Angel walked into his room and stopped short when he noticed the red rose and cocktail napkin lying on his pillow. The rose was a perfect example, not quite open yet but the promise was there.

"Shit," he muttered before spinning toward the wall safe that held his gun and badge. He glanced at his badge before carefully examining his gun. It hadn't been tampered with, and he returned it before looking over the rest of the room with a critical eye. As far as he could tell, the only obvious signs of a break-in were on the bed.

His attention returned to the note, and he walked closer to read it. 'Miss you - Luv Nem.' A pink smear in the upper corner was clearly drawn on rather than a smear from lips, and the words were printed in careful matching lines.

He ran a hand through his hair before giving a shake of his head. "God Buffy... if you were serious, and not on the other side of the law... and hadn't painted my car pink..." he broke off with a scowl before it melted and he sighed. He'd have to tell Riley and Lindsey about the visit, and there wasn't any time like the present. He glanced over the room one more time before locking the door behind him.

Annoyance ran through him a couple of minutes later when neither Lindsey nor Riley answered their doors, and he made his way to Spike's room.

Spike gave an impressive growl when there was *another* knock on his door. "Keep your shirt on," he mumbled as he rolled out of bed and pulled the door open. "Lindsey," he greeted before allowing his annoyance to show. "What's so important it couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

"Nemesis," the brunette answered with contagious excitement. "She took us up on our challenge."

Spike stared at him. "The challenge hasn't even started yet. Technically it..." he broke off when Lindsey shook his head.

"She broke into Riley's room and..." Lindsey trailed off when he noticed Angel standing behind Spike.

"So the bracelet's gone?" Spike asked as he dropped a shoulder against the door jamb with a frown. "That's not very sporting of her, is it? Not her usual mo."

"No. The bracelet's still there, along with a note saying she's taking a rain check on our challenge." A couple of women giggled as they walked past, and Lindsey glanced at them before looking back at the two shirtless agents. "Look, Riley's talking to the captain now, and I just got off the phone with Walsh. She wants Riley and I to work on the break-in... and that," he added, "leaves you guys to sit in S'Mores and make sure she doesn't steal the bracelet."

"Why? I mean, if she's not going to steal it, why should we have to watch it?" Angel asked.

Lindsey sighed. "Walsh wants the break-in kept quiet so that means we act like it never happened."

Spike eyed him with a frown. "There were two break-ins."

"Two?"

Spike snorted. "Nemesis has a thing for tall, dark, and conflicted here. She broke into Angel's room to leave him a rose, and a sample of her lipstick."

"Wait," Lindsey held up a hand, "are you telling me we have a sample of her lipstick?" He hesitated as the rest of the info sank in before looking back at them with amusement and giving a shake of his head. "Riley's going to love this." Turning to go, he hesitated a moment before turning back. "Riley's staying in my room until forensics gets here tomorrow." He glanced at Angel. "You're staying with Spike?"

"Yeah." Angel slid a hand into his pants pocket and pulled out the key to his room before tossing it to Lindsey.

"Good." Lindsey caught it. "The forensic team will be here in a few hours, so we should be able to use the rooms by tomorrow night."

Spike nodded absently and closed the door before noticing Angel's thoughtful frown as the brunette walked back to the cot they'd requested. "It looks simple, doesn't it?" the bleached blonde asked as he slid back into bed.

Angel snorted. "Yeah, but that's what I thought when we got her case, Spike."

10 am June 13th:

Angel took a sip of coffee before leaning back to watch Spike continue his game of solitaire. "Red three plays," he murmured and watched as his partner frowned before moving the card.

"Leave it to that idiot to challenge Nemesis to steal a bracelet in a diner," the bleached blonde muttered. "He could have just as easily picked a bar."

Angel gave a faint smile. Surveillance was normally monotonous, but there was usually a chance of changing locations. This was just unbelievably boring, especially when the forensic team was probably scouring the rooms for any clue Nemesis might have left. He glanced back at Spike's game before giving a shake of his head. "Not if they were keeping an eye on the pies too." He hesitated. "Queen can play." Spike frowned in annoyance before making the move.

"We've got her." Lindsey excitedly broke into their boredom as he seemed to appear out of nowhere. "And it's not Darla."

Angel's head shot up. "Who is it?"

"Anya Dickerson," Lindsey murmured as he looked over the restaurant before leaning into their table. "Each hallway has a camera, and the one in our hallway clearly shows her entering Riley's room... and another door farther down the hall." He glanced at Angel. "That would be yours."

"Anya Dickerson?" Spike questioned. "You know she's a reporter for 'The Gabby Gossip' don't you?"

"That's the one." Lindsey agreed before frowning as an elderly woman moved slowly past the table. "Look, I'm trying to find her. Has she been in here today?"

"She was here earlier," Angel answered thoughtfully, "but she left about an hour ago."

"Okay," Lindsey turned away from the table before Spike called him back. "Is forensics here yet?"

"They got here half an hour ago. Walsh's talking to the captain now, and Riley's trying to get the forensic team interested in a lipstick search."

Angel raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips before Spike spoke up, "Alright then... we've got this covered. Good luck with the criminal... catching," he added as Lindsey walked away.

"A lipstick search," Spike murmured as he scooped the cards into a pile. "I'd love to see how that turns out."

"That's the least of their problems," Angel answered just as quietly. "If Anya turns out to be Nemesis, I'll mow Riley's yard for a year."

Spike glanced up with a slow smirk before sobering. "This is... " He tapped the neatly stacked deck of cards on the table and looked at Angel. "This is bad."

"Yeah." Angel sat back thoughtfully before looking down to watch the lights glint off the diamond bracelet. Silence fell before he looked back up. "Do you think it's a copycat? Anya's a reporter, she may be after a story."

"Oh... she'll get a story all right," Spike answered. "It's also possible Nemesis wants the press to know what's going on."

"What?"

"Think about it. Riley made a public challenge to Nemesis to steal Buffy's diamonds. Nemesis could either ignore it or try for the bracelet."

Angel nodded before understanding dawned. "Buffy said it last night..."

"Right," Spike agreed. "She either looks like a coward or risks everything to steal a bracelet under conditions even she would find difficult."

Angel straightened. "So her solution is to decline with a rain check, and do it in a way that makes headlines."

"That would be my guess," Spike agreed. "And it looks like she found the perfect person to write the article."

Angel gave a shake of his head before giving a quiet laugh. "It's a setup."

Spike nodded with a grin. "Looks like it. Finn tried to set her up and she returned it in spades."

"Think we should tell them what's going on?"

"It's only speculation... and it's not even our case." Spike settled back in the booth and gave Angel an innocent look. "I say we stay out of it, especially since Walsh is here and might be evaluating Lindsey and Riley's job performance."

Angel studied his partner before giving a slow grin. "I see your point."

Anya sat back and studied the people interrogating her with interest. "And you're Maggie Walsh?" she questioned as she looked at the scowling woman before turning to the other two agents. "And you must be Riley Finn and Lindsey McDonald?" She absently nodded. "O'Connor and Pryce are cuter."

Riley snorted before leaning across the table. "We're asking the questions, Ms. Dickerson. And right now we want to know where you were around 8:37 last night."

She looked at him with interest before masking it with a frown. "It's difficult to remember... but," she hesitated, looked thoughtful, "I went swimming... probably around noon..."

Lindsey rolled his eyes as he tapped fingers against the table. "This isn't getting us anywhere. Maybe we should..."

"Ms. Dickerson," Maggie Walsh cut in irritably, "we can continue this interrogation at the headquarters in Los Angeles if you prefer."

"No. That won't be necessary." She smiled at the woman brightly before scrunching her nose. "It's just that I want to make sure I remember right." She studied them carefully before giving a thoughtful nod. "The outfit I wore last night... the yellow, red and orange dress is in my room. I saw it this morning when I got dressed."

"Yes," Maggie stated impatiently. "We're already aware of that, Ms. Dickerson."

"And I wore it at 8:37 last night," she murmured. "I broke into my room," she paused before looking at Walsh. "What was I wearing when I did that?" Walsh raised an eyebrow and Anya continued, "I mean, what does the camera show?"

"Nothing," Riley answered, "because you covered the hallway camera with duct tape."

Anya nodded vigorously. "Yes. I covered it with tape before changing my clothes and breaking into Mr. Finn's room. She paused thoughtfully before looking up to study her interrogators. "I couldn't find the bracelet," she murmured as she remembered seeing it in the diner that morning, "so I took something else."

"You left a note," Riley growled.

"Right!" Anya perked up. "Yes... a note," she murmured with a nod as she looked at Walsh. "I left a note about my next robbery."

"At least you got that one right," Lindsey muttered as Riley nodded.

"You were taking a rain check on it," the blonde reminded her.

"Yes," she agreed. "It was too hard of a challenge... so I left a note and then broke into Mr. O'Connor's room."

"And left a..." Lindsey tried to speed up the interrogation.

"Note!" Anya answered.

"That's right." Riley leaned forward. "And you left it with a rose because you miss him, right?"

Walsh crossed her arms in annoyance as she stared at the wall and silently counted to ten.

"I can see why a girl would," Anya stated with a smile. "I mean, did you see the picture on the front cover of 'The Gabby Gossip' when Darla was cuffed and he was whispering in her ear? I bet there was more than one cold shower taken that night."

Walsh stood up, her chair scraping across the floor as she picked up the small folder in front of her. "I'd like to talk to Ms. Dickerson alone please." She shot her agents glares that had them out of the room in seconds before she turned back to the reporter. "Ms. Dickerson. If you can't tell me where you were between 8:30 and 8:50 in the next minute, I'll have you in an L.A. interrogation room before midnight."

Anya leaned back in her chair. "I was on deck having a cocktail with Mr. Quentin Travers and Mrs. Whitaker at 8:40 pm." The reporter cocked her head coolly. "We were discussing Nemesis until we were joined at approximately 9:00 by Ms. Buffy Summers.

Maggie Walsh scowled before nodding sharply. "You're free to go, Ms. Dickerson, but I warn you, your story will be checked into, and if we find any discrepancies, you will be taken off this cruise."

Anya inclined her head, her expression amused as she watched the older woman turn and leave the room.

Buffy watched the 30 something year old man read a magazine before walking over to take a seat at his table. He looked up before laying the magazine down and picking up his cup of coffee. "Maggie Walsh arrived today," he murmured as he took a sip.

"So I saw," Buffy replied.

"It's an interesting situation... is it not?"

"It is." She gave a faint smile and leaned back comfortably. "It's a shame Anya's not here to keep track of everything."

"Oh..." he glanced over the deck before turning back to her, "I'm sure she's around. I believe Maggie was talking to her earlier."

"Really?" Buffy murmured. "How exciting."

"Yes," he agreed dryly. "It is, isn't it?"

"Of course," she murmured, "if Ms. Walsh singled you out, it might be a little distressing."

He chuckled. "I'm sure our illustrious reporter is pounding away on her keyboard, especially since Maggie was interested in the little chat Anya, Mrs. Whitaker, and I were having last night."

"Really?" Buffy asked with a faint smile. "Imagine that." A comfortable silence fell as they both watched the city of Cabo San Lucas come into view. It was their first stop, and Buffy looked over the shoreline with interest. She felt on top of her game, and what better way to celebrate than with a day of shopping?

The shop wasn't too far from the ship, and the blonde stepped out of the little craft store before trying to rearrange the items she'd bought in her canvas bag.

"Buffy," the call caused her to glance up in surprise before smiling at the man walking toward her.

"Hey," she greeted. "I thought you'd be on the ship waiting for Nemesis to steal the bracelet."

"Nope." Pike gave a shake of his head, a hint of disappointment flashing across his face. "There's a reporter..." he frowned, "Annie... or Anna..."

"Anya?" Buffy offered as they fell into step with each other.

"Yeah. That sounds right. Anyway, she was yelling at this guy that he wasn't going to steal her story and he could forget about Nemesis stealing the bracelet because she'd already said she wasn't."

Buffy looked up with interest. "How'd she know?"

"Something about the FBI filling her in." He frowned before giving a quiet snort. "And then she said something about diamond shoes."

Buffy stopped walking before looking at him with puzzled curiosity. "Diamond shoes?"

"Yeah. It was like she thought Nemesis should steal them or... something."

"Oh." Her eyes glinted with amusement before she tugged on his arm to get him walking again. "I guess they've given up on watching the bracelet then?"

"No. That guy... Angel," he looked at her, and she nodded, "and some white haired guy are watching it."

"Huh..." Buffy mused with a sideways glance, "wonder why they're doing that if she isn't stealing it?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe they're hoping she'll still try."

"Maybe," she agreed before pointing to a little shop. "That's my next stop."

He glanced at the craft shop before shrugging. "Might as well go with... It's not like Nemesis is jumping me or anything."

"Yeah," she answered, "because it's every guy's dream to get together with a criminal."

"Hey, I'm not interested in a long term relationship right now, so anything goes right?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and stepped into the store before grinning as she pointed to a hat. "What do you think?"

Less than impressed, he shook his head. "Maybe for Mrs. Whitaker."

Buffy laughed and shot an apologetic glance at the man behind the counter before looking over the rest of the store with interest.

Spike glanced at his watch before looking over the crowd that had been watching them all day. He rubbed at his neck. "Looks like they're getting ready to lock up." He looked at his partner. "Ready to get out of here?"

"Yeah." Angel picked up the bracelet and looked at the sparkling jewels thoughtfully. It was beautiful... and so was the owner he mused as he carefully slipped it into his pocket and got to his feet. He'd spent the day trying to ignore the audience they had, asking himself how they had gotten roped into watching a piece of jewelry that wasn't going to be stolen... thinking about the owner of the bracelet, thinking about Nemesis, and wondering how the investigation below decks was going. He was more than ready to call it a day.

"There you are," the call came as soon as they stepped onto the deck, and they turned to see a middle aged woman with a scarf pinned around her shoulders walking toward them with determination. Sharp gray eyes looked up into theirs. "Did you catch that horrible woman yet?"

"No," Spike answered as he looked at her curiously. "She didn't make an appearance."

"Then you still have Ms. Summer's bracelet?"

Angel frowned. He wasn't aware it was common knowledge the bracelet was Buffy's. "Yes."

She scowled. "I was so hoping you'd catch her this time. Perhaps a better piece of jewelry would have gotten her attention. Something flashier and with more style." She held up a hand and looked at the jewels adorning each finger, the faceted stones flashing in blue, red, green, and white. The rings were designed to draw attention, almost like costume jewelry... but Angel was sure they were real. That, along with his love of artistry, made it almost painful to look at them as a group.

"Perhaps," Spike answered as he noticed Angel's scowl. "Now if you'll excuse us, we need to check on our colleagues and secure Ms. Summer's property."

"Oh yes... it's not like you should answer to the public. I mean, you just work for a government agency at the taxpayer's expense."

"Uh... yes," Spike replied as he shot Angel a look. "We should be on our way." He motioned, and Angel nodded to her before they started down the deck.

Lindsey frowned at the knock on the door before answering it with resignation. It hadn't been a good day, and when he pulled it open and saw Spike and Angel, he turned back to sit on the bed before dropping his head into his hands.

"Bad day?" Spike asked as he walked into the room.

"You could say that," the brunette answered grimly. Angel closed the door behind him before Lindsey looked up warily. "You guys still have the bracelet right?"

"Yeah." Angel pulled it out of a pocket and held it up before replacing it at Lindsey's look of relief. "So..." he studied the other brunette, "what happened?"

"It was a disaster." Lindsey shook his head. "We thought it was Anya. I mean, we saw a woman wearing her dress entering Riley and your rooms, but when we questioned her with *Walsh* present," he grimaced, "she basically pumped us for information and then gave us an iron clad alibi."

Angel smirked before catching Spike's eye as they exchanged smiles."Hey mate," Spike spoke up, "better you than us." Lindsey groaned and dropped his head back into his hands.

"Did you check the camera in Anya's hall?" Angel asked.

Lindsey nodded. "Someone put tape over the lens at ten after seven last night."

Angel nodded. "Did you get a glimpse of them?"

"Just a dark blurry... something... like maybe a glove." He shrugged. "Nothing to identify or convict anyone."

Silence fell. "And um..." Spike cleared his throat, "Riley's lipstick search?"

Lindsey rubbed the back of his neck. "Forensics is going to do a dna test on the note, but we're pretty sure it was Anya's. She had a stick of it in her room." He shrugged. "That was good enough for Walsh to stop us from searching."

"Uh-huh," Angel murmured knowing Walsh would have hated more pointless publicity for the agency. "So... who's the main suspect?"

"Darla Chambers," Lindsey answered. "We questioned her, and she said she was taking a long hot bath at the time."

Angel's lips pursed. "You know, Linds, she's not the only one that could reasonably fit Nemesis's description."

"No. But she's one of the few that seems to be in all the right locations."

"But not the only one," Spike spoke up. "There's the delectable Ms. Summers to consider."

Lindsey lifted his head. "Buffy? Buffy Summers? he asked incredulously. "You guys almost sound serious. And here I thought you'd gotten over being pulled off the case... especially with what we've been through the last couple of days. Do you know Walsh ordered us to sit in the diner from the minute it opens until the minute it closes?" He shook his head. "She can't steal a pie fast enough as far as I'm concerned."

A knock sounded, and Lindsey answered it. "Hey," he greeted his partner. "You ready to get something to drink?"

Riley scowled at Angel and Spike before glancing back at Lindsey. "Beyond it," he answered.

The three guys in the room stepped out, and the four of them headed down the hall. They walked onto the deck, and Angel couldn't stop from casting a curious look at Riley. "So," he started. "Nemesis left you a note?"

"Yeah."

"Can we see it?" Spike asked. He and Angel hadn't thought to ask about the note left in Riley's room the night before, but in light of everything that had happened, they couldn't pretend they weren't interested in the case.

Lindsey shrugged as they walked along the deck. "Forensics took it, but it was pretty straightforward that she wanted a rain check on our challenge. There was a riddle at the bottom though..." he hesitated, frowned, before reciting it, "Time warp, time slip. Somewhere between the bracelet will be on my wrist, and it was signed Nemesis."

A puzzled silence fell before it was excitedly broken by Andrew as he walked over to join them. "*That* was her note?" he broke in. "A time warp is Star Trek, and," he hesitated, "a time slip is in the Time Warp lyrics for the Rocky Horror Picture Show." He paused before adding with a large grin, "Rocky... do you get it? Diamonds are rocks."

A snort came from their other side, and the agents turned to see Anya looking disdainfully at Andrew. "Talk about stating the obvious," she answered.

Riley rolled his eyes before turning a reproachful look at Spike, "This is why we don't discuss cases out in the open. Delicate information can be overheard."

Spike held up his hands. "I asked to *see* it mate... not discuss it."

Lindsey frowned in annoyance before looking at Riley defensively. "It's not like the news media wouldn't have found out. Nemesis will probably invite them to the robbery."

"Wait..." Andrew broke in. "Nemesis is a man." His eyes widened before he nodded. "Just like in the Rocky Horror Picture Show... " he trailed off before snapping his fingers animatedly. "He wore Anya's shoes. All you have to do is have every guy onboard try them on and you'll find Nemesis." He smiled widely before turning narrowed eyes to Anya. "Unless she actually is Nemesis and managed to pull the wool over your eyes *again*."

"Just how do you know anything about it?" Riley asked threateningly.

Andrew drew back. "I listened at the door while she was being interrogated. The press has a right to know," he answered as he steadily met Riley's infuriated gaze.

"He's right," Anya agreed with conviction, "but he's also an idiot. The press has a right to know, but no man could wear my shoes." She sniffed and looked down at her sandaled feet. "My feet are very dainty."

"Oh yeah..." Andrew challenged, "then what does the note mean Ms. Marple?"

She rolled her eyes before speaking slowly, as if to a small child. "A time warp is an abrupt change in time, in this case probably a jump forward... A time slip is no doubt referring to a loss of an hour. Did it occur to you she wants to steal the bracelet on the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year, and is on June 21st?" She shook her head with annoyance before turning away from the group of men, four of who were looking at her with amazement and one with a frown.

"Just when you think you have someone figured out," Angel murmured.

"Yeah," Lindsey agreed.

Andrew snorted. "I still think it's a man. Her feet aren't that dainty.

June 14th

"Would it kill you to spend some time with me, young lady?" Mrs. Whitaker asked with annoyance. "You know I can change my will at any time, don't you?"

Darla scowled before turning to face her aunt with a smile. "Oh auntie, I didn't know you were on board," she lied.

The older woman narrowed her eyes and gave a cool smile. "Well now that you know, perhaps you can have lunch with your old auntie?" She looked at her watch. "I think they start serving in about half an hour."

"Of course," Darla murmured. "It would be a pleasure."

"I'm sure." Mrs. Whitaker acknowledged. "Now why don't you go get me a glass of juice while I find a couple of lounge chairs?"

"Alright," Darla gritted out before turning to follow her aunt's instructions.

"Buffy?" Riley snorted after nearly choking on his breakfast. "Those idiots think *Buffy's* Nemesis? I mean, I've known her for years. We went to middle school together." He scowled before taking a sip of coffee and leaning back in his chair. "Besides, I'd look pretty stupid if one of my best friends turned out to be a criminal."

Lindsey chuckled and studied his partner. "You'd have as hard a time living that down as Angel's got with Nemesis stealing his car and painting it pink."

"She's not a criminal," Riley rolled his eyes. "It's ludicrous."

"I don't disagree." Lindsey held up his hands in surrender before moving them back to tap on the table as he looked over the other passengers eating late breakfasts. The pies wouldn't be brought out until around 11 o'clock, but after Walsh's order to stay in the diner, they didn't have much choice. He scowled before reaching for the cards Spike had given him yesterday.

"I'll be there," Buffy murmured into her cell as she studied the people entering S'Mores. Mrs. Whitaker and Darla caught her attention and her eyes narrowed even as she smiled. "Two o'clock... right." She paused as she watched the two women enter and take a booth. "I'll be careful. You know that." She gave a sigh as Ethan lectured her before dropping her head back on the lounge she was on. "In about fifteen minutes you can stop worrying about this job," she told him quietly. "That's if you'll let me go so I can start working on it."

She listened before giving a faint smile. "I worry about you too. Now I need to go since I've got the perfect setup. See you at two."

Punching the button to end the call, she flipped the phone closed and got to her feet. She needed to make sure everything was ready before heading into the diner to steal a 'pie'. She smiled as the familiar excitement began to fill her, the one she got when she was pulling a job... or verbally sparring with Angel.

She was sitting in a booth five minutes later watching Riley and Lindsey stare at the dessert bar. She doubted they even realized the following they had. The whole room seemed to know who they were and what they were guarding against.

The door to the dining room opened, and she smiled when Spike and Angel walked in. Her smile widened when they took in the room with a glance before looking at their fellow agents with expressions that were half amusement and half annoyance.

She glanced away and took a sip of her drink, her attention sliding to where Darla and Mrs. Whitaker were sitting a couple of tables away. The older woman had her back to her while Darla faced her. It was perfect... absolutely perfect, and she could hardly wait for the timer to signal the beginning of her newest job.

"Riley... Lindsey," Angel greeted as he and Spike settled at their table. "Any sign of Nemesis yet?"

Both agents shot him frowns before Riley turned back to the smorgasbar and Lindsey sighed. "No, and I can't tell you how embarrassing it is to have to guard a *pie*."

"I can only imagine," Spike smirked as he sat back in his chair and eyed the delicious looking smorgasbar that was now set up for dinner rather than breakfast. "Lucky for Angel and I Walsh pulled us off the case."

Riley snorted. "I'm surprised she didn't put you in charge of watching her parking space after the fiasco with the smoke bomb."

"And we're looking forward to seeing how you get along with your assignment," Spike answered without missing a beat.

"Speaking of that..." Angel got to his feet and glanced at his partner. "We probably shouldn't distract them from their work. Maybe we should get our own table." His head came up as the room suddenly plunged into darkness.

Buffy moved. Her lithe form soundlessly winding through the darkness as the night goggles she'd slipped on showed her where her target was. A minute later, when the lights came back on, she was back at her table, the night glasses tucked into her small clutch purse along with Mrs. Whitaker's broach. There was little time for self congratulations though before the excited chatter was cut off by Riley's warning that no one should leave the restaurant as he hurried to the smorgasbar to examine the pies.

"They're all here," he murmured with a frown before turning to look at the agents that had joined him. His gaze flitted to Darla suspiciously for a moment.

"Looks like it was a false alarm," Lindsey answered as he glanced over the pies.

"Maybe," Angel answered with a quick look at Buffy. She was still sitting at her table. The only hint of her emotions was a faint smile as she watched them, and he frowned thoughtfully.

"What's the *maybe* for?" Riley shot back. "The pies are here. Nemesis is just playing with us."

"Riley." Angel looked at the sandy haired man with a hint of irritation. "Don't you think it's odd that Nemesis warned you she was going to steal a pie? And don't you think the lights going off just now was strange?"

"I don't see what..."

"I don't either," Lindsey broke in. "She said she'd steal a pie and she's always been honest about what she was stealing."

"Yeah but this time it was just so... bizarre." Angel took another moment to glance over the room.

"This whole thing is asinine," Riley muttered as he rolled his eyes. A small hand tugged at his shirt, and he looked down into a little boy's brown eyes.

"Did she steal a pie mister?"

He frowned before shaking his head and crouching down to the little boy's height. "No." Riley tapped him on the nose. "And that leaves more for you."

The boy grinned and looked at the other agents before shaking his head. "She can have my pie," he told them as he puffed out his chest. "She's just like Catwoman and she's my favorite."

Riley scowled. "It's just a matter of time before *Catwoman* goes to jail."

"There's no jail that can hold her," he excitedly told them before waving a beat up comic in the air that had Catwoman and Batman on the cover. Batman was tied to a steel girder as Catwoman stood in front of him tauntingly. "She's my hero."

"Okay," Lindsey broke in seeing Riley's annoyance before turning to the enthusiastic little boy he'd met yesterday. "Maybe you should go back to your table, Robert."

"Okay. But only because Nemesis won't steal a pie as long as we're standing here." He turned and headed back to his table as the FBI agents watched with varying degrees of frustration.

Angel sighed. He felt like there was something he was missing. He cast another glance at Buffy and was surprised to see she wasn't alone. Quentin Travers was sipping coffee with her as Buffy took a bite of chocolate pie. He turned away with a frown. "I think I'll get something to eat." He glanced at his partner. "Coming?"

"Yeah." Spike smirked at a still irate Riley and a scowling Lindsey before turning to follow.

Lindsey watched them walk toward a table before turning back to Riley. "Why do I feel like we're being made fun of?"

"Let them," the sandy haired blonde growled as he shot a dark look at Darla. "It's just a matter of time before we have Nemesis cuffed and behind bars. Then we'll see who's being made fun of when O'Connor gets back his *pink* car."

"What do you make of it?" Spike asked quietly as he took a seat across from his partner.

"I'm not sure," Angel answered just as quietly. "Nemesis has always made it clear what she was stealing. That she said a pie..." he trailed off thoughtfully, and Spike shook his head as he picked up a menu.

"I know it seems ridiculous, but I can't help but wonder what she's up to."

Angel glanced toward Buffy's table only to notice she and her companion were gone.

"I heard about Jenny," Quentin stated quietly as they stood at the railing and looked over the water.

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "Yeah. I was hoping they'd parole her."

"It seems a little personal if you ask me," he answered with a sideways glance. "I mean, with Nemesis's first theft occurring a few days after Jenny's parole hearing."

Silence fell as Buffy glanced at him. She knew his reputation through Ethan. Knew that he was, if not a friend, not an enemy. But how much was he going to reveal, or expect her to confess to? "It's odd," she murmured.

He shot her a smile. "Almost as odd as Nemesis stealing a pie... or the lighting problems the ship seems to be having."

Buffy nodded. "I noticed."

He reached out to take her hand with a soft chuckle before pressing a kiss to the back of it. "Be careful my dear, items can be hard to hide on ships." She met his eyes, and he gave a faint smile. "Of course, we'll be docking shortly." He shook his head. "If only you were a few years older, I don't think I'd let you escape me."

She shot him a smile. "Sometimes it's fun to be caught."

He returned her smile before tipping his hat and moving leisurely down the deck, and Buffy watched him go before deciding to head back to her room. They'd be docking in a couple of hours, and she needed to box her newest acquisition so it could be dropped in the mail. There were also a few other errands she had to do.

It was 1:40 when Buffy glanced over the white sandy beach before sliding on sunglasses and checking her watch. She'd thought she could make a quick run to a post office before meeting Ethan... but it didn't look like she had time for that. She frowned before starting to walk along the beach and missed the FBI agent that was standing on the ship's deck.

Angel slipped on sunglasses and watched for a moment before following. He knew Spike was probably right. The chances of Buffy giving herself away were slim, but on the other hand, she was the most interesting thing around as far as he was concerned.

He didn't notice Snyder watching from the ship's railing, didn't notice the other man's eyes narrow at Buffy or the scowl directed at him when he started to walk along the beach.

Buffy headed to the small outdoor bar and settled under the gently swaying grass roofed shelter. The dark haired man sitting a couple of seats down from her sipped at his whiskey as Buffy ordered a brightly colored drink.

"Thanks," she murmured as it was set in front of her, and she laid some money on the bar to pay for it. A moment later, she glanced at the man sitting to her left who had turned his back to the bartender and was looking over the beach, and she picked up her drink before turning to look as well. "Nice day," she murmured.

"Yes," Ethan agreed as he studied the surrounding area.

Buffy took a sip of her drink. "Anything interesting?"

"Off to your right. An admirer perhaps?"

She glanced toward a small souvenir shop and sighed as she noticed Angel looking over the brightly colored shirts. Turning back toward the bar, she smiled at the bartender before giving a soft laugh. "I seriously doubt it. It's more likely he's waiting for me to make a mistake."

"I would think the challenge he represents would be rather exhilarating."

"It is," she agreed before taking a thoughtful sip of her drink and staring at the colorful liquor bottles lined up behind the bar. "But it's still too bad he's on the other team."

Ethan gave a low chuckle. "Perhaps that's fixable. But in the meantime, I can't think you'd want it any other way."

"In the meantime," she murmured, "it's fine."

He nodded before shooting a last glance at the agent in the shop and turning back to the bar. "I talked to a mutual acquaintance yesterday. It appears he came in on your ship."

"Really?" Buffy glanced over to watch a couple of older women walk by. "Anything interesting?"

"Penn's bosses didn't take the loss well." For the first time he looked directly at her. "It's not a matter to be taken lightly." His displeasure was clear, and she carefully kept her expression neutral.

"The guy was dangerous. He needed to be taken out."

"Yes, but it was hardly your place to do so." She didn't say anything, and he sighed. "You know I'll help you any way I can, but please be careful. I've lost too much already."

Buffy studied her drink intently. She knew everything he'd told her was true and had even counted on it, but Ethan didn't have to know that. She met his eyes before reaching into her purse and pulling out a small box and a pen. Laying the box on the counter, she began to write on the napkin the bartender had left with her.

She slid the little box and note across to Ethan before finishing off her drink. "Thanks for offering to help. I may have to take you up on it." She turned to watch him read the note. "In the meantime though I've got a guy practically begging for my attention. She shot him a smile as she slid the strap of her purse over her shoulder and stood.

She was turning away when he quickly turned to look at her. "You have my cell number?"

Her eyes softened. "Yeah."

"Good," he murmured as he turned to look at the bottles of liquor in front of him. "I believe I feel like a trip to Puerto Vallarta tomorrow." She hesitated a moment to acknowledge his offer before starting to walk toward Angel as Ethan turned to watch with narrowed eyes. He hoped she'd be careful both with the underworld, and the law enforcement she was so intent on playing games with.

"Hey..." Angel smiled when he found himself facing Buffy.

"Hey yourself," she returned before glancing over the merchandise. "Where's your partner?"

"Spike? How should I know? He's probably touching up his peroxide. "

She laughed, her eyes gleaming. She enjoyed this. Out of all the law enforcement that had tried to catch her, Angel and Spike were by far the most interesting... and the only ones that had come close to linking her with Nemesis. She gave a shake of her head. "Do you know what your next case will be now that you've caught Penn?" She suddenly frowned and looked up with calculation. "That was his name wasn't it?"

"No," he answered, "and yeah. Penn Pennington. The guy's going to jail for a long time." He sobered. "He's a murderer, Buffy. The gun we found on him was the one used to kill those kids a few months ago. Whoever took him down was lucky she didn't get hurt."

"So it was a woman?" Buffy asked. "I mean, I knew there was a rumor Nemesis had something to do with it, but I didn't take it seriously."

Angel studied her before glancing at the smiling clerk watching them and making a decision. He pulled a shirt off the rack and handed it to him before quickly paying and starting to walk down the beach with the blonde at his side. "We think it was Nemesis. She," he paused and looked her over pointedly, "couldn't be any larger than you."

She shook her head. "I doubt it was Nemesis. I mean, it could have been a copycat... or even a small guy that wanted to catch Penn without having their name in the papers."

"Maybe," he murmured easily. "One thing's for sure though, they were trained in self defense and don't seem to like weapons."

She glanced at him appraisingly before looking over the beautiful beach. She didn't like that she'd lost her gun, but it had been worth it on at least two counts. The first was getting a murderer off the streets. The second was... well, her reason for creating Nemesis in the first place. She gave an almost vicious smile before turning to look at the guy beside her with appreciation. "Do you think capturing Penn will get them off the hook for breaking into the bank?"

Angel's eyes narrowed as he stared at the horizon, the white sand's contrast to the blue water. "To tell the truth, I think Walsh would be willing to hire her. Of course, it would be *after* the trial and any criminal research we'd need to do."

Buffy couldn't stop a smile or her eyes from lighting up with warmth. "It's good to know not just anyone can get into the FBI."

"Oh no," Angel answered with a grin. "Our screening process is top-notch, but I'm sure you already know that since you and Riley are such good friends."

He wasn't jealous, was he? Buffy glanced at him thoughtfully before turning back to the beach. She and Riley had went through school together. They were old friends that had seen each other through some hard times. She glanced at Angel speculatively. What would it have been like to have known him in school? Would he have been fun to play pranks on? Would he have given as good as he got? "Riley's always enjoyed following the rules," she finally answered. "He was never late for class and always handed his papers in on time."

Angel smirked before glancing at her curiously. "What about you? Were you a problem for your teachers?"

She laughed, the rich sound carried by the wind as they walked. "I passed my tests." She shot him a smile. "As far as doing anything wrong, I learned early not to get caught."

"I think a lot of us learned that lesson," he agreed easily but with an odd regret. He'd found a beautiful, intelligent, challenging woman who he was 98% sure he'd have to put in jail. He pushed the thoughts back. He *could* be wrong, and if he wasn't, there wasn't anything he could do about it. He enjoyed taking criminals off the streets, and if he ever got the evidence on Buffy, he'd put her away. Of course, he might also point out her capture of the Bandit and visit her in prison... might even be waiting with arms wide open when she got out if she'd have him.

He watched as she waved at... Quentin Travers, he decided as he squinted into the sun. The slightly older man waved back as he continued his walk.

Despite the fact Andrew was still sitting in S'mores waiting for Nemesis to steal a pie, Anya decided to take a break. It wasn't like she was sluffing off her duties. It was more about wanting to enjoy a little of the cruise... Besides, the story she'd just faxed to her editor would no doubt keep her reputation as The Gabby Gossip's number one reporter safe for months.

She smiled as she opened the door to her room before abruptly stopping when she noticed the folded sheet of stationery laying on the floor, and she glanced over the empty hallway before reaching for it.

She was busy snapping photos of the note Nemesis had left her a few minutes later before going into the hall to look for the security camera she'd learned about in her FBI interview.

The black tape over the lens made her laugh and she took a couple of pictures before almost running back to her room.

She carefully hid the camera in a suitcase before glancing over the room and locking the door. She needed to find the agents working on the case.

"What?" Riley asked as he looked at Anya before getting to his feet and turning to Lindsey. "I'll be back. Just... watch the pies," he ordered before starting to follow the reporter out of the diner. He didn't get far before Andrew jumped into his path.

"If this is a reporter's conference, I demand to be let in on it," Andrew stated as he frowned at Anya before straightening his shoulders and looking at Riley. "I work for 'The Daily Scoop'."

Riley stared at him incredulously before taking a step forward. This case wasn't going at all like he'd hoped. It was humiliating... and frustrating... and he couldn't wait to put Darla Chambers behind bars. He glanced over the curious stares they were getting before turning back to Andrew. "You're interfering in an FBI investigation," he hissed. "I'd advise you to go back to your meal and stop blocking my path."

Andrew paled and walked back to his table before shooting a glance at Lindsey. He was still sitting with a bored expression near the smorgasbar, and the reporter turned back to his food. At least they both hadn't left.

Buffy glanced over her shoulder and grinned as she saw Angel trying to get across the small stream without falling in. She slowed before turning in time to see him slide in up to his knee. "Impressive," she taunted, "I don't know how any criminal could get past you."

He looked up and shook his head before slogging through the stream and up beside her. "Oh, I get the job done... just not always gracefully."

She laughed and started walking down the small path they were on as he fell in at her side, his shoes squishing with each step. "You know you didn't have to come with me," Buffy admonished. "You could be standing in a tourist trap right now, or tanning on the beach instead of hiking with me through the wilderness."

"But where would be the fun in that?" he murmured as he frowned at his shoes before turning to her with a faint smile.

"Uh-huh." She glanced at her watch. "The ship leaves in an hour, you know... and if we want to be on it, that means we jog the rest of the way."

He glanced up and caught her smile before she started to jog ahead of him, and he took a moment to enjoy the sight before catching up with her. "So," he started as he jogged easily at her side, "you turned me down for dinner the other day."

"But we kind of," her nose wrinkled as she wondered if the late lunch they'd had qualified for dinner, "did that today."

"Yeah," he agreed. "So do you want to have drinks tonight?"

"You mean like a date?"

"You could call it that," he agreed with a flash of a smile.

Her heart sped up at the same time warning bells went off. She liked the guy jogging at her side, liked him enough to know he could hurt her... badly. She also knew there was no way she could turn him down without regretting it... even if he was more interested in putting her in jail than dating her. "Alright," she accepted quietly before glancing into warm hopeful eyes. "I'll meet you at eight in The Dive if that's alright."

"Perfect," he shot her a blinding smile before ducking out of the way of a branch.

Spike walked into the ship's largest bar and looked it over impatiently before spotting his partner and heading toward his table. "I've been looking all over for you."

Angel looked up. "I wasn't on the ship. What's going on?"

Spike sat down behind a half full glass before leaning across the table. "Do you remember the lights blinking in the diner this morning?" Angel nodded, and Spike continued, "That was when Nemesis stole her pie."

The brunette gave a slight shake of his head. "She didn't. Riley..."

"It wasn't that kind of pie," Spike interrupted. "It was Mrs. Whitaker's *Phillip* *Ian* *Emerson* broach."

"What?"

"Mrs. Whitaker has that scarf she always wears." Angel nodded. "Well, there's always a broach pinned on it. The maker of the broach is Phillip Ian Emerson, and the initials for that are?"

"P.I.E.," Angel breathed. "There must have been capitals in the original note."

"Right. And you'll never believe how they found out."

"Mrs. Whitaker noticed it was gone?"

"No. Anya Dickerson received a note stating it had been stolen along with a photo of the broach. She told McDonald and Finn. They asked Whitaker about it, and from what I hear, she's not a happy camper."

Angel rubbed at the back of his neck with a thoughtful frown. "Nemesis told Anya..."

"Yeah, and I've got to tell you, Lindsey and Riley are now following Darla Chambers," he murmured as he glanced over the table, and the two glasses on it before looking curiously at Angel. "Do you have company?"

"Buffy," Angel murmured as he turned to look at the dance floor.

Spike followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow when he saw the blonde dancing with another guy. "And how are things going?"

Buffy's smile had less to do with Pike and more to do with the dramas playing out in the room. She could see Spike talking to Angel and had a pretty good idea what was being discussed. There was also Lindsey and Riley who had just entered behind Darla.

It was obvious that Anya had gotten her note and clued Riley in on what was happening, and the results were highly entertaining. An arm slid around her waist, and she looked up into hazel eyes. "You're beautiful," he murmured. "If we hadn't decided to be friends, I'd suggest calling it a night."

Her shining eyes dimmed as she focused her attention on her dancing partner. "And if we hadn't decided to be friends, and I wasn't here with another guy, I might take you up on it."

He shot a glance at Angel before stepping back as the song came to an end. "Well, then... I guess I should let you get back to your conquest."

She laughed, her eyes gleaming as she reached over to squeeze his hand. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah." He smiled before they turned toward their tables.

"Hey," Buffy greeted as she took her seat, the one Spike had just gotten out of, took a sip of her drink. Dark eyes studied her, and she tried to ignore the wave of heat that it caused.

"You look hot."

"Yeah," she agreed as she shifted. "It's a little warm in here."

His eyes never left her as he took a sip of his drink. The feelings running through him weren't easy to pin down. He felt frustrated that Nemesis always won, amused at her latest prank, conflicted about her catching Penn, and incredibly attracted to the woman sitting across from him. All of them together were overpowering. He finished his drink before noticing his partner was buying three beers, and he cringed before turning back to Buffy. "You know... I'm sorry, but I still have your bracelet. Would you like to go get it?"

She looked up curiously. She'd been planning on mentioning it to Riley but hadn't gotten around to it, and now it surprised her to find out Angel had had it all along. "Sure." She slid out of the booth. "Just lead the way."

Dark eyes studied her, and her eyes sparkled with amusement. Of course, she already knew where his room was, but she wasn't about to advertise it.

"It's in here," he announced as they walked into his room before he headed toward the little wall safe. The lock clicked open, and he reached in for the bracelet. "I'm sorry I didn't get it back to you sooner. It was just... yesterday was a little crazy with..." he broke off. He hadn't returned it yesterday because he'd been too interested in what the forensic team had found, and today he'd gotten off the ship to follow her, but what was the point in telling her something he thought she already knew?

"It's fine..." she answered with a warm smile. "I'm just glad Nemesis didn't steal it."

His eyes narrowed before he walked back to her side. "Can I?"

She held out her wrist, and he slid the bracelet around it before taking the time to fight with the small latch. She drew in a breath when he was finished, and the soft sound had him looking up before leaning down to kiss her.

They'd danced around their attraction for hours, and now neither was willing to pull away from something they both wanted... at least not until a few minutes later when Angel's hand was sliding the skirt up her thighs. It reminded her of the scar, and she couldn't help but wonder if he'd engineered the whole day to get a look at it. "Angel..." She pushed against his chest. "I'm sorry. I can't do this."

He stayed where he was and looked at her with a frown. "Buffy, I won't..." he broke off as his eyes narrowed with understanding, wondering why he hadn't thought of it earlier. If she had a cut on her thigh, it would almost be a dead give away to her alter ego. He took a breath. Right now he'd give a week's salary to take away the little bit of evidence he'd bet money was there.

"Wait," he murmured as they locked eyes in the dark room. "Please wait." He leaned in and kissed her forehead before quickly moving off the bed and digging through the suitcases on the closet floor. "I..." he broke off when he saw she was halfway to the door before swiftly moving to slide something light and cool into her hand. "Wait," he pleaded again before moving back onto the bed and laying down.

Buffy stared at the cuffs before looking at the dark outline of the man waiting for her, and she walked back to sit on the edge of the bed. "Are you sure? You don't strike me as the kind that enjoys bondage."

"I'll try anything once," he answered before giving a faint smile. "Besides... what woman doesn't want to be in control?"

Buffy's eyes darkened, and her answer wasn't in words. She used his silk shirt to pull him into a sitting position before nimbly unbuttoning it.

Angel didn't make a move to help, perfectly content to let her take control. She pushed on the material, and it easily slid off before he laid back down and let her cuff him.

June 15

The knock on the door came at 8 am, and Angel finished dressing before going to answer it.

"Spike," he greeted as he pulled the door open. "Something going on?"

"That's what I'd like to know," the bleached blonde answered as he walked into the room and glanced at the rumpled sheet before turning to look at his partner. "You disappeared last night with our number one suspect." He gave a smile before dropping into a chair. "Did you get a look at her thigh mate?"

Silence fell before Angel scowled and broke it. "No."

"So she wasn't interested?" his partner asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't say we didn't have sex Spike, just that I didn't get a look at her thigh."

"And here I thought you had some kind of special talent where women were concerned. I mean, you've practically got *Nemesis* eating out of your hand mate."

Angel shot him a look before disappearing into the bathroom to shave. "I was cuffed," he answered matter-of-factually, "and blindfolded."

Spike sat up. "Are you kidding me? Summers doesn't look like the type... and how could you be so careless as to let her..."

"That's just it," Angel broke in, "I *let* her. She was going to back out. I got out the cuffs and she didn't have a problem after that."

Silence fell, and Spike got up and walked over to stand in the bathroom doorway. "I know it's not really evidence, but it's a little suspicious, isn't it?"

Angel snorted. "You don't think she just wanted to be in control?" He glanced at Spike before turning his attention back to shaving. "It doesn't mean much does it?" he asked quietly.

"No, not necessarily," Spike answered as he watched Angel closely before frowning and walking back into the other room. He thought of Angel as a brother, and while he knew his partner wouldn't hesitate to put Buffy in jail if she turned out to be a thief, he hoped he wouldn't have to.

"I know who Nemesis is."

The quiet words caused Lindsey to start in surprise before a paper was shoved into his hand and the man who had spoken started off the ship as if he hadn't just dropped a bombshell.

Forcing himself to read the note instead of going after the guy that had given it to him, Lindsey hesitated before glancing at his watch. The note said to meet him in half an hour, and there was a simple map drawn out below it. That was a meeting he wasn't planning to miss. It didn't even occur to him that it could be a trap.

Buffy was off the Summer Wind within a couple of hours of it docking, and she walked along the water line, the hard packed sand and waves suiting her mood as she thought about her night with Angel. It wasn't until she was out of sight of the ship that she heard the gun cock behind her.

"Ethan's little protege," Darla sneered as Buffy turned to look at her. "I never understood that you know? I mean, why they fawned over you like you were the greatest thing..." she broke off. "Well, there's bigger fish in L.A. than Ethan Rayne." She met Buffy's eyes and gave a slight shake of her head. "All they wanted him to do was pay a percentage of his take, but they have other plans for you."

Buffy was still frozen with surprise when she looked from the gun to the blonde holding it. The thought had occurred to her that Darla might have betrayed Ethan and Jenny, but she'd dismissed it. Now she found herself seriously regretting that dismissal.

"That way." Darla used the gun to motion toward the tree line, and Buffy slowly bent down to put on her shoes before doing as she was told.

The metal building they came to about fifteen minutes later was old with brush growing up against it. The thinly graveled drive that she could see winding through the trees was also in disrepair. Darla shoved her toward the door, the barrel of the pistol clearly felt through her thin shirt. "Don't be shy," the blonde stated with a hint of malice. "The party's inside."

Buffy shot her a look over her shoulder before pushing the door open and forcing herself to step through it.

The first thing she noticed was Lindsey. He was tied and gagged in the center of the room. She took a moment to take that in before looking at the other two men, one sturdy built with black hair and the other shorter and balding. She didn't know the black haired man, but the shorter one, she decided, she did know. Reginald Snyder. The manager of The L.A. Strip, a strip club that had made the paper recently on a case of possible tax evasion.

Her attention went back to Lindsey and she swallowed uneasily. If these were Penn's associates, they were beyond dangerous... and there was no way they'd let an FBI agent live after kidnapping him and allowing him to see their faces. Her heart hammered as a film of sweat began to cover her.

"Well well well... Nemesis isn't it?" Luke smiled unpleasantly. "So nice of you to pay us a visit."

"If you mean me... I was in the neighborhood," she answered before turning toward Snyder when she noticed the look he was giving her.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," the shorter man murmured in a low voice. "I'd hate to think you weren't going to like your new job."

"And that would be?"

"You see, Ms. Summers, you've left us a bit short handed. When you caught Penn for the FBI, we lost one of our best thieves. We find ourselves needing a replacement... and who better than you?"

Oh, yes, Buffy decided as she locked eyes with Snyder... they knew who she was, and thanks to his confession, she knew who he was too. Her gaze slid to Lindsey. She was desperately worried about him, but she needed to be careful, the FBI weren't her friends. She looked back at Snyder and gave a shake of her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do, Ms. Summers. I'm certain of it." Snyder paused before taking a step closer. "This is what's going to happen. We're going to turn on a video camera," his dark eyes dug into her green, "and you're going to empty a gun into Mr. McDonald. When you're done, we'll shut the camera off and escort you back to the ship."

The knot in her stomach tightened, and her suddenly dry throat made it difficult to swallow as she fought to stay on her feet. "I won't."

The sound of a gun being cocked had her looking at Lindsey as Luke pressed a gun to his head a moment before Darla's dug into her own.

"That's an option," Snyder agreed, "but then we'd have to kill both of you." She tore panicked eyes away from Lindsey's before looking into Snyder's cold smile. "Now," he continued, "what's your decision?"

She fought for calm. She might be a thief, but she wasn't a murderer. She'd simply gambled and lost. "I..." she broke off when Lindsey imperceptibly shook his head before giving a slight nod as his eyes drilled into hers.

She took a breath, hesitated as she stared into them before slowly taking the gun Snyder was holding out to her, and she gripped it with sweaty palms. "Alright," she agreed even as she prayed she wasn't making the biggest mistake of her life, prayed that Riley's lectures had trained his partner to be 'by the book'... and that he'd be wearing a bulletproof vest. "I'm not who you think I am, but I like living." Her eyes flew back to lock onto Lindsey's.

"Good," Snyder broke in cheerfully as he and Darla moved out of the camera shot. "Let's put on a show for the camera, shall we? Before you kill him, tell him 'Nemesis always wins'."

She took several breaths before slowly raising the gun and leveling it carefully at his heart. Lindsey closed his eyes, and Buffy said the damning words and hesitated only seconds before pulling the trigger. Five more rounds followed, and when she dropped the gun, Lindsey sat motionless, his head hanging limply as blood quickly soaked through his shirt. Her knees gave out, and she stared dizzily at the dirt floor before throwing up.

Snyder picked up the gun and slid it into a plastic bag before sealing it and turning to Lindsey. None of her shots had hit the same place. They were scattered with several inches between them, but there was one... He smiled. "Straight through the heart." He turned to Luke. "Our newest recruit's a hell of a killer."

"The boss will be pleased." Luke shut off the camera and moved over to where Lindsey sat tied to his chair. "One less FBI agent to worry about." He smirked as he nudged the brunette with a foot. There wasn't any movement, and he turned away to look at Buffy. "You say *anything*, and we'll see you're convicted for murder one. Keep your mouth shut, and you'll be fine."

Silence filled the room before it was broken by Snyder as he glanced at his watch. "We've got four hours before we have to be back on the ship." He looked down at Buffy before looking at Darla and Luke. "I suggest we stop at a bar and celebrate."

"Yes," Luke agreed as he walked over to take a hold of Buffy's arm and pull her to her feet.

She was still trembling when Luke 'escorted' her back to the ship, the brunette taking his time walking along the beach until it seemed to Buffy like they'd walked for hours. He didn't leave her alone as he walked her to her room, and stayed with her until the ship left port. The only consolation she had was that he didn't talk to her or touch her. He sat quietly, his dark eyes so different from Angel's... or Lindsey's as they drilled into her. He didn't let her out of his sight, and her eyes flickered up when he left, the door closing quietly behind him.

Five hours, she reminded herself, it had been five hours since she'd emptied a gun into a guy that had been becoming a friend. She got to her feet and dug through her bag with more than a hint of hysteria before unsteadily punching out a number. "Ethan," she started shakily when he answered the phone. "I need your help."