I don't own Angel or BTVS, but I won them in a game of craps once and I was stupid enough to up the ante with 'em and lose, in a game of poker. Oh, well. Maybe next time. I don't own any of the guys in this fic, but if I did I would buy a strip club and make them dance non-stop for the rest of the mortal lives. Anyway, Joss is dark chocolate, you guys are honey- covered peanuts, and I am in a blissful stupor. Thank for all of the great reviews. Well, I guess it's time for me to say...

On with the show.

::The Dalliance of the Eagles- Crossroads::

"This is stupid." Spike yelled at his Sire. "We're sitting around looking at a dead girl-- like we haven't seen one before-and Penn could be one or two blocks away, laughing his arse off!"

"Spike, settle down please." Angel was gripping his head. The headache had started earlier that night and had gotten steadily worse, since he saw the young woman on his couch. "You're upsetting Fred."

"No, Angel. No I'm not. The dead woman on the couch is upsetting Fred. I'm upsetting you." Spike started pacing up and down the floor. "Maybe Gunn should take Fred back to Cordelia and Connor."

"Or maybe I should bring Cordelia and Connor here." Gunn spoke up, after regaining his stomach. "It would probably be better if we weren't split up. You know how that usually ends, in the movies."

"Yeah, the black man always gets killed first." Wesley stated dryly, from his place behind the desk.

"I was supposed to say the punch line." Gunn muttered. "It's funnier that way."

Fred sighed heavily, as she took in the picture before her. Lorne sat in a chair gulping down a beer. Fred wasn't sure she had ever seen Lorne drink a beer, let alone gulp one down. Wesley stood behind the desk, apparently pretending that a dead woman wasn't lying on the couch fifteen feet away from him. Spike was ranting and pacing, telling his Sire how stupid he thought he was and how much valuable time they were wasting. Gunn looked like he was trying to figure out whether now was a good time to fight with Wesley, or not. Then, there was Angel. Angel was placid. He had the calmest look she had ever seen, right there on his face. It was very disturbing. "Angel, what's going to happen?"

Angel smiled at the girl and shrugged. "I'm going to bed." Angel turned toward the stairs and headed up to his room. He spared Gunn a glance and smiled. "Get rid of the girl on your way to Cordelia's, okay? Fred, you're welcome to stay here if you would feel safer with me and Spike."

Gunn was trying to figure out what was going on in Angel's head. One glance at the others in the room told him that they were clueless, as well. "You want me to go to Cordelia and Connor, while Fred stays here?"

Angel stopped at the head of the stairs and turned around. "Why do I have to explain everything to everyone? Fred can go or stay. She is safe either way. I need you with Cordelia and Connor. Connor is strong, but he wouldn't be able to take on Penn by himself, especially while he was worrying over Cordy and Skittles. That fine with you?"

"Hey, you're the boss." Gunn shrugged. "Now, about this dead woman..."

Angel sighed. He did have to explain everything. "Dump her in an alley. Someone will find her."

"Angel?" Fred was confused. Just leaving the girl in an alley? That didn't seem right.

"We don't have time to mess with her." Angel stated, now annoyed. Why were they always questioning his motives?

"Oh, and you have time to sit down and take a nap. That's peachy. Well, dream of kittens and fluffy pillows, Sire! Oh, and while you're there, why don't you get mauled and smothered?" Spike was irate, until he caught the look on his Sire's face. "Oh, right then. I get it."

Angel smiled and nodded. His childe was almost unbearably stupid sometimes, but other times... he was just slightly stupid. "Goodnight all." Angel went to his room, in hopes of a disturbing light nap.

Spike chuckled to himself. Of course! Every time Angel closed his eyes Penn seemed to be right there with him. Angel was going to go see if he could find any hints to where the psychopath was calling home. Penn always dropped clues. It made the cat and mouse games, he liked so much, progress. Which, in essence, made things a lot more interesting for Penn and a lot easier on Angel. Why hadn't he figured it out before? He was so stupid.

Fred looked over at Spike, dejectedly. "He wants her to be dropped off in an alley."

Spike shrugged. He didn't see anything wrong with his Sire's logic, anymore. It was true. They didn't have time to mess with the dead woman. Spike looked up at Fred and, suddenly, he felt like a cad. He scratched the back of his neck and sighed. "Look, puppet, I'm sure that the cops'll find her and then her family will be alerted and all will be right with the world, once more." Spike placed a reassuring hand on Fred's shoulder and squeezed. "Don't you worry about it, kay?"

"Okay." Fred agreed. "I'll be glad when this is over. Whatever it is. Can I ask a question, though?"

"Yup." Spike figured Fred deserved to know what was going on and whatever she asked he was sure he would be willing to answer.

"Who is Penn and why does he want to hurt you and Angel?"

Spike groaned. He had asked for it, hadn't he? "He's the black sheep of the family. Well, not really. Actually Angel was that for a while and then I just *had* to join the club, now didn't I? Penn was... he was perfectly melded to be a psycho bad-ass vampire. Problem was, he was just way to predictable. Kinda' like a serial murderer. Lots of fireworks, but no real sparks."

"Fireworks have sparks, Spike." Wesley put in, amusedly.

"I need a drink." Lorne headed toward the kitchen with a grunt.

"I second that opinion. I'm gonna' have to carry Miss Jane Doe off in a minute. So, I better prepare myself." Gunn followed in Lorne's footsteps.

"Well, Wes, my friend. I really wouldn't know that, would I?" Spike grinned. "I like to stay away from sparks, as much as possible. You know I may be into pain, but I don't believe in self-immolation. Way too sadistic for my taste."

"Said the blood sucking fiend." Wesley stated, on a laugh.

"I really want to lay down." Fred looked around the room and exhaled a long, shuddering breath. "Heh, no couch."

Spike closed the space in between him and Fred and grabbed the girl under the arms. "I'm going to take you upstairs. As in, carry you. That okay, cause you're looking faint?"

"I always look like this. I'm very pail and thin." Fred nodded.

Spike wasn't sure whether Fred was giving her permission to Spike, with the nod, or just reinstating her opinion of herself. He really didn't care. "You are kinda' scrawny." Spike said as he swung the girl up in his arms.

"Can I ask you some more questions?" Fred asked, as she laid her head on Spike's shoulder.

Spike nodded. "Yeah, pet. Ask away."

"Do you like me?" All the sweet looks and honest concern were nice, but Fred wasn't sure whether she liked the idea of a vampire (that wasn't Angel) liking her.

Fred sounded nervous, which almost made Spike laugh out loud. He would have, but he really didn't want to injure the girl's feelings. "You're an alright bird, I suppose. Couldn't 'like you' like you, though."

"Why not?" Okay, so maybe the thought was unsettling, but she hadn't really expected Spike to shoot down the idea that fast!

Fred actually sounded insulted, which made spike want to laugh all the more. "You're too puny, too smart, too sweet, and way too tempting. Now, shut your yap, say your prayers, and go to sleep." Spike put Fred down on the bed and grinned at the girl. He had put her in the room next to his. He wanted to make sure she was safe, if she was planning on staying here tonight.

Fred looked around the room in awe. How had Spike gotten her here so fast? "How can I say my prayers if I've closed my mouth?"

"See?" Spike pointed an accusing finger at Fred. "That's why I can't like you. That's why Angel can't like you. You are to bloody precious." He hadn't meant to sound angry. Somehow his voice just came out that way. Spike softened his approach and sighed. "Just go to sleep, pet."

Fred nodded, a worried frown etched across her face. "All right. G'night, Spike."

"Goodnight." Spike mumbled, as he shut the door behind him. "Bleedin' innocents. Drive a man crazy, they do. "

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'Hello, Sire.' Penn was lounging on Angel's bed, his right angle crossed over the left, hands folded behind his neck. 'How are you faring? Well, I hope.'

'I'm doing quite well. Thank you for the little present you left me, boyo. It was a beautiful sentiment.' Angel smiled at his Childe. Penn really looked proud of himself.

'You're very welcome, Sire. I really didn't think you would appreciate it. Though to be perfectly honest, I'm very happy to see that you do.' Penn sat up and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. 'You can't trick me, you know.'

'Trick you? I don't want to trick you, darling boy. I want to compel you.' Angel smiled darkly and stalked toward his Childe.

'To compel me to do what?' Penn leaned back and looked up at the towering form of his Sire.

'Don't look so worried, my boy. I wouldn't make you do anything you didn't want to do.' Angel's laughter came out in small bursts. 'Well, you know what I mean.'

'What is going on, Sire? You are up to something.' Penn wasn't worried, per se. He was cautious. He knew Angelus well, but Angel was still a mystery to him.

'To tell the truth, I just wanted to talk.' Angel sat down next to Penn and bounced on the edge of the bed. "You know, chat. We really should talk about all of this.'

Penn let out a short barking laugh and shook his head. 'Spike's right. You are a woman.' Penn leaned back into his earlier position and grinned at Angel. 'I guess we haven't talked in a while, so I'll humor you. What you like to talk about? Not our feelings, I hope.'

'No.' Angel shook his head, as he pulled his feet up on the bed and leaned back. 'Scoot over. It's my bed. Gimme room.'

Penn accommodated his Sire and sighed. 'It's a dream. You would think that you could make the bed bigger or something.'

'I have no use of the bed getting bigger. Now, do I?' Angel flashed Penn a look and arched a brow.

'No, I suppose not.' Penn agreed. When all else fails with Angelus you learn to be agreeable. Penn remembered the phrase and he wasn't sure where he had heard it.

'Darla.' Angel grinned at the shocked expression his Childe gave him. 'Yes, I know what you are thinking. It's strange. If I try really hard I can here clips and phrases of your thoughts. Sometimes I hear whole sentences.'

'Almost like when I was a fledgling. You could almost read my mind then.'

'No. I never really could read your mind. It was a matter of knowing where you came from and what you were going through. Plus, I put a lot of thoughts in your head. I was an evil bastard.' Angel shift uncomfortably in his spot on the bed.

'Yeah.' Penn almost said it affectionately. 'Do you like the ocean?'

'That was a quick change in subject. Yes, I like the ocean.'

'You've stopped talking like Angelus. Now, everything seems... surreal." Penn shook his head quickly, consciously telling himself not to think too loud.

Angel grinned. 'What about the ocean, Penn?'

'You used to like it. I was just wondering if you like it still.' Penn shrugged.

'I guess. All oceans look the same. Of course, when you look at it from all angles you get a completely different perspective on it.'

'What do you mean?' What a curious thing to say, Penn thought.

'I spent a little bit of time vacationing at the bottom of the Pacific. It was excessively cold and kind of dark. I don't really want to go back that much.' Angel shrugged. 'Maybe for a long weekend, but surely not for the Summer again.'

'Angel, I would almost say that you are enjoying this little chat we're having.'

'Almost.' Angel nodded. 'You're still planning on torturing Spike?'

'Yup.'

'See, now that would be the damper.'

'Oh.' Penn shrugged. 'I guess it's up to you to stop me, huh?'

'Yup.'

'I see.' Penn threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. 'I really think it would be in my best interest, if I were to leave now. I really would like to stay, but you know I'm into self-preservation and all that.'

Angel nodded. It was all right, he decided, he knew all he needed to know.

'What do you mean about that?' Penn turned toward his Sire, cautiously.

'Nothing, Penn. Goodbye.' For the first time in the last few weeks, Angel left his dreams first.

TBC

-Hey guys! Thanks for all the sweetness ya'll are throwing my way. Please continue. Oh and thank you for your undying patience. I'm finally moved completely and I'm settled in pretty well. I don't have as much access to a computer, as I did before. Thanks for bearing with me.-

--The subtitle for this chapter was Crossroads, which is a movie headlined by... The Karate Kid. You thought I was gonna' say Brittney Spears didn't 'cha?--