Author's Note: Two chapters in one week: I'm on a roll! ::cough:: Anyway... This interlude takes place in Athens immediately after the prologue, and it gives a lot more information about Damien, Drusilla's destruction, and Dalton's adoption of Xander. Enjoy!

Interlude: Athens, Greece - 1980

Spike ran as fast as he could out of the apartment building, keeping a firm grip on baby Alexander. The infant was quiet, as if understanding the need for silence, but Spike could feel his heart beating rapidly in his tiny chest in fear.

The Brit could still hear the police officers shouting to each other in Greek, but they sounded much further away than they had been earlier. Spike fervently hoped that the rest of the Order had safely escaped, that they hadn't ended up like poor Dru.

Spike fought back tears of grief as he thought of his dark princess. He knew he shouldn't have left her at their temporary nest, but he had been hungry and sick of hearing her babble incoherently about some prophecy, so he left her in search of food and entertainment.

Alexander whimpered softly in Spike's arms, bringing the vampire back to reality. "Right, pet; it's okay. I'm just thinkin'," Spike murmured, brushing his fingertips across the babe's wispy brown hair. Alexander closed his eyes at the touch and let out a tiny, contented sigh. It was then that Spike remembered what the baby's mother had told him: that she and her son were telepathic. He's responding to my state of mind, Spike realised. Right, so just stay calm an' the pup will be fine.

Confident that Alexander would stay quiet, Spike stopped and tentatively sniffed the air, trying to pick up the scent of the vampires in his Order. A soft breeze came up from the Mediterranean, and with it came the distinctive scent of the perfume Ella fancied. Risking a quick glance behind him at the apartment building where the young Greek woman still remained, Spike adjusted the infant human in his arms and loped off toward the harbour.

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With a bored sigh, Damien tossed a flat rock into the water, watching it skip across the harbour with an emotionless gaze. He had been a vampire for almost a month now, and he couldn't remember ever being this bored. His Sire, Spike, paid no attention to him; instead, spoiling his own Sire, the mad vampiress, Drusilla.

The fledgling let out a subsonic growl at the thought of Drusilla, but quickly suppressed it when he caught sight of Fox glaring at him. Though now that Dru was out of the way, Spike would have to give Damien the attention he deserved. He smiled to himself, mentally patting himself on the back for coming up with the idea to alert the Athenian police to the Order's presence, and therefore eliminating his rival for Spike's affections.

"Damien! Make yourself useful and help Dalton pack those books on board!" Ben, who had been put in charge in Spike's absence, ordered gruffly from the deck of the stolen vessel. "Master Spike may be your Sire, but that doesn't give you the excuse to slack off and watch the rest of us work, boy!"
Damien growled at the older vamp behind his back, but obediently got up and picked up the crate of books which he had been sitting on, carrying it onto the ship and down into the hold. Dalton was already there, making sure that all of his precious books were safely on board. Damien sneered at the scholar contemptuously. He had little respect for Dalton, mainly due to the older male's lack of bloodlust.

There was a shout from the deck and both Damien and Dalton hurried to the stairs and up out of the cargo hold. The entire Order of Aurelius stood crowed by the railing, looking toward the harbour's deck, with giant Starcat standing back to guard the captive human crew.

As Damien and Dalton approached, the crowd parted to reveal an irate Spike, who held a bundle of cloth close to his narrow chest. The blonde walked past Damien and stopped in front of Ben, who bowed and lowered his gaze respectfully.

"Report," Spike ordered.

"The nest was raided by the Athenian police, my lord," Ben stated emotionlessly. "We weren't as careful as we originally had thought." He paused hesitantly before continuing. "I regret to inform you, milord, that Lady Drusilla is-"

"Dead. I know," Spike interrupted flatly, his internal pain and grief only showing in his azure eyes. "A telepathic human told me. She helped me escape." He glanced down at the tiny bundle in his arms and held it close. "Are there any human women capable of nursing on board?"

Ben looked at Spike in bewilderment. "Nursing? No, Master. The human crew is entirely male."

"Bugger. Tell them to sail for Crete, then. As soon as we dock, I want you, Ella, Starcat, and that young female, what's 'er name?"

"Cooper, sir."

"Right, an' Cooper to get as much formula, diapers, baby food, an' the like as you possibly can. Got that?"

Damien looked around and was relieved to see that he wasn't the only one who was staring at Spike as if he'd lost his mind. He edged closer to get a better look at the bundle, which Spike carried, but was held back by Dalton.

Everyone looked expectantly at Ben, waiting for him to voice the question that was foremost in every vampire's mind. Spike, as if anticipating the question, drew back a fold of the blanket, revealing a tiny, dark-eyed face. The vampires began to whisper among themselves and Damien's jet-black eyes widened in shock. He can't be serious, he thought. We prey on humans, not adopt them! A subsonic growl rumbled through his slender chest as he glared at the infant.

The baby whimpered and tucked his face closer to Spike. The Englishman's head whipped around and his cold blue gaze was fixed on Damien. With a vicious snarl, Spike backhanded the fledgling, splitting Damien's lip and causing blood to pour from his nose in the process. Damien coughed, choking on blood as he fought back an outcry.

"Keep your opinions to yourself, whelp!" Spike snapped, aiming a kick at the cowering fledge. "The Nibblet picks up thoughts an' emotions, an' I won't stand for you scarin' 'im!" He let his icy gaze drift over every vampire on the ship. "That goes for all of you, understand?"

As the Order hastily lowered their eyes submissively and mumbled various forms of acquiescence, Dalton cautiously approached Spike and the infant. He drew a gentle finger down the boy's cheek and smiled faintly. "He reminds me of my own sons," the scholar said distantly. "What are you going to call him?"

Spike shrugged. "Alexander, I suppose. That's wot 'is mum called 'im, so I don't see any reason t'change it. Maybe Alex or somethin' for short." He looked at the larger male curiously, but Dalton was too enthralled with Alexander to notice.

Carefully, Spike handed Alexander to Dalton, who cradled the babe close. "You raise 'im," the peroxide blonde said after a moment of watching the baby's reaction.

Dalton looked up sharply, giving Spike an incredulous look. "Me, Master?" he repeated in a stunned tone of voice.

"You 'eard me. You're the only one in this entire bleedin' Order who's had kids before. Teach 'im our ways an' how to use that power o'his. The pup'll be our secret weapon when 'e gets older," Spike said, a sinister smile appearing on his angular features.

Damien picked himself up off the deck, wiping ineffectually at the blood running down his face and neck. He glared balefully at the tiny, dark-eyed bundle in Dalton's arms, instantly despising the infant. Shooting a wounded glance at his obviously insane Sire, the young vampire turned and headed dejectedly below decks to his cabin.