Some Kind of Wonderful:2
A/N: Hi all. Okay I got two reviews for the first chapter and hope that's not all I'm gonna get. Not to be greedy or anything. I just love reviews. So please feel free good or bad. Now to the important stuff. I've got a humor fic out Spike vs. Xander I think is good so check it out. I've taken the liberty of using the Order of Aurelius the line from which Angel and Spike and Dru are from. I've taken the fact that the Master couldn't have been the only childe of Aurelius to create this chapter. Please bear with me here and everything I want to do will be explained by ch.4 or 3. So be patient okay? And review, I love reviews! That's all I think. Enjoy. Skyz.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Btvs no infringement is meant. I do own my own creations Delos, Mornay, and Rufus and a few others. Don't sue me please.
~*~*~
Chapter: 2 It had been said once before, Elias Aurelius mused, that in order to obtain great power one had to use any means necessary.
Today was one of those days. Today would be the end of William the Bloody. It would be a shame really. He of all the Masters line had held the promise of being great. He had done what no other had before him. Killed two Slayers by himself. That in itself was a feat.
But he was loyal. Loyalty in a vampire was hard to find. He had stayed with Drusilla for over a hundred years, until recently that is. The Slayer had a hand in his current state.
Her name he was told was Buffy Anne Summers. She was like no other before her. Had the power to tame the fiercest demons, an unheard of thing actually.
Elias studied the small crowd gathered below in the great hall of the Aurelius keep. Today was a day to mourn. The death of a brother, a warrior. As much as today would bring great sorrow to his dead heart, he would celebrate as well. For with his plans there would be a new era borne in the Order of Aurelius.
They would be all powerful, no one would stop them. Much less a bit of a girl who happened to be the Slayer. He would destroy her and anyone else who threatened to take what was rightfully his.
Including that rat of a man Rufus Travers. As of now, he was useful though, but soon he would dispose of the fool.
~*~*~
He had always wondered what his defeat and ultimate death would be like. His future self had died honorable in battle. At his Slayer's side. He had always hoped it would have been in battle, perhaps with a Slayer. But in all he had thought to go down fighting.
Now he wished it had been like that. Wished he had fought, at least tried to escape. He hadn't and now his death was minutes away. Spike tried to rest his battered body and close his mind off. It was a useless task.
His mind kept drifting, latching onto the one thing he hadn't spoken about. No matter how many times they'd beaten him.
The Slayer.
This was all for her and he couldn't make himself regret a minute of it. He thought back to that night weeks ago. The night he'd begged her to ask him to stay. She'd been vehement in her answer. No, she'd wanted him gone. So he'd left, went to the factory and gathered Dru and her things and fled.
That had been his first mistake, he mused. Taking Dru, he had debated whether to kill her. He couldn't bring himself to do it though. Instead, he had packed her and her dolls and headed for Europe. He had known where he was going could very well be the end of him.
Now it was.
But he'd made the trek nonetheless. He couldn't kill her but that didn't mean they couldn't. That was what they were there for after all. It had taken him a good two weeks to reach the remote island off the coast of Corfu. As he had docked, they had been surrounded and brought to the main house on the island.
From there he'd been separated from Drusilla. Locked in the dungeon for two days before they finally came. The questions had started then. Of course, he had refused to speak.
His second mistake.
Not killing Dru. She had told them everything. How he was going to kill her, for the Slayer. Betray the Sire/Childe bond for their worst enemy. She'd trickled the truth with lies. Accused him of things he had yet to do. Challenged his loyalty.
The torture had come only when Drusilla finally spoke up about the claim. Accidental though it was the fact remained he had claimed a Slayer. They had demanded he kill Buffy, destroy the claim and they might let him live. They reasoned they could understand wanting to rid himself of Drusilla. She was insane and a hundred years was more than enough time spent with her.
Kill the Slayer and we let you live.
His third mistake was leaving said Slayer in the first place. Leaving Buffy. If he hadn't of left her, he wouldn't be on his way to his death.
His fourth and final mistake had been forgetting from whom he came. Whose blood flowed freely in his veins. The blood of Aurelius. Coming here, to the compound of Aurelius to beg mercy from the Order had been more than a mistake. It had been a fatal error.
The Order of Aurelius tolerated little of the antics of Heinrich Nest, the Masters line. They were generally looked down on, except for him and Darla and since Darla was dead, he was the only one they had almost accepted. Now that was gone, he had been cast aside no better than mortals they said, riddled with humanity.
His cell door opened and he didn't open his eye as they dragged him to his feet and led him to his fate.
He heard the dim buzz of voices before he was brought into the main room of the great hall.
His eyes opened abruptly and he looked neither left nor right as he marched arrogantly to the center of the room where a large crucifix stood.
The eldest Elias lifted a hand for silence amongst the whispers of the crowd.
"William the Bloody; Spike of Heinrich the Master's line, great grand childe of Darla, grand childe of Angelus and childe to Drusilla. Slayer of Slayers, the Scourge of Europe, stands accused of conspiracy to commit the murder of his Sire. The unlawful claiming of a Slayer, the refusal to kill said Slayer. His refusal to proclaim his allegiance once more to the Order of Aurelius has marked him for death. What say you to these charges?"
Spike looked up. Into the pale green eyes of executioner and smirked.
"I could say go fuck yourself, but really that's not appropriate is it? No. Well I could say...long live the Queen but as she's never ever going to die what's the point? Lay a hand on the Slayer and I'll come back to kill you all? I do mean that, death won't stop me. But I digress and merely have this to say...Right then, let's get to it," he said jerking his head toward the crucifix.
"I proclaimed leader of the New Order of Aurelius, Elias sentence you to death."
Elias gave a nod to the guards that held Spike. The hall was silent as the large enthralled humans lifted him and bound his hands and feet.
"His shirt," Elias ordered.
The guards ripped his dirty t-shirt and naked down to the waist, the guards, two large enthralled mortals lifted Spike and bound his hands and feet to the cross.
"Mornay?" Elias called.
Spike closed his eyes against the pain that seared through him as his skin began to slowly burn.
Mornay a petite Asian woman stepped forward, her brown eyes cold in her beautiful face.
"Yes?"
"You shall have the honor of the first watch, let us adjourn to the feast I had prepared for this blessed day," Elias announced as he rose from his throne and left the room.
Slowly the crowd with furtive glances thrown at the slowly burning Master vampire trailed out, leaving him alone with Mornay.
"So we meet again Spike. It looks like I'll make good on my threat after all," she said in amusement.
"Mornay," Spike whispered raggedly, his head lolling as smoke curled ominously around them both. "Not like this luv. Let me down! Let me die with some kinda honor. You and me. C'mon!"
Shaking her head, she circled his hanging form.
"No. I want to see you suffer. I want to see you hurt Spike. I want to see you die. So I think I'll stand right here and watch."
Spike closed his eyes and pictured what his life could have been like. What he had hoped it would be like someday. Just him, Buffy, and the tyke. Wolfe, the son he'd never known he had wanted. A smile formed as he imagined all the things they could have done. He was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn't realize he wasn't alone with Mornay any longer.
"Angelus lives," Dru's whispered words reached his ears and his eyes popped open. He looked around wildly. The words had just only come out of her mouth when the doors were thrown open and one lone figure stood there.
"Dru pet let me loose," he whispered his focus on Dru who stood a good distance away. "Let me free."
She merely shook her head and began to twirl a smile of pure joy on her face.
"The pixies told me a secret Spike...Angelus shall rule with me at his side. We shall rule the world..but first we must destroy the Slayer!"
"No! Drusilla please-"
"How dare you set foot in here," Mornay yelled as her eyes focused on the figure that was slowly coming into the room.
Delos Neary merely smiled as he inclined his head in a silent greeting. His eyes rested on Spike a moment before they settled on Drusilla.
"Well, well, well.. Drusilla alive and well how are you? Good I hope. Mornay release him," he ordered never taking his eyes off Drusilla as she shrank back from him and hissed.
"Bad...bad...man. STAY WAY," she shrieked as she continued to stumble backwards.
Mornay stood rooted to the floor as she stared in disbelief and fury at the man who had once been her Sire.
Spike ignored them all then, as he struggled with the ropes that bound his wrists, his lack of strength a direct effect of lose of blood and little nourishment for the past week. Groaning as his raw back scraped against the wood and added to the pain he was in he tugged and tugged.
"Do as I said Mornay," Delos ordered slowly advancing on Drusilla. His voice had lost his usual amusement and gone cold, a voice he used only for his childe.
Mornay struggled valiantly against the urge she had to do as he bide but failed miserable as she found herself moving and untying Spike's feet and hands, burning her own in the process. He fell heavily into her arms and they toppled to the ground.
"If anyone gets to kill young William it will surely be me. Drusilla come here, I won't hurt you, I've little use for you. I must ask you a question though..." Delos purred as he cornered Drusilla and lowered his head to her ear. His whispered words had Drusilla going rigid and still. She screamed then.
"Just as I thought," Delos said as he stepped away from the terrified vampire and headed for Spike.
Kicking Mornay aside, he gently picked up Spike's unconscious form and slung him over his shoulder.
"Tell Elias I was hurt and dismayed to learn I was not invited to this fine event. Tell him as long as I live he will never win Mornay. He can take what's mine but I will never let him win. And by the way..I'd make up an excuse as to why his prize is gone and how you did nothing to stop me," Delos called as he slipped from the room.
Mornay stared after him furious with herself and him as she growled.
"Bad..bad man..bad man..bad...man," Drusilla's silly ramblings got under her skin and before she was aware of it Mornay had stalked over to the younger vampire and ripped her head off.
She stood alone in the room Drusilla's ashes clinging to her and thought about what lie she had to tell to get herself out of this mess.
~*~*~
Elias stared absently at the Aurelius crest signet ring he wore proudly on his pinky. The soft knock on his door alerted him to the arrival of his guest.
"Come in," he called out, smoothing his thinned hair, he straightened his shoulders as his door opened and Rufus Travers strode in.
"I hear you had some trouble," Rufus said as he took a seat facing Elias.
Elias smiled slightly as he eyed the short, stocky head of the Council of Watchers. His posture as well as his voice perfect, but it did nothing to hide the dark core hidden within. The man was ruthless. Evil. That was why he made for a wonderful partner, Elias thought.
"Same could be said for you as well," was all he said.
Travers acknowledged that with a small tight-lipped smile of his own.
"Well, none I can't take care of on my own I assure you. I came because I heard you were in possession of William the Bloody. I see you are not in that position any longer. What happened?"
"In one word; Delos."
Rufus's eyes widened and he blanched as he sat back.
"Well, really," he murmured. His brow arched and a smirk appeared. "Need any help with that?"
"No," Elias replied sharply.
They were silent as they regarded one another.
"This won't affect our plans will it?" Rufus finally asked. Elias narrowed his eyes slightly as he shrugged.
"I don't see how, but now.now that Angelus is back and Delos has Spike your plans may have to be put off. When Spike set foot back in Europe we were certain all we needed was him now...We would do well to get rid of them all. The circle has been destroyed. We should start anew---"
"No!"
Elias frowned slightly at Rufus's yell. His mind whirled with the implications of it. He decided to think about it as soon as Rufus left.
"Fine. The plan is still workable. Now it would be wise if you left. Do not come back, until I tell you other wise. Is that clear?"
Rufus stiffened in indignation and anger. How dare this vile creature tell him wh---
"Of course," he replied in a civil voice and a slight nod as he rose.
Rufus left the compound and settled into his waiting helicopter. He hadn't liked the way the meeting had gone at all. He suspected his vehement protest on keeping things as they were had caught Elias's attention. Rufus did not intend to let Elias in on his real plans. He would use the Order to obtain his power, and then he would destroy them.
~*~*~
Elias studied Mornay carefully.
"You are aware you have ruined Mr. Travers plans?" he asked gently.
Mornay shrugged, running a hand through her chopped locks.
"In the heat of the moment," she said. "I forgot."
Elias sat back and smiled widely.
"Delos...did you know he was coming? Did you intentionally let him take Spike from us Mornay?"
"Of course not! My allegiance is with the Order and Delos is not the Order Elias. I had no idea he was coming. I certainly did not just let him take Spike! You know the kind of power he has. He turned Dru against me and I was busy fighting her while he escaped with Spike."
"Good, I knew you would not betray me. Your loyalty is no longer in question. Since you have removed Drusilla a vital piece in Mr. Travers plan, I want you to remove the rest of Heinrich's line. They have proven repeatedly how little they respect the Order and I'll be damned if I let Mr. Travers gain control over them while I live! The whole filthy lot of them are tainted, bad blood and the sooner we get rid of them the sooner I can rid myself of Mr. Travers. He has become quite the problem of late...his brother was never such a threat."
Mornay didn't say anything as she watched Elias. She knew deep down that the only reason he wanted to rid the Order of the Masters line was that he knew that if they banded together they had the power to overthrow him and control the Order as they saw fit. That was one reason he had ousted her sire, branded him a traitor and taken out a bounty on his head.
She had turned, along with most of Delos's childer from him and had been embraced by the new Order. It was an act that warranted death and she knew once Delos saw her again he would kill her. She relished the challenge.
"You want me to kill Angelus and Spike?" she asked.
"I want them both dust. Anyone else who gets in the way too. While you are at it take care of the Slayer. That little girl has some kind of power over the Masters line and I need her taken care of. I want them gone. Do you understand?"
Mornay nodded.
"Kill Spike and Angelus. Get rid of the Slayer as well. I won't be able to do this alone though. Who shall I bring along for the ride?" she asked standing.
"Of course you aren't expected to do it alone child! Pick the best warriors we have and head for the Hell mouth I'm sure Spike and Delos will be headed there."
Mornay nodded again and walked towards the door.
"Oh and Mornay?"
She looked over her shoulder at him.
"Don't fail me."
~*~*~
"I say, I would love to meet this Slayer of yours. She has destroyed almost an entire line of the Order in some form or another," Delos remarked hours later as he sat watching Spike rest on his private plane.
Spike ignored him as he slowly sipped the blood he'd been given through the twisty straw the flight attendant had given him.
"Better yet...how is she in bed? That must be it. She must be something wonderful to turn two demons like yourself and Angelus into lap dogs. I heard how you would not say one word about her."
Spike lifted his face to stare at Delos through yellow eyes.
"How's Mornay, Delos?" he asked coldly.
Delos grinned as he shook his head.
"Touché. What is this I hear about Angelus being back?"
Spike lowered his head as he took his last gulp of blood.
"I wasn't aware Angelus was around. He goes by Angel now," he muttered, trying to come to terms with the fact Angel was now Angelus! The last he'd heard in order for that to have happened he had to have that perfect moment of happiness. This meant Buffy had to sleep with him.
She wouldn't have though, he thought fiercely. She could not subject herself to Angelus not after what Wolfe had told her. She couldn't have gone from his arms to Angel's!
"Angel? Does he believe himself to be one of God's warriors?" Delos asked truly puzzled as to why Angelus would do such a thing.
Spike grinned slightly as he looked up and into Delos's brown eyes.
"Probably. You know how big his head is, hasn't gone down at all," he complained.
Delos cocked his head as he thought about it.
"No matter the name Angelus is the Devil's own. Angel? I find that quite amusing."
Spike frowned. It had been decades since he had last seen Delos and he had changed very little. For all the years he had known him, he had never seen Delos lose his friendly and amicable attitude. Except for that one night---Spike cut that thought off.
"Why'd you rescue me Delos," he demanded.
"Why not?" Delos asked as he shrugged.
"I won't name all the reasons you've got to hate me. I need to get to Sunnydale, if what you've said is true and Angelus is back I have to help the Slayer!"
"You have no idea what is going on William. Before you go off half-cocked let me tell you this---"
"Of course I do! Angelus is back and he will kill my Slayer, I will not allow it. It matters little what else is going on and what I don't know!"
Delos studied the agitated blond. Arched one black brow and settled back, getting comfortable.
"What was your boy's name? Wolfe wasn't it?"
A/N: Hi all. Okay I got two reviews for the first chapter and hope that's not all I'm gonna get. Not to be greedy or anything. I just love reviews. So please feel free good or bad. Now to the important stuff. I've got a humor fic out Spike vs. Xander I think is good so check it out. I've taken the liberty of using the Order of Aurelius the line from which Angel and Spike and Dru are from. I've taken the fact that the Master couldn't have been the only childe of Aurelius to create this chapter. Please bear with me here and everything I want to do will be explained by ch.4 or 3. So be patient okay? And review, I love reviews! That's all I think. Enjoy. Skyz.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Btvs no infringement is meant. I do own my own creations Delos, Mornay, and Rufus and a few others. Don't sue me please.
~*~*~
Chapter: 2 It had been said once before, Elias Aurelius mused, that in order to obtain great power one had to use any means necessary.
Today was one of those days. Today would be the end of William the Bloody. It would be a shame really. He of all the Masters line had held the promise of being great. He had done what no other had before him. Killed two Slayers by himself. That in itself was a feat.
But he was loyal. Loyalty in a vampire was hard to find. He had stayed with Drusilla for over a hundred years, until recently that is. The Slayer had a hand in his current state.
Her name he was told was Buffy Anne Summers. She was like no other before her. Had the power to tame the fiercest demons, an unheard of thing actually.
Elias studied the small crowd gathered below in the great hall of the Aurelius keep. Today was a day to mourn. The death of a brother, a warrior. As much as today would bring great sorrow to his dead heart, he would celebrate as well. For with his plans there would be a new era borne in the Order of Aurelius.
They would be all powerful, no one would stop them. Much less a bit of a girl who happened to be the Slayer. He would destroy her and anyone else who threatened to take what was rightfully his.
Including that rat of a man Rufus Travers. As of now, he was useful though, but soon he would dispose of the fool.
~*~*~
He had always wondered what his defeat and ultimate death would be like. His future self had died honorable in battle. At his Slayer's side. He had always hoped it would have been in battle, perhaps with a Slayer. But in all he had thought to go down fighting.
Now he wished it had been like that. Wished he had fought, at least tried to escape. He hadn't and now his death was minutes away. Spike tried to rest his battered body and close his mind off. It was a useless task.
His mind kept drifting, latching onto the one thing he hadn't spoken about. No matter how many times they'd beaten him.
The Slayer.
This was all for her and he couldn't make himself regret a minute of it. He thought back to that night weeks ago. The night he'd begged her to ask him to stay. She'd been vehement in her answer. No, she'd wanted him gone. So he'd left, went to the factory and gathered Dru and her things and fled.
That had been his first mistake, he mused. Taking Dru, he had debated whether to kill her. He couldn't bring himself to do it though. Instead, he had packed her and her dolls and headed for Europe. He had known where he was going could very well be the end of him.
Now it was.
But he'd made the trek nonetheless. He couldn't kill her but that didn't mean they couldn't. That was what they were there for after all. It had taken him a good two weeks to reach the remote island off the coast of Corfu. As he had docked, they had been surrounded and brought to the main house on the island.
From there he'd been separated from Drusilla. Locked in the dungeon for two days before they finally came. The questions had started then. Of course, he had refused to speak.
His second mistake.
Not killing Dru. She had told them everything. How he was going to kill her, for the Slayer. Betray the Sire/Childe bond for their worst enemy. She'd trickled the truth with lies. Accused him of things he had yet to do. Challenged his loyalty.
The torture had come only when Drusilla finally spoke up about the claim. Accidental though it was the fact remained he had claimed a Slayer. They had demanded he kill Buffy, destroy the claim and they might let him live. They reasoned they could understand wanting to rid himself of Drusilla. She was insane and a hundred years was more than enough time spent with her.
Kill the Slayer and we let you live.
His third mistake was leaving said Slayer in the first place. Leaving Buffy. If he hadn't of left her, he wouldn't be on his way to his death.
His fourth and final mistake had been forgetting from whom he came. Whose blood flowed freely in his veins. The blood of Aurelius. Coming here, to the compound of Aurelius to beg mercy from the Order had been more than a mistake. It had been a fatal error.
The Order of Aurelius tolerated little of the antics of Heinrich Nest, the Masters line. They were generally looked down on, except for him and Darla and since Darla was dead, he was the only one they had almost accepted. Now that was gone, he had been cast aside no better than mortals they said, riddled with humanity.
His cell door opened and he didn't open his eye as they dragged him to his feet and led him to his fate.
He heard the dim buzz of voices before he was brought into the main room of the great hall.
His eyes opened abruptly and he looked neither left nor right as he marched arrogantly to the center of the room where a large crucifix stood.
The eldest Elias lifted a hand for silence amongst the whispers of the crowd.
"William the Bloody; Spike of Heinrich the Master's line, great grand childe of Darla, grand childe of Angelus and childe to Drusilla. Slayer of Slayers, the Scourge of Europe, stands accused of conspiracy to commit the murder of his Sire. The unlawful claiming of a Slayer, the refusal to kill said Slayer. His refusal to proclaim his allegiance once more to the Order of Aurelius has marked him for death. What say you to these charges?"
Spike looked up. Into the pale green eyes of executioner and smirked.
"I could say go fuck yourself, but really that's not appropriate is it? No. Well I could say...long live the Queen but as she's never ever going to die what's the point? Lay a hand on the Slayer and I'll come back to kill you all? I do mean that, death won't stop me. But I digress and merely have this to say...Right then, let's get to it," he said jerking his head toward the crucifix.
"I proclaimed leader of the New Order of Aurelius, Elias sentence you to death."
Elias gave a nod to the guards that held Spike. The hall was silent as the large enthralled humans lifted him and bound his hands and feet.
"His shirt," Elias ordered.
The guards ripped his dirty t-shirt and naked down to the waist, the guards, two large enthralled mortals lifted Spike and bound his hands and feet to the cross.
"Mornay?" Elias called.
Spike closed his eyes against the pain that seared through him as his skin began to slowly burn.
Mornay a petite Asian woman stepped forward, her brown eyes cold in her beautiful face.
"Yes?"
"You shall have the honor of the first watch, let us adjourn to the feast I had prepared for this blessed day," Elias announced as he rose from his throne and left the room.
Slowly the crowd with furtive glances thrown at the slowly burning Master vampire trailed out, leaving him alone with Mornay.
"So we meet again Spike. It looks like I'll make good on my threat after all," she said in amusement.
"Mornay," Spike whispered raggedly, his head lolling as smoke curled ominously around them both. "Not like this luv. Let me down! Let me die with some kinda honor. You and me. C'mon!"
Shaking her head, she circled his hanging form.
"No. I want to see you suffer. I want to see you hurt Spike. I want to see you die. So I think I'll stand right here and watch."
Spike closed his eyes and pictured what his life could have been like. What he had hoped it would be like someday. Just him, Buffy, and the tyke. Wolfe, the son he'd never known he had wanted. A smile formed as he imagined all the things they could have done. He was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn't realize he wasn't alone with Mornay any longer.
"Angelus lives," Dru's whispered words reached his ears and his eyes popped open. He looked around wildly. The words had just only come out of her mouth when the doors were thrown open and one lone figure stood there.
"Dru pet let me loose," he whispered his focus on Dru who stood a good distance away. "Let me free."
She merely shook her head and began to twirl a smile of pure joy on her face.
"The pixies told me a secret Spike...Angelus shall rule with me at his side. We shall rule the world..but first we must destroy the Slayer!"
"No! Drusilla please-"
"How dare you set foot in here," Mornay yelled as her eyes focused on the figure that was slowly coming into the room.
Delos Neary merely smiled as he inclined his head in a silent greeting. His eyes rested on Spike a moment before they settled on Drusilla.
"Well, well, well.. Drusilla alive and well how are you? Good I hope. Mornay release him," he ordered never taking his eyes off Drusilla as she shrank back from him and hissed.
"Bad...bad...man. STAY WAY," she shrieked as she continued to stumble backwards.
Mornay stood rooted to the floor as she stared in disbelief and fury at the man who had once been her Sire.
Spike ignored them all then, as he struggled with the ropes that bound his wrists, his lack of strength a direct effect of lose of blood and little nourishment for the past week. Groaning as his raw back scraped against the wood and added to the pain he was in he tugged and tugged.
"Do as I said Mornay," Delos ordered slowly advancing on Drusilla. His voice had lost his usual amusement and gone cold, a voice he used only for his childe.
Mornay struggled valiantly against the urge she had to do as he bide but failed miserable as she found herself moving and untying Spike's feet and hands, burning her own in the process. He fell heavily into her arms and they toppled to the ground.
"If anyone gets to kill young William it will surely be me. Drusilla come here, I won't hurt you, I've little use for you. I must ask you a question though..." Delos purred as he cornered Drusilla and lowered his head to her ear. His whispered words had Drusilla going rigid and still. She screamed then.
"Just as I thought," Delos said as he stepped away from the terrified vampire and headed for Spike.
Kicking Mornay aside, he gently picked up Spike's unconscious form and slung him over his shoulder.
"Tell Elias I was hurt and dismayed to learn I was not invited to this fine event. Tell him as long as I live he will never win Mornay. He can take what's mine but I will never let him win. And by the way..I'd make up an excuse as to why his prize is gone and how you did nothing to stop me," Delos called as he slipped from the room.
Mornay stared after him furious with herself and him as she growled.
"Bad..bad man..bad man..bad...man," Drusilla's silly ramblings got under her skin and before she was aware of it Mornay had stalked over to the younger vampire and ripped her head off.
She stood alone in the room Drusilla's ashes clinging to her and thought about what lie she had to tell to get herself out of this mess.
~*~*~
Elias stared absently at the Aurelius crest signet ring he wore proudly on his pinky. The soft knock on his door alerted him to the arrival of his guest.
"Come in," he called out, smoothing his thinned hair, he straightened his shoulders as his door opened and Rufus Travers strode in.
"I hear you had some trouble," Rufus said as he took a seat facing Elias.
Elias smiled slightly as he eyed the short, stocky head of the Council of Watchers. His posture as well as his voice perfect, but it did nothing to hide the dark core hidden within. The man was ruthless. Evil. That was why he made for a wonderful partner, Elias thought.
"Same could be said for you as well," was all he said.
Travers acknowledged that with a small tight-lipped smile of his own.
"Well, none I can't take care of on my own I assure you. I came because I heard you were in possession of William the Bloody. I see you are not in that position any longer. What happened?"
"In one word; Delos."
Rufus's eyes widened and he blanched as he sat back.
"Well, really," he murmured. His brow arched and a smirk appeared. "Need any help with that?"
"No," Elias replied sharply.
They were silent as they regarded one another.
"This won't affect our plans will it?" Rufus finally asked. Elias narrowed his eyes slightly as he shrugged.
"I don't see how, but now.now that Angelus is back and Delos has Spike your plans may have to be put off. When Spike set foot back in Europe we were certain all we needed was him now...We would do well to get rid of them all. The circle has been destroyed. We should start anew---"
"No!"
Elias frowned slightly at Rufus's yell. His mind whirled with the implications of it. He decided to think about it as soon as Rufus left.
"Fine. The plan is still workable. Now it would be wise if you left. Do not come back, until I tell you other wise. Is that clear?"
Rufus stiffened in indignation and anger. How dare this vile creature tell him wh---
"Of course," he replied in a civil voice and a slight nod as he rose.
Rufus left the compound and settled into his waiting helicopter. He hadn't liked the way the meeting had gone at all. He suspected his vehement protest on keeping things as they were had caught Elias's attention. Rufus did not intend to let Elias in on his real plans. He would use the Order to obtain his power, and then he would destroy them.
~*~*~
Elias studied Mornay carefully.
"You are aware you have ruined Mr. Travers plans?" he asked gently.
Mornay shrugged, running a hand through her chopped locks.
"In the heat of the moment," she said. "I forgot."
Elias sat back and smiled widely.
"Delos...did you know he was coming? Did you intentionally let him take Spike from us Mornay?"
"Of course not! My allegiance is with the Order and Delos is not the Order Elias. I had no idea he was coming. I certainly did not just let him take Spike! You know the kind of power he has. He turned Dru against me and I was busy fighting her while he escaped with Spike."
"Good, I knew you would not betray me. Your loyalty is no longer in question. Since you have removed Drusilla a vital piece in Mr. Travers plan, I want you to remove the rest of Heinrich's line. They have proven repeatedly how little they respect the Order and I'll be damned if I let Mr. Travers gain control over them while I live! The whole filthy lot of them are tainted, bad blood and the sooner we get rid of them the sooner I can rid myself of Mr. Travers. He has become quite the problem of late...his brother was never such a threat."
Mornay didn't say anything as she watched Elias. She knew deep down that the only reason he wanted to rid the Order of the Masters line was that he knew that if they banded together they had the power to overthrow him and control the Order as they saw fit. That was one reason he had ousted her sire, branded him a traitor and taken out a bounty on his head.
She had turned, along with most of Delos's childer from him and had been embraced by the new Order. It was an act that warranted death and she knew once Delos saw her again he would kill her. She relished the challenge.
"You want me to kill Angelus and Spike?" she asked.
"I want them both dust. Anyone else who gets in the way too. While you are at it take care of the Slayer. That little girl has some kind of power over the Masters line and I need her taken care of. I want them gone. Do you understand?"
Mornay nodded.
"Kill Spike and Angelus. Get rid of the Slayer as well. I won't be able to do this alone though. Who shall I bring along for the ride?" she asked standing.
"Of course you aren't expected to do it alone child! Pick the best warriors we have and head for the Hell mouth I'm sure Spike and Delos will be headed there."
Mornay nodded again and walked towards the door.
"Oh and Mornay?"
She looked over her shoulder at him.
"Don't fail me."
~*~*~
"I say, I would love to meet this Slayer of yours. She has destroyed almost an entire line of the Order in some form or another," Delos remarked hours later as he sat watching Spike rest on his private plane.
Spike ignored him as he slowly sipped the blood he'd been given through the twisty straw the flight attendant had given him.
"Better yet...how is she in bed? That must be it. She must be something wonderful to turn two demons like yourself and Angelus into lap dogs. I heard how you would not say one word about her."
Spike lifted his face to stare at Delos through yellow eyes.
"How's Mornay, Delos?" he asked coldly.
Delos grinned as he shook his head.
"Touché. What is this I hear about Angelus being back?"
Spike lowered his head as he took his last gulp of blood.
"I wasn't aware Angelus was around. He goes by Angel now," he muttered, trying to come to terms with the fact Angel was now Angelus! The last he'd heard in order for that to have happened he had to have that perfect moment of happiness. This meant Buffy had to sleep with him.
She wouldn't have though, he thought fiercely. She could not subject herself to Angelus not after what Wolfe had told her. She couldn't have gone from his arms to Angel's!
"Angel? Does he believe himself to be one of God's warriors?" Delos asked truly puzzled as to why Angelus would do such a thing.
Spike grinned slightly as he looked up and into Delos's brown eyes.
"Probably. You know how big his head is, hasn't gone down at all," he complained.
Delos cocked his head as he thought about it.
"No matter the name Angelus is the Devil's own. Angel? I find that quite amusing."
Spike frowned. It had been decades since he had last seen Delos and he had changed very little. For all the years he had known him, he had never seen Delos lose his friendly and amicable attitude. Except for that one night---Spike cut that thought off.
"Why'd you rescue me Delos," he demanded.
"Why not?" Delos asked as he shrugged.
"I won't name all the reasons you've got to hate me. I need to get to Sunnydale, if what you've said is true and Angelus is back I have to help the Slayer!"
"You have no idea what is going on William. Before you go off half-cocked let me tell you this---"
"Of course I do! Angelus is back and he will kill my Slayer, I will not allow it. It matters little what else is going on and what I don't know!"
Delos studied the agitated blond. Arched one black brow and settled back, getting comfortable.
"What was your boy's name? Wolfe wasn't it?"