West of the moon, east of the sun, in the time-between-times...
-WELL, DO YOU SEE IT YET?-
-CLEARLY. PITY, THAT. I DID SO LIKE THE VISIONS IDEA.- The projection was petulant, as if the being who'd made it was the one who forwarded the idea initially.
A companion to the petulant one gave the telepathic equivalent of a derisive snort -I'D LIKE IT BETTER IF IT ACTUALLY WORKED. HE'S TOO PHYSICAL THOUGH. HIS SIRE, ON THE OTHER HAND…-
-DRUSILLA HAS BEEN VERY USEFUL. SHALL WE GIVE HER WHAT HER HEART DESIRES?- Aeons weighted this shared idea with gelid majesty, and it was accorded the respect due an elder.
-NOT YET. THERE IS STILL A LITTLE TIME, AND WE NEED HER WHERE SHE IS FOR NOW.- This voice, although younger by far, held authority, and clearly was in charge.
-ARE WE AGREED THEN? THE BLOODY ONE IS TO BE LEFT TO HIS OWN PATH? HE IS TOO CONTRARY TO GIVE MUCH CREDENCE TO 'PROPHECY' AND 'DESTINY'. MORE LIKELY THAT HE'D DO EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE JUST TO SPITE THE VERY IDEA.-
-INDEED. LET HIM BE.- was the collective decision.
Dalton nearly knocked his chair over in his haste to make the announcement. 'Spike! I've got it! Come here and take a look… It's pretty simple too. I can't believe I didn't even think of this. Do you know how powerful the Sire bond is?' He was nearly quivering in suppressed excitement as he frantically waved the older vampire over.
Spike rolled his eyes a little. This Dalton character was a bit like a puppy; any minute now he'd be piddling on the rug or something. 'Mate, what are you wittering on about?' He wandered over anyway; if nothing else he'd be closer when he had to smack the other guy for wasting his time again. He started reading his notes, letting the tweedy researcher's voice fade into the background.
'Your Sire's cure. All we need is-'
Spike saw red. Actual, would-be-throbbing-if-he-had-a-heartbeat red 'Oh BUGGER THIS! It always comes back to him! Fucking wanker!' Kicking at a chair did nothing to calm him down. 'Gods what I wouldn't give to just be able to kill the poncy prick.' His words distorted around a mouth suddenly full of sharp teeth. He hadn't lost control like this since he was a fledge.
'Well this ritual apparently doesn't make any concessions for the survival of the Sire, though I would assume if it was being used that it would usually be the Sire themselves who was doing it in the first place and that they'd have some safety net in place.' By now Dalton had learnt (mostly) to stop flinching whenever Spike got annoyed. He was apparently valuable enough that he was not on the "dustable" list. Yet.
Taking a few deep breaths, Spike forced himself to calm down. 'I'm paralysed with apathy at the thought of losing dear Grand-da. Don't care if he dusts so long as Dru gets better before he does.'
The vampire researcher smiled. This would be even easier. 'Well in that case, the preparation is simple. We need a desecrated temple, or any previously holy site, we need the dagger that is apparently hidden within this code key, and a censer with the herbs written in the margin here. Oh and Drusilla's Sire, of course. You wouldn't, ah, happen to know where her Sire would be?'
'Buggered if I know, 'm not his bloody keeper, thank god. I know someone who might have a clue though.'
'You say William the Bloody is in town? Well isn't that just dandy. I love it! Give him a drink on me.' The man behind the massive desk was best described as cheerful. A grin appeared to be permanently etched across his features. His eye twinkled with mirth, suggesting an inside joke that nobody around him seemed privy to.
The man before the desk was shuffling nervously, clearly eager to be anywhere that wasn't where he was now. 'Uh… sure boss.'
'Any progress on the other thing we talked about? My "special" little project?'This was a gentle inquiry, his superior taking on a paternal sort of authority as he asked.
'We've located them both. The statue and the Scion of Arcaeus.' His eyes darted to the side, some primitive survival instinct within the flunkey was clearly on full alert. The tension in the room only now revealed itself in its absence, as with a chuckle the mayor replied, 'Good, good! Remind me to give you a raise next month.'
His face brightened as he relaxed. 'Thank you, Mister Mayor, sir!'
'Don't mention it. Oh, by the way, Jake? John?-' Here the mayor snapped his fingers, trying to recall the name of his minion.
'James, sir.'
'Jimmy! Jimmy, have my guest sent in directly, would you?' Richard smiled again as he directed his subordinate out of the room.
James grimaced as he left. Mayor Wilkins had a habit of applying nicknames regardless of either their suitability or whether they were wanted or not. The last time he was called Jimmy he'd busted the guy's teeth in, but you couldn't do that to your boss. As he walked past the lobby he caught the attention of the tall, dark-haired man pacing beside the coffee table. He indicated that he should show himself into the office and left to alert payroll to his new salary bonus.
The first thing Angel said as he arrived in the mayor's office was; 'Why was I brought here?'
Mayor Wilkins smiled cheerily as he replied, 'So hard to find good help these days. It occurs to me that working together could be mutually beneficial for us.'
'You have nothing I want.'
Richard got up from his chair and wandered around to the sideboard, pouring a glass of amber-coloured liquor. After offering a glass to his guest, and being refused, he continued, 'Nothing? Your childe and her paramour are in town, and I hear Spike is looking to cure her. I could find out more quite easily if I thought you wanted the information. All I ask is a little quid pro quo. You scratch my back, I scratch yours.'
Angel appeared unsurprised, and asked disinterestedly, 'What did you have in mind? And why does what Spike wants have anything to do with me? It's not like there's a Slayer in town right now…' He stopped there, aware he'd let something important slip, and to perhaps the wrong ears.
If possible, the mayor brightened even further. 'Interesting… Yes, I seem to have heard a little something extra. There is apparently a ritual involved in Drusilla's cure, something about Sire's blood… hmm. Probably nothing to concern yourself with is it?' At the last, he flicked his eyes to the other man, gauging his reaction to the little lure he left dangling.
The vampire started slightly, then resumed his poker-face. Too late, as the mayor had seen the barb sink home. Angel ventured further into the other man's lair looking around as if curious. 'And why are you telling me this? What's in it for you?'
'Oh nothing really. Call it a favour. The ritual he's unearthed isn't terribly focussed on your survival, being rather open-ended.'
'I see. And I suppose in a week or two you'll drop some kind of hint that there's something you'd like me to do in turn?'
Richard sipped at his drink. 'Not at all,' he insisted with a disarming grin. 'I rather thought it'd be a nice little show of favour, a gesture of goodwill, if you like. If you did happen to show your gratitude at a later date well, that would be entirely up to you now, wouldn't it?'
'I'm sure.' The vampire spoke dismissively. 'If that's everything? I have places to be.'
'Oh don't mind me, Mr. Angel. I'm sure we'll be seeing one another again sometime.'
Angel smirked as he left the office. He wasn't a betting man, but dollars to doughnuts this guy'd be dropping hints about what form his 'gratitude' could take inside of a month. He'd seen this type before. Still, the information, if true, was welcome. He'd be better able to watch his back now.
The vampire wondered if he'd be able to simply run his annoying grandchilde out of town, but quickly dismissed the thought. Part of why he was so annoying was that damnable persistence of his. Angel couldn't be certain that whatever he did Spike wouldn't just go to ground for a while and pop back up at a more inconvenient time. Maybe if he went willingly and offered to fix Drusilla he could get them to leave before his Buffy got back from wherever she'd been. Whistler had been really vague when he'd said she was out of town.
It'd been a little over a month now. He supposed he'd have to step up and actually patrol a bit before she got back. Wouldn't do to have her come home to a town over-run with fledges and start asking questions about what he'd been doing while she was gone.
