Vikings, Sires and Siblings

part 16

Buffy and Dawn came downstairs to find Xander sitting on the sofa holding a crying Willow in his arms while Spike and Anya watched them with a mixture of exasperation and sympathy on their faces. They didn't feel the least bit sorry for Willow, but seeing Xander trying to comfort her made them both feel bad for him and the position he was in. By all rights, he should still be angry with the redhead for asking him to turn Tara in the first place, and for the way she forced Angel to do it when he had refused. But Xander loved Willow - would always love Willow - and couldn't stand to see her hurting. So in typical Xander fashion he put aside his own feelings and tried to make his friend feel better.

"What's going on? Did we miss something?"

Buffy looked over the room’s other occupants and crossed her arms over her chest while she waited for an answer.

"Tara woke up. She bit Willow and then Willow tried to run away. I stopped her, and now she's weeping all over Xander. I want coffee; does anyone else want coffee?"

Anya headed toward the kitchen while chaos erupted in the living room. There were shouted exclamations of surprise, a warning growl from Xander, and Willow began to cry louder again. Spike grinned and followed Anya from the room.

"Nice one. You really have it in for Red don't ya?"

"She was stupid and selfish. What she did wasn't fair to Tara. When I died, D'Hoffryn gave me a choice - I could resume my job and become a vengeance demon again, or I could remain dead and take my chances on where I'd end up in the after life. I chose this. I was a good vengeance demon; for over a millennium, I served my cause and served it well. I know where I would have gone after my death. This is better. Tara was a good person; she would have gone to heaven - now she's stuck here. She can't ever enjoy a day at the beach again, or take Dawn to the mall, or finish college. Chocolate won't taste the same and she'll never age, or have babies - and she wanted babies - and Willow will die, and then she'll be alone. Like I said, it isn't fair."

Spike was impressed. Anya brought up some very good points - things Willow obviously didn't think about in her grief. He wondered how this was going to affect them - all of them - when she came to realise the extent of what she had done.

"True. I highly doubt she was thinking about the future when she blackmailed Peaches, though. She was hurting; people do strange things when they're hurting."

"Well, they should have talked about this. After what happened to Xander, everyone should have talked - decided if they wanted to be turned in the event of a fatal injury. It was stupid to ignore this. I mean, when Xander and I were together we talked about it."

"You did?"

Spike was shocked. As far as he knew, none of them knew about the spell Willow had performed until after Xander had been turned.

"But you didn't even know about the spell."

"True, but I was afraid of dying. I asked Xander if I was hurt, if he would let you turn me - if he could still love me if I was a demon - again. I even told him he could have Willow do the soul spell on me."

"What'd he say?"

"He said he didn't know. That he didn't like thinking of me being dead, but that he loved me and if that's what I wanted, then he would do it. But he said he didn't want that for himself. That if something happened to him, he wanted to be allowed to die. I think it would have killed me to let him go, but I would have done it. It would have been better than having him hate me."

"You loved him that much?"

"I loved him that much. I still love him, but after becoming Anyanka again, I knew I had to let him go. He couldn't love me and accept my job. It would have torn us apart - this way we can still be friends, and I know that with you he'll be happy and loved."

"He will, he is. I'll take care of him, luv. Always."

"I know. Thank you."

Spike hugged his mate's former fiancée and then gave her a cheeky grin.

"We'd best get on that coffee before the cheerleader wakes up and decides to make some."

They both shuddered at the thought and set about making coffee.

~!~

Cordelia stood outside the bedroom door, chewing her lip in frustration. She had woken up to the sound of Angel shouting and had just managed to open her door in time to see Willow run past, tears streaking her face and blood flowing from her neck. She knew that Angel hadn't bitten her, so it could only mean that Tara was awake. Hence the frustration.

Cordelia was not stupid; she knew all about vampire families and the bond between sires and their childer. She knew that Spike had been Angel’s lover back in the bad old days, as well as Dru and Darla. But that was Angelus - not Angel - and she wondered if the fact that they were both souled and that Tara was gay and in love with Willow would be enough to weaken that bond, or was she going to lose Angel to his childe before she ever really had him?

Gathering both courage and pride, she knocked on the door and then opened it, stepping inside the room and closing the door behind her. She took in the scene in front of her. Angel sat on the bed with Tara in his arms; she wept into his chest and he rubbed circles on her back and purred lightly. When he noticed Cordelia, he looked up at her with pleading eyes and she gave him a smile.

"Hey, guys. Everything okay?"

Tara looked up at Cordy, her eyes filled with tears, and Cordelia’s heart went out to her. Without thinking, she went to her and gathered her into her arms. As Tara melted into the embrace, Angel shot Cordy a grateful look and got to his feet.

"I'll... I'll be right back. I'm going to get something to eat and talk to Willow. Tara? Will you be okay here with Cordy?"

Tara nodded her head and Angel placed his hand on his seer’s shoulder, squeezing it gently before leaving the room. Cordelia watched him go and then turned her attention back to the woman in her arms.

"It'll be okay, I promise. Angel will talk to Willow and we'll get everything straightened out."

"B-but, I bit her. I didn't know what I was doing. How can I ever trust myself around her? Around anyone? How will she ever trust me again?"

"I don't know, sweetie. But I do know that it wasn't your fault - none of this is your fault."

Cordy rocked Tara gently in her arms, she emitted a low, soothing energy that wrapped them both in a blanket of soft light and continued to whisper soothingly to her. Eventually, Tara calmed and looked up into Cordelia’s eyes and nervously began twisting her fingers.

"Tara? Is something bothering you?"

"Yeah, there is something. But..."

"You can tell me; I promise I won't tell anyone and I'll help if I can."

"I don't want to stay here. I mean in Sunnydale; not right now, anyway. I love Willow - I really do - and I know why she did this, but I just don't think I can be around her right now. I need to figure out who I am now. I feel different, more in some ways. But I'm so angry with her... I'm afraid I might hurt her."

Tara lowered her head and Cordelia hugged her close once again.

"It's okay, sweetie. You can come back to LA with Angel and me."

~!~

Angel found Spike in the kitchen - Anya having just left - and he heaved himself into one of the chairs at the table and let his head fall forward until it connected with the flat surface with a resounding 'thud'. Spike snorted softly and began heating blood for his pseudo-sire.

"How's Glinda doing?"

Angel lifted his head and glared at the blonde before answering.

"She woke up hungry, bit her lover, and then came back to herself with the taste of blood in her mouth and the memories of dying. How do you think she's doing?"

That said, the older vampire let his head fall back to the table. Spike retrieved the blood from the microwave and slid it in front of him. He took a seat as Angel sat up and drained the mug before putting it back down and lowering his head once again.

"You gonna sit here like that all day, mate?"

"Yes. I was considering it."

Spike chuckled.

"Sire?"

Angel lifted his head and looked at Spike. Something about the way he had said 'sire' made him take notice.

"Yes, childe?"

"Don't let what Red did keep you from enjoying the gift you've been given. You have your soul, free and clear. Enjoy it, you've bloody well earned it. Take your seer home and ..."

"Spike! Not now. This isn't as simple as you think it is."

"Why not? You love her, she loves you. What's so bleeding complicated?"

"Tara. Spike, she's my childe."

"And?"

Angel raised his eyebrow at the younger vampire and watched as the confusion melted off his face to be replaced with understanding and then astonishment.

"You... Glinda? Bloody hell, Angel; the bird’s a lesbian!"

"Yeah, and Xander was straight before he was turned. Your point?"

Spike opened his mouth to reply but then shut it with a snap. He shook his head and then got to his feet.

"Bloody hell, things around here are about to get very interesting."

~!~

Spike strolled back into the living room with a wicked grin on his face and plopped down on the sofa beside his mate. His mate who was still cradling the red-haired witch in his arms. He rolled his eyes and pulled Xander away from her as Angel followed him into the room.

"Willow, can I talk to you?"

Willow sniffled and looked warily at Angel but then she nodded and followed him from the room. Xander looked Spike over and frowned.

"What is it, blondie? What's got you looking like the cat that ate the canary?"

"Tell ya later, pet."

Xander glared, but knew there was no point in pushing. Spike wouldn't tell him until he was damn good and ready.

~!~

In the kitchen, Willow sat and watched as Angel paced the length of the room. She knew that he wanted to talk about Tara, about what she had done to make him turn her, about how Tara felt waking up a vampire. She wasn't sure she wanted to discuss that with him; she felt awful in the harsh light of day for what she had done. She had forced Angel to kill her lover - regardless of the fact that she was dying anyway - and confine her to an eternity of darkness and blood. An eternity that Willow didn't have - didn't know if she would want in her place.

"Angel, I'm sorry."

Willow’s whispered apology struck Angel like a slap in the face. He spun and glared at her before composing himself - but not before Willow caught the look and cringed.

"I don't want to hear your apologies or your excuses. This isn't about me; it's about Tara. Do you have any idea what you've done to her?"

"I..."

"I don't think you do. You look at Xander and see the same loveable, goofy boy he's always been. You think... I don't know what you think, but you don't know Xander anymore - not all of him. You only see the part he shows to the world - the part that remembers being human. The demon is always there, though; I've met it. Up close and personal. In LA, when Spike had been taken, Xander threatened to kill me. He would have done it, too. His demon may be young but it is strong - strong enough to take me down and I've been around a while. He's still Xander but he's more now, just like Tara. Because of you."

Willow wiped at the tears that ran down her cheeks, she remembered seeing Xander slam Spike into the wall and rip his pants from him. She knew that it was the demon in control then; it had scared her. And now, now she had done that to Tara.

"Oh Goddess. I didn't mean to, I just... I was so angry, and I couldn't lose her. I love her."

"I know you do, but this isn't about you, Willow. You didn't think about Tara at all; you never even listened when Xander told you that she wouldn't want this. My God, did you see how horrified he was when you asked him? Xander has had time to come to terms with what he is; he has Spike and a home and enough money to be comfortable and then some for however long he lives."

"Tara loves me, she'll forgive me. Xander got used to being a vampire; so will she."

"He was killed and turned by a stranger, Willow - not someone who is supposed to love him."

Angel sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"Tara feels betrayed. She's scared and confused and doesn't know how to deal with what's been done to her. I'm going to ask her to come back to LA with Cordy and me; and Willow, I don't want you to come with us."

"But..."

"No. She needs time. And she needs space."

Willow nodded her head and then fled the room. Angel grimaced and headed for the back stairs. Now all he had to do was convince Tara and Cordelia that this was a good idea. Something he wasn't all too sure of himself.

~!~