Chapter Three

They had arrived in San Matteo with just enough time to grab Gunn some snacks from a local mini-mart, and find a place to hole up for the morning. Spike had disappeared briefly for a couple of hours, but had returned before dawn. Gunn guessed why he had disappeared. Besides the simple need to be by one's self after being cooped up in a truck for hours, there was also the fact that no one could remember Spike feeding since before the apocalyptic battle in Los Angeles. 'Best leave him to it,' Gunn thought, since he was in no hurry to ask anyways.

Layla had been curious at Spike's departure, but she had not said a word. She had disappeared into the bathroom to experiment with the concept of having a shower, but reappeared a few moments later soaking wet through all her clothes and stated she didn't see what was so great about it. Gunn almost fell out of his chair he was laughing so hard, and once he regained his breath explained you take your clothes off first. Layla raised an eyebrow, and then disappeared back into the bathroom to try again.

Illyria watched the scenario with interest, but did not understand why Gunn was crying or laughing so hard. She searched her memory, and then reluctantly Fred's as well to try to comprehend it.

There was a memory there about something called slapstick, but even with Fred's knowledge, it was just too confusing. Gunn got up, walked over to the bathroom door, and knocked on it.

"Hey Layla! I'm hitting the hay, K?"

"What? What hay?" came through the bathroom door.

Gunn could almost hear Layla trying to figure out what he had just said, which merely caused him to grin again. "I'm going to sleep now."

"OH! Okay then!"

Gunn walked over to his bed and kicked off his shoes after he sat down. Then he looked at Illyria. "So what are you planning on doing today?"

Illyria pondered that for a moment. "I think I will go for a walk after Spike returns. I wish to see the green and move my legs for bit. They have gotten stiff with all the sitting." She looked at the door, then back at Gunn. "I also wish to assess this town for threats, in case there is the need to do battle here."

Gunn shook his head and lay down. "Well I'll leave you to it then. Though I hope there is no need to do battle of any sort. I'm still getting over the last one." With that he rolled over, and went to sleep.

The man in the suit arrived at the pre-arranged destination, and got out of his car. He walked into the non-descript house on the outskirts of San Matteo. Another man met him in the hall, and led him to a large study. It was rather bare for such a huge room, but there were several laptop computers arranged on a desk along with an assortment of cell phones. There was an elderly man sitting at the desk talking on one of them, when the younger men entered. He beckoned them to chairs, but continued talking on the phone. The man in the suit pulled the video camera out of his pocket, and busied himself rewinding the tape of the night's stakeout.

He didn't even notice his superior end his call.

"You're late, Bartleby."

The young man jumped. "Yes sir. But what I have here I believe makes up for it."

He handed over the camera with the tape set to play. "As you can see sir, the testing is going smoothly. The subject has no knowledge of our reconnaissance. His skill level is much higher than we imagined for one so recently called." He paused, and licked his lips nervously. "If you are correct in your theory that the slayer line has extended into the male gender, then this makes him a remarkable tool. He appears to have had no training, but could easily match the most experience slayer."

The elder man finished watching the tape. Then removed it from the camera, and placed it in a drawer. He looked up at the two men seated before him. "Yes, this development is indeed a breakthrough. Continue the experiment. If all goes well we can approach him in a couple of days."

At the silence, Bartleby and the other man excused themselves, and left the room.

Spike returned home shortly before dawn, to find Gunn asleep, the shower running, and Illyria impatient to get out and investigate for possible threats.

"Take care Blue not to scare the natives, huh?"

Illyria frowned, and once again softened the blue in her eyes and shook some of the blue out of her hair. She even went as far to remove the blue totally from her face and skin. Spike nodded. "Better." And with that Illyria left.

Spike took off his coat, and sat down on the other bed. He lit a cigarette, ignoring the No Smoking sign on the wall. He sat thinking about the events as of late. It felt he was become some de-facto leader of sorts, and he wasn't sure how that sat with him. He had always been one to rush into battle, and give the fight all he was worth. Only now, he was finding himself making the plans and keeping the peace. He wasn't sure he liked it. He leaned back on the bed so he was sitting with his back to the headboard, and smoked.

'Hang on a tic,' he thought, 'Where's Layla!?' As if in answer to his thought, the shower turned off, and out stepped the girl in question dressed only in a towel. She didn't seem to notice Spike, until she sat on the edge of the bed. She didn't seem surprised he was there though.

'She has to be the strangest bird I have ever met,' he thought to himself, and seeing that Illyria was with them, that said a lot. "Have a nice shower?" he said aloud.

She looked at him. No wait, she looked through him. Spike shuddered inside a bit. It was like she looked past the outer part, and only saw what was inside. It was creepy, but yet a little nice.

"I don't understand this whole shower experience," she said.

"Really? How so?" Spike said with a raised eyebrow.

Layla watched him take a long drag on his cigarette. She wondered why he smoked those things. They smelled funny, and contained body damaging chemicals. "Well, I have watched these people on the television, and they seemed to find it relaxing and enjoyable." She frowned. "It was nice when the water was hot, and felt good on my skin. But then the water got cold, and that was not so enjoyable."

Spike grinned behind his cigarette, "You're supposed to get out before the water gets cold, love." It was then it clicked she was only wearing a towel.

"Oh!" She said in understanding. Her eyes widened a bit. They were a cloudy grayish bluish. 'Eyes you could get sucked into,' he thought. He shook his head. 'What are you thinking mate! She's a bloody angel!' But her chestnut hair was damp and stuck to her skin, which was ivory smooth, and that towel clung....'Damn!" he thought.

Spike stubbed out his cigarette, and leapt up.

"Where are you going?" Layla asked puzzled.

"To take a shower," Spike called from the bathroom. "And you may want to get dressed before you catch a cold."

Layla heard the bathroom door shut, and looked at it with confusion. "I don't understand mortals," she whispered to herself.

Gunn started to snore.