Disclaimer: Nothing has changed since my last chapter, I still don't own any characters from Angel or Buffy, meaning that Angel and Spike in particular are not mine (much to my disappointment). Unipegs, and any characters not featuring in the TV shows do belong to me. thanks to TK who helped me navigate the difficulties of this site with my extreme blondedness and also helped me perfect my story and stopped me from producing a Mary-sue. Enjoy the chappie. Please R&R!

Chapter 2: Past Meets Present

Angel had told everyone else of the working holiday, they would leave in two days for Mexico. There was an overload of vampires in the area and they were slaughtering the many homeless and those foolish enough to holiday alone in the area. Normally this was Buffy's area but she had problems of her own in Sunnydale and wouldn't be able to get there for a few weeks at least.

After being told of the trip to Mexico Zev made his way up to Bren's room, the door was shut so he knocked.

There were footsteps approaching the door followed by a snuffly, "Who is it?" Zev frowned, what was wrong with Bren.

"It's Zev," he answered, "Can I come in?"

Bren opened the door enough to let her head out; she looked both ways up the hall before she nodded. Bren stood back, pulling the door with her, Zev walked into the room turning around to look at his girlfriend as he did so; she looked like she'd been crying.

"What's wrong? Angel told us that Blaze had told you and Ena, don't you want to go to Mexico?"

"Of course I want to go to Mexico," Bren sniffed again, "It's just the particular place in Mexico that we're going to happens to be where I worked at the strip club."

"Oh, so you told Blaze about that did you?"

Bren nodded and looked away.

"I take it that he wasn't happy about it, he'll get over it. Just give him a bit of time to get used to the fact that you were a stripper, he'll forgive you."

"I did it for him and he acts like I'm poison that'll kill him if he comes near me with a ten foot pole," Bren muttered to the floor.

"Would it help if I talked to him?"

"No, that'd put you in his bad books, standing up for his stripper sister," Bren was getting close to tears again.

"Hey, none of that now, I'll have a word with Angel about it and see what he can do. He is at the head of this project so maybe he can talk some sense into Blaze."

"You'd do that? What if it doesn't work?"

"If, and I say if, it doesn't work then at least we'll have tried, now wipe away those tears and we'll go down stairs and get some Milo."

Bren sniffled and smiled at Zev, Zev smiled back at her his grey eyes showing that he meant everything that he'd said.

--

When they got down stairs Seth was sitting on the sofa watching the late news, Angel was talking on the phone and Spike and Ena were sitting at the kitchen table reading the comics that Seth had brought back for them. Zev led Bren into the kitchen where she started to make Milo immediately, moving half on autopilot, Zev leaned against the bench as he waited for the jug to finish boiling. Seth looked away from the TV and spotted Bren in the kitchen, he leapt easily off the couch and made his way around the various obstacles in the living room and kitchen before he stopped, resting his elbows on the bench beside her.

"Can I have one?" he asked looking at the mugs in front of Bren, "You're Milo always seems to turn out better than mine does."

Bren grinned and took out an extra mug, "Who's Angel on the phone to?"

Seth looked over at the soulful vampire speaking in Spanish to the phone, "He's trying to organize accommodation for our stay and a little longer after to allow for sun tanning, not having much luck though."

She rolled her eyes and took her mug, now filled with hot Milo over to where Angel stood with the phone. She took the receiver from him and spoke matter-of-factly into it in perfect Spanish ignoring Angel's noise of annoyance. Everyone looked up from what they were doing and looked at her as she spoke to the receptionist. She paused and nodded, speaking a few more words of Spanish into the phone, saying Gracias and hanging up.

"All done," Bren smiled at Angel and returned to the kitchen to read the comics over Ena's shoulder.

Seth emerged from behind the bench with his own hot Milo and joined Angel at the dinner table, "She never ceases to amaze me," he stated easily to Angel.

"How come she got the rooms first try?" Angel asked dumbfounded, "I've been trying to get somewhere at that hotel all night."

"Well that's just Bren for you isn't it?" Seth replied sitting down in the chair beside Angel.

Zev left the kitchen carrying his Milo and one for Angel, Angel thanked him and cleared a space on the table for his mug.

"You know, this project isn't exactly going to work wonders on her relationship with Blaze?" Zev said as he too sat down beside Angel.

"How so?" Angel asked lifting his mug and taking a sip, "This is good."

"It's always good," Seth commented.

"You know how she used to work in the big strip club there?" Zev asked.

Angel nodded, "Well she hadn't told Blaze about it before tonight, and she told him and he got angry at her for taking the job."

"But she only took it to get him and Ena away from that psycho mother of theirs," Angel said.

"I know, and Bren told him but then he got angry at her and said that she was trying to blame him for it." Zev told him.

Angel thought this over, "I'll have a word to him about it, I was kind of hoping Bren could get us a bit of information from there."

"You'd have to ask her about that first Angel, she didn't like being a stripper, she only took the job because it paid well," Zev said gravely to his friend.

"Of course, I wouldn't force her to do it but it would be good if she did take back the job for a bit," Angel explained.

They sat for a while in silence, Ena, Bren and Spike reading their comics while Zev, Angel and Seth sat each buried in their own private thoughts. After fifteen minutes of this rare silence Bren and Ena excused themselves, saying goodnight to their friends. Bren approached Zev and dropped a kiss on the top of his head before she ruffled his hair, in answer to this Zev took the hand that ruffled his hair and kissed it.

Seth waited until the girls footsteps had faded before he spoke, "You lucky bugger."

Zev grinned and shook his head. He knew that.

--

Two days later and all sixteen of them sat in their seats on the plane; the morning had been hectic what with sixteen people all trying to use the bathroom at the same time. Eventually they'd gotten past all of the dilemmas and headed for the airport.

When they'd finally boarded and taken their seats they took up two rows of seats in the large Boeing 747 that they were flying in. Ena was in the back left with a window seat and Bren was sitting beside her with Zev on the isle seat, Nab was across the isle with Taft next to him, Blaze, Asa and Darla were sitting across that isle. Then there was the next row which held all of the others, Spike, Seth and Angel sat in front of Bren, Ena and Zev, then there was Clarissa and Kitty in front of Taft and Nab and finally Trixie, Della and Lani at the far front. It had taken long enough to get this seating planned by the method of he's not going to rip her apart but she might rip the other one to shreds. This was no happy family; there were tender spots all over the place that could take years to work around. Until that happened Angel was taking no risks when it came to his crew.

When the flight ended most of the crew stood up as fast as they possibly could and hit their heads on the luggage holds above them. Bren and Ena giggled as Zev, Angel, Spike and Seth all made the same mistake and immediately ducked back down, rubbing their heads. Looking across the plane, Darla and Trixie were having the same amusing points of view.

"Ha ha," Zev said amused by the accidents in no way, "Just wait till you start growing."

Bren's reply was full of high pitched giggles, "I've started and finished that process, in primary school, same with Ena."

"Oh goody, I'll be able to tease you about that for a lot longer then, will I pet?" Spike was showing his usual attitude to such conversations.

"You may tease all you like Spikey boy, it won't stop me seeing positive things to dainty appearances," Bren had made a comeback to which Spike had not the wit to answer. She smiled at his silence.

By the time that they got to their hotel just outside Nogales, it was 7:00 and most of them were ready to settle down. Angel had different ideas.

"I want everyone to unpack and meet back here in half an hour for the night's schedule," was the command that they got the moment that they got in.

"That'd better be the bed schedule," someone muttered.

"Don't be stupid," Bren declared, "The night is just getting started."

"Joy," was the sarcastic reply to this.

The plan for that night was to get as much started as they could, Bren would take Lani, Darla and Kitty with her to the strip club to see if there were any job openings (Bren guaranteed there would be). While they were doing this Angel, Blaze, Nab and Spike would scout the area, Della, Ena, Asa and Taft would see what they could find in the other clubs and on the streets and Seth would be setting up base with the help of those left behind.

--

"So tell me again why it's us who have to go to this big strip club?" Lani was having an attitude problem.

"Because, one you didn't have to, two you volunteered and three your one of the more likely candidates for the job," Bren stated simply, she wasn't in the mood for Lani's antics right now. Why couldn't Lani be more like Darla and Kitty and accept her part of the project? "Now, when we get in there don't speak to the boss or staff unless they speak to you, let me do the talking first and he'll get to you."

"Why do you get to speak to him without being spoken to?" Lani was really getting annoying.

"Because I'm the one who had a job here before and I'm the one that attracted the big crowds for those three weeks," Bren was edgy; she didn't like this part of the project, "He knows me and my reputation and if he hears that I've hand-picked you three, he'll know that I did it for a reason. I helped him find a replacement for me so he knows that I can see a good stripper when I need to."

Kitty questioned their current part for the first time, "What if he doesn't want to get more strippers?"

Bren brushed the query aside easily, "He's always looking for more little pretties to add to his collection, and his motto is that you can never have enough strippers."

They got to the door and the ginger, purple and ash blonde fell in line behind their golden haired 'leader'. Bren led them easily through the crowds of the club to the boss's office; she knocked on the door and waited for an answer. The door opened to reveal a man in his early thirties, well-muscled and tall. He looked down and saw Bren standing there in front of him, her hair pulled back into piggy-tails and dressed in one of her many outfits.

The man smiled at her and spread his arms wide, "Bren you cheeky little scrubber, I haven't seen you around here in yonks and I see that you've brought some friends with you."

Bren gave him the hug that he'd asked for and gave him a smile, "Your English has improved since I left, anyway, I was passing through the area when I thought I could use some money, me and my friends are on a working holiday, sort of."

"I see, well step into my office and we'll see what we can do for you," he stood back to let the four girls past surveying each one with an expert eye as they did so, he shut the door behind them, "your eye for other streetwalkers is still as good as it used to be. How good are they when it gets past first impressions though?"

"I think you'll find they're quite erotic when you try them out," Bren said as she leaned easily back against the desk, a perfect picture of charming seductiveness, "Go ahead, take them for a test run. Question them, do what you like. You're the boss Pancho, my feather."

He smiled at her, "You haven't lost any of your captivating abilities I see, and you definitely have your job back. Now what's your name Ginger?"

"Kitty," Bren's friend answered in a purring murmur.

"That's very good," Pancho was clearly impressed, "How far are you willing to go with this job?"

Kitty looked at Bren for a moment and Bren gestured herself, "As far as Bren goes, no further."

"Very well, what about you Blondie? What's your name and how far are you willing to go?"

Darla intensified her answer by brushing her small body gently around Pancho and whispering her answer in his ear, "My name is Darla and I'll go as far as I'm asked."

Bren was impressed by Darla's forwardness and slightly unsettled by the answer to Pancho's second question, but she didn't step in, Pancho liked what Darla had said and done, that was three of them in the job. Lani was the only one left and Bren prayed that she'd gotten over the attitude.

Pancho turned his attention to Lani and didn't say anything but used his eyes to ask.

Lani answered by stepping easily up to him, she was only an inch shorter but he didn't stop her, she ran a delicate hand down over his shoulder and chest as she murmured provocatively to him, "I'm Lani and I'll go as far as you ask me to," She made eye contact with him and stepped back.

Bren expelled the breath that she'd been holding for so long, he wouldn't refuse any of them.

Pancho turned his eyes on her and when he spoke it was to her alone, "I trust you to teach them all what they need to know, help them choose clothes appropriate for the job, you know where the wardrobe is, teach them how to put on make-up properly if they don't already know and they can start tomorrow. You may start tonight if you wish; I'll put out the word that you're performing every second night from tomorrow. You know how things work around here."

Bren nodded and moved away from his desk, "As you please, your wish is my command." With this final remark she led her friends from the room to the massive closet at the back of the club.

When they got inside Bren shut the door behind her, shutting of most of the noise with it. Then she turned to face her friends and smiled.

"You did really well, now come and we'll see about your outfits. Just so you know it'll mean that you only get about half of your first pay check to pay for the clothes," Bren turned away from them at this and immediately set to work finding clothing that highlighted their best features, all of the clothing articles had one thing in common, they were each as skimpy as the next.