Chapter 14

Alexa pressed her fingers to her temples, counting backwards from ten. She would not strangle Lindsey, or stake Angel. No matter how tempting. "Would you both just shut up?" She glared at the two of them. "I don't care that you have a mutual dislike for each other. That's irrelevent at the moment. We have larger problems. Like the demon that was here last night."

"If she wants to stake him, I say just let her." Lindsey got an annoyed glare from Alexa.

"Lindsey, shut up. You're good at strategy, bad at personal relations. So unless you're asked to lend your expertise in planning a raid, or something similar, keep your opinions to yourself." Alexa's tone brooked no arguement. "You know, you might have been better off if you'd stayed home."

"We'd all be better off if you'd all stayed home," Angel muttered, and Alexa switched targets for the glare.

"Well, Mr. Dark-and-Dour, we didn't, so you're going to have to deal. And you know, I have a sneaking suspicion that if Shannon and I hadn't arrived when we did, you and Spike would be dead now."

"At least we wouldn't have people here who don't belong here."

"So what if we don't belong here?" Alexa's control was eroding rapidly. "You and Spike both, by rights, belong in a grave at the moment. So no one in this room belongs here."

"You less than Spike and me," Angel shot back, and Alexa's temper exploaded.

"Look, you fucking little bastard, there's no way in hell - or any other place you care to name - Shannon or I can go back. We're dead on our world. DEAD! And I'm quite happy with that arrangement, since, after all, I made it. Yeah, ok, I'm missed. Big fucking deal!" Her hands were clenched into fists so tightly her nails were leaving bloody half-moons in her palms. "I hated it there. And I've lived under a god-damned death wish for the last five bedamned years. I was sick of it! Now I'm here, and no matter how much of a BASTARD you are about it, I'm not going anywhere."

She didn't realize the others were staring at her until Lindsey let out a strangled, "You wanted to be dead?!"

Alexa paused, looking around the room at the shocked faces. "Yeah. I knew my brother could take the machine apart, and that everyone would wonder where I went. I didn't want that. I wanted to make sure no one went looking for me." She scowled, her eyes snapping with annoyance as she looked over at Lindsey. "But you had to go and screw up my well-laid plans, didn't you?"

Spike pulled her over to him, wrapping both arms around her when it looked like she would launch herself at the object of her anger. She drove an elbow into his ribs, but he didn't budge.

"Spike, let go of me," Alexa snarled.

"Not until you calm down, muffin."

After Alexa had calmed down, and they'd gotten lunch, they gathered in the lobby again, this time with Angel and Lindsey keeping themselves to glares.

"Alright. What do we know of the demon now? Anything other than what she revealed to us last night?" Alexa looked over at Wesley, who had a laptop balanced on his lap, and he shook his head. "Anything on who or what MacInnis is in this world?" Her voice was cold as ice, and Jillian and Lindsey shared a look. If Alexa caught up with MacInnis on this world, she would kill him. No matter what it took.

"Nothing yet, but I'm working on it."

"Keep working on it, Wesley. We need any information you can find on Natalie Wolfe, or MacInnis. And I want to know precisely what it will take to kill MacInnis."

"I would include that in my search perimeters anyway." Wesley gave her a confused look, and was hushed by Lindsey and Jillian.

"Just find the information, Wesley. It's what you're good at." Alexa turned to the others. Before she could open her mouth again, Angel spoke.

"Are you planning on taking over, or something?"

Alexa smiled with deceptive sweetness. "Someone has to. And this wouldn't be the first time I've been in charge. Now, as I was saying," she turned to Shannon, ignoring Angel. "Shannon, since you can sense the demon, you should stay near Angel and Spike at all times. We don't want her to get in a clear shot at either of them."

"Duh." Shannon rolled her eyes. "I'll keep an eye out for her, but I can't watch everything at once, Alexa."

"Which is where Jillian comes in. She's our resident hardware genius. Jillian, do you think you can design a security system that will warn us when anything not human comes into the hotel? And keep it from going off when Spike or Angel come or go?"

Jillian tilted her head, thinking. "Possibly. I could certainly create a security system for the hotel, and wire the building, if I have the cash to buy the materials. And I could probably adapt it so that it will sound a different alarm if what comes in isn't human, though I can't garuntee it. I'd have to know exactly what I'm supposed to be setting up the system to guard against, and how it differs from humans." She turned to her laptop, already starting to work on the problems of designing the security system.

"Consult with Wesley for information on what we're trying to keep out." Alexa paused, sticking her tongue in her cheek a moment. "Lindsey, you're good at strategy. I want you to look at the layout of the hotel, and figure out what it would take to defend it. Or at least make sure we know where all the escape routes are, and put together a plan to get out that doesn't include fighting our way out except as a last resort." She paused again. "And Spike and Angel, since they're what this demon's after, can stay here. We make her come to us if she wants to kill them, and we fight her on our ground."

Angel was apparently trying to keep from exploading at Alexa, and she raised an eyebrow at him in clear challenge.

"What makes you think you can waltz in here, where you don't belong, and tell me what to do?" His voice was calm, but there was a clear edge of anger to it.

Alexa shrugged. "If you don't want to listen to me, fine. It's not my funeral." She leaned in closer. "Besides, I have nothing to lose but my life. I don't care what you threaten me with, it doesn't matter to me."

"Alexa," Shannon muttered warningly.

"Shay, shut up. I'm beyond caring what he thinks of me." Alexa leaned back, her face impassive. "I've come up against Death before, and spat in its face. Death threats have been a part of my life since MacInnis. And him I was sure would carry them out. I'm not afraid of the vampire over there."

Shannon shook her head, rolling her eyes, but Alexa ignored her, heading into the kitchen to locate something to eat.

Author's Note: Hmm. Must remember to keep this updated better on And if anyone wants to keep up with the latest updates on Hello Spike without having to wait for me to update here, go to ?boardCML&actiondisplay&num1094156848 - I have the whole story there as it stands so far, and I update there far more regularly.