See disclaimer and author's notes in Part 1
 
 
 
 

Angel paced the floor of his apartment impatiently. It was 4:30 am and
Spike was still not back. After talking to Buffy and Willow, Angel had went
back down to his apartment to inform Spike that he would be gone for a few
hours and would only be back at midnight. However, Spike was already gone.
As the grate to the tunnels was open, Angel knew where his restless childe
had gone. Figuring that Spike would be back before him, Angel left to get
his work done. However, when he came back at 2 am, the apartment was still
empty and Angel began to get worried for younger vampire.

Angel looked at his watch once more. 4:32 am.

It was true that Spike could more than hold his own against vampires and
other creatures of the night. However, if humans were to attack him, he
would be seriously crippled. And LA was not exactly the land of sugar and
spice and all things nice.

4:34 am

Angel recalled the disturbing conversation he had had with Willow after
talking to Buffy. Buffy had told him all about the Initiative and how they
had included her within their ranks only to try and kill her later. She
skirted around the issue of Riley Finn but Angel asked her point blank if
she trusted the guy. Hearing Buffy reply that she didn’t know, in a
wavering voice almost broke his heart. The weariness in her voice was
obvious. Angel just prayed to whatever god that still listened to him, that
Buffy didn’t get her heart broken again. He knew that she was resilient but
even rubber had its breaking point.

4:38 am

Before he could hang up, Willow had asked to talk to him. Her first
question had been about Spike. How was he? Is he ok? The two of them didn’t
try to dust each other, did they? And if they did, did he look like he was
really resisting? Angel has to stop Willow’s questions and ask her why she
was so worried about Spike. As far as he knew, Spike had always been either
trying to shove bottles into her face or drain her. However, apparently
during his stint with the Scooby gang, Willow and Spike had gotten to
closer. Having had the shared experience of having their loved ones leave
them, they had become ‘non-enemies’. Willow’s exact phrase. Angel told her
it was nice that she cared but Spike was not someone that would need to be
looked after. That’s when she told him about Spike’s suicide attempt.

4:43 am

Angel had been shocked into silence as Willow explained how she and Xander
had come upon Spike trying to stake himself and how they had to stop him.
Though Angel was angry with Xander for obviously contributing to Spike’s
reasons for suicide by taunting him, he was grateful that the two teens had
been there to stop him. However, learning that his cocky childe would
actually even think about offing himself, made Angel realize that Spike was
more vulnerable than he thought. Angel couldn’t help but feel protective
towards Spike.

4:47 am

The love-hate relationship between them was complicated. All the chronicles
of the lives and deeds of Angelus and William the Bloody revealed the
closeness between the two vampires. For years, the two had traveled Europe
leaving trail of blood and destruction between them. Europe was the
classroom where Angelus had taught and trained Spike. Spike had not been
his first childe but he has most definitely been his most favorite childe.

4:50 am

Angelus had fallen for the human William the moment he saw him. Despite
William’s peasant upbringing and rough disposition, Angelus had seen the
potential in the beautiful young man. He had watched and stalked the brash
William for a week, learning his habits and weakness. He had laughed softly
to himself as he saw William pick yet another pocket so skillfully that the
victim apologized to him for brushing against him. He had stroked his own
lips as he watched William kiss yet another girl in the dark shadows of her
father’s house. He had silently cheered as the young man had landed a
particularly vicious blow to his opponent’s jaws in yet another brawl. By
the end of the week, Angelus was ravenous for William’s blood and company.

4:57am

Angel heard the elevator come down into his apartment and knew that it was
Spike. Taking a deep breath, he settled down in the armchair that was
adjacent to the couch. He rested his left foot on his right knee and
steepled his fingers under his chin. It was time to put things in
perspective for his wayward childe.

The door opened as Spike stepped into the apartment. Whistling to himself,
he closed the door behind him. As he turned around, he stopped short when
he saw Angel sitting there, a foreboding look on his face.

"Where have you been?" Angel asked, his voice low and deep.

Spike frowned then continued towards the couch. "Out."

Angel silently watched as Spike went about the room, taking off his duster
and settling on the couch. He propped a few cushions under his head,
muttering about getting a real bed and laid down. All the while, Angel
continued watching him with a guarded look. Spike tried to close his eyes
and ignore his Sire but just after a few seconds, decided he had had
enough.

"WHAT!" he shouted.

Angel didn’t say a word. But he didn’t have to. Spiike knew exactly what
his dear old dad was upset about.

"Look here, Peaches! I’m a big boy and if I want to stay out all day and
night, I bloody well can! Now sod off and let me get some sleep." Spike
ranted, closed his eyes and lay back on the couch. There were a few minutes
of silence but Spike could still sense Angel staring at him.

"Why did you try and kill yourself?"

Spike’s eyes flew open but he didn’t make a move. "Been talking to Red,
have we?"

"I want to know, Spike." Angel said, an inscrutable expression on his face.

"I don’t give a rat’s ass about what you want." Spike said and closed his
eyes again.

"Would you have done it if they hadn’t stopped you?"

"I don’t want to talk about it."

"I’ve been there before Spike. It takes a lot to make a vampire want to
kill himself."

"Don’t insult me by putting me in the category as yourself, Soulboy."

"I won’t. I tried to kill myself so that I won’t harm others."

Spike’s eyes flew open again. "Yeah and I tried to off myself *because* I
can’t kill others! Let me rephrase that. Because I couldn’t even pull a
hair off the head of a freaking human!"

"You were feeling sorry for yourself. Now that’s pathetic!" Angel
deliberately provoked Spike because he wanted to make sure that Spike never
considered suicide again.

Spike abruptly sat up. "I’ve got news for you, you wanker! I am pathetic!
I’m worse than a pansy assed human. At least they can protect themselves. I
can’t! Does that answer your question? Does that make you fucking happy?
Now leave me the hell alone!"

Angel sighed and leaned forward with his forearm resting on his thighs.
"Spike. I’m going to help you but you’ve got to follow certain ground
rules. LA isn’t exactly the safest place especially since you can’t defend
yourself against attacks by humans. So tell me before you go anywhere. I
don’t want to have to tell Willow that you dusted yourself because you were
too messed up to get your ass out of the sun. There’s no point in feeling
sorry for yourself. Get over it. Fast."

Spike let out a derisive laugh. "You’re one to talk, aren’t you? Running
away from the Hellmouth just so you don’t have to face living without the
Bunny love. Tell me, how does it feel to have to stay away from the Slayer
while she goes around screwing everything dick that so much as smiles at
her? In a way she’s slightly more pathetic than you."

Angel had just about enough. He grabbed Spike by his shirt and hauled him
off the couch and against the wall in one smooth and quick movement. Spike
struggled to get free and threw his fist at Angel. However Angel quickly
caught his fist in one hand used it as leverage to turn Spike till his face
was against the wall and his arm was twisted behind his back.

"You have no right to talk about her in that way, you ungrateful bastard.
If it weren’t for her, you’ll be either decorating that streets of
Sunnydale or lying in some laboratory with probes in that one-celled brain
of yours. Now listen up, Spike. I’ve had just about enough of your mouthing
off. And I don’t just mean just today or yesterday. I mean the past year.
It’s time for some ground rules to remind you of your place. Number one."
Angel banged Spike’s face against the wall. "When you leave this place, you
damn well tell me where you are going, what you’re doing and what time
you’ll be back. Understood?"

Seeing that Spike just remained still and silent, Angel twisted his arm
higher up his back. "Yesss!" Spike hissed in pain.

"Number two. You talk to me with respect. You talk to my friends with
respect. You especially talk to and about Buffy with respect. Now, if you
ever insult Buffy or my friends again, you are going to find yourself with
a stake up your ass. Got it?"

Angel waited two second before adding another twist to Spike’s arm. "Yes!"
came the pained reply.

"Number three. Be patient and don’t invite any fucking trouble while you
are here. I have enough to do without having to clean up your mess too. Now
did you get that all or do you need me to repeat it?"

"I got it."

"Good" Angel released Spike, knowing what was to come.

Spike whipped around and punched Angel in the stomach with his left hand
while using his right elbow to slam Angel’s face. Angel ducked the elbow
and used his position to land a vicious punch near Spike’s back. Spike
growled in pain and grabbed Angel’s hand. Angel immediately hooked his left
leg, over Spike right calf, and swept the younger vampire off his feet.
Spike landed on the floor with a loud thud as he hit his head. Before he
could flip back to a standing position, Angel straddled his legs and
captured both his wrists in vise-like grip and held it over Spike’s head.
Spike arched to throw his sire off of him but Angel was too strong for him.
He finally lay back, exhausted and glaring at the older vampire.

"You just never learn, Spike." Angel said, clucking of his tongue.

"Oh I learnt all right, you bloody arse! I learnt that you have no hold
over me what so ever! You are just the Slayer’s pansy boy! You make me
sick!" Spike spat.

Angel’s eyes narrowed in anger then suddenly, an unearthly calm came over
him. A slow smile appeared over his face. The smile transformed his whole
demeanor to that of his soulless counterpart. Then in a low drawl, he said,
"I would change that attitude fast if I were you, my boy. You do and always
will belong to me, William."

Spike froze as he recognized Angelus’ voice and expression. More than that,
only Angelus had ever called him William. Not the Angelus who had abused
him a year ago. But the Angelus of a century ago. The Angelus who had been
his friend, soulmate and lover. That last thought made Spike lick his lips,
drawing Angel’s attention to them.

Suddenly the air between them seemed to crackle with electricity. Blue eyes
met brown eyes and held. They were unconsciously breathing hard. Memories
of them both in a similar position a century ago surfaced. Neither of them
knew which one closed the gap as their lips met in a searing kiss. The cool
surface soon grew warm as the lips opened in welcome. Angel tilted his head
as his tongue delved into the cool depth of Spike’s mouth. Spike somehow
managed to free his wrists from Angel’s grasp and buried it in his dark
hair, pulling him closer. Their tongues tangled together as their teeth
gnashed against the other. Spike began to suckle on Angel’s tongue causing
the dark vampire to growl in pleasure.

Hearing the growl seemed to drive some sense of reality into Spike’s
passion clouded mind. Abruptly, he pushed Angel away and scrambled
backwards to move away from his sire. Angel fell on his side and looked at
Spike with confused lust. Neither knew how to react to or deal with the
emotions that the kiss had stirred up. Both vampires took unnecessary deep
breaths as they stared at each other. Angel was the first to look away. He
ran his hands through his hair and took one final breath. He then stood up
and began to move towards his bedroom. Spike didn’t even look up to see him
go as his eyes were focused on the hardwood floor as if it held all the
answers to his questions.

"There’s blood in the microwave," was all Angel said before he closed the
door to his room.

Silence reigned for a long time before Spike stood up, laid down on the
couch and buried his head beneath the plush cushions.

***

End of Part 2 of series.

Email Fire for feedback
 
 

Return