Part 12

Under Sunnydale High.

Connor woke to find both his hands and feet securely fastened to what could only described as a big wooden wheel.

"Ahh, good you're awake." Said a voice.

Connor looked up, "Dad?" he said confused.

"Hello son." Said Holtz.

"Help me."

"I'm sorry, I can't." Holtz walked closer and reached out to touch Connor's face, only for his hand to pass right through. "You'll have to excuse the theatrics but I've always had a thing for the classics." Connor looked at him with big innocent eyes "Oh, don't look at me that way. You're the one who couldn't hold up his end of the bargain. You're the one who couldn't take care of Angelus. You're the one who had to make breakthroughs and learn something about himself. So now, fittingly, you're the one who gets to do the honours." Holtz looked past Connor and nodded, one of the black robed priests came forward with an ornate knife. Connor flinched as the tip of the blade pierced his skin. He started breathing deep gasps of pain as the priest began carving intricate patterns on his skin. Blood started to slowly seep from the wounds and dripping on to a metal plate with intricate carvings below him.

"Tell me Stephen, do you want to see what a real vampire looks like?"

"What are you?" Connor gasped through gritted teeth.

"Why son, don't you recognise me? Has it been that long that you don't even recognise your own father?"

"My name is Connor not Stephen and you are not my father." He spat.

"No, you're right, I'm not, but," The figure shimmered in front of Connor's eyes and took on the shape of Angel. "I am."

Connor gasped in both shock and pain.

"Now, shall we get a move on," Angel smirked rubbing his hands together. "Time for the real fun, I think. Blood, pain and screaming my three favourite things," Angel nodded to the black robed priest and he stabbed the blade into Connors stomach. Connor screamed and the blood started flowing freely running into the intricate design on the metal plate below. "Time to meet one of your ancestors." Angel smirked. The earth rumbled and the points of the star on the metal plate started to unfold like the petals of a flower. "Vampire blood is always the most potent."

"I'm not a vampire." Connor whispered as his vision began to waver as his body began to suffer from blood loss.

"But you are, you see you have all the strengths of a vampire but none of the weaknesses. Don't worry we have plenty of time for me to instruct you. But for now meet your ancestors."

Connor tried to focus his eyes, and wished he hadn't. Before him stood three ugly creatures with the most evil eyes he had ever seen. Then slowly the world went black.

"Awake at last. Was beginning to wonder."

Connor slowly opened his eyes and saw Angel grinning down at him. Connor tried to sit up but the pain raked through his body. He looked around taking in his surroundings. He was in a cave, again.

"What do you want?"

"Me?" Angel asked with an innocent expression on his face. "I want all the abominations of this world to suffer, and you boy, get to be the first."

"Now, I seem to recall saying something about teaching you some life altering lessons. I think now is as good a time as any to begin." Angel grinned menacingly. "Lesson number one. You can not drown."

Connor felt the fear rising inside him as two hands grabbed him from behind and dragged him to his feet. He looked around wildly looking for a way to escape, struggling against the creatures that held him.

Angel just stood there laughing.

Sanctuary.

"Where is Spike?" Angel asked.

Dawn ran over to his side "He's upstairs, are you alright?"

Angel didn't answer. He stood and walked out of the room heading upstairs. As he drew nearer the bedroom his ears were bombarded with curses and yelps of pain. Angel pushed the door open cautiously and saw Spike sitting on the bed surrounded by tools.

"Piss off I thought I said I wasn't to be disturbed." Spike yelled without looking up.

Angel quietly closed the door and walked in.

"Bloody hell." Spike yelled in pain again.

"What are you doing?" Angel asked quietly.

Spike looked up for the first time, "Oh, sorry I yelled. How are you feeling?"

"Don't avoid the question I asked first. What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to deactivate the chip. Not having much luck though, keeps sending jolts into my head."

Angel chuckled.

"It ain't funny." Spike scowled. "Now you answer my question, how are you feeling?"

Angel shrugged.

"That good 'ay." Spike said smiling sadly. "We will get him back, just as soon as I can figure out how this thing works."

Angel walked over and sat on the bed, "Having any luck?"

"Not sure, all I know is not to mess with the blue wire keep giving myself a headache." Spike pouted.

Angel smiled "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

Spike grinned, "Do I ever have any idea what I'm doing?"

"You know it would make more sense to let Willow look at that and you help the others with the research." Angel stated.

Spike looked at him, sighed and said, "Yeah, I know. I just don't see why we have to do research instead of just going and getting him."

"We have no idea where to start looking for him, we also have no idea how kill The First when we do find it and on top of that there is Riley to deal with. Much as I hate to say it Giles is right. So lets get downstairs and help them. You and I both know you are better at research than the lot of them put together. So the way I see it the sooner you go downstairs the sooner we get Connor back."

Spike sighed, stood up, gathered all the components and walked towards the door. "You coming?" he said over his shoulder. Angel stood and followed him downstairs.

"Bloody hell Willow would you please stop doing that." Spike growled. He had been sitting in his reading chair surrounded by books for the last four hours and they were still no closer to coming up with any answers to questions of The First or deactivating the chip.

"Try it again Spike."

Everyone in the room seemed to disappear. Every time Willow told Spike to try the chip again he hit one of them. Spikes eyes scoured the group and stopped on Xander. He smirked, and stood.

"Hey no fair you hit me last time and you've hit me more than the others." Xander protested as Spike drew nearer.

"That's because you annoy me more than the rest." Spike said as he punched him on the arm. Xander yelped but Spike just stood there waiting for the pain. He hit Xander again harder this time.

"Watch it Fangless."

Spike smirked evilly "Not fangless any more," he said. He rushed over to Willow, kissed her, picked her up and swung her round. "Thanks luv," he said as he set her down.

"You're...welcome." Willow stammered.

"What did you do?"

"Simply put I changed the output frequency, like a T.V remote. Originally it only clicked onto one channel now we have a mixture to chose from, I just turned it off." Willow said smugly.

Spike looked at her and asked seriously "Does it only work on my chip?"

Willow looked thoughtfully "No, it should work on any chip as long as the person is close enough."

Spike straightened and walked out of the room.

"Where's he going?" Xander asked still rubbing his arm.

"To call some friends." Angel said quietly.

"What do you mean Angel?" Giles asked.

"Spike made a deal with some vampires who were in the Initiative with him. If anyone got their chip out or deactivated then they would tell one another and help."

"So he's telling these other vampires and what?" Giles asked.

"Well I expect they will be coming here to get their chips deactivated." Angel stated.

"You can't be serious." Giles exclaimed.

"Yes Giles I am serious and so is Spike. Don't worry they won't hurt you."

"How do you know that Deadboy?" Xander asked.

"Because they have all sworn allegiance in blood to Spike, and no self respecting vampire breaks the blood oath."

"But won't they go after Riley and the other soldiers?" Willow asked.

"I expect so."

"But if they do that what about Buffy?" Dawn asked quietly.

"Buffy is safe. No one will touch her." Angel stated getting a bit pissed at all the questions.

"Why won't they touch Buffy?" Giles asked curiously.

Angel shuffled from foot to foot "Because they wouldn't dare." He stated hoping that would be enough. Unfortunately it wasn't.

"What do you mean they wouldn't dare?" Giles asked.

"Look its not my place to say, ask Spike."

"Ask Spike what?" He said as he re-entered the library.

"Why these so called friends of yours won't touch Buffy?" Giles stated.

Spike gave Angel an accusing look, "Because I said so."

Giles laughed. "Do you seriously expect me to believe that on your say so these vampires will not hurt Buffy. Come on Spike I'm not a fool."

Spike flung his hands in the air, "Fine they won't touch Buffy because I hold slayer rites. Happy now."

Giles huffed, "Slayer rites hasn't been won by anyone in over fifty years, and I doubt very much that you hold them."

"What's slayer rites?" Willow asked.

Giles removed his glasses and started polishing them. "Slayer rites are where one vampire holds the rite to kill the slayer and no one else may touch her unless they defeat the current holder of that honour."

"Oh, but Buffy is always being attacked by vampires." A confused Dawn said.

"Fledglings Bit, any master has to come through me first." He turned to Giles and asked, "When was the last time Buffy fought a master vampire?"

Giles thought about it and suddenly stared at Spike as realisation kicked in, "How long?"

"Doesn't matter the point is Buffy is safe as long as I'm alive, make that not dust. Look, it's late and we have a busy day tomorrow so if you will excuse me I'm off to bed."

"Spike you're a vampire you're supposed to be up at night." Giles said.

"Fine I'm going to my room to get away from you lot asking me questions, besides you ain't vampires so you're the ones who ought to be going to bed and getting some sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

Connor came round slowly and started coughing up water. He'd lost count of the number of times his world of pain had come flooding back to him from a pit of blackness.

"You see boy. No matter how many times you drown you just won't die." Angel leered over him.

"Who are you?" Connor gasped trying desperately to catch his breath.

"I've told you before I'm your father."

"No you're not." Connor spat.

"You know everyone's afraid of you, made Darla sick, you squirming inside of her. She dusted herself so she wouldn't have to hear your first whiny breath, and as for Holtz, why he stabbed himself in the neck. Can you see a pattern yet?" Connor just gave him a blank look. "No, oh well I'll just have to spell it out to you."

"You bring death to those around you. Those whom you hold dear and nothing you do or say can change that."

"You think I care what you say?" Connor spat "You are nothing, Angel is my father and no matter whose face you choose to wear you mean nothing to me."

The figure suddenly shimmered before him and changed into a beautiful blond woman.

"Who are you?" Connor asked.

"Why my darling boy, don't you recognise me?" Connor shook his head. "How remiss of Angelus, mind I'm not surprised. Can't you guess who I am?"

Connors eyes went wide with realisation, "Mother?" he asked quietly.

"That's right my boy I'm Darla, your mother. So how are you, being well treated I see. My how you've grown since I last saw you. Mind come to think of it I've never seen you before." Darla laughed. "It was one of the stupidest things I ever did, dusting myself so you, a pathetic excuse for a son could live."

Tears welled in Connors eyes and slowly streaked down his cheeks.

"Oh, there now don't cry Mummy's here and I'm going to make it all better. String him up." Darla ordered.

Hands grabbed Connor again and dragged him to the sidewall of the cave, his hands and feet locked in restraints.

Darla sauntered over, "Now I believe you were having a few lessons." Darla smiled sweetly. "One of my favourite lessons is the lesson of making pain your friend." Darla nodded and one of the creatures advanced with a whip. "Now try not to scream, but if you do, never fear for no one will hear you." Darla laughed as the first stroke fell. Connor's chest burned with pain and he screamed, he'd never felt anything like it.

Darla pouted, "Oh no fair, you're not supposed to start screaming right away, takes all the fun out of it. Spike never screamed, never even whimpered; now that was fun seeing how long he would last. Those were the days, but time moves on and so must we." Darla flicked her hand again and the whip cracked against Connor's chest as the cave was filled with his screams.

TBC