The Highlander Factor

From his perch on the roof of the factory, Spike had a good view in through the window of Angelus' new lair. From the outside it looked exactly like an empty warehouse, but from what he could see, it was a sight more than that. There were what he could only think of as barracks in there, plus high speed telephone connections and enough hardware to give the Initiative a run for its money.

It hadn't been easy to track his Sire. Word was out that Angelus was back and demons were falling over themselves to sign up, but no one was talking to Spike, in fact several places had made it very clear that his presence wasn't welcome at all. Eventually, he'd struck lucky and found a vampire that happened to have a long-standing grudge against Angelus, and was more than willing to share what she knew.

Her directions brought him within a block of the lair and the bond did the rest, bringing him to this spot just before the sun rose. He'd laid up in the ventilation system of the factory during daylight hours, emerging at dusk to spy on Angelus through the window.

His Sire had spent a significant portion of the night on the telephone, or meeting with vampires and demons from all over LA and the longer he watched, the more Spike was convinced that Angelus was planning something, something big. About an hour before dawn he had seen enough and was starting to think about getting back to Fred and Gunn. The demons had left, leaving Angelus alone but Spike knew, in his heart, that if he attempted to take his Sire in his own lair, he would fail. At this point it was more important to get the information back and return with bigger guns, maybe Fred would be willing to call Sunnydale and get the Slayer into town.

Spike let his thoughts skate over Buffy and everything she had meant to him. He had been unbelievably arrogant to think such a woman could feel anything but contempt for what he was, even for what he had become. He had taken advantage of her when she was damaged and scared, and when she had finally come to her senses and rejected him...If she did come to LA he would work with her but that was all, there could never be anything more.

He stood up to leave, but dropped back down at the sound of voices coming up from the street. Two humans, a woman and a teen-aged boy, and they were heading towards the warehouse. They couldn't possibly know that Angelus was holed up there or they wouldn't attempt to enter, but they did. Through the window Spike saw the initial confrontation, then leapt to the ground and ran for the door. The way the youngster had moved the speed, power and skill he'd showed as Angelus attacked him could only mean one thing; the boy was Connor.

The door flew open under his boot and he threw himself inside, rolling to one side to avoid the stake aimed at his heart by the red headed woman who had been with Angel's son. In self-defence he aimed a leg sweep at her, tumbling her to the ground and followed it up with a sharp punch to her chin, which dropped her like a stone. He didn't have time to explain to a stake wielding she-bitch that he was one of the good guys, and this way she was more likely to stay alive in the long run. By the looks of the corpses around the room his Sire was not taking prisoners.

In the background Spike could hear Angelus' taunts and jibes as he fought with Connor, he was suddenly cast back to another time and another warehouse over a hundred years ago and felt a pang of empathy for the kid as he listened.

"No, block, punch, block..." The break in commentary was punctuated by the sound of a boot connecting hard with Connor's chest. "Oops, did I say block? Make that a kick."

The teen leapt back to feet and away from the wall, launching himself back into the fray. Undeterred, his Father kept up his scornful advice.

"Now that was just rude. Trying to leave before I'd finished. Where were we? Oh yes, nose, solar plexus, block...Come on, Connor, try and keep up."

Spike had to hand it to the boy, he was doing well but he could see that the punishment was starting to take its toll, sweat was running into his eyes from the exertion and his breathing was starting to get distinctly ragged. He needed to get the kid away from Angelus; between them they could probably take the older vampire, but if he barged in without warning Spike knew that he could easily end up fighting on two fronts.

The decision was taken out of his hands as almost simultaneously the bodies he had mistaken for dead started to reanimate, their faces shifting with the powerful bloodlust that drove a newly risen fledgling. Connor spotted them immediately and their sudden appearance distracted him, allowing Angelus to slip in and embrace him, sinking his fangs into his bared neck. Spike cursed roundly and grabbed the stake from his jacket pocket. With a roar he sprung across the room and plunged it into Angelus, who sank to his knees with a gasp of pain. Connor, finding himself suddenly free, took advantage of the vampire's incapacind dnd drove his fist into his Father's face.

Although tempted to let him carry on Spike realised that they needed to get out and fast. There were at least six fledges, not to mention Angelus who was unfortunately not a dusty pile, and both he and Connor were far from fighting fit. He grabbed the boy's arm, marvelling at the raw power he felt there, and drew his attention to the unholy throng that was closing in from all sides.

"We need to get out, now."

He met the shocked blue-grey gaze with a determined one of his own and Connor gave a sharp nod, necessity dictated that they stage a strategic withdrawal. Spike headed for the door, assuming he was being followed but Connor had other ideas. Twisting and weaving through the newly risen vampires he reached the downed woman and pulled her into his arms, staggering slightly as her extra weight put new stresses on his already exhausted body.

There was no way he was going to make it back to the door without help, so Spike dove in and started to let fly with the punches, creating a path for the boy to follow before grabbing the woman himself and making for the exit. This time they made it out safely and kept running, dodging down side streets and alleys until their inexperienced hunters vanished. When it was safe they slowed to a jog, Spike ignoring Connor's protestations that he could carry the woman. The sun was starting to rise and he wanted to get the kid back to Fred's place and to safety.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"I hope the couch will be acceptable." Wesley thrust a pile of bedding into his guest's arms. The call from Fred had been inevitable following the events of the last few days, but he had thought that it would be his advice and counsel they sought not a spare bed. He shuddered slightly as his hand touched the cold skin of the creature's arm. This was the last thing he needed - another soul-ed vampire in his life and this one even less trustworthy than its sire.

"Be fine, mate." There was an awkward pause as the vampire looked anywhere but at his host. "Look, I'm sorry about this but with Connor and Justine at Fred's there wasn't space for me as well."

Spike didn't mention the look of relief that passed across Fred's face when Wesley had agreed to putting him up, but he did notice how the ex-Watcher's hand went to his neck at the mention of the Justine's name.

"She did that, yeah? Bitch. Tried to stake me the minute I got through the door." He let a feral grin slip onto his lips. "I punched her real hard. She had a hell of a headache when she came to."

Wesley smiled back, but it was a cold smile that didn't reach his eyes. Spike shrugged, this was going to be a barrel of laughs shacked up with yet another uptight Watcher, trust his luck to draw the short straw and end up here. As the human headed towards the kitchen, Spike dropped the bedding on the couch and followed him. Wesley had him intrigued, he smelled of pain, emotional as well as physical and to a vampire it was most alluring. The man was busy assembling the makings for a cup of tea and Spike hopped up on the bench to watch him.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" The preparations halted and Wesley glared at the vampire irritated at the intrusion.

"Nah, not tired. Plus you're making a cuppa."

"You drink tea?"

"Well, duh. English, mate, of course I drink tea. Though between you and me I prefer coffee but don't tell anyone, it'd give them totally the wrong impression and us expats have got to stick together."

Wesley stared in total disbelief at the demon who sat on his kitchen worktop. If it wasn't for the chill of death he knew inhabited that body, it would be so easy to mistake Spike for a young Englishman 'doing' America. He gave himself a quick shake and got another mug from the cupboard.

"Milk? Sugar?"

"Yeah and three. Sweet fangs." From this position Spike could study the human and quickly noticed the stiffness in his body as he moved. This man was not going to trust him, however friendly he tried to be, and he wondered if that had anything to do with Angel.

"So you worked with the broody one. That good for you?" Big mistake, at the reference to Angel, Wesley's spare frame froze and waves of animosity poured from him.

"It's not something I wish to speak about, either to you or anyone else. I'd thank you not to mention An...that creature, in my home."

"'Kay. Just trying to make ersaersation. Be a bit friendly, like."

Wesley spun to stare at him again and Spike was struck dumb by the look in the human's eyes, fear warred with hatred and joined a healthy dollop of self-loathing. He knew that look, knew that he would see it in his own eyes if he had a reflection, but what the hell had happened to make this human feel that way.

"I do not want to be your friend and I do not want to have a 'cosy chat' with you over a cup of tea." His body language showed increasing agitation, he was shaking. "I do not want you in my house. Unlike my erstwhile colleagues I am not so stupid as to presume that your sou The The word was spat out, "makes you any less of a murderous fiend. Your benighted sire put a stop to that foolish notion."

That was it, Angel had tried to kill the ex-Watcher. It couldn't have been more of a shock, demons even family, were all fair game for Angel, but Spike was surprised that his Sire had attempted to take a human life. Wesley must have done something pretty bad to get Angel so riled up that he would risk another life on his conscience, the ones he already carried must weigh heavily enough as Spike knew only too well.

Never one to back down from a challenge though, he asked the question. "What did you do to him?"

"You have no sense of private grief have you, demon."

"Nope."

If Wesley could share then maybe they could stop treading on eggshells and he'd get his cup of tea. He was not expecting the tale he heard, however, and listened within increasing incredulity as Wesley filled in the gaps of the story he'd first heard from Fred. When the human had finished he sat in silence for a while, and just watched as the boiling water was poured into the pot and the tea was left to brew.

Eventually Spike broke the silence. "So why didn't you tell him?"

"Tell him what?"

"About what the prophecy said. That he would kill his son and everything."

Wesley put his hands flat on the counter and leaned heavily, his head sinking down between hisuldeulders.

"Because I didn't think he'd believe me. In retrospect it was the most foolish thing I did. I should have trusted that he would never let anything hurt his son, including himself. But at the time...It was difficult, Spike. Wolfram and Hart fed him Connor's blood and his behaviour was completely over the top for a while. It made me remember Angelus and I couldn't bring myself to place the safety of a human child in a demon's hands."

Spike nodded sympathetically as Wesley stood upright and looked him in the eye. He knew from personal experience what the taste of human blood would do to a vampire when it had abstained for a long time. Briefly, he wondered if that had been what was wrong when Angel woke up from his coma, but pushed the thought aside. The creature that had tortured him was vintage Angelus, there was no soul lurking beneath the surface there.

Then he shrugged and hopped down holding his hands out for tra tray. "So we're going to have this tea or what?"

*~*~*~*~*~*

"It's sick and not terribly original." The three humans were staring at the blood soaked bed.

"Makes a point though." Gunn flicked the sheet back across the gory mess then pulled a bag out of the cupboard. "You sure you can get a un-invite spell to work at the hotel?"

Wesley watched him while he shoved handfuls of clothing into the backpack. "In theory and we can always test it on Spike."

Fred was still looking at the bed, a strange expression on her face. Eventually, she looked towards the two men and asked the question no one else had.

"Where do you suppose he found the horse?"

*~*~*~*~*~*

When the shrill tones of the telephone rang out in the early morning light, Wesley groaned and stretched over to answer, having to extricate himself from his vampire blanket before he could reach it. At five o'clock the sheets had been beyond both of them in their inebriated state and they had both fallen onto Wesley's bed, the vampire drunkenly promising not to eat him if he got peckish during the day.

"Wesley Wyndham-Pryce. How may I..."

"Wesley, its Lilah." He groaned again and sat up. A conversation with a lawyer while he had a hangover, he briefly considered which god he had insulted this time.

"Good morning, Lilah. What do you want?" Wesley peered at the clock before picking up his glasses and putting them on.

"I need some help." The clock was no clearer so he took them back off and looked at the lenses. There was something truly unpleasant on them and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what. And did Lilah just say she needed his help?

"Excuse me? I think I must be hallucinating, I thought I just heard you ask for my help."

"I know things have been difficult between us in the past, but..." There was an edge to the woman's voice, which sounded like desperation, and Wesley was intrigued.

"Difficult is something of an understatement, however I am listening. Go on."

The voice broke and fear now tinged her words. "He's killing us. No one's safe. It's worse than when Darla was in town. My god, Wesley, how could we have been so stupid as to think we could control him, he's an animal. He's...the bodies...I've never..."

Her words were choked off and Wesley almost felt a pang of sympathy for the lawyer. He was well aware what Angelus was capable of, and if he had set his sights on bringing down the law firm he wouldn't stop until they were all dead.

"I'm not sure what you think I can do. You are not the only ones he's hunting you know, and I'm more interested in saving my friends than a law firm that has tried to kill us more times than I can count."

Behind him Spike wriggled into the warm spot left by his body and kept sleeping. Wesley gave up on going back to bed and stood up, holding the phone against his shoulder as he pulled his s ons on over his boxers.

There was silence for a moment, then Lilah answered. "I don't know either, but if you think of anything...I just want you to know we are willing to help, anything we can do to stop him..."

Her voice trailed off again and Wesley couldn't resist a slight jibe at his old enemy. "Tasers not working so well on him then?"

There was a bitter laugh from the other end of the phone. "He won't let us get close enough. The one time we have? Letjustjust say it wasn't pretty. Actually you may find it interesting, being as it happened at your Seer's old apartment. How is Cordelia these days? Doing well I hope."

Immediately alert, Wesley ignored her insincere enquiry and focused on the more salient point. "Cordy's old place? What happened?"

Lilah sighed and briefly outlined what had taken place. "There was a 911 call from her block, complaints about shouting and sounds of fighting from the empty apartment.inteintercepted and sent in a clean up squad, rightly assuming that it was Angelus in there. Why didn't you tell me she had a ghost, Wesley? It would have saved the lives of several of my best men. When they got there the ghost had the vampire trapped inside and was trying to stake him with a wooden spoon."

Wesley offered up a silent cheer for Dennis and again wished they could have moved the ghost along with Cordelia's belongings. "Why didn't you let him? I would have thought that would have suited you just fine."

"It wasn't that easy. As soon as my men broke down the door the ghost attacked them as well and in the confusion Angelus took out three of them and escaped. Although from what the survivors said he couldn't get out of there fast enough. I think the ghost really rattled him."

That was twice Angelus had proved himself fallible. It was useful information and Wesley felt he owed Lilah something for her candour. "Thank you for tnfornformation, Lilah. I still can't think how I may help, but if I do I'll be in touch."

He put his finger on the disconnect button and hung up before she could answer him then walked into the kitchen. He needed a strong cup of tea and some painkillers before he could really face this Mo mor morning.