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Where Do I Stand? by Thianna
 
16 - Painting
 
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Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Fox studios. This story is not meant to infringe upon anyone's rights, only to entertain.

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A/N: Based on a few reviews I thought up of this chapter. Hope you guys like it. Please be warned though that it involves torture. So if you don't like seeing Spike in pain, please just skip to Chapter 17.



CHAPTER 16 – Painting


I pulled on the chains once more, hoping against hope that maybe this time the weak link would reveal itself. But I was getting weaker by the minute. The cuts on my body though healing had wept enough blood to affect my constitution.

Angelus had done a number on me and he used his dear daughter to help him though I was sure my darling Sire had no inkling what was truly going on. Her affection for my grandsire would be enough to blind her to the truth behind his actions.

After what happened a few weeks ago, we had decided to keep in close contact with each other. I didn’t trust her being alone anywhere which she said was just silly of me. I couldn’t help it if I was being quite protective of my mate. But apparently all my cautiousness was for naught.


**

… just a few hours earlier …


Drusilla had lured us into a room under the premise that there was something she wanted to talk to me about. I didn’t feel like going. It was late. Midnight had come and gone a couple of hours ago. She was insistent and when she had her mind set on something she would never let up. It would be better to see what she wanted and be done with it than to drag it out. I went alone into the room but Sera was but a few paces away from me. She was to wait outside, to give me and Dru some privacy. Once my darling Dark Princess closed the door she threw herself at me, trying to use the lure of being my sire as her means to get to me. Her kisses were urgent and her hands were tugging at clothing. She screamed at me when I tried to push her away.

“Do you not love me anymore Spike?”

“I will always be your precious little boy but I belong to Sera now. She is my half but you will always be my Sire. That will never ever change.”

She shook her head and pouted. “I want you. I miss you.”

I let out a sigh as I gripped her arms and pushed her at arms length once more away from me. “No. I am your child nothing more.”

She wailed in anger, but her screams were in concert with another. Angelus came barging in the room with Sera in a head lock. I let out a growl, making a move forward to help my mate.

“Stay your ground, boy unless you want to see your precious dusted before your eyes.” Angelus warned me.

Sure enough, his hand was clasped around a wooden stake, already placed over Sera’s heart. I let out another incensed growl but I did not take another step forward. A devilish grin tugged at Angelus’ lips and my distaste for him grew to a proportion I didn’t know was possible.

“Now be a good boy and listen to your sire.”

Drusilla smiled happily and pushed me against the wall, planting a loving kiss on my lips as she bound my wrists in chains.

“I wonder how much you truly love each other. How much will you love each other after I’m through with you both?”

My eyes narrowed in anger, going through the various scenarios that I knew from experience Angelus was capable of. But what he actually planned wasn’t even what I was expecting. Drusilla happily settled down on a chair by the door to watch her Daddy go to work. It was obvious why she had taken that position. It was to prevent Sera from escaping.

Angelus released his hold on my mate, throwing the stake on a table. He then pulled a leather whip from a cabinet and handed it unceremoniously to Sera. She looked at it curiously as our grandsire pushed her forward towards me.

“Dear sweet Sera, I want you to be my little artist tonight. I have even given you a fresh canvas.” He said gesturing to my chained form.

“No!”

“Why not? It’s just a little lashing. Your mate has been quite a mischievous boy and it has been a while since he’s been disciplined.”

“I will not hurt him.”

“Now, have you forgotten my lessons? Pain can be pleasure. If you do it correctly you would be fulfilling a desire instead of inflicting pain.”

Sera looked at me intently. //I will not do it. I will not hurt you love. And though he may speak truth, I will not give him the satisfaction that this act is his to control.// She told me this in a defiant tone.

//Knowin’ Angelus you might not ‘ave a choice. It’s okay, luv. I would rather you be the one ‘olding that whip. //

“Why do you hesitate, Sera? Do I need to convince you?” he said making a gesture to reach out for her bosom.

Sera quickly took a step forward, avoiding his touch. I could sense that she was still feeling disgust from earlier when she was trapped in his arms. With sadness in her eyes she let the whip fly and I felt the sting of leather against skin.

//Spike, what if I use this against him? //

//Do not risk it. Not with Drusilla watchin’. She may ‘ave let the claim go but you know she will follow ‘er Daddy to the ends of the earth. //

Another sting, another wallop, the leather cut through skin and forced blood to the surface. //Spike, I can’t just do this. I need to find a way to free you. //

//Don’t worry about me. I’ve endured this before.//

I could feel her wince as the whip hit skin and her thoughts went to that of dread that I had been tortured like this before.

“You’re being too gentle on your lover Sera. Hit him harder or I myself will carve him with this.” Angelus brandished a dagger, making sure that both of us saw the blade reflect some of the candlelight in the room.

I could hear my mate whimper mentally though she would not give Angelus the satisfaction of hearing it from her throat. I felt the leather hit harder, the front of my shirt now nothing more than tattered shreds. The stings were starting to meld together and I was thankful that at least she was trying to avoid my more sensitive areas especially since I was being whipped in the front.

I dared glance up and didn’t like what I saw. Angelus seemed to be getting bored and our grandsire being bored was never a good thing. He started moving towards Sera and I was helpless to stop him. He wrestled the whip from her hand and pushed her hard against the opposite wall.

“Do I have to show you myself how it should be done?”

Sera did not put up a fight and I understood though disagreed with her reasoning. //You’ve suffered enough, Spike. At least you’ll be able to rest. //

//Sod that Sera! Tell ‘im you’ll strike me ‘arder. Tell ‘im you remember your lessons and will make me suffer.//

//No!//

//Tell him!//

Angelus cracked the whip in the air once trying to instill fear. The next one landed on her back, ripping the silk fabric of her dress.

//Stop being stubborn. Tell ‘im you’ll do it! //

//No. Please Spike. You need to rest, even for just a tiny bit. //

The sound of leather hitting fabric and skin sang in the air. Sera clenched her jaw and held her tongue, again not wanting to give Angelus any satisfaction of a cry or a whimper. But after a few more lashes, he stopped and turned his gaze towards me. I could see the anger on his face and it was obvious he was displeased that he couldn’t get any sort of confirmation of pain from either of us. He placed a heavy hand on Sera’s shoulder, jerking her back to face him right before his hand flew and landed squarely on her cheek.

My fangs descended and eyes turned golden in anger, which in hindsight was a mistake. It was a response that he was looking for as he moved towards her once more, this time aiming a blow to her stomach. I pulled against my restrains but the chains held firm. “Dru… Dru…” I tried to call to her but she was in one of her crazy moods, lost to reality for the time being. Her mind was elsewhere perhaps seeing stars and fairies.

I watched helplessly as Angelus laid a heavy hand on my mate. She tried to fight back but was no match for his age and strength. It didn’t take long and a well-placed blow knocked her unconscious. I let out a growl in fear of what he would do.

“Relax William. As alluring and delicious it would be to take your woman before your eyes, it would give no pleasure if she’s oblivious to the act. And even if she was awake, she’d just wail and be venomous. How would that be enjoyable? No. Only if I knew she would be moaning my name in pleasure would that act become appealing. But it has been a while since I’ve tasted your blood.”

Angelus walked towards me, the dagger once again in his hand. He let the tip of the blade touch my shoulder. Then he pushed it in and dragged it up the length of my arm. Blood stained my shirt red and with that glint in his eye, he licked the blood that painted the steel in his hand. He then took a step back and tilted his head as if pondering what to do next. His eyes focused on the cuts on my torso that were starting to heal. He moved quickly, tracing the cuts and opening them once more with the dagger. I closed my eyes and steeled myself for pain as my body relived fresh memories. Over and over again he would trace the cuts with a dagger, not wanting the pain to subside.

I lost concept of time as my body registered the unending pain. My eyes wandered over to where Sera lay still. At least she was safe. I would take this pain if it meant she was safe.

**

Angelus eventually grew tired and opted for another activity to pass the time. I wondered why he stopped. Knowing him he would have just found something else to beat or cut me with. Soon I heard giggles as from the corner of my eye I saw him pulling Dru into his arms. There were kisses and there were moans but I was too tired and too worried about Sera for it to affect me. Moans soon turned into grunts spattered with Dru’s profession of devotion mingled with her need for her sire to complete her. It brought fourth a painful memory of what my life was but a few years ago. Perhaps in that sense, Angelus had succeeded in this form of torture.

He didn’t relent, and soon his child was once more sighing in utter delight. I knew what he was doing, showing me the power he had over me at the moment. I should be worshipping him right now since he had taken Dru and not Sera. She was unable to defend herself and I was chained to the wall. Despite his revelation earlier that taking Sera was not his intent, I knew through experience that proclamations such as those from his lips were not to be trusted.

He eventually pulled away and walked over to stand in front of me. He had not even bothered to put up any semblance of decency obviously wanting my senses to be filled with the idea that he had just taken Dru.

“Are we done with this game yet, mate?”

Angelus laughed. “You really are a waste, Spike. You understand what I teach you and yet with a kiss and a spread of her legs you seem to throw everything away.”

“You know nothin’.”

“But I’m not the one chained to a wall like a helpless animal.”

“Fuck off!”

Angelus just grinned. “Do you know what time it is Spike? How long do you think we’ve been here?” he said moving towards the window.

“No! You said we would play. You said he would learn a lesson he deserved, but Daddy…”

Angelus shot Dru an icy glare. “You're questioning me as well?”

Drusilla gave a concerned look at her children. “But I don’t want him to burn.” She said rushing over to Angelus to try and stop him. But the elder vampire grew angry that she dared go against him. He clamped his hand around her throat, squeezing to prove his point before throwing her a few feet away. She whimpered and wailed and rushed out of the room.

I pulled on the chains once more, hoping against hope that maybe this time the weak link would reveal itself. But I was getting weaker by the minute. The cuts on my body though healing had wept enough blood to affect my constitution. I watched helplessly as Angelus pulled the curtains back a bit, revealing what my senses already knew – that the sun was about to wake and shine.

Then there was that devilish grin on his face once more as he pushed the curtains closed and tilted his head as if calculating something. He then took a dagger and started cutting a few tiny holes into the curtains, meticulously taking his time as if creating a pattern. I noticed that he was cutting out only two of the four curtain layers that would effectively let a bit of sun in without being truly harmful. He took a step away from the window, then bend down towards Sera to rouse her.

“Come now sleeping child. Time for you to see what kind of painting we’ve been creating.”

//Spike!//

//I’m alright luv. For now anyway.//

She tried to focus on me to see what was happening.

“We’ve blessed him with blood and steel. The only thing left is to bless him in sunlight and fire.” Angelus whispered in her ear as he held her firm.

Her eyes grew large at the realization of what our grandsire was intent on doing. Soon the sun came to burn the night away and I waited for the inevitable, constantly trying to shake the chains in the hopes maybe lady luck would favor me somehow. I felt the sun’s rays hit my chest, a tinge of warm comfort that was quickly turned to a burning sensation as I smelled my flesh burning and smoking. The nerve endings on my face were tingling where a small patch of sunlight was aimed at my cheek near my eye.

“No!” Sera said in desperation as Angelus was softly chuckling as he held her back.

A few moments later Drusilla entered the room, all angry and protesting once again. “Daddy is being bad. Daddy is trying to break ancient magic.”

“Angelus! What have you been up to this time?” Darla asked in an irritated voice. She was dressed in her silken nightgown and based on her irritated voice Drusilla had interrupted her precious sleep. She took in the sight before her, my bloodied form and Sera’s bruised face and ripped clothing.

“Are you at it again? You’ve had your fun. Now enough of this!” she said making her way towards me, the keys to my restraints in her hand.

Angelus narrowed his gaze on his sire. “Just a little sunlight. The boy can handle it.”

“And one tiny sway of that curtain and the boy might end up as dust!”

“That’s a bad thing?”

Darla had her hands on her waist in irritation causing Angelus to let Sera go. She quickly rushed over to help me. Drusilla was by my other side as well, running her fingers through my hair and kissing the unburned side of my face.

“I have my reasons.”

“What reasons?”

“My reasons. Now come to bed!”

“It’s that fucking Order again isn’t it. You’re precious Master making you heel like a dog. I told you. You don’t need them. I told you I would take care of you.”

“He is my sire!”

“So?! He believes in a stupid ideal. It’s nothing more than the prophecy of a deranged vampire.”

Darla’s hand connected to her child’s cheek with such force. “I said come to bed Angelus. I’m in no mood to argue about this right now.” She turned to face us. “Drusilla, be a good daughter and tend to your children. Now I’ll have to open the windows later tonight to let that awful smell out. I swear the things I have to do.” She turned to leave but looked over her shoulder to glare at her child. “Enough Angelus! Heed me on this one.”

**
-tbc



 
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