Thank you all for your continued support.
Tell me how you would like to see this end.
She had to say that in front of MacLeod didn’t she? Well, at least he’s laughing… and now he’s chuckling more faintly… and now he’s stopped all together because the bleached fool decided to bare his fangs and growl … of course now the great protector’s flinging Amanda across the room and throwing himself onto William, who’s not even attempting to fight back.
“Hey, hey, hey, that’s enough,” I try, because what else am I supposed to say?
I hear the vampire grunt “get ‘im off me” as he’s blocking the blows as best he can. Blood’s gushing from three places on his face already and MacLeod isn’t even trying, he just running on fear.
Amanda’s huffing while she dusts herself off indignantly and shakes her head. I’m not sure which one of us she's looking at.
My sword finds his neck. Amanda takes a step forward but thinks twice when she sees the look on my face. We haven’t got time for this; Angelus doesn’t have the time.
“He was trying to contact someone before he got away from his tails. We don’t know where he is.”
“Great; super. Why is it that at the moment I start to have faith in you things go wrong? The instructions were very clear: Follow the little brat and be ready to move again when I say. Use a full team.”
“We did, Sir. If I may... I have a feeling he caught on because we had to use the same team that got him this morning. 16 of them were knocked out cold, the other four were conscious but unable to move.”
“Oh, Boo hoo; broken legs. Don’t they remember who they work for?”
“I’m sure they do sir.”
“And would you stop calling me that?” Lilah asked the annoying helper. “You know what? I want as many teams as possible out there looking for him and that MacLeod, and I want to know the second either of them are found.” She ordered, taking a flask out of her well-tailored suit jacket and taking a swig. “Get out of my face, I have a plan to execute and a show to get back to.”
“Yes Sir, ma’am.”
I wonder what Faith is doing? I haven’t been visiting like I should have, not that she’ll be mad or anything. She keeps tabs on me, I know.
Kissing Faith, kicking her ass… She thought she was the world’s best actor. ‘Second best’, I lied. Yeah, it sounded bad-ass, but it’s not like it was hard to play myself; to let myself enjoy the things I shouldn’t because I wear a white hat… I hate Angelus because I like it when I’m him. I hate him because it’s easy to be him. I hate him because there are times when I want to be him again so badly… That goddamn gypsy. That goddamn curse. That goddamn night!
Playing Angelus may not have been the best plan; I keep going over that night when I put the last nail in the coffin of my relationship with Buffy. The night she finally understood how close he and I are. For a moment there she was shattered and I couldn’t have felt worse, then I remembered the night she impaled me with a sword… and if that girl doesn’t stop snoring!!!
She has the gall to fall asleep while I am torturing myself mentally?
It would be so easy just to snap her neck, but I’ve broken one today already.
She’s waking up now, her vacant eyes staring at me. She isn’t scared. She looks like she’s smiling.
God, I want to cut into her but it’s not too hard to talk myself out of that. She’s aggravating, yes, and I want to climb the walls, yes, but she’s human and she isn’t worth the subsequent depression. Sill, it would be so effortless to go there, just for a moment.
If someone had made Angelus play ‘crazy eights’ there would have been hours of excruciating payback. After all, the man was the scourge of Europe, the king of pain.
Ah man, now I’ve got that song in my head.
“Why are you doing this?” He shouts again, but how many times are we supposed to answer?
“Because you won’t even hear Methos out,” Amanda tells him.
I like her, I really do, but if they don’t stop saying my name… They might as well start calling me ‘Methos-the-oldest-living-immortal-want-to-have-a-go-at-him?’. I should be exasperated. “McLeod; come on. Does he seem dangerous to you?” I point to the bloodied vampire in the corner.
“His face; he’s a monster. A real monster.” He spits and I can hear the old country in him. “He’s a demon; how could you keep this from me, Methos!”
“Well, the closer you get to the Hellmouth the more you’ll encounter if you have your bleeding eyes open; now calm down. He is not Arhiman.”
I can see we’re not going anywhere tonight, unless I come up with another plan. MacLeod should have never found out about vampires. He might mount a crusade.
“Have you all been having a good laugh behind my back then? Poor dumb Scot can’t handle the truth?” He spits.
“Methos,” the Highlander growls when I don’t pay attention to him. I need to bloody think, and although the sight of him tied up would usually be appealing, I have to get Angel away from those lawyers so I can get the Hell out of Dodge. It’s getting mighty crowded.
“How could you have kept this from me?” I hear him plead with Amanda.
“Darling, not all demons are bad, and I’ve known you for a long time. It wasn’t my responsibility to show you the darker side of the world and Arhiman did such a number on you… It wasn’t a good time. You’ve got power, most of them will stay away from you; they have so far. And really Duncan, you’ve kept your blinders on for 400 years, who knew how you would react?” She strokes his cheek affectionately, like he’s a child. There’s no way he likes that. “I trust Methos, Duncan, you should too." She sits on his lap and makes him turn his head to look at Will. "And anyway I happen to know that if you cut his head off he’ll turn to dust.”
“That’s a comfort,” he murmurs. He’s hurt.
Lilah sipped her wine gingerly, wondering how long Angelus would hold out with the annoying blond. Would he make a meal of her, or would she be sport? Would he be able to wait until she decided to make contact? So many questions, she smiled, looking around the posh restaurant.
She was just about to ask for a status report on the Angel situation when she got the call. Her old partner was being transported back to Los Angeles from the small town he had been hiding out in. She decided to go home for some supplies. She was going to watch every second of their interaction and enjoy it immensely. The Senior Partners were on her side, and Wesley had left the dirtiest little message on her answering service.
She paid the bill with the company card and tried not to skip as she marched out. She did have a reputation to uphold.
“Hello, is anyone here?” comes a girl's voice as the door opens, “we weren’t going to do this but I checked my messages and…”
My sword’s been tucked back into my duster rather effectively but Mac’s still tied to a chair, Amanda’s filing her nails and Will… looks like he’s hiding?
“We’re closed,” I tell them and turn back to the Highlander.
“No you’re not,” a second child chimes in as she steps inside with her companion, glares at us fiercely and crosses her arms.
“Dawn, let me handle this, all right?” She asks. When she gets a slight nod, she turns back to us. “Who are you?”
“Look honey, it’s alright, we’re not bad people,” Amanda offers, but she’s still filing her nails and it just doesn’t sound very convincing.
“I’m asking nicely; who are you?” The blond one repeats. When she gets no answer she tosses the flyer for ‘Angel Investigations’ at us. “Where’s Angel?” She asks forcefully, scanning the room.
Both these girls have an inordinate amount of power. It’s unsettling and it’s ruining my plan… to come up with another plan.
“He’s not here.” William answers her.
I watch the two bottle blonds stare into each other’s eyes for a long time. She's been caught off guard. She shakes it off and walks purposefully towards him. To my amazement, she picks him up off the floor with one hand and smashes his bruised head against the wall.
“Where is he?” She asks, but he clearly can’t open his mouth to respond. She kicks him in the most sensitive of areas and lets him down, slapping his face to take it in her hand and make him stare at her.
“What did you do to him, Spike?”
“I didn’t, Buffy I swear… there was water and then a big fight. That’s why I called.”
“You don’t get to call me Buffy ever again, you hear me?! Now tell me what happened to Angel.”
“He was kidnapped. Lawyers. Wolfram and Hart.”
“Lawyers?”
“Yes lawyers.” I intervene, because she looks like she’s going to break Will in two. “They took both of us but he got me out.”
“Tell me where he is, tell me everything,” she commands, daring me to disobey.
“Why should I tell you anything, are you not a vampire slayer?”
“How did you know?” She asks me, clearly puzzled.
“You’re not the first one I’ve met, little girl.”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just call me that.”
“Buffy, I think there’s something wrong with Spike,” the younger one says.
Said creature of the night was shaking and ramming his head into the wall sporadically, a few tears making their way down his face. He was muttering, “I’m sorry” and “we have to get him back”. What are we supposed to do now?
“Hold on,” the slayer tells us. “There’s someone here,” she whispers, looking up. Before we can blink it seems she has gotten herself up to the second floor.
I give her a 9.7 for creativity. Amanda doesn't agree. I hear her mutter, "I can do that; showoff."
“Brooding?”
“It’s hard to say, ma’am.”
“Has he made any demands?”
“I think he’s waiting for our side to say something.”
“Fine. Keep me updated at all times. I want news about Lindsay, I want to know what’s going on in Las Vegas and make sure we have enough teams out to pick up junior and Mr. MacLeod. Not everyday a man can get away from me… us so fast.”
The man popped a tape into her VCR and stood back.
She turned up the volume of her television set.
[“There’s a little black cloud on the sun today… It’s the same old thing as yesterday…”]
After a few unbearably long minutes, Lilah shook her head and hit the mute button. “He’s really awful.”
“Yes we know ma’am.”
“What’s he singing?”
“Sting. The King of Pain.”
“Pain is right. Is there much more of this?”
“About 15 minutes.”
Lilah gave up and turned off the television. She turned to her two-way mirror to watch in real time.
“Are you still here?”
“No ma’am.”
MacLeod looks impressed and worried. The fight is swift, and surprising, but the vampire slayer’s winning without question. She’s got some years on the boy. She throws him off the balcony and the child falls on his feet. She jumps down after him and before he knows it he’s being expertly tied to a chair.
Looks like we’re no longer important.
The teenagers mouth is bleeding and he’s looking up at her with disgust.
“Who are you?” He asks, looking her up and down. He’s trying to get loose but the knots she made would stump the very best of boy scouts.
“And here I thought that was my line.”
“Why did you attack me?”
“You attacked him?” Squeals the brunette.
“For the record, he closed a door in my face and threw the first punch.” She placates her. They must be related.
The blond turns to the boy. “Why were you spying?” She asks him.
“I live here.”
“With Angel?” She asks, looking surprised.
“Angel’s not here.”
“I know that. Who are you?”
“Connor,” he said, like it was supposed to mean something. “Who are you?”
“Buffy,” the blond said, like it was supposed to mean something.
“And I’m Dawn, hi!” The younger girl says awkwardly, waving from behind her sister.
“Hey,” the boy replies. Now I’m curious.
The door to the appartment opened. This time Lilah did jump and clap, but only for a few moments.
“Thanks for escorting me boys. Still I think the tazers are a little much, don’t you?” He asks them, but they turn and leave. We lock eyes. “Ah, just wonderful. So… Where the hell is Lilah? I imagine she’s the one who set this whole thing up.”
“Yep. She’s the bitch behind the curtain. Or two-way mirror, as it were. And you're the one who got her that promotion too,” I shake my head at him. He had gotten out and now, he was back here. That sucks.
“So Angel. Haven’t seen you in a while; last time I did you made me a target for police brutality.”
“Yeah, that was fun, " I say, looking Lindsay up and down. "Still have that evil hand?"
"I missed you too sweetie,” he says but said hand flips me off. Was he always this funny? The man has great timing!
"I still can't beleive you're a closet hick…" I say to cover my chuckles.
"It's Stampede time in Calgary."
"How'd you end up that far north?"
"I drove, smart guy," he says. His heart's not into the retort, like he's suddenly exhausted.
The silence is heavy and I don't know what to say. I should keep it light. "I’m not a fan of the plaid but that hat... It's really snazzy. Love those rhinestones.”
“I was in the parade and why the hell am I even talking to you?"
“Shower’s through there.”
“Shut up.”
“I’m just saying you smell bad Lindsay, jeez, you don't have to spaz.”
Anne's now awake and pretending to be absorbed by a game of solitaire. She glances up and offers up a small smile. He walks right passed and casually sweeps her cards off the table. He really is funny...
She tries to lay a hand on Will again and I’ll have to draw my sword. He’s balled up in a corner and he’s useless. The kids are staring at us and Angelus is still stuck in that sterile hellhole.
“Is anyone going to say anything?”
“No.” I retort.
“Well, why in the heck is that guy tied up?” She asks, pointing to Mac.
“Why the hell is he?” I ask her about Connor.
“He was looking at us,” she says, and has the decency to look like she knew how lame that sounded.
“Okay sweeties, we’re not getting anywhere here,” Amanda jumps in.
“What do you propose?” I ask her, but the vampire cuts off her answer.
“Buffy, Slayer, I’m so sorry. Look, I know it’s the last thing you want to hear but it is so true. I don’t understand-“
“Don’t you dare, Spike! You will shut up or so help me God I will twist your head off with my bare hands.”
“Buffy!” The taller girl shouts, alarmed.
“Look, I don’t know what this is between you two, and I don’t care,” I tell them, “I’m getting him out tonight, and we need a plan.”
“Who are you getting out of where?” The boy asks. Why are there so many freaking people here? Blimey!
William answers: “Angel. We have to get to him.”
“You don’t know where he is,” he says confidently. Something is most certainly off about this boy.
The slayer and her sister advance on the suddenly struggling. “And you do?”
“No.”
“He’s lying,” Amanda pipes up.
“How about telling me something like how you know Angel?” The slayer asks me.
“You’re wasting time,” I try, but I know it’s futile. “I’m a friend.”
“No you’re not.” She says.
“Hey,” her sister nudges her. “You haven’t exactly been in his life lately, how do you know who his friends are?”
“I know who his friends are,” the boy intercedes. He sounds bitter, but he keeps staring at the young one.
“How do you know?”
“I live here, remember? Who are you?”
“I’m sort of his… Well, I’m his ex,” the slayer mumbled.
“Love of his life actually.” The tall one interceded.
“What?!” The boy that was tied up shouted, stopping his struggle.
“What? He has a soul and I don’t have to defend myself to you. I don’t know who you are.”
“I’m Connor. I’m…” he hesitates “his son. I’m his son.”
I would have started laughing along with the woman but he’s telling the truth. Wow. When was the last time I was truely shocked?"
