ensouled2

The Adventures of Captain Peroxide and Deadboy

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

Summary: Spike comes to LA looking for Angel, together they try and figure out what it means to be Ensouled.

Rating: Mainly R/NC-17

Pairings: Angel/Spike, Angelus/William, Lilah/Wesley, Buffy/Spike implied, Angel(us)/Darla Implied

Timeline: Runs the gamut

Disclaimer: Joss created my darling boys, I just let them run around in my head until they must come out.

Distribution: Please ask, although why you would want to house a 41,674 word long story is beyond me.

Feedback: Please, by all means, Email Tania

Spike had waited until dark before heading for the Hyperion. He had only been a few miles away, in some fleabag motel on Wilshire, when he had called Angel Investigations. It had been a very hard call to make, but Angel was the one person on earth that would understand the pain of the soul.

The irony was not lost on Spike. He had mocked Angel for years about his soul, how it had made him soft, made him turn his back on his true nature, on the nature of the vampire. Angel's soul had been restored as a curse. Spike had fought, and nearly died, for his soul. Now he too was wounded, not physically, the cuts and burns had healed before he left Africa. The horror of his unlife, more than a century of purest evil, that pain would only grow worse.

Angel had once told Spike that he could remember every victim he had taken, that he could see their faces and hear their voices. Spike remembered many, but not all. He remembered watching Angelus and Drusilla torture victims night after night for twenty years. He remembered the joy it had given him, the infinite amount of pleasure he had taken from the screams and pleading that they could wrench from some poor soul who had been unfortunate enough to cross their path. The images of those nights played in Spike's head like a movie. Only he was the star, and the movie would not stop.

Spike had gone to Africa not sure of his own strength. He debated endlessly over which fate would be his. Would he have the chip removed and embrace his demon, or would he welcome his soul back? In the end he chose his soul. How many times had Buffy compared him to Angel, ’You don't have a soul.’ She had said it a hundred times. Even when he held her in his arms after they had made love all night. She still would not let herself love him. He was unclean, unworthy, unsouled. Now he would show her. He would march back into Sunnyhell and show her that he had changed. He would go back to her.

After he found Angel, after he told his Sire that he now understood the pain. That they shared the same torture. After he made amends for torturing Angel over the ring. The bloody gem of Amara. It had seemed so important, he had needed it so badly. To feel the sunshine on his face. It now seemed like a dream, yet it had been real. He could still smell Angel's burning flesh as Marcus had buried the searing pokers into his side again and again. He could almost taste Angel's blood in his mouth, it had filled the room, enraging him even more, knowing that he could not reach out and take him into his mouth as he had done to Angelus. It would have been a sign of weakness, Angel did not need to know how much he wanted to taste him. So Spike had done what came naturally, he had plunged a length of rebar into his chest and left Marcus to find where the ring was hidden.

A flash of light brought Spike out of his reverie. He had triggered the motion lights outside a small espresso bar as he walked by. Spike looked up, then across the street, he had made it to the Hyperion Hotel. ‘Pompous prick.’ He thought. Just like Angel to pick some huge manse, just like the great stone mansion they had shared in Sunnydale. Shared. The thought made Spike laugh. Angelus would have done more than laugh at Spike's twisted memory of those months. Spike had only been there to play the part of Angel and Drusilla’s toy. They had played with him when it suited them and beaten him down when it did not. The trouble living with soulless vampires was the lack of mercy, it had all seemed just peachy at the time, until they had decided to destroy the world that is. That part was a little less fun.

Spike shook himself out of the past a second time. He needed to focus. He had come halfway across the planet to find Angel, he wasn't about to stop now. He checked for oncoming headlights and headed across the street.

Lilah put on her brightest, albeit fake, smile and knocked on the door. She heard the familiar steps inside and pulled the front of her top a little lower. When all else failed with Wesley, cleavage seemed to work. She knocked a second time when the door didn't open.

"Wesley, I can hear you in there, open the damned door." She yelled. At last the door opened.

"Lilah." Wesley said. "What a pleasant surprise." He motioned her in.

"Surprise in the most liberal sense of the word since you invited me over." Lilah took a seat on the faux leather couch and kicked her heels off. "So what was the rush, were you watching the Scarlet Letter again? Cause that little role playing game is fun once or twice..."

"Oh very funny." Wesley quickly interrupted. "No, I had the most interesting visit from Fred earlier, I believe you’ve met her."

"Yeah, cute, southern, we met while I helped Angel perform some black magic parlor tricks a few months ago. Wanna see the scars?" She scooted her feet under her body getting more comfortable.

"Black Magic? Never mind don't tell me." Wesley joined her on the couch. In this position he had to admit she was quite provocative, and he did enjoy her affinity for lace camisoles. "So, how long have you known Angel was missing?"

"I thought you didn't care what happened to Angel, after his little visit, the pillow?"

"Well, as much as being smothered in a hospital can be a bonding experience. Lilah answer the question. How long have you known?" Wesley toyed with her hair, running circles near her scalp with his strong fingers.

Lilah bent her head into Wesley’s hand. "Since it happened. He left the hotel after a call from Cordelia and that was the last anyone heard of him."

"And Cordelia?" Wesley whispered into her ear.

"Her car was found on the side of the freeway, a few exits from the pier she and Angel planned to meet at. There was no sign of struggle or an accident. No witnesses that remember anything. I really don't have much to go on Wes." Lilah tried to turn her head towards Wesley’s mouth but he feinted.

"What happened to Angel's car? Was it at the pier?" Wesley tried to say without showing any deep interest.

"Never found." Lilah could hardly take the toying Wesley continued to torture her with. There were tracks in the dirt, a few scuff marks down the side of a little bluff, but that's it. Our sweepers didn't tell me anything else. Now can we stop talking?" She bit at Wesley’s ear and reached to undo his pants.

"We’re we talking?" Wesley shrugged off his trousers and pushed Lilah’s top off of her shoulders. He pulled her into a rough kiss and moved over her. No sense beating a dead horse for information.

Spike passed through the heavy gate of the Hyperion into a garden area. Jasmine, the pouf always has to have his jasmine. He shook his head and headed for the heavy doors. For a moment Spike debated over knocking or just walking in. Deciding to walk in he opened the door and was stopped by an invisible barrier. ‘Not good,’ he thought to himself. ‘Demon lair, should be able to march right in, unless someone knows something I don't.’

Spike backed up and rang the buzzer. In a moment a waif of a girl came bouncing up the inner stairs and opened the door part way.

"Can I help you?" Fred asked. Spike could see a man standing next to the counter inside the hotel.

"I'm William, I called earlier." Spike answered. "I'm looking for Angel."

"Oh, you're, you're William. Can I ask you a question before I invite you in?"

"Um, yeah, sure. Do your best peaches." Spike said, trying to look cool.

"Are you William the Bloody and are you here to kill us, or Angel. Well I guess that's two questions, but.."

"Yes and no." Spike smiled at her. "In that order. Not big on the killing nowadays, chip and all."

"Oh good, then I invite you in." Fred stepped to the side opening the door all the way. Spike crossed the threshold and the familiar scent of Angel immediately hit his nose. There was the faint scent of myrtle and saxifrage that had followed Angelus from Galway, the smell was fading but it was clearly Angel.

"Thanks ever so." Spike said as he crossed the room to where Gunn was standing. Spike was unsure whether he should offer his hand to the other man, or just hold his ground. He was still pondering when Gunn grabbed a stake from behind the counter. "That won’t be necessary, mate." Spike said taking a step back.

"Just a precaution, you understand." Gunn said taking a defensive stance. "See, we had some other members of your little family staying here a few months back and it led to nothing but trouble, and since Angel seems to be on vacation, there's not much we can do for you right now."

"Hang on just a bleedin’ minute would you. Anything Dru and Darla were up to has nothing to do with me. I just need to find Angel. I'm gonna take a stab and say this was not a planned exodus on his part, and since I don't see vision girl around I'm thinking the two of you aren't telling me everything." Spike planted himself on the small sofa that sat in the middle of the lobby. He gave a little pout in Fred’s direction.

Fred threw a quick glance to Gunn and shrugged her shoulders. "Angel and Cordelia disappeared. Connor went after them and we haven't seen any of them ever since."

"Who’s Connor?" Spike asked.

"Oh this is gonna be fun." Gunn laughed.

"What’s the joke?"

"Connor is Angel's son." Fred answered. Spike was floored, literally, he lost his footing and slid off the couch laughing.

"So, soulboy sired another vamp, I knew the great pouf couldn't hold out forever." Spike said trying to pick himself up off the floor.

"No, William, I mean," Fred said, "Connor is his son, not his childe. Angel and Darla have a son."

Spike stopped laughing. "You mean he's human? How?"

"No one really knows." Gunn said. "Darla showed up big as a house, said Angel was the daddy and a few days later, boom, baby. And I do mean Boom!"

"So when you say Connor, Connor right? He followed Angel the night he disappeared. He have some sort of motorized stroller or something? Fill in the details here." Spike stood up, then as an afterthought added, "Can I be rude for a second, well of course I can, I'm the big bad and all." He laughed at his own joke. "Who are you two?"

Fred blushed a little, then reached out a hand to Spike. "I'm Fred and this is Charles."

"Gunn." He leaned forward and offered his hand as well.

"Okay, now that the pleasantries are over. I need to find Angel, and I need to find him fast. I'm not going to hurt him or anything so don't go all Van Helsing on me or anything and I'll bring him home safe. Promise."

"What’s the hurry?" Gunn asked, although he was glad to have some fresh help.

"It's really just between Angel and me. We have something in common, that's really not so common." Spike answered.

"So, is this going to require diagrams?"

"It shouldn’t, but I could find some paper if you think it's necessary." Wesley was sitting up in bed watching Lilah get dressed.

"No, I think I've got it. Darla sired Angelus, Angelus sired Drusilla, this part is clear."

"Near as we can tell."

"Okay, where it gets murky, is with Spike."

"Yes, according to Angel, Drusilla drank from Spike, or William as he was called then, but didn't have the presence of mind to sire him, so Angelus did it for her. Spike then acted as both nursemaid to Drusilla and somewhat a foil for Angelus."

Angel had rarely shared stories of Angelus with him, but after Wesley’s one brief encounter with Angel's alter-ego, he was more inclined to know the history not revealed in the watcher diaries. He had asked Angel about Spike only once or twice and find the tales a bit gruesome even for him, he decided to let the subject go.

"Angelus and Spike were only together for about twenty years before Angel got his soul back." Wesley continued. "Then about four years ago, in Sunnydale, when Spike resurfaced with Drusilla, Angelus made a guest appearance and they picked up right where they had left off."

"So now we just need to figure out how in the hell Spike got his soul back." Lilah muttered.

"Spike does not have a soul Lilah, he has a computer chip implanted by the government.."

"No Wesley, he has a soul and a chip. He took a little trip to a demon Shaman in Africa and shabang, he arrives in LA with a soul, looking for Angel. See, if you were working for Wolfram and Hart you would have known that when I did."

"And when was that Lilah?" Wesley asked.

"This morning, but that's not the point."

"Ah, yes, those crucial twelve hours are definitely worth a person’s morality, wouldn't you say?" Wesley tried to change the subject. "Why on earth would a vampire purposely have his soul restored?"

"I don't know, but this guy has already cost me more headaches in one day than Angel managed in a whole week, and that week involved one of my bosses being kidnapped, nearly tortured and a pentagram that covered half of the Hyperion’s lobby. This Spike is seriously pissing on my summer."

Have wondered how it would all end

Violators will be beaten to death with a shovel

(A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend)