Bound

Chapter 8 Taste Of The Innocent


Darla stood outside the house looking at the back door and concentrated, five heartbeats, two of which were beating fast with nerves and apprehension. As she stood there working out where Angelus was, Dru danced in the garden, talking about pixies and sunlight. Darla huffed at the whimsical vampire. Darla knew that since she had died and been bought back as human, and then turned again by Dru, her invite into the house was no longer standing. Dru had never had an invite into the house either, so this seemed a bit of a waste of time. The most she could hope for was one of the idiots to come outside. And she knew they weren't that stupid. Maybe the only way was to force them out.
"Dru, honey? Would you be a good girl and pass me the gasoline"
Dru sauntered over and passed Darla the canister, laughing at the predicament the occupants of the house would soon find themselves in, and that included Angelus.Even though Darla knew he was in there, she wasn't about to forgive him for leaving her high, dry, human and dying of syphilis again, as well as dusting her to begin with.As far as she was concerned that bastard, he rot in the hell he came back from. Spike ans Angelus smelt the gasoline before the others, Spike alerted them and told them to lock themselves in the basement. Angelus struggled against the ropes and managed to knock his chair over. Spike ran to the back door.
"Hello my sweet boy... long time no see"
"You set this house on fire and it will be the last thing you soddin' do"
"I don't think you want to be threatening me right now William" Darla lit the lighter and held it dangerously close to the trail of fuel.
"He's got a spark, won't light the fire, but he burns, he burns for her"
"We covered that Dru.. we know he has a soul and he's with that damn Slayer now shut up and for Gods sake stop dancing around!"
"What's up Darla, can't handle her?" Spike mocked. Darla gave him a seriously evil look."Why don't you come out here and show me how to take care of her"
"Nice try, not that gullible. Why don't you two go now before you end up on the wrong end of a stake.... again"
Darla gave a throaty laugh " Why is Angelus going to come out and try it again, somehow that bitch doesn't scare me"
"Don't I? Hmmmm well now that you aren't armed with two pistols, you don't inspire me to quake in my stylish boots" Spike held Buffy behind the threshold. Raising her stake she posed , so that the two vamp bitches would know she was not going to stand by while they threatened her friends and family. The smell of fuel was overwhelming and was almost choking her, making her back away from the odour and leaving Spike at the door .Darla looked bored, which knowing her, wasn't a good thing. Dru was away with the fairies again.
"I see this ending one of two ways" Darla said quietly " Either you let Angelus out here unharmed or I torch the house and your precious new family"
"Like you won't torch the joint once you have the great poof?"
"That's a chance you'll have to take now isn't it" she vamped out and grinned.
Spike tried to connect with Buffy through the claim . All she got was a buzzing that made her feel light headed. He turned to her and frowned. This was something they would have to work at .Knowing the two bitches from hell couldn't enter the house,Spike backed up a little and took Buffy in his arms. Lowering his mouth to her ear in what looked like a tender embrace , he whispered "Go upstairs and get the crossbow, sit in the window directly above her and wait . I'm going to have to give them Angelus, first sign of any trouble and I want you to shoot the git , and make sure you aim to miss pet"
Buffy understood and made her way to her weapons trunk. Once she had the crossbow she skipped upstairs, ignoring the confusion that the rest of the group plagued her friends.She sat at the window and waited.Downstairs Spike had untied Angelus and he was dragging him to the back door. Darla and Dru waited eagerly for his return for them. As much as Angelus missed the two women, he wasn't exactly overjoyed at the prospect of rejoining them. After all, he still had his soul and Darla would sense it, also, he wouldn't be around his Buffy.
"Why the bleedin' hell are you being so bloody difficult? Just get your ass out there to your vapid whores"
Darla approached the patio stairs and lunged at Spike and Angelus.She threw Angelus towards a large tree and narrowly missed staking him on a stray branch, much to Spike's amusement.
"You got what you came for now leave!"
"Naughty Spike" Dru hissed at him.Darla hoisted Angelus onto her shoulder and casually walked out of the back yard, like his weight was slight. Once out of the yard they turned and headed back to the mansion.Angelus was just coming to as Darla walked up the drive way to the mansion. He was less than impressed with the fact that they had gotten him away without Buffy. This in turn had Darla irate beyond belief and that's when she sensed his soul.
Dru didn't care . She had her precious Daddy back and started dancing with Miss Edith, singing tunes that haunted her sadistic mind . That behaviour wasn't tolerated by Darla and only helped to further irritate her. So far this trip back down memory lane had done nothing for Darla except enthuse her with a deeper hatred of all things Sunnydale and that annoying Slayer. Further more, another of the Aurelius clan had a soul and had fallen for the sickening charms of the Slayer.Damn the Lawyers at Wolfram and Hart for their meddling.
Angelus sat on the edge of the fireplace while Darla and Dru made themselves busy ordering the minions about. He watched as Darla made her way to the bedroom. Angelus remembered , Cordelia.She would rise soon. As he thought about her , he was overwhelmed by guilt. Okay that's new for me, he thought as he went towards the room.
"Angelus? Why on earth is that acidic bitch laying in our bed?" Darla roared as Cordy raised her head from the pillow.
Cordy stared sleepily at the door and at the blonde that was screeching obscenities. This was not how Angelus had planned Cordelia's initiation would go. Darla finally shut up and stormed off to find Dr, leaving Cordelia and Angelus alone.
"What have you done to me you jerk?"
"Your like me, c'mon Cor, not even your that dumb!"
"I am so not like you." she snapped back at him. She hadn't realised that she had been in her game face since she had woken. Angelus noticed a subtle difference to hers and frowned. Pulled by his thoughts by her constant waffle he sighed.
"Cordy?"
"What"
"Shut up, do something now that as a human, you never could do, for god sake woman, SHUT THE HELL UP!"
"Your always so damn snippy, maybe it's all that pent up frustration at not being able to get laid.... "
"Cordy!" he barked at her, trying to get her to be quiet
"Don't try that Sire - fledgling crap on me either , it won't work, I'm so beyond pissed at you right now, how could you turn me?"
Angelus stood there torn between his anger at her for her disobedience and her inability to shut up, and his confusion as his senses picked up something not quite right with her. She didn't have a soul so that wasn't it. He'd have to work out what it was later, right now this bitch was driving him insane with her constant chatter.
"Cordy, please. just breathe"
"I don't need to now do I, you made sure of that "
Angelus admitted defeat and stormed out of the room, leaving Cordy still ranting on at the injustice of being turned.Darla stood by and watched as he shrugged on his leather coat and headed out into the night. He felt like he needed a really brutal killing to get his rage out of his system. Hopefully, it would be one of the Slayers precious friends , she thought. She shrugged herself from the wall and went into Cordy's room.
"We need to have a chat dear, just get things straight and rules laid down so you don't overstep your boundaries" Darla hissed
"Please, spare it, I won't bow to the likes of you or Angelus"
Darla was taken back by the girls outburst. She would have to teach this fledgling a thing or two about vampire lore and heirachy.As Darla made her way further into the room, Cordy turned towards her
"If you try and follow through with that thought. I will stake you"
"Your a young and inexperienced vampire, you couldn't take me in a fight childe."
Cordy laughed "Your a fledgling too, your not above me in this little family, why do you think Angelus wants nothing to do with you?"
The realisation hit Darla and made her recoil
"There's something else , something about you that's not right"
"Don't know, I've not been a vampire before so can't tell if this is how I should feel or not"
"Look, Angelus is a sadistic bastard, don't irk him so much or trust me he will make you regret it. This is the only warning I will issue you with. We are not friends and I highly doubt we will ever be"
"You got that right, mostly I think your a vapid whore that should have died a syphilitic death"
Darla stared at her before leaving the room."I'm going out , I'm hungry , care to join me?"
"Lead the way "

Angelus roamed the streets , his hands wedged deeply in his coat pockets and his head hung low in his shoulders.His senses were heightened when he felt the familiar call of one of his clan. Looking around suspiciously, he spotted the movement in an alley. Cursing himself for his bad case of morbid curiosity, he made his way into the alley.
" Stop where you are now, don't try anything, I have a crossbow armed and aimed at your chest"
"Buffy?"
"Yup"
"Where's your shadow?"
"Around"
"I find it hard to believe that your out here hunting without Sparky the Wonder Vamp"
Buffy couldn't help herself and sniggered at his snide dig at Spike, well, it was funny!
"Na uh ... stay. Where's your family then? Thought you all travelled and hunted together?"
"Had to get out of the house, Cordy was driving me crazy"
Buffy baulked at the thought of Cordy as a new member of the undead. She couldn't let it get to her now and pushed her feelings back , to deal with them after Angelus was either dust or A ngel was back in control of the soul. "So, still as annoying and bitchy ?"
"Worse"
"As if she wasn't demony or bitchy enough"
Angelus sniggered. "So what are we doing here? Killing each other or what?" There was a touch of sadness in his voice
"No, I don't know.... If you attack I won't have a choice, I want to talk"
"There's a bar not far from here"
Buffy lowered the cross bow and followed Angelus to the bar. Once they were there Angelus ordered drinks and slid into a private booth, Buffy slid in opposite him.The cross bow was concealed under her jacket, but a stake rested on the table within her reach.
"You wanted to talk , so, talk" he said , looking around the bar for maybe a quick snack .
"Will you stop with the browsing the room like it's your bloody menu!"
Angelus looked at her and growled " You sounded just like 'him' then, he's a bad influence on you"
"That's rich coming from you" she huffed "Look I just want to know if there's even a shred of Angel in there and if it's possible to get him back"
"I told you how, why this happened, only you can make it right"
"By leaving Spike and becoming yours again"
"That's right, not as stupid as you look are you?"
Buffy frowned and kicked him under the table"Hey!"
Angelus raised his brows "If you don't choose wisely it could be the death of all your pesky little scoobies and that damn vampire your so fond of, after there's nothing left, I'll take my pleasures and kill you"
"How original of you.... really , after two hundred and god knows how many more years, and you still haven't found a new way of torturing your victims. You really are the bore Spike said you were, and this is the great Angelus, the one that gave me nightmares..... suddenly I'm tired"
Angelus reached across the table and had Buffy by the throat before she could even reach for the stake "Not wise to run your pretty little mouth of when your sat across from me and whilst your weapons are out of reach, now what are you going to do hmmm?"
Buffy couldn't think straight , fear clouded her mind and vision, that or the lack of oxygen. Her head hit something solid and went black.
Angelus carried Buffy out and into the night

It had been a while since Angelus had been back to his underground apartment and the place had obviously been raided and lived in by other vampires. He just hoped that they had gone and wouldn't return while he had her there. He laid her down on the bed and stood by the screen, running his hands through his hair. What was happening to him? Where had his more baser instincts came to the fore and where the hell was his soul?He knew it was still there, but why wasn't it stopping Angelus from being the beast that he once was? Why , after all this time, was she still able to affect him like this?
She groaned , pulling him out of his brooding and drawing his attention back to her.What was he going to do with her now?
"Spike?"
He growled "Wrong vampire , Lover"
She shrunk back on the bed and watched him, waiting for him to attack her.Angelus smiled, revelling in the sight of her scared and cowering on his bed. Her eyes looked around and took in her surroundings. She hadn't been on this bed since that fateful night of her birthday, hadn't been back in the apartment since the morning after, the morning he spoke those vicious words that confirmed her worst fears. Those memories left a bitter taste in her mouth .
"Not your lover, what are we doing here?"
"I thought it would be a great place to rekindle our...... relationship"
"God you really are deluded aren't you?"
He turned his back to her, confident that she wouldn't try and escape.
"I don't think you have much of a choice. Right now I have minions waiting to take your precious sister out and I have some guarding the house. Spike is being followed and they have orders to stake on my command"
"So that's it is it? You have to threaten everyone that I love to get me to be yours?Spike won't let me go without a fight"
"I'm counting on it"
"You have to get minions to take him out. why not challenge his claim? Could be your just to insecure and you know he'd win"
Angelus roared and grabbed her jumper, pulling her close to his face " I suggest you shut up unless you want bleach boy to be blowing in the wind"


Darla walked into the Bronze, Cordy close behind her. They scanned the dance floor for their next meals and Darla spotted two men that were dancing with some high school girls. Nodding towards them, Cordy took her cue. They sauntered over and danced in front of the men, blocking their dates out, not that the men minded one bit. The girls spat vicious comments and dragged themselves off the dance floor. Cordy watched as Darla shifted into her game face and held the man against her to stop him from getting away. Cordy struck quickly and drained her guy . Letting the bodies drop to the floor , they turned, still in game face and grabbed another man each. The Bronze had turned from a nightclub into an all you can eat buffet for the two vampires. Dru watched as patrons ran out of the club screaming. Catching a young girl around the throat, Dru smiled.
"Where are you going? You look like a l'il lost lamb. "Nodding at her victim she tightened her grip "I know where to find you though, alone in the dark, fleeing from the big bad wolf"
"Please let me go"
As if pleading with the insane vampire would save her now?
"Oh no, can't do that. Wouldn't stop the growling and the hunger" Dru licked down her throat and onto the girls shoulder, before her yellow eyes sought what they were after. Sinking her fangs in, Dru felt her body tense up and sank them even further.
"Dru? Honey? What are you doing out here alone?" Darla rarely showed concern, so Dru dropped the half drained girl.
"I was all hungry Mummy, got myself a yummy treat, she tasted like strawberries. Daddy said the blood of the innocent always tastes like strawberries"
Cordy looked at Darla and raised her brows. Darla rolled her eyes and started to walk back to the mansion."How do you put up with her?"
"After nearly two centuries with her you soon learn to zone out on her"
Cordelia watched as Dru dance around " I'd want to stake her annoying ass within a month"
Darla laughed " Angelus would come down hard on you if you did, she's like his personal project and his favoured childe, not even as his Sire , would I dare to" Taking an unneeded breath Darla looked back at Cordy " You and I could become very good friends"
"I hope so"
"Tell me about yourself and how you ended up working for Angelus. I didn't get to know you before"
"Well Sunnydale was a bust, after Daddy lost his fortune and couldn't pay for me to go through Uni, I left to go to L.A and start my acting career. That was a bust and I met Angel at a party, soon after that he saved me from some really freaky looking vamp and I ended up working for him. I got given these nasty visions thanks to a demon friend that died and things were fine for a while but then the visions were going to kill me. I had to become half demon to continue helping Angel and to save my life. That's pretty much it"
Darla couldn't believe it, this girl sacrificed so much for Angelus and had become part demon for him, and he turns her and couldn't even wait til she rose to go out hunting. He should have been here to teach her , any worthy Sire would be. Darla took Cordy under her wing and vowed to take care of her. The only thing that worried Darla was the revelation that she had been part demon before Angelus had turned her.Maybe that was what was so different about her then.


Angelus watched as she shuffled uncomfortably on the bed.
"Stop watching me, your giving me major creeps here"
"Have you made your choice yet?"
"No!"
"Fine then" Angelus picked up his cell phone and when it appeared that someone had answered the other end he simply said "Do it"
Apprehension flooded Buffy, what had he just ordered to be done? Who would suffer because of her now?
Angelus laughed , he knew exactly what she was thinking. It was what he wanted her to do, think that he had ordered a hit on someone she cared about .
"How long do you think you can keep this up? Til everyone you care about is dead by my hands? "
"Kill them all and you won't get anything but a world of pain"
Again Angelus laughed, this girl was seriously funny.
Angelus stood by the bookcase and Buffy remained on the bed, both silent. It remained that way for over an hour.
A quiet knock at the door broke through the peace
"Ah... finally" he said as he opened the door . He whispered something and then dragged someone in. Someone with a sack over their head. Someone taller than her but shorter than Angelus. Someone in a long, black leather coat
"This should be fun"
"Angelus you git let me go!"
Angelus kept the sack over his head and sat him down harshly, on the chair close to the window.
"Now, Spike here is going to suffer every time you deny me"
"What the fuck are you playing at you sadistic son of a bitch?"
"Exactly what I said, every time Buffy denies me, you get hurt"
Buffy still sat quiet
Angelus started straight away. He pulled out a bottle of holy water and promptly emptied a third of it over the younger vamps chest.Spikes scream made Buffy's blood boil, she could also feel his pain through the claim, she writhed on the bed.
"Not so pleasant is it Lover?" Angelus smirked at her
Buffy and Spike panted through the pain. Finally getting his senses under control, Spike growled out "You need to get it through that bloody big head of yours, she'll never be yours again"
"I was hoping you'd say that" Angelus sneered as he poured more holy water down Spikes chest, the water ran down onto his stomach and under the waist band of his jeans. Buffy felt the pain , both stopped themselves from screaming this time, both adament that they wouldn't give Angelus the pleasure
"Maybe I'm not using the right tool..... hmmm " Buffy watched as he put on a heavy leather glove and reach into a draw. Her look of horror made Angelus snigger " What's up baby? Think this will change your mind?"
"No... no Angelus please"
Her plea fell on deaf ears. Angelus laid the heavy iron cross on Spikes chest, making sure it sat where his flesh was already burnt by the holy water. "Smell that, fear and slightly charred Vampire.... "
"Your disgusting!"
The pain was too much.. his screaming stopped and gave way to whimpers , finally he passed out, Buffy did too
"Well now that's disappointing.... only fun while your awake" Angelus slapped Buffy til she woke again.
"Have you had enough yet? Ready to be mine once more?"
Looking at Spike and his wrecked torso that still had the iron cross on it, Buffy closed her eyes and choked . Sobbing she turned and looked into his eyes "Yes. Take that torture device off of him and let him go, and I'll be yours, just don't hurt anyone else"Buffy hung her head and cried , she just hoped that Spike would understand and not hold it against her .
Angelus softened and took the cross off Spikes chest. Buffy saw the deep burn, god it looked like it had been carved into his chest. Would it ever heal? She shook her head, why was she thinking about his welfare, if it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't be in that state. He probably blamed her and couldn't wait to ditch her now. The pain in her heart felt terminal.
Spike was aware of her pain through the claim and his whole being rang out with alarm. The weight on his chest had gone, so obviously Angelus had had enough of that particular torture. He felt his consciousness return and groaned . He hurt like hell, physically and emotionally. His soul was crying out to him. He opened his eyes and looked straight at her. It was there. The reason for his soul's screams.
She had chosen
And it wasn't him.
Angelus grasped a handful of bleached hair " So glad you finally woke up, I was beginning to think you were out for the whole day. I don't have time to waste on you Willy"
" Get your fucking claws off me Wanker!"
Angelus slammed his fist into his face
"Enough! Angelus you promised you'd leave him alone now"
As much as he hated to stop, he did, he just enjoyed the look on Spikes face. The boy knew already and the look on his face was priceless. It was a definite kodak moment Angelus thought.
"So I did baby, accept my apologies" He turned to face Spike " Now , I want you to witness this" he grinned "Buffy? Strip!"
Tears ran down her face and she couldn't bring herself to do as he told her to. She also couldn't look at Spike.
"Don't annoy me or else"
Slowly Buffy took of her sweater and cast it aside, her head remained hung and looking away from both vampires. She stood and removed her pants and her underwear. Bared to the room now she stood with her hands in front of her.
"Don't do this Buffy, please... what's the worst he can do to me for fuck sake don't let him Buffy" Spike couldn't keep the heart break from his broken voice. His whole body shook with grief and anger.
"He'll dust you Spike and then... " she couldn't finish , too emotional to even think of that.
"So touching. Tell me lover , would you be this broken over me if this was reversed?"
"Never! You can mark me as yours, you can have my body but you will never have my heart or my soul"
"We'll see"
Angelus lifted her up into his arms and carried her to the bed , he stripped off and crawled up her body, kissing her all over as he went. Finally eye to eye he smirked at her " Wasn't as hard as I expected it to be"
She frowned
"Breaking you I mean"
"You didn't I'm just doing what any good mate would do, I'm saving his life"
Angelus growled and entered her harshly , making her gasp.
Spike growled and roared . He knew why she was doing this and it amazed him how selfless she was , but that didn't make it hurt any less.
Not wanting to waste anymore time with the pleasant side of the claim, Angelus roared and bit into the claim mark left by Spike. Drinking in fast sharp pulls, he growled mine into Buffy's ear.
Reluctantly she called out the answer " Yours" through tears and hurt.
As he rose from the bed and shrugged on his shirt , Buffy laid still, tears still falling from her face and onto her soaked pillow.Spike was sobbing, trying to keep a calm air about himself. As if to betray his true feelings Spike took a deep breath in and turned to Angelus " Right now that craps done, care to untie me so I can go and get me a spot of violence and bloodshed, think a half decent shag wouldn't go amiss either"
He looked straight into her eyes. She felt them bore straight into her core and hold her there. She knew he could see the pain there and he had just magnified that ten fold.
"Well, see you around Slayer, watch your back from now on, might just have myself one good day"
He left.
"Well, seems you have pissed the boy off royally . Should be fun"
"Shut up Angelus"


Spike stopped running once he hit Revello Drive. The pain was intense. His soul, his demon and his body screamed at the loss of his mate. He realised Angelus' mistake in the rush . " The wanker didn't complete the ritual"
He had bitten her.... and drank her... she hadn't returned the claim. There was still hope. Spike looked up at the house and saw Dawns light on. He looked around for Angelus' lackeys and saw none. He couldn't feel any vamps or demons close by either. He walked up to the door and went inside.Time to face the others and let them know what had happened .
His chest hurt, no it was excruciatingly painful. Letting Dawn know he was home now and letting her see the state of him was not an option.Spike sat at the counter in the kitchen and breathed in. Her scent was everywhere and he suddenly felt claustrophobic. He felt like crawling into their bed and doing nothing but sleep til sunrise and then greeting it with arms wide open. But the thought of leaving his Niblet alone and at the mercy of the wanker was not an option. Buffy may have betrayed him for Angelus, but the Bit wouldn't she hated him with a vengeance.He had to be strong for her.
Closing his eyes and sighing, Spike climbed the stairs and entered the room he shared with her .He fell onto the bed and pulled her pillow to him, holding it to his chest and taking in her scent.It wasn't long before Spike was asleep.

She was walking through the cemetery, it was a sunny morning and her hair glowed . She held an object in her hand that twinkled in the sun. A shadow passed in front of him, blocking his view. He couldn't make it out but felt the surge of evil coming from it.Spike tried to attack it but his fists went through it.He felt Buffy drift further away from him and he renewed his attack. He felt the burning on his chest again and he looked down. The deep burn that had been left by the cross healed up. Looking back up , he noticed the shadow had gone and was now swirling around Buffy. She reached out for his hand and he could see and smell her tears, yet he was powerless to grab her hand and hold on so tightly and never let her go again.
Spike woke up with a start and is breathing was fast and erratic. He threw her pillow across the room and growled. God he was such a ponce.
He was suddenly aware of a change, his chest, it didn't hurt to move, he couldn't feel the pain or the constant burning sensation. Grasping his shirt , he ripped it away from the charred flesh, looking down with some apprehension. It was healed.
"What the fuck?"