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 Elisabeth (dragonydreams) for answering our request for a beta. You are fabulous..
Feedback:
AngelSpike69 (
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Chapter 8
William watched Angel all morning, taking occasional breaks to get out of the cold, but he always returned. He was curious to see what he did during the day. It surprised him to learn that even though Angel was a vampire, he seemed to keep the same hours as humans. During the morning, he used a computer, sat at a desk with what must have been his class notes and briefly watched television.
William went back inside to warm up a bit and had just started to make some coffee when the buzzer rang. He walked over and flicked the switch.
"Mr. Tate, this is Jack, the movers are here, sir. I'll send them up in the freight elevator, okay?"
William recognized the voice of the doorman and glanced at his watch. He was surprised to see that it was almost noon. "Thanks, Jack, send them up."
About fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at the door. He opened it and stood to the side to allow the movers to begin their delivery. He stayed out of their way and directed the arrangement of his furniture in the living area and in his bedroom. As they began to carry in the boxes, he asked the men to just leave them against the wall for him to unpack. He was itching to get back outside to see what Angel was doing. Once everything had been delivered, he signed the paperwork, tipped the men and closed the door.
Leaving the unopened boxes for later, he hurried out to his balcony to take another look into Angel's apartment. When he didn't see the vampire in the living room, he guided the telescope until he found Angel again, lying on a king-sized four poster bed. He didn't understand...the sun was shining on the cold winter day, yet Angel hadn't drawn the curtains. Why wasn't he burning up? He focused the lens on the figure lying on the massive bed and watched Angel as he slept.
After a little
while, William stood up and
stretched before going back
into his apartment. He figured that Angel would sleep for a while
before it
was time for him to head over to the University for tonight's
class. William
spent most of the afternoon unpacking the boxes and putting his
belongings
away, occasionally checking to see if Angel was still sleeping.
After he had
things reasonably in order, he opened a small box labeled
fragile. It held his
parents' journals and more importantly, those that belonged to
Giles. He
had never read the former watcher's journals. Giles had just told
him
things when he asked questions generated from his dreams. When he
told Giles
that he was coming to
He carefully
carried the worn leather
journals into his bedroom and
placed them in a small chest at the foot of his bed. Giles did
not have much
information about Angel's time in
A sudden image of him in a large iron tub as Angelus bathed him with a sponge flitted through his mind. His groin stiffened despite the cold and he felt himself blush. Hurriedly, he pushed all thoughts of his past with the vampire from his mind and concentrated on his plan. Angel walked out of the bathroom, a large towel wrapped around his waist; his massive chest bare. William felt himself getting warm again and stepped away from the telescope. He gripped the frigid railing and got his breathing under control.
When William peered again into the telescope, Angel was getting dressed, oblivious to his audience. He was unsettled by his reactions. Get a grip you ponce. He's a vampire! He killed you and made you a demon! God! He's gorgeous!
Angel turned off the light as he walked out of the room. William quickly swiveled the telescope toward the front door of the apartment building, waiting for Angel to leave. He saw the vampire walk down the large concrete steps. Figuring this was as good a time as ever, he raced back into his apartment, closing the sliding door behind him. Grabbing his keys and a flashlight, he left his apartment and headed for the elevators.
When the elevator reached the lobby, he walked quickly across the tiled floor and out the front doors of his building. Looking left, he saw nothing; looking right he saw Angel turning the corner. He smiled as he crossed the street and walked up the stairs of the large converted factory, slipping inside behind a pizza delivery boy. William already knew that Angel's apartment was on the top floor so he headed for the elevators and pushed the button for twelve. When he stepped out into the hallway, he looked around to make sure there was no one around. As he walked toward Angel's door, he glanced toward the other apartment, but all was quiet. Certain now that the coast was clear, he reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulled out his tools, and proceeded to pick the lock of Angel's door.
When he heard the click of the lock he smiled, opened the door, and slipped in the shadowy apartment. Just inside the door, William flicked on his flashlight and swept it around the darkened areas of the room. He whistled at the size of the loft. Immediately to his right was the small kitchen; every appliance gleamed in soft, brushed grey metal. A huge cabinet with glass doors formed a barrier in front of the kitchen. He walked over to stare at the fragile glass vases and jade figurines bathed in soft lighting. A highly polished dining table and chairs stood in front of the cabinet. He was puzzled. Vampires don't eat! He startled as he glanced at the wall at the end of the dining area. Weapons, all obviously very old, were hung on the entire surface. The metal glinted in the flashlight's beam. His eyes took in the black marble fireplace against the same wall. An enormous brown leather sofa surrounded by several upholstered chairs stood in front of it. Facing him was a large screened television; a sound system situated next to it. Next was a wooden bookcase that went half way across the room. DVDs, CDs and books filled every shelf. On the other side of the room was the red chair sitting in front of the wall of glass. Next to it was an enormous desk with a chair and a multi-colored glass lamp that lit the area. A laptop stood in front of the lamp. He'd check that out after he explored. He knew that he had three hours before Angel would return.
William shook his head at the opulence of the apartment, although an almost three hundred year old vampire must have had money stashed away. He turned to glance at the line of films. He really wanted to see if they held any information about Angel, and maybe himself, but he had to see the vampire's bedroom. He walked toward the two doors in the far wall. The first opened into the bathroom. He peeked in and gasped. Opulence indeed! The counters and floor were grey tile but his eyes quickly riveted on the huge black spa tub complete with jets. He turned his head and gaped again. A black tiled shower stall took up almost the entire wall; each of the three walls had a huge shower head. Suddenly an image of another fabulous bathroom slipped into his thoughts. He saw Angel standing naked under the streaming water!
William spun around and left the room. He walked through the next door into Angel's bedroom. The bed was a huge four poster with a red velvet canopy and drapes tied back. He shivered as another image darted into his mind. He was sprawled naked on a bed; his hands and legs were tied to the posts. Angelus stood over him, slapping the handle of a whip against his hand. He shook off the memory and went to the dresser. He opened drawers but soon became frustrated. He wasn't finding anything about him. Maybe this idea was useless.
He flicked the
light on as he stepped into
the large walk-in closet and
smirked at the number of clothes that hung on the bi-level racks.
He had heard
that the vampire favored designer clothing made with softly textured
fabrics
like silk, velvet and cashmere. A small door stood at the end of
the closet.
He knelt down and opened it. It was a tiny attic and it contained
several boxes.
He removed the closest box and carried it out to the bedroom. He
placed it on
the bed and slit the tape with his fingernail and peeled back the
tissue
paper. There were charcoal and pencil drawings; some of them
looked quite
old. He carefully removed the drawings from layers of tissue
paper. There were
sketches of a haughty blonde woman in period dress, along with a
fragile
looking brunette...Darla and
Drusilla! As
soon as he thought their names, visions flooded into his mind shifting
quickly
in and out of focus. He saw the four of them, Angelus, the women
and him all
elegantly dressed in
William closed his
eyes for a moment,
horrified at what he had been.
He opened them and continued to look through the drawings. There
were many of
Darla and Drusilla; in many they were undressed and sprawled on couches
or on a
bed. He blinked when he saw several of them entwined with each
other.
Suddenly, another harsh vision made him shudder. He and the women
were at a
gypsy camp. He saw himself as Spike standing on the steps of a
wagon; his
mouth covered in blood. He didn't see Angelus. He looked
through more
sketches and another image assaulted his mind. A war!
Shaking the unpleasant memories from his mind, he continued to pull out the fragile sketches. He stopped and stared. The ones in the bottom of the box were all of him. He picked them up carefully because the paper was old and thin. William looked at them one by one. It was strange to see himself in nineteenth century clothing; his hair was longer and tied back. He was shocked to see drawings of him stark naked, in various poses. Several were of him sprawled open-legged on a bed. He couldn't imagine lying positioned like that. He was far from prim and proper, but to pose like that for Angelus made him question what their relationship had been. The final sketches were of him sitting or lying beside the fire reading, spectacles perched precariously on his nose, his ruffled shirt half open. But his trousers were on!
When he removed all the drawings, he found a leather folder. When he opened it he saw they were photographs – of him. His hair was short, white and slicked back with way too much gel. He was in modern clothes; black jeans and t-shirt and a black leather duster. He was slouched on a sofa in a large, modern office. The drapes were open and the sun was streaming in! Something must have been on these windows to stop the rays from getting through! Angel must have the same stuff in his apartment.
He glanced at the next pictures. He was standing in a lab with a tiny girl dressed in a white coat. In others he was sitting with a green demon with red horns! In one he was in a different office with a tall, black man. There were several of him sleeping, his arms heavily bandaged. A scene of Spike wrapped in chains in a cellar haunted him briefly but he forced it out of his mind. There were only two photographs of him and Angel, both apparently taken in the same office without their knowledge. In one they were on opposite ends of a sofa. Angel was glaring at him, but he was not looking at the vampire. In the other, Angel was sitting on the back of a chair and Spike stood next to him. They were both staring out of a large window as dusk fell.
His mind flitted back, and he could see himself dressed in a black duster in a big office with Angel. Their faces were contorted in anger and they were arguing with each other. The terrible fight scene in the dilapidated building repeated and then he saw Angel visiting him in a hospital. He lay in bed and his arms were bandaged. Once upon a time.
The memories
continued to cascade quickly
through his mind until he saw
himself in an alley. He and Angel were brandishing swords as rain
poured down
and lightning flashed. He turned to yell at Angel and
then...nothing. He
shivered as he shook his head to clear the many unsettling pictures and
thoughts. Forcing himself to calm down, he carefully put
everything back into
the box and returned it to the attic. He looked at the other
boxes but knew he
did not have time now to search them. A little part of him was
hurt that Angel
kept photographs of him locked away. Giles had told him that he
worked in
William
marched over to the
desk where
Angel had left the light burning low. He had left his email
minimized but
open. William maximized it and scrolled through the
messages. He didn't
recognize any names immediately. Giles mentioned that they hadn't
heard
from him since before the events in
He
stopped scrolling when he
saw a
familiar name. There was an email from Faith; she was a
slayer. He clicked it
open. The message wasn't very long, just Faith checking in with
Angel to
see how he was doing. He closed that email and opened one from
He
stood up from the desk and
strode
across the room to the bookcase. He stared at the shelves and
perused the film
library. The titles were alphabetized! He thought about his
own DVDs shoved
every which way on his shelves and grimaced. Angel had eclectic
taste in
film: Ben Hur,
William walked to the next section of the bookcase. On the top shelf he saw a DVD labeled Angel Investigations. He pulled it down and popped it into the player. He turned on the TV and stepped back to watch. A small man speaking in an Irish accent appeared on the large screen. He remembered Giles telling him about Doyle who had been Angel's first link with the Powers That Be until he sacrificed his life. It was just a short clip with an obviously nervous Doyle talking about looking for a hero and coming over to the offices of Angel Investigations.
He pulled the film out of the machine when it was finished and replaced it on the shelf. On the shelf below he noticed several photographs in pewter frames. There was one of a beautiful long-haired brunette. She was a stunner. Next to it was a picture of Doyle and then one of Angel with the two of them. He continued perusing the photographs. He recognized Wesley from a picture that Giles had. There was a picture of Angel with another dark-haired woman and one of a young man who looked a lot like Angel. Giles never mentioned him and he was curious. Again he felt a little stab of hurt that there wasn't one of him, as Spike, framed and out in the open.
Annoyed with
himself, he glanced at his
watch. He needed to leave. He
strode to the front door and looked back once, his mind filled with
more
questions than answers. He closed the door, locked it and walked
across the
hall to the elevators. He left Angel's building and walked back
to his quickly;
his thoughts jumbled and unsettled. He rode the elevator up to
his floor and
entered his apartment. He grabbed a beer and lay on the couch,
once again
wondering about Angel before finally falling asleep; his dreams filled
mostly
with images of violence, although there were a few tender scenes that
troubled
him even more.
TBC