Angel's POV:

"NO! Angel!"

I'm not dead. There's a stake stuck in my heart and I'm not dead. How can this be possible?

I'm kneeling on the floor, my back arched to fend off the blow, but I couldn't get away. The man - who Spike killed with a flick of his wrist - plunged a solid wooden stake into my chest. I felt it enter my heart. I felt the burn inside, but I'm still here. I'm still solid.

"Get it out! Get it out!" I look up into the faces of my mate and Buffy. They're staring at me as if I've... got a stake in my heart and am still alive. Which is impossible for human or vampire.

"Get it out!"

At first, I don't understand the person shouting at me. I think... its Willow. She's running towards us waving her arms. Could she mean the stake?

It's Spike that comes out of his shock first. With trembling hands he takes hold of the thick end and pulls. I scream with the pain as my shattered ribs are shifted, and the dead muscle torn. He drops it to the floor when it's free, as if it burned his hands. A look of pure fear covers his features, his eyes are so scared - petrified because for one awful second he believed he had lost me. I know because I felt the same way. I've only just found Spike - my mate, my lover - and I never want to leave him.

"Angel?" My other half whispers. He touches my face, falling to his knees before me. "Oh god, Angel. I thought... I thought..." Tears drip from vampire eyes. His trembling fingers stroke the side of my cheek and settle at my lips. My tongue flicks out and licks the tips. He groans deep inside his chest and arches towards me. Our lips are only inches apart; I can feel his panted breath caress my face. I know if I kiss him, I'll never stop. We share a look, knowing that our reunion must wait. I feel his mind brush mine, his passion igniting a fire within me. I wish I wasn't naked at this moment - because even with the blood loss and pain - I'm hard.

"Oh thank goddess!" Willow cries, as she grabs Buffy's arm. Both Spike and I look up amazed.

"How?" I ask.

"The ritual," she pants out, "Lilah said that they would cut you into 4 pieces and place a part on each of the four points of the compass. Now we all know that Vampires are dusted when you cut their heads off, so some part of the ritual must have included an clause to keep your body together long enough for them to do that."

"The stake. That's why he didn't turn to dust." Buffy mumbles, her eyes still staring at me and completely ignoring my mate kneeling before me.

Willow grins; looking pleased with herself for figuring it out. "Yeah, It's a good job we..."

"Angel!" Buffy yells, and with a flash of movement she's coming towards me. Willow jumps back startled by her friends' sudden strike. Even Spike moves aside. Damn lucky thing, too! He shifts away just in time to miss Buffy's sharp stake as it flies directly for his heart.

I howl at the threat to my mate, batting his attacker aside before even realising that I am hitting Buffy. In my fury, the chain holding my wrist broke, allowing me to reach her. She stumbles back, while I crumble to the floor completely exhausted. I cry out with the pain of my torn wrist and broken arm.

From my advantage point on the floor, I watch as Spike jumps away from the infuriated Slayer, and blocks another thrust of her weapon. Everything starts happening at once. My family, having finished off the remaining humans and demons, turn their attention to the attacking Slayer. Angelus howls with fury at the sight of me on the floor and Spike fighting for his life. In a blink of an eye, the eldest vampire of our family strikes. He leaps across the room, landing on the back of my ex-girlfriend. In her fury, she manages to buck and dislodge him. Angelus lands on the floor, does an impressive back flip and he's back on his feet again. She's now surrounded by two enraged vampires.

I know they are going to kill her. She attacked Spike, but she did it for me. She doesn't understand. I can see it in her eyes. She thinks I'm hers still. I can't let her die because of me. I can't.

"Buffy! Angelus! Please, no!" I cry out, trying to crawl across the floor towards them. At my side appears my young Childe - Lindsey. He's found the key to my manacles and starts to release me. Finally! His strong arms surround my body and he lifts me to my feet. I'm so weak - fading away because of the blood loss. "Angelus, my mate, please I need you," I plead. "Please listen to me and ignore her."

My whole body trembles as I cling to my Childe. Lindsey wants to feed me, but he's too young. I need elder blood - my Sire's blood - to heal my wounds. My eyes beg them to listen - to ignore the girl that threatens them. Spike is first to break away. With preternatural speed he's at my side, bringing my head to his throat. Lindsey holds me up, as I sink my fangs into cool, welcoming flesh. The luxurious taste of my Sire/Mate fills my mouth, and I cling to him. Nothing will taste as he and my family does. I yearn only for their blood. The blood of humans and demons in this room doesn't do anything to me. It's them - my kin - I hunger for.

I don't know how long I fed from Spike, but tender fingers plied me away from him and I was drawn into new arms. A body so much like my own - an almost perfect duplicate - Angelus. I cling to my Sire, my body aroused now by the blood, my hunger being sated by the age and power of it. I rub my body against his, hearing him groan into my ear as I touch his hard length with my own. One strong hand slips down from my back and cups my buttocks. I sigh into the bite, knowing that I am home.

Finally, more hands draw me away and Spike deposits me into the hands of our Childe. Lindsey holds me tightly, rocking me and mumbling sweet nothings into my ear.

"Let him go!" Buffy screams, her stake held firm in her hand. The only thing holding her back is Willow and Xander on both her arms. "He's not yours! He's mine! Angel please come to me. I'll save you."

Save me? Save me from what? A love of a family? The devotion of Mate and Childe? The knowledge that I am finally home and found my place in the world? Oh... I understand.

"Buffy, I'm so sorry. I can't come with you. This is my home - with my family. With Spike and Lindsey, and Angelus and Dru. This is where I belong."

"No Angel! You belong with me. We can be together. You and me, we could have all those dreams, Angel."

"No, Buffy, we can't," I answer sadly. I know that with my soul secure I could make love to her, I could give her companionship, love, and all those things she wants. The only problem is - I don't want to. I have what I want. I've never felt so complete as I am now.

"You want to stay with them!?" she yells suddenly, noticing my reluctance to leave the embraces of Lindsey and Spike. "They raped you! Used you! They took your life!"

"Raped? When... they never raped me. Not even in the beginning. Some part of me wanted it even then. My Mate could never rape me. I caused myself pain, Buffy. I ignored the mating call between Spike and myself. I'm the one that hurt and rejected him. My family would never hurt me."

Buffy steps back amazed by my answer. "You want to stay with them. With Spike and... and Lindsey."

"Yes, I do. I'm so sorry, Buffy, but our relationship ended with my death. Everything changed then and I'm not the same person I was before. I can't go back to that life - it hurt too much, our love hurt too much. I hope that one day you'll understand and accept when I say - I'm so sorry but I can't love you like that anymore."

I look away, unable to take her pain filled gaze. I hope she does understand one day. I hope her pain stops just as mine has. I look at Angelus and he holds my gaze.

"Angelus let them go, please," I plead with him. He snarls at me, and then the humans who immediately jump back a step. With a look of pure aversion at the humans, he stalks away from us, taking Dru with him.

Both Spike and Lindsey help me to my feet, and I walk towards Buffy. Tears are trailing down her face, and she sobs as I touch her soft cheek. "I will always love you. You hold a special place in my heart, Buffy. You gave me the strength of will when I didn't have any. Thank you. Please, go now and live your life while I live mine." I kiss her forehead, and hobble away, my beloveds holding me between them.

3 months later, Hyperion Hotel, LA:

Spike's POV:

Angel received a letter this morning. It came from Sunnydale and I knew it was from the Slayer. I let him read it alone, and strangely I can feel it hasn't upset him. He's sitting in the front office, while I have a fag on the stairs. I want to know what it says. What the bitch is trying to tell him to do. There were phone calls every day that first week when we came home to the Hyperion. I stopped her speaking to him after the first couple of days. She stopped him having fucking sex!

Suddenly, a soft touch on my shoulder makes me look up. Lindsey stands beside me, his eyes on his Sire in the other room.

"Got a fucking letter from her," I tell him. He grins down at me, and sits on the step at my side. I know I'm jealous, I can't help it. Angel still has some love for her. I know it's nothing like ours, but still I hate him sharing his emotions with anyone outside the family.

We both look up at the sound of a door opening. Angel steps out the office and approaches us. He hands me the letter and sits down beside me. I hand him the fag, and he takes a deep drag.

Angel,

I'm so sorry for what you have suffered. You should have been left
to your redemption. I hope you find the peace and happiness that
has been denied you, with your family and mate. I too am guilty for
wanting you back from your promised redemption. I never thought
about how you would feel torn from Heaven, never allowed to
return. I just thought about my future, a family and house with a
white picket fence. We are all guilty of that, but you showed me
there must be balance in this world. That we lose people, family
and we have to let them go. They move on, change, and you were
prevented from doing that. I can only say how sorry I am.

I'll always love you, and I'll miss you. I know that you are safe and
protected. Please don't come back to Sunnydale because I know
I'll never be able to kill you, knowing what I know. Be happy Angel.
Be complete with Spike.

Love Buffy.

Fuck! She let him go! I can't believe it. Finally, Angel will be able to set his past to rest and move on with me.

"What's it say?" Lindsey asks, snatching the letter.

"Hey, Childe! That's mine!" Angel snarls as he grabs the letter back from Lindsey.

"You let Spike read it!"

"Spike is my mate."

Lindsey tries to grab it back, slapping Angel's fingers to get him to free it. Instead of letting go, Angel jumps up and runs across the lobby with the letter. Lindsey snarls, his face changing between human and vampire, then back again. He's still learning to control his abilities. He jumps up and chases Angel across the room. I start to laugh as Angel easily evades our Childe, running him ragged.

Angel laughs more, causing him to slow and allowing Lindsey to catch one of his feet as he flies by. Both Childe and my mate fall to the floor, rolling over each other. They laugh, but then Lindsey nips at Angel's throat making him snarl with desire. Their laughter soon turns to moans of desire as Lindsey finally breaks the skin of his Sire's throat. The smell of Angel blood fills the air. Oh damn he smells so good! I lick my lips, feeling my cock jump at the scent of my mate. Oh yeah, want him now.

I snub out the fag, and jump to my feet. Lindsey is lapping at Angel's throat, cleaning up the tiny drops of blood from his wound. He moans in Angel's arms, humping his groin into his Sire's leg. Our Childe can't hold back his passions at times, I think he's going to use up his immortal libido in the first year of vampire life. He's even worn Angelus out.

Angel's dilated eyes catch mine as I stand looking down at them writhing on the carpeted floor. I grin, shrugging out off my coat, and then pulling off my T-shirt. I get down behind Lindsey; he doesn't notice he's far too engrossed in Angel's body. My hands slide over his back and start pulling his shirt out. I mange to free the shirt tails and then yank them apart. The shirt rips up the centre, and I start pushing the sleeves down his arms. Next, I slip my hands around his waist and unzip his tight jeans. Damn, he's almost as bad as me!

I drag his jeans down lithe legs, pulling off his sneakers as I go. He groans as his naked groin rubs against Angel's. Our lover always manages to arouse us both just by the smallest touch, or even an alluring look. Both Angel and I turn out attention to the Childe writhing between us. We stroke his strong back and butt, over his thighs and chest, all the time missing that one place at his groin. He groans and presses frantically against Angel - trying to get some relief.

"Bite him, luv," I whisper into his ear.

*****
Part 16:

Angel laughs, and drags Lindsey's head down to his throat. I hear his deep purr as sharp teeth break the skin and Lindsey starts to gently suck. I run my hands down to Lindsey's butt as Angel strokes his sharp hipbones. We push him up on his knees, now allowing him to rub against Angel's stomach. He growls into Angel's flesh, swallowing down the sweet, honeyed blood. My fingers find the tight opening of Lindsey's anus and I press against him. His hips push back, knowing - hoping - for what comes next.

"Strip, Spike," Angel groans, his eyes never leaving mine. I smile and rip off my jeans in two seconds flat. My cock leaps free, pointing at Lindsey's wriggling butt. Angel's eyes close, as his hands move up to pull Lindsey from his throat. His trousers are stretched wide by his rampant erection.

"Our Angel is a little over dressed don't you think, Lindsey?" I ask seductively into our Childe's ear. Lindsey's too far-gone to answer. Instead, he just groans his agreement. I run my hands over Angel's, finally grabbing him by the wrists and pushing them to the ground. Angel grins, knowing he's going to get ravished in the next few minutes. It's so strange how our desire for Angel always takes over us. No matter which partners I drag to our bed, Angel is always in the middle.

Both Angel and I laugh at Lindsey's desperate hands. He tears at my mate's clothing, stripping off his shirt in shreds. I turn my attention to his jeans, tearing out the zip and giving him a good grope before pulling them down and off. Shoes and socks follow, as the last remains of his shirt are thrown across the room. Lindsey attacks my lover's chest, biting his nipples. Lindsey always concentrates on the most obvious places. For Angel that doesn't always mean the most sensual. I've discovered Angel has the most unique sensitive spots on his body. They are even different from Angelus's. Angelus loves being bitten at his throat and hipbones. Angel adores to be stroked and licked.

I lean down, pushing Lindsey aside but not away from Angel's chest. I'll let him lave and attack Angel's nipples all he wants. Me, I turn my attention to Angel's belly button. He howls as I lick across his trembling muscles. His stomach clenches as my tongue laves the sensitive skin.

"Oh Spike!" my lover moans, his hands trying to push me away. He half hates-half loves me torturing him here. I push his hands away, and Lindsey urges them around his back, holding tight. He sighs into his Sire's embrace. Angel holds him tighter, comforting our Childe with his touch. It's time to bring this along a bit. I do by letting my fangs slip into his soft flesh. Angel cries out as I start sucking blood from his tight inward button. He shivers, trying to buck me off. My mate screams again in desire as Lindsey bites into a hard, brown nipple. The smell of heavenly blood fills the lobby, urging me on.

I stroke my hands over Angel's curved hipbones, completely missing his erect organ on purpose. I don't want him to come too soon. I remove my fangs, lapping up the spilt blood. Our first priority will have to be Lindsey; he's frantically rubbing the floor with his cock, trying to achieve orgasm. I drag his hips from the floor, pulling him onto his hands and knees. He fangs release Angel's flesh as he howls in denied fury. A font of blood sprays Lindsey's face.

I drag his hips forward, pressing his ass against my groin. Considering he was a virgin to male sex when Angel and I turned him, he has sure made up for lack of experience with more than enough enthusiasm. Though after three months of continuous sex with his horny ass, there isn't much he hasn't done. Now it's time for something new. I rub my cock against his crease, making him moan and thrust back against me. He's reattached himself back to Angel's nub, sucking hungrily on the beatific blood. Now it's time to touch another of Angel's sensual places.

I love taking Angel front to front, or having easy access to his knees. Why - because as soon as I stroke underneath his knees I can't keep him still. I stroke my hands down Angel's firm thighs, let my fingers wander under his legs and I stoke that tender muscle. Angel shifts under Lindsey, his legs parting trying to get away from my fingers. I stroke again, harder this time, making him jump.

"Spike!" he hisses again. I laugh urging his knees up, continuing to stroke the soft skin until he wriggles about and then calming him with long caresses up his thighs to his tight ass. Today, it's my turn to take him. We decided on exchanging days because we can never decide who will penetrate whom. We used to beg, fight and argue until one would back down and fuck the other raw. Angelus put an end to that. He was desperate and we couldn't decide who would be taken first by the other. In the end, Angelus blew his lid and tied us both to a bed for a week, taking his enjoyment out of one, then the other, without allowing either to come. Bastard.

So we decided we had to solve the problem. We alternate days. He takes me one day, then I have the next day. Now we just argue about who has Lindsey. He prefers Angel because he was his first lover, but at the moment he's willing to bend at the waist for anyone. I dread to think what he's going to be like when he's his own vampire.

"Spike! Fuck me!!" Angel screams. I had lost myself in my thoughts and forgotten I was still fondling the skin behind his knees. Poor luv, I laugh.

I draw Angel nearer, pressing my cock against his opening. He growls, trying to push against me, even with Lindsey's weight on his chest. I prepare him with one finger, digging my nails into his puckered opening and letting the blood flow. He howls with delighted pain, and just as he calms down, I shove forward. His cry echoes around the room, as his inner muscles clench around my dick. Oh yeah, he's so fucking tight I think he's going to squeeze me off!

When I'm settled deep within his grasping channel, we turn our attention to the desperate Childe between us. Angel pulls Lindsey from his chest, breaking a suckling bond between his hungry mouth and Angel's gorgeous brown teat. Lindsey whines as the bond is broken, trying to return to his Sire's chest. Angel shoves his hands deep into his Childe's hair and drags the red mouth up to his to kiss passionately. I groan in return, as they kiss with a frightening intensity. Lips spilt under the force, and blood flows between their mouths. Damn, I'll have to get a bit of that myself later.

I drag Lindsey's hips over Angel's and tilt him forward. His beautiful tight rosebud rests over Angel's hard cock. I dig my nails into his ass just as I did Angel's, making him scream into his Sire's mouth. His cock jerks against Angel's belly. He's going to come at any moment. Blood covers Angel's length, and I guide Lindsey down onto it. Our Childe screams as he's penetrated, and covers Angel's chest and chin in cool ejaculate. The pleasure was too much for one so young. Mixing sex and blood never fails to send fledglings over the edge early. Still, my lover has yet to come, and Lindsey is a welcoming hole for him to fuck. I wrap my arms around Angel's knees holding his legs tight to my body and start to pound into his body. Angel howls again, his hips jerking into Lindsey's ass, making the younger vampire start to scream in a second orgasm.

Angel thrusts up into our Childe, holding him tightly to his chest as Lindsey sobs from the pleasure. His body must be burning with the contact of both of us, the drawn out pleasure. Damn, I'm glad I am over 100 years old and able to hold my orgasm back and let the desire build until it explodes - it blows ya fucking brains out.

I throw back my head, ignoring everything but the feel of my cock inside my beloved mate. The feel of his muscles clenching around me... Bloody hell, even with my control I don't think I'll be able to last much longer. I grunt and shove Angel's legs further apart, trying to bury my whole body within in his heated place.

"Oh Angel. Angel. Angel!" I start to chant.

"Spike," he cries in return. I feel the mating bond between us flare and burn with a life of it's own. He tightens around me, and I know he's on the edge too. He grabs Lindsey's hair and drags his Childe's throat down to his mouth. Poor Lindsey bellows in agony as his cock spews out even more pinkish cum. Lindsey buries his fangs into Angel's throat, drinking greedily at the powerful blood. I want to taste that too.

I lift one of Angel's long legs and fling it over my shoulder. He cries out with the stretch along his leg and back, but it makes me able to sink my fangs into the thick muscle of his leg. I climax with the first taste of his blood. He tastes of sunshine, life and eternity. No other vampire can taste as Angel does. No other could even come close to my affection for him - not Angelus and not Lindsey. He is the centre of my universe.

Our orgasm goes on and on, the heated blood drawing it out longer and longer. The pleasure passing between the three of us is as powerful as a supernova. I can taste the potency of Angel's bright blood, the young vitality of Lindsey's, and the hint of my own darkness. My blood is filled with dark desires and yearnings, and mixed with Angel's bright, burning soul filled blood it's like the elixir of ecstasy.

Screams fill the lobby, but I'm unsure from whose throat they are torn from. Like always, the power of the blood augmented orgasm tears us away from each other, the intensity too much to bear any longer. I fall back, breaking my hold on Angel's leg, slipping from his body to lie staring up at the ceiling. I think I'll stay here forever. I sigh, wondering where my fags are.

A body crawls beside me and curls into my side. I grin, as I smell the delicious scent of my mate. I wrap my arms around him, holding him tightly to my chest.

"Find my fags, luv," I plead sleepily, kissing his forehead, "please."

Angel laughs and digs around for my jeans with a free hand. His other resting very nicely over my currently flaccid length. It won't be that way much longer. He lets out a little huff of joy upon finding my fags and drops them onto my chest along with the lighter he bought me - Which is really embarrassing. It has 'Angel and Spike forever' in a heart engraved on the silver front. Yet, I hate it when I can't find it...

"That's a new fucking carpet!"

Oh shit!

Angelus stands with Drusilla hanging on his arm in front of the patio doors. He stares down at his three childer, a frightening scowl on his face. He's updated a lot of this hotel with money stolen from Wolfram and Hart, including this carpet... which currently has semen and blood stains all over it.

Lindsey crawls over to us, and buries himself into the curve of Angel's legs. He has every right to be scared. Angelus has started unbuttoning his shirt shelves pushing them up to his elbows. That sure means were in trouble - Angelus hates getting his clothing dirty.

"Well, what are you all lying there for?" Angelus hollers. "Run!"

We jump to our feet and do exactly what he says. Our screams fill the lobby as Angelus chases his errant childer. Even Drusilla has to join the fun. Of course, they all have to chase my Mate. Angelus will catch him first as he always does. He kisses my mate, and then takes him hard and fast. I hate how my Sire has to have Angel, as if keeping my mate inline will keep his family together. Maybe that's true... but sometimes I think Angel lets him win. He lets Angelus control the clan on the outside. Because in reality Angel is the heart and soul of our family. He is what binds us together. It's him we yearn for, him we fight over. He who sleeps in the centre of our every large bed (with me next to him off course - I am his mate.)

Angelus finishes inside my mate, and moves on to Lindsey. Angel leers over at me and draws me into his embrace. I find my fags again and light one. Angel never smokes a whole one... he prefers them with my spit on them. I rest myself along his body, leaning my head on a firm shoulder. He might have the same body as Angelus, but to me it feels so different... so wonderful. Perfect. Mine.

"Angel, do you regret not going with Buffy?" I ask suddenly. It's a thought that's been bugging me all this time.

"Beloved, what brought that thought on?" Angel strokes my hair, his touch like fire on my skin.

"This," I indicate, pointing to Angelus currently screwing Lindsey, while bringing Drusilla off with his fingers. "We... don't have souls luv, well, apart from Lindsey... but you could be doing good like before, the dark avenger or whatever, living with a beautiful woman..."

"Spike this is my life. Whatever happens, I don't regret being with you. I'm not the same person that died, beloved. I'm not that Angel. I'm the Angel that was denied heaven, whose soul will open the gates of hell if I die. I'm the Angel that is your mate, Sire to Lindsey, Childe to Angelus. I'm happy here. I am complete with you and I never want to change that."

Angel looks around, and tightens his arms around me.

"To me, Spike, this is heaven."

The End