Angelus kicked me through the door and glared at me. "My room. Now." He said coldly, the air thick with his anger. I scrambled up the stairs hurriedly and waited in his room. I had been trying to help! How was I supposed to know we weren't supposed to kill it?

I walked around the room a little, wishing Angelus would hurry up and get on with it. I hate waiting, I always have. The door flew open and he strode in powerfully, filling the room with his presence.

"What do you have to say for yourself, boy?" he asked, picking up the poker from the fire and waving it towards me.

Poker? Why does he have the poker? I hope he doesn't use that – I know from experience that an angry Angelus and a hot poker never ends well. I would rather be beaten by his strap, at least that heals pretty quickly.

"Well?" he was getting impatient and I remembered he'd asked me a question. I swallowed and looked warily at the poker. At least it wasn't hot. Yet.

"I was trying to help," I said lamely.

He raised his eyebrows. "Help? Boy, we have been over this! When I am in the middle of an important negotiation you do not speak. You do not interrupt in any way. You certainly do not attack the person I'm negotiating with!"

Huh. It didn't look like negotiating to me. It looked like he was being attacked! With all those tentacles flying around. "But it was a Varl beast! It kills vampires!" At least I know what it is, and what it does. I do know some things.

"And I suppose that makes it ok to attack does it?!" He said, towering above me. I swear he makes himself taller for these occasions. "Well does it?"

I thought the damn thing was attacking him! "But I thought it was attacking you. The tentacles..." I trailed off at Angelus' look.

"That is how Varl's communicate, boy! You were supposed to read that book fully, not just the first chapter. You were also supposed to learn how to communicate with them yourself, but I suppose you missed that bit as well." He set down the poker and I nearly gave a sigh of relief, but he then took out his strap which put an end to the relief. "If you had been paying attention, you would have learnt that I was trying to establish some form of alliance with the tribe so that there would be no other vampires trespassing on our territory." He ran a finger down the strap idly. "But you messed it up as usual and now I have to go back tomorrow and hope they will accept my sincere apology for my half-witted fledgling."

I swallowed nervously again as he advanced towards me cruelly.


Bastard. Bloody poof of a wanker's sodding bastard. How was I supposed to know? He hadn't said a word to me the whole time so how was I supposed to know??!!! I wanted to kick something very hard but I was lying on my bed. I'd gone straight up to my room after Angelus had finished which was about half an hour ago. My back wasn't bleeding anymore which was an improvement.

"BOY!!!"

Uh. That means I have to get up. I pulled myself to my feet and mooched downstairs as slowly as possible. Angelus was waiting at the bottom. He pointed through to the drawing room fire.

"Light," he instructed as if I needed to be told. Clearly he'd given the minions the night off which meant it was my job to light the fires and everything. Darla was sitting in the room as I laid and lit the fire soundlessly. She watched, uninterested, then when I'd finished, told me to fetch her the paper. Like a bloody dog.

Angelus had disappeared somewhere and I really didn't want to find out where. Just as I was about to go back upstairs Drusilla appeared as if from no where and looked at me mournfully.

"I told you Will." I smiled at her and pulled her into a hug.

"I know you did Dru. I'm just to stupid to have realised what you meant."

She looked at me with almost sane brown eyes. She looked genuinely upset. "You have to do what he says, Will, you can't disobey daddy. He's always right."

Thanks Dru, I thought dryly. I kissed her temple softly. "I'm sorry Drusilla. I'll try and be good."

But she smiled coyly and said, "You're a bad boy, Spike. Always bad, always my bad Spike."

"WILLIAM!!!" Another shout. This time it was from upstairs. I considered pretending not to hear but decided against it. I kissed Dru one last time then went up to his room.

"This fire's going out," he said without looking up. He was sitting at his desk, writing something in that immaculate handwriting of his. I got the fire going again then started to leave but he extended his arm and clicked his fingers, still not looking up.

"Come here Will," he said, pointing at the ground next to him while he folded whatever he'd written with one hand. Once I was stood where he wanted me to, he handed me a book with one hand, while he put the piece of paper in a drawer. "Learn this. You're coming with me tomorrow and I expect you to be the expert on Varl etiquette." Finally he met my gaze. "I mean it William. Learn it." I nodded and he raised his eyebrows.

"Yes Sire."

"Good. You may go now." I looked at the moth eaten copy of the book with no title disdainfully and left the room.

As soon as I was up in my own room I sat down to try and learn the darn thing. I opened it, tilting back on my chair and a large clump of pages fell out. I cursed loudly. Trust Angelus to give me the one book that pre-dated himself.

I laid the offending book down carefully on the desk and picked up the pages which had fluttered all over the room. I then proceeded to try and put them back in order.

By the time they were in what I hoped was the right order, light was beginning to stream through the curtains and I was starving. Shutting the book carefully, I made a mental note not to let Angelus find out about the pages.

Darla and Angelus were being very noisy together in their room and I didn't stop to think about what they might be doing, by-passing that floor and going straight down to the kitchen where there were three minions lounging about. I recognised one of them as Larry, but the other two must've been new. There were always new minions coming in and out of the house, they hardly ever stayed long. They were drinking some strong stuff that smelt good and I nodded at them as I came in.

"What's that you're drinking?" I asked.

"Irish whiskey," Larry answered with a moronic grin. Larry was one of those annoying, pig-headed people who think with their punches. He was about my height, but with a much more stockier build. I held out a hand.

"Gimme some then," I told him, and he handed me a bottle. I took a swig then spat it out immediately.

"Yuck! That's disgusting!"

"Don't tell master Angelus that," one of them smirked.

"Yeah well he's just like all other Irish things isn't he?" I said dryly.

"I don't know," Larry said stupidly and I rolled my eyes.

"That was rhetorical."

"Nah, it were English."

I blinked a couple of times at the stupidity of the other vampires but didn't say anything. "Any people around?"

Larry's mate shook his head. "There was a corpse left from the master and the two mistresses but we chucked it out."

Typical. They all got to feed and they missed me out somehow. Why me?

"Well I'm going to bed now then," I announced, hoping that sleep would take my mind of the hunger. As I left the kitchen I called back to Larry. "I hope you find some brains at the bottom of that bottle."

Honestly he's even stupider than me.

Well I made up this whole chapter when I was lying in bed last night and I had to type it all up today before I forgot it. Which is why it's quite rushed...... sorry. Also – major thanks to 'Lost' who's given me some great ideas for more chapters!!! My brain is spinning...... gotta sort that out......