Title: Purity Author: Lore Krajsman and Heather Darrow Rating PG 15, slight slashiness if you can call Willow/Tara that. Summary: A new messiah has been born and his name is ... Richie Ryan(!!!??) Notes: please don't send me flames over the subject matter, I know I'm using religion rather circumspectly. But hey if the PTB can do it why can't we? Previous parts of this series can be found at http://members.nbci.com/liliaeth Return to Madness at http://members.nbci.com/_XMCM/liliaeth/fanfiction/eigen/madness.htm and Lone Horseman in Sunnydale at http://members.nbci.com/_XMCM/liliaeth/fanfiction/eigen/horsemaninsunnydale.htm
This story should be readable on its own, but just for the sake of clarity. Temlan is Methos younger brother, they have the same mother. The immortal Jo'lon es Liliaeth an Dograi, also known as Lilith. Lilin is Temlans wife and a former slave of the Horsemen. The two of them are Spikes parents Temlan killed Connor MacLeod to avenge the Kurgans death. Duncan was possessed by Ahriman in Lone Horseman and was responsible for massmurder. He is still trembling from its aftershocks. Richie found out he's Jo'lons choice for winning the Prize in Destiny. She sent her son Kaine to keep him from being killed by Duncan's blade. Lore and Heather
Purity
A young girl is huddled down in the back of an alley. Someone is standing over her. She shrieks back even more. The light flashes from a big coca cola commercial and shows the face of a vampire.
Spikes face.
He pulls back in pain, still unable to hurt.
He growls turns round and stomps away discussed with himself again.
"Damn it damn it ..." The litany goes on almost endlessly.
The blond vampire stalked towards the slums, his body taut with anger and hunger. Rats scurry away at his feet. He dropped down, trying to catch one. Most get away, but when he tries to bring one to his mouth pain once again takes him over. He falls down on his knees.
"Ooh a pretty boy. Nice and ready for us."
Spike turns at the sudden sound.
"Hey, lookie at the poor rich white mutha. His pet got away!" Crooned another voice sarcastically as several young men emerge from the shadows.
"You..."
Spike turns around. His face turns into that of his demon.
"Scared, boy?" The gang troupes around him calling out names and insults.
"Ooh we got us a little freak boy. What do you think we do with freaks like you, boytoy."
They don't seem to realize that what they're dealing with could be dangerous.
Just a bunch of idiot bigots who have no idea at all.
Spike hunches over, ready to attack, to hell with the pain. He'll shred them apart even if it kills him.
"Ooo, tough guy. Like knives, boy toy?"
Spike growls at their words. He gets ready to jump at one of them and falls down, grabbing his head in pain.
"Well, I guess he does. Poor li'l boy. Let's give him what he wants." One of them takes Spike by the hair and starts beating up on him
In the darkness of the alley someone is watching it all. At first there's a smirk on her face but then she sees the vampire lying on the ground in pain and rushes in to join them.
"Hey boys. This a private party or can anyone join in."
One of the guys whistles as he sees her.
"Oo hoo hoo! Baby doll! Join in the fun, gorgeous!"
She comes closer, her grin increases as she takes in the men. They look slimy. Suddenly she turns on them in a flurry of kicks and punches.
Before Spike could even blink, his attackers were lying on the ground.
He looked up at her. "Buffy?"
She doesn't answer, just picks him up in her arms and carries him away.
He faints from his wounds.
Part one
Chapter One
Xander was packing his stuff. He strongly tried not to look at Anya as he did so.
"Xander, why do you have to go? Methos can find this Richie by himself!"
He kept looking at his bag. Not sure what to answer. To be honest he'd felt stupid about it as soon as he'd offered his help. Yet part of him felt he had no choice but to go. Only thing he could come up with was that it was Asmodeus. Maybe he should refuse to go, just to smite the ancient body thief. Then images coursed through his mind, of the fight with Ahriman, other fights of what would happen if the demon was not stopped and the boy would die. Xander knew he had to go, he just didn't like it
"Anya... " he started. She wouldn't let him finish.
"Xander, this is mad. You've been like this ever since that old spook took you over!"
"You haven't seen what I've seen." he suddenly yelled out. "The death, the hopelessness, the despair." He closed his eyes and balled his fists.
"This won't just blow over. Buffy can't stop it, neither can Giles or Willow or Tara, or even Angel ... and ..."
She sighs. "Xander. I know you think this is important. But I don't see what having to find one guy has anything to do with it."
He nearly fell down on the bed. "I'm the only one who can do this." He didn't know why, but he knew it was the truth.
"Well.. then... you should know that I might not be here when you get back."
"But ..." he stared at her. "Why? Anya, I love you.", the words came as more of a surprise even to himself than he'd expected.
He loved her. He really really did love her. But he really didn't have a clue what to say to make her stay.
She blinks, surprised as well. She sighs again. "Because I don't know if this'll happen again. And if it does..." She hugs herself a bit.
"This?" He wondered what she was talking about. "You mean my having to go?"
She nods grimly.
He looked at her, ready to stammer any excuse, to say he'd never leave her after this. But he knew it would be lies and he couldn't lie to her. Then he said the one thing he hadn't wanted to say. The one thing he'd refused to propose, scared that she might get hurt.
"Come with us then."
She blinks. "What?"
"I can't live without you." he said before whispering his greatest fear. "Without you, I don't know if I have anything to hang on to anymore. Anything to keep me from just handing over my life to that Asmodeus. At least he has use to someone. Even if it were to some ancient whatever that happens to still be out there somewhere."
She closes her eyes, thinking quickly. Then they open, and she nods. "All right."
He grabs her in his arms.
Sun shines on them, turning it into a nice romantic scene despite the dampness of the basement.
"Can we have sex now?"
*******
Methos sat at the bar, staring at the glass of beer in front of him. Temlan had just left, raging in fury, Duncan refused to wake up, and when he was awake the man was constantly blaming himself and refused to look anyone in the eye. Lilin was out looking for Spike and both Buffy and the vampire were amongst the missing. He sighed, and sat up a bit, scooping up the glass and bringing it to his lips, taking a long swallow. He was trying to forget, trying to ignore what Ahriman had told him, trying to ...
He concentrated on Richie. To be honest he'd barely known the kid. Most of the time he'd just been the annoying sidekick that he'd tolerated in order to be close to MacLeod. Then the boy up and died and Methos had been forced to think about him. This wasn't supposed to be the way things worked out.
It just wasn't.
He set the glass down and stared into the foam thoughtfully.
"How could things have possibly gone so bloody wrong in so short a time." he muttered under his breath.
He didn't care for a second about who might be listening to him. Because of that he ignored the two men who were sitting in a corner in the back. Not to mention the woman who joined them a moment later.
He sighed again, glancing around.
Then he looked back. It was as if the woman was staring at him oddly. He wondered why. His eyebrows furrowed, studying the girl staring at him a bit more closely. The black boy next to her seemed to glare at him as if he were something that you tried to get of the bottom of your shoes.
Suddenly, an evil thought struck him, and he turned back, lunging to his feet and roaring at the two. "OOOGA BOOOGA!"
Gunn shrieked up and pulled a stake in less than a second. Angel and Cordelia got up as well while Wesley spilled his drink.
Methos snickered. "Sorry."
"Have we... met somewhere before?"
The girl seemed flustered. She didn't seem to know what to say.
"Are you sure we have to help him Angel." Gunn suddenly said.
"Say what?" He blinked at the black kid.
"Er, eh, nothing..." He mutters, furrowing his eyebrows. Methos isn't convinced, and looks at the imposing (if gorgeous) chap still staring at him as though not sure what to make of him.
Things started to turn in Methos' head, a thought suddenly hit him.
"Angel?" The Slayers ex?
"Just wondering, you wouldn't happen to be the vamp that had his little mad girl toy kill my godson Billie, would you?"
Methos grinned.
"I know he was a bloody awful poet. But did you really have to turn him in a vamp to get him to stop?"
"He's now even more annoying than before." he added as an afterthought.
If Angel were breathing, he would've choked.
As it were Cordelia had to slap him on his back to get him to close his mouth.
Methos smirked. He couldn't help it. The vampire just reminded him to much of MacLeod.
Chapter two
Spike squirmed a little and moaned as he came round.
He practically screamed as he saw who was hovering over him. "Buffy?! What're you...??!!"
The Slayer was taking care of his wounds and he was both revolted as he was fascinated. His mind giggled at the thoughts creeping into it and into his pants.
"Ummm... nice cleavage, doll." He drawled, expecting to get slapped.
She didn't disappoint him.
Then she seemed to feel slightly guilty.
"Owtch." Spike tried to get up, his ribs hurt, he could feel where one of the gang members boots had hit him. The guy had been wearing metal tips.
He sighs. "Hell of a bedside manner you have."
"Oh shut up. Be glad I didn't leave you for those bozos. I'm sure they knew what to do with you."
"And you don't."
"Stake you, it's what I should have done a long time ago."
"Then why don't you?"
He got up slightly, trying to ignore the pain and looking at her oddly seductive.
"Or aren't you 'up' to it."
She shoved him back down again, making him wince as a broken rib shifted. "Later, stud. We'll discuss it later."
He wanted to say more, but the pain kicked all the air out of his dead lungs.
He just looked at her as she fastened the bandages around his chest. Her fingers touching his cold white skin. Of course at that moment the door open to reveal a stunned looking Angel.
"Well, if it isn't the white knight." Spike grinned at the sight of his grandsires eyes as the darkhaired vampires mouth fell open in shock. "Or should that be the 'Dark Knight'?"
"The Slayer and I were just playing doctor, feel like joining in?"
"Ah, no, thank you." Angel stuttered out, trying to hold in his anger. His jealousy.
Buffy stood broken in silence. Not sure what to do. Riley was dead. He'd never be back. And now Angel was here and ...
She looked over at Spike and got up faster than she'd imagined possible. A few hours after Angel popped into the room, Spike was seated between the cursed vampire and Methos, glancing between them thoughtfully. Angel was being his usual brooding self and for some reason his uncle was doing a damn fine imitation of one
"You know, I've always wanted to know what it would be like to sit between two gargoyles..." He began, then cringed under the twin glares he received.
Buffy arrived with a platter. She seemed to be trying not to look at anyone.
There were two mugs with blood, one glass of beer and a cola.
"Thanks love."
Angel gave Spike an even worse glare after those words.
"Hey I'm wounded here."
Methos rolled his eyes. He couldn't help it. What was it about that vampire that made sane people go insane? And want to stake him? Can't forget about that one? He hadn't had that big an influence on the kid, had he?
"OK, can it with the ice machine." For a second the grim mood was broken.
Xander came in, took one look at Angel and groaned. "Oh it's dead boy. As if one big brooder isn't enough for this place.'
The mortal boy got scowled at.
"What?"
Xander lifted his eyes to the sky. "You hurt me with your ... eyes."
"Very funny, Xander. Have a seat, we may as well wait for the rest of this coffee klatch to start"
"Sure anything to get away from the brood master upstairs." He fell down on the couch.
"MacLeod still doing his best impression of a stone wall?"
"Ding, Right in one. Give the man a prize."
"What've I won, Charley?" Spike mutters dryly as he leans back a bit.
"One caring conversation with his royal suicidalness. Man that guy has to cheer up and soon. Or I might think about taking a sword in hand myself."
Methos shuddered at those words. "Please don't. As the next-nearest Immortal, *I* would get his Q. And I don't like to think of what it would do to my already sunny disposition."
Buffy nodded her head in agreement. What had she possibly done to deserve this?
Wesley and Gunn came from the kitchen. Cordelia was still in the bathroom. She'd found a split end and of course that had to be dealt with first. Plus, she didn't seem to want to face Xander for some reason.
Methos grinned and waved at Wes and Gunn.
Gunn still had no idea about Spike. Yet he could feel there was something wrong about the blond Englishman.
"Boys, have you met my DEAR nephew?" Methos lunged over and put an arm around Spike's shoulders. Spike tried to get away, but in between his wounds and Methos' grip, he was helpless as a kitten. The vampire was mere seconds away from showing his true face at his uncle.
"Isn't he *adorable*?" Methos kept right on going. "Apple of my sister-in-law's eye."
"Ah uncle, do you think mom would like it if you hurt my already bruised self?"
"You'll heal." He strengthened his grip. "Its not like you'll DIE from it."
"Yeah and you and mom are such good friends that she'd just give you a cookie if I did."
"Very funny." He let go of the vampire but took a nice long look at the closed of window. As if wondering about the sunlight outside.
"Say Slayer, I heard you and this cous of mine almost got married once, what was the story about that?" Methos loved to ruffle her feathers. A very easy thing to do it seemed, with Angel in the room. The two vampires sitting to his left give him such filthy looks that he can almost feel his skin burning.
Chapter Three
Meanwhile, upstairs, MacLeod rolled over restlessly. He had been trying to sleep since Xander left, but Morpheus was once again eluding his grasp. Images kept coursing in front of his eyes. Innocent people, death, destruction. How could he have let that happen. He was a monster.
He rolled over again and pressed his face into the pillow. /Oxygen deprivation should knock me out.../ He could almost feel his mind losing itself in the darkness when a sudden burst of Quickening rang through his very being. A Quickening both stronger than he'd ever faced, yet familiar in a way he'd never imagined possible. He pushed himself up quickly with a gasp, searching instinctively for a sword that wasn't there.
The door went open and a boy came in. Not yet a man, but not really a child either. The kid gave him a strong look and leaned up against the wall. His eyes never leaving their goal..
Macleod's dark eyes went to the newcomer. "Who are you?"
The boy didn't answer. Not immediately. He kept staring at the Highlander. Then a smile filled his face.
"I'm Loki."
MacLeod had heard the name before. From myths, legends, stories immortals told each other to scare themselves and all around. He hissed a little and rolled away from the boy.
The boy just kept on grinning. "You've heard of me. Should I feel flattered?"
"What do you want from me, Loki?"
The boy looked up, thoughtfully. "I'm not sure yet." He crossed his hands in front of himself. "I've been after you once before you know."
Mac blinked, not comprehending.
"You were visiting that kinsmen of yours back in Scotland. " A mean glint appeared in the boys eyes. "I'd just killed his little bitch. Brenda Wyat I believe her name was."
MacLeod hissed again, angrily this time. "You!"
"Now now boy. No reason to get upset. This time, Methos isn't here to save you again."
Temlan remembered that moment. Wanting to challenge the boy, the one the Highlander cared about. Methos sudden appearance, his plea not to do it. For his sake. His giving up and falling in tears for his student, his son. As the memories came up, the grief rose with it.
The boy got closer before MacLeod could even blink. He sat down on the bed and put down his head on the sheets.
Seemingly defenseless. "I could kill you if you want. Take away all the guilt, all the pain, ... all the memories."
MacLeods dark eyes flicked to Loki, studying him shrewdly. "You're not going to, now are you?" the Highlander suddenly said. "You'd have already done it if you were planning to."
The boy just kept up his grin and looked straight into the Scots eyes. "I don't know. Might be fun to have two MacLeods inhere instead of just one." His words were uttered completely calm as he pointed at his head.
Duncan froze. "Funny thing Vengeance."
The boy pulled out a smoke and lit it. "One moment you're all self righteous claiming it for a loss, the next someone else is saying the same about theirs." He blew out some smoke. His head buried deeper in the sheets.
Duncan coughed a little at the smoke. Part of him wanted to tell the kid off for smoking, then he realized how much older the 'boy' was than himself.
"Again, what do you want? "
The boy pulled up his leg and rolled on his side. "I want my brother back." The boy looked down away from the Highlander. "I'm here with a chip stuck in my head, preventing me from killing any living being and that quertaz is downstairs being worried about 'you'. The boy gave him an accusing glare.
MacLeod winced. He couldn't help it. "What brother?" was all he managed to get out.
"I finally killed the butcher that murdered my son Gerinn. You know what the first thing was that he told me?"
"What?"
"How you would react if you found out I killed that bastard MacLeod. Why is he like that?" The boy sighed. "He's got an entire family, ready for him at any moment. I'm his brother. I've been there for him, most of my life. But when it comes down to it.... He chooses you. A mere child." A knife appeared in the boys hands almost as if by magic.
MacLeod shrunk back. "Who are you talking about?" he practically shouted.
A terrifying suspicion started forming in his mind. "Methos??"
The boy just nodded. "For 5000 years I stood at that idiots back and call. Yet for you, he drops me in a heartbeat." Duncan was left grasping for air, part of him longing for the cut, the other terrified of what awaited him after death.
"I force my wife to be civil to him, despite what he's done to her. And he takes you over me." The knife ends up on Duncan's throat. "So tell me Highlander. What is it about you that makes him care so much?"
Duncan could see he was serious. "I don't know. I wish I did."
The boy turned around, the knife ended up embedded in the wood of the ceiling. The boy was practically growling. Duncan panted quietly and collapsed back on the bed. Temlan pulled the door open and stormed down the stairs. His hand hit the railing, he jumped over it and landed on the ground.
******
Methos half-jumped out of his skin at the loud thump. His heart nearly froze when he saw his brother coming from MacLeods room. if it wasn't for the lack of Q, he'd be getting scared now.
"Temlan! What the hell is going on?!"
"Nothing. What do you care." His words were shouted in Dagala, a language so old that even their mother had not been there for its creation.
"You're my brother, and my friend, now talk to me!" He returned sharply in the same tongue. "Temlan, please! What would our mother say?"
"Nothing. As usual." Temlan thought about his mother. The woman loved him. As much as she ever could anyway. But to her, he, Methos, ... all of them were cannon fodder
"Temlan, we *need* you."
"Why? You haven't needed me before. Why would you need me now?" the boy balled his fists. "You didn't even call me when Kronos showed up. I had to hear about it from Cassandra. If she hadn't called Lilin you wouldn't even have let me know.."
"What do you want me to say, Temlan?"
"Nothing, anything. For once I want you to put me before something else. I'm dying here, I can't even properly defend my wife and you're planning to just go of to look for some kid that might or might not be the savior. What does that say?" Methos winced. "That boy upstairs..." Temlan looked down reflectively. "You're leaving him too aren't you."
"I don't have a choice... he's not fit to travel..."
"You haven't even asked me and I'm more than fit to travel." Their eyes crossed again "Why is that?"
"Because I somehow get the feeling that you wouldn't care to go."
"I wouldn't?" he muttered, thinking about it. Would he really be that shallow, to just not care. To be honest. Methos was right. Lilin needed him. And to be even more honest, the thought of the Ai'kan'she being for real scared him. More than anything. The myth was one thing, but the reality of the pure one ... It was the end. The true beginning of the end and he was far from ready for it.
He hadn't been ready to die as a 16 year old boy looking up at his mother who was about to kill him, to put him out of his misery. He hadn't been ready to die when Methos tortured him into insanity. And he still wasn't ready for it.
"Yes, Temlan. You wouldn't. Because I know you too well."
"I care about people." he suddenly brought out. Almost as if a claim of some care kept him from being some kind of inhuman monster.
"Really?" Methos put his hand on the boys shoulder. "How many people have you 'really' been close to in the past 5000 years. You tell me that."
"Enough." Temlan turned away. "And they died. Almost all of them."
Grayson, Hyde, Gerinn, Michael, Sean, ... All of them dead.
Even William was dead, no matter how much his body was sitting there, smiling. Insulting the true Wills memory with that killer grin of his.
"Then don't you think its time you started caring about someone new?"
"Like who? That little boy of yours upstairs? Even if I would care about him. He'd hate me now."
"Give him a chance; he's hurting. And Richie? Even if he *is* the Ai'kan'she, he's still a person."
Temlan easily ignored even thinking about 'Richie'. He didn't want to think about the pure one, cause to think of him, meant that one day he might have to give up Lilin, and he didn't ever want to do that. It was easier to just concentrate on the other one.
"I killed his teacher, you think he'll just forgive and forget?"
"I'm sure, given time... while he might not forgive and forget entirely, he might see his way past it."
"And you know this because ..."
"Because I know him."
"What you've known him five, maybe six years. I knew the Kurgan his entire life. Will your buddy understand that I will 'never' feel sorry about avenging his death.
"I'm sure he can see past it."
"3000 years kéfu."
"I still miss him.'"
"I know, kéfu sù" He murmurs. "Even now I still miss Kronos. I don't know why, I just do."
Temlan turned away, and looked at the room. "I'll look out for him kéfu. Just ..." his hand held on to the railing "don't stay away to long."