Epilogue

Author: Vashti

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Prologue

Spike was on a natural high. The flavor of Mardi Gras was in the air even though it was still weeks away. Didn't matter, the streets of New Orleans had a different feeling, a different vibe around this time of year. The humans felt it too. He was a kid in a candy store. McDonald's had come to him, walking the night with unusual fearlessness and in ever larger crowds. Even the whores were more plentiful than usual.

Him and the pack -- he'd wisely left Harmony to her own devices -- skimmed meals out of the crowd. Walking in a tight, ever shifting group they swarmed around their prey. To the humans there was hardly a change. Every now and then there would be a collective gasp behind them as someone noticed their leftovers, bloodied and covered with bite marks. Police and medical services would be hastily, but belatedly, called. By then they'd already gone through another two victims.

It amazed him their supreme carelessness. Why not a minute ago they'd swarmed around a little family with a toddler and a baby in a carriage. The All Knowing, All Responsible parents just let the whelp wonder around while they played tourists. So they'd picked it up. It'd make a fun little toy for a while. Spike wondered how long before either noticed little Johnny was -- "My baby! My baby, someone stole my baby!"

Hmm, better than he thought. The leather clad pack congratulated themselves, no one had noticed the deed and no one even thought to pin it on them. Spike turned to his childe, a lazy prideful grin on his face. She was gone. "Chris?!" Turning quickly he scanned the minions and the crowd of humans around him. There. There she was with -- No!

The hysterical woman didn't notice the short woman in the long leather coat. "Ma'am. Ma'am. Is this you're son?" She looked down at her, not seeing the white blonde hair shot through with blue and purple and green. She didn't see various piercings. She only saw the dark blond hair that would soon turn brown and black eyes that belonged to his father.

"Zachary!" She swept the boy from the girls arms. For the first time he cried as if released from some enchantment. "How can I thank you?"

"Watch him more carefully." She turned and rejoined the minions.

Spike pulled her up roughly by her collar. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" When she didn't answer he slapped her. It was hard enough to snap a humans neck and crack the bones in a vampire. Her head merely whipped about. When she looked back an iron curtain had fallen over her eyes. She was ready for whatever punishment he decided to mete out. Angrily he threw her away. "Damn you, now I know why the bleeding minions call you Gemini."

"What's the matter Kitten," Spike said stepping over a minion with his throat torn out, "feeling out of sorts?"

"He disturbed my peace."

She sat on his -- sometimes their -- bed staring out into the night. Well, that would explain why most of the minions were giving his door a wider berth than usual. "You can't go tearing out the throats of every minion we have, luv, just because they decide to strike up a conversation," he told her practically.

She contradicted, "He knew better. They all know better than to disturb my peace."

"Even Harm?"

He couldn't see it all but her grin was evil indeed. "Especially Harmony."

Spike kneeled on the bed, approaching her cautiously from behind for though he might have been the only vampire safe from her wrath a little pain didn't deter her from incurring his -- just because she could. "So tell me, Kitten-- Oh, you," he turned to the still minion, "you can go now." Carefully holding his missing throat he scrambled for safety now that his unlife was no longer in danger. "Like I was saying, what's the matter then?"

Stonily she sat ignoring him . . .the one person she had no such freedoms with. And yet Spike didn't press the obedience he should receive as her maker only crossed the bed with unnatural stealth till he could lay his pale hands on her bare shoulders. This was a place they'd been to before in the four years of her existence, shutting everyone and everything out. Her peace, not to be disturbed by anyone not even himself else she would wreak her vengeance on the offender. At first, when the offender was Spike he wreaked right back until it became apparent to anyone with eyes that at those times it was not Spike who received her ire full measure but herself. Self imposed isolation turned mutilation.

"It's her birthday, I know."

Inside their -- usually his -- room it was another world, one of velvet and silk and darkness and quiet. Dawn approached the overcast sky making everything gray and the room a peculiar shade of blue. There was no house beyond those walls, no world except that which could be seen outside the windows.

She gasped. "How did you--"

"Known all the time, luv," Spike said drawing her back into his embrace. "Knew it when I drank from you that night. You couldn't kill the whelp, didn't expect you to. Couldn't kill the Poof either -"

"I needed someone to watch out for her."

"Right you are pet," he said in a soothing manner. He knew his childe better than she knew herself and anticipated her next action. He was ready for the sudden onslaught of tears; the sobs that require the heavy sucking of air into dead lungs just to release the tight knot of pain from her body; the sudden limpness of her supernaturally preternaturally strong body. It was four years of bottled pain, four years of willingly accepting every beating he -- no three years because after a while anyone with eyes could see they were utterly pointless -- gave, four years of her "peace" and Mother's Day massacres. (Although he liked to trail her on her solitary yearly killing sprees. She was a wonder to watch.) And much as he wouldn't admit it later, the sobs were painful to watch. If she were a human he would have been afraid they were causing some internal damage. Since she was a vampire he had to be content that it'd all heal after a few mobile Happy Meals.

"There there now Kitten. It's all right," Spike murmured because for all its ferocity pain like hers could not be kept at for long. It required too much energy and he knew she hadn't fed that night so, although it may have seemed like forever, the tears quickly subsided. "Did your little mole bring back bad news?"

She was too worn out to be surprised at the extent of her sire's knowledge. "No."

"What then?" Slowly extricating herself from his arms, she retrieved a package sitting on the windowsill and gave it to him. 2D pictures, a box full of them, of a little girl with curly frizzy hair, in bright jumpers, with chocolate ice cream smeared on her face, playing with other children and there, on top, at a carnival sitting atop the shoulders of her father.

Turning her face into his shoulder she said quietly, "I don't even know her name."

So Spike was surprised when as the first rays of dawn streamed through the open window she suddenly sprang from his arms into the murderous light. It was only his superior reflexes as her maker that saved her. "What the bloody . . . What do you think you were doing?" Holding her chin between his fingers in a punishing grip he ground out, "Did someone forget who the sire and who the childe was in this effin' relationship? Like any good mum I brought you into this underworld and I -- and only I! -- can take you out of it. Do you understand?" She refused to respond. Angry at her disregard for the gift that was unlife he savagely bared her neck. It was the only discipline she understood.

Usually he treasured drinking from her, she offered her blood more freely than most and only to him. Yet it was with ferocity that he bit her, reclaimed her as His childe, His thing, His to control and dominate and give or take as He chose. And always as he drank from her there was the mired sexuality -- the teasing with which she lured victims and minions both -- the struggling duality between demon and Slayer and the gaping empty ragged hole he and his Sire had created in her. The hole Spike'd only been partially successfully turned into raging hunger and anger for all humanity because the part that wasn't keeping the demon fed the Slayer's self loathing.

She was limp when he released her. Resolutely he crossed the bed and closed the heavy curtains over the window. "You stay in here tonight," he ordered knowing she liked to go on a rampage after an extended "peace." "Someone will bring you a body or two. Pack while you're at it," having decided while drinking, "we're going to LA"

Taptaptap Taptaptap Taptaptap

The little girl stumbled out of bed nearly tripping over her long nightgown. She was too sleepy to care that her hair was in disarray, too young to worry who might be tapping on her window so late at night. She was young enough to stare out the window in wonder however at the white haired being.

"Hey little girl. Let me in?"

She pushed it the pane up from the sash. A breath of cool air momentarily plastered the gown to her thin body and blew her curly hair from her cherubic face. "My Daddy said never to let strangers in the house. Especially not vampires. A vampire killed my mommy. Guess what?" What? "When I'm old enough I'm gonna find him and I'm gonna kill him."

The woman smiled toothily. "You have a smart father and he has a smart daughter. You think I'm a vampire?"

She nodded emphatically. "I know you are."

"Well guess what?" What? "When you're old enough I'll help you."

The girl's eyes widened and she leaned dangerously close to the invisible barrier that protected her. "Really? Why?"

"Because the same people that killed your mother killed me too."

"Poor thing," she laughed extending her hand toward the invisible barrier between them as if she could strong the child's head, "who did your hair?"

Face turning into a puckering frown she gingerly touched the object of humor. "Daddy."

The vampiress laughed again. "Oh sweetie you have to let someone else do your hair for you. I'd do it if you like."

The girl stepped back. "No."

"Okay, you won't let me make you pretty." The woman sat back on her haunches contemplating the progress she'd made with the child over the past three nights. Tonight was the fourth after taking last night off (Spike blood flesh Spike skin sweat fingers Spike lips Spike) to make up for neglected time.

"You know what," she proceeded as if the thought hadn't been plaguing her for four years instead of five minutes, "I don't even know your name. I can't just keep calling you 'sweetie' and 'sugar' all the time."

The girl's mind was obviously torn. There was something about the vampiress that was . . .enticing, intriguing, enthralling. If only she wasn't an evil vampire!

"Um, I don't think I should. What's your name?" she asked in a moment of four year old genius.

"Well," the vampiress said playfully drawing the word out and up and down scale, "if you won't tell me yours why should I tell you mine?"

"But maybe if I tell you mine . . . I mean maybe if you tell me yours I'll tell you mine."

"Hmm, I don't know. You seem to be getting the better deal here." The girl's face said she wasn't going to give unless she really pushed. "How about we compromise: I'll go first. They call me Gemini."

"Why do They call you 'Gemini' and who are They?"

She smiled. "They are the minions back at the lair. Gemini is the name of a group of stars. They're called the twins because, I guess, people thought those stars looked like twins."

"So you have a twin?"

She laughed. "No. No. Gemini is also a sign, an astrological sign. People who are born when those stars are in the sky are supposed to have two personalities, two very different personalities."

"So you have two different personalities," she decided. "Yes," Gemini answered. "At least for a vampire I do.

"Your turn, what am I going to call you?"

"I don't know. Come up with something," she said with a smile.

It only took four days to get a smile.

"Will you do my hair Gem?"

"Can't do it tonight Honey Baby. If I did your father," she couldn't help but sneer, "will realize your imaginary friend Gem isn't imaginary. You don't want me to go forever do you?" The little girl called Honey during the midnight hours shook her fuzzy head fervently. "I'll tell you what though?"

"What?"

"If you let me wear that silver cuff with the lapis on your night stand I can come to your school and do your hair during recess. I'll do your hair and give you back the cuff and then we'll go back to our midnight meetings."

"How?"

"That cuff is special. It'll protect me from the sun though," she shrugged, "I won't be anywhere near as powerful."

"No. That's my Mommy's cuff." Eyes downcast and sad she added, "It's the only thing I have of hers."

"It's okay my Honey Baby, someday you'll trust me. Someday."

Harmony's brown eyes flashed gold, angry at the minions around her. Christina stood on her left facing her, arms crossed. Before them stood a bevy of minions of different backgrounds and looks and ability.

"Who's the Mistress here," she asked with the anger of a petulant child, stomping her foot, "me or her?!"

Immediately six or seven vampires, male all, jumped to her side ready to grovel at her feet. The other thirty or so threw cautious questioning glances at the brown skinned vampiress. "Well?!"

"Of course you are our mistress," a smooth skinned brown woman said dropping to her knees before Harmony.

Another vampire, tale athletic and male, exchanged quick looks with his fellows and did likewise. "Yes Mistress Harmony. You know we answer only to you."

Spike watched from the wings as Harmony bounced on the balls of her feet ready to gloat with the Slayer. Didn't the bint know Katie and Derek were Christina's personal favorites? They'd picked the girl up in Brazil. Her family were Indian immigrants with exotic dark brown skin, long silky hair and liquid brown eyes. She'd been ready made when they found her or had she found them?

She'd been a moody little chit and only Gem could stand her.

Derek was another Brazilian, of the paler variety. He could pass for a Latino or Caucasian in the States, his family having emigrated from Brazil. It didn't matter to Christina who couldn't resist him. She couldn't resist wanting him. She couldn't resist stalking him. (that had been fun) She couldn't resist turning him. (Spike'd thought she'd finally gotten over the whelp) She'd only made him into a minion.

Christina'd turned him and abandoned him only so he would be picked up by Katie. Spike had to admit the chit was calmer then. Together they loved Christina, made her their goddess. She was their Mistress and they were her most trusted servants.

It was obvious to anyone who walked into the "family" house who ran things. Certainly not Harm, Spike thought with a snigger pulling on his fag. Christina'd made that perfectly clear that first night when she'd pushed the dumb blonde into the far wall. Neither Derek nor Katie had been with them then but all the minions who liked their fangs where they were pledged their undying allegiance to her on the spot.

"See Gemini, didn't I tell you they're only loyal to me?"

"Indeed," she said in a smoke and whiskey voice laced with sarcasm, "I must concede subservience."

"Right, so long as you know I'm better than you are."

Dear God Harm, Spike thought, why didn't someone put them all out of their misery and stake her?

"Gem!" The girl wailed as soon as the vampiress leaped onto the fire escape.

"What?" The vampiress was immediately on guard, "What's wrong? Honey what's wrong?"

She was surprised when the little girl flung herself out the open window into Gemini's arms. She felt instead of heard the girl mumble something into her velvet covered skin. "Mr. Skreevle did? Mr. Skreevle did what? Is that a teacher at your school? Have you told your father? Did your father pull a frelling mudo crudoff? Don't worry, I'll take care of Mr. Skreevle just tell me what he did," she vowed feeling her mask of humanity slipping off.

"No," the girl said raising her head. "Mr. Scribble, my hamster. He . . .he died."

"Oh. Oooh, okay." Now how to handle this? Slowly, soothingly she smoothed the girl's fine eyebrows. "Do you, um . . . What do you want to do Honey?"

Sniffing she looked up and said, "I thought maybe you could bury it since your dead and all."

"Undead and okay."

"Daddy, Daddy?"

"Yes, who, no I don't know where Teddy is."

"It's not about Teddy. Gemini's watching Teddy."

Gemini was watching Teddy. His daughter's imaginary friend watching her stuffed animal. He supposed it made sense. "What time is it Sweetness?"

"The LCD says 6:10."

"Okay, why'd we wake Daddy up at 6:10 on a Saturday?" he asked sitting up and pulling his daughter onto the bed with him.

Instantly her face fell. "Mr. Scribble died."
Hadn't he just replaced Mr. Scribble last year? There had to be something in the air that shortened the LA hamster's life expectancy: that or a pet store conspiracy. "Are you all right grá." She nodded but he could see the pooling of her eyes. Knowing his daughter better than she did herself at six he pulled her into his warm embrace where she felt the freedom to cry for the second time that day.

"Are you sure you're not going to go poof?"

Gemini laughed weakly. "I told you, the cuff will protect me."

"But you look so . . .blah."

"It protects me enough not to go 'poof' but I'm nearly as weak as you are now."

"Really?"

"Yes really. Now stop moving around or your hair will never come out right."

Spike watched them flushed and bloated from the night's hunt. They'd gone all out inviting most of the house with them, the master vampire included. Three peas in a bloody pod they were, he thought. He wondered why he let her live -- Christina -- after her flagrant disobedience starting with letting his ponce of a sire live. Watching her there with her two favorites he wondered how she managed to live before.

Some nights, some nights she didn't bother to wake the child. It was enough to watch her sleep.

"Guess what Daddy."

"What pumpkin?"

"Daddy! You have to guess!"

"Not while Daddy's cooking dinner, hon, unless you want burned rice again."

"Blech! Okay so we'll say you gave up. Anyway, guess what Gemini said?"

"What?"

"She said one day she'd help me find and kill the vampire that killed Mommy."

Angel turned. "When did she say this?"

She shrugged. "The first time was a while ago but she said it again yesterday. Aren't you happy?"

Angel turned back to dinner.

"Daddy, tell me about my mother."

Angel took a deep steadying breath. She didn't ask often but when she did . . .it was if Bishop were on the viz again telling him his wife was dead.

"Happy Birthday Honey. You're mother would be so proud of you. Look at you, the big One Oh."

The preteen smiled, embarrassed by her favorite friend's compliment. "I didn't think you'd be back in time for my birthday."

"Hey, not even the Czech Republic could keep me from this birthday."

"Is that why you're hair's black again, because you were in the Czech Republic?"

Gemini shrugged. "Got bored with purple. You know your mother had purple hair a time or two."

"Tell me about my mother Gem."

"Blow out your candle -- away from me this time I know you were only six but I don't fancy catching fire this year -- and I'll tell you something about your mother.

"You, I am happy to say, will be far prettier than she. No, no, I'm not being mean. Your mother was very honest with herself, she knew she was only modestly pretty. She'd be proud to see you know that you know. She'd also be happy to know that you avoided your father's overhanging brow. Now don't 'Gem!' me, it's true, she made fun of him all the time.

"But she loved him," Gemini's voice laced with disgust.

The girl turned in the vampire's arms and asked, "Why don't you like Daddy, Gem? I don't think I ever really got it."

She was silent for a moment trying to put into words her hate and pain without clouding the child's judgment. "He . . .he hurt me in a way that cannot be repaired."

"And," she prompted.

"And the rest I'll tell you when you get older."

"It's always when I get older!" the girl whined. "Even Daddy says that."

Gemini laughed. "Don't think saying your father and I agree on something will change my mind. He's still your father and in the end you're a little girl, not a little vampiress."

"What if I want to be a vampiress?"

"You don't know what you're saying."

"So what. Maybe I don't but what if?"

"Then you know where I am."

"What were you thinking?! Did you think I wouldn't find out?!"

"What are you talking about Gem?"

The vampiress threw the teen back into her bedroom through the open window. Demon at the fore she didn't care if the girl cringed. "Have you forgotten who and what I am? Have you forgotten that I choose to come here? I Don't Have To. What do you think your father will do if he finds out you've been letting a vampire visit you every night she's in LA since you were four? What do you think will happen --"

"I don't know why you're so upset. It's not like it's a big deal. I mean, mudo crudoff, you kill people every night."

"Yeah and I'm a vampire. I also listen to my sire. If I find out you've done something so asinine as break curfew to go out to a club to see some boy and then, and then!, came home and mouthed off to your father I will never -- and I mean never -- step foot near this slab of earth ever again. You will never know your mother's secrets, you will never know your father's secrets and you'll never know mine. Is that what you want little girl? I mean, you think you're so grown now."

"No, Gemini, please. I thought, I thought I was being like you."

"When did I ever tell you to be so flagrantly disrespectful to your father? I've done everything but. Don't give me your crap. I know what's been going on. I know this little, little bender is minor compared to some of the other things you've been doing while I was gone. Your father has been far too kind.

"You want to be like me? You want to be my kind? If my sire caught wind of half of what you've done I wouldn't be able to walk for weeks. I hope you've gotten some sense in that thick curly head of yours by the time I come back. If I come back." Gemini leapt onto the fire escape railing down onto the street into the night.

The teen ran after her. "Gem, no! I'm sorry! I'll apologize! I swear I won't do it again, any of it! Please, come back!" she screamed into the silent unforgiving night. "Please."

"Let's go to Paris."

"What's this about then, Kitten, Paris?"

"When was the last time you've been."

"Coupl'a decades."

"Then we should go," she purred to her Sire. "I can brush up on my high school French."

Looking at her on his shoulder he asked, "What about the chit?"

"Who?"

The two sat around the kitchen table eating.

"Are you really sure you'll be all right spending the summer at your grandmother's?"

She smiled. "Yes Daddy, I'll be fine. Good grief, worry much?"

"I used to be well known for it. Yes really. Besides, I'm sure you'll have fun in New York. Your mother loved it you know. It was her hometown." Gemini said New York was her favorite city too. "You certainly have her shopping gene."

"I'm not going to max out my credit."

"I know you won't. I've already set a limit on the balance."

"Daddy!"

He laughed. Inwardly Angel marveled at his daughter. Only a few years before he'd discovered she'd inherited her mother's lying skills and, especially being his child, he was sure that wasn't all of it. Suddenly, however, it was over. The day after his angry tirade she'd been very quiet and withdrawn and none of his prodding could gain an answer. It had to be more than his anger because she remained so for weeks afterward. If her sleep patterns hadn't improved he would have sent her to an Rx. She'd gone back to being the sweet loving child he always prayed she would stay -- and knew she wouldn't. In fact their relationship had never been better. So it was with only minor worry that he sent his only child into the wilds of New York City by herself.

Not by herself, Angel reminded himself, but to her grandmother. Kim had been more than willing to keep her teen aged granddaughter for the two month stint. It was strange, however, he almost wished Gemini, his daughter's childhood imaginary friend, were going with her.

Speaking of Gemini, a vampire of the same name had come to his attention through his contacts with the Watchers. It seemed he or she, they didn't know which, was looking to claim his old title as Scourge and bury it with one of his/her own. The vampire had only been on the radar for a few years now but his was tuned on another -- another who refused to show herself.

"Gemini, why are you wearing a choker?"

The vampiress touched the thick silver links with their amber stations. "My sire feels I've been getting a little big for my undead britches," she said with an air of amusement. "I suppose I have changed over the years."

"How?"

She looked at the girl. A teenager now, almost a woman. "Well, before I met you I was withdrawn I was quixotic and I deserved the nickname Gemini. Now, now I'm different. I'm not his exclusively anymore. I only used to share myself and my kills with him, not anymore."

"Now you share yourself with me."

"And my minions."

The girl looked at her wide eyed. "I didn't realize you had children."

"Only one, a botched one at that. Technically he's a minion but he's as devoted as any childe I could have made. It's him and another who adopted me as her mistress. It was a strange relationship we had, them worshipping me though I gave them nothing and me relying on them though there was no promise they would stay with me. It's all changed now. We're quite a trio. I think my sire is jealous," Gemini grinned. "The choker's his way of reminding me who's sire and who is childe."

"Are you popular?"

The vampire put down her cup of hot coffee. They sat across from each other in a street cafe in the Village, one of the places Gem knew was particularly vamp friendly. "Why all the questions Honey?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. I just realized you've been telling me all this stuff about my parents over the years but nothing about you. I mean why do you always come to visit me, ever since I was a little girl? I know how much you hate Daddy, it doesn't make any sense."

"I've told you, Honey, I loved your mother. Everyone did. I had to see her daughter. It was killing me not to. I was falling deeper and deeper into depression and no one, not my two favorites, not my sire, not massacres or blood baths could pull me out of it. You did.

"I have to go. If you want we'll finish this tomorrow night, okay? I'd say tell your grandmother hello for me but she might faint away," she said laughter in her voice.

Standing to leave she heard, "Wait, Christina, Mom, don't leave." Slowly turning back around she sat heavily in the wrought iron chair. "What did you call me?"

"I'm right aren't I? You are my mother."

Gemini, Christina, felt as if she were under a wet quilt. "Yes," she answered slowly, "how did you find out? Who told you?"

The shook her head. "I've been putting the pieces together for years. You knew too much, you had all the same mannerisms Dad always said Mom had and ever since you showed up outside my window in LA I've never felt motherless. You've always been there. But I didn't always know. When I sixteen and you left me because I was being stupid I started wondering then I actively tried putting things together, you know, asking questions and stuff from you and Dad. Why didn't you tell me?"

Christina laughed. "What was I going to do, tell my five year old daughter that Mommy really isn't dead she's undead especially after she gave me her grand plans for destroying all vampire-kind for what happened to me. Which I thought was very sweet by the way," she added.

"Did you mean--"

"What's your name? You know mine and I never could find out yours. I'm pretty positive Angel didn't name you Honey and I've waited years and years and years for you to trust me enough to tell me."

"Grace."

"Grace," she rolled the name around in her mouth. "He finally did something right. Grace. I like it."

"I'm glad," her daughter replied wryly, "because I've kinda gotten used to it. But did you mean what you said all those years about helping me kill the person who killed you? Would you really kill your sire? Was it really Spike? And how did he do it?"

Christina smiled, "Slow down and yes I did mean it but Spike didn't kill me. He turned me but he didn't kill me. And as for how it happened," she hesitated, "I asked him to turn me. We were fighting and I was seven months pregnant with you but I wasn't showing else he would have killed me outright I'm sure. He . . ." this was harder than she thought it would be, "surprised me and . . .and stabbed me. It was a fatal wound. Then he drained me. I would have died, you would have died," she would not cry, "your father would have been devastated. I couldn't let it happen. I -- I begged him to change me. My only hope was that you'd survive the process long enough to be born and then . . .and then," she would not cry, "Angel could stake me and that would be enough.

"But your father doesn't know how to keep his word," she finished bitterly.

"What do you mean," Grace's tone was grave. She didn't know how to handle the news that not only was her best friend vampire her mother but she had asked to become a vampire for her husband and daughter's sakes -- for her sake.

"He promised to stake me if you were born human. It's never happened before you know, a baby born to a vampiress. We can't after we're turned and pregnant women are delicacies not high on the 'Likely to be Made Into a Vampire' list. Instead your father, Angel," saying his name was like swallowing bile, "let me hold you. He let me hold you in my arms for one instant then took you away forever. He didn't stake me, he didn't force me into the sun, he didn't cut off my head or start a fire at my feet. He took you away and he sent me into the world broken." She absently wiped her eyes. "I could hear your heartbeat in my bones. It was my heartbeat and then it was gone ripped away by the man who said he loved me, by the man I was willing to die for. I had died for him. Spike wanted to kill me and you that night but he only killed me and you I wouldn't let him have.

"No Spike didn't kill me, your father did," she said her voice full of venom. "So if you're ever ready to go kill him you know how to find me otherwise I think . . .I think this is the last time we'll be seeing each other." Once again she stood to leave.

She was halfway to the transport when she heard, "Mom, stop," that time. She was weeping openly by then.

"Derek, get everyone together. Including the louses running prey in the basement."

"Yes, Lady."

"Katie --"

"Yes Lady?"

"Is Spike here?"

"Yes Lady but sleeping."

"He won't be for long. Is everything ready? Are you ready? Are you all right with this?"

"Yes, Lady, everything is ready as for myself and Derek, your will is ours."

"Ha, I've said those famous last words before."

"Will this be hard?"

"No, no cherie. This will not be hard at all. You get to stand at my side. Derek and Katie will be right behind you, isn't that right Katie?"

"Of course, Lady. We would never abandon you."

"You know, when the two of you say that I can believe you mean it. They're ready Derek?"

"Yes, Lady."

"Good, let's go."

"But if we go that way we have to pass by Spike's room."

"I know.

"Vampires, minions and fledglings alike, hear me. You know and I know we don't stand on ritual here so long as you know who is Master here and who is not. You will stand for ritual and tradition now. I present to you my daughter, my childe, a childe of the House of Aurelius, a childe of the line of the Master, a vampire so old he has been known by no other name since written history. You will respect her. You will honor her or you will contend with me and mine. You will contend with Spike."

The master vampire leaned against the door frame of the main room, the picture of ease. Imperceptibly he gave his childe -- children now -- his approval of her secret and unsanctioned action, a nod.

"Hi Daddy!"

Grace dropped her bags as her father stepped into the hall to hug his daughter. "Mmmm, and I thought I missed you when you spent that summer with your Grandmother in New York. How was hiking the Rockies with your friends? How are Etienne, Joseph and Carmelo?"

"How 'bout I tell you as soon as I can get a nice hot cup of coffee in my hands."

"My Grace wants coffee? I'll have to tell Bishop to expect an Apocalypse." Grace laughed. "Come on, let's go inside. Here, let me take that for you." Together they struggled to bring the bags inside.

Angel took silent inventory of his daughter over the rim of his coffee cup. She was sprawled boneless on the couch separated by an old scarred coffee table. The mountain air had doe wonders for her. Her curly hair seemed fuller, if that were possible, and her eyes brighter. She practically glowed with a vitality that seemed otherworldly and she had a ready toothy smile. "So how are the other three parts of the Frightening Four?"

"Oh, they're dead," she said with a said gaily.

Angel sputtered in his coffee. "They're what?" he murmured.

"Dead. It's their own fault. Such bad timing." Angel felt the blood draining from his face as his daughter continued on as if the three had merely fallen into a stream fully clothed. "Mom, Mommy, did I kill Etienne or did you?"

"You," Angel turned quickly at the voice behind his shoulder, "did dearest. Have you missed me, imzadi?"

When, later the next night, he noticed his favorite mug shattered on the floor he would be furious. It shattered as he scrambled from his seat ("Hope that when next we meet there's six feet of earth between us.") her parting words echoing through his mind. Angel knew she was a vampire but some part of his mind still conceived of her as either older or younger than she had been. She was exactly as she had been the day she left him nearly dead in his own bed. Younger. She looked precisely the way she had the first day they met, her hair short, black-brown and curled up; the cut of her clothes better fit her slayer-vampire lithe form but they were the same jeans and tee-shirt that had been her trademark.

Strong, fierce hands clasped his neck and arm. Slowly Christina stalked him on high heeled feet. "Step into my parlor said the spider to the fly. Or should it be the other way around?"

"Hey Daddy," Grace whispered in Angel's ear, "you remember Mommy don't you? She remembers you. And guess what, she promised me years ago that when I got old enough she would help me find and kill her murderer. Didn't you?"

The vampiress nodded.

(Guess what Gemini said Daddy? She said she'd help me kill the vampire who killed Mommy.)

"Gemini," he said in a tight whisper.

Christina's curtsey was mocking, "At your service. Or disservice." Grace giggled. "Taking joy in your erstwhile Sire's expense?" The girl nodded. "That's my baby."

Angel felt the tremors of her laughter through his back stop. "Wait, rewind. What did you say Mum?"

"Joy at your erstwhile Sire's expense."

"What do you mean Sire? Like father?"

Christina reveled in the white knuckle terror in her nemesis' life. "Didn't he tell you? Of course not, why would Angel tell you that he is the infamous Angelus of the House Aurelius when he didn't even --"

"What?!" With the force only a vampire could muster Grace released her father nearly pushing him into her mother. "You're Angelus?" she asked incredulously. "YOU'RE ANGELUS?!" She flew at her father in a rage.

"Grace stop now!" All eyes flew to the open doorway. Cigarette dangling from his lips, Spike stood in the doorway unable to enter. "He won't be nearly as pretty later if you tear him to bits now will he?"

Silently she shook her head face red with anger. Christina picked up the still cringing Angel by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to her sire. "Invite him in."

"No."

Shaking him she bit out with a deathly calm, "Invite him in."

"No."

Spike blew a plume of smoke in Angel's face. "Take a good look at him Grace, without him you wouldn't exist. None of us would.

"Don't worry 'bout an invitation, Kitten. Soon as he's dead the bloody barricade will be gone and we can finish what we've started. What's that line, Grace?"

" 'And the first shall be last.'"

"That's the one Pet or should we call you Honey now? Maybe Angelus will have an opinion. Lift his head higher Chris. That's good then. He's older than I remember. I'm going to miss this look of utter terror on your face Angel. Wait, no I'm not.

"Go."

If it had seemed like the two women had been leashed the moment Spike arrived then at his word they were set free. Their true faces pushed forward, humanity melting into the background. Christina descended quickly into his shoulder. "Don't worry Daddy," Grace licked her father's jugular, "it won't take long but it will hurt," and joined her mother and sire in feeding from him.

"Oh yes Angel, it won't take long but it will hurt," was the last thing he heard as a mortal man.

Epilogue

"'Therefore our sometimes sister, now our queen, th' imperial jointress of this warlike state --'"

"Your sometimes queen and now your sister."

"I don't think that's what The Bard intended."

"Who cares what he intended. Where's your Hamlet?"

"There's always Grace. We could do the Olivier version, all that delicious incest."

"Grace is more involved with that cat."

"Rumor? Still trying to convince Spike to change it?"

"Of course. And why can't you be Gertrude. I've seen the way you look at her. Make her your Hamlet, Lover."

"Mmm, I will. I will. But you must be there."

"Would I be anywhere else?"

End

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