Title: A Past Not Forgotten
Author: angelspike69 & anamcara420
Rating: NC17
Pairing: Angel/Spike
Summary: It’s been 25 years since the events in the alley. Who survived?
Spoilers: There will be some slight spoilers from Not Fade Away, and then it goes totally AU as the screen went black.
Warnings: M/M sex – if this isn’t your cup of tea, then don’t read.
Disclaimer: Joss created the characters. We’re just playing with boys, and having lots of fun.
Distribution: My Perfect Rhyme. If you’d like to archive it, please ask.
Authors’ Note #1: Thanks to dragonydreams for answering our request for a beta. You are fantastic.
Feedback:
AngelSpike69 (
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Epilogue
Two years later…2035
“You’re such a snob, Angel. I’ve been accepted at NYU and I’m going to work on my Ph.D. in British Literature here! You think I don’t know what you’re doing? You want me to go to Cambridge – without you – so I can meet other men – human men. You think maybe I’ll choose to be with one of them. Buggering hell! Can’t you get it through that thick Irish head of yours – I want to be with you! I love you! Only you!”
Will and Angel stared at each other, blue eyes blazing with emotion, brown eyes shifting from stubborn anger into surprise at the sudden change in tone and expression. The harsh voice of Spike only rarely making a rare appearance. The vampire and the human young man had blended almost seamlessly, until a serious emotional upheaval brought the more forceful Spike from his hidden depths in Will. Suddenly both men laughed and Will strode forward to wrap his arms around Angel’s neck. He watched his lover’s face briefly and then leaned in to kiss him passionately. He stepped back, his eyes twinkling with mischief, Spike’s mischief.
“And, I’m taking a summer session at Trinity in Irish Lit and you’re taking the summer off and coming with me. After the session, we are traveling throughout England, visiting places where Coleridge, Byron, Shelley and Keats lived and worked. And don’t give me the “I’m a vampire and I can’t go out in the daylight” look. There'll be plenty of things to do in the evening, Angel.”
Will finished his second speech with a smirk and a quirk of his eyebrow; Spike’s smirk and eyebrow quirk, although without the scar. He stepped in close again, placed his hands on Angel’s powerful chest, and looked deeply into the gentle brown eyes of the man he adored. “Besides, they are the focus of my dissertation and I need you there to listen to my thoughts, ideas and notes.”
Angel nodded as he reached out to brush an unruly wave from Will’s forehead. All his fight was gone. Will, much like William long ago, knew just what to say and do to coax the vampire into agreement with his plans. “Okay, Will.” Angel smiled and bent to kiss the full, sensual lips of the man who had brought such joy and many other emotions into his life.
One year later…2036
Angel heard Will’s key in the lock and turned from his desk. He was later than usual and the vampire had been a bit worried. The door opened and Will staggered into the apartment.
“Angel…”
Angel quickly jumped up and ran toward the bloody, battered younger man. “Will…Oh God…what happened?” He asked as Will collapsed into his arms.
“Demon,” he gasped. “Looked like a frog…”
Angel carried the younger man into the bathroom and gently laid him on the floor. He leaned over to turn on the faucets in the shower. When it was warm enough, he hurriedly removed Will’s torn clothes and his own and helped him into the shower. He soaped his body carefully as the young man moaned and hissed in pain. Satisfied that the demon blood and poison had been washed away, Angel stepped out of the shower cradling Will’s injured body. He wrapped him quickly into a towel and laid him on the tile floor as he turned on the water for the large tub. He added an herbal mixture that Willow had sent him that would stop any demonic infection, turned on the jets and then lifted Will into the water. Will hissed pitifully at first as the water and herbs touched his body, but then rested quietly as Angel held him for several minutes to allow the potion to work. Angel carefully bathed Will’s face with a soft cloth dipped into the water.
Angel lifted Will from the tub, wrapped him in the large towel, and carried him into their bedroom. He laid him down carefully, studying the gashes and cuts in his pale skin. He raced back into the bathroom for a mystical ointment that he always kept on hand and gently rubbed it onto Will’s skin, biting his lips as the young man groaned and twitched at its sting.
When Angel had finished his ministrations, Will finally opened his fevered, tear filled eyes, and the vampire shuddered as he remembered the first time he had cared for Will after he was injured by demons.
“It was a Grenouille demon, like the one…before?” Angel asked.
Will nodded.
“What happened? How…”
Will closed his eyes and began to speak haltingly. “I…I had to stay later…I was thinking and I…I didn’t see it or hear it. It batted my face. It hurt…I couldn’t fight back…”
“Hush. Close your eyes. I’ll get a medicinal tisane that Morgana made,” Angel said quietly and hurried out of the room. After Will’s initial injuries, the vampire made sure he had every type of remedy for demonic attacks on hand.
Thanking human ingenuity for the quickness of microwaves, he returned with the heated potion. He had added some herbs for sleeping. Will’s eyes opened and Angel lifted him up so he could drink. As he swallowed, Will searched Angel’s face. When he finished the tisane, he lay back on the pillow and spoke quietly. “Will...will Spike…”
Angel was startled and hurried to reassure the younger man. “No…no Will. You and Spike have merged. You are a combination of both Spike and yourself. He…Dominic told you that you and Spike would blend together."
Angel watched over Will during the night. He held Will’s feverish hand and rubbed his cool fingers over the shiny, silver ring on his lover’s left hand. He thought back to when he gave the ring to Will after they returned from Ireland 10 years ago. Angel had given it to him on his birthday and told him the significance of the Claddagh ring. Will’s eyes had glistened with happy tears and from that day, he had never taken it off.
As he sat with Will, Angel felt his fever rise briefly. He bathed his body again with the cool herbal water and reapplied the ointment to calm the vicious red of the wounds and fight any infection.
Will stirred and opened his eyes. He saw Angel sitting next to the bed, holding his hand, his face troubled. The vampire smiled slightly. “Good morning. How…how do you feel?”
The younger man’s face was pale and dark shadows loomed beneath his eyes. He smiled wanly. “Like I wrestled an alligator and lost. What…what is it about me that the Grenouille dislikes?”
“I don’t know. After your first attack, Faith made sure the Council sent warriors and slayers to clean the incorrigible demons out of all the parks in New York. They contacted other cities and told them to request assistance if any unfriendly, unassimilated demons were still prowling and attacking humans. Most of the cities have developed a special police force composed of demons and humans to patrol.”
Will sighed and gave Angel an accusatory stare. “I asked you if we could patrol occasionally.”
Angel stiffened. “Will, I’ve fought for a long time. I lost people who were close to me. I…I wanted…I just wanted some peace for a while. The council and the cities had to do their part too. I didn’t want…”
“You wanted to protect me. You didn’t want me to go out so you didn’t,” Will said quietly.
Angel stood up abruptly and glared at the man lying on the bed. “I almost lost you…then Spike…I couldn’t risk…I won’t lose you again…I can’t…I don’t think I could survive or would want to if…”
Will reached for Angel’s hand. “I know, Angel. I…I know how it felt when I thought I lost you…but, you’re powerful and we’ve trained a bit. Sometimes…sometimes I think we need to help.”
After Will recovered, Angel trained him intensely and when he was satisfied that the younger man could handle himself, they patrolled occasionally near their apartment. They were rarely alone. Usually they met the new demon and police forces that had been established and only rarely did they have to battle any violent demons. New York soon became an unfriendly place for unassimilated demons and they apparently moved on to less protected cities and towns.
Ten years later…2046
“Ugggh!” Angel grunted as the body flung itself onto his back. At first, he was startled and then almost frightened. He hadn’t heard anyone enter his apartment. Although he hadn’t been sleeping well since…But then the scent… “Will, you’re back!”
The arms released him and he rolled over and turned to face his lover. Their eyes met for only a moment before Will attacked his mouth, kissing his lips softly once and then thrusting his tongue into Angel’s waiting mouth as he ground his cock into Angel’s morning hard on. Will released him and stared at the vampire’s slightly shocked face. “God, I missed you! I had to come home for a few days!” Will panted before smothering Angel’s mouth in another searing kiss.
He jumped up and began to swiftly remove his clothes as he talked. “They cancelled the shoot for a few days; some problem with some special camera. I had one of the grips drive me to the airport. I didn’t go back to the room to pack. I don’t plan on wearing any clothes for the next four days!”
Will stood next to the bed, naked, beautiful, and extremely hard before he dove onto the bed and on top of Angel. He bit Angel’s ear lobe and then worked his way down the vampire’s throat licking and nipping. His tongue made its way quickly but seductively down Angel’s broad chest, biting his nipples, laving his belly button and then swirling around his cock before swallowing it whole.
Angel gasped and arched his body, thrusting himself deep into Will’s waiting mouth while the younger man’s long, slender fingers gently massaged his sack. “God, Will! God…!”
Will paused long enough to reach into the drawer for the lube. Angel grabbed the tube. He stared at his lover for a moment, his dark eyes flaming with passion before he began coating Will’s cock with the slick. Will’s eyes shimmered with lust and love.
“I need to feel you, Will. I need to feel you,” Angel whispered, tears glittering at edges of his eyes.
Will bent over and kissed Angel gently. “I love you,” he said quietly.
“I love you, Will. Please…”
Will lifted Angel’s legs onto his shoulders and thrust deeply into the vampire’s cool body. Angel clamped his muscles onto Will’s dick and both man and vampire moaned in ecstasy.
After only a few brief thrusts, Will released. “Oh, Angel. Sorry, I…”
Angel maneuvered them quickly and coated his cock with slick. Will’s legs were now on his shoulders and he plunged deeply into his lover’s waiting channel. Will gasped and groaned and panted. Angel lifted Will’s body until it was bent almost in half, until he reached Will’s prostate with every penetration. “Oh God, Angel. Oh, God. Oh God!” Will arched his body, moaned, and scratched his fingers down the vampire’s back leaving bloody tracks. Angel’s cry of pleasure was muffled as he bit into the hot flesh of his lover’s neck with human teeth as he felt Will’s nails pierce his flesh. He shuddered and released into Will just as the man achieved his second orgasm.
Angel lifted his heavy body from Will’s and the two men rolled to face each other. “Miss me, did you?” Angel asked, his brown eyes twinkling and his mouth twitching into a satisfied smile.
“God, yes. It seemed like forever.”
“Will, it was only a week.” Angel smirked, although his eyes revealed that he was deeply touched.
Will punched the vampire’s arm. “A very long week. Although I’m grateful for this opportunity, it’s maddening. Waiting, rewriting, waiting, setting the scene, waiting…You know I can’t stand waiting.”
“Yes, I do know that. I’ve lived with you for thirteen years. You are not a patient man, Will.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not immortal. I don’t have eternity to do things. I…” He stopped at the look on Angel’s face. The vampire didn’t like to be reminded that Will would eventually die.
He hurriedly continued. “I told them I had to come home while they got their act together. I told them you needed me to help you with your book.”
The cloud passed from Angel’s eyes and he laughed. He was working on a book about Oscar Wilde and Will would be writing the prose part with him but Angel was only in the research stage. The book they wrote seven years before on Jack and William Butler Yeats had been published to enthusiastic reviews. For an academic book it had done very, very well and made them quite a lot of money.
“Yes, well, I had to make sure you were staying on task, you know how you get distracted.” Will grinned and placed another long kiss on Angel’s lips.
“You’ve only been gone seven days, Will, and you weren’t here to distract me.” He grinned when Will punched him again and Angel laughed. “I’ll show you how much I’ve done – later.” Angel responded, a provocative gleam in his dark eyes. He licked his lips and then reconvened his sensual seduction of Will’s body.
This is how it had been with them for the years that they had worked and lived together: serious work, playful banter, sincere camaraderie and long sessions of wild, passionate sex.
A few hours later, showered and fed, they sat in front of the fire talking. Angel had grown serious as he listened to Will. “The shoot not going well?”
“No. I’m used to working with you. You’re organized. They’re not. They decide something and then change their minds halfway through. At this rate, it will take far longer than they promised,” Will groused.
Will had used his dissertation as the basis for a book. He looked at the intriguing lives of four of the Romantic poets: Coleridge, Keats, Shelley and Byron and developed his thesis that what they experienced in their personal lives greatly influenced their poetry. It had been highly praised academically, but because of the poets’ often turbulent and somewhat sensational lives and the book’s readability it became a surprising best seller. Coleridge was an opium addict. Keats died tragically of tuberculosis at twenty-six. Shelley had a tumultuous personal life and drowned a month before his thirtieth birthday. Byron was a celebrated rake who, during one dismal summer in Switzerland, challenged his guests to write horror stories. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein and Byron’s doctor, John Polidori, wrote Lord Ruthven, the first vampire story in the English language. Since the character was based on Bryon, he was a handsome, charming, aristocratic demon.
A movie studio had bid highly for the rites and was making a film based more on the poets’ often tempestuous personal lives rather than on their literary importance. Angel was concerned that the thrust of the film would denigrate Will’s academic reputation, while the younger man hoped that the realistic and tragic lives of the poets would inspire students, especially, to look into their literary work. After discussions with several tenured professors in the English department, Will agreed to the film. He was hired to adapt his book as a screenplay and as technical advisor. Unfortunately, after numerous delays, the filming began right before the fall semester, and Angel could not accompany Will to California. Although he knew he would miss Will, he wanted his lover to have this opportunity. If the filmmaking continued into the spring term, his teaching assistant would, by then, be able to handle the classes when he visited Will.
“You told me you finished the screenplay,” Angel said.
“Angel, I have rewritten parts of the screenplay several times. I’ve fought with the director over his decisions to distort certain parts and overlook others,” Will responded shaking his head. “It’s maddening. I didn’t think I was a pompous academic, but I don’t think like they do and what I envision is nowhere near what they see.”
“It’s all about money, Will. They want to make sure their investment pays off; that people will flock to the theatres to see the film. Unfortunately, people often prefer sordid details and melodrama,” Angel answered as he touched Will’s face. “I know you’ll win at least some of the arguments.” The vampire grinned and laughed outright at the sensual pout on Will’s face.
Two years later…2048
“I can’t find the studs!” Will wailed, his face red with exasperation.
Angel walked over with them in his hand and calmly helped the nervous man finish dressing. He was not calm inside. They were on their way to the Oscars and he was never comfortable in the spotlight. But, this was Will’s night and Angel had to be there for him, to make sure Will didn’t jump out of his skin before it was over and because he was so proud of the man he loved.
“The Oscar for best adapted screenplay goes to Will Tate, for Romantic Lives!”
Two years later…2050
Angel opened the door when he heard the knock. His face creased with smiles as he drew Faith into a hug.
He stepped back. “Faith, this is a surprise. How are you?” His smile faded as he looked at her somber face
“Angel, Buffy’s dead.”
Will and Angel had traveled often in their years together, but this journey was a sad duty. Buffy, his old love had died suddenly of an apparent heart attack and they were flying to Rome for her funeral. Angel, Will, Faith and Robin were using the Cardiff family jet and they would arrive in Rome in the late afternoon. According to Buffy’s wishes, the funeral would take place in the evening. She told her husband that she had spent much of her life working in darkness and oddly, she still felt more comfortable at night. Of course, it also made it easier for her many demon friends to attend the service. Angel had been stunned by the news of her death. She was sixty-eight years old and still physically fit, but perhaps the strain on her body from all those years of battling evil, wore out her heart.
The remaining Sunnydale crew all attended: Buffy’s sister, Dawn and her husband, Willow and her lover, Morgana, Xander and his wife, Diana. Oz came alone. His werewolf wife remained in Tibet.
Angel visited briefly with his old friends. Willow had known about Will’s existence but the others were shocked by his resemblance to Spike and the vampire made a surprise appearance, sort of.
“So, Will you’re a college professor and you won an Oscar. You must be a proud papa, Angel,” Xander snarked.
“Buggering hell, you’ve not changed have you? Still the annoying twerp with the smart-ass taunts and jibes. Sod off, git.”
The silence was broken by Angel’s laughter, which was another surprise and then everyone began talking at once. Willow, Morgana and Faith knew what had happened but they hadn’t revealed it to anyone else. An hour later, Will, with Angel’s help had explained how he and Spike had blended, although in times of stress, Spike’s voice and personality sometimes took over.
Angel, Will and Faith left the next evening. Although they saw Willow and Morgana often over the years, they had not stayed in touch with the others so they had little to say.
Three years later…2053
The insistent ring of the phone annoyed Angel but he ignored it. Will was on his belly, his ass in the air. Angel knelt behind him and thrust deep inside his warm body, hitting the sweet spot with every thrust.
“God, yes, Angel! Yes!” Will yelled as he released far too quickly in his estimation.
At times like these, he truly wished Angel would make him a vampire. Angel could have wild sex for hours without climaxing; Will could not. The vampire had worshipped Will’s body for hours on many occasions and he experienced multiple orgasms due to Angel’s seductive tongue and extremely large cock before he released once. Angel’s tender prowess as a lover drove him madly over the edge way before the vampire’s need to be satisfied, although if Will woke him up, the morning or evening hard on was more cooperative.
A few hours later they came out of the bedroom. The message light was blinking on the phone and Will pressed it. A voice he didn’t recognize left a terse message.
“Angel, it’s Robin Wood. Faith is dead. A car crash two days ago. Funeral’s tomorrow at noon.”
Will heard a crash and hurried into the kitchen. Angel had dropped his mug of blood and he demon’s face glared at him.
“Two days! I could have gone…said good-bye. She was dying for two days…alone,” Angel whispered and tears slipped from his sad, dark eyes.
Will wrapped his arms around the vampire and Angel’s tears broke his heart. His own heart was broken. Faith had been important in his life almost from the beginning of his relationship with Angel. She came when Angel called to tell her about Will only to find Spike in his place. When he returned, he called Faith often to talk about Angel; about what he wanted and what Angel needed. She was his first true friend and she treated him like her little brother. Since he had no siblings, he reveled in her attention whether she was yelling at him or loving him.
Faith had been Angel’s closest friend for a long time, but especially since the events in the alley. Angel had called her when he had been hurt and Spike appeared and she helped them both get through the emotional time. She was a frequent visitor to New York and she and Angel emailed often since the vampire wasn’t really a “phone person.” Now, she was gone and Angel had not had a chance to say good-bye.
Spike made a surprise appearance in Will’s mind demanding a voice. Will could feel his fury bubbling inside. “Bugger, that bloody, sodding, arsehole. He’s a fucking cruel bastard. He has a soul? Buried sodding deep if it’s even there! Why’d she stay with him? Could’ve done much better.”
Will released Angel and raced to the phone. Within ten minutes, he had commandeered the Cardiff jet, packed a small bag and called for a taxi. Will believed that Robin Wood purposely did not inform Angel because he hated that Faith and the vampire were friends and Spike concurred. He stayed at the near edges of Will’s consciousness until they returned to New York, although he said no more, realizing that Angel didn’t need any more torment.
They arrived in Cleveland in early evening. On the way to the cemetery, they stopped at a florist and Angel bought a large bouquet of daisies. Faith was not a rose kind of woman. The caretaker took them to her grave. Faith had requested cremation and the urn was buried in the far corner of the grounds beneath two dogwood trees. Three of her slayers had already been buried in the large plot. Angel and Will sat together leaning against one of the trees and Angel remembered another cemetery, long ago, when he sat with Buffy after her mother died. It was hard to say good-bye to old friends and as an immortal vampire, he had said good-bye to many.
Fourteen years later…2067
Will and Angel looked around at their empty apartment; the apartment where Angel had lost Spike a second time; where he had found Will and where they had lived and loved for almost forty years. The movers had taken their possessions and the furniture they wanted to keep and they had offered the rest to faculty and friends.
They picked up their suitcases and with a final glance at their home, they turned to leave to begin another life on Vancouver Island in Canada. Both had retired from NYU and decided to move to the West Coast to be closer to Connor and his family. Several years before, they had bought property on a wooded hill overlooking the sea and had built a small house. Connor and his daughter, Fiona had overseen the project and all was ready for them.
Over the last fourteen years Angel and Will had visited Connor more often than before. Ryan had married and moved to California. Fiona and her husband lived with their twin sons in Seattle where she had a successful art gallery and he was a physician. Both were very busy with their lives and families. Connor was now retired and somewhat at a loss as to what to do to fill his days. He and Angel spent hours talking and they often drove up to Vancouver Island to check on the various stages of their house and to familiarize themselves with the area. Angel was happy to reconnect with his son. On some of the visits Will stayed in Seattle with Connor’s wife, Gabrielle, allowing Angel some private time with Connor. He and Gabrielle spent hours hunting in antique shops for interesting things to furnish their new house. On one visit Will was especially happy to find a large roll top desk that was more than two hundred years old and in wonderful condition.
“This desk must have many stories to tell. Maybe it will inspire me,” Will said.
“Now, Will, I don’t think you need any help with ideas for books. You and Angel have done very well so far,” Gabrielle responded. “I can’t tell you which of your books I like best, although I’ve read Romantic Lives more than once and Angel’s book on artists of Ireland, Scotland and Wales has been well-thumbed. I think Connor has bought both books for almost every one of our close friends.”
Spike smiled. “Thank you. But we’re retired now. I have to keep busy and writing is what I do best. Angel has never had to work, but he can’t stand to be idle either. We’ll have a few adjustments to make.”
“Do you have any plans to travel?”
“Not right away, but I know Angel wants to visit Japan so I’m sure eventually we’ll make that trip.”
They flew to Seattle on Jed Cardiff’s plane, and were met in the baggage area by Connor, Ryan and Fiona. After the welcomes, hugs and kisses, they retrieved their luggage and headed to Connor’s home for a family reunion. Connor’s wife, Gabrielle, along with Ryan and Fiona’s spouses, Jenna and David, and their children who were Angel’s great-grandchildren, awaited them excitedly. Angel was deeply touched by his family’s happiness that he would be on the West Coast and closer to them.
“How do you feel about babysitting, Grandad? Think you and Will can handle David and James some weekend?” Fiona asked grinning mischievously at Angel.
“Now, Fiona. They need to settle in and get comfortable before you pounce on them,” Gabrielle admonished.
“I think Angel’s face has gotten paler,” Will said laughing.
Connor interceded. “Come on, Dad. Let me show you my workroom. I’ve gotten pretty good at building furniture, so I must have gotten a few of your artistic genes.”
Angel almost breathed a sigh of relief at the quiet in the basement. He loved his family but his mostly solitary life left him ill-prepared to deal with the chaos that often surrounded him when his grandchildren and their children visited. Fortunately Connor suspected as much and often took him away from the tumult.
“What do you think of this?” Connor asked, pointing to an oak rocking chair.
Angel ran his hands over the smooth, varnished wood. “It’s beautiful. You didn’t make this?”
Connor laughed. “Yes I did, Dad. Took me quite a while but I wanted it ready when you moved out.”
Angel looked at his son quizzically. “This…this is for me?”
“Yes, Dad. I made it for you.”
Angel was quiet for a few moments as he stared at the chair.
“Well, sit in it. See if it fits,” Connor said with a smile.
“It’s perfect, Connor. It’s truly beautiful.”
****
The week flew by and just after sundown one evening, Angel and Will loaded Connor’s truck with their suitcases and the rocking chair for their journey north to their new home.
“Angel, you and Will must come down to visit often,” Gabrielle ordered with a smile. “Now that you’re on our coast and retired, we will be far more demanding of your time.”
“We promise, Gabrielle. We still have more antique shops to explore,” Will said leaning in to give Connor’s wife a hug.
“I don’t think we’ll have room for any more of your finds, Will,” Angel remarked with a playful glare.
Will and Gabrielle shared a knowing smile as he climbed into the truck. Angel hugged her and climbed in and they were off to Ladysmith on Vancouver Island.
Lorne had helped
Angel and Will choose their
new home town. In one of
his emails, Angel had mentioned that they were looking to retire
somewhere on Vancouver Island.
Lorne wrote back with much
information. There was a small assimilated demon community in the
Ladysmith
area as well as a Native community. Two vampires owned a winery
in the
When he and Will visited Ladysmith, they immediately knew it was the right place for them. The town had been settled in 1899 and many of the Edwardian buildings had been lovingly restored. Cowichan, which is adapted from a Native word meaning “bathed by the sun” has one of the mildest winters in Canada, which meant that Will wouldn’t suffer from too much cold for too many months.
Two years later…2069
“I’m heading to class.” Will shouted from the doorway.
Angel walked out of their bedroom, a towel around his waist and beads of water glistening on his beautiful skin.
“Damn you, Angel. I’ve got to get to class and you’re standing there all wet and…” Will said exasperated as the vampire walked toward him.
Angel winked at Will and then kissed him deeply. “I promise I’ll get another shower just before you get home.”
Will laughed and leaned in to lick the water off Angel’s cheek. “You’d better! I’ll be back no later than eight o’clock.”
Will taught a class
in Romantic Literature
one night a week at
Four years later…2073
“More champagne?” The handsome young man asked Angel as his eyes raked sensuously up and down the vampire’s body.
“No…I’m good, thanks.”
“Bloody git. He better back off or I’ll stake him,” Will snarled.
Angel started and looked at Will. Spike rarely made an appearance. “Will?”
“Well, look at him. He’s what, twenty-four and bloody gorgeous. He can’t see what you want with an old human being like me,” Will said quietly.
Angel drew Will close to him and whispered in his ear. “We’ve been together more than forty years, Will. I love you…no one else.”
“Yeah, but look at those tight leather pants and that silk shirt and those smoldering dark eyes. I know the ponce is imaging you naked,” Will groused petulantly.
“I don’t have to imagine you naked, Will. I see you naked in my arms every day and night,” Angel answered.
“Oh, and I suppose I look as good as I did when I still wore leather pants. I don’t, Angel. I’m old and…wrinkled.”
“We’re leaving, now,” Angel said firmly. He grabbed Will’s hand and they thanked their vampire hosts and left the party.
When they got home, Angel slowly undressed Will as he kissed every part of his anatomy until he had the man writhing with pleasure. He swirled his tongue around Will’s slowly hardening cock and massaged his sack. He lubed Will’s cock and then lay down, his knees bent. “Fill me, Will. Fuck me like only you can, Will.”
Will stared at the man he had loved for more than half his life. He wanted to be young and beautiful for Angel. He wanted to be constantly ready for marathon sexcapades as he had been before, but his human body was older. He wasn’t as limber and he had less stamina and he hated it.
A little while later, Angel spoke quietly as he held Will tightly in his powerful arms. “You know I love you and you know that I wished that I could age with you, Will. You’re old?! I’m close to three hundred years old!”
“Yes, but…” Will began but gasped and was silenced when Angel quickly turned and thrust his tongue down his throat. He licked and nipped Will’s nipples with blunt teeth as he coated his cock with slick. Deftly he turned his lover to his stomach, lifted him and drove his dick deep inside Will’s ass and moved within him with agonizing slowness. “Oh, God, Angel!” Will shouted as he came far too quickly.
Angel released soon after. Over the years, as Will aged, his control lessened and he came almost immediately. Angel had held his lover as he cried over his older body and made certain to force himself to be satisfied quickly. Will didn’t understand that Angel envied the human man his changes; envied his humanity.
The phone rang very early the next morning but neither the man nor the vampire answered. When they finally listened to the message, they heard terribly sad news. Gabrielle’s heart had given out.
Angel and Will left that afternoon. The funeral was very sad and Connor looked broken and lost. When Angel asked him to come home with them, he was surprised when his son agreed readily. Within a month, he moved into his own small wing on one side of his father’s house. Fiona and Ryan protested a bit but both believed their father would be happier with Angel. “So…you had this built, just in case, huh?” Connor asked.
“Yes. I wasn’t sure if you or Gabrielle would want to live with Fiona or Ryan. I thought you might like a bit more peace,” Angel responded with a kind smile.
“You’re right. Kids in and out all the time and…their houses are too crowded. Thanks, Dad.”
One year later…2074
Angel hadn’t heard Connor this morning and he was usually up and about early. Will checked on the deck where the elderly man liked to sit while Angel went to knock on his son’s door. When Connor didn’t answer, he opened the door and knew immediately that his son had died in his sleep. They took his body back to Seattle and he was buried next to his beloved Gabrielle.
Both Fiona and Ryan brought their families to visit Angel and Will every year. Will was far more patient with the three boys and took them sailing and to visit the near-by Native village. Jenna adored her grandfather and they spent most of their time together. She, like her Aunt Fiona, had inherited Angel’s gift for drawing and they spent hours sketching and painting.
The gregarious Will had quickly made friends with several of his students who were members of the Nanaimo, a Salish tribe. He and Angel were welcomed and invited to various ceremonies. Angel had painted several scenes of the village and several portraits, which he donated to the local museum to the great pride of the Natives. Will had been collecting their folktales and myths and would soon publish them in a book, illustrated by Angel.
Ten years later…2084
Will and Angel had lived together and loved each other for fifty years. They had finally traveled to Japan and spent several months there learning about the culture. Will collected Japanese myths and folktales and he and Angel collaborated on another book when they returned home.
Will was slowing down visibly although he tried to hide his pain from Angel. One morning, he woke Angel with a tender kiss. He touched the beautiful face of the vampire he had loved for so long and then lay down. Angel leaned on his elbow and studied his lover’s face, concern etched into his brow. Will looked at him for several moments, his eyes filling with tears. “We’ve had a wonderful life together, Angel. I love you, Angel, with every ounce of my being. I’ll miss you.”
He closed his eyes and his breathing stopped. Angel stared for a minute, stunned at the suddenness of Will’s death. “Will…Will…Oh God.” He lay across his lover’s body and sobbed.
Later that day, he called the Native tribal council and told them that Will had died. They passed the information and soon, several people arrived to help Angel. The vampire sat frozen as he watched their friends make the arrangements. He called Ryan and Fiona to tell them that Will had died. He didn’t want to call them; he wanted to be alone in his grief, but he knew that would have been selfish. He knew he wasn’t the only one that was affected by Will’s death. They loved Will, not because he did, but because he was family, their family.
When all his family arrived, they huddled around Angel worriedly; never leaving him alone for too long; always checking up on him. They knew better than to ask if he was okay. They knew he wasn’t, but they wanted to him know he wasn’t alone in his grief.
The next evening, all was prepared and Will was buried on Nanaimo land. For a long while, Angel stood by Will’s grave, flanked by Ryan and Fiona, each holding his hand. He held their warm hands tightly in his large cool fingers as he looked wonderingly at them; his grandchildren; a part of him. Then he looked around at his great-grandchildren, all standing there gazing at him with such love. Tears streaming down his face, he leaned over to Ryan and Fiona and gave them each a kiss and a hug, trying to convey all that he felt for them. Looking once more at his family, he told them to go ahead and go back to the house, and that he’d join them later. He just wanted to be alone with Will for a while. They nodded and left.
Angel stood next to Will’s grave and ran his hand along the smooth granite surface of the headstone. He sat there, leaning against it through the night, remembering their lives together, their talks, their arguments, their travels. He remembered it all; the good and the not so good; his time as Angelus with William and Spike. The year when Spike returned, bursting with his usual frenetic energy out of the amulet. He remembered his fear at Spike’s return and his anger. Each of them violently furious with each other at first and then slowly learning how to understand and respect each other. Then he remembered Spike dying in the alley because he chose to fight at his side. He remembered the years of loneliness that suddenly changed when Spike returned in Will. He closed his eyes and remembered; grateful for the love they shared as he whispered good-bye. “Le mo ghrasa mise, agus liomsa mo ghrá.”
The next morning when one of the elders came to check on him, Angel was not there. The old man glanced at the dirt covering the grave. A silver ring lay in a pile of dust. Angel had followed his love into eternity.
One year later…2085
Ryan and Fiona gathered with their children at Will’s grave site on the anniversary of his death and the death of their beloved grandfather. They replaced the headstone, as was only fitting.
For still together shall we go and not
Fare forth alone to front eternity.
William “Spike” Tate & Liam “Angel” McDonagh
Even though they were sad about Angel giving up his life, they knew he’d never be happy without his Will. Fiona, Ryan and their families knew they were together, loving each other for eternity. Beidh mo chroi istigh ionat go deo deo.
The End
Gaelic Translation
Le mo ghrasa mise, agus liomsa mo ghrá – I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine (Song of Songs, Psalm 6:3)
Beidh mo chroi istigh ionat go deo deo – I will love you forever and ever.
Poetry Credit
For still together shall we go and not
Fare forth alone to front eternity.
Love and Death by Sara Teasdale
Betsy
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