March 7, 2005

8.43pm

On route to L.A.

Lindsey
==========

Oh God!

Oooohhhhh God!

Ohgodohgodohgodohgod.....

I'm in deep shit. Not just in deep shit but, never going to come out of this alive type of deep shit. Maybe it won't be that bad? Maybe Angel will turn me? If I get turned, I'm not really that dead am I? I mean, I will be but I won't?

If I get turned, then I could still work for Wolfram and Hart. That is, if they don't stake me or give me to Tomas. What if I get turned and then get given to Tomas? Oh my god! What the fuck am I going to do?

I can't believe this has all gone wrong. Fucking Randall, King of fuck ups has yet again got my ass in trouble. Should have fucking known that the shit would hit the fan sooner or later. You can only work for the devil for so long before your ass gets bitten. Riding the smooth, well-oiled elevator all the way to the top I was, right to the top. I've done all that was asked of me - Hell - even gone out of my way at every opportunity to prove myself. Surely that's going to account for something? Yeah, I've stuffed up but who the hell hasn't? I haven't done it so bad that they aren't gonna come looking for me, have I?

Surely Wolfram and Hart will notice that I'm missing before too long and will send a scout party out for me? Maybe Tomas can have a look in one of his bowls for me?

Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!

Everything was going so well.

Met with one of Randall's clients at his stable. Nothing hard; just be on hand to transfer the deposit for one of the livestock into an offshore account. Play nice towards the client and his liaison person. 'Ohhhh' and 'ahhh' over the stock that Randall's just broken in. Make sure that Randall doesn't sell the boys off too cheaply. He's still got on hell of a debt to pay back to Wolfram and Hart. Nothing hard at all. Didn't tell me that the magic wards had been turned off, did he?

Nooooooo!

Had to fucking figure that one out for myself when jumping around like a complete idiot. And chanting did nothing to activate the sleep spell as we were jumped on from all sides. Sure, I would have been out for the count as well but at least Randall and that weird bastard Adam would have put me out of the way until I was awake again. It would have been so simple. Just a few words as soon as that cunt Riley barrelled into me and we would have had a nice snooze while Randall and Adam got Sire-Fucking-Lancelot, Robin Hood or whoever the hell he thinks he is and his bunch of merry assholes into secure quarters. Would have been so easy.

The promotion I would have received would have been unbelievable. New car, new apartment. Hell, would have even qualified for one of the firms ready-made trophy wives. Don't want one but to be offered one, God, what a beautiful thing that would have been.

Me. Lindsey McDonald. The one to bring Angel in, and not only Angel but also an ex-watcher, an unknown and two ex-Initiative soldiers. The bonus on those last two alone would be in the tens of thousands. Tomas wants the soldiers, wants to have a nice chat with them about his brother, research wants Mr. Wyndham-Pryce, maybe Tomas would've wanted the unknown as well? Angel, I don't have a fucking clue why he's always allowed to walk free but it's the Original Partners choice. Not just the PTB that wants him around a little longer. Still, the fact that I managed to disrupt one of Angels little 'do gooder' missions would have made the Senior Partners proud, may even have mentioned it to the Original Partners.

Now that Tomas has everything ready for whatever he's going to do next, it means that the ceasefire on Angel and his friends is about to be lifted. That means they are free game, the firm's put a bounty on each of their heads. A little reward system for the men and women in line for promotion to Junior Partner. Find out just which ones have the 'killer' attitude, not to mention how much stress relief it would provide for the Senior and Original Partners. Would have meant that I brought them in early but surely that wouldn't have mattered?

Maybe I would have been told to let them go until the ceasefire is officially lifted in a few weeks, if that was what was decided then I would have been more than happy to do it.

Fuck, I am *so* fucked. I don't know what I was thinking! No way in the world would Angel turn me. He *is* going to beat the shit out of me, that much I know. Shit...*shit*, what if he drinks off me? Would it be that bad? Supposed to be good, addictive actually. The fact that all those disgusting blood houses are cropping up tells me that. Fucking junkies. No wonder all the vampires are taking over the city, everybody just keeps fawning over them.

Wow, I think my balls just shrunk another inch or two. What fucking balls? I so seriously don't have any. Mr 'I got a set bigger than yours' Tough Guy. That's me... every fucking time... as long as I'm on the other end of a phone. Safely tucked away behind my desk. God, I can't quite pin-point the exact date that I lost my nuts but they're gone and if they aren't physically, then Angel or one of his lovely cohorts is going to make sure I *really* lose them.

I hope its not going to hurt too much. Jesus, just when did I lose my manhood? Used to be a lot tougher than this. Didn't feel anywhere as scared as this when that nutter Drusilla and that bitch, Darla, snacked their way through a whole platoon of up and coming 'soon to be' Junior Partners. I sure as hell wasn't scared when I was going head to head with Angel during the whole resurrection of his Sire deal, even if the prick did cut off my hand. Didn't feel scared because I knew that it wasn't my time to go then.

I'm scared now though. Everything has this overwhelming final tone about it.

I'm tied up in the trunk of Angel's fucking car. There's barely enough room for me let alone Randall as well. At least he's still out for the moment. I think that English guy cracked Randall's skull when he hit him with the rifle. Gonna have one hell of a headache when he wakes up, that is if he ever does. Will Angel let Randall live long enough for him to wake up? God, will Angel let *me* live long enough to pass out?

Where the hell is my spine? Probably still shaking on the floor along with my balls. Been living too soft, used to be smarter than this. Should have insisted that Randall take the client to another part of the house and show him video evidence instead of up close and personal. Should have asked if everything was secure. Should have just fucking left after the money was deposited, not hung about just because I'm a frigging pervert and wanted to take one of the boys for a test run.

Fuck, I'm a complete dickhead. Wonder how long it's going to take for me to die? No way is Angel going to let me go quick. Hell, I wouldn't either. Not after what I've done to people. No! No fucking way? The car's stopped. Oh shit! The engine's off...

Is it too late to start praying?

=================================================
10.18pm
==========

Sighing, Kate Lockley turned back to the young detective that was insisting on talking to her, the bubbling activity around her ignored for the moment.

"Yes, Johnson, what is it *now*?"

"Ahhhhh, um. The um, er, boys keep saying that they want to be taken somewhere without demons if possible. Should I get a counsellor ready down at the station?" enquired the nervous young man. Trying not to shuffle his feet too much under the direct glare of his superior officer, Keith Johnson could feel that he was about to break into a blush at any minute.

"Well, what do *you* think? Are they traumatised enough to warrant one? Really? So your answer would be? Yes. Good, the fact that they are seeing 'demons' really says it all doesn't it?" said Kate snidely. What the hell had she done to be lumbered with Keith the 'wonder boy'? Oh, that's right, she had an opinion and had dared to use it back in Sunnydale. The fact that she had one of the best arrest records at her new precinct didn't deter her superior from lumping her with all the burnouts and dim-witted youngsters she could. She knew why she had been transferred to child pornography, she was wanted gone and people didn't last more than two to three years in that area. It was one of the hardest and ugliest sections to be assigned to, almost everyone quit after they found the constant horror had got to them too much.

"Well go on. Go. To. The. Car. And. Make. The. Call. Go!" she snapped at the nervy detective, resisting the urge to smack him across the back of the head in an effort to help him think clearer. Thank God everything had gone like it had been planned. Wesley and Joyce had gone through with the meeting with Randall and the lawyer, the money transferred without a problem, something that David was going to track down as soon as they got the lawyer's laptop back to the hotel. They had waited until they had seen each of the boys, surveyed the layout of the farmhouse and the number of Randall's helpers. Surprisingly enough, there hadn't been too many people close to Randall's operation. Adam and Fletcher, both whom had been in on it from the first operation, and two more men, Leonard and Casey. All of whom were on their way to jail for kidnapping and holding people against their will. As soon as Kate had talked to the six boys, she would also be able to charge the men with rape, torture, blackmail and assault.

Once Joyce and Wesley had seen the boys, they had made arrangements for one of them to be given the finishing touches before they picked him up a few days later. As Randall and Lindsey had walked their 'guests' back to their car, Riley and the other one, was it Graham, had come up from behind and managed to restrain them with only a few punches thrown. The biggest surprise had been when she had been told that Joyce had taken out Randall herself, hitting him across the back of the head with a rifle butt. Too hard apparently, Angel was sure that she had given him concussion at least, if not cracked his skull. Joyce had made the excuse that she really didn't realise how strong she was in her temporary form, not that she had shown the slightest bit of remorse about it.

Made for quite the cute guy actually. If she wasn't already with David, and Joyce was going to stay that way permanently, Kate wouldn't mind giving it a try. With a groan, Kate came to the realisation that she had known Angel for too long if she was thinking like that, nothing was surprising her these days. Rubbing at her throbbing temple, she wondered if anyone had an aspirin handy. She had a very long night ahead of her; it had already been a few hours. While Angel and his friends had dealt with Randall and the lawyer, Kate had waited in her car next to Angel's, just a little way down the road from Randall's new place.

Once Angel had come back to the car with Joyce in tow, the vampire had quickly told her what had happened while Joyce stayed to fill her in on a few more details of the general set-up before being picked up by Wesley on the way out, followed by Angel and the other two. Once they were a few metres down the road, she had contacted her superior and told her that she had just gotten a tip off that Randall was in the process of a business deal involving a small boy and was close by. Not that the numerous letters in the mail and 'anonymous' phone calls hadn't paved the way for her case already, something that she had done since it had been established that Randall was alive. The best idea she had come up with was getting a few of Randall's old videos from Angel and had gotten a contact to 'doctor' them so that the demon in them looked like some sort of subliminal image placed on top of a real person. These she had posted every two weeks to the precinct, addressed to her, so that Randall's case would be kept open and at the top of the local wanted list. Hearing footsteps behind her, she hoped that it wouldn't be who she thought it would be, only to be bitterly disappointed.

"Detective? Detective Lockley? Er, Ma'am?"

"What?"

"Um, all the boys are ready to go. I've finally convinced them to come out of their rooms....Bit shy they are. I'm going to ride with them, make them feel a bit safer. I mean, if that's ok. Umm, all right with you?" Keith asked, unable to refrain himself from shifting foot to foot.

Looking at the man in front of her, Kate wondered if he would last long in her charge and if maybe she could one day be able to show him another side to L.A.'s assorted nightlife. Just with that one statement, Keith had shown that he was more concerned with the victims and not the perpetrators that almost every single one of his fellow officers would be more worried about. Maybe Keith was in the right field, mused Kate as she continued to observe the now openly nervous detective.

"Yeah, go with them. That's good, getting them to come out so quickly. How did you do it? I thought that they would be in their rooms for ages and that we were going to have to call Psych. Services." Keith beamed with pride at the compliment from his superior officer.

"Oh...er. Ummm, just told them the truth. Told them what was going to happen down at the station and that I believed them when they said that there were demons"

"You did what? Why the hell did you say that?" demanded Kate, suddenly angry that he had contributed to the boys' paranoia.

"But..um, but it's true. I mean, maybe not in you know, real demon form, but there are people out there that can be classed as being so evil, they are well, 'Demons'" ventured Keith, unsure of what he said wrong.

Kate paused, realising that she had most certainly found someone that she could share her knowledge and experiences with. Just a few more months of close work, build up a steady work relationship and then maybe she could start putting the youngster in some odd situations and let him come to her with any questions. If he never did come to her, then it would just prove that she was wrong and never had she felt that she was so right about someone. Releasing a heavy sigh, she eyed the embarrassed man before her.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. People like Adam and Fletcher and the other two. People like Randall Hargraves, you remember reading about him in the paper about a year ago? Good. Well, the first two guys, they were involved with Randall and the Eternal the first time around."

"Oh God. We got them? That's so great but what about Randall Hargraves? He hasn't gotten away again has he?"

"Oh no. I've got a hunch that we'll catch up to him real soon. Don't you worry, a person's luck can only last for so long and I think our Mr. Hargraves' has almost run out." smiled Kate, pleased to see that Keith was quick on the uptake. Kate stood looking at the younger man for a moment before he gave her a quick nod before making his way towards the car holding one of the more fragile boys.

"Yep, no difference between Randall and a fucking demon. Both pure and utter evil" Kate muttered to herself as she thought about the days to come.

Everything was planned down to the last little bit. In a decision between herself, Angel and everyone at the Hyperion including David, it had been decided to let Angel get as much information out of Randall as he possibly could. Kate had given him two days, after that, Randall was to be left somewhere deserted and the location called in to her precinct. Randall would then be arrested and charged with the relevant crimes. David had looked up the local Judge roster to see which Judges would be on duty for the next few weeks and when so that Kate could time the bail hearings for the most unsympathetic judges. If failing to get a good one, David was prepared to make certain errors appear in a few choice pieces of filed work and make them work for Kate's advantage.

God, she was tired already and if she was, then those poor boys were already at the end of their tethers. Thank God they were nowhere near as traumatised as Angel had said the boys from Eternal had been upon being rescued. Then again, he had said it had been a delayed reaction. Maybe the shit would hit the fan later. Kate decided to go straight to the precinct and help Johnson with the boys as soon as the bomb squad had finished its sweep of Randall's place. This time, they were not taking any chances.

Nope, this time, nothing was going to be left to chance. What Angel was going to do with the lawyer, she really didn't want to know. It was out of her hands entirely and she really couldn't bring herself to care.

====================================================
10.31pm

Xander
=========

He's always around me. Fluttering, hovering, just... there and tonight, he's closer than ever to me. Everyone is either nervous or angry about something and I don't know what. At least they aren't talking to me. Always asking me stuff. Am I all right, what do I want to do? Stupid things like that. Why do I have to do anything? Why can't I just sit and do nothing? No reading, no TV, no talking to anyone, just sitting?

I don't want to talk to anyone. Doesn't matter anyway, I've hardly seen anyone. I suppose that they think they are doing the right thing, giving me space. Time to adjust and breathe. Give Xander room to breathe, let him get used to things at his own pace, that sort of thing. I suppose I should be grateful that they haven't all pounced on me yet. It makes me happy that they are staying away, doing as Spike's asking them to do. He's telling them to back off from me, tells them not to use raised voices and sudden movements like I'm a wounded animal. Suppose I am in a way, an animal. He doesn't know that most of the time I can hear him, thinks he's whispering softly enough. Not his fault though, I had to get used to listening for any signs that Master was coming to my room, be ready for him before he walked through the door. Could probably hear a pin drop in the middle of rush hour traffic.

Every time that I turn around, he's there and it hurts to see him. I'm a little surprised that I feel this way but I do. I trusted him for so long. Trusted and believed that he would come and get me and it hurts that I was wrong. I'm surprised that I can actually feel surprise. Didn't think that I could feel that anymore. Thought that Master had 'surprised' me in so many ways and so often that the feeling was gone, never to return.

I don't want to talk to him but he's going to ask why I'm not talking to him soon. I can feel it. The way he almost leaps at me each time it looks like I'm going to say something to him and the tiny sinking of his shoulders when he realises that I was only taking a breath or shifting in my seat. I don't want him near me, but I don't know how to tell him to go away. I don't know how to tell anybody anything anymore.

I don't want Wesley talking to me. I can't understand it but he scares me. He's different, not the same safe Wesley anymore. I haven't seen Doyle yet but Spike told me that he's had an accident and that there's something wrong with him as well. I could hear his voice lose all the smugness when he talked about Doyle and that scares me too. What could make Spike talk about someone with respect? How much has changed since last time I saw them all? Why can't they all be the same?

Angel hasn't changed, why have the others? I'm not sure if I want to be back. I don't want to go back to Master either but being here is scary and it wasn't before and I don't know why. One of Master's friends would take me in. I would get hurt and tired and hungry or thirsty, depending on the mood of Master's friend but it would be the same, not scary any more. I'm confused. I don't know what to think anymore. I don't know what to do. I'm so tired, I just want to sleep and never wake up again. No one will talk to me then and they'll leave me alone. I can be by myself for as long as I want then. When I was asleep, Master never touched me; he said I kept him awake each time he tried to share the bed with me. He said that I would do strange things in my sleep. Spike said that I had nightmares, maybe I still have them. Maybe Spike really was telling me the truth when he said that. I thought that he was just coming up with an excuse to hold me at night. He had to use an excuse because Angel would hit him otherwise. I thought he held me because he loved me.

I cried a lot at night when I first starting living at Sanity. I missed Spike terribly. I kept telling myself that everything would be okay and that tomorrow Spike would come and get me. Everyday I told myself that it would be tomorrow and tomorrow never came only Angel did.

He doesn't love me but I still love him even though he lied to me and I don't know why. I don't know why I love him and I don't why he lied to me. When did he stop loving me? Did he finally decide I'm too dirty to be worth his while? Too used up, no longer fresh and pretty like Drusilla always would be? Can he smell too many other demons on me, the smell that I can never get rid of? Is it the jewellery that forever marks me as a whore? I don't know when I fell in love with him but he always made me feel safe. Even now, when I don't want him around me, I can't help but feel that if he left, I...I don't know what I would do.

He makes me feel safe but I don't want him near me and that's scary. I want to be alone but I don't want to be. Everything has changed so much.

If Spike asks why I'm not talking to him, I'll tell him but only if he asks.

What hurts me is that he hasn't told me why he didn't come and get me like he promised.

*****
Part 33:

March 8, 2005

10.23 a.m.

Hyperion Hotel

"Everything ready?" asked a grim faced Angel.

"Not a problem, we're ready right now actually" answered Wesley icily, gesturing at Joyce.

"Sure that the room's secure?"

"For God's sake Angel, do stop harping on about it," snapped Wesley irritably. Both he and Joyce had worked on securing the training room for two solid days after Joyce's first meeting with Randall. They had strengthened the wards that prevented anyone bar Joyce and Wesley performing magic in the room. In addition to that, Wesley had implemented a spell that would make the room untraceable to any magic user, Joyce and himself not included. Even though the two magic users had done all they could to make the room secure, there was still the possibility that someone could tear down the wards and spells encircling the room provided the witch or warlock was strong enough.

It was a possibility that continued to play on everyone's nerves, Angel's most of all. The vampire was paranoid that either Randall or Lindsey would slip through their fingers again.

The gag that had been forced between Lindsay's teeth prevented him from screaming at Angel to just get it over with. He had waited long enough. Once the car had stopped, both he and Randall had been hauled none too gently through the Hyperion's front doors. There had been people standing around the huge lobby. Lindsey had recognised each and every one of them. Of course he had, he had fucked them all over once, if not twice. Angel had led him through the middle of everyone, Lindsey feeling the ice-cold finger of fear tracing along his spine.

He had done a double take when he fully took in just who was included in the group of people. The half demon that Tomas was having such trouble finding and Miss Chase who should still have been trapped in a winter wonderland on the other side of the earth. He had known that Doyle was back at the Hyperion but seeing him again in the flesh was another matter entirely. As Angel had dragged him passed the eerily quiet gathering, Cordelia had started to screech about how angry she was and how Lindsey was going to get what was coming to him, the whole room erupting into similar threats and promises. With an ear splitting snarl, she had told her blind fiancee just where to aim his fist. The resulting black eye that Lindsey had copped was still throbbing with a vengeance.

Both he and a still unconscious Randall had been taken up to the top floor and into a cool, sterile room. There, they had been tied to the chairs that were waiting for them and left with only the presence of Riley. The smaller soldier, Graham, had taken over for his friend sometime during the early morning. All night, Lindsey had gone over the numerous possible fates that were in store for him, each one worse than the previous. Now, after being left in the chilly room for hours on end, Lindsey desperately wanted to go to the bathroom. Just a small thing he wanted to experience once again before he left the mortal world.

Snapping back to the present, Lindsey gulped nervously as Angel, Wesley and Joyce started to walk towards him. As the trio approached, Lindsey tried to slow down his breathing in an attempt to appear calm and unaffected. A futile attempt as he saw Angel smirk at him. With a muffled curse, Lindsey realised that no matter how he might appear outwardly, the vampire would have no problem detecting just how scared he truly was.

"You know Wes, I think Mr McDonald is feeling a little nervous about the 'talk' we're about to have with him"

"But Angel, it's just a friendly little chat. Nothing to be petrified over. I mean, really, what does he think we're going to do? Beat him? Torture him? Scoop his eyes out?"

"Stop it you two. Angel, Wesley, let's just get on with it. I don't want to anywhere near him if it's possible," whispered Joyce, her eyes misting over as she looked down at man in front of her. This was the man who was responsible for her daughter's untimely death. She had known that Buffy would have a shorter than normal lifespan and that was cruel, but to have it taken with such violence was unforgivable. She wanted to be gone from the room as soon as possible. It wasn't that she didn't want to see Angel and Wesley 'question' Lindsey, it was that she was unsure of what she would do to the lawyer if she remained in the room for much longer.

"Mr McDonald, Lindsey. Lindsey, I can call you that can't I? Oh good. I just have to tell you something," said Joyce, her tears breaking free. She unconsciously wiped the tears from her cheeks as she continued. "I hate you. I hate your firm, I hate what you stand for but most of all...I hate *you*. You are the one that murdered my daughter. The men who terrorised us in The Magic Box may have done the actual work but *you* are the one who pulled the trigger, and even though I'm supposed to be the forgiving type... you won't ever get my forgiveness. I can't. I hate you and I *know* that you will suffer for all that you have done"

"Joyce?"

"Don't, Angel. Just, just don't. I want this over and done with now"

Wide eyed, Lindsey felt his heart rate accelerate as he watched Joyce and Wesley start chanting, all the while they traced patterns in the air in front of them. He didn't want to watch. Lindsey knew that this was the beginning of the end for him and he was pretty sure that he wouldn't be leaving the room alive. He didn't want to watch the two magic users but he couldn't help his morbid fascination, the dance of their fingers was really quite beautiful in an odd way. The thing which captured his attention was the way Joyce was speaking with the same voice of the Englishman whom he had only met the previous evening.

As the full implications hit him, Lindsey couldn't help but snigger through his gag. It was just too funny. As he listened to Wesley's strangled mutterings, Lindsey wondered at the workings of the PTB. They were slippery, no doubt about it. If there was a way to do something, they did it or got someone to do it for them and if there wasn't, then they invented one. An unexpected moan from Randall drew his attention away from the magic casters. Turning his head to the man beside him, Lindsay noted the dried blood decorating Randall's head and shirt.

No one had even bothered to clean Randall up or even check if he was all right after being smacked across the head by... well, it looked like Joyce actually. As Randall continued to whimper and moan as he came to, Lindsey emitted his own groan as he realised that Joyce and Wesley had finished their spell casting for the time being. With batedbreath, the nervous man waited for something to happen. Was he going to burst into flames? Was he going to be transported to another reality?

Joyce shook her hands, trying to warm them up a little as she contemplated giving the lawyer another black eye to match the one Doyle had already given him.

"Joyce, can you go and get the others? Thanks" asked Angel as he cracked his knuckles, the joints popping loudly. It was such a tacky thing to do but Angel felt a grim satisfaction of seeing Lindsey flinch at the sound.

With a curt nod, Joyce strode out of the chilly room and down the corridor towards Xander's room. Joyce wanted to ensure that he hadn't accidentally caught sight of Randall as both the lawyer and brothel owner had been taken to the fourth floor training room. As she got closer to the last room to her left, she heard low guttural noises coming from within the room.

Steeling herself and taking a deep breath, Joyce stepped slowly into the room and felt her tears well up again as she took in the scene before her. Not saying a word, she watched as Spike sat upon the bed behind Xander, the vampire holding a thrashing and grunting Xander as gently but firmly as possible.

"Is he... asleep?" Joyce asked softly when Spike took a moment to acknowledge her presence. Unable to help herself, she sniffled a little as Spike smoothed his hand over Xander's unruly hair, his fingers twisting the dark locks gently as Xander's jerking slowed down.

"Yeah. Out like a light. Boy won't be awake for while," whispered Spike just as softly only to grunt in surprise as one of Xander's elbows caught him in the side. He hesitated for a few moments before releasing his hold on the sleeping boy's wrists. As he let go, Xander rolled onto his side, curling into a tight ball, the harsh grunting becoming softer until Xander's breathing indicated that he was once again in the grips of a deep sleep.

Spike missed the warmth of Xander's body against his chest almost immediately and wondered just how many times he would have to place himself in between Xander and the wall in the months to come. Sighing, he checked that his charge was truly asleep before gently moving off the soft bed. Clothes pulled straight again, Spike made his way over to Joyce.

"Is he always like that? So... troubled?"

"The grunting's new, he's never done that before. What's happening with those fucking cunts you got stashed in the practice room?" snarled Spike, his gameface flickering swiftly across his features as he felt months of resentment and anger reach new heights. To have both the lawyer and the pimp under the same roof as him and not being allowed to join in on the questioning was something that he was feeling more and more bitter about as each minute went by.

Spike acknowledged that the reason for not being seen by either men was a good one and one that he heartily agreed with. No one was going to give either Randall or Lindsay the slightest hint that Spike was in the same hotel as them. If by some remote chance that one of them managed to escape; then it would be disaster all round if Wolfram and Hart both knew who and where the soulless one was.

The reasoning did nothing to change the fact that Spike wanted to be present in the room, wanted to goad his Sire and each of the other men into physically attacking the two captives. Getting them to do what he was unable to. A soft touch on his shoulder and he turned his attention back to the woman standing beside him.

"On second thoughts, don't bloody well tell me. If I'm not *allowed* to join in on the fun then I don't want to fucking know about it," snarled Spike, his hands clenching in rage. With all nerves tingling from the unfairness of it all, the blond wondered just how much his Sire would complain if Spike punched a hole in the wall opposite him. Spike could feel his canines start to elongate at the thought of destroying something. Running his tongue over the sharp tip of one of his fangs, he made the decision to venture down to the gym while Xander was still asleep. Maybe he could take his frustrations out on a helpless rowing machine, shape it into some modern art.

A low rumble sounded through the hotel hallway, startling both Spike and Joyce. With a glance at Joyce, the blond mock-growled at the smiling woman even as he patted at his noisy stomach.

"Had breakfast?"

"Nah. Went down to get some before the Whelp fell asleep again but that prick Leo has smashed the microwave. Didn't fancy a cold brekkie. The cow's gone to buy a new one"

"I honestly don't know what we are going to do with him? Is it me or is he getting worse with each day that goes by?"

"Who the fuck gives a shit? Not our bloody problem. Ship him to the closest loony bin for all I care" retorted Spike, his sneer growing into a wide smile as Joyce sighed at his attitude.

"What on earth am I going to do with *you*?" said Joyce with a laugh. Her spirits lifting a little at the vampire's trademark acidity, she gave one last sniffle before she steered Spike from the bedroom doorway and towards the stairs.

======================================================

12.01 p.m.

"We need a bigger car...maybe one of those mini-vans?" stated Cordelia to her fiance. Sitting on top of her old desk, she watched as Doyle entertained a giggling Aiesha. She smiled softly as the toddler squealed with delight, Aiesha clutching at Doyle's much larger hands as he pretended to grab at her nose, the Irishman only missing the mark every now and again.

"Hello? Hey...Mr 'I've got your nose'...are you listening to me?"

"Of course Princess"

"Yeah...then what did I just say? Hmmmm?"

"Ahhhhh.... you were saying something about changing this one's diaper. Thanks beautiful, you're just too good to me"

"Well that's for sure and I was saying we need a bigger car...actually a mini-van. Maybe Angel can trade in his car for a good deal on a new one?" huffed the woman as she hefted the heavy toddler off Doyle's lap and into her arms. With a sniff at the girl's bottom, she knew without a doubt that it was time for a new diaper.

"Oh yeah...can just see it now. Angel and Co. to the rescue in the trusty kiddie taming mini-van. It's gonna do wonders for his reputation, the evil will be dying of laughter," snickered Doyle, listening as Cordelia rummaged around in the bottom of the ever present baby bag. A soft poofing sound reached his ears only seconds before he smelt the baby powder scent the office side of the hotel lobby.

"We could always get him one of those 'Baby on board' stickers for it. Hang on, evil will still be laughing won't it?" said Cordelia, laughing along with Doyle. Plastic tabs on each side of the new diaper fastened firmly, she pulled up Aiesha's leggings and handed the clean toddler back to Doyle.

"Not likely, evil will be staking itself rather than suffer the embarrassment of being offed by a vampire who has 'Sesame Street's Greatest Hits' blaring from his ride's stereo"

"God, I can't believe that show is *still* going. You know, they've actually given the Count a girlfriend now?"

"Cordy...I was jokin'. No such thing as the 'Street's Greatest Hits'."

"Well duh! Would be good for when our own are old enough to listen to it though," said Cordelia, a large grin plastered across her face as she teased him. After waiting for Doyle to pick up on the words, she realised that her attempt at being subtle was taking a serious nosedive. Stupid idea really, she had never been subtle so it wasn't as if she should continue trying something that obviously wasn't working. Taking a deep breath, Cordelia forged ahead, "I'm pregnant."

Her words freezing him in shock, Doyle sat with a squirming Aiesha on his lap. At the little girl's howl of protest, he quickly lowered her to the floor before leaning back heavily in his chair. Turning his face towards where he had last heard Cordelia's voice, he tried to think of something to say but all he could think was that he was going to be a father. Not a favoured Uncle or someone who had gotten the job of raising twins by default, but a Daddy to a child all of his own. A slow smile trekked across his face as let the news sink in.

"Cordy... Princess. I, I... Holy Shit... I'm gonna be a Da!"

"Got that right Mister. I'm late by almost a month now and I'm *never* late. Like clockwork," agreed Cordelia, happily nodding her head.

"It's not stress is it? I heard that too much stress can make a woman a bit... you know, funny? Face it; you got stress. We all got stress at the moment, what with those two up on the top floor," said Doyle, suddenly anxious about how he would cope with an infant in his life. The smile on his face dropped away only to be replaced by a look of sadness as he thought of how he would never be able to see if his child had inherited his green eyes or Cordelia's Hollywood style smile. In twenty years time, would he even remember what the colour green looked like? With that thought, he couldn't help but reach a hand up to touch hesitantly at the thick scarring that marred his face.

"What? No way are you dragging *those two* pricks into this conversation. I refuse to think about them until Angel and the others are done with them, and I'm telling you right now that with all the home tests I bought, I'm probably the major shareholder in the company," Cordelia snapped, her own smile disappearing as she felt her heart wrench at the sad look upon her fiancee's face. A flicker of anger flared up in her as she watched Doyle's fingers lightly trace over the scarred areas of where his eyes used to be.

She knew that it was going to take a lot longer for the scarred Irishman to be comfortable with how he looked to his friends, let alone outsiders. A grimace settled upon Cordelia's face as she remembered how upsetting it had been to watch as Doyle had flinched whenever Aiesha and Gonturan had managed to touch his face when they played with him.

True, he didn't do it much now but the fact remained that he would start to jerk away before forcing himself to relax when she touched his face. It was something that they hadn't yet talked about. Breaking the silence that had settled over the lobby office, Cordelia ventured to ask a question.

"You're worried about what the baby will think of your face aren't you?"

"Of course I bloody well am! Look at me? I'm a fucking freak. I'll give the kid nightmares not to bloody well mention all the stirring it's gonna get when I turn up at parent-teacher nights"

"Don't you give me your self pitying crap and if other parents point fingers at you, they can deal with me and anyway, that sort of thing is years away. We can deal with all that later. We don't have to now"

"What the fuck do I have to offer a kid? I sit behind a bloody desk every day, answering phones? In between doing that and typing out useless bits of shit just to relieve the boredom, I spend the rest of my time rolling on the friggin' floor with a blinding headache. Yeah, fucking great 'father' material," snapped the half-demon, his fears obliterating any joy he was feeling about becoming a father. Steeling himself mentally, he waited for what was sure to be a vicious backlash from the younger woman, only to be surprised when there was none forthcoming. After what seemed like a lengthy silence, Doyle couldn't keep quiet much longer.

"Cordy?"

"Are the twins scared of your face? Is Christopher? Are any of us? What you look like won't matter to our child. I'm not going to let you throw in the towel over something like that, you haven't yet so you sure as hell aren't going to use *that* as an excuse to do it"

"I'm not giving up... throwing in the fucking towel or doin' whatever. Cordy, this is so not the right time for a baby or for you to be pregnant. If, if something happens... I *can't* protect you... help you?"

"Yeah, 'if'. That's an appropriate word, 'if'" snorted Cordelia as she tried not to let Doyle's concerns start to worry her. Slowly, she walked over towards the desk that he was still sitting at. Cordelia pushed numerous bills out of her way before sitting down on top of it.

"Fuck! I couldn't even help you before. Even with me eyes, you know?" said Doyle, his words tapering off to a whisper as he let Cordelia remove his hands from his face. With a sigh, he joined his fingers with her slightly longer ones and felt his fears lessen as he took comfort in Cordelia's close presence.

"No one could have helped before. *God.* I know it... Joyce knows it. Everyone including you knows it. It happened and there's nothing we can do about that apart from beating the crap out of the guys who did it when we find them."

"I know. I know," he murmured as Cordelia slid from the desk top onto his lap. Shifting in his seat so that they were both comfortable, Doyle asked where Aiesha was, his solemn statement lifting into a soft smile when he was told that the toddler had ventured towards the kitchen and Spike.

"What's a bet her every second word will start with 'F' in another five minutes?"

"Pfffft! Not as if she isn't going to learn it from school when she's older anyway? This way, our girls are going to be the stars of the school. Setting the trend with each step"

Both Doyle and Cordelia felt the tension between them drift away with their laughter over Spike's influence when it came to the twins. As they felt themselves relax into each other, a comfortable silence drifted down upon the lobby office, the two of them making the most of a few quiet minutes together. The time drifted by slowly, only interrupted now and again by muffled shrieks of laughter coming from the direction of the kitchen. With each laugh, the engaged couple couldn't help but giggle a little themselves, both wondering just how Spike was entertaining the toddler.

"Hey Princess, we better get the kid back before Spike encourages her to seek out the dark side."

"Yeah right and let's look at how well a career in evil has worked out for that bleached idiot shall we? Please, he's more harmless than a geriatric hamster"

"Remember what happened the last time Ginny was left alone with him for more tha... Ahhhhhh... Jesus!"

Clutching both hands tightly to the sides of his head, Doyle barely registered the fact that Cordelia had leapt from his lap and was now awkwardly rubbing his shoulders. His face scrunched into a tight grimace as wave after wave of agony flowed around his mind; Doyle tried to makes sense of what his latest vision was showing him.

"White walls.... Ugh... Bed, one bed... Someone in the room... Holy fuck this hurts... Ummmmm, nothing but white... It's so *bright* like all the lights are on... Ooooohhh... It's a guy, never seen him before... What the fuck?"

"What? What do you mean 'what the fuck'?" demanded Cordelia, rubbing the back of Doyle's neck in attempt to stop the usual after vision stiffness from taking a secure hold. With long firm strokes, she ran her fingers up and down his nape, only just touching on his shoulders.

"This is too fucking weird!"

"God Doyle, just tell me?"

"It's raining. It's raining *in* the desert. Thunder, lightening and rain, the whole show but nothing is getting wet. Its like it's not real. It's not right. Cordy?"

"Yeah?"

"The white room. It's raining in there as well but everything looks bone dry. Everything but that guy, he's soaking wet."

==================================================

Wolfram and Hart

Secure Room 5

Clearance level - Alpha Prime

2.57 p.m.

Soon.

Only days to go.

Everything was prepared and the only thing left to do was to wait until the locating spell had finalised a destination point for the numerous souls that had been procured.

They were feeling odd, unusual. There was an emotion flowing through their bodies, one that had been felt only on a mere handful of times previously, each of the Original Senior Partners were at a loss as to how to describe just which emotion it was they were currently experiencing.

A dull roar echoed through the pitch black chamber as the 'youngest' of them, instead of being able to identify the emotion, it allowed itself to grow frustrated at its confusion. As the booming sound echoed around the otherwise empty room, the 'eldest' Original Senior Partner merely sneered and curled one of its many lips into a gesture of superiority, a gesture that was unknowingly copied by it's favourite companion.

"Yes, I know. It must be so exciting to see your many years of waiting finally coming to a close," beamed Holland as he rubbed his hands together in an effort to hide how they were shaking. Standing to the one side of the huge room, Wolfram and Hart's public face wanted nothing more than to seek comfort and reassurance in the arms of his wife. As much as he appreciated just how much the Originals had done for both his personal life and career, nothing would ever make just a single second in their presence palatable. Gone were the times in which he had been bedridden for days after just five minutes in their presence, shaking and delirious from the shock of being exposed to the Originals' odour. Now, Zachary Holland was well used to the after effects of a visit to the top floors of Wolfram and Hart but try as he might, he could never get comfortable being in their presence.

In all the years he had served them, he had never once seen them. Smelt them, touched them, tasted them but never seen them.

That particular gift was reserved for the one who would host the 'Soul of Blood'. Someone whom each hour was a step closer to being identified.

A solid crash to his left signalled that it was time for Holland to take a step forward and as he did, Holland wondered just what he would have to do this time. As the bile rose in the back of his throat, he reminded himself to start getting Lindsey McDonald prepared for his first meeting with the Original Senior Partners. Arms open wide, Holland felt his shoe brush against something soft on the ground in front of him. His shudder hidden as best as possible, he felt a flash of compassion for Lilah Morgan. Too bad she hadn't continued to show the same promise she had when she had first been hired. Another step forward, Holland promptly forgot about what was left of the woman as he opened his mouth and tilted his head back, waiting for the inevitable.

Its huge head raised from its comfortable position on the wool carpet, the 'middle aged' Original Partner ran the human's words through its mind a few more times. Excited. It knew that it had felt such an emotion before. Was this what it was feeling? It had been hundreds of years since it had been able to identify such simple things like a single emotion.

Excitement.

The word rolled off its tongue in an uncomplicated pattern, the snarl smothering the cries of ecstasy from the lone human. It liked the word. It would keep the identity of the emotion to itself, ignoring the glances of the other two Originals as its scent mellowed from confused to calm.

Not long now.

Just a few more days and then all three would be free from having to mingle with the 'insects' that had overrun what had once been such a promising plane of existence.

*****