Author's Note - This scene was originally NC-17. If you are of age and wish to see the full chapter head here FOUR
His body slicked with sweat, Connor cut through a wave. He usually ran in the pre-dawn hours but last night had unsettled him. Sleep had been hard to find and he had finally dropped off near his usual running time. Later in the day, Gwen had talked him into a little R&R on the beach. Their buyer wouldn't talk to them about transferring the Alatyr until the evening hours for security reasons on her end.
Connor and Gwen's ideas of R&R didn't always jive. She stretched out on the sand with the latest Denise Hamilton book while he pounded up the beach. He ran for miles out and back. Sweat poured from his body. He had powered through his sports drink, tossing the bottle in a recycling bin and kept running, trying to burn out his unease. He ended the run with a dunking in the ocean, after leaving his shoes and iPod with Gwen. He should have brought a body board, leaving it with her while he ran. His mind was obviously not in the game. He body surfed a little, his brain still mulling their near capture. Afterwards, he slogged up to where Gwen was reading, sand sticking to his feet. He flopped down onto his towel, face down.
She ran a finger along his wet spine. "No guppies this time?"
He eyed her sourly. "You promised never to bring that up."
Grinning, Gwen shove a long strand of her hair back. "Sorry, love. It was just too funny. I thought a shark had you the way you were dancing around."
"Let's see how brave you are when a fish swims up your suit," he grumbled.
"It was guppy no bigger than my pinkie." She wiggled the digit for emphasis.
He pouted, thinking she looked utterly delicious in her electric blue bikini. "Why are you picking on me?"
"You get so cute when you're all hurt and pouty." She flicked his bottom lip.
He reached over, pulling her to him. He kissed her. "My wife is evil."
"Don't ever forget that." She smiled but then it faded. "You look so unhappy. What's wrong?"
Connor hiked up on one arm. "This isn't the place to talk about it."
Gwen canted her head back, her gaze going to the top of the bluffs where their house reigned like the castles of old. "I think I've done enough damage to my skin for one day."
Connor nodded and helped her pack everything up their private walkway to the house. They both showered off in the pool house so sand and ocean water wouldn't touch the teak floors of the mansion.
"This is about last night," Gwen said, sitting on the leather couch with him. Their Irish Wolfhounds came over and collapsed at their feet.
"We almost got caught."
"You're being over-dramatic. We weren't in any trouble." Gwen stroked hair out of his eyes.
He caught her hands. "Two people just saw us in the middle of a robbery."
She pulled free. "Two vampires, they can't exactly go to the authorities."
"The vampire runs a huge law firm. I wouldn't be so sure." Connor said, sternly. "Not to mention those two men in the hallway. I'm not sure one was even human. Tell me that was normal."
"What am I hearing here?" Gwen got up, nearly tripping over the dogs.
"Maybe we should take some time off. We don't need any more money. We could take the dogs and travel," Connor suggested.
"What?" Her lips thinned. "You want to act like we're a couple of snow birds?"
Connor's eyes narrowed, his body stiffening. Gwen was taking it worse than he had imagined. "No, just that we're taking a lot of risks we don't need to. I know this is my fault. I chose the assignment. There is no need for us to be doing something this high risk. We could stick to art and other stuff, lower risk, almost as profitable. We can afford to take some time off, pursue other interests."
"Do you even have other interests?" Her words knifed into him. "Where is this coming from? I've never seen you this...well, you're acting like an old woman."
Connor got up and took her hands. "Have you ever gotten the feeling like you can see doom staring you in the face? That old cliche about someone walking over your grave. I'm feeling it."
Gwen felt his hands shaking. Her face softened. "Baby, oh, baby, you're rattled. I didn't realize...you're serious about this. Okay, we can take a break, go anywhere you want. Diane will take the dogs if we want to go out of the county. We can go on that camping trip in Sweden, stay in that ice hotel like you wanted."
"You never want to do that," he said, suspiciously.
Gwen wrapped her arms around him. "That's because the hotel is made of ice and you have to sleep under reindeer skins or some such nonsense. You have to be a little crazy to want to stay there." She kissed his cheek. "But since you are a little crazy, I guess that fits."
"Thanks, I think." He embraced her tight. "Are you serious about the ice hotel?"
She buried her face against his shoulder. "Oh no, I got the wheels turning. I'm going to be up to my butt in snow."
"Well, not until next winter at any rate." He grinned. "I'll be just as happy to dump the Alatyr off, give Di the dogs and you and I can take a week in Hawaii or anywhere you want to go.
"So long as I agree to the ice hotel this winter." She reached down, squeezing his butt.
"We can even start in Norway and dog sled to the ice hotel. It takes eight days." His blue eyes lit up.
Her fingers brushed over his head. "I could have sworn you kicked Angel in the head, not the other way around. Did you hit it on the way over the stairwell?"
His eyes slotted as he kissed her forehead. "I did not hit my head."
"You must have if you think I'm dog sledding across two frigid countries." She kissed him more deeply.
"Give it a change." He sucked at her tongue. "The hotel has a spa and bar."
"You have your little heart set on this." Gwen brushed her lips against his prominent adam's apple then nibbled his ear lobe. "How about this for tonight's game after we get ready to make the delivery." She whispered her idea for their new sexual game into his ear.
He cocked his head, staring into her kaleidoscope eyes. "That's a little bizarre but okay."
She tapped his nose. "No more bizarre than your ice hotel. I can only imagine what you'll want to do in the ice."
"You'll enjoy it," he promised.
She slapped his backside. "Uh-huh. I'll get ready for tonight."
"Do that. I'm going to do more checking on Angel."
"You're not going to just let it drop." She sighed.
"I'm fairly sure that Angel's not going to let this go."
Gwen's lips pursed. "You could be right."
Connor researched various references, starting with Wolfram and Hart's corporate site then branching into news clips and tv spots. There was something familiar about the vampire's heavy brow and intense eyes. Connor had no idea why. He had only met the man once previously and he couldn't imagine that single negative experience would have imprinted on him so deeply. Despite all his notes and contemplation, he was no closer to understanding the man or why he felt so terribly familiar. Finally Gwen dragged him away from the computer so she could make delivery arrangements with their employer.
They headed to the Paradise Cove, famous from being the bar in The Rockford Files, and had some Bloody Mary's on the beach before the celebratory games began. Connor took a long swallow of his cocktail with extra tabasco. "Las Vegas."
"I'm not thrilled to be driving with that thing though the desert for nearly five hours," Gwen said.
"I'd drive to Kansas to drop that damn thing off," Connor replied, the vodka and acid of the drink burning through his system.
Gwen trailed her fingers up the inside of his thigh. "I know. Are you ready to head back?"
"Yeah, before I can't walk which is likely if you keep doing that." He grabbed her fingers, bringing them up to his lips.
"Well then, what are we waiting for?"
"I will see your boss so you might as well have him come out here." Andrew leaned on Harmony's desk, trying his best intimidating posture.
Harmony rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you Angel isn't in? Acting all high and mighty isn't going to make him suddenly appear. And you might want to take your hands off my desk before I forget I've sworn off human blood." Harmony's face morphed, looking totally out of sync with her pretty in pink ensemble.
"I know well how to handle vampyres," Andrew assured her.
"Fine." Harmony thumbed a button under her desk. "Tell it to security."
Angel and Spike walked in with Kate before security could arrive. Angel looked at Andrew then over to Harmony. "Problems, Harmony?"
"Nothing security can't handle," the blonde said.
"I'll deal with it," Angel said and Kate called off her security team. "Andrew, it's hard to maintain civil ties with the Watchers when you just pop in and try to strong arm people. Now I've five minutes available so why don't you hurry up and tell me what your problem is this time." Angel went into his office without waiting for an answer.
Andrew looked momentarily stunned then followed the vampire. He tried to get himself together. "I'm here for the Alatyr."
"Really?" Angel sat down as if totally unimpressed by his visitor.
"An operative told the Watchers that the Alatyr passed to this law firm upon the death of Mr. Leib. I'm here to collect it."
"Just like that?" Angel tried not to smile but he couldn't help it.
"It doesn't belong in the hands of a place like this...with vampyres," Andrew said.
"And you thought they'd just turn it over on your say so?" Kate asked. "What if they, the legal owners, refused?"
"Refusal isn't an option," Andrew replied, keeping his eyes on Angel as if Kate wasn't of concern.
"So? You planned on stealing it?" Kate pressed into his space, her eyes hard and flaring. Andrew was forced to look at her. "From a law firm? Do you know how long you can go to jail for, for grand theft? I'm no longer L.A.P.D. but I have contacts there who would be glad to have a nice solid case dropped on their doorstep and this firm would make sure the prosecutor pushed for the max. How long do you think you'd last in prison? I wouldn't bet on you lasting a half hour before someone laid you out or laid you down. Now I'll ask this only once, what do you think you were trying to do stealing from us?"
Andrew's mouth flopped wordlessly. He hadn't expected any real confrontations, realizing he should have put more thought into his plan.
"I see why you wanted her around," Spike said, "She has style."
"Oh, yes." Angel looked at Kate proudly. "And Andrew, if you even had the skills to take the Alatyr, you're a day late. It was stolen yesterday by a professional thief."
Andrew snorted. "You expect me to believe that."
Angel kicked away from his desk in his expensive chair, gesturing at the gaping hole in the wall.
"Angel didn't just lose his temper and kill a wall, Andrew," Spike said. "He walked in on a burglary."
"You're just lucky you're here now braying for the item or you might have ended up a top suspect," Kate said.
"You can't be serious," Andrew said, waving her off dismissively.
"Angel I just spoke to..." Wes said, coming into the office. He stopped, staring at Andrew.
"Pryce, they're telling me that the Alatyr was stolen. The Council is very interested in having that item and surely you have enough collegiate feelings for your old team to end this nonsense now." Andrew stalking up to Wesley.
"It's Wyndham-Pryce," Wesley said coldly then turned his attention away from Andrew. "Angel, I just finished speaking to Giles like you suggested." Wes' blue eyes stabbed back at Andrew for a moment to make his point. "He's aware that the Alatyr has been stolen. He said that there has been some ecological disturbances that date back to when the Alatyr first left Booyan Island. He'd like to return the omphalos to what is ostensibly the 'world tree' once it's back in our possession."
"And if we can find Gwen and her accomplice, we'll help Giles do this," Angel said.
"Oh, and Andrew, you might want to check in with Giles. Xander filled him in on you taking some initiative and well..." Wes made a face of disdain. "Let's just say it wasn't the initiative he wanted anyone taking."
Andrew looked like he was about to protest but Angel cut in. "Wes, you, Spike, Gunn and I will head to the beach to see if we can retrieve the Alatyr. Kate, I don't want you involved in this venture. Did you find out anything about Gwen?"
"Not under the name you gave me but if she is as successful at this as you've said, I'm not surprised. Wesley, give me Giles' number and I'll discuss the best way of handling the Alatyr once we retrieve it...unless we had other ideas for it." Kate looked at Angel.
The vampire shrugged. "I know that Gunn had ideas for it. We'll discuss that once we have it back."
"I'm going with you," Andrew insisted.
"I don't think so," Angel said, folding his arms.
"We Watchers have a stake in this," Andrew protested.
"No, you have nothing. If I decide to cooperate with Giles I will, directly. If I decide to keep the Alatyr, I will since we are the rightful owners of it. If I decide to chuck the thing in the ocean, there's nothing you can do about it," Angel said.
Andrew looked to Spike for support. "But Giles..."
"Isn't in charge here. I'm not having you coming along," Angel said.
"This is what I do now," Andrew said, drawing himself up to his full height.
"Yes, and last time you were here you handled the situation so well Spike got his arms cut off," Angel reminded him and Andrew shrank.
"You do have a tendency to chatter the entire time, Andrew," Spike said. "We're trying to break into a well-guarded residence. We can't roam around Malibu with you jabbering."
Andrew looked particularly hurt at Spike's rejection. "Fine. I need to talk to Giles." He stalked out of the room.
"That was way too easy," Spike said, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"You know him best. I'll take your word for it." Angel got up. "Kate, let's be sure we have a more secure place to put the Alatyr if we get it back."
"Will do, Angel," she said.
Angel led the way to the underground garage. Gunn was already waiting for him with a redone police interceptor. The plain blue car had a monster engine under the hood in case they needed it and enough room for all four men to pile in. Angel had only gotten a few blocks when he noticed something in the rear view. "I think Andrew's actually following us."
"Maybe he is getting better at this." Spike twisted in the seat to look. "So, do we just let him sit back there?"
"We don't even know where we're actually going," Wesley said. "All we know is Malibu and then we're going to trust your noses to lead us to Gwen and her accomplice. It'll be bad enough for our car to be driving around aimlessly."
"He's in a rented Cavalier," Gunn said, looking out the rear window. "In that area, the cops will pick him off as being very wrong for the area profile. I wouldn't waste time worrying about him."
"Gunn's right. It'll just make a scene. I'm impressed that he actually thought to try this. And if he gets in the way later, I'll just tell Giles the thieves got him." Angel smirked.
Ethan looked at the Malibu palace, hoping the spell he had just cast had disabled the alarms. "Do you think they're in there?"
"Who the hell can tell? Did you see that garage full of cars?" Kippendragr said then sneezed loudly several times.
"Are you done or should we alert them some more?" Ethan curled his fingers into fists, not that he'd actually hit the demon. Kippendragr could crush his skull with one blow.
"Do they have dogs?" The demon sniffled. "I'm allergic. Badly."
"You couldn't think of that before now?" Ethan eyed him sourly.
"They travel a lot, if this is the pair of thieves you think they are. I didn't think they'd have guard dogs," Kippendragr grumbled. "My kind can't handle dogs."
"Stay here and guard the door then," Ethan tugged at the bright coppery wig on his head. He wasn't wearing much of a disguise. In a case like this, more wasn't necessarily better. He didn't want to bring too much attention to himself but he wanted the attention to be on the hair and not his face. His outfit was security blue.
He cast an unlocking spell then looked back at Kippendragr and whispered, "Alohamora."
"Just get inside, Potter," the demon grumped, catching the joke.
Snorting, Ethan went in and found himself faced with four enormous dogs, all of them waist-high to him. He already had a sleep spell ready for them, thanks to Kippendragr's allergies and cast it. He froze as hundred of pounds of dog hit the marble foyer. No one seemed to notice. The pounding sounds of Ravel's Bolero poured out of a room deeper in the house. He almost couldn't pick out the feminine cries of pleasure over the musical strains. He wagged his head. It was such a stereotypical make out music that it was almost tawdry. Still, it was a good sound. It meant that his marks were occupied.
He took out an oak leaf, prepared earlier for the spells's final command, from his pocket and whispered to it, "Find." The leaf levitated off his hand and began to float through the house. It took him past a spacious game room. He caught a glimpse of the pair and hurried past. She was a gorgeous creature. He wanted her.
Ethan put that out of mind and followed the leaf into the bed room. It hovered in front of a print of Rene Magritte's The Surprise Answer. Maybe it wasn't a print given the surroundings. It wasn't something Ethan wanted on his bedroom wall. It was creepy, just a wooden door with a shrouded vaguely human shape torn out of it, revealing shades beyond and just the slightest hint there was something evil waiting there.
He took the painting down, revealing the safe. He was almost sad that it had such a trite hiding spot. He started to try and open it when movement out of the corner of his eye stopped him. His body went cold, drenched with sweat. He backed away, more afraid than he ever remembered being. There was a demon in the room with him, coming for him. Was it Eyghon? He knew Ripper had destroyed the demon, or at least delayed it long enough for Ethan to escape.
He didn't wait to find out if it was Eyghon or another demon. He scooted out of the building, trying not to make any sounds. As he threw open the front door he found himself staring at three men, including Angel. Where the hell was Kippendragr? Couldn't the demon do anything right?
Ethan swallowed hard then said softly. "Can I help you?"
"We got a call about the security system," another Brit said.
"I'm the caretaker. Come on in and see if you can fix the system while I check out the pool. I haven't seen anyone prowling about though," Ethan said.
He tried not to look at Angel as the trio came in. He walked as casually as he could past them then headed for his car. "Kippendragr," he hissed and the demon melted out of the shadows. "Where the hell were you?"
"I heard a car. I thought it was the thieves coming home," Kippendragr said, tugging on his ridge of horns.
Ethan curled a lip at him. "Tell me again why I'm working with you?"
"I'm paying you. My tribe wants the Alatyr. Where is it?"
"I didn't get it. It had a demon guardian. I wasn't prepared for that and now Angel and company are inside." Ethan sighed.
"Now what?" the demon asked.
"Get in the car and we wait. If we're lucky, Angel will steal it and we can steal it back from him," Ethan said with a wary smile.
"Well, that was lucky," Wes whispered, "Him inviting you in. Saves us the trouble."
"This is luckier." Gunn pointed to the sleeping dogs.
Angel sniffed. "That was Ethan Rayne."
"Who?" Gunn asked.
"Are you sure?" Wes asked.
He nodded. "Gunn, Spike, follow him. He might already have the Alatyr. Spike, you know what Rayne's capable of. Wes, you get my back."
Angel followed his nose through the house, tracking Ethan past the game room where he almost got himself caught. He couldn't help stopping and looking. He had heard the sex sounds but he wasn't prepared for what he saw, nor for Wes mouthing something that looked like 'looks like fun.' Angel wasn't sure he agreed. How had his son gotten so strange?
He ended up in the bedroom and saw the safe in the wall. He tried to push what he had just seen out of mind. He knew that was not the intended use of Ravel's Bolero nor plastic wrap. What had his son gotten into? Angel nearly kicked into the Magritte picture. He stared at the creepy thing. He preferred Magritte's surreal pictures with things that floated.
As Angel reached for the safe, his stomach roiled. He tasted the wet penny flavor of blood as his last meal tried to come back on him, odd for a vampire. He was suddenly so afraid, his hands shook. He heard something soft behind him scurrying away. He turned and Wes was gone. Angel looked back at the safe and before him the dead had risen. Hundreds of them suddenly filled the room, all the people he had ever killed. Standing just in front of him were Buffy, Cordelia, Darla and Connor, their flesh rotting, maggots falling like snow to the carpeting. Buffy moved her head and bees pushed out of the opening that had once been her sweet mouth. Rusty fluid leaked from Cordelia's eyes and his son's neck gaped open where Angel had once slit it wide before handing the boy to Wolfram and Hart to fix.
Angel stumbled back from the safe. He rubbed his eyes hard, too hard. They hurt but the pain was good. It helped him focus his thoughts. His son wasn't dead. He was in the other room being ridden hard by Gwen. Buffy was alive in Europe. "A spell," he rasped out. It was some kind of fear spell to keep him from the safe. Angel pressed the gizmo Wes had given him to the safe and it ran the electronic lock. He knew that was the kind Gwen would have since she could lock and unlock it just by waving her hand at it. The safe opened and he was stunned at what he saw inside. It was hard not to pick up a few of the more beautiful items of jewelry - as if he had someone to give them to - but he refrained and snatched up the Alatyr.
Wes ran into him just outside the game room. Angel tried to hustle him away from the opening even if the lovers were far to involved with each other to notice the nearly silent intruders. Wes' eyes were huge. He was pointing behind him. "We have a problem."
The barking explained Wes' cryptic statement. Angel winced. The dogs had reawakened and were coming for them. Gwen cried out, seeing them standing there, then she was off her bound lover and after them.
"Run!" Angel said, shoving Wes. "Don't let her touch you."
Angel booted two of the giant wolfhounds, cramming the Alatyr in Wes' hands. One dog got Angel by the arm. He hated flinging the beast across the room. Gwen was on him in an instant. The electric shock sent him sprawling. She stalked over to him, naked, tan and covered with sweat and the smell of his son. That last thing was the only thing that took away his focus on how beautiful she was. Angel managed to get up, belting her one. She crashed through a glass topped table between the leather couches. He turned and ran, hearing the breaking of metal. Connor must have torn through the brass railing around the bar Gwen had him tied down to in the other room.
Angel didn't stop to find out, slamming the door behind him to keep the dogs off his heels. They had what they had come for. Gunn and Wes were already in the car. He jumped in as it was rolling. Spike tromped the accelerator and they peeled out, the trunk of the car nearly getting nailed by what looked like lightning.
"That was close," Gunn said.
"Did you find Ethan?" Angel asked, trying not to feel too triumphant at stealing the Alatyr back. He knew this wouldn't be an end to it. Surely Gwen and Connor would try again. He knew if he were them he would.
"Slippery bastard got away. He had a car waiting," Spike said.
"The important thing is we have the Alatyr," Wes said, examining the stone in the dome light of the car. "You didn't kill anyone did you, Angel?"
"No, well, maybe a dog. Gwen almost fried us there. Her accomplice never managed to join in the fight. Let's get this home."
"I'll call Kate," Wes said.
Angel nodded.
Connor didn't like having the music up so loud because it interfered with his hearing, but on truly adventurous nights they tended to get noisy. Last summer one of their neighbors had made a smarmy joke about it. That was the problem with Malibu, no privacy. Let them snicker about Ravel.
He wasn't sure he liked this game. Connor didn't mind being tied up a little. He had no problems with Gwen tying him to the brass railing of their bar top. The old wood of the restored Irish bar was cold on his backside but that was a fun new sensation. It was the total mummification with plastic wrap he wasn't sure he liked. He liked making Gwen happy. He enjoyed pleasuring her any way he could. He felt helpless to do that in this condition. Connor turned his head, straining to hear over Bolero. "Did you hear that?"
"Probably just the hounds playing," she replied distractedly.
He nodded. If it was an intruder, the dogs would be barking.
Connor set aside his worries, concentrating on his lover then their joy was aborted by the sudden barking of the dogs. Both his and Gwen's heads snapped over to the door and standing there was Angel and another man that Connor didn't know. Gwen was off of him racing after them men, naked like some Celtic warrioress of old. The men ran. Connor strained to free himself but between being shackled and mummified he had no leverage. He tried harder hearing one of his dogs yelping with pain. He heard the snap of Gwen's electrical talent and someone fell. When he heard Gwen's cry of pain and the breaking of glass, it spurred him on. The brass twisted and tore and he was free, sort of. He could barely walk shrouded like he was in plastic wrap.
When he got out of the room, he saw blood and broken glass and the front door was open. He staggered to it and Gwen nearly ran him over coming back in. She was bloodied but didn't appear to be seriously hurt.
"They got the Alatyr," she snarled.
"Forget that, are you all right?" He tried to turn her around so he could see her back. "You're bleeding."
"I don't think it's bad." She kicked the couch. "They got it."
"We'll worry about getting it back later. Get me out of this shit and I'll take care of your back."
"I'll be fine, Connor." She tried to ward him off. "We need to follow them."
"They'll go right back to Wolfram and Hart. They wouldn't think we'd be right back after the thing. I'm not going anywhere until I'm sure you don't need stitches," he insisted.
Gwen sighed and tore the plastic wrap half off him, at least freeing up his arms better. He steered her into the bathroom and started wiping down her back with alcohol. She wiggled and hissed in pain. "Connor, you're killing me here."
"Hush, it's not so bad," he said, softly. "Really, they're all shallow. You have some glass in you. I'm going to have to get it out or do you want to go to the emergency room?"
"Just do it," she insisted.
Connor treated her wounds and got them bound up. She helped him free of the rest of the plastic wrap. Connor went to clean up the glass before his dogs got hurt, after satisfying himself that they weren't seriously injured in the tussle with the vampire. "How'd he get in here anyhow?"
"I guess anyone can invite a vampire in, not just the owner of the house." Gwen waved him over. "Connor, come look at this."
Curious at his wife's tone, Connor went to the front door. An oak leaf hovered there poking into the wood as if trying to get out. "You don't see that every day."
"I think it's a spell. I think it's tracking the Alatyr. How else did they know which safe we put it in?" Gwen said.
"Let's get another look at the specs for Wolfram and Hart and take our new leafy friend with us. With any luck, we'll have the Alatyr back by noon," Connor said.
"That's the plan."