Part 19
"Iltik. What a genius you are!" Wesley couldn't help but exclaim softly to himself, as he read the e-mail. Wesley was still working on a cure for Spike, as the medicine they were currently giving to Spike was only repressing the poison. But what was astounding to Wesley was that the help he was getting was from a surprising source. A vampire. A vampire, who according to Angel was a scholar of science and medicine. Wesley had been indoctrinated well by the Council. Vampires were just savage killers, nothing more. A year ago Wesley wouldn't have been able to accept the fact that vampires were as diverse as humans, but all his experiences in the last year had certainly reversed this erroneous point of view.
Peering closer at the computer screen, he was startled when an IV plopped down on the laptop's keyboard.
"Fell out again Wes."
"Spike." Wesley closed his eyes, willing himself to count to ten. "How many times do I have to go over this with you? You need to keep the IV in. Why do you insist on pulling it out?"
"Is it curing me?"
"No, but..."
"Then I'm not having that bleedin' thing stuck in my hand."
Holding his head in his hands, Wesley tried to reason with the stubborn vampire. ""I believe that the medicine will keep the poison under control. You need to keep it running through your system, as well as take care of yourself."
"Does that mean I have to keep staying in bed? Because if it does, I'm gonna die from boredom long before I'll die from that frickin' poison."
Wesley was stymied for a moment. {Didn't Spike realize the gravity of his situation?} "Spike, you've lived what, close to two centuries? How can you not understand a simple concept of..."
"Because he's a moron." Buffy entered the room, a scowl on her face. She had been sent here to *baby-sit* this stupid vampire.
"Hey, this is a private conversation, so butt out. And who invited you here anyways?" Spike matched Buffy's scowl.
"Angel wanted her here. He's going out with Lucien tonight. Wants to see the area where Lucien ran into those three men." Wesley looked longingly at the computer, didn't look like he was going to get much work done tonight. Sly Giles had suggested that since Wesley had worked so closely with Angel in L.A., then it seemed fitting that he be the one to stay with the vampires and help take care of Spike. Eager to oblige, Wesley readily agreed, never realizing what a total pain Spike was.
Spike was shaken by Wesley's news. Lucien alone with Angel. What lies was he telling his Sire, and more importantly, what lies was Angel believing.
Snorting in disgust, Buffy threw her backpack on the floor. "Wonder how Angel's going to like having his time wasted. All your brother did the other night was lead us around by our noses."
"He's not my BROTHER! And what do you mean, led you around by your noses?"
"Not your brother? He's a Childe of Angelus and so are you. Doesn't that make you brothers?" Buffy saw that referring to Lucien as Spike's brother really bothered Spike, so of course she had to press the point some more with him.
"Call him my brother again, and you'll find yourself missing a tongue." Spike and Buffy began squaring off.
"That's enough now." Wesley got up, getting between the two. Sighing, Wesley couldn't help but imagine Giles, alone in his apartment, feet up, doing research with blessed peace and quiet.
"Wesley, tell this Bitch to leave."
"Gladly! Didn't want to come here in the first place." Picking up her backpack, Buffy had the irresistible urge to stick her tongue out at her former mortal enemy.
"No. Buffy, Angel was most explicit in his instructions. As long as he's not here, you're to stay here and watch over Spike."
"Oh, great!" Buffy muttered under her breath, throwing her backpack down again. "They're going to start calling me the Vampire Sitter instead of the Vampire Slayer."
"What's wrong Slayer?" Spike was now sitting down on the couch. "Heard that your lover boy was back. Not giving you any?"
"That's it! You're dust!" Buffy began to stomp over to the vampire, but Wesley grabbed her by the arm, spinning her away from Spike.
"ENOUGH! Both of you!" Pushing Buffy into the chair he just vacated, Wesley took in a deep breath. "Now, tell us what happened with Lucien the other night."
"What happened? Nothing happened. He led us around to a couple of different spots, pretending to be confused. Then after us running around a while, he finally 'found' the supposed area where he ran into the three men, but there were no signs of them being there, no signs of a struggle, no signs of someone being killed there. When I questioned him, he just became evasive. And what I don't understand is why Djoser didn't seem to be concerned that nothing was adding up right."
Spike felt a wave of despair wash over him. {Guess the Wanker didn't care about him after all.}
"Spike." Wesley turned to the seated vampire. "What can you tell us about Lucien?"
"Plenty. But I want Giles to hear what I say."
"Splendid idea. We'll call him and have him come right over." Wesley grinned to himself. Giles needed to share in his pain. Help him deal with the constant bickering and insulting that went on with Spike and Buffy.
"No! I won't discuss Lucien here. Take me to Giles' house."
"Spike." Wesley wondered how a demon such a Angel had the patience to deal with this most annoying vampire. "You're not to leave the mansion. Didn't you learn anything the last time you left without permission?."
"It's not safe here! There are spies everywhere."
"Gee, Spike, paranoid much?" Buffy shot Spike a wicked grin.
"Spike, how can you think that it's not safe here? Your Father's home. You can't be more protected here..." Wesley was cut short by Spike, in a blur of movement to the human eye, threw a vase at a minion who had sidled in the room.
"Get the fuck out of here! Did I give you permission to come in?"
Ducking quickly, the minion just missed getting beamed in the head with the vase, before scurrying away.
Spike gave the two humans a look of 'see what did I tell you.'
"Let's go." Buffy didn't need any more convincing.
"NO!" Wesley couldn't get the picture of what Djoser had looked like after being punished by Angel for disobeying him. "We'll go somewhere private, where we can't be overheard..."
"Wesley, this is a house full of vampires who have, you know vampiric hearing. Where are you going to go where no one is going to hear you?" Buffy had stood up, backpack in hand again. "Don't worry, I'll make sure nothing happens to Spike."
"Yes, just like you did last Friday." Sighing with resignation, Wesley could see that there was nothing he could do or say to dissuade the pair from going over to Giles' house. "I've got Giles' car here. We'll drive over." Brushing past the two, he mumbled at them on his way out the door. "You two better promise me that you'll pick up all my body pieces and at least put them together in my coffin."
**
"Damn!" Wesley swore as he stalled the car out again. He had finally got the hang of driving on the wrong side of the road with the steering wheel on the wrong side, but that was driving an automatic car. Giles' car was a standard transmission, and Wesley hadn't yet mastered driving standard right-handed.
"Wesley, why don't you let me drive? At the rate we're going here, we won't make it there until sunrise." Spike was sitting up front with Wesley with Buffy and Ramose sitting in the backseat. Spike hadn't been sure about Ramose coming along, but Ramose had insisted. His orders from his Sire were clear, 'make sure nothing happens to William', and Spike, decided that Ramose *couldn't* be in collusion with Lucien, because the only two people that Ramose ever answered to were his Sire and Djoser.
Starting the car up, Wesley snapped at the vampire. "NO! Just sit there and don't move." With visions of his dismembered body strewn all over Sunnydale, Wesley illogically believed that if Spike just didn't move, then nothing would happen to him.
Stalling the engine again, the car lurched forward, causing all the passengers to jerk forward. "Wesley, my Sire's going to have a hissy fit, if you put me through the windshield. Let the Slayer drive. As bad as she drives, she probably still could do a better job than you're doing now."
"Hey blood-breath." Buffy kicked the back of Spike's seat. "It wasn't me that totaled Giles' car."
"That was your boyfriend's bloody friends' fault that Giles' car was smashed. It wasn't because of my driving. And stop kicking my seat, stupid bint!"
"Call me a stupid bint again, and I'll send you into orbit." Buffy kicked the seat again to emphasize her point.
Sighing mightily, Wesley finally got the car out of first gear without stalling it out. Jerking the car along, he wished that he had a pair of earplugs, as vampire and Slayer argued nonstop all the way to Giles' house.
****
Part 20
"How can you not be sure?" The voice so soft, but it still jarred on Lucien's nerves. Lucien could feel the fear rising up in him. His Sire was not going to buy his amnesic routine like Djoser did. {All I need to do is distract him for a little while more.}
"Had been drinking Sire, wasn't paying attention. Ran into those three humans and..." Lucien trailed off, thrusting his hands in his jeans, so Angel couldn't see them shaking. {Hawkins, you better not fuck up!} Pretending to examine the area intently gave Lucien the excuse not to look at his Sire who was scrutinizing him with dark, piercing eyes.{Christ, he suspects something!}
"How can I help jog your memory, Lucien?" Walking over to his Childe, Angel put strong hands on his shoulders, pushing him down to his knees.
"Sire..." Shaking, Lucien waited for the hands to tighten, to begin crushing the bones in his shoulders. But to his surprise his Sire removed his hands and unzipping his pants, he brought out his cock, caressing it with slow, deliberate strokes.
Lucien, with relief so great, immediately took his Sire into his mouth, and began sucking gently. {Just give him pleasure...keep him occupied...keep him from thinking...then maybe I can...}
Angel's hands moved to his Childe's head, grabbing it strongly, pushing his cock deep into Lucien's mouth, pushing it against the tight ring of gagging membranes. Lucien began choking, his throat muscles trying to eject the invading organ, but Angel held fast as Lucien tried to push himself away with his hands. Lucien could feel his Sire's hands, clamped on each side of his head, and he knew if he should even try to bite down, those powerful hands would twist his head right off his neck.
Moving his hips, Angel continued the rape of his Childe's mouth, driving his demanding, pulsing flesh deeper and harder. Lucien, with the unhappy knowledge that if he had been human he would have by now died of asphyxiation, kept trying to relax his throat muscles. The violation went on for some time, as Angel held back, enjoying the fear he was instilling in his Childe.
Afterwards, Lucien stayed on his knees, afraid to move, waiting, waiting for pain and death.
"Childe." His Sire's voice just a whisper. "I'm going back to check on William. You're to come back only when you can tell me something definite. I'll be waiting."
**
Arriving at Giles', Spike was the first out of the car, followed quickly by Buffy, leaving Wesley to try and find a polite way of asking Ramose to stay outside and stand guard.
"Rupert, look alive, we want to talk to you." Not bothering to knock, Spike just let himself in the front door.
Giles, looking up from the book he was reading, couldn't hide his dismay. "Spike...Buffy...what...what...where's Angel?"
"Running around Sunnydale with that Wanker, Lucien." Spike frowned at the ex-Watcher. {Not here but a minute, and he's got to know where my Poof of a Sire is.}
"Spike." Giles studied the vampire. Thinner, face gaunt, Spike had a fragile look to him. The poison and worry had taken on toll on him. "Did Angel give you permission to come here without him?"
"Not you too." Spike rolled his eyes with contempt. "What the hell is matter with you humans? You Chaps don't have to answer to the Lord and Master. Why so concerned about what he wants or doesn't want?"
"Perhaps because we value our lives and limbs." Wesley came through the door, closing it carefully. "Your Sire was...is one of the most vicious creatures ever to exist. So vicious that even later as a loner vampire with a soul, no demon dared to try and challenge him. He allied himself with a Slayer, and has for more than four years now waged war against the demon world, and still the demons are too afraid to ..."
"Planning to start a fan club soon, are you Wes?" Spike interrupted Angel's ex-employee. It was galling to hear how feared his Father was.
"Alright Spike, alright." Giles grabbed his glass off the coffee table. {Another drink wouldn't hurt right now.} "What did you want to talk to me about? You could have called, and I would have come over." {Or better yet, I could have just talked to you on the phone.}
"Spike thinks that his *brother* has minions spying on him." Buffy added helpfully, smiling sweetly at Spike.
"Djoser?" Giles looked up from pouring himself another drink.
"No she means Lucien. Djoser left for New York yesterday." Wesley had followed Giles to the scotch bottle. He made no secret as to what he wanted, grabbing a glass and motioning to Giles to fill it up.
"Djoser left for New York?" Giles didn't like the sound of that.
"Didn't Xander tell you?" A wave of guilt washed over Buffy.{Was I the one who was supposed to have told Giles?}
"Spike, why on earth would Angel send Djoser to New York at a time like this?" Giles was baffled. {A new Master and his minions, an unknown threat, and Angel sends his powerful vampire son to New York?}
Spike opened his mouth to tell Giles it was because Angel didn't have one functioning brain cell in his head, but Wesley was too fast for him. "Djoser was developing an interest in Buffy here, and Angel, opposed to such a relationship, decided it best that Djoser be sent away."
"WHAT!" Buffy and Giles spoke simultaneously, while Spike expressed his disgust. "That's my idiot Sire. Do as I say, not as I do."
"Giles...I never...there was never anything..." Buffy made her protests to Giles, not liking the look he was giving her.
"Of course, we know that nothing happened." Wesley quickly set the record straight. "But Djoser did confess that, that's why he allowed Spike to talk him into leaving the mansion last Friday. He," Wes turned to Buffy, "wanted to see you again."
Buffy was flabbergasted. Last Friday night, all Djoser had done was threaten and intimidate her.
Spike, reading her face, did have to comment. "Really knows how to sweep a girl off her feet, doesn't he."
Any further discussion was halted as Xander came crashing through the door. "Skunk vamps. Skunk vamps. By the Bronze. Attacked some people there."
"How many?" Buffy stood up, slayer mode kicking in.
"How many? Don't know. Didn't stick around to count them. There was a group of them though."
"If people are in danger, I need to go. Giles, you and Wesley can guard Spike. Ramose is here too. I guess it would be pretty hard for anyone or anything to get past him."
"Ramose? He's here too?" Xander looked around. "Where? Is he in the bathroom? I didn't think vampires needed to use the bathroom."
"He's outside guarding the door. You must have passed him." Wesley, feeling his heart sink, was almost afraid to open the door and look out.
"I didn't see him outside." Everyone in the room moved to the door, looking outside for the vampire.
Spike, sniffing the air, could only detect the fading scent of Ramose.{Damn! That Wanker couldn't be trusted either.}
"Buffy, I really don't think you should leave now." Wesley looked over at Giles for support.
"Wesley, I'm sorry, but I can't let more innocent humans die, just to protect...protect this vampire." Buffy looked over at Spike who was standing dejectedly outside of Giles' door, trying desperately to keep his face impassive.
"Spike. Come inside." Wesley held the door for obviously upset vampire. "Perhaps I can go and see if I can find Angel while you tell Giles what you know about Lucien."
"Do what you want. I really don't give a fuck." Face stoic, Spike walked over to Giles' television, and began to dig it out from under a pile of books. If Ramose was betraying him, it was on Djoser's orders. Perhaps the two of them decided to throw their lot in with Lucien for whatever reason or reasons. {Fuckin' Djoser! Don't bloody care about him either, or his Siamese twin.}
"Spike, what are you doing?" Giles watched as the vampire tossed all his precious books around.
"My still-living-in-the-19th-century Poof of a Sire doesn't believe in tellys, so as long as I'm here, I'm gonna watch some telly."
"Spike, didn't you want to tell Giles about Lucien?" Wesley exchanged looks with the other three people in the room, exasperation written all over his face.
"Changed my mind." Spike was heartsick, and the last thing he wanted to do now was talk to a couple of boring ex-Watchers. "Xander, could you move? You're blocking my view."
"You know, Wesley." Xander moved to follow Buffy out the door. "You should tell Angel that you need a raise for taking care of Spike, because I'm sure that what he's paying you is not NEARLY enough."
**
Spitting on the ground, trying to get his Sire's taste out of his mouth, Lucien was headed for the prearranged rendezvous point. {Fuckin' Hawkins better have done his part! If he doesn't have William, then fuck it, I'm outta here!}
The gods had given him a reprieve. Why his Sire had just let him go, he didn't know, but he wasn't going to tempt fate anymore. He had done his part; he had gotten Angel out of the house and away from William. If those two stupid humans, backed-up by a group of fairly well-trained minions, couldn't take William with both his Sire and Djoser gone, then the Master better come up with a whole other plan. But he was getting the hell out of Sunnydale. That last display of power was no accident. His Sire suspected something, and it had been a warning.
Lucien's new Master, a mysterious vampire with no past, who called himself Elder Snow, had sent Lucien to Sunnydale to bring back the youngest Blood-Childe of Angelus. Lucien had his orders, 'bring him back alive.' Snow had plans for William. Plans of torture and a slow agonizing death. Plans that had been put on hold, because Angelus had gotten to William before the Initiative could send William to Elder Snow.
Reaching his destination, Lucien was reassured to see Hawkin's car there. Standing outside the car was Hawkin's human underling, but, no Hawkins and no William!
"Where's Hawkins?" Lucien snarled at the man, wondering how angry his Master would be if he just 'accidentally' killed one of their human allies.
"Got called away. But don't worry, I've got everything under control."
"Under control? Where's my dear little 'brother'."
"Had a little problem, but she's been taken care of now."
"She?"
"The Slayer. Your Sire had the Slayer there protecting the Target, but I sent some of the boys over to that club to make a ruckus. She'll take the bait. Just waiting to hear when she does." The burly human tapped his cell phone.
Lucien sighed at the mortal's stupidity. "If the boys are at the club fighting the Slayer, how do you expect to take William?"
"Still got a few with me." Three minions were seated in the backseat of the car.
"Three's not enough to take William. Did you forget that Ramose is there too? And now my Sire is headed back to the mansion. We've got to abort and get the hell out of here."
"Lucien. Lucien. Lucien. You worry too much." The man slapped Lucien on the back, causing Lucien to growl. "Your brother's not too bright. He left the mansion, and is now at that ex-Watcher's house. That minion, you were able to 'bring around' to our way of thinking, followed him. He's keeping me posted."
"And Ramose? Do you really think that three minions can take him..." Lucien was cut-off by the mortal's cell phone ringing.
"Stay put. We'll be there in a few minutes." Snapping the cell phone shut, the man gave Lucien a big grin. "We just hit the jackpot, vampire. Ramose's left, and the Slayer is now leaving too. Taking your brother will be like taking candy from a baby."
****
Part 21
Pacing the floor, crossbow in hand, Wesley couldn't decide what to do. Stay and help guard Spike or go and see if he could find Angel. Xander had promised that if Buffy didn't need his help with the vampires by the Bronze, he would try and track down Angel and send him over to Giles' house. But who knew if or when that would happen.
"Spike." Giles tried again to talk to the vampire. "Where would Ramose have gone?"
"Don't know." Spike wouldn't look at Giles, just kept his eyes glued to the TV set.
Looking up at the ceiling, Wesley sighed deeply. {Great! Now he decides to become reticent.}
"Spike." With utmost patience, Giles tried again. "Would Ramose dare attack you? Because if that's a possibility, perhaps I should do the ritual that revokes his invitation here. I think I have all the ingredients."
"Before you go to all that bother Rupert, try just locking your door." Flipping through the channels, Spike kept thinking about Djoser and his betrayal. Remembering back, it now made sense. The Slayer had said that Djoser didn't seem to be concerned about Lucien's obvious lies, and Spike, himself had witnessed Djoser reacting to Lucien's fibs. Reacting, but not questioning or confronting. {Bloody Bugger! Now when our Pillock of a Sire gets tired of playing daddy, I won't have anyone to turn to. I'm truly fucked!}
"Rupert, do the ritual. It wouldn't hurt." Wesley started toward the door, deciding that locking it really was a good idea. Just as he was reaching the door, it swung open suddenly, and Wesley found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
"Rupert Giles, I presume? You've got something...excuse me, someone I want."
**
{That's them!}The minion, concealed behind some shrubbery, straightened up, eyes focused on the car that was just pulling in. {Time for revenge and my reward. Fuckin' Angelus. Fuckin' Bloodline vampires.}
The minion had been easily recruited by Lucien. It hadn't been hard. The seeds of disloyalty had already been sown. The minion had been a long time friend of the vampire who had been decapitated by Angel, and angry and resentful he had been waiting for a chance for payback. And he was just the type of vampire that Lucien's new master was looking for. Young, rebellious, with a deep hatred and bitterness toward the Bloodline vampires.
So wrapped up in thoughts about retribution and the position he would have in the new Master's household, the minion was taken by surprise. Taken by surprise by the figure that had come up behind him. The arm that wrapped around him was strong, as he felt bones begin to break.
**
"That's him!" The man let out a derisive laugh, studying Spike from head-to-toe, still holding the gun to Wesley's head. "Thought that a Bloodline vampire was suppose to be a superior vampire. He doesn't even look like he makes it to mediocre."
"Oh, but he's big and bad now." Lucien had walked up to Spike, eyes mocking the younger vampire. "I heard that you remade yourself in the last century. You think that just because you tortured some people with railroad spikes, and renamed yourself Spike that you could become worthy of your heritage, your bloodline? I've got news for you 'little brother.' You're never going to be equal to our Sire. You're too pathetic!"
Growling softly, Spike was assessing the situation. Lucien had one of the minions restraining him from behind. The other two had been left outside to stand watch.
"You know brother." Lucien enjoyed insulting Spike. Normally a turned vampire would never dare call a superior Bloodline vampire, brother. "Since you're so fond of railroad spikes, we thought of a perfect death for you. We're going to nail you to the wall with them. Then let the poison do its work. And when you're just about a gonner, we'll mail you back to the mighty Angelus, so he can say his good-byes. See if he takes it any better than his brother Anton did, when we sent his dying Childe back to him."
"Vampire! Weren't you the one who was in such a fuckin' hurry? We've got the target, so let's kill these two ex-Watchers and get the hell out of ..."
Sounds of a struggle outside interrupted the man and caught the room's attention. That split second of distraction was all Spike needed, as he kicked backwards catching the minion off guard. Giles and Wesley had also been waiting for the right opportunity, as Giles dived for Lucien, and Wesley began to grapple with the armed man, trying to knock the gun out of his hand.
The battle lasted but moments as both Angel and Ramose came smashing through the door. Ramose made short work of the minion that Spike was struggling with while Angel grabbed Lucien, smashing his face into the wall, breaking a nose and shattering a right cheekbone. The human had managed to untangle himself from Wesley, but seeing Angel and Ramose, and knowing that death by their hands would be torturous, placed the barrel of the pistol in his mouth and pulled the trigger, splattering his brains on the wall behind him.
"Lucien." Angel hissed in his Childe's ear. "The punishment for lying and deceiving your Sire is torture. The punishment for attacking your Sire's Blood-Childe is death. I guess you know how you're going to die tonight."
Panicked, Lucien tried to escape his Sire's hold, desperately hoping that someone would stake him, so he could have an easy death. Holding him tighter, Angel's fangs elongated, and savagely biting into Lucien, he drained him to the point of unconsciousness.
"And where the bloody hell did you go?" This was how Spike thanked Ramose for his help with the minion.
"Sire." Ramose explained himself only to Angel or Djoser, as he took Lucien's unconscious body from Angel. "A minion from the household was a traitor. He was helping Lucien. He followed us here. I caught his scent, and pretending to leave, I circled around and caught him from behind."
"I knew it." Spike felt vindicated. Turning to Angel, he made his accusation. "This is all your fault. As Master, you should have known there was a traitor in your own household. YOU left me alone. I could have been killed. You should have protected me better." Spike never felt so smug. Not only could he throw his Sire's mistakes into his face, but he now had a perfect excuse for leaving the mansion without permission.
Seeing red, Angel growled at Ramose. "Did you kill him then?"
"No Sire. He's outside in the bushes. I incapacitated him."
"Incapacitated him?" Giles wondered out loud, as he sadly surveyed his living room, furniture broken, one wall cracked, and the other one covered with blood and brains.
"Broke both legs and an arm." Ramose looked at the human with disdain. {Didn't he know what incapacitation meant?}
Spike smiled broadly. A weight had been lifted off of him. Ramose wasn't in cahoots with Lucien after all.
"Sire." Ramose was studying the dead human. "This is one of the humans who was at the Slayer's house on Friday."
"Bloody hell!" Spike looked over at the dead man who was now missing the back of his head.
"You're certain?" Bending down, Wesley carefully removed the man's wallet. "Because all we need is a driver's license, and a social security number, and perhaps we can find out who these unexplained vampire hunters are."
"Buffy is at the Bronze now. I'm guessing that they sent some of their minions over there as a decoy. I should go down there and check it ..."
Understanding the situation immediately, Angel didn't let Giles finish. "Ramose, take two of our minions and go down there now and help the Slayer. And have the others take him," he pointed to Lucien, "and the one in the bushes to the mansion. I want them stripped and chained to the wall. I will personally take care of both of them. Wesley, I suggest that you stay here with Giles. I don't think you want to be at the mansion tonight. But you and Giles should come over tomorrow afternoon. Bring the Slayer too, because by tomorrow I'll have answers for us all."
**
Spike had had enough. Lucien had spilled his guts to them hours ago, but Angel was still finding new ways to torture him. At the beginning, it had been exhilarating, seeing his hated enemy screaming in pain and agony. But now! His Sire always was excessive when inflicting pain, but how could he be so totally ruthless with one of his own Childer? He had loved Lucien at one time, hadn't he? Had held him, given him his blood, taken him in his bed.
"Childe." Angel motioned to Spike to come over by him. "Drink his blood. Drink your enemy's blood. Take your final revenge. Take his essence from him, before I send him to hell."
Looking at what was left of the vampire Lucien, Spike knew what was expected of him, but the thought of drinking Lucien's blood made him only feel sick to his stomach. Eyeing a wooden stake that was just inches from his hand, the only urge Spike had was to bury the stake in Lucien's heart, putting the older vampire out of his misery. But he could just imagine the look on his Sire's face. 'Still so human. Still so pitiful.'
But unable to bear any more, Spike left the room. Wandering through the deserted mansion, he could faintly hear screams coming from outside of the mansion. Ramose was interrogating the household, looking for other traitors or sympathizers. The traitor had been hung by his neck from a tree as an example. He would be left there to await the sunlight. The leaves of the trees would partially protect him, filtering out some of the damaging rays, so instead of dying in a burst of flame, the minion would smolder slowly, in bits and pieces.
The room at the end of the hall was dark. Laying on the floor, Spike stared up at the ceiling, thinking about Drusilla. "You're not demon enough for me." Her words kept ringing in his head. {Yeah, babe, you were right. Not demon enough period.}
"William." A light went on in the room, but Spike was not surprised. He had smelled his Sire's scent...and Lucien's blood? Looking up, the sight of his Sire did take him by surprise. Angel, shirtless, covered with Lucien's blood, a knife in one hand.
"Complete your victory. Seize his knowledge, his power, his experience. It's your right." With that said, Angel began to cut stripes down his chest and arms. His blood oozed out of the cuts, mixing with the blood of Lucien.
{Sire's blood...Lucien's blood...together...} As Angel knelt down by him, Spike acted on pure instinct. Licking the blood off his Father, he started with the shoulder and worked his way down the chest. Not missing an inch, he had reached Angel's stomach when he realized that his Sire had lost the rest of his clothing.
Angel knew how to get his way. Hands covered with his dead Childe's blood, Angel cut lines in his right hand. Right hand now dripping with blood, he coated his cock, balls, and inner thighs with blood, while pulling Spike with him to the nearest chair.
Kneeling between his Sire's thighs, Spike began licking up the blood coating Angel's inner thighs and balls, before slowly working his way to the outside of Angel's shaft. Licking around the head, Spike focused on the v-shaped depression on the underside of the head. Flicking it with his tongue, he heard a soft groan, and felt a hand on his head urging him to take the whole organ in his mouth. Taking the head in his mouth, Spike began sucking, causing Angel to buck his hips, pushing himself in deeper. Deep-throating his Sire's cock, Spike was able to hold it there while Angel flexed inside of him.
Trying to hold back, trying to make it last, Angel gritted his teeth, but then felt his Childe's oral muscles milking him, and he couldn't stop himself. "Christ Childe, take it all. You've had my blood, now drink my seed too." And with that he let himself go, pumping his cum down his son's throat.
After drinking up every drop of his Sire's cum, Spike couldn't help but tilt his head sideways, offering himself to his Father. And Angel, all self-control long forgotten, accepted his Childe's offering. Pulling Spike up on his lap, he nuzzled the neck first before biting into it. Wrapping both arms around his son, Angel drank his Childe's blood, feeling its warmth slide down his throat, and feeling peace flow through him.
****
Part 22
It was late morning when Spike woke, pinned down by a heavy leg and arm of his Sire. {He's still asleep? How odd.}It was unusual for Spike to awake before Angel. Not wanting to wake his Sire, Spike carefully tried to slide out from under Angel's limbs. After last night, Spike needed time to regain his composure. He didn't want to face his Father just yet.
"Where are you going Childe?" Pressing down harder with his arm and leg, Angel stopped Spike from leaving the bed.
"Need a shower."
"Later. I have plans for you yet. If you take a shower now, you'll just have to take another one again."
{PLANS!?} "Not interested in your plans. I want to get up now."
In a lightening fast movement, Angel rolled over on top of Spike. "Are you sure you're not interested?"
Spike felt his Sire's cool hands, caressing him, fondling him. Closing his eyes, trying not to moan, he felt his treacherous body begin to respond. {Christ, he knows how to do it just right. Better than Dru. Certainly better than Harmony.}
"William." Opening his eyes, Spike was shocked to see his Father baring his neck to him. An offering of a Sire's blood was a rare occurrence, but if it was done, it was done only on a his terms. A Childe was never allowed to bite a Sire. It was forbidden. "Go ahead. You need my blood. You don't eat enough."
Fangs emerging, Spike wasn't going to let this opportunity pass him by. Raising his head, he bit into Angel's jugular, tasting the smooth, rich blood. The combination of Sire's blood, and an experienced hand squeezing and stroking him brought Spike to a climax faster than he would have liked. He moaned deep in his throat, as his cum shot out in strong spasms. Withdrawing fangs, Spike's head fell back on the bed. He was panting, an old habit that he kept from his mortal years.
Pushing Spike's knees back to his shoulders, Angel smeared his son's cum over his hardened cock. Pushing one cum covered finger into Spike's puckered hole, two, then three, and finally four fingers. Opening his Childe up as much as possible, Angel readied him.
"Ahh Sire." Lust had taken over Spike. All doubts and reservations he had regarding Angel had been forgotten for the moment. "Take me. Fuck me...give it to me."
Proceeding slowly, Angel began to penetrate Spike, but Spike had other ideas. He wanted it brutally and swiftly. Pushing his ass up, he wanted his Sire's cock all the way in him.
Grunting, Angel was lost in the sensation of a tightness around him, his Childe's balls against his. Ramming his way in, he hit prostate eliciting another moan from beneath him. Finding his rhythm, he opened his son wide, grinding himself into the straining hole, and then pulling out completely, so that he could take him all over again. Feeling his Childe squeeze his muscles, constricting the passage even more, Angel thrust all the way in, spilling his seed inside his son with a loud groan. Upper body lying on top of Spike, Angel began licking and kissing his Childe's face and neck.
"My Childe. Mine." Angel said possessively while rolling over on his side, arms going around Spike. For once, Spike lay quietly, forehead resting on his Father's broad chest. Running his fingers through his Childe's short, wavy hair, Angel smiled contentedly. "No one is going to hurt you again. I PROMISE you that."
"You PROMISE? How can you promise that? You've promised me that before, and what did you do? Abandoned me. Turned against me. Don't make a promise you can't keep."
Angel tightened his arms around his Childe. "I'm not without regrets. But I've learned from them. I won't let you down again."
"Yeah, right." Spike tried to pull away. Tried to put a little space between him and his Sire. "You let Lucien come into our home. You believed all his bullshit. He wanted to kill me. Wanted to send me to his new master, so they could torture me. It was only pure luck..."
"I knew Lucien couldn't be trusted, but I pretended to go along with him. Wanted to see what he was up to. Wanted to find out what the hell was going on."
"You knew all along that Lucien couldn't be trusted?" Breaking free from his Father's embrace, Spike sat up, looking down at Angel.
Frowning, Angel stared at his Childe. "Of course. Lucien always did think he was smarter than he really was. Thought he could fool me by bringing me a corpse of a dead man. Even the humans knew that it was a ruse. But I played him. You knew that, didn't you?"
"No!" Now Spike was pissed. {So fuckin' worried. Guess, the big Poof has some brain cells after all.} "And Djoser..."
"Djoser was playing along too."
"Goddamn! Son-of-a-bitch!" Now really mad, Spike would have jumped up out of the bed, except Angel grabbed him, pulling him down against him again.
"Childe." Forehead against forehead. "You need to trust me."
{Yeah, when hell freezes over!}
Seeing the mistrust in his son's eyes, Angel sighed, gathering Spike in his arms. {What do I need to do to make him trust me again?}
**
Entering the mansion, Giles and Wesley gave each other doubtful looks. On the way in they had seen the ominous noose swinging in the breeze. And now inside, they could see evidence of blood. A lot of blood on the floors and the walls. Minions were scrambling around trying to clean it all up.
"Wesley, explain to me again why we're helping..." Giles was interrupted by Angel coming into the room. Freshly showered, he was shrugging on a clean shirt.
"Wesley. Giles. You're a little earlier than I expected, but that's alright. I've got a lot to tell you. Where's the Slayer? "
Giles exchanged another uncertain look with Wesley. "Buffy will be along in a little while. And we've learned something of interest too."
"You have?"
"Yes. The dead man from last night worked for the Watcher's Council. The Council has a division of specially trained demon fighters, usually ex-military men. Not unlike the Initiative."
"That fits with what Lucien told me. Said that his master, a vampire named Elder Snow made a truce with the Watcher's Council. But why would your Council make a truce with a master vampire?"
Taking off his glasses, Giles wiped his brow. "We called a friend, an ex-colleague today. According to him, not everyone in the Council is in agreement with this truce. The Council is divided. Members are fighting among themselves. It's all very volatile and political. One of the strongest proponents of this truce is the head of the 'Search and Destroy Division' of the Council. A man named Hawkins. I had the unpleasant experience of meeting him once. An arrogant fool who is part barbarian."
Seeing that Giles was reluctant to continue, Wesley jumped in. "This Elder Snow calls for the elimination of the Bloodline vampires, and many Council members agree with this viewpoint. They think they're going to use Snow to solve their vampire problems. They think that they'll be able to control or destroy him afterwards, but what they're failing to take into consideration is that the number of young vampires who are following Snow's call is staggering. The question is, who will control whom when it's all said and done."
Speaking in a voice so calm and controlled, the two men knew that it only belied what the vampire was really feeling. "They want to eliminate us with this poison that they developed, but Alex told me that it's useless against a pure Bloodline vampire. They may kill some of our Blood-Childer, but they won't kill us purebloods, and we're the ones they should be scared of."
"By killing your Blood-Childer, they're hoping for a domino effect. And so far, they've been right. They've killed your brother's Blood-Childe, and..."
"And my brother went in and took out a whole Council facility."
"And after that your brother went off and died. According to the Council, he died of sorrow." Wesley looked at Angel curiously. Another revelation. A vampire father, so grieved at his son's death that he literally died of grief himself.
{NO!} Standing up with such force, Angel knocked over the chair he was sitting on. {Not possible! Not Anton! A pureblood. Childe of Heinrich Nest, direct descendant of Caine himself, and Heinrich's consort, the vampiress Darla. How could he just die?} Bewildered, Angel felt helpless. A feeling he was not real familiar with and didn't like. Picking up the chair that had tipped over, he held it for a moment between his hands before his emotions got the better of him. Both hands squeezed together causing the back of the chair to crumble. "And now Iltik is vulnerable. If they poison him, there will be no way we can save him without his Father's blood. Goddamn it! Who the HELL is this Elder Snow?"
Both Giles and Wesley had backed up away from Angel at his show of temper. "Ahh, we...we were hoping you could tell us. We researched him this morning, but could not find one reference on him."
"Never heard the name. Probably an alias." Calmer, Angel paced for a moment. "Alex should know who he is. She prides herself on knowing who everyone is in vampire circles. I'll give her a call."
"Yes, and could you ask her what's up with Iltik?" Wesley was relieved to see Angel back in control. "I e-mailed him last night, but I've received no answer from him which is very curious. Normally, he always responds very promptly."
****
Historical Fact = In Nazi Germany on September 1, 1941, all German Jews were ordered to wear yellow stars.
Part 23
Lying on the couch with his knees bent so the bottom of his boots also rested on the couch, Spike held a pillow over his face, not paying any attention to what was being said by the other people in the room. His stupid Sire had done it again. Spike felt like his guts were being twisted inside out. He knew that the Poof would always affect him a little, but Spike had promised himself that he would never again be emotionally vulnerable to his Sire. But it was getting harder and harder now, especially when the Wanker was really into playing the role of concerned father. Spike was starting to find himself believing that Angel really did care for him, and that was dangerous thinking.
"...of Elder Snow. Wesley interrupted Spike's thoughts. "SPIKE!"
"WHAT?"
"Did you hear what I just said?"
"Yeah, and no I've never heard of any Elder Snowman."
Buffy and Xander sighed in unison. "Snow, Spike. His name is Elder Snow."
"Snow. Snowman. Snowflake. Stupid name for a vampire. Almost as lame as a vampire with a name of Angel." Spike stole a look at his Sire who was leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest, a grim look on his face. {What's Poofy looking so gloomy about? After getting his rocks off last night and this morning, he should have a big, dopey grin on his face.}
"Oh and being named after a dog isn't just as lame." Xander smirked at Spike.
That got Spike's attention. Sitting up, he gave Xander a menacing look. "Come again? Dog?"
"Spike. Spike is a name you give your dog."
Growling, Spike lunged for Xander. {Truce or no truce. This kid is going down!}He was caught in mid-lunge by Angel who grabbed him around the waist. "ENOUGH! Both of you."
"Spike." Giles looked mildly at the vampire who was now being restrained by his Sire. "Angel told us that Lucien confessed that Snow already knew about you being a Blood-Childe. That it wasn't something he needed to be told by Lucien. There has to be some connection. Somewhere. Somehow. Snow wants to see all Bloodline vampires dead, but that idea is not anything new. There always has been movements that called for the bloodlines to be eradicated. Have you in the past ever had any contact or dealings with any of these groups?"
"No."
"Childe." Arms still around Spike, Angel spoke in his ear. "Think again. Are you sure?"
"Of course, I'm bloody sure. I would remember...oh wait a moment. There was this one time..."
**
Canada, early 1900's
"Spike. Miss Edith doesn't like it here. Wants to go back home. I don't like it here either. Let's go back to England, or...or how about Romania? Maybe daddy will be there waiting for us."
Spike sighed with impatience. "Luv, we've gone over this already. We're not too welcome anywhere in Europe right now. We've got to lay low for a while. And here in the New World no one knows us."
Pouting, Drusilla tried another argument. "Too cold here. Let's go south where the sun is shining and warm."
"Dru, we're vampires." Spike's voice now had a hint of temper. "We don't like the bloody sun, especially when it's shining and warm."
Looking into his lover's eyes, Spike was surprised to see a flash of clarity in them. {She doesn't want to be here. It's not the New World, it's this particular place. I wonder why?}
**
Alex couldn't believe that she, too was here in this godforsaken place. Chasing after Angelus' brat no less, because the stupid Childe decides to run and see Canada. Canada, of all places. Home of the Radicals. Haters of the Bloodline. A dangerous place for him. Although not marked as a Blood-Childe, he had been sort of presented in Court, and although many still believed that myth that William was the Childe of Drusilla, there were some who knew the truth. And vampires were no different than humans when it came to gossip, especially gossip about the Bloodlines.
Arriving at the shabby building that William and Drusilla had moved into, Alex swept by the minion who was supposed to be guarding the front door.
"Don't want to go and meet them." For once, Drusilla was not going along with Spike. "They're not nice people."
"Luv, it'll be fun." He coaxed her. "They believe in mayhem and violence. They want to overthrow the Ones in power. Now...doesn't that sound like..."
"William!" Alex couldn't believe her ears. {He came here to join the Radicals?!}
Spike looked up in surprise. "Who the bloody hell are you? And get the fuck out of my house."
"Is that any way to greet an esteemed member of your family? I'm your elder, Childe, so you better have some respect."
"Oh, I know you." Spike now recognized the vampiress. "You're a mate of Angelus, Dru's Sire."
{He refers to his Father as Dru's Sire?}"I'm here to take you back to England. Your brother Djoser will come and meet us there. He regrets walking out on you. You'll live with him now. He'll take care..."
"Don't have the faintest idea of what you're talking about? Think you have the wrong bloke. Don't have a brother." Spike interrupted Alex, face serious.
Alex sighed. "William, I don't have time to be playing games with you. You need to come with me." Looking at William, the vampiress saw no mockery, no deceit in the Childe's clear gaze. {What's wrong with him?} "Your Father..."
"My who?" He interrupted her.
"Your Father. Your Sire. Angelus. He was cursed by..."
"Woman, you're talking pure rot. Dru's my Sire."
"Drusilla is not your Sire. That's a lie that your Father started..." Stopping, Alex looked at the younger vampire closely, and was hit with the realization that Angelus' son was slightly mad! {He's still traumatized. And living with that insane Drusilla isn't helping any. She'll have to be removed. Bad influence on William.}
But Alex, too overconfident, had sadly underestimated both Spike and Drusilla. Not considering either of them to be a threat, she had not readied herself. Unprepared she had forgotten an important detail. That Drusilla was a psychic!
Drusilla had caught Alex's thoughts about her elimination, and placing a slim hand on Spike's arm, she communicated silently to him. Acting suddenly and in unity, they attacked the vampiress, throwing her to the floor.
Kicking Alex in the ribs, Spike vented at her. "Bloody Whore. Who do you think you are? Coming here, thinking you can tell me what to do. Meddling old Bitch."
"Spike." Drusilla tugged on Spike's arm. The powerful vampiress was down for a moment, but Drusilla knew it was just a matter of time.
Giving Alex one last kick, Spike allowed Drusilla to pull him away. The two vampires ran away like naughty children, laughing about how they got the best of 'that interfering old cow.'
Standing up painfully, her left ribs broken, left arm clutched around her, Alex angrily muttered curses at the absent Angelus. "Bloody, selfish son-of-a bitch! Runs off and abandons his Childe, and now we're left to take care of his BRAT!"
Alex had heard that Angelus was living in the streets somewhere, feeding off rats. To make herself feel slightly better, she contemplated finding out exactly where he was living, and imagined herself letting loose a wagon load of cats in the area.
**
"You were going to do WHAT? You were going to join a group whose goal was the extermination of all Bloodline vampires?" Angel could feel a pain shoot through his head. He also could hear Alex's voice, taunting him. "Do you have any idea what kind of trouble your Childe managed to embroil himself in while you were busy moping around, feeling sorry for yourself?"
"Well..." Thinking hard, Spike was trying to remember why he had thought joining the Radicals had been such a good idea.
Xander and Buffy exchanged glares. "What an idiot!" Buffy mouthed the words quietly to Xander.
"I heard that." Spike scowled at the two teenagers. "I wasn't marked. They wouldn't have known that I was..."
"But that was crazy." Wesley, too was amazed at his stupidity.
"Spike, you joining the Radicals is like a German Jew, who leaves his yellow star at home and then tries to join the Nazi party during World War II."
"Xander!" Giles looked at the boy in wonder. {Did he just say something intelligent?}"Interesting analogy."
Xander had surprised himself. "Did I just say that?" Giving Buffy a self-satisfied grin, he nudged her with his elbow. "See, I didn't sleep through all my classes in High School."
Rolling his eyes, Spike just wanted this topic to be closed. "Well, no harm done anyways. Never met with them because of Alex sticking her big nose in ...hey why are we knocking ourselves out trying to figure out who this Elder Snowball is anyways? Give that know-it-all Alex a call. She probably has a complete bio on the man, complete with the size and color of his knickers."
"Well...you see...we did try..." Wesley looked over at Angel for help.
"What?" Spike didn't like the uncomfortable looks that were being exchanged between his Sire and the two ex-Watchers.
"William." Angel had that grim look on his face again. "We can't communicate with anyone in New York. Phones have been disconnected. Iltik hasn't answered Wesley's e-mail...and...Djoser never called to say that he had made it to New York."
****
Part 24
Europe, early 1900's
They never stood a chance. They had been waiting, hoping that maybe the pair would return. Two vampires did return, but it wasn't the two that the group of minion vampires had been waiting for.
Two vampires. Both dark, strong and extremely skilled as fighters. They had no trouble dispatching the band of underling vampires. The lead minion they left, bloody and hurt, but alive.
"You will go back to your master. Tell him that he is to leave the vampire named 'William the Bloody' alone. William is under my protection."
"Your protection?" The vampire shifted his position every so slightly, causing him to groan softly. A broken rib had punctured a lung. "Djoser, Blood-Childe of Angelus," The minion addressed the Bloodline vampire with the proper respect. "Why should you care what happens to the Childe of your Sire's consort?"
Djoser did not answer the minion. He did not have to explain himself to an inferior.
"I will tell my master, but you are Clanless and Sireless now. You going to defeat our whole Clan? And over who? Two vampires who don't have an ounce of good judgment between..."
"I don't care about the vampiress, Drusilla. Kill her, for all I care, but William you will not touch." Djoser interrupted the minion, scowling contemptuously at him.
"I will convey the message to my master, but it is already known that those two are both disturbed. They've been running all around Europe, causing all sorts of trouble. If our Clan doesn't kill them, then another will. Or they'll be killed by other demons. They have just about managed to antagonize every demon here in Europe." With that said, the vampire got up slowly and cautiously. Backing out of the room, he knew that he had said enough, and that it was time to leave. Time to leave before the Bloodline vampire who was known to be as vicious as his Father, changed his mind about letting him live.
"How do you propose to keep William safe without our Sire, and without a Clan backing us up?" Ramose spoke softly to Djoser. "If we took him back with us to..."
"No, that's not possible anymore." Djoser gave a sigh. "According to Alex, William is out of control. He's become unbalanced. He wouldn't willingly come with us, so the only way we could manage him now would be to keep him in chains, and I don't want to do that to him. We should have taken him with us before."
"So what do you plan to do?"
"Alex chased William and Drusilla back here from Canada. We'll go see her. I'm thinking that if we can find out where our Sire is, perhaps she then can undo what was done to him."
"Undo it? She thinks he got what he deserved. She laughed about it!"
"She's not laughing anymore. Not after what William was going to do in Canada. She now knows that something must be done. And that something is to get William back under the protection of our Sire."
**
"You will not go anywhere near Angelus! Him, having a soul is perfect. With him out of the picture, my position as heir to the Master is unchallenged." The vampire named Luc paced in front of his seated wife.
"Restoring him would not threaten your position. He'd still be ostracized. You, husband are the only one of the three pureblood sons who still has a legitimate position with the Clan. Why does he still worry you so?" Alex was keenly aware of the bad blood that ran among the three brothers.
"Because even ostracized, Darla still saw him regularly. He always was her favorite. She couldn't stay away from him, and you know what influence she has with the Master."
"But she hates William. And as long as William lives..."
"Then by all means, do what you can to protect Angelus' unmarked Childe. I cannot openly help you, because that Childe was condemned to death, but ..." He didn't need to finish, as he looked his wife in the eyes. They understood each other. A bargain had been made. Alex would not try to reverse the spell that cursed Angelus, but she would have free rein to protect William. And Luc would be the uncontested heir to the Master.
Years later, Alex would end up desouling Angelus, but only after both the demise of the Master and in a strange twist of events, the death of the Anointed One by William's hands. But she didn't break her promise to her husband, as by then Luc was well established as the new Master of the Tremere Clan.
****