Reversed Roles 3: Angel's Ghost

By shara_nesu

sharanesu@yahoo.co.uk

Series: Reversed Roles

Summary: Wolfram and Heart bring Angeles's demon essence out of hell and he inhabits the only body he is able to - Angel's. Fortunately they underestimate the strength of Angel's soul and Spike's determination to reclaim his childe

Website: http://www.shara-nesu.supanet.com/


Reversed Roles 3: Angel's Ghost
By shara_nesu

Spike’s POV:

I have decided that since Angel and I have a new start, it's time to set about with the new ideas. My first idea - well it’s a plan really, was to brighten Angel up a bit. Don’t get me wrong, I like tall-dark-and-broody, but not overly broody. Which would describe my beloved Childe completely. To begin with; Plan 1 - Get rid of his current style of dress.

Boring black slacks and even more depressing black shirts. Although I’ll keep his jackets, some of which are really cool - especially the leather. I’ve started my first plan today. While Angel was having his incredibly long shower, I cleaned out his clothing and threw them into big black plastic bags. I left the ones I’ll allow him to wear on the bed. One petrol-blue silk shirt and one pair of black leather jeans. Then I vanished to enjoy the show from beyond direct hitting distance.

I never dreamed that Angel knew those kinds of words! He would make an old seadog blush. Seconds later Hurricane Angel blows down the stairs. On first viewing my new, improved Childe, his human friends reacted kind of strangely. Well, Wesley and Cordelia quickly grabbed a cross and stake, while Gunn looked on bewildered.

“Are you evil?” demands Cordelia, waving her cross around. Angel gives a bone-weary sigh.

“No, I’m not evil. I will be soon however, if Spike doesn't tell me what he has done with my clothes!” Instant laughter. Angel looks even less pleased.

“New rule, Childe. I decided your clothes were too boring, so I got rid of them.”

“Spike, they were Armani! Do you know how much they cost?”

“I don’t care. I am your Sire and I decided they’re boring!”

“Arrgh..” cries Cordelia.

“Cordelia, we’re only...”

“Vision!” She yells. Angel rushes to her side and holds her while the vision passes. She looks like she’s in the kind of pain that I feel with this chip. I feel sorry for her, and then I remember I’m the big bad. Still, it looks kinda painful. “It’s some sort of demon. He’s fighting vampires.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?” asks Gunn.

“No... Angel’s there. The demon is trying to eat him!” After the vision passes, Cordelia rests on the sofa. I have to smile at how she gets them all running around after her. Bringing her water, painkillers and cushions. She’d make a great vampire. She grins when she notices me watching her.

“So. Vampire-eating demon.” Wesley comments while he starts pulling out his books. “I’ve not heard about them in a long time. I believe their main diet is vampires. Older ones are a real treat.” Wesley flips through the pages until he has found the picture and description of the demon.

“That’s all very nice, but how do we kill it?” I ask. Wesley looks surprised.

“Oh. I don’t know. I think you can just cut it's... No... No.” He checks in the book. “No, that would be bad. Actually, it doesn’t say how to kill it.” Angel gives another large sigh and I roll my eyes. Sometimes they are so useless.

“Okay, I know a couple of people. Wesley, you come with me, and Angel, you stay here. Don’t you dare go anywhere. You listening?” I decide that if Cordelia saw Angel in her vision then it’s best if I go. I don’t like this saving souls crap, but this time my Childe is on the line. Again. Angel is far from happy at my suggestion.

“Spike. I can’t stay here and....” He doesn’t finish. I grab his arm and twist it behind his back. He grunts in pain. My tongue licks over the surface of his scar and he moans. Yep, I know how to make him obey me. I threaten to show his friends a little of the sex we get up to, and he’ll do anything. My teeth scrape his scar again and Angel purrs softly. I can feel his cock growing harder between us because it’s already started digging into my stomach. I nip at his neck and Angel shudders. Anytime soon he’s going to cave. I shift faces and he jumps as my fangs prick his skin.

“Okay! I’ll stay here!” He groans out loud. I knew he couldn’t do it. I knew he was too embarrassed about how he reacts to me. He won’t let them see how much control I have over him. I pull away and kiss his cheek. Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn are all trying to look in any direction but at us. Humans are so pathetic.

“Rule no. 15: Sire knows best.” Angel growls in response. I’ll have to remember that for later.

Angel’s POV:

Spike leaves with Wesley to try to discover how to kill the vampire-eater demon. What’s it called? Vapros. It says in the book that decapitation or severed limbs leads to more of them. It’s how they procreate, it seems. Sounds like a very boring way to do it, to me. Where‘s the fun in having all your limbs cut off? I throw the book aside and Cordelia grins at me. She has known me long enough to see how, at times, I hate having Spike trying to control me. I hate being ordered about. I hate having to be told to stay behind. It makes me feel useless.

“Arrrgg.” Another vision? I run to Cordelia’s side and catch her before she falls.

“It’s that Vapros again. Oh, no... Angel, he has Spike!” Is that a sound of concern? Spike’s been here for six months, and I still haven’t seen any friendship between them. Do they care a little about him? I hope so, because there’s no way I would be without him.

“Angel, you can’t let him die. You’ll go all broody again.” No, I guess not, and thanks! I grab my leather jacket and an axe. Maybe if I cut its heart out, that will kill it.

“Angel, what are you doing?” asks Gunn. He gets Cordelia a glass of water and another pill.

“I have to go and help them.” Maybe a sword would be more helpful than this axe...

“Angel, Spike told you...”

“Spike’s been captured, or he will be soon. I can’t let that happen.”

Cordelia sighs, knowing I won’t back down. She does, however, make Gunn agree to come with me. I can see his aversion to the idea. He doesn’t like vampires, and he certainly doesn’t like Spike. He only puts up with me because he believes I am fighting the good fight. All Spike is here for is sex and time with his Childe. Cordelia gives me the address of the attack and we leave. I don’t worry about breaking Spike’s rules. I think he’ll be pleased to see me in the end.

At Wolfram & Hart:

“So this is going to work?” Lilah questioned. Lindsey looked up at his companion and wondered again how he managed to put up with her. Still, they were supposed to turn Angel evil, and so far they had failed on every count. He needed Lilah, however, to help make this work.

“Yes. It will work. Trust me.”

“Of course I trust you.” Lilah scoffed. In other words, yeah, as far as she could throw him.

Lindsey looked over to the box that once held the ex-vampire Darla. She had been brought from hell to drive Angel insane, and back onto the winning team. Things had not gone their way. Angel had become human and was later turned by Spike - his own once-Childe. Darla had become useless to them. Now she was dead by Spike’s hand. But this time Lindsey had the perfect plan to get rid of Angel.

“This had better work,” Lilah commented again. Lindsey sighed to himself. Why didn’t he just get rid of her? It would make his life a whole lot easier. The tall Vapros demon came forward and in a grunting language acknowledged both of them. His body had hard blue scales and his mouth bristled with two rows of large, fanged teeth. These fangs looked just like those of a vampire, but unlike a vampire his jaw could dislocate itself and stretch to amazing proportions.

“You know what you have to do?” asked Lindsey. This part of his plan was essential. The Vapros grunted an affirmative and left to complete his assignment.

“You think that the false visions were successful?” Lilah questioned again. Lindsey sighed and turned to his partner.

“You arranged for the sorcerer to give Cordelia the visions. If they don’t work, it'll be your fault, won’t it?” He smiled as Lilah paled.

Spike’s POV:

I don’t believe it. That bastard Childe of mine disobeyed me. I’ll kill him! I only left him alone for 1 hour, and he buggers off disobeying me. Without even knowing how to kill the bloody demon! What does he think he’s doing? I’ll kill him! Huh - already done that once! Still, why is he so stubborn lately? All he sees is the mission and nothing else. It’s like he has got a case of tunnel vision - maybe I should beat it out of him.

“Spike, please listen. I saw you in my second vision. That demon was trying to kill you. Angel had to go.” I know Cordelia’s telling the truth, but I won’t calm down. I don’t know what upsets me more. Angel disobeying me or Angel disobeying me to go get himself killed. I think it’s the latter that bothers me most. Ever since that Sunnydale incident I fear losing my Childe, more and more. I am losing him at this moment to his bloody obsessive mission. Yes, I know it makes me weak, but I don’t care. I’ve put blood, time and sweat into him. Even more than in any of my previous lovers. Even Dru.

“Where did you send him?” I growl out at Cordelia. She hurriedly writes down the address with a shaking hand and gives it to me. Before I can say more we're suddenly interrupted by Wesley.

“I’ve got it.” After a whole lot of meaningless chatter I don’t hear, Wesley finally gives me a way to kill a Vapros demon. Believe it or not, it’s actually a mixture of herbs and flowers. Weird things, demons. All I have to do is get near enough to put the mixture in his mouth. That might prove difficult. Since I’m a vampire and it kinda likes to eat my kind.

“Let’s go.” I grab an axe, and with Wesley and his newly mixed potion, go out to find my disobedient Childe. He’d better be alive when I find him, because he’s in big trouble.

Angel’s POV:

It’s been well over an hour and still no sign of Cordelia’s demon. I’m beginning to wonder if she had the address right. Still, I don’t want to leave in case I miss it. Next to me, Gunn sits playing with his homemade axe, looking bored. I stopped trying to make conversation with him nearly 45 minutes ago. What can a vampire hunter and a vampire have to talk about? Come on. I’m getting bored, and just a little anxious. What if the Vapros wants to capture me first to get Spike? Ah, never thought of that. Unfortunately, at this moment I don’t have time to think about it.

“Vampire...” grunts a voice from behind us.

Oh, damn! I kinda think that last thought was right.

A huge blue demon steps out of the shadows behind the car and grins at us. I’ve got to tell you,it’s a frightening sight. He has fangs much like my own, except for the fact he has two rows of them. The demon grunts something in his language and gives a laugh. Gunn and I both watch in amazement as the demon’s jaw dislocates itself and opens...and keeps on opening. With the sound of his roar, I make my mind up to attack. The best I can do now is try to kill it before he finds Spike.

I grab my sword and strike out at the Vapros. Considering that he's around 7 feet tall, he's very agile on his feet. Gunn decides to join the fight, but still we can’t seem to hit him. I’ve never seen anything move like this demon does. It’s like he knows my moves. He knows my strengths and weaknesses. Funny, I get the feeling that he has researched me beforehand, and thoroughly too. I seem to have been fighting the thing forever, when I hear a welcome voice.

“Angel!” Wesley and Spike come running from the Desoto with more weapons. Good, I’m getting a little tired. I turn to shout at them to hit the demon’s back, but I don’t have the chance to get the words out. I was only distracted for a second, but the demon flies forward and sinks his incredible-sized fangs into my shoulder. I scream as he bites into my flesh. From each side the others try to force the demon off me. I can feel it taking a deep chunk out of my shoulder. It hurts like hell! It feels like he’s trying to eat me - oh, forgot, he might well be.

“Angel!” shouts Spike in a panicked voice. He runs at the demon’s head, and tries to smash him in two. The demon rears back to avoid the swing. Luckily for me, he rips his teeth from my shoulder and I feel skin and muscle being torn away. I yell in pain. It feels like the monster’s taken half of my back with him. I collapse on the ground in agony as they fight off the demon.

Then the demon does the strangest thing. He grins at me again. I think he was trying to laugh, but his mouth was full of my flesh and blood. With that he vanishes into the night. I don’t know if he was overpowered or that was his plan all along. So far this has been a very strange night.

Spike’s POV:

The Vapros demon is a huge bugger and he could have easily overpowered the three of us. Still, he doesn't fight. He takes one bite out of Angel and then runs. I suppose I should be asking why, but at this moment my anger is directed not toward the demon, but at my disobedient Childe. Wesley has gone over to help Angel to his feet and he checks over his back. It looks like the Vapros took a good bite out of my Childe’s shoulder.

“It’s pretty clean,” Wesley tells Angel. “I think that in a couple of days, with vampire healing, you should be fine.” He presses a piece of material from Angel’s torn jacket to the wound to stop the blood flow.

“What the hell do you think you were doing?!” I shout at him. Angel turns, startled, to face me. He actually looks surprised, as if he doesn't know what he has done wrong. He disobeyed me, and nearly got himself killed with his one-track mind. With his bloody good-guy routine, he completely ignores the danger.

“Cordelia had a vision. You were in danger.” His voice is strong and defiant.

“You never thought to pick up the phone.” I pull out the tiny cell-phone and wave it before him. “You didn’t think to ring first to see if we were in danger? If you had tried, you would have found us at the bloody library!” I’m getting really mad now.

“Cordelia said that..”

“I don’t care what Cordelia said. You never thought, Angel. You just go rushing in, not caring if you get yourself killed. You’re so wrapped up in this bloody mission that you don’t see anything.” Oh. That’s strange. I didn’t intend to say that, but maybe I am a little angry with him. Lately, I have been feeling a little left out. So much of my Childe’s attention is focused on his mission. His little battles to do the right thing. Angel is so much like the demon Angelus in that respect. He gets obsessive about things and he won’t let them go. Sometimes you have to let go or it will drive you insane.

“I couldn’t just..” I hit him. I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I’m far too angry with him. Angry at his obsessions and his disobedience. I backhand him hard and he is thrown to the ground.

“Spike. I think we need to get back to the Hyperion.” Wesley lays a hand on my arm but I shake him off.

“Stay out of this Watcher. This is between my Childe and myself.”

“Sire! I did the right thing! I...” I hit him again.

“No, Angel, now it’s time for you to be quiet. I don’t want to hear another word. You will go home, get cleaned up, and then prostrate yourself for your punishment.”

“What?!” He yells. “I’m not a fledgling, Spike. I can make my own mind up.”

“No, Angel, you can’t. You never think about the danger. You never think about what I tell you to do. You never think that it could be in your own interests to obey me. You just rush in, and you never stop to consider how you react and do things. Grab an axe, and everything will be fine. You don‘t plan anymore, and you never think of the consequences.” Wow. I never knew I had this much resentment towards him. So much anger and frustration because I care for him, maybe too much. I fear his death. I fear losing him to his sense of duty. He has to see that he isn’t alone anymore. He has friends - and me - to help him. He doesn't have to go off alone, risking his own life every time.

Oh, great, now Angel looks all distressed and miserable. I hate it when he does that. I hate the look he gets that makes my heart ache for him. No. I won’t let him. This time I’ve had enough. This time he’s going to get punished and remember this lesson.

“Don’t even try it, Childe,” I growl. “Get in the car, now!” Angel drags himself up and tries to speak. “No, one more word, and I swear I won’t let you come for a month.”

“Woah! Remind me never to become a vampire,” Gunn whispers to Wesley. I give him a dark glare, and he has the intelligence to look fearful. I might not be able to bite humans, but I still have a wicked tongue.

Angel sits in silence all the way home. I can almost see the thoughts spinning around in his head. He’s surprised at my words and actions. I never usually do that in front of his pets. Still, this time he has pushed me too far. He should have really thought about this case. When Cordelia told me about the second vision, I was getting a bit suspicious. Something was strange about this Vapros demon to begin with. I get this feeling when people start to mess around with what’s mine. Something smells fishy. Of course, Angel being Angel - the big white knight in shining armour - he would never stop and think about other possibilities. He has to rush off and do what he believes is the right thing. Of course, he’s all noble and honourable. I actually like those qualities in him at times. However, he isn’t stupid. He just gets so obsessed with doing the right thing, that he forgets to consider that he might be the one in direct danger - or the target.

“Angel, get cleaned up,” I order him when we arrive at the Hyperion. Again he goes to say something, but I lift my hand as if to hit him. He shuts up fast.

Cordelia did a good job at patching him up. The Vapros took a good bite out of his shoulder, and it’s going to take a good few days to heal over. I stand over Cordelia while she works and she keeps giving me these funny looks. She asks Angel questions, but I answer for him. When she has finished, Angel looks up at me.

“Go and get ready,” I command him. Angel does as I say, and with hunched back climbs the stairs to our rooms.

“Spike, what are you doing?” Cordelia wonders. “Angel only went to save you.”

“No, he went and nearly got himself killed!” She looks like she’s going to say something, but holds it back. If she dares say that I worry about him or love him, I’ll...I’ll say I hate her hair. Can’t do much more can I? Bloody chip. I never got this before, when I was the childe, but now I have to justify everything!

I’m amazed that Cordelia actually nods and agrees with my statement. Looks like they’ve all seen that Angel has lost his focus. He’s getting too lost in the game, and taking too many chances. It surprises me that they think so much of my Childe. They even call him a friend. Sometimes I wonder what they think of me.... Nah. I don’t want humans; as I’ve always said, they're just happy meals on legs. I’ve got my Childe and I don’t need anything more. I grin as I remember Angel and what he should be doing right now. I think I’m really looking forward to this: I haven’t punished Angel for a while. I’ve also got to remember that comment earlier about his clothes. Yep, looking forward to exercising my sire rights.

At Wolfram & Hart:

The Vapros demon appears out of the blue and stands before Lindsey and Lilah. It looks as though he has completed his mission, if the bloody mess on his mouth is anything to go by.

“You have it?” questions Lindsey. The Vapros can’t answer with its mouth full, but it nods. A man dressed in long robes comes forward and holds out a dish to the demon. The Vapros spits out his bloody prize - Angel’s blood and flesh.

“You’re sure this is from the vampire with a soul?” The Vapros grunts a reply to Lindsey’s question. He grins and takes the dish. “Good job. Now, a little reward. Guards, kill it!”

A group of specially trained guards from Wolfram and Hart rush the surprised demon. While fighting for his life, one guard manages to throw in a little herb and flower bomb. It has the desired effect, and seconds later the demon is a smouldering pile of goop.

“Lindsey, we’re going to have to clean that up now for the next incantation,” moans Lilah, pointing at the goop. Lindsey laughs.

“We couldn’t let him live - he might talk. Still, we have what we want, and we are ready. Now it‘s time to get rid of Angel, forever.” Lindsey hands the dish back to the priest, who takes it over to the box.

“You think it will be enough?”

“It will be. We only need a sample. If it belongs to Angel, as the demon said, we don’t have to worry.” Lilah looks far from convinced.

“Let the ritual begin!” shouts Lindsey at the priests. Before them, the box is dragged into the centre of the floor. Around it are five chained vampires, standing on the points of a star inlaid into the floor. The priests begin their incantations, starting in Latin then moving to English.

“We call upon the demon Angelus to come forth from the pits of hell..”

Lindsey and Lilah smile.

Angel’s POV:

I don’t understand what is wrong with Spike. I’m only doing my job. Saving souls. Isn't that what I’m supposed to do? I only disobeyed because Cordelia said he was in trouble - I had to try and save him. How was I expected to know the vision wasn’t right? Cordelia’s visions haven’t ever been wrong. I won’t back down. I’ll obey Spike this far. I came to our room, but I won’t obey him anymore. I sit in an armchair, and await the coming argument with my Sire.

Spike storms in the room moments later, and immediately looks over to the bed. I think he actually turned red when he saw I wasn’t kneeling there naked for his punishments. He likes me on my knees. He growls when he spots me in the chair.

“Get the fuck out of the chair, Angel!”

“No,” I calmly answer. “I didn’t do anything wrong. Sire, you are overreacting.”

“Get. Out. Of. The. Fucking. Chair,” he growls at me. He's deep in game face now, his eyes shining deep golden with his anger.

“No. This is my job. It’s what I’m supposed to do!” I shout back.

“No, it’s not. The powers don’t send those visions so you can stupidly go off and try to kill yourself.”

I stand up, my own face changing. “I don’t...”

“That’s the whole problem - you don’t see the danger. You grab an axe and go swinging to the fray without any other thought. Didn’t you ever think that by going out there you get me into the same situation as Cordelia’s vision? The one we were trying to avoid. No! You make them both come true. The demon tries to bite you and I have to fight it. You didn’t accomplish anything.”

I’m stunned silent. Spike has actually explained to me what’s bothering him. In full sentences, too. When he is mad that never happens. He calms a little and his face changes back to human. “You’re obsessed, Angel. You can’t see anything but the fight. You can’t see me.”

I’m stunned again. I have no idea how to answer. I don’t know if what he says is true. I’m only trying to do my job. Maybe I did get a little sidetracked and.. What? I don’t like that look in my sire’s eyes.

“Aren’t you in the wrong position?” He asks, calmly now. He appraises my standing, clothed form and features. I change back to human too, but I don’t back down. “You broke the rules, Angel.” He takes a step nearer, and before I know it I'm stepping back as he comes forward. Damn it. I won’t let him intimidate me.

“No. Okay, I admit I was rash but..” Spike backhands me. “No! I’m not backing down!” What the hell am I doing? Don’t I remember who’s the strongest now?

“I am right, Angel. Even your friends think that.” Huh? I haven’t spoken to them in days; I've been too busy.. Oh. He might have a point. Still, I’m not backing down this time. Unfortunately, it’s no longer about who’s right or wrong, but who is stronger. Spike grins as he catches me unawares, and this time when he hits me, I stumble back into the wall.

Spike’s POV:

He doesn’t see it. He refuses to acknowledge what he has been doing. I’m going to change that way of thinking, and quick. It might seem cruel, but we are vampires - not humans. Our way is different. He will see my point of view, and he will see that he’s being obsessive. Also, I admit, I like a little rough and ready now and then. Okay, maybe a lot!

I hit Angel hard across the cheek while he’s thinking, and he stumbles against the wall. I might be smaller, but that doesn’t make me weaker than him. I don’t want anything to happen to my Childe. I won’t permanently hurt him, but I refuse to see him maybe kill himself with his damn mission. My punishment will be designed to make him see that. Oh, and a couple of other things. Like his problem with talking back and his disobedience in not striping naked and kneeling before our bed.. I’m sure I can make a list.

Angel looks up at me, and to my surprise, he hits back. His punch is true and he catches my jaw. It feels like my bloody eyeballs are about to explode. That does it!

“Kneel!” I order him to submit to me. Angel just grins back. Okay, I gave him a chance. This time my punch catches him in the solar plexus and he gasps, although it doesn’t stop him. The next hit goes under his arm as he tries to hit back. The next is to his back. Then I kick his legs out from under him. Still my Childe fights back. Now I try for the clothing. He tries to hit me, but I rip and pull at his shirt and jeans. He howls in fury as his shirt is ripped from his back. He gets in a lucky shot, and manages to rip my t-shirt.

“I’ve had that for 10 years!” I yell at him. He grins. “Kneel!” I command again. Still, he stands his ground. Okay. With all the strength I possess, I dive at Angel. The strength and weight of my body sends him to the ground. My hands tear at his jeans, and in moments I have him naked. It’s a little intimidating to try and fight while naked. Why’d you think I did it?

“Kneel, Angel. This is your last chance.” I don’t think he will. When he gets it into his head to fight, he doesn’t give up. It’s one of his strongest attributes, but when it comes down to me, it’s a weakness. In the end, I am his Sire. If I don’t control him, then I threaten my own position. I like this power I have. I like having him near me, dependent on me. Yes, I even admit I love him. There are many reasons why I won’t let him win over me. To vampires, position is all-important, and he has to remember ours. “Okay then.”

I kick Angel hard in the gut, legs, then head. Not hard enough to break any bones, but just enough to weaken and daze him. Just at the right moment his defences drop and I make my move. In a flash I’ve got my fangs sinking into his marked neck. Angel growls and tries to fight me off. He can’t get to me that well because I’m behind him. My arms wrap around his, holding them to his sides. My legs wrap around his waist and I pull him back. Angel’s back is arched and stretched. He cries out in agony, but I don’t stop. I continue to drink and drink. Even as he is drained, he continues to try and fight me. Slowly, however, I prevail, and my Childe’s struggling ceases as he falls into unconsciousness.

While he’s in the land of nod, I secure Angel to the bed with strong chains. I secure only his wrists to the metal headboard and leave his legs free. I want him to have some movement. I know that Angel will continue sleeping until I feed him again. I drained him pretty badly, and he won’t have the strength to fight. Still, I want him conscious and unharmed in the long run. Since he is addicted to Sire’s blood, I will withhold that little pleasure until later. Instead, I gently force bagged blood down his throat. Amazingly it takes two bags before he starts to wake up.

“Uh.. Sire..” Angel moans. Suddenly, he becomes aware of his predicament, and his eyes flick open. He catches on quick that he is chained securely to the bed. “Sire, please, I didn’t..” I press my fingers to his lips.

“You know I can’t leave it like this, don’t you Angel? I have to make you submit, now that you have challenged me.”

Angel’s POV:

Oh, Shit! I know now I've pushed Spike too far. I tried to overpower my Sire. Failed miserably at it too, it seems.

Lately everything has been so difficult. Ever since Darla, I can’t stop thinking about Wolfram and Hart. I keep trying to figure them out, to try and guess their next moves. I never realised that I had become a little obsessed about it. Every job I went on, I tried to find a connection to them. I endeavour to find a way - any way - to take the fight to them, and finally to destroy them. Now, my Sire has noticed my lack of attention to him and my friends. So he’s going to show me the way. Which is just great! - Not. I won’t be able to track down that Vapros and find out who sent him. No, because Spike’s chained me to the damn bed and I’m not going anywhere.

I try to plead with him, but he shows he doesn’t want me to talk. “Remember the rules, Angel.” His hand presses over my mouth and I know from past experience that talking out of line means a gag, so I shut up. “Now, who am I?”

“Spike, my Sire,” I answer quickly to his direct question. He grins at me and moves lower down on my body. To my surprise, he hasn’t chained my legs. Maybe I can kick him off? I don’t move fast enough however, because Spike flips me onto my front. Then I feel his fingers probing my hole. Surprisingly, he uses lube, and soon one finger becomes two. I can’t hold back the moan as I feel him stretching me. I always love it when Spike touches me, loves me, even when he just takes me. Any moment now I expect his cock to fill me. Moments later something cold, hard and...plastic?! is pressed into my hole.

“No!” I shout and try to pull away.

“It’s only a butt plug, Angel.”

I moan and grunt as he pushes it deeper. It’s fucking huge.

“Spike...” I beg again, when he’s filled me to what feels like the breaking point.

“Angel, you know the rules. Shut up, or I will gag you.”

I remain silent. Spike gets off the bed and I start to wonder what could possibly come next. The butt plug feels huge and uncomfortable inside me. “On your knees, Angel,” he orders. I move cautiously, and when in position I feel Spike press the plug in as deep as it will go. I gasp again, and I hear Spike’s little laugh. He is enjoying this.

Moments later, I feel the sharp painful smack of a wooden cane across my buttocks. Four more times the cane falls. Spike seems to be waiting for something. What? I’m not allowed to talk. The cane falls again and there is another pause. If I speak, I’ll be punished for that too afterwards. Still, he’s waiting for something, I can feel it. Spike loves to give me rules I can’t hope to fulfil.

“Sire, please. Forgive me. I am yours to do with as you please.” I know it is backing down, but I can’t hope to win now. I’ve challenged his status as Sire, and the only way he can stop is when I admit I belong to him. That I am his Childe.

“Who are you, Angel?” Spike asks. When he presses himself to my side, I know he’s naked.

“I am your Childe,” I answer correctly. Spike instantly flips me over on my back again. His mouth covers mine, kissing me passionately. It feels like he’s almost desperate to touch me. He presses his hard body to mine, but I yelp as the butt plug is pushed deeper. Spike lifts up his body with his arms, and looks down at me.

“Like that, did you?”

“No,” I lie. My erection, which he has seen all along, tells the truth about how I take his punishment. I can’t help it. As soon as Spike gets possessive, I get hard.

“Don’t lie, Childe,” Spike laughs. “You want more?” He rubs his cock into my stomach, and I purr softly. He continues until I answer. I try and hold out, but he’s driving me insane.

“Yes, please.” Spike quickly removes the plug, and seconds later he fills me with his own hard length. I scream in pleasure at the intensity of this union. The desperate need that fills Spike as he takes me. No - he isn’t taking me, he's making love to me. The only way he knows how. Passionately, desperately, lovingly, in Spike’s eyes. I forget sometimes that he is all demon. Sometimes he seems more human than I am.

I don’t last long, and Spike doesn’t even touch my cock. The feeling through bond and body is too powerful, too overwhelming, and it makes me come. I feel his love for me. His need to protect me. His fear of losing me. I see now that my actions made him fear the loss of a Childe. I know that Spike won’t carry on without me, and the same is true for myself.

Spike continues with hard, deep thrusts. He comes quickly after I do. When he comes, screaming out his orgasm, his fangs dig into my neck and I know I’ve come again. Finally, Spike collapses on top of me and holds my body to his. I realise that he’s not going to release me tonight. Also, he isn’t making any effort to move. Still, I’m not complaining. I like it when he sleeps still encased within me. I feel filled by him - safe almost.

“Mmm.. Angel.. Love you.” Spike murmurs sleepily, as he presses his body into mine. His words surprise me. He hardly ever tells me in words that he loves me. He shows me in action and glance all the time, but words? Never. They are cheap to him. They don’t mean much. Spike’s been hurt too much by love, so he doesn’t confess to it.

“I’m sorry, Sire.” I kiss his bleached blond hair. I know I scared him. I know how he hates it when he feels that.

“Punish you later,” He yawns, and presses his head to my chest. Moments later I follow him to sleep. Wait a minute - what did he mean punish me? Oh, the talking. Good...I mean...damn...

At Wolfram and Hart:

Inside the dark box a howling can be heard. It’s inhuman - animalistic in a way - but even more horrendous. Dark shadows move and rage against being confined. The being inside has no real form. It’s not a dead human, but a dead demon. A demon whose chosen body still walks this earth.

Lindsey carefully steps nearer to the raging creature in the box. The energy of Angelus’ fury even affects the air around it. Flames dance, and horrific smelling fumes fill the ritual room. “I know you can hear me, Angelus.” He leans towards the box. The demon inside must have understood this name because he quiets a moment. “Your body still walks, Angelus. The proof is inside that box - your blood and flesh - your rightful body. It helped bring you back, and it can now send you home.”

“Hooommmme,” howls the unformed demon.

“Yes, force that hideous soul from your body, and take your rightful place.” Lindsey steps away as the chanting starts again. This time, it’s to send this demon home. Home to his own body. To Angel‘s body.

Spike’s POV:

Mummm... So good. Angel is the best bed I’ve ever had. Our passion has warmed us, and he feels soft and comfortable beneath me. I laugh to myself. I should tell him that. That he is a big, warm, soft teddy bear. That will really piss him off. Maybe enough to defy me again. Still, this time was not just for fun, it was also to prove a point. I hope Angel saw it. He’d better, because next time I won’t be so pleasant. Next time I could really lose him. I yawn and stretch. Oh, nice. I had forgot about this. My cock is still buried deep inside my Childe. Oh yeah! Great start to the day, well night.

Angel awakens to me pounding inside of him. He must feel sore from before, but he is taking it well.

“Spike!” He howls. His body clenches, and I moan deeply.

Oh, do that again!

“Childe, squeeze me hard!”

Angel gasps as I increase the pressure and he does as I ask. Neither of us lasts long, but this time I allow my Childe to bite me. He’s still weak from the day before, so I give him this. Okay, I also get a kick out of it. My Childe’s teeth are one of his best qualities. We both come instantaneously. The feeling of my orgasm and that of my Childe’s, which I feel through the bond, is overwhelming. I don’t know how I managed to survive without him. I don’t want to ever again.

“Sire, forgive me,” Angel murmurs into my hair as we lay in our post-coital bliss.

“I won’t lose you, Angel,” I warn him. I push his damp hair from his forehead. I have great taste in lovers, childer and well everything else. He has the face of an....

“Angel?”

Angel has started to pant erratically beneath me, and begins to sweat too. Which, of course, is a bad sign for vampires. I feel his body tremble and quake.

“Spike?” he pants. His eyes are wide and full of dread. What the hell is happening? Angel screams as his body undulates beneath me. Soon the force of his tremors throw me off the bed. It’s like his body is being infused with great energy.

“Angel!”

A bright burning red light fills the room. It burns my skin and I’m thrown across the room, by whatever force is invading my childe. I feel my head split as I crash into the wall. I think I lost consciousness there for a second. When I come to, I jump to my feet to fight this threat to my Childe... but there’s no one here. That force that threw me from the bed, seems to have vanished. The room is empty, but for myself and Angel. Who isn’t where I left him. Angel was chained to the bed, but now he stands dressing before the wardrobe. It’s like nothing had happened. I grab my jeans from the floor and pull them on.

“Angel?” I repeat, approaching him cautiously. Something happened here, I feel it. I don’t exactly understand what I am feeling, but something is different. That light was powerful enough to throw me across the room, break his chains, but he is untouched. “Childe?”

Angel turns to face me and smiles. Something isn’t right here, but I can’t put my finger on it. “Spike, what happened? Oh, you hurt your head.” He touches his own forehead, and watches my response.

I touch my head and feel the wetness of blood. I guess I was knocked out by the force of...of whatever it was. Still, why isn’t Angel affected? Angel grabs my hand, and his tongue laps up the blood. Suddenly, behind us, the apartment door is flung open, and the rest of Angel Investigations storm in. All armed with very sharp stakes and bows.

“Spike! Angel! Are you okay? We heard this thunderous bang, it shook the whole hotel...” Wesley’s voice trails off as he spots Angel, who continues to lick my fingers clean. This should feel erotic to me, but for some reason it doesn’t. In fact, strangely enough, I am not getting turned on by it. All I can think of is that he doesn't feel right.

“Spike?” questions Cordelia, watching us strangely. She comes towards Angel, but I grab her hand. I pull my fingers from Angel’s mouth, and stand before the humans - protecting them.

“Spike, what are you doing?” She tries to pull away from me to go over to Angel.

“NO!” I shout, and pull her back. I know. I understand now. Angel smirks at me.

“You aren’t as stupid as I always thought, Spike,” he laughs.

“Angel?” Cordelia turns to him, and looks into hard, cold eyes. Reminds me what Drusilla used to say of Angelus‘ eyes - `eyes like needles’.

“That’s not Angel,” I tell her, and pull her behind me again.

“That’s right, Spike. You’re house broken now.” He laughs harder now. I hate that sound. I hoped to never hear it again. “Got a little chip so you can’t bite the happy meals anymore.” He howls at his own stupid joke.

“Who are you?” Wesley asks calmly. I can tell he's scared shitless and so can..

“Angelus is the name, pain’s the game.” Angelus fastens his silk shirt and tucks it into leather trousers.

Why the hell did I change Angel’s wardrobe? That would have been a dead giveaway. He pulls on one of Angel’s long leather dusters.

“I’ve gotta say, I’d love to stay and play with you kiddies, but I have a prior appointment. Don’t wait up for me, and don’t try to run either. I’ve just *got* to kill you now, don’t I?” He laughs again. I think he’s even more insane than before.

Gunn stupidly decides that now is the time to fight Angelus. The kid has got guts, but Angelus is quite capable of ripping them out with his bare hands. I grab the kid’s jacket and pull him back.

“I’ll be back for you, my little fuck toy.” Angelus leans towards me and licks my cheek. I don’t move, don’t even flinch. I want to kill him, but I can’t. He has my Childe’s body. In a move only I can see, Angelus is gone.

“Why the hell did you stop me?” shouts Gunn. He grabs his weapons, and starts going after Angelus. I pull back his arm, but it sets my chip off. I yell, which conveniently catches their attention.

“You can’t fight Angelus. He’ll snap your neck before you even touch him.” I rub my sore head and stare at Gunn.

“Spike is right.” Wow, Cordelia is supporting me! “I saw Angelus in Sunnydale. He killed a teacher of ours, he terrorised us for months, and then decided to suck the world into hell.” She only knows the half of it. She doesn't know about what Angelus did to me, or to the victims he tortured and killed during that time. He was bad before, but now, I’m guessing he’ll be unsurpassed at evil and brutality. Considering he’s just spent centuries in hell honing his skills. My sire has always been merciless and heartless. Colder than any vampire that ever walked the earth. Yes, I know my beloved Sire well.

“We are all overlooking something here,” interrupts Wesley. “Spike, you told us that Angelus no longer inhabited Angel. That the demon was dead.”

“He didn’t inhabit him. I never sensed Angelus anywhere inside my Childe. Angel was untouched by my Sire’s evil.”

“How do you know?”

“I took him out of his body. When a Sire drains a Childe to near death, it’s like having an out of body experience. I was there, and the only thing I saw was Angel’s soul.”

“Then how did Angelus return?” ponders Wesley.

It hits me like a whiplash. I worked it out. It came just like a flash of light. Bloody hell, I was completely blind. Angel was almost right. He could see that someone was working against us at every turn. However, just like Angel, he didn’t share his fears and just kept them to himself. He just continued to try and fight the good fight without bothering us. I get it now. I understand Cordelia’s visions.

“Wolfram and Hart.” I sit down heavily on the bed, my Childe and I share. “I told you about Sunnydale and Darla.” They all nod. “They brought her back from hell; I think they brought back the essence of Angelus as well. Maybe even in the same way. That Vapros demon you had a vision about, Cordelia, I bet that they sent him to get a sample of Angel’s blood and flesh. Since his body still walks, they would need something to draw him back into it.”

“What do we do now?” Asks Cordelia, as she sits down beside me. I never realised how much she likes Angel. To her he is her best friend, almost as close as a brother.

“We kill him,” answers Gunn.

“NO! You don’t touch my Childe!” I shout. Wesley puts a restraining hand on my shoulder.

“Spike is right, we can’t kill Angelus yet. We don’t know what happened to Angel’s soul.”

Angel’s soul! Oh, shit. I jump off the bed and accidentally push Cordelia back. She falls into the middle of the bed and lets out a loud shriek.

“Spike! Your bed is cold!” She jumps up and frantically rubs her arm. I can see her flesh turn almost blue and become covered in goosebumps. What the hell? What if... No, it couldn’t. I open the bond I share with my Childe. I try to reach out and touch his consciousness. I expect to feel the evil of Angelus but I don’t. In fact, I feel the same warmth and love I’ve always felt from him. It’s like Angel never left. He never left! I don’t feel Angelus, because Angel never left here. He was shoved from his body by the demon, but Angel the soul is still in this room. I can feel him.

“Spike?” Suddenly, I realise that all three of them are talking to me - trying to get my attention.

“Angel’s still here,” I tell them. “A light came and I was thrown across the room. We were both on the bed.” Cordelia screws her nose up in disgust. “Angelus must have taken his body but Angel is still here.” I point to the bed and the cold patch Cordelia felt. Wesley and Gunn obviously don’t believe me, but Cordelia grasps the logic.

“Wesley, Gunn, put your hand here.” She presses her hand on the side of the pillow. Both look suspicious, but they do as she suggests. Seconds and a couple of screams (from Wesley) later, both admit to feeling the extreme cold. I can see it too; their hands are blue.

“Why isn’t he doing anything? Dennis is always moving stuff,” comments Cordelia. She’s right. The cold spot still hasn’t moved from the bed. I haven’t felt anything from Angel through the bond - just a presence, but nothing more. Suddenly, Wesley goes running off. We look at each other bemused. Wesley is one strange chap. Moments later, however, he returns holding a book, and what looks like an Orb of Thesulah.

“Hold this.” He shoves the orb into my hands.

“What’s this? It‘s looks familiar,” Cordelia asks staring into the clear orb.

“It’s an Orb of Thesulah; I was er... using it as a paperweight.”

“Guess it’s pretty useless now that Angel’s soul is secured.”

Wesley looks a little guilty, “Actually, I was keeping in case we needed it for Spike.”

“Hey!” I turn my attention back to the problem. “What are you doing?” I ask. He better not hurt my Childe’s soul. Chip or no, I’ll return the favour.

“I was researching Angel’s soul, and how he can live in a vampire body, when I found this spell. It gives form to a dis-embodied soul that isn’t dead. I made a point to remember it because...”

“Wesley, you have got to get a social life,” laughs Gunn. Wesley looks bashful but continues to prepare the spell. I grab his arm before he starts.

“This won’t hurt him?”

“No, it will just give him form and strength, so we can see him. Hopefully, it will enable him to communicate with us too.” I nod, and let him start. I hope this works.

Angel’s POV:

I can hear someone talking. It’s muffled and far away. Strange. I try and listen harder, but I still can’t hear it clearly. I try and move, but my body doesn’t respond. Is this my punishment? Did Spike secure me? No, it doesn’t feel like that. I feel empty. As if I don’t exist... No. That’s not right either. I feel a sudden panic. Something’s wrong. I try and feel my body. Try and feel Spike’s body above me. I know he was there a moment ago. I felt him on top of me and deep inside me too. We were warm from making love, and now... now I feel cold. A deep penetrating cold. A cold that makes it hard to think. I try to open my eyes, but to my horror I can’t. The world is in darkness and I am deaf, motionless too.

I want to scream, but I have no voice. I am nothing. Bodiless, voiceless, sightless, deaf to the world. Oh god! Help me! Please! Spike! Sire, please help me! SPPPII

“IKKKE!” What the hell? I’m back on the bed. I’m me again. Hang on... This isn’t right. I open my eyes and see the world. Everything is wrong. It’s like my colour spectrum is all screwed up. Everything is red and green, along with a few strong blues. It’s weird. I look up and yell... At first, I didn’t recognise her. It’s Cordelia - with green hair and red eyes.

“Angel?” My Sire speaking. That voice fills me with calm. I reach out blindly for him, but my hand touches nothing. I turn to him. Spike strangely looks the same. Apart from the demon’s aura he is surrounded by. I back away. Strange, I don’t seem to be able to feel the bed, either.

“Angel, can you understand us?” Wesley leans forward. He is strangely coloured too - blue eyes, red hair. Beyond him is Gunn - who is really weird - yellow skin. I stare at Wesley strangely. “Angel, do you know what happened to you?”

“Sire,” I moan. Something’s terribly wrong! I feel cold and empty all at once. Something’s missing. I put my hands to my face - Oh god! I can see through my hands! I try to breathe to calm myself, but I don’t.... I don’t have a body! I have a shape, an outline, but that’s all. OH, MY GOD!!

“Angel! Calm down.” Spike reaches for me, but his hands pass through my ghostly form. “Angel, damn it, listen to me!”

I think I’m screaming. Something is wrong, all right - I don’t have a fucking body! I’m some sort.... some sort of ghost!

“Childe! Bloody well pay attention!”

Spike’s POV:

I don’t believe it! As Wesley casts the spell, we all watch the bed in amazement. There before us, Angel starts to reappear. He’s not in his body, of course, but we are seeing maybe something like an astral form. Angel’s soul taking human shape. It’s amazing. He isn’t solid looking, but like some ghost you see on films. Just colours and an outline. Angel continues to get more substantial until he’s like a see-through mirror image of his body. Thankfully, he isn’t naked, but dressed - Wow! He’s dressed all in white. White slacks and white shirt. Bare feet too. Hey, he looks good in white.

However, something is wrong with Angel. It looks as if he is fighting something - a nightmare? - he isn’t fully awake, yet. I don’t think he understands that he’s bodiless. Suddenly, he screams. It sounds like the end part of my name. The ghostly body sits up and stares directly at Cordelia. I don’t know what he sees but he’s afraid of something. Then, I watch as my Childe comes to realise that he’s not whole. It’s a painful experience. I feel as if I need to hold him, comfort him. I ache to hold my Childe, but I can’t touch him. All I have left is his soul. Angelus has his body.

“Childe! Bloody well pay attention!”

Angel is getting nearly hysterical, and I can’t blame him. Still, I use that Sire’s tone, and Angel stops screaming and looks at me. I sit down on the bed, and lean towards him. Angel backs away.

“Childe! Sit still!” I notice that Angel responds to my sharp orders. His astral body freezes and his eyes stare at me. I suddenly notice something different - his hair. It’s long and dark. It reminds me of Angelus, but then I remember he was Liam first. This is a representation of Liam’s human body. Looks the same to me - delicious. “Childe, can you understand me?” Angel doesn’t speak just nods. His eyes never leave my face.

“Why is there two of you?” he asks suddenly. His voice sounds muffled, but still like Angel. I can’t understand how that works, since he can’t take in air to make sound with. Still, I have to trust in magic. What am I if not an unnatural magical creature?

“I don’t understand, Childe?” I watch amazed as ghostly fingers reach out to touch me, but he seems to be reaching for something behind me.

Wesley suddenly clears his throat. Angel trembles and cowers away again. I snarl at the human for scaring my Childe. Until, I realise my instincts are working overtime when it comes to Angel. It’s like I’m a bloody mother hen. I force the feelings of protection and possessiveness down, and turn calmly to Wesley.

“Spike, I think Angel can see your demon as well as your physical body.” I look back at Angel to see he’s staring at me again.

“Are you afraid, Childe?”

“No, you are my Sire.” The words make me feel warm for a moment. I want to kiss him - I shall kiss him. I lean forward towards Angel, and his face moves to the side giving me access to his mouth. He opens it slightly, inviting me in. I touch ghostly lips. I feel... Hey, he feels warm. Why is he warm to me when to everyone else he’s cold? Still, I’ll ask questions later, at this moment I just want to kiss him. I feel a pressure on my lips, and a soft warm tongue pushing at my own.

“EWW! Spike!” shouts Cordelia. I snarl at her and she jumps back. Bloody Hell! I have to get a hold of myself and my emotions. Whatever has happened to Angel is affecting me too. Making me all soft and loving. It’s sickening. It’s unnatural. I’m the big bad, remember? I jump back away from Angel, and turn to the others. I nod towards the door and they get the message. When they have left, I turn to speak to Angel.

“Childe?” He looks up at me with wide, beautiful, dark eyes. I can’t stop myself from touching his ghostly cheek. He feels so warm. Not cold like the others felt. “My beloved Childe, I want you to stay here. I need to speak to the humans. Understand?” Angel nods and his hair moves across his face. I almost reach out and touch it. Damn it. It’s happening again! I pull myself reluctantly from Angel’s body. If I don’t leave now, I don’t think I will.

I shut the bedroom door behind me and move into the living area. Strange, the feelings of protection for my Childe remain just as strong away from him. Wesley must have buggered up the spell. I’ll damn well kick... er, speak angrily at him for doing this to me. Bloody chip.

“What’s wrong with Angel? Man, he was freaking,” Gunn chuckles.

“Wouldn’t you freak if you just lost your body - again - to the demon that killed you?” I snap back, growling softly.

“Spike’s right. Angel is clearly distraught. I just hope it doesn’t affect his mental balance until we can get him back into his rightful place,” Wesley says trying to calm the situation.

“It’s not his rightful place,” I admit softly.

“What? Angelus took Angel’s body..”

“No.” I look at Cordelia. “That was Angelus' rightful body. It’s the body of a demon. Angel was only a soul that inhabited it. After he became human, it became his body again. Angelus died, but when I turned Angel into a vampire, his soul was attached to that body so no demon could inhabit it. His body will accept Angelus as the rightful owner - not Angel the soul.”

“What are we going to do then?” Cordelia slumps down into the chair.

No one has an answer. We just stand there in silence. What is there to say? What are we going to do with Angel’s traumatised soul? He surely can’t remain like this forever, can he? No! I refuse to let that happen. I will burn Wolfram and Hart to the ground, unless they tell me how to save my Childe. I will suck the blood right out of their hearts. I will..

“Spike? Are you all right?” Wesley is looking at me strangely. I put a hand to my face. I can’t remember going into game face.

“Watcher, this is all your fault!” I rave as I pull out a fag. I feel restrained somehow, so I start to pace. “That spell went wrong, it has made me feel all.... all protective and...” I can’t stand this!

“Well... er... Spike that spell would not have affected you.” What? But all the emotions I am feeling? What are they?

“It had to.”

“Spike. I think you're feeling your own emotions,” says Cordelia softly.

Oh no. No! You don’t start that with me. I’m the big bad. I don’t admit to love and stuff. I’m not all touchy-feely. I’m the big bad, okay! I’m.. I touch my cheek. A crystal-like tear sits on my fingertip. Oh, Shit!

“I think we should all go now. We’ll try and find out how we can help Angel, while Spike looks after him.”

I grunt my affirmative to Wesley as the humans hurry out of our apartment. I feel calmer now they have gone. They were making me feel excessively protective of Angel. I kept watching them, seeing if they would try and hurt him. I hate this. I hate feeling like this. This is all Angel’s fault.

I storm into the bedroom and... Angel is just lying there on the bed, all ghostly and transparent. He has curled into a fetal position and I can hear his soft sobs. I can’t imagine what he must feel like. To have your body re-possessed by the demon that used your hands to kill so many people. I sit down beside him and touch his soft hair. I can’t feel the actual strands, but I feel a warmth under my hand.

“Angel, Childe,” I whisper. “Sit up, I need to talk to you.” Angel doesn’t sit up, but moves nearer to me.

“Sire, help me,” he moans. “Please hold me.”

“I can’t, Angel.” My fingers touch his arm. I feel no actual flesh there, just the warmth again. I press harder and my hand passes through his arm. “I can’t touch you.” Angel jumps away from me.

“No, I felt something,” he exclaims in a desperate voice. He sits up and holds his hand out. He doesn’t move as I place my hand next to his. I move forward and feel that warmth again. Still, my hand passes through his, as if passing through fog.

“I felt a warmth, nothing more.”

“Sire?” Angel leans forward. His beautiful body shining with an invisible sun. Wow! How did he get naked so quickly? Oh, forgot. Astral clothing. Angel’s body is almost ethereal. Shining, smooth and perfect. “Let me touch you... please Sire, I need to feel you.”

“Yes, Childe,” I murmur. I’m so caught up with the sight of astral Angel that I can’t think straight. Without even realising it, I strip out of my jeans and climb back on the bed. Angel lies on his side and I face him. I can see the room through his form, but I can feel him here with me. He leans forward and kisses me. Again, I feel that heat invade my mouth and something moving inside. I can’t actually say it feels like a tongue, but it feels just as good.

I close my eyes and lose myself to the sensations Angel is causing. I feel hands on my chest or at least a heat in the shape of a hand. It presses against my skin and through me! I open my eyes and look down. Angel’s hands are passing into my body. It’s amazing. Every nerve ending in my chest is being stimulated. I groan and watch as my cock hardens between us. Angel is watching too and he grins up at me.

I turn on my back as Angel’s warm essence moves down my body. I feel him, deeper and deeper inside. Then something moves around my cock. The very air around it heats up and I am encased by something that squeezes my length. Squeezes me stronger than any internal muscles. The slight pain increases my passion. I close my eyes and groan loudly. This is bloody amazing. It’s unbelievable. It’s.. OH! Something moves lower to my hole and I feel that heat again. I spread my legs automatically and the heat moves nearer. Oh.. I feel him trying to get inside of me. I feel a heat pressing into my hole, stretching me. Stretching me wider than any cock. He knows what I like too well, the pain and the pressure. I moan and groan loudly. I’m beyond trying to talk. I can’t even control my body. I just move as the sensations take over me.

I think I can hear someone screaming. I don’t know whom. My orgasm rips through my body in a flash of bright light and heat. I feel my cold cum spray my stomach, and the heat inside spreads throughout my body. An instant later it’s gone. I open my eyes and see a grinning Angel above me.

“You didn’t ask permission,” I gasp.

“Sorry.” He laughs softly and lies down next to me.

“Punish you later,” I reply. At this moment I have no desire to move. I feel pretty fabulous - warm and sated.

“What’s going to happen to me, Sire?” Angel asks softly. I don’t answer him. This time I don’t have any answers.

“Spike!” Cordelia rushes into the bedroom, throwing the door wide open. “Spike! You have... Oh God! Scarred for life!” She screams.

“Don’t you ever knock, woman?” I yell back, and make a grab for my jeans. I notice Angel’s wearing those white clothes again. Lucky sod; Cordelia didn’t get a look at him.

“Hey! Don’t call me woman!” My abusive term makes her forget for a moment that I’m still trying to pull my jeans on, and she wags her finger at me when she notices again. “Oh! I’m going to need counselling after this.” She turns away again, covering her eyes.

“What do you want?” I demand. Next to me, Angel is smiling, and I throw him a dirty look.

“There is something on the news about Angelus.”

What? Angelus would never be so careless. I pull on a T-shirt and rush past Cordelia. She runs behind me, down the stairs and into the office.

Wesley holds a miniature TV while Gunn watches over his shoulder. “You just missed it.” Wesley turns the TV off. He looks up at me, but then gasps and jumps to his feet. I turn, and behind me is Angel’s ghostly form, which floats down from the ceiling. Cool! Looks like he doesn’t need to use the stairs, just floats down one floor to the next.

“Ah, good, Angel. Well.. ur..”

“I know Angelus has done something,” Angel reveals in a sad voice.

“You do? How? Can you feel him?”

“No, I know him. I spent over a hundred years with him in my mind. He’s totally psychotic. I think I can guess what he has done. He has turned on those who brought him back, hasn‘t he?” Angel tries to sit down on the chair, but isn’t quite successful. He seems to float half on it and half in it.

“Yes,” Wesley says sitting back down. “They just found Holland Manners at his home. He was having a party there when someone slaughtered all the guests. There were two survivors - Lindsey and Lilah. I suppose Angelus considered that he might still need them.” Wesley looks down at his hands as if he doesn’t want to say the rest.

“Angelus did something,” Angel comments. I can see the fear in his eyes. He blames himself for what Angelus has done. What Angelus has done with his hands, his fingers, his body.

“He massacred them. Ripped them to pieces, mutilated them, and that’s only what the reporter said. We can only imagine that the reality will be a lot worse than what they report to the public.”

“Angelus is most likely trying to get back into the swing of things. He loves the perfect kill, the perfect torture. He enjoys inflicting pain even more than the killing.” Angel’s voice is calm, but through the bond I can feel his disgust, his fear and the grief he feels from knowing his own hands did this.

Angel’s POV:

There is a long silence while the humans think of the evil Angelus has done. All the horrid, sordid actions they are imagining him committing have most likely actually happened. I feel Spike watching me. I think he’s thinking the same. Dreading what his Sire might have done - will have done. Angelus is totally out of control. He has never been this careless, so public about his killing. He wasn’t stupid enough to advertise; being careful is how he/I lived to be this age. That’s now another concern for me. If the police catch Angelus it will be another massacre, or he could end up in a nice east-facing cell. Then I’ll never get my body back. I wonder how long I can exist like this?

“Uh.. Angel? I... er... I think you had better stand up.”

I look to Cordelia and see wide frightened eyes. What does she mean? I look down and observe my astral body starting to sink through the seat. It feels kinda strange, like I’m dissipating. Oh Shit! I jump up, but it feels like I’m being pulled deeper into the chair. Finally, after a struggle, I manage to stand.

“What the hell is going on?” I shout. I’m scared and I have every right to be - the chair nearly ate my astral body!

“Angel, how you do feel?” asks Wesley calmly.

“What is happening to my Childe?” Growls my Sire standing before me. I think Spike’s protecting me from Wesley for some reason. I feel Spike’s anxiety and worries through the bond. He’s just as terrified as I am.

“I think Angel might be growing weaker. In many ways he is like dead soul, which means physically he doesn’t belong here. The longer he‘s out of his body, the more he‘ll just fade to... er.. nothing.”

“Dennis still lives in my house.”

“Yes, because he’s tied to it. Dennis is bound to that house physically. Angel isn’t bound to a physical form, house or body. I think the only bond he has to this earth is the Sire/Childe bond that he shares with Spike.”

“I’m only here because of Spike?” Wow! In fact, I’ll say that again - Wow! Spike turns to face me. I see panic in his eyes. I see his fears of losing me, his fear that he might not be strong enough to hold me here. I never realised he loved me like this. His hand reaches out and touches my cheek. Of course, he doesn't feel me, just the warmth of my form. It’s strange... when the others touched me, it was cold.

“We have to find a way of getting to Angelus,” he says turning back to the humans. “I won’t let my Childe die.” I hear the determination and fear in his voice - I think the others hear it too. To their credit they don’t say anything. They know Spike well enough to understand that he denies feeling protection and love towards me.

We tried to think of ideas, but none where forthcoming. How can we corner an insane, very violent master vampire? What do we do with him when we have him back here? It’s not like we can stake him. Then I’ll have no body to return to. And I want one. I don’t want to cease to exist. Back in Sunnydale I would have willingly died, but now... now, everything is different. I like my life. I like being with Spike. I love being with Spike. I might brood and dress in dark clothing, but I don’t want to lose what I have. We have to find an answer to getting my body back! We have to!

LA Hospital:

Lindsey opened his eyes, very slowly. Every muscle and bone in his body felt abused and broken. His mouth was swollen, and it was hard to swallow. One eye he was unable to open, so he just tried the other. The world came into painfully bright focus and Lindsey realised he was in a hospital. No where else had florescent tubing this bright. The pain he felt was beyond anything he’d ever known. Anything he’d ever dreamed of.

He gasped as he remembered what had happened. It was supposed to be a celebratory party. Celebrating their success on bringing Angelus to Wolfram & Hart’s team. Oh, what stupid naive children they were. They believed that they could control Angelus - control the most evil demon to ever walk the earth. A demon with 150 years of murder and mayhem under his belt, and a definitive knowledge of how to create the most exquisite pain. A demon driven insane by 100 years of being confined and controlled by a human soul. Lindsey understood now. They were amateurs; children playing with fire. Well, they just got burned.

Angelus had locked them in Manner’s cellar. They had no hope of escape. The first kill he had made, he drained of blood and broke his neck. The second one, he got a little more creative. This one he eviscerated, drained, and then broke her neck. On and on it went. Angelus was finding new ways to butcher and kill. In a detached manner, Lindsey could see the perfection and care Angelus took with each body. How he carefully carved them up. How he gently removed each organ with deadly precision. How he took their bodies, his member ripping them in two - it didn’t matter if they were alive, partially alive or dead.

Lindsey had watched as Angelus had worked methodically through his colleagues one by one. Each kill more vicious than the last. He had perceived that Angelus was saving the most creative kill for last - for him. Or maybe Lilah. Angelus had left her too. When the screams and cries of mercy had ended, when the last man was dead, Angelus had turned to the both of them. He had smiled and Lindsey had never been so terrified in his life.

What had happened after that was a total blur. He remembered feeling Angelus’ fists. The vampire’s teeth sinking into the warm skin of his throat. He remembered Angelus’ hands ripping at his clothing and his body. He remembered the pain in his rear. Everything becomes even more distorted then, distant. All Lindsey could remember was pain - unforgiving, unending pain. Pain from which he begged to be released.

Then he was here. In this hospital, in this bed. His body had never felt so broken. He didn’t want to see what Angelus had done to him. He couldn’t look. He felt like screaming, like his mind had finally given up and had chosen the easiest escape - insanity.

“Hi, there. Looks like you’re awake.” Lindsey’s first thought was what a stupid thing to say. “How are you feeling?”

Lindsey realised that a nurse was leaning over him. She was young, and smiled brightly. Still, kinda thick, because did it look like he could be feeling anything but pain?

“Hurts...” He tries to speak. His jaw aches, but he doesn’t think it’s broken. “Pain... killer.” Please give me something, his mind screams. The nurse does as he requests, and seconds later he can feel the wonderful high of morphine seeping through his body. Finally something other than pain, he thought.

“You are so lucky to be alive.” The nurse starts talking again. “I don’t know what could ever drive anyone to do what happened in that room.” She shivers. “He must have been totally sick, deranged or something.”

Oh great, I get the thick nurse who’s also sensitivity retarded. I’m lawyer, I should sue, Lindsey laughed silently but suddenly he thought about what the nurse was actually saying.

Oh yes, Angelus was deranged all right - he was bloody insane. He was the most vicious demon to ever walk the earth and I invited him here, thought Lindsey. These thoughts only made the pain worse, so Lindsey tried not to think about what happened.

“You know, you just wish that you go out and just shoot these people, send them to hell where they belong.”

The nurse leaves Lindsey alone. He feels tears gathering in his eyes, but he can’t understand them. The words return inside his brain.

*Send them to hell.*

“Oh god! What have I done?” cries Lindsey. He has no answer.

Spike’s POV:

The police scanner has been busy all night. Angelus is leaving a bloody trail wherever he goes. Soon we will have to do something more drastic. Still, I can’t face the thought of killing my Childe’s body. I can’t trust myself not to stop the humans from doing that. Even if it meant fighting the chip - I won’t let them kill him.

I turn my attention back to the book on ghosts that I’m trying to read. Well, I’m actually pretty much failing at that, because it’s in Greek and it has been nearly a hundred years since I was in that area of the world. I didn’t learn the language very well then, either. We English expect everyone else to speak English too - Well, they should! Okay! So I admit I’m not brilliant at learning languages - well, human ones that is. Still, Angel can read it, but he can’t turn the pages. My Childe is growing weaker by the hour. I wish I could go out there and find Angelus. The trouble is, what do I do when I find him? Also he’s going around the city with no direction at all. There is no logic or motive behind his killings. It’s insane. Well, I suppose that is only logical - Angelus himself is far from sane.

“I found something!” shouts Cordelia, running into the office.

“What, a new pair of shoes?” I grunt. I don’t even feel strong enough to put the effort in my joking. She just rolls her eyes at me.

“No! I found Lindsey. He’s still alive and so is Lilah. They are in a hospital not far from here.”

Within seconds, we all rush out to the car. Angel follows keeping close to me. I am his only link to the world, so I’m not about to let him out of my sight. We make the hospital in good time and manage to get on Lindsey’s floor. Cordelia spins this tale about us being family, but they are only allowing one person in at a time. I decide to go first. Actually, it was more like, “I’m going first, what are you going to do about it?” They back down after a flash of fang, and I get my way.

My Childe floats in from the window as I enter Lindsey’s room. I might be a vampire, but when I see Lindsey’s body it actually sickens me. I’ve known Angelus personally and up close for a long time. I’ve seen so much of what he was capable of in that time, but this... This is worse. More deranged, more revolting. It looks like Angelus has carved signs and symbols into Lindsey’s chest. His body is broken ,and black from bruising. I smell internal blood still flowing from his back passage. Angelus certainly went to town on him. You have to wonder why he left him alive. Then again, I remember Drusilla - he turned her so she could suffer an eternity of torment. Maybe death was too simple for them.

I turn to Angel and I see the horror in my Childe’s ghostly eyes. I can hear his silent screaming, feel his pain.

Angel POV:

I did this. This is my fault. Oh god, look at him! Angelus has nearly ripped him apart. My hands did that. Me!

“Childe.” I hear Spike hiss at me. I pull myself together and face him. I see sorrow in his face, but there is no blame in his eyes. “Angel, getta hold of yourself!” he commands.

I look down, immediately noticing what Spike is referring to. My body - well, astral one - is slowly vanishing with my anger. I have to stay in control. Otherwise I might just drift off altogether.

“Angelus!” cries Lindsey from the bed. Spike’s voice must have awakened him. He tries to escape my presence, but his broken body won’t let him.

“Lindsey, it’s me, Angel.” He doesn’t seem to understand and looks even more frightened. It’s like he doesn’t perceive that I’m translucent and drifting apart - he just sees my face. The face I share with Angelus. I don’t even think he realises Spike is here either. He only has eyes for me. The one who did this - the one who carries my face.

“Lawyer, that is my Childe - not Angelus!” Spike touches Lindsey’s shoulder and the frightened man turns to face him for the first time. After a moment I think he believes Spike. If they know that much about Angelus, they should also know that Spike hated him. That he wouldn’t willingly be with him now.

Lindsey stares at amazement at me, finally noticing my form. “Angel? You’re a..”

“Ghost, yes we know,” sighs Spike.

“When *your* people sent Angelus back into my body, I was thrown out. The strong Childe/Sire bond between Spike and I was the only tie that kept me in the physical world.” I don’t think Lindsey is exactly listening to what I’m saying. He just keeps staring at me, his eyes moving up and down. Trying to see through me, around me. Finally he smiles.

“Weird,” he laughs softly and lays back. “It’s strange that you should come to me. I was the one to bring Angelus back. Why are you here?”

“Not because we like you,” Spike answers back. “But you know how Angelus was brought back, and therefore you are going to tell us how to return him back to hell again.”

Lindsey laughs. “You have to kill him.” He chokes and coughs as his laughter disturbs broken bones.

“No! I’m not killing my Childe! Give me another way!” shouts Spike. He tries to grab Lindsey’s throat, but the chip immediately sends him to his knees. He yells and grabs his head. I try and touch him, comfort him but I can’t. My hand passes through his body. I am helpless.

“Damn it!” Spike snarls as his face changes into that of the vampire and he growls at Lindsey. “You did this! Now give me a way to save my Childe!”

Spike’s POV:

I hope this works. If not, I’ll rip this fucking chip out and kill Lindsey myself. The only way to get my Childe back, according to the lawyer, is for him to reclaim his body himself. Sounds easy, but it’s far from it. When we have arrived back at the Hyperion, I inform the rest of Angel Investigations what Angel and I have discovered, from our conversation with Lindsey. We have decided on a plan - our only plan. This plan is:

1) To get Angelus here (don’t know how yet.)

2) Get close enough, (that I, the Sire of his vampire body, can bite him, (still haven’t worked out how the hell I get near enough to do that.)

3) Angelus undergoes an out-of-body experience, (I’ve used this method before when I tried to determine whether or not Angelus still existed.)

4) Angel fights for control and wins.

Yeah right, that’s so easy... NOT!

“This is more impossible than your previous plans, Spike,” Angel comments.

“Hey! My plans are always great!” I slump into Wesley’s chair and sulk. Still, I can’t really get my mind into sulking, because Angel is becoming a great concern for me, his body is fading fast. I don’t think he will see dawn the rate he’s going.

“We have to think of a way to get Angelus here...” Suddenly, as if on queue, all the lights go out.

Wesley looks up. “Cordelia, you paid the electricity bill, didn’t you?” Cordelia huffs, but I raise my hand for silence.

“Quiet,” I hiss, as I sniff the air. Something strange. I feel my Childe’s presence, but it’s like he is in two places at once. “I don’t think we need a plan - Angelus is already here.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, the humans dive on the weapons cabinet. In truth, I knew Angelus would be back to kill them, but I hadn’t thought it would be so soon. He’s impatient which he never was before. “Angel, go and check around - see if you can find him.” Angel doesn’t question me - which he usually always does - meaning he must be growing weaker. He leaves silently. It’s weird watching him float up through the ceiling.

“Spike, can you sense Angelus?” whispers Wesley.

“Not really. I can just feel his body’s presence. I am his Sire, we are bound by blood, but I don’t have ties to Angelus the demon.”

“You forget you are my Childe, William.”

Oh, fuck!

Angel’s POV:

I make a quick check around and through the hotel, but I can find nothing. Maybe Spike’s wrong... then I feel it too. A strange pulling sensation. It could be that I can sense that my body is near. I move downstairs, sticking to the shadows, and then remember I’m a damn ghost. I float through the walls until I arrive in the lobby.

“I own you, William, you know that. We have unfinished business. There is that little incident with the lead pipe. Also there’s the whole fucking my body thing. Your punishment is just going to go on and on, forever.” His laugh is cold and hard.

Angelus stands covered in blood and gore at Wesley’s office door. His actions are wild and his words insane. He continues giving a rundown on what he is going to do to Spike as I edge nearer. I don’t think he knows that I survived. That I am still here - in a saner form than he. I’m not sure what I can do, but... wait a moment. Cold. When the humans touched me they felt cold. Only my Sire felt warmth. As if the bond or the love between us, changes the sensations of our contact. Everyone else is cold, the heat of my love for Spike must make me warm to his touch. Or it could be just different between Vampires and humans, which means I’ll just heat Angelus up. Shit - I’ll just have to take the chance. Hopefully I can get near enough to Angelus to freeze him. Well, it’s a long shot, but it’s all I have.

“Don’t think I don’t know you’re here, Angel.”

Oh no, this can‘t be happening!

“What do you think you can do to me? Stare me down?” He laughs as he turns to face me. His glazed eyes are feral and unbalanced.

“I’m not helpless,” I answer back.

“You’re nothing. You always *were* nothing. You were just a useless, drunken, whoring bastard when I found you. I made you great. I made this face feared throughout the known world! You made me a laughing stock.” He snarls and his fangs drip blood from his latest victim. The guilt is almost overwhelming. How can I take my body back, when he has done all this? When he has killed so many and in only one day?

“You’re the idiot, Angelus!” I dive at him and pass into his body. Angelus screams as the cold burns him. His arm and part of his face turn blue. I try to move deeper, but I can’t for some reason. I feel as though I am being drained of all my energy. I think it’s killing me! Suddenly, Angelus is thrown from my grip and across the room. Spike moves like lightening over him, and starts kicking and hitting. My friends follow and attack Angelus too. He underestimated their combined strength, and he doesn’t have a chance. With only a few injuries, Angelus is finally bound and secured.

I know what I have to do now. I have to fight to regain my body. Fight the demon Angelus for ownership of it. I have reasons now to want to live - to want to keep going, but I don’t know if I am strong enough to win. The demon has no weaknesses; it doesn’t stop and it doesn't give in. Also, there is the added factor of Angelus being totally insane. Still, we have to do this quickly because I’m fading fast. That trick with Angelus took too much out of me.

“Spike, quickly drain him.” Everyone stares in horror as my ghostly body fades even more. Now my feet aren’t even visible. Angelus howls as Spike bites hard into his neck. Spike’s fangs sink in and he starts to drink deeply. Quickly, Sire, please. My legs are vanishing now.

“Spike!” Cordelia shouts frantically. She wants to help me so much, but she can’t. She is my friend and I know she cares. She looks so angry at her own helplessness. I try and smile at her, but suddenly everything vanishes.

I arrive in a barren landscape. Everything looks burned and destroyed. It’s almost like hell. I turn around and around, but for miles I can see nothing. Surely Angelus has to be here for me to fight him? Or maybe Spike’s failed. Maybe this is where I end it. Suddenly, behind me there is a roaring sound; it even makes the earth tremble. Seconds later, I am pushed into the burnt soil by a force landing on my back. I kick and roll away, jumping to my feet. Looking down, I see a green skinned demon. His face is horned, and sharp, long, fanged teeth grin at me and red eyes glow with malice.

I am assuming that this is Angelus - the demon. I steady myself and prepare for his attack. He doesn’t move, however, and just watches me. It’s like Angelus is dissecting me with his eyes, planning my destruction.

“You think you have a right to my body?” he growls. “You should have died nearly three centuries ago. You are weak and foolish. You have no hope. Give up now.”

“You talk too much, and you are always so full of shit,” I growl back. It doesn't have the same effect as it usually does. Then I remember that I am a human soul. I had a human body. Which means I won’t have the strength of the demon before me. Oh Fuck! A part of me wants to run, but I have nowhere to run to. This is between my demon and me. This could be my last fight. My only sorrow is that I didn’t say goodbye to Spike.

Spike’s POV:

I’ve stopped feeding on my Childe’s body for nearly 15 minutes now and nothing has happened. Angel faded into that other world, and I think that’s where Angelus went too. Still, nothing more has occurred since then. I don’t like how long this is taking. It’s too long. Something’s gone wrong, I can feel it.

“Should it be taking this long?” Cordelia whispers to Wesley. He shrugs his shoulders.

“I’m going in,” I tell them. We have moved Angel/us onto a couch in the lobby. He looks strange wrapped in chains and ropes, but the others feared his strength. I lean over my Childe’s body and expose his scar.

“Spike, no!” shouts Wesley. I pause and look at him. “You can’t keep draining him. He’ll die.”

“What am I supposed to do? Nothing? I won’t lose him!”

“I have an idea.” We all look surprised at Cordelia. She vanishes into the kitchen and moments later she returns with blood bags, a syringe and tubing. I think I know what she is doing.

“Brilliant!” I kiss her cheek and she blushes. That’s interesting. I’ll have to remember that for later. Still, more important things to do. I take the syringe and insert the needle into the large vein at Angel’s elbow. Wesley catches on what we are doing, and attaches the tub to the blood bag and then to the syringe. I hope this works. I’ve already drained Angel’s body to the point of death, anymore and he’ll would be dust. This way we replace the blood he’s lost, like a transfusion, which will allow me to continue drinking from him.

“This won’t give you long, Spike. Maybe ten minutes tops,”

“It’s all I’ll need,” I reassure them. I lie. I have no idea how long this will take, but it’s my only chance. I kiss Angel’s forehead and then sink my fangs into his scar again.

I find myself standing in a desolate landscape. I expected to be in the lobby of the hotel, but I think this has something to do with Angelus - the demon, that is. This place reminds me of stories of hell. At first I see nothing; I am alone. This can’t be right. Something... Suddenly, I can see a figure in the distance. I run towards it. It’s not my Childe - it isn’t Angel‘s form. No, I refuse to believe he has lost. No, gotta think straight. If he had lost, then Angelus would be back in the real world. That means I still have a chance. I don’t have time for plans or decisions; I just run. Run towards my Childe, my hope and my world.

The demon must be 7 feet tall, and strong too. As I run nearer I spot Angel. He’s bleeding and broken. Oh god, limbs are missing. I fall over something. I dread looking down; however, I do - and it’s his foot. I feel sick, but I keep telling myself this isn’t real. I pull myself up and keep running. The demon kneels behind my Childe and rams his hard cock into Angel’s ass. Angel screams a scream full of terror and lost hope. No!

“Angelus!” I scream. The demon looks back at me and laughs. His hands wrap around Angel’s neck and he twists. There is a sickening popping sound.

“NO!” I howl frantically. I clutch my hands into fists and notice for the first time what I look like in this dimension. I look like the demon, Angelus - I’m as strong as the evil thing before me. I forgot that I’m not like Angel, that I am a full vampire even if I have been chipped. I growl, as the demon that sired me drops the body of my Childe to the ground. I ignore the sight of his broken form. He is still here, which means - at least I hope it means - that he still lives.

I give a running jump and dive onto my Sire. His large jaws snap dangerously near my neck, but I am smaller and far quicker. I flip myself back and trip him over. He attacks, swinging huge arms. One catches me, and the force of his blow breaks a few bones. I spit blood, but I don’t stop. I can’t! This is the last fight between my Sire and myself. I won’t let him take my Childe from me!

“I liked your little bitch, Spikey.” He laughs as we circle each other. “He was so tight.” I know that Angelus is taunting me, but I won’t give in to him. Once, I was so easily controlled - he would call me names and he knew exactly the instant when I would snap and attack. This time I am the stronger. I am the master vampire, and he hasn’t known me for the last 100 years. Also, since I have become Sire to Angel, I am not as rash as I used to be. Maybe finally I’ve grown up a little.

“Can’t catch me, ya old faggot.” I stick a long pointed tongue out at him. Well, maybe I haven’t grown up too much. Still, I have a plan: get Angelus pissed, and he will make a mistake - I hope. Angelus growls and starts throwing punches again. This time I go into full avoid mode. Angelus might be bigger and stronger, but I was always faster. Now I use that to my advantage. Soon I’m running circles around him. Angelus starts screaming in fury and his rage is making him careless. His blows come fast, but he leaves himself wide open to attack. This time I don’t use fists, but feet. Great big ones with wicked long talons. My foot makes contact and I slice open his chest. Then I make a deep gushing wound in his thigh. Then the back of his shoulders. I think my plan is working.

Suddenly, Angelus gets a lucky hit to my head and the world spins. No! I am not going to let him win. Never again! I’ve been pet, fuck toy, and beating boy to him for far too long. No longer! I attack again, ripping open his gut this time. He howls and drops to one knee. I see my opportunity and I take it. My arm wraps around Angelus’ head, the other clutches his face, and I twist. I use every scrap of strength I have, every part of my willpower. I won’t let him win! I won’t let him get away with hurting my Childe. I won’t let him live, not after he raped Angel. I scream in fury, and use every ounce of love I have for Angel to twist Angelus’ neck further.

“I won’t let you win!” I howl. There is a sickening cracking and tearing sound as Angelus' head comes away from his torso. I stare, amazed at what I’ve done. This wasn’t part of the plan, but it’s better. I let the demon’s body drop and hold up the head. Angelus' eyes still move. “You won’t ever win.” I smash my fist into his brain. At last, Angelus is dead.

I turn back to the form of my Childe. Well, what remains of him. He looks and smells human. Still, I am amazed that he lasted so long against a demon stronger and bigger than himself. I don’t look at the missing limbs, the broken bones, the blood. I just look into his eyes. They move to stare into mine.

“Angel, I love you.”

Angel’s POV: ~ inside Angel’s soul ~

~“Angel, I love you.” The voice echoes in my mind. Is this what death feels like? I stand on an abyss and before me is a light so bright, so blinding that I can’t bear to look into it. Yet, I feel I must look. That is the future. It wants me.~

~“Angel, I love you.”~

~Again, that voice. I feel as though I should know who it is. It sounds so familiar. So real. It calls to me of home, love and family. But I ache so much. I don’t want to feel this pain.~

~“Angel, I love you.” This time I have to look away from the light. I look towards the dark, but I am not afraid. I don’t fear anymore. I think I have been here too long. Now it’s time to go home.~

~“Angel, I love you.” This is but a dream and I am the dreamer.~

~“Angel, I love you.” I’m coming - I call. I’m coming. Wait for me.~

~“Angel, I love you.”~

“Angel, I love you.”

Huh? I open my eyes slowly and to my surprise I am lying chained to the couch. Not just by one chain either, but hundreds of them. On top of me lays my Sire, his blue eyes shiny with tears as he stares into mine.

“I so didn’t need to hear that!” Cordelia complains.

“Cordy, be quiet,” shushes Wesley.

“It was a slip of the tongue. To get him back!” Spike answers back.

“Yeah, right,” laughs Gunn.

“Hey guys? What the hell is going on?” Four amazed faces turn to stare at me. “Why am I tied to the couch? Sire, why are you lying on top of me and.... and I love you too.” I whisper this last part, but still that earns me a slap around the head and most likely punishment later.

“You don’t remember what happened?” Cordelia asks, clearly astonished. “You don’t remember Angelus taking your body, or existing like a ghost?”

I try and think back. My last clear memory was sleeping in Spike’s arms. Still, I’m not going to tell her that. Then everything goes kinda woozy. Like I was drunk or drugged or something. Memories of events return, but they are drifting like a fading dream. “I think I can remember making l.. er..”

“Yes, I saw that part,” huffs Cordelia. “You owe me for therapy.”

“You didn’t see anything!” Spike grumbles.

“Everything is like a dream.” I look up dumbfounded. “That was real.”

“Yes,” confirms Wesley. He goes on to explain, in brief details, what happened to me. It feels so surreal. That it could only happen in dreams. Through all this, Spike is strangely quiet. Still, I get the feeling he will have plenty to say when we are alone. He sure is going to fervidly deny that he told me he loved me in front of everyone. That will turn out to be my fault and he’ll punish me for it, no doubt. Punishment to Spike means lots of sex, and dominance. Which is bad. Okay! So I’ll be looking forward to it.

After Wesley explains the situation, Spike fills in the other details. The memory or dreamlike memory of that fight with Angelus is painful. Not just mentally, but physically as well. It feels like my body was ripped apart. Spike doesn’t give all the details - I can feel it when he lies. Thankfully, when everyone decides that Angelus is finally gone, they unchain me. At last!

“Well, that was great work, guys - now bugger off,” Spike orders. This episode certainly hasn’t changed Spike’s view of my friends. He’s still not keen on them, and never covers up the fact he wants them out of the way.

“I think we should all go home and rest,” I say, smoothing over possible hurt feelings. “It sounds like we’ve had a long day.” Okay, now leave! I admit that I want to talk privately to Spike, too. I feel like I haven’t touched him for days. For some reason I feel empty and used inside.

“Okay, we get the message,” laughs Cordelia. “You want to *shag*.”

That purely English word sounds strange with an American accent. Even Spike laughs at it. Finally they say their farewells and are gone. Spike and I are left alone. Whatever shall we do?

Spike’s POV:

I know that Angel wants to talk, but I don’t feel ready for that yet. I’m still getting over the strange events that happened in that dreamscape place. I saw my Childe torn to pieces, and the pain was unbelievable. Now, more than ever, I know I can never lose him. However, I’m not going to tell him that. It might get him thinking that he has me wrapped around his finger. Well, he does... kinda, but no way he needs to know that. I have to have *something* he doesn’t know about me.

He looks pale and drawn after all that’s happened, so I get him to feed and then take him up to our rooms. I don’t say much. I don’t really know what to say. To Angel, everything that happened to him had a dreamlike quality. To me it was all too real. I know how to make myself better, though - make myself forget the pain. Spike’s relief plan - take Angel. Yep, that’s going to work. Talking is all human shit - sex is the demon’s way of making everything fine.

I suggest to Angel that he rests, and he lies on the bed. When he’s on his back, I pounce on him. With a quick movement I’ve chained him to the headboard - again. I think this is where we were to begin. Great position.

“Sire? Spike, what the hell are you doing?!” exclaims Angel in surprise. “I thought we cleared up the fact I am not Angelus any more and..” he trails off. I think he gets the idea. “Spike! I haven’t done anything wrong!”

I grin down at my Childe’s furious eyes and touch his face. He feels so good, so real this time. I can feel the softness of his skin, smell his fresh scent, and feel my blood under the surface, flowing through his veins.

“One: You didn’t ask permission to fuck your Sire. Two: I’m still mad about that clothes thing. Three: You went off and nearly got yourself killed. Four: I hated not being able to touch you. Five:...” I give him my best innocent grin as I strip off his clothing. “Five: I just like you this way.” I don’t give Angel a second to respond before I attack his luscious mouth again. No one is ever going to kiss my Childe but me.

“Rule no 139: No one kisses your mouth but me.”

“Spike! Enough with the bloody rules! You don‘t even remember them, right? 139 was Hair Gel!” I’m amazed that he remembers. I think there’s one rule about not correcting his sire, however.

“Wasn’t rule number 17:Never correct your Sire when he quotes the rules, even when incorrect? Isn‘t that six punishments now?”

“Spike!” he yells in anger. Angel gives a little show of trying to get out of the chains, but in the end, he falls back onto the bed. I know he hates the rules. I don’t think he has worked out that I mainly use them to get him into this position in the first place. I attack his mouth again, this time biting his lips and tasting his blood. Mine, really. Everything is mine. His body, his mouth, his skin, his cock and his ass, all mine. Mine!

“Sire..” Angel moans, as my kisses become more and more desperate. “I’ll never leave you.”

My hands dig into his skin with his words. I know I’m leaving bruises but I want him so badly. I can still smell Angelus on my Childe’s body and I won’t accept that. My Sire is dead, and I’m going to wipe off the last remaining scent of him forever.

In desperation I push Angel’s legs up and spread them wide. His opening is revealed to me and I slam inside. Angel howls in pain, but I can’t stop. My hands grip him to me tightly. Chest to chest. Mouths colliding with each thrust.

“Angel,” I moan over and over again. I feel as though I can’t get deep enough inside him. My tongue controls his mouth as my cock fills his body. I taste the blood from his split lip, but it’s still not enough. My hands grab his hair and pull his head back, until his crown touches the pillow.

“Mine!” I roar, as I sink fanged teeth into his scar. We both come together, screaming our orgasms. Finally we collapse into a tangled heap on the bed. It’s a while before I have the strength to move, but I don’t leave my Childe’s intimate embrace. I clean the mess I’ve made on his throat and then lift myself up on my arms. I have to smile. He’s still panting from the strength of our passion.

“Can you untie me now?” He asks.

“I haven’t finished yet.”

“What? Damn it, Spike, untie me!”

“Uh, no. That was only punishment number one - still have five more to go.”

“No! Spike..” I silence him with another kiss and a hard thrust. That should keep him quiet.

Angel’s POV:

Finally, after two days, Spike decided my punishments were over and I could move about again. I wasn’t happy about being chained all that time, but in so many ways I feel as though I have come home. That once again I belong to Spike. I will never admit to him that I like belonging to him. However, it doesn’t mean I’ll stop fighting with him. He won’t get an easy ride with me - I can promise you that. Love doesn’t mean I automatically submit to him.

Love doesn’t mean that I will allow him to pick out my clothes, either. That’s right, back to the problem we started off with - Spike getting rid of all my clothing. I have nothing left but leather jeans and a silk shirt, which Angelus totally ruined. I ended up having to borrow some of Wesley’s. He is as tall as I am, but strangely they are a little tight. Spike laughed all the way to the store. Did I mention I hate shopping with Spike? We don’t agree on anything.

Well, okay, I did buy something he wanted. A white shirt and slacks for some reason. Was a little distracted when I brought them. Spike took me in the changing room - literally - and I think I was a little high on pleasure after. Still, I’m not going to wear white. No way. Oh hell, he’s giving me that look again. I won’t let him choose my clothes. No way - that’s a brown shirt. NO!

“NO! Spike, I don’t wear brown!” Spike grabs my hand again and too my horror drags me back into the changing rooms.

“NO! Spike. People are going to get suspicious. No - I won’t try it on.” Spike shoves me back into the little cubicle and attacks my clothing again. His mouth covers mine and his fingers slip inside. Oh god, not again. He spins me around and pushes me against the wall as he presses his cock inside again. It’s desperate, hard and fast, because Spike has a mission.

“Okay, I’ll buy it,” I moan, and Spike finally allows me to come. Oh, I just give up. I disgust myself. I’m totally addicted to Spike’s sex, Spike’s body, and Spike’s blood. I hate how he made me buy another shirt I don’t want. Why can’t he pick anything black? Oh, he has.

“No! Sire.”

“It’s black,” he answers amused.

“No!” Okay! So I like the Spike persuasion part as well!

Spike’s POV:

I’ve worked Angel out completely now. I know him so well. I have a great plan and it works too. Spike’s plan: Sex. And lots of it.



The End.