Thanks to Raven as always for the beta and also for introducing
me to Jarod.
Dedication: To Vixen, just for being Vixen.
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If he thinks I'm coming out, he's past crazy. I am staying right here, doors locked from the inside.
He yells and pounds his fists on the panel. "Come on out you two timing shon on of a bish!"
I yell back. "I told you last night you fat wanker, it wasn't my fault. I couldn't help it. I was seduced. I'm innocent."
I know it's useless to protest, useless even to talk to the big oaf when he's pissed three ways from the devil. Angelus hovers just below the surface and booze stretches that barrier thin. And he is boozed solid. Course before he got into the Jack Daniels I had to put up with ten hours of melancholia while he whined about how he must not be enough for me if I had to go and get my needs met somewhere else. Didn't matter then what I said, and it doesn't matter now even more, cause he's so damn drunk.
If it were the other way around I'd go straight to rage and rip his head off, but no, not him, he broods then gets drunk, then goes into an tearing tantrum. Hope these bedroom doors hold. I got 'em braced with the dresser, trying to wait the storm out. Maybe they have a chance, being sort of old, he likes antique. Might not want to see them splintered.
I hear other voices beyond the door, trying to appeal to his better nature which is drowning in whiskey. Cordelia is telling him to calm down. I hear Wesley murmuring soothing something or other. I hear Gunn say, "Come on, Angel. Back off from the door."
Wham! He smashes the door for the fifteenth time. "Come on out here, you unfaith'ul bastard! I'm coming in there in about two sheconds." More pounding, then, a loud clang. The pounding stops and there is noise like a body slumping to the floor.
Then I hear Cordelia. "Spike? You can come out. Open the door." I pull the dresser away from the doors, unlock them, and slide them open. I see Cordelia standing, legs apart, hands on hips. In one hand is the frying pan Angel uses to make us breakfast when we've been out all night. Below her on the floor is Angel propped on his elbows, shaking his head like he's dizzy which he probably is both from booze and the frying pan. Just beyond Wesley and Gunn are wearing matching expressions of disgust.
Cordelia says, "I hope you're proud of yourself you pale excuse for a husband." She steps back and glares at me. "Just look at this." She points at the pouf who is trying to get to his knees. "This is your fault. How are we supposed to carry on this mission if you are out flirting in bars and driving Angel crazy?"
"I didn't set out to flirt. It just happened all of a sudden. It was out of my control, just like I been telling you." I whine.
They aren't up for hearing that, any of em. Wesley looks at me wearily. "Spike, you really have done it this time. You know how he feels about you. How could you?"
"You slut!" The Queen of Scorn stretches her neck toward me, points her teeth at me and sends her eyebrows to roost in the rafters.
Gunn says, "Now everybody just take it easy." He leans over to Angel, "Hey, Boss, you okay?" Angel is sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. His eyes are red and squinty. Suddenly he whips the other arm out and grabs my calf and yanks. My feet go out from under me and I land on top of him. He whirls me onto my back and holds me down by the wrists. I look up into his hooch glazed red eyes. I get mad.
"Let me up Hair Boy. Let go of me you drunken sot. You bloody stinking drunken arsehole. Let me up!" I get one knee under his chest and heave. He bounces up but doesn't let go. I give him another heave, but he's ready and his knee between my legs, presses into my ass. Damn it I am getting hard. Getting hard in a flash is my best and worst feature.
Gunn and Wesley have got ahold of him now and are pulling on him. Cordelia comes over and yells at him to "let that cheating bastard go!" He does, more out of intoxicated confusion than anything else. I get up and dust off my duster. Gunn pulls Angel to his feet and holds him cause he's swaying back and forth. The big dope smells like a whiskey barrel.
Wesley steps in between us. "Stop it now, both of you. We have a problem bigger than this one and it needs immediate attention." Angel takes a swing at me across Wesley. It misses widely and I start to laugh. That makes everybody mad and I quit the laugh half way through. You would if one lousy drunk vampire and three humans were glaring at you cold enough to freeze your balls off, even if you're.bad as me.
Wesley says, pulling Angel's arm down, "Look, this fighting has got to stop. It's had some very disastrous consequences. Spike, are you listening to me? Angel?"
Angel looks at him blearily. I say, "I'm listening long as you keep that pie eyed tosser off me."
"The children have disappeared."
"What?"
"Yes, we have reason to believe they've run away." I stare at him. It doesn't register at first.
"Run away? Why?"
Cordelia says, "Why do you think? Can't you imagine? You two have been fighting since 2:00 am and they must have gotten scared. They've run away."
I stare at her. Then it starts to sink in. Little Fellow and Bugsy have taken off. Because of us. I look around.
Cordelia says, "We've looked everywhere. They aren't in the building, we're sure of that."
"And I don't think they'd go into the tunnels, " says Wesley, "they've pretty well avoided them since their mother died."
Gunn adds, "So, that leaves the street somewhere. We need to get out there and look."
I go over to the couch to check out the file boxes we use as beds. The towel mattresses are gone, so is the truck Gunn gave Bugsy. I run up the steps to the office refrigerator. The bag of Peppermint Patties is missing. Then I check on top of the air conditioner in the basket where Little Fellow keeps his troll doll. Gone. They really are gone.
I go back down the stairs. Cordelia is looking intently at Angel who is shaking the cobwebs out of his head. I walk over to him. "Listen, Peaches, they really are gone. We're gonna have to stuff this argument till we find them." He looks at me. I say, "Are you in there? Is anybody in bleedin' residence?"
He mumbles, "Where did they go?"
"If I knew that Mate, they'd be back here, wouldn't they?"
"We have to find them."
"Right you are, Pet," I say. We all head up the stairs and out the front door. It's just after sunset and the lights are on. We stand at the top of the steps and look around in all directions. Traffic is light at this hour and the parking lot in front of the office building across the street is empty.
"They might go where they think they can find food easily, " says Wesley.
"Yeah, "says Gunn, "And the possibilities of that are in the blocks south of here. North is nothing but offices and ware houses."
We all turn south and start walking. We discuss taking two sides of the street but by that time we've reached the corner of the block and can see down the alley way to the left. I shudder. It's the infamous alley way where I was unfaithful to Angel last night, but, as I think I mentioned, it wasn't my fault.
At the far end of the alley is the new bar and grill that I went into for a drink and a smoke to get away from Big Bird and the Queen of Everybody's Business who has been harassing my butt off. It's only been there for a week or two, so I thought I'd try it out. Besides, leather is my thing, and a real mens' leather bar in our neighborhood was begging to be tried out.
The others start down the alley. I stop. When they figure out that I'm not coming, they all stop too, and turn around and look at me.
"Spike?" says Angel looking curiously at me.
"Umm, " I say. "Do you really think they went down here?" Last place I want to end up is anywhere near that bar.
Wesley frowns. "There is food potential here, and regardless of your recent history, we need to check it out. Now come on."
I walk slowly down the alley, but stay several steps behind them. They look in the dumpster and Gunn moves some garbage bags. No signs of little demons.
"Hurry up, " snaps Cordelia. I hang back. She turns around and glares at me. Don't care, not going to near that place if I can help it.
They reach the steel side door. Angel pulls it open. Cigarette smoke pours out along with a cacophony of sound that's part shouting and part heavy industrial rock. You can smell burgers and steak and salsa. It's like the place barfed itself up into the alley. The light inside is changing from purple to fuschia to green and the smoke is a fog of tobacco. He holds the door open and turns and looks at me.
"You know the place better than the rest of us." He says sarcastically. Such a wit.
"There's no way I'm going in there. He'll jump me if I do," I say firmly.
"Jump you?" says Wesley. "You were raped, then?"
"No, I was not raped. He seduced me and I don't want it to happen again."
Angel's scowl is deepening. "You mean you went along with it willingly?" he shouts over the noise.
"No, not willingly. I didn't have a choice. If I go in there and he looks at me in that way, I won't have a choice again. Not going in."
Angel wraps one meaty fist around the material of my t-shirt and brings me nose to nose. "You are going to tell me that this...human...has some sort of sexual power that you can't resist?"
"That's what I been trying to tell you, " I say jerking myself loose. "I don't know what it is, but he's got it. I was helpless. I'm a victim of sexual mesmerism." I shake myself and look him in the eye. "You can bloody well tell me I'm a slut, that I'm a two-timing faithless whore, but I know what I know and I didn't have no control over that situation."
He looks disgusted. I start yelling at him, "Go on, go in there! See what all that leather and nipple rings and tobacco do to you, you self-righteous prick! Go on, all of you!"
I stomp off toward the front, managing to keep my shoulders indignant. They are in for it, I know. I also know that I ain't going home till I find the rug rats and I am pretty sure the noise would have scared them off this place. But I am also remembering what happened last night and I'll be damned if I'm gonna set myself up for another brood-smash-brood twenty four hour booze session with the poof. It ain't like I'm stone crazy about the old tosser, but we are used to one another and comfortable and...., well, I am stone crazy about him to tell the sodding truth. Poor sod gets jealous real easy. If it hadn't been that Wesley came past the alley mouth just as I was getting it up the rear, Angel would never have known. I sure never would have told him. Scary part is though, that I didn't have any control. It seemed like all of a sudden I blew right up out of my body and was on the ceiling looking down and watching this stranger take my hand and lead me out into the alley...and....
I shudder all over. Here's what actually happened. I went into the bar just to get a drink and have a smoke and see what was going on--new place, you know. Wanted to check it out. So went in and worked my way up to the bar. There was one seat between a big, furry guy wearing a jock strap and a cop's hat and nothing else and a medium size guy who looked like he got dipped in a vat of molten leather and was lifted out with a skin tight ebony coating. He looked like Cat woman with a beard. The place was jammed, but I got lucky and found a seat at the bar. The bar was one of these giant oval ones with the booze in the middle and leather railings. The bartenders, four of them, kept circulating around. I saw every kind of leather fashion invented in those first four minutes. Guys in harnesses, leather bikini briefs and white socks. Crossdressers in leather dresses. Hairy guys, smooth guys, and most of em looked like they visited the gym at least twice an hour, eight days a week.
I was watching a couple of guys doing frottage when I felt a tap on my arm. I swiveled my stool back to the bar and saw the bartender looking at me. "What can I get you?" he yelled in my ear. I took him in all at one glance. Leather pants, no shirt, nipples on firm pecs just emerging like small hard peaks from a covering of soft, black chest hair. He wore a leather vest that just skimmed muscle and warm skin. Right then, I knew it was all up. I wanted to reach out and rip the vest off him and bury my hand in the fur. A studded leather belt wrapped around a long narrow waist, and a silver chain snaked around his wrist. Tan, taller than Angel, but not so broad. Dark brown hair, slightly tousled, and, bloody Jesus, the eyes. The eyes. Inches from my own. Dark, snappy black irises under swept back almond shaped, lids. Black eyebrows. I flashed on Oriental, Cajun, and Sephardic Jew with a little Gypsy thrown in. I was stunned, I gotta tell you.
"What can I get you?" he shouts again. "Other than me, I mean." His voice was low with a bit of a funky growl. A big grin spread over his face and his eyes started this kind of hypnotic twinkling. He cocked his head on one side and waited.
I was staring. I swear on bloody Satan's ma, I never came across a human like this. And he was human all right. ( Yours truly can smell vintage AB neg from a mile off). And there was some kind of rare genetic trait thrown in just for spice. After a beat he leaned over and his lips touched my ear. "Maybe we better just see what I can do for you after all," he said, but I think it was kind of like a moan, or maybe it was me moaning, cause right then, I started to float up and away into the rise of smoke and then I was looking down and watching him come around the break in the bar and take my hand and then we were walking outside into the alley. I floated over the steel rafters and through the wall and into the alley in time to see him turn me face to the wall. I watched his hands steal under the split in the back of my duster while he leaned over to kiss the side of my mouth. It was a long, slow kiss and I saw myself start to tremble. Then he licked my ear really wet and sweet like and ran his tongue along the line of my skull and I saw my knees buckle. Somehow he got my pants down. Then he turned around and shoved his back against mine holding me against the wall. He pulled a tube from his pocket and a condom, slipped the condom on, turned around and held me tight to the bricks with one forearm across my shoulder blades while he slid a well oiled finger into my ass. I relaxed for him. I would have done anything for those eyes and that smell. Two fingers went in, and he lubed me gently, kissing my hair, the back of my neck, taking my ear lobes into a soft, hot, wet mouth. Then he lifted the duster and from above I saw his cock enter slowly, giving me time to adjust. He shoved it further and when he could tell I took it easily, he drove it deep and then pulled nearly out again. I saw him begin a rhythm and heard myself howl, and cry. He got my cock in his hand and teased it till I knew I couldn't hold out any longer and I came like a prize bull in full season, spurting come all over the wall. I saw it fall down onto my pants and thought lazily, "Angel will smell that." But as he came I could tell nothing really mattered to me but the moment. I was in thrall, to a human no less.
Maybe without the chip things would have been different. Maybe I knew I couldn't seriously resist. But now I don't think so. Now I know it would have happened no matter what. He took me by surprise. I wasn't prepared. He got the proverbial bleeding drop on me with those eyes.
When it was over he leaned against the wall and put his face up to mine. I read where blokes in love "gazed into each others' eyes," but I never did it before with a human. But that's exactly what we did. Then suddenly he grinned, opened the door and disappeared back inside. From my floating self above the ground I saw Wesley standing at the end of the alley, a box of donuts in one hand and the paper in the other staring at me. I watched myself pull up my pants and fasten my belt and turn down the alley in a fog. Then I flapped down and into my body again and I've stayed there ever since thank the Order of Aurelius.
So that 's it. That's the whole story. I ask you, was I responsible? I don't think so. The guy is probably a warlock or something.
Now, I stand outside the back door and down the alley about 20 feet waiting for the gang to come back out. Pretty soon Cordelia comes down the steps. She looks like she's seen a taste of hell and is going to be in shock for a day or two. Wesley comes behind her coughing, hope he gets lung cancer and dies a revolting death for yapping to her that he saw me getting shagged. Gunn piles out followed by Angel. They turn around and look back into the bar and wait.
A couple seconds later a figure drops down the steps and I know it's him. He stands talking to them for a few seconds and then he sees me. He pushes his way past Wesley and walks up to me and I start to get the shakes again. He puts his hands on his hips and smiles. "Hey," he says.
"Yeah?" I say.
"Missed you," he says in that low, silky drawl.
"I'm with someone, " I say. "Someone who's turning green behind you and growing horns." He looks back over his shoulder and sees Angel glowering.
"Oops, didn't realize there was a problem. My mistake." He looks a little disappointed, but rallies. " They said some kids are missing."
"Yeah, two of them. Real small. One about 13 inches high and one about 5 inches high. Kinda scaly with beaks. Probably carrying a towel with candy in it. Seen anything?"
"No, but you think they came this way? I can help you look. I go off in an hour."
"Thanks," I say. "Better not. We'll find em." I walk past him and back to the group. Cordelia is still looking wiped. She looks at me and shakes her head.
"I can't believe you went into this place, Spike. A large woman in there dressed in a leather bra and shorts and riding boots tried to get me to go for a ride on her 'hog.' I almost got kidnapped."
"See?" I say, "See?" I look at Angel who is looking at the gypsy. I can see his nostrils flare as he picks up on the AB neg and the spice. His expression is intense as he rakes the guy up and down with his eyes. He pauses on the basket, just enough for me to notice and it' s my turn to glare at him. "Watch it, Peaches, one of us is bad enough."
Angel wrenches his eyes back to mine. "What is it about him?" he whispers.
"Dunno. Really dunno. The combo of them eyes and exotic origins? Plus the oakey AB neg with that spicy finish. Did you catch the nipples?"
By this time the guy is facing us. He holds out his right hand to Angel. "Jarod." he says. Angel shakes his hand, "Angel, and Spike here is mine."
"Sorry, " says this Jarod. "Didn't know he was taken. My mistake. You shouldn't let him out alone, though. He's awfully cute." I am just standing there like I was ten letting this guy talk to my lover about me as if I were a toy poodle. I try to say something but nothing comes out. I am never at a loss for words. Never, I am the Biggest of the Sarcastic Bads.
Gunn starts to laugh. Pretty soon Cordelia is laughing and Wesley is trying not to. Angel and Jarod are sizing each other up and I am like to commit dusticide out of embarrassment. I finally locate some words.
"Are you going to stand here all night and talk me to death or are we going to find those rug rats? I'm going." I start off fast down the alley toward the front of the bar and out into the lighted street packed with bikers and bikes as far as you can see.
The rest are following me and I hear Cordelia say wistfully, "Are you really gay?"
He laughs and says, "I am today." I can feel his smile warm my back right through the duster.
All of us including my Lothario stand and look at the sea of bikes. Mostly Harleys of every vintage. Big ones, too. Mother fucking hogs. Guys and a few women hanging out all over the street. Gonna be hard to find two tiny wayward kids in this mob.
Wesley says, "If I were a small child, looking for a hiding place and I ran into this, this, gangland, I'd find the first hole I could tuck into. I notice that a lot of these bikes have saddle bags." He points that out to the rest and we start sidling over to the first set of bikes. A woman with bleached blonde hair and a leather teddy is sitting on the nearest bike filing her nails. Cordelia goes up to her.
"Excuse me...uh... Miss?"
"Fuck off."
"Ohhhkay. Um, we are looking for two missing children." The chippy looks at her, all suspicion and red lips.
"You see any kids around here, lady? Think this is a place we bring our kids?"
"Ah,no, but these two are a little on the unusual side--small to begin with. One is about 5 inches high and the other about 12 or 13 inches... high." Cordelia shows her by holding her hand a foot off the ground. The chick stops filing and looks at her.
"What's it to you?"
"We are their family and we're worried about them."
The biker girl looks us over. She sticks the file in one of her saddlebags. She looks at Angel. "Hey, Big Guy, you wanna come over here and tell me your life story? Got some shoulders on you, ain't ya?" She grins and we see some teeth are missing.
"He's taken. I already made that mistake. He belongs to Whitey here." says Jarod the Gypsy gesturing at me. I don't say anything. Don't really know if I want him to know my name.
"His name is Spike, " says Gunn helpfully. The gypsy smiles at me and then at Angel.
The girl puts on a pout. "Why should I tell you anything? They probably ran away cause you're mean. Most parents are mean."
"They ran away, " says Cordelia, "cause Batman and Robin here, got into a fight over this guy." She points at Jarod.
Biker Chick looks Jarod over. Gives him a little simpering grin. "I get that."
I walk up and tell her that we think the kids might be in somebody's saddlebags specially ones with candy or fruit. She thinks a minute. "Ya know, I did see something earlier. Thought it was the speed kicking in, but it looked like Roger's saddlebags were moving. She points to a big Harley about 10 feet away. As we look over there a man comes out of the bar waving a beer bottle, hops on to the Harley and backs it out and into a clear part of the street. He probably weighs 700 pounds and the bike sags, but no Harley is gonna give in even under that kind of test. He is only half covered in leather. He's leather from his beer belly to his boots. From the waist up he's naked, hairless, and stewed to the gills. He's got earrings coming out of his ears and rings coming out of his nipples. And he's got our rug rats in his saddlebags, probably.
Angel runs out into the street yelling, "Hey! Wait up." We all follow and surround the bike. I get in front of it cause I'm scared the idiot will shove it into forward and I don't want Angel brooding over the fate of the Cheerleader or the Twit or G-Man, seeing as how he already thinks his cuckolding is all his fault somehow.
The biker dude thinks he's being attacked. "Get outa my way you bunch of fuckers," he yells, and attempts to whack me with his bottle over the front windshield.
"You...our children." screams Cordelia, barely getting heard over the din. I yell every insult I can think of at him hoping to distract him from Angel and Gunn who are trying to look in the saddlebags. I see Angel reach into one and pull out a small squirming object. Bugsy. Gunn looks frantically through the other bag, but no Little Fellow. I step aside and the bastard revs it up and shoots off down the street in a crazy line. We gather around and look at Bugsy. He blinks up at us, all eyelashes and beak.
"Bugsy, where is your brother?" snaps Cordelia. He sits up on Angel's hand and says, "Urrrrrech!" He closes his eyes and shakes his head.
I bend down to him. "Now listen here you little sod. A family spat is no reason to run off. All families have arguments. Get over it. Tell us where your brother is now or there won't be any Sesame Street for a week."
"Hey," says the gypsy. "Wait a minute. He's afraid. That's no way to talk to a child." Bugsy opens one eye and bats the lashes. He knows when he's found a mark all right. Jarod continues, "Bugsy, is that your name? Can you help us find your brother? He might be lost and it's dark out now. We want him to be safe. Can you tell us anything?"
"Grrrrrifffff." says Bugsy and claps his claws over his head and shuts his eyes.
"You might think you're hiding, but I can see every inch of you. Now where is your brother. This is me, the Big Bad speaking. Yer Pa. Where is he?" I know I am hollering but he deserves it.
The gypsy holds out a hand. In it is a Pez candy dispenser. Briefly I wonder where he stashed that in those skin tight leather pants. I didn't notice any bulges besides the one in the basket.
Bugsy sniffs the Pez even with his eyes closed. He can locate candy a room away even if it's in a drawer or purse. One set of eyelashes goes up. He looks at the Pez and considers his options. Cautiously he opens the other eye and stretches his neck out toward the dispenser. Jarod flips the top and a candy pops up. With one quick snap of his beak he snatches it. "Say thanks, Bugsy," says Angel ominously.
"Senkew," he mumbles through the crunching. He swallows and looks at Jarod shyly.
The same big dark eyes that held me in thrall now transfix the little monster. "Now, Bugsy, Can you tell us where your brother is? We need to know. It's important for him to be safe and back with his family. Can you help us?" Bugsy gazes back and then looks quickly away. "Doanow."
Angel lifts Bugsy so they are eye to eye. "Are you afraid Little Fellow will be mad if you tell?"
Bugsy wrings his claws together. "Ess."
Jarod says, "Well, nobody likes a tattle tale, but there are more important things to think about like his safety. We need to find him."
Cordelia pipes up. "Bugsy, you can tell us. If you don't tell us, Spike will be frantic and the rest of us will cry." She puckers up her puss like she's going to bawl. It works. Bugsy stops the paw wringing and says, "Dere." He points across the sea of bikes to the front door of the bar. We all look at one another. Angel hands Bugsy to Cordelia who cups him in her hands and purrs at him, lips pursed. He bats them lashes to beat the band.
Angel tells Cordelia to go back to the office and wait. She bristles at that and he shrugs. We all start for the entrance to the bar. At that moment two men emerge followed by a burst of music and fierce laughter. One of them is wearing a black bikini and about ten tattoos along with Doc Martens like mine and nothing else. Cordelia stops dead and says, "I think I'll just go back to the office and do the vision girl thing. Bugsy probably has to pee." She practically runs back down the alley.
Angel opens the door and we go in. A bouncer is just inside. We put the cover charge in a box, but he stops us. "This is Precinct Night. It's extra if you ain't dressed the part." Angel puts a wad of money in his hand and I notice that just about everybody at least has some kind of cop hat on or a pair of cuffs hanging out of his back pocket. Two guys are dancing a sexy slow dance. Arms around each others shoulders, eyes closed, cocks sliding together, they undulate wearing undershirts, cut off jeans, white socks, no shoes, and the required regulation cop head gear. We pass them, Jarod in the lead. He takes us to the bar. Gunn and Wesley are bug eyed. I always expected Wesley had certain tendencies, and byr the looks of him, I was right. The tight butt doing the twist on our right is tattooed with a red kiss on one cheek, and an eagle on the other. A thong separates his two cheeks. A leather vest completes the look. The back of it is full of police badges. Must have busted a few cops in the head to get those cause they look like the real thing. The music is pounding and speech is useless. Jarod goes around the bar and motions us to follow. We see a door in the far wall and soon we are in an office and the noise is cut off. Must have good insulation. Inside the office are a couple big bouncers and a blond woman in a power suit like CEOs from the big banks wear.
The executive type says, "What is it, Jarod?"
"These people are missing a child. I'm wondering if anyone saw him come in the door." He looks at me. "Describe him, Spike." She looks at me. I tell her what he looks like. She exchanges looks with the bouncers and rolls her eyes.
"I've had some strange folks in this establishment of mine, but this beats all. Lets go take a look. Ed, Brooks, go out there and case the place. " The two enforcers leave. She pulls a torch out of the desk drawer and we follow them out.
She takes Jarod by the arm and points behind the bar indicating the racks of bottles. She pushes Gunn after him and they start moving beer crates, the bartenders stepping around them, annoyed. She taps me on the chest and points to wall with three doors. She leans close to me and yells into my ear. "Porn movie rooms. Wait outside till the door opens, then go in. Don't, I repeat, don't knock. Just... wait." She beckons Wesley to go with her.
I nod. I point to the wall and Angel and I make our way through the crowd. A big, beefy face thrusts itself in front of my nose. "Hey, Cutie. Wanna dance?" His face snaps back as Angel hauls him off me by the collar.
"He's with me." he snarls. The guy holds up both hands in a peace gesture. Angel puts one hand on the back of my neck and propels me forward. I don't protest. I am feeling kind of funny. Kind of scared if you want to know. That little mutt is missing and it's our fault and I'm looking for him in this place full of beefy males and the chip don't make me feel too competent in the head bashing and biting arena. Angel's hand feels good.
We reach the wall as the first door opens and two half dressed biker types stumble out. One is licking his lips and the other is drying his hands on his shirt. Hard to guess what they've been up to and the combination of Angel's fist showing everybody I belong to him and the smell of cum makes my cock sit up and dance. I go into the room and Angel closes the door behind us. The space is about ten by ten with a large TV screen and a coin operated vcr. There's a bench to sit on, or kneel in front of, depending on who's doing the dirty to who. There is also a sink , a condom dispenser, and a couple wastebaskets. We search the baskets. Good thing for preternatural vision cause there's no lights. We are also listening for tell tale rustling but at last decide no demon kid is in this one. The next one also comes up empty.
We wait outside the third door and when it opens, a big Asian dude steps out. He looks over his shoulder into the room and shakes his head, disgusted. We look in and see a second man lying on the floor, out cold. The whiskey smell is as loud as the music. Angel steps in and hauls the guy to his feet and shoves him out the door.
"Hey, you co'sucker. We ain't done in there. Lemme back in there." Angel puts one hand flat on the wankers chest and shoves. He goes flying out the door backwards and smacks into two men in full Texas ranger outfits kissing their way through a punk rock number. I think maybe after we find the kid and settle his hash, that maybe Angel and I could come back here later.... He shuts the door. He puts his mouth to my ear.
"We can come back sometime, just the two of us. Wonder if Kate has any extra riot gear." He grins. Then he looks serious again, "Don't scowl like that. He has to be here somewhere. We'll find him."
I shrug. No luck so far. I wonder about the others. Damn kid is so small. He could be anywhere. I still have my hard on which has not gotten past Angel's senses. He moves up close and slips his hand down the front of my jeans. I lean into him and he kisses the top of my head. "Come on," he says, "It'll be all right." I moan a little and wrap my arms around him. We stand there for a minute, reassuring each other, but we both know this is not the time. He pulls his hand out. There are too many moments like this when I want him so bloody bad, but he has to keep on doing something to save the world and shagging takes a back seat.
We search the room thoroughly and then return to the bar. Gunn and Jarod are still pulling out crates and bottles and boxes of peanuts and pretzel mixes. We can see behind one box that there is a pile of pretzel crumbs on the floor. They are wet with spilled beer and even over the bar I can see small tracks in the wet pretzel dust. My stomach jumps. That must be what hope feels like.
I vault over the bar without even thinking. I land between Jarod and Gunn and we peer at the mess on the floor.
"Look here." says Gunn pointing to some white spots going around behind a couple of whiskey crates. Kid's leaving a trail of crumbs. Never told him about Hansel and Gretel, so he doesn't know enough to wipe his feet off. Maybe we've got him. The music is screaming or I'd call his name. As it is, all we can do is keep moving boxes. Jarod stops though and goes to the other end of the bar. Good move, head him off at the pass if he's still in there. Then I see it. The flick of a tail behind a Seagrams box. I shove one of the bartenders out of the way, ignoring a warning throb in my head. I pull out two more boxes and there the little sod sits, three big pretzels in his paws, looking scared and embarrassed at the same time. I don't give him time to think. I grab him around the middle with both hands and stuff him, pretzels and all into the pocket of my duster and button the flap. Then I straighten up and yell at the top of my lungs, "Found him!" Angel grins across the bar. Gunn waves at Jarod who comes back to us. They high five each other, big grins on their faces. We look around for Wesley. He and the owner and a couple of volunteers are searching the rest rooms. The cones are out and the door is wide open. Angel puts his fist back on my neck and we start toward the front entrance. Wesley sees us and yells something at the owner. She comes out of a stall and sees us. I point to my pocket and nod two or three times. Wesley smiles and turns to the owner, making thank-you gestures. She smiles back at him. He blushes and starts toward us.
But did I say it was as easy to get out of this place as it is to get in? I am first, followed by Angel's hand on my neck, followed by Angel's body. Then comes Gunn, then Wesley. Suddenly in front of me is the same guy who decided I was his dream queen earlier. He stands with his hands on his hips. He's put a shirt on over his tattoos, but it isn't buttoned and he's got a thick mat of blond hair covering his torso under the blue shirt. He laughs and puts his hand in the middle of my chest. Angel is fast. He comes around from behind me and his hand slips down the front of the shirt and he takes the nipple ring, the nipple and the pec into his fist and yanks the guy two feet off the floor. The asshole screams and this gets heard just above the music in our five square feet of floor. Trouble is that within this five square feet there are about 60 men. There is a lot of turning and staring and then growling and yelling and we are being shoved roughly toward the wall, the wall that displays handcuffs, chains, and a few other items of restraint that I would not want to examine right now....later, maybe, but not now. Angel throws the blond dope into the group and gets in front of me. Damn, why couldn't they be demons? The urge to bite and tear is powerful. My head is starting to pound. I stifle game face, fight it down. Angel is probably doing the same. Then the lights go out and the music stops dead. We can see, but nobody else can. I grab Wesley's arm and Angel drags Gunn and we push toward the door and out into the street leaving a milling mass of arms, legs, leather and cocks behind us.
We stand on the sidewalk next to a big Harley and get our bearings. A second later Jarod comes out the door. He has a big wise ass grin. He says, "Funny how dependent we are on vision. All those millions of little rods and cones went into shock just now." he looks at me. "Where's the little guy ?" I point to my pocket. A beaky face pokes its way out of the corner. He reaches into the side pocket of his vest and comes out with the Pez again. The beak accepts one and disappears back down inside my pocket. He hands me the dispenser. It has a penguin on the top. His hand touches mine and it feels like an electric charge. I look into those flashing black eyes and stumble back against Angel. He wraps his arm around my neck so his hand hangs down across my chest. I can tell his eyes are locked on Jarod and that he has gone game face cause Jarod's eyes go wide in surprise suddenly. I look up. He's got it under control, but Jarod saw it. He starts to laugh.
He doubles over. "I don't believe I made a pass at a vampire! And, I really don't believe I made a pass at a vampire who has a vampire boyfriend on my first day pretending to be gay! This is too hilarious." I want to kick him in the balls. But then, he straightens up suddenly. He whirls around and lopes back into the bar. I look down the street and see a woman walking in our direction. She has two muscle men behind her and when Jarod heads back into the bar, the two big guys break into a run. Gunn steps in front of the door and Wesley and Angel step up next to him. I get in front of Angel.
The biggest guy stops. "Move." he says. He says it quietly but he means it.
I say, "Bugger off, chum. This bar's off limits to wankers who like their whiskey neat."
He takes a step to the side and right behind him is this dame. She reminds of pics I've seen of Nazi female SS colonels. She looks us over, kinda down her nose.
"Get..out.. of..our..way." she says between clenched teeth and smiles this small, nasty smile. We don't move.
"I know he went in there and we intend to find him. Step aside. Now!" she barks.
I do. Angel does. Gunn and Wesley back away. She grabs the handle of the door and yanks it open. The scene that waits is the same as the one that greeted Cordelia, but she reacts differently. She marches right on in, goons behind her. We look at one another. We gave the gypsy time, but none of us really expected her to actually go in there.
She struts through the crowd ignoring the chains, the bare butts, the jockstraps, sweat, and thongs, past the sling and the fist fucking and straight to the bar.
She leans over and yells at the bartender. I can almost hear her cause her voice cuts through the din like a knife. The bartender shrugs that he doesn't know the answer to whatever she's asking him. I catch the word "Jarod". She reaches across the bar and grabs him by the ring in his chest harness and drags him through the glasses and pretzels over the bar. The goon takes over, but by then Angel has him by the back of his Armani jacket and he drops the bartender. The goon swings at Angel who thumps him in the chest. I hear the woman yell, "Sam!" just as he's knocked back into two big hairy guys French kissing so hard they've nearly swallowed each others' faces. They break apart , pissed, and one of them punches Sammy boy in a kidney while the other one socks him sideways in the jaw. Sam goes down. The other wise guy lights into Angel who drops him with a head butt. Gunn puts one knee on his chest and tells him to stay down. I look at the woman. She is cool. She has a nine millimeter Smith and Wesson pointed straight up in the air and she lets a round go. The human noise stops, but the sound system is still cranking.
"Turn that off!" she yells. Somebody does and there is silence.
"Now, " she says. "I'm looking for Jarod and I intend to find him. I want to know where he went and I want to know now!" She swings the gun in an arc around her in a two handed grip. She stops with it aimed at my gut.
"You." she says.
"Me?" I say.
"Where is he?"
"And just why would I tell some fascist bimbo anything?"
She lowers the gun. "Because, my young albino friend, I will skin you alive and give your remains to the rats in that alley if you don't."
At that second the owner comes out of her office looking like a grizzly bear with PMS. Two power suits, one blond, one brunette, look about ready to duke it out right here in front of 200 half naked fags. I see a circle beginning to form around the two alpha chippies. In a minute bets will start being taken. I am thinking of putting something down on the brunette, then feel disloyal (one of those pesky emotions Angel's drummed into me).
But the blond has it in hand. "Who are you and what do you want in my bar? Are you feds? Undercover cops? Do you have a warrant? This is bad for my business, you know. Will I have customers, if they think the cops are regulars? You have no right to barge in here and interrupt my business. Let me see your paper work."
Sam is getting up off the floor and whispering something to Missie Smith and Wesson. She drops the muzzle of the gun toward the floor, but that frozen rage of hers is hard and thick. She snarls something at Sam and looks at the owner.
"We don't have to show you any papers, Sweetie. I have a right to Jarod and I am going to find him and put him where he belongs. Now I am going to search every inch of this place and nobody is going to try to stop me. Sam, get the office. Willie, check those rooms along the wall. Report to me in the alley by the back door." She marches out without another look at any of us.
Sam gives me a look and a shove as he passes to go to the back. Attila the Honey is gone out the door. The owner looks like she doesn't know whether to call the police or plug Sam and Willie herself. I motion to her to let it go, cause, knowing that gypsy as intimately as I do, he's long gone. We all stand around and look at each other.
"C'mon," says Angel, "Time to go home."
He takes us through the still quiet crowd and out the back door. When we open it we see Sam and the Nazi chick conferring by the dumpster. They ignore us lesser beings and we walk down the alley back to the main drag and the office. Gunn and Wesley decide to call it a night. Cordelia is in the office when we enter. She tells us that Bugsy is asleep in his box and not to wake him. I pull Little Fellow out of my pocket and take him downstairs to the kitchen where I plunk him down on the table and tell him not to move cause I want to talk to him.
Angel stands watching us by the pillar. I get a bottle of JD and pour a glass for me and one for Angel. Then I get a can of crushed pineapple out of the cupboard and scrape it into a small bowl. I tip it over the sink and let it drain around my finger. Then I put it down in front of the Pineapple Monster and he digs in.
I sit down at the table and watch him gobble the mess down. Angel takes a seat next to me and puts his hand on my thigh. I rest my elbows on the table and glare at the kid. He pouts, pineapple dripping from his beak.
"Why'd you run off?" I say.
"Ssssss, Dads." he says.
"I take it you're mad cause Angel and I had a fight."
"Hissssss."
"I take it that's a yes and don't just sit there and sulk. Where d'you get that sulking bit anyway?" Angel squeezes my thigh. Out of the corner of my eye I can see him smirking. "Don't you know that we fight a lot? Doesn't mean we're gonna disappear or split up or kill each other. This ain't the same as what happened to your mom."
Angel breaks in. "We expect to be with you till you grow up. Or at least till you decide you don't want to be here anymore. We want you to stay here. Both of you. And we expect that whatever you decide to do, you will not try to influence your brother. He has to make his own decisions. He was in danger tonight. You left him and went into the bar. If you are going to run off like this, then you have to think about it and be organized so you can minimize the risks."
"Stuff it, Peaches, " I say, "Listen you little bugger. You try something like this again, there'll be vampire retribution all over your shiny little tail. You belong here and you are going to stay here till I say you can go. Stop that snuffling. I've had it with you two little sods for tonight. Go to bed. And, you owe Cordelia a bag of Peppermint Patties. I better see you dusting her office when I get up in the afternoon."
He hangs his little bit of a head and shambles over to the chair, plops down to the seat, then to the floor where he looks back up at the two of us. Then he tosses his head and scampers to the sofa, climbs up and curls into a ball in his box on the new towel Cordelia folded in there, one eye peeking at us over his tail. His brother is snoring in the next box, looking peaceful and damn innocent.
Angel pulls me up by my elbow and reaches for the lamp switch. We find our way to the bedroom where he grips my arms and forces me slowly down onto the bed. I am not sure whether to resist so I squirm a little. He gives me a shake and his eyes bore down into mine.
"If you ever, ever, fuck another man, Spike, I swear I'll kill him and then I'll chain you up and..."
"And what, Love?" I whisper. He snarls. I see game teeth forming and I know I am going to be bottom tonight and maybe for a week to come. I am his after all. I belong to him, like white on rice or crust on bread. He lowers his face to mine, fangs bared. I arch my neck for him and he sinks his canines into my jugular and drinks. I let him go. His hands rip the front of my shirt and tear the buckle off the belt and the next thing I know his finger,covered with my blood is widening my asshole. He knocks the side table over as he grabs for the lube and, half senseless, I leave my body for the second time in 48 hours as he oils his cock till its so slick i t slides into me slippery fast. He takes my penis in his hand and pumps . From the ceiling I see the muscles of his back expand and convulse and then my face under him, slack and half conscious, eyes closed, turned to the side as he drinks and thrusts into me. I am dizzy, I feel faint, possessed, owned, conquered, desired, needed, loved. I'm his obsession and that's fine with me....and then there is no more thinking or watching cause he takes one last pull on my neck and plunges deep into me....and we both scream... and ........
I wake up sometime later. He is lying on top of me, crushing me to the bed. I moan with the joy of his heaviness and the feel of his skin, muscle and bone weighing me down. My cock is pressed into his belly and trying to erect itself. He senses it and raises his head.
"Peaches," I murmur, "I'm sorry."
"I know. Just so you remember you're sorry, I'm going to fuck you so hard you won't move for three days. This time you'll beg me to let you come, but I'll decide when or even if you get to do that. You'll stay in this bed till I tell you it's all right to leave. You'll be at my disposal till I get tired of the game. I may feed you, I may let you drink from me. Resistance will be punished. Got it?"
"Yes." He takes me by the hair and pulls me up against the pillows. His teeth graze my nipple and I sob deliriously, arms limp, no resistance. His mouth engulfs my cock and I know I am in for the longest, most delicious, retribution a vampire ever dreamed up. As his tongue teases the glans I try not to come, but he is in control and one hand grips the base and stops my orgasm. Over and over he punishes me until I am begging, pleading and finally, after what again seems like hours, he lets me go. It explodes from me and he smears it over my face and lets me lick it from his fingers. I am crying, gasping, gulping for unneeded air and for release. He takes my shoulders and turns me over and I feel his cock against my ass as he spreads it with come and lube and enters hard and fast. Later I wake up engorged and beg him again and then again and this time he lets me cum in his mouth and he swallows, his tongue and cheeks contracting and pulling me deeper till I thrash and buck myself senseless.
I lose all track of time and drift in and out of consciousness. Finally what seems like days later, he sits on the side of the bed and slaps my face softly. I open my eyes and look into his.
"Hello," he says.
I swallow and say, "Thirsty." He reaches for a glass of blood sitting on the table. He holds it so I can drink. It tastes hot and good. I lean back and look at him again.
He takes my neck in one hand and squeezes gently. "Do we understand each other?"
"Yeah," I say. "You get to fuck me till my brains leak all over the sheets and I get to lie there and die a little each time. And this will go on till I've atoned."
He grins. "That's about it." We stay like this for awhile. Him sitting on the edge of the bed, long, broad, smooth and naked. Me exhausted and sticky slick with cum, sweat, and blood. After awhile we move to the shower where he washes me with scented soap and where his fingers delve into every crevice and orifice, cleaning and smoothing muscles I didn't know I had. Then he lets me wash him and we stay under the hot water for a long time kissing and moving together, the hot water and friction doing their best to arouse us.
So, here we are, each others' universe. I let two glowing almond shaped
eyes come briefly between us and I paid. I got what was coming. For now,
I am contrite, contented, and, after this last kiss, I am going to chain
this bastard to the bed and shag him till he screams my name.
The End