Honorable Sons
Author: josieh
Pairing: Spike/Angel
Rating: Mature Audiences (M/M sexual content)
Summary: The final battle came at a terrible price. Can our boys recover some of what they've lost? Do they want to?
Spoilers: Post end of S5 AtS so Minor if any
Author's Note: Don't own the characters etc and bow down to their original creators Joss, et al., plus all the wonderful online writers who continue to give them life.
PART 38
Dawn emerged from the bedroom looking a little refreshed after feeding then napping with the children briefly, she seemed perpetually exhausted at seventeen weeks pregnant and still feeding the now nine month old twins. The war meeting' was in full swing with members of the local coven, F'Iaid and Willow, Spike and Angel and her dear partner in all things, Connor.
Since the twins' powers had been bound, there had been only a few attacks on the wards and then silence, and after a few initial nerves, the quiet allowed Dawn to properly adjust to her role as mother.
Unlike her rather flighty teenaged days she proved immensely capable and calm with her increasingly energetic pair, and really (despite numerous normal' frustrations of the primary carer of twins) was enjoying her role immensely. She felt grounded and centered, more so around family.
Her days consisted primarily of tending to Luka and Talia's needs,
preparing an evening meal for Connor and entertaining the two fast
growing children and herself. Some days she would visit Spike and
Angel late afternoon – often simply chatting idly with Spike or
watching the latest soap opera on the television or the History
channel while the children snoozed with their other granddad.
Dawn also had a habit of wandering downstairs to the central garden
area with a child on each hip, lowering each crawling little love
down into the sandpit or onto the play equipment purpose built in
the top corner of the common green of the apartment complex. On
other days she would take the children swimming in the apartment
building's pool– with Willow's (or if late afternoon, Spike's)
assistance. And if she really wanted to get away she would go for
walks to the local shops – even heading for the park or the
shoreline to enjoy a sunny afternoon. The children thrived and
Dawn's belly grew as the three became used to the necessary glamour
when out and about
They all saw it as she began to show' rather more quickly than in
her first pregnancy, but motherhood suited Dawn, and with loving
partner and children and extended family, for the first time she
felt… normal'. Meeting other young mothers at the supermarket,
having an older lady or gent complement her on her beautiful
children, or conversing with Connor's supervisor's partner on what
to expect in the two to four age brackets was a reminder that she
was to the outside world at least… one of the millions of women each
year who bore and raised their children worldwide.
After the rather frightening start to his children's lives, the wards went quiet and Connor returned to study for his Masters and was also doing some RA work for his supervising professor. of total quiet after the night of despite all their concerns over his safety and Wolfram and Hart). It seemed the law firm were biding their time, or had lost interest, after the University informed the company that Connor was on scholarship and in no way interested in joining their firm as indicated on their website.
Angel and Spike continued to keep a low profile for Connor's sake as much as their own, satisfied to survive from on investments made in the Aurelian name with their Swiss money. Their night time patrols were done surreptitiously – and to date they had managed to keep under the radar of all but a trusted few wiccans.
In her twenty second week, three weeks after a perfectly normal
ultrasound, Dawn woke to a squirming and tightening sensation in
her bulge' she rose and barely made it to the toilet bowl before
throwing up violently and repeatedly. Connor woke with a start,
panicked not just by the sound of his lovely partner vomiting but
also the wards firing again after weeks of quiet, and by the abject
distress flying through the family link – and not just from Dawn,
but something else as well.
Within minutes Spike and Angel were at the apartment door but the
two adults were occupied in the bathroom, Dawn apparently trying to
turn herself inside out while Connor did all he could think of,
tucking a cushion under her knees so the tiles hurt less as she
knelt at the bowl rubbing her back gently as her stomach lurched
again and again and wiping her forehead and stroking her between the
distressing waves of nausea.
The two grandfathers were distressed beyond belief as they heard the twins begin to cry. Angel was preparing to break the door down, but was saved the trouble. Spike had grabbed the spare' key as they sprinted for their relatives' apartment and swiftly let them both in past the strong wards.
They could hear Connor tending Dawn in the bathroom so raced for the twins. Spike picked up Talia then raced for the phone as a panicked Connor called out "Call someone!!!"
The babies would not settle and continued to cry. Eventually Angel
was lying on the lounge with both distressed little people on his
chest, simply rocking and waiting for the witches to arrive. Spike
moved to feed his distressed half brother before Connor lifted Dawn
and carried her to their bed and gave Dawn opened his wrist for her.
Her stomach was hot to touch and her night gown wet with
perspiration. Spike swiftly wet a towel with cool water and draped
it over Dawn's torso.
The wards that had been so quiet for so long were now rippling with energy, Willow, F'Iaid and their friend Hugh arrived within the hour, bearing some rather surprising (and timely) news from the coven. But the first priority was Dawn. F'Iaid attended her as Willow and Hugh set about shoring up the wards and adding a spell that virtually cocooned the two children from all but the touch and love of family. The babies fell asleep immediately and Angel was able to rise and carry the two into the parents' room where a different drama was taking place.
Dawn was alternately arching off the bed for minutes at a time then
collapsing semiconscious, her breathing shallow and too fast.
Rivulets of sweat ran from her form as Connor tried desperately to
have her drink from him, or a water bottle, or simply suck on a wet
sponge, all the while the panicked full blood whispering, "Please
Dawn… please sweetheart don't leave me… please… I love you… we
all love you… Please!!!"
F'Iaid moved to kneel beside Connor and as Willow entered the room,
looked pointedly at her partner, and a rather drawn looking Hugh. At
least now the wards were holding and the two children settled.
F'Iaid removed the cooling towel and placed her hands on Dawn's
bulge and began to rub gentle circles while chanting in a near
whisper. The skin under her hands began to glow green with fiery red
sparks singeing the massaging hands. Angel moved to hug his now
desperate son from behind, the full blood sporting elongated fangs
and golden eyes reflecting his distress. He bent his neck in front
of the father of his grandchildren in an all time vampire
tradition. Connor resisted for a moment but finally gave in and bit
down hard.
F'Iaid chanted for the best part of an hour before collapsing,
Willow taking up the sequence of words and hand movements without a
break. By the third hour when Hugh stepped up, Dawn's bulge was
noticeably bigger and cooling to her normal body temperature. Willow
gave the slim mage a pointed look. He simply nodded and returned to
his vigil. Willow noted the young red headed man reaching for
Connor's hand and guiding it with his own to rest on the belly of
the mother to be. It was a simple touch but made all the difference.
Dawn fell into an exhausted, light sleep as the agony of the past few hours subsided.
Angel took Spike's offered wrist as his son pulled away and kissed his now (finally) relaxed wife.
F'Iaid had given the family time to address the immediate crisis,
but now pulled their attention to the reason for the day's
difficulties as she addressed the group in her uniquely accented
hushed tones. "De baby is of her mother's origins. She will be de
mos' powerful shape shifter on dis plane if she is trained. Her
energy is pure – like the other two offspring. She will arrive
early, so be ready and keep her safe."
Connor gripped his partner's hand tight and kissed her on the now relaxed forehead. They had come together knowing their unique status, but really had not contemplated just what that might mean.
F'Iaid and Willow left Connor to attend his wife and tugged the two
grandparents into the lounge room to convey their suspicions
regarding the origin of the attacks on the wards in hushed tones.
This time Hugh was the one who spoke. He was there on behalf of all
the covens combining to protect the special family.
The fact that binding the children had been via white magic and his coven had been the source of the original successful shield suggested the involvement of an individual originating from the white hat' side, someone privy to a coven's or watcher/slayer's collective knowledge, and also susceptible to the blocking of the same.
There were a few of the new Slayers that had gone feral' since the final closing of the Sunnydale Hellmouth, almost equal in number with disgruntled newly appointed Watchers – proving to be extremists far too zealous to truly operate as field workers.
One combination of rogue Slayer', Lidia, and her recently suspended
young watcher were very high on the list of suspects – and this
latest attack had confirmed their worst fears. The energies fueling
the attacks on the wards were corrupted, and the Watcher under
suspicion (Fletcher Doffan) was a known student of the Dark Arts,
expelled from the new Watchers' council when called to account for
the death of twenty five peaceful demons and the abduction of five
youngsters in a single weekend.
When his claims that they were cornered were proved wrong and a large sum of money from a subsidiary company of Wolfram and Hart landed in his bank account, the two were called to London to answer to the charges. En route, he and his Slayer disappeared, turning up here and there, as guns for hire', their exact location constantly moving or masked but there was no doubt in any demon circles. They killed for dollars, but specialized in capturing demon babies for training and use by Wolfram and Hart, and apparently unworried that their actions resulted in tragedy on all fronts but those doing the purchasing. Apparently there was a price on Dawn's twins
As Hugh finished, Spike spoke for all of the Aurelian men, "So how do we sort this Red… cause soul or none, we've gotta do sommit! No one touches family!"
Willow leveled her eyes at the two very worried looking vampires, "I want your permission to contact Giles… and Buffy if we must… The original slayer may still hold a bit of clout with this Lidia - and certainly if there is a fight to be had, Buffy would be fine with this cocky newbie." The red head High Mistress flashed black eyes at Spike before he even had a chance to let out a sound, "And before you say a word Mister, Dawn and I have already discussed this. Buffy is an aunty – and has never seen the twins – and doesn't even know that Dawn is pregnant again. She would want to help and can, and she deserves to see Dawn… especially now. I am going to ask that she comes here."
Spike did indeed protest but it was not with the argument Willow had expected. He held Angel's hand tight as he let out an almost inaudible growl, then with a voice filled with pain, expressed a concern Willow had never considered. "Fly in your logic ointment Pet… Other than the inner circle, rest of the world don't know we're here... Angel and yours truly… Slayer don't know we're still around, n if she does then I reckon the ol' Wolfram an' bloody Hart ll turn up on our doorstep the next bloody day!
"If ya want her ladyship here, then me ol' Sire and me need to get scarce and quite frankly, really don't think that's a good move for little brother, or the Bit … or the littlies…!" And Willow understood the missing "or us grandfathers" implicit in Spike's statement.
She sat for a long moment before leveling dark green eyes at crystal
blue and replied. "There may be a way… Spike, Angel… do you trust us
to keep you safe?" Willow reached for, then squeezed F'Iaid's hand.
Her dark partner smiled with a pride that warmed Willow to the core,
then nodded ever so slightly. F'Iaid knew what was needed.
The proposal made perfect sense. They would be constant companions
to the family, Willow and Buffy (and more often than not F'Iaid)
staying in Angel and Spike's apartment.
Three days later the apartment had been stripped of their true owners' more obvious accoutrements and Buffy was met at the airport by Willow and friend'. Buffy was relieved to see Willow at the end of the gangway, and struck by her old friend's relaxed demeanor given the reason Buffy had flown half way around the world to see her sister.
As soon as Buffy was definitely on her way, the two had agreed…
blood was exchanged, arrangements made, and the afternoon of her
arrival two washed and calmed in preparation. After a joyful, though
somewhat tense, joint shower and they lay spooning naked under a
light blanket covering the new, plushy cushion in the far corner of
Dawn and Connor's lounge room. Both vampires were in a state of high
tension.
Willow had not missed the worried look from Spike as the two witches approached, "It's got to be now sweetie… we have to pick her up by two. Just remember… tear off the collar and the spell is broken… But hey… with the change you'll have the sun… that's a bonus right?"
Spike's tense, pleading baritone gave away the two vampires' fears,
and despite that, their resolve to keep the family safe. "Just give
us the collars and get with the mojo Red."
Connor knelt down, kissed his Father and attached the broad, rather loose collar, then repeated the process for Spike. As he buckled Spike's enchanted accessory, the vampire saw the worry in the boy's still yellow tinged eyes so whispered, "We're still here for you pet… Don't forget we'll still be here."
The chanting began and the changes struck hard, Spike and Angel
crying out as bones contorted, internal organs shifted and hair
sprouted. Their eye colour did not change but everything else did.
The two animals passing out as tails pushed to their full length and
the final shift in their status occurred.
Connor remained with them, stroking the amazingly soft coats and
speaking words of comfort and encouragement until they finally came
to and stood on rather wobbly legs, nuzzling Connor and feeling
relieved that the familial connection had survived the change.
Minutes later, Willow and F'Iaid left for the airport.
Several hours later Connor opened the door to his partner's sister and felt immediately uncomfortable at a visceral level. He was flanked by two pedigree Siberian Huskies, one pale fawn and white with bright blue eyes, and the other black and white with dark chocolate eyes to match, both leaned against him, the dark one licking his hand as though to reassure.
The Slayer had not seen Dawn for nearly three years, their lives
drawing increasingly apart, even when they were in Italy together.
Now, as her pregnant sister's husband, the handsome, young father of
two, answered the door, Buffy realized just how different their two
circumstances were. Willow had continued the edited version of
Connor's heritage and Buffy had seen the photos of the wedding with
Connor's ill adoptive mother and handsome late fifties father. Dawn
had finally found someone normal'. The Immortal knew the truth, but
a quiet word from Willow three years previously had seen him grin
and agree to keep his knowledge of the Aurelian line a secret.
Dawn was still feeling the effects of twenty four hours of pain, but
was sitting up alert and smiling as her sister entered. The small
one in her belly seemed to have made peace with the world and the
green glow that had been the source of pain, now seemed to have
settled. The whole family had discussed something she had not really
considered since the Glory' days – her own origins. Her unborn
child carried the signature of human, her pureblood vampire father,
and the timeless energy of Dawn's own powerful inter-dimensional
beginnings.
Buffy had a strangely strong sense of magical wiggins' as she
stepped into the apartment though initially put it down to the
wards, Dawn's pregnancy, the children and the witches. But there was
something more niggling, particularly as she offered her hand to
be sniffed' by the two family dogs. They felt somehow…familiar.
Buffy resolved to ask but was distracted by Willow and niece and
nephew, and pregnant sister and brother-in-law.
In the end, after some basic courtesies, Willow led Buffy to the guest apartment' and she was just too jetlagged to bother why she felt so rattled. When The Immortal rang her cell-phone to confirm her safe arrival, she simply grinned at the two Wiccans who were apparently sharing her temporary abode, and reassured her sweetheart' that all was well.
Back in the family apartment Spike whined a little but settled with his mate on the plushy large pet cushion' at the end of Connor and Dawn's bed. Angel and he had enjoyed the sun (after Willow had taken charge of Buffy) but both were acutely aware that they had responsibilities… The arrival of Buffy should have made things difficult… but both vampires realized that their love for each other far exceeded any interest in an ex-Sunnydale slayer, indeed the notion was barkable'.
Spike leaned against his partner's soft belly fur, his tail thumping
the ground a few times without conscious thought as he got
comfortable. Their first day as dogs had not been so bad really and
now they lay relaxing but alert to anything unusual as they snoozed
lightly.
…………………….