Honorable
Sons: 10
by Josie_h
Notes
Spike had wandered onto the balcony for a smoke when he heard a loud crash in the bedroom and flew inside.
He saw Angel sprawled on the floor next to the bed and out of habit was about race over to lift him up. He was surprised and pleased to catch sight of Angel rolling onto his hands and knees then gradually pushing himself up to standing.
Spike rushed to his Sire’s side and hugged him as the older vampire stood tall, feeling the growing strength and residual weakness embodied in one simple touch. The words undid him as they kept hold, “Soon Childe… Soon I will protect you, and love you, until we are both dust.”
Angel could sense the tears of relief at his shoulder but was unable to respond properly as his legs threatened to give way, instead he whispered, “I’ve gotta sit down Will.”
At that point his Childe held on and, in a well practiced maneuver, eased his elder to a sitting position on the bed. Spike took his place alongside his Sire and accepted a loving touch as Angel continued to pet and stroke his boy until the tears receded. For the first time in literally years Angel deliberately opened his own wrist for his Childe, smiled at Spike’s look of amazement and joy, then watched with pleasure as his boy bit down and drank deeply.
As he pulled away it was Spike’s turn to groan and thank his partner.
On the afternoon before Willow’s departure, Angel walked, semi-independently using the wheelchair for a little confidence and support, all the way from bedroom to front door to the balcony and back to the lounge. He grinned as he stood to accept both Willow’s and F’Iaid’s warm embrace, then found thankful relief as he eased himself into a ‘comfy chair’. Spike had been hanging back, not wanting to steal Angel’s ‘moment’, but also ready to intervene should legs falter or joints give. The seated vampire reached out to his Childe, squeezed the hand that was always there to offer support, then smiled at the witches.
After applauding Angel and his solo journey into the room, F’Iaid wandered over to the blonde, who had moved to stand, semi-casually, leaning against a door jam, leaving Willow to chat to Angel.
“He will always need *you*, master Will.”
Near tearful blue eyes snapped up to meet the black orbs of the speaker, “Wha..?”
F’Iaid had been the first to sense the darkening of Spike’s aura, Willow saw it too. A piqued level of self doubt and an aching concern of expected loss and terror pertaining to the cessation of a relationship of a love and understanding, and rooted in angst that spanned a hundred and fifty years – not just the last nine months. Both witches felt they knew the reason for Spike’s angst. Like *so* many carers of the recovering critically ill, along with the joy of the loved one’s recovery, came a niggling fear of lack of ‘being needed’ once the person was fully well. For Spike it went further, he would no longer being wanted or loved.
Willow had to leave, but vowed to return as soon as was practical, for Spike’s sake, rather than Angel’s. Angel had been so ill that much of the ordeal of the previous eight months seemed part of a ‘bad dream’ as far as he was concerned. Now all Angel saw, was his Childe’s excitement at his return to health, and really did not consider the full implications of the recovery for his blonde savior.
As Angel’s physical strength returned, Spike’s general demeanor seemed to diminish. Willow knew that Spike had a history which easily explained his fear of abandonment, of being redundant, of being ‘passed over’ for another. He had been loyal and loving to the possessive and charismatic Angelus for twenty something years; then besotted and devoted to the beautiful but deadly and insane Drusilla for more than a century; and finally obsessed by, abused and used by, then finally friends with the Sunnydale slayer, Buffy…; and lastly there was Angel. He had been loyal to the point of willing to die alongside his Sire against the Senior Partners, then had protected him through eight months of running and finally nursed him back to health. The pattern was all too clear as far as Spike was concerned – his Sire would become well, and everyone would be pleased for Angel… and Angel would leave him.
F’Iaid whispered to Willow, “Mistress you must talk to him before you go.”
“Who Spike?” Willow looked over to Spike as he finished feeding his partner from his own wrist, then held the wheelchair while Angel stood and eased into his wheels for the evening and a trip to the pool.
“Perhaps it is best wit de Sire.”
“Oh.” Willow looked up at her friend, acknowledging her wisdom.
“He must know dat it will soon be his turn to bring someone to health. He can begin now and ease de process. If they can travel de path together it will be better.”
Willow gave her dark friend, and fast becoming mentor… and more, a look that spelt deep respect, love and hope. “You will be here if they need you?”
“Of course lady, they are your friends… therefore mine. I will take care of them in your absence.”
Willow stepped into her statuesque friend’s personal space and put her arm around the slim waist. “Thank you…..You *are* wonderful, and oh gahh….!!” Willow rolled her eyes and went to step away but was pulled closer by her fellow wiccan, “What am I doing going back!?... I don’t want to!… And I need you to know that I don’t want to….. Not just because of them… because of you!”
“Your sentiments are returned, but I will be here in three month… and you will find me willin’.” Willow was graced by a perfectly white toothy smile, and sparkling green eyes, made all the more obvious by the beauty of the woman in front of her. *Where is a ‘catwalk’ when you need one! Oooh and she is my special friend!*
“Three months? What’s in…? Willing? Oh, oh! Oh that’s… Oh!!!” Willow pulled her friend down for an excited and passionate kiss. Breaking off again more quickly than she intended, Willow could hardly contain her excitement, “So you…you can see that? Can you see us? Oh … that may not be good…” Her countenance dropped and she continued in plaintive tones… “Is it good?”
“Oh yes lady I believe so… we have much yet to do together.”
A shiver went down Willow’s spine as she channeled her inner Xander and imagined a private ‘Snoopy dance’ of joy.
“Go find your friends, I will attend to our needs.” Willow squeezed her dark goddess closer, planted a chaste kiss on the full lips and almost skipped off to find ‘her boys’.
<<<<<<
Willow wandered down to the pool, she had not been there previously when Spike and Angel ‘worked out’, and simply stood at the door admiring the scene.
Spike as usual, had Angel on his back, but of late had found that his senior was able to propel them both with his kicking. Spike, the non swimmer, had opted for the ‘swim noodle’ conveniently left behind by someone else in the building. The long tube of foam was able to support his recovering Sire, front or back, while Spike simply walked in front and encouraged.
“C’mon ya ponce! You can beat me in a heart beat! Geez! Harris can kick harder than that!” Spike was still walking backwards behind his partner’s enthusiastic efforts.
Angel rolled to his front and grinned, “Yeah but I’m hoping for a reward for *my* kicking!”
Willow watched as Spike allowed Angel to ‘catch’ him, then pulled the dark vamp into a passionate kiss.
She was startled out of her reverie by a loud.. “Oi witch! If you’d told us you wanted to join us!” And an accompanied wiggle of an eye brow over Angel’s shoulder, as the two males continued to embrace.
Willow blushed crimson and began to excuse herself.
“C’mon Red! Nothin’ t’ worry about here… Why don’t ya join us? Sure they wouldn’t mind if ya skinny dip.” Spike shot Willow a wicked grin, making her blush all the more.
“Oh! Oh, I’m *so* sorry… I just… oh, it doesn’t matter.” Willow turned and made a swift escape.
Spike pulled his Sire around in a full circle, letting him feel the swish of water across all his limbs as he relaxed back onto his Childe’s chest, “Me’be the girl’s not one for a dip…” Spike grinned and continued to enjoy the watery time with his significant other.