Title: Seeking Shelter
Author: Silvi (Henna)
Fandom: Btvs/Ats
Genre: Angst.
Rating: Due to the undercurrents I would have to put this at a FRM. (In the old ratings that would be R )

For further Disclaimers see part 1

Summary: Continues where Part one left of. The next evening.


Part 2

The next night they both found themselves entering the outer limits of the city.

They had both woken up the moment the sun disappeared behind the horizon and without much fuss they had gone to the car. Five minutes after waking up they were on the road.

Hunger was ever present but neither of them where in a position to do anything about it and they knew it.

It wasn't the first time they had to face the gnawing sensation of hunger on the edge of starvation as ever since they found themselves in that place that sensation never really left.

The closer they got to the city Penn noticed that Spike got more and more nervous.

"Why are you nervous Will?" he asked, "If he's not going to help us I'm not going to let him hurt you."

"Spike. It's Spike now, Penn." Looking him over deliberately he arched an eyebrow. "You're not exactly in the condition to do anything."

"I'm still not going to let him hurt you." Penn said stubbornly his lips set in a firm line. "At least that I have a more then passing chance to stop." He finished quietly seeing from the corner of his eyes Spike involuntarily flinch.

As they got in the city Penn decided to dump the car. Stopping in an obscure parking place he killed the engine. He had deliberately not stopped anywhere near what was supposedly theirs sire's place as he didn't want to risk any discovery from their enemies.

Sitting there both were reluctant to leave. Penn rubbed his face and sighed. Nudging Spike he said, "Come on."

Nodding tiredly Spike joined Penn beside the car once again trying to wrap the remains of his clothes around him. He felt really exposed and a big part of him admired the way that Penn managed to not seem at all ill at ease with the state of his person.

He surmised that they should really avoid any contact with anyone as they were most likely to give whoever saw them a heart attack. A prospect that would usually amuse him but would be the bad kind of attention they really didn't need as he had no doubt those damn human were still looking for them.

As Penn started to walk he fell in step beside him, his naked feet joining Penn's making soft tape-ti-tap sounds on the pavement.

They stuck to the shadows and back-ways and after a while the building they searched for loomed before them.

When Spike saw the building he wished in a way that he had never returned to Sunnydale. Though, he thought as he looked at Penn, if he hadn't he would never had know that Penn was stuck in that place, really never have met Penn again at all as the likelihood that Penn would have managed to escape alone were close to if not in fact non-existant.

They managed to move undetected by anyone – humans and demons alike and it was about damn time they got there as Spike was hardly able to take another step. His feet left faint blood prints on the ground and his shaking form was no longer able to be ignored.

Stopping Penn walked the few steps that separated him from Spike and wrapped an arm around him quietly urging him on. As they entered the building and walked down the steps to get to the back Spike noticed that the arm around him was also shaking and realize that Penn was closer to the brink then he had let on.

It was just shear force of will that had taken him this far and it was fast running out. Deciding to stop being such a brat he looped his arm around Penn's waist and helped hold him up.

Penn looked surprised at him but he didn't hide the gratefulness he felt in his eyes. Spike tried to shrug but the arm around his shoulder prevented him from doing that. Penn nevertheless caught the sentiment.

As they walked down the hall, more like hobbled down it, they both simultaneously stopped and stared at the big slide door in front of them.

Looking at each other Penn eventually sighed and helping Spike lean against the wall he turned to the door staring at the metal. He heard as Spike slid down the wall, groans of pain escaping from his clenched teeth. He could smell his blood perfuming the air choosing to ignore the scent that indicated that his blood was mingling there as well.

As he stood there in front of the door that was the only physical object separating them from their sire the barriers that he had built around him began to crumble. Lifting his hand that was shaking he swallowed down the lump that had stubbornly lodged in his throat.

Taking a deep breath, filling his lungs with the smell of the place but most importantly Spike, it spurred him on. They had managed to get this far and he was damned if he was going to stop here.

Knocking as hard as he could he waited.

Silence.

He knocked again, though this time not as forceful as the strength was fast bleeding out of him.

Please be home.

Silence.

His shoulder slumped as he turned to Spike and walked over to him. Sinking down to his knees he crawled the rest of the way to sit next to him. If this meant he had to wait, then he would wait but he would not leave until he had seen their sire.

"And now what?" Spike asked beside him. He sounded defeated and that was not something Penn liked to hear.

"And now we wait. He has to come home sooner or later." He nodded as well to emphasize his point, not – he assured himself – to convince himself.

TBC