Rating: R
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Joss and Co. I just use them.
Distribution: NHA, SoG, redsoulmates, Simple Majik, and anyone else I post to. Everyone else just ask.
Feedback: Yes, please. ghoztstarz@yahoo.com
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I walk upstairs with the all-mighty Angelus in tow. He's being co- operative and quiet. I wonder what he's planning. That's one thing I learned from Spike, if the bad guys are behaving, something's up.
While Angelus had been planning his escape, Wesley, Fred, Cordelia, and I were planning on how to approach the energy surge we found from the location spell. I told them to go ahead and scout out the area Fred had mapped. Then, at sunset, Wesley would watch Angelus and I'd do my own scouting. I had Cordelia run out for tranquilizer darts for everyone. For when I'm not here to stop Angelus personally.
We made it back to Angel's room. It's a mess. A broken chair, blood on the carpet, broken door and wall. Poor Angel is going to have a fit when he comes back. He is coming back.
I learned my lesson about chaining him to a chair. The bed it will be this time. Let's see him stand up with that on his back.
"Lay down," I say pushing him towards the bed.
"I always knew you liked it rough," he said grinning. I sigh. I'm not in the mood for this.
"Just do it and shut up or I'll shut you up," I say.
Amazingly Angelus does shut up and climbs on to the bed. I concentrate on the chains making sure they wrap completely around his chest, including his arms, and around his legs. I might have put them a little tighter then necessary, but it's not like he needs circulation right?
I walk over to the little mini fridge to get something…to eat. I grab the container of pig's blood. Not what I have in mind for nutrition. I've never tasted human blood, but Sire's blood, that's so much better then this pig stuff. I sigh and pour it into a mug to heat up. Angelus must have seen the disgust on my face because he's snickering.
"What?" I say nastily. Granted Angel may be in there somewhere, but that doesn't mean I have to be nice to Angelus. Right? Right. The microwave dings, and I get out the blood and drink it quickly, facing away from the bed. Last thing I need is for Angelus to see the disgust on my face.
"Don't I get anything? Or are you going to let your precious Angel's body deteriorate? Have you ever seen a vampire that hasn't eaten in a while?" Angelus says from the bed.
"No, I'm not feeding you. If I remember correctly it was your fangs I saw in the side of Gunn's neck, and yes I've seen a vampire that hadn't eaten in a while. Spike," I say rinsing out the mug.
"You'd think he didn't like me," he said. I could hear the laughter in his voice. I turn around quickly and give him the dirtiest look I can come up with.
"Well, aren't you just a little spit fire today?" he said laughing outright at me. "When did you see my boy?" The laughter dying quickly.
"You mean no one told Angel?" I ask. I'd thought for sure someone would have told him. If no one else then Buffy at least, or possibly Giles. Though, maybe not him. He's still bitter about Jenny Calendar.
"No, tell me. What's wrong with my boy?"
"Oh, well, thank goodness you're chained. You're really not going to like this one. Though, now that I think about it, it's subtly ironic." Thinking over the past two years since Spike became part of the Scooby's, I see how much alike they have become. Well, just in the `I'm in love with Buffy' kind of way.
"Tell me about my boy," he says through clenched teeth, his eyes flickering between the chocolate brown of Angel and the yellow-gold of his demon.
"Fine, but let me get comfortable. This will take a while," I say and go to bring the last chair over to sit next to the bed. Angelus just stares at me, waiting. His fists are clenched.
"Careful, someone might actually think you care about what happens to him."
"Why wouldn't I care Childe? Do you know nothing of vampire behavior? Having spent all that time around those Watcher books, reading up on me, on William, have you learned nothing? Did your precious Angel not teach you anything in these past days other than the feel of his hands or fangs?" he says and grins as I flinch at those words. "Don't assume you know anything. I do care for William. I fucking raised him. I taught him how to hunt. I taught him how to torture. I taught him how to fuck. Even Angel, with his soul and guilt, cares what happens to him. Hell, I even care what happens to you. But, I bet that never entered that pretty little head of yours did it?"
"Fine. I'll tell you," I say sighing. His words, they hit me a little too hard. A little too close to home. He's right, I know nothing of what I am, what it means to be a Childe, to have a Sire. To think that even Angelus cares for me almost brings me to tears. This, this vampire, who has terrorized people for ages cares more about me then those I once considered family. It hurts and stings in all the right places. Angelus stays quiet while I gather myself, letting his words sink in with the deadly sharpness of a blade. He'd done it on purpose, but had proven a point to me. One I wish he hadn't, but I needed to know. Not that I'll tell him that. If I did, I'd never be able to wipe that smug smile off his face.
"Ok, so here's the thing. There was this government agency called the Initiative. They did secret tests on demons and vampires. Well, they ended up capturing Spike one day and implanted a small computer chip in his brain that sends electric shock waves into his brain whenever he tries to harm a human…," I say, waiting for the inevitable blow-up, but there wasn't one. He sat quietly fuming. I could feel his anger like needles in the air, but I continued on. I told of how he came to Buffy and Giles for help. The way they treated him, chaining him to a tub. I told of how Spike fell in love with Buffy, and the Buffy-bot. I told him everything, and he sat through it all. Listening, narrowing his eyes when something really pissed him off. When I finally finished the sordid tale of his wayward Childe, he sat in complete silence.
Finally he spoke, "The Slayer huh? Who would have guessed?" Angelus laughed outright.
"Whatever. Just, sit tight, or rather lay tight. I'll be back," I say and give a smug smile as his laughter ends abruptly.
So, he can dish it but not take it. Typical. I walk across the hall and go through some of the things Cordelia bought for me. I pick out a dark green halter top and a pair of black lycra pants that flair from the knee's down. An outfit made to move in. Perfect. I grab some socks, a pair of black boots, and head to the shower in Angel's room. I'd use the one in my room, but I don't trust Angelus, and I'm not familiar enough with my abilities to trust that I would hear him.
"Do I—" Angelus starts to say, but I cut him off.
"Don't even say it. Just be quiet, and lay there like a good little prisoner, and when I get back I'll feed you some pigs blood," I say walking into the bathroom and shutting the door. I lean back against the door and let out a sigh. I've dealt with Angelus before, back in Sunnydale, but that was from a distance. Well, ok, the choke hold he had on me was a little up close and personal, but I wasn't the one he was after. It was Buffy. I was just an obstruction.
Pushing off from the door I grab a towel from under the sink and start the water for a shower. Angelus is pulling on the chains; I decide to tighten them a little by concentrating on them.
"Hey!" he yells from the bed.
I giggle. I can't help it. I know, taunting Angelus probably isn't the best of ideas, but frankly, I just don't care. I miss Angel. I climb into the shower turning the water as hot as it will go and just stand under the onslaught of water. We need to find a way to get Angel back. Somehow.
Getting out of the shower tug, almost imperceptible, filters through my magic. Shit, the chains. I leave the water running, hoping to trick whoever into thinking I'm still in there. Someone is trying to magick my chains off of Angelus. God, I hope it's not that Connor kid. Though I don't think so. He didn't *feel* magickal when I confronted him.
I listen closely, shutting my eyes to concentrate. I hear an exasperated sigh. Whatever they are trying to do isn't working.
"What do you think you're doing?" I hear Angelus ask. "Turning the tables are we? Well, well, isn't that unexpected."
"Shh," the other person says.