Act 2: Healer of the Broken Heart
© 2003 by Chris Regan
The Troops are Gathering
It was later that day as Wesley was lying on his couch in his office with a headache from all his reading. He got a call on his private line.
"Mr. Price, I'm Detective Erma Appletree, Officer Willis gave me your private number. I have a string of very odd murders, Office Willis has told me that your firm is reliable, discrete and has helped before.
"Yes we have from time to time. When would you like to meet?"
"Now, I will have a car around to pick you up in thirty minutes be down in the lobby."
"OK"
The phone hung up and Wesley got a very strange feeling and shivered. He grabbed his coat and his Fedora, told Harmony who was sitting at her desk talking to Spike about the daily operations since Angel had started withdrawing.
"Harmony I'm going out."
"You still got a headache?
"Yes Harmony."
"You want some pain killers?"
"No I already took some, thanks any way."
"Spike a detective called, asking me to look at murder of a demonic nature."
"Wesley you want me to ride shot gun?"
"Yes, I could use help until I get over this headache."
"I'll get my coat"
Spike got back down stairs as a black and white police cruiser, pulled up in front of the building.
A woman with curly flaming red hair that flew around in the breeze, stepped out of the car, in a tan trench coat that was tied at the waist but not buttoned, yellow turtleneck dark blue jeans and black boots. She got out, opening the umbrella; she walked to the door, enters the lobby, and closed her umbrella.
"Mr. Price you ready?"
"Yes, I hope you don't mine me bringing a colleague of mine?"
She holds her hand out to Spike as she says "William Smith, the survivor of the chip program I'm honor to meet you Mister Finn mentioned you."
That made Spike's hair stand up on the back of his neck "Yea how did you know?"
She smiled "Mister fl.
"How am I to get to the car, without bursting into flame and without using a blanket?"
She smiled as she hand him the umbrella saying "Stay under the umbrella until you're in the car, we don't want you turning into a fire ball do we, oh by the way Mister Smith, my car has the same special glass that this building does so you won't need to cover up for the trip to the morgue."
Harmony watched the whole scene after they left she shakes.
Gunn was walking by "Harmony you OK."
"Yea the whole exchange between that detective and our guys creeps me out."
"She seamed normal."
"Well for some reason that detective didn't smell normal."
With a smile "A how is a cop suppose to smell?"
She took a deep breath "What I mean is she didn't smell like she was all human."
In surprise, "She's a demon then?"
"No, she smells like she has human DNA but there is something else too.
He looks at his watch "Got to go my next client should be here any minute."
"OK By" as she picks up a nail file to sand her nails.
#In side Police Car#
As the police cruiser speeds along the detective said, "I worked for a special branch of the government that deals with black operations such as Spike's little chip implant and other strange events."
"Is the government is re-instating Angel?
"Yes, Mister. Smith" said Detective Appletree.
"Like when they enlisted him into World War II."
"Yes you could say that Mister. Smith."
"For god sake woman call me Spike, every one does!
"As you wish"
"You know Finn then? Asked Wesley"
"Yes I worked with him and his wife, he and Officer Willis have been working together lately."
"Then why do you need us!"
She hands Spike a folder full of photos he was looking at them.
"What do these deaths have in common that you would need our special talents?" asked Wesley.
Spike handed the folder to Wesley then said, "One thing that is obvious is they are all blondes and from the photos possibly been bit, But I would like to see the bodies and any other evidence that's been collected."
"Where they bit and drained of blood?"
"That is the strangest thing about the whole business they were bit but had most of their blood."
"The killer was looking for something in their blood but when he didn't find it he got mad and killed each of them."
"Something is wrong it sounds so familiar I don't remember what it is. It will come to me."
"I know what you mean Wesley."
Spike remembers the files! "Wesley the files! There was something about a behavior in them that sounds like what is going on."
They realized she was looking at them in a strange way her eyes shown like gems sparkling in the sun, compared to the normal human sparkle that human eyes have.
"You're not all human!"
"What gave me away? Most humans can't tell."
"Your eyes they were too bright. What are you?"
"Where here" said a police officer.
#Police Morgue#
They rolled up outside the emergencey room entry doors Detective Appletree got out opened the umbrella Spike got under it and then went in as they moved from the glass doors Appletree closed the umbrella. They went down into the depths of the hospital where stood the doors that said, Morgue. As they entered a medical examiner said, "Detective didn't think you would be back today."
"Didn't think so either Joe but a colleague suggested that I bring these guys into see if there is something they could see that we haven't."
"Okay by me."
He walked over and opened a drawer "This is our first victim Aileen Brown age twenty six, she worked at a Seven eleven, was a top student at UCLA would of graduated with honors too" as he opened a drawer then walked over to a file cabinet took out a file and handed it to Wesley
Wesley looked over the report in detail, as Spike smelled her and looked at her skin. When he was done with her, he read the report as Wesley looked over the body then they talked.
"She was a pretty little thing when a live but the marks on her neck are brutal it almost looks like a Werewolf bite" said, Spike.
"Yes she does look like it could have been a werewolf perhaps one that doesn't know he or she has turned."
When done Joe closed the drawer and opened the next draw "our next victim Felice Irish just turned twenty one she left the bar with a guy he received a blow to the head when he came around found her dead he called it in."
They did the same routine with this one.
The corner led them into the cold room, "This is candidate three Fleur Elements, Twenty-five a well known hooker that will be missed by her marks. She screw them and let the vampires feed on her."
Joe limped to the next table where the last victim layed, "Olga Styles eighteen, exotic dancer and student she work Friday-Sunday, all of them have the bite marks on there necks?"
"Yes Mister Price.
"Wesley these last three has the taste test marks!"
"Yes they do!"
"Who ever killed them was looking for something."
"You call them taste test marks. Why?"
"A cautious Vampire use the taste test to see if the person is human, demon or if there blood is pure or tainted. Even if the person looks human, the blood has an acidy taste to it if they are a demon some are nasty tasting."
"Is this all of them?"
"No there were two more that came in six weeks ago, but their relative's want them cremated."
"Can we see the reports?"
"Sure, I'll get them out" Joe went to a file cabinet and came back with two files.
After looking at the files Wesley whispers to Spike "Spike, these murders started about the time that Angel made you his second at the company."
"Yea, I know Wesley."
"Spike there is something else they all look something like Buffy."
"Yea, I saw that Wesley."
"Who is Buffy?"
They both were shocked that she heard them whispering.
"She is a young woman we know Detective Appletree."
"Do you think she is involved?"
"Not directly but I think the guy is looking for her."
"Where is she?"
"Europe!"
"How long has she been there?"
"Eight months."
"Another dead end!"
"Not really, you know that they were not killed for there blood, that the guy was looking for something. The chick was very scared of him so the guy might have a split personalitly; there is a good bet the guy doesn't know he is even killing these women."
"Were they raped?"
"No, said Joe."
"Send the bodies you have to Wolfram and Hart and our lab will do a full work up on them."
"What's the matter with my work?"
"Not a thing man but do you have special training in demon detection, vampirism, wizardry."
"No"
"We do."
"Okay."
"Wesley looked at his watch we need to go another appointment calls."
"Fine guys thanks for having a look at them."
"Yea any time."
"I'll take you back to Wolfram & Hart." Detective Appletree walked them back to the car it was sundown.
"You are going to tell us how you heard us? When we weren't speaking aloud! You're not human are you?"
She smiles a very cunning devious smile that made her look almost insane. Both guys did a full body shiver, "I am what you will some day become Mister Smith…"
The car stopped at there offices the guys got out, they watched as the car drove away. "I've never felt that creepy as when she turned and smiled it's real scary, it made my skin crawl."
Me too! Me Too!
With out a word at first Spike sat down on the stairs, not looking at Spike, Wesley asked, "What didn't you tell her?"
Taking out a packet of cigarettes, "I am almost sure who the killer is."
"I though you stopped smoking?"
Spike looks at the packet "Yea I did Wesley these are candy you want one?"
"AH sure I'll try one."
Spikes open the pack and Wesley takes one.
After tasting it "There not bad."
"I think Applegate supects Angel."
"Angel told me he was having black outs the night before he made me his second. I arrange for a permanent tail to watch him and Harmony. I think he new I would have him watched."
She was up set "You had me tailed, you didn't trust me!"
"Harmony that isn't the reason you tend to stand out and that was what I needed on that job! If Angel had caught you he would find that you were just my stooge."
"Angel was missing for two hours about the time the women were killed. I was tailing him and he disappeared I caught up with him around the same area the bodies were found" said Harmony.
"Yea, I figure, I caught the guy the third night out after Angel caught me. I know you have to do what you can to protect him."
"Yea"
"I hope it isn't Angelus?" said, Wesley.
After taking another cigarette out and pretending to light up "No not his MO but it is close, the perpetrator wants slayer blood, don't know why yet but he knows he can get it from a blonde girl it looks like he is obsessed.
"Spike there are only two vampires that I know of obsessed with a blonde girl you and Angel."
"Yea I know but I can prove were I was."
"Okay were where you?"
"At the Crimson Sickle, drinking and reading poetry.
"You have got to be kidding me."
"No that is where I was, Lang the bar-keep saw me and so did two dozen regulars. Since I started doing it, Lang says that his business has doubled. Hell Clem and Whistler stop in and did a few pieces they wrote. Besides them we have a few others from the demon community that have come out with there poetry, some of the stuff is real good too."
"Spike I'm just so flabbergasted I don't know what to say."
Looking at his watch "It's getting close, Angel should be leaving soon
Angel's car pulls out from the underground garage.
"There he is right! Now we can leave."
#Kiddies' Park#
Spike pulls up; parks then he and Wesley get out of the car sitting on the Benches, as Spike pulls out another candy cigarette.
They watch the others arrive at the kiddies train for the meeting;
Gunn says, "Where is Angel?"
"Not here mate," said Spike.
"May I ask what this meeting was set up for?" Asked Gunn.
"It was set up so that we can discuss Angel's actions over the last three months."
"Now that you mention it he has been acting stranger than normal very shady and secretive."
"Has any one else seen the way Angel acts when Buffy's name comes up?" asked Harmony.
"Yes he goes all green around the gills if there is any reference to her and Spike" Said Lorene.
"I don't understand Wesley. Why is this important?" said Illyria.
"Angel has a Curse on him every time he has a moment of pure happiness he turns into the monster his demon half is."
"Oh, I think I understand, where I can be evil at will he has what you call a trigger.
"Yes, Illyria he does" said Gunn."
"He won't sing for me any more because I pointed that out to him," Said Lorne.
"We found some information in the arcives, that indirectly connects Angel and the Slayers. "Harmony will you hand out the information we have" said Wesley.
"Sure Wesley, these are copies," said Harmony
"The slayers came from one vampire known as the Prince of Blood," said Harmony.
"Why are you telling us now Sweet cheeks?" said Lorne.
Harmony took a deep breath "Can I…"
"Sure Harmony"
"For the last three months Spike and I have been doing research on what made slayers in the first place, they were a mutation of magic done by a sorcerer on a prince and the joining of human-god off spring on the other.
Where not sure how long it has been going on we have found out Wolfram & Hart have records going back to fourteen hundreds. The human-demon attraction between the two comes into play every hundred years or so.
From what Giles said, he believes Buffy is the next…
"What does that have to do with Angel?"
"Mind if I take over Harmony."
"Sure"
"Faith, Both Buffy and Angel have gone off the deep end at the same time."
"Yea but I thought…"
"Either they are in love or for some reason he is feeling what she is, he did drink her blood."
"So the bottom line is we may have to save Angel from him self.
"We are real sure that he is the one that is killing human females again."
"Why would Angel do that?"
"Connor, he hasn't been the same since Cordella died, when he signed, that prophesy in his own blood he changed even more. It was like he lost his soul when she died."
Lena looked at the file that was handed to Connor and exclaimed, "Look at this picture, It looks like Angel"
"Yes it does but it's not him, his name is Guillaume he was a watcher in the sixteen hundreds, the portrait was done by a friend known only as White Wolf it is at the castle where the slayers are staying.
According to the written record, Guillaume had a brother that was said to be mean and cruel to his only son this son was attacked by a wild animal and not long after the whole family was killed."
That sounds so familiar" said Wesley.
"It should it's Angels history" said Spike.
Looking at the picture he looks so much like Angel the two could be twins," said Faith.
"Guillaume Giles was the last known descendant of the Prince of Blood."
"Giles they couldn't be…"
Wesley looks at Spike "You what to answer the question Wesley."
"Yes Faith they are relitives. May I go on."
A little shocked "Yea Sure."
"He's known to have the sight and heightened sense of smell, his strength and sexual exploits were legend until he met Jessie. She was the younger sister of Walter Thomas another watcher.
She met Guillaume, when she was fourteen and he was eighteen they both felt the attraction for each other. It was at a winter ball. Four years later around Christmas of 1672, when she was twenty-one her father announced their engagement.
A year and a half after there marriage their daughter, Betha was born, then every two years came a new baby Adriane, Homer, Thomas, Anna, Maria and Joseph these are the ones to survive to adulthood, all the others that came died as infants.
Their daughter Betha had three children two had the sight the third saw demons. Her husband William was a simple black smith in London. When John, the oldest showed signs of having the sight the watchers approached them, it was arranged that the children when old enough would entered the academy for Watchers. The other children's names were Nonn, Calor.
Adriane she had her fathers gift as a seer. She met and married a young Watcher by the name of Gawen they had children. Evan, Ronan, Betha, Helen.
Evan killed for pleasure; unlike his uncle who was cruel, both were demons in a human body. He got pleasure from violents toward others. He had taken and raped a young prostitute of twenty then when pregnant he beat her. The police force caught and killed him. Both his parents were up set but they knew he had to be stopped she was only one of there sons many victims.
His parents took the girl and later the babies in. The girl had twin's one a boy the other a girl. It was a few days after there birth that she died. From birth, the female had a connection to the animal world; she was near to the family cat called Molly. The boy had the gift with the forge like his great grandfather. He could design all types of wonderful things at his forge.
Adriane was well up in year when she had the sight, after her fathers death she saw in a dream a demon with their fathers face. Then the dream changed in a room known to her as the wolf room. A woman with ebony hair comes to him while he was chained. She washes him as he fights his chains, then pleads with her to go. She smiles, the tunnel is dark lite with torches she knew these tunnels as a child she had played in them.
She saw in detail two that were twins standing in a room with magic boxes. Then light came in windows, in the library one hands a book to the other, Adriane knows that book it was her diary. She heard a voice say they has past the test. "They will meet the senior partners." From that dearm on she became very secretive about her diaries upon her death when a search was made none could be found."
What if Angel is the descendant of this Adriane?"
"Harmony that would explain why he looks like Guillaume."
"Yea but…"
"But what?"
"Maybe the curse is on Angel, I know about the true love curse thing, but what if he was really in love with Cordy?"
Yes, it could explain, a great deal, Cordella died same as Gwenwyafar was suppose too, Angel has been fooling around with the Werewolf chick same as the prince during the time he thought his wife was dead."
"Well isn't that like a man!"
"It wasn't his fault that Cordella died, same as it wasn't the princes' when he was told that he killed Gwenwyfar it wasn't until two years later that he found she was alive."
"So slayers are semi-mortal beings that can reproduce with a vampire from this one family line?" said Gunn
"Yes Gunn it looks that way but the love between the two has to be very strong."
"Like Spike and Buffy?" asked Harmony
"Yes Harmony something like that."
"Bloody Hell the woman is 12 hours away by plane and she still controls me."
"Yea she has you by the short and curlys."
"Yea sure."
"Spike your death had a profound effect on her from what Giles tells me."
"I doubt that!" said Spike
Why couldn't it have been Spike, he is in love with Buffy too?"
"Because I can account for the time when each of the girls was killed."
"OK where were you?"
"You know that bar not far from UCLA campus called the Crimson Sickle."
"Yea"
"I was there drinking and reading poetry. I saw Connor there with Leana, boy is she hot wouldn't mine having a piece of that action."
"Spike you touch her and I will cut something off" Said Faith.
"Your mean!"
"Just remember what I said."
Faith gave a sign that she heard something then said, "Connor & Leana come out of the bushes right now! Said Faith
They stepped out "How?"
"How did I know the two of you were there?"
I heard you making out in the back seat of your car when I drove up. You need to make sure you're parked farther off the road next time."
He and Leana looked at her embarrassed. However, like his birth father he forged ahead.
"WOW, What a trip! Finding out my blood relative is a Prince. Cool!
"I guess from your stand point it would be. But that means you or your kids could go though what Angel is."
"Well when you put it that way…
"God boy, you look like Angel but you sound like Darla it is unbelievable," said Spike.
"Yes well I guess it runs in the family. You guys going to tell me what is going on. I have been having weird dreams of looking for some one and tasting her blood then I'm enraged and killing her."
"You're psychically connected to Angel by blood, you won't have peace until he does," states Wesley.
I thought so; I just wish Cordella were here she had a way with him. Yes he would give her anything she wanted.
"Connor was there any other dreams?"
"Yea some real strange ones where I was watching him talk to Cordy and I was watching him make love to her in his apartment. It freaked me out, as bad as remembering that I had…"
"What about it freaks you out?"
"It's not that she isn't great to look at, it just had the feeling of being wrong some how."
"Angel was in love with her Connor, he wouldn't say anything but he would light up when she was around."
"It was the other way around too! I remember when you were very little, she was making plans for if the business took off that the three of you would go on vacations to places. He is missing her more since things has calmed down."
"Now that I'm running the business 80 of the time, if she were here he could. I still have this nagging feeling I want to run to where Buffy is," said Spike.
"That is odd but Spike if Angel didn't trust you…"
"I know if he didn't trust me I wouldn't be his back-up, he is counting on me…"
"But what about the killings?"
"I suppect Angel is killing the girls but we don't have any hard evidence to prove it. Wes and I were down at the morgue this afternoon looking at the bodies that had been killed," said Spike.
"So what is special about them?" asked Connor
"These victims had their necks snapped like they were twigs and they had most if not all of there blood. The killer did the taste test while they were alive there was bits of dead flesh under there nails, they were all blonde females."
Being young Harmony chose that moment to freak out.
"What if he is looking for Buffy she would fit that description. Is his intent to kill her to get back at Spike?"
"Is he using these females as a practice run?" Asked Leana.
Calm down everything is OK but if I were you I wouldn't go out after dark on Friday nights until this has been cleared up." said Spike
"Why?"
"Why what? OH that is when most of the girls were killed between Friday and Sunday night, between ten and two in the morning."
"Guys I didn't want to say anything until I was sure. Wesley, Spike and I know Angel has been disappearing. I checked his shower one day when he was out and found blood residue around the drain I checked his clothing I hate to say it but humans are back on the Boss's menu." Said Harmony
Another murder was committed last night that is why Spike and I where called away earlier today that makes six in all.
"Would you mind if I took a look at them when they come in to you're morgue?"
Spike and Wesley looked at each other and raised their eye brows "does Angel know you have an interest in the dead?"
Connor started to laugh "I for got you guys don't know what I'm studying, I'm studying to be a coroner."
"Does Angel know?"
"No not yet said Connor.
"Oh, anyway I will be leaving Friday on the company jet at nine pm from LAX unless things change; I'll give a call if they do."
Faith was listening to the conversation.
"Spike I'm coming with you when you go to Europe"
"I think…"
"I said I'm coming Spike!"
Spike could see that it wasn't a request that Faith was stating it was a fact, in many ways she was like Buffy but in other ways she wasn't, he could see there was no point in arguing with her for she had made up her mind that Buffy needed her there. Robin and Faith must be feeling the same pull that he had to that old castle; there is something he couldn't explain he just had to go.
"Were coming too!"
"No Connor I want you, Gunn and Illyria to keep an eye on Angel while I'm gone."
"OK that's cool, how much you going to pay me."
"We will talk about you being a permanent member of the team if you survive this time kid."
Connor gave a shrug wrapped his arms around Leana
Spike shook his head "Like I said if you survive… We have know idea what we're walking into. Angel will kill me if he finds out. You know he is very proud of you Connor he wouldn't want you involved in this.
"You have to do what ever to protect your family, Angel is part of mine."
"OK kid your in I just hope you don't regret getting involved."
The meeting broke up they milled around for a bit stretching before getting into there cars and driving away.
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