Story Title: Legacy of the Aurelius Line

Summary: Angel learns about the Initiative and Spike's chip. To say he's not happy is an understatement.

A/N: I haven't written a Buffy fic before because although I love the characters, they have such unique and recognizable voices that I was afraid I wouldn't do them justice.

Warnings: What I wish would have happened sometime during 4.14 "Goodbye Iowa".

Disclaimer: As much as I love these characters, I will never own any piece of them.

"Buffy, you know we've been looking for Hostile 17 for weeks, and now I find you're harboring him? Are you nuts? Why would you of all people protect a vampire?" Riley demanded.

"Look, it's a long story, and we don't have time to get into it right now," the Slayer replied. "Maggie just tried to have me killed. I think we have more important things to deal with at the moment."

"I don't believe Director Walsh would do such a thing, and I'm betting this whole thing is just a big misunderstanding." Riley tried to reason. "If you'd just explain to me why Hostile 17 is here in your friend's house, maybe I can figure out what's going on."

"Maggie's little recon assignment for me had nothing to do with Spike. Don't you think if she knew he was here, she would have sent one of your commando units directly to this address?" Buffy rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Please, Riley, me and my friends are in danger. We don't have time for this!"

Spike sighed as he watched the two college sweethearts continue to argue, blocking his path to Giles's front door and his escape from this craziness. The Scooby gang appeared to be having similar thoughts about wanting to run away, but despite having perfect access to the door, they were too loyal to leave without their beloved Buffy. Spike's lip curled in disdain. The bleeding idiots had no sense of self-preservation.

Without warning, a loud knock on the front door interrupted the Slayer and her commando boy toy. Everyone turned to stare at the entrance. Giles cautiously went to answer it, battle ax at the ready should their visitor be of the unfriendly variety.

"Angel! What are you doing here?" The Watcher stepped out of the way to let the dark vampire inside.

Angel's eyes immediately zeroed in on Spike, the younger man's bleached blonde hair making him hard to miss. Letting out a vicious snarl, he marched toward the other vampire, shocking Buffy when he pushed her and Riley out of his way. Spike glanced up at his elder with both worry and curiosity when Angel halted before him.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you didn't contact me yourself for help. It's not like we actually get along or anything, but come on, Spike! Don't you realize this is an issue concerning family honor?" The elder vampire growled. "I won't stand for my grandchilde being hunted down like a dog by a bunch of ignorant government lackies. I thought we came to an understanding on this during WWII!"

"Wait. What? Who are you?" Riley demanded when Angel paused to allow Spike to respond. The elder vampire turned to glare at the agent, eyes flashing yellow as he tried to suppress another growl.

"Riley Finn, meet Angel, vampire with a soul and Buffy's ex." Xander stepped forward to introduce them. "You still do have a soul, right, Angel? Anyway, this is Agent Finn of the Initiative and Buffy's new boyfriend. Please try not to make a mess all over Giles's carpet when you disembowel him."

"Hey, what I ever do to you?" Riley yelped at Xander.

"Let's just say I don't take well to people who work for people who try to kill my friends," Xander replied. "Xan-man is definitely not down with the friend-killing."

"Yeah, don't feel too bad about incurring the whelp's hatred, soldier boy." Spike snorted, moving to stand next to his grandsire. "Peaches and I have been in that club for years now."

"And yet, for some reason I felt enough pity for you that I called Angel on your behalf," Xander added. "Or wait, maybe that was just my intense desire to get you out of my basement. Anyway…"

"Anyway, Spike, you should have come to me yourself." Angel turned back to the younger vampire. "A secret government agency captures you, experiments on you, sticks a stupid, little, behavior-modification chip in your head leaving you unable to hunt for yourself, and you don't think I have a right to know?"

"And what are you going to do about it?" Spike snapped. "Last I checked, you're not a brain surgeon or anything. You can't fix me, Peaches, so what's the point? Like you said, it's not like we get along. Besides, I figured you'd be all too happy about me not being able to hunt anymore, soul boy."

"The point is that you're my grandchilde!"

"Oh, please! Don't give me that sire's pride crap! We both know you always found me to be a pathetic excuse for a vampire. I was always too human for your taste, Peaches, and then you went and got yourself cursed with that shiny soul of yours." Spike chuckled. "Serves you right, you wanker!"

"This has nothing to do with sire's pride. This is about you being a descendent of the Aurelius line and how that has affected your own soul." Angel's eyes flashed yellow again as he pulled Spike close. "If you were a pathetic excuse for a vampire, then it was my own stupid fault."

"And how do you figure that?" Spike rolled his eyes.

"Because I tried to mold you into my own image rather than letting you become what you were meant to be. Your demon is different, William. You are different." Angel glanced over at Giles. "You may want to take notes, Rupert. I'm about to clear up a little misunderstanding about how vampires are made."

Angel pulled Spike over to the stairs leading to the second floor and forced him to sit down beside him. The younger vampire looked at his elder with nothing but curiosity now, his earlier snark and worry forgotten.

"The exact nature of a vampire is determined in part by the strength of its sire's demon. You see, when a person becomes a vampire, they don't actually lose their soul, but rather, the demon suppresses it. Darla's demon was cunning, a real trickster. It passed that cunning on to me, and that caused my own demon's cruelty to come to the fore. In turn, my cruelty turned Drusilla to insanity, and when she sired you, the demon that infected you didn't have the strength to fully suppress your humanity."

"Is that why you never let her sire another childe?" Spike asked, scarred eyebrow arching.

Angel chuckled. "Well, that, and I didn't want to share your gift. Even as I tried to beat that humanity out of you, I recognized how truly unique it makes you. Where most vampires are nothing but selfish, you're capable of selflessness. Where we use cunning and trickery, you have reason and logic. Where we suffer from greed and jealousy, you possess hunger and passion. Where we go on as the undead, you continue to live, Spike, and no amount of cruelty on my part could have ever destroyed that in you."

"Right. And I suppose this is where we're to have some sappy, heartwarming moment, innit?" The blonde vampire rolled his eyes.

"Well, I was going to offer to let you feed on my blood, but if you're too embarrassed…" Angel trailed off with a smirk as Spike stared at him in surprise.

"Seriously, Peaches?"

"Mmhmm." Angel hummed in affirmation, smirk growing.

The gathered humans watched as Spike scooted closer to his grandsire. The younger vampire uttered a soft whimper as he sniffed at Angel's neck, flicking out his tongue to taste the pale skin but not yet biting. Angel wrapped his arm around Spike's waist and pulled him closer still.

"Go ahead, childe. You have my permission," the dark vampire whispered.

Spike hesitated for one last moment before slipping into game face and sinking his fangs into the familiar flesh. Angel released a contented sigh and let his eyes slip shut.

"Wait, I don't get it," Riley commented. "A vampire can feed off another vampire's blood?"

"It's how they cement family bonds. It's something of a sacred privilege between sires and childer," Giles replied, watching Angel and Spike with a small measure of wonder.

The elder vampire continued to hold the blonde close and stroke his back, frowning slightly as he felt how thin Spike had become over the past month. After only a few seconds, the younger vampire pulled back and licked gently at the wounds he had inflicted. He didn't allow a single drop of blood to go to waste as the puncture marks stopped their bleeding. When Angel sensed that his grandchilde was finished with his ministrations, he stood up and pulled Spike with him.

"Better?" Angel whispered softly. Spike nodded, biting his lip to try and stop himself from smiling. The elder vampire shook his head in amusement before turning to the gathered humans.

"Now," Angel addressed Riley, slipping into game face, "you tell your colleagues in the Initiative to leave my grandchilde alone. You've done quite a bit of damage to the demon community around here in your ignorance, but I'm willing to let it slide for now. I have my own battles to fight up in L.A., and I really don't need to get involved in Sunnydale's troubles again at the moment. However, if I hear you've come after Spike again, I promise you that I'll show you exactly why we earned the title of The Scourge of Europe, regardless of whether or not I have a soul."

Riley felt a shiver of fear run down his spine which didn't go unnoticed by Xander.

"Hey, buddy, just be glad you're dealing with Angel and not his alter-ego, Angelus." The other young man grinned. "Now he is one scary vampire."

"If you'll all excuse us, I think Spike and I have some things we need to discuss." Without waiting for a reply, Angel tugged his grandchilde towards the door, pausing only long enough to allow the blonde to grab his beloved duster before they disappeared.

"And you used to date that guy?" Riley turned to his girlfriend. Buffy nodded, staring at the front door.

"Damn. Is there anything else I should know about him?" the agent asked.

"Oh, only that the last time he became Angelus, he tried to destroy the world by sucking it into a hell dimension," Willow spoke up. "Apparently Spike didn't like that idea, however, because he helped Buffy stop Angelus and rescue Giles in exchange for sparing Drusilla. So you see, Spike really isn't that bad of a guy as far as vampires go."

"Uh huh," Riley nodded. "I'm beginning to think I should have never left Iowa."

End A/N: Well that's it for now. I'm open to suggestions if people want to see more, whether for this story or for other Buffy universe scenarios. I just don't have any solid ideas at the moment.