Parts: 18 - 20
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Part 18.
“We should have gone out with them,” Willow said as she followed Cordelia and Lewis along a narrow corridor. The dark haired young woman glanced over her shoulder at her friend who clearly wandering along in a world of her own. “I mean they might need back up. Do you think we could catch up with them?”
Turning back to face Lewis as the young man stopped before the entrance to a room the seer shared with him a knowing smile. “They’re both grown vampires,” Cordelia answered. “I’m sure they can look after themselves.”
“But…” the redhead began to object only to be interrupted by Lewis announcing that they had arrived at the room they would be sharing.
“Don’t worry about the vampires,” he added. “Apart from the antagonism towards each other, which I’m guessing is the norm with those two I didn’t sense anything to be concerned about.”
“You sensed something?” Willow asked cautiously not entirely sure she understood. Lewis nodded and opened the door to the small room that his grandmother had made him set up from the two girls to stay in. He ushered Cordelia inside and waited while Willow followed before entering himself.
“I’m an empath,” he explained. “I can sense what other people, or in some cases demons, are feeling.”
Cordelia could feel herself smiling again. “Now that’s a cool trick,” she said. “And no pain involved either I’ll bet. I wonder if the PTB would let me swap the visions for it.”
Lewis shook his head and placed their bags down in-between the two bed that had been squeezed into the small back room. The room had originally been filled with his grandmother’s bits and pieces. Over by the wall there was a sewing machine and several boxes of supplies stacked near by. A table and the swivel chair that had been with it had also been moved to make room for the beds. When the young man next faced the brunette there was humour glinting in his eyes.
“Don’t go suggesting that to anyone,” he answered. “I don’t want your visions and you certainly don’t want my… gift. It’s not always that great knowing exactly what other people are feeling about you.”
“I’d still swap any day,” Cordelia answered. “It’s a hell of a lot easier to grow a thick skin than it is to develop an immunity to pain.”
Willow shrugged. “I don’t know, I think I can see where Lewis is coming from.” The redhead dropped onto one of the beds and bounced up and down lightly on the edge before sinking down into a laying position. “I don’t think I realised how tired I was,” she said with a yawn. As Cordelia watched the witch closed her eyes and seemed to relax.
“Hey, don’t drop off just yet. Willow!”
Green eyes flickered open before closing them again. “I wasn’t,” she muttered. “Just resting my eyes.”
“And this is the person that wanted to go running after Angel and Spike,” the seer said with a laugh.
“Maybe we should let her rest her eyes a while,” Lewis suggested. “I feel like drinking some coffee – what some?”
Cordelia dropped her handbag on the other bed. “Sure. Maybe I’ll bring back a cup from sleepy head later.”
They exited together, Cordelia carefully closing the door behind her in an effort to muffle the noise it made and went back along the passage they had just taken veering off through a door just before the one that would take them back into the living room. The seer knew that room would be empty now. Gadu had gone off to the shop to do whatever and Wesley had gone with her to have a general poke around as he always did when faced with anything that looked even remotely like it might be magical, expensive or over a hundred years old. Angel and Spike had gone out searching for information while it was still dark. The first stop Cordelia knew would be Caritas and after that then they would no doubt try out any of Spike’s old contacts that might be still lurking about the city. That idea almost made Cordelia snort laughter. It wasn’t that long ago that Spike’s little friends would have been trying to kill Angel and now they were expecting them to help him? Somehow it didn’t sound like it was going to gain them anything useful.
Still, she supposed that it was worth a try. After the vision that the PTB had given her earlier in the day anything seemed like it was worth a try. Cordelia dared not even imagine what would happen if Maria got her hands on the complete weapon. Even the thought of it happening made her shudder.
Sat at the table with Lewis staring at her with those intense yellow eyes Cordelia found herself feeling relatively reassured and safe. There was something so normal about the situation that it was alien to the young woman who had grown up surrounded by all the evils of a Hellmouth and now found herself working for a crime fighting vampire with a soul and experiencing visions whenever she turned around. Relaxing back against the chair Cordelia smiled at the man and sipped her coffee.
“So what’s the story with the witch and the vampire?”
Eyes wide and innocent Cordelia asked “Huh?”
“Willow and Spike.”
“I didn’t know there was a story,” she lied uncomfortably. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t noticed the fact that the blonde vampire had gone and got protective of the other Sunnydaler recently. Cordelia found she didn’t even want to think of the implications might be in relation to whatever he was feeling.
Lewis was smiling at her in a knowing way. “I’m an empath Cordelia. I know that you know something is going on. I’m just wondering if you know what that something is.”
“Okay so maybe I have been picking up on some weird behaviour from Spike recently but I don’t really know him so it might be completely normal. He is a psychotic vampire after all.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Don’t I? Seriously you didn’t know Spike before he got that chip thing in his head. He’s insane.”
“And yet you’re working with him now.”
“Not by choice. I guess Willow feels sorry for him now he’s all impotent or whatever so she’s, you know, decided to take pity on him.”
The man across from her laughed at that. “Maybe you’re right but I don’t think that is all there is to it and if it is then someone should definitely tell Spike about it.”
Cordelia raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You think he has the hots for Willow?”
He shrugged and made the action look smooth and fluidic. “I’m certainly picking something up off him.”
The seer thought about the idea of the witch and the vampire together and scrunched up her face. “I did catch them hugging earlier. I thought it was just Spike on this overprotective kick of his.”
“The question we should be asking,” Lewis suggested. “Is why exactly is a vampire who is reputed to be so very evil being so very protective of a human in the first place?”
“I sorta talked to him about that once already. He said that she was the only one who ever paid attention to him back in Sunnydale or something like that.” A strange expression spread over Cordelia’s face. “Buffy is going to have a fit!” she exclaimed.
“And Buffy is…” the young empath prompted.
“The slayer and Willow’s best friend.”
“Oh. That explains that. It seems that life in Sunnydale is more complicated than I ever imagined.”
Cordy sipped at the cooling coffee again. “Yup.” She paused for a moment. “Do you… Have you picked up on Willow knowing anything about Spike’s, um, feelings?”
“Not as far as I could tell.”
“Again that’s not good.” The young woman stood up. “I’m going to have a word with Willow. Can I get that drink for her?”
“Sure. Do you think it’s really a wise thing to do?”
From the mug rack Cordelia took a bright blue cup and poured some coffee from the pot that Lewis had made up into it and then refreshed her own. “Probably not but she has to know and it’s better that I tell her now then if she finds out later when its too late to do anything to redirect his attentions elsewhere.”
“And what if she decides that she doesn’t want to dissuade him?”
Startled she spun around. Cordy stood there for a couple of seconds with her mouth slightly open. “Well of course she would. I mean, this is Willow and, and, its Spike… I really doubt that she’d want anything to do with him.”
“Just don’t come to any conclusions too quickly.”
Cordelia nodded briefly and then headed out the door carrying the drinks on a tray.
When she entered the room Cordelia found that Willow was still fast asleep on the bed she had dropped down on. Cordelia quickly realised that the witch had not even stirred to remove her shoes or climb under the covers. Leaving the tray on the table by the wall the seer sat on the edge of the unoccupied bed and gently reached across to shake the redhead’s shoulder. “Willow?” she called, her voice cracking slightly the silence as it came out. The overall sound was weak leading Cordelia to cough and clear the frog from her throat before calling out again louder. Willow grunted in her sleep and rolled onto her back. Slowly green eyes flickered open.
“Wha’ is it?” she asked sleepily, stretching her arms above her head and pointing her toes.
“I got some coffee.”
“Oh okay.” Willow pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes to rid them of sleep. “What time is it?”
“About three.” Cordelia saw the other girl’s mouth opening to form a question. “And no, they’re not back yet. It has only been just over an hour. Are you still sure about waiting up until they return?”
Willow nodded. “The nap helped.”
The seer answered with a smile. “I wouldn’t mind one of those myself.”
“You can if you want, don’t let me keep you up.”
“No, no.” Cordelia edged further onto the bed until her back was pressed against the wall. “Don’t worry about it. I kinda wanted to talk anyway.”
“Anything the matter?”
“Maybe.”
The witch’s face contorted into a frown and she looked decidedly more alert. “What’s up?”
“There… may be a problem with Spike,” she said slowly then promptly watched a look of concern blanch Willow’s face. In that moment Cordy could almost guess exactly what was going through the redhead’s mind.
The redhead swallowed before asking, “Has anything happened to him?”
“No!” Cordelia explained quickly. “At least not that I know of.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Cordy ducked her head slightly and hid behind her hair in uncharacteristic embarrassment over what she knew she was going to have to say. “I think Spike has a crush on you,” she replied, keeping her eyes turned away from the redhead.
The pause that followed drew out in the room until the seer found herself looking up expectantly and meeting Willow’s eyes. They were wide in surprise, much as she had known they would be, and her friend’s mouth hung open slightly. “W-what?” she stuttered. “Actually, no, I don’t want to know. I heard you the first time.” Willow climbed to her feet and paced the few steps over to the other side of the room and then coming back. This pattern was repeated once or twice more as Cordelia waited, her face turned upwards watching the witch.
Finally a nervous laugh erupted from the redhead and she began to wring her hands in front of her stomach. “No he doesn’t,” she said sitting on the bed across from Cordy. “I mean, I’m not his type. For a start, I’m not insane!”
“How do you know that? Besides Droopy-Dru could have been a one off. They were family after all. Maybe there was some kind of weird bond thing going on that was keeping them together despite the fact she was around the bend and back again.”
Willow looked sceptical. “I wouldn’t let Spike hear you saying that if I was you.”
A small smile played on Cordelia’s lips. “I wasn’t planning on letting him.”
After glancing down for a moment the redhead looked into her friend’s eyes. “You really think that he’s starting to feel something?”
Cordelia nodded sincerely. “I’m just about certain.”
“I suppose that I should talk to him,” Willow said with a sigh.
“Probably.”
Willow shook her head mournfully. “Oh I am so not looking forward to that conversation.”
Biting her lip the seer narrowed her eyes. “I suppose I could always, you know, be there when you do,” she offered.
The young witch shook her head. “That’s probably not for the best.” She stood up again. “I think I’ll go wait for him to get back.”
“Okay. Um, Willow?” She called as the witch reached for the door handle.
“Um?”
Gesturing towards the cup the brunette said, “Your coffee.”
A grin appeared on her friend’s face and she reached for the drink. “Thanks Cordy.”
Part 19.
“I don’t see why I have to do this with you,” Spike snarled. His arms were folded firmly across his chest in stubborn denial that he was even walking about Los Angeles with his grandsire.
The grandsire in question inclined his head to stare at the younger vampire with a stern, if irritated expression on his face. “And just who would you have brought along instead? Or would you rather that you had stayed back at Gadu’s and I had come alone or brought one of the others in your place? Be serious Spike!”
“Option two sounds like a plan to me,” the blonde answered with a smirk. Angel groaned silently and wondered whether the younger vampire would ever change, preferably some time in the next two minutes. Instead of replying to Spike’s obvious taunt he turned to the building they were standing before and studied it.
“Do they still use the same room?” he asked.
“As far as I know, but then I’ve been a little out of the loop recently. Your ex’s G.I. Joe boy saw to that.”
“You seem to forget that I don’t like Riley either.”
Spike scowled. “It’s not the same thing.”
“I can’t say I’m sorry for what’s happened to you Spike. It’s a harsh way to go about it I suppose but in a way I’m also relieved that you’re no longer killing.”
“Shut up.”
Angel glanced aside at the angry expression on the blonde’s face. His hands were clenched tightly into fists and Angel could see the physical effort it was taking for the vampire to keep his arms clamped firmly to his sides. Their eyes met and the pain Spike was experiencing was all too evident, making his grandsire regret the fact that he had said anything at all.
“Shall we head inside?” he asked calmly, quickly changing the subject but knowing that neither had forgotten about what had been said. The blonde nodded his head shortly and reached for the door handle without saying a word.
They entered easily, knowing in advance that the only guards that they would meet would be present further along the corridor that they now walked along. There was an irritating, mechanical whirr breaking through the near anxious silence and causing both to look up sharply. Angel focused his brown eyes through the darkness on the camera that was position behind their heads and just above the door that they had just used. He could now see that several cables were leading from the frame of the door, up through the ceiling and no doubt to wherever the pictures the camera was recording were being sent. “Security has certainly improved since I was last here,” he muttered out of the side of his voice to Spike, keeping the noise as low as he could and only just audible to the other’s enhanced hearing.
“Microphones?” Spike whispered back.
“Maybe. The camera looks to be fairly standard but there seems to have been a few modifications.”
“Well aren’t you the technical know-all now?” the blonde teased. “You sound like Red or solider boy. Figure that there’s infra-red and heat seeking?”
“Definitely.” At the other end of the corridor there was a loud click and both spun around to see a heavy steel door swinging open. “I think we’ve just been invited in. Play it calm Spike.”
“When was the last time I didn’t?”
“Always,” Angel stated and marched off towards the now fully open door.
“Its not like it even matters,” Spike grumbled. “They know who we are. They’d be bloody stupid if they didn’t.”
Angel ignored the comment and tried to pick out shapes in the near perfect dark beyond the next door. He could almost pick out what appeared to be a desk and a chair but there was almost nothing else. As they passed through it the door swung shut and bright yellow lights flickered on overhead resulting in both vampire’s blinking rapidly to regain their sensitive vision.
“Place all weapons in the box on the desk,” a gruff voice said from behind them. Angel spun, coat flaring to find himself faced with a newborn vampire only just managing to restrain his game face from sliding forwards. The vampire towered over Angel and dwarfed his companion and seemed almost impossibly broad across his chest. A cold smile slipped over the dark vampire’s lips and he took a step towards the newborn.
“Now, who would be asking that?”
The newborn drew his arms up and only just managed to cross them before him. Muscles bulged beneath the black long sleeved shirt he was wearing. “I would,” he answered defiantly and looked down and into Angel’s eyes, trying to hold the elder vampire’s gaze.
A chuckling came from behind Angel’s back and an amused voice said, “I wouldn’t even consider that if I were you, mate. Angelus ‘ere could make you shove your own head up your arse.”
There was a flash of recognition in the newborn’s eyes. He looked over Angel’s shoulder at the smaller vampire and then again at the one immediately before him. “The owner’s of this establishment,” he began carefully, “Would be most grateful if you were to deposit any weapons that you may be carrying into the box on the desk behind you to be collected on leaving the building.” After a second he added nervously, “Sir.”
Angel nodded his approval and turned his back on the newborn knowing that Spike would watch him as he placed the few weapons he had brought along into the box. When Spike had done the same they both crossed through another door they were shown and entered into yet another section of the building that was more familiar to both. After walking up a staircase situated against one wall from a large, open and empty room they found themselves standing in another, slightly smaller than the previous and being stared at by many sets of eyes. Spike swaggered forth, pausing at the bar to order a drink while Angel hung back taking in the layout of the room and all the creatures within it.
The demons occupying the room were predominately vampires, with one or two other species scattered about. Here and there Angel spotted the odd human servant who stared back at him nervously, their eyes wide. More than one scurried away towards the side of the vampire that they served on meeting his gaze. Angel glanced over them, assessing how powerful each individual was and looking for any vampires that he recognised but finding none.
Spike appeared by his side shortly, a drink in hand for his grandsire understanding instinctively that they needed to present a united front to the crowd of people before them. Angel took the drink and sipped it to find that it appeared to be blood mixed with some sort of alcohol. After a second gulp Angel was willing to bet it was whiskey.
“Seems you’ve made quite an impression,” the shorter vampire said.
“Oh?”
“The bartender could hardly keep my order in his head because he was two busy being all panicky and glancing over at you every five seconds. I sort of doubt it was because of your traffic-stopping good looks.”
“Why Spike I didn’t know you cared,” Angel answered dryly.
The blonde scowled. “You wish.” Spike turned taking in the other occupants of the room. “I don’t see my contacts. They should be here.”
“None of then are here at all?” he replied surprised.
“Not one.”
“That has got to be bad news. We should stay and ask around anyway though.”
Spike nodded in agreement but something in his eyes told Angel that he had reservations about his grandsire’s suggestion. He moved away, dismissing the younger vampire’s thoughts. If there were something truly the matter, if there had been a change of power in the vampire community in Los Angeles, then he would have heard about it before now. From his earlier observations of the room Angel had already determined at which table the most influential occupants were seated. He now approached it carefully, slipping more fully into his ‘Angelus’ persona and hoping that Spike wouldn’t decide to undermine it.
On reaching the table Angel pushed another vampire from his chair and spun it around until he could sit on it backwards. Straddling the seat the dark vampire did his best Angelus smile.
“What do you want?” The vampire that had spoken was short even sitting down, dressed in a black leather vest with a spiked collar around his neck. Angel would have bet his soul that he was wearing leather trousers as well.
“Um, lets see, what does any vampire want out of life? Or should I say unlife, eh? Blood, sex, death, power…”
“Sounds about right to me,” Spike piped in grabbing another chair and sitting next to his grandsire.
Angel grinned, sipping his drink and keeping his eyes trained on the leather-clad vampire. At best bets he couldn’t be much more than eighty, maybe eighty-five years old at the most. “But I pretty much have all that already so I guess I’ll have to think of something else.”
The vampire was watching him with wide eyes now. By his side a young female that had been leaning on his shoulder was slowly edging away. Waving one hand in the air Spike said, “Ah-ah-ah princess, I wouldn’t be running off for help if I was you.” Angel could see the fledglings lower lip trembling as she eased herself back into the chair.
“I supposed you could say that I’ve been out of town for a little while and it seems some changes have been happening.” If a vampire could have paled Angel would have sworn that was what the one sat in front of him was doing.
“I… what do you mean?”
“Spike here tells me that there been a little change of ownership of this place since he was last around. That’s a change.”
“Yeah, what happened to ol’ Sam the Fang? Last time I was here he was running this joint,” Spike said.
“Sam was staked a few months ago,” the leather clad vampire answered, shifting uncomfortably on his chair. “They said he had a run in with some master who wanted access to part of his territory.”
“Did this master try to get a foothold in Sam’s businesses?” Angel asked.
The vampire shook his head. “Nah, she ain’t interested in stuff like that. Just came along, asked Sam for permission to take some of his lands and when he refused killed him. No one goes into that area of the city anymore unless they’ve got a death wish. She’s got her people all over the place and they stake any vamp that they see on sight.”
“Oh? And who is this new all powerful after-hours queen of the city? Do you actually know her name?”
Angel watched in fascination, as the vampire simultaneously seemed to develop a nervous twitch just below one eyes and reach for a pack of cigarettes on the table in front of him. “I don’t like to speak her name,” he answered eventually, staring accusingly at Spike as the blonde vampire reached for and picked up the packet of cigarettes before he had chance to reach them.
“The way I see it mate,” the blonde said. “She’s wherever the fuck she is and we’re here. Who do you think is going to be able to rip your throat out first?”
“Maria,” the vampire said quickly and was rewarded by Spike throwing the cigarettes back down on the table but not before taking one himself and lighting it.
Smiling Angel said, “Very good lad, now, as one last little non-repayable favour you’re going to tell us exactly where about Maria’s territory extends to.”
“She took the south sector of what used to be Sam’s and left the rest as a free for all for the rest of us.”
“You know where that is?” Angel asked looking at Spike. The younger vampire nodded his answer and Angel stood up, draining his drink as Spike did the same.
“We thank you most cordially for the information but I’m afraid we much now take our leave of you,” the dark vampire said.
“Y-you’re welcome,” the seated vampire said trying to smile.
Angel nodded to him and turned around and headed for the door with his grandchilde following closely after him. “I suppose I should have guessed that Maria was behind the change in power allotment,” he said once they were outside in the street again. “It explains why everyone has been so reluctant to speak to us everywhere else and why a lot of the vampires who used to be in charge seem to have been disappearing.”
Spike nodded. “She certainly seems to be setting herself up nice enough. It also explains the extra security we’ve seen. I bet there are half a dozen back doors to escape through in that place now.”
They walked in silence until reaching Angel’s car. “The question is what is it she wants with the land she’s been collecting up.”
“It’s virtually useless for hunting,” Spike told him climbing inside the car. He stared up at the sky through the darkened windows. “Dawn is coming mate. I’d suggest getting home if I was you.”
Agreeing Angel backed his car from the alley in which it was parked. “There isn’t time but I want to have a good look at the areas she’s been concentrating her activities on. It’ll probably have to be tomorrow night.”
“Got no complaints from me there, I’m looking forwards to having a good long sleep.”
Angel glanced aside at the younger vampire who had slipped down into a slumped position and had closed his eyes. “Not too long a sleep I hope,” he said. “No that we’ll have much chance to sleep before Wesley or one of the girl’s is banging on the door demanding details.” He waited in silence for a moment for an answer but none came. “Spike? Spike I know you’re not asleep.”
“No but I nearly was.”
“That I doubt.”
A sigh escaped the blonde vampire. “Why do I get the feeling you’re hinting at wanting to talk about something and I haven’t guessed what that something is yet?”
“Forget it Spike, I was just trying to make conversation.”
Spike laughed bitterly. “Whatever.”
The sun was peeping over the horizon by the time they arrived at Gadu’s shop. Parking behind the shop the two vampires raced to the back door with blankets draped over their heads as protection. Angel rapped sharply on the door, constantly aware of the rising sun behind him. It seemed to take forever before he heard the click of a lock being disengaged and the scrape of the bolt being drawn back. The rough wood door opened to reveal a cautious, tired looking Willow with large dark half moons under her eyes. She stepped back quickly making room for the two men to pass then pushed the door shut blocking out the natural light.
“Did we wake you?” Angel asked, concern filling his voice at the sight of her.
“No I was waiting up.”
“You didn’t have to do that pet,” Spike said handing her the blanket he had been using and smoothing his hair back into place.
Willow shrugged half-heartedly, her eyes lids drooping shut. “Felt like it.”
“Have Cordelia and Wesley gone to bed?” the dark vampire asked following her down the corridor.
“Yup. Lewis said you can have the room next to ours because it’s got really thick curtains and everything.” She gestured briefly in the direction of a door. “It’s that one there. Wesley’s in there at the moment but I doubt he’ll hear you come in.”
“Okay, are you going to go to bed now?”
“I want to have a word with Spike first.”
He nodded, one hand resting on the handle to the door. “Don’t be too long. You’ll make yourself ill if you don’t get some rest.”
“Yes Angel. Sleep tight.”
“Night, Willow.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Willow lead the way, the blanket he had been using hugged to her chest, until they emerged in the sitting room where she slumped down onto the couch. Slipping out of his duster Spike followed her example and sat next to the girl, dropping the coat over the arm of the couch. As he sat the redhead curled her legs up under herself and half turned to face him.
She gave him a weak smile. “Um, okay, I kind of want to have a word with you.”
“I’d guessed as much pet. Is there anything particularly the matter or is this a random chat?”
“No. I mean yes. I wouldn’t say that anything is really wrong just that we need to have a talk. That is Cordy thinks we should have a talk.”
He watched as discomfort seemed to seep through her and she shifted a little. “What’s preying on you mind luv and what on earth does the cheerleader have to do with it?”
Green eyes turned up to meet his curious blue ones and she said, very seriously, “We’re friends aren’t we?”
“I don’t have friends.”
Willow’s face became downcast and Spike could suddenly see her sympathy gland working over time. “You do have friends and you know it.”
“If you say so,” he answered, patting her knee.
“So we are friends?”
“After you put it that way then I guess so. If anyone is my friend then you are.”
Willow was staring at the hand rested on her knee. “If we’re friends then you can tell me anything right?”
After a moments consideration Spike nodded. “Have you got some big secret to tell me pet?”
“No!” she exclaimed far too quickly for Spike’s liking. “Actually I was thinking things might be the other way around. Maybe you had something to tell me.”
“You’re being even more cryptic than the poof can be now. I know you’re sleepy but try and keep it together long enough to tell me what the hell you’re going on about.”
She pouted slightly and a look of intense concentration flooded onto the girl’s features. For a second he couldn’t help thinking how adorable the witch looked then laughed at himself and dismissed the thought.
“Cordy told me that she thinks that, well, you know, actually you don’t, but you might kind of know…” She stopped taking a deep breath and turning her eyes away from his face. The witch’s short hair fell softly about her face but Spike could still detect the traces of a brilliant flush of embarrassment that had appeared. “Cordy said you might like me, as in like me like me, but I figure that’s stupid because you well, wouldn’t. I’m not your type.”
Spike stared at her and in his head tried to sort through what the girl had said and put it in some kind of an intelligible order. Finally, after he had thought it over for probably far too long the vampire exclaimed, “She said what?!”
“I knew you’d say that. It’s a stupid idea. I should never have thought about it enough to make myself want to talk about it to you.”
She’d turned away from him so that he could no longer even see the part of her hair that had been blocking her features and something about the action unsettled Spike. Something in him said that the witch shouldn’t be turning away, there was no reason for her to do so or at least he thought there was no reason. It was all just some big cosmic joke on them both wasn’t it?
Yet what if the cheerleader actually had something? Had he been acting differently towards her lately? Certainly not since he had come to Los Angeles but that didn’t mean there wasn’t something to notice anyway and the brunette seemed like a pretty observant person underneath that façade that she liked to keep up. No, if he had been acting differently towards Willow then it wasn’t since they had come to L.A. but since before any significant point he could remember and that could only spell trouble. He was surprised that no one had caught onto it in Sunnyhell. The ex-demon should have figured it out at least seeing as that seemed to be her forte.
Spike shook his head and realised he needed time to think. He couldn’t just blurt out anything one way or another to the witch because he wasn’t sure himself and besides, he thought feeling rather uneasy, he didn’t want to risk hurting the girl’s feelings.
He climbed to his feet abruptly startling her a little. “I think I need to get some rest pet and maybe you should do the same. Tomorrow I’ll have a few words with the cheerleader and try and find out what the hell is going on in her head.”
“Okay,” Willow answered and to Spike her voice sounded quiet and oddly nervous. He reached down and took hold of her chin and tilted her face up to him. There was something in the green of his eyes that made that uneasy feeling he had been harbouring only moments ago come rushing back.
“Don’t you worry about a thing luv… pet. You’ll feel better after a good night rest.”
She nodded but uncertainty was evident on her features. Damn it, the vampire thought. Why the hell did the cheerleader have to go and interfere now, just when everything had been all nice and comfortable for them?
Part 20
Gunn rang Angel’s mobile the next day to check that they were all still okay. He had driven by the hotel earlier in the morning and decided to check in on them all only to find the place a mess and everyone missing. When Angel and Spike were woken they concluded that Maria must have decided to make an attack on the Hyperion. They added that she would have been angered to find that they had all decided to move on. From what she had been told about the vampire, Cordelia just hoped that she hadn’t gone on too much of a killing spree. She hadn’t had any more visions so she was guessing that the master vampire hadn’t done anything too drastic.
The vampires woke late afternoon, about four o’clock, only an hour after Willow had managed to drag herself out of bed. From the looks on the faces of the redhead and Spike the talk that Willow had been planning to have with him hadn’t gone too well. Spike particularly had given Cordelia several vicious looks when he had stumbled out of bed and headed into the kitchen to make himself up some breakfast and had found the brunette quietly reading though a magazine. She knew that he was waiting to say something to her and it probably wouldn’t be pretty so she had stood and left the room to go and sit in the living room with Lewis feeling considerably safer from the bite of his tongue through there.
Willow hadn’t left their room until after the vampires had got up. She had said a brief hello to Angel and decided to go back to the bedroom before Spike also made an appearance. Thankfully, Cordelia concluded when thinking over what had happened, tall dark and brooding hadn’t realised that anything was wrong with his redheaded friend and instead begun to talk about what he and Spike had discovered the night before on their little jaunt into the city. What he said had left Cordelia feeling chilled.
“Maybe we should head out there before sundown and have a look,” she suggested, half hoping that they wouldn’t pick up on the idea.
“How do you mean?” Wesley replied. There were bags under the ex-watcher’s eyes but he was still alert and, it seemed, was listening to every word said much to Cordelia’s annoyance.
“Nothing.” At the curious look that appeared in the eyes of everyone present Cordelia sighed and said, “I suppose that I mean that as long as its daylight they won’t have anyone hanging the streets and we can get a good look at whatever it is they’re doing.”
Angel shook his head. “Philipson worked for them remember and he was human. We don’t know how many humans they may have working for them. It’s too dangerous.”
“I don’t know Angel,” Wesley interrupted. “I think she may have something. Between us I doubt that we would have any trouble dealing with a few humans. After all we are experienced with battling with demons and vampires that are considerably more troublesome.”
Cordelia watched the frown on the dark vampire’s face grow deeper and wished more than ever that she had kept her mouth shut. “Be careful,” he said finally. “Who do you want to take with you?”
“Whoever is willing to go. Willow would be useful,” the ex-watcher added after a moments thought. “If whatever they are doing involves magical energies then she would be the one most likely to sense them.”
“No,” the seer objected quickly. “She’s still too weak. She should rest some more.”
“Don’t you think that should be up to Red,” Spike said. He was watching her with that angry expression again that once again made Cordelia wonder exacting what had gone on after she had gone to bed the night before.
“Oh you know Wills,” she replied trying to sound as light hearted as possible. “She’d jump off a cliff if she thought it would help.”
“Spike’s right. It should be up to her,” Angel told them.
“Angel…”
“No Cordy, it’s up to her though ultimately I wish it wasn’t.”
She glanced back and forth between the two vampires and threw her hands up in the air. “Whatever, but I’m going too.” Cordy saw a look of irritation pass over Spike’s face that she couldn’t fathom. What on earth was his problem?
“If you have no objections then I believe that I too would like to go along.”
Cordy stared at Lewis knowing that it would be impossible to keep the surprise from her face. “You know you don’t have to,” she said quickly.
“I know.”
Wesley was shrugging. “I have no objections. Indeed your gift may prove useful.”
“I suppose that I should go and get Willow then,” she said climbing to her feet and stepping carefully past Spike who was still staring at her accusingly. As she entered the hallway she jumped, realising that the blonde vampire had followed her. “Yes? Was there something you wanted?”
“What the hell did you say to Willow last night?” he snapped.
“Huh?”
“Don’t like an idiot! You said something to her and she ended up thinking it was necessary to come and natter at me.”
“Oh! I only told her what I thought and I’m not the only one either.”
“Well I don’t,” he said sorting hastily through pockets and eventually coming out with a cigarette. After lighting it he leaned against the wall and turned to her with stormy eyes. “I don’t.”
“You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself of that,” the seer replied before thinking. “So don’t get pissy with me. Sort it out for yourself.” Turning she hurried away down the corridor leaving him stood there with a blank expression.
When she entered the room Willow was sat on the bed, papers spread out around her on the quilt. There was a look of intense concentration on her face that paled only a little when she glanced up and smiled at Cordelia.
“What you doing?” the seer asked not moving from her spot in the doorway.
“Looking for where I went wrong,” the redhead answered. “I mean it has to be in here somewhere.”
“I guess,” was her unsure reply. “Lewis, Wesley and I are headed out to investigate a tip that Angel was able to get us. We were wondering whether you wanted to go with us.”
“Now?”
“Yup.”
The witch turned back and to look at the papers before her almost longingly. “I-I guess I could.”
“Only if you’re feeling up to it of course,” Cordelia added quickly as she saw reluctance flood through the girl again. Willow seemed to shake herself and looked up into the seer’s eyes.
“No, no. I have to get out,” she said, uncurling her legs and standing. “Perhaps if I’m out for a few hours then I’ll be able to look on these with a fresh eye. Maybe I’ll be able to catch something I missed then.”
Cordelia waited while the witch readied herself. She changed into fresh clothes, and pulled on her jacket before placing a few things into a rucksack – among which the brunette noticed a stake and a bottle of holy water. It almost made Cordelia smile to think that even in the day Willow wouldn’t be caught without a trusty stake. It’s a habit from being a Sunnydaler, she thought to herself. Nowhere else was there probably another young woman who thought to carry a stake around with them even during the daytime. “We’re supernatural girl scouts,” she added.
“What?” Willow asked turning and hefting the small pack onto her shoulders.
The seer jumped a little having not realised that she had spoken aloud. She smiled, shaking her head at the same time. “Nothing.”
They left the room together, Willow marching ahead while Cordelia followed up behind. After pausing by the living room to collect Wesley and Lewis and for Willow to exchange a few uncomfortable glances with Spike they headed to Spike’s car. He had insisted that they borrow it suggesting that it would be safer in case someone recognised Angel’s convertible. Wesley seemed uncomfortable in the car, he sniffed turning his nose up at the smell of the cigarettes and insisted that all the windows be rolled down to try and clear away the lingering smoke. Willow sat by him in the passenger seat, staring out of the partially blacked out window and paying little attention to the conversation in the car. Cordelia found herself left in the back of the car with Lewis who fortunately seemed happy enough to make conversation where the others seemed to lack the will to do so and so she was left with the unbearable silence that had threatened.
It was Lewis who gave them directions to the area that Angel had mentioned, as he seemed to know it better than they. The area of the city that he led them to was unknown to Cordelia who tried to politely stare out of the windows to take in the route they took and it make conversation with the empath at the same time. She noted that the landscape seemed to be consistently industrial, with factory like buildings towering at both sides of the roads they travelled and compounds fenced off from the rest. The main traffic were large trucks that trundled past at slow speed and seemed indignant to their presence this far from the normally travelled routes. Wesley kept on driving though he seemed nervous of the larger vehicles. As they went the area grew more and more sparse, the buildings set further and further apart until Cordelia wondered whether they were going to end up at the other side of civilisation before stopping.
“This is the area that Angel mentioned,” Lewis said finally leaning forwards towards the front seats and peering out of the windscreen. “I guess I hadn’t realised how far out we would be travelling,” he added, concern touching his voice slightly.
“It is kinda out of what we would normally consider hunting grounds,” Cordelia affirmed as Wesley pulled up to the curb.
In the front Willow shook her head turning slightly to face them. “Spike always used to keep to the warehouse district of Sunnydale. He once told me that it was easier to keep out of the slayer’s way there. Maybe the vampires around here feel that they’re less likely to attract the attention of Angel Investigations if they keep out of the way. They’ll probably just move further into the city to hunt.”
Slowly Cordelia nodded. “We do have our hands full with patrolling the populated city area. There’s not enough time to head out this far so we wouldn’t have heard of a nest this way out.” As she watched the seer saw doubt in the corner of the redhead’s eye but neither said anything to contradict the other.
“You know a slayer?” Lewis suddenly blurted out causing them all to face him.
“You didn’t know?” Cordelia answered. “Didn’t Gadu tell you that?”
“No. It didn’t enter my head either seeing as you all seem to work with vampires.”
“Me and Cordy grew up in the same town as a slayer. We helped out whenever we could. That’s how we got into the whole evil fighting business in the first place,” Willow told him casually. “Wesley here was a watcher before he went renegade and started doing the real work involved in fighting and not just sitting on his ass waiting for a slayer to take care of the problem.”
“I say, that was a little harsh,” the British man objected. When both women turned to stare at him he admitted, “If unfortunately accurate.”
Shaking his head in wonder Lewis leaned back in his seat. “There are some things that being an empath just can’t tell you,” he said with a small smile. “So where do you want to start looking?”
“We could split up and head off in different directions. That way we’ll cover more ground,” Willow offered.
Smiling Cordelia replied, “I do believe that’s Scooby thinking. It’s a good idea though.”
“Great. I’ll go with Lewis and you can take Wesley. Meet back here in an hour?”
“What about weapons?” Wesley asked marginally uncomfortable with the idea of Willow heading off on her own with a man that they had only recently met but well aware that the look in her eyes meant that their would be no room for discussion.
“Spike’s trunk is full of them,” the witch replied opening the door and climbing out into the brilliant sunlight. “You’ll need the keys to open it.”
Turning in his seat Wesley looked at the other two occupants of the car. “She’s very gung-ho about this isn’t she?”
“I think things have changed a bit with the Sunnydale crew since we left,” Cordelia offered.
“I got a very distracted feeling off her,” Lewis added quietly. “I don’t think her mind is really on this.”
“Keep a close eye on her then,” Cordelia said moving to climb out of the car and keeping her voice quiet. “Spike and Angel will kill us if anything happens to her.”
“You don’t need to tell me twice,” the empath answered.
Willow was perched on the trunk of the car, the light jacket she had been wearing laid on it next to her leaving Cordelia hoping that the other girl had remembered sunscreen. As they all rounded the car to stand near the trunk the witch hoped off and made way for Wesley to struggle with the lock.
“Doesn’t Spike ever worry about getting pulled over?” Cordy asked as the ex-watcher finally got the truck open to reveal a well cared for crossbow sat on top of two bags. As Willow opened one of the bags and pushed aside some of the contents the seer cried out, “Oh my god! Are those railroad spikes?”
Willow nodded grimly. “The way Spike drives no one would ever catch up to him to pull him over.” She passed stakes to each of the people present and then added bottles of holy water. “There’s also an axe for anyone who wants it and a mini crossbow.”
“I call crossbow,” Cordelia answered reaching past her friend to grab it. “Now why doesn’t Angel have anything cute like this?” she asked inspecting the mechanism and trying out while there was no bolt. “It’s purse size!”
“I think the axe would be slightly impractical,” Wesley said. “We’re going to have enough trouble explaining the rest of the equipment if the authorities decide to question us let alone something that size.”
“You’re right,” Lewis answered with a grin. “There aren’t exactly any redwoods around here are there? I think I’ll stick with the stake.”
“Is that a knife?” Cordelia found herself asking as the object Willow had been making to hide under her jacket glinted in the sun.
“Just in case,” the witch replied. “As much as I don’t like the idea of actually using it on someone you have to admit that I’d rather use it than a stake if someone was attacking me.”
Cordelia found herself doubting the sincerity in the girl’s words and instantly mentally kicked herself. The truth was that she would pick a knife over a stake any day of the week and she was just worried about what would happen if she had to use the crossbow on someone human. “Come on Wes,” she said finally. “The sooner we get this place looked over the sooner we can head back.” Taking hold of the man’s arm she pulled him off in one direction leaving Willow and Lewis looking after them.
“Is there something I should know?” Wesley asked after a few moments. They had been wandering along side a wire fence waiting for a gap or an opportunity to duck inside the premises unseen.
She glanced aside at him. “What do you mean?”
“Willow, she does not seem quite herself.”
“Oh that, that’s nothing.”
“Really.” He was quiet again for a moment. “You see I could have sworn that she was upset.” Cordelia found herself staring at him again wondering whether the ex-watcher was fishing for details or whether he actually realised something. He seemed to take in the expression on her face and nodded. “Perhaps it’s something private that I should not be asking about?”
“It’s not that exactly. Honestly Wes we’re not trying to keep things from you but the reason that Wills is not exactly herself is something that’s still very up in the air and maybe it’s a little bit embarrassing.”
“I think I followed you. Would you advise that I keep very quiet about my concerns around Willow and, shall we say, Spike?”
“Yup. That would be a really good idea. What the hell is that?”
“Excuse me?” he asked, astonishment filling his voice.
“That!” she exclaimed stopping and turning him around to look into the compound beyond the fence. Wesley stepped closer peering inside at the large potholes that appeared to have been dug all over the yard of the warehouse they had been passing.
“How strange. I believe we may have found something.”
Cordy rolled her eyes. “No shit Sherlock. And what’s this ‘we’?”
Ignoring her Wesley continued. “The holes appear to have had no thought put into their positioning. They appear rather randomly situated. You would expect also that some warning as to their presence would have been placed but I can see none.”
Facing the compound the seer looked out all over the grounds. “You know what the weirdest thing is right?” she asked.
“Huh?”
“There is actually no one about. I mean you would expect there to be at least the odd worker wandering around. There were at those other places we passed but there’s no one here. Can you see a way of getting in yet?”
“Perhaps over there,” he suggested pointing to where the fence appeared to begin to curve away from them.
They hurried along the narrow dusty path finding a ragged gap cut into the crisscross pattern of the fence. Wesley pushed back the rough edges with his hands, reddening the bare flesh. He held it back as Cordelia ducked down and slipped through and then waited for him on the other side while wiping her hands on the legs of her trousers. As he drew himself up to his full height she walked the distance to the first of the holes between them and the building. Looking down into it the Cordelia found herself looking into a hole approximately four feet in diameter and five or so feet deep but empty of anything except dirt. Walking to the next one she saw that it varied in size but was as empty as the one before as did the next one that she went to. Shielding her eyes from the sun Cordelia looked up at Wesley who was several holes over looking down at it.
“Anything?” she asked when he looked up.
“No nothing. I take it the ones over there are empty as well?”
“Yup. Shall we see if we can find a way in? There might be something inside of the warehouse. We’ve got half an hour yet. It can’t hurt to have a little look.”
They found their way inside via a side door set in a larger bay door that rattled as Wesley pulled it back. Stepping inside Cordy’s footsteps echoed loudly and she received an accusing glare from the British man. The seer’s widened her eyes and shrugged her shoulder but kept quiet as she slipped her heels off and hurried after Wesley who had already headed across the warehouse floor in the direction of the offices she had seen.
“What’s that smell?” she asked putting the back of her hand to her nose.
“It’s almost like… oh dear god!” Wesley exclaimed opening the door and closely it quickly again before Cordelia had chance to see inside.
“What?” Pushing past him the brunette opened the door to the office and instantly flinched backwards as a rolling wave of the same smell she had caught before. Her eyes widened almost painfully and the young woman wretched as vomit flew up from her stomach. Turning away and quickly resisting the urge to throw up she slammed the door shut again. “Oh god. They were dead. They were dead. They were dead weren’t they?”
“Yes.”
She closed her eyes trying to block out the lingering image of the stacked dead bodies she had seen within. “How long do you think they’ve been there?”
Leaning against the wall and gulping in great breaths of air Wesley made whooping gasps. “I don’t know. That stage of decomposition… probably two, maybe three, weeks.”
The seer realised she was shaking her head and promptly stopped herself. “That level of carnage… Why didn’t I have a vision or something?”
“I don’t know. I propose get out of here now.”
Cordelia nodded and grabbed hold of the hand that Wesley was holding out to her. She let him guide her across the floor of the warehouse and out into the bright sunlight where she found herself taking in deep breaths of the comparatively fresh air. After slipping her shoes back on they ran together towards the opening in the fence. As she passed through it Cordelia felt a degree of relief rush through her but the despairing feeling she had felt inside the building returned and she found herself backing away until she was stood in the middle of the road.
“Try not to think about it too much for the moment,” Wesley suggested. “Let’s just get back to the car and wait for Willow and Lewis to return. I think we can safely say that we’ve found something of use.”
A bitter laugh erupted suddenly from the seer and she covered her face with her hands to try and regain some composure. “Come on,” she said looking up at him. “You’re right. I don’t want to think about this yet."
It was with a low heart and a dark mood that the pair stalked back in the direction of Spike’s car. The seer could feel the scene she had witnessed pressing down on her making layers of stone upon her shoulders. As they rounded the final bend and the car came into sight Cordelia saw that Lewis and Willow had already returned and that the witch had returned to her previous position on the trunk while the empath stood a few feet away. As she approached with Wesley their conversation halted, though not abruptly, and the small smile that had played on the redhead’s face faded, as she appeared to take in their expressions.
“What’s happened?” Willow asked.
“Get in the car,” Wesley answered already moving to unlock the door. He held it while Cordelia climbed into the back and waited while the others did the same. Willow repeated her question once more before anyone answered her. “There were dead bodies in one of the factories,” he replied putting the key in the ignition.
“What?!” Cordy heard the other woman exclaim but found her attention captured on a car that was quickly approaching them.
“Wesley, look,” she said pointing at the vehicle. Even as the man turned his startled eyes on it she added, “Its Philipson.”
“The man who works for Maria?” Lewis asked to confirm his suspicions and received only a nod of affirmation.
From where she was sat the seer could see that a worried expression had passed over Willow’s face. The young witch was using one hand to grip her leg so tightly that her fingers had turned a shocking white and the set of her jaw displayed to the entire world that something was making her nervous. “Please,” she said quietly and to Cordelia the words sounded strained with the air of insistence in them. “Let’s get out of here now. We can’t let them catch us.”
After a quick glance into the back seat to receive encouraging nods from the pair back there Wesley pulled away from the curb driving slowly and trying not to draw attention to them.
“Why didn’t I see it?” Cordy asked after they had been driving on in silence for a few minutes. Wesley was driving at his usual perpetually slow speed that left the seer longing to be sat behind the wheel herself. Still the question had been live in her mind for the duration and as far as she could see there was no answer. When she found herself with Willow and Lewis staring at her curiously the young woman continued, “Surely I should have seen something?”
“There have been times when you haven’t been sent a vision about an event before, Cordelia,” Wesley pointed out.
“Yeah but those have been random. This is, like, specific. They’ve already involved us, more than once at that so why don’t they send me one of those god-damn head killing visions and warn me that people are going to get killed!” Cordy slammed her hands down on the seat on either side of her in frustration and slumped backwards.
After a moment a hand snaked out and took hold of her own, rubbing the back of her knuckles gently. “Don’t start and blame yourself,” Lewis said very quietly.
She frowned. “I’m just confused. Why would they let people die and set all this in motion? Why didn’t they let us know what was happening before matters got out of hand and we could have still handled it easily?”
“I guess some things just happen,” Willow answered.
“They don’t where the PTB are involved,” the seer objected angrily. “How the hell are we meant to get anything done when they won’t let us in on the deal?”
In the front seat Wesley shook his head. “Let’s not second guess the PTB for the moment. After all, it seems that they may very well be all that we have at the time being.”
“Well if they’re all we have then we’re certainly in deep shit,” the brunette answered.
~~~*~~~
He might as well have laughed. It probably would have been easier if he had laughed; so much more like she expected him to do. So much more like Spike. But instead there had been outrage on his features, more than a little confusion too but mainly outrage. Willow guessed it would have hurt less if he had laughed. Then she would have been able to laugh along too and everything would have been so much more comfortable. The rational part of her mind told her that she was being silly to get all upset about something that she had known in the first place. If anything she should be glad that Spike didn’t feel anything for her but then the outrage that she had seen would lift up its ugly head and that did hurt. What on earth was so wrong with her that he wouldn’t feel anything for her?
From the way that Cordelia kept looking at her, from the way that she was being ever so careful about what she said and did Willow knew that Spike had already spoken with the seer. It seemed that every time they glanced in each other’s direction Willow felt sure that the seer was going to say something. She hated it. She wished that nothing had been said in the first place and wondered what on earth had made Cordelia think of such a ridiculous idea to begin with.
Then there was the business with the spell. She still hadn’t been able to figure out what went wrong even after studying the version that Wesley had suggested might be correct. How on earth had she and Giles made such a mistake? There was nothing obviously wrong with their version but something must have happened.
No, none of this made sense.
On the drive out to the area that the two vampires had suggested that they searched Willow had kept to herself, watching the outside world through the dirty windows. It had seemed the safest thing to do and when they had arrived and she had found herself partnered with Lewis she had felt like jumping for joy. The young man would no doubt sense that something was the matter but she almost trusted him the most out of all her companions not to say anything. Almost being the most important word in that thought. Lewis was still an area where she felt she had to be wary considering that she found it strange that someone would offer up his help so easily. That thought had left Willow wondering whether she was becoming a pessimist.
After dealing out weapons to everyone she had paused with Lewis for a moment at the car watching Cordelia and Wesley head off in one direction leaving the other to them. As they disappeared Willow had given Lewis a weak smile and begun to walk off in the remaining direction knowing that there was a lot of ground to cover. He followed, speaking in that same chatty voice that she now associated with him and yet talking about nothing at all, drawing from her the story of her history in Sunnydale.
“So becoming a witch wasn’t a conscious decision then?” he asked, checking over the lock on a gate. It had been broken at some point in the past and there appeared to have been a hasty repair job done. Willow stepped forwards, peering through the fence, using her hands to shield her eyes from the bright sun overhead. Like all the other places they had passed before there didn’t seem to be anything of interest going on inside. As she watched a man drove by, moving from one building to the other, on a fork lift truck that seem normal enough.
“Not really,” she answered suddenly feeling uncomfortable. “We just needed a spell performing one day and well, there I was. Somehow, for whatever reason, everyone thought I was the logical choice.”
“It developed from there then?”
Willow gave a shrug and moved on. “I guess. After that first time everyone just sort of assumed I’d be doing the magic side of things. It isn’t like I really started looking into it specifically though; not at first at least.”
“I suppose your being a natural witch wasn’t much of a hindrance though was it.” He made it a statement, which confused Willow slightly and she found herself glancing over at him.
“I don’t know about being a natural witch but I did seem to have a certain knack for magic. When it isn’t going wrong that is,” she added with a small smile.
Lewis shook his head then glanced out of the corner of his eyes at her. “I can feel your magic Willow. That’s one thing I have inherited from my grandmother. You know, she suggested that we find you a proper teacher.”
Surprised Willow turned to look at him. “Why?”
“Because she thinks you’re going to self-destruct if you don’t figure out how to control all the power that’s whirling around in you soon. And by soon I think she means yesterday.”
“Don’t be silly. I mean, you can’t be serious.”
“She told me about the conversation that you had that day in the shop with her. When she said you would be powerful enough to work the spell she wasn’t kidding. Her exact words to be were, ‘that and then some’.” The grin was back although this time it was more sober than she had seen previously. “Even I had someone to figure out how to control being an empath Willow. This is something you can’t do alone.”
She nodded thinking that his words sounded much too much like something that Giles had once said when they had been discussing her growing abilities. At the time he’d asked her to hold off on working on her magic until he had chance to run through what she was doing with her. Giles had admitted that he might not be the best person considering his history but had also added that they were unlikely to find someone else that was willing to help out a friend of the slayer. That had been months ago though and Willow knew that even since that talk she’d felt a little something inside that had told her that the power was growing stronger even though as he had suggested she had held back on practising. It worried her although she hadn’t admitted it to anyone else.
“I’ve got someone back in Sunnydale who might be able to help,” she admitted.
“The Watcher?”
Willow nodded and at the look on his face added, “You don’t think that it’ll be enough do you?”
“No I don’t. You said it yourself back in the car. From what I’ve heard watchers are great at the theory side of things but when it comes to the practical then… well I think you see what I mean.”
“Giles isn’t quite as bad as that but he does have other duties. I mean he’s Buffy’s watcher so he has to watch out for her first and foremost.”
“There you go. That’s what I mean. You need proper tutelage.”
“Okay you’ve made your point. I’ll think about it.” She stopped as they came to a crossroads. “Which way now?”
“If we go that way then it should eventually draw us back around to where we started,” he replied pointing in one direction. “I’m really not sure that there’s anything out here to look for though. The area that Angel described as being the territory that this vampire had taken isn’t really very large. We’re almost to the edge of it now.”
He led the way, drawing her with him by placing a gentle hand on her back that dropped away almost as quickly as he had placed it there. The road they entered was almost like an alleyway. Buildings towered on either side right up to the road though they weren’t nearly as close as some Willow had gone down in her time. For a moment she was reminded very suddenly of patrolling with Buffy back in Sunnydale and had to remind herself that this wasn’t night and a vampire wasn’t likely to jump out from behind a dumpster and try to kill her. It was all too familiar though and the witch found herself looking around even harder than she had been for clues. Lewis seemed to sense what she was thinking and stopped abruptly, a frown on his features.
“Have you noticed something?” she asked turning to face him.
“I-I don’t know. I’m getting a strong impression of something but I can’t pinpoint it.”
“How do you mean?”
“It feels like someone’s upset, afraid but I don’t seem to be able to tell from what direction its coming.”
Willow spun slowly on her heals taking in the alley both above and below them. Further up the road there was a door that caught her eye. For a moment she thought she was seeing things and marched closer to it. Painted on it at about face height, either in brown paint or something else, maybe blood, was a symbol that looked distinctly out of place in the industrial setting.
“Come take a look at this,” she called back to Lewis who was stood oddly still taking deep breaths. Willow had to call again before he heard, a startled look appearing on his face before he approached. Stepping past her the young man began to trace the pattern on the door with his fingers and then drew back sharply to look at the sore, reddened tips.
“It burnt!” he exclaimed in surprise. As Willow ran her fingers over the tips feeling the lingering touches of magic he winced and pulled away, looking at her accusingly.
“It has to be some kind of ward,” she told him. “That’s the only thing I can think of. Perhaps some sort of spell to keep people out.”
Something passed through Lewis’ eyes. “Unless they’re wanted,” he said, seemingly to finish her sentence. “You try it.”
“I don’t really feel like getting burnt today Lewis,” she replied.
“Go on,” he urged. “The pains going now, it’s like dipping you hand in coffee. It goes numb after a while.”
Still unsure Willow lightly ran her finger over the design like she had seen Lewis do. Nothing happened. She pressed harder wondering whether she hadn’t been applying enough pressure and still nothing happening. Finally Willow placed her entire palm flat on the surface and felt nothing but the lightest tingling sensation. Glancing back at Lewis she reached down and tried the handle. It turned easily in her hand.
“Don’t go in,” Lewis warned grabbing hold of her upper arm almost tight enough to bruise. “We don’t know what’s in there. We should at least wait until we’ve talked to Angel.”
“It is a little strange that it would open for me but not for you,” she replied stepping away.
“If it’s perfectly innocent then we’ll find out tonight and if it isn’t then we can’t go in without some help.”
Willow felt a smile slip onto her lips. “You know if I didn’t know better then I’d think you were a Scooby.”
He smiled back at her, drawing her further away from the door as he did so. There was something about the look on his face that made her feel oddly comfortable all of a sudden. “I hope that’s a good thing. You and Cordelia keep mentioning them but I’m not too sure what it means.”
She laughed letting him turn her so that they were walking back in the direction that they had come. “Sure it’s a good thing. The Scoobies are the gang back in Sunnydale. We used to be called the Slayerettes but that sort of disappeared after a while.”
“I didn’t realise that slayers were allowed, how shall I put it, associates?”
“They aren’t, but then Buffy isn’t a regular slayer.”
“And what about your vampire friends? Are they Scoobies too?”
“Angel was. Actually he was a member of the original Scoobies before he moved away and came to live in Los Angeles. That was about the same time that Cordelia left.”
“And what about Spike?”
Willow turned her head sharply to look at him before she had even realised she had done it watching for any sign of amusement on his face. Undoubtedly Lewis had realised that something had gone on, he was after all an empathy but surely he couldn’t know what it was exactly. A thought suddenly hit Willow. What if Cordelia had already talked to him?
Realising that she was been staring too long without saying anything Willow took a deep breath and said, “Well, no, not exactly. If it wasn’t for the chip I would say that Spike would probably kill us all.”
“You don’t sound so sure.”
“Don’t go there, Lewis. Sometimes Spike surprises us all but most of his motives are entirely out of self-interest.”
“I’m not saying that he wouldn’t kill your slayer friend but are you sure that he would kill you all,” he said teasingly and putting emphasise on the last word.
She stopped staring at him. “Like I said Lewis, don’t go there. I’m not sure if I can stand to hear someone start on that topic again.”
“I take it things are not well between you and the vampire then. That must be the reason that you’re so upset today.”
“You’re talking nonsense. There is nothing wrong with Spike and there is nothing wrong with me.” Willow quickened her pace, half hoping that the empath wouldn’t keep up with her and for a few minutes he didn’t and then she heard a rhythmic slap, slap of feet on the road as he ran after her.
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” he said catching up with her. “Sometime I don’t think before I talk. What’s obvious to me is not to other people and I forget that more than is good for me.”
They were approaching the car now and as they did so Willow jumped back into her seated position on the trunk. “I know that you see things that other people don’t Lewis. But in this case you’re wrong. Was it you who spoke to Cordelia?” He nodded but looked disbelieving of her. Under the accusation of his eyes the witch felt her anger began to rise. “If you hadn’t had said anything in the first place then none of this would have happened!” she exclaimed. Lewis shrugged a non-committal answer. “Damn-it, Lewis!”
“Why are you so upset? If it’s nothing then why are you this bothered by it?” he asked pacing up to stand in front of her.
“I don’t know, I…”
“That’s a lie and you know it. We both know that for sure.”
“Because, I suppose… I’m afraid that maybe… What if…” She stopped, feeling her chest tighten.
“Go on Willow,” he said gently stepping to stand so near to her that her skirt brushed his trouser legs. Looking up she met his eyes.
“I’m so upset,” she said. “Because for whatever reason I think I want Spike to like me like that. I don’t know why. I mean its stupid because… because he’s Spike after all.” An explosive sigh erupted from her and Willow put her hands over her eyes for a moment. “I’m not his type but it would still be nice to be appreciated by him.” Sitting back she stared at Lewis again. “Don’t you dare say a word of this to him. I would never be able to face him again.”
“I will be sworn to secrecy,” he replied with a small smile. A cheeky look crossed his features and he leaned on the truck beside her. “I honestly don’t think you have anything to worry about though.”
“Lewis!” she warned but managed to smile at him. He spun around tossing the stake that he had been armed with at her gently so that Willow could catch it. “You think if I just hang in there everything will work itself out?”
Lewis shrugged. “It could do. I can’t see the future Willow.”
“Maybe I should wait and ask Cordy if she’s had a vision about it when she gets back then,” the witch joked. “Or do you think the PTB would see that as an abuse of power?”
“They’d probably find it quite amusing. Of course whether or not you want to be a source of amusement to them is quite another question.”
“Speaking of Cordy, is that them?”
He stepped away; squinting into the distance as the two people that Willow had spotted came hurrying towards them. “Is it my imagination or don’t they look very happy?”
“What happened?” the witch asked as the pair reached them. She met Cordelia’s eye for a second, the haunted expression in them causing her eyes to widen and the smile that she had put on to greet them to slip.
Before the other girl had chance to answer Wesley was there, opening the door and letting the seer climb inside. “Get in the car,” he said ushering the other two in as well.
Before she realised what had happened Willow found herself sat in the front of the car again except that this time the atmosphere was so tense that she felt like screaming. “Wesley, what happened?”
From the side she watched as that same expression that she had seen in Cordelia’s eyes filtered into his. A feeling of dread began to seep into the witch’s mind. “There were dead bodies in one of the factories.”
Willow felt her mouth drop open. “What?!”
“Wesley look,” she heard Cordelia exclaim and suddenly found herself confronted with the other girl’s hand pointing past her and out onto the street beyond. “It’s Philipson.”
“The man who works for Maria?” Lewis asked and even though his voice was sounding suddenly more than a little distant Willow could still hear the curiosity in his voice. Beside her Wesley nodded.
The car was nearly too them now and although most of the windows on Spike’s car were still blacked out and she should have been safe from prying eyes from outside Willow found herself sinking deeper into her seat. A choking feeling had begun in her throat and she thought for a moment that she was going to cough before it passed. Still the pressure was building up and Willow became aware that the fingers on her hand were tingling, making her fingers twitch of their own volition. She found herself staring down at her hand, willing it to stay still while forcing it to grip onto her leg tighter and tighter. Suddenly it dawned on her that this was the same hand that she had used her fingers to touch to the door that they had found and panic set though. She had known there was a spell on the door, everything about it had screamed that, but why was it taking effect now after all this time? “Please,” she found herself murmuring quietly. “Let’s get out of here now. We can’t let them catch us.”