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"So we are in agreement?" Harry Dresden asked.

"Of course. When will you be getting here?"

"I'll be there by tomorrow, if that works for you." The last bit worded as more of a question.

"That works for me fine. And your friend, she'll be here as well?"

"She did agree, though she is on a later flight. And I can't say what her reaction will be..."

"We'll get there when it comes. See you tomorrow." After he hung up the phone, Dresden let out a sigh of relief. Now, if only he could get Dave to agree…

…………………………………………………………………………….

"Harmony," Angel called through the little black rectangle on his desk.

"Yes Bossy…I mean Boss. What do you want?"

"Cancel all my appointments for tomorrow."

"Right away!" Came the chipper reply. "Anything else?"

"Uhh… Maybe some blood?"

"I'll be right there!" Was the all too happy reply.

"I really need to see if Fred can make me some migraine pills…" Angel mumbled to him self, silently cursing his chipper assistant.

………………………………………………………………………..

Next Day

"So Angel, when is this…" Wesley paused for a moment, " Harry Dresden going to show up?"

Angel, and all of his team were in his office, waiting. Waiting for Harry Dresden to show up. And they were all very bored. Lorne was fiddling with his phone, the one time that he wanted something to do, and no one felt like calling him. Fred was sitting in one of the chairs across from Angel's desk, reading a report that she had just been given. And what of Spike you ask? Well, he was currently sulking in a corner, thoroughly annoying Angel.

Angel sighed, he was bored of waiting. "I don't know. He did say that he was coming from Chicago."



"Do you think that we can trust them, Angel?"

"There's no reason not to," Angel explained. "We are both getting something important out of this, so there is no reason for either of them to double cross us."

Before Wesley could speak again the speaker on Angel's desk crackled to life once more.

"Boss, the wizard guy is here."

"Ok, show him in."

……………………………………………………………………..

"Show him in."

"Ok Mr. Dresden, Angel's office is the one right in front of you, go on in." Harmony smiled.

"Thank you…" Harry paused a moment, reading the plaque on the receptionists desk, "Harmony."

"No prob'!" Dresden walked away, thinking that that girl was way too happy.

When Dresden opened the door to Angel's office, he was met with the sight of Angel's entire team.

"Hello." The dark haired man behind the desk said. "I'm Angel, and this is my team: Fred, she runs our lab," Fred waved a bit uncertainly, "Lorne, who is in charge of the entertainment area," Lorne waved excitedly, "Gunn, who is our expert in multi-dimensional law. " "Hey." "And Wesley, who is our expert in research and the occult." "Hello."

"Hey, what about me, Peaches?" Spike asked, incredibly annoyed at his lack of recognition.

Angel sighed, "And this is Spike, the annoying ghost that haunts me."

"Hmph."

"Hello, I'm Harry Dresden." Harry introduced himself.

"Where is your friend that you said was coming?"

"Ah, yes, she is taking a later plane here, but should be here at the latest in about half of an hour.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Mr. Dresden, but we should get back to work." Fred said as she left, being followed by everyone other than Spike.

Angel looked expectantly at Spike. When he made no sign of leaving, he sighed again. "Spike, don't you have some where else to be?"

"Not a chance, Peaches." Spike smirked. "I want to see what magic man over here has to say."



Angel sighed again. He really, really had to have Fred make him some migraines pills that worked for vampires. "Fine, just don't…speak, ok?"

"Fine by me, Peaches." Spike agreed, still smirking.

"Alright, back to what we were…" Angel was interrupted by the door of his office being kicked in, almost to the point of having to be replaced.

"Dresden, I truly hope that you have a good reason for asking me to take a plane from Chicago to meet you at the LA branch of a multi-dimensional evil law firm. If you don't, I suggest that you start to run now, I might let you have a head start."

Dresden gave a shaky laugh, "Hello Davena, long time no see."

"Dresden." The girl introduced as Davena said warningly.

"Dave," Harry said beseechingly, "There is a very good reason that I asked you here, so just sit down and hear us out, ok?"

Davena sighed. "Seeing as I'm already here, I see no reason not to at least not hear you out. You're lucky Dresden. I wouldn't have bothered to come out here if I hadn't already planned to. But anyway, tell me what is going on." She turned away from Dresden and gave Spike and Angel their first full look at her. She had pale, almost white skin and her eyes were grey, with flecks of silver imbedded inside . She had shoulder length black hair, and was dressed all in black; black jeans, black shirt, black shoes and a black leather jacket.

Angel bristled at Davena's evil comment. "This branch isn't that evil, actually. I've made sure of that."

"Oh, so you're only one-eighth evil? That's so much better." Davena responded searingly.

"Dave, please, just hear out the plan, ok?" Dresden practically pleaded, it really sucked to be old fashioned at times.

"I already said that I would, didn't I?"

"That you did. So here's what is going on. You know about the …issues that I am having currently with the White Council," At this she nodded her head, "Well, in exchange for helping this group with some of the problems that this branch is having,"

"You mean demons, witches and other ugly little slimies as well." She interrupted.

"Yes, those. Now, as I was saying, in exchange in having help to deal with all of those little problems, they will let either of us have access to all of their files and books and what not, whenever there is a need for them. Seeing as I'm in a bit of a spot right now, I was hoping that you would agree to help them. So, will you agree?" Dresden asked, hopefully.



Davena sighed, "I really wish I could be of help, Dresden, I really do, but I can't. I'm having my own issues with the White Council right now."

Dresden looked at her. "They're trying to kill you again, I take it."

"Dresden, when are they not trying to kill me?"

He looked at her accusingly. "Who did you kill this time?" By now, Davena and Dresden were completely ignoring Angel and Spike, who were trying to follow these latest developments ads best as they could.

"Why is it every time I'm in trouble you automatically assume that I killed some one? It's just not fair."

"Dave, every time you are in trouble with the council, it's because you did kill someone. So I see no reason to change my opinion now." Dresden explained, "So, are you going to tell me what happened or not?"

Davena looked slightly guilty. "Well, it's not like he'll be missed…"

Angel butted into the conversation at this point, "Who are you to judge who has worth living?"

In the corner, Spike sighed. "Oh no, not your 'Holier -Than- Thou' shit again. Give it a rest, would you?"

"Simple Angel... I'm assuming that that is your name, seeing as every one calls you that. I have three reasons why no one will miss this fellow. Number one: he ate babies. Number two: he turned their souls into little cannibalistic … ghosties! And three: He cursed me with said ghosties. I really don't think anyone will care about his death all that much. Plus, I was hurt, I needed to feed." Davena tore apart any and all arguments that Angel might have had.

"Give it up, Poof, she's got you beat, no matter how you look at it."

Davena ignored Spike's comment. "So that is why I can't help you, sorry." She started to walk out the door.

"What are you going to do then?"

She paused, "I'm going to go to the apartment that I just rented and protect it in any and all ways that I can get my hands on." She saw the look that Dresden gave her. "I told you that I wouldn't have bothered to come if I wasn't going to already. This is practically as far away as I can get from the White Council."

"So, you are unable to think of any way to save your self from the council?" Dresden asked.

"Yup. No way, short of my actually going home, but that would cause other problems, and I really don't need more of those."

"Home? Where is your home?" Dresden asked, curious. He had no idea where she was from, though judging by her accent, which he had never heard her use before either, it was some where British.



"Well, I was actually born in Canada, but I've lived most of my existence in England. I consider it more my home than anywhere else."

"Ah, I see. And the White council, nor the White Court know that that was where you were, so you hide that fact, and your accent so that no one can figure that out." Dresden filled in.

"Yes, that's it exactly." Davena confirmed his inferences.

"So why are you speaking with your accent now, if you want to keep that little secret a, well, secret?" Dresden asked, slightly confused.

"Well, seeing as this time I have no way to hide from the council, and the fact that I actually killed the guy, and I have no way to prove that he was indeed evil, I thought 'Why not?' it's not like I'll be alive for much longer. I'd say until about the end of the week."

Dresden looked at her like she was crazy. "That's insane!"

She laughed. "You might call it insane Dresden, but I call it going out in style. So, as I was saying before we got off on this nice little tangent, I'm going to go to the nice little apartment that I am renting, protect it and myself as best that I can, and see how long it takes for whoever they send after me to find me….with my luck, they'll ask Morgan to do it. That'll make him happy, I'm thinking." Dresden winced when she said Morgan's name.

"I thought he only had it out for me." Dresden mused.

"No. He hates me too. Actually, I think the best present anyone could ever give him would be both of our heads on pikes."

Dresden sighed in agreement, "You're right, that would be the best present anyone could ever give him."

Davena began to walk out of Angel's office again. "So I'll see you, or no actually, I won't."

"Wait." Angel said, making Davena pause, again. "Would you agree to help us if we could offer you protection?"

Davena thought about it for a second, "I would, actually. But, you can't. Nothing can stop them when they are trying to kill you. Believe me, I know."

"They've been after you before and you've survived. What's so different about this time?"

"As I just explained, this time Morgan's after me. He will not give up, no matter how long it takes, he will find me. And besides, the last few times that they have been after my head, I have been able to prove that I did what was necessary. I can't do that this time."

"But you did say that he was evil, the guy that you ate, you did." Spike interjected, making Angel look at him oddly. Why was Spike trying to help?



"Because I have no way to prove that. But thanks for the idea, Bleachy." Davena said smirking.

"Hey, what did you call me?"

"I called you Bleachy, surely you heard that."

"Why did you call me Bleachy?" Spike asked, miffed.

"Well I thought that it would be a bit obvious, but maybe you couldn't grasp that fact."

"Ok, both of you stop, before you go at each others throats." Angel broke up their… disagreement.

"Well, what am I supposed to call you? I don't know your name." Davena pointed out.

"You know you could have just asked me Diva. It's Spike."

"Oh, ok Bleachy."

"Hey, I told you my name!"

"Yes, but I never said that I would call you that. And don't call me Diva ." Davena said, annoyed.

"Well, if you are going to call me Bleachy, I'm going to call you Diva."

"Hmph, whatever. I don't care."

"Really? 'Cause it seemed like you did just then Diva." Spike pointed out, his smirk growing.

"Yes, well that is because you caught me off guard, Bleachy."

"Ok then, now that we have gotten this out of the way, will you consider it?" Angel asked.

"…Yes, I'll help you for as long as I can, though I'm not really sure how long that will be." Davena agreed.

While that whole exchange was happening, Dresden's attention was being diverted by the figure standing in the door way.

"Uh, Davena?" He asked uncertainly.

"Hmm, what is it?"

"Uh, look…" He gestured towards the door to Angel's office.

Davena's eyes widened. "…Sam?!"

"Cookies?"