Chapter One
Here we go again

Disclaimer: "Raising Hell" and all the plot lines there in are mine, but most of the characters belong to Joss and the Powers That Be. Incidentally- I didn't steal this sequel plot from Higgy ; "Raising Hell" was based on a challenge set by her- so I decided it's sequel should be within the realms of the challenge too… just so happens we both think Spike would make an awesomely cute teenager P

A/N: They said I was crazy, they said it couldn't be done, they said I should damn well stop before I start! –Actually, no one said that… BUT SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE!

Well- you guys won. You asked for a sequel and here it is. Hopefully this will cover a few of the things I missed out on in the last fic (including Tilly and big Spike together for cuteness) as well as have an awesome new (only slightly contrived) plot of it's own!

I'll try and fill in the background of the characters (and what happened in the last story) as I go along- so you can read this and not the other. Though this is meant as a sequel, so you might want to take a look at "Raising Hell" (and hey, I got lots of lovely reviews- so it can't be that bad P).

By Joss, I know I'm crazy for doing this- but since there was no intervention to prevent my madness- without further ado, may I present: The sequel to "Raising Hell"

"The Prophesised time has come. I have consulted the stars, cast the bones, seen the future- the time is now. I have been heard by all the demons of this land and others; my war cry echoes across all the planes and all the dimensions. The oracles and mystics know what is to come- my rising- and the war of wars that will follow. I have seen the future; I will win.

"However, there is one who could defeat me. The righteous vampire poisoned with a soul and damned to walk the earth fighting for good. Should he and his band of mortal allies fight- I will lose. That would displease me greatly."

"Of course sir, I would not want you displeased." Dr Mordred said. He knelt before a tall shadowy chair, the occupant of which was shrouded in darkness.

"I dare say you would not." The voice agreed, "but there is a way you can ensure I am not displeased- and ensure once I have control over this dimension, you will not be killed- as is my plan for most of the pitiful creatures here."

"It would be my honour, sir. Anyway I can be of assistance- I am only to happy to oblige." Dr Mordred offered hurriedly.

"The prophecy rests on two figures: the vampire and the son." Said the figure.

"The son?"

"The unlikely boy, bourn in his bloodline. If he fights beside the vampire I will lose. However without this ally the vampire will fall, and the world will fall after him. I need you to eliminate the child."

Matrix style green streams of data played over the computer screens in Wolfram and Hart's science labs as the machines processed the data from the latest experiment. Carefully watching the results was Winifred Burkle, head scientist and zealous over worker when it came to anything sciency. Every now and then she would move the mouse to click on a particular stream of flowing data and separate one of the little green symbols. Fred was getting steadily more excited as the symbols she was looking for appeared on screen. The test was going well.

Her concentration was shattered when the lab door was flung open and a blond man in a dark coat stormed in. "Fred!" Spike said. "We've got trouble."

The slender physicist snapped to attention. "What is it?"

"It's Angel." Spike said, his tone heavy and grim. "He's… he's a poncy great poof."

Fred relaxed with a coy smile, "Spike," she chided, "don't scare me like that."

"And it gets worse," Spike continued dramatically, "He's all out of nancy-boy hair gel! He'll die without it you know."

"Be serious," Fred laughed. "What did you want?"

"To look at your lovely face." Spike said. When Fred's expression remained dubious, he continued, "And- Wes was getting kinda boring. Kept nattering on about some boring old prophecy I don't understand and don't give a toss about."

"So he's still working on it is he?" She asked in a 'just as I expected' disapproving tone.

"Yeah…" Spike said, "Why? Bother you; does it?"

Fred sighed, "No, it's just, he's been doing nothing else for days!"

Spike perked up at the possibility of a lovers tiff. A remnant from his "Passions" addiction, Spike was still excited by flimsy and contrived romantic tension. "Ooh," He said, "Trouble in paradise?"

"Not really," Fred admitted, "I just thought that was the girlfriend's job- being annoyed and jealous when he works late." Suddenly she looked flustered, "Can I say that? Am I a 'girlfriend'?"

"God I hope you're Wes' 'girlfriend'." Spike said, "He doesn't have much else going for him."

"Now that you're here," Fred said excitedly, "Do you wanna to help me with my experiment?" Spike's expression said 'definitely not' but Fred continued anyway. "It's like a DNA test for transferable demonic genes. Like for vampires or demons of possession. The actual demon DNA is passed from one host to another. So, to identify demons of the same parentage all you have to do is isolate the pure demon DNA and run them against a possible descendant's demonic DNA. Kinda like a paternity test for vampires."

Spike was lost and uninterested, "sounds just great." He said with a smile, "Is Tilly here? I kinda promised I'd play with her- get in some quality time with the little smudge."

"Yeah," Fred said, sad to have lost a potential guinea pig for her test. "I took her out for ice-cream this morning, and it was such a long walk back to Containment I thought she could come and play here for a while."

Spike raised an eyebrow at his friend, "When are you gonna stop fluffing around and take her home for good?" he asked.

Fred avoided his eyes, "Spike, it's not like that. Wesley and I love Tilly, but we're not… we can't… It's not like that." She finished adamantly. Spike knew she was lying.

Six months ago, when Spike had first been reverted to childhood, something had changed for Fred. She had fallen head over heels in love with being a mom. Spike called her his 'aunt' and she had been both big sister and mother to the little vampire. When Spike had returned to his proper age he had left a gaping hole in Fred's life.

In the last three months it seemed Tilly had begun to fill that hole. Matilda was an orphan, a demon child abandoned by her parents and stuck in the care of Wolfram and Hart. She 'lived' in the Containment Department of the evil law firm, a place usually reserved for dangerous demonic animals that belonged to Wolfram and Hart or it's clients. She had befriended Spike during his time as a child and they were still very close now that he was big again. He acted as her cool older brother.

Tilly had also achieved the almost impossible and won over the stony ex-watcher Wesley. She had been enamoured of him ever since he had "saved her" one afternoon from the dark shadows that haunted her demonic side. His own unpleasant childhood had made Wesley reluctant and reticent of letting a child into his life but he had come to love Tilly- more than he admitted.

Everyone could see how perfect Tilly would be for Fred and Wesley. She was the last piece in the fractured strange puzzle that was the fang gang's lives. Tilly completed the Wes and Fred picture so perfectly. But neither adult had ever been very good at expressing their feelings and even though they both desperately wanted Tilly, neither was willing to tell the other. Thus, nothing changed between them- Tilly remained the property of Wolfram and Hart.

"You said it yourself," Spike said, "Containment is like a hell. Tilly needs a home- and it should be yours." His manner changed from serious to his usual nonchalant- indicating the end of the topic. Fred wasn't going to be convinced today, he could tell. "I'll go find the smudge then, I'm sure there are some ninjas she'll want me to fight." He sauntered out of the computer lab and into the prac room proper where all the strange experiments and lab equipment was kept.

Spike spotted Tilly at the back of the labs. Her cream skirt and jumper almost blended in with the pure white labs, only her long black curly hair gave her away. She was sitting on a bench at the back, spinning a watch glass full of blue liquid. Clearly she was entranced by the swirly colour the liquid produced as the curved glass rotated.

"Hey Tilly," Spike said as he approached, "who's your favourite evil vampire turned tortured hero? I'll give you a hint- starts with an 'S'."

Tilly didn't look up as she replied "I hate you."

Spike was taken by surprise, "since when?"

"Since Tuesday," said Tilly. "You promised you'd come play with me on Tuesday- I waited all afternoon- and you never came. Why?"

"I was busy." Spike pleaded.

"For three days?" Tilly asked incredulously.

"I was saving the world." Tilly raised an eyebrow, a gesture she had learnt from Spike, to indicate her disbelief. "Ok, I was drinking and then sleeping." Spike admitted. "But I'm here now!"

"Well you can leave now," Tilly snapped, "Because I hate you."

"You can't hate me Tilly," Spike insisted, "because I'm your best friend and the coolest vampire with a soul ever and I always let you watch all 150 stations in Angel's office," a smile was spreading across Tilly's lips as the girl succumbed to Spike's pleading. Spike saw his chance and took it, using the one thing Tilly couldn't resist, "and- there are ninjas behind you!"

Tilly jumped to her feet, forgetting her Spike-hating-game to play the much more fun ninja-fighting-game she and Spike were so fond of. "Where!" She gasped.

"To the left, behind the Bunsen burners!" Spike said.

"Oh no! There's ten more behind you!" Tilly said.

"I'll take those guys," Spike whispered to his comrade, "You get the others."

"Ok," Tilly said, heading in the direction of a bench littered with Bunsen burners and tripods, "watch out ninja scum- death is coming- and her name is Kick-Butt-Tilly." She charged with a yell toward her imaginary foes, lashing out fiercely with a kick that would probably have hit a full sized ninja in the knee- but in Tilly's mind she got her target in the face and he went down with an groan of anguish. She lashed out with a one-two punch and kung fu sound effects at two more ninjas nocking them into a third.

Spike on the other side of the lab tried to think of the best way to kill his enemies without having to do much running or embarrassing imaginary sound effects. "Ha ha!" He said loudly, so Tilly would be sure to hear him and would know he was playing, "I'll get you with my throwing-stars." He made a few attempts to look like he was aiming throwing-stars at the advancing ninjas. As soon as he was sure Tilly wasn't looking he stoped and lent on a desk to wait for her to finish killing things.

Tilly thrust out at her last ninja opponent, palming him twice in the face and then kicking him in the gut. He fell down with a definite (imaginary) thud. She turned to Spike triumphantly. "All down lieutenant Spike." She said, "Hey, where'd your other four go?"

"I killed them." Spike reminded her, "With throwing stars."

"You only had six throwing stars." Tilly said, "What about the rest?"

"I uh…" Spike floundered for a plausible explanation, "got them with my… telepathic powers? Yeah, that's it."

"Really?" Tilly asked. Spike waited with baited breath to see if she would buy it. "Well… awesome! You should teach me how!"

"You just think really hard of what you want to happen, focus your inner energy, and then it will happen." Spike explained. "I know, why don't you try by thinking of locking the doors so no more ninjas can get in."

"Ok," Tilly said. She screwed up her eyes and stuck out her tongue as she thought very hard about locking the doors, and the ninjas trying in vain to open them. "Done." She announced. "Wow, it worked! There's no more ninjas. But- what do we play now?"

Spike pondered the question, "Poker?" he suggested.

"Spike!" Tilly wailed, realising that had been his plan all along. "That's not as fun as ninja fighting."

"But we did that." Spike argued, "and we stoped the ninjas so good they can't get in. So lets play poker."

"Aunty Fred says I'm not allowed to play poker with you any more." Tilly said coyly.

"And what does your Uncle Wes say?" Spike asked.

Tilly grinned, baring the gap where her left incisor tooth was still growing in, after she had lost the baby tooth. "He says I can keep playing, because you always lose to me."

"Damn right." Spike grumbled. "Well c'mon then, wouldn't want to go against your Uncle Wes' wishes."

Tilly pulled herself up onto a chair as Spike began to shuffle a pack of cards from his pocket. "50 dollarsstarting bet." Tilly said, reaching into her skirt pocket and pulling out a handful of 50 and 100 dollar bills.

"Where did you get all that money!" Spike asked incredulously.

"Like I said, you keep losing to me." Tilly said. "Now deal the cards."

Tilly had won six consecutive hands and taken a considerable amount of money from Spike, when the vampire's phone rang. He put down his hand and rummaged in his pockets for his cell, saying to Tilly, "Better take this, might be a life or death phone call."

Tilly scoffed, "You just don't wanna loose again." While Spike answered his phone, Tilly reached over the table and lifted up his cards to see what he had.

"Angel." Spike greeted the familiar caller, "Can't save the day without me huh?"

"That's not it," Angel's terse reply came through the phone. "I did fine without you when you were in Sunnydale impotent and soulless. I just thought it would be a good idea to have some back-up on this."

"It's ok," Spike insisted, "You're afraid to take this one in your old age, and you wanted someone younger and quicker to be there- just in case."

"One- we're both more than 100 years old, and two-I'm immortal, I don't age!" Angel growled. "But seeing as you decided to strap on to me with the soul and the path to redemption thing, I thought you might want to actually help someone and 'atone' a bit. Instead of drinking all day and gambling with six year olds."

"Alright, alright," Spike relented, "I'll be up in a minute. And for your information, I wasn't gambling with a six year old." He hung up on Angel before adding, "Tilly's seven now." He turned back to Tilly, "Sorry, Tilly. I gotta go. Hero business and all that."

Tilly looked disappointed, but she covered it quickly, "That's ok. You were just gonna lose again and I'm getting kinda tired of winning."

Spike smiled, "I mighta won this time." He said.

"No," Tilly replied, "I checked your cards, a pair of sevens- I had three queens and a pair of aces."

"I'll lose some more money to you again soon." Spike promised.

"How soon?" Tilly asked.

"Tues-" Spike paused, "Monday. And I really will come. Scouts Honour."

"You're not a scout." Tilly said.

"But I ate a few when I was evil." Spike countered.

Tilly wrinkled up her nose, hiding a smile. "Ewww! Don't say that."

Tilly walked Spike to the door of the science labs where he paused to say goodbye to Fred. "See you later love." He said, "And call me if that Watcher-boy of yours keeps neglecting you. I'd be only too happy to step in and make him jealous for you."

Fred smiled, "and how would you do that?" she asked.

"I have my ways." Spike smirked. "I'll see you later Tilly. I'll bring more money next time."

"Tilly," Fred chided once Spike had left. "have you been playing poker with Spike again? I told you not to. He used to bet with kittens you know… and it's just not right for a child your age to keep winning all that money." Fred stoped lecturing when she caught sight of Tilly's sad expression, "What's the matter? I wasn't really angry." She added hurridly.

"It's not you." Tilly promised.

Fred pulled the little girl onto the chair, stroking her dark black hair. "What is it then?"

"It's Spike," Tilly complained, "I think he doesn't like me."

"What gave you that idea?" Fred asked in surprise.

"He hardly ever visits anymore." Tilly explained, "And he always has to go 'save the world' like it's so much more important than me."

"Spike loves you." Fred assured the little girl. "We all do. But he does have to 'save the world' sometimes. All adults have things they have to do. But it's spending time with you that makes working not so hard- that way there's something to look forward to."

Tilly curled up on Fred's lap watching the hypnotising green data still playing over the screens. "Really?" she asked.

"Really." Fred said. She kissed Tilly's head, "How about I finish collecting this data, then we go find Wesley. We'll drag him away from his prophecy for the night and have some dinner at home. I can take you back to Containment after Dinner."

"Ok," Tilly said happily, "can we have tacos for dinner?"

Fred smiled. "We sure can."

"That is the last time I ever help you Angel." Spike growled. He pulled of his famous duster and inspected a rip in the hem. "You're ruined my duster!"

"It's just a little tear," Angel said. "And what did you expect getting in my way like that?"

"In your way!" Spike cried, "I saved you. You were about three seconds from decapitation, mate."

"I had it under control," Angel said, "It was you who threw me off. You nearly got us both killed. Next time I say 'stay back' do it!"

"You're not the boss of me!" Spike said.

"Actually, yes I am."

Spike glared at him, "I'm gonna have to find some black thread." He said, inspecting the rip in his duster again.

"Just leave it with Harmony," Angel suggested, "I'm sure the firm has some demonic tailor in their clientele who can fix it for you."

"Nah," Spike said, "I don't trust them. They'd do a crummy job. You have to use invisible stitching on the inside, see?"

"What do you know about sewing?" Angel asked.

"I've been around for some 100 years," Spike said, "I've had a lot of time to learn stuff."

"I've been around for longer than you, and I never learnt to sew." Angel countered.

"You spent half of that time eating rats from the sewers." Spike said.

Angel glared at the younger vampire. "Pansy." He said.

"What did you say!" Spike demanded.

"I called you a 'pansy', Spike." Angel clarified, "You had a century as a demonic vampire and you used that time to learn how to sew."

"You're the nancy boy who spent the last ten decades crying about what a bad boy you were!" Spike yelled. "You want to see a pansy? Take a look in the mirror!"

"Uh, vampire!" Angel said, "I don't have a reflection."

"That's it nancy boy!" Spike said, pulling up his fists as if he were going to fight "You're going down."

"Don't be so immature." Angel snapped.

"Stop saying that!" Spike yelled, "I'm not a kid anymore, Angel. You can stop treating me like one."

Angel looked tired and angry as he replied, "Just go home, Spike."

"No." Spike said, "You can't tell me what to do."

"Spike, I don't want to fight about this." Angel said. "I don't want us to fight at all!"

"Then stop being such a bossy ponce and we won't!" Spike said.

"This isn't about me, Spike." Angel said.

"No, of course not, because you never do anything wrong." Spike muttered, "And I'm always the one screwing things up." He suddenly turned away, "Fine. I'm leaving." He threw his duster around his shoulders and stormed off down the corridor.

"Spike," Angel called out after him, "Spike!" but the younger vampire didn't look back.

Spike stormed down the hallway, his insides boiling. Things had been getting more and more confusing between him and Angel. Things had always been tense and strange. Since he was first sired, Spike had half respected half resented Angel. He had once desperately wanted to impress the older vampire. When Angel got a soul and abandoned his vampire children, he had shattered Drusilla's heart. Spike resolved to hate Angel for that. A century later they had become more like rivals over Drusilla and then Buffy. The past between them was complicated- to say the least.

But at least then Spike knew how to act around Angel. They would bicker and fight and stay allied enemies.

But things were different now. Things had been slowly changing for a while, but they came to a head when Spike was turned into a child. Angel was forced to look after the child-Spike, playing the father and sole guardian. According to the bizarre spell a demon psychiatrist had put on him- Spike couldn't grow up until he gained the love of his "father". The term had turned out to be metaphorical- Angel being the "father" who need to love Spike. Though he had been reticent at first, Angel soon warmed to Spike and eventually did prove his love for the child. Which of course meant Spike grew up again.

The attachment between Spike and Angel was impossible to understand now. They were still rivals and often argued, they probably always would, but there was something far deeper between them. This only seemed to complicate matters though, making fights all the more hurtful.

"Bloody idiot." Spike seethed as he stormed down the halls of Wolfram and Hart. "I'm not putting up with it anymore." His angry mutterings where interrupted when he turned a corner and walked straight into a rather unexpected old enemy- Dr Mordred. "What the hell?" Spike gasped, steadying himself again.

"Yes, I'd rather thought that would be your reaction," the doctor smiled. "How have you been Spike?"

"A lot bloody better now that I'm not three feet tall." Spike said. "Why don't I think it's a coincidence that I've bumped into you?"

"Because it's not," the doctor sighed. "There's a prophecy Spike, there always is isn't there," Dr Mordred laughed. Spike stared blankly at him, so the doctor continued, "A rather powerful and imposing demon God is going to rise soon, and he would like you out of the way."

"Me?" Spike asked, "Why me?"

"The prophecy, Spike," Dr Mordred replied tersely, "Try to keep up. So, I've been sent to eradicate you."

"What?" Spike looked horrified as the doctor pulled out an all too familiar syringe. "No! Oh God no! Not again!"

"Don't worry Spike," Dr Mordred said calmly, "I'm not going to make you a child again. I'm going to reverse your age completely. Till you're nothing at all."

"That is not a calming thought!" Spike cried. He tried to make an escape back up the corridor, but Dr Mordred, showing exceptional speed and agility for an old demon, pounced. He pinned Spike to the ground, stabbing the needle into his neck before the vampire could throw the weaker man off. The sedative effect of the magical demon's blood took effect almost immediately. Spike felt the syringe injecting the fatal dose of age reversing blood into his system, but was unable to do anything to stop it. "Bloody bastard," he cried weakly as his eyes became unfocused. "Damnit… Angel… help."

400 meters away, Angel heard Spike's plea. Weather it was vampiric hearing or magical intervention he didn't know, but he heard Spike cry out none the less. He dashed towards the direction he thought the voice had come from. He didn't know what was wrong, or why Spike was in danger, but he didn't care. All he cared about was that Spike needed help- damn anything or anyone who stood in his way.

He rounded a corner to find his grandchilde. Spike was lying limp on the floor, his eyes rolled backward under heavily dropping lids, his arms outstretched the palms and fingers limp. Crouched over him was an old man in a white Doctor's coat- Angel recognised him as Dr Mordred. The same doctor who had caused so much trouble six months ago, by reverting Spike to childhood. In the doctor's hand was a syringe, half full of liquid. The syringe was slowly becoming less and less full as the doctor pumped the potion into Spike's neck.

Angel growled. The doctor looked up. He looked surprised to find the older vampire looming above him. He was about to speak when Angel rushed at him- nocking him to the ground. Vampire and doctor hit the carpet with a heavy thud. The syringe flew out of the doctor's hand and smashed against the wall, the poison inside spilling all over the plaster and dribbling down to the carpet. Angel grabbed Dr Mordred by the neck and pinned him down. "What the hell have you done?"

The doctor struggled to reply with the vampire's vice-like grip crushing his wind-pipe. "I've done," Dr Mordred coughed, "what was asked." Angel growled and squeezed harder. "I've reversed him." The doctor clarified.

"How old will he be?" Angel asked. The doctor's eyes began to roll back in his head as he lost consciousness. Angel heaved his head off the floor slightly and slammed him back down, "How old!" but, now completely unconscious, Dr Mordred didn't reply.