The Evil That Men Do

Author: MeB (aka XanWill4Ever-Michael B)

Email: lenoxfiles@hotmail.com

Spoiler: Majority takes place in the summer after the First Season. There are scenes that takes place some time after Lovers Walk from Season 3. There may be some slight AU, but not much.

Summary: Willow loses her memory and finds help from a private investigator in Boston.

Disclaimer: The characters from Spenser For Hire belong to Robert Parker. All characters from Buffy tVS belong to Joss.

Disclaimer Note: The Lost Boys idea is borrowed from the movie "The Lost Boys" which starred Keifer Sutherland. The actual characters in this story are just four vamps who saw the movie and they simply took the name for themselves.

Rating - R - SL/V/AC

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9

SPENSER

It was bound to happen sooner or later. I had thought it would have been later. I would have preferred it not to happen at all.

Willow had just shown me the "X" she made and she was excited about it. And yet that excitement quickly evaporated from her eyes as she looked at me with concern. Suddenly, I doubled over in agony. The pain was so great that waves of darkness washed over me. I fell onto the floor, and I'm not certain, but I think I may have cried out.

I saw through a foggy haze as I laid there on my back Willow rushing toward me. She kneeled beside me and her long hair brushed over my face. A tear fell from her eyes and it dropped onto my cheek. She looked so frightened, so vulnerable, I tried desperately to regain control of my body...but I couldn't.

That was the last thing I remembered right before the darkness swallowed me whole and I lost all consciousness.

________________

SCOOBIES

Hawk fully intended to twist Angel's head right off from his shoulders just as he had with Little Mikey, thereby turning him into a pile of dust. Angel, however, did not particularly like those intentions. He had only meant to talk to the big, black badass, but lately, he had come to realize that every time he tried to strike a conversation with someone he didn't know, his life was on the line. Angel brought up his hands and he knocked Hawk's arms aside. By doing so, he was able to keep his head attached to his shoulders. He opened his mouth to say something, but Hawk sent a fist into his face.

Giles and Xander had been behind Angel. They caught him as he fell back. But when Hawk sent a flying kick to Angel's chest, all three of them tumbled to the floor.

Hawk looked at the trio closely as they struggled to their feet.

"Now there's something you just don't see every day," he growled. "Two white boys who are human accompanied with a pale-faced vampire." He grabbed Xander by the front of his shirt and held him up from off the floor. He glared into the boy's face. "When I see humans with demons, I think Brotherhood." As he held Xander up with one hand, he used his other hand to raise Xander's right hand. He gave the back of his hand a look. "But I don't see no tattoo's."

Xander stared at Hawk. "B-Brotherhood?" He grinned nervously. "Me? No! No, I'm not...I'm not a brother, brother." He chuckled. "I'm simply Xander. Xander is me."

Angel looked at Hawk. "Put him down."

Hawk tossed Xander into Giles and they fell to the floor once again. Giles was really becoming quite annoyed by this.

Hawk decided to focus his attention on the vampire. As they faced each other, they began to circle around as if looking for the best method of attack. At least that's what Hawk was looking for.

"We're not your enemy," Angel tried to tell him. "We just want to--" He ducked as Hawk sent a fist at his face. Angel grabbed the man's arm and he rammed his knee into his side. Then Angel flipped him over and he sent him falling hard onto the floor.

Hawk, however, was quite fast. He was back on his feet in no time. He shoved Giles into Xander and sent them falling to the floor a third time. Then he snap-kicked Angel in the chest. Angel fell against the wall. As Hawk moved toward him, Angel pushed himself from the wall and he tackled Hawk. Angel had used his head to smash into Hawks stomach, but it proved to be a bad move on his part. He felt Hawk's arms start to wrap around his chest. The next thing he knew, he was upside down and Hawk fully intended to drop him on his head.

Well, Angel had seen the WWF, too, and he wrapped his legs around Hawk's neck. Then he pulled with all his might and the two men crashed to the floor. They came apart, rolled away from each other and quickly got to their feet.

Once again, they faced one another.

"You don't know what's going on," Angel snapped. "Fighting me is only wasting time."

Hawk regarded him. "You're not like most vampires," he said to Angel. "Your fighting is defensive. Never met a defensive vampire before. They're always aggressive. Wanting to feed." He paused. "You also want to talk. Is that what you do before you feed?"

Angel shook his head. "I'm not here to feed."

"W-we're not your enemy," Giles said to Hawk as he cautiously moved forward.

Xander brushed himself off. "At least, we don't want to be."

"Why are you here?" Hawk demanded. He looked at Angel closely, prepared to attack or defend himself if necessary. He personally preferred to attack, but his gut hunch was telling him that this trio was not what they appeared to be.

There was something about them.

"We-we're looking for someone," Giles responded hesitantly. "A girl."

Hawk frowned at Giles. "You're looking for a girl." Then he turned his hard gaze to Angel. "Is this girl a snack for you?"

Angel looked horrified. If it were possible, he even looked paler. "What? No! No, she's not a snack! She...she was kidnapped. We just want to bring her home where she belongs."

"In case you didn't know, you are a creature of the night. You do realize that, don't you? You expect me to believe that you are trying to help this girl find her way home?" He looked at Giles and Xander. "Why are two humans and a vampire together as a team?"

Giles stepped closer to Hawk as he held a hand toward Angel. "Let me h- handle this." Putting his own life on the line, he stood right in front of Hawk and sincerely hoped that the man would not decide to toss him again. Three times was enough. "M-my name is Rupert Giles. This--" He pointed at the boy. "--is Xander Harris. A-and the vampire is Angel."

Hawk's face was neutral. "A demon with a name like that could be very misleading."

"P-perhaps so. But he is not looking to harm anyone." Giles hesitated. "He has a soul."

Hawk blinked. "Vampires do not have souls."

"Well..." Giles removed his glasses and looked at Hawk, "this one does."

Hawk turned to regard Angel. "How can that be?"

Angel took a cautious step forward. "A long time ago, I was cursed by gypsies. They restored my soul."

"They restored your soul?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"And you call that a curse?"

Angel nodded again. "Yes. I do. For me, it is a curse."

Hawk was curious. "Why?"

The vampire with a soul hesitated. "I have to live with the things I have done before my soul was restored. Every day. For about a hundred years, I have existed, knowing about the pain and suffering I had personally afflicted upon others."

Hawk looked thoughtful. He paused. "Are you trying to tell me that you haven't fed on a living soul for a hundred years?"

"Cattle. Rats. Plasma." He shrugged. "I manage."

Hawk grunted. He turned to Giles. "Tell me about this girl."

Giles nodded. "Of course. She-she has long red hair, and green eyes. Her name is Willow Rosenberg, and--"

Hawk chuckled.

Angel, Xander, and Giles looked at him in alarm.

"What's so funny?" Xander got brave enough to ask.

Hawk turned his head to look at the boy.

Xander took a step back, just in case.

"Jane Doe saw a tree," Hawk explained. "The tree was a Weeping Willow and she seemed to like the name 'Willow' better than she did 'Jane'."

"J-Jane Doe?" Giles inquired. "But isn't 'Jane Doe' usually reserved for...the deceased?"

Hawk nodded once. "Deceased, yes. But that name is also given to those poor girls who have lost their memories."

"W-Willow has amnesia?"

"Uh-huh. That's right, Professor."

Giles looked at him funny.

Angel tried to block out the images of what he had seen at the Funhouse outside of LA. "Is Willow safe?"

Hawk nodded. "Willow is safe. But she has to be moved."

"They're looking for her. S'ushi wants her back."

"Where are you staying?" Hawk wanted to know.

"The Sheraton."

Hawk turned to look at Giles. "You and the boy go back there and wait."

Giles and Xander both wanted to protest.

"Stay there. Your friend Angel and I will bring Willow to you and that's only when I'm fully convinced she'll be safe with you." He looked at Angel. "You'll come with me."

Angel nodded. "I haven't got a problem with that." He turned to Giles and Xander. "It's a good idea, Giles."

Giles reluctantly agreed.

"We have to go back the way we came?" Xander asked with a hint of worry in his voice. "What if those other vamps are still around?"

Hawk pointed down a side tunnel access. "About thirty feet this way, you'll find access to Boylston Street. Get out into the light of day. The Sheraton will be two blocks down. You won't miss it."

They turned to go but Xander hesitated. He turned to look at Hawk. "Wait a minute..." He took a deep breath. "Look...I've got to know. You tell us that Willow is safe. But...is she okay? Has she been hurt?"

Hawk regarded him. "Are you Willow's boyfriend?"

He shook his head and grinned nervously. "No. But she's...Willow is my best friend. And I've been going crazy thinking about what might have happened to her. What she must have gone through before she was found."

"Don't think about what she went through. Willow is safe now and she is in the care of someone who will give his own life for her. That's really the important thing now, isn't it?"

Xander nodded slowly. "Yes. It is."

"We'll see you soon." Hawk turned, and he and Angel disappeared into the tunnels.

Xander joined Giles and together, they returned to the Sheraton to play a game they hated to play.

The Waiting Game.

***

Hawk and Angel soon found themselves in a dark alley. Across the street where the sun was shining brightly was an old firehouse. Hawk had explained that it had once been-obviously-a firehouse, but then it had been renovated into Spenser's apartment. Now it was just empty.

At least it had been until now.

There were two men standing in front of the entrance of the old building and five others had gone inside.

"They're looking for Willow," Angel said knowingly, "and this Spenser you mentioned." In spite of being in the shadows of the alley, the sun still hurt his eyes as he looked toward the firehouse. He turned his head and he looked at Hawk. "Who is Spenser?"

"The most baddest white boy in Boston," Hawk responded. "He's a gumshoe. A private investigator. Used to be a bluecoat."

Angel puzzled over that. "'Bluecoat'?"

"Cop." Hawk saw movement through one of the second floor windows of the firehouse. "Willow was put into Spenser's care by Martin Quirk, a police lieutenant, and the reason being...If any one can find out who Willow is and return her to her home, that would be Spenser." He paused. "Looks like Billiard's boys is planning to leave."

Angel looked at him. "'Are'."

Hawk gave him the look.

"Well, it's just that you said 'is planning', but you should have said 'are planning.'" Angel frowned. "But you know that, don't you?"

Hawk didn't say anything.

"Sorry." Angel squinted as he once again forced himself to look across the street.

Five men joined the two out front and they looked quite agitated. The men then piled into two separate cars and they began to drive away. Angel wasn't certain who this Billiard was, but he figured the man was a thug working for S'ushi Alyssia.

"We may have an hour," Hawk replied. "Maybe less."

Angel regarded him. "For what?"

"Before they find out where Spenser really lives." Hawk pinned Angel with a hard gaze. "You say you haven't killed or fed from a human in a long time. Is that true?"

Angel nodded. "It is."

"Does taking a human life really bother you?"

"Yes." He hesitated. "Wouldn't it bother you?"

"You are speaking from the assumption that I haven't taken lives before. That would be a false assumption."

Angel looked at Hawk. "Does it bother you to take a life?"

"Depends on whose life I am taking. If the life belongs to scum, I don't mind. If the life I'm taking belongs to someone worst than scum...I still don't mind. I just take that life all that much slower." He studied Angel's face, watching for a reaction. "The real question is, if it comes to Willow or S'ushi's men, what would it come down to?"

Angel returned the hard gaze. "I'll do anything I can to protect Willow."

"Including taking the life of someone human?"

He took a deep breath. "Yes." He hesitated. "Hawk...listen. This thing has hit Xander a lot more than he has let on. I don't want him to make the choices that we have to."

"You don't want him to take a life." Hawk paused as he thought about it. "Do you think the boy is capable of it?"

"I don't know. Maybe. He really cares about Willow." He let out a weary sigh. "I just don't want to find out if he is capable."

"Maybe he isn't."

Angel suddenly looked tired. "If Xander had seen what Giles and I had seen at the Funhouse outside of LA...I think he'd be more than capable."

"What did you see?"

Angel told him what he had seen. The images were still in his head and he couldn't block them out. "We were told that Willow and someone named Kali had been taken there to this Funhouse."

"The girl you found in the basement was Kali."

He shrugged. "We're not exactly sure, but it is possible."

"There's an alley close to Spenser's. You'll wait there while I get Spenser and Willow."

Angel agreed. He followed Hawk back into the sewer tunnels. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

TO BE CONTINUED--