49

Predator and Prey

Angelus saw Eve headed his way as he was boarding the elevator to 'his' penthouse.

Her eyes flicked towards him briefly, asking a question, but her feet never broke their stride.

A quick glance up and down the hallway said they were the only ones around, so he made a long arm and snagged her around the waist, drawing her into the confines the elevator with him.

"Can't get enough of me?" he asked, his hands cupping her slender backside, pulling her close. His ego would certainly like to believe it, but his head said that she was cut from too similar a cloth as he was to be motivated solely by lust.

"If you want to, I wouldn't say no," Eve replied. The qualification confirmed his suspicions. "But I did have some official business. I just didn't think it would be a good idea if I were seen going to your office too often. I never did before. I don't want to blow your cover."

The elevator stopped at the penthouse. "What first?" Angelus inquired. "Business or pleasure?"

"Your call." Eve pulled the scarf from around her throat, showing the bruise, still livid and angry looking.

"Business," he decided. He walked into the kitchen, confident that she would follow.

She did. "It has occurred to the senior partners that what Angel knows, you know," she stated. "Is that true?"

He waited until the microwave signaled that his repast had reached body temperature before answering. "Pretty much," he said cautiously. "What do the senior partners want to know?"

"Everything," Eve replied. "But for starters, they'd like to know about Rose. And how she and Spike could have children."

Angelus shrugged. He was not, in general, a sharing person, and he didn't intend to share the biggest secret he had with the senior partners. At least, not just yet. "As far as the kids go," he remarked, skipping the first question. "It just seems that they were in the right place and time to fulfill a prophecy."

"Prophecies are tailored around the people they concern," Eve pointed out. "The prophecy says that Rose comes from beyond worlds. Where is that? You, or rather, Angel, is her best friend. Surely she told him."

Actually, he had been the first person that she'd told. Not Wesley, not even Spike, but him. And he wasn't going to tell Eve. He fell back on part of the truth, which sometimes worked better than the best planned out lie. "She says that it's impossible to describe," he hedged. Time for a distraction. He took the scarf from her hands, where she'd been toying idly with it, and looped it around the back of her neck and jerked her roughly towards him. "I think I'm ready for pleasure, now," he purred.

&&&&&&

Oz and the twins were having a little post-lesson jam session when the twins suddenly ceased what they were doing. Their faces lit up like Christmas trees, and they both pelted for the door.

With a little fumbling, they got the locks undone, and flung the door wide open. And there stood Spike, with Rose in his arms. They were kissing.

"You two want to fetch your mum's briefcase out of the lift?" Spike suggested.

The twosome complied so adroitly that Oz was amazed. They hadn't been this cooperative in a while. "What gives?" he asked cautiously. It had to be something to do with their parents, since that was when they'd perked up so markedly.

"We're getting married," Rose murmured. She spoke to Oz, but her eyes were only for Spike.

"Can't believe that you thought I wouldn't want to marry you," Spike said softly. "Whatever gave you a daft notion like that?"

Rose was saved from having to reply by the twins erupting into the room. They seemed to be playing tug-of-war with Rose's briefcase, which suddenly gave up the ghost, spilling papers all over the floor.

Two equally horrified faces turned up to look at their parents.

"Oops," said Ariel.

"We didn't mean to," Alaric added hastily. They both looked like they figured they were in a lot of trouble.

"Ought to stop the price of a new one out of your allowances," Spike remarked. He gave Rose another squeeze before setting her down so that she could retrieve her paperwork. "But, you've caught me in a good mood, so I guess we'll let it pass this once."

"I've had it since before they were born," Rose pointed out. "Maybe it was just getting old." She started sorting through the scattered papers. "Besides, they were just trying to help."

"We were excited," Ariel explained. "About you and mummy getting married."

"Do we get to be in the wedding?" Alaric asked.

Spike clapped his son on the back. "Wouldn't dream of doing it without you."

&&&&&&&

The next morning, Rose had barely pulled her chair up to her desk when Angelus walked in.

"Your little friend is showing marked literary talents," he commented, tossing the note on her desk. "What does it have to say now?"

Rose started to peruse the message, and went pale. "It says that someone is trying to kill it," she gasped. "It's still trying to get your information, but it says that things will be slower, because it has to take extra precautions."

"Do you want me to offer it protective custody?" Angelus suggested. One Q'xlzr more or less in the world didn't really make any difference to him, but it would to Rose, and he was still playing a part.

Rose was still reading. "It already guessed that you would make the offer," she replied with a weak smile. "It seems that it's a matter of personal pride to it to finish the job first." She looked up at him. "Liam, you won't let anybody kill it, will you?"

"Of course not," he assured her. "And I'm sorry I ruined your mood, Rose. Didn't I hear you humming when I walked in?"

Rose's complexion went from ashen to rosy in an instant. "Spike and I are getting married," she said softly. "I guess I was just so happy about that that I didn't remember how serious things are elsewhere."

"You're entitled to your happiness," Angelus remarked. And he did sincerely hope that she was happy. It was always more enjoyable destroying bliss than misery. "Are we still on for our Saturday workouts now that Spike knows?"

"He hasn't said no," Rose muttered. "So I guess we still are."

Angelus gave her a genuinely warm smile. He'd have her all to himself, with no one thinking anything of it. Not until it was too late. He couldn't wait till Saturday.

&&&&&&

"Hey, Charlie boy." Spike breezed into Gunn's office. "Need a little of your legal hocus-pocus."

"The last employee who tried to sue the firm for something disappeared without a trace," Gunn warned him. But curiosity got the better of him. "What exactly do you need?"

"Whatever sort of documents the state of California thinks we need before we can get married," Spike elaborated, beaming.

"For real?" Gunn was stunned for a moment, but only a moment. It hadn't really occurred to him for a while that Spike and Rose weren't married. They were such a tight couple that most people took it as read that they had made it official. He stood up and held out his hand. "Congratulations, man." He pumped Spike's hand vigorously. "I hope you're not in too big a hurry, though. It's probably going to take me a couple of weeks at least the lay the paper trail."

"We've waited this long," Spike said evenly. "Guess we can wait a bit longer. Besides, I haven't even thought to ask Rose what kind of wedding she wants. She might want to go the whole nine yards with it."

Gunn shook his head. "I doubt it," he replied. "Rose isn't someone who's comfortable in the spotlight. What do you want to bet that she just wants the handful of us and a simple civil ceremony?"

"I have long since given up predicting what a woman will do," Spike commented. He looked thoughtful for a minute or two. "How much were you thinking on betting?"

&&&&&&

"You're not concentrating, Rose," Wesley chided gently. He had her in the shooting range again. "Is something wrong?"

"Some things are wrong," she answered. "And some things are very, very right." Just thinking about it, she was practically glowing.

Wes gave her a fond smile. "When you're that happy, it usually has something to do with your family," he remarked. "Did the children win full scholarships to Harvard already?"

"Don't be silly," Rose scolded. A puzzled look crossed her face, briefly. "They don't give them out to six year olds, do they?"

"They don't," Wesley replied. "I was just teasing. But I'm still waiting to hear what has you glowing like that."

"Spike asked me to marry him," she said softly. "He hadn't mentioned it in such a long time that I thought maybe he was uncomfortable with the idea, so I didn't mention it."

"Finally making an honest woman of you, is he?" Wesley inquired.

"What does my veracity have to do with it?" Rose queried, tones becoming slightly heated. "And I don't tell lies anyway."

"Figure of speech, Rose," Wesley sighed. She didn't miss too many nowadays, but she did stumble over one occasionally. "But you said that something was wrong, too. What about that?"

"Angel brought another note from the Q'xlzr demon for me to translate this morning," Rose explained. "It said that someone was trying to kill it."

"It must be getting too close to the truth for Havoc & Associates comfort," Wesley remarked. "Don't worry about it, Rose. It's a resourceful little devil. I'm sure that it will be all right."

"I hope so," Rose replied. She took aim and fired off a shot. Which came nowhere near the target. "Now what am I doing wrong?"

&&&&&&

"So, I hear that you and Rose are finally tying the knot," Angelus remarked, shedding his shirt. He intended to get a real work-out today. He figured that he ought to be able to goad Spike into giving him one.

Spike eyed him cautiously and whipped his own shirt over his head. "S'right," he drawled. "And before you ask, no, I'm not having you as best man."

"After all we've been through together?" Angelus asked in mock-sorrow. "Spike, you wound me."

"That's the idea." Spike came at him in a flurry of jabs and swings with his staff. Angelus blocked them all.

"What about giving the bride away?" Angelus suggested. He didn't give a rat's ass one way or the other. He didn't figure they'd be around long enough to get married anyway. At least, not as they were. He aimed a blow at Spike's head, which Spike just barely dodged.

"If it was just me," Spike declared. "I'd tell you to go bugger yourself. But that one is Rose's call. Don't know how she'll sort it out. Figure all of you will be volunteering for the job. And we can't just have you all doing it, like we did with the godparents." He tried knocking the ponce's feet out from under him, but his opponent hopped over his staff.

"Your fighting style is getting pretty sloppy," Angelus observed. "Do you think it might have something to do with you being so.., settled?"

"Sloppy?" Spike's voice rose in outrage. "I'll show you sloppy, you bloody, stupid git."

For a time, there was no sound in the practice room but the clack of their staves ringing against each other, and the occasional sound of wood smacking into flesh.

"Had enough yet?" Angelus asked. He was getting his workout all right, but Spike was giving as good as he got. He didn't like not being able to get the upper hand.

"Why? Getting tired are we, gramps?" Spike taunted. "You old people just don't have the stamina, do you?"

"I'll show you old," Angelus snarled, forgetting that he was supposed to be Angel. He flew at Spike, staff moving so fast it was a blur.

Spike either didn't notice the out-of-character behavior, or he forgot it by the time the bout was over.

It still ended in a draw.

&&&&&&

The Q'xlzr demon had made another meeting with another contact. It strongly suspected that no meeting would actually take place again. But it had stipulated a meeting place that offered plenty of cover should it need to hide. In fact, it was hidden now. If its contact showed up, all well and good, and it would emerge from its hiding place. If another hired killer showed up, it intended to tail the assassin and find out exactly who was trying to have it killed. It had its suspicions, true. But a hunch wasn't the same as knowing. And, after all, finding things out was its stock in trade.

Footsteps approached, and the Q'xlzr recognized the same man that had shown up at its last aborted meeting. Again, the man waited around as long as it took him to smoke a cigarette, and then moved along. The difference was, that this time, the hunted had become the hunter, as the Q'xlzr stalked him.

&&&&&

Rose was on her way home when Lorne rounded the corner.

"Gotcha!" he said triumphantly. "Rosebud, you're a hard lady to find these days."

"Surely not that hard," she replied, giving him a fond smile. "Why have you been looking for me, Lorne?"

"Why to offer my congratulations, sugarplum," Lorne rejoined, pulling her into his arms for a hug. "I'm so happy for you I could just bust a gut."

"What an attractive visual," Rose murmured. But she hugged him back, and kissed his cheek.

"Have you set a date for the wedding?" Lorne asked. "Because I want to make sure there's nothing else on my personal calendar then."

"Spike just asked me last night," Rose protested. "And how did you find out?"

"Blossom, you keep forgetting how efficient the jungle drums are around here," Lorne answered. "Have you picked out your wedding party yet?" He tried to keep from sounding to desperate, but he'd give his right arm and his horns to give the bride away.

"Wedding party?" Rose realized that she didn't really know what went on in a traditional wedding, but that she'd better find out, and fast. "When I know what one is, I'll let you know, Lorne," she promised.

"Can't ask for more than that," he said resignedly. "I hope you're at least planning on letting me sing at the wedding, or maybe even the reception."

"Reception?" Rose looked panicked. "I think I have to do some studying, Lorne." That, and asking Spike a lot of questions.