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*Sunnydale Arms Motel, later that evening*

Ethan was just about done packing and planning his escape from the God-forsaken town he’d tried to throw into chaos. As soon as he’d left the company of the increasingly distant realtor, he’d gone around town in as random a pattern as possible, in the attempt to confuse any would-be stalkers. He had then made his way carefully back to his motel room and booked transportation out of the country.

Just as he was giving the room one last cursory glance there was a soft knock on the door. “I’m sorry, sir, it’s the management, there seems to be an issue with the adjoining bathroom and we need to get access to the pipes through yours.”

He turned and watched the door, a sense of dread engulfing him. “Just a moment.” He scanned fruitlessly for an escape route, but other than breaking through the back wall he could see no other way out than the door. Bugger me sideways. If Giles only knew that trying to mess with him will cost me my life, he’d be tickled pink.

Before he had time to do anything else, the door was busted open and a large figure charged in and knocked him out cold.

~~~***~~~

*Sunnydale Inn, around the same time*

Hank Summers had just poured himself a drink to celebrate. He was soon going to be a small town lawyer. Not even in his wildest, or better yet, dreariest dreams had he envisioned being anything other than one of the top litigators at one of the top legal firms in the country. Then again, back when those dreams and hopes were being made, he was still young, hadn’t yet become a cheater, and most of all, hadn’t even the faintest clue about the world around him. The world of demons.

A knock brought him out of his reverie, and he went to open the door while holding a stake at his back: better safe than sorry in this town! Speaking of demons.

Spike was waiting on the other side, in a strange repeat of their first encounter. “May I come in, Hank.”

The lawyer frowned slightly and his hand tightened on the hidden stake. “I don’t remember giving you permission to call me that.”

The vampire snorted. “Okay, Mister Summers, may I please come in?”

The tone and phrasing was more cultured than what Spike usually sounded like, once more reminding Hank of the brief moments when he was trying to act as Buffy’s boyfriend back in LA. And yet, she’s dating him now.

When he still got no answer, Spike leaned against the door frame. “You do know that I don’t really need an invitation in a hotel room, right? Then again, if I wanted you dead, I had more than enough chances on much better occasions. Now be a good sport, trust in the truce you bartered, and let me in so we can discuss business.” Despite the soft voice and calming words, there was a steel behind Spike’s countenance that belied the predator in him.

Hank gulped once, fiddled for a second with his stake, then wordlessly stepped aside and made a ‘pass through’ gesture. He wanted to both test Spike’s assertion about the room, as well as trying to gain a measure of control.

The blond vampire smirked, and then he was sitting on one of chairs nest to the table still holding the opened bottle of whiskey. He’d moved fast, not as fast as to become a blur, but faster than a normal human would have.

This will be a long night. Hank made his way carefully to the chair opposite from Spike. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Believe it or not, this is a business meeting.”

The skepticism must have shown very clearly on Hank’s face.

“No, really. You see, this whole Master of Sunnyhell arrangement has gotten me in contact with many parties, each with their own interests, and that means contracts, deals, and bloody mountains of paperwork.”

Hank’s skepticism had turned to shock. He’d never actually thought of the intricacies of Spike’s title, but in his mind’s eye he could see a Mafia-like organization. Any good Mob needs a good lawyer, too. Just my luck I’m the best this town can offer now. Fuck. Hank picked up his tumbler and took a long sip.

“Mind treating your guest to some of the good stuff?”

“You’re not exactly my guest, though, are you?” Despite his words, Hank was already pouring Spike his drink.

“By the end of this discussion, I hope we’ll be business partners, so…” Spike left his sentence trail off as he took his own considerable gulp of liquid.

Hank wondered exactly how much alcohol it would take to get a vampire drunk. Probably enough to drain a person’s savings account really fast. Maybe that’s why they steal so much. “So what do you want from me?”

“Innit obvious? I need a solicitor and you just drew the winning number.” The rest of the expensive whiskey was drained in another long gulp. The vampire then took out a cigarette and his lighter.

Hank was about to stop him, but seeing the way Spike inhaled the smoke made him want to join him. It had been five years since he’d quit, except for the occasional cigar with clients, but the way his nerves were being frayed on a daily basis reminded him of the simple pleasures of watching the smoke slowly escape his lips.

Of course Spike somehow managed to pick up on the unspoken request and tapped a cigarette out of his packet, leaving it and the lighter in front of Hank.

While he lit his own cigarette, the lawyer within him took over. “If you want to secure my services, there are some details I would need first, I would have to review your current legal situation, and discuss with some contacts, without my being obligated to take you on in any way. You will also be billed for my time while I conduct my research, and there would have to be some rules in place to insure that nothing unseemly could be used against me in my professional capacity.” He hardened his features as much as he could. “Any activities that would harm innocents will be disclosed to the Slayer. Are the parameters clear?”

Spike was smirking as he refilled his own glass. “I would expect nothing less. Now let’s talk details.”

~~~***~~~

*The Magic Box*

Jenny was having the umpteenth fight with her uncle over her future role in Sunnydale. More to the point, she was trying to convince him that she didn’t need to move to LA to keep tabs on Angel as he demanded.

“You will obey the laws of this family and you will do your duty. The vampire must keep paying.”

“But he is free of our curse. He has sought out his soul and our hold on him is done. What good could I possibly do in LA?”

“He lies.”

“And what about what Drusilla told me? She said that if they hadn’t fixed his soul and ended the curse, it would have been ripped from him and both of us would have died. Does that mean nothing to you?”

“Of course it does!” Enyos was looking furious. “It means the monster must be put down; he must suffer beyond comprehension; he must be made to pay for what he has done to our clan!”

“But he has been pardoned by the Powers! You can’t stand there and tell me that means nothing.”

“The Powers may have forgiven him. Our vengeance doesn’t care about powers, or laws, or right.” He paused for a second and raised his chin in defiance. “Besides, he’s probably lying.”

Just then a jingle was heard from the supposedly closed front door of the shop. “Angel didn’t lie. Your curse and its clause are gone. Your vengeance is done.” Drusilla was looking straight at Jenny. “I encouraged you to tell the Watcher, yet you didn’t. We are leaving tonight and I came here to inquire who is coming with.”

“What?” Jenny was left speechless. She also really didn’t want to go to LA, for fear of losing Rupert, while the same fear kept her from telling him of her role in Angel’s curse.

“Your people cursed the vampire Angelus with a soul and torment. The resulting vampire Angel joined me and sought his soul. He thus broke your curse and your hold on him, but his debt to you has not been paid. You say it and I agree.” She pinned Jenny’s uncle with a knowing look. “I am here to make you a deal. You come with us, watch him first-hand, torment him with memories all you want, and do what you consider is your duty—short of killing him—but she stays here.” Drusilla was pointing at the young teacher.

Jenny was shocked, and so was Enyos. “Why do you want me to stay?”

A knowing smile lit up the vampire’s face. “Your path lies here, as long as you’re willing to walk it.” Her face lost its mirth. “I told you before: tell him!”

“That is not her call. Her duty is to her family—” Enyos was starting the same speech again, but this time he was interrupted.

“Her duty, everyone’s duty is to the Powers. You cannot interfere with what is ordained.” There was a fire burning in the vampire’s eyes that brooked no argument. “You will come with us to LA, you will learn what it means to do that which you preach, and you will let Janna fulfill her purpose.”

Her uncle’s voice was filled with resentment. “You already took one daughter from us…”

Drusilla’s voice was light, almost playful, which made her message all the more terrifying. “And you can lose them all if you continue to cling stubbornly to your old ways. Join us and let the wounds heal; don’t and your entire line will fail.”

Jenny could see the battle being raged in her uncle’s mind from his facial expressions. She knew him to be one of the most ardent proponents for the destruction of Angelus, and if Drusilla was willingly inviting him to come with them, it would all be a disaster in the making. Then again, the dark haired vampire seemed to know enough about what was to come. Jenny made a mental note to consult the bones about the future.

“I need to contact the Elder Woman.”

Just then a phone began to ring.

Drusilla smiled warmly. “That would be her now.” She motioned at Enyos. “Go on, answer it. I’ll wait.”

~~~***~~~

*Back porch, 1630 Rovello Drive*

Buffy was getting ready to start her patrol. She’d checked all her stakes, her knives, and her holy water reserve. She was just about to head out into the night, though she still found it a bit surreal that her mother had waved at her and offered to pack a midnight snack ‘for when you’re waiting around for a fledgling,’ when her senses told her a vampire was approaching.

She could tell it was a powerful vampire, but also not Spike, which meant that she grabbed her favorite stake and slowly unsheathed it. Only to put it back when Angel came up to her from around the corner.

“Hello, Buffy.” His voice sounded warm and soothing, but that didn’t stop her mind from providing a flashback to his contrite look in the Master’s cave when he’d all but admitted he wanted to do unspeakable things to her.

Shaking the icy tendrils that had started to crawl up her spine off, she looked him straight in the eye. “Angel.”

He seemed to not know exactly what he wanted to say, or was he just building up the suspense? Regardless, Buffy was starting to get annoyed, especially since her heart still managed to skip a beat at the sight of him. I guess you can move on, but some part will always remember.

“This century, maybe?”

He half-smirked at that, his face almost wistful. “I came to tell you we’re leaving.”

It shouldn’t have hurt. He was an almost-not-even-ex and he was with someone else, she was with someone else, and he’d already announced he was not going to stay for long. Still, once again, her heart refused to not be affected. “When?”

“Tonight. We’re packing up a few things and we’ll be off to LA.” To his credit, he didn’t seem overly happy with it either.

Which only made Buffy mad. He chose this, he chose to leave for Africa in the first place, he chose Dru, and he chose to come through here on his way to LA, so he doesn’t get to play sad over his choices! “Have a safe trip!” She made to go past him, but he grabbed her by the elbow. She could have shaken off his loose grip easily, but instead she stopped and looked at him again.

“I’m sorry.”

She frowned. “What for?”

He sighed and he let go of her elbow. “For leaving, for choosing Dru, for giving up on us and on what we could have had.” He took a deep breath, looking every bit as pained and brooding as she’d ever seen him, something that had been missing in the week since his return. “Most of all, sorry for what would have happened if I would have stayed.”

She felt it like a punch in the gut. She knew what he meant, had heard Drusilla’s words, and she’d been thinking about it in the dead of night, when she crawled in her bed after patrol. He would have been my first, and he would have become a monster. God! She couldn’t let him see how much he’d affected her, though. “Then I guess everything’s all right. If that was all, I have some patrolling to do.”

“Buffy! You’ve been avoiding me all week. We need to talk about this.”

“No, actually we don’t. I had a lot on my plate, what with taking care of vamp groupies, slaying, going to school, and dealing with the aftermath of that wonderful night you decided to waltz back into town.” She made a cutting gesture with her hand. “But all of that is beside the point. We have nothing to talk about. You made your choices, I made mine. Have a nice un-life!”

She stomped away despite him calling after her. She was done, and he didn’t need to see how he’d affected her.

She needed to kill something.

Whoa! A year ago there would have been some major wiggage if I’d have thought that. She mentally shrugged and kept walking toward the nearest cemetery.

~~~***~~~

*Midnight, on route to LA*

The bus was speeding off into the night, the driver skirting the speed limit in order to finish the trip as soon as possible. It wasn’t that Jake was someone that could be easily scared—living in a town such as Sunnydale tended to harden people really fast—but the people that had chartered this particular trip made the hairs on the back of his neck stand.

It wasn’t his first catered job: the various school, bachelor, college, and museum trips that went to and from LA were a regular business, especially close to the holidays; and that wasn’t counting the various ‘special occasions’ that paid extra for confidentiality. Still, a group like his current charge wasn’t something someone saw every day, or night.

First of all were the couple that were obviously the leaders of the group. They were both deathly pale and didn’t show in any of the mirrors. Jake was not dumb enough not to know what that meant. Sure, they hadn’t been the first vampires to hitch a ride, but they hadn’t tried to bite either him, or anyone else for that matter, and they also didn’t act like caged animals.

Of course, none of that would make Jake take off the silver cross pendant from around his neck, or throw away the bottle of holy water that he always kept under his seat.

Vampire pack masters aside, the other three adults were even stranger.

Two middle aged men with a British accents and another foreign-looking guy with some East-European accent were seated across from each other, behind the vampires. While the one Brit—the one with a big bruise on the side of his face—was sitting alone and kept to himself, the other two kept whispering to each other and from time to time they would talk loudly enough—either to each other, or to the female vampire that kept getting up and asking everyone if there was anything they wanted—that Jake could overhear what was being said. From the bits and pieces Jake had heard, the lone Brit was on the bus against his will—which seemed perfectly natural, as he was human in a vampire-led group—while the Easterner was almost a reluctant companion to the rest, but kept saying he’d obey some elder woman’s wishes. Didn’t stop him from grumbling all the time, though.

The talkative Englishman—also the obviously armed one, since Jake had noticed the butt of a crossbow and what certainly looked like stakes stuffed in his tweed jacket pockets—had been called Ripper by the other one—Ethan Ripper had called him—and was apparently along for the ride to LA as some sort of bodyguard. I just hope they don’t piss off the undead enough that they turn this into a blood bath.

The rest of the group was made up of seven teens that looked like lost sheep. They were dressed in clothes that looked like they’d been taken from the Salvation Army, and had the same look in their eyes that Jake had seen on many-a runaway.

All in all, Jake would have been completely satisfied to consider this group as two vampires, their human cronies, and their prisoners-soon to be victims. That would mean that maybe, just maybe, he would have been inclined to risk life and limb and call a friend of his in the LAPD to come pick everyone up, but then one of the teenage girls came to talk to the female vampire seated right behind him and Jake strained his hearing to listen in.

“Miss Dru-”

“Just call me Drusilla, pet: Miss would imply the possibility of me ever becoming a Mrs, and we both know that isn’t going to happen.” She sounded sad while she said it and for the first time Jake wondered about what vampires have instead of marriage. If they have anything that’s like that at all.

“Okay, Drusilla. I know we talked about this in Sunnydale, but are you sure we can find someplace to stay that’s big enough for all of us? I don’t want to be a burden.” The young girl sounded so lost it almost broke Jake’s heart.

“The Slayer’s father acquired an old hotel for us, so there will be no shortage of rooms, don’t fret yourself, Anne.” She sounded almost motherly. Then again, that’s how a vampire would sound to soothe its victims, right?

“Chanterelle.” The young girl corrected immediately.

Drusilla chuckled. “You are no more a ‘Chanterelle’ than I am a ‘Miss.’ Trust me, the name Anne will serve you much better.”

“That’s Buffy’s middle name, right?” She sounded wistful, making Jake wonder who they were talking about.

“She already gave you her blessing to use the name. She is very interested in you, especially since she feels responsible for your post-vampire fetish rehabilitation.”

“I still can’t believe she forgave us for…”

“She has a great heart. On the other hand, she did turn you over to a couple of vampires to help you get your new life started in LA, so who knows?” Drusilla chuckled again, this time with more amusement. “Don’t worry, lamb, neither I nor Angel would ever harm any one of you.”

“Yeah that’s what she said. You’re a lot more like the vampires we thought we were going to become than-”

“We are nothing like any other vampire you will ever meet in your life. We are the anomaly, and if you ever go out looking for more of us, you will find your life drained out of you, or worse.” Her voice got a lot darker. “Trust me, I would never wish being turned on my worst enemy.” She snorted once, then continued, sadness creeping into her tone. “Then again, my only enemy from my human life was already a vampire, so no wishes became horses.” Her voice turned cutting. “Don’t ever get turned; kill yourself first. Understand?”

“Yeah, sure, no problem. I already had the talk with Buffy, Spike, Mr. Giles, and Mrs. Summers, I’m not thinking of getting turned, don’t worry. None of us are.” Jake could see her cross her heart in the rearview mirror. “Honest, we’re done with the Sunset Club.”

“I know, pet, it’s just that my thoughts catch up with me sometime. I’m sure you won’t let anyone down.”

“No, ma’am!”

With that, ‘Anne’ retreated to her place near the back of the bus, leaving a very disturbed Jake in the driver’s seat. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I better drop them off and forget about them as fast as possible.

He hoped nobody would notice his speeding with five miles over the limit.





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