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Flashback
The sky was black and clouds pregnant with unshed rain hid the moon and stars. On the outskirts of an ominous black forest there stood a forbidding manor. Built in dark grey stone with rising turrets, from the front the manor's only visible entrance was a large, heavy, oak double door with a bronze doorknob carved in the shape of a lions head, a mouth open in mid-roar held a bronze ring. On ledges high above the ground gargoyles stood or crouched in various places, guarding off any approaching evil spirits, ironic when you considered who was inhabiting the castle.
The library was filled with mahogany bookshelves that filled the walls from floor to ceiling, except for the one wall that was mainly filled with a large window surrounded by green velvet curtains. The walls were covered in green velvet wallpaper and there was a dark green shag carpet in the centre of highly polished mahogany floor.
There were three armchairs gathered in around the roaring fire, two on one side and another on its own, all were occupied by vampires. Angelus was staring into the fire, thinking up some plan or other, occasionally sipping from a cut crystal glass filled with blood red wine. Dressed in a white silk shirt with a high collar and a black smoking jacket, he looked every inch the proper gentlemen.
William the bloody was sitting in the chair next to his sire, reading from a black leather bound book with gilt-edged pages. Dressed in a black shirt with an unbuttoned collar he looked the seductive vampire with his dark hair pulled into a low queue. One of his pale hands was draped over the edge of his chair and was being stroked absently by his sire.
Opposite them sat the female of their trio. Carma's raven hair fell in loose waves to her hips, ivory skin that could carry off the paleness of the corpse without looking too dead. Strange silver eyes were focussing on the paper in front of her, and occasionally looking up at her fellow vampires, then looking back down at the portrait forming on the paper. Dressed in a wide skirted midnight blue dress shot with silver threads she was breathtaking.
"How much longer?"
Her question broke the silence and the two men looked up as one, even though she was still studiously shading William's shirt they could sense the tension.
"It's a fortnight till we need to be in Paris. We meet up with the girls on Christmas day."
William's voice was quiet, subdued, depressed about the reunion even.
Quiet enveloped the room once more, until Angelus snapped and threw his wineglass into the fire, causing the flames to rise for a few seconds.
"Fuck!"
He leant his hand on the mantle piece and stared down into the flames. Neither of his childe approached him, knowing full well that it wasn't a very good idea when he was in this mood.
"Why the fuck do we do this. We are three of the most powerful vampires in history, we're the triumvirate for fucks sake, we could defeat the Master! We're definitely more powerful than those two, so why do we bloody do it?"
During his speech he turned around and threw a china figurine into a bookshelf, causing the fragments to pool on the ground. In the following silence Carma stood and moved behind her sire, wrapping her small arms around his chest and reaching upwards to gently kiss his cheek. In the meantime Spike had risen off his chair and stood pressed against Angelus's body, his arms wrapped around the older vampire and his fingers interlocked behind Carma's neck.
"We do this because we have to."
The side of her head was lying on Angelus's broad back.
"We are some of the most feared vampires in Europe, and a few of the other continents. Angelus, the Scourge of Europe, William the Bloody, Fatestriker, Darla and Drusilla. We're a family and we need them. At least for a while longer."
"She's right. The triumvirate bonds aren't fully set yet, and until they are we're a bit more vulnerable than we were. We need those girls."
Angelus let his head fall forwards, resting on Spike's.
"Let's go to bed."
With a coy note in her voice Carma separated herself from Angelus and took a hand of each of her lovers. Then she led them up the curving staircase, past a plain doorway that led to the wine cellar. Where three bodies had been deposited, the former owners of this mansion, killed by the vampire triumvirate.
End flashback
With a start Angel awoke from the dream, sitting bolt upright in his bed. Breathing hard he tried to remember what the dream had been about, but all he couldn't remember anything. Shaking his head in exhaustion he headed for a shower, resolving not to think about his strange dreams anymore, he had been having them for a few days now, and he still wasn't any clearer about what they meant. While in the shower he had the strange, but pleasant sensation of four hands running over his body, interrupting the flow of the water down his pale skin. But shakily he dismissed the idea and got dressed. There hadn't been any hands on him for a long time, especially not those.
Downstairs Cordelia and Wesley were arguing again.
"Cordelia, we should not tell him about this."
"You don't think this is something he'd want to know."
"I don't think it's something he should know."
"Maybe it's not your choice. You ever think of that"
Angel stopped and leaned on the banister, amused at the sight before him. Faith was sprawled over the couch, watching the scene between Cordelia and Wesley. Lorne was seated on the chair beside her, trying desperately not to laugh and interrupt them. Sniggering Faith glanced over at the stairs and saw him; she smirked nodding a head at the other two, and he replied in kind.
Clearing her throat several times Faith finally managed to get their attention.
"Don't you think it's a choice he should make?"
With a nod of her head Faith indicated the vampire on the stairs, as Wesley was facing in that direction he saw him first and panic flooded his face before he was sent into a chair by one of Cordelia's flailing arms as she spun round.
"Angel, thank God. Look, we got a phone call from Sunnydale and mhmph."
She was cut off as Wesley clapped a hand over her mouth. Doing his best to send an innocent smile in Angel's direction.
"It's nothing Angel, don't worry about it."
"Wesley. I've been listening to you for the last few minutes, arguing about whether I should or shouldn't know something. Now Faith's right, and I think I'd like to know what it is."
Although his voice was amused, his face was set. He didn't like secrets being kept from him.
With a muffled noise Cordelia got away from Wesley, straightened out her clothes and said bluntly.
"Willow called, the First Evil is in Sunnydale, they have an army of potential slayers, but they need help. Our help. I thought you should know, Wesley just thought we should say no."
Having finished her speech she poked her tongue out at Wesley and sat down on a chair.
"The First."
Everyone looked up at the tone of his voice, they had expected yelling at no being told about the phone call, brooding at the thought of having to go to Sunnydale. Not fear and overwhelming anger rolled into two words. Before they could say anything Angel had turned and stalked back up the stairs, throwing six words over his shoulder before slamming his door.
"Get packed. We're going to Sunnydale."
FlashbackThree figures were running through the back streets of London. Angelus was in the lead, followed by Carma's dress was in rags having had to rip the petticoats from the skirt and shorten it to allow her to run, Spike was bringing up the rear. They leaped over a wall, reaching one of the main Paris roads, while Carma stayed in the shadows to avaoid drawing attention the two older vampires hijacked a passing carriage, and once she was ensconced inside they raced away.
They didn't stop for a few days and very little that wasn't related to travel plans was said in that time. They didn't feed, not wanting to leave a trail; they stole horses from inns along their route when the others were too exhausted to be of any use to them.
Finally they stopped in a small town and Angelus booked them a room in the local inn. Once they had all been cleaned up from the hard travelling and Carma had a new dress, they settled down to discuss future plans.
"What about Darla and Drusilla?"
"There's nothing we can do for them. My sire's strong, she'll get out of Paris just fine, and she won't leave Dru, she may hate her, but she's a member of her blood line, she won't let her die."
"What are we going to do? We can't stay in France."
"We'll go some where else."
"Where, that thing'll just find us again. And we're bloody strong but not strong enough to fight that thing on our own."
"Romania. My father lived there for a few years, he used to tell me about it when I was a little girl."
"Romania it is. We'll need to find a route that gives us plenty of cover."
"We should head out soon. Put as much space between us and that thing as we can."
"call it by it's name boy. A name has no power unless you give it the power to scare you."
"But what was it. What could be that, black, cold."
"The First."
A few weeks later they were in Romania, and Angel had discovered a nice little Gypsy girl he planned on playing with for the duration of their stay.
End flashback
A few hours after Angel's statement he, Wesley, Cordelia, Lorne and Faith were on their way to Sunnydale, not a word was said. Angel's stony silence was talking enough for them all.
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