2: Sire

"So, where are supposed to look?" Xander asked as they walked around the general area Ethan had given them to look in.

"Lets see," Angel said. "School just let out so I'd say the burger joint. You usually go to stuff your face after school so I'll stick with what I know."

And Xander stared at the harder tone coming from Angel now. He didn't understand the coldness. So his Childe had died, big deal. Better off without Spike anyway. Now if they could just get rid of Wesley so they could make Deadboy feel like the piece of inhuman trash he was.

Xander came to a stuttering halt as they got to the burger place and felt his throat freezing. If it weren't broad daylight, he'd swear that was Spike sitting in that booth with the black boy with dreadlocks. He watched as Angel moved forward slowly. He seemed to be drawn to the boy in the duster that they all recognized, dressed in black jeans and boots and they guessed a t-shirt. Angel moved almost trancelike until he was level with the boy, standing next to him. He laid hi hand on the boy's shoulder and when the boy looked up, Angel smiled gently.

"Childe," he whispered quietly. He knew this was the one. Spike had marked the boy as clan and on his death, transferred the mark to Angel.

The boy's eyes lit up when he saw Angel.

"SIRE!" He cried and lunged into the strong arms. The black boy watched. He didn't totally understand, Angel knew but he watched and smiled.

"I have you, Childe," Angel whispered as he stroked the spiky blond hair. "Your Sire has you. I'll keep you safe."

"Can you tell me what's going on?" The boy asked. "Spike said you'd come and I could trust you and that you'd know what was going on."

"We need your purity, Richie," Angel said. He'd know this was the one they were looking for by the fact that he had Spike's duster and by the crystal he knew was in pocket of the duster. "Those things are after you because they sense the purity in you."

"Yeah," Xander muttered. "Demons don't like purity. They hate us and we hate them."

"I don't," Richie said as he glanced over Xander it seemed.

"Demons are like people. Some good, some bad. Like any other race on the planet. Being that judgmental serves no purpose except to prove how ignorant and snobbish you are. Go join my father in his hate all blacks life. You'd do well in a narrow-minded group like that. Probably what you need just so you can feel smarter than you apparently are. What do I have to do, Sire?"

"Face the devil, Childe," Angel said. "And you may call me Angel if you wish. Sire is nice but if it makes you uncomfortable..."

"I like Sire," Richie said. "It's out of respect, right? And you were his Sire. At least, he told me you were. If you don't mind, Id like to call you sire."

"I don't know how you can stand him touching you," Xander said.

Finally, the other boy responded. "I don't know what your problem is, guy. But Richie's protector died for him. Died so Richie would live. He's grieving for a friend so if he wants to hold on to that Friend's Sire or whatever it's his business. And don't go all "But they're all evil" to me cause I am not buying it. Spike saved both our butts for no reason at all. You just shut up before someone shuts you up cause I gotta say, Sire, or whoever he is, is looking really ticked with you."

"It doesn't bother you that your friend is holding on to a filthy vampire?" Xander asked him.

"I'd rather have the vampire than Richie's father," the boy told him. "So, please just eat your food so we can go or whatever. We must tell my dad yet and I am not letting Richie go anywhere with you. Not without me with him."

"Hey, V," Richie said. "He's a racist, juts like my dad. Ignore him. It's not worth it. You can't change ignorance on that scale. Especially when it's chosen, not learned. Lets go talk to your dad.

3: On the Road

Wesley was about ready to put Xander in the passenger seat next to him and Angelus in the back with the boys just to have some peace. So far the irritating brat had set off not only Richie, which was apparently hard to do, but also Vigil and Angelus. Why couldn't Xander keep his mouth shut? Why did he keep talking even though it should have been obvious that he was treading on thin ice?

"Uh, Wesley," Richie said. He looked in the rearview mirror and slammed the breaks on hard.

"Xander, Angelus, switch places, now." he growled. "Xander get up here and keep your mouth shut, Angelus, get in the back and grieve with your Living Childe. Gods all, when did I become the only adult in this car?"

Once everyone had gotten settled again, he got them back on thev road. Now he almost wished he'd taken Virgil's father up on the offer of plane tickets because he was about ready to strangle all of them. However, he knew that would be more dangerous because he couldn't protect Richie from an entire plane of demons. He groaned as he started driving again. Next time he was bringing Ethan with him. Ethan at least was not a racist bigot and knew when to keep his mouth shut. He sighed as they got on the road. When Xander went to turn his radio on, Wesley growled.

"Don't touch my music, boy," he snarled. "This is not the library and I am not Giles. You will not walk all over me. Do I make myself clear?"

Xander's hand crept back into his lap and Wesley felt Angelus smile as he touched the back of his neck.

"I'm gonna guess you don't like rap, huh?" Virgil asked.

Wesley nodded then seemed to think. "I was raised more often than not in silence. The music I listen to is to soothe my mind after a fight or something like that. I do not use music as a way to get hyped for something. I can't. Things that are too loud hurt my ears."

"Oh," Virgil said. "Okay. We'll keep our music down for you then. Thanks for explaining it."

"You're welcome," Wesley told the boy.

"Hey, you never mentioned that to us," Xander almost whined.

"Like you would have cared?" Wesley returned. "This is not your universe, Xander. Other people have things that cause them problems too but we push it to the side for the sake of you brats. And for the record, you at 17 have no right to demand to know anything about Giles' past. Giles is 43 years old. He's earned the right to keep some things private. Clear?"

Xander nodded, keeping his mouth shut as he realized Wesley was in no mood to put up with him at the time. Wesley kept driving from almost 12 hours, stopping to use the bathroom every 4, it seemed. In two days they were almost back in Sunnydale. They had meals in diners because Wesley needed to stretch and sometimes Angelus drove and Xander was put in the back and Virgil or Richie rode up front. Wesley did not want a murder on his hands so he kept Xander and Angelus separate. He preferred Richie ride near Angelus as he was the Living Childe and he could keep the big vampire calm and focused on someone other than the annoying brat in the car so he had chosen to separate himself from his beloved mate for the duration of this drive. He was the one who had to be mature in this. Angelus was grieving, as was Richie, Virgil was trying to stay between the Living Childe and the prejudiced brat and Angelus was volatile at best and now that his Childe had been murdered, he was beyond volatile. Only Richie's presence had stopped a murder before now.

On the morning of the fourth day, they drove into Sunnydale and Wesley sighed with relief.

"Oh, thank you Gods," he whispered as he drove them to the high school. He was about ready to kill Xander himself. Dammit, Angelus was mourning. He did not need the dead boy, evil, filthy vampire shit. It was uncalled for an unneeded at the moment.

"This is Sunnydale High," Wesley said as he led the two boys inside. Xander and Angelus followed him. It was still early enough that no one else was there. They made their way to the library where Giles and Ethan were sitting talking.

"We're home," Angel said. It was Angelus but no one else realized it yet. The grim set to his face had Giles swallowing.

"Angel?" he asked concerned.

"Spike died," Wesley answered for the vampire. "To protect the purity. Spike died. He gave the purity his duster and transferred the mark of Clan to Angelus when he died. Angelus has been mourning since that event so he has not been the best traveling companion with racist bigot boy in the car."

"Angelus?" Giles asked.

"Yes," the dark vampire snarled. "Angelus. It wasn't me who tortured you, Giles. It was insane-o boy Angel. Liam was lost so I went after him. I left Angel in charge of the body and when I came back, I found Buffy stabbing us because of what her boyfriend did. Excuse me if I mourn for my Childe. I have a Living Childe now to care for but the ache of the Dead One is agony on me. Excuse me. I'm going to go into the stacks now. Richie, Childe, I will be close."

Richie nodded and watched Angelus stalk into the stacks. He knew he would not be alone here even if V had to leave the room. Angelus was watching him, the Living Childe.

And he knew he was safe.

4: First Meeting

"Giles, I'm here!" Buffy Summers called as she breezed into the library. "Can I assume the Purity guy is here? And is he ready to help me kill all demons?"

"Not all demons," Richie said from the table where he was tinkering. "Just the really Evil ones. I'm Richie. Some of who are pleased to call The Living Childe."

He had been around Wesley so much in the last few days and Spike in the six months before that, that he had unconsciously picked up some of their Phraseology.

"The Living Who-What-Now?" Buffy asked as she looked at Richie. He looked like Spike except for the glasses and he was alive and all.

"The Living Childe," Angelus said from the stacks as he came back in. "Spike marked him for me with Clan Protections. Richie is a recognized Childe of Aurelius. That gave us enough time to get there and save him before anything else could go wrong."

"Anything else?" Buffy asked. "What went wrong? And why isn't he snapping at you like Xander was supposed to have him doing?"

"I was raised by a racist," Richie said. "If he couldn't beat me into hating an entire race do you really think that boy can talk me into it? Sorry, no. Not happening. A man named Spike died to keep me safe. To my mind that shows more caring than a thousand of bigot boy's words. Spike saved me, Spike Died for me and named me his Living Childe so I'd be safe. You do not understand me, you do not control me, you do not influence me and you certainly don't impress me. Nothing you can say or do will make me hate like you all do. So, kindly go away. I have to fix this."

"I told Giles he couldn't have that!" Buffy cried.

"I'm telling you he can. I am the one whose going to have to face Satan or whatever is coming, not you. I get to decide things. I already fixed Wesley's radio and Angelus' watch. This is Giles' teakettle that's electric and I'm working on Ethan's toy. I don't care what you think people should have, the world does not revolve around you. And neither do I."

"I'm the Slayer!" Buffy yelled affronted and tried to grab Richie.

"If you're the Slayer," he said when Virgil grabbed her by magnetizing her to the floor, "Why do they need me? You aren't a true Slayer; you aren't anything but a tainted little bitch full of ugliness and hate. You lost the right to the name Slayer a long time ago. I think maybe the first time you denied your calling and someone died because of it. Excuse me, I have things to do to get ready for his fight."

And he walked to the table where there were a bunch of components laid out that he began to assemble into something special. And something so obviously intended for Giles it annoyed her. Why couldn't he make her something special?

"What does he have to do to prepare anyway?" Buffy demanded when Giles walked past her.

"He has to Be Richie," Giles informed her. "And Richie is a builder. So he's building to be Richie. Buffy, do sit down. You look ridiculous standing like that."

She tried to move and found she couldn't causing Richie to snicker and Giles to sigh.

"Virgil," Giles said somewhat reprovingly, although he could not hide his smile. "Please, let her go. As much as I would love to see he get into the trouble she deserves for cutting class, I'd rather not be blamed for it."

"Fine," a boy Buffy hadn't seen before said. He waved his hand and she could suddenly move.

"Go to class, Buffy," Giles said. "And take Willow and Xander with you. Neither Richie nor Virgil particularly likes him and I know Willow was trying to influence Richie with magic. That won't be happening by the way, Spike's protections guard against that as well."

And Giles joined Richie at the table where Angelus was sitting and they both watched as Richie fixed all of the things that belonged to Giles that were mechanical that Buffy had broken. By the time he finished, Giles was staring as his radio was fixed, his electric kettle, his clock and everything else Buffy had broken when she was mad at him.

"There," Richie said. "That should do it."

"And just in time, man," Virgil said as a sickly light filled he room. Richie got to his feet and turned to face it.

"Okay, you're in need of a plastic surgeon," Richie said to the thing he could see in the light. "You're early too. You sure you want to come after me when not at full strength?"

And Richie was speaking softly as he faced it, whatever it was.

Virgil knew that was just his friend's way since Spike and Richie kept his gaze steady on the thing.

"Yeah," he said in that same soft voice, "You have a problem don't ya? I have never killed a sentient being. Mean's you'll have some trouble getting around me. Hell, I don't plan on letting you get around me. I'm here to stop you so that's what I intend to do."

"You have no power that can stand against me," the thing spoke and its breath was just.... it was beyond Foul.

"Yes I do," Richie said. "Otherwise you wouldn't have been trying so hard to kill me before Spike came. You wouldn't have killed Spike to get to me. So, yeah, I think I do have something that can do more than just able to stand against you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be afraid of me."

And the thing screamed and shook but was unable to touch Richie.

"And so it goes to show it really wasn't here, huh guys?" he said as he looked at everyone after it faded away. Buffy had come back in during the thing's rant and was just staring at Richie. Xander had a thoughtful look on his face and Willow…Willow looked jealous. Really jealous.

"So, when if the real fight?" he asked.

"How can you be so calm?!" Buffy shrieked.

"Because I have to be," Richie told her. "Panicking sure wont help anything."

And she stared as he returned to his seat and sat, lost in thought. He had something to do, yes. And afterwards, maybe he'd have time for real tears for Spike. But right now he had a job to do and it was time to do it.

Just like Spike would, he knew. Just like Spike. And V's mom. Both had jobs to do and both had done them no matter what the cost. How could he do anything less?

Three days from now," Giles said in answer to Richie's question.

And Richie nodded and got to thinking.

Time to be Richie.

Part 5: The Fight

Richie was waiting three days later. Right over the Hellmouth, Giles had told him. Be prepared for a fight. And he was. Standing here as the sun set and he was waiting for the fight to begin. This was just him.

There was no one else who could do this. Just him. Just Richie.

The ugly light came then and he waited for it. This time it was no illusion. This time, it was real. He swallowed as he walked into the vortex. He still wasn't sure how he would win; just that being himself would let him do so.

He stepped out of the vortex into a landscape that was as putrid and malignant as the light that had come into the library three days before. He tasted the foul air on the back of his tongue and the sickening stench of decay and rot hit his nostrils. He felt as if he would gag as he looked around.

"What does this represent?" he asked himself as he looked at the rotting landscape. He knew it had to be something. Something he was the antithesis of.

"Hello Richie," a voice he knew said. He looked at the thing and he knew, he knew without a doubt what he was looking at.

"Hi dad," he said quietly. "I guess I should have known. What else am I if not your polar opposite. Funny, when you said I could go I didn't understand why. I mean, if you wanted me dead, you could have killed me long before now."

"I can't kill Purity, boy," the malignant thing that was his father said. "I could never hold you when you were a baby, you know. You burned me, even then. Your mother knew of course. She tried to stop me from coming here to meet you."

"Guess I am an orphan then," Richie said. "It wont change anything. I wont fight you with hate. That's your way. Not mine."

"It shouldn't be!" his father snarled. "I fathered you! You should have been my son!"

"I am your son," Richie said. "And there is the problem with demonic...things mating with humans though, often, the humans side changes something. Just this time, well, I happen to be nothing like you, you hate monger."

"But I raised you! You should have followed in my footsteps!"

"Why?" Richie asked. "Because you say so? I'm not you, dad. I know how to love. And no matter what, I do love you. You are my father."

"No," the thing said as it started to back away. Richie was glowing, he realized. He was glowing with a soft, warm light. It shone brightly but still softly.

"Why? You wanted me to hate you? Oh...then I'd be you. I could take your place or become your next vessel. Another problem with my human side. I have something in me you don't. I have a heart, and a soul. And those things would reject you. That's why vampires have to stop the heart when they turn someone. But then, inevitably, someone does it wrong and you get someone like Spike. You are hate itself. I see that now. But me…I'm not hate at all. I'm love. That's why I'm your polar opposite. That's why you can't hurt me even though you tried. You wanted me to hate, to kill and hurt like you do because then no one would be able to counter you. But I wouldn't, would I? I love. I care, my heart doesn't see color. You couldn't stand that, could you? So, this is the only way to kill me here? But you still can't. The love in my heart stops you. I love the world; I love my friends, my mother and I. Love. You."

And Richie then moved forward and wrapped his arms around the malignance that was his father.

"I love you daddy. No matter how you hurt me, no matter what you did. I. Love. You."

The thing screamed and writhed trying to escape the hug given in love and Richie felt tears sliding down his face as he realized he was killing his won father. But then, what else could he do? He loved him too much to let him live and hurt people and thus hurt himself more.

"I love you, daddy," he whispered. "Goodbye."

And there was an unholy scream as the thing that had been his father suddenly exploded into nothing but ash. Richie sighed then as he looked around the landscape and it faded to a temple like room.

"Welcome, Richard Foley," voices said.

"Oh, shit." He whispered.

6: Reward

"Welcome Richard Foley," the voice said again. "In repayment for the service you did us, we, The Powers That Be will give you three things you ask for. Any three things you could want."

"Okay," Richie said as he stood. "I know what I want. And by anything you mean anything, right? Even if it's people brought back from the dead?"

"Yes, Living Childe, anything your heart desires. You may have three wishes."

"Okay," he said as he stood looking in the direction of the voices. "The first thing I want is V's mom restored to life. I want Jean Hawkins back."

"Done," the voices said. He felt a presence at his side then "The second thing you want?"

"I want Spike back," Richie said. "He died for me and I want him back."

"Done," the voices said again. A second presence joined the first one. "And your third wish?"

"I want Ethan's innocence," Richie said firmly. "It was taken from him for no good reason that I can see so I want it returned. It's not fair what he's lived with. No one should live with the pain he's endured all his life."

"And that is your wish, Richard? You want nothing for yourself?"

"I want lots of things for myself," Richie said. "But there are others I care about who need other things more. Angelus needs his Childe back, V needs his mom and Ethan...Ethan needs to be able to feel all the things he can't right now because of whatever was done. I may want things for myself but there are others who need more important things much more than any selfish wish I might have. SO, I want Ethan's Innocence and purity back. No child should have it ripped from them like he did."

"Very well, Richard Foley," the voices said. Richie watched as an orb of light appeared in front of him. "You must be the one to return it to him. Go now, Living Childe. Your Destiny awaits you."

"Gee, thanks," Richie said as the vortex opened into a tunnel and he and the two presences with him walked through it back to the library where night had fallen and everyone was waiting.

"Hey, guys!" he yelled as they walked out of the light. "We're back."

He and his companions stepped out of the vortex and he heard and dodged out of the way of the two voices. One of who yelled "MOM!" and the other of who yelled "SPIKE!" Richie looked and saw the reunions going on and he made his way over to where Giles and Ethan were standing. Actually, Ethan was sitting on the edge of the table looking down. He always seemed so sad and Richie thought part of the reason was what he was holding.

"Ethan," he said. The sorcerer looked up at him and Richie offered him the ball of light. "This is yours. It belongs to you. It never should have been taken from you so when I was asked what I wanted I asked for this as well as those two. Here."

"What is it?" the sorcerer asked.

"Take it and find out," Richie told him. Ethan's hands touched the ball of light and it flared. When it faded he had such a look of wonder on his face and he looked at Giles and smiled. At the same time, tears slid down his cheeks as well but he was looking ecstatic.

"Thank you, Richie," he whispered s he touched Richie's face.

"Thank you, so much. No one has ever..I mean...for me. To get something like this for me..."

He trailed off unable to speak and Giles looked at Richie.

"What was it?" the watcher asked.

Richie smiled. "His innocence and purity," Richie said. "I figured he'd been able to find me because he can find what he himself lacks and it's not right that he lost something so vital to life. So, when they asked me what my third wish was I told them I wanted it back."

"Did you ask for anything for yourself?" Giles asked.

Richie looked and saw Virgil hugging his mother, Angelus and Spike talking and Ethan seeing things and finally understanding them.

"I got what I wanted," he told Giles. "My friends and family are happy. I couldn't ask for my father's love or my mother's compassion. Neither ever wanted me to have that. My father was what I fought in there. My mother is now dead. I don't know what's going to happen to me now but I know I had to do this. I can't make wishes for myself. I'm not as selfish as all that. I wanted happiness for my friends and family. I'll be alright."

"Yeah, you will, sprog," Spike said. 'Sire and me are going to go back with you. We're gonna take care of you now. Wesley and Faith can come with us so little Miss Buffy doesn't have to be threatened anymore. Ripper, a word of advice, Go with Ethan. You don't belong here and they don't appreciate you. Go with Ethan and live. Be happy. It's long past time. The council can send someone else for her. It's time for you to live. Same as we're gonna. Come on Sprog, Virgil, Mrs. Hawkins, we need to get on the road before sunrise."

And they nodded and the group left. Giles looked at Ethan and smiled as he took his hand. Yes, it was now a time for living. And here was not the place to do it. He led his beloved out the door and they talked about all the places they would go so Ethan could experience them. The Innocence of a child, he had. And Giles wanted him to experience the wonder a child had of the world around them. So, he was going to take him places to do so. And that left the three Scoobies sitting at the table staring wondering just when they'd lost control of everyone around them. It just wasn't fair.