109

Tracking the Prey

"You do realize that you are going to get busted, don't you?" Oz asked. "There's no way Rose isn't going to notice that they aren't eating their dinner. It won't take much for her to put two and two together."

"I didn't give them any candy," Angel rejoined defensively. "I didn't hear anyone say they weren't allowed to have ice cream."

"And you think you're going to win with Rose in a battle of semantics?" Oz' eyebrows were trying to lift. If he hung around here much longer, he'd be having facial expressions on a regular basis.

Angel shook his head. "Not really," he admitted. "That's when the kids and I all sit there and give her the innocent eyes thing. She usually gives up after that."

"Doesn't it make you feel the least little bit childish, knowing that you're using the same tactics as a pair of toddlers?" Oz was eyeing him speculatively.

"Hey," Angel protested. "Who do you think taught them that?"

&&&&&&&

"You jerk!" Val's head snapped to one side as Harmony's fist connected with his jaw. "How could you do that to me? I thought you liked me."

"I did," Val stammered. "I do. I do like you, Harmony. A lot. I didn't have to keep seeing you, that wasn't part of Drusilla's plan. I did it because I wanted to."

Harmony's fist stopped on its path to connect with his face again. "You did?" Her anger started melting away. It was starting to dawn on her that something or someone, was missing. "Where's Den?"

"Drusilla staked him," Val replied. "I just barely managed to get away. Do you know somewhere safe I could stay?"

Harmony paused in thought for a moment. She could just take him home with her, but she wasn't entirely sure that Drusilla couldn't track him there. "I think we need to talk to the boss about this," she said. "There are safe places here. And he wants to get his hands on Drusilla anyway."

"You're going to help me?" Val's face lit up. He hadn't really had that much hope on that score. Especially once Harmony had found out that their initial meeting had been so contrived.

Harmony gave him a long, silent once over. He'd used her. He'd lied to her. He had the social skills of a.., a.., well, she couldn't think of anything, but they weren't good. But, he was kind of cute. And he did like her. And she knew what it was like, having no soul and still trying to be good. Still, he had some serious apologizing to do. She started to smile. She'd help him out, but he was going to be spending a lot of time, and money, making it up to her.

&&&&&

Rose opened her eyes. She'd gotten a little more sleep, but she still felt tired. But it was a good tired, and she didn't regret a moment of the activities that had worn her out. She looked at Spike, and found that he had been laying there, just watching her. As she leaned towards him to kiss him, her gaze drifted to the clock. Suddenly, even the kiss was forgotten, and she sprang out of bed (yes, they had finally made it to the bed).

"What's up, babe?" Spike stretched and yawned. He was feeling rather lazy at the moment, and didn't understand where Rose was getting the energy.

"Look at the time," Rose invited. "Oz will be back with the children soon. We have to get decent."

Spike groaned. He couldn't believe how quickly the time had passed. He dragged himself upright. "Think we have time for a shower first?"

"We might," Rose conceded. "If you can manage to keep your hands to yourself."

Spike snagged her with an arm around her waist as she was passing by him. "I've had to develop more self-control since I've been with you," he complained softly. Then, he kissed her. "Worth every bit of it, too."

&&&&&&

Drusilla had finally persuaded one of the lair's other inhabitants to put a rough splint on her arm. After seeing her stake Den, they were giving her a wider than usual berth. Some of them were seriously considering finding a new place to sleep. At least as long as Drusilla was around. They'd known she was crazy from the first, of course. Just not how crazy.

"What are we to do now, Miss Edith?" Drusilla was very put out. Val had gotten clean away, and her arm was throbbing with pain. "Shall we try talking to the pretty babies again?" She paused a moment, as if listening to Miss Edith's answer. "Maybe if they're good this time, we won't punish them. Especially if they bring us Spike."

&&&&&&

Angel, Oz and the children were just about to get on the elevator to the senior partner's suite when Harmony and Val approached them.

"That's Auntie Harm's boyfriend," Ariel whispered loudly.

Suddenly, both twins got that unfocused gaze that suggested they were communicating telepathically. Whether between themselves or with someone else was anyone's guess.

"The crazy lady is talking to us again." Alaric broke away long enough to give them the information. "She says she just wants us and daddy to come with her and be a family together."

Angel thought hard and fast. "Do you think you can make her believe that you're upset enough with your mother that you'll do it?" he asked. "Can you make her believe it?"

Alaric had rejoined the conversation, and it was Ariel's turn to reply. "Why would we be upset with mummy?" she wanted to know.

"I don't know," Angel confessed. The one semi-legitimate complaint they might have had of her recently was one he really didn't want to employ. "Make up something. Like being upset about being punished for something. Dru might believe that."

"You want us to tell lies?" Ariel's eyes were wide. "I don't think mummy will like it."

While this had been going on, Val had been staring at the twins, jaws agape. He knew what Drusilla had told them about the kids, but gee, after all, Drusilla was loony toons all the way. And vampires just didn't have kids. Everybody knew that. It was slowly starting to sink in to him that what everybody knew wasn't necessarily true. It was also beginning to dawn on him that he could help out.

"I know where she's been staying," he said abruptly, feeling a little uncomfortable breaking in on things. "If she hasn't moved, I could tell you where she is right now."

Five pairs of eyes swiveled to look at him, and Val found that it made him very uncomfortable. Especially the way those two kids were looking at him. Like they were scoping him out from head to toe and he didn't measure up. And the way that little boy looked like Spike. Drusilla hadn't lied about that. He even had the same calculating look in his clear, blue eyes that Spike did when he'd screwed up in fighting practice.

"Well," Angel prompted. He'd been trying to come up with an explanation that Rose would accept as to why he had encouraged her children to lie. He hadn't come up with anything yet. But maybe now, it wouldn't come to that.

Val started hurriedly giving him directions.

&&&&&&

"They should be here by now," Rose muttered. She'd started pacing the floors, but Spike grabbed her and pulled her close, halting her steps.

"I'm sure they just lost track of the time," he soothed. Still, it didn't seem right. One word that could definitely be applied to Oz was reliable. "Want to pop over to the ponce's place and see what the hold up is?"

"Could we?" Rose asked gratefully. It was the first time ever that the children weren't where she expected them to be when she expected them to be there, and it was giving her an incredible attack of nerves. Not to mention sending her imagination running riot as to just where they could be, what they could be doing or who they were with. What she didn't know, was that it was just a foretaste of what would come when her children began to get older and assert their independence.

"C'mon then, luv." Spike kept his arm around her waist and led her along. "Let's go track the little demons down. Probably just having a good time and didn't want to stop. Even money says that my nancy-boy grandsire played hooky today to play with them."

"I'm sure you're right," Rose agreed without any real degree of conviction. "I'll just feel better when I know where they are."

It was a long way down, but still the elevator seemed to take longer than usual. Rose was fidgeting, and so was Spike, though he tried to look like he wasn't.

&&&&&&

Getting the twins home had dropped in priority since hearing Val's news. They were also so preoccupied that it never occurred to them that Rose and Spike might be wondering where their children were. The party was just starting to make its way to Angel's office when the elevator doors opened.

"Our flat's this way," Spike announced loudly. "Lost our sense of direction, have we? You big, dumb git."

The twins wriggled out of Angel and Harmony's arms (Harmony had insisted on getting one of them). They almost flew at their parents, talking ninety to the minute.

"This is Auntie Harm's boyfriend." "The crazy lady killed the other one." "He knows where to find the crazy lady." He's a big wuss, daddy. He ran away from the crazy lady."

This last was spoken by Alaric in clear, ringing tones, and it was one of those utterances that just naturally seem to fall in the gap in everyone else's conversations, thereby seeming much louder than it actually was.

Spike laughed and picked Alaric up. "That's my boy," he said proudly. "Call them like you see them, my lad."

"Are you going to go beat up the crazy lady, daddy?" Alaric asked. "She staked one of Auntie Harm's boyfriends."

Spike glanced over at Angel. "You got a plan here, oh broody one?" he asked. "Or do we just waltz in and stake everything that moves?"

Angel walked over to him. "Spike," he began. "Look me right in the eye and tell me that you could stake Dru."

"After what she pulled on me?" Spike said incredulously. "Too damn right I could. Sorry, luv." The last, of course, was to Rose. "We calling in reinforcements?"

"Do you need help?" Angel shot back. "You know, I've heard that settled, family life can slow you down."

Spike sniffed. "I was thinking of you, pouf," he replied. "If anyone's slowing down, it's you, sitting up in your fancy office getting executive spread."

"You're going after her?" Rose paled a bit, even though she should have known that it was going to happen sooner or later.

"Be back before you know it, pet," Spike assured her. "You coming along, Oz?"

Oz looked at Angel and got a nod from him before answering. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Harmony, why don't you stay with Rose?" Angel suggested.

Rose barely suppressed a groan. Moral support from Harmony was like no support at all. Sometimes, it even went into negative numbers.

&&&&&&

Wesley and Gunn were leaving for the night when they saw Angel, Spike, Oz and Val, headed for the parking garage.

"Where exactly are you off to?" Wes asked suspiciously.

"Got a date with a crazy lady," Spike answered. He checked the pockets of his duster to make sure that he was packing a stake or two.

"And when were you going to get around to telling us?" Gunn inquired accusingly. "You were going to hog all the fun, weren't you?" He was still smarting from having missed out on the action when they'd all gone to rescue Angel and Lorne.

Angel looked a little shame-faced. "Sorry guys, but we have to get a move on. We just didn't think about it."

"Don't hardly need anyone else," Spike remarked. "I think the three of us are enough to take down Dru. Three and a half if you count him." He cocked his thumb in Val's direction.

"You only count me as a half and you're taking three humans?" Val sounded deeply miffed.

"And you've been getting your candy-ass pounded on by humans for the last two weeks," Spike pointed out. "'Sides, Oz is a werewolf."

Val glanced at the unassuming little man and looked extremely impressed.

"If you're all through," Angel broke in impatiently. "It might be a good idea if we get moving before Drusilla decides to."

&&&&&&&

"It hurts, Miss Edith," Drusilla moaned. "Maybe it would feel better if we went out and got a bite to eat." She pushed herself to her feet, a bit awkwardly because of her broken arm, and started towards the entrance of the lair.

And found some very unfriendly faces waiting there for her.