Disclaimer- I own nothing that you recognize. I had a storyline, I just had to borrow some characters to make it complete. They'll be back by breakfast time, I promise. I promise it belongs to Joss Whedon
This is a story of a warrior. A warrior who had no place in the world, a warrior whose life is left uncompleted. For him we fight, for the innocents who shiver in their beds, for the not so innocents that have chosen to fight for their rights, and for the not so innocents who have chosen to fight against the evil that lurks in the dark of night.
"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless." Natalie answered the phone while pacing through her office in the hotel.
"Natalie? Hey, it's Seeley." Seeley's familiar deep voice, so much like her brother's, had her stopping and leaning against her desk.
"Oh, hey Seeley. What's up?" Natalie spoke into the headset she had instead of the phone receiver. She pulled out her desk chair and poked her laptop awake.
"Well, to be honest I'm in LA on a case and thought you might be able to help me." Seeley began. A woman's voice in the background telling him to turn there made Natalie's head tilt.
"Ah, you've got that partner of yours with you. Where are you?" Natalie asked as she tapped into a computer file and penciled in an appointment. An appointment for her family was hardly necessary, but Natalie knew Angel and Spike would get it on their phones the moment she pressed enter, and seeing how she was quite worried about her vigilante lads, she didn't mind calling them home any moment. She finished putting the appointment in and pressed enter, then waited for Seeley's response. Seeley named an intersection and she began to give directions, exiting her office and going to the lobby, where Fox had his face pressed to the glass of the revolving door. She laughed slightly and gave Fox a spin in the door. He slumped against the glass and glared at her as he spun.
"What's so funny, Nat?" Seeley asked as he pulled up outside. Natalie ignored him for a moment, kneeling down next to the door, stopping it to pull out her adopted son.
"Just wait a minute to come in, okay?" Natalie answered Seeley as she stood, pinching Fox's cheek gently, affectionately.
"You sad they left you behind, bub?" Natalie wiggled her fingers to Seeley, inviting him in before turning the fingers on Fox. She heard the phone disconnect as Seeley hung up and she turned the fingers on Fox, whose laughter had even Seeley's partner grinning at the girl and her son. Brennan took a moment to study the girl. She wore a pair of very low rise jeans, so tight she thought they might pop off at any moment, and a teal colored tank top. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, the very end of it resting at the waistband of her jeans. She was barefoot, which was odd considering she was supposed to be working. The boy she was hugging had a pair of brown corduroy pants on with a cream colored shirt bearing a sleeping bear. Brown shoes with orange stripes were on the boy's feet.
After a moment, Natalie let Fox down and he ran off, disappearing amongst the corridors and the rooms, and the big potted plants that were his playground. Natalie turned to Seeley and his partner. Seeley opened his arms to her and she stepped into his embrace, hugging her relative with the ease of hugging her brother. She stepped back after a moment or so and looked to the partner, offering a hand. Brennan stared at the girl in the tank top and low ride jeans, studying her once more. Her body was toned, like an athlete's and she was a few inches taller than herself. And the look in her eyes spoke of years, hard years. Brennan hesitantly took the hand offered.
"Natalie McKay at your service. My brother Angel and my husband should be back soon. Why don't we go upstairs and get something to eat?" Natalie shook hands with the partner, who introduced herself after a nudge from Booth.
"Dr. Temperance Brennan. How do you know Booth?" Brennan asked, her eyes sweeping over the marbled lobby of the old hotel.
"We're related somehow, I believe." Natalie hitched a shoulder as she turned, the same shoulder that bore an interesting mark. Brennan kept quiet for a moment as Natalie began to walk through the foyer, up a short flight of stairs to the second floor where the kitchen and things like living areas were. They passed Fox playing on the stairs, plugging in sets of Christmas lights in the electrical sockets.
"Ah, Natalie, isn't that dangerous for a three year old to be doing?" Brennan asked Natalie as they stepped into the kitchen.
"Actually, no. The electrical sockets at Fox's level have all been reduced in output to barely power his toys." Natalie said. She began coffee, inviting them to sit at the kitchen table. A platter of sandwiches was placed in the middle of the table. Natalie smiled and looked sheepish. "I wish we had something… more. We eat a pretty informal lunch around here though. On the left is turkey, I know how you like turkey sandwiches Seeley, and on the right is an avocado and bean sprout with a little tofu cream cheese." Natalie turned to pour herself a glass of juice.
"How did you know I enjoy vegetarian?" Brennan and Booth each took a sandwich and began to eat.
"I pegged you right then." Natalie grinned as she took an avocado sandwich. "I actually didn't plan to make these today, but they're one of my favorites. Seeley once mentioned you would go to lunches and find out there were no vegan options. So I whipped em together while you guys were getting lost in my fair city." Natalie grinned and bit into the sandwich. Brennan nodded. This girl was definitely something.
A phone rang somewhere, and Natalie looked to her waistband where the headset plugged into a small box. Pressing a button, she began to speak softly.
"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless." Natalie began.
"Look sweetheart, we know Booth's over there. We'll be home in two shakes, but you're gonna be okay seein' what he wants, yeah?" Spike's voice filled the headset. Natalie agreed, and hung up. Facing her guests, she sat at the table.
"Angel and Spike are going to be a few minutes. What have we got?" Natalie looked at her relation and his partner. Brennan reached into a briefcase and pulled out a case file, which she pushed in front of Natalie. Natalie opened the file and looked inside. What she saw was not pretty. There were pictures of several victims, but what surprised her was that… most of them had the sign of Power branded into their wrists, which meant that all these victims were Witches of the high middle levels. Willow wore such a brand on her shoulder, and Natalie her self bore one on her shoulder. The placement of the brands depicted the degree of magic used. The wrists were all practitioners of the middling powers, meaning spells for making coffee, minor scrying, altering clothes, glamours and such. Although their spells were high powered and never faltering, they were still just dabbler spells, nothing like resurrecting slayers or banishing demons. Natalie looked up at Booth, biting her bottom lip. She was quite unsure what to tell him that was for sure. The victims were burnt alive it looked like, in large pentagrams made of salt.
"You recognize it, I can see it on your face." Seeley said as he looked at Natalie. Natalie looked down at the file once more, shaking her head. The tank top she wore wouldn't hide much, she knew. Fox trotted in, telling her he wanted his chocolate strawberry milk, and Natalie got up, getting down a small sports bottle and filling it with milk. She grabbed the strawberry milk mix and added just enough for Fox to get the flavor. She twisted the cap on the bottle, and then handed it to Fox. The boy danced around, shaking the bottle before taking a deep drink of the bottle. Fox saw the sandwiches and demanded one. Natalie and Fox argued then, the bossy little boy look in his eye. Natalie and Fox argued about saying please, Fox finally saying the word and getting his sandwich. Brennan elbowed Booth and caught his eye.
"She has the tattoo as well." Brennan nodded towards Natalie, who turned to watch them.
"Yes, I know what it means as well. I just don't know how much to tell you, is all." Natalie poured them each a cup of coffee, adding cream or sugar to the cups as they asked.
"Natalie, it's important that you tell us everything you know about this subject." Seeley took the mug from Natalie, staring at her as if he could will her to tell everything.
"I don't think you could handle what I could tell you, Seeley." Natalie answered, hearing footsteps on the stairs. Spike and Angel appeared a few moments later and Fox flew in to launch himself at their legs. Angel caught the boy up while he moved into the room. Natalie pushed the file to the two, who looked over it wordlessly. After a moment, Angel lifted his head, his mouth set in a grim line.
"What do you want to know, Seeley?" Angel leaned against the wall as he watched his doppelganger. Seeley looked at Angel.
"Everything." Seeley answered. Angel pushed up off the wall and stared hard for a moment.
"What you see, you can never unsee." Angel said cryptically as he then gave an address and a time. "Don't be late, but definitely don't be early." Angel turned to his sister. "Natalie, call Willow, Amanda and Chris and get them here ASAP." Angel looked towards Spike, and then nodded towards downstairs. Spike read the meaning and went downstairs, checking the security, the magical wards and the placement of weapons. After a moment, Angel turned back to Seeley and Dr. Brennan.
"Seeley, after tonight we'll need you to reside here." Angel looked to Dr. Brennan and looked puzzled. "I'm sorry; I don't know your name." Brennan looked puzzled. No one even commented on the way that Booth and this… Angel person looked so much alike. And what amazed her was that the three went from familial stances to almost military like precision. Although Angel had looked as if he would have some argument from Spike, she saw Spike just turn and leave as he instructed with his eyes. She looked in awe for a moment before she realized he was talking again.
"Brennan, Dr. Temperance Brennan." Brennan answered. Angel shifted the boy to his left arm, then took her hand and pressed her lips to her knuckles, a gentle brief kiss.
"Enchanted, Dr. Brennan, I'm Angel McKay. Natalie's older brother." Angel smiled and then led them to their temporary rooms.
Meanwhile, Natalie was booking flights for Chris and Amanda. Amanda had the brand on her shoulder. Chris was unmarked, but there was no reason to leave Chris by himself during this moment of crisis. Natalie's phone was pressed to her ear, and she was trying to talk reason into Willow.
"Willow. You have no idea who's after us, hon. I've never led you wrong." Natalie pleaded. Finally, after a moment she whispered to her friend, her voice filled with dread. "It's the Phoenician Willow. They're trying to bring The Phoenician back to life." Natalie heard Willows gasp, and then Willow agreed.
"I'll be down in four hours." Willow disconnected. Natalie sat back against the pillows on her bed, tossing the phone a few feet away before rubbing her hands over her eyes. She felt the mattress dip, the Spike's head rest on her stomach.
"The Phoenician, eh?" Spike asked. Natalie nodded. The Phoenician had a name, but no one knew it anymore. He was a being with almost God-like powers, one that old Magicians had revered in the BC's and early AD's. He had been able to escape his prison a few times over the centuries, wreaking havoc, destruction and revenge for being imprisoned. Natalie imagined he was going after the same class of Magicians who had imprisoned him before, so that similar folk could not imprison him again. Natalie reached down and stroked Spike's head as she thought through this.
"We've totally got to get into research mode, Spike. But with concentrating on allowing Seeley to see parts of this world he didn't see before, we have to delay that." Natalie sighed and stared at the ceiling.
"Why can't we just tell him to forget about the case and to let us handle it?" Spike sat up and stood, finding his cigarettes and lighting one up.
"You know that would never work. Seeley would never just stand back and let someone else do what he sees as his job." Natalie stood to, then picked up the laptop and forwarded the flight information to Amanda's cell phone.
"So we meeting him at Lorne's bar?" Spike asked as he went over to the closet, beginning to look through his clothes.
"Yeah. Which is a whole other reason I don't like it. It'll be letting some of the filthiest creatures around think that Angel and I have another womb mate, when in all actuality we have NO idea why he looks like us. I imagine though, that he's just some distant relative. He looks like my fathers side of the family. They all pretty much looked like Angel." Natalie grinned and went next to Spike, rifling through her clothes. A little leather skirt landed on the bed, with a shirt that was barely a three inch strip of leather. Paired with her green satin duster and a pair of knee high combat boots, she would be perfect for the bar that night.
"I'm jus' not sure this is a good idea pet." Spike said as his arms came around her. Her fingers stole his cigarette, and she took a long drag off the smoke.
"Yeah, me neither love." Natalie agreed.
Meanwhile, Brennan and Booth were in the set of rooms down the hall, sitting in the little living room and staring at the case file. They could hear Fox riding a tricycle up and down the hallway, occasionally crashing into their door. Once when Brennan had peeked out, Fox just stared at her a moment before growling at her, a grin on his face. Brennan had quickly shut the door, and looked at a grinning Booth.
"That kids definitely a piece of work Bones. He was at mine and Anden's place for like a whole week. Kid's a bit bonkers, but he's all good." Booth grinned at his partner, who sat down once more.
"Do you think we should trust them?" Brennan looked to the door as she asked that.
"You remember when Anden's relative died and we had to go to Florida?" Booth asked as he toyed with the file.
"I remember you calling me from the airport and telling me that you were leaving, yes." Brennan replied.
"Well, we went to Anden's house. Natalie opened the door, she had Fox with her, who at that time had been to our house less than a month ago. Anden brought him along to our house before she took him to California. The kid was shaking all the time. Afraid to go in his diaper because someone would hurt him. We would be sitting there eating dinner, he'd be in his chair, staring at the plate of food like if he ate, someone would hurt him." Seeley remembered. He sat back in his chair. "When we first went I was wary. I thought Anden had just been watching Natalie's child, so I was on the offensive. No one has a healthy home life and makes a kid as twitchy as that. But after a moment I saw that Fox was happier. He was running around the house, scolding that Billy Idol look alike, and screeching at Angel as if… well as if he knew he was safe there."
"That's your reasoning, Booth? That they can't be bad because they have a good kid?" Brennan stared at Seeley.
"That's only part of it Bones. When I was there, Natalie was looking at some pictures. Pictures of some pretty gruesome ritual killings. When I saw our pictures, I remembered the tattoo she and her friend had on their shoulders. So the first thing I did when I got here was to call Natalie. We'd kept in touch since Anden's funeral, you know, family that has high risk jobs and all. They fight just like we do. They give faces and lives back to the victims." Seeley stood and went to the door.
"So you think we should trust them." Brennan checked with Booth.
"Yeah Bones, I think we should trust them." Booth opened the door and waved a hand. The tricycle was still in the hall, but it was abandoned. "Let's get going to that place."
Natalie, Spike and Angel had gone to Lorne's a little while earlier. Lorne had squealed when he saw Fox, and set Fox up with a couple of other little munchkins brought in with a couple of Trinok demons, which were basically just big hippie demons, nothing bad there. Normally Natalie would never have dreamed of taking Fox to a demon bar, but seeing as Lorne had a place for the kiddies, she would just go check on him every once in a while. Sitting down at the bar, she looked at Lorne.
"We gotta cousin and his partner coming in tonight." She looked at Lorne through slitted eyes.
"Well honey, congratulations! I never knew you still had family around here!" Lorne exclaimed at he set the Malibu and pineapple juice in front of her. She sipped her drink for a moment.
"Two problems. One, he's a fed." Natalie held up her hand to silence Lorne's protests. "Second, he's completely human and looks like Angel, cept like ten years older." Natalie frowned slightly as Lorne swung into a completely fake panic attack. After a moment, he peeked at her expression, which looked slightly bored. He composed himself after a moment and looked at her.
"So why ya bringing him here sweet thing?" Lorne looked to Spike and Angel, who flanked her at the bar.
"He got wind of the killings in honor of The Phoenician. He's been assigned to catch the 'serial killer'. Seeley won't stop until he gets someone put to justice." Angel answered.
"What makes you think he'll settle for your justice stud muffin," Lorne asked as he poured Spike's beer. Angel got blood, as he thought drinking blood around Fox was a little unsettling, and Fox was in the back.
"Just know his type, that's all." Angel shrugged. The three turned on their stools to watch Seeley and Brennan push through the door. Brennan looked up at a man who was nearing seven feet tall and gasped. The Kevlock demon stared down at her and whuffled a greeting to her. Kevlocks looked just like Chewbacca from Star Wars. Brennan's mouth opened and she grabbed at Booth, who looked startled up at the demon. A moment later, Spike had them both by the elbows and was leading them over to a table in a relatively quiet corner.
"What were those things?" Booth demanded, his hands on his hips, holding his suit jacket back. Angel looked at his near twin and smiled softly. Brennan took a moment to study her new companions. Natalie's hair was once more up in that very high ponytail. It came down to rest on the small of her back, which was covered by an emerald green duster that fell to her ankles. She wore a very, very tiny leather skirt, and a strip of leather barely covered her breasts. She wore knee high boots, and… it looked like a stick of wood was at her side. A gun was at the small of her back, Brennan could see. Booth's breathing caught next to her, and she knew he was looking at the girl. Her eyes flicked to Natalie's husband, who stood protectively at her back. He wore a grey tee shirt with some sort of black leather pants. Combat boots were under the pants, and he wore a leather duster over that. He was smoking a cigarette, something Brennan had yet to see him without. Finally, Brennan's eyes flicked over to Angel. A button down royal blue shirt of what looked like velvet hung over a pair of black trousers. He wore boots, but they didn't look like Spike's. He wore a duster as well… As did half the patrons in this bar, Brennan noticed.
"Welcome to my world, Seeley. That was a Kevlock demon. What you have in those files are sacrifices to The Phoenician." Angel sat with his mug. Lorne sidled up with fresh drinks. He set two beers on the table for Booth and Brennan, and then disappeared, leaving a gaping Brennan staring after him.
"He's green!" Brennan exclaimed. Natalie nodded and took another swallow of her drink as she noticed the music getting very quiet. A spotlight hit the bar.
"He's a Pylean. He's from another dimension-y type thing." Natalie shrugged before standing to get a better look at the bar. Suddenly Fox popped up on the bar and began to shimmy, yelling at the top of his voice "Beer song" by the Pogues. Natalie's head dropped down to her hand, and she groaned softly.
"Fuck me. I'm so going to kill me a Pylean." Natalie swore as she shrugged off her coat, slipping the pointed stick of wood into Spike's hand. She tugged the gun from her waistband and handed it to her husband. Glaring at Lorne, she strode towards the bar to collect her ham of a child. Unknown to her, her face had changed into her Game Face, and she snarled to Lorne as she passed him, Lorne stepping back a few feet. Natalie grabbed Fox off of the bar and waved to the patrons before moving back to the table. Fox patted Natalie's face and giggled.
"Naughty Nanny. Be hooman 'gain" Fox said as he poked her nose.
Booth rubbed his eyes as he saw pretty young Natalie turn into a creature with horrendous facial ridges and some awful yellow eyes. Booth saw elongated canines and all pointed teeth as she snarled at the poor bar keep. Booth struggled to fight the urge to fire his gun at Natalie. His hands drifted down to his sides where they clenched roughly.
"What are you people?" Booth demanded as he grabbed his beer and swallowed. He didn't stop until he had drained the bottle. Natalie stepped over, her face smoothed out once more to her resting face. Spike stepped in front of her, trying to shove him behind her. Natalie stayed behind him, but peeked out to stare at Seeley.
"Seeley darling, are ya alright?" Natalie's head tilted as she stared at the man.
"What…are…you…?" Seeley ground out once more. Angel looked to his family, and then spread out his hands.
"Warriors for the Powers That Be." Angel said and looked to his companions once more. "Day walking vampires. Basically mutts of the demon world. The world you, Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan, have now entered."
After a few moments convincing Booth and Brennan to talk in a more comfortable place, they took them back to the Hotel. Sitting in the lobby, an open neutral place, they stared at one another.
"So you three are vampires?" Booth said weakly as he stared at the trio. Natalie sat in the middle of the men; Fox curled in her lap as he snored lightly. Fox's forehead rested on his tiny knee, and as he watched, Natalie tried to gently straighten out the boy. But as usual, Fox slumped back down to rest his forehead against his knee. Looking at Booth's face she shrugged gently.
"He seems to prefer sleeping this way. Just looking at it makes my hamstring twinge, but he likes it. In the carseat, in his bed.." She stopped her rambling and went quiet once more. Angel rested a hand on his sister's knee.
"Why don't you put him up to bed, Nat?" Angel instructed quietly. Natalie bowed her head and stood, walking quietly upstairs. Spike turned his attention from his wife to the partners.
"We're… not normal vampires, I suppose. See, Peaches and Pet there were leprechauns in their youth." Spike grunted as Seeley interrupted him.
"Now you're telling me leprechauns exist too? Are they little and dressed in green?" Booth jumped to his feet and began to pace back and forth in the lobby.
"We used to be. Now we're an offshoot breed. We look just like you." Angel nodded.
"Anyways, as I was trying to say before I was rudely interrupted." Spike glared at Angel as Angel snorted. "They were leprechauns before Angel was turned in the 1750's. Angel would have been a day walker then, but his creator's demon was too strong, and it locked the… you know what, basically it's this. Our nature's mingled and now we're like… hybrids, yeah that's it. Angel made me, and hundred years later, Nat found us and we got ourselves hitched, "Spike stood and ran his hands through his hair. "We're on the side of the white hats, y'see. Got ourselves souls and all that humanity shite. Makes it nigh on impossible to bite one of you blighters. Like I said, it's complicated."
Booth and Brennan stared at the two that were left, wide eyed and disbelieving. Finally, Brennan broke the silence.
"I believe that." She said quietly. Angel smiled to her, and it threw her mind. He was so like her partner, except… his smile was sad, lonely even. She smiled hesitantly back before Booth startled the smile off her face.
"You have so much trouble believing God exists and you believe this?" Booth threw his hands up and began to pace once more.
"Are you saying that you don't believe this, Booth?" Brennan stood and faced her partner.
"No, I believe it. No one would have gone through that much trouble to make a joke, you know? The green dude, the hairy people. All those strange looking people at that bar." Booth rubbed his hands over his face once more. This night was getting very interesting, and all he really wanted to do was get a very stiff drink. Natalie came down the stairs once more, pausing at the landing. She looked to Angel, who nodded. Natalie moved in quietly to sit on the couch once more.
"What's going on? Natalie, why are you acting like that?" Seeley had noted the way she almost begged permission to enter the room.
"The brand of Power is on us all." Natalie nodded to Angel, who rolled up the shirt on his right wrist to show them the mark. Spike just shrugged and lifted his own wrist. Brennan and Booth exchanged a look before looking to Natalie. "I defer to Angel in my actions as it is his week to power the wards that keep our home safe."
"Why is their mark on their wrists while yours is on your shoulder?" Brennan asked. Natalie shifted as she settled into the couch tiredly.
"It's because they are middle level wielders of the craft. Magic, friends. My brand is closer to my center, my store of power. It means I am a Master Wielder, the most powerful of our kind. There are few of us now. Tomorrow, the others in the United States will be in the Hotel. Well, the ones whom are alive. Most have gone on travelling to the Ancient Sites for the winter solstice." Natalie looked to Angel, who had felt the breach of the wards as well.
"Speaking of whom, one is here." Natalie stood as another redhead entered. Booth looked at the girl and rolled her eyes, grunting softly. 'What is it with redheads here?' he thought to himself as he stood.
"Goddess be, what IS it with the traffic in Los Angeles anyways?" Willow demanded as she set her bags down. She looked at those gathered and for a moment, she looked stunned. She turned to Natalie."What the hell? Two Angel's? Well well well, isn't Buffy just gonna be so happy with herself?" Willow grinned.
"You're not bringing her here yet." Natalie said softly, though the words held steel. Willow recognized her tone and nodded, bringing her hands up and apart, a sheepish grin on her face.
"No. Giles wouldn't let me come without Xander though. I think they've been getting on another's nerves again." Willow grinned widely as Xander came through the revolving door. Or, tried to. He spun round and round in the glass doors before Willow stopped the door with her abilities.
"Whoa. Willow. That was some ride." Xander said as he came through the door. He stood next to Willow, a goofy grin on his face.
"Natalie. Dead Boy. Dead Boy, the second. Spike, how are ya? And… lady." He said by way of greeting. Blinking as he looked to Booth, he just shrugged.
"Is this one evil? Can we kill him?" Xander grinned then went upstairs.
"Don't wake the baby Xander!" Natalie called after him. Willow stared at Natalie, then back upstairs.
"My…you have been busy." Willow said, and then disappeared.
Later that night, Seeley sat in the living room of his suite and thought about what was going on. He tried to be scared, worried… even disturbed but in truth, things were making sense now. Much more sense than he imagined Anden's cryptic words would ever make. Booth went out onto the balcony and leaned over. The faint strains of 'California Dreamin' came to his ears upon the wind.
"California Dreamin'? More like California Hallucinations." Seeley muttered as he went back inside and tried to sleep.