Chapter 14
“Don’t know why you never told anyone we met Lorne before,” Lawson said when he pulled into the nightclub parking lot.
Wesley cleared his throat. “You know the saying ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’. I came close to my jaw dropping when I heard that he was working with someone from Sunnydale.”
“How should we handle this, chief?” Lawson pulled into a parking spot, and he shut the motor off.
“Follow my lead.”
Lawson slid out of the car to follow Wesley inside the bar. There was one thing he knew without a doubt. There was no way he was singing for Lorne this time. Once was more than enough.
Lorne’s face lit up when he saw the newcomers. He hurried over to Wesley and Lawson as soon as he saw them. “Boy, am I glad to see you two!” he exclaimed.
“We’re here on business,” Wesley replied. He held out his hand to the empath in greeting.
“Don’t I know it!” Lorne gripped the offered hand. “This vamp has been coming in trying to get me to read his destiny.” He stuck a finger in one ear, and he twisted it in a cleaning motion.
Lawson and Wesley glanced at each other. Spike had mentioned that Angelus couldn’t carry a tune to save his life.
Wesley glanced around the club, looking for the broody vampire. “If he sang, you couldn’t reading him. What’s the problem?”
Lorne gave a noncommittal shrug. “The Powers that Be want me to keep it quiet. The bloodsucker is too Slayer obsessed to hear it now, that’s for sure.”
“Why keep it quiet? What does his Slayer obsession have to do with destiny?”
“His destiny isn’t with the Slayer, any of them. It never has been.” Lorne got a faraway look on his face. “There’s a prophecy about a vamp with a soul helping to end an apocalypse and becoming human, but our pal actually needs to participate not just stand back and watch like usual.”
“Anything else?”
“He’s already made an enemy of Wolfram and Hart. Harris wasn’t very happy to see him either,” Lorne said. “Angelcakes is biding his time until he can influence the Slayer without interference.”
“Sounds like we need to give Daddy Dearest another talking to. Where is he?” Lawson took his own look around the nightclub.
Lorne jerked his head towards the back of the main room. “He’s in some fierce negotiations with Harris back there. It seems the big lug wants in on the helping the hopeless gig.”
“Thanks, Lorne.” Lawson brushed past the green-skinned demon.
“You’re welcome.”
Wesley clapped Lorne on the shoulder as he moved past the demon to follow Lawson.
Lawson burst into the back room where he found Angel and a dark-haired human staring daggers at each other. “Daddy Dearest!” He opened his arms wide.
“Lawson!” Angel growled. “I thought I’d seen the last of you. What are you doing here?”
Wesley slipped into the room. “Just checking up on you, Angel. Can’t have you bothering the Slayers, after all.”
“What’s going on?” Xander studied the newcomers. The first one into the room – the one called Lawson – he was sure was a vamp. If he was a betting man, he’d say the second was a Watcher or had been a Watcher. “What do you mean by Slayers? That’s plural. There can be only one at a time according to Giles.”
“So, he didn’t tell you everything that’s been happening in Sunnydale?” Wesley raised an eyebrow. He should have known that Angel would only give out the barest amount of information possible to anyone he dealt with.
Xander shook his head while Angel glowered at the newcomers with murder in his eyes.
Xander glared at Angel. “Cordy and I went to Faith’s service, but we haven’t talked to anyone from Sunnydale until Deadboy here showed up on my doorstep.
Much to Angel’s dismay, Lawson and Wesley took turns informing Xander about the changes at the Hellmouth. When the tale was done – with much swearing on Xander’s part – the room fell quiet for a moment.
Xander pointed a finger at Angel. “I hate you. I’ve always hated you. While you were busy playing Captain Cryptic, my friend Jesse almost died, Faith did die, and that bitch that spawned you killed Miss Calendar.”
“None of that was my fault,” Angel protested.
“Shut up! I’m not done talking!” Xander yelled. “It’s obvious someone needs to keep an eye on you, and it’s apparently fallen to me.”
“I’m not a child.”
“No, you’re an idiot. At least a child can grow up.” Xander rose to his feet. “In this business, I’m the boss. In my absence, Gunn or Lindsey will be in charge. Your only job is to be muscle. If you step out of line, I will not hesitate to call this new Slayer or that Spike guy in to kick your ass.”
“If you don’t agree we can dust you on the spot.” To emphasize Lawson’s words, he and Wesley both pulled stakes from their pockets.
“I’m a champion. I can’t be dusted.”
“Pompous git,” Lawson growled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Faith stood in the doorway of the bedroom. Jesse lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
“I’m leaving Sunnydale.” Faith leaned against the doorframe. “There’s a Hellmouth in Cleveland.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” Jesse asked. His fixed gaze didn’t leave the spot he was studying.
Faith shrugged. “I still love you. I know it, but it feels like we’ve moved on.”
Jesse finally turned his head to look at his girlfriend. “Hope and I were coping. We were adjusting to you being gone. I kissed her, but she was not a substitute.”
“Finally!” Faith threw her hands up in the air. “Is that why things have been so freaky? I was thinking it was just me.”
“Aren’t you mad?” Jesse was sure that Faith would flip out now that he admitted his secret. “It happened the night you came back, and it was only a couple of kisses.”
“I’m not really upset.” Faith stepped closer to Jesse. “I can’t explain it, but it’s like I knew that you’d moved on. I was dead. It’s only natural.”
“We didn’t plan it or anything.” Jesse sat up. “Before you died, I never thought of Hope as anything besides your little sister. Cute, but not my type.”
“Then, I died.”
Jesse nodded. “Then you died, and I spent all my time with her. None of the others grieved as much as we did.” He plucked at the bedspread. “Sure, they love you, and missed you, but they weren’t as close to you as Hope and I were.”
“Jesse, when I go to Cleveland, what are going to be doing?” Faith asked her now ex-boyfriend. She was pretty sure they had just broken up, but she had to be sure. “Are you staying here or coming with me?”
Jesse looked Faith dead in the face. “Neither. I’m moving to be with Hope.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
“I’ve found your information,” Giles said. He sat in the best parlor that Skald Hill Manor had to offer with Spike and Buffy.
Buffy gave Giles a hopeful look. “So, they both exist?”
Giles nodded. He removed some reference books out of his book bag. “They’re both here in Sunnydale. You just need to find them.”
Spike and Buffy looked at each other in excitement. An ultimate Slayer weapon and vampire invulnerability would come in handy during a fight.
“Thanks, Giles!” Buffy hopped up to hug the Watcher.
“You’re welcome, Buffy.” Giles put an arm around the young woman, and he patted her shoulder in an awkward manner. He gasped for breath when she tightened her embrace.
“Don’t squish the Watcher, pet.”
“Oh, sorry.” Buffy blushed as she dropped her arms.
“Not a problem.” Giles assured the young woman. “I’m quite used to it. Now there’s more I need to tell you.”
Buffy glanced at Spike with concern. Nothing they had come across about the weapon or the gem had caused them alarm. She turned back to Giles. “About our research?”
Giles shook his head. “No, I wanted to let you both know that Faith, Anya, and I are moving to Cleveland. It seems that Faith got a visitor last night. A nun by the name of Edith told Faith that William needed to know that she’s happy and that she approves of his choice. You’re the only William I know.”
Spike stared at Giles for a moment. “Drusilla had a doll named Miss Edith. She carried it everywhere with her.”
“Could this be her apparition?”
Spike shrugged. “It wouldn’t surprise me. Drusilla had a way of knowing things. She always did.” He was lost in thought for a few moments before Giles changed the subject back to Cleveland.
“Have either of you been to Cleveland during your travels?”
Buffy shook her head, and she looked at Spike.
“No, I haven’t been there m’self either, but I know the Hellmouth isn’t as active as this one,” Spike said. He had a thoughtful look on his face.
“There’s a boy’s school over it.” Giles let out an ironic chuckle. “Wonder what it is about Hellmouths and schools? I’ll be sending in an application for the librarian position.”
Buffy let out a giggle. “We know the principal. We set him up there in Cleveland. His mom was a Slayer.”
“The pillock and I don’t get on, but he adores Buffy.” Spike’s eyes narrowed, and he growled under his breath.
Buffy rolled her eyes. “You two would get along just fine if you hadn’t killed her mother.”
“You found Nikki Wood’s son?” Giles looked astonished. “He and Nikki’s Watcher Bernard Crowley disappeared. It was thought that her…” He looked at Spike. “You didn’t touch them, did you?”
Spike shook his head. “I was interested in the Slayer, not her hanger ons.”
“So, if you’d come after Faith, you wouldn’t have been interested in the rest of us?” Giles asked in astonishment. He had studied Angelus’ tactics, assuming that Spike would operate the same way.
“I’m into the fight, Watcher. Always have been.” Spike rose to his feet, and he went to pour himself a drink. “Darla liked young boys.”
Giles nodded. “She tried to attack Jesse, but Faith rescued him. That’s how they met.”
“Angelus prefers the innocent.” Spike turned to Giles. “Like I said before, my sire was supposed to be a nun before he got his hands on her.”
“I’m glad I wasn’t called first,” Buffy replied. “I would have fallen so fast for his crap.” She went to Spike to cuddle close to his body.
“I’m glad too.” Spike gave the blond woman a quick kiss. “Dru liked children. The orphanages were always her choice.”
“Has being with Buffy really changed you that much?”
“She has a way of making a monster want to be a man.” Spike stared into Buffy’s teary green eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Oz awoke to find himself naked and nestled against the back of an equally unclothed body. Casual sex had never been something he was interested in, and it had been a long time since he’d found himself in such a situation. Even though they had engaged in some serious kissing the night before, Oz wondered how Dot would react to their positions.
Dot yawned and stretched. She enjoyed the feeling of the lean body and hard cock pressed against her. She slowly rolled over and gazed deeply into Oz’s serene eyes.
Oz’s fingers brushed the bite marks on Dot’s shoulder. “Mine,” he growled.
“Yours. All yours.” Dot pulled Oz’s head down to hide her face in his shoulder where she buried her teeth in his skin.
Oz arched into Dot’s soft body. He let out a wild, feral bellow so unlike his usual quiet self. One hand clutched at his mate’s rounded hip. The fingers buried themselves in her flesh when she broke away to finish the werewolf claim.
“Mine, Oz,” Dot growled like Oz had earlier.
“Yours!” Oz pushed Dot onto her back, covered her blood-stained lips with his own, and thrust his cock home into her pliant body.