A/N: So I got an idea and had to run with it. Thus new chapter even sooner! Welcome to my new reader Zanthinegirl! Are you a new reader? well I can't thank you unless you REVIEW!!! Okay I'll stop pandering now. BTW: Imagine Stevie to have the silly human quirks of Skip (pre-evil) and you'll get why I think he's absolutely hysterical.
The blue creature standing in front of them was not nearly as unnerving as they had thought he would be. He was dressed like some sort of homosexual lumberjack, he may have been colorblind. But, he didn't look like a cadaver parts dealer at all.
"Hi, I'm Stevie." He reached out an icy blue hand to Wesley. He took it apprehensively.
"Welcome, er, Stevie."
"So I hear that the boys are acting up again. Should have known they wouldn't stay down forever.Oh well." Stevie flopped into a lounge chair in the hotel's lobby.
"We are interested in information on your brethren." Giles stood next to Wesley. Together they made quite the intimidating interrogation team. Even if you didn't know about their collective paths, they just seemed to simmer with something less than sane under the surface. Considering Wesley kept a woman locked in his closet, and Giles had conspired to kill Spike, they truely were not to be trifled with. Unfortunately, Stevie seemed all too willing to cooperate.
"I take it you've met the Berzerkers? Shape-splitting warriors? Wear funny rings?"
"Yes we've had an interesting run in with one regenerating from a pile of goo."
"If you boil it you can destroy the regeneration."
"Thanks for the tip. Tell us more, we need to know everything."
"We are Svartalf, kinda like vampires, but not. Feeding from the gods and all that. Odin, he's the leader, but he's more of the brains and loud booming voice of their operation. He's pretty much defensless, if you can get past the Berzerkers. Mimir is his scribe, again with the defenseless, but even more so. Mimir makes puppies look vicious. There are four old ones with them. They are seers, they are probably seeing what's going on here right now. Damn, man I so don't want to deal with them."
"Can we prevent them from seeing what is going on here?"
"Yeah, look into the books of assimilation. There are some runes you paint around the doors, and if you paint one on everyone here they will fall off the radar. See?" Stevie lifted up his shirt to reveal a strange symbol tatooed into his skin. "I got this about fifty years ago, they haven't bothered me since. If they are seeing anything right now, it's the lot of you talking to a chair, which, hey you gotta admit is funny."
Wesley left to look for the books with a nod from Giles.
"Thank you for the tip Stevie, now how do we stop them?"
"You got anything to eat? I'm not talking flesh of the gods or anything, more like taquitos or perhaps some Thai left-overs? I'm starving!"
"We'll get you something as soon as you tell us how to stop them." Giles tone became menacing.
"Man, why do you need me, from what I hear you've got a champion, two slayers and two divine beings. I can't top that kind of fire power."
"They are after Angel, we need to know why."
"It's in his blood. He's Aurelian right?"
"Yes."
"Well, it's in his blood. I gave it to the Master last time around, it probably matriculated down through the line. The word underground is there are only two true ones left, and one is crazy and has the sight. She's too tough a target. Plus Angelus is the master vampire of the line, they wipe him out, the nut job can't carry the line herself, and the blood goes down the drain of time."
"Angel," He corrected Stevie, "Not Angelus."
"Well 'Angel'," Stevie said the name with marked sarcasm, "is what they want, just hand him over and I'm sure they'll stop."
"We will do no such thing. There is a prophecy involved."
"Oo a prophecy, I see a prophecy that says you will feed a very hungry elf before he starts picking off random people."
"Not until you tell us how to stop them." Giles was moving towards him with a Ripper like glare to his eyes.
"Alright! Jeeze, I'll tell you. See when me and Hank, the other elf like me, left we went to the Master of vampires and the leader of the light elves. I got the Master guy. Scary looking too if I might add, 'going batty' was not lost on him. So, we fed them some enchanted herbs and stuff, things that would make their blood more powerful than the blood that raged through the Svartalf. Hank and I, we weren't into the world domination, we just sort of wanted out of the pit, so when we got that we were happy. But Odin, self appointed leader, he wanted none of it, he wanted to be like emperor of earth. Nevermind that there were humans to contend with, or a whole other bevy of demons and the like. So Hank and I worked a bit of mojo, talked to some faerie folk and worked out a way to kill our leaders so we could be free. Insurrectionists I think Odin called us, always with the fancy words that one."
"So what needs to be done with the blood?"
"Well we gave the herbs to two different immortal beings, cos even if they lost a lot of blood they would survive. We forgot about the Berzerkers and what a bitch it could be to get through them. Herbs don't work on them because they aren't Svartalf. But technically, if an enchanted one, or one who carries the enchanted blood within him can get close enough to the elders or Odin, or whatnot, all they have to do is bleed on them to make them mortal. Then a slice and dice will finish them off."
"But there is the problem of the Berzerkers."
"Yeah, but they have no tolerance for heat, so I can't imagine they will last long around here. Light elves aren't as conditioned to the heat as we are. So they should be weakened, and they will be slower to regnerate. The boiling water can kill the globules to stop reproduction all together. Can I get a snack now?"
"Is that all?"
"Yes! Jeeze man, you've got some trust issues, I'm sure Dr. Phil could help you out on that front."
"Fine, we will look into this, please come with me, and we will find you something to eat."
"Super-de-duper!" Stevie jumped up and bounded over to Giles like a child. "So this is L.A.? Do you guys have any famous clients?"
Buffy was tired. She was sitting in the atrium of the Venetian drinking a latte. Shopping was a lot of work. Shopping when you had this kind of cash was even more work.
"Well shut my mouth and call me Liza! Buffy, is that you muffin?" Lorne walked up to the table. He always had this air about him as if he were in on some hugely fabulous secret that no one else knew.
"Lorne! Oh no! I forgot you were here!"
"That isn't the hugs and puppies I was looking for Cupcake!"
"Sorry" Buffy stood up and gave him a hug.
Lorne sat down accross from her. "So what's with the trip to the Las of Vegas? And where did you get the dough to buy all of this stuff?"
"You can't tell anyone where we are Lorne, I mean it!"
"We?"
"Spike and I."
"Ooo, is this some sort of dangerous liason? A clandestine meeting away from all that ails the two of you?"
"In a sense. We are in danger, so Giles and Wesley told us to leave town and tell no one where we are. You can't let them know you've seen us."
"I see."
"No you don't!"
"Sugar, empath demon here, the fear is rolling off of you. This doesn't just concern the two of you either, there are other, innocents involved."
"Yes there is. Please Lorne.."
"Say no more Sweet Tart! So where's the dark avenger?"
"Playing poker or something, I don't know, I'm just tired of carrying around all of these bags."
"Well, let me help you out then!"
"No, I can carry them!"
"I wasn't offering to be a pack mule, this is Vegas we hire people to do stuff like that!" He took out his cell phone and barked some orders in a language Buffy wasn't familar with. "Where are you staying, I can have them delivered any where you like."
"Well, um..."
"We are staying in the govenor's suite at the Belaggio." Spike came up behind her, kissing her on the neck. "Evening, love."
"Hey, I thought you were..."
"And I was, and I won more money than I can spend, casino managers like to keep those of us who take a lot of their money close, gave me the govenor's suite for the next 3 days. It's just something small, five or six rooms, jacuzzi, 56 inch plasma screen with 3 football stations. That sort of thing."
Buffy squealed, "Oh my god! When do we go?"
"Is Lorne going to..."
"No he won't tell them where we are."
"Hey blondie, looks like you got over your tall dark and brooding days." Lorne could see the wipe of anger pass over his face, "Simmer down, I know you aren't like him! Buffy, well the Ballagio is sending over some helpers to get your things to your room. I have to get hoppin' but what are the two of you doing tomorrow?"
"Nothin' but sittin' around our luxury sweet I reckon." Spike winked at Buffy.
"Well, not anymore. I'm taking you kids out on the town. Based on your collective worry-wart vibes, you two need to let go a bit, and that's why Uncle Lorne is here. I'll swing by, 8 o'clock, be dressed to thrill, and yes Mr. tough guys that means color and evening wear."
"Oo fancy like. I'm in." Buffy smiled at the opportunity. Generally an evening in a dress ended in either a drowning or began with hell hounds so she was ready for a freak free evening.
"I'll show you the Vegas few get to see!" Lorne stood up and waved over two guys in monkey suits. Not literal moneky suits, those silly bell hop uniforms. "Here boys, these are the bags!" The guys grabbed the bags and headed off. "Well, I've got to get back and get my beauty sleep, but I'll see you two tomorrow." Lorne leaned down and kissed Buffy on the cheek, he moved towards Spike.
"Oh no! I've got a manly image to keep up." Spike instead shook his hand.
"Ta!" Lorne walked off.
"Well Mr. manly image, I'm sleepy, let's go check out that suite."
"Anything you like, pet." Spike and Buffy headed back towards their hotel, as they walked Spike took her hand. Buffy only smiled.
"Mr. Pennycuff. It's my pleasure." The casino manager met Spike at the front desk. "Please let me escort you and your lovely wife to your suite." The man turned and retrieved the key from the desk clerk. "They are in room 1015, Mr. and Mrs. Pennycuff are not to be denied anything. Just put it on the hotel account, Mr. Pennycuff is one of our high rollers."
Buffy turned to Spike and mouthed 'Pennycuff?' he only smiled at her. "I'll explain later Elizabeth." She then looked quizzically at him.
"Do we need to retrive your bags from another hotel?"
"No, I'm sure Elizabeth here has spent enough money at your little shops that we won't be needing anything from our former residence." Spike shook the man's hand.
"It's always lovely to have visitors from across the pond. Tell me where are you from?"
"I'm originally from London, but haven't been there in an age. Came over here and met my girl, and well I haven't left yet."
The manager turned to Buffy, "I can see why sir, she's a lovely lady." He took Buffy's hand and kissed it.
"Now Mr. Pennycuff, let's get you situated."
"Please, call me William."
The manager took them to their room and gave them a tour. As soon as the door clicked shut Buffy was on him.
"William Pennycuff? Pennycuff? Did you make that up?" She said with a laugh.
"No love, it's my proper name. William Randolf Pennycuff. And for the record you are my lovely wife Elizabeth Anne Pennycuff."
"Elizabeth?"
"Yes, Elizabeth. Lots of them go by the name Buffy."
"Oh really?"
"Or so I've heard."
"And where did you hear that?"
"From Pike."
"That bastard! I should have known."
"Nice that you had it legally changed before heading to Sunnydale. Did it make it easier to hide that juvenile record?"
"Ask Snyder, oh wait, he's snake food."
"Well Mrs. Pennycuff what should we do now?" Spike asked her with a sinister grin.
"Did you have to make us married?"
"We are incognito! No one would suspect!" He leaned in a kissed her.
"A wife's work is never done." She giggled and settled back into him. "I think there is an obcenely large bed that needs exploration."
"Oh do you?" She nearly screamed when he picked her up, "I'm guessing the honeymoon isn't over just yet." He winked at her and carried her to bed.