Title: Sirens' Song
Author: Sinayah
Email:
Distribution: Ask and ye shall receive.
Rating: This chapter is rated R FOR A VERY GOOD REASON!
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy, Angel, or Xmen. They belong to very rich people who don't appreciate them as we fanfic writers do.
Disclaimer 2: The Chapter Title and Lyrics belong to The Who
Authors Note: This and all chapters following are dedicated solely to those wonderful people who have waited so patiently for me to get my life together and continue with this fic. You know who you are, and it's been your faith in me that kept this story alive.
Authors Note 2: This was a VERY difficult chapter to write. Even in the planning, before my life went to hell I knew this chapter would be a true test of my dramatic talents. BE WARNED, this chapter contains semi graphic violence and rape. NOT for children or teenagers…it's rated R for a good reason.
Chapter 18: Behind Blue Eyes
"no one knows what it's like, to be the bad man, to be the sad man, behind blue eyes…"
When Professor Xavier returned to the mansion the next morning, he was rather surprised at the results of his general mind scan. There were four new people in the house, and only two of the residents were awake, even though it was nearly ten in the morning. He found Logan in the kitchen preparing two cups of coffee. When the feral man saw his friend, he grabbed another cup and fixed tea for Charles without being asked. "Mornin Chuck, how'd things go at the prison?"
"They went well, several new types of cells and security measures will be added soon thanks to our last two weeks work. The suggestions you and Spike came up with were well received. Might I ask, why the brotherhood boys are sleeping upstairs?" The telepath replied, nodding his thanks when Logan handed him the tea and sat down in the window seat.
The big man growled a little as he remembered why the boys were now in residence. "Chatty and I brought em here last night. The Porcupine told her something was wrong with the boys and she figured out Mystique left em and they were goin hungry. We went over there, and basically told em they were comin home with us. Gawd Charles, you shoulda seen the shit they were livin in. We tore the place apart before we left, what there was of it still standin. Boys are joinin us here, just like we wanted."
The telepath took a quick glimpse into his friends mind to get the pictures. What he saw angered him, and he was pleased with the actions the pair had taken. "Good, they deserve much more than Mystique was providing them, especially if she's abandoned them now. Any other problems while I was away?"
Logan gave him a run down of the events from the last two weeks, and was just finishing with the events of the previous night when Serena walked into the room, a cheerful bounce in her step. "Good morning Charles, it's good to have you home. Ahh, there's my coffee, thank you Wolvie." She greeted with a large smile. Cup in hand she leaned down to give her mentor a one armed hug and a teasing kiss on the top of his bald head.
When her mate growled over the attention that she was giving their friend, she shot him a confused look before coming over to seat herself between his legs and kiss him gently. The professor too gave him a look of confusion, sensing the mild jealousy in his friends rumbling vocalizations.
Even Logan was mildly surprised to hear himself growling. He knew Serena was extremely affectionate, and she often bestowed hugs and kisses to her friends and the teens. But today was different; the small woman was his mate now, whether she knew it or not. Upon waking, the same nagging worries of last night had come back, the jealousy of Serenas' unknown past and the lovers it might have contained, his confusion over her knowledge of their claims on each other. He was in turmoil, acting on instinct to keep his mate only for himself.
He calmed down once he had the small woman close to him. He wrapped one muscular arm around her waist and hauled her as far back against him as he could, then continued his previous conversation with the professor. "Anyway, the cars are fixed, got most of the scoobies moved out, and a couple new danger room scenarios worked up. Not bad for two weeks work if ya ask me."
"Don't forget the new house rule Wolvie. The last thing I want to see when I go in to say goodnight to the kids is two of them going at it." Serena commented, a small shudder running down her back at the thought of witnessing any of her children engaged in something beyond kissing and cuddling. The two men shared her feelings on that matter and they decided that she should talk to the teens later about the new rule.
When she'd finished her coffee, Serena started making a large breakfast for the residents. Logan and Charles continued to chat, and she made occasional comments from her place at the stove. When the food was nearly ready she asked her lover to use the intercom to wake the children up. The big man got up and moved to the wall box, pressing the button that activated every intercom in the mansion. "Wake up you lazy twerps! Breakfast in ten minutes and if you're not down here I'm gonna eat it all!" He yelled into the device. His threat echoed through the mansion and startled everyone into wakefulness, as it was intended to.
The sudden rush of activity over their heads was like thunder, and Serena couldn't help but giggle at the immediate response to her mates' demands. "Ok, bets are on. Who's going to be down first, Kurt or Freddy?" She asked, a teasing twinkle in her eye.
Logan and Charles were still thinking about their vote when Pietro answered her question a second later. "Neither! What do I win?" He asked, stormy eyes glittering with merriment. He walked over and said good morning to the professor and Logan, and then used his super speed to steal a kiss and a pancake from Serena at the stove.
The other teens weren't too far behind the speed demon and soon enough everyone was seated in the dining room having breakfast. "So what's on the agenda for today?" a couple of the teens asked, wondering if Logan and Spike still wanted them to take their Saturday danger room workout now that their former enemies were living with them.
"Today we're gonna practice sparring. You've learned the basics of hand to hand fightin from Spike and me, now it's time to test your knowledge. Everyone meet down in the gym in half an hour." Logan responded, smirking at his charges.
Spike and Serena exchanged grins with each other as well as Logan, all three adults looking forward to an afternoon of kicking butt. Combat without the use of their mutant abilities was a skill the adults believed necessary for their charges considering the lives they led and the distinct possibility of coming under attack for their mutant status once the world at large found out about their existence.
Forty five minutes later all the teens sat cross legged on the floor mats of the large gym. Standing in front of them were four of the best hand to hand combatants in the world. Faith, Serena, Spike, and Logan would be watching over the teens as they sparred with each other, making comments and demonstrating ways to improve the teens' abilities. Each adult chose two of their younger friends and led them to a spot away from the others.
The teens found themselves enjoying the workout, throwing punches and kicks, blocking or dodging blows aimed at them. The adults made constructive criticisms and made their friends switch partners and instructors every once in a while so that everyone got to work with everyone else. Though it was a fun exercise, it was very demanding. Sparring was actually harder than actual fighting. The teens had to learn to control the force of their blows so as not to hurt their partners, which put a strain on the muscles.
"Ok, break time, even I'm tired. You guys are slave drivers!" Pietro called two hours later, dropping to the floor rather than changing partners as he'd been instructed. The rest of the teens followed his lead, bodies falling to the ground wherever they happened to be.
The adults grinned amongst themselves and nodded agreement. Faith jogged out of the room to get some bottled water for the exhausted teens while Logan walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a stack of towels to hand out. Serena watched Spike as he stalked around the room like a caged panther. She could tell her friend was itching to do some fighting himself.
When Faith returned and the teens were taken care of the raven haired woman clapped her hands together for attention. "Well, that was a fine workout. You kids did very well, but we're not finished for the day." Various moans and groans echoed through the room at that announcement, which made the adults laugh. "Oh don't worry, all you have to do is sit and watch. Logan, Faith, Spike, and I are going to pair up and show you a real fight."
The teens grinned at their teachers, pleased with the idea of watching a fight between their mentors. Most of them had seen at least one of the adults fighting, but this promised to be special. That was confirmed when the professor entered the room with Ororo and the scooby gang, who'd come over specifically to watch a sparring match between the four warriors.
Logan slung an arm around Serena, intending to take his mate as a sparring partner. The small woman looked up, gracing him with one of her lovely smiles and said, "Why don't you pair up with Faith? I know you've been wanting to try your hand at fighting a slayer. Spike and I have trained together for years, we'll be able to give a good demonstration together."
The big man growled at her offhand remark about the vampire. Jealousy burned in his blood over the history between Spike and Serena. He looked down at the woman who was eyeing him curiously, focusing on her delicate throat where his claiming mark stood out against the pale skin. Beneath the healing bite was a faint scar, translucent with age. He knew the mark had come from the blond vampire. Spike had bitten the little hypnotist years ago to protect her.
'But is it just a bite or did the bastard claim her? She's MINE damn it!' Another growl rumbled through his chest and his arm squeezed tightly around Serenas' shoulder. "Wolvie, what's with you today? I haven't heard you growl this much since the last time Sabretooth was in town. Is something wrong?" The tiny woman asked, golden eyes looking at him worriedly as one delicate hand came up to caress his cheek.
The low rumbling noise in his chest stopped and he sighed, letting his frustrated jealousy go as the soft touch on his face soothed his inner beast. "It's nothin Chatty, don't worry about it. Come on, let's go play with the corpse and the firecracker." He replied, twisting his lips into a small smirk.
After a few minutes of conversation with Spike and Faith, Serena and the vampire stepped off the mat and sat against the wall with the teens. Before Faith and Logan could begin their match, Kitty and Lance strolled in. When Serena had announced that the adults would be fighting the young couple had gotten up and disappeared back into the mansion. Their reason for leaving was now apparent as Kitty held her portable stereo and Lance had a few CD's in his hands.
The brunette pair spoke quietly as they shuffled the discs Lance had brought. The rock tumbler loved hard rock and heavy metal music and had decided to play some as background music while the adults fought. Together with Kitty he chose a CD and put it into the stereo. Gesturing to Logan and Faith to begin, he hit the play button.
There was no soft lead in to the frantic beat of drums and guitar, just as the two combatants on the mat needed no lead in. An arched brow from Logan asked if the slayer was ready and an abrupt nod was her reply. Just as the music began in a flurry, so did the fight.
Logan swung a hard right at Faiths jaw. The slayer ducked the blow and feinted a punch to the big mans chest, following it with a roundhouse kick aimed for his jaw. Logan leaned back to avoid the flying foot, catching the slayers ankle and spinning her off balance so that she fell to the mat. Before he could press the slight advantage she was up again and had landed a solid backhand on his cheek. Logan went with the blow, using the momentum to swing his leg up for a hard kick to Faiths ribs.
The teens watched with wide eyes as their friends fought. Fists and feet struck in moves that looked wild, but were painfully accurate when they landed. Both Logan and Faith had enhanced speed and agility, and it became increasingly difficult to track their movements. The pair seemed to be lost in the battle, focused completely on bringing the other down. All the while the frenzied beat of drums and whine of electric guitar kept pace with them, egging them on.
They could've been sparring for a minute or an hour, neither knew or cared how long they'd been trading blows. Logan came out the winner, having finally gotten Faith in an unbreakable headlock, his arms clenched in position around her head to break her neck with a forceful twist. The slayer gave in with a laugh, letting her tense muscles go lax as she relented. When the feral man released her she turned and offered her hand. "Damn that was a good fight. Gotta do it again sometime Wolvie." She said with a bright smile.
The big man smirked and took the offered hand in a firm shake. "Anytime Firecracker. Not many around here who can hold their own sparrin with me." He grinned at the slayer with real pleasure twinkling in his midnight blue eyes. He truly admired the girls' skill, which he'd only glimpsed while in the Initiative complex. She had a few moves he wouldn't mind learning himself.
Serena and Spike approached their friends, offering water and towels that the others took gratefully. "That was one hell of a demonstration Wolf, Slayer. Have to have a go with you both myself one day soon." The vampire commented. Spike didn't hand out praise lightly and both Logan and Faith nodded with acceptance and gratitude for his compliment.
"I agree, that was wonderful to watch. Your fighting styles compliment each other well. I've sparred with Logan and Spike before of course, but I'd love to work out with you soon Faith. I think the four of us can learn a lot from the others." Serena spoke up, smiling at her love and the slayer.
Faith accepted the offer and then she and Logan made their way off the mat to sit in the spots their friends had vacated. The teens sent a lot of compliments their way, then everyone settled back to watch as Serena and Spike began. Lance and Kitty had changed the music and a steady, throbbing beat filled the room. All eyes turned to the new combatants, wondering how this couple would compare to the last.
Spike took Serenas' hand and bowed over it, kissing her knuckles lightly, "May I have this dance Nymph?" he asked, smirking at the petite woman. She returned the mocking expression and curtsied before backing away to fall into a fighting stance. The vampire mimicked her action, backing up a step and crouching slightly, putting his weight on the balls of his feet.
One of the reasons Serena had wanted to spar with Spike instead of Logan was the vampires chip. When he'd first begun training her to fight, Spike had shown her how to spar properly, pulling her punches and kicks to avoid injuring her opponent and feigning reaction to the blows he landed on her. Long familiarity with each other would now ensure that the vampire and the hypnotist could give an amazing demonstration of fighting skill without causing the chip to go off.
The pair circled each other as the steady beat of music pulsated around them. Just as their audience was starting to get impatient with their seemingly wary movements, they burst into action. Spike threw a spinning kick at Serenas' head, which the golden eyed woman ducked. She crouched low and kicked out at his ankle, and he fell to the mat even though she'd merely tapped him with her foot.
She leapt forward as if to pounce on the downed vampire, and as she expected, his legs came up on either side of her face and tugged downward. She jumped and flipped her body in the air so that she landed on her back. Spike had rolled with her, and was now kneeling over her chest, pinning her shoulders and upper arms with his legs. He placed his hands at her throat, mocking strangulation.
Serena brought her forearms up and her hands grasped his shirt. She pulled at the material, making the vampire back off as she sat up. Spike was now bent backwards over her legs and she released his shirt, quickly extricating her arms and clasping her hands together to club him in the stomach. He obligingly curled himself into a fetal position, as if the blow to his abdomen had hurt, and she rolled his body off her legs before jumping to her feet and reassuming her fighting stance.
If the fight between Faith and Logan had seemed wild and frenzied, the one between Spike and Serena was controlled and precise. They came together, trading punches and kicks, putting one another in positions that seemed impossible to get out of until the feat was accomplished. Then they separated and circled again, waiting for another opportunity to strike.
Their audience was dumbfounded, in awe of their abilities. The teens had giggled when Spike began the match by asking their house mother to dance, but now they understood the comment. Watching the pair fight was like watching a complicated dance. Spike moved like a big cat, stalking his prey and pouncing with graceful, deadly accuracy. Serena, though just as graceful, was more like a snake. She watched her opponent, keeping eye contact as if to hypnotize him, then striking forward swiftly before retreating again.
After a long battle, Spike finally took the victory. He kicked Serenas' legs out from under her, sending the small woman sprawling on the mat. The vampire pounced before she could leap up again and pressed her down with his weight. She brought her knees up on either side of his to buck him off, but he didn't move, instead lowering his head and kissing her exposed throat. If they had been enemies and the fight real, the kiss would've been a draining bite. Serena allowed herself to relax and tilted her head further to the side, indicating her defeat.
Logans' mind was a maelstrom of angry and jealous thoughts. He was growling again, the sound menacing. His deep blue eyes scowled and a ring of gold had appeared in the irises. He watched as his mate lifted her arms to hug the vampire who was still hovering over her in an intimate position. The rumbling in his chest became louder when the blond kissed Serenas' forehead sweetly before getting up and extending a hand down to help her stand.
Faith looked at the older man curiously, not knowing what had caused her friend to growl and tense up beside her. She glanced back at the pair on the mat and recalled the position they'd ended the fight in. 'Ahh, the wolf man's jealous.' She mused, turning her chocolate eyes back to the feral man. She leaned in and whispered, "Might want to knock off the snarling Wolf, your girl doesn't seem the type to enjoy having a jealous lover."
Though he heard the slayers words of advice, putting it into action proved difficult. The feral part of Logans' mind had been pushing forward all day. Since the previous evening the big man had taken notice of his new mates every action. Friendly touches, hugs, and kisses bestowed on their housemates all seemed to provoke his jealousy and possessive instincts. With a great deal of willpower he was able to force the volatile emotions down again and congratulate his lover and friend on their wonderful demonstration.
Serena was almost oblivious to her mates' inner turmoil. She knew he was being a bit more possessive of her today, but didn't understand the cause. As she accepted compliments on her combat skills and handed out praise to the teens for their work that morning her thoughts were centered on what the cause of Logans distress might be. She worried that he hadn't wanted to be claimed the night before, but brushed the thought aside as her hand reached up to finger the healing mark on her throat. If he hadn't wanted to be claimed as hers, he wouldn't have returned the gesture and claimed her. As the group left the gym Serena looped her arm through Logans and squeezed gently, seeking to reassure him that whatever was troubling him, she was there to listen.
Though the amber eyed woman didn't know what had caused her lover to become so protective, someone else had a good idea. Spike had been watching the newly mated pair closely since he'd joined the group in the dining room that morning and heard the rumbling growl of his friend when he brushed his lips over Serenas cheek in greeting. The vampire noticed that Logan had placed his mark directly over the blonds, therefore eradicating his claim on the woman.
The blond man knew what it was like to have a beast inside, and how that beast would react to a threat against its mate. Spike realized that his feral friend was feeling insecure about the newly formed relationship he had with the hypnotist and acting on instinct. He also realized that he himself seemed to be the cause of Logans worry, though all the males were being treated to small growls and glares from the big man. The vampire resolved to talk with Serena that night and encourage her to clear up any vague areas about their relationship with Logan.
The group of teens and their guardians had all retired to the locker rooms to shower and change clothing after their workout and those who had not participated in the sparring retreated to the large rec. room to chat. They arranged themselves comfortably and Willow brought in a loaded teacart to serve the older people drinks.
Sitting in an easy chair, Giles thought back on the demonstration the adults had given for their charges. The four warriors were some of the best fighters the watcher had ever seen. He'd watched with rapt attention as Faith and Logan fought like wild animals, and then had to forcibly keep his jaw from dropping as he witnessed the controlled precision of Spike and Serenas' battle. He wondered if Faith would be amenable to restarting her training, with him as her watcher. If she was, he would also ask Logan, Serena, and Spike to join in training with the Slayer, both so that she would have capable sparring partners, and so that all four could learn from each other.
The watchers reverie was broken a moment later by Charles as the professor said, "Well, I must say, that was a magnificent demonstration don't you think Mr. Giles? I've no doubt that those four could take on anything and come away unscathed. Faith has told me that you trained her in combat, I wonder if you would consider helping with the students training along with the others?"
"I was just thinking about starting to train Faith again, if she's willing. I would be happy to work with the children, though I feel a bit outclassed after watching the others. Perhaps Faith and I could work together training them with weapons, while Logan, Spike, and Serena handled the hand to hand combat." Giles commented, already visualizing the lessons.
The two gentlemen continued to discuss the possibilities and benefits of training the teenagers in combat for a while, waiting for the other adults to join them before making any plans. The teenagers trickled in slowly as they finished their showers, and collapsed around the room in tired heaps. After watching Kitty and Lance trudge in, only to fall into a recliner together and close their eyes for an impromptu nap Giles motioned to the room in general and told his colleague, "I expect this will be a regular occurrence if we go ahead and begin their training. I believe they will become quite good, but at the moment they are much too used to relying on their powers rather than their strength and agility."
As their conversation turned to debating the good and bad points of constantly relying on mutant abilities versus only using learned skills Willow excused herself and went upstairs. The redhead was holding one of her favorite spell books, her index finger stuck between two pages to keep her place. She spotted Serena and Logan coming out of their room and jogged up. "Hey guys, that was a great match earlier. Um, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute Serena."
"Sure Willow." The smaller woman replied before turning to her mate. "Why don't you go on down without me Wolvie, I'll join you when Willow and I are done talking." She smiled up at the big man, and was confused when she was met with a frown. She cocked her head to the side in question and watched as Logan seemed to give himself a mental shake. He nodded in acquiescence and leaned down to kiss her gently on the lips before continuing down to the rec. room.
Serena turned back to the young hacker and gestured towards the bedroom she shared with Logan. "Come on in, we can talk in private." The two young women entered the large suite and Serena sat down in her rocking chair, while Willow sat at the desk. "So, what can I do for you?" The hypnotist asked.
The redhead fidgeted a bit and opened her book, offering it to Serena. "Umm, I saw this spell a week or so ago and I thought it would be good to use as a protection barrier around the mansion. Kurt told me that some really not nice sounding mutants have gotten in here before and this spell is supposed to be sort of like a vampire barrier but for all your enemies, not just vamps. If it's done right then only people without bad intentions can enter uninvited." Serena raised one hand to halt her friends babbling and smiled at the girl.
"Whoa, breathe Willow. Give me a minute to read over it." The lion eyed woman said, turning her gaze to the book. She scanned the spell, noting that it was indeed a powerful protection spell. It was also quite complicated and would require a lot of power to cast. "Well, it all looks in order. I know an occult store in town where we can get the candles and herb weavings, unless you have them already. I'm assuming you came to me because you need a second to cast this?" she asked.
Willow nodded, smiling brightly. "Yeah, I don't think I could do it by myself. I mean, I've done some really powerful spells before alone, but I'd rather work it with another witch and make sure it goes right. I have everything we need for it in my room, it was in the trunk Angel sent to me."
Serena smiled back at the younger woman and replied, "Alright, let's go downstairs and run this by Charles and Giles. If they okay it we'll do it right away. I'll warn you now though, I only rarely use magic and I haven't cast a tandem spell in years." She stood up and gestured for the redhead to come downstairs with her.
As they walked, Willow asked, "Is tandem casting easier or harder than casting alone? I haven't actually done it before. The closest is when I borrowed some of your power to do that glamour on myself."
Stopping outside the door to the rec. room Serena thought about her answer before saying, "It all depends. If the casters are easily compatible then the casting is easier, but if they can't synchronize their power, it becomes difficult and in some cases impossible to work together. Going on how easily I was able to send my power to you that night I'd speculate that we'll be able to do this without any problems. But before we do any more casting together I'd like to work a synchronicity spell with you to see just how compatible we are."
Willow nodded, she'd heard of synchronicity spells before. "Is it okay to ask who you've done tandem casting with? I'm just curious, the only other witch I've met was Jenny and she wasn't really a witch, so much as a techno pagan."
"I've cast with Dru a lot. She taught me how to use the magicks when we traveled together. I've even tandem cast with Spike a few times." She replied before walking into the living room with the younger woman behind her. She approached Giles and handed the book to him, pointing out the spell. "Giles, Willow and I are thinking of working this spell as an extra protection for the mansion, what do you think?"
While the librarian read through the spell, Willow and Serena explained its benefits to the professor, who readily agreed upon thinking back over the many times that Magneto and his henchmen had entered the mansion with ill intent. Their eyes turned to Giles when he cleared his throat. "This is quite a powerful incantation. Are you sure that between you, you have enough power to complete it?" After receiving their nods he continued, "Alright, if you're sure you can work this. But I would prefer it if you brought in a third person to anchor the two of you in case something goes wrong."
Before he could volunteer himself, Serena had nodded and said, "Spike can anchor us if he's willing. He knows a couple of anchoring spells. Whatcha say Spikey?" She called, turning to the blond, who was sitting on the couch with Rogue cuddled into his side.
The vampire looked up and arched his scarred eyebrow at her, "What was that Luv? Sorry, wasn't paying much attention." He said lightly. Willow quickly explained what they needed and he looked over the spell before agreeing to act as their anchor. The blond didn't do spell work often, it wasn't his thing, but he didn't mind acting as a second or in this case, third to someone else's casting.
It still mildly surprised Giles that his vampiric former housemate could work magic and was knowledgeable enough on the subject to hold a lengthy and intelligent conversation about it. While Willow ran upstairs to collect the needed supplies, the watcher engaged both Serena and Spike in conversation about their experiences with spell casting.
"Angelus was always into the spell books back before he turned poncy. He was damned good at casting, taught Dru when she started showing an interest in it. Living with the two of them I was bound to pick up something. I ended up learning it for the knowledge mostly, it wouldn't do for something to go wrong and have me not know how to fix it." Spike told the watcher. He continued, talking about how he'd been dragged into anchoring and tandem casting for Dru over the years, especially when the vampiress starting teaching Serena.
Logan sat back in his chair and watched his mate and the vampire as they talked with Giles and eventually started reminiscing over the time they'd spent together. He felt the jealous anger bubble up in him again as the pair leaned against each other in a fit of laughter over some mishap in one of Serena's first castings that had ended with Spike's duster being turned pink and both Serena and Drusilla earning a spanking from the blond for messing with his coat. It took a smart smack to the back of his head from Faith accompanied by a warning look to reign in the low growling.
Everyone was interested in seeing the two women perform the spell. None of the mutants had seen spell casting before and were anxious to see real magic being done. With Serena and Willow's permission, the whole group followed them down to the lowest level of the mansion to watch the witches do their work.
This particular spell needed to be cast at the lowest point of the home they wanted protected so as to encompass any and all possible entrance points. They decided to work in the Danger Room as it was on the lowest level and was large enough for all the spectators. While everyone made themselves comfortable Spike, Willow, and Serena prepared their spells.
The blond vampire watched the two women place their candles and herb weavings at the four corners, creating a perimeter for his own preparations. When they finished, he took a bottle of natural rock salt from Willow and had the redhead sit facing Serena with enough room between them for him to sit down. He then walked in a clockwise circle around the pair and their lit candles, pouring the salt to create a protective circle. When he'd finished, he knelt between them and placed one hand on each of their foreheads and intoned, "I offer my power and protection to you as you work to protect your loved ones."
In unison Willow and Serena reached out and placed their hands on the vampire's shoulders. "We accept the generous offer of our friend to anchor us in our work. May the Goddess protect him as he protects us." They removed their hands and Spike turned to face Serena before holding his arms out to each side. The women linked their hands around his and all three spoke, "An it harm none, so mote it be."
With those words, the protective circle of salt glowed. Spike bowed his head and closed his eyes, beginning the incantation for the anchoring spell. Serena and Willow also bowed their heads, listening as the vampire went through the incantation once, timing the beginning of their own spell with the second round of the anchoring spell.
It was remarkable for the ones watching to see the ritual being performed. In a soft whisper Giles described the purpose of the circle and the ritual of offer and acceptance between the anchor and the casters. "The circle protects all of them from outside forces that might seek to harm them, but that isn't the most amazing part of this, having a vampire as their anchor is. If either Willow or Serena didn't fully accept Spike for who and what he is, he wouldn't be able to do this. It is unbelievable to see a vampire being able to anchor such a light magic spell. Watch now, they're starting the protection barrier."
With the redhead and the mutant woman chanting the Latin spell in unison, the power was evident within moments. A white glow started around their hands, linked around Spike's palms. It seemed to pour from their hands into the vampire until his whole body was glowing. Once the anchor was fully wreathed in light, the power spread through the women, bathing them in its glow as well.
"Almost finished now. Mind your eyes, if it works, and it certainly looks like it will, the glow will leave them and flash outwards to surround the house. It will be blinding when it does, like looking at the sun. I knew this was a strong spell, but my word, I had no idea they could invoke this much power." Giles whispered, raising a hand close to his eyes as the glowing magic concealed the casters from view.
As the former watcher had said, a few moments later the solid white glow burst forth in all directions in a wave of power that washed over the observers and spread through the mansion to anchor itself in the walls, floor, and ceiling of the building; protecting any perceived entrance against people who had ill intentions to anyone who called the residence home. When the group opened their eyes again, they were breathing hard from the sheer amount of energy that had gone through them.
That was nothing compared to the two who had cast the spell and the one anchoring it. Willow had her forehead resting against Spike's back as she panted to catch her breath and a trickle of blood was running from her nose. In the center, the vampire had his back bowed forward and seemed only held up by his extended hands clasped by the two women. Serena had her head tilted to the ceiling and a stripe of red from her own nosebleed ran down her cheek.
It seemed to take much of her remaining energy for the raven-haired woman to bring her head back to face her companions and she shook their arms to bring them around to finish their work. Willow raised her head from the vampire's back and her eerily glowing green eyes met the now bright gold of Serena's. "Our work now finished, we release the protective power granted us back to the Goddess with our humble thanks. Our thanks also to our friend, our protector who anchored us in our efforts this day. We release him from our casting with hope for our continued friendship." They spoke softly in unison.
The women unclasped their hands and reached out to steady Spike as he straightened up after being released from the power of their magic. "My work now finished, I release the protective power granted me back to the Goddess with my humble thanks. My thanks also to my friends, my loved ones who accepted and included me in their efforts this day. I release them from my circle with hope for our continued friendship." The blond intoned, making the circle of salt vanish in a flash of light and smoke.
Willow and Serena moved their hands from the vampire's arms to his shoulders and he touched each of their foreheads as the three ended their work by speaking in harmony, "Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again." With the last words of the ritual, the eerie glow in the trio's eyes faded away, leaving three tired but successful people to collapse in a heap as they felt the last of the magic seep from them.
Giles was both elated and worried when he got up from his spot on the floor and hurried with the others to check on their friends. He and Anya were the most knowledgeable of the observers and the watcher shared a look with the ex-demon as they approached the trio. The blonde woman seemed to concur with him, there had been much more power than was expected in that spell. The watcher had known the witches and vampire were invoking a lot of power, but he hadn't realized just how much until it washed over him.
Logan, Kurt, and Rogue were each down on the floor holding their respective partners. The man and boy were busily wiping at the blood on their girlfriend's faces and trying to rouse them and it was Rogue who turned worried green eyes on the librarian and asked, "What's wrong with em Giles? How come they're unconscious?"
"I believe they invoked and used too much magic. That spell was far more powerful than it should have been. They should wake up soon; they just need a few minutes to readjust. Let's get them to the recreation room and make them comfortable." Giles said, trying to soothe the frightened girl as well as the others.
Kurt teleported out with Willow and Logan lifted Serena into his arms to carry her up. Faith and Scott pulled Spike up and handed him off to Freddy to be carried and everyone trooped after the huge mutant to the elevator. Charles detoured to retrieve some smelling salts from the infirmary and met the group in the rec room a few minutes later.
The three spell casters were laid out on the couches when Charles arrived and he went to Willow first as she was closest. A few passes of the bottle of smelling salts roused the small redhead and she wrinkled her nose in distaste as she awoke. Spike was next and it only took one whiff of the bottle to have the vampire up and commenting on the awful smell. As the wheelchair bound man headed toward the couch where Serena was laying in Logan's arms a small voice addressed him, "Be careful Professor Xavier. Logan growled at me when I tried to take her hand. I thought he was going to hit me."
The bald man turned his head and saw that it had been Pietro who gave the warning. The snowy haired boy was looking at him over Evan's shoulder, as he was half hiding behind the other boy. Charles nodded to him and approached the raven-haired couple. As the speedster had said, when he got within arms reach of Serena, Logan started growling. "Logan, I need to help Serena. Please quit growling at me." He said calmly and moved his chair forward a bit more. The rumbling sound from the big man increased in volume and the professor reversed his chair away from the couch.
The telepath took a closer look at his old friend and saw that the man's sapphire blue eyes were more golden now, indicating that he was starting to turn feral. Charles had been watching Logan since the incident that morning when the big man had growled about Serena kissing his head. He'd heard the low rumbling sound several times throughout the day and seen Faith intervene to stop the man's growling earlier. "Faith, would you come here please?" He called to the Slayer.
The brunette came forward and stood next to him. Charles handed her the bottle of smelling salts and said. "Would you see if Logan will allow you close enough to wake Serena? I believe his feral side is coming out and reacting to any man who comes close to her. If we can wake her he should begin to calm down."
"Sure thing Prof." She replied and walked calmly forward. Logan was still growling softly but he didn't increase the volume when the Slayer got close to them. She knelt down on the floor beside them and waved the smelling salts under Serena's nose while saying, "Oh knock it off Wolf, it takes more than a little growling to scare me. You're being an ass."
The ebony-haired woman opened her eyes and groaned, a headache making itself known behind her eyes. She heard Logan growling above her and sat up slowly. The big man immediately wrapped his arm around her waist and hauled her up into his lap where he started nuzzling the bite mark on her throat. "Huh? Logan what are you doing?" She asked, confusion in her tone.
No answer was forthcoming from the feral man and she looked to her friends, hoping one of them could tell her. "He's gone feral Nymph. He's been growling and glaring at any man who comes near you all day, especially me. When the spell knocked us out and he brought you up here he just let go of whatever control he had. The elf was just telling me he damn near took a swipe at Speedy for trying to hold your hand while you were out." Spike told her.
Charles cleared his throat to gain her attention and continued, "That is quite true Serena. If you'll remember, he took exception to your greeting me when you arrived in the kitchen this morning. I believe that when he calms down and regains control of himself the two of you should talk about whatever it is that's bothering him."
Serena opened her mouth to reply but was halted by Spike. "I've got a feeling it has to do with what happened last night Nymph, and exactly where he put his mark. You get my meaning Luv?" The blond asked.
The amber-eyed woman thought for a moment before it hit her what her friend meant. "Damnit! I asked him earlier what was wrong and he said it was nothing. Cripes how could I be so stupid?" She muttered, putting the clues together. "I'll take him upstairs now and get this worked out."
Logan was beginning to come back to his senses and when Serena removed herself from his lap and ordered him to follow her he sent a confused look at the rooms occupants before trailing the raven-haired woman out of the room. She opened the door to their bedroom and went in, waiting beside it until he entered the room before closing it firmly and locking the door. "Sit down Logan." She said in a flat voice.
He sat down on their bed and looked at her, still a bit confused. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten from the Danger Room to the rec room or why Serena would be angry with him, which she obviously was. She came to stand right in front of him and took his chin in her hand, tilting his face up to peer at his eyes. "Well, the gold is gone. Are you back to yourself now or should I wait a few minutes?"
"Huh? Gold? You mean I went feral? Shit!" The raven-haired man cursed, realizing what had happened and why he was missing time. "What did I do Chatty? Did I hurt anyone?" He asked.
Serena let out her own growl, this one of frustration and anger. "Let's count them off shall we? According to Charles and Spike you've growled and glared at any man who came near me today, that's one. You lied to me when I asked if anything was wrong, that's two. You went feral when the spell knocked me out and almost hit Pietro, that's three. I imagine that Spike is a bit embarrassed at having to explain what he thinks caused all this, so we'll call that four. Not to mention what having him know that you think that he and I used to be lovers has done to me. That's about it I think, of course I haven't talked to everyone else."
Logan winced as his mate listed each of her points and gaped when she related Spike's thoughts on the cause of his attitude. "Damn vampire notices more than I gave him credit for. How the hell did he figure it out?" He muttered under his breath.
The raven-haired woman turned darkening eyes on him as she replied, "He noticed where you put your claiming mark. It isn't a big jump from there to figuring out why you chose that particular spot to mark me. I asked earlier and got lied to, so I'll rephrase the question now and give you a chance to answer me truthfully. What is wrong?"
The big man sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Serena's anger at him was making his own anger, frustration, and confusion come bubbling up and when he replied his tone was just as nasty as hers. "I didn't know alright? God damn it Serena! I didn't know if you knew about claiming a mate. I didn't know if you knew you'd claimed me and that I claimed you. That got me started on the fuckin vampire's mark on you. I haven't liked it since I first saw it."
"I more than half expected you to be a virgin last night, but you weren't and when my brain started doing my thinkin for me again I started wonderin if it was him who got to be your first and if he laid that mark on you while he was takin your virginity." He had gotten up and started stalking around the room while he ranted and now he stopped and whirled around to face his lover.
"I can't help who and what I am Serena. I've lusted after you since you got here. I fell in love with you months ago and danced around it, waitin to see if you felt the same. Then we went to California and you kissed me. I finally knew you felt something more than friendship towards me and I was the happiest goddamn man alive. And the next day, there was Spike, and he knew you. He'd known you for years, he was the one you risked getting kicked outta here to save, he was the one whose mark you wore so proudly."
"I shoved the jealousy aside and told myself I was bein stupid. I made friends with him and I actually like the blond bastard. He got together with Rogue and everything was fine, he wasn't lookin at you like he wanted to be in your bed. And then we get to last night. I finally made love with the angel I've been callin my mate since before I can remember and I find she's been with someone else and I realized that for all I knew about your past you coulda been a street whore or worse. I wanted you to be mine, just mine, so I put my mark over his and wiped out his claim on you. But that didn't stop me from wonderin."
"I've been actin like an idiot all day today and I can't fuckin help it. What happened between us last night didn't seem to have changed you at all. You still went around givin out hugs and kisses to everyone and every other word outta your mouth seemed to be Spike, and that damned vampire was beside you every time I turned around. You got hurt doin that spell with him and I guess I just lost what little control I had left." Logan trailed off; unable to think of anything else to say to the woman he loved. He sat back down on the edge of the bed and put his head in his hands, glancing over once to see Serena sitting in her rocking chair, clutching the porcelain doll and sobbing.
Serena was quiet for a long while, rocking in her chair and holding tightly to Isabella while the tears poured down her cheeks to wet the dolls hair. "Why didn't you ask me?" She finally asked in a mere whisper of a voice. "Last night, this morning, hell any time today you could've asked me. Last time we fought I told you that if you ever had a question for me I'd answer you truthfully if you asked, and I would have. I'd still tell you, if you asked, but not right now. I'm too damn tired, and too hurt and angry to say more than this, so pay attention. Before you, I had been with one other man. That man was not Spike, so you needn't be jealous of him. He marked me for protection only, as did Dru. Now please leave, I really want to be alone."
Logan got up and walked to the door. Before he opened it he turned back and said quietly. "You're right, I should have just asked you. I'm sorry that I didn't and I'm sorry I hurt you. I know you don't wanna talk to me right now, but I'd like to, when you're ready. I love you Serena, I don't wanna lose you because of this."
He opened the door and walked out, closing it softly behind him and walking down the hall to his own room, the room he hadn't slept in for over a month. He knew he should go downstairs and apologize to the guys, especially Spike and Pietro, but he didn't feel like seeing them right now. Unfortunately, the vampire was waiting for him in his room.
The heavy drapes had been drawn over his window and Spike was sitting in his recliner, an unlit cigarette between his fingers. "If it makes you feel any better mate, she'll probably forgive you." The blond said softly, announcing his presence in the dark room.
Logan was startled, having been too lost in his thoughts to notice the other person in the room with him. "Shit Spike! What're you doing in here?" He asked after locating the other man.
"Eavesdropping. You'll have to forgive me for that, evil demon you know. I was also waiting to talk to you." Spike replied, keeping his tone neutral. The vampire was both pleased, and not pleased by the conversation between Serena and the big man and felt the need to interfere in order to make sure things turned out well for the small woman.
The raven-haired man sighed and sat down on his bed, leaning against the headboard. "I suppose you want to beat the shit outta me for hurtin her, can't say I'd blame ya. For what it's worth, I'm sorry for growlin at you and generally bein an asshole today."
Spike waved off the apology and replied, "You don't need to apologize to me Logan. Of everyone in this place, I'm the one who knows what was going through your head today. You and I aren't that different, we both have a beast inside us. If you weren't hurting as much as she is, I'd beat you until you were, but there's no need."
The vampire muttered under his breath for a moment before pulling out his cigarette pack and lighter. He lit the one he'd been playing with and tossed the pack to Logan. As the feral man lit up, he continued. "I'm gonna do you a favor Logan. I'm going to tell you a bit about my Nymph, and about those marks on her neck. Some of this I'm going to have to be vague on because it's not for me to tell you, but I want to make sure nothing like this happens again. I hate seeing Serena cry, and hearing it's just as bad."
Both men took deep drags on their cigarettes and Logan sat up a sit straighter, preparing to listen to his friend's story. "A lot of people will tell you that vampires can't love because they don't have a soul. That isn't true; a demon can love just as easy as anyone else. When I first saw Serena, or Nichola rather, I was fully prepared to turn her into dinner. Dru was the one who wanted to keep her, and I always did what Dru wanted, especially if it came from her stars. It didn't take long for either of us to come to love our pet human, she's easy to love."
"The marks on her neck were there for months before we actually claimed her. She would let us feed from her occasionally, if there were no other food source available. It was when we were preparing to leave New Orleans and she told us she wanted to stay that Dru and I claimed her. We wanted to protect her, and we wanted to have a link to her, something that would proclaim to any demon that she belonged to us."
"Dru might be insane, but there are times when you wouldn't know it. She was as sane as anyone when we discussed claiming Serena. I decided to claim her as my future childe, and Dru agreed to mark her as a second. Basically what the claiming marks on her neck mean is that one day, with her permission, I will turn Serena and make her my childe. Dru's mark states that she agrees with my choice of heir and if for any reason I can't turn her, Dru will."
"That type of claim is called the Rite of Sire bond and is the best protection I could give her. If any fool was brave enough to ignore my claim and try to kill her or turn her Dru and I would know and could perform a ritual bloodletting that would prevent her death and turn her instead, as childe to either or both of us. That claim can't be erased Logan. When your mark heals, mine will still show, and the link to me will still be there. You need to understand that, and that for all intents and purposes I am her Sire, her father, and one day I will change her into a vampire. I love her, and as her future Sire a part of her will always be mine. Now that you know, can you live with that?" Finished for the moment, the master vampire extinguished his cigarette against the sole of his boot and looked over at the other man.
Logan was stunned; behind the amnesia a part of him knew he should've recognized those marks for what Spike said they were, that he'd seen similar marks before. He put a hand to his head and rubbed, trying to work out the tension. He thought about everything the vampire had said, that some part of his mate would always belong to the blond, and he realized, "I should be feeling threatened by you. Another alpha male with a claim on my mate, I should be going completely feral and trying to kill you right about now. Judging by the fact that I'm not even growling, let alone feral, I'd say that yeah, I can live with your claim on her."
Spike let out the unneeded breath he hadn't realized he was holding and relaxed into the recliner. "That's good then, everything's fine. Before I go back to my little Spitfire though, I have a couple more things to say to you."
He paused and took another unneeded breath, trying to figure out how to phrase his next comment. "Like I said when you came in, I eavesdropped on the fight you had with my Nymph. Consider this a friendly warning for future discussions. Talking about the person she was with before you is going to bring up some of her worst memories, the worst in fact. Memories she has nightmares about even now, over a decade later. I won't say anything else about it, it isn't my story to tell."
Spike got up and walked over to the bed where he leaned down over Logan in a stance that was purely threatening as he gave his next warning. "One last thing Logan, and this warning isn't the friendly type. Do not ever use the word whore in reference to my childe again. She hates that word more than any other and will likely beat the living hell out of you if you call her that again. And once she's finished with you, I'll torture the word out of your vocabulary."
"If you take nothing else I've said today to heart, make sure this warning sticks. You don't want to learn first hand how I came to be known as William the Bloody, or Spike." With a swirl of black leather, the vampire left the room. When the door shut behind him, Logan gave in to the fear the blondes last comment had invoked, and shivered.
Serena didn't know how long she'd been there, sitting in her rocking chair, lost in her thoughts. It surprised her that night had fallen outside her window when the timid knock on the door brought her out of her silent contemplation. She gave herself a mental shake and called out, "Come in."
Pietro poked his head around the door, and came in when the amber-eyed woman beckoned to him. "Hello Ptichka, are you alright? I'm sorry that Logan frightened you earlier, he wasn't really himself." Serena said, getting up to hug the snowy haired teen.
"I'm okay 'Rena, it just freaked me out a little. Spike let me come up, he's been playing guard dog at the bottom of the stairs all afternoon. He wasn't going to let me up, but I told him I really needed to talk to you. I guess it's not the best time, what with you and Logan and everything but well, everyone's here and…" The teen trailed off, his nervousness becoming more apparent.
The older woman tightened her hold on the boy, nodding her agreement. "You want to tell them now and get it over with, I understand. Come, I'll use the intercom and have everyone meet us in the rec room. It will be okay Ptichka, you'll see."
Putting words into actions, she kept one arm around the teen and walked with him to the door where the intercom box was located just to one side. She activated all the intercoms in the house and asked everyone to meet in the rec room, then opened the door and led Pietro out into the hall and down the stairs. Spike met them at the bottom and with an arched eyebrow asked if she was okay and what was happening. As they walked toward the rec room Serena quietly filled the vampire in on what they were going to talk about and received his support. "I'm behind you Nymph, Speedy, whatever happens."
Most of the residents and visitors were already in the room when they got there, but they waited until everyone had arrived and gotten situated before they began. Pietro sat in a recliner with Serena perched on the arm of the chair with her arm around his shoulders. He looked around the room at everyone, finding that they were all staring back at he and Serena, waiting to see what they had to say. He turned his silvery blue eyes up to the older woman, silently asking if she would start.
"Pietro asked me to bring you all here and help him talk to you tonight. There is something you don't know about him, and he is scared to tell you. I've tried to reassure him that sharing this secret will cause no problems, but that is really up to all of you. We'll try to keep this as short as possible so you can get back to what you were doing. Ptichka?" The amber-eyed woman addressed the group, giving her surrogate son time to organize his thoughts.
Pietro swallowed hard and straightened up in the chair. "Okay, I guess keeping it short is the best way to go so I'll just say it. I really like it here, I've finally got friends I can trust, and I found the only person I ever knew who loved me here. I don't want to have to leave, but I'll understand if you don't want me here after I tell you what I've been keeping from you."
The snowy-haired boy reached over and grasped Serena's free hand to steady himself as he continued, "My mother died in childbirth. I was five years old when I first met my father and thirteen when I learned who he really was. I don't like him, in fact I got pretty good at hating him over the years. My father is the one who got me out of jail and brought me here from the city. He set me up with the Brotherhood because he runs it. My father is Magneto."
The room was silent after Pietro finished speaking. The Scooby gang was looking confused, as they hadn't been told much about Magneto yet. Charles was nodding his head, as if he had known or at least suspected it. Everyone else seemed to be going from shock to anger, and the former Brotherhood members as well as Evan were showing betrayal mixed with the other emotions. Logan however, turned his eyes on Serena. "You knew about this Chatterbox." He said flatly.
The raven-haired woman was the epitome of calm on the outside, but inside she was getting angry at their reactions. She nodded and looked back at her mate. "Yes, I knew Pietro was Magneto's son. I've known since Charles first showed me his picture. He said to me, 'This is Magneto, be wary of him.' I almost said back, 'This is the devil-man I've been hunting for years.'"
"Why didn't you tell us? You let the son of one of the worst mutants around into our home. I can't even remember all the opportunities you had to tell us who this kid is." The big man asked, receiving nods of agreement to his comments from everyone else.
Serena's warm amber eyes turned cold as she sensed the anger directed at herself and Pietro. "Why didn't I tell you? Because it should not matter. 'Magneto's son', that is not who Pietro is. That is what he is, and then only a small part. Who he is, is a teenage boy. He is a mutant gifted with sonic speed. He is a friend to many of you, and a teammate. I could go on forever listing the things that make him who he is."
"You say who he is, is Magneto's son, the son of our enemy, and let it lie with that. I say, if he is to be judged only by his parentage, then you can as easily say he is my son. Magneto fathered him and then left him with strangers all his life. I helped raise him from infancy, I was there when he took his first steps, said his first words. I taught him to read, to ride a bicycle, to play the piano. I fought like a mother lion to keep him when the devil-man came to take him away. I fought with, and lost, everything I had for Pietro, so if you judge him by his parent's deeds, you judge him by his mother, not his father." Serena was up now, pacing around the room, her eyes flashing as she looked into the eyes of her friends and teammates while she stated her case.
Her ranting seemed to hit home with many of the group. The anger and betrayal faded from their eyes, replaced with understanding of the situation Serena and Pietro found themselves in. The woman had one more thing to say to them though. She stopped again beside Pietro's chair and the teen stood to embrace her tightly. Holding the boy in her arms, she met each persons eyes briefly before locking gazes with her lover and speaking again.
"I hate Magneto, I hate him and fear him more than anyone in this room, including the friend and son he betrayed. I have hunted Magneto for years, as Spike can tell you. The next time I meet him, he will die by my hand, for what he has done to Pietro, and even more, for what he did to me. If I, who suffered physically, mentally, and emotionally from Magneto's brutality, can still look at his son with nothing but love in my heart, then all of you should be able to find it in yourselves to see Pietro as himself, and not as his fathers son." She moved again, releasing Pietro and dropping gracelessly into the recliner where she seemed to fold into herself.
The whole room watched the woman as she crumbled from the emotional stress of the day. They all knew her as a strong woman; she had a will stronger than the adamantium that lined Logan's bones. To see her small body shaking uncontrollably brought home to everyone the knowledge that she had gone through something horrible that was connected with Magneto.
Her friends wanted to go to her; to comfort her and ask how they could help, but those who knew her best and loved her most were already crowding around her. Pietro, who was closest to the chair, was kneeling with his arms around her, crying with her. Spike, who had the advantage of knowing the background of her statements had rushed over and placed his arm around her back, whispering reassurances in her ear. Kurt, who also loved her as a mother was hovering next to Spike, concern evident in his opalescent eyes. And Logan, the anger in his eyes completely replaced with sorrow and worry over his mate had taken up a position opposite Spike and mimicked the vampire by placing an arm around her and murmuring in her ear.
Serena was aware of the arms around her and she heard the soft sounds of Pietro crying, Logan and Spike murmuring to her. She tried to calm herself, focusing on the sounds, the feel of comforting arms. She took deep, shaky breaths and forced her mind out of the black pit where her single memory of Magneto sat like a caged beast, ready to pounce and destroy her at last. It took a long time to calm herself enough to straighten up again, and there was a clearly audible sigh of relief from the people who remained in the room when she did.
Charles and Giles had ushered most of the teenagers out of the room when Serena collapsed. The only people who remained in the room besides the four who surrounded her were Willow, Rogue, Evan, Charles, and Giles. All except Pietro and Logan backed off to give her some room and they waited for a while. "Serena, are you alright?" Charles finally asked, breaking the silence.
The dark haired woman nodded, but didn't look up at the others. Instead she focused on Pietro who was still kneeling in front of her. She smoothed the corn silk hair back from his forehead and lifted his face from where he'd buried it in her skirt. "My baby, do not cry. I do not like, when my Ptichka cries." She murmured in a soft, heavily accented voice and wiped the tears from his reddened face.
"Mama, what did he do to you? I remember now, it was so vague before, but I remember. You were hurt, bruised, you couldn't walk. I remember, I heard noises; I didn't know what they were." The teens normally silver blue eyes were red rimmed and bright aqua from the tears. He lowered his head, clutching at her hands and repeating over and over, "What did he do to you?"
The boys tears brought forth her own and Serena leaned down, coaxing him up and into her lap where she began to rock. "No Ptichka, do not ask this of me. This thing, it is not what a child should know of his father. What it is that you remember, it is child's nightmare, only bad dream. You listen to Mama, to Nichola, is only bad dream. No monsters in baby's closet, you understand? Only bad dream." She continued in that vein, her heart hoping she could convince the boy her words were true, her mind knowing she couldn't.
Pietro wanted to believe her, but he shook his head violently to chase the false hope away. "No, it wasn't a nightmare, not a child's bad dream. He hurt you! He hurt you so bad you could barely get out of bed to say good-bye to me the next morning! Tell me Nichola…Mama! Tell me, I need to know what he did to you."
Serena shook her head; she didn't want to tell. Her eyes searched out Spike, begging her friend to find a way to get her out of this. The blond vampire met her eyes and said, "It's his decision Serena. He's old enough now to understand and decide whether he wants to know or not. I think Logan and Charles should hear it too. Logan needs to know, he's your mate; and Charles used to be his friend, he deserves to know the type of monster the man has become."
The woman lowered her eyes and nodded, resigned to telling the story. "Spike, please get everyone out, everyone except them. The others don't need to hear this. But come back after, if I'm going to do this I need you with me, only you know what reliving it does to me."
The vampire quickly cleared the room and locked the door. He walked to the recliner swiftly and said, "Pietro, you need to go over and sit with Logan and the Prof. You can't sit this close to her while she tells it, she might accidentally hurt you. Go on, sit with Logan."
Shakily, Pietro stood and went to sit next to the big man. He watched as Spike lifted Serena and sat in her place. The way the vampire held her was strange. He put her back to his chest and locked his arms around her, restraining her arms at the elbow. His strong legs closed around her shins and he crossed his ankles. From behind the curtain of Serena's hair he spoke to the two men and the boy. "What you're going to hear is Serena's worst memory. Whenever she talks about that night, she relives it in her mind. When she told me and Dru, she started hurting herself, and she hurts herself every time she has a nightmare about it. I'm just restraining her to keep any damage to a minimum. Go on Nymph, I've got you."
The woman's eyes were glazed when she raised her head. She wasn't seeing the room around her, only what was happening inside her mind. "He came from nowhere, with no warning. Not even Nadia and Peter knew he was coming. We were all having dinner together; my parents, Peter and Nadia, and Pietro and me. Mama, Nadia and I made a lamb roast. He came just in time to try some."
"Peter asked what brought him back to the area. He said he came to take Pietro. He wanted his son to live in America, to learn English and grow up as an American. Peter and Nadia, they did not want to give Pietro to him. 'We have raised him, he is our son.' They said. My mama, she told him 'If you take him away from Nichola he will be lost. He does not know how to live without her. Those two, they are joined at the heart. It would be cruel to separate them.'"
"He didn't care what any of us said, he did not care what Pietro said. My parents, they saw how upset this talk was making Pietro and I. They told me to take the baby and go home. 'Put him to bed at home Nichi. We will speak with the man and make him see reason.' Papa said, and I did. I carried Pietro to my home and put him in my bed. I told him, 'Everything will be good Ptichka. Mama and Papa, and Uncle Peter and Auntie Nadia will make the bad man go away and leave us alone.' I rocked the baby, my little one, and sang to him until he fell asleep. I left him sleeping in my bedroom with the door open just a bit. I was sitting next to the fire when the devil-man came."
Serena started shaking in Spike's arms, and her fists clenched until they turned a bloodless white. "The adults, they had talked to him for a very long time, but he would not relent. My Papa told me later, he and Mama had stayed to comfort Nadia and Peter. He thought the man had gone to stay at the inn. He did not know the devil-man had come to our house. He did not know what was happening to me because he did not come home to protect me."
"I was not frightened of the man at first. I was angry. He said, 'I am taking my son to America in the morning.' I wanted to scream at him, but I could not, I did not want to wake the baby. I threw things at him, told him he would not take my Ptichka from me. He got angry, and yelled at me, and I was still not afraid. I say to him 'Be quiet pig-dog, do not wake the child.' And he laughed at me, and I was still not afraid."
Her shaking intensified, she was vibrating in the vampire's arms. Suddenly, her head jerked to one side. "He laughed, and he struck my face with the back of his hand. Ah! His ring cut my cheek, and it hurt. I was afraid now, I had fallen to the floor, but I was not enough afraid. I got up, and I hit back, and kept hitting. I smiled when I saw his cheek bleeding as mine was from where my fingernails cut deep."
"When he looked at me again, I knew true fear. His eyes, devil's eyes, red as blood and burning. Things started shaking around the house. I backed away from him, from his eyes, his anger. The fireplace poker, it lifted all on its own and came toward me. I opened my mouth, I would scream! My scream would bring Papa and he would make the devil-man go! He laughed again, and he say to me, 'Be quiet little whore, do not wake the child.' Mocking me, he was, but he was right. If I screamed, it would wake Pietro and he would see. He would see the devil-man and be scared; I could not let the baby see this demon. I did not scream."
Her mouth opened in a silent scream and she began jerking around in Spike's arms violently. Tears streamed down her face and she unclenched her fists to claw at the vampire's leather-clad arms, trying to break his hold. The blond shook her and she started speaking again, even as she jerked and scratched. "I did not scream. I did not scream when the poker hit me and broke one of my ribs. I did not scream when I fell to the floor in pain. I did not scream when the poker hit me again, and again, over and over until I thought my back would break."
"I did not scream when the poker fell to the floor beside me and the devil-man turned me over. I lay there silent while he beat me with his fists and feet. I turned my head to the opened door of my bedroom and concentrated on not waking my baby when he fell on my body and raped me. And when he finally finished with me, he went to the front door. 'That's a good little whore, you didn't wake my son. For that, I'll leave him here until morning so you can say your good-byes. If you'd been a little better, I might have taken you along with us, but what can you expect from a backwoods whore.' He said to me."
The convulsive jerking had subsided, though Serena was still shaking. "It was long time before I could get up. I went to shower, washed myself, took care of places that were bleeding. When I finished, I crawled into bed and held Pietro close to me. I sang to him and prayed for his safety. I loved him so much, but I knew I would not survive another fight with the devil-man. I prayed for God to keep him safe from the monster until I was strong enough to follow after him and take him back."
"And the next morning, my parents came with Peter and Nadia, and the devil-man came after them. I could not walk, so I crawled. I crawled into the living room and hugged and kissed the baby, I told him we would see each other again. I watched the devil-man pick him up and walk away from our house. And when I could not see their shiny white hair anymore, then I screamed." She was finished now, her energy completely gone. She slumped back into Spike's chest and just breathed, forcing the memory back into its cage.
As the horror faded, her energy levels increased. Her anger over what had been done to her gave her the strength to open her eyes and face her audience. Pietro was curled in a fetal position on the couch; Logan had retreated to a corner of the room and was visibly trying to control his feral instincts. Charles had his face in his hands and was shaking his head back and forth. "Let me go Spike." She whispered quietly.
The vampire obliged and released his hold, allowing her to climb out of his lap. She turned and took in the bloody tears leaking from his eyes and the bruise forming on his cheek where she had hit him with her jerking and thrashing. "Thank you for going through it with me again, I'm sorry for hurting you. I love you Will." She said softly as she leaned over to hug the blond and kiss his bruised cheek.
Next she went to Pietro and hugged him as tightly as she could. "I love you Pietro, never doubt it. What I went through, I would go through again if I had to, for you. I need to leave for a while now. I think things will be alright for you here, but if they make you leave, or you feel like you can't stay, go into my bedroom. There are letters in my bedside table, in a box with a combination lock; the combination is your birth date.
"If you decide to leave, put the box somewhere they will find it and take your letter. Read it carefully and follow what it says to do. When I come back, I'll come here first, and if you're not here I'll come to you at the place my letter will send you. Be safe Ptichka, and remember I love you."
She pulled out of the embrace and looked deep into the boy's eyes, nodding when she saw he understood. Her hands came up to his face and she kissed his forehead, eyes, cheeks, and nose before standing up again. Serena looked at Logan and Charles who had turned to look back at her. They both opened their mouths to say something, but she held up a hand to stall them. "I need to leave for a while. Everything today, reliving that memory again, it's too much. I need to go lose myself somewhere until I can think straight again. I will come back as soon as I can, but I can't give you a day or time to expect me. Be well, I'll miss you all, and I love you."
With nothing more to say, Serena walked calmly to the door and opened it. Her pace quickened down the hall to the kitchen and she ran out the back door. Her destination was the cliffs, and she reached the place swiftly. Her control was slipping, and she clumsily ripped at her clothing, leaving the garments in a torn heap at the edge of the precipice. Her eyes were inky black and her words came out in a hiss from behind long fangs, "Poseidon protect your daughter, and protect your creatures from her fury."
She dove from the cliff. Her arm and dorsal fins broke through her skin and her legs lengthened and joined together. When she hit the water, she cut through it cleanly and disappeared into the ocean with a flash of moonlit color as her tail submerged.
Authors Note: For those who didn't read the notes up top, this was a very difficult chapter to write due to the sheer amount of emotion that I wanted to pour into it. After the difficulties in my life that halted the story it was even more difficult than I imagined it would be. I would really appreciate some feedback on this and the following chapters. Let me know if anyone is interested in seeing it continued. So, this being the only time (hopefully) that you'll see me pleading for reviews I'll go all out. PLEASE REVIEW, the author is DYING to hear what you think!
