William's Mistake

Distribution: Eventually at the Vamps N Slayers site, immediately at the Egroups archive. Any archives associated with any lists I'm sending to are also welcome to the fic. Anyone else who has been given previous permission for my fics, my archive this one as well. If you don't have previous permission, ask before archiving. I'll always say yes, I just like to know where my fic is.

Summary: Darla feels the need to separate Angelus from his new childe, not liking how close they are getting. While she and Angelus are away for the evening, something happens that could drive a wedge between Angelus and William without Darla's help at all.

Dedications: To Dru for all her wonderful encouragement with this series. To my other wonderful beta's at the BTVS_Angel_MatureFanfic_Beta group, you guys rock!

Darla was moody. Something was clearly irritating her. Angelus sensed it, William sensed it; even Drusilla sensed it. But when Angelus would ask what was bothering her, she’d ignore or dodge the question. Angelus had come to the conclusion that his sire just didn’t understand what was bothering her yet. So he waited, impatiently, for her to figure it out and clue him in on it.

*She’s more restless than before* Angelus thought, as he watched her through half-closed eyes. It was hours before sunset; he wanted to sleep. But Darla was up and pacing, and he couldn’t sleep. If she was upset about something, he felt it. He sensed it in the very core of his being. So if she was awake and miserable, he was too.

They were still in London, she’d refused his offer to take them to Paris. He knew her reasons for that; she put a lot of stock in Drusilla’s visions. She was right to do so, as they always came true. The ones they couldn’t decipher when she revealed them always made sense after the events about which they’d been warning. So as much as Angelus tried, he couldn’t convince Darla that it would be safe to go to Paris.

He wondered now if that was the cause for her irritation and restlessness. He knew she was always happiest in Paris. *Perhaps she resents being unable to return, kept away by one of my childer?* He sighed and gave up on the pretense of sleep. He sat up in bed and leaned against the headboard.

Darla heard his sigh and winced. She’d been hoping for some time to think, without his watching her like a hawk. She knew he had sensed her bad mood for the past few days. She also knew he didn’t realize the reason for it. At first she’d not really known herself what was bothering her, but she’d honed in on the cause recently. His affection for William, his doting on the boy, was starting to be quite a problem. He’d arranged for William to have his own room, and since then he’d spent at least two nights a week in bed with William. Two nights a week too many, as far as Darla was concerned.

He’d not shown this much interest in either Penn or Drusilla, so this difference didn’t bode well for Darla. She feared his attention paid to the young William was partially as a result of having grown bored with her. And she wouldn’t allow that to happen. She and Angelus had been the perfect pair for far too long for one of his childer to get in the way of that now.

Ever since she came to this conclusion about the dangers William posed for her, she’d spent every waking moment deep in thought. She had to come up with a way to put some distance between Angelus and his new favorite childe. She finally thought of a plan earlier today. She simply needed a little time alone with Angelus to remind him of the importance of what they shared. She would convince him to go hunting alone with her, tonight. The way it used to be.

She had hoped he would sleep until sunset however, so she could perfect her excuse for them going off alone together, but apparently that wouldn't happen. She hated that her moods affected him so. She turned and smiled at him, walking over to the bed. She crawled up to him, and said, "I’m sorry, Darling." She let him pull her into his arms and leaned back against his chest. "I didn’t mean to keep you from your rest."

She tried to come up with an answer, one that wouldn’t make her sound jealous or desperate. She also didn’t want her proposal that they go hunting together to sound like an order. Her boy was a proud creature and she’d always walked a fine line in her control of him.

Darla was silent for so long he gave up on an answer. He opened his mouth to try another way to get her to open up, when she turned around. She knelt between his legs and looked at him closely, as if she were trying to decide how to say something. He waited, silently.

"I’m just restless," she said. "I need a change, Angelus. I’m growing tired of the same old hunt-and-kill in the alleyways. I heard there is a masquerade ball in town tonight, so let’s go. It's been so long since we've done that, hunting in full view of the humans, without them noticing a thing, seducing and killing as only we do best. Of course it would have to be just the two of us, you know we can't depend on Drusilla to be stable for something so public..." She trailed off, hoping he wouldn't question the excuse to leave the younger vampires behind tonight.

Angelus smiled when he saw the gleam in her eyes. He hadn’t seen her this interested in anything in days, and couldn't deny her this request. "I would love to go to the ball with you, My Love," he replied. "It sounds like a truly enjoyable way to spend the evening. But can we get some sleep until sunset?" he asked.

Darla smiled. She was relieved it had been so easy to get Angelus to agree. "Yes, we need to rest," she agreed. He lay on his back and she curled up next to him.

William rose from bed and went into Drusilla’s room. They were becoming close, he really was growing quite fond of her. She was intriguing to him, her childishness almost hid her ability to read people so well. He’d noticed it though, the way he’d look over at her to see her knowing smile fixed on him; it was those occasions that he had caught himself gazing at his sire. When he saw that look in her eyes, he knew what he was starting to accept slowly himself: he was growing quite fond of Angelus as well as Drusilla.

He stood in Dru’s doorway and watched her getting her dolls organized. He’d grown accustomed to her routine. Before she went to bed, she put her dolls on the shelf. When she rose, though, she’d take them off the shelf and sit them on her bed, resting against the headboard. She’d told him once that they liked to see the door, to watch for her return from the hunt. He’d just smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

She looked up at him now and smiled and he felt that comforting warmth that filled him when he was near her. As much as he cared for Angelus, he felt like he had a chance at something more special and lasting with Drusilla. He made no attempts to kid himself about what he and Angelus had. They’d never have anything more than a few nights a week when Angelus needed something he couldn’t get from Darla: a sense of control. This didn’t bother William, either, he played the willing submissive because Angelus had never been cruel, but rather affectionate with him.

Drusilla, though, needed him. At least she acted that way. William liked that. No woman in his life had ever treated him as anything other than a nuisance. Except his mother, but she didn’t count. Dru was so innocent, he found himself wanting to protect her from anything that threatened her. He didn’t see a time coming when he would become bored with her, either. He hoped the same went for her interest in him.

Drusilla walked over to her William. "Too loud," she said, tapping his head, "I can hear the clashes in your pretty head, but I can’t understand them. Why do you feel so pulled in two?" She put her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest.

"I’m fine, Luv," he said as he put his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Not a thing to worry *your* pretty head about," he added.

Angelus walked down the hall to Drusilla’s room. He didn’t have to check in order to know that he’d find both his childer there. William had maintained his interest in Dru, which was fine with Angelus. It kept Drusilla less insane to have someone doting on her, which in turn made Angelus’ life much easier.

Besides, he’d never have been able to go out alone with Darla when it was just the three of them. Well, he could have, if he’d been willing to chain Dru up during their time away. Even that was too much of a risk, however, there was always the chance she would start raving and draw interested mortals to their home. Now with the addition of William to their family, though, there was no reason Angelus and Darla couldn’t leave Drusilla in his care.

He walked in to find Will sitting in a chair by the window, but Drusilla nowhere around. Will looked up at him and Angelus didn’t miss the way his boy’s face lit up. "Dru’s getting ready," he said.

"There’s been a change of plans," Angelus said. "Darla and I are going out, so I need you and Dru to stay here while we’re gone."

William was disappointed, but he turned away to keep Angelus from seeing it. While he didn’t mind spending time with Dru, he also loved the nightly family hunt. Especially since occasionally he and Angelus ended up alone as the women wandered off to lure off some unsuspecting young man.

Angelus sensed his childe’s disappointment. He walked over to Will and put a hand on his shoulder. "We’ll bring you two back some fresh young things, Will. But it’s important that you keep Dru inside until then. Trust me, you aren’t capable of controlling her if she slips into one of her states."

"Good," Angelus smiled. He looked over to see Drusilla had walked in. "Dru, Darla and I are going out for a while. Stay with Will, we’ll be back later." Drusilla nodded and went to play with her dolls. Angelus left then, convinced everything was under control.

"Luv, you KNOW what Angelus said," William sighed. It felt like they’d been arguing for hours and he was reaching the end of his rope. He’d never seen her like this, she was so unhappy. He didn’t like to see it, but he didn’t want to disobey their sire, either. He knew Angelus had been right, it was too dangerous to take Dru out without Angelus to help watch her.

"Dru!" He yelled when she flew out of the room. He tried to catch up with her, but she was fast. He chased her down the street, calling her name occasionally. It was no use, though, she had no intention of letting herself be caught. "Bloody hell," he muttered under his breath. *This is bad. So bad there aren’t words to explain it. If she does anything to reveal what she is to people, we’re in serious trouble.* Even if they did get out of this without being returned to the grave, Will knew that Angelus was going to be a problem.

His heart sank when he saw Drusilla run into a tavern three blocks away. He stopped short, not knowing what to do. He heard a scream then; it had most definitely not come from Dru. "MURDERER! SHE KILLED MY BABY! SHE’S A DEMON! A BLOODSUCKER!"

"Oh, hell. We’re dead," he moaned. Drusilla went running out of the tavern then, with a group of men chasing her. Will caught up with her and kept up with her this time. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down a side street. He was moving away from their house, but he knew that they couldn’t go anywhere near home until they’d lost the humans following them.

He looked over at Dru briefly, she was wild-eyed and he could sense her fear. "‘S’okay," he panted. "We’ll…be…fine."

They saw a horse and grabbed it to aid their escape. Drusilla sat in front of Will on the horse. He wasn’t sure how lucid she was and didn’t want her tumbling to the ground. He kicked the horse repeatedly in the flanks, trying to urge it faster as they sped out of town.

"The birds are falling," Drusilla said. "The tree wasn’t big enough for all of them and the cats are getting closer!" William just tightened his arm around Drusilla and tried to concentrate on getting them away from the angry mortals as quickly as possible.

Angelus and Darla spent three enjoyable hours at the masquerade ball. They’d left several dead bodies in rooms throughout the mansion of the host, those unfortunates who they had managed to seduce and lure to secluded places so they could feed together.

Finally, though, they were ready to go home. They walked back to their house at a leisurely pace, arms around each other’s waists. Darla was content, less worried about the situation with William. She’d decided Angelus had just needed something to remind him of what they had together. She was rather certain that she’d succeded in that, too.

They walked inside and upstairs to their room. "I told Will I’d bring them some humans to feed on," Angelus remembered then. "I’m just going to check on them, then run out for a few minutes, Love."

"I always am," Angelus replied with a smile. He walked over to kiss her passionately, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled away and chuckled when he saw her pout. "We’ll finish this later," he promised.

He walked out and down the hall to check on Drusilla first. Her room was empty. He wasn’t worried, though, assuming they were in William’s room. It was rare, but not unheard of. He walked to Will’s room and opened the door.

Darla jumped when she heard her boy’s angry shout. She walked toward the sound of his voice, quickening her pace when she heard a loud crash. She found him standing in William’s room, alone. "Angelus?"

"Gone. I can’t believe it, they’re gone!" Angelus yelled, as he turned to face her. "I told him to stay put!" He turned away from her again and grabbed a lamp. He threw it with all his strength against the wall, where it shattered and fell to the floor in pieces.

"WHAT!" he yelled. He spun around to face Darla, and caught the brief flash of fear in her eyes. He softened instantly. "Darla, Sire… I’m sorry." He sat on the edge of Will’s bed with a sigh, and stared at the floor. He’d never raised his voice to her before. He’d never wanted her to be afraid of him.

"I forgive you, Angelus," Darla replied. She knew he hadn’t meant it; he was just caught up in his anger. She walked over to him and he put his arms around her, resting his head against her stomach. She ran her fingers through his hair and said, "You’re angry with Will and Dru for disobeying you. I understand that. But unless you want to go out looking for them, there’s nothing we can do about it, until they return. So why don’t you come to bed? I can help you relieve some of that pent-up energy."

Angelus looked up at her. He saw nothing but lust in her expression and was surprised she still wanted him. He was also reminded of how hard he had been since they’d left the ball. Killing always made him aroused, and they had killed six mortals earlier that evening.

So in response to Darla’s suggestion, he rose to his feet and kissed her passionately. He backed her against the wall and ground his hips against hers. She growled and vamped out. Her fangs sliced into his lower lip, then she sucked at it, drinking the trickle of blood that seeped from the small wound. Angelus gripped her arms and growled in response. She winced and realized she’d have bruises for a few hours. She didn’t mind, however, she always enjoyed the more passionate encounters with her boy. She arched against him to increase the friction between their bodies.

Darla gasped when he moved a hand to squeeze her breast roughly. She pulled her mouth away. "I …need…you," she moaned. His rough treatment of her had been all she needed to fill her with the desperate need to have him inside her immediately. She needed to come so badly she could hardly think clearly.

Angelus smirked in response to her incoherent begging. He’d smelled her arousal and knew that she was already wet and very ready for him. He continued to grind against her and she begged him again. He pulled one of her legs up and she wrapped it around his waist. He slid his hand up her thigh, underneath her skirts and she said, "Yes, Angelus, gods, yes. Now. Don’t wait."

Angelus watched Darla’s facial expressions closely. He always enjoyed watching her when they were together, how lost in her desire she would become. He groaned when he felt her hand on his cock; he hadn’t even noticed her unbutton his pants. She stroked him gently and he hissed with pleasure. He bent to lick and nip her neck as his hand finally reached her sex. He trailed a finger between the lips of her cunt lightly, causing her to whimper in frustration. He grinned against her skin, and brushed his thumb over her clit.

Angelus growled, his knees almost buckling, when Darla gripped his cock tighter and began stroking it firmly. "Darla," he purred into her ear as he moved to suck on her earlobe. He continued to work her clit with his thumb as he kissed her again. He thrust his tongue into her mouth at the same time that he pushed two fingers into her slick entrance. This was enough to shatter Darla’s self-control. She came with a yell into Angelus’ mouth, her body shaking violently. If he hadn’t been pressed against her, she would have collapsed onto the floor.

When Darla recovered, finally, she opened her eyes and looked into Angelus’ smiling ones. She realized then that he hadn’t come, as she felt his still erect cock in her hand. She kissed him languidly as she began to stroke him again.

Angelus buried his hands in her hair as their tongues entwined. She knew his body so well, he was glad she’d never used that knowledge against him to torture him…too much. He buried his face in her neck and alternately licked and bit the skin over her jugular. He smiled when he heard her begin to pur in response.

Darla dropped to her knees and Angelus groaned as he braced himself against the wall with his hands. She rarely did this for him. "Darla!" he yelled when she deep-throated his cock, sucking forcefully. He felt his climax approaching swiftly. "Darla, I’m going to--" He felt a finger slide along between his ass cheeks and then inside. He came with a yell, spilling his seed into her mouth. It vaguely registered on him when she swallowed his semen, another thing she rarely did.

He helped her to her feet and kissed her tenderly, as they stood there for several minutes, trying to regain their composure.

"That you did, Darla," he agreed. "And now I need to go downstairs and wait for Dru and Will. If Dru ran off, she will be punished. Insane or not, there is no excuse for that behavior. She knows the importance of keeping what we are a secret, even if she knows little else."

"Then my boy needs to be disciplined, as well," Angelus said. "He disobeyed a very clear, direct order and I won’t tolerate that."

Darla nodded, trying not to show how thrilled she was that this new favorite of Angelus’ was likely to be punished. Perhaps she wouldn’t need to worry about William and Angelus getting too close, after all. "I’ll go downstairs with you, Angelus." He took her hand and they walked down to the living room together.