Spike was groaning in his sleep. He shifted and turned. The noise grew louder until he out right yelled waking Angelus. The vampire rolled over to see his damaged childer.
"Spike, boy, what's wrong," he said still groggy with sleep.
"Hurts," Spike whined unable to think or speak clearly.
Angelus groaned. "Alright, hang on." He climbed out of bed and went upstairs to find Derek who was curled up on the cold floor. He kicked him awake.
"I'm going out," he told to irritated fledgling. "Don't let anyone in here."
"It's midday," Derek said sleepily.
"I know that. That's why I'm going and you're not. You have no idea what stealth means. Look after, Spike."
He went back downstairs and out through the tunnel. He took the path through the sewer and went until he could find a grate he could safely climb out of. He needed to find someone quickly so he could get back to Spike.
Willow went to visit Giles during her free period. She nearly cried when she saw him all battered and bruised. She tried to joke and seem cheery but she was secretly worried about him. A nurse brought in his lunch and Willow left him to eat his meal.
Willow went back to school and stopped by her dorm. Buffy kept an old ring of Angel's in the drawer beside her bed. It was lying next to the matching ring of her own. Willow took the ring and map of Sunnydale and left. She went down to Tara's dorm knowing her friend would be in studying for her next class. Tara opened the door and let her in, happy to see her.
"What brings you by? N-not that I'm not glad you're here. I just... I meant did you need anything?"
Willow smiled. "Yeah I did actually. I wondered if you could help me with a spell. A locator spell. Only I don't know if this person I'm trying to find has any protective spells against finding them. I thought maybe if you helped me we would be strong enough to break through any barriers."
"Uh, yeah. I could help with that."
"Great." They smiled at each other. "Oh, dang it! I didn't bring anything with me," Willow said suddenly upset. "I should have grabbed them from my dorm."
"It's okay. I think I have everything here."
"Really? Oh, good. I can pay you back for it."
"Don't worry about it. I wasn't really going to use it for anything anyway. I mean, I only really do magic with you anymore anyway..."
"Well then, let's get started."
Tara handed Willow the book with the right incantation so she could go over it. Willow read the list of supplies so Tara could collect them. They set everything up and Willow held the claddagh in her hand as they spoke the words together. With their magics combined, they had no trouble marking the map before them.
Willow smiled. "Perfect. Thanks so much." She grabbed the map and pocketed the ring. She almost left without anything more, but she stopped. "Tara? Don't think that I only come by when I need something. I really do like seeing you."
Tara smiled. "Me too."
Willow left campus and went to the cemetery marked on the map. She noticed tire tracks in the grass. It looked like someone had sped right though the cemetery gates like their life depended on it. She followed the tracks which eventually stopped at the parked car that had made them. It was Giles's car. She check the map and found that the crypt she was looking for wasn't far off.
The crypt on the map was large and easy to spot even where it was clustered amongst several others. If Angelus thought the place was discreet, he was sorely mistaken. Willow crept in quietly. She cast a small light like a candle flame to help her see without immediately giving her away.
There was someone laying on the floor. She walked closer to see a young man curled up on the floor next to opening in the floor. There seemed to be a ladder going down. Willow thought he must be one of Angelus's minions set to guard him. She snuck past keeping her eyes on the sleeping vampire and climbed down the ladder.
There were a few candles lit in the chamber below. Willow stepped into the room and put out her own light. The room was almost empty except for a few tables and a bed. Someone was lying in the bed. She walked closer until she could make out the pale skin and bleach blond hair. There were several dark spots on his skin that looked like bruises.
Her eyes widened and she stared for a moment before turning to leave. Spike shifted on the bed behind her and she stopped. Her heart pounded in her chest. She looked back and saw that he'd merely turned over and hadn't noticed her. She let out a quiet breath and went back to the ladder and climbed up as quietly as possible.
The vampire was still asleep by the opening. She snuck past him and went out the way she came.
Angelus came back to the crypt carrying a woman over his shoulder. He dropped her down on the bed waking Spike. He groaned and blinked up at his sire.
"Eat, Spike. You need it."
Spike just groaned either unwilling or unable to speak. Angelus rolled his eyes. He walked over to Spike's side of the bed. He reached across and pulled the woman over by her hair and make a cut in her throat. He held it over Spike's mouth and fed him like a child.
The entire room smelt of humans. It was starting make Angelus hungry himself. It had been difficult grabbing someone in the daylight without getting scorched. He'd have to ignore the hunger pangs until sunset. He watched the blood flow into Spike's mouth and licked his lips.
Finally the body was drained and Angelus shoved it off the of bed. Spike went back to sleep and Angelus went upstairs. Derek was asleep at his post and Angelus kicked him.
"Wake up," he growled. He sniffed the air catching the scent of someone who shouldn't have been allowed access. "What have you done, boy?"
"Done?" Derek muttered sleepily. "I didn't do anything."
"Exactly. You let that witch slip past you."
"What witch?" Derek stood and stretched.
"You would know if you hadn't been napping when you should have been watching over Spike. She could have killed him. Now she knows he's here. She'll run right to Buffy. Do you know what you've caused?" Angelus raged.
Derek shuddered and Angelus glared at him. "I- I'm sorry, sire. I-"
"There is no excuse for this!" Angelus pinned him against the wall. "I should stake you right here. Rip your head off with my bare hands." He ignored Derek whimpered pleading. He backed up a step. "But I'm feeling generous. You will stay here and let me know when the slayer storms in. Just scream. I'll hear."
He went back downstairs and slept soundly the rest of the day.
Spike healed far faster than Angelus had expected. It was only a matter of days before he was up and walking around the crypt. Angelus wouldn't let him go out and hunt. He wanted Spike's first kill since he was chipped to be special. Spike was getting impatient, but Angelus insisted that until his reflexes were back up to par, he'd have to stay put. He'd suffered a great deal of muscle damage and showed as he moved around. He hid every wince and pained noise from Angelus but the elder vampire wasn't impressed.
Finally the night came that Angelus agreed he was fighting fit. The strut was back in his walk and the bite back in his bark. Angelus smiled proudly at his childe's swift and flawless recovery.
"Before we head out, I need to tell you something," Angelus start while Spike pushed on his boots.
"If you're gonna go all mushy about how glad you are I'm alright, don't bother."
Angelus rolled his eyes. "I was never worried. While I was out, a few nights ago, Willow came here."
"Willow?" Spike asked surprised.
"She must have used a spell to look for me. She found you instead. Buffy will know by now that you've been playing her."
Spike shook his head. "Well, that's over I guess. Maybe it's better this way. She was going to figure it out eventually. She'd not an idiot."
"If I hadn't failed with Joyce she wouldn't have come. She would have-"
"Joyce? What about Joyce?"
"She stabbed me and got away," Angelus said bitterly.
"You went after her?" Spike was outraged. "Why in hell would you do that?"
"She's Buffy's mother. Her death would have been crippling. It would have been perfect."
"For you maybe. Joyce is the only reason I didn't step right into the sun when Dru left me. She the only who cared!"
"I really don't care about your mommy issues, Spike."
"You leave Joyce Summers be. She'd off limits," Spike growled as he stood and face Angelus.
Angelus returned the primal sound. "Are you challenging me, boy?"
"I'm not your boy, Angelus."
"No, right. You're a momma's boy," He taunted.
Spike roared and tackled Angelus to the ground. Angelus laughed as Spike sat on top of him. He pulled back his arm and Angelus caught his fist before it could meet its mark. "She's only human. What's so special about her, huh?"
Spike climbed off him. "You wouldn't understand. You never had a family." He turned and climbed up the ladder. He left the crypt and walked out into the night. The wind felt nice on his face, but it didn't comfort him enough to stop the tears from falling.
Buffy hadn't left her mother's house in days other than to check in on Giles. The doctor said they'd let him go home soon as long as he promised to wear his neck brace. Joyce was a bit paranoid of anyone leaving the house after dark, but Angelus being on the loose was no excuse to shirk in her slayer duties. He wasn't the only vampire in town.
After Willow had came to her about Spike, she'd been out asking around. It seemed clear that he'd been lying to her, but she didn't understand why. He really did hate Angelus, but maybe the family ties were too strong for him to fight against him. Giles probably had some idea about how vampire blood lines worked, but she couldn't ask him. She didn't want him to know any more than he had too.
The Summer's girls finished dinner that night and Buffy offered to clean up. Joyce kissed her goodnight and went upstairs. Buffy took the dishes to the sink and put the left-overs in the fridge. She shivered as she felt a pair of eyes settle on her. She glanced around the room making she was alone and looked outside. His blond hair was like a beacon even in the shadows. It seemed to reflect the light from where he stood on the edge of the shadows.
She stepped out onto the back deck. "Spike, what the hell are doing?"
He stepped into the light. "I heard about your mum."
"And what? Came to finish the job?"
"I take it Willow told you where I've been."
"She told me everything. Like how you were covered in cuts and bruises. How can you side with him when he does that to you?"
"You think Angelus did that?" He snorted amused. "So the watcher didn't tell you then."
"Tell me what?"
"I bet he made up some crap story about being in the wrong place at the wrong time and Angelus just happened to be there." He shook his head.
"Tell me what, Spike?"
"Your watcher is a lot more sadistic than you think. He came to me, said he'd found Angelus. He said we should go and take him out so you wouldn't have to. So I went with him." Spike felt his hands shake at the memory. He lit a cigarette and dragged in a breath letting it out slowly.
"It was a trap. He'd spent a helluva lot of time setting it up, too. Cross burnt into the door knob, whips and chains all over the place."
"What are you saying?" Buffy felt sick. She knew exactly where this was going.
"He tied me up. Tortured me for hours." He took another drag on his cigarette. "Until Angelus burst in. Beat the ever loving hell out of the filthy sod and got me out."
Buffy stared at him with wide eyes. "I don't believe you."
"Believe what you like, pet. I only came to make sure Joyce was okay." He dropped his cigarette and put it out with his boot. "It's probably best you don't tell her I came by," He said sadly.
Spike turned and walked away. Back into the shadows. Buffy stared after him in disbelief.
AN: Comments and suggestions would be very much appreciated. I seem to find myself with a terrible case of writers block on the this one.