Work Text:
Stopping
by Lilithangel
The compound was nestled into a secluded valley in the wilds of Ireland. County Donegal was as far from anywhere as they could get, as Spike was happy to remind Angel every time they had to get supplies sent in.
They’d chosen it because of its remoteness and the proximity of Glenveagh Park which had a large herd of red deer for them to feed on if they needed to. Daylight hours were also short even in the summer as Angel would remind Spike, without the long months of daylight of more northern regions.
Angel had insisted on doing most of the repair work on the old property himself. Spike had grumbled until he’d seen Angel shirtless with hammer in hand and the he’d decided it was an okay plan.
Somehow they’d ended up with a small team of humans and demons who had set about organising things as an official school for gifted youngsters (Spike insisted on calling it the Xavier School despite the official name of Glenveagh School, especially when Angel didn’t understand the reference).
Two young Moloth demons had turned up first after a vision from their shaman. T’zan and B’zar (nicknamed Tammy and Barbie by Spike) were locators and exceptionally skilled computer hackers so Wesley set them to discretely get the word out to families who wished for training for their daughters and sons. (They were also accustomed to ghosts as their ancestors never completely left the tribe so dealing with Wesley and Lindsey didn’t faze them).
A slayer and her entire family had turned up on the doorstep in the second month. Her grandfather was one of the fae and nobody had been more surprised than him when she was activated as a slayer. He had not wanted anything to do with the slayer army and had been afraid they would either give the girl no choice or react badly to the family’s obvious supernatural blood. It had been his influence that led to Wesley and Lindsey being assigned to Angel and Spike. So they now had a chef, bookkeeper and two rambunctious young half demons along with the young slayer.
Luckily their first teachers arrived shortly after. Firstly there was Maggie, a young Irish woman who had come to County Donegal for a holiday and didn’t want to leave. Through the supernatural equivalent of Facebook she’d read about the school and contacted Tammy. The new technologies were a complete mystery to Angel but Spike was beginning to get the hang of things, although Barbie had to keep the virus blockers up to date to handle his enthusiasm for online porn.
The second teacher was a Brachan demon who remembered Angel from events in L.A. Simon volunteered for recruitment duties and worked closely with Wesley to identify sympathetic candidates and weed out any potential spies. Lindsey handled most of the legal details around the property and the incorporation of the school. It seemed that being dead was no obstacle to practicing law.
Soon the property took shape. One large building for teaching and student living with a basement area set aside for Spike and Angel. A smaller building linked by a covered walkway for the staff to get away from it all had been declared absolutely necessary. A garage and gym took up the third side also linked with a covered walkway, and a central grassed area for the students to relax in. They had several acres of grounds for training and as a buffer from outside eyes.
Angel had negotiated some serious magical protection from the stronger of the interested parties via Wesley who seemed to have some standing in demonic circles. There were a large number of demon groups who simply wished to carry on with their existence without fear of human or slayer interference. Some were involved in criminal activities but most just lived on the planet as best they could. The fae of course had been around far longer than humans but had chosen to mainly distance themselves, however there had been enough intermarriage to make it difficult and led to the activation of several slayers. They tended to be quite wealthy much to Spike’s verbal, and Angel’s silent, delight.
Quickly the staff numbers increased with three more teachers, a ground keeper and a demon doctor signing up. Lastly under pressure from Tammy and Barbie they hired an office administrator and secretary. Spike and Angel had been adamant about what they didn’t want in the roles (no blonde ditzy vampires who expected a relationship or cheerleader actresses who would become your friend and then die) and instead they’d ended up with a young Welshman and another Irish woman who both appeared competent and friendly.
“Just remember you thought this was a good idea,” Spike said to Angel as they watched the bus pull up.
“So did you,” Angel replied.
Maggie and Ianto had taken the bus to pick up the first intake of students from the airport in Derry. They’d tried to schedule the arrivals to be picked up in one go and get back just on sunset so that Angel and Spike could meet them all.
They knew that the slayers would have a reaction to the vampires and wanted it to be sorted out right away, and make the girls aware that many of their classmates and staff were demons.
What they hadn’t counted on was twenty teenagers having several hours together on a bus to bond, and the giggling mass of coltish legs and long hair that tumbled out of the door was almost enough to scare them both off.
Spike felt Angel’s tension as the girls all turned their attention to them and stepped forward.
“Evening ladies and gentlemen,” he added as he noticed the two young men hiding at the back, “welcome to Glenveagh. I’m Spike and this is Angel.” Spike ignored the giggles that accompanied his words. “We hope you all enjoy your time with us but a few things before we go inside. We are vampires, those of you who are slayers will be experiencing some feelings about it and that’s completely natural…” Spike stuttered to a halt as the giggles got louder and he realised the other interpretation of his words.
“We won’t bite and you won’t stake,” Angel said stepping into the giggles. “Everyone here belongs here and if you don’t like that then you’re the one leaving.” His bluntness stopped the giggles.
“Remember you’re here to learn,” Spike added, “you’re here because you have something extra that needs training. This is a school not an army base or a day spa. So welcome to your new home.” He gestured expansively and the girls all giggled again. “You’ll meet everyone over the next few days but for now Maeve will get you registered and give you your room assignment.”
Maeve stepped forward and ushered the teens into the house. Each one gave Spike and Angel surreptitious (and more obvious) glances as they passed.
“Need to go for a run,” Angel said when they were alone.
“God yeah,” Spike agreed. Being around baby slayers had given him an itch at the back on his neck that required physical activity to shift. God knows how bad it would be by the end of the year.
They took off at a lope, easily passing Ianto who was parking the bus around the back and disappearing into the forest. They ran in silence enjoying the reminder of how it had been when they first started travelling. No need to communicate, relying on instinct and their bone deep knowledge of each other to leap over fallen trees and dodge around outcroppings without losing speed.
Ending up on their favourite overhang Spike sprawled out on his stomach and stared down over the lake.
“Are we crazy?” Spike said as Angel settled beside him.
“Quite likely,” Angel said.
“Buffy and her gang won’t understand what we’re doing,” Spike added.
“They don’t have to,” Angel replied.
“Easy for you to say,” Spike grumbled but he rested his head on his hands and grinned at Angel.
“This is a good place,” Angel said, bringing his attention back from the view to look at Spike, “we could stop here.”
“For a bit anyway,” Spike agreed, “hundred or so years should do it.”
Angel nodded his agreement and moved a hand over to tangle his fingers with Spike’s.
It wasn’t going to be easy but good things never were and Angel truly believed what they were doing was a good thing.
END