The Devil You Know

Chapter 10

A/N: The &-&-&-& represents a change in point of view.

A/N, II: The very end of this chapter depends on a certain understanding of the last two seasons of AtS. If you didn't see it, spoilers are at the end of the chapter to help you understand. There are also spoilers for Buffy's "Dirty Girls," and "Empty Places."

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All it takes is a quick whiff to realize that neither the Slayer nor my wayward grandechilde are anywhere near the Summers' household. When I tell Dawn, she smiles and points to the upstairs bedroom. "But the witch is home. There she is, in the room that used to belong to Mom. That's a very bad witch."

"Are you sure you don't need my help, Dawnie?" I clasp her hand with mine. When I run my hand over her stub, she shivers.

"No, Sire. It will be easier if I kill the witch alone. This way she won't suspect anything."

"She might when she sees your missing fingers."

"Not with these," From her right jacket pocket she withdraws a pair of mittens. It's an interesting turn Dawn has taken in her vampire form. She's not quite the leather-loving vampire bad girl, but she's definitely not the same innocent little girl that Buffy gave to me a little over a week ago. I can't decide if the cutesy cotton blue mittens are a clever decoy or another facet of her personality. The still somewhat conservative jeans would suggest the former, while the newly shorn hair and much darker make-up point to the latter.

"Do you have the presents for the Slayer, Dawnie?"

"Yes, Sire." She lifts the bag and gives it a light jingle. "All four of them, though I wish you'd tell me what's in the box."

"It's a secret. Let's just say it's something Buffy will absolutely love."

She pouts a little, but nods obediently. "Yes, Sire."

Dawn starts to rise out of the bushes we have been hiding in. "Be careful, baby sister. I don't want the week I spent molding you to go to waste."

Her pout turns into a smile that would have made Darla proud - or jealous.

&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&

Ah, the sweet, sweet smell of home. I take a minute to indulge in the new sensations that being a vampire have given me while I wait on the small balcony outside of the master bedroom. There's so much fear in the air that I can practically taste it.

It's not surprising, really. It was probably the same before I left. All of those scrawny, whiny little Potentials - cowering together in what they know isn't a safe haven. And their precious Slayer is no where to help them. Poor, poor little idiots.

The witch is having a little argument with her "I'm about to die so I need to get one last good lay" lover, otherwise known as the Tara replacement. It's too bad about the whole Evil Willow phase. I would have loved to repay Warren for denying me the feel of my teeth sinking into dear Old Tara's plump little neck. Mmm. I'll have to settle for whatever sloppy Tara leftover scents that might still linger on Willow's skin. Given my recent encounters with Angelus, I'm pretty certain that the smell of fucking isn't one that will ever wash away.

"This is serious stuff, Kennedy. We kicked Buffy out of her own house -"

"Because she was trying to get us killed! Because she got Xander's eye poked out! I think that qualifies as a good reason."

They kicked the Slayer out of her own house? Damn. She had better come back. I'd hate for all of my Sire's efforts to go to waste.

"I'm not saying we weren't right in our decision. I'm merely pointing out that we probability should have had another leader."

Well, gee, ya think?

"We did elect another leader, Willow. You."

I'm sure that's going to end well. The woman who can't decide if she's little Miss Low Self-Esteem or Little Miss Super-Ego is in charge? To be fair, I guess it was either her, Xander, or the old English Fuddy Duddy. I hate to say it, but for their sake, they really should have stuck with Little Miss Perfect Slayer. I mean, I don't know a lot about the First, but I do know that even Angelus doesn't want to stick around for the big finale. He says he doesn't want to be confused for a minion of the first, but I'm willing to bet he's scared. Maybe just a little. And if something can scare Angelus? Well, the witch is in way over her head. What exactly can be done with an army of the weak and inefficient?

Why, I'm betting with Little Miss Perfect gone, so is Spike. She was the only one he cared about. Wherever she is, I'm sure that's where he is.

Too bad for the witch.

Arg. The witch is still bitching about the whole Evil Willow phase. As a human, I always found it oddly hypocritical that she never really sounded remorseful for what she had done, as much as for the fact that she had been caught. Kind of the same way I used to feel about the stealing -except I never claimed to be perfect. Which is good, because I wasn't. Nope, I was merely a flawed human. Just like the Scoobies. Oh, but to listen to them? They're perfect. Unflawed. Nearly Omnipotent.

Apparently there's trouble among the omnipotent. Oh. Isn't that sad?

"I'll be your string. You'll be my kite, and I'll be your little kite string."

Yuck. Gag me, already. I can't wait to share this tripe with Angelus. He's very handsome when he laughs. Even the witch realizes how utterly stupid Kennedy's speech sounded. "I don't think right now is the time for cute little kite string references."

"Look, I'm just trying to get you to relax."

"And that's the thing. Because relaxing? Exactly what I need to not do."

"Fine. Since you obviously don't want me here, I'll go sleep in the other room, with the rest of the girls."

Finally! I watch as Kennedy turns to leave. The witch looks lost for a moment, and I can't keep from rolling my eyes. This was their fearless leader? The pathetic one looks like she's about to turn and go after Kennedy. No, no. We can't have that. If I have to listen to anymore inane comments like the string one, I'd have to stake myself. I take the opportunity to knock on the window.

The witch startles, and for the brief moment it takes her to calm down, I wonder how she ever expected to face Caleb this way, let alone the First.

In truly expected stupidity, the witch's eyes widen in surprise, but she shows no other signs of hesitation as she hurries to the window. "Dawnie? What are you doing out there?"

"I didn't want to come in the front door, so I could bypass Buffy." Which is kind of true, except that I was mostly trying to bypass ass many people as possible so I could kill you directly and move on.

"Oh. . . Well, uh, Buffy's not here, so you really didn't have to. . But come on in."

Ah, the sweet sound of an invitation.

"Why aren't you with Angel?"

Because Angel is dead. And you are never, ever bringing him back. That much I promise.

"Well, it's kind of a long story. And it's why I'm here."

I walk over to the bed and sit down. Willow actually follows.

"By the way, the hair style looks very nice. It's very Demi Moore-ish."

"Demi Moore?"

"Um, yeah. You know, G.I. Jane? Ghost?"

I shake my head, and give the false smile that says I care. "Sorry. Never seen them."

"Oh. Well, you should. Definitely." She sits beside me on the bed, and instantly begins a lecture. Amazing. She's barely an adult herself, yet feels totally comfortable about lectures. Too bad she won't live onto adult hood. The lectures she could give then would be utterly miraculous, in a bitchy, self righteous way. "Dawnie? What's the matter? You really shouldn't be here. This big bad? Truly earns her name. The First is horrible. You should definitely still be with Angel. Where it's safe."

Morons. "I know, Willow. And Angel's waiting for me -"

"Really? I didn't hear you guys pull up."

"We didn't want to disturb anyone. But, Willow, we'll be moving on. I just realized how bad the First is, and I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry for what?"

"For everything last year. I was so selfish. What, with the stealing, and the wishes to vengeance demons, and -"

"Shh, Dawnie. There's nothing to be sorry for."

She actually reaches forward to give me a hug. Once we touch, she tenses immediately. I'm not sure why. Either she felt my cold skin, or her witchy senses kicked in. Regardless, once her skinny little neck was pressed next to mine, it was too late for her. It's incredibly easy to snap someone's neck when they're pressed so trustingly against your body.

I take only a minute to lift Willow's lifeless body onto the bed. Reaching into the bag of Slayer treats, I place the mysterious box next to Willow's neck, the book of drawings next to her right hand, and cassette of my screams next to her left, and the video of my rape at her feet. I give her a fond little tap on the head, and turn to leave.

&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&

The home office of Wolfram and Hart is abuzz with noise and shouting. They had, after all, been certain that the new vampire would fail. But she had not, and Angel had not been restored.

"I don't know what all the shouting is for!" protests the first Senior Partner. "There are many others who could restore the vampire's soul."

"Yes," agrees the second Senior Partner. "We simply find one of them, and have them zap him with a soul."

"But that is not what the Tokran Prophecy states. According to the prophecy, the state of innocence was not to come from us. If we send the shaman to restore Angelus' soul, then we will indirectly be the cause of it," Argues the third Senior Partner.

"I don't see why it matters. As long as the good is there to be corrupted, it shall be able to lead us into world domination," the first Senior Partner argued.

But the second and third senior partners are shaking their heads. "No, no, no. He is quite correct. The prophecy is quite clear. We can only entice the champion, but we cannot be responsible for its state of being."

The first senior partner slams his fist onto the table. "Then what are we to do?"

It is the second among them that answers. "Perhaps we have been going about this all wrong. Angel was not the only champion among us."

Smiles spread slowly as the plan becomes clear. A button is pressed, and Lilah Morgan is called into the office.

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It took Dawn exactly fifteen minutes to take care of the witch. When she rejoins me, she wraps her mitten-clad hand in mine. "Were you successful?"

"Yep. Do you know that she actually hugged me?"

"Well, I told you the story of little Kathy. And my family knew I was dead."

"Humans really are stupid."

"Mmm. But they make tasty little snacks. We should grab some before we leave town."

"Okay. But oh! I have to tell you the most hilarious story."

We've moved about halfway down the sidewalk when the sound of a scream reaches our vampire hearing.

Dawn is smiling. "That was Kennedy, Willow's girlfriend. She must have found our little presents."

"Yes, I suppose she must have. Too bad the Slayer wasn't the first to find them. Now, continue with your story."

"Well, it's a little nauseating, I have to warn you, but hilarious." With that warning, she begins to relate some bizarre story about lesbians and kites.

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To be Continued. . . .

A/N, III:

In AtS, Season 5: Angel takes over the formerly evil law firm, Wolfram and Hart. In return, his son's life is made super happy, and he is given the amulet which he gives Buffy, which in turn Spike wears to save the world. The preceding scene never took place, but is a figment of my imagination. After all, "ending world peace," never seemed like a very good reason to me, to offer your arch enemy the job of running your company. I always figured it had to be about corruption, et al., and that was certainly a running concern/theme during season 5. Though, ultimately, Angel and company kicked butt - which they can't do now that they're all dead.

Hope that helps anyone who's confused.