Spike rubbed the back of his neck and fought against the urge to turn
around and scan the crowded club. Some inner sense was telling him to
be on guard; against what he didn't know, but he'd learned long
ago to listen to his gut instincts. 

He was here under extreme duress. Less than forty-eight hours after
Angel had been eternally united with his soul, Demon-boy had suffered
another staggeringly vague vision. Since he and Xander hadn't had time
to find a place to live, Angel was providing them with food, lodgings,
and employment. The last part in particular made him gag. However, his
lover wanted money - the kind you didn't rifle off a corpse - so here he
was *working*. 

According to the half-breed, something 'bad' was going to happen in
some club, somewhere. They'd been able to narrow it down to one of
eight spots. In order to cover the ground they'd split up. Spike hadn't
been at all happy at letting Xander out of his sight. He'd only relented
when he'd extracted the boy's solemn promise not to indulge in any
stupid heroics. 

Spike shifted uncomfortably on his bar stool and took a long swig from
his glass; the *only* saving grace of the evening - free drinks, courtesy
of Angel. Unable to bear the maddening sense of 'danger' any longer,
Spike glanced over his shoulder toward the dance floor. 

He hated these places; crap music, watered down drinks, laughingly
menacing bouncers chatting up stringy birds slathered in make-up and
cheap scent. He wondered if it was too early to call it a night and hunt
down Xander. Angel had warned him not to 'compromise the boy' by
pouncing on him inside the clubs.

Thoughts of compromising Xander took a back seat as his gaze settled
on a figure standing by a pillar, at the far side of the dance floor. Blue
eyes narrowed warily. He stood up and casually moved down the bar,
trying to get a better look. Once he was in a better position to see, he
stopped. Taking a sip of his drink he glanced across~

~and crushed the glass between his fingers. Whisky splattered across his
shirt as the splintered shards sliced into his skin, he hissed and shook
them off. <Fuck>. Spike didn't hesitate. It was time to obey those gut
instincts - and they were telling him to get out fast. Struggling not to
leave *too* quickly, and thus draw unwanted attention to himself, Spike
raced up the stairwell and past the doorman. He had to find his Sire. 

<Fuck> He had to find Xander. 

Spike wandered back and forth across the sidewalk, torn between the
need to locate his Sire, and the need to safeguard his lover. It only took
a
second to make the choice. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back.
Someone stumbled into him - he growled and they hurried away. Spike
let his awareness of Xander wash through him. His eyes snapped open,
dark blue, ringed with gold. 

He walked quickly, an inner sense guiding him to the boy.

********************************************

A very familiar growl drew Xander's focus away from the pretty
brunette he was chatting to. She quickly realised that she'd lost his
attention. Frowning, she glanced around her - and found herself face to
face with a startling pale young man dressed on black.

"Piss off."

She blinked, uncertain if this crude individual was actually addressing
her.

"I said, *piss off.*"

This time the words were accompanied by a psychotic stare that made
the young woman realise she needed to powder her nose. Watching her
make a rapid exit, Xander sighed and turned to his lover. "Look, Angel
said-"

"Fuck what Angel said," Spike snarled. "What were you doing with that
stupid bint ?"

Taken aback by the venom in his lover's voice, Xander paused before
answering. He took in the rigid posture, tightly clenched jaw and gold
edged eyes. <Oh, oh.> He raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Hey,
relax. Just following orders here, remember ? Mix and mingle; that's
what the boss man said. This is me doing the mixy mingly thing, strictly
for non-pleasurable, information gathering purposes."

Spike grabbed his arm in a near crushing grip.

"Oww !" Xander exclaimed quietly. "Wha-?" He didn't get a chance to
finish. Spike set off toward the exit at speed, hauling the confused youth
along behind him as he cut his way through the crowd. Xander didn't
even try to offer any resistance. It would have been a wasted effort. 

Spike was seriously rattled about something. Xander sincerely hoped it
wasn't the girl. Jealousy was flattering - but with Spike it could also
have a deadly twist. He had no wish to see the young woman have her
neck snapped simply for talking to him.

When the vampire didn't stop outside the club, Xander decided to risk
what he hoped was an innocuous question. "Er...where are we going ?"

Spike stopped so suddenly Xander stumbled into him. The vampire
turned - eyes flashing gold. "*You* are going to sit in the car. I am
going to round up the rest of our fearless band."

Ah, sarcasm; that was reassuringly 'un-psycho Spike'. Xander felt it 
was probably safe to press ahead with another question. "Is everything 
okay ? Only you seem a little...well....spooked." Spike didn't answer.
Instead he walked off again, still towing Xander behind him. Xander
had to break into a trot to keep up. <Okay, I'm guess this means you
don't want to talk about it.> 

"You can let go now. I get it. I'm going to wait in the car. I hear and
obey, oh master," Xander grumbled. 

Spike ignored him.

************************************************

A short while later Xander was sitting in Angel's car, nervously waiting.
Spike's odd behaviour had unsettled him, added to that, he *hated*
underground car parks. You just couldn't shake the feeling that you
weren't alone down here, that something, somewhere was lurking in the
shadows, watching. 

A noise made him jump, but it was just a door banging. A group of
giggling teens tumbled into a car and drove off with a squeal of rubber.
The silence seemed even more oppressive after they'd gone and Xander
decided he was going to hyperventilate if he didn't start to relax a
little.
Leaning forward he fiddled with the stereo. His mind scarcely had time
to register the car door as it was flung open, or the hand that reached in
to pull him out.

The next thing he knew he was face down across the bonnet. He lay
there for several heartbeats, too stunned to move. Then his survival
instincts kicked in. He lashed out with his legs, at the same time he tried
to slide to the ground. His feet connected with thin air. There was a
mocking laugh and fingers closed painfully tight around his hair. Then
his head was wrenched back and slammed forward.

For a moment everything threatened to go black. As it was tears 
rushed into his eyes and the pain made his brain shut down. Dazed 
and groggy, he was only dimly aware of being turned over onto his
back. He blinked and tried to focus; he could just make out a pair of
glowing golden eyes floating above him. A bubble of hysterical laughter
welled up. It seemed he'd left a Hellmouth, in the company of two
vampires, only to meet his end at the hands of another vampire - and
they said fate had no sense of humour.

His vision was blurry, everything was out of whack, for which he was
grateful as those glowing orbs came closer...and closer. He whimpered
and tried to wriggle back across the bonnet. Hands like steel claws held
him still. A cold hard body pressed down upon his own - a grotesque
parody of his lover's touch. His head was forced up, exposing his throat.
Xander swallowed convulsively as he waited for the bite that would end
it all.

Nothing happened.

After a moment, the vampire drew back.

Xander raised his head weakly, and then flinched as the vampire leaned
over him again. He lay, rigid with terror, as the vampire nuzzled his
throat, then it suddenly struck him - the vampire was 'inhaling' his scent.


"Well, well a consort." The voice, like the laughter, had a mocking edge
to it. The vampire leaned in close once more. This time sharp fangs 
grazed Xander's throat, a cold tongue lapped the blood away. The
vampire withdrew with a soft chuckle and an amused, "William." 

Xander stared, wide eyed, as the vampire eyed him speculatively. 

"So, sweet William is in town and he's got himself a fresh little fuck
toy." The vampire reached for Xander.

Xander pushed himself up onto his elbows and scrabbled back, ignoring
the black spots that obscured his vision. "Touch me and he'll kill you,"
he declared hotly. He hoped he wasn't bluffing.

The vampire laughed. "Kill me ?" He seemed to consider the threat.
"He's tried it before," the vampire opened his arms wide, "but I'm still
here. So what does that tell you ?"

"You got lucky," Xander rejoined snappily.

Gold eyes narrowed dangerously. "No, boy. *He* got lucky. I chose 
not to kill him " The vampire paused, and his smile grew vicious. "I
'disciplined' him and sent him on his way." He looked Xander up and
down. "It seems I gave him a taste for it."

Xander felt ill as the meaning of the vampire's words hit him. "You
raped him ?" His voice shook with anger.

The vampire shrugged casually. "You might call it that. Though I have
to say, he didn't put up much of a fight." He cast Xander an evil look.
"Of course, he couldn't really, not with his spine snapped in two."

Xander launched himself of the bonnet with a choked cry. Rage and
grief momentarily overcoming reason. 

The vampire caught him easily, pinning his arms and spinning him
around so he was held tight with his back against the vampire's chest.
"Hmm, you have moxy," the vampire taunted. "I can see why he chose
you." Xander struggled. The vampire tightened his grip, choking him.
"Easy, little one. I'd hate to snap your neck by mistake."

Common sense finally kicked in and Xander hung limply in the
vampire's arms. He trembled with fear and anger. "I'm going to kill 
you" he gasped hoarsely.

The vampire just laughed. "Maybe. Or maybe I'll kill you." He spun
Xander around so that they were face to face. "I want you to take my
sweet William a message," he said raising his hand.

Xander felt a sharp sting on his cheek, and the warm trickle of blood.
Then the hands holding him let go and he crumpled to the ground. The
vampire's cruel laughter echoed around his head as he tumbled into
darkness.


***********

Xander could hear voices, they sounded tinny and faint. He caught
snatches.

"...hit....head...."

"..blood...."

Someone was touching him - cool gentle fingers, tenderly stroking his
cheek, carefully examining his poor, hurting head. He tried to move and
instantly felt much worse. He groaned.

"Xander ? Luv ? Come on, snap out of it, pet."

The voice sounded worried. Xander forced his eyes open. "S-Spike," he
murmured happily. "Knew..you'd..come...safe."

"Yeah, yeah. You're safe, luv. I've got you."

"Xander ?"

Xander slowly focused on Angel's concerned face.

"Xander, what happened ? Who did this ?"

<Not who...*Him*.> Xander shook his head - which proved to be a very
bad idea. "Hurts," he moaned pitifully.

"Leave him alone," Spike snapped.

Xander felt his lover's arms fold around him and he snuggled into soft
leather and hard Spike.

"What's this ?" Spike tilted his face gently, brushing a finger across his
cheek.

Xander tried to explain, but the words wandered off inside his head.
Spike's lips ghosted over his skin, a cold tongue flickered along the
stinging cut.....and Spike recoiled so quickly Xander was left swaying.
The vampire leapt to his feet and strode away. He went a few paces,
turned back and darted forward - driving his fist into the car door, the
metal crumpled from the blow. It landed close enough to Xander's head
to make him twitch.

"Who did he say he was ?" Spike hissed, his eyes furious gold slits.
"Who touched you ?"

"I...I don't know," said Xander helplessly, he was still trying to clear
the
fog from around his brain. "He pulled me out of the car...he...he hit me.
Everything went kind of fuzzy after that."

"Did he say anything ?" Angel asked gently. "Anything at all ?"

Xander tried to think past the pounding ache inside his skull. "Yeah,
he...he said something about sweet William." He looked at his lover.
"He knew you," he whispered sadly. Spike stared at him and then
looked away. 

Angel opened his mouth as if to say something, but Spike cut him off
with a terse shake of his head. 

Doyle's soft brogue slipped into the tense silence. "I think, fellas, that
maybe we should take the kid somewhere and get his head looked at.
He looks a little out of it."

Xander didn't feel nearly as 'out of it', as he would have liked.
Unconsciousness seemed more appealing by the minute.
"No..hospitals," he told them, as they helped him to his feet. His 
legs buckled. Spike picked him up, holding him in his arms like a 
child. For once, Xander had no desire to protest. He hurt, he wanted 
to be comforted and cosseted. He wanted to go home and lie down 
and sleep. He wanted all this to go away and leave him alone.

"Are you sure ?" Angel asked. "You might have a concussion. Perhaps it
would be-"

"-he said no fuckin' hospitals, "Spike growled. "We'll take him home
and see to him ourselves."

Xander didn't hear any further protests and he felt it was safe to let go
and drift back toward the darkness that beckoned him.

"Xander. Xander, luv. I need you to stay awake."

"No," Xander protested weakly. "Can't...Imzzt...s-sleepy..Hurts.."

"I know, pet. I know. But you've clocked your head so you have to stay
awake for a while. Come on, look at me, that's it."

Xander focused feebly on his lover's anxious face. "I..I was scared," he
confessed.

Spike's mouth tightened. "Sssh, I know. It's all right. I've got you now.
He won't lay a bloody finger on you."

"Wh-who is he ?" Xander asked breathily. Spike lay him across the back
seat and carefully got in with him. "Who..?" Xander repeated.

"Ssh, luv. We'll talk later."

Xander frowned, frustrated by his inability to think. Everything kept
drifting in and out. He tried to recall what else the strange vampire had
said, but the words kept slipping away from him. <Who is he, Spike.
Who is he ?>

Part Two  

They returned to the relative safety of Angel's apartment. Spike refused
to surrender his protective hold. Placing Xander very carefully upon the
bed he lay down beside him; brushing back a lock of dark hair, he
frowned as his gaze fell upon the mark scarring Xander's cheek. Before
it had been smirched with blood and grime, now it stood out starkly
against the pale skin.

Two, thin red scratches - a cross.

Spike ground his teeth against the swell of rage that tore through him.
Someone had hurt what was his; someone he despised from the depths
of his unbeating heart. 

~Penn. 

A hundred years had done nothing to calm the seething hatred he felt
toward the other vampire. If anything, time had merely honed it to a
finer, more intense loathing.

***************************************

He had first met his new 'sibling' in the spring of 1874. He and Angel
had spent a glorious winter prowling the streets of London - sex and
slaughter in copious amounts. However as the seasons changed his Sire
grew restless; it was time for a change, time for his new childe to see
the world. 

They'd gone to Italy, Rome. Spike suffered a brief bout of homesickness
that was quickly forgotten as he feasted upon the locals and basked in
the 'attentions' of his Sire. Attentions that were soon to be divided, as
they met up with the rest of Angelus' 'family.' 

Darla unnerved him. She was beautiful and sophisticated; he felt gauche
and clumsy beside her. She also held power over his Sire, something he
resented - recognizing a reflection of his own relationship with Angelus.
He had never liked to share. His solitary nature meant what little he'd
had, had always been his alone. He worshipped his Sire with an unholy,
inhuman passion. To see that same passion burning between his Sire
and the stunning vampiress cut deeply. However, she treated him well,
regarding him with an amused fondness.

Drusilla was very different. At first she made him uneasy; her
strangeness was unsettling. Slowly he got used to it. He came to
appreciate that she had real power, and he was both amused and
intrigued by her semi-insane chatter. She was also reminiscent of his
Sire - the same luminescent skin, dark hair, and near black eyes. In turn,
she also developed a certain fondness for him. She had finally found
someone besides Angelus who would heed her visions and pander to her
whims. 

Penn he hated from the outset. Angelus' oldest childe obviously viewed
himself as something special, a favoured 'first born' son. Spike
represented the unwelcome interloper - a cuckoo in an already crowded
nest. It didn't help that Angelus clearly preferred Spike's company to
Penn's, both in and out of bed. The older vampire added to fuel to an
already stoked fire by occasionally taking Spike in front of his other
childe - and making it very apparent how much he enjoyed it. Angelus
seemed to take perverse delight in stirring up the hatred that boiled
between them. Not that it took a lot to set them at each others throats -
literally.

The 'family' had travelled together for a while - Angelus and Darla
acting like proud parents over their unruly brood. The latter eventually
tired of having to share her childe with his own offspring and in the
winter of 1876, when they were in Vienna, Angelus and Darla took off
by themselves. Spike felt lost without the presence of his Sire and was
extremely unhappy at being left in the company of Penn. 

He had adapted quickly, finding a confident and co-conspirator in the
lovely Drusilla. Like him, she had little affection for older vampire.
Penn ridiculed and tormented her. Spike surmised it was because the
former puritan feared her visions and viewed her as a witch. Penn
attempted to rule the roost as Angelus had done but they thwarted him
at every turn, making a mockery of his attempts to lead them. They
baited him, and let him know that he wasn't any where near the calibre
of vampire Angelus was. 

It was to prove a costly mistake.

Penn had sulked and shouted. Then he'd tried violence to bring them
under his control. He was stronger than them both one-on-one but they
had the strength of numbers, together they could hold out against him.
Unfortunately, Penn had learned one important lesson from his Sire, an
old and oft used one - divide and conquer. He bided his time, waiting
until Dru suffered one of her debilitating 'attacks', incapable of anything
but spouting gibberish and sobbing noiselessly.

Spike had been waiting for the older vampire to try something. He had
thought about leaving, taking Dru and going back to England. He'd
hesitated only because he'd hoped Angelus would return. Penn hadn't
even tried to fight fair, running Spike down on horseback, then beating
the younger vampire to a bloody pulp with a broken branch. The horse's
hooves had shattered Spike's spine and he was already out of the battle
when Penn began to beat on him.

It didn't stop there. Penn had dragged down his breeches, taking him
roughly as he lay bleeding and helpless in the snow; too grievously
injured to do anything but howl curses at his attacker. Penn had simply
laughed. The older vampire had spent the whole night violating and
humiliating his 'little brother'; when he had finished he'd simply walked
away.

Coughing blood and near crazy with pain, Spike had managed to crawl
back toward the house, fearful of what Penn might do to Drusilla. She
had regained some of her senses and despite the rapidly approaching
dawn had come out to look for him. She found him collapsed against
the wall and carried him back to the house. Penn had gone. 

Drusilla tended to him, hunted for him, held him through the
nightmares and the impotent rages that threatened to swallow him
whole. When Angelus returned - without Darla - almost a year later, he
discovered a new bond had developed between his two remaining
childe. It altered the relationship he had with them. He still took them
into his bed, but now he usually brought them into it together, taking his
pleasure of them both. 

A new 'family' was formed, one that survived the decades until Darla's
reappearance. She took Angelus away again. Years passed and neither
of them returned. Spike waited, and waited.....Finally he took his dark
goddess and moved on. 

Now Penn was here, in this city, reawakening an unforgotten promise. 

Things had changed since their last 'encounter'. This time the fight
would be more evenly balanced...though probably no fairer. If Spike
could lure Penn into a nasty, brutal, agonizing death by foul means he
would do so. Penn was a festering thorn in his side and this time the
other vampire had made a fatal mistake - he had recognized that Xander
was Spike's, and yet he had dared to touch him, to mark him. Spike was
beyond anger and running dangerously close to madness. 

"Mmmph....S-Spike.."

"Here, luv," said Spike quickly. He buried his rage as brown eyes
focused on him muzzily.

"H-head...hurts," Xander whimpered.

Spike frowned. His fingers ghosted over the swelling that had risen on
the boy's forehead, the flesh already discoloured a purplish-blue.

"Here, try this." Angel approached the bed holding out an ice pack
wrapped in a cloth. Spike took it and lay it gently against Xander's
forehead. The boy moaned weakly and tried to push it away.

"Easy, easy, pet," Spike whispered. "Give it a minute."

Xander lay still.

"Better ?" Spike asked anxiously after a moment had passed.

"Hmm," Xander agreed wordlessly.

Doyle appeared in the doorway. "How's he doin' ?"

"He'll be okay," said Angel. The vampire looked at his childe. "Spike,
we need to talk."

"Later," said Spike. "I'm not leavin' him alone."

"Later then," Angel agreed. He hesitated, then added softly, "He'll be
fine, Will."

Spike didn't look up. His eyes were fixed on Xander's face as he
tenderly stroked his lover's throat, feeling the reassuring pulse beneath
his fingers. "I know," he mumbled.

Angel nodded and turned to go. "If you need anythin-"

"I won't," Spike interjected. However, as Angel reached the doorway he
called out quietly. "If....if I do, I'll..erm...yell, or something."

Angel glanced back; he gave a faint smile and tilted his head slightly to
show he understood. Then he left.


***********

Doyle followed Angel into the next room. "So, are yer going to tell 
me what this 'Sweet William' thing is about ? Cos I don't recall any
pissed off vampires in my vision."

Angel folded his arms and leaned back against the wall. He didn't meet
Doyle's gaze. "William is Spike's real name."

"Yeah, well I kind guessed that. What, with you yellin' 'Will' at him
every now and then." Doyle moved to stand in front of his lover. He
rocked forward on the soles of his feet. As their bodies touched the
furrow that had settled between Angel's eyes evened out slightly.

"Hey," said Doyle softly. "You don't want'ta talk about it, that's fine. I
understand. I just thought it might help, ya know."

Angel released a shaky sigh and let his head tip back against the wall. "I
want to tell you. It's just-"

"-complicated ?" Doyle guessed, only half teasing.

Angel looked at him and smiled faintly. "Yeah, it is, but I want to tell
you." He glanced toward the bedroom. "Not here though."

"Upstairs ?"

Angel nodded and Doyle reluctantly stepped back, sighing softly as they
moved apart. They walked in silence up the steps into the office. Doyle
turned on a lamp more out of habit than need. Though he felt he
probably didn't want to have this conversation in total darkness. Angel
had that tired, tortured look that made Doyle's heart ache. 

"This vampire that attacked Xander, he's someone Blondie crossed
swords with way back ?"

"His name is Pen.n." Angel's voice hitched slightly on the name.

Doyle didn't miss it. "You know him too," he said quietly.

Angel looked at him, dark eyes filled with pain and regret. "He's my
childe," he said simply.

Doyle blinked. "Your ?-" He stopped and sucked in a sharp breath.
Angel looked away. Doyle quickly moved out of his chair and came
forward to sit upon the desk. Without a word he took hold of one of
Angel's cold hands, and drew it to him, cradling it between his own.
Haunted brown eyes turned back to face him.

"You haven't seen him for a while ?" Doyle asked gently.

"The last time was November, 1876," Angel supplied.

Doyle's eyebrows rose. "He's not one for keepin' in touch much then."

Angel threaded Doyle's fingers through his own and pressed them
slightly. "I....We were travelling together - Myself, Darla, Dru, Penn,
and Spike. Darla got-" he shrugged "-restless. She was bored. So I took
her to Paris." He smiled sadly. "She liked Paris. I was gone for over a
year. When I came back, he was gone."

"Spike didn't say why or where ?"

Angel shook his head. "No, though to be honest I didn't really try to find
out." He sighed. "I didn't really care," he admitted.

"Well, you were kind of 'care-free' back then," said Doyle, by way of an
excuse.

Angel shook his head again. "That's not it. If it had been Dru or 
Spike I'd have hunted them down, brought them back. Penn...he 
was....difficult, demanding. He had become tiresome."

Uncomfortable with the weight of guilt in Angel's gaze, Doyle fell on
the familiar comfort of false levity. "Well, you know what they say, you
can choose your friends but you can't choose your relatives." Doyle
frowned. "Except of course, you kinda did," he added awkwardly.

"He was a Puritan," Angel explained. "Humble, but still proud and 
sure of his faith. A true zealot. Full of fire and fervour. His devotion
intrigued me. I wanted to taste the blood of a 'true believer', one with
no doubts, no hesitations. I wanted to corrupt him. I wanted him to
betray everything he had held sacred all his life." 

He stared at Doyle; his gaze hardened. "So I turned him. I led him away
from the path of the righteous. I 'instructed' him in the sins of the flesh
and showed him how to drink the blood of the innocent. I stood and
watched as he fed upon his brothers and sisters, tearing out their throats
and throwing their broken bodies aside when he was done." Tears
glittered, Angel looked away as one slipped silently down his cheek.

Doyle closed his eyes, needing to compose himself. All right, so he
knew what Angel had been, what he'd done - it was still unbelievably
hard to sit and hear him speak of it. He opened his eyes again and
looked at his lover. Angel sat with his head bowed, his hand still resting
in Doyle's lap. Doyle squeezed it reassuringly and gave a slightly
embarrassed smile. "Love you," he said quietly.

Angel looked up quickly, his expression startled. Then he smiled sadly.
"Love you too," he said.

The tension that had risen eased, and Doyle continued. "You haven't
said, why *sweet* William ?"

"I used to call Spike my 'sweet childe'," Angel explained. "It was Penn's
way of making a mockery of it."

"You really had a thing for him, huh ?" Doyle tried very hard not to
sound jealous.

Angel regarded him questioningly.

"Spike," said Doyle.

Angel smiled, and his gaze grew distant as he returned to the past. "Will
was....special. He was so 'pure' in his viciousness, so vibrant and alive,"
Angel chuckled mirthlessly, "even when he was dead." He blinked, and
came back to the present. "When I first crossed paths with Spike I had
walked the earth as a vampire for over a hundred years. I was-" he
searched for the word "-jaded. He brought back the thrill, the
excitement, the pleasure..." His voice trailed off.

Doyle filled the slightly awkward pause. "So, you and he had a real
passion going, yeah ?" This time the nonchalance was obviously forced.

Angel had no difficulty picking it up. He appeared to give the question
some thought. "Hmm," he said finally, "Well let me see. I raped and
beat him savagely for twenty years or so, and he let me. I guess that
could pass for a 'passioniate fling' amongst our kind." His mouth twisted
in bitter recollection.

Doyle kicked himself mentally. "That wasn't you," he insisted. "I mean
that was the you then, but not the you now." He pulled a face, aware of
how little sense he was making. He tried again. "You didn't have your
soul then, of course you were a total bastard. You're not like that now."

Angel clutched his hand tightly. "No," he agreed, "I'm not, but it doesn't
undo what I did - to Will, to Penn...."

Doyle squeezed Angel's hand back almost as hard. "It doesn't seem like
Spike's holdin' it against yer. Maybe you should think about easing up
on yourself a little."

Angel offered him a weary smile. "Love you."

Doyle returned it. "Love you too."

They sat in silence again, this time it was welcome. Angel rubbed the
fine bones in Doyle's wrist with his thumb. Doyle eventually ventured
another question. "There's not much love lost between Spike and this
Penn character ?"

"Not much," Angel agreed. "I used to play them against one another,
stand back an watch the fun. It.." he paused, his voiced filled with self
loathing, "..it 'amused' me."

Doyle frowned. "Wasn't it kinda risky. What if one of 'em had dusted
the other one."

Angel shook his head. "I never let things go that far. I always stepped in
before they got out of hand."

Doyle looked thoughtful. "What about when you weren't there ? I mean
didn't you say that you and this 'Darla' had taken off before he did ?"

Dark eyes were troubled. "I don't know," Angel admitted. "I...I thought
something had happened. Spike and Dru were...'different' when I came
back."

"Maybe you should ask Spike ?" Doyle suggested. "If this guy's bearing
a grudge it'd be nice to know why when the bullets start flying." He
swallowed hard. "Will he come afta you ?"

Angel drew his hand away and sat back. "I don't know. If he finds out
I've...changed, he might." Dark eyes focused suddenly on Doyle. "If he
does he'll try to get to you first."

Doyle was alarmed and confused. "Why ?"

"Because that's what I taught him," said Angel flatly. "Torment your
victim before you take them. Destroy all that they love, rob them of
their reason and their sanity."

Doyle's eyes widened. "Xander."

"Both of you," said Angel. "Cordelia too. I want you all to get out of the
city until this thing blows over."

"Excuse me ?" Green eyes narrowed. "Let me get this straight. You want
us to skip town while you sort out Junior on your own ?"

"Spike-"

Doyle cut him off. "Yeah, Spike will probably hang about too. That's 
fair, considering he's the one this guy seems to be gunning for. But
there's no way in hell I'm packing my bags and takin' a trip."

"Doyle-" Angel still didn't get a chance to finish.

"-*No*. I'm staying, and I doubt very much that Xander will go for your
plan either."

Angel couldn't argue with that theory. He *could* try to make his own
lover see reason. "If Penn comes after me I don't want to be worrying
about you."

"*No way*," Doyle hissed, green eyes flashed. "You do not lay that guilt
crap on me. I can take care of myself. I don't need you watchin' out for
me." He took several deep breaths to calm himself. "Look at it this way.
If this was some psycho kid of mine, would you slip out the back door
and leave me to handle it alone ?"

Angel didn't answer. He didn't have to. "Okay," he said finally. "You
stay."

"Damn right," said Doyle. He stood up. "I'm gonna make some phone
calls. See if I can't get the heads up on this guy." He sighed. "Plus I'd
better find out if anything went down at those bars tonight. I don't want
'them' revoking your good guy status cos we're fallin' down on the job."
He turned to go.

Angel rose and caught his arm, pulling him back gently. He placed a
quick kiss on Doyle's lips. "Be careful," he whispered. "Penn isn't bright,
but he's cunning. I don't want him knowing you're asking questions."

"Don't worry. Careful's my middle name." Doyle paused. "Actually, just
between you and me, it'd be okay if it was. I mean, *Allan*. What was
'she' thinkin' ?" He gave a mock shudder. 

Angel smiled, kissed him again, and then released him. 

Doyle went into the outer office and started ringing round a few old
acquaintances. How hard could it be to track down a psychotic ex-
Puritan in a city like L.A. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
Okay, this could take a while.

Part Three  

A few hours later ~ a similar scene, with a different cast

"*No*." Xander's jaw was clenched tight enough to crack. He was still
pale, lines of pain creased his badly bruised forehead.

An extremely agitated Spike paced beside the bed. He ran a hand
through his hair. "Will you show some fuckin' sense. You've already had
your bloody head bashed in. Next time I'll probably get the message
written in your brains." Spike was employing the imploring technique -
not all that well it has to be said - and with less than joyous results. 

He was losing patience fast.

Xander remained resolute. "Read my lips - N O. I'm not going
anywhere. Not unless you come too."

Spike threw up his hands in disgust. "Oh, great plan, pet. Where did you
fancy going ? Mexico, Brazil, Europe maybe. I hear Italy's a great place
to die. They do have some amazing cemeteries." He glared. "Don't you
get it. He wants me. He will kill you. If we leave together, you're dead."

"I get it," Xander snapped back. His head was beginning to pound again;
the dull ache had never left. He decided to try a little soulful eyed
imploring of his own. "Why can't you just tell me what this is all about ?
Who is he ? Why does he hate you so much ? Is it something to do with
Dru ?" He was proud of himself for saying her name without so much as
a quiver.

Spike stopped pacing. "What's put that flamin' stupid idea in your 
head ?"

Xander regarded him through half-closed lids. "Because everything that
sets you off all wiggy seems to start with her." He decided to push his
luck. "So who is he, an old boyfriend ?"

Spike didn't answer directly. He sat down heavily on the end of the bed,
rummaging through his pockets for a smoke. "Let's just say he's bad
news, pet, eh, and leave it at that."

Xander didn't care for his lover's sombre tone. The bleak look in those
cold blue eyes was way too reminiscent of the night Spike had confided
his less than happy childhood. 

Xander had tried and failed to recall everything that had happened in
the underground car park. He remembered a cruel, mocking laugh and
glowing yellow eyes. That was about it...and his mind 'itched'. He knew
he'd forgotten something, probably something important. Unfortunately,
the blow to his head appeared to have shaken everything loose. His
memory was proving a limited source of information and Spike was
being less than forthcoming.

He shuffled down to the bottom of the bed. Ignoring the shrieking pain
inside his skull. He lay a hand on Spike's arm and drew his lover's
troubled gaze to him. "Please, Spike. Just tell me."

Spike stared at him silently for a moment, then looked away. He took a
long, hard drag on his cigarette and blew smoke rings across the room.
"His name's Penn. Angelus turned him before he did me and Dru.
We...didn't exactly 'get along'." Spike's mouth twitched and he smiled
bitterly.

Xander was aghast. "Angel made him ? !"

"Yep," said Spike with feigned indifference. "He's dear old daddy's
number one son."

"Does Angel know ? I mean that it was him," Xander asked.

Spike nodded and took another slow pull on his cigarette. "You were
babbling a bit when you were out of it. Muttered something about
'Sweet William'. That's what he called me."

"Penn ?"

Another terse nod.

Xander sat, quietly thoughtful. After a moment he asked, "Will he come
after you, even if you go somewhere else ?"

No answer.

"Spike ?" Xander's voice held a frantic note.

"Yeah, probably."

"Then *no way* am I leaving," said Xander fiercely. "*I'm* the guy he
tried to turn into a hood ornament, remember. I'm not letting him run
me out of Dodge while he comes after you."

"I can take him," said Spike sharply.

"Not a question," said Xander firmly, "but when you do, I want to be
there - to buy you a celebratory drink."

Blue eyes studied Xander's determined expression. He could force the
whelp to go, but where was safe ? Sunnydale - not bloody likely ! Cities
all over had their vampires and demons, their human killers. Plus, he
knew Penn. The stupid fuck was single-mindedly psychotic. If he had it
in his mind to take Xander out, Antarctica wouldn't be a safe bolt hole.
No, he'd keep the whelp close and take out Penn before the other
vampire could make his move. 

He smiled slightly. "J.D ?"

Xander pretended to be insulted. "Would I offer you anything less."

"-and I get to chain you up," Spike continued. He watched in rapt
fascination as Xander's adam apple bobbed.

"Any way you like," said Xander hoarsely.

Spike leaned in close, their lips brushed. "Then you do me," he
whispered.

"Deal.."

"Promise ?"

"Promise," said Xander.

Spike kissed him."Contrary brat."

Xander kissed him back. "Bossy git." He pulled back a little. "Much as I
am enjoying this, I really need some pain-killers."

Spike's face tightened in concern. "You all right." He stabbed out his
cigarette on the bedstead and stroked Xander's fringe back tenderly.
"You don't feel sick, or dizzy, or something ?"

Xander winced. "Definitely 'something.'" He met Spike's worried gaze
and managed a small smile to try and ease his lover's concern. "I'm fine
honest. It's just a headache. Fighting was probably a bad move."

Spike looked somewhat taken aback. "We weren't fighting."

"Okay, discussing things in raised voices," said Xander wearily.
"Whatever. It's just brought back my headache, okay."

Spike nodded. "Fine, I'll see if Peaches has something." He stood and
very gently manoeuvred Xander to lie back on the bed. "You stay here
and rest. I'll bring 'em."

Xander smiled. "Thank you," he said simply.

Spike hesitated, then bent down and placed a light kiss on Xander's
cheek. He was gone before Xander could open his eyes.


*******************************************

When the bathroom cabinet failed to yield anything useful, Spike 
went through into the kitchen and began rummaging through the
drawers and cupboards.

"Looking for something ?"

Spike spun around to face his Sire. "Pain-killers," he muttered sullenly.

Angel went over to the end cupboard and drew down the medical box,
he took out a bottle of pain-killers and handed them to Spike. "How's he
doing ?"

"He has a killer headache and a lump the size of a duck egg, but he'll
live," said Spike accepting the bottle.

Angel opened the fridge door and withdrew a packet of blood, after a
slight pause he picked up a second one and held it out to Spike.

"Warm it up for us," said Spike, "I'll just take the whelp his pills."

With a sigh of annoyance, Angel set about heating up the blood while
Spike disappeared into the bedroom. He returned a moment later. 

"Okay ?" Angel asked.

Spike nodded tersely and sat down. Angel took the chair opposite and
slid a cup of warmed blood across the table to his childe. They drank in
silence. 

Once he'd finished, Spike glanced up from his mug. "He won't go 
either ?"

Angel shook his head.

Spike 'tsked' in disgust. "I should just turn the bloody whelp, least then
he'd do as he's bleedin' told."

"You didn't," said Angel.

Spike shrugged. "I did sometimes."

"Hmm," said Angel non-committally. "More often than not when it
suited you."

Spike smiled slyly. "That's what made you hot for me. Cos I wouldn't
always do what I was bloody told. You liked it when I was bad, so you
could 'punish' me."

Angel squirmed slightly. "Maybe," he admitted, "but you pushed me too
far sometimes."

"I did," Spike agreed, his smile stretched a little wider, "and sometimes
it was worth it."

There was a charged pause; the air seemed to crackle between them.

Angel spoke. "You know I-"

Spike cut him off, "-yeah, I know."

Silence stretched out once more, but the tension had eased.

Angel took their mugs over to the sink, he put them to soak and
returned to his chair. "What happened, Will ?" he asked quietly.

Spike didn't answer at once. Then he gave a half-shrug. "We had a
falling out. He took off."

"A falling out ?" Angel repeated. "Over Dru ?"

Spike swore violently. "Why the fuck does everyone assume this has to
do with Dru. It doesn't, all right. Not a bleedin' thing. She had no part
in
it."

"Fair enough," said Angel calmly. "It has nothing to do with her. So
what is all this about ?"

Spike shot him a disgusted look. "Even you're not *that* bloody blind."

A moments confusion; an instant later realisation. "Me," Angel guessed,
dismayed.

"There's a bit more to it than that, but yeah, that's pretty much the 
crux of it." Spike slumped back in his chair. "He was all pissy cos I 
was flavour of the month."

"You were much more than that and you know it," said Angel softly.

Spike looked uncomfortable. "Whatever," he muttered.

Angel stood up and walked over to stand in front of his childe. He
tipped Spike's head back gently. "I turned you because I wanted you.
What I felt was tainted by what I was, but it didn't make it less true. I
loved you, Will - with my demon and my human aspect."

Spike blinked. "And now ?" he asked, his voice rough.

"I've changed," said Angel quietly. "I have my soul. I'm no longer
crippled by the darkness that resides in me. I can control it."

Spike jerked his head free and looked away. "Well bloody bally hoo for
you, mate."

Angel simply reached out and caught hold of Spike's chin, drawing his
gaze back. "*I've* changed," he repeated,"but what I feel for you hasn't.
I still love you, Will. For as long as I exist I'll love you." There was
silence as gold-edged eyes regarded him warily. 

Finally Spike said, "You love him too,"

"Yes."

"Does he know how things are ?" Spike asked uncertainly. He wasn't
that sure himself any more. 

Angel stroked his childe's jaw gently. "His vampire Lore's a little rusty,
but he has the gist of it, and he picks things up fast."

"He might not like this," Spike warned. "I mean, Xander understands,
but he's-"

"-different," Angel finished. "I know, and if Doyle doesn't like it,
nothing happens. It won't change how I feel-"

"-but no fuckin'," said Spike crudely.

"No fucking," Angel echoed. "I won't see him hurt."

"Even if it hurts us ?" Spike despised the whine in his voice.

"You're my childe," said Angel, "but he's my lover."

Spike understood. Angel loved Doyle and would allow nothing to
intrude into that relationship; but they had a bond too - one forged in a
dark, fog drenched alley way more than a century ago. Nothing could
destroy it - not even them. Even without the sex. "I guess I can deal," he
said simply.

Angel smiled and brushed his thumb across Spike's lips. "Get some rest,
we'll talk some more about Penn tomorrow."

"Great," said Spike unenthusiastically.

"We need to deal with him," said Angel. "You know what he's like."

"Yeah, a real chip off the old psycho block."

Angel didn't argue. "Exactly. He knows you're here. He'll hunt you
down."

"Yeah, and more than likely he'll soon be looking for you too. You're
not exactly low profile here, peaches," Spike pointed out. 

Angel smiled coldly. "Then we'd better be ready to greet him properly
when he arrives."

Spike answered with his own cruel smirk.

Part Four  

"Why do I feel like I've slipped back in time," Doyle grumbled as he
gave his pillow another thump; since Spike and Xander had the bed, he
and Angel had been obliged to take the floor. Blankets and pillows did
not add much to the comfort factor.

Angel arched an eyebrow at him questioningly. 

Doyle glanced across at his lover. "What ? You never had sleep-overs
back in the age of yore ?"

Angel thought about it. "Yeah, we did....sort of. I mean, I stayed out
sometimes. Usually when I was too drunk to get home," he admitted.

Doyle turned onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow. "Oh,
yeah. When you were out seducing all them poor, simple, helpless
maidens." Green eyes held a teasing glint.

"Hey," Angel defended. "Most of them were about as simple and
helpless as feral cats."

"Hmm, bet they scratched too." Doyle smirked and then sighed as the
hard floor began to make his elbow ache. "Course," he added, "the thing
about sleeping on the floor when you're a kid is it seems like a good
idea." He gave a surprised yelp as strong arms suddenly lifted him, and
he found himself draped along Angel's body.

"Better ?" The vampire asked.

Doyle felt the long hard contours stretched out beneath his own and
gave a boneless shudder. "Yeah," he said huskily. He lay his head down
upon the smooth expanse of chest.

"What are you doing ?"

Doyle raised his head slightly. "Going to sleep ?" The innocent tone
didn't quite match the playful tilt of his mouth.

Angel gave a mock growl and dragged Doyle close to capture that too
tempting mouth. Tongues and lips mingled with a slow, wet heat. The
kiss deepened and they began to move together, limbs tangled, bodies
aligned. Each felt the other's answering hardness. 

Doyle broke the kiss to draw a ragged breath. He glanced toward the
closed bedroom door. "What about...?"

"They're not invited," said Angel, turning them easily so he now covered
the smaller man.

Doyle gasped and arched up against his lover. "That's not what ..
I..meant," he said a touch breathlessly.

"I know," said Angel softly, kissing his way along a sharp collar bone.
He moved lower, nuzzling the soft hair that covered Doyle's chest,
inhaling the blood-warm scent of his lover's body. "They won't bother
us."

"How can you be so su-" Doyle stopped. "Oh." His expression was
slightly incredulous. "You can hear them ?"

Angel raised his head and grinned wickedly. "Well Spike's quite ..
er...vocal."

"Oh man, I did *not* want to know that," said Doyle. 

However, Angel had felt the younger man's erection twitch as he'd
mentioned Spike. Doyle wasn't quite as disinterested as he claimed. He
filed that information away for later and continued his leisurely journey
down Doyle's body, delighting in the soft gasps and breathy moans. He
tugged experimentally on a nipple, drawing the sensitive peak into his
mouth and swirling his tongue around it.

"Oh, god..Angel..." 

Angel smiled and continued to suckle gently, until Doyle was writhing
beneath him, murmuring nonsensically. He eventually released the
pebbled flesh and turned his attentions to its impatient twin, lathing it
with broad strokes of his tongue. Doyle grasped his head, fingers
winding tightly through his hair. Angel gave the nipple one last loving
lick and kissed his way down his lover's belly.

"Ohhhhh..." 

Doyle cried out as Angel took him into his mouth; it would seem that
evil cockney vampires weren't the only highly vocal lovers. He drew
him in deeply, caressing the rigid length with wet strokes of his tongue.
Doyle murmured and thrust upward gently. Angel was alarmed when
Doyle suddenly pleaded for him to stop, and he did so immediately.

"Not...not yet," said Doyle, "Don't want to come yet."

The knot of unease unravelled and Angel moved back up his lover's
body to look into slightly glazed green eyes. "What do you want ?" he
asked.

"You," Doyle whispered. "I want you."

Before Angel could ask exactly what he meant, Doyle withdrew
something from underneath the pillow and pressed it into his hand. It
was a small vial of oil. "Are...are you sure ?" he croaked.

Doyle took hold of his other hand and placed it between his legs. "That's
how sure I am," he said softly.

Angel felt the hardness twitch beneath his palm. He nodded mutely and
sat up. With shaking hands he opened the vial and poured out a palm
full of the richly scented oil. Almost dizzy with desire he watched as
Doyle pushed aside the blankets and rolled over onto his belly. Angel
let his eyes travel along his lover's lean body, taking in the smooth,
swell of gently curved buttocks. 

He reached out and swept oiled fingers over one firm globe; the muscle
tightened beneath his touch. He quickly grabbed a pillow and tucked it
beneath Doyle's body; he was too aroused to draw this out much longer.
Panting slightly, trying to calm himself, Angel drizzled a little more of
the oil along Doyle's back. Then he set the bottle aside and began to
massage his lover's back in broad, sweeping strokes. 

"Oh, god," Doyle groaned. "That feels amazing."

Angel continued to rub oil slicked fingers along his lover's back and
shoulders, before moving his hands down to massage Doyle's buttocks.
He trailed one finger along the crease, enjoying the breathy little moans 
his touch elicited. Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer. Taking the
rest of the oil he poured half onto Doyle and the rest over his own
straining flesh. 

He closed his eyes as he rubbed it into his erection, he was walking the
knife edge of desire and felt the slightest touch might push him over.
When Doyle turned and tried to touch him, Angel very gently pushed
his hand away. "Too...close," he warned.

Doyle's eyes widened and he nodded, turning back over. 

Angel drew the oil on Doyle's body down between his buttocks, guiding
it toward the tight opening. With the utmost care he eased an oil slicked
finger past the ring of muscle, opening and stretching his lover for what
was to come. Doyle responded by relaxing his body, rocking back
gently onto Angel's hand.

"Now, Angel..please..now," Doyle murmured feverishly.

Angel quickly positioned himself; gripping the slender hips with one
hand he guided his erection forward with the other. Doyle hissed as
Angel breached the opening to his body and Angel stopped at once.
After what seemed an agony of waiting, Doyle rocked his hips again
slightly, signalling he was ready. Angel pushed and felt himself being
drawn deeper into the satin heat of his lover's body. He didn't stop until
he had sunk all the way in, his belly resting against Doyle's buttocks.

They were both trembling with the closeness of this new connection.
For a timeless moment, neither of them moved. Then Angel pulled back
and pushed forward with the first thrust. Doyle responded by raising
himself up on shaky arms, driving himself back onto Angel's erection,
impaling himself even deeper.

That was all it took to shatter the fragile control they'd been clinging
to.
With a gasp Angel grabbed Doyle's slender hips and began to piston in
and out. Doyle met him thrust for thrust, until with a shuddering cry he
came. Angel's own release followed straight after, as satin slick muscles
tightened around him, milking his seed from his body. They both
collapsed shivering onto the pile of tangled blankets. 

Angel withdrew and turned Doyle around to face him, and they pulled
each other close. Doyle raised his hand and traced the ridges around
glowing golden eyes. His fingers slipped lower, stroking across Angel's
lips, touching the point of a needle sharp fang.

"Spike bit Xander," he said softly.

"Yes," said Angel hoarsely.

"Will you ever bite me, or does demon blood taste bad ?" 

Gold never wavered from wide green, as Angel slowly nipped the end
of Doyle's finger, lapping up the rich red droplet that appeared.
"Sweet,"he murmured.

Doyle was breathing hard. "Again."

Angel turned the hand toward him and nuzzled the palm before sinking
his fangs into the fleshy base of Doyle's thumb. Doyle's breath caught
and he watched raptly as his lover fed from him. A warmth blossomed
outwards, spiralling around his body, making tired flesh twitch and
stirring the embers of his arousal. "Oh," he gasped.

Angel raised his head and looked at him, lips stained scarlet. Doyle
hesitated, then he leaned forward and very carefully kissed him, tasting
the sharp coppery tang of his own blood. Then another taste assaulted
him, one so rich and hot he instinctively deepened the kiss to take more
of it; some distant part of him knew it was Angel's blood. He felt no
revulsion, only a desire for more, and he murmured with protest when
Angel broke the kiss.

"Not too much," Angel cautioned.

Doyle understood and simply moved back into his lover's embrace. He
closed his eyes and listened to the sound of his own breathing.

Angel lay in silence.

****************************************************

<Bloody Hell> Spike grumbled mentally and tired to burrow his head
deeper into the pillows. It did little to muffle the sounds of vigorous
lovemaking beyond the door. When they eventually climaxed he gave a
sigh of relief - though his body was now coiled tighter than a whip
snake's. He sighed heavily.

"Mmmph ?" came the sleepy mumble from by his side.

"Sssh, it's all right, luv. Go back to sleep."

Xander apparently needed no second bidding and Spike sighed again. It
didn't help that he'd been thoughtful enough to assist the boy out of his
clothing before they'd settled down. Lying next to a naked Xander was
doing nothing to calm his libido. 

After a moment or two he caught the edge of the blanket and raised it
slightly, peering at his lover's recumbent form. Who'd have thought
those baggy, geeky clothes were hiding *that*. He lowered the blanket
reluctantly and released another long sigh.

"You know, if you just crawled over here and fucked me, we could both
get some rest."

Spike turned his head sharply, meeting his lover's bemused expression.

"You didn't know I was awake ?" Xander asked, somewhat surprised.

Spike looked mildly irritated. "Wasn't checking, was I," he muttered.
Truth be told, he'd been so busy listening to the boy's gentle breathing
and the rhythmic 'thud..thud' of his heart, he hadn't really given a
thought to whether the whelp was awake or not. He was alive, that was
all that mattered.

"So much for those infallible vamp senses," Xander teased.

Spike growled.

"Aww, don't be mad," Xander taunted gently. "Play nice and I'll let you
nail me to the mattress."

Spike moved so suddenly Xander didn't have chance to draw breath
before he found himself pinned beneath the vampire's unyielding body.
"Woah," he gasped. "I take it back. Vamp mode is up and operational"
He frowned when Spike released him and moved away slightly. 
"What ?"

The vampire regarded him uneasily."You just headbutted a car, pet. I
don't think-"

"-so don't think, fuck," Xander cut in.

An eyebrow arched elegantly. "Wash that mouth out with soap," said
Spike leaning back over him.

"Try it," said Xander, brown eyes glittered.

"You're daring me ?" Spike sounded both incredulous and bemused.

"Nope," said Xander. "I'm trying to get you to fuck me."

Spike's mouth widened into a feline grin. "You sure you're up to it ?"

Xander smirked back at him. "Oh, I don't intend to do anything too
strenuous. I thought I'd just lie here and let you do all the work." He
kicked the sheets and blankets off his body.

The heat in gold-blue eyes went up several notches. Spike stroked a
hand down Xander's chest, pausing at his belly, before wrapping his
fingers around Xander's semi-erect flesh. "Sure ?" he asked, a flicker of
doubt still residing in his gaze.

Xander banished it by bucking his hips into Spike's hand. "Sure and
getting surer by the minute." He begged, "Spike *please*," and cool
fingers closed around his awakening flesh and began to stroke it gently.
"Oh..yesss." 

Despite his very evident desire, Xander wasn't being one hundred
percent truthful with his lover. His head still hurt, not with the same
violent pounding as before, but with a dull nagging ache. However, he
needed this and he knew that Spike did too. They'd nearly lost each
other tonight - yet again. Too many times. It was becoming almost
wearisome. He didn't want to think of it. He didn't want to think about
some seriously pissed off demon hunting his lover. He didn't want to
think about Willow, and Buffy, and Giles worrying about him. He didn't
want to think about his family - not worrying about him.

He just wanted to lose himself in the feel of Spike's hands, stroking,
holding, touching. The soft satin of the vampire's lips as they ghosted
over his skin. The taste of them as they pressed gently against his own;
a chilled tongue sliding between, teasing and arousing, stoking the fire
beneath his skin into a desperate conflagration.

"Spike," he murmured sweetly into the kiss. "Soon, please...soon." He
was already so close, and so tired. He wanted his lover inside him,
filling him, taking him. He wanted the closeness that could only come
from this.

As always, Spike seemed to know exactly what he needed. The vampire
brought out the bottle of oil from under the bed. Uncorking it carefully,
he poured out a handful. "Turn over, luv."

"No," Xander didn't shake his head, but his expression was clear. "I
want to see you," he said insistently.

Spike hesitated and then nodded. "Lift you legs up," he said hoarsely.

Xander obeyed, drawing them up against his chest. He sighed with
pleasure as Spike's skilful fingers tenderly prepared him. 

"Ready, pet ?"

"Yes," said Xander breathlessly.

Spike positioned himself and pushed forward; he eased in slowly, the
barest fraction at a time. Xander panted, eyes wide, aroused almost
beyond the point of bearing. "Spike," he implored softly. 

Spike refused to be hurried, sinking in millimetre by millimetre until he
was finally flush with Xander's buttocks.

Xander lay, eyes closed, breathing hard. 

"Okay, pet ?"

The tiniest of nods.

Spike responded by retaking hold of Xander's erection, circling his
fingers around it in a firm, but gentle grip. Then he began to thrust.
Xander's eyes flew open. Their gazes locked as Spike slid in and out of
the tight, slick channel. Xander raised his arms above his head, fingers
tightly clutching the iron bedstead. Spike quickened the pace, thrusting
harder and deeper. Xander's breathing quickened as the pressure built,
crying out as the rush of his release tore through him. He arched up
gasping as his seed spilled out between their bodies.

Spike continued to thrust, the tempo now ragged and frantic, until he
too came with a howl that rang through the apartment. He slipped free
of his lover and lay down beside him, drawing Xander into his arms.
"You....you..okay ?"

"Mmm," Xander answered weakly, too drained to do more than nuzzle
closer.

They entwined around one another. Xander was asleep within minutes.
Spike closed his eyes, but stayed aware - monitoring his lover closely,
lulled by the beat of Xander's heart and the steady pulse of blood
flowing beneath his warm skin.

*********************************************

Outside in the quiet of the next room. Doyle lay back against his lover's
chest."You weren't kiddin' me about the noise," he said. "Does he
always howl like that ?"

"Pretty much," said Angel, amused by the half-demon's surprised tone.

"Well, just so as you remember. Princess is due back from her 
shopping trip tomorrow. If Blondie's staying a while, you might want 
to be thinking about getting some better soundproofing."

<Cordelia> Angel groaned inwardly. He'd completely forgotten.
"What," he began hesitantly, "I mean, what do you want to tell her ?"

"About Spike ? !"

"About us," Angel corrected quietly.

"Oh." Doyle paused. "Well, she pretty much knows how I feel. So long
as you assure her that the 'happy thing' ain't a worry, I can't see her
having trouble with it."

"You want to tell her ?" Angel tried to hide his hopefulness.

"Well sure." Doyle sat up again and looked at him. "Unless you don't
want to ?" There was a hurt edge to the younger man's voice.

"No, I mean *yes*. I do. I want to tell her," said Angel quickly.

Doyle nodded. "Good, that's settled then. I'll let you do the honours."

"What ? !"

"Well, she is your employee, and you have known her longer-"

"-and you already know her better than me," Angel cut in. "I can't even
tell if she's wearing new shoes."

"So ? Check her feet before you tell her," Doyle teased.

Angel shot him a pained look.

"All right," said Doyle. "How's about we both tell her."

That sounded much better to Angel's ears. "Deal," he agreed.

"What about Spike and Xander. I mean, if they're joining the workforce
she's gonna have to know about them sooner or later."

"How much later do you think we could make it ?" Angel asked.

Doyle pinched his arm gently. "No dice. We can't chicken out of this.
She deserves to know." He smiled. "However, I think Spike and Xander
can handle there side of things."

"Spike ? Maybe not wisest choice," Angel advised. 

"So, Xander then. They were friends, heck they dated for a while."
Doyle thought about that last part. "How messy was their break up."

"It was pretty...tense," said Angel.

"Okay," Doyle sighed. "We'll sit her down and tell her the whole deal.
Us, Spike, Xander, everything."

"Okay," said Angel reluctantly.

"Let's get some sleep," said Doyle yawning loudly. "I think tomorrow
maybe a less than restful day."

Angel silently agreed and wound himself around his lover. He tried not
to think about Penn, or Cordelia....or what was probably happening
back in Sunnydale. All he wanted to do was take his lover and retire to
bed - *his* bed - for say....the next few months or so. He sighed and
buried his nose in Doyle's silky hair. Okay, as soon as this was settled
that's what he was going to do. Spike could find his own place and
hopefully take all his troubles with him.

Angel sighed again. Who was he trying to fool, Spike was his childe.
Whatever troubles came after the younger vampire he would always be
there, to watch his unruly offspring's back - or pick him up off the floor.
He frowned, what could have happened all those years ago to make
Penn desert their 'family'. Spike was hiding something, that much was
certain. Angel decided he'd better find out what - before it blew up in
their faces. 

Part Five  

Xander wandered through into the kitchen, lured by the smell of
cooking eggs and bacon. Angel was by the stove. Doyle was seated at
the table scribbling in a dog-eared note-pad. Still only half awake,
Xander didn't notice their lingering appraisal of his boxer clad body.
When he sat down they withdrew their gazes. "Morning." He yawned
and dragged his hands through his hair, ruffling it up in all directions.

"How's the head ?" Doyle asked.

Xander opened his mouth to answer, winced, and re-phrased what he
was going to say. "Still attached," he offered. 

"Breakfast ?" Angel motioned toward the pan of scrambled eggs.

Xander's eyes lit up. "Would it be very damaging to my wounded hero
status if I said yes ?"

Angel smiled and heaped up a plate with hot buttery toast, eggs, and
bacon. He placed it on the table in front of Xander, who began eating
before Angel let go. 

Doyle exchanged an amused glance with his lover. Clearly Xander was
well on the road to recovery. "Where's Spike ?"

"Hmm ?" said Xander around a mouthful of toast. "Oh, he's still in bed.
He muttered something about it being 'unnatural' - sleeping at night and
getting up during the day."

Doyle smirked at Angel. "Seems you're a bad influence on 'im."

Angel handed the young man his breakfast. "The day *I* lead Spike
astray, I'll stake myself," he deadpanned.

"Is that a promise ?" Spike silently entered the kitchen. Yanking the
fridge door open he took out a packet of blood and tore it open with his
teeth. Then he grabbed a mug, and took a seat next to Xander. The
others watched with a combination of disgust and fascination as he
emptied the blood into the mug, pilfered a slice of toast from Xander's
plate, and then proceeded to dunk the latter into it. He hadn't taken more
than three bites when he stopped and raised his head, his features tense.

Xander noticed at once, and felt a stab of unease when he saw Angel
and Doyle were showing similar reactions. "What ?" he asked. None of
them answered, but another voice supplied the reason.

"Well this is cozy."

Xander stood up so quickly his chair toppled over. "B-Buffy."

The young woman descended the stairs, keeping her cross-bow trained
on the table. Spike got up, growling low in the back of his throat. Angel
glanced at him warningly. Xander instantly moved to stand in front of
his lover - effectively blocking Buffy's shot. 

Doyle had gone several shades paler than normal, his gaze flickering
anxiously between the Slayer and his lover.

"Well, hey, Buff," Xander babbled nervously. "I didn't know you were
planning a trip to L.A."

"I wasn't," said Buffy coolly, "but then I had an interesting little chat
with Riley last night and I thought I'd swing by. You know, just to see
how things are." She smiled tightly. "By the way, Willow sends her
love. Oh and Giles sends this." She threw something toward Xander.

Both vampires twitched in readiness. Xander caught the object on
reflex. Angel winced and looked away. Spike swore violently. It was a
simple silver cross. Xander smiled back at her, but his eyes were hard.
"Gee, Buffy. Tell Giles thanks, but it really isn't the thing to be seen
with in L.A this season - you know how fickle fashions are in the city."
He threw it back to her.

She let it land at her feet. "Since when did you follow fashion ? Come
to think of it, when did you decide to start being roomies with 
vampires ?"

"Buffy-" Angel began.

She cut him off, "Shut up. " Agitated she pinned Xander with her gaze
"Xander ?"

Xander remained silent. When Spike tried to step around him he held
out an arm to block the vampire's path. Spike stayed. 

Buffy took in her friend's extreme pallor, the dark shadows, and the
alarming bruise discolouring his forehead. Her eyes narrowed. "Riley
said you were unhurt when you left Sunnydale; though you look better
than I expected. I'm thinking you're still you, since crosses don't give
you the sizzle factor." She took a step forward, "but something is still
weird here." She shrugged. "Aside from this cozy little scene."

Xander swallowed hard. Clearly Buffy's Slayer senses were picking up
on his 'connection' to Spike. Though he was pretty damn sure she had no
idea what it meant. "I'm fine, Buffy," he said quietly.

"Really ?" she replied, her voice thick with sarcasm. "Cos here I am
thinking that a 'fine' Xander probably wouldn't be sat munching yummy
eggs and bacon with 'Dead-boy' and Spike."

"Buffy, why don't you put down the cross-bow and let Xander speak."

Buffy pretended to think about. "Hmm.....Nope, don't think so. You see
Riley supplied me with another interesting tit-bit. He said that Xander
left with two vampires who called themselves ~ Spike and *Angelus*."
She brought her cross-bow to bear on him. "Except, I'm not getting
those sick psycho vibes from you. Why is that ?"

"Buffy, *p..please*." Xander's voice caught and Buffy backed off
slightly, her expression concerned and confused. "Can we talk ?" he
pleaded.

"We'll go upstairs," Angel offered. He knew that Xander was in no
danger from his ex-lover.

Spike wasn't convinced. "*Upstairs ?*" he repeated incredulously," and
leave him alone with the bloody bitch ? Not a fuckin' chan-"

"-Will," Angel cut him off sharply.

"I'll be fine," Xander assured his lover.

Spike hesitated, clearly torn between what his lover wanted and the
desire to tear the Slayer's throat out. He eventually gave a terse nod and
moved toward Angel. 

The older vampire smiled at Xander. "Okay ?" he asked gently.

Xander offered him a faint smile in return and nodded.

"We'll be in the office," said Angel. The unspoken message was clear ~
we'll be close if you need us. He lay a hand on Doyle's shoulder and the
young man stumbled to his feet. The three walked toward the stairs.
Buffy stepped aside to let them pass, still holding her cross-bow on
them. Spike shot her a look of intense loathing and made a move toward
her. Angel grabbed him by the collar and hauled him up the stairs.

**********************************************

Xander and Buffy were left alone in a tense, awkward silence.

"Er...is it okay if I ..erm...put some clothes on first ?" Xander asked. He
really didn't want to have this conversation wearing nothing but a pair
of Angel's boxers.

Buffy actually blushed slightly. "Oh sure," she said quickly, lowering
her cross bow. "I'll just ..erm....wait in here." 

Xander gave a quick nod of gratitude and darted into the bedroom. He 
hadn't had the opportunity (or the funds) to buy any clothes for himself.
He hoped that Buffy wouldn't recognize the clothes as Angel's. He came
back out and joined her in the kitchen. She was peering into Spike's
mug - where a piece of blood sodden toast was very slowly sinking.

He took the chair across from her and sat down. "So, Buff-" he began.

She cut him off, "-Xander what are you doing ?"

"Huh ?"

Her face was intently serious. "Why are you here, Xander ? Riley...he
said that Spike's chip's been deactivated ?"

Xander wiped damp palms along his thighs. "Well...er...yeah."

She stared at him. "Then what are you thinking ? He'll kill you, or turn
you, or-"

"-NO." Xander lowered his voice when she blinked at him startled. "He
won't," he finished quietly. His words carried a tone of utter conviction.

"Xander-"

"Please, Buffy." Xander sighed and ran his hand over the back of his
neck. The muscles were wound tight enough to ache. "There's....there's
some stuff I have to tell you."

She chewed her lip thoughtfully, face tight with concern. Then she
nodded. "Okay, go ahead."

Xander swallowed hard. Where on earth could he start ? ! "I....You
know when I was captured by the Oenan ?"

She nodded again.

"Spike...he....he was really good about it," said Xander. "He made
something that could have been really horrible-" he shrugged helplessly
"-Well, he made it 'good'."

Buffy looked lost. "He made being captured by the Oenan good ?" she
said slowly.

"No." Xander was frustrated by his own inability to explain. "He...We
had to do some stuff to get away from them. He made it..enjoyable." He
saw the tiny furrow that settled between her eyes but he carried on. This
had to be said. "After..we..Well, we kind of 'hit it off'."

"'Hit it off'," Buffy repeated. There was no mistaking the disbelief in her
voice.

"Yeah," said Xander hoarsely. He took a sip from Doyle's 
abandoned mug, swilling the cold coffee around his mouth. "We talked
and..erm...things.." He drew in a shaky breath. "Then he got recaptured
by the Initiative." 

Xander couldn't hide the horror in his voice. Memories assaulted him ~
discovering Spike's disappearance, Spike screaming and writhing in the
scientists lab, the Locksaw. He shook himself and looked back across
the table. Buffy was regarding him strangely.

"Why are you here, Xander ?" Her voice was flat, almost eerily so.

He took a deep breath. "I'm in love with him."

Buffy didn't move, she didn't even blink.

"I'm in love with Spike," Xander continued boldly, "and he's in love
with me."

One corner of Buffy's mouth curled up in a sad, disbelieving smile.
"This is where I wake up, right ?" she murmured. "This is one of those
funny dreams-" She stopped when he reached across the table and took
hold of her hand. 

He shook his head. "Not a dream, Buff." He pinched her hand gently.
"See, you're awake."

She pulled her hand away and wrapped her arms around herself. "No."
She shook her head in blank denial, talking more to herself than to him.
"No. This *is* a dream. This...Things like this don't happen. You're.."
She focused on him. "You're not gay." She sounded stunned.

He gave a nervous laugh. "Actually, I think maybe I am." He took pity
on her obvious bewilderment. "That's not really the issue-"

"-Not the issue ?" Buffy shook her head in disbelief. "Xander, you like
girls. Remember ? Willow, *Cordelia*...*Me* - remember how you
liked me ?"

He gave her a sad little smile. "I remember," he said softly. "I think they
call it sublimation or something."

She stared at him nonplused.

Xander tried to explain. "I chased you because I was supposed to. You
were new and pretty and hot." He blushed. "I mean...I mean..." He took
another deep breath, trying to steady himself. "It was like 'me boy', 'you
girl'. I just sort of pointed myself in that direction and went. I didn't
try
to think too hard about whether or not it was where I really wanted to
go. When...when Larry confided in me that he was...gay. I kinda
freaked. I guess I knew then that maybe I was going the wrong way," he
looked at Buffy, his gaze distraught, "I didn't want it to be the wrong
way, Buff. I didn't want to be like him."

She reached across and took hold of his hand. "But you are," she
whispered softly.

He nodded. "Yeah. I am. I mean I can look at a girl and think *woah*
she's hot, but not all the lights come on." He flushed.

"And with Spike they do ?" She looked torn between horror and
incredulity.

Xander smiled. "Yeah, they do." <*Do they ever*> he thought silently.

"Xander, he's-"

"-an evil soulless vampire," Xander finished for her. "Yeah, I know."

"Then how..." Her voice trailed off.

"He's...He's different with me," said Xander simply. "He cares for me.
He's even given up those big binge meals." Xander indicated the mug.
"That's cows blood," he frowned, "or maybe it's pigs ?"

"Let me get this straight," said Buffy. "Spike's told you he's stopped
killing."

"No," said Xander. "He'll still kill. I know that. I might be in love, 

but I'm not being all dumb and gushy about this. He just won't kill
indiscriminately any more. He...We're working for Angel. This is 
L.A. Bad guys by the bus load."

Buffy picked up on the last part. "You're working for Angel ? !"

"Yeah, *he* seems to think I'm good at this demon stuff." Xander was
unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

She stared at him. "*That's* what this is about ? We didn't appreciate
you enough or something, so you run off to L.A and move in with the
bad guys ?"

Xander frowned at her. "Since when did Angel become a 'bad guy',
Buffy. You know he's not Angelus."

"No he's 'Dead boy'," she spat. "The guy who's guts you hate remember.
What happened to all that ~ 'we can't trust him, he's a vampire' ~ crap ?"

A flash of pain darted across Xander's face. "I was wrong," he said
hoarsely. "What ?" he looked at her accusingly, "You're never wrong ?"

Her mouth tightened. "No, sometimes I'm wrong. Sometimes I think
people are one thing and they turn out to be something else."

"Buffy-" Xander began plaintively.

She cut him off brusquely "-I got the late coach here. There's another
one leaving in a couple of hours. I bought you a ticket."

"I'm not going."

"Xander-"

"-No," said Xander bluntly. "I....I meant to write and explain. I'm sorry
that you were worried, and I'm sorry that you had to come all the way
out here. But I'm not going back, Buffy. Not now-" he sucked in a sharp
breath "-not ever."

Tears filled her eyes, though her mouth remained a thin hard line.
"Xander, you can't-"

"-Why ?" Xander leapt to his feet. "Why can't I stay ? Why can't I be
happy ? Is there some unknown Slayer rule that says Slayerettes can't
have love lives ? You have. You've got Riley. You're happy. Well I'm
happy here and I'm staying. So if you want me to go, you're gonna have
to use that cross bow on me. Because death is the only way I'll ever
leave him." He stood facing her slightly breathless, his hands clenched
into fists.

Buffy stared at him. "You love him," she whispered.

Confused he frowned at her. "I already said-"

"You really love him," she continued as though he hadn't spoken. Her
eyes were round and wondrous.

Xander caught on quickly. She finally saw it. "Yeah, I really love him."
Buffy looked away, obviously trying to gather her thoughts. Xander sat
back down. "I didn't mean it to happen. It just...it just did." 

He sighed and tried to think how he could make this easier for her to
understand. "You know when you're certain something is going to
happen, or something is just..well...screwy ?"

She looked at him.

"-and even Giles can't talk you out of believing it," Xander continued.
"All your Slayer senses are going wiggy and you just *know* that you're
right."

Buffy nodded mutely.

"That's how this is," said Xander. "It wouldn't matter if you, or Giles, or
Willow, or any one said ~ *No* *Bad* ~ because here," he touched his
chest. "Here *I* know it's right. To *me* it feels right."

Buffy stared thoughtfully at him. After a moment or two she smiled, a
touch sadly. "You'll be careful ?"

Xander released a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Y-yes."

"You'll phone every day," she continued, "and write to Willow once a
week."

"Buffy-"

"*Every* day."

"Every other day ?"

She hesitated. "All right." Her gaze was serious. "If you need me. You
ring okay. Ring me at home, or ring Giles, or Willow, but *ring*. I'll get
here."

He felt the knot of tension in his gut melt away as she spoke. "Thank
you," he said softly.

She stood up, and walked around the table. He stood too and she threw
her arms around him and hugged him hard. "Be careful," she whispered.

He buried his face in her soft hair. "I will," he promised. "I will."

Part Six  

Angel was attempting to calm down his wild-eyed offspring when Buffy
entered the office. Three pale faces turned to her. She looked at Angel.
"We need to talk."

He nodded. Spike's lip curled in anger. Angel could feel the waves 
of hostility emanating from his childe and he tried to diffuse the
situation before it got any uglier. "Spike, go and check on Xander." 

Blue-gold eyes glared. 

"Doyle, go with him," Angel added gently.

Doyle nodded unhappily and headed toward the lift. Spike gave the
Slayer one last venomous look and then stomped after the half-demon.
Angel waited until he heard the rattle of the metal cage descending then
he turned back to address Buffy. "Would you like something to drink ?"

"No, I'm fine." She walked away from him, arms wrapped tightly
around herself. After a few paces she stopped and spun round. "This 
is real ? Spike and Xander are-" she broke off.

"Together," Angel supplied helpfully. "Yeah, it's real."

"How long have you known ?"

"A few weeks," he admitted. "Pretty much since it started."

Her eyes narrowed. "What, and you couldn't call me ? A ~ 'Hey, Buffy.
Did you know Xander is dating your arch-nemesis now ? ~ would have
been nice don't you think ?"

"Arch-nemesis ?"

She looked flustered. "Well, whatever." She glared at him. "We're not
exactly close. Perhaps it has something to do with all those times he's
tried to kill me."

Angel lowered his gaze, after a moment he looked back up. "I'm not
saying he's any different, Buffy. He's not. Maybe it's we're the ones
who've changed."

"What do you mean ?"

"Things...things aren't the same as they were. You're at college now.
You've someone else in your life."

"Xander told you about Riley," she said softly.

Angel shook his head. "No..well, yes, but I already had an idea there
was someone." He took a step toward her and then stopped. "You're
happy. I mean with your life and...everything ?"

She smiled slightly. "Yes. College is good. I'm studying hard and Riley
is..." her smile softened, "Riley is good too."

"Good," said Angel awkwardly. She looked at him. "I mean it's good
you have someone," he added.

Buffy gave a tiny nod. "About Xander-" she began.

"-he's growing up," said Angel. "You all are. You're finding your way.
You and Willow are at college. Cordelia's working for me, Xander is-"

"-playing tonsil hockey with Spike." Buffy's face screwed up. "Euww,
okay, *not* something I wanted to think about."

"It bothers you ?" Angel asked anxiously.

"The idea of Spike's lips touching *any one* bothers me," said Buffy
with a shudder.

"No, I mean the 'guy thing'," said Angel.

"The 'guy thing' ? Oh you mean Xander being gay." She shook her head.
"No, that doesn't bother me. I'm happy he's finally on the right path," she
added softly.

"So you're not bothered by...erm...that ?" Angel pressed.

She frowned at him. "Isn't that what I just said ?. What, you think I'm
prejudiced ?"

"No !" he said hurriedly. "No, not at all."

"I'm not," she said, pouting slightly. "I'm just not sure about him
wandering along the path of 'newness' with the evil undead."

"Spike loves him," said Angel.

Buffy sighed. "So Xander said, and...and I can accept that. Sort of. I
mean, he loved Dru in a demented, demony sort of way. I'm just not
sure Xander knows what he's getting into. I don't want to see him hurt."
She looked at her ex-lover pointedly.

Angel couldn't quite suppress a wince. "Well, Spike's not going to lose
he soul since he's already lost it," he said a touch snappishly.

Buffy's expression gentled. "I know. I didn't mean...." Her voice trailed
off and she came forward, touching his arm gently. "Can you say for
certain that Spike won't hurt him ?"

"No," said Angel. "I can't promise you that." Dark eyes fixed on her.
"But can you say for certain that Riley won't hurt you ?"

Buffy opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off.

"This is love, Buffy. There are no guarantees, remember. Sometimes
when we love someone we get hurt."

"Yes, but a broken heart is a bit different to a broken neck," she shot
back.

"True," he agreed, "but then demons don't have the monopoly on
violence. Xander could take up with a human and still wind up dead.
The newspapers are full of stories of lovers killing lovers - guns, knives,
fists. Humans still kill, a soul doesn't stop them."

"You're trying to tell me Xander is safer with *Spike*, rather than some
ordinary average Joe ?" Buffy asked in disbelief.

"I'm *saying* they're in love, and nothing you or I, say or do will change
that. All we can do is be there for them, no matter whether or not this
works out. That's what friends do."

"Don't you dare lecture me on what it means to be a good friend," Buffy
hissed, pulling her hand back as if stung. "You don't even have any !"

Angel looked at her sadly. "That was true once, but now I do. Four of
the best. I'd like to have five." 

The fight left her almost as soon as he'd finished. "I...I'm sorry," she
whispered. "I didn't mean that. I...I didn't come her to get into all this
again with you. I was worried about Xander. Riley was stuck in the
Initiative base, he couldn't get word to me..When he did...it..it had been
so long...I-"

"-you were afraid you'd be too late," said Angel understandingly.

Eyes filled with tears she nodded. "I...I thought he'd be dead
or...or...and
I 'd have to..." She began to cry.

Without a word, Angel stepped forward and wrapped his arms around
her, drawing her against his chest. She turned into the embrace and
leaned toward him, sobbing quietly. After a while her tears became soft
hiccups and she pulled back, wiping her eyes. "Great, now...now I'm a
complete mess."

Angel handed her a clean white handkerchief. "You look fine," he
assured her.

She smiled and took it, tidying herself up as best she could. "You'll
watch out for him ?"

"My word on it," he said simply.

She nodded. "Okay...I....I have to go, my coach leaves at ten."

"Do you need a lift to the stop ?"

Buffy arched an eyebrow at him. "Let me guess. You've found a really
strong sun cream ?" she teased.

He gave a half-embarrassed grin. "I meant, Doyle could drive you."

She shook her head. "I'm good. I can walk, I need some thinking time."

"Are you going to be okay ?" Angel asked cautiously.

"I'm not sure," she replied honestly, "but Spike is safe from me. As long
as Xander is," she added.

Angel nodded. He understood. She was the Slayer after all.

"-and," she continued, "I'd really like to be friend number five. If you'd
still like that is ?"

He smiled at her. "I'd like. I'd like very much."

She smiled too, and with one last, slightly wistful look she was
gone....back out into the sunlight.

Angel stood, listening to the sound of her heartbeat moving further
away. He'd known she would come looking for Xander sooner or later.
It had been hard, waiting. He hadn't decided until the last moment not to
tell her yet about his curse...or about Doyle. Seeing her so upset made
him think that perhaps Spike and Xander were enough of a shock to
deal with in one go. 

Besides, he needed more time. He cared for Buffy, even though he was
no longer in love with her. He wanted to keep her friendship if he could,
and he didn't want to hurt her ~ he'd already done enough of that. When
he could no longer hear her, he made his way to the lift. He had seen the
fear and uncertainty in Doyle's face the moment Buffy had appeared. It
would seem they had some things to talk about.

************************************************

Doyle was hovering beside the cage as it descended. As soon as Angel
pulled the door open the young man darted forward. "Is everything 
okay ? Where is she ?"

"Everything's fine," Angel assured him. "Buffy had to go back to
Sunnydale."

"She's gone ?" Green eyes reflected Doyle's surprise.

"She only came to make sure Xander was all right. Now she knows he
is, she can go."

"But-?" Doyle was clearly bewildered.

Angel drew the somewhat startled young man into his arms. "Are *you*
all right ?" he asked.

"M-me ?" Doyle stammered. "Sure I'm...I'm fine." He'd barely finished 
when Angel leaned in close and kissed him. For a surprised moment,
Doyle hesitated, then he slowly returned the kiss, deepening the initial
chaste touch as lips parted and they tasted one another. 

After a brief, heated exchange Angel drew back."Why were you 
afraid ?" he asked softly.

"I wasn't," said Doyle, a touch too quickly. Angel looked at him and
Doyle sighed. "I just..well..I saw her stood there looking all 'beautiful
and powerful' and I knew how much you loved her and I just...." His
voice trailed off and he looked away.

"I think the key word here is 'loved'," said Angel gently. "I 'loved' her ~
past tense." 

Green eyes focused on him warily.

Angel tightened his arms around his lover. "Yes, I loved Buffy. Yes,
she's beautiful and powerful. She's my friend and I care very deeply for
her," he continued, "but I'm not in love with her. I'm in love with you."
He punctuated the sentence by placing another, lighter kiss against
Doyle's lips. "Just you," Angel whispered softly. "No one else."

"Oh," said Doyle intelligently. 

Neither of them said anything else for a while as they continued the
gentle exploration of lips and tongues. A voice interrupted them.

"Hello ? Is any one down here ? Angel ? Where is everyone ?"

They jumped apart like guilty teenagers. Looking across the room they
watched as a pair of slender tanned legs, in fashionable shoes descended
the stairway.

"Oh my god," said Doyle, wide eyed with horror.

"Cordelia," said Angel unnecessarily.

Part Seven  

"Where's Spike ?" Angel hissed urgently.

"He took Xander into the bedroom," said Doyle. Seeing Angel's look he
added, "What ? He was upset. I wasn't about to tell him no."

"Great," Angel groaned. "Let's just hope they're fighting not fucking,
they'll make less noise that way."

Doyle shrugged helplessly. 

"There you are," said Cordy. She frowned at them both. "Why are you
lurking down here instead of lurking up there where clients can actually
see you."

"We have clients ?" Angel asked.

"Well, no," she said, "but we might have."

"Well as long as we haven't, can we talk ?" 

"Talk ?" she repeated.

"Yeah, you know. A conversation type thing," said Doyle helpfully.

She gave him a look and then returned her attention to Angel. "What do
you want to-" she stopped as a load moan and a bang came from the
direction of the bedroom. "Okay," she continued slowly. "What was 
that ?" There was a muffled *yesss* and her eyebrows shot up toward
her hair line.

"Someone's having sex in there," she said wide-eyed.

They both answered her at once. "No !"

Angel tried to lead her back upstairs. "Maybe you're right, we should
talk in the office. Just in case we do get a client."

"Pppff," she replied. "Like that's gonna happen." She wiggled free of his
grasp and tried to get to the bedroom. Doyle blocked her path. "Move it
or lose it," she warned.

"Cordy, princess, please," Doyle begged. "You do not want to see what's
in there."

"Ah ha," said Cordy triumphantly. "So you have got someone in there."

There was a dull thump...thump...which began to build up into a
rhythmic crescendo. 

She turned around to stare at Angel. "What ? You can't have 'happy's' so
you're renting out your bed ?"

"No !" said Angel sharply. "That's..We...we have guests."

"Guests ?" Cordy echoed disbelievingly. "Who ? The porno king and
queen."

Doyle sniggered. 

Angel glared. "Not helping here."

Doyle tried to hide his smirk.

Cordelia faced them both, hands on her hips, expression set and
determined. "Out with it. What's going on. You send me off on some
ridiculous mission to get some stupid stone - which *smells* - I mean it
*really, really* smells. I had three showers before I left home. Now I
come back and find you're making porno movies to supplement our
admittedly inadequate income. We're going to lose all our respectable
clients," she wailed.

Angel looked at her pointedly.

"Fine," she snapped, "so we don't have any respectable clients; we might
one day. But not if you two are moonlighting as porn distributors."

Angel opened his mouth to explain but was cut short by a long drawn
out moan and a half-shouted *Ohhh, pet* in a very familiar cockney
accent. 

Cordelia stared at the closed bedroom door in disbelief and then slowly
turned back to an embarrassed Angel. "That's...that's...."

"Spike," Doyle supplied.

Cordelia backed toward the stairway. "Why is Spike in your bedroom
having sex ?" Her eyes widened even further. "Oh my god. Is that crazy
girlfriend of his in there too ? !"

Angel gently caught hold of Cordelia's arm and guided the dazed young
woman back upstairs. Doyle followed. They sat her down in her chair
and Doyle started up the coffee machine. She followed them with wide,
wary eyes. Doyle eventually handed her a cup of coffee, she sipped it
delicately. 

"There's no easy way to say this," Angel began. "I...I sent you out of
town on purpose." Two pairs of startled eyes focused on him.

"Angel are you sur-"

Angel hushed Doyle with a shake of his head. "Cordelia, I....We wanted
you to be safe."

"Safe ?" she repeated. "Safe from what. Spike ?"

"No." Angel hesitated. "We found out that we could change my curse.
We, that is Doyle and I, we went to see The Oracle."

"It told you to change your curse ?" said Cordelia slowly.

Angel shook his head again. "Not exactly. We sort of worked out that
part on our own, with some help from Spike."

"Spike ? You mean the nasty cockney with the awful hair. The one who
tortured you." Cordelia's eyes narrowed in a way both men recognized
only too well.

"Ermm...well...we've kind of got past that," said Angel awkwardly.
"Spike and I are-" He stopped, he wasn't sure there was a 'human' term
for the relationship he had with his childe. "-re-acquainted," he offered.

"To get back to the curse thing," said Doyle quickly. "We found a spell
that fixes Angel's soul for good."

"You mean, forever, permanently. No more <grrr> ?" Cordelia asked.

"Well he's still a vampire but-"

"-he can have sex," said Cordelia bluntly.

Angel looked away. Doyle squirmed slightly. "Well, yeah."

Cordelia nodded. "Well this is good, and don't think I'm not happy for
you, but what has this got to do with me driving for miles to pick up
disgusting smelling stones and Spike having sex in your bedroom ?"

"We're just getting to that part," Doyle looked at Angel. "Aren't we ?"

"Wha-? Oh, yes," said Angel realising it was his turn to pick up the
thread. "You see, we needed to do the spell, and just in case it
went..erm..wrong we wanted you out of harms way."

Cordelia seemed to consider this. "Acceptable," she said finally. "But
you have to pay for my car to be valet cleaned ?"

"Done."

"-and my clothes."

"Your clothes ?"

"Hey, I didn't know what I'd need so I packed a variety of different
outfits. Which now all smell like they've been worn by the dead." She
smiled brightly at Angel. "No offence."

He nodded. "Okay, get whatever you need done. I'll pay."

"Good," she pursed her lips expectantly, "and Spike ?"

"Spike ?"

"Why is Spike in your bedroom, doing the wild thing with...whoever
he's dragged in there with him ?" she asked.

"To go back to the spell," said Doyle. "The..erm...That is Angel."

"You're having sex with Spike ?!" Cordelia stared in horror at her
employer.......

....who stared back in equal alarm. "No !" Angel exclaimed, mentally
adding <at least not for a few weeks>

Cordelia looked relieved. "Oh..well...good."

"He's with me."

Angel and Cordelia both turned to look at Doyle. 

The young man flushed. "He's...Angel and I..."

"You're 'together', as in 'dating' ?" Cordelia asked.

"Well, there haven't been any what you'd probably call dates, but yeah
we're together," said Doyle. He straightened up a little; relieved at
having finally 'come clean' so-to-speak.

Cordelia glanced back and forth between the two of them, while they
waited worriedly to see what her reaction would be. She put down her
coffee and suddenly launched herself out of her chair, wrapping her
arms around a thoroughly stunned Doyle. "This is so wonderful !" she
exclaimed. She released him slightly and looked at Angel. "You
*definitely* can't go all <grrr> again ?"

Smiling he shook his head.

"*Yesss* she cried and threw herself back around the half-demon.

"Cordy..Cordy, princess, please, you're kinda choking me."

She relinquished her hold and instead embraced a startled Angel.
Kissing him on the cheek.

"Hey !" said Doyle.

Smiling she kissed him too. 

Doyle grinned at her. "I guess this means you're okay with us ?"

She huffed at him. "I was beginning to think you'd never get a clue. I
mean how dense can two guys be ?" she frowned, "what am I saying."
She shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned her smile back on
them both. "It's destiny," she announced. "I knew it from the first
moment."

They both looked at her.

"Okay," she admitted, "Maybe not the *first* moment, but pretty close. I
mean I know there was that curse thingy and stuff, but I knew you'd sort
it out eventually."

"There's more," said Angel, his smile slipping slightly.

"Oh oh," said Cordelia sitting back down. "I know that look. Here's the
bad part right ?"

"Not bad," said Doyle. "Maybe just 'surprising."

"Wait..wait !" She took a tissue out of her bag. "Okay, I'm ready.
Surprise me."

"Spike is downstairs with someone, but it's not Dru," said Angel. "It's
Xander."

Cordelia stared at him. Then she started to laugh. "Okay, this is funny.
Only I thought you just said Spike is downstairs having sex with my ex-
boyfriend." Neither Doyle nor Angel joined in her laughter and after a
moment she fell silent. "Oh my god. You're...You're telling the truth. It's
true !"

Angel nodded, Doyle took her hand. "It's not that bad, princess. They
really like each other. I mean, this is the real deal for them."

"They're in love ?" said Cordelia numbly.

Doyle squeezed her hand gently and nodded. "Yeah, they are."

"But Xander-"

"-was a confused young man who's finally finding his feet," said Angel.

"Among other parts," Doyle mumbled. Angel nudged him and he fell
silent. 

Cordelia sat staring ahead of her blankly.

"Cordy ? You all right ?" Doyle asked worriedly.

She blinked and looked at him. "Yeah," she said softly, tears lined her
voice. "I'm fine."

"If it's okay with you," said Angel gently. "They...well they both need
somewhere to work. I said they could help here."

Cordelia patted her eyes dry gently. "That's good. Because we should
keep an eye on them shouldn't we ?"

Angel smiled. "Yeah, we should."

"-and we will," Doyle added.

"Is Xander okay ?" she asked shyly.

"He's fine," Angel assured her.

"Though the embarrassment factor might do for him if he finds out
you've been listen' in," said Doyle with a wicked grin.

Cordelia grinned back at him. "Hmm, I'll just have to be careful not to
mention it then."

Angel looked back and forth between them both and sighed. It was proving to
be a
long morning.

Part Eight

Xander rolled off his lover with a satiated sigh and collapsed bonelessly
onto his back. "Okaaay," he gasped, "are you going to tell me what that
was all about ?" He turned his head toward the silent vampire.

Spike had emerged from the lift minutes after Buffy's departure. He'd
crossed the room without a word, scooped Xander up, slung him over
his shoulder and carried him into the bedroom. Whereupon he'd thrown
Xander down onto the bed and proceeded to coerce the youth into
screwing him senseless. 

Not that Xander had taken much coercing. A hot and horny Spike 
was impossible to resist or rebuff. Unfortunately, the band of pain
constricting around his head, reminded him that vigorous horizontal
pursuits were currently not a wise idea. He prodded his lover. "Spike ?"

"What ?" Spike snarled, "I need a bloody reason now ?"

"No," said Xander slowly. "You don't need a reason, but something tells
me you have one."

Spike muttered something unintelligible.

"What ?"

"I *said*, maybe I just wanted to fuck."

"I don't doubt it," said Xander dryly. He'd never known Spike *not*
want to fuck.

"Oh great, so now I'm 'pestering' you. Well that's soddin' nice, that is,"
Spike growled.

Xander ignored the agonizing vice squeezing his skull and turned over
onto his side. "Enough," he said firmly. "Either you tell me what's eating
you or-"

"-or what ?" Spike taunted nastily.

Xander sighed heavily. "Or nothing," he said softly. "I....I don't want to
fight. I just want you to talk to me." Not meaning a word of it he added,
"Maybe I should have gone back with Buffy." 

Spike moved with alarming speed, grabbing the startled boy and pulling
him close, burying his face against Xander's throat.

Xander responded by molding himself to the vampire's body, wrapping
his arms and legs around his shivering lover. "What is it ?" he pleaded.
"Spike, tell me. What's wrong ?" The answer was whispered against his
skin; he held his breath to catch the words.

"You smelt of her."

To any one else it would have been nonsensical, to Xander it was
painfully clear. "She hugged me goodbye," he said gently. Spike buried
deeper into his embrace. "She....she asked me to go back," he admitted.
Spike stiffened. Xander stroked the alabaster skin soothingly. "Sssh, it's
all right. I told her I wouldn't go. I told her I was never going back,
that
nothing could make me leave you. I said she'd have to use that cross
bow on me first."

Spike drew back just far enough to look up into Xander's face. Gold
eyes were wide and somewhat wondrous. "You said that ?"

Xander nodded. "You thought I'd go back with her," he guessed.

Spike tried to look indifferent ~ it was a woefully poor attempt. "I knew
she'd come and try and talk some soddin' sense into you. Probably shove
a bit of wood between my ribs while she was at it."

A hurt frown formed between Xander's eyes. "So you thought what, I'd
suddenly think 'Ack, what am I doing' and run back to Sunnydale ? I'm
not feeling a lot of trust here."

Spike looked away. "Trust has nothing to do with it," he muttered.

"No ?" Xander's voice rose in agitation. A heartbeat later his expression
softened. "I'm not her. I won't leave you." Spike gave him a 'I don't
know what you're talking about' look which didn't fool Xander for a
second. For all his savagery and boastful arrogance, Spike had a streak
of insecurity several miles wide. Xander thought he knew at least part
of the reason for it ~ Spike apparently took it for granted that sooner or
later everyone left.....Angelus, Drusilla, even Harmony had cast the
vampire aside.

Xander tightened his hold upon his lover. Brown eyes glittered fiercely.
"You're mine. I won't let go," he declared.

Spike looked at him silently for a moment then a smile slowly spread
across the vampire's face. "Yours," he agreed, softly kissing Xander.

Neither of them paid any mind to the rattle of the lift as it descended.
They were soon too busy to hear the voices outside.....

***********************************************

"Oh my god," said Cordelia, hearing the sounds emerging from the
bedroom. "They're still at it ?"

"Actually I think this is round two," said Doyle with a smirk.

Angel rolled his eyes despairingly. He went over to the door and 
gave it a solid thump with his fist. "Give it a rest. We have more urgent
matters, remember."

The reply was muffled, but clear enough to make Doyle and Cordy
cringe in anticipation. "Ouch," she murmured quietly.

"This ain't gonna be pretty," Doyle agreed.

His prediction proved right on the money. Angel's mouth tightened in
displeasure. "Spike get your ass out here now." When there was no reply
he yanked the door open and stormed in, slamming it shut behind him.
There was a yelp, a thud, several growls and the door flew open again.
Angel stormed out, followed by a sheepish looking Xander buttoning a
shirt over his boxers, and a furious looking Spike wearing nothing but a
pair of dark pants.

Cordelia eyed the dishevelled pair with some amusement.

Spike noticed her first and instantly hid his anger. "Cordelia, looking
lovely as always. Still going to that gym ?"

Cordelia didn't answer him. She was too busy watching the look of
dismayed shock settling over her ex-boyfriend's features.

"Cor-cor-cor," Xander stammered helplessly.

"Oh bleedin' hell, you sound like a bloody crow," Spike snapped. "Spit
it out already. It's *Cordelia*, pet."

Xander emerged from his daze sufficiently to smack his lover's arm ~
none too gently. "Shut up, I know who she is," he grumbled.

Cordy nodded her head knowingly and looked at Doyle. "You were
right, they're in love."

*************************************************

There was a certain amount of tension between the five as they seated
themselves in the main room. Angel was still annoyed with his childe.
Spike was angry and sullen. Xander was subdued - and if the flush
staining his cheeks was anything to go by - also mortified. Doyle was
worried, Angel had neglected to mention whether or not he'd told the
Slayer about *their* new relationship. Cordelia appeared the most
relaxed, though she glanced thoughtfully at her ex from time to time.

Angel broke the uneasy silence. "Cordelia you need to leave for a
while."

"Leave ? As in L.A ? *Again*." When he nodded she huffed in
exasperation. "This is so typical. Sending the little woman off out of
danger." She frowned. "That is why you want me to go right ? You're
not just planning some big orgy thing ?" She held up her hand. "Wait, I
don't want to know."

Angel shook his head frowning. "No. No orgy. You were right with the
danger thing. There's...there's something we have to see too. It'd be safer
if you stayed outside the city while we deal with it."

"What ?" Cordelia asked bluntly. 

Angel hesitated.

Surprisingly it was Spike who answered her. "It's an old pal of mine.
From way back. No one you'd know. He's bad news. If you hang about
you might catch one in the crossfire."

Cordelia considered this. "Okay," she said finally. "I'll go, but I'm going
to need some more money. Next months wage in advance should do.
Also how do I know when the coast is clear." Her gaze turned steely.
Also, no more smelly rocks."

"I'll sort you out some money," Angel promised. "Tell us where you're
going and we'll send word when it's okay to come home."

Cordelia shrugged. "I was putting it off, but I guess I should pay a visit
to my parents. They keep nagging at me to go and stay."

"That's great," said Doyle. "You go stay with them and we'll call the
minute it's safe to come back."

"You're staying." It wasn't a question.

Doyle nodded.

"Xander too ?" She looked at her ex-boyfriend.

Spike out an arm around him possessively. "He stays with me."

Xander leaned into his lover and nodded to Cordelia. "We'll be okay,"
he assured her, seeing the real reason for her questions.

Cordelia drew in a deep breath. "Right, so I'm going home to pack 
then ?"

"I'll drive yer," Doyle offered.

"It's okay I can-" she stopped. "You don't want me going on my own ?"
She frowned. "Isn't this guy a vampire ?"

"No, he is," said Doyle. "I...I just wanted to..erm.."

She smiled realising he just wanted a chance to talk to her without the
others listening in. "Okay, you drive." She handed him the keys out of
her bag and stood up. "So, I'll catch you guys later then ?" The words
were typically blase but the worry in her eyes was real enough.

Angel smiled gently at her. "You will," he promised.

She smiled back and began to walk toward the lift. She'd almost
reached it when she turned back. "Oh and Xander ?"

The youth looked at her.

She grinned. "Nice bedroom action." Then with a swish of her hips she
was gone. A smirking Doyle followed close behind.

Xander groaned and hid his burning face behind Spike, who chuckled
with amusement.

Doyle returned to discover the atmosphere had grown considerably
worse in his absence. He'd heard the raised voices as the lift cage
descended; everyone appeared to be in on the argument. He quickly got
the basics. It seemed that their antagonist wasn't exactly a social
butterfly, which probably explained why all his sources had drawn a
blank. Penn was solitary and reclusive, stepping out only to hunt and
feed. He followed certain patterns with his kills however, reliving past
glories and early deaths.

Spike was arguing that if he showed himself around town he might be
able to lure the other vampire out. Angel was arguing that he could
operate equally effectively as bait. Xander was objecting to the idea of
either of them dangling themselves out in the open waiting to see if
psycho boy would bite.

Doyle was with Xander. "Look, my sources aren't giving me anything
now, but why don't we leave it a few days, huh ? Maybe he'll poke his
head up long enough for them to get a bead on him."

Angel shook his head. "If he's hunting Spike he'll stay low until he finds
him."

"Then how is you two wandering around gonna help. He'll just get the
jump on yer," said Doyle.

"We can steer him toward a pre-determined location," said Angel.
"Manipulate the fight in our favour."

"You mean you'll both fight him ?" Doyle didn't like the sounds of this
one little bit. He had no trouble at all dealing with the idea of two onto
one - it was the very fact that Spike and Angel might be considering it 
necessary. Just who was this Penn guy that he had them both so rattled.

"No," Spike interjected. "He's mine." 

Doyle shivered at the look in the younger vampire's eyes. "Fair enough,
but why out there ?"

"So it's nowhere near us," said Xander flatly. "They want to keep the
fight away from us."

Doyle looked away from the boy's hard gaze to the face of his lover.
"Angel ?"

"It's better that we don't let him find this place," said Angel. "Spike and
I will go out tonight. You and Xander stay here and see if you can put
some research together on this 'club thing' we're supposed to be looking
in to. I need more on that." Dark eyes implored Doyle to understand ~
<I need you safe, I need Xander safe.>

Doyle nodded slowly. "Okay."

"Doyl-"

He cut the boy off, his own anxiety making his words harsher than 
intended, "-what ? What can we do ? You've already had your head
caved in. They know this guy, they can handle it." <Right ?> he asked
silently. Angel regarded him gravely and Doyle felt his insides tighten.

"Fine," Xander snapped and stormed into the bathroom.

Spike sighed and went after him.

Doyle stepped closer to his lover. "You can take this guy, yeah ?"

Angel ran a hand across his face wearily. "Something's not right. There's
something between him and Spike. I need to settle it before we get into
this with Penn."

"But you can take him ?" Doyle pressed.

"He's my childe," said Angel simply. "I made him, his existence is mine
to take." Dark eyes carried no warmth as he spoke, they appeared as flat
and hard as obsidian.

***************************************************

Spike found his lover standing in front of the sink, both hands clutching
the basin in a white-knuckled grip. 

"Luv-"

"-I know," Xander interrupted. "I know, all right. I know you have to do
this and I know I'll only be in the way. It doesn't mean I have to like
it." 

Shoulders trembled, and Spike gently lay a hand upon them. Abruptly,
Xander spun around and caught hold of the vampire, wrapping him up
in a fierce embrace. 

"Just promise me you'll kick his ass," Xander whispered. "Promise me."

Spike stroked soft dark hair and whispered, "Straight to hell, pet.
Straight to hell. You have my word on it."

***********************************************

Nightfall came too quickly. Neither pair said any proper goodbyes ~ it
would have had too fine an edge of finality about it. There were brief,
desperate kisses and haunted, anxious looks; then the vampires slipped
out silently into the street, leaving their lovers to wait......

*********************************************

Some hours later Xander was pacing the floor of Angel's apartment,
while Doyle pretended to study the text in front of him.

"Hey, you okay, man ?"

<Sure, I'm just peachy. My lover is out there with some homicidal,
grudge bearing, bad-ass vamp and all is well with the world> Xander
thought irritatedly. Then he looked at the other man, seeing the tension
lines around unhappy green eyes. Doyle was suffering the same agonies
he was. 

Angel was out there with Spike ~ and Xander doubted Penn would be
pleased at the family reunion.

He sank down heavily onto the couch. Doyle continued to watch him,
green eyes tight with concern. "I hate this," Xander confided. "I hate this
waiting, not doing anything. Sometimes....sometimes Buffy would make
us stay and wait." He shook his head, eyes haunted in recollection. "It's
just so..."

"-hard," Doyle finished for him. The half-demon smiled sadly. "Tell me
about it. Angel has this over protective thing honed to a fine art."

"Does it bother you ?" Xander asked shyly.

"That he cares enough that he doesn't want to see me hurt ?" Doyle
smiled, then shrugged. "Sometimes. I mean, I've been on my own a
while. I know how to take care of meself."

"Yeah," said Xander softly. Sometimes it felt like he'd been taking care
of himself forever.

"But it's good too," Doyle continued, "I mean I like that he worries
about me. It's only fair, considerin' how much I worry about him. I know
he's the stronger one physically. He's a vampire, not much I can do
about that. So he fights the bad guys and I help."

"You see that's it," said Xander. "I don't mind helping. I'm happy to
help. I'm a happy helper. It's this sitting around on my ass doing nothing
that sucks."

"Yeah," said Doyle. "It does."

They exchanged worried looks.

"Look," Doyle began, "how about we-" He stopped as the room was
suddenly plunged into darkness.

"Doyle," Xander whispered in alarm.

"Quiet," Doyle hissed. He shook himself, changing into his demon
aspect, sniffing the air. He froze. "We hafta get out of here."

Xander felt his chest tighten in panic. "Is it-"

"-yeah," said Doyle brusquely. "Let's go." He caught hold of Xander's
arm and guided the youth toward the stairs. He snatched a fighting axe
from the wall as he passed. 

"Don't we need something wooden ?" Xander hissed.

Doyle was about to answer when he realised something. "You can 
see ?" 

Xander sounded afraid and unsure. "Sort of, I can see shapes and stuff.
Like light and dark shadows."

"How-" Doyle began and then he stopped. There wasn't time now.
"Okay, good. This is good. When we get up there I want you to head
straight out for the street. Find somewhere with a lot of people, a bar, a
club - anything. Then phone the police."

"The police ? !" Xander exclaimed softly.

"Tell 'em you think you're being followed. Tell 'em you want to make a
confession. Tell 'em anything. Just get them to take you into custody.
You'll be safer."

"What about you ?" Xander asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine, I'll watch your back," Doyle assured him.

Alarmed, Xander tugged on Doyle's shirt."You're not planning on taking
on this guy ?" 

"Hey, not me," said Doyle quickly. "I'm strictly the 'side kick',
remember."

Xander wasn't convinced. "You don't follow me out, I'm coming back
in."

"No," said Doyle. "You get the hell away from here. Right ?"

Xander didn't answer.

"Xander, we don't have time for this macho bullshit," Doyle hissed.

"Then let's go," said Xander starting up the stairs.

Doyle sighed and relented. "Okay, but no heroics, and you follow me."
He moved past the boy and began to head up, one cautious step at a
time. Vampire's were virtually impossible to track by scent. He'd caught
the briefest waft of blood and death when their visitor had entered the
office, now he was operating virtually 'blind'. 

They made it to the top of the stairway without event. Doyle clutched
the fighting axe and cautiously stepped out onto the next floor. Xander
was right behind him. "He can track us," the boy whispered softly. "He'll
follow our heartbeats."

Doyle knew Xander was right, but there wasn't anything they could do
about it. They'd just have to hope they could make it out onto the street
before~

~ a hand appeared from nowhere and wrenched the axe out of his 
grasp. Doyle heard Xander shout his name as he flew helplessly through
the air, crashing against the wall he slid down to the floor. Battered and
breathless he tried to struggle to his feet; something appeared to be
broken and he sank down again with a gasp of pain.

"Well, what have we here, two for the price of one," a mocking voice
taunted. 

Doyle looked up into a deceptively youthful face. Short, fair hair framed
eternally boyish features, still in their human guise. The vampire swung
the axe around in one hand.

"Hmm, this is a pretty toy. Can I play with it ?"

Doyle jumped as the vampire brought the axe down sharply, slicing into
the floor beside his leg. 

The vampire yanked the weapon free. "Whoops, missed." He raised it
up again.

"NO !"

Doyle felt his stomach knot in fear at the cry, watching as Xander flew
across the room, throwing himself at the vampire - who turned and
caught him effortlessly in one hand. Doyle tried again to stand. "Let him
go," he hissed.

The vampire spared him a faintly bored look and slipped his hand
further up the axe, twisting it around so that he struck Doyle across the
head with the handle.

"Nooo !" Xander cried, struggling in the vampire's grasp, kicking his
legs uselessly.

"For you, I'll let him live," said the vampire. He shrugged. "At least for
now." He threw the axe down to get a better grip on his prize. "You're
all I really came for any way."

Xander felt his blood turn to ice at the vampire's words. "What..what do
you mean ?"

The features inches from his own shimmered and shifted into their
vampiric visage. "We're going to have a little fun, sweet. Just you and
I." Gold eyes narrowed cruelly. "I want you to give William another
message for me." He laughed, and backhanded Xander across the face,
hard enough to stun the boy. Then he stepped over Doyle's crumpled
form and carried Xander down into the basement.

Part Ten  

Xander was still groggy when Penn dropped him onto the bed, 
however as icy fingers ripped open his shirt he began to struggle. 
He kicked, punched, bit, and scratched - doing anything he could to
drive the loathsome creature away from him. It was all to no avail. 
Penn simply slapped his hands away and then sat on his legs. When 
Xander still fought, Penn hit him again.

"Now, now," the vampire scolded, "didn't your parents teach you to play
nice."

"Fuck off," Xander snarled.

The vampire laughed. "Oh, you're a one, sweet. A belly full of fire.
Hmm, I'm going to enjoy you." Xander recoiled in disgust as the
vampire leaned over him and inhaled deeply. "You know what though,
sweet. You are afraid. I can smell it."

Xander was afraid. He felt sick with it. He didn't want to die. He didn't
want to die like this - a painful, lonely death at the hands of some insane
vampire. Tears burned his eyes, some of them were for himself, the rest
were for Spike. What would it do to his lover, to find his butchered
body laid out on the bed where hours before they'd made love.

He blinked the tears back sharply. Yes he was afraid, but there was no
way he was letting this fucker know it. <Okay, Xander Harris. Let's see
how brave you really are> he challenged himself. 

The vampire was regarding him with an odd expression, equal parts
curiosity and amusement. 

Without a word he grabbed Xander's hand, folding his finger's over the
boy's bunched fist. Slowly he squeezed. 

Bones grated together and Xander bit his lip to contain a moan.

Penn smiled. "Do you know who I am, little one ?"

"Yeah," Xander ground out through clenched teeth. "You're the pathetic
prick who couldn't cope with the fact that his 'daddy' loved someone
else more than him. Though now I've met you, I'm not surpri-" 

Penn punched him hard enough to drive the air out of his lungs.
Coughing and choking, Xander sucked in another deep breath and
carried on. "I'm...I'm not surprised.....cos I've...only...known you...a 
few minutes... and I'm..already..bored to..tears."

It had occurred to him that baiting a sick, psychotic, pissed off vampire
might be skirting close to the edge of suicide, but the way Xander saw it
he was probably already dead - and there was *no way* he was going
out quietly.<I've talked too much my whole life, why buck the trend.>

Penn's gaze had turned murderous; golden eyes seemed to possess a
greenish hue as they glared at him. <If looks could kill> Xander thought
somewhat hysterically. Penn released his hand and grabbed a handful of
his hair, wrenching his head up. <No, no, no> Xander begged silently.

"Lie still, little one. This will only hurt....a lot," Penn smirked as he
leaned forward.

Xander didn't have a chance. With the speed of a striking snake 
the vampire tore into his throat, fangs plunging deep into the delicate
flesh. Xander gasped, his eyes wide with shock and pain. Muscles
spasmed helplessly. This was nothing like when Spike had bitten him.
The agony was almost unbearable; great rolling waves of it, crashing
through his body like a tsunami. The room was filled with the sound of
his own harsh breathing - rough and raspy - and the obscene sucking
sounds as Penn drank. 

Tears poured down Xander's cheeks as he felt the blood being pulled
from his veins. It hurt, oh god it hurt. "Sp-Spike.." he whispered
brokenly. A black whirlpool seemed to have opened around him; it 
was slowly dragging him down. <I'm dying> he thought in stunned
amazement. <Oh god, I'm dying> He willed himself to move but his
body no longer responded to his commands. 

At last Penn pulled back, blood streaming from his mouth. 

Xander lay panting hard as he battled to draw air into his lungs.

"Now isn't that better," Penn said smiling cruelly. He moved aside the
two torn edges of shirt, exposing the boy's bare chest. It rose and fell
frantically as Xander gulped for oxygen. Penn slipped his hand into his
pocket and pulled out a small silver thimble with a cruel point. Slipping
it onto his forefinger, he pressed it into Xander's skin, drawing a bead 
of blood. "Time to give Sweet William his message," he murmured.
"Don't wriggle little one, or you'll make me angry." Slowly, he scored a
line across the boy's torso. 

Xander didn't flicker an eyelid. He was beyond feeling pain. Near to
death, he dwelled in a dreamlike netherworld, unaware of anything
around him.

Penn hummed to himself as he worked, tiny rivulets of blood running
down the boy's rib cage onto the bed.

***************************************************

"Summat's wrong," Spike muttered.

"What is it ?" Angel asked.

"Dunno," said Spike. "Just a feelin' that's all. Like something's not
right."

Angel watched in concern as his childe's features shimmered and the
young vampire had to actively work to push them back into their human
guise. Cold blue eyes retained a golden cast. He tried to sense whatever
it was Spike was picking up on, but felt nothing. Penn wasn't close by,
of that much he *was* certain. He could feel his childe when they were
near. So what was it ?

"We have to go back," said Spike suddenly.

"Wha-?"

Spike was already heading toward the car. "We have to go back," he
repeated.

Angel felt his belly twist with fear as he saw storm blue had turned to
yellow gold. <Doyle...Xander..> He ran.

Neither cared who saw their unnatural speed as they fled to the car.
With a squeal of rubber, Angel swung it around 180 degrees and headed
back to the apartment, praying to all the deities he knew that they
weren't already too late.

*************************************************

The sickly sweet fragrance of fresh blood assaulted the vampires as they
entered the office. They stiffened and stared around them, sensing the
air. 

Angel suddenly bolted forward.

He found his lover's crumpled body curled up on the floor near to the
wall. With a quiet moan, Angel fell to his knees, gathering the young
man into his arms. He gently ran his hands over his lover, trying to
detect any injuries. Doyle had a cut and a dark bruise across his face,
but Angel could discover nothing more serious. He sagged in relief and
drew Doyle closer, pressing his face into the soft, short hair.

Spike had heard the half-demon's heartbeat and had immediately rushed
past his Sire to the stairway. He leapt down the steps in three bounds
and headed straight for the bedroom.....................

A stricken howl rang out.

Angel raised his head, features drawn in horror. 

Doyle was slowly regaining consciousness. He jerked in Angel's
embrace at hearing the cry <Oh god, Xander> He tried to struggle to
his feet, but his legs refused to support him. Angel lifted him up and
carried him down into the basement. The vampire was shaking.

They stopped in the bedroom doorway.

"Sweet Mary Mother of..." Doyle stared numbly at the tableau laid out
before him. Xander lay on the bed, ankles crossed, arms stretched out -
like a victim of a crucifixion. His skin was mottled grey, lips blue
tinged, eyelids bruised and sunken looking ~ the monochrome hue of
his body was broken only by the dark red smears that streaked his chest.
So much blood. Doyle thrust his hand to his mouth as he caught a
glimpse of the tattered wound on the boy's throat - the skin torn and
shredded as though savaged by a wild animal.

Spike cradled the boy's head and shoulders as he knelt upon the bed. 
He rocked gently, making a strange low keening noise. Gold eyes were
fixed and blank.

Angel shook himself out of his own stunned grief as a sound reached
him ~ the faint thready pulse of a heartbeat. 

He hurried forward, placing Doyle on the edge of the bed. Reaching 
out he seized his childe's shoulders, ignoring Spike's warning growl.
"*Will*. Will, listen to me. Xander is dying. Are you listening to me.
He's *dying*. You have to decide now. We take him to a hospital, or
you turn him." He shook Spike. "Listen to me, Will. You have to make
the choice."

Doyle's eyes widened in comprehension. Xander was still alive.
However, it was clear that his body no longer held enough blood to keep
him that way for much longer. The fact that Angel was giving Spike this
choice meant there was a strong possibility Xander wouldn't survive a
trip to a hospital....

....but if Spike turned him, the Xander they knew would cease to exist.

"*Will*," Angel's voice cracked as he pleaded for his childe to respond.

Without a word Spike moved. Wrapping the blood soaked blankets
around the lifeless boy, he picked Xander up and walked to the
doorway.

"Will ?"

"Get the car," Spike hissed, his voice rough with pain.

Angel gathered Doyle into his arms and followed his childe.

Part Eleven

Angel drove his car up to the ER doors and jumped out to assist his
childe. Spike's features had settled somewhere between human and
vampiric, giving his face an oddly frozen look. His eyes glowed as he
pressed a corner of the blanket against Xander's throat; dark blood
pumped out sluggishly from the wound. 

Several medical personnel noticed their arrival and came running out.
"What happened ?" one asked, moving to intercept Spike.

"I...we..er don't know," said Angel concentrating on his childe, who
looked ready to attack the humans swarming around his dying lover.

"It was an animal," said Doyle. "A..er...dog...or something. It jumped us
when we walked passed this alley way."

One of the medics turned to him; noticing the blood the man called out.
"We've got another one here."

"I'm fi..fine," Doyle insisted as two orderlies tried to lifted him onto a
trolley.
"Honest, I-"

"Go with them," said Angel.

Reluctantly, Doyle allowed them to place him on the trolley. Angel
was trying to get Spike to relinquish his hold on Xander....without much
success. The younger vampire growled, his face rippling. Angel moved
in front of him, trying to block the medics' view of his childe.

"Please, sir," one of them protested. "Let us help your friend."

"Will, give Xander to them." Angel's voice was pitched low and calm.
The tone of a Master vampire commanding his childe. Spike looked 
at him, then with a snarl he surrendered his hold on the boy. Angel
stepped, fairly confident that Spike wasn't about to attack.

The younger vampire managed to school his features back into a 
half-human mask as he followed the medical staff into the ER. Angel
walked beside his lover as Doyle was wheeled in behind Xander.

The room became a flurry of activity as people rushed around Xander's
frighteningly still form - wheeling in machinery, shouting instructions
and information. Angel pulled Spike back when the younger vampire
tried to follow the boy into the emergency room. He kept one hand 
upon his childe's as they watched through the glass door panel.

He could feel the tremors wracking Spike's frame and he squeezed the
shoulder beneath his fingers. <Live, Xander. Live> he pleaded silently. 
To Spike he said softly, "You made the right choice."

"Did I," said Spike flatly.

"Yes," said Angel. "If you'd turned him-" he moved round to look into
his childe's face "-he wouldn't *be* Xander, and it's him you're in love
with, isn't it."

It wasn't really a question and Spike didn't bother answering. The
younger vampire kept his gaze locked on what was going on inside 
the room. Watching as rich, life giving blood was forced back into 
his lover's body. "Penn dies tonight," he said finally.

"Yes," said Angel.

"I get to kill him." 

"Yes."

"My way."

A slight hesitation, then a decisive. "Yes."

Eventually the frenetic activity eased and most of the staff melted 
away. A youngish, floppy haired man came out to speak with them. 
He smiled kindly. "Your friend's going to be fine. It looked bad I 
know, and he had lost a lot of blood, but we've replaced that. Now 
we're getting some fluids into him and he's responding well. We're fairly
confident there won't be any lasting damage. We're going to keep him in
for a few days, just to be on the safe side, and to let him rest. Okay ?"

Angel managed to nod dazedly at the man. Xander was alive, he was
going to be all right. He focused on the reassuring 'thud..thud' of the
boy's heart and closed his eyes in silent thanks.

Spike had tensed the moment the man said they were keeping Xander.
"No," he growled.

"Sorry-?"

"He's not staying here," Spike snarled.

Angel quickly opened his eyes. He made his excuses to the startled
looking nurse. "It's okay. I....Thank you. I'll talk to my friend."

The man nodded, frowning he walked away. At the end of the corridor
he caught hold of a colleague and whispered something to her urgently.
The young woman nodded and hurried off.

Angel held Spike's arms and pushed him back against the wall. "Xander
is going to be okay, Will, but he's still sick. Let them take care of him.
While we take care of Penn. Yes ?"

"I'm not leavin' him 'ere," Spike reiterated stubbornly.

Angel sighed. Taking hold of Spike's elbow he dragged the younger
vampire into the room. 

A woman in a pale pink gown looked up as they came through the door. 
"I'm sorry," she began, "You'll have to-"

"A minute, please ?" said Angel. "He...We just need to see that he's
really all right."

Her face softened. "Okay, but only for a minute. They'll be taking him 
to a room shortly. You can come back and see him tomorrow, he should
be more with us then." She stroked back Xander's fringe, smiling at the
boy - completely oblivious to the look Spike gave her. Though she did
frown at the low rumbling sound that came from his throat. Angel
smiled at her reassuringly. She gave him an uncertain nod and left them
alone.

Xander had been cleaned up but traces of blood still smeared his
cheeks; they were pale, though his skin had lost its deathly grey tinge.
Spike stared, blue-gold eyes suspiciously bright. After a moment he
stretched out a shaky hand. The vampire made a choked sound as he
very slowly stroked his fingers down Xander's face. 

Angel slipped his own hand into the boy's. His face crumpled in relief 
as he touched the blood warm skin. He held onto the lax fingers for a
few seconds, then carefully withdrew his hand. "I'm going to check on
Doyle," he said softly. Spike nodded. As Angel pushed open the door he
paused and looked back. Spike had sunk down beside the trolley, face
pressed against Xander's arm. Leather clad shoulders began to shake
gently as William the Bloody, evil soulless creature of the night, wept.

Angel stepped outside and had a few quiet words with the nurse to
ensure his childe was left alone for a little while longer. Then he went
to find Doyle.

******************************************************

Despite the ER's size and labyrinth-like construction, Angel required 
no assistance in locating his lover. He had monitored the young man
closely from the moment they had entered the building. Shutting out a
myriad of other noises - voices, machinery, frantically ringing phones -
he listened for the beat of his lover's heart.

He found Doyle perched on the edge of a bed, trying to bat away the
attentions of a nurse.

"It don't need stitches. Just stick something over it and let me go find
my friends."

"Young man, you are not walking around this hospital dripping blood,"
the woman insisted. "Let me stitch that up and I'll send someone to
check on your friends for you, okay ?"

The argument continued until Angel came into view.

"Angel ! How-"

"-he's fine," said Angel quickly.

Doyle closed his eyes and swayed forward. Both Angel and the nurse
caught him and eased him back up onto the bed.

"*Now* will you let me look at that ?" she scolded.

"No," Doyle muttered stubbornly.

Angel gently tilted the young man's head back. "She's right, it needs
stitches."

The nurse folded her arms and gave Doyle a 'Well ?' look.

He gave in. "All right, do your worst." He allowed her to lay him back
on the bed. 

Angel hovered close by as the nurse expertly closed the gash and
covered it with a strip of gauze.

"Now don't you be wandering off any where," she warned. "I want the
Doctor to take a look at that swelling. If he says so, I'll bring the
release
forms and *then* you can go." Doyle nodded and she bustled off
leaving the pair alone.

"He's really all right ?" Doyle pressed anxiously.

"He's still unconscious," Angel admitted, "but they said he's going to be
fine. They're keeping him in for a few days, just to be sure."

Doyle released a shaky sigh. "Thank god," he said. "I thought...I
thought.." His voice trailed off.

Angel took hold of his hand, dragging his thumb gently across the
knuckles. "I know." He looked down into Doyle's pale, drawn face.
"How do *you* feel ?"

Doyle smile faintly at him. "I'm fine." His mouth twisted into a grimace.
"I guess being half Bracchen is good for something, yeah."

Angel leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. "What
happened ?" he asked gently.

Doyle sighed. "Psycho boy killed the power. He must'ave been waitin' 
in the office. We went up there and the next thing I know I'm flyin' into
a wall."

"That's when you did this ?" Angel asked indicating the cut.

"Not exactly," said Doyle, he looked vaguely embarrassed. "He..that is
I'd taken your fightin' axe; he hit me over the head with it." The young
man lowered his gaze and missed the way Angel's mouth tightened. The
next moment green eyes flickered back up, their gaze bright and hard.
"Did you see what that sick fuck-"

"-I saw," said Angel quickly. He'd seen only too clearly. The smears of
blood hadn't concealed the jagged message carved into the boy's chest ~
a cross, and the words 'sweet child'. Angel's jaw clenched. The cuts
hadn't been deep but they would scar. Xander would bear a lasting
physical reminder of his ordeal. At least, terrible as it had appeared, the
savage throat bite would fade. Strangely, a vampire's fangs never left a
lasting mark.

Angel's imagination tortured him with an image of Xander, rigid 
with fear and pain, while Penn scored into his skin with a harpy knife.
Ghostly memories of brutalities long past came to him; as clear now as
in the time of their making. He'd taught his childe the 'fun' to be had
with the small, but deadly blade. A silver harpy knife had been a first
gift to his new childe ~ along with the suggestion that the young man
make his sister his first kill.

A warm hand touched his face startling him out of his remembrances. 
He flinched automatically and then relaxed into Doyle's hesitant touch.

"It's not your fault," the young man told him, as if reading his thoughts.

"Isn't it ?"

"No," said Doyle more firmly. "Sure, you turned him and I've no doubt
you taught him stuff, but he has his own mind, his own will."

"He's controlled by his demon-" Angel began.

Doyle cut him off "-and back then so were you. For that matter so is
Spike. Things are never black and white. You know that."

Angel wasn't ready to be absolved of his guilt just yet. "If I hadn't-"

"-if you hadn't been turned yourself then you would never had done
him," said Doyle. "Then Spike, and Penn, *and* you, would all be dust
and bones and this would never have happened. Fair enough, I accept
that, but then who's to say me and Xander wouldn't have met with worse
trouble if you hadn't been who you are."

Angel frowned at him.

"The point I'm making is how many times have you saved my neck ?
What if you weren't here and I'd had to run this racket with some 
other guy ? Some other guy who maybe wouldn't be as good at this
stuff." He added, "And what about Xander. You helped in Sunnydale.
Haven't you saved his neck a few times."

An image came unbidden into Angel's mind ~ Xander, eyes bulging, 
face purpling as Faith choked the life out of his body. "Maybe," he
conceded reluctantly.

"Besides," Doyle continued, "it's not like he targeted the kid cos of
something you did. It's Spike who's got him all twisty."

Angel looked thoughtful.

**********************************************

The Doctor who eventually came to examine Doyle pronounced the
young man fit to go home. They signed the necessary forms and hurried
to rejoin Spike.

Angel had to quell a flare of near-panic when he found the ER room
deserted. Surely Spike had enough sense not to take the injured boy ?
Knowing how impulsive Spike could be, Angel wasn't one hundred
percent certain. Doyle set his mind at rest by flagging down a nurse. 

Xander had been transferred to a room upstairs. Spike had apparently
'convinced' the staff to let him accompany the boy.

Aided with the necessary directions they traced the pair to a room on
the fourth floor. Xander was now hooked up to a heart monitor and a
saline drip, but he was breathing unaided. Spike was hunched in a chair
beside the bed, head bowed, shoulders rigid. Long, slender white fingers
repeatedly stroked the boy's hand.

Angel recognized the signs ~ Spike was wound up and ready to 
blow. Time to take his childe home before the inevitable eruption 
drew undesired attention. "Wait out here," he told Doyle quietly.

Spike didn't turn round as Angel entered. When he spoke his voice was
low and rough with emotion. "I told him I'd keep him safe. I *promised*
him I wouldn't let that bastard touch him again. I promised him..."

Angel walked forward until he stood directly behind his childe. He
placed a hand upon the younger vampire's shoulder, the muscles
bunched painfully tight. "We have to go, Will."

"*No*," Spike replied fiercely.

"Will-"

"-I'm not leavin' him."

Angel steeled himself. He knew there was only one way to get through
to Spike when he was acting this way. "Fine. I'm sure Xander will feel a
million times better when the nurse opens the blinds in the morning and
he has to brush you off the bed."

Spike's head jerked round to face him. Gold eyes bright, teeth bared as
he slipped into his game face.

"Watch that," Angel continued, hardening his heart against the grief in
those yellow-gold eyes. "Go out there now and they'll shoot you full of
drugs and stick you in a locked ward." His necessarily harsh words had
the desire effect. Spike continued to stare at him hatefully as he shifted
his face back into a near human guise and stood up. 

As he made to leave Spike turned to Xander. Leaning down, he kissed
him gently on the mouth with a tenderness few saw.....and even fewer
would have believed.

The door opened suddenly. "Guys, I hate to interrupt but I think were
gonna have company if we don't move now."

They moved to see what Doyle was talking about. At the nurses station,
two uniformed officers were speaking to the young woman on duty. An
older nurse stood with them.

"He spoke to her," said Spike.

Angel frowned at the apparently meaningless statement. "Who ?"

"The bloke who said Xander had to stay here," said Spike narrowing 
his gaze at the officers. "After he'd talked to us he nattered with her. He
was flapping about summat."

"What'ya bettin' that summat is us," said Doyle.

Angel silently agreed. It was typical that Spike had picked up on the
exchange. Though the fact that the younger vampire had been giving the
doctor his best 'you're dead' look had no doubt helped his focus.

"Time to go ?" Doyle asked anxiously.

"Time to go," said Angel. 

As the two officers turned in the direction the duty nurse was pointing,
the lift door
was closing behind a billowing coat tail.

Part Twelve - Eighteen