I believe that it is painfully obvious from my writing that I am not Joss Whedon and therefore I do not own BTVS or AtS. Plus, the concept of owning people is so very outdated that it should be common knowledge that I do not own any of the people in my story (except for the ones that I made up and even they are only leased out to me, by my muse). Anyway, the idea was put forth by one of my favorite reviewers that I should have an update list... If you want to be on it, just say so and give me your address. You can email or review it to me. *grin* By the by, I am starving for the new season of Angel and I'm sure you are too. I'm really just writing so that I don't explode or implode, both of which are very nasty. So, I guess I should get...

On with the show.

::Carpe Diem- Take a Look at My Girlfriend::

"This sucks." Gunn shivered and sighed. His shirt was plastered to his skin, with the rain that had just decided to drop from the skies, drenching anyone stupid enough to be outside in the middle of the night.

Angel smiled and hugged his gun closer to his chest. "I could say something really clichéd and stupid, right now."

Spike snorted. "And how would that be any different from every other moment you decide to open your mouth?"

Angel smiled over at his childe, sweetly, and threw him a backward peace sign that offered very little peace.

Gunn stifled a laugh and kept trekking down the alleyway, past his colleagues, and stopped at the corner to look back at the men.

Spike quirked a brow at his sire and shook his head. "That gesture doesn't look good on you, Angel. I can do the best imitation of myself."

"Not lately." Angel muttered, as he started after Gunn.

Spike's jaw dropped. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Gunn sighed and tried to keep his mind on the job at hand. It was really frustrating, listening to so much arguing. It almost made him miss Wesley being around. Wesley knew how to keep Spike's mind preoccupied, while not including Angel in their conversations would usually keep the arguing to a bear minimum. Gunn wasn't sure how to keep Spike busy, per se, but he knew how to change the subject. "Are vampires still considered mammals?"

"What's that? Mammals?" Spike thought about it a moment and shrugged. "We don't exactly lactate. Or... at least I don't. Why do you ask?"

Gunn sighed. Why had he asked? "I was just wondering because mammals are warm blooded and..." Gunn stopped and snorted. Did he really want to finish this conversation? It could go in some strange directions, he realized.

Spike nodded. "I see what you're getting at. Our blood is kind of cold, right?" Spike pulled a cigarette out from his inside coat pocket and ignored the look Angel was giving him. "Well, our bodies are those of mammals but I wouldn't say that we are. Mammals have live young and feed them from there bodies. We don't exactly do those things."

Angel sighed and shook his head. "Vampires are ethereal demons who need a human body to leach off of. The bodies are still mammals and yes, we do have young that we feed off of our bodies."

"Not live young!" Spike threw his unlit cigarette down on the ground and stomped it. He had forgotten to bring a lighter along.

"I did!" Angel shouted back at his childe.

Spike sighed and growled. "Well, that's cause you're a bloody strange sod!"

"Am not."

"Are too."

Angel stopped the trend that he and Spike were starting and decided to change the subject. "I figured out your dream. With a little help from Connor, of course."

"Did you?" Spike asked, pretending he wasn't interested.

"Yes, you think I'm going to turn back into Angelus and that my soul isn't safe..." Angel took an unneeded breath and was cut off by his childe.

"Well la-dee-bloody-duh, Angel!"

"...but you are wrong. There is no way I'm turning back into Angelus. The only way I would ever pounce at you was if you were in trouble. See Connor jumped on Skittles tonight to keep him from cutting up his mouth and it just seemed to click."

"That's not it, Angel!" Spike insisted. "I felt you, in the dream! You were the soulless form of yourself!" Spike frowned and added. "I was afraid."

"You were never afraid of me, before." Angel was confused. William the Bloody was afraid of him? He wasn't afraid of Angelus the Scourge of Europe, why would he be afraid of him... and in a dream?

"You were not in control, Angel. Something sinister was." Spike sniffed. "You haven't been shacking up with little Miss Chase, have you?"

Angel threw his childe a glare and shook his head. "Even if I had, I wouldn't tell you. It wouldn't matter, anyway. My soul is grounded."

"Says you! What if you already Angelus?"

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

"Well, you're a pillock!"

"Foolish child!"

"Tosser!"

Gunn grunted and pointed at his two pale counterparts. Gunn didn't allow the vampires to finish their thoughts, before starting in on them. "Would you two just shut up? I don't know what the hell is going on with you two, but I'm smart enough to see that it's killing the both of you." Gunn stopped and thought about that comment and added with a laugh. "Figuratively speaking, of course."

Spike allowed himself a minute smile and nodded. "Of course."

Gunn snorted and looked between the two vampires. "So, that it? Are we gonna' leave all of this arguing for y'all to deal with later? Andy is counting on us and I hate to say it, but Lindsey is gonna' need us to watch his back and we need to be there."

"So speaks the voice of reason." Spike walked up to Gunn and patted the man's shoulder, before heading past him. "Where were you when I was screwing the slayer?"

Angel stalked after his childe and grunted. "Do you have to bring that up *every* time you're annoyed with me?"

Spike nodded. "Yup."

Gunn rolled his eyes and followed after the two arguing men. This was going to be a long night.

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"Let me get this straight. You want me to just stand out at this pay phone for the next fifteen minutes and I'll get the werewolf?" Lindsey was pissed. The man he was supposed to meet was not at the meeting spot. He was nearby, apparently. "You haven't harmed him, have you?" Lindsey barely stopped himself from hissing, when he realized his mistake. The man had never told him that his 'cargo' was male. Luckily, the man didn't seem to notice. "I'll be here. I brought my girlfriend, if that's all right with you. The wild animals kind of turn her on, you know what I mean?" Lindsey faked a masculine chuckle and crossed his eyes at Katie, who was giving him a wry grin. "Yeah, all right. I'll be her, with the money." Lindsey hung up the phone and grabbed Katie to him. He hugged her tightly and buried his face in her hair.

Katie squeezed Lindsey back and sighed. "We're moving to Europe."

Lindsey shook his head and pulled back. "Have you never seen An American Werewolf in Paris?"

Katie grinned and looked around the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of Angel, Spike, or Gunn. They promised they would be close by, to make sure everything went okay.

Lindsey leaned against the pole that the phone was bolted to and crossed his arms across his chest. "So, have you ever done this before?"

Katie shrugged, nonchalantly. "Controlled a demon?" She nodded, thoughtfully. "Not hardly."

Lindsey chuckled, nervously. "Are you going to be able to handle it?"

"It's doable." Katie assured her fiancé. "If I have you nearby, I'm sure I'll be able to handle it."

Lindsey took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "Who knew that a hair could do so much?"

Katie shook her head and leaned against the poll that Lindsey was leaning on. "It's the whole DNA thing. You are so closely related to Andy and seeing as how you are without your own personal monster... It makes it all possible."

Lindsey reached over and stroked Katie's hair. "You're kind of scary."

Katie nodded. "I can be, but I love you. You are bound."

"What does that mean?" Lindsey pulled back his hand and narrowed his gaze at Katie.

"You are bound by my love. I can't hurt you...even if I truly wanted too. All of the old voodoo spells were mostly dealing with love, but it was wrong. Love-- true love-- is too pure to duplicate. That was always infatuation or lust. Love is binding."

"Which is why you can't use his hair? I still don't get that."

Katie nodded and chewed on her bottom lip. "It is difficult. Just know that my love for you, protects you from dark magic." Katie saw a small movement out of the corner of her eye and jumped.

"Hello." A man with hair that brushed his shoulders, stepped out into the barely lit street. "I'm Mal. You must be Mister 'L'. You surely are shorter than you seemed over the phone." Mal looked over at Katie and smirked. "You must be the girlfriend. You are prettier than I expected. I'm not usually surprised." Mal stood there, hip cocked, smug expression sketched across his features. "You want the puppy and I want the money. I'll give you two guesses what order we are going to do this in."

Lindsey nodded and pointed over at his truck. He motioned for the man to follow him and they took a walk to the nearly broken down vehicle. Lindsey pulled the front door open and reached into the floorboard. He pulled up a briefcase and opened it. It was full of twenties and fifties. "You want to count it, now?"

Mal smirked and pulled the briefcase toward him, pushing Lindsey over to the side. He shuffled through the bills and flipped through a few stacks. He studied them, for a moment and grinned. "Unmarked bills... very good." Mal shut the case and sighed. "I think I'll try to trust you on the amount. If I find out it's wrong I'll be able to trace you." Mal stepped away from Lindsey's truck and shut the door. "I'm talented like that."

Lindsey feigned a smile and nodded. "Good to know." He was fighting the urge to vomit. "So, where is my merchandise?"

Mal looked Lindsey up and down and sniffed. "I don't like how nervous you are, my boy." Mal made a motion with his hand and smiled at Lindsey. "He's on his way."

Lindsey nodded and looked around. A young man with broad shoulders and sad expression was carrying a large sack, draped over his shoulder.

Mal motioned the young man over and pulled the sack away from him. "Slowly, boy." They lowered the sack and Mal opened the top, pulling the bag open, so that Lindsey could see a furry little head. "He's still breathing,-- still functioning the same, as when we got him. He's just tranquilized."

Lindsey nodded and gave a small smile. "How did you find him? He's... beautiful." Lindsey hoped that Mal didn't notice the way his voice almost cracked.

"Some woman had it hanging around and I promised to help take him off of her hands." Mal smiled, grimly. "It's almost funny. He almost killed her friend, when she was dropping him off. We fought off another set of werewolf hunters, to get him. It's my job and I love it. It's very exciting."

Lindsey bent down and pet the fur that was open to him. "It doesn't bother you that he's a buy twenty-seven days of the month?" Lindsey looked up at Mal and caught the conspiratorially smile he was receiving. "It bothers some people, you know."

Mal nodded. "The werewolf sympathizers. They make me sick. He's a monster. It's pure and simple." Mal pushed the bag with his foot and sniffed. "You may want to close that up. He should be waking up, soon."

Lindsey nodded and pulled the bag toward him. "What do you think, Kate?"

Katie sighed and nodded. She was speechless... which was bad. She stuck her hand in her pocket and pressed the cloth to her skin, trapping a lock of Lindsey's hair against her thigh. She started whispering a mantra and clenched her fist around the lock.

The little bundle in the bag started shifting and Mal took a step back. "You should close the bag, now."

Lindsey went to grab the bag and opened it wider. Andy shifted again and shook his head like a dog waking up from a deep sleep. How ironic, Lindsey thought. The only other thought he could pinpoint was, please work.

Katie looked up and saw the horror in Mal's sideman's eyes. She could practically feel his terror. He was stepping back, away from Lindsey. Mal was motionless, except for the slow movement of his hand reaching into his coat and pulling out a gun. Katie couldn't risk yelling out, so she threw herself into Lindsey, knocking him to the ground and falling on top of him, chanting the whole time. Wake up Andy, her brain screamed out.

Before Lindsey could realize what was going on, he had hit the ground. He looked up to find a gun pointed in his face and then... it was gone. Suddenly, the shooter, who happened to be Mal, was being lifted up into the air, by his neck.

Mal dropped the gun and reached for the vice-like grip that held him in the air. He dropped his gaze and met a face made of fierce features and yellow eyes. He's going to kill me, was his last thought before his world went black.

Lindsey lay there, stunned, as he watched Angel(us?) rip out his attacker's throat. The vampire's mouth was smeared in blood and Mal's head laid over to the side, as if it was only held on by rubber bands. "Katie?" He looked over and found Katie laying in a fetal position, chanting some language that resembled French. "Katie!" He shook her harshly, but she was relentless. "Katie, stop!"

Spike watched his sire drop the man to the ground and sniff the air. He gasped when Angel turned his gaze toward him and stalked toward him, a snarl on his lips. It was his dream... damn it. He waited for the lunge and, at the last possible moment, he dodged over the side. He hit the ground in a roll and popped back up, onto his feet. He turned on his heels and was automatically in battle stance. What he saw when he turned around was even more surreal than he expected. What he expected was Angelus making another jump at his throat. What he didn't expect was Angelus buried in the neck of a squirming young man. Spike made a jump for Angel and yanked him off of the man. He pulled Angel's face up out of the man's artery and slapped him, with a crack, across his left cheek.

Angel growled and sniffed the air. Something was lashing out at him. He was in a mental fog and something was hurting his family. He lunged forward and slammed his assailant, against the ground, hard enough to crack some major bones.

"Katie, you must stop!" Lindsey yelled into the young woman's ear and was shocked to find himself thrown back, through the air.

Gunn had seen everything happen and was stunned. They were all lucky he had been there. Andy had ripped his way out of his bag and it seemed that he was willing to jump onto the nearest bloodied corpse. Gunn had shot the young werewolf, successfully tranquilizing him once again, before he could create any real damage. Now, he sat petting the young wolf, as he watched Angel slam Spike's back against the concrete. This couldn't be real. Gunn picked up his gun and aimed the last dart at Angel's back. He hated doing it, but...

It stopped. Angel's head cleared and he realized what was going on. "Will?" He looked at his childe's bleeding nose and frightened eyes and let out a gasp. "Spike?" Angel felt the stinging pain in his shoulder blade and drifted away into nothingness.

TBC

-Exciting, eh? I hate writing action scenes, but they are needed, no? Anyway, let me know what you think. *grin* Don't be too harsh.-

--The subtitle was Take a Look at My Girlfriend, which is a song by Super Tramp. It is *so* good.-