Title: Only Love
Author: Buffywatcher
Feedback: Constructive
comments always welcome: jinxascendant@hotmail.com
Pairing: Spike/Angel(us), References to Spike/Drusilla and Spike/Harmony
Rating: Strong R to possibly
some soft, romantic NC-17 bits and bobs
Spoilers: Contains elements of
the Season Five Buffy Episode Crush that will segue into an alternate timeline
but spoilers for the episode itself are relatively minor and the story
progresses fairly quickly into new territory. Angel didn’t set Drusilla on fire;
she merely sired Darla and left
Warnings: Character deaths,
Angst, Violence, Spike/Angel(us) goodness…all the good
stuff. This is a bit of a darker style of fic and may have some instances of
some disturbing imagery.
Disclaimer: Just borrowing them
for a bit of harmless fun. All characters, recognisable likenesses are retained
by their owner and accredited license holders.
Writer’s Notes: This story takes place in an AU setting. Please excuse any minor
discrepancies or artist license. As always thanks are going out to GF, MarieC,
Luba, and Mera my most excellent group of Beta/Editors.
Writer’s Credits: This story features the song “It’s Only Love” by Heather Nova.
Distribution: If I’ve already been
given permission to archive my work please consider it yours if you want it. If
I haven’t and you would like to archive it please do, all I ask is that you
email me and tell me where it’s going so I can visit.
Summary: In the wake of a
devastating tragedy Angel returns to Sunnydale to stop Spike from killing Buffy
but it ends up costing him far more than he could have imagined. Will he ever
be able to fix the damage?
*Character Thoughts*
In
Angel cries out in
agony and falls to the floor of his office, unconscious as his friends flood
into the office and frantically try to find out what happened.
In Sunnydale
Spike is kneeling as
Buffy stands over him with Drusilla’s ashes raining down over him. Without a
word Buffy smiles coldly and leaves him there covered
in Drusilla’s ashes staring vacantly.
How long he’s been
kneeling there he can’t say; time for him has frozen in that moment when
Drusilla turned to dust against him. Slowly his mind returns from the void of
despair with only one thought shouting in his mind. The Slayer will die for
this but first she is going to know pain unlike any she has ever known. A glaze
of frost ices over his eyes and they gleam with a cold sense of purpose that
hasn’t gleamed in over a century as he slowly gets to his feet. His eyes drop
to his dust covered form and his hand curves into a claw as his talon like
nails rip into the flesh of his chest unleashing bloody waterfalls of blood. He
kneels and gathers as much of Drusilla’s dust as he can and viciously scrubs it
into the wounds as he mutters a simple incantation. He cries out in pain and
falls to his knees, his head flying back and an unholy red light flares in his
eyes brightly before dying away. His chest heaves with unnecessary breaths as
the pain floods through him before washing away like the ocean tides. He looks
down and he smiles. The furrows he dug in his own chest have healed over and no
longer pour his lifeblood out to stain the stone beneath him. Where the crimson
rivers once flowed, no trace of blood or ash remains, only four silvery traces
of scar tissue remain to commemorate the existence of the fallen Vampire
Drusilla.
“Blondie bear?” A
hesitant voice warbles uncertainly from the shadows of the doorway.
“I have a job for you Harmony.
Listen very carefully…” His voice is calm almost icily so as he tells Harmony
exactly what he wants her to do in detail.
In
Angel groans and tries to sit up but what feels
like a dozen hands push him back down. He opens his eyes and looks around
confused at the sea of faces looking down at him with concerned expressions.
“You screamed and we found you unconscious, can
you tell us what happened?” Wesley asks urgently.
Angel lets his eyes fall shut heavily and lets
his head fall back to the floor with a solid thump. “Drusilla is gone. I felt
her…pass.”
His friends all share looks of concern and
sympathy. Drusilla may have been as evil a Demon that has ever been sired but
she was still a Childe of Angelus.
“Do you know what happened to her?” Cordelia
asks quietly.
Angel shakes his head. “It doesn’t work quite
like that. We’re bound by blood as she is…was my Childe. I know she’s gone but
not how or why. She felt close though.” He says aching and tired.
“She probably is close, or nearby at any rate.”
Wesley says with surety, as everyone turns to look at him in surprise. “Giles
told me Spike’s back in Sunnydale, surely if Drusilla was back she’d go to see
him at some point?”
Everyone has identical ‘duh’ expressions on
their face as they realise that of course Dru would go to see Spike and feel
foolish for not having realised that themselves.
“Buffy!” Angel struggles to his feet, wobbling
unsteadily. “We have to get to Sunnydale! If she had anything to do with Dru’s
dusting Spike is going to kill her!”
Wesley and Gunn haul Angel up between them and
head for the door with him with Cordelia, Fred, and Lorne scrambling to follow,
everyone digging for their car keys.
Back In Sunnydale at
“Where did you see him last?”
The little girl lifts her head, to reveal her
crimson streaked cheeks and cold smile and
Harmony and the unencumbered minion kneel
beside
“Take these two to the rendezvous point and
watch them carefully. If they get away, you should only hope that Master Spike
lets you die an easy death. Make sure their bindings and gags stay on, Rack
says the magic will leach their powers and keep them unconscious but don’t take
any chances. Spike will kill us all…eventually…if we screw this up.” All of the
minions look terrified and they all scramble to nod frantically. Harmony
gestures and the two muscled minions take off into the night with their burdens
as she stoops to place a hand on the child minion’s head. “You did very well
Amberli, Master Spike will be pleased but we have three more stops to make.”
“Yes Sire, I remember.” The child says smiling
broadly, reaching up to take her Sire’s hand as they skulk silently into the
night.
Chapter Two
Spike looks up from the large book perched
across his lap, slamming it closed and standing as the curtain of beads parts
and Rack emerges from the back room. Spike pulls a large envelope out of his
duster pocket and slaps it into the man’s outstretched hand as he sets the book
down.
“The price we agreed upon and a hefty bonus to
ensure you don’t make any ‘accidental mistakes’. If this goes well I’ll give
you ten thousand more.” He says coldly business like.
Rack smiles greedily, knowing it is in his best
interests to serve Spike’s wishes faithfully and nods, gesturing for Spike to
follow him into the back room.
An hour later Spike hands Rack another envelope
as he drops something small into his outstretched hand which he crushes into
dust.
“It’s always a pleasure doing business with a
professional Rack. Word of advice from one professional to another Rack…trouble
is coming and you may want to consider spending some time…elsewhere for a
while. These Initiative blokes are going to start something they can’t control
and this place will end up as ground zero.”
“I’ve been thinking along those lines myself
Master Spike but thank you for the warning. I noticed that you seemed very
engrossed in the Grimoire De Nocturnus Ascendum feel free to take it with you,
a gift in light of your generosity.” Rack says gesturing to the book Spike was
reading earlier.
“My thanks Mate.” Spike slides on his duster
and grabs the book as Rack gestures and a glowing portal of energy appears
showing the way out of the sorcerer’s hidden abode. He leaves and strides into
the night, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cell phone, dialling the
number from memory.
He waits several tense moments until a voice
answers, indicating the call has been answered. “Is it done?” He listens for a
moment. “Excellent Harmony. I knew that little snack
size of yours would be the perfect bait in the mouse trap.” He listens again
and laughs coolly. “Very inventive, be sure he’s not too damaged however or the
surprise will be totally ruined for the Slayer.” He listens once more. “No
leave them, out of courtesy to a former Demon, besides I doubt I could stand
him long enough to get my revenge on the Slayer any way. Meet me at the
rendezvous point and be sure you’ve gotten everything you’re bringing with you.
As soon as the Slayer is dead we’re out of this hell-fucked town.” Spike slaps
his phone closed and buries it back into his pocket. Everything is going
according to plan for once.
Several hours later Buffy unlocks her front
door and calls out for Dawn, puzzled when she doesn’t get an answer. She hears
a soft twinkle of child like laughter and looks around in surprise at the young
girl sitting in the large chair in her living room looking like she has not a
care in the world. She takes a step closer and recoils as her Slayer sense
screams that earthly cares are far beyond this little abomination’s concerns.
Her horror only seems to amuse the small Vampire and she stands and steps into
the light, twirling the hair of the eyeless doll she’s clutching tightly. Buffy
chokes back a scream, shoving her fist against her mouth to trap it.
“Poor little Slayer you’ve misplaced something
that you love but don’t worry, I am sure that Master Spike won’t be as cruel to
your girl as you were to his. The eyes are gone, can’t see anymore and the tree
doesn’t shade you from the sun anymore.” Buffy’s complexion pales as she realises
just how dire a situation she is in as she stares at the child Vampire. “Back
to where it all started Slayer, back, back goes the hands of time if you want
your sister to have a future. Be there when the hands strike the witching hour
Slayer or your sister’s future will be very long indeed. Be sure to come alone
Slayer, Master will know if you’re cheating and he won’t be very pleased with
you then. Not very pleased at all and he may get…hungry.” The child opens the
front door and clutching Miss Edith skips out of the house and out into the
night, her child like laughter ringing out proudly into the night as Buffy
falls to her knees.
She’s running down the street as Angel and
company roar up to her house and flood out of the caravan of cars and take off
in pursuit. They see her headed towards the old High School and they rush after
her, figuring that she must have a reason for her haste.
They
flood through the doorway of Sunnydale High to find themselves surrounded by a
veritable army of Vampires and various other Demons all of whom have a single
thing in common, an utter disregard for human life. Harmony steps from the
shadows holding the hand of a young Vampire no more than eleven or twelve years
of age. Both of them, sport seeping neck wounds and sinister expressions. At a
gesture from Harmony they are all seized and their weapons taken and her clear
gaze falls on Wesley.
“Bind that one he holds magic in his blood and
Master Spike will be most displeased should he interfere.” Three Vampires
descend on Wesley and he is soon trussed like a turkey with a gag tightly in
place.
Angel draws up to his full height and shakes
off the Vampires holding him and strides forward but two Fayrl/Fyral Demons seize him by the arms and hold him in place.
“What’s going on Harmony?!” Angel demands.
“A blood hunt has been called.” Angel pales and
sinks to one knee as Wesley’s eyes grow huge and panicked as he tries to speak
despite the gag as Spike steps out of the shadows of one of the corridors. He
is bare-chested, for once without his ubiquitous black leather duster, the
silver tracings from the scars displayed prominently on the otherwise
unblemished chest. His hand is loosely clutching a metal stave from a flag
stand.
Angel stares taken back in time to the first
time he’d seen Spike in a century. It was on almost this very spot, with
Xander’s head locked under his arm as he tried to fool him into thinking he was
once more Angelus. He knows that this is not Spike that he is looking at now
though. William the Bloody has come to Sunnydale and Buffy is going to die.
“Well, well I must say I didn’t expect to see
you here, though I suspect I should have. Come to save your precious Slayer no
doubt.” Spike says unemotionally, stopping before his former Sire and looking
at him with an expression that is part nostalgic and part resigned. “You can’t
stop me this time Angel. Your precious Slutty the Slayer is going to die. Eventually.” Spike turns away and snaps his fingers and two
beefy minions gently escort Dawn out of the shadows. A sad expression crosses
his face as he looks at the obviously upset young woman. “I am sorry Dawn that
I have to do this. We were leaving; she should have just let us go or staked me too. As long as she lives I will try to kill
her for taking my Dru from me. Only one of walks out of here.
Watch them boys but don’t hurt them, let them go when this is over, no revenge
should I fall to the Slayer. Harmony you know what to do if I don’t come back.”
Spike slowly turns his back to them, hefting
the flagpole and spinning it with an easy grace as he heads deeper into the
school for a fateful meeting that has been too long delayed. Buffy should be
here soon enough and they’ll dance to the end of one of their lives.
“Don’t do this Spike! I’m sorry about Drusilla,
she was my Childe, but this won’t bring her back!”
“What about the chip?” Cordelia asks confused.
“He can’t hurt her with that can he?”
Spike stops walking but doesn’t turn around.
“Sorry Cheerleader, but it seems those Initiative blokes weren’t as clever as
they thought with their little technological leashes. I’m sure within a few
months they’ll come to find out just how stupid they really are. A war is
coming, I can feel it, and Drusilla saw it and came to take me away from here;
as any true Sire would do to protect their Childe.” Angel drops his eyes,
hanging his head with shame at how he’s neglected his Childer. “I plan to be
long gone however when the bodies start to pile up. Drusilla is nothing but
dust now but I will remember her when I am draining your Slayer dry.” Spike
resumes walking away from them, to the hallway where he knows the Slayer is
waiting.
Desperate to stop him, Angel calls out in his
most commanding voice. “I forbid this Childe of Aurelius! As your Sire, as
Drusilla’s Sire, I forbid this. As the Master of the Aurelius order, I forbid
this! I invoke the Right of the Sire! You will not do this.”
Spike freezes and turns slowly, every one of
the Vampires turn astonished eyes on Angel. Spike slowly walks back to stop
before his kneeling Sire. “You would deny me this?”
Angel looks sick, but he slowly nods. “I have
to Spike, I’m sorry. You cannot call a Blood Hunt on Buffy, I will not allow
it. I know Drusilla meant a lot to you…”
“We were going to be mated.” Spike says softly and Angel makes a low sound of pain and
drops his eyes again. “I will have blood for blood Angel if you will deny me
this; it IS my right as her Favoured Childe, than I have no choice but to walk
away from this vendetta but think well before you push me on this. This will be
costly, Angelus should you stop me so think well on it.” Spike’s voice softens
and smoothes into the lyrical accent of an upper-class Englishman and losing
the heavy cockney accent he adopted long ago to disguise his well-born status.
Angel flinches at the sound of that well remembered voice.
“I have to Spike, I’m sorry.” Angel says
lifting his head to stare into his frozen eyes and he almost flinches away from
what he sees there.
“Very well Angelus, as the Master of Aurelius I
cannot defy you.” Spike motions to the Demons and they quietly release their
captives and Spike kneels and pulls a knife from his boot and frees Wesley
helping him to stand. “Sorry about that mate, but I couldn’t have anyone
interfering though it seems that is a moot point now.” Spike obligingly brushes
off the dust spotting his clothes. At a gesture from Spike the Demons quietly
begin to disperse, and only Harmony and her Childe remain.
Angel regains his feet and reaches out to pull
Spike into his arms but he backs away, his eyes locked on him. He releases his
Demon as his humanity is drawn deep inside freeing his Vampire visage. Tilting
his head to the side he snarls and with slow deliberation uncovers a bite mark
on the left side of his neck and viciously draws his talon like nails across it
obliterating it as his claws savage his skin.
Angel stares his eyes huge and shocked as he
watches the impossible happen right before his eyes.
“You are dust to me, Sire no longer as I am
Aurelius no longer. You have taken my vengeance from me, Buffy will live and
you will stand in her stead and both of you will live.” Spike lets his arm drop
heavily to his side as his Demon melts away and his human perfection returns.
“Don’t come after me Angel, what has happened here she called down on her own
head.” Spike stalks for the doorway, stopping only to kneel so that the
seemingly frail Amberli can climb onto his back. Harmony threads her fingers
through Spike’s and the trio continues on their way.
Angel cries out, his pain driving him almost to
his knees again. “You can’t do this
to me Spike, you can’t! Don’t do this! Please, Spike, don’t do this to me!
Nothing is worth this Spike!”
“Only love Angelus, only love is worth it.”
Spike stops but doesn’t turn around. “I told you Angel that the price would be
high and you made your choice. Honestly I expected nothing else from you. You
have turned your back on your Childer, on your order, time and again so why
should this time be any different?” Angel flinches. “She took your only remaining
Childe in cold blood and still you would save her life? Congratulations, Mate
you’ve saved Buffy but you won’t save the others, I WILL have blood for blood Angelus of Aurelius. You’ve just assured
me that it will not be her blood that pays the price now. The whelp and his
Demon chit are safe, her kindness has earned her his life, and I won’t touch them. She would have preferred death to
knowing what is going to happen now, enjoy the price of her life Vampire.”
Spike lets his voice trail off and for several seconds silence reigns as
everyone seems to collectively hold their breath watching the drama unfolding
before them.
It takes him several moments to regain his
voice. “This isn’t what I wanted Angelus. I am not YOU; I didn’t want to hurt innocent people in revenge for what one
stupid, jealous little girl did to my Dru. You helped Dru to make me strong, I
should thank you former Master of mine. I couldn’t do what I have to do without
that strength, without this Demon that Drusilla passed to me. You are an order
of one Angelus, my Childer…” Spike pulls Harmony closer and wraps an arm around
her shoulders as Amberli laughs delightedly. “…will help me to rebuild what you
have torn apart here by your folly. Aurelius is no more; it will die with you
Angelus; sooner rather than later if you stay in this hell-fucked town much
longer. Long live the Drusillae Magi order.”
Spike starts walking again but Dawn darts
forward with a cry. “Spike I don’t understand! Please tell me what happened! I
don’t want you to go!”
He sighs and releases Harmony and gently
transfers Amberli to her care and turns around and opens his arms. The
assembled group stares in astonishment as Dawn runs to one of the deadliest and
now chip-less Vampires ever sired and is caught up in what could only be called
a loving hug. She has not the slightest fear of Spike and from the way he
cradles her and strokes her long hair and rocks her gently, she has no reason
to fear it seems. Chip or no chip, Spike’s affection for her is pure and true,
Angel realises.
“I am sorry Nibblet but I have to go. The
Slayer took my Dru while she was initiating our mating bond. Drusilla never saw
her coming; the bitch took her in the back!”
“You love her Spike, she wouldn’t have hurt you
like that, and she must have thought that Drusilla was hurting you or something
Spike! I know you two ended things but she still cares for you, I just know
it!” Dawn makes a keening sound of pain and burrows against Spike crying as
Angel looks on in horror.
“Yes she cares
for me so much that she left me on my knees with the ashes of my Sire and Mate
raining down on me while she laughed. I am mated and bound to one who will
never set me free. She took Dru before the Rite was complete, I will never be
able to mate to another now. There will always be a hole inside me, that will
never be filled, that is what her caring
has garnered for me. I will carry Dru inside me forever.” He strokes the scars
on his chest. “But I’ll never be able to hold her again Nibblet because of your
sister. I told her.” Spike blinks away a tear. “I told her that Drusilla and I
were mating and would be leaving Sunnydale and we would go peacefully.” The
tear finally rips free. “I told her.” He drops to one knee and strokes Dawn’s
cheek gently. “I have to leave this place Nibblet and if I could I would take
you with me and keep you safe always but I can’t.” Spike looks at Harmony and
holds out his hand, nodding towards the jacket, she’s holding carefully folded
over her arm. She hands over his duster and watches as he wraps it around Dawn.
“You keep this for me Pet, it’s yours now. Always remember me Dawn because I’ll
never forget you.”
Dawn slips her arms into the coat and wraps it
tightly around her. It’s too big on her and it drags the ground but she doesn’t
care. “I want to go with you Spike!” She realises as she says it that she means
it!
Spike looks like she staked him as he makes a
low sound of pain. “I wish that you could Nibblet but your place is here, among
your own kind and with…” Spike looks sick to his stomach as he forces out the
last bit. “…Buffy; she’s your Sister Dawn; she’ll take care of you.”
“I don’t have a Sister Spike! I’m just a
construct remember, a fabricated life to hide the Key. You’ve always taken care
of me and you’ve never treated me any differently. I want to go with you.”
Spike waivers and she goes in for the kill. “Please Spike. I’m no more human
than you are. Buffy can’t see that what the Initiative is doing to Demons, that
what they did to you, is wrong. How long before they find out that I’m no more
human than you are and come for me? They took you, they tried to castrate you,
they almost broke you, and even as
strong as you are they almost did, what chance would I have?”
Spike growls and wraps his arms around her
tightly, picking her up Duster and all and holding her as tenderly as any
Father with his daughter. “None, you’d have no chance at all. I won’t let them
hurt you!” Before the others realise what’s happening Spike is gone, still
cradling Dawn and Harmony follows with Amberli.
Angel explodes after them but several burly
minions are suddenly there to block his way even though it’s suicide. As their
dust settles to the ground the unmistakeable roaring purr of Spike’s ‘59 DeSoto
rips through the night amidst the squealing rubber tearing sound that tells
them they’ll be long gone before they can get out to their own cars. Angel
falls to his knees, kneeling in the dust of the minions, his chest heaving with
silent agony.
“Wesley, what’s going on? What was all that
stuff Spike was saying?” Cordelia asks, falling on her knees beside Angel,
trying to get him back on his feet. She’s unable to do it until Lorne and Gunn
lend a hand and physically lift him up, supporting him between them.
“Well as nearly as I can tell, in Vampire terms
at least, Spike has disowned Angel and the order they belong to. That is a very
serious thing for a Vampire to do. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a
Vampire willingly leaving themselves outcast from their order before.” Wesley
says gruffly.
“Spike hasn’t disowned me; he’s done something
much worse than that.” Angel says flatly, his voice devoid of all emotion,
frozen. “He’s seceded from the Aurelius order and he will establish his own.”
Angel makes a low sound of pain. “He’s naming it after Dru, the Drusillae Magi
order. He’s old enough and strong enough to found his own bloodline but he
never did. He was always content to be Drusilla’s Childe and the favoured
Childe of Angelus. He’s never sired Childer of his own, everything he was he gave
to Drusilla…and Angelus…and through them to the Aurelius order.” Angel says his
voice cracking in parts but still blank of emotion, as though he was in shock.
“With Drusilla…gone…and Spike leaving the
order, you’re the last aren’t you?” Wesley says, looking at his friend sadly,
understanding the magnitude of what’s happened.
“Wesley?” Fred asks quietly, she’s never seen
Angel in so much pain.
“The Aurelius order stretches back to the times
of the
Fred catches on. “Oh no but Spike has left
right?” Wesley nods and Fred hurries to Angel and throws her arms around him
and hugs him tight as he buries his face against her shoulder and trembles.
“Angel killed Darla, his other Childer, Penn and Drusilla are dust.” Fred
explains to the confused observers as she sadly strokes Angel’s hair, trying to
comfort him.
“Angel won’t make Childer; he won’t condemn
anyone to his fate.” Wesley says with a sad glance at Angel. “The only
remaining Aurelius Master has abandoned the order as a direct result of Angel’s
siding with a Slayer over the death of Drusilla. The Aurelius order for all
intents and purposes is a dead order. Thousands of years of tradition, of…family…have
ended here tonight.” Wesley clears his throat gruffly.
“Over BUFFY?!” Cordelia shrieks amazed. Before
anyone can stop her Cordy rushes forward and jerks Angel’s head off of Fred’s
shoulder and slaps him as hard as she can. “God when will you WAKE UP and realise that Buffy isn’t
worth this? I’ve had it with you, I’m done! I’m not going to wait around and
break my heart over a jerk that can’t get over a relationship that lasted
barely longer than some bowel movements!” She storms out crying with Lorne
running after her calling her name. After a few seconds of indecision Gunn
slowly turns and follows Lorne and Cordelia, leaving Angel with Wesley and
Fred.
They’re all surprised when the trio suddenly
return, running back in looking very scared.
“There are some very heavily armed commando types coming this way with some young
thing in the lead and they look very unfriendly Angel-cakes.” Lorne pants from
the exertion of running.
“Angel, you and Lorne need to get out of here NOW! That must be those Initiative
blokes Rupert told me about! They experiment on Demons; they’re the ones that
chipped Spike! You have to get out!” Wesley cries in alarm but Angel is already
moving, practically picking up Lorne and charging for the basement staircase.
Rather than hanging around everyone follows Angel as quickly as they can. Angel
quickly finds the sewer access and wrenches it open and Gunn and Cordelia rush
inside.
It is a tense few moments until Cordy returns.
“It looks clear; we didn’t see anyone in the tunnels we checked!” She says
darting back inside with everyone piling in after her.
Angel navigates his old haunt unerringly after
a slightly shaky start but it quickly comes back to him and he leads them to a
ladder. “This should come up behind the Liquor Store on the corner.” Angel
reaches out and stops Wesley from passing by him to climb the ladder. “I’m
sorry Wes; it’d be safer if you stayed with Lorne and me for now. You know a
bit of magic and I heard they’ve taken a few practitioners. Gunn and the girls
should go get the cars, they’ll be safe enough.” Gunn nods and heads up the
ladder. “We’ll make our way to the Theatre off
“I agree, I think Spike got the hell out of
this town just in time.” Lorne says with a shiver.
“Lorne, did you get a flash of something?”
Wesley asks while Angel hovers at the base of the ladder until the girls are
out safely.
“I think the Blondie’s lady friend had the
right idea about getting him out of Dodge. This town is a powder keg and it’s
going to explode in a big way! I’m not getting flashes I’m getting nightmares!
There’s been a lot of talk about these guys at Caritas, things are going to get
ugly and sooner rather than later I think.” Lorne says worriedly.
Angel takes Lorne’s hand and Wesley’s and tows
them quickly through the tunnels. “Can you tell what’s going to happen here?”
Angel asks speeding up. Maybe he can find out where Spike’s going and fix
things before they get worse and there’s no going back.
“A war is coming, Angel-cakes, a war to end all
wars.” Lorne says shakily as Angel stops in his tracks to stare at Lorne in
shock and horror, the expression mirrored by Wesley. “I think we saw the
opening volley fired tonight.”
Angel resumes pulling them down the tunnels.
“What makes you say that Lorne?”
“Didn’t you see how many Demons Spike had with
him?” Lorne asks amazed. “I mean not just Vampires but others as well?” He says
surprised. “I saw over a dozen different species represented in that little
gathering.”
“You’re right Lorne; I saw that but never
really stopped to think what that actually meant.” Angel says disgusted by his
lack of observation. “Things must be bad if so many different species are
starting to band together. I was surprised to see so many actually, I figured
Spike was a bit of an outcast with that chip in his head and all. Of course now
he doesn’t have it. Oh God he doesn’t have it and we let him get away with
taking Dawn with him!”
“He had more than enough time to hurt her while
he was holding her Angel and he didn’t. In fact they seemed to be…friends? And
from what I heard he cares for her, a lot. She didn’t seem to be afraid of him
and if what Lorne sensed is true than maybe it’s a good thing he took her and
got away from here Angel. She would have been in as much danger as Spike, given
her not quite human status.” Wesley says cajolingly, heaving a sigh of relief
as Angel finally stops under another ladder.
Angel climbs and cautiously eases the lid open
until he’s positive that its safe then climbs back down and motions for Wesley
to go up first. He’ll pass for human easily enough whereas he and Lorne
wouldn’t so if there are Initiative soldiers up there he may slip past
unnoticed.
Wesley takes a good look around; relieved to
see that there is no such worry to be seen and lets Angel and Lorne and looks
around watchfully as they climb up. It’s only a few moments after Lorne is out
that the cars roar up and Angel herds them ahead of him. He hurriedly gets
everyone separated into the two cars, sending Lorne back to ride with Gunn and
towing Wesley to his convertible. Fred is already sliding into the middle of
the front seat as Angel leaps over the door and into the driver’s seat as
Wesley scrambles in beside Fred.
“What happened to Cordy?” Angel asks alarmed as
they rocket for the town limits. The young seer is laid out in the back seat,
held securely by the seat belts and looks unconscious.
“She had a vision.” Fred sounds like a
frightened little girl and Wesley wraps an arm around her and hugs her close.
“It was a real bad one, Angel. She screamed so loud and then keeled over
unconscious. Gunn had to pick her up and carry her for the rest of the way and
she’s still out.” Fred says worriedly. “What’s going on in this kooky town
Angel?”
“I don’t know Fred but I think we’d best get
the hell out of here like Spike told us to.” Angel punches the accelerator
wanting to get the hell out of Sunnydale. Part of him wishes that he never came
here and another part of him screams at what his damned blindness where Buffy
is concerned has cost him and he curses his actions at letting Spike down just
one time too many.
The funniest thing is that even through it all,
Spike was willing to forgive him, giving him a way to take back his foolish
words. He knows that if he had he would still have his Grand-Childe, even as
his soul screams that he couldn’t have brought Spike back into his life if the
cost was Buffy’s life. The part of him that is now and will forever be Angelus
roars in agony at the knowledge that his Childe’s killer lives by his will, his direct intervention. He
lost Drusilla to Buffy and still he sided with her and it cost him Spike and
he’s still alone, not a Buffy in sight. Both his Childer given in exchange for
a foolish young woman that is but a blot on the timeline of his life. His
companions in eternity versus a Slayer that in all likelihood won’t live to be
thirty, it’s a horrible bargain. The enormity of what he’s done suddenly hits
him.
The jarring tones of his cell phone snap him
out of his reverie and he flips it open and presses it to his ear. “Hello.” He
pauses and grimaces. “Hello Buffy. No I haven’t heard from
“Angel? Are you alright?” Fred asks after he
doesn’t say anything for a few minutes.
“Spike wasn’t lying; Buffy dusted Dru in cold
blood because she was jealous that she was taking Spike away. I could hear it
in her voice. All Dru wanted was to make things right with Spike and Buffy murdered
my Childe and I stopped Spike from seeking vengeance and now I’ve lost him
too.” Angel dashes away a bloody tear unable to speak anymore. Wesley and Fred
glance at him with expressions of empathy and consolation but Angel is beyond
all of that as he presses the accelerator to the floor and the powerful car
leaps into rocket speed as it barrels down the road. The phone rings again but
Fred makes a low growling sound and reaches down and turns it off.
Angel doesn’t slow down until they’re well
beyond sight of the city and the darkness of the lonely road has closed around
them.
“We won’t make it back to
Angel nods and takes the next off-ramp and
exits the freeway. Like everywhere else in
They return within a few minutes with three
room keys. Angel helps Gunn to tenderly pick up his girlfriend and the six
friends split up into the three rooms, all of them weary and in various stages
of distress. It’s decided that Fred will share a room with Cordy, being the
best qualified to keep an eye on the still unconscious Slayer. Lorne and Gunn
take the connecting room next to them with a weary and heartbroken Angel
following Wesley to the last room on the other side of the girls’ room.
As the last door quietly closes, a small form
slips from the shadows and skitters down a storm drain and into the sewers. It
navigates quickly and easily through the damp tunnels emerging across the city
and scampering into an impressive looking estate, where a slender little girl
holds her arms open and sweeps it up. Amberli pets the cat gently and carries
it into the huge manor, smiling at the minion who pushes the heavy door closed
after them.
“Is everything alright Amberli?” The young girl
looks up at her Sire’s approach and smiles and nods. Harmony smiles and takes
her Childe’s hand and leads her up the staircase to a room on the third floor.
She knocks softly and pushes the door open quietly.
The room is lavish but unpretentious, dark but
for the light from a healthy fire burning in the corner fireplace. The room is
spacious but uncluttered, holding little more than a huge fine wood dresser
that takes up the length of almost an entire wall and a huge bed curtained and
swathed in heavy velvet drapes is crafted of the same heavy, dark wood, glowing
with age and loving care. A comfortably plump couch and matching chairs flank a
coffee table of the same rich wood, to create a comfortable sitting area in
front of the fireplace. A matching roman style chaise lounge lies beneath one
of the heavy lead glass picture windows in its own small bump out nook in the
wall. All of the upholstery is the same deeply vivid, crushed burgundy velvet
as the drapes that curtain the bed.
Thick heavy Persian rugs in deep cream, brown,
and tan shades with the same dark burgundy red accents line the heavy floor to
keep the chill away. Recessed nooks built right into the walls along one side
of the room hold a large state of the art TV, stereo unit and other
entertainment features but clever smoky glass panels are pulled over them to
keep everything looking tidy when it’s not in use. Beside the entertainment unit
a deep nook houses a built in desk, complete with a state of the art computer
system and nooks for storage and cases for various disks and other
paraphernalia. A slim but comfortable executive chair has been carefully
measured and fits neatly right up against the desk when it is pushed in all the
way. Pocket doors on either side can be shut to close off the area with barely
any sign to betray its presence. Four doors; not counting the main entry;
branch off the main room and having explored Harmony knows where each one
leads.
One set of French doors leads out onto a lovely
covered balcony that wraps almost three-quarters around the back of the rather
immense house and links the Master suite rooms together. Another door leads to
a richly marbled bathroom with a roman style sunken soaking tubs and separate
shower enclosure dominating the room. A small walk-in closet is fully stocked
with soft, thick towels and various bath necessities like shampoo and bath gels
and lotions of all descriptions. There’s even a small chute for dirty laundry
that drops items down into the basement laundry room. One of the doors leads to
a smaller but no less comfortable bedroom. Harmony knows that in the past such
rooms were used to house a Gentleman’s Valet or a Lady’s maid, so that they
could be close at hand to tend to their Master’s needs. The small bedroom is
pretty simple, housing a small walk-in closet, a small but nice bathroom with
the basic necessities of a sink, toilet, and shower/tub combination, a tall but
compact dresser and a spacious double bed. Built in bookcases and cubbies
provide additional storage along one wall. In the terms of the day she is sure
that the small rooms are more comfortable than some houses of the day. The last
door leads to a large walk-in closet, complete with built in shelves, racks,
hangars, and storage bins for every necessity.
Much of the floor space in the room is open and
uncluttered and the airy feeling balances the dark richness of the woods and
fabrics in the room transforming it from dark and oppressive to homey and
welcoming. All ten of the Master suites are designed thus, only their colour
schemes varying to set them apart from each other. The house sports the same
number of smaller but no less comfortable rooms, the design and décor not
unlike the small Valet rooms in the larger suites. The manor is magnificent and
it shows just how much Drusilla really did love her Childe that she went to
such trouble to prepare such a fine home for them. Sadly it’s a home she’ll
never share with Spike now but she knows that somewhere Drusilla will be
pleased with the plans he has for their home.
“Spike, Sire?” She calls softly. A rustle of
drapes is her answer as a pale but well muscled arm parts the drapes around the
bed and Spike steps into the firelight. She smiles at the still forms reclining
on the bed, tucked neatly under the luxurious bedding. “It is done then?”
Spike glances over his shoulder at the Watcher
and the young Witch ensconced in bed, even now leaving their humanity behind
and evolving into what they will become. “Yes, it’s done. They’ll rise fast,
I’ve fed them well.” Spike says softly but his voice is devoid of emotion.
He truly didn’t want to have to take this
avenue of revenge and would have released them unharmed if Angel hadn’t
interfered and left him no recourse she knows. They were but pawns to bring out
their queen Buffy and were not intended to become sacrifices upon the altar of
his hate. She glances at her new Sire and sees that he is abnormally pale and
somewhat gaunt in appearance, betraying that he has in fact fed his new Childer
to be very well indeed. She feels her face morph and she bites into her own
wrist, extending the bleeding appendage towards her Sire with a smile.
Spike looks startled at first but then he
smiles and moves forward to nurse at the bleeding cut as gently as he can. He
feeds for several minutes before licking the cut closed with a purring sigh of
contentment and lifts his head. He smiles at Amberli, who is holding her own
arm out with a childlike smile of innocence, which he knows hides a true
Demon’s heart, her slender cat still cradled against her chest by one slender
arm.
“Thank you for the offer Little One but I am
feeling much better.” He says with a smile, ruffling the child’s Vampire’s hair
affectionately. At first he was horrified by the child Vampire, considering it
an abomination like most of his kind. He was disgusted at first upon learning
that Harmony had found a starving little girl dying abandoned in an alley and
for whatever reason was unable to let that little life slip away and had turned
the girl. He finds himself truly becoming fond of the impish pair however.
There was a time when such a Child Vampire and
the one that sired it would have been destroyed immediately by the head of
their order. Harmony; and hence Amberli; however has no living Sire and
therefore no ties to any order. He reaches out and strokes his fingertips over
the fresh bite marks that adorn both their necks. Out of gratitude for their
help he granted Harmony’s wish to become her Sire and through her Amberli’s
Grandsire and by vampiric standards they are both part of him now. While they are
not as bound to him as true Childer risen wholly from his blood would be,
they’re desire for home and family may perhaps bind them all the more to him.
These two, his new Childer yet to rise, and the slender girl sleeping in the
suite next door…they will be his family now, the basis of a new Vampire order
unlike any before it.
He turns and closes the drapes around the bed
tucking them carefully over one another to shut out the light and crosses to
the heavy lead glass French doors and windows and draws the heavy velvet drapes
closed securely. Satisfied that his new Childer are safe and secure in the
death-like slumber of their evolving forms he heads for the door and motions
for his Childer to follow. He leads them out into the hallway closing the door
after them and leading the way to his own suite, four doors down, at the end of
the hall and opens the door and motions for them to precede him. They find
themselves in almost an identical suite; only this one is decorated in
predominately black and cream with accents of red here and there, the colours
that Spike prefers. He motions for them to sit on the plump sofa and sits
nearby in one of the thickly cushioned lounge-style chair set at right angles
to it. The fire has been lit in this room as well, negating the need for any
additional lighting and a fine silver tray with several glasses and a crystal
decanter of blood, and a small plate of thick walnut brownies is set on the
coffee table. He sees the longing glances and chuckles as he motions for them
to help themselves, which they do with relish, enjoying a glass of fresh blood
and a brownie in comfortable silence.
After a few minutes a soft knock heralds the
arrival of someone at his door and Spike gets up to answer it. He smiles at a
sleepily dishevelled Dawn standing outside his door rubbing her eyes and her
other hand is wrapped securely in the nervous paw of her much larger companion.
“Clem! Glad you could make it old boy!” Spike
smiles affectionately and waves the pair into the room and towards the couch.
“You didn’t have any trouble finding the place I hope?” He asks closing the
door and following the pair back to the sitting area. Clem takes the other
chair and Spike regains his own, smiling as Dawn waits for him to get
comfortable before curling up in his lap with a happy wiggle.
“No real trouble, the place is kind of hard to
miss, Spike.” Clem says with a shy smile. “It’s really…big.”
“Is the guest cottage alright?” Spike asks
concerned about his old friend. “I hope you and the Mrs.-to-be will like it
there.”
“Oh my, it’s wonderful, beautiful even! It’s
the nicest place we’ve ever had really! She was exhausted, carrying the little
one is very hard on her but she told me to be sure to come say thank you for
inviting us to live here too.” Clem says with a happy smile.
“I’m glad that you said yes Clem. Sunnydale
isn’t going to be a very healthy place to live soon and you’ve always been a
real friend to me and I’m glad I can help you out. Drusilla really outdid
herself with this place. It’s bigger than some countries I’ve been to I think.”
Spike laughs quietly and everyone echoes him.
“This will be home then?” Clem asks curiously.
Spike nods. “This will be our ancestral home,
the central meeting place of the order. Dru named it Rayvenswood, fitting name
I think for our new home? It will be a while before everything is ready and we
can make ourselves known but I want to be sure we’re strong enough first. We’re
going to be infants in comparison to the other orders and some will see that as
vulnerability and will try and take advantage of our perceived weaknesses. If
all goes according to plan we’ll be unassailable.” Spike says stoically.
“Is it…are they?” Dawn asks haltingly.
Spike strokes her hair gently. “Yes Nibblet, I
drained and turned them. They’ll arise quickly I think, no more than a night or
two. You do understand why I…”
Dawn covers his mouth with her hand. “I
understand Spike. Only blood could absolve the blood hunt and you had to do it
for Dru. Will they still be Giles and
“They will be after a fashion, Nibblet but
perhaps not exactly as they were.
Drusilla did a lot of research into the curse that returned Angelus’ soul to
him and she found something very interesting. I’m not really sure if she was
trying to find a way to bind his soul to him or to make sure he lost it for
good this time but regardless her research is invaluable to us. She’s found a
way to bind a soul from being lost as the Demon is introduced, causing them to
meld together. A potion and a spell that has to be recited at the proper time
is all it takes. She experimented on some of her minion servants and the
process worked. One of the servants is quite gifted magically speaking, though
no where near as proficient as Dru or
“If it does…will you turn me when it’s time?”
Spike lowers his eyes. “We don’t even know that
you can be turned Nibblet. You were
fashioned into human form but that doesn’t mean that you’re human. For all we
know you’re already immortal.” Dawn looks startled by that realisation. “We’ll
have to see how your development progresses. If there comes a time that you
want to be turned and I can do it SAFELY,
we’ll talk about it?” Dawn nods happily.
“What are our plans Master Spike?” Clem asks
with a grin as Spike does a double take at being called that. “Well you will be
the Master of this order, that makes you Master Spike doesn’t it?”
“I guess it does at that.” Spike says in
wonder. “I think just William or Wil or Spike will do though. I’m not really
one for all that formal ass kissing rot.” He says with a grin. Everyone laughs.
“Are you signing on with us Clem? You’ll always have a home here regardless old
friend.”
“I’ve lost a Brother, friends, to the
Initiative, if you’re going to shut them down once and for all, then I want to
be part of that. As long as they’re around my wife, our child will never be
safe.” Clem says honestly. “I’m not a fighter or anything heroic like that but
I make a darned good quiche.” He says with a grin.
“I did like that cheddar and broccoli quiche
you made for kitten poker that one time.” Spike says with a grin, smacking his
lips while everyone laughs.
“I know other Demons that feel like I do, some
are among the last of their kind, with no where else to go thanks to the
Initiative or others like them.” Clem says sadly.
Spike looks like he’s thinking and suddenly a
huge smile curves his lips upward and his eyes gleam with a strange light.
“Issue an invitation to one and all Clem. Safety, home, family, and a shot at
the Initiative, we don’t need an order, we need a CLAN. There are more than Vampires in the world after all. Why
limit our horizons? There are others out there looking for what we can give
them so let’s do it!” Everyone starts talking excitedly about the prospects.
“Oh Sire I almost forgot!” Amberli’s small
voice breaks into the chatter bringing all eyes to her and a kind smile from
Spike.
“What did you forget Little One?”
Amberli smiles at the use of the pet name he’s
gifted her with as she strokes her cat happily as it purrs loudly in her lap.
“Casey says that they listened to your warning and got out of Sunnydale and
stopped here for the night, like you thought that they would.” She tilts her
head and listens to the rumbling purrs for a moment, her brow furrowed with
effort. “The tall dark haired lady is hurt or ill; she had to be carried and
wasn’t moving. They’re in one of the motels by the highway.” She translates.
Spike wonders for a moment if Amberli’s ability
to speak to animals is a product of her Demon or whether she was born with it,
much like Dru and her visions. “Well done, Amberli and thank you, Casey.” The
little Vampire and her pet both seem to preen at the praise. “It can’t be
serious or they would have taken her to a hospital, not a motel. Maybe it was
one of those visions the bint gets. Giles was telling
“Can’t you forgive Angel, Spike? You’ve gotten
revenge for Dru now.” Dawn asks, knowing that her ‘big brother’ is emotionally
torn about his very real estrangement from his former Grandsire.
“He crossed the line one time too many Dawn. I
told him there would be a price for what he was doing and he decided that Buffy
was worth it. He’s so busy trying to be human that he’s forgotten that he’s a
Vampire. Buffy would have gotten away with murdering my Dru. There is no court
of law that would hear a case against a Slayer for the death of a Vampire, even
if it was murder all the same. The only justice for my girl was the one I took
in her name. I may not have made the right decision but I’ve made one that I
can live with, I hope he can say the same.” Spike stands carrying Dawn up with
him, setting her down carefully. “Bedtime I think, we have a lot to do tomorrow
and in the days coming.” They all nod and say goodnight and head for their
various beds, closing the door quietly after them.
Spike stands in the silence and crosses the
room to the French doors and slips out onto the balcony. He leans against the
railing and looks down at the impressive grounds of Rayvenswood. It looks like
a faerie playground in the moonlight he thinks with a wry grin at his fanciful
turn of mind. Within a few minutes Clem slips out into the night and scurries
down the path that leads to one of the set of four small three bedroom cottages
that dot the estate. Spike smiles, glad that his old friend accepted his offer
of home and safety. Of all the people in Sunnydale, the few that he is closest
to, are now safely under his protective eye.
“Ahhh Dru, you made such a lovely home here for
us, Pet. You must have been thinking of doing this for a long time, you haven’t
forgotten a thing. I’m not even mad that you chose here, knowing it was safer
than Sunnydale but still close to Angelus. I hope that you aren’t mad at me
Princess for leaving the order but I had to, I hope wherever you are, that you
know that much. I’ll look after him Princess as best that I can, I promise,
just for you.” A breeze ruffles through his hair, sweeping along his cheek
almost like a caress and he smiles. “Thank you, Princess, for understanding why
things have to be this way. You won’t be forgotten and one day we’ll be strong
enough to reclaim that which was ours.” Spike slowly straightens up and returns
to his room.
They have a lot to do if they’re going to be
ready for the war that Dru knew is coming. He vows that her death will have
meaning as the last tie to the Vampire that he was falls away. The future
hasn’t been written and he intends to make sure it will be the story to end all
stories. In the end, only love is worth fighting for and he intends to make
sure it’s a battle he’s going to win. That they’re all going to win in the end.
TBC