Disclaimer: I don't own nor am I affiliated with Angel in any way

Well, I think I'm beginning to find my feet on this story again. Sorry, I wrote myself into a corner, and then wanted to go in a different direction. Feedback would be amazingly awesome. Hint hint, nudge nudge.

Chapter 7: Bonding

It was well after nightfall, and Eliza had been wandering around the park for hours. How could she have let it get this far? For years she had been careful to remain unattached, no emotion, but the moment she saw Stephen in the other world, she knew that she loved him. It was so strange that even after he changed, her feelings didn't.

"Snap out of it!" Eliza yelled suddenly, startling some love-struck teenagers sitting on a park bench. The pair gave her a terrified look, and then fled into the night.

"We need to talk," Spike said, dropping beside her from a nearby tree.

"I'm not in the mood William," Eliza growled, pushing past him. She didn't get too far, however, because he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her into a nearby mausoleum.

"I don't care, we need to have this out."

"You know what? Fine! You ruined my life!" she yelled, flinging Spike across the room.

"I'm sorry," Spike said, standing up gingerly. Eliza kept up the attack, while Spike only stood there, allowing her to punch him in the stomach and face repeatedly.

"What?" She asked, suddenly stopping her assault, and letting the man's words sink in.

"I'm sorry."

"How'd you recognize me?" Eliza asked, calming down, but still wanting to avoid the greater issue.

"When you first saw Dru, her hand went to your stomach. Normally that wouldn't seem that strange, but then she talked about your pink dress."

"So after all of these years, you still remember my pink dress? That doesn't seem like you William," Eliza scoffed.

"I've dreamed of it every night since I got a soul."

"I feel so honored. What makes me stand out from your thousands of other victims," Eliza asked, caught a bit off guard.

"You're my baby sister, that's what. I care about you."

"You tied me to railroad tracks and tortured me until you thought I was dead. Yeah that's brotherly love for you," Eliza scoffed, finally hitting the issue.

"I didn't have a soul."

"I trusted you, and you let me to certain death. Yet still, knowing that you were evil, I sacrificed my life for you. I took up this pitiful existence as a Solarian freak! All of this to redeem your soul, and then you go and get it back!"

"I can't believe that you're still alive. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that I didn't kill you, but-"

"I understand that you're not who you were at the time, but it's still tough for me. Look at me William," she ordered, revealing her scarred stomach and back. Over two hundred years and I still have the scars," by this point she had broken down into tears. "Not to mention the fact that survive by literally sucking the life out of Vampires. Now I've had to give up the only normal relationship I've had in all that time, because I don't age!" Spike was shocked when Eliza buried her face in his shoulder, still sobbing without restraint. After a moment's hesitation, Spike pulled her in continuing to comfort.

"Isn't this cute?" scoffed a rather scary looking vampire, as he blocked off the only exit from the mausoleum. Behind him, stood over fifty other Vampires, all looking very hungrily at Eliza. "I think there's someone who needs to speak to you.