Part 4 of 4

One Month Later

It was raining, and it was cold. Morgan slumped to the ground behind a restaurant. For the past month, she had wandered through the city. She ate rats and other stray animals. During the day, she hid in barns. And now, she was tired of it. "I can't take this anymore. I have to go back to Angelus." She shivered, then ran and hid inside of another barn. The next evening, she cleaned herself up and went looking for Angelus. He wasn't hard to find. He was in an alley torturing a little Gypsy girl. Morgan came up behind him. "Angelus."

He turned towards her "Morgan! Have a drink!" He pushed the little girl towards Morgan and then stood behind her. "Go ahead."

Morgan panicked "I-I...I can't."

"Do it. Do it now, Morgan. Or believe me there'll be a price to pay." The girl was crying softly. Morgan was torn. She desperately wanted Angelus to take her back, but she couldn't bring herself to kill the girl. "Morgan...Drink...Now!" Without thinking, Morgan brought her elbow up and smashed it into Angelus' forehead. The back of his head made contact with the brick wall behind him and he slumped to the ground unconscious.

Morgan picked up the little gypsy girl and ran back to the barn. She set the girl on the ground while she saddled a horse. When she had finished, she went over to the girl and knelt down beside her. "What's your name?" She asked softly as she began to stroke the child's hair.

"Tamara." The child whispered.

"Do you know what I am, Tamara?"

Tamara nodded. "You are a vampire, like him."

Morgan smiled slightly "That's right little one. But, unlike him, I don't want to eat you. Did he hurt you?" Tamara nodded again. This time, Morgan noticed the bite marks on her arms and neck. "You are a gypsy. Do you know a woman named Mara?"

"Yes."

"Once we are out of town, can you take me to her?"

The girl nodded "I will show you."

Morgan stood up "If we are going to survive, I need you to be very quiet and do exactly what I tell you to do. Can you do that?"

"Yes."

Morgan helped Tamara onto the horse and then climbed up behind her. "I'm going to put a blanket over us and I want you to stay under it until we are out of the city." Tamara nodded. Morgan threw the blanket over both of them and then galloped out of the barn. Once they were outside of the city, Morgan removed the blanket. "You did well, little one. Now, how do I get to Mara?"

"That way." The little girl said pointing east.

"East. How fitting. Towards the sunrise." Without another word Morgan urged the horse onward.

Mikal was standing next to a fire. Mara was muttering something. The past twenty-nine years had affected her. She was now 89 years old. "What is it Mara?" Mikal asked. He was aging as well.

The old woman looked up at him. "The vampire you asked me to cure will be returning soon." She said softly from her seat by the fire.

Mikal knelt down next to her. "Mara, are you sure?"

The old woman nodded. "I have seen it. She is special. She brings great pain behind her, although she does not realize it."

"What are you saying, Mara?"

The old woman closed her eyes and smiled. "Be patient Mikal, all will be made clear soon enough."

A few hours later, the sound of horse hooves were heard approaching the Gypsy camp. Mikal stood up, slightly alarmed. "Who could it be at this hour?"

Morgan dismounted and then lifted Tamara out of the saddle. Tamara spotted Mikal instantly and ran over to him. "Grandpa!"

Morgan smiled as she watched the older man pick up his granddaughter. He looked up and spotted Morgan. "You. You brought back my granddaughter. Why?"

Morgan's smile disappeared. "Where's Mara?"

"She's over by the fire. What do you want with her?"

Morgan ignored his question and walked over to the fire. "Mara?"

The old woman looked up at Morgan "You know that it is I. So what do you want of me?"

Morgan knelt down on the grass by the fire. "The spell you used to get rid of my soul. It wore off. I need you to do it again."

Mara shook her head. "It would do no good." "You don't understand. I can't go on like this. Hiding in the shadows. Avoiding those I used to love. Feeding off of rats and vermin. You have to help me. Please!"

Mara placed her hand on Morgan's head. "It is you who does not understand childe. Even if I did the spell again. It wouldn't help you. Your soul is too strong now. It would break loose again, like it has done now. Only this time it would only be a matter of minutes. I'm sorry, childe. But I can't help you."

Morgan looked at the ground "What should I do? I have no where to go. No family to turn to. I can never go back to Angelus. What am I? What do I exist for now?"

"Patience, childe. It is true that you can't return to Angelus. Yet you possess great power. You could do great thing with such power. Stay with us. We could both benefit."

Morgan looked confused. "How? How could you benefit?"

Mara smiled. "For a start, you could be a night guard, especially since you already go out at night."

Morgan smiled "If you will let me, I will stay."

Three months later, Midnight.

Morgan was standing at the edge of the camp. Her eyes were to the west. There was a chill in the air, she didn't notice. She sniffed the wind, trying to pick up a scent, any unfamiliar scent. Something was wrong. Mikal came over to her. "What is it, Morgan? You look concerned."

She kept her gaze straight ahead. "I'm not sure. Something isn't right. Stay close to the fire."

The older man nodded. "You have keen instincts. Mara was wise to ask you to stay." He walked back to the fire.

Morgan looked to the road, nothing coming in either direction. She was about to turn towards the woods, when she felt a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around her, tightly. "Hello, kitten. Having fun?"

Morgan stiffened "Angelus. What are you doing here?"

Angelus laughed "I think the question you meant to ask is, what are we doing here?"

Morgan began to struggle against his hold on her. "What we? What's going on? Let me go!"

Angelus laughed again "You'll see what's going on soon enough, princess." Darla, Spike, and Drusilla stepped out of the woods.

"NO! You leave this place!"

"Now, Morgan. Is that any way to treat your family?"

"Get away from here!"

"I think we'll stay. It's been awhile since we've had a good massacre." Angelus said as he knocked Morgan to the ground. "You know I'm stronger than you. So I suggest you not fight me. Spike! The shackles!" Spike tossed Angelus a pair of iron shackles. Angelus chained Morgan to one of the wagons, which were placed in a circle around the fire. He then went over to the wagon across from her, the one that belonged to Mikal and his family. He reached inside and pulled out Tamara. "Ahh...the little one you stole from me. Looks like I got her back."

"Let her go, Angelus!" Morgan yelled as she pulled against the chains.

Tamara was crying. Darla, Spike and Dru were already feasting. Angelus laughed at Morgan. "You think that just because you can't enjoy human blood, that I shouldn't be able to either? Sorry, pet. But that's not how things work around here." He sank his teeth into Tamara's neck, and then moved on to the next person. In less than two hours, the entire Gypsy camp was dead.

Angelus unshackled Morgan. "You'd better run if you want to find someplace to hide before sunrise."

Morgan ran. As she ran off, the other three set fire to the wagons and then followed her.

A few hours later, Morgan came to a barn next to a large house. Angelus, Darla, Spike and Drusilla were right behind her. They watched as Morgan went into the barn. The sun was rising. Angelus followed Morgan into the barn; the other three went into the house. Morgan was leaning against a mound of hay. Her head was resting on her knees, and she was crying.

Angelus watched her for a few minutes and then crept up next to her "I told you there would be a price... but did you listen? No, you just had to do the noble thing."

She turned pining him against the barn wall just inches away from the deadly rays of the sun. "Come near me again Angelus, and I swear I'll put a stake through your rotted heart."

Angelus laughed softly. "What's stopping you from doing that now, pet? Still feeling the tug towards being evil? Don't resist it. Ignore that soul of yours. Do what comes naturally to you." He touched her hair and she turned away. She fell to the ground as a vision blinded her.

Gypsies. Angelus. The curse of a soul. A vampire as a champion.

Morgan looked up at Angelus as the vision ended. "Your day will come Angelus. Maybe not right away, but your day will come."

He looked at her a bit confused. "You know Dru can do that same trick. She has visions too, remember? Only her's are more fun."

Morgan grimaced at the mention of her friend. "Hadn't you better rest, Angelus?"

"Why would I do a thing like that?"

"Because once the sun goes down, the slayer won't be the only one chasing you and your whore of a sire, Darla."

Angelus slapped her hard across the jaw then grabbed her by the throat. "I'd be careful what I said about Darla, if I were you."

Morgan dug her nails into his wrist "Or what? You'll strangle me?" He winced and let her go. She rubbed her neck and jumped across sun light. Angelus watched her curl up in a bed of hay and fall asleep. When sunset came, he slipped away into the night.

May, 1930

Morgan saw him entering a dark alley and followed. He was heading for an apartment-type building, but then he turned. She kept walking. He was probably hiding. She passed some crates. He stood on the other side. "Hello, Morgan."

She turned, stake in hand. "Angelus... I told you, if I ever saw you again, I'd put a stake through your heart. And we both know that I keep my word."

He looked at the stake and shrugged "Go ahead, but I don't go by Angelus anymore. And I haven't killed a human in years."

"I know. Gypsies. Hate to say I told you so, but I did. Looks like your day came after all. Your harmless enough now, but there is still the issue of the staking." She plunged the stake into his stomach. Angel groaned in agony. "Sorry about that, pet. But dear old mum always taught me never to let a good stake go to waste. Stay out of trouble Angelus. And watch out for school girls."

She turned to go, but Angel grabbed her wrist. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Morgan smiled "Just a vision I had. You'll understand in due time." Angel let go of her and she left.