Part 10

"Are you off your nut?" Spike was fuming. It was the following afternoon when Djoser came back to the crypt. Though relieved at his return, the vampire couldn't believe his brother's moronic plan. "There's a word for what you're about to do; it's called bounty hunting. And a Childe of the Bloodline such as yourself, doesn't lower himself to such an activity."

"It's the only way I can make it right with the Doctor." Djoser was busy checking to see which of their weapons had survived the fire. "It will erase your debt to him, and I figure I'll make enough actual cash to pay Buffy back, plus have enough to stake me for another job with this Doctor. With the money from the second job, we can start over or search for our uncle Damon. We can decide that when the time comes."

Heaving a sigh, Spike sat himself down on the floor. All the chairs had been destroyed. "I'm the one who owes the Doctor. If the only way we can square things with him is to hunt down a couple of demons, then I should be the one to do it. You're not responsible for me."

"Don't push me, boy!" Spinning to look at Spike, Djoser snarled at him, sounding eerily like Angel. "You know I've been responsible for you since your rebirth, and when I had you run away from our Father that in essence made me your Sire. I *will* take care of you, but in turn you *will* obey me. I'm going to take you to Buffy's. She'll watch over you while I'm gone. You *will* behave and take care of yourself, so that when I get back, you'll be strong again. If you do that, then I'll take you with me on the next job."

Sighing again, Spike knew that he had driven Djoser to his limit. His brother would not listen to any more of his arguments. "Okay, mate." He grumbled quietly. "But bad things have always happened when we've been separated."

**

A forlorn Spike sat on a made up couch in the living room of the Summer's house. On his lap sat a paper bag that held his few belongings that had survived the fire. Sniffing the air, the vampire checked for any signs of the humans. No scents, the coast was clear. Opening the bag, he pulled out his one cherished possession, the jar with Elder Snow's eye. Wistfully thinking of Angel, he so wished he could call his Sire and ask for help.

"Hey, Spike." Entering through the front door, Dawn greeted the vampire. "Whacha lookin' at?"

"Nothing." Spike quickly hid the jar back in the paper bag. He was supposed to be behaving himself, and showing the Slayer's little sis a vampire eye floating in liquid formaldehyde would probably not rank high on the 'best behavior' scale. "Nothing at all. Just sitting here. . .err, thinking."

"Don't you want to watch TV?" Her own situation, absent father, dead mother, and overwhelmed, older sibling was so similar to Spike's that Dawn could empathize with the vampire's emotional pain.

"Not in the mood." Sighing, Spike clutched the paper bag tighter to him.

Smiling widely, Dawn tried to convey a sense of cheerfulness. "'Friends' will be on shortly. Want to watch it with. . . ?" Stopping, she realized that Spike wasn't buying into her act. "I'm sorry about what happened to the crypt, and I hope your brother comes back real soon."

"Yeah." Spike stared into space, thinking about Djoser. A part of him wondered if his brother would return for him. 'Now that he's gone, he might decide that his unlife is a lot easier without me.' He thought to himself. 'He might not come back for me, just like my Sire.'

**

Northern Nevada, October 2001

A couple of nights later, Djoser had tracked the Ahji demons to the Great Basin Desert. Pulling to the side of the road alongside an abandoned car, the vampire smiled grimly to himself. The two fleeing demons were leaving a trail that even a human could follow. Getting out of his own vehicle, he sniffed the air. There was no mistake; the car belonged to the two Ahji demons.

Sticking his head into the deserted car, Djoser checked it out, trying to determine why the demons had abandoned it. "Fools." The vampire whispered, as he noticed the gas gauge on empty. Straightening up, footprints in the sand flashed before his eyes like a neon sign that said, 'come get us'.

Going back to his own car, Djoser grabbed a sword and a shotgun out of the trunk. 'And they call themselves demons.' He thought to himself contemptuously. 'Finding them is going to be child's play. The easiest money I'll ever make.'

**

Watching their new recruits savagely kill a couple of unlucky Ahji demons who had accidentally stumbled on their camp, Jack Hawkins turned to his vampire ally, Elder Snow. "Satisfied?" He asked.

"They'll do." Snow answered abruptly. Amateur human demon hunters and Caitiff vampires escaping the Ventrues was not his idea of ideal followers. But there were few other options for him and Hawkins with the Ventrues closing in on them.

"Master." One of Snow's few minions who had survived the battle with Angelus and the Tremeren Clan in Sunnydale came running up to them. "Someone is coming - a vampire."

"Ventrues!" Hawkins exclaimed with alarm. "What the hell are they doing here in the middle of fucking nowhere?"

"I don't think so." Still speaking to Snow, the minion was never sure how to address his master's human partner. "He's alone, and I believe I recognize him."

"Who is he?" Snow turned to look at his minion with interest.

"An Heir Apparent of the Tremeren Clan, Angelus' oldest son, Djoser."

**

Following the demon tracks into the desert, Djoser paused a moment to look around at his surroundings. The Great Basin Desert reminded him of his birthplace. Memories of his childhood home flowed through him, and for a moment the vampire wished time could be turned back. That he could return to a period of his existence when life was easier, when he was loved, wanted, and cared for.

It was a mere whisper of another presence, but it raised the hair on the back of Djoser's neck. He was not alone. Raising his shotgun, the vampire stood perfectly still, using all of his senses to determine who or what was following him. A moment of calm before the storm, as seconds later they attacked, vampires and human thugs.

Riding up in a Jeep Wrangler, Elder Snow stood in the passenger seat. He wanted a good look to satisfy himself that the vampire they were about to capture was indeed Angelus' oldest Blood-Childe.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Jack Hawkins couldn't help but admire Djoser's battle skills. "Motherfucker can fight." Pulling up the handbrake, he waved his hand at a couple of Snow's minions, signaling them to ready the winch. "Lasso the bastard before he kills any more of our new men. . .Christ." He turned to Snow. "That son-of-a-bitch just slaughtered more than half of our trainees."

"They were expendable." Snow smiled with satisfaction as he watched his minions throw the steel cable that was attached to the Jeep winch around Djoser. "But that Childe is not."

**

"So after we kill Hawkins, are we then going to go to LA?" The question had already been asked, but the young fledgling felt the need to make conversation. Looking over at his Sire, his eyes were filled with adoration. Since being claimed by his father, he had never been happier.

"Perhaps we will go to LA, but I'm in no hurry to. . . ." Damon was interrupted by the arrival of two of his minions.

"Master." The head minion addressed him. "We scouted the area ahead like you ordered. There's a camp about five miles due west of here."

Damon's lips curled up in a small smile of satisfaction. "Hawkins." He hissed. "Ready the rest of the minions."

"Master." The second minion now spoke up. "We also saw and smelled evidence of other vampires. The Ventrues wouldn't be way out here, would they?"

"Vampires?" Damon was surprised. "No, reliable sources told me that the Ventrues have taken over California and are just starting to spread out into Arizona, but haven't gotten to the other western states. It must just be some Caitiff vampires who. . .Snow!" The thought of the renegade vampire struck him suddenly. "I bet he reunited with his human ally."

"Going to kill him too?" Damon's Blood-Childe asked curiously.

"No killing them right off would be too merciful." Eyes beginning to flicker gold, Damon could feel himself salivating. "I plan to torture them both. They attacked Tremeren Blood-Childer and will now pay the price for their crimes."

**

Sunnydale, November 2001

"If you would just stake me some money, I could go to Nevada. Something happened to Djoser, and I need to check it out." Spike continued his argument as he unenthusiastically followed Buffy through the cemetery. Two weeks had passed since Djoser had left for Nevada, and he knew that his brother was not coming back. But the question that nagged him, did Djoser abandon him, or did something else happen?

"For the tenth time, Spike." Buffy turned to face the vampire. "I already gave your brother money I couldn't spare. I don't have any more money to give."

Sighing in frustration, Spike looked around himself. "Then just let me mug one person, one bad person." He amended. "And I'll leave, and you'll never be bothered by me again." The last part was thrown in as an enticement.

"Ah huh." Twirling a stake in one hand, Buffy was skeptical. "Like I haven't heard that before. Listen. . . ." She resumed walking. "I made a promise to Djoser that I would look after you. So besides the fact that I really don't have any money, I sorta feel responsible for you. You and your brother kept your promise to me regarding Dawn, so I should return the favor."

"The situation isn't the same." Rolling his eyes, Spike once again trailed after Buffy. "I'm not some helpless teenage twi. . .teenager. I can take care of myself, and if you want to pay us back for saving Dawn's life, then help me find Djoser. He could be in real trouble, you know."

"I know." Pretending that she was totally absorbed in her patrol, Buffy was in reality, pensive. It had crossed her mind that Djoser could have met with some real danger, but she didn't know what do to about it. "He's somewhere in Nevada, another state. We have no idea exactly where, and do you know how long it would take to search the whole state of Nevada? If he is in some kind of mess, we'd be too late to do anything about it anyway."

"Oh, you're bloody cold about it!" Anger was beginning to replace frustration in the vampire. "If it were your sister instead of Djoser, I think someone would be having a whole different attitude."

"Spike!" The vampire had touched a guilty nerve in her, but even so she had no idea how to resolve the problem. There was no way she could leave Sunnydale, her sister, her job, and the trio of nerds that were beginning to annoy her. "I understand your need to find your brother, but. . . ." Buffy paused. "I just don't think it's a good idea for you while you're not one hundred percent, to go galloping off when you don't even know where you're going. If Djoser is in trouble, then he'll just have to find a way out of trouble. He's a big boy."

"Oh that's right." Quickening his pace, Spike stepped alongside Buffy. "Just dismiss him, cause after all, he's just a vamp, and. . . ."

"Did you hear that?" Interrupting him, the sound of a woman screaming stopped Buffy in her tracks.

"Hear what?" Spike's vampiric hearing had not picked up anything unusual.

"There." Buffy pointed ahead to a woman being chased by two figures. "Over there." She yelled as she broke into a run after the pursuers.

Still looking wildly around, Spike didn't see anything. "Over where?" He called back in confusion as he ran after Buffy.

A flying leap and Buffy tackled one of the pursuers dressed in a robe. Jumping up, prepared to do battle, she suddenly found herself alone. "Huh." Checking around herself, there was no one there, not even Spike.

**

Northern Nevada, November 2001

"Halt!" The sentry yelled out to the lone figure who was approaching their camp. Well trained, the minion immediately began a sensory sweep of the intruder. "Who are you, and what is your purpose. . . ?"

"Don't you recognize me?" The vampire interrupted with a snarl. "Fucking moron! I'm going to tell that idiot brother of mine that his fucking minions aren't so fucking perfect."

"My Liege." Dropping to their knees, the two sentinels realized that the vampire who stood before them was Nic, another son of the Old Master. "We couldn't see clearly. . . ."

"I don't want to hear any fucking excuses." Alone and on the run from the Ventrues since March, Nic was in a foul mood. "I'm hungry, tired, and I need the healer to look me over, so take me to him, pronto."

"Of course." Standing up, one of the guards immediately went to Nic's side to offer assistance. "Are you alone? Where are your minions?"

"You can see I'm fucking alone!" Leaning on the other vampire, Nic allowed himself to be supported. "Fucking Ventrues took out my entire lair. My minions. My. . . ." He stopped, closing his eyes as he regretfully thought about his now dead consort.

"Nic." Always alert, Damon had heard the raised voices and had come to investigate. "My brother!" Taking a hold of Nic by the shoulders, the vampire studied his younger sibling thoroughly. "You don't look well. Come." Putting a supportive arm around his brother, Damon began to lead him toward the camp. "Since I arrived back here in America, I looked for you but was told that you had perished in a Ventrue raid."

"Almost fucking did." Nic limped alongside Damon. "I'd really like to know what happened to that fucker, Judelin. Thought his philosophy was that *all* Bloodline vampires were to be protected. It seems that he's forgotten that and is now finishing what that bastard Snow started. . .And what the hell are you doing out here in the middle of fucking nowhere? Do you know how many markers I had to call in to find you." Griping was how Nic showed his relief at being reunited with his brother and the other Clan members. "What was our High Master thinking to send you out here? Oh, and by-the-way, did Angelus tell you that he and I parted on rather bad terms? But since the Ventrues wiped me out, I've got no other place to go. Do you think you could put in a good word for me with our *Master*?"

"I haven't seen nor spoken to Angelus." Damon answered in a clipped tone.

"What?" Stopping, Nic looked at his brother in surprise. "Now I know I was never good at remembering the proper protocol, but aren't you suppose to be reporting to our High Master that you've returned?"

"Haven't you heard that he's back with Darla? And that they're expecting a Pure. . . ?"

"I've heard the talk." Nic abruptly interrupted Damon. "Even some of the Ventrues are saying that this new Childe is a sign. Leave it to our esteemed older brother to be the father of the next vampire messiah. Fucker's a prolific bastard. Wonder if Darla made some kind of pact with a fertility goddess because. . . ."

"It's all bullshit." Damon broke off his brother's ramblings. "The Childe may be a Pure Blood but that doesn't necessarily make him special." Gripping Nic tighter, he began walking again. "I haven't reported to Angelus because of Darla. She's always hated us who were not her progeny. I don't trust her, so I was biding my time, waiting to see what she's up to. And I wasn't wrong because look who I found out here." The vampire led his brother over to the back of a cargo van where a prone body lie on top of some blankets. "He had been captured by Snow and his cohort." He motioned over to Hawkins who was gagged and chained up to another of the clan's vehicles.

"Djoser!" Leaning into the van, Nic studied his nephew. Comatose, Djoser was skeletal. Signs of torture covered his entire body. "What the fuck? So where the hell is Angelus? How could he have allowed this?"

"That, my brother is the million-dollar question." Damon signaled for the healer. "And I'm not going anywhere near LA until I have some answers."

**

Sunnydale, November 2001

Confused, Buffy looked wildly around herself. "Spike." She yelled out. "If this is your idea of a joke?" The sound of whimpering made her whirl around. "What the. . . .?" She couldn't help but exclaim at the sudden appearance of a young woman, lying on the ground crying. "It's okay. I'm here. I can help. . . ."

A feeling a vertigo passed over her as suddenly the young woman disappeared and sinister voices began chanting to her. "What did you do? What did you do? Buffy. . .Buffy. . . ."

Putting her hands over her ears, Buffy felt the world spinning when suddenly a demon in a blue robe was in front of her. Reacting instinctively, she threw a punch. The world spun again as the demon disappeared and before her, sprawled on the ground was Spike.

"Ow! Bloody hell, what did you do that for?" Scowling at her, Spike wiped his mouth with his hand. Buffy had split his lip just like she had Djoser's.

"Spike? What the hell is going on?" The words were hardly out of her mouth when Spike began to shimmer, dissolving into a demon. With a blow to her face, the demon snapped Buffy's head back, and she retaliated, throwing punches and kicks. A hand on her shoulder alerted her to a second opponent and she whirled, backhanding the enemy. The air flickered and suddenly she was watching the body of the young woman Katrina roll down the hill.

"Buffy!" Spike's voice called after her as she ran after the rolling body. "Buffy, what the bleeding hell is going on?" The vampire rushed down the hill after her.

"My God, Spike." Now kneeling beside Katrina, Buffy looked up at Spike, eyes wide with horror. "She's dead, and I killed her!"

**

Northern Nevada

Drinking deeply from their prisoner, Nic sighed with contentment. It had been a long time since he had fresh, human blood.

"Careful." Damon warned him. "Don't kill him. I want to keep him alive for a while. By the time I'm done with him, he'll find hell to be a picnic."

Fangs retracting, Nic stepped back to study the pale, limp human. "So this is the great vampire hunter, Jack Hawkins. If he's so great, why does he cry like a little girl?" The vampire couldn't help but grin as the moans and cries of Hawkins were still clearly audible, despite the gag in his mouth.

"I don't know." Even though his body movements were calm and measured and his human visage was in place, Damon still conveyed a sense of menace. "But they're starting to become quite irritating." Stepping up, he ripped off Hawkins' gag. With one hand he held the man's mouth open while the other grabbed Hawkins' tongue. Stronger than even most other vampires, he had no problem ripping the human's tongue out.

Mouth filling with blood, Hawkins couldn't scream, but the pain and agony burned through his whole body as his knees buckled and only his shackles held him up.

"Master." The last surviving Tremeren healer cautiously approached.

"Oh good, you're here." Damon turned to the healer while throwing the human tongue over to some minions. "Make sure he doesn't bleed to death." He motioned toward Hawkins. "I'm not done with him yet."

"The Heir Apparent has gained consciousness." The vampire healer spoke softly. "But he's very weak so be careful not to overtax him."

"Well, now we can get some answers." Damon was relieved as he made his way over to the cargo van where Djoser lie. He hated this not-knowing-waiting-game.

"You do realize. . . ." Following Damon, Nic could feel the human's blood flow through him, speeding up his healing rate. He was beginning to recover his old strength. "That we should be taking Djoser to LA *now*. He's needs his Sire, and if he were to die because we delayed taking him to Angelus, we can kiss our asses good by."

"Perhaps." Despite his younger and lesser status, Damon feared no one, including his older brother, 'The Scourge of Europe.' "But I'm beginning to wonder about Angelus. That his oldest and heir is out here in the middle of nowhere with no minions or bodyguards, tells me that our High Master lacks responsibility."

"Maybe." Nic shrugged his shoulders. "Or maybe Djoser is pulling a fast one. Some of William's ill-discipline has been rubbing off on him."

"Childe." Approaching the back of the van, Damon greeted his nephew.

Djoser responded by blinking his eyes. Anything more was too much of an effort.

Climbing into the van, Damon bit his wrist and held it up to Djoser's lips. "Tell me, Childe." With his free hand, he stroked his nephew's hair. "How is it that you were captured by those humans and vampire traitors? Where is your Sire?"

Letting Damon's blood dribble into his mouth, Djoser closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the strong, rich flavor of his uncle's blood. He rested another moment before making the effort to speak. "Darla." He croaked out. "She. . .William and I threaten her new Blood-Childe."

"And Angelus?" Damon grimaced inwardly. His suspicions had been correct.

"We left him back in the spring, and he. . .has made no effort to repossess us." Head falling back on a pillow, speaking took every bit of Djoser's strength, but he still managed to rasp out one more word. "William."

Body coiling up, Damon felt fear flow through him. "Did. . .Snow and those bastards kill William?"

"No. . . ." Gasping, Djoser knew he needed to give his uncles one last bit of information. "In Sunnydale. Slayer is taking care of him."

Rolling his eyes, Nic couldn't help himself. "You left William in the Slayer's care? How idiotic was that."

"Go to sleep, Childe." Damon pressed his bleeding wrist once more against Djoser's mouth. "I think I need to go and have a talk with our High Master." He looked over at Nic. "And you, I think you need to go to Sunnydale and retrieve the Clan's other Heir Apparent."

****

Part 11

Sunnydale, November 2001

Walking through town, Spike was purposely making his way to Buffy's house. He had just finished cleaning up the Slayer's mistake by weighing the young woman's body down with rocks and dropping it into the river. "Now, Buffy." He spoke out loud to himself. "Are you going to be appreciative enough to perhaps reward me by helping to find my brother?"

Cutting through an alley that ran alongside the Sunnydale police station, the vampire was amazed to find the very person he was looking for up ahead of him. "Slayer." He called out to her.

Either she didn't hear, or she was ignoring him, but Buffy did not turn to look but kept walking toward the police station.

"Slayer!" Using his vampiric speed and strength, Spike took a flying leap and managed to catch Buffy by the shoulder. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to do the right thing, for once. I'm going to turn myself in." Jerking her shoulder, Buffy tried to pull away from Spike.

"Sorry, luv." Tightening his grip with one hand, he used the other to spin and throw Buffy to the pavement. "Can't let you do that. Right now you're the only one that's standing between me and the Ventrues and or Darla and her henchmen."

Picking herself up from the ground, Buffy glared at Spike while brushing herself off. "I have to tell them what happened."

"Oh, like they're going to believe about the demons in the woods and time going wonky?" Cocking his head, Spike gave Buffy a get-real' look.

"I'll show them." She spoke through gritted teeth.

"Show them what?" The vampire's expression was pure innocence.

Pausing a moment, Buffy let Spike's words sink in. "What did you do?

"What I had to." He answered calmly. "I went back and I took care of it. It doesn't matter now. No one will ever find her."

At that moment two patrol officers came rushing out of the police station. "So where'd they find her?" The one asked the other as they ran to a car.

"The river. She washed up half a mile from the cemetery."

Hearing the conversation, Spike could only roll his eyes in disgust. "Oh. . .balls!"

Buffy too heard what the cops had said, and it made her even more determined. "I'm going in." She moved to brush past Spike.

Spike grabbed her again, but this time with a hint of violence. "You're not going in there! It was a bloody accident. Can't you get that through your thick head?"

"Spike." Buffy's voice was soft but ominous. "Let go of me or suffer the consequences."

"You. Are. Not. Going. In. There." Face vamping out, Spike once again threw her to the ground. "You're not going to throw you life away over this. Think about what you're doing. Think about your responsibilities. Think about your sister Dawn. . . ." And think about me he finished the sentence to himself.

"Spike." Standing up, Buffy had enough. "I warned you." Throwing a hard uppercut, much of her pain over killing an innocent went into that punch, sending the vampire into a couple of garbage cans.

Spike jumped up quickly so that he could intercept Buffy. "Why are you doing this to yourself? It isn't that big of a deal. So one girl was killed accidentally. You've saved countless others. One stacked up against hundreds doesn't tip the scale."

"You just don't understand, do you?" Needing to release more of her anguish, Buffy began throwing punches at the vampire. "To you, she's just another body."

Blocking the blows, Spike continued to argue. "You're the Slayer. You're going to let down all the people who are depending on you because of one dead girl?"

"This is none of your business, Spike." Hands moving like those of a boxer, Buffy finally managed to get a couple of hits to connect to the vampire's midsection.

Doubling over, Spike wasn't fast enough to avoid the following kicks. One was strong enough to throw him to the ground. "Buffy." He managed to protest once before the now out-of-control Slayer was on top of him.

"You're just a soulless dead thing." She screamed at him as she pummeled him with her fists. "You can't possible understand how I would feel about killing an innocent woman."

Although recovered, Spike was still no match for an enraged Slayer and could do nothing to stop her attack. Face bleeding and bruised, it reverted back to its human features.

The swollen, bloody human face of Spike brought Buffy to her senses. Stopping her assault, she could only stare down with revulsion at what she had done.

**

A few nights later a carload of vampires arrived in Sunnydale. "Go straight to the Slayer's house." The leader, sitting up front in the passenger's seat, instructed the driver. "If we pick up William fast, we'll still have enough time to make it back to LA and rendezvous with Damon and the rest of the clan before sunrise."

Despite having three trained fighters with him, Nic still worried about the Ventrues. They were in California now, the enemy's territory.

"My Liege." The driver addressed Nic in respectful tones. "If I may ask, why is one of our Heir Apparents at the Slayer's house? Shouldn't that be the last place he would be?"

Snorting with disgust, Nic flicked the ash of his cigarette out the car window. "You would think so, but it seems that my nephews don't have one brain cell between the two of. . . ." Stopping, the vampire realized that it wasn't proper to criticize the Heir Apparents to minions. "Here's the house." He said with some relief as it effectively brought the conversation to a close.

The car hadn't totally come to a complete stop before Nic jumped out. 'Please.' The vampire muttered a silent pray to any god who would listen. 'Let my nephew be here, and just let me get him to LA. There, Damon can take responsibility for him.' "Hey!" He hammered on the door a few times. "Open up, Slayer. I'm here for William."

Inside the house, Willow, working on her laptop, jerked with surprise at the pounding. "Who's that?" She asked Spike who was peeking out the front window.

"Bloody hell!" A smile lit up Spike's face. "It's my back-from-the-dead uncle." Racing to the door, he flung it open with Willow right behind him.

"Spike! Be careful who you. . . ." Cutting off, as she stood face-to-face with Nic.

"William, thank the gods you're here. Get your stuff and. . . ." The vampire broke off as he got a good look at his nephew. "What the fuck happened to you?"

Spike's face was still bruised and swollen from the beating he had taken from Buffy.

Shrugging his shoulders, Spike tried to downplay it. "Oh the usual, got into a scrap. . .but where the bloody hell have you been? Djoser and I have searching for you for eight months now, and, oh yeah, you need to take me to Nevada. Djoser's missing and. . . ."

"Djoser's not missing." Nic interrupted, still studying his nephew's face. "He's with Damon, and they're on their way to LA. Who were the ones responsible for this?" He waved his hand at Spike's battered face. "Because maybe I need to pay them a visit." Turning, his gaze swept over the three battle trained minions who stood a short, deferential distance behind him. "Our Clan may be down, but we're not out, and assaulting one of our Heir Apparents is a crime that cannot be ignored."

Having four strange vampires standing outside her door was making the now magic-less Willow nervous, and she spoke without thinking. "Buffy didn't mean to do it. She just lost control and. . . ." Trailing off as Spike gave her a how-stupid-can-you-be look.

Heaving a sigh, Nic gazed up at the heavens. "Jesus fucking Christ! Now we have to declare war on the Slayer."

"Listen." Spike tried to pacify his uncle. "It was an accident, and Buffy's sorry about the whole incident. In fact, she's having Red here research my little health problem. So no need to start declaring war on her."

Eyes widening in surprise, Willow couldn't help but give Spike an incredulous look. She could hardly believe the vampire was defending Buffy.

"Wot?" Spike stared back at Willow. "I know she wasn't responsible for what she did. It was that nerd herd doing crazy things to her."

"Nerd herd?" Attempting to follow the conversation, Nic was racking his brain, trying to remember what a nerd herd demon looked like. "What?"

"Never mind." Spike didn't want to get into explanations. "Why are Damon and Djoser going to LA?" Body tensing as he knew that his Sire's name would be part of the answer.

"He's been seriously injured. Damon is looking after him, but. . . ."

"Injured!" A rush of guilt, remorse, and dread flowed through Spike. "Christ, I knew it." He mumbled as he stomped out of the room to grab his things. "It's all my fault too. He was just trying to fix the mess I made with those fucking Suvolte eggs."

"Suvolte eggs?" Forgetting that he had never been invited in the Summers' house, Nic tried to enter through the doorway and was stopped abruptly by an invisible barrier. Muttering an expletive in disgust, he looked questioningly at Willow. "What's this about Suvolte eggs?"

"Err, Spike was holding some Suvolte eggs for a dealer and then they hatched and Buffy had to blow them up." Although wary of the vampire outside her door, Willow didn't think it would hurt to give him an explanation. "The crypt where Spike and Djoser were living got blown up in the process, and that's why Spike is living here temporarily."

"William was holding Suvolte eggs for a dealer!" Nic exclaimed. "What a pinhead! I swear that boy is better than I am at getting into trouble. William." He bellowed now even more determined to get his nephew to LA and hand him over to Damon. "Get your ass in gear."

"I'm coming!" Trying to pull on his duster while holding the paper bag with his belongings, Spike yelled back while approaching the front door. "Keep your hair on."

"I'll tell Buffy where you went." Willow gave Spike a small uncertain smile. "And if I have any luck on my research, how should I contact you?"

"Research?" In the middle of lighting a cigarette, Nic quickly looked up. "What the fuck is she researching? Something about a health problem?"

"Ain't nothing much." Answering his uncle with a careless wave of the hand, Spike turned to Willow. "Don't worry about contacting me, luv. I'll give you a ring." With a wink, the vampire left the Slayer's house, which had been his sanctuary for the past three weeks.

**

LA, The Hyperion Hotel, November 2001

Standing in the doorway, Cordelia had come upstairs to once again check on the grieving Angel. Returning from vacation in Mexico with Groo, she had been greeted with the devastating news of Connor's abduction by Holtz into the dark dimension of Quortoth. Staring at the man she had once feared, but now respected, she couldn't help but try to comfort him in some small way. "I can't even begin to understand what it is you're feeling. The last thing you need right now is someone saying that given time, things will get better. The hurt will go away. But things won't get better. And the hurt's never going to go away."

Sitting on the bed, back to the door, Angel turned slightly to look at the young woman. Suffering and sorrow was etched on his face.

"The truth is. . . ." Cordelia continued. "If you lived another two hundred years, you'd never forget how Connor was taken from you. And you shouldn't. You loved your son, Angel. And you're going to go on loving him and missing him. And you'll go on living. You'll do that, too."

"He was the third Childe I failed." Speaking softly, Angel's whole being radiated defeat. "Three sons and they're all dead because I. . . ." Standing up, he walked over to the burned out baby crib. "I was a neglectful, terrible father."

**

Finding their way to the demon district of LA, Nic, Spike, and the minions pulled up to the prearranged rendezvous point, an old, established demon hotel. "Why don't we just announce our arrival to the Ventrues over the radio?" Nic grumbled as he got out of the car. He didn't agree with Damon that staying at this particular hotel would keep their profile low.

Jumping out of the car, the Ventrues were the last thing on Spike's mind. He was just anxious to see Djoser. Running into the hotel lobby, he ignored the stares of the other patrons. Even other demons found him a sight; a small, thin vampire with bleached hair and a bruised, swollen face, carrying a brown paper bag.

Reaching the lobby, Spike opened his mouth to demand the room numbers where his uncle and the rest of the clan were staying when he realized he didn't know what name or names Damon had used to register in the hotel. Turning his head, he started to yell out to Nic when a minion stepped up to him.

"My Prince." The minion tried to take the paper bag. "Come with me."

"Hey!" Pulling the bag away from the other vampire, Spike protested in a loud voice. "Keep your hands off my stuff, stupid git. Where's my uncle and my brother?" Anxiousness and worry only raised the volume in his tone. "Take me to them *now*."

"William." Damon, who like the rest of the hotel had heard Spike's entrance, appeared at the head of the hotel staircase. "I've been awaiting you. Come up here, and you can see Djoser."

"Yeah, and stop making a fucking spectacle of yourself." Nic mumbled under his breath as he followed Spike up the stairs.

Hearing what his uncle muttered, Spike turned his head as he climbed the stairs. "I heard that. And I'll do whatever the fuck I please, and there isn't anything you can do about it."

"William." Speaking in a soft, calm voice, Damon took a hold of Spike's arm, stopping his tirade. "Come this way."

"Christ, is it nice to have that brat back." Nic again mumbled under his breath.

"Your brother was captured and tortured by Snow and his human allies. " Leading Spike into a hotel room, Damon was studying his nephew from head to toe.

"Nic already told me what happened." Breaking away from his uncle, Spike let out a cry as he ran to Djoser, lying unconscious on one of the beds.

"My Prince." The healer turned and stood between Spike and the bed. "Your brother is extremely fragile. It would be better if you did not touch him."

"Fucking hell." Falling on his knees alongside the bed, Spike lightly stroked Djoser's hand. "This is all my bloody fault. Bleeding Suvolte eggs."

"Suvolte eggs?" Damon turned to Nic.

"Genius here," Nic motioned at Spike. "was holding Suvolte eggs for a dealer. The Slayer blew them up, and that's why Djoser was in Nevada. He was hunting some demons for this dealer to pay for the lost Suvolte eggs."

To Damon's credit, he managed to keep his face expressionless, but his body did jerk a little with shock at his nephew's stupidity. "I think. . . ." He began as he once again studied Spike. "Childe, what happened to your face?"

"The Slayer happened to his face." Nic explained helpfully.

This time Damon couldn't help but grimace a bit. "I think it's time for us to pay Angelus a visit. He needs to know what's been going on with his Childer."

"He doesn't give a royal fuck about us." Now holding Djoser's hand gently, Spike told this to his uncles with bitterness in his voice. "*He* never even tried to find us after we left him."

"So I've been told." Damon still spoke in a quiet voice, but his eyes were flickering gold. The only sign in his demeanor of the anger that was beginning to rise in him. "But if it is true that Angelus' negligence was deliberate, then perhaps our High Master should be relieved of his responsibilities."

**

After sending Cordelia and the rest of the humans away, Angel still hadn't moved from the burnt out suite in the Hyperion hotel. Sitting alone, his only company were the destructive thoughts that kept running through his head.

'My family is gone. All of them, and I should join them now.'

Closing his eyes, images of Connor, William, Djoser, and his brothers flashed through his mind. Standing up he walked over to the window.

'I'm so tired, but the sun will be up in a few hours, and I will be there to meet it.'

The sound of someone entering the front door of the Hyperion interrupted Angel's contemplations. His first thought was that Cordelia or Lorne had returned, but his superior sense of smell picked up the unmistakable odor of other vampires.

"Ventrues!" He spoke softly to himself. "I wondered when they would come for me."

Picking up a half-charred axe from the floor, Angel strode determinedly to the door. 'I can die by the sun, or I can die by the Ventrues. But if it is going to be the Ventrues, I can sure take a few of them with me.'

****

Part 12

Following Damon out of the room, Nic stopped him in the hotel hallway. "Just what exactly are you planning to do?"

"I'm going to save what's left of our pitiful clan." Turning to face his brother, Damon's eyes still flickered gold.

"By doing what?" An awful feeling had settled in the pit of Nic's stomach, and he dreaded what Damon's answer would be.

"By overthrowing Angelus and. . .his Consort." Damon spat the last word out with hatred.

"Holy Jesus Christ." Staring up at the ceiling, Nic was beginning to wonder if running from the Ventrues had really been such a bad way of life. "Have you lost your fucking mind? We can't. . .you can't overthrow Angelus! He's the last Pure Blood of our Clan. According to our laws, it's his right to be the Clan's High Master."

"Then perhaps our laws should be rewritten." Face rigid, Damon said this in a harsh voice.

"And you think. . . ." Nic was remembering Djoser's assertion that Damon wanted the position of High Master for himself. "That you can defeat both Angelus and Darla? Darla may not be a Bloodline vampire, but she's old, powerful, and her ability to bear childer gives her some protected status. Kill her and you'll have a lot of pissed off vampires after you, including Judelin."

"Judelin's already our enemy. And as far as other vampires," Damon shrugged carelessly, "they don't concern me."

"Goddamn you! You're talking about coup d'etat, and I won't be part of it."

"You don't have to be." Damon turned to walk away. "Your job will be to stay here and guard the Clan's Blood-Childer. You've already been named Sponsor of Djoser and William. Well, I'm naming you Sponsor of my Childe too. *Don't* let anything happen to them. They're the future of our Clan."

**

Lying on the bed next to Djoser, Spike carefully wrapped a protective arm around his brother's chest. It was his way of making sure that nothing more would happen to his elder sibling.

"Need anything?" A voice behind him asked.

Turning his head, Spike looked over his shoulder at his cousin Christian. Staring at the less-than-a-year-old vampire, he couldn't help but notice that Christian had changed. The serious, thin young man appeared happier. "Looking good, mate. Put on some weight?"

"Yeah." Christian said with a smile "I guess a blood diet suits me better than a human one. But I can't say that you or. . . ." He waved a hand at Djoser. "Your brother are looking too good."

"Yeah." Letting his head fall down on the pillow, Spike answered with a sigh. "Fucked up majorly, I did."

"You fucked up majorly, or your. . .and I might be punished for saying this, or your Sire fucked up?"

"His Sire?" Nic sauntered into the room carrying a shot of tequila and a mug of heated human blood. The blood was for sustenance; the tequila was to dull the conflicted feeling he had regarding what Damon had set out to do. "The Great Angelus never fucks up, or didn't you know that?"

"I want some of that." Spike had lifted his head again and was eying the shot glass in his uncle's hand.

"You hungry?" Nic immediately turned toward the door. "I'll have a minion warm you up some blood."

Spike scowled at his uncle. "Don't want blood. I want whatever you have in that shot glass."

"You look like shit, so you ain't getting any booze." Sitting himself into the nearest chair, Nic carefully set his mug and shot glass down on the small hotel table. "You can have blood. It's human, you know."

"Human?" Surprised, Spike turned his head to look at Christian. "Your old man is allowing human blood?"

"Some." Christian answered with a grin. "Right now it's available courtesy of an ex-Council member boss of mine. Remember Jack Hawkins, Snow's human ally? We captured the human trash, and he's presently missing a tongue. My Sire promised me one new body part of his every week."

"Bloody nice of him." Spike thought of the one gift Angel had ever given him, Elder Snow's eyeball. "By the way, I heard that Snow was one of those responsible for. . . ." He tightened his arms slightly around Djoser. "This crime against my brother. Is he dust, or is he too being tortured somewhere for his sins?"

Smile leaving his face, Christian could only stare down at the floor in embarrassment. "Bleeding nonce got away."

"Got away!" Not thinking, Spike quickly turned to face his cousin. His sharp movement jostled Djoser who did not wake up but moaned in protest.

"William!" Nic's voice was sharp with rebuke. "Get off the fucking bed and leave your brother in peace."

"Sorry." Whispering softly in Djoser's ear, Spike patted his brother gently. "I'll lie still now, but I'm going to stay here, so I can protect you."

Rolling his eyes, Nic couldn't help but comment. "He needs your protection like he needs another hole in the head."

"Another hole. . . ?" Catching his uncle's meaning, Spike took a close look at Djoser's injuries.

"They nailed spikes in his head." Christian's voice conveyed his sympathy.

"Bloody motherfuckers! I'll. . . ." Spike didn't finish his threat. "And the leader himself managed to avoid capture again." Closing his eyes, he thought about Snow and the hatred and fear boiled inside of him.

"How is it that your Sire let Snow get away?" Nic had already heard about Snow's lucky escape, and it amazed him that the dodgy vampire had managed to slip through both Angelus' and Damon's fingers.

"My Sire was busy going after Hawkins." Christian explained. "He had assigned a couple of his best fighters to target Elder Snow, but Snow defeated them and got away.

"Either that fucker is the luckiest son-of-a-bitch alive, or should I say undead, or. . . ." Nic trailed off as suddenly an old conversation he had with Alex popped into his mind.

"Or what?" Now lying on his back, Spike still had a hand resting on Djoser.

"Or. . . ." Nic was thoughtful as he realized that he needed to talk to one or both of his older brothers. But as things stood now, he didn't know if either one of them would ever be returning. "Nothing. Just some crazy thinking."

"So did my Sire tell you how he plans to approach our High Master?" Christian was curious and slightly disappointed, as his father had not even said goodbye to him.

"Err." Nic debated a moment. Lie or tell the truth?

Also an accomplished liar, Spike could read his uncle like a book. "Be honest with us, mate. We deserve it."

Calling for a minion, Nic wanted more tequila. If he was going to confess the truth to his nephews, he would need more fortification.

**

Entering the Hyperion, Damon stood a moment, surveying the lobby. Behind him were three minions. Their orders were to take Darla back to the their hotel and hold her there. Nic was right; killing her would upset too many of his people, but perhaps a deal with Judelin could be made with her. The Ventrue Master would love to have the prolific vampiress added to his clan. And in return, perhaps he would agree to stop hostilities with The Tremeren Clan. A happy solution for all.

Using his senses, Damon tried to determine who and how many were inhabiting the hotel, but the building was too large. He knew it was impossible to know for sure. "Do a reconnaissance." He ordered two of his minions. "But stay together, and if you come across Angelus and Darla, don't try and fight them. Run away and come get me."

"Master." Bowing their heads, the two vampires headed for the stairs.

Walking around the lobby, a large, red pentagram on the floor caught Damon's attention. Studying it carefully, he sniffed the air, smelling traces of humans, other demons, his brother Angelus', but nothing of Darla, which surprised him. Surely the vampiress would have stamped her scent all over the lair.

**

Like a shadow, he entered the lobby without being detected. It was his lair, and he knew how to move around it unseen. Anyone, even the Ventrue High Master himself, who dared to enter his liar without permission would know his fury. Battle-ax in hand, Angel was ready to wage war.

Approaching the trespasser from behind, he raised the ax, ready to split the enemy's head open, when the man turned, finally sensing his presence. "Damon." Angel whispered in shock, letting the ax fall from his hands. "Damon, my brother, how happy I am to see you."

"Is that so?" Damon stood stiffly, his hostility evident. "After I'm done with you, I can assure you that you won't be happy that I'm here."

**

"We need to go there now." After listening to Nic, Spike found he couldn't lie still any longer and was now pacing around the hotel room. "We need to stop this."

"It can't be stopped, boy." Nic grabbed the tequila bottle and poured himself another shot. "It's what our Clan does best - kill each other."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Worried and afraid, Spike snapped out his question.

"What do you think it means, Mr-I-killed-my-uncle-the-Annointed-One-so-that-I-could-take-over-the-vamps-in-Sunnydale. Throughout history, we Tremerens seem to be good at only one thing, fighting among each other for power and position."

"So if Angelus kills my father?" Christian asked in a quiet voice. He, like Spike, was upset and frightened.

"Then Angelus remains in power with Darla by his side, and your Sire is dust."

Spike exchanged concerned looks with Christian. "And if Damon kills my Sire?"

"Then he becomes High Master, and. . .and. . . ." Nic waved his hand over at Christian. "He becomes the Clan's Successor."

"This is crazy." Christian looked from Spike to Nic. "I'm just a fledge. I shouldn't be the Successor."

"And what if. . . ." A horrible thought occurred to Spike. "They kill each other?"

A few seconds of silence as the three vampires looked at each other, contemplating that idea.

"Then. . . ." Nic began slowly. "Angelus' new Pure Blood-Childe becomes High Master with. . .with Darla as his Regent." Jumping up from his chair, the vampire was now convinced. "Jesus fucking Christ! We've got to stop them!"

**

"And Darla?" Body ready for battle, Damon circled Angel, never taking his eyes off his brother.

"Darla?" Confused, Angel could feel his brother's hostility but had no idea for its reason.

"Yes, your Consort." Damon sneered out the word consort.

"Darla is dead." Angel answered softly, watching Damon closely. Despite the fact that the other vampire was his brother, he sensed a possible attack, and the Scourge of Europe was never one to be caught with his guard down. "She died in childbirth."

Caught totally by surprise Damon's eyes widened in shock. "How ironic." He whispered softly. "The celebrated Darla, famous for her ability to bear childer, and it's that very ability that would be her death. . .you three." Without turning, Damon heard his two minions returning from their reconnaissance. "Go outside and guard the entrance. Make sure that no one interrupts the meeting I'm going to have with our High Master."

"Damon, what the hell is going. . . ?" Angel never got to finish his sentence as suddenly his brother attacked, grabbing him by the shirt and throwing him head first into the Hyperion's front desk.

"You stupid son-of-a-bitch!" Giving his temper free reign, Damon went wild. Pulling the stunned Angel up by the back of the shirt, he continued his attack by banging his brother's head a few more times into the desk's pedestal. "You haven't learned anything from our Sire's mistakes, just continued the same ignorant behavior."

Enraged at such disrespect, Angel's own temper flared. Vamping out, he growled ferociously. His younger brother was soon to feel his wrath!

**

Nic's entrance into the Hyperion was momentarily blocked by three minions. "My Liege, you cannot enter right now. We have orders. . . ." The head minion broke off as Spike and Christian came up from behind with Djoser still comatose on a stretcher. They had all agreed that Djoser, despite his condition shouldn't be left behind.

"I don't have time to argue with you." Nic spoke quietly. "We're going in with or without your. . . ."

He didn't have time to finish his sentence, as Spike rushed up, grabbing two of the minions and knocking their heads together. "Why are you even explaining yourself to these pissants?" He asked Nic as he glared at the third minion, daring him to try anything.

"Because having them out here able bodied does protect our perimeter. . .idiot." Nic mumbled the last word quietly. "Stay here." He ordered the third minion while turning to the Clan's healer who was there to supervise Djoser. "See to them." He motioned toward the two staggered vampires. "Give them some ice for their heads or something."

"Come on." Spike urged his uncle and cousin. "We're wasting time."

"Okay." Nic laid out his strategy as he, Spike, Christian, and two minions carrying Djoser made their way to the Hyperion's front doors. "But it's probably going to take the three of us to separate them. And if Darla is there. . . ?"

"I'll take care of Darla." Spike interrupted a determined look on his face. "You." He addressed Christian. "Grab your old man, and you." He spoke to Nic. "Take Angelus."

"Wait just a fucking minute." Nic hesitated at the front entrance. "Who the hell voted that I'm the one who gets Angelus?"

**

Bloody and beaten, Angel and Damon struggled to their feet. They had been fighting for what seemed like an eternity, and both were exhausted.

"You dare." Angel wanted to sound formidable but was hindered by the fact that he could barely gasp out the words. "You dare to challenge me, your elder and High Master? You've lost your mind."

"Maybe I have." Damon too was finding that forcing words out of his mouth to be a great effort. "But to go and abandon two beautiful sons just because your *whore* gives you a Pure Blood is an offense I cannot forgive."

"What do you mean abandon?" Holding himself up by leaning on the front desk, Angel had no idea what Damon was talking about. How did one abandon Childer who were dead?

"What do I mean?" Bent over, hands on knees, Damon found he couldn't stand up straight. "I find Djoser running around. . . ."

Before Damon could finish his explanation, three vampires came bursting through the front doors, followed by minions carrying a stretcher.

"Alright you two." Nic tried to put some authority into his voice. "Stop this fucking around. We're in enough trouble with the Ventrues surrounding us. We don't need. . . ."

"William." Interrupting his younger brother, Angel found himself falling to his knees, as he stared at his beloved Childe who he had thought dead. "William, my Childe, and. . . ." Taking a good look at the new arrivals, he also noticed the maimed body of his eldest. "Djoser." A strangled whisper as the High Master of the Tremeren Clan tried to process the information that his two Childer were alive. "They told me you were dead." Still kneeling, his eyes met Spike's.

Seven months worth of anger and fear at Angel started to spill out of Spike, but they quickly died in his throat as he saw tears, large tears running down his Sire's face and falling to the hotel floor.

****

Continue to Parts 13 to 15

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