Kindness, Love, and Acceptance

Part 18

With a roar of fury, Spike charged out of the apartment. Xander ran after him, knowing full well that he would have to be the voice of reason and sanity if Spike was set on tearing after Angel. He understood why Connor had gone - he'd have done the same thing in his place - but he wasn't happy about it. They were supposed to face things as a united front. And they were suppose to do it here where Angel couldn't get in!

Vamp speed being what it was, Xander got in his car and drove - he didn't stand a chance of catching his lover otherwise. He tore off toward the shop in hopes that he might actually get there before Spike, but doubting he would be that lucky.

~!~

Angel went down momentarily but quickly recovered from the attack. He turned to find his enraged childe in full demon face snarling and gnashing his fangs at him. He was momentarily startled but then his own demon came to the fore and he launched himself at the blonde.

Spike was beyond words; he was in full protective mode - Connor was his now, his to protect, to keep, to love. He wasn't letting Angel take him away from him. He attacked his sire viciously - gouging at his face and neck with his taloned fingers. He vaguely registered others coming into view as the shop door opened and Buffy and the others spilled into the street. He didn't care right now; tnly nly thing that mattered was defending his lover from this potential threat.

~!~

Connor groaned in frustration as his lover and his father fought one another with fists and fangs. This was not the way it was supposed to happen. He was supposed to convince Angel to leave, to go back to L.A., and then he would go back to his lovers and tell them that everything had been taken care of. He really wished Xander were here; he would know what to do about this.

"God! This just gets better and better, doesn't it?" Connor muttered to himself as the door to the Magic Box opened and the slayer stepped outside followed by her boyfriend, her watcher, the witch and her girlfriend. Then after a moment’s pause, Cordelia and Fred exited the shop, as well. He really hoped Buffy stayed out of the fight, otherwise he would have to join in, too.

~!~

Buffy screeched and went to leap into the fray only to be blocked by Giles. "I rather think this is a personal matter between Angel and his childe. Unless it looks like they are in danger of dusting one another, you will stay out of it." Buffy tried to side step her watcher but found that Giles was quite serious about her not interfering. Connor relaxed visibly; he really didn't want to have to fight her.

Connor turned his attention back to the fight and shuddered at the amount of blood that had been drawn. He knew for a fact that this was going to draw the vampires in the area and only hoped that they would either stay far enough back to not be a threat or that Buffy would do her job and take them out.

~!~

Xander slammed on the brakes and stumbled ou the the car. He ran toward the battle and then stopped short at the sight he was met with. Spike and Angel were covered in blood, fully vamped out and growling at one another. He looked over and saw that Giles was physically preventing Buffy from getting in the middle, and sighed in relief. Willow was watching the fight and holding Kennedy back from getting involved as well. Cordelia and some skinny, brown-haired chick were standing by watching the whole thing - Cordy looked bored and her companion looked nervous, but otherwise they seemed determined to stay out of it. He looked at Robin and saw the smug expression on the bastard's face and just knew that he was behind this whole fiasco. He didn't know how he had found out that Connor was Angel's kid, but somehow he had, and then called Deadboy and got him here.

Xander looked over at his young lover and saw the stricken look on his face. It made it very easy to do what he did next. With purposeful steps, he walked right up to Robin Woods and punched him in the face. "You fucking homophobic bastard!" Xander kicked the man as he fell to his knees holding his broken nose. "You had no right to interfere in our lives! Just because you're fucking Buffy, that doesn't make you one of us! If you ever mess with me and mine again, I'll tell every demon on the hellmouth that your mother was a slayer. Bet it'll get them real interested in you."

Xander glared at Buffy as she stormed toward him. "Don't!" He held up a hand to forestall whatever she was going to say. "I don't fucking care what you say, Buffy. I've been your friend for seven years. I've been hurt and almost killed for you, and I don't regret it. But this? This is going to tear us apart. I won't be friends with someone who hurts the people I love most - not even if it's only because her choice in men is abominable."

Giles smiled at Xander as he walked past him and wrapped his arms around Connor from behind. Xander rested his chin on the shorter man's shoulder and watched as Spike and Angel continued to fight. So far all they had done was draw blood from one another. If things got worse, he wasn't sure how he was going to stop it.

~!~

Angel waowlyowly asserting himself over his demon. He realised that Spike's feral behaviour was only because he saw him as a threat to his claim on Connor. He was actually stunned by it. He knew that Spike was only this passionate about people that he truly loved, which meant that what he felt for Connor had to be genuine. He needed to get Spike back in control so they could talk.

"Spike. Listen to me." Angel was caught off guard as Spike lunged at him and bit deeply into his shoulder through the silk of his shirt. He howled in outrage and punched his childe in the face. Spike flicked the blood off his lips and grinned at him, then he punched back.

The fight took on an edge of desperation as Spike tried to prove himself a capable protector, and Angel tried to subdue Spike's demon. For every punch landed, every drop of blood spilled, the fight became more frenzied. Finally, Angel swept Spike's feet out from under him and pounced on his back.

Spike bucked and howled as he tried to escape. He knew what came next and fought against it with everything he had. He would not be dominated by his sire. Even as he felt Angel’s fangs at his throat, he fought to free himself.

Angel stilled, his fangs brushing the skin of Spike's neck. "Get yourself under control childe, or I'll do it for you." He waited to see if Spike would continue to fight him or calm himself and submit. He pretty much figured that it would end up with him having to dominate the younger vampire into submission. Spike had always been stubborn - a trait that Angelus had enjoyed, as it meant he got to dominate Spofteoften.

Seeing no other course of action, Angel bit savagely into Spike's neck and drew on his blood. He pulled back - Spike's blood on his fangs - just in time to see an enraged Xander fly toward him. He rolled to the side but not fast enough to avoid the sharp kick that caught him in the ribs before Xander was pulled back by Connor.

~!~

Spike groaned and rolled onto his back. He looked over at his lovers and saw the anger and determination on Xander's face and smiled. He also saw how hard Connor was holding onto him and couldn't help the weak chuckle that escaped his lips. He could smell the slayer's boy's blood in the air and wondered whom he had to thank for hurting the wanker. Then he looked at his sire and was shocked by the look of acceptance in his eyes. "Poof? Er, I mean, Angel?"

Angel sighed and shook his head. "Spike, I didn't want to fight you."

Spike raised his brow in disbelief. "Well, first times and all that, then. You did a hell of a job for a guy whose heart wasn't in it." He looked over at his lovers and smiled softly at them before getting to his feet. "We done here, sire? 'Cause if so, I'd like to take what's mine and go home." Spike's eyes flashed in defiance at Angel.

"Not yet." Angel walked to his son who was now being held protectively by Xander. Angel shook his head at the craziness of the entire situation. The Xander he remembered chased everything in a skirt and hated vampires. Now he was not only involved with a man, he was involved with two of them, and one of them was a vampire. Spike. "Connor, I would like to finish speaking with you. Privately."

Connor nodded and stepped out of Xander's embrace. He stepped toward Angel and then turned back to his lover and kissed him softly. "It's fine, don't worry." Xander nodded and watched as Spike grabbed Connor by the arm and pulled him into his arms before kissing him breathless. Xander couldn't help but smile as Angel's eyes grew comically wide at the sight of his son and his childe making out right there on the street in front of him.

~!~