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Chapter Thirty-two

"Iďż˝m going on record right now that I *will* not sing." Douglass muttered as
they walked into Caritas and looked around a little uneasily.

"I canďż˝t believe youďż˝ve been her for almost eight months and havenďż˝t been
here yet." Cordelia gushed and pulled the blonde witch further into the club.

"I can. Thereďż˝s a reason I havenďż˝t been here. I donďż˝t sing." Douglass
watched in horror as some grayish demon was trying to belt out the words to
"Wake up Little Susie.". "I saw we go on to the next bar." Douglass turned
and headed to the door only to be intercepted by a tall green demon that had
two small red horns sticking out of his head.

"Well, well, about time you brought this little one to see me, Cordelia."
Lorne went over and kissed the brunette on the cheek. "Willow, great to see
you as well and who do we have here?" Lorne stopped in front of Aria who took
a few steps back.

"Lorne the other redhead is Aria and this is Douglass." Cordelia pulled the
reluctant blonde forward, Lorne peered at her for a moment slanting his head
to the side. "Well congratulations are in order." Douglass looked at him
confused. "Huh?"

Lorne smiled at her and patted her on the shoulder, looking over at the bar
keeper he motioned him over to his side of the bar. "Get these girls a round
of drinks and the blonde will have soda."

Douglass looked over at Willow and Cordelia for any insight but they looked
just as perplexed. "You know you really shouldnďż˝t be drinking." He smiled
warmly at Douglass. "I need to make my rounds, you girls find yourselves a
table. The drinks are on me."

"Okay, what was that all about?" Douglass asked the other girls when the
strange demon left.

Willow and Cordelia shared a look and sat down at a nearby table, their
earlier enthused faces were gone and both looked thoughtful. Aria was too
caught up in the different types of demons that surrounded them to notice the
change from the festive mood theyďż˝d all been in.

"Does he always act like that and why canďż˝t I drink?" Douglass gave up on her
friends answering her and sat back to listen to the next singer.
****************

"Weďż˝ve been to five bloody clubs so far! Where could those chits be?" Spike
growled.

"Where do you all usually go to?" Lindsey looked around the club they were
currently looking for the girls in.

"We donďż˝t usually go anywhere, usually weďż˝re too busy chasing down demons
and saving lives to go out." Angel responded.

"Yeah, weďż˝re all work and no play, no wonder the girls escaped the first
chance they got." Spike pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

Angel looked around one last time and scowled. It wasnďż˝t like Willow to just
take off without letting him know where she was. LA was a large city, one
where a lot of bad things happened to beautiful young women, there was one
more bar to search and heading for the door the three men made their way to
Caritas.
*************************

"I think we should sing." Willow gushed trying to lighten the awkward feeling
that settled around the table, she could tell that Cordelia and Aria were
thinking the same thing but Douglass was clueless. Cordelia nodded and
flipped through the song book.

"No." Douglass sipped on her soda. She had tried to get the bartender to add
something a little stronger but he refused saying that Loren said no.

"Come on Douglass, itďż˝ll be fun." Cordelia smiled at her.

"Cordy, those smiles only work on the guys so save it."

"Iďż˝m with Douglass on this. No singing, now if you two want to, by all means
go sing your hearts out. Weďż˝ll be here for moral support." Aria looked over
to the entrance and chocked on her drink. "Oh boy. Two very pissed vampires
coming this way and is that..." Ariaďż˝s mouth hung open for a second.
"Lindseyďż˝s with them." The three girls swung around to stare toward the
entrance in shock. Angel and Spike looked fit to be tied as Lindsey followed
looking a little uncomfortable.

Douglass felt her stomach clench when she saw Lindsey, he was dressed in his
usual dress pants, shirt and tie but his collar and tie had been loosened and
disheveled hair made him look sexy as hell. The anger and embarrassment from
their last encounter had lessened over the last month, at times she missed
the jackass and she had no idea why. It wasnďż˝t like he was all that nice to
her but there were times when they forgot what side of the line they stood
and would start having real conversations. Though after a few moments theyďż˝d
remember who they were talking to and clam up again.

Douglass had analyzed that last night over and over in her mind, he had been
sweet and understanding in certain parts though she had been able to
aggravate him some. It wasnďż˝t the sarcastically bitter attitude he usually
gave back, when he got upset heďż˝d leave the room or would let the matter
drop. Not his usual flare of going for the jugular with his words.

Willow on the other hand registered Angelďż˝s foul mood from twenty feet across
the room though he did look utterly sexy. It wasnďż˝t just the clothes but the
aura he gave off in his moodiness that gave her goose bumps, sheďż˝d never tell
him this, heďż˝d think she was deranged.

The other redhead watched as Spike made his way across the barroom, she
marveled in his cat like grace, the confidence he seemed to ooze made other
bar patrons move out of his way. He didnďż˝t break his stride as he made his
way to her. They had been sharing his living quarters now for a month and he
still hadnďż˝t done more than kiss her very brotherly on the forehead or cheek
before settling on the couch, she was getting sexually frustrated being
around him. Werenďż˝t vampires creatures of passion? So why hadn't Spike thrown
some of that passion her way?

Cordelia wrinkled her brow, wondering what the sitch was that had the
vampires wandering LA with Lawyer boy at their side. Taking a look over at
Douglass she knew that the good looking manďż˝s presence was leaving the blonde
witch bewildered.

"Angel, my golden warrior, what brings you here? Going to dazzle us with
another stellar performance?" Lorne waved his drink in the air with a
polished ease. "Or did a light bulb go off in that broody mind, telling you
that you shouldnďż˝t let such beauties off on their own." Leaning closer to the
vampire, Lorne whispered. "Not that I mind having them here, but that little
redhead of yours is drawing the attention of every vampire in here." Lorne
smiled as his words hit their mark.

"Spike, no need to remind you no fighting and might I say that Aria is just
stunning. You really canďż˝t find a woman like that around anymore." Winking at
the growling vampire, Lorne finally looked at Lindsey.

"Congratulations to you. I bet youďż˝re thrilled." Lorne shook the confused
manďż˝s hand. "Give this young man a drink on the house." He yelled over to the
bartender.

"Congrats for what?" He questioned.

Lorenďż˝s eyebrows shot up and it was his turn to look a little confused, after
a second of thought the green demon threw back his head and laughed. "Humans.
I see that youďż˝ve spotted your girls. Iďż˝ll be back around."

The three males took only a moment to try and figure out the strange hosts
greeting before closing the gap between them and the girls they pulled chairs
up to the table.

"Girls?" Angel looked at them expectantly.

The three females looked back with questioning expressions, Angel sighed and
leaned forward. "Thanks for the note." He added dryly. Cordelia was the first
to snap out of her stupor.

"Why is he here?" Motioning to Lindsey who was surprised to see Aria sitting
at the table with Douglass, Willow and Cordelia. Her father had been
searching for his missing daughter for a month now.

"Well ducks, if you were at home where you were supposed to be, youďż˝d know."
Spike sat back and lit a cigarette. Though he meant the words for all the
girls he looked at Aria when he spoke, the little redhead looked away from
his gaze.

Lindsey stared at Douglass wishing for a moment alone so he could talk to
her. What he would say to her he didnďż˝t have a clue but anything was better
than sitting here with her not even acknowledging him.

"I think I speak for us all when I say we are big girls and can take care of
our selves. I mean Douglass can almost take you out Angel...if you didnďż˝t
have those super vampire powers...and didnďż˝t out weigh her by a ton...but you
know what I mean. Willow could cast a spell..." Angel glared at her darkly as
Cordelia shrugged.

"We have some news that we really canďż˝t speak about here." Angel stood
expecting the others to follow
his lead. Spike and Lindsey got out of their chairs but the girls sat and
rolled their eyes at the men.
Lindsey looked to Angel to see what the vampire was going to do. One of the
reasons Lindsey had always
disliked Angel was the control the vampire always had during their
encounters, no matter the circumstances Angel was able to manipulate and
conquer anything thrown at him but here he was now with four very unimpressed
females looking at him as though he had just lost his mind.

Angel sighed, "*Please*... please can we leave so we all can talk." The girls
nodded and got off their chairs.

Douglass made sure that she stood far from Lindsey, not sure of the emotions
that were making her dizzy. Douglass watched as Spike put his arm around
Ariaďż˝s shoulder and led her out of the club whispering in her ear, Aria
looked at him and smiled. Douglass looked over at Willow and Angel, the dark
vampire couldnďż˝t last five seconds without touching Willow in someway though
Angelďż˝s mood seemed a little pensive at the moment.

"You kids leaving so soon?" Lorne asked before they reached the exit.

"Yes Lorne, something has come up." Willow smiled warmly at Caritas host, she
had met him a while back and had found that she really liked the
guy...demon...whatever.

"Well, until next time." The small group filed out of the bar.