Chapter 21

Spike snickered as he shrugged his duster on and set out for the door. “Where do you think you’re going, Spike?” Angel snarled, obviously very put out. Well, if he had some chit whining at him, probably in chorus with the failed Watcher, he’d be pissed too. No, he’d have eaten them by now.

“In five words or less, peaches?” Spike said cheerfully as he turned to face his Sire.

“Whatever, Spike.” Gritted out from between clenched teeth.

Spike thought for a moment, and then grinned. “Been shagging mortals, ergo food.” He counted the words off on his fingers then turned on his heel and walked towards the door. “Noticed you don’t have too much actual food on the premises, and they’ll be starving when they wake up.”

“It’s daylight, Spike. It will be for another twenty minutes.” Said in the slow tones you’d use to a very stupid and aggravating child. Or Childe, in this case.

“Magic, peaches, magic,” Spike called out over his shoulder as he stepped into the fading daylight. He turned back and grinned at the gaping members of Angel Investigations. “I didn’t Claim them for just their good looks, you know. Although they are pretty good looking and eminently shaggable.” He held his head up to the sun, obviously basking in it. “Well, see you soon.” Whistling under his breath, he got in his De Soto and drove off.

~*~*~*~

“Are we gonna shock them silly?”

“What do *you* think?”

“I think thee is going to get us killed.”

“Shut up, nancy.”

“I really think we should reconsider this-“

~*~*~*~

Their bodies hit the ground in a heap, Blaise laughing hysterically. “Oh, see, that was good tripping fun. Where are we?” They untangled themselves and looked up into the faces of the members of Angel Investigations.

“Dolt.” Vortigern slapped Blaise up the back of the head as he stood and dusted himself off. “Does anybody listen to the sane one in this party? Heaven forbid thee shouldst listen to me once in an age. We may actually live to be twenty, that way.” He ran his fingers through his hair and still scolding them took his hair out of the ribbon and started to redo it. Mordred and Blaise just listened to him with a grin on their faces.

“What do ya reckon?” Mordred asked Blaise.

“Now!” They leapt at him and sent him crashing to the floor. Vortigern yelped as his ass hit the floor and then they started to tickle him.

“Leave me be!” Vortigern managed to get his wand out and hexed them. “Leviosa!” They flew backwards and hit the wall with a thud. “Didst thou really think that would work?” Vortigern smirked, and then started to redo his hair, for the second time.

“I dunno, Vort, I reckon we landed in a good place.” Mordred laughed. ‘Check out tall, dark and mysterious on your left.” Angel started in surprise. Blaise looked to where Mordred indicated and nodded in agreement. Vortigern gave Angel a casual stare then finished his hair.

“Nay, not truly my type.”

“Doesn’t mean we can’t *appreciate*, Vortigern.”

“As Virginia would say, sod off.” Vortigern flipped his hair off his face with a flick of his head. “Dost thou always thinks with thy mind in the gutter?”

“Nice and cosy down here, Vortigern.”

“Shut thy mouth. Methinks we hadst best explain ourselves before something drastic happens and we have cause to defend ourselves.” Vortigern smoothed down the white shirt he was wearing. “I think though, I recognise them from the Slayer’s continual inane babbling.” He made a grimace of distaste. “If, of course, we have landed in the right place but considering they have not run screaming in shock and terror, I will conclude they have at least some grasp of the darker side of life here. Or they’re completely mad. *Are* you mad?” He asked dubiously, and then looked up as they heard a snicker. “Draco!”

“What are you lot doing here? I thought you were staying with her mighty bitchiness, Slutty the Vampire Layer. Speaking of which, that’s the vampire.” Draco hung over the edge of the railing and nodded at Angel.

“Ah.” Vortigern cocked his head. “Where are Virginia and William?”

“Ginny’s in bed, asleep. Spike went out to buy a few things.” Draco stretched and started down the stairs. Mordred looked a bit worried.

“Um. No long sleeved top. Should we then say these are friends?”

“No. Tall, dark and mysterious skinned Spike’s duster off my bare shoulders when I came downstairs without a top on,’ Draco said bitterly. Mordred snarled, and then leapt for Angel’s throat.

“FUCKING BASTARD!” Angel went over in a flurry of limbs with Mordred growling and swinging punches. Angel threw him off, and Mordred just landed on one foot, spun slightly and jumped back on the vampire. His eyes had blackened and he bit at air, snapping elongated canine teeth together as he fought to get his teeth at Angel’s throat.

“ENOUGH!” Vortigern said finally and made a motion with his hand, wings of light flaring behind him for an instant. “Cease this foolishness!” Mordred snarled for a moment more as he hung in midair, then Vortigern’s eyes rolled up in his head and both of them fell to the floor, unconscious.

“Fuck!” Draco vaulted the railing and ran to their sides. Blaise clutched at his head and screamed as a vision swept through him.

“What’s going on?” Ginny appeared at the top of the stairs, then her eyes widened in horror. “Blaise!” The dark haired boy’s eyes shone white as he screamed, face upturned to the sky, wail of ceaseless agony making its way up through his throat. Ginny stumbled as she hit the ground beside him, twisting her ankle slightly but she managed to draw him into her arms. “Shh, shh. What do they say?”

“Angel matched with demon. Soul to soul. As powers grow, as fates unlock, as times will come to an end, so shall all meet their full potential.” Draco had at least arranged the senseless twins into a comfortable position as he scribbled down Blaise’s foretelling. “Goddess reigns, wreathed in flames as her Guardians stalk by her side. Three be one, as the blood ties them together. Blood is the link, is the cure.” Blaise’s words were overtaken by a scream, and then he drew himself together with an effort. “Blood to blood, soul to soul. Demon to goddess to familiar. All be one. This be the truth that be unspoken. That a demon can be a soul. That soul can be dark as night, that night can yet be light as day.” Blaise’s head lowered and his eyes tracked over to Angel. He got to his feet. “Thou hast served us well, vampire. Receive then, thy soul.” Blaise walked over to Angel and held his hand out. A light coalesced in his palm then grew brighter and brighter as Blaise continued. “This be thy charge. Take what is given and use it well. What is broken can be mended, and a Seer can once more see unclouded. Seek her out and finish thy recompense to her, as thee hast done to thy ice haired Childe. There will be another, whose voice carries our message. Know him for what he is, and aid him. Thou will need him, in the end. One from dimensions hence shall stay here by your side as the first Seer we have given you must move on in the future. Know this, we have spoken and we cannot be denied. Take then, our gift, thy compensation.” The light flared and then shot into Angel’s chest. He stumbled backwards a few steps, and Blaise swayed for a moment, then collapsed.

“Bloo-dy hell,” Spike’s astonished voice came from the doorway. “You *do* keep busy when I’m out.” He stepped in the doorway carefully, kicking it closed behind him, arm full of shopping bags and one hand clutched through the handles of several plastic bags that had steam drifting from them and a delicious scent. “I got Chinese. Had some myself, and no, not the shopkeeper,” he sighed with a roll of his eyes in Angel’s general direction. “So. What’s going on?”

Spike sat down and listened to them after they brought the three back to consciousness, smoking and lifting his eyebrow occasionally as the mortal teenagers dug into the food he’d brought back. Sneaking bits from the containers and dripping sauces all over Angel’s kitchen table as they gulped it down and talked with their mouths full. Except for that Vortigern one. He was oh so refined and faintly amused at his tablemates manners. Tosser. He much preferred the wolf one, had that faintly dangerous scent of a predator on him. In a different way to his twin though. Mordred was straight forward meat eating, howling, snapping, biting bloodlust driven predator…a wolf. Vortigern…different but just as dangerous. Poison, not teeth and claws. Angel had retreated to the office, but that ex-Watcher…well, Ginny tolerated him. That was good enough for Spike. Prom Queen had disappeared, thank god. His collar on Draco’s neck looked good but he’d gotten the ‘hurt him and we’ll kill you slowly and painfully’ speech again. Slim band of embossed black matte leather, again with a small padlock that went to the back. The embossing on the leather showed a Chinese dragon curling sinuously along its surface. When he saw it had five toes, it had been an instant buy. Five toed dragons being the Royal ones, o’course…if it had a hint of yellow in it, it would have been even more appropriate but…it was a good collar for a Claimant. Spike leaned back in his chair, Ginny in his lap, one supremely happy vampire and mentally going ner ner ner to Angel inside his head. Azrael purred constantly, laying his blessing over all.

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