Disclaimer: Joss owns them all
Distribution: My site, Kiss or Kill http://members.fortunecity.com/kissorkill Anyone that has permission, take. Otherwise, just ask.
Rating: R
Pairing: Willow/Spike I promise!
Feedback means that I continue the series through all TEN parts that I've got mentally planned.... To Em for joining the hunt! And for writing more Burn <I hope...> To Angel for the details. To everyone that wanted more....you asked for it, here it is!
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~Part: 1~
Willow followed Faith up the stairs and into the lobby of the hotel. She saw Lorne sitting on the large sofa reading a book, his bright yellow suit reminding her of crayons which reminded her of Xander which reminded her that she hadn't yet called her friends to let them know she had arrived safely. Feeling a slight wave of guilt, she found herself hoping they hadn't been worried. She didn't think they would be. She'd called Xander the night before she left, spending over an hour on the phone with him talking more than they had in months. It had been nice, and she was glad that things were good between them. She had hated the idea that they might consider her leaving to be running away. She had also spent nearly two hours with Buffy that night, waking the blonde to quickly tell her she would be gone in the morning, only to find that Buffy had immediately woken up and insisted on quality Willow time before she left. She had only gotten a couple of hours sleep that night, but she had left with feeling better about things. Made it easier to start over when there wasn't so much mental baggage.
"Hey, Pops. We're back," Faith said as she entered the lobby, falling on the sofa beside the demon. "And early too."
"I'm very proud, Cupcake," Lorne said looking up with a smile. He laughed as he looked at Faith's face. He licked his finger and leaned over, wiping the corner of her mouth. "Powdered sugar."
"Man, you weren't supposed to tell her," Gunn grumbled with a smile as he sat on the chair opposite the sofa.
"It wasn't all that noticeable," Lorne confided to a scowling Faith. He rolled his eyes as she threatened Gunn for not telling her she had something on her face. Those two sounded like bickering siblings. He had to smile at that thought, finding himself wondering if Gunn might be persuaded to stay with them. He fit into their new little family very well, and Lorne had always liked the boy. Besides, it would do him good for a change of scenery. He'd have to test the waters and see if it was a favorable idea.
"Faith, it isn't Gunn's fault you're a messy eater," Willow said with a smile as she joined the group. "I would have told you if I'd noticed it, but, since I didn't, you know it wasn't very obvious so quit whining."
"I'm a slayer. Slayers don't whine," Faith said before stopping and groaning, "Buffy! Damn, why'd she have to go and run that rule?"
"Lorne, do you think I have enough time to run upstairs and make some phone calls?" Willow asked as Markine joined them, asking Faith and Gunn if they had enjoyed their outing. They replied with a positive yes before Faith stood and announced that she was running upstairs to change into something more comfortable. It had been agreed that she'd take a short break from slaying, doing patrols once they were settled into their new house. Willow gave it a day before she'd be accompanying her friend on nightly walks to just 'look around'.
"Yes," Lorne nodded, knowing the redhead needed to call her friends and let them know she had arrived safely. "Henry called and said he'd be by at six, so you should have plenty of time."
"Oh, Willow. I spoke to Sienna and I'm sorry to say that she has already hired a day girl," Markine apologized, "but I contacted another friend who runs a similar shop and she is definitely interested. It would be three or four days a week from nine until 4. If you're still interested, she'd like to meet you on Monday."
"Thanks, Markine," Willow smiled, not really caring where she worked as long as she made enough money to help out with their new house. "What's her name and when do I meet her?"
"Her name is Mae, and the shop is called Enchantment. It's also on Royal, a few blocks down from Yesterdays," Markine said. "I'll phone her tomorrow and get a definite time, though I assume it will be early afternoon. Will that be good for you?"
"Any time is fine with me," Willow said. "Just let me know, and I'll be there." She looked at Lorne and said, "I'm going up to make those calls. I'll be down in time for the meeting."
~Part: 2~
"Hey baby...what are you wearing?"
Angel looked at the phone and frowned as he heard the breathy words. His lips twisted into a fond smile as he placed the voice. Willow. He decided to play along with her, "Actually, I just got out of the shower so I'm standing here with water dripping down my nude body."
"Angel!" Willow squeaked, glad he couldn't see her blushing face. He was the last person for her to call, so she'd decided to shock him by pretending to be an obscene caller. And now he'd gone and turned it around on her, causing her to the embarrassed one instead of him.
"Willow? Is that you?" he asked innocently, though he couldn't hide the amusement in his voice.
"You know it's me you stupid vampire," Willow muttered. "Quit teasing me or I won't tell you about our trip!"
"I'm sorry, Will. I couldn't resist," he admitted as he sat down, his feet moving to rest on top of the coffee table. "You started it!"
"Yeah, remind me not to play with you anymore, Angelus!" Willow said, stressing his name.
"I'm offended, Red. I'm very fun to play with," Angel teased.
"Sorry, hun, but you're not my type," Willow said with a laugh. She liked flirting with Angel. It was safe and fun because she knew he wasn't interested in her in that way and she definitely wasn't interested in him. Sure, he was attractive in a big hulkish type of way, but her crush on him had been years ago and had faded into a fond friendship.
"You're breaking my heart, lass" he drawled with a touch of Irish brogue, having discovered over the years that talking to Willow never failed to cheer him up, "So, you and the brats made it safely?"
"Yeah, though there were some tense moments when Lorne wanted to listen to the Chicago soundtrack," Willow laughed, looking at the clock and seeing that she had nearly twenty minutes before she needed to be downstairs. She'd promised Buffy that she'd send an email describing every detail of their journey and she'd promised a follow up call to Xander when she had more time to talk. "And I nearly had to break up a fight between Faith and Lorne when they both shared the back seat, but otherwise, things have been fantastic."
"I'm glad," Angel said sincerely. He considered Willow one of his very best friends in a limited circle. He hoped New Orleans would give her what she wanted and needed.
"This town is great, Angel. I mean, it smells a bit weird and the river is a dirty shade of brown, but it's just perfect the way it is. And Lorne has been out to eat and walked down the street and no one has even said a word! Can you believe that? They think he's in a costume or something," Willow laughed.
"I've never been to New Orleans, myself, but I've heard it is like visiting a different planet when you're in the Quarter," Angel said. "How is Gunn?"
"He's fine. He went out to look at the river this afternoon with me and Faith. Those two are always arguing. Reminds me of Dawn and Buffy at times. He seems happy," Willow said thoughtfully.
"And Lorne?" Angel asked, glad that Gunn wasn't brooding on the entire Fred and Wesley fiasco.
"He's Lorne," Willow said, unable to really describe the green demon. "He's enthusiastic and entertaining and seems to be having a great time. He has connections and got us rooms to stay in until we get a house for a very discounted price, and his friend might have found me a job already and we've only been here a few hours! Oh, and the real estate guy is coming in less then fifteen minutes with pictures of properties for us to look at and I'm still a bit shocked that I'm really here, that I'm really moving away from Sunnydale, that I'm surrounded by people that make me happy and that this is really happening."
"It sounds like you have your plate full," Angel observed. "And how is Faith? I can imagine the car trip was very confining for her."
"Yeah, you could say that," Willow agreed. "She's good. She's happier than I can remember ever seeing her. She eats constantly and has promised to wait to patrol until we're settled in, but if she doesn't start training again soon, I'm afraid she may gain a thousand pounds!"
"Well, from what I've heard, New Orleans is a diner's paradise so she should be in heaven," Angel said with a smile, knowing from his short time with the girl after she was released from jail that she always seemed to be snacking and eating when she wasn't fighting or being a smart ass. "Did Gunn mention when he would be coming back?"
"He hasn't said a word," Willow said with a sigh. She didn't want to jump to conclusions, but it appeared to her that Gunn was in no hurry to go back to LA. He seemed to be enjoying his time with them, and she kind of hoped he might stay awhile. She wasn't about to tell Angel that, though, because she knew the vampire probably missed his friend. He had already lost Lorne, and, even though he probably didn't care, Cordelia and Connor. She hoped he wasn't that lonely, though Angel tended to like being alone so she was sure he was probably enjoying the break from constant people and problems.
"He'll come back when he's ready," Angel decided.
"Hey, Red, it's nearly time," Faith said as she entered their room. She had left earlier after changing, knowing that Willow was talking to Buffy. "Who are ya talking to?"
"Angel," Willow said with a smile. "I'm going to have to go now, Angel. It's nearly time to meet the real estate guy."
"Do ya miss me yet, Fang?" Faith asked as she took the phone away from Willow.
"Not yet, but keep asking," Angel replied with a smile, "tell Willow I'll talk to her soon. Stay out of trouble, slayer."
"I don't miss you either," Faith said with a smirk as she hung up. She handed Willow the phone, saying confidently, "He misses us."
"I'm sure he does," Willow laughed as she followed her friend out the door and down the stairs to meet with the real estate guy.
~Part: 3~
"You can sleep in here."
Spike glanced at his friend, nodding once, "Thanks, mate."
Klorite shrugged his large orange shoulders and reminded, "You saved my life, William. I owe you. A room is nothing."
"Forget about that already," Spike groaned. "We're even."
"Not even close, my friend," Klorite said with a smile, moving his scaled hand over the door to his guest bedroom. He had been surprised when he had opened his front door not an hour before to see his old friend standing there, needing a place to stay. He hadn't hesitated in offering his guest bedroom. William had saved him from a demon hunter several decades before so he owed the blond vampire his life. Not that William would ever acknowledge that there was even a debt owed. He looked over his friend, seeing the differences since the last time he had seen him. He was quiet, thoughtful, his hair a dirty blond instead of the shocking bleached white. There was still an aura of danger surrounded the vampire but it was coupled with something he couldn't quite place, restraint maybe. If anything, it make William seem even more deadly. He looked tired, Klor realized. He gave a smile as he said, "You can stay here as long as you wish."
"I appreciate it, Klor," Spike said, thankful that he had made some friends over the years. He'd been calling in a lot of favors the last few weeks, and probably would be calling in more before he was finally settled somewhere. "Been driving for the past couple of weeks. Could use a bit of a rest."
"We'll go out for a drink once you've rested," Klor said. "There's a great bar not far from here that you'll probably enjoy. Houston is a good city, my friend. I'll leave you to rest now. I'll go out and pick up some blood for you. You are still bagging it, aren't you?"
Spike made a face, "Yeah. Bloody damn soul won't have it any other way."
"I'll heat some up for you when I get back," Klor offered, having heard rumors of what had happened to the vampire now standing before him. A lesser vampire would have watched the sunrise if they found themselves possessing a soul. William was stronger than that, though. Klor had met many vampires in his nearly three hundred years in this realm, and none were as powerful as the one now staying in his guest room. William was someone you wanted on your side, someone you did not wish to cross at any time. He had seen what happened to enemies of the vampire, knowing that, soul or not, William would not hesitate in protecting himself or those he considered friends. Loyalty had always been one of the vampire's strongest qualities, one that had saved Klor's life during that dark time. No need to think of that now. He was happy. He had a mate and a nice life in Houston. He only wished his friend could find the same happiness. Maybe he would, Klor hoped. He turned to leave, knowing his friend probably would enjoy a nap before they went to have a drink.
"Thanks," Spike nodded at the demon as he put his bag on the bed. It was nice having his own room for a bit. He'd only arrived in Houston a couple of hours before, finding Klor with relative ease. He had known the demon would let him stay with him for a bit, but he had expected another sofa, not his own room. This was good. He laid on the bed, listening as Klor and his mate discussed dinner, a slight smile crossing his lips.
Houston wasn't the right place, either. He had known as soon as he had entered the city limits. It would do for now, though. He was tired of driving, could use a good week or more in one place. Have a few pints, talk to some friends, get some much needed sleep. When he was ready, he'd move on. His blue eyes looked around the room, noticing a bright green and gold sign that was a souvenir from Mardi Gras. His eyes grew thoughtful as he studied it, a slow smile crossing his face. He'd head to New Orleans. He had never been there, but he thought he knew some people there. He'd stay in Houston for a couple of weeks, he decided. After that, he'd drive to New Orleans. The decision seemed right, the choice good. Maybe he'd finally find somewhere to settle down. New Orleans would be as good a possibility as anywhere else. His eyes drifted close finally as he drifted into a much needed nap.
~Part: 4~
Willow followed Faith down the stairs, surprised when the slayer turned and headed down the hallway away from the lobby, "Where are we going?"
"Markine is letting us use the office," Faith said with a smile. "It's got a big table and comfy chairs, so she thought it would easier than trying to crowd into the lobby."
"That's great," Willow said as she entered the office in question. She smiled at Lorne, "Is the real estate guy here yet?"
"Not yet, sweets," Lorne said, "Henry should be here soon. Did you get your calls made?"
"Yep," Willow sat down next to the demon, "everyone said hi and that they hope we find the perfect house."
"They probably just want to make sure it has a guest room so they can crash if they ever come to town," Faith said with a snort. "I know those mooches."
"Well, actually, Xander did mention something about making sure we got a comfy sofa before his vacation next year," Willow said thoughtfully, though her eyes were lit with amusement.
"Just what we need, a visit from Chubs," Faith said, rolling her eyes.
"That is such a tacky nickname," Willow said. "Just because he's gained a little weight since high school, I wouldn't say he could classify as Chubs."
"I like it," Faith smiled sweetly. "And he even said it was much better than most the things I could be calling him."
"He was just being nice," Willow shot back, "he really hated it. Kept looking in the mirror to see if he was getting fat. You're mean!"
"He did?" Faith laughed as she sat back in the chair, her hands going behind her head, "My work is done."
"You're impossible," Willow had to laugh, knowing it was futile to try to argue with Faith. The girl was even more stubborn than herself, which was saying a lot. Besides, she kind of thought the nickname was fitting for Xander.
Before Faith could respond, the door opened and a man walked in. Willow looked at him in surprise, having honestly been expecting a demon of some sort. He must have noticed her look because he laughed, "Were you expecting big and purple with scales?"
"Honestly? Yes," Willow smiled at him, deciding she liked him. He was older than Giles, his hair nearly white. He was wearing a nice suit and had on wire rim glasses. "I'm Willow. This is Faith and Charles and Lorne."
"Call me Gunn," Gunn said as he stood to shake the man's hand.
"I'm Henry," Henry smiled at them as he placed his case on the table. "So, Markine told me you were looking for a house and a location to run a club of some sort. After speaking to Lorne earlier, I went through my files and found several possibilities."
"Let's see what you've got, Hank," Faith said, leaning forward to see the pictures he had removed from his briefcase.
"I kept the focus on the Quarter, as you requested," Henry said. "I must confess, there weren't many locations with as many rooms as you requested so you might want to widen the search. I do have one property that I think would be perfect, especially after meeting all of you, but I think we'll save it for last."
"I'd prefer staying in the Quarter," Lorne said, gesturing at himself, "a little less conspicuous than say the Garden district, you know?"
"I can see your point," Henry smiled, "well, then, let's look and see what we've got."
~Part: 5~
"Pictures!" Faith said with a smile as she reached to take one of the photos from Henry.
"Faith, stop that!" Willow scolded with a smile. "Let Lorne see first. He is the one with the money, after all."
"It's okay, Sweets," Lorne smiled at the redhead. "We will all be living there, so it's very important that we all like it."
"This is the first property," Henry said, handing the photo to Faith. "It's on Orleans, four bedroom as you specified. It's in good condition but could use a little work."
"Four bedrooms?" Faith glanced at Lorne, arching a brow.
"Gunn needs somewhere to stay when he visits," Lorne said, giving the slayer a pointed look. He watched the black man look at him and smile, deciding that it might not be that difficult to convince the boy to stay with them after all.
"You're getting me a room?" Gunn smiled, suddenly taking an interest in the whole house looking thing. "Let me see."
"Wait your turn," Faith said as she stuck her tongue out at him before handing the photo to Willow.
Willow looked at it, seeing what she would typically think of when thinking of the French Quarter. It was a nice enough looking exterior, appeared to be rather old, and was a soft shade of blue. "All you have is the exterior?"
"Sorry," Henry apologized, "I can give you descriptions if needed, but usually prefer to let my clients experience the house in person rather than through photographs."
"Oh, okay," Willow said, a bit disappointed. She wanted to see what each of the houses looked like inside. The outside didn't really show anything except the color and basic architecture. She guessed she would have to wait. "It looks nice. I like the color."
"It's worth looking at," Lorne decided, putting it on the table beside his left elbow. "What else do we have?"
Henry continued to hand out various photographs, the minimum rooms being four, the largest being five. After they had studied the exterior of the houses, he moved onto empty businesses. He could tell they weren't taken with any of the properties particularly. He looked at the picture of the house and business he had first thought of when he had spoken to Lorne, knowing that it was a bit expensive and large, but he thought it might be perfect for them. The previous owners had moved to France two years before, the property having been empty since. It was one of his favorite locations, but was a bit too much for most of his clients to handle. As it happened, it might just be ideal for these people. He saw the stack of photos that showed properties that they were interested in viewing along with a smaller stack of properties one or more of them had instantly disliked. Finally, he said, "I was saving my favorite for last."
~Part: 6~
"Let's see it," Willow asked, giving him a smile. She had seen several places that looked quite nice, but nothing had instantly gotten her attention. She figured she would know the perfect place after viewing it, the photographs not giving a good overall feel for the property.
"Damn," Faith let out a whistle. "This is all together, isn't it?"
"Yes," Henry nodded. "It is located on Chartres, between Dumaine and St. Ann. I've had it listed for nearly two years now."
"Wow," Willow took the picture and smiled. "We have to see this house!"
"The lower level is zoned for business," Henry pointed out, "and the house consists of the two levels above the business. There is also an attic that could easily be converted to a room, if you wanted. The business entrance is through a small courtyard, the back facing onto Royal, where there is an entrance to the house as well as the trash area for the business. It was most recently occupied by a club, so I am certain that it would be easy to get your business requests passed."
"This is huge," Lorne said, looking at the property and then looking at Henry.
"One of the largest single properties in the entire quarter," Henry said, "the price is rather high, but, considering you get the house and the business, it is actually pretty competitive."
"Dude, how many rooms are there?" Gunn asked, not able to believe the photograph he was looking at.
"Seven bedrooms, though three are small," Henry smiled, watching their reactions, "a kitchen and two large bedrooms with bath are on the lower level, as well as a living room, library, dining room, bathroom, and den. The higher level, or third floor, is two very large bedrooms with bath that face onto Royal with private balconies, as well as the three smaller rooms, a bathroom, and a sitting area that could be converted to whatever you wished. As I said, there is an attic that was being used for storage. The business has a basement area that was formerly used as a storage and office area. It is very impressive, and, considering everything you get, the price is quite reasonable."
"There's a courtyard?" Willow asked, looking at Lorne after Henry nodded and smiling. "What do you think?"
"I'm wondering how we could possibly keep it clean?" Lorne said with a smile. The price wasn't important to him. He'd already studied his finances, knowing that he had more than enough to cover whatever they decided. Henry was aware of his target price, and he knew the man wouldn't have shown them this property if it was outside his budget.
"It also comes completely furnished," Henry added, thinking that he might have finally found someone interested in his favorite property.
"And just how much commission do you get out of this?" Faith asked him with a knowing smile. He had hardly commented on any of the previous properties, answering specific questions, but he had hardly stopped talking about this one. She liked it. It was a pretty rosey shade of pink, balconies overlooking what must be the courtyard. The business was directly underneath the house so it would be very convenient. And it appeared to be in good condition. If Lorne could afford it, she thought it was perfect.
"There are two entrances to the house, one through the courtyard and one on Royal as I previously mentioned. There is also a back entrance through the club to the house," Henry said, just winking at the brunette instead of answering her amused question. "Capacity for the business when it was a club was 360, though it might go up or down depending on the number of tables and other factors."
"You don't have to sell us anymore," Lorne said with a smile. "We'll look at it tomorrow. If it looks as good this picture, well, we'll have to start negotiating."
"How about I meet you here at noon tomorrow?" Henry suggested as he began gathering his pictures. "We can get some lunch and then go tour the house."
"Lunch sounds great," Faith smiled, winking at Willow who just rolled her eyes.
"Okay, then. Tomorrow at noon," Henry shook Lorne's hand before he left the small group that was already excitedly talking about the next day.
~Part: 7~
"Man, I hate to imagine what the price tag on that house is," Gunn whistled once Henry had left the room.
"I doubt I can count that high," Faith said, stopping to glare at him before he could respond, "Don't say a word, Chuck!"
"I wasn't gonna say a word," he denied, though his brown eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Henry was aware of my budget, so I can confidently say that it is a price that I can afford," Lorne said before those two could start arguing again.
"It was beautiful, but a photo can be misleading," Willow said, "I'm reserving my official opinion until I see it tomorrow. It does sound wonderful, doesn't it?"
"Beyond anything I could ever imagine," Faith said with a smile. "It sounds fucking huge!"
"It *is* a big larger than I had planned," Lorne admitted, "but it is always nice to have extra room. I'm sure we'll have friends coming in to visit at times, and it is much easier to have them stay in a guest room than a hotel."
"If we do get that house, I'm so not telling Xander about it or we'd have a permanent guest!" Willow laughed.
"I'll make sure you don't tell him about it," Faith said, shuddering at the idea of sharing a house with the moron. She'd made many mistakes in her short life, having sex with Xander being one of the biggest. She still didn't know what she'd been thinking. Okay, so she had to admit he hadn't been that bad for a virgin, but she still wished she could take it back.
"I can't believe it's not even eight," Gunn said as he covered a yawn. "It feels like it's much later, and we're even ahead a few hours from home. I guess all those days in the car are finally catching up with me."
"Nah, you're just getting old," Willow teased with a smile.
"I get it now! So this is how it's gonna be. You and the slayer ganging up on me, huh, Red?" Gunn laughed, "I'm too tired to even think of a good comeback so I'll simply say goodnight, KIDS."
"Get some rest, Chuck. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, and we don't want to be slowed down by you, old timer," Faith said with a smirk as the black man made a face at her before leaving the room. She stood up and stretched, asking the others, "So, is anyone ready for dinner?"
"I'm actually not all that hungry," Willow said with an apologetic smile at the slayer. "I thought I might ask Markine if I could use the kitchen to make a sandwich."
"That's cool," Faith covered a yawn before smiling sheepishly, "maybe a light dinner and then bed. It's been an active day."
"Willow, before you go, I need to talk to you about something," Lorne said, wanting to catch the girl tonight rather than wait for the morning. He didn't want to risk forgetting. "You don't have to go, Faith."
"Actually, I'm going to run up to the room and use the bathroom. Red can fill me in later if it's important," Faith said with a smile at the green demon before she looked at Willow, "I'll meet you in the kitchen after I get permission from Markine to raid the fridge."
"Markine will regret the day she lets Faith into her kitchen," Lorne said with a wink at Willow after the slayer had left the room.
Willow laughed before she asked, "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
~Part: 8~
"I have a favor to ask," Lorne said as he focused his attention on the redhead.
"Anything," Willow responded promptly.
Lorne had to laugh, "Cupcake, you don't even know the favor yet!"
"Doesn't matter," Willow smiled at him, "you're my friend which means I'd do anything for you. I trust you so I know you're not going to ask me to do something evil so quit being silly and tell me what it is."
"You amaze me, doll face," Lorne admitted, shaking his head slightly. He knew what the girl had been through over the last year, knew she was one of the strongest humans he'd ever met to be able to accept the bad with the good. She'd accepted what she had done, knew the poor choice she had made, and was now more in control of her gift than ever before. She would do great things, had already done great things. The glimpses he had seen of her future were remarkable, not that he would ever tell her he had read her. He hadn't been able to help it, though. He'd read Charles and Faith several times in the past, but the redhead was new to him. When she had been singing in the car, he hadn't been able to resist taking a little peak. What he had seen was not at all surprising. Power and love and purity. Yes, this little girl would continue being a powerful ally for the powers that be. He now wished he'd paid more attention to her reading, but he'd tried to be covert about it all, not wanting to get caught. He'd promised them that he'd never read them without permission so he'd just half read her so that it wouldn't officially be breaking a promise. He'd have to try to get her to let him read her fully. He was curious as to who had caused such strong emotions of love within her reading, as well as trying to figure out a few other things he'd read bits of that confused him. Realizing she was still waiting for his answer, he smiled, "Can I put your name on the deed?"
"What?" Willow looked at him in surprise, this being the very last thing she would have expected him to ask. "You want to put the house in my name?"
"The house and the club," he nodded. "I'd be a silent partner and owner, of course, but I need someone to list on the paperwork that can make appearances at meetings if needed and that can take inspectors around to approve the club when it's ready, that kind of thing. As understanding as most residents of this city are about eccentric people that might be wearing masks and all, I don't think the city inspectors would appreciate being led around by someone that appeared to be wearing a costume."
"I can see your point," Willow admitted as she ran a hand through her hair. "I suppose you've had to do this before, haven't you?"
He smiled, "Caritas was officially owned by my accountant. His name was on the lease and the insurance, but it was my club. I trusted him just as I trust you."
"Why me?" she had to ask. "You've known Faith and Gunn longer."
"Well, Faith has the problem of being an escaped convict," Lorne said with a laugh, adding, "oh, I know you went in and managed to lose her files in the system, but she still has a record. That could be a problem for the real estate company, not to mention the ownership of the club. As for Charles, well, I hope we can convince him to remain with us here in our new home, but there is no guarantee that he won't go back to LA at anytime. Besides, I'm hoping you'll help me manage the new place and it wouldn't hurt to have you on all the legal papers if you're going to be helping with ordering and stuff like that."
"Of course I'll do it," Willow agreed, pleased that he wanted her to help him with the club as well as giving her the responsibility of owning their new house and business.
"Thanks, Cupcake! That's a load off my mind," Lorne said with a smile. "Once we decide on the location, I expect all of you to help me decide what to do with the place. I'm so excited at having the chance to have another club. Running Caritas was such fun, and I really enjoyed it. But I think I want something even better."
"I'm sure we can come up with something that will knock your socks off," Willow said with a smile. "Once we find out where it's going to be, we can have a brainstorming party. Do you think we can persuade Gunn to stay with us? It's kind of nice having a surrogate big brother around."
"I doubt it will take much arm twisting," Lorne said confidently, "he hasn't been happy in LA for the last few months. So, what did you think of that huge house Henry was trying to sell us?"
"Honestly?" Willow couldn't contain her excitement, "It looked perfect! I loved his description of it, and it was close to where I might be working and I really liked that the business was attached to the house because it's much more convenient and easier to keep an eye on and all those rooms sound unreal. And it has a courtyard and balconies which is just too fantastic."
"No impressed at all, were you?" Lorne said in amusement.
"Oh, you, hush," Willow laughed as she rolled her eyes. "Like I said, though, I'm waiting until I see it before I say for sure. I'll know when we find the right place, and maybe that is it or maybe it isn't."
"Well, we'll find out tomorrow so I guess we don't have to wait very long," Lorne said as he got to his feet. "I think I might raid the kitchen with you girls. That is, if Sweetness has left anything in the fridge!"
"She's so funny," Willow laughed as she walked into the hallway, "she really seems to be wanting to make up for years of bad prison food."
"Can't say I blame her, especially if it's as gross as hospital food," Lorne wrinkled his nose and shuddered.
"Are y'all hungry?" Faith asked as they entered the kitchen. She gestured at the stuff on the cabinet, smiling as she said, "Markine said we could eat whatever we wanted."
"I could eat something," Willow said as she watched Faith continue to create one of the largest sandwiches she had ever seen. Laughing, she caught Lorne's eye and echoed his early words, "Markine is so going to rue the night she gave Faith carte blanche in her kitchen!"
Faith's only response was a wink and smug smile as she finished making the sandwich and placed it on the cabinet for Willow before moving to make one for Lorne.
~Part: 9~
"I think I'm in love!"
Willow had to laugh at Faith's exclamation as they followed Henry into the courtyard. She had to agree. It was beautiful and they hadn't even seen the inside yet. She had wondered as they had walked down the street and found themselves standing in front of a rather plain black door. It had opened to reveal the beautiful courtyard in which they were now standing. She smiled at Faith, "I think I second that. This place is gorgeous!"
"It's got a fountain," Faith pointed out excitedly. "And tables and chairs and trees and pretty flowers and stones and…"
"Someone give me a tranq gun so I can get her to shut up," Gunn said with a snicker as he watched the slayer bouncing around like she had had too much caffeine.
"Love you too, Chuck," Faith said sweetly as she flipped him off, before looking at Henry, "can we see inside now, huh? Can we?"
"Would you like to see the house first or the club?" Henry asked, amused at the girl's reaction.
"The house!" four voices answered before laughing.
"The house it is," Henry moved to the door to the house and unlocked it. "This staircase will take you into the living room."
"This is so cool," Gunn said as he started up the stairs.
"Holy shit!" Faith's voice reached them as they walked up the stairs. The enthusiastic slayer had reached the landing before them.
"What is it, Cupcake?" Lorne asked, his eyes widening as he reached the living room to stand next to her. "Holy shit!"
"I'm hearing that a lot lately," Willow laughed, a look of awe crossing her face as she looked around the house. "Oh, wow."
"This place is great!" Gunn said, smiling at them. "All this stuff comes with it?"
"Completely furnished," Henry said, having had a similar reaction the first time he had stepped foot into the house.
"I can't even describe it," Faith said, shaking her head. "I mean, it's all so expensive looking but homey at the same time. This guy must have paid out the ass for decorators. This is like something out of a magazine!"
"Mr. Lorpioni had excellent taste and the ability to pay for what he wanted," Henry smiled. "He enjoyed decorating and gave each room a theme of sorts. These main areas, the kitchen, living room and library, he wasn't as particular with, wanting something comfortable and welcoming."
"This is the bad part?" Gunn looked at the man in surprise. He wasn't too into interior design, but this place was beyond his imagination.
"Themes? What kind of themes?" Willow asked, smiling at the idea of theme rooms. She was in love with this house already, knew immediately upon entering that it was the right place for them. It was eclectic and special and just seemed to suit them all perfectly.
"I'll show you," Henry smiled, having known that this group would appreciate the house. He led them towards Royal Street, "this is one of the four large bedrooms. The other located on this floor faces the courtyard. Mario called this Arabian Nights."
"This is my room," Lorne said as he entered, a large smile crossing his face as he took in the bright multi-colored curtains and rugs.
"It's like a sultan's palace," Faith said with amazement. She shook her head, looking at Henry. "I want to see the others!"
Henry took them on a tour of the second floor, showing them the kitchen and dining area as well as the library on their way to the other end of the home and the second bedroom. Opening the door, he smiled "This is a Cup of Java."
"No, this is my room," Gunn said as he smiled, his dark eyes taking in the space. Dark brown, caramel, creams. It looked like something he might have ordered at Starbucks, and he loved it. It was definitely a man's room, he decided. The bed was also a king size, covered in shades of brown just like the rest of the room.
"Brown is so boring," Faith whined, smirking suddenly as she said, "Guess it does suit you, Charles."
"No fair," Willow spoke up with a smile, "the guys have their rooms already picked out."
Henry laughed as he showed them the staircase that was outside of the Coffee room. "Well, why don't we head upstairs and see what we can find for you girls."
~Part: 10~
The group climbed the stairs to the third floor. Once they were there, Henry showed them the open area that was to the left of the stairs. It was currently the location of a couch and a table, but would be perfect for an entertainment area for this floor. It had a door that opened out to a balcony that overlooked the courtyard. Beneath it was the second floor bathroom so there would be no one to disturb if there was late night television watching. He then took them to the corner room that also overlooked the courtyard, "This was Mario's Mardi Gras room. It's one of the smaller rooms, as you can tell."
"It's pretty neat," Faith decided as she took in the bright purple, green and gold colors. Masks hung from the walls and it was a very festive room. Too much activity for her personally.
"Next door, we have Peaches N Cream," Henry showed them the second of the three smaller rooms. "I think you can understand why it has that name."
"It's pretty," Willow said, her eyes looking at the peach colored walls and cream trim. Looked a little too much like ice cream to her, but it was a lovely shaded room.
"The other small room is across the hall beside the bathroom," Henry opened the door, "the Blue Room. It was the last room completed and I suppose Mario was tired of thinking of cute names."
"Not bad," Gunn looked at the room, noticing that nearly ever possible shade of blue appeared to have been used in the comforter. The walls were a nice dark blue, the trim a bit lighter. It would have been his second choice if he hadn't already picked the Coffee room downstairs.
"Across the hall in the corner we have Victorian Romance," Henry said, opening the door to the third larger room. "It overlooks Royal Street."
"This is mine," Faith said with a small smile as she walked inside. It was beautiful. Rose color on the wall, flowers everywhere, a canopy. She turned to glare at Gunn, warning, "Don't say a word!"
"Who, me?" he said innocently, finding it amusing that the tough slayer wanted the most feminine room of all.
"It's so girly girl," Faith said with a sigh, confessing, "I adore it!"
"Well, then, let's see what's left for me," Willow smiled at the slayer, not at all surprised that Faith wanted to flowery room. The slayer wasn't nearly as tough as she liked to pretend.
"I think you'll love it," Henry admitted. "Mario called it Sherwood Forest, and I thought of it as soon as I met you."
"This is definitely great," Willow agreed with Henry when she walked across the hall to look at the large room. The walls were a lovely shade of dark green, her favorite color, and the furnishings were all dark wood. The bed was huge and looked like something out of a castle from some movie. A large desk was beside a window and there were doors that opened to the balcony above Royal Street. She moved to the doors, pointing out, "Look, Faith. It goes between both our rooms!"
"This is just fucking amazing," Faith declared as she looked at the others. "If I believed in such things, I'd say it was fate that led us to this house."
"I guess we're just lucky, Cupcake," Lorne smiled.
"There is a door between the bathroom and the Blue Room that leads up to the attic," Henry mentioned as they walked past. "As I said before, the attic could easily be converted into a room of some sort. Mario used it for storage and for his exercise equipment."
"Training and research," Willow said with a wink at Faith. A slaying room.
When they were downstairs again, Henry showed them a door that led to a staircase that would take them to the club downstairs and the Royal Street entrance. They followed him down, ready to look at the club.
"What was here previously?" Lorne asked as he looked around the black walls of the club.
"It was a fetish club," Henry replied, "hasn't been used for a couple of years though."
"A fetish club?" Willow looked around with curiosity, "and the neighbors didn't complain?"
"Not at all. Your only neighbor is Andrews Antiques and they close at five daily, so they're not disrupted by late night club goers. And they don't find the noise disturbing, so you have nothing to worry about. The Andrews are very nice people, locals since birth. Nothing tends to faze them, you'll find."
"So, what do you kids think?" Lorne asked, knowing their answer. They'd already picked out bedrooms, so now it was the formality of paperwork and payment.
"Do you have to ask?" Faith rolled her eyes as she laughed.
"We can discuss the details back at the hotel," Lorne told Henry, having already mentioned to the agent that everything would be put in Willow's name. The agent had agreed with his logic, thinking it a good idea for the human witch to be on the deed.
"How long do you think it will be before we can officially own this place?" Faith asked, eager to move in.
"We should have everything arranged within a week," Henry said, knowing that most sales took longer, but also knowing that Mario wouldn't be all that particular. The demon had seemed excited the previous night when he had learned who was looking at his house, liking the idea that another demon would be moving in. As long as the check cleared and everything was properly filed, they should have the keys by the middle of next week, if not sooner.
"Kick ass," Gunn said with a smile, glad that he had decided to stay awhile longer. He was excited at the idea of turning this dark ugly club into a fun place like Caritas. And the house? It was unreal.
"We can stop and get some lunch on the way back to the hotel," Faith suggested with a smile. "I'm starving since we ate breakfast so early!"
"And it was a small breakfast," Willow smiled at the slayer, "I could use some lunch. Lorne?"
"Could you just bring me something back?" Lorne asked.
"Actually, why don't we just get take out?" Willow said. "I need to sign any paperwork that Henry has, and we can go out to eat tonight to celebrate getting the new house."
"Sounds like a plan," Faith said as the group left the house by the Royal Street exit, walking back to the hotel as they discussed their favorite parts of the new house as well as what they wanted to get for lunch.