Jenny
RATING: NC-17
This story is the first episode in the series Time is the Fire, and it's highly recommended that you read that pilot story before this one.
Spike is living in LA, running his own agency. He is very choosy in the cases he takes - accepting only those that pay well. He has recruited a demon, Jordan, who can shift into different forms at will, and a human, Sam. Together with help from Wesley, he is making a new life for himself as a souled vampire.
Although they have agreed that living together is not an option, Spike and Angel have formed a unique, passionate relationship that draws in all those who come in contact with them.
Warning:
All my fiction deals with adult themes: torture; blood play; rape; graphic male/male sex. That doesn't mean that every story has all these elements, but some of them might. If you find any of these disturbing, please don't read this fiction. I don't put specific warnings on individual chapters or episodes because I feel that spoils the plot.
Chapter 6
They worked side by
side for the rest of that night, pulling people out from trapped buildings,
often Nate's unique gift - to give the last rites - more useful than Angel's
preternatural strength or tireless efforts. At last, Angel saw that the man was
too exhausted to continue, and he took his arm. 'You need to go home.'
Nate glanced down at Angel's groin, his gaze traveling down his legs. 'I
think you do too.'
Angel looked down at the river of blood that, once
more darkened his pants and glistened in the light from the flames. As if seeing
the damage made it real, he suddenly staggered a little. Glancing up at the sky,
making this his excuse, he nodded his agreement. 'Come back to the hotel; it's
closer.'
Nate nodded, and when Angel found it hard to move, offered him
an arm. Angel looked at him with an unreadable expression, but murmured,
'Thanks,' and leant on him a little as they went very slowly along the street.
Nate glanced at the man alongside him. 'You did good work here,
tonight.'
'God didn't.'
Nate didn't rise to the provocation but
said sadly, 'Earthquakes are natural forces of the earth, Angel; God had nothing
to do with this.'
Angel laughed bitterly. 'If something good happens, he
gets all the credit, but the bad, he's exonerated for. Jeez, must be good being
God.'
'The good he did tonight was putting you here - perhaps even
making you. I don't know. His ways are a mystery to us - we're like that baby:
we try to understand what's happening, but we don't have the big picture to make
sense of it all.'
'If we'd not been there, Spike would have gotten to
him first.'
'I know. I thought about that. Ironic, in it's own way. Our
child, that child.'
Angel stopped and stared at him. 'He's not your
childe.'
'Oh, but he is, Angel. I'm his Father.'
'Those are just
names. He carries my blood.'
'I'm not trying to deny your relationship
to him, but I want you to understand where I am in this.'
Angel stopped
once more and seemed to be debating something. He turned and stared at the man,
then smiled for the first time since returning with such eagerness to the hotel.
'I've never met anyone who didn't want Spike.'
Nate laughed. 'I think
you must have moved in a very small, and can I say odd circle. All I want for
Spike - and you now - is that you find your salvation - iIn your own ways. But
I'm not so sure I have to worry about you too much.' He grinned at Angel,
glanced around once more at the chaos in the street and began to lead the
bleeding vampire toward home.
Feeling he had somehow been given a
blessing he did not want or believe in from a man he purported to despise that
made him feel better than he had for days, Angel trailed silently and
thoughtfully behind the striding figure.
It was eerily quiet
when they got back, and Angel tried hard not to glance toward the offices, which
he knew would be empty, or upstairs, which he knew would have been swiftly
deserted after his departure. He started to steel himself once more to the sense
of loss: loss of all his former friends.
Nate ignored the slight
hesitation and pulled Angel toward the stairs. 'Where is your room?'
'I
don't need….'
'And I don't need to argue with you; I'm tired, filthy,
and I've sent more people to God's mercy tonight than in my whole time as a
priest. So, don't piss me off now!'
Angel shut up and allowed the man to
help him to his room. He eased onto the bed and began to take off the filthy,
temporary bandages, wincing at the continuing blood-flow.
'What do you
feed on?'
Angel looked up as shocked as if the priest had asked him
where he kept his porn stash. 'I don't….'
'Angel! Where?'
'Bloodbags. Kitchen.'
Nate only smiled serenely at the childish
tone of the response and spun on his heel to fetch the food.
When he
returned, Angel was lying on his back, an arm thrown over his face. He held a
large pile of towels to his belly, which were slowly turning red. Silently, Nate
handed over the cold bags and sat alongside the vampire. Angel didn't comment on
the lack of heating, but tore them open one by one and, watching the priest for
any sign of disgust, drank them down.
Nate frowned, and Angel was about
to jump gleefully down his throat (with an angry comment about something that he
hoped would occur to him when he began to shout) when the priest said softly,
'You know, some religions practice separating people from their souls - for
nefarious reason, admittedly.'
Angel, caught wrong-footed, licked his
lips and stayed silent.
'That's if you can call voodoo a religion. I
suppose we have to.'
'Voodoo?'
'Yeah, they separate girls from
their souls - supposedly - and then make them sell their bodies until they can
pay back the Madame that holds them.'
Angel sighed. 'Nice. Sometimes,
I'm glad I'm a vampire.'
'My point being that of course the girls don't
actually lose their souls, but they believe they have. It seems almost
immaterial where the truth lies - the outcome is the same for them.'
'Spike's not imagining he's soulless. Believe me. I've been there, done
that.'
Nate looked intrigued. 'You've lost your soul too?'
Angel
nodded and tore into another bag.
'What saved you?'
Angel was
going to reply 'A spell' but changed it at the last minute to, 'Love. Someone
loved me enough to bring me back.'
Nate smiled and nodded. 'Pay it
forward....'
Angel suddenly chuckled. 'Yeah. I guess. Spike'll owe
someone next.'
Nate's smiled widened. 'You can tell him - he'll love
that. Not.'
They suddenly realized they were chuckling together, sitting
on Angel's bed while Angel fed, without embarrassment. It was a startling moment
for both of them, and suddenly, Angel laid his hand on the man's arm. 'Thanks.
For… this. I was feeling pretty… alone.'
Nate shook his head. 'I owed
you.'
Angel was about to reply when there was a commotion outside. Nate
stood up defensively, moving between the injured vampire and the door. Suddenly,
Cordelia burst in, swinging an axe.
'Hey! He's here! Who are you?'
Gunn and Fred skidded in with swords and crosses. 'Boss!' 'Angel?'
More slowly, and with no weapons, Sam and Jordan eased in behind the
others. Sam suddenly exclaimed, 'You! Don't tell me you've made Angel straight
now!'
This rather silenced the room until Angel gave a small,
embarrassed cough. 'What are you all…?'
As usual, Cordelia didn't wait
for him to finish and came over to the bed. 'What's happening, Angel? Wesley
told us to stay away - no explanation. But then I called to see if the
earthquake had got him, and he said Spike had lost his soul and you might as
well have!' She finished breathless and looked at him pointedly.
Angel
sighed. 'I'm okay, but he's right about Spike. Why are you all here?'
Fred came hesitantly forward, her sword almost heavier than her.
'Because you'll need us, Angel! We're all here for you…. You should have told
us! Wesley should have! We'd never have stayed away.'
Gunn nodded and
put an arm over her shoulders.
Angel looked around the room and then lay
back down and put his arm over his face once more.
Cordelia ushered
everyone out and shut the door softly. She looked around the group, her eyes
lingering on Nate briefly. 'You've got some talking to do. Gunn - you're on
guard here. Fred - you stag Gunn. You two….' She seemed to find it difficult to
think what Sam and Jordan could so, and they grinned at her. 'Go off and look
pretty somewhere.'
Nate glanced toward the door. 'He needs to sleep -
but not for long, or the trail will go cold.'
'You've seen Spike?'
Nate nodded sadly. 'I need coffee first, then storytelling.' He went
down the stairs with Cordelia while Gunn fetched a chair and settled himself
like an implacable stalwart against all-comers.
Angel woke with
the sensation that someone was in the room with him. He turned, holding his
belly and saw Jordan standing just inside the door. Gunn peered over his
shoulder and said in an annoyed voice, 'Sorry, Man.'
Angel nodded for
the demon to come in, and with a pointed look at Gunn, Jordan shut the door
firmly behind him. He came over and sat on the edge of Angel's bed and looked at
him for some time. Then in a low, flat voice, he said, 'I knew.'
Angel
looked into the fathomless dark eyes. 'He tried so hard to keep up the illusion.
Does Sam know?'
Jordan shook his head. 'Sam sees Spike with different
organs than the rest of us.'
Angel couldn't help a smile, and it relaxed
the tension between them.
He leant back against his pillow and closed
his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he hissed with anger. 'Turn back!'
Jordan shook his head and said carefully. 'Look at me, Angel. Look on
the face you know so well. Study the cheekbones, examine my eyes, draw your gaze
over my blond hair. It's perfect, isn't it? A perfect likeness - I've watched
him closely enough these last few months to get it right.'
'Turn back!'
Angel's voice rose uncontrollably, and he clenched his jaw as if to stop
maddeningly uncontrollable emotions.
'Why not just have me instead,
Angel? I'm him. Exactly.' He paused for a moment and then added very distinctly,
'Except, I'm not, am I? I'm his body, but I'm not him. Don't listen to what
anyone else says, Angel; you have to get him back. You have to persevere until
the end - whatever it takes - to get him back. The body is nothing. You know
that, and I know that. We want what lies inside. We want the real Spike.'
Suddenly, they heard a sound in the room and turned to see Sam sliding
quietly through the door. He grinned and nodded back out to the hallway making a
gesture that led Angel to think that Gunn was either peeing or wanking. He came
over to them and looked down at the blond figure. With a pout, he said softly to
Angel, 'I've promised God that if he gets Spike back for me, I'll stop praying
that you turn straight.'
Jordan snorted; Angel didn't seem to know
whether to be outraged or amused.
Eventually, he said slowly, 'I should
have gotten to know you two better.'
Sam sat on the bed and poked him in
the arm. 'Plenty of time for that when we get lover-boy back.'
Angel
looked between them and suddenly, totally uncharacteristically, he pulled them
into his arms. He felt the demon change as he held him, the emotion overwhelming
his ability to stay in form.
'Oh, joyous day! A threesome!'
They
snapped apart, and Angel grunted with fury. Before he could speak, Gunn burst
through the door and came toward the figure.
Lilah turned slowly to him
and smiled. 'Touch me, and Angel will be very, very sorry.'
Angel held
out his hand to stop Gunn and swung his legs painfully off the bed.
'What do you want?'
Lilah leaned forward slightly, amused. 'It's
not what I want, Angel; it's what you want.'
'I want you to fuck off and
die, but you just don't seem to take the hint.'
She pouted as if this
really upset her then smiled again. 'What can I say? I bounce. Now, get rid of
the little fuck-toys, and we'll talk.'
'We've got nothing to….' Angel
trailed off as she produced something from her pocket. He stared at the glowing
glass jar.
She frowned. 'Come on; ask me what it is. You're no fun at
all!'
Angel clenched his teeth but said calmly, 'What is it?'
'Spike's soul.'
Angel felt as if he'd woken in one reality where
everything was bleak and hopeless and then jumped to another where this
salvation was being offered. Then he shook himself and replied, 'You're lying.'
She shrugged her shoulders. 'I'm not actually. For once. It is his soul.
Father Jon's been gathering them for us for years - and priests before that,
going back such a long way. Jeez, I hate priests.'
Angel wrapped a sheet
around his waist and stood up. 'Give it to me.'
She pouted. 'But it's so
pretty.'
Suddenly, he had the glass jar, and she was standing empty
handed and slightly ruffled. She folded her arms and gave him a look. 'So, what
are you going to do with it? Do you break the glass - or would that destroy it?
Is there a secret opening - or would searching for it destroy it too? Ohhh, it's
so exciting! Shall we play pass-the-parcel again, or do you want to fucking wise
up and listen to me?'
Angel held the swirling container in his hands as
though it were a tiny baby. He felt a tap on his arm and looked at Jordan. 'Give
it to me, Angel. You need to talk to her. I'll look after it. Trust me.'
Angel could not believe he was being asked to hand it over, but he
looked deep into the demon's eyes and then, with a nod, gave it to him. Jordan
sat down next to Sam and gave him a small look of determined hope.
Angel
went to the chair and pulled on some pants under the sheet then cast it to one
side. She whistled at the huge wound across his belly. 'God, but a scarred man
is so sexy.'
'Just talk, Lilah. How do I replace the soul?'
She
kept his gaze and said evenly. 'Just us.'
Angel nodded. 'Everyone out.'
Walking as if he were holding nitro-glycerin, Jordan went toward the
door. Gunn snatched it open for him, and the three made a careful exit.
Angel looked at Lilah. 'Just us.'
Lilah smiled. 'Good. Now,
there's a key - to open the container and replace the soul. I'll give you the
key in return for a promise.'
'Maybe I'll torture you and get it that
way. More fun.'
'The key is a word, Angel, on a taped message. Only my
voice - my normal, happy, calm, unmolested voice - will trigger the message.'
'What do you want?'
She smiled and made herself comfortable on
the edge of the bed. 'Now we deal.'
Jordan looked at Sam and
said uncertainly, 'Should we hide it from her?'
'I don't think it's as
simple as that, J. There must be something else that makes this useful, and if
she won't give it up….' He shrugged.
'Should I put it down?'
Gunn suddenly said nervously, 'Aftershocks?'
Jordan shivered and
nodded. After a moment, he added, 'What if I need to pee?'
Sam chuckled.
'I'll hold it for you.'
'Angel entrusted it to me!'
Sam raised
an eyebrow. 'What makes you think I was talking about the soul?'
Jordan
grinned at him and flicked his tongue out slightly. He peered into the glass.
'Hey… Lover… can you hear me? You've gotta come back, cus we've some real fun
things we wanna do with you.'
Gunn made a small noise, and Sam said
incredulously, 'Are you blushing?'
Gunn started to walk away, felt some
very prurient stares at his behind, and trotted faster until he was out of
sight. They grinned at each other and sat down comfortably against the wall, the
precious container cocooned softly in Jordan's lap.
Angel looked
at the women incredulously and shook his head. 'No.'
She tipped her head
on one side curiously. 'I always wondered just how much you loved him. Now I
know: not that much. He always wondered too - did you know that? He talked a lot
about you, but there was always a hint of uncertainty - as if he didn't trust
you. He was very perceptive.'
'You can't blackmail me into it, and you
won't bully me into it either. I said no.'
'Angel. It's nothing. A tiny
favour some time in the future.'
'No.'
'One word. That's all you
need. One word, and he'll be yours again. Think of the good he'll do. Think of
what you can do together.' She looked down coyly. 'I wish I were a man, then I'd
know what it would be like to take him. I'd enjoy that. Is he warm inside? Do
you slide or do you have to push…?'
The hand cut off her air. The body
pinned her to the wall. She was lifted off her feet, but her eyes showed no
fear. She knew she held all the cards. She just waited. He put his face close to
hers and stared into her eyes. 'How do you know I won't renege on the deal when
the time comes?'
Knowing capitulation when she heard it, she just
flicked her eyes down to the hold preventing her speaking, and reluctantly,
Angel lowered her to the ground. She rubbed her neck and then fished in a
pocket, producing a piece of paper. The paper glowed slightly in the darkened
room.
She spread it out on the small nightstand. 'Friends in high places
are always useful for drawing up unbreakable contracts. You sign, you pay - or
we decide your forfeit.'
Angel walked away to the window and stood with
his back to the woman. She knew her job and just waited patiently. The clients'
desperate need always closed more deals than her words ever could.
Eventually, Angel came back and said curtly, 'Pen?'
She fished
in her pocket and produced a knife. 'I kinda thought you'd have one, but this is
an old favourite; what can I say?'
She drew it over his palm until the
pale skin welled red. He dipped a finger in the sticky fluid and wrote a large A
on the paper. She was about to take it up, when he grabbed her wrist, cut into
it and smeared her blood over his. 'I want a proper contract.'
She
nodded at the done deal and then took a small jar from her pocket. She shook
some dust over the paper as if to dry the signatures, and suddenly, it curled
up, glowed even more forcibly and disappeared. She nodded contented. 'There -
signed, sealed, and filed.'
'The key.'
She nodded and produced
another object from her pocket. Angel stared at the cross.
She grinned.
'Hey! I'm evil; sue me. And I really didn't want you torturing me - not in that
way, anyway! It's not a word - this is the key. It's made with a tiny splinter
from the true cross - or so I've been told. Sounds bullshit to me. Anyway,
plunge it into Spike's heart as you break the glass, and his soul will shoot
back into his body. Apparently.'
'This is a joke, right?'
'Not a
very good one then, is it?'
'You seriously expect me to plunge a
cross-stake into Spike on your word that this fucking crap will work?'
'No, I expect you to fulfill the promise you've made to me when the time
comes, and you won't do that if I fuck this up. I'm telling you the truth. I've
seen it done on some of the priest's other victims - of course, they weren't
allergic to wood.'
Angel picked his sheet up off the floor and wound it
around his palm, taking the cross she held out. It immediately hissed, and smoke
rose even through the material. He flinched and dropped it. She stared down in
wonder. 'Well, what d'y'know? Might be real after all.'
Angel went to
the closet and pulled on a leather glove. Even with that, it sizzled in his
palm, making him drop it once more. He bent and shoved it quickly in his pocket,
but it burnt him there, and he had to flick it out again.
She shrugged.
'You'll work it out. I've gotta go. So much earthquake damage… so many desperate
people. Isn't it just great!'
She stood and gave him a look. 'Remember
your promise. And… tell Spike… tell him….' She bit her lip and went swiftly to
the door.
Angel stared down at the instrument of Spike's salvation that
he could not hold and wondered whether he should have made such a deal with the
devil.