I don't own BTVS or Angel, partly because I wasn't home when they were being put up on E-BAY. I suppose that's what I get for going out of town. I don't own any of the men or women in this fic, mostly because owning people is illegal and wrong... but if I did own them we would whoop it up, you know what I'm saying? No, I don't suppose you do. *sigh* Anyway, Joss is on vacation, I just got off of vacation, and I really hope you guys don't feel about me the way I feel about him, right now. (Obviously, I can't wait until next season's Angel.) Ahem... Well, I guess it's time to be...

On with the show.

::The Dalliance of the Eagles- Too Much Love Will Kill You::

"How very ironic." Spike muttered to no one in particular. It had taken Spike a couple of seconds to catch onto Penn's trail and he had spent twenty minutes tracking him, just to end up in an abandoned warehouse. "Do any of you 'ultimate evils' out there have an imagination?" Spike asked out loud. "I mean really! I have fought so many battles, in so many warehouses. You would think that I wouldn't be the only one tired of this old platitude." Just as he had said it the warehouse doors slammed shut, behind him. "Right." Spike shook his head in frustration.

"Come on, Spike. You had to have seen that one coming. Seeing as how you are the expert on warehouse rumbles." Penn was leaning over the banister, watching Spike down below. Spike was stalking about the room, stealthily peaking around boxes. "What's wrong, Spike? Can't tell where my voice is coming from?"

Spike stopped in his tracks and focused all of his energy on Penn. "What happened to you, that made you wanna' kill me so much?" Spike clenched his fists, at his sides and let them go, then repeated the action.

Penn didn't move. He just stared at his 'brother' and waited. The vampire had always been so unpredictable. Who knew what was going to happen in the end? "I died."

"That wasn't my bloody fault!" Spike whipped his head around and searched the darkness more closely.

"Oh. Temper, temper." Penn cooed. Penn slinked his way around the balcony, watching Spike all the while. "What's wrong with your vision? You can't see me in the dark?"

"Oh, I can see." Spike smirked, to himself. "Maybe I'm just looking for something else." Spike grinned into the darkness and glanced up to where he knew Penn would be. "Hello."

Penn leaned his elbows against the railing and put his chin in his hands. "Hi."

"Isn't it about time we finished this?" Spike didn't like the peaceful look on Penn's face. Penn was supposed to be in a rage. He was supposed to be a raving lunatic. "Why are you hiding up there? You scared?"

"How low have you reached?" Penn stood up straight and gripped his hands behind his back. "Sinking so deep in your own wretchedness, that you think you can simply make me upset and force me into an attack."

Spike arched a brow and sighed. "I think you tried putting more than one thought into that sentence. Dru used to do that. She was nuts." Spike nodded slowly and bit his bottom lip.

Penn's nose flared, but there was no other outward sign that he had even heard Spike's comment. Then, he smiled. "She did do that didn't she? That is... before I killed her."

"You son of a bitch. You are..." Spike took a deep, unneeded breath and let it out in a hiss. "...not going to get the best of me."

"She cried out for you, if it makes you feel any better. Well, she called out for her daddy. I only supposed that was you. It is right?" Penn smiled sweetly and, all but, batted his eyes. He stopped, when he heard Spike growl. "It's not? Then, who could it be?" Penn grinned knowingly. "All roads lead to Angelus, don't they?"

"They always have." Spike snarled. "You just figuring it out?"

"You sound jealous." Penn took a few steps toward the stairway, which led down from the balcony.

"Not jealous. Resigned. I've always known who was the figurehead in the family, between the two of us. The thing is, Angelus is on sabbatical and Angel is in control." Spike watched Penn, as he reached the top of the stairs. "So, we gonna' fight or what? I'm tired of just shooting the breeze. I want blood and guts covering this floor, preferably yours."

"I don't want to fight you, Spike." Penn took a soft breath and sighed.

"What you wanna' do, mum? Kiss me goodnight and tuck me into bed?" Spike grimaced, when he caught the sly grin spreading across Penn's face. "You are a sickie."

"You used to find me amusing. Oh wait." Penn looked thoughtful. "No, you didn't. I found you amusing. You found me imposing." Penn smiled smugly. "You still find me slightly impressive, doncha'?"

"You conceited prick." Spike couldn't hold back the snarl. "Why did Angelus sire you in the first place?"

"Probably because I'm so very pretty." Penn stopped to think a moment and then shook his head. "No, it's most likely because I'm so talented."

As quick as Spike could blink, Penn was out of sight. "Oh, you want to play hide and seek, do you?" Spike sniffed the air and shrugged. "Well, I guess we'll play then." Spike headed up the stairs, stealthily. It was mostly a matter of pride that made him keep quiet. He knew that, most likely, Penn was watching him make his way upstairs, but there was no reason he should be able to hear him.

"Spike."

It was a whispered breath across the back of Spike's neck. He whipped his arm about, hoping to get a hit in, but to no avail. Penn had already moved from sight. "Okay, I admit. That's creepy." Spike heard a stifled chuckled and sprinted toward the sound. "Come on, Penn. Let's finish this."

"All right."

Spike turned toward the voice, just to have a fist land in his jaw. The next punch came, but Spike was ready. He blocked the jab and grabbed Penn's arm at the wrist and the elbow.

Penn grinned and shook his head. He used his free arm to backhand Spike across the mouth.

Spike freed his hands and growled. He jumped back to get a bit of perspective. Then, he took the chance and leapt at Penn's throat. He used all of his power, and succeeded in knocking the older vampire off of his feet. Penn lay sprawled beneath Spike's rigid form. Spike let loose a series of punches and jabs, aimed at Penn's face. The older vampire just laughed.

Penn pressed himself into the ground and braced his legs. He took an unneeded breath and jerked his whole body up off the floor. Spike fell to the ground and Penn watched him collapse hap hazardously, as he idly licked at his bleeding lip.

Spike shook off the dizzy feeling, the fall had given him, and jumped up on his feet. "Ready to get whipped?" Spike pulled up his fists and hopped from one foot to the other.

Penn feigned a yawn and cracked his neck from side to side. "You promise to try this time? I'm starting to get bored."

Spike grunted, as he kicked Penn in the gut. He put all of his force into it and accomplished knocking Penn back into a large wooden crate.

Penn pushed himself up off of the crate and groaned. He shook his head and set demon eyes on Spike's unmoving form. "You're stronger than you used to be." He snarled.

"I used to be a poet. Lost my lyrics a long time ago, ta. Gained some brawn as I got older." Spike was jumping in his spot, as he watched his 'brother's' face slowly morph into its natural form. "Never seen it take that long to go from one face to the other." Spike said with a slight tone of wonderment.

"Aww. Come on, Spike." Penn purred through newly sharpened teeth. "I'm starting to think that you're not really into this." Penn grinned lasciviously. "You want to put this off? You know, until you're ready to commit to this fight?"

"No. I'm ready." Spike shook his head. "I'll wipe the floor with you."

"Then do it." Penn growled and lunged at Spike, catching the younger vampire off balance. "I'd like to meet the darker side of you, my boy." Penn had Spike's shoulders and hips pinned beneath his weight. His knees pressed into Spike's jutting hipbones, in a crushing fashion, and his hands smashed his shoulder blades into the cement floor.

Spike howled at Penn, as he used Angelus' pet name for him. "I'm not your boy!" Spike squirmed and swore, when he realized his strength was no match for Penn's.

"Not yet." Penn hissed at the struggling form, beneath him. "Not yet."

Spike howled, as he felt a sharp object plunge into his chest.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Angel swore, as he pressed the damp cloth against Gunn's gaping neck. "He got you good."

"You don't have to tell me that." Gunn winced, when Angel decided to apply more pressure to his injury. "Hey do you think you could let someone else take over? You aren't exactly Mother Teresa, ya' know."

Angel nodded, in agreement. "Spike probably needs my help, anyway."

"Spike wanted me to be there for him." Connor stood there staring daggers into his father's back, while gripping his kitten under its front legs and letting its body dangle, against his side.

Angel turned and looked his son up and down. "Yes, he did. I was just humoring him... and you, by letting you both think that was going to happen." Angel narrowed his gaze at his son and gave him the 'father knows best' look, which is inherent in most father figures. "I need to know where *all* of my children are. I would appreciate it if you were to cooperate and stay with Gunn and Lorne. Wesley will check on the girls, right?" Angel cast Wesley a glance. Wesley just grabbed up his coat and headed for the door. "How about you?" Angel looked back toward his son.

Connor nodded slowly and put his kitten down in Gunn's lap. "Give me the cloth. I can play nurse, just as well as you can."

"I hope you're gentler." Gunn murmured under his breath. He was tired from the loss of blood. Angel had informed him that, most likely, Penn hadn't drank from him... he had probably just ripped out his throat. Gunn was starting to understand those people from PETA, who always fought against killing animals for sport. "I'm spent."

Connor nodded and swiped at the wound, softly. "Just rest." Connor looked down at Skittles, who seemed resigned to curl up and sleep on Gunn's slowly moving chest. "We'll keep a watch out. Right Lorne?"

"You've got it snicker-doodle." Lorne smiled at the boy and offered Angel a wink. "We'll be fine. You go save the brat."

Angel nodded and headed out, into the nighttime. Another fight, another childe... Well, technically the same childe, but he was very different from last time. He was attacking at random. He was leaving unfinished attacks. Some of his kills, he hadn't even drank from. There was no rhyme or reason to why he was killing the people he was killing.

Angel sniffed the night air and grinned. He could smell Spike, within a moment. Cigarettes, bourbon, and... blood. Angel ran toward his car and jumped in. He started the ignition and followed the sweet smell of his childe's blood, as it wafted in the air. "I'm coming Spike." He followed the smell until he reached, what seemed to be, an abandoned warehouse. "Oh, the irony. Please stake me now." He muttered, as he jumped out of his car.

"Bloody hell!" The screeched pierced the night air, making Angel wince. His childe was in pain. His other childe was inflicting it. Could he do what was needed, when it came down to... "Screw you, you puritan tramp!"

Angel hurried around the back of the warehouse and found an unlocked door. He opened it stealthily and crept into the room. He made his way around the various boxes and crates and finally found what he was looking for. Spike sat in a chair, tied down and bleeding from almost every cavity. Angel fought the urge to groan. Spike was limp and beaten. If Angel hadn't known better, he would say he looked broken.

Penn walked into the opening and ran his hand through Spike's blood caked hair. Spike shivered violently and spit out a few expletives. "Dirty mouth you have there, boy. Maybe we should clean it out." Penn reared his hand back and bitch-slapped the bounded vampire. (Mwuhaha! I had to do it.)

Spike spit out a mouthful of blood and hissed. "You are going to pay for this."

"Oh... and what are you going to do about it?" Penn smirked. "You going to wait for *my* Sire?" Penn pulled out his switchblade and grinned. "I wonder." He slashed a gap down the side of Spike's face and drank in the painful wince it brought about. He slashed across the line horizontally, forming a cross. It sizzled and bubbled quietly. "Interesting. Does it hurt?"

"Piss off." Spike groaned. Spike looked up at his assailant and caught a glimpse of a dark figure, out of the corner of his eye. Bout time, he thought, with a grin.

"What's so funny?" Penn asked angrily.

"You are so going to pay for this." Spike's grin grew as he slumped down in his seat.

"Am I?" Penn sneered down at Spike's slumping form.

"Yes." A voice in the darkness answered.

"Sire. It's about time you got here." Penn turned toward Angel. "You going to kill me now?"

"If that's what it takes." Angel stepped into the light and sighed.

"Well, I have nothing more to say to you. In the words of Spike, let's finish this." Penn lunged at his Sire and received a blow to the head. It was so forceful that it knocked him stumbling back into Spike. The younger vampire groaned at the contact and proceeded in passing out. Angel grabbed Penn up off of the floor and discarded him over to the side.

Penn tried to pick himself up, but the blow to his skull had knocked him off balance. He watched Angel bend down and untie Spike from the chair. "I spent a good amount of time tying him up, so that he couldn't get loose and now you are undoing all of my work."

"That's my lot in life. Undoing my childer's work." Angel muttered cynically, as he pulled the last knot out. "It's my fault they were here in the first place, so I have to fix what they mess up. Even if it's each other." Angel ran a hand over Spike's bleeding and broken face and shook his head. After a second more, he stood up and looked over at his other 'son'. "All right, let's do this." Angel slipped into game face and lunged at his childe.

Penn dodged the attack and slinked over to Spike's pliant form. He pulled the body up and grunted. Spike was heavier, now that he was just a pile of 'dead weight'. Penn hugged Spike's form to him and grinned at Angel. "A vampire shield. They're the newest things this season. Everybody's getting one."

Angel growled and reached inside his inner coat pocket. He pulled out a stake and stalked toward his childer.

"You wouldn't risk your *favorite* childe, would you?" Penn smiled knowingly, at his Sire.

"That's not the question you should be asking Penn." Angel's tongue curled around his childe's name, lovingly. "The question is who's the fastest and most accurate out of the two of us." Penn started to open his mouth, to reply, but before he could Angel plunged the stake through Spike's left shoulder and straight into Penn's heart.

"Damn, I hate irony." Penn grunted, right before he burst in a cloud of ash.

"Déjà vu." Angel muttered, as he pulled out the stake and picked Spike's lifeless form up off of the ground. Angel looked down into Spike's sleeping face and sighed, with relief. He was still alive... kind of.

"Did we get 'im." Spike mumbled into Angel's unmoving chest.

"Yup." Angel nodded, even though it would have been lost on Spike, seeing as how his face was burrowing a hole into his torso.

"Good." Spike squirmed in Angel's arms and settled into a sprawling position. "My shoulder hurts."

"Yeah... I'll explain that to you later. You know, when you are feeling better." Angel smiled at the happy little smirk that made its way across Spike's face.

"You stab me?" Spike asked.

"Yup." Angel muttered.

Spike grinned wider and opened his eyes, to gaze up at his Sire. "You can apologize later. You know, after I get up enough strength to thank you."

Angel nodded. "And if anyone asks you killed him?"

"Yup." Spike agreed, as Angel settled him in the car comfortably and he drifted off to sleep.

TBC

-Thank you for the reviews! I had the craziest vacation. The first day our van broke down, it rained every day (so much for The Sunshine State), we had a couple of babies on the trip (literally, of course), and my uncle almost got in a fight with a one eyed German man... Don't ask... but if you do, I'll tell you Anyway, I had fun, all things considered and I hope you didn't miss the story, too awful much. Anyway, tell me how you like the chapter. As you can probably tell the last chapter is coming up... Yeah, well we'll see if I feel inspired to write any more stories.-

--The subtitle was Too Much Love Will Kill You, which is a song by Queen. The were and are the greatest band ever. Talent and intelligence... Mmm.--