Author: Buffywatcher

Feedback: Constructive comments always welcome: jinxascendant@hotmail.com

Pairing: Primarily Angel(us)/Spike, References to Penn/Spike (Non-con), Spike/Drusilla

Rating: R Possibly a bit of romantic NC-17'ish circumstances.

Spoilers: Big ones for Destiny, Angel Season Five occasional references to other episodes in season five but for the most part this diverges to AU after the Destiny Episode.

Warnings: This story will contain instances of extreme violence, sexuality, character deaths and references to rape, stalking, and some torture.

Disclaimer: Just borrowing them for a bit of harmless fun. All characters, recognizable likenesses are retained by their owner and accredited license holders.

Writer's Notes: This story takes place in an AU setting. The events concerning Penn never occurred. Spike left L.A. after the Destiny episode but everything else you can consider has happened according to canon as of the start of this story. For the Episode Damage: just consider the bits with Spike as not having occurred, Dana was found and Andrew assumed custody of her without finding out that Spike was alive. Please excuse any minor discrepancies or artist license. As always thanks are going out to GF, MarieC, Luba, and Mera my most excellent group of Beta/Editors.

Distribution: If I've already been given permission to archive my work please consider it yours if you want it. If I haven't and you would like to archive it please do, all I ask is that you email me and tell me where it's going so I can visit.

Summary: An ancient foe is unleashed and Angel is forced to confront a painful episode from his past as his enemy seeks to take from everything he's ever loved.

*Denotes thoughts*

*

Chapter Two

Angel sits at his desk and growls at the sun for daring to rise on another day with no news about Spike's whereabouts.

Fred and Gunn share an uneasy look and make the unconscious decision to keep their eyes lowered. For two days they've been trying to locate Spike and even with the
resources of a multi-billion dollar law firm, they have been remarkably unsuccessful. For every day that passes without news, Angel's temper worsens. Only the loyalist
or most foolhardy are daring to brave his thunderous presence at the moment.

"We've got everyone that we can spare trying to locate him Angel." Fred says earnestly.

"As hard as Spike is to miss in a crowd, he's had over a century's worth of experience in not being found when he doesn't want to be Angel. We have to face the fact
that he may not want to BE found by you, us, and anyone else. He didn't seem real happy when he left." Gunn says glumly.
 
 

No one pays much attention as the door to the office eases open and a blonde head peeks around the edge of the door tentatively.

"I WANT SPIKE FOUND AND BROUGHT BACK TO LA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NOTICE I DIDN'T SAY HUMANLY POSSIBLE, BUT AS SOON AS
ANYTHING POSSIBLE!" Angel snarls.

Outside the doors to Angel's office, Harmony takes a deep breath and holding the tray of coffee, Danishes, and a mug of blood for Angel, pushes through the door.

"I thought you could use a little something to tide you over." She says quietly, carefully schooling her expression and tone into an unemotional business manner.

She hands out the coffee and places the mug of blood near Angel's hand and sets the plate of pastries down on the corner of the desk. She takes a deep breath and steels
herself to say something.

"I couldn't help overhearing you...about Spike. Why don't you have Lorne use his contacts to get in touch with the Agency and ask them where Spike is?" She says
softly.

Everyone turns and stares at her like she has two heads and one of them is spinning around doing a lovely impression of Linda Blair in the Exorcist movie.

"Ummm the agency? You know the one that represents Spike?" She shakes her head at the blank stares. "Am I the only one here that cares about fashion?! I'll be right
back." She turns and flounces out of the office, feeling their eyes staring at her every inch of the way. She's back within a minute or two flipping through one of those
thick, glossy paged magazines she always seems to have on hand. Finding what she's looking for she sets the magazine down on the desk in front of Fred and everyone
leans over to look at what she's pointing at.

Angel stares for a moment as he puzzles out what he's looking at upside down. It's a close up of a very shapely male butt encased in black jeans that must be affecting
his ability to breathe. A graceful yet still masculine hand is half shoved into a back pocket, displaying several chunky silver rings. There's something pretty damn familiar
about that tasty view...

"SPIKE?!" Angel says shocked. He blinks as all eyes flash to him. "What? I...recognised one of his rings." He says defensively. He ignores the trio as they share a look
that shouts their belief that he recognised more than a ring.

Harmony leans over and flips the page and Angel's breath is caught on a strangled moan. The two page centrefold has a huge picture of his devastatingly handsome
nemesis; that practically oozes sex and debauchery. Spike is lying on his back sprawled across a leather sofa wearing only a pair of sinfully tight threadbare blue jeans.
One arm tossed casually over his eyes and his face is angled partially away from the camera. The corner of his mouth nearest the camera is turned up in a slight smile
that gives you the definite impression that he's dreaming of a very private joke. His throat is bared as his head is tilted slight back and to the side and a very faint scar can
be seen. Angel stares at his mark, displayed so prominently on the alabaster perfection of that succulent throat. His chest is bare but the soft lighting they've used puts
every line and ripple of muscle in his very delicious musculature into sharp relief. Angel licks his lips and swallows heavily at the sight of the silver hoop piercing thrust
through his belly button and sporting two tiny charms. He leans a little closer but can't make out what the charms are and scowls slightly in disappointment. One leg is
bent at the knee and his other hand rests low on his belly, partially under the fly of his partially unbuttoned button-fly jeans. His bare toes and fingernails sport his gothic
black polish, but unlike days gone by the polished nails are neat and gleaming with no chipping. The effect is rather striking given his moonlight pale skin and it lends him
a startling air of vulnerability that is very appealing...that is very...William.

"I want to know how long..." He gestures wildly towards the magazine. "...THAT has been going on?!" He snarls and grabs his mug of blood and downs it with hungry
gulps. It's not being ripped out of Spike's throat but it'll do in a pinch.

Wesley walks in to hear his furious snarl and hurries over to the desk and tries to peek over shoulders to see what everyone is staring at.

"Oh merciful...I see we've found Spike." He leans over Fred's shoulder to get a closer look but jumps back when Angel snarls at him and reaches over and slams the
magazine closed.

"I'm paying you to find him, not stand here drooling over him! Harmony, get Lorne on the line and have him do whatever he has to do to get Spike back in LA as soon as
possible. Gunn I want you to secure a safe house, somewhere defensible, you know what we need. Make sure the details are kept just between you and myself and make
sure nothing can be tracked back to us. Wes, Fred...keep cracking the whip and get me some idea of Penn's whereabouts. Pull the teams off Spike and put everyone on
locating Penn." He growls.

Everyone scampers and clears out of the room while the getting is good. They'll all feel much better when Spike's back in LA and Angel finally puts his fangs away!

Angel growls and walks around to his desk and throws himself into his chair and sits staring at the magazine, like it's going to get up and start chewing on his jugular at
any minute.

Harmony is just hanging up the phone from her conversation with Lorne, when Angel yanks open his office door and storms out, striding for his private elevator.

"Harmony, reschedule everything for today or reassign the appointments, I don't care which. I'll be doing some research and I don't want to be disturbed unless it's
news about Spike or that other matter." He snaps.

"Yes, Sir, I'll take..." The elevator doors are already closing. "...Care of it." She shrugs and goes into Angel's office to get her magazine back but she can't find it.

Angel sighs as the elevator doors close and he collapses against the back of the car like a puppet with its strings cut. He flips his jacket out of the way and reaches behind
his back and pulls Harmony's magazine out of its hiding place. He flips through the pages and finds the pictures of Spike.

"You're still the finest figure of a Vampire there ever was my Laddy." He strokes the picture and smiles reaching down to adjust himself in his trousers with a snicker.
"Apparently my other parts agree."

*

Chapter Three

Lorne hangs up his phone and rubs his hand over his face. He wonders if he pays Danny enough to have him make the call to Angel and relay the surprising information
that he's got about Spike. He grimaces and decides that there probably isn't that much money in the world and reluctantly picks up the receiver and dials Angel's cell
phone.

"This better be damn important Harmony or you're going to need that dental plan you're always yapping about!"

"Whoa there, you're about a twelve on the tension scale there, Angel-cakes. I'll let you get back to twisting the heads off whatever...shortly. Harmony said you wanted
any information about Spike relayed to you immediately and well I have some major news sweetheart." He says smoothly. He hears a muffled curse and what sounds like
rustling fabric and what almost sounds like a zipper...?

"Did you talk to whomever and find out where he is and find out a way to get his ass back here?"

Lorne stops a snicker of amusement at the last moment. "Well that's the big news Sweet-cheeks. We don't need to bring Spike back to LA; he's been here for the last
three days on a photo shoot for the jeans company he represents. I pulled some strings and called in a few favours and I've got a copy of his itinerary for the week. He
was supposed to fly out on Friday with his personal assistant slash bodyguard, but I assumed you wanted me to put a stop to that. I've arranged to have him booked for
photo shoots with several of our fashion clients. Blondie's made quite the name for himself this past year; I could get him booked anywhere."

"Remind me to give you a raise Lorne. Bring copies of what you have up to the Penthouse, including where I can find Spike tonight."

"I'd never turn down a raise Angel-cakes, but you'd do me a bigger favour by giving Harmony her magazine back. She keeps coming in here and asking me if I'm...done
with it yet. Ciao." Lorne drops the phone onto the receiver and finally breaks into laughter. The laughter fades though as the image of his gorgeous friend becomes
entangled with his smaller but oh so beautiful blond rival in his mind.

*

Chapter Four

Angel skulks in the shadow of a nearby tent as he edges his way closer to the photo shoot, wanting to catch a glimpse of Spike's flashy new career in action. He growls
softly when he can't get a clear look and looks around for a better vantage point. He spies a bunch of trees clustered fairly close together and off to the side that could be
a good spot. Only he's apparently not the first to realise that as he sees a familiar pair of heads poke out of the shadows. He works his way around and sneaks up on the
pair.

"What are you two doing here?"

Fred and Lorne whirl around in shock and have the decency to look embarrassed.

"Sorry Angel-cakes, we couldn't pass up the chance to see...to watch a fashion shoot."

He growls softly but decides to let it go and turns his attention back to the photo shoot and his eyes almost pop out of his head.

Some brunette ape of a man has been posed sitting leaning a tree wearing little more than boots, jeans and hair. His legs are open wide and braced against the ground and
he looks like nothing less than a lion staking out his territory. It's the vision draped over the low hanging branch above him that has captured his attention. Spike is draped
over the tree in a pose an Olympic gymnast would probably be hard pressed to hold for long but it is child play for the lithe blond Vampire. He is laughing and relaxed as
he lays on his back half on and half over the tree limb, his head braced on the shoulder of the ape. He's barefoot and his chest is bared by his unbuttoned shirt and the
jeans he's sporting are painted sin.

He forces himself to be objective and he admits that Spike's slender but muscular physique and pale colouring look very good against the more solid build of his darker
skinned fellow model.

"Angel...that guy kind of looks like you..." Fred whispers, leaning forward to have a closer look at her friend and boss. "Well...except for the whole he smiles and
laughs thing."

Lorne leans forward around Fred and tilts his head considering the matter then looks back over at the brunette model and making a smacking sound. "I think he
looks...hungrier. Great hair, I like the tousled mussed mouse look he's got going on."

"Yeah I know what you mean; it looks so good with Spike's ultra short hair too!" Fred agrees enthusiastically. "They look really good together too, don't they?"

"Oh yeah Sweetie, I can feel the Yin and Yang vibe from here, nuclear heat, Momma."

Angel snarls and is about to tell them both to shut up and leave when movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention and he turns back to the shoot. The
photographer and an army of assistants are buzzing around rearranging their models and he growls to see that Spike is now sitting on the ground between the ape's
knees, reclining against his chest. Angel's eyes narrow as the ape looks up at the photographer and nods then slides his hand down Spike's chest. The photographer
looks through the viewfinder and shakes his head and points his thumb down and Angel snarls as the man runs his hand over Spike's abdomen and tucks his hand under
the waistband of his jeans. The photographer snaps a couple of shots then shakes his head and motions to an assistant who nods and kneels beside Spike and opens the
top button of his jeans and then the second.

The photographer straddles Spike's legs and leans over snapping a dozen shots of his abdomen and the ape's hand in quick succession. The ape moves his hand up to
Spike's chest and photographer goes into a frenzy of clicking. After a few more re-posing sessions there's a small break in the work and Angel stares at his first glimpse
of Spike in over a year.

He looks beyond terrific. He looks like every dirty thought he's ever had, wrapped in every orgasm that's ever ripped through him and surrounded by every fantasy he's
ever had.

That body was once his exclusive property. Only Angelus was allowed to see his boy unclothed. To look upon that flawless skin was instant pain for the minion foolish
enough to be caught doing it by their dread lord and Master. To touch that flawless skin was so much worse; nothing but death would absolve that sin and Angelus was
so cruelly clever with the manner those deaths would take. It wasn't long before the household, before the whole of the Vampire Community knew that William the
Bloody was Angelus' most prized possession. To trespass was to court a very excruciating and extremely prolonged death sentence. It was not unknown for an
unfortunate minion who had unwittingly broken the rules; or worse still willingly broken them in their lust for the blonde Prince; to run into the sun rather than face
Angelus' punishment.

Only those closest to them were allowed to see them in their quiet moments, safe and secure from the prying eyes of the 'public' knew the truth. As Angelus possessed,
so to in that possession was he owned able to deny his William nothing; even unspoken wishes became reality as Angelus sought to please his beloved boy. The care
Angelus lavished on his favourite was extraordinary, even excessive by some standards. He spent many an hour at the tailor's shop patiently observing the tailor custom
fitting the latest of fashions for his boy.

He ordered the construction of a huge tub that he demanded accompany them on all their travels, no matter where in the world they may roam. Every morning before
they retired; he would order the bath filled with steaming water and rich bath oils that made the whole floor smell like a garden of orchids. Angelus' obsession with his
personal grooming was almost as legendary as his cruelty but what so few would know is that Angelus' greatest pleasure came from attending to his boy. They would
never know that it was his boy that would feel the first touch of that soothing wet heat as his besotted lover bathed him as tenderly as babe. They would never see the
adoration and desire as places were exchanged and the tender hands of his boy washed his daily cares away. That ritual was sacrosanct and not even Darla, in one of her
countless jealous tirades could force Angelus to give up that time with his boy. While he may be commanded to her bed, he would never arrive until after his bath with his
boy; knowing that his boy was tucked into either his warm bed or the arms of his own Sire.

They would never see the two silent figures stealing from the beds of their Sires; to curl up in the warmth of an empty bed to seek their own dreams together. Nothing
short of a direct order would keep them apart and then sleep was rare in coming until each slipped into their dreams, where the arms they long to have around them
waited for them.

Fate was kind to them as Darla was often called away to attend the whims of her own Sire; leaving them to live and love as they wished. To all that knew their hearts it
was clear to see where they wished to be. Together.

"Oh. My. God." Fred breathes. "You have a brother you didn't tell us about Angel? Because that man really does look like you..." She says sighing dreamily.

"If that was a ride at Disneyland, I'd have a yearly pass." Lorne breathes and the smell of arousal brings Angel's head up sharply from his drifting thoughts of the past
and he freezes.

"What the fuck does that have to do with selling jeans??!" He growls and curses vehemently.

They've got the ape back on the ground with his hands braced behind him and his legs stretched out. Spike is perched in his lap, straddling his hips with an easy grace.
He's laughing and talking animatedly with his fellow model as an army of assistants buzz around them fussing with their appearance. Their bared chests now sport heavy
biker style leather jackets all black and silver studded garments of sin. Suddenly the army of buzzing assistants is gone and Spike grabs the lapels of the ape's jacket and
yanks him closer, angling his head until his mouth is almost brushing the bridge of his nose. Both men sport half smiles that belay the angriness of the pose. The subtle
expressions transforming it into that breathless moment of pulse pounding timelessness that stretches into infinity right before the abandonment to a passionate
embrace.

"I think it's supposed to be like subliminal messages. Buy our jeans and you too can have a sexy blond man using you as a chair, yeah sit on me, ride me baby, you know
you want to..." Fred lets her voice trail off as Angel and Lorne turn to stare at her funny. "Or something like that..." She says with a slight shrug and a totally
unrepentant smile that is almost out of character for her; but then anyone within a mile of Spike is prone to behave VERY uncharacteristically.

Angel is about to make a very un-angelesque comment, but Lorne steps in to prevent it.

"Looks like the shoot is winding up." He sounds apologetic but Angel is relieved he won't have to watch Spike riding the ape man anymore.

He looks over at the shoot sight and he sees that they do indeed seem to be packing up as Spike and the ape are packed off amidst a crowd of stylists for one of the tents.
Just as Angel is about to jump up and storm the tents impatiently Spike reappears. He is wearing simple black boots, painted on black leather jeans and a cobalt blue
button front dress shirt. In typical casual Spike style the sleeves are unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbows and the shirt is mostly unbuttoned to show off his more than
impressive build. Only the fact that the shirt is neatly tucked in and bloused just ever so slightly above a silver link chain belt; saves the look from being over the top.
Instead of Las Vegas Lounge Singer, Spike looks more like a dark chocolate dipped banana rolled in pure sexy self-confidence. He flips the fall of dark material in his
hand around, revealing it to be a black leather duster; his one irreplaceable fashion must to complete any Spike ensemble. He's slipping into the duster as a motorcycle
pulls smoothly down the park path and stops a few feet away. Spike must know the slender athletic man on the motorcycle as he waves and strolls over smiling warmly
to shake his hand.

Angel growls as the ape shows up dressed in much the same casual style as Spike is and strolls over to the two men with a big goofy looking grin.

"Enough of the bushes, let's go get him." Angel states implacably.

He darts around the thicket of trees and bushes and emerges down the path. He'll be dammed if he'll let Spike catch him skulking out the bushes like some peeping tom.
Fred and Lorne hurriedly fall in behind him.

He hears the photographer yell as they walk up the path.

"That was a terrific shoot, Wil, David! You two are going to make rich one of these days!"

"You've already got more money than most people ever see Morty!" The unmistakable cockney purr of Spike's voice rings out loudly as does the laughter caused by his
retort.

He's still some distance away as the ape slides onto the motorcycle behind the black leather garbed rider, putting on the helmet he hands to him. He can hear the shivery
delicious sound of flesh on leather as the ape hits the helmeted driver.

"As they say in the movies, home James!" There is more laughter as the ape effects a fake posh, upper crust accent that turns into a shriek of surprised laughter as the
Motorcycle explodes into motion.

Spike is still chuckling as he watches their arrival with hooded eyes. He steps smoothly around Angel without so much as a hello to treat Fred to a warm hug and a kiss
on the cheek before he shakes hands with Lorne and laughs as the big green softy sticks his cheek out in mute demand. He obligingly presses a quick kiss to the
proffered cheek and steps back to cross his hands over his belt buckle and raise an eyebrow in silent demand for Angel's benefit.

"What, no fond hello for me after all this time?" Angel snaps, his eyes flashing darkly.

*He's just spent an hour watching this bleached blond pain in his ass rubbing himself all over some big ape and he can't even get a nod of respect or a hello?*

The fire igniting in Spike's glacial eyes are the only warning as he stalks forward. Angel holds his ground and steels himself for the punch sure to be flying his way. He
gasps as Spike presses his chest tightly to his and leans up and drags his tongue over his lower lip in a slow lick.

"Hello Angel." He whispers blowing softly on his glistening lower lip and stepping back with a smirk as Angel can't stop the shudder that wracks his powerful form.

Angel clenches his hands into fists, forcing his arms to stay at his sides and not yank Spike against his body. "Yeah, you're looking...well." Angel says, clearing his
throat nervously and looking away nervously. He herds everyone back down the path, grateful that Spike doesn't put up a fight but merely follows the group along.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Spike asks lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag as he walks along with easy grace, his stalking stride eerily silent
against the concrete path.

"Penn's free." Angel decides there's no simple way to break the news so he decides to opt for the straight forward approach. "He...I'm sorry William, he staked
Drusilla. We think he's killed Buffy also."

To their shock Spike shows no outward reaction to the heartbreaking news other then to pull the cigarette out of his mouth and crush it to dust in his hand. He opens his
hand and watches as the night breeze blows the ashes away.

"I'm well aware that Penn is free. I have been for several days since he sent me Miss Edith and Buffy's head in a box. He's going to come for me and I am going to kill
the son of a bitch slowly." His voice holds a note Angel has heard before, usually right before some European town found its streets ankle deep in blood. Spike speeds up
then turns to face the trio and plants his feet.

The look in his eyes has Fred making a squeaking noise and darting behind Lorne to peek around his shoulder with wide, frightened eyes.

"Don't get in my way on this Angelus. Dru was my Sire. I loved Buffy once, and he won't get y...he won't get past me Angel. I am going to kill him Angel, and you
can save your sanctimonious justice speech...the only justice he'll be facing is mine." Spike growls thickly. "Whether he's your Childe or not, I will see that he meets his
final death at my hands for what he's done." Spike's eyes flash amber. "Once I tire of hearing his screams."

Fred squeaks again and ducks behind Lorne; who turns to comfort her, unable to stop his own shiver of fear.

Angel looks at Spike and inhales sharply. William the Bloody is alive and well and LA is going to be inundated with a tide of blood until Penn is delivered to his hands. He
knows that for all the tales of William the Bloody's exploits a century ago, they are nothing compared to what this modern incarnation is capable of. He always secretly
thought that the histories were all wrong when they mistakenly labelled William as the Right Hand of Death, protégé extraordinaire to Angelus. In truth he was more
Chaos and Anarchy than death. He was too passionate, too uncontrollable, and too personal to be death. Death plays no favourites and it makes no bargains and it calls no
man Master. Death is a force of nature, that recognises no boundaries, no treaties, and it is the irresistible force that drives forward and never stops until its purpose is
achieved.

No they had it all wrong, Angel knows. It wasn't William that stood at the right hand of Death but he who stood at its right hand. THIS is the Spike he warned Buffy
about so many years ago. He won't stop, he won't rest until Penn and anyone in his way is dead.

He feels Angelus uncurl deep inside him, rising to meet the siren call of Spike's vengeance and he faces a truth that he has been denying since the package arrived. His
reasons for wanting Spike back in LA are more complex than just wanting to be sure he was safe. That was a huge part of his need to have Spike at his side once more
to be sure and perhaps it's the most important reason. He wants his companion back, he wants to run once more at the right hand of Death and watch him be the
monster he raised him to be. This moonlight pale warrior is the finest and greatest example of his legacy. A demon with the heart of a hero that can love beyond the
confines of what any boundaries say he should be capable of. Drusilla may have sired William, but Angelus was the God that created Spike, not in his own image but
rather to be his equal. The sublime realisation of countless millennia of Vampiric evolution, indoctrinated in blood, forged in pain, and honed into killing sharpness;
tempered with the capacity for emotion and devotion that has always made him unique among their kind. He is the only one of his bloodline with the strength, the will, the
sheer ferocity and skill to follow him out of the darkness and into the light. Spike fought for and reclaimed his soul but that doesn't make him one ounce less a Demon
and that is maybe his greatest strength and the lesson he's been trying to teach him all along.

He remembers well their last conversation before Spike left his side; he sees the inescapable truth of it now. Seeing how well William has integrated the demon he was
into the man he is. That is something he has never quite managed to do. He's never heard Spike living in fear of his Demon breaking free because he embraced his
Demon over a century ago. If Spike loses his soul, he seriously wonders if anyone would be able to tell. Spike without a soul is very much like Spike with it; such is his
mastery over his Demon side.

"I may be damned to an existence without the sunlight Angel. That doesn't mean I have to exist in the darkness and live in the shadows of what I've done as a Demon
without a soul. We are Demons, we did what it was in our natures to do and yes we took lives and we fed off the living. Wolves, spiders, they're all hunters Angel, killing
to survive, feeding to live. Are they evil? They're just doing what is in their nature to do. I've killed two Slayers Angel; and let's not kid ourselves we both know if we
had truly wanted Buffy dead than she would have been; and do I regret it? I regret the fact that I took their lives over their misguided ideals yes but I everything in me
that is a Demon knows it was a fight to the death. I am a Vampire and they were Slayers, born, trained, and motivated to kill me and every one of my kind. I did what it
was in my nature to do."

"I fought them and I won and I survived while they didn't. How many nameless, faceless Vampires did they kill in the time that they had? You're still buying into the
human sensibilities Angel and denying what you are. Harmony is a Vampire, she doesn't have a soul Angel; are you still under the mistaken impression that she's evil?
It's not in her nature to be evil, it's in her NATURE to try and be something more, even without her soul. Like I said earlier tonight, I'm NOTHING like you, Hero."

"Humans have souls and they've committed acts more heinous than anything you and I have ever conceived of, so what makes them better than us Liam? I kill my own
kind to save them and sometimes I wonder why I do until I remember that none of that matters in the end. I am a Demon, with a soul, but always and forever I will do
what it is in MY nature to do. And you sure as hell won't find any mention of MY nature in any book about Vampire behaviour. I won't apologise for what I've done in
the past because that's what pasts are FOR; to learn from. I've learned the lessons teacher."

"I'm leaving Angel and I'm going to find out what I want to grow up into, because I think that I finally have grown up. It's time to write my own book about who Spike
is. I do know I'm not about being the pawn in a game so large I can't even see the board. I never was one for rules now was I? See you around Peaches. Maybe I'll come back and visit you when you get the grand prize huh and watch you find out that you were human all along. In the only ways that matter anyway. I don't see what
difference having a heartbeat and having to use the bathroom will make but I'm sure it must be a grand prize if you're willing to risk your life for it."

At first he wasn't really sure that Spike was serious about leaving, as he'd started and stopped doing that very same thing on more than one occasion. Then he realised
that Spike hadn't insulted him, well not seriously, even once. He knew then that Spike would leave but part of him knew that one day he would be back. Would return
because here is where he is and where he is, is where Spike has always belonged.

The hell-spawned heroes that can finally take their rightful places at each other's side; fighting for their places in the light. They were once the Scourge of Europe but
that is nothing compared to what they can become now. He knows that all of Wesley's worries about the Shanshu Prophecy are meaningless. He knows what side he's
on and more importantly he knows where Spike will be when that final hour does come; fighting right at his side where he belongs.

Now he just has to find a way to get Spike to accept that as a fact and stop fighting him and accept what he himself has always known. William was born to be the only
thing Angelus will ever love more than himself and he died to ensure that he would always be at his side. They will find and destroy Penn together. Then they'll talk about
their relationship; even if he has to tie up the blond pain in the ass and keep him locked up to make him stay with him.

"I don't plan to stop you Spike. I plan to help you."

Spike steps forward smoothly and backhands Angel with a powerful blow that spins him partly sidewise.

"MY kill Angelus, you stay out of my way, Peaches! You don't have what it's going to take to do what needs to be done in the way it needs to be done, not anymore."
Spike growls with deadly intent.

Angel roars as his eyes flash amber and he leaps his fist flying at Spike's jaw but Spike springs into a back flip and catches him under the jaw with a boot, knocking him
to the ground. Rather than press his advantage, Spike snarls and spins on his heel stalking back up the path the way they came. He dodges to the side as the muscular
form of Angel soars past where he was just standing, but he doesn't have time to dodge the roundhouse punch, so he lets the momentum carry him away from Angel.

The pair snarls and hisses as their Demons come out and they drop into crouches ready to battle to face off for dominance. They circle warily and to Angel's surprise
Spike remains calm and focused rather than rushing in to attack as he has in the past. Perhaps he's changed more than he's appreciated. He seems much more grounded
and fixed in his objectives. Focus combined with his innate vampiric abilities that only enhance his more than exceedingly devastating fighting prowess, the chances of
either winning is at best an even bet.

They leap at the same time, landing and receiving a flurry of destructive blows that probably would have killed a human. Angel's greater strength and reach countering
Spike's fluid grace and sheer speed; both are hard pressed to gain any clear advantage. Suddenly Spike leaps into a side scissor kick and lands a solid blow to Angel's
chest, sending him staggering back. Before he can regain his balance, Spike leaps into the air and spins into a crouch with his left leg extended and sweeps Angel's feet
out from under him, letting the momentum spin him around and smoothly back to his feet. He quickly back flips out of Angel's strike range, drops back into a crouch
and is about to spring in for another flurry of kicks to keep Angel off-balance, when he suddenly freezes and turns around to look disbelievingly at Fred and Lorne. Angel
is back on his feet and charging forward, just as Spike crumbles to the ground in a boneless heap.

Angel draws himself up short and stands staring down at the unconscious Vampire, perplexed as to why he went down. He's positive that none of his blows were
enough to render him unconscious; they'd barely begun to fight. Then he notices the small dart sticking out of Spike's neck and he turns to stare at Fred and Lorne.

Lorne is looking at Fred with amazement and Angel spies the small dart gun in her hand and shares the sentiment and joins him.

"What?! It worked didn't it?" Fred says innocently enough as the pair just keep staring at her. "I figured it wasn't likely that Spike would come along quietly." She says
quickly, to justify her actions. "It was Wesley's suggestion." She hurriedly adds.

"Maybe we should just get Spike and go Honey-buns, while the going is good." Lorne suggests.

"Good idea, I guess. Maybe he'll have calmed down enough to be reasonable." He kneels and pries the dart out of Spike's neck unconsciously rubbing the red mark its
left and wiping off the small drops of blood its shed. He levers Spike up carefully, rolling him towards him as he stands until he cradled in his arms with his head
supported in the crook of his neck and shoulder. "Let's go, I don't think we want to deal with him waking up in public, he's going to be pissed enough he was
tranquillised." Angel glances down at Spike and marvels at how light he is. He's constantly amazed by Spike's strength and skill as a fighter; it's easy to forget that
physically he's built rather like a wild cat. All long lines and sinew without a spare ounce of fat anywhere. His agility is all but unmatched and his speed is astonishing
with a talent for moves that few fighters could hope to pull off. That spinning leg sweep is a devastating move that unfortunately would be ill suited to his broader
physique or he'd have to hound him to teach him how to execute that move.

His skills as a fighter have improved greatly. He noticed that Spike, typically a puncher in times past was relying more heavily on kicks and lightning jabs when he could
land a punch. It was quite impressive, the longer reach and strength in his legs countering his stronger punching power and superior reach quite effectively. He's going to
have to convince him to spar with him more often; it would improve both their skills greatly to be pitted against each other.

"I'll meet you back at the office; I'll take Spike with me in case he wakes up." He turns away from Fred and Lorne and crosses the park to where he parked the Viper.

*You were wrong my Laddy. I do have what it takes to do what has to be done. And not just about Penn. It's time you were back at my side and back in my bed, where
you belong.*

Angel glances at the limp form in his arms and holds him closer. It's time to get his boy home.
 
 

TBC