SERIES: Nobility (#2)

AUTHOR: Tisienne Blue

E-MAIL: tisatko@msn.com

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any characters you know from television. That honour belongs to Joss Whedon and his associates. Those whom you do NOT recognize are either mine or their own, depending upon whether they're real people or not.

RATING: oh, let's say R-ish for this part...

PAIRINGS: Dawn/S; W/A; too many others to name.

DISTRIBUTION: Jen:) can have it, as can Di and Nat (if they want). Otherwise, ask me so that I can have fun saying YES!!!

FEEDBACK: would be appreciated, and will also get you a dedi...

DEDICATIONS: to Di, Nat, Myst, and so on-- for getting me thinking about Dawn/S in the first place, AND for listening to me ramble on about this one. Also to: Jerri, Nutty, Ali, Whitewolf Alpha, and Angel S. Thanks for the feedback!!!*VBG*

NOTES: Okay. 2007, the Hellmouth's been closed for a while. Dawn and Giles live in New Orleans. Spike showed up (a big mess), he's with Dawny, and Giles called in the entire LA crew. Of course, he doesn't know that there's something Willow and Angel haven't told him about Dawn and a prophecy... but he will!!! Oh, and * *= emphasis.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

"So..." the souled vampire said softly, watching his Mate from the doorway as she tapped away at the keys of Giles' computer, "You think this 'DeLanei' family is still around..."

Gabriella smiled slightly, amused by the fact that Angel couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of Willow's focused form. "Of course they're still around, Angel," she said quietly, rolling her eyes. "The old families were notorious for being *extremely* long-lived. I don't know exactly what they were, but... Legend says that in the beginning, they were virtually immortal, but there were so *few* of them, they started inter-breeding with humans... The last *proven* instance of someone having a run-in with one of them-- before what Charles found in that book, I mean-- was over five hundred years ago!"

Angel nodded slowly, his eyes still locked on his love's red hair. "So what would one of them want with *Spike*?" he wondered aloud. "I mean... why would anyone want to do whatever they *did* to him? What purpose would it serve?"

The dark haired woman sighed. "I don't know," she finally said, closing her eyes. "But I *think* the same thing was done to him that was done to Agatha's fiancee... And the only reason it didn't kill Spike is because he's already dead..." Her voice became slightly deeper, and more melodious as she continued. "It's a hard road that was slated for that one, and though the worst may be over, it also may *not* be. The obstacles in his path were placed there with intent, although the one who cursed him believes him to be dust."

The tall, rugged vampire turned wide eyes to the woman beside him, seeing for the first time what Giles had meant when he'd spoken of her being 'ridden' by her Gods, and when her eyes flew open, and he saw them staring *through* him, he barely kept himself from recoiling. "What..." he barely whispered, "What do you *mean*?"

The God smirked knowingly with the face of its vessel. "His path will be difficult enough without you trying to separate him from his cardenterata... If you *try*, you will only make things *worse*." It nodded forcefully, and stared deep into the vampire before smiling slightly. "You love him... good. For the one who cursed him may believe him gone from this plane, but the one who taught *her* knows better. Help will come from an expected source, but you must let *it* come to *you*. Remember that, and stop your witch while you still can... You also might want to forgive your Childe... and *yourself*. Everything that brought you both to this place and time was meant to be." The God released it's hold on its favourite 'horse' and was gone just as suddenly as it had appeared.

Angel darted forward as Gabriella started to collapse, grasping her tightly around the upper arms as her eyelids fluttered once; then once more, and he released her when she looked at him with recognition. "Gabby?" he said tentatively, "Are you..."

The Priestess nodded quickly, her strength almost completely gone. But she didn't have time to be weak, not *now*! "I'm *fine*, Angel," she said, just a touch impatiently, turning her eyes towards the redhead still searching for any traces of the DeLanei clan on the computer. "Stop, Willow," she demanded, stepping into Rupert's office. She moved swiftly across the floor, coming to a halt just behind the girl. "Don't look for Hortense at all. If the God's right-- and he usually is-- *she'll* come to *us*. But we still need to know when and how Spike managed to piss off a member of the DeLanei clan, so keep trying to track Agatha. Odds are that whoever did that to him, they're related by blood to her."

The redhead nodded slowly, her fingers swiftly eliminating the portion of her search relating to Hortense DeLanei. "Ummm... what *God* are we talking about, here, Gabby?" Her eyes met the rich coffee brown of her Mate's gaze, and she came close to gasping at the shock written there, but she forced herself to remain still and silent as Giles' wife answered her.

Gabriella shook her head, a small smile clear on her lips. "One of *mine*, Willow," she said, just a little bit smugly. "The same one who... *bound* Dawn to Spike." Her smile became just a bit wider when the girl glanced at her in shock. "My Gods are a bit more... interactive... than you might like, dear."

Angel groaned silently, knowing that Gabby's comment was going to spark yet *another* 'discussion' of comparative religion between the two women. Not that he minded, because his Mate's voice was always music to his ears, no matter *how* loud it got! But first, he wanted to know... "Uh, Gabby...?" he interrupted, wincing slightly at the glare he received, "What's a carder... carden... What the God said?"

Willow gasped out loud, unable to help herself. "A *cardenterata*? Cardenterata?" she demanded, jumping up from her chair and staring almost disbelievingly at her Mate. "Where did you hear that *word*?" she hissed when he nodded.

"The God..." he began, only to fall silent when her glare shifted to Gabriella. He watched his Mate advance on the woman, and forced himself to speak again. "The God said something about me not trying to interfere with Spike and his... *that*."

Gabriella watched as the girl's anger drained away, and she took the opportunity to slip from the room, closing the door behind her. *She* knew why Willow had reacted that way, but... it wasn't any of her business. No, it was best that she let the girl explain it to Angel in a way that he'd understand, and maybe then he'd see why it was such a bad idea to try keeping his Childe away from the woman he'd been bound to... *twice*, apparently. She chuckled softly to herself as she moved down the stairs to catch the others up on what was happening in Rupert's office.

"I'm sorry, my heart," the redhead said softly, moving closer to her Mate until she was standing directly in front of him, only scant inches separating them. "I just... I didn't expect to hear that word from you is all, what with you being a *vampire*; not a *witch*..." She relaxed, and sighed happily, when he reached out and pulled her tightly against him. "Forgive me?" she said silkily, her fingers trailing up and down his stiff spine.

Angel laughed gently, his eyes closing as he buried his nose in her sweet-smelling hair. "Always, my love... always. But you *did* hurt my feelings, you know, glaring at me like that..." He smiled into her red tresses when she snugged herself tighter against him. "I suppose," he said teasingly, "You'll just have to make it *up* to me..." His hands traveled lingeringly across her slim back, and he growled softly when she nodded and bit gently at his chest, through his shirt. "Later," he clarified, "You'll make it up to me *later*." He forced himself to pull away from her, and he sat gingerly on the edge of Giles' desk. "Now," he said smoothly, "Why don't you tell me why that word shocked you so much?"

Her eyes closed for just a moment, and when she opened them, she turned away and took a seat on the small couch against the far wall. "All right," she said, after a very long minute or two, "But you're not going to *like* it; I know *that* already." She sighed softly to herself when he nodded and crossed his arms in his 'listening calmly' pose. "A cardenterata," she said softly, "Is a very rare thing to have, Angel... And if Dawny is *Spike's*? Then there's really nothing that you or anyone else can do about it." Her eyes dropped from his, and she focused on her own twitching fingers before continuing. "I don't know exactly how to explain it, so... bear with me?" She sighed again when he mumbled his agreement, and she began fumbling her way through what was actually a very complicated concept. "A cardenterata is like... an ideal? No, not exactly, it's more of a... another *part* of yourself, but... disconnected, and free. It's... something that fulfills you, in ways you never knew existed, and allows you to create *very* powerful offspr..." She shook her head then, almost desperately. "Vampires aren't supposed to *have* them. Ever!"

His brow furrowed deeply in thought, and he knew he looked perplexed, but... "Then how can *Dawny* be..."

"I don't *know*!" she broke in, jumping up from the couch and pacing in agitation. "It doesn't make any *sense*! It's not even a *demon* thing, damn it!" Her movements became almost angry, and her eyes were narrowed to mere slits as she thought out loud. "Neither *one* of them is a witch, and certainly not one of enough power to have a cardenterata! And yet, Gabby's God said it was so! They've been *bound*, and if what the God said is true, then it's so much *more* than just a binding, but... neither of them has the power to support that sort of a connection!" Her mind was whirling quickly, just from the inherent lack of logic in the situation, and as much as she turned the facts over in her head, she couldn't seem to find a way to make it make any *sense*! "And it's not even as though Spike was gifted before he was turned... He wasn't even *artistic*! No," she sighed deeply, "I just don't *get* it!"

Angel's eyes were wide, and he knew that if he needed to breathe, he'd be out of luck. "Wha..." he began, hesitantly, sitting up straighter, "What does Spike being 'artistic' have to do with anything?"

"Oh..." Willow said distractedly, still trying to figure things out, "The urge to create; the desire to bring something beautiful into existence from one's own mind and efforts. It usually indicates a very strong latent magical ability. Usually it *remains* latent, unless something truly shocking happens to open those channels within someone's mind." She smiled softly when her Mate was suddenly behind her, and her hands rested lightly over his across her stomach. "In *my* case, that creativity was directed towards computers and software, and it was the discovery that there really *were* things that went 'bump' in the night that started the flow of my magics... But Spike wasn't like me, so... I really can't figure it out." She leaned back against his strong, firm chest, and sighed again, happy just to be in his arms. "Maybe it's because of Dawny being the Key?"

He almost didn't know how to tell her, mostly because they'd agreed from the very beginning not to have any secrets from each other. But it was never his secret to tell, he reminded himself, and it hadn't made any difference until just now. Still, he winced as he began to speak. "Uh... my heart," he said softly, trepidation clear in his voice, "There's... something you should know... about *Spike*..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

He could feel her in the next room, and while the sensation was comforting and all, it was also... disturbing. He shouldn't have been *able* to sense her, vampire or not! And sure, he'd listened to what the she-Giles had had to say about 'Gods' and 'bindings', and some mysterious crap about... whatever 'old families' were, but somehow it had all been just a bunch of *words* to him. A big sack of human bullshit, actually. Or it was until he realized that he'd been feeling her inside him ever since that first morning he'd woken up with her in his arms... and that he'd known her emotions all those years ago in Sunnydale, too. Unfortuanely, that didn't change anything. Regardless of how long he'd been able to *feel* her, he hadn't realized it until *then*. And now, he didn't know *what* to do.

Ordinarily, had the situation been different, he would have devoted his energies to convincing the lovely-- and very *not* demonic-- girl that he was a good match for her... that her fire countered his coolness perfectly. But apparently Gabriella's Gods had seen to that already, and he found himself fighting the urge to... drive her away. It wasn't that he wanted to be alone again; it was more that he hated knowing that his course had been decided *for* him. He wanted to be with the girl, yes!, but he wanted it to be because that was what they both chose; not because they were forced into it by some nosy, prying, intrusive *Gods* with too much time on their hands! And if he were going to be completely honest-- at least with himself-- he didn't particularly like the notion that Dawny was only with him because of what those same Gods had wrought.

Still... he couldn't deny that she made him feel whole, in a way that he'd never known; not even when he'd loved her sister... And that was another thing that was bothering him. He'd been torn apart inside for years; destroyed to the point that he could barely manage to even *function*, and yet... Here he was, with not a single self-accusatory thought in *days*; not even a *nightmare*! It was making him wonder, too, because what if he *hadn't* really loved the Slayer? What if everything he'd thought he'd felt for Buffy was a lie? Did that mean that what he was feeling for *Dawn* was equally transitory? Would he wake up one morning and discover that she really wasn't that important to him?

The very thought was enough to make him shudder, but... No!, he told himself... whatever the reason; whatever the cause, the girl was his! She was his just as much as he was hers, and... even if it had started out as some sort of an imposed emotional tie, there was just no way that he was willing to sever it! He'd just have to be sure not to mention the fact that he was questioning the validity of his feelings for her sister. Ever.

And yet, he reminded himself as he rolled over on the bed, he was *sure*-- deep inside-- that Buffy Summers had been one of the great loves of his un-life. Was it possible that he was only questioning his feelings for the dead Slayer because they paled by comparison to the gut-wrenching misery he'd apparently been *cursed* with? And who would want to curse him, anyway? He hadn't done anyone any harm in *years*!

Of course, he suddenly thought, it *could* be that something he'd done in his pre-chip days had come back to haunt him... couldn't it?

He squirmed again on the mattress, uncomfortable with his own thoughts.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dawn had been sitting in the living room, listening to the entire group babble for what felt like *hours*! It had been bad enough when it was just her, Spike, Giles, Gabby, Angel, Willow, and Gunn... but then the *others* had shown up. Gabby had taken Willow and Angel up to Giles' office to try tracking the 'old family' they were looking for, and the rest of the group had immediately fallen to arguing about some *prophecy*. She hadn't blamed Spike a bit when he'd chosen to beat a hasty retreat to their bedroom, although she truly wished that she could have joined him. Her small sigh of relief when Gabby rejoined them was swiftly killed, though, when the argument got even louder. Honestly, she thought, rolling her eyes, she'd have thought that they'd act a bit more like adults! Finally, when Wesley stared spouting off about how they all had to keep her safe, she'd had enough. "Stop it!" she cried, leaping into the verbal fray, "You're talking about me like I'm not even *here*! Plus, you're being *stupid*! This isn't about *me*, people!" She barely kept herself from smiling at the stunned silence that greeted her words, but she had more to say. "This isn't about *me*," she repeated, "It's about *Spike*. Someone-- or some *thing*-- *cursed* him! And okay, I might be just a bit more... involved with him than I was to begin with, but... Whatever this 'prophecy' is-- however it may involve me-- the important thing right now is to find out who *did* it, and find a way to stop it from ever happening again!" Her breathing was slightly rushed, and she knew that a small touch of pink had entered her cheeks, but she didn't care. "*He's* our first priority, and I'm not saying that because I'm sleeping with him. He was a *Warrior*! For the *Powers*! So I think it's just a little bit more important to *fix* him than it is for you all to *argue* about extraneous *bullshit* for the next... however long it might take you to agree on whatever it is you're arguing *about*!"

The room was silent for just another moment before the senseless cacophony began again.

Gabriella almost laughed aloud at the look of outraged frustration on her step-daughter's face, and she moved quickly through the group, stopping beside the truly angry girl. "They remember you as a child, Dawny," she murmured softly, meeting the girl's eyes. "They know, intellectually, that you've grown up, but parts of them-- deep down-- just don't want to believe it." She cocked an eyebrow and tipped her head subtly towards the girl's bedroom. "However," she continued, still quietly, "There's a man down that hall who knows just how grown up you *are*, and unless I miss my guess?... he's probably locked into yet another cycle of self-doubt right about now... Why don't you go pull him out of it?"

Dawn smiled slowly, wanting nothing more than to do as her step-mother had suggested, but... "What about the curse? I thought you said it could..."

The brunette woman *did* laugh then. "Spread?" she finished for the young blonde, "Oh, honey... if it hasn't passed to you by *now*, then I wouldn't worry too much about it. Must have something to do with that 'Key' thing." She pulled the girl into a swift, affectionate hug. "Gods know you've got more *power* than anyone else I've ever seen, and that's what this 'curse' attacks, so... I'd say it's safe to, um... *open* yourself to Spike as much as you like!" She released the girl, smiling at the intensified blush she could see on her cheeks. "Now, *go*! Pull him out of whatever funk he's managed to mire himself in *this* time!" She watched the girl move quickly from the room and down the hall, and she wasn't even slightly surprised when she turned back to the group and saw that none of them had even *noticed*... other than Giles, anyway. A slight smirk pasted itself to her lips as she went to sit beside her clearly annoyed husband. She gave it maybe ten minutes before the people assembled in her living room realized that the girl wasn't actually a *child* anymore... After all-- as she was well aware-- Dawn and Spike were anything but *quiet* in their passions.

End-- pt 3

next