Once It Begins

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OIB 11 - Bonding


Magic Box


"It's time!" Drusilla squeals and jumps to her feet. Wesley, who sat on her lap to keep her on the chair, falls to the ground.

"I told you to secure her!" Giles hollers and looks with open disgust at the younger watcher who struggles to get back his footing.
"I tried to... she just... it was unexpected!" Wesley tries to justify himself but only earns scornful looks.

Gunn, in the meantime, followed Drusilla to the middle of the room where she twirls around herself, laughing loudly. She doesn't seem to be a danger to anybody so Gunn just watches her antics carefully, but doesn't try to grab her.

Willow, Tara and Cordy, who sit on the stairs to the upper level of the bookstore, also watch the vampire's dance, fascinated. Buffy frantically pulls on Giles' sleeve. "What is going on, Giles! What is going on?"

Wes stands beside Drusilla and holds his hand out. "Come here, princess, you make them nervous when you dance." He says softly and she stops all her movements.

Wes, Gunn and Giles let out a sigh of relief, when suddenly, Cordy sits up straighter and would have fallen down the stairs if Willow and Tara hadn't caught her.

Drusilla throws her head back and screams. Wesley grabs her around her middle and drags her to the ground, cradles her to his chest but she keeps on screaming.

Cordy's cheeks are wet with tears and her lip is bleeding a little where she must have bitten it. Her hands hold her head as if she wants to keep it from exploding.
Willow and Tara try their best to keep her still.

Buffy has crouched down and dragged Giles with her, she looks around with unseeing eyes frantically from where Dru struggles in Gunn's and Wes' hold to where Cordy writhes in the arms of the witches.

The next moment, the two dark-haired women cease to move at all, before they bolt upright, eyes rolled up towards the ceiling that nearly nothing of the iris can be seen, they both open their mouths then start chanting simultaneously:

"It has begun and once it begins it can't be stopped except by the new order that still has to form. It has begun and once it begins it can't be stopped except by the new order that still has to form. It has begun and once it begins it can't be stopped except by the new order that still has to form."

Then both girls collapse in exhaustion.

Wesley and Giles exchange a look and the witches and Gunn, who witness it, feel the hairs on their necks stand on end.

***
Outside of Angel's mansion

I feel weird. My body feels tight and controlled. I am hungry. I want to - no! I need to be with my sire. I am moved, and then I am flying. My body tingles as if new skin is growing on it. Strong arms encircle me. I feel safe. The tingling grows and it seems to be concentrated on my face, my teeth and forehead. It's increasing and increasing and it starts to hurt. Hurts. Hurts badly. Sire? Help me? Help me! The pain is so bad, where is my sire? Why do I hurt? Sire? I need my sire. Where is my sire? I fight to open my eyes. My face feels so weird. Finally I manage to open my eyes. Everything is foggy, only slowly can I focus. I see brown eyes that look down at me with pride and adoration. Something in me tells me *family*. Not my sire. Where is my sire? "Sire?" I hear myself ask.

I feel strong hands grab me and rip me out of the comfortable embrace of *family* and my stomach does flip-flops. I struggle to get to the ground, there are more hands, pulling and pushing on me. I get sick. I start gagging. And finally, I feel muddy ground under my hands and knees and let my body do what it wants.

***

"I told you to..." Angel snarls at Spike, who at last put Xander down on the ground.
"Fuck you."
"I told you to let him down!"
"So what?! You want a gold-medal for knowing first thing he's gonna do is puke his guts out?" Xander groans and empties his stomach more. "You could have told me!" Spike says and keeps massaging Xander's neck.

"Keep you voice down!" Angel looks around, cocks his head and listens to the sounds from the mansion. "And when should I have told you? Between searching for the childe you lost and the police coming after us, which they still are by the way."

Spike huffs out breaths, annoyed. "So what shall I do? Go in there and impress them by falling to the ground and screaming like a girl?!"
"I told you to keep your voice down!"
"Why don't you keep your voice down?"

"Why don't you both shut up?" Xander croaks and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, effectively cutting himself with his fangs. "Fuck."

"Maybe later." Angel says and grins over his pun. Spike just stares in awe at his childe. "Now we have to get going. Come on." He gets to his feet and when Spike doesn't make a move to follow suit, Angel kicks Spike in the side. "NOW."
Xander bares his teeth at Angel instinctively. Spike grins. Angel growls. "Get your childe, childe. I’ll get Connor."

Spike grabs Xander's arm. Xander is touching his forehead wonderingly and stares at the blood where it leaks from the two parallel scratches on the back of his head. "Come on now, poof's right. Gotta get away now. It's not safe." He pulls Xander to his feet, supports him whilst they walk deeper into the shadows of the trees in the backyard.

Angel has gathered up Stephen and carries him carefully. On the young man's temple a bruise is rapidly forming, but it's not as bad as Angel thought. He never thought he'd hold his son in his arms again. The oracles promised him a normal life, a good life for Connor and now the boy showed up here. Looks like they, too, underestimated the power of blood.

The three vampires and the bloodchilde arrive at the car and get into it, Spike and Xander sit in the back, Connor is put on the passenger seat and secured with the seatbelt. Spike pulls Xander, who is still confused and hungry, to him. Angel turns the key in the ignition and, without turning the lights on, he steers the car out of the driveway unseen by the two cops still in the mansion.

"Where do we go?" Spike asks, cuddling a nearly unresponsive Xander.
"Nowhere."
"Oh wow - you're a genius with plans." The blond rolls his eyes and looks down into Xander's vampiric face. "You okay?" He asks, softly and Xander shakes his head.
"Course he's not okay - he must be hungry as hell." Angel says reproachfully. "Feed him."

"Bugger off."

"Spike!"

"BUGGER OFF!" Spike yells and Xander winces, shrinks away. "Not you."

"You kidnapped me!" The newly awakened Stephen/Connor says.

"Oh just great." Angel sighs and grabs the seatbelt to hinder any attempt by Connor to get out of it.

"Xander, calm down. You'll get what you need soon." Angel wishes for once that vampires show up in mirrors, he can't keep an eye on the road, on Connor and on the two in the back. "Spike, just listen to the link, would you?"

Stephen/Connor struggles to get out of the seatbelt as expected, Angel holds on but is surprised - and proud - by the power of the boy.
"Let me go! Why did you kidnap me? Let me go. I won't tell anything to anybody. Promise."
"No." Angel says calmly.
"You can't just say no. I asked *why* you won't let me go! Why! That is not a yes-or-no- answer-question!" Stephen/Connor protests.
"No." Angel grins.
"But... damn you." The boy crosses his arms in front of his chest and pouts. Angel thinks it's adorable.

Spike has gone silent. His eyes are on Xander's face that looks down on his hand. The blood has dried there but the fang marks from before are gone. Xander's whole body shakes, he is breathing regularly. Spike is sure he doesn't even realize it. The blond focuses on the link, tries to find Xander there and succeeds. Xander is strong in the link, stronger than Spike imagined, and he is hungry, scared and hungry and uncomfortable.

Slowly Spike reaches out and touches his fingertips to the back of Xander's formerly injured hand. The boy jumps, then looks up at Spike, his expression a mix of fear and anxiety. Spike lets his gameface come to the fore, golden eyes lock on golden-orange eyes, he opens the link a bit, floods Xander with his emotions while he says the initial words:

"I am Spike aka William the Bloody of the Aurelius bloodline. I am your sire. You are my childe. To complete the bond, you shall receive your first taste from my vein, to strengthen the bond I shall drink from your vein. Once this is done, whatever happens, whatever you do, whatever I do, nothing but the final death can destroy the bond we share."

Spike pulls Xander to him, the boy's back to his chest; he shoves up his sleeve and holds the vulnerable inside of his wrist close to Xander's mouth. "Drink, my childe." He murmurs and breathes kisses onto Xander's neck. The newly created vampire doesn't hesitate long; he sinks his fangs into his sire's flesh and starts sucking deeply. Spike can't withstand any longer and he bites carefully into his childe's neck, suckles just a little blood inside his mouth. Both moan in exquisite pleasure when the physical and psychic connections are both established. Love, family sense and acceptance, protection and eagerness flash through the link and can be tasted in the blood. The bond completes.

Angel smiles.

***


Yes, I know, it took ages. I am sorry. Chapter 12 is already off to my lovely beta Joolz. Update soon. Thanks to all the lovely reviewers. Keep nagging me! lol.

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