Summary: Selena arrives in Seattle to start new…with a visitor from the past.
*~*~*
Selena thanked the realtor as she walked into the empty hotel. At some point in time, this hotel had been thriving with life. But now, just on the outskirts of Seattle, this hotel lay dormant. It stood only five stories but housed ten rooms per floor. Selena brushed some long dark hair from her blue eyes and scanned the stability of the structure. It almost looked as if the cobwebs were holding the walls up.
"I know, it's a little on the dusty side," the realtor sighed. "But I assure you, it's in great condition. There are even bed linens and towels left!" She smiled. "What do you think?"
Selena let her soft footsteps trail behind the main counter where she picked up an old notepad and blew off the dust. "The Denuo Hotel," she read aloud.
"I think it's French."
"It's Latin." Selena smiled. "It means 'second time.' How ironic." She set the notepad down. "I'll take it."
*~*~*
Selena was thankful she didn't need to breathe. She would have inhaled five tons of dust. She spent thirty-two hours straight on dusting and cleaning up the hotel. She wanted it presentable. She wanted all the beds made, the kitchen cleaned and freshly watered plants in the lobby.
Sighing, she realized that she would need to hire some help. She printed out a help wanted sign and taped it to the glass door. She admired the large heavy drapes that covered the windows, blocking out the charcoaling sun outside. It was a little reminder that she wasn't human.
The other little reminder was the thirst of a vampire. Selena had drunk pigs' blood when she was at Angel's but she still fed from humans. She just didn't kill them. She may have had a soul like Angel but she mourned and moved on. She figured that if she dwelled too much on the past, she wouldn't be able to help as much in the present.
Selena wrapped her hair up into a twist and slipped into a seductive black dress. She longed for the day when she wouldn't have to put on this act. She didn't want someone around for the long hall. No one deserved the immortality that she was cursed with. She simply hunted and went home.
The streets of Seattle weren't as crowded as LA. Most people piled into buildings away from the rain. But Selena drank it in through her skin, letting it rinse away the dirty feel from her skin. She didn't need make-up. She just barely highlighted her lips with red. Her victim was a young woman about twenty three or so. Selena led her into an alleyway and began to seduce the girl, kissing her softly. She let the kisses trail to the girl's neck were she bit firmly but gently, not wanting to hurt the girl more than she had to.
"Let her go."
Selena turned, her vampire eyes glowing at the crossbow aimed at her heart. Familiar steely eyes glared at her. "Wesley?" she let her demon face slide away and looked at the girl. "Run along now."
The girl did just that, looking more afraid of Wesley and his crossbow rather than the vampire. He kept it leveled. "I had a feeling that you'd be killing again."
"She wasn't going to die. I just needed a drink." She paused. "Does Angel know you're here?"
"Did you even have a soul, Selena? Or was it all an act?" He stepped forward.
She kept her eyes on his trigger finger. "I have a soul. That's the truth. I wasn't going to kill that girl."
"Why? She wasn't helpless enough? Not like Fred?" He began to squeeze the trigger.
But she moved quickly, knocking his arm up, the bolt flying into the air. She grabbed the bow and threw it up and over to a rooftop. "Don't do this, Wesley."
He pulled a stake from his jacket. "You're not going to be dust, Selena. You're going to suffer." He was swift as he buried the stake into her shoulder. He kicked hard at her knee, grinning when he heard the crack and watched her fall to the ground.
She removed the stake and swallowed back the pain. "Walk away now, Wesley. Or so help me, by the pestilent gods, I will not be responsible for what I do."
He extended his hand. "I don't intend on walking. I intend on staying with you."
She looked up at him in disbelief. "And let me top that with a 'huh?'"
"Think of me as your conscience."
"Like Jiminy Cricket?" She took his hand and was surprised when he helped her up.
He winced at the reference. "Not quite as friendly."
*~*~*
Bobby hated reporting new information to Mr. Harrington because he was never sure how Mr. Harrington was going to take it. Bobby adjusted his tie of his white suit and glanced at his purple reflection in the mirror. Purple meant you were getting enough oxygen – if you were a human. Bobby was a Noilder demon and the purple pigment of his skin was simply the norm.
Sighing heavily, he knocked three times on the large double doors of Harrington Enterprises top floor office. "Come in," the deep, gruff voice demanded.
Bobby shuffled his webbed feet into the darkened office and swallowed. "Mr. Harrington, I have some news."
Bobby could just make out Mr. Harrington's silhouette moving. "And what news have you brought me?"
He cleared his throat. "Uh, it's a new vampire in town, sir."
"Vampires move though Seattle all the time."
"This one bought a hotel and seems to have attracted a demon hunter into the area. Looks like she's planning on staying." Bobby shuddered in the silence around him. It took Mr. Harrington almost three minutes to respond. But Bobby was no fool and didn't press.
"Well then, I think we should welcome her to the neighborhood. Find out everything you can about her and the demon hunter then report to me. Until then, do nothing else."
"Yes, sir." Bobby left the office feeling relieved. Mr. Harrington had taken the news well. Shifting his tie again, Bobby stared into the mirror until his image shifted into human form. He added a white hat to top it off and flashed a smile as he headed out the door. He needed to buy a fruit basket.
*~*~*
Wesley was impressed with the hotel Selena had acquired. He helped her sit on the couch and brought her a first aid kit to patch the wound in her shoulder. She slipped out of her dress, clad in her undergarments, and sighed. "You ruined a perfectly good dress."
He discreetly turned his eyes away from her. "Do you have something else you can wear?"
She paused. "I never figured you for the squeamish type, Wes." She smiled to herself. "The master bedroom down the hall is mine. There should be a robe there I can wear for now."
He didn't speak a response, simply walked to the room and retrieved the robe. He didn't even raise his eyes as he held it out. "Here." Only when she put the robe on did he raise his eyes. "What room is mine?"
She stopped in the middle of knotting the robe. "Pardon? You mean I'm housing you too?"
"Didn't you tell Angel you'd house the hopeless? Well, I have no hope left."
"Humph. So that's how you knew I was in Seattle. You overheard us." She went to the phone. "And if I call Angel? What will he say?"
Wesley rushed over and clamped his hand over hers on the phone. "Don't."
She kept her hand still beneath his. He was on the edge and she didn't want to startle him and end up with a stake in her chest. "Wesley, I'm sorry, I truly am. What I did, I did thinking that she was the Master."
"Winifred. You can say her name. She was a person. With a heart and feelings."
Selena swallowed. "Winifred," she whispered.
He released her hand. "It's late and I would like to rest." He looked as worn as he sounded. "What room?"
She handed him a key. "The linens are fresh. I'll shop for groceries tomorrow."
It looked like he was going to thank her but instead he just gave a nod and went to bed.
*~*~*
The sun was peaking out of the clouds, but the lobby of the Denuo was darkened by the heavy draped. Selena sat behind the counter reading the morning paper dressed in slacks and a sleeveless blouse. The clock read a quarter past ten but she hadn't heard any sound but snores coming from Wesley's room.
The tinkle of a door chime caught her attention, shifting her glance to the door where a shy blonde girl stood, gazing around the lobby.
"May I help you?" Selena smiled.
The girl removed the sign from the door. "I was wondering what type of help you were looking for."
She sat her paper aside and stepped out from behind the counter, staying back from the slightly opened door that was revealing sunlight. "Come in!" she beamed. "I'm looking mostly for someone who's willing to register guests and do some housekeeping."
The girl nodded. "I'd like to apply then." She held out a resume.
Selena read over it briefly. "Melissa. Well, you have quite varied resume. I think we'll do this on a trial basis. Sound good?"
Melissa nodded, blinking her big green eyes. "That would be great, Miss…"
She extended her hand. "Call me Selena."
*~*~*
Wesley arose somewhere around noon and was surprised to find a blonde behind the lobby desk. She spotted him and immediately turned a bright smile his way. "Good afternoon, Mr. Wyndham-Pryce."
He did a double take. "I'm sorry, you are?"
She pointed to a tag pinned to her chest that read "Melissa" written in black permanent marker. The "i" was dotted with a smiley face. "Miss Selena said to tell you that she would be back shortly."
He nodded groggily. "Of course…"
Melissa went to a small stand and poured a cup of coffee. "Looks like use could use a little pick me up." She handed it to him. "Black? Or cream and sugar?"
His system wasn't quite processing this yet. He looked at her blankly as he mumbled. "Sugar only, please." What was this girl doing here? Did she work here? Did she know Selena was a vampire?
Melissa dumped a few spoonfuls into Wesley's cup and stirred it. "I hope it's not too strong. I wasn't sure how you'd like it. I'd like to make a good impression with the office manager."
He almost spit out his coffee, it was thick and much too strong. "The what?"
Her smile faltered. "Selena said you were the office manager here."
He nodded and took another sip. This girl had no clue about vampires. "Oh, of course. I just hadn't heard you correctly." He smiled and yawned.
Melissa's smiled was plastered on in full force again. "Is there anything I could help you with?"
"Melissa, I'd like to wake up a bit first. I had a long trip up here."
"From England? Or is your accent from somewhere else?"
Now he knew who she reminded him of. Harmony. "I drove from California."
"Oh! They have that accent in California?"
For a moment, Wesley wanted to drown in the thick sludge present in the mug.
The clicking of heals saved him as Selena entered the lobby. "Wesley! Glad to see you've decided to join the living."
He almost shot coffee out of his nose. Join the living.
Selena handed keys to Melissa. "There are bags of groceries in my SUV. Would you be a doll and put them in the kitchen while I talk with Wes?" Melissa eagerly scampered away. "Underground garage," Selena explained. "The grocery store has one, too."
He nodded with his stern appearance present now that the hired help was gone. "And the girl?"
"I needed some help maintaining the hotel. She doesn't know about us and I'd like to keep it that way. It'll keep her safe." She sat beside him. "I bought you some food. I wasn't sure what you liked so I got a little bit of everything. I figured if you didn't like it, Melissa might."
Wesley looked to her and saw the caring in her eyes. "Not enough."
"No, there are a good ten bags. I think there's plenty."
"No. I mean, you can't hide what you did like this. You're a killer."
"Angelus was a killer. Even your precious Cordelia knocked off that lawyer." She stood, clenching her fists. "Fred was an accident. And if you can't accept that then get the hell out of my hotel." She pointed to the door.
He smirked. "I think I'll get a bite to eat." He stood. "Which way to the kitchen?"
*~*~*
Selena lifted the punching bag and hooked it. Angel had given her some pointers for a training room before she left. He had even given her some old equipment. So far she had set up a rack of weapons, several mats, a vaulting horse and the punching bag. It was beginning to look good.
"Selena?" Melissa's voice chimed in. "Oh wow…" She looked around the room, her eyes resting on the weapons. "Cool!"
"Was there something you needed?"
"Huh? Oh! There's someone here who wants to talk to you. And he brought fruit."
Sheer curiosity about the fruit brought Selena out to see a man in a white suit with a white hat. He smiled and tilted his hat to her. "Selena I take it?" He held out a fruit basket. "I'm Bobby."
She accepted the basket with a smile. "Hi Bobby, how can I help you?"
"Rather, how can I help you? I'm sort of the welcoming committee. I represent Harrington Enterprises, a major benefactor here. We just want to make sure that your transition to Seattle is smooth."
"Well, thank you. Things are going quite well. I don't think I'll have any need for help right now."
Bobby's eyes wandered over her. "Would you be offended if I said that you are just amazingly beautiful?"
She chuckled and looked down. It was easy to play the bashful girl. "I'm not offended."
"Then let me take you to dinner."
She looked back up at him. "Dinner?"
"To help get to know you better. How about nine?" He flashed a friendly smile to her.
"Nine." She sighed. "Sounds good. Would you like to pick me up here?"
*~*~*
As Bobby walked back out to his car, he shook his head in disbelief. Mr. Harrington was never going to believe this. "A soul," he chuckled.
*~*~*
"A soul?" Mr. Harrington echoed. "Well now, that's interesting." He creaked back in his chair, still hidden in shadow. "I'd heard of curses like this." His deep laugh made Bobby's skin crawl. "Take her to dinner. Find out what you can. Get close to her. Become a part of her life."
"What if she finds out what I am?"
"Let her. You can tell her that you were afraid she wouldn't like you if she knew you were a demon. Make her trust you." He sighed. "A controlled vampire like this can be a tool or a formidable enemy. And I don't need another freak shuffling in on my turf."
*~*~*
Wesley paused as he caught sight of Selena in the lobby. She was dressed in a deep red silk dress that billowed around her knees and had her hair swept up to show off a pair of diamond earrings. She was sifting through her purse, distracted.
"Going out?" he inquired.
She didn't even raise her eyes to him. "I was invited to dinner. It's a 'welcome to the neighborhood' thing."
"Ah," he leaned on the counter by her. "I suppose it's been about two weeks since you killed Fred so go on out and have a good time."
Selena didn't even hesitate to slap Wesley across the face. She slapped him so hard his nose began to bleed. She was taking unneeded breaths, like a human would when they were furious. "Wesley…" She stared at the blood for a moment before holding a hand to her face. "Oh God, I'm sorry…"
He calmly plucked a tissue from a box on the counter and held it to his nose. "Going on instinct. Like a killer."
Whatever apology was in her face disappeared. "Okay, I get it. Drop it. Because now I see that this isn't about Fred. This is about your own pity trip. You can't deal with it but guess what? It's happened. I can't take it back but I can be sorry. This is my final word. Take it and do what you like with it."
Wesley narrowed his eyes. "I… I am not on a pity trip."
Selena softened. "I know you loved her, Wesley. And she's going to live on in your heart." She gently placed her hand on his chest. "But you need to let her go."
He sucked in a breath and shakily said: "Don't touch me." He moved from her and turned to hide the pain in his eyes. "I'll see you later tonight then."
She nodded. "I shouldn't be out later than eleven. I thought we could patrol after that."
"Of course. Have a nice time." He kept his eyes away from her as he went to his room. Once there he shut the door and propped his back against it, letting the tears fall.
*~*~*
Bobby was holding a red rose when Selena answered the door. "You look amazing," he gawked as he held out the rose.
She smiled and accepted the rose. "Thank you. Shall we?"
The restaurant Bobby chose was a seafood bar near the bay. He was the perfect gentleman, opening doors, offering a jacket and even helping to seat her. Bobby told her about the highlights of Seattle and some of the things she could see while she was there. Selena could tell she had his total attention. And that there was something he wasn't telling her.
"What exactly does Harrington Enterprises do?" she asked as she poked at her desert.
"Mostly investments. But it also provides support to local businesses. Like yours. Harrington Enterprises would like to provide financial backing for you. Anything you need is yours."
"Now is that Harrington or you offering?" She smiled and blinked her lashes at him. Money wouldn't be a bad thing.
"Unfortunately I don't have money to offer." He looked down and took another bite.
She reached out and touched his hand. "Bobby, it's okay. I didn't mean to go there."
He looked at her hand and sighed. "Here I am going on about Seattle and Harrington and you haven't had a chance to tell me anything about yourself."
She folded her hands in her lap and chuckled. "Not much to tell. I did a lot of traveling and then decided to settle on owning a hotel. I figured that I could meet other travelers that way. It would be cheaper than all the flying."
"True. What about family?"
She sighed. "I'm the only one left. My parents died a long time ago and I was an only child. But…" She sipped her water. "I have Wesley."
"Wesley?"
"A friend of a friend who's decided to help with the hotel business."
"Oh, so you're not… involved?"
Selena couldn't help it; she let out a laugh that rang through the restaurant. "Me and Wes? Oh that's rich!" She quieted down, taking another sip of her water. "We're not even really friends."
"Then why does he work there?"
"He does a good job. Just because I don't like his personality doesn't mean that he shouldn't be able to work."
The check arrived, postponing any more talk of Wesley. Bobby promptly slipped a credit card in and grinned. "Are you like Cinderella? Should I make sure you're at home on time?"
"I think I can manage without a curfew."
"Care to catch a late movie with me then?"
*~*~*
Wesley didn't like this. It was almost midnight and there was no sign of Selena. He checked the message machine one more time to see if maybe he had missed a call. But all he heard was "you have no new messages."
When the clock read twelve thirty he grabbed his crossbow and headed out.
*~*~*
Selena pulled Bobby's jacket tight around her shoulders as they headed out of the theater. He had taken her to see the new Lord of the Rings movie. She had wondered if any of the creatures in the movie were based on real demons. She was pretty sure elves existed. He had put his arm around her shoulders during the movie and held her close. Selena had even thought she caught him smelling her hair.
But her logical side told her that a relationship was out of the question. Even though Bobby was charming and cute, she was a vampire.
Bobby turned her down an alley that would lead them to a park. But Selena stopped. "Uh, Bobby? I think I left my phone in the theater. Would you run back and check for me?"
He looked at her curiously and began to turn back. "Sure." He didn't make it too far though. Three vampires leapt out from the dumpsters. But to her surprise, Bobby moved into a fighting stance. "Selena, look out!"
She pulled a stake from her bag and braced herself. "I'm on it."
The first vampire growled at her. "We don't need your kind around here." His speech was interrupted when he burst into a ball of dust. Wesley stood at the end of the alley reloading his crossbow.
"You said eleven," he explained.
Selena grinned and turned back to Bobby who, to her surprise, was fighting a second vampire, the third closing in. Selena dispatched that one quickly and tossed the stake to Bobby who dusted the last one.
Wesley stepped up. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "Bobby?"
He handed her the stake back. "Thanks." He sighed. "Okay, so maybe I have to explain something to you."
*~*~*
"I'm a Noilder demon." Bobby sat on the couch in the Denuo's lobby and took the cup of coffee Wesley offered him. "I didn't want you to be scared away by the fact that I really look like this." He let his image shift into the purple skinned, blacked eyed, horned demon that he really was. "I really like you and…" He shifted back to human form. "I thought this would be easier. Now that I see you're a demon hunter, I guess a second date is no good."
Selena smiled. "I'm not a demon hunter. I'm a vampire with a soul."
Bobby grinned. "Really? Well…" He looked to Wesley. "You?"
"Human." Wesley defiantly wasn't amused with this demon and stood close to Selena to protect her if he needed to. "I haven't heard of a Noilder demon."
"We're rare. Only a dozen left I think. Shape-shifting is our big thing but we also have the whole demon senses going for us." He sipped his coffee. "Mr. Harrington thinks I'm a great employee and mediator but I don't know what he'd think about my demon side."
"So you try to be human," she finished. "I know the feeling." She reached out and took his hand in hers. "Whatever you are, I'd like to call you friend."
*~*~*
The night began to wind down and Wesley retreated to his room to rest, leaving Selena and Bobby alone. She sat next to him and sipped at a mug of coffee.
"I didn't know vampires could drink. I mean, normal stuff," he observed.
"Oh we can. It just does suit our palate as well." She set the cup aside. "I suppose you'll be going home. It's pretty late." She motioned to the clock reading a little before three.
"No one waiting up for me." He placed a hand on her knee. "Besides, you need a goodnight kiss."
Selena didn't know why she felt nervous. She had kissed several people in her life. Why did this make her feel like she had butterflies in her stomach?
She closed her eyes as he kissed her and placed her hands gently on his shoulders. She wondered how old of a demon he was because he kissed like a pro. His arms encircled her and pulled her closer, letting the kiss continue for a little while longer before he pulled back and smiled.
"Good night, Selena." He briefly kissed her one more time before heading out the door for the night.
"I think I like this neighborhood," Selena smiled and shut off the lights.
*~*~*
Selena thanked the realtor as she walked into the empty hotel. At some point in time, this hotel had been thriving with life. But now, just on the outskirts of Seattle, this hotel lay dormant. It stood only five stories but housed ten rooms per floor. Selena brushed some long dark hair from her blue eyes and scanned the stability of the structure. It almost looked as if the cobwebs were holding the walls up.
"I know, it's a little on the dusty side," the realtor sighed. "But I assure you, it's in great condition. There are even bed linens and towels left!" She smiled. "What do you think?"
Selena let her soft footsteps trail behind the main counter where she picked up an old notepad and blew off the dust. "The Denuo Hotel," she read aloud.
"I think it's French."
"It's Latin." Selena smiled. "It means 'second time.' How ironic." She set the notepad down. "I'll take it."
*~*~*
Selena was thankful she didn't need to breathe. She would have inhaled five tons of dust. She spent thirty-two hours straight on dusting and cleaning up the hotel. She wanted it presentable. She wanted all the beds made, the kitchen cleaned and freshly watered plants in the lobby.
Sighing, she realized that she would need to hire some help. She printed out a help wanted sign and taped it to the glass door. She admired the large heavy drapes that covered the windows, blocking out the charcoaling sun outside. It was a little reminder that she wasn't human.
The other little reminder was the thirst of a vampire. Selena had drunk pigs' blood when she was at Angel's but she still fed from humans. She just didn't kill them. She may have had a soul like Angel but she mourned and moved on. She figured that if she dwelled too much on the past, she wouldn't be able to help as much in the present.
Selena wrapped her hair up into a twist and slipped into a seductive black dress. She longed for the day when she wouldn't have to put on this act. She didn't want someone around for the long hall. No one deserved the immortality that she was cursed with. She simply hunted and went home.
The streets of Seattle weren't as crowded as LA. Most people piled into buildings away from the rain. But Selena drank it in through her skin, letting it rinse away the dirty feel from her skin. She didn't need make-up. She just barely highlighted her lips with red. Her victim was a young woman about twenty three or so. Selena led her into an alleyway and began to seduce the girl, kissing her softly. She let the kisses trail to the girl's neck were she bit firmly but gently, not wanting to hurt the girl more than she had to.
"Let her go."
Selena turned, her vampire eyes glowing at the crossbow aimed at her heart. Familiar steely eyes glared at her. "Wesley?" she let her demon face slide away and looked at the girl. "Run along now."
The girl did just that, looking more afraid of Wesley and his crossbow rather than the vampire. He kept it leveled. "I had a feeling that you'd be killing again."
"She wasn't going to die. I just needed a drink." She paused. "Does Angel know you're here?"
"Did you even have a soul, Selena? Or was it all an act?" He stepped forward.
She kept her eyes on his trigger finger. "I have a soul. That's the truth. I wasn't going to kill that girl."
"Why? She wasn't helpless enough? Not like Fred?" He began to squeeze the trigger.
But she moved quickly, knocking his arm up, the bolt flying into the air. She grabbed the bow and threw it up and over to a rooftop. "Don't do this, Wesley."
He pulled a stake from his jacket. "You're not going to be dust, Selena. You're going to suffer." He was swift as he buried the stake into her shoulder. He kicked hard at her knee, grinning when he heard the crack and watched her fall to the ground.
She removed the stake and swallowed back the pain. "Walk away now, Wesley. Or so help me, by the pestilent gods, I will not be responsible for what I do."
He extended his hand. "I don't intend on walking. I intend on staying with you."
She looked up at him in disbelief. "And let me top that with a 'huh?'"
"Think of me as your conscience."
"Like Jiminy Cricket?" She took his hand and was surprised when he helped her up.
He winced at the reference. "Not quite as friendly."
*~*~*
Bobby hated reporting new information to Mr. Harrington because he was never sure how Mr. Harrington was going to take it. Bobby adjusted his tie of his white suit and glanced at his purple reflection in the mirror. Purple meant you were getting enough oxygen – if you were a human. Bobby was a Noilder demon and the purple pigment of his skin was simply the norm.
Sighing heavily, he knocked three times on the large double doors of Harrington Enterprises top floor office. "Come in," the deep, gruff voice demanded.
Bobby shuffled his webbed feet into the darkened office and swallowed. "Mr. Harrington, I have some news."
Bobby could just make out Mr. Harrington's silhouette moving. "And what news have you brought me?"
He cleared his throat. "Uh, it's a new vampire in town, sir."
"Vampires move though Seattle all the time."
"This one bought a hotel and seems to have attracted a demon hunter into the area. Looks like she's planning on staying." Bobby shuddered in the silence around him. It took Mr. Harrington almost three minutes to respond. But Bobby was no fool and didn't press.
"Well then, I think we should welcome her to the neighborhood. Find out everything you can about her and the demon hunter then report to me. Until then, do nothing else."
"Yes, sir." Bobby left the office feeling relieved. Mr. Harrington had taken the news well. Shifting his tie again, Bobby stared into the mirror until his image shifted into human form. He added a white hat to top it off and flashed a smile as he headed out the door. He needed to buy a fruit basket.
*~*~*
Wesley was impressed with the hotel Selena had acquired. He helped her sit on the couch and brought her a first aid kit to patch the wound in her shoulder. She slipped out of her dress, clad in her undergarments, and sighed. "You ruined a perfectly good dress."
He discreetly turned his eyes away from her. "Do you have something else you can wear?"
She paused. "I never figured you for the squeamish type, Wes." She smiled to herself. "The master bedroom down the hall is mine. There should be a robe there I can wear for now."
He didn't speak a response, simply walked to the room and retrieved the robe. He didn't even raise his eyes as he held it out. "Here." Only when she put the robe on did he raise his eyes. "What room is mine?"
She stopped in the middle of knotting the robe. "Pardon? You mean I'm housing you too?"
"Didn't you tell Angel you'd house the hopeless? Well, I have no hope left."
"Humph. So that's how you knew I was in Seattle. You overheard us." She went to the phone. "And if I call Angel? What will he say?"
Wesley rushed over and clamped his hand over hers on the phone. "Don't."
She kept her hand still beneath his. He was on the edge and she didn't want to startle him and end up with a stake in her chest. "Wesley, I'm sorry, I truly am. What I did, I did thinking that she was the Master."
"Winifred. You can say her name. She was a person. With a heart and feelings."
Selena swallowed. "Winifred," she whispered.
He released her hand. "It's late and I would like to rest." He looked as worn as he sounded. "What room?"
She handed him a key. "The linens are fresh. I'll shop for groceries tomorrow."
It looked like he was going to thank her but instead he just gave a nod and went to bed.
*~*~*
The sun was peaking out of the clouds, but the lobby of the Denuo was darkened by the heavy draped. Selena sat behind the counter reading the morning paper dressed in slacks and a sleeveless blouse. The clock read a quarter past ten but she hadn't heard any sound but snores coming from Wesley's room.
The tinkle of a door chime caught her attention, shifting her glance to the door where a shy blonde girl stood, gazing around the lobby.
"May I help you?" Selena smiled.
The girl removed the sign from the door. "I was wondering what type of help you were looking for."
She sat her paper aside and stepped out from behind the counter, staying back from the slightly opened door that was revealing sunlight. "Come in!" she beamed. "I'm looking mostly for someone who's willing to register guests and do some housekeeping."
The girl nodded. "I'd like to apply then." She held out a resume.
Selena read over it briefly. "Melissa. Well, you have quite varied resume. I think we'll do this on a trial basis. Sound good?"
Melissa nodded, blinking her big green eyes. "That would be great, Miss…"
She extended her hand. "Call me Selena."
*~*~*
Wesley arose somewhere around noon and was surprised to find a blonde behind the lobby desk. She spotted him and immediately turned a bright smile his way. "Good afternoon, Mr. Wyndham-Pryce."
He did a double take. "I'm sorry, you are?"
She pointed to a tag pinned to her chest that read "Melissa" written in black permanent marker. The "i" was dotted with a smiley face. "Miss Selena said to tell you that she would be back shortly."
He nodded groggily. "Of course…"
Melissa went to a small stand and poured a cup of coffee. "Looks like use could use a little pick me up." She handed it to him. "Black? Or cream and sugar?"
His system wasn't quite processing this yet. He looked at her blankly as he mumbled. "Sugar only, please." What was this girl doing here? Did she work here? Did she know Selena was a vampire?
Melissa dumped a few spoonfuls into Wesley's cup and stirred it. "I hope it's not too strong. I wasn't sure how you'd like it. I'd like to make a good impression with the office manager."
He almost spit out his coffee, it was thick and much too strong. "The what?"
Her smile faltered. "Selena said you were the office manager here."
He nodded and took another sip. This girl had no clue about vampires. "Oh, of course. I just hadn't heard you correctly." He smiled and yawned.
Melissa's smiled was plastered on in full force again. "Is there anything I could help you with?"
"Melissa, I'd like to wake up a bit first. I had a long trip up here."
"From England? Or is your accent from somewhere else?"
Now he knew who she reminded him of. Harmony. "I drove from California."
"Oh! They have that accent in California?"
For a moment, Wesley wanted to drown in the thick sludge present in the mug.
The clicking of heals saved him as Selena entered the lobby. "Wesley! Glad to see you've decided to join the living."
He almost shot coffee out of his nose. Join the living.
Selena handed keys to Melissa. "There are bags of groceries in my SUV. Would you be a doll and put them in the kitchen while I talk with Wes?" Melissa eagerly scampered away. "Underground garage," Selena explained. "The grocery store has one, too."
He nodded with his stern appearance present now that the hired help was gone. "And the girl?"
"I needed some help maintaining the hotel. She doesn't know about us and I'd like to keep it that way. It'll keep her safe." She sat beside him. "I bought you some food. I wasn't sure what you liked so I got a little bit of everything. I figured if you didn't like it, Melissa might."
Wesley looked to her and saw the caring in her eyes. "Not enough."
"No, there are a good ten bags. I think there's plenty."
"No. I mean, you can't hide what you did like this. You're a killer."
"Angelus was a killer. Even your precious Cordelia knocked off that lawyer." She stood, clenching her fists. "Fred was an accident. And if you can't accept that then get the hell out of my hotel." She pointed to the door.
He smirked. "I think I'll get a bite to eat." He stood. "Which way to the kitchen?"
*~*~*
Selena lifted the punching bag and hooked it. Angel had given her some pointers for a training room before she left. He had even given her some old equipment. So far she had set up a rack of weapons, several mats, a vaulting horse and the punching bag. It was beginning to look good.
"Selena?" Melissa's voice chimed in. "Oh wow…" She looked around the room, her eyes resting on the weapons. "Cool!"
"Was there something you needed?"
"Huh? Oh! There's someone here who wants to talk to you. And he brought fruit."
Sheer curiosity about the fruit brought Selena out to see a man in a white suit with a white hat. He smiled and tilted his hat to her. "Selena I take it?" He held out a fruit basket. "I'm Bobby."
She accepted the basket with a smile. "Hi Bobby, how can I help you?"
"Rather, how can I help you? I'm sort of the welcoming committee. I represent Harrington Enterprises, a major benefactor here. We just want to make sure that your transition to Seattle is smooth."
"Well, thank you. Things are going quite well. I don't think I'll have any need for help right now."
Bobby's eyes wandered over her. "Would you be offended if I said that you are just amazingly beautiful?"
She chuckled and looked down. It was easy to play the bashful girl. "I'm not offended."
"Then let me take you to dinner."
She looked back up at him. "Dinner?"
"To help get to know you better. How about nine?" He flashed a friendly smile to her.
"Nine." She sighed. "Sounds good. Would you like to pick me up here?"
*~*~*
As Bobby walked back out to his car, he shook his head in disbelief. Mr. Harrington was never going to believe this. "A soul," he chuckled.
*~*~*
"A soul?" Mr. Harrington echoed. "Well now, that's interesting." He creaked back in his chair, still hidden in shadow. "I'd heard of curses like this." His deep laugh made Bobby's skin crawl. "Take her to dinner. Find out what you can. Get close to her. Become a part of her life."
"What if she finds out what I am?"
"Let her. You can tell her that you were afraid she wouldn't like you if she knew you were a demon. Make her trust you." He sighed. "A controlled vampire like this can be a tool or a formidable enemy. And I don't need another freak shuffling in on my turf."
*~*~*
Wesley paused as he caught sight of Selena in the lobby. She was dressed in a deep red silk dress that billowed around her knees and had her hair swept up to show off a pair of diamond earrings. She was sifting through her purse, distracted.
"Going out?" he inquired.
She didn't even raise her eyes to him. "I was invited to dinner. It's a 'welcome to the neighborhood' thing."
"Ah," he leaned on the counter by her. "I suppose it's been about two weeks since you killed Fred so go on out and have a good time."
Selena didn't even hesitate to slap Wesley across the face. She slapped him so hard his nose began to bleed. She was taking unneeded breaths, like a human would when they were furious. "Wesley…" She stared at the blood for a moment before holding a hand to her face. "Oh God, I'm sorry…"
He calmly plucked a tissue from a box on the counter and held it to his nose. "Going on instinct. Like a killer."
Whatever apology was in her face disappeared. "Okay, I get it. Drop it. Because now I see that this isn't about Fred. This is about your own pity trip. You can't deal with it but guess what? It's happened. I can't take it back but I can be sorry. This is my final word. Take it and do what you like with it."
Wesley narrowed his eyes. "I… I am not on a pity trip."
Selena softened. "I know you loved her, Wesley. And she's going to live on in your heart." She gently placed her hand on his chest. "But you need to let her go."
He sucked in a breath and shakily said: "Don't touch me." He moved from her and turned to hide the pain in his eyes. "I'll see you later tonight then."
She nodded. "I shouldn't be out later than eleven. I thought we could patrol after that."
"Of course. Have a nice time." He kept his eyes away from her as he went to his room. Once there he shut the door and propped his back against it, letting the tears fall.
*~*~*
Bobby was holding a red rose when Selena answered the door. "You look amazing," he gawked as he held out the rose.
She smiled and accepted the rose. "Thank you. Shall we?"
The restaurant Bobby chose was a seafood bar near the bay. He was the perfect gentleman, opening doors, offering a jacket and even helping to seat her. Bobby told her about the highlights of Seattle and some of the things she could see while she was there. Selena could tell she had his total attention. And that there was something he wasn't telling her.
"What exactly does Harrington Enterprises do?" she asked as she poked at her desert.
"Mostly investments. But it also provides support to local businesses. Like yours. Harrington Enterprises would like to provide financial backing for you. Anything you need is yours."
"Now is that Harrington or you offering?" She smiled and blinked her lashes at him. Money wouldn't be a bad thing.
"Unfortunately I don't have money to offer." He looked down and took another bite.
She reached out and touched his hand. "Bobby, it's okay. I didn't mean to go there."
He looked at her hand and sighed. "Here I am going on about Seattle and Harrington and you haven't had a chance to tell me anything about yourself."
She folded her hands in her lap and chuckled. "Not much to tell. I did a lot of traveling and then decided to settle on owning a hotel. I figured that I could meet other travelers that way. It would be cheaper than all the flying."
"True. What about family?"
She sighed. "I'm the only one left. My parents died a long time ago and I was an only child. But…" She sipped her water. "I have Wesley."
"Wesley?"
"A friend of a friend who's decided to help with the hotel business."
"Oh, so you're not… involved?"
Selena couldn't help it; she let out a laugh that rang through the restaurant. "Me and Wes? Oh that's rich!" She quieted down, taking another sip of her water. "We're not even really friends."
"Then why does he work there?"
"He does a good job. Just because I don't like his personality doesn't mean that he shouldn't be able to work."
The check arrived, postponing any more talk of Wesley. Bobby promptly slipped a credit card in and grinned. "Are you like Cinderella? Should I make sure you're at home on time?"
"I think I can manage without a curfew."
"Care to catch a late movie with me then?"
*~*~*
Wesley didn't like this. It was almost midnight and there was no sign of Selena. He checked the message machine one more time to see if maybe he had missed a call. But all he heard was "you have no new messages."
When the clock read twelve thirty he grabbed his crossbow and headed out.
*~*~*
Selena pulled Bobby's jacket tight around her shoulders as they headed out of the theater. He had taken her to see the new Lord of the Rings movie. She had wondered if any of the creatures in the movie were based on real demons. She was pretty sure elves existed. He had put his arm around her shoulders during the movie and held her close. Selena had even thought she caught him smelling her hair.
But her logical side told her that a relationship was out of the question. Even though Bobby was charming and cute, she was a vampire.
Bobby turned her down an alley that would lead them to a park. But Selena stopped. "Uh, Bobby? I think I left my phone in the theater. Would you run back and check for me?"
He looked at her curiously and began to turn back. "Sure." He didn't make it too far though. Three vampires leapt out from the dumpsters. But to her surprise, Bobby moved into a fighting stance. "Selena, look out!"
She pulled a stake from her bag and braced herself. "I'm on it."
The first vampire growled at her. "We don't need your kind around here." His speech was interrupted when he burst into a ball of dust. Wesley stood at the end of the alley reloading his crossbow.
"You said eleven," he explained.
Selena grinned and turned back to Bobby who, to her surprise, was fighting a second vampire, the third closing in. Selena dispatched that one quickly and tossed the stake to Bobby who dusted the last one.
Wesley stepped up. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "Bobby?"
He handed her the stake back. "Thanks." He sighed. "Okay, so maybe I have to explain something to you."
*~*~*
"I'm a Noilder demon." Bobby sat on the couch in the Denuo's lobby and took the cup of coffee Wesley offered him. "I didn't want you to be scared away by the fact that I really look like this." He let his image shift into the purple skinned, blacked eyed, horned demon that he really was. "I really like you and…" He shifted back to human form. "I thought this would be easier. Now that I see you're a demon hunter, I guess a second date is no good."
Selena smiled. "I'm not a demon hunter. I'm a vampire with a soul."
Bobby grinned. "Really? Well…" He looked to Wesley. "You?"
"Human." Wesley defiantly wasn't amused with this demon and stood close to Selena to protect her if he needed to. "I haven't heard of a Noilder demon."
"We're rare. Only a dozen left I think. Shape-shifting is our big thing but we also have the whole demon senses going for us." He sipped his coffee. "Mr. Harrington thinks I'm a great employee and mediator but I don't know what he'd think about my demon side."
"So you try to be human," she finished. "I know the feeling." She reached out and took his hand in hers. "Whatever you are, I'd like to call you friend."
*~*~*
The night began to wind down and Wesley retreated to his room to rest, leaving Selena and Bobby alone. She sat next to him and sipped at a mug of coffee.
"I didn't know vampires could drink. I mean, normal stuff," he observed.
"Oh we can. It just does suit our palate as well." She set the cup aside. "I suppose you'll be going home. It's pretty late." She motioned to the clock reading a little before three.
"No one waiting up for me." He placed a hand on her knee. "Besides, you need a goodnight kiss."
Selena didn't know why she felt nervous. She had kissed several people in her life. Why did this make her feel like she had butterflies in her stomach?
She closed her eyes as he kissed her and placed her hands gently on his shoulders. She wondered how old of a demon he was because he kissed like a pro. His arms encircled her and pulled her closer, letting the kiss continue for a little while longer before he pulled back and smiled.
"Good night, Selena." He briefly kissed her one more time before heading out the door for the night.
"I think I like this neighborhood," Selena smiled and shut off the lights.