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Chapter 4:

It's been about a week and nothing has changed. Angelus is still in the building and throwing his weight around as if he weren't locked up in a cage with chains on his wrists. There hasn't been much activity on his part. He yells at the guards and makes demands, but on the whole he hasn't been throwing tantrums. Wesley and Gunn decided to try their hand at feeding him, but that didn't work out so well.

They gave him the mug, throw the bars with a long claw looking thing, and sigh with relief when he took it. Of course the relief was short lived when he merely threw the blood on them and started laughing. Boy was Charlie mad about that. He kept going on and on about his suit being designer and what not. The guy wears too many suits for his own good.

Wesley, well Wesley just sort of scowled and that only made Angelus laugh harder. Neither of them are quiet use to this Angelus. Sure they're pretty much the same, the old one and the re-incarnation, but there's subtle differences in the way he acts.

For example the Angelus that is currently chained in a cage under this hellhole of a law firm never much cared for world domination or ending for that matter. He was pretty content just to be... I mean sure he was a right bastard undoubtedly so, but he... well he cared about blood, sex and the welfare of his family and that was about it. He left the world take over crap to the people that cared.

So what are they doing? How are they handling the current situation? Well they're letting me do all the grunt work. I've pretty much stayed away from Angelus and only went near him when it was time to feed him. For about two days I refused to feed him... that way and he starved just like he said he was going to.

Of course that didn't last long. I was right there to feed him when I saw that he was serious about the not eating. He hasn't tried any of that seducing shit, but I know it's somewhere around the corner. All I can do is what for it to happen.

Wesley had Lorne read him yesterday and Lorne couldn't come up with anything. Poor Lorne, he felt really bad about not being able to see what was going on. Of course it didn't help that Angelus refused to sing anything and he just stood there with his arms folded across his chest looking at the three of us like he wanted to rip us to shreds.

I've seen Angel do that a few times. I like to call those times 'channeling your inner Angelus'. Of course now it's really Angelus and it's just spooky. It's not Angel and it's not that sodding incarnation. It's the real Angelus. My Sire.

On that note, it's really getting on my nerves... the questions Wesley's asking. They're subtle and most of the time I don't put them together until it's too late, but he's been doing it and I can tell and it's getting on my bloody nerves that I'm tempted to feed him to Angelus.

Hunt him down a bit though so the blood's just right and then just throw him at Angelus. Maybe then Angelus'll get off my back about this whole Sire/Childe thing like I'm supposed to be all dutiful and doting. Nah uh not gonna happen. I'm a Master Vampire now and I'm not going back down that rode. Even if I have to spend time with Blue to avoid him.

"Your heart is not in this fight. You're constantly looking away from me. What is on your mind Half-Breed?" She says to me.

It's almost like talking to and Indian and yes I laughed at that in my head and it cost me an ass kicking. I've been doing this with her for a few days now. Just to test her and what not. They didn't have anything else for me to do so I said why not. Course I didn't know it was going to cause all these... pummelings.

She's kicking my ass and today I think I'm just letting it happen. Before I wasn't, but I was still getting my ass kicked, but I felt... I don't know... manly?... about it. Now I'm just letting her and it's because of stupid Angelus sitting in a cell in the basement of this bloody steel contraption.

"Why do you care what I'm thinking. I mean... s'not like you care." I say to her and she cocks her head a bit to one side and then again to the other side.

She does that a lot. Almost like watching I chicken. I won't laugh at that though. I'm already sore from the previous ass kickings.

"Your Leader... is he not... otherwise incapacitated." She asks.

"Well yeah I guess. Being chained to the wall can do that to some people." I say sitting down on the mat.

She's obviously going to let me sit. She wants information on the 'WORLD'. She's been asking Wesley about those things, but some times she'll stop in the middle of kicking my ass and ask me things.

"Yet you make no move to take his place. You are the most powerful in your little group. You could take power, yet you seem... disinterested." She says.

"Well yeah. Do you know how much work it takes to be a leader? Lots of bloody complicated choices and whatnot. 'Sides, Peaches ain't out of the game. If you wanted you could see him." I say.

"I wish to do so." She says.

"What, no, you can't. It was a figure of speech."

"Why would you not want me to see him?"

"Well, he ain't the most welcoming right now and I... well I've seen what you can do. To be honest, you'd kill him if you wanted to and two minutes alone with him and you'll want to kill him... a lot. Can't have that." I say.

"So you feel affection for you Leader. He inspires... worship?" She asks as if she's trying to figure out something.

I guess in her day there wasn't such a thing as worship. Maybe that came later on. Maybe it was only fear back when she ruled the world. Forced worship so to speak.

"Worship ain't exactly the word. Course once upon a time... maybe. More then worship though... idolization? Yeah that sounds like the right word." I say.

"Why does he invoke such... feelings from you?" She asks.

"Hmmm, well that's the loaded question innit. I honestly don't know. It was a long time ago. Hey... what do you know about vampires." I ask. Maybe talking about it with someone like Blue will help me.

"Not much of their ways were known. There were only true vampires back in my rule. I do not know much about your half-breed kind." She says.

"Oh well, it's probably a vampire thing. You know the whole idolization thing." I say.

"He is the vampire that made you. He is the one that turned you into what you are." She says and I'm not really sure if it's a question or not.

"Well, yeah. Angelus is the vamp that made me. It's a pretty complicated story really. One I'm still fuzzy on myself." I say.

"He is your creator. You owe your existence to him. You should worship him." She says and maybe she's right... once upon a time. When I was a fledging, but now... things are different.

"Hey, look why don't we call it a day? I'm feeling a bit peckish right now anyway." I say.

"Of course. Your heart is not in it and I do not take pleasure it beating beings that do not fight back." She says and she walks out of the training room and off to wherever it is she goes after we have theses training sessions.

I linger a bit. I really am feeling hungry, but when I eat I think about Angelus and how he's probably feeling peckish too and I end up down there with him and close proximity with him right now is not something I want to go through.

So I stay in the training room. There's not much to it. A few weapons and such, but nothing to interest me for a long period of time. I'm not known for my patience and ability to keep myself entertained. So I'm looking at the weapons and who comes strolling through the door. Wesley.

"Illyria... she said you ended your session early today. Something about you... 'contemplating your creation'." He says to me and I don't have to turn around to see the hopeful look on his face.

"Yeah, well, things... they're jumbled." I mutter.

"Spike I know you're not stupid. I've been dropping hints about this ever since Angelus first bit you. Something is going on. He's opening some... ties that were closed, no?" he asks and subtly thy name is not Wesley.

"Yeah so what's it to you." I say having the good sense to appear slightly agitated.

"Spike, if Angelus is opening up some Sire/Childe bond... he may use you to escape. You know..."

"I know you can't have that. The world can't have that... and it's not what you think." I say looking at one of the many axes in the training room.

"Enlighten me then. See just a week ago I was lead to believe that Drusilla was your Sire. By all accounts she is, but then Angelus from the past comes back and all of a sudden I'm not so sure anymore." He says sitting down on a bunch of mats.

"I knew you were going to ask me out right. I was just waiting to see how long it would take. What is it you want to know?" I ask.

"Well everything starting from the beginning and don't leave out any details. Oh and would you mind talking slow." He says whipping out a note pad.

"I don't want to miss anything."

"Ever the fucking Watcher. All right... you want to know everything. Here's everything I know... Angelus is my Sire." I say and he looks at me with a blank expression.

"That's it... what about the details Spike. Everything about your turning. The records state that Dru turned you and then waited for you to rise. You then went on..."

"A murdering rampage in which I killed a bunch of bastards who had done me wrong in the past. Well that's basically it." I say.

"Except for one thing... Drusilla didn't turn you. And you implied that Angelus had been following you for some time before your initial turning." He says.

"Well he had. Look I don't know anything really. Only what Angelus told me. Supposedly he was stalking me out as sort of a present for Dru. Took him a few weeks so Dru got angry and thought she could turn me on her own. She comes to me and bam she bites me."

"But you said Angelus turned you."

"He did! Look I don't know much about my turning. It's very hazy. Thing is she bit me and then Angelus bit me. They argued about something before he bit me though. I think it was because she was being a bad girl by trying to turn me on her own. So he bites me and then he turns me. I don't remember the details cause I was kind of missing a couple pints of my blood. So I wake up, Dru's there and I remember seeing her and what she told me so we go out hunting. Then she brings me back to Angelus and I learn my place." I say.

"Well not the sort of tale that will capture an audience, but at least I've got the right story. Now about Angelus feeding from you..."

"Wesley... I have to. He won't eat any other way and who knows what those Powerd That Fuck Around are doing. They might just let him starve to death. We can't have that either." I say.

"Spike I understand your concern. I was there when he refused to eat and I've got the drying cleaning bill to prove it. However he could be using you. I know I'm an outsider to this, but I've heard that Sires have power of their Childer." Wesley says.

"He's not interested n breaking free. Although the stupid bugger would like a bed. He's trying... Bloody hell I'm not going to discuss this with you." I say throwing my hands into the air.

"Spike, what is he trying to do to you." Wesley asks.

"He's... he's trying... he's trying to... he's trying to get me to bend over like a good little whore." I say and I think I've shocked Wesley into an early heart attack.

I guess with all that research and Watcher type stuff he never though about it. Course he thought I was Angelus's Grandchilde so I guess that explains it. He probably thought Angelus wasn't... bi I guess is the right word with humans.

Well he is, Angel isn't that I'm sure of, but Angelus would fuck a sheep if he wanted to. It takes Wesley a minute and the reaction I get is a surprising one. He's laughing. He's laughing so hard his face has turned red and he's doubled over. Huh, I wonder what's so funny.

"Oi, what's so funny?" I ask.

"Spike... not everyone is trying to have sex with you." He gasps out during his laughing.

Okay that's not funny because well... fuck look at me. Who wouldn't want me? Gay, straight, guy, girl. I'm fucking hot! And this little... Wesley's just laughing at me.

"Well he is. Trust me I know okay. It wouldn't be the first time either." I say.

"You're... you're serious." He says and the laughing has stopped.

"Yes! That's what I'm trying to tell you. It's annoying is what it is. I mean Angelus was always a bit of a tart trying to get it wherever he could... and it's not like once upon a time I didn't enjoy it... cause I did, but things are different now." I say.

"Oh I think I'm scarred for life with the mental images. I mean I know that vampires aren't know for having any preferences but..."

"You thought Angelus was as straight as an arrow. Well, guess again. He wasn't especially when it came to me." I say.

"Okay so let me see if I've got this right. Angelus could be using you to break free, but instead he's trying to... seduce you." Wesley says.

"Well, yeah."

"Well why not just use whatever power he has over you as your Sire."

"He doesn't have any. I'm a Master Vampire same as him. I don't have to listen to him if I don't want to. No amount of blood letting will change that, but... he's Angelus. Bloody seducer is what he is. It'll take time, but... no I'm not going to give in." I say and it's almost like I'm not even having this argument with Wesley.

"Perhaps he is trying to seduce because he doesn't have any power over you and he wants that power again." Wesley says.

"I didn't say he didn't have any power. I mean he's Angelus King of the bloody thrall. Fuck I think he mastered it before he died. He's always been able to seduce a chit to get a leg up. He just doesn't have the Sire power over me... but it doesn't matter." I say.

"And why is that?" Wesley asks calmly as if he were talking to someone who would explode at any moment. I don't know whether to be angry that he's patronizing me or happy that someone wants to listen to me.

"Because sooner or later it's going to work. He made me Wesley and he shaped me into the type of person he wanted... someone who wanted him."

"Well, Spike, you've grown. You've changed your ways. It's possible that he'll never be able to touch you." Wesley says.

"Okay let me put it into terms you'll understand. How did you feel when your father came to town... I mean even if he was a robot." I say and I see the look of hurt flash before his eyes. He thought he killed his dad and I can understand how much that hurts.

"Well, at which point?" He asks.

"When he was just your dad and not trying to steal Angel. When he was being himself and proving you wrong."

"Well... I guess I felt like I always did. Like I was... well like I was a child." He says and I think he's understanding what I'm talking about.

"Yeah you wanted his approval and you hated it when he talked bad about you. It's the same thing... only more intense. No matter how dead the Sire/Childe relationship is... part of it will always be there." I say.

He's quiet for a moment. I think he's thinking things over and deciding what's what. He's very good at that even if he doesn't act like he is. Everything with Fred and everything else has weighed down on him, but he still knows how to be the decision maker.

"Well then I'd say we have a problem." He says and it's with a little bit of teasing and a whole lot of seriousness.

"You're telling me. And I'm the only one he's talking to. The only one he's let get close. We can't just let him die, because and even though I hate the pouncy bugger, we need Angel back. No matter how broken." I say.

"I'll have to agree with you there. If the Powers are involved as I suspect this is their work... the Senior Partners will take a personal interest. Who knows how that will work out." Wesley says.

"Yeah I just hope..." I interrupted by a very angry looking Charlie entering the room. He's holding some ripped up papers and his hands are shaking in anger. He does not look happy.

"I'm gonna kill him. I don't care if Angel's still in there... I'm gonna kill him." He says his voice raising a bit.

"Now Charlie calm down a bit and lets see if we can't..."

"He's DEAD! I swear I'm gonna kill him. Hours! Days! Of work and this is what I get." He says waving the shreds in the air.

"Well it really wasn't the best idea..."

"Oh don't give me that shit English. This if fucking ridiculous. We've still got a place to run here. Why couldn't the Powers do this on their own fucking time? I spent days working on these transcripts and what do I get?! I go down there thinking that he'll sign them because I need him to sign them and then he rips them up. RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! And all the while he's smirking. Big piece of shit!" Charlie says.

"Well you know he's not in the right state of mind. There was no way he was going to sign those..." Wesley says and they begin to argue.

Charlie's pretty impressive with his arguing skills but I assume that's all part of the legal package. He's falling back on old traits a bit though. You know that whole street punk youth thing. Using words I didn't even know could be combined together to form words. Wesley sits there for about two minutes before he starts going off.

I've never heard the ex-Watcher say such things. Gives me a new found respect for the man. It's starting to get out of hand though and there are many sharp weapons in this room. We don't need Charlie skewered again.

"Hey! Listen I'll go straighten things out with his Royal Highness and I'll get him to sign your papers." I say.

"Spike do you think that's a good idea?" Wesley asks.

"Shut up Wesley. Do you want the Senior Partners to know Angel's out of commission. Spike man do what you gotta do. I'll go print out some new papers. It's a good thing I saved the work." he says rushing off to his office.

Wesley's looking at me with concern and question and I really don't need that so I make my way to Wolfram and Hart's secluded dungeons. Although I'd never say it, it's really spooky down here and I hate coming down here. I almost think I can hear that Pavayne bastard rattling his chains. Course he doesn't have chains but you get the general picture.

"Hello William. I was wondering how long it would take for you to come down here." Angelus says to me when I get to his cage.

"Yeah, well you pissed him off good. He was talking about staking you."

"I'd like to see him try."

"Wouldn't be too hard. You know considering you're chained to a wall in a cage." I say.

"You can't expect me to sign papers and act like I care about any of this. That's not something I do. You should know that William." He says all high and mighty like.

"Look if you don't sign them then you're going to upset some very important people. People who could fry your knackers of and use them for golf balls. You don't want to mess with them. Isn't there something that would persuade you to just sign the papers?" I ask and I know I stepped into that one, but damn it I'm loosing my edge. I mean when he's tied up in a cage and he still has more power that's when you really know just how domineering Angelus can be.

"Well there's a few things that come to mind. Some very nice things that would definitely... persuade me." He says and he's dropped his high and mighty voice and settled for the seducing one. The one that's smooth and soft and low and hoarse all at the same time. I have to sigh because he just won't let up.

"Angelus I already told you that I won't..."

"I want a bed." He says as if it was the next logical step in the conversation.

"What?"

"You heard me. I want a bed. A nice big comfortable bed with room to... stretch on. Give me a bed and then I'll sign all the papers you want." He says.

"A bed. That's it... that's all." And I'm not sure why I'm goading him into saying anything more. Maybe Wesley was right. Maybe I'm seeing things that aren't there.

"Well what else did you have in mind?" He asks a bit too innocently to be considered truthful.

He's playing me. He's winding me up and he's just loving it if the suppressed smile on his face is anything to judge by. Stupid git! Charlie walks in and looks at me questioningly. I nod and he gets the picture. He walks over to the cage, scowl firmly in place, and Angelus just looks amused if not annoyed.

He takes the papers and he signs them following Charlie's instructions. He's putting on a show about not being happy to do it, but that's all it is. It's just one big show. When he's done signing I can see that Charlie would like nothing more then to bolt out of the room. I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"You gotta do something for me. Have whatever people are in charge of ordering beds order one. Something big and classy looking." I say.

"Rot iron would be nice." Angelus says from his cage. "Oh and gothic looking."

"Yeah what he said." I muttered. Charlie looks at me with a confused looking, but then he suddenly understands.

"Yeah sure I'll be right on that." Charlie says and then walks off. I give one last look to Angelus and follow Charlie out. won't do to be seen by him like a puppy. I still have my dignity... or at least what's left of it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Angelus POV

If he could shit his pants I think he would have. He was expecting me to ask for him as payment for signing papers. The thought had crossed my mind, but I'm more for the subtle seduction. Can't be up front too many times. So I asked for a bed because it really is uncomfortable in this tiny little cage. It looked like he was going to ask if I wanted more and he did... in a roundabout sort of way.

No I think I'll let him sit and stew for a little. While it's all about battles. Seduction is a war and it's all about the small battles that need to be won in order to make things perfect. He was expecting me to ask him to bend over, but instead I tricked him and ask him for a bed. Now he's wondering what I have next up my sleeve.

The bed didn't take long to get here and I watched as the people sit it up on the outside of my cage. William was there watching me intently. He said it was because he wanted to make sure I didn't hurt the people. Sure it was. He just wanted to know if I was going to make a move. One of his humans was there. The one that thought Dru sired my William. He was standing next to my William touching his shoulder and they were talking intently with on another. I almost growled, but I control myself. Humans touching my things it's insane.

When they were done putting the bed together, mattress sheets and all, the human muttered a few words and the bed magically appeared in the cage. He muttered a few more words and the chains were off. They obviously aren't too worried about me breaking out of the cage. I wouldn't put it past William to have put me in a cage with magical bars.

Their both watching me as the workers put the boxes and stuff away and I decide to turn things up a notch. Why not it's not like I care who I make a show in front of. So I lay down on the new bed. It's nice and soft and the sheets are peach colored and silk and it's nice. I squirm around a bit on the bed arching up a little and I know it how it looks. All wanton and full of reckless abandon. Just like I wanted it to.

William gulps and the human is shuffling around to pick up all his magically things. They run out of the room and I smile. I relax a bit into the nice bed. I wanted this bed and I got it just by asking... by a trade. William knows he lost this battle and I'm just one step closer to getting what I really want. Doesn't mean I can't have a little fun along the way.

Chapter 5

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