AN: I had started writing chapter 15 before I'd even finished the first part, because (again), it is loosely based on a dream that I actually had in 2004. If anyone enjoyed the last dream, I'll put this one in (later on) as well.

As for continuing this fic … I'm kind of torn between getting another chapter of 'Blade: Sire's Return' up or writing this one. That's probably why you start seeing similarities between my female characters.

Note: I'm not sure what the drinking age would be in the US, but in Australia it's 18.

Anyway, my standard disclaimer is that I don't own the Buffy Universe, or any of Joss Whedon's creations. And as promised, a teensy bit more romance for this chapter.

The blood of the ancients: Part 3

Off the beaten path

14: A night out

As promised, Cordelia found herself sitting in a nice restaurant a few nights after Lawson had 'asked' her out to dinner. He had been the perfect gentleman, holding doors and chairs for her. There seemed to be definite perks to dating an older man, especially one who was still incredibly well preserved for his age. He was charming, polite and generous. He listened with great interest when she told him a few things about her time at Sunnydale High. She could be honest with him about any odd occurrence she'd encountered, which she obviously couldn't do with a normal boyfriend.

Sam hadn't known Cordelia during the time she had previously worked for Angel Investigations, so there was nothing he could tell her that might upset her. Knowing this, Cordelia asked him several questions. "So what's your story on the half-soul thing? I know you've got a good one now, but I've never even heard of a half-soul."

"Angel did it," Lawson answered.

"How?" Cordelia asked.

"He had a soul when he made me. The demon in me tried to take mine, like in all vampires, but didn't fully succeed because of Angel's soul. Angel wouldn't have even turned me except that he needed my help to fix a submarine and save the lives of my crewmen, and I was kind of bleeding to death at the time."

"Oh, wow. I didn't know that Angel made you," Cordelia said, "but that means all three of you are kind of related."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, Angel made the vampire that made Spike. He's like his grandsire or something. I guess it wouldn't be a coincidence that all three of you ended up with souls and working on the same mission."

"Probably not," Lawson agreed. "The other vampire was a woman named Drusilla, right?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I did a lot of research on Angel and his activities as Angelus before I tracked him down. I didn't study too much about Drusilla, but I know that she was crazy because of what Angelus did, and that she was a Seer too."

"Yeah, she almost sent us all to hell one time, but really, what was a week in Sunnydale that didn't hold the risk of horrible death? A really good, practically non-existent week, that's what."

Lawson chuckled. "But you got through it."

"No," Cordelia said shortly.

"You didn't get through it?" Lawson asked with some confusion.

"Aaagh," Cordelia said, trying as hard as she could to keep her voice down. She clutched her head and gritted her teeth.

"Ice cream headache," Lawson said to a waiter who was coming up to see what the problem was.

When Cordelia's headache receded she realised that Lawson had moved next to her and was holding one of her hands. "Do you want to go back to the apartment or the office?" he asked.

"No," Cordelia said, going through her purse for her trusty painkillers. "It will be okay."

"No one will need our help in the immediate future?" Lawson asked.

Cordelia shook her head. "Rika needs to learn how to bridge the dimensions. The Powers just showed me how she's supposed to do it."

"Oh." Lawson reached up to run his fingers over her forehead. Cordelia closed her eyes and let him try to soothe her.

"She's busy tonight," Cordelia said, her eyes still closed. "We'll get her to try it tomorrow. Besides, we didn't come here to talk about Erica."

888

Erica aimed and fired. A crossbow bolt thudded into the middle of the mattress at the other end of the garden. It had missed the picture of a heart that was pinned at about chest-height.

"Higher." Spike said, standing a safe distance to one side. "'Close' isn't good enough; they'll keep coming until you kill 'em."

Erica nodded and reloaded the crossbow like she had been shown. She was wearing jeans and sneakers again, but her blue jacket was still a little, well, bloody. She was wearing a red sweater instead. She decided that she'd start buying red and black clothes from now on, to hide the stains. Her hair was partly tied back with a white scrunchie, and she was wearing hoop earrings. She was looking nice because she'd had multimedia class before her training session with Spike.

"Take it slow for now," Spike advised her. "Once you've got accuracy we'll work on your speed."

"I wish we had an outside light," Erica said.

"Well," Spike told her, "vampires tend to hunt in the dark. You'll get used to it."

A few shots later Erica had the hang of accuracy, even though she couldn't see the target quite clearly. She took a step backward.

"After firing always go straight for your next bolt," Spike said as Erica reloaded. "Even if you kill that one you might need a quick second shot. A little bit faster now." Erica had already drilled herself in loading the crossbow without firing it; she was getting a rhythm to it. With practice, she would start reloading it without thought. The next bolt was in place and Erica raised the crossbow. She hesitated only a moment to check her aim and fired. Again, the heart was hit.

"Good." Spike told her. "How about the real thing?"

"Tonight?" Erica asked.

"Sure. There's plenty of time before sun-up." Spike took a stake from within his jacket and handed it to her. "Keep that with you."

"It's true then," Erica commented as she put it in a shoulder bag, "vampires get killed by a hunk of wood in the heart."

"Yeah," Spike said with a little smile, "that'll kill a lot of things. Come on, Rika."

"Aren't we going to get one of the other guys?" Erica asked. "I know Lawson's not free, but we might be able to find Angel."

"Don't worry," Spike said. "I won't let nothing happen to you. Oh, and I got you this." He pulled out a chain from his pocket. A silver cross dangled from it. Spike didn't even wince, but he assured Erica that it would work on true vampires.

"Thanks," Erica said, putting it around her neck. She had a full-sized wooden cross in her bag as well as the knife and the pepper-spray that she had already been given. She picked up the bag and put it over her shoulder. The crossbow was too big for the bag, so she carried it, not loaded, with the bolts in the bag.

Spike had a car that he'd 'requisitioned' from Wolfram and Hart before the company was destroyed. It was a company car, so it was black but it wasn't a classic like Angel's car. Not that Spike wanted his car to be like Angel's. Erica threw her bag and the crossbow onto the back seat, but took out the stake and held it on her lap. She turned it in her hands while they drove, trying to get a feel for the weight and the shape. She was trying to imagine herself shoving it through someone's chest.

They stopped at a church first, and filled a couple of bottles from one of the indoor basins. The priest gave Spike a strange look, but gave Erica an approving nod. He was familiar with the concept of slayers. He didn't say anything to them and they left quickly.

"So what are we looking for?" Erica asked, as Spike drove around near some alleys.

"A couple of lone vamps would be good," Spike said, "I don't want to throw you into a melee situation if we find a nest."

"That makes two of us," Erica agreed. "So how do you hunt a vampire?"

"If you're looking for a predator, the best way to find them is to track down the prey." He pulled up outside a seedy-looking nightclub. "Either that, or find their resting place. If you have to deal with a nest that way, the safest thing to do is wait until sun-up. Oh, yeah," Spike said, remembering another last-minute tip as he got out of the car, "if you're close to 'em when they turn to dust, hold your breath and close your eyes for a second."

"They really turn to dust?" Erica said with a little smile. "Cool."

"Yeah, it makes cleaning up after a fight a lot easier."

"We're not going to kill anything while we're in there, are we?" Erica said, gesturing inside the club.

"Nope, if this is a human club, the vampires won't make their move until they bring their victim outside and away from witnesses."

"Well I can't take a crucifix or a crossbow in there," Erica said.

"You're right." Spike said. "Keep the stake inside your sweater and put one of the smaller bottles in your pocket, even though you should be okay while we're inside. We'll grab the rest on our way out."

"So how are we going to work this?" Erica asked, while sorting out the stake. "I mean, are you going to show me the kill or are you going to give me a chance and just stay close at hand if I need help."

"You've already seen us fighting," Spike said, "and you're not helpless. If you think you're ready, you can take this. You're not afraid of a few scrapes and bruises are you?"

Erica shook her head.

"Then you can do the fight close or long-range; your choice," Spike said, "and I'll only step in if you ask for it or if I think you need it."

"Okay," Erica said. "But you'll have to point one out for me. I still can't tell the difference while their faces are normal."

"Come on," he held an arm out for her, "you've got ID don't you?"

"Uh huh," she answered, putting his arm around her shoulder so that they looked like a normal couple going into a club.

888

The music was loud and upbeat. Erica wondered how she'd even be able to think straight enough to pick out a vampire, even if she could tell them apart. She saw one woman who was extremely pale, but that was because of Goth make-up and black clothes.

Spike left her at the bar and waded through the throng. He was going to nod at her when he'd found someone who was cold-blooded among the heat of dancing bodies. They'd watch him or her until they decided to leave, and then Erica would hunt the hunter.

"You want something?" the bartender asked her.

"Uh, just a coke thanks," Erica said, and handed over some money. She didn't think that it was a good idea to drink if she was soon to take on something a lot stronger than her. She'd need her wits, balance and speed. She looked around and decided she wouldn't want to come to a club like this on a real date. There were a few skanky looking women around, as well a few conceited, lecherous-looking guys. Not everyone looked that bad, but it was kind of obvious that they let anyone over eighteen in here.

"I'm sorry," said a young man who took a seat beside her, "this is going to sound so corny, but what is a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?" He was one of the ones that didn't look so bad. Short brown hair, blue eyes and a navy blue button-up shirt with jeans.

"Just wondering the same thing, actually," Erica replied with a smile. "I'm … kind of new in town, and I guess I picked the wrong bar." She gave a nervous chuckle and surreptitiously glanced around the room. She saw Spike nod at her, his eyes wide; trying to get a message to her. A glance at the shiny silver napkin holder on the bar told her that there was no man sitting next to her. She reached up as if to play with her chain, but she was making sure that the cross was still tucked inside her sweater. She didn't want to give the game away too soon.

"My name is James," the guy said to her. "And I know somewhere a bit nicer than this. Less crowded, better music. Would you … like to get out of this place?" He was acting amiably, but he was pretty confident; he hadn't even asked her what her name was, but he was sure that she'd go with him.

Erica raised her eyebrows. She was sure that Spike hadn't meant for her to be the victim that drew the vampire out of the bar, but this would also mean no bystanders to get in the way. "Well…" she said, glancing around again. She caught Spike's eyes and he gave her a tiny nod. He had said that it was her choice how she did this fight. He started making his way toward the exit. "Just let me finish my drink," she stalled, giving another smile to James.

"Sure," James said. "Rum and Coke?"

"Yeah," Erica answered, taking a few more sips from her glass. It wouldn't hurt to let him think that she was getting tipsy. She was actually hoping for a bit of a sugar rush. Anything that gave her more energy couldn't hurt.

She tried not to make it obvious, but she glanced over his frame and checked things like how big he was, what kind of reach he would have with his arms and legs, and which was his preferred hand, and judging by the beer he held it was his right. All of her instincts from her various self-defence classes were kicking in. She kept her smile on her face so that he would think she was just checking him out.

She put the glass on the bar when it was nearly empty and nodded at James. He got up and held out his hand. It wasn't that cold, but Erica had thought there was a noticeable difference in body temperatures where vampires were concerned. A normal girl might think his hand was a bit clammy because of the glass he'd been holding. He led her outside and she took a deep breath.

"What?" he asked with a little smile.

"Nothing," Erica replied, "Just taking a breath of free air."

"Yeah," James chuckled, "it is a bit of a dive in there. Look, the club's not far. Do you want to walk?"

Erica looked around, not sure if Spike was near. James must have taken her hesitation for nervousness and said quickly, "I won't let anything bad happen to you. Scout's honour."

Erica smiled. "Only if it's not far. Which way?"

"This way," James said with a quiet smile. He was sure he had her. He led her around a corner and stopped looking at her. They were now out of sight of witnesses. He took her further around the side of the building and Erica used her free hand to pull her cross out of her sweater and to then pull out the stake to hold at her side.

Abruptly, James shoved her against the wall and looked at her face. His own face had changed. It was like his forehead had expanded and his lips had been stretched back to show his fangs. His eyes were yellow and feral. "You sure picked a bad neighbourhood tonight, honey," he rasped around his elongated canines.

Suddenly, strangely enough, Erica felt as though she was in a major exam. If she did this, if she survived it then she passed. If Spike had to save her life she would stay a Learner Slayer or something like that for ages. If Spike was around to save her life.

James' hand came up to push her against the wall but he yanked it back with a hiss. He had touched her cross without knowing it and now he looked down to see what it was that had burned him. Erica grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in the groin, and then gave him an elbow strike to the temple. She ducked when he swung at her, making him ram his fist into the wall behind her.

She sidestepped so that she wasn't trapped between him and the wall. He kicked at her and she crouched under it, swiping his feet out from under him with her own kick. He fell on his front and she quickly rammed her stake down into his unprotected back with both hands. She covered her eyes just as he turned to dust, and she heard the clink of wood hitting cement.

She got up and looked around. James was really dust. She brushed some of it off her sweater and picked up the stake. "Up here," she heard, and looked up to see Spike on top of the two-storey building. He had been watching to make sure she didn't get killed.

Erica made a pretend sound of disappointment to cover her nerves. "I didn't even get to use the crossbow," she said, and Spike smiled at her. He jumped down and walked closer to her. "That was, uh," Erica said, looking around, "exciting, I guess." She smiled at Spike, her breathing and her heart-rate slowly returning to normal.

"You liked that?" Spike asked with a grin.

"Well," Erica said, shrugging her shoulders, "when I win, I guess I do." She looked down and tried to get some more dust off her sweater. She looked up and said, "I mean it was scary, but yeah, it was kind of a rush. God, does that happen all of the time?"

"The adrenalin?" Spike asked.

"No," Erica shook her head, her expression more serious, "people getting picked off in bars and night-clubs."

"In cities like this it does," Spike answered, giving a general look around the alleyway. "But that's why people need folk like us."

"Yeah," Erica agreed, "but next time you get to be the bait and I'll stand back and make sure you don't get your butt kicked." She raised her eyebrows and grinned.

"But I don't make half as good a bait as you would," Spike protested with a teasing smile. They started walking back toward the car.

"What? Because I'm all human?" Erica asked. "Or because I'm a girl?" she challenged. Her tone was light-hearted, but she was curious about who vampires liked to prey on.

"Well, that too," Spike answered, "but you were also the sweetest looking thing in the bar. No wonder the guy wanted to eat you up; everyone else just looked nasty next to you."

They were next to the car and Erica stopped, her hand resting on the handle. "Okay, I'm either going to be creeped out or flattered by that. 'Wants to eat me': what a charming phrase." She chuckled and got in the car.

AN: There you go. A nice long chapter with some action in it to make up for not updating for a little while. Thanks to anyone who read my little 'Monique' story, and I'm still working on the next Blade chapter.