You Again, You Forever (Rewrite 2013)

by velja

Crossover between the Buffy/Angel verse and The Vampire Diaries

Pairing: Spike/Damon

Disclaimer: I own neither Spike nor Damon or any of the other characters mentioned in here. Just playing with them. I promise to give them back once I'm done.

New Author's Note: I started posting this story back in Summer 2010 and then I abandoned it. Now, after watching TVD 4x17 "Because the night…" I suddenly felt the urge to revisit it. I was so happy to learn that Damon really was in New York in 1977 (like I wrote in here). So I spent an entire day rewriting this story. I changed quite a lot, so you'll be better off reading it all again. Also, I turned down the sex quite a bit. I didn't like the explicit character of this anymore. So you'll find it a bit more... tame. But the boys still get it on, no worries :-)

I picked canon moments from Spike's past (taken from Buffy & Angel) and tried to include Damon in them. And the other way around. So you should have a rough idea about what happened in canon in those situations I'm talking about, otherwise it will be hard to get the full experience. This started out as a one-shot to get over another writer's block. Then it grew and grew… and then I stopped writing. Sorry for that. But now I've polished old parts and I plan to add new ones someday until it is complete at last. Hope you enjoy the changes I made (and the rest).

Chapter One

Yorkshire, 1880 (Scene mentioned in Buffy Episode 5x07 "Fool For Love")

A small orange glow broke through the heavy clouds, signalling the slow approach of dawn as well as the end of the thunderstorm that had been going on for hours. The narrow and dirty cobbled streets were wet with rain and the lone figure making its way through them had to sidestep pools of muddy water every now and then, a low-growled curse falling from its lips with every squish-squash its wet boots made on the ground.

The sound rang heavy through the otherwise quiet and peaceful night.

"God damn it, I hate this place and I hate you, brother, for leading me here when I could've…"

Damon Salvatore stopped his angry tirade when the sudden sound of hurried footsteps and yelling reached his sensitive ears. He lifted his dark-haired head and listened. The noise was faint; no human ear would have picked up on it yet, but with his enhanced vampire-hearing Damon was able to make out the angry voices that slowly but steadily came closer.

"This way, come on! This way!"

"There he is, hurry! Hurry! He ran in there! John, Archie, that way round! Quick! We'll get him!"

"You hear that, you son of a bitch? We'll get you! We'll get you!"

Damon's mouth twisted upwards and an evil smirk grazed his handsome features. Whoever it was that this angry mob was chasing, the poor fellow's chances of surviving the night were growing slimmer and slimmer with each second that ticked by.

Because every inch the man gained on his pursuers was bringing him closer to the dark alley in which Damon stood, waiting.

Closer to death.

The smirk never leaving his face Damon quickly made his way over to a narrow gap in between the old buildings this part of the town hosted. If his hearing didn't betray him (and it never did) the hunted should reach the alley from Damon's left any minute now, the angry mob close but not too close behind.

The cries of rage had steadily grown and now Damon was able to hear the angry clinging of various weapons as well. A vivid image of raised pitchforks suddenly appeared in Damon's mind. Pitchforks and guns gleaming in the orange glow of torches held up high by the townspeople on the night they'd rounded up the vampires in Mystic Falls… the night he'd become what he was… the night Katherine had been…

No! Damon shook the unwanted memories from his head and tried to concentrate back on one set of footsteps alone. He blacked out the sound of the pursuers for now; they didn't concern him in the least.

By the time they'd make it to the alley Damon would long be gone, and the man they were chasing like prey with him.

Because now Damon had made him his prey, too.

Eyes trained on the spot where the man should appear, Damon stood stock-still, body rigid and ready to jump into action. Fast footsteps grew closer along with rapidly panted breaths, and then a small shadowy figure suddenly rounded the corner and ran into the gaping alley.

The man stopped just short of where Damon was hiding in the shadows and then, almost too quickly for Damon's eyes to follow, turned around on the spot. He was panting for breath and yet, instead of searching for a hiding spot like Damon had expected him to, he took on a fighting stance instead.

The man, about the same age as Damon had been when still human, was built rather short and slim and yet… Damon could see a certain strength lurking underneath the loose and shabby clothes. Every muscle in his body seemed coiled and tense, the jaw under his mop of tousled light brown hair was sharp and set, and although the too prominent cheekbones were giving him an almost angelic look the clear blue eyes gleamed dangerously as they were fixed on the mouth of the alley.

It was almost as if the young man was deliberately waiting for the angry mob to come for him.

'Huh,' Damon thought astonished, 'he's either really stupid, wanting to take on the crowd by himself, or really desperate and ready to die. Either way, works for me.'

And with that Damon jumped out of the shadows and in full vampire-speed rushed up to the man's back before he had time to notice him. Damon's arms closed around the slim form and, not breaking his speed, pulled the man with him out of the alley, around a corner or two, past several blocks of buildings and into another alley as abandoned as the one they'd come from.

The entire run hadn't taken more than a few seconds and yet, when Damon finally released his hold on the man and dumped him on the wet ground, they were so far away from the angry mob that no sound could be heard.

No sound apart from the ragged breaths and sputtered curses spilling from the man's lips, that is.

"Oh, sodding hell, what the… oh, bloody hell… what?"

In the blink of an eye the man was back on his feet and facing Damon with blazing blue eyes. He raised his fists, ready to attack, but then he seemed to become aware of their changed surroundings for the first time. Eyes flying around he took in the different buildings before he suddenly backed away a few steps, his back to a wall, and with his chin raised high glared at Damon once again.

"What the hell happened? Who are you? And how did you…?"

Damon smirked and merely raised an eyebrow at the man's flaring temper. It seemed like he'd gotten himself quite the spitfire here, huh? Damon's grin broadened. He liked it when his food put up a good fight instead of just succumbing to its fate, made the blood boil and taste so much better. Tinted with rage and fire… it went down smoothly, like the finest Whiskey but much more nourishing, and Damon loved it. He felt his fangs itching to come out and sink themselves into the pale neck he could see peeking out over the collar.

Damon took a step closer to where the man stood with his back against the wall and, cocking his head to the side, decided to have a little fun first. Willing his vampire-face away for now he chastised: "Now, is that any way to thank your saviour?"

"Savi…?" The young man's eyebrows shot up, clearly taken aback. "What the bloody hell are you on about? And who the hell do you think you are?"

Damon took another step closer. "Well, seeing that I'm the one who just saved you from being beaten to a pulp by an angry mob…" He suddenly used his vampire-speed to close the distance between them and pinned the man to the wall, single-handedly capturing his hands above his head while his other hand slowly closed around the man's throat. Damon smirked when he felt the futile struggling against his grip. He leaned forward and, face mere inches away, glared into the furious blue eyes.

"So, you should show a little bit of gratitude, don't you think?"

"Gratitude?" The young man choked out and then his lips twisted into a smirk so decidedly devilish that it matched Damon's. "Oh, I'll show you some gratitude, alright!"

His head suddenly shot forward and the forehead connected with Damon's chin. And although Damon had anticipated something like that he was completely taken aback by the brutal force behind the blow. He staggered backwards in shock (and not to mention in actual pain) and lost his hold on the other man in the process. Before he had the chance to utter a curse the man had pushed himself off the wall and was on him, one fist clenched in the front of Damon's shirt while the other came raining down on Damon's face repeatedly.

'What the hell?' Damon thought while he was trying to get his surprise under check long enough to get the man off him. 'How can this scrawny human be so strong?'

Damon threw his body to the side and then rushed at the man from behind. The force of his movement propelled them both against the opposite wall and Damon heard the satisfying crunch of the man's skull against the wall. But the blow that should have taken him out merely seemed to spur on the other man more.

With a growl of rage he threw his entire body backwards and down. Damon landed on the wet ground with the other man on top of him, struggling, groping, kicking out and even trying to bite any part of Damon he could reach. They rolled around on the ground, neither of them managing to hold the other down for long but not giving up either.

Fists flew into each other's faces, ribs, stomachs and groins and Damon could feel blood tickle down his face after a heavy punch had hit his nose. Damon had somehow managed to break the man's right arm, he'd heard the bones crush well enough under his hands. The man still didn't give up although his face had changed into a mask of pain and blood as well.

Suddenly Damon managed to get both hands around the man's neck and he was determined to twist the head off and simply be done with it. But before he had the chance the man was suddenly scrambling out of his hold again. He somehow reversed their positions and then Damon got a forceful kick right to where it hurt the most.

The man had slammed his boot full-force into Damon's groin and the vampire let out a pained cry and sagged onto his side.

Oh, damn, that hurt!

"Is that enough gratitude for you, mate?"

Something in the voice of the man, something very close to a growl, had Damon snap his head around to where the other man was standing in the shadows, leaned against the wall, almost casually, as if he was merely waiting for Damon to get up and come at him again.

"Or should I go on expressing some more?" The man's voice, despite the growling undertone, was almost taunting and Damon clenched his teeth in anger.

This son of a bitch was clearly starting to piss him off! He really should have let the angry mob of townspeople finish him off earlier. Would have saved him a lot of trouble. Not to mention the bloody nose and other bruises he was sporting now. Sure, the damage would be healed in no time, but… his pride on the other hand wouldn't. Damon Salvatore, evil predator and bad ass vampire, beaten by a mere human?

Damon slowly staggered to his feet and, wiping the blood from his nose, threw a dark glare at his opponent.

The man pushed his body away from the wall and, coming closer, threw a smirk back. He hadn't quite stepped out of the shadows yet but close. Close enough for Damon to suddenly notice…

"Your eyes," Damon gasped, voice nearly doubling over from shock. "Your face!"

Whereas before there'd been electrifying blue eyes in a sharp-angled face that Damon would have called handsome (if pressed), there were now suddenly piercing yellow orbs staring at him from under a prominently furrowed brow.

"Yeah, what of it?" The man, no… not a man, Damon was suddenly sure that this wasn't a human, he smirked around a mouthful of sharp fangs. "Never seen a true demon's face before, have you?"

It took Damon three stunned seconds to come to terms with what he was seeing. This was another vampire! Three seconds passed in which Damon didn't know if he should feel ashamed or relieved!

Ashamed that he hadn't realized it sooner or… relieved that he hadn't lost a fight against a mere human.

In the end Damon decided against both options. "Well," he drawled, "to answer your question: No, I've never seen a true demon's face before." Without much effort he willed his own demonic visage to the front and went on: "Not unless I've looked into a mirror, that is. Or into my brother's face."

"Bloody hell!" The other vampire was clearly as shocked as Damon had been before. He reeled back slightly before he took another step forward and stared at the dark veins under Damon's eyes. "What kind of demon are you?"

Damon frowned: "Huh? What do you mean, what kind of demon? I'm a vampire!" When he got nothing but a confused look in return Damon continued in a condescending manner: "Uh, you do know that there are different kinds of vampires, right?"

The confusion on the other vampire's face grew even stronger. "Different kinds?"

Damon rolled his eyes in annoyance. Now this was just great, wasn't it? Here he was, finally coming face to face with another vampire, the first one he'd ever encountered in all the sixteen years since he'd been turned (apart from Stefan but he didn't count, did he?) and this creature now seemed to know even less about their kind than he did.

"You're either an uncommonly stupid example of your kind," Damon stated and immediately got a heated "Hey, I'm not bloody stupid!" as a reply.

"Or you're simply too young to know a thing," Damon finished and without waiting for an answer walked over to lower his body onto the stone steps that led up to the entrance of the nearest building. He would never admit it out loud but his bones still ached, despite his vampire healing powers.

'Young he might be,' Damon looked up and watched the other vampire swagger over to sit down next to him. 'But he's clearly strong as well. And he's the first vampire I've met since…'

Damon had no idea what prompted him to do so but before he could change his mind again he cocked his head to the side and sent the other vampire his least malicious smirk.

"I'm Damon, by the way."

The other vampire stared at him for a second, obviously searching for any hidden threat. He must have found none in Damon's eyes, for eventually he held out his hand for Damon to shake.

"Name's Spike," he nodded.

Damon couldn't help but chuckle. "Spike? What kind of name is that?"

Spike released Damon's hand rather forcefully. "It's the name I got me for myself. Earned it for torturing my enemies with railroad spikes."

Damon raised an eyebrow in question and Spike went on: "Yeah, shoved them railroad spikes through their brains and such. Should teach them not to mock me ever again!"

"Oh, well," Damon was slightly impressed but didn't let it show. "If you feel the need to make a name for yourself… what do I care. You'll grow out of it."

"Look, mate," Spike groused and his blue eyes bore into Damon's equally blue ones. "You might be older than me, and true enough, I'm still fairly new to this whole creature of the night thing but that doesn't mean that you can look down on me, got it? Already got Angelus throwing it in my face every day. I don't need you to do so as well."

"Who's Angelus?" Damon couldn't stop asking.

"You've never heard of Angelus? The Scourge of Europe?"

"Scourge of Europe? No," Damon shook his head. "I haven't been here that long. Came from overseas just a couple of days ago in fact."

"You're from America?" Spike's eyes suddenly brightened in obvious interest. "Really?"

"Yes," Damon nodded. "Born and raised in Mystic Falls, Virginia. Why?"

Spike shrugged. "I'm just curious. I've never met anyone who isn't British. Apart from Angelus and Darla, I mean."

"Darla?" Damon asked immediately. "Who's Darla?" Just how many other vampires did this fledgling know? For it was clear to Damon that's what they were. Other vampires. Damon had wanted to meet others for so long now, maybe this was his chance…

Spike meanwhile continued low in his throat: "She's a right nasty bitch but she's also Angelus Sire. He goes where she goes and Dru goes where Angelus goes, so… I guess I'll just have to put up with her."

"Why?" Damon frowned again, really interested in learning more about vampire-lore and all that. Katherine had told him things of course, before he'd been turned and she'd been… well, but from the day he'd been turned it had been pretty much learning-by-doing.

There hadn't been anyone who could have taught him what being a vampire really meant. He (and Stefan with him) had been on his own from day one. And Damon couldn't imagine it any other way now. He faced Spike again and saw him look to the ground.

"I mean, can't you just, I don't know, leave? Make your own way?"

"And leave Dru with them?" Spike's head shot up. "Never! She's my, my destiny! My everything! I'd die for her over and over again if I'd have to. And she'd never… Angelus might be a big, thick-headed, full-of-himself, arrogant prick but he's Dru's Sire and she'd never leave him. As much as I know she loves me, her white knight, she'd never leave her Sire to be with me. Maybe if I were older, stronger… maybe I could make her choose me…"

Spike trailed off, eyes cast to the ground again, and Damon felt a sudden stab inside his body. A painful tug close to where his heart would be beating if he were still alive… it took him a moment to realize it for what it was: Sympathy!

Damon knew all too well what it was like. The knowledge that the woman you loved with all your heart didn't love you back the same unconditional way but held and would forever continue to hold a spot in her heart for someone else as well. His own brother! Oh, Damon knew about the pain Spike had to be feeling, the pain of knowing that she'd never be able to choose…

But even worse was the uncertainty, the gnawing feeling that maybe, one day, she'd finally make her choice… and it wouldn't be you.

Damon unconsciously let out a sigh. Thoughts like this wouldn't do. They were of no use, futile, because Katherine would never be able to choose. She'd never get the chance. Katherine was dead.

And Damon suddenly felt the old familiar rage boil inside of him again. Here was this stupid fledgling now, feeling sorry for himself because he had to share his woman with another man, while Damon would never be able to see Katherine again! Ever! She was dead!

Oh, he would readily agree to share Katherine with another man, even with his brother, if only she were alive. If only he'd be allowed to lay eyes on her again, see her again... if only for one last time!

But Damon couldn't ever see her again, Katherine was dead!

And so in his eyes no one had the right to be happily in love when Damon himself wasn't allowed happiness ever again! All he had left in his un-life was rage and anger… all Damon had left was Stefan and his promise to make it an eternity of misery for his brother, the one who'd condemned him to this fate.

Damon didn't notice the growl that slipped past his lips at the thought. But Spike heard and he threw a questioning look at the vampire by his side before his gaze suddenly fell onto something ahead of them.

A small patch of sunlight had crept across the wall opposite from where they'd been sitting for quite a while now, and it was steadily growing closer.

"Bloody hell," Spike exclaimed and jumped up from his seat. Damon lifted his head and watched the vampire pace back and forth in agitated strides.

"What is it," he frowned and listened for any sign of trouble coming their way. Maybe the angry mob of townspeople had finally caught up with them? He could hear nothing unusual though. "What?" Damon repeated and stood up as well.

Spike turned his head towards him briefly. Then his worried eyes flew up again. "Soddin' sun's nearly all the way up! Damn!"

"Oh," Damon let his eyes wander to the roof of the dark alley. And, true enough, he could make out a small sliver of orange among slowly travelling white clouds. The night had vanished nearly completely.

"The sun, right." Damon threw a quick glance at his right hand where the lapis lazuli gleamed in the ring Emily had given to him all those years ago. He brought his eyes back up again soon though, it wouldn't do to alert Spike to the fact that the sun coming up was no threat to him whatsoever.

"We should probably get going then, huh?" Damon stated. "You guys have a… a lair or something, right?"

"Yeah," Spike nodded absentmindedly, eyes still firmly on the sky. "Don't think I'll be able to make it there though. What about you?"

Damon thought about the small vessel that had taken him across the Atlantic only two days ago and that, after feeding on and killing the passengers and crew alike, he'd made his place to stay. It would do until he'd found his stupid brother.

"I got some place, too. It's not too far, so I think I can make it," Damon shrugged and, for a split second thought about offering Spike shelter for the day until he could make it back to wherever the rest of his… gang, was holed up. Before he knew it Damon heard himself say: "Do you want to…?"

He jerked his head in the direction of the harbour and waited for Spike to get his meaning. The younger vampire stared at him in silence, eyes blue and intense, but then he shook his head and sighed.

"Na, I should probably go find Dru. She worries if I'm not back by sunrise and I can't risk her go looking for me. The stars always tell her stupid things like that she can go out and such bollocks. So she sometimes forgets that she can't you know, not in daylight. And I can't count on Angelus or Darla holding her back every time. They ignore everything around them when they're at it like rabbits. And they're always at it these days, shagging like mad."

"Uh-huh," Damon stated with a raised eyebrow. Seemed like quite the crazy company Spike was keeping. A vampire forgetting that she couldn't go out in daylight? Who was that stupid?

Okay, so he had never been in the same situation, he'd never had to learn to remember not going out in the sun. He'd had his ring for protection from day one. Still…

Damon unconsciously played with the ring on his finger, but when he suddenly noticed what he was doing he let his hands sink to his sides and threw a quick look at Spike to see if the other vampire had noticed his gesture.

He should be more careful, shouldn't he? If another vampire were ever to find out his secret…

Although Damon was pretty certain that he'd be able to beat Spike, should he decide to fight him for the ring, he wasn't too keen on actually finding out for sure. Their earlier encounter had shown that Spike, despite his young vampire state, already was a force to be reckoned with. A few years of experience would shape him into an excellent, maybe even superior, fighter. If he survived that long, that is.

And Damon suddenly realized that he somehow wanted Spike to survive. He wanted the other vampire to live, to have a chance at making his own experiences with this, for him, new existence.

He wanted Spike to survive.

And, Damon realized with further astonishment, it wouldn't be too bad if he'd meet Spike again some day. Talk to him some more, get to know him, that would be fun. The thought put a smile onto Damon's face. Although any company other than his nuisance of a brother would be a welcoming change, Damon knew that he'd especially enjoy seeing this particular vampire again.

"So," Spike's voice pulled Damon out of his thoughts at last. "Guess I should get going." He cocked his head to the side, very much like Damon did himself, and held out his hand. "It was… nice meeting you, Damon."

"Likewise, Spike," Damon smirked and shook the offered hand. "Who knows," he added with a shrug of shoulders, "maybe we'll be seeing each other again soon. This town isn't very big after all, so I guess us creatures of the night are bound to run into each other sometime, somewhere, don't you think?"

A sudden gleam came to Spike's eyes at that and, still holding Damon's hand, he suddenly leaned closer to the other vampire until their faces were mere inches apart. "Why don't we make it sooner rather than later, huh? Tomorrow night? Same place? We could hunt together."

"Sounds good," Damon nodded surprised but pleased nevertheless. His lips twisted into a real smile. "See you tomorrow night then, Spike."

"Bloody right you are," Spike smirked and finally released Damon's hand. He threw a glare at the almost fully-lightened sky once again before he shrugged and started walking away, all the while keeping his body close to the wall, careful not to catch a stray sunbeam.

When he'd reached the alley's entrance he turned his head and nodded at Damon once again. Damon nodded back silently and then he watched Spike sprint away in a rush.

The faint cry of reckless youth that Spike had let out in joy still reverberated in Damon's sensitive ears long after the other vampire had vanished from his sight.

And it was also the last thing that Damon heard or saw from Spike for a long time because the next night, when Damon rushed to the alley, eager to meet him, Spike wasn't there.

Damon waited almost the entire night, the unfamiliar feeling of worry gnawing inside of him with every hour that passed without Spike showing up.

Damon only left once the sun was high up in the sky, still worried but also disappointed and angry with himself for even allowing himself to feel such things, and vowed to himself to not care.

Nevertheless Damon came back the next night, and the night after that, and the night after that… and after the fifth night worry turned into annoyance, then into anger, and when two weeks had passed without hair or fang of Spike, the feeling inside Damon was nothing short of hate. Then he remembered that he wasn't supposed to care at all. He got drunk and tried to feel nothing. And eventually it worked.

Spike never showed.

And Damon left town, then the country altogether shortly after that, and never looked back.

He buried his feelings in booze and women and tried to forget he'd ever met Spike. And it worked, almost, for nearly one hundred years.

It worked until one rainy night in 1977.

The night he met Spike again.

TBC

So please tell me what you think so far, okay?