The Phoenix & The Wolf
Chapter 4: The Pack & Willow
The five landed in the living room of a large home, a fire burning gently in the corner the dark wood furniture giving the room a Gothic feel. Dawn was crying silently in Dru's arms, his face portrayed the anger he felt inside. "I have chosen my name." Dawn said as she pulled her head out of Dru's chest. "What have you chosen?" Angel's voice came from the far side of the room. "Dusk, I chose Dusk as my name." Angel nodded and Dru looked down at her. "So, Welcome to Twilight's Gathering." Dawn was confused as she looked up at him. "That's what we call home Dusk." As Dawn looked around the place she realized that this was the Crawford street mansion, that over looked Sunnydale. "So this is what you call home?" Angel beamed. "That it is, now its your home too." She said as she lead Dawn up the stairs to the second floor. There were several rooms shown to Dawn until one stopped her cold. It was a fairly large room done in blues, The bottom of the floor was a deep sea blue that seemed to gradually fade and chance into a cobalt blue from that it melded into a neon blue that became a blue so light it looked white.
The vampire was kneeling on the floor when a whirl of blue-white flame popped into the room, Spike was suddenly there. "Mistress I am ready to serve." She patted his brown head. "Come on food first, what's your name?" The vampire blinked but his features relaxed into his human guise. He actually wasn't all that bad looking. "Marcus, Mistress." She smiled pulling out a masculine chain with a rose thorn detail. "Here Marcus, Its a warning charm, If you get to close to the slayer or she gets to close to you it will get warm in warning then pop you back here safely." He took it eagerly and put it on. She opened a box and pulled out a few packets inside. "Ok, this nifty little box we set up is kinda a portable space between here and the blood bank's just pulled room. So anything that pulled into the space is in a stasis spell it works for about a week. But the blood is warm and it keeps you from being on the Slayer radar. So have dinner and well talk once everyone has eaten and gotten cleaned up. You'll have to put what you need on the lists and we'll acquire what you need."
Up in the room Dawn was in awe. The furniture was a blond wood that gleamed in the moonlight coming from the balcony doors. "This room please." A voice from the shadows answered her plea. "It's already yours Dusk, Dru spent his time painting and readying it for you. Spike is on the third floor, I am next door on the left and Angel and Xander have the 1st floor." Dawn turned to see Dru standing in the shadows, his gray eyes seeming to glow in the darkness surrounding him. "You are one of us now, We will see to your needs. Soon you will know us for who and what we really are." Dawn looked at the gray eyed man. "How did you all get your names?" Dru smiled. "You'll have to ask each member save two. I am allowed to tell you my story and Spike's." She nodded eagerly. "Spike has journals dating back to the early 1800's of a vampire she is rather for lack of a better word, enamored with. I don't even know what is in them she keeps them in her room under lock and key. This vampire is a legend in Europe for his use of an odd weapon and his ferocity. She is called Spike because the weapon he used was railroad spikes." She blinked. "Wow." Dru grinned. "I got my name because I see what others can't, in dreams my ancestors whisper what is yet come to pass and I can change it if I please. I got the name Dru because its short for Druid." She grinned. "It fits, you give off a mystical vibe." He chuckled. "You need some sleep." Dawn smiled and went into her bathroom to get ready for bed, and get a few hours rest before school. Dawn awoke pleasantly calm the morning was bright and cool with the coming of winter.
She got out and found a new set of clothes awaiting her on her dresser with a small note. It Read: Good Morning My dear, I hope you find these clothes well suited to you. As you will find at your leisure your wardrobe has been filled while you'd lay sleeping. Hope you don't mind us coming in your room to do such a chore. We did not want you to have to wait until morning to have clothes. Dawn smiled, finally something was going right. Dawn got out of bed she was pleased to finally have a bathroom connected to her bedroom. Dru had told her that this bed and bathroom was hers and hers alone. After choosing a pair of shoes to match her outfit she went downstairs to dining room to see if the rest of the group were awake yet.
Spike was sitting at the head of the long table, Angel set to her left with Xander on her right. Dru set to Spike's right with a space between him and the fours illustrious leader. Dawn sat in what was obviously her place, as the group greeted her warmly for the morning. Marcus was moving around the house cleaning and familiarizing himself with it, he had noticed the group kept massive demon hounds. Huge black hounds with red eyes that were the size of ponies. Loyal and ever faithful to the hand that reared them they patrolled the property, he got to feed them huge hunks of meat. He was happy that he got clean clothes, a decent sized bedroom with a window that had a special shutter on it so all the sun stayed out but he could open it at night for air. He vacuumed and swept off the porches but he figured for a vampire he had a great life. He had helped make lunches for everyone and found out they made him a mug that said 'Cutest Vampire'
As school was soon to begin the group departed for campus with a joyful yowl and cheer. Dawn loved being with them as the freedom set in, she was on a high of rebellion when Spike stopped cold outside the front gates of the school. "Whats wrong?" Dawn poked her head around to see Buffy standing there, one leg obviously still weak with only the human members of the group except Giles. "I'm not going home Buffy, These are my friends and I am staying with them." Spike took point and the rest fell behind her. "What do you want slayer?" She said in a bored tone as they stepped right into the groups faces. "I want my sister back." Spike snorted. "She don't want to go with you so she will be staying with us." Buffy and Spike stared at one another until Spike grinned ruefully. "Class is starting gotta go." And with that they stepped through the gang and walked into the school.
As they sat in music Spike had a practice room to herself and lost herself to the heart breaking cry of her guitar. From note to note it sounded like a man on his knees begging for some thing, then the notes changed to a complex of crying and singing as if the instrument was comforting the one crying. Then a burst of powerful notes as if the one from before had completely transformed and was reveling in new found power. Their teacher called them all together. "Everyone, I'm pleased to inform you that we will be putting on a talent show. Yes I know you might be nervous about preforming in front of your peers but please.. I have never heard a class more talented than this one." the class started looking at each other and soon a ruckus was heard as acts were put together. The group looked at one another. Not sure yet how to make their own acts. "Turn in your act ideas to me by the end of the month!" That was in two weeks, they had a bit of time. So now it was off to gym. Spike intimidated a lot of the other girls because when they saw her undressed, many of them gossiped. But she dressed in her little spandex shorts and tank top with sports bra. Her tennis shoes were black vans, Dawn couldn't help but chuckle. "What is it Dusk?" She looked at Angel. "Spike and her thing for black." Angel giggled. "She swears its the only color blood never stains." Dawn laughed. "I'd have to agree." The coach came out and they were set to run the track three laps. Spike left them all in the dust. "See ya Bitches." She said playfully, passing them from the back of the group. "Blackhart! Your timing up there with my track team, you interested?" Spike laughed. "No way, just enjoying punking them." By the time they laps were over Spike had finished almost a full lap a head of the rest and was sitting under a tree waiting when they finally caught up, she tossed water bottles. Dawn popped open hers and downed the cool clear liquid.
"Wow I didn't realize I was that out of shape." Dawn panted. "Just means more running for you Dusk." She groaned but nodded. They decided to prank the cheerleaders and put a few bugs near where they were sitting and the cheerleaders totally freaked out Spike burst out laughing and the head cheerleader came and hoped in her face. "Blackhart your a bitch you and your merry band of scum. Your not fit to be..." Her words cut off as she was bodily picked up off the ground and hurled down the pavement. Spike flexed her arms and cracked her neck. "First of all bitch, don't step in my personal space as if your my equal. You in no way my equal, second of all you stink, so bathe before you get anywhere near me. Next time you approach me bitch mind your manners or else I'll do to you what I did to that wuss of a jock. Put ya to the boot." The five left before the coach could get back and Dawn was impressed. "Well that's new, never knew she could shut up." The rest laughed.
After school the five left to the yelling of the jocks, who had been pranked by Spike. Their heads held high and book bags swaying, as they climbed into their vehicles. "Hey lets hit the magic-box!" Spike smirked and started her bike heading in that direction so that the group could follow. When they arrived Spike noticed something parked in the alleyway. "Great goddess its a DeSoto." Spike looked at the car inspecting and noticing the black paint on the windows and the scent of burnt tobacco in the interior of the vehicle via the cracked window, under that she could smell male, vampire and something unique but smelled so good. "Spike its a damned car!" Angel said. "That's not just any car Angel.. That's the type of car I've been hunting for." The group entered the Magic box, Spike feeling something different was a foot today. A strange energy about the building.
The magic-box was cool and musty like a library and all five took deep breaths. Giles had heard the door bell and popped into the front to see the group assembled before him. "Welcome to the …..." The newest member smiled and hug-attacked the English man. "Giles!" "Dawn!" He raced forwards and hugged her. Spike realized what he was as he was hugging Dawn. "Watcher." She said softly. The group looked at him before taking places around the big table in the middle of the shop. From there places around the table as they read and passed various magic books around. "So you guys live where?" Spike laughed before speaking. "We can't tell you that watcher. We're you to know the Slayer-bitch would know. Then we get more problems such as uninvited house guests." And with that they bought most of the books they had been passing around and some ingredients and left the magic box.
The pack decided to attend a carnival that weekend. With Buffy and the others it turned out that all the commotion at school was weighing heavily on the Scoobies gang until the phone rang. "Hello?" Willow said as she was fixing herself a sandwich. "Giles!? They were there?" A pause. "How long ago? What did they buy? Was Dawn OK?" Another pause. "OK thank you Giles good bye." Willow rushed into the main room where the Scoobies were doing research to try and pin down the group Dawn was running with. "It was Giles, the group and Dawn just dropped in on the magic box and bought a ton of stuff. Such as books and ingredients and supplies." Willow and the others decided to try and do a spell to locate Dawn to make sure she was safe, not knowing that that very night Dawn was going through a naming ceremony.
Spike stood on her balcony listening to the wind her hair streaming freely in its grasp, sparkling its true color bared to any who could see. When she felt it. Someone had activated the stake she only hurriedly braided her hair by spell leaving the color be. She was wearing an emerald halter top and black jean shorts with her boots. She heard someone as she hurried down the stairs. "Spike where are you going?" She looked at Dusk. "Going to see someone about a stake." She hurried down and was gone before Dusk could form another question. Dusk turned to Dru. "Why would Spike see someone about a steak?" He chuckled. "Not that kind of stake Hun. The kind that a legend is made from." Spike raced to the bronze and parked her bike outside and paid the cover charge to get in, then she activated the guide.
The vampire watched the thing after he had said he former name to it and shortly after it had began to glow and act like a compass. He drove until he found himself close to that club The bronze. He put the stake in his pocket and made his way towards the club, it got gently warmer as he got closer to the club and pulsed softly as if telling him what he sought was inside. So the vampire paid the chump change and went inside. He saw and smelled only worthless humans until a sweet pleasing scent crossed his nose in a non food way. He followed the scent towards the dance floor and saw a lone figure dancing to the rock he preferred. Surrounded by a group of sweating, stinking males. Hair the color of starlight and moonbeams held back in a thigh slapping braid. He licked his lips as he came closer, a guy emerging from the group noticed him eyeing the girl. "Don't even bother man. She's taken. Waiting for some douche named William. What kinda guy would let that leave without him." Spike smiled almost cruelly.
"A man who knows he has what it takes to keep her." The guy looked at him rather stunned.
His confidence surging again he slid through the crowd to grasp her hand and pull her body against his. Her eyes sparked and he could smell her excitement, she traced his shoulders and chest. Leaning forward she whispered in his ear. "Looky here hot-pire, you can prove how you know that name one of two ways. That stake you have contains a bit of the original one he used long ago. Or you can whisper one of his poems in my ear. And don't try to fool me. I found the journals, I have read all of his poems.. One chance delicious." He smiled blue eyes a light as the music changed to a slow song and he spun her into a slow waltz. He began to whisper softly into her ear and with every line and word she relaxed more into him, he could feel more of her body against his. Until her head rested on his shoulder, when the poem was done. Her words were soft and breathy. "Its really you." The nuzzle against his neck, his demon roared that she trusted him, wanted him. Had sought him out before any other.
They danced for hours lost in the music and each other's arms, whispering stories and secrets. She learned of his love of soap operas and he learned of her musical talents. "Irony is I set a lot of your poetry to music." His eyes gleamed. They went and grabbed a drink and found a small corner no one dared bother them. They were standing against a wall and were lost in each others eyes. "You know being a Master vampire I expected not to be stumbling around like a fool." She smiled up at him. "William you are the farthest man from a fool I have ever met. I don't think they ever really deserved you." That shocked Spike, first that when she said his human name it didn't grate on his ears. And when she said they hadn't deserved him. She had read his journals, she knew about Cecily and about Dru. "You really believe that?" She lifted her head and his eyes met hers, though hers kept flicking to his lips he could read the sincerity as well as smell it. "With all that I am." He kissed her. She tasted of tea, spices and a hint of honey. He could feel gentle fingers in the hair at the base of his neck, the smell of winter, a flower from japan he didn't remember the name of and night. When they parted both were breathing heavier. He saw a fang before she gently tugged his head down to her shoulder. "As much as I rather like the vampire in you, humans are easy to frighten." He realized he had slid into his true form without knowing. Slowly he wrestled his control back and groaned feeling her leaving feather kisses to his true face.
"Yer makin' it harder luv." She chuckled. "I can't help you smell so good. Like that DeSoto I found in town." He opened one eye realizing that was why she smelled slightly familiar. "Was you who touched my car." A purr before a kiss. "Bingo, though I didn't know it was yours.. I just happen to like them. I ride a Harley." Spike growl-groaned, she shivered and he could tell it wasn't from fear. "Think we may have to get outta here delicious, your making my control rough and I'm more noticeable than you." They carefully made their way out of the club and She pulled him over to her bike. He admired the machine as she slid a leg over. "Come on William, I wanna show you a bit of fun." He hopped on and the two sped off for the cemetery. They made a ruckus.
Scaring up a few new minions for the moonlight haired female as she played hide and seek with the Master vampire. Spike realized how much fun it was to play with someone who knew how strong you were but still wanted to play. "William." He turned and found her standing on a headstone without her jacket before she launched herself at him, pinning him to the ground. His vampire surfacing on instinct and she purred. She gently began licking the ridges of his brow, without realizing it he began to cry. To a vampire licking their ridges was an act of love and devotion, of trust in the one to you were devoted to. Your neck was open right before their fangs, so few knew the old way. This ultimate act of saying how she felt for the blonde. His hands rested on her hips as slowly his ridges relaxed and she wiped his face clean with a handkerchief from her pocket.
Seeing his tears made her sad. "What did they do to you William?" He shook his head and rolled sideways, curling into her. She held onto the crying vampire, someone was going to burn for this. She gently stroked her fingers through his hair seeing the difference between the brown and blonde strands. He finally looked up at her with shining blue eyes. She pulled him to her. He hung on tightly. "You don't smell like a human." She chuckled. "I'm not. Human that is, I may only look seventeen but in fact I'm three hundred and twenty." Spike was struck still because he knew she wasn't lying. "Wow." She laughed. "So, why the ceasefire with the slayer?" As they walked back to the bike hand in hand he told her about the Initiative and how they had captured him and chipped him. She snarled and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "What? It pisses me off they tried to muzzle my favorite leather wearing vampire." He grinned. He was glad to be someone's favorite.
She looked at him, as he helped her back into her jacket. "Come back with me. Stay with us. So we can try and figure out this thing they did to you." His eyes teared up but he shook his head. "I got to talk to the head of my house about tonight." She pulled something from her pocket, a necklace made of steel to Spike screamed masculine. Thick links of black and silver almost like it was woven. "This is a special charm. I have worked on it for years hoping to meet you, but never in my wildest dreams could I have prepared for connecting so well with you. If your life is ever in danger you will be taken to a safe place. It will warm if you are around someone who means to do you harm, and will grow cold if there are harmful spells your about to cross. It can act is a temporary shield, enough to buy you one blow before needing to be recharged from a much stronger foe. But please be careful.. No dust please." He smiles feeling her concern as he pulls something from his own pocket. "This is similar from my perspective. A vampire hands off. Wearing it says you are under my protection. Where you wear it chooses how important the connection is." He handed her the charm, it was of a dragon with a stylized A beneath its claws. "Your of the house of Aurelius." He smiled he didn't expect her to kiss him but happily did he lean into the contact. "I have a black titanium chain it will look nice on. Come on I'll take you back to your car." She flew around corners and when they arrived there it took him an hour to peel himself away from the open affection and warmth she offered.
Spike returned to the slayer's house and stood outside, sure enough Angel appeared not long after. He came out and the older vampire eyed him up and down. "You smell strange.. Like winter nights, and cherry blossoms from japan, power and female... Where have you been boyo?" The amusement in his tone only made the smug grin on Spike's face wider. "Met me a woman.. One who rather is fond of William the Bloody. Man and vampire." He scratched his neck and the chain fell out of his shirt. "You didn't leave with that, its humming with power." He grinned. "Its protective. To guard my life, to protect me from anyone wishing to do me harm and from unfriendly magic." Angel settled himself against the hoot of the DeSoto. "So she offered you protection and safety." Spike scuffed his boot. "'s not all Poof. She.. Oh bleedin hell this is embarrassing.. She licked me." Angel raised his eyebrow. "Not like that you ponce! My ridges!" That startled Angel enough his jaw went slack. "She licked you?!" The English man paced back and forth. "Yeah an' she knew what it meant. What she was sayin' in the way of our kind. Hell Poof, she uses my human name an' even my demon thinks its cute." Angel tried not to smile.
Spike looked at the older vampire. "What!" Angel sighed. "Is she human?" Spike shook his head. "No, here's the weird thin' poof. She's three hundred an twenty an yer three hundred an twenty six.. Awful close ages eh?" Angel looked at him. "I doubt she could be from the same country I am." Spike looked up at the older vampire. "I gave her a gift in return." Angel sighed. "What did you give her?" He wondered what it could be. It couldn't be immortality with him in his current state. "I gave her protection of the house." Angel was rather astonished, Spike had permanently severed all ties with Drusilla. By giving his protection to another female he deemed her worthy and his equal. He was not just declaring her protected by the house but his personally. But the licking told Angel she obviously felt deeply for the peroxide blonde. "Spike?" The blue eyed vampire looked at him. "Was this your first stop tonight?" Spike huffed. "After leaving her, yes. Before, no. She played tag and hide and go seek with me, without me having to hold back.. It was honestly the best date I've ever been on." Angel patted his shoulder. "I have a feeling it might get even better boyo. Come on inside, we'll warm up a couple o' mugs and you can tell me about this lass o' yours and I can draft my letter to her."
Spike pulled into the mansion garage and after shutting off the bike came inside. She hung up her jacket and headed for the kitchen. To her surprise everyone but Marcus was waiting with cups of tea. "How was it!?" Dusk asked excitedly. "Remember that delicious blue eyed blonde hot-pire from the fight the other night, when we snagged up Dusk?" Dusk's mouth was on the counter practically, along with Angel's. "No way!" Spike grinned, pulling a photograph taken by some one with her phone of the two of them at the bronze. "Holy shit that's him!?" Spike licked her lips. "Tastes even better than he looks if you believe its possible. Like cinnamon, blood and this minty taste that I think is just him." Angel giggled. "That is so cute! What did you do after?" Dusk nodded. "We went and played Hide and seek and tag in the cemetery, without holding back. Wow can he move. Sneaky, sneaky-pire that one. But he's fast too. I had to resort to dodging and weaving between headstones to keep ahead. But I kinda cheated." The boys looked at each other. "Kinda my ass." Angel. "How?" Spike laughed. "I jumped on him and kissed him to distract him." Dusk laughed but Angel asked. "Did it work?" Spike flushed. "He stood there for a couple of seconds then shook his head and charged after me making grabby fingers then did it to me.. We wound up kinda losing track of the game.. Conversation was easy, I just never ran out of topics to talk about and he was certainly no slouch in the speech department. Easily best date ever! I can't wait for the next one." Xander almost lost his cup. "Wait why do I feel there is more to this than your telling." She grinned. "Because there is and no I am not sharing. But no its not that. Sheesh! Give me some credit."
All tension in the conversation died a brutal death as the five burst into loud laughter. "To the cutie-pire who finally makes our illustrious leader smile!" They washed up and went to bed thanking the gods of the week it was a Saturday and they were all sleeping in.
After the group was all awake and functioning Spike decided she was leaving her hair white. Fuck people, they would probably believe she bleached it. The pack decided they would invade the slayer's home turf namely the Magic box as they needed more supplies and Spike wanted to see if the DeSoto was there. As they were entering the magic box Angel picked up a flier for the Carnival that coming weekend. Giles greeted the group warmly only for Dawn's sake. He was surprised when the group treated him respectfully and never mistreated the books. Yet again they bought some 15 books, and several pounds of ingredients. Giles got a chance to see how the group worked and realized the white haired one was leader. He watched as they repacked their purchases for easy carry, and just before they left that Spike stopped. She turned to look at the old watcher and smiled. "We will protect her she's one of us now." They didn't see the group other than vague glances until the carnival that weekend.
They were all having a good time in their separate groups even Angel the vampire who broods was having a good time. Until the screaming started. Strange demons were attacking all the bystanders they could grab. Vampires were feasting on those the demons didn't catch. The three groups swung into action weapon appearing either from the trunks of their cars or by the magic that tied the weapons to their owners. Spike was cutting her way through the main through fair, Willow and Weasley were able to slow down and admire her fighting style until the blade of her scythe began to glow. "Uh oh." Both said. "You ruined my god damned second date bitches... Here's your first class ticket to hell!" Angel saw the other vampire and motioned to him. "Come here!" The broody vampire did so with an unhappy look on his face, until she snapped a bracelet around his wrist. "What the?" "Trust me, you'll be happy to have it in a moment." A scream of rage and the spell swept through like a blast of sun light, it singed a bit but otherwise he was fine. "The fuck was that!?" Xander laughed. "Spike on a rampage. Now only its worse because she has a boyfriend which means she gets bitchy when you interrupt their date nights." He watched the five soul team including Dawn clear a respectable space. The chit his grandchilde had claimed, he saw the seal of their house gleaming around her neck. She was mowing down anyone who dared get to close. It took over an hour to cut down the vampires and the demons but it still left ten injured and eleven dead. Later to rise again and become vampires.
An hour later they all sat Buffy's living room Angels group, the Scooby gang and of course the pack of Crawford street. "So, it seems we all have a similar purpose here. We're here to keep the hell mouth contained. The powers that be for some fucking reason decided we needed to be here now, and for sometime." Angel explained some of his history and how began Angel investigations in LA. Buffy explained that she was the slayer and was sent to this particular hell mouth to try and contain the evil. The three groups realized they were working pretty much on the same goal just from different angles. When Spike and Giles arrived he was astonished to see the three groups sitting peacefully together the blonde vampire had no such restraint and hugged the white haired woman. She dropped her forehead against his chest. "Fucking A, Next time your in charge of the broadsword." She grumbled and Spike chuckled.
"I can't believe you loosed a sun-flare spell to dust a few dozen ass holes playing vampire." Xander grumbled. "Shut up Xander!" The scoobies Xander looked shocked. "Come on Angel, that is serious shit." The brunette shook her head, hazel eyes narrowed. "No. What would you have done if it had been us?" Xander made a face. "Exactly. What the hell do you expect from her. She is so damn controlled it frightens people, he is the only man who has the damn balls and the backbone to be with her. His reputation as a master vampire is as long and illustrious as hers is in night society." Dru was going to say something but Buffy beat him to it. "What kind of a reputation can he have? And what about her?" Dru growled stepping away from the wall. "You know nothing of us Slayer. But we know of you, and he does have a reputation. Do you not even know who he is? If you do not your watcher has failed to teach you about the Master vampires. And he best educate you swiftly, I do not think even an English man's patience will last for long. And he is all that is standing between you and the final judge."
Buffy looked over to see Spike had his hands on the little brats hips, but she could see her eyes were no longer human they were swirled between spectral blue and purple so bright it glowed. Her lip curled back and fangs pressed again her bottom lip. Dawn touched Angel's hand and the elder vampire looked down. "I think we need to separate them. Before Buffy is stupid enough to insult Spike really bad and he loses his grip. It will be really bad." The vampire nodded. "Buffy were leaving." She looked at him. "I am taking Spike, his lady and their group home. I will return when some answers have been hashed out. But Buffy you aren't making friends here. Only enemies." A snort of agreement.
The group were ready to move out quickly, as they were leaving Buffy snapped. She hurled a silver stake at Spike's head and before it could hit him he vanished out of sight. Dawn watched it horror as the stake was smacked aside by Spike in a fit of rage, her jacket slid off. Magically her boots were removed and dumped on the sidewalk. The sudden threatening aura rolling off Spike was so heavy it was almost choking the very air. Cordelia was dragged away as were the rest of the regular humans. Buffy and Spike charged each other but Buffy when flying into the house when what suddenly stood there wasn't human in any way. It was huge easily fifteen feet and sparkled with an other worldly light. Huge paws, two long flicking tails into a sleekly muscled body that held a powerful neck and elegant head. Large triangular ears, a muzzle both long and broad. Its dual colored eyes spitting fire and rage. Down its spine and both tails and on its ankles was the same blue-white flame.
It snarled and snapped its shockingly white nose scented the air. Angel noticed Buffy went for her weapons but Giles called out to her. "Buffy stop!" She stopped and looked at him. "That isn't a demon in the traditional sense!" The Scoobies and just about all of Angel Investigations were watching him. "She's a fallen angel. A creature able to call upon either side for aid. They are rare, the real ones that is. No one knows how they come to exist. If you attack now that she's reveal her true form.. All sorts of bad things will befall you. Neither side good or evil will wage war against a true fallen. The affects they have are too devastating. So both sides try to court them to their side." The huge paws stirred up the ground and Angel put himself between them. The white nose twitched pearl fangs gleamed as her tongue gently stroked his jaw, he growl-purred and heard the returned growl to low for humans to hear.
He saw the symbol of his house gleam against the shining fur. The others collected up stuff. One even picking up Spike's dropped car keys. "Well drive it back home yeah?" A nod. A tail curled around Angel then suddenly they were standing in the mansion. A male vampire came out. "Mistress?" A low growl. The vampire appeared and stopped still. Angel heard steps high above him. "Spike?" She nodded. "Spike! Get down here Boyo!" Loud thudding steps then some cursing when he missed a few and landed on the landing on his ass, Angel could hear what he figured was laughter from the fallen angel. Spike skidded into the living room and seeing Angel and the huge beast at his side he looked back and forth speechless. "Well boyo, This is what happens when yer lass meets my ex, yer lass tries to be putting the boot to Buffy." That was it Spike broke down into uncontrollable laughter.
By the time the others got back William was handing over his silk shirt to the big beast who slunk into the other room. Marcus went and brought out some blood for the other two vampires. "Where do you get fresh blood? I can't even get any with out paying an assload for it?" Marcus grinned. "This mistress gets it for me." They heard some cursing as Spike came back in doing up the buttons to the blue silk shirt that only covered her to the thighs. Her wild mane of silvery-white was loose around her thighs. She noticed the three vampires in her kitchen. "What?" Angel grinned before laughing. "I think they are trying to figure out the whole huge tuft of furry rage into you and back." Spike laughed. "Simple.. I turn into a raging bitch if you fuck with my vampire. I will make you wish he had gotten to you first." William groaned into his mug. The older vampire tried not to laugh. "This is going to get confusing as shit." Dusk said to the others. Spike wiggled her way onto a stool next to her vampire. "How so?" Dusk pointed to each as she said their names. "Two Angels, Two Spikes." Unanimous head swivels. "Shit." Spike sighed as she looked into her cup. "The last person to use my real name was the Master vampire who became like an uncle after what happened to my Brother. It was my brother who gave me my name."
Dru sipped his coffee. "In the two hundred years I have known you, you have never given anyone so much as a detail about him. What nation are you even from? I know you are over three hundred but beyond that I know nothing of you. And I have been hunting with you longest." Spike smiled softly. "He was fifteen when I was born. Our mother had a hard labor and in the days following my birth wasn't interested in me. He stepped in, feeding me, bathing me and when he discovered I hadn't yet been given a name he gave me one. It was to this name my fondest memories are attached. I grew up chasing my brother around the house, when his boorish friends would poke fun at me for keeping an eye on them from the up stairs window I would open it and throw stones at them from a basin I had hidden next to the window. Once this awful girl came to visit my brother and I hated her at once, she was a greedy gold-digger. So I used the tricks of the house to frighten her out before supper was even over. When I confessed to my brother what I had done he only laughed. He apparently had liked her even less than I had. And that was saying something. My brother was many things but uncertain with women wasn't one of them. When I turned four, things changed and not for the better." Dusk was leaning forward eager to hear this story.
"Our grandfather died. All the family business passed to our father who kept pushing my brother harder and harder to be something he wasn't. My brother hated stuffy boring people and that's what father wanted. I should tell you when our father came home from his business trip after I was born he gave me a very stuffy name to which I never answered to. And by the time I was three I didn't even know what it was anymore. So back to when grandfather died. My brother had grown his hair out long because I liked to play with it, it always reminded me of a lions mane. My brother the lion. Since his name was very similar to lion. If you've ever seen a pissed off Irishman go to blows than you know they don't go down easy, my brother was well known for going into matches against two or three men and coming out on top. I used to go and bet a few silvers on him and come back with gold. Made me some good pocket money."
"It made my brother's birthday when I got him a big glass with his name pressed into the handle. He kept that cup in his room, frightened the servants about damaging it. A year passed without to much trouble but then the only person in the family who wasn't a total square died. Grandmother was forgiving and always rescuing me from our mother if my brother wasn't around. When she suddenly wasn't there I suddenly realized he was all I had left in the world, the only person who cared about me at all." She sipped her tea. "I ran to her grave when my mother threw a glass at me. I hid there for hours against her headstone, crying. I didn't know my brother had come home heard all about the event from a servant and set out with the rest of them looking for me. By the time he found me it was very cold, and I was really weak. I caught pneumonia which my brother blamed my mother for."
She sipped more tea and blinked moist eyes. "He was always checking on me, getting me broth. Making the servants do their job, seeing that I was bathed and taken to the bathroom several times a day so that the sickness didn't fester. I swore there were a few times he nearly killed a few of the servants if not for our mother interfering he would have. But as I started getting better he allowed himself more time out but he came home every night to check on me. One night he didn't come, my brave lion. And I harassed the servants into doing their jobs and getting me what I wanted and needed. The next night late, I heard something. I came down stairs in only one of my brother's old shirts. I opened the heavy door to find my brother standing there. But he wasn't the same. He looked down and frowned at me. 'What are you doing out o' bed me Cara.' He asked. 'I heard a noise an I was thirsty. Lion, did you become an angel?' I said to him. He asked me to invite him in and I did. He picked me up and he felt cool, like a pleasant night in summer. 'Yer still havin' a fever little 'un' He grumbled. As he made me broth, his broth always tasted better. It was warm and soothed the hurts inside. I asked him why he'd not come home the night before. He said: 'Ya know how yer always callin me a lion Cara? Now I'm a lion fer real.' I smiled playing with his hair. He let me use the bath room and drink my broth before tucking me into bed, he read me a story. He was waiting for our father to get home from some meeting of society snobs. By then I had fallen asleep." She sipped her tea.
Everyone was now on the edge of their seats. "When I woke up the next morning I had a new stuffed animal. A regal lion that I have had remade every so many years, a spell to transfer my brother's scent to the toy. It was that act of mercy, of love beyond the lines of heaven and hell that changed everything. Soon after that I wandered into an empty house and there was an older man there, he looked at me. He was an elder vampire who had been betrayed an needed someone to trust. He asked me who I was and when I told him my name. He nodded and as if he was looking at something I couldn't see looked at me. 'Do you yet understand the gift you have been given little one?' I shook my head. And he smiled. 'Then tell me your story.' And I told him, when I finished he nodded. 'I will teach you all that your brother couldn't, for there was someone he didn't want to find you. Its why he left you so quickly.' I left back to my family home with the elder vampire Bastille. He claimed he was my uncle from the continent and he had come to take over the affairs of the family. It took next to nothing at all for Bastille to get them to hand him everything. Withing a couple of years all the ruin my father had made of the businesses had been repaired and were making steady incomes. Bastille made good on his word. I learned, demonology, Vampire customs, language, mannerisms, houses and the seals of the major dominant houses."
"I learned to hunt, to fight. Both slayers and everything else along the way. I was ten when a slayer came for Bastille.." Xander couldn't resist asking. "What happened to her?" Spike blinked. "What almost happened to this one. I went after her only unlike Buffy nothing got in my way and I went after her with the full intention to kill her. I only intended to shatter a few of this slayers bones. Painful and humiliating but she lives." Xander's girlfriend smiled dreamily. "What happened to old Bastille?" She sighed. "He was already on the decline, he turned over the seat of his house to me before he turned to ash but he loved his minions enough to allow them to choose what to do. Most followed me to Europe. I had a rather fantastic time about everywhere I went. Killing demons, vampires and a few slayers who thought they were big enough to tangle with me. I earned a name for myself. Probably not what my brother would have wanted but, its what I was as I grew through a violent adolescence." Angel looked at her his chocolate eyes were both filled with the ghosts of the past and something new.
"I have two questions for you about your brother. What was his name? And did he have anything that you could identify him by?" She looked at Angel and licked her lips, those haunting eyes searching his. "My brother's name was Liam.. And yes, He had a tattoo. When he was eighteen he snuck away from father to get it. And it went along because the old man was sure nothing untoward would go on were I around. But it was I who picked out the design. It is a fire bird over a letter, it actually stands for his middle name which he hates fiercely." She flushed rubbing the back of her neck. "I got a matching one when I was sixteen. I was in Singapore. You can do anything there." Angel facepalmed, the rest of the table looked at him. He grumbled setting his cup down and yanking his cotton shirt over his head and turning his back to the rest of the table.
"Holy mother of fuck!" Xander laughed. "Ok now I got to know if it matches." Spike reached over and smacked him upside the head. "Oww." She got up and unbuttoned the shirt facing away from them. She wrapped one arm around her chest then dropped the back of the shirt. In perfect mirror imagery was the tattoo. "Fuck! It matches only its on the opposite shoulder." She sighed. "Look ass-monkey he's right handed, I'm a south paw. No pun intended." As said as she put the shirt back to rights. "Fucking asshats. Why do I put up with yer asses?" The group looked at her. "The humor and we keep you from killing every single person who annoys you.." The white haired woman nods. "Fair enough." A phone rang and Xander groaned. "Babe! You gave the witch girl your number? There goes quiet time." Spike snickered. "And you had the gall to whinge at me cocksucker." His jaw dropped.
"Sometimes Spike I hate you." She laughs. "Get in line asshole." Angel finally finished settling his shirt. "So you never told us the name you carved up Europe with." She eyed him up. "What about you?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Angelus." She patted his hand. "The Reaper." Angel almost spit out his blood he heard Spike coughing. "Your the..?" "Bingo Lion. I'm the Reaper. The one who silenced whole cities leaving only an ocean of blood and carnage behind me." He patted her hand. "Well we certainly fit together family wise." She snickered. "Yeah least neither of use are related to Plague. That fool is Ugly!" He couldn't help it he laughed. "That is awful, true but awful." She raised one eyebrow. "So lion-pire, now what?" He chuckled. "Little 'un I left you once to save you from Darla." The look on his sister's face made him hesitate for a moment. "It seems you may know more then I thought." She nodded
"I met that disgusting skank of a tram-pire." Spike laughed his blue eyes twinkling. "What do ya ken of her Cara?" She raised a hand and a golden pendant and chain appeared. She dangled it before him. "You'll know what this is." He looked at the brilliant crimson substance in the container, his eyes wide. "Ok but the rest of us who didn't grow up with vampires do not." Cara exposed her fangs in a smile most unfriendly. "Its hearts blood, from the bitch-pire that took my lion away from me. She found herself beneath my claws in Prague, she gave me this an a demon's oath. She saw me again an I was coming to tear her heart out with my own claws. After of course I made her tell me where you were and anything else I wanted to know. And I wouldn't ask nicely." Angel smiled at his sister. "You are more like me than the ol' bastard wanted." She rolled her eyes.
"An I hope you don't channel your inner bastard when your brain catches up to the fact my boyfriend is sitting next to ya." The expression that crossed his face they actually did see the emergence of his demon. "Hm, not bad brother but.. He's still way hotter. Stop hosting your own brood cloud and then we can find you a girl who isn't going to run like a puss when she meets me." Angel smacked a twenty down on the table. "$20 on the redhead from Skanky's group!" Xander made a face before setting a ten on the table. "$10 on the kooky brunette he brought with him." Dusk pulled a twenty and smacked it down. "$20 on Willow! Cordelia is so snobby to me. I hate fashion." Dru snickered. "You hang out with the crazy woman who wears black because its the only color she doesn't ruin with blood." Cara scoffed. "Or vamp dust, demon blood or various other nasty ass shit we wind up in." Heads nodded. "Point taken." "What about the dark colored duo?" Angel pointed to the guys. Cara waived one hand. "Hello!? You do realize one is my brother therefor very fond of dark colors. The other is painfully hot in jeans and tee-shirts, but add the silk then the leather and you got a complete delicious package." "Spike?" Raised eyebrows. "Your both crazy." She laughed and he grinned. "Which one made you realize that? The hot guy with railroad spikes or me with a scythe?" Dru groaned. "I'm going to bed. Dude, there is a Vamp safe room on the second floor across from us that has an en-suite you could nap out the day."
As they dispersed Angel watched his sister and grandchilde walk up the flight of stairs to the third floor. Dawn looked at the vampire. "Calm down, worst that's going to happen is they are going to spend the night cuddling." She watched the tension ease from his shoulders as he opened the door and entered the room. "Oh he an Spike are so related. I can't believe she an William the Bloody are dating.. Freaking hell the guy is a legend. Her brother is too. Fucking shit half the Scourge of Europe." Speaking of the duo on the third floor She had grabbed clothes and was getting a shower. The door opened and she came out in only a his silk shirt unbuttoned a sports bra and a pair of hi-cuts. "Go ahead and grab a shower I might have something that will fit." He went and found a wonderfully hot shower, the bath stuff didn't smell girly but had a woodsy smell he liked.
He dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist after dumping all but his duster in the hamper he came out to find her waiting. He was her eyes change from the human disguise to their true swirled color as she watched him. "Ya know luv, your good for a mans confidence." She grinned. "Just yours." She licked her lips. Holding a folded item out to him. He realized it was boxers, he went and put them on finding them only a bit loose but silky against his skin. He came back out and found her closing shutters on her windows, but on the balcony door she cast a spell and he saw a shield go up. "Sun repelling shield, so that way we can still have the breeze." He noticed a pile of clothes she had been folding and came over to him. He had hung the towel on a drying rod in the bathroom so standing there, in only a pair of boxers would make a guy very uncomfortable if he couldn't see her eyes.
She walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You look simply delicious. Come on, time for bed." The pair crawled into the king size bed and tucked themselves into each other. They were kissing again and she lost her hands to his hair, the vampire growled now feeling far more in control now that he wasn't starving. His hands trailed down her tanned back, she pulled him closer. The fire was hotter between them then he had ever felt with Dru. And Buffy liked to torment him about not being able to feed. He felt her purr as she licked his neck and he groaned his fingers tightening in her gleaming mane. Her fingers tugged his head back and she nibbled on his throat before coming to lick at his chest. She sat on his abs and he could see the cute triangular ears atop her head, feel the tails that stroked his legs. But none of that bothered him, as she leaned forward and their lips met. When they parted he chuckled. "Poof 'ill kill me if I deflower his sister first night." She giggled.
"Liam is many things an overprotective bastard is one of them." Spike snorted. "William I didn't think meeting you would be such a huge gateway for good fortune. No matter what, I'm sticking with you. And I was thinking about my brother's history. I remember a tribe of Romany. Who's seer had been taken from them and killed, they begged my help in coming up with a curse powerful enough to haunt the vampire who'd done it. But what I didn't tell them was that only I could make it permanent." Blue eyes looked at her stunned. "You can make the poof's soul stick around forever?" She nodded. He pulled in for another brain melting kiss. "I think if he weren't down stairs luv, there'd be a whole lot a screamin tonight but none of it in pain." She purred wiggling against him. "Maybe a tiny bit of pain, after all I have claws William. And I wonder." He raised his eyebrow as she rubbed his head thrumming then a grumbled. "Found you." Then she looked him in the eye. "I am going to try an fiddle with it tell me if I hurt you, I don't want that." He felt a little pressure in his head, a gentle prod then she spoke. "Alright. I'm going to try moving this thing." Suddenly a little dish appeared on the bed and she opened it and put it in his hand. "Hold that and focus on it." Then he felt a pressure, it got worse the feeling before the pain and suddenly it was gone. He refocused on the dish and he could see the chip sitting there, a little pool of black leaking from it before she snapped the lid on the container.
She purred playing with his hair then he head another spell. "Whats that one for?" She chuckled tiredly. "It bleaches that pretty head of yours blonde. And unlike human dyes the spell does the hair as it grows. So the more you eat the more it will grow." He looked at her before the container was banished away. "Luv was that really?" She nodded tiredly against him. "Took a lot more out of me to remove it, they really embedded it in there. They didn't want it to be found or if it was you to die in the removal. I had to remove part of it then remove the rest which you saw. That black stuff I am sure is some type of toxin but I don't know what kind. Make Angel look at it tomorrow. She's good at that stuff." The started to slur her words.
"Hush luv time for you to sleep." She relaxed completely against him, letting him move her as he needed to. He pulled the blanket up and with the sound of her heart beat he felt himself drift into sleep. The first untroubled sleep he'd had since the lab. The next morning the house was quiet as Cara got out of bed leaving William sleeping peacefully. She showered and dressed in black jean shorts, a deep blue silk halter top that had silver lionesses stitched around the hem. She brushed out her hair using a spell to pull it up and plait it into a crown braid using jeweled pins. She took William's duster and went downstairs, letting her magic start her music player and she began to hum. Marcus met her on the first floor wit her first cup of tea. "Ah, morning Marcus."
"Morning Mistress. Was that Master Angelus and Master Spike I saw last night?" She nodded. "The first my brother the second my chosen one. I've used the spells to pull all the laundry down for the morning, since you got some new help lets set to work. I am going to awaken the house with song." Marcus bowed and got started on making the individual morning drinks for the other members of the house, watching as his mistress removed the male vampire's jacket. Now the jacket carried her scent as she hung it up, she hummed as the music from the stereo was pleasing to even his vampire hearing. Then she began to sing, projecting her powerful voice throughout the house. He could hear doors opening.
Angel had slept surprisingly at ease in the house, he felt at ease yet there was no weight or fear in his heart. He was just getting dressed when he heard the instrumental music, so pleasant then he heard Cara singing. How he knew it was her he couldn't say, but he knew. He opened his door and barefoot made his way downstairs. Spike had been having the most marvelous dream, but then the bed got cooler than it should and he woke up. He was sliding into the black jeans he had found folded at the foot of the bed when the music started. He pulled on the muscle shirt, than slid gleefully into the black edged blue silk shirt. He left it open and had just opened the door when the song started. "Cara, luv. Singing me poetry in Gaelic, I didn't know it could sound like this." She climbed the scales and her voice wobbled on the note of a heart broken soul then slowly descended as the poem wound down to its finale. The vampires met at the foot of the stairs. She stood in the living room, and she turned to see both of them.
"Cara lass you been hidin talent from me." She laughed. Her tail swept elegantly behind her as she walked towards them ears a top her head, Spike could now see her legs were built differently and her feet were cute hairless paws. And he saw a claw poke out for a moment. "Sorry Lion, I forgot you didn't know I sang. Or played instruments." They heard a groan. "For the love of all that is sacred. Keep her away from that damn guitar!" Xander said nursing his cup of coffee. "You had to be a rock and roller in a past life." She snickered. "I lived the rock and roll era and the heavy metal era.. I have a guitar signed by the Sex Pistols." Spike's eyes went huge. "Signed?" "Signed, With photographs. Also got one from Van Halen." Eyes rolled. "That's not as bad as the damn books." Angel looked up from his mug. "Books?"
"I got a signed copy of Frankenstein By Mary Shelly and one of Dracula by Bram Stoker." Cara said, looking confused. Angel swallowed. Spike snickered. "Poof here hasn't been able to find more than a third edition of either book. But you have signed copies." Cara scratched an ear. "Yeah, I was there when they came off the presses. My books are different from all the others. A leather bound edition with gold edged pages and embossed cover." Angel had his pout face on. "That edition is supposed to be a myth." Cara left the table and returned a few minutes later with two books. Both in excellent condition both bound in the old hand crafted way. Hard black leather covers with gold corner decorations and the embossed title. She flipped it open to reveal the signature. 'To Cara, For your wonderful company and friendship. And your idea that a vampire should be a cultured folk and a elegant foe. To you I dedicate Dracula.- Bram' "Shit Thunderin fuck!" Spike's jaw dropped to hear Angel lose his temper to the point of cursing.
"You actually inspired him to write vampires as somethin to be feared. Shit you know how many a vampire would worship you if they ever read those words?" Cara surprised them all by turning red. "No no no no!" She waved her hands back and forth. "No worshiping vampires. I got the only vampire I ever wanted." She moved and rubbed up against Spike's back, making the vampire growl contentedly. "Only vampire I want that way thank you very much." She said just under his ear and his eyes flashed but the growl got louder. Angel grinned. "Well least with him I know you will be safe from mostly anything." Cara looked at her brother. "Lion?" He sighed. "Whenever you start a sentence with that, I know somethin is a comin an I may not like it." She smiled over the blonde's shoulder.
She purred rubbing her head against his shoulder. "I um... I removed that nasty thing the humans did to him. It made me so tired.." Angel almost spit out his mouthful of blood. "You managed to remove the chip?" She nodded. "It tried an was going to leak some kind of toxin into his brain Lion, I can't ignore that kind of threat to William Lion. What if it had been you they had done it to? I would have removed it too. In a tail-flick." Spike looked at Xander, eyebrow raised. "I've seen her fling knives with her tail man. So about the span of a human heart beat or shorter." Spike looked at Angel. "Look Poof, I'm not interested in a killing spree. Maybe reestablishing myself as the Master of Sunnydale, but that will make it easier to get information on shit going on."
Cara thrummed. "An we are needed here Lion, you a great deal. Put your past with skanky skirt behind you." Angel groaned. "Its not that easy Cara. I loved her. She and I, accidentally set my demon loose and people died by my hand." Cara walked around the table and faced her brother. She gently took his mug and set it on the table before taking a step back. Growling at him she hauled off and slugged him a good one. He fell out of the chair and rolled away waiting for a second blow. "Look you broody fuck, you are a vampire! An I have stood nose to nose with yer demon an came out without a scratch. Your soul will not be lost again." Angel looked at her confused. "Did you think a band of Romany could call up a curse powerful enough to affect a Master vampire without help? No they begged for divine help. My help brother, it was their weakness that made the happiness clause. But in my paws the curse can be dissolved forever or be made permanent. Do ye understand now!" The swirling aura Angel felt, he realized had been the power that commanded his curse. His sisters power. "You can fix this? Forever? My soul stays forever?"
She nodded. "Please my brother, do not inflict the torment of the slayer-bitch upon me. Next time I don't think I will be able to restrain myself. I was calm because you were there Lion, you put yourself between us. My beast remembered your transformed face, when you changed as you left my room. I awoke enough to glimpse your change. I didn't remember the next day. Not until just now when she showed me the memory, the connection. As one not to harm, not only because your ring has the seal of Aurelius but because you are kin." Angel the female popped herself into the conversation. "So how significant is this?" Cara looked at the others. "My beast has killed anyone who has dared stand between her and an opponent since I first transformed." Xander swallowed.
"Way to go man, serious man points." Xander said. Raising his mug, all the guys laughed. "Why me." Angel pouted. Dusk giggled. "You never told us how you got your name Angel." The brunette smiled. "I got the name Angel because there was a group of virgins and nuns trapped in a church. There was a fire set by vampire. I turned the flames cool with a spell, an let me tell you walking through fire even cool fire still gives me the creeps. But I got inside and they asked if I had been sent by god to take them to heaven. I told the Reverend Mother, I was an Angel. But I was sent to protect them at the bidding of god. For my very name surrounded them. The sisters, pledged and Reverend Mother joined hands and followed me through the flames. When we emerged unharmed Cara was standing there in her further transformed state and they looked on afraid. I told not to be afraid, she was an angel that had come to collect the evil souls." She smiled at the memory.
"We were given food and places to sleep while we helped rebuild the church. The priest had perished in the fire he'd been bitten and rather than endanger the sisters he'd thrown his rosary out the window and locked himself inside." She smiled. "So I became Angel. But my actual name is Seraphim." Xander grinned. "My name is actually Xander." Dru huffed. "Dru short for Druid. But my actual name is Dante." Angel looked at the assembled group. "Now we know what Cara is but what about the rest of you? What you say will never reach Buffy's ears."
Seraphim smiled and spoke first. "I'm the grand witch of my generation. My greatest skill is is setting up barriers and spells to keep us hidden within plain sight." Xander went next. "Well, I'm a primal. An ancient animal spirit is bonded with me." The vampires looked partly impressed. Dru rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm a born Werewolf, But my cousin's boyfriend bit me a couple of years back so I had to relearn control." Angel nodded. "Interesting, a rather well integrated an capable team." Dru's head snapped up. "A wolf just cross the perimeter alarms." Eyebrows raised. "We all set town perimeter alarms for different beings." Seraphim's phone rang and she answered it. "Hello?" Hello? "Red?" A shaky sigh, before she spoke. Last night things really got out of hand. "Oh I really agree with you there Red." My name is Willow. "Willow, pleasant name for a nice person." Least someone thinks so. This is such, such horse-pucky! "Willow dear your a grown witch, put on your witch panties and curse." She laughed, out and out laughed. Oh I needed that. No one makes jokes anymore, everyone treats me like glass. They won't let me do magic because I messed up once. And my ex used the oldest line in the book to try and guilt trip me into stop practicing the craft. Seraphim scoffed. "I'd set my other halves ass on fire he ever pulled that crap on me." Xander shook his head. "No fucking way. I have a brain between my ears, an like my balls firmly where they are thank you."
Willow laughed again and Angel couldn't remember the last time he had heard her laugh so much. Cordy is being a snob again. "You do realize most the people in LA are airheads right?" Snort. Giggle. Oh goddess, so accurate. How is Angel? "Oh the broody one? He's fine, having his cup o' red an nasty." Laughter. Buffy was so mad that he left with her. "Is she listening to your call Willow?" A minutes pause. Probably. "Well I should tell you most of his clothes got shredded. So I get the privilege of broody in boxers." They heard a thump and a squeal. Sorry had to cast a shield around myself, I need to get out of the house for awhile. Going a little stir crazy here. "Ok Willow can you summon yourself a focusing crystal or one you keep on a necklace?" Why? "A get out of jail free card." Summoned one. Its clear quartz on a chain. Do you want me to put it on? "Yes, hang up with me and focus on the crystal."
Shortly they had a new person in the kitchen. "Hi Willow." Willow noticed Angel was dressed in black slacks an a tee shirt. "You said that to rile up Buffy." The girl shrugged. "I maybe called Angel but I'm no saint. Eh broody?" The vampire snickered. She watched a minion come in and spot her. "What would Mistresses friend like to drink?" She smiled at the kinda cute vampire. "Tea please." The silver haired girl was leaning into Spike, the pair looked quite content to ignore everyone else. Dawn grinned at her from the big guys side. "Hey Willow. See they chased you out too." Willow finally understood what had driven Dawn to run away. "Yeah, I can't take the 'Will you can't do magic anymore' BS. I'm not a little girl, I am a grown up woman. I can choose my own path."
Marcus sat her tea on the table and a platter full of snacks, stopping next to each Master vampire to collect their cups for refills. "Who is he?" Dru looked at the red head. "That is Marcus. He is a vampire who lives in the house, he serves Cara." The woman yawned suddenly. "Your still tired." She smiled. "Just a bit." It made him happy she spoke the truth to him. "Well what do you do for daytime fun around here?" She grinned. "I have a huge TV William. Meaning no more missing someones TV shows. And lots of movies." His eyes went huge. "Marcus bring luv's tea to the TV room, we're goin to watch Passions." He picked her up, her tail curled around his waist. The steady purr trailing out the door with him. "Yes Master Spike."
He set a new mug next to Angel's hand and carried the rest of the tray out the door following the blonde vampire. Willow was in shock. "I've never seen him act like that." Angel surprisingly answered her. "Under the surface he is actually like that, fiercely loyal and protective of the people he cares about. In the ways of the vampire there are two ways to declare how you feel about them. The more common way is to merely exchange bite marks. But there is an older way, practiced by the oldest houses." He sipped his mug. "To lick and run ones tongue along the ridges of a vampires true face, exposes the partners throat to that vampire. It is considered to be the highest act of revealing ones devotion and love for a vampire." The whole tables eyes were watching him now. "She did that to him, and he responded by giving her the seal of the house. He has not only made her his to other vampires but put a warning that harming her will bring the wrath of the whole house down on the offender. And knowing who she is. I would do so."
Willow was astonished to hear so much out of the usually quiet vampire. "Who is she?" Angel rubbed the back of his neck. "Cara is... Cara is my younger sister." Willow was stunned. "How is that possible?" Dru grinned. "She's three hundred an twenty years old Red, an been madly in love with the Bloody English vampire bout a hundred years give or take. "I'm two hundred an seventeen. And a born werewolf." Seraphim grinned. "One hundred and eighteen! I'm a witch too." Xander sighed. "A hundred and twenty one. I'm a primal." Willow looked at Dru. "Is there a difference between a born werewolf and a bitten one?" Dru nodded. "A large one. Bitten have a harder time controlling themselves when transformed if they ever can. Born, can do so by our teenage years. They look rather vile when transformed, we look more like the demon wolves of old." Willow was stunned. "Do you hurt people you care about?" He shook his violently. "A born werewolf defends his home and family. A bitten doesn't know better."
They were aware of talking for a long while Marcus coming in here ind there to get them drinks or refill their snack plate. "You know this is the most informative, talk that has gone on in awhile. Without arguing." Seraphim giggled. "The queen of hurling insults is currently tucked into her vampire's side napping. Otherwise there would be some arguments." Willow had to ask. "When you guys need to do research, is it one of you or all of you?" Xander blinked. "All. Everyone pitches in, equally. We have weapons at our disposal and are going to put in a small forge in the basement. So Dru can work on the swords." Angel looked at Dru. "Blacksmiths comes in handy for forging silver or blessed weapons. I dip it in holy water during the forging process. Makes a holy weapon that is a nightmare to certain people."