An Interesting Tale

London, late 1880

"I want you to stay here with Spike for a couple of hours. Me and Dru are going hunting. Drusilla has a craving for some orphans," Angelus said.

He still seemed uncomfortable using Spike's chosen nickname. None of them liked it. Darla was surprised Angelus was even bothering to use it. She usually didn't. She thought it was funny when he got annoyed because she called him William.

"Why can't we all come?" Darla asked. She didn't want to stay here alone with Spike. He was annoying. And Dru wouldn't like it if Darla ended up staking her new toy.

"Because Spike could get recognised around here. That wouldn't be good for us. We need to leave London soon. I don't much care for having a known missing person travelling with us."

"So why can't he stay here alone?" Darla asked. Angelus didn't even need to answer her. Spike seemed to like destroying things quite a bit, plus they didn't know if he would decide to leave anyway. Darla didn't care what happened to him one it, but Dru did. "So what, you want me to watch him?"

"Essentially," Angelus said.

Darla scowled back at him. "Fine," she said. "I'll stay here and keep an eye on him. But you're going to have to make it up to me when you get back."

"Of course," Angelus said. He and Drusilla left then, walking up the stone steps that led to the church above the crypt, and above ground. Darla was left alone with no one but Drusilla's new doll for company.

She sighed. She should have gone with them. There was nothing to do here at all. Spike was still asleep in the corner of the room, using an old black coat he'd stolen as a blanket. He looked like a tramp. Darla couldn't understand it. He could steal anything he wanted, so why did he choose to dress like that?

The creaks and sighs coming from the long-abandoned church made it sound almost alive – this place was falling apart. It was certainly far from the richly furnished mansion she would have preferred. But it was shelter from sunlight, and that was enough. Spike seemed to think so, anyway. Darla got the idea he didn't care where they stayed, as long he could fuck Dru and kill people.

He stirred then, waking up slowly. He still did that sometimes, when there was nothing to wake him. It seemed oddly human to Darla. He stretched like a cat, and got to his feet, kicking the coat-blanket aside.

"Where's Dru?" he asked her.

"She and Angelus went on a little trip. They said something about some orphans."

Spike growled, a beast-like sound no human could ever hope to imitate. Darla was aware of how annoyed he got when Angelus was with Dru. But he seemed to be holding back now. Maybe it was just because Angelus wasn't with them, or maybe young William was finally learning. He sat back down on his coat, facing away from Darla. He had something in his hands that looked like it might have been a notebook and a pen, but Darla couldn't guess what it was he was writing.

"Did Angelus ever tell you about how he sired Dru?" Darla asked him.

"No," Spike said. He didn't otherwise move a muscle. It would have been uncanny to someone who wasn't used to vampires. Darla barely registered his unnatural stillness.

"Do you want me to tell you? To pass the time while they're out?"

"Not especially," he said, his attention remaining on whatever it was he was jotting down in that book.

Darla went on as if she hadn't heard. "This was twenty years ago now. I saw Drusilla while we were out hunting. She was a pure, innocent girl… Even better, she was a Seer. In short, she was exactly the sort of thing Angelus liked. So I pointed her out to him. But this time, he didn't just kill her. He took months, creating a masterpiece… driving her insane…"

Spike turned to her. "That was Angelus? I thought she'd always..."

"You thought wrong, William. She was completely sane when we first saw her. Well, almost. The visions she had were already taking their toll on her. When Angelus came along, she snapped completely."

Spike's jaw was tense. He was trying to hold back anger, Darla could tell. How strange, that this should make him angry. It was twenty years ago. Spike had been nothing but a human, a child at that. He'd been what, about seven? What could he have done?

"Do you want me to tell you some more?" Darla asked. She smirked as Spike turned to her with glistening eyes. He liked to act tough, but Spike was no stronger than he had been as a human. It was so easy to make him cry. Darla bet he wouldn't last long.

"No. I don't."

"Well, that's a shame. It's a good story. " And she continued, once again ignoring Spike's protests. "First he killed her family. One by one, right in front of her eyes. He let her live, and she fled to a convent. Drusilla had been very religious in life, and she had thought that God would protect her. She couldn't have been more wrong. Angelus sluaghtered everyone. And, eventaully, he sired Drusilla. He made her a monster, just like we were."

Spike's fists were clenched. If Angelus was here, he would have attacked him. He went quiet again. Then, "What was she like? Drusilla, when she was human. What was she like?"

Darla smiled. This was even more entertaining than she'd thought it would be. "I've already told you, but I suppose I could say it again. She was pure and chaste, a deeply religious Catholic. She was kind and sweet, especially with children. Quite different to now, in that respect. I think it's mostly children Drusilla hunts, is it not? Perhaps you would have liked to meet her back then. She was really quite different to how she is now. I suppose one does change a lot, when tortured to insanity."

Spike went quiet. Darla was sure she'd given him a lot to think about. It was funny, watching the expression on his face change as he processed what she'd told him. She supposed he'd always assumed Drusilla's insanity had been natural to her. How devastating it must be to realise it was all Angelus's doing. Spike seemed to truly care for Drusilla, for some reason. What a strange thing for a vampire.

Darla wondered what he'd do now that he knew this. Perhaps he'd get a bit too angry and Angelus would finally stake him. Drusilla wouldn't be too happy of course, but Darla was sure she'd get over it quickly. It wasn't like this 'Spike' was any more than a plaything to Drusilla, no matter how much he seemed to like her.

Or so Darla thought. Who could ever really know what Drusilla was thinking? She was completely insane. Angelus had made sure of that. None of them really knew how her mind worked at all these days. Except maybe Spike. He seemed to be getting to know her quite well. But Darla doubted he'd last long. One of them would get sick of him after a while, surely.

She looked back at Spike. He had put the notebook aside. He was angry, she could tell. He really didn't like the idea of anyone hurting Drusilla, even Angelus. She was quite excited to know what would happen when they got back.

As if they had heard her thoughts, the door creaked open. A girl was pushed down them first, moaning with pain through the gag Angelus had put on her. She trembled on the ground, her leg broken, unable to stand. She looked very much like a wounded deer.

"A present," Angelus said, stepping down slowly after the girl. "To make up for leaving you here alone."

Darla smiled, allowing her features to change into their demonic form. The girl's eyes widened, and she struggled to get up, but she wasn't going anywhere. Darla reached for her and sunk her fangs into her soft throat, gulping the blood down as if flowed steadily into her mouth. The girl continued to cry as the blood left her. When Darla was done, she dropped the body to the ground.

"That's a start," she said to Angelus.

"Has William caused any trouble?" Angelus asked her.

"No," Darla said. "I told him a story. About you and Drusilla."

"Did you?" Angelus said. He smiled. "Did you find that an interesting tale?" he asked Spike.

Spike snarled, and went charging for Angelus. Angelus stopped him easily. He tutted. "You're going to have to try harder than that."

"Naughty puppy," Drusilla said. "Shouldn't try to hurt your master."

"I have no master," Spike muttered. He may not have meant for Angelus to hear him, but Darla knew he could. Angelus hit him across the face. Spike cried out and stumbled back. Darla saw blood trickling from his mouth.

"When are you going to learn, boy? You do what I say. You do not attack me. If you keep on like this you'll find yourself out in the sun soon enough."

"What you did to Dru…"

"Clever, wasn't it? Very ironic, I think."

"It's sick."

Angelus laughed. "Sick? Like you're so much better? We're vampires, William. We are 'sick'." He struck Spike again. Darla thought she might have heard a tooth crack, but Spike didn't seem to care. He just sat there. Angelus walked away from him.

Drusilla glided over to Spike and knelt down in front of him, her blood-stained lace skirts pooling around her. "Here, dear Spike," she whispered, cradling his head against her breast. "I'll make you feel better."

Darla looked away. Those two could be so sickeningly sweet at times. They were supposed to be fearsome creatures of the night, but Spike and Drusilla acted like lovesick children.

So, this was the first one-shot I've written for a while. I think I've forgotten how to write them. This didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped it would. This was my first time writing Darla as point of view character, so if you think she's out of character, please tell me, so I can improve. Still, I hope the story was okay.