TITLE: Destiny Over Vengeance
AUTHOR: M. Edison & Christina A.
FEEDBACK: Oh yes please! Be gentle though. ;-)
CATEGORY: Quasi-Crossover for Highlander
RATING: NC-17
SPOILERS: No
SUMMARY: Angel meets an Immortal and his world changes forever.
DISCLAIMER: None of the characters or concepts of Highlander or Angel belong to me. Grace belongs
to Christina A.
Destiny Over Vengeance
by M. Edison & Christina A.
-------------
She'd chased him all over the world. For the past sixty years, she had followed him. And for the
past sixty years, he had eluded her. He was turning out to be her longest hunt. But when his
Quickening coursed through her veins, the lost decades would be worth it. So here she was...
Grace Hammond, running the streets of LA, looking for a killer.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
And she wasn't the only one - Angel was hunting a killer too. A master vampire. He'd been
turning kids all over the city. Gunn's group was taking care of most of the newbies, who
weren't prepared for being hunted, but he couldn't find a *trace* of the Master. The guy was
phenomenal at hiding.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Grace had easily located a hotel room. Once everything was squared away, she carefully hid her
sword in her long coat. She also armed herself with her derringer and her long knife. Armand
always had followers. Inner city kids who had no one better to follow. Leaving her hotel, she
made her way down to the inner city and she started questioning the kids. They took to her
easily as she had that air that she wasn't to be messed with. When Grace was hunting, life was
rough.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Meanwhile, Angel was hunting his vampire when one of Gunn's kids ran into him and mentioned a
strange woman who'd been moving through the area. They'd been concerned that she might have been
a vampire...with the way she acted but yet there was something different. Deciding to check it
out, Angel headed for where they'd seen her last.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Grace had found a group of kids standing by a burning trash can. She moved to them and gave them
a smile as she warmed her hands. "I hear that if anyone wants to know anything, they should come
to you guys. I'm looking for someone. Think you could help?"
"You a pig?" the leader of the group asked.
"Hell no!" she responded with equal vigor. "The law moves too slowly in this case." She reached
into her pocket and pulled out a picture. The boys passed it around... of course none of them
recognized him. Grace slipped the picture back in her pocket and walked away. It was when one of
the boys took off that Grace pursued him. He'd lead her right to Armand, she was sure of it.
Angel nodded his thanks at the kid as he passed by. Lurking in the shadows, the vampire waited
until the blonde was close enough then grabbed her by the arm and spun her so she was pinned
against the wall. "Not nice to go chasing kids through dark alleys."
Grace didn't think, just reacted. She delivered a hard kick to his groin and in a swift move,
drew her sword. "It's not nice to pin women to a wall - especially not one hunting down a killer,
now is it?" Damn! She'd lost the kid. Damn! Damn!
Angel responded with a kick that sent her flying backward. "Hunting huh?" He winced slightly but
felt his injuries vanishing. "You're not exactly giving off the, 'I'm a good guy vibe'."
Shit, that hurt. Hand to hand combat with this one was not good! "And you are?" She didn't stand
as she drew her gun. She wasn't taking shit from this one. Two shots, to the chest area. No man
put his hands on her who she didn't want to.
Angel grunted and stumbled back. "At... least..." he gritted out. "They...trust...me." He hissed
slightly, trying to ascertain how bad a wound this was and would it have a chance to heal before
she got a way. Damn, why'd Gunn have to be off hunting? He could have used the help.
She was up and preparing to run when she paused. He said that they trusted him. Keeping her
distance, gun still drawn, she asked, "They trust you? You know that kid. He's in deep shit if
he's in league with who I think he is. Who I'm hunting. Ever hear of Armand Rudolfo?"
Not exactly in any condition to play 20 questions, Angel pulled one of his own knives and threw
it at her -- striking her in the shoulder -- before stumbling out of the alley. He had to get
out of there. Get back to the hotel.
Apparently *they*'d thought the same thing for moments after he reached the mouth of the alley,
Cordy pulled up in the car. Giving him a panicked look, she jumped out and helped him into the
car, sending worried glances back in the direction of the alley before racing around to the
driver's side again.
"Get us...home," Angel ordered, opening his shirt to ascertain how much damage there was and
how long it would take to heal.
Nodding, she put the car in drive and they raced away. Meeting with the mystery woman would have
to wait until Angel was a hundred percent again.
'Next time I get the damn gun first.'
Grace didn't have time to think that she'd lost not one, but two leads. Damn! Leaning against
the wall, she pulled the knife from her shoulder. She pocketed it and took off back down the alley.
"Fucking great, Hammond. Shoot one lead, scare off every other one in LA. Plus, Rudolfo knows you're
here now. Shit!" She'd kill herself if she could. She hadn't been this stupid in years. Ok, well days.
She rotated her now fully healed shoulder. Life was not good right now.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
She woke early the next day. During the night, she'd calmed a bit and had analyzed the situation.
Ok, she hadn't handled that well - she just hated for people to grab her... bad memories she
supposed. But, she had a good description of the man. Tall, dark, handsome. She laughed. Ok, she
had more than that, but she needed a good chuckle. Leaving her sword in the car, she entered the
police department and looked for someone who could help her.
Kate Lochley was arriving at work when she heard a blonde woman questioning the desk sergeant
about a man that sounded suspiciously like Angel. Suspicion flared. She and Angel might not be
the best of company but he had helped her and hearing someone looking into him always made her
nervous. "Can I help you?" she queried casually, moving a bit closer.
Grace, the complete picture of calm and warmth, smiled and extended her hand. "I'm Grace
Hammond... a registered bounty hunter. I followed a killer by the name of Armand Rudolfo here.
I had a great lead on him, but lost it. I was hoping someone could help me. I think this man
knows my lead."
"What makes you think that?" Kate asked, leading Ms. Hammond to her desk and sitting down. "Did
he make any statement of that fact?"
"He said the kids in the area trusted him. If that's so, then maybe this kid knows him. If the
boy is in with Armand, he's in trouble. This man is the only working lead I have. Please, if
you know anything?"
She frowned. "There is a man named Angel...he might be who you're talking about. He's got a
great rapport with the kids." She directed a warning look at the woman. "If you have any thing
but legitimate interests here...I'm warning you, the police aren't the only ones who'll be looking
for you. Angel's got a lot of friends and not all of them are walking the straight and narrow."
Grace nodded. She was the stranger here; she knew that. She gratefully took the information that
Lockley gave her. A sense of relief overcame her. She had curiosities about this man though. He
took two slugs and ran off, but he wasn't immortal. Who was he? She gave the police detective
her reassurances, as best she could, and made her way to the address she was given. She sat
outside the building for the longest time. Day slowly fading. She'd pulled a gun on the man and
shot him... twice. How did she approach him now? She NEEDED to find Armand before he killed again.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Wesley was the one who saw her first. He'd happened to be standing at a window, looking out at
the skyline when he spotted her in her car. Casually moving away from the window, the former
Watcher glanced over to see Angel coming down the stairs. "Ah, perfect timing, Angel. It would
appear your blonde assailant has found our not-quite so humble abode."
Moving to the window, but being sure to stay at a distance where he couldn't be seen, the vampire
surveyed the woman in question and nodded curtly. "Yeah that's her." Deciding to let her stew for
a while, he moved down to the offices. "Did you find anything on this Armand guy?"
"Tons." Cordelia smiled perkily at him and turned her laptop to face him. "But it's all filler.
No real detail. The guy's some mega-millionaire type. The usual kind too. Suspected links to
underworld crime but nobody can prove anything. Plus, nobody knows what he looks like. Some
kind of recluse type. Real homebody."
The vampire frowned. "So why's he got some Xena wannabe on his tail? Organized crime involved
millionaires tend not to get involved with this part of LA."
"Maybe he's slumming," Gunn noted from where he was leaning against the counter.
"Maybe..." Angel agreed, glancing toward the door. "Or maybe what she told me was a cover story
for something else."
"Think she might be the killer?"
"Mercenary maybe," the vampire returned. "Hired to kill him..."
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Grace sighed. "Get moving, Hammond." Every second she sat her drove Rudolfo closer and closer to
another killing spree. How she hated that man? Slowly, she got out of her car, leaving all her
ammo inside... except for her shiv in her sock. Her momma raised an idiot, not a fool. Gingerly,
she stepped inside. Time to face the piper... so long as she didn't lose her head, she'd be ok.
"Hello," she said softly.
Angel moved away from the counter, ready to take her down if necessary. "Come for a rematch?" he
asked bluntly. "Hope you don't mind I invited a few friends. Just to make sure you fight fair
this time."
She held up her hands. "I'm unarmed... except for the shiv at my ankle. You can take it if you
want. I would apologize for last night, if I thought it would help. I lost control. No, excuse,
I know that. But it's been known to happen on occasion." She took in the fact that he was completely
healed. Healed but not immortal. What was he?
"Loss of control?" Angel repeated with a wry smile. "That's an understatement. Losing control is
throwing more punches than necessary...not 2 shots at point blank range."
At his signal, Gunn moved forward. "All weapons handed over at the door," the young man said with
more than a little hostility. "House rules. You play nice. We play nice."
She nodded. It could have been worse. She could have been put out on her ass. Very slowly, she
leaned down and pulled out her shiv. She handed it, blade toward herself, to the man named Gunn.
And her eyes locked with Angel's as she was frisked. That was hard, but she handled it well.
A little free with that shoulder, Angel noted to himself as Gunn brought the weapon to him.
"What is it you want?"
"I'm a bounty hunter. Three years ago, Armand Rudolfo pulled the grisly equivalent of Jonestown
in a small town in Costa Rica. He literally sliced an entire group of boys... about the ages of
15 to 17... all to cover his drug trafficking. I've followed him here. When that young man
recognized his picture... Armand will start it again. It's what he does. LA is simply his next
stop." It was times like this when she wished she could tell them about the crimes ten years
ago... even twenty... or forty. But she couldn't.
The vampire nodded, looking to Cordy for verification. The young woman was already entering the
information into her laptop, looking for reports of any such incidents. Couldn't be too careful
after all. "And I play into this how?"
"Did you know that boy? You said he trusts you. I can't take away what happened last night. I'm
the stranger here. But Armand is evil... one of its purest forms. If that boy knows where he is,
he can lead me to him."
"They all trust him," Gunn noted coolly. "But we don't trust you. How do we know you're not the
evil one instead? Maybe a business associate..."
"Or hired by one," Angel added quietly.
"You can check my credentials with the police department. All bounty hunters have to be registered.
I try to keep a low profile so I don't know if I'm on your computer there but try it. Please. Do
whatever you need? But please, let's do it." She didn't want anyone else to die. How could she
get that through to them?
She seemed to be genuine enough...not completely trustworthy but Angel knew he could handle her in the long run. After all, she had no idea just what he was or what he was capable of. "I'll help...but if you're lying to me..." He left off the ending as they started toward the door. She didn't need a description to know what he meant.
Grace nodded. "If I'm lying, you can take my head yourself." She knew he wouldn't get the full
meaning of that comment. But it meant the world to her. He was giving her a chance... Armand
was one dead immortal.
Angel nodded. "If you do...I probably will." He informed her with a deadly serious look. Pausing
long enough to pull on his coat the vampire shrugged.
"Good," she said, glad to have it all out on the table. She ran her hand through her short
blonde hair as she followed him, not exactly sure where they were heading. Now what, she couldn't
help but wonder. She just couldn't shake the feeling that Armand knew she was here and by now was
planning to skip town. If she lost him again, it would be another decade before she found him.
The vampire turned away to look at Cordy. "You and Wesley keep running this down. Me, Gunn and...
her... we'll go see if we can't run this Rudolfo guy down."
Cordy nodded and bent over her computer. "We'll call your cell if we come up with anything."
Angel disappeared into his office momentarily to grab his coat, stock it with weaponry and
throw it on. "You got a name?" he asked bluntly, passing by her. "Or do I call you Blondie?"
She did a remarkably good job of reining in her temper. It was what had gotten her into this
position in the first place. "Grace Hammond." She followed them outside and stopped at her car.
Leaning in, she grabbed her tachi. "You mind if I carry this? No guns, but this is my lifeline."
He had every right to hate and be leery of her. But an immortal without a sword was a dead
immortal. She couldn't take the chance of going without it. She'd be better off with it and on
her own.
He whistled in approval at the sword, grateful -- to his surprise at finding common ground.
"Feel free..." He grinned wryly. "As long as I get to take a good look at it after we're done.
That's one hell of a blade, Grace Hammond." He offered a hand. "Just call me Angel..."
"Or Grouchy..." Gunn offered, knowing if Angel was warming up to her -- pardon the pun -- then
he would too.
She took his extended hand and gave him a smile. "I think I prefer Angel," she said softly. It
was the first glimmer of hope that she'd seen from him. Maybe they could at least end up as
friends. She could always hope. Tenderly, she put her tachi in its sheath and put it on before
dawning her long coat. "I'm ready now."
Angel nodded. "Gunn, you get the backseat." He opened the door of his car for Grace and waited
patiently for her to get inside. They might have gotten off on the wrong foot, to put it mildly,
but at least they'd gotten the 'trying to kill each other' bit out of the way up front. It always
complicated things later on.
She smiled at him. She didn't know for sure what had caused him to at least finally accept her,
but for whatever it was, she was grateful. She slid easily into the front seat, taking great
care to adjust her tachi. When he moved into the front seat beside her, she asked, "So, where
are we heading?"
"Downtown," He replied. "Gunn's usual hangouts. Talk to some of his people. They're usually the
ones who know what's what and whose where."
"People think it's the best place in the city to hide," Gunn noted from the backseat. "But it's
the opposite. We know every new face and why they're there."
She nodded. "Armand's past history has indicated that he'd try to lure in the younger teenage
males. I've seen them as young as 13 and as old as 18. But he never takes in adult males. He's
a manipulator... a sweet talker. You wouldn't happen to personally know the young man I was
following..." She paused and swallowed. She hated bringing it up, but felt she had to. "The
young man I was following last night. Armand could have easily erased him from the picture... if
he's seen Armand's face and Armand believed for even one second that the boy gave me any
information. He covers his tracks thoroughly." If he killed that boy, she would remove his head
slowly.
"Yeah we know him." Angel nodded. "But he can handle himself." He shared a meaningful look with
Gunn. "Tim's fast on his feet." 'And he's a half-demon' he added as an afterthought, not speaking
the words.
If anything, Armand was in more danger if he did corner Tim.
Grace nodded. Armand had been killing kids... people for centuries. She didn't know where their
confidence came from, but she prayed to whatever god created her that they were right.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Arriving in the right neighborhood, Angel parked the car in a place Gunn assured it would be
safe and the trio took to the streets. The vampire hung back slightly, letting his friend take
the lead.
Gunn led the way through the group until they spotted some of his friends.
Grace stayed between the two men, clearly letting it be known that she was with them. It was
strange to let a man take the lead, but this was Gunn's turf. What surprised her was that she
could actually feel Angel's presence behind her. It was strangely comforting... lending a
strength to the chaos that was becoming her emotions.
Angel looked around warily while Gunn spoke to the group. When he returned, he had a serious
expression on his face. "We've got trouble."
"Like?" The vampire prompted.
"Bodies. About 10. All about 17-18. Males." Gunn gestured over his shoulder. "Showed up at a
construction site about an hour ago, cops haven't heard yet."
Grace waited for no one, just took off for the area that Gunn had referred to. "No!" she shouted.
She didn't draw her sword and wouldn't until she felt an immortal signature, even though she knew
she wouldn't. There were tears in her eyes, as she could smell the bodies before she found them.
Too late... she was too late and he'd struck again. "Damn you!" she cried out. Just like Germany
and Costa Rica. "Damn you!"
Angel grabbed her arms. "They've been dead for a couple of days," he said firmly. "They were
dead before you got here. There's nothing you could have done."
Looking him squarely in his eyes, hers had grown cold as she said, "You're right. But I can
find him and kill him and make sure this never happens again. You have no idea how long I've
been after this man. No idea! We have to find him!!" She would have cried if she'd allowed herself
to feel pain, but what she needed right now was the hatred.
"We will find him...and as for the killing, not a chance." Angel frowned at her seriously. "We
stop him by normal means. Unless, there's something you'd like to share with the class."
Sighing, she lowered her head. "You wouldn't believe me, even if I told you." These men seemed
good at keeping secrets, but would they keep hers. But then, if they found Armand and she killed
him, what would the shock of witnessing a Quickening do? "It's not something that most people
would believe."
"You'd be surprised," Angel countered, sharing a wry grin with Gunn.
"Yeah, y'see things out here." Gunn grinned. "Things like you ain't never seen before."
She nodded. "Then we go back to your car. Gunn, you did get a line on where these kids come from,
right? We get in your car, we head toward Armand... And we swap stories. Don't think I didn't
notice that you are still walking. Most people don't heal in one night from two slugs in the
chest."
Angel gave his best blank look. "I heal fast...good with medication too."
Gunn snorted under his breath and led the way out of the site.
She smiled. "Pull the other one. You want my story, you should at least tell me part of yours."
The vampire grinned. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you."
She smiled back at him. It managed to reach her eyes as she teased, "You'd be surprised." Absently,
she touched his arm as she said, "But we should talk as we drive. Please?"
He nodded. "We'll talk." Before getting into the car he opened the door for her then moved around
the driver's side.
Once situated inside the car, she waited patiently for Gunn to give Angel directions. Calmly,
she took off her coat and removed her shirt, leaving her wearing only a tank top. Pointing to
her shoulder, she said, "This is where you knifed me last night." Showing it to Gunn, she said,
"No wound, no scar. I'm what's called an immortal and I've walked this planet for over 1000 years."
"Immortal huh..." Angel surveyed the skin with a speculative eye. "Remind me to ask Wesley about
those."
She looked at him. "Anything you need to know, you can ask me. I think I'm the resident expert
on immortals here. If you want me to prove it, stab me, shoot me, kill me... I'll revive. I'm
telling the truth here."
"I believe you." Angel nodded. "But there are times I want to hear it from Wesley...he's the
king of research."
She shrugged. Well, they'd taken one step forward earlier, but it looked like they'd just taken
another step backward. He didn't believe her. If he did, he wouldn't need a mortal researcher
to verify. Quietly, she put back on her shirt and then her coat. She stared out the window of
the car, remembering how many times she'd been in this position before. Sometimes, her
immortality was a curse, not a blessing.
Angel sighed. He recognized that look. He'd seen it enough in his lifetime. Hell, Buffy'd given
it to him a few times. It was infuriating. "I'm a vampire," he confessed bluntly. His
frustration making his tone more irritated than he'd intended.
Shaking back to herself, she looked over at him and repeated, "A vampire?" She didn't have a lot
of experience in the supernatural, but remembered stories her mother had told her as a child. The
thought of her mother calmed her greatly. "That would explain a lot... at least about why you aren't
still wounded. Seems we have at least that in common. That and longevity." She wasn't going to probe
or judge him on what he was. She had no doubts that there were good vampires, just like there were
good immortals. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "It's just that sometimes it's so hard. And it's not
you. This one is all me. With Armand and those kids, I'm feeling very alone right now. Right or
wrong, I can't help that."
"We'll deal with him," He replied in a calmer tone. "But you can't take the world on yourself.
People who do that are lonely for a reason. They put up walls that keep people out. Whether or
not they think it's necessary, it does keep people at arms length."
"I don't want them. The walls I mean. It's just that most can't deal with what I deal with. I
finish with Armand and someone else will pop up. Sadly, there's always evil and not enough good
people to fight it. It's nice to have an ally though. Thank you for going out on the limb." She
hoped it wasn't too much, but she felt the need to at least let him know she was grateful.
He nodded again. "You're welcome. And you're right. There's always more. But you've got to
learn when to let someone else take the lead. Not to shoulder it all on yourself."
"I'm willing to try," she said, smiling for the first time since she sat in the car. Armand was
hers though. He would challenge her; she knew that.
"Trying's good," Gunn noted from the backseat. "Y'know, you're all right G."
She chuckled lightly. "You're not so bad yourself, G." Oh yes, once they got through this
'getting to know one another' phase, she could really feel comfortable with these people.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
When they returned to the hotel, Angel immediately pulled Wesley aside and explained to him what
Grace had told him. Surprised, and very intrigued, by the information, the Watcher hurried into
Angel's office to work on digging up as much as he could on these Immortals. Surely, if these
creatures truly did exist - and Angel seemed quite certain that they did - then surely the
Watcher Council had encountered one or two along the line. Perhaps, some were even Slayers.
When they came into the office, Grace watched as Angel called Wesley in for a private conversation.
She knew what it was about and tried not to act like it bothered her. He was being cautious. That's
what she told herself. She moved over to a corner and removed her coat. Quietly, she sat in the
chair and waited... for what she didn't know.
"You look like a woman in dire need of a cup of coffee," Cordy noted, crossing the room to the
blonde, a cup in each hand. "They OD you on testosterone?" She offered a friendly smile. "I know
every time I go out with those guys...ugh...they can go overboard."
Grace smiled and took the offered cup. Sipping it, she said, "They are rather intense, aren't
they?"
"You have no idea!" The young woman shook her head. "Throw in a few friends of Gunn's and you
get a *serious* case of testosterone poisoning. Nevermind when they go... hunting something."
Grace nodded and tried not to show her despair, although she knew she failed miserably. "I can
get a bit freaky myself when it comes to hunting. This outing wasn't such a good one." What she
wanted to do was cry. She hadn't in years, but that's what she wanted.
Cordy nodded sympathetically. "Yeah I know." She rubbed the other woman's shoulder. "He likes
you y'know. Angel, I mean."
The Immortal looked down at her cup. "I don't think he trusts me. Right now he's in there asking
Wesley questions about me. Questions I could answer but he doesn't want to hear them from me."
Looking into Cordy's eyes, she continued, "I've screwed things up with people before, but never
this badly."
"Pfft..." Cordelia waved a hand. "Trusting you or not's got nothing to do with it, though his
last - well I'll be first love - significant other...well you *kinda* remind me of her and it
ended pretty strained between them. It's complicated to explain but it was doomed from day one
really. Anyway, he's probably a bit...distanced cause..." Cordy smiled. "Well y'know. Plus, he
just likes asking Wesley stuff. It's a guy thing."
Grace looked at her, trying to soak everything in. She reminded Cordy of the last... but
first... woman he loved, and it had ended badly or at least strained. She wasn't sure how to
react to that. "Would I be too forward if I told you I found him... um, interesting as well?"
Cordy smiled slightly. "No, it wouldn't be." She leaned forward. "Just be patient with him okay?
He's usually Mr. Hero-Broody-Type...takes a while to get him to open up."
She sighed. "And since I'm Miss Gotta Save The World type, it's no wonder we're clashing." She'd
find a way though.
"Oh yeah...but you know what they say." The brunette grinned. "Where there's sparks..."
Grace smiled and gave her a wink. "That one I first heard about a century ago. It was said in
reference to a belly dancer that men would have killed for." She took another sip of her coffee.
"Thank you, Cordelia."
She smiled again. "You're welcome." Leaning forward she grinned. "Tell ya the truth, it'd be
good to have another girl about the place. This being outnumbered bit is *definitely* not all
it's cracked up to be."
Grace looked at Gunn, who was studiously NOT looking their way and chuckled lightly, "I agree.
This is the best I've felt in a while." It was.
She smiled back. "Glad to hear it." Patting her hand, Cordy rose. "I'd better go see what they're
doing in there..."
"Good luck," she said, as she stood to refill her coffee cup. It was nice to at least have a
friend... or at least a friendly companion in this group. It helped to relax her a bit.
TBC.
AUTHOR: M. Edison & Christina A.
FEEDBACK: Oh yes please! Be gentle though. ;-)
CATEGORY: Quasi-Crossover for Highlander
RATING: NC-17
SPOILERS: No
SUMMARY: Angel meets an Immortal and his world changes forever.
DISCLAIMER: None of the characters or concepts of Highlander or Angel belong to me. Grace belongs
to Christina A.
Destiny Over Vengeance
by M. Edison & Christina A.
-------------
She'd chased him all over the world. For the past sixty years, she had followed him. And for the
past sixty years, he had eluded her. He was turning out to be her longest hunt. But when his
Quickening coursed through her veins, the lost decades would be worth it. So here she was...
Grace Hammond, running the streets of LA, looking for a killer.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
And she wasn't the only one - Angel was hunting a killer too. A master vampire. He'd been
turning kids all over the city. Gunn's group was taking care of most of the newbies, who
weren't prepared for being hunted, but he couldn't find a *trace* of the Master. The guy was
phenomenal at hiding.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Grace had easily located a hotel room. Once everything was squared away, she carefully hid her
sword in her long coat. She also armed herself with her derringer and her long knife. Armand
always had followers. Inner city kids who had no one better to follow. Leaving her hotel, she
made her way down to the inner city and she started questioning the kids. They took to her
easily as she had that air that she wasn't to be messed with. When Grace was hunting, life was
rough.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Meanwhile, Angel was hunting his vampire when one of Gunn's kids ran into him and mentioned a
strange woman who'd been moving through the area. They'd been concerned that she might have been
a vampire...with the way she acted but yet there was something different. Deciding to check it
out, Angel headed for where they'd seen her last.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Grace had found a group of kids standing by a burning trash can. She moved to them and gave them
a smile as she warmed her hands. "I hear that if anyone wants to know anything, they should come
to you guys. I'm looking for someone. Think you could help?"
"You a pig?" the leader of the group asked.
"Hell no!" she responded with equal vigor. "The law moves too slowly in this case." She reached
into her pocket and pulled out a picture. The boys passed it around... of course none of them
recognized him. Grace slipped the picture back in her pocket and walked away. It was when one of
the boys took off that Grace pursued him. He'd lead her right to Armand, she was sure of it.
Angel nodded his thanks at the kid as he passed by. Lurking in the shadows, the vampire waited
until the blonde was close enough then grabbed her by the arm and spun her so she was pinned
against the wall. "Not nice to go chasing kids through dark alleys."
Grace didn't think, just reacted. She delivered a hard kick to his groin and in a swift move,
drew her sword. "It's not nice to pin women to a wall - especially not one hunting down a killer,
now is it?" Damn! She'd lost the kid. Damn! Damn!
Angel responded with a kick that sent her flying backward. "Hunting huh?" He winced slightly but
felt his injuries vanishing. "You're not exactly giving off the, 'I'm a good guy vibe'."
Shit, that hurt. Hand to hand combat with this one was not good! "And you are?" She didn't stand
as she drew her gun. She wasn't taking shit from this one. Two shots, to the chest area. No man
put his hands on her who she didn't want to.
Angel grunted and stumbled back. "At... least..." he gritted out. "They...trust...me." He hissed
slightly, trying to ascertain how bad a wound this was and would it have a chance to heal before
she got a way. Damn, why'd Gunn have to be off hunting? He could have used the help.
She was up and preparing to run when she paused. He said that they trusted him. Keeping her
distance, gun still drawn, she asked, "They trust you? You know that kid. He's in deep shit if
he's in league with who I think he is. Who I'm hunting. Ever hear of Armand Rudolfo?"
Not exactly in any condition to play 20 questions, Angel pulled one of his own knives and threw
it at her -- striking her in the shoulder -- before stumbling out of the alley. He had to get
out of there. Get back to the hotel.
Apparently *they*'d thought the same thing for moments after he reached the mouth of the alley,
Cordy pulled up in the car. Giving him a panicked look, she jumped out and helped him into the
car, sending worried glances back in the direction of the alley before racing around to the
driver's side again.
"Get us...home," Angel ordered, opening his shirt to ascertain how much damage there was and
how long it would take to heal.
Nodding, she put the car in drive and they raced away. Meeting with the mystery woman would have
to wait until Angel was a hundred percent again.
'Next time I get the damn gun first.'
Grace didn't have time to think that she'd lost not one, but two leads. Damn! Leaning against
the wall, she pulled the knife from her shoulder. She pocketed it and took off back down the alley.
"Fucking great, Hammond. Shoot one lead, scare off every other one in LA. Plus, Rudolfo knows you're
here now. Shit!" She'd kill herself if she could. She hadn't been this stupid in years. Ok, well days.
She rotated her now fully healed shoulder. Life was not good right now.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
She woke early the next day. During the night, she'd calmed a bit and had analyzed the situation.
Ok, she hadn't handled that well - she just hated for people to grab her... bad memories she
supposed. But, she had a good description of the man. Tall, dark, handsome. She laughed. Ok, she
had more than that, but she needed a good chuckle. Leaving her sword in the car, she entered the
police department and looked for someone who could help her.
Kate Lochley was arriving at work when she heard a blonde woman questioning the desk sergeant
about a man that sounded suspiciously like Angel. Suspicion flared. She and Angel might not be
the best of company but he had helped her and hearing someone looking into him always made her
nervous. "Can I help you?" she queried casually, moving a bit closer.
Grace, the complete picture of calm and warmth, smiled and extended her hand. "I'm Grace
Hammond... a registered bounty hunter. I followed a killer by the name of Armand Rudolfo here.
I had a great lead on him, but lost it. I was hoping someone could help me. I think this man
knows my lead."
"What makes you think that?" Kate asked, leading Ms. Hammond to her desk and sitting down. "Did
he make any statement of that fact?"
"He said the kids in the area trusted him. If that's so, then maybe this kid knows him. If the
boy is in with Armand, he's in trouble. This man is the only working lead I have. Please, if
you know anything?"
She frowned. "There is a man named Angel...he might be who you're talking about. He's got a
great rapport with the kids." She directed a warning look at the woman. "If you have any thing
but legitimate interests here...I'm warning you, the police aren't the only ones who'll be looking
for you. Angel's got a lot of friends and not all of them are walking the straight and narrow."
Grace nodded. She was the stranger here; she knew that. She gratefully took the information that
Lockley gave her. A sense of relief overcame her. She had curiosities about this man though. He
took two slugs and ran off, but he wasn't immortal. Who was he? She gave the police detective
her reassurances, as best she could, and made her way to the address she was given. She sat
outside the building for the longest time. Day slowly fading. She'd pulled a gun on the man and
shot him... twice. How did she approach him now? She NEEDED to find Armand before he killed again.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Wesley was the one who saw her first. He'd happened to be standing at a window, looking out at
the skyline when he spotted her in her car. Casually moving away from the window, the former
Watcher glanced over to see Angel coming down the stairs. "Ah, perfect timing, Angel. It would
appear your blonde assailant has found our not-quite so humble abode."
Moving to the window, but being sure to stay at a distance where he couldn't be seen, the vampire
surveyed the woman in question and nodded curtly. "Yeah that's her." Deciding to let her stew for
a while, he moved down to the offices. "Did you find anything on this Armand guy?"
"Tons." Cordelia smiled perkily at him and turned her laptop to face him. "But it's all filler.
No real detail. The guy's some mega-millionaire type. The usual kind too. Suspected links to
underworld crime but nobody can prove anything. Plus, nobody knows what he looks like. Some
kind of recluse type. Real homebody."
The vampire frowned. "So why's he got some Xena wannabe on his tail? Organized crime involved
millionaires tend not to get involved with this part of LA."
"Maybe he's slumming," Gunn noted from where he was leaning against the counter.
"Maybe..." Angel agreed, glancing toward the door. "Or maybe what she told me was a cover story
for something else."
"Think she might be the killer?"
"Mercenary maybe," the vampire returned. "Hired to kill him..."
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Grace sighed. "Get moving, Hammond." Every second she sat her drove Rudolfo closer and closer to
another killing spree. How she hated that man? Slowly, she got out of her car, leaving all her
ammo inside... except for her shiv in her sock. Her momma raised an idiot, not a fool. Gingerly,
she stepped inside. Time to face the piper... so long as she didn't lose her head, she'd be ok.
"Hello," she said softly.
Angel moved away from the counter, ready to take her down if necessary. "Come for a rematch?" he
asked bluntly. "Hope you don't mind I invited a few friends. Just to make sure you fight fair
this time."
She held up her hands. "I'm unarmed... except for the shiv at my ankle. You can take it if you
want. I would apologize for last night, if I thought it would help. I lost control. No, excuse,
I know that. But it's been known to happen on occasion." She took in the fact that he was completely
healed. Healed but not immortal. What was he?
"Loss of control?" Angel repeated with a wry smile. "That's an understatement. Losing control is
throwing more punches than necessary...not 2 shots at point blank range."
At his signal, Gunn moved forward. "All weapons handed over at the door," the young man said with
more than a little hostility. "House rules. You play nice. We play nice."
She nodded. It could have been worse. She could have been put out on her ass. Very slowly, she
leaned down and pulled out her shiv. She handed it, blade toward herself, to the man named Gunn.
And her eyes locked with Angel's as she was frisked. That was hard, but she handled it well.
A little free with that shoulder, Angel noted to himself as Gunn brought the weapon to him.
"What is it you want?"
"I'm a bounty hunter. Three years ago, Armand Rudolfo pulled the grisly equivalent of Jonestown
in a small town in Costa Rica. He literally sliced an entire group of boys... about the ages of
15 to 17... all to cover his drug trafficking. I've followed him here. When that young man
recognized his picture... Armand will start it again. It's what he does. LA is simply his next
stop." It was times like this when she wished she could tell them about the crimes ten years
ago... even twenty... or forty. But she couldn't.
The vampire nodded, looking to Cordy for verification. The young woman was already entering the
information into her laptop, looking for reports of any such incidents. Couldn't be too careful
after all. "And I play into this how?"
"Did you know that boy? You said he trusts you. I can't take away what happened last night. I'm
the stranger here. But Armand is evil... one of its purest forms. If that boy knows where he is,
he can lead me to him."
"They all trust him," Gunn noted coolly. "But we don't trust you. How do we know you're not the
evil one instead? Maybe a business associate..."
"Or hired by one," Angel added quietly.
"You can check my credentials with the police department. All bounty hunters have to be registered.
I try to keep a low profile so I don't know if I'm on your computer there but try it. Please. Do
whatever you need? But please, let's do it." She didn't want anyone else to die. How could she
get that through to them?
She seemed to be genuine enough...not completely trustworthy but Angel knew he could handle her in the long run. After all, she had no idea just what he was or what he was capable of. "I'll help...but if you're lying to me..." He left off the ending as they started toward the door. She didn't need a description to know what he meant.
Grace nodded. "If I'm lying, you can take my head yourself." She knew he wouldn't get the full
meaning of that comment. But it meant the world to her. He was giving her a chance... Armand
was one dead immortal.
Angel nodded. "If you do...I probably will." He informed her with a deadly serious look. Pausing
long enough to pull on his coat the vampire shrugged.
"Good," she said, glad to have it all out on the table. She ran her hand through her short
blonde hair as she followed him, not exactly sure where they were heading. Now what, she couldn't
help but wonder. She just couldn't shake the feeling that Armand knew she was here and by now was
planning to skip town. If she lost him again, it would be another decade before she found him.
The vampire turned away to look at Cordy. "You and Wesley keep running this down. Me, Gunn and...
her... we'll go see if we can't run this Rudolfo guy down."
Cordy nodded and bent over her computer. "We'll call your cell if we come up with anything."
Angel disappeared into his office momentarily to grab his coat, stock it with weaponry and
throw it on. "You got a name?" he asked bluntly, passing by her. "Or do I call you Blondie?"
She did a remarkably good job of reining in her temper. It was what had gotten her into this
position in the first place. "Grace Hammond." She followed them outside and stopped at her car.
Leaning in, she grabbed her tachi. "You mind if I carry this? No guns, but this is my lifeline."
He had every right to hate and be leery of her. But an immortal without a sword was a dead
immortal. She couldn't take the chance of going without it. She'd be better off with it and on
her own.
He whistled in approval at the sword, grateful -- to his surprise at finding common ground.
"Feel free..." He grinned wryly. "As long as I get to take a good look at it after we're done.
That's one hell of a blade, Grace Hammond." He offered a hand. "Just call me Angel..."
"Or Grouchy..." Gunn offered, knowing if Angel was warming up to her -- pardon the pun -- then
he would too.
She took his extended hand and gave him a smile. "I think I prefer Angel," she said softly. It
was the first glimmer of hope that she'd seen from him. Maybe they could at least end up as
friends. She could always hope. Tenderly, she put her tachi in its sheath and put it on before
dawning her long coat. "I'm ready now."
Angel nodded. "Gunn, you get the backseat." He opened the door of his car for Grace and waited
patiently for her to get inside. They might have gotten off on the wrong foot, to put it mildly,
but at least they'd gotten the 'trying to kill each other' bit out of the way up front. It always
complicated things later on.
She smiled at him. She didn't know for sure what had caused him to at least finally accept her,
but for whatever it was, she was grateful. She slid easily into the front seat, taking great
care to adjust her tachi. When he moved into the front seat beside her, she asked, "So, where
are we heading?"
"Downtown," He replied. "Gunn's usual hangouts. Talk to some of his people. They're usually the
ones who know what's what and whose where."
"People think it's the best place in the city to hide," Gunn noted from the backseat. "But it's
the opposite. We know every new face and why they're there."
She nodded. "Armand's past history has indicated that he'd try to lure in the younger teenage
males. I've seen them as young as 13 and as old as 18. But he never takes in adult males. He's
a manipulator... a sweet talker. You wouldn't happen to personally know the young man I was
following..." She paused and swallowed. She hated bringing it up, but felt she had to. "The
young man I was following last night. Armand could have easily erased him from the picture... if
he's seen Armand's face and Armand believed for even one second that the boy gave me any
information. He covers his tracks thoroughly." If he killed that boy, she would remove his head
slowly.
"Yeah we know him." Angel nodded. "But he can handle himself." He shared a meaningful look with
Gunn. "Tim's fast on his feet." 'And he's a half-demon' he added as an afterthought, not speaking
the words.
If anything, Armand was in more danger if he did corner Tim.
Grace nodded. Armand had been killing kids... people for centuries. She didn't know where their
confidence came from, but she prayed to whatever god created her that they were right.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Arriving in the right neighborhood, Angel parked the car in a place Gunn assured it would be
safe and the trio took to the streets. The vampire hung back slightly, letting his friend take
the lead.
Gunn led the way through the group until they spotted some of his friends.
Grace stayed between the two men, clearly letting it be known that she was with them. It was
strange to let a man take the lead, but this was Gunn's turf. What surprised her was that she
could actually feel Angel's presence behind her. It was strangely comforting... lending a
strength to the chaos that was becoming her emotions.
Angel looked around warily while Gunn spoke to the group. When he returned, he had a serious
expression on his face. "We've got trouble."
"Like?" The vampire prompted.
"Bodies. About 10. All about 17-18. Males." Gunn gestured over his shoulder. "Showed up at a
construction site about an hour ago, cops haven't heard yet."
Grace waited for no one, just took off for the area that Gunn had referred to. "No!" she shouted.
She didn't draw her sword and wouldn't until she felt an immortal signature, even though she knew
she wouldn't. There were tears in her eyes, as she could smell the bodies before she found them.
Too late... she was too late and he'd struck again. "Damn you!" she cried out. Just like Germany
and Costa Rica. "Damn you!"
Angel grabbed her arms. "They've been dead for a couple of days," he said firmly. "They were
dead before you got here. There's nothing you could have done."
Looking him squarely in his eyes, hers had grown cold as she said, "You're right. But I can
find him and kill him and make sure this never happens again. You have no idea how long I've
been after this man. No idea! We have to find him!!" She would have cried if she'd allowed herself
to feel pain, but what she needed right now was the hatred.
"We will find him...and as for the killing, not a chance." Angel frowned at her seriously. "We
stop him by normal means. Unless, there's something you'd like to share with the class."
Sighing, she lowered her head. "You wouldn't believe me, even if I told you." These men seemed
good at keeping secrets, but would they keep hers. But then, if they found Armand and she killed
him, what would the shock of witnessing a Quickening do? "It's not something that most people
would believe."
"You'd be surprised," Angel countered, sharing a wry grin with Gunn.
"Yeah, y'see things out here." Gunn grinned. "Things like you ain't never seen before."
She nodded. "Then we go back to your car. Gunn, you did get a line on where these kids come from,
right? We get in your car, we head toward Armand... And we swap stories. Don't think I didn't
notice that you are still walking. Most people don't heal in one night from two slugs in the
chest."
Angel gave his best blank look. "I heal fast...good with medication too."
Gunn snorted under his breath and led the way out of the site.
She smiled. "Pull the other one. You want my story, you should at least tell me part of yours."
The vampire grinned. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you."
She smiled back at him. It managed to reach her eyes as she teased, "You'd be surprised." Absently,
she touched his arm as she said, "But we should talk as we drive. Please?"
He nodded. "We'll talk." Before getting into the car he opened the door for her then moved around
the driver's side.
Once situated inside the car, she waited patiently for Gunn to give Angel directions. Calmly,
she took off her coat and removed her shirt, leaving her wearing only a tank top. Pointing to
her shoulder, she said, "This is where you knifed me last night." Showing it to Gunn, she said,
"No wound, no scar. I'm what's called an immortal and I've walked this planet for over 1000 years."
"Immortal huh..." Angel surveyed the skin with a speculative eye. "Remind me to ask Wesley about
those."
She looked at him. "Anything you need to know, you can ask me. I think I'm the resident expert
on immortals here. If you want me to prove it, stab me, shoot me, kill me... I'll revive. I'm
telling the truth here."
"I believe you." Angel nodded. "But there are times I want to hear it from Wesley...he's the
king of research."
She shrugged. Well, they'd taken one step forward earlier, but it looked like they'd just taken
another step backward. He didn't believe her. If he did, he wouldn't need a mortal researcher
to verify. Quietly, she put back on her shirt and then her coat. She stared out the window of
the car, remembering how many times she'd been in this position before. Sometimes, her
immortality was a curse, not a blessing.
Angel sighed. He recognized that look. He'd seen it enough in his lifetime. Hell, Buffy'd given
it to him a few times. It was infuriating. "I'm a vampire," he confessed bluntly. His
frustration making his tone more irritated than he'd intended.
Shaking back to herself, she looked over at him and repeated, "A vampire?" She didn't have a lot
of experience in the supernatural, but remembered stories her mother had told her as a child. The
thought of her mother calmed her greatly. "That would explain a lot... at least about why you aren't
still wounded. Seems we have at least that in common. That and longevity." She wasn't going to probe
or judge him on what he was. She had no doubts that there were good vampires, just like there were
good immortals. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "It's just that sometimes it's so hard. And it's not
you. This one is all me. With Armand and those kids, I'm feeling very alone right now. Right or
wrong, I can't help that."
"We'll deal with him," He replied in a calmer tone. "But you can't take the world on yourself.
People who do that are lonely for a reason. They put up walls that keep people out. Whether or
not they think it's necessary, it does keep people at arms length."
"I don't want them. The walls I mean. It's just that most can't deal with what I deal with. I
finish with Armand and someone else will pop up. Sadly, there's always evil and not enough good
people to fight it. It's nice to have an ally though. Thank you for going out on the limb." She
hoped it wasn't too much, but she felt the need to at least let him know she was grateful.
He nodded again. "You're welcome. And you're right. There's always more. But you've got to
learn when to let someone else take the lead. Not to shoulder it all on yourself."
"I'm willing to try," she said, smiling for the first time since she sat in the car. Armand was
hers though. He would challenge her; she knew that.
"Trying's good," Gunn noted from the backseat. "Y'know, you're all right G."
She chuckled lightly. "You're not so bad yourself, G." Oh yes, once they got through this
'getting to know one another' phase, she could really feel comfortable with these people.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
When they returned to the hotel, Angel immediately pulled Wesley aside and explained to him what
Grace had told him. Surprised, and very intrigued, by the information, the Watcher hurried into
Angel's office to work on digging up as much as he could on these Immortals. Surely, if these
creatures truly did exist - and Angel seemed quite certain that they did - then surely the
Watcher Council had encountered one or two along the line. Perhaps, some were even Slayers.
When they came into the office, Grace watched as Angel called Wesley in for a private conversation.
She knew what it was about and tried not to act like it bothered her. He was being cautious. That's
what she told herself. She moved over to a corner and removed her coat. Quietly, she sat in the
chair and waited... for what she didn't know.
"You look like a woman in dire need of a cup of coffee," Cordy noted, crossing the room to the
blonde, a cup in each hand. "They OD you on testosterone?" She offered a friendly smile. "I know
every time I go out with those guys...ugh...they can go overboard."
Grace smiled and took the offered cup. Sipping it, she said, "They are rather intense, aren't
they?"
"You have no idea!" The young woman shook her head. "Throw in a few friends of Gunn's and you
get a *serious* case of testosterone poisoning. Nevermind when they go... hunting something."
Grace nodded and tried not to show her despair, although she knew she failed miserably. "I can
get a bit freaky myself when it comes to hunting. This outing wasn't such a good one." What she
wanted to do was cry. She hadn't in years, but that's what she wanted.
Cordy nodded sympathetically. "Yeah I know." She rubbed the other woman's shoulder. "He likes
you y'know. Angel, I mean."
The Immortal looked down at her cup. "I don't think he trusts me. Right now he's in there asking
Wesley questions about me. Questions I could answer but he doesn't want to hear them from me."
Looking into Cordy's eyes, she continued, "I've screwed things up with people before, but never
this badly."
"Pfft..." Cordelia waved a hand. "Trusting you or not's got nothing to do with it, though his
last - well I'll be first love - significant other...well you *kinda* remind me of her and it
ended pretty strained between them. It's complicated to explain but it was doomed from day one
really. Anyway, he's probably a bit...distanced cause..." Cordy smiled. "Well y'know. Plus, he
just likes asking Wesley stuff. It's a guy thing."
Grace looked at her, trying to soak everything in. She reminded Cordy of the last... but
first... woman he loved, and it had ended badly or at least strained. She wasn't sure how to
react to that. "Would I be too forward if I told you I found him... um, interesting as well?"
Cordy smiled slightly. "No, it wouldn't be." She leaned forward. "Just be patient with him okay?
He's usually Mr. Hero-Broody-Type...takes a while to get him to open up."
She sighed. "And since I'm Miss Gotta Save The World type, it's no wonder we're clashing." She'd
find a way though.
"Oh yeah...but you know what they say." The brunette grinned. "Where there's sparks..."
Grace smiled and gave her a wink. "That one I first heard about a century ago. It was said in
reference to a belly dancer that men would have killed for." She took another sip of her coffee.
"Thank you, Cordelia."
She smiled again. "You're welcome." Leaning forward she grinned. "Tell ya the truth, it'd be
good to have another girl about the place. This being outnumbered bit is *definitely* not all
it's cracked up to be."
Grace looked at Gunn, who was studiously NOT looking their way and chuckled lightly, "I agree.
This is the best I've felt in a while." It was.
She smiled back. "Glad to hear it." Patting her hand, Cordy rose. "I'd better go see what they're
doing in there..."
"Good luck," she said, as she stood to refill her coffee cup. It was nice to at least have a
friend... or at least a friendly companion in this group. It helped to relax her a bit.
TBC.