A/N 1: The name and nature of Morrigann is taken from the Morigan in the game Marvel vs. Capcom and Darkstalkers. She is the property of Capcom.

A/N 2: The name Algolagniar is a derivative I made up from the word algolagnia. It means love of pain and is a term used in S&M circles.

Severed Ties

Chapter 4

Gatherings

May 11th, 2002

9:08 a.m.

They never heard him coming.

The bulbous laughter of the four, no, five people wafted down to his ears. They were carefree in their joy, not taking into account that other creatures, things of the night were just a stone's throw away. They had become complacent in their exuberance and he knew that even the slayer did not hear his approach.

He advanced slowly; mindful of the rickety structure that could, at any time, give him away as he silently crept up the stairs. Stopping at the door, he expanded his senses, taking in every physical aspect of his prey. They were strong, all of them. Their blood sung to him and his demon demanded that he lose himself in it all; that he revel in their shock and surprise as he sprung from his hiding place and into their midst.

The clank of a pan brought the predator back to the present and he growled at the added noise. It had been their carelessness that had brought them to his attention. And it would be that same thoughtlessness that would bring his wrath upon them.

"What in the bloody hell are you people doing?" Spike bellowed as he flung open the basement door. Everyone in the room jumped, Willow and Dawn squealed while Faith's first instinct had been to grab the closest weapon at hand—that being the spatula. When she saw the culprit, she slapped her hands to her hips.

"Daddy," she growled, "what is your malfunction?"

" 'My malfunction'," he repeated, complete with air quotes, "is you people's inability to complete a simple task such as preparing breakfast without it sounding like it's bleedin' Normandy Invasion."

"Normandy?" Dawn asked, the annoyance clear in her tone.

"D-Day," Willow replied, her hand still resting on her chest, trying to calm her still pounding heart.

"Thanks for the history lesson, Mr. Older-Than-Time," his daughter grumbled as she turned her attention back to the stove.

"So-sorry if we wo-woke you," Tara stammered as she, too, calmed her nerves.

At the Wicca's heartfelt apology, Spike softened noticeably and treated her to a rare smile. " 'S all right, Glinda. Know you and Red weren't the culprits," he said and looked pointedly at the oblivious Summers' girls chatting at the stove.

"Am I to assume, then," Giles finally spoke, "that in light of me being omitted from your good graces that I, too, am being held accountable from waking you?" Spike cocked an eyebrow at his fellow Brit.

"Considerin' that you are the authority figure here, Rupes, the least you could do would be to quiet these two terrors down," Spike said, addressing Dawn and Faith and they both responded with stuck out tongues.

"Right, of course. Heaven forbid they take responsibility for their own actions."

"What do you expect, Giles?" Dawn said and smirked. "It's the twenty-first century. It's always someone else's fault.

"So, you lot are up early," the vampire said, observing that it was a little after nine. He walked into the kitchen and Faith reflexively closed the curtain over the sink.

"Yup," the slayer responded as she leaned into her father's hug, "we're going to the beach."

"The beach?"

"Yep," Willow said, breaking out into a grin. "We thought we needed a break. Tara hasn't gotten out to much since rehab and everything and what better way to get all the kinkly winklies out than a nice sunny day at the beach."

"Besides," Dawn said as she chomped on a piece of bacon, "what better way to meet guys than…"

"Sun," Faith interjected and gave Dawn a withering glare. "We're going to get some sun. I mean, no offense Daddy, but with the exception of Dawnie here, we're all giving you a good run for 'Best Marble Statue Complexion'."

"Thank you ever so, Bitlet," he said and hopped on the island but not before stealing a sausage from Willow's plate. "Of course," he said as he meticulously chewed on the pattie, "there was that bit about the guys that I thought I heard."

"What are you talking about?" Dawn laughed. "Guys? No, this is only girls night, er, day out."

"That's good to know. But that doesn't mean that…"

"Oh give it a rest, Daddy," Faith said in exasperation. "It's our day at the beach. We're going with Willow and Tara. Now, as all beaches go, there will be guys there. But we are only looking at the merchandise. God, even I wanted to do more than look, I am twenty-three."

"In your time, let," Spike responded. Faith cringed when she noticed how calmly her father had reacted to her tantrum. She sighed, knowing from her mother how sensitive Spike could be and by the change in his body language, she had hurt his feelings.

"So, Rupes," Spike said, cutting off any attempts of Faith's apology. "Guess we're stuck together, ey?"

"Hurray for me," Giles responded dryly as he sipped from his teacup.

"Now, now, Giles," Willow interjected, "now would be a perfect time for you guys to do the bondage thing." Both men looked at the redhead with some trepidation. "Oh, God," she stuttered. "Not bondage handcuffs and whips and chains or anything like that." On Spike's bemused smirk, she backtracked. "I mean it's not like I know about that or watch Real Sex or anything kinky like that. I mean, come on, who would watch that stuff. Hello, sluttiness is not I. Not that watching Real Sex makes you a slut or anything like that…"

"But I thought you said that you liked…"

"What Willow is trying to say," Tara said, coming to the rescue of her lover, "is that you two could use this time to talk about…things."

"Thanks, Glinda, but I think me and the Watcher did enough male bonding when I was chained to his tub."

"Chains, huh?" Faith said and walked over to Spike. "Seems like you two already have a head start on the good American bondage thing, don't you?" She smiled apologetically at her father and was pleased when he returned it with a forgiving wink.

"As wonderful and hilarious as these images may be to you, I beg you to stop," Giles muttered.

"So-sorry, Giles," Willow said.

"So, who's the transportation? The Watcher?"

"No," Dawn replied, "we're gonna cram into Tara's clown mobile."

"Thanks a lot, Dawnie," Tara said and rolled her eyes. Everyone laughed at the blonde's terse reply before Willow stood.

"Speaking of which, I'm gonna take everything to the car. Dawnie, come and help me stuff everything into the 'Clown mobile'."

Dawn moved to protest but one look at the patented resolve face had the teen stomping out the kitchen, grumbling about being the youngest and resorted to as slave labor.

"So, Bitlet," Spike said, hopping off the island and taking Willow's now vacated seat. "Did you have that sassy an attitude in your formative years?" He nodded towards Dawn's exit.

"Sassy?" She said and helped Tara up. "Who said I ever lost my sassiness?" She punctuated it by thumping him in the ear with her finger before leading a giggling Tara out into the living room.

"Kids these days," Spike said, shaking his head. He took Willow and Tara's plates to the sink, disappointed by the lack of food on them.

"By the way, Daddy," Faith said as she poked her head back into the kitchen, "your bloods already in the microwave but you do need to heat it up. And you and Giles can share the omelet in the pan."

"Thanks, 'let." Spike gave her a genuine smile before she blew him a kiss and called out their departure.

Spike slapped the omelet on a plate and turned on the microwave to the programmed time he had put in to heat his blood just right. He heard the door slam shut just as the timer went off. Plate and mug in hand, the vampire walked back to the table and sat down. He tore into the omelet, sometimes dipping a forkful into the blood. He felt the other man's eyes on him, studying him in revulsion but Spike concentrated on his food.

"I must say," Giles said after a few minutes, "that shall I ever desire to lose weight, all I really need to do is watch you partake in your rather unusual subsistence as far as food's concerned."

"Why Ripper," Spike said sweetly, mouth full of eggs, "was that a compliment."

"Hardly," the other man muttered and turned his attention back towards the newspaper.

They sat in silence for several more minutes, until Spike was finished and returned to the sink.

Giles watched in interest as the vampire washed the dishes, mindful to stay out of the way of stray splashes of sunlight, of course. He moved around the kitchen with a disturbing familiarity, like he had always lived here. True, it had been over a month since he had moved in and there was last summer when Buffy was--gone--but this, this was something else. Something the Watcher had talked to Buffy about but not to Spike. As much as he accepted that Buffy did love the vampire, Giles had yet to do the customary 'hurt her and you're dust' speech. Well, he thought tiredly, now is as good of a time as any.

"Spike," he said and removed his glasses. The vampire turned around and arched a scarred eyebrow at the seriousness of the Watcher's tone. He opened his mouth to say something smart but decided against it. No, it was about time that he and Rupert had a serious talk. Hell, it wasn't like there was anything better to do.

He sauntered over to the table, drying his hands on his pant legs before sitting down in the chair. He slouched down, one arm over the back of it, legs splayed in front of him. Although he knew the importance of the talk, there was still the image he had to keep up.

"So, Rupes," he said, feigning disinterest, "get to talkin'."

Despite it all, Giles couldn't contain his smile. He had known Spike for three years, more or less, and he was amazed at the little things the vampire did to retain his image. The Watcher could see that, despite his airs, the blonde wanted this long overdue talk just as much as Giles did. Of course, Spike would never admit that in a hundred years but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that the vampire was receptive when the situation called for.

And if nothing else, Giles was thankful for at least that much.

*&*

Future Time

Oh, was he ever thankful for the power around him.

Gabriel stared out at his five lieutenants with pride. They had been in his presence for the past three months. Once he had felt his Childe, Seth fade, Gabriel had recalled them from all the corners of the world. He needed them now more than ever, especially since Emerald had disappeared before his eyes.

Emerald.

Gabriel cursed and bolted to his feet, the anger of losing his two greatest assets mere minutes apart caused his demon to bubble to the surface. The anger was not only that he lost them both but because he didn't know how he lost them. Emerald had vanished into the air, her body dissipating as if she was being erased from existence. And Seth. Seth had been wiped away as well. He hadn't been dusted, that much Gabriel knew. But what had happened, the way Seth's energy remained yet drastically altered drove the vampire mad.

Shaking his thoughts away, Gabriel scanned the ritual circle and the five participants with glowing red eyes, his breaths, however unnecessary, coming in jagged puffs.

"Is it ready?" He snarled to the twin portal rippers, M'ul Aut and D'bahn.

"Yes, my Lord," they responded simultaneously. Aside from Emerald and Gabriel, the last two Zidiahni demons were the only entities that could open fissures through time. Though they had questioned one another as to why Gabriel himself had not opened the fissure, they dared not ask him, especially with his mood the way it had been the past few months since Emerald's disappearance.

"Then do it!" Gabriel snapped. The two brothers nodded solemnly and walked to the center of the circle. D'bahn clasped his brother's left hand with his right. The power surged between them and both stiffened as the current traveled through their blood. D'bahn lifted his left hand into the air and the air became heavy with the twins' energies. Thunder crackled overhead as the sky darkened before the first signs of lightening licked through the clouds.

Gabriel watched the display, allowing it to mute the rage that had continued to build within him over the past three months. He smiled grimly, reveling in the joy he would have in slaughtering those that had dared challenge him. He would bathe in their blood, plunder their organs from their bodies before allowing them to die slowly.

His bloodlust was interrupted when a cord of lightening from the west slammed into D'bahn's outstretched hand. The Zidiahni screamed, though Gabriel knew that is was not out of pain. A second cord from the east joined the first. Ten seconds later, D'bahn's hand shook from the inundation of lightening energy from at least a dozen patches in the sky. A brilliant light crept from M'ul Aut's unseeing eyes and his chiseled jaw opened in a silent scream. At that moment, D'bahn dropped to his knees and slammed the palm of his hand into the ground.

The other four spectators struggled to keep their balanced and Gabriel stared at the twins in awe. He had always known they had had power beyond most but to see it firsthand was quite a treat. Maybe even with a century of training, they could possibly rival him in raw power. Of course, they weren't immortal, so it didn't matter.

"They are quite powerful, Lord," Morrigann whispered into Gabriel's ear. He turned towards her and leered at the succubus. She had been the first of his followers to return, offering herself to Gabriel and he had accepted. He had taken out all his anger, frustrations out on her, using her body in the most carnal of ways, and she had never complained. Of course, being a succubus, as long as she was being pleasured, Morrigann would never complain.

Gabriel ran a hand down the other vampire's naked back. The outline of her wings, tattooed across her back, rippled underneath her flesh at his touch and Morrigann purred in time with the ministrations as she worked herself closer to a sexual frenzy.

Their attention was pulled back to the center of the circle when a spherical shape appeared in from of the Zidiahni. It throbbed with energy and expanded slowly before exploding into a brilliant hue of purple and gold.

Morrigann held onto Gabriel's arm as an energetic wind swept through the area, knocking everyone but Gabriel and one other to their knees.

The vampire smiled across the circle at the one being that had remained on his feet.

Algolagniar.

"Master," the creature bowed as Gabriel stopped in front of the eight-foot giant.

"Algolagniar," Gabriel said and laid his hand on the demon's shoulder, despite the pain that radiated through his body at the simple touch. Three years after he had returned from Quortoth, Gabriel had opened up another gate to hell dimension for the specific task of extracting this unidentified demon that fed on the pain of others and even himself. Even skin-to-skin contact with the demon was enough to drive most mad. Only other demons and quite possibly a slayer could withstand Algolagniar's touch without being rendered unconscious. Being that pain was his weapon and his body's density was greater than most creatures, Algolagniar was an almost indestructible force. Never had he been beaten in battle save for the time he had been pummeled by Seth. Still, who better to send in first than him?

"You know what to do when you arrive." It was not a question.

"Aye."

"Destroy anyone and anything that crosses your path, man or demon. But whatever you do, leave the slayers to me. I owe them." The last part was whispered with such vehemence that even the emotionless Frost, who kneeled away from the rest, shivered.

"Yes, My Lord," Algolagniar assented. Gabriel removed his arm from the demon's shoulder, forcing the pain from his mind as he watched the behemoth walk towards the fissure. The brightness faded and was replaced by a darkness that pulled at the gigantic demon as he walked towards the portal, unfazed by the pull of the energies on him. When he made contact with the portal, it buckled before slowly wrapping around him, its gelatinous surface engulfing him little by little until he was gone.

As soon as Algolagniar disappeared through the portal, it collapsed in on itself, fading into nothingness.

"It is done," Gabriel said to no one in particular. His eyes scanned the other four demons. The two Zidiahni helped one another to their feet and Frost, apart from the others per his usual, stood unmoving, the hilt of his giant sword peeking out from over his shoulder. Finally, the vampire's gaze turned towards the scantily clad succubus and he felt himself harden underneath the leather of his pants.

"Do what must be done," he said but never took his eyes off of Morrigann. She returned his lustful gaze with equal fervor as her forked tongued licked her succulent lips. "We shall meet back here again in one month. That should give me time to garner the energy needed to transport the five of us through the portal." He turned to the twins.

"D'bahn, M'ul Aut. You have done well for me. You shall be rewarded well." The two demons nodded and walked off towards the city at Gabriel's nod of dismissal.

"Frost," Gabriel said and received a curt bow from the hybrid demon before he disappeared into a wisp of smoke.

"I'll never get over how he does that," Morrigann quipped. She glared at where Frost had been with a lust that rivaled what she felt for Gabriel. She had never truly been able to sample the human/demon hybrid as he was aloof and rarely socialized with the others. His only thought was the joy of battle, not the lust or torture that the others reveled in. And that in itself was enough for Morrigann's curiosity and desire to take him as a lover.

"Why Morrigann," Gabriel drawled and ran his knuckles down the bare flesh of her arms, "if I didn't know any better, I'd think you wanted him more than me."

Morrigann smiled before her elongated tongue lapped at Gabriel's neck. He shivered in anticipation at the prospect of sheathing himself again in her warmth. How a vampire could generate heat like she did, Gabriel never knew. But it didn't matter. All that mattered was that she did.

"And this from someone who enjoys power more than the pleasure I can give him," she purred as her hand wandered the expanse of his chest. It traveled down his body before dancing her fingers along the bulge of his leather pants. Taking the initiative, Morrigann cupped Gabriel's parts none too gently before whispering in his ear, "and I give pleasure better than any you will ever have."

Gabriel snarled at her before grasping her arms tightly. He openly leered at her and smelled her arousal, which was thick in the air. His eyes blazed red over their original chocolate brown tint as they examined every inch of her.

"You know," she said innocently, "you do have that angelic sort of face." Gabriel roared before his fangs elongated and tore into the soft flesh of her neck. Morrigann cried out in pain before the pleasure exceeded the former and she was lost in the intimacy of the moment.

As he drained her, Gabriel forced away the thoughts that her comment had spurned within him. No, he would not think about that now, although he knew what could possibly happen when he went back into time. Those that were dead now would be alive then, possibly in the slayer's employ. He was not ignorant of the very real possibility that there would be a family gathering of epic proportions.

I will deal with that when the time comes, he thought to himself and proceeded to lose himself in the addictive blood of the succubus.