Streets of LA, early evening.

Oz was glad that Angel had suggested they go out for a meal, there was something a little disconcerting about a barracks of bodyguards. It seemed that Angel was too busy working and saving the world to find a nice apartment that befitted his new found wealth. So, the vampire lived in the Hotel he had always owned and just kept the rooms for those on his staff that kept no real home in the city.

Oz had been on edge all day, the smells of the hotel getting to him, he was sure that he had encountered something familiar, but maybe it was only all of those men in such a small space that reminded him of Lowell House and the nightmare that was buried beneath it. The meal had been pleasant, Angel was a patron of a number of private clubs and they had spent a quiet meal alone, each reliving their last few years and the happier times Sunnydale had had to offer. They were passing through one of the less reputable areas of the city when Oz felt his olfactory memory come back on line; blood, sweat and a smell that was unforgettable, one from a past that he would sooner forget. Before Angel could stop him Oz was running from the moving vehicle and towards a back alley. It was time to repay a favour that was long overdue.

Angel followed the screams and the track that Oz seemed to be leaving behind him. The Vampire found himself watching as two men dressed in plaid work shirts and blue jeans stood over another who seemed large enough to defend himself, but was still on his knees in front of them.

"I *said* suck it bitch." one of the two men said to the kneeling figure, he did not wait for an answer before kicking the submissive and back handing him hard enough that he fell to the ground. Oz stood to one side growling and snarling as he watched the abuse, Angel was not sure why but he felt that his ex-lover was taking this a little personally.

"Back off." Oz said loudly, standing in plain view, the two attackers turned away from their victims and laughed out loud. The victim blanched as if he had seen a ghost and refused to look up from his position doubled up on the floor. Angel moved behind the wolf and offered his silent support. The two faltered a little but did not retreat.

"He said, Back off." Angel said, turning his face away before coming back in full game face. The fear that was pouring off of Oz and the nameless victim in waves had hit his senses and made the beast in him roar. The attackers were more scared and did as they were told, one stopped to spit on his victim but it was a mistake. Angel moved to chase him while Oz broke from his silence and made his way to the fallen man. As Angel took off after the man and made sure that he and his partner were gone, Oz sat at the casualty's side and bayed low in his throat. When Angel returned he was confused, this was the behavior of a werewolf towards a member of it's pack, not a stranger. He would have asked why but Oz was lost in his own thoughts; thoughts of a past that he would have sooner forgotten and the one saving grace in some of his darkest days.

------------------

***WARNING- VIOLENCE IN THIS SECTION***
~Interlude 2~ Nightmares and Dreams.

Oz lay shivering on the H shaped bed, his arms and legs bound at what seemed impossible angles. He lay naked and vulnerable, his lycanthropic healing no match for the debasing experiments he had been subjected to. Now he was being left in the hands of two soldiers who had more nefarious plans in mind.

"Look at the ass on that, for a Dog he sure makes a great pussy." One of them said to the other, the black one who seemed to be the ringleader was touching him, running his large hands all over Oz's body and making the degrading treatment of the Initiative a hundred times worse.

"We ought to teach the slut what we do to little boys that try to mess with the Marines." The white one laughed, he was joined by his superior, who it seemed had decided to take first turn. Oz was submitted to a beating with a belt before they decided to break in the wolf, "puppy training" they called it. The scenes of the next hour or more where ones that he would not relive again. Graciously some higher power had rendered him unconscious for a lot of the session and the rest was stored away in a private place in his mind that not even he could access. The next time he was aware of anything was the door opening, his body and mind steeled itself for another shift, instead there was only one soldier, one that walked in slowly as if he had recently been injured.

"What the *hell*?!?" He asked, his voice little more than a shriek.

"We decided to teach the Dog a lesson, it appears that at least this old dog was willing to learn." The black one said, his laughter still there. "He won't think about attacking a civilian again in a hurry."

"If anyone ought to have done it, it was me" The newcomer said, his voice bitter and angry. The other two muttered but then nodded in agreement.

"We just roughed him up a little, you can still have the privilege of showing him what true pain is." The white man said, the other agreed; although he seemed more reluctant to give up his "fun".

"Okay, but leave us to it." The new man said, "I think that the lessons I want to teach him are a little more personal."

The other two laughed at some visual joke that Oz could not see, nor was he sure he wanted to, and then he was alone. His mind readied him for another attack. Hopefully it was not worse than the previous one, he was not sure he would stay sane after more than one session.

Oz was pulled out of his trance by a low murmur, someone was whispering to him and he could feel himself being held.

"Shh...It's okay. You're safe now. It's okay." The voice told him. It was the newcomer, he had untied Oz from his bonds and was now gently rocking him, trying to comfort him as if he were a small child. Oz tried to shift away but was only held tighter, it confused him as he was not sure what it was that he was expected to do. "Shh...It's okay. Listen to me." The man said. "I'm going to give you a pass to get out of here, then you're going to run like hell and get out of town."

"Why?" Oz asked, his voice small and fragile but still suspicious.

"Because something big is going down and you don't need to be here. I know that it was not you that attacked me and I know what they did. Maybe if you get out you can get away, tell your friends about this place." He said, Oz looked at him and nodded, there was a look on the soldier's face that told him that he knew more than he was letting on. Maybe Buffy would bring down the Initiative after all.

"How do I get out?" Oz asked, scanning the room for his clothes. The other man stood and stripped off down to his army issue briefs while Oz looked on in fear.

"Take these" He said, offering his dog tags. "Go to the third level and then get out, they won't check on us for a while. Take my clothes, grab some things and then get out of Sunnydale." Oz dressed and then looked at the other man expectantly.

"Now what?" Oz asked.

"Hit me." The other man said. Oz eyed him suspiciously but then caught on, he had to make it look like he was escaping of his own free will. Using a move that Giles had shown him that last Summer Oz punched the soldier solidly and then followed through with a kick, he did not turn to see the other man fall, instead he followed his orders and fled.

------------------

Oz fingered the chain around his necks, tracing the worn tags that hung there. Private Graham Miller lay at his feet, the victim of a near rape and he knew that this was his chance to repay the favour.

*****
Part 12: Miller Time 2

Graham woke in a state of confusion. He remembered leaving the bar, he remembered the men that had hired him for the night and the games that they wanted to play, after that it was fuzzy. His mind was lost in the past, in the time that he had saved someone from the fate which had been his and was now his again. It was a long time since he had thought of the nameless wolf he had saved. He felt the soft bedding beneath him and could smell disinfectant, it was a smell that haunted him and meant that he must be in the infirmary again. When he opened his eyes though it was not to be met by the clinical white walls of a cell but a sunny yellow room in a private hospital. His first thought was how much he had already added to the bill he was trying to pay off.

------

Oz stood outside the room arguing with a nurse about insurance. His triple platinum cover did not have an open policy, but he wanted Graham treated as his lover, she said without a power of attorney she would not do it. When he smelt the fear and panic of his new friend Oz began to shout.

"Look, that man in there saved my life. I want him treated, I'll pay cash if I have to." Oz shrieked, throwing down a roll of bills that he carried for emergencies. There was a part of him that always wondered when he would wake up from his dream and have to run off again. He felt the change coming, the anger pulling the wolf towards the surface and had to calm down. Angel had stood at his side until then, but he knew the tension of battling with internal demons and intervened.

"Excuse me, Nurse...Peterson" He said pausing to read the name from her tag. "I don't want to cause a scene, but there are two ways we can do this. I have cover for myself and my men in this hospital, I also make a large annual donation to the "Good Fight Foundation" and your hospital. Now the gentleman you are treating does not have the correct paperwork at the moment as he is new on the books at Angel Investigations, but if you want us to wait for the paperwork it could put in doubt my faith in your hospital." Angel said, discreetly handing over his own details and watching her face pale as she realized who it was that she was dealing with. Sometimes it angered him that he had this power over people, but sometimes it made him think back to the days of Angelus and wonder if this was a safe way to wield the power his demon hungered for.

"Certainly Mr. O'Connell. I'll organize an account for Mr..."

"Miller. Graham Miller." Oz filled in.

"For Mr. *Miller*." She agreed. Angel waited until she had scurried off before he turned towards the waiting room, he was surprised to see Oz heading not for the ward but for the car park.

*****
Part 13: Watchers, Seers, Doers.

Riley had been surprised when they had ended up at the hospital, still it gave him a chance to get blood for his lover. Angel and Oz were inside, having followed an ambulance in. They had been at too much of a distance to see who it was that had been taken, but he wondered if Faith was not staying in for the night and if he had made the wrong decision to follow the other two. Just as he was about to step out he saw the couple walk outside, as if Oz was angry and Angel was trying to calm him. Oz looked straight at him and then past him before storming back inside. For just one moment Riley feared he may have been spotted, but that was impossible. Right?

-----------

"Oz, What is it?" Angel asked as he watched the man pacing back and forth in the waiting area, he had been outside but then came back in before Angel could follow him outside.

"Don't you smell it?" Oz asked, as if there was something more in the air than the clinical smell of detergent and the underlying stench of sickness. Angel opened his senses and found a smell that he had not thought he would come across for a long time; tobacco, leather, blood and sex all intermingled with an odour that was 100% unique.

"William" He breathed, his voice not sure that it could make the word any stronger. Oz looked at him questionably but followed Angel outside, they moved towards the back of a van that was illegally parked so that it had a full view of the wards and ER. Pulling the door open they encountered a sight that was nothing short of unexpected. Riley and Spike involved in a passionate embrace.

The two lovers pulled apart to find that they had been discovered by the two men that they were supposed to be watching. Spike smiled and watched in joy as his lover blushed crimson, it only grew when he saw the frown on his Sire's face.

"Good to see you Peaches. I believe you know Riley Finn." Spike said by way of introduction. "Dog boy, How are you?" He asked pointedly, Oz flinched a little, remembering the last time that he had seen Riley. His nightmares at the Initiatives hands still fresh in his mind.

"What are you doing here?" Angel said through gritted teeth.

"They're here for Graham." Oz replied, not sure if he was speaking to himself or someone else. One thing was for sure, he was not about to let his saviour meet the same fate that he had in military hands.

-------------------

Angel was confused, it was years since he had seen his Childe, not since before Buffy's death. He had watched Spike almost kill himself through the pain he suffered over his loss and he knew that despite the mean words Spike cared more for the Slayer and her friends than he would ever let on. He wondered what it was that had drawn Riley and Spike together, whatever it was he could see from the look in his Childe's eyes that he loved the soldier as much as he had loved Drusilla, if not more.

"Graham?" Riley asked, not hiding his shock at the name of his former friend. It had been a long time since he had heard the name and he had thought that all of his fellow compatriots were long gone by now. "He's here."

"But..." Oz asked, his mind clouding with confusion. "If you're not here for him then..."

"Faith." Angel said as he thought it through. It made sense, it was not coincidence that they had arrived at the same time as the Slayer. The question remained what it was that they wanted with her. "They're here to kill Faith."

"Not exactly, Peaches. It's more of a watch and learn trip." Spike said, pointedly ignoring the stares from his lover. "Ri is just here to assess if she is still a danger to society."

"Isn't that the job of a parole board?" Oz asked, breaking his silence.

"Not when they don't know exactly how dangerous she is." Riley answered, he might as well tell them there was no way that Lindsey was going to pay his bonus if his cover was blown.

"They knew what she was." Angel said. "There was a preternatural task force member present at her hearing." Angel said, remembering back to the board he had sat in on. "They made sure that the rehabilitation is working. Do you really think I would let her walk the streets otherwise?" The three were speechless, not sure what to say in response. Angel was not sure whether to be mad or happy, did they really think that he was that out of touch?

-------------------

Riley stood in the doorway of the hospital room and wondered how Graham had ever gotten into this mess. The man that lay in the bed looked every one of his thirty seven years; tired, worn and defeated. This was not the same man that he had left behind all those years ago, Riley thought over his own experiences and wondered if he was as weary as Graham looked, he was sure that if it had not been for Spike he could have ended up in a similar way. Still there was time for him to rebuild the bridges with his former friend, right now his biggest concern was getting Spike safe before the sun rose, something that was due to happen in a few hours.

When he returned to the corridor he found Angel and Oz deep in discussion over where Oz ought to be. Riley looked at the small man that he had failed all of those years ago and realised that this was part of his destiny, all of it was due to happen and he could start here.

"I'll stay with Oz, if you can find Spike a place to stay and something to eat." Riley said, looking over at his own lover. Spike frowned at him but Angel only smiled.

"Thanks." Oz said as they watched the 19th century scourge of Europe bickering as they left.

-----------------

Wesley Wyndam Price stood outside the hotel that had once been his home and sighed, it stood to reason that in order to help the Slayer fight the real demons he would have to face up to his own. Angel was always one to meddle in things that were not his business, Faith was the Watcher's fighter and therefore not his responsibility, of course technically Wes was not a watcher either but he needed the job, needed to feel accepted again and for that he had to be chosen by the Slayer. Taking a deep breathe he stepped closer to the Hyperion, unaware of the pair of Vampires that watched him from afar.

--------------

"Bloody hell not another one. What is this? A Sunnyhell Reunion?" Spike asked, his mind bitter. "Bastards are all eight years too late."

Angel glared at him but there was no power in it, if this were Angelus he would punish his Childe mercilessly for his outburst, for the show of emotion that was all too human, but he was not. Angel felt the same way as Spike and was not about to disagree with him, although he did not want to voice his support either. Instead he pulled Spike in through a back entrance and into the basement. Maybe his Childe would be better after he had fed.

"Jesus Peaches, I thought you were rollin' in it. What's with the dark and dank basement look?" Spike asked as he stalked over to the kitchenette of the mini-apartment and pulled a bag of blood out of the fridge, smiling when he saw what it was. "Still, looks like you're tastes have gone up in the world. What happened to not drinking from humans?"

"They were willing volunteers." Angel said simply, not wanting to add that it helped him stay stronger, there was a risk from a lot of pig's blood that he would lose his strength. Not to mention that human tasted so much better. "I'm surprised you are not after something a little more potent." Angel said calmly, Spike's eyes widened as he saw Angel pull back his sleeve, it had been years since his Sire had been so open and offered him this privilege, now he wondered what it was that Angel was trying to do. Angel took a small knife and slit the wrist, allowing his Childe to capture his scent and therefore be overcome with the bloodlust. Spike zeroed in on the smell and vamped out, drinking from Angel despite his reservations as the demon was now in control. Angel fought the mixture of arousal and pain that this intimate act conjured up and knew this was the right thing to do, his Childe would be more malleable like this and he would at least get out of him his true intentions with Riley, maybe there would be more information too, because it was high time that he learned exactly what had happened eight years before.

*****
TBC