Lateral Thinking

By Xanpet

Chapter Seven

Cordelia sat exactly where she had been told to sit and waited. Initially she'd been cross simply at the water that ran down the walls and bubbled behind the plasterwork. Months worth of damage and them with no paying job in sight. Vampires just had to be the most irresponsible creatures on the face of the planet. But her annoyance paled into insignificance compared to Wesley's incandescent rage, at finding the two sleeping vampires curled up in one another's arms. And, once he had stifled her gasps of surprise and explained to her why Angel had felt it necessary to go gay on them, she was crosser than ever. Why hadn't he ever told her about this? She wasn't stupid, she'd have understood. "Oh yeah Cordy right?" Said a little snarky voice inside her head, "And of course you were just so understanding with Harmony. More afraid of her being a les than a vampire!"

She stared at the flame on the black candle that she held in both hands. "Oh wake up already!" She thought. As if in answer to her mental request, Angel began to stir. Cordelia gulped and waited. "This binding spell had better work Wesley 'cos if I die, I'm going to haunt your tight British ass..."

"What are you doing Cordelia?"

"Not getting cheap thrills from your naked hiney."

Angel wrapped a sheet around his midriff and came over to the door. To his surprise, he was unable to pass through it for, as long as Cordelia kept the candle lit, a mystical barrier kept him in. "What is this?"

"It's called taking no chances. What was that?" She nodded at the still sleeping Spike.

"Vampire business."

"And how are you feeling this afternoon, evil?"

"You think I took a risk?"

"Err…yes. I think you took a nasty, potty-mouthed, Cockney murderer shaped risk. Unless of course he took you." She wasn't in the mood to even attempt subtle or polite.

Angel felt anger well up within him but he fought it back. She had every right to feel betrayed. "I know Spike has his moments..."

"Yes, lets just compile my personal top five list of 'his' moments. He lead a vampire raiding party on my High School when I was sixteen, killed staff, parents and students and I ended up spending three hours hiding in a maintenance closet, praying for my life. He kidnapped you and sent assassins after your girlfriend including bug man who ended up in little buggy pieces in my hair. He sent his head case girlfriend to attack us in the library, killing a slayer resulting in me breaking my arm. He kidnapped my boyfriend, and in the rescue attempt, I fell through a wooden staircase and got skewered on a rebar. Best of all he kidnapped and tortured you and in the process let a paedophile vampire out into the community."

"He didn't do the one in the library, that was me."

"Which makes me feel lots better. Except for how it doesn't."

Angel felt he needed to explain, at least as much as he himself understood, "Cordy, I walk a fine line. The Powers That Be sought me out to be their warrior and in order to do that I need connections to humanity, but sometimes I need connections to my own kind too."

Cordelia frowned. She had been so certain that she would be facing Angelus that Angel was really wigging her out. She didn't like Spike but he did seem to be trying. It was rather nice to have someone fight for her honor and this little tryst didn't appear to have brought out evil Angelus. She simply had to be sure that Angel was still, well, Angel.

Angel sat on the floor opposite the door. How could he convince Cordelia that Spike wasn't a danger, at least not at present? He was evil certainly, without any remorse or any means to redemption. Yet, he hadn't actually done anything since he'd been there and he'd been provoked. He knew Spike couldn't hurt the humans but there was something more. It was almost the nobility of the savage. Angel felt the weight of his guilt and that compelled him to seek salvation. Spike seemed to feel no such compulsion; he chose whether or not to do good. He had chosen this side it had not chosen him. That gave him an edge, almost a superiority over Angel.

Suddenly there was a scream and straight away, he was up and to the doorway. Spike was instantly at his side, "Who the fuck ordered a wake up banshee?" He exclaimed, running a hand through his tousled hair.

Cordelia was clutching her head and crying in pain. The candle had gone out as she fell. Angel threw himself against the barrier to find it gone and he tumbled out into the hall closely followed by Spike. They crouched either side of Cordelia but Angel was hesitant to touch her. "Cordy," He whispered, "Tell us what you saw."

Cordelia covered her eyes with her hand and said in a shaky voice, "Two little snake like things coming out of some bushes." She sat up and coughed, "they each had one eye and were carrying what looked like walnuts."

"Walnuts?" Said Spike.

"Yeah, two each. Put'em away boys." She smiled and stood up. Nothing like a fake vision to find out whose side your neighbourhood vampires were on.

They looked at her retreating back and Angel said, "We'd better get dressed."

That was easier said than done and by the time Spike arrived in the hotel lobby he was wearing 'spray on' leather trousers with laces up each side and a black sleeveless tee. Over it he had a regal blue silk shirt that was loose fitting with the sleeves rolled.

"What?" He snapped at the assembled stares. "Everything else I own is wet."

"You don't own that shirt. It's mine." Muttered Angel with a faint growl.

Wesley was perched on the edge of his desk with his head in a book, "In case anyone was wondering about the state of the plasterwork someone allowed a large leek to go unchecked last night." He said without looking up. It was what he'd feared most ever since Spike had first arrived. Vampires had two
over-riding drives, the blood lust and sexual lust. Between humans and vampires one often lead to the other. Between themselves the same and they were pretty unfussy when it came to bed partners. The demon was neither male nor female, that wasn't the way it reproduced, so gender was never an issue for vampires. What was more in family groups it wasn't only blood that held the nest together, sexual dominance played a huge part in Sire, Childe and blood sibling relationships. He was relieved that the encounter hadn't brought back Angelus but Angel really had to be more careful. The quicker this case was solved the quicker Spike would be gone.

The trouble was it didn't look like being solved any time soon.

---

The weekend had been slow and Lindsey was glad to get back to work. He busied himself with his caseload, went to lunch with a judge and then spent the rest of the afternoon in his courtroom winning the case on a technicality called lobster and a fine vintage. It was early evening by the time Reed sent a memo to say that he wanted a word.

"Ah Lindsey, so good to see you and thank-you for making it at this hour. Do come in." Lindsey entered Reed's office and stood expectantly. "How would you say your probation was going?" Reed sounded as cool and reserved as ever, even at five thirty in the evening.

What was going on? Lindsey had grown intolerant of the Firm's games after the hand incident. He had agreed to return, hell they needed him, but he wasn't going to be played with. "Well, I have several major clients, who asked for me personally and tried to eat any other counsel," He said as nonchalantly as his boss, "I've had some good wins and added to the Firm's reputation and bank balance." What more did they want?

"But you're disappointed not to be in Special Projects."

"No. There are other areas. Halley's work is interesting. I mean who would have thought there was a chemical formula for a soul. We may find yet that God is a man hiding behind a curtain, yelling into a microphone."

Reed sat down behind his desk. He didn't offer Lindsey a seat but he took one anyway.

"So what's the next step here for these souled demons?" He kept his voice light.

"Be careful Lindsey. You have a fatal flaw and she is a brilliant flame. Don't fly too close. I know you young people. With you, life is for living. You feel it in your very soul. You need to drench your senses in it. See it, hear it, smell, touch and taste it." He leant forward and placing his folded hands on the desk. The late evening sun streamed in at the window and Lindsey had to squint to see.

"We all desire to be young, Lindsey. That's why this office gets so much business. In LA, youth is everything. People try every means to keep it. They preserve it on film and recreate it with surgery. They fight growing old with every weapon and they will always lose. Do you know why that is?"

Lindsey shook his head, "Because in order to live forever they must die. Losing your soul is the only way to live forever. Only the undead stay young, unchanged by life and it's excesses."

"What are you trying to tell me, Nathan?"

"The difference between immortality and mortality is the difference between youth and age. The difference between immorality and morality is the same. You want to stay young, work hard and feel no ill effects, not even those of remorse? Not one twinge of guilt to line your face and give you ulcers. Lose your soul. Give it to another and let them carry the burden. You will be clean and free."

Lindsey had never thought theology Nathan's strong point but if this had something to do with the Dex then he owed it to Hal to find out more. "How?" He asked out loud.

"The Dex. It seems to have the uncanny ability to absorb our sins, Lindsey. Your woman truly is an artist. As an artist captures beauty forever, so we are offering youth at a price. It works well on our own operatives and soon we will begin market trials. How would you like to be on the legal team for this?"

Lindsey couldn't believe it. He had come to pump Reed for information and not only was the information freely given but he was being offered a job.

"I'll think about it."

"Well don't think too long. Martinez in finance is after promotion and is a little more...stable than you."

Lindsey went back to his own office. As he prepared to go home he turned the calendar and looked at the quote for tomorrow, 'For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?' Mark 8:36. He had to talk with Hal.

As soon as he was home he called her and ordered a meal, he was no cook. They ate, as usual, by candlelight and soft music, each needing no other company but the other. After dinner, Hal took her wine glass to the sofa and Lindsey joined her. They held hands and talked nonsense. It was nice, calm, peaceful. He took her glass from her and began to kiss the hollow of her neck, "Lindsey," She giggled but didn't stop him.

He put down his own glass, took off his tie and loosened the top button of his shirt. Then he returned to her, caressing her neck, trailing rapid kisses down a soft arm and taking slender fingers in his, to kiss the back of her hand. He drew his tongue across it and sucked a finger into his mouth. Their eyes met and she sighed.

Her lover had a way of making her feel the most special soul in the universe. She let him worship her. He raised her up just long enough for her to remove her shoes and panty hose and then she sat back down on the sofa with him kneeling in front of her. He lifted her blouse and licked at the milky flesh he found there, dipping his tongue into her navel so that she caught breath.

This was perfect. How it should be, sweet, gentle and passionate. "I love you Halley." Whispered Lindsey. He ran his hands up her thighs savouring the texture of her flesh. It was so soft, finishing in coarse brown hair. He slipped a finger behind her panties and into her hot, moist depths. She let out a little moan.

"More," She pleaded, so he wedded two fingers and inserted them both into her ever-increasing heat. He moved them gently but insistently back and forth until neither could stand it any longer. He rubbed at her nub with the ball of his thumb.

Her skirt was soon high above her hips and he pushed the flimsy fabric to one side. Immediately he was hit by a scent that was all her own, sweet, musky, pungent and erotic. He dipped his head and took a quick taste. Hal's response was to wrap her legs around his shoulders and he engulfed her completely. Beneath his lips and tongue, she felt her orgasm begin to rise.

He continued to pleasure her past the first wave until she could stand it no more and then said, "Lets go to bed, darling. I want to make love to you properly."

Before long, they were both naked on the wide bed. Lindsey explored every inch of her body with his hands and lips. He savoured her flesh, glorying in its texture and scent. He caressed her breasts and suckled at her nipples until she cried out with ecstasy.

She reached for his cock and returned his earlier favour. She brushed her lips over the head and he groaned. Taking him fully into her mouth, she rolled his cock with her tongue, before drawing even more of his thick shaft into her throat. He lay on his back and thrust his straining member into her hard-working mouth. Soon, oh no. Too soon. "Stop." He said gently, "I don't want to come yet."

She raised her head and he rolled her beneath him, finding her entrance almost by instinct and at once penetrating her as deep as he could. They rocked together in unison, lawyer and scientist, man and woman, lovers. She begged him to go harder, faster so that she could feel his balls slap against her. He lifted one leg to gain even more penetration and at the same time bent to kiss her passion contorted face.

Halley kissed him back then slid her lips across his cheek to nibble his ear. Her soft brown hair brushed against his neck when she bent to lick and suck his nipples. At the same time, he felt her fingers at his entrance and that was it. "Oh yesssssss," He hissed and shot his load high inside her.

"Oh Lindsey, yes." She sobbed as her own orgasm hit.

They stayed locked together until his erection had subsided. "As close as two souls can get." She thought.

He slid beneath the covers and pulled her back into a foetal embrace. "Hal," He murmured, "I've found out what the Dexes do."

"What do mean what they do?"

"They absorb sin. Apparently, Reed has been giving them out to those who are having trouble with their consciences and the creatures clear them. I think the effect even slows aging and allows one to work round the clock."

She stiffened in his arms, "What about the Dex?" She asked, "How does this effect my babies?" She was aware of the emotive language she'd just used but she couldn't help it. So close after their lovemaking she just wanted to hold the demons and make them feel as warm and safe as she did right now.

She felt her temper rise and struggled out of his grasp. Getting up she put on a robe and stormed out to the living room to put out the candles. He followed her.

"You know what, Lindsey?" She snapped, "You were right. I give up. I quit. How can I work for an organisation that is willing to absolve themselves of all sin by offloading it onto another being? The Dexes are innocent things, their souls pure, undefiled, like newborns. Nathan Reed owns both our souls? Well, not mine."

He tried to hold her but she pulled away from him, "My work is my art but if this is what happens then I'll never create again. I should never have messed in creation at all. We should not escape our sins, Lindsey. Guilt is there for a reason, who am I to cheat hell of its prizes."

"If that's the way you feel I won't stop you but please be careful Halley. These are dangerous people and..." He enclosed her in his arms and this time he would not let go, "...I love you." He said and he meant it.

Chapter Eight

Hal arrived the following morning not to the lab as usual but to the main offices of Wolfram and Hart. She swept through security on a wave of righteous indignation and asked politely but firmly for an audience with Nathan Reed. He was more than happy to see her but it quickly became apparent that the problem was not going to be reconciled.

"I just don't see why the Dexes have to be used in this way." She argued.

"My dear, look on it as experimentation. Everything has to have trials."

"You can't pull that one on me. This isn't a trial. If it is, let me set up proper control groups. There are many things not currently being monitored. Where are the individual case studies, notes, observations, nothing is being effectively measured or recorded and what of the Dex itself. What is happening to the spawn?"

Nathan looked irritated and then softened his tone, "Listen, Halley, there are many many demons. I think it would be wise for you to take a break from this one. Take one of the Dexes, you'll find the effects quite therapeutic. It's better than soul-searching guilt trips or even the confessional. Absolve yourself with your work and come back to us. You'll feel much better, do that for me."

Hal felt frightened. What had Mike said? 'Watch that Reed, he's a real reptile.' She knew the lengths that the Firm went to. Swallowing hard, she looked directly at Reed and said, "Yeah, maybe you're right, I'll do that. Thank-you for your time I feel much better about things."

She went straight to the lab, behaving as if everything was normal, she went through the morning rituals but instead of beginning work, she went directly to the holding pens and spoke to Mike. Two more Dexes had escaped in the night. Mike just shrugged and caught a grasshopper as it flitted by, when she asked if any were ever returned.

"Saw one once. Real mess it was," He said in his native tongue, "They brought one of them lawyers in here. He was on the verge of a nasty breakdown if you ask me. They sat him in there with a Dex and well, the only word I can think of is, absolution."

"Clean soul?"

"No soul. They were all very pleased. Said he would be able to work round the clock without the drugs. The woman in Special Projects was very interested, something about introducing a Dex to an Angel. Pass, all I know is that the Dex wasn't happy. It looked in pain. I'm guessing here but I wouldn't be surprised if they die eventually."

She pondered on this all day. She went about her tasks with unseeing eyes, moving by rote around the lab. Science had been her whole life. It was what supported and sustained her. She used it to define the indefinable and explain the unexplainable, but ultimately it had let her down. Her work had been used to absolve lawyers burdened with their souls. Well so what if they were? "Don't do the crime if you don't want the time." She thought.

The Dex allowed staff to work continuously without drugs. That meant that the Firm had been drugging its operatives. She thought of Lindsey, he'd wanted her to get out. How much of this did he know? And the lawyers had no physical effects but the Dex really suffered and was in constant pain. The only outcome could be that the user become soulless and the Dex died. Why hadn't she seen this side effect of an artificial soul? It was wicked.

By the evening, she was angry. This was not what it was for. Hal realised to her horror that she was actually losing her faith in science. It was unreal. Lindsey meant more to her because he was real and her soul was happy with him. She would go out and find the Dexes she resolved, and then they would both leave LA for good.

She collected her things including the tracker and headed for the city streets. It wasn't long before she picked up the trail of one of the beasts. Logic dictated the area of the search. After all where did most sick souls of the city end up? She knew it was afraid and alone. It had a soul and that soul was hurting. Only she had the experience to catch it. "Hah!" She thought, "Isn't experience the name men give to their mistakes? That's ironic." This was her mistake and she was compelled to fix it.

She stared again at the red blinking light on the display. There was only one now, damn. She stopped level with the railings of the Verbum Dei Catholic High School and got her bearings. Jordan Down Projects seemed to be the target, for this one at least. She heaved a great sigh and began to head East of Nickerson. Deep inside the dirty, morbid tenements, she could hear a baby cry. On the street, she saw two dogs fighting over a piece of garbage and a drunk singing to the moon. She felt suddenly lost, detached as though she was observing life not living it.

A shuffle from behind her alerted her and brought her back from her reverie. This was a dangerous place to daydream. She looked again at the gauge to find the Dex right on top of her. Keeping a watchful eye on the high, blank windows, she crept through the filth of a hidden alleyway and finally found it. It was dead. Killed by the city's sins. It was the sordid shame of a great city and she knew she must leave.

Chapter Nine

Spike liked to write by candlelight. He liked to write with a fountain pen and a proper nib. He even, truth be told, liked to write in the quiet. He sat in a new room, without the telly or CD blaring and wrote. He wrote of kings and great armies, of sweeping battle plains that were in fact his body and heart. He wrote of the passion of conquest, the pain of defeat and the security of reconciliation. He knew he was being watched. His vampire senses hadn't been dulled by two years of the chip. "That's right," He thought, "Just a little closer..."

Fred didn't see him move, she felt it, like the whisper of the wind. He had her by the wrist. Not tight enough to set off the chip but she wasn't getting loose. "What are you doing?" He asked, softly.

She looked at him, wide eyed like a frightened rabbit, "I...I...just experimenting, testing somethin'. You got to run trials. Tests like. Else how can you ever find the truth?"

Spike tightened his grip; "It's polite to seek a bloke's consent before experimenting on him."

"Oh yeah." She was eager to agree with him, "I'm sorry…I just…but you're right, where are my manners? May I please test this?"

Much as Spike truly hated human science, he was curious. Fred hadn't been seen all weekend. Angel said it wasn't unusual. She'd been through some kind of trauma that had left her slightly unhinged, and she liked to hide herself away. The others seemed to ignore her, but Spike knew from a hundred years of experience when to ignore the insane and when to take notice.

"What is that?" He asked, releasing her from his grasp.

"It's a odouraometer."

"You want to explain that to a chap first born in 1858?"

"It detects and measures chemical particulates in the air, er...smells, it smells. Only it doesn't, not this, but other things smell and it picks them up...the smells."

"The year 1858 not 18:58 this evening! And I don't smell!!"

The comment was said with enough vampiric venom to have most humans scurrying to apologise but not Fred. She laughed, just a little too loud and said, "Yes you do."

He snarled but she didn't seem to notice. "May I?" She asked raising the machine. "See I got it all wrong. I thought 'cos the chip was giving out electrical signals, that that's what it was picking up. I can be so thick sometimes."

"Thick? Right." He took off his glasses and placed them on top of his papers.

"But then I got to thinking what makes creatures different from one another and well it's their chemistry. It can't be their physics 'cos them laws are constant and people aren't. So, I made this to pick up chemical changes and I found something. Humans give off a chemical signal."

"Like pheromones?"

"Yeah, sort of and no. More like species indicators or fingerprints."

He looked puzzled for a moment and then more than a little peeved. "So the chip picks up the smelly fingerprints and wham bloody great migraine. Clever little fuckers, scientists. Present company excepted."

Fred looked down and Spike realised he'd offended her, "Oh I didn't mean you weren't clever." He said by way of an apology.

She started to tinker again with her creation. It reminded the vampire more than ever, of Dru and her tarot cards. "Gonna tell my future with that thing?" He asked.

"You wanna know if I can remove the chip in your brain?" He nodded. "Well - I could. Oh, but Angel wouldn't like it."

"Who gives a fuck about that twat?" Spike barked. He didn't want his chance of losing the chip ruined by over zealous loyalty.

Again, instead of getting jumpy at the savagery of the remark, she smiled and skipped right up to him. Their eyes met and locked for an instant, his full of desperation and the need for answers, hers bright and full of mischief. "It's not time," She said in her Texan drawl. He found the accent sensual, "You're not ready, not cooked." Yes, she was VERY like his Dru and just like with Drusilla there was a time to get angry and a time to try subtly.

"What do you mean, pet?" He asked. He nearly reached out and stroked her hair but ran his hand through his own instead.

He was astounded when she touched him. Fred stroked his cheek with the backs of her fingers, like a mother or a big sister might. It was re assuring, "We will work it out, I will work it out, get it out."

"You can really do that?" He didn't pull away. He put his cool palm over the back of her warm hand and suddenly the whole room seemed very hot. The candles guttered and all he could hear was her heartbeat.

"If you're a good boy." She was so close now that her nipples grazed his chest, "Already sowing seeds. You sow poppies in your garden."

"Very like his Dru." He thought again. A moment hung between them. Did he want to kiss her? It probably wasn't wise, but when had that stopped him. He bent his head and…

"Spike? Fred? What are you doing?" Asked Angel from the door. The light from the corridor meant that he could only see their silhouettes but it looked suspiciously like he'd interrupted a clinch. He didn't like the waves of emotion that suddenly swept over him. "Downstairs now." He snapped and left before he said something they'd all regret.

Spike looked at Fred and shrugged. They both headed for the door, pondering on what had just taken place.

---

"Is it 'the' Anthony and Cleopatra or 'an' Anthony and Cleopatra?" Wesley asked. He thought he might as well keep his mind active, as the case seemed to be going nowhere.

"An Anthony and Cleopatra," Spike answered from the courtyard where he'd gone for a smoke. An uneasy truce hung in the air since his bout with Angel. If only these humans knew what had happened in the past between the two vampires, they would know Angel was in no danger. Spike was part of his guilt. To feel absolved you had to be with the innocent. They were more likely to encourage the feeling of euphoria than he was. He snorted, put out the fag end with the toe of his boot and sauntered inside.

Gunn and Wesley were deep in conversation. "But they were murdered." Insisted the younger man.

"Not necessarily. People do die of other things."

"What about the open window. You said everything in the riddle was significant. How about we just set light to his toes 'til he tells us." The last part was directed at Spike.

"Whether we like it or not he is part of this case, Gunn." Said Wesley.

Spike frowned, "That's right just talk about me like I'm not here."

"Oh don't worry we will!" Said Gunn cheerfully. "And maybe one time you'll take the hint and not be. I don't know about you Wes, but I could live with one bloodsucker less round here."

Spike seethed inside. He wondered if it was worth a brain fry just to call Gunn out. The answer was probably not. So, he kept control of his demon and lit another cigarette instead. He was getting good at this self-control lark.

---

Hal frantically dialled Lindsey on her cel phone, "I can't catch them!" She sobbed. "The city is killing them Lindsey! I need your help."

"What do you want me to do? And be quick. Cel phone calls are easy to tap." He knew he shouldn't help but he was in too deep as usual. She explained about the Dexes and asked him to drive around the Projects to see if he could find the other one. "I've got the number of a supernatural investigator. They apparently help the helpless and I think at this moment I qualify."

"DON'T!" Lindsey shouted, recognising the strap line instantly, but she'd already rung off.

He knew he'd have to move fast. He had two choices, head her off at AI or find the Dex and save Angel the trouble. He really didn't want to talk to the vampire under any circumstances and the further he distanced himself from this the better. It would be easier to explain why he had the escaped Dex, than why he'd entered the Hyperion he decided. "If I'm questioned, I knew nothing about her visit." He thought. After all Halley never said the name of the investigators. He grabbed his car keys and jumped into his pick-up. "Yeah like that excuse ever held up in court?" He sighed.

---

Back in a darkened office at Wolfram and Hart, Lilah Morgan replaced the receiver and smiled. Nathan had been right to tell her to keep an eye and ear on the couple, "Thank-you Lindsey for another poor choice of girlfriend." She said out loud. She had two choices, she could go out and find Lindsey with the Dex or she could go to the Hyperion and maybe catch them both with the enemy. That was too delicious a chance to pass up, so she picked up her purse and headed for the door.

---

Halley entered the lobby of the hotel cautiously through a boarded door. Someone or something had broken it recently as there was still shards of glass on the floor. Inside, the wallpaper was peeling in one corner and the place smelt of damp. There was a curious collection of people in the foyer. She looked from one to another, trying to ascertain whom she should talk to about her crisis.

"Can we help you?" Said a young woman with dark hair and good make-up.

"I have a problem. I...umm.... Do you have anyone who could catch a demon? I mean is that your field of expertise?"

"Why you want to catch it?" Asked the young black man in the corner, "Killing's just as good and cheaper."

"Oh no! I don't want it killed! It's a kind of...pet. Yes, that's it. It's a pet that got loose but I can hardly ask the local pound now can I?" She smiled sweetly.

"Is it dangerous?" Asked a tall Englishman.

"No! I mean yes. I don't know. Not to me. But I don't want it getting hurt or anyone else." If she was trying to sound like a scatty airhead, she was jolly well succeeding she thought. Hopefully it would spur these people into action.

"Have you tried to catch it yourself?" Asked the dark haired girl.

"Well of course I have! My boyfriend is out looking right now! Look if you can't help me just say so and I'll be on my way."

A tall, dark haired man came down the stairs with his nose in a book. "We'll help, just give Wesley a description of the demon." He spoke with authority and everyone else seemed to defer to him, without him even having to make eye contact.

As the woman described the demon, Wesley began to get cold shivers along his spine. It sounded suspiciously like the very thing they'd been chasing for almost a week. The demon that Spike had hit and had given him so much pain. Why would anyone want that thing as a pet?

"When we find it where should we bring it to?" Halley gave them the address.

"Lindsey, that's my boyfriend, will be there." She said.

Angel eyed her carefully. "Lindsey McDonald? Lawyer?"

"Yes. Do you know him?"

"When you're in the business you get to know a lot of people. Thank-you Ms...?"

"Doctor - Dr. Dillinger. Please hurry." And with that, she scurried out only too aware that she'd given away far too much information.

"These people are investigators!" She chided herself once she was standing on the pavement and it began to sink in exactly what she'd done. Wolfram and Hart were going to hunt her down. Whatever happened with the Dex, she was going to have to leave town - tonight.

Back inside the hotel, the foyer had come to life. It was the first break in the case they'd had. Angel and Gunn went to the weapons cupboard to select the things they would need for the hunt. Spike watched from the shadows, but was still the quickest across the room when they heard Cordy's soft groan. She fell to the floor narrowly missing the edge of the reception desk and began to convulse with the strength of the vision. "This can't be doing her any good!" He thought.

"What did you see 'Delia?" Asked Angel.

It took Cordy a while to recover enough to answer, "Her and the 'not dangerous to me' line? Only if being swallowed by the Blob is considered safe these days! Angel, I think she.... Can you make a demon? I mean not 'out of a squeezy bottle and scotch tape' make, but I definitely got the impression that this is a designer demon. I have to say - not going to make it from the cat walk this season."

"Scientists!" Spike spat, "She said she was a doctor. You never asked of what. Call yourself a detective?!"

"Stop trying to tell me my job, Spike!" Angel grabbed his errant childe by the front of the tee.

"Oh that's what I like to see...tension in the ranks. You're losing your touch Angel, assaulting clients like that isn't the way to gain custom." It was Lilah Morgan, standing at the top of the small flight of stairs that lead from the front door.

Angel let Spike go and squared up to the latest arrival. "Can I help you?"

"Going to take a daytime stroll? Then you can't help me. But I think I can help you - stay away from Halley Dillinger. That little…difficulty is ours. We will solve it, so you needn't worry your pretty, undead head about it. Understand?"

"Are you threatening me?"

"No. I'm telling you some people don't need your help. Even if they ask for it. Oh and if she should call - tell me. And in case you didn't notice, now I'm threatening you."

Spike eyed the newcomer with wry interest, "What's her beef?" He said, whispering low to Cordelia.

"If that's Brit-speak for career, then lawyer. Same firm as those reptiles in the bar."

"It isn't but thank-you. She's a twenty four carat gold bitch isn't she?" He observed.

"Yeah," Cordy agreed, "Someone dropped a house on her sister and stole her shoes."

"Either that or there's a particularly foul painting in the attic!" He grinned. A theory was beginning to buzz around his head. He watched Fred frantically taking readings with her smelly machine. What he needed was a field trial. "Shit! Now I'm thinking like a scientist!" He grumbled mentally.

Spike smiled his most impish smile and sniffed the air. He took a couple of steps towards Lilah, "Your little toy getting these pheromones, Twinkle?"

Fred shook her head and tapped the dial on her gadget. "Oh that's a shame cos they smell that sweet. Fancy 'im don't cha, Ducks?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Spike sauntered up the steps and inhaled deeply, "No?" Quick as lightening his right arm girdled the lawyer's waist. He could smell the fear but the chip didn't fire. He slipped his left hand noticeably lower than her waist and, at the same time, ran his cool tongue up the side of her neck. Still nothing. Letting his fangs descend, just for a second, he grazed her throat.

She shot away from him as though he'd actually bitten her, "You're a vampire!" She exclaimed.

"And when you want some of that cool, undead meat - you just gimme a call, Sweetness. I guarantee you'll forget all about your little crush on Peaches over there." He jerked his head in Angel's direction.

Lilah looked at Angel. "I suggest you keep your minions in check." She snarled, turned on her heal and left.

Angel was livid. First Fred and now, of all people Lilah Morgan! William the Bloody pest just couldn't resist acting out like a dysfunctional teenager. If Angel's anger wasn't bad enough, envy began to rise up in the older vampire. "Wil' was mine!" He thought and he didn't just mean in the wake of Friday night. He'd marked the boy, groomed him only to have him run away and another vampire finally claim the prize.

"That was just about the stupidest thing you've ever done and I can list some doodys!" Snapped Angel out loud.

"Jealous?"

That was the wrong reply. Angel was seething. His features morphed and he roared in a way none of the others had ever heard him do before. His fist was a blur as he knocked Spike clean across the room.

Spike was no sooner down than he was up. Using his legs like springs, he came right back at his Sire in full game mode but telegraphed the punch, giving Angel time to catch the fist. Spike pulled Angel's head down by the hair with his free hand and flicked up with his elbow at the same time. He connected with Angel's nose and a satisfying crack told him he had broken it.

Taking hold of Spike by his shirt, Angel lifted him bodily and threw him across the room. He took a step to go after him and ran into Cordelia's outstretched arm.

Spike got up, turned to strike and found himself on the opposite side of her. "When you children have quite finished," Her growl was more menacing than anything the two master vampires could produce. "You want to play fight'n'dust? Do it on your own time, we have a case to finish."

"Well, I just got you another hint, Clouseau." Said Spike, glaring at Angel from the other side of Cordy's outstretched arms, "She should have a bruise on 'er arris the size of Lincolnshire, I pinched it that hard. And guess what..." He tapped his temple, "...no pain."

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