Lucy's Backyard


Maximillian Strauss entered the backyard followed by Nines, Jeanette, Skelter, Damsel, and half a dozen less well known vampires.

"Lucile." Maximilian stated simply.

"Strauss." Lucy replied cooly.

"Get them the fuck out of here!" Jesus demanded.

"You know what happens if anyone starts any violence here, Jesus, so cool it." Lucy said not taking her eyes off the new arrivals.

"Yes, the spells Professor Sparks laid upon this place are quite comprehensive. One can hardly blame the professor, given the hot blooded nature of your kind." Straus remarked.

"Or the treacherous nature of your own!" Simone shot back.

"You want to talk treachery? How about your people not giving us a heads-up that there were over a hundred Sabbat shovel heads coming into our city? Nice to see how you're living up to the terms of our mutual defense pact." Nine accused.

"They didn't find out they were in town 'til they attacked me." Kashi interjected.

The backyard went quiet.

"We didn't know what they were in town for. Some of us guarded places they might attack. Others followed them a while to be sure you were their target before we rushed in to help." Kevin stated.

"I was guarding your mom before I showed up to help you." Jesus said.

"So, if they were gunning for us you'd have just walked off and left us to rot. You broke the deal. Your word isn't worth shit." Nines accused.

"Hey! At least they came to help!" Kashi shouted, anger and indignation rising in his voice.

"Oh, yes. They were very keen to help, you, Mr. Kimura. The hunters killed some two dozen vampires, while you killed over thirty. Someone else armed with a gun and magic similar to your own killed just over a dozen. Then they fled with you while we killed the almost eighty who remained." Strauss explained.

"Wait, what?" Kashi asked.

"Why did you retreat, Jesus?" Bree asked, suspiciously

"I don't work alongside monsters like them. So, I sounded the retreat. I'm not risking hunter lives so monsters can live." Jesus said.

"You did what?! You left the guests?! You left them with people you didn't trust?!" Sayuri asked, shocked.

"He knew the vampires would deal with them. He even knew they would clean up the mess from the attack better than we could. Vampires have mesmerism powers. We don't. He just hoped a few of them would die in the process. I suspect he wanted time to talk to Kashi too. Jesus wants Kashi on his side. He didn't want anyone contradicting his 'they're all monsters' speech." Lucy explained.

"We don't need their help! We need to get free of their influence! It's corrupting!" Jesus said.

"The numbers say otherwise, Mr. Mendoza. There are about one hundred and seventy vampires in the greater Los Angeles area. Just over one hundred of them are prepared to go to war. You have pulled all the hunters in southern California." Strauss replied, his gaze lingering on the eighteen hunters.

"You mean this is the whole states worth of you?" Kashi asked, dismayed.

"Numbers don't count for everything, Kashi. Relative power means something too. Now this is just a guess, but I would think the average hunter is stronger than the average vampire. Also, Los Angeles is larger compared to San Diego. How many vampires, minus the fluff we cleared out, can we expect?" Bree asked.

"The Sabbat is not as careful as the Camarilla, nor do they have the common sense of the Anarchs who make up most of Los Angeles' population of vampires. They run their numbers at a higher ratio to the human population than the Camarilla. In terms of numbers, there are just over one hundred or so in the San Diego area. If we stick to the defense pact, we have a clear advantage." Strauss reported.

"Which is pretty much the only reason anyone bothered with it. The hunters can't be trusted to keep their word, so this is pretty much the last hurrah for the Pact." Nines said.

"I'm not going anywhere with monsters. We don't make deals with their kind." Jesus said firmly.

"Apparently you already did. Now they're accusing you of breaking your word. You offer no contradiction to their accusations only justification for your actions. I've heard enough. Guilty people explain away their crimes. It's true. You are an oathbreaker, Jesus Mendoza, and you don't even feel shame. Your word can't be trusted. It remains to be seen if this is true of all the hunters." Bree stated with disdain.

"What?! You would trust their word over mine?! They're blood sucking monsters!" Jesus decried.

"No, I don't trust them, nor do I know them for liars. I'll listen to their words and judge them on their own merit. You, however, I know as a liar and a manipulator who puts the innocent at risk for his deceptions, and I know you as a coward unwilling to take risks to protect even those you are closest to. These charges have been brought before you this night and by the power within me I know them to be true. I can't speak for Kashi, but as for myself I will not ally with you and because of you, have cause to doubt the hunters in general. You have achieved the exact opposite of your goal." Bree proclaimed.

"Why, I don't believe we have been formally introduced . I am Maximillian Strauss of Clan Tremere this is..." Strass started.

"Save it! Just because I don't think you're oathbreakers doesn't mean I like you. You're predators and parasites. Once, I was a cop and it was my task to protect those you would prey on. That task is now strictly internally imposed. One thing every cop knows is you have to pick and choose how to spend your time. Lesser offenses can be overlooked if it will catch criminals who are going about more dangerous crimes." Bree lectured.

"We can work with that. Nines Rodriguez I'm currently the leader of the council that rules LA's vampires. I don't go in for a lot of formality but I talk straight and if I don't like you I deal with you directly. Lets work together where we need to and stay the hell out of each others way the rest of the time." Nines offered

Bree gave a simple nod.

"Wait a minute! You're going to go with these...these...things, but you don't trust the hunters?! That's crazy! The hunters aren't the ones who shot at me! The hunters helped me save Willow! Sure they've done a few things that I don't care for, but they're a hell of a lot better than blood sucking, undead parasites!" Kashi fumed, obviously appalled.

"Neither them nor you saved me! In fact, I would have never been kidnaped if someone hadn't forced me to go Anaheim in the middle of the night, instead of meeting up at a reasonable hour!" Willow vented, breaking her silence.

Kashi whirled around and his face darkened. He stalked across the yard toward his sister, the look on his face causing the hunters of Jesus' group to rapidly scatter out of his way. He seized Willow, picked her up, and slung her small frame over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. He then turned and stalked inside the house as Willow kicked her legs and pounded his back with her balled fists.

"PUT ME DOWN!" She demanded indignantly.

Kashi dumped her in the house. "Go SIT DOWN and SHUT UP!" He demanded.

Kashi then stomped back outside and closed the sliding glass door, wishing glass doors slammed.

"Very mature." Bree commented as he stomped past her.

Kashi stopped and glared. "Shut it, you! She's my sister not yours. Mom didn't send you to babysit, so you have no right." Kashi snapped in uncharacteristic anger.

Bree just shrugged.

"So what now? We're going, the ex-cop here is going, I guess anyone pansying out needs to leave so we can plan." Nines said.

"Like hell! We're not leaving!" Jesus cried out.

"The hell you're not if I say you are! This is my house." Lucy shot back.

"For a guy who hated Doc Spectre for taking over and forcing us to work together, you sure do try to speak for everyone a lot." Juanita pointed out.

Jesus fumed, staring at Juanita. The hate in his eyes came from that which could only be born of love gone sour. His glare was only interrupted by the loud squeal of jake brakes from outside.

"Who is that?" Sayuri asked.

"Now that has to be my granddaughter." Lucy said, exiting the gate to check.

"The demon T-Rex?" Kashi asked.

"Devil velociraptor." James corrected.

Kashi shot him a 'whatever' look. As he turned to the gate his eyes meet Bree's

"Why don't you take Willow and Sayuri and get home. I can put a taxi on my credit card. You don't think she should be involved in this, but the same can be said for you, Kimura. I'm an ex-cop and private investigator. You're a kid who just wants to play ball and surf. Take your family and go home. You were a smart kid to never get involved in gangs or that kind of trouble, but you're out of your element here. Leave the dangerous work to those with experience." Bree said.

Kashi looked at Bree. "Play ball?" He laughed bitterly.

It was a harsh sound that did not fit his normally mirthful face. In fact, none of Kashi's behavior tonight that she had seen had been like his usual self, other than his bickering with Willow, but even that had an edge to it that she had never seen.

"You think I'm going to be able to play ball after this?" He asked and for just the briefest of moments Bree saw not an athletic and confident young man, but a terrified little boy. "Tonight's proved to me that my life is over. This is the way it's going to be from now on. No one is going to be able to get close to me without being in danger. Willow tried to help me and she got kidnapped. For God's sake Sayuri kissed me and she very nearly got killed!"

He pointed to his forehead and displayed the golden, eight pointed brand that glowed softly in the dim light of the backyard. "This...this...thing...curse, whatever it is has ruined my life!" Kashi said a torrent of pent up frustration and emotion pouring out of him. "That's...that's why I hid, you know. For the people I care about. I wouldn't be free if I went public. Not even the Manifested are free. Oh, they might say that they are, but they aren't. Sayuri's cousin isn't free. She lives on an air force base and they know everything that she does. Besides… something deep down told me to hide myself for now. And now it's probably going to be blown all out in the open. So, no, I won't go home! I am going to go kick someone's teeth in for what they not only did to me, but my friends and loved ones too!" Kashi ranted.

Bree looked at Kashi with great sympathy. She put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm not sure what I can do to help, but I'll do what I can."

Kashi was unsure how to respond. He turned and watched Lucy reenter the backyard with the only woman Kashi had seen that was taller than Bree. She was easily six foot three, and dressed in a gingham shirt, faded blue jeans, brown cowboy hat and boots. Her appearance, once one got over her height, was pretty but marred by bloodshot blue-green eyes, dirty strawberry blond hair and very freckled skin that was over tanned from not wearing sunscreen. She had a bottle of whiskey in her left hand and the other on the holster of a revolver. She looked around and laughed to herself at the scene before her. Juanita rolled over to meet the newcomer, raising her hand to give her a high five.

"Well look what we got here. Leeches on one side. Eunuchs on the other. Lucky for you, I'm wearing my ovaries on the outside today so I have balls enough to make up for ya dickless wonders so come on over to this side of the table and stop fretting over getting killed. I'll carry your piss poor asses to victory if I have to drag you screaming." She announced with a bravado that gave even Kashi pause.

Jesus put his fingers on his eyes and started to rub the bridge of his nose. "Tejanos!" He whispered in an exasperated tone.

"Last time you showed up it wasn't good. Did you bring a truck load of explosives again?" Nines asked suspiciously.

"Nope. Brought a tank." She replied setting the whiskey bottle on the table.

"A tank?" Kashi asked with disbelief.

"Lucy said she was good at stealing military hardware." Sayuri said obviously wondering herself.

"Nah, this one isn't military. It's homemade." Tex said as she fidgeted her left hand oddly.

Kashi and Sayuri were not sure what she was doing but Bree remembered when her father had given up smoking. The hunter named Ray had noticed as well.

"You need a smoke? I can spare one." He offered.

"Nope. I promised my Gran I'd quit." Tex said, picking up a pen to occupy her hand.

"So about this tank..." Bree began.

"It started life as a Komatsu D575A. Six years ago, a starry eyed girl saw the Seven were leaving to start fresh in New Orleans because the local chuckleheads didn't like being told what to do. Not that these morons DO anything but suck and fail without someone here to tell them to come in out of the rain." Tex commented as she glared at the hunters on Jesus' side of the table.

"You we're talking about a bulldozer?" Sayuri interjected.

"Right, yeah, so this girl, read about a man driven to the edge of sanity and turning a dozer into a tank, so she says to herself; 'Hell I can do that!' Then she goes in a secret lair not far from San Diego and she rigs this dozer with a special wide load hauling rig to haul it. She wraps it all up nice and tight for the day when some idiots in San Diego decide the Seven are gone for good and they can raise hell again. Lucky for all of you that girl is here today." Tex rambled as she stuck the pen she held in her mouth before spitting it out and glaring at it for not being a cigarette.

"Then I might have a solution to our problems." Kashi offered.

Most everyone's eyes turned to Kashi. He began feeling uncomfortable, Without looking up Tex said "Well? Spit it out!"

Kashi gazed down at a map. "It looks like there is five key points to destroy to bring the vampires down. These four here and this, which seems to be the headquarters. The headquarters looks to be the strongest location. The hunters and tank go there, the vampires split up into groups of twenty five and hit the other four. They'll have numerical superiority at their locations. At the headquarters we'll have a tank and I'll go too that gives us the firepower to overcome the greater numbers and better defenses." Kashi said, his finger indicating what he was saying on the map as he spoke. His caste mark reignited and glowed, illuminating his tan face as he called on some of his internal power to craft his plan.

"You know, that isn't a bad plan." Nines admitted.

"Yeah, not bad for a man in mascara with no shirt." Tex added.

Kashi looked confused and blinked. He touched his hand to the side of his eye and then looked at his fingertips. A small bit of makeup was there. He then realised he still had on the remains of his costume and makeup.

"It's a costume! It's Halloween after all! " He protested.

"What do you say, Mendoza? Can you live with that or do you still wanna run off?" Lucy challenged.

"I guess we could do that. With the leeches hitting the other sites it looks like we won't get cut off. We won't have to work with them directly. I guess it's a compromise." Jesus admitted with reluctance.

"I'm concerned about this site here. The Sabbat Nosferatu Warrens. Word is they have some necromancer creeps down there with them now. Strauss, can your blood sorcerers handle that?" Nine inquired.

"Ah, yes. That would be the infamous Harbingers of the Skull. Difficult to say. Most of them are highly skilled and ancient. It will be a challenge. Information on their kind is scant. We may require more forces to deal with them." Strass mused.

"I'll go with you then." Bree offered.

The vampires looked to her with mild disbelief. Jesus shook his head in disapproval.

"I was a cop. I'm used to doing the things no one likes doing to keep everyone safe. Unlike others, apparently." Bree said, her last comment directed at Jesus.

"Well then, we only need to address the minutia of combat." Straus said.

As everyone clustered to plan the details. Kashi drifted off to one side with Sayuri. "I need to get cleaned up and get some clothes." He admitted.

More vampires were now entering into the backyard. Kashi frowned deeply and walked over to Lucy. "Can I talk to you alone for a minute?" He asked.

Lucy gave a nod and inclined her head toward the kitchen. She then turned back to her conversation with a large black vampire with a shaved head and gold earrings. Sayuri went with Kashi and guided him into the kitchen. Once there she showed him where some of the food that had not been brought out yet was kept. While he was eating, more vampires came into the house by using the side door, avoiding the kitchen full of food.

"No reason to come in here, I guess." Sayuri reasoned

"Well they don't eat. Being dead and all. Likely why Lucy sent me in here." Kashi reasoned.

Kashi finished his sandwich and chips. He started to work on a bowl of ice cream. Lucy came in through the sliding door. She sat down next to Kashi and let out a tired sigh.

"Are you feeling alright, Lucy?" Sayuri asked.

"Yeah, I've just been up a long time and been busy. Do me a favor, Sayuri, sweetie and get me a Soda with no ice." Lucy replied.

"Lucy, you are about the only one left here I trust. James is great and about as deceitful as a Abe Lincoln, but he's also kind of scatter brained. I know Jesus was trying to turn me over to his way of thinking. Even if he hadn't, I still wouldn't like these things. Vampires strike a raw nerve with me. Something deep down inside me tells me they are'nt... right. I think it has to do with the power inside me. It tells me they don't belong in this world. It's just a gut feeling. One I could ignore but it's not just that. It's their culture. It's how they act. That part Jesus has right. They act like a gang and I hate gangs! They use you! They offer you a 'family' and offer to 'take care of you' but it's all a lie. They're just users. They see people as tools to give them power and don't truly care about anyone; whether it's those they hurt or those they make hurt others." Kashi unloaded.

"I want you to understand something, Kashi. I'm no bleeding sentimentalist. When a vampire goes and does something worth being killed for, I'll lead the charge as fast as anyone. That's why my sort of hunter is called a judge. We try to judge each being on it's own merits. It's what lead me to decide you were alright, Kashi. I tolerate vampires just as long as they behave. I'll put up with them if they're not hurting anyone anymore than anyone else does. I say let them be. On the other hand, they are, by and large, awful people. Most weren't that great an example of humanity to begin with and we humans are a lot worse than we give ourselves credit for." Lucy explained.

"Well, Lucy, I don't hang around with gangs. I can't stand them. It grates at me we have to do this, but I see that we have too. It looks like a lot of them are going to be here while this goes on. Is there anywhere else I can go? I need to get away from them. I need to sleep." Kashi admitted.

"It's pretty rough, but there is an old service station where I keep stuff. You can go there. It's got a couple of cots and a shower for when I get messy and don't' want to drag in here covered in blood and such. You'll have to take my Redwing. You'll never get the Marauder out and I don't trust you to drive it anyhow. I hear you don't drive a car much and it's really big." Lucy said thoughtfully.

"That's great! No worries about that. I'll take good care of your Redwing. I wouldn't want to drive that monster jeep thing of yours anyhow." Kashi admitted.

"I'll go with you, Kashi. I don't think you need to be alone right now." Sayuri offered.

Kashi's smile returned and he looked to be genuinely happy that she wanted to come with him. However, his countenance darkened again as another thought entered his mind.

"I'd better get Willow." Kashi said, getting up. Lucy got up with him.

"Don't do anything rash, Kashi. I already saw where she was when I came in...you may not like it." Lucy cautioned.

Puzzled, Kashi walked out from behind the counter and through the door into the living room. The chairs in the living room where arranged differently from when he had passed through originally. He could see Willow sitting on the sofa. She had a computer on a lap desk. Sitting next to her was a bookish looking girl in a long dress with thin framed glasses. The girl was obviously a vampire.

"You certainly are good with computers. Quite surprising given your age! You barely look eleven." The vampire commented.

"I'll be thirteen in a couple months. My birthday is just before Christmas. Besides, this is the easy part. No one will be up at my old middle school or the high school I go to now. I put in a backdoor in their computer system that gives me remote access and no one watches them at night so I can turn their power to doing things for me." Willow explained.

Kashi gritted his teeth and his tan faced flushed red. "I put her in here to keep her out of the way!" He fumed. He started to charge into the living room when he felt a wrinkled hand on his bare shoulder. "Kashi don't. Just don't. I'll deal with this, but right now it's best you leave. She's not going to listen to you. You're her brother." Lucy advised.

"I'm trying to keep her safe and she's just diving deeper and deeper into the fire!" Kashi hissed, the emotion raw in his voice.

"True, but if you tell her off and try to make her leave it will just make her want to stay. Let me talk to her as a friend. I'll keep her here with me and watch her. You go rest. When you come back we'll be ready to attack. Don't forget with us using vampires for help we won't be able to attack 'til tomorrow night and it's going to be light soon. So, get cleaned up, sleep and then we'll make our assault." Lucy explained. She then tossed Kashi the keys to her Redwing.

Kashi nodded and headed out, Sayuri trailing after him. In the front yard a van was parked right by the gate. In front of it was an Italian looking man in dark suit with a brick red shirt. He was giving instructions to the vampires exiting the backyard and passing out sheets of paper. Upon spotting Kashi he waved. "Hey, sport! Over here."

Kashi sucked in a breath through his teeth and stalked cautiously over to the man making sure Sayuri was safely behind him. "Uh, who are you? Do I know you?" Kashi asked suspiciously.

"Know me? Nah. Name's Mercurio. I'm a ghoul. Um...human that works for the vampires. I have special instructions to help you out, kid" The man said.

"Why would you work for them? They're monsters!" Kashi asked bluntly in disgust.

"Monsters? Nah. They can be a little rough, but they take care of their own and those that help them. Been working for them for about fifty years, kid. That's not something you'd do if you didn't get treated right." Mercurio said.

"Fifty? You look to be in your mid thirties" Sayuri observed.

"Yeah, well, that's one of the perks of the job. Anyhow, I understand what you're saying, kid. You don't want to owe anyone. Hey, that's fine. This isn't a favor we're doing you, it's repayment 'cause we owe you." Mercurio said.

"You owe me? How do you figure that?" Kashi asked.

"Well the honchos say you got in to this mess by killing some vampires half a year back or so. Sabbat infiltrators setting up a watchpost in our city. If we'd caught and killed them you'd have never had to do that. You'd have never been attacked at that party, so we dropped the ball and it caused you problems. Now we need to pay you back to make things fair." He explained.

"That's okay. You can keep your repayment. I don't need anything from you or the people you work for." Kashi said coldly.

"Hey don't be like that. Look, kid, we don't' like being in debt anymore then you do. Let us do a little something for you and then we'll call it worked out, okay? No grudges. Here, how about this? I give you some money to get clothes to replace this...umm get up you're in now and a bit more for a hotel with a hot shower and a comfortable bed. Then a bit for gas and breakfast, I hear your eat big so a few extra bills." He went to his pocket and peeled out a wad of money. "Here we go, this is good. Take this and go get yourself fixed up." He said thrusting the money into Kashi's hand. He held something else in his other. "Oh, and here take these for tomorrow. If you're going to fight you might need a weapon. I hear you use your fists. A good pair of brass knuckles sure helps with that. Sound fair? Now no hard feelings?" Mercuro asked as he placed the brass knuckles on top of the bills in Kashi's hand.

Kashi looked thunderstruck. He knew this was most likely part of trying to rope him in, but he really needed the money. It was what really galled him. He needed this. After a long pause, he spoke. "Yeah, okay. I guess that makes sense." He then sighed as another annoyance flashed through his mind. "I don't even have my wallet or driver's license. I left it in my car." Kashi said. He looked ready to give everything back just before Mercurio spoke again.

Really? Well, let me do one more thing, kid. Give me just a minute. I got a machine in here that does most of the work for me. Let me get it running and search the 'Net for a pic of ya that will do." Mercurio said while getting into the van.

Kashi looked at Sayuri who shrugged, unsure what the man was doing. When Mercurio got out, he handed Kashi a piece of plastic.

"Here you go Mr. Ted White. I found your identification. Oh, and look! You're twenty one too! Oh, and a credit card that matches a hotel deposit! Yep, no questions about it, you're set to go." Mercurio said with a wink.

"Oh, umm okay then...well thanks. I guess. Look, I just really want to get out of here." Kashi finished.

"Hey don't' let me hold you up anymore. You kids go get some rest. I got to get back to passing out day time resting info to the vamps. You kids head out and get some rest yourself." Mercurio said cheerfully as they walked away.

Kashi put the money, cards, and brass knuckles into the storage compartment of the Redwing. He got on and Sayuri got on behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight embrace. He then pulled out, navigating between parked cars, into the street and headed off.


In Lucy's Backyard


Bree walked over to Strauss who was conversing with some other vampires. "Let's talk. Tell me what these Harbingers of the Skull. You say they're necromancers. What can they do and what powers do your blood sorcerers have to defend with."

Strauss nodded and the other vampires melted away from the pair without another word.

"That, Miss Madigan, depends on the sorcerer or necromancer in question. There are many forms of magic. Inherent magic; such as the Edges of the Hunters, your own powers, or our Vampiric Disciplines. Then there is magic which relies on spells. The sort magi, such as our dear Professor Sparks, the one who lay the enchantments on this house, would called Hedge Magic. Lastly there is Awakened Magic. Awakened Magic draws on the same fonts of power as other spellcasting but is free form. Rituals can be made up literally on the fly. It is also much more powerful, but that power is dangerous. The Harbingers utilize the weaker version of casting magic lumped under the heading of necromancy. As the name might suggest, such power manipulates the world of the dead. Animating zombies, calling ghosts, that sort of direct manipulation of the dead figures prominently into the power of necromancy. Death curses, suppressing lifeforce, even causing rot and illness are not outside the general categories of its power. However, each necromancer is limited to the spells he knows. Some will be rituals that will do him no good in direct combat but creates wards; fields of magic to protect an area, alert them to our presence, or even assault those who do not have the right token or say the correct incantation to cross." Strauss explained.

"Your own sorcery. What does it manipulate?" Bree inquired.

"Well, blood of course. However, we are also able to call upon the classic elements as well. In particular fire is useful when fighting our fellow vampires. As to our defenses, both sides will know how to dispell magic. Such power works on spell casting and awakened magic but not on inherent powers." Strauss explained.

"My mother dabbles in Celtic magic and new age psychic phenomena. Will this talisman be of help to me?" Bree asked, holding up a pendant she wore around her neck.

Strauss looked at the pendant carefully then noded "Your mother, it seems, does have some small skill in spell casting magic. This pendant is enchanted to ward against very broad misfortune. It will help you as much as it does in daily life; in subtle and very minor ways." Strauss admitted.

"What do you know of my family? You didn't seem surprised my mother was able to cast spells." Bree inquired with suspicion.

"You are the daughter of Sean Madigan, a police officer we once had to keep an eye on. He was abnormally talented in finding out things less aware men often didn't. He did not have a talent for magic he was just very skilled and abnormally alert. His wife might have recognized magical scrying or assault on his mind so we had a few inconspicuous watchers to keep an eye on him. We fed him information that would lead him to deal with criminals that were also an impediment to our own goals. He died investigating a bar frequented by a motorcycle gang that is known to have connection to the werewolves." Strauss admitted.

"He was investigating corruption in the ranks of the police force." Bree said accusingly.

"I see, and with our frank admission of fixing things at the party you wonder if it was our work he was investigating. In a word, the answer is no. We do have our own agents in the police force, but we would never send such agents into a place where there might be a werewolf. Those animals have powers of their own and might find out too much from such an agent. Others exist who do not regard the werewolf threat with as much seriousness as we do, they might have sent your father there. Our own investigations were inconclusive, but as soon as this current matter is over I would be happy to provide that information to you." Strauss offered

Bree looked at Strauss long and hard. Her mind was a blur of possible angles that this obviously powerful man was attempting to use on her, however, her mind settled on one possibility and it was jarring. Fear. He was afraid. "You are that scared of us, aren't you?" Bree asked, slightly taken aback. "So much in fact you'd bend over backwards to help me, or even Kashi if he'd even look at you. Whatever we are, you're desperate to prove that you're not a threat to those of us wielding the power of the sun. Unfortunately for you, there are only two in the Los Angeles area. One is a boy who other vampires attacked and the other is an ex-cop who hates corruption in the police and those instigate it. It's just not your day is it?" Bree said with realization.

"No, it has not been, but I assure you our corruption of the police is by and large marginal and focused on hiding our own existence. There exists other organizations with far deeper hooks than ours. The Technocracy, comes to mind. However, explaining what they are is a matter for another time." Strauss said.

Bree gave him a look full of doubt. She then saw Lucy walking across the yard toward them. She backed up to let Lucy closer.

"Hello, Bree, we'll have to talk latter. For now, I need to talk to you Maxi. In the kitchen, if you please." Lucy said briskly.

"Of course, Lucile. If you will excuse me, our host needs me and the sun will shortly to be upon us. Perhaps we'll continue this at a later time." Strauss said starting after Lucy.

"Yes, later." Bree said with a nod.

Once in the kitchen, Lucy pointed to the vampire on the sofa with Willow.

"What is going on there, Max? Trying to get close to the boy by sucking up to his sister? That's a very, very bad idea. He's sensitive about her and doesn't want her involved with creeps or the supernatural. And frankly, your kind is both." Lucy told him firmly.

"Yes, of course. Amy would only be talking to a highly intelligent young girl who proved she's quite cool under pressure and highly adaptable to circumstance as a ruse to get close to her brother. What possible interest would she have in such a person on her own merits?" Maximilian said with unusual sarcasm.

"Don't get snarky with me, mister. She's off limits to turn or ghoul. So keep them away." Lucy ordered.

"Then lets go talk to them shall we?" Strauss replied as he waved Lucy on ahead. They entered into the living room where Amy was asking Willow a question.

"You have to have been working with computers for a while. How did you get started?" Amy inquired.

"It was mostly because of my brother, Kashi." Willow said

"He liked computers?" Amy asked, obviously surprised.

"Oh, no! You see, Kashi and I were home one day when I was three. Mom was outside working on her car. She had to keep it up herself because we didn't have much money. Kashi couldn't go outside because he had been grounded. Mom had caught him sneaking snacks before dinner. I never liked playing outside so I asked Kashi if he'd play board games with me. We had quite a few mom had found at second hand stores or been given. I got out Chutes and Ladders, Hi Ho! Cherry-O, and Candy Land. Kashi would play for a bit then say he needed a snack for concentration, so I'd go get him a snack. As the games carried on the frequency of the snack breaks increased and Kashi's skill at playing plummeted. He said they were baby games and he couldn't focus on them so I got out Monopoly. We didn't even make it around the board once before he demanded some ice cream. When I passed GO the second time, I realised he was asleep. I was SO mad at him! It was then I realized he'd been using me to get him stuff he wasn't supposed to have. Mom would get mad if she caught him going into the kitchen but he knew she wouldn't mind if I got snacks. The worst part is, he didn't even stick to his side of the deal. Then I remembered the computer mom had in the living room had a CD with Monopoly written on it." Willow explained.

"Wait, you could read at three?" Amy asked, amazed.

"Oh, yes!" Willow said, trying to sound as much like an adult up as she could." I'd been reading or almost a year, at least simple things. Complex sentence structure was still beyond me, but I could puzzle a lot of stuff out. Anyhow, I mimicked the motions mom used to turn the computer on and put the disc in CD drive. The auto-play came up and I clicked on it then I just had to puzzle out how to play the game on the computer. The computer players, they would play with me anytime I wanted. They'd never beg for bribes or send me on wild goose chases to get rid of me or fall asleep rather than play. Very reliable computers they do just what they're programed to do and they do it the same way every time. It was that day I learned to love computers." Willow continued, her tone of glibness barely concealing disappointment and pain.

"That's... umm amazing." Amy said looking at her mentor Strauss with a bit of worry on her face.

Lucy winced. She realized this was also the day Kashi stopped being his baby sister's hero. Kashi had warned her once Willow never forgot nor seemed to forgive anything. Ten years and she still clung to the pain of something a eight year old had childishly done to her. Lucy looked at Strauss, realising this was going to be harder than she thought. Getting Willow to trust her brothers' judgement over her own choices was going to be a challenge.

"Amy, how are things progressing? Is the communications center up ready to correlate data from our war parties?" Strauss interrogated.

"Yes, sir! This girl, Willow, was helping me. She's very good with computers." Amy explained.

"Well, let's not impose our own work on others, Amy. I'm sure the girl has better things to do for the hunters then help set up a secure communications network. Now apologize for imposing on the child." Strauss said.

"Oh, but I liked to help! It gives me something to do other then go stir crazy. Please, Mr. Strauss let me finish this up. Lucy, it will be important. I can rig this to feed the Hunter's information too. That might help them be prepared and maybe even save lives!" Willow reasoned.

"I don't know. You've been up a long time. Aren't' you tired?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, no! I sleep in small fits anyway. Like a cat, I guess. I slept some on the ride out here and some while you and Sayuri were making dinner. I can go to bed when they all have to leave." Willow chirped excitedly.

"Very well." Lucy said in defeat as she headed away from the pair. Once clear of the living room she spoke to Strauss again. "You'd better put an end to this sucking up, the fascination she feels for your kind might make it hard, but if Kashi finds your minions crawling all over her, his rage will be beyond your wildest fears. It won't be like what you feared when the Sabbat attacked. It will be personal. He will come for you with a vengence on a biblical scale." Lucy cautioned.

"Let the girl do some useful work. We will keep her occupied and out of the way. I'm sure we can introduce some factors that will lessen her enchantment with us." Strauss said watching Lucy walk away. Nothing about this night had gone well he looked forward to it's end. He hoped the next day with it's battles and violence would go smoother.