Parts: 11
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~Chapter 11:~
Spike was carrying Willow up the flight of stairs that would lead to the fourth floor; up to Willow’s room and to the Scoobie’s prison. Spike allowed the conversation with the unconscious young woman in his arms, which had taken place earlier, to fly through his mind. Spike clenched his jaw and allowed the long buried bond of Sire and Childe to open once more. He stumbled slightly and tightened his grip on Willow. He could feel anger on Angel’s part and shame; Spike came close to slamming shut the bond fearing that these feelings were directed at him. Something else caught his attention and Spike stopped in the hallway, in front of two doors. It was Angel’s longing that made Spike delve deeper into his sire’s psyche. The anger and shame Angel felt was at him self, not Spike, or Willow, or anyone else. The longing though was for his boy, his favored childe. He was angry at Angelus for trying to take what was his: Spike and Willow. He was ashamed that being the master vampire he was, with the power and experience he held, Angel was unable to keep them safe.
Spike looked at the two doors in front of him. The left one led to Willow’s prison, her new ‘home’ as the doppelganger of Angelus had called it. The one to the right led to his sire, Angel, the once good friend and lover he had while in China, the one that accepted his ‘faults’ as the demon had proclaimed them. To the right lay a possible future, one with his old friend and lover, his family. Willow groaned and moved her head to the side. Spike looked down at her, this tiny red headed spit fire that had been able to capture Angel’s heart and enrapturing the demon within to the point of domiciling him ( but not too much ).
Left, or right? There always comes a time in any creature’s existence were that question is presented. Of course the meanings and circumstances are different, but the out come is the same. Shall I take a different road and shape my destiny differently from what I have been doing so far, or shall I continue down the road I’m on now? Taking a deep and unnecessary breath, Spike made a choice.
Spike entered Willow’s room, striding determinately to the bed and placing her on it. He walked over to the cabinet with all of her new acquisitions and pulled out a calf length yellow sundress with thin straps and frilly edges. He strode to the bed and placed the dress next to her, then frowned down at the teen as he realized he needed to un-wrap the cloak, and then redress her. That was going to take too much of his time, time he could use for far more recreational things.
“Amy! I know your in there with the poof and the rest of the scabbies, but you’d better get your pretty little arse in here right now!” A few seconds later Amy came through the door to Willow’s room and sauntered up to her sire, blood dripping from the corner of her lips.
“You bellowed sire?” she asked coyly. She wound her hands around his neck and ground her pelvis into his. Spike grabbed her ass in his hands and ground back as he spoke.
“Ummm, baby, I would love to play right now, but Angelus wants his little pet bathed and dressed. I need to take care of a few things so please do that while I’m gone. When I get back, we can play.” He brutally assaulted the minion’s lips then let go of her and stormed out of the room. Amy sighed in frustration and walked back to her former friend.
“Ok bookworm, time to get cleaned up.” Effortlessly Amy picked up Willow and took her to the bathroom in the room.
Half an hour later, our captive heroes were trying to find a way to pry open the bars to their cell. Angel and Faith had one bar held between their hands while Oz and Buffy held the other. Giles was counting down and then the four of them would pull. It took them a while but within the half hour they had managed to separate 4 bars and create a large enough space for the group to pile out. In the mean time Xander, Cordelia and Giles had been creating the best kinds of weapons possible. Angel looked to the window were he now saw his girlfriend being lowered back onto the bed dressed in the butter yellow sundress Spike had chosen for her. As the group stepped out Spike came back in. He looked around the area and saw that his childe had done as told.
“Well, well, luv, I see everything is up to par.” His voice dripped with sexual energy waiting to be released. He stalked up to the smiling blonde as she stripped off her pink shirt. Spike let one of his lascivious smirks as he looked her up and down. The blonde looked to the mirror in the room and then sauntered over to the wall next to it.
“Sorry folks, as much as Angelus enjoys an audience, I rather like having fun with my girl in privacy.” He winked at the group and then hit a switch. Suddenly the group was unable to see or hear anything from the other side.
“Ok, let’s get this show on a road. I want to get Willow out of here and then we’re dusting that bastard.” Angel began storming to the door but then flew back as a jolt of high voltage went through him.
“Yo Fang boy, what happened?” Xander asked as he helped up a smoking vampire.
“There must be another security measure we didn’t consider.” Buffy said as she began looking at the area were Angel had been thrown from. She noted some bulb like looking holes in a line from the top of the wall to the bottom. She reached out to one and was given the same treatment as her former lover. This time though Faith caught the blond before she hit the ground.
“Shit! B, talk to me honey!” Faith exclaimed as she cradled her girlfriend in her arms.
“I’m fine. I guess I found the source of our next problem.” She said as Giles looked at the fixtures.
“None of us can get close to these things without getting electrocuted in the process.”
“That’s were I come in.” a different British voice said from the side.
“Spike!” Angel snarled. He would have launched at the blonde currently holding his girlfriend in his arms, if Giles and Cordelia hadn’t held him back slightly.
“Ah! I come in peace, sire.” He walked over to a fuse box and pulled down a lever. There were long strings of electricity running from one socket to the other before the juice went out completely. Angel put his hand out warily to where the electrical barrier was. When nothing happened, the 240+ year old vampire rushed to the blonde with his vampiric ridges coming forth.
“What did you do to her?” Angel growled as Spike backed up a little and held out the red head to his sire.
“I didn’t do anything to her! The chit belongs to my sire, not that bloody imposter. I had to help me mum.” Spike whined slightly and that made Angel stop. Oz and Faith also took notice of his words while the rest of them wanted to stake the blond menace. Angel looked at his once and still favorite childe. His demon was roaring in victory inside his head at Spike’s admission to belonging to him and not the other one. His claim of Willow as his ‘mum’ was musical to him on two levels. First Spike was aligning himself to Angel once more, he was accepting Angel as his sire, ready to take the steps necessary to regaining the friendship they once shared in China. On the second level Spike had just proclaimed Willow as his mate, and that had warm fuzzies fluttering in his stomach.
“Look, we don’t have much time for this Angelus, the minion’s are going to be comin’ for her soon to take her to the bloke’s study and when they don’t find Red in the room… All hell’s gonna break loose. We need to move now!” Spike became serious now, and Angel hid a smile at the change. Spike had this talent; one could call it, to be completely silly one second and dead serious the next. It was something he always loved about his boy, but now was not the time to be reminiscing. Now he needed to get his lover and his friends as far away from here as possible and then work on a way to send this doppelganger back to his world; or stake him, whichever came first.
“Wait a minute here, you’re trying to tell me that blondie over there is going to help us? Ok, I think I speak for everyone when I say there is definitely something wrong with this scenario.” Cordelia said as Angel carefully took Willow from Spike’s arms. He looked into Spike’s sapphire blue eyes and conveyed the welcome both seeked.
“He’s on our side, for good this time. Ok Will, get us out of here.” Angel said as he kept eye contact with the younger vampire the whole time.
“Wait, Angel, as much as I wanna believe that the blond menace is on our side, he’s pulled a triple cross on me before. Why should I believe that he won’t pull one now?” Buffy asked.
“I know I’m probably the last person who should put in his two cents, given as how it was my opinion that got us into this whole mess in the first place, but the Buffster has a point. We can’t trust Fang Boy, Jr.” Xander spoke.
“Look, I know I can’t explain it right now, but I KNOW he can be trusted. Right now we need to concentrate on getting out of here.” With that, both nosferatu walked ahead out of the cell and into the hall, followed by the two slayers, the cheerleader, the werewolf, Xander, and the watcher. Spike led them through Willow’s chambers and into the corner were the sex toys and kinky wear was stored. Spike pushed the large chest aside then searched the stone wall. Close to the ground he pushed a loose stone in and the wall slid top the side.
“Man, this is all beginning to feel like some cheesy scene out of a bad B movie with the vampires, damsel in distress and secret passages.” Cordelia complained. Spike, Buffy and Xander sent her a glare while Faith suppressed a giggle and Giles rolled his eyes. Oz and Angel kept their guards up as they prowled down the hall. A minion rounded the corner and saw the group of warriors trying to escape, with the master’s new pet no less. He opened his mouth to sound an alarm when Spike suddenly punched him out. Once out cold Oz shoved the makeshift stake into his heart dusting him.
“We need to get to my room downstairs; there’s a…”
“.. Hidden escape route none of the others know about. You never change William.” Angel finished the blonde’s sentence a warm smile of remembrance gracing his lips. The tall vampire shifted Willow in his arms as she snuggled closer into his chest. The group silently and quickly made their way to Spike’s bedroom. With Buffy and Faith’s help, the blonde vampire had moved a heavy entertainment center and then some loose stones to reveal the secret passage. It was clear to the Scooby gang that the tunnels had been dug by hand and in haste. Half way through the passage there was a commotion inside Angelus’ home. The vampires and wolf were able to discern it thanks to their abilities. They were lucky it was a little past midnight when they reached the surface, or the vampires would have been dust.
“We should take the forest pathway to the mansion. I doubt they know about it.” Giles spoke as he wiped his face, the light drizzling rain tickling his nose.
“No, we need to go some where else. This bloody imposter knows about the mansion. We need to hide somewhere I don’t know about.” Spike answered as they trotted away from the warehouse district. It was Cordelia that remembered one of her neighbors was in Europe for 5 more months and the place was abandoned.
Now Angel knew Spike tended to be a pain in the ass, but right about now he was very close to ripping the boy a new one. He had chattered and mumbled the whole way to their new place, and now he was keeping himself busy by annoying Xander. Those two were like brothers, and annoying ones too, always bickering, throwing insults and sometimes punches. Luckily for the vampire he could use Willow as an excuse to be out of the room. Giles and Oz on the other hand just disappeared without saying anything, while Cordelia had gone to take a shower and Buffy and Faith decided to spend some ‘quality time’ together.
Angel opened the door to the master bedroom and found his beloved girlfriend sleeping soundly on the comfortable California king bed. He quickly and silently strode to the other side and gingerly sat on the bed. He undid his laces and removed his shoes and socks, then his shirt and slacks leaving Angel in blue cotton boxers. Gently lifting the sheets he slid in behind Willow and draped an arm around her waist. Placing his nose behind her ear Angel breathed in her scent and let out his breath in a contented sigh. Enjoying her warmth and the sound of her soft breathing and thumping heart, both lovers slept peacefully.
~~~~*~~~~
Willow was walking the halls of the high school looking around at the abandoned building. She wore a simple strap-cotton night gown that reached her ankles, her hair was loose down her back and her feet bare. She felt chills going up and down her spine and the fear began to build. Where was everyone?
“Hello?” her voice echoed slightly
“Is anyone here?”
“Hello Little One. I’ve been waiting for you.” Willow whirled around and came face-to-face with a floating white-grayish cloud of mist.
“W-who are you?” Willow took a few steps back but the mist followed her.
“I am here to help you.” It was an echo of two voices speaking at once, male and female.
“Why and with what?”
“The vampire. He isn’t supposed to be here, at least not anymore, he has served his purpose.” The mist bobbed up then down and moved closet to her face.
“What purpose would that be? Um, could you not move so much, it’s creepy talking to a floating mass of mist?” Willow sounded nervous and the entity chuckled before swirling itself into a small tornado. When it dissipated there stood Jenny Calendar. Willow gasped softly and took a step forward her hand reaching for the teacher.
“Miss Calendar?”
“No little one, I just thought you’d be more comfortable with this shape. Right now though, we need to deal with the second Angelus. He has served his purpose but I need your help to send him back.” The apparition of Miss Calendar took Willow’s hand and held it gently as the scene began to change around them to when this all began. Willow saw the argument between herself, Xander and Angel as the others listened and gave their opinion once in a while. To her astonishment the same white mist that was speaking to her earlier was in a corner of the room floating happily.
“What is this?” She turned to look at her guide with a questioning look.
“This is where it all began…” Willow registered the flash of light that had brought Angelus to them and turned to see “… I needed to teach him a lesson and besides I was bored, you humans provide sufficient entertainment.” Willow yanked herself away from the entity with her friend’s face.
“Are you telling me that you brought on all this shit on us because you were bored?! Do you have any idea what he has put all of us through?” Willow’s fingers began to spark with unshed power as the fury boiled in her.
“Ah, ah, ah, little one. You need to preserve your energies, you are the only one that can send the double back to his world.”
“What do you mean I’M the only one that can send him back? Why me, why can’t you just undo what you did?” Willow became upset but most of all she was confused.
“You are the only one that can send him back because you are the main reason he is here.”
“ME?! I wasn’t the one that wished him here! If anything this is Xander’s fault he should be the one to send him back.” She crossed her arms and just pouted at the being. I return the entity chuckled at her childish display.
“Yes the boy made the wish, but you needed to complete the binding ritual you began with the vampire. Fate had to take place.”
“Ok now you’re just confusing me. What the heck are you talking about Fate?”
“The slayers have found each other as have the future seer and the boy, but you and the vampire had to complete the circle. You and he are destined for one another and always have been. It has been too many life times since the two of you have joined and the bond must be renewed and strengthened; you began it with the ritual you performed to anchor the vampire’s soul but you had to strengthen it with your union. When the final battle comes he will need your love and strength and the others will need your powers. The blonde vampire has his purposes as well but that can wait for another time, now though I must prepare you for what you must do.” She went to place her hands on the sides of Willow’s head but the red head stepped back.
“Why can’t we just kill him, why must I send Angelus back?” tears were present in her voice and the entity cupped her cheek softly.
“I know you are in pain for what he has done to you child, but he has his own destiny. He must go back.”
“What do I have to do?”
~~~~*~~~~
Giles and Oz were sitting in the study reading some of the occult book that Giles had managed to get to the mansion they were now using as a hideout. Giles was tired as hell and his neck was beginning to cramp up from the long hours slumped over, so he stood up and stretched. At that precise moment Oz looked over to the older man and noted how the muscles of Giles’ arms and upper chest stretched the white t-shirt he had ‘borrowed’ from one of the owners and just how snug those jeans were that marked the perfectly taught behind. Giles walked over to the bar and began looking through the liquor collection and then sniffing them. He groaned as he found a rather tantalizing bottle of brandy and the noise had shivers running through the werewolf. Fluidly the Englishman poured a cup of the fine amber liquid and swirled it around as he inhaled the aroma of it. Oz’s eyes followed the hand as it came close to the older man’s lips and his limbs tightened as he saw Giles moisten his lips before taking a slow deliberate sip of the liquor.
“Oh that is bloody fantastic.” Giles sighed as he felt the liquid slide down his throat to finally pool in his belly warmly. Oz got up from the chair he had been sitting in and walked up behind their mentor.
“Feeling a little tense?” he asks as he inconspicuously takes a whiff of the air and the tantalizing scent in front of him.
“Oh you wouldn’t believe how much and this damn crick in my neck isn’t helping.” He took another step and tipped back his head then rotated it from one side to the other attempting to alleviate the soreness.
“Sit down I’ll get that for you.” Giles complied with the teen werewolf’s request and sat down at the sofa. Oz sat directly behind him, so now they were sideways on the sofa, and began to firmly knead the hard muscles of the Englishman. Oz took the opportunity to savor every moment of contact. Giles noted the shift in contact, from a firm to more of a caress.
“Um Oz, I f-feel much better now, ah, you can stop now.” Giles began fidgeting in his seat and tried to get up. Unfortunately the young wolf had other ideas.
“I don’t think so. You’re still tense.” Giles grunted as he was unceremoniously pushed down onto the sofa. Just as the poor British man was becoming increasingly alarmed and uncomfortable Cordelia walked into the room. She stopped in her tracks and raised an eyebrow.
“Am I interrupting something?”
“No!” “Yes!” Giles jumped up and ran close to Cordelia’s side.
“Um, Cor-Cordelia, so glad you’re here. I, um, have to go and speak with a contact of mine. He has a book that may contain the spells we are looking for to get rid of the-the doppelganger.” The watcher ran out of the study as if the hounds of hell were after him, again. Oz on the other hand was breathing rather hard and the tent in his trousers indicated as to why.
“Uh, Oz, is there anything you want to tell me? Like maybe, a certain British Librarian that has captured your attention?”
“The full moon is in a few days, and my sex drive tends to get a little out of control the older I get. You wouldn’t be offering to… give me a hand, now would you?” Oz got up from the sofa and slowly began stalking closer to the cheerleader.
“Oh gee, as much as I would love to help you, I’m just not interested. Xander is all I need right now. Better luck next time.” With that Cordelia spun around and left the room, leaving Oz with quite a problem on his hands.
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