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Author's Chapter Notes:
CHAPTER 24: Never Enough

CHAPTER RATING: T/M (for violence. Also: Character Death Warning for the next few chapters!)

CHAPTER PAIRING: Angel(us)/Spike, Angel/Buffy, Buffy/Spike

TIMELINE/SPOILERS: AU after AtS "Not Fade Away"

DISCLAIMERS: All BtVS characters are the property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy Productions. I'm just fixing their mistakes! Ha!

CHAPTER CREDITS: n/a

CHAPTER NOTES: This chapter ties up some of Angel's obsessiveness that has run through my story...perhaps in a way you hadn't expected, or in a way that you can't stand in fanficdom (sorry ahead of time if you fall in the category of the latter; I tend to enjoy stories that use this reasoning). I've also used the names Angel, Angelus, Liam, William, and Spike purposefully; you'll obviously need to be familiar with the series to know what that means. As mentioned in the rating above, this chapter also begins my warning for character death. If you cannot deal with characters being killed off, please skip this and the next couple chapters! (I will put a note in the upcoming chapter when the character deaths have ceased.)
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A flood of memories washed through Angel as he got off the plane. He had lucked out with the flight, the timing perfect enough that he could sit in first-class rather than the cargo hold. And the flight itself seemed so quick and comfortable that he hadn't time to really think about what it would be like to be back in London. So his nighttime arrival brought with it feelings he hadn't anticipated. Racing there was all about Buffy. But being there... it conjured up images of Spike and Drusilla. He could tell everyone how pained he was over targeting Dru and turning her, but for all the credit they gave him over being all soul-having, he was no better than he ought to be. How much of a 'white hat' could he be when he had the soul of Liam? Liam had been born of privilege, but still wanted more. He broke rules not to be clever or because he had to, but because he could, because it kept him at the center of everyone's attention. That sort of power was priceless. So, to be 'cursed' with his own soul? How much different could he really be?

But the only one left who actually knew this about him was Spike. Spike, who he had thought once upon a time would tear apart the world with him. Angelus hadn't known, though, what type of man William had been. If he had realized this was who Dru chose, he'd have forbidden it. William's heart and devotion were too pure; Angelus could never create the kind of tyranny he enjoyed with someone like that. Oh, sure, he tried at first. And it was nice to have a male partner around; the women were just for entertainment, as they had also been for Liam. But Spike was so responsive to Dru that Angelus began to resent him. Why did she garner more attention than her master? Because she was the one who turned him? As far as Angelus was concerned, he was Spike's sire; he was the one with power, and he demanded—whether by action or word—that Spike submit to him as his childe.

Angel growled at the thought. Spike's weak heart led him to be controlled by Drusilla instead. And Angelus would not forgive that insolence.

This whole trip was supposed to be about Buffy. That's what Angel told the Watcher. That's what he told his young lover. That's what he told himself over and over. But, really, as nearly everything he'd done since Dru had made herself a childe, this was about Spike. He thought he had finally had Spike under some sort of control (if anything involving Spike could be called that) when they were both at Wolfram and Hart. It was simply out of habit that he had so much negative energy directed towards the young vampire while they were together there. But deep-down, it was exactly what he wanted. He tried everything he could to keep Spike a secret from Buffy, because he knew by this time that once she discovered her hero was 'alive,' he'd lose him forever. And he tried everything he could to keep Spike from returning to Buffy. He didn't mind that Spike would always love Buffy; he was used to that with Spike, and, anyway, hearts lie. Love didn't matter to Angel. It was the companionship, the power, he desired (as always). As long as he could keep Spike with him, he had all he needed.

To be honest, Angel was surprised that Spike stayed there in L.A. with him as long as he did. He didn't know if it was the soul that kept him there or what, but Angel was surprised. Then after the battle, he was more surprised that Spike left. After sharing that final fight... that was something that had always bonded the two vampires. Spike would still be flushed with arousal from the frantic experience of the fight, Angelus from the gloating power of winning. It was the only time when Angelus could get Spike to come to him willingly. Granted, he enjoyed it just as much when he took what he wanted from Spike, but it was a nice change of pace to feel wanted in some sense. He often only got that from the innocent girls he seduced, but the desire they felt for him tended to be short-lived and definitely unreciprocated. So when Spike left—and without even saying a word to him—his pride (and perhaps something more) stung. Angel didn't know exactly where Spike would go, but he thought it safest to head to where Buffy was first. Especially now that the Watcher seemed to be having second thoughts. If he didn't get to Buffy before she found out about Spike, his plans would all be shot to hell.

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Ryk's plans today had all been shot to hell. Now the sizable shard of glass embedded in his collarbone was just the icing on the cake. Thankfully, he had moved in time to avoid a slit throat, but Spike's grip on him was tight. The M'Fashnik had to admit that this vampire was a formidable opponent. It was obvious that Spike was not at his strongest—Ryk caught the winces that slipped in when the vampire made a move that stretched his burned flesh. So if Spike could be this much of a handful when he was injured, Ryk could just imagine what he'd be like at full-strength. Yeah, he wanted him on his side. Could make a killing with Spike as back-up. Now, if only he could figure out a way to not get killed, himself, in the next few moments.

He could feel his own strong pulse steadily seeping out blood from where the glass was stuck in him. The pain was still a bit dull with the adrenalin in control, but Spike's hand was drenched now, and that meant his grip would be slick there. A whimper from the almost-snack on the floor provided the out he needed.

As Spike reacted a bit to the girl's pain, Ryk launched himself to the side. The move broke Spike's grip, as he had hoped. But he hadn't expected Spike's concentration to come back with a vengeance. Ryk's hands grasped the doorknob about the same time as Spike's hands grasped Ryk's head.

But, it was Spike's that twisted first.

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First things first, Angel thought as he headed to the Watcher's home. He knew this day would come after that Andrew kid found out about Spike and reported back to Giles. He had hoped that he could get Giles to stick by him a bit longer, though. Not sure what made the old man cave at this point, but no matter. Angel would have a little 'chat' with him to see what was wrong, then take care of matters. It's not like Buffy really needed her Watcher anymore.

A familiar tingle shivered through Angel as he approached the Watcher's place. When he saw Drusilla slip out the door, he stopped. The scent of blood was strong on her. It was the Watcher's; he never forgot that glorious smell from when he tortured the man for information on awakening Acathla. His childe must have torn the old man to shreds by the strength of it wafting off of her.

Ah, well. That took care of one problem, then.

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