Alexander Harris, CEO and owner of Harris International, the world's third largest construction company watched silently as his beloved Spike slowly got dressed for the short trip from their large sprawling ranch home into the city where the Headquarters of his company was located. 

The black lightweight material of the form fitting bodysuit was a marvel of modern science. It was shimmery to look at, soft to the touch and it would stretch in order to mold itself to his lover's skin. It also provided any vampire a good ten minutes protection from the killing rays of the sun. Spike pulled on the footed pants and then the long-sleeved turtleneck top. After that, he slid his feet into knee-high polished black boots. 

Then came the gloves. Also made of the same material, these came up to his elbows and Xander had to help him so that the sleeves of his top were tucked neatly into the gloves to prevent any skin from showing. Once the gloves were in place, Xander helped Spike into the tight form fitting hood that reminded them both of ninja style headgear. Only Spike's painted and gilded blue eyes peeked out from the shimmering cloth. 

Once the bodysuit was on, Xander began to help Spike into his "jewelry". By law, the vampire *had* to wear electronic tracking devises on all four limbs that could be used to hunt him down by satellite or could be used to immobilize him by remote control. Xander had spent a small fortune to make Spike's tracking bracelets as beautiful as possible. The anklets that went around his boots were larger than the ones that went around his wrists, but all four gold plated and set with sparkling sapphires and diamonds. 

The vampire's collar and leash were even more magnificent than the tracking bracelets. They were also a visual indication of Xander's personal trust in Spike. The leash was made of a fine gold chain that any mortal child could snap with one good hard tug so it would be less than useless to restrain a Master Vampire with. However, it *was* highly decorative and expensive, as was his slave's collar. 

The collar was made out of four large sections of gold that were each set with sapphires, rubies and diamonds. It was as beautiful and priceless as it was sad and hurtful to both men. With haunted dark eyes, Xander gently placed the collar around his lover's neck and carefully hooked the fine chain leash to it. 

Then, for the final step, he held out the large red and black hooded leather robe that would provide a vampire with up to three hours worth of protection from direct sunlight. Frightfully expensive, but worth every penny. 

Spike slid both of his arms into the large voluminous sleeves and pulled the hood up and over his face even as Xander wrapped it in a V-style closure in the front of the vampire's body. Then the red leather belt was wrapped around Spike's waist three times and tied off. 

Stepping back to make sure that none of Spike's skin would be exposed to the killing sunlight, Xander once again marveled at how the red and black robe made his vampire look like one of the Sith Lord's from the old Jedi Movies... 

Gently picking up the end of Spike's leash, Xander led the way through their home and into the garage. 

"Come on Spike. I've got a lot to do at the office before I have to meet Collins and Woodward for lunch." 

"Oh bloody hell, not *Collins*. That wanker always gives me a bleedin' headache." 

Xander snorted inelegantly. 

"Well... if you didn't think nasty thoughts about him, then your chip wouldn't send pulses of pain through your skull. You know better than that Spike." 

Snarling under his breath, the vampire climbed into Xander's Lexus XL. 

* 

Spike had been bored the whole time they were at the office. While he wasn't the only personally owned vampire there, he *was* the oldest and the fledglings around him could barely remember a time before the governments of the world had forced Behavior Modification Chips on all vampires in order to enslave them. Their biggest concerns were their owner's status, their own personal jewelry collection and gossiping about the latest vampire auctions. Of course, any vampires that were "owned" by the government itself were *way* down the social ladder from those vampires privately owned, but that was pretty much a given. 

Spike, as the personal pet of the company's CEO, was the top dog at the office and the others fawned over him. While their conversations bored him to tears, it *was* gratifying to be able to lord over people again... even if it was only other slaves. And when he was in a gracious mood, he would grace them with tales of his glory days and watch as the fledglings struggled to contain their bloodlust before their chips could fry their brains. 

Then a soft and husky, "Beautiful, it's time to go to lunch now." and Spike was up out of his seat and walking over to Xander. A lingering wet kiss and then Xander was replacing his ninja headgear and adjusting his collar. Leash clicked into place and the leather hood of his robe pulled up and they were on their way back to the car. 

* 

Spike was well versed in all the correct forms and he knew better than to not follow them in public places. While Xander would never punish him and never stood on ceremony in private, the owners of the restaurant were, by law, allowed to electro shock any vampire on their premises that didn't "behave" in accordance to law and custom. So, Spike stood at Xander's chair and pulled it out for him to sit in. 

Just before his owner could take his seat, some overstuffed shirt wandering past struck up a quick conversation in the hopes of setting up his own meeting with the CEO of Harris International. That's when Collins struck. A stunning slap to his head had Spike snarling at the human before he clutched his head in pain and whimpered pathetically at the waves of agony rushing over him. Collins chuckled a moment and then gasped in disgust. 

"Holy shit! You still have your canines! Why haven't they been yanked out of your evil little head?" 

Spike groaned even as he tried to growl at the man who was holding him painfully by the arm and shaking him. It was standard practice by the government to pull out the canine teeth of any vampires they owned as slaves. This meant that when a vamp went to gameface, they *didn't* have any fangs at all. Privately owned vampires didn't *have* to have their canines removed, but most did. 

Xander fed him, clothed him, provided him with any toy or entertainment he wished, and kept him warm at night, but he had *never* even hinted at taking Spike's fangs. The thought positively chilled him. Collins, however, felt differently about the whole thing. Reaching onto the table at the placesetting before him, the human grabbed up a butter knife. 

"Don't worry, I'll take care of that oversight right now." 

Spike felt a jolt of fear rush through him. He couldn't defend himself due to his chip and if the other humans in the restaurant decided to help Collins then there was no way he could escape. His fangs would be gone. 

Then, out of no where, a large callused hand came down and forcibly pried the knife away from Collins and Spike felt himself pulled back and tucked up under a thickly muscled arm. Xander. 

"Excuse me, but he belongs to *me* and if you pull out his canines I will personally knock *all* of *your* teeth the fuck out of your head. Do you hear me?" 

Going slightly pale, Collins stepped back. The man sputtered for a moment and Xander glared at him the whole time. Finally, his face a mixture of indignant anger and humiliation, Collins puffed up his chest and spoke to them both in a scathing tone of voice. 

"I don't know what's wrong with you Harris, but that... that... *beast* shouldn't be allowed to walk around with it's fangs intact. It's not only irresponsible, it's unsightly." 

This time it was Spike who sputtered with rage, even as Xander rubbed a soothing hand in circles on his back. The business man who had once been the goof-off boy that trailed along behind the Slayer stood his ground, however. 

"Collins, I don't give a flying fuck what you think. This vampire is *my* personal property and I *want* him kept intact *just* the way he is. I'm not going to cripple him for the sake of fashion or your delicate feelings. If you don't like that then I suggest you leave." 

Insulted to the hilt, Collins turned on his heal and stormed out of the restaurant muttering dire imprecations under his breath. Woodward just sat there, a slightly embarrassed look on his face, his own vampire seated on the floor at his side. 

"Well, now that that unpleasantness is over, why don't you sit down and we can have lunch, huh?" 

Still scowling, Xander nodded his head and Spike quickly pulled out his chair. Once Xander was seated, Spike tucked a white linen napkin across his lap and then sat down on the velvet pillow placed on the floor at his owner's feet. Woodward's vampire, a female fledgling named Candy, was also seated on a velvet pillow. When Spike settled next to her, she glanced down at the floor in shame. Feeling a pang in his unbeating heart, Spike didn't have to be told that *her* canines had been pulled. He could tell without hearing the words or seeing her smile. 

* 

As they were getting settled into the car after lunch, Xander's cell phone rang. Suppressing a sigh, the business man reached into his coat pocket and pulled it out. A quick sharp flick of his wrist opened it and answered the call. 

"Harris." 

Spike's vampiric hearing could easily pick up the small tinny voice of some human female on the other end. 

"Mr. Harris? This is Lilah Morgan of Wolfram and Heart. I am the lawyer that is settling Miss Cordelia Chase's estate. I'm sorry to inform you that three days ago, Miss Chase was in a fatal car accident. You were specifically mentioned in her will." 

For a long moment everything stopped and the world twisted out of focus. 

"Mr. Harris? Are you still there?" 

Spike heard Xander swallow hard. 

"Yes. Yes, I'm still here." 

"As I was saying, you were specifically mentioned in her will. In the event that a Mr. Wesley Windham-Pryce was not alive to take possession of her most cherished item, then it was to be left to you. Mr. Windham-Pryce was a passenger in Miss Chace's car at the time of the accident and is in a coma at LA General Hospital. The doctors don't have much hope that he will awaken, so we feel that it would be best to sign over ownership of her... possession to you as soon as possible." 

"Wha... what is it? I mean, what could be so important?" 

Spike could hear the lawyer lady clear her throat before continuing. 

"Mr. Harris, the item in question is a chipped vampire. One by the name of Angel. Technically, he is currently without an owner. If you refuse to take him as a personal acquisition, I will be forced to put him up for auction." 

"No! No, don't do that. I'll... I'll take him and anything else that Cordy left for me. Just... just tell me where to go and I'll head there right now." 

"Fine... Here's the address you will need to come to. It's at..." 


Part Two  

The office was posh and it spoke elegantly of wealth and power. The deep plush carpet was the color of red wine and that color was echoed by the painted roses on the silk wallpaper hung above the burnished wood wainscoting. A large mahogany desk dominated the far end of the good sized room, a wine colored leather chair behind it. A carved sideboard stood against the near wall and it held only the finest of liqueurs inside of cut crystal decanters. The far wall held a large bank of windows with expensive draperies discretely pulled closed. Closer to the door of the office, a fair sized round mahogany table stood with four brocade upholstered chairs placed around it. 

The office was occupied by two people. The woman seated in the leather chair behind the desk was beautiful. Her skin was soft to the touch and had that "peaches and cream" look that appealed to so many men and women. Her brown hair hung like a veil of living silk around her linen clad shoulders and her make-up was perfection. Her clothing and jewelry were both expensive and tailored with the timeless class and elegance so popular in the business world. 

For all her beauty and power, something was off about her. Her smiles never reached her eyes and her cultured voice never rang with true sincerity when she mouthed the ritual phrases of greeting or good fortune. And despite the extravagant amounts of money she spent on it, her perfume could not quite cover the strong stench of dark magic that hovered around her like a miasma. 

The other occupant of the office stood silently in the farthest corner of the room where the deepest shadows could be found. Clothed head to toe in a hooded black silk robe lined with red dyed wool, the figure was tall, broad of shoulder and powerfully built. His face was hidden in the shadows of his hood, but there was no mistaking the silver chain and leather leash that hung down the front of his massive chest from the neck opening of his robe. A vampire. 

The dark figure in the corner stood silently with a stillness found only among those who no longer lived. He drew no breath even as no blood raced through his still veins. His heart lay cold beneath his ribs. 

The overly perky voice of the blonde woman stationed at the receptionist desk down the hallway by the elevator shaft suddenly broke the eerie quiet of the office, pulling the full attention of both the woman and the vampire. 

"Ms. Morgan. There's a Mr. Alexander Harris here to meet with you." 

The woman behind the desk looked up from the file she had been reading and pushed a button on her phone with one enameled fingernail. 

"Thank you Sheila. Please send him down." 

The woman unhurriedly shuffled her paperwork around until it was organized to her satisfaction and then carefully tucked it back into her file folder. A soft knock at the office door preceded it being opened. Sheila stepped aside to allow Ms. Morgan's guests to enter. 

The first one through the doorway was an older gentleman dressed in a dark gray business suit. The cut of his clothing suggested that the suit was expensive and personally tailored to fit him, as did the hand painted silk tie and polished Italian leather shoes. His jewelry was simple yet elegant, showing a combination of wealth and good taste. The man's face seemed pale and tired, grief echoing in his dark eyes and yet the lines around his mouth and eyes suggested that he spent a lot of time smiling and laughing. His dark curly hair was cut short in a stylish fashion and he was just beginning to go gray at his temples. He exuded an air of competence and authority. 

The second person to come through the office door was obviously a vampire. Shorter than the business man, his clothing and jewelry spoke louder than any words could of his status. Covered from head to toe by a heavy black and red leather hooded robe, not an inch of his skin was visible yet he fairly dripped jewels and gemstones as he was lead about on a painfully thin gold chain leash. Everything about this vampire virtually shouted "pampered pet" to all present. 

Ignoring both vampires, the woman stood up from behind her desk and walked around towards the business man. Her file folder held in one hand, she extended the other and they briefly shook hands. 

"Mr. Harris. Thank for you getting here so quickly. My condolences on your tragic loss. Would you like some coffee or perhaps a brandy?" 

The man smiled at her. It was a smile overlaid by tones of sadness. 

"Coffee would be just fine. Thank you." 

Sheila delicately cleared her throat and the two other humans turned to look at her. 

"I'll be happy to go and get you that coffee Ms. Morgan. Is there anything else you will require?" 

The woman smiled at the receptionist and once again, it never reached her eyes. 

"No. Thank you Sheila." 

The blonde receptionist nodded once and then she quietly shut the door and was gone. Ms. Morgan waved one manicured hand towards the round table and it's matching chairs. 

"Please. Have a seat and make yourself comfortable." 

Xander Harris let go of the leash he had held in one hand and the chain fluttered down softly against the vampire's leather clad chest. The creaking rustle of leather sounded through the room as the vampire stepped over and silently pulled a chair out for his master. The business man sat down in the chair and seconds later his pet vampire settled down on the floor at his side. 

Lilah Morgan sat down at the table across from him and rested her folded arms over her file and leaned forward, a look of false sympathy plastered over her delicate features. 

"I thought it might help you to know that Miss Chase didn't suffer. Her death was quick and painless." 

There was a slight pause for a long moment in which only the vampire in leather seated on the floor could hear the subvocal whine of pain and sorrow burst forth from the vampire in silk standing in the shadows. Then Xander took in a deep shaky breath and nodded. 

"Yes. That does make me feel a little better. Cordelia suffered enough in life, it's only fair that she was spared that pain in her death." 

Then Sheila was back with a decanter of fresh brewed coffee on a finely appointed tea tray. She bustled about for a few minutes making certain that both Ms. Morgan and Mr. Harris had everything that they needed. The thick tension from earlier was effectively lifted and then they got down to business. 

The first thing that Ms. Morgan did was reiterate her offer to sell Angel for him. Xander turned her down. Trying a different track, Lilah offered to ensure that the vampire was sold to a private collector instead of being put up on the auction block where he would be at risk to fall into government hands. Once again, Xander turned her down, this time a bit more forcibly. 

Then Ms. Morgan went over Cordelia's will, outlining the relevant passages and clauses. Cordelia hadn't been extremely wealthy or famous, however she had acted in several movies playing supporting character roles and she had starred in many commercials. She was also listed as the sole owner of Angel Investigations. 

With Mr. Wesley Windham-Pryce unable to claim any of his inheritance, most of Cordelia's estate would be held in trust for him for up to three years. If he *still* was unable to claim his inheritance, it would then fall back on the other people listed in her will. What was being held in storage ended up consisting of all of Cordelia's clothing, jewelry, furniture and real-estate. 

Due to the immediate concerns of her other property, Xander was required to take over ownership of both the vampire Angel and Cordelia's private investigation firm. After the papers were all signed and witnessed, Ms. Morgan offered to purchase Angel Investigations from Xander on the grounds that he didn't hold a Private Investigators License. 

For a long painful moment, everyone was eerily quiet as they waited on Xander's answer. Then, they all watched as the soft sorrowful visage of the business man's face slowly hardened, his dark eyes glittering with something close to possessive rage. With slow precise movements, Xander pushed back his chair and stood to his full impressive height of 6'2" as he glowered down at Lilah Morgan. In the blink of an eye, Xander Harris had transformed from a quiet older man into a dangerous and powerful enemy. When he spoke, his voice was coldly calm, low and frightening from all the terrible emotions contained and controlled within it. 

"Ms. Morgan. I'm not in any mood to play these little games with you. I know what this place is and what Wolfram and Hart stand for. I saw and recognized at least twenty different species of demon just on my way from the parking garage to your office and I'm sure there were plenty more that I missed with my limited human senses. 

If you are *any* good at what you do or if you are in any position of power and trust, you know *exactly* who I am. And what I can do. I don't know who or what is pulling your strings over this, but I'm *not* interested in handing Angel *or* those investigative files over to anyone. 

I sincerely suggest that you inform your client to *back off* and leave this alone. I make a wonderful ally, but a terrible enemy." 

Lilah Morgan and Xander Harris stared into each other's eyes for a long breathless moment until Lilah finally glanced away, turning her head to face her desk. Xander nodded his head once and then turned and strode towards the door, snapping his fingers at the two vampires. The vampire that had come in with him flowed up from his seat on the floor in one graceful liquid movement and turned to follow. A stunned pause from the vampire in the corner that was only a mortal heartbeat long and then he too followed. 

The leather clad vampire quickly grasped the door's handle and swung it wide open. Xander Harris stormed out of the office and down the hallway. The two vampires walked the customary two paces behind him, the short one to his right and the tall one to his left. 

* 

Angel lay in his new bed at Xander's large fashionable ranch style home. The room had originally been a guest room, but Xander had assured him that it was now his to decorate as he pleased. And it *was* a great room. The entire home was wonderful, a vampire's paradise. Which was only to be expected since designing and building vampire friendly homes and buildings is what had made Harris International Construction Company famous and in such demand world wide. 

Yet, his sunlight-proof bedroom and all the luxury comforts a vampire could want didn't help relieve the pain and confusion inside of him. The loss of Cordelia was a sharp bright pain that sent soul-deep agony through his entire being and he worried constantly about Wesley. The man who had been one of his constant companions for the last twenty years was now trapped inside his own mind, locked away from the world by a coma. 

And then there was Xander Harris. Angel and Xander had never seen eye to eye and most often agreed to disagree about almost everything. As such, he had never *really* kept in touch with the man, but instead relied on the fact that Cordelia *did* keep in touch with him to make certain that he was doing all right. That Xander was healthy and happy had been enough for Angel, he didn't need to know any more than that. Because of this, he hadn't even seen him for almost fifteen years. And now Angel was Xander's slave. 

In a way it was disconcerting because his memories of Xander were that of a teenaged boy who had no self-esteem, no self-confidence and no direction as he aimlessly tried to please everyone all at once. Then he had memories of Xander as a young man, first starting up his own construction company out of his own home with just a small hand-picked crew of men. 

Those memories clashed with the image he now held of Xander Harris, fast approaching his fifth decade of life, full of self-possession and authority running roughshod all over one of the humans that Angel hated most in the world. In fact, Xander had strongly reminded the ancient vampire of Rupert Giles when the long dead Watcher was feeling his inner "Ripper" boil up to the surface. 

Those thoughts, of course, led Angel to wonder about Lilah's mysterious client. It was obvious that Xander thought that she was representing someone who had an unhealthy interest in either him personally or Angel Investigations, and frankly, Angel agreed with that assessment. He just didn't know who that could be. 

Suddenly, all of his wandering thoughts came to a screeching halt as his sensitive vampire hearing made him painfully aware that he was not alone in the house. Not being able to stop himself from focusing in on the sounds, the low rumbling purr and deep husky moans brought to his attention the pounding of one strong heart and the panting of breath from two sets of lungs. And the wet slapping sounds of flesh on flesh. 

Rolling over in his cold empty bed, Angel sighed to himself. Cordelia's death suddenly slammed into him hard and he desperately missed her warm soft body against his own. A lone blood tinged tear traced it's way down his pale cheek and he knew in his unbeating heart that it was going to be a long and lonely night. 

* 

Angel was forced to leave his bedroom wearing only the midnight blue silk pajama bottoms that Xander had given him the night before since all of his clothes were still at Cordelia's house and he wouldn't be able to get them until her effects had been completely shuffled through by her lawyer. He felt somehow exposed and vulnerable in the soft clinging pants, but he was starving and he needed nourishment. 

Walking out of his room and down the hall, he soon found himself in a large tastefully furnished living area. There were no windows in any of the walls, but there were several large monitor screens which provided real time graphics of a beautiful sun drenched shoreline. The carpeting was bright blood red and the walls were a uniformly crisp white. The sofa and chairs were overstuffed black suede and the velvet throw pillows were white and red. Sleek acrylic accents decorated the various corners and shelves of the glass and chrome tables and entertainment center. All in all it was a lovely modern room. 

The most beautiful object decorating it, however, was the half-naked bleached blonde vampire lounging across the sofa with an Andromeda 3 Game System controller in his hands. The quiet sounds of intergalactic battle filled the room, but Angel couldn't be bothered to look at the television screen. His eyes were too busy devouring his childe's hard muscled whipcord thin body wearing nothing except a sinfully tight pair of black leather short-shorts. And gold. Spike wore his jewel encrusted slave collar and twin gold hoops that were delicately threaded through piercings in each of his nipples. Then the vision of loveliness moved and Angel felt himself falling into the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. 

"Oi! No drooling on the carpet Peaches. Either close your gob or at least have the decency to come drool on *this*." 

With that, the blonde vampire reached down with one hand and cupped his leather covered dick and balls. Growling in frustrated annoyance, Angel tore his eyes away from his childe's sexy body and stomped off looking for the kitchen. Delighted laughter followed him out of the room and Angel sighed. This wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. 

"Listen mate. Here, take this. It's from Xander." 

Biting back another sigh, Angel turned around to face Spike. The younger vampire's face was a vision of decadent innocence and cheerfulness. His smile wasn't *quite* a smirk, but it was as close as one could get to it without actually *being* it. He held out one hand palm up, a small shinny disk balanced on his open palm. Carefully, Angel picked it up. 

"Go on back into the other room and pop it in the viewer. I'll bring you in a steaming mug of A positive and you'll be right as rain, eh ducks?" 

A couple dozen retorts and snide comments swirled through his head, but he didn't voice them. Instead he turned on his heal and walked back into the living area. It didn't take him long to find the viewer and get the disk set up inside so it could play. When he did, the television screen showed a brief moment of electronic "snow" and then an image appeared. It was Xander and he was getting dressed into another business suit. 

"Good morning Angel." 

From somewhere in the background Spike's voice floated into the recording. 

"Oi! The bloody poufter won't crawl outta bed until at least noon, I guarantee it." 

Xander looked off screen for a moment and his eyes crinkled up with a soft smile. Angel could easily see the love those dark eyes held for his childe. 

"Okaaaaaay. Fine. Good afternoon Angel. I'm sorry that I can't do this in person, but I left a lot of things unfinished yesterday in order to keep your pretty ass off the auction block. I think it was worth it though. Not only do I *not* trust our friend Ms. Lilah Morgan, but if I didn't do something Cordelia would come back to haunt me and Spike would pout at me for a month." 

"Would not! Don't listen to him Peaches!" 

Once again Xander flashed a smile off screen and Angel felt one echoing on his own face. 

"Anyway. I just wanted to give you a brief rundown of what's what. I spend a lot of time supervising the heads of various company departments and meeting with clients in order to secure, and keep, business flowing in. I try to arrange most of it to be done here in LA either in person or by video conference, but I *do* have to travel often. If and when that happens, you and Spike will be forced to come with me. I'll try to make sure that anything you might need or want during those trips are prearranged, but if you have any special needs I might not know about, tell me before hand. 

Also, I'm pretty lax about things around the house. Only a few simple rules. Don't answer the phone, let the machine screen the calls. If it's Willow, Tara or Dawn either you or Spike can then pick up the connection. Just be sure to *not* record any conversations. 

Don't let anyone into the house except for the cleaning crew. Spike knows who they are so he can introduce you if I'm not available. Don't make a mess, don't break anything and don't call me on any line but my cell phone. The office crew *won't* put you through once they figure out who and what you are. 

If you plan on fucking or being fucked by Spike that's fine as long as it's mutual. I won't put up with any of that territorial vampire domination shit. As far as I'm concerned you are both *my* territory and that's that. If it comes down to that I'll punish you both. While I don't believe in defanging vampires I *do* believe in the power of a holy water bubble bath, so keep that in mind. 

Tonight when I get home I'm going to pierce your nipples if they aren't already done. Don't worry. It won't hurt for long. 

Well, I have to go now. Behave and have a nice time. There's plenty of books to read, games to play and music to listen to. Just ask Spike where everything is kept." 

Feeling a touch numb, Angel watched with his mouth agape as the image of Xander faded into electronic "snow" once more. Suddenly, Angel felt a warm ceramic mug being placed gently into his hand and he turned to stare up a Spike. The younger vampire had a slightly sad and regretful look on his face. 

"Here ya go Peaches. And welcome to *my* world." 

Part Three  

With a heavy sigh, Xander Harris sat down at his large oak desk in his air conditioned office and pushed his day planner aside in favor of the silver framed family portrait sitting slightly behind his videophone. A sad little small crossed his face as he realized that he couldn't continue to put off the call to Willow and Tara any longer. They had to know what had happened to Cordelia and how it would effect them all. 

Reaching out, he picked up the photograph and ran one gentle finger over the beloved image. His family. Him and his girls. 

He could still remember the utter shock and terrifying joy that had washed over him when Willow and Tara had come to him over eighteen years ago asking him to be the father of their children. The witches had already been married for three years at that point and they wanted a family. He had been their first choice as the father. It had only been Spike's steady presence that had kept him from bolting out of their apartment in a blind panic. Now, he couldn't image his life without his two daughters. Rose Ann Harris, who was Willow's daughter and the oldest, and Bethany Marie Harris, the youngest and Tara's daughter. 

When he had first set up his will, he had been certain to specify that in the event of his death that Spike would be inherited by Willow. If at that time she was no longer alive or able to take him, than Spike would be inherited by Rose Ann, than Bethany. Now, he had to figure out what to do about Angel. This was not a conversation he wanted to have, but he had no choice. He couldn't just let it be until later because there might not be a later and if he didn't make arrangements then Angel would just end up on the block or with whoever Lilah Morgan was representing that was so interested in the vampire. 

Putting the picture down, Xander punched a few buttons and codes into his videophone and smiled slightly at the monitor/camera on the corner of his desk. He listened while the machine beeped, hissed and pinged. Then he was connected. The screen flickered and the telecommunications company's logo flashed onto it while a prerecorded voice echoed through the room. 

~Call connecting. Please hold for the party you are trying to reach. Thank you for using West Coast Communications.~ 

The logo flickered away and a call window opened up. A slightly harried looking Tara came into view. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a loose twist and her blue-green silk shirt was rolled up at the sleeves. She held several files in her hands and a pen was tucked behind one ear. 

"Sunnydale Technology. Tara McCoy speaking. How can I help you?" 

Xander smiled. 

"Hello beautiful. Busy morning?" 

For a second, Tara blinked at the monitor and then a slow smile spread across her features, melting the stress off of her face. 

"Xander?" 

Xander chuckled as he watched Tara drop her files and scrounge around on her desktop for a quick moment. Then she popped a pair of wire-framed glasses on her face and turned back to her videophone. 

"Sorry about that. I didn't know it was you on the line." 

Xander's smile grew even wider. Tara's eyes were steadily getting worse as the years rolled by and both he and Willow had often suggested having them repaired by the simple and painless surgical procedure available for her condition. She always refused, however, stating that the idea of surgery on her *eyes* gave her the wiggins. 

"That's okay sweetie. I was just calling to see if you and Willow could get away from the office for lunch today. I...have some serious news and we will have to make some decisions, but I don't want to talk about it over an open line." 

Tara paused for a moment frowning. Xander could see the questions hovering just behind her lips, but she didn't voice them. Instead, she reached over to her left and grabbed a thick green leather book and unsnapped it. She flipped through it until she came to the page she was searching for and then ran one finger down it briefly as she read. 

"Um...I'm available from one o'clock until two-thirty. Does that work for you?" 

Xander glanced over to the side where he had slid his own planner and frowned at it in thought. If he rescheduled his one-thirty to noon then he would be able to make it. 

"Yes, that's fine. Is Willow going to be able to make that as well?" 

Tara smiled. 

"Let's find out." 

Xander watched as she picked up an audio-only handset and he heard the low sounds of her pushing a couple buttons. She wiggled her eyebrows at him as they both waited for Willow to pick up on the other end. Xander chuckled again and marveled over the fact that this bright and lovely woman was once the painfully shy young girl he remembered from his youth. She was still soft spoken and preferred to "work behind the scenes", but now she was self-confident and sure of her place in life. Xander adored her. 

"Hey, Wills? Can you get away from your desk at one so that we can meet Xander for lunch? I have him on video and he needs to meet with us as soon as possible." 

Tara nodded and smiled. 

"Great. Oh, okay. Uh-huh...sure honey. No, no, I'll drive. Okay. Okay. Yeah, he's on the line right now. Of course. Okay. Yeah, I love you too." 

Tara disconnected with Willow and smiled at Xander over the videophone. He grinned right back. They both had plenty of experience of extracting themselves from the Willow-babble-zone and had gotten very good doing so quickly. 

"She says that one o'clock is fine and I'm supposed to drive to wherever it is that we are meeting. Where *are* we meeting?" 

Xander considered it. He wasn't *that* far away from them, but it would be easiest if he chose someplace that was equidistant between the two companies. 

"How about The Water Garden?" 

The Water Garden was a beautiful eatery that specialized in seafood. It also had a lovely indoor waterfall along one wall that spilled into a small indoor pond. The food was excellent, the service was quick and the atmosphere was cozy without being too busy or loud to conduct business. 

"That would be fine. We'll see you there this afternoon although it might be a little passed one o'clock due to travel time." 

Xander smiled and nodded. 

"That's fine. I'll see you then." 

* 

Spike watched in mild irritation as Angel brooded silently in the corner. He had been silent and moody all afternoon and it was wearing thin on Spike's nerves. Angel had tried to settle down with a book once or twice, but he just ended up brooding some more while holding it uselessly in his hands. And as stoic as many people thought the dark vampire was, Spike could easily read him and all his minute changes in facial expression. Irritation, confusion and regret kept rolling through him and Spike had reached the limits of his patience. 

"Bloody hell Peaches. What is your problem? You've been a moody git all damn day." 

A wash of annoyance rose up in Angel's dark eyes and for a brief second Spike thought that a nasty retort was going to be his only answer, but then his Sire sighed and shook his head in confusion. 

"It's Xander. That recording he left me. I...I guess I just didn't expect that. I remember him as this annoying jerk who hated me, was afraid of me and who would jump at any chance to tell me off, but this..." 

Angel just shrugged, unsure how to explain the unsettled feeling that the recording had left him with. 

"He's just so different, I guess. I mean, those rules. Don't make a mess? Behave? I'm not exactly a child. And I can't *believe* he wants to *pierce* me." 

Spike's face reflected a subtle sadness and his eyes grew unfocused as if he was seeing something that wasn't in the room with them. 

"He wasn't always like this, you know? He *has* changed, yes...but it wasn't all over night or anything like that. It's just...life, you know? He just slowly stopped being afraid, I guess." 

Angel looked up sharply. 

"What? Of me? Because of the chip?" 

Spike shook his head slowly, his face introspective and thoughtful. 

"No. Of anything. Of death. He's just...not afraid. I mean, bloody hell Angelus, the boy grew up in an abusive home on the Hellmouth. He spent his teen years fighting just to stay alive. And he *did*. He stopped being afraid to die. He faced that possibility *so many* times that it stopped having any sort of power over him. His two other big fears have been faced head on and he overcame *those* as well." 

Angel frowned as he considered this. 

"What...what do you mean? What other fears?" 

It was Spike's turn to shrug. 

"Simple really. If you think about it. He had been told by his old man that he was a failure, a mistake and that he'd *never* amount to anything worthwhile. He's proven the old man wrong. He *is* a success. He owns his own bloody company and thousands of humans are in his employ, counting on him for their livelihood. The other fear was of having a family. A *real* family. One that loved each other instead of trying to tear each other apart. He has that now. The witches each gave him a little girl. So...he has his business, his friends, his kids and his pets." 

Angel's expression went from thoughtful to sour instantly. 

"And we're the pets?" 

Spike's face grew very sad and wistful. 

"Yeah mate. We're the pets." 

* 

Xander gazed sadly over his shrimp and crab linguini alfredo at Willow. Her big green eyes were watery and he could see that she was trying not to break down and let the tears spill over in public. Tara was holding her hand and she just looked saddened and so very tired. Almost as if she had aged several years in the space of a few moments. 

"I'm...I'm so sorry Wills. I know that you and Cordelia were in close contact with each other." 

Willow nodded and took in a deep shaky breath. 

"Now what?" 

Xander frowned and looked down at his plate briefly, as if the pasta could tell him the best way to figure this whole thing out. 

"I'm not sure. I want to adjust my will so that Angel is protected. I'm not sure if I should leave him to Bethany or not. It would be fair to the girls that way, one vampire each. But they've never met and I don't want to saddle Beth with Angel if she ends up not liking or trusting him." 

The witches both nodded in agreement. Then Tara spoke up with a temporary solution. 

"Um...I know Angel. Not *real* well, but well enough. Put my name down for now. It can always be changed again if Bethany decides that she'd be willing to take him." 

Xander nodded. That was a good idea. He didn't want to burden his daughter with an unwanted responsibility of such magnitude, but he couldn't just leave Angel hanging without any security either. 

"Thanks Tara. I'll do that. There's two other things that I'm worried about though." 

They both looked over to him curiously and he grinned slightly at the warm fuzzy feeling that moved through him because of how easily they always seemed to make his world a nicer and more friendly place. 

"One is Wes. He was in the car with Cordy during the accident. He's in a coma and so he couldn't claim his inheritance. He's at LA General Hospital right now, but I can't help but wonder about that. After all, LA General isn't exactly set up to care for coma patients...but maybe I'm just being paranoid. What's more, because I'm not a family member, I couldn't get any details on his condition and Angel is very upset over that." 

Tara offered up a slight shrug and a half-grin. 

"Um...if you want, I'll dig into it for you. Just because no one will answer your questions out loud that doesn't mean those answers aren't there. I'll see if I can't get passed the Hospital's computer passwords and hacking shields. I'm not as good as Wills here, but I've learned a trick or two over the years." 

Xander's smile widened and his eyes gleamed conspiratorially. 

"Thanks T." 

She blushed and glanced at her lap before looking back up and grinning right back at him. 

"The other thing is this lawyer lady. Lilah Morgan. She kept pushing and pushing me to sell Angel while offering to handle the details. Then she offered the same thing for Angel Investigations. I could be wrong, but I smell a rat there. I think that someone is very interested in either him *or* the firm's files. I don't know which. If that's the case, I'm thinking that maybe Cordy's accident wasn't an accident. With both Cordy and Wes out of the way, that only left *me* to get both Angel and the P.I. firm. Maybe there is something there worth killing for?" 

Both girls got distant looks in their eyes as they considered his words. It was Willow who finally broke the silence. 

"Possibly. I mean, it makes sense and I've seen stranger things happen, but there is no way to tell without more information. She *could* have just seen Angel as an easy high profit sale. But I don't think we can afford to take that chance. If it *was* a murder than you would be next on the list since you refused to sell him." 

Xander grimaced slightly, but he didn't refute Willow's statement. The red-haired woman just looked off into space thoughtfully for a long moment. Finally, she reached a decision because she nodded her head decisively and flashed her most determined look. 

"Let me dig into that end of things. I'll try and find out a list of Ms. Morgan's clients and close business associates. You talk to Angel and find out if he has any ideas. Maybe he can recall someone who expressed an interest in him or the firm to either Cordelia or Wes. Plus, he would have all the inside information on the cases they were handling at the time of Cordelia's death. We should probably get over to Angel Investigations and go through the files there too." 

Xander agreed with her ideas and her assessment of the situation. In fact, he had already started on working towards that goal. 

"The P.I. firm is currently being run by another associate of Cordelia's. A Mr. Gunn. In fact, Cordelia's will specifically named *him* as the one who would inherit all of Cordelia's weapons while Wes was to get her real-estate and jewelry. A stipulation of my inheriting Angel Investigations was that I could *never* fire Mr. Gunn from it's employ. Everyone else there wasn't even mentioned." 

"Gunn? He's a great guy and one of the best demon hunters around. Have you ever met him?" 

Xander shook his head. 

"No, not in person. However, I *have* talked to him over videophone many times over the years. I *do* have an appointment with him for tomorrow, however." 

"Good." 

Part Four

As the late afternoon had shifted deeper into the evening, the dark haired vampire's nerves had slowly wound tighter and tighter until he was straining at the very edge of his control to keep from just jumping up and demanding that they... *he* hurry up and get on with it. They all knew what was coming. The knowledge sort of hovered in the air around them all, shimmering and vast, yet untouchable like smoke reflected in a slick silvered mirror. 

No one spoke of it or hinted at it. It just rode silently behind their eyes. Xander's dark brown eyes, large and deep. Once long ago, those eyes held vast reservoirs of innocence and hope, humor and joy. Now they were shuttered and they glittered with dark knowledge and painful experiences that Angel could only guess at. 

And then there was his childe. William the Bloody. Spike. Xander's pet vampire. Bright blue eyes that spoke so eloquently of sorrow and love and hunger...but not a single hint of joy. For some reason, that worried Angel most of all. 

Tension built up brick by brick until it was a solid fortress that surrounded them, separating them from the outside world. It started a half hour before Xander even walked in the door from work. Spike had begun cleaning up and straightening out his things, making the living room they had spent the day in very neat. That was a shock to Angel, because his childe was *never* neat, not in all the decades that he'd known him, and yet here he was cleaning up. 

After the video games and magazines were tucked away to Spike's satisfaction, he simply left the room and stood by the inner doorway. Waiting. Silently. 

Still slightly amused and very confused, Angel followed after him. He was just about to demand an explanation from the bleached blonde vampire when he heard it. Xander's car was just turning into the long curving driveway and pulling to a stop in front of the large residence. His acute hearing could describe accurately what was happening beyond the doubled sunlight proof entrance. 

Xander turned the keys in the ignition and the engine gently died down to a quiet pinging as the metal began to cool. Then those same keys jingled slightly and his clothing rustled for a moment. The car door opened and Angel could hear Xander's long heavy frame slide out of the vehicle. Clothing and leather shifted around a bit and the car keys jingled some more. Then the car door shut and footsteps slowly made their way to the first of the double doors. 

It didn't take Xander long to get in. Just a quick five button security code and the first door cycled open, paused for three minutes and then shut. As soon as it clicked into place, the second door cycled open and Xander stepped into the foyer. 

Immediately, Spike was there. He took the large briefcase out of Xander's hands and passed it over to Angel. Shock more than anything else is why the dark haired vampire took it at all. Then Spike was gently helping Xander out of his topcoat and hanging it in the hall closet. 

Then they were off, heading towards the master bedroom with Xander in the lead, babbling a mile a minute about the burdens of big business and the curse of working with one department head in particular. Apparently it was a familiar rant, because Spike had all of the correct answers and comments memorized and he peppered Xander's speech with them in all the correct spots. 

The entire walk through the house while Xander bitched and bemoaned his fate, he was peeling off his clothing, one article at a time. The suit jacket came off and was blindly handed back at Spike without thought. The blonde grabbed it, folded it carefully and then draped it over his left arm. Then the tie. The silk button up shirt. And finally the belt. 

"Put the case down and go run him a nice hot bath. Extra bubbles, Peaches." 

Angel turned and looked up at his childe in complete confusion. He had no idea what was really going on. The only time Cordelia had ever asked him to draw her a bath was after one of her mindsplitting visions or if she was in the mood for a romantic evening. And she had *never* expected him to follow her around like...this. Like some sort of twisted manservant. 

"Don't worry about it. I'm more in the mood for a shower anyway." 

Angel turned back to face Xander again, still confused and watched as he quickly stripped down naked and tossed his pants, boxers and socks in a crumpled pile on the bed. His shoes were simply kicked into the far corner. Then he turned and walked through the far door. Angel could hear water being turned on even as Xander's voice floated back at them. 

"What's for dinner tonight, anyway?" 

"Annelise made up a nice lasagna for you luv. It's in the oven. I'm gonna go heat it up in a mo'. It'll be ready by the time you're done in there." 

Angel watched in dumbfounded astonishment as Spike picked up Xander's clothing and hung it all up in a large wooden wardrobe and then went for the leather shoes in the corner. His face must have expressed how confused he was because Spike just raised up a single eyebrow and muttered under his breath at him. 

"'s the dry-cleaning, ain't it?" 

And then with a whoosh of displaced air, his leather short-short wearing childe was gone out of the bedroom and heading for the kitchen. The tension grew, but Angel's confusion didn't lift as he stood there gaping, wondering what had just happened. It was so difficult to believe that his willful and arrogant childe had just... had just... 

And that's when it hit him. Hard. 

Spike was acting *exactly* like what he was. A slave. A personal *body* slave. One whose only duties were the pleasure of his or her master. And that master was Xander Harris. 

Now Xander was *his* master too. Legally recognized and sanctioned. Cordelia's wishes and will made real. But this was *so* different from his life with Cordelia. Cordelia's ownership of him had, in a sense, kept him free. He had been free from the government service, from the auction blocks and from the hunters that tracked down rogue vampires. In a flash of insight, Angel realized that Xander *didn't* see things that way, and that in his mind at least, the slavery was very real...and his dominance was automatic. 

That's when the memory rose up in his mind like a leviathan seeking light and air. The recording from this morning. Xander had promised to pierce him. To visibly and physically claim him. A symbol of his ownership of and domination over Angel. Okay, the recording *hadn't* said all of that, but Angel was no novice to the game of domination and he knew *exactly* what being pierced or branded or tattooed *meant*. 

Suddenly, he was nervous. Nervous in a way that no other human had ever made him feel since he got his chip. 

And no one spoke about it. Not while Xander was showering. Not while he slowly ate his dinner while Spike served him red wine. Not afterwards when he and his childe shared cleanup duty and Xander retired to his study to finish up a few loose ends from work that he had brought home with him. It wasn't until the last dish was put away and the kitchen counter had been wiped down that his upcoming ordeal was even noted. 

"You ready mate?" 

Angel looked over into big blue eyes that swam with sadness and a hint of concern. Swallowing passed a sudden lump in his throat, Angel silently nodded his head. 

"Right. Let's get on with this then." 

And then Spike was leading the way through the big beautiful house and into Xander's office. The room was large and darkly paneled in polished cherry wood. Framed pictures hung on the walls and a sideboard with expensive top shelf liqueurs stood to one side. A huge cherry desk held a brass lamp with a green glass shade on one corner and the rest of it's surface was littered with paperwork. Xander sat in his large leather chair behind that desk and didn't look up or acknowledge their presence in anyway. 

Spike led the way over to Xander's desk and he knelt down in front of the human on the thick forest green carpeting. After a brief hesitation, so did Angel. Silently they sat and waited. Xander read through reports, his pen occasionally scratching on the surface of a sheet of paper. Still, they waited. And waited. Finally, after more than thirty minutes had gone by, Xander looked up after shuffling his paperwork away and into a drawer of his desk. 

Xander stood up, a hungry predatorial look on his face as he slowly walked over to them. He reached out and gently ran his long fingers through Spike's blonde hair and the younger vampire leaned into the touch and purred softly. But Xander's eyes were locked on Angel, studying him, learning him, making him glad that he no longer had the ability to blush. That frank and appraising look was uncomfortable and unnerving. 

Then Xander stepped back and removed his hand from Spike's head. Turning on his heel he began to leave the room. Spike was all ready halfway up off the floor when the human's voice drifted back to them. 

"Come along now. It's time." 

His nerves jangling more and more with each step, Angel silently followed his subdued childe and his new owner as they led him to a plain white door. Xander opened the door and gestured for the vampires to precede him. Without protest, Spike stepped through the door and began his descent down the steps and into the basement. Silently, Angel followed. 

About halfway down, Angel stopped to look around and gape. The entire basement was designed to be a fairly modern and complete sexual torture chamber. He wasn't quite sure how to handle this new knowledge of his owner, for he certainly *didn't* expect it from Xander, but he was sort of impressed. Part of him was excited and hungered for the dark delights that could be found here, but part of him shivered and cowered with the knowledge that *he* would not be the one in control. He was the pet. The slave. 

A gentle nudge from behind got him moving again and his eyes roamed the room freely, taking in as many details and he could. There were lots of chains and leather restraints scattered about the room. Some all ready in place, hanging from the walls and the ceilings. There were also many hooks and bolted down "D" rings in various places so that restraints could be used with them. One far wall held a rack with several selections of paddles and straps and whips. There was a large cabinet next to it and Angel had no clue as to what was inside. 

Dangling from the ceiling at the far end of the room was a large canvas, leather and nylon full body swing. There were also two separate tables. One appeared to be a plain heavy wooden dinning table and there were several wheeled carts and chests with drawers tucked under it. The other table was adjustable and looked like something that you would find in a doctor's office. 

Off to one side was a wet bar and Angel was sure that there was plenty of bottled water and bagged blood stored there. Near it was a set of shelves that held dozens of bottles and jars and tubes of various creams and ointments. There were also several folded clean towels on the shelves. 

Just looking around at the room was enough to make his cock hard and a little voice in his head wondered just how much trouble he would get into if he dragged his childe down here someday for a little fun and some games. 

"Strip Angel." 

Xander's deep husky voice broke him out of his shock induced mental wanderings. He didn't even have time to either object or agree when Spike's thin pale hands were at his waist, untying the string that held up the silk pajama bottoms that was all he was wearing. When the blonde vampire let them go, they slithered softly down his legs with a whisper to pool at his feet. Unthinkingly, he stepped out of the material and then those same cool steady hands were leading him over to the oddly truncated doctor's table and helping him to lay down. 

When he tried to shift upwards, Spike's hands stopped him and pulled his ass down to the very edge of the table. His blue eyes were beginning to sparkle with little flecks of gold and Angel could easily smell his excitement start to grow. 

"No, pet. Down here on the very edge. Trust me on this." 

Then he was gently tipped backwards and Xander's blood warm fingers gently pulled his hands and arms up over his head, carefully stretching him out. The fingers left for a long moment, but then they were back and he felt a thick heavy cuff go around his left wrist. A flutter of panic sizzled through him and he pulled on it to no avail. There was no give at all and his arm was trapped. 

Then Spike was there, leaning down over him and brushing the tips of his cool fingers over his cheek. 

"Shhh... It's okay, mate. I'm right here with you. I'm not going anywhere and there is no way to stop this from happening. It isn't that bad, it'll be all right. You'll see. It's okay." 

And somewhere in there, between his childe's soft accented voice and his soothing calming touch, Angel's other hand was secured down to the table as well. He focused all his attention on Spike's bright blue eyes and the little flecks of gold that slowly grew larger as his arousal deepened. 

"So effin' beautiful like this, Sire. I wish you could see yourself. All thick heavy muscles stretched taunt, pale creamy skin all smooth and lickable. Bloody gorgeous, is what you are." 

And then his left leg was lifted up and shifted around slightly. The hot human hands of his owner manipulated it into a sort of brace that held it up and straight out. Then with a few quick movements, his ankle was locked into place. Then, just as slowly and gently, the other leg was placed in a similar restraint. Lifting his head to see what it was, Spike shifted out of his way and also turned his head to look. Both vampires gasped, but for purely different reasons. 

Angel's legs were trapped inside of two leather lined adjustable metal stirrups, the kind you found on a gynecologist's examination table. Angel had heard Cordelia complain about them after doctor's visits and he had seen them on television, but he had never once seen one in real life. Now he was trapped in it. 

Panic racing down his spine, Angel began to struggle. Spike stepped back and both he and Xander watched him silently for a long moment. It was useless, the restraints were too strong and Xander was too good at locking people up in them. Angel was trapped. Once that fact seeped down into his head, Angel sagged back against the table, unneeded breath laboring in and out of his chest. 

Then Spike was there again and leaning down over him, a low subvocal purr rumbling deep in his throat and lust shimmering out of his purely golden eyes. 

"Soooo lovely. Scent of fear, scent of desire. Straining muscles bulging and rippling even as your big fat cock is leaking all over your stomach, just begging for more." 

Angel could hear Xander over at the cabinet against the wall as he rummaged around inside of it. His attention was cruelly divided as he wanted to focus on the human and what he was doing even as he was absorbed by the sight of his childe practically drooling with lust over him. What's worse, Spike was right. Part of him wanted to rip away his bonds and run far far away from here and part of him wanted so much more. Pain, pleasure, blood and sweat. Just more. More sensations with which to drown in. 

Then Xander was back and Angel couldn't get the mental image of what he must look like out of his head. He was embarrassed and turned on and he wished that he could see Xander trussed up like this because he knew the human would look beautiful full of fear and desire and hope and anguish. But that was *Angel's* role and some small part of him cringed against that as wrong. Backwards. The *human* was supposed to cower and cringe as the *vampire* dominated him and used him for his own pleasure. 

Warm fingers trailed gently along his collarbone leaving behind swirls of fire and need. His cock twitched in sympathy, wanting that burning heat of living flesh to surround it as well. His owner's smoky voice floated along his skin and burrowed into his brain. 

"You are *mine* Angel. I own you. From now until you shimmer into dust you will be marked as *mine*. No matter where you go or what you do, you'll *always* remember this day. The day you became *mine*." 

Just the words were enough to bring out this bizarre combination of emotions in him; anger, longing, desire and sorrow. No one *dared* speak to him that way. At least, not since Darla. He wanted to rage and scream in denial even as some small remnant of the fledgling he once was cried out in long forgotten joy. 

Then those burning hot fingers were back. Pinching his left nipple painfully hard. Squeezing it and pulling it, forcing it up into a hard peak. He moaned at the sensation as pleasure tingled through his body. 

Pain. Sharp bright pain shot through him like a bolt as that tender bit of flesh was pierced with a sharp piece of thin metal. Instantly he shifted to gameface and growled out loud. Pre-cum dribbled from his throbbing cock in a steady stream. The pain intensified for a quick moment as a thin gold hoop was threaded through the abused nipple and then his sensitive ears heard the tiny click as the ends snapped into place. Slowly, the pain transformed into a hot throbbing pleasure. 

"Oh... so fuckin' *hot*." 

Angel shifted his eyes to the side only to see his childe standing there with his leather shorts unbuttoned and his fist wrapped around his own throbbing cock, slowly pumping it as he watched with wide golden eyes. 

That momentary distraction was enough to make him jump when Xander's fingers found his right nipple and pulled on it. Snarling, Angel wasn't sure if he wanted to push his chest up into that brutal touch or flinch away from it. His flesh was pulled and twisted until it too stood up in a peak of arousal. Then once again, Angel was assaulted by a bright sharp intense pain as the piercing needle punched through his flesh quickly followed by the golden hoop. 

Xander moved back and away then and Angel tilted his head up so that he could look down at his throbbing pain filled chest. It hurt so badly that he was surprised to find that he wasn't swollen and bright red. However, the gold hoops glittered in the light and tiny twin trails of blood splattered in a delicate pattern around his bejeweled nipples. It was maddeningly erotic, both physically and symbolically. 

Then, with a barely there screech of metal against metal, the stirrup his left leg was in moved. Somewhere in the back of Angel's mind he knew what was coming, but he tried to deny it. *Xander* wouldn't do this. Right? But then again, until this morning, he would have never thought Xander capable of dominating a slave and piercing his body as a symbol of ownership either, and yet it happened. 

However, he could no longer deny it when his leg was pushed up, bent at the knee and rotated outwards at the hip. Quickly and efficiently, his other leg mirrored the actions of the first leaving him laying on his back with his hands stretched above his head and his legs spread up and open with his ass hanging off the edge of the table...just *waiting* for his owner to take him. Possess him in the most primitive way. 

The scent of vanilla wafted up to his nose and he felt a brief moment of confusion, but then an oily slick finger sliding wetly between his ass cheeks answered the question for him. He suppressed a sigh of relief, for a second he thought Xander was going to rape him dry, but the oil would help. 

Quickly the finger probed him and soon a second was added. Xander didn't stretch him very much, he simply was oiling up his insides, so Angel *knew* that this would hurt. And that only made him harder and want this more. That thought sort of confused him, because he *shouldn't* want this, but he did. But more than want this, he *needed* this, needed to be taken *all* the way into submission and ownership before he could even begin to live it and somehow Xander *knew* that he needed it. 

Suddenly Angel realized that this wouldn't be the last time that they visited this room, and that more often than not, it would be for *his* education and training, not Spike's, because Spike *was* there, mentally. A slave. His childe had long since accepted that fact, he carried it with him with every move he made and every thing that he did, but Angel did not. And even as he feared what he now knew was to come, a large part of him *craved* that, because he knew that he'd be happier and calmer once he could get passed this huge *thing* that was suddenly his existence. 

Then thought dissolved in a wave of HEAT and pleasure-pain as his owner's oil slick erection *slammed* it's way home deep inside of him. Angel's entire body *yanked* at his restraints and he howled out loud his rage and his desire. 

"Your *mine* Angel. Now and forever, you are *mine*." 

Hips like liquid, Xander began a fast jarring rhythm of forceful thrusts that pounded against Angel's prostate. Pleasure and pain swirled together inside of him, dancing up and down his spine as Xander's words flooded his ears and swarmed into his brain. Faster and faster his owner pumped into him, his litany of verbal claims never ending as heat and pain and sweat and fear rushed through him, pulling him down into this dark heavy place where he didn't fight and he didn't worry and this weight lifted up off of him, pulling away from him. He was locked down tightly to the table and to his owner's body and he couldn't move if he wanted to and yet he was suddenly free. Free to feel and to hurt and to just simply *be*. 

And Spike's voice was a husky whimper of need and want as his fist flew over his own straining flesh, "Xander *please*." and then his master's...yes, his *master's* voice was saying, "Yes Spike. Come for me. Let me see you come. Now." and then a lukewarm splash of semen splashed on his chest and the scent of his childe's seed flooded his mind and that was the last straw as he fell over the edge into submission and just gave into the pleasure, surrendering himself to it. And he pushed his ass backwards, impaling himself on Xander's thick cock, wanting it, needing it, silently begging for more. 

Then suddenly his sore pain riddled nipples were grasped in burning hot hands as Xander's fingers gently pulled on the new golden rings and the sensation was pleasure-pain in a direct line from his chest to his balls. 

"MINE!!!!" 

And then Xander was coming, his burning hot seed scorching a path deep inside of Angel's body for two solid thrusts before he pulled all the way out only to pump out the last of his orgasm across Angel's cock and balls, marking him with his burning hot scent. His own orgasm slammed into him like a freight train, dragging a hoarse scream from his abused throat as his own cock pumped his dead seed across his tender chest. Bright flashing lights of white and red sparkled before his tightly clenched eyes and a roaring sounded echoed in his ears. Vertigo grabbed him and swung him around in a tight dizzying circle and then...blackness rushed in to drown everything in tingling silence. 

Angel knew no more.

END