Chapter 3

Spike grumbled as he headed for the door to Angel's room. "Why did they have to bloody volunteer me to do this? Just because I'm a vampire, they have me go tell Angel.. Angelus.. that he's needed to help interrogate the demon. And tell the psychotic that he can help." He rolled his eyes. "Why me?" He knocked on the door, a bored expression on his face.

Angelus grabbed Spike, and in one swift move, closed the door and slammed the younger vampire against the wall. "We have a problem," he state without preamble.

Spike glared at Angelus. "Tell me something I don't know." He shoved Angelus away, straightening his duster. "What has you all worked up?"

Angelus shoved his hand through his hair with a frustrated growl. "Well, where shall I begin? For one, I'm hungry, and that cold crap in the cooler is not slaking my thirst. I want Shannon, which leads to problems number two and three, namely, she's not here and none of you idiots knows where she is. Which takes me to problem number four. About an hour ago, something very, very strange happened." He closed the distance between Spike and himself, his dark eyes flashing in anger.

"And that would be?" Spike moved slightly, putting himself between Angelus and the door.

Angelus slammed one hand against the door, using the other to point to his head. "She is whispering to me in my head."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "How the bloody hell is she doing that?"

Angelus stared at Spike. He never said a word, simply stormed out of the room, assuming his protege would follow. "Why do they want me?" he tossed back as he took the stairs two at time. "I didn't think they particularly wanted me around."

Spike followed, shrugging. "Alexa said Wesley was wasting her time, and she's currently locked into her room, so she can't do this herself." He caught up with Angelus, walking beside him. "She mentioned something about a grapefruit spoon, some salt, and the demon's face."

Angelus smiled. "Sounds like my kind of woman. Bit too skinny though." He slammed the door to Natalie's room open and glanced at Alexa. "I understand you need me. How great is that?" he asked as he threw his arms wide open. His face shifted into that of his vampire self as he turned cold eyes on Natalie. "Let the party begin."

Alexa shrugged at the annoyed look on Spike's face. "Jillian let me out of my room, and I want to hear what she has to say." She nodded to Angelus. "Your party. Let's see what she has to tell us, shall we?"

Natalie looked back and forth between the two. "I'm not going to tell you anything, so why are you even going to bother?"

"Because I so enjoy a challenge." He didn't waste any time, picking up the demon, and the chair she was tied to, with one hand. One hand that was wrapped completely around her throat. "What are you doing here? And where is Shannon?" he asked politely before slamming the chair into the ceiling, jarring Natalie.

Natalie glared at him. "Go to hell, Angelus. I don't need to tell you anything." She spat at him, her eyes narrowed to near slits.

Angelus looked at Alexa. "She's not very polite, is she?" He tossed the chair and Natalie across the room, looming over her as he pulled her to her feet. "See, that's where your wrong. If you want to leave this room, then you'll start talking. Otherwise, I can arrange to keep you here permenantly." He held up against the wall. "Hanging upside down. Your blood dripping on the floor. Not enough to kill you, but enough to drain you."

"Oh really, Angelus? And how long can you keep me here? Until your precious demon-caller is old and grey? Until she's dead?" Natalie smirked. "I don't think I'm telling you anything.

The locket. Angelus, ask her about the locket. It's precious to her.

Shannon's voice echoed in his head and his eyes drifted down to the locket at her neck. "What's this little trinket, pet?" He took it in his free hand. "A family heirloom, maybe?"

Natalie shook her head, almost shaking. "I don't know what it is." She only knew she'd had it since she had been created. Or soon after. And it was warm around Angelus. Like it had been at that grave. "Who is Liam?" she blurted out, the memory coming to the front of her mind again.

Angelus found the catch of the locket and it sprang open. He smiled, his incisors quite visible in the dim light. "Liam...Liam," he repeated before pushing Natalie into Spike's arms and pulling the locket free. He gazed back at Natalie, his expression hardening into one of nasty humor. "Liam was my mortal name. One I prefer not to have to hear."

"Your grave," she murmured. "Why the hell would I be drawn to your grave? When you weren't even a bother to John at the time?" She lifted her head to glare at Angelus. "And give me back that locket. It's mine, no matter how little he might care for it."

Angelus raised an eyebrow and held the locket in front of her. "You want this?" he asked softly. "Then tell me where Shannon is and why, exactly, your employer is pissing with us."

"You have items that belong to him. Parts of his collection. Why else would he be messing with a vampire, when he could do just as well to let them go off on their merry way munching through humanity?" She snorted. "And I wouldn't know for certain where your pet demon-caller is. She could be at any of a number of places, and it doesn't matter to me. You can go piss off on that one. Try your best to find her, because I can't help you."

"Can't, or won't?" Alexa had a nasty expression on her face. "I don't give a damn what you say, little missie. You're going to tell me where to find John MacInnis, and then, since you won't tell us where Shannon is, he will. One way or another."

"The other is way is so much more preferable," Angelus snarled. "And considerably bloodier." He swung the locket back and forth before her face and he could tell she wanted it. "What items do we have? You haven't exactly been specific."

"Souls!" Natalie spat. "You're vampires, you're not supposed to have souls. And no one, no one, steals things from John, and gets to keep them. He collects the souls of those who become vampires. They make such pretty trinkets." She shook her head as another hazy memory intruded. "I was there," she breathed, not knowing she was speaking out loud. "Not his. Hers."

Angelus don't let up.

"Would you shut up?" Angelus spat as he shook his head once. "I've got her talking. What more do you want from me?"

Alexa looked at Angelus oddly. "Um, Angelus? Were you going to keep questioning her, or is it someone else's turn to extract answers?"

Angelus growled as he turned narrowed eyes to Alexa. "I am questioning her." He grabbed Natalie by the chin. "You were where? Hers what?" he snapped, forcing her to look at him.

Natalie wimpered, shaking her head. Her head hurt as memories were crowding in. Ones of a lifetime before she had been made into what she was. "Liam, stop it. You're scaring me." Her voice held the terrified tibre of a small girl.

Angelus stared at her and moved closer. "Scaring who?" he asked suspiciously, his Irish brogue suddenly appearing even after centuries. "Tell me, lass, who I be scaring?"

"Katie. Liam, don't you remember your own sister?" She was watching him through frightened eyes. "Liam, why are you trying to scare me?"

Angelus looked down at the locket in his hands, at the picture of a young girl before him. He turned on one foot and stormed from the room, rattled and unsure what to think. "Katie," he whispered, remembering the taste of her sweet innocent blood on his lips. "Katie."