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Chapter 2



While Buffy was in the little kitchenette getting Billy’s lunch, Spike said,

“Red…how do you fancy doing a spot of baby-sitting for us?”

“Love to, when?”

“Saturday night, well from the afternoon really, only the Excelsior Hotel has a swanky new restaurant, and the hotel itself has been refurbished, I thought I’d treat Buffy to a – shush, don’t say anything, surprise, okay?” Spike whispered and Willow nodded

“Here you go then Billy – num-nums!”

“Can I feed him?” Willow sat up straight as Buffy put Billy in his highchair.

“You’re brave! Sure you can, only you might want to cover your blouse, yoghurt and banana will be the devils own to get out of that silk!

“Oh, I’ll be alright…”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you…I often think it’s me who should wear the bib, not Billy!”

Buffy gave Willow the dish of yoghurt, and she gave Billy half a peeled banana and a spoon, which he immediately took and began to bang on the tray of his chair.

“Noisy little monster you are…now be a good boy for you aunty Willow…else she might turn you into a frog!” Buffy tousled Billy’s hair and smiling she said to Willow,

“Good luck!”


***********


“Giles……….Giles…………GILES! Slow down, you’re babbling, now, slowly, Your friend Mark what? They’ve managed to drain one of the passages, yes, and your friend Mark has read the name Amun Rah on one of the walls…what, like graffiti? Well sorry, but you didn’t say hieroglyphics…go on, what about Mr Ra-Ra……..sun god, uh huh….and he’s got what – sorry Giles, but you’re going to have to speak louder to compete with Billy, hold on…….Billy – don’t be naughty, SPIKE – SEE TO BILLY PLEASE…sorry, where was I? – Oh yes, so what’s he got then….an amulet, go on…..did he find it there? – Already had it, oh, that was a stroke of luck, yes, and what – you’re going to his house to get it. Okay, you want us to lock up the shop then….course we don’t mind – okay then, bye”


“Spike, were are –oh god – BILLY! What have you done?” Buffy came around the bookcase, to see her son sitting in a ‘sea’ of strewn around candles, Billy just gave his mum a devastingly beautiful smile, and bit into another one.

“Everyone of them has got two little teeth marks in it……do you think the customers will notice?” Spike had already picked up about a dozen candles – there were still dozens all over the floor, he couldn’t help but smile

“I thought he was in his playpen!” Buffy bit her bottom lip to suppress a grin

“So did I, but look, any idea when this happened?” Spike showed her the huge big rip in the netting at the side of playpen.

“It wasn’t like that this morning! – Has it caught on something, a nail or…?”

“One, there are no nails sticking out anywhere, and two, this thing hasn’t moved……...Billy…hey you, yes, you little tinker….what’s this then mate?” Spike put his hand through the hole in the fabric, and Billy just giggled, and reached for another candle off the shelf, until Spike scooped him up.

“Oh no you don’t mate!”

“Ask Willow, she’s coming back up from the stockroom …Willow…look what he’s done!”

Willow cupped her mouth and nose and snorted a giggle

“Oh Billy!” Billy just grinned

“They’ve all got little teeth marks in them, look!”

“Never mind, we’ll soon fix that, won’t we baby!” Willow wriggled her fingers, and everything was back on the shelves, in perfect condition.

“Huh – lucky for you, you’ve got a witch for an aunty, cheeky boy!” Spike blew a raspberry on Billy’s cheek, and he squealed in delight.

“Thanks Red, that’s not all though, look at his playpen – we don’t know how it happened”

“Oh goodness – it wasn’t like that when I but him back in there after he had his lunch!”

Billy blinked sleepily, and yawned

“Come on then son, nap time…” Spike put him in his pram and he immediately turned his little head and closed his eyes.

After double-checking the playpen for anything sharp, the mystery remained as to how it became ripped.

“So was that Giles wetting his knickers at over on the phone?”

“Oh yes, he said, they’ve drained one of those passages, the underground ones, and Mark, that friend of his said he read the name Amun Rah on one of the walls – in that hieroglyphic’s – and he’d got an amulet at home with Amun Rah on it, so Giles is going back with him to get it”

“So, we’re here until closing time then?”

“I’ll stay, if you want to get off” Willow offered.

“We’re good for another hour yet – aren’t we Spike?”

“Sure, just as long as Billy doesn’t do other ‘Great Escape’…I’m almost dreading him walking!”

***************

At twenty passed four, Giles pulled up outside the shop. He came inside and made straight for the research table.
Willow went out, thinking it was a customer

“Oh, it’s you, you’re back then – I thought you were a customer!”

“Go lock up, and come an have a look at this thing I’ve got!”

“Ooohh Giles! You know how to sweet-talk me!” Willow quipped, and Giles’ ears went red!

*****************





Wolfram and Hart

Angel moodily threw the letter into his out-tray and stood. He went to the window and looked out.

Even the sheer novelty of this had begun to bore him now – to look out of the special glass into daylight. He was suddenly aware of a ‘presence’ behind him, and he turned quickly as he hadn’t heard anybody enter the office.

Standing in front of his desk, was a man. He was wearing a smart suit; he was dark haired, clean-shaven and handsome, aged roughly around 25 years old.

“Who are you – and how the hell did you – “ Angel went to reach for the buzzer to ring for security, when the man spoke.

“I wouldn’t bother, if I were you…it’ll do no good see, they won’t hear you”

“What – just tell me – oh god, what have you done?” Angel caught sight of Harmony, at the photocopier, frozen stock still, like a statue.

“Don’t worry, it’s only temporary…as soon as I’m gone, everything will be back to normal again”

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“Who am I? – That isn’t your concern – what do I want, well now…that’s the $64,000 question…I want what’s mine” The man said, looking at Angel straight in the face.

“And what do you think that’s yours?”

The man smiled and looked at the ceiling, then the walls, taking in the fancy carpet, bookcase, the leather sofa, the chrome and glass coffee table, the solid mahogany desk…

“This place, this is what I want, it should be mine by right, Wolfram and Hart was my birthright, my legacy, my inheritance, except somebody messed up…so I’m here to do a deal with you……………you give me back what’s rightfully mine – and I’ll help you get what’s yours………It really IS pointless you pressing that buzzer under the desk for security, I told you, they can’t hear you”

“How did you get in here?”

“You’re not asking the right questions!” The young man said, sitting down and crossing his legs.

Angel studied him for a few moments and said,

“I can’t just give you this place, I have responsibilities – “

“Oh, spare me! I don’t want to hear the ‘sacred duty’ speech, I’m not one of your little band of vigilantes…tell me – is this your idea of Utopia, huh? Running, how did your current squeeze put it – ‘Evil Incorporated’…let’s face it, it’s not your style…and not your first choice of jobs….and come to think of it, even your current squeeze isn’t your first choice either is she?”

Angel moved swiftly from behind the desk to grab the man by the throat, but he just vanished into thin air.

“No need for violence!” Angel whirled around to see the man leaning against the wall by the door. He strode over to him, but as quick as a flash, the guy just de-materialised again. Angel looked all around, but couldn’t see him, but he clearly heard the man’s voice.

“What do you really, REALLY want most in all the world, hmm?”

In his head, Angel heard the words, ‘to be human’

He gripped the desk and squeezed his eyes shut, when he opened them, the man was standing in front of him.


“Get out!” Angel hissed

“Now, now – is that anyway to talk to somebody who wants to help you achieve what you want?”

“I said, “

“I KNOW what you said………just think about it…you get what you want, you also get to eliminate your rival, and the rest would follow naturally…not easy bringing up a child on your own these days…one parent family………I’m sure the slayer would welcome your help………(he leant in conspiratorially and said) that girl is high maintenance, sure you’d come up to scratch, after all, you’ve already had - if you pardon the pun, one bite of THAT cherry!”

Angel was angry and he roared out, morphing and flying for the man.

“What the - Hell Angel, what’s up – you scared the shi – you scared me!”

Angel blinked and quickly looked around him. Everything was back to normal, except that Harmony had dropped all the photocopying she’d been doing.

“Did you see him?” Angel grabbed harmony by the elbow, and said rather desperately,

“Did you – see him – oh god!”

“See who - what?”

“That guy, dark hair, slick suit, he was in here just a second ago”

“Angel – there’s only been you and me in here –– are you okay?”

Angel turned from Harmony and ran his hand through his hair.

“Get me head of security up here NOW – and I want checks on all the alarms on ALL floors, you got that – NOW Harmony!”

“Geez, okay, okay! I always thought a nap was supposed to make you less grumpy!” Harmony stomped back to her desk to call for security.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing!”

“Tell me”

“You were having a nap – I said I thought that it was supposed to-“

“A nap?”

“YES! Asleep, a nap, forty winks, a little shut-eye – you were sitting in your chair, behind your desk with your eyes closed – do you still want Simon up here?”

“Yes, and I want the CCTV footage from all floors from the last two hours too…”

“Yes, sir………wonder what bit his butt………hello, Simon – boss man wants you up here now, with all the CCTV footage for the last two hours and he wants alarm checks on all floors……………………I don’t know – I’m just following orders!”





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