Part 13
Happily clutching a pile of papers, Giles couldn't believe his good luck. He and Wesley had been researching themselves silly, but all they had to show for their time and effort was some basic information on Djoser. Second generation Blood-Childe of Angelus. Favorite Childe of his generation. Ruthless and cruel, he had killed many, and he wasn't particular on who he killed, whether it be humans, vampires, or other demons. Interesting, but not anything earth shaking, as they probably could have pieced that much about him on their own. That is, until Wesley found a small passage about Djoser being ostracized from the Tremere Clan. Sensing that they had stumbled across something important, the two ex-Watchers began delving deeper. Sure enough, another small tidbit of information. According to one source, Angelus, himself had been ostracized from the Clan and had fled to England sometime in 1885.
Giles couldn't believe that he had missed that fact about Angel years ago, but it certainly explained why it had been so easy for Angel to stake Darla and assist in bringing down the old Master. Wanting to know more about this ostracism, Giles had phoned an old acquaintance. An old acquaintance who still was employed by the Council, and whose photographic memory made him an expert in the historical reference department. Sure enough, Giles was not disappointed with his long time friend who had every piece of reference material that the Council owned catalogued in his amazing memory. Hidden away, where of course it did no one any good, was a rare journal written by a Watcher who had lost two of his Slayers to the Tremere Clan. Fighting the Tremere Clan for so many years, this Watcher had had the opportunity to carefully observe and study them. His meticulous recording of events, observations, and theories was a true gold mine.
At a public fax machine Giles marveled as one by one the pages came slowly out. That he could be receiving copied pages of a rare text from across an ocean was indeed a miracle. He made him start to rethink his position on modern technology. A fax machine would certainly be a handy tool to have around, as well as a computer <shudder>. Jenny would be proud though.
Opening his front door, Giles was eager to show Wesley the discovery. "Wesley, it says here that Angelus led an uprising against the old Mast..." Giles was stopped short by the sight of Angel. Standing just a few feet from Wesley, Angel looked cool and collected, his dark eyes giving nothing away. Wesley, on the other hand, stood there, red-faced and flustered.
"Angelus! What a {unpleasant} surprise!"
"Rupert." Wesley was like an eager child. "Angel and I have come to an agreement. We help find a cure for Spike, and he'll agree to let himself and his two sons become souled."
{Really?} Giles couldn't hide his disbelief. Wesley would buy such a lie, because he so desperately wanted things to be back to where they were. But he didn't know the soulless Angel like Giles did. Giles didn't believe for one moment that Angel had any intention of letting himself be cursed with a soul again. "How interesting."
"Help me restore my Childe to health, Rupert, and I will honor the agreement."
"You want my help too? You have Wesley here."
Angel scowled at the ex-Watcher. {I knew he would be a harder sell than Wesley.} "You're the one with the influence over the Slayer and her friends. I need to know that the Slayer won't be attacking us. I want a truce with her."
"Buffy's older now. She does what she wants."
"You can convince her. She still listens to you."
Giles did have to smile to himself. It seemed that vampire fathers and sons communicated as well as human fathers and sons, or Angel would have heard from Spike how Buffy did *not* listen to him. "Perhaps you should convince her yourself."
"Have her come here then. I'll talk to all three of you."
"It's Friday night. I'm sure she has already made plans for tonight. It would be best if I just try to see if she can come here tomorrow."
Growling softly to himself, Angel was frustrated. He couldn't wait until tomorrow. "Friday night. She's probably at the Bronze. Let's go and see if we can find her there."
"We?" Giles was enjoying being difficult.
Angel remained silent for a few seconds, studying the two men in front of him. "Giles, Wesley, recently a Blood-Childe of my brother died of this poison. Do you know how the poison kills? It slowly eats away a vampire's insides. My brother's Childe died a slow, horrible death. William had made a deal with all of you in good faith, and now he is dying. You say demons are treacherous, but you humans are no better. With that chip in his head, he couldn't defend himself, but even staking him would have been more merciful."
"They didn't realize what the Initiative planned to do." Wesley said weakly as Giles cringed inside.
Angel had hit a nerve with Giles. Although he had plenty of reservations about the Initiative, he still had been involved in the bargaining process between Spike, Riley and the Initiative doctor. He had not lived up to his word, his promise to Spike that he had 'no intention of killing a harmless creature.' And Giles was truly a principled man, never subscribing to the ideology of most of colleagues, that the 'end justifies the means.' Probably why he no longer worked for the Council.
Looking over at Angel, Giles was astounded. Obviously in emotional pain, a desperate father stood before him, not a vampire, not a demon, just a man who wanted to save his child.
Wesley saw it too. "Ah, Rupert, I really could use a breath of fresh air, and I've heard so much about the Bronze from Cordelia, that it would be rather interesting to see the place. What do you say?"
**
Getting up quickly, never taking his eyes off the enemy, Djoser moved to attack. No bullet was going to stop him!
"Djoser! William is seriously hurt! We need to get him to our Sire immediately!"
Ramose's words made him hesitate. And the three remaining foe, knowing that retreat was their only hope for survival, took advantage and ran. Concern for a brother and a mother, both vampire and Slayer let the men escape.
Picking up his brother, Djoser was struck by the heat emanating from him. Common sense told him that they needed to cool him down. "Slayer, invite me in. William needs to be cooled down. I'll put him in your bathtub with cold water and ice."
Holding her mother's hand, Buffy was torn. This vampire had just probably saved her life, but he was too dangerous to invite in her mother's house. But Joyce Summer's took the decision right out of her hands. Without hesitation she invited Djoser and Ramose in. They had saved her and her daughter's lives; they now deserved some help.
"Ramose go and get our Sire. He's at the Watcher's house." The order was unnecessary. Ramose had already left. He knew what he needed to do without being told.
**
Arriving at the Bronze the three men saw no sign of Buffy, but looking around Angel caught a scent, an unmistakable scent. The scent of his three Childer! Stunned Angel could hardly believe it. He had left William chained to the bed with Djoser watching over him. What the hell were they doing here at the Bronze?
Asking around, they were told by a classmate of hers that she had left a little while ago, left with three men. Three men who fit the description of Angel's Childer. Angel was beside himself; William running around Sunnydale in his condition, with the Slayer, no less! Sniffing the air, tracking their scent, Angel walked down the street with Giles and Wesley slowly following alongside of him. That sense of foreboding passed over him again, as a dark figure came running up the street toward him.
"Sire." Ramose dropped to one knee respectfully. "It's William."
****
Part 14
Rage so great that he wasn't able to control the demon from showing. Holding his oldest Childe around the throat, Angel slammed Djoser's head against the wall, untroubled that he was knocking a hole in Joyce Summer's living room. "How dare you disobey me! You take your brother out of the house against my orders, and then you compound the disobedience by not protecting him."
Angel tightened his fingers around his son's throat, demonstrating his power, and then letting go, he threw a judo chop across the Adam's apple. Coughing and gagging Djoser fell to his knees in an act of submission.
"Angel, is this really necessary?" Wesley had just checked on the unconscious Spike again. Not good, but not any worse either.
"What did I tell you Wesley, *don't* interfere!"
"He's not totally at fault." Buffy was not afraid to try and intercede. Anything to try and stop this outburst. It was making them all extremely uncomfortable. "Spike was the one who insisted on coming here."
"Spike insisted on coming here? Why?"
<Pause> "He wanted to say hi to my mom, and see if she would make him hot chocolate again." Buffy winced a little. That sounded lame even to her. A small hiss from the kneeling vampire made her look at him. His eyes said it all, 'shut-up Slayer, you're not helping me.'
Finally getting his rage under control, Angel's human face slid into place. Walking over to the couch where Spike lay, he lay a gentle hand on his Childe's head. His head was so hot it burned the fingers. "You killed all these vampires then?"
Not daring to stand up, Djoser answered his Sire. "All the vampires, yes. But the three humans got away."
Humans! Everyone in the room turned to look at Djoser.
"Explain." Angel barked at his son.
"They had heartbeats Sire."
"Describe them." Because of Djoser's training, Angel knew that it was second nature to his eldest to do a fast, but thorough assessment of all opponents.
"They moved like warriors. They were well armed. Guns, knives, crossbows, stakes, holy water."
"Vampire hunters?" Wesley muttered, half question, half statement. The description sure fit. "But how is that possible? Vampire hunters allied with vampires? Joyce, what did they want with you?"
Refusing to go and seek medical treatment, Joyce had stated that she was not hurt seriously, just black-and-blue and tired. "They told me that they knew that Buffy was the Slayer. Wanted to know where she was, and wanted to know the whereabouts of the vampire she was in league with. I kept telling them that he was no longer here in Sunnydale." With that last statement she looked cautiously over at Angel.
The room was silent for a moment as the group looked around at each puzzled. "That makes no sense." Giles too looked over at Angel. "You've been gone for over a year now, why would anyone still be looking for you here...Spike! Spike had been helping Buffy. He must be the vampire they were looking for!"
Giles' statement only served to make Angel's black mood even blacker. {What the hell was going on? Was everyone after William?}Rage bubbling over again, Angel walked over to Djoser again, backhanding him across the face. "You shouldn't have let them get away? What the hell is the matter with you?"
Djoser remained silent. He was not a man who made excuses for his failures, especially to his Sire. "Perhaps you can redeem yourself a little. Go and track those humans. I want the leader brought back to me *alive*. And you Slayer, will go with him."
"Wait a minute." Now Buffy was getting angry. "I don't take orders from you. This is my town, and you don't have any right to be torturing anyone for..."
"Don't *fuck* with me Slayer!" Angel was holding onto his control by a thread. "We have a truce here, and I will continue not to hurt or kill any innocent humans, but anyone, human or demon who tries to hurt my Childe will be taken care of, MY WAY. "
"Fine, but I'm not going to be any part of..." Buffy, not thinking just continued to argue, until Giles interrupted her. He had walked over to look down at the almost comatose Spike. He was a pitiful sight. They had wrapped him in frozen bed sheets to keep his body temperature down. The slim vampire resembled a mummy, except for his rapidly moving chest, as his body gasped for unneeded air.
"Buffy, you need to find those three men. It's very possible by finding them, you'll also find this new master and his lair. Since we don't know who this new master is, I agree that you should accompany Djoser. The two of you can watch each other's backs. And in the meantime I'll call Willow, and see if she can come over and try to hack into the Council's computer files. See if she can help Wesley and myself come up with anything on this poison." Giles told this to Buffy in a soft voice, but underneath there was steel. He had made up his mind. He would help. He couldn't not help, especially after seeing Spike in this condition. To him, Spike was no longer some faceless demon vampire. They had lived together for a period, and granted there had been times when Spike had aggravated him, aggravated him so much that he had wanted to beat his head in with a club. But there had been other moments, moments in time when Giles would see a glimpse of another side of Spike, a human side, unhappy, vulnerable, and lonely.
"Giles, you can't be serious." Buffy was astounded. "You want me to help find those men and bring them back to *HIM*. She glared over at Angel.
"They came here to your house Slayer." Angel growled at her. "They threatened your mother, and tried to kill you. Are you saying that you're just going to let that go?"
Opening her mouth to argue some more, Buffy was forestalled by Joyce. "They were *horrible* men. I agree with Mr. Giles that working together would be the best under these circumstances. And Buffy, don't you think we owe these...men <looking at Djoser>, something for our lives?
****
Part 15
{What the fuck?} Spike awoke to find himself wrapped up in bed sheets, with an IV stuck in his hand. {Since when do vampires need IVs?} Tearing the sheets off his body, he tasted his Sire's blood in his mouth. "Poof must have been feeding me again." He muttered to himself, raising himself up to sniff the contents of the IV. He could smell his Father's blood and...and, he couldn't figure out what those other smells were. {No matter. The bloody thing's annoying me.} Ripping the IV out of his hand, he stood up and was immediately sorry he did so. Waves of nausea assaulted him, his whole body felt like it was burning up, and he had this ridiculous urge to breathe!
For one brief moment, Spike considered going back to bed, but that thought was quickly dismissed as he could hear voices and smell humans downstairs. Feeling bad or not, he wasn't going to be left out of anything! Falling down to his knees, he crawled over to the dresser. {Where the hell are my clothes?} Digging through the drawers, Spike began tossing clothes all over the room. (What did those Wankers do with my clothes? And my duster?}The memory of what had happened at the Slayer's house began to come back to him. "The two bloody sods better have remembered to pick-up my duster, or there's going to be hell to pay."
Not finding any of his clothes, Spike began searching for his brother's one pair of extra pants. Djoser was a warrior, and warriors traveled light, not like his poofy Sire who had enough clothes here to dress a small country. A ridiculous thought occurred to him as he, from a sitting position pulled on Djoser's pants. They'd all go to New York, be betrayed by the Master, and be taken hostage. They'd go down without a fight, because they'd all be too loaded down with his Sire's luggage. With that grimly humorous thought in mind, Spike began searching through Angel's shirts. Something long to cover up the fact that Djoser's pants were a size or two too big, and something expensive, so that he could make sure he ruined it in some way. Feeling as bad as he did, he needed some kind of compensation!
Now the million dollar question, could he make it downstairs without having to crawl? Standing up slowly, he again felt the nausea rise, but by taking a couple of deep breaths he felt the nausea subside a little. {How bizarre! But hey if it works...} With slow, cautious steps he began to make his way downstairs.
**
"And no one knew anything about a new master here in Sunnydale?" Giles began to feel a headache coming on. They had been up now for 36 hours straight, trying to find an antidote for Spike. Willow had been successful in hacking into the Council's computer files, and they had the extra bonus of unexpected help from the Tremere Clan in New York. Consequently, they had come up with...not an antidote, but some kind of concoction that they hoped would at least help pull Spike out of his coma.
Buffy, after two night of intense reconnaissance, surprisingly didn't feel tired at all. "Well, I beat up Willy yesterday, and like I told you, the only thing he could come up with was that there's some kind of movement among younger vampires. They're revolting against their elders, against their old laws and customs. One of those vamps that we tangled with the other night made a comment about the 'old ways meaning nothing to them', so that fits. But no, Djoser and I combed through all of Sunnydale, and we saw no trace of any new lairs, or any new vamps with the same hairdresser."
"Nothing at all?" Wesley looked up from Willow's laptop. He already knew the answer, but another failure would mean that Angel would probably lose it again. After Buffy and Djoser had come back two nights ago, empty handed, Angel had taken out his anger and frustration out on Djoser. Seeing Djoser after Angel had gotten done with him had been a ghastly sight, and was a strong reminder that Angel was not the same Angel he had worked with for the last year.
Seeing Buffy shake her head, Wesley sighed. "I don't suppose that Angel has been told about this...this latest setback."
"I think Djoser telling him now, although I offered to hide him out for awhile, at least until his...his other injuries have healed, but you have to give him credit for being dutiful."
"There's dutiful, and then there's stupid." Willow had aroused herself from a quick catnap.
"Who's stupid?" Spike came slowly into the room.
"SPIKE! You're suppose to be in bed! And...and you took the cold sheets off, and the IV! You took the IV out too?" So intent on those details, it completely went over Wesley's head that their concocted medicine had worked, and that Spike was awake and walking.
"Better watch yourself Wesley. You're gonna hurt yourself." Spike gave him a half grin, as he made his way slowly over to the couch, sitting down. "Hey Red, you here too? What the bloody hell is going on? And where's my dear old dad?"
"Spike!" Wesley started over toward him with a determined look in his eye. "Go back to bed now! I'll come with you and wrap new sheets around you, and put the IV back in."
"Touch me, and I'll pull your arm out and beat your face in with it."
Rolling her eyes, Buffy gave Spike a small poke, as Wesley left the room in a huff to look for Angel. "He's trying to help you, you know."
"Mind your own business Slayer! Didn't ask for your opinion, did I?"
"Spike." Now Giles had a full blown headache. "You've been unconscious for more than a day now. You need to listen to Wesley..."
"I've been unconscious for more than a day! Bloody hell! So what's the story with the skunk vamps? Who are they, and what were they doing at your mum's house?"
"We dusted all of them, except the three humans who were holding my mother hostage. They got away. Your brother and I searched, but weren't able to find any trace of them."
"My perfect brother couldn't track three humans? Guess he's got other things on his mind." Spike gave Buffy a nudge with his elbow.
"Huh?"
"Hey Poof Junior." Wesley, searching for Angel, had run into Djoser first. "You let three humans get the best of you? Guess your little head is doing the thinking for ..." Spike's words died on his lips, as he got his first good look at his brother. Djoser was covered with lash marks, face, neck, hands, and Spike, from personal experience, knew that underneath his brother's clothing his whole body was one big lash mark. Angelus always knew how to be thorough.
Outrage and guilt ran through him. His brother did nothing to deserve such a punishment. But that was their Sire, punished for little or no reason, and always, the punishment more than exceeded the crime. "What did that crazy old fuck do to you?"
"William, it's not what you think."
"What I think? That our Sire is an insane, sadistic..."
"William, what are you doing up?" Angel entered the room, his voice gentle and quiet. Djoser, knowing that Spike was always difficult, had sent a minion to go and get the Master.
"Stay the fuck away from me!" Spike, forgetting himself jumped up and then almost fell over, as nausea and faintness threatened to overcome him. Backing up slowly, he put as much distance as he could between himself and his Sire. He knew his Sire well; his Sire could strike like a rattlesnake, fangs and all. If bitten, Spike knew that Angel would drain him, thus taking control of him.
Angel raised both hands up in a mock surrender. "What have I done now?"
"Soddin' bastard! <looking over at Djoser> You know what you did!"
Lowering his hands, Angel never took his eyes off of his Childe. "He disobeyed me. I hold him directly responsible for you almost dying, and putting his own life at risk. We're at war here Childe."
"What, some wannabe master with minions who've had bad dye jobs puts us at war? Like we couldn't take them with our eyes closed. They just got lucky putting me down, but that's partly because of this effin poison in me."
"The Watcher's Council has targeted all Blood-Childer. They've marked them to die. Victor is dead; you've been poisoned. If you die, then there's only two left, your brother and Iltik. They would then be next."
Keeping close to the wall, Spike was sidling toward the door. Angel had come further into the room, so the doorway was now clear. "The older you get, the more senile you're getting." Spike spat disrespectfully at him. "Until you marked me four days ago, no one knew I was a Blood-Childe. So much for your 'killing off the Blood-Childer' conspiracy theory."
With eyes so intense that Spike could not meet them, Angel answered him softly. "For more than one hundred years, many have known who and what you are. It wouldn't have been hard for the Council to find out about you."
"The only ones who knew about me were the Childer in your household, and you swore them all to secrecy, unless of course Penn or Lucien opened their big gobs..."
"The whole Tremere Clan knew who you were. You were presented in Court in 1885."
Giles looked up in interest at that fact. {1885! The year that Angelus led a revolt against his Sire! The year that he fled to England!}
"I was never presented at Court!" Spike was now shouting, as if sheer volume would win him the argument. "If I was presented, how come I was never marked? Blood-Childer are marked at their presentation."
Angel and Djoser exchanged quick glares. "The Master refused you the 'Rite of the Bloodlines.' <pause> He condemned you to death instead."
Although he was burning up with poison, Spike felt his whole body go cold. That awful dream he sometimes had with the room full of vampires, the tall man, the blond women, and terrible pain. {But was it a dream, or a memory?} Truly frightened now, Spike felt tears start to fill his eyes, but stubbornly, he still tried to deny the truth. "I don't remember any of this. This is all just a pack of bloody lies!" Pure fear gave Spike the adrenaline boost he needed, as he sprinted out of the room, taking everyone by surprise. So intent was he on escape, that he never noticed the shadowy figure standing off in a corner.
****
Part 16
Huddled in a corner in his old room, mind and body hurting, Spike hadn't run far. Physically, he knew he was in no condition to go anywhere, and smartly he realized that it was pointless anyways. Angel would never let him leave. He had been claimed, marked as a Blood-Childe, and in a weak moment he had accepted his Sire's claim.
Blood-Childer were truly bound to their Fathers. Blood-Childer, so cherished by the Clans, were in some ways prisoners of their own protectors. Safe-guarded by their Fathers and the Clan, they were charged with the duty of keeping themselves safe, so that one day they might produce more Blood off-spring.
"And Victor." Spike whispered to himself. The first time that Spike had heard that Victor had died by the hands of the Watcher Council, he had forced himself not to feel anything. After all, the last time he had seen Victor was more than a century ago. But now hearing that Victor had been murdered because of his status as a Blood-Childe, Spike couldn't help but feel a deep sorrow for the vampire who had been more alive than most humans. Victor, who had hated being a Blood-Childe, who had spent his whole vampire existence trying to escape his heritage; he had just wanted his freedom.
How many times had Victor run off without permission? And how many times had his Father, Anton place a 'bounty' on him? By placing a bounty on him, Anton, in effect, obligated all Clan members to search for his Childe, until the Childe was safely found and returned. Many times, other Clans also honored the bounty, so Victor never got very far for very long. Spike was sure that was the main reason why Angel had marked him. As his Sire's Blood-Childe, Angel now had the power of placing a bounty on him if he tried to leave. Angel was Clanless, but still had a formidable reputation in the vampire/demon community. There would still be plenty of vampires and other demons who would honor any bounty Angel issued, whether it be out of fear or ingratiation.
Dropping his head on his bent knees, Spike felt like his whole body was consumed in fire. He knew he should go and seek help, but he felt too emotionally torn up to do so. There was no sounds that announced his Sire's coming, but Spike sensed him approaching. He always knew when his Sire was near; his Sire had such a aura.
"William."
Looking up, Spike was jolted. Angel stood in the doorway, shirt open, chest bare. Spike knew what was coming, and tried to steel himself against the temptation.
"Leave me the hell alone!"
"I can feel your heat all the way over here. You need to eat. You need my blood."
"Stay the fuck away from me!"
For once, Spike was surprised to see Angel actually obey. Keeping to the other side of the room, Angel walked over and picked up a dusty souvenir mug that Spike, years ago had stolen from a novelty shop. It had caught his attention, because of what it had said, 'vampires made good lovers because they know how to suck.'{Must have been a vampire who thought that one up.}
Eyeing his Sire suspiciously, Spike wondered what he was up to, as Angel began to clean the mug off with an end of his shirt.
"Childe, I'm not lying to you. You were presented in Court. I knew that my Sire would never permit a descendant of the Bloodline to be so...so unusual as you. That's why I hid you for so long. That's why I wanted everyone to think that you were Drusilla's Childe, so that the Master would never find out about you. But somehow he found out anyways." Angel was now sitting on the one chair in the room, vein open in the wrist as he bled himself into the souvenir mug.
"I'm a bloody freak, ain't I?" Spike was bitter. His mother's family had not accepted him, because he was too 'demon', and now he knew that his Father's family had not accepted him, because he was too 'human.' "Why don't I remember any of it?"
"I made you forget."
"What do you mean, *made* me forget? Who the fuck do you think you are, Mr. Spock?" The questions were partly rhetorical, because deep down Spike knew what Angel meant. He had always suspected that Angel was able to do some mind manipulation after feeding from him.{That's just fuckin' great! The big Poof has another way of controlling me!}
Angel was silent, sucking on his wrist a minute to close the wound, as he tried to remember if he had ever met a Mr. Spock.
"So I was condemned to death. What happened? Why am I still here among the living, or should I say the unliving? I would have thought that you would have been jumping for joy, finally able to get rid of that weight around your neck."
Face impassive, Angel walked over to Spike, handing him the mug. Crouching down, he looked his Childe in the face. "I fought for you Childe. Never thought I would escape with both of our lives, but others backed me up. I didn't ask them; they just jumped in."
"Yeah, Batman...or should I say Superman to the rescue. Faster than a speeding stake." So afraid, but he NEEDED to know. "Tell me what happened? I want to know."
"William, you don't need to know ..."
"TELL ME!"
**
1885
"Angelus, my favorite Childe. You've given me another Blood-Childe. But why have you taken so long to present him to me?." The Master studied the young vampire before him.
Angelus hesitated, trying to fight his nervousness and fear. It wouldn't do for his Sire to smell it on him. Forcing himself to act nonchalantly, Angelus answered with a hand wave of dismissal in William's direction. "This Childe is a sad disappointment from my first-born. I didn't want to waste your time by presenting him."
The Master eyed his preferred son suspiciously.{A Blood-Childe was never *not* presented at court. It was so unlike Angelus to be lying or hiding something from him.} "I have no doubt that he doesn't live up to Djoser's standards, but after all Djoser is an original. I'm sure that this Childe has some qualities to offer us. Angelus, you will wait outside, while I get to know our newest Blood-Childe. Come Childe." The Master held out his hand to William. "Your Father has been very lax with you. You are of the Bloodline, and need to be initiated and marked as such."
**
Pacing nervously, Angelus tried desperately to convince himself that it was for the best. The Childe was only an embarrassment to the Bloodline. He had known; he had always known that the Childe's death was inevitable. Vampires kill off progeny who are flawed. And he had tried, but in the end he couldn't do it. So weak, but now his Sire would put things right; the Childe would be staked quickly and mercifully. A Blood-Childe, even a pathetic one, at least deserved that. But still, Angelus couldn't quite shake the hollow feeling that was bubbling up inside of him.
"Angelus! I was just told. Are you insane, bringing him here?" Alex was fuming. She had rushed over after hearing the news.
"The Master ordered our presence. I had no choice."
"It's been years! How did he find out after all this time?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Angelus answered casually. "The Master always did have his spies." But to himself he wondered, had someone in his household betrayed him?
"Why didn't you just kill him when you found out that he was tainted?" Angelus' brother Anton had left the great hall, and had silently entered the vestibule. Younger, smaller and slighter than Angelus, he was still no less vicious.
"Couldn't." Closing his eyes, Angelus remembered the look on his Childe's face when he had tried to throw him in the sun. Too beautiful. Too beautiful to kill.
"Our Sire won't be pleased that you were so weak." Anton was enjoying his brother's discomfort. The Master had envisioned his sons being a cohesive fighting force that would further his interests and power in the vampire community, but what he got was only rivalry and jealously among his Childer.
"And you, brother?" Angelus whispered to him. "After today, Father will be concerned that perhaps there's some taint in our Bloodline. He'll be inspecting the second generation Blood-Childer very carefully. Can your youngest Childe, Victor, hold up to the scrutiny?"
"There's no humanity in Victor." Anton hissed back angrily.
"A Childe of the Bloodline who prefers drinking and cavorting with humans instead of hunting and killing them. He's as dead as my William." Angelus looked up to see the object of their conversation come through the great hall doors.
"Victor! You were not given permission to leave!" {This Childe is going to be the death of me. Couldn't even obey a simple command.}Anton glared irritably at his youngest Childe.
"I ain't stayin' in there. They're gonna torture the poor bloke before they kill 'im."
"You're mistaken! A Blood-Childe is NEVER tortured!" Angelus turned furiously to his brother's Childe.
With a simple shrug of his shoulders, Victor was not intimidated. "Don't know mate, but they called in the big guy wiv the black 'ood. They've got 'im chained up and are lashin' 'im."
Outrage began to flood his whole body, as Angelus started toward the great hall. When the screaming started, he broke into a run, not noticing Djoser standing off to the side. Djoser's warrior sense had told him to expect trouble, so he had unobtrusively gone and fetched Ramose. The two were readied, ready to backup their Sire.
Rage brought out Angelus' demon, as he threw the doors of the great hall open. And there before his eyes was a sight that would forever be stamped in his memory. HIS CHILDE, naked, arms hanging from manacles, and legs, spread wide, manacled at the ankles. A long wooden stake driven up through the rectum, its point working its way up through the bowels. Angelus could hear his Childe's screams, and smell the fear, as the executioner was slowly driving the stake upwards. The stake would travel through the bowels, the intestines, and eventually through the heart.
A running leap took him across the room. So unexpected was his attack that it was a simple task to grab the hooded vampire from behind, snap his neck while throwing him to the floor. Pulling the stake out of his Childe, Angelus put it to good use, as he shoved it through the executioner turning him into dust. All present were taken by surprise, including the Master and his consort, Darla. No one had ever expected defiance from the favorite Childe. Their surprise gave Angelus the time he needed to free his son. Gave Djoser and Ramose time to position themselves in front of their Sire, giving him a protective barrier. Gave Alex time to prepare herself; she had never gotten along well with her 'in-laws' anyways. Gave Anton time to make a decision; he wasn't going to chance the same thing happening to his Victor.
By the time the Master recovered from his disbelief and gave the order to kill the insurrectionists, it was too late for him. Alex, knowing that their only chance of survival was by taking the Master down, had focused her entire attention on him. Channeling the majik inside of her, she directed it toward the Master. And he, unprepared, because of his arrogance, could do nothing to stop it.
Alex's strategy worked. With the Master knocked out of the action, confusion reigned supreme, and the mutinous group was able to escape.
More than a century later, from a rare journal, Giles would read how the rebellion was the Tremere Clan's downfall. It was never the same after the uprising. Splintered into warring factions, it fell from being one of the ruling Clans to a weak shadow of its former self.
**
Memories were flashing painfully inside of Spike's head like matches being lit. They would flare for a moment and then extinguish themselves. Head throbbing, Spike could only speak in a whisper. "You were then ostracized. You lost your status, your position with the Clan." {And it's all my fucking fault! I'm a bloody curse!}
"I was angry, yes. I had been the favorite Childe, the Master's heir, and losing that position was, for a time, very hard. But I've gotten over it."
{Have you?} Despair, depression and guilt completely overwhelmed Spike. {The two Watchers saved me from the bullet with some kind of medicine mixture. Wonder if their miracle medicine can bring me back after I smash my head in?} Dropping the mug in his hand, Spike moved to begin smashing his head against the wall, but Angel, alert to this very possibility, reached for him quickly, wrapping arms and legs around him.
Struggling to free himself, Spike soon found himself face down on the floor with his Sire on top of him. Tears wetting the floor beneath him, Spike then tried to bang his head on the floor, anything to stop the pain!
Using his body to hold Spike down, Angel managed to entwine fingers in short hair, preventing any movement. "Will, none of this is your fault."
"BLOODY LIAR! You've blamed me from the beginning; you've never stopped blaming me."
Freeing one hand from Spike's hair, Angel ripped the shirt off his Childe's back, exposing pale skin. Covering his son's body with his, he pressed a bare chest against a bare back, skin on skin. Gently biting into the back of his Childe's neck, he drank ever so lightly. He didn't want to risk weakening William anymore. "Perhaps you're right. I have blamed you, but I'm going to make it up to you, my beautiful Childe. I'm going to make sure you get your due."
With his Sire's cool body pressed against his back, Spike felt himself grow lethargic. "Don't want your bleedin' pity. Don't need you. Don't want yo..." Eyes heavy, Spike felt himself falling, falling into a deep sleep. When he would awake again, he would be too mistrustful of his Sire to tell him of the one image that had stayed clear in his memory. The one image that hadn't dimmed and faded away. The beautiful blond woman, eyeing him with hate. Turning to the tall man, she made her request, as she ran her hand down his arm seductively. "Torture him. Impale him. Do it for me."
****
Part 17
"Angel, I need to talk to you! May I come in?" Wesley tapped lightly on the bedroom door.
"Come."
"I've got a new and improved version of..." Holding an IV bag in one hand, Wesley came through the door, and the sight that greeted him made him turn red. Spinning around, so he faced the door, back to Angel, Wesley managed to stammer out the rest of his message. "Il...Iltik e-mailed us with another...another formula to try. This...might help bring Spike around even faster."
"Wesley, why are you standing with your back to me?"
"I...I...I..." Wesley wasn't sure, except the sight on the bed, although innocent, was strangely, very erotic to him. Spike, wrapped in frozen sheets again, fast asleep, was laying on top of Angel, head resting on Angel's chest, Angel's arms around him.
"Wesley, he's still asleep. Do what you need to do."
"Yes...yes of course." Still beet red, Wesley moved to the other side of the bed. All thumbs, Wesley kept dropping the IV bag, as he tried to change it.
Watching him, Angel realized that the sight of him and his Childe in bed was what was causing Wesley such embarrassment. But he was reluctant to get up, as his Childe's body felt so good pressed up against him. So good that it was giving Angel a raging hard-on. Sighing, he knew he should get some relief somewhere. And it wasn't like he didn't have a variety of options with three other Childer, Djoser, Ramose, and now Lucien, not to mention a houseful of minions, both male and female. But oddly enough, Angel had no desire for any of them. Sexually he only wanted William.
This monogamous urge was a little disconcerting to Angel. It was unnatural for vampires, except of course vampires with a soul. {Had Alex made a mistake?} At times it sure felt like he still had residual pieces of that cursed soul clinging to him.
Carefully, he slid out from under his son, not caring that he was naked or that he was rock hard.
"Also I wanted to inform you that Buffy's moth..." Looking up and seeing Angel standing on the other side of the bed, naked and sexually aroused, made Wesley turn redder still as he now dropped the old IV bag. Bending down to pick it up, he wondered if he could just stay bent down, staring at the floor.
Pulling on a pair of pants, Angel eyed Wesley thoughtfully. {I really must have Wesley one day. Perhaps after I've had William again, I'll feel like someone else. And Wesley would be perfect. Make him mine, because he certainly is useful.} "Buffy's mother?"
"Ah-h, ye-s..." Wesley dared to raise his eyes and was relieved when he saw that Angel was now, at least covered from the waist down. "They showed her a photograph of the dead man's face, and she confirmed what Djoser and Buffy thought. The dead man that your...your Childe, Lucien killed was *not* the leader of the three men. Tell me, Angel, Would you be able to make a list of any of Spike's enemies that you know of? That would give us, at least a starting point."
"Wesley, the number of William's enemies is an infinite number. In the last century, he and Dru managed to antagonize almost anyone they came in contact with."
"Really? Well...it's a wonder he's managed to survive all this time."
Arms folded across his chest, Angel let out a short laugh. "He survived partly due to Drusilla's psychic ability. She usually could keep them a half of step ahead of their many enemies. But he survived mainly, because he had a couple of guardian demons watching over him. He certainly didn't survive, because I was there for him."
Wesley gave Angel a puzzled look.
"I've been a worthless hypocrite of a Father. I've spent countless years trying to redeem myself by helping others and fighting evil, but never once did I think of helping my own vulnerable Childe. Walking over to a chair to sit down, Angel would not make eye contact with Wesley.
{He's ashamed!}Wesley was stunned.
"Recently, an old friend {or was Alex an enemy?}, took great pleasure in taking me to task for sitting around and feeling sorry for myself, and not taking care of my responsibility."
"I see." Actually Wesley didn't see at all, but wasn't sure if he really wanted to. "Well, I guess that's another dead end.<pause> Now, do I understand correctly that Lucien is going to show Buffy and Djoser where he had found and killed...the enemy?"
At Angel's affirmative nod, Wesley blurted out what had been bothering him all this time. "The dead man had no identification on his person. Like someone or ones had made sure they took it off of him before he was brought to us."
****
Part 18
"There were three men. Did you see the other two?" Buffy looked over the newest addition to Angelus' household, the vampire Lucien, with distrust. She couldn't shake the feeling that all he was doing was leading them on a wild goose chase.
"They ran off when I killed their friend."
"Uh huh." Skepticism was written all over Buffy's face. If the three men were vampire hunters and well-armed like Djoser had noted, then they wouldn't have run from ONE vampire. Looking over at Djoser she waited for him to challenge the other vampire, but he remained strangely silent.
"And you didn't follow them?"
Anger passed over Lucien's face. "Listen Slayer, I don't have to answer to you. <Turning to Djoser> How is it possible that we're working with...a Slayer and...humans."
"Sire's orders." Djoser answered abruptly, turning away to look the area over some more.
Eyeing Djoser uncertainly, Buffy was debating with herself. She really wanted to start smashing in this lying vampire's pretty face. She probably could have him crying mama in a few minutes. See what he was hiding, but she wasn't sure about Djoser. He might not take too kindly to her beating up his...his younger brother? Lucien did not carry the mark of a Blood-Childe, but he still was considered a Childe of Angelus. So was he like an adopted brother? Buffy decided she really would have to ask Giles to clarify the whole issue.
Slayer and vampire studied each other with dislike. "Can you pick up any scent?" Buffy turned again to Djoser, but he was remote and distant, making Buffy wonder what had happened. This was the third night they spent together trying to track down the enemy, and even though she wouldn't exactly call them 'buds', she had thought that they had developed a working relationship of mutual respect.
"There's nothing more here." Djoser pronounced as he started to walk away. Buffy looked at him in surprise{he's giving up so easily?}, while Lucien looked at him in relief {stupid Slayer, we'll have to take care of her too.}.
**
Sitting on the front step, smoking a fag, Spike felt like someone had just drove the last nail in his coffin. His idiot Sire was sending his brother Djoser to New York. That meddlesome old bitch, Alex had called, and when she had heard that Angel wasn't planning to come to New York with his family, she had insisted that at least Angel send Djoser to them. The Clan would protect him; he was too special not to protect. Since Victor had died, they had had Iltik under protective custody. They could take no risks with the remaining Blood-Childer.
Spike didn't want Djoser in New York. Djoser needed to stay here with his Father, with his family. A bunch of strangers in New York wouldn't defend him if push came to shove. But did his stupid Sire see that? No! Asinine Poof! When that twit Alex desouled his Sire, she must have also debrained him as well. No that wasn't right. When his Sire had lost his soul to the Slayer, he had been pretty brainless then too. Must be that the soul held the brain up in his head. Without it, his brain just fell into his feet.
And now, to make matters worse, Spike had to content with the return of that prancin' nancyboy Lucien. And again, his dim-witted Sire, couldn't see the real Lucien. Angel had been all over him, welcoming him back like the prodigal son, because the Suck Up had brought back a gift for his Sire. One of the three men who had attacked them. Brought him back dead though, which was *certainly* convenient. Dead men tell no tales.
The whole thing just didn't add up. Lucien claimed that he had come to Sunnydale, because he had heard that the real Angelus was back. Back as the new Master in Sunnydale. So where the hell was he a few years ago? The whole 'sending the world to hell' bit would have been right up his alley. Arriving here in Sunnydale, he just *happens* to run into the three men who had thus far managed to evade his brother and the Slayer. He kills one of the men, saying that he had heard through the demon grapevine that Angelus was looking for three rogue vampire hunters. If Lucien knew that his Sire wanted the three men, why did he *kill* the man? He would know that Angel would want the man alive. Fuckin' liar!
And his Sire? Didn't blink an eye at Lucien's load of bull. But Djoser. Spike was sure that he saw a twitch in Djoser's face while listening to Lucien's fairy tale, although it was always a little hard to tell with old stone-face. But in the past, Spike knew that Djoser, too had been a target of Lucien's jealously, his resentment of Djoser's status as Blood-Childe. Djoser was Spike's one hope, but now his one hope was being sent away. Spike never felt more vulnerable. Couldn't trust anyone in this friggin' household.
"William! Why are you out here? Go back inside. You're suppose to be resting." Coming out the front door, pretending concern, Lucien walked over to the seated Spike, just as Xander, Anya, and Buffy came strolling up.
"Yeah, is your name Angelus? He's the only one I have to answer to." Spike threw him a contemptuous look. "Now, sod off, and don't come near me again, you bloody bugger." As a Blood-Childe, Spike now outranked Lucien, and had the right to give him orders. A look of pure hate appeared briefly in Lucien's eyes giving Spike a moment of satisfaction.{I'm not wrong about that bleedin' nonce.}
"You know." The three humans watched the vampire go back into the house. "It's nice to know that vampire families are just as dysfunctional as human families." Xander gave Spike a wicked grin, while turning to studying Djoser who, with Ramose was standing over by Angel's car. "Spike, I've been meaning to ask you. I see 'King Tut's resemblance to your old man, but you...did Angel, like go out and adopt you?"
Spike had no flippant comeback for Xander, since he had often wondered the same thing. So different from his Sire and his brother. Maybe his Sire had confused his women. But no, looking back, Spike as a human child could remember seeing a funny mark on his mother's neck. Back then he hadn't known what it was, but now he knew. His Sire's mark.
"You coming too, Spike?" The three humans had been recruited to drive Djoser to LAX. Buffy was going to make sure he got on the plane safely, Xander to drive, and Anya, because she went wherever Xander went.
"Nah, I'm not allowed out of the house." Casually said, Spike hid his real feelings from the trio. Djoser should be escorted by his Sire, but Angel, determining that Spike was too ill for the drive to L.A., made the decision that someone else had to take Djoser, because he wasn't about to leave Spike on his own.
"What! Don't tell me you're grounded? A big, bad vampire, grounded!" Xander cracked up with laughter.
Growling at Xander, Spike shifted his position, as if he were getting ready to lung at the teenager. He could only hope that, Djoser, after a two hour drive to L.A. with this clown, would rip the kid's heart out. Of course, after two hours with Xander, Djoser might also be driven to hurl himself on the first stake handy.
"William!" Coming out of the house, Angel was in no mood for disobedience.
"Bugger. That fucker Lucien went and tattled." Spike muttered to the three teenagers.
"And what the hell are all of you still doing here? Why haven't you left for L.A. yet?" Shirtless and shoeless, Angel still presented a commanding figure.
Spike noted with interest that when his Sire bellowed, the humans even did an about-face, including the Slayer.
Walking over to the car, Buffy and Anya argued over who would sit in front with Xander, while Djoser walked over and knelt before his Sire. He had been trained well by his mother and her family. 'ALWAYS respect and obey your Father.'
{What a Poof!}But still, Spike couldn't help but watch his brother, waiting...waiting to see if Djoser would acknowledge him in any way before he left. Standing up, Djoser turned toward the car. Disappointment flowed through Spike. {Yeah, Wanker, just walk away and leave. Don't look back. Just like you did more than a century ago.}
Half-way to the car, Djoser did turn around, black eyes searching out his brother. "William, take care of yourself. And listen to our Sire. He knows what's best for us."
****