Title: Chapter 12 Strangers
Disclaimer: Blah blah… you know the drill.
Notes: I have actually seen and heard some of this in real life so… 'scuse the language!
"I'm going on the swings!" Sasha yelled as she saw the park up ahead.
"Me too!" Will pelted after her.
Drusilla and Lani refused to be left behind and so raced each other to roundabout. Asara glanced at Spike and smiled,
"I'm so glad we got that charm for you to come out into the day with us."
"Knew the whole people owning us things was a good idea," Spike kept his eyes on the children.
The children were about a year old now and had mastered full body changes. They were allowed out to interact with humans if they kept one shape of a human child for a set length of time, which they all proved quite capable of doing. Spike fingered the crystal on its leather cord dangling round his neck and smiled. He hadn't truly missed the day but he loved seeing his family bathed in the golden light. If anything he thought Asara looked even more beautiful, especially when her hair caught the light and shone. Sasha's did exactly the same but Will's was a darker blonde so his didn't catch the light in the same way.
Sasha helped her smaller brother up onto the swing's seat before climbing up onto the one next door. They both kicked their feet in an effort to start moving but in the end Asara ended up pushing them both. Drusilla had left Lani and was now talking to a group of children, leaning over something on the floor. Spike moved so he could hear what they were saying and tried not to laugh.
"It's a caterpillar. It'll turn into a Monarch Butterfly soon," Dru explained.
"I don't believe you," one boy said. "You're making it up!"
"No I'm not!" Dru exclaimed.
"Liar, liar. Your pants are on fire," he crowed loudly.
"Crude and completely inaccurate," Dru shook her head at him.
The larger boy stopped and frowned, not expecting such a response. Normally his victims cried, ran away or physically fought back.
"You're so boring!" he called out before dashing off to pick on someone else.
Dru shrugged prior to a girl asking her another question. Spike watched the bully run off to the sand pit to kick sand at some of the younger kids. Noticing the father do nothing to stop the behaviour Spike grew angry at him. His son was a big boy, knew it and was clearly accustomed to getting his own way and it seemed to please him.
Sasha had grown bored of the swings and was now scrambling around the climbing frame like a monkey, with much better grip and balance than a normal human should have. She called Asara over to watch a trick so Will was left alone to keep up the height on his swing, which he managed quite well until the bully noticed him.
Picking up a stick the boy stuck it out and it caught the swing chains, making it swing wildly to one side. Will grabbed hold of the chains tightly but didn't lose his balance and fall off. The swing ground to a halt and the boy pulled Will off the swings.
"You shouldn't be on the grown-up swings. You're a baby so you should be on the baby swings," he pushed him away towards said swings.
"I'm sorry but I don't fit in them so I'm big enough to go on these," Will answered, not at all fazed by the bigger boy.
"Well this swing is mine," the boy told him.
"I'll use the other one then," Will smiled happily.
"That's mine too!" the boy grabbed both the seats.
Will frowned slightly before smiling again,
"Ok I'll go play on the roundabout then."
The bully watched him go, thwarted for a second time.
"Daddy will you push the roundabout and make it go really fast?" Will grabbed Spike's hand.
"'Course, but you have to hold on really tight," Spike told him.
"'K," Will bounced and pulled Spike over to the empty equipment.
Spike banished the bully from his mind when Dru joined them and soon the two were squealing happily as they spun so fast the world blurred.
Lani watched all this happen from his perch on the fence bordering the park. He didn't play very well with people outside the pack and was more content to watch, listen and learn. A man joined him, leaning against the fence from the outside and he wore a dark fedora, pulled low over his face.
"Hello Lani," he greeted.
"How do you know my name?" Lani spared only a glance at the stranger before turning back to watch his siblings.
"Didn't your parents tell you not to talk to strangers?" the man asked.
"No just to be wary of them," Lani answered.
"Ah good, good," the man nodded. "In answer to your question I know your name because of what your future holds."
"And how do you know what my future holds?" Lani wasn't put off by the answer.
"My job…a gift or curse depending on how you look at it," the man surveyed the park.
"Why my future?" Lani questioned.
"Has your mother not explained where your paths lie?" the man glanced sharply at him.
"No," Lani replied.
"Then I am surprised and that does not happen often," the man straightened. "I expected more from Asara considering her past. Ask her and also ask her who the Black Assassin was."
And with that he melted away into the trees.
Asara had spotted the pair of them and had been on her way over when the man disappeared.
"Who was that?"
"A stranger," Lani looked at his mother. "Mother who was the Black Assassin?"
Asara drew in a sharp breath,
"It has been a long time since I heard that name. He was a ruthless killer for hire."
"What does he have to do with me?" Lani was sharp enough to see the connection.
"The Black Assassin was a D'ewain and as the name suggests he was black. Everything about him was black," Asara realised why she had thought Lani's vampire transformation had been so familiar.
"Like me," Lani jumped down off the fence. "Why would a stranger tell me that?"
"I don't know Lani. I don't know," Asara glanced back at the trees behind them.
"He also said that you should have told us where our paths lie," Lani took his mothers hand.
"He's right," Asara wondered about the stranger. "When we get home I'll explain what he meant ok?"
Lani nodded.
Spike watched the roundabout slow and two faces turn to him.
"More please Daddy!" Drusilla cried out.
Spike grinned and stepped forward to grasp the bar to speed them on their way again when a chunky body hit his leg. Whirling on his attacker Spike discovered the bully climbing onto the roundabout and pushing Will off. His son let him but walked round and climbed back onto a different part. Will was a gentle, friendly, innocent boy who saw the best in everyone, regardless of what they did but in situations like now it meant people took advantage of him and Spike refused to let it go.
"Hey you leave them alone," Spike pulled the bully off his daughter.
The bully instantly called for back-up,
"Dad!"
"You leave my son alone!" the father pushed at Spike.
Spike let the boy go and swung to face the bigger threat. The man stood at six foot five and therefore had a seven inch advantage over Spike, not that that had ever bothered Spike. He was balding, had a tattoo across one bicep and was deliberately intruding into Spike's personal space.
"He stops picking on my kids I'll leave him alone," Spike folded his arms, refusing to be intimidated.
"My son can do whatever he likes and what's a short little fucker like you going to do about it? Nothing," the man prodded Spike in the chest.
"I bloody beg to differ," Spike snorted.
"Yeah a gay dick-sucker like you would beg," the man laughed.
"Takes one to know one mate," Spike replied dryly. "Bet your old woman hasn't had a decent shag since she's known you."
"You leave my wife out of this!" the man tried to be more intimidating.
"You reckon I'm a poofter? Let's solve this shall we? Where's your wife?" Spike raised an eyebrow.
"At home cooking dinner like a woman is supposed to," the man replied smugly.
"Yeah the fat old hag!" the boy sniggered from behind his father's leg.
"Asara!" Spike shouted. "Let's see whether your opinion is justified."
Asara appeared, followed by Lani and Sasha. The man eyed her,
"She's not your wife. Bet she's your nanny or some such crap."
Asara raised her eyebrow but waited for Spike to deal with it.
"So what wouldn't she do if she was a nanny?" Spike asked.
"Touch you intimately," the man leered at Asara.
"I beg to differ," Asara laughed before stepping over to Spike, pushing the man away.
She pressed the full length of her body against his, wrapped her arms round his neck and kissed him, hard. Spike's instinctively went to their usual places; bottom and back of her head as he kissed her back. Asara broke off with a growl and rotation of her hips not missed by the man.
"I think you sodding well lost. Now piss off before you start drooling all over my wife," Spike glared over Asara's shoulder at the man.
Asara set to work on Spike's neck, not caring that they were in a children's playground and Spike realised Asara wasn't just playing for show.
"Pet we'd be done for indecent exposure again," Spike warned her.
The man started slightly at that and Asara laid off slightly,
"We are going home now."
"Kids you heard your mother," Spike counted four heads before they set off.
Asara caught the sad expressions on the children's faces and yelled,
"Race you home!"
With screams of delight the five set off.
"You too O gay English wonder of Sunnyhell," Asara shouted at Spike over her shoulder.
"Come here you stupid bint!" Spike bellowed. "You are so in for it now!"
"And don't I know it!" Asara called back over her shoulder.
Spike grinned and ran faster. Asara had a good lead on him but wasn't running her hardest so the children had a better chance. Like young wild creatures the kids were almost as fast as their parents and so it was a proper race.
Sasha got to the door first and proclaimed herself the winner. The rest were so close on her heels that she was soon pounced on by her siblings. Asara drew up and let Spike catch her. He spun her round and kissed her.
"That's for cheating," he whispered in her ear.
"What about the name calling?" Asara murmured back.
"Later," Spike promised.
Asara grinned before running her hand down his face,
"Thank you for not spilling blood today."
"But I thought you would have preferred that," Spike looked at her questioningly.
"Sometimes but it's good for the kids to see there are other ways to solve things like using your head," Asara smiled.
"Not so much," Spike admitted. "More the first thing that came out of my mouth."
"Works for me," Asara thanked the witty mouth and sharp tongue.
"Mama," Dru tugged on Asara's trousers. "Lani said you had something to tell us."
Asara grudgingly broke the kiss and looked down,
"Yes Dru I do."
"What is it?" Sasha asked.
Asara looked up at Spike who stared back at her,
"Luv you'd best get on with it."
"Lani met a strange man today who told him some things and one of them was about where your paths lie but because of your mixed heritage I had wanted to wait," Asara sat down on the grass and everyone sat down next to her. "When D'ewains are young their parents watch them and decide where they think they will end up. Sometimes parents get it wrong or sometimes fate changes destiny but I will tell you what I think. Sasha I think you have the makings of an Alpha female and will probably take over leadership from me or find your own pack. Dru I see only one thing for you; the title Keeper. You love to learn and already know a vast deal more than many your age. Will if your sweet generous nature lasts it means that you will never hold a high rank but everyone will probably see you as their best friend and you'll never be alone," Asara sighed before turning to her oldest son. "Lani you have two paths and I can't see where you will end up. If you stay with this pack you will probably be given the title Protector."
The four children gasped. They knew the meanings of all the titles and to be called Protector was one of the highest honours but Protectors often fell from their high positions.
"I don't think another pack would accept you as Protector and I fear if you stray you will become an Assassin," Asara met Lani's gaze.
"Like the Black Assassin," Lani said quietly and Asara nodded.
"Who's the Black Assassin?" Spike asked.
"Think Special Ops, then add supernatural to the mix followed by no remorse and even less attachment to the world around him," Asara took Spike's hand.
"Sounds like Angelus but bloody worse if that's possible," Spike ran his spare hand across his son's hair.
-
"It worked. Well done."
The movement of the fedora hat was the only sign of acknowledgement the speaker got but he knew it was enough.
"It is written in the strands of fate," one of the speaker's sisters spoke up. "We control the strands but we do not make them to start with."
The man looked up,
"But to be dealt a hand so cruel…"
"If they are as strong as their threads then they will be safe," the youngest sister answered.
"And my contract?"
"Done," the eldest made a motion with her free hand. "We will no longer call upon you."
"The Powers That Be are not pleased," the man told them.
"We know," the eldest nodded, dismissing him.
"We do not care," the second informed him.
"They will not touch you," the youngest smiled slightly before the three vanished.
The man stood on a quiet street in London and sighed,
"I hope you Sisters of Fate know what you're doing."
-
"Angel we got a call from the PTB," Gunn yelled across the lobby.
"Did Cordy have a vision?" Angel hurried to the offices.
"Yes," Cordelia appeared, fingers massaging her temples. "I wonder what made you think that? Could it be the pain I'm in?"
"What did them upstairs want this time?" Gunn asked.
"You're not going to like this Angel," Cordelia looked up. "The problem's in Sunnydale."
"So is it bigger than Buffy can handle then? Or she doesn't know it's there?" Angel frowned.
"No and no I think," Cordelia held up a hand to forestall questions. "It's just one demon but I have a feeling that Buffy already knows of its presence."
"Why hasn't she killed it then?" Wesley puzzled.
"I have no clue. Visions are not that helpful," Cordelia wrinkled her nose.
"To Sunnydale it is then," Angel sighed.