I should probably mention this is slashy. Not graphically so, but slashy. A bit too late, I know, but better late than never. Enjoy.
Angelus had been distracted for days. He completely ignored Drusilla until he could not possibly disregard her anymore, and even then all he did was snap at her. It was quite a contrast from the role of doting father/lover he had played for the past almost-four months.
Darla had been in and out the past few months flitting between the court and the home. Angelus could never bring himself to enquire about Will, and Darla never brought the subject up. They were courteous to each other now; on the surface, one might even say normal, but without William around, it was hard to tell what was normal.
That was why he had been distracted. Tonight was the night William should come home. Angelus had tried his best to take his mind of his youngest Childe over the months by drinking heavily, feeding heavily, violently screwing Darla and Dru and frequently going out all night and coming back minutes before dawn, if at all. Once he had disappeared for three days, and turned up perfectly calmly just as Darla was about to go and search for him.
He rolled over on his bed, unable to lie still and sleep. Darla lay beside him and he felt her disapproval as he disturbed her rest. Now that it was time for Will to come home, Angelus was... what, scared? Apprehensive? To see his Childe again... what if Will were badly hurt, what if he were permanently maimed? He shifted a little to look at the ceiling.
"Angelus will you go to sleep!" Darla sniped from her side of the bed. Angelus didn't reply but closed his eyes obediently and tried to drive all thoughts of Will out of his head. It didn't matter anyway. Will was capable of looking after himself. He was two.
Then again, he had been two when he'd done his own service... and he'd hated it. He'd barely coped. And he was the Scourge of Europe - Will was just a naive fledgling vampire.
"Go. To. Sleep, Angelus! Or do I have to send you into Drusilla's room?"
Angelus sighed heavily and looked at the thick curtains, through which the daylight was still visible. He sat up and heaved his legs over the side of the bed. "I'm going downstairs, Darla. Sleep well."
She sniffed in reply, and he left the room quietly, wearing only his nightshirt. Downstairs he poured himself a decent sized whiskey, and settled down with a cigar to calm himself, enjoying the quietness of the house while everyone was asleep. It didn't last though. Daemon the minion appeared nervously a few minutes later.
"I heard you pouring a drink sir and Samuel said I should come and check you were ok..." he hurried. "You are... ok, sir?"
"Yes. Go back to sleep," Angelus replied tiredly, taking a puff of his cigar and swirling the drink round in the glass as Daemon clumsily escaped back to his bed.
A few hours later, as the light behind the curtains dimmed, Angelus went back upstairs and dressed himself. By that time the sun was gone - or very nearly - and he slipped out of the house and went hunting. A young man in a long coat satisfied his hunger very well, and he caught a cab to the rough area of far East London where the Master's court was currently situated.
Luke, one of the Master's Childer and therefore sibling of Darla, was waiting for him outside the entrance to a large warehouse. They barely exchanged words before Luke led the other vampire into the warehouse and through a series of corridors and staircases that became tunnels as they went deeper. Finally they arrived in a large room where Angelus was told to wait, and eventually the Master emerged to greet him.
"Angelus. You made it. I was rather hoping you'd forget. He was becoming quite an agreeable underling, particularly recently. All rebellion is gone. I'm sure you will be grateful to me for breaking this willful fledgling once you realize how he's changed.
A sense of dread crept over Angelus but he went with his better judgment and bit his tongue, lowering his head in respect. "Yes Master. May I see him?"
"Certainly. Shall I call for him or would you like to fetch him?"
"I'll fetch him," Angelus said quickly, wanting to see his boy as soon as possible.
The Master nodded. "Very well. I don't know exactly where he is, but he's your Childe, you should be able to smell him out."
Angelus closed his eyes and for a minute he couldn't find it, but there it was, underneath all the other foul, stale odors of this place; William's rich scent drew him closer. Only it wasn't so rich anymore. He followed it diligently, ignoring anyone he passed, until he saw a little bundle of rags in a corner. It couldn't be William... but it smelt like him, whatever it was.
It was definitely a vampire... and yes, it had to be Will, only his hair was much shorter and darker. He had his face turned to the wall so Angelus couldn't see the eyes, but the smell was unmistakable now. Will's hand was touching the wall; he was running his fingers over something again and again. He hadn't seemed to notice Angelus crouching next to him.
Angelus pulled the thin blanket that curled over his legs away, and put a hand on Will's face, turning it towards him. William's demonic amber eyes glared at him blankly, and then suddenly, he reeled back as if having been hit. His eyes flickered between blue and gold repeatedly, and finally stuck with the gold again. Angelus remembered that. The needing to have demon face on all the time to please the Master. That would have to be reversed. William looked at him in something like disbelief, and then snarled and flinched away, backing impossibly further into his corner. It was only then that Angelus realized how thin the boy had got. Was he not being fed? He remembered the Master had only allowed certain underlings to hunt, but they had always brought back enough for the others. So what was Will doing this thin?
Angelus was angry. But, for once in his life, there was nothing he could do. He would never win a fight against the Master, and he couldn't change what had already been. Instead, he tried to quell all hostile or angry scents that might be emanating from him, and reached out with one hand to touch Will again. With the other, he ran it against his fang and slit the wrist, offering it out to his Childe slowly.
"It's ok, Will. It's me. Sire. You're hungry - drink, all right?"
William hesitently lowered his mouth, and gradually drank more and more with each pull, as Angelus continued to soothe him like a frightened child.
"Jesus Will what happened to you?" he murmured. Then he noticed what it was Will had been touching on the wall, and he pulled Will's arm away gently. He stopped when he saw what it was. His tattoo. He detached his arm from William's mouth and looked at him. "Did you do this?"
William nodded. He seemed a little more like the Will Angelus knew now, and he swallowed awkwardly. "Uh…"
Angelus smiled and pulled Will towards him in a hug. "You got the tip of the wing wrong," he whispered lightly, and Will smiled hesitantly.
"Am I… are we…?"
"Going home," Angelus finished, standing up and pulling Will up with him. Will grinned, but it didn't last long as he nearly lost his balance. Angelus slipped an arm round him to hold him up as they walked down the tunnel, but as they got nearer the end, Will shook him off.
"I can walk on my own," he said, and visibly made the effort to appear healthier than he was.
The Master was waiting for them when they got to the large chamber. He smiled sadistically at Angelus. "So. Are you pleased?"
For a moment, Will thought Angelus was going to submit, but instead he looked up and flashed his eyes amber. "No. But Will understands the concept of submitting when necessary. Better part of valor, right lad?"
William grinned at the mischievous glint in his Sire's eye, and nodded. "Yup. Let's go."
Angelus nodded his head to the Master respectfully before leaving, but Will didn't bother. Instead, he turned when they reached the exit and stuck his tongue out childishly at the Master, who was now joined with Luke.
Only when they were outside did he collapse against his Sire in exhaustion, and purr in delight as Angelus stroked his hair and kissed him thoughtfully during the ride home in the cab.
It suddenly occurred to me while I was writing this that I may have got some timing wrong with Angelus and the Master… So I went through all my old Angel vids (videos, because I got them when I was too poor to afford dvds!) rewinding and fastforwarding to find the flashback dates from Prodigal, when Angelus was turned, and Darla, where he has the flashback to meeting the Master (I do all this for you guys, you should feel honoured!)... and I found out: Liam/Angelus was turned in 1753 but didn't meet the Master until seven years later in 1960. So that thing about Angelus going when he was two, doesn't really work out. After feeling very stupid for a few minutes, I concocted a cover story which is that Joss got it slightly wrong. And that incounter with the Master did happen, but it wasn't the first time they'd met, so it went slightly different. Or, it happened eight years earlier. I'm not sure yet. Just use your imagination, it's fanfiction - who cares if it doesn't play exactly to canon. I'm actually surprised no one brought this up with me in a reveiw before.
Sorry for the minor flaw. I'm sure you'll get over it. Also - this is the second chapter I've posted in two days! I'm so proud of myself.