Jenny parked a cautious distance from the fraternity house. Her objections to parking closer revolved more around the stereotypes associated with college boys than on the idea that she and Giles would be recognized in the odd location. Giles hadn't spoken a word on the short drive, seeming to be lost in thought. She broke the silence with a gentle tone.
"Rupert, perhaps I should handle the questioning. They'll probably be more receptive to me, and then you can just chime in when you feel it's appropriate. Is that okay?"
"Um, yes," he replied. "That would be fine."
The adults exited the car and walked toward their destination: a poorly up-kept two-story house with the fraternity's letters on it. The front yard was empty, save for the occasional beer can. Giles rang the doorbell and then paused. He and Jenny exchanged a glance on the porch. Both of them were trying not to acknowledge the faint smell of vomit in the air.
After a couple of minutes had passed with no answer, Giles rang again.
Stirrings could be heard from inside, but no clear footsteps making their way toward the front door. Eschewing politeness, Giles leaned on the doorbell, while Jenny forcefully knocked.
"Al-RIGHT," a voice on the other side rang out. The door opened, and a sleepy six-foot Asian man stared out at the two instructors. "Um…can I help you?"
"Hello," Jenny smiled brightly. "A friend of ours was talking with one of your brothers last night, and now she's missing. I was just-"
"Are we in trouble, or something?" the frat member interrupted.
"Not at all," Jenny dismissed. The college boy stared out at them with mistrust. "We're just worried about our friend, and we'd appreciate it if any of you could point us in the right direction."
"Young man," Giles interjected. "We have no quarrel with you, we'd just like to ask your fraternity members a few questions and then be on our way."
"Are you a cop?" asked a still-wary frat boy.
Giles looked affronted. "I'm a librarian, actually."
The young man snickered at that. "What's your friend's name? Maybe she's already here."
"Buffy," Jenny said, plainly.
More snickering. The college man called out loudly to anyone and everyone. "IS THERE SOMEONE NAMED BUFFY HERE?"
Groans and smart-aleck remarks peppered into the air from all parts of the house.
"Guess not. Sorry."
Giles lost all patience at this point. "If we could just question a few of your young men that were out at The Bronze last night, we'll get the information we need and be on our way. Otherwise, I may have to make a trip to the Dean's office. We're good friends, you know. I'm not sure this fraternity would survive the investigation that would come forth from our conversation, if you get my meaning." He stared pointedly at the now exasperated Asian.
"Just chill, man. We can take care of this now." He stepped away from the doorway to allow the newcomers in. "Sorry 'bout the mess…" he mumbled as they passed.
Jenny and Giles crossed the threshold and cautiously made their way through the house to what seemed to pass as the dining room. A table, chipped from years of misuse, stood at the center of the room with six battered and mismatched chairs around it. Jenny gingerly sat in a plastic patio chair, while Giles took the wooden bar stool that was next to her. As she perched on the edge of her seat, Jenny felt she needed to take over the conversation.
"We really don't want to be any trouble. We'll just ask our questions and be on our way. Could we speak to the men who were at The Bronze last night? Were you there?"
The tall boy had leaned against a wall adjacent to them. He shook his head. "I wasn't. A couple of us stayed behind to make sure the pledges were cleaning. Hold on a sec."
He left the room and mumblings were heard somewhere deeper into the house. He returned shortly after with two frat boys. They were both older, probably seniors on their victory laps, with muscular bodies. They were both white and both slightly shorter than their Asian frat brother. One had dusty blonde hair that curled in a messy pile on top of his head. The other had dark hair that had been buzz-cut closely to his scalp. They appeared to be tired, but guarded. Jenny stuck out her hand.
"Hello, my name's Ms. Calendar, but you can call me Jenny. And this is my friend and colleague, Mr. Giles."
"Shawn," the sandy blonde said, as he took first Jenny's then Giles' hand.
"I'm Dave," the buzz-cut man added, also shaking their hands.
"I'm out," the doorkeeper quipped, and left the room to find breakfast. Or lunch, rather, as it was already one in the afternoon.
"So…" Jenny began. "The two of you were at The Bronze last night?"
Shawn looked at Dave before answering affirmatively.
"Did you by any chance see our friend there? She's a student at Sunnydale High School. Her name is Buffy Summers."
"We're not into jail-bait," Dave answered. Shawn forced a smile to hide a guilty expression.
Giles went to speak, but Jenny claimed the space first. "No, no… She's 18. And we're not cops. We just want to know she's okay. Did either of you see her?"
"Nope. Sorry."
"Was it just the two of you, or are there more of you that were there last night?"
Shawn looked at Dave, trying to recall the night's events. "Geez, Dave, who all went last night? It was you, me, Mike B, Kev, Josh, Ash…" he let the sentence drop as his memory faltered. "Was Mikey G with us?"
"No, he stayed here with Ken," Dave supplied. "And Joey met us there, of course."
Shawn groaned. "Yeah, I remember. What a douche."
"Who's Joey?" Jenny innocently asked.
Dave answered. "Joey Taccino. He's a Beta Kap alumnus who won't leave us alone. He can't let college go. He's our loser version of Van Wilder." Shawn laughed in admiration of the comparison.
"Well, can we speak to any of the others that were out? Mike? Josh?" Jenny persisted.
Dave nodded at Shawn, who left the room to find their buddies. Dave looked intently at the two strangers. Jenny and Giles looked uncomfortably around the room, while the sounds of accumulating footsteps and voices filled the house. After five or so minutes, Shawn returned with three of his brothers.
"Are we good?" Shawn asked Jenny. She hesitated, looking at Giles. Shawn took it to mean he was misunderstood. "Can I go now? I have major LSAT studying to do." The rest of the guys leaned against the wall, except for Dave, who stood away from the others and the wall.
"Erm… yes. Thank you for your time."
Dave used the space of Shawn's departure from the room to introduce his frat brothers. "This is Josh." Josh, the nearest frat member to Dave, nodded once. "That's Kevin." Dave pointed to the lanky black man who stood next to Josh. Kevin also nodded once. "And that's Ash." Ash was an attractive mix of Irish and Mexican. He nodded, as well, but added a "hey" greeting.
Once introductions had been done all around, the questioning began. Dave seemed to act as the subtle moderator, controlling how much his brothers disclosed. The frat members were helpful, but not extremely forth-coming.
"So, none of you saw our friend?" Jenny asked, dismal at the lack of useful information they were receiving.
"The Bronze is packed on the weekends. There were a lot of girls there. Probably half of them match your description of her," Dave replied. Shawn may have been the one studying for the LSATs, but it was clear that Dave belonged in law school.
Giles sighed. "Yes, well, was there anyone else in your group?"
Dave looked at the three brothers. "Where's Mike B?"
Ash shrugged. "Probably with Sarah."
"Is Sarah his girlfriend?" Jenny inquired.
Ash leered at her. "Unfortunately…" he started.
"Yes," Dave finished. "He's probably with her. And there's no way he would have seen or talked to your friend without getting in a shitload of trouble. In fact, I don't think he ended up coming in with us last night. She called him just as we got there, and I never noticed him come in. He probably skipped out on us and met up with her, somewhere."
"Okay," Jenny smiled. "And what about this Joey Tack…er, Tacano… Where can we find him?"
All four frat boys smirked. "Joey Taccino. Gym," Kevin answered. "All day, every Saturday. I'll bet he spends only an hour workin' out. The rest of the time, he's either pissin' off the employees with his braggin' or scarin' off the ladies he's been droolin' over."
"The gym at the University?" Giles wondered.
"HA! He wishes." The young men all seemed to be in agreement. "Naw, he goes to Gould's on Lark Ave."
"Well, thank you all for your time. Jenny and I will take our leave."
"No problem," Dave spoke up. His eyes still studied everything about them. "Hope you find your friend."
And with that, Giles and Jenny were escorted to the door. Dave shut the door as soon as they'd reached the porch.
They spoke in hushed tones as they made their way back to the car.
"Do you think they told us everything they know?" Jenny asked.
"Probably not everything, no," Giles pondered. "But I don't think they were withholding any information about Buffy that would've been useful to us. Buffy could easily overpower any of them, anyway. They're no threat to her."
"Unless they drugged her, or were able to knock her out."
"I honestly don't think they would go to the trouble. Our best bet is this Joey, it sounds like. If he has nothing to tell us, we'll just have to wait until The Bronze opens tonight."
"Do you really know one of the Deans at UC Sunnyvale?" Jenny sounded skeptical.
Giles kept his pace, as he answered her. "Technically, yes, I do. But the man's a bloody idiot who I wouldn't converse with just to get a group of miscreants in trouble." Jenny smiled at his bluff. She had never pictured Rupert with a poker face.
Across town, Willow searched with gusto for any suspicious activity in the area of The Bronze. Her Googling was getting her nowhere, it seemed, as Oz tapped the glass of her fish tank.
"Stop it. They don't like rude werewolves that pound on their habitats," Willow lightly teased. Oz grinned and fell back onto her bed.
"Anything?"
"No, but the Sunnydale News website may have been updated. I'll check." Willow typed, clicked, and scanned, before slumping back in her chair. She sighed. "Nope. Nothing."
"What about surrounding areas? Like L.A.? She may not still be in Sunnydale."
"I hadn't thought of that! Thanks!"
Oz beamed at his girlfriend. "No prob, babe." He put his hands behind his head on her pillow and shut his eyes. After a few moments, just as he was nodding off from boredom, Willow's excitement pulled him back to full consciousness.
"Here! There were two bodies found in a dumpster in Los Angeles last night!"
"Um… it is L.A. Not Montana."
"Oz! Both of the bodies' necks were snapped! Let's see… They were security guards for a local construction company… They never reported in at the end of their shift… One was a retired police officer… He had his gun on him, and it had been fired twice… He also had a very bloody neck. Neck! It's a vampire!"
Oz stared up at the ceiling, as he answered. "Not necessarily. It could've been anything."
"It was a vampire, Oz!"
"If it was a vampire, then why weren't they drained? No vampire would let that much blood go to waste," he pointed out.
Willow paused, stumped at the new revelation. "Well, it's still a 'recent unusual occurrence,' so I'm printing out the article."
The redheaded boy smiled at the ceiling and closed his eyes. That's my girl.
That's my girl, Angelus thought to himself, as he watched the Slayer tremble from the last shock. The demon threw his toy back into the cardboard box, after having used it for hours of fun. He'd taken his time with her, probing the electrically-charged wand onto her lovely body. He also had made sure to give her several breaks, afraid that she might pass out and ruin his day.
Being as old as he was, he didn't require a full day's sleep, but he still needed more rest. He removed the ball gag from the Slayer's mouth. She exercised her sore jaw delicately, breathing hoarsely from screaming into the torturous contraption. Angelus held the drugged water up to her, and she knew she had no choice but to drink. Dehydration would be worse than the drug. She nodded her assent to take the water willingly, and he lifted the bottle to her lips to drink. She drank with a thirst she'd never experienced before and her torturer watched her with lust as she drank greedily, the water sometimes splashing down her chin, throat, and breasts as she tried to console her body.
When she'd finished, Angelus placed the water bottle in the kitchen before returning to her side. He pulled the black fabric from one of the windows, while he stood a safe distance from where the sunlight would peek in. Judging from where the sunlight hit the room and its placement in the sky, he estimated it was early in the afternoon. One o'clock or two. Somewhere around there. He had about six or so hours until the sun set.
Buffy was coherent, but weak from the pain. Her knees buckled underneath her, refusing to give aid to her poor wrists that had cuts on them from where the manacles dug into her skin. He gently lifted her body up, to release the chain from the ceiling hook.
Laying her onto the mattress beneath them, she stared up at him with the most wounded expression he'd ever seen.
"Wh-Why?" she whispered through protesting vocal chords. "Why?"
Angelus shrugged. "Because I loathe what you turned me into."
Her eyes became distant, unfocused, as he removed the manacles and placed them in the box. She watched his silhouette take the box back into the other room. When he returned he stood above her, as though he was contemplating what to do next. Whatever decision he made was lost on her, as she finally drifted into unconsciousness.
As he stood there, the dark vampire suddenly realized how badly he needed to sleep. He watched as her breathing lulled into a sluggish cycle. Not knowing why he found that to be so comforting, he knelt next to her. She still smelled faintly of the perfume she'd been wearing last night, although its scent was mostly overtaken by the smell of her blood. He inhaled her deeply. He'd never get tired of her scent. Of her blood.
Knowing she'd have no idea what was going on, he spooned her limp form, drawing her as close to him as anatomically possible. Her luscious curves found refuge in his larger form, as he pressed himself into her. Overcome by the urge to do more, he let his hand fondle her breast, as he ran his tongue lightly over her neck. If the Slayer had any idea of what was going on, she was making no gestures acknowledging his ministrations.
He took his time, just as he'd done with their torture session, to touch and kiss her as he'd been longing to do. When his hand finally found its way to her crevice, he was surprised to feel wetness in her folds. Then he remembered that a human body can be turned on to arousal in even the most bizarre and unpleasant circumstances. He halted his exploration of her body and moved his hand back into position around her waist. Pulling her close, once again, his head was filled with the strangest ideas.
Her loving him. Him. Not Angel. Angelus. Adoring his demon self. Him making passionate, rough love with the Slayer. Hearing her whisper his demonic name, like she did in the club last night. Drinking from her slowly as she moaned before, after, and during sex. Him turning her. The Slayer. Buffy the Vampire-Slaying Vampire. His forever.
He nuzzled her neck as he finally fell into a dreamless sleep.
I hate that I can't be without you, Slayer… Buffy.
When Giles and Jenny arrived at the gym, they stuck out like sore thumbs. Not that they were going to be working out, anyway, but they hadn't intended to look so conspicuous. As they neared the entrance, Giles' phone rang. He and Jenny stepped away from the door as two women carrying yoga mats made their way inside.
"Hello?"
"Giles! It's Willow. I think I may have found something. There were two bodies, human bodies, found in a dumpster in a construction site in L.A. Their necks were broken, and one of them had blood on their neck, too!"
Giles looked at Jenny, who he could tell was concerned. He mouthed the word "Willow."
"I see. Well, it is L.A. Not exactly the safest place in America. Anything closer to home?"
Willow paused. Giles wondered what response she had been expecting.
"Willow?"
"No. Nothing in Sunnydale, so far." She sighed into the phone. "I'll keep looking."
"Very well."
"Have you two found anything else out?"
"No, Willow, I'm afraid we haven't. What time does The Bronze open tonight?"
"Seven, but there probably won't be a large crowd until ten or so. What time are you thinking we should meet?"
"Let's meet there at eight. Call Xander and Cordelia to let them know."
"Okay. Will do. Oh, and Giles? Try to blend in. No one will talk to you if you're wearing a suit."
Jenny smiled, giving away the fact that she'd probably heard the majority of the conversation. Either she had exceptional hearing, or he had the volume turned up too loud on his phone.
"Yes, well, thank you for that. We'll see you at eight tonight."
He hung up the phone and deposited it back into the pocket he kept it in. Jenny opened her mouth to tease him, but he anticipated it and cut in.
"Let's go find this 'Joey,' then."
Up until that moment, the two of them had forgotten that a physical description would be helpful in finding the man they were looking for. There were people of all ages at the various machines. A yoga class was beginning in one of the aerobic rooms. A child no older than seven or eight crossed in front of them to get to the water fountain nearby. He was wearing a weightlifting belt.
"How are we going to find him, Giles?"
"Um… well…" Giles stalled to find an answer. "I guess we'll have to ask around for him."
Jenny walked straight up to the check-in counter, fearlessly.
"Excuse me," her sheepish tone made her sound both apologetic and sweet. Impossible not to answer such a darling woman. "By any chance, do you know a Joey Tack… Tacano?"
The woman behind the counter rolled her eyes. "It's Taccino. If I were you, I'd avoid him like the plague." But she pointed toward the cardio machines.
They thanked the girl and went to find him.
"Um, excuse me!" The gym employee stopped them before they could head over to the area. "If you want to work out, you'll need to pay a visitor's fee. Or if you'd like a tour of the facility, you can wait here while I arrange it." Her voice was pleasant but firm. No wandering around unsupervised allowed.
"We're with Calendar & Giles, a law firm representing the estate of one of his relatives who recently passed away. We've tried getting a hold of Mr. Tack-Taccino, but he hasn't responded. We just want the matter of his relative's will closed. Could you please bring him to us, if we can't go to him?" Jenny's lie came out smooth as silk and sweet as honey.
The worker nodded and ran to fetch the nuisance. Giles and Jenny watched as she approached a very artificially-looking strong man who stood at about 5'8" wearing an old fraternity shirt with holes in it. He had been chatting up (bothering) a rather annoyed girl on a treadmill. He leaned against her machine while she looked ahead, over him. When the worker approached him, he looked pleased, then serious as she relayed the news. He left the treadmill, much to the delight of the young woman using it, who picked up her gait in a sudden burst of energy.
He walked with Jenny and Giles outside. "So, what's this I hear about a will? How much do I get?"
Jenny looked shocked. "What are you talking about? We just wondered if you met our friend last night. We haven't heard from her and we want to know that she's alright."
Joey looked dubious. "Bethany told me you guys were from some law firm."
Jenny kept up the charade. "I have no idea why she would lie to you, but we would greatly appreciate it if you would just answer a few questions, so we can be on our way and you on yours."
Giles stayed silent through the exchange, studying the man's body language. Joey fidgeted a lot, like he was restless standing in one position for too long. He had to be at least 28. No wonder the fraternity brothers at the house wanted him to move on. He seemed to be remorseful that he wouldn't be receiving any money, more so than for the made-up deceased relative that would have left them something in his or her will.
"Okay. What do you want?"
Jenny continued. "Were you at The Bronze last night?"
"Yeah… I usually go there to hang with my bros. Pick up chicks, and stuff."
"Did you by any chance meet or talk to a girl named Buffy?"
"Buffy? No."
"Are you sure?"
" That's a weird name. I'd remember it. Do you go to The Bronze, Miss…"
"Calendar. And no, I don't." Joey's eyes took inventory of Jenny's body with appreciation. She took a step back, uncomfortable, and Giles stepped in.
"Buffy is about 5'2" with long blonde, highlighted hair that's usually done up, and hazel eyes. She's petite but well-toned. Does that fit the description of anyone you saw last night?"
Joey frowned. "Yeah, but the girl I was dancing with was named Lindsay. She was a hottie. I wish I'd gotten her number…" Joey trailed off as he reminisced in his own mind.
"How did you meet her? Was she alone?"
"Uh, no, my bro Mike introduced us. Mike has a girlfriend, so he helped me out."Joey grinned stupidly. "She was totally wasted, so I took her on the dance floor. We would've gone back to my pad, if that asshole hadn't pushed me down."
Giles contained his fury, as Jenny watched them both. "Who pushed you?"
"Some douche, I don't know. I've never seen him before. Lindsay, er, Buffy and I were totally hitting it off, and he grabs her from me and pushes me down. I should've kicked his ass, man!"
Jenny spoke up. "Why didn't you? You look like a strong guy. Couldn't you have taken him?"
Joey's face turned red and his left eye twitched. "Yeah! Of course! I just… I, you know, there were plenty of other chicks to choose from. I was just doing him a favor. Okay?"
"What did he look like?"
"Damn, I don't know. It was dark, I was drunk and pissed. I don't check out guys." Joey's fear was poorly masked, and the two instructors could tell he wasn't telling them everything. "Listen, I need to get back in there to finish my workout. Hope I helped."
"There's nothing more you can tell us?"
"Nope, sorry."
Giles looked at Jenny, and they shared a look that said "he's hopeless, and we're not getting anything more out of him without torture."
"Well, Joey, thank you for your time. Will you be at The Bronze tonight?" Giles asked.
"Maybe," Joey shrugged. "My bros might be having a kegger tonight, so I may just kick it at the house."
Jenny lied with ease. "Actually we were just by there. They gave us your name, thinking you'd be able to help, since you're their top guy. They also said to mention that they'd be at The Bronze between nine and ten. I guess their pledges have more cleaning to do, or something."
Joey was delighted. The kid that was picked first for kickball. "Cool, yeah, I know how that is. Yeah, I'll be there later tonight, then."
"If you see either Buffy or the guy she was with, could you let us know, please? We'll be there meeting some friends."
"Yeah, okay." The retired frat boy turned to back inside the gym. His home away from home. As he opened the door, he glanced back at the two older adults.
"Hey! Can I get Buffy's number from you?"