A/N: Sorry this is a day late. Not sure if it's my computer or what, but I had trouble connecting to FF yesterday. Anyway...here ya go!
"Son of Cain?" Zack repeated. "Never heard of them."
"That's what Nadja said," Beth sighed, sitting down on her bed. She'd call Zack as she had promised, since he was just as curious about what got her Watcher all freaked out as everyone else was. "I thought maybe your family would know, since you have such a history with vampires."
"Sure, the Scourge of Europe, but not whoever that vampire was talking about," he answered. "What did the basement dweller say?"
She rolled her eyes at the nickname for Charlie. "He said he doesn't know. It could easily be a copycat, after all. The name means something serious in the vampire world and it's something any vamp would lie about if he could, that much my dad can say about it."
"Well, he's not too dangerous, is he?" he asked anxiously.
"Who knows?" she told him. "If he's actually Luther, then yeah, he is. Any vampire that's lived that long is a problem. And if he's not? Charlie tells me he's dangerous, but Charlie also sounds like he's got something personal out for the guy."
"You need to play it safe though, okay?" he told her. "I don't want Nadja calling me to tell me you're in the hospital recovering from a broken spine."
"But if he is Luther, then he can't hurt me without violating the treaty. He's bound not to hurt a slayer, or anyone really for that matter, or he's as good as dead to the Council and us slayers. Don't worry too much about me. I've got two super hero parents, not to mention my own superb powers. I can take care of myself."
"But if what Andrew says is true, Luther found a way around the treaty and he might take that out on you," he pointed out.
"If he found his way around the treaty, then my mum's got the blessing of the Council to remove him from his unlife," she explained. "He's a frightening vampire for sure, but we can handle it. I can handle it."
"I know," he sighed. "I know that you can take better care of yourself than anyone else could, but that doesn't mean I don't worry. You're human Beth and you can make mistakes."
"Only half-human," she corrected.
"And the other half is synonymous with impulsiveness and recklessness, so excuse me if I don't feel better when you say that."
"Look, I'm only going out on patrol with either my mum or dad, more often than not both. I feel like such a third wheel sometimes."
"Please play it safe though," he asked her. "I know how free-spirited you can get. And before you interrupt with the whiney 'I am, stop worrying,' be extra safe for me, at least. Ease my fears."
"I'm not whiney," she argued. "I'll be extra-super safe for you, okay? Should I go get one of those bubbles?"
"You're a regular comedian."
"Beth, are you dressed yet?" Buffy called up the stairs. "He's going to be here soon!"
"Somebody coming over?" he asked, having heard Buffy's "mom voice."
She panicked. "Hm? Oh what, no. Um, it's Daniel. We're going out. To hang out and stuff, you know? Friend things."
"Nadja going with you?" he inquired, none the wiser it seemed.
"What? No, um, she's got stuff. Stuff to do. Homework. Yeah, homework. A big project coming up. She procrastinates, you know?"
"Well, I won't hold you any longer from the Daniel's charismatic presence," Zack told her. "I'll talk to you later then."
"Don't be mean," she scolded him. "Bye."
She hung up the phone, stuffing it into the small purse Buffy had bought for her because somebody forgot that skirts needed pockets too. Jacob was coming over again tonight before they went to the movies, this time to actually "meet the parents." Not the small meet-and-greet like all the times before, but an actual sit down, "tell me about yourself" interaction. Beth was afraid; she was very afraid.
Buffy was of course excited to learn more about Jacob, especially after having been disappointed by Beth's less than stellar descriptions (what could she say? She hadn't had years of practice gossiping about boys). Spike had resigned himself to the fact that his sweet little girl was dating and now wanted to "properly meet the bloke" and make his decision. After all, if Jacob was the true-to-heart gentleman, the father's approval would be the first thing he would want before things got "too serious." Father's right and all, she supposed, especially since they wouldn't let him do target practice out on the yard when Jacob came to pick her up ("I got to make 'im know it's not a free for all with my daughter!" "Dad, seriously? Ewww!"). Willow also planned on making an appearance before she joined Esme for dinner, but she was already over the moon with Jacob and interested in getting more details from him like Buffy was.
All in all, somebody kill Beth now and put her out of her misery.
"I'm dressed," she grouched as she stomped down the stairs. "Plus, we have fifteen minutes."
"You know he likes to come early," her mother chided. No, honestly, she did not. She paused, thinking about all the other times he'd come and picked her up. Had he always been early?
"Okay, but he's already coming earlier than necessary to talk with you two," Beth reminded her. In the living room, she could see her father slouching on the couch, dressed to intimidate. Normally, for the demons and vampires, that meant pulling out the old leather and taking it for a ride. For a teenage boy, that meant slacks and a button-up. He didn't want Jacob to think he was some irresponsible dad who let boys do whatever with their daughters (as if Beth wasn't already primed to break a finger if need be).
"But he could come earlier," her mother insisted. "Besides, you shouldn't be on the phone with one boy when you're about to go out with another."
"It was Zack and I promised him I would call when I got more information about the Sons of Cain," she explained.
Strangely enough, both her parents exchanged looks.
"What?" Beth asked, looking between the two.
"Uh, Beth, don't you think maybe you should kind of let things settle between you and Zack?" her mother suggested.
Judging from her father's snort, he knew exactly what she meant by that. Beth? Not a clue.
"What do you mean?" she asked, confused. "Settle things? Like what?"
"Well, you know—"
"She means cut ties," her father reiterated.
"No, I do not!" Buffy argued, spinning on her heel to throw him a heated look. She turned back around to face her daughter, a much more complacent look on her face. "I'm saying maybe you shouldn't see him as often. Besides, he's in Boston and going in a completely different direction than you, and you have Jacob now—"
"I don't see him often because he's in Boston," Beth reminded her. "And it's not like Jacob doesn't know about Zack."
"What?" both her parents uttered.
"I've talked about Zack with Jacob," she said again. "I tell him about all my friends, even Jackie. Besides, Jacob and Zack aren't interchangeable pieces. Just because I get a new person in my life doesn't mean I have to trade someone out. I can have friends, lots of friends!"
"Yes, you can," Buffy assured as Spike muffled his laughter. "You know what? Forget I said anything."
"You owe me twenty quid," he muttered with a smile.
"I owe you nothing!" she hissed just as the doorbell rang. Her fiery expression was dropped for a friendlier face and she went to get the door.
"Don't do anything stupid," Beth warned her father and he gave her a "who, me?" expression.
"Ah, hello Mrs. Summers," Jacob greeted, stepping into the house.
"Hello again, Jacob," Buffy replied, hiding her hand behind her back so she could motion for Beth to come over. Like the ever-dutiful daughter she was, she came into the foyer smiling. Jacob's eyes seemed to light up at her arrival and he took her hand, kissing it like the proper gentleman he was.
"Good to see you again," he murmured lowly and Beth was pretty sure she heard her mother sigh lovingly behind her.
"Good to see you too," she chirped.
"So this is the boy?" Spike said from the living room, standing up to make himself look larger. She was sure it was at times like this he wished he had a more imposing figure like Angel did. It was times like this Beth also wished he was around because they might need another person present to keep her father in line. Fortunately for Spike, his height never stopped him from scaring the bejeesus out of people (see: Zack) and Jacob wasn't much taller than him. They were actually about the same height, she realized. Jacob might even have been shorter.
"Nice to finally meet you, sir," he greeted, sticking out a hand.
Time seemed to slow down as both Beth and Buffy held their breath, waiting to see what he would do. A millennia seemed to stretch on as Spike stared down at the hand, not moving. Finally, he lifted his own hand and they shook. Beth nearly fell over in relief. The last thing she needed was having Spike stare daggers at Jacob's head until they both left.
"So, my daughter tells me you're taking over a business," he started, motioning for Jacob to sit down. He did so and Spike followed suit, not taking his eyes off "the boy."
"Yes sir," Jacob told him. "A computer company. My uncle owns it and he's looking for a next in line. He doesn't have any kids, you see."
"An' you're only seventeen?" Spike inquired suspiciously.
He nodded. "I finished school early and my uncle thought that I'd learn more straight from him then going to a four-year college. Chances are, I won't be running anything until I'm thirty. He's training me as your run-of-the-mill employee right now."
"Hm," Spike said with a slow nod of his head. "Well, now that we've got that out of the way, what exactly are your intentions with my daughter?"
"Dad!" Beth groaned, throwing her hands up over her eyes. "You are such a stereotype right now."
"Oi, I got a right to know," he defended hotly.
To Jacob's credit, he just laughed. "Don't worry Beth, I'm familiar with the normal Dad Interrogation."
"Why? You date a lot of girls?" Spike demanded suddenly.
"No, I haven't had much of a chance honestly," he admitted. "I moved around a lot when I lived with my father so I never stuck around long enough to build any real, meaningful relationships with anyone. But I can assure you that my intentions are nothing but pure; your daughter is a great girl and I'm lucky to have run into her."
He glanced over at Beth, a smile on his face and she pretended to be real interested in the ceiling until her mother elbowed her in the side.
"What?" Beth hissed under her breath.
"Don't act so aloof," Buffy told her sternly. "I swear, you are worse than Angel sometimes."
"Hey, I take that very personally. He does tai chi—"
"So, Beth tells me you've got an interest in old cars," Jacob began. "She says you've got a car from the 50s."
"Ah, the Desoto Firelite," Spike said with a smile. Buffy groaned quietly in the background. "My other baby. You interested in cars?"
He nodded. "Oh, yes, sir. I've always liked picking out the junkers and fixing them up."
"Really?" Spike asked, leaning closer. "'Cuz I've always tried to get the birds interested an' they just won' have it."
"That car is ugly," Buffy retorted. "I've always thought so. Ever since I met you."
He ignored the jab at the only thing in his life that ever truly loved him back (or so he said), continuing, "You want to go an' look at it?"
"Really?" he asked, sounding a little excited. "I'd love to."
Spike hopped off the couch, finally on grounds he liked, leading Jacob out toward the garage.
"I'm going to have to remind him when we have to leave for the movie, won't I?" Beth sighed.
"Yup," Buffy agreed. "You told him about the car?"
"Briefly," she replied. "I reminded him about it a few nights ago so they'd have something to talk about now."
"Genius," her mother murmured in praise.
"I get it from you," Beth replied with a grin.
The front door clicked open and in stepped Willow, looking a bit frazzled. She shut the door behind her, looking around. "Is Jacob here yet?"
"Just missed him," Beth replied. "He and Dad are out looking at the DeSoto."
"Really?" Willow replied, taking off her jacket and scarf and hanging them up. "Are you sure he didn't take him back there to murder him?"
"Maybe," Buffy said. "We're keeping our ears open."
"Besides, he'd never run the risk of getting blood on his car," Beth assured.
"I still get to meet him, right?" Willow asked, coming over and sitting on the couch. "I know I'm not the parent here, but I feel like as the live-in aunt, I should get something. And it's not my fault the line at the post office was long! Augh, this is the last time Giles gets to mail me a tome. Next time, he can scan the three pages I need."
"Oh, you know he doesn't understand how computers work," Buffy reminded her.
"He's got an academy full of modern-day slayers to help him," Willow retorted.
Beth gave Jacob and her dad twenty minutes to talk shop before she reminded them about the movie showing. Spike seemed to have forgotten entirely that Jacob was here for Beth, as he had been talking animatedly about something called a "carburetor" until she stepped in. Then the smile slipped off his face and he went back to lowkey glaring at Jacob. Jacob didn't seem to notice the shift in mood though.
"Oh, right, almost forgot," he said, smacking his forehead. "Your dad and I got so caught up in cars that time just flew! But we should go now, you're right."
As they walked back into the living room, Jacob stopped, seeing the new person in the room.
"Ah, who's she?" Jacob asked, leaning in to Beth.
"Oh, you must be Jacob," Willow greeted, standing up and coming over to him. "I'm Willow, Beth's aunt. Well, surrogate Aunt. We're not actually related."
"Nice to meet you," he said absently, taking her hand lightly and shaking it briefly. His eyes glanced toward the door. "We should get going, though, shouldn't we, Beth? We don't want to be late to the movie."
"Oh, but my Aunt Willow wanted to talk to you for a bit," Beth told him. "She's actually very into computers."
"Oh, but you know how long those lines for popcorn can get," he chuckled. "And on a Saturday? It could take a while to find parking. We should go now. It was nice to meet you, Willow. Maybe we can talk at another time."
He threw a wave to both Spike and Buffy before pulling Beth out the door, giving her barely enough time to throw on her coat.
"Oh poo," Willow pouted, as the front door closed behind the pair. "I knew that darn post line was going to make me miss out on meeting him."
"So," Buffy began, throwing a sly look at Spike. "What do you think? You were in there an awful long time, talking about your precious car."
"I was showing him my torture tools," he asserted stubbornly.
"Oh admit it, Spike, he's not nearly as bad as you thought he once was," she rejoined. "You actually like him a teensy bit."
"She could do better," he grumbled, throwing a glare at the door.
"Oh, if we went by your standards, no one would be good enough for her," she replied.
"An' that's true! No one is," he claimed.
"She's got to grow up at some point, Spike," Willow told him. "She can't be your little girl forever. Besides, don't you want her to be happy with someone? Like you are with Buffy?"
He grumbled, refusing to directly answer the question. "I don' have to like it," he finally said.
"No, but you do sort of like Jacob. You didn't kill him at all or anything," Buffy said.
"Maybe he's not as bad as I had thought," he eventually relented. It was enough of a victory for Buffy, who high-fived Willow.
"I knew it!" she cried. "I knew it! You do like him a little bit!"
"Not much if you keep goin' on about it," he told her.
"No taksies-backsies!" Willow shouted and Spike growled at her.
-.-
"So your family's an interesting group of people," Jacob commented as they got ice cream after the movie. She had been here with Nadja not too recently, and had told Jacob about it. He seemed fine with indulging her, making a joke about a "growing slayer." She'd politely laughed (because it wasn't as if she'd heard that one before, right?).
"Yeah," she agreed. "But they're pretty harmless. Well, except for my mum, because she's a slayer. And my dad, because he's a demon hunter. He didn't threaten you with his knife collection, did he?"
"No, nothing like that," he assured with a chuckle. "We talked about cars the entire time. He's quite proud of it, isn't he? Has he had it long?"
"No," she told him honestly. "He got it when we moved here actually. He had the same type of car years before I was born, but he lost it."
"Oh, that's too unfortunate," he sympathized. "Did he just forget where he parked it?"
She laughed. "No, it got taken down in a huge earthquake. Ever heard of Sunnydale?"
"You mean the giant crater near Los Angeles?" he inquired.
She nodded. "Yeah, that was my mum and dad, way back when. His car got taken down into the crater."
"That was your parents?" he asked, wide-eyed. "I thought that was some freak accident."
"Well, it involved an army of uber-vamps, so I'd say that was pretty freaky," she agreed.
"Wow, I didn't know your parents went that far back. They've known each other for a long time," he commented.
"Pretty long. I think they first met when my mom was sixteen, but she was dating someone else at the time. They didn't actually get together until years later though. They hated each other something nasty for a while, actually."
"Like I said, interesting," he repeated. "And what was your dad's name again?"
"Oh, um, William technically, but he goes by Spike," she told him. "Long story."
"Spike?" he repeated thoughtfully. "Was he in a punk rock band or something? Your mother seems bubblier than that. I could understand why they didn't like each other at first. Talk about polar opposites."
"Yeah. Punk band," she murmured (sure, we'll go with that. We'll even call it The Scourge). "He hasn't grown out of it either."
"And how about your aunt?" he asked. "I know we didn't have time to talk, but she seems interesting. She lives with some pretty incredible beings, so I'd expect her to be pretty cool as well."
"She's a practicing witch, actually," she told him.
"A witch?" he said. "How good is she?"
"Pretty powerful," she admitted. "I wouldn't want to mess with her, you know? But she likes you, and she hasn't even met you, so you should be fine."
He smiled at her. "Yes, I'd think so. Though, I'm sure if I were to cross you, she'd make me pay."
"Oh, I think my dad would line up for the first shot," she joked. "Hopefully you warmed him over car talk."
"He seemed friendly enough," he told her. He looked thoughtful for a moment before reaching out and taking her hand from across the table, keeping her from going in for more ice cream (how rude). "Beth, maybe this is a bit too soon to say, but I really do like you. A lot. And being able to meet your family was really nice."
"Oh, err, no problem," she told him awkwardly, wanting her hand back more than she wanted ice cream (and wasn't that a shocker?). She paused before realizing she should probably say more. "And I really like you too, Jacob. We have nice times together."
He smiled at her, giving her hand a squeeze before letting go. "I'm glad to hear that. I don't know about you, but when I'm with you, I feel like life's a little bit more worth living. You know what I mean?"
"Yes," she responded almost automatically (because how else do you respond to such a big question? No?). She looked down at the hand he had been holding, frowning. She wriggled her fingers, trying to get that jittery feeling out of her stomach. It wasn't like the butterflies all those movies talked about, the ones that got all funny in your stomach when your crush held you hand. And it certainly wasn't like the burning in her chest she got that one time with Zack. It felt more like that tickling feeling from before, but this time strong enough she thought she might throw up. And that didn't sound right at all.
-.-
Beth left eighth period as quickly as she could, telling Nadja she had some paper to give to a teacher. Nadja didn't seem to question it, despite the mass produced feel of the excuse. Not that she was going to do anything bad, this is; she was going to try and hunt Daniel down so she could talk to him. She could have told Nadja that, but she was worried her friend would come along and then Beth wouldn't get a straight answer out of Daniel without Nadja butting in with her own two cents. Beth loved her friend, but sometimes she could get opinionated, especially considering the topic.
After her little heart-to-heart with Jacob—realizing her mistake was bringing him home to meet the parents (who did that, besides people who were considering getting more serious?)—she realized she needed some advice. And not just from one girl to another, but from a boy; someone who understood Jacob's way of thinking. Now, Daniel wasn't exactly Beth's best bet at peering into the mind of a teenage boy, but she only had him and Zack and this wasn't a conversation she was willing to have with Zack.
She spotted him over on a stone bench, reading a textbook or something. She called out his name, but either he was too far away to hear her or he was too engrossed in whatever he was reading to realize she was calling his name.
She stopped in front of him, casting a shadow over whatever he was reading. He frowned, wondering where the sudden shadow originated from. He looked up to see her and he smiled.
"Hello," he greeted, scooting over to allow her to sit down if she wished to.
She smiled gratefully, putting her book bag down on the grass and taking a seat. "I hope I'm not interrupting something," she said, glancing at the book.
"I can always read it later," he told her, shutting it. "How can I help you?"
"I need to talk to you about something personal," she began. "Is that alright? It's not like super personal, but you're kind of the only person I can talk to you about it."
"Go ahead," he said. "As your friend, I know that means you may confide in me from time to time and I assure you I will not repeat what you say to me."
"Thanks," she said. "It's about Jacob."
"Your boyfriend," he remembered with a nod. "Are you having relationship problems? I will admit I am not the person for that sort of thing. I'm not very adept at romance."
"No, well yes, but I'm not here to tell you about those problems per say," she promised. "I think I'm starting to realize he's gotten some very serious feelings for me. It was fine at first—yay, boyfriend!—but now I'm not really sure how I feel. And I know you're good at reading emotions, being an empath and all. So maybe you could tell me what I'm feeling?"
Daniel thought for a moment, giving Beth's problem some serious thought. "Well, I know it's nice to be in any relationship when you're both on the same level," he told her, "and I don't sense that you feelings are as deep as his—assuming what you say is correct. Admittedly, I have noticed a lot of discord with you when you speak about him."
"Really?" she squeaked out. That seemed unfair. She had nice feelings toward him. It felt nice to kiss and to hold hands and to spend time with someone—a boy, specifically in a romantic context. It made her realize how much she yearned to have that kind of relationship with someone.
He nodded. "There's something that's amiss in you, and I think it causes you distress when it comes to him. That doesn't seem right to have in a relationship. How would you express how you feel about him? Do you feel happy when you're with him? Do you desire to spend more time with him?"
"Well, I mean," she stuttered, unsure of how to answer that. "I do like him, but I also feel like when he's not around, I can kind of just forget about him. I know I haven't told him about my lineage, so could that play a role in my discord? I know I'm still worried about how he might react."
"That could be it," he replied. "Feeling like you are having to hold back a part of you could explain your distress. Is there any specific reason why you haven't told him? You've been together for a few months now."
"I know, but it's a sensitive topic," she defended. "I know you and Nadja and Zack all took it with varying degrees of okay, but this is different! We kiss! We hold hands! We…get amorous," she finished lamely and he quirked a smile. "What if I tell him and he runs? And then tells a bunch of other people? It's not like my genes are a well-known thing. It's not a secret I really want getting out."
"Do you really think he would do that?"
"I don't know!" she whined, throwing up her hands. "What if—what if I'm not ready to tell him? What if I don't feel like we're at that point yet? Where I can trust him to hold onto that secret?"
"You trusted me and I only knew you for a few months at that point," he reminded her.
"Yeah, but you're different," she stated. "I felt like you could get it. I met you in the woods with a bloody shotgun as you tried to shoot the yak that ate your dog! We're kindred spirits, you and I. Take the world by force, won't we? And Jacob? He's so nice, and sweet, and quite good-looking, but—"
"But what?"
"He's a nice boy with a computer company and nearly got chomped on by a demon when I met him," she said. "I look at him and he's so very much everything a girl should hope for and—and there's no spark."
"And you believe there should be one?" he asked to clarify.
"Shouldn't there? If I know anything about my mum and dad's relationship, is that there was always chemistry, even when they were actively trying to kill one another. No matter how bad it got, my mum always said there was something that drew her back in. A spark."
"And you want that," he stated and she nodded. "You want something magical, a warmth in your chest when you see him. Like someone lit something afire in you."
"A fire?" she repeated, squirming a little.
He smiled. "Just a burning, but a good one. Does he at least make you happy?"
"I've not not been happy," she allowed. "I know my mum's happy though, and she's always wanted what's best for me—"
"But shouldn't what makes her happy be whatever makes you the happiest?" he interrupted.
"I didn't say I was unhappy."
"But I can tell that you're not happy either," he informed her. "Remember I can feel some of what's going on in your head and there's a storm in there."
"Yeah, but you don't know why," she retorted.
"You're right," he agreed. "Maybe you're unhappy because you're keeping things from him. Maybe you're unhappy because you don't know how you're supposed to feel. Or maybe something else is bothering you entirely. I do know that this relationship causes you strife when it should not. Relationships should be happy things."
She groaned again, feeling no more enlightened than she had coming over here.
He sighed. "This is what I can tell you though: Beth, you deserve to be happy. And that means surrounding yourself with people who make you feel happy. It doesn't matter what I say, or Nadja says, or even what your parents say; anyone who claims to really love you and wants you to be happy, will be happy with whatever it is that makes you happy. And I have been around you when you are happy. I see it when you spar with your father, or share a joke with Nadja—you light up from inside. I see it when you hug your mom or when you look at Zack, especially when he's looking back."
The burning in her chest started up again, low and steady. She wasn't ready to delve into what he was implying. "Daniel?" she mumbled from her hands.
"Yes?"
"Do you think my mum's projecting onto me?"
He tilted his head in thought. "Yes," he replied absolutely. "And I think your dad is projecting onto Jacob, but all fathers do that, or so I've heard."
She couldn't help herself; she laughed. "I'd think he'd hate how easily you can read him."
He shrugged. "Possibly. But that's his fault for being so open about his feelings." He grinned at her and she couldn't help but grin back.
"Thank you, Daniel," she told him, standing up. "You've given me a lot to think about and I'm grateful for that. You're a good friend."
He nodded. "Thank you. No one's ever told me that before."
She smiled. "I'm sorry no one's told you that until now because you definitely deserve hearing it."
-.-
Eugh, the room smelled like stale blood. Charlie crinkled his nose at the smell, looking down at the floor. He didn't see even a speck of anything on the wooden floorboards, but he could smell it. Maybe Elwood had been having fun recently, or, at least, someone had been in his place.
"It's always such a hassle, getting food," James sighed as he walked into the room, Elwood beside him. "I lose so many minions this way."
"You could always do as Vincenzo does," Elwood offered.
Jacob's lip curled. "He's a disgrace to his kind. Besides, I always prefer to see the victim's eyes dull, even if I'm not the one causing it."
He turned, seeing Charlie, his eyes going wide. "Charles! I didn't see you there! When did you come in?"
"Jus' now," Charlie told him. "Got the message from Itzio that you wanted me here."
"Oh right, yes," he said, remembering he had called for him. Unfortunately, he couldn't remember for what.
"He's curious about what your plan is," Elwood murmured.
Oh, right! Yes, of course. "Elwood tells me you've been asking questions," James stated, looking over at Charlie. "You never felt the need to ask questions before. Are you taking a more personal approach to all this?"
"'Course not," he replied. "Jus' thought we've hit a bit of a bump."
"Bump?" James repeated, looking over at Elwood, who only shrugged. "What sort of bump?"
"One of McGregor's men let the cat out of the bag," Charlie told him.
"Oh that?" James asked, waving a hand. "That's been dealt with. I've made an example out of McGregor and I'm sure the rest of the clans have learned to keep their mouth shut until this has all blown over."
"But the slayer knows 'bout you now," Charlie reminded him. "They're gonna be lookin' fer you now an' no doubt they've gone an' contacted Vincenzo. They may even ask that he come down here an' see if he can sniff ya out."
James frowned, not having considered the implication of the slayer actually having knowledge of the Sons of Cain. He knew it was mostly secret to them, but now this slayer had likely been debriefed and the Council alerted.
"I don't see what the problem is," Elwood cut in angrily, glaring at Charlie. "So what if the slayer knows? It's all hearsay, they can't pro—"
"He's right," James interrupted, looking at Charlie, who smiled smugly at Elwood. The older vampire scowled. "While I don't know if Vincenzo would be willing to go on a possible wild goose chase, the slayers and the Council are now alerted to the possibility. This could have negative implications, especially if you're recognized."
"Me?" Elwood asked. "What does it matter if they see me?"
"You were present at the treaty signing," James reminded him. "And unlike both Itizio and Alecto, they still think you're alive. You were in Italy up until a few months ago. If they spot you here, they might think something is up. And as my oldest friend, Vincenzo will definitely realize."
Elwood grumbled, clearly agreeing with the possibility but disliking it nonetheless.
James turned back to Charlie. "And now this has you curious about what I intend to do?"
He hesitated before nodding. "Bit, yeah, considerin' the treaty an' all. You can't kill a slayer, not without insightin' the wrath of the Council. They got a million of those girls now, an' they can send 'em all at once. Probably will, considerin' yer history don't suggest you'll go down easily."
He grinned. "Oh, don't I know it. Besides, who said anything about me killing the slayer? Charles, you know that's not how it works. I haven't killed anyone since the damn paper was signed." He sighed heavily, glancing over at Elwood. "Blood ink. Just the worst, isn't it?"
He turned back to Charlie. "As long as I don't touch the slayer, I'm in the clear," James reminded him.
"Then how you goin' to get rid of her?" he asked, confused.
"Oh, well, I never said anything about not killing her. I just said I couldn't do it," James laughed. "Buffy won't ever see what I've got coming for her, her magic allies be damned."
"An' what about the other one? Her daughter?" Charlie asked slowly, watching him carefully.
James' gazed sharpened and he settled it on Charlie. "You seem awful interested in her well-being. Tell me, have you gone soft for the girl? A slayer?" he inquired, his voice taking on a mocking tone.
"Naw," Charlie denied. "Jus' curious, is all. You talk 'bout the big slayer like she's the only problem you got. Even I know the littlest slayer s'gonna be a problem of her own. Seen her kick some ass an' it ain't pretty for the other guy."
"I'm aware," James reminded him curtly. "And I wouldn't worry, I've got my own plans for her. Elwood, you've seen her? She's quite an intriguing figure, isn't she?"
Elwood narrowed his eyes in confusion, perturbed by James' line of questioning. Charlie's stomach dropped though. He'd been around long enough to know what James meant by that.
"I suppose so," Elwood agreed, albeit reluctantly. "So goes the way of the slayer. Always interesting creatures."
"Yes, but her, she's different, you've noticed," James went on to say and Elwood nodded. "There's power behind her, and it's old, even familiar I'd say. Very feisty too. All the more fun to break, don't you think?"
He turned his cold gaze on Charlie, daring him to say anything. He didn't though, knowing his place. Besides, he had his own plan in mind and it wouldn't do anyone any good if he went off right now. James was trying to instigate a fight and he refused to budge.
Elwood grinned, James finally saying something he understood: breaking. He knew how to do that. And the greater the fighter, the more fun it was when they lost. "Oh, very much so," he agreed.
Charlie couldn't help himself, he snorted. Elwood didn't even have a clue the kind of foot he'd be under if James was victorious in the end. The old vamp would be eating his words then. And as much fun as it would be to see that, it wouldn't win Charlie his ultimate goal. No, he had to forgo that sort of laugh for something better: revenge.