Sea Breeze
Vodka and Citrus. It had been a smell Bela wound up growing up around after her parents...well, after they died. She and her Uncle Rupert hadn't gotten along that well. They argued all the time. So Bela would hike a Taxi and head off to LA.
The first time was when she was Fourteen. It had been her mother's birthday and Giles was avoiding the topic. The only parent Bela hadn't...been averse to her. Her birth mother. So she'd gone to celebrate it in the city.
She'd never seen a demon in a demonic form before she went into Caritas that night, armed with a fake ID. She had not expected either factor of the Host:
A: He was a psychic who could tell a fake ID from a real
B: He was green.
So she'd screamed and ran into the crowd. Only to discover creepier people inside the mob. She'd wound up by the stage where a young man, one of the only other humans she could detect, was singing and playing a guitar. After he finished he'd noticed her hiding in a corner and approached.
"You okay miss? You seem kinda young to be here."
"I am not! I'm old enough to sign my soul away I should be old enough to drink!" She'd snapped. He'd held his arms up.
"Yeesh, calm down will ya? Now, why you so freaked out."
"I saw a demon! He was green!"
"...you didn't know Caritas was a supe friendly club?" As he spoke she'd observed light brown hair.
"Supe?"
"Supernatural being. I'll take it you didn't know. Don't worry. They can't hurt you. Enchantment. And Lorne-the green guy, the host-wouldn't hurt a fly."
"Really?"
"Promise. See, here he comes now." The man turned as Lorne ran over, Sea Breeze in hand.
"Another brilliant performance, Lindsey! Honest now, how much would it take to get you away from those dogs at Wolfram and Hart?" He exclaimed as he hugged the musician. Who she realized was also a lawyer.
"More then you have." Lindsey laughed it off as Lorne lifted an eyebrow.
"You with the pipes-the one who is clearly under 21-what's your name?"
"Abigail..." She'd whispered, "I'm sorry I screamed. I didn't know-"
"Don't sweat it kiddo." Lorne laughed again, "Give us a song and we're even."
"A s-song?!?" She exclaimed. Lorne laughed again.
"Karaoke bar. You were expecting?"
So she'd sung 'Because of You'. When she'd stopped Lorne was whispering to the lawyer. And Lindsey would end up trying to help her break of her deal with Lilith. He continued trying for four years, until Bela's oblivious nature got the better of her. But none the less, Sea Breeze came to be the smell of home. The smell she was waking up to.
"Lorne...?" Bela whispered weakly as she opened her eyes.
"Bela Baby! Don't move to much, you'll just hurt yourself. Surprised you took the beating."
"He caught me off guard...damn blonde seemed familiar..." Bela sat up as she held her pounding head.
"You okay to receive company?" Lorne asked, sipping his glass. It had been on the bed stand.
"Another client?" Bela rose an eyebrow.
"Family. I invited Giles."
She paled for a moment, reading Lorne's face.
"Is this a joke?"
"Nope. Called him up after Blondie Bear and you fought."
"Lorne, I stopped talking to him so he wouldn't have to find out I was a thief!" Bela exclaimed as she stood up. She was heading for the door and turned to face him as she pulled on a leather jacket someone had forgotten.
"Well now you aren't."
"No, now I'm a bloody cross roads demon who trades middle aged women an opportunity to ask celebrities to sign their panties at the cost of their soul in a decade! A demon who got damned in the first place cause she hired a different demon to kill her father and step mother! Whose actions might have resulted in numerous deaths!"
It took her a minute to realize Lorne wasn't saying anything or sipping his Sea Breeze. No, he was looking directly over Bela's shoulder to the door. She dared to turn around, already knowing what it was.
"Uncle Rupert."
"Well," Spike's voice rang from behind Giles, "This was definitely worth the trip."