POV: Angel

Buffy was on her way to LA. Giles had phoned to warn the big-city demon-hunting / investigation team of that fact.

Angel thought about that as he watched Spike disappear up the stairs behind Willow, with Xander cradled in his arms.

~The glory of irony~

Buffy had phoned to inquire about Xander; her untimely call setting off a chain of events that pushed Xander into a state of panic, flashbacks to his attack, which had him instinctively rushing blindly into the arms of protection � Spike�s.

The reaction told the elder vampire that on some level, Xander was aware of Spike and the *something* between them. He was just at a loss as to what to do with the knowledge. And, he wondered why Buffy�s call had resulted in this, emotional culmination? He wasn�t sure, but the biter of all Ass Bites was that the cause of... *whatever*, was due to arrive any minute and make things worse.

~Why can�t that little girl just grow up and move the hell on? Hey, don�t get me wrong here, I�m good with stroking the ego � you know, dick her down once, or was it twice � whatever - and Fatal Attraction! And Spike thinks he�s a god. Ha! Am I good or am I FUCKIN Good? Yes, pun intended. Reality check here, keep the brooding on track~

~~~~~
POV: Spike
~~~~~

Willow held the door while Spike carried Xander into the suite. He settled on the couch with Xander in his lap and watched as Willow moved about.

He envied the young witch her calmness in the face of the slayer imminent arrival to cause trouble. No matter how sincere the bint�s intentions may be, the soddin slayer was always running off half-cocked � as if she had one � un-informed and unprepared, continuously putting those around her at risk; like Xander... as if that weren�t enough, but Oh NO, there was more yep um-hm you betcha.

~Cold. And shallow � deep canyon bottomless pit drop off the face of it � shallow. And the self-ishes too; all of �em � self-centered self-involved, brain-dead vapid little cu � Stop. Breathe, Spike, breathe, think of the whelp~

Spike shifted as Willow approached with a small glass of water and some kind of tablet.

�Wot�s in yer kit, Red?� Spike gestured with his chin then lowered it back into the soft tangle of brown hair.

�Trazodone, only half though. It will help him to relax, maybe get some sleep.�

Spike eyed the pill suspiciously. His blue gaze flickered up to Willow�s green. Her calm reached out to envelope him and he relaxed with a sigh and a nod.

�I know, I really *hate* these things, but in this case, they are of the good.�

They got Xander to swallow the tablet and Spike held the glass while he sipped. Willow took the empty glass back to the mini-wet-bar, then perched on one of the low armchairs across from the couch.

She watched them for a moment, thinking how cute they looked together, and how sad. It must really be killing Spike to sit there, holding Xander, touching him and not touching him at the same time.

�They work pretty quickly, he should be getting sleepy soon,� Willow offered softly.

�S�kay, Red. I�m good. I�ll just sit here and hold �im for a minute or two and when he�s out I�ll put �im to bed and come down,� Spike murmured, eyes closed while he continued to gently rock Xander in his arms.

�Okay, thanks. I�ll see you downstairs.�

~~~~~
POV: Willow
~~~~~

Angel had retreated to his office where he did paperwork between his bouts of brooding. Cordelia was more waspish than normal; snapping at everyone so they pretty much stayed away from her.

Gunn had finished his investigation and turned over his reports before taking off on another field assignment. He�d told Angel that as much as he enjoyed the traveling and all, they needed to give serious thought to hiring another field investigator �cuz he was starting to miss the excitement of killing piss-ant demons. He was also starting to get tired of waking up in unfamiliar surrounds and missed his own bed. Angel had promised to look into it, but hadn�t found any suitable candidates so far.

Willow joined Wes in the task of cleaning up their filing system, then spent time working on the catalog database Xander had started compiling. If the young witch had thought Giles had an extensive library, she wasn�t sure what to label the combined libraries of Wes, Angel, Gunn � mostly weapons, go figure � and the books the investigation firm owned out-right. The LA team was doing very well for themselves.

Xander had compiled an alphabetical index listing all the books by title. Then, he set up a cross-reference index based on subject, which he planned to follow with another index for specific events and dates. All in all it was a pretty cool system and Willow quickly lost herself in the simplistic beauty of complex design.

Cordelia�s complaint of hunger several hours later brought Willow back from the web Xander had woven. She checked the time and realized that it was well past sunset and quitting time, but that no-one seemed to be making any moves to leave. Willow hadn�t thought they would either. She could tell that Cordelia and Wesley were determined to be there when Buffy arrived. It made her feel good. Friends, sticking together and lending support to each other.

Angel, Cordelia, and Wesley had been there with their support from the start, and continued to be there; helping out when and where they could. Making both young adults feel welcome and appreciated.

Willow contemplated these thoughts as she made her way down into Angel�s apartment to prepare something for dinner. The four of them took turns making dinner four nights a week and ordering out the other three � mostly over the weekend since nobody was really up to cooking then. And wasn�t it funny that the two members who didn�t need to eat cooked the best � Angel and Spike, two vamps who could out cook either mortal due to years and years of experience. And, it was nice that they liked to do normal human things with their friends.

She set about preparing the meal � lamb chops stuffed with bell pepper and chives, wild rice, and asparagus tips. They would have ice cream with chocolate sauce for desert. And Xander and Spike would over do it as usual and end up with achy tummies. At least she didn�t have to listen to Spike�s complaining.

~Poor Angel~

She didn�t feel sorry for any of them, not in the least. It gave her something to tease about and share a laugh with them. She really liked teasing Angel; he was so easy sometimes because he never expected it to come from her and that made her grin mischievously.

There was still no sign of Buffy as Willow set the table in the dining room on the main floor. Spike still hadn�t come down yet, but she set a place for him anyway.

~~~~~
Xander Dream sequence
Flashback:
~~~~~

�Puta... Cavron... Mericon...�

Words washing him with coldness, a steady flow of insults from behind him as he moved down the unfamiliar streets; the idiot behind the hotel counter who�d given him directions to the outlet art store. Check the numbers on each bus before getting on. A place he was desperate to leave behind.

�Hey Fag! Wanna party... Yeah, pretty-boy...�

�Fuck you asshole.�

They were closing the distance now, sweating in panic, no-one cared. Vicious hisses as they followed. A deserted street.

�Fuck you, asshole... Yeh-yeh, show ya... real men... ya lil bitch...� hisses and snarls, making him feel sick to his stomach.

�Gon bust up that pretty mouth of yours smart-ass...�

Running � escape � intersection in the distance � safety � a block away. Lungs burning legs rubbery. Running. Cramp-pains needled through his lower sides � panting - keep running. Just a couple more yards. Then he fell � pain.

He was kicked in the ribs and butt when he tried to struggle to his feet. Another blow to his sore ribs, hard enough to lift him off the ground and then he was dragged toward a convenient alley.

�Time to mess up that pretty face...�

�Please...�

�Open up and say ahh...�

�Fuck you.�

And the fist came from the right, a quick jab into the flesh of his left cheekbone. They held him then, and he was hit again and again until he managed to knee one in the balls. The next blow sank into his left eye with a squishy sound. Blood ran from his nose, pooling with the blood from his spit lip before dripping from his bruised chin.

�Right then,� a loud hiss near his blind side. A blow to the jaw; pain in his scrotum and he fell to his knees cupping his balls, leaving himself open for another smash in the face. Pain, pain, blows, kicks bruising his back as he curled up into a fetal position; arms curved protectively over head face protected by forearms. Then they were running and he struggled to his knees.

~ My fault; punishment for trying to be happy. Exactly what I deserve. None of this would have happened if I�d stayed in Sunnydale. LA was so not a good thing~

�...Spike.�

Spinning dizzy and sick, he could hardly breathe through the coughing and retching. Kneeling on the dirty ground trying to heave his guts out. Vision blurred with tears from the pain. He finally collapsed into strong hands, arms, holding him, protecting.

~~~~~
End sequence
~~~~~

The onslaught stopped and Xander began to cry, a weak and frightened chant, �I can�t see, I can�t see.�

Light, someone turned on the light and a voice reached him. �Shhh, pet. S�kay, yer safe, nothing�s gonna hurt ya, shhh. It�s alright, I got ya.�

The voice was gentle, reassuring, and familiar and he drifted.

He was awake again. �I can�t breathe so good,� whispered in a childish voice.

Long fingers unbuttoned his shirt and began to stroke his face, throat, and chest. They were cool and he turned into them; felt a bulge of hardness against his ear and opened his eyes to watch the sensuous fingers trace idle patterns across the exposed flesh of his chest. He shivered.

�Sorry,� said a familiar voice. Brown eyes snapped upward and met cool, carnelian blue.

�I�m dreaming right? I�m still dreaming and I�ll wake up soon...�

�No pet, no dream. Dreams don�t get hard-ons looking at a beautiful young man, dreams don�t do this.� Spike lowered his head, lips nuzzled against the warm neck, kissing him there before nipping with blunt teeth and then moving away.

Xander stared at Spike, at his lips; brown eyes wide and full of confusion as he tried to remember.

�I... I knew you before didn�t I? Before the atta- the attack...� voice questioning.

�Shhh, go back to sleep,� Spike murmured stroking the warm brow with his cool fingers and Xander closed his eyes.

His voice sounded dreamy and far away as he mumbled something and Spike�s enhanced hearing picked up the soft whisper.

�...could hear you...�

Xander drifted deeper into real sleep and after a few minutes the vampire eased the dark head from his lap and settled it on a pillow. He placed a light blanket over the sleeping form and brushed his lips against the forehead.

The contact sent a thrill of tingles through Spike and he inhaled deeply, smiling as he straightened. The smile and tingles lasted until he wrapped his hand around the doorknob; then the happy tingles turned dark and ominous, jangling discordantly along his nerves; telling him the enemy was at the gate.

~~~~~

Halfway through the meal the vampire stopped his fork mid-way between plate and mouth. A distant look flickered in the dark eyes and tensed his face momentarily.

�Is that...�

The pounding on the hotel�s front door began. All eyes turned toward the head of the table � looking at Angel.

�Guess I should get that,� he commented dryly while placing the fork carefully on his plate and pushing his chair away from the table. The others watched as he left the room. Moments later, they could hear the sound of voices followed by the sound of quick footsteps coming their way.

Angel made his way through the hotel, moving down the hall and across the wide lobby to the front door. He took a moment to arrange his features into a neutral expression before throwing the lock and pulling the door open.

~~~~~
POV: Buffy
~~~~~

Buffy waited impatiently for someone to open the door and let her in, it was colder than she�d expected and there were goose-bumps rubbing against the thin material of her baby-doll tank top and light weight coat.

She was definitely a bit worse for wear and made no effort to disguise her irritation. There was a purple stain on the leg of her jeans where the little boy in the seat next to her had spilled his grape juice. She was clutching what used to be the strap to her purse, what she�d been able to hang on to, when the crowd swept her up and dropped her off minus the purse. Her blonde hair was pulled into what had once been a neat and pretty ponytail, but now looked more like something had been trying to build a nest in it.

�Angel.� She said shortly, by way of greeting as he moved aside and indicated she should come in.

�Buffy, come in.� But she had already swept past, ignoring him as she peered around the lobby.

�I�m here to see Xander.� She stated.

�We�re having dinner,� Angel told her and headed back toward the dining room. A moment later Buffy was following.

No-one spoke as the two entered the room. Angel returned to his place at the head of the table but remained standing. He watched her for a moment and then gestured toward one of the empty settings.

�Would you like something to eat?�

The disgruntled slayer looked around the room, taking in the family like setting.

~Isn�t this cozy~

Her blue eyes flickered over the two empty seats, obviously meant for Xander and who-ever.

�Where is Xander?�

The young witch sat down her fork and reached for her napkin then dabbed at the corners of her mouth.

�Hello, Buffy. What are you doing here?�

�I�m here to see Xander,� Buffy said, staring at Willow strangely; wondering what was wrong with her. What else would she be doing there?

�Why?� Willow asked as she reached for her glass of white wine. Her tone was mildly curious but it was the indifference that made the slayer pause.

Buffy stared at her friend as if she didn�t know who she was. And she didn�t, Wills would never talk to her like that, Cordelia and Anya maybe, Faith, possibly but her? Buffy? Oh come on get real here!

Every eye in the room zeroed in on the red-head as she took a sip from her glass and watched Buffy over the rim. Her green eyes were speculative and Buffy didn�t recognize the glimpses of whatever it was lurking in their depths.

�Why? What do you mean why?� Buffy asked in confused exasperation.

�Yes, Buffy, why, why are you here to see Xander?� Willow repeated calmly as she sat down the glass and continued to watch the floundering slayer.

�Willow what is the matter with you? I came all the way from Sunnydale, some brat on the bus poured sunny delite, or something, all over my new jeans � can we say complete inconsideration of other people�s personal space? Young mothers these days. Then someone stole my purse and when I finally get here you ask me why?�

Buffy shook her head, eyes wide in disbelief and growing irritation at Willow�s behavior. She caught the open smirk on Cordelia�s face and decided that for whatever reason, Willow had taken leave of her senses � must have been playing with that magic again everyone knew she wasn�t all that stable these days� and made friends with Cordy, *Eew*, who just had to be the influence behind this irrational behavior.

�Yes. I don�t remember calling and saying that Xander was ready for visits. You shouldn�t have come.�

She was at a loss. This simply couldn�t be Willow, not acting like... like... well like this.

�But I called, and...�

�Yes, I know, you phoned and upset Xander. I told you he didn�t remember you, Buffy, what part of that didn�t you get?�

�But that�s not possible! I�m his best- we�re friends, Xander wouldn�t just forget me!�

�No, it�s possible. It�s a fact; Xander doesn�t remember yet. You shouldn�t have come.�

�Why do you keep saying that?!� Buffy wailed, completely turned around now.

~How did this happen? I�m the slayer!~

�What, that you shouldn�t have come... because its true, you shouldn�t have,� Willow told her coolly. �In fact, Buffy, I think you should just leave now.�

Buffy could only stare. This just couldn�t be real, it couldn�t be. Wait, that�s it! It wasn�t real, this was some wish-dimension version of their Willow, she was playing with that magic again and something got in and she had the others under some kind of spell � yeah, that sounded about right. And how long had this been going on? Had to be for a while, even back in Sunnydale � she *had* caught the witch *venting*.

�What?� Buffy asked, not able to believe what she�d just heard.

�Oi, ya daffy bint, leave, beat it, sod off, kit yer knickers and let the door hit ya in tha ass on yer way out.�

Buffy spun around her mouth dropping open at the sight of Spike leaning indolently against the doorjamb.

�Spike,� she hissed.

�Slayer,� he replied coolly, meeting her glare with amusement on his face.

Buffy spun back to Angel. �What the hell is he doing here?�

�Don�t answer to anyone, come and go as I please, I do.�

�Angel,� Buffy demanded.

Angel shrugged and gestured toward the other vampire, clearly indicating, �he�s right there ask him�. Buffy spun back to Spike, she glared as hard as she could and couldn�t believe he wasn�t backing down. Spike continued to smirk.

�What is the matter with all of you,� Buffy demanded loudly, now she was totally feed up and feeling the need to pull the stake from the waistband of her pants.

�Buffy, your presence here is untimely, and to be honest, un-welcome. This really isn�t a good time for Xander... your phone call pre-empted an emotional episode and...�

�Then I definitely want to see him,� she demanded, �Where is he?� Then she was shoving past Spike and headed toward the lobby. �Xander! Xander where are you? Xander, it�s me! Buffy, the Buff-ster! Come on. Xan!� the blonde yelled as she went.

~~~~~
POV: Xander
~~~~~

Xander woke feeling muzzy and hung-over from taking the prescribed half dosage of medication. His mouth felt gummy and he went to the wet-bar in search of water. He was thoughtful as he moved about, taking a moment to prod at the mental fogbank and finding it smaller in size and density. The fog persisted, but it wasn�t as substantial as before. That filled him with both excitement and anxiety. He could feel the newly released memories sliding around in his head, waiting to be acknowledged and accepted. He frowned, forced to ignore them for the moment, and focused on the loud noises coming from the lobby. The female voice yelling his name sounded vaguely familiar, but it was Willow and Angel�s yelling that had him rushing from the room. Xander raced down the hall and practically fell down the stairs, coming to an abrupt halt as he wind-milled into the melee.

A petite blonde had Spike by the neck and there was a stake in her right hand. Angel�s eyes were glowing dangerously as he rushed toward them, but it seemed that Willow had been a step or two ahead.

She grabbed the woman�s arm. �Buffy NO!�

Buffy let go of Spike and turned to shake Willow off. No matter how angry she was, she wasn�t going to hurt Wills, even if she did deserve a good � *Smack*.

The sound of the blonde�s palm on the witch�s face seemed inordinately loud, and then even louder came an angry roar. Buffy stood staring in shock as Xander closed the distance between them.

�DON�T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER!� Xander hollered; his face suffused with bloody anger as he barreled into the blonde woman.

�Ever you BITCH! EVER!� Xander screamed. Flecks of spittle landed on the surprised slayer�s face, widened eyes got wider, revealing her flash of fear and her stomach clenched at the fury on the twisted countenance hovering over her. She un-consciously flinched when the enraged youth drew back his fist, but the blow was never delivered.

Spike wrapped his arms around Xander and hauled him, kicking and screaming, away from the slayer and back towards the stairs. Buffy was on her feet in a second, charging at Spike. The vampire quickly shoved Xander behind him and morphed into game-face.

Buffy launched herself at Spike with the stake cocked back and ready. He caught her wrist as she jabbed forward, twisting it sharply. They both screamed out, Buffy from the sharp twist which made her fingers spasm open around the piece of wood; Spike from the chip reacting to his violence against a human, even if it was Buffy. He fell to his knees at the slayer�s feet, accompanied by the clatter of wood on tile.

Angel grabbed Buffy before she could attack again, hauling her away from Xander and the downed vampire, toward the hotel entrance. Buffy struggled in his grip, lashing out sharply with a kick to the shins and a jab to his gut as she jerked free and spun back to face Spike. The vampire had risen to his feet, snarling through his pain and baring his fangs even as he placed himself between his mortal and the demented slayer; arms spread in readiness for any attack. Buffy charged.

�NO.� Willow�s voice cracked like a whip � hard.

The slayer was flung back as if she had hit an invisible wall, or been jerked by the scruff of her neck by some force. She scrabbled to her hands and knees, reaching for the stake which rattled a bit before it rolled just out of reach. She fought her panic she watched the piece of wood rise from the floor and spin around, presenting her with the sharp and pointy business end.

~Oh, SHIT~

The stake rose as she rose, slowly and just out of reach. Buffy focused her gaze past the end of the magic stake with a mind of its own, and found Willow, who stood in front of Spike and behind the floating wooden dagger. There was a grim look on the witch�s face and her gimlet gaze was hard enough to crush rocks.

Willow spoke again, surprisingly soft, yet deadly calm, making everyone in the room experience some degree of unease.

�Leave.�

The witch jerked her hand up, pointing at the large hotel doors and the stake flew through the air, embedding itself an inch deep in the thick wooden door.

�Now.�

Buffy swallowed. She slowly moved toward the door, never taking her eyes from the witch�s burning gimlet gaze. When she reached the door Buffy grasped her favorite stake and worked it loose then she opened the door and backed out.

�Um, Okay, I�ll be back tomorrow, when you�re calmer.� She had to salvage something, anything; she couldn�t just walk away and leave it like this.

~I did not just get my ass kicked by them. Boy are they lucky they�re my friends~

�But I am calm. Don�t piss me off. Go away, Buffy.�

The sound of the door slamming shut and the locks clicking into place were underscored by the other combatant�s heavy breathing and growling.

�Okay, that went well. Now I need to go and vent, excuse me,� Willow said and then turned to walk toward the rear of the hotel.

�Sorry about the door Angel. Oh, I hope you don�t mind if I shatter some of those old stone urns out back,� she called as she moved away.

*****
Part 18:

�Okay, that went well. Now I need to go and vent, excuse me,� Willow said and then turned to walk toward the rear of the hotel. �Sorry about the door Angel. Oh, I hope you don�t mind if I shatter some of those old stone urns out back,� she called as she moved away.

Angel watched as the young witch vanished down the hall.

�Wills,� Xander called after her, trying to move past Spike.

�I�m fine, Xan,� she said not stopping.

Cordelia let out the breath she�d been holding and looked around. �Okay, wow.�

�Yeah, wow,� Angel said running his hands through his hair as he moved over to the door to get a close look at the damage.

~Shit, not wow, but Fuck, Wills WOW~

�Who the hell was that?� Xander demanded, still pushing at the now human-faced Spike who had finally decided his arms were tired and he could let them down now. Xander darted past his un-dead shield and Spike quickly reached out and grabbed him. Xander stilled himself, enduring the inspection as fiercely possessive blue eyes scanned him from head to toe. When Spike seemed satisfied that his human was unharmed, he released Xander.

~~~~~

Something stirred in an alley several blocks away from the Hyperion Hotel. One minute the alley was dark and silent; in the next, the sound of beating wings and a flare of light. Rodents scurried away, the scrawny cat yowled and puffed up, fur standing on end. It turned and darted away from the silver ball of pulsing light, clawing a trail across the back of the mangy dog bolting from behind the tumbled trashcans.

The ball of energy pulsed softly once more before vanishing. A young man stumbled away from where the light had been. He spun around quickly, his chin-length hair creating a tri-colored fan of sand, bronze, and jet as it whipped through the air. His skin was the color of cinnamon and his eyes blazed from his face in a burst of intense violet scattered with silver-grey flecks. He was wearing a sleeveless crimson top, baggy white pants, and black and crimson sneakers. Faint scents of ozone clung to the air around him as he moved forward, frowning at his unfamiliar surrounds.

Muttering curses in Creole patois under his breath the lean figure ghosted to the end of the alley and stepped out into the open glaring around.

�Bout time ch�r.�

The figure jumped away from the shadow leaning against the wall; muscles tensed for action.

�Merde! Don do dat!�

Nikolas R� leaned away from the wall and tossed the ash colored braid he�d been playing with over his shoulder, where it fell in with the other elbow-length ropes of silk resting on his back. He met the angry, violet glare with a fanged grin.

�Bronze.�

�Nikolas,� the young man said evenly.

�Don be like dat, Bronze,� Nikolas pouted. He was wearing a pair of baggy jeans, white sneakers and long-sleeved t-shirt. The ensemble was two sizes too large, but on him it looked cool. At five feet, ten and half inches tall and just this side shy of a hundred and sixty pounds, Nikolas didn�t take up much space but he definitely had presence. Walnut-brown bronzed skin stretched taunt over slightly Egyptian features; sloe shaped quicksilver eyes � mercury grey pupils shimmering in silver irises, fringed by dark dense lashes.

The young man looked around again. �Where�s Scottie, an� why y� bring me here?�

Nikolas gestured in the air, �Wit de X-men,� he shrugged his lean shoulders. �As for why ya here, well, Niko needs ya to be ch�r.�

�Rich is going to be so pissed over this.�

�Don worry, Niko p�tect ya from de homme,� the youth drawled with a wicked grin. The other youth rolled his eyes.

�What-*ever* mageling.�

�Love it when ya do dat, Bronze, ya look bien.�

�Devon, Devon Dexter, not *Bronze*,� he stressed.

�K, Bronze, whatever ya say,� Nikolas smirked and Devon shook his head in defeat. They studied each other for a moment then quickly moved together for a fierce hug. �Missed ya Bronze,� the vampire-mage whispered.

�Missed ya too Niko,� Devon sighed and then grinned as they stepped back to stare at each other again. Devon ran his hands through his hair, pulling it back from his face and tucked it behind his ears. �Okay, tell me.�

Quicksilver eyes lifted slowly to regard him as the dark head tilted to the right; Nikolas took his arm and began walking down the street.

~~~~~

The vampire-mage had been drawn to LA by disturbances in the cities mage-energies. For him to have felt the disturbance all the way from Westchester said a lot about who-ever was tampering with the natural flow of magical energies. Nikolas thought it might possibly be an Orphan of the Traditions.

The Tradition Mages had been founded by the first Ascension-Mage. Their origins had become obscured over the centuries; making knowledge of them virtually non-existent. Adepts from each of the nine traditions � Sons of Ether, Akashic Brotherhood, Virtual Adepts, Dreamspeakers, Celestial Chorus, Verbena, Euthanatos, Order of Hermes, and Cult of Ecstasy � had come together uniting their different visions in one grand alliance � The Council of Nine, whose task it was to safeguard the vision of Ascension � the potential to move beyond this world into true enlightenment and infinity. Orphans, Hollow Ones and Disparates were outside the Traditions, having no ties to Tradition heritage. Some fought to preserve magic; some to promote their own ways; and the others simply to survive.

~~~~~

�De femme was shatterin� tings behind a hotel. Cute lil ting too, red hair, green eyes...�

�Non, not �nother red-head. What is it wit you and dese red-haired femmes? First dere�s Jean Grey, an� now ya tellin Bronze dere�s �nother one... an� ya tink dis one be an Orphan?�

Nikolas tugged Devon back into motion, hiding his grin of satisfaction at the other�s use of his codename and referring to himself in the third person. Nikolas had his head cocked to the side, as if listening, and his silver eyes danced with mischief. �Oui, dere�s �ways room f� �nother, non?� Devon shook his head and allowed himself to be led on, listening as his vampire filled him in.

Okay, so his vampire-mageling had come to LA because of a possible Orphan. He still didn�t understand what that had to do with him, he wasn�t a Tradition Mage, but Nikolas insisted he was needed but couldn�t tell him exactly why, all the vamp knew was there was more than the young woman involved. It was the weird vamps that had made Nikolas bring Devon into the picture.

�What do you mean weird? Weird as in stranger than you koo-koo *weird*?�

�Non, dey�re *different* weird.�

�Oh, and you aren�t.�

�Dey�re not True-vamps. I am a pure-blood, I�ll have you know,� Nikolas said loftily.

Devon snickered, �Are not, you were turned too.�

�Yes, by the Queen, a True Vampire,� Nikolas defended.

�Now ya sound just like y� oncl�, Lestat, stuck up, arrogant prick,� Devon muttered darkly. Nikolas ignored the slur, the way he saw it, Lestat may be a prick, but he was a wickedly fun prick.

�If ya not gon tell Bronze why he�s here, den y� send me home, oui,� Devon whined as the two of them continued down the dark street. Nikolas blinked at the six year old voice.

�Don make me smack you boy, hate when ya do dat,� Nikolas growled.

�You wouldn�t, would you?� Devon asked with false wide-eyed innocence. Nikolas growled again.

�Non, mais Niko might bite ya, now come on, brat, dere�s someting y� need t� see.�

~~~~~
POV: Buffy
~~~~~

Buffy wandered down the street with no set destination. She knew she was going to have to find a motel for the night, not having done so yet. The young woman reached inside her jacket to retrieve her wallet; glad she remembered that it wasn�t smart to carry your wallet in your purse or back pockets. She counted her available cash � not much there � while her grumbling stomach berated her for being too single-minded in her desire to see Xander. She should have accepted Angel�s offer to sit down and have something to eat. Maybe if she had done so things might have turned out differently.

She wouldn�t have been irritable from hunger and would have been thinking a bit clearer. She figured once she got something into her stomach she�d be able to make sense of everyone�s actions. Like what the heck was with Spike, why had he tried to fight her? He knew he was chip-whipped and yet he hadn�t allowed it to interfere with keeping her away from the stairs. And then he�d kept Xander from bashing her lights out; right after she had been trying to stake him no less.

~Wow, I�ve never seen him so angry~

Buffy shivered again at the remembered rage in those dark brown eyes. She was baffled by the way Spike and put himself between her and Xander.

~If I didn�t know better, I�d swear Spike thought I would try and hurt Xander. He acted like he was protecting him from me! They�re my friends; I would never hurt them~

But then she remembered the slap. She�d slapped Willow, her best friend, Willow, who had only been trying to keep her from hurting Spike.

~But why? I don�t understand why she would protect him; she hates him as much as I do! And why would he be trying to protect Xander, they can�t stand each other!~

~~~~~

The waitress sat her order on the table and the blonde stared blankly at the plate. She didn�t remember entering the Bar & Grille; let alone ordering a burger and fries. Buffy shrugged and plucked the top bun off to arrange her lettuce, onion and pickle, on the side just the way she liked, before a dash of catsup. After cutting the burger in half, she began to eat, not really tasting the food as she fell back into her thoughts.

The slayer was so deeply lost in her introspections, she didn�t notice that she had been being observed the entire time she sat brooding.

~~~~~

Nikolas and Devon entered the Bar & Grille several minutes behind the young blonde. Devon�s gaze went hard when it settled on her, sitting at a window table staring out at the night with a pout on her pretty face. He made a rude noise and turned to Nikolas.

�You dragged Bronze to LA for dis? For her?�

�You know who de femme is den?�

�Oui, Bronze knows de bitch.�

Nikolas blinked at him. �Now why do Niko get de feeling y� don like her?� Devon shrugged and started to turn away but the vampire clamped a hand on his shoulder and turned him back.

�Look �gain, �tite,� Niko said softly. Devon cocked his head to the side, and the vampire smiled at their shared habits. Devon�s gaze went slightly out of focus. After several moments he found a table not far from Buffy, sat down and closed his eyes.

~~~~~
POV: Buffy
~~~~~

Her thoughts turned to the dark-haired young man in question.

~Oh my god, Xander~

Xander had been ready to pulverize her perfect face because she�d slapped Willow, her best-friend, Willow and Xander had attacked her. No-fighting skills run away in the face of fear, doughnut-boy, Xander. It didn�t make sense because he was, well... well... just Xander! But he hadn�t acted like *just Xander* when he saw her slap his best-friend.

Buffy experienced sharp pain then, it hurt her to have her illusions shattered into so many bits of sharp truth. She had to accept that now, she�d acknowledged it, seen it with her own baby-blues. It was now painfully obvious.

Willow was Xander�s best-friend. Xander was Willow�s best-friend. Buffy was just a friend, that�s how they�d always introduced her, �Oh, that�s Buffy, she�s... a friend.� It hurt that Xander and Willow were her best-friends, but they didn�t feel the same way about her. She realized she was on the outside looking in; always had been; always would be.

Wesley and Cordelia weren�t really key players in her book, or they hadn�t been until they�d sided with Willow against her.

~�... Your presence here is un-timely and un-welcome.�~ Wesley had said that. Cordelia hadn�t even bothered to speak to her.

~�... You shouldn�t have come. Because it�s true, you shouldn�t have.�~ Willow being so cold and obviously not possessed or evil like Buffy and fantasized. Nope, just cold and mad.

~�...I am calm, don�t piss me off.�~

And Willow was powerful. Her skills and control had impressed and terrified the slayer. Buffy was used to meek, bumbling little Willow who needed a bunch of ingredients, incantations, and scads and scads of luck in order to get a spell to even come close to working and doing what it was supposed to. That hadn�t happened tonight, Willow hadn�t even bothered to mutter like that time she destroyed her room-mates perfume and make-up.

Angel had been against her as well, refusing to tell her why Spike was in LA and then coming to his rescue on top of that. Buffy had been so angry, she�d hit Angel.

~*Harrumph*, showed his ass~

She savored that for a moment, hitting Angel had really felt good. She frowned, realizing she�d been feeling pretty rowdy � to coin a phrase from her Watcher � doing a lot of hitting lately � Willow, trying to stake Spike, fighting Angel � why had she acted so irrationally?

~~~~~

Several minutes later Devon opened his eyes. He looked mildly dazed as he sat trying to sort out what he�d seen in the slayer�s mind. The worried look in his eyes was replaced by mild irritation when his cell phone started making a soft ringing noise.

Devon glared at Nikolas as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the palm-sized device and registered the caller in the display field.

�Rich, baby... um, LA... No, Richard I am not in Westchester with Nikolas,� he said huffily, and then a bit softer, his voice full of contrition, �we�re in LA and before you ask, no, Scott Summers isn�t with him.�

Nikolas stuck out his tongue and rolled his eyes. He turned in his seat to observe the slayer who continued to stare unseeingly while chewing mechanically at her food.

�...J� suis d�sol�, mon coeur, quelle choose rien... non... oui, c�st tr�s import�nte Richie... b�b� I don know... it�s sort of complicated... mais oui, I�ll be careful... love ya too ch�r... nite.�

Devon ended the call and jammed the phone into his front pocket. He returned Nikolas� gaze with an eyebrow slightly arched in question.

�Is de homme really mad?�

�He�ll get over it. I�ve seen enough here, take me to the others.�

~~~~~

�That, mate, was the slayer,� Spike stated flatly.

�Why was she here? Trying to stake you, doesn�t she know we work for the Powers too?� Xander demanded hotly. �What was wrong with her? Crazy bitch,� he answered his own question and Spike snickered.

�And you find this funny because?� Xander snapped, not seeing the humor.

Angel straightened and brushed his fingers over the hole one last time, shaking his head he sighed and turned to face the group. Cordy looked scared, angry and worried all at the same time. Scanning their faces, Angel noted the others shared her feelings too. He knew he did.

His dark gaze met Xander�s angry one and Angel decided to tell Xander the truth. He didn�t know how this was going to affect the young man, but felt it was better for Xander to find out from them before having to face Buffy. After tonight�s events, Angel was pretty sure the young blonde would continue to try and force her twisted perception on her friends.

He got them settled back in the dining room and Spike took some food to heat up for Xander and himself. While he was gone, Angel began telling Xander what had happened.

�It�s fair to say you don�t remember her but you and Buffy have been friends for a while. You and Willow used to help her with her slaying back in Sunnydale.�

�If you say so, but I don�t see me being friends with such a bitch.�

�Buffy isn�t always so... excited. She�s worried about you, Xander. That�s why she came.�

�Worried about me,� Xander repeated with sarcastic disbelief. �She barges in here attacking you guys... hitting Willow, she *hit* Willow. Trying to stake Spike, she fucking *hit* my *best-friend*, punching *you*, because she�s worried about *me*? And did I mention she hit Willow?�

�Yeah, pet, ya mentioned it,� Spike said.

Xander blinked at him as Spike grinned proudly while setting a plate in front of him. The others had never met this Xander, Spike�s Xander, burning with the return of his *spark*; the glorious, angry, darkness that aggravated and enthralled the vampire. It made Spike weak in his middle and he scooted his chair a bit closer to Xander�s and just breathed.

~My nummy. Friggin hot when he�s like this~

�And you say she�s my friend? Uh, sorry, no.� Xander shook his head, his face set stubbornly.

�Angel�s telling you the truth, Xander, Buffy�s been our friend since high-school,� Cordelia corroborated.

�Well if she was always such a bitch then I�m glad I don�t remember her.� Xander allowed Spike to put a fork in his hand, urging him to eat.

�Well, I really don�t know what to say to that, Xander. You may feel differently when your memories come back,� Angel told him.

Xander chewed thoughtfully, his brown eyes intense as he considered the vampire and his words.

�And how long have I known you, Angel?�

The vampire looked a bit uncomfortable; his dark gaze darted to Spike�s. Xander pressed. �I think you�d better tell me everything. I�m remembering some things on my own already...� he trailed off with a quick glance in Spike�s direction before concentrating on his food.

~~~~~

Nikolas cupped Devon�s chin and tilted the young man�s head up. Devon could hardly stand on his own at this point.

�Y� okay, ch�r?�

�Bien,� Devon lied. Exhaustion was clearly etched on his features.

�Liar,� the vampire snorted, sweeping Devon from his feet and turning away from the hotel.

�Non, really, Bronze is good, put me down.�

Nikolas looked down into the determined expression and lowered Devon back to his feet. He kept an arm around his waist though, squeezing gently as they got comfortable again on the stone bench. Devon lowered his head on the vampire�s lean shoulder and let his eyes drift closed as he reached back into the hotel with his awareness. His breathing grew deeper and his heartbeat slowed, lulling Nikolas as he stroked Devon�s thick hair. His mercurial gaze scanned the area behind the hotel once more, taking in the debris. The Orphan had not stopped at shattering, but had gone on to pulverization. Niko was *really* impressed.

He glanced at Devon with a worried look on his beautiful face. He hoped he�d done the right thing in bringing the Healer here. He�d lost too many of his line over the centuries and history seemed to be repeating itself and that worried him too. Devon seemed destined to follow in his footstep and the vampire burned with the knowledge that if that were the case, then it would be him, Nikolas R�, who worked the Dark Trick and brought the budding Healer-Mage over.

~Mais he�s gonna struggle like crazy when he finds out he�s *really* mine. M� lil dragon-prince we�re gonna have so much fun fightin over dat~

~~~~~

Xander was still deep in thought as he pulled off his clothes and climbed into bed. A lot of things he�d been told fit with the released memories sliding into their old homes. Some of it made him worry about what he didn�t remember; and what about the things he did remember that they hadn�t spoken of?

The way Spike had looked at him told Xander the vampire had suspicions, guessed that Xander may be remembering things about them. Xander had questioned him about their past and Spike had been vague in his responses.

Xander scratched absently at the faded bite wounds on his buttocks, they had healed quickly but the spot twinged from time to time. The sensation wasn�t an unpleasant one, sometimes stirring things inside that caused his breathing to become shallow and his heart to beat quicker.

Xander rolled onto his back and closed his eyes, shifting his ass against the mattress in an attempt at comfort as he drifted to sleep. Flashes, images, vivid events unfurled in his dreams, but Xander remained at peace; watching the events through a soft haze of tingling blue-green comfort as he stepped from the bus and began walking down the street.

~~~~~

Finally the violet eyes flickered open and focused on the empty pool. Devon shifted slowly against the hardness next to him as he withdrew from the dreamscape. Nikolas let him sit up and waited. Devon rose and stretched, and then he began to mutter curses as he turned around to face his vampire.

�Why ya doin dis t� Bronze, Niko?�

�What ya see, �tite?�

�What started dis mess,� Devon sighed, gesturing at the scattered piles of dust and stone.

�Oui?�

Devon�s face got hard then as he considered. The little flecks in his violet orbs swirled, moving to the outer edge, forming a solid ring of pulsing silver.

�Dere�s more to dis.�

�Figured as much...� Nikolas waited.

�First, we gon pay a lil visit t� de hotel dey was stayin� at, wanna talk t� dat jack-ass behind de desk... den... well ya get ta have some fun hunting in West Hollywood. After dat, we see.�

Nikolas didn�t argue he knew Devon needed this buffer, this outlet for his anger. This situation was too close to their own for it to not be hard on him. A part of the vampire hoped that in helping Xander, Devon would be able to come to grips with his own destiny. He *would* stand beside Nikolas as his chosen mate for the rest of their immortal lives.

Surrounded in quiet, the vampire and quasi-mortal moved away from the Hyperion, through the chilly LA pre-dawn in search of another hotel.

*****