The moment Brian teleported back to the Loft he smelled Ventrue in the building. He snarled, made his way downstairs and slammed the loft door open to the conference room. With a growl, he panned his eyes around the room and saw the small framed bleached blond man standing next to Cash. At Babylon or Woody’s Brian might have given the man some attention, but sadly for the Ventrue, they weren’t.

“My Lord, your youngest is…” Cash began, only to pause and look at his prisoner, “…doing that other thing.”

“Where is she?” Brian asked, glancing around the room dramatically. “I sent you for the Slayer and I’m not seeing her.”

“Her room was empty,” Cash replied. “But we found this Ventrue in the room waiting for her. The Brujah say that he’s her lackey.”

“Those buggers can’t get a bloody thing right,” Spike said in his defense. Only when he thought about the truth of the situation, he opened his mouth and found that he was in bigger trouble than he could ever imagine. “I’ve only helped her a few times to save the world…I mean, well…bloody hell! It’s not me fault, she did this thing where I…and I kind of fell for…no…that’s not what I meant, I meant-”

“Stop,” Brian interrupted quietly. He chuckled when bleached blond silenced quickly, knowing full well the man just wanted to keep his mouth shut. “Do you have a name?”

“Spike,” he replied with a smile. It appeared that the Prince had not heard of him before he tried another of his names. “They also call me William the Bloody.” When it was clear that neither of his monikers had any affect, he mentioned his claim to fame. “I’ve killed two slayers, you know! I’m known all throughout Europe.”

“We’re not in Europe,” Cash snickered.

“Alright,” Spike sighed, resigned to the fact that he was in a sticky situation. He turned to the Prince and bowed respectfully. He rid himself of his cockney accent and spoke as he did before he was Embraced over 100 years ago. “I apologize for entering your city without permission, My Lord. I did so because I thought the Slayer would listen to me and leave your city. I understand that I broke Tradition and it is your right to pass judgment on me as you please.”

“Why would you want her to leave my city?” Brian asked, not believing the kindness coming from the man in front of him. “If she’s as powerful as everyone’s saying she is, she could kill me and you could take over the city.”

“Why the bloody hell would I want to do that?” Spike wondered aloud, slipping back into his learned accent. “No offence but your position ain’t all that it’s cracked up to be…and anyways, I much prefer the West Coast. Living on the Hellmouth’s really spoiled me. Nobody really gets surprised when someone’s killed ‘round there. Walking Happy Meals…the lot of ‘em.”

“I’m not in the mood for this,” Brian mumbled, turning around and peering outside.

Brian felt a tingle in his chest and new it was his unborn calling to him. Here he was a Prince of an entire city and he didn’t have control over the two things he needed most…not that he’d ever admit that to anyone, let alone himself. Not only did Justin need to learn things for himself, he was carrying their child. Brian rolled his eyes thinking that Justin wasn’t even aware of the power he had.

“Princess,” Brian whispered as he stared into the night.

“You should go see him,” Isis said, startling Brian as she walked into the room. She went into the adjoining library and removed a spellbook. “Stop by the gallery opening. I think he’d like that.”

“Where have you been?” Brian asked, moving closer to his mentor.

“Getting some ingredients for a complicated spell,” Isis answered, turning around and seeing the look on Brian’s face. “Bloody hell! What did you do, childe?”

“I did what you told me,” Brian said with a forced smile. “I went to the party.”

“What did you do?”

“I sort of punched Michael,” Brian replied, “and started a fight.”

“And what did Princess do?”

“Left pissed.”

Isis shook her head and shoved the book in her bag. She glanced around the room and saw an old, ancient book that seemed out of place. She wondered who would be playing with such a powerful spellbook, then pushed it to the back of her mind. She had other things to worry about, namely Brian.

“Who’d you punch?” Isis asked.

“Michael.”

“I would normally laugh at that,” Isis responded, forcing herself not to smile. “Only you shouldn’t be demeaning your childer in public. It’s not good for the Clan. It makes us seem as lowly as the Ventrue or as ignorant as the Brujah.”

“I agree with you about the Ventrue,” Spike said shaking his head. “Sire’s treat their childer like shite, but Brujah are more protective even if they are stupider.”

“My girl’s a Brujah,” Cash snarled, shoving Spike away from him. “And if she were here, she’d kick your bleached ass all around this room.”

“A Gangrel and a Brujah?” Spike laughed. “That might have been the first sign that the apocalypse was beginning.”

“You making fun of me?” Cash growled.

“Why not?” Spike replied with a smile. “Gangrels make it so easy. Your clan is as pointless as those soddin’ Toreadors.”

“I’d watch your mouth if I were you,” Cash warned. “Like you said, Ventrue aren’t taking well around these parts.”

“Soddin’ wankers, the lot of ya,” Spike snapped. “You don’t even know who the bloody hell I am.”

“William the Bloody,” Isis said, finally turning her attention to the prisoner. “So called because of his bloody awful poetry.”

“I’ve killed two Slayers!” Spike protested.

“I’m fully aware of who you are,” Isis replied, turning to Brian. “I also know that you’ve been shagging the Slayer who’s in town.”

“Everyone’s got to have a hobby,” Spike pouted. “I like doing Slayers…and if I can’t kill ‘em, I suppose a shag never hurt anyone.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Brian laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. “When is my day going to get any better?”

“Maybe after I complete my spell,” Isis told the Prince. “I’m currently off to the Toreador Headquarters where I’ll cast a spell to stop your unborn from teleporting to you…as per his mother’s request.”

“Fuck,” Brian mumbled under his breath.

“I’ll be off then,” Isis said, turning and walking out the door to let her Prince think things over. “If you need me, you know how to get in touch.”

“Wonderful,” Brian replied sarcastically.

Anger filled Brian, but no one would know it by looking at him. By all appearances he was calm. Instead of screaming or yelling, he calmly strolled to Spike and grinned so coolly that it made the hair on the bleached blond’s arms to stand on end.

“A Ventrue who’s trying to pass himself off as a Brujah,” Brian sneered. “A slayer of Slayers who’s currently fucking Slayer.” Brian paused and slipped his hand down Spike’s shirt where he felt the Ventrue’s ripped abs. “And a hot guy fucking a woman…you’re full of contradictions aren’t you?”

“You wouldn’t believe what I’m full of,” Spike replied, licking his lips.

“Kill him,” Brian ordered Cash.

“We’re here to stop an apocalypse,” Spike said as Cash put a gun to his head.

“I don’t see anyone’s doom but your own,” Brian told the man. “Cash…”

“That’s why we’re here,” Spike pleaded. “Please Prince Taylor, you’ve got to listen to me!”

“What?” Brian asked shocked.

“The Watcher’s Council sent Buffy here to stop an apocalypse,” Spike clarified.

“No, fucking twit,” Brian snapped. “What the fuck did you just call me?”

“Prince Taylor…”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Brian screeched, turning around and sensing Justin. “Oh shit!”

“My Lord there is trouble!” Bartox yelled, storming into the room. “Master Taylor has company!”

“Son of a bitch!”

****

“That son of a bitch!” Deb complained, tending to Michael’s black eye. “He’s a fucking monster, hitting my baby!”

“He’s an asshole!” Mel added. “Michael, you don’t deserve to be treated like that.”

“I can’t believe he would do this,” Lindsay agreed. “I know he’s an asshole, but this just went too far. Not only did he hit Michael, Michael hit a poor guy who didn’t even know what was going on.”

“Considering he’s a Prince, it’s really unacceptable,” Ted said, shaking his head. “What a bastard. He hit his own childe.”

“Absolutely,” Em chimed in. “I mean really…people were giving me their cards asking me if I could set up their parties. I could have been fabulous.”

“You were fabulous, Em,” Ted told his best friend. “But you know Brian. He always has to be the center of attention.”

“You guys just don’t understand,” Michael said softly, knowing full well what he’d hear in response.

“Don’t you dare!” Deb told her son. “Don’t you dare defend him!”

“I can’t even defend him this time,” Lindsay concurred. “It’s outrageous!”

“That’s why we need to leave,” Mel said, looking at her partner. It was clear this wasn’t the first time they had had this conversation. “Gus shouldn’t have to live around this type of violence. If he’s going to be a vampire later in his life, he should live as normal a life as possible while he’s young.”

“He’ll never let you go with Gus,” Michael snapped. “You don’t understand what it’s like to belong to him.”

“Gus doesn’t belong to him,” Lindsay explained as if she were practicing for her conversation with Brian. “The agreement was that Gus would belong to me and Mel. I carried him in my belly for nine months and gave birth to him. Brian…didn’t do anything but show up after the fact.”

“Brian will want what’s best for Gus,” Ted deduced. “So if you two really want to take Gus away, you’ll have to approach Brian that way. Any other way and Brian will stop you and who knows what he’ll do.”

“Too bad you two didn’t think about this two weeks ago,” Deb chimed in, “you could have gone to Sunshine for help. I’m sure he would have seen your side, Linds.”

“Only now Justin sees Brian for what he is,” Mel snickered, “an asshole.”

“It’s not Brian’s fault,” Michael disagreed, separating himself from the group. “If it weren’t for Justin, none of this would have happened. Brian wouldn’t be a vampire and he wouldn’t have taken Gus away from you. It’s all Justin’s fault.”

“Sunshine didn’t know,” Deb defended. “Honey, you know that.”

“At least we know that after that brat has the baby Brian will be done with him,” Michael assured himself. “He loves Gus. He’ll love the new baby and Justin will find out that Brian will always be Brian. He’ll never settle down with anyone.”

“I wonder,” Deb mused, thinking about the infamous Brian Kinney. “I’ve always seen Brian without the same rose colored glassed you seem to wear, son. I agree that he probably won’t just give up Gus, but Brian always seems to do what’s right in the end…even when it came to Justin. Brian was just stupid for letting the one person he loves go.”

“Bullshit,” Michael snapped. “If it wasn’t for the baby, Justin would be gone already. Brian wouldn’t care if Justin was dead or alive. Trust me…I know.”

****

“Brian,” Justin shrieked as he stared up at a floating and very pissed off witch. “Brian!”

“None of your soldiers are going to help you,” Willow told the Toreador. Her once red hair was now black as were her eyes. Her warm features had paled as the power surged through her. An old chest appeared from thin air and when it opened, daggers rose from inside. “But call them if you want.”

When daggers flew towards Justin, one of his Toreador bodyguards jumped in front of him. Though the bodyguard took five daggers in the back, one of the daggers still found its way to Justin, missing the Toreador’s belly by an inch or so and hitting his heart.

Justin screamed and grabbed for his bodyguard only to find the man on the floor. He started backing up wondering what else could possibly come next. He could only curse when he saw the witch chant, bringing forth a dozen more chests. Justin wasn’t worried until the chests opened up and instead of daggers there were stakes.

“Oh fuck!” Justin screamed closing his eyes and covering his head. “Brian!”

“What?”

Justin opened his eyes and though he was dazed, he saw that he was back in his old home at the Loft. He quickly scanned the room and saw his mate standing by the window.

“Brian,” Justin squealed, rushing to his mate.

“What the fuck?” Brian screeched when he saw the dagger protruding from the Toreador’s chest. He quickly removed the weapon from his lover then licked the wound. He cursed when the wound didn’t shut. He growled, trying to push back the anger and demanded, “Feed.”

Without a word Justin sunk his teeth into Brian’s neck. It was like he hadn’t tasted his lover in years. He wondered if addicts felt the same sort of withdrawals as he had or the same type of erotic satisfaction after taking a bite of forbidden fruit. But when had Brian become forbidden? The more Justin thought about it, the more he wasn’t sure. It really didn’t make sense anymore, not when his love, his safety was so nearby.

“I’m so sorry Brian.”

“Who did this to you?”

“I mean about us…or me and you,” Justin clarified, looking up into Brian’s eyes. “I shouldn’t have gone. I should have stayed here with you. What you give me is ten times…no a million times more than I could ever get anywhere else with anyone else in the world…in a million lifetimes. I should have never, ever left you...even for my clan.”

“We’ll talk about this later,” Brian replied, sitting Justin down. “Right now you have to tell me who did this to you.”

“A redhead…no her hair turned black,” Justin described, wishing he had told Brian not to change subjects. As much as he would have preferred to discuss their non relationship, there was still the matter of the woman trying to kill him. “Her eyes turned black too. I think she said her name was Willow.”

“Bartox, fetch her for me,” Brian demanded.

“I don’t know what’s going on, Bri,” Justin said very much confused. “I think she thought I was the Prince or something.”

“It’s going to be fine.”

“I know,” Justin sighed. With Regillio no longer there, his belly was large and he rubbed it feeling his baby’s heartbeat. “I wasn’t before and I didn’t even know it, but I am now. I’m protected now that I’m with you.”

Justin smiled and didn’t allow Brian to reply. He simply grabbed onto Brian allowing his mate to feel and hear their unborn baby’s heartbeat. He closed his eyes and felt the sensation when the sensation hit him. Ventrue. Justin turned his head and looked at Spike.

“Who the fuck is he?” Justin asked, grabbing onto Brian tightly.

“I’m still figuring that out,” Brian replied. “So far I know his name’s Spike and he’s currently fucking the Slayer.”

“Ew.”

“Not currently, mate,” Spike corrected. He couldn’t help but stare at Justin’s belly. There was more to this situation than meets the eye, he was sure of. A pregnant male Toreador and a Tremere as his lover. There was only one way to describe what type of situation Buffy and Willow had gotten him into. He was fucked. Pure and simple. “Think I’ve had me fill of twat as of late.”

“It’s the smartest thing you’ve said yet,” Brian snickered. “Although you and your Slayer are still dead.”

“What the fuck is he doing here?” Justin wondered aloud.

“I’m about to get fucked,” Spike replied. “I’m hoping literally, but I haven’t had much luck since I got to these parts.”

“That’s not going to change anytime soon,” Justin snapped, sniffing in Spike’s direction. “Especially since I can smell that girl Willow’s scent on you.”

“Is that so?” Brian asked with a grin.

“Bloody hell!”

“I want him dead, Bri,” Justin demanded. “Him and that bitch Willow! I want them dead before they try and kill me and our baby again!”

Brian smirked.

“Done.”

****

As Toreador ran from the fiery witch, Willow levitated in the air with lightning surrounding her. Breathing heavily, she flung her arms directing arrows at any Kindred that weren’t smart enough to leave. Only the Gargoyles stayed at their place, still as statues.

Buffy passed the statues and ran to her best friend. She didn’t like the look on the witch’s face, knowing the redhead to have started the end of the world all by herself.

“Willow!” Buffy screeched, holding out a hand to her friend. “Please, Will!”

Willow looked down and Buffy. She had to remember it was all within her. She closed her eyes and struggled with the power flowing through her veins, prompting her to cause damage. Any amount of damage, it didn’t matter. Instead she thought of kittens and butterflies or anything else that made her smile like a math problem or a scientific equation.

“Puppies, roses,” Willow whispered to herself, “grapes, rainbows, Heather Locklear naked…”

Willow finally came back to the ground saying calming words. She looked at Buffy, very much ashamed that she allowed the magic to posses her again. It was too much power, power she didn’t have control of.

“I’m so sorry,” Willow said, almost in tears. “I had to…”

“It’s OK,” Buffy assured her friend, “just as long as you were after the bad guy.”

“I met up with Justin Taylor,” Willow replied, a tear falling down her cheek. “He sorta seemed nice, but he was a vampire. He said so himself. I had to do it, he’s a vampire and all.”

“It’s OK now,” Buffy repeated. “Everything’s OK now.”

Willow glanced around and new that although her friend meant well, they were in fact not OK. She had destroyed a Gargoyle and it appeared that several of its siblings were there waiting patiently to their revenge.

“Buff,” Willow said, alerting her friend to their foes. “Those statues…”

“Very cool…those would be sorta cool at my house. Kinda gothicy, but cool.”

“Buffy, they’re bad guys,” Willow explained. Just to prove her correct, the Gargoyles moved wielding weapons or bearing their claws. “And I think I pissed them off.”

“Oh.”

Buffy scoped the situation and found that one Slayer, one drained witch versus four…no five Gargoyles presented a problem. The blonde sighed and prepared herself for battle.

“Is this anything like getting stoned?” Buffy wondered aloud, staring them down. “Cause I’m a ‘Just say no’ kinda girl.”

“That would be witty,” a voice said from behind one of the Gargoyles. “If it weren’t so stupid?”

“Who said that?” Buffy asked.

“My name is Matt of the Kinney brood,” the vampire said, glancing at both women. “You’re fortunate that I found you. My Sire has been looking for you since you came into town.”

“That’s funny,” Buffy snickered. “Vampires don’t usually go looking for Slayers.”

“I guess it’s not funny since I’m not looking for you,” Matt replied, turning his attention from Buffy to Willow. “Although the Prince does care to meet with the Slayer, his wish is to meet with the powerful one.”

“Maybe another time,” Buffy answered for her friend. “On our own terms. You’d think he’d want to wait after Will just kicked the Prince’s ass.”

“You did what to the Princess?” Matt asked, eyeing the Toreador Headquarters.

“Kicked his ass,” Buffy repeated.

“Unlikely,” Matt sneered, snapping his fingers and bringing the Gargoyles to attention. “But I’m afraid you misunderstood me. I’m not giving you a choice. You can walk to meet with the Prince and your whelp, Spike, or the Gargoyles can drag your beaten bodies to his Majesty.”

Buffy looked to Willow and nodded her head.

“Well after some consideration, we think we’ll walk.”

****

Lindsay and Mel packed their bags, quieting their son from time to time. They weren’t sure how they’d get out of the Loft, but their plan was to do the only thing they could think of…lie.

“It’s the only way,” Mel whispered, seeing Lindsay struggle with the decision to remove Gus from his father. “This place is a death trap.”

“I know,” Lindsay quietly replied. “I just…”

“I know,” Mel assured her, zipping up her suitcase. “I have family in Chicago and from what that guard said the Tremere control the city. We get to be protected and not have Brian’s drama surrounding us at all times.”

“I know,” Lindsay sighed. “But my new job…”

“Justin will put in a good word with the Toreador in Chicago,” Mel guaranteed her partner. “We’ll both have jobs. Honestly, I don’t think I’d want to pass up the position at the new firm either way.”

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Lindsay replied, slinging her suitcase over her shoulder.

Mel kissed her partner and smiled. She opened the front door to their loft and stopped in their tracks.

“Going somewhere?” Ulugh asked, looking very unpleased with the women. “If you are I hope you’ve informed my son.”

****

“Brian is everything,” Michael told Ted and Emmett. He was glad that his mother was gone, but he wished his friends saw what he did in his sire. “And there’s something special about being so close to him. We have the same blood in us now.”

“The only benefit I see is financial,” Ted said, his face planted in an accounting books. “The amount he’s letting me borrow for the site is unreal.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Em questioned. “He’s big fan of fucking.”

“He’s just a big fan of money,” Ted added.

“But he’s still an asshole,” Em said, to which Ted could only agree. “Sadly, he’s as proud of that as he is his fucking.”

“He’ll never change,” Ted told the men. “Although I have to admit Justin’s changed him more than I thought anyone ever would.”

“Justin’s a spot in reality,” Michael barked.

“Justin’s spot just happens to be in his belly,” Em replied with a raised eyebrow. “And as much as I love you, Mikey, there’s no way that you can compete with Justin, let alone that bump in his belly.”

“Like hell,” Michael said with a low growl that got both of his friend’s attention. “Justin’s history and Brian will never take him back.”

****

Brian rubbed against Justin’s plump stomach as slipped in and out of his mate. It was like he had been waiting forever to be inside of Justin and now that he was, he was in ecstasy. He had to slow himself down on more than one occasion and it didn’t help that Justin kept pushing his butt back, wanting more. Brian reveled in rubbing Justin and occasionally licking his lover’s neck. His favorite was to take a taste from Justin’s neck, but he had to be careful. Justin needed the energy…there was more sex to be had.

They had tried many different positions, but found that the only way that worked was on their side. Both wanted to try a different position the second time around, but without Regillio to Obfuscate Justin’s belly, they’d had to resign to the same position twice. Brian never thought he’d ever do that, but there was always a first time for everything…well almost everything.

“Oh Brian!”

“Is this common?” Spike asked, flipping down a pair of jacks.

“This is nothing,” Cash replied, putting down three queens and collecting the few dollars they had bet. “You should have seen them before Justin was pregnant. Talk about fucking constantly. I got a hard on more than one and I’m not even gay.”

“Hot blokes ‘ve been known to do that.”

“You’re queer?”

“Depends on the bloke,” Spike replied with a grin. “But don’t fret mate, you’re not me style.”

“Let’s hope not,” Cash chuckled, glancing up when he saw Matt enter with Buffy and Spike. He looked towards the windows and saw Gargoyles perched outside ready to attack at any minute. However he wasn’t worried. He hadn’t met a person who could fight the likes of Bartox and the Sire of the Gargoyles was poised ready for anything that tried to harm his Lord and Master.

“It’s ‘bout time you showed up,” Spike said, tossing his cards on the table. “I was wondering when you’d arrive to the party.”

“You OK?” Buffy asked.

“Spot on,” Spike replied. “Hey Red. Heard you caused a ruckus.”

“Just a little one.”

“So where’s this Prince?” Buffy asked.

Justin groaned as Brian picked up his pace. He had wanted it, but every time he pushed back Brian tried to slow him down. Justin didn’t know how much he missed his lover until he was filled with Brian. 100% pure beef. Justin thought he almost felt his heart beat. Shoving his butt back, Brian hit the spot and Justin wailed, cumming and grunting with pleasure. He must have screamed loud, but it didn’t matter. He was home and everyone in the Loft should take notice.

“He sounds busy,” Buffy surmised.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Spike laughed.

“Maybe we should reschedule,” Willow suggested. “We’re open next Thursday.”

“That’s not necessary,” Brian said, strolling into the main room. “I think it’s time for us to get acquainted.”

“I think I’d like to get acquainted,” Spike thought.

“I think you’re like way hot,” Buffy thought.

“I think,” Willow mused in her head, staring at Brian. “Who the hell is this guy?