~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'I need a break.'
It was all Cordelia had been saying this morning and Spike growled and put his head down on Angel's desk. He hadn't healed completely yet, but, tired of the babying he was getting, Spike had made himself get up and move around. Unfortunately, as he didn't want to take on any of the demons who waited for him in the tunnels, he had to stay close to home, which meant, close to the ever active gob of Cordelia.
She was driving him nuts.
'Can't you just read one of your bloody magazines?'
She glared at him.
'What? And read about all the fabulous vacations every one else is taking? No thanks.'
'So, what? You're just going to sit here and mope?'
She didn't answer and instead walked over to the coffee machine and fiddled with the filter. Spike banged his head against the wood, wishing that his sire would turn up with some new Death defying problem. Or Doyle would have a vision, or Wesley would turn up and he could start annoying the Hell out of him.
Anything would do.
Hell, he'd even talk to one of Angel's odious clients.
Just let me get out of here!
Wesley walked to the door, saw Spike's face and turned swiftly on his heel.
Too late.
'Oi, Weasly, get your arse in here.'
Wesley sighed. His shoulders sagged and he turned back to Spike.
'I may be under Angel's employ now, but that doesn't mean you're my superior.'
'Touchy, Pet!' He grinned. 'And anyway, I wouldn't mind being above you.'
Wesley gaped for a moment whilst Spike winked, then closed his mouth.
'You really are...I haven't a word for what you are, but I shall find one.'
'Vampire, Pet. Usually works.'
Wesley looked at him and shook his head.
'But you don't exactly *do* vampire things.'
Spike morphed and Wesley stepped back, instant terror sweeping his face. It didn't matter that he knew Spike couldn't harm him. Spike gave the impression of being able to cause damage just by thinking about it. And the way Spike thought...
'Right,' said Wesley sharply, 'Is Angel around? I had a lady phone, not ten minutes ago. She seemed to require his services.'
Spike sat up straight and grinned wickedly. He was feeling a whole lot better now that he knew Weasly was still afraid of him. And the ex-Watcher had just provided him with the perfect opportunity to get away from the whining cow in the office.
He picked up the axe from under the desk, the one that Angel had annoyingly carved SID in the handle and got to his feet. Spike gestured to Wesley.
'Come on then, Pet. Let's go see what the Lady needs.'
Wesley raised his eyebrows alarmingly.
'Oh...I really don't think that...'
'What? You don't think I can do what King Pouf does?'
The demon hunter sighed.
'It's not that, Spike. Although...taking an axe to someone who is already upset may not be quite the right tactic.'
'Then what, Pet?'
Wesley sighed again.
'Why on Earth would you want to help anyone?'
Spike paused and hefted the axe from one hand to the other.
'Who said I did?'
'Spike?'
The blond vampire groaned and looked at the door. Angel stood there; a well packed grocery bag in his hands. Spike could smell the half demon as well, probably behind Angel's bulk. He swung the axe down to the floor and inclined his head, waiting for his lover's tirade.
'What are you doing up here?'
'Bugger all,' said Spike, 'I was bored shitless in bed.'
'You should be resting up. You'll heal quicker if you do.'
'Yeah, but I'll die from the boredom long before that.'
Angel shook his head.
'I thought you were playing on your game thingy.'
'Done it.'
'You have not,' came Doyle's voice from behind Angel. 'You definitely didn't finish Soul Reaver.'
'Too bloody right,' said Spike.
He hadn't enjoyed that game at all. Stupid bugger was trying to atone for his sins. He had to live with that. He didn't need to pretend.
Wesley coughed and they looked at him, whilst he gave a nervous smile.
'Spike and I were discussing a matter which arose.'
'What matter?' asked Angel.
'A Mrs. Pearson called - she was most agitated about her son's disappearance. It seems that he was frequenting a group of recreational vampires - something she'd found out after he'd left. And now there's no sign of him.'
'Missing persons?' suggested Doyle. 'Probably nothing we need to deal with at all.'
'Well she seems to think that several other boys have gone missing as well.'
'Runaways?'
'It's possible I suppose, it's certainly the opinion of the police,' said Wesley, 'But when Cordelia and I looked, it seemed that the boys had disappeared on consecutive days.'
'Some Bugger's taking them,' said Spike. 'How old are we talking? Virgin sacrifices?'
Wesley shook his head.
'They were all under twenty-one, but the youngest was eighteen. And at least three had girlfriends. I find it highly unlikely that...er...'
Angel half-smiled.
'It's okay Wesley, we know what you meant.'
'Quite.'
'How many have gone?'
Cordelia brought in the freshly printed sheet.
'Five. All from the same area of town. All members of the same club.'
Angel scanned down the list. All good looking, all from good homes, all way too normal to just disappear without trace. He sighed. The vampire thing though, that had to be a part of it. Maybe it wasn't as consensual as these police reports stated. Their investigation had questioned each member, but found nothing out of order. That is, as out of order as anything could be in a club where they drunk blood.
Angel could never understand that. Back in Sunnydale they'd all dealt with Ford and his vampire wannabes. He'd known Byron, seen the fascination with the romanticized nosferatu. Their perception of what it was to be a vampire had changed over the years, myths and legends dying out and being replaced by Anne Rice and her ilk. But despite the terrible reality that was his existence, they seemed to think immortality was worth it.
These kids...they didn't have a clue what they were playing with. Dungeons and Dragons this was not. Maybe it was some sex thing, the other attraction of his lifestyle. He remembered how he had been at their age - the only thing that ever passed his mind was getting his leg over. Oh and drinking...don't forget that. No innocent little virgin he. Perhaps these boys, suckered in by the horrible attraction of the club's promise had been used to fulfil a darker purpose.
He looked at Spike, knowing the same thoughts, if not the same feelings were passing through that unique mind. Spike shrugged and picked the axe back up, slinging it over his shoulder.
'I'll be getting my coat on then.'
'You don't have a coat.'
'Fine! I'm borrowing yours then.'
'It's too big on you.'
'Good job it's not your boxers then, Love, cause they're too tight!'
Angel followed the vampire down the stairs.
'Just because you've got a big ass.'
'Big arse! Cheeky Fucker! Course, you talk out of yours most of the time...'
The argument was lost as they entered Angel's living quarters.
Wesley sighed and turned to look at Doyle.
'Right then, I suppose you and I should go to the club?'
Doyle shrugged.
'Angel calls the shots, man, and I don't think he's all that keen on taking Spike there to Mrs...'
'Pearson.'
'Right. Anyway, let's just wait until he gets back up here. Okay?'
Cordelia huffed.
'Oh please! He's down there now with a very healthy and horny Spike. They haven't done it in days...'
'How did you...?' began Doyle, but Cordelia pushed on.
'...And you think they're going to find their coats like good little boys and come straight up here?'
'Well that was rather the idea,' said Wesley.
'Ten minutes before they show their asses again,' finished Cordelia, 'and I'm betting Angel has a hickey the size of a Four cheese Special.'
They looked at her and she grinned before sitting back down at her desk and reading through her magazine.
Wesley leant over to Doyle and spoke quietly.
'Is it just me, or are you worried about her obsessive interest in their private life?'
Doyle grinned and showed Wesley the whiskey bottle in his pocket.
'I don't think about it.'
Wesley looked towards the stairs.
'I don't know how you can't.'
'And I thought LA was the party town?'
They turned to the dark hared figure at the door. He grinned pleasantly at them and Cordelia leapt to her feet.
'Xander?'
The boy smiled and she hugged him excitedly as Doyle and Wesley noted up their chances of Chase snoggage had just gone down.
'God! It's like, so good to see you!'
'You too, Cordy.' He looked up at the men, 'And you two guys...nice to see you.'
He double taked Wesley.
'The Watcher's keeping an eye on souled up vampires now?'
Wesley blinked and then resumed his defensive pose.
'I am no longer with the Council Mr. Harris.'
'No? Not too thrilled with the Buffster's decision, huh?'
'On the contrary, I left the council to become...'
'They fired him and he works for Angel now,' said Cordelia. 'Now tell me why you're here? How is everyone? Did Giles manage to get that bear poop out of the carpet?'
Xander held his hand up.
'Slow down there. I think the answers were; the Initiative, hiding and I think Willow worked a spell on it.'
'Huh?'
'Apparently Miss Rosenburg performed a little magical stain removal,' offered Wesley, 'but who are the Initiative? And why would the Slayer be hiding from them?'
'There's this bunch of army guys who've been keeping a tab on the local demon population,' he began, 'and Buffy's been dating one. It seems they weren't too keen on having the Scooby Gang in on the secret.'
'Buffy's dating a soldier?'
Xander looked at her.
'You really *have* been away a while.'
'So,' said Doyle, who'd been listening carefully, 'you've run away to hide?'
'Not run away,' corrected Xander. He shrugged, 'More of a prudent way to keep my body in one piece.'
'So you ran to Buffy's ex-boyfriend?' asked Cordelia. 'The guy you nearly staked on,' she paused and raised her eyebrows at him, 'every occasion you saw him?'
'You think he'll still remember that?'
Doyle laughed.
'Well he's been fairly...forgiving, lately.'
Cordelia looked at Doyle, then to Wesley's uncomfortable face and then back at Xander.
'Oh that's right, you don't know.'
'Know what?'
They heard footsteps on the stairs.
'You can't walk into someone's home with a big axe and expect them to just ignore it.'
'I don't want them to ignore it, Pet. I want them to go "Argh! What a bloody great axe!" And wet their designer pants.'
'We're supposed to help them, Spike, not scare them further.'
Xander's mouth dropped open.
'Spike's here?'
The trio nodded.
He stared at them helplessly as the vampires came into view.
'You know, the army guys don't seem so bad after all.'
Spike saw the bewildered boy and grinned.
'Look Pet, the Slayer's boot boy's turned up.'
Angel locked gazes with the human.
'Xander? What are doing here?'
'Reliving the worst episodes of the twilight zone.'
He picked up his bag and started to back warily out of the door.
'Okay, I'll just be leaving now...and goodbye...'
Angel walked toward him.
'No look, it's okay.' He furrowed his brow. 'Why *are* you here?'
Xander didn't stop his retreat.
'It's okay? Everyone is sitting here like happy little bunnies whilst Spike...walks towards me with a great big axe!'
'Spike, put it down!'
'It worked! It bloody worked,' said Spike gleefully, putting the axe against the filing cabinet.
Xander backed up and hit the wall.
'He does what you ask?'
'Not usually,' admitted Angel, 'But he's not going to hurt you Xander.'
'Angel,' snarled Spike, 'Don't spoil my fun.'
'You're going to stop him?' Xander gasped as a thought occurred to him, 'You're evil again and you've changed everyone into vampires!'
Wesley and Doyle stepped very pointedly into the sunlight and Cordelia followed them after a moment. Xander looked from them back to Angel and saw Spike grinning like a loon in the background.
'Okay,' he breathed, 'Not vampires. But he is!' he yelled and pointed at Spike.
Angel looked at Cordelia.
'Why *is* he here?'
She waved her hands - psht
'Some soldier guys are trying to kill him.'
'Why?'
She shrugged, 'They like hunting down demons and the Scooby gang are like excess baggage.'
Spike snarled.
'It's those bastards who did me!'
'Huh?'
'Soldier boys? Hunting down demons and taking away their bite? How many of those do you think there are?'
Xander stared at him.
'You can't bite?'
'Or beat any humans up, isn't it great?' said Cordelia.
Xander blinked at Spike.
'He's harmless?'
'Oi!'
Angel nodded and he felt Xander relax a little.
Spike scowled at Angel.
'You're always doing that!'
'What? Making sure that people don't stake you accidentally?'
Spike growled and moved towards Doyle. The half demon saw the angry look on the vampire's face and decided that he still didn't want to know whether he was human enough to be free from harm. Spike reached toward him and he squeaked.
'Calm down, Irish, I was just after your whisky.'
Cordelia raised her eyebrows at Doyle.
'It's just for emergencies, I swear!'
'Yeah, right, Pet. Now pass it here.'
Doyle sighed and gave over the bottle. The vampire unscrewed the lid and chugged it back.
'Do you know how much damage...' began Cordelia, 'never mind.'
Xander uncurled himself from the wall and walked slowly toward Spike.
'If he kills me Buffy's going to be really pissed off.'
Spike snarled at the boy and grinned as he jumped.
'And you lot kept spoiling all my plans. How did that happen?'
He shook his head. And Xander prodded him.
'Hey!'
'Really Xander,' said Wesley, 'Spike is no longer a threat to humans. In fact,' said Wesley, 'He's been on the side, ha, ha, of the Angels for some time now.'
'Hey!' repeated Spike. 'I never said I was with the good guys.'
They all looked at him.
He sniffed and swigged back the remnants of the bottle.
'I just happen to want to kill some of the same people is all.'
Angel smiled lovingly and Cordelia, realizing what else Xander didn't know, grinned and offered him coffee.
'You don't have soda?'
She looked at him.
'No Xander, this place is for grown-ups.'
She guided him through to the coffee machine and Spike raised his arms threateningly as Xander walked past. He chuckled as the boy jumped and flung the empty bottle into the bin.
'That cost money, Spike,' moaned Doyle. 'You're gonna have to start buying your own drinkies soon.'
Spike just glared at him.
Wesley caught Angel's arm.
'Whatever reason Xander has for coming here, we do still have Mrs. Pearson to deal with.'
Angel nodded.
'Right, so...' he looked up at the others. 'Doyle, you and Wesley go to Mrs. Pearson, try and find out what you can. See if she can introduce you to the other parents. It seems less intrusive that way.'
He turned to Spike.
'I'm going to go investigate this club, The...?'
He looked at Wesley, who answered promptly.
'Club Ambrosia.'
Angel nodded grimly.
'Food of the Gods, right.'
He looked back at his lover.
'I don't want you out there.'
'Try and stop me,' said Spike and moved to get past him.
Angel grimaced and twisted the material across the slender back. Spike howled and dropped to the floor. He panted and looked up.
'That was bloody childish.'
'I know,' said Angel, offering his hand. 'But I can't be worrying about you as well.'
''Then don't fucking worry about me,' said Spike, standing up unaided.
'I can't help it,' murmured Angel.
He smiled then and Spike's anger died a little, knowing that Angel had done more than enough lately to prove that statement true. He didn't like being coddled, but his back was agony...
'Fine,' he sniffed, 'I'll stay and entertain the kiddies.'
Doyle and Wesley stared at each other a moment, before making their excuses.
Which left the two vampires.
Spike twitched and took his coat off.
'You can't wrap me in cotton wool, Love.'
'I know,' began Angel, 'And believe me, in a fight, there's no one else I'd rather have by my side. But you can't fight right now.'
Spike kicked the axe.
'I saw the carving, you know?'
'SID? Asked Angel with a grin.
'Yeah,' said Spike, 'Just so long as you never tell them wankers what it stands for.'
'I won't,' promised Angel.
He turned to go.
'When I get back...do you want to go and see that film?'
'Maybe Pet.' He grinned wearily, 'Maybe you can put some more of that lotion on my back.'
Angel chuckled.
'You liked that?'
'About as much as you like dark corners and self loathing.'
'Hey,' said Angel softly, 'I don't brood that much any more.'
'Sure, Peaches, tell me another one.'
'I don't,' said Angel and turned back to his lover. 'I've got better things to do.'
Spike looked into the fathomless eyes and cocked a grin.
'Duty. Lotion. Alabama Fudge cake.'
Angel chuckled.
'Do you ever think about anything other than food?'
Spike leant forward and bit his sire's lip, before sinking into a deep wet kiss. As Angel's tongue probed, he pushed at it, groaning as his lover's hips ground against his own. They stayed locked for almost a minute before Spike broke it.
Angel panted.
'Duty. Lotion. Alabama fudge.'
'Too fucking right mate,' Spike grinned.
*
'Did I just see that?' asked Xander, looking through the glass that separated the front office from Angel's station.
'See what?' asked Cordelia.
Xander shook his head.
'I think I must have gotten hit on the head.'
Cordelia leant past him and watched as Angel stepped away from Spike and walked toward the door. She looked at Xander's dazed expression and grinned.
'I don't see anything strange.'
He gawked at her.
'Spike and Angel were...biting each other?'
'Kissing'
'And you don't think that's strange.'
'Welcome to LA, Xander.'
She passed him a mug full of something she claimed was coffee and he sat down in Angel's chair. Spike walked in and smirked as Xander twitched.
'Spike? How come you didn't go with Angel?'
He sat on the desk and took off his lover's coat.
'He wouldn't let me go.'
Xander sputtered into his coffee.
'You are taking orders from Angel!'
'Am not!' Cordelia raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged. 'I got burnt, so I can't fight...yet.'
Xander threw his hands up.
'I'm lost. Buffy's dating someone whose friends want us dead...again. Anya left at the first sign of trouble...again. Cordy's a receptionist. Wesley works for Angel and you...you are...'
'Still dead, Pet?' mused Spike.
'Yes!' said Xander, 'No! That wasn't what I meant!'
'Well what did you mean?'
Xander took a deep breath.
'Gay...you and Angel...gay.'
Spike looked at Cordelia.
'Perceptive little bugger ain't he?'
Xander leant on the desk, his head in his hands.
'I'm cursed. It's gotta be. Yeah, cursed. That would explain the last three...no, that would explain my *whole* life.'
Spike shrugged and walked over to the monitor.
'Come on then Love, tell uncle Spike where this club is.'
Cordelia clicked on the address.
'There. I think I've seen it, it's next to 'Curl up and Dye'.'
'Your hairdresser's?'
She looked at him.
'Okay, fine, not your hairdresser's.' He looked at the screen 'Right, print that out, Pet.'
She hit the button before realizing she was obeying Spike.
'I'm not your slave, okay? You have to say please. Anyway, why do you want it? Angel said you couldn't go.'
Spike pulled the over sized duster back on.
'This club takes young blokes?'
'Yeah?'
The vampire grinned and grabbed Xander by the arm.
'Hey!'
'I say we go take them one!'
Cordelia shook her head.
'Angel's not going to be happy.'
'What about me, hello? Just walked out of a life-threatening situation! Not happy with the going with Spike thing.'
'Shut up,' said Spike to Xander, then let go as the boy started struggling.
'Look, Angel's going to ask questions, but I don't see him getting much out of them, Pet. What we need is an insider, someone we can follow when they kill him.'
'Kill him? Me?'
Xander got to his feet and picked his bag back up.
'I'm gonna go take my chances with Initiative.'
'Xander...wait,' said Cordelia, and caught him by the arm. 'Weird as it sounds, Spike might be right.'
'About killing me?'
She shook her head.
'About needing an insider. You've done it before - the swim team...and that was okay.'
He glared at her.
'I nearly became Fish Boy,' he shook his head, 'No, I'm not doing it.'
She sighed.
'Why did you come *here*?'
'To tell Angel what was going on back in Sunnydale, about Buffy's new boyfriend,' he half smiled, 'oh and about the bad stuff too.'
Spike snorted.
'You wanted to rub his nose in it.'
Xander shrugged.
'Well, maybe a little,' he shrugged, 'But this Initiative thing's got us all spooked.'
'But you wanted to talk to Angel, right?'
Xander nodded and Spike grinned at him.
'Well guess what, Peaches, Soul boy's at this club, and he's not going to be able to help you lot until he's cleared that up.'
'Oh no...' said Xander, closing his eyes.
'Oh yeah,' said Cordelia.
He opened them again.
'I don't have a choice here, do I?'
They shook their heads.
'Right, Okay, good, glad I'm clear on that then.'
He sighed.
'Okay Spike, take me to the slaughter.'
'Only in my dreams, Pet.'
*
I am in a car with a vampire.
No.
I got willingly in a car with a vampire.
Still not right.
I got willing in a car with Spike and he hasn't tried to bite me.
Yet.
Spike was routing through the glove box and trying to find something decent to play on the tape deck. He tossed out all of Angel's classical collection onto Xander's lap and scrabbled at the back, wondering if Angel had thrown out his 'Hard Metal' and hoped he wouldn't notice.
Nothing.
'He bloody has!'
'Has what!' asked Xander in a voice that was trying hard not be hysterical. Trying, but so far - D minus.
'Thrown my music away!'
Xander picked up the tape collection on his lap and looked at them. Amongst the Mozart and Beethoven, there was one labeled Leather and Lace, with no mention of Eine Kleine Nacht Musik anywhere.
'Is this it?' asked Xander, holding up the cassette.
'Yeah! Ta, Pet.'
Spike thrust the tape in the machine and immediately the speakers by Xander's ears leapt in to life, deafening him in one guitar riff.
'Do you have to play it so loud?'
Spike ignored him and Xander wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. His brain kept reminding his mouth that this vampire wasn't exactly known for his patience and to basically keep quiet, but Xander hadn't got where he was in life by thinking about what he said. And where had he got in life? Sitting in a car on the way to some human sacrifice with a gay vampire who played Hard Rock way too loud.
Okay, point made.
Mouth closing now.
He looked over at Spike. Xander couldn't quite get to grips with the idea of Spike on the side of good. Admittedly, the vampire hadn't claimed to be one of the virtuous, had in fact denied it vehemently, but he hadn't attacked Xander at all, and Cordelia and the others acted as though he was one of them. And there was that whole Angel in major smoochies with Spike thing.
Yeah.
Xander wasn't homophobic or anything. He was quite cool with guys walking out with...other guys. Look at Larry. Uptight fart until he came out and now he was quite the relaxed and groovy man. He'd always respected people's right to choose, and although he had that thing where he wondered if Larry was hot for him, the whole world could be gay for all Xander cared.
Hmmm
Well, make that all the males in the world could be gay. Women still held an attraction for the boy.
Spike was singing along with the music now, and, Xander was surprised to see, looking quite laid back and happy. He was fairly sure that all the vampires he'd known, Angel excluded, had only got those big smiles under three circumstances - killing, maiming and generally causing mayhem. But Spike was sitting in the car with him, going to do something which, whether he admitted it or not, was on the good side of the fight. And that was something Xander would have bet his...well, he didn't have much but he would have bet it, whatever it was, against it happening. Spike being the good guy that was.
That kiss...if he'd only known years ago that the way to get Angel to leave Buffy alone was to present him with a naked Spike he would have done it. Wrapped him in a big pink, no, strike that, black bow and said, 'There you are. One Spike to go!' and watched briefly as the pair skipped blissfully out of Sunnydale and away from the object of Xander's affection. Problem was that now, Xander just didn't feel that way about Buffy any more. Sure, he thought about her in that part of his brain labeled 'Never tell anyone fantasies', but they were buds, and he wasn't interested in risking that any more.
He wondered how she'd feel about Angel's new love interest.
He wondered if she even knew he dabbled that side of the track.
'Peaches?'
Xander shook his head.
'What?'
Spike chuckled and reached in his pocket for a smoke.
'You're either trying squeeze out a fart or you're thinking.'
'I didn't fart...I,' began Xander, wondering if asking Vampires about their sex lives was considered rude.
'Let me guess, Love,' grinned Spike, 'you were wondering about the pouf and me.'
Apparently not.
'It had...crossed my mind. Along with whether I'm going to get out of this car a corpse.'
Spike snorted and took a left.
'Look, Pet. Much as I'd like you and the rest of the Slayer's little team served up at a banquet with a nice bit of mint sauce, it isn't happening. I can't bite humans.'
'Well that's a relief,' said Xander, suddenly imagining being main course, 'I think.'
Spike nodded and looked at the print out Cordelia had given him. He didn't slow down whilst he looked at the paper and Xander was glad the street was relatively quiet. When Spike had his attention back on the road, Xander thought of something.
'You said the Initiative did something to you.'
'Yeah,' nodded Spike, 'They put some bloody chip in my head or something.'
'What does it do?'
Spike sniffed and pulled the car over to the curb, mounting it without any concern for Angel's newly acquired tyres.
'Every time I go to bite or kick the shit out of a human, I get these big steaming head aches.'
'Oh,' said Xander. 'That's got to be annoying.'
'Too bloody right,' said Spike, climbing out of the car and picking up the axe in the back seat. 'The number of times I've wanted to knock off that silly bint back at the office...Here it is.'
'What?'
'The club, Pet. Now come on, look appetizing.'
Xander climbed reluctantly out of the car and ran a hand through his tumbling brown hair. He looked up at the building - it didn't look like a vampire's hang out. At least, it didn't look like any of the vampire hang outs he'd been to. There was a hairdressers on one side and a seedy looking bar on the other. Now that place, Xander admitted, that place looked like a vamp hang out. The brightly painted door with the 'Everyone Welcome' sign, wasn't what he expected at all.
'Are they just the most polite blood suckers you've met or is it just me?'
'Just get in there.'
Xander pushed open the door, and instead of the gloomy reddish lighting he was expecting, had to blink at the ferocity of the lights. He paused before venturing towards the stairs, but as Spike prodded him with the butt end of the axe, he got his feet a moving.
'You don't have to push, okay?'
'Just go, Pet.'
'All right, I'm going!'
Spike looked at the pictures that lined the stairwell. Whatever he'd said earlier, Xander was right, vampires didn't tend to put fluffy prints along their walls. He'd had a picture of a cat once, but a few happy moments with a red pen and some black paint had changed it to something more appealing. Even Angel and his souled up spirit wasn't all that keen on these pretty pictures. Did this lot really want to be vampires?
They reached a similarly painted door and Xander hesitated before opening it.
'Why am I getting gingerbread house out of this whole thing?'
'Scared of the wicked witch, Pet?'
'No, I'm scared of vampires with Welcome Mats.'
Spike looked down. A home sweet home sign wasn't exactly what he'd been looking for.
He pushed past Xander and opened the door.
'Bugger me!'
The room beyond was decorated in similar pastels as above, sofas slung all along its length, draped with soft cushions and prints. There was a lemony smell to the air and Xander thought for a second that he was back at his grandmothers, so pleasantly bland was the décor. Then he saw the couple sitting in front of him with the syringes and the fantasy dissipated.
Spike looked around the room and noticed two things. There were about thirty or so people in the room, all of them male. Angel was standing at the bar, talking to a young guy who was giving off obvious signals. Spike couldn't blame him totally; Angel was a babe by anyone's definition. But seeing someone else trying to lay hands on his lover brought him dangerously close to game face.
Xander couldn't tear his eyes away from the couple in front of him. They drew blood from each other, kissing and groping as the intimate withdrawals were made. As the syringes grew full, they filled the crystalline glasses on the table and linked arms, drinking down the red liquid with little sighs and moans.
'Okay, now that is the grossest thing I've seen in a long while.'
'Nah,' said Spike, 'You haven't watched Wesley eat spaghetti.'
The host walked up to the dazed pair with an ingratiating smile.
'Welcome to Club Ambrosia. If you would like to follow me to the office, we can provide you with all the equipment you might require.'
'Equipment?' gagged Xander and Spike discreetly hooked the axe under his coat, cursing at the propriety that Angel had forced on him. He grabbed the boy's hand and winked at the owner.
'He's just a bit shy at this.'
'Shy? I'm not shy! I just don't want to...'
'...Feel like a newbie.'
The owner nodded and gestured towards his office. Spike pulled Xander along and hoped that the boy wouldn't struggle. He didn't want to have one of those agonizing headaches in here. Xander let the vampire pull him along and stared, unabashed at the nice, ordinary men who just happened to drink each other's blood.
Eww!
He was suddenly aware that he was holding Spike's hand and tried to let go, but the vampire's grip was too strong. Spike looked back at him and Xander gestured towards his wrist. The vampire sighed and let go, shrugging at the host as he opened the door to the office.
'Kids, huh?'
'Right,' said the Host. 'Can't live without them.'
*
'What can I say? Some guys come for the blood, some for the action and there's a guy over there,' pointed out Angel's new friend, 'who just comes for the late night TV.'
Angel laughed and sipped his drink. It was only water - he couldn't risk going vamp amongst this lot. He had too much to deal with first.
'So the guys who went missing? Did they all hang together...ah?'
'Mike.'
'Mike, right. So, did they?'
Mike shook his head, smiling inwardly at Angel's lean hips and broad shoulders. Didn't usually catch one in here *that* tasty. He looked back up to the vampire's face.
'Nah, they came here together, but once they were inside, they kind of mixed it up.'
'So they knew each other outside the club?'
Mike nodded.
'Pete, he was the one who came here most often, but the others soon followed. They were kind of young though. Larson was a bit wary of that.'
'Larson, the host?'
Mike nodded.
'Yeah, he's trying to create a nice atmosphere here and he thought they might rough it up. It's okay, I guess,' Mike shrugged, 'Most of the guys here are up for a little fun, but Pete was way into the blood scene.'
He leaned forward, breathing in Angel's musky scent. Oh, what I wouldn't give for a taste of this one!
'Larson told me that he only used the vampire thing to make the club sound more interesting. Personally, I'm not all that keen on wannabe blood suckers.'
'Me either,' admitted Angel. 'So...how many people come here to share blood?'
Mike looked around.
'Well, I'd say that we had about 70, maybe eighty members and a little under a third bring their syringes.'
'Pete and James Pearson among them?'
Mike nodded.
'Yeah, they were more keen on that than finding someone to take home. Then again, they didn't look old enough to *have* their own home.'
He laughed and Angel joined in. Mike wasn't a bad guy and, despite the knowledge that he was trying to get in Angel's pants, he'd seemed quite open. In fact, everyone he'd spoken to, including Larson, had seemed like nice people. A little camp maybe, but not the kind of people who'd kidnap young men. He turned back to Mike.
'So were they in here the day James disappeared?'
Mike nodded.
'They all came in together that day. Pete was acting all cocky. Said he had something big planned. That he'd be making it big time and he'd soon be lording it over all us losers.'
'Not a nice guy.'
'Not that day. When we heard that he and the other guys had gone missing, I can't say many people were sorry.'
'I bet,' said Angel. Then he spotted something. 'Would you excuse me?'
'Sure,' said Mike and looked where Angel was headed. Larson had just stepped out of the office with a nervous looking young man and a slightly older well-defined peroxide blond. Angel glared at the older man and Mike sighed. Never got *that* lucky.
Spike spotted his lover and grinned. Angel's scowl answered him and Spike wondered whether the vampire would admit to knowing him, or let Spike go on with his charade. Angel walked straight past him to Larson, casting a lascivious eye over his lover.
'So, Larson, I see I'm not the only one intrigued enough to come here today.'
'Indeed,' said the plump owner. 'Mr. Harris and Mr. Jennings are deciding whether Ambrosia is the venue for them.'
'Really?' said Angel huskily, turning his gaze to Spike, 'Perhaps you can show us all the bed chambers you told me about earlier?'
Xander stared at his feet, the contents of Larson's office freaking him out in ways he hadn't quite envisioned yet. He was vaguely aware that Angel had joined them and was acting like stud of the month. But he really didn't want to see that. He was still coming to terms with the knowledge that, within three hours, he'd left his home, come to LA and was now in some kind of Psycho gay bar, where Angel was arranging a threesome.
He looked up at Spike briefly to see the wicked grin etched across his face.
He didn't come here for the greater good, he told himself. He came here to shock me to death, so that he could feed from my corpse!
'Um, guys?' said Xander, 'I don't...'
'Know if the rooms are big enough, for three people.'
Larson laughed.
'On the contrary, we have certain bedchambers able to host an army, should that be your taste.'
Spike sniggered and Angel ran one hand up Spike's arm.
'I think three will be sufficient...tonight.'
Larson laughed in what Xander assumed to be a conspirational way. He felt as though the fat man was about two skips away from ruffling his hair and saying what a good boy he was. Xander didn't really care to find out what kind of boy Larson thought he was. Ironic though it seemed, he felt safer going into a locked room with the vampires than spending time in the bar with their host. Something about that jovial manner just didn't sit right.
Hey, thought Xander, I'm investigating, I'm making conclusions. Okay, that's good, that's kind of helpful even. So, okay, what conclusions have I come to? Larson is a big fat fart and his taste in sex toys scares the shit out of me. Okay, not exactly helpful to finding out what happened to Mrs. Pearson's son, but at least I've got an add on to 'Xander's list of terrifying things'. Oh, and you can also add on the scary that I'm actually choosing to go into a room with Spike and Angel.
Don't think the brain can actually cope with that one.
He was being edged towards the corridor at the back of the club. Larson leading the way and talking jovially about en suite televisions and various provisions by the bed available for an extra fee. Angel was making a good job of that stud role. He kept grinning in a way Xander hadn't seen in...well, ever. Perhaps Spike was having an effect on Dead Boy as well.
'And this is our King Suite,' said Larson, 'It is payable by the hour, rather than the night. This is, after all, not a hotel.'
He smiled and Angel withdrew his wallet.
'I'll take it for,' he turned and looked both Spike and Xander up and down, 'A couple of hours?'
Spike grinned.
'Three, Pet.'
Angel nodded and turned back to Larson.
'Three hours then.'
Larson took the money off the vampire and pointed to the side cupboard by the bed.
'There's some good stuff in there, but as I said, it is extra.'
Angel dropped a further twenty into Larson's outstretched palm.
'Okay, I'll just leave you gentlemen to your, ah, pleasure.'
The fat host gave Xander one more frank appraisal and hurried back into his club. Spike sat down on the bed and pulled a bottle of vodka out of the drawer. Xander loped reluctantly to the chair and sat down, hoping like mad that the remnants of his dignity would not be shed over a His and His Bedspread.
Angel locked the door and turned back to them both.
'What the Hell are you doing here!'
Spike just grinned and swigged from the bottle.
'Take it easy, Peaches. The kid and me came up with a better plan.'
He stuck out his tongue and Angel, despite the stupidity of the situation felt a stirring in his far too tight leather pants. Damn Spike and his bloody, irresistible charm. He doesn't have to do anything and I'm practically gagging for it. Okay, be calm, he said he had a plan. Doesn't sound likely though, his plans tend to be well thought out and then blown utterly, (blown...now there's a thought...stop, stop! No!) because he doesn't have a patient bone in his body. Ah and what a body...okay, stop, think, ask about the plan.
'What plan?'
Xander looked up from the floor and smiled uncomfortably at Angel.
'The one where I get to be a human sacrifice.'
'Oh that plan,' said Angel, 'now why didn't I think of that?'
Spike chuckled and Xander stood up.
'Okay, you've had your fun, and played how well can Xander humiliate himself and I'm done now. Had enough. So I'll just go, I'll leave you both to your little vampire sex games...or whatever.'
Angel shook his head.
'I'm sorry Xander, Spike shouldn't have brought you here.'
'Thank you,' said Xander, relieved, 'now about the going...'
'But he does have a point.'
Xander groaned.
'Does everything have to come to a point?'
'Well you sure as hell never do,' said Spike. 'I brought him along, Peaches, because he's the right age...'
'To stay alive, remember that!'
'...And he's the sort of cute assed virgin these guys go for.'
'I am not a virgin!' protested Xander.
They looked at him.
'Okay,' said Xander slowly, 'Not, I admit, something important here, but I don't want to be bait, guys. I'm done with being spare victim.'
'Buffy had you down as monster bribe, huh?'
Xander nodded.
'I just came here for a few days, without that whole people trying to kill me thing and look!'
The vampires looked at him.
'And okay, people aren't trying to kill me...yet.'
Spike passed the vodka over to Xander.
'Drink some of this mate. Peaches here isn't about to let anyone mark your shiny hide.'
Xander picked up the bottle and drank deeply.
'Haztafigl!'
Spike nodded.
'Good stuff, ain't it?'
Xander inclined his head. It was alcohol, all the same to him, and it had no effect...who was he trying to kid? He felt woozy after one glass and he'd just slurped...he looked at the bottle...okay, some, was a good word. Too much was probably more accurate. He had to go pee.
'Xander?' asked Angel. 'Are you okay?'
'Pee,' said Xander, 'I gotta, go...'
Spike gestured to the bathroom door.
'Take your time, Pet.'
Xander stumbled into the bathroom and locked the door.
Spike turned back to Angel, who shook his head.
'If this gets dangerous, you can't fight, and I don't know if I'll be able to save your ass.'
Spike snorted.
'You've seen this ass, right, Pet? There's no way in Hell you'd let anything happen to it!'
True, thought Angel, but he doesn't have to be so right all the time.
'Look, Love,' said Spike, 'pretty as you are, you're just a touch old for these boys tastes. Xander there is what they're after.'
'We don't know if they're after anything,' pointed out Angel. 'They seem above board.'
'Oh yeah? They didn't even ask Xander's age back there.'
'So?'
'Oh come on, Pet. This club has organized blood sharing which is,' he said, searching for a new bottle, 'an over twenty one activity.'
'Hmm,' said Angel, sitting down on the bed.
Spike knelt down in front of him and grinned.
'What?'
The blond vampire took a swig of the new bottle and leant forward, his lips a hairs breadth away from Angel's. Before he could kiss him, Angel pulled back a little, looking at the bathroom door.
'Xander's in there.'
Spike swallowed and grinned.
'Right, Pet, so let's not waste any time.'
Angel frowned and Spike ran his long fingers over the lines on his forehead, smoothing them out.
'We're here on business, Spike.'
'Right,' said the vampire and started to trail his hands down to the collar of Angel's sweater. Angel moaned quietly and tilted his head, unconsciously offering his neck to his childe. Spike grinned and bent his mouth to the veins.
'Will...we can't...'
Spike bit down hard and felt the skin part beneath his teeth.
'Xander...'
'...Can bloody join in if he wants, now just moan a lot and let old Spike take care of you.'
Angel giggled.
'I'm older than you.'
'Duh!'
Spike licked at the wound and moved his hands to Angel's belt. His nimble fingers unfastened it and he grinned as Angel leaned back. The warmth of the blood he'd tasted in his lover's neck was throbbing in him and he could feel the gentle pulse of Angel's cock beneath his fingers. He bit down again, feeling rather than hearing Angel moan, and as the blood seeped into his throat, he pulled the zipper down and freed the throbbing erection.
'Oh...Will...'
Spike growled against his sire's neck and drank more fiercely; aware that the hard cock in his hand was beating to the same rhythm as his sucking. When he felt Angel's hands creep to his shoulders, he drew away from the wound and sat back on his knees.
'Let's get some of those clothes off,' said Angel, with a grin he only used for sex.
Spike laughed and lifted his arms, letting Angel pull the black T-shirt from his body. Angel tossed it backwards onto the bed and stood up, lifting Spike and sitting him on the soft mattress, which was indeed, big enough for an army. As long as it was a small army, Spike thought, a small squad or something. But still, it's a big fucking bed.
He heard the soft swish of fabric, and when he looked, Angel's pants were round his ankles and there was a hard cock in his face. He looked up at Angel's strained face and thought how much he had changed since those precarious days when he'd first arrived.
'Bossy fucker aren't you?'
Angel laughed and urged his hips towards Spike's educated mouth.
'I paid for a full three hours, don't you think I want something other than Xander's use of toilet paper out of it?'
'Yeah, Pet? And here was me thinking you were after him for other stuff.'
'Xander? Nah, he doesn't have your...qualities.'
Spike grinned and licked the glistening tip of Angel's cock.
'And what qualities are those then?'
Angel moaned.
'That you don't shut up even when I have my cock in your mouth.'
Spike slid his mouth down the long length and then back off again, to Angel's twitching approval.
'Oh I bet Xander wouldn't be quiet either, Pet. He's got a big gob on him. Maybe that's why he and little Miss Blabbermouth back at the office got together.'
Angel curled his fingers in Spike's hair.
'Just suck me...please?'
Spike winked at him.
'Anything you say, Pet.'
He slipped his mouth over the head and started a teasing, flickering pattern with his tongue, feeling Angel twitch and buck as he hit a new sensitive spot. As Angel's hand tightened in his hair, the other slipped to the back of Spike's neck and pulled, wanting more, needing to be deeper. The blond head suckled and Angel hissed in pleasure as his cock disappeared down the welcoming throat, thrusting with abandon as the tongue still strayed over his shaft.
Bucking with a fury, Angel promised himself that he'd repay the favor, that he'd let Spike fuck him until the younger vampire had his fill. That he wanted to feel the slender body against his own, the touch of his lover's skin and oh...God, he's good at this...he's so...fucking...good and I...can't take much...more...
He yelled as he spilled deep in Spike's throat and thrust forward hard as the last of his orgasm left his body. Panting hard, he stroked his lover's hair as the throbbing left, offering a quite prayer to the Powers that Be, that he had this. Angel slid out of Spike's mouth with a final moan and nearly laughed at how good he felt.
Spike grinned.
'You're one noisy bugger when you cum!'
'Yeah,' panted Angel, 'You make me that way.'
'Sweet,' said Spike, 'Now how do you feel about...'
There was a noisy yell from the bathroom.
'Shit! Xander! I forgot about him!'
Spike stood up and rattled the bathroom door - it was locked.
'That was the idea, Pet.'
Angel tried to pull his pants back up with fingers that quivered. He couldn't do it - his body was still shuddering from climax. He gestured to Spike.
'Open the door!'
'It's locked.'
Xander yelled again.
'Break it!'
Spike grinned. They'd save the boy, break the door and Angel couldn't pull his pants up. Add in a bottle of vodka and a good shag and this went down on his 'greatest days ever' list.
'Hang on, Pet, we're coming!'
'That's not what I'm afraid of!' was the reply from behind the door. 'Get in here, now!'
Spike chuckled and broke the lock.
'Isn't he cute when he's afraid?'
*
After he'd finished using the facilities, Xander had washed his face in the sink.
This wasn't how he'd imagined the next few days would go.
He'd come to LA thinking he might tease Angel with Riley, maybe hang out with Cordy a bit, go see a movie or two and generally not have to think about how crappy his life was at the moment.
The Anya thing was starting to suck in a big way. She had Cordy's abruptness, but none of her perception. That he was getting regular sex with a pretty girl was a definite plus, and he did care about her, but it wasn't the passion he'd had with Cordelia, or the unrequited love he'd had for the Slayer. It wasn't even close to the longing he'd had for Willow. He couldn't define it, but he knew it wasn't as good as it could be.
If it had been, he would have run after her when she left Sunnydale this time.
But no, he'd come to LA and got involved in...ugh...he could hear Angel moaning...oh yeah, my life's just getting better and better.
And what about that boys and girls? Angel is having sex with Spike. Actually having sex and he's not losing his soul. How does that work exactly? Do they have to do some spell?
'Xander...'
Oh Shit! He called my name!
'...Can join us if he wants...'
Argh!
Xander leant forward over the sink and looked at his reflection in the mirror. Not too shabby was it? He knew he didn't have Angel's dark and handsome thing going on, or Spike's cocky English sexiness. He didn't have that, but didn't he have...something?
Angel screamed in what Xander understood was a pleasurable fashion and he winced. Not because there were two guys next door having sex, although...yeah, okay that did disturb him. But because that was Buffy's ex in there having sex, with a guy. A soulless bad guy, who frequently tried to kill them all, Angel included.
The world was screwy in LA too!
He bent down to the cupboard under the sink to find a towel to dry himself on. There was one at the side of the basin, but it had some stains on that Xander definitely recognized and had no intention of putting near his face. As he opened the cupboard, he cursed the lighting in this room and peered in.
There did seem to be something in there, although not the normal collection of bathroom cleaners that he was used to. He touched on something soft and fluffy and tried to pull it out. Damn, it was stuck on something, so he yanked again and when it came out, he yelled.
Lying on the floor, half out of a cupboard, was a corpse. His cry had been one of shock, as Xander had seen enough corpses in his lifetime to rival Quincy. He breathed out and ran over his mental checklist of problems with dead guys.
'Hang on Pet, we're coming.'
Well, except those dead guys.
Well, except when they're having sex.
'That's not what I'm afraid of!' he yelled, 'Get in here!'
Okay, so, if I bend down and examine the body what could happen? Oh yeah, first check, watch your neck, he could be a...
The corpse opened his eyes.
Vampire.
Okay, not good.
Spike broke through the door and looked at Xander.
'Vampire,' said Xander, pointing to the body on the floor, 'Lying in here waiting to kill me. I told you!'
Spike saw the fledge growl and attempt to sit up. He put his boot across the boy's chest and gestured to Angel.
'Fledge in here.'
'Got a stake?'
Spike shook his head. Then he grinned and gestured to Angel.
'Throw me SID.'
'I can't,' said Angel, a shiver in his voice, 'I can't seem to...my fingers feel numb.'
Spike snorted and gestured to Xander.
'Go over to my coat and get me the axe, there's a good Pet.'
Xander stared at the vampire on the floor, which was growling and trying to bite Spike's leg. He grasped at Xander and the boy jumped and hopped out of the door. He looked around for Spike's coat and saw Angel, standing there in all his glory; leather pants unceremoniously round his ankles. He saw the boy looking and shrugged.
'It's on the dresser,' said Angel.
'What?'
'Spike's coat, it's over there.'
'Oh. Right,' said Xander.
He looked at Angel, who'd managed to pull his pants up, but seemed to have trouble fastening them. Xander picked up the axe and was heading over to the bathroom as Angel joined him.
'You recognize this one, Pet?' asked Spike.
Angel looked down at the struggling vampire.
'I don't know...he looks young.'
He bent down and routed in the growling creature's pocket. He fished out a wallet and tossed it to Xander, who fumbled before catching it. The boy opened it and pulled out a string of photos and a driver's license.
'Roman Copeland.'
Spike rolled his eyes.
'Who comes up with these names?'
Angel took the axe off Xander and moved toward the vampire.
'He's one of them.'
With that, he raised it over his head and decapitated the unfortunate vampire.
Poof!
Xander looked down at his feet, which were now coated in ex-vampire.
'Lovely, yep, that's just what I wanted on my shoes.'
'Quit whining,' said Spike, 'You didn't die did you.'
Xander walked over to the bed and sat down.
'That's a little beside the point. I was supposed to come here and not deal with anything remotely likely to kill me.'
He glanced at Angel's incredulous face.
'Unless you went bad again. Then I was going to do the big heroic thing and stake you.'
Angel shook his head.
'Fine Xander.'
He looked at the remnants of the vampire. Not much, just a little gritty and easy to clean up.
'If he was a vampire, there's a pretty good chance that the others got turned too.'
'Well duh,' said Spike, 'The point is, are they hiding in everybody's bedroom or did we get picked special?'
'Well they loused up if they did,' said Xander. 'Strike one for vampire tactics.'
Angel and Spike stared at him.
'So sue me for forgetting that everyone here's a blood sucker.'
He looked at Spike.
'You on a pig blood diet now too?'
The blond growled and turned to Angel.
'Go on, just kill him, I'll do the rest.'
Angel laughed briefly and put the axe next to the wall. He fastened his pants and walked over to Xander, taking the wallet out of his hands. Xander was staring at the photos in the former guy's wallet.
'This guy was pretty sick.'
Spike sat down next to Xander and looked at the pictures.
'He's into blood sports.'
'That's not a sport I know,' said Xander, passing Spike one featuring a chicken, 'I've never done anything like that with an animal.'
Spike turned the picture one way and then the other.
'Me either, Pet. Some people are born sick. Others just get lucky.'
'Excuse me?'
Spike grinned and wiggled his eyebrows lasciviously in Angel's direction, but the dark vampire wasn't looking. Angel was examining a card in Roman's wallet.
'Either of you ever heard of a massage parlor called 'Breathe Deeply'?'
They shook their heads.
Angel sighed.
'Me either, and I thought I knew them all round here.'
Spike raised an amused eyebrow to the vampire and Xander merely blinked.
'Private Investigation tends to cover those areas, okay?'
'Whatever you say, Love.'
'It does,' protested Angel.
'So you think that someone's faking massage parlor cards?'
'No, but I do think it might be a cover for something else. Especially as the address,' he tossed the card to Spike, 'Is the same as this one.'
Spike turned the card over.
'There's a date on the back. The 23rd.'
Xander thought.
'That's tomorrow.'
Angel frowned.
'So I'm guessing, Roman and his friends got turned in here. Possibly by someone connected with this card.'
'Bravo for the *great* deductions, Pet. Anything more tangible?'
Angel shook his head.
'Roman was the last to disappear. Which means that the others could have left the club by now. But I get the feeling there's something bigger going on. If they'd left, Larson and the others would have noticed.'
'Oh yeah and Larson is such the nice guy, that he'd tell you some of his clients had started chomping on people without a handy syringe.'
'We need to check the other rooms,' said Angel, 'and we'll need to come back tomorrow. Something's going to go down and I wanna know what.'
Xander turned to Spike.
'Does he always get so Magnum about stuff.'
Spike nodded.
'Everything except the tache, Pet.'
Angel wasn't listening though.
'I could really use Wesley and Doyle right now.'
'Steady on, Pet. I like to be asked before orgies.'
Angel glared at him.
'You know what I meant.'
Spike was all innocence.
'How am I to know, Peaches. Ten minutes ago you were wondering about adding Xander to our little party.'
Xander gulped.
'That was just a joke, right?'
'I meant,' said Angel pointedly, 'That they look a lot more inconspicuous than either of us. They fit in here better. And we could use some help searching these rooms. If we ask again it's going to look suspicious.'
Spike and Xander exchanged glances, but Angel was staring hard at the card again.
'I should have brought that cell phone.'
'You don't know how to use it, Pet.'
'Maybe, but at least I could have tried to contact the others.'
He looked at them both.
'I wonder where they are.'
*
Mrs. Pearson had proved to be a very sweet, if slightly overbearing woman. She'd provided them with enough to eat to stuff even Doyle's voracious appetite. She had given them, after a fairly detailed family history, the addresses of the other parents involved and told them to mention her name. Doyle had felt quite sorry for the woman - she'd had James when she was in her thirties (what a difficult birth, but I'm sure your young ladies will have an easier time of it. The painkillers back then weren't as good, or as readily available. I'm sure it will be different for you when you start a family. But oh, my back ached and as for stitches...) and her husband had died a few years back. James was her only son and she ached to look after someone.
After finally bidding a somber adieu, they had visited a couple of the addresses she had given them. Not such a welcoming response there. The general opinions they had gathered had been of 'Good Riddance' and a door closed firmly on their faces. After trying this three times, Doyle had grown seriously in need of a drink.
'We could go to that club. Get a drink. See how Angel's faring up.'
'Well we could,' admitted Wesley, 'But these people practice vampirism as though it was fun.'
Doyle sighed.
'Look Wes, I'm beat and Spike stole my only relief...'
'Relief?'
Doyle mimed drinking and Wesley nodded.
'So I want a drink. I want to tell Angel that we couldn't get anyone else to say shit about these boys and I want to sit down. So let's just go.'
Wesley shrugged and got on his bike. He passed Doyle the helmet and the Irishman clung on for dear life, despite the knowledge that Wesley would stick firmly to the speed limit. It seemed an eternity before they arrived at the club and they looked around twice before entering, thrown by the décor and unobtrusive setting.
Within minutes of entering, and having seen off the portly owner, Doyle settled at the bar with a pint of something refreshing and alcoholic. Wesley joined him, the Englishman drinking down the beer in a surprisingly quick fashion. Doyle looked at him, saw the demon hunter growing more laid back and shrugged, before downing his own pint and ordering a fresh one.
Wesley looked around, surprised at the subtlety of the club.
'Maybe they do know something we don't,' he ventured.
'Hmm,' said Doyle, gazing into his pint. 'What was that?'
'These people,' said Wesley, then lowering his voice, 'the gay community.'
Doyle snorted.
'I don't think you have to be quiet about that in here!'
Wesley shrugged and picked up his drink again.
'Well perhaps, but we're not exactly here for pleasure, are we?'
'I guess not. Can't see Angel anywhere.'
'Angel?' asked the man along the bar from them, 'Tight ass, sexy grin and soulful eyes?'
'That's him,' replied the couple, before exchanging a glance and looking away quickly.
'He's here,' said the man, 'Went into a room with a couple of guys. One looked nervous as Hell.'
'Was one of them really mean looking, with bleached hair?'
The guy nodded.
'Yeah, you know them?'
Doyle shook his head maybe.
'I might do,' he sighed, 'Could be here some time.'
'Good point,' said Wesley, 'Let's have another.'
Doyle stared at the second empty glass on the bar and nodded, suddenly remembering he hadn't eaten today and that his head didn't usually get so woozy so quickly. Wesley didn't seem wobbly in the slightest.
'I mean...' continued Wesley from some unknown starting point, 'Take Angel and Spike.'
'Where?'
Wesley laughed and Doyle noticed that he was beginning to slur a little - not so sober then.
'Oh very good. No, I mean,' he paused and started playing with his beer mat. 'Before Spike turned up, they were both miserable.'
'I think Spike liked killing,' said Doyle, noticing what elegant hands Wesley had.
'Shhh,' said Wesley, 'In public.'
'Oh.'
He shhed.
'Is this better?'
Wesley giggled at Doyle's hushed tones.
'Oh yes, no one will suspect if you talk like that...'
Doyle shrugged and drank his pint.
'So you were saying?'
'About what?'
'Miserable vam...'
'Ah, oh yes; now I remember. Yes, before they were together they were both miserable and life threatening in some way or other.'
'And now?'
Wesley shrugged again.
'Happy people. Both working for the good of humanity. Easy to get along with,' he gestured. 'Happy!'
Doyle nodded slowly.
'And then there's us.'
'Us?' asked Wesley, looking at him suspiciously.
'You and me...trying to asked Cordy out and getting knocked back every time.'
Wesley was about to protest, then admitted to himself that Doyle was right and nodded grimly.
'She's not interested, is she?'
Doyle shrugged.
'I thought we might have been in with a chance. Well me, anyway. But she said she didn't want to date someone she works with.'
Wesley sighed and drank down the last of his pint. He was clearing them away with a vengeance and didn't feel like quitting yet.
'No chance in Hell,' he sighed again and ordered another round. 'And why should she want to be seen with me? I'm such a failure.'
Doyle blinked, wondering why his vision had gone blurry. It cleared suddenly and all he could focus on were Wesley's glasses. He had surprisingly clear eyes behind those lenses...and why was he even thinking about that?
'You're not a failure. Look at you. You came to LA to start over. And you have a job...a place to stay...'
'Getting kicked out Thursday,' said Wesley sadly, 'Can't afford it on my wages.'
'Ahh, I'm sorry man,' said Doyle.
He brightened.
'You could stay with me. Split the rent?'
Wesley looked at him and smiled.
'That's very...are you sure?'
'Yeah,' said Doyle, 'We'll pick your gear up on the way home.'
He thought for a second.
'Borrow Angel's car first.'
Wesley nodded, then something occurred to him and he snorted.
'You know Spike's going to be merciless about this.'
'About what?' asked Doyle, whilst the penny dropped.
'Oh,' said the half demon, 'That.'
'Yes,' answered Wesley, 'He'll say that since neither of us can win Cordelia's heart, we've turned to each other.'
Doyle giggled.
'Must be this place,' he murmured.
'Must be,' said Wesley, wondering why the whole prospect didn't seem so bad.
He didn't fall for men. He could quite honestly stand up in court and tell them that all his crushes had been on women. Wesley Windham Price might have gone to an all boys public school, but he hadn't indulged in the sexual practices some of his companions had explored. It wasn't that he was homophobic, although his father, that grizzly bear who existed amongst the demons in his mind, would have come down even harder on a son who walked both sides of the line.
But tonight, sitting in this pleasant bar surrounded by people at ease with their sexuality, it didn't seem such a terrible idea. Cordelia, a woman who had featured on an almost nightly basis in his dreams, was clearly uninterested, choosing mindless morons over both him and the jovial Doyle. Angel was as happy as he could be, fulfilling his role as defender of the innocent along with his vampire lover. They argued almost constantly, but Wesley knew, had in fact been told by Angel himself, that there was nothing to compare with waking up besides someone you loved, knowing they loved you back.
He looked at Doyle, seeing, perhaps for the first time how haunted he looked. He had gathered, from what had been hinted at, that Doyle was also trying to atone for past misdeeds. His agonizing headaches were both a curse and a chance for redemption for the half demon and Wesley knew how hard Doyle tried to do the latter. Wesley also knew that Cordelia had dated him for a short while, before deciding that she needed someone who had no idea what demons were.
He downed the fourth pint and nearly closed his eyes, he felt so...lightheaded.
Doyle looked around at the club, squinting in order to focus. He couldn't see anyone there. Maybe Wesley was right - maybe these guys were right. They were...God he felt drunk...getting on so well. Okay, maybe some of them had big syringes...what was it about blood drinking...Oh my head shouldn't feel this fuzzy...I shouldn't be this drunk...and why am I even thinking about being gay...?
'Wesley?'
'Mmm?'
'I think,' said Doyle carefully, 'that I may have drunk too much, cause even you look attractive.'
'I think the sign is when the bar staff start to look attractive,' murmured the demon hunter.
Doyle struggled to turn his head and stared at Larson.
'Nope, he still sucks, but...' he turned back to Wesley, 'you look...'
'Don't say anything Doyle...you'll regret it when I'm sober.'
Wesley hiccuped and then giggled. He was fairly sure that they had a reason for being here, but he couldn't think. His brain had gone to jelly and Doyle was right, he was a handsome chap and...Oh Doyle's mouth was twitching. Kissing twitching?
Uh Oh!
Doyle shrugged, or tried to and leaned forward.
'You know, you're really attractive, Wes.'
'Hmm? What was that, Doyle' said the demon hunter, wondering how soon he would fall off his chair.
Doyle sighed and then grinned - what the Hell!
'Call me Francis,' he said and kissed him.
It wasn't the most elegant kiss. The fact that they were both drunk had a fair bit to do with it, and their inexperience at kissing men must have contributed. But there was passion, dribbly, falling off your stool passion, but it was there and before he passed out completely, Wesley's hand brushed against Doyle's hair and the demon reached to stroke his face. And then...peace.
They lay on the floor, in a vaguely grinning, sleeping heap.
Larson stepped round and looked at them both. Mike put both glasses under the tap and rinsed them out, whilst the owner looked down at Wesley and Doyle with a critical eye.
'I don't know Mike, what do you think?'
Mike sighed and removed Wesley's glasses.
'I think she's going to say they're a little old.'
'Mid twenties? Something like that?'
Mike nodded.
'Well, Roman should be able to take care of those three in the bedroom. I'm betting she'll take them anyway. They did look her type and the youngest was the right age.'
Larson hefted Doyle over his shoulder while Mike carried Doyle.
'If she doesn't like them, they can always do as a first course.'
Now just *where* are you taking my friends?'
They spun round to see Angel and Spike standing in the hallway, a hefty axe carried in the blond's hands, Xander somewhere in the background.
Larson coughed.
'Well, see here, son. We don't like drunks on our property and this pair are like skunks, so we're just escorting them out.'
Angel grinned, but there was no cheer in that expression. It was one of business and Larson began to sweat. Spike walked forward, hefting the axe from one hand to the other as he walked and even Xander had a mean expression across his normally amiable face.
'I met your boy in there,' said Angel. 'He wasn't very nice, so I told him off.'
Larson put Doyle down gently across the bar.
'Now come on boys, this isn't your fight, there doesn't need to be any trouble.'
'On the contrary mate,' grinned Spike, 'I think you're well set up for trouble.'
'Who are you protecting?'
Mike laughed and dropped Wesley unceremoniously to the floor.
'Wrong question, pal. You should have asked, "who's protecting us?".'
The doors to the bedrooms opened behind Xander and the remainder of the missing men spilled into the room, vamped out and eager to feed. The boy jumped and clung to Spike briefly, before realizing what he was doing. Spike noticed and pushed Xander over to Angel.
'I'll handle these whelps,' he grinned, 'Don't you poufs know you have to be polite to your elders!'
He morphed and swung the axe from side to side, injuring and maiming in a way he found almost as therapeutic as sex. As he set about the fledglings, angel stormed towards Larson and grabbed the fat man by the throat.
'You're human,' he growled, 'So who's been turning these kids?'
Larson choked and tried to gasp for air, but Angel's grip didn't lessen.
'Who's doing this?'
'Uh, Angel,' said Xander, picking up a chair and trying to break it. 'I think that would be her.'
Angel turned to look where Xander was staring. Through the curtain stepped a vampire in a glamorous dress, high heels and an obviously male face. Angel had never thought women with big muscles were sexy and now he was sure that men with similar physiques shouldn't wear dresses either.
'Breathe,' grinned Mike, 'Meet Lunch.'
Angel stared at the man who'd chatted him up earlier.
'I don't do lunch,' said the vampire, and shifted to his demonic visage.
The vampire stepped toward them, fangs open and waiting to devour Xander and the others. Seeing that Angel was dealing with the human side of the problem and Spike was enjoying himself carving up the vampires who'd emerged to a very brutal fate, Xander snapped the leg off the chair and held it up to Breathe.
'So, er, Breathe,' began the boy, 'Where did you get a name like that anyway?'
The vampire rasped and lifted its neck, displaying a hole from which its voice box had been ripped.
'Ah,' said Xander, 'Silly me. I should have guessed.'
Breathe advanced on him and Xander looked quickly to Angel, seeing that he was coming, but not quickly enough. Breathe grasped for him and Xander stepped back too quickly, stumbling on the step. He tried to get up, but his ankle had twisted and the vampire leaned down, saliva sliding down its fangs.
'You know, I don't think I want to do this right now, so let's just...not.'
Breathe roared.
'Okay, in that case...'
As Breathe closed in for the bite, Xander flexed his grip and the vampire impaled itself on the chair leg. He closed his eyes as it exploded into dust and felt the greasy matter blow over his body. When he opened his eyes again, he was aware of calm, and Angel and Spike standing over him. He grinned gently and raised his eyes to meet theirs.
'Don't you go anywhere in this town, where they don't try and kill you?'
Angel smiled and shook his head.
'Not lately.'
Spike chuckled.
'Well, there was that burger joint...'
'It was laced with amphetamines, Spike.'
'Well yeah, but it wasn't going to kill us, Pet!'
*
'Are you sure you won't stay?' asked Cordelia. 'I mean, it would be nice to show you LA when...the bits that aren't so dangerous, anyway.'
Xander grinned at her, but shook his head.
'I think hiding out is far more dangerous than anything Riley's boys can throw at me. So I'm going with no...But I'll come back when you have a quiet day or something.'
Spike sat on the desk with his legs resting comfortably across Angel's lap.
'Pretty cool the way you handled that Vamp Queen, Pet. I liked your moves.'
Xander chuckled.
'Well Larson and his friend tried to tell the cops that a vampire had got rid of all the boys, but they found the kid's wallets piled up behind the club itself,' Xander grinned, 'I don't think your friend Kate believed them.'
'Yeah,' grinned Angel, 'Funny how those wallets got there, isn't it.'
He looked up at Spike, but the blond vampire just picked up the paper, where the story of Club Ambrosia had made headlines.
'They never get the real story, eh Love?'
'No,' admitted Angel. 'But what good would it do people to believe in the things we protect them from?'
Xander shrugged.
'Why did Breathe keep the club anyway? And Larson, seems like a meal in one body, that.'
'Seems Breathe was keeping Larson on to bring in fresh meat. Without a voice, he couldn't seduce or attack properly. He needed some way to be able to feed, and what better place than somewhere that deals in blood exchange anyway?'
Xander grossed out.
'That's seriously sick.'
Cordelia ticked off Mrs. Pearson in the client list.
'It's a real shame about her. Doyle said she was really nice. Who'd have thought anyone would want to be a vampire.'
Spike glared at her and even Angel glanced in her direction.
'What? It's not like you two approved.'
Angel shrugged and looked back at Xander.
'Glad you're keeping good, man. Good luck with that whole people trying to kill you thing.'
Xander half laughed and headed for the door.
'Yeah, I will. And you two,' he pointed at Spike and Angel, 'Don't make me have to stake you, okay?'
'Some fucking chance, Pet,' smirked Spike.
Angel grinned and waved the boy out, whilst Cordelia closed the door.
'I'm gonna miss him.'
'Yeah,' said Spike, 'It's always good to have monster bait around the place.'
He turned to Angel.
'Speaking of which, Peaches, where's Doyle and Wesley?'
Angel shrugged and pulled the vampire down onto his lap.
'They borrowed the car. I think Wesley's moving in with Doyle for a while.'
Spike laughed and Cordelia shot him an unamused look.
'Don't even say it, Spike.'
'What?'
'That even they're riding the roads you take?'
Spike put a hand over his heart, mock hurt across his face.
'Who, me, Pet? Wouldn't think of such a thing.'
Angel grinned.
'Good, cause I have a whole different plan for your thoughts.'
Spike lowered his mouth to Angel's.
'Gross. Can't you two do that elsewhere? Like when I'm away from here?'
She didn't get an answer, but Angel waved his hand for her to close the door behind her and Cordelia sighed and walked out. With the way Wesley and Doyle had been avoiding her after they'd come around and the worried looks they kept shooting each other, she wasn't sure she wanted to know what any of them were doing. She wondered if Wesley would keep the place tidier than Doyle did and made a mental not to go round to see the place after the demon hunter had been in there a week.
Angel moaned deeply and she closed the door and bolted it, wondering what she'd done to deserve such sexually predative employers. As Spike's voice joined in the groaning, she put her head down and closed her hands over her ears.
'Fuck me, pet, that's good!'
Why couldn't he go back to being a tortured soul?
'And how about this?'
Or just plain tortured?
Spike let out a near howl.
Anyone?
Please?
'Love it when you do that...'
Now?