Sweet William

AUTHOR: Little Mouse (elf_night@hotmail.com)

WARNINGS: For violence and language and explicit, vampiric, m/m yummy bits.

ARCHIVE: Please ask first.

SUMMARY: Drusilla, in an effort to return Spike to being her 'dark prince', tries to change him back to the way he was when he was called William the Bloody. It doesn't work out quite the way she expected. This story is slightly AU as per vampire lore, and Angel is Spike's Sire.

CHAPTER  SIX

Angelus was surprised to discover that the water and electricity in the old house were still connected. Surprised, but relieved - it made cleaning up the next evening that much easier.

"Think the realtor still brings people here," William said when he voiced his amazement. "Still trying to sell the place, I suppose."

"You could have been found," Angelus said slowly, watching as his Childe stuffed the silk cloth they had used for bedding into one of the trunks.

"I didn't plan on staying here long," William replied absently, then jumped with surprise when his Sire grabbed him, yanking him tight against him.

"Were you going to leave, little William?" Angelus rumbled dangerously. "Were you going to try and escape me?"

"No, Sire - I just - I didn't think you wanted me..." William replied, his face muffled against Angelus' chest, since his Sire was holding him so tightly. If he'd been human, the embrace would have hurt.

"Why wouldn't I want you?" The rumble had become a growl.

"You didn't before," he whispered, hoping he wasn't about to get his first punishment from this new Sire.

"And did you want me?" Angelus asked softly, putting two fingers under his chin and lifting his face. "When you were Spike, did you want your Sire?"

"I always wanted you," William said honestly, "but I would never have told you so."

Angelus looked stunned. "Do you mean that if I had renewed my Claim on you, you would have accepted it?"

William nodded. "I would have done my absolute best to drive you crazy, but yes."

His Sire hugged him so tightly he heard his ribs creak. "I wanted you, as well, Childe. I was just so sure that you would never accept the soul that I never tried."

"Think we were both actin' like bloody wankers," William muttered, making Angelus laugh.

"Now, that was pure Spike," he grinned, ruffling the dark blond curls. "I knew he was still in there. Get dressed, Childe, while I shower - you've left me some hot water, I hope?" His little one had managed to sneak out of the bed and take a shower before he woke up.

"Maybe," William replied, looking at him from under thick gold eyelashes, his lips curving mischievously.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Angelus sighed, then picked up his clothes and left the room.

"You have no idea!" William called after him, then went back to his packing.

*

After his shower, Angelus slipped back into the black dress slacks and dark grey silk turtleneck that he'd worn the night before, grimacing slightly. The clothes weren't actually dirty, despite the fighting he'd done the night before, but he had always preferred fresh clothes when he could get them. He ran his fingers through his hair - no gel, either, dammit! - and then went back into the basement.

And stared.

William had finished his packing and turned his attention to dressing - he was wearing low-riding pants made of some soft black material, so tight they looked like they were painted on, hugging the sweet curves of his ass and thighs, and a high-cut, brief black leather vest that was almost as tight. Shiny silver buckles and buttons fastened it from his ribs to his collarbones. His hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and slim black boots were on his feet. His tummy was almost completely bare, except for the thin silver chains that cris-crossed it, and he looked very much like a wet dream come to life.

"William," his Sire said hoarsely, "are you trying to kill me?"

"No, Sire," was the sweet-toned reply, as William stayed apparently absorbed in choosing between two jackets.

"William... are you trying to make me keep you here tonight?"

"Maybe - is it working?" William asked, giving him another look from under those eyelashes.

Angelus groaned. "Yes... but we have to go see the Slayer, William. Otherwise, she'll have all of those humans hunting us down."

"Even yours?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. Though Wesley would try to throw them off the scent."

"Is he special?" William asked, sounding curious and a tiny bit jealous.

"He's smart. And he understands us better than any human I've ever met. I've made him our Steward, though he doesn't know it yet."

"Of our Order?" William asked, surprised.

"Yes - our Order of two," Angelus said, sighing a little.

"Three, if we can find Penn?" William turned the statement into a question.

"I don't know, Little One - I don't know if Penn would ever accept me as his Sire and as Master of the Clan."

"You could ask," William said softly, subtly reminding him that he would have.

"If we find him, I will," Angelus decided, squaring his shoulders.

"And will you turn your Wesley, later?" William continued his questions.

Angelus stalked over and lifted a long black suede coat from his hands. "Hold out your arms," he commanded, and his Childe immediately obeyed, allowing his Sire to put the coat on him. "Wesley is Blood-Bound to me; he will not age like a normal human. There will not be a question of turning him for a very long time."

"He accepted that?" William blinked in surprise.

"On the condition of Fred being Bound to me, as well, so that she will age with him," Angelus replied, grinning. He fastened the last of the suede coat's many buttons and stepped back.

"Who is Fred?"

"Winifred Burkle. You'll like her, Childe, she is a very sweet human girl. Wesley loves her very much, and she him. They are quite pleased at the idea of eternity together."

"And what of your other two humans?" William asked, watching as his Sire shrugged into his own coat.

"The question has not come up... yet."

William nodded, then made a face as his Sire started for the door. "Do we have to go?"

"William..."

"Sorry," William muttered, and moved to follow his Sire. 'Will you push me away for them?'

A big arm settled over his shoulders, pulling him tight against Angelus as they left the house. "I promise, they will not hurt you."

"Yes, Sire." 'But will they take you away from me?'

*

It seemed quite normal, to William, that he heard the Slayer before he saw her.

It had often astonished him that the girl was able to sneak up on any demons at all.

"...find them! Who knows what he's doing to Angel?!"

"I think Angel can take care of himself," an amused voice answered. Wesley, he thought.

"You don't know Spike!" Buffy protested. "He's a manipulative little liar, and he..."

"I'm not little!" William whispered hotly, accepting 'manipulative' and 'liar' without blinking - then glaring when his Sire chuckled.

"You're not exactly huge, precious."

"No fair - just because you're big as a..."

"Angel!" Buffy shrieked, spotting them before he could finish the sentence. William was tempted to clap his hands over his ears - her voice was like daggers piercing his eardrums. Even Angelus winced, and he should have been used to it.

Buffy threw herself at his Sire, who automatically caught her and set her carefully back on her feet, ignoring the hug she was giving him. He smiled at the other humans, who were all gathered around outside the mansion, and smiled again when he realized that every last one of them was staring at William.

Good thing he'd picked that concealing coat for his Childe, or they would have been staring and drooling!

William's blue eyes flicked over all of them, then settled on Xander. He grinned at the boy, who stared blankly back at him, his expression screaming, 'huh?!'

"I see he Claimed you," Giles said, coming up beside William and gazing at the fresh bite mark on his throat. It was only half-hidden by his coat collar.

"Angel!" Buffy sounded reproachful.

"What?" Angelus quirked an eyebrow at her, then reached out and took his Childe's arm, pulling him away from the curious Watcher and tucking him back against his side. He didn't trust that man, and he didn't want him so close to his little one.

"You Claimed him?!"

"Of course I did. He's mine. And now all the other Masters will go away," he added as an afterthought.

That didn't soothe her. "But - but why Claim him? Some vampire you've never met before?"

Angelus blinked at her. "Never met before?! This is William, Buffy - Spike. I turned him in 1851. I think that qualifies as having 'met' him before!"

"But, Angel, we decided he couldn't be Spike - remember? We found Spike's ashes, and the chip!"

"Your 'deciding' isn't going to change the fact of who he is," Angelus replied, looking distinctly amused. "Do you really think I wouldn't know my own Childe? Even if he did somehow just look exactly like Spike, his blood would tell me the truth."

"So - you're saying that's Spike?"

"Yes."

"And the ashes were someone else?"

"Yes."

"And the chip was something else?"

Angelus hesitated.

Buffy pulled out a stake. "Angel - is that Spike with no chip?!"

"Put that away," he growled, his eyes flashing gold.

"Not until you answer me! I can't have Spike running around my town with no chip! He's evil!"

"He's not going to cause any trouble, Buffy," Angelus said quietly, "I can promise you that."

"How? He never listened to you before!"

"It's a bit different, now," Angelus replied, tilting William's head back and running his fingers over the Claim mark. "He'll listen to me. Won't you, Childe?"

"Yes, Sire," William said immediately, ignoring the stake that was less than a yard away, his eyes fixed on Angelus' brown ones.

"He's just trying to trick us!" Buffy protested, tightening her grip on the sharp piece of wood. She didn't like the way Angel was looking at the new vampire; he had never looked at her like that, even when he'd been making love to her.

That just wasn't acceptable.

"He's not trying to trick any of you," Angelus said patiently. "Put the stake away. He won't cause problems; he's staying right here beside me until we leave."

"Oh, and then we get to put up with him?!" she nearly shrieked.

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "No, Buffy, because I'll be taking him with me."

She stared.

William snickered softly, earning himself a grin from his Sire and a glare from the Slayer.

"You're taking him to LA?!"

"Yes."

"With you?!"

"Yes."

"To live with you?!"

Sigh. "Yes."

"You can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because..." she trailed off, frowning as she tried to think of a reasonable excuse.

"Buffy? Is there a problem?" A new voice asked, and a tall, broad young man walked up to them.

William had been fighting down the intense desire to laugh at the Slayer - possibly to point and laugh, which would have gotten that stake stuck in him for sure, but it would have been worth it.

Now he went very still, the smile vanishing from his face. He pressed tight against his Sire, one arm snaking around his waist, and shifted to stand slightly in front of Angel, glaring at the new arrival. He sensed his Sire's confusion, but he didn't have time to explain.

A snarl clawed its way up out of his throat, and all his attention was focused on the newcomer.

Memories were flooding through him; of white walls and lab coats and tests and scalpels and pain. He shuddered slightly, but he wasn't worried about himself. Not yet.

But just let Riley Finn make one threatening motion toward his Sire, and William was going to rip. his. throat. out.