Rating & Pairings: Since this fic takes place in Buffy S1, and most of the players are about 16 years old, I'm keeping this clean. There is a definite S/A relationship, and a hint of W/S.
Spoilers: BtVS S1, Never Kill A Boy On The First Date, Angel, and Prophecy Girl
Distribution: List archives, and my site. Anyone else, please ask first. I'll say yes, but I like to have an idea of where I am. And it's always fun for me to check out other ppl's websites.
Disclaimer: I don't own BtVs or Angel characters. Joss Whedon, David Greenwald, Mutant Enemy and the WB...all rights. No infringement intended.
Author's Notes: This fic is an au of my au series Bloodlines. So it's an au of an au. Not a new idea, as it already has been done by Maayan. Bloodlines does not have to be read to understand this fic. Ppl who know my Bloodlines series will see some familiar elements; others might find some interesting twists.
Inspired By: FX reruns of Buffy, and an old fic by SaberShadow Kitten (I can't remember the name anymore, sorry Saber) where she put Spike in High School with the Scoobies. Spike as a High School student with Buffy and Co. would be a hoot to see. Feedback: Welcomed and adored.
As always, thanks to Elisabeth and Ghostsforge for their help. And an extra thanks to Ghostforge whose persistence was the main reason this sequel got written.
Caitiff Vampire = Clanless Vampire
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sunnydale, CA October 1997
The Master's Lair
"Let me take care of the Slayer." Darla's request was more of an order than a request. The Master's darling since her 'rebirth', she was one of the very few who stood up to him.
"Oh?" Scowling at his Consort, the Master heard the brazenness in her tone. "You are commanding me now?"
Knowing she was treading in dangerous waters, Darla put a little distance between herself and her Master but continued to show her displeasure. "Okay, then let us continue to do nothing, while she takes us out one by one."
The Master considered a moment. Darla had been turned by him almost four hundred years ago, and he knew her well. "Do I sense a plan?" He asked. "Do share."
"Angelus kills her and comes back to the fold." Darla told him with a triumphant smile.
"Angelus?" The mention of his estranged Heir Apparent saddened the vampire. "He was the most vicious creature I ever met. I do miss him, but he is souled now. He has forgotten his heritage and is one of us no longer."
"He will come back to us." Darla said confidently. She had planned meticulously.
"And why would Angelus kill the Slayer?" The Master asked. "When his own Progeny has allied himself with her?"
"Actually his Progeny is the key." Darla explained. "We kill that Childe and make Angelus believe the Slayer did it. That should release my boy's demon, and he'll rejoin us, bad as ever."
The Master was pleased. Many of their problems would be solved: the Slayer, the human embarrassment to their Bloodline, and the return of Angelus." He turned to the young boy who sat cross-legged, listening to them. "You see my Childe how we all work together for the common good? That is how a family is supposed to function."
**
Sunnydale High School
"It's not that big a deal. It's just a bunch of people getting together." Walking through the school corridors with Willow, Buffy tried to appear nonchalant about the invitation she had just received from Owen Thurman to meet at the Bronze.
"It's a very big deal." So excited for her friend, Willow was practically bouncing up and down as she walked alongside Buffy.
"It's not." Buffy protested, partly to convince herself to not get too excited.
"It is." Willow continued to debate the issue when she spotted Giles rounding the corner. "Giles, tell her. Tell her that it's a big deal."
"I'm afraid it's very big." Giles said seriously as he pushed the door open to enter the library.
Willow gave Buffy a smug smile. "Thank you. Wait!" She gave Giles a confused look. "What are you talking about?"
Walking behind the counter, Giles stopped and turned to face them. "What are *you* talking about?"
In unison, both Buffy and Willow said with emotion. "Boys!"
Sighing, Giles could only raise his eyes to the heavens. "Yes, well, I'm talking about trouble. A violent and disturbing prophecy is about to be fulfilled."
Resting both elbows on the library counter, Buffy could only sigh. "Don't tell me. It has to do with the Master and an apocalypse."
"I've been looking over the writings of Aurelius himself." Giles explained. "And he prophesied that the brethren of his order would come to the Master and bring him the Anointed."
"Who's that?" Willow asked.
"Well, I-I don't know exactly." Now unsure of himself, Giles stammered a bit. "Some. . .some kind of warrior."
"And. . .?" Buffy prompted.
"And that's all I know for now. But I do know that he is no ordinary vampire, and we have to stop him before he reaches the Master."
"Fine. You research some more on this Anointed guy, and when the time comes, I'll be ready." Buffy told Giles, relieved that an apocalypse wasn't going to interfere with her date with Owen.
Catching Buffy's rather flippant attitude, Giles frowned at her. "You're taking this rather lightly. The dark forces are aligning against us, and. . . ."
The entrance of a student cut Giles off. Looking around, he opened his mouth to offer assistance, when he realized who it was. "Spike." He greeted the young man. "You haven't been in school for a time."
"You need to borrow my notes again? Because they're available." Willow eagerly offered.
"Thanks, Red." Giving Willow and Buffy a cursory glance, Spike dropped a pile of books on the library counter with a thump. "But it's not necessary. I'm checking out." He told them. "They told me to bring my books here."
"Checking out?" Willow walked over to stand next to Spike. "You mean you're leaving Sunnydale High?"
"Yeah, my Poof of a Sire says we have to move again. This time we're going to LA. Like that's gonna be any better." Spike said sullenly.
"Sorry to hear that." Willow didn't even try to hide her disappointment.
"I guess. . . ." Giles cleared his throat as he remembered the one encounter he had with Spike's Sire. He wasn't sorry to see them leave. "Guess it would be prudent for the two of you to get away from Sunnydale and the Master."
"Right, mate." Spike turned to leave. "Like it's going to be safer in LA for a clanless vamp and his human son. We're going to be a target for every demon or vampire looking to make a name for himself. Think about it." He paused a moment at the library doors. "The Tosser who offs the infamous Angelus will be remembered for centuries to come."
**
Stomping her feet childishly, Buffy made her way to the Bronze. She hated her life. All she had wanted was one simple, normal date with Owen. The operative word being normal. It had started out ordinarily enough, a meeting at the Bronze, but quickly spiraled downward, ending up at the morgue where Owen was injured by a vampire named Andrew.
"He'll never speak to me again." She muttered angrily to herself as she entered the Bronze. Sighing heavily, she walked slowly through the club, scouting for any unusual vamps.
"Hey, Buffy." A voice called to her. "I was wondering where you and your mates were."
"Spike?" She turned in surprise. "Thought you were leaving Sunnydale?"
"Had some car troubles." He smirked before taking a swig from the beer bottle in his hand. "Our departure has been delayed."
"Really. Sorry to hear that." Buffy mouthed her sympathies automatically, as she looked around the club, wondering where to even begin looking for the Anointed One.
"I'm not." Spike's smirk disappeared. "I don't want to leave. Another strange place where I don't know a bloody soul. It's getting tiring."
Surprised at Spike's admission, Buffy stared at him a moment, and then a thought occurred to her. "So the car trouble was no accident, was it?"
"Fuck if I know." Spike tried to look innocent while quickly changing the subject. "So, where are your two sidekicks?"
"Probably taking my date to the hospital." Not wanting to discuss her disastrous evening with Owen, Buffy steered the conversation to business. "What do you know about the Anointed One?"
"The Anointed One." Taking a moment, Spike finished off his beer and threw the bottle in a corner. "The Master's new Childe."
"Child? No." Buffy corrected. "A warrior vamp who's supposed to be special."
"Warrior vamp?" Spike cocked his head, looking confused. "What are you talking about?"
"What are you talking about?" Buffy countered.
Spike sighed in exasperation. "You asked me about the Anointed One."
"The Anointed One's a child?" Buffy was astounded. "Boy, wait until I tell Giles that he was way wrong on this one. So." She pondered on this newest development. "There's such a thing as a vampire child. How come I've never seen one?"
"Because they usually stay with their mother until. . .wait a minute." Spike suddenly remembered who he was talking to. "You're the Slayer. Haven't you read all the books and Watcher guides about the vampire? How come you don't know this?"
"Because I haven't read any of the books." Buffy's answer was simple and honest. "Well, guess I can stop looking here." Her eyes swept around the Bronze. "So when you say child, how old are we talking? Toddler? Grade school age? Teen?"
Spike shrugged. "Don't know. I just heard that the Master had a new Childe and was claiming him sooner than usual."
"Sooner than usual?" Buffy headed to the exit with Spike at her side. "How soon is sooner than usual?"
Spike couldn't help but give Buffy a 'can-you-be-any stupider' look. "You know, maybe you better try studying those required- reading-for-Slayers books."
"Come on, Spike, help me out." Buffy implored, as she pushed the door open to leave the Bronze. "Giles is having a wiggins, and there were some crazy things going on. . . ." She broke off as a young, blond woman along with three warrior-like vampires approached them.
"Bloody hell!" Spike mumbled. "If I live through this, my Sire is going to kill me."
"William." Darla smiled at him smugly. "And the Slayer." She looked at Buffy. "Together. This makes my job so easy."
"Who are you?" Buffy stared at the catholic school uniform the woman was wearing, trying to figure out why a vampire, or anyone for that matter, would wear such an ugly outfit. "Who is she?" She managed to whisper to Spike right before Darla and her three henchmen attacked.
"My Grandsire." Spike yelled out just as Darla, now in her demon visage grabbed him by the throat.
"Spike!" Shouting his name, Buffy saw the danger he was in but could do nothing about it as Darla's three minions rushed her.
Despite his exceptional strength and agility, Spike was no match for an aged, experienced vampiress who frequently fed on the Old Master's blood. The hands around his throat tightened, compressing the airflow. Flailing weakly, a humming began in his ears, and stars began flashing before his eyes.
The three vampires were stronger and more virile than the average, and Buffy found herself battling for her life. Pulling out a stake, she drew her arm back, aiming for one of the vamps, when her arm was grabbed by another. "Okay, okay. Look, I really don't want to fight all three of you. . ." She bluffed. "Unless I have to." The third vampire caught a kick to the crotch which gave Buffy time to elbow the one that was restraining her. She threw a punch that missed, as the three vampires closed in on her for the kill.
Out of the corner of her eye, Darla saw what her three underlings were doing. Turning her head to remind them not to kill the Slayer, she didn't notice the figure who approached from behind. She heard the savage growl right before the pain of the stake shocked her body. Falling to the ground, the four hundred year old vampiress managed to mutter out one word in stunned surprise, "Angelus", before she disappeared in a wave of dust.
Despite her struggling, Buffy couldn't escape the two vampires who held her on both sides. Eyes widening in terror, she watched as the third approached her, baring his fangs. Her heart froze in fear, but before the vamp could bite her, a strong hand grabbed him by the hair.
"Good dogs don't. . . ." Angel threw a powerful forearm at the vampire, knocking him backward. "Bite!"
Angel's entrance in the fight distracted the two vampires holding Buffy just enough to allow her to take them by surprise. Kicking up with both feet, she landed blows to the faces of both vampires simultaneously, causing them to let go of her. Grabbing one of them, she threw him into a fence then raised her fists.
"Okay." She now smiled with a bit of confidence. "Now there's just two of you. Those are odds more to my. . . ."
"He's murdered the Consort!" A cry interrupted her. "Angelus has murdered the Consort!" Darla's death shook the three vampires as they grouped together, slowly backing away while eyeing Angel and Buffy warily.
"You murdered your own Sire." The leader of the three addressed Angel. "An atrocity according to vampire law." Starting to run, the vampires knew they needed to get back to the Master and report Darla's death. "You truly are not one of us anymore."
**
"Shouldn't we take him to the hospital?" Sitting in Angel's small apartment, Buffy watched as both Angel and a badly dressed demon named Whistler attended to an injured Spike.
"They're humans!" Angel scowled out, as he held a mug to Spike's mouth who was slouched in a small sofa being held up by Whistler. "Humans don't know how to care for *my* Childe."
From behind Spike, Whistler gave Buffy a half smile while rolling his eyes.
"Drink, Childe." Angel coaxed, tipping Spike's head back. Darla's fingerprints were clearly visible on Spike's black and blue neck.
"So, you're the Slayer." Whistler eyed Buffy with interest. "The one who likes to *mislead* William." He said with a grin and a wink.
"Mislead?" Buffy had no idea what Whistler was talking about, nor did she understand why he was smiling and winking at her.
"You put ideas in his head. You tell him to sneak out, to disobey me, his Sire, because you want his help with fighting demons and vampires." Angel said accusingly as he sat down behind Spike, holding him against his chest.
"Excuse me!" Buffy said defensively. "I had nothing to do with him being at the Bronze tonight. I bumped into him there, and as we were leaving, we were jumped by the Wicked Witch of the West and her band of flying monkeys."
"She's. . .telling. . . ." Spike stammered hoarsely, between fits of coughing. "The. . .truth."
"Actually, you know what that means?" Whistler interjected quickly, before Angel could throw more accusations at Buffy. "It means that if your boy here wouldn't have run into the Slayer, he would be dead meat. So she, in a sense, saved his life."
Buffy gave the demon a puzzled look. His logic was absurd.
Sighing, Angel knew what Whistler was getting at. "Let's not have that conversation again. I may be a Caitiff vampire now, but even so I will not ally myself with the Slayer." Holding Spike tighter to his chest, he massaged his Childe's throat gently. "Just breathe easy and try and be calm." He advised gently.
Cough subsiding, Spike relaxed against his Sire. Eyes closed, he whispered softly. "He's right you know. Throwing our lot in with the Slayer may be our only hope, especially now that you've killed. . .killed your Sire."
"I'm telling you, Angel." Whistler was now deadly serious. "Stay here in Sunnydale and ally yourself with the Slayer. It's your only chance to survive, and the only chance your son has to survive."
**
"Slayer." Opening the door of the apartment, Spike greeted Buffy who was juggling a stack of books and notebooks. "I see you got my school stuff." Turning, he walked away from the door, not offering to help with any of Buffy's load.
"You're *welcome*." Buffy shot a dark look at Spike's back as she stumbled her way into the apartment. "I got all your class texts, your assignments, and I also brought some notes from Willow. She says if you have any questions to call her. You. . . ," she looked around. "alone?"
"Yeah." Spike threw himself on the couch. "My Sire went to go meet with your Watcher. Didn't you know?"
"No." Buffy said a little crabbily as she threw Spike's books on the floor in front of him. "What's he want with Giles?"
"Actually." A still weakened Spike lay back on the couch, feet up on one arm. "I believe your Watcher contacted him."
"Really?" Buffy frowned. Even though she had told Giles about Angel saving her life, she knew that her Watcher's feelings for Angelus were not warm and fuzzy. "Wonder why."
"He's your Watcher." Spike enunciated slowly. "If you don't know, then I sure bloody well don't. By the way, how's the boyfriend?"
"Boyfriend?" For a moment, Buffy was confused by the change of subject. "Oh, you mean Owen. He's okay, except. . . ." She broke off, looking around for a chair. She felt the need to sit down.
"Except?" Spike cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Would you believe he got off on the whole 'almost-losing-your-life' scene? He wants to be danger man. Two days in my world and he would get himself killed, or I'd get him killed, or someone else would." Buffy looked down at her hands sadly. "I guess being the Slayer has a negative effect on a social life."
"Tell me about it." Spike sympathized. "Ever try bringing a date home to your vampire father's lair? Especially with my Sire."
"Because of him being so handsome and young looking?" Buffy asked.
"No!" Spike gave her a disgusted look. "Because the Old Boy is more than a quarter of a century old. He still thinks that the way to meet a girl is to put your name on their dance card and ask permission from their chaperone."
"Oh." Buffy tried to imagine having a parent who had lived more than two centuries. "I can see how that would be a bit of a problem."
Laying his head back on a pillow, Spike closed his eyes. "You have no idea, Slayer."
**
Epilogue
"I've checked it against all my other volumes. It's very real." Taking off his glasses, Giles stared down at the library floor. "I know sometimes that some prophecies are. . .are a bit dodgy. They're. . .they're mutable. Buffy herself has. . .has thwarted them time and time again, but this is the Codex. There is nothing in it that does not come to pass. And it's clear, Buffy will face the Master, and she will die." Putting his glasses back on, he looked up at the vampire. "I don't exactly trust you, but this is so big, I'm willing to try anything or anyone."
"The Master ordered my Childe to be put to death." Standing next to the library counter, Angel spoke softly. "That makes him my enemy and yours. We can work together to bring him down, and save. . . ."
"Both your son and Buffy." Giles finished the sentence, looking Angel in the face. "It's obvious we need each other." He paused, hardly believing that he was going to ally himself with the notorious Angelus. "But I guess from here on we're partners."
****
Finis