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How to Treat Your
Lover
by Tami
Chapter 21-B
Chapter 21-B: Step 2 – Understanding (Part
4)
Los Angeles, Caritas
After singing Wang Chung and then apologizing to the audience for the dreadful rendition, Angel cornered the Host at a table. He flopped down in the seat and glared menacingly across the table at the green demon.
“Tell me about Darla,” he demanded.
“Woah,” the Host leaned back in his seat away from the dark vampire. “Give me a sec. You’re sending out some family-sized vibes. My fillings are still humming.” He held his near-empty glass as he continued to watch Angel and called out to the bartender, “Hey, Rico! Top off my Sea Breeze, earn my everlasting devotion, huh?” After the bartender came over to collect the glass, Lorne continued, “I saw lots of things. You are at a crucial junction, big guy.”
“So talk,” Angel growled.
“So . . . no,” the Host replied.
Angel’s brows furrowed in confusion. The whole idea was to sing and the Host told you what was going on, only he wasn’t. “What do you mean ‘no’? You won’t tell me anything?”
The Host merely looked at him. “I can tell you you’re headed into trouble with a capital ‘troub’. Let her go, bro.”
“I can’t. She made Spike go away,” Angel snapped. “What the hell do you care anyway? You’ve got murderous demons in here. You give them free advice, but you won’t help me?”
“Hey, I set people on their paths,” the Host said defensively. “And, this is way off your path, sweetie. Go home.”
“I don’t have a home to go back to. Spike was my home and now he’s gone!” Angel said.
“He’s left the city, true; but he didn’t leave existence. He’s still part of you,” the Host said.
“And, I’ll get him back after you tell me where Darla is,” Angel growled as he leaned closer.
The Host didn’t seem to be bothered by the snarling and stated calmly, “I know you’re not going to start anything in here. You’re a good boy.” He stood up and offered, “Have a drink before you go. It’s on me.”
When the Host walked away without giving him any answers, Angel’s forehead dropped on the table with a thump. He had to find Darla so he could wring her neck for haunting him and then maybe ripping her throat out for driving Spike away just as they had fallen into a pattern. Maybe after dancing in her blood, he’d take the remains to show Spike that he wasn’t as tied up with his Sire as his childe thought. Angel fished out his cell phone and dialed the hotel number.
**************************
Los Angeles, Hyperion Hotel
The telephone rang and Cordelia answered it. “Angel Investigations, we solve big problems for small prices.”
“It’s me. Did you get an address?” Angel asked bluntly.
Cordelia covered the receiver with her palm and hissed at Wesley, “It’s him!” She went back to the call and said tentatively, “Angel, Wesley and I think you really need to . . .”
Angel cut her off with a growl. “Cordelia,, address . . . now.”
“Uh, D’Etta and Stephen Kramer own a home a 1409 Galloway in Studio City,” she said apprehensively.
The second the words were out of her mouth the line went to dial tone. She looked at the phone as if it were alien to her and put it back on the base. “He hung up on me.”
“You really stood up to him,” Wesley said sarcastically as he yanked open a drawer in the file cabinet. Then, he mimicked her, “‘Next time I talk to him, I won’t weenie out like you, Wesley.’ Ha!”
She spared a glance at him. “Don’t start with me – and if I sound like that, shoot me.”
Just then, Wesley removed a large pistol from the file cabinet. Cordelia squeaked when she saw it and laughed nervously. “I was joking!”
Wesley pursed his lips together in irritation. “It’s not for you. It’s a tranquilizer gun.”
“You mean if Angel really does go off his rock like he’s done before?” Cordelia inquired. “Do you think that’ll do it?”
Wesley thought about it for a moment. “I better call Gunn.”
Cordelia smirked and silently pushed the phone towards Wesley and he picked up the receiver.
**************************
Sunnydale
Spike shuffled along the sidewalk in downtown Sunnydale. He was utterly depressed. Stupid
soddin' claims. He had been perfectly fine living his evil, ne’er-do-well lifestyle and then Angel had to reassert himself into Spike’s life, turn it upside-down, make Spike actually care, give him hope that things would work out and then bam, Angel yanked the carpet out from under him by confessing to dreaming of the ice queen.
He thought he could stay home, but everything reminded him of his Sire, mostly because the furniture and accessories were bought with Angel’s money. When he had initially gone on the spending spree he had thought it was a way to rile the old man. Now, it wasn’t so fun anymore, not without Angel there to hang it over the elder vampire’s head.
Spike was headed towards Willy’s Bar to drown his depression when he passed the Magic Box and saw a trio of demons standing outside the door. With a quick look inside, he saw more fighting the Scooby gang. What was going on now? Couldn’t the Slayer take one night out of her Slaying and not get into any trouble that I have to bail her out of? Spike sighed and went around the back to enter the building.
Once he was inside, he followed punching noises to Buffy’s workout room. He leaned against the doorjamb and watched her fight. She broke out of a demon’s grasp and shoved it backward, off of her. As she stood up, a second demon grabbed her around the waist from behind.
Spike rolled his eyes as he watched the first demon get up from the floor and go after her. He sighed in exasperation and rushed forward. Tackling the first demon, he pulled it aside, landing on the floor on his with the demon on top of him. Oh yeah, this day was getting better and better. He hadn’t been in Sunnydale 24 hours and already he was in a fight because of the Slayer.
Buffy punched the second demon behind her, then flipped it over her shoulder, grabbed it and shoved it against the wall as hard as she could. It slumped down to the floor. She looked around the room for anything else, but saw nothing. She ran out of the room past Spike who was still on the floor strangling the first demon.
“You’re welcome!” he called after her.
Buffy entered the main shop just as Anya was searching the room with wild eyes and swinging her weapon randomly. “Where’d it go?!”
Giles reeled back suddenly as the invisible demon punched him. Buffy was still searching the room for the demons. Anya retreated behind the counter with her weapon raised cautiously.
“It’s over there!” Xander yelled and pointed in the direction of a stack of papers falling to the floor.
“How many are there?” Giles asked.
“I’ve already been injured once this month!” Anya said petulantly.
“Shut up!” Buffy yelled.
Just then, everyone froze. The front door opened and Tara walked in looking anxious. “Buffy, behind you!” she warned.
Buffy turned just as an invisible demon grabbed her and threw her onto a table. She rolled off the other side of it and onto the floor.
Back in the training room, the demon punched Spike in the face several times and sent the blonde flying backwards where he hit the wall. Noticing the weapon rack, he got to his feet and grabbed a short-handled scythe. The demon rushed at Spike, but he kicked its legs out from under it and attacked it with the scythe.
Having dispatched the demon, Spike went out to the main room to see what the damage report was. Buffy was looking around for the demon, even though it was standing right in front of her. “Tara, where is it? Can you see it?”
“Oh, God,” Spike heard Tara whisper.
The blonde witch stepped forward as the demon punched Buffy in the face. The Slayer returned the punch and started to fight again. Tara stopped in the middle of the room and started a spell. Spike wondered what was going on and what Tara had done that she was apparently trying to undo.
Tara started chanting, “Blind Cadria, lift you veil. Give evil form.” The demon fighting Buffy turned to glare at Tara for the interference. “Break my spell.”
A flash light zapped through the room and suddenly Buffy could see the demon as it ran at Tara and knocked her down. Then, the demon turned back to Buffy. She instantly punched it. It grabbed her arm and threw her to the floor. She rolled away from it and got to her feet.
At that moment, Tara’s father walked into the shop followed by Tara’s brother and cousin. The demon stood over Tara, poised to attack and snarled at the interruption.
“Tara,” her father intoned.
The demon looked up and rushed toward Mr. MacLay. He fell backward onto the floor. Buffy tackled the demon to the ground and broke its neck. Mr. MacLay stared at the scene in horror and irritation.
“What is God’s name is that?” he asked incredulously.
Spike decided to make his presence known by answering. “Lei-ach demon. Fun little buggers, big with the marrow-sucking.”
Mr. MacLay got to his feet and stared down at his daughter who was still sitting on the floor looking guilty.
“I don’t understand,” he said.
Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the blonde witch. “I’m not sure I do either.”
“I’m sorry,” Tara stumbled over an apology. “I’m s-s-so sorry. I was – I was trying to hide.” Willow knelt down beside Tara. She turned sad eyes up to her girlfriend. “I didn’t want you to see . . . what I am.”
“What?” Willow asked confused.
“What do you mean what you are?” Buffy asked.
Tara tried to find the best way to explain but came up short.
“Demon,” Mr. MacLay said accusingly. “The women in our family . . . have demon in them. Her mother had it. That’s where the magic comes from. We came to take her home before,” he looked around at the carnage and sighed heavily. “Well, before things like this started happening.”
Giles was surprised that someone as shy and sweet as Tara was would do such a spell. “You cast a spell on us to keep us from seeing your . . . demon side. That’s why we couldn’t see our attackers.”
Buffy looked back at Dawn and then at Tara. “It nearly got us killed.”
“I-I’ll go,” Tara stammered as she got to her feet. She glanced surreptitiously at Buffy. “I’m very sorry.”
“The camper’s outside,” Mr. MacLay said with a smug expression.
“Wait! Go?” Willow asked. She grabbed Tara’s elbow to stop her. “I – she just did a spell that went wrong. It-it was just a mistake.”
Mr. MacLay’s brows furrowed in irritated at being thwarted. “That’s not the point and it’s not your concern. She belongs with us. We know how to control her . . . problem.”
Willow looked distressed at her girlfriend. “Tara . . . look at me.” When the blonde glanced up, Willow went on. “I-I trusted you more than anyone in my life. Was all that just a lie?”
“No!” Tara sobbed.
“Do you want to leave?” Willow asked.
“It’s not your decision, young lady,” Mr. MacLay said angrily.
“I know that!” Willow snapped at him and then turned back to Tara. “Do you want to leave?”
Tara shook her head and then cowered when she heard her father’s voice.
“You’re going to do what’s right, Tara. Now, I’m taking you out of here before somebody does get killed. The girl belongs with her family. I hope that’s clear to the rest of you,” he said with an air of superiority.
“It is,” Buffy answered. “If you want her, Mr. MacLay, you can go ahead and take her.”
Willow looked anxiously at Tara as the blonde’s shoulders slumped as if she had expected things to be this way. Mr. MacLay nodded in satisfaction. But, Buffy surprised when she faced him and said, “You just got to go through me.”
Tara stared at Buffy in amazement.
“What?” Mr. MacLay asked in disbelief.
“You heard me,” Buffy said. “You want to take Tara out of here against her will? You got to come through me.”
“And me!” Dawn spoke up.
Tara smiled unevenly at Dawn’s tone as the girl joined her sister in staring Tara’s father down.
“Is this a joke? I’m not going to be threatened by two little girls.”
“You don’t want to mess with us.” Dawn tried to be menacing.
“She’s a hair-puller,” Buffy said as if it was a threat.
Giles joined Buffy, making Tara smile wider when he said, “You’re not just dealing with two little girls.”
“You’re dealing with all of us,” Xander chimed in.
“’Cept me,” Spike told them.
“Except Spike,” Xander amended.
“I don’t particularly care what happens,” Spike said offhandedly.
“This is preposterous,” Mr. MacLay said indignantly. “You people have no right to interfere in Tara’s affairs. We are her blood kin! Who the hell are you?”
“We’re family,” Buffy replied.
“Dad,” Tara’s brother whined. “Are you gonna let ’em just . . .” He stomped forward and threatened, “Tara, if you don’t get in that car, I swear by God I will beat you down.”
“And, I swear by your full and manly be, you’re gonna break something trying,” Xander told him.
“Well,” Tara’s cousin said arrogantly, “I hope you’ll be happy hanging out with a disgusting demon.”
Anya raised her hand. “Excuse me. What kind?”
“What?”
“What kind of demon is she? There’re a lot of different kinds. Some are very, very evil. Others have been considered useful members of society.” Anya smiled proudly and Xander returned it.
“Well, I-I . . . what does it matter,” Tara’s cousin asked.
“Evil is evil,” Mr. MacLay stated.
“Well, let’s just narrow it down,” Anya suggested.
Spike smirked. “Oh. Why don’t I just make this simple?”
He sauntered over and tapped Tara on the shoulder. When she turned around, Spike nuzzled against her neck and nipped at it. Everyone in the room gasped in shock. When the blood well-up, he tasted it and closed the wound. He had already stepped back by the time Buffy’s brain told her feet to move. She stalked over to him and punched him in the nose. When Spike went down, yelling at her, Buffy checked Tara for any injuries and found the healing bite.
“What did you do that for?” Buffy asked accusingly.
Spike got to his feet and replied angrily, “I had to find out didn’t I?” He glanced around Buffy and told Tara’s family. “She tastes kind of oak-y because she’s a witch and in tune with the earth. But, she’s not a demon.”
Tara looked at Spike in shock. She held her hand over the bite to ease the pain. She turned to see Willow’s wide-eyed expression of surprise and smiled. She wasn’t a demon?
“How can you tell, Spike?” Willow asked.
“Demons are more astringent. After tasting a witch it leaves your mouth dry like you just ate walnuts,” he replied. “I need a drink.”
Buffy looked skeptically at Spike and turned to Tara’s father to see his face red in anger.
Spike chuckled. “There’s no demon in her. That’s just a family legend, am I right?” Looking at Mr. MacLay’s expression, Spike imagine smoke coming out of his ears. “Just a bit of spin to keep the ladies in line, I reckon.” He smirked at that. “You’re a piece of work. I like you.”
“I’m not a demon?” Tara asked still surprised.
Willow shook her head. “You’re not a demon, just an old-fashioned witch.”
Tara chuckled nervously. “He bit me.”
“Yeah, you’re welcome,” Spike said as he stalked off to find a drink, still nursing his nose.
**************************
Los Angeles, Hyperion Hotel
Gunn had arrived a few minutes before and was looking at the weaponry on the reception desk. He stared pointedly at the tranquilizer gun and chains. What kind of kinks did Wesley and Cordelia have anyway?
Wesley caught Gunn’s expression and, with a light tone, explained, “This is all just precautionary. When push comes to shove, Angel’s our – we trust him.”
Gunn picked up the pistol and looked at it as if it were a snake about to strike. “I see.”
“It’s not like he turns evil every time he gets this cranky,” Cordelia said brightly.
“He turns evil?” Gunn asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Well, there are forces that can make Angel revert to Angelus, the vampire he was before he got a soul,” Wesley explained.
“Uh huh,” Gunn replied hesitantly. “And, as evil, blood-sucking vampires go, how would you rate Angelus?”
“Historically as bad as they come,” Wesley replied all too easily for Gunn’s liking. “Especially, when he was with his Sire, Darla.”
“We’re researching her now to see if maybe she has some kind of resurrection powers,” Cordelia said. She turned to Wesley and asked, “Maybe she was a vampire cat with nine lives or something?”
Gunn looked at them strangely as they nonchalantly talked about his boss probably going evil. “So, he and Darla together is a bad combo.”
“Well, they rampaged through half of the known world – until Angel got his soul,” Wesley told him.
Gunn shuddered at the casual tone in Wesley’s voice and then, Cordelia made it worse by saying, “Imagine Bonnie and Clyde if they’d had 150 years to get it right.”
“Where’s Spike? Shouldn’t he be helping to contain the powder keg that is my boss?”
Cordelia sighed. “He and Angel got into an argument over Darla and Spike left. He went back to Sunnydale.”
“Great, so he went back home with his tail between his legs and left us to deal with a pissed off Angel who thinks his party-girl is back?” Gunn digested that bit of information and then asked, “If he gets up to his old tricks, how bad can it get?”
“Well, he stalked Drusilla, drove her quite literally mad, chased her to a convent and after slaughtering everyone there, turned her,” Wesley said.
**************************
Sunnydale, Crawford Street Mansion
Again, Spike was only good enough for muscle. After proving that Tara wasn’t a demon, he left to find that drink. He stopped in at the Bronze to find the Scooby gang dancing the night away and celebrating Tara’s birthday. He wasn’t invited of course. Who would invite a soulless vampire to a birthday party anyway? Angelus had taught him never to expect anything. Vampires didn’t celebrate holidays; they had become archaic traditions lost in human memory.
Spike fixed a glass of blood and went into the living room. He sat down to watch TV, but stared blankly at the flickering images. The claims were tugging. He had tried hard to ignore Angel’s pull on his senses since he got back. His Sire had chosen Darla over him. That should have been expected. Spike never got what he wanted. He wanted Cecily; she made a mockery of him. He wanted Drusilla, Angelus made sure she was only devout to him. He finally decided to trust and care for his Sire and Angel was dreaming about someone else.
The claims tugged on him again. Spike growled angrily and yanked back. The tugging persisted until Angelus’ voice slipped into his mind.
Why are you ignoring me?
For someone who thought there was nothing worth it in my head, you want in bad enough. But, it’s too late. Angel – or you – made your choice. I hope you two are very happy with the joint decision. Now, get the bloody hell out of my head.
It wasn’t a joint decision. I didn’t bring on the dreams of Darla.
You expect me to believe that? You were panting at her heels for years. What did you finally grow a spine and see her for the whoring bitch she is?
There was a mental slap to the back of Spike’s head that had him growling, “Ow!” out loud.
Watch who you’re talking to, boy! I may not be on the outside, but I’m still your Sire and I still remember the fireplace poker among other things.
Yeah, yeah, like you can do any damage to me caged up under a soddin' fluffy soul.
You go on believing that, boyo. As dark as Angel’s getting now, it won’t take much to get him to agree to shackle and punish your wayward, insolent, spoiled ass.
Promises, promises. Can’t do much when he’s still chasing after Darla’s cunt again, can he?
Angelus growled. Would you shut the fuck up and listen to me?
Fine, say what you have to say and get out of my head. I’m sure Angel’s feeling a little catatonic without you there.
I didn’t give him the dreams of Darla. We were perfectly fine being obsessed with you. Well, I was anyway. He had his own ideas. He started the Sire-claim again; I’m the one that put the mate claim on you. Although, I have no clue how I accomplished that, being in this cage as I am.
You have your ways of manipulating Angel, I’m sure. You’ve been inside him for a century.
As I was saying, it wasn’t me that gave him the dreams. But, I can tell you she is alive and she’s human. Angel has the idea that Wolfram & Hart brought her back to torment him.
You should be overjoyed then. Got Darla back and all, you can finally talk him into gaining that elusive blissful moment and be free to go on with life with her.
With her? What? Why would I want her?
Hello, she’s your Sire, been with her for longer than you known me. Break free of that cage you’re in and you can finally –
Spike, shut up. Since when do you know what I want? Now, that you bring it up, is that what you want?
I wanted you, you bleedin’ ponce. It was you who didn’t want me! You always put others ahead of me!
God damn it! I put a mating claim on you which you agreed to! If I didn’t want you then why would I have done that? I never wanted Darla for my mate, and certainly not Drusilla. I needed someone strong-willed, not self-important or a complete loon.
You made her that way and you always were narcissistic.
I know that and there’s a difference between narcissism and making sure you’re the one on top. Look, Angel’s dark. He’s tracking Darla now –
Told you –
Shut up! He’s tracking her; he has thoughts of killing her and bringing you the remains. I don’t know how that’s going to pan out. But, he’s after her because you left. If you ask me, violence wise, I need the release. All this saving damsels and not drinking the blood or taking the offered sex is sickening. I mean how long does he really think I’ll last being teased that way?
Well, that explains why he didn’t chime in when I bit Tara.
You bit someone? Angelus groaned at that thought. Lucky you.
Don’t get too excited. It was just a taste test.
It’s still human blood. It’s been so long since I’ve had human blood.
A couple of years for you at least, the watcher’s girl I think.
I didn’t bite her. I snapped her neck.
Well, that was a waste.
She was a damn gypsy working to give me this fucking soul. Who gave me this thing anyway?
The Slayer’s friend.
What is it with women?
You’re asking the wrong demon.
Uh-oh.
What?
Angel found Darla. We’re at some house in the suburbs. Ha ha! She’s acting like a little wife. Angelus guffawed at what he saw through Angel’s eyes. You should see this!
Nah, think I’ll pass. I’ve had my fill of Darla over the years.
Spike, I just told you he’s out for blood over you. He doesn’t want her. I don’t want her.
No, thanks, Angelus. I told him when he finally decided what he wanted, he knew where I was and he’s there.
Spike dimmed the connection before Angelus could say anything else.
**************************
Studio City
Angel prowled outside the house on Galloway Drive watching Darla and Stephen carry the dinner dishes to the kitchen and out of his line of sight. As he waited, Angelus popped up in his head.
So, what’s the plan?
Ah! Where have you been?
Talking to Spike. He’s still upset. You really did a number on him with those Darla dreams. Gonna take a lot of begging to get him back, Angelus said with mild amusement.
Did you just pop up to torment me?
Just watching the progress of your downward spiral. Got to say it’s entertaining from my vantage point. Who knew the soulful side of me was so deliciously dark. Say, after we finish here, is there any way I can maybe talk you into killing that cop friend of yours. She annoys me, acting all superior. I would love to get a chance to break her.
No.
Why not?
Because, I said so. Look, damn it, I’m the one on the outside and I’m trying to get Spike back and if that means confronting Darla and throttling her, I’ll do it. Now, either help me or shut up.
Just then, Angel heard dishes crashing to the floor, Stephen scream and sounds of an assault. Darla’s voice yelled, “Help me!! Somebody help me! Let him go, please! Oh God!!”
Angel burst through the front door and rushed in to see Darla huddled over Stephen’s body, crying, with a big bruise on her cheek. She saw Angel and scrambled back against the wall, begging, “Don’t hurt me. Please don’t hurt me!”
Angel glanced down at the man’s body. There was blood on his throat and he was very dead. Darla was still cowering against the wall crying, “What did you . . . he was my husband! No, please don’t hurt me!”
At that moment, two cops rushed in with their guns drawn aiming them at Angel. Darla threw herself over Stephen’s body, sobbing, “What did you do? What did you do?! ”
“Turn and face the wall,” one of the cops ordered. Angel turned around with his hands up. “Drop to your knees. Do it!”
Angel growled at Darla, “You’ll pay for this,” before he took off with both cops firing at him. He took a couple of hits as he jumped straight up through an attic access door in the ceiling.
“He’s in the attic – stay with him,” one of the officers radioed to the team outside.
At that, more officers barged into the house to see Darla still wailing over Stephen’s body. The officer in charge gave out his orders to seal the house and ordered for the SWAT team. Just then, they heard running across the roof and then a dark figure fall off the side. The officers ran outside in pursuit. Darla watched with a slight smile on her face.
**************************
Sunnydale, Crawford Street Mansion
Spike had lain down on the couch watching something on Nick-at-Nite when he convulsed and pain shot through his back. He bolted upright and gasped. What the hell was Angel doing? Instinctively, he tried to breathe through the pain and panicked when the pressure refused to go away.
Angel! What the . . .?
Angel ran until he lost the cops and then ducked into the shadows of a tree alcove. Once he was sure he was in the clear he answered.
Spike? Thank God. Are you okay?
I can’t breathe!
Angel sighed in relief. Spike, you don’t need to breathe. Stop it.
What is going on down there?
Darla’s got some kind of game going on here. I was running from the cops when they shot me. Angel became more frantic. She’s alive, Spike. They brought her back as human and she’s here. It wasn’t just my dreams. She’s here!
They who?
Wolfram & Hart, Angel growled.
You still want her.
I want to punish her for what she’s done. She violated my dreams. She’s tormenting me now. She’s the reason. She’s always been the reason.
For what?
For everything. She’s the reason I have this curse. She’s the reason Angelus was insane the last time he was out. If she hadn’t given him that Gypsy, he wouldn’t have been trapped all that time. Angel mentally grabbed Spike’s shoulders and shook him. She’s the reason you’re away from me. If it wasn’t for her . . .
You wouldn’t be a vampire, Spike answered. You wouldn’t have made me and Dru and Penn and that sailor git.
Spike! I have to do something, she’s driving me crazy.
Angelus kind of told me what was going on.
What? When the hell did Angelus grow a heart and become an intermediary?
Angelus was a people person.
Angel scoffed. He was a people person all right. He ate an all-girls choir once . . . and a couple of altar boys.
Why does that not surprise me?
I have to go Spike. I have to find Darla.
We’re back to that coldhearted bitch again? Spike gave an exaggerated sigh.
Spike Angel groaned tiredly, but Spike had already cut the connection.
Boy, you really know how to fuck things up. I just got him talking to you again and you went and did that and you call me the unfeeling one, Angelus commented.
Shut up!
When Angel was certain Angelus wouldn’t say anymore, he doubled back toward Darla’s house where Kate Lockley was walking beside Darla outside. The police were still around the house.
“I don’t understand.” Darla sounded mystified. “They shot him . . . how’d he get away?”
“Adrenaline,” Kate said by way of explanation. “They chased him for sixteen blocks. Don’t worry, he’s long gone. He can’t hurt you now. One of my officers told me you recognized this man, that his name was Angel . . .”
“Tha-that’s what he called himself,” Darla said nervously. “He-he started following me a few weeks ago. H-he said he helped the helpless. I told him that I didn’t need any help. He kept calling me . . . Darla. He said he knew me – or this Darla – from a long time ago. Today, we were having lunch at the Franklin Hotel and he showed up again. Then, he came here. I told him to j-just stay out – that I was calling the police, but he just b-broke in! And – this is going to sound crazy; there was something wrong with his face. H-h-he was – was biting.”
Kate’s lips were a grim line. “It is not crazy. I want you to know: I will find him and he will pay for what he did,” she declared.
Looking at Kate through tearful eyes, Darla said, “Thank you, detective.”
Kate excused herself to talk to a couple of officers nearby. Just then, hands reached down from the tree above Darla. A hand clamped over her mouth and an arm snaked around her waist, lifting her straight up into the tree.
**************************
Los Angeles, Hyperion Hotel
Gunn was pacing the lobby while Cordelia and Wesley were researching.
“Are you all right,” Cordelia asked the hunter.
“Yeah. I’m just adjusting to the idea that this good guy vampire I work for can go bad,” Gunn replied.
“It takes a little time. We’ve all been through it,” Wesley said hoping to reassure him.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time he’s good, and he’s done a lot for us,” Cordelia added.
Gunn looked at the two of them skeptically. “There’s nothing I respect more than loyalty.
Cordelia smiled brilliantly as Wesley said, “That’s good to hear.”
“But, if the bad Angel walks through that door I will kill him in two seconds flat,” Gunn said seriously.
Just then, the door burst open. Gunn pulled out a stake only to see the SWAT team and Kate barge in. He quickly pocketed the weapon and watched them warily.
“Where is he?” Kate demanded.
“He’s not here,” Cordelia answered sarcastically.
Kate ordered her team into action. “Basement, attic, every room. He’s extremely dangerous; bullets won’t necessarily do the trick. Everyone’s on channel two. If you see him, you call me.”
The team broke up into groups: some heading upstairs, to the basement and the gardens.
“I don’t suppose you have a warrant to go along with this little search?” Wesley asked irritably.
“Seeing as how he just murdered Stephen Kramer and kidnapped his wife, I think I’ve got probable cause,” Kate sneered.
“He wouldn’t . . . Angel could never do a thing like . . .” Cordelia stumbled over her words trying to defend her friend.
“He’s not the type of person who who’d . . .” Wesley started to say.
“In fact he’s not a person at all, is he?” Kate eyed them derisively. “You guys want to help yourselves out here or go down with the boss?”
Cordelia and Wesley’s only response was to cross their arms in front of them and remain silent.
“So be it,” Kate shrugged just as she spotted Gunn. “New player?”
“He’s a friend,” Cordelia answered.
“What’s your friend’s name?”
“Charles Gunn,” the hunter answered.
“Let’s see some I.D., Charles,” Kate said annoyed. Gunn handed over his driver’s license. She glanced at it and asked, “Got any priors?”
“I forget.”
Kate held the license up. “Montgomery, run the sheet.”
“Listen, whatever you think Angel did, I’m sure there’s a . . .” Wesley started to say.
Kate turned on him and asked, “Who’s Darla?”
**************************
Fremont, St. Bridget’s Convent-Turned-Water Tank
Angel dragged Darla down the long stairwell and half way through the giant empty water tank before he yanked her around to face him, sizing her up.
“So, you’re what Wolfram & Hart brought back in that box,” Angel observed as he walked around her. “And, they brought you back as human.” Darla backed away from him as he slowly advanced on her. “They think I won’t kill one.” She tried to hide behind a pillar when he rushed against the other side and peeked around it at her. “You want to know what I think. I think,” he growled at her. “They don’t know me very well.”
Darla gasped and tried to make a run for it, but Angel blocked her path. Prowling around her, he examined their surroundings and gave her a sly look. “You feel what this place was before they excavated it? The convent – you remember how much I like convents?”
Darla looked at him and made the sign of the cross.
Angel gave a dark, menacing laugh. Inside him, Angelus loved his souled counterpart’s change in mood of late and it was getting better with each passing moment. It made him hard seeing Angel starting to come around to his way of thinking. Too bad Spike wasn’t around so he could whisper what Angel was doing while he fucked his childe.
“Come on Darla, you and I are too old to play games. I need to talk to the real you,” Angel said as he shifted into his demon and charged her, pushing her up against a pillar. He smirked evilly. “It’s been a long time since I said this to anyone.” He ripped her jacket off her shoulder and bared her neck. “But, you can scream all you want.”
Angel lowered his mouth to her bare skin and scraped his teeth along her neck. As he started to nuzzle against her, Darla smiled. “Oh. Oh, I’m not going to scream.” She buried her face in his neck. He pulled back and spontaneously kissed her, surprised, but not shocked, by her eager response.
After a moment, he pulled away and Darla smiled at him. “There’s my boy.” She grabbed the back of his head and pulled him back to her for another kiss.
Angelus growled inside him. This was not how it was supposed to go. Angel was supposed to be strangling her, not kissing her. There better be a point to this kissing. When it didn’t look like Angel was going to stop, Angelus roared.
Hey! Remember why we’re here? She made Spike leave! Do you remember Spike, horribly bleached hair, willingly mated to you – us – whatever, and in Sunnydale sulking? I didn’t allow you to come to my side of the tracks just to get laid by my Sire.
Angel muffled a response due to the kissing. Angelus growled and smacked him mentally.
Snap out of it, she wasn’t that good of a kisser. You’ve been getting laid for months; you can’t be this hard up for a fuck. Damn it, you gave Spike a leash, should have installed one on yourself. Mr. I-Can-Control-My-Natural-Urges, apparently you can’t! Spike will never forgive you if you don’t stop. Then, I’m going to laugh my ass off when he stakes you in your sleep.
Spike? Oh, yeah . . .
What do you mean ‘oh yeah’?
Angel ignored him and pried himself away from Darla. “That’s enough!”
He walked away from her. Being this close to her made his head spin. He still remembered what she was like in the dreams. It wasn’t as if he had forgotten about Spike. He was still on a mission to getting him back. It was just that Darla being the professional prostitute that she was, and familiar on top of that. Not that he made out with every woman he knew . . . okay, Buffy . . . . And that time with Cordy when she inherited the visions from Doyle . . . and Jheira . . . Ah-ha, he hadn’t made out with Kate yet! See? He was perfectly normal. Wait, didn’t he . . . no nothing happened with Rebecca Lowell.
You aren’t helping your case, Angelus growled.
Darla had followed him as he tried to get as far away from her as possible. “I’m pretty familiar with the international sign for enough and you’ve got a ways to go!” With that she pushed him up against a pillar and nuzzled him.
Well, she always was persistent, Angelus observed.
Yeah, thanks for that bit of information, Angel answered wryly. He grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her away from him.
“You’re hurting me.” Darla grinned up at him. “I like it.”
Angel growled and flung her away. Taking a calming breath, he shifted back to his human guise. Pushing off the pillow, he turned and confronted her.
“What’s the play, Darla?” he asked. “What kind of game are you running?”
“Just having a little fun,” she replied petulantly. “I’ve been out of commission too long. You know how that feels.”
“Wolfram & Hart didn’t bring you back for fun,” Angel stated. “You invaded my dreams, tried to frame me for murder. What’s the big plan, huh? Get me so screwed up I go bad again? You should know me better than that.”
“Kind of trite, I know,” Darla said. “What do you expect? They’re only human.”
Angel stepped closer to her and moved into her personal space, his voice menacing and low when he spoke. “You better embrace that mediocrity, honey. You’re talking about your own kind now.” He trailed his fingertips along her collarbone. “You think I don’t know what you’re up to?” His fingers lingered around her neck and Darla sucked in a breath as he started to slowly squeeze and caress the skin at the same time. “You think I won’t make you pay for causing Spike to leave? You’re a weak human now; not my Sire. I could do anything to you to make you suffer for days on end.”
“I may be human, but I’m still me and I remember everything, Angel. Everything we did. Everything we can do,” she said as she gripped his wrist to make him ease up.
“Yeah.” Angel smirked at her and ran his fingers through her hair. “But, the bitch is,” he pushed her away, still keeping his hand around her throat. “You have a soul now.” Darla tried to struggle out of his grasp, but her human body was no match for his in strength. “Pretty soon those memories are going to start eating away at you.” Seeing her frightened reaction to him, he bent closer to her ear and whispered, “No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to escape the truth of what you were.”
“You can escape, Angel. You can escape it all. Remember what it was like to get lost? Every thought a million miles away, every part of your being alive!” Darla tried to appeal to the demon that she knew was under the surface.
Angel’s lips twisted into a dangerous smile even she didn’t recognize. “In all your little scheming, you forgot one thing.” He let go of her throat and caressed his hand down her chest as he backed her up against another pillar. “Who do you think is going to protect you from me, hmmm? Lilah? Lindsey? I bet you he’s just dying to get a taste of the vampire you used to be. I bet you have him panting at the bit for it. How long’s it been, a few hundred years and you haven’t changed your act.” His hand trailed down her stomach and back up to caress a finger under the curve of a breast. “No one will save you, Darla. You wanted to bring Angelus out? It pains me to tell you this, really it does. But, Angelus has been closer to the surface this whole time. You can thank Spike for bringing him up.” Angel leaned forward and licked her cheek, feeling her shudder, in fear or arousal, he didn’t care to decipher. “You want to know what I remember. The torture . . . the torment I can inflict. Though, I am a little out of practice, but I’m sure the added pain when I inflict them on your very human body will make up for what you’ve been doing to me!”
“Angel, please,” Darla gasped out.
“Ah, begging already? I never thought you would ever have to beg, and so soon.”
“This isn’t you. You would never be this callous to me. I made you! Angelus would never . . .” Darla said angrily.
“Angelus has changed, Darla, just as you have. Even if you were turned again, you would still be a weaker demon than me no matter how old you are.” Angel thought about it for a moment. “I got to say, the thought of breaking you is very tempting. Especially, when it was you who drove Spike away.”
“J-just give me a chance to make you happy, you’ll see,” Darla stammered.
“You took me places, showed me things, huh? You blew the top off my head. But, you never made me happy,” Angel said in a low voice.
Darla back away from him, appalled that he would say such things to her. This wasn’t the demon she knew. He was nothing like the old days, in China or in Sunnydale before he staked her. “But, that . . . that cheerleader did? We were together 150 years! We shared everything and you’re saying . . . never?”
“You couldn’t understand,” Angel started to say.
“I understand all right,” she snapped. “A guy gets a taste of something fresh and he thinks he’s touching God.”
“It wasn’t about that!” Angel growled.
“Oh, you bet your ass it was! There was a time, in the early years, when you would have said I was the definition of bliss!” Darla said angrily. She hated him at that moment for what he insinuated. “Buffy wasn’t happiness. She was just new!”
Angel chuckled evilly. “You know, you’re getting awfully bent over this.” He prowled toward her and stopped a foot from her. “I couldn’t feel that with you, because I didn’t have a soul.”
Darla sneered at him. “What a poster child for soulfulness you are. What about Spike then? Did getting to fuck him those two months you were dreaming of me make you happy?”
When Spike’s name passed over her lips, Angel grabbed her by the hair and pulled back until she was bowed against him. “My relationship with Spike is none of your concern. It never was. He and I have an understanding and until you started your little fucking games, we had a level of trust. If you even think of going after him in any way I will end you – human or not. It makes no difference to me.”
Darla scowled and wrenched herself away from him at the same time he let her go, causing her to stumble. Then, she did the only thing she could do. She slapped him, scratching furrows in his cheek.
Angel chuckled darkly and rubbed at the soreness. “You’re going to feel it you know? What you did; that man you got killed.”
“Please! He was an actor,” she scoffed.
Angel walked closer but stopped behind her. “I’m serious.”
“Yeah, like a heart attack,” she said as she turned to look at him. “And about as much fun.”
If you hurt anyone else, I’ll kill you,” Angel warned.
“Will you? Isn’t that against your cub-scout code?” Darla asked.
“I’ll make an exception. Don’t know if you realized it yet, but the rules have changed since you’ve been away. My soul is still there, but where Wolfram & Hart are concerned, I have no sympathy, and you’re right there with them.”
Darla turned and smiled sweetly at him. “You’re going to miss those dreams, honey. You should have heard the things you said in your sleep. Nasty things, Angel. Things like . . .”
Angel’s hand grabbed her around the throat and squeezed harder yet while still giving her a little air. “Stop!”
Darla pulled out a cross and pressed it against his chest. “No, you stop!” The cross burned into his skin, but he refused to let go. “See? No matter how good you are, God doesn’t want you!”
Angel knocked her hand away and yanked her back against his chest. Then he whispered in her ear, “I don’t want you either. I’m tired of your games Darla. Everything that’s happened to me is your fault, you little bitch. You’re the reason your precious fucking Angelus is caged up. So don’t go looking to blame me because you don’t have a playmate anymore.”
Angel flung her away from him so fast she dropped the cross. Glaring at him, she hurried into the sun and up the stairs as Angel watched her leave.
**************************
Los Angeles, Hyperion Hotel
Angel pulled a suitcase from the closet and threw it open on the bed. Then, he went back and started pulling out clothes. He missed Spike and after dealing with Darla he needed a vacation. As he grabbed the essentials and throwing them in his bag, there was a knock on the door. Angel looked up at the door from what he was doing.
“It’s us,” Cordelia said through the door.
Angel stared at the door for a moment longer and then went to open it. He was met with Cordelia, who had her hands behind her back and Wesley, whose hands were buried in his pockets.
“We haven’t seen you all day. We were just wondering if everything was, you know, copasetic,” Cordelia inquired.
Angel was surprised that she had used the word ‘copasetic’, considering a Sunnydale High graduate’s vocabulary was limited to valley-girl speak.
“I haven’t gone bad Cordelia,” he said flatly.
Cordelia laughed nervously. “I was never worried about that, boss.” She pushed something into Wesley’s hands behind her back. “Of course, Mr. Fussy here always imagines the worst.”
Angel’s lips thinned and he leaned against the doorjamb as Wesley lifted his hand to reveal a tranquilizer pistol. Angel didn’t even blink. “Is there anything else?”
“Nope,” Cordelia chirped. “Can’t think of a thing.”
He was about to close the door and go back to packing when Wesley spoke up. “Be careful.”
“What do you mean?” Angel asked.
“Well, it’s just . . . with Darla back, in league with Wolfram & Hart; there are a lot of forces arrayed against you. There’s going to be trouble,” Wesley explained.
Angel gave a humorless laugh. “Yeah, there’s going to be a lot of trouble, and after I get Spike back, I’ll deal with it.”
With that, Angel shut the door and finished packing. |
