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Edges of My Mind
by Tami
Chapter 10
Los Angeles, Hyperion Hotel
Angel slowly opened his eyes and turned to see Spike still asleep. The younger vampire’s brow was furrowed and his eyelids were fluttering as if he were dreaming. Angel reached over and caressed his hand down Spike’s torso. The blonde started to convulse and nearly threw himself out of bed with his outburst of flailing arms and legs. Angel acted on impulse, immediately wrapping his arms around his childe’s chest and dropping his leg over Spike’s.
Spike growled in pain as if his chip had gone off like it did before when he tried to defend himself, but nothing happened. His Sire was, essentially, dead, but that didn’t stop the alternate reality of the vivid dream from seeping through. Spike felt himself be hauled back against a solid body.
“Shh, Spike. It’s just me, Angel,” the voice whispered in his ear.
“Don’t call me that. I’m not Spike anymore. I can act like Spike around your humans, but . . . Spike can take care of himself and is able to defend himself,” Spike said.
“All I have left to call you is Will, then,” Angel said quietly.
“Okay, but, only you. You’re my Sire, you’re allowed to call me that,” Spike said.
“Can you tell me what he did?” Angel asked.
“I told you, all I remember is that he came to the crypt after he and Buffy had bombed it. We exchanged words over her, and he started in on me. I tried to defend myself, but the chip fired and the pain was so bad, I blacked out. Then, all I remember was I was in this dream-like state with Drusilla and she sent me here,” Spike explained.
“Okay,” Angel said quietly.
“I was a vampire. It’s all I’ve known for 129 years. I’ve had a lot of victims in that time. I always thought of myself as a fair demon. It’s why I enjoyed the fighting. I gave them a chance to fight back before I inevitably killed them,” Spike said.
“You’re still a vampire, Will. You’re still the same demon I made. However, I think you’re more refined with age. I promised to get the chip out and I will. Then, you’ll be back to your old fighting self again,” Angel said, after a moment adding, “Minus the killing.”
Spike burrowed against him. “How soon until I can get it removed?”
“If it were up to me, I’d say right now. I’ll have to call a couple of contacts today and let you know,” Angel said, nuzzling his childe’s neck.
Spike closed his eyes and reached down to Angel’s hand banded around his waist. Grabbing it, he slid the hand lower to curl around his shaft. He groaned when his Sire began sucking on the new claim mark as he leisurely stroked his cock.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” Angel mumbled against his neck.
“You said you wanted to make me feel again. Was it only for one night?” Spike asked.
“No, it was meant for more than one night. I just didn’t expect you to want to so soon,” Angel replied.
“I’m not human,” Spike stated.
Angel groaned when Spike started rocking into his hand and grinding back against his throbbing shaft. The dark vampire had to grit his teeth to keep from rolling the blonde over and taking him in hard, deep, penetrating thrusts. The demon inside him was fine with giving comfort – for a little while, but then it wanted to dominate the weaker demon inside Spike.
“Fuck, Spike. You’re going to make me come, and I’m not even inside you,” Angel growled softly.
“That’s what happens when you live your life as a monk,” Spike replied as he continued to jack off in his Sire’s hand.
Angel laughed quietly against Spike’s neck and rocked his hips, rubbing himself off against the other vampire.
“Angel, get me off with your teeth,” Spike suggested.
“You want me to bite you, feel my fangs penetrate you so you can come?” Angel whispered hotly.
Spike growled softly at the words. He heard the bones shift in Angel’s face as he changed and then felt the prick of fangs against his neck. The grip on his cock tightened when his Sire bit down, gently opening a vein. He arched in cat-like grace against Angel when the fangs slid deeper, relaxed and then pushed deeper into his flesh. The sensation was enough to heighten Spike’s arousal. He reached behind him and grabbed Angel’s cock, stripping it hard and fast in tandem with Angel’s stroking of his shaft.
Angel growled against Spike’s neck as he shot his release over his lover’s ass and hip. The feel of his Sire’s orgasm triggered his own and Spike came over Angel’s fingers.
They laid there for a few moments in the blissful afterglow before Angel carefully retracted his fangs and shifted back to his human visage.
“Is that what you wanted?” Angel asked softly.
“It’s what you wanted. You forget that I’ve known you forever. We share the same demon. I knew he—it—you couldn’t go long without needing to dominate. And, being the masochistic demon that I am, I enjoyed it . . . as you can tell,” Spike replied dryly.
“It wasn’t supposed to be about me, Will. It’s about you,” Angel said.
“Do you think I would have suggested it if I didn’t want it?” Spike countered.
Angel rested his forehead against Spike’s back. His boy knew him. He knew Angelus wanted him just as Angel wanted to possess him, and his childe had offered it without Angelus forcibly taking it from him. Angel kissed the nape of Spike’s neck in gratitude.
“How about we get a tattoo for you, kind of a celebration on your new path in life?” Angel suggested.
“What would I get?” Spike asked.
Angel lazily caressed Spike’s back over where he imagined the tattoo and thought for a moment. "How about the
triskele? It’s a triple spiral, a symbol composed of three interlocked spirals. The spiral is an ancient Celtic symbol related to the sun, afterlife and reincarnation. It’s drawn in one continuous line, suggesting a continuous movement of time.” As he explained the tattoo, Angel moved his fingertips along Spike’s shoulder blade in an imaginary design of the symbol.
“Okay,” Spike conceded.
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Los Angeles, Hyperion Hotel
The two vampires took separate showers and went downstairs. After a breakfast of heated cow’s blood, Angel disappeared into his office and Spike went to see if Angel’s humans needed help. It wasn’t that he was actively helping, but he wasn’t the type that could sit still for long periods of time. He was used to helping Buffy and the Scoobies; this was just a different version. This group didn’t constantly remind him of his handicap whenever they got the chance. He felt more like Spike around them.
Inside the office, Angel picked up the phone and dialed a number, then sat back and waited for it to pick up. After five rings it did. “Hello?”
“Frank? I need to call in a favor. I need you to find a Riley James Finn for me. Yeah, he’s supposedly in South America working for some government branch to eradicate demons down there. Yeah, well, he made a special trip back to the states and attacked Spike. Yes, that Spike. He’s okay. He’s regressed to William a little bit. Well, when you do find him try to leave him in one piece, otherwise I don’t care what you do to him.”
Angel finished the call and leaned back in his chair. He steepled his fingers under his chin and started to brood. He knew for sure Frank could find Riley. The Boraro demon could track anything. He’d known Frank ever since Angelus and Darla went to Brazil and rampaged through an earthquake disaster. They’d kept in touch over the years.
The phone rang again. Angel picked it up. “Angel Investigations, we help the . . . never mind, who is this and what do you want?”
“Well, is that any way to answer the phone?” Lorne asked.
“Sorry, Lorne, it’s been a strange morning. What do you have for me?” Angel asked.
“I pulled some strings and got you a surgeon who could perform the operation on your love childe,” Lorne said.
“My love--? Huh? Never mind. How soon can I get Spike in?” Angel asked.
“Right away if you have a mind to,” Lorne replied.
“Thanks,” Angel said and hung up. Walking out to the lobby, he grabbed his coat and threw Spike his duster.
“Oi! Where are we going?” Spike inquired as he shrugged into the duster.
“To see a doc about an exam,” Angel said as he walked out of the building.
Spike hurried to catch up with him when he heard the convertible start. He jumped into the passenger seat just as Angel put the car in gear and drove off.
“We’re really going to get my chip out right?” Spike asked as he lit a cigarette.
“That’s the plan,” Angel replied.
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Somewhere in Los Angeles
“It’s a townhouse,” Spike commented as he looked up at the building.
“This is where Lorne directed me,” Angel said as he got out the car.
He walked up the steps and looked back when Spike didn’t follow him. “Are you just going to sit there all night or do you want that chip out now?”
Spike got out of the car and followed Angel up to the front door. The dark vampire rang the doorbell to the sound of chimes. After a few minutes, an impeccably dressed demon opened the door.
“Hi, I’m Angel and this is Spike, Lorne sent us here to--” Angel started to say.
“We’ve been expecting you, Mr. Angel,” the demon said and bowed as he allowed them to enter.
Angel and Spike exchanged a look and stepped inside the foyer. The dark vampire gave the interior a cursory glance before turning to the butler. “Lorne didn’t tell me the doctor’s name, but he said he was able to remove the chip implanted in Spike’s head.”
Spike dropped his head in embarrassment and stared at the floor. After what happened to him, he was self-conscious about the chip. He took a moment to compose himself before he looked up and focused on to the conversation.
“His name is Doctor Gregory. If you’ll just follow me, I’ll take you to his lab,” the demon said.
Angel and Spike followed the demon to the back and out of the house, entering a laboratory that at some point in time must have belonged to Dr. Frankenstein. As they entered, a man in a white lab coat spun around on his stool to see who his guests were.
“Ah, Mr. Angel I presume? Lorne said you’d come as soon as possible,” Dr. Gregory said. He turned to the blonde vampire, “And you must be Spike. Lorne never said you two were so handsome.”
“Excuse me, Doctor, but you don’t look like a demon,” Angel commented.
“Looks can be deceiving, young man. I happen to be a thousand years old,” Dr. Gregory said with pride.
“You’re an immortal?” Spike asked.
“I’m not a vampire like you. I’m Asclepius,” Dr. Gregory said.
“Wait a minute, your parents named you after the Greek God of medicine?” Spike asked.
“Not really. I am him. A man’s got to have a hobby when you’re as old as I am,” Dr. Gregory said.
“But, if you’re Asclepius, then that would mean you are much older than a thousand years and you wouldn’t even have a last name,” Angel commented.
Dr. Gregory gave them a ‘duh’ look. “If you’re going to live on a civilized planet such as Earth, then you have to learn to assimilate to its customs. As vampires, you should know that as well as anyone. As for my age, an immortal has no need to divulge his true age.”
Angel and Spike just stared at him in awe. “So, do you know Glory?” Spike asked.
“Unfortunately, Glorificus was part of Hades’ Court. It was regrettable that she broke out of her prison and caused so much destruction to a lot of human lives in trying to get back home,” Dr. Gregory said.
“As much as I’m in complete awe of having a discussion with a God, can we please get back to why we came here?” Angel asked.
Dr. Gregory nodded. “Now then, I think you came to have a chip removed? How on Earth did it happen that you had it implanted in the first place?”
“Some military wankers grabbed me a couple of years ago and put it there,” Spike replied.
“Well, we’ll see if we can’t get it out. Take your coat off and lie down on the table,” Dr. Gregory instructed.
Spike did as instructed and kept his eyes on Angel. The dark vampire moved around the table to sit next to him. “Is this going to damage him permanently?” Angel asked.
“If I were a human, I couldn’t give you guarantees. But, since I’m not, I’d say he’ll be just fine after a couple days rest when I’m done. Give the area time to restore itself,” Dr. Gregory answered as he gathered his instruments and sat down to work.
“I know vampires thrive on pain, but I’m not that sadistic. I’m just giving you a local anesthetic to dull the nerves and then we’ll have that chip out in no time,” Dr. Gregory assured them.
Spike heard him, but kept his eyes on his Sire. He owed Angel a lot for this. His Sire trusted him enough to have the chip removed, and he would give anything his elder asked in return.
Time passed slowly as the doctor worked to get the chip out. From the answers to Angel’s intermittent questions, they found the chip’s wires were intricately woven around Spike's cerebral cortex and imbedded snuggly against the brain. They learned also that the chip was starting to decay, and if Spike kept it in for another year, it would have fried his brain to mush. Just before Dr. Gregory removed the chip, he gave the blonde vampire a heavy sedative.
When it was removed, Angel asked for the tiny piece of plastic that had hindered his childe for so long. It was tiny, damaged, and full of wires. Angel pocketed the chip and picked Spike up in his arms. Before he could leave, Dr. Gregory’s voice stopped him.
“Take him home. The sedative should make him sleep for 72 hours; it’ll give his body the time it needs to heal.”
“Thank you, Doctor. We’re indebted to you for your kindness and your expertise,” Angel said and then left with his unconscious burden.
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