“Hail Angelus and William, Masters of Aurelius!” Maria called out, a tremor in her voice.  She sank down low in obeisance, and all around the chamber her cry was repeated as the others, Masters, Lieutenants, minions and pets, followed suit.

*   *   *

2123 A.D.

“Moron,” Angel said angrily, smacking his childe on the back of the head as they entered their lair.  “What the hell were you thinking of dousing that fire demon with water?”

“Two words, git:  Fire.  Vampire.  You do the math.”

“You know that water makes a fire demon explode.  You could have waited until I was out of range, but no!  You did it on purpose,” the older vampire complained, swiping away a dripping glob of greenish-brown slime from his forehead before it fell into his eyes.  “Look at my hair!” he exclaimed with disgust.  "You’re cleaning this mess up.  Get upstairs and run a bath for me.”

“Oi, don’t be such a pouf, pouf.  And why do I have to do all the work, ya big ol’ caveman?” Spike exclaimed indignantly.  “I killed the four-armed gas-tank, after all.  Saved the day, didn’t I?  A hot bath and some warm blood – is that too much thanks to ask?  But no, you gotta get all alpha with me instead.  Run the bath, Spike, wash my hair, Spike, scrub my back, Spike, suck my cock, Spike…”

Wesley bit his lip, but Gunn couldn’t hold back a smile.  Illyria simply tilted her as she watched the Masters of her House and Clan bicker.

“I’ll tell you what, boyo,” Angel said, apparently not put off at all by Spike’s public rant.  “Just to be fair, how about you do all the work in the bath, and I’ll do all the work afterwards?” the dark vampire proposed with a leer.

“Oh, you’d like that wouldn’t you?” the smaller vampire replied sarcastically.

“Yeah, as a matter of fact, I would,” Angel shot back, utterly unrepentant.  “So get your lily-white English ass upstairs and get the bath going, so I can get this crap out of my hair and take you to bed, you mouthy little shit.”

“Fine, fine, whatever you say, Master-Daddy-Sire-Sir,” Spike grumbled, stomping off up the stairs.  Gunn’s smile widened as he caught sight of a devilish smirk on his House Master’s face as he passed.

“Stupid fire demons and their stupid combustible slime-filled carcasses…” Angel muttered to himself, still swiping at the putrid green goop as he following his childe up the stairs.

The grin he wore was at odds with his words and very reminiscent of the Angelus of old.  The Shansu had allowed a full integration of those two personas, and his pets had been surprised in those early years to find that the creature they’d thought they’d known so well was far more comfortable with the Angelus traits than they’d ever before suspected.  The safety of the new soul, anchored now by his childe, allowed the vampire to finally accept that and let it rise dominant.  He still brooded now and then – that was a habit that even Angelus had indulged in – but if he was at times as serious as ever, he balanced that out with a love of fun that had been central to both Liam and Angelus’ personalities as well.

“What do you wanna bet they take turns doing all the work for the next four hours?” Gunn asked the other pets as Angel disappeared from sight.

“Sucker bet, Charles,” Wesley said lightly, shaking his head.

“What is the point of wagering on an event whose outcome is certain?” asked Illyria, the meaning of Wesley’s words eluding her.  “To what purpose?”

Wesley and Gunn exchanged a fond smile.  “As usual, Illyria, you are right,” the ex-Watcher said.  “Perhaps our time would be better spent on something else,” he suggested.

“I agree.  Like Angel, I do not like demon slime; it has made my ruby dull,” she complained, touching the gem at the center of her collar.  “We should wash and then go to bed so that we may enjoy the sensations of these shells.”

“I’m with you, Blue, and with you, Wes, old pal.”  Gunn slung an arm around both their shoulders as they made their way up the stairs in the vampires’ wake.

*   *   *

One soul shall bring salvation

And the light and dark shall share it

To live and die and live again

Together throughout eternity