Breaking away

((I have no idea where this chapter came from. Spike surprised even me. I'll just let him figure out where this is going to go and roll with it. Hope you enjoy.))

Fred's eyes widened as she heard Spike purr. "I didn't know vampires did that." She said quietly as inched closer to the blonde vampire. "On occasion we do. When we are happy or something feels good. Or in this case taste really good. It is also a great way to reassure the childer when they are really sad or scared. Kind of like the vampire equivalent of a mother's heartbeat." Angel smiled at his childe. Wesley looked as if he was wishing for a pen and a piece of paper so he could write it down. "Really. I didn't know that. The council has researched vampire's off course but there really isn't much out there about how vampire's act within their family."

Spike snickered lightly and drew back. He immediately tried to squirm out of his grandsire's lap but Angel held on to him. "Going somewhere little one." Spike glared at Angel. "I'm not little. And besides, you lost the right to call me that when you abandoned me a century ago. Now let me go. If you want something to snuggle in bed get a blow-up doll." Angel smacked him upside the head in a gentle manner. "Behave." Spike just rolled his eyes and tried to squirm out of his hold again. "Are you going to let me go or not?" Angel cocked his head, pretending to think it over. "Hmmm. No." He grinned at the glare his childe shot him.

"Bloody pillock. Do I look like a ruddy teddy bear to you." Angel just grinned at his child. "Well you do look awfully cute like that." If looks could kill he would be a pile of dust right now. Off course it just make him look cuter, like a little kitten with it's back up. "I am not cute. The big bad does not do cute, wanker." Fred giggled. "Actually you are kind of cute right now. I mean with those clothes and all." He shot her a less deadly glare then his sire before crossing his arms and pouting at her. "Not cute." Fred just giggled again. Wesley just cleaned his glasses as he stared at Spike. "This is the same William the Bloody that slaughtered an orphanage in Italy and killed two slayers?" He asked incredulously.

"The orphanage was Dru actually. I only killed a couple of the watchers that showed up later so they wouldn't hurt her." He shrugged. "Never killed a child me'self. Not my thing. Like 'em all grown up. More fun that way. Sides. People should at least get a chance to live a little 'fore they die." Cordelia's mouth dropped open as she stared at him. "You were gonna kill us at the school. We were kids back then." Spike just grinned. "No I wasn't. Come now. You didn't really believe I didn't know you were in that closet, do you Cordy? You and Red. And I didn't kill either her or the whelp when I kidnapped them. And I didn't eat the whelp even when the poof gave him to me. Or killed you those other hundred times when you lot didn't even know I was there. You didn't think I was that incompetent did 'ya. I may be impulsive and rash but I'm not that much of an idiot. Wouldn't have survived with Dru for a century if I were. Especially since I was basically still a fledge when Poofy got all souled up."

Cordelia gaped at him. "But then... Why..." Spike just gave her a wicked smirk. "Had a rep to live up to, didn't I? And I wasn't even really trying to kill the slayer. Wasn't enough of a match yet. Too weak still. She had to grow a little first or it would've been too easy. Even killed a few baddies that she wasn't strong enough to kill yet. Tested her a couple of times to see how she was progressing, didn't plan on the organ though. Got to give her that much. Anyway tested her a little more, let her take the ring. Knew she would send it to peaches and he would destroy it. Cor I had to torture him a bit first, for appearances sake. Didn't plan on those initiative blokes though." Even Angel was staring at him with wide eyes now. Spike took the opportunity to slide out of his grasp and took his own seat. "What?" He asked them with an innocent look. Cordelia was still gaping. "You... How... Wha... You... You..."

Wesley just blinked a couple of times. "Then why did you dig it up... The ring of Amara." Spike shrugged. "Marcus had been looking for it and he had the resources to find it so I had to do it first. Wouldn't do for him to gain real immortality. Little fucker. 'S why I hired him. You didn't really think I would have passed up the chance to torture Angel for myself if it was about me wanting the ring, did you? Angelus thought me better then that. Having it wouldn't be any fun anyway. Fighting's no fun unless there is a chance you might lose. No matter how small that chance may be." Suddenly Angel burst out laughing. "Only you Spike." He said as he wiped the tears that had sprung to his eyes. "Just don't tell anyone. I still have a rep to keep up. 'Sides the Scooby’s don't know." He smirked and went back upstairs. He was kind of tired. It felt good to finally tell someone though.

He had been so lonely for so long. Hiding away from everyone. But maybe being here wouldn't be so bad. Maybe. Maybe it would be safe to show them. He hoped he had done the right thing. A leap of faith. A fools faith. But then he had always been a fool and it had worked for him for over a hundred years. Even if the last few hadn't exactly gone well. He crawled into bed not even bothering to undress and fell asleep.