Summary:

Alternate Reality

What would have happened if Spike was as old as - or even older than - Angelus/Angel?

In this challenge Spike is two centuries older that in Canon. Why? Because I always thought that Angel had always had an unfair advantage over Spike. First, when Spike was just turned and then even when Angel has a soul, he's still stronger than Spike, but not because he's the better fighter, just because he's older. And just to make things more interesting: Spike is cursed with a soul together with Angelus. But instead of having been a vampire for two decades, he's been a vampire for two centuries and he still has the reputation as the Slayer of Slayers. Since he has two centuries instead of one to kill slayers, before being cursed he has killed 4 slayers instead of 2.

You will wonder why I would think of something like that. Well, it's simple. It's just to level the playing field. Spike is the better man and the better vampire but Angel has always arrived first. He's born first so he's stronger, he had his soul first so he's good first and so he becomes Buffy's first love etc. Spike has always been compared to Angel(by Buffy mostly) and come up lacking just because Angel was there first. Spike could love and do good without a soul but nobody believed in him just because Angel couldn't love without a soul, so no other vampire could. And so on and so forth.

So what I want is this: Spike is even older that Angel in this challenge. When he's cursed with a soul - together with Angelus - he has already a reputation in the demons' world as a very strong and powerful Master Vampire. Spike arrives in Sunnydale at the beginning of season2. He's called by Whistler to help Buffy because Angel isn't doing a very good job (she's been killed by the Master after all). Angel is called first by Whistler because he has spent a century eating rats and feeling sorry for himself while Spike has - after having overcome the first crazy period with the soul - started to fight for the Light side. He doesn't fall immediately in love with Buffy (she's just sixteen after all) but when Angel loses his soul he's already in love with her. Buffy is still in love with Angel when Spike first appears. When Angel loses his soul, Spike loses his too. I want anyone to realize that while Spike can love without a soul, Angel can't. Spike - even without a soul - helps Buffy against Angelus because he loves her.

Timeline for this challenge:

William Pratt is born in 1653 instead of 1853. His life is still the same. He's still a gentleman, he still has his mother to take care of. He's still 'William the Bloody Awful Poet'. He's turned by Darla in 1680. He becomes William the Bloody and later Spike( still because he tortured people with railroad spikes).

Darla is not really impressed by William at the beginning, he finds him 'too soft' for a vampire. Since Angelus is not there to turn him into a monster, Spike is just very eager to fight. He revels in the fight and the danger. He doesn't care to torture his victims, he just wants to eat. It's because of this that he becomes obsessed with Slayers. He first learns about the Slayers from Darla. To gain her respect Spike kills his first slayer in 1700(the Weapons-Forging Slayer mentioned in the Slayer Timeline in Buffy and Angel Wiki - she's the one who leaves him the scar on his eyebrow). This way he becomes a Master Vampire.

In 1753 Darla turns Liam into a vampire. He changed his name to Angelus. Darla is immediately impressed by his viciousness and cruelty. Angelus and Spike can't stand each other. Darla always sides with Angelus but Spike - being already a Master Vampire and older than Angelus - he's perfectly capable of defending himself. Spike is not in love with Darla but seeks her approval because she's his Sire.

In 1799 Spike kills his second Slayer (Marguerite Allard - Paris, France) while him, Darla and Angelus are in France.

In 1817 Spike kills his third Slayer (Elizabeth Weston - Somerset, England).

In 1860 Angelus turns Drusilla. (It's up to you if Spike has ever been in love with her or not).

In 1877 Spike kills his fourth slayer (Catherine Callan - London, England)

In 1898 Both Angelus and Spike are cursed with a soul. The both of them are sent away by Darla.

Spike decides to not come back and beg them(Darla and Drusilla) to take him back. After a few years of craziness because of the guilt, he decides to do something about it and starts to fight to defend innocent people against demons.

In 1996 Whistler goes to Angel and persuaded him to join the fight against evil that and to help the newly-activated Slayer, Buffy Summers.

When Buffy is killed for a minute by the Master, Whistler - at the behest of the Powers that Be - contacts Spike and convinces him to go to Sunnydale and help Buffy in her fight against evil.

Other Points to abide to:

- Spike already has the Gem of Amara when he first comes to Sunnydale. Or something else that permits him to walk around during the day. Better if the Gem of Amara doesn't heal his wounds but it just permits him to walk in the sunlight, being immune to crosses and holy water and have a reflection.

- Spike was in Cleveland to defend the Hellmouth there before going to Sunnydale.

- The story continues beyond Season2. Even better if it continues till Season7.

- At the end of Season3 Spike leaves Sunnydale and goes to Africa to make sure that he won't lose his soul again.

- At the beginning of Season4 he returns to Sunnydale as a human but with superstrenght(basically as the First Male Slayer).

I would really like if someone would respond to this challenge!