Chapter Twenty-two

Angel ducked under the fist that flew towards his head.


"You're getting sloppy," he chastised.


His opponent shrugged. "Well it has been a while since my last fight." A puzzled look formed on her face. "Wasn't it with you?" She nodded to herself. "Yes, I do believe it was." The woman pinned Angel with her eyes. "I've killed a slayer you know.  She was pretty.  Not the one that mattered, but still." Angel tried to look away but couldn't.  Wouldn't.  She began swaying.  So did Angel. "Pretty Slayer died just like this."


She began humming.  Quietly at first, but her voice was rising every second until it exploded in giddy, maddened, laughter and Drusilla clapped excitedly.


"I'm in you.  You're in me.  Just like old times isn't it, Daddy?"


-


"Drive the fucking car," Gunn yelled, getting into Logan's face. "Now!"


"No." Logan stared back, afraid.  Afraid for Veronica and afraid for himself.  He wasn't going to leave until he knew she was safe.  Which meant the angry demon hunter was going to beat the crap out of him.


For a moment, it looked like Gunn might do just that.  Instead he shoved the kid aside. "Then stay here," he sneered, getting into the driver's seat. 


"You're stealing my car?" Logan asked numbly.


The lawyer didn't answer.  He just put the car in gear and drove off.


"Hold on man," Gunn whispered glancing at Xander through the rearview mirror. "Willow's gonna have my ass if you die."


The teen watched as his Range Rover whipped around a corner.


"Figures.  I come to LA and a black guy takes my ride," he muttered under his breath. 


Meanwhile, Wallace was still struggling against Spike.


"No!  Let me go!  Mom!"


Spike grabbed Wallace's broken arm and squeezed it.  That got the kid's attention.  Spike whirled him around and grabbed him by the collar.


"Listen, you little idiot.  There's nothing you can do for her, understand?  It's your baby brother that needs you now!"


Illyria walked up to Wallace and held Darrel out. "You will take your sibling.  I am returning to the warehouse."


"Now's not the time for that ultra-violence, luv," Spike pointed out. "We still need to get the civvies out of here." The former God-King scowled and looked Spike directly in the eyes.


"I return, not to fulfill my baser desires vampire, but for the child's soul.  I promised Wallace Fennel no harm would come to his brother."  And with that, Illyria relinquished Darrel to said brother and stalked back into the warehouse.


Wallace hugged the silent infant tightly and asked Keith what happened to their mother.


He set her down and stared at her. 


"When Alicia saw Darrel, she became hysterical," Keith began. "I was worried that the... that our captors would come in and make her quiet." Keith Mars' eyes were hollow and distant.  In them, the trauma of the past few days was laid bare for all to see. "I didn't want that to happen, so I tried to do it myself.  It would've been better.  Better than what...  I wouldn't have hurt her.  But she struggled so hard.  She wouldn't stop.  She bit at me, clawed at me, and yelled so loudly.  I had to make her be quiet," Keith said softly. "She needed to be quiet."


Wallace openly wept as he stared at his best friend's father.


"Oh hell!" Spike exclaimed. "You killed her didn't you?  When you tried getting her quiet, you tried too hard!"


"Is that true?" Wallace demanded of Keith. "Did you kill my mother?"


-


"What's the matter sweetie?" Lianne asked her daughter.  "Is the dress too small or something?" The vampire chuckled affectionately, considering Veronica. "I swear your boobs have gotten bigger."


The pair of them had retired from Lianne's office and moved onto her personal quarters where Lianne insisted Veronica try on some outfits bought just for this occasion.


Veronica looked into the mirror, Lianne noticeably absent.  She forced a smile. "Do you think so?


"Oh yes, honey!  I'm sure I bought these using your measurements from when I left you and your father."


The younger blonde's face clouded at the memory. "Yeah, well.  I was only fifteen at the time, remember?"


Lianne stroked Veronica's cheek with her cool dead hand. "I do.  And I'm sorry."


She tried to hold it back.  She really tried.  Lianne was dead.  This thing was not her mother!  But she acted like her.  Right now she looked like her.  And she was staring at Veronica with her mother's loving brown eyes.  


Deep down, hidden behind the hardened detective that brought murderers to justice, there was a little girl who just wanted her mommy.


A sob escaped from her lips and she leaned into that cold hand, warming it. 


-


"Now.  What to do with you, bad Daddy?" Drusilla wondered aloud. "You took my families away from me." Angel said nothing.  He just stared straight ahead, his eyes half closed and unfocused. "First my sisters, then my first daddy, and then my mummy." She struck her sire across the face. "Then you hurt me." Drusilla smiled, tenderly stroking... something. "Shall I return the favor?" Her eyes danced mischievously. "Well.  Perhaps later."


The mad seer stepped back from the still champion, face changing to reveal the demon hidden behind her pale beauty.


"But that wasn't the last of your sins, was it Angel?" She sneered. "Oh no.  You had to ruin my new family as well!"  Drusilla began pacing. "I was happy once.  I had you and Grandmummy.  And then I had you and Grandmummy and Spike." She smiled nostalgically. "My little Willy." Her vampiric features darkened. "But you went away!  Left us alone!" Drusilla slapped him again. "It all fell apart after that!" She began to cry. "Grandmummy was lost without you.  And so she went back to her master." 


The demon wiped away her tears. "But it was a little bit of alright without you older ones to hold us back.  We managed to land on our feet, Spike and me." She stared off into the distance.  Seeing.  Remembering. "Then you came back and made everything wrong." Her bottom lip began to tremble. "It was such fun, having you, but my Spike couldn't share.  So he went to her!" Drusilla grew more distraught. "It was then the mean Slayer infected him.  Made him think of her.  Obsess with her.  She ran through his head.  Not like a mouse from a cat, but rather an arrow slicing the air, striking my Spike with her poison."


She hugged herself. "I lost him.  I was alone," she wailed before smiling again. "Until Grandmummy came back.  She was my little baby.  My daughter.  But you burned us!  You hurt us and she went away again!  She left me!  I'm so lonely... " 


Drusilla began staring off again. "But I won't be anymore.  The little blond girl.  She'll be my friend.  Her and her mummy.  They'll take me in, and we'll be a family.  If I can't have the family I was born to, then I'll just make do with the family I've made." 


She whimpered, touching her ears. "I don't hear the songs tonight.  It's a bad omen, that." Her attentions snapped back to Angel. "It means something wicked is coming."


Drusilla's yellow eyes danced with anticipation. 


"I can't wait."


-


Illyria strode through the warehouse unopposed.  Most of the vampires had been taken out in the earlier conflict.  The few remaining had no desire to confront the terrifying demon lady.


As the vampires cowered at her passing, the former God-King smiled.  This was the way it should be!  Her enemies made as frightened children, huddling together in fear!


She stopped to grab one of the vampires, demanding the location of Darrel's soul.  The demon didn't know the answer to that, and so Illyria made an example of the creature by tearing it's head off.  The next vampire she questioned was more than willing to cooperate.


"The soul?  Heck!  That thing's just down the hall and to the right!"


Illyria showed her appreciation by staking the vampire, giving it a relatively painless death, before continuing on her way.


The former God-King with a soul hesitated when she arrived at the door, sensing something was amiss inside.  She closed her eyes and focused her concentration on divining the situation.  


Angel was in danger, her fantastic senses informed her of that.  They felt the presence of a strong mental influence at work, clouding her friend's mind and making him weak.


Unacceptable.  


The half-breed was under her protection and no harm will come to him.  Illyria reared back and kicked the door in.


After a brief pause to see if anything happened, she entered the room.  The first thing Illyria noticed was Angel standing stalk still.  She halted her advance.


"You will reveal yourself," Illyria demanded imperiously.


"Of course my sweet," Drusilla replied coyly, coming out from the shadows.  Her face alight with madness and anticipation. "I wouldn't dream of hiding from you."


"Release Angel from your thrall."


Drusilla frowned in confusion at the order. "No.  I don't think I shall." The vampire put her hands on her hips and gave her sire a scolding look. "He's been an inattentive daddy and needs to be punished." Drusilla's gaze turned sly as she focused her attentions on Illyria. "Are you here for the soul too?  I'll not tell you where it is.  It's my nice light." She closed her eyes and smiled. "Ooh, I can hear him crying for his mother.  Can you?" 


Illyria's face clouded in empathy. "Yes."


Drusilla's eyes opened again. There was a sadistic gleam to them. "What pretty noise."


The God King walked up to Drusilla and grabbed her aggressively. "Where is it?"


"You're not playing right," Drusilla said, her confusion mounting.  She shook her head, focusing her thoughts for  the moment. "Anyway.  You'll not find it.  Not in a million, billion years."


With a speed unexpected, Illyria ripped a pouch off of Drusilla's dress and held Darrel's soul up for inspection.


"You cheated," the seer said, outraged. "You're behaving very oddly for someone of your station.  Weren't you supposed to be evil?  You seem very evil."


Illyria considered the vampire before her. "Killing you will release Angel from your influence," she concluded.


Drusilla chuckled nervously, her outrage forgotten. "Yes, well.  There are other ways of doing that." She snapped her fingers, freeing Angel. "See?  No need to kill me, yeah?"


Angel fell down, disoriented.  Illyria turned to him for a second, giving Drusilla her opportunity to escape through a window.


Illyria made to give chase, but stopped when she remembered her precious cargo.  It wouldn't do to risk the child's soul just to satisfy her retaliatory urges.


"Illyria?" Angel questioned. "What's going on?" He looked around the room as he stood up. "Drusilla?"


"The female half-breed?" Angel nodded. "She fled, proving herself no better than the muck and mire her kind evolved from."


"Y'know, I am of her kind," Angel pointed out.


Yes," Illyria said curtly. "You are a fool to have fallen for her inconsiderable mental manipulations.


"Gee, thanks."


-


Drusilla landed on the ground with a nasty thump.  She lay there for a moment, quivering.


It wasn't right, she thought to herself with a sob.  The mean blue should've been her friend.  Drusilla saw her as a friend.  This was very vexing!  She stood up and wiped her eyes.  It would do no good to fret over it.  Clearly the mean blue was tricking some how, and that's why her sight can't see right.


With an assertive nod, the 200 plus vampire walked off into the distance.  Revenge already swimming through her mercurial and maddened mind.


She got ten feet before noticing a sullen young man pacing up and down the street corner.  She observed him discretely.  There was considerable anger in him.  What rage!  Drusilla's breath was taken away.  Figuratively of course.  She sauntered up, seeing him.  He's in love with the little blond girl.  How sweet.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if they could be happy together?  Forever?  This one was devoted, his loyalty most fierce.  He wouldn't leave the little blonde girl like Spike left her.  What a most special gift for her new family!


Drusilla clasped her hands behind her back and smiled sweetly.


"Hullo pet," she greeted, getting the teen's attention. "And what's got you in such a tizzy?"


Logan Echolls stared at the dark beauty dumbly. "Who the hell are you?"


Her smile grew wider. "The best thing ever."


-


Veronica observed the vampire who remembered being her mother.  It was subtle, but she could see it.  The differences.  When she was alive, Lianne Mars had this fluidity only the drink could hide.  That was gone.  In it's stead was something that could only be described as predatory.  And the eyes.  They looked normal now, but Veronica could see the coldness in them.  The inhumanity.  This creature wasn't her mother anymore.  And despite her moment of weakness, she know that.


It looked at Veronica with a happy smile. "I think we should get a kitten!"


Okay Vampire Mom, that was a none sequitur. "Why?"


Lianne giggled at Veronica's confusion. "For kitten poker of course."


"That's not what I think it is, is it," Veronica asked, aghast.


The demon laughed again. "It is, but don't worry.  I was teasing.  No.  I think a kitten will help you adjust.  Some companionship when I'm not around.  And if you get hungry, you could always eat it."


"By "eat it", you mean you'll be chopping it up into General Gau's and serving it with broccoli and rice, right?"


Judging by the amused expression on Lianne's face, that wasn't very likely.


-


"Did you kill her?" Wallace demanded again. "Answer me!"


Keith's empty expression seemingly melted and the older man broke down, sobbing.


 "I'm sorry Wallace," he heaved. "I tried to get her quiet, but she just.  Wouldn't.  Stop." 


Spike sighed dramatically before noticing a familiar scent. "Oh bollocks," he whispered, taking off.  Neither of his companions noticed.


Wallace swallowed. "So you did kill her."


"Alicia kept shouting.  They came in and told her to stop yelling, but she was hysterical." Keith shook his head. "I tried to calm her down Wallace, I did, but she wouldn't.  They...  It was those...  God, I couldn't get her to stop yelling so they... They killed her."  Keith fell to his knees and looked down at the dead body of Alicia Fennel. "I'm so sorry," he whispered brokenly. 


Wallace shook his head. "No.  My mom had it together.  There's no way she would've freaked out like you said."


The detective stood up, wiped his face and took a deep, collecting, breath, burying the pain and horror of the past days beneath a professional exterior.  


"Under normal circumstances I'd agree with you Wallace," he said, only a little shakily. "But this isn't normal." He looked the teen in the eyes. "The kidnappers.  They aren't human.  I know how crazy that sounds, but it's true.  And your mother saw them.  That, coupled with the stress of the kidnapping and Darrel's non-responsive state, caused her erratic behavior."


Wallace was breathing heavily. "So you didn't..."


"I did everything I could to stop them.  But they were too strong.  I'm sorry."


He hugged his brother to his chest.  Having seen what he's seen, Wallace couldn't help but believe him.  He nodded.


"Wallace," Keith said after a few moments. "Where's Veronica?"


 -


Angel halted intersection, sniffing the air.  He shook his head and rubbed his face tiredly.


"Damn kids.  They never do what they're told."


"To whom are you referring," Illyria questioned.


"Veronica.  She's in here somewhere." He sniffed again and pointed left, down the hall and away from the direction they were heading. "That way."


Illyria nodded and resumed her course. "Assist her Angel.  I will return once Darrell Fennel is made whole again."


The vampire watched Illyria go for a moment.  Slightly awed over the influence having a soul has had on the Old One and how much she's changed since her resurrection because of it.


Then the moment was over and Angel followed the young woman's scent down the hall.


-


Veronica felt the panic rise as Lianne's face changed from the familiar to the terrifying.


"Mom please.  Don't do this," she pleaded futilely. "I don't wanna be a vampire."


Without warning, Veronica was pinned to the wall by the shoulders.  The breath was knocked from her lungs and she couldn't move.


Lianne smiled, hunger and anticipation clear in her horrid yellow eyes. "I'm sorry honey, but you don't have a choice." WIth that said, she yanked her daughter's head aside and sank her teeth into her neck, drinking deep of the sweetest blood she's ever tasted.


A second later, Angel burst through the door.  


Lianne didn't notice.


Angel's mouth began to water involuntarily at the stench of blood and panic.  He crossed the room in two strides, plunging a stake deep into the dead woman's heart.


Her last thought was of anger at being denied the rest of so fine a meal.


Veronica slumped down to the floor.


Lianne didn't have enough time to drain her dry.  If he could get her to the hospital in time she'll be okay.


He picked her up and carried her out.


-


Drusilla pulled away from Logan, blood trickling from her lips.  She stared at him in shock.  He stared back in fear.


"My family," she whispered letting go of him. "Oh no."


Logan fell back against the wall.  He put a hand to his neck and watched as the vampire began to throw a fit. 


She stomped her foot, knocked over a freaking dumpster, kicked a cat, and pulled at her hair.  All the while ranting and raving and crying her creepy little eyes out.


It was tough to make out what she was saying.  There was something about a blonde girl.  Veronica?  Maybe.  She also went on about her father?  And some kind of blue person... What?  


His vision blurred.  Logan had just enough time to realize he was passing out.


The boy's decent to the sidewalk went unnoticed as Drusilla's frenzy raged on.


Spike's approach, however, did not.


She stopped her rampage and stared at her former lover in awe.


"Spike," she whispered. "Is it you?"


"Yeah Dru.  It's me." Spike pulled out a cigaret and lit it.  He eyed the now unconscious Logan. "What's that all about?  Shouldn't you be making your dramatic getaway? Taking the time to feed on some punk kid wasn't exactly the smart thing to do."  His sire may be crazy, but she wasn't stupid.


They began circling each other, eyes locked.


Even now.  Even with a soul and everything that went between them, Spike could feel the old spark.  That old desire building within him.  He knew she felt it too.  That's what made this all the sadder.  


Once, he belonged to her.  And she, him.  


His black queen smiled beautifully.


"The boy was to be a present."


"For the bird?  The detective girl?"


Drusilla nodded, her expression growing sorrowful. "But that's not going to happen now." She glared at Spike. "It's all your fault!  You and Angel!"


With a roar, the vampire leapt forwards.  Her razor sharp nails slicing at Spike's face.


He punched her away and felt where she clawed him.  There was blood!  


Spike snarled and his vampiric features emerged.


Without hesitation he attacked.


She dodged out of the way, throwing a kick at his ribs.  Spike barely managed to deflect it.  He leveled her with a vicious backhand.  She used the momentum to spin around and land a devastating roundhouse.  


Before Spike could recover, she was on him.  Tearing, pulling, punching.  She screamed.  Condemning him for leaving her.  Blaming him for everything that's gone wrong.  


Gradually her attacks lost more and more heat, until finally they stopped altogether.


Drusilla collapsed into a broken heap on the floor, her face reverting back to it's human form.


The distraught woman clutched at her sides and cried. 


"Alone, alone, I'm so alone.  Nobody loves me.  Nobody needs me.  My old families are dead and I can't make a new one.  They won't let me.  They're always there, the Angel Beast and my Spike-with-a-Spark."


He crouched down next to her, his face human again as well.


"William?"


"Yes love?"


"Help me," she begged. "Please help me."


Spike nodded and Drusilla smiled gratefully.


He pulled her close and they kissed with all the passion and lust and love they'd ever had.  


Drusilla's eyes widened.


"Thank you," she mouthed as she crumbled to dust.


Spike looked down upon her remains and then to the stake in his hand.


With a great cry of anguish he did he slam it into the pavement.  Shattering the weapon and his hand with it.