Chapter 9

It had been two weeks since Spike's chip had been disintegrated, and he and Xander still hadn't left town. The members of Angel Investigations had slowly gotten used to their presence, and somehow Spike and Xander had become part of the team. Even now that Spike could hurt people, he seemed intent on sticking around for a while. No one except Spike seemed to know why, and only Angel cared. Xander knew that he and Spike would leave one day, because Spike had promised.

Angel knew that if any other vampire had sired him, the boy would think twice about putting such stock in promises, but Spike was always true to his word. If he said he'd help you, he would, as long as there was something in it for him, and it didn't put those he cared about in danger. If he said he'd kill you, you'd be dead, no matter what he had to do to achieve it. If he said he'd take you to see the world, you'd go to as many places as he was able to take you. And if he said he'd stay, he would. Angel knew Spike didn't have a problem breaking promises when he needed to, but he wouldn't do it unless he had to, at least not anymore. Angel was surprised that he felt badly that Spike's firm view on promises was probably due to all of the promises that Angelus had broken. Spike and Xander both saw family in a way that Angel, and even Angelus, didn't. Angel couldn't hold his family in the same regard because it reminded him of his past transgressions. Angelus had enjoyed having his family around sometimes, but he really wouldn't have cared if they'd left him. He would have made a new family if he'd needed one.

Still, Angel was glad they were staying for a while. As much as he liked to think Wesley, Cordelia, and the others were his friends, he knew that they would never truly accept him. Sometimes, even as a vampire with a soul, he was willing to do things they would never consider to get the job done. And he would outlive them, as he had outlived so many others. So, he was glad Spike had decided to stay, no matter what his reasons were. If he needed a fight, Spike was game. If he wanted to drink, Spike was game. If he needed some help with a lead, Spike was game, even if he did tease Angel about needing help first. And Xander…well, Xander was growing on him. Angel supposed he was glad that if the boy had to be a vampire, he was part of his family.

Family. Angel had been thinking about that word a lot lately. He had never been keen on the idea, as a human, or as a vampire with or without a soul. Still, since that night Spike had arrived with the latest addition to their small family, Angel had found himself agreeing to things he never thought he would. He didn't mind that Spike and Xander killed for blood, or that they raided his stash when they were bored. He didn't mind that they teased his human friends, or that they took up space and were loud. He realized that he'd missed having his family around, even though they still acted like vampires. If he'd stayed with his family, things might have been different, even with the gypsy curse. They might have even found a way to break the curse…and then he'd be out slaughtering innocents for fun, and not just for blood, and he'd still be trying to end the world.

As he leaned back in his office chair, he realized he was brooding again. It wasn't good to dwell on what might have happened. What had happened was that he'd left, and it had shaped Spike in more ways than anything Angelus had ever taught him had. And Xander was now part of their family because of who Spike was now, not because of Angel or Angelus. Who knew what would have become of the boy if Spike hadn't been there to take over the responsibility when his friends couldn't kill him?

Angel stood up and stretched. This was only going to lead to more brooding. He needed to get out.

As he stepped out of his office, he passed Wesley and Cordelia and gave them a brief nod, to which they both responded with a smile and a greeting.

He wandered into the lobby where he found Spike and Xander wrestling. Spike still had the upper hand, but Xander was rapidly improving.

Angel cleared his throat and both of the younger vampires paused to look at him. Xander's eyes were wary, as though waiting for him to say the wrong thing so he would have a reason to pull Angel's heart out through his throat. Spike always watched him guardedly, but with Spike there was just a tiny spark of hope. This time, Angel decided not to disappoint him. They were family, after all, even if Angel didn't always like that fact.

"Want to go somewhere?"

"Got a baddie to kill," Spike asked as he and Xander stood up.

"No. Just wondered if you two wanted to go out somewhere."

Spike hesitated.

"Are you coming?" Xander didn't have the long history with him that Spike did, so he wasn't shy about asking those questions. His relationship with Angel was different, so he had less to lose.

"I had planned on it. Thought we could go to a new demon bar that opened up."

"Business or pleasure," Spike asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"A bit of both," Angel replied honestly. It was time to try. For the sake of family. "I thought we could hang out for a bit while we scope out the place. It's near the hotel, so I want to make sure they aren't planning to cause trouble. But I thought it might be fun."

"Fun?" Spike's eyebrows rose incredulously.

"I know how to have fun, Spike!"

"Sure you do," Xander said.

Spike laughed, throwing an arm around Xander's shoulders. "All right, whelp. What say you and I show the old man how to have fun."

"I know how to have fun," Angel insisted as they walked out the door.

Spike and Xander's laughter continued all the way to the bar, but for once, Angel wasn't mad about it.