Ch. 16

They finally got back to the firm at 3:00 a.m. Sair going to bed freely and without question. When the door was shut, Spike let out an exasperated sigh. The previous days' and this nights' events were quite trying on the vampire that was depraved of sleep and blood.

He went downstairs from the floor the room was and found Angel's office, it was only three in the morning, he should still be there. Spike wasn't too surprised when he found that he was right.

Angel wasn't at his desk like normal, he was staring out at the city. The night bathing it in wondrous mischief the dark often brought.

"Angel," Spike said from the doorway.

"What is it Spike?"

"….I found her," the vampire said.

Angel turned, "Really?"

"Yeah," Spike sighed.

"There's more to it isn't there?"

"Yeah.." the vampire looked down to the floor.

"What is it?"

"Her vampire instincts are coming back to her."

"Well, isn't that a good thing?"

"Depending on how you look at it. To me, well, it's a bloody good thing, but to you…"

"What? What did she do?"

"…I found three bodies. She killed them all. She was feeding."

"How?"

"The first I found was torn out. All save his head. Then there was another one, but she was just bitten. I found Sair with the third, she was past saving, Sair had drained her enough that she would teeter on death for a bit, but wasn't able to be saved."

Angel remained silent.

"Her emotions are coming out again. And now she feels overwhelmed by them."

"Where is she now?"

"In her room, I made her promise that she wouldn't leave again, she won't."

"How do you know you can trust her?"

"I know I can-"

"She's been feeding on human blood now and you say she's feeling old emotions that were buried. She's unstable, Spike."

"She won't do it again, I'll make sure of it."

"You better. Because now, it's not sympathy. She knew what she was doing and if she were any other vampire, I'd stake her on the spot, but she's not. Since you seem to have so much faith in her, I'll let this go, but do not think that she'll get a second free pass alright?"

"Alright, you have my word," Spike said, ordinarily, he'd never take this crap from Angel but he knew it was serious, "We need to get Sair on some pig's blood or whatever you eat, it'll probably do something to her if she keeps human blood constant in her system."

"Fine, I'll have Fred deliver some in a little while."

"Good," Spike said as he started to leave, but turned back, "And Angel?"

"What?"

"….thanks."

Angel just nodded in reply, even though he was surprised beyond all reason by Spike's thanks, and the other vampire left.

A half an hour later, Fred delivered the blood to Sair's room, where Spike waited. She looked down on the sleeping vampires' form and smiled. Setting down the box full of blood packets, she lightly pushed on his shoulder to wake him.

His eyes fluttered open.

"Five more minutes…." he muttered before shifting to his side.

Fred laughed lightly, but then grimaced as Spike leaned his weight further to the side in his sleep and slid down to hit his head on the doorframe hard.

"Ow!!" he yelled as he was jolted awake by the pain.

"Are you alright?" Fred asked him.

"Do I bloody look alright?!" Spike almost yelled as he clutched at the bruise forming on his forehead, "How long have I been out?"

"Maybe thirty minutes or so, I got the call from Angel a little while ago," she told him, "You holding the fort here?"

"Yeah," Spike said as he got up and Fred followed, "I wanted to make sure she wouldn't get out again."

"Well," Fred said as she hoisted up her box, "Here's the blood you ordered."

Spike took the box from her, "Thanks. Oh and by the by, what time is it?"

Fred checked her watch, "Three-forty."

"Great," Spike said, "Thanks again."

Fred smiled and nodded as she left down the hall and Spike entered Sair's room.

He wasn't all that surprised when he found her awake, sitting at the edge of her bed. She looked up at his entry into her room.

"Hey," Spike said.

"Hey," she replied.

"Got a treat for ya," Spike said as he sat next to her on the bed, showing her the boxes' contents.

"Thanks, but I'm not really hungry."

"No problem, we can eat later," Spike said as he set down the box.

She stayed silent for a long while and the other vampire wondered if he should leave.

"Am I a bad person?" Sair asked.

"What?"

"Am I a bad person?" she repeated, "After I killed those people?"

"No," Spike said as he put an arm around her shoulders, "You're not a bad person, as a vampire, you need to feed. It's how you live, if you don't feed on anything, you can't live."

"Just…all that time with Dorian made me think I could actually be good if I didn't feed. It's was just a big lie."

"No, it wasn't a lie, just a bad theory. A very bad theory," Spike said, "There are vampires that are good though, and they feed."

"Like you?"

"Very flattering," Spike said, "But Angel too."

"Who?"

"The other vampire here that you saw downstairs."

"Oh yeah, the one who had the hair that did the flippy thing?"

"Yeah, that's him," Spike laughed, "He feeds on pig's blood and he's good. He helps people here."

"How?"

"He stops Apocalypse's and defends people and demons alike from unjust things," Spike said, laughing inwardly at his own words.

"Like a modern day vampiric Robin Hood?" Sair asked with a smile.

"Kind of," Spike said with a smile, "But he gets a big payoff and deals with a hell of a lot more than Robin ever did."

Sair laughed and then looked at him, "Thank you Spike."

"For what?"

"For being there for me, "she said, "You've stayed with me."

"I guess its' the big brother in me."

Sair laughed, but then went silent.

"What is it?" Spike asked.

"I'm just a little uneasy," she said as she got up from the bed, "Do you think we can go for a walk?"

"It's a few hours till sunrise, sure," Spike agreed as he got up.

They both left via the newly repaired window and walked along the rooftop, all the while, talking of their pasts.

Ch.17

Dorian dressed in his gray suit, it was the form she remembered him best in. He tucked the kerchief into his pocket after he meticulously folded it with practiced precision. After retrieving his cane, he checked himself in the mirror.

He smiled at his own reflection, everything was going to his plans. Everything would be perfect, just like him.

After a final smile was given to his image, Dorian went out the door of his hotel room. He went down to the lobby and exited through the grand double doors.

He walked into the early morning world, still resting but somehow still awake. He walked along the sidewalk, completely unafraid of what danger was around or near him, for it posed as no threat. Dorian strolled along for about an hour before he came to an old so-called abandoned house.

The door was old and taped to discourage people coming in, apparently doing its' job because the house was still. If it were any passer-by, they would think the house was lifeless, but Dorian knew better.

With a swift motion, he quietly broke the tape and remnants of the door with his cane and stepped inside.

It was dark and dank inside. Not only was it lifeless, it was old and dusty, as if no one had lived in it for at least a century. Dorian stepped lightly on the crumbling wooden floorboards and made his way to a very dusty staircase, passing by the doorway to what used to be a library, but was now just a bunch of papers lost in the times' power.

Each step creaked as he put a foot on it, threatening to give, but never did. After a little while of climbing unstable stairs, Dorian came to the single hall and he knew immediately which door to enter out of the eight that were there.

He walked down the hall to the last one on the left and opened it with a silent click and swing. As the door opened, he took in the vision of the room, perfectly preserved. The great tapestries hung by the windows as they used to, were pulled close together so that no light came in. The bed was still in the middle left of the room, its' purple silken sheets and comforter remained the same as well.

The rugs were still the ones that he had bought, all that time ago, with their Persian designs and wondrous material. The kerosene lamps that hung from the walls burned brightly to light the room with a nice glow and revealed who he was looking for.

She was hunched over a suitcase on top of the bed, full of clothes, books, and other various things that she would need on her journey that she thought she was going to take, but Dorian would change that.

"I think you're over packing," he said as he leaned on the doorjamb, "I mean, you're not even going anywhere."

The woman stopped suddenly, and turned slowly around to face the immortal. Dorian smiled, she looked just like she use to. Dark hair that spilled over her shoulders, thin features that were hidden by her leather ensemble. It was an early type of duster. It opened up at the waist after it was buttoned to the collar and created a kind of skirt effect, except for the fact that it was open in the front to reveal her leather pants and black shoes that she wore underneath.

"Dorian," she nearly whispered.

"Yes, it's me, not an illusion," he smirked as he said this.

"You're dead," the woman said.

"Mina, Mina, Mina…." he chided as he walked over to her and placed a hand on her cold cheek, "When will you ever learn? I am an immortal, I can't die."

"But the painting…" Mina trailed.

"You really think a blasted painting can stop me?" Dorian said with a smile, "That's preposterous and you know it."

He took his hand away from the speechless vampires' face and walked over to the armoire, noting the little pieces of paper that were littered upon the top, picking on up and studying it as if an ancient artifact.

"I must say, you've kept the place in great shape. Not a things' changed," Dorian said, keeping his eye on her.

"Including you," Mina said.

"That's how it works," Dorian said as he flitted away the piece of paper he was studying to the floor and walked towards the vampire, "Come with me Mina. It will be just like old times."

"But the old times are gone," the vampire said.

"We can make new ones then," Dorian said as planted a small kiss on her lips, "You could never resist an offer from me."

"I did back then," she said to him.

"No you didn't, you were just contemplating it, until you thought it was too late," Dorian fed her lies like it was blood, "Join me now. Once again."

It was a gentle order coming from his lips that seemed as hypnotizing as white noise to the vampire.

"I know you have been missing me this whole time Mina," Dorian said, "You felt guilty for my death."

"You deserved to die…" the vampire resisted.

"No, you went along with the rest of the league against me and then you brought that horrid 'end' if that's what you want to call it!" Dorian was reversing everything that happened.

"No, it was the right thing to do," the vampire resisted barely, her barriers breaking down.

"What? Killing your lover?! Killing me?!" Dorian shouted so that she winced at the harshness of his words.

She began to cry and fell to her hands and knees. Her body wracked with her sobs.

"I-I just tried…to do..t-the r-right..thing…." she sobbed.

"Shhh…" Dorian hushed as he kneeled in front of her.

He lifted her chin with his forefinger and whispered, "Let me take away your pain Mina. You've suffered more than any one of those members of the league ever did. More than anyone else should. I forgive you for letting me die. Let me make your pain go away, come with me."

He planted another kiss upon her lips and she looked up.

"I'll make it go away…" he trailed as he looked into her eyes. He hypnotized her, brainwashed her, like he did with Sair before and dozens of others to stray them away.

Mina's eyes clouded and she nodded mutely as Dorian took her hand and helped her to her feet.

"Now.." he said with a victorious smirk, "Let's go home."

He led her out of the broken home, down the street. It wasn't too far into the morning and there was at least a few hours until sunrise. All the time he needed to enact the first part of his plan.

"Mina," Dorian said to the vampire at his side.

"Hm?" she asked in her trance as she looked at the night sky.

"Let's go for a walk," he said with a smirk.