didn't know why, but because it was Giles, she played along. "This is important. You screw up something, and I will personally hunt you down and make you hurt in ways you never imagined."
"Yeah, you always did *talk* a good line Slayer."
Forgetting herself, Buffy leaped up, grabbing Spike by his duster. "You want to see me do something more than talk? Just say the word." For some reason Spike always seemed to bring out the worst in Buffy.
Pushing Buffy back and leaping to his feet, Spike, too forgot all good intentions. "I always said that you and I would have another confrontation. And there's no time like the present."
"Give it your best shot." Buffy stepped closer to Spike, getting into his face. Neither one of them was paying any notice to Giles who was desperately trying to get their attention. Spike got the first good punch in, but his second was blocked, as Buffy nailed him in the face with a right cross. Spike's head snapped back, causing him to bite the inside of his cheek. Such a small wound really, nothing to even pay attention to. *But the pain!* Spike staggered backwards, barely able to keep his feet. Buffy pressed her advantage, not realizing what was happening to Spike. But before she could do any more damage, she was grabbed by the same dark vampire from the night before.
"Slayer." He hissed at her. "The penalty for assaulting a Blood-Childe is death by torture." He then backhanded her with a casual viciousness that sent her down to one knee. She rose quickly to defend herself, but was taken by surprise when Spike got between them, pushing the other vampire away.
"Sod off . The Slayer and I were just having ourselves a little warm-up exercise." Buffy and Spike had been so absorbed in their spat, that they hadn't noticed Wesley returning, followed by Angel and his eldest Blood-Childe, Djoser.
"WILLIAM!" Angel was staring intently at Spike. He could smell his blood, although he could see no apparent wounds. "Weren't you told not to leave the mansion?"
"Yes." As annoying as Spike could be, he still was always one to fess-up to any wrong doings.
"And you left anyways?"
Defensive and trying to hide the fact that he was in pain, Spike resorted to being flippant. "Right mate, nothing like stating the obvious."
Worry and anger collided inside Angel as he grabbed his insolent Childe, wrapping two strong arms around him, pulling him up against his body. "You *will* address me as either Father or Sire. NOW, if you keep defying me, we'll have a repeat performance of last night, and I will carry you out of here again like the Childe you are!"
"Did you not hear Alex explain to you about being carefully, about what could happen if you're injured in any way?" Djoser was looking at Spike like he was a complete moron.
"Ri-right. Like I'm going to listen to that cow. What the bloody hell does she know about a experimental military poison?" Spike was wondering if he could break out of Angel's grasp, but the arms that held him were strong, much stronger than Spike remembered.
"She killed one of the doctors who injected Victor with it. You do remember Victor? They murdered him with this poison." Angel spoke quietly in Spike's ear, and then much to Spike's surprise Angel bent his head, nipping and then licking the side of Spike's neck.
{A warning?} But it didn't feel like his Sire had done it out of anger. The gesture did serve to make Spike relax his body against his Sire's. "Victor hasn't been here in Sunnydale, so how could the Initiative poison him?"
"Initiative? We're talking about the Watcher's Council." Djoser didn't say it, but Spike could almost hear the word 'idiot' at the end of his last sentence.
"Watcher's Council?" Giles spoke up for the first time. "What does the Watcher's Council have to do with this?"
Angel, still studying his Childe closely, answered him. "They were the ones that developed the poison. They were in collaboration with the Initiative, probably served as consultants for them."
{That made sense. That explained how the Initiative had so much knowledge about demons and vampires.}
"But this is great news, Angel." Wesley spoke up without thinking. "If the Watcher's Council developed the poison, then there are records. And I still have a few contacts in the Council, maybe one of them will help us."
Human and vampire alike all turned to look at Wesley in amazement.
"Wesley." Cordelia spoke to him like she was explaining to a small child. "He's not your boss anymore, so you can stop kissing up. Oh, and by the way, he is the enemy now. You know, soulless...grrr."
"I-I-I..." Wesley didn't know what to say. It had just come out. He had loved his old boss, and Angelus still looked like the souled Angel, and it was hard to remember just who and what he was.
But Wesley had certainly caught Angel's attention. {An ex-Watcher. An honorable man. Plan B.} "Help me." Angel looked at all the humans in the room. "Help me, and I'll repay you in ways that you couldn't imagine." Seeing skepticism written on all their faces, he tried another angle. "Think about it. And as a gesture of good faith, I'll help you bring down Adam." <Turning to Djoser.> "The Watchers here will tell you what to do. Help them and help the Slayer kill the demon."
Djoser's normal stoicism slipped a little at his Father's command. {Help humans! Help a Slayer!} "Sire, I..."
But it had been a long day for Angel, and he was tired of people questioning and disobeying his commands. "*Do it!* And you better not fail, because you won't be allowed back home, until you bring me the demon's head."
***
Part 6
The next day Spike woke again at twilight, chained by one ankle to the bed with his Sire's cum dried in his ass and on the inside of his thighs. After leaving Giles' house the night before, Angel had put him to bed, literally.
Getting up from the bed, Spike tested the length of the chain. It was long enough to allow him to move around a bit, but not long enough to make it to the bathroom. "Stupid Bugger! How the hell does he expect me to take a shower!" He grumbled to himself.
Pain was still radiating around in his jaw and face, but Spike was proud of himself. Hadn't let on at all, even when the big poof bit him last night while climaxing. Couldn't let his Sire see him in pain and weak *again*. His wheelchair episode had been enough. Enduring Angelus' scorn had been humiliating. Spike had never really forgotten the contemptuous look on Angelus' face, while being told that he was a pitiful excuse for a vampire. Eerily, Spike began remembering another time, a time long ago when Angelus had had that very same look while telling Spike he was a pathetic excuse for a son.
Hearing footsteps in the hallway, Spike climbed back into bed. He could also smell...blood...animal blood. Someone was coming with a meal, but the smell only served to intensify the pain. {Fuck!} Spike fell backwards on the pillows trying to control the pain, as it began to pound around in his mouth causing his teeth to even hurt.
The bedroom door was opened by Angel, followed by a female minion carrying a tray with a mug of warmed up pig's blood. "Childe, you need to eat. I was told you ate nothing yesterday."
Spike pulled the blanket up, hiding his face. "Not hungry."
Dismissing the minion, Angel studied the figure of his son thoughtfully. {Something was wrong. Perhaps he needs human blood.} Quickly going downstairs, Angel went to the front door where his only turned Childe in the household was standing guard. "Ramose, go bring back a human, but make sure it's not an innocent human that will anger the Slayer, some criminal type. William needs to feed on some human blood, so be quick about it."
"Sire." Ramose bowed his head briefly, stoic expression in place, before swiftly taking off.
Staying at the front door, Angel watched his Childe clear the mansion's grounds. He wondered if 'keeping a stoic expression' had been part of Djoser's and Ramose's human training, as both of them rarely showed any expression at all. They had been raised together as humans, trained like their human ancestors to be warriors. Ramose had been a gift to the Nightwalker, Angelus when he had returned to claim his Blood-Childe, Djoser. He turned both together, making the bond between them even stronger. As human warriors they had been dangerous, as vampires they were lethal. They made a deadly pair!
Waiting by the door, Angel stood guard since he didn't trust any of the minions. They were a useless group. They gave him numbers, and a few of them had strength, but they had had no guidance, so they were unskilled and undisciplined as fighters. Scanning the grounds, Angel saw a tall figure come into sight. Djoser! And he was carrying Adam's head! One problem solved!
**
Spike discovered that if he lay perfectly still, the pain seemed to dissipate somewhat, although he was starting to feel a burning inside of him. To distract himself, he began to contemplate everything that had happened in the last two days. It seemed that Alex had told him the truth about the effects of the poison. He needed to be careful in the future. But *Bloody Hell*! One blow to the face, and he felt like this! Now he couldn't fight at all. He should have stayed with the soddin chip.
And now this meant that he truly was dependent on his Sire for...for everything. Food. Protection. And a fucking solution to this mess! Guess he would have to try and behave himself, try not to aggravate his Wanker of a Sire. {Yeah, right. Like that's gonna happen.}
And what was with his Sire! His disobedience last night should have earned him at least a beating with a brutal fuck to top it off. Poison, notwithstanding, (Angelus never let little details like that stand in his way), he had not been beat, fucked yes, rougher than the first time, but not anything close to the brutality that Angelus was capable of. No hot pokers up his ass, nor any sharp objects pierced through his genitals.
And since when did Angelus start checking to see if he had eaten or not? His Sire's Jekyl and Hyde personality was really starting to get on his nerves. Just who the fuck was he? Soul-Wuss or the real Angelus? Maybe that stupid bint Alex had mucked up the spell. Didn't desoul him completely. {Was that possible?}
Spike's thoughts were abruptly interrupted as his vampiric hearing detected a heartbeat. {A human? Christ, it better not be that boot-licker Wesley. That's all I need. Another person toadying all over the Great Poof.} But his keen sense of smell soon put that notion to rest. This human smelled like sweat and urine. The smell began to overpower him, turning his stomach, making the pain flare up again.
Angel entered the bedroom first, followed by Ramose who was holding a scraggly, biker-type human. His jeans were soaked in front with urine. Ramose had had a little fun with the man while returning to the mansion.
"Childe, a human. Human blood for you." Morphing, Angel grabbed the man by his hair, biting into him. Opening up the artery, he let the blood flow. Its odor should entice his Childe to eat.
With vampires, the smell of blood should overpower any other scents in the area. Spike could smell the blood, but he also could still smell the human's stench. The combination of blood, urine and human body odor was making the pain intensify to such a degree that Spike was sure he was going to heave. Half falling out of bed onto the floor, Spike, painfully crawled over to a corner, knees against his chest, head down on his knees, trying desperately not to be sick all over the floor.
Sensing his Childe's anguish, Angel swiftly went over to him, while ordering Ramose away. "Take the human and hang him by his feet in the downstairs bathroom. Make sure no one touches him. He is to be saved for William." Laying his hands on Spike's shoulders he was shocked at the heat that radiated from his Childe's skin.
"William! Look at me! What's wrong with you?" Getting no response, he pulled his Childe's head back. Spike's eyes were rolled back into his head, skin hot to the touch, and his chest was rapidly heaving up and down, as he tried to pant for unneeded air. Panicking, Angel remembered Alex's description of Victor as he lay dying. {Blood. My blood. My blood is the key.} Ripping his shirt open, for once not caring that the buttons flew all over the floor, he reopened the same vein from two nights ago. Cradling his Childe in his arms, he guided Spike's head to his breast. Still getting no response, Angel switched arms, pushing Spike's head against his chest with his left hand while opening his son's mouth with the right. The blood slowly began trickling into Spike's mouth. {Come on Childe, drink, damn you! Drink!}
What seemed liked eternity, but in reality was perhaps only a few minutes, enough of Angel's blood dripped into Spike's mouth and down his throat. Enough to arouse him so that instinct could take over, and he began to suckle on his own.
Greatly relieved, Angel held his Childe tighter, rocking him gently.
****