Still Ensouled 19

The Adventures of Captain Peroxide and Deadboy

The Angel/Spike Zone of the BtVS Writer's Guild

Chapter XIX - Written in Stone

He had made Wesley drive. The thought of trying to concentrate was beyond him now. Angel’s every thought was of the body that now lay in the Wolfram and Hart vaults. A child born of two vampires, it was a rare thing, a valuable thing. Angel knew his son’s worth more than any other, he also knew it was the price he had to pay. And he would pay it, but not yet. Now it was time to do his job and save the day, even if it meant giving the glory to others, he was here to serve his purpose.

Wesley was here because he wanted his car back.

They had pulled onto Rivelo Drive just after ten o’clock, although the sky still shone pale as the last rays of the summer sun drifted into the Western Hemisphere. Angel was stiff from crouching under a blanket most of the way up the coast and made his way out of the car slowly.

Giles greeted them at the door and with very little in the way of greeting let them in. Buffy and Spike were nowhere to be seen, although Dawn’s squealing and hugs filled any gaps in conversation that might have taken place. After calming her a bit and quick hugs to Willow and Faith they got down to the reason for their trip.

"Where’s my car?" Wesley asked.

"Car?" Giles asked. "Do you mean that gas-guzzling SUV that Spike was driving?"

"I assure you it is as efficient a...a" He paused realizing he had slipped into watcher-voice in Giles’s presence. "As efficient a gas guzzling SUV as you’ll find. I would like it back."

"Spike just left an hour or so ago. He said he was going to go check on the Vineyard and make sure there’s no activity there."

"And he took my car?" Wesley asked.

"Wes, change the record, you did loan it to him." Angel said.

"Right, right. Where should we be? I mean in a helping capacity?"

"I guess that depends on what you have to offer. Buffy is on a reconnaissance mission of sorts, trying to find more on a weapon she recently acquired." Giles stopped to take a breath. "Oh god, now I’m doing it." He and Wesley shared a smile.

"I think we’re a bad influence on each other." Wesley laughed.

"Sorry to break up this tweed-clad moment, but Buffy?"

"Yes, she was looking for a pagan temple on unconsecrated ground. We think there may be answers there."

"Or trouble? She went alone?" Angel asked a bit frustrated to see Faith sitting on the couch while Buffy was patrolling alone.

"She’s alone, but Angel you of all people should know she’s not helpless."

"No, you’re right, but looking around here I see quite a few people that aren’t helpless, and none of you are without damage." He took his keys from Wesley’s hand and opened the door. "I’m going to find her. Giles, catch Wesley up, and try to call Spike. Make sure he’s all right alone."

The Vineyard had been as quiet as could be expected, a few bringers, but no real concentration beyond the norm. Spike hadn’t lingered. He’d spent enough time in Sunnydale to know there weren’t a lot of tombs on unconsecrated land lying around. Of course, this town was so demon-weary there weren’t a lot of ice cream shops on unconsecrated ground.

He had made his way into the temple quietly enough. He found a long tunnel that led deep into the hills that housed it and followed it until there was no longer torchlight showing the way. The markings on the walls were in a language that resembled hieroglyphics. Spike wasn’t exactly an expert, but his years with Angelus had been filled with plenty of study, and languages had been at the top of his list. "If you can’t read the words, or at least speak them, how will you know an enemy when you meet him?" Angelus’ voice echoed in his ears even a century later. "How will you know how to defeat them?"

Spike rubbed his fingers over the indentations and tried to remember what the glyphs meant. "Whm ‘an." He whispered to himself. "He who repeats life."

"b;n ’ah, no that’s not it...b; nhy. Yes. Living soul. Not so dumb after all." He said quietly to himself.

Spike brushed away a layer of dust and stared at the next symbol for several minutes trying to make his brain remember the texts he had read so long ago. "hrw nfr-ni ‘im" He continued. "The day on which it went well for me." He read quickly, passing over glyphs he did not recognize until one grouping stopped his fingers cold.

"Whm ‘nh ra." He read. The symbols for resurrection of the sun. All of a sudden he found himself wishing he didn’t know how to read anything other than the English he knew in childhood. He stopped his reading and leaned against the wall trying to put the pieces together. "So many to bury, so many to burn." He said aloud.

"Now, don’t you go and start thinking on me." A voice said, startling him out of his reverie. He whipped around to see Buffy standing next to him.

"Right, can’t have that." Spike said through gritted teeth. "Now bugger off."

"Spike, is that any way to talk to the woman you love?" The apparition taunted him.

"Don’t you have anything better to do than follow me around?"

"What makes you think I’m following you?" She said.

Spike turned away from her and ran back down the long corridor. As he reached the inner sanctum of the temple he slowed his pace, listening intently as sounds of fighting wafted to his ears. He stood behind a large stone partition and watched as Buffy was thrown across the room and crashed into a pillar. He took a step forward to try and see who it was attacking her, and saw a man dressed in black, and then he saw the collar. Caleb. He needed little introduction and Spike moved from behind the wall to help Buffy. His foot hadn’t even hit the ground when he saw Angel come from the shadows and punch Caleb in the side of the head, knocking him to the ground.

Spike took a step back into his own shadow and watched as Buffy stood up and dusted herself off. She looked at Angel and smiled. "Angel."

"You look timely. And much better than the last time I saw you."

Angel made a move towards Caleb, but she placed a hand on his arm and stopped him.

"Not that I don’t appreciate the help but..."

"Something you need to finish yourself. I get it." Angel picked Buffy’s axe from the ground and placed it in her hand. He then leaned against the wall and watched as Caleb stood up and charged at Buffy. He took a hard kick to the temple and fell to the ground at Angel’s feet. "You are so going to lose." Angel said with a smirk. The preacher jumped to his feet again and turned back to Buffy just in time for her to bring the axe up between his legs and literally split him in two.

"Oh yeah, she needs you real bad." The first whispered into Spike’s ear as he watched the mini-battle. Spike tried to ignore her, but he found himself unable to take his eyes off of Buffy, the real Buffy.

"Don’t I even warrant a hello?" Angel asked as he walked towards the Slayer. Before another word passed between them Buffy threw her arms around Angel’s neck and pulled him into a kiss. Spike expected Angel to pull back, but instead he deepened the kiss.

"That bitch." The Buffy beside him said.

"Technically he’s a bastard." Spike growled before slipping down the wall and out of the temple unnoticed.

"Angel." Buffy said as she broke their kiss. "Not that I’m not glad to see you, but that was...Hello." She smiled, but pressed her hand against his chest pushing him back a step.

"So, what are you doing here?"

"Not saving the damsel in distress." He walked towards the wall and picked a large folder off the ground.

"I don’t really damsel all that well."

"I know. I really came to give you this." He handed her the envelope, which she turned in her hands. "And this." He said reaching into his pocket for the amulet.

"I can already tell you I have nothing that goes with that."

"It’s not for you. I mean, I’m not exactly sure what it does, but I know it’s not for you. Besides," He said gesturing to the weapon lying at her feet. "you’ve got that real cool axe thing."

"Yeah, it does coming in handy, for slicing, dicing." She looked at the pieces of Caleb and laughed. She turned her attention back to Angel. "So you’re here then. You’ll be with me?"

"Shoulder to shoulder, as long as you need me."

"Don’t what, have shoulders?"

"Need you." She said a bit harsher than intended. "I mean here. Angel, if this thing makes it past Sunnydale it’s days, maybe hours before the rest of the world goes. I need a second front, and I need you to run it."

"Okay. That’s one reason." He said crossing his arms and staring at her. "What’s the other?"

"There is no other." She picked the axe off of the temple floor and walked out into the cool night air.

"Is it Spike?" Angel asked, chasing after her. "I mean, I know you’ve been with him, his scent is all over you."

"You vampires. Did anyone ever tell you the whole smelling people thing is kind of gross?"

"You didn’t answer my question." He said, not backing down.

"Is that your business?" She turned her back to him and walked slowly away.

"It is my business. I think that you playing with him is my business." His words made her swing back around to face him.

"I am not playing with him. I’d like to remind you that you are the one who just kissed me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I started to say hello..."

"You know I just came here to help. To do what I could, and I find you reeking of him, which I find a little disturbing, so you’ll forgive me if it doesn’t exactly bring out the champion in me."

"Okay, I get that. Tell me more about the disco ball." She took the amulet from his hand and let the chain run through her fingers.

"It’s meant to be worn by a champion, someone ensouled, but more than human. It isn’t me."

"No, I don’t know enough about it to let you wear it. It could be volatile."

"Well, we’ll figure it out."

"Right." Angel rested against a tall headstone and looked at her. "Do you...Is Spike your boyfriend?" It sounded like a childish question even to him, but he had to know.

"He’s in my heart, but it’s different. It’s not what we had, but then we have a tendency to kill each other’s friends when we’re together, so maybe that’s not such a bad thing."

"Point taken." He stood up fully and gave her a swift kiss on the cheek. "Second front. Wes and I will take off as soon as we find Spike and get Wesley’s car back."

"Okay." She watched him walk away and then called after him. "Hey Angel?"

"Yeah." He said turning back to face her.

"Can I get a ride home?"

The research party was in full swing by the time Buffy and Angel reached the house. Wesley and Giles were still swapping watcherisms and Willow now had the axe in her hands trying to pull its tale out mystically. Buffy had gone upstairs to check on Faith and the wounded potentials, and Angel crept his way down the basement stairs to find Spike. He was a few steps from the ground when a glass shattered just above his head.

"What the hell was that for?" He yelped.

"Sorry. Thought you were Buffy." Spike went to the punching bag that swung from the ceiling and began pummeling into it.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Not really my priority." Spike threw another punch into the bag.

"What is up with you?" Angel asked, reaching a hand out to touch his lover, but Spike deflected his touch.

"I won’t be having her sloppy seconds, so back off."

"You won’t be having her what?" Angel asked, and then glanced at the punching bag. There was a pencil drawing of a spikey-haired vampire with x’s for eyes taped to the top of the bag. "Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

"Don’t you do that to me. You don’t get to come here and take her back and then act like we’re okay."

"You have really lost me."

"Don’t lie to me." Spike yelled.

"Let me guess, you can smell her on me?"

"Yeah that and I used my heightened vampire eyeballs to watch you kissing her."

"You have got to be kidding." Angel said crowding up to his childe and taking a deliberately long sniff of him. "You are both so covered in each other it’s sickening."

"We didn’t..." Spike started. "We slept in the same bed, that’s it."

"That’s it?" Angel tore Spike’s unbuttoned shirt from his shoulders and turned him away. "There are nail marks all over your back." He said matter-of-factly.

"Amazing thing that." Spike said as he ripped Angel’s shirt open and tore it from his back. He shoved Angel against the wall and raked his fingernails down the smooth flesh. "So do you. Two nights ago Angel. Two nights ago. Remember, you me, into the night?"

"I remember." Angel said not removing his hands from the wall.

"Do you honestly think I came back here for that? I came to help her, not to fuck her." He slammed his chest against Angel’s back and pressed him into the cold concrete wall. "Not that I couldn’t have." He hissed into Angel’s ear. "She begged me to."

Angel pushed off the wall and backed into Spike so hard he sent the vampire sprawling to the floor. "You think that makes you special?" He asked turning on him. Angel joined him on the hard rug and pulled his childe’s hands out from under him as Spike tried to get up. "She’s got plenty of help here. She doesn’t need us."

Spike tried to break his hands free and threw his knees up at Angel’s ribs, but his hold was unrelenting. "Wrong, she doesn’t need you."

"But you do? Don’t you." Angel pressed his weight onto the chest below him and forced his knee between Spike’s legs. "Don’t you!" He growled.

Spike raised his head to meet Angel’s glare and bit into his own lip. "Yes." He growled back as the blood washed over his tongue. Angel tightened his grip on Spike’s hands and crawled up his body to press Spike’s lips to his own.

Neither man wanted to give an inch to the other and there were no more words between them. Within seconds the rest of their clothing had melted away and Angel flipped Spike over, crushing his hips into the hard rug with his own. He then sliced in to his wrist with fangs that would not disappear and let a river of blood coat Spike’s waiting arse and his own cock. With a hard thrust he entered Spike and coughed out a thousand words of ownership. He laid claim to this vampire, and he did it in the Slayer’s home where the scent would linger as long as the house stood.

Angel ground into his lover harshly, biting into back and shoulder, turning his head to take hard lips into his hungry mouth. Spike bucked back as much as he could with his hands still in Angel’s punishing grasp. He pressed his own stiffness into the rug seeking friction against its cold surface. When he could feel Angel’s orgasm rising Spike squirmed all the more trying to reach his own completion. Angel hurried his thrusts and pounded into Spike hard enough to move him across the rug. He now spoke in angry words, words of possession and words of want. He knew he was close and removed himself from the coolness of Spike’s body and flipped his lover over once more. He pivoted his body on top of Spike and thrust his still swollen cock into the vampire’s mouth. He then took Spike’s entire length into his mouth and began to suck and lick at it vigorously as he felt the burning in his sack grow stronger. Spike moaned beneath him and tried to keep pace with him as Angel practically fucked his face. Both vampires growled as the sensations became overwhelming. In a flash of claws and grunts they filled each other’s mouths and swallowed streams of built frustration and jealousy.

They lay entwined in legs and arms for several moments before rotating to meet each other’s mouths. Their kiss was hard and powerful, holding none of the tenderness their last encounter had featured. This was about power, and claiming, and knowing that something bigger was to come. This was goodbye, as much as hello, and both knew it, though neither would give it voice. As the dawn crept closer they fell asleep, still entangled in each other on the ground, neither having strength or desire to move.

"Angel?" A weary voice called from the top of the stairs. "We better be heading back soon. Unless of course you want to ride with me and leave your car here?"

"Give me a minute Wesley." Angel called back up. He disengaged his body out of the maze of Spike’s limbs and pulled what was left of his clothes back on.

"Angel." Spike said from the floor. "The carvings at the temple said something about the Slayer. I think there was also a passage about us."

"What do you mean us?"

"It told of those who have a living soul after death. The reincarnation of the sun, and..." He stopped and tried to remember the translation. "One good day."

Angel closed his eyes and placed a hand into his coat pocket. "Then I guess you’ll be needing this." He handed Spike the Amulet and then fell to his knees and attacked his lover’s mouth.

"Angel?" Wesley called again.

"I love you Angel." Spike said through his kisses. "Only you."

"I love you." Angel said back. "Keep her safe and come back to me."

"Always." He reluctantly broke free of his Sire’s embrace and rested his forehead against Angel’s. "Go back to LA, take care of your family, and when I know mine is safe I’ll come back to you. I promise."

"Promise." Angel stood up and ascended the stairs. "Goodbye, Spike."

People wondered how it would end.

Violators will be beaten to death with a shovel

(A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend)