Title: Total Eclipse: Angelus Ascendant Series: Part Seven
Author: Buffywatcher
Feedback: Constructive comments always welcome: [email protected]
Pairing: Primarily Angel(us)/Spike
Rating: R Possibly a bit of romantic NC-17’ish circumstances.
Spoilers: None this story takes place in an AU setting and will pretty much
ignore the current season of Angel.
Warnings: This story will contain instances of extreme violence, sexuality and
character deaths.
Disclaimer: Just borrowing them for a bit of harmless fun. All characters,
recognisable likenesses are retained by their owner and accredited license
holders.
Writer’s
Notes: This story takes place in an AU setting and
includes a scene challenge posted by Angela with some minor artistic changes.
Connor has been born, Spike has his soul and isn’t chipped as well and Angel
and the LA Gang have taken over the running of Wolfram & Hart. However the
incident with the first has not taken place and Buffy died and has been resurrected.
As always thanks are going out to GF, MarieC, Luba, and Mera my most excellent
group of Beta/Editors. Very special thanks to Mera, she got in on the ground
floor on this one and chimed in with some big assistance so dedicating this one
to her.
Distribution: If I’ve already been given permission to archive my work please
consider it yours if you want it. If I haven’t and you would like to archive it
please do, all I ask is that you email me and tell me where it’s going so I can
visit J.
Summary: The Powers That Be offer to release Angel from his destiny as a
Champion but they make a critical error that may well doom their cause forever.
*
Spike nestles against the reassuring strength
of his Sire and looks up at the moon. He feels a gentle hand in his hair and
smiles, turning his eyes from the moon and back to the far more handsome sight
beneath him.
“We’ve been glossing over the subject of
Drusilla. Are you mad at me for dusting her?” Angelus asks quietly.
“Dru created me Angelus, I couldn’t do anything
but love her; it was in the
blood. I won’t lie and deny that I loved her but I do know it wasn’t strictly a
love of my choosing. After you were gone, she was all that I had left of you.
Even after all of the years fell away her blood still tasted of you; Angelus. Did I want her or did I
want that piece of you that lingered in her? She was barmy, right out of her
gourd but she was the Childe of Angelus and I never liked to be alone. She
stood there and let you stake her Angelus, I’ll never believe that she would
have met that fate so quietly if it hadn’t have been what she wanted. Dru was
lost without you. It was always Daddy this and Daddy that and in the end I
think her “Daddy” gave her what she’d been looking for all along. She stood by
your side when you were on your insane “suck the world into Hell” and end it
all rampage. She wanted everything to end Angelus. Now it has, for her at
least. Hopefully whatever kind spirits there are will look on her with mercy
and let the part of her that was once pure rest peacefully.” Spike replies just
as quietly.
“She loved you William, she always loved you,
and it’s why she sired you.”
“No,
she did that so that you wouldn’t.”
Angelus jerks in surprise. “What does that
mean?”
“Drusilla always had an uncanny knack for
seeing events as they would unfold, Angelus, do you think she would have failed
to see THIS…” Spike motions
between them. “…Outcome
as well?” Spike looks down at Angelus and sees an intrigued glimmer in
his eyes. “What would have happened if you had found me first, before Dru had
chosen me?”
Understanding dawns in those
beautiful brown eyes. “I would have sired you
eventually.” Angelus says with absolutely no hesitation.
“If you had sired me?” Spike prompts.
“I…I would have forgotten about Dru. You would
have been all I could see.”
“You were so furious that she had sired me, we
fought constantly for how many years?”
“Too many years.” Angelus strokes the diamond perfection of Spike’s cheek. “And it always
seemed to be that Dru always had a hand in our fighting. We never fought when
it was she wasn’t around.”
“She made sure we fought, Mate. That and your
determination to be the right proper Demon,
we were constantly at odds. She told me that you offered to let us leave
Sunnydale back in the day. Did you know then that she wouldn’t go?”
“I wanted to order her too but there was no
strength behind me then divided as I was.”
“She wouldn’t have left, Pet. Then I was hurt
and we couldn’t…then your soul took a siesta. Face it Mate things happened how
they happened. I’m not angry about Dru and let’s leave it at that? However we
came to be here is good enough for me. Not going to get bogged down by the how
and why of it all. It’s enough just to be ‘ere.” Spike leans down and presses
his lips to Angelus’ in a soft nibbling kiss.
Angelus squeezes his lover before carefully
sitting up. “We should have Giles look for Prophecies of an impending Apocalypse.”
He says sifting through the pile of clothing and tosses Spike his pants while
grabbing his own.
“Not another bloody end of the world gig! I was
finally gonna blow this buggered shit hole!” Spike growls pulling his pants on
but not buttoning them.
Angelus leans over again and lifts Spike’s silk
T-shirt and briefly enjoys the
feel of it between his hands before tossing it to his lover and pulling on his
own cashmere sweater.
Spike smiles his thanks and pulls the shirt on,
smoothing it over his chest and wiggling a bit until it’s sitting just right on
his form.
“Fuck!” Angelus growls heatedly, causing
Spike’s head to fly up in shock and look around in confusion. “The only thing
as sexy as ripping your clothes off,
is watching you put them back on.”
Spike chuckles and shakes his head in
exasperation as he catches one boot then the other and sits on a tombstone and
pulls them on. He hops up to tuck his T-shirt
in and deftly buttons up the leather pants with a graceful fluttering of his
fingertips. He smoothes his hands up his thighs straightening the creases in
the leather until it flows over his form like liquid sin. He looks up to see
Angelus holding up his vest and he bows as gallantly as any Victorian fop of
the day and turns his back and sighs as Angelus slides the vest up his arms
slowly. He shivers as those powerful arms that could so easily break him in two
embrace him gently from behind as Angelus closes the three belts and buckles
that tailor the vest to his stomach.
Angelus sighs as Spike turns in his arms and
lays his head against his chest, looking up at him with an expression of such love and trust it’s almost enough to cause his dead heart to
beat.
“What will we do when we leave here Angelus?”
“I’ve got a realtor in LA scouting out some possible homes for us that will meet the
criteria we need. I’ve decided that I’m going to turn the running of Wolfram
& Hart to Wesley. I don’t want you and the children exposed to that place.
I’ve been thinking of reopening an investigations business. I haven’t felt like
I’m making a difference running Wolfram & Hart.”
“What about the Powers That Be?”
“No, I’m done being manipulated. We’ll make our
own way, on our own terms.”
“You’re going to tell the Powers That Be to get
stuffed?” Spike says with an astonished laugh.
“If they won’t agree to my terms yes.” Angelus
says honestly.
“And what terms would those be?”
“They can stuff their Shanshu Prophecy up their collective behinds
for one. When you told Wesley what you did, about not really wanting to be
human and why, I find I agree with you. All of the misery in my existence has
come almost as a direct result of wanting to be something I’m not. I don’t feel
a need to bathe the soil of
“I doubt it’s going to be as easy as saying I
quit, Peaches. It’s never that easy with these “damn different plane of
existence” buggers.”
“We’ll handle that when we get to it. We
haven’t come this far to be separated now. If I have to defy Heaven and Hell so
be it.” Angelus leans down and catches his Mate’s mouth in a slow kiss.
“Well if it’s not Mr. and Mrs. Angelus. Out for
a moonlight stroll; how sweet.”
A sneering voice intrudes from the shadows.
Angelus ignores Buffy and leans down and grabs
their coats. He slips his on and holds up Spike’s for him to slip into and
takes his hand. “What my Mate and I do is of no concern of yours Slayer.” He
says offhandedly.
Spike makes a decision and slides his arm from
around Angelus and glances at him, passing a silent message before turning and
leaving without a word.
As soon as he’s gone, Buffy throws herself at Angelus, rubbing against him like an
alley cat. He peels her off with a grimace tossing her aside with a disgusted
sneer. “I’d appreciate it if you never did that again.”
“Come off it, Angelus. You’re little slut’s
gone so you can drop the act. We both know you want me not Spike.” Buffy says
starting to unbutton her shirt.
“Whatever gave you that idea?” Angelus says,
startled into laughter by the absurdity of that statement. “What could a little
girl like you possibly have to offer me? I meant what I said Buffy. I didn’t
come back insane THIS time. I came back for Spike and I’ve got him.” Angelus
says with a cold smile. “He’ll be coming back to LA with me when I leave, as are Andrew and Xander. I have a
realtor scouting properties as we speak.”
“Spike will never leave me Angelus, you’re
fooling yourself! Spike never leaves me until I tell him to go!”
“Wrong LITTLE GIRL, Spike stayed because he
wanted to. Now he doesn’t. His place is with me. It’s always been with me.”
“Until you get your soul back and he comes
crawling back to me.” She says with a sneer.
“I can’t get back what I haven’t lost girly.”
Angelus turns and leaves without another word, stopping under the shade of a
large tree several yards away and holds put his hand. Spike steps from the shadows
and takes his hand, following Angelus as they vanish into the night.
Buffy stares after them, her eyes locked on
their clasped hands, not really sure which one she wants to scream at not to
leave her. In the end she does nothing but stare. In the end they always come
back to her. This time will be no different she knows as she turns the opposite
direction and heads for home.
Spike plants his feet and uses their joined
hands to stop Angelus. “I’ve been thinking. Get that look off your face, I do
think occasionally.” Spike says with a chuckle as Angelus feigns a look of
surprise at his announcement.
“I know you do, Wil. I don’t really understand
why you want everyone to think you’re less than you are though. I’ve never
really understood that. Do any of them even have a clue that you were attending
“You’ve heard the old saying; that it’s better
to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven?” Angelus nods. “Sometimes it’s better
to be pitied for what people think you are than to be ridiculed for what you
really are. I projected what I wanted them to see and it was so easy to do
because it’s what they expected to see. I could have killed the Slayer and her
friends one hundred and twenty seven times over the years that I’ve been here.
I know I counted each and every one. They underestimate me by design Angelus.
If a wolf wants to be invited among the sheep he’ll never do it by acting like
one. They’ll always be watching, always be on their guard, but if you growl
just enough to remind them what dwells in their midst then refuse to take the
obvious chances…”
“Then they start to trust the wolf and he gets
his one good day.” Angelus both thrills and shivers at the knowledge of just
how big a chance Buffy and her friends had taken. He even admits to being a
little ashamed as he too had been guilty of underestimating the diabolically
clever blond. Perhaps his lapse is even more inexcusable as unlike Buffy and
her friends, he does know what Spike is capable of and he allowed himself to be
fooled by the ruse. “Remind me to never piss you off.”
“If all it took was you pissing me off, one of
us would have killed the other long ago. We may piss each other off, probably
with alarming regularity, but I’m not overly concerned. We’ve had stakes
pressed to each other’s hearts, how many times now? We always stopped before
that last line was crossed and we’ve always found ways to keep anyone else from
crossing it too.” Spike replies. “Do you really think the Powers That Be will
release you?”
After a few seconds Angelus reluctantly shakes
his head. “I could try to ignore them,
but they have their ways to convince me to do what they want.”
“Then why don’t we seek the advice of whatever
Powers That Be that maintains the balance between them? There must be someone
or something that can be invoked?” Spike suggests. “We know there are Demons
and Oracles that serve as the conduits for whatever Hell or Heaven born Powers.
Surely there must be someone that even THEY have to answer to, laws and rules
that they cannot break or customs they cannot thwart. I say we find them.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to start.” Angelus
says uncertainly.
“You start at the beginning Angelus, that is
always the start of any journey.” A nondescript man dressed in wrinkled beige
chinos and a glaringly bright Hawaiian shirt seems to appear out of no where.
“WHISTLER?” Angelus shouts shocked to see him.
“Long time no see Angelus. We were starting to
worry that you would never reach this point. Hello there, you must be Spike.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about you. I’m Whistler.” Spike nods a hello as Angelus finally recovers from the shock.
“Whistler what are you doing here
and who is ‘We’?”
“William there was quite correct in nearly
everything he said. There is indeed a third “Higher” Power if you will that
maintains the balance of forces between light and dark. I am representative of
said organisation. Our numbers
are few; very few meet our special requirements.”
“And what are the special requirements?” Spike
asks arching his brow.
“Balance dear William.” Whistler says simply.
He grins as Spike curls his lip in response to the endearment and Angelus wraps
an arm around his shoulders and pulls him closer to his side, scowling darkly.
“Down boy, I’m not going to be snacking on your Little One. Balance William
sounds very simple in theory but in practice it is the hardest of things to
achieve. Angelus and you are the first to meet our requirements in over two
thousand years. You both have achieved a balance never before attained by any
of your kind. We have been watching you both for a very long time. You’re
finally ready to decide if you want what we have to offer you.”
“And that would be?” Angelus says cautiously.
“All the shades of grey Angelus, all the shades of grey. You come to work for us and you help people like you were before.
You’ll be a force for balance, evil can wear a human face as well as a demonic
one and a Demon can hide the
face of an angel. We don’t believe in absolutes, we deal in possibility. Make
no mistake I am not offering you an easy road to walk by any means. Sometimes
hard decisions have to be made that can be very difficult. Could you kill a man
in cold blood if you knew by doing so you could save dozens of lives? Could you
influence someone to make sure they’re where they need to be to avert some
imbalance that would tip the scales too far towards one side or the other?”
Whistler sees the look of suspicion on Angelus’ face. “Yes, Angelus that is
what I did for you. I had to make sure that you would be where you needed to be
at the proper time. We don’t care about the game of one-upmanship that the
‘Higher’ and ‘Lower’ forces play; our job is to make sure this big blue marble
we all live on keeps turning.”
“So we sign up and then what? We won’t end up
as bloody humans will we?” Spike says with a grimace
of such extreme distaste that Whistler has to laugh.
“We’re not looking to change either of you.
You’re Vampires and that comes with a pretty nifty set of attributes that will
serve you well. You’re both equal parts of light and dark and you’ve learned to
balance your Demons with your
humanity. Your compassion tempers your cruelty, the whole balance thing again.”
“So we’d be getting a seer then?” Angelus looks
a bit uncomfortable at the thought.
Whistler laughs and holds out a pair of pagers.
“We find these works just as well.”
“What happens if we decide we’d rather not work
for you?” Spike asks.
“Then you tell us and we pick up the pagers. I
should tell you though that if you do accept there won’t be any going back.
Working for us will make you both…unacceptable to the other Powers. You will no
longer be suitably malleable for their machinations. We’re offering you a
chance to put your destiny back in your hands Angelus and safeguard your Mate
in the process.” Whistler says frankly.
“What is that suppose to mean?” Both men demand
in tandem, snarling and baring their fangs as their eyes flash amber gold.
“The Childe follows in the Sire’s footsteps.”
Whistler says quietly and both Vampires react with another snarl. “The same
qualities that brought you to the attentions of the Upper AND Lower Powers,
your protégé and Mate also possesses. It is just a matter of time until he will
garner their personal attentions as you have for so long. I have no doubt it
has already started, though in ways too subtle to be consciously perceived at this
time. That will change. We can protect you both but you stand on the edge of
the chasm and I cannot push you or manipulate you into jumping. That is not our
way. I can only ask. I consider you a friend Angelus so I am going to tell you
that the camps are aligning and the people close to you are not immune to being
influenced. This will be no easier road to walk Angelus, William. But if you
walk it, it will be by choice, freely entered into.”
Angelus tightens his arm around Spike and turns
his head and finds the cerulean blue pools he knew would be waiting there. The
blood ties between them have never been stronger, their emotions and thoughts
flitting back and forth almost at will. As one they turn their gazes back to
Whistler and reach out in tandem and take the pagers he’s holding out and slip
them into their jacket pockets.
“I don’t suppose we’ll be getting a cosy little set up like Wolfram &
Hart.” Spike says with an amused smirk.
Whistler looks between the two Vampires and
slowly shakes his head. “Everything you need, you already have.” The two
Vampires lock gazes for a moment then nod in unison turning their eyes back to
Whistler. “Your lives are your own from this time on as are your destinies. We
are not called to intercede often so I imagine you will enjoy the chance to
have actual lives.”
“What of our family?” Angelus quietly demands.
“A gift from us. As you two have mated, you have in essence formed a bloodline, one that
could be very useful to our cause, so our protection will extend to them as
well. You are both unique; you seem to foster a sense of balance in people that
straddle the fence between the light and the dark. Your young Andrew and Mr.
Harris are a good example of this. Both have such potential for darkness yet
they choose to walk a path somewhere between them both. In time they may reach
the level that you have achieved together and perhaps I will be back to talk to
them as well. For now however we’ll see to it that they
considered…unacceptable by the Powers that have tried to manipulate you.
I must warn you. They will not be pleased with this turn of events and while
they cannot directly interfere with you any longer, they can still manipulate
others to do it for them. You will know others like us when you meet, know that
you can trust all implicitly.”
“So does this mean we can opt out of the
apocalypse of the week club?” Spike says with a laugh.
“Well yes and no, how’s that for a decisive
answer?” Whistler says with a smirk of his own. “There are times when we must
intercede to prevent an apocalypse from occurring that would shift the balance
of power too much to one side or the other. You have both in your times served
such a purpose by our design, Spike you in particular seem to have been very
effective at that. There is a unique symmetry in your lives and the Powers
sought to use that to their advantage. When your Demon was freed, their agent was waiting Angelus.”
“Drusilla.” Angelus and Spike intone together.
“Yes and the Higher Powers had sent their own
champion to try and stop you from fulfilling the plan Drusilla had planted in
your mind.”
“The Slayer.” Again the Vampires speak in unison.
“Fortunately for us the symmetry that you share
with William was again in force. He allied with the Slayer and events were set
into motion that not only prevented an apocalypse but also saw to it that the
Lower Powers’ agent was removed. When Spike took Drusilla and left, he removed
her influence and your destiny was once more set to rights, for a while at
least.”
“You were the ones that pulled me out of Hell
again and dropped me here, weren’t you?” Angelus suddenly blurts out.
“Yes, we were responsible for that and boy was
there ever some steamed Powers THAT night I can tell you! They had their own
plans for you and re effectively derailed them by returning you here. You have
become quite a favourite subject
in their sick little games of tug and war Angelus. This business with Wolfram
& Hart, that was quite insidious and may have worked in time. I shouldn’t
tell you this but that idea you had to leave the running of Wolfram & Hart
to Wesley is a VERY good idea.” Whistler looks on in sympathy as Angelus closes
his eyes with a pained wince. When they open again resignation and
understanding have replaced the pain and he silently nods. Whistler nods back,
glad that Angelus has understood his words for the warning that they were. “I
should be getting on, places to be and people to see.”
“Thank you for this Whistler.” Angelus says
sincerely, inclining his head subtly towards the strangely quiet blond at his
side.
“No thanks are necessary Angelus, you earned
it, both of you did. Remember this path is a choice. If you want to retire then
there will be no hard feelings but I hope you hang around. Things are starting
to look real interesting in the Powers business these days. The two of you are
going to shake a lot of trees.” Whistler laughs delightedly. “I can’t wait to
see what falls out!” Without another word the strange man turns and is soon
lost to even their superior eyesight, as suddenly as he appeared he is gone.
Angelus looks down at Spike and
catches a strange expression on his face;
that is a curious mixture of excitement, horror, and nausea. “Are you alright Wil?”
“I can’t believe I just signed on as a bloody
hero. What is my unlife coming to?!” He mutters finally forcing the words past paralysed vocal cords.
Angelus can’t help it he has to laugh at the
look on his Mate’s face.
“Oh bugger off you bloody white hat NIT! I’m
gonna go get roaring pissed!” Spike snorts with disgust and turns on his heel
and stalks away, determined to find the closest bar.
Still laughing Angelus follows, trying to
comfort his Mate in his own unique way. “Well you won’t have to wear hero
tights Wil. Though the hat has some definite possibilities.”
He roars with laughter as Spike doesn’t turn around just makes an obscene
gesture over his shoulder.
Suddenly he stops and pivots to look over his
shoulder with a devilish gleam in his eyes that has Angelus’ steps faltering.
He shivers as Spike runs his gaze over him in a slow sweep; his blue eyes have
darkened with an amber glow that causes them to shine faintly in the moonlight.
The corner of his mouth tilts upward in a wicked half-grin. “Definite
possibilities.”
Angelus starts to grin and charges his Mate
with a whoop of delight, tossing the laughing Spike over his shoulder and
jogging out of the cemetery.
“Put me down you raging nutter! This isn’t too
dignified ya know blighter!” Spike says laughing and trying to wiggle free but
Angelus’ hold is like a steel band around his thighs.
“You should be use to that Wil.” Angelus says
slapping that tempting leather covered treat hanging so temptingly over his
shoulder. “I wonder where we can buy a hat at this time of the night…”
TBC