The Rocky Road to Belonging

Title: The Rocky Road to Belonging
Author: AddictedtoBuffy
Rating: NC17
Pairing: Spike/Lindsey/Oz/Wesley
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series. They are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy et al. I do not make money from the writing of this, it is purely entertainment. I do not mean any disrespect to the actors who have portrayed these characters. This fic contains explicit Male/Male relationships if you are adverse to this or are under the age of eighteen then please do not read. Thankyou to all the online writers who help keep the Buffyverse alive.
Summary: “My life just couldn’t be any worse at the moment.” Follow the adventures of Spike, Lindsey, Oz, Wesley, Faith, Lorne and Ethan when the initiative interferes in their lives. Set in an AU Season 4 of BtVS.
Series: This is the second story in the Belonging series. The first was “The Watcher and the Wolf” which was Oz/Wesley. You don’t need to read that to understand this all you need to know is that Oz and Wesley are together and Wesley is a werewolf. However, if you do want to read it, it can be found at AFF, Slashaholics Island and ForeverFandom.
Beta: I would be lost without the brilliant Bubbysbub offering wisdom and insight.
Feedback: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I’ll get on my knees and beg for feedback both good and bad
Part: 3/8
Distribution: Anyone I’ve already said yes to, go for it, anyone else, please ask
Warnings: Mild Language Warning for this chapter
Home Page: I have a yahoo group which can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ForeverAngel/

Chapter Three – Escape

Spike’s POV

I suddenly stand up from where I was sitting chatting to Faith as well as Oz and Lorne in the cell opposite us. I can feel something… a presence… coming.

“What is it?” Faith asks.

“Shhh,” I reply, hearing precise footsteps coming our way, whatever it is, they’re bringing it with them. I glance over at the other cell and Oz is on his feet as well sniffing and staring towards the yet-to-be-seen presence I feel. The army guys come into view pushing three gurneys. My eyes gravitate towards one gurney in particular and I just know it’s my childe, the childe I’ve never met. His arm twitches and then he’s sitting up ripping the straps in the process.

“Sire!” He yells staring at me. A growl breaks my concentration and I look to the gurney next to him, the individual is wolfing out and breaking free of the restraints. I hear an answering growl from across the hall and watch Oz wolfing out as well. This must be his boy, I hope they can get us out of here. My childe. I can see my childe and he is stunning, roaring at the useless marines. They seem to finally shake off their shock and move menacingly towards him. Before they reach him the werewolf jumps on them, mauling them savagely, bloody hell that’s brutal.

“Lindsey, catch,” the other male who was strapped to a gurney calls throwing a key pass to my childe. My childe’s name is Lindsey. He catches the key pass and swipes it next to my cell. The door opens and Faith and I run out. I vaguely notice her grab the key and run to Lorne’s cell where he is attempting to restrain a wolfed out Oz from attacking the glass. All my attention is on my childe. I never wanted a childe but that doesn’t matter anymore. I have one and I wasn’t there when he woke up. That must have been terrifying. I am going to be there for him from now on and that means getting out of here but first he needs reassurance. He is standing there, uncertainly, shifting from foot to foot.

“Childe,” I call opening my arms to him.

“Sire,” he breathes rushing into them. I hold him tight, breathing in his unique scent.

“I’m so sorry childe, I wasn’t there when you awoke, I’ll make it up to you. I promise but first we need to get out of here.” I look around, Lorne is helping Faith stand straight, and the werewolves are play fighting in the blood and the guy whose name I still don’t know seems to be conjuring something. “You know the way out?” I ask and he nods.

“Alright folks, let’s get the hell out of here.” I yell at them, I can hear more soldiers coming. Everyone but the werewolves move off, they are too busy rutting. I can’t leave them here. “Oz,” I yell out and then realise I don’t know the other’s name.

“Wesley,” Lindsey hisses at me and I shoot him a grateful glance before focusing back on the wolves.

“Oz, Wesley, HEEL.” I yell in my best commanding voice and they do. Oh great just what my life needs, more complications.

*****

Lindsey’s POV

We rush down the corridors, alarms blazing, confined demons yelling after us. Pleading with us to let them out. It would slow us down too much if we did, they would recapture us all. Ethan at the front of our group slides to a stop at a locked door.

“If someone would be kind enough to open this, we can get out of here.” I admire his cool as my Sire moves closer to the door.

“Faith, Linds,” he calls and I find myself complying automatically. I like how he said my name, I like everything about him. The disturbing fact is that I’m seeking approval from a vampire I only just met. This freak out is going to have to wait until I’m out of here. I stand next to him, Faith on the other side, I can smell her tantalising spilt blood from here. Its only the remembered pain and knowing I’d disappoint my Sire that’s keeping me from attacking her.

“On three; one, two, three.” The three of us kick the offending door and it breaks under the pressure. Just as we go to get into the stairwell five marines and four demons on leashes block our exit.

“Fuck,” falls out of my mouth. I don’t usually swear but it sums our situation up nicely. I am determined not to be taken from my Sire again and if that means that somehow I need to fight through the pain, then so be it. I will not be placed in a cage again to be used for their experiments. With that in mind I lower my head and run at one of the demons, head butting him in the stomach. My momentum keeps us going until his back hits the safety rail and he tumbles over it, falling down the stair well. Hang on a minute, I turn to my Sire.

“No pain, I can hurt demons!” He smiles and then rips a head off one. Close by, Lorne punches a demon in the head until he goes down. Wow, I’ve known Lorne for quite a while and I’ve never known him as anything other than a pacifist. Faith takes care of the last one but there are still the marines to deal with who have been standing back while the werewolves’ growl menacingly at them.

“Aranda Stevaka,” Ethan commands and the guards go flying out of the doorway and the door slams itself shut and locks. “That should keep them busy,” he remarks and then leads us up the stairs. After that it is remarkably easy and we are soon standing in one of the grassy areas of UC Sunnydale. My Sire takes charge.

“Right now, my De Soto is out behind Willy’s bar so we get over there and get the hell out of dodge.”

“Shouldn’t we split up?” Lorne asks.

“Nah mate we’re more dangerous together, besides which, they’ll be expecting us to split up. If we can get off the hellmouth quick enough we will be fine.” He starts to lead the way and I follow with the werewolves frolicking around us as if they don’t have a care in the world. We are running fast but I somehow know I could run faster however glancing over at Lorne and Ethan I know that they are moving as fast as they can. Faith moves in between Sire and I, and I realise I don’t even know his real name. I find myself salivating at the strong smell of her blood and I can’t take my eyes of her wrist where the blood is congealing.

“Spike,” she begins, my Sire’s name is Spike, “You’re going to need blood,” she tells him.

“No, I’m fine, I don’t need to worry about it until we’re far away,” he answers.

“Spike, your boy is drooling over the dried blood on my wrist.” She tells him matter-of-factly. He glances over at me and I lower my head. A part of me that I am rapidly identifying as the demon is ashamed that I cannot live up to my Sire’s unspoken expectations.

“Sire I’m…” I begin but he cuts me off.

“Its alright Lindsey, I know we both need blood but there’s not much I can do about that, diverting all of us to the butcher’s will take too long and I’m the only one who knows where the car is.”

“I’ll go, run to Willy’s, I’m faster than this on my own, get you the blood,” Faith offers. The lawyer part of me wants to know what the catch is.

“Okay Slayer, I don’t have time to work out your motives but you’d better be at the car when we get there.” She nods once more in understanding then runs off.

“Now, why couldn’t I run like that?” Lorne asks panting and sweating besides us.

“Just keep running, we’re not too far off now.” Spike tells us, the werewolves run in front and around us, seeming to have fun. I wonder if Wesley remembers what he does in werewolf form. The files at Wolfram and Hart weren’t too clear on that point.

“You know you’re going to have to order them to turn into human form,” Lorne notes.

“Yeah, I know,” Spike answers tight-lipped. I wonder what’s going on.

“I haven’t heard of werewolves changing at will before, but it is common knowledge that in werewolf form they only obey their alpha.” Wait a minute I’ve heard something about this before.

“In a pack there is only one alpha werewolf. A beta subconsciously obeys an alpha, only one alpha in their lifetime. The alpha looks after and cares for, as well as sleeps with, the beta’s of a pack.” I quote, I had to represent a werewolf pack a couple of years ago and spent all night in files and records, researching.

“Yeah, I know that.” I glance over at my Sire. I have no right to tell him who he can or can’t sleep with. I just thought it was going to be us for a little while. I know what the Sire/Childe bond entails and a part of me is looking forward to it, though the still human part is a bit apprehensive.

“Don’t worry pet, you’re my number one,” he assures me fleetingly touching my hand. We round the corner and he stops beside a very old black car that’s in good condition except for the black paint over the windows.

“It’s unlocked, get in.” He tells us opening the boot and grabbing out two blankets.

“I’m driving.” Ethan states grabbing the keys, “you need to look after those three,” he adds. Spike looks like he wants to protest but he decides against it. Instead he hands me a blanket.

“Wrap this round one of the wolves once they’re human,” I nod as Faith runs up.

“I’ve got it, we should get going,” she yells showing us the cooler.

“Right, get in the front. Oz, Wesley, CHANGE!” he commands and I watch astonished as they do.

*****

Oz’s POV

I feel the disorientation I always do when I have turned back into human form. This time is a bit more perplexing as I seem to not be in our specially built cage in Restfeild cemetery but instead in a pile of mud, outside at night-time.

“Quick, up you get.” Cool hands pull me upright and wrap me in a blanket before pushing me into the backseat of a car. I let them manipulate me as I don’t feel too well and I’m a bit discombobulated.

“Oh God, oh God,” I faintly hear Wesley cry and realise that I’m in shock but from what, I don’t know. I press up against the car and then there’s a warm body up against my other side. I realise its Wesley as his unique smell permeates my nostrils. I turn and grab him, he responds by clinging to me like a limpet clings to a rock.

“Wes,” I breathe, revelling in the scent and feel of him in my arms. I thought I’d never see him again. I absently note the car moving and that others are talking around us but I don’t pay attention, just holding onto Wesley for long moments. Finally the outside world comes crashing back in as I smell blood both fresh and old. I look up to find Spike sitting next to us with someone I don’t know drinking blood from Spike’s wrist.

“You found your childe,” I state loosening my grip on Wesley who is currently straddling my legs. I try not to show my surprise when Wesley answers.

“The initiative killed him, made him into a beast and then put an electric leash on him so that he can’t bite.” His voice is fairly monotone and I know that he’s not telling me everything. I’ve never seen Wesley behave like this, cling to me, he always tries to be the solid, stable one never showing his emotions. I focus back on him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Aren’t I supposed to be the monosyllabic one? Suddenly I notice something,

“What’s with the blood?”

“We were both covered in it when we woke.” He answers but I know there’s more to this particular story. I just stare at him until he continues. “I… I… I think… I think we…” he stammers.

“What he’s trying to say,” Spike interrupts, “is that he thinks the two of you might have killed a soldier or two while we were escaping,” he pauses a moment to let me process this. “And he’d be right.” Wesley just sits there shocked but I can feel him shaking. This will be hard for him. We haven’t escaped from our cage since he became a werewolf so he has never had to entertain the thought that he has killed someone. When I found out that I was a werewolf I had been loose the previous two nights. For a while there I thought I had killed Teresa. Then the next year there was another incident where I thought I had killed a friend, Jeremy. I was cleared, but it got me pondering the nature of my wolf and the chance that I would kill someone in the future. The month before I bit Wesley, the hellmouth was opening again so they locked me in the basement. I woke up the next morning to find clawed and bitten human remains near me. The strange thing was that they seemed older than one night.

“Look I know you’re probably freaking out as you SoCal’s put it, but without the two of you, none of us would’ve escaped.” Wesley doesn’t react, caught in his own little world but I glance over at Spike and mouth ‘Thanks.’ Lindsey finally lifts his head up from Spike’s wrist, he has a ring of blood round his mouth and I feel an impulse to lick it off. That should be a disturbing thought.

“Ethan, stop at the supermarket coming up, its demon friendly.” Spike tells him, Spike seems to be in charge and I really don’t have a problem with that.

“Why are we stopping? I thought we were just going to go until sunrise?” Faith asks, I can’t believe Faith is up and about and not actively trying to kill us.

“Sunrise is in three hours time, not nearly long enough for us to disappear. If we stop for five minutes here and get supplies such as food, water, first aid and clothes for these two, we can keep driving until sunrise tomorrow as long as you three up front share the driving, that’ll mean the solider boys will have too much territory to search.” We pull into the car park and I can see a demon woman pushing her demon baby in a pram and demon siblings squabbling over a toy.

“Lindsey, do you want to go with them and get Wesley and Oz some new clothes?” Spike asks Lindsey wiping the blood off Lindsey’s face.

“Aren’t you coming in too?” Lindsey asks and I can hear a note of uncertainty in his voice.

“No I’m too well known, besides I need to talk to these two about what we talked about earlier, but hurry back.” Spike lowers his lips to Lindsey’s and they kiss passionately. When they finally release each other Lindsey is panting heavily despite not needing to breathe. “You’re my number one.” Spike whispers and then Lindsey leaves to catch up to the others.

“What do you want to talk to us about?” I ask him straight out.

“I gave you an order while you were both wolfed out and you both obeyed.” That gets my attention, it also gets Wesley’s who whips around to stare at Spike open mouthed.

“But… but you’re a vampire,” he finally manages to sputter out.

“You’re right, I was the last time I looked,” Spike answers smirking at us.

“This… this is impossible,” Wesley protests. Spike raises an eyebrow but doesn’t answer. I hold Wes to me and study Spike, study what I feel about Spike. My wolf feels less restless than it has lately and Spike seems to present a feeling of safety within me. We both have been feeling the need for an alpha. At least here we probably wouldn’t have the pecking order problems you hear about in some packs. I still need to make sure we make the right decision. Usually Wesley and I make decisions together but he is still in too much shock to think properly.

“How would it work,” I ask cautiously.

“Good, you should always be cautious before making decisions,” he replies before cupping my face with his hand.

“I will never hurt you. I will endeavour to keep you safe, no other werewolf would challenge you because it would mean challenging me. I can give you what you need, a pack, a firm hand. In return I’ll expect your respect, your trust and your obedience. Of course this all means you’ll be sharing my bed. Lindsey as my childe will come before you, always above you but you will be taken care of.” His message is plain, if Lindsey wants to, he will be sleeping with us as well if we agree to this. At least we’d be better off than in some of the packs around, or even on our own, where any alpha can try to lay claim to us. There is still one more question.

“Why, why are you offering this to us?”

“Because I want a family again. As Wesley undoubtedly knows, as he has to have had Watcher training,” he pauses until Wes nods and then he continues. “I’ve spent most of my unlife surrounded by my family until the last couple of years. I like having people around me but they’ve all gone and it’s about time I am head of my own family, my own branch of the Aurielian clan. When fortune hands me a childe, and then two strong werewolves, I will definitely take it.

“So what, we’re trophies, a status symbol?” Wesley spits.