Part 4

 "They make it look so easy," Willow observed as she watched Duncan and
Ritchie spar.  She was standing by Cordelia and Amanda.  It was around nine
in the evening and everyone was slowly waking up after finally getting some
much needed sleep.  In fact, only Anya and Adam were the only ones sleeping
at this point.  Giles and Joe had gone to get everyone something to eat,
which included a trip to the local blood bank.  Angel ,Doyle and Spike had
gone to see what they could find out about the Initiative from some of their
contacts.  Angel also wanted to see about getting a computer for Willow so
that she could try and tap into the Initiative's records.
 "Duncan's just playing with him," Amanda noted.  "He doesn't want Ritchie
to get too discourage, but he doesn't want to go too easy with him either.
Each time they practice, Duncan uses more and more of his skill."
 "Do they do this often?" Cordelia asked.
 "Usually,:" the female Immortal answered.  "We all do.  Its how we train,
not to mention how we learn and teach."
 "Including you?"  Amanda nodded her head.
 "Yes, including me.  You have to know how to handle a sword when someone is
always coming after you, looking to take your head off.  It's the only way
you have to survive."  Amanda looked at the two teenage girls, surprised at
how easily they were accepting everything that they had found out about
Immortals, but realized that it should be easy for them to believe that
there were people out there that would live forever, or until someone took
their heads.  These two girls, along with their friends had been fighting
evil for well over three years.  In fact, Willow was now dating a vampire
that had tried to kill her two years ago, and Cordelia was dating a man that
was a half demon.  And Amanda didn't even want to think about the former
vengeance demon who was now dating Spike, the other vampire.  Amanda had
found herself respecting the younger girls for what they had been through.
 "So, if you don't mind me asking, just how old are you?" Willow inquired,
ignoring that glare that Cordelia shot her at the invasive question.  Amanda
just laughed at the red head's good natured inquiry.
 "Much older that you think, but I stopped counting after one thousand,"
Amanda told them.  "At least in single years.  Got to be a bit on the
depressing side, if you know what I mean."  The two girls stared in shock at
Amanda's statement, both thinking the same thing.  ‘A thousand years old and
she looks like that.  Talk about a plastic surgeon's worst nightmare.'
 "I bet you really have seen a lot then, haven't you," Cordelia said,
amazed.  "Where were you when I needed help with my history paper?"  Willow
and Amanda laughed.
 "Well, I've seen more than most people, but not as much as others, like you
for example.  I mean, I never even knew vampires were anything other than
myths that got passed down from one generation to the next, and yet the two
of you have been battling them since your sophomore year in high school.  I
only fight because it's me or them, but you fight to save the world.  That's
what I call courageous."
 "And coming from Amanda, that's some mighty high praise," Adam said, com-ing
from behind the girls.  "She very rarely passes out compliments, especially
to pretty girls."
 "Bite me, Methos," Amanda said sweetly, forgetting to use his other name
 "I believe we have two vampires that will be more than willing to do that
for me," he threw back at her.
 "Actually you have three, but whose counting," a deep voice said from above
the group.  Duncan and Ritchie stopped their sparring to look up at the new
arrivals.  There were three people, two men and a woman, all dressed in
black standing on the catwalk.
 "Who are you?" Duncan shouted up at the newcomers.
 "Names Lucien LaCroix and I'm looking for Doyle."
 "He's not here right now, but he told us to expect you," Cordelia said.
Just as she was about to ask the trio to join them on the floor, they were
already there, jumping from the catwalk and landing gracefully in front of
her.  "Cool."  LaCroix approached Cordelia and took her hand in his.
Raising it to his lips, he kissed it.
 "And to whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"
 "I'm Cordelia, Doyle's girlfriend," she stammered, blushing at the older
man's obvious flirtation.
 "Ahhh, for a demon, he has impeccable taste."  LaCroix turned to the oth-ers
in the room.  He looked closely at Amanda, Ritchie, Duncan and Adam,
recognizing that they were not completely mortal, and yet not demon either.
And Adam looked vaguely familiar to him somehow.  "Wherever are my manners.
Let me introduce you to my childre.  This is Jeannette and Nicholas."
 "Hello," said Nick.
 "Bon Jour," came Jeannette's greeting.
 "Hi," Cordelia returned.  "This is my friend Willow.  And these are some of
the other's that have come to help us.  Amanda, Adam, Duncan, and Ritchie."
Each person nodded their head in greeting as Cordelia said their names.
LaCroix walked over to Willow, staring into her green eyes.
 "You are a very powerful witch, are you not?" He asked her.
 "I don't know about the powerful part, but yes, I'm a witch," she an-swered.
 "And you are mated to a very powerful vampire."  Willow's eyes widened in
surprise at LaCroix's observation.  "What is his name?"
 "Angel."  LaCroix thought a moment, trying to place the name.
 "I don't recognize that name, and yet I have heard of almost all vampires
that are masters.  Has he ever gone by another name."  Cordelia and Willow
both started to look around the warehouse when LaCroix asked that question.
"He has.  And what name might that have been?"
 "Angelus," came Angel's voice from the doorway.  He and Spike quickly
walked over to where the group was standing, Angel taking Willow into his
arms and pulling her from LaCroix's hypnotic gaze.  The elder vampire just
grinned in amusement at him.
 "Ahhh, I've heard of you Angelus.  You made quite a name for yourself in
Europe.  You and your childe, Spike, I believe," LaCroix commented.  "But
you seemed to have disappeared about hundred years ago.  Many believed you
had met your fate finally at the hands of a Slayer."
 "Not bloody likely.  He would rather shag them than kill them," Spike
muttered.  The three new vampires looked intrigued by Spike's comment, but
didn't think it would be appropriate to inquire into what the blonde had
meant by that.
 "And you are?"  Nick asked.
 "I would be Spike," the younger vampire said, before turning to Willow.
"Red, where's Anya?"
 "Still asleep.  I think the whole Initiative, being human thing got to her
a bit more than she thought," the red head replied.  Spike nodded and went
to where he had left the former demon sleeping.
 "Being human thing?"  Nick asked.
 "Anya's a former vengeance demon," Willow explained.  Jeannette nodded her
head.
 "Ahh, Anyanka," she said.  "It has been awhile since I have seen her.  She
is human now?"
 "Yes, and it's a long story."
 "It seems that there are quite a few of them around here," Adam inquired,
again drawing LaCroix's attention.
 "I know you," the blonde vampire stated.  Adam suddenly began to look
uncomfortable under LaCroix's gaze.  Suddenly the vampire remembered where
he recognized the Immortal.  "You're Methos.  One of the Four Horsemen."
Willow, Cordelia and Angel all looked in shock at Methos.
 "Four Horsemen?  As in of the Apocalypse?"  Adam nodded his head.
 "It was a long time ago," he said.  "Things change."
 "Oh, this is just getting better and better," Duncan muttered.  "Now we
have five vampires, one of which knows Methos. Any other surprises?"
 "Well," Willow said sheepishly.
 

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