Breathing By Rote, Chapter 3.

Sunnydale. A few years before.

The man should have stood out in the maternity ward, with his shocking white blond hair and all black attire, but he was polite to the night nurses and had the most charming British accent that none of them could summon the discipline to enforce the hospital's visitation policies. Though no one seemed to know where the expectant father-to-be belonged, his charm and anxious excitement forgave much. For most of the night he stood at the glass partition that separated the newborns from their families, his attention never wavering from one labeled bassinet. Come morning the man was gone and no one could really say what he had looked like. No, he was forgotten by everyone as soon as he vanished, but for one babe that could not be soothed from his crying for which his mother complained just as loudly.

"'So, merry little roll of fat,

Made warm to kiss and smooth to pat

And round to toy with, like a cub,

To put one's nozzle in and rub,

My god to laugh with,

Love to chaff with,

Come and dance beneath the sky,

You and I!
Look out with those round wondering eyes,

And squirm, and gurgle - and grow wise!'" William whispered before he forced himself to leave, smiling into the bright dark eyes that watched him so intently. "Welcome home, my love."

oOo

With a population under two thousand Huxley, Iowa was incapable of long sustaining a healthy vampire population. More of a drive-thru kind of town, but since Angelus quietly took up residence Huxley's population grew by nearly a third, though not all of her new denizens paid taxes. With the state's capital Des Moines only a half hour away those Huxley citizens requiring more sustenance than the town's one grocery store provided were easily able to make the commute. The Master of Des Moines and his court who proved loyal died at the hand of the Scourge of Europe, leaving a void Angelus' people easily filled. The Watchers made detailed record of Angelus' cruelty, and that he certainly had in abundance when provoked, but paid little attention to any of his other behaviors. Mention was made of his court, bafflement at the sheer size and demonic diversity, but not one of their demonologists could offer a feasible theory. Why would relatively passive, non-aggressive demons want to live under the rule of the Scourge of Europe? Yet they did, hundreds of them. Angelus traveled alone to Huxley and maintained a low profile, yet his loyal court found him all the same. In small numbers they moved to Huxley, to Des Moines and other surrounding towns. They relied on the protection of the Scourge of Europe. They did not know why their court moved to Iowa. They did not care. Their master acknowledged them, brought several of the clans into his confidence. Their master was hunting and it was their responsibility to safeguard the hunting ground and, if need be, the prey.

1986.

The Southern Story county fair was a riot of noise and light the country music blasting over the loudspeakers barely drowning out the cacophony of a couple thousand people pressed into one large open field. The fair was set up right at the edge of Huxley's town limits, the flashing and strobing lights from the dozens of rides easily seen for miles. Rides, games, funnel cake, none of it changed from year to year but it was a great way to the mark the end of the school year and the start of summer break.

This year was even better for the seven Finn children, their father's leave coinciding with the annual fair. Soldiering was in the Finn blood and none of the children whined at missing their father, though the older ones had started to notice their mother's droop right before her Dean left again. It was exciting, jumping around their big Marine of a Dad, hyped up on cotton candy and too much soda pop. In the crush of the crowd and so many eager voices screaming for attention it was too easy to lose one shy little voice. Jostled and shoved about Riley bit his lip to find himself quickly separated from his family. Looking wildly around he opened his mouth to shout for his Mom, but all he could see were peoples' legs. His call died in his throat and he slowly tried backing up, refusing to cry when bodies bumped into him, unthinking hands shoving him out of the way.

The crowd parted around one of the rides and Riley's head thumped into its grimy side. Ducking, he crawled underneath, litter and muddied grass squelching under his sneakers. He kicked a neon orange rabbit that looked like the one Daddy had won for Brigit and crossed out to the other side. He didn't care about Daddy giving Brigit the rabbit, but he wished for a miniature basketball like Patrick had won all on his own. That basketball was cool, way cooler than some dumb rabbit. He was standing alone between two rides, the ground thick with electrical cables. The one end was blocked but at the other he could see people moving and headed that way, hoping to catch sight of his family.

Standing in the gap the little boy craned his neck, trying to see his tall Dad or his Mom's red hair. Nothing and he clenched his fists, refusing to cry like a baby. The air moved over his head before he heard a thump, a muffled cry, and he whirled around, but there was nothing behind him. He frowned at the piles of cables. Was that how they'd looked earlier?

"Oi, what are you doing alone, bit?" A skinny man asked as he crouched in front of the seven year old. He was dressed all in black and smoking a cigarette, a red balloon crown perched on his curly white hair. Riley smiled at his funny appearance, forgetting all about the weird noises, but stubbornly shook his head, knowing he was in enough trouble as it was. The man stared at him for a long minute before he got it. "That's right, innit, you lil' bits ain't supposed to talk to strangers, are ya?" Riley nodded, smiling again shyly when the man nodded with him. "Fine then." A finger waggled at him, bracelets jangling. "No talking and no moving, ya hear?"

The man vanished into the crowd. Somehow, Riley felt more alone and fidgeted in place, not daring to move now that he'd been told by an adult not to. Glancing over his shoulder he started to see several pairs of luminescent green eyes staring out at him from under the ride he'd just crawled underneath. There was a chittering and shuffling, crunching sound before one set moved closer. Up to the edge of the shadows and Riley could just see . . .something his seven year old mind couldn't comprehend. A rattling sound and something small rolled out to bump into his shoe: a miniature basketball like Patrick had. When he picked it up there was a louder chittering, kinda happy sounding.

"Thanks," he whispered.

"Riley?"

The little boy turned to see someone new kneeling in front of him, someone who made him heave a big sigh and gratefully smile. "Dr. Carey."

"Young man, does your mother know you've come to the fair by yourself?" The middle-aged man tried to sound stern, but couldn't hide his dimpled smile. Not with such large, tear shined eyes blinking up at him from that beautiful little elfish face. At the first twitch of his lips Riley rushed into his embrace, ball clutched in one arm as he threw the other around the man's neck.

"Can't find my Mom and Dad, Dr. Carey," a little voice whispered into his ear.

"Well then, we will find them together, won't we?" He gave the boy a brief hug before setting him back to critically look him over. His gaze went briefly to the shadows behind the child, but Riley did not see the flicker of enraged gold. "Need to keep better track of you, my little hellion," he murmured, then louder, "You weren't scared being by yourself, were you?"

"Only a little," Riley confessed. "No one could see me and kept trying to step on me. I crawled under one of the rides. That one," he pointed, " and then a man with a crown came and talked to me and then I got this ball from these big green eyes and it was the ball I wanted." He showed Dr. Carey his ball, taking a much needed breath. "See? It's like a small basketball."

"So I see," the doctor nodded, practice letting him decipher the gush of words. "They must have thought you were very special to give you a present." The little boy made to glance back, but a thick finger curled under his pointed little chin, keeping those big eyes on the man he implicitly trusted. "Now, why don't we get an onion bloom and find your parents before they get too worried?"

"Okay," Riley beamed.

"Okay. Up on my shoulders, then." That was all the invitation Riley needed, swarming up the tall doctor like a monkey up a tree. Thin little legs dangling over his shoulders Dr. Carey stood, one large hand on a delicately boned ankle to help keep the boy's balance.

"Yee-haw!" Riley crowed, heels thumping.

As the doctor and his charge faded into the throng a thin man with a red crown walked up to where the little boy had waited. The shadows chittered as he lit a cigarette. "Wasn't demons we had to worry about now was it?" Deeper into the unobtrusive, unnoticed gap and he crouched to meet a terrified pair of brown eyes in an all too human face. "Like to follow little lost boys, do ya? Creep up on them from behind?" The man tried to speak, but the black coils constricting him from crown to heel just tightened, making his eyes bulge. Dozens of green eyes blinked in the darkness, malicious and pleased to feel their prey struggle. "Oh, quit yer squirming, yer not dead yet. Master will be wantin' a word with ya. He's really gettin' into this reformation of his." The shadows rattled. "Yeah, it's probably just repressed hormones."

oOo

Little over a week later Riley Finn skipped into Dr. Carey's office, swinging Elaine's hand for all he was worth. Only two years older and the middle child Elaine was one to act mature beyond her years, faithfully imitating her older sister Moira. Angelus felt for the girl, having two brothers spaced between her and her sisters, and what two older brothers to have! He knew all of the Finn children from the eldest, blossoming Moira, to wee little Brigit, and rather liked the lot, each child beautiful in his and her own way. It possibly explained why he decided to gift them all with his blood, though Riley received the largest infusions. At her physical for softball Angelus had partially marked Moira, rightly worried over the girl's beauty. Just an Aurelian property mark, but these children were his and he growled to think of some low level demon snatching one away. Thinking about the teenage boys his headstrong girl went to school with was enough.

Patrick and Ian were terrors, attracted to mischief and danger much like his own childe, though without Will's sweet disposition. He had no inclination to turn either of the twins, though he planned to mark both when their next scheduled exam came around. They reminded him too much of himself, especially Ian. That boy needed a whupping, one harder than Moira usually meted out to keep him in line. The demons that had congregated in the greater Des Moines area because of him wisely steered clear of that child, but Angelus was just waiting. A few more years and he was going to scare that boy straight.

Marching into his office hand and hand Elaine smiled and blushed to see him waiting, quite forgetting her adult airs. The child had her mother's red hair and fair complexion, her elfish bone structure at nine already promising her future beauty. Now this one would make an exquisite addition to his court, the potential to be a powerful master easily seen in the trademark witchy hazel Finn gaze. She was why he'd sent for William, knowing his boy would love to have this girl one day for a childe. The brat was obsessed with the notion of waiting for his Xander to be his first childe, but Xander didn't have the temperament to be eldest and mate. If William made Xander his first childe, the possessive brat wouldn't want any others and Will could hardly establish a strong court of his own with only one childe. A Master needed childer, strong childer, and sweet, motherly little Elaine could be the strongest. He'd hoped to show Will the Finn children at the fair, but dealing with that human waste had distracted them. Thinking of that filth daring to try for his pet still made his blood boil. Thank all the dimensions of Hell for Kerrnissii and their psychic prowess. And that they'd decided to go to the fair that night for funnel cake. The little snakes were handy to have around.

"Hello, Miss Elaine, Mister Riley," he cheerfully greeted, kneeling down so that he was at their level. Elaine blushed even more when he kissed the back of her hand, but she stammered out a hello, voice softer than her little brother's exuberant greeting. "How is my favorite little lady today?"

"Fine, Dr. Carey. Riley needs his permission slip signed for Little League." She reached into the breast of her sun dress and proffered the folded school form. Because of his asthma Riley would need a physician's permission to play a sport. Then she noticed the man sitting quietly in the corner. "Hello."

Now that she'd spotted him both children looked at the slender man, Riley frowning even as he obediently took the hand Angelus held out. Dressed conservatively in slacks and a button down with a white lab coat William looked the part of a young doctor, right down to his soft brown hair. The other night was the first time Will had met the young Riley Finn, but after this afternoon Angelus had a feeling his childe would be splitting his time between Sunnydale and Iowa.

"Elaine, Riley, this is my colleague, Dr. Banks. He's here to observe. Is your mother in the waiting area?"

"Hello, Dr. Banks," the two children politely intoned, though Riley was already distracted playing with Angelus' stethoscope as the disguised vampire lifted his miniscule weight onto an exam table.

"She took Connor to the library for a baby book reading. After she said we're gonna get pizza," Elaine answered. Angelus nodded that he heard, knowing the library was at the end of the block. Safe enough in a town this small for them to go alone.

William knelt in front of Elaine, smirking when she gave him her hand as she was wont with Angelus. Dutifully he accepted the tiny hand into his much larger one and bussed her knuckles, earning a pleased smile. This one was a princess, alright. "Good afternoon, bit. Aren't you the prettiest little flower in that dress of yours." And she was lovely in her green dress, though it was cut a little old fashioned. Maybe a family hand-me down?

"I am nine," Elaine loftily informed him. "My birthday was two months ago. You are British, aren't you? I can tell. You talk the way they do on that channel we get on satellite. You have a queen. She is very old. I know because I saw her."

Will grinned, charmed, and Angelus turned back to the little boy who was trying to check out his teeth with the stethoscope's shiny surface. Angelus gently tugged the instrument away, rapping Riley on the top of his head. "Enough of that, mister. Let me look at you."

"Yes, sir." Greenish hazel eyes smiled up at him, so very innocent and trusting. Through their shallow bond it was easy enough to roll the nascent mind, those beautiful eyes glazing over. Opening a nearby drawer Angelus withdrew a scalpel and quickly cut his index finger down to the bone. A gentle caress and Riley obediently sucked in his finger, unaware of his actions. The little tongue lapping at his blood hardened his penis painfully and he kissed the top of that bright head.

"Sire, she is a peach," Will said behind him. Glancing over his shoulder he saw Will had not moved but to spread his legs, letting Elaine stand closer. One hand stroked down her slender back, the other gently holding her head to the bleeding slash in his childe's neck. Elaine's dainty pink tongue licked up every smearing of blood, glazed eyes as distant and unaware as her brother's. "Do you think Dru will like her?"

"Dru must not know of any of the Finn children. I mean it, Will. Or do you want to see that little girl turned before her time?" Which his mad childe was likely to do, wanting to keep such pretty dolls. She'd done it once before with a set of twins.

"No," Will whispered, lifting a handful of burnished red hair to his nose, inhaling Elaine's sweet little girl smell, fresh with summer and living free of urban contaminant. "She's got a whiff of you about her."

"They all do," Angelus agreed. "A handsome lot, four boys and three girls. Riley will be my mate, but I may add them all to my court." He saw his childe's shoulders tense and smiled, refocusing on his cherub who was still greedily swallowing his master's blood, strengthening their bond. Leaning down, he licked the soft cheek. "Each is unique, exquisite. I am thinking to possess each one as they come of age, train them in their pleasure. Mark them and own them. No other court has ever had an entire set of siblings, at least not so many."

"Even Elaine?" Already attached, Angelus smirked. He knew he could count on his girl.

"She is years older than your whelp. If you want him to be your first childe, then she will be too old. By the time you got around to her, she'd be married and making more little redheaded tots. She deserves proper attention, to be groomed and trained to take her place in a Master's court." In the reflection of one of his framed doctorates over the table he watched Will set the little girl back, stroking her hair and staring into those enchanting eyes. His thumb rubbed her chin, most likely cleaning away a spot of blood. As the power of the blood overtook her she swayed forward and Will carefully picked her up, gaze so very tortured. He wanted her, but would he sacrifice his idealistic fantasies to have her?

"Elaine has a good head on her shoulders, Will. She would make an excellent eldest childe and second in command." Moira was college bound, but Elaine? The girl too often thought with her heart instead of her smarts.

"She's strong," Will said softly, laying her on the other exam table. With utmost care he straightened her dress and smoothed back a few errant curls. Angelus eased his finger from Riley's mouth almost healed, his own spit quickly sealing the wound. He could feel his boy stronger than ever, feel his thin little chest expand with each breath, the sluggish stirring of his mind. His little boy was beautiful and Angelus wanted him, but with barely any sexual intent. Children really didn't do it for him: broke too easily and possessed no passions of their own to manipulate and explore. Still, Riley's blood called him, just as it had centuries ago. Soon.

"Sire, can I have her for my first?" William's question broke into his musings. Pulling a lollipop out his coat pocket Angelus leaned against the table next to his child, weighing Will's request. It would be nice to have a whole set, but they weren't exactly a collection of teacups, were they?

"Just remember to be discreet, Will. We can't get sloppy this close to D Day." His childe nodded, eyes on the little girl who was waking up. "Here, to take the taste out of her mouth." Angelus handed him another lollipop.

Riley's eyes blinked and he yawned, taking the candy held out to him and popping it in his mouth without looking. Next to him Dr. Carey was marking all the appropriate boxes on his form, then signing the bottom. It was like a super power, how his doctor always had green lollipops for him. Across the room Elaine was sucking away on a red one and blinking sleepily at Dr. Carey's friend, telling him all about the dress Gran had made her. Wow, he must have nodded off, not that Dr. Carey ever seemed to mind. Riley leaned against Dr. Carey, his free hand clutching a handful of white coat with unconscious possessiveness.

TBC.

Author's Note: the poem in the beginning is the last part of a longer piece by Eunice Tietjens. You can find it at http/