Title: Follow the Leader
Series: Angel and Spike: The Reunion Tour
Author: CindyCindy
Feedback: Yes please!
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Angel, Spike, Illyria, and Kennedy arrive in the Black Forest and are on the hunt for Drusilla.
Disclaimer: All characters are Property of Joss Whedon. He can even have the minor ones I have added. I'm not gonna do anything else with them.
Author's Notes: Hallo is German for, you guessed it, 'hello'. Bitte, sprechen sie English is German for 'do you speak English please'.
Can you feel it children? The new generation wants to play a game. Hide and seek is my favorite.
"I'm guessing Drusilla found this place disappointing," Kennedy observed as she wandered down the cobble stone road lined with quaint half-timbered houses. "This place looks like the setting for a fairy tale."
"Wouldn't say that if you met her. Dru loves fairy tales, especially Hansel and Gretel. Hell, she lives that one." Spike said.
The sun was low in the sky and Spike and Angel walked the streets cast in the shadows of homes and businesses. Kennedy was a few steps back. People milled through the streets winding down their daily business. People sat around tables out side of cafes and guesthouses enjoying beers or coffees. All of them stared at Illyria as walked quickly down the street.
"Guessing they haven't seen the likes of the Blue Meanie before," Spike said to Angel.
"Probably," Angel said. He was leafing through a German travel book as they walked.
"What in bloody hell is so interesting about that damn book?" Spike demanded. "You've barely said a word since you bought that thing. Not that I'm complaining. Anything beats the drivel that usually spews from your mouth."
"I'm sure you're right," Angel replied
Spiked curled his lip. Angel was obviously not paying attention to a word he said. Spike snatched the book out of Angel's hands and quickly moved a few steps ahead of him.
"I was reading that!" Angel exclaimed. He reached over Spike's shoulder to retrieve his book.
Spike ducked down and held the book close to his stomach. "Try and get it," he challenged Angel.
Angel grabbed Spike around the waist and began to shake him. "Let go of my book."
Spike ground the heel of his boot in to Angel's toe. "Not bloody likely!" he shouted.
Angel yelped and released Spike. He rushed Spike but instead ran into Kennedy who had quickly maneuvered her self between the two vampires.
"Will you two dumb-asses cut it out? You are making a scene." Kennedy hissed.
Angel and Spike looked were suddenly aware that the eyes of every man, woman and child in a two block radius were on them.
"He started it." Angel said
"And that matters?" Kennedy asked. "This is you two's third fight in as many hours," she added with a hint of exasperation in her voice.
Angel and Spike glared at each other over Kennedy's head. Spike looked down at the open book he still held in his hand.
"Here," he said thrusting the book at Angel. "What kind of poof would want to read about cuckoo clock's any how?" he said with a sneer.
Angel gave Spike a look that clearly showed he intended to finish this later.
"That's better," Kennedy said. "Now we better catch up to Illyria. She's a couple blocks ahead of us," she said pointing at the blue head bobbing up and down in the distance.
The three of them walked along in silence for a few minutes. Kennedy had positioned herself between the two men. "You know there is a theory going around the Slayer Network about the two of you?" Kennedy said with a smile.
"And what would that be pigeon?" Spike asked.
"That the reason you two act like fourth-graders every time you are together is..."
"Hey! There's Illyria," Angel said quickly and walked over to join her.
Spike gave Kennedy a quick wink and followed Angel over to where Illyria was standing.
Illyria stood in front of a bakery. She studied the house across the street with her un-blinking gaze. "I believe the slayer is located within the walls of that dwelling. This is a plebeian existence for a warrior," she disgustedly.
Kennedy pulled a piece of paper from her purse. Written in Willow's perfect cursive was an address, Hartswaldring 24, Triberg, Germany. Kennedy looked at the number on house Illyria had indicated. "This is it," she agreed.
The group made their way across the street and stood in front of the stoop of the house. A light was on inside, and Illyria had removed any doubt that the object of their search was with in.
"You're on." Angel said to Kennedy, who was the representative for the Slayers. The group had already decided that she would be the one to talk to the new slayer.
Kennedy walked up to the door and knocked. After a beat, the face of a young woman with brown hair appeared in a window near the door. After a moment, the door opened a crack.
The young women poked her head through. "Hallo?" she said.
"Geuten abend," Kennedy began, "Bitte, sprechen-sie English?"
"I learn in school" the young woman replied.
Kennedy nodded.
"Can I help you?" the young woman asked.
Kennedy swallowed nervously. "I need to talk to talk to you."
The young woman on the other side of the door showed no inclination of opening it any further. "Do you know me?" she asked.
"We have a lot in common." Kennedy replied
"I don't understand. What is it that you want?" the young woman asked.
I've come to talk to you about the dreams you've been having, about vampires, and demons." Kennedy said.
"Don't forget the part where she no longer needs help opening jars," Spike added.
"Shut-up Spike," Angel said in a singsong voice.
The young woman regarded Spike for a moment. "I know your face."
"You should," he said. "Imagine I've been featured in some of the less appealing dreams you've had of late."
The woman looked stricken. "I'm sorry. I don't know what you are talking of," she said hurriedly. "Good night." With that, she closed the door.
Illyria looked at Kennedy and tilted her head to one side. "The girl chooses not to accept her destiny," she stated. The four walked away from the house. Night had fallen.
Angel glared at Spike. "You just had to open your mouth."
"Oh, so this is my fault?" Spike said incredulously.
"In a word, yes!" Angel said.
Kennedy interrupted before the fur could start flying. "Spike being there might have actually helped. If she has had Slayer dreams about him it will be hard for her to deny the truth when she saw him standing on her doorstep."
Spike made a face at Angel when he thought no one was looking.
"But, as usual, you said the worst possible thing" Kennedy said.
"I have had enough of this tiresome quibbling. Will we go and search out the half-breed now?" Illyria asked.
"No," Angel said looking back at the house, "We wait."
When the cats away, the mice shall play. And I will cut off her tail
True to her nature, the young woman slipped out of her house shortly after midnight.Spike and Angel watched quietly from an alley nearby. She headed past the spots where Kennedy and Illyria had concealed themselves. The two women slipped out of the shadows and followed her at a distance, Kennedy on foot, and Illyria silently leaping from one shingled roof to the next. Angel and Spike emerged from their hiding spot and brought up the rear.
The young woman was dressed in black from head to toe and had a thick ponytail at the nape of her neck. She too slid in and out of the shadows effortlessly. She moved quickly and quietly through the small town. Occasionally she looked back as if she suspected she some one was following, but she pressed on. She came to the edge of the town. The young woman then began to follow a path that led into one of the wide-open fields surrounding the town.
Illyria dropped down from the rooftop and stood side by side with Kennedy who had curtailed her tracking. Angel and Spike moved quickly to catch them. The four of them stood at the very outskirts of the small town.
"It is unadvisable to continue our pursuit," Illyria stated, "It is no longer possible to follow her without her observing us."
"She's already senses us." Angel said. Spike nodded.
"How is that possible?" Illyria sounded offended. "I move as silently as I choose."
"She might not have noticed you Blue," Spike said attempting to keep Illyria's feathers from getting ruffled. "But she sure as hell knew that Angel and I were behind her; her having slayer senses and what not."
Kennedy spoke up. "We're gonna have to go after her, whether she sees us or not. You're insane ex is probably out there waiting for her now."
"Let's go," Angel said and began walking quickly, but quietly, down the path the young woman took.
The rest followed. Moonlight filled the field. It wasn't more than a couple of minutes before they had sight of the slayer again. They came to the edge of the woods before she whirled around.
"I know you are following!" she said. She pulled something from her jacket.
The four stood in the path. Suddenly Angel gave Spike a shove forward, "Talk to her," he said.
"Send Kennedy, last time I had tete a tete with a Slayer I didn't know, I ended up two hands less than the average bloke." Spike said
"It's a risk I'm willing to take." Angel retorted.
Spike looked imploringly at Kennedy, who just shook her head. He then looked at Illyria. She appeared even less moved by his predicament. Spike headed through the field towards the Slayer.
The young woman tuned on the flash light she held in her hand. She shone it on the man walking towards her. "So, it is you," she said, "How do you call yourself?"
"Call my self Spike. Take these night time jaunts often then?" Spike had moved his hands in front of his face to shield himself from the light.
"This is none of your business," the young woman said.
Spike was within spitting distance of her now. He could hear the others walking only a few feet behind him.
"What's your name pet?" Spike asked as he moved his hands down.
"Gretel," the girl replied.
"Bloody figures," Spike said. He turned back to Angel and Kennedy who stood there with a look of shock on their faces. "This is definitely the right one," he said.
"These are your friends from earlier?" Gretel asked.
"Angel, Illyria, and Kennedy," Spike said pointing to them in succession.
The group followed Gretel as she walked pass the wood line, and into the forest.
"Maybe we could go some where and talk," Kennedy suggested.
"I am comfortable here," Gretel said. "I have lived here eight-teen years. I know these woods well."
"It isn't safe for you to be out alone at night," Angel said.
"I have no need for a man to protect me," Gretel replied hotly. "I am strong."
"No one doubts that," Spike said, "but you have to watch out for the things that go bump in the night."
"Like you?" Gretel asked, "Or her?" She pointed at Illyria.
"I assure you I move silently both before and after twilight," Illyria intoned.
The group had moved into the thick of the woods. Blackness enclosed them on all sides. A slight breeze moved the leaves on the trees. In the distance there was the sound of running water.
"All we are saying that there are things you are not prepared to deal with yet," Angel said.
"Thing's like me dearie," a soft voice drifted in from behind them.
All five of them spun around. Drusilla and about twenty other vampires were standing behind them.