TITLE: A Sire's Revenge: For my Childe

AUTHOR: Cath

PAIRING: Angel/Spike/Xander

RATING: NC-17

SPOILERS: None

SUMMARY: What if when Spike got chipped Xander got pissed and took him to Angel?

Canon? What canon? I don't see no stinkin' canon.

FEEDBACK: Please, my self-esteem will thank you.

DISCLAIMER: I want but I can't have, they belong to Joss and Mutant Enemy. No money, no infringement, just wanna have fun with them for awhile.

THANKS to Jericho for the wonderful job Beta-ing for me. You really helped improve the story.

[[thoughts]] {{hyena thoughts}}

A Sire's Revenge: For my Childe
by Cath

Xander didn't know how much longer he could take it. Since escaping from the Initiative, Spike hadn't left Xander's basement apartment. He wouldn't feed, he wouldn't talk and he wouldn't go out. He just sat huddled in the darkest corner of the basement and refused to move. The vampire was dying and Xander didn't know how to stop it. At night Xander couldn't stand to watch him so he would carefully lift him out of the corner, strip him and put the unresponsive vampire in his bed. In the morning Spike would be dressed and back in, what Xander had started to refer to as, his corner. He would try to talk to the gang again tonight and get them to help him but he didn't think Buffy would be willing to help. After all, her new boytoy was one of the bastards that did this to Spike. What had they called it, oh yeah, neutralizing the hostile. Hell, Xander knew all demons weren't evil, that was just bullshit. But to Buffy and Willow, it was the gospel according to Riley. He knew Giles didn't believe it so why hadn't he said something about it. Giles knew some demons; he had a demon that owed him a favor. Okay, so he wasn't exactly supposed to know that. He couldn't help it if he was behind a bookshelf when the demon came to talk to "Rupert". He hated to leave Spike alone but he need to go to the Magic Box and talk to the gang.

He could see through the Magic Box window that the girls were already there, but luckily he didn't see Riley. He called out as he walked in, "Never fear ladies, the Xan-man is here! What's on the agenda? What's in town for slayage tonight? Listen, if it's going to be a quiet night, I need to talk to you about something." Walking out of the office, Giles caught the end of Xander's babbled request to talk

"What's seems to be the problem tonight, Xander?"

"G-man, I have a vampire problem, and I could use some help."

"Stop right there, Xander if this is about Spike again you can forget it. A chipped Spike is a good Spike. He can't hurt anyone now. Big Bad evil, remember? The vampire that has threatened to kill us at least a dozen times. Riley says that this is the…" Buffy was being her usually, "Riley is always right" self-righteous bitch-self.

"Enough with the Riley speak Buff. Don't you ever have an opinion of your own anymore? Oh, yeah, that's right, you never have an opinion. You're just a little wind up doll, wind you up, and you spout out whatever Giles and the fuck-of-the month tell you to don't you?" Xander's head snapped back when Buffy slapped him across the face. "You bitch!!! I've had enough of you, of all of you! Willow and Tara are witches; do you think that the soldier boys won't be after them eventually? Giles, do you still have Eyghon's mark? Do you still have demons come to visit? What makes you think they won't come after you too? Especially when they find out you use magic; and what about Ripper? You really think that they're not going to find out about you and Ethan, what the two of you used to do? I'm not totally stupid, G-man, it was pretty obvious. Do you think the bastards aren't going to come for me when they find out about the hyena or how about Oz? Willow, did you ever think about Oz and what kind of fun the soldier boys would have with him?" Xander had to stop and catch his breath. Tears of anger were threatening to fall and he didn't want that to happen in front of the others. He took a deep claming breath before starting in again.

"Did you know they raped Spike? Did you know that Miss I-Know-Everything-In-the-Fucking-World Summers? Did your boytoy bother to tell you what his friends did to someone that couldn't fight back? Hell, he was probably in on it with them. I think that maybe you're going to be patrolling alone tonight; I don't think I can be around any of you without hurling. You all make me sick." Giles and Willow just stared at the boy in shock. They had never heard Xander this out
of control, this upset. Even when the end of the world was near, Xander was steady, he babbled but he stood strong. No, they had never really thought about things Xander brought up in quite that light. Xander had given them quite a bit to think about and maybe even more to worry about.

"Xander please…" Willow was in tears and couldn't believe it was her friend that was screaming like that at them.

"Please what Willow? Please keep being our errand boy? Please keep being our Donut boy, our Zeppo, our doormat?" Xander was in tears now and wanted to get away from them.

Buffy snarled angrily at Willow "Just let the little prick go, Willow. He won't be gone long; he needs us more than we ever needed him. Riley and his friends will help me patrol. At least they know how to fight without me having to save them every night. He'll be crawling back soon enough. He knows he is nothing without me and just maybe there won't be a place for him when he comes back, begging for our forgiveness."

Giles just stared at Buffy not believing the venom that was coming out of her mouth. Had she really forgotten how many times Xander had been there for her, for all of them? That it was Xander that brought her back from the dead after the master let her drown? Yes he messed
up occasionally, but he was just a boy. Giles began to get a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that they had all messed up very badly tonight.

"I won't be back, Buffy. You have all made it very clear that I am not welcome here and I'm not needed. I have been with you since the beginning; hell, I was here before you even knew what a hellmouth was. Is loyalty another one of those big words you having trouble with the meaning of? You want the soldier boys, you got `em and I hope it all comes back to bite you on that ass your so proud of. You know Spike had it right you really have become Slutty the Vampire Layer." Xander slammed out of the shop and was gone before the others could move. Willow collapsed into Giles arms crying, while Buffy just stood there looking smug and self-important.

"He'll be back," Buffy smirked, but she didn't really care. It didn't matter to her if Xander came back or not. She wasn't giving up Riley, and she wasn't turning against the Initiative. It was nice not to have to put so much effort into patrolling. She didn't have to put in so many hours slaying now and she liked that. Maybe now she could have a life. With the commandos all over town every night, she would even have time for fun. No, she wasn't giving that up for anyone, especially Zeppo-boy.

*

Xander stormed into the basement raving to himself, "should have known better than to expect help from them. Willow should know better. Can't believe Buff's turned into such a bitch. Has she always been like that? Spike we are outa here. Got to get you some help. Why I am talking to you, you aren't in there right now are you? But I'll find you some help, some where. Maybe…you won't like it I know but I think it's the only thing. I think we need to head to LA. That's it, we leave tonight as soon as I pack the car up." Xander grabbed a plastic bag and started angrily shoving clothes in it. He packed a few keepsakes he didn't want to lose and just left the rest of it.
Snatching the bag up, he carried it to the car and threw it in the trunk. Xander thought a minute then took them back out and put them in the back seat. He had to leave room in the trunk in case
something happened and he had to put Spike in there to protect him from the sun. He added the tarp his father had once used when the roof leaked. That would also give Spike added protection.

He looked around the basement one more time somehow knowing he would never be returning to it. He realized he didn't really care, it was never home. Going to the corner, he gently picked up his vampire, carried him to the car and strapped him in the passenger seat. Xander was really terrified that he wouldn't get him to Angel in time. He didn't understand why, but he knew he would lose something in himself if he lost the vampire. He pulled out and took off for the freeway.

When he got to the Welcome to Sunnydale sign, he jerked to a stop in front of it, threw the car in reverse and plowed it down. He gunned the motor and left burnt rubber marks across the falsely cheerful sign. "That's for you Spike. Fuck `em all." Radio blaring, speeding down the road, Spike left Sunnydale the same way he arrived, he just didn't know it.

It was a long two-hour drive for Xander. Worrying about Spike and trying to stay awake. He had worked today and was really tired, but he had to get Spike to LA. He knew time was running out for the vampire. Getting to LA was only part of the problem. He had to find the hotel, and then he had to convince Angel not to throw them out. Xander was planning to play the childe card. Surely Angel wouldn't turn away his childe. Spike had always said that Drusilla was his Sire, but Xander never believed it. Everyone may think he was stupid and clueless, a Zeppo, but he wasn't. Xander listened, he observed. He paid attention to people around him and how they acted. He had picked up so many clues from the interaction between the two male vampires that he just knew it wasn't Drusilla who brought Spike over. She just wasn't strong, or sane, enough. He would beg Angel if he had too. Someone had to fight for Spike. No one, demon or human should be treated like Spike was. The soldiers had taken away everything from Spike, he couldn't feed, he couldn't protect himself. True he been a mean bastard, but Xander knew that Spike could have killed every one
of the Scoobies pretty much whenever he wanted to. But the point was, he didn't. For some reason, Spike didn't really want to kill them. Xander was going to do whatever he could to keep the vampire alive, and if that meant begging Angel for help then Xander would beg.

They arrived in LA around midnight, and had to stop at three different places to ask for directions. No one seemed to know where the Hyperion Hotel was. Xander finally stopped at a small convenience store to get something sweet and heavy on the caffeine to keep him awake. The man behind the counter had to be at least 70; maybe he had heard of the Hyperion.

"Son, I remember it well. It was very uptown and posh in its day. But it fell onto bad times in the forties. Got a name for being haunted and for bringing bad luck. What in the world would you be wantin' that place for?"

"Friend of mine bought it and asked us to come visit, but I lost the directions and no one seems to have heard of it. I thought we would end up driving all night, and my buddy doesn't feel to well."

"Well, it's really easy, you go left out of here for another 4 blocks, take a right, then go three lights, hook another left, and there she be right in the middle of that block on the left. That'll be $4.85 for the drink and chips son." Xander paid the man, popped the top on the soda, and drained it as he walked back to his car. There were two scruffy looking punks leaning on his car.

"Well looky here. Hey, sweet thing, you lookin' for some fun tonight. Me and my buddy can show you a real good time, two for one. How about it? We can make you howl."

"Shit, can't even get away from you fuckers by coming to a different city. You LA fledges are as lame as the Sunnydale nitwits." Xander dropped the empty can, and casually put his hand in his pocket.

"Sunnydale? You from the hellmouth, sweetmeat?"

"Yeah know the Slayer too, want me to introduce you? Wait, maybe you two dimwits would just rather meet Mr. Pointy," Xander had talked long enough to get close to the fledges and the fools didn't realize it until it was too late and they were dust.

"God, you gotta love fledges."

Xander brushed off his clothes and got into the car. "Hold on, Spike, we're almost there. God, this has to work." Xander knew the main idea of what he needed to do, he just didn't know if it would work, if Angel would accept him doing the asking, and not Spike. He had to try. If this didn't work, Xander didn't know if he could stake Spike or not, but he knew he couldn't leave him like he was. Final death would be far kinder. He followed the directions the old man gave him, and was at the front door of the hotel in 15 minutes.

"Okay. Harris, ShowTime." Xander took off his shirt then leaned over and removed Spike's [[God I hope that journal had the procedure for this right]]. He scrunched down in the seat and took off Spike's Docs. then toed off his worn out sneakers. He had left his socks off knowing he would only have to remove them later. Lastly, he smoothed Spike's hair down and then ran a comb through his own. [[Have to make this look right, have to make Angel believe I'm serious.]] He got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side. He unbuckled Spike's seatbelt and lifted the unresponsive vampire to his chest. [[Shit how am I going to open the door?]] The problem was solved for him when a young black man who had turned his head back around to say something to someone in the hotel threw the door open.

"What the fuck? Who in the hell are you?" Gunn stared at the man walking past him, wearing nothing but jeans. Xander didn't answer; he just walked past him into the hotel lobby. The man followed him back into the hotel and yelled for Angel. Xander just stood in the middle of the lobby and waited. Angel came rushing out of a side room expecting to find them under attack but slowed down when he saw the pair standing in front of him. They looked like something from a
painting, the dark haired youth holding the blonde in his arms like an offering. Xander stood perfectly still as the vampire approached him. Wesley had heard the commotion and followed Angel into the lobby and stood behind him. Angel stopped about 20 feet from Xander.

"Xander, what in the hell are you doing here? Is something wrong in Sunnydale…Buffy?" It was then that he looked down in shock at the burden Xander carried; it was his childe. Xander walked slowly forward until he was about six feet from Angel. He laid Spike down on the floor at Angel's feet, knelt down beside Spike and bowed his head. He heard Wesley gasp, but didn't look up at him, didn't move; just knelt in place gathering his courage. His voice rang out as he repeated the words of the rite that was as old as recorded time.

"Master, I beg the protection of my bloodline. I am William, childe of Angelus, who was childe of Darla, who was sired by Master Aureleus. From their blood I was reborn, from their blood I exist and to them I owe my unlife, my body, my being." Xander gently turned the unresponsive vampire's head to expose his neck then laid his head to the side offering up his own neck. "We offer all that we are into your keeping." Xander closed his eye and waited silently.

"Angel what…"

"Quiet, Wesley."

Angel, in game face, knelt down next to Spike and lifted him up. "Childe I accept your offering and give you my protection. From my blood you were reborn, from my blood you exist and to you I give my protection." Angel gently inserted his fangs in the side of Spike's neck and drank a small amount. He pulled then out and laved the wounds to stop the blood flow. He could tell his childe was weak and near death, so he had only taken a small swallow. He laid Spike back on the floor reached over him and put his arms around Xander. The exhausted boy couldn't hold it in any longer. He laid his head on Angel's chest and sobbed out his pain and his fear.

"Please, Angel, Spike…you have to help Spike. He's starving, he won't feed, he won't talk, he's dying. Please…" Xander couldn't stop crying, he was so relieved to have someone that would help him, to not be alone in this fight. "Angel, he's dying." Angel let go of the sobbing boy and sat down next to Spike. He lifted Spike and put him across his lap.

"Gunn, let me have your knife." The young black man walked over to Angel and handed him a small razor sharp dagger. Angel took the knife and pulled the edge across his wrist, cutting deep. He pressed his wrist into Spike's mouth. "Drink childe. Spike you must drink. WILLIAM, YOUR SIRE DEMANDS THAT YOU FEED!" Spike's throat started to work as he drew the life-giving fluid out of his sire. The pull of his mouth on Angel's wrist became stronger as he gulped down his sire's powerful blood. Angel finally wrenched his wrist away and licked it to stop the blood. "That wasn't enough, and I don't have any more here right now."

"Angel, if he drinks from me, can you stop him…I mean…if he..he doesn't know what he's doing right now? Can you stop him from taking too much?"

"Xander, are you sure?"

"I'm sure he's going to die and I'm sure I don't want him to. Can you stop him from draining me?" Angel nodded yes and handed the knife to Xander. Xander lightly drew the knife across his wrist and placed his wrist against Spike's lips. "Come on, Big Bad, you know you want it, I'm a nummy treat, remember?" He almost passed out when he felt Spike's fangs slide into his wrist. The drawing pressure was an incredible feeling, it was painful only for a minute then it was an intense sensual assault. Xander could feel himself becoming rock hard and couldn't stop the blush that crawled up his face.

Angel whispered, "Xander, it's normal. There's nothing to be ashamed of." He continued out loud, "Childe, enough, you can't take anymore. William, stop." Spike carefully pulled his fangs out with a whimper. He curled up in Angel's arms and fell into a deep healing sleep.

Wesley had waited as long as he could, "Angel, what just went on here? I have read about such ceremonies, but thought they were mostly myth."

"No, they're not myth, they are ancient rites and cannot be ignored. When a childe invokes a right to protection of the blood he cannot be refused unless he has been banished from the court, which doesn't happen often. When a childe makes their sire that angry, they are usually destroyed. Spike is my childe, and while we may fight, and he may hate me for my soul, I will not turn him away. Can you and Gunn help me get Spike and Xander settled upstairs? I don't think we are going to get any answers until tomorrow." He looked down at the dark haired boy who had curled up and fallen asleep with one hand cupping Spike's face and the other holding Angel's arm. "We'll put them in my room. I'll need to keep an eye on Spike through the night, and I don't think Xander would react well to being separated from him." Angel carried Spike, and it took both Wesley and Gunn to get Xander up the stairs. After removing the unconscious men's pants, they placed the sleeping men in the large bed and covered them up. Wesley and Gunn left for their own homes, and Angel pulled his chair over next to the bed to sit vigil for his childe, and the human who had
chosen to protect him.

Chapter 2

Xander was having a strange dream. He was back in his parent's basement, tied to the sofa bed. People kept coming in and taking pieces of him. Carving little chunks of him off and carrying them away. Everyone he knew had come in for a piece. Buffy took his heart, Giles his brain, Willow was trying to cut out his soul, while Tara wrung her hands and cried in the background. His parents were standing at the door, charging people as they came in to get their share. There was two armed commandos standing guard by his parents. Riley was standing near the bed waving people forward. Cordelia showed up and took his tongue, and then it was Larry's turn. As he reached down to cut off his dick, Angelus swooped in, a threatening shadow, encased in black leather. He rushed to the bed, black duster billowing behind him. Angel grabbed Riley, bent his neck back, and drained him. Then he threw Larry against a wall and yelled "MINE! No one touches what is mine." Xander sat straight up in the bed with a scream. He was gasping like he had just finished a marathon, and had tears streaming down his face. "Shit, just a dream, oh shit, just a dream, just a dream." He ran his hand down his body just to make sure, "Everything's here, nothing gone, just a dream." Xander jumped when he felt a cool hand on his arm.

"Xander, are you alright?" Xander looked up at Angel, expecting to see scorn and dismissal. What he saw was concern and maybe, just maybe, he prayed, acceptance. "You screamed like the hounds of hell were after you."

"Nope, no hounds. Just a lot of people with sharp, pointy knives, carving off hunks of me." Xander looked down next to him and saw Spike. He was pale and motionless. [[Of course he's motionless, idiot. Vamps sleep like, well, like the dead.]] "Angel, is Spike gonna be okay? He hasn't fed in at least two weeks. He just quit…quit everything, shut down." Xander's stomach chose that time to announce its presence. Xander blushed and looked up at Angel.

"I take it you haven't eaten lately either? Come on, Xander, we'll head to the kitchen and get you something to eat. We can talk about what's going on down there."

Xander got up out of the bed, felt a cool breeze and started blushing again, a full body, scarlet red blush. "Gah, naked…me…naked..no clothes. Deadboy, where's my clothes? Who..who took… naked here….Angel, where's my clothes???" Angel smiled at the stuttering boy and handed him his jeans.

"Deadboy? Is that any way to talk to your Master?" With that parting shot, a smiling Angel left the room. Xander pulled on his jeans and raced after the vampire.

"Master?? What do you mean? So not going down that path again. Nope, no thrall for this boy. Am not going to be the bug eating man-bitch again." That stopped Angel, he turned and looked at Xander.

"Would you care to explain that? Thrall? Bug eating man-bitch? What in the hell has been happening in Sunnydale?"

"Angel, it will take me days to fill you in on the happenings in Sunnyhell. But the thrall is easy to explain. We had a new visitor, actually a very old visitor. Did you know Dracula was real? I mean really real? He showed up and decided to use one of the Scoobies to get to Buffy. Guess which one? Yeap, good old me. If you have to do something really fuckin' ugly to a Scoobie, I'm your guy." Xander's speech may have been light and joking but the look on his face wasn't. He looked tired, frustrated, and at the end of his endurance. "I can't take it anymore, Angel. I can't go back this time. I don't mind the fighting, you know I don't, but I don't make a difference there. We don't fight for the good anymore." Angel just shook his head and led the boy to the kitchen. He knew that the humans that worked with him kept food here, but he wasn't sure what there was. He went through cabinets until he found cereal and handed the box to Xander.

"There should be milk, bowls are in that cabinet to your right, spoons in the drawer under it." While Xander got settled with his breakfast, Angel fixed himself a pack of blood. He took the warmed blood out of the microwave, and sat down with Xander at the table. "Alright, Xander, are you ready to tell me just what happened to my childe, and why you're acting like the two of you `escaped' from Sunnydale."

Xander pushed back his half-eaten bowl of cereal and sighed. "It's gonna take awhile, Angel. Before I start, I wanna know if Spike's gonna be okay. Did I get him here in time? I was afraid it was too late."

"Spike should be fine when he wakes up. He's had enough blood to fall into a healing sleep. It's almost like being in a coma. He'll be this way for at least two days. I'll rouse him tonight, just enough to get him to feed again; he should be awake by tomorrow night. Now, what happened to him and what possessed you to invoke the rite of protection? How in the hell did you even know about it?" Angel asked.

"Let me start at the beginning and work my way up to now. It'll make more sense that way." Xander took a deep breath and began. " Things started to change after that mess at graduation. Buffy started to change. She got more controlling over me and Willow. She ordered us around kinda like she owned us. She started pulling this `I'm the Slayer! I'm the Chosen one!' crap all the time like we should bow down and kiss her feet. I mean, she'd always been, well, you know…"
Xander shrugged.

""Self-centered and self-involved?" Angel asked. "Xander, I know Buffy's short comings and ego is one of them. But she was never vicious and hurtful, especially to her friends."

"Well, things change, Angel. And this year they changed a lot. It started when her and Willow started at UC Sunnydale. Did you know that Wills got some big time scholarships? Places like Harvard and Oxford, in England. She was so excited at first. Then Buffy started playing the guilt game. "I'm gonna have to get used to being alone", "I'm just a Sunnydale girl, I'm sure I'll get by fine fighting on my own", and the best one "It won't be the same, trying to fight all this badness without you". Willow gave it all up to stay in Sunnydale, go to a second rate college, and spend most of her time researching for Buffy. She is still doing her Wicca-ness stuff, Giles helps her, but that isn't enough. She could've gotten out of there, made a better life, been somebody really important. Shit, I'm getting away from the point of the story. It just makes me so mad to think of what she gave up. You got something to drink around here, preferably with plenty of caffeine?"

"Cordy keeps some diet something in the refrigerator. Help yourself." Xander got up and got a can of soda out and sat back down.

"The real problems started after their classes got going. We began to hear rumors about soldiers, some kind of commandos roaming Sunnydale at night. It wasn't long after that we noticed that the demon population was getting thinner. Of course, Buffy was thrilled, less patrolling. It didn't bother me too much either. That was about the time Spike showed back up. He was all crazy and depressed because your crazy, uh, crazier childe left him for a chaos demon. He went around drinking and moaning about his `dark princess' leaving him after all he did for her. Got on the nerves I gotta tell you. I was tending bar by then, in a little off campus place. Spike used to come
in once and awhile, drink himself blind, threaten me, and then leave. You know, just being Spike. It was about two weeks before I noticed that Spike hadn't been around." Xander stopped to finish off his drink.

"That's also about the time Buffy introduced us to Riley, some Midwest jock type she met at the college. Man, he set off my all bells and whistles the first time I met him. Soldier boy was going
crazy in my head. And the hyena, man, it went bananas." Wanted out, wanted to kill, to protect the pack."

"Hyena? What are you talking about?" Angel was getting confused.

"You know about the soldier boy, right? Well, sophomore year I went on a little field trip and a group of us were in the wrong place at a really wrong time. We ended up possessed by a pack of hyenas. Can you guess who was pack leader? When Giles figured out the dispossession thingie, all the others were totally clean but somehow mine stayed. I don't know, maybe because she was alpha. I keep her under control but I am aware of her enough that I recognize the scoobies as `pack'. I guess that somehow, in my over-possessed brain, I had accepted Spike as pack, like the rest of the gang. During one of our usual `demons in town, we're all gonna die' nights, Buffy ran into the commandos. Turns out Riley is one of their squad leaders. We found out they are a government-sponsored group called The Initiative. Their job is to round up demons and study them to find out better ways to destroy them. We, or at least I, think they're also doing `evil scientist' kind of experiments on them."

"Spike? Is that what happened to Spike?" Angel asked.

"Yeah, soldier boys caught him one night. I don't know how long they had him. I do know that he was tortured an..and they raped him, Angel." Xander had to stop for a minute.

"Xander as much as it pains me to say it, but Spike has been raped before. When I...Angelus loved blood games and rape was one of them. He loved nothing better than to pound into William until blood poured and he was screaming. Sometimes it would take days for him to heal." Angel hung his head while he explained what Angelus liked.

"I understand that, Angel. I mean, vampires right? I'm not a fool, it's all about sex and blood. But you were still family, he knew that. But you have to understand this is so much worse. He has this
damn chip is his head. They put a computer chip is his brain that keeps him from hurting anything. When they raped him, he couldn't fight back. He was helpless. Humans, Spike's happy meals on legs, did this to him. He couldn't do anything to stop them. Somehow, he managed to escape and ended up at my apartment. He hasn't left there since that night, until I carried him out and brought him here. He won't feed, he won't talk, he just huddles in a corner and stares." Xander stopped talking and stared at the wall a minute. "I can't really explain it, Angel. I don't know why it bothered me so bad, Spike and I were never big buddies. Spike is supposed to be `the Big Bad', you know? When he first got to my place, he was like this injured child, like he knew he was hurt but couldn't understand just why." Xander understood that feeling; he had felt that way most of his childhood. He knew he hurt, he knew he had been hurt but he never understood why. Why his parents felt they had to hurt him. He, more than the rest of the gang could understand what Spike was going through, the helplessness and sorrow.

"What are Buffy and the others doing about this Initiative? Surely they can see that what they're doing is wrong."

"Are you kidding? Queen Bitch thinks they're fucking wonderful, and Spike got what he deserved. Keeps saying `a chipped Spike is a good Spike'. All she cares about is Riley and the soldier boys. Of course, with them around town, her job has gotten a lot easier. They patrol every night looking for "hostiles". Angel, they scare me like no demon we ever fought. I'm afraid for Willow and Giles and I am scared to death for myself. The truth is, I'm even worried about Buffy. None of us are exactly...normal. Hell, I've been possessed twice and they're still in my head. Who knows what kind of experiments those assholes will be trying next, breeding their own little Slayers maybe? Or trying to siphon magical strength from someone like Giles or Willow. These guys are evil, really evil. No one deserves what they did to Spike, no one. That's why I brought him here. I took a chance on the ritual, hoping the watcher that wrote about it didn't make it up." Xander looked up at Angel and was glad that it wasn't him Angel's rage was aimed at.

"Xander, I want you to understand what you did by invoking that ritual. You not only put Spike under my protection, but yourself as well. You're part of my family now, not a Scoobie. You won't be going back, not without me anyway."

"We're going back?"

Xander jumped when Angel's mug hit the wall behind him. "They HURT MY CHILDE! My William! They will pay. I kill demons when I have to, but I would never condone this type of experimentation and imprisonment. It's inhuman. I somehow don't think the Powers would condone it either. It won't be anytime soon, but we will be going back." Angel said it almost like it was a vow, a promise of retribution. "Starting tomorrow we have plans to make, and Xander, your training will begin."

Xander looked at Angel and a slow, feral grin spread over is face. "I wanna be there when you meet farmboy the first time. He turns green every time your name is mentioned. He knows you're Buffy's ex, but he doesn't have a clue who or what you really are: Angelus. And Angel, it's not Xander, not anymore. Xander was a Scoobie, a Zeppo. Alex belongs to your family." Alex's grin turned into full-throated laughter and Angel joined in.

Chapter 3

After explaining to Angel what had been going on in Sunnydale for the past year, Alex felt worn out. He left Angel still sitting at the table worrying over what he had just been told. Alex went back up to the room that Spike was sleeping in. The vampire had not moved. He removed his jeans, and crawled back into the bed. When Angel came to check on his childe, he found Alex snuggled up next to the sleeping vampire, his arm thrown over Spike's chest and his face nestled
behind Spike's ear. Angel could not believe the changes in the boy. Xander…no, Alex, had always treated him with disdain, acting like he hated him. It would have taken a lot to drive the youth to seek him out, to actually ask for his help and protection. He left the pair sleeping and went downstairs. There were a lot details to arrange, and he had to prepare his employees, his friends, for what was to come.

Later in Angel's office:

"Let me see if I understand this correctly. Your childe, Spike, has a computer chip in his brain that protects humanity from him. William the Bloody can no longer murder and create mayhem wherever he goes. And you think this is a bad thing? Angel, may I ask you how you came to this conclusion?" Wesley asked incredulously.

"Well, just let me say, ANGEL, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND??? He hates you; he hates us and wants to make us into snack food. Anyway, I thought you hated him too." Cordelia screeched.

Angel winced at the pitch of Cordy's voice. "Cordy, I never hated William, he has always been my favorite childe. I will always feel guilty for leaving him with Darla and Drusilla. Darla made his existence hell, she hated him from the day I turned him. She was jealous and spiteful. Drusilla used him, she loved blood sport as much as Angelus."

"Angel, I thought it was Drusilla that turned Spike. That's what all the journals say. It is considered common knowledge." Wesley asked.

"That's what Spike let everyone believe. He didn't want anyone to think his sire was `a bleedin' souled pouf'. Dru did drain him that night, but luckily, I came into the alley as she finished with him. One of her `stars' began to talk to her, and she forgot to feed him. I wanted him…had from the moment I saw him. I fed him and kept watch till he woke up. I was his Sire. Darla was furious when she found out I had made him my childe and not a minion. We're getting distracted from the main point. Something is going very wrong in Sunnydale. From what Alex says, this group of commandos is indiscriminately picking up demons off the street. They either don't know anything about demons, or they don't care. They are taking harmless creatures that can't fight back, children and elders. They are wiping out entire families. They are performing medical experiments on them. I existed during the Nazi reign; I will not sit by and let it happen again, not
even to demons.

"Angel, what about the Powers? I doubt that they will look too kindly on their champion running off to rescue demons. You are here to work for them."

"Wesley, I realize that this may not be easy. I intend to go talk to the Powers as soon as Spike is awake. But I cannot believe they will stop me from doing this. The actions of this Initiative could rally the demons to join together, then how do we fight them?" Angel just sat a moment and gathered his thoughts. "I would like you to go with me but it would be unfair not to leave the decision up to each of you. This is decision you have to make on your own. I would appreciate you helping me get ready for this though, even if you don't join me. Alex has to be trained, I will need all the information we can gather on this group and plans have to be made for my return to Sunnydale.

"Excuse me, but just who the hell is Alex?"

"Cordy, this is going to be hardest for you, but Xander has asked to be called Alex now. He wants no reminder of who he was in Sunnydale. That's how angry he is, Cordelia. He feels that his friends have turned their backs on him, and that by siding with the Initiative, no longer fight for the light. You and Gunn may not understand but I am fairly certain Wesley does. By invoking the rite of protection, Alex is now a part of my family, just as Spike is. I cannot turn him away and will help them both however I can."

"uhmm, well yes, from everything I have read about such rites, they are absolute. Do you think the boy really understands all that it could entail?"

"Truthfully, no. I think he was just so worried about Spike dying, he did the only thing he had left open to him. He has willingly sacrificed the life he had to save my childe, and he wants to go back, with me, to fight against his friends. I intend to train him as well as I can, in the short time we have."

"Honestly Angel, it has always been a puzzle to me that Mr. Giles did not give the boy any type of training. He could have easily done some training along side the slayer. Actually, even though he is rather annoying, I have always admired Xan…Alex. He has fought against some of the fiercest enemies of the light with nothing but his resolution that he was on the right side." Wesley admitted.

Gunn spoke up for the first time. "Angel man, I don't know about going up against these military dudes but I'll help with whatever training you think the boy needs. This isn't really my fight, you
know, I do this for my town and my people. I need to be here with my boys."

"That could work out for the best, Gunn. You could stay here and work out of the hotel. We could be in contact no matter what Cordy decides. Let's just all think about it awhile before any decisions are made. I need to check on Spike. I have to try and get him to feed again. He should be awake soon. I'm hoping he can give us information about the soldiers." [[If my childe's brain is still intact]] Angel could not give voice to his thoughts even to think it hurt. He left the others quietly talking about what he had just told them and went upstairs. He could hear someone talking as he got to the door of his room.

"Come on peroxide-boy, you need to wake up, nobody's snarked at me all day. Never thought I'd say that I missed you picking on me, just isn't the same without you putting me down. I know you're probably going to be madder than hell at me for bring you here, but I didn't know what else to do. Angel's been real nice about it though. We're going to get them, Spike. You need to get up so you can help. You can be the supervisor, okay? You tell me what to do to the s.o.b.'s and I'll do it." Alex looked up as Angel walked in to the room. "I just thought, you know maybe, he could hear me. Coma people can hear so I thought just maybe…" Angel put gently laid his palm on the boy's cheek. With a small whimper, Alex turned and wrapped his arms around Angel's waist and cried. Angel picked him up and sat down on the bed with him, rocking him gently and just letting him cry. He could feel the warm tears on his neck as Alex cried. Slowly the sobs quieted but Alex didn't try to move. Angel lifted the damp chin with his finger and gently kissed him. Alex gave a little gasp of surprise but didn't pull away. Angel tilted his head and kissed him again, this time with a little more pressure. He lightly ran his tongue over the full bottom lip, then sucked it gently. Alex whimpered as he opened to let Angel in. The cool tongue rubbed across his then set about devouring his mouth. Alex changed the angle and deepened the kiss, participating fully until Angel pulled away.

"You have to breathe, or I `d keep doing this for hours." He smiled at the blush that crept up Alex's face and ran one cool finger down the side of his face to his chin. Alex hid his face in Angel's neck. "You surprise me. I thought you hated me." He could feel the boy shake his head no.

"Never hated you, jealous maybe, but never hate."

"Jealous because of Buffy? You had a pretty big crush on her."

"No, not jealous of you, jealous of Buffy." Angel pulled Alex back and stared at him. Alex tried to look away but couldn't. "You just swooped in, all dark, powerful, never seen anything like that before. But you only saw Buffy."

"Oh, I saw you alright, just didn't think I should take. I was sent there to help the Slayer. What…what Buffy and I had was powerful but it was so wrong on so many different levels. We never should have gotten to the point we did, I should have stopped it." Angel kissed the tip of Alex's nose, then his lips. "We take this slow, alright? No quickie, no messing up, slow and easy."

"Uh Angel? What about…well…that..you know, thathappinessclausethingie."

"It isn't there anymore. When Willow redid the curse she obviously got something wrong. My soul is mine, bound to my demon. I can't lose it again. There isn't anything stopping us from getting closer."

"Sounds good to me." Angel moved the boy off his lap and stood up. "You going to try to get him to feed again?"

""One more time, then he should wake up fine. Physically fine, I don't know about mentally. I hope he can come back from this, Spike was always the strong one of my childer. But, believe it or not, he was also the most sensitive of them. He never quit caring. Any other vampire would have either destroyed Drusilla or deserted her, Spike took care of her for over a hundred years."

Angel went to the other side of the bed and lay down. He gently lifted the sleeping vampire up against his chest. "If this bothers you, you can head downstairs." He looked over at the other side of the bed where Alex sat, his eyes were dilated and his breathing ragged. His face flushed with arousal. He shifted Spike to his other side then reached out, "Come here boy." Alex rolled over until he was lying up against Angel's side. He laid his head down on Angel's shoulder opposite where Spike's head rested. Angel unbuttoned his shirt half way down then gently pushed Spike's face against his neck. "Wil, you need to feed. It's your sire's wish, my sweet William." Alex watched as the closed mouth opened slightly against the offered neck. God he couldn't believe how hot it looked. With a soft murmur, Spike sank his fangs into Angel's neck and his throat muscles started to work as he pulled the fluid into his mouth and drank. After several minutes, Angel ran his hand through Spike's hair and said, "Enough Wil. That's enough." Spike licked softly at Angel's neck and mumbled the word `sire' then slipped back into sleep. Angel gently kissed Spike's forehead and laid him back down on the bed.

Angel rolled over toward the panting boy pulling him tight against his body. Alex grabbed a handful of Angel's hair and pulled his mouth to him. He attacked the cool mouth, biting the bottom lip then sucking it in gently. The hard bite followed by the soft suckling had Angel hard as stone and ready to explode. Alex was fumbling with the buttons on Angel's shirt, he wanted skin, and he needed to feel his skin against Angel's. Angel was running his hands over Alex's shoulder and down his chest, stopping to pinch and tweak his nipples into hard points. Alex moaned and arched his hips trying to connect with Angel's hardness.

"Please Angel, just…please…do something." He was tossing his head, moaning and panting. "Angel, naked, now…please, need skin." Angel pulled back long enough to get his shirt off then pulled Alex under him. Alex parted his legs so that Angel settled between them, their erections rubbing together. He raised his head and nipped at spot where Angel's neck met his shoulders, then licked down his chest and latched onto a hardened nipple. Angel growled when he felt the blunt teeth bite down and rocked their hips together harder. "God, Angel…more…please… everything, want you now."

Angel growled, "We were going to go slow, take some time…."

"Fuck slow, fuck easy. Better yet, fuck me…Now!" Alex groaned when Angel pulled back from him. He could not believe he was stopping.

"No, I'm not going to fuck you, yet. There are things we have to talk about, things about the ritual and you. But right now is not the time and there's other things we can do." Angel arched his back so that their straining cocks were rubbing against each other. He pulled back far enough to unfasten Alex's jeans and pull them off. Angel sat back on his heels and stared at the boy spread wantonly in front of him. His engorged cock was lying against his stomach like an offering waiting for Angel to take it and do whatever he wanted to. He ran one finger along the vein on the underside of Alex's hard cock and smiled when it jumped at his touch. He ran the finger gently across the hot, plum shaped head, spreading the dripping pre-cum around. He was fascinated with the ridge of scar tissue at the base of the head and ran his fingertip around the edge. Alex began whimpering, moaning for Angel to do something. He did, he leaned down and licked straight up the offering, treating it like an all day sucker.

"Annggeel, please…naked..you now please?" Angel was very thankful he had a large bed. He didn't want to leave his childe alone but he wanted this boy with him…now. Alex watched with bright, passion glazed eyes as Angel stood up and took his clothes off. He crawled up the bed, up Alex's writhing body, nipping and sucking as he went. His tongue unerringly found the boy's naval and began to slowly lick around the edge of it. He began to flick his tongue in and out then bit down across the tempting dip. Alex arched up off of the bed with a load groan. He continued his journey up the tempting body, lapping and suckling on first one tiny brown nipple then the other. He worried one with the blunt edge of is teeth and Alex screamed. Damn, the boy's nipples were sensitive; he could probably bring him off just playing with them. He moved up the shuddering body until he could grab the back of Alex's head and bring their mouths together. It felt incredible sinking his tongue into the hot, moist opening. He was so hot, Angel felt like he had sunk his tongue into a fire. He was losing control and his eyes began to flicker between brown and gold. Alex reached up and caressed Angel's face. "Let it go. I know what you are and accept it. Just let it go." His face changed, his true face coming out, his fangs resting against Alex's bottom lip.

The boy reached up and ran a loving hand over the wrinkled forehead and Angel shuddered. He gently kissed them, then ran his tongue across them. Angel grabbed him by the hair and brought their mouths violently together, plundering the warm cavern. Alex was a full participant in this and was using his tongue to map Angel's cool mouth. When he came to one of the pointed canines, he very gently ran his tongue up and down against it, then gently sucked on it. The response was immediate; Angel howled and brought their erections together, grabbing Alex's hips and pulling to bring them into full contact. He worked a hand between them and held the two straining organs together as hips thrust up and hard dick rubbed against hard dick. They couldn't last much longer; the contact was too intense. Alex ran his tongue over the other fang then sucked as hard as he could. Angel threw back his head and roared, shooting cool fluid between their bodies. The feeling of Angel coming was too much for the boy and it sent Alex over the edge. He latched on to Angel's mouth as he came, letting Angel swallow his yell of completion. The two men collapsed on the bed and just held each other, shuddering at the intensity of what just happened.

Angel recovered first, getting up and going to the bathroom to clean himself up. He brought a warm cloth back and gently cleaned Alex. He threw the towel on the floor next to the bed. Pulling the covers up over Alex, he then crawled in next to him. The boy wiggled until he was snuggled up to the vampire, his back to Angel's front. "That was incredible, Angel. But why wouldn't you fuck me?"

"We will talk about it tomorrow. But it has to do with the ritual, once blood or sex seals it it's forever. Now go to sleep for awhile. You're going to need your rest. You start training with Gunn
tomorrow."

"Okay, sleep is of the good, more sleep. Food later?"

Angel smiled and gently kissed the back of the drowsy boy's neck, "Yes sweet, sleep now, food later." He looked back and forth at the two sleeping in his bed and hoped he would get the chance to bring his childe back into his life. That would make him complete. It felt like coming home to be sharing his bed again with his loves. There was no more lying to himself, he loved this dark haired boy as much as he loved his childe.

Chapter 4

It was late afternoon when Alex stumbled into the Hyperion kitchen looking for food. Angel was still asleep and since his stuff was still in the car, he had borrowed some drawstring pants from Angel's closet. He felt better than he had in a long time. He was back to fighting for the good guys and he liked the feeling. He was thinking about what had gone on with Angel and what Angel had said about the protection ritual. Did he want that? To be tied to Angel like that?
Alex knew that this was a serious decision that he needed to think long and hard about. He was thinking about it so hard, he didn't notice that he wasn't alone in the kitchen.

Gunn was sitting quietly, watching the boy move. He was planning out a training program for Alex and needed to observe how he moved and reacted. Just as Alex reached into the cabinet, Gunn cleared his throat. He caught the can of soup just before it hit him in the forehead. "Well I'd say your reaction time is pretty damn good." He tossed the soup back at Alex. "You always so quick to react?"

"You try growing up on the hellmouth. You don't react, you die, or you end up being the butt-monkey for some evil dead guy. Who in the hell are you anyway?"

Gunn stuck out his hand; "Charles Gunn, but they just call me Gunn. I'm the one that's gonna start training you today. Angel wants me to get started right away. We'll do hand to hand and some weapons training. Angel told me you've been fighting already. What did you use?"

"I can flourish a pointy piece of wood, use a sword adequately, but I swing a mean axe. Like a nice double-bladed, super-sharp war axe, nothing like it, not much one of those babies won't take care of." He shook Gunn's hand and grinned. "When do we start?"

"As soon as you eat something. Just eat light and don't drink too much. You can fill up after we get through." Alex looked at the soup can and put it back. He pulled out a jar a peanut butter and started looking for bread. When in doubt, a peanut butter sandwich would always save the day.

They had been at it for three hours; both men were tired and sweaty but had caught their second wind. Gunn was teaching Alex some hand to hand moves that he was picking up fairly easy. The boy would be really good with some more training, but he seemed to be holding back. He put out just enough effort to not get hurt, but nothing more than that. Gunn truly thought the talent was there, that is, if he could just get him to open up fully. The first hour they had worked on stretching and strength exercises, the next on trying out different weapons. The boy had told the truth, he knew what to do with a stake and had the rudiments of using a sword down. When Gunn handed him the axe he twirled it in front of him a couple of times then began a routine that was close to being a kata. Alex definitely knew what to do with an axe.

Angel had slipped into the training room and was watching Gunn put his boy through a series of routines to strengthen his upper arms. He hadn't realized how strong Alex had gotten; he wasn't the gawky adolescent anymore. This was a young man comfortable with his body. That was something Xander had never been. Gunn called a halt and told Alex to cool down and get a drink. He came over to where Angel was standing.

"Angel man, the boy is good, but he's holding back and it's obvious. He won't go full out, he pulls back. I think the talent is there, he's just going to have to open up when he fights. If he ain't
willin' to go full out, he's gonna get somebody killed."

"Gunn, why don't you take a break, let me spar with Alex awhile. I think I may know what the problem is. And if I'm right, it's easily fixable." Angel toed off his shoes and pulled his shirt over his head. He was waiting in the middle of the mat when Alex came back into the room.

"Where's Gunn, we weren't finished yet. We were going to spar some more." Alex wasn't too sure about the look Angel was giving him.

"I told Gunn to take a break, You're going to spar with me for awhile. Think you can handle it, boy?" Angel was looking dead serious, not a smile anywhere.

"An…Angel, I can't fight against you. Vamp strength remember? I wouldn't stand a chance." Alex was suddenly looking a lot like Xander.

"You're going to fight me, boy! That wasn't a question. Get over here and get ready. NOW BOY!" Angel knew what he had to do, but it was hard. He didn't want to damage what he had started with Alex the night before, but he didn't want to take the chance on him dying in a fight because he held back. "I'll hold back, but not much. If you don't fight, you get hurt. You fight back, you don't get hurt. It's easy." Alex eased over to where Angel was standing and got into
stance. Angel reached out and slapped at him. Alex pulled back and took a swing at him, catching him on the shoulder. "Boy, you'll have to do better than that." Angel started after Alex, jabbing and pushing at him. Alex was trying but couldn't keep up. Suddenly a fist came out of nowhere and caught Alex on the chin, knocking his off his feet.

{{get up-can't fall-fight back-protect-fight}} [[can't, too strong, not the enemy, friend, love]] {{must fight-show mate-can protect pack-mate's respect-fight}} [[mate]]Alex crouched on the floor watching Angel through hooded eyes, never taking his eyes off of him. He pivoted as Angel moved around him, waiting for an opening. His eyes glowed, an odd green. He must show his potential mate he was strong, he could protect the pack. There, there was his opening. With a snarl he launched himself at Angel, attacking with a flurry of punches and kicks that Angel was having a hard time blocking. They danced their way from one end of the room to the other, blocking and attacking, each fighting as hard as they could. Gunn and Wesley had come in and were standing by the door watching in amazement. It was almost like a choreographed dance: they moved in point and counter-point movements. Alex found an opening and executed a perfect
spinning drop kick that sent Angel flying backwards. Angel shook his head and flew back across the room, attacking low and taking the boy down. He locked his arms around Alex's neck and wrapped his legs around his torso, pinning him completely. Alex howled like a wounded animal. The sound made the hair on the back on the watching men's necks stand on end. Angel let up and turned Alex loose. The boy just lay there. He then got on his knees and offered his neck to Angel. He just knelt there waiting. Angel wasn't sure what to do then he remembered what Alex had told him the day before.

"PACK, mine." He bit down on Alex's neck with blunt human teeth, not to drink but to mark. He had realized that in submitting, Alex was recognizing him as the alpha, the pack leader. He sat down and pulled the boy into his lap. Gunn and Wesley came over to them

"I knew you had it in you, kid. Man, where did you get moves like that? You can kick some serious ass. No more of that pussy shit, I expect full out from now on. Tomorrow, be here same time and ready to sweat." Gunn pulled the gawking Wesley out of the room with him.

"Angel, what just happened?"

"Gunn said you were holding back and he was worried that it could get you killed. I remembered who you used to fight and put two and two together and came up with Buffy. She didn't like you to fight very well did she?"

"No, she hated anyone to be even close to fighting like her. I forgot one time, the hyena was really pissed that day, and Buff had a fit. She ranted and raved, breaking things. The next time we fought, she hurt me pretty bad." Alex shrugged his shoulders. " It was easier just to not do it again. I never let hyena out with her again. It wasn't worth the hassle. Buffy won't tolerate anything that might be better than her."

"No more holding back. Here you fight as hard and as well as you can. That's what WE expect. You doing your best." Angel rubbed his jaw. "Your best is pretty damn good too." Alex leaned over and kissed his jaw, wrapping his arms around the strong neck.

"You realize what you did, right? She recognizes you as pack leader now. You defeated us and you're now the alpha, the mate."

"Doesn't bother me if it doesn't bother you."

"No, it's of the good. She…we needed a pack leader. We were lost, Buffy was our `leader', but in the last few months, the hyena refused to acknowledge her. Hyena got to where she wanted to challenge her for control, but I knew I couldn't beat Buffy. But she's happy now, we have a pack again." He kissed Angel, then stood up. "I reek. I think a shower, then food is on the agenda. Feed me?"

Angel got up from the floor laughing. He swatted Alex on the butt, "Shower now. You're right, you do reek. I'll see about dinner. I'm sure Cordy has her finger ready to use on the phone. She does a great order in." Alex took off laughing, and Angel headed for the kitchen. He was right: Cordy, Gunn and Wesley sat there trying to decide what to order.

"Don't forget to order for Alex as well. Damn, I forgot to ask him what he liked."

Cordy put her hand up to stop him. "I know all there is to know about the care and feeding of Xander Harris, dated him remember? You order anything that isn't of the vegetable family and plenty of it. Then follow up with anything chocolate or Twinkies. That's all you need to know about feeding the Xan-man. We already decided on Italian."

"Order Alex something with vegetables as well as meat, he's going to start eating right. If he's going to fight, he's going to take care of himself."

"Speaking of fighting, what's all this about him suddenly turning into a black belt or something? The Xander I knew couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag."

"Cordy, do you remember when Xander was possessed?" Angel asked.

"Which time? First was in sophomore year at the zoo. Some kind of freaky hyena spirits possessed a whole group of kids. They ate our pig mascot. Then they ate Mr. Flutie. Thank God Xander was locked up in the book cage at the time so he wasn't with them. But Giles figured it out and unpossessed them."

"Well, Xander's `unpossession' didn't work. He thinks it was because he housed the alpha of the pack and she fought back. She's still in him."

"Freaky. Well, Halloween after that, a whole bunch of kids got possessed by their costumes. It was that weirdo Ethan Rayne's fault. Xander was dressed like a soldier-boy. Man, he was hot. What? He was. Wait, the soldier's still in him. I remember now. That's how he knew how to get a rocket launcher when you were trying to take over the world, during your big, bad, evil pants of leather Angelus time."

"Am I to understand that Xan…Alex was possessed twice and no one has attempted to remove the remnants of the personalities from him? Surely Mr. Giles would not sit by and let that happen. It could very well have driven the boy mad." Wesley was shocked by the idea that anyone could be so careless.

"They aren't remnants, Wesley. They are complete individuals. I figure he has been living with the hyena for over 4 years and almost that long with the soldier. They haven't driven him crazy, from what I can get out of him, they have helped him."

"Man, if he had that in him, why in the hell was he fighting so bad today?" Gunn couldn't understand anyone not fighting with everything they had.

"Because of who he has been fighting with. Buffy doesn't accept equality in fighting skills very well. She has to be the strongest fighter." Cordy and Wesley both snorted.

"Buffy would try to hurt him if he could fight. She liked him being donut boy, the one with no skills." Cordy was sad to remember how she had encouraged that behavior.

"That is a large understatement. As the Slayer, she wants everyone dependent on her power to protect. She does have something of a large ego." Wesley remembered well just how she had treated him and now that he thought about it, it was also how she treated Alex. "I can't believe how out of control Mr. Giles has allowed her to…" Wesley quit talking and looked down.

"Wesley, stop it. You had no control over Faith from the beginning. She was already on the path she chose before you became her watcher. There is nothing you could have done." Angel knew how his failure with Faith bothered the ex-watcher. "I don't think anything could have helped Faith, and joining the mayor fixed it so she couldn't be helped." He still wrote to Faith in prison. He also went to see her when he had the opportunity, everyone deserved another chance, he better than most understood that. He looked up as Alex bounced into the kitchen, in some things he would always be Xander.

"Food..now..starving. Feed Me! Okay seriously folks, I'm really starving. When's dinner?"

"Cordy's already ordered it. It will be here in about 15 minutes. Italian tonight, sound alright?" Gunn asked.

"Yum, good, pizza."

"No Alex, no pizza. There is more to Italian food than pizza. It's an antipasto tray for everyone to share and you have the Vegetable Lasagna coming, it's really great."

"Cooorrddy, green stuff?"

"Yes, you baby, green stuff. Blame Angel, he says you have to start eating better and to get you vegetables." Cordy stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well, that's okay I guess…kinda well.." He faded off into a barely understood mumble.

"What was that Alex?" Angel asked him.

The boy blushed a deep red. "I like vegetables, just didn't get them very often. They cost a lot more. And my mom, well, she…" He quit speaking.

Cordy reached over and took his hand, there were tears in her eyes. "I remember. You want me to tell them?" Alex shook his head. "Xan…Alex's dad is an alcoholic. He was about 6 when his mother decided `if you can't beat them, join them'. That's the reason he spent so much time at Willow's. His parents were usually drunk most of the day."

Angel reached over and raised Alex's face so he could look him in the eye. "You're not there anymore, you're with us. We're your family now. You will not go hungry and you will not have to beg for food or attention. It's yours for the taking. Anything you want and first thing I was thinking of is new clothes."

"Really, new stuff? Most of my stuff is, well, it's second hand. I just can't afford good stuff. But Angel, I can't afford anything new right now. I have to find a job first. What I would really like to do is…can I..well, maybe start cooking meals here?" At the phrase cooking, they all perked up.

"You cook? I mean like real food, not bottled, canned crap, real food?" Gunn was excited.

"Yeah, I cook real food, five of my dead end jobs have been in restaurants. I learned as much as I could."

"You can forget a job, you're going to be working right here. Angel, tell him. He has to work here. He's going to be cooking. You can pay him for that. Imagine Angel, no more paying for take out, and really happy employees eating real, fresh food." Angel was laughing at Cordy's insistence.

"I think you've been hired. And you don't worry about clothes, you can pay me back later. But you're going to need stuff before we head back to Sunnydale. Let's just say I will want us to make a statement."

"Yeah, like maybe an `is it Angel or is it Angelus' kind of statement? And yes, Cordy, I'll cook, I have to do something to pay my way." Alex was grinning widely. This time he might have actually
found a real family. The bell rang at the back entrance, the signal that their food had arrived. Angel heated some blood while the rest divided up the meals. He watched in amazement as Alex started inhaling his meal, including the vegetables from the communal tray. Every once in awhile he would reach toward Angel with a loaded fork and feed the vampire a bite. He knew from Spike staying with him that vampires did eat normal food, that they even enjoyed it. He had
deduced, rightly, that Angel denied himself the enjoyment out of some kind of misguided notion that he didn't deserve it. Well, too bad. He was going to see to it that the vampire had some enjoyment in life. The rest of the group couldn't believe that Angel was eating with them. He usually fed in private, like they didn't know they he drank blood and he never seemed to eat real food. Come to think of it, he had also laughed more today than in the past year.

The group was enjoying just sitting around the table and talking, they were too satisfied to move around much. Angel got up and washed out his mug. "I'm heading upstairs for awhile. If you hear any yelling or loud noises, stay down here. Alex, that includes you. We don't know how Spike is going to respond when he's fully conscious. I can feel him now; he's starting to wake up." The group watched Angel head upstairs.

"Alex, why don't we go out for awhile? Oh, I want to show you my apartment and introduce you to Dennis." Cordy was going to see to it that he was distracted from what was going on upstairs. "He'll be alright, you know Angel won't hurt him."

Alex didn't want to leave, but staying here was too much temptation. He wanted to run up the stairs, but couldn't figure out if it was to protect Spike…or Angel. "I need to get some stuff out of my car. I don't even have a shirt in the hotel."

"My car is parked in the garage by yours. We'll get you something as we leave. How about you guys. Plans?"

"As much as I would love to accompany you, I have already met Dennis, and have research to do at home." Wesley got up to leave.

"Yeah, what English said. I have to meet my people and patrol. Alex, tomorrow, work out room, 2:00 PM. Be there and ready to sweat." Gunn waved as he left.

"Cordy, you don't have to do this."

"Bull Xan, it's killing you not to be up in that room. Don't try to fool me, I know you too well."

"Yeah Cordy, love you too. Well, let's go meet Dennis. Uh, Cordy, who's Dennis?" Cordy started to laugh as she took Alex's arm and led him to the garage entrance.

Angel walked slowly up the stairs. He was hoping this wouldn't turn into a violent confrontation, it wasn't what his childe needed right now. He had already been through enough. The first thing he noticed when he walked into the room was that the bed was empty. He looked around the dark room and finally found his childe sitting on the floor up against the wall. He walked over to him and sat down. "William, why are you just sitting there?"

"Why am I here, Peaches? Last I remember was being at the whelp's." Angel did not like the resignation in Spike's voice, like he had given up. This was not acceptable, his childe did not give up. He fought, he raged, he never gave up, never.

"Xander brought you here. He was afraid you were dying."

"He should have left me alone. Sire, please? I can't exist like this." Spike's voice was pleading.

Angel wasn't sure what to do but he knew he had to do something. "NO! I will not release you childe. You are MINE and you remain MINE! I am your sire, no matter what you have told the humans. You belong to me, now more than ever." Angel reached over and laid his hand on the
marks on Spike's neck. "You came to me for protection and I accepted. You have no say anymore."

Spike pulled away and felt along his neck, "What did you do to me? Why are my marks fresh?" He jumped up from the floor and started pacing. "Bloody interfering pouf, couldn't just let me die, no, had to ruin things. Bloody wanker, what in the hell did you do to me?"

Angel stood up and put him self directly in front of the pacing vamp. "I did what I was asked. Xander managed to find a description of the protection ritual and brought you to me. He knew exactly what to do..no shirt, barefoot, knelt and asked for my protection for you. He had memorized the ritual and offered me your neck and his own. I haven't marked him, yet. But once he understands, I will."

Spike snarled, "Little interfering bastard, I don't want to live like this. I can't hunt. I can't feed. A human child can attack me and there is nothing I can do. Do you know what it's like to have to hide from what used to be your prey?" He had started to pace again. "They hurt me and there was nothing I could do. I was awake the whole time. When they cut into my brain I was awake; I could feel every cut, every touch. They gagged me and tied me down but nothing else. I can still feel them drilling into my skull. Sire? They raped me, held me down and took turns with me. They laughed while they did it, like I was a big joke to them. William the fucking Bloody turned into a joke." Bloody pink tears were streaming down Spike's face. Angel grabbed his boy and held on tight.

"No one hurts you again, William. Soul or no, I WILL KILL THEM!! We're going back there. We are going to take them down and destroy them. The question is, do you want to be a part of it?" Spike pushed away from Angel and snarled.

"What the fuckin' hell do you think I'll be able to do about it?" Without thinking, he took a swing at Angel and connected with his jaw and…nothing. "It didn't hurt. No headache, no fucking axe through my brain. Peaches, just stand there." Before Angel could move Spike had hit him again. He did a little jig then attacked Angel again taking him down to the floor.

"WILLIAM, what in the hell are you doing?"

"I can hit you! Why? If I even touch a human too hard my head explodes. Why can I hit you, Peaches? Hell, you're not human. I have to…have too..gotta go find some demons." Angel had reversed their position and was sitting astride Spike's hips holding him down. "Let me up, you soddin' pouf. I need to kill something. Sire, I have to check this out. If I can hurt and hunt demons, I won't be useless. I can do something, I can hunt." Spike was pleading with Angel to let him up.

Angel looked at Spike and smiled. He ran his hands up Spike's bare chest, then reached up to cup his childe's face. Spike pulled himself up and attached his mouth to Angel's. The taste of his childe exploded across his senses, it had been so long. True faces appeared tongues and fangs attacking with fervor. Spike arched his hips upwards as Angel began to map his mouth with his questing tongue. This was what he wanted, what he needed. He could taste his sire's blood and wanted more, wanted everything.

"Sire?"

"Say it, boy. What do you want William?"

"You sire, please…want you. Please, sire, I'm yours, always been yours." Spike was panting with unneeded breaths. He reached up and ripped Angel's shirt off his body. Angel lifted himself off of Spike, picked the blonde up and threw him on the bed. He pulled the remains of his shirt off, jerked his pants off, and flew across the room, landing on the bed. He grabbed two handfuls of blonde hair and pulled his childe to his mouth. As he ravaged the waiting lips and mouth, he could feel Spike clawing furrows in his back. The only sounds in the room were snarls and growls. Angel used his clawed fingers to tear the black jeans off his childe. This wasn't the time for being gentle; that would come later. He ran his fangs lightly down Spike's neck, nipping, but not fully biting. He stopped and laved the marks on Spike's neck, licking lightly, then sucking the flesh into his mouth, just enough to make it sting. Spike arched up, howling. Angel chuckled, and kept moving down the writhing body. He stopped and paid particular attention to the small brown nipples that were becoming hard pebbles. Licking around the areola in diminishing circles, getting closer and closer his target. His tongue passed over the waiting nipple once, then he bit down, hard, piercing the hardened nub and causing Spike to scream. Angel lapped at the blood that beaded up, relishing the taste of his boy. Spike was lost in the sensations his sire was causing in his body. As Angel continued to play with his nipples, he worked one hand between them until he brushed against Spike's thrusting cock. He could smell his boy's response and knew it wouldn't take much to make him come. He wrapped his large hand around the hard cock and began to work it in a smooth steady rhythm. While his hand worked on Spike's cock, his mouth was still teasing the hardened nipples. He could sense his boy tightening up and knew he was close. As Spike thrust up into Angel's hand, Angel bit down on the other nipple, piercing it with a fang. Spike screamed again as he came, shooting his cool cum over his sire's hand and on to his stomach.

Before Spike could open his eyes, Angel turned him over and pulled him up on his knees. He bit down on his lip and brought his slick hand up and mixed his blood with Spike's cum. He ran the slick fingers down between the pale ass cheeks, then with one finger, breached the tiny pucker. He worked the finger in and out of the grasping hole, slowly. When he added a second finger, Spike started pushing back, trying to force the invading digits deeper. Adding a third finger, Angel started working them in and out, fucking Spike's ass with his fingers. He changed the angle he was using, and began to stroke against Spike's sweet spot, causing the blonde to jump against his fingers, driving them deeper into him. By now Spike was incoherent, begging and pleading for something, anything, to relieve the pressure building up in his cock. He tried to rub against the
mattress, but Angel held him in place and wouldn't let him have the contact he so desperately needed. Spike whimpered when the fingers disappeared from his ass. Angel rubbed his rock hard cock with his still slick fingers, rubbing across his cock head, adding the dripping precum to the slickness on his fingers. When he had prepared himself, he placed the head of his cock against the quivering hole and started to push in slowly, so slowly. Spike tried to push back, to force Angel's cock into him, but Angel held his hips in place, not letting him move. "Please, sire. Ram it in, I want you in me…now. Please, Angelus now, hard. Give it to me NOW!" Hearing his boy demand his cock pushed Angel over the edge, he pushed into his childe with one strong stroke, not stopping until he felt his balls slap against Spike. He was too close to stop, he pistoned into the slick opening, changing the angle so he rubbed against Spike's prostrate with every stroke, driving the vampire crazy with want. He reached around and fisted Spike's hard length with the same rhythm he was driving into him with. He was close, so close, and started to nip and lick up Spike's back. When he reached the marks on Spike's neck, he laved then with his tongue. "My childe, my William, MINE!" and drove his fangs into the existing marks, drawing in the sweet fluid that sang of his childe. Spike screamed as he came, shooting his cum over Angel's hand and unto the bed. His slick channel clamped down on the invading cock and the intense feeling sent Angel over with him as he filled the grasping channel with the cool fluid of his completion. He pulled his fangs out and licked across the wounds, sealing them. Angel bit into his wrist and offered it to Spike, who drove his fangs into the offering, drawing in the essence of his sire, feeling complete for the first time in a hundred years.

Spike collapsed sighing, "Sire, my sire."

Angel gathered the almost comatose vampire to him, "Yes, your sire, my sweet William, always your sire." Both vampires fell into a deep sleep, neither giving any thought to the boy who would be back soon.

Chapter 5

It was late when Cordelia dropped Alex off in the front of the Hyperion. He was surprised to find the front door unlocked. He couldn't hear any noise so he assumed everything was all right. Not
knowing what else to do, he climbed the stairs and headed to Angel's room. There was no noise coming from there either. Alex quietly opened the door and stepped in. The smell immediately assaulted his nose, the smell of sex. There was enough light for him to make out the two figures wrapped around each other, in the middle of the big bed. The bed he had shared with Angel just last night. They were lying in the middle, nude, pale bodies shining in the light coming from the open door. He couldn't tell where one ended and the other began they were that entwined around each other. Alex was biting his lip to keep from crying out. Something must have disturbed the
lovers, because they began to rouse. Alex couldn't stop the tears streaming down his face.

The hyena was howling in his mind. {{our mate-kill the other-protect the alpha-kill}} Alex got far enough into the room to snatch his wallet, then took off running. He made it to the stairs before he heard Angel call his name. Down the stairs and out the front door he ran. He didn't know where he was headed, just that he had to leave. {{our mate-rejected-not good enough-no pack-outcast}} Alex rubbed the bruise on his neck, the mark that Angel had made just this afternoon. Now it meant nothing, he was without pack, without family again. He flagged down they first cab he found and asked to be taken to the nearest bar.

The smell of Alex coming into the room had roused Angel. He sniffed at the air trying to figure out what was bothering him. Salt, tears, Alex had been crying. He could smell the stink of despair in the room. Then it hit him, what it must have looked like when Alex opened the door and saw the two of them lying there. Angel yelled Alex's name as he ran into the hallway, not caring that he was naked. He heard the front door slam and knew he was too late to catch the boy, his boy.

"SPIKE, wake up. We've got a problem."

"Wha..shit, Peaches let me sleep. Tired." Spike slurred.

"William, get up. Alex just ran out of the hotel."

"Why should I care about some bloke named Alex?"

"Oh hell, I forgot you slept through it. Xander wants to forget his life in Sunnydale and has decided that Xander exists no more. He prefers to be called Alex now, a new name for a new life. He was just in here and saw us..like this. Wil, he accepted me as his pack leader today. I marked him, a pack mark, not a claiming. Last night we..we..damn, the boy probably thinks I've rejected him. There's no telling what he'll do. The hyena has been so close to the surface since he got here with you." Angel was beginning to panic. Alex knew nothing about LA, the only person he really knew was Cordy and Angel doubted he would run to her. While he had been explaining to Spike, he was getting dressed. "Wil, we have to find him, this could be the last straw for him. He's lost his Sunnydale family and he was so happy today, he found a new family."

"The whelp wouldn't do anything stupid, sire. He has good self-preservation instincts."

"William, you didn't see him when he carried you into the hotel. You didn't see him kneel next to you crying, because he was afraid he was too late. Afraid that you were going to die. I was not the only one that fed you that night. Alex fed you as well. He cut his own wrist and offered it to you. He lay in this bed, next to you all night and most of the next day, afraid to leave you. He talked to you, continuously, because he decided you might be able to hear him. He promised to kill everyone in the Initiative for you. He told you he would torture them for you. You could tell him what to do and he'd do it, for you, William. Xander Harris, the Slayer's white knight is willing to torture and kill humans for you. And now he thinks we've..I've rejected him. Wil, he's alone on the streets of LA, unmarked, unclaimed."

"Shit, hurry up then, let's get going. Angel, get your gear on and let's go find him. And he doesn't leave this hotel again till he's marked, proper. If you don't do it, I will." Angel turned on Spike,
game-faced and growling. "Figured that was the way it was, Peaches. We're gonna have to make the boy understand about sires and childer, it has nothing to do with a mate. You do want him as a mate, don't you? I won't step aside for anything less."

"YOU won't step aside? Childe, you forget your place."

"YOU gave the whelp to me, remember? Hell, every time I've been in Sunnydale, I tried to watch out for him. Not easy, I tell you, what with him being Slayer's favorite bait. Sire, I care for the boy, but not enough to take him as a mate. And from what you said, I'd have to fight you for him. You're his alpha, I'd have to defeat you to get him to accept me now."

"I do want to claim him. I didn't realize how much until now. I want to mate claim Alex, not just mark him. Wil, it isn't just me. Angelus wants the boy; he's always wanted him. I know he wants me, but there could be a problem. I've smelled his arousal when he's with you, too. I think our boy wants the both of us. Uh, William, you might want to get some clothes on, too."

Spike looked down at his body. "Sire, you ripped up my jeans up. Where's my other clothes?"

"They may be in Alex's car. Things have happened so fast that nothing was unpacked. You clean up and I'll go check and bring whatever I find up here." Angel pulled on his boots and headed down to the parking garage. Alex's car wasn't locked and he found all of their stuff in plastic bags in the back seat. Not knowing what was in any of them, Angel grabbed them all and carried them back upstairs.

"I don't know whose is whose, it's all jumbled up in here. He must have gotten ready to leave in a hurry. Wil, is this everything the boy owns?" Spike was going through the sacks looking for his own stuff.

"Yeah, pretty much. He don't own much. Lived in his parents basement, called it an apartment, they did. Charged the boy rent, stupid wankers. It was a damp, dark, smelly place, not much better than my crypt. He had a small stereo and a cheap television too. He must have left those."

"No, they're in the car. Cheap is the right word. Is everything he owns old or second hand?" Angel was getting a different picture of Alex, he wasn't like Willow or Buffy as Angel had always believed. He wasn't raised the way they were. Angelus had always considered them typical spoilt, American teenagers. Too many things, too much money and wanting for nothing. Evidently, he had a lot to learn about the boy that he wanted to claim as his. Spike had finally found some of his own clothes and was dressed and ready to go, thankfully, Angel had found Spike's boots in the car as well.

"Let's go, Peaches. We need to find our boy. What about your humans, can they help?"

"Hell, I forgot about Gunn. He's on patrol with his people tonight." Angel grabbed his cell phone and punched in the code for Gunn.

Gunn answered abruptly, "Yeah, what do you want?"

"Gunn, its Angel. We have problem. Alex saw something and misunderstood..he..well, he took off and we need to find him. Will you and your people keep an eye out for him? He's really upset and
probably angry. He doesn't know LA at all and we're the only people he knows here. No, I don't think he'd go to Cordy. What happened is kind of personal."

"Spike and I are headed out now. Yes, I'll remember the cell phone. Yes, Gunn, I'll even remember to turn it on." Spike was waiting for Angel downstairs, pacing through the lobby. He felt alive again. He hadn't felt this way since the night those bastard soldiers had grabbed him. The repressed rage was boiling, right under the surface, ready to erupt. A hunt, even one for Xander, was just what he needed. It had been almost a century since he had hunted with his sire.

*

The cab stopped at a small run down bar. The taxi driver turned around and looked at the young man, "This is Morvack's, it's a local place, nothing fancy but the people are friendly. It's a mixed bar though, will that bother you?"

"Mixed how?"

"Human and demon. They both come here to relax and have a few. That's one of the reasons it's so peaceful, nobody wants to upset the regulars."

"Nah, mixed won't bother me. Hell, I was practically born on top of the hellmouth. Sunnydale, born and bred, that's me. There's not much I haven't seen, although I am usually fighting the demons not drinking with them."

"That's the hellmouth for you. It draws the more worst types. You won't have any problem here." The cabby handed him a card. "This is my hack number and the dispatch phone number. When you get ready to leave give me a call, I'm on all night."

Alex shook hands with the cab driver, paid him and got out of the cab. He stood there for a minute after the cab drove away and just looked at the bar. [[What the hell. Might as well go in, it's not like anyone cares where the hell I'm at.]] Alex pushed open the door and went it. He had been warned, but it still surprised him to see demons and humans sitting together, laughing and joking around. In the back there was a mixed group playing poker. Alex walked over too the bar and grabbed a stool. "I'll have a beer, whatever's on tap." He was already reaching for his wallet.

"Son, I'm gonna have to see some ID, you don't look a day over 18." Alex took his ID out of the wallet and handed it to the bartender. There was no way he would be able to tell it was a fake. It had been expensive, but he needed it to work. He had paid good money for a really excellent forgery. "Well, who am I to argue with a good ID?" and turned around to draw a beer for Alex.

Three hours, six beers and eight shots of Tequila later, Alex was drunk. The old-timers in the bar were enjoying talking to the boy. He was regaling them with stories of happenings on the hellmouth, including various tales of the Slayer.

"I swear, I..mmm..I'm not lying, we..we'd jus' fought this really, really big green hairy thing. Oops, don' wanna insult nobodies but it was a demony some kinda thing. We gets the nasties in gooood ole Sunnyhell. Anyway, we'd jus' fought this, this thingie and it went `whoooosh' and `sploded. We was covered in the green, slimy..stuff and the only thing the stupid Slayer can do is bitch cause, cause the poor baby broked a fingernail. We'd almost died, we was covered with slimy stuff and she broked a finger nail and the damn things weren't even hers, they was fake. She..she does shit like that, stupid Slayer." The drunken boy amused the demons in the group. They enjoyed the tales of the Slayer. He told humorous stories and kept apologizing for them being about demon fighting. He was a cute little human.

"So the Slayer isn't so tough, eh?" This was a new voice. Alex looked up with drink blurred eyes at the newcomer. His senses might have been anesthetized but he knew a vamp when he saw one, especially when he wasn't seeing him in the bar mirror.

"Nope, not what I said. Buff's plenty tough, staked Dracula's ass, didn't she? Killed the Master too. A course, he killed her first. Di..did I tell youse guys it was me brought her back? Yep, zeppo boy brung the Slayer back to life..stupid bitch."

"Boy, I think you are making up your little stories." The vampire had moved closer and leaned in toward Alex.

"Nope, don't have to. An..Angel couldn't breathe air into her, so I had to. Back up, you're too close. You don't scare me. Met Angelus an..and I know Spike, you know, he's William the fuckin' Bloody. Even know crazy Dru. You know she likes me? I'm her Dark Kitten. So you better leave me `lone." Tears were escaping from the drunken boys eyes, "Jus' leave me alone, okay? Wanna get drunk and forget. Don't wanna fight right now. Gotta wait and fight the `nitiative." At that word, the demons in the bar drew back away from the boy.

"What do you know about that..that abomination?" A very large horned demon grabbed Alex by the arm and spun him around.

"Ow, le' go. Hate `em, gonna take `em down. We gonna show them soldier-boys. I..I gotta go now, okay? Call this for me and tell `em I gotta go now." Alex handed the bartender the card the cabby had given him and laid his head down on the bar. When the vampire move toward the boy, the bartender pulled out a wooden stake.

"Just leave the boy alone. He isn't for you and don't tell me you can't smell two masters on him. I don't want them coming here and taking my place apart, because you couldn't control yourself and their pet got hurt." The vampire shrugged his shoulders and walked off. The bartender called the number on the card and told them to have the same driver come pick the boy up. He was a good customer, so they didn't mind sending a particualr driver. He always used them to drive his `too drunk to walk' customers home, demons didn't bother them.

When the boy wasn't waiting at the curb, the cab driver went into the bar. The boy was sitting at the bar with his head resting on his crossed arms, passed out. "Hey Mor, he had enough, huh? Knew you'd take care of the kid."

"Good thing you dropped him here. No telling what would have happened to him somewhere else. As it is, I had to threaten that vamp, Michaels. Was getting a little too close to the kid. Hell, you can smell the vamp on him, idiot was still going for him."

"It's worse than that, I picked him up in front of the old Hyperion."

"Shit, the demon hunter? That must be the vamp he reeks of. I knew it was an old one but never figured it was Angel."

`I picked up a few rumors tonight. Seems that Angel is on a tear, all over town, searching for something or someone. They say there's another master hunting with him, a bleach blonde in a leather duster."

"WILLIAM THE BLOODY! Shit, that's just what this town needed. Are your sources sure it was Angel, not Angelus? The boy was rambling about going to take on the Initiative. Do you think, maybe, the demon hunter is in on it?"

"Yeah, they're sure it was Angel. I figure they're looking for the boy, so I'm taking him back there. We'll just wait and see about the other. If Angel and his childe take the soldiers on, I know some who'd probably help." The driver shook Alex, trying to wake the boy up. "Come on, sleeping beauty, time to go home."

Alex took a half-hearted swing at him, "Got no home. Pack leader don't want me, nobody wants me. Might as well be dead."

"Come on boy, it'll get better when your head clears. Up we go, let's get you to the cab. I'll catch ya' later, Mor." The driver had Alex under the arms and was walking him to the waiting cab. He carefully put the boy in the back and took off for the Hyperion.

"What we doin' here? Don' wanna be here." Alex was stubbornly refusing to get out of the cab. "Wait, gotta car. Take me to th..the garage thingie, over there. I got a car in there."

"Son, you don't need to be driving. You've had way to much tonight."

"Not gonna drive, got no keys. But it's mine and I'll sleep in it. Hell with Angel, Spike can have `em." Alex was crying again. He didn't want Spike to have Angel. He wanted him. He needed him. He pulled out some money and handed it to the driver. "This `nuf?" It wasn't but the driver just wanted to get the boy delivered safely.

"Sure, this is plenty. I'm gonna stay right here until I see you get in the car, okay? You crawl in and get some sleep, it's almost dawn."

Alex climbed out of the cab slowly, "Thanks, mister. I liked the bar. I never got to talk to demons before. Buffy usually just kills them right away. They were pretty nice. Gonna go to sleep now, tired." The cab driver watched him climb into the back of the old car and waited till he saw the head and shoulders go down before he pulled away. It had been a long night and he was ready to go home.

Alex wasn't as tired as he pretended. He knew that there was a bottle of Jack Daniels under his seat. It was Spike's and Alex had put it there when the left Sunnydale. He opened it and took a healthy swallow. He needed to think and as was his habit, he headed to the highest place he could get to, taking the bottle with him.

*

Two hours before dawn and a very agitated Angel was pacing through the Hyperion lobby. They had looked everywhere they could think of and no one had seen Alex. Gunn and his crew had showed up and reported that they had not spotted the boy either.

"Angel man, you better hope that boy shows up soon and in good health. If not, I want advanced warning. I do not want to be here when you explain things to Cordy. She's going to go nuts." One of Gunn's boys came in and whispered in his ear. "Angel, you got somebody on your roof. The boys just spotted him." Angel and Spike took off running with Gunn right behind them. If Angel had had a beating heart it would have stopped when he opened to door to the roof. Alex was walking along the edge, hugging a bottle and singing to himself. Every few steps, he would stumble a bit. Spike tried to go around him and Angel grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"Don't, William, you'll startle him. We're going to have to take this slow."

"Shit, Sire, we can't take it to slow, it's almost dawn. We need to get the whelp down now."

The three men carefully walked out unto the roof, trying to make no noise. Something must have alerted the drunken youth. He jerked his head up and was looking around.

"Alex, what are you doing up here?" Angel was talking softly.

"Well, well if it ain't Deadboy and Deadboy junior. Come up to get a little air?" The boy wobbled again and all three men took a deep breath, two unneeded. "Go away, don't need you. Gon..gonna leave tomorrow. Go..go somewhere, don't know where." The tears started to fall again, making it hard for him to focus on the ledge. "Nobody really wants me, never did."

"Alex, we have to talk about what happened. It..it doesn't have anything to do with what happened between you and me."

"BULLSHIT! Gunn, go `way..please? Gotta talk to Deadboy. Spikie the Spike can stay cause he's Angelus'es little boy. I know all about daddies and their little boys."

Gunn walked backwards to the door and closed it.

"Alex, we need to talk about what..about what you saw. I have to explain about Sires and their childer, what they expect." Angel was trying to keep the boy talking.

"Just SHUT UP! I know all about that. I know all about daddies that like to fuck their little boys. `Be a good little boy', `don't say anything, it's our secret', `you belong to me you little bastard',"
Alex was sobbing now, "It hurt, it always hurt. Does he hurt you, Spike? `Take it like a man.' he said. `You're mine, I'll bend you over and fuck you bloody when ever the hell I want.' And he did, over and over, and it always hurt, always...Angel?" Alex was unsteady on his feet and having trouble with his balance. Angel was thanking whatever was responsible for vampiric speed as he grabbed Alex's arm just as his feet went out from under him. He pulled the boy away from the ledge and sat down with him on his lap. Spike sat next to him and kept touching the boy as if to prove to himself he hadn't gone over the edge.

Angel had tears in his eyes as he rocked the sobbing boy. "It's alright love, I've got you now. I won't let you go, never. I want you, I'll always want you."

"Pet, we're going to have to talk about this. Angel's my sire, he'll always be my sire, but he cares for you, hell, he loves you." Spike was rubbing up and down Alex's arm.

Alex looked over a Spike with tear-filled eyes, "Loves me?" He looked at Angel, "Want me?"

"Always."

"Angel..I don' feel so good."

"Sire, get him up, hurry. Xan-pet can't hold his liquor too good."

"Not Xan-pet. Alex-pet. Spikie?"

"Yes, pet?"

"Love you, too."

"Come on, Sire, let's get the boy to bed. It's been a long night."

They walked the boy down the stairs and into the bedroom. Angel learned firsthand just how much Alex couldn't handle his liquor, while he rubbed Alex's back as his boy worshipped the porcelain goddess. Angel got him cleaned up and carried him to the bed. He laid the boy in the middle. Alex looked up in time to see Spike heading for the door, "Angel? I..I don't understand everything, yet. But I don't want Spike to be alone, please?" Angel gently kissed Alex, then went and got his childe. The vampires stripped off and crawled into the bed, flanking the drowsy human. They curled up on either side of him. Angel spooning him, Alex's back to his front, while Spike threw one arm over Alex's waist and snuggled up under his chin. Alex reached back, with one hand and cupped Angel's face and snaked the other around the blonde's neck. Soon he was lost in sleep, safely surrounded by his pack, his family.

END CHAPTER 5