:: ok now I know there are a lot of things wrong with this but I'm not exactly sure what. So feedback from all you guys would be great! Also it's a kind of experiment for me because I don't usually write historical fic, I just read it. I am rubbish at history so there are bound to be a lot of things wrong with it. And I use the name William or Will instead of Spike because I think it fits the character better ::

I skulked around the hallway, listening for clues as to what they were discussing inside. I had been banished from the room for some unknown reason. Something to do with me being still a fledge or something. Angelus had declared Drusilla officially out of fledglinghood two days ago and she was still buzzing from the honour. Now allowed to join in all of Darla and Angelus's discussions - however unhelpfully - she had adopted a sense of high superiority and would dismiss me from her room like a minion. Not surprisingly I was getting very pissed off with her constant tormenting, however much I love her.

Anyway, I had been kicked out of the sitting room about half an hour ago. I had already polished Angelus's shoes, all thirteen pairs of them, to keep him happy, and fed off a young girl in the cellar. I pressed my ear to the solid oak door and heard Drusilla speak.

"Nasty, nasty looking-beasts... they hurt him, hurt the brave knight... ooh..." She started to moan and I wanted to be there to hold her. I pictured Angelus supporting her and Darla rolling her eyes. Sure enough, her voice came next.

"Angelus, can't you get her to go away? Get her to go and play with William or something."

"No no! Grandmummy, I'm an adult now, let me listen and talk with you!"

"Well you're not acting like an adult," Darla muttered and I heard Angelus sigh.

"Drusilla go and play."

"No no no!" she wailed, "I'm not a fledge like William, I'm not!"

"Drusilla," came Angelus's warning voice. "Are you going to disobey me?"

I practically heard her droop. "No, Daddy."

"Then go outside."

A moment later she appeared beside me. She widened her eyes at me. "Will? Are you listening to the conversation?"

"Yes, Dru, I am."

"You mustn't! You're still a fledgling! Daddy!" she wailed.

I clamped my hand over her mouth. "Dru shut up!" I hissed, but it was too late. Angelus opened the door and glared at us. I let go of Dru hurriedly and shifted guiltily onto one foot.

"What is it now?"

"Daddy, naughty Will was listening to us talking." He glared at me. "That was bad wasn't it Daddy? Is Will in trouble now?"

Angelus looked at me. "Is this true?"

I shuffled my feet and glanced around, avoiding his eyes.

"William?"

"Yes Sire."

Dru clapped her hands excitedly. "ooh, is Will in trouble? Are you going to punish him?"

"Shut up Dru!" Angelus snapped at her and she whimpered a little. He turned back into the room. "Darla, do you mind if we continue this later?"

"Not at all," she replied, and he turned back to me.

"Well?" he demanded.

"Well what?" I asked, realising to late that it was considered the wrong thing to say. Angelus clouted me over the head, sending me into the wall.

"Never answer a question with a question."

Huh. Hardly fair. He does it to me all the time! "Ok."

"Ok?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Um... yes Sire."

He nodded slightly, satisfied. "Now why were you listening?"

I shuffled a little as I tried to think of an answer he would consider acceptable. Nothing came to mind. "William," he said in that annoying way that meant he was loosing his patience.

"I wasn't, I was just walking past."

He grabbed my ear and twisted hard, making me tilt my head to the side and wince. "Don't lie to me boy I know you were listening." He twisted harder.

"Ow! Angelus let go!"

He let go, only to whack me in the back of the head again, this time sending me sprawling into the room where Darla was reading. She looked up, not particularly interested as Angelus followed me and kicked me in the ribs.

"Do not take that tone with me boy."

"What tone?" Darla asked conversationally.

"Will's been naughty," Drusilla confirmed as if Darla needed to be told.

She raised her eyebrows and looked from Angelus to me and back again. "Angelus... are you sure you should be hitting him so much? There must be a reason why his brain cells are so dysfunctional."

"The reason his brain cells are dysfunctional has nothing to do with me hitting him." Angelus glared at me. "He just doesn't try."

"I do try!" I protested from the floor.

He kicked me again and I groaned, clutching my ribs. "No you don't, now are you going to tell me why you were listening outside that door?"

I scrambled to my feet and stood up scowling. "Because I wanted to know why you had kicked me out."

He clipped my ear and I scowled even more. "You shouldn't need a reason. You are still a fledgling, not to mention my childe, so you do whatever I tell you, no matter what."

Before I knew it, I had let loose a snarl. Drusilla gasped. Darla looked up from her book with interest, and Angelus's eyes flashed amber. Crap. A snarl is an outright challenge, something he could do to me but I was never, never, allowed to snarl at any of my betters.

"What was that, William?" Angelus asked, his voice liquid, deadly quiet and laced with menace.

Oh sod it. I was already in trouble as it was, might as well just maximise it. "I'm fed up of being a fledge. Fed up of everyone pushing me around. Why do I have to do everything you say? Why don't you ever listen to me? Why is everything I say somehow disrespectful?"

The room was silent. Darla's eyes were flicking back and forth between Angelus and me and Drusilla had her hand over her mouth and her eyes wide. Angelus stood with his nostrils flaring, glaring at me with contempt.

"Follow me boy," he said, turning and leaving without checking I was following. He knew I was. I always did.

He led me upstairs and we went into his room. "Take off your shirt," he told me. Didn't want it getting stained. I obeyed silently, almost ritualistically. "Against the wall. Don't move."

Feeling sick to my stomach, I pressed myself against the cold wall and found a crack I could dig my nails into. Angelus took off his belt and I heard him pacing. My mind was numb. Just another beating, just like all the others. It'll be over soon and then you'll heal and that'll be it. I braced myself for the first stroke. It came hard and painful, with all the strength of a master vampire behind it. I bit my lip to stop myself crying out. The next one fell on top of the last, and I pressed myself harder against the wall, tearing my nails on the rough wall as I dug my fingers in.

Soon I could taste the blood from my lip and realised I had slipped into my demon face and cut my mouth on my teeth. My back was on fire and I wanted to scream out, but I wouldn't do that in front of Angelus, I would not.

After about 200 strokes I had to cry out. Angelus paused, obviously please, then continued. Another hundred and I couldn't take it. My back was like a sheet of holy water.

I crumpled to the floor, sobbing. "Sire, please, I'm sorry, please stop."

"Did I say you could move?" He asked harshly.

I felt sick with myself. Not only had I just endured 300 or so strokes from his belt, I had directly disobeyed his order not to move, I was crying, and I was begging for him to stop. "Please, I swear, I'll never question you again or anything, I swear, Sire, please." I knelt at his feet and rested my head against his knee.

He kicked me away. "Get cleaned up and dressed then meet me downstairs." He walked out and I was left lying on the floor, my back in agony as I tried to stand and get myself cleaned at dressed. Eventually I managed it, got into a clean shirt and combed my hair, washed my face and hoped there was no blood splattered on it. I even tried to rinse the cuts on my back and it stung so much it was nearly as bad as the original thrashing.