27

Witch Hunt

After their initial greeting, Oz had had a relatively quiet day of it with the twins. But there was so much body language going on, he could almost hear the silent communication.

Finally, he just decided to ask. "What's up with you two?"

"We don't like it," Ariel announced, pouting.

"Don't like what?" Oz asked. "I can hear pretty good, but not good enough to hear what you're thinking about."

"Drusilla," Alaric said, his face like a thundercloud.

"I'm sure everything will be all right," Oz soothed. "Your parents aren't going to let anything happen to you."

"It's not that," Ariel said a bit scornfully. "We're not scared of her."

"But daddy belongs with mummy." Alaric stated it as though it were a law of nature.

A shaft of light penetrated the gloom of Oz' confusion. "You're upset because she used to be your dad's girlfriend?" Oz asked. "But that was years ago. He hadn't even met your mother yet."

The twins exchanged glances. "Don't care," Alaric muttered. "He shouldn't have been with her. Just mummy."

Oz could see he was up against a brick wall, but he decided to give it one more shot. "If it weren't for Drusilla, your dad wouldn't be a vampire," he pointed out. "He would have died a long time ago. You wouldn't have been born."

"He didn't have to be her boyfriend," Ariel grumbled. "He should have waited for mummy."

Oz sighed, and gave up.

&&&&&&

"Can you tell me why we have to tell Angel about Harmony's admirers?" Rose asked, as Spike practically dragged her along the halls. "And why do we both have to go? One of us at least should be getting home. Oz will wonder what has happened to us."

"We'll call him from the pouf's office," Spike replied. "Listen, luv, I could be barking up the wrong tree, but I have a feeling that a dateless Harm suddenly getting so popular just when Dru hits town is too much to be a coincidence."

"Oh really," Rose scoffed. "Harmony's a pretty girl. Why wouldn't Val and Den be interested in her?"

"Let's just cover the bases, shall we, pet?" Spike didn't even break stride. "If it turns out to be nothing, I shall apologize profusely. But if I'm right, best we find out."

&&&&&&

"Um.., say, Drusilla." Val was feeling exceptionally uncomfortable. "Do you need us for anything tonight? Because we kind of made a date with Harmony."

Dru made him even more uncomfortable when she held a whispered conversation with her doll. What really freaked him out was that he could swear that he could hear the doll's whispered responses to Drusilla's end of the conversation.

"Henrietta says that we can find a witch on our own," Drusilla said at long last. "Would you like the witch to cast a love spell for you too?"

Den shuffled his feet. "I.., uh.., think we'll take our chances," he mumbled. "Thanks anyway."

"Have it your way." Drusilla dismissed them with a wave of her hand. She started listening again. "You might ask your little friend if you can find employment there. It might be a good thing if one of you could be there to watch Spike."

"Work?" Val was stunned. What was the good of being a vampire, taking what you wanted, if you were going to have to work anyway?

"Just for a little while." Dru reached up and petted his face. "Just until I have my Spike back."

&&&&&&

Rose hung up the phone. "Oz doesn't mind staying a little while longer," she said. "But I still think that you're getting obsessive about the whole Drusilla situation."

"You don't know her like we do, babe," Spike replied. "That loopy bint is capable of damn near anything. Including sending your vamp buddies to pump Harm for information about us."

"Much as I hate to say it," Angel put in. "Spike could be right. So why don't you just humor us on this one, Rose? Please?"

"I hope you're wrong," Rose said with a sigh. "First Lorne, now Harmony. Can't anyone find someone that likes them for themselves?"

Spike couldn't let that one pass. He came up behind Rose and wrapped his arms around her. "Don't like me for myself, sweetheart?" he teased. "It must be my hot bod, then."

Angel rolled his eyes, while Rose blushed redder than her namesake.

"Can we stick to the subject, Spike?" he requested. "You came up with all the theories, do you have any plan for testing them out?"

"Plant a bug on Harm?" Spike suggested. "Find out what they're talking about?"

"If Harmony has already told them all they need to know," Angel pointed out. "They may not even show up again. And even if they do, I doubt that we'll find anything out." He paused in reflection for a moment. "What would be more useful would be if we could bug them."

"You'd need Harmony's cooperation for that," Rose remarked. "And seeing that you don't have anything stronger than a hunch to go on, I don't think she'd go along with it. She'd feel like you were just picking on her, and I couldn't swear that she wouldn't be right."

"What's more important?" Spike queried. "Harm's dignity or our kids? When I think about what happened to every pet that delusional female ever had, I hate to think what could happen to our babes if she got her hands on them."

"But she's looking for you, love," Rose reminded him. "As far as we know, that's the extent of her interest. Why would she want our children?"

"Dru always had a thing about kids," Spike confessed. "And I'm not going to feel comfortable until she's out of town or dust."

&&&&&&&

Drusilla set out as soon as the sun had set. She took her time, wandering this way and that, and occasionally holding Henrietta up to her ear as though she was getting directions from her. After a couple of hours, she stopped in front of a tiny little store-front. Dingy and drab and neglected. The sign proclaimed that it was the establishment of a fortune teller. But Dru was sure that Henrietta wouldn't lead her astray. She went in.

The fortune teller was dressed in stereotypical gypsy garb, and was sitting bent over a crystal ball. Upon Drusilla's entrance she looked up. And made a sign against the evil eye, then crossed herself as well.

Dru's merry, tinkling laugh rang throughout the shop. "We aren't going to hurt you," she promised. "We need you to do something for us. We need a love spell."

The 'gypsy' licked her lips nervously. "I only tell fortunes," she mumbled. "I don't cast spells."

"Shame, shame," Drusilla chided. "Henrietta here says that you're a witch. And I need a love spell. Are you sure you aren't a witch? Because if I can't get what I need from you, I guess I shall just have to bite you instead."

"Do you want the spell for yourself?" The shop's proprietor did an about face. She rummaged around on a shelf behind her and pulled out a vial. "This one is very effective."

"It's not for me," Drusilla replied. "Besides, we want a real spell. Not a little bottle of colored water. If you don't start behaving, Henrietta is going to become quite cross with you."

The fortune teller's face drained of color. "I'll need the locations of the people you want the spell cast on," she said. "If you could come across something personal of theirs, it would make the spell work even better."

"I don't, yet," Dru murmured. "But I think I can get what you need. Just make sure that you have what I need." She headed for the door, then turned for one last remark. "I don't believe I need to tell you that you really should be here when I come back tomorrow night, do I? Henrietta and I would be most put out if we had to come looking for you."

&&&&&&

"That was a waste of time," Rose grumbled. "Why are you so paranoid all of a sudden? It isn't like you, darling."

"Let's just say that I know Dru as well as anybody can," Spike replied. "I don't like the thought of her being anywhere near you or the kids. Especially if she's got her mind set on getting me back." He turned to Rose, and took her hands in his, a little awkwardly, since one hand was holding her briefcase. "Promise me that you won't go out alone, babe," he said softly. "Dru's crazy, she's not stupid. She'd see you as an obstacle to be removed."

"I don't generally go out alone anyway," Rose mumbled. "You all have me wrapped in cotton wool. But if Drusilla killed me..,"

"Then our kids would be orphans," Spike finished. "I wouldn't mind going, but we have important things to do yet, luv. And they're up in that apartment waiting for their dinner right now."

&&&&&&&

"We're not going out anywhere?" Harmony was starting to pout. "What kind of date is this, anyway?"

"Sorry, Harmony," Val apologized. "But there's not a whole lot we can do. No bread."

"Do you think there's anything one of us could do at that place where you work?" Den put in. "Then, we'd have money to take you places."

Harmony brightened. "I could ask," she replied. So, they weren't what she'd visualized for herself back in high school. But then, she'd never counted on being a vampire, either. She turned to her DVD collection, and started reading off titles. "'Steel Magnolias', 'Thelma and Louise', 'Fatal Attraction'." She turned to her companions. "What sounds good to you?"

Den and Val looked at each other helplessly. Spending the evening watching chick flicks with Harmony wasn't on their list of how to have a good time. "Why don't you choose, Harmony?" Val suggested diplomatically.

Harmony giggled. "Okay. I have to admit that this one is my favorite." She put 'The Little Mermaid' in the DVD player.

&&&&&&

"Mummy!" The twins rushed Rose the minute she and Spike entered the apartment, and Rose knelt down on the floor for kisses and cuddles.

"Smooth sailing today, Oz?" Spike inquired.

"For me, yes," Oz replied. "But I think you may be in for it tonight."

"Oh crap," Spike muttered. "What now? Are they narked because I took away their candy privileges?"

"They haven't really mentioned that," Oz remarked. "But they have got a bee in their bonnets about the fact that you've had girlfriends before Rose."

Spike looked like someone had hit him right between the eyes. "Tell me you're joking, Oz," he pleaded weakly. "Lie if you have to."

"Sorry." Oz couldn't quite hold back a grin at Spike's discomfiture. "For what it's worth, I did go to bat for you on the subject. But they weren't listening. They're good at only hearing what they want to hear. I wonder where they get that from?"

"Fat lot of good you are," Spike growled. "Buggering hell." The last of Oz' comments sank in. "Was that a shot, wolf-boy?"

"See you tomorrow, Spike." Oz moseyed towards the door. "Try to remember that they're just kids." He did a vanishing act.

Spike went to detach Rose from the group hug. "Can you two play quiet for a minute?" he asked his offspring. "I need a quick word with your mum."

"But we're hungry," Alaric whined.

"Tea time was hours and hours ago," Ariel added, also in a whiny voice.

"We'll starve to death," Alaric warned.

"For goodness' sake, darling," Rose chided gently. "Surely whatever it is can wait until I get the children some dinner, can't it?"

Spike saw two little pairs of eyes fasten on him and got that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, again. Why did he always get the third degree from his kids? To the best of his knowledge, they'd never gotten on to Rose about anything the way they did him. "I guess so," he conceded reluctantly. "I hope you're planning something that doesn't take long to fix though, pet."

Rose smiled softly at him and touched his cheek. "Always so impatient," she said fondly. "Why don't you just play with the children for a while? I'm sure they've been waiting for it all day."

&&&&&

Angel had put the word out to everyone to comb the city for word of Drusilla. All of his informants, and everyone else's too. The way he saw it, there really wasn't anything else he could do now. But wait. Waiting, he reflected, sucked. He made a note to himself to have Spike and Rose sing for Lorne the next day. Maybe the Pylean could pick up something of Drusilla's plans that way. Not that that would necessarily help. Dru was as changeable as the wind, and twice as flighty. Being insane gave her an advantage in that it was nearly impossible to second guess her. No matter what you thought she was going to do next, she did something else. Every time. A lot of times it seemed that there was no rhyme or reason to her actions. But she tended to get results.

&&&&&&

Drusilla rummaged through a small trinket box, and pulled out a locket. She opened it up to reveal a lock of brown hair. "This ought to do for part of it, Henrietta," she remarked. "But how are we going to get something that belongs to the girlfriend?"