Vikings, Sires and Siblings

part 10

Cordelia and Dawn were both pacing the length of the living room, muttering aloud about overprotective, overbearing sisters and bosses. They both understood why they had been left behind, but neither was happy about it. By the time the rest of the group came back, they had all but worn a path in the carpeting.

"So? How did it go?"

"Did you find Dru?"

"Is she dust?"

"Did anything bad happen?"

"Can we leave now? I have a hair appointment tomorrow that I don't have to cancel if you've finished with your loopy childe."

The vampires looked back and forth between the two women like spectators at a tennis match. Buffy rolled her eyes at Cordelia, and Willow and Tara smiled at Dawn.

"We found Dru, or rather she found us. Everyone's okay - the spell worked - but she got away; we were attacked."

Willow frowned and Tara wrapped her arms around her from behind. Angel found his eyes straying once again to the flaxen-haired witch and quickly looked away before his seer caught his wandering eye. He loved Cordy, but there was something about Tara that just caught his attention.

Cordelia looked Angel over and then seeing that he wasn't injured, shrugged her shoulders.

"So, can we go home then?"

She didn't like the way he had been looking at Willow's girlfriend. It was bad enough having to be around Buffy, she didn't want him being distracted by a lesbian as well.

Angel blinked. He looked over at Spike and Xander and raised an eyebrow. Spike gave him an almost imperceptible nod and he sighed.

"Okay. I'll just pack my things."

"No need. They're already packed."

At Angel’s incredulous look, she planted her hands on her hips and huffed at him.

"What? I was bored."

~!~

After seeing Angel and Cordy off, the scoobies all congregated in the kitchen of Xander and Spike's place. Buffy and Dawn made hot chocolate while Tara and Willow put out snacks. Xander and Spike stood off to the side, Spike’s back to his lover’s chest; Xander’s chin resting on Spike's shoulder. They watched their friends laughing and celebrating another potential disaster being averted. Neither of them wanted to tell them that it was far from over, that with Dru still out there, it was only a matter of time before she tried something else.

Xander was still wondering who was coming for him. He didn't know Dru well at all, but he knew Spike. And if Spike was worried about what she had said, then he was too. His lover had told him about the many times Drusilla's ravings had saved their necks. If she said someone was coming for him, than it was probable that someone was.

Their introspection was cut short when Willow - with an apologetic smile to Xander - led Spike away for a few minutes. Xander watched curiously as they whispered frantically to one another before a beatific smile broke out on his mate’s face and he hugged the redhead tightly to his chest. Willow blushed and then smiled as she returned to her lover, and Spike made his way back to Xander.

"What was that all about?"

Xander whispered into Spike’s ear and wrapped his arms around him drawing him closer to his chest.

"Red figured out how to anchor Angel’s soul. She just wanted to go over a few ingredients."

"Why ask you? I mean, you're not exactly up with the mojo."

Spike chuckled.

"She needs money, first of all; these things aren't cheap. Second, she needs me. Seems the curse demands participation of a member of the bloodline. Effin' Gypsies. No way anyone would do that to one of their own, well, 'cept that I would, and I will. Guess they weren't all that clever after all, eh?"

"Nope. Anything I can do?"

"Yeah, you could get rid of these gits and take me to bed."

Xander growled softly, his eyes flashing amber. He kissed Spike tenderly and then looked over at his friends - his family.

"Get out."

Buffy looked up at him in inquiry.

"Xan?"

"Out. It's been a trying night, I want to be alone with my mate."

He leered playfully at her.

"Unless you want to stay and watch?"

Buffy clapped a hand over Dawn’s mouth before she could reply and led her out of the room. She called goodbye over her shoulder as she grabbed her purse and opened the door. Willow and Tara giggled and kissed both men on the cheek before leaving as well. Once the door was locked and the alarm set, Xander turned feral eyes on the blonde and slowly stalked toward him. Spike shifted faces and met him halfway.

~!~

Outside the window, Drusilla watched as they tore at each other in their haste to be joined. She growled in rage as she watched Xander flip Spike onto his stomach on the living room rug and drag him up on all fours before plunging his tongue inside of him. As Spike growled and moaned, she dug her fingernails into her palms; rivulets of blood ran down landing on her white satin slippers, staining them red.

"Now, now. You're going to ruin your shoes."

"He should have been mine again; you promised."

Drusilla pouted at her companion but then moaned softly as her hands were each laved with a soft tongue, licking away the blood and allowing the small crescent-shaped cuts to heal over.

"All in good time; he will be yours just as that one will be mine."

Dru nodded her assent and turned back to the window just in time to see Xander enter Spike.

~!~

As they sped along the freeway back to LA, Cordelia Chase was uncharacteristically quiet. Angel was both concerned and thankful at the same time. He had a lot on his mind, and needed the peace and quiet to work through things. He still blamed himself for what was happening; if he hadn't have turned Dru, or at least not made her insane - then none of this would be happening. Of course, if he hadn't turned Dru, then Spike would never have come to be, and Xander wouldn't be a vampire. But all these things were out of his control. He had been Angelus then, and there was no changing the past. What he needed to do now was find out where Dru was hiding, who she was working with, and what they wanted with his childe.

"Angel?"

Cordy broke the silence, and Angel looked over at her briefly before turning his attention back to the road.

"Yes, Cordy?"

"It isn't over for them, is it? I mean, she's just going to do this again at some point, isn't she?"

Angel sighed.

"Yeah, she is. And my guess is sooner than later."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because she isn't working alone. She said someone was coming for Xander."

"What?!? She said that and we're still leaving? Why?"

"Because until she makes a move, there is nothing we can do. That and I think Spike wanted some alone-time in the house with Xander."

Cordelia nodded her understanding. She wasn't happy about any of this, but she knew that there was nothing they could do right now. Not until they were called to come back, and unfortunately, she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that they would be.

~!~

In the front room of the house, two pale figures lay curled up on the rug in front of the empty fireplace, arms wrapped tightly around each other, legs intertwined. They had no idea that they were being watched, that they were the objects of two cold, hard, yellowed-eyed gazes that seethed with hatred and anger.

~!~