He waited.

He was in no hurry for this to end, although it would.

It would all end tonight.

All that was left for him to do was wait.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Maybe this day had been destined from the beginning

Boy born on the Hellmouth

I mean how in the Hell did they think he would remain intact with those odds stacked against him ?

Simple

he wouldn't

he didn't.

Time does that

it waits

for that 'oh so' perfect moment to strike.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Buffy was gone . Dead at the hands of a friend ... how ironic was that ? Oh very... but a seemingly fitting ending as she had faced many unimaginable demons

and won.

A God with a fetish for strappy heels and a consuming need to bend the world to her will

and won.

So it was to be

A beloved friend who ended her life.

Yes Ironic

but I said that already.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Now I wait for him

Come to me my pretty pretty pet.

I burn for you.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

THE FIRST HALF

The phone was ringing ... the incessant shrill buzz echoed throughout the lobby of the Hyperion. Wesley glanced up from his translation of yet another glorious prophecy that spelt the usual 'gloom and doom death to mankind', he so lived for.

He answered it on the fifth ring, out of habit he answered with the same old spiel " Angel Investigations, we help the.... oh bugger " remembering that there was no such business. There was only him, sitting in a empty shell of a hotel, waiting for that call.

" Wes.. " came the voice from the phone dangling from his fingers, almost forgotten.

Startled by the voice, he nearly dropped the receiver but managed to catch the spirally cord in his fingers before it crashed to the floor.

" Yes " he answered, his grip made the plastic under his hand groan in protest. " You've done it then ? "

There was a silence, only the slight crackle of static filled the void.

" No, not yet " was his answer.

Wesley sighed, not knowing if it was relief that the deed had not been done or sadness that it wasn't yet over.

" Wes..."

" Yes I'm here " he whispered.

" Tonight it shall be over " the voice croaked, as if even the finality of the words were difficult for the owner to voice.

" Yes, right. Okay then, tonight ...uh be careful " he bit his lip as the last words rushed out of him. Cursing himself for being so terrified of what might happen.

" I think I can handle myself here " the voice answered, an edge of humour in his tone at Wesley's concern.

" Yes of course you can, I'm just... "

The impatient sigh on the other end of the phone drowned out anything Wesley would have said " I'll call when it's done, stop worrying about me "

Wesley nodded then realized he couldn't be seen " okay " he breathed " I'll wait up for your call " like he'd be going to sleep anyway, not without hearing his voice.

He waited for a reply, crackle of static droned in his ear and then the receiver on the other end was gently hung up. Wesley closed his eyes for a moment, his ear still pressed firmly to the cool plastic trying to garner some comfit from the memory of his voice. A desperate whimper broke the deafening silence, pressing his lips firmly together to stem any further emotion, but it was useless as the torrent of bitter tears streamed down his face. He swiped at them angrily but still the tears flowed as the receiver crashed to the bare floor.

The sound of splintering plastic a hollow echo that mockingly imitated the shattering of Wesley's heart.

******************************************

A lone figure stood under the eave of an abandoned boutique, its windows broken and forgotten. There was a slight hunch to his frame as he slunk even more into the warmth of his coat, the lapel lifted up so that it covered his ears. The wind howled through the buildings all around him as he continued to stare at the phone in his hand. Harsh rain battered on the roof over his head, a monotonous trickle that strummed beautifully in his head.

Punching in the numbers happily he waited for the reply. Seconds later he grinned when he heard the sleepy voice answer, the barest hint of annoyance in his greeting " Hallo..."

Huddling further into his coat he pressed the phone against his ear, sheltering the mouthpiece from the wind, he answered with what he hoped sounded like the right amount of panic.

" Mr Ferguson, its Alex we have some trouble at the gallery, sir two of the large canvas have been sliced to pieces and the courier refuses to own up to their damaged state, I don't know what to do sir as the exhibition is tomorrow..."

Their was a string of muffled curses heard through the mouthpiece before the man answered him " Alex, calm down... " he could hear his boss moving around, another "Fucking hell..." as the man seemed to be struggling with something " I'll be there in fifteen minutes, try to keep the courier there as long as you can." the man didn't even wait for his reply before hanging up abruptly. The last thing he heard was " Goddamn it to hell where is my shoe...Max....Max wake up "

The anxiety in his face melted into a grin as he clicked the phone shut. Placing it in his pocket as he tipped his head up to gaze manically at a lit window some eight stories above street level.

" Of course Mr Ferguson I'll keep the courier here as long as I can. Perhaps I could suck his cock for you ' Hamish ', perhaps let him fuck me raw against your big oak desk ...seemed to work so well for you " his voice pleasantly neutral, emotion never even factored into his life anymore, he had a mission and nothing else mattered.

His fingers ghosted over the front of his leather coat, fingers slipped under the knot of the belt, deftly untying the long piece of midnight leather. Once the coat was open he let it slip from his shoulders to the pavement. Stepping out into the deserted street he invited the chilling rain to consume him.

The wind was whipped into an excited frenzy around his naked body, debris whirled around his slick form, rain plastered his long dark hair to his face, his shoulders, a curly mass down his back. He arched his neck towards the sky as the winds circled faster and faster around him. Eventually his head dipped lower to that of the eighth floor window. He gazed through a heavy curtain of lusciously wet eyelashes, the leer of a predator smeared across his face.

He watched forever patient, the hunter waiting for his prey to come to him. Finally the light was extinguished and the cyclone around his body ceased to be, fluttering leaves and crumpled garbage suddenly heavy from the rain, sank to the ground uselessly. Stepping over the debris he made his way over to the entrance of the apartment building.

The door was angrily prised open by a balding man, who instantly wound his coat closer to his body as the bitterly cold night air struck him. " Fuck, it's freezing "  he muttered to himself. It was in this moment that he recognized the boy before him. Hamish squinted into the rain cascading down his face, scrubbing at his eyes because he wanted to be certain he was not imagining the sight before him. His assistant Alex standing there, completely naked in the pouring freezing rain. Before he could even open his mouth and give some sarcastic remark to this absurd event, he was silenced by the look on the boys face.

Fear like an arrow pierced through him and he blindly felt for the door behind him. He gulped as he clutched at the keys in his pocket, his breath deteriorated to that of a strangled wheeze as he tried to find the correct key by feel. His back collided with the glass door and he yanked the keys out, turning to open the door.   

An icy hand closed over his and he bit back the scream that threatened to overwhelm him. Fingers locked onto his wrist and tore his hand from the door handle.

Without a single word he was yanked across the street and into an alley.

" Alex, please you don't want to do this... " and Hamish found himself thrown against the brick wall of that abandoned boutique.

Alex cocked his head to the side, grinning as his boss clutched his own head, as blood mixed with rain and both soaked into his pretty fawn coloured coat.

" Oh Hamish I do want to do this " and he slinked into the mans personal space. Hamish held out the hand that was not fastened to his shattered skull. A hand that was supposed to keep him at bay. Alex laughed at the effort, the sound sent an involuntary shiver down the man's spine. Alex seized his hand and crushed it sadistically against the brick wall. Even with the boom of lightning overhead the sickening crack of bone reached Hamish's ears. He screamed before the agony even registered in his brain.

Alex leaned into Hamish, whispering in his ear the gentlest of purrs, so intimate, so like the lover he had once been to this man.

" You see Hamish...this was my intention all along, you were dead the moment you came by my hand " licking the shell of his boss's ear delicately." As tasty as you were, you were still doomed " grinning at the small whimpers that issued from the mans lips.

Alex pouted " Come on Hamish, no clever retort, not going to face your fate with dignity " he shook his head sadly " Oh well then, dying like this, like a broken child whimpering for his mommy...so it shall be then "

Snaking his right hand behind his back, Alex closed his eyes briefly, a long serrated ceremonial knife appeared in his hand. With a smirk he withdrew the blade from behind his back.

Hamish on witnessing the knife, shrank back even further into the wall. Alex laughed at the fear in the mans face, fear and loathing...oh how he knew them, he let them govern him, once, no more though. Now there was just the kill, the sweetness of death so completely pure.

Alex pressed the tip of the blade into his thigh, he hissed as it bit into his skin with relish. A quick flick of his wrist and a deep gash decorated his skin. Just under this fresh wound lay a series of similar scars. Each one a memory of a kill, every one on a different continent.

............................................................................................................................................................................

THE LAST HALF

The flow of blood as it became trapped in each separate scar, bursting forth and sliding over each indentation...it mesmerised him. A simple trickle soon became a gush and he laughed, delighted at the rush it gave him to see his life's blood just flow endlessly down his leg, swirling in the puddles on the dark pavement.

Dipping his fingers down his leg he brought the bloodied hand to his mouth. He wrapped his tongue around those deliciously soiled fingers. Lapping and sucking at the blood, the taste was truly indescribable. What it must be like to really know your victim, to sense every emotion and have that emotion redefine the entire dining experience. Ahh the life of a vampire, what a life it must be.

Alex sighed as the wound began to heal in front of his eyes, he almost cursed the magic's Willow placed upon him, but then he really had no ambition to be dead himself, hell no...not when there was work to be done. Alex wiped the flat of his blade against his chest, an artist should always start with a clean instrument. Kind of silly really, especially because he was only going to get it all dirty again.

He lunged forward and hauled Hamish to his feet. The man fought him. Well he took a pretty good stab at it, oh no pun intended. Quickly he grew tired of wrestling with the man, which was not like him at all ...because usually he loved to draw this part out. Okay it was fun to find his victim and then go about setting himself up in their lives. All comfy and cosy thinking that he was just so sweet and innocent when the truth was he was so entirely the opposite. It amused him to seduce them, perhaps corrupt them...but to have them wholly at his disposal. To have them hand over their lives, to trust him so completely...oh that was the clincher. Of course then there was the kill, the final act in the ritual...the moment of perfection, completion of the cycle...it wasn't something to be rushed.

Tonight was different, tonight he sensed his time was up. That this man cowering before him would be his last hurrah. Shrugging his shoulders at the thought he lifted the knife above his head and prepared to swing the blade in an arc.

" Don't ..." he growled.

Alex spun towards the voice who had dared interrupt his party. One arm held Hamish in front of his body tightly. The other pressed the blade into the man's throat, not enough to slit the skin but enough to warn the man not to struggle.

A lone figure slipped out of the shadows and into the spotlight of a streetlight hanging overhead. Alex's grin spread, oh yes he had been so right...he should never second guess his own hunches.

" Well isn't this nice, I have an audience...it took you long enough " he drawled, tightening his grip on the blade and the man in his embrace.

" Don't do this Xander ..." the voice was steeped in anger. 

He flinched slightly at the name but recovered quickly.

" Don't do what exactly " and he swept the blade across Hamish's skin, the gurgle of blood filling his throat as the man gasped for breath as he drowned. " Oh " his mouth lingered in that 'O' shape mockingly. " Was that what I wasn't supposed to do "  his expression that of a doe-eyed child, terrified at the violence around him. Just as quickly the expression changed to a  knowing smirk, eyebrow arching as he unclasped his arm from around Hamish's waist, letting the body slump to the ground.

Xander stepped over the body, those glassy eyes forever frozen in the horror of death. He confronted the vampire that had crashed his party and watched as said vampire fought not to look at his naked body. Xander giggled " Oh this is priceless. Not so long ago you couldn't take your eyes off me, let alone your hands and now you can't even look at me " he stroked one hand across his chest, circling a nipple mercilessly he gasped and was rewarded handsomely with the vampire's slightly glazed expression. Apparently he still had it, didn't think that knowledge would get him any reprieve, but it was nice to know anyhow.

" This has to finish now " the vampire stated.

Xander grinned " I know " he wandered closer to the man he had once loved. The vampire reached for him but he jerked out of reach from the man's touch. " I heard such rumours about you while I was out of the country...want to know what they were? "

" I searched for you all over, always a step behind... " he whispered.

Xander nodded " Yes, I know " he twirled the knife in his hand, enchanted by the light spinning on its flawless surface. " I was informed of your progress, nearly let you capture me a couple of times...but no the game had to be played out on home soil and I had still much work to do " he gazed from the blade to the vampire watching his every move.

" Pet ..." he began

Xander flinched. " Don't ever call me that, you lost the right to force on me any of your worthless endearments the moment you walked away from us."

" You killed Buffy " he rasped, his mouth dry in the presence of this naked mans beauty.

Xander glanced at him and then back at the dead body of his boss.

" No... that was Willow and that happened after you left us " he ground out

" You killed Willow ? " the vampire asked.

" Yes, that was me...she shouldn't have killed the slayer, that was wrong. Anyway what of you, I heard you have taken over from Angel, living in his home, fucking his house pets... haven't you made a nice comfy life for yourself, Spike "

" Don't go there... " the vampire growled

" Don't go there..." he raged insanely, the calm mask slipped as the fury once buried deep,  resurfaced and took hold.

Pointing the tip of the knife at Spike " You arrogant bastard, we cared for you, loved and doted over you. Both Willow and I gave you everything and you greedy bastard you took it all ...didn't you, sucked our humanity dry "

" Xander..." he tried to look contrite.

He thrust the knife at Spike. " No...Spike I'm not fooled by your act, I don't bend to your will any longer." and then laughed when the pretence finally slipped from Spike's face and the demon shone through.

Golden eyes glinted at the boy and Xander smiled to himself, nodding " Yes, I wondered how much you would take before he surfaced.

Spike growled low in his throat, this only served to make Xander's grin intensify.

" You may work for the 'Powers that Be' but you and I both know that ...this product that stands before you. " and he pirouettes mockingly for Spike  " This instrument of destruction is your creation alone and the reason you have hunted me the world over, was never for anything as noble as 'you saving mankind from my wrath'. Oh no ...the real reason is you're embarrassed by me, because I remind you of what you did to us. You need to clean up those lose ends, the ones that could unravel your life."

Xander came to stand in front of Spike " Because if you don't destroy me now...you know I'll destroy you " he smirked when his eyes captured Spike's and held them. " Your perfect little existence with... " and he paused for dramatic impact, laughter dancing in his eyes.

" Wesley "

" Don't speak his name..." Spike hissed.

Xander bounced happily on his feet... " Oh Wesley, you mean Wesley, Ol' Wes, uptight British watcher by the dear, dear name of Wesley Wyndham Pryce. How simply wonderful that you should be fucking Wesley. I've been told by reputable sources that he is quite the little gymnast, Angel himself must have tasted him at least once before Angelus came back to us and we were forced to kill the insane idiot "

" Stop it..." Spike screamed, lunging forward he seized the knife out of Xander's hand, stepping back he swung the blade across...

 then silence...

At Spike's feet lay the decapitated body of Alexander LaVelle Harris a grin permanently etched on his face.

Spike closed his eyes, unwanted tears streamed down his face " I love you Xander...may you rest in peace " with that he walked away from the two bodies bleeding into the pavement of some nameless alley, in some dreary city where the rain washed all their sins clean.

*********************************************

Wesley dozed in the bed that had once served as Angel's bedroom, it still held a little of his scent and that was a comfort to him in the long months that Spike had spent looking for Xander.

After pulling apart the office in his pain and his anger, he had sat exhaustingly on a mountain of destroyed files, past cases of 'Angel Investigations', both solved and still open, ripped to shreds by his hand. Turning his back on the annihilation of everything he once held dear, he slammed the door on the past and shuffled up the stairs. Throwing himself on Angel's bed, he had dove under the heavy comforter, burying his face into the pillow that smelt of Angel and Spike, two proud vampires he would forever be in love with.

Wesley flinched slightly when the cover was lifted from his body, still cocooned in a sleepy haze he sighed as he recognized the caress of that body spooned against his back, relaxing into the cool length of his lover he savoured the moment before turning to face the blonde vampire.

A smile flittered over his face as Wesley reached up a hand to tuck a stray curl behind the vampires ear. Leaning into the face he adored he pressed his lips to Spike's. At once Spike responded to the need building in him, dragging his lips across Wesley's, his mouth opened to feast on those red lips, tasting the remnants of Wesley's salty tears still clinging to his luscious skin, he smiled into the kiss as he crushed their bodies together in his lust to consume the watcher. Their legs tangled together, entwined in the sheets as the silence of the room was punctuated with a chorus of deep heady moans and a steady inferno of Wesley's heated breath, ghosting across Spike's upturned face. They devoured each other as teeth clicked and tongues mapped out extensive explorations of each others mouths.

They clung to their shared passion, no questions were asked because Wesley already knew the answer, it was over...it was finally over.

.........................................................................................................................................................................................

The End