Spike adjusted the tinted reading glasses that were perched on his nose. Wesley had suggested them to cut the glare from the computer screen on his sensitive vampire's eyes. He figured he looked a right nit with them, but they did cut back on the pounding headaches he'd been getting. Then, the phone rang. "Hello?" He never did remember, or care about phone answering protocol at work. "Daria McBride? Yeah, I heard of her, some rich bint, ain't she? So what's it got to do with the research department?" The quizzical look on his face was starting to give way to a self-satisfied smirk. "So, you're calling in the cavalry, are you? Don't bust a garter, I'll be right up." Whistling, Spike threw his glasses on the desk, grabbed his duster, and headed up to Angel's office.
&&&&&&
The original Angel team, minus Cordelia, and plus Spike, were assembled in Angel's office. And, unbeknownst to them, Rose, as well. She'd heard just enough from Wesley's end of his phone call to pique her curiosity. Truth to tell, she had felt a little miffed that she hadn't been included in the invitation. Then, there was the new client.
Daria McBride had a figure that a fashion model would kill for, and a face to match, framed by an elegant, raven-black coiffure. Every movement was studiously graceful, and the neatly tailored clothes screamed money in an understated way. Rose felt a stab of loathing for the woman, even though she knew nothing about her. This puzzled her somewhat. She had never felt such an instant antipathy for someone, at least not since she'd last had a run-in with a demon. And whatever this woman was, Rose doubted that she was a demon, or someone would have mentioned the fact.
Spike had been the last to arrive, being the last called in. And as soon as he had entered the office, his eyes had almost been pulled to gawk at the client. Hell of a looker. He went and leaned against the front of Angel's desk, as if it were his office, rather than the pouf's.
Angel concentrated on ignoring Spike. "Ms. McBride, I know it's upsetting, but could you please tell your story to my staff?"
The ebony-haired beauty crossed her legs, and Spike noted that they were very nice legs, and began speaking in a voice that matched the packaging. "It's been just.., awful," she faltered, looking at those assembled in turn. Rose noticed that she passed by trying her pitiful look on Fred. The performance must be entirely for the benefit of the males present. "I can't even stay anywhere for more than a day or two." There was a delicate sniff, and she dabbed at dry eyes with a lace edged handkerchief. "There's someone.., something, after me. I think it's a demon."
That caused most of them to prick up their ears. Fighting demons had used to be their daily fare, now, it was a rare delicacy, and a welcome change from the corporate responsibilities.
"I don't dare even go back to my own home," she went on. "Everywhere I go, it shows up, saying awful things, threatening me. I don't know what to do. I know you're really a law firm, but a friend told me that you might have the expertise to help me." Again with the puppy eyes, although on this circuit, her glance seemed to linger on Spike, who answered it with a smirk.
"Excuse me, Ms. McBride," Wesley interjected. "But might I inquire if you or someone in your household has been dabbling in the black arts?"
"Not that I'm aware of," she replied. "Why before all this happened, I would have dismissed a story like mine as just that, a story." Her gaze went to Lorne. "I didn't think there really were such things as demons."
Angel fiddled with some papers. "Here's a detailed description of the demon, Wes," he said, handing one of the papers to the Watcher. "See if you can find out what makes it tick."
"Will do," Wesley assured him. "Ms. McBride. A pleasure." With a nod of his head, he finished the formalities and left.
"Fred," Angel turned to the scientist. "Gather up whatever equipment available to detect, deflect or deter demons. I want to get it installed at Ms. McBride's residence as soon as you can."
"No problem," Fred breezed. "Nice to have met you." She too, made her exit.
"Lorne?" Angel turned to the Pylean. "Can you check with your contacts and see if there's any word about what's going on?"
"Good as done, Angelcakes," Lorne replied, and hit the door without making a farewell to the client.
Before Angel could go on, Gunn stepped in. "Can't see that you have any need for a lawyer," he said. "At least, not yet. So I must be here to draw up a service contract."
Angel nodded, and Gunn went about his occasions. That left Spike.
"So, what's left for me?" Spike asked.
"Heading up an ops team," Angel said. "I want Ms. McBride guarded twenty-four seven until we can get rid of the demon." He exchanged a glance with his fellow vampire. "You'll be in charge of the night shift, of course."
"Of course." Spike looked out the fancy magic windows, and saw that the sun was already setting. "Since my shift's just coming on, then maybe I ought to escort the lady home."
"It's a place to start," Angel agreed. Spike was getting awfully cocky, time to take him down a peg. "Do you want me to let Rose know where you've gone?"
"Oh bugger," Spike muttered. Consternation registered on his features. "Yeah," he finally agreed, a little shamefacedly. "Let her know. And can she stop along with you till I'm done with this gig? I don't want her to be alone."
Angel raised an eyebrow at that. Rose didn't really need protecting any more, and Spike knew it. "If she wants to," he replied. "Are you sure you want to do this, Spike? I mean, it's not like Rose needs..,"
"I'm sure," Spike interrupted, before Angel could blurt out his sweetie's particulars in front of the client. "Just tell her I asked her to, okay?" It wasn't, he reflected, that he was leaving Rose in the lurch. They could still have some time together when he was off his shift. But he didn't like leaving her alone. He offered Daria McBride his arm and escorted her out.
Just as Angel was wondering how he was going to get in touch with Rose without sitting and waiting for the specter to appear, she did. "Consider the message delivered," she said, then vanished again.
&&&&&&&
Rose followed the car along until it pulled up in front of an imposing residence in an equally imposing part of town. Now she knew where Spike was, and that was all that mattered. She went back to Wolfram and Hart.
&&&&&&
"Hello, Angel, I'm sorry I left so abruptly," Rose apologized, reappearing in Angel's office.
"Damn." Angel had been signing some papers, and the sudden advent of Rose had startled him into marring his signature. "What was all that about?"
Rose looked perplexed. "What was all what about?" she asked.
"You leaving like that," he explained. "It's not like you to just pop in and out like that. Where did you go?"
"I just wanted to see where Spike was going to be," she answered, suddenly looking a little shy. "I mean, just in case..,"
"How much did you hear?" Angel inquired. "And, by the way, I'm sorry I didn't think to include you in the conference."
"I was here for the whole thing," she admitted. "Before you can ask, Liam, I have no intention of inflicting myself on you. I'll be fine, and I really don't need a place to stay."
"It isn't an imposition," Angel insisted. "You're more than welcome to hang around my place, Rose, you know that."
"I know." She gave him a warm smile. "And if I wasn't the current spook, I might even take you up on the offer." A puzzled look crossed her face. "I wonder why Spike thought it was necessary?"
"Maybe he just wants to know that you'll be with someone who cares about you," he suggested. "Well, either way, it's up to you. But if you decide not to stay with me, will you please do the explaining to Spike?"
Rose's face fell. "Explain? To Spike?" She hadn't considered that part of the situation. "Maybe I will stay with you after all," she remarked. "That might be easiest."
Angel laughed softly. He thought she might change her mind. "Until then, maybe you could give Wes a hand with the research?" he suggested.
&&&&&&
"Nice digs," Spike observed, trying to keep the awe out of his voice. Having spent the last few months in the posh offices of Wolfram and Hart helped. He'd stuck close to the client, while the rest of the team automatically took up positions around the grounds. Silly that, he thought. Demons didn't generally come up the drive and through the door. They just appeared. And if the demon was pestering the McBride dame, she was where any action would be. He followed her from one plush room to another until they wound up in a very cozy living area.
"Well, Mr…," she let it hang, prompting him.
"Spike," he answered. "Just Spike. Not Mister anything."
"Spike then," she rejoined, giving him a coy smile. "Would you like a brandy?" She went over to a discreetly sumptuous little bar and poured herself one, then waited, looking at him expectantly.
Spike hesitated. He wouldn't mind a brandy, that was certain. But there was a little matter of drinking on duty, or some such. If he screwed up, he doubted very much that the ponce would give him a second chance. On the other hand, it wouldn't do to offend a client, who was most certainly paying them substantial amounts of money. "Thank you," he said politely. "I think I will have a brandy."
It struck him as slightly incongruous that Ms. Moneybags was doing the grunt work herself. "No offense," Spike observed, "but don't you have servants?"
"Most of them have left," Daria said. "Do sit down, Spike." Spike took his drink and sat on the nearest available piece of furniture, which happened to be a love seat. She joined him, sitting even closer than the confines of the seat dictated. Spike tried to surreptitiously scoot away from her, but there wasn't anywhere to scoot to.
"So," said Daria, leaning closer, "Who is this Rose that you and Mr. Angel were talking about?"
"She's my.., girlfriend," Spike replied. God, that sounded lame. But he couldn't think of a word to describe the very center of his existence. To cover his confusion, he took a sip of the brandy. Good stuff it was too. Obviously the lady didn't believe in sparing expenses. But he did wish she wouldn't act like she was coming on to him, discounting the fact that some of the looks he had given her had invited such behavior.
"And you want your.., girlfriend to stay with another man?" she pressed on.
Spike was trying to think of a diplomatic way to tell her to mind her own business. He downed the rest of his drink. In a rather abstract way, he noticed that she hadn't as yet touched hers. That and the fact that she was getting awfully fuzzy.
&&&&&&&
Wesley tried unsuccessfully to hide a yawn.
Rose looked at him sympathetically. "Why don't you call it a night, Wesley," she suggested. "You're half asleep as it is."
"I'm fine," he lied. "I've pulled many an all-nighter in my time, miss." Another yawn nearly snapped his jaw. "I think I could definitely do with some coffee, however," he remarked.
"While you're getting that, maybe I'll just pop in and check on Spike," Rose said, a little too casually. When Wes gave her a look, she lowered her eyes. "I'm not going visual, or anything," she muttered. "And it's not that I don't trust Spike. I just want to see..," her voice softened and trailed off.
Wesley gave her an indulgent smile. "Going into withdrawal?" he suggested.
"Something like that," she admitted. "I won't be long, I promise. I should be back before you've gotten your coffee."
"Run along," he answered. "I guess the research can wait a few minutes."
&&&&&&&&
Rose popped into the house she'd seen Spike and Daria McBride enter. She tried to reason out where in the house Spike might be. Her estimation of the time she would be gone might have been a bit optimistic. She wandered from room to room, and not only was not finding Spike, but to her growing alarm, she didn't see anyone at all. When she'd finally gone through every room in the upper floors, a task expedited by the fact that she didn't have to rely on doors for ingress and egress, she at last went to the basement. Though what they could be doing there, she couldn't even begin to guess.
&&&&&&&
Spike woke up chained to a wall. Oh bloody hell, he thought. Why was it that someone or something was always so keen to chain him up? He gave the chains an experimental tug, but not only were they solidly fixed in place, but they also gave him a little tingle that suggested that there might be some kind of spell on them as well. "Piss," he muttered in disgust.
"I see you're awake," Daria remarked calmly. "I was told that as a vampire you'd metabolize the sedative fairly quickly."
"So, what's the deal?" Spike asked. "You doing some kind of spell that needs a vampire sacrifice?"
She turned up her nose. "You are terribly self-centered, aren't you?" she observed. "It isn't about you at all, Spike. I require something vastly different. You're just the bait."
"Bait?" he said weakly. He had a sudden, nasty churning sensation in his gut. Admittedly, Angel and the others might go to some lengths to rescue him, but there was only one person he knew of who would do anything to save him. How this bint knew anything about Rose was beyond him, but it must be Rose that she was after.
"Bait," she repeated. "I don't know how long it will take for you to be missed, but I'm guessing that your Rose will be the first to miss you." She gave him a blood-chilling smile. "But since I don't like letting things wait until the last minute, time is something we have plenty of. Make yourself comfortable, if you can." And she left him hanging there, her mocking laughter filling the air.
As soon as Daria left, Rose appeared. Spike was horrified. "Rose, luv, you've got to get out of here," he said urgently. "Didn't you hear what was going on? She set a trap for you, and I can't imagine that she wants you for any good reason."
Rose was staring at him equally horrified. It was one thing to see the man that she loved chained up like an animal, but to know that it was because of her, it was almost too much to bear. The only reason she could bear it was because there was no other option Besides, Spike needed her. Flying in the face of sense, she laid her hands on the chains in a futile attempt to free him. The air around them was suddenly almost buzzing with the feel of a spell released.
"Hell and damnation," Spike muttered. "It must be some kind of alarm. Please, pet get the hell away from here."
"I'll go get help," Rose promised. She faded from view. After a couple of minutes, she was back.
"What happened?" Spike demanded. Even if she had just talked to one of the men on the ops team, she hadn't had time to explain anything.
"I can't get out of the house," she replied. She was starting to sound really frightened. "I tried, Spike, I really did. But I can't get out." A creak of hinges announced that someone was coming.
"Sodding hell." Spike looked at his lady helplessly. Once again she needed rescuing, and he was unable to supply it. "Well if you can't get away, sweetheart," he whispered. "I'd suggest hiding."
"Oh, I guess that's a good idea," she conceded. "But I'm going to stay near by you, love." She faded.
&&&&&&&&&
Wesley barged into Angel's office without knocking. "Angel, I think we have a problem," he announced. "The demon you gave me a description of is so utterly feeble, not to mention not even found in this dimension, that there is no way that it could be troubling Ms. McBride."
Angel looked puzzled. "Why would she lie about it?" he asked rhetorically. "What does Wolfram and Hart have that she could want?"
"I haven't a clue," the researcher admitted. "But I'm afraid I do have a slightly more pressing worry. Rose is gone."
"What?" Wes definitely had Angel's full attention now. "Start talking."
"I went to get some coffee, and Rose said that she was going to look in on Spike," he began the tale. "She wasn't even going to show herself, I think she just wanted to see that he was all right. She promised that she'd be right back. Even if you take into consideration that it might have taken her some time to find him, well, it's been over an hour since she left. And I can't imagine Rose being so deliberately inconsiderate."
Angel fought back a wave of panic. "Get the others up here now," he ordered. "I'm not sure just what this McBride woman is up to, but all of a sudden, I'm really sure that I don't like it."