Prattfall Chapter 1, a buffy: the vampire slayer fanfic

"Prattfall..."

Disclaimer: Would Joss want his name associated with this? I think not...But anyway all BTVS characters remain the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...Though his brother Mort gets nothing...

Archived at the Normalverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com...

Summary: As you know I leave the "Pratt" to the Whedonverse, except for this one little bit...

In early 30's Hollywood Spike offers advice to a distant relative...

Part I...

Hollywood, California...early 1931...Land of incredibly abandoned wealth, lavish glamour, wild ambitions, and desperate poverty...

"Get away!..." the butler, a stout 50-ish type in formal suit, glared from behind the fence bars...Seltzer bottle raised, while the guard at his side raised crossbow...

"Ow!..." Drusilla howled, wringing hands, having tried once again to cross the fence barrier...Spike pulling her back...Blowing anxiously on her hands...Glaring at the butler safely behind the fence barrier...

Holy water seltzered in a lady's face?...Hardly sporting, mate...

Even if...Given Charlie Chaplin one could appreciate the humorous side of it...

Inwardly of course...He patted Dru's arm...

"Mr. Chaplin only receives guests by invitation..." the butler repeated, firmly... "Especially of the Undead persuasion..."

At least one hopes Mr. Chaplin has learnt his lesson regarding female members of the Undead...After those two before...

"Just wants his autograph..." Dru, plaintively... "We loves the Tramp, we does..."

"Write United Artists...Good evening..." the butler turned on heel...The guard backing away, crossbow targetted on the two "fans"...

"Comes all the way from England, we does!...Bastard!..." Dru howled...In raging demon face...

"All the way from England...Oh..." she sighed...Resuming human...

"Celebrities, love...What you gonna do?..." Spike patted her...

"Loves the Tramp...Dru does...Wouldn't have hurt him..." she noted as he led her away down the street from the Chaplin estate...

"Well...He probably sees it differently, girl..." Spike noted...

"Never see his films again...Nasty..." she muttered...

What?...He blinked...

Lord, one more pleasure in this damned miserable existence gone...

"I'm sure it wasn't personal, Dru...If Charlie had met you..." he tried...

"Kill his family, I will..."

"He'd probably be grateful to lose a few ex-wives..." he pointed out... "And you'd only be hurting yourself, Dru...No more Little Tramp?...You love the Tramp..."

"Nasty...Mean to poor ole Dru..." she frowned...

"Now, Dru...Perhaps if we tried a less direct approach...Got ourselves a proper invite playing human?..."

She eyed him narrowly...

Killing the Chaplin family having more of a satisfying ring to it...

"I'm sure if Charlie met you, you'd charm him, Dru...Playing the human girlie..." he smiled... "Acting?..." he grinned... "Showing Mr. C what Drusilla can do..."

She relented a bit...

"I did tell you it wasn't a good idea to just show here and ask to see him..." he noted... "I tole you I'd heard he'd had some experience with our kind..."

"He'd know then..." she noted, crossly... "What's the good?..."

"Oh, Dru..." wheedling tone... "You're a good actress...You could fool them...Bit of a challenge, right?..."

She frowned again...Challenge?...

"Lets get settled in and find a place and see what the ins-and-outs roundabouts are...I'd bet we could find a way in soon enough and then..."

"You think so?..."

"We came all this way, Dru...Just for the Tramp's autograph for your keepsakes' box...You can hold out a bit longer, eh?...Fools the Tramp be something, eh, Dru?..."

"Would be nice..." she admitted...Carefully...

"You think he don't knows...?"

"A busy man, Dru...These are just security people...Well-informed types, to be sure...But that's all to the good, eh?...Makes for a challenge, eh?...A little more than just a scrap of paper and ink?..."

Hmmn...

Well...She paused...

"Hows about we taxi home, gets ourselves a nice bit to eat, and settle in?...Tomorrow we see what's to be done?..."

Hmmn...She looked back up the road to the lights of the estate...

Ok...

"But we gets it from him...Personally...And signed... 'To Drusilla...'..."

"Of course..." he nodded...Waving at a passing cab which stopped... "Just a little patience, Dru..."

She frowned but had clearly relented...Oh-oh...Bright smile...He looked to see...

The cabbie a chipper young brunette chewing gum, waved them in...

"Don't worry, folks...The girl can drive just fine..." she smiled at them...They stepped in...He giving the address of their rented bungalow...

Dru eyeing Spike...Hmmn...?

"We could use a personal driver, love..." he suggested in whisper as they pulled out...At a speed which thrust him back into his seat...Ooof...

"Been seeing the sights?..." the girl asked... "Quite a palace that Chaplin place..."

"Indeed...And well fortified..." Drusilla frowned...

"They like their privacy, the movie stars...When I'm one, I'll probably be the same..." the girl grinned...

"Really?...You're an actress?..." Spike asked, pleasantly...Pulling himself upright...

"Frances Kay, remember the name, folks...You'll be glad to say you knew me when..." she grinned...

Hey, watch it, m-f-er!...Howl at passing truck...

"Sorry...Pardonnez-moi..." she apologized... "Yep, that's what they'll put on my tombstone, I hope...Actress..."

"You must know your way about the place, then..." Dru noted, sincerely curious... "The studio places, all that...?"

"Gotta know the details if you're gonna break in..." Frances nodded... "Course I'm not just some girl off the train...I've had professional training...And I've been on stage in NYC...Off Broadway but nearly so..."

"You may be just the person we were looking for..." Dru smiled...

"Ah..." Frances gave a wink to the mirror... "Someone else wants to be in the pics, huh?..."

"Wouldn't mind giving it a try..." Dru beamed...

Have to say...Spike eyed the happily chattering Frances, now chowing down a large blue-plate special at his expense in the all-night diner Dru'd insisted on treating her new "friend" to...

No one has that light touch with thrall that my Dru has...Anyone watching the kid would think she was perfectly normal...

Though this girl's spirit is clearly a hard one to repress...

"Dru...Ma'am..." Frances corrected as she continued her lecture on breaking into Hollywood... "The first thing is to get some good mug shots...Some that really catch the eye..."

",,,And the libedo, if you'll pardon my French..." wry smile...

Dru nodded... "I see...Spike?..." she eyed him...

"We'll take care of it first thing tomorrow..."

"I know a first-rate guy..." Frances nodded eagerly... "He'll set you right up..." she eyed Dru carefully... "You've got that English look...Quality, you know...I think they'll go for you in the right clothes and make-up..."

"Really?..." Dru beamed... "You're very kind, Frances...And please, it's Dru..."

"Dru, it is..." nod... "And sir...?" she eyed Spike...

"Will...In company...Spike, between us three..." he smiled... "But we should let you get home Frances...You'll have a few things to wind up tomorrow if you're to move in with us..."

"I don't know..." Dru shook head...He looked at her...

Well, if you want, girl...I saw a good place to dump the body a few blocks back...

"I think...Since we want to learn all we can about the acting business here..." she paused...

Hmmn?...Spike looked at her...Frances chugging at some more coffee, but awaiting her new mistress' pleasure...

"...If we could move into your place or somewhere's near...You say a lot of your friends there are trying to enter the business...?"

"It's a nice crowd...Mostly...A few weirdos and whores...Uh..." Frances hesitated at Dru's shocked look... "Sorry, Dru...Shoulda minded my ps-and-qs a little...Hope you know I learnt better growing up...Just this town...You know...A little rough around the edges..."

"That's quite all right, Frances..." Dru patted her arm... "I suppose I've got to be prepared for such things if I want to make my way in the business..."

Spike blinking...

Make her way?...

I thought we'd come for an autograph...A prized one, to be sure...But...

"My place is small...Just me and Gina...Regina MacKenzie?...She's been in a few shorts, you've seen her?...Well, maybe you'll recognize her when you meet her, my Gina...Anyway, there was a little place on the upper floor of the house available..."

"Wonderful..." Dru beamed... "Lets go see the landlord...I'm sure we can make arrangements tonight..."

"Just a manager...Phil Greeves...I'll introduce you..." Frances nodded...

"After you finish, of course..." Dru noted politely...

After all, the poor girl hasn't had a proper meal in weeks from the looks of her...And the thinness of her blood...

The minor problem of living arrangements was quickly settled, Greeves being so eager to rent the empty room even thrall not being required just yet...Though sadly...It being necessary for Spike to have a room of his own to avoid unwanted gossip...The career of promising actress Regina MacKenzie had come to an abrupt end...Spike, as a true gentleman...Dru proudly noting to the wanly downcast Frances...Politely offering to dispose of the corpse alone...It being clear, though unnecessary to mention among them, that Frances and Gina had had a rather close relationship...

"Prattfall..."

Archived at the Normalverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com...

Summary: As you know I leave the "Pratt" to the Whedonverse, except for this one little bit...

In early 30's Hollywood Spike offers advice to a distant relative...

Part II...

Amusing as playing human might be...Spike sighed...Looking at the clock on the dresser near his rather uncomfortable bed...Made barely tolerable with a little earth from the graveyard in which he'd dropped off poor Regina the night before...

The readjusting one's time schedule to fit approximate human hours was rather a chore...

Still...Dru seemed quite eager to take up this new game...And who knew...Could be rather fun to meet and massacre America's brightest stars...

Within limits of course...

Chaplin for one...Garbo...No question their careers must continue unbroken...Whereas a number of others, particularly a few who seemed to be failing the transition to the new sound medium...Take the sad case of the great Douglas Fairbanks for example...Could only benefit from a quick and tidy exit...

And at least in the case of the Little Tramp, Dru's continued good spirits might be essential...

He rose and dressed in casual suit, suspenders, garters on socks, finally hat...Pausing to spit-polish his shoes...And moved to the window, carefully pulling back the shade...

Ah...California failing again to live up to its sunshine state rep...Cloudy with light rain...

Excellent...A fine omen for the first day of Dru's new hobby...

He speculated a mo...Well...Why not?...He had, after all, mentioned many times that he could write better scripts than most of the crap reaching the screen...Though there was no denying Chaplin's and a few others' genius for utilizing the visual arts...And a few of the new sound films seemed to show developing promise...Yes, there might well be a chance for a new voice in film writng...And it would be an excellent excuse for not frequenting the light of day...The busy, monomanic writer, grimly focused on his work all day, partying and drinking all night...

Perfect occupation for a vampire...And he could quote a few examples...

Yes, this could be fun...He opened the door to the small landing at the top of the stairs and peered out...No dangerous leakage of light...A few sounds of bustle, though not all that much...

Late-risers, these film people...

I guess the tales are true...He thought...

Hmmn...I wonder...He reached out his senses carefully...

Dru still in the place, subdued...Sleeping...But nothing...Ah...He peered over the railing of the landing...

First floor, I'd say...Hard to pin down...Not necessarily a vamp but definitely demonic...And right now, rather dormant...

Surprising, actually...Given how suitable this lifestyle is for our kind, I'd've expected the place would be full of us...

But we should meet our compatriot as soon as possible and learn their game...Don't want to find some fellow with some crazed agenda for world conquest or global mass murder is hanging out in our boarding house...

Sure to mess up Dru's new career...And mine...

He moved down the stairs...

Try and catch the fellow or lass while they're still in whatever state of dormancy they choose to call sleep...?

Or wait and catch them in action?...

Well, no rush...And so long as the weather permits, might be nice to take a stroll, get the lay of the land, and pick up a few groceries...As well as find the location of the nearest speakeasy, our liquor supply being somewhat limited...

He headed down...

Movement on the second floor raised a hackle or two...

But mere human...A door suddenly opened and he paused...

No need to butcher the neighbors just yet, Regina having provided for him and topped Dru off quite nicely...Not to mention their having a fine cow at hand in the obliging Frances...

He eyed the cadaverous figure standing in the doorframe...

Hmmn...He blinked...

Did I get it wrong...?

Nope...Human as they come...Poor fellow...He eyed the face...Ah, look at those soulful eyes...

Just brimming with a mixture of decency and torment...A soul, no doubt...However lost...

"Good morning..." the figure waved politely...English accent, London in fact...He returned the wave...

Nice to find a fellow Brit in such a place...

"Hello..." Spike continued down...Stopping a few feet away... "Looks like we have the place to ourselves..." he noted...

"The kids sleep till noon excepting the ones who must work by day..." the man smiled... "New to the place?..."

"Just moved in...My girl and I...She's got a place with a friend...Walthrop's the name..." Spike put out a hand...

"Pratt..." The cadaverous gent smiled...A surprisingly warm and kind smile...

Spike allowed for human strength...Not bad...And calloused...The fellow's a worker...Though clearly of some culture, given that accent...

"Billy Pratt..."

"William as well..." Spike eyed his companion... "Pratt, eh?...From London...?"

"Guilty as charged, sir...Though I'd hoped my time in Canada had made me a bit more of a mystery...And you?..."

"By way of Brusset...London for a good bit..."

"And new in town as well?..." Pratt smiled...

"That obvious...?"

"The clothes...I recognize the tailor...And they're too new to have been worn long..."

"Likewise guilty..." Spike smiled...

"And here to seek your fame in the flickers...?" Pratt, politely...

"My girl's caught the acting bug a little...I'm in the writing line...But just seeing how it goes..."

"Really?...The writing line...?" Pratt nodded thoughtfully..."Anything I might have come across?..."

"Nothing yet but a little poetry, I'm afraid...Just starting out...Thought it might be the right time..."

"Indeed...They could use some decent writers in this town..." Pratt agreed... "Well, I've got to be off...A little day work to keep the body and soul together...Hope to see more of you, Will...I've not have a chance to speak to a Londoner for a bit..."

"Likewise..." Spike nodded... "Might I walk out with you?...I'm looking for a place nearby to pick up some smokes and such..."

"Delighted..." Pratt nodded...Hmmn...He winced at banging his forehead slightly on the low doorframe...

"Bit of a curse those extra inches...But, good for the comic bone..." he smiled...

A door on the floor below opened...A radiant-looking, slender, young woman, fair-haired, smiling up at them...

"Billy Pratt..." she grinned... "Off to do your duty?..."

"As one must my dear..." Pratt bowed... "Miss Sullivan...Mr. Walthrop..."

"Charmed..." beaming smile...

Spike bowed...

"Miss Sullivan is sure to be one of the greatest film actresses..."

"...Never discovered..." Miss Sullivan finished, smiling...

"Maggie..." Pratt waged finger... "Well, come along, Will...Mustn't keep the ditches waiting for me..." He continued down, passing Margaret as she patted his arm briefly with a look of concern...

"Don't overdo, Billy..." she called, lightly but with a note of worry... "Remember your back..."

Spike giving her a quick, hard stare as he passed...She returning it coolly...The slightest of nods...

Trouble there, he thought...

Whatever she really is...

"Prattfall..."

Archived at the Normalverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com...

Summary: As you know I leave the "Pratt" to the Whedonverse, except for this one little bit...

In early 30's Hollywood Spike offers advice to a distant relative...

Part III...

Pratt pointed out the nearest cigar store to Will...Noting with wry smile that it also served other items at the right time of day...If one asked for "Mike"...Spike nodding with smile...Thanks...

"Well, lad, take care if you've brought anything in your baggage...There's plenty who'll hit you up...Good kids, most, but times are hard, you know..."

"We've little but we'll take care...Thanks again...And remember what your lady friend said..."

Pratt chuckling... "Ah, if only...Fine girl, though...Will..." he paused... "You might try Universal...And mention my name...I've done some work for them, just bit stuff but they seem to have an open mind for new things...Jimmy Whale is a good fellow there, has me under consideration for something...Ask for him and tell him I said you were a fine young writer..."

"I appreciate it, Bill...Thanks..."

"Yes...Just...Make it clear you have a girl...Jimmy's a good fellow but rather of the persuasion..." Pratt eyed him... "He might make assumptions..."

"Right..." Spike nodded...

Hmmn...Pratt...Of London...?

I wonder...

He watched Pratt heading off to a pausing bus...

Does look a bit like Auntie Sal in the face...

He returned with the groceries and smokes...And a promise of a meeting with "Mike" in the evening to find Dru up and eagerly taking some basic lessons in film acting from Frances...

"Got a few things..." he announced...

"And met some of our fellow residents..." he eyed Dru...Who returned the look as Frances waited patiently...

"Demonic but not one of us..." he noted... "She or it is living on the first floor...Calls herself Maggie Sullivan..."

"Do you know her, Frances?..." Dru asked...

"Maggie?...Sure...She's tops..." Frances beamed... "A kid who's sure to go places but a real sweetheart...She's got most of the guys eatin' out of her hand but she keeps it classy...I think she's got a real thing for Billy Pratt on the second floor...Though frankly..."

"I understand..." Spike nodded... "Fine fellow though...Despite looking like we ought to..."

Dru frowned... Rank prejudice...

"From London, the fellow...You know, my mother's family is Pratt of London...I wonder if he could be a relation..."

"A relative?...Here?..." Dru stared... "Will we have him join us?..."

"If you mean join the family as opposed to a dinner invite...Not right now..." Spike put up a hand... "We're just settling in and I'd rather not get things too shaken, what with the thing at Mr. Chaplin's and Miss MacKenzie last night, not to mention our incidents along the way here..."

I mean if you want to continue your acting career...he smiled...

"Frances says I've the gift..." Dru eagerly began... "We're going to meet the photographer in two hours...Is it all right, outside, still?..."

"Should be fine...Looks like more rain all day..." he nodded...

"Now as to this 'Margaret'..." he eyed Dru...

"William...I've got to practice my poses..." she frowned...Posing with hair piled... "Surely you can kill her if you think the situation requires it..."

"Thought I'd speak with her first..."

"Whatever..." Dru waved a hand... "Is this soulful enough?..." she asked Frances...

Margaret apparently out...After several tries at knocking, Spike weighed the possible gains of breaking and entering versus the consequences...

Well...Short of finding a demonic portal to another dimension...A temple of demonic sacrifice...Or a file folder listing whatever the lady...Or whatever it was...Was up to here...Probably not worth the implicit declaration of war...At least not just yet...

He opted for a stroll outside, weather still permitting...To the studio friend Pratt had recommended, Universal...

Rather a famed place just this year...Might be a bit fun to see the place...He caught a cab and was taken over...

Hmmn...

The name William Pratt did not seem to carry much weight with the gatekeeper...

However "James Whale" did catch a bit of attention...

Appointment?...Spike weighed the possibilities again...

A wasted trip on perhaps the only day possible for awhile versus the risk of detection...?

He eyed the guard...

Hardly sporting, really...

"Yes, indeed...Though I am a bit early..." he nodded...

He had the cabbie drop him near but not quite at the office he'd been directed to and got out...Choosing to stroll a bit...

Quite a place...He glanced round at the scurrying figures...Trucks racing...Heavy equipment being moved about...A group hastily assembling what appeared to be a frame for the front of several Western-style stores...Painters feverishly applying paint to what appeared to be building sections being carted off to various locations...Large groups of men, women, and several varieties of human-appearing but definitely non-human creatures in costume being ordered about by men and a few women screaming into megaphones...

Hmmn...Interesting...

A frowning guard heading his way...He put on a friendly smile, pulling at his hat to dodge a few stray rays...

"Looking for Mr. Whale's office, friend...?" he asked, politely... The guard pointed...

He nodded and sauntered over, pausing to watch a group of young women in tight dance outfits march by...A couple waving...He waved back politely...

Your lucky day, ladies...I've a steady blood supply at home...

However, don't press it too far...

He'd reached the office...A rather temporary-looking structure...He paused but caught the guard who'd directed him looking his way...

Oh, well...Never hurts to do the brazen young cock thing...And Pratt had told him to call on Whale...He knocked and stepped in...

Mr. Whale?...Not in right now...The secretary shook her head...A young, stubby kid of twenty or so, sitting in the office smiled...Rising...

"So I've company...Carl Laemmle..."

Even the Undead, after "Dracula"'s success, having heard of the said Mr. Laemmle, wunderkind of Universal, Spike immediately shook the proffered hand...

"Meeting Jimmy, eh?...Well, if he can keep me waiting, you can expect a long wait, kid...What's your line?..."

Spike explained politely that he'd been referred regarding a possible writing opportunity...

"So you're a writer, huh?...You familiar with this horror stuff?..."

"Well..." Spike looked at Laemmle...

"You've seen 'Dracula' right?...Vampires, all that?...Broke all records this year so far...Saved this studio..." Laemmle, vigorously puffing on cigar...

Unlit...Spike noted to himself...He glanced at the slew of photos on Whale's wall...One an elderly grim gent of considerable resemblance to the kid, puffing away...Ah...Living up to Dad, I see...

"Oh, yes...Nice bit that...Scared my girl practically out of her wits..."

Not that that's all that hard, he thought...Remember a terrified Dru begging him to check that that fellow in the cape wasn't looking for her...

Strange that...Considering we've met the real one's grandnephew...That preening fop, Vladimir...A number of times...And everyone knows old Vlad's gone and got himself redeemed or something years ago...

Some folks just have no consideration for the clan and family...Though a few do say Vladimir had something to do with his vanishing from the scene...

And even fewer still maintain he's seeking his lost wife...Which might explain poor Dru's willies...Along with rather admittedly fine acting by that Hungarian fellow...What's his name?...Lugosi?...

"We're looking for more of the same, boy..." narrow stare... "So you're English, eh?...You a nancy?..."

Audible sigh from the secretary...

"Not the last time I checked with my girl...Sir..." Spike frowned...

Shrewd nod from Laemmle..."Just checking...Always good to know where one stands...Nothing against nancys, you know...Some fine artsy types there...Jimmy Whale for instance...He's got a project that could make this studio the biggest thing since sliced bread..." Laemmle frowned... "If he can pull it off...So you know this horror stuff?...You've read the books...'Dracula', 'Frankenstein', the HG Wells stuff?..."

"I've read them...Most are a bit thin, if you don't mind the critique..."

"Thin, eh?...Well, in the movies, thin is good...The people like thin...They don't want two hours of just gabbing on a stage...They want action, thrills, blood...Within proper limits of course...Can you do blood, kid?..."

"I suppose so, sir..." Spike nodded... "If it's absolutely required..."

"That's what packs em in, kid...And girls of course...Pretty girls facing the monsters...Nothing like the way they swooned when Lugosi bites the girl...You saw that...?"

"He was impressive, sir..."

"Right...That's what we want...Blood, action, pretty girls in danger...Monsters who get theirs at the end...Gotta have that moral uplift ending of course..."

"Family values, sir?..."

"That's right...Family values...And blood...Action..."

"...And pretty girls in danger...I think I could do that, sir..."

"Great...All right, then, we'll see if Whale can use you...Come back this afternoon...He's having a preliminary meeting with me and the rest of the staff then and he has to be back for that if he wants this project to move on...We'll see what he thinks..." quick hand proffering, hearty shake...

"Thank you, sir..." Spike nodded... "I'll put everything I know into those thrills and chills..."

"I'm sure you will, kid...I've a feeling about you being just the man for this job..." Laemmle nodded...Pointing a vigorous finger...

"Course..." he chuckled as Spike gave what he deemed was a sufficient grateful smile... "Since it was a woman who wrote the thing..."

"Prattfall..."

Archived at the Normalverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com...

Summary: As you know I leave the "Pratt" to the Whedonverse, except for this one little bit...

In early 30's Hollywood Spike offers advice to a distant relative...

Part IV...

Spike had returned to find a bubbling Dru with Frances in tow bearing a large portfolio of photographs...Which she insisted on spreading before him on the floor...Urging him to pick the best...

Hmmn...

Well...This one...He regarded a picture of Dru in saintly pose...Eyes upturned...

Perhaps a bit much...Tempting the heavens and all that...

Picture of Dru with hair piled...Rather shimmering gown...Shadows in background setting off her cheeks...

"We liked that one too..." Dru noted eagerly...Frances with enthusiasm though slightly subdued...

But...Her face falling just a bit... "You didn't like the first one?..."

Well...He began...

Hmmn...He eyed her darkening face...

Perhaps best to move on...

"It's fine...I just thought if you were limiting the pics..." he pointed to another...Dru in another gown, hair down...Looking winsome... "That's a fine one..."

Hmmn...She frowned...

"And this one..." he pointed...My...He eyed it...

Dru looking almost healthy...This photographer bloke is a genius...

"That's good..." she nodded, stiffly...

"Perhaps I'm not the best judge..." he noted...

"I should say so..." Dru replied, archly... "If this first one doesn't appeal to you..." she sniffed...

"Well...I'll leave to you...I should get ready for my meeting this afternoon with Mr. Whale and Mr. Laemmle..."

Dru blinked...Frances stared...

Carl Laemmle...?

The Carl Laemmle...?

"'Dracula''s Carl Laemmle?..." Dru asked...

"The one and only..." Spike grinned... "And James Whale..."

"Who?..." Dru asked...

"Very promising director fellow...Friend of my possible relative, Bill Pratt..."

"He's very close to Mr. Laemmle..." Frances nodded... "They say he's been given practically carte blanche with his new project...They brought him in from Broadway..."

"And he wants to see yours truly..." Spike beamed... "So I'd best get to work actually writing something..."

"They wants to see your poetry?..." Dru stared...

"Want..." Frances corrected... "They'll tell you if they want the 'wants' for any role..."

"Right, want...Thank you Fran..." Dru nodded...Spike staring...

My...She really has been bitten by this movie acting thing...

"No, not poetry...They want me to right horror...Like 'Dracula' only more so..."

"You?..." Dru stared...

He looked at her startled face...

"I do know something about instilling fear, Dru..."

I am part of the team who once made men fear the night, you know, lass...he thought, a tad miffed...

"I'm sure, William..." Frances, reassuringly...

Dru waved it off...Hollywood...All sorts of strange things can happen here...

Anyway, rehearsal to prep for...Casting call for some small parts at ten tomorrow, she explained to Spike... "Fran and I have to rehearse a few bits...I hope you don't mind if we have dinner while we work..."

"It may not be speaking but we want to be ready..." Frances nodded...

"Indeed..." he eyed the two... "Well...Go to it ladies...Perhaps we'll all have something to celebrate by tomorrow night and can do a night on the town then...'

Uh...Not too much from Frances...He whispered to Dru...

She's looking a bit peaked...

"Oh, no.." Dru shook her head... "Fran has me on a new diet...High protein and vitamins..."

He blinked... "Dru...?"

"High school track runner we picked up on the way back from my photography session...He's in the closet..." Dru nodded to the closet...

Oh...

"Would you mind taking care of him later on tonight?..."

"Not a problem, love..." he nodded...She beamed and briefly pecked him on the cheek...

"Good...Please go now...We'll be very busy...Frances!..."

Hmmn...He sighed at the closed door...

Well, only two hours till my appointment...Not likely to write any great scripts in that amount of time...

May as well deal with our other little problem...

He descended the stairs...And knocked carefully at Margaret's door...

Which this time was opened...She, lovely in blouse and skirt smiling at him... "Mr...?"

"Walthrop...Might I have a word?..." he said, pleasantly...

"I was about to go out for some lunch..."

"I'm famished myself..." he smiled... "Perhaps you'd let me do the honors...?"

"I don't like blood..." she frowned at him... "This is a human body and I eat like any human..."

"And I eat any human...But, standard chow is fine on occasion...Please..." he smiled... "I really think it's in all our interests if we talk..."

"This isn't too much sun for you...?" Margaret frowned...

"I can handle a few stray rays..." Spike noted...Pulling hat down a bit...He took another bite of his quite rare burger as they strolled along the little town square they'd chosen for their lunch./confrontation...

"Not bad...Pity no suds to wash it down..." he took a pull at his ginger ale..."But as you can see, I can accommodate myself to many things..."

"And your mate?..." she eyed him...

"Drusilla's anxious to make a go of it in acting...For the moment, she's a good girl...So long as you stay on her good side..." he smiled...

She took a swallow of her hot dog...

"That really is a human body you're using, isn't it?..." he stared...

"One hundred percent..." she nodded... "But I still have a few tricks if you're thinking of anything..."

"Not at all...But what are you and how did a nice demon like you end up in a frail human shell like this...However attractive it may be..."

"Consumptive kid...Or she was...Of sixteen...I took her a few weeks before she would have died...It was considered a miraculous recovery...Really made the parents happy...We're more or less a merged hybrid now..." she began... "I'm an unusual case, actually..." she eyed Spike...

"Twenty years ago, I was the chosen one..." she smiled...

He paused... "You mean...?"

"The Slayer...Oh, don't panic, kiddo..." she put up a hand... "I was probably the worst Slayer in history...Or herstory if you like... I got turned my first night out...But my Council was not about to lose a Slayer to the dark...They prevented my full transformation and sorta separated me out..."

He stared... "Slayers are demon-powered, you know..." she eyed him... "They planned to pull the Slayer demonic force out so the vampire would be your run-of-the-mill vamp...But..."

"Not so easy?..."

"Not so easy...I wound up a bizarre hybrid...Slayer demonic force in control of a human body with the vamp demon, poor thing, chased back to Hell...But the demonic force the Watchmen stole from the First way back when is not an entity...It's only chaotic force...And running a human body, even a zombie-ish human corpse...It's not too pretty..."

"So...?'

"So the only cure of sorts was to link me into another human body...Non-chosen to drive the Slayer force out...But...You can't quite scrape all the demonic force out of a Slayer...And the Council couldn't quite sanction stealing a human body, even a dying one...So they turned to some ole acquaintances on the other team for help...Given I was likely to be quite the loose cannon in my current form the other team's boys agreed and arranged my hybridization..."

"Inspiring cooperation..."

"Wasn't it?...The Wolf, Ram, and Hart can be quite pragmatic when it's a matter of business...And I believe the Council paid dear for me..."

"Leaving you part Slayer?...Part...?"

"I'm not a Slayer any more...Even in part...I don't hunt the Undead...I'm a hybrid with human form who just wants to be left alone...And enjoy the brief life I got...Lord only knowing how long I got..."

"I see...So I should simply trust you and leave it at that...Hoping you won't send your latest Slayer after us...Me and Dru, that is..."

"I've no love for the Watchers...They did what they did to save their own necks and sacrificed me...Both human mes to do it...After all, William...I'm that sixteen year old dying girl as well as that thirteen year old Slayer...Both fed to a demonic force that still feeds off them..."

"You seem happy enough, lass...Daylight capable...I sense some degree of enhanced strength and sensitivity...What's to complain of?...You turn to a toad or a hyena by night...?"

"I can't bear children..." she said... "I mean the demon within prevents any life from forming within me...And..." she sighed... "Human males are afraid of me..."

He stared...

"Have you considered just toning down the goddess-like radiance?..." he suggested...

"That's not it..." she frowned... "Human males are driven to fear by the demonic force still within...A side effect of scraping part of my Slayer force out...It would normally cause your kind to fear me..."

"Really...?"

"Don't give me that...You may have beaten a Slayer, William...Yeah, I know who William the Bloody is...But you still fear them when in range..."

"So men fear you...Ever consider the distaff side?..."

She glared at him...

"Ok...Rule that out...Say...What about my possible relation?...Billy?..."

She smiled... "He's a lamb...But..."

Oh...Spike nodded... "Yes...I did sense that a little...Still...He did seem to like you..."

"You think so?..." she eyed him...Rather eagerly...

"Perhaps he falls somewhere in the middle...?" he suggested... "Then too, that appearance of his...Perhaps it counters your effect...And he leans strongly your way..."

But...He eyed her...Looking at the clock tower in the square near them...Chiming one...

"We aren't here entirely to resolve your romantic problems...You realize my instinct is to resolve potential threats the quick and easy way...And Dru multiples that about one hundred times...Slayer or no, you are possibly in touch with the Council and spying on us..."

"I can still draw on some Slayer strength..." she noted... "Maybe not enough to fight you easily but enough to make it tough...If I were a Council spy, wouldn't the Slayer be here right now?..."

"They must keep tabs on you, regardless..." he replied... "Sooner or later you'll lead them to us..."

"So long as I'm safe...And there's nothing visibly wrong here...You're safe..." she eyed him... "Kill me or force me to contact them and you're in trouble..."

"A Slayer...Even an ex-Slayer?...Willing to cut such an evil deal?..." he said, quietly... "Fills me with horror, or it would my human soul..."

"I've got my life to lead...And you two seem to be restraining yourselves...So long as you keep it quiet, why should I stick my neck out?..."

"No deal, Margaret..." he shook his head... "I'm sorry but my every instinct says you'll go running to the Council...Even a mere human can't repress an urge to help others if she's not twisted in soul and I'm sensing you're not the evil type..."

"What about a truce?..." she suggested... "You have most of the cards...Drusilla, your own self...And you hold my Billy's life in your hands as well as mne..."

"You think I'd kill my own possible flesh and blood?..."

"Without hesitation..." she nodded...

"True enough, though I do like the fellow...And your side?...A weak Slayer, capable of limited defense...Possibly some magics ability?...And possibly in contact with the Slayer and her Council...?"

"Not too great but not insignificant..." she eyed him...

"And the truce terms...?"

"I do nothing so long as you refrain from kills and attacks on me and you do nothing so long as I refrain from attacks on you and contacting the Council..I'd prefer you go with animal blood but so long as no one is found dead from now on..."

"How could you possibly trust me?..." he smiled pleasantly...

"I have no choice...Unless I want to give my life up and try to get Billy to give his up and run with me...I doubt we'd get very far...Even if he would consider it..."

"However I do have a choice..." he noted...Eyeing her throat carefully...

"How about this?..." she smiled... "You don't want trouble now...So, try an attack tonight...If you succeed...Game won, problem solved...If you fail the truce is in effect..."

"A trap?..." he suggested...

"Consider it a challenge..." radiant beam...