When Angel and Spike ended their kiss, both vampires were panting for unneeded air.

Druscilla was staring at them, a half smile on her lips. ::Just like the old days,:: she whispered.

**Not quite**, Angel thought. He wondered if that was truly regret he felt for a fleeting instant, or just the shadowy memory of it. He pushed it aside.

::Dru,:: Angel whispered, ::tell me about the stone..the Demon. Why did you send it?::

Spike walked over to his love, and wrapped himself about her waist in an old reflex of protection. Another jerk at the tall vampires heart. (That Spike had done it? Or that he thought he had to?)

Druscialls voice still held the sing song quality of a small child. ::I sent it to free you, Angel. To bring you into the light, the way it brought me. It saved me, I wanted to save you...::

< All right, so Princess is still half a bubble off plumb. Maybe she was a bit dozey before you even turned her, eh? > Angel supressed a smirk as Spikes thoughts drifted to him.

::I hear you too, you know, Spike! And Im not crazy! Anymore.::

::Sorry, pet. Tell us then. About the stone. Wed very much like to hear it.::

Dru cleared her throat with an air of self-importance. Then she gestured for Angel to take a seat beside her. ::Lets go someplace more comfortable then.::

And grabbing both male vampires hands in her own, she closed her eyes. Angel and Spike exchanged the knowing glances of parents who are aware their child is seeing way too much of an imaginary friend, but nonetheless agree to set an extra place for them at the table....

When suddenly..they were no longer in the white hallway. There had been no sense of movement, no feeling of lost time. One moment they were sitting together in Angelbrainland, as Spike had so aptly named it, and the next they were simply.. not.

::Holy soddin fuck.:: muttered the smaller man. Angel couldnt have said it better or more succinctly himself.

The two men looked around, mouths agape, while Druscilla preened. ::You like?::

Angel shut his mouth and swallowed. ::Uh...Dru...how..where..why..?:: He shut his mouth again, aware that not a single coherent thing was going to come out of it anytime soon. When he turned finally to look at his Childe, he saw her waist length, inky black locks had returned. Her garb was eighteenth century, full with crinolins and lace, a ruffle of velvet at her sleeve, her bodice cut low to reveal the pale twin globes of her breasts. The dress was a deep, wintery green; it had been Angelus favorite.

Spike stared at them both, for the first time in perhaps...ever...completely unable to make words form. Angel was clad in velvet and brocade finery as well, his hair now back in a shiny ribbon, the old Katana dagger at his side.

And Spike.....William....looked never more the English gentleman in his dark breeches and loose fitting white shirt.

The only trace of their prior excursion was the stubborn stripes remaining on the mens cheeks. Warrior paint.

The three vampires stood now on a black and white checkered marble floor, in the center of a grand foyer. Above them was the domed ceiling Angel recognized from the spectre of dreams. And beside them the majestic mahogany staircase, complete with a dozen lit candelabras guiding the way up gilded walls. It was the entrance to what had been, once, their home. A stately mansion overlooking the sea, built upon the sheer cliffs in Scotland.

It looked exactly as it had over one hundred and fifty years ago.

Of course, it had been destroyed not long after Angelus was cursed....

But it was utterly inconsequential that this could not possibly be real. The perfection in detail was stunning. Every peculiarity, every unremembered fragment of this place was *alive* with color and sound. A victrola hissed out some ancient classical piece in the next room, and Angel knew without a doubt, that if he walked into the study, he would find his cherished box of costly cigars and a crystal decanter full of brandy on his cherry wood desk. The garden would be in full bloom with night lilies and hyacinth, tended to by Wills careful hand, since Angelus had no patience for such things, and everything Dru planted turned to brown dust. The Dining hall table would be laid full with food noone would eat, and wine noone would drink. The clawfoot tub in the Master bath would be filled with hot water and sweet smelling bubbles. And the Persian rug in the Master suite would no doubt still wear the bloodstains even its dizzying multi-hued pattern failed to hide.

It was as if the house had been lost in time, patiently waiting for its Masters and Mistress to return to it, to once again animate it, ......to give it....

< Essence > Spike shot, and Angel caught it with a slight nod of his head. **But whose?** he mused. He turned to Dru, who continued to merely smile up at him, seeking favor in his dark eyes. The dejavu threatened again. It was making his stomach hurt. Too much, finally; and Angel sank down onto the wide bottom step of the winding staircase, and rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand.

::You all right, mate?:: Spike asked quickly, concern evident in his tone. This was just what he needed. For Drus creepy flashback to force Angel one sandwhich short of a picnic after all.

::Yea, yea. Im just ducky, Will.:: Angel muttered.

< ducky?! >

::Care to tell us the story of the stone now that were all someplace....more comfortable?:: Angel pressed.

Dru pouted a bit. ::You dont like it, do you, Angel? What about you Spike?:: The men exchanged another conspiratorial glance. The only way Druscilla was going to explain anything was if she was placated. ::Its lovely::, they said in unison. Her bottom lip quivered.

Spike crossed the floor and grabbed her up, raining kisses on her eyelids and cheeks. He buried his face into her neck, and growled softly, inhaling the scent of her. The smell of Jasmine and blood. The smell of him, and of Angel. All of it, there, just under the delicate skin.. Time would never change that. She would carry the fragrance of them, and this place, forever.

His eyes were shining as he reluctantly pulled back. ::The demon, pet. Tell us.::

::Oh, all right. But its a long story. Lets get cozy.:: She demanded. Angel sighed, but indulgently led the others to the main drawing room, where he correctly surmised a fire would be blazing in the large hearth. Kicking off their shoes, the vampires settled in on the jacquard floor pillows in front of the roaring flames. Then, the men listened attentively, as Druscilla at last began her tale.....

*****

::I was in Prague at an outoor market when I found the stone in one of the little stalls they have...you remember those, dont you, Spike? How we used to find ones full of pretty baubles...and eat the keeper? I got so many of my beautiful necklaces that way....:: Spike was grinning.

Angel cleared his throat. ::The stone, Dru?::

::Oh yes, it was just lovely! All smooth, and shiny and green...Daddys favorite color, you know. And it wanted me. I could hear it. It wanted to be with me. The old man didnt want to part with it...well, perhaps he didnt want to part with it for free... Or maybe, he just didnt want to die. Whichever. He tasted like hummus. I hate hummus..... ::

< And this is my Princess *not* crazy. Behold! >

:: When I took it home with me, it got louder and louder. Then the dreams began. And the visions. It became all consuming. It chased away Bealcho.::

::Beal-who?:: Angel asked. He realized his error too late, as Spike winced. The Fungus demon Dru had left him for.

::At first I feared it. I fought the magic within it. But then, it taught me things. And I stopped being afraid.::

Angels voice was soft. ::Taught you what kinds of things, Dru?::

::I learned everything about what I am. What we are. It gave me all the secrets of the Universe. ::

Angel nodded sympathetically. Yup. Still nutty as a March hare.

Spike broached the important question. ::Thats great, pet. How do you hold it all in that pretty little head of yours, hmm? Now, by chance, did it tell you how we get out of here?:: Angel could tell the vampire was making an effort to restrain himself, but his voice had cracked lightly on the last words.

:: I know you two think Im still insane. But Im not. The Essence demon cleansed me. It showed me all of my sins and now I am whole again.::

Angel cringed. Sin and redemption; Druscillas Essence. The young girl he had casually and systematically destroyed in a Catholic church over a century ago. Come to haunt him even now. Gods finest punishment for him, really.

::Its not about that Angel!:: She cried, jumping up and grabbing the dark mans face in both her small hands. ::Its about creating what you want. It showed me all my hopes and dreams, all my plans and creations. And it showed me my offenses. It showed me and my soul shook.... ::

::Uh..Dru, love of my black heart.:: Spike commented. :: Were vampires, sweets. We dont have souls.:: He thrust a thumb in Angels direction. :: Cept o course for Nancyboy over there.::

::But thats where youre wrong Spike!! We *do* have souls. Well, you and I do. Maybe some others. We have a part of our souls anyway, not complete like Angel. But its because of Angel that we have any at all...::

Spike made a faint noise of frustration. He did not like the turn this conversation was taking. He was willing to pander to his dark goddess on almost any count. Sin, redemption and soul-having were not among them.

::Listen to me Spike! When he made us, he neglected to perform certain rituals. Some by choice, some by chance, but the end result was the same. We retained a larger part of our humanity than most vampires. Dont you remember what the Judge said about us? About our feelings for oneanother?::

Spike snorted loudly now. ::That big, stupid assembly required demon? What the hell did he know?::

Angel answered quietly. ::Apparantly enough. I didnt bury either of you. You never rose. And...your families. Neither of you made them your first meal. Family blood is a pretty well accepted rite of passage.... I didnt realize it would effect the strength of your demons...::

He choked back the familiar taste of guilt. Of course Druscilla hadnt killed her own family. Angelus had already done it for her. And Will never had one to kill, which made him all the more easy a target for predators. Such as Angel himself.

::It didnt effect the strength of our demons, Angel. It did, though, effect the counterbalance. It allowed us to feel love, even if only for another demon.::

Spike looked incredulous. He was desperate not to believe this. But it resounded inside of him with a strange and certain familiarity. Bonds between demons, even to the extent of claiming mates, were customary within understood limits. But his feelings for Druscilla had always gone way beyond the traditional model of dominance and sexuality. There were no other soulless demons he knew of who could ally with such a relationship. It had always set him apart. He wondered how much it had contributed to Druscillas lunacy as well.

:: When I realized that I had humanity... *within me*, all this time, I was....lost. I wandered for weeks unable to hunt, unable to feed...I was killed shortly afterward by a Slayer in Europe. I didnt even put up much of a fight, really. Hardly worth her effort.::

The men were silent as she finished. Then she walked back over to Spike, and lay her dark head in his lap.

::Im sorry, Druscilla.:: Angel whispered. A pathetic offering in exchange for all she had lost. And an admission of further guilt... that after everything which had ever passed between them, he was still releived she was ..... no longer able to hurt anyone else....

(dead)

Spikes upper lip quivered in a silent growl. Angel knew he had heard the last sentiment, and he could not bring himself to meet the younger vampires gaze.

::Its all right, boys. I promise you, its better now. Im whole again. Im clean.::

Spikes growl was audible now. ::Yea? That so? Youre so effin whole n clean then why the hell are you here with us in this rediculous mirage? And how the fuck do we get OUT OF HERE WITHOUT BEING DEAD?!::

Druscilla remained unmoved by the familiar loud display of frustration. She merely shrugged. ::Im here because I sent Angel the stone before I was killed. I asked it to help him find peace too. And I could *feel* when it started working on him, and you.... apparantly our Essences are connected to oneanother. Something unresolved with us all. I dont know what it is, and I dont know how to get out of here. I like it here though, dont you? Dont you like being together?::

She leaned forward and kissed the younger man again, running her fingers through his hair, and arching against his chest.

Angel closed his eyes; his mind was spun with the fantastic tale she had just related. He wasnt sure he believed it. Wasnt sure what he believed. There was a crude sort of fair play in the fact that it had been Druscilla who caused his little exit from reality. Truly poetic justice if such ever existed.

According to her tale, however, it had all been quite unintentional. Some grand cosmic accident. Looking back, his life was awash with such fantastic conicidences. Maybe all mortals lives were. Maybe it just seemed that those in his existence were grander somehow, because...they were his. And because hed had more than three lifetimes in which to gather them.

He was beginning to feel like hed lived through two of those lifetimes in the span of the last twenty-four hours. He could not recall the last time he felt so completely exhausted. The vampire entertained the idea of sleeping right here and now by the fire, and curled up around one of the fluffy pillows with a small sigh. So what if it wasnt real? It was warm and cozy and his Childer were here......

::Dru-pet? Where are the drapes?:: Spike queried, noting for the first time that a key ingredient to vampire safety was notably absent from the otherwise flawless reproduction of their long ago home.

Angel looked up now, startled. Suddenly it occured to him; it wasnt so far fetched a notion that she had brought them here with the intent to kill them too, come sunrise. A kind of empyrean family reunion. It made a Druscilla kind of sense.

(Poetic justice.)

::We dont need curtains here! The sun never rises. Its one glorious, everlasting night!:: She leaped to her feet, and swirled around as if to offer it all to them, the house, the memories, the comfort of the night. Her skirts whirled about her slim legs in a carousel of colour. She spun faster, and faster, tossed back her head, and laughed. The childlike sound danced along Angels skin.

A shudder ran up him before he could squelch it. Rabbits running over your grave, his mother used to say. Despite the heat of the fire, he shivered again.

*****
Part 15:

Angel was sittting by the window in the mansions Master bedroom. He leaned back on the velvet pillows with one arm behind his head, the muscles of his naked chest tight, skin gleaming in the pale light of the half moon. He was looking out over the water, and the shadows of the night swallowed the half of him which faced the darkness.

Spike froze in the doorway for a moment, crushed under the weight of the illusory falling away of two centuries. He could have so easily been Angelus reclining there, with the shoulder length chestnut hair, and the remote gaze. But no aura of malevolence surrounded the large form. And when the dark vampire turned to look at his Childe, there was only affection in the wide, cinnamon colored eyes.

No. Also distress.

::Its kind of creepy being here again, isnt it Will?:: Voice so low Spike couldnt tell if it was whispered or *sent*.

::Yea,:: the smaller vampire agreed. His Sire hadnt called him by his twentieth century name once since this mansion had manifested. For some reason, that unnerved him... more than he cared to admit.

He crossed the large room and sat across Angel on the bay seat, watching the waves dance under the waning moon, listening to the real voice now. ::I dont much like it. Its too....I dunno. I feel damned.:: The dark vampire hadnt taken his eyes off the sea.

Spike watched the shadows play across his face, creating monsters out of the sharp angles, demons out of the wide planes.

Slight of hand.

::Hes not here, Sire.:: Spike said quietly; typical, unadorned truth from the auburn haired vampire.

::Maybe not. But *she* is. What are you doing here with me, Childe?::

Spike took a breath, and Angel turned to look at him finally, so rare was it that he exercised that practice.

::You know why Im here.:: A bit of annoyance in the tone. He had come here resolute, and Angel had forced his hand. Bloody archetypal.

::You want acceptance? A blessing? What? You dont need this from me. Not anymore::. The older vampire didnt sound particularly saddened by the admission. Resigned, maybe. Spike bristled.

::So youre telling me if the Slayer walked through the front door you wouldnt do the same?!:: Spikes voice grew louder, the pitch deeper.

::Is that what you think this is about? Jealousy? Christ, Will.:: Angel shook his head. ::It has nothing to do with jealousy. Or anger...or ....Its about *me*. Its about the fact that when I look at you and Dru and I see what could have been, what SHOULD have been, what I completely and utterly destroyed..... I killed you. Both of you. And I damned you to this. And youre still so lost in it, that youre actually *waiting* for my permission to do what should come as naturally to you as....:: he stopped, and a bitter laugh escaped his lips. ::I was going to say breathing.::

::Oh for pitys sake, Angelus. Weve gone through this one already a dozen times. You think had you never come along, some bint and I would have had fat happy babies together? You have a very fucking selective memory, Ol' man. Like the fact that Id have been dead from syphillis before my twenty fifth birthday::.

Angels shoulders fell. ::Fine. You think youre better off this way, fine. Can you say the same about what I did to Dru? You love her, William. She told you why your love was possible. Can you look at me and tell me I did a good thing by her too?::

Spike leaned forward, his face inches away from that of his Sires. His tone was clipped, and calm. ::Yea, yea I can tell you that. I dont know what the hell would have happened to her if we hadnt come along. You know what else? I dont give a damn. Because no matter how much I fucking hated you for what you did to us both after you turned us, I can never, never hate you for bringing her to me in the first place::.

Angel closed his eyes, and rested his head back against the window. ::Then dont be a fool about it.:: Again, so softly Spike wasnt sure hed actually heard the words spoken.

::About what?:: he whispered back, all ire gone. He never ceased to be amazed at that bizarre ebb and flow. One moment he wanted to stab the poof with a fiery stick, the next....

::You got something here that mortals and demons alike would kill for. Dont let it go.::

((Oh bloody hell, waxin poetic...hes gonna say *love* now and Im gonna --))

::No. The chance to say goodbye.::

The small sob was torn from the younger mans throat before he could swallow it. Hed almost let himself forget. Dru wasnt really back. She was ....dead. This time together was stolen. And finite.

He grabbed for Angels hand, and felt the long fingers encase his fist. Silence. He wanted to say it...wanted to...but he couldnt force the words past his tongue....

((You could come with me... to her......))

Angel half smiled, without opening his eyes.

**No, Will. No. I cant.**

Spike leaned in closer to the dark haired man, and pressed his forehead against the broad chest. He dropped a kiss there. Then he stood, and turned to go.

Angel released the smaller hand from his own, and watched as Spike left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

******************************************************************

::.CHICKEN!:: Xander howled, looking up from the book his nose was buried in. Actually buried in, seeing as hed fallen asleep on it. And hed been having a damned fine dream too, involving semi naked women and a soup ladle. Then hed heard the clucking. ::CHICKEN!:: he repeated. ::Does anyone else see the chicken!?::

Giles looked up from his own research, where soup ladles were conspicuously absent, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. ::Ah...my. Well..thats --...::

Giles, along with everyone else save Anya, who was still fast asleep and snoring, watched as twelve chickens breached the salt circle. They began to strut around the group, cackling loudly and pecking at the floor. Xander was struck by the notion that since they made it into the circle without exploding, at least he was assured these werent evil chickens. Followed by the notion that he really needed more sleep. And quite possibly, a new hobby.

Cordelia cut Giles off. ::We know, we know, its *fascinating*. But what does it mean?::

Willow yawned. ::I think its just more manifestation of the Essence Demon. Somebody obviously had a thing for chickens.:: At the groups look of unified horror, she amended, ::You know, like a fear or something! Sheesh, your minds are all in the gutter!::

Xander swatted st the rooster by his feet and mused, ::So, one of the vampires is afraid of chickens. Well, I feel like a fool. I mean, to think if wed only known that before..how much trouble we could have prevented! Thrown a poultry or two at Spike..bye bye bleached boy..Or hey! Sent Angelus a telegram from Colonel Sanders ..couldve totally avoided that whole sucked into Hell thing.::

Wesley stretched his long arms over his head, and mumbled something incoherent.

::What?:: Corelia was annoyed. Which went pretty well without saying.

::I was merely speculating ...We can assume it was the vampires human selves that had a fear of.....the chickens...correct?::

::I dont know, Wesley. What is your point?:: Giles snapped a bit. He was tired and uncomfortable and ....now suddenly hungry.

::Well, if their human fears are manifesting....What if their demon fears do so next?::

::Why? Whats a vampire afraid of?:: Anya asked, lifting her head from the crook of her arm for the first time, and looking puzzled.

::Precisely.:: Wesley stated. ::Do we really want to know what Angelus deepest darkest fear is? Or more to the point...do we really want to be -::

::Visited by it.:: Giles finished the statement for the younger watcher, and felt his stomach growl.

Xander grinned at the rumbling sound, echoing his own pangs of starvation. He would kill for a pizza. Then he shrugged. ::Well, worse comes to worse, and were stuck here in this circle for another couple days....at least we have lunch.::

Another chicken breached the circle and pecked at his sneaker.

*****
Part 16:

Angel leaned back against the window frame again, wrapping one long leg under him to peer out at the garden below. He felt like a vouyer, an old, dirty man, eavsedropping on children; and in a sense, he was.

He had left his window seat overlooking the blackened sea when he heard voices in his - the - garden. Voices and laughter and the unconstrained, carefree sounds of lovers. He watched as Druscilla chased a half nude Spike around the overgrown bushes, pelting him with flower petals as she divested herself of her own clothing. He watched as they rolled through the grass; pale, gleaming gods in the light of the Wind Moon. He watched as she climbed up into the old fountain, her shapely legs purposefully kicking water up into the amused countenance of her lover.

He watched and his chest tightened, and the small hairs stood up on his arms.

Spike had been so certain, so sure ,,,*he* isnt here, Sire,,, the younger man had said, only an hour before. Angel wasnt so convinced. This was *his* house. These were his rooms, his food and drink, his bed.

His lovers.

And although Angel had been invited to join them, he had hesitated. No, he had out and out refused. The danger of it rippled through his skin like firewater. He had a difficult enough time keeping Angelus at bay when he had sex with Spike. He had no idea what would happen if he let him out to play with both he and Dru.

No, Spike had been dead wrong. *He* was here. Because he was always here. And the house, the garden, the memories, they were just convenient excuses. Angelus was awake and aware every moment, even while Angel had to sleep. *He* never did.

Angel watched as William stripped completely, and followed Dru into the knee high water, ducking behind a marble angel carrying a watering spout. Dru stood under the spray, her blue black locks catching the droplets first, before throwing back her head to let the fierce stream course between her pale breasts.

William sprang upon her then, and together, they tumbled back into the cool water, laughing. It struck Angel then what hurt so much about this scene. It wasnt seeing Will happy with someone else. He loved his Childe enough that he could never begrudge him that. Rather, it was the kind of happiness he was witnessing here. It was almost like--- life. William and Dru had never had that, not when Angelus was around them, nor after he left them. The emotional wreckage he dallied in so casually had seen to that.

And it didnt matter to Angel that Spike swore up and down it was all fine with him in the end, because it had all given him Dru. Of all the harm his demon had inflicted, this sin was unforgivable. This one alone was worth the price of admission to Hell.

He watched the pair in the garden begin to kiss, his minds eye filling in the details even his preternatural vision couldnt make out in the distance and the darkness. He saw the tongues dancing over wet, red lips, the hands curling in wet, shiny hair. He heard the small sighs and whimpers, followed by low pitched grunts and growls as the demons within them awoke. He smelled the heady aroma of male and female arousal, and the sharp, sweet tang of vampire blood.

And the longer Angel watched, and the more the he thought about it, the more he realized something else. He felt abandoned.

He *was* jealous. He *was* angry. And those feelings didnt spring from his demon. They sprang from him. From his soul.

He laid his head back on the wall as emotions overtook him, and somehow, knowing that they were being urged along and even magnified by the Essence Demon didnt help one small bit.

**{{.....I enjoyed the dreams, Cordy.....}}

Angelus had held Druscilla down on the bed once, and with Will helplessly tied to a chair watching, lathered the area between her legs with warm, soapy water. He shaved off all of her dark pubic hair with a straight razor. Clean and smooth. Angel couldnt even remember now what she had done to incur his wrath. Probably paid too much attention to Will, and not enough to him. Maybe just had the audacity to moan louder when Will touched her than when Angelus did. Whatever the infraction, this was his way of branding her again, of making sure everyone would know who owned her. Completely. Utterly. Because the hair would never grow back. And everytime anyone would see her, lay with her, she would be reminded of this night, and of his posession of her.

{{...Who do you belong to, Spike?.....}}

When Angel met Druscilla again, years later, in his souled incarnation, he had remembered that night vividly. Recalled how she cried, but not too much, eager as always to set things right with her *Angel*, her *Daddy*. Recalled the blue eyes burning a hole in his back as he set about his task, the look of immaculate hatred in those eyes when hed completed it, and turned to look into them. Conjured up how he had laid William between those still spread eagled legs, and bid him to lick the remaining dew and soap clean.

He looked into Druscillas vacant green eyes all those years later, and saw it all play out there.

And he had been aroused.

{{...Its not the demon in me that needs killing, Buffy, its the man....}}**

Angel opened his eyes to the night, to the knowledge that it was within him, always, to the sight of his Childer reinacting the scene from Genesis in the garden, and saw the emereld gaze find him....She looked right up at him, through the night and the window, through him....and she smiled....

Angels hackles rose, and he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the cold glass, straining to get a better look....William was inside Dru, on his knees over her, and didnt notice when she pulled something from behind her back...Angel spread both palms on the window with a thud....he opened his mouth to scream, but there was no voice inside him.....it was like one of those horrible dreams where your feet are moving and you run and you run but you never really move....and he saw the sharpened piece of wood in her fist, and he heard Dru say, so clearly, and without any malice really....

*The sins of the Fathers, daddy*

And when the howl finally came it was too late, because she was alone in the fountain now, and a small cloud of dust was settling over the water.

*****

Angel tumbled through the second story window and into the garden below, landing in a pile of glass shards and roses. He closed his eyes in anticipation of the pain as his back conected with solid earth, and his bare skin was pierced by dozens of pieces of glass, and what felt like no less than half a large rosebush.

He opened his eyes again to the amused countenance of his male Childe. Spike cocked his head and one eyebrow at his battered, bloody Sire. ::Always with the dramatic entrances, eh poof? This mean you change your mind and decided to join us?::

Angel barely managed a nod at the mans unexpected presence, the feeling of relief washing through his heart in swift, generous waves making speech impossible. He gratefully accepted the outstretched hand which aided him to his feet. As he stood toe to toe with the smaller man, he simply forgot how to restrain his emotions. He grabbed William in a tight and desperate embrace, cradling the back of the auburn head in his hands. Angel ran his fingers over the smooth skin of Spikes back, his arms, his chest, touching him everywhere he could reach without letting him go, proving to himself that he was real. He was here. He was alive. (-ish).

He clasped the younger man once more to his chest, and squeezed. ::Oi! Pet, What the fuck? Youre cuttin me to ribbons here.:: Angel pulled away as he realized the small shards and thorns were still embedded in his skin, and acting as tiny daggers whenever he got too close to Will.

::Sorry,:: he murmured, continuing nonetheless to run his bloodied hands over Spikes confused and oh so welcome face. He was still looking to Angel for an explanation for the odd behavior. Although whether it Angels diving out a second story window into Drus roses or the sudden display of gushy affection which was giving Spike pause, Angel wasnt certain.

But Angel was not about to explain what he had seen earlier. He had no idea where the vision had come from, whether it was his own fear at work, or a sick manifestation of Drus desire for revenge against him. But he knew one thing for certain. He wasnt going to leave Spike alone with her.

Dru floated up to the pair of male vampires, her half nude form twinkling in the inky black of the night. A lovely facade of fragile beauty.

::Oh, my Angel, :: she cooed, ::youre hurt,:: her voice full of concern as her face shifted into demonic form, and she grabbed at his wounded wrist. Her fangs sunk into his bloody palm before he could pull away, and she suckled hungrily, holding onto his arm like a turkey leg and gnawing on the flesh.

Dru had always been too - *Dru* to follow the Vampiric code of requesting permission before drinking Sires blood. She had always simply taken, with the unabashed arrognace of a deserving child.

And this was the vision Angel held on to as she gulped from him. If he was to protect Will, he would need to keep his fears and motivations hidden. So he threw a shield around his earlier, horrifying vision, and instead painted a colorful mirage of thoughts and images for Dru to explore as she fed. No lies, for she would sense these. Just a careful reworking of his heart.

He showed her the innocence she once possessed, which had shone like a beacon his demon could not ignore. The aura of childlike simplicity and lust for the moment she continued to display, even after he turned her. The delicate, night blooming Orchid he had tried so hard to think of her as, after hed regained his soul. He smothered the possessiveness, the rage, the guilt, which had haunted him since that time, and showed her only - the love.

He could love her. Not as he loved Buffy, surely. Not even as he loved Will. But, here, now, as she was, he could give her a moment of himself before it was time for her to -

Another pair of hands on Angels arm, gently pulling out the splinters of glass and the thorns, and closing each wound with the flick of a cool, pink tongue. A tug at Angels chest, and he gasped, as Spike pulled a shard of glass the size of a mans fist from just above his ribcage. He tossed it casually to the ground, and knelt down, to lick at the open wound.

Then, two pair of small, demanding hands pushed the largest vampire to the soft grass, and he lay back willingly, watching as the moon stood still in the Spring sky. Fangs in his arms, his chest, his neck, his belly, working the majik.

And soon, there was nothing else.

The duo of vampires was sucking and feeding and the roller coaster ride Angel had grown to adore was coming in double time. He was floating again, apart from his body, looking down on the trio of white marble dieties in the grass. It was only the pain which continued to radiate throughout his bones and his skin which reminded him that he was attatched to the one perfect, white body laying between the other two. If he let himself, he could fly away fom that pain, from that body, and could exist up here in the dark clouds....

{{Will }}

With a determined start, Angel rejoined his physical self, unwilling to relinquish that much control, even for that much pleasure. The bitter taste of his earlier dream still filled his mouth. He reached for a soft, pliant form, uncaring whose it was, and bared his fangs, eager to replace that taste with something more palatable. Eager to replenish his strength, sapped from the tag team feed. Eager to feel safe, to make a connection with someone...something...

His quest was thwarted by hands tugging him upward, pulling him along toward the fountain. Druscilla led the male vamps through the tangle of brush, pulling off her skirts as she did so, and Angel reached for his trousers, only to realize he was no longer wearing any. Spike was between them, and Angel noticed for the first time he was also completely nude. The firm muscles of his white buttocks flexed and relaxed as he ran through the vines to keep pace with Dru. Angel flicked a tongue over his lips.

Dru climbed in the fountain first, extending a strong, tiny hand to help her lovers up into the large stone bowl. Angel fought back the feeling of dejavu the best way he could. He followed. He scaled the fountain, and dropped into the cool, moving water. It smelled sweet...flower petals...someone had filled the fountain with them; they floated atop the blue water in a haze of color and scent.

Angel raised his eyes to meet Drus, looking for an expression, an emotion, an indication of anything....long, sooty lashes covering startling green was all he could find. Then Will was between them, and he once more wrapped the smaller man in a protective embrace.

Spike lay his head back against his Sires chest, his long hair tickling the broad shoulder. Angel smoothed the auburn locks back, and sank his fangs deep into his Childes neck. Will bucked against him, once, twice, then was still, reveling in the fierce suckling, spreading heat like wildfire from his neck to his belly to his cock.

Angel ground himself against the younger vampires back, grunting his pleasure as his mouth filled with the sweet, powerful blood. He pushed William to his knees, and dropped along with him into the water, keeping his mouth attatched to the spurting fount. Only when he heard the harsh whimper did he slow, and only long enough to offer his own wrist to the squirming vampire in his unwavering grip. Spike clamped his mouth over a wound he had only just himself healed, and drank from his Sire with greedy, desperate noises.

{{Love you, Will}} he thought he heard in the Bloode, in the rush of losing himself. He froze, his mouth went still on the wrist. There was something different in this unbidden declaration, but he couldnt think clearly enough to determine what....

{{Love you, Will}} again...and he tried to formulate a sensible, if silent, response.

The only thing that formed in his pleasure addled brain was an inarticulate mental version of *huh*?

Angel grinned against the neck, pressed tenderly to his lips and chest. {{Shh...dont worry about it. I love you. This is for you....}}

*****

Druscilla was pouting now, eyeing the entwined male lovers warily. ::Hey!:: she stomped her foot and splashed, a spray of water and flower petals covering the men. Spike released his Sires wrist. Then he opened one eye at his irate princess, grinned, and pulled her to her knees in the fountain in front of him. She sputtered water as she fell face first, landing on her hands in a flash of black hair and a moment of fine fury.

Then he reached out for her, pulled her close, and whispered something Angel couldnt quite catch over the pounding in his veins. Then her lips were on the other side of the auburn haired vampires neck, and he groaned in mindless pleasure, as her fangs descended.

William arched and twisted in their forceful embrace, rocking against the arms and hands and teeth which held him bound. He gasped for air and wound his fingers into any soft hair or skin he could grasp. It had never been this way with Angelus and Dru....it had been lustful, supremely pleasurable, certainly. But it had also been at turns harsh and horrible.

There had never been a sense of.....*this*.

This was flying and falling, and crashing and dying, and he never wanted it to stop.

::Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease::.....he didnt even hear himself begging. But he heard the popping sound as Druscillas fangs left his artery. Heard her small giggle of delight as she slid down the front of his body and ducked under the water to grasp his erect cock in her small, cool fist. Heard his intake of breath, finally, as she placed her mouth around it and drew the aching shaft inside.

She let her tongue drift over the whole of him, sliding easily up and down his impressive length in quick, tormenting motions, never lingering on one spot long enough, building the deisre, the heat which only filled his normally cold frame at moments like these...

Before sucking his entire member into her tight mouth, pulling in her cheeks, and swallowing him to the back of her throat. And still, Angel had not released his purchase on his neck. He shouted his pleasure, and tugged at Druscillas hair cruelly, pulling her forward and pushing her away with the rythym he ached for. William ignored her self satisfied laughter, gleeful now that she had driven to him to this level of mad, heedless desire, and instead concentrated on fucking her wet, talented mouth.

The water splashed against his thighs, in cool contrast to his rapidly warming skin. The feed, the sex, it was as close as he would ever get to feeling alive...and while he would never trade his existance for mortality, Spike reveled in the sensations of vitality which came only from lust. He always had.

Angel smiled again against the neck, catching the scattered thoughts dancing like Fall leaves in his Childes mind. Human or undead, William had never enjoyed anything more than simple, physical pleasures. It was, quite possibly, the thing Angel adored about him the most. The unabashed readiness for a quick fight, quick feed, quick fuck.

Angel wasnt about to let this one be quick. He pulled back just as he felt the smaller man begin to vibrate in his grip, tearing his teeth from the bared neck with a sharp tug, and a plaintive whimper.

He soothed the wound and the dissatisfaction with a gentle lick, running his soft, wet tongue over the whole, smooth surface of the longest, most desirable neck to ever grace a vampire.

Druscilla lifted her head from the water, shaking her dark hair in all directions. Sensing the sudden shift in mood, she wrapped her arms around Spike, extending her embrace to cover her Sire as well. Angel leaned into the silky arms, and rested his head against Williams still trembling back.

The larger vampire dropped open mouth kisses over the bumps on Williams spine, nipping almost gently, and sealing the tiny puncture marks quickly with his next kiss. The auburn haired man shivered in his grasp. The mixture of pain and pleasure once more built to a fevered pitch inside him, as he felt his Sires hands begin to explore the puckered entrance to his body between his ass cheeks. Spike struggled to relax, letting his shoulders fall slack and his head once more loll back on the larger vampires shoulders. One questing finger joined another, followed by a third....and he heard Angel groan his delight and approval as Spikes muscles clenched around the probing digits.

Dru watched with half open eyes as she began to stroke Williams cock once more, wrapping a firm and decisive grip around its width, and rubbing in smooth rythym. She watched her lovers faces carefully, clearly recalling every move in this ancient dance. And when Angels eyes closed in a long blink, and the man in their grip shook and howled once, his face shifting to demon visage, she slipped her legs around William, and sheathed him inside her velvety walls.

William was moaning now with every breath, and at the moment, breathing, and breathing rapidly, was definately a necessity. It was the only way he could be certain he was really still here, that he hadnt died...un-died...been dusted... and (quite accidentilly, no doubt) ended up in some heathen version of heaven.

Druscilla was wrapped around him, legs about his waist, arms about his shoulders, and pink, gossamer flesh and muscles around his cock. With every thrust of her hips she sent his body arching backward, and onto the gloriously hard shaft buried deep inside his ass.

This could not last long. Preternatural strength and endurance or no, he could not take this agonizingly sweet ecstasy for long.

Spike opened his eyes slowly to the sight of his dark beloved, her head thrown back, tips of her curls dangling in the water. Her eyes were squinted shut, dark lashes on ivory cheeks, and her breasts heaved with the exertion of her steady pounding. He bent his head to capture one perk nipple in his teeth, bit down....and was filled with the honeyed taste of her.

He came then, his cock twitching and dancing inside her, filling her with his cold seed. He cried his pleasure against the skin of her now bleeding breast, and reached between her legs to caress the center of her own pleasure. How well he knew this lithe and wriggling body, knew how to bring her over the edge with him, together with him, where she belonged...He rubbed her hardened, slippery flesh between his thumb and forefinger, until her screams joined his....

Angel had forced himself to keep his eyes open, not daring to lose his watch. He could still easily conjure the feeling of his heart falling to his feet at the sight of Druscilla, coldy, indifferently staking his lover, while he watched, helpless. But he wouldnt go there now; he wouldnt ruin this precious second, frozen in time; given to him, to them, undeserving and uninvited.

Because for Angel, it was most absolutely welcome. And he knew now that it was the same for William as well. A moment not only to relive the past, but to rewrite it. To revise history and place an indelible stamp over the hurt and the rage which had eaten them all, living, dead, and undead, like a cancer.

One single instant in time to find grace.

Angel joined the other vampires with his own climax, but held onto human visage for the moment, content to moan his pleasure, rather than howl it, content, just this once, to keep all his demons at bay.

He watched as the two recaptured their own mortal masks, and hand in hand, the three climbed out of the water, and collapsed onto the damp grass.

Still, Angel kept his eyes open. On the half asleep Spike, on the cat like vision of Dru, and on the fountain, whose marble angel now poured crimson blood into the already sanguine pool.

*****