SERIES: Nobility #2

AUTHOR: Tisienne Blue

E-MAIL: tisatko@msn.com

DISCLAIMER: I am not Joss Whedon, and I have NO rights to any of the characters he created. I own only those who are not real people.

RATING: NC-17 for the series.

PAIRINGS: Dawn/S; W/A; many more...

DISTRIBUTION: anyone I've said yes to and MY site (http://tisfic.tripod.com/ )

FEEDBACK: please.

DEDICATIONS: to Jeannette and Nat (as usual), for the site... also to: Nutty, Myst, Eva, and anyone else who likes this story... thanks for the feedback (and if I forgot you, I'm SORRY!!!).

NOTES: it's 2007, the Hellmouth's been closed for a while. Giles adopted Dawn after Buffy died (although her demise wasn't the same as in the series...), and they moved to New Orleans. Giles married a voudoun Priestess, Spike showed up all cursed, a God bound him to Dawny... oh, and there's a prophecy or two in the offing, as well!!! And * *= emphasis.

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Willow smiled slightly at the relieved look on her Mate's handsome face. "So..." she purred, climbing from the bed and snuggling comfortably in his arms, "Giles is ready to forgive us?"

Angel sighed happily, holding her tighter to him. "Actually, I think he just wanted us to stop sending him *fruit*, but..." He shrugged, his lips twitching when she chuckled. "He wants us to come over. *Just* us. Something about that woman you weren't supposed to look for." A very small disappointed growl escaped him when she pulled her warm, naked body from his arms, and he shrugged again when she smirked at him. "Sorry," he said, completely unrepentant.

Her little smiled bloomed quickly into a full-blown grin, even as she hurried across the room to her suitcase. "Later," she promised, swiftly selecting an outfit and starting to dress, "Right now, we should go..."

The vampire sighed again and moved to choose his own clothes from the hastily packed assortment he'd brought with him. "Fine," he grumbled sourly, "As long as it's not too *much* later..." He ignored his witch's chuckles, and hid his smile deep below the surface of his mien.

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

"All right," Spike announced irritably as he stepped into the living room, one arm wrapped protectively around his girl's shoulders, "We're here. Now, what's so bloody important that you had to get us out of bed?" It took him a moment to notice the redheaded woman sitting off to the side of the room, but when he did, his eyes widened for just a moment before he shook his head. "And who might *you* be?"

Dawn's brow furrowed for just a moment as she felt the sudden tension in her love's body, and she tightened her arm around his waist. "Spike..." she murmured, just loudly enough for him to hear her, "Behave..."

Hortense DeLanei smiled slightly to herself, studying the vampire intently. Yes, he had *definitely* been cursed. He wore the signature of it around him like some kind of a shroud, but... it wasn't as thick as she'd feared. Of course, that might be because of the bond he shared with the... girl? Her eyes widened to their full limit as her sight shifted with no warning, and a low cry flew from her throat. "Gods!" she moaned, hands covering her eyes, "What in the hell *are* you?" She rubbed furiously at her tearing green orbs, overcome by the brilliance her other-sight had revealed. "You..." she spoke softly into the stunned silence, still unable to focus, "You aren't *human*... but you *are*!" She took a deep breath, trying desperately to center herself, and blinked a few times until the dazzle-spots faded. "I'm sorry," she said after a moment, "That was terribly rude of me."

Dawn watched, still shocked, as the woman stood up and extended her hand. She stared at the redhead for a moment, pressing herself closer to Spike's side. "What do you mean..." she said warily, keeping her distance.

"Yeah," Spike added, a good bit of growl in his voice. He could feel the discomfort and confusion flowing from his Mate, and it made him... nearly furious. "My Niblet's just as human as *you* are!" He pulled his girl against his chest, his other arm surrounding her as well. "Maybe *more*!" He had no idea of where that last statement had come from, but he was entirely sure it was true. His eyes flashed golden as he glared at the tall stranger.

Gabriella sighed. Obviously, the demon Spike carried within him was sensing something from their guest, but still... It wouldn't do to antagonize the woman. She was, after all, there to *help* him. "Dawny, Spike," she said softly, standing and moving to their sides, "This is Hortense DeLanei. She's..." Her voice trailed off as she realized that she didn't know *how* to explain what the other woman was.

The tall redhead sighed, finally dropping her hand. "I'm sorry," she said again, her sincerity clear in her voice, "I was just... shocked, actually, to see the kind of... *power* you're made up of, young lady. And your vampire is *right*. You're at *least* as human as I am." A slight chuckle escaped her at the surprise she saw in both their eyes, and she turned a slightly accusing glare on Gabriella. "Someone," she said smoothly, "Didn't tell me the whole story..."

The voudoun Priestess had the grace to blush, and she nodded. "I know the God said we could trust you, but..." She shrugged. "They're *family*." Her eyes remained locked on the other woman's clear green gaze, and she sighed silently in relief when Hortense nodded.

"I understand," the woman said quietly, "But if I'm to *help*..."

"Yes," Gabby agreed, finally, "No more secrets."

The vampire rolled his eyes for what felt like the thousandth time. "Yeah. Whatever. Would one of you mind telling me what the bloody *hell* is going on?" He could feel his Mate trembling slightly in his arms, and he lowered his lips to her ear. "Hush, pet," he whispered, "It'll be alright..."

The smallish blonde did her best to smile against his hard chest, all the while wondering how it was that this woman had been able to see right through her. A part of her trusted the stranger implicitly-- as if by instinct-- but the rest of her...? The *rest* of her was scared almost witless by her. "I know, Spikey," she whispered against his shirt, "You won't let anything hurt me..."

"Damn right," he replied aloud, glaring at the woman.

Gabriella turned her eyes to her stepdaughter and Spike before looking once again at the tall woman in her living room. "You have to tell them some things," she said, not sure of how she knew, "Private things." She sighed one last time before nodding sharply. "Fine." "Dawn," she directed to the girl who was a daughter to her in every way other than blood, "I'll be with Rupert. You can *trust* Ms. DeLanei."

Hortense sighed and returned to her chair once the brunette woman had left the room. "Please," she said, her tone making it more of an order than a request, "Sit. The others should be here soon."

It was with a great deal of trepidation that Spike complied, but he *did* sit, pulling his Mate onto his lap. "What others?" he demanded, glaring hotly at the redhead.
 

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

"Well?" Giles said softly, putting down the book he'd been glancing through, "What happened?"

Gabriella sighed as she perched on the arm of his chair, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. "Spike senses something about Hortense... probably his demon recognizing danger..." Her hand pressed harder on his shoulder when he tried to rise.

The Englishman considered brushing her off, but... his wife generally knew what she was doing, so... "Danger...?" he said, seeking clarification even as his own hand covered hers.

The brunette sighed. "From what I understand, the old families were quite... instrumental... in controlling the demon population at one time. I think the demon in Dawny's man recognizes that. It's making him nervous, without letting him know why." She smiled and slid from the chair arm into his lap, her arm moving around his neck. "Don't worry, cher," she told him softly, "It'll be fine. She means him no harm... Oh, and she can see what Dawny is, too, by the way." A small chuckle slipped from her lips. "You should have seen her *face*, Rupert! It was *priceless*!"

It was the fact that Gabriella was so calm that kept Giles that way as well. Still... "Do we need to be worried about that...? I mean..." He shrugged slightly.

"Is she likely to have her own agenda, now that she knows Dawny is the key?" the brunette finished for him, "No. I don't think so. There's actually a chance that her people *made* Dawny's energy, you know? They've certainly been around long enough..." She smiled slightly and shook her head. "No, I think our Dawn's perfectly safe with Hortense DeLanei."

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

It wasn't until Dawn opened the front door to the rather frantic knocking that she understood exactly who they'd been waiting for. Her eyes were wide as she stepped aside and allowed a very sheepish-looking redhead and a slightly smouldering vampire to move into the house. Even as she closed the door behind them and gestured towards the living room, the hurt was welling deep within her, and when she moved to Spike and he pulled her into his lap again, she didn't even bother to be worried at what their reaction might be. They were *family*... and they'd actually thought she was going to become *evil*!

Spike glared at his pouf of a Sire and the witch over his Mate's head. He could feel his Dawn's emotional pain, and it pissed him off more than anything else ever had. His eyes flashed gold and he growled low in his chest. "Prick. Witch." he greeted them, holding his girl close against him, his hands moving soothingly over her back.

Angel sighed, even as he met his childe's eyes. "We were *wrong*," he said clearly, his fingers tangled with Willow's. "We were wrong, and stupid, and we didn't think things through, okay?" He waited until Dawn's eyes met his, and he nodded slowly. "And we're more sorry than we can ever tell you..." He could see his Mate nodding her agreement beside him, and it wasn't until the blonde smiled tremulously that he allowed his own small grin to surface.

Dawn shifted slightly on Spike's lap, chuckling silently at the sudden arousal she could sense through their bond. Still, this wasn't exactly the time. She sent a small dash of 'Later-- I promise' to him before speaking out loud to Angel and Willow. "Okay. You're sorry. *That's* true-- in more ways than one. But don't think I'm just gonna go *forgiving* you."

Willow sighed dramatically and pulled away from her love. "Would a new pistol help change your mind? Or maybe one of those little crossbow guns...?"

The girl smiled a bit more broadly, but shook her head. "I'm thinking you set me loose with a credit card. 'Cause I'm fairly certain that the closer I get to its limit...? The more I'll forgive you..."

"Uhhh... why are you talking *weapons*, luv?" Spike whispered into her cute little ear, "You know I won't let you put yourself in *danger* anymore..." He groaned when she shifted on him again, almost missing her muttered 'We'll be talking about that later'.

Hortense DeLanei watched silently as the four began to fall into a somewhat uneasy camaraderie, and after a few more minutes, she cleared her throat, smirking slightly when the other redhead and the dark-haired vampire jumped. "Hello," she said swiftly, amusement clear in her voice, "And I'm guessing that you must be the *rest* of the prophecy..." Her grin only grew wider at the confusion she could see chasing across the newcomers faces. "Why don't you sit down?" she invited, "It seems we have a lot to talk about..."

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

Cordelia Chase sighed deeply, even as she shuffled the papers on Angel's desk. She'd been monumentally bored ever since the majority of the AI team had run off to New Orleans. Of course, she still had Meggy and the kids running around, along with the core of Gunn's group, but it just wasn't the same!

Fortunately, the six guys Gunn had brought in a few years back had been able to handle what little had happened since everyone else had left, so she wasn't really concerned about *that*, but still... If it hadn't been for the few visions she'd had, and the occasional burst of screaming children running through the lobby, she honestly thought she would have died of boredom in just the last few days. Her eyes moved swiftly to the office door when she heard a small, stifled-sounding giggle, and she smiled brilliantly at the child peeking around the edge of the door. "And what are you doing, Lexi?" she asked the pixie-ish little brunette.

The little girl giggled softly again and ran into the office, throwing herself into Cordelia's lap. "Missed you, Mommy," she announced, grinning up at her, "Wanted to help you work!"

The Seer laughed. "Are you *sure* about that, sweetheart?" she said, still chuckling, "'Cause I think you'd have more *fun* with..." Her voice stopped suddenly and she gripped the edge of the desk, eyes rolling back.

Lexi slid from her lap and ran to the office door, crying "Aunt Meggy! Aunt Meggy! Mommy's having another vision!" She moved back to her mother's side, patting her leg softly. "Poor Mommy," she said quietly, "It'll be all right..." She smiled a relieved smile when her tall 'Aunt' appeared in the doorway, and she stepped aside, letting the adult tend to Cordelia while *she* bustled about, gathering the big bottle of ' *not* for little girls!' aspirin and a small bottle of water from the 'frigerator. "Here." she said, holding the items out to her still-shaky mommy.

"Thanks, sweetheart," Cordy murmured, popping the cap from the aspirin and swallowing four of them down with a large gulp of water. It had taken her a while to stop feeling guilty for having the visions-- what with her daughter seeing how much they hurt-- but she'd eventually gotten over it, because... as Meggy had pointed out, none of them had normal lives. Besides, she'd been having the visions for longer than Lexi'd been alive, so as far as the child knew, they *were* normal. "You're amazing, you know," she told the little girl, pulling her into her lap again.

The tiny five year old giggled and wrapped her arms around her mother's ribs. "You too, Mommy," she told her, hugging her as tightly as her little body could. "What was it *this* time?" she finally demanded, glancing up into her mother's pretty eyes.

Cordelia sighed and looked unhappily at Nutmeg. "I have to go to New Orleans," she said softly. "Can you handle things here, or do you want me to have Wes and Virginia come back?"

Nutmeg's brow creased for a moment as she considered that. "No..." she finally allowed, "I think Angel needs them. We should be able to get by without them..." She sighed quietly. "If worse comes to worst, I suppose we could..." She shrugged.

The Seer's sigh echoed her friend's. "Yeah," she agreed unhappily, seeing the necessity. "If you have to, then go ahead. I'm not sure you'll be able to drag him from Sunnydale, but it's worth a shot." She looked down at her daughter again and smiled widely. "Hey, Lex, want to go to New Orleans? You could see Anne Rice's house."

The little girl sat straight up, her mouth a round 'o' of delight. "Really? I could?" She wriggled quickly from her mother's lap and ran from the office, her shouted "I'm gonna go *pack*!" trailing behind her as she dashed across the lobby and up the stairs.

Cordelia shook her head in mock sadness. "I never should have let Angel start reading her the Vampire Chronicles."

Nutmeg grinned, pulling her friend to her feet. "Yeah, but you have to admit... Knowing what *Lexi* does...? They're pretty damned *funny*!"

The two women laughed happily, even as they headed off for their separate tasks: Cordelia to pack her own things for the trip, and Nutmeg to go get the rest of the AI team's children-- including hers and Gunn's-- out of whatever kind of mess they'd managed to create in the five minutes they'd been left unsupervised.

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

"The one who unlocks many things shall ally herself to Evil, and with her help, the Evil shall triumph over the Good. The Opener shall, through her alliance, bring forth the Star of Darkness, and Opener, Evil, and Star shall change the tides of Power forever more." Hortense stared at the two vampires and two 'human' women, staying silent until they nodded. "And from what I understand, that's all you know. Is that right?" She shook her head sadly when they all nodded. "Well, that's not *all* of it, people," she continued. "In fact, that's not even *half* of it, although I can see how you might believe it to be."

Angel exchanged a swift look with his childe, his eyes apologizing again for what he'd thought about Dawn. "So," he began, only to be cut off by his Mate.

"What's the rest of it?" Willow demanded intently, sending a swift bolt of reassurance through the bond she shared with her Mated. "And why did you need to see *us*?"

Spike nodded silently, wanting an answer to those questions as well. "Yeah. I mean, obviously, my Dawny's the Opener, what with being the Key and all, but..." He shrugged. "There's no way she'd ever enter into any kind of an 'alliance' with Evil, so the rest of it must... explain it, somehow...?"

"You're *wrong*, Spike. Because we're dealing with a *human* prophecy. As in, it was created by human Seers at a time when *all* 'supernatural' things were classified as 'evil'. Dawn has *already* allied herself with Evil, in the sense that she is Mated... to *you*." She smiled slightly as she watched the stunned realization cross his face. "Now, as to the *rest*. It goes something like-- 'Protector and Flame shall also ally, through banked fire and night. Their actions shall create the Light of Heaven, and this Light shall, in the course of time, temper the Star of Darkness. The flow of Power shall be turned until it enters the world through the efforts of both Star and Light, and the outcome shall again depend upon Opener, Evil, Protector and Flame, as theirs shall be the final blessing.'... That's pretty much it," Hortense announced quietly.

The four exchanged confused glances, unable to make any sense of what the woman had said. Finally, Dawn had had enough. "So what does all that *mean*?" she demanded, her sentiment echoed by the nods of her friends and her Mate.

The woman shook her head slowly before answering the question with one of her own. "Willow," she asked softly, "What is a cardenterata? Please. So the others will fully understand."

The redhead could feel her brow furrowing in thought, even as she began to explain. "It's a *witch* thing," she began, continuing through what she'd told Angel on the day the God had told them about Spike and Dawn. She explained it to the best of her ability, before finally finishing with "It's meant to create *very* powerful offspring, and to feed the necessary power to..." Her voice trailed off even as her eyes grew wide and flew to Hortense's. "Oh, Gods... No. It's not *possible*! I mean, they're *dead*! They couldn't *possibly*..." She moaned deeply when the other woman nodded. "No..." she whispered again, covering her face with her hands.

Spike growled softly, hating the fact that he had no idea of what the witch was talking about. His arms tightened around his suddenly motionless Mate, and he growled again when he felt down their bond and found only a sense of stunned disbelief. "All right," he demanded, after an entirely silent three minutes, "What the bloody hell is going on!" He felt his true face slipping out when Dawn shook her head, and he glared angrily at the redheaded woman who'd started it all. "You'd best be making with the answers now," he warned, until he felt his Mate's soft, warm fingers moving slowly up his neck to caress his brow ridges. A sudden purr slipped from his lips, and his eyes closed in pleasure. "You're not playing fair, Niblet," he protested softly.

Angel's eyes were also wide, even as he ran the prophecy and his Mate's words through his mind over and over again. Willow was right; it *wasn't* possible... and yet, he'd felt *heat* lately-- within himself-- starting in the moment they'd called the third bond into being. "Will...?" he murmured breathlessly, one hand raising her chin until he was looking directly into her eyes, "Is it... *could* it be..." A fierce joy raced through his body when she smiled shakily, and he pulled her quickly into his lap, sending love and delight down their bond to meet and overwhelm her fear and uncertainty.

"Am I the only one with no idea of what in the bloody blue blazes is going *on*?" Spike demanded, watching his Sire and Willow, "Because apparently the *pouf* has it all figured out now, too!"

Hortense almost laughed at the annoyance in the vampire's voice, but she forced herself to refrain. Still, she couldn't resist having a *little* bit of fun, so she chose her next words with great care. "How do you feel about fatherhood, Spike?" The laugh she'd been holding in finally escaped as she watched the black-haired vampire do something she'd never thought to see from one of his kind. He fainted.

End-- Knight Takes Pawn.
 

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