~*-*~

"Welcome!"

This is a face I haven't seen. Ever. I'm sure I've got the right address... and I recognise his scent around the place. Faint, but he's been here.

"How can we help you?"

She reminds me of Dawn. A happier Dawn anyway. Older than her, most definitely, but there's the same balance of suffering, knowledge and naivety in her brown doe eyes. I can recognise it immediately. This girl had been places and seen things. I already felt sorry for her, and I hadn't even heard her story. Damned soul.

"Yes, I'm looking for..."

I turned my head as I felt a male presence. Not him. Yet another person I didn't recognise. A tall, dark fellow. He had power, that much I could tell. Human, most definitely but a warrior nonetheless. His posture screamed arrogance.

"Hey Fred, what's going on? Who the hell are you?"

Oh please. I really don't want to fight. It's got nothing to do with the fact that I can't right now, but I just don't want to cause any more pain when I don't have to.

"Calm down sweetie. He needs our help. Remember? That's what we do."

Right. It's official. They work by helping other people. I'm downright certain this is the place.

"My name's William. I came here looking for..."

"Who?"

"Look! I'm here to see Angel."

Silence. Bad silence.

"Why do you want to find him?"

The tall guy looked suspicious. That's just dandy. He's on to me. I know it.

"Let's just say we're friends. We go back."

"How far back?"

The girl called Fred, no idea why, looked at me in a rather curious manner. Something was up with Angel. I wouldn't have enough to time to find out.

"Fred, get away from him."

Oh, here we go. Another interruption. Who is this ponce then anyway? English... obviously. And he's wary of me... Either he knows who I am, or he can sense vampires... Oh bloody hell. English, knows me, senses vampires, working here. I should have noticed that anywhere. He can hide under those jeans, that sloppy haircut and stubble but he's given it away already. A Watcher. I'm not stupid.

"I'm not here to cause trouble..."

"Like hell you're not. Fred, move away from him, he's dangerous."

Who did this guy think he was? You would think that working for one of my kind meant he understood blurred lines. I said I wasn't going to do anything... Warrior guy piped up again.

"HOW far back?"

"About a hundred years I'd say. Am I right?"

I swear that I could kill this guy with absolutely no remorse. Snap his little insignificant neck like a little insignificant twig right in front of his little insignificant pals... Oh for God's sake, now I feel guilty. I shouldn't be thinking these thoughts. Damned soul.

"Longer than that Watcher. 122 years. What's your point?"

"How did you know I was a Watcher?"

"You don't live to be as old as me without being sharp. You reek of haughtiness and conceit, likely instilled by Queen Q-Tip Travers himself. Am I right?"

I'd got him there. His lower lip twitched, as he knew I'd got him too. And as quickly as that I was on the floor as an arrow fired from a crossbow imbedded itself in the staircase behind me.

"Hey! Now listen Fast and Furious! I'm here for Angelus and nothing else. I don't want your blood, and you don't want to have to sweep up my mess if you stake me. Calm the bloody hell down mate."

"You're a vampire, clearly a powerful one considering how long you've been around. You know Angel as Angelus and you're wearing pimp daddy rings and I'm not supposed to be afraid of you? You're better as dust."

"You're afraid of me? That's so kind of you!"

Now everyone was taken aback. Including me. I cannot believe I said that. It's been so long that anyone's seen me as a threat. I've spent the last year and a half as a babysitter above all else, and I couldn't even terrify a 15 year old. Maybe this visit wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Right. Now let's do something sensible shall we? Make a pact. I do something shifty; you're perfectly welcome to stake me. But for now, we use no weapons, only words. Alright?"

The three workers, Warrior Watcher and Fred, looked at each other, questioning whether or not to trust me, the cocky blond vampire, but the result was what I wanted. Fred grabbed my arm and smiled at me.

"Sure. Now tell us what's going on."

~*-*~