Part 3

      It was early evening when the offices of Angel Investigations were rushed
by a group of commandos from the Initiative.  They were being led by Buffy
and Xander, just as Angel had predicted.  They broke into the offices, and
the apartment downstairs, fully expecting to find the fugitives and were
surprised to find that, not only were they not there, but it appeared as if
they had only been gone a short while.
      "Damn it, we must have just missed them," Xander swore.  "There was no way
that they could have driven all the way back to LA and packed up everything
unless they just left."  Riley spoke into his walkie talkie, asking for the
lookouts to keep an eye out for the renegades.
      "I still can't believe that Angel and Willow are together," Buffy
commented.  "I mean, it makes no sense.  What in the world does he see in
her?"
      "I don't know and right now, I'm more worried about what Spike has done to
make Anya want to be with him," Xander replied.
      "What makes you think he did anything to her?" Buffy asked.  "I mean, Anya
was a demon.  Maybe she decided that she just wanted to be with him."
      "Yeah, that's it.  Just like Angel decided he wanted to be with Willow,"
the teenagers shot back.
      "Hey," Riley shouted, "this isn't the time for a personal grudge match.  We
are supposed to be searching for any clues as to where the hostiles might
have gone.  Buffy, if they aren't here, do you know of any other place they
might be?"  The blonde Slayer shook her head.
      "Not a clue.  We've tried every place that I can think of," she answered.
"Maybe Giles would know.  We could call him."
      "Do it."  Riley ordered.  Buffy moved to Angel's phone and dialed the
Watcher's number.  She was surprised when she got his answering machine,
knowing that the Watcher never left his apartment. She expected him to be
sitting by the phone, waiting for word on the search for Willow and the
others.  She left a brief message, asking him to call her before hanging up.
      "Wonder where he is?"
      "Don't know," Xander replied.  "Maybe he went in search of them himself.  I
mean, he's probably angry with the two of them also.  He still hasn't fully
forgiven Angel for everything that happened junior year when he lost his
soul."
      "Good point.  I just hope that he doesn't do anything stupid."
      "Nah, this is Giles we're talking about.  He won't do anything without
telling us first."
 
 
 

      "This will definitely work as a good hideout for now," Angel said as he
took in the temporary headquarters that Giles had located for them while
they were hunting down the Initiative.  "Plenty of room to train."
      "Not to mention sleep, which is always a good thing," Cordelia stated,
stifling a yawn.  It had been 2 days since the escape from the Initiative
labs and none of the seven people had gotten any sleep.  Between contacting
their friends to help, making some tentative plans and trying to find a
place to hide, not to mention, packing up Angel's things, there hadn't been
time for anything more than a quick twenty minute nap for each of them.
      "I know you're tired, princess, we all are," Doyle said.  "We'll get some
sleep as soon as Giles' friends show up, I promise."  Cordelia smiled at her
boyfriend.  "When will they be getting here anyway?"
      "They should be here soon," the former Watcher answered.  Just as he said
that, a noise came from outside, causing everyone to stiffen.
      "Hello, is there anyone here?"  A voice called.  Giles instantly relaxed as
he recognized the owner of it.
      "Come on in Joe."  The seven people in the warehouse watched as another
group of five people entered it.  There were four men, one of which had a
noticeable limp, and a woman.  They were all extremely attractive and the
three couples wondered about them.  "Joe Dawson, you old bastard, how are
you doing?"
      "Be better after some shut eye," the man answered.
      "Wouldn't we all," Willow muttered, drawing attention to herself.  "Ummm,
sorry.  Didn't mean to actually say that out loud.  Kinda been a long time
since I've gotten a decent night's sleep."
      "Yes, ermmm, then why don't we get the introductions over with then," Giles
went to introduce both groups. "Joe, I would like you to meet some of my
former charges and their friends.  This is Willow and the man by her side is
Angel."  The red head and the vampire nodded towards him.  "That's Cordelia
and Doyle."  Again another nod.  "And, last but not least, Anya and Spike."
One last group of nods.
      "Who are the ones that had been captured by the Initiative?"
      "That would be us," Angel replied.
      "And us," added Spike, "while looking for the wanker."
      "Why exactly were they holding you anyway?"  Joe was curious about what his
old friend had gotten him into.  He knew about the Initiative and their
purpose and was wondering why the two couples had been captured.  They
didn't look like the type that the commandos went after.
      "There are a few things you should know about Spike and Angel, Joe."
Dawson looked at Giles, silently asking him to continue.  "They're
vampires."  A snort of laughter broke out among the four people that had
arrived with Joe.
      "Vampires," laughed the youngest one.  A boy who looked no older than
Willow and Anya.  "Yeah right.  Now I've heard everything."
      "Man, Joe.  You sure do know how to pick your friends," giggled the woman.
Joe just ignored the jibes being tossed his way, instead focusing on the two
men in question.
      "Vampires," he repeated.  "And yet you are helping them.  Why Rupert?"
      "I've known Angel for over three years now.  Over that time I have come to
consider him a friend."  Angel looked up at Giles in surprise over his
calling him a friend.  "He is different from other vampires because he was
given his soul by a band of gypsies.  He's helped te Slayer on numerous
occasion, even having dated her at one point, and I would trust him with my
life and I have on many occasions."
      "And Spike?"
      "Spike's a different story," Giles continued.  "He is one of Angel's
children.  Unlike his sire, he doesn't have a curse on his soul but, as much
as he hates to admit it, he isn't completely evil.  Certainly, he does still
kill an occasional human, but he isn't out to conquer the world and kill off
every human being.  He enjoys what we bring to the world.  He is also full
of human emotions, soul or no soul."
      "Makes me sound like a bloody softie," Spike whined.
      "But that's why I love you," Anya told him, placing a kiss on his cheek.
"Besides, it's not like I was always miss prim and proper.  No matter what
you have done as a vampire, you still don't even come close to me."
      "Joe, you can't really believe that those two men are vampires?"  One of
the men asked in an accented voice.  He was tall and had long brown hair
that was pulled back in a ponytail.  "I mean, vampires aren't real.  They're
just made up stories."
      "I'll show you made up mate," Spike growled, morphing into his game face.
The Immortals that had arrived with Joe all took an involuntary step back
from the blonde man.
      "Spike, behave," Angel ordered his childe, who quickly replaced his game
face with his human features.  Angel turned to the startled quartet.
"You'll have to forgive my childe.  He has a showmanship quality to him that
we try to discourage to no avail."
      "We're going to have to have a long talk, Rupert," Joe said to his friend.
"But, I guess since you've given your introductions, it's my turn now.
First I would like to present Duncan MacLeod of the Clan Macleod."  The man
with the ponytail nodded his head.  "Next to him is the ever beautiful
Amanda."
      "Beautiful is right," replied Doyle, earning himself a withering glare from
the brunette at his side.
      "And what am I?"   Cordelia asked angrily, not liking the way the half
demon was looking at the Immortal.
      "You, me darlin, are a work of art that no woman can be compared to," he
smoothly answered, earning himself a kiss.
      "Better."  Everyone smiled at the couple.
      "Well, now that relationship is back on track, let's get back to the
introductions.  The young man next to Amanda is Richie Ryan.  He's MacLeod's
student.  And next to him is Adam Pierson, a friend of theirs."  Joe wasn't
sure how Adam wanted the others to know him, as a Watcher or as an Immortal,
so he said nothing about the man's dual roles in life.
      "It's a pleasure to meet you," Giles said.  "Thank you for coming on such
short notice."
      "Trust me, the pleasure is all ours," Adam said.  "We've been searching for
information on the Initiative for the past month."
      "Why?"
      "They've captured a kinsman of mine by the name of Conner," Duncan stated.
"And I've been looking to get back at them ever since and, hopefully, rescue
him at the same time."
 

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