Monday 9 AM:

Marcus Hamilton put down the phone and stared thoughtfully out the window before his lips twisted into a smile, and he got to his feet and walked four doors down the hall before pushing open the one with Walsh's name on it. She was lying on the sofa, her calves on the cushioned armrest as she stared at the ceiling.

"What?" she asked as he stepped into her office.

He closed the door and shrugged. "I hear you got a delivery last night."

She scowled and got to her feet before smoothing the wrinkles out of her skirt and walking to the window. "It was on my porch."

He nodded. "A box containing Penn's ear." Silence fell, and he dropped back to lean against the wall before giving a shake of his head. "He was killed *days* ago and, from what I hear, Darla got his tongue." He looked at her with amusement. "That's kind of sick... What did you do with it?"

"I tossed it in a creek," she answered with a sharp look at her coworker. He chuckled, and Lilah scowled. "I don't see anything funny about it."

"From where I'm sitting, it's pretty hilarious."

"Well, you're not the one they're threatening to kill if Darla doesn't confess to being Nemesis," she answered.

"No, I'm not." He looked at her with a smile before giving a shake of his head. "All I'm saying is, better you than me."

Annoyance ran through her before she walked over to sit at her desk, pick up a pen, tap it thoughtfully against a notepad. "Nemesis is a done deal. Darla's confessing to that... but I was thinking..." she broke off. "Why couldn't the whole case against Perry, Snyder, and Wilkins be a setup?"

"Why would anyone do that?" he asked as he walked over and sat in the chair opposite her.

"The mayor's race is close," she murmured. "I propose that Holtz is working with Summers and McDonald to frame Wilkins."

"Isn't that a bit of a long shot?"

She stared at the ink blotter before looking back up. "We only have Summers and McDonald's word for what happened in Hawaii. They could have lied. All we know for sure is that McDonald missed the ship and joined her in Los Angeles."

Silence fell. "That might work for Hawaii, but what about the Mayor's excursion with Jenny?"

She shrugged. "Wilkins was trying to find a stolen treasure trove and return it to the rightful owners. He *is* running as the anti-crime candidate. What better way to prove his commitment to the people of L.A.?"

"And the illegal guns his people were packing, not to mention how he managed to get Jenny out of jail?"

"A publicity stunt with a thief," she answered derisively. "The warden would no doubt allow such a circumstance if he felt there was some good to come of it. As for the guns... I think McDonald and Summers could have planted them in plain sight of the hunting expedition." She paused for several long seconds before looking up with satisfaction. "I mean, I'm not sure, but if it turns out Summers had something to do with the mayor's idea to look for the Rayne stash... then that would give her opportunity... And, of course, if the mayor's party stumbled upon a couple of loaded guns in the area, they'd pick them up."

"Adam shot at Summers."

"An accident. He was trying to damage the boat she and Jenny were running toward. He might have managed to do that if McDonald hadn't stopped him."

Silence fell again, and Hamilton cocked his head. "What about Luke at Holtz's house?"

"Another setup. Holtz was already tied to the chair when Luke arrived, and once again there was a loaded gun left in plain sight of anyone entering the backyard. Perry picked it up and noticed the door to the garage was cracked open. He entered and found Holtz. The cops arrived soon after." Lilah dropped the pen on her desk. "McDonald showing up completed the scheme. He, Holtz, and the cops could then testify that it was Luke who was the criminal. From there, it's easy to tie everything to the election."

Hamilton nodded thoughtfully. "It's a bit farfetched, but it's possible."

"Not that farfetched," she disagreed. "There would be a lot of people willing to believe Kate Lockley and Amy Madison are dirty... McDonald as well. Of course, Summers..." she paused for a moment. "She lost her parents two years ago and could have been an easy target for Holtz to take advantage of."

Hamilton stood and paced over to look out the windows. Cars were driving by and pedestrians were hurrying to their destinations. "McDonald was shot in Hawaii."

"Yes, but he was shot by Buffy Summers. I believe there's video to prove it."

"Why would she do that?"

"To help frame Snyder and Perry as dirty... and, by extension, Wilkins. I don't think I need to point out that McDonald was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time and was never in any real danger. I'd also think if their story was genuine, Summers and McDonald would have gone to the cops either in Mexico or in the United States. Instead, they didn't tell anyone so they could continue their charade."

"Very well done," he murmured with admiration.

"Yes, well, it needs work here and there, but it all comes down to reasonable doubt."

"And what are you going to do about the search warrants?"

"Search warrants?" She looked up sharply.

"Didn't you know?" He turned away from the window and back to her. "They went into Snyder and Perry's offices and homes at six am this morning." She didn't say anything, and he gave a faint smile. "From what I understand, they were looking for firearms, any links to illegal drugs, a video camera, footage of what happened in Mexico, and certain documents they believed to be in Snyder's office." He walked to her desk and gave a charming smile. "One of which, I believe, is a written article that could link the mayor to the possible murder attempt on Holtz... who, as you mentioned, is his opponent in the mayor's race."

"And you think Holtz is squeaky clean?" she almost snarled. "He's not."

"Ah yes, I remember the disappearance of his first wife. But what's a pious family man to do when faced with adultery, and divorce isn't an option?" Undisguised amusement flashed in his eyes as he looked at her. "As I recall, the rumors at the time ranged from her being murdered to her running away."

"She didn't run away," Lilah answered.

"No, probably not," he agreed before glancing at his watch and looking back at her. "I look forward to how this all turns out, but I have an eleven o'clock appointment with Andrew Holtz." He gave a smile. "It seems he's thinking of hiring legal counsel in case it's needed down the line." A moment later, he turned and left the office.

Tuesday afternoon:

Spike stepped into the conference room the seven agents had taken over, took a moment to toe the door shut and juggle the pizza boxes he was holding before spilling the news he had. "Darla confessed to being Nemesis. I'm pretty sure the higher-ups will want a press conference to make it official."

Lindsey gave a smug smile as Riley threw a fist pump. Xander grinned before giving Gunn a high five, and Angel looked up. "Did she name her accomplice?"

"No." The bleached blonde put the boxes down and arranged them on the table.

"Having the accomplice would be good," Xander agreed as he walked over to flip open a box before picking up a slice, "but as long as we've got Nemesis herself, it's the main thing, isn't it? We can always clean up the rest later."

"Yeah," Angel agreed, "except we don't have Nemesis. Spike and I met her, and she's not Darla."

"Are you kidding?" Riley asked. "She was in the bathroom when the smoke bomb went off, at the Sunnydale bank when the bandit was caught. She was driving a car that could have been yours on the same night, and past the same location where the painting was stolen. She was also sitting with Mrs. Whitaker on the day we think her broach was stolen on the Summer Wind." He hesitated, ran a hand through his hair, looked back up. "We got the right woman."

Silence fell before Lindsey got to his feet. "Speaking of Nemesis." He walked over to his coat. "I felt a little uneasy about picking the lock on Darla's storage shed." He slid a hand into one of the pockets. "I mean, Walsh is right, we couldn't have used any information that came from an illegal search. That's why I put a trail camera across from her unit." He pulled out a little memory card and held it up with a grin. "I picked it up this morning and haven't even looked at the footage yet."

"Let me see it," Riley ordered. Lindsey pressed the card into his hand and the blonde inserted it into his laptop before punching a couple of buttons. Five pictures came up, and he punched the first one as they all moved to watch the screen. It was of an older white haired man walking in the gravel between the storage units. The second was a couple of men going into a different storage locker and hooking onto a boat. The third showed a semi-trailer being backed in front of the camera, the long, unmarked trailer taking up the entire picture. The fourth was the trailer leaving about 6 minutes later, and the fifth was Lindsey taking the camera down.

"That doesn't make sense," Lindsey stated with a scowl. "Your car was there Angel, she had to leave in it."

"She spotted the camera," Spike spoke up, "used the trailer to block it, and probably to haul Angel's car away."

Angel leaned back in his chair. "That's got Nemesis's mo all over it." He gave a shake of his head. "Darla's probably involved, but she's not the girl we talked to."

"For what it's worth, I don't think she is either," Spike spoke up, "and I've also got questions about whether *Nemesis* would be caught with a trunk full of stolen items."

Still miffed that he hadn't caught Darla on camera, Lindsey snorted and ran fingers through his hair. "What's there to question? Nemesis likes to take chances... It's just that this time she got caught. I mean, it could have happened when I was driving Angel's car around town... and I wasn't doing anything she hadn't already done." He frowned and picked up a piece of pizza before sitting down.

Angel glanced at him before rubbing at the back of his neck. He'd spent time looking over his car after forensics had gotten done with it. It looked as good as new. Other than being painted pink, Nemesis hadn't damaged it. He frowned before looking at the pizza box Spike pushed toward him and picking up a slice. "Maybe," he finally offered before silence fell as the agents thought about the case.

Two days later: Thursday 1 pm

The room they were working in was fairly silent except for an occasional comment about one topic or another, the scratch of a pen, the rustle of papers. Gunn frowned before looking up. "I've got another reference to 'Big Daddy'. Have we figured out where that phone number goes?"

Xander looked up, set back in his chair, and snorted. "If the information I got is right, it goes to governor Benson's personal cell phone."

Heads came up, silence fell before Lindsey rubbed at his forehead and gave a humorless smile. "Can you imagine how mad Walsh would be if..." he broke off when the door opened and his superior walked into the room and laid a few papers on the large table they were sitting at.

"I thought I'd bring in Daniel Holtz and Ms. Summers' statements," she stated.

"Buffy's back?" Riley asked with sharp interest.

"Yes. She came in a couple of hours ago with Rupert Giles."

"Is she okay?" Angel asked.

"She's a little worse for wear, but given enough time, she should be as good as new."

Spike settled back into his chair thoughtfully before looking back up. "What about Jenny Rayne?"

"We haven't located her yet. Ms. Summers said they became separated once they reached land." Silence fell, and she turned to look at Gunn. "Ms. Rosenberg informed me a short time ago that the brake line on your car was cut."

Gunn looked up with hard eyes and nodded. "I thought it would turn out to be something like that."

She met his eyes before looking at Riley. "Did you meet with the mayor yet for follow up questions?"

"No. I had a meeting scheduled with him yesterday and he didn't show," Riley answered.

"Keep trying, Mr. Finn." She glanced over the rest of the room. "This is a high-profile case, ladies and gentlemen... and I want it airtight." She turned away before leaving the room.

Thursday 7 pm

She hadn't even been back in town nine hours when the knock came at her door, and she hesitated uncertainly before going to answer it.

"Can I come in?" Angel asked as he looked at her searchingly.

"Yeah..." She took a shuffling step back and allowed him in before taking a couple of awkward steps on her crutch to close it. A moment later, she turned to him with a hint of unease. She hadn't recognized any of the agents she'd seen when she'd given her statement, and now wondered where she stood with the ones working her case. "You, um... didn't happen to bring handcuffs did you?" she asked with a forced smile.

"Always," he answered before glancing down at the bruise he could see below her shorts, a bandage disappearing under the material where he thought the scar would be. Silence fell, and he looked back up. "I read your statement. It pretty much matches what Lindsey told us."

She turned to hobble toward the sofa before carefully sitting down. "Well... that's good isn't it?"

"Yes." He followed her lead and sat on the recliner. "You've probably already heard that Darla Chambers pleaded guilty to being Nemesis?"

"Yes."

He nodded as he looked her over thoughtfully. "I wish you'd told me what was going on."

"They would have *killed* you Angel." She shifted her sprained ankle into a more comfortable position.

"It's my job."

"I know. It's just that there wasn't any need to bring you into it... and I already had Lindsey." She scowled at the look he gave her. "Hey... We got the bad guys and no one got killed."

"You could have been though." He took a breath. "I need..." he closed his eyes before opening them. "Luke was in your room for a long time, Buffy. Did he hurt you?"

Silence fell, and she had to force herself to meet his eyes. "No. That was the night I shot Lindsey... and he didn't trust me to keep my mouth shut about it. We just sat in chairs for a couple of hours, and when the ship left port, he warned me I'd go to jail if I said anything. At the time, I didn't know if he was alive or dead." She gave a slight shake of her head. "That was one of the worst nights of my life."

"That was the night you called Bernanke, right?"

"Yeah. The connection wasn't the best, but I was able to find out that Linds was still alive. He couldn't tell me for sure if he'd live or not though."

Angel settled back into his chair before rubbing at the back of his neck. "We need to get his statement, Buffy. Can you tell me how to contact him?"

"I can give you the phone number he gave me, but he might have changed it by now. He's a little eccentric." She looked up and watched him carefully.

Angel lifted an eyebrow. "How eccentric?"

"He's not... really... an FBI agent. I mean, he likes to pretend he's one, but he's not. The only way I knew how to contact him was that we ran into each other at the bar at Mazatlan and he gave me his number."

"Was he the guy sitting beside you while I was looking at shirts?" Angel asked.

"Yeah." She couldn't stop from remembering what else happened that night and found herself wondering where she and Angel stood.

"Walsh won't be happy if we can't get a hold of him," he finally answered.

Buffy hesitated before shrugging. "I don't see him very often, but he's a friend, and was available to help out that night."

He nodded as a silence fell before he looked back at her. "You sent Lindsey to pick up milk, Buff?"

"Problem?" she asked with a frown.

"It is when you do it right after getting a call that killers are coming to your house."

She stared at the floor. She hadn't realized he'd overheard that, but it would explain how he'd turned up at the old Rayne homestead. Silence drug on, and Angel studied her.

"I'm curious..." he started when she *still* didn't respond, "what did you have planned the night they wanted you to rob the bank?"

"Pretty much what happened," she answered as she stared at the floor.

"So you intended on getting arrested?"

Her eyes narrowed. No... She'd intended on robbing it, but... She gave a slow shake of her head and told the truth. "I've never robbed a bank in my life. What other outcome do you think there would have been?"

"All I want's the truth." He looked away before looking back. "The camera you found at the strip club, did you find it, or are you the one that snapped the pictures?"

"You mean you think I walked into Snyder's office and started digging through documents?"

The doorbell rang, and Buffy started to get to her feet.

"I got it," he told her before getting up and walking to the door. He glanced at the two guys waiting before inviting them in.

"Buffy." Riley walked over to pull her to her feet before wrapping his arms around her. "What were you thinking?" he asked quietly.

"She was thinking she had a damn good partner," Lindsey broke in and hugged her when Riley let go. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah... Just ready for it to be over."

He nodded and stepped back before giving her a smile. "Well, I've got to tell you, I'm glad you were on our team."

She smiled awkwardly, before slowly sitting back on the sofa. "Glad I could help."

It was around an hour later when another knock came at the door, and Angel went to answer it. Buffy looked up with surprise at the guy that walked in. "Pike?"

He shook his head and grinned. "I couldn't believe when I read you were involved in the mayor's treasure hunt, Buff. I mean..." he broke off, hesitated. "And Darla's Nemesis?" He took a seat and looked over the guys already there. "Good to see you again, Riley." He looked at Lindsey curiously. "And you're McDonald, right?"

Lindsey nodded, and Pike studied him. "Glad you're okay. Everyone thought you were a goner."

"Yeah... for a while I thought I was too."

Pike nodded and looked at Riley. "I read in the paper that Darla's getting marriage proposals. Are you going to throw your hat into the ring?"

Riley rolled his eyes. "No. Who in their right mind would want to marry a criminal?"

"Marry her... maybe not, but dating's something else. I mean, Nemesis might give you a wild ride, you know?"

Buffy stared at him with disbelief before noticing Angel was watching her, and she turned back to her old friend. "She'd probably have a gun pointed at you on the first date."

"If she did, I know you'd save me." He grinned flirtatiously. "I mean, Nemesis is good, but you took down the mayor." He studied her before turning to Angel. "Who do you think would win?"

"Nemesis," Riley broke in with a roll of his eyes.

"I don't know," Lindsey started as he leaned back in his chair. "You could say that battle's already been fought. Darla's in jail."

Buffy studied them before turning to Pike. "You're here because you need a place to stay, aren't you?"

He grinned. "My roommate kicked me out for the night, Buff. Do you have a spare room?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah."

Friday 9 am:

Snyder watched Lilah dig through her briefcase before sliding a couple of large photos across to him. One was of the mayor with a bullet hole through his heart. The other was a close up of a piece of a finger with a familiar gold ring on it, diamonds in the shape of a W. He looked at them for a long moment before pushing them back to her.

"Circumstances have changed. Someone's killing people, and they want this case closed. You're pleading guilty to... everything," she informed coolly. "If you don't, you can find a new lawyer and take your chances you don't end up like Penn and Wilkins."

"Have you talked to Luke?" Snyder asked with a scowl as he leaned back in his chair.

"He's fighting it," she answered coolly. "They have a lot more on him, and he's willing to take the chance." Silence fell. "It's up to you, but I want your answer before I leave today."

Snyder stared at her angrily, and she looked back coolly. "Fine," he finally forced out.

She nodded and adjusted the sleeves of her jacket. "I think we should try for a plea deal. We'll give them everything we have on the mayor, and they'll probably knock a few years off your sentence."

"You mean I should agree to testify against him?"

She nodded. "As far as they know, he's still alive."

"What about Luke?"

"He's not my concern anymore... but if he lives long enough to go to court, I think you should agree to throw him under the bus. If we're careful, I think we can work out a deal with the DA to keep your cooperation quiet." She looked up at him. "Wouldn't want you to be labeled a snitch, would you?"

He stared at her before giving a shake of his head, and her lips twitched into a cold smile. "Alright. I'll talk to Nest and we'll see what happens." She picked up her bag and got to her feet.

Buffy finished blow drying her hair before glancing down at the ugly bruise on her hip. The small scar from Penn's knife was almost centered in it, and she studied it thoughtfully before using some moisturizer on her hands and arms. She turned away from the counter and slid on the fitted t-shirt she'd picked out before following it with a matching dark green skirt that fell about mid-calf. A moment later, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and tied a light green scarf around her waist before starting out of the bathroom, still favoring her swollen ankle.

A week had passed since she'd made her statement to the FBI, and she felt like she was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Darla may have confessed to being Nemesis, but that didn't mean she couldn't take others down with her. There was also the mayor, Snyder, and Perry to worry about. They all knew who she was... She was half expecting to get a knock on the door, and when it came, she went to answer it with trepidation.

"Hey," Xander greeted with a smile as he walked in carrying a glossy white sheet cake and being followed by the six other agents with him.

"Um... hi," she answered as they filed in before she closed the door and warily turned toward them.

Gunn glanced up from where he was standing near the sofa. "The only ones not working on plea deals are Perry and Wilkins, and with what we're getting from Adam, Snyder, and a few drug dealers around town, we pretty much have airtight cases against them."

Fred nodded and turned to the blonde. "We've even got a video showing a meeting the mayor had with some of the dealers."

Buffy looked at them with confusion, and Xander smiled as he set the cake on the coffee table. It's tradition in some of our larger cases to celebrate with a cake when we close them. As far as I know, you're the first one that's not law enforcement to join us."

"There's been an informant or two," Lindsey spoke up, "so we're not totally blowing up tradition. But I think Buff was more of an agent on this one."

"You um... closed the case?" she asked cautiously as she looked at the *seven* FBI agents in her living room. "So that means there won't be any more arrests then?"

"Who else would we arrest?" Spike asked as he studied her intently.

Buffy didn't respond, and Lindsey glanced up and looked at the uneasy blonde before snorting. "If you're worried about our breaking into Chambers's storage unit, Buff... don't. I mean, Walsh isn't thrilled, but she's more upset with me than you... and Darla isn't even aware of it." He watched Xander cut several large pieces of cake before starting to place them on paper plates.

"You got that right," Gunn stated before he thumped Lindsey on the back and turned to Buffy. "Technically Fred," he motioned to the girl beside him, "and I were looking into what happened to Linds, but we were following Perry, and working with O'Connor and Pryce... who were working with Harris and Finn... so we get some of the glory for the bust." He walked over and held out his hand. "From what I understand, you'd make a good agent."

Buffy shook it with a cautious smile. "I think there might be too many rules for me."

Riley rolled his eyes. "That's the truth," he breathed as he picked up a plate, and watched as Buffy walked over to sit on the sofa.

Fred took a bite of cake. "This is good," she murmured.

"Yeah, it is," Gunn agreed after he'd taken his first bite.

A companionable silence fell, and Buffy dropped her gaze down to the four pieces of cake left on the table.

Xander picked one of them up before turning to look at her. "There's just something we can't quite figure out... You wanted Linds to pick up *milk* after Snyder called?"

She didn't look up. "Yeah," she answered slowly before giving a shake of her head and looking at Lindsey. "I figured if they saw you, they'd probably try for a head shot, and I..." she broke off, swallowed, "I didn't want to give them that option."

"So instead you decided to meet *killers* on your own?" Lindsey pressed with a scowl.

"I have money, Linds. I thought if they figured out I wasn't Nemesis, the most they'd do would be blackmail me for it."

Spike locked eyes with Angel for a long moment before walking over and picking up a piece of cake. "And the pictures on the camera Buff?" the bleached blonde asked. "That was just really convenient, wasn't it?"

She shrugged. "Snyder's office was about 6 doors down from the girl's changing area... I think just about anyone could have gone in and taken pictures."

"It wasn't locked then?" Angel asked.

Her lips twitched up as she stared at the two pieces of cake. "I... I don't know."

Silence fell, and Angel studied her with narrowed eyes.

"The cake's good mate," Spike stated as he looked at his partner. "You should have a piece."

Angel looked at Spike before looking at Buffy. A moment later, he picked up a fork and plate, and she stared at the last piece.

"You know, Buffy," Riley started. "I realize you don't like rules, but it would have been safer if you'd let us in on it."

She nodded. "And then I could have had the FBI giving me orders as well as Snyder and Perry."

"We give orders because we know what we're doing," Riley answered.

She looked up. "Did it ever occur to you that I didn't want to take them?" Silence fell, and they all stopped eating as they turned to look at her.

"Well, I'm sure Angel and I would have fallen in line," Spike answered as he studied her intently. "In fact, I'm pretty sure we would have wanted your opinion on everything having to do with the case."

Buffy shot him a look, and his eyes glinted with amusement. "Why don't you have a piece of cake luv?"

"Are you still offering one?"

"Yes," Lindsey answered as he shot a look around the room.

Buffy stared at the cake before slowly reaching out to take it.

Five days later: Saturday 2 pm

Giles settled back into his chair. He was delivering on Buffy's request for a favor... Maggie Walsh's interest in the same proposal was icing on the cake as far as he was concerned, and he looked at the two men in his office with sharp eyes as he waited for their responses.

"If you're asking us to take cases outside of our jobs, sir, we can't do that," Angel stated.

"I didn't believe you could," Giles answered. "What I'm suggesting is that you consider opening your own investigation business." Silence fell, and the older man casually reached for his cup of coffee, took a sip, looked back up. "I believe you could do quite well for yourselves, and I'm certain I can throw more than a few cases your way."

"That would be risky," Angel answered with a frown before glancing at his grinning partner. "There wouldn't be a guarantee we could make a go of it."

"No there wouldn't," Spike agreed, "but I've got to admit it would have its perks." He looked at Angel with a gleam in his eye, and the brunette rolled his before giving a shake of his head. It *could* work, and the freedom certainly appealed.

"What kind of cases are we talking about? Angel asked, turning back to Giles cautiously.

"The usual kinds... I've gotten cases ranging from cheating husbands to kidnapping and murder." Silence filled the room, and Giles glanced pointedly at his watch. "I suppose I should also inform you that I've got a meeting with Finn and McDonald in a few minutes."

"Finn?" Angel asked incredulously.

"Certainly. He and McDonald are as well known as you and Pryce." He gave a calculated shrug. "I believe they could also be successful at running their own agency." He hesitated and studied them with sharp eyes. The bleached blonde wouldn't be a problem, and Angel... he looked more annoyed about Finn than anything. "I'm not suggesting you make up your mind now. It's a big step, but I'd be quite pleased to create a partnership with a good solid investigation team, and..." he smiled deprecatingly, "as eager as Buffy is to take on some of my cases, I'm more than a little hesitant to turn her loose on them without backup."

"Buffy?" Angel asked sharply.

"Yes. She's quite pleased with her recent excursion into crime solving, and now seems to want to be involved in some of my more puzzling cases."

Angel looked thoughtful and nodded as Spike got up to shake the lawyer's hand. "Will do, sir. Just don't give away the best cases."

Giles looked at Spike with amusement. "Yes. I must remember that."

They were almost to their car when they spotted Riley and Lindsey pulling into the parking lot. "Hey Angel," Spike got in and snapped his seat belt, "we're taking him up on his offer aren't we?"

"Maybe," Angel answered as he started the car and pulled out of the lot. "I mean, it's a big step, but I've got to admit, the idea of working with Buffy appeals."

Spike stared out the windshield before giving a shake of his head. "That doesn't exactly send me running either."

Angel glanced at him, his lips twitching up before he turned his attention back to the road.

Two weeks later:

Buffy glanced at the caller id on the phone before punching the button and putting it to her ear. "Hey, Giles."

"I got the call today, Buffy. They've decided to give Maggie their two week notices tomorrow."

"Angel?" she asked almost cautiously.

"Yes."

Buffy laughed and did a fist pump. "Yes," she breathed.

"It seems all four of them are going to be working together, and I believe will do well with their own business." Giles leaned back and studied the wall with narrowed, thoughtful eyes.

"I'm sure of it," she agreed. "It's not every FBI agent that can claim busting the mayor."

"Or Nemesis," he answered.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm still not sure I'm out of the woods on that yet. I mean, Darla..."

"Darla is an admitted thief, who was brought up by her rich aunt because her parents spent their half of the family fortune. She feels entitled to luxuries she can not afford and resents your wealth, Buffy... Even going so far as to try to make you take the rap for being Nemesis as she put a gun to your head and forced you to shoot an FBI agent. If she were ever foolish enough to try to point the finger at you, let's just say she'd regret it."

There was a coldness to his voice that made her give a slow shake of her head. "I'm glad you're on my side, Giles."

"That will always be a given," he answered without hesitation.

She nodded and watched car lights flash across her living room before going to the window. "I'm pretty sure Riley just pulled in. I've got to go."

"Ah...Yes... such a fine, upstanding young man," Giles murmured.

She snorted. "He needs work, but..." she broke off. "Okay... Lindsey, Angel, and Spike have more potential, but I'll work with what I've got." She watched him park and get out. "Got to go, Giles. Thanks for everything, and bye." She listened for a moment before punching off the phone and going to answer the door.

Tara Maclay smiled at the four guys standing on the Hyperion's lawn. "This is a bit of a fixer-upper, but it's a steal." She worked the key, pushed the door open.

Angel looked at the old building with a frown before following as the realtor stepped inside. "We really don't need a hotel, do we?"

She looked at him, tucked hair behind her ear. "It had 70 rooms at one time, but the current owner bought it a couple of years ago with the idea of putting in apartments, and he managed to get four nearly completed." She watched as they looked over the lobby.

"It's got nearly new central air, and some appliances and cabinets that were bought new and put in storage." She glanced down at her paperwork. "The plumbing was redone, it has a new roof, and has been rewired." She looked up and glanced over the lobby. "It still needs some work, but it's got all the basics covered."

Lindsey looked thoughtful. "Four rented apartments could help pay for the place. And if it doesn't work out, we'd at least have some income... especially if we reopened some of the hotel."

Tara smiled. "There's no grass to mow." She motioned toward a set of double doors at the end of a short corridor. "When Tom bought the place, it had a small area of grass, but he put in a patio and barbecue grill... a privacy fence." She hesitated. "It's practically begging for some tables... maybe an awning..." she broke off. "Although there's a little shade from the stairs and second floor landing. Tom put them in as a fire escape. Renters can either come into the lobby to get to their rooms or use the stairs in the back."

Spike walked down the corridor and stopped at the double doors that looked into the backyard. "Well, we know it's got a pretty nice parking lot," he murmured thoughtfully as he glanced critically over the patio.

Angel looked at the lobby again before walking over to look into the office.

"We could put up some wall divisions for offices, and still have a decent sized lobby," Riley murmured.

Lindsey nodded. "Actually, if we decide to go with this place, I wouldn't mind taking one of the apartments."

"Fred might want one," Spike spoke up. "She's always complaining that her neighbors are loud."

Tara listened with a smile before starting to walk up the stairs toward the apartments. "Tom really wants to sell. I mean, he'd like to get back what he's got in the place, but he's willing to deal."

Riley started to follow before glancing at the landing they were moving toward. "I talked to Buffy a few days ago, and she said she wanted in on it if we decided to buy a place. We'd each only have to come up with a fifth of the price."

"You're kidding right?" Lindsey asked as he turned toward his partner.

"No." Riley reached the top of the stairs and started down the hall. "I'm pretty sure she's trying to butter us up so we'll take her on cases." He snorted, rolled his eyes, and glanced over his shoulder. "She'd probably blow our cover on the first stakeout."

"She might need some work," Lindsey answered as he started up the stairs, "but she's not that bad."

Angel slowly turned to look at Spike's smile before shaking his head and turning away with a grin as he glanced over the lobby. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to make an offer on the place."

"My thoughts exactly, mate," Spike stated as he started up the stairs.

"Giles, it's been a while."

"Yes," the answer came over the phone. "I merely wanted to thank you for taking care of Penn... and the knife for me while I was out of town."

"Of course," Quinton answered. "And I suppose you've heard that the mayor seems to have disappeared."

"Let's just say he's resting in peace now."

Quinton laughed. "You haven't lost your touch then?"

"No, not yet."

Quinton leaned back in his chair. "That's good to know, my friend. I thought we'd lost you for a while."

"I don't have a problem with law enforcement, Quentin, as long as I agree with the outcome of the investigations."

The slightly older man smiled with satisfaction before changing the conversation.

The End