William pulled himself up out of the ground. Once he was standing, he shook off the dirt that still clung to his clothes. Leaning against some gravestones were three vampires, who were apparently waiting for him. He looked them over carefully. There was one tall, dark haired male, and two females, one blond and one brunette. He mentally shook his head at their stupidity.

"Oh Daddy," the dark-haired vampiress cooed and clapped her hands. "Look at my handsome dark prince. Isn't he perfect?"

"Whatever you say, my dear," the male vampire answered. He looked bored with the whole proceedings.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" William demanded. He was upset that they were talking about him as if he wasn't standing right in front of them. "You turned me into a soddin' vampire!" He whirled around and stomped towards the cemetery entrance. He muttered to himself as he moved, "Of all the idiotic stupid things to do."

The dark-haired vampire, Angelus, stared at the retreating form of Drusilla's new Childe in shock. In all his centuries of unlife, he'd never seen anyone react to being turned like that. The stranger obviously knew what a vampire was, but he was fighting against his nature from the start?

"Where are you going?" the dark-haired vampiress cried. She ran after William in the hopes of making him stop his abrupt departure. "You belong to me now. I picked you. Daddy said I could." Her tone turned petulant.

"Daddy, make him stop," the vampiress cried again.

"God, Angelus," the other female vampiress drawled in a bored voice. "Do something. You know I hate it when Drusilla whines."

"What am I supposed to do, Darla?" Angelus grumbled. He winced under Darla's glare. "Fine." He shook his head back and forth "Hold up there, boy. Your fiancée was from your old life. We're your new life." Then, he chuckled evilly. "We could go visit your fiancée; show her who you belong to now."

William spun around to level the other male with a chilling, yellow-eyed gaze. "If you touch my mate, you will be hunted to the ends of the earth. No creature, human or demon, will be able to hide you. Your blood and the blood of all your kin will be spilled until you are wiped from existence."

Darla and Drusilla both blinked in shock at the outburst. It actually startled them into fear of the new fledgling.

"You dare threaten me?" Angelus roared. "I am your elder, boy." He leapt towards the younger, slighter male. He lunged for the fledgling's throat, but he stopped at the sound of laughter in his ears.

"William, where have you been? Elizabeth was worried sick when you didn't arrive home last night." A tall man in a well made suit entered the cemetery. He got a worried look on his face when he surveyed the scene that he found himself interrupting. He arched an eyebrow when he saw William's game face. "Oh, yes, that explains everything. Somebody's in trouble," he singsonged.

"Wesley, you're a total and utter git," William muttered without heat. "Why don't you go tell Buffy that you found me? I'll be along in a moment. I have something to straighten out here."

"You expect me to face your lady love, her mother, and your step-mother alone?" Wesley winced at the thought. "Surely, you jest, cousin? I'm not insane."

"You said he was mine, Angelus," Drusilla hissed. She rushed the male vampire with her fingers seemingly ready to gouge out his eyes. Angelus had to turn his full attention away from William and turn it on his angry Childe. Something warned him that he had to keep Dru away from the two men, or she would end up dust in the wind.

"You made him wrong, you loony bird," Darla taunted the other vampiress. She turned her attention to the male member of their undead trio. She watched impassively as he struggled with Drusilla. "I told you she couldn't make a childe. Maybe next time you'll listen to me, and save us all this trouble."

"This is all well and good," William announced. "But I have places to go and people to see." He turned to leave the cemetery. "I don't know how I am going to explain this one to Elizabeth."

"Aren't you going to kill him?" Angel tipped his head towards Wesley.

Angelus blinked in surprise at the revelation. It made him wonder what the hell had Drusilla managed to get them involved in this time. When he had consented to her demands for a companion, he hadn't realized her choice would come with so many complications. Not to mention the fledgling was a disrespectful upstart. "Don't you feel the bloodlust?"

"Bloodlust?" William continued. "Ah yes, this growing hunger to sink my teeth into living flesh. I suppose that most new vampires rush out to find the first human they can get their fangs on, am I correct?" He waited for the other vampires to nod. "Well, my girl is very jealous." At this announcement William gave his now chortling cousin the evil eye.

Between laughs, Wesley managed to say, "Yes, you should have seen what Elizabeth did to Cecily Underwood when she thought Miss Underwood was eyeing William."

"Yes," William drawled. "Just imagine what she would do if she found out I wandered, even if it was only to fill my belly? She would be wearing my fangs as jewelry."

"You're a vampire, now," Angelus said. "Your mortal bonds are no longer important. You are free to do as you wish." He had a hard time believing that William would still want anything to do with his family, besides killing or turning them. After all, he had killed not only his family, but every person in his little Irish village.

"Death does not release me from my obligations. Our bond was sealed beyond the grave," William answered. "It does not change the way I feel for my girl. I just hope that I don't find myself at the end of her stake when I arrive back home."

"I hadn't thought of that," Wesley said speculatively. "This should make your marriage to the Slayer quite interesting, old chap. Glad I'm not in your shoes."

"The Slayer?" Angelus stepped away from the other two men, dragging Drusilla with him.