Blood Tears 18 - Conscience
Angelus grinned down at the bloodied and battered body at his feet. Sometimes Darla even amazed him with her warped inventiveness. Once she'd finished with the boy, the floodgates had been well and truly re-opened. The last two days had been extremely enjoyable; inflicting pain on the boy had been almost as much fun as imagining the turmoil that Faith would have been enduring. But all good things must come to an end.
Knowing full well that the boy was clinging to consciousness, he turned to Spike stood beside him. "Tonight's the night I turn him," he smiled at the boy's choked gasp. "I want him to have a special first meal. Send some of the boys to Sunnydale to kidnap the cheerleader and the witch."
"Right ho boss," Spike nodded before crouching over the boy. "Welcome to the family whelp."
"Darla, you'll have the job of supervising his initiation into our ways. Try and make it something special." Angelus waited until both his children had left before turning back to the brat. "Now where were we?" His fangs elongated. "Oh of course, how silly of me to forget."
* * *
"I'm afraid the curse is a no-go." Giles said heavily, conscious of the devastated gazes on his charges' faces. "We have all the essentials except one - it must be performed by a medicine man or woman of the Apache tribe."
"No," Faith fell into Kendra's arms. "His last chance."
"We have one," it was a pale-faced Jenny. "I was sent here when Faith re- surfaced to spy on her, see that the curse was unbroken. Then," the computer teacher smiled weakly at him. "I fell in love."
Giles' world collapsed, she'd lied to him. What else had been a lie, loving him? Was that just an excuse to get close to the Scoobies and Faith? Shaking his head he forced his mind back onto the important matter at hand. Xander had to be the priority. "You'll do the curse?"
Jenny's face fell at his tone. "Of course I will. Rupert -."
"Good. Then all we can do is wait, unless we get a lucky break," he refused to look at his girlfriend. "Buffy, can you and Kendra patrol on your own tonight?" The Watcher turned his attention to a crying Faith. "One way or another we'll get him back to you."
The vampiress looked up, centuries of pain visible in her dark brown eyes. "But dead or alive Giles? Dead or alive?" she whispered.
* * *
"You bloody wankers!" roared Spike. "I wanted the Chase and Rosenberg bints!"
"You said a cheerleader," one of the vampires said slowly. "She's wearing the outfit."
"And she's a witch, she burnt my brother's face off when we snatched her," put in the other.
"Why me!" why were the majority of his kindred complete and utter pillocks? Spike felt a greater than usual urge to kill something - namely the morons in front of him.
"What seems to be the problem Spike?"
Spike turned to see his sire stood in the room's doorway, a beaming smile in place. "These stupid plonkers have brought the wrong soddin' girls," he explained, "some tramp called Harmony -."
"You'll be hearing from my daddy's att-."
"BLOODY SHUT UP!" Spike roared, god she was annoying. Never had the phrase too dumb to be scared had greater meaning. "And that Amy Madison bint," he pointed to the other girl, sobbing quietly in the corner. At least one of the silly bitches had the sense to realise what she was facing.
"No problem." The two vampires he'd sent to collect the girls let out a collective sigh of relief only to disappear into dust when Angelus threw a pair of stakes into their unbeating hearts. "No stupid plonkers." The Master vampire turned to leave only to look at the two frightened girls. "They'll have to do. Take them to the storeroom. And Spike?"
"Yes boss?"
"No more mistakes."
"No boss."
* * *
"Argh!"
Xander's eyes flew open to see Darla straddling him, her hands caressing his body. She smiled at him. "You're awake."
"Want you," he growled, his eyes glittering golden with desire. He reached up to tear open the blonde's dress only for her to knock his hand away and laugh.
"My, but death's turned shy Xander into quite the forward man," she giggled girlishly. "Isn't there something you want more?"
Suddenly the newly-awoken vampire was aware of a gnawing hunger that even Darla's charms could not sate. "Blood."
"And blood you shall have." The vampiress pulled him upright. "But first a kiss." The blonde crushed her lips to his, sliding his tongue into eagerly waiting mouth. After a minute she withdrew, a radiant smile in place. "Now, dinner is in the next room."
"So which one do you want? We tried for Chase and Rosenberg but you just can't get good help these days, not like in the 19th century."
"I'm glad, I want to turn Willow, and Cordelia, I owe that bitch, I want to take my time with her, teach her the true meaning of pain and the definition of fear." Xander glanced from one girl to the other, savouring the fright he saw in both their faces. Finally he had the respect he'd always wanted and more power than he'd ever dreamed of. He shifted into his demonic face and laughed at the girls' muffled screams of terror. He looked at Harmony and smiled, remembering all the times she'd insulted and humiliated him when he was alive. He pointed at the cringing cheerleader. "I'll take her." He strode towards the sobbing blonde before turning back to Darla and pointing at the gagged Wicca. "Make her watch."
Darla laughed. "Oh you're a natural!"
Once he'd finished his meal he threw the corpse aside and strode over to where Darla was holding a wide-eyed Amy. Exulting at the terror he saw in her eyes, he ran a hand down the girl's body, making her whimper when he painfully groped her chest.
"Oh Xander, you're making me quite jealous."
He laughed at the invitation he saw in the blonde's eyes. "Shall we?" An idea occurred to him, he looked down at Amy. "Don't worry Amy," he stroked the crying girl's face with deceptive gentleness, as he unzipped his jeans, "I wouldn't want you to be left out."
"I've got a surprise for you."
Xander glanced up from his pleased inspection of the sobbing girl at his feet. Oh the fun he was going to have with her. "Really what?" he pulled his jeans up and fastened them.
"Now if I told you it wouldn't be a surprise would it?" the vampiress giggled. "It's in the next room. Come on!"
"Daddy!" Xander beamed at the look of horror on the face of the man who'd made his first sixteen years a living hell. "How?"
"Mr. Harris thinks he's quite the stud. Thought he could pull little ole me."
Xander's face darkened. Grabbing hold of the blonde by her elbows, he pulled her towards him and looked deep into her eyes. "Tried to pull my girl. Did he frighten you sweetie?"
"Oh yes," the blonde purred in return. "Almost cried I did. Such nasty words, they scared me so."
"Then he'll have to be punished."
Darla beamed. "And I've brought just the things." The vampiress spun out of the teen's grasp and walked over to a table in the corner and pulled the cloth off revealing a selection of gleaming surgical instruments, and garage and garden tools.
Xander's eyes widened. "Presents for me!" he exclaimed. "As a boy I never got toys at Christmas. Daddy spent all his money on booze."
"Oh my poor Xander," Darla stroked his chin. "But I've made up for it?"
"You're just the best!"
"Better than Faith!"
"Who?"
Darla beamed at him before making for the door. "Bye dear."
Xander sulked. "You're not going?"
"I thought you should have some father-son bonding time. I wouldn't want to intrude. A young vampire's first torture session should be special. Have fun, I'll be back in an hour."
"So father," Xander glanced down at the bound and gagged figure, savouring the fear he could smell coming off the man. For the first time he was not the victim. "Bolt cutters, shears, glass, sandpaper, hammer, chisel, scalpel, surgical drill, or blow-torch? What do you think?"
* * *
A cup dropped out of Faith's hand, shattering on the library floor and spilling blood on its carpet. The vampiress stumbled to her feet, grabbing at the library counter to aid her usually flawless balance. "Angelus has made a new childe, he's awoken," she said unsteadily, her eyes welling with red tears.
Giles paled, for a second he struggled for breath. All that desperate searching was in vain. Forcing his emotions under control the Watcher stood. "Right then we'll start with the ritual. Ms. Calendar, how long will it take?"
"About an hour, maybe an hour and a half."
"Very well, Willow and I will help you with the casting; while Cordelia, Oz, and Jonathan will help you prepare the components. Kendra, Buffy," he cast a pained glance towards the sobbing vampiress, "Look after Faith."
"I get to help in a spell. Cool!"
Giles' iron self-control snapped. "Not cool at all Jonathan," he growled dangerously. "A very brave young man had to die to provide you with this opportunity so not bloody cool at all!"
* * *
Xander stared down at the limbless corpse at his feet, a smile twisting his features. The last hour had probably been the most enjoyable he could remember, more than ample payment for the years of abuse he'd suffered at the bastard's hands. Chuckling slightly, he turned back to the table; maybe he'd use the scalpel to carve his initials into his father's forehead, now there was an idea.
Suddenly his knees gave way beneath him, sending him plummeting to the floor. His demon screamed in terror as something slammed into his body, enveloping his entire being in an unbelievably hot glow. After a few moments the heat passed, but what happened next caused him to roll around the dusty floor, convulsing wildly.
Visions of what he'd done since his awakening flooded his mind. Of Harmony's shocked face as he tore into her, bleeding her dry. Of his father screaming in agony as he'd used the blow-torch to put out his eyes. But worse of all was the anguished look of bewilderment on Amy's face as he'd forced himself on her.
"What have I done?" the man whispered as he staggered to his feet, his stomach clenching in agony and his limbs shaking as if struck by some palsy. He had to leave, get out of here. He made it half way to the door before stopping. He couldn't leave, he'd killed twice but to leave Amy, one of his oldest friends, would mean condemning a third to the same. He couldn't do that.
The sound of Darla's laughter in the corridor outside ended all lingering thoughts of escaping alone. Smoothing his face and forcing his twitching limbs under control, he waited for the blonde to enter. If she sensed his soul. The vampiress strode into the room. She smiled proudly at the body on the floor and laughed merrily. "Angelus himself would be proud of that." The blonde grabbed his hand. "Come on lover, Angelus wants to meet his new childe."
"Not yet." Forcing back all feeling of revulsion Xander stepped in close to the vampiress, slid his hands beneath her skirt and ran them up her legs until they were resting on the golden-haired beauty's bare ass. "I want to see Amy again; I want to make her scream my name."
"Oh Xander," the blonde cooed. "You are a quick learner. But we'll have to hurry. Angelus doesn't like to be kept waiting."
"What I have planned won't take long," Xander bit at Darla's ear. "Besides forget Angelus, you're mine now," he whispered. "I want you for myself."
As he'd calculated Darla beamed. "Oh Xander, I do hope he lets me keep you I really do. We'd have such fun together. Now let's go and see Amy. She'll be missing us. Maybe when we've finished you could turn her make her part of our family."
"Maybe." Xander agreed as he followed the vampiress back to Amy's room. Once the vampiress had unlocked the door and walked in, he spoke again. "There's just one thing."
The vampiress turned back to face him, a look of confusion on her beautiful face. "What's that my love?"
The splinter he'd taken from the other room flickered up, slamming through Darla's heart. "I never liked you." He turned to Amy and flinched.
The Wicca was laid in a far corner of the room, tears rolling down her terrified face. Her clothes lay in tatters, torn by him and Darla when they'd violated her. He could smell the blood still seeping from between her legs, she'd been a virgin and he'd taken advantage of the opportunity given to him to be a brutal as possible.
Xander took an unneeded breath, this was the hardest thing he'd ever done. But as hard as was for him it had to be a thousand times harder for Amy. Stepping forward he cringed as Amy rolled into a protective ball, the terror he smelt coming off her in increasing waves. He reached out to touch her on the shoulder only for her to pull away whimpering. Not knowing what else to do he began to talk.
"Amy, it's me Xander. Mrs. Wells always said I wasn't any good with words but here goes. As you'll have figured by now I'm a vampire." He swallowed as the impact of what he'd just said hit him before continuing. "Before when I," he couldn't say the word 'raped', "attacked you, I was soulless. You remember Faith?" At her slight nod he continued. "She's got a soul and somehow I've been given one too. I know there are a million reasons you shouldn't trust me, but if I was here to harm you why would I have dusted her?" he glanced towards the dustpile by the door. "I'm so sorry for what I did to you, more than you'll ever know and I hope you let me apologise in some small way for what I did by helping you to escape. But you have to trust me."
After a few seconds the girl nodded. Xander's shoulders slumped forward in relief. He quickly removed her gag, unable to meet the raging hatred he saw in her eyes, and unfastened the ropes binding her wrists. He reached to help her to her feet only for the girl to scream hysterically. "Don't you touch me!"
Xander sighed. "Amy, I know there's nobody you'd rather have dead than me and I don't blame you. But you can barely stand, much less walk. Even carrying you I can move faster than you could. Please."
The girl nodded. "Okay," she whispered.
"Good girl," Xander smiled weakly before grabbing an old sack from the ground. "Wrap yourself in that, it'll lessen the contact between us." Once the girl had complied he gently lifted her into his arms. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, blood tears streaking his cheeks.
* * *
Xander faltered as he reached the outer door. Beyond it he could sense two of his brethren. He glanced down at the sobbing girl in his arms. "Amy, you've got to trust me," he muttered in her ear, trying to ignore the way she recoiled at his voice. "There are two vampires outside the door so I'm going to have to distract them."
Sighing at the almost total blankness in her eyes, Xander shifted into his demonic face and pushed the door open. "Hello boys, bought you a treat," it was an effort to ignore Amy's choked sob. "But she's not for eating, Spike's taken a fancy to her, wants her to take his Dru's place. But he knows you boys could do with some fun."
"Looks like somebody's already had some," remarked one of the vampires with a lecherous grin.
Xander forced a chuckle. "Can you blame me? Look at the body on that, she's a real nice piece."
One of the vampires grinned back at him before pulling the shrieking girl out of his arms and pushing her up against the building wall. As soon as the second vampire turned away from him to watch his companion with Amy, Xander moved. Covering the space separating him from the other in a blur, he thrust his stake through the nearest vampire's heart.
The second let out a howl and shoved Amy to the ground before leaping at him. Xander smoothly sidestepped his charge before driving his knee into the vampire's stomach. As the vampire doubled up, the newly made vampire thrust his stake upwards into the vampire's chest.
Instantly the ensoulled vampire was by Amy's side. Realising the Wicca had fainted he lifted her gently and hurried towards where the vampires parked their cars. He looked around and saw that he was in Lantern Rise, a small town some thirty miles away from Sunnydale, just over the county line. He glanced back fearfully at the building at the sound of commotion. They'd discovered their escape. He couldn't let them hurt her again. After carefully placing the girl in the back of the nearest car, he hurried into the front seat and hot-wired the car, remembering all of his Uncle Rory's lessons. Within a few seconds the car's engine started.
* * *
"They've escaped!" Angelus' eyes glittered golden. "But I thought you said he'd been turned."
"He had," Spike replied. "He'd fed, raped the other bint, and tortured his dad to death, real promising. Then he disappeared."
"Darla's behind this! That little whore will pay!" Angelus raged. Oh, her torture would go down in the annals of vampire history, no vampire would even look at him wrong when he'd finished with her. He'd start with not feeding her for a month, then give her to some newbies to use, then nail her on a cross and pour holy water on her daily, maybe cut her up with a knife blessed by a priest. Or maybe..
Spike interrupted his dreams. "No boss, she's dead. Brat dusted her."
"What!" the master vampire paused in thought for a few seconds. "They've cursed him with a soul!" finally Angelus smiled slowly. "Get the troops ready, I'm sure we'll be having visitors soon."
Angelus grinned down at the bloodied and battered body at his feet. Sometimes Darla even amazed him with her warped inventiveness. Once she'd finished with the boy, the floodgates had been well and truly re-opened. The last two days had been extremely enjoyable; inflicting pain on the boy had been almost as much fun as imagining the turmoil that Faith would have been enduring. But all good things must come to an end.
Knowing full well that the boy was clinging to consciousness, he turned to Spike stood beside him. "Tonight's the night I turn him," he smiled at the boy's choked gasp. "I want him to have a special first meal. Send some of the boys to Sunnydale to kidnap the cheerleader and the witch."
"Right ho boss," Spike nodded before crouching over the boy. "Welcome to the family whelp."
"Darla, you'll have the job of supervising his initiation into our ways. Try and make it something special." Angelus waited until both his children had left before turning back to the brat. "Now where were we?" His fangs elongated. "Oh of course, how silly of me to forget."
* * *
"I'm afraid the curse is a no-go." Giles said heavily, conscious of the devastated gazes on his charges' faces. "We have all the essentials except one - it must be performed by a medicine man or woman of the Apache tribe."
"No," Faith fell into Kendra's arms. "His last chance."
"We have one," it was a pale-faced Jenny. "I was sent here when Faith re- surfaced to spy on her, see that the curse was unbroken. Then," the computer teacher smiled weakly at him. "I fell in love."
Giles' world collapsed, she'd lied to him. What else had been a lie, loving him? Was that just an excuse to get close to the Scoobies and Faith? Shaking his head he forced his mind back onto the important matter at hand. Xander had to be the priority. "You'll do the curse?"
Jenny's face fell at his tone. "Of course I will. Rupert -."
"Good. Then all we can do is wait, unless we get a lucky break," he refused to look at his girlfriend. "Buffy, can you and Kendra patrol on your own tonight?" The Watcher turned his attention to a crying Faith. "One way or another we'll get him back to you."
The vampiress looked up, centuries of pain visible in her dark brown eyes. "But dead or alive Giles? Dead or alive?" she whispered.
* * *
"You bloody wankers!" roared Spike. "I wanted the Chase and Rosenberg bints!"
"You said a cheerleader," one of the vampires said slowly. "She's wearing the outfit."
"And she's a witch, she burnt my brother's face off when we snatched her," put in the other.
"Why me!" why were the majority of his kindred complete and utter pillocks? Spike felt a greater than usual urge to kill something - namely the morons in front of him.
"What seems to be the problem Spike?"
Spike turned to see his sire stood in the room's doorway, a beaming smile in place. "These stupid plonkers have brought the wrong soddin' girls," he explained, "some tramp called Harmony -."
"You'll be hearing from my daddy's att-."
"BLOODY SHUT UP!" Spike roared, god she was annoying. Never had the phrase too dumb to be scared had greater meaning. "And that Amy Madison bint," he pointed to the other girl, sobbing quietly in the corner. At least one of the silly bitches had the sense to realise what she was facing.
"No problem." The two vampires he'd sent to collect the girls let out a collective sigh of relief only to disappear into dust when Angelus threw a pair of stakes into their unbeating hearts. "No stupid plonkers." The Master vampire turned to leave only to look at the two frightened girls. "They'll have to do. Take them to the storeroom. And Spike?"
"Yes boss?"
"No more mistakes."
"No boss."
* * *
"Argh!"
Xander's eyes flew open to see Darla straddling him, her hands caressing his body. She smiled at him. "You're awake."
"Want you," he growled, his eyes glittering golden with desire. He reached up to tear open the blonde's dress only for her to knock his hand away and laugh.
"My, but death's turned shy Xander into quite the forward man," she giggled girlishly. "Isn't there something you want more?"
Suddenly the newly-awoken vampire was aware of a gnawing hunger that even Darla's charms could not sate. "Blood."
"And blood you shall have." The vampiress pulled him upright. "But first a kiss." The blonde crushed her lips to his, sliding his tongue into eagerly waiting mouth. After a minute she withdrew, a radiant smile in place. "Now, dinner is in the next room."
"So which one do you want? We tried for Chase and Rosenberg but you just can't get good help these days, not like in the 19th century."
"I'm glad, I want to turn Willow, and Cordelia, I owe that bitch, I want to take my time with her, teach her the true meaning of pain and the definition of fear." Xander glanced from one girl to the other, savouring the fright he saw in both their faces. Finally he had the respect he'd always wanted and more power than he'd ever dreamed of. He shifted into his demonic face and laughed at the girls' muffled screams of terror. He looked at Harmony and smiled, remembering all the times she'd insulted and humiliated him when he was alive. He pointed at the cringing cheerleader. "I'll take her." He strode towards the sobbing blonde before turning back to Darla and pointing at the gagged Wicca. "Make her watch."
Darla laughed. "Oh you're a natural!"
Once he'd finished his meal he threw the corpse aside and strode over to where Darla was holding a wide-eyed Amy. Exulting at the terror he saw in her eyes, he ran a hand down the girl's body, making her whimper when he painfully groped her chest.
"Oh Xander, you're making me quite jealous."
He laughed at the invitation he saw in the blonde's eyes. "Shall we?" An idea occurred to him, he looked down at Amy. "Don't worry Amy," he stroked the crying girl's face with deceptive gentleness, as he unzipped his jeans, "I wouldn't want you to be left out."
"I've got a surprise for you."
Xander glanced up from his pleased inspection of the sobbing girl at his feet. Oh the fun he was going to have with her. "Really what?" he pulled his jeans up and fastened them.
"Now if I told you it wouldn't be a surprise would it?" the vampiress giggled. "It's in the next room. Come on!"
"Daddy!" Xander beamed at the look of horror on the face of the man who'd made his first sixteen years a living hell. "How?"
"Mr. Harris thinks he's quite the stud. Thought he could pull little ole me."
Xander's face darkened. Grabbing hold of the blonde by her elbows, he pulled her towards him and looked deep into her eyes. "Tried to pull my girl. Did he frighten you sweetie?"
"Oh yes," the blonde purred in return. "Almost cried I did. Such nasty words, they scared me so."
"Then he'll have to be punished."
Darla beamed. "And I've brought just the things." The vampiress spun out of the teen's grasp and walked over to a table in the corner and pulled the cloth off revealing a selection of gleaming surgical instruments, and garage and garden tools.
Xander's eyes widened. "Presents for me!" he exclaimed. "As a boy I never got toys at Christmas. Daddy spent all his money on booze."
"Oh my poor Xander," Darla stroked his chin. "But I've made up for it?"
"You're just the best!"
"Better than Faith!"
"Who?"
Darla beamed at him before making for the door. "Bye dear."
Xander sulked. "You're not going?"
"I thought you should have some father-son bonding time. I wouldn't want to intrude. A young vampire's first torture session should be special. Have fun, I'll be back in an hour."
"So father," Xander glanced down at the bound and gagged figure, savouring the fear he could smell coming off the man. For the first time he was not the victim. "Bolt cutters, shears, glass, sandpaper, hammer, chisel, scalpel, surgical drill, or blow-torch? What do you think?"
* * *
A cup dropped out of Faith's hand, shattering on the library floor and spilling blood on its carpet. The vampiress stumbled to her feet, grabbing at the library counter to aid her usually flawless balance. "Angelus has made a new childe, he's awoken," she said unsteadily, her eyes welling with red tears.
Giles paled, for a second he struggled for breath. All that desperate searching was in vain. Forcing his emotions under control the Watcher stood. "Right then we'll start with the ritual. Ms. Calendar, how long will it take?"
"About an hour, maybe an hour and a half."
"Very well, Willow and I will help you with the casting; while Cordelia, Oz, and Jonathan will help you prepare the components. Kendra, Buffy," he cast a pained glance towards the sobbing vampiress, "Look after Faith."
"I get to help in a spell. Cool!"
Giles' iron self-control snapped. "Not cool at all Jonathan," he growled dangerously. "A very brave young man had to die to provide you with this opportunity so not bloody cool at all!"
* * *
Xander stared down at the limbless corpse at his feet, a smile twisting his features. The last hour had probably been the most enjoyable he could remember, more than ample payment for the years of abuse he'd suffered at the bastard's hands. Chuckling slightly, he turned back to the table; maybe he'd use the scalpel to carve his initials into his father's forehead, now there was an idea.
Suddenly his knees gave way beneath him, sending him plummeting to the floor. His demon screamed in terror as something slammed into his body, enveloping his entire being in an unbelievably hot glow. After a few moments the heat passed, but what happened next caused him to roll around the dusty floor, convulsing wildly.
Visions of what he'd done since his awakening flooded his mind. Of Harmony's shocked face as he tore into her, bleeding her dry. Of his father screaming in agony as he'd used the blow-torch to put out his eyes. But worse of all was the anguished look of bewilderment on Amy's face as he'd forced himself on her.
"What have I done?" the man whispered as he staggered to his feet, his stomach clenching in agony and his limbs shaking as if struck by some palsy. He had to leave, get out of here. He made it half way to the door before stopping. He couldn't leave, he'd killed twice but to leave Amy, one of his oldest friends, would mean condemning a third to the same. He couldn't do that.
The sound of Darla's laughter in the corridor outside ended all lingering thoughts of escaping alone. Smoothing his face and forcing his twitching limbs under control, he waited for the blonde to enter. If she sensed his soul. The vampiress strode into the room. She smiled proudly at the body on the floor and laughed merrily. "Angelus himself would be proud of that." The blonde grabbed his hand. "Come on lover, Angelus wants to meet his new childe."
"Not yet." Forcing back all feeling of revulsion Xander stepped in close to the vampiress, slid his hands beneath her skirt and ran them up her legs until they were resting on the golden-haired beauty's bare ass. "I want to see Amy again; I want to make her scream my name."
"Oh Xander," the blonde cooed. "You are a quick learner. But we'll have to hurry. Angelus doesn't like to be kept waiting."
"What I have planned won't take long," Xander bit at Darla's ear. "Besides forget Angelus, you're mine now," he whispered. "I want you for myself."
As he'd calculated Darla beamed. "Oh Xander, I do hope he lets me keep you I really do. We'd have such fun together. Now let's go and see Amy. She'll be missing us. Maybe when we've finished you could turn her make her part of our family."
"Maybe." Xander agreed as he followed the vampiress back to Amy's room. Once the vampiress had unlocked the door and walked in, he spoke again. "There's just one thing."
The vampiress turned back to face him, a look of confusion on her beautiful face. "What's that my love?"
The splinter he'd taken from the other room flickered up, slamming through Darla's heart. "I never liked you." He turned to Amy and flinched.
The Wicca was laid in a far corner of the room, tears rolling down her terrified face. Her clothes lay in tatters, torn by him and Darla when they'd violated her. He could smell the blood still seeping from between her legs, she'd been a virgin and he'd taken advantage of the opportunity given to him to be a brutal as possible.
Xander took an unneeded breath, this was the hardest thing he'd ever done. But as hard as was for him it had to be a thousand times harder for Amy. Stepping forward he cringed as Amy rolled into a protective ball, the terror he smelt coming off her in increasing waves. He reached out to touch her on the shoulder only for her to pull away whimpering. Not knowing what else to do he began to talk.
"Amy, it's me Xander. Mrs. Wells always said I wasn't any good with words but here goes. As you'll have figured by now I'm a vampire." He swallowed as the impact of what he'd just said hit him before continuing. "Before when I," he couldn't say the word 'raped', "attacked you, I was soulless. You remember Faith?" At her slight nod he continued. "She's got a soul and somehow I've been given one too. I know there are a million reasons you shouldn't trust me, but if I was here to harm you why would I have dusted her?" he glanced towards the dustpile by the door. "I'm so sorry for what I did to you, more than you'll ever know and I hope you let me apologise in some small way for what I did by helping you to escape. But you have to trust me."
After a few seconds the girl nodded. Xander's shoulders slumped forward in relief. He quickly removed her gag, unable to meet the raging hatred he saw in her eyes, and unfastened the ropes binding her wrists. He reached to help her to her feet only for the girl to scream hysterically. "Don't you touch me!"
Xander sighed. "Amy, I know there's nobody you'd rather have dead than me and I don't blame you. But you can barely stand, much less walk. Even carrying you I can move faster than you could. Please."
The girl nodded. "Okay," she whispered.
"Good girl," Xander smiled weakly before grabbing an old sack from the ground. "Wrap yourself in that, it'll lessen the contact between us." Once the girl had complied he gently lifted her into his arms. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, blood tears streaking his cheeks.
* * *
Xander faltered as he reached the outer door. Beyond it he could sense two of his brethren. He glanced down at the sobbing girl in his arms. "Amy, you've got to trust me," he muttered in her ear, trying to ignore the way she recoiled at his voice. "There are two vampires outside the door so I'm going to have to distract them."
Sighing at the almost total blankness in her eyes, Xander shifted into his demonic face and pushed the door open. "Hello boys, bought you a treat," it was an effort to ignore Amy's choked sob. "But she's not for eating, Spike's taken a fancy to her, wants her to take his Dru's place. But he knows you boys could do with some fun."
"Looks like somebody's already had some," remarked one of the vampires with a lecherous grin.
Xander forced a chuckle. "Can you blame me? Look at the body on that, she's a real nice piece."
One of the vampires grinned back at him before pulling the shrieking girl out of his arms and pushing her up against the building wall. As soon as the second vampire turned away from him to watch his companion with Amy, Xander moved. Covering the space separating him from the other in a blur, he thrust his stake through the nearest vampire's heart.
The second let out a howl and shoved Amy to the ground before leaping at him. Xander smoothly sidestepped his charge before driving his knee into the vampire's stomach. As the vampire doubled up, the newly made vampire thrust his stake upwards into the vampire's chest.
Instantly the ensoulled vampire was by Amy's side. Realising the Wicca had fainted he lifted her gently and hurried towards where the vampires parked their cars. He looked around and saw that he was in Lantern Rise, a small town some thirty miles away from Sunnydale, just over the county line. He glanced back fearfully at the building at the sound of commotion. They'd discovered their escape. He couldn't let them hurt her again. After carefully placing the girl in the back of the nearest car, he hurried into the front seat and hot-wired the car, remembering all of his Uncle Rory's lessons. Within a few seconds the car's engine started.
* * *
"They've escaped!" Angelus' eyes glittered golden. "But I thought you said he'd been turned."
"He had," Spike replied. "He'd fed, raped the other bint, and tortured his dad to death, real promising. Then he disappeared."
"Darla's behind this! That little whore will pay!" Angelus raged. Oh, her torture would go down in the annals of vampire history, no vampire would even look at him wrong when he'd finished with her. He'd start with not feeding her for a month, then give her to some newbies to use, then nail her on a cross and pour holy water on her daily, maybe cut her up with a knife blessed by a priest. Or maybe..
Spike interrupted his dreams. "No boss, she's dead. Brat dusted her."
"What!" the master vampire paused in thought for a few seconds. "They've cursed him with a soul!" finally Angelus smiled slowly. "Get the troops ready, I'm sure we'll be having visitors soon."