Chapter Eight – Guardians

Angel set out into the streets of Sunnydale, searching out the wayward friend of the two slayer's friends. It was hard not to spy on all of them since they had been searching for the boy long before sunset, but as the sun began to go down, their frantic searching intensified. With his nose of tracking, he would find the boy in no time and when he did, he would finally find away for them to trust him – he was a vampire after all and soul or no soul; gaining the trust two slayers let alone one wouldn't come easily.

Raising his head to smell the wind, Angel sensed all five of the teenagers – those who sought and the one that was being sought. The female slayer by the name of Buffy Summers was to the south end of town along with the human boy by the name of Xander Harris. Inwardly Angel winced as he realised he was too late. The slayer that he had seen only a few months ago by the messenger of the Powers that Be was already taken. That was a sign for sure – he shouldn't have believed that he could have ever been with her…

And the male slayer William Winters, the one that called himself Spike was off to the north end of town with the girl Willow Rosenberg. He had only say that boy once before last night, but still his very presence unnerved the vampire with a soul. There was something about that boy that wasn't natural. All morning Angel had fitful dreams of his past – yet they were nightmares of a past that didn't exist. Nothing made sense, but the one thing that did was he always saw bits of flashes of a young man, a man that looked near identical to the young slayer. It all meant something and if time allowed, it was something he was determined to find out.

But as for the boy Jesse McNally, he wasn't even in they're general directions as he was at the west end of town no more then a few blocks away. With directive in mind, Angel set out to collect the boy. Shifting through the crowds, he suddenly became aware of another alarming scent – his sire's.

"So are you new in town?"

"Oh I'm only visiting – my father is kind of stuck in a hard predicament and I have to help"

"You don't live with your father? Are your parents divorced?" Jesse asked the pretty blond girl Darla walked down the street together.

"Something like that" she replied without looking into his eyes.

"I'm sorry"

"Its okay, it feels like it happened centuries ago"

"I'd bet"

They continued to walk on, Darla steering Jesse. The teen couldn't believe what was happening. Maybe he was just getting lucky for once. Xander and Willow had found someone, so why not him? He wasn't even paying attention to where they were going when their travels ended with a long dark ally.

"So… umm Darla, where are we?" he asked as the chill and lack of noise from the outside words began to fade.

"Somewhere sweet heart, that they wont be able to hear you scream"

Suddenly he watched in horror, as Darla beautiful face morphed into that of her demonic visage. Jesse let out a short scream and stumbled away from her in fear.

"Wh…what are you?"

"I'm a vampire kid and didn't your parents ever tell you never to talk with strangers?"

He turned and bolted down the ally, yet it was not the way they had come. But as he rounded the corner, Jesse was dismayed to find that he was at a dead end. Darla had also come to find that he was trapped as well, but she on the other hand was very pleased.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt – for long"

"Jesse! Jesse!"

At that same time, Spike and Willow were on the side of town. The night wind blew restlessly about them causing them to shiver. Spike looked over his shoulder at Willow who looked terribly frightened for the sake of her friend and could help but feel his heart go out to the young unknowing witch.

He shook his head. What was going on? Did he have a thing for Willow of all people? Just his luck as his senses confirmed this to him. Spike laughed inwardly at himself. He had been given a new chance in a new world, but he had lost so much – Buffy most of all.

"Here pet, take this" Spike said suddenly, his new emotions for Willow taking precedent.

She turned to find that he had removed his duster and was holding it out her.

"But you'll get cold!" she protested.

"Listen," he shrugged as he slipped the duster over his shoulder. "I have two things that you don't. Number #1 – I have slayer endurance and number #2 – I have to uphold my male pride. Plus you don't have a coat of your own with you"

"Thanks"

Willow's smile lit her face and she blushed, ducking her head away from him. It was only then did he clue in that she actually liked him too! It wasn't Xander as it had been the first time, but him. Grinning to himself, they continued on in silence.

But they hadn't got very far before they were attacked.

Two demons with shinny iridescent scales like a chameleon had pounced themselves out of a near by ally and were now blocking their path. Willow screamed at the sight of them, this being the first actually demons she got to behold. Upon reflex, Spike had already launched himself forward the coming battle.

"What isss thisss?" the first of the duo hissed.

"A warrior" the other replied.

"Nice… they makesss good eating"

"Look here Beavis, Butthead, we can do this the easy way or the hard way – actually it only be the hard way. When this is over, you'll be dead while me and the lady here will be on our jolly old way"

"I hatesss it when our food getsss lippy" the second hissed with irritation before advancing on Spike.

Dropping, Spike whipped out a leg to catch it's unprotected area with a sharp kick. It hissed loudly in shock and pain as it dropped to the ground, giving Spike the necessary room to go for the other. From where Willow was standing back as she watched, she was amazed at what he was capable of. The other demon suddenly has a shard stake in both its heart and right eye causing it to ooze out some vile smelling blood liquid.

But then Spike's attention was drawn back to Willow as the demon he had earlier dropped had returned to it feet and was preparing to pounce one her with its deadly sharp fangs.

"Red, duck!"

Without hesitation Willow went down and just felt the shimmer of wind over her head as Spike tackled the demon and want sailing over her. Flipping up back to his feet, Spike glared down at the creature.

"What are yousss?" the single remaining hissed, as it looked you at him.

"Wellsss mate, I'd be a ssslayer" the blonde mocked savagely.

"A ssslayer? But they are only femalesss"

"Top of the line – I'm brand new!"

With lightning quick procession the demon was dead was dead in seconds, it's neck broken in many places.

And then the silence returned. Willow was shocked senseless while Spike took deep calming breaths to slow the racing of his adrenaline-fuelled blood.

"You all right luv?" he whispered as he turned back to the girl at that remained staring blankly at the carcasses.

"Luv?"

"Huh?" Willow gasped, her head jerking up to stare at him.

"I asked you if you were alright?" he repeated.

"Yeah… I… I'm fine"

Moving to her side he helped her to her feet and only then noticed the sound of applauds from behind. Turning, he found himself staring at the little man he had heard described by Buffy many times as the stinky demon drunk with no taste – Whistler.

Angel heard the terrified scream almost before it happened. Darla had revealed herself to boy. Following his nose, it didn't take the centuries old souled vampire to find where she had him. Minutes later Angel arrived in an ally to find Darla with the boy pressed up against the wall, preparing to take a bite out of his neck.

"Drop him Darla"

She whipped around to glare at him, but never released her hold on Jesse an inch.

"Why Angeleus… are you here to spoil my fun? You and that dirty soul – such a pity" she growled.

Jesse was staring silently at Angel, his eyes pleading with him for help.

"Let the boy go"

"No"

With in a spilt second everything seemed to go blank. He was fighting Darla; Jesse was scrambling away, he was staking Darla and then standing silently as her dust floated away. He was being to feel the numbness of having lost – having killed his own sire. He shivered, unable to keep the tremors from surfacing.

"Are you alright?"

Angel turned to look at Jesse and his game face that he wasn't even aware of being on melted away.

"Fine… only taking out the trash"

"Umm… I don't mean to be rude or anything, but you're a vampire like that crazy chick was, so why aren't you trying to kill me?" he babbled.

"Because I have a soul and vampires don't have souls. I was cursed with mine and so I am different. I don't hunt the pray and more, but rather I protect them"

"That's cool"

"Thanks"

"Jesse!"

They turned to look up the ally to find that Buffy and Xander were sprinting towards them. Jesse moved forward to greet them while Angel moved away from the approaching slayer.

"Are you alright?" Xander gasped as he panted for breath.

"Yeah, never been better!" Jesse grinned. "This guy here saved me from a vampire who had just about to chomp me!"

All the while the enthusiastic boy rambled to his best friend, Buffy stared glaringly at Angel. He retreated farther back till he was pressed up against the wall as Jesse had just recently been.

"He's a vampire" she hissed and launched herself at him, stake at the ready.

"No wait!" Jesse cried, "He's not like the others!"

But the Slayer wasn't even interested in listening to the boy's plea – she was out for blood…

Okay, okay, so its take me three months to get it updated, but its finally here. With all the demands, I knew I had to get it done fast. With my new semester course load, my work experience job at Subway and the horror of my upcoming graduation, I haven't had the time to just sit back and write. The next four months will probably be like that, so don't except chapter nine to be coming any time soon, but I'll be working on it in all the spare time that I have.

So no fret, I'll be trying my best. Please review and tell me what you thought and also what you think you might like to see in future chapters (might help me get more done sooner). Gotta go. Later!