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Chapter 12

Spike wasn’t sure what possessed him to invite the brunette Slayer’s boy toy along.  Hell, the last time he’d seen Robin Wood for any length of time, he’d beaten the shit out of him – would have eaten him too, but didn’t want to give Rupert any leverage against him.  He’d since buried the hatchet with the Watcher; seemed only right for him to do the same with the other. 

Besides, having the human along could prove useful.  Especially since they still had several hours until nightfall. 

And, if he partook of a little harmless ribbing, well, he’d blame that on the fact that he was still evil…technically. 

“Don’t you think the boys upstairs are going to object to us nicking one of their rides?” 

Spike’s eyebrows rose upon seeing his sire’s evil leer.  Almost like he was happy… 

“Angelus?” he questioned softly, though prayed his suspicions were unfounded. 

When the elder vampire didn’t object to the moniker, Spike got worried. 

“It’s alright, Will.  ‘m still me.” 

“Then what’s with all the bloody smiles, it’s starting to really wig me out.  Gotten used to you being the broody one in the bunch.” 

“Mind your tongue, boy.”  There was no malice behind the low growl, which just confused Spike all the more.  He darted a quick glance towards the two occupants in the front seats, but neither Faith nor Wood were paying attention to their idle chatter, intent on their surroundings, searching for anything that might tip their hand towards Buffy’s whereabouts. 

“Willow bound my soul.” 

The words were spoken quietly, so quietly, in fact, that Spike almost didn’t hear them.  His gaze zeroed in on his sire’s, seeing the truth in his eyes – the chocolate brown bore no hint of the maniacal light that had been Angelus. 

“How?” 

“I don’t know…she just touched me.” 

“Well, Red’s been doin’ all right with the mojo… still think we might have to test that theory though.” 

At Angel’s incredulous look, Spike frowned. 

“With the cheerleader, ya poof!  Or, don’t you think the girl that’s been makin’ moon eyes at you these past few days could give you a happy?” 

“Cordelia?  Making moon eyes?” 

“Oh, yeah… you’ve still got it.  I swear… sometimes I think the soul’s affected your sense of smell.” 

“What are you doing smelling Cordelia’s…” 

“Arousal?” Spike offered helpfully, and grinned unrepentantly at his sire.  “Please… hell, even without the…” Spike pointed to his nose.  “… you could tell the bird had it bad for you.  Don’t you know her M.O.?  Girl blows through your dosh faster than you can give it to her… Didn’t you see the look on her face at the thought of going back to the Hyperion?” 

“Uh…” 

“Don’t be surprised if the little woman reveals her nesting instinct, is all ‘m sayin’.” 

Angel thought about that for a minute, finally leaning back in his seat, a smile once more transforming his features. 

“Oi!  Stop that!” 

“Stop what?”  Angel’s grin said he knew quite well what the blond was referring to. 

“That!” 

Angel laughed outright, causing Faith to swivel in her seat and look enquiringly at the two vampires in the back, protected by the treated glass on the SUV they’d liberated from the law firm. 

“Angel, you alright?” she asked. 

“No!  He’s not… make him stop,” Spike complained. 

Faith arched a brow. 

“Wanker’s got his soul anchored thanks to Red, and now he thinks he’s bloody Jack Dee.  It ain’t natural, I tell ya.” 

“Jack who?” she asked, then shook her head.  “Never mind.” 

Faith’s attention returned to Angel, brows furrowing at his continued joviality. 

“Spike’s right… quit smiling, Angel… it’s scary.”   

But she was smiling when she said it. 

“I don’t think we’re gonna have much luck finding Buffy until the sun sets,” Wood broke into the three’s humor.  “Police scanner’s not giving us anything… whatever happened last night… well, she’s probably long gone from here by now.” 

Much as Angel hated to admit it, Wood was right.  Better for them to return to the Hyperion and set up shop, maybe catch a few hours sleep.  By all accounts they were going to need it. 

“Make a right at the light,” Angel told him.  He could see Spike ready to argue with his decision and shook his head.  “He’s right.  Without your link to Buffy, we’re flying blind.  Besides, she’s probably sleeping right now.  We should be doing the same.” 

Spike didn’t like it, but he voiced no arguments as Wood followed Angel’s directions to the hotel.  The four had charged out of Wolfram & Hart in search of Buffy, three of them knowing that it would be almost impossible to find her without more hands-on effort by the two vampires in the back seat.  But, they’d needed to do something, anything not to dwell on the triple whammy they’d been delivered: Dawn’s death, Buffy’s disappearance, and Willow’s sacrifice to make things right. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

Wood got as close to the hotel entrance as possible so that Spike and Angel could leap out of the SUV and race towards the entrance without getting too singed.  They burst through the front doors, their emergence into the lobby barely causing a blip on the screen for the small group milling about.   

It was organized chaos as Cordelia oversaw the return of Angel Investigations. 

She finally looked up and noticed the two vampires standing just inside the front doors, her drill-sergeant like expression transforming into one of quiet understanding at seeing the Slayer absent from their side. 

“No luck?” she mouthed. 

Angel just shook his head as he walked over and leaned against the counter. 

“Spike and I are going to get a few hours sleep.  We’ll head out at dusk to try and track her down.” 

“All right.  Things are moving along here.  By the time you wake up, I should have a fresh supply of blood for you both, as well as radios and computers on line.”  Seeing Angel’s astonished expression, she added, “What?  You said to pack up.  Don’t think the senior partners are going to miss the stuff we swiped.  It was just collecting dust in a storage closet.” 

Angel couldn’t help it; he wrapped his hand around the back of Cordelia’s neck and kissed her hard and fast, leaving the former cheerleader wide-eyed and unsure what to do with her hands. 

Well, she was pretty sure what to do with them, but they had an audience.  And, as good as Angel’s lips felt on hers – finally – how his tongue took advantage of her slight gasp and slid inside her mouth, she didn’t fancy giving the others a show.  At least not more than they were currently witnessing. 

When Spike’s voice interrupted them, Cordelia didn’t know whether to thank the vamp or hit him.  She settled on giving him an evil glare to which he appeared oblivious, and she huffed and turned away from the pair, shooing the other off to work. 

“Cordy?” Angel called out from halfway up the stairs.  “Have Lorne get in touch with the Transuding Furies.  Have them do a sanctuary spell on the Hyperion.” 

“I’m on it!” Cordelia replied.  “Lorne!” 

~*~*~*~*~ 

“Come in, Will.” 

Spike hesitated outside his sire’s bedroom door.  Finally, reluctantly, he opened it and slipped inside. 

“Can’t sleep?” Angel asked, taking note of his grandchilde’s disheveled hair. 

“I…” Spike’s fingers found his hair again, running a shaky hand through it, disrupting the curls even more.  “I’m disturbing you… I’ll let you get some sleep.” 

Spike moved to escape his sire’s room, not even sure what had possessed him to come in the first place.  He forgot, however, how fast Angel could be – his palm flat against the door, keeping it shut, and Spike locked within. 

“Go lay down, Will,” Angel told him, shoving him in the direction of the bed when Spike just stood there.  He followed behind, watching as the younger vamp pulled off his boots and climbed on top of the covers, his duster having already been shed. 

Angel didn’t give himself time to think what he was doing, quickly joining his grandchilde on the bed. 

“You don’t have to—” 

“Spike, just shut up and go to sleep.  Wasn’t able to sleep anyway with all the tossing and turning you were doing next door.” 

Spike lay on his side, facing away from Angel.  Hiding the slight smile that twisted his lips.   

“Doesn’t mean I like you,” Spike mumbled, already half asleep, lulled by the scent of family – even if it wasn’t Buffy by his side. 

“Never thought you did, childe,” Angel answered softly.  He closed his eyes, and joined the other vamp in slumber. 

When Angel woke, later in the afternoon, he was alone. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

She’d drifted to sleep thoroughly gorged on the blood of innocents, her body nearly vibrating from the thrill of the hunt.  The exhilarating chase and eventual kill.  Only following the other two vampires into a temporary shelter of sorts – a townhome they’d gained entrance to, thanks to a handy little invite – when the sun threatened.  After killing off the remaining family members, she’d fallen, exhausted, into the nearest bed, the vampire, Drusilla, cooing beside her, murmuring words of praise, lulling her to sleep. 

Now, a cool hand was gliding up her leg, exposing her pale skin as the edge of her dress – recently acquired after a late night shopping excursion – was pushed up towards her waist.  She moaned happily thinking it her sire, rolling to her back; but when she opened her eyes and encountered the other vampire, Sam, her hand latched onto his throat and she threw him off of her.  He crashed into a wall, upsetting the trinkets lining one of the dressers so that they crashed to the hardwood floor. 

The noise woke a sleeping Drusilla who took in the scene and began to giggle. 

“Aww, did Daddy’s boy want to play?” she cooed, running a slim hand down the blonde’s arm.  “It’s alright, lovey.  Sam can make you feel real good.  I know.” 

Buffy growled and snapped at the vampiress, climbing from the bed and evading the female’s touch. 

“I belong to my sire,” she declared.  “No one else has the right to touch me.” 

“Someone needs to teach the bitch some manners,” Sam growled, gaining his feet and glaring at the blonde vampire eyeing him warily.  He turned and pinned the woman reclining on the bed with a look.  “I thought you said we were going to hurt Angel?” he complained.  “What better way than to take his latest toy?” 

Buffy growled.  

“You can try, but I wouldn’t recommend it,” she told the male.  “You might not walk away with your dick still attached.” 

“Bitch!”  

He moved to attack and Buffy fell into an easy defensive position.   

Drusilla knelt upon the mattress clapping her hands.  The two squaring off to fight one another wasn’t what she’d planned when she’d left Las Vegas behind.  She’d only been aware of the blonde’s reappearance here, that she was family.  When she’d felt the girl’s desire to hunt and kill rush over her, she’d wanted only to mold her, bring her into the fold.  Stealing the girl away from her sire and childe would repay them both for abandoning her.  With the former Slayer and her Daddy’s other childe, she could start a new family. 

Now with their fists and fangs poised and ready to attack, a new plot was taking shape.  If they killed each other, she could have both her Daddy and her Spike all to herself.  Such a naughty thought to be sure, but then, Spike had always called her his “Ripe Wicked Plum.”  She licked her lips and settled in to watch the two go at each other. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

Spike had been sitting with the others out in the lobby, a mug of blood in his hand while he waited for his sire to make an appearance downstairs.  They still had about an hour before sunset; so, even though he was antsy to be on the town looking for his mate, it wouldn’t really do him any good.   

Which was why he was downstairs  taking out his frustrations on the others.  His target right now: Nikki Wood’s son.  Though, from the looks he was getting from the Slayer, his fun was about to come to an end.  The girl looked ready to throttle him. 

She’d even stood up and started in his direction. 

He just reclined back against the cushion, smirking, before he took a gulp of his blood. 

And promptly spat it out, causing both the Slayer and Cordelia to nearly gag as the crimson fluid went flying out of his mouth. 

“Ewww… Spike!” Cordelia shouted.  “That’s disgusting!” 

Spike wasn’t paying any attention to her, however.  He’d been given a brief glimpse of Buffy, felt her defiance and fear through the claim before he was abruptly shut out again.  Surging to his feet, he bellowed for his sire, pleased to see the elder vamp rush out of his room and down the winding staircase. 

“What is it?” 

“Buffy.  I felt her… just for a second.  She’s in trouble.   We’ve got to go… Now!” 

Angel turned towards Faith, but she was already turning away to retrieve the scythe, not needing to be told.   

“I’ll bring the Suburban around,” Wood volunteered and slipped out of the hotel.  

“Did you get a feel for where she is?” Angel asked Spike, laying a hand on the younger vamp’s shoulder. 

“I don’t…” Spike began.  “The beach… maybe?” 

“That’s a lot of territory to cover,” Angel replied. 

“Perhaps a locator spell?” Giles interjected.  “It should be simple enough to perform.  Wesley and I can work on it and call you with any results.  We’ll just need something of Buffy’s.” 

Spike reluctantly reached into his duster pocket and pulled out a battered photo of his Slayer.   

“Will this work,” he asked of the watcher.  He hated to part with it; he’d carried the photo so long, it was like a part of him.  Spike hadn’t questioned his good fortune when he’d realized that the picture had survived his dusting unscathed, much like the rest of the clothes he’d worn to meet his end in the Hellmouth.  He’d nicked it on a lark just before they’d departed Revello Drive for the final time.   

Spike had spent many an hour staring at the Slayer’s face in the days following his reappearance in Angel’s office. 

“That should be fine,” Giles replied, taking the photograph of Buffy from Spike’s hand.  “Now go.  I’ll call you the second I know something.  And, Spike…?  Bring her back safely?” 

The blond nodded and turned away. 

“Cordelia?  I’m going to need a map… the more detailed, the better.”   

“On it!” Cordelia shouted, and was almost out of the room before she thought of something.  “Lorne, give Angel your cell phone!” 

Angel took the offered phone and started towards the door.  Spike and Faith were hot on his heels. 

Giles watched the three hurry from the hotel and sent up a silent prayer that they’d be able to find Buffy in time. 

“Wes… you’ve got the necessary spell book, I trust?” 

“Yes.  We can use my office.” 

“Good.  Then let’s get started.  Spike seems to think we don’t have a lot of time… and I’ve come to trust his instincts.”

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