A/N: Huge thank you to Geliot99 for all of her help as always but especially with this chapter!


Spike lay on his side on the bed. He had kicked off his worn boots and propped himself up on his elbow as he watched his cousin. Vivian's eyes raked through a small stack of crime scene photos out of a large envelope Giles' contact had given them. She held her hand over her mouth, shaking her head. "No, no, no… No this can't be right!"

"I believe you didn't do this, but you do recognize them, don't you?" Spike drawled.

Vivian's eyes went wide. "Yes, I bloody well know them. These are my clients!" She was on the verge of tears.

Vivian picked one of the pictures up, shaking it violently in his face. "This one was a songwriter, a friend! Someone I knew. I just helped her land a deal with a great band in a creative funk! What possible motive could I have for wanting her dead?"

Spike shifted his legs around to sit up properly. It was true he hadn't seen his cousin in years but he knew her well enough to know when she was telling the truth, and also when she was on the edge of hysterics. "I don't know, but it would seem that someone certainly did. They're all shriveled up like a kid's juice box. Not a drop of blood but no bites or other wounds either. Not a lot can do that in my experience, Viv."

Vivian shook her head again. "I don't understand any of this. I help these people. Sure I grant vengeance upon those who wrong them, that's my job, but I help people!"

Buffy came out of the bathroom, face clean and wearing one of Spike's black t-shirts he had left in the bathroom. She took up a spot on the bed next to Spike. "So the obvious question becomes, who did do it?"

Vivian sighed looking out the window, a hard look in her eyes like she was willing away tears. "I don't have any idea."

"We've been searching for some kind of a link between them since we got here and so far you're it, Viv. What about Griff? Or his new squeeze, Robert, was it?" Spike asked.

"I don't see how last I heard they were in the south of France… they humm— they eloped…"

Spike's eyes widened in surprise for a second. "Bloody hell, that was fast."

"No kidding…" Vivian's cheeks had drained of color.

"Vivian? Do you mind staying with us for a little while? At least until we get this all settled?" Buffy asked.

"I'm— sure, I suppose I can. Thanks… It's just—" she shook her head, looking through the photos again. "who would do this?"

Spike leaned forward to place a hand on his cousin's wrist. "That's what we're going to figure out. Why don't you kip on the couch there and maybe you two can see what you can find out during the day while you get to know each other? Buffy can text me and I'll meet up with you after sundown. We'll try putting some of this together."

Vivian worried her lip a little. "I suppose that's logical," she nodded.

"Oh I like this idea, you can give me all the humany dirt on him he never wants to talk about," Buffy grinned.

Vivian shifted back into her seat more comfortably. "I think you're going to be disappointed. He wasn't half as interesting then as he is now."

Spike leaned back onto his elbows. "Perfect little gentleman, I was."

Vivian rolled her eyes. "The sad part is that he really was, especially after Uncle—"

"Viv," Spike warned.

She gave him a tired look. "William."

"Not now…" he pleaded with her.

Buffy shifted her gaze from one to the other. "Family drama?"

"We're not going there," Spike answered.

"More like trauma," Vivian disagreed.

Spike sighed heavily. "I'm fine, Viv. Been nearly 150 years. I'm over it. Would you drop it?"

Vivian cleared her throat. "Fine, stubborn git," she muttered.

Buffy wasn't sure if she should laugh or if she should pry further. A wave of annoyance rolled off of him as his voice sounded in her head.

Not now, Pet. I'm not avoiding, it's just not important right now. We got bigger things going on here and now. No point dredging up the past.

Buffy bit her lip as she caught his eye and made the decision to change the subject. "Whatever, I'm just looking forward to doing a little shopping before we get all into the Scooby-Doo-ness."

Vivian chuckled. "Well I can already say I like you much more than Drusilla. The woman literally talked to a potted ficus during my wedding then proceeded to have an argument with it!"

Spike groaned. "Oi! Not that again, Viv, It was the 60's, how was I to know she'd just fed on some flower child on acid or some such."

Buffy snorted a laugh. "Yeah well tomorrow I'll have to tell you all about his rebound girlfriend," she shot Vivian a smirk as she pulled up the extra blanket neatly folded at the end of the bed and grabbed one of the multitude of pillows the hotel provided, handing them over to her. "I have some pjs that might work if you need them."

Vivian looked down at her black leatherette pants with pink roses embroidered up one leg and the asymmetrical pink top with silver studded accents she wore. With a slight shimmy of her shoulders, her club clothes melted smoothly into a pair of hot pink and black vertically striped, silk pajamas, complete with fuzzy hot pink bunny slippers.

"Wohh, cool trick," Buffy said in awe.

"Thanks, it's a perk," Vivian said simply.

"And you choose Tim Burton's version of Barbie?" Spike scoffed.

Vivian glared at him. "Says Billy Idol's fashion adviser?" She glanced at his discarded boots. "Just look at those Doc Martens, they look like they've been through the apocalypse!"

"Couple of 'em actually…" he grumbled.

"I know you're into the whole grungy punk rock thing, but seriously, have some respect for yourself and your Slayer,"

Buffy bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing. "I hum, I didn't realize vengeance demons could do the wardrobe melting thing, but then I've only really got to know one and she wasn't really all demony when I knew her."

"Really?" Vivian looked thoughtful. "I don't know a lot of the other girls, I'm pretty young compared to some of them and I don't really like to leave England."

Buffy pulled her legs up, casually inspecting her freshly painted toenails. "Her name was Anya… Anyanka I guess, she—"

Vivian's demeanor shifted suddenly; she gaped in surprise as she sat up a little straighter. "Wait, you knew Anyanka? I never met her but she was like a total rock star. Yikes. I've heard a lot about her. Is it true that some dope left her at the altar? That's what everyone was saying at least and it was a big to-do when she came back and then the thing with Halfrek— that was just—" she grimaced.

"Ah, yeah, I was kinda standing there when it happened," Buffy said hollowly as she leaned into Spike a little. "One of my best friends is the dope who should have married her."

"Ohhh…" Vivian's eyes grew wide.

Would have saved all parties a world of trouble if he had. Spike scoffed through their link.

Upside, you got the Extreme Makeover Soul Edition, so at least that worked out.

Spike rolled his eyes. That one's getting a bit tired, think you could use some new material, pet.

Oh don't worry, I'm spending the day with your cousin. This is an opportunity I am taking full advantage of.

Spike snorted a laugh. "Yeah alright."

Vivian eyed the two of them. "You too are doing it now aren't you? The mind-talking thing, right?"

Spike shrugged in acknowledgment.

"Weird— Definitely weird, but cool," Vivian answered as though she were appraising an art piece.

"You'd best take your ridiculous fluffy bunny slippers and turn in, little cousin," Spike smirked.

"We're not children anymore, William, kindly piss off and leave my slippers out of it."

Buffy awoke with a start several hours later to the sound of snoring. It wasn't Spike, that much was obvious. He didn't even breathe in his sleep unless he was having a nightmare, which left only one culprit. It wasn't the earthquake-inducing snores of someone with a medical condition but it was enough to keep Buffy from going back to sleep. She pulled herself out of bed with a sigh as she cast a wistful glance toward Spike sprawled on his back with one arm over his eyes.

Spike made an odd sound in his sleep and Buffy watched him for a moment. They had been through so much together, and yet it wasn't enough. She could handle ten more apocalypses if he was by her side, she thought as she watched him. As strong as she was, he still managed to give her more when she needed it most.

Taking her clothes with her, she made her way into the bathroom to get ready for the day. When she came back out, Vivian was up, hunched over in her seat on the couch looking over the crime scene photos again. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't even noticed when Buffy had come into the room.

Buffy shook her head, drawing closer to her. "That's not gonna help them," she said quietly pulling Vivian out of her reverie.

She pressed her lips together looking up at Buffy. "No, you're right but it might help my future clients," she all but hissed as she slapped the photos down onto the coffee table and sat back. "I swear I'm going to make whoever did this pay."

"Yeah well, Spike and I have pretty much hit a dead end. I was kinda hoping you could help us narrow down the search."

Vivian nodded, biting her lip. "There's only one thing I can think of that they all have in common. I'm certain I met them all at The Art Gallery, it's a club I frequent to meet clients."

"It's worth a shot."

Buffy and Vivian got coffee and pastries before making their way through some of the shops in Camden. The club was located within the Horse Tunnel Market on the other end from where their hotel was located near the canal. Meaning they had plenty of time to do some shopping and get acquainted with each other along the way.

They had already been in a few shops when Vivian pulled Buffy into the Doc Martens store. "What are we doing here?" Buffy asked.

"Isn't it obvious? We're getting William some new boots. He clearly won't buy new ones for himself."

Buffy shrugged. He really did need a new pair, the ones he had were so worn down that they didn't have much tread left at all. It only took them a few minutes to find his size in the style he liked. They were headed towards the checkout when a pair of boots embroidered with red roses caught Buffy's eye. She made a B-line for them, trying them on in her size. "Okay, so these are actually kind of perfect for slaying," she said as she paced the floor, she bounced on the balls of her feet for a second. "I can see why he likes these, they're surprisingly comfortable."

Vivian tilted her head in contemplation. "The roses are a nice touch, you should totally get them."

Buffy ended up wearing her new boots after they checked out. She was oddly excited about showing them to Spike. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?" Vivian replied.

"How come you two haven't seen each other in so long?"

Vivian shrugged. "I think a lot of it had to do with our choice of romantic partners… William never did understand my relationship with Griff… and I couldn't ever get over the fact he fell head over heels for the woman who killed him. He didn't see it that way of course."

"Was that when you became a vengeance demon?" Buffy asked as they walked along.

"Not quite. It was a while before I found out what happened to him, and it took me a few years before I attracted D'Hoffryn's attention. William and I had been quite close when we were young. I was very fond of him and my Auntie."

"Spike doesn't talk about her much."

Vivian nodded. "Poor Auntie, I couldn't even find in my heart to blame him. She had been so sick and well- vampires," she said as though it explained everything. "She was such a lovely woman. I adored her when I was little. When I found out what happened… I lost it… I wanted vengeance on everyone who had a hand in sending him down that alley into the waiting arms of a vampire, only to find that he had taken care of them himself. I have no doubt that's how he got that ridiculous nickname. 'Spike', honestly," she paused, rolling her eyes. "The only one I could never find was the snobbish bitch who broke his heart so badly. Cecily Adams."

"Oh you mean Halfrek?" Buffy asked.

Vivian stopped walking. Buffy turned back to look at her. Vivian looked like she had just taken a sledgehammer to the gut. "Hal- what?" She murmured.

"Halfrek. She was Cecily Adams."

Anger flashed in Vivian's blue eyes. "That bitch! She's the one who trained me!"

"Sounds like her," Buffy said in a flat tone. "almost sounds like she set both of you up. Too bad we'll never know for sure."

Vivian took a deep calming breath, letting it out slowly. "I just can't believe it! She was always so nice to me… she literally— I can't believe that bitch was— Are you sure? She was really Cecily Adams?"

Buffy nodded, taking in the obvious effort Vivian was putting into calming herself down. "You should have seen the look on his face when she showed up at my birthday party. I could tell there was history there, but it took me a while to get him to tell me though. He had no idea she was a demon until then."

"No, I suppose he wouldn't have… not back then at least," Vivian sighed as they walked along Paddock Lane.

Buffy couldn't get over the eclectic nature of the market. This particular section had some of the most interesting horse-themed statuary dotted around in some of the most peculiar places. It was truly incredible. Artistic renderings of horses could be seen from nearly every place they went. They were on the walkways and the sides of buildings, anyplace one could find space for a horse there was one.

They made their way into a brightly painted building nestled among some of the shops. The Art Gallery was a unique kind of club that doubled as an art gallery, hence the name. It did most of its daytime business selling unique pieces of art from local artists and hosted local bands most nights. Buffy had been there once before but hadn't found much aside from a few pieces of artwork she wouldn't mind hanging in their new place.

Buffy turned towards Vivian expectantly. "So where do you want to start?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. I normally just sit at the bar until I'm drawn to someone in need. This is one of my favorite spots to meet new clients. I try to mix it up and go to different places but I'm here a lot."

Buffy nodded. "Well what can you tell me about it? You know, from a demony point of view."

"Let's have a seat, first. I can pop these bags back to your room for you. Get them out of our way," Vivian said, gesturing toward the bags in question.

Buffy gave her a little shrug. "Sure. Hang on, let me write Spike a note." She grabbed a napkin off the bar and scribbled down a quick message for Spike.

Task complete, Vivian flicked her wrist and the bags vanished. The two of them sat down at the bar. Buffy ordered a glass of iced water while Vivian received an appletini. It must have been a standing order because Vivian didn't have to say a word. Vivian turned toward Buffy, sipping her drink as the bartender walked away from them.

"The artwork is all sold on consignment. The owner takes 45%. Most of the artists are fairly happy with the deal but honestly, most of them could do better. It usually isn't too hard to get a few of them to make wishes. Sometimes they make intelligent ones, get out on their own and start doing well for themselves. This place also gets a lot of musicians. They have bands and poetry readings or the odd performing artists come in almost nightly. It's really eclectic," Vivian explained.

"So what normally happens when one of your clients actually does get out there on their own and doesn't need a place like this anymore? Has anyone ever wished vengeance on anyone here at the club?"

"I- well the odd controlling lover stifling the creative process or a bandmate mucking things up."

"No, I mean like a manager or the owner or someone like that," Buffy said, sipping her glass of water.

"Oh, not in the last few years anyway. I did set fire to the old manager's desk once but that was years ago," Vivian replied.

"Okay… so what about demons?" Buffy asked.

"There are always a lot more around here than you might expect. I can hardly keep track of all of them."

"Any regulars that hang around a lot?"

Vivian sipped her drink thoughtfully, as her eyes scanned the sparsely populated club. It was still early in the evening and the only patrons were either there for the artwork or had come early to get a jump on the night ahead. "Couple of the security staff are vampires. One of the waitresses is some sort of an elemental demon, she can control air. She can make some really interesting airbrush-style paintings that are rather fascinating. The bartender is— well definitely not human. I'm not sure what he is but he's a great bartender," she answered, taking another sip of her drink.

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "You can't tell what he is?"

"Can you?" Vivian countered.

"Well no— I mean he looks human. Definitely not a vampire. I'm actually not picking up any vampires yet but it's still early."

"They'll be in soon, along with William. I'm sure he's got your note by now."

Spike lay sprawled on the bed just as Buffy had left him. He opened his eyes blearily and rubbed the corners, laying there, staring at the ceiling a moment trying to wake up. No more had he started to sit up when a bunch of shopping bags dropped out of thin air onto his head. "What the—," he growled as he batted the bags away. It took him a moment to realize what they were. "bloody hell! Viv—" he swore under his breath before pulling himself out from under the covers.

He noticed the Doc Martens bag with Buffy's note sticking out of it. A grin pulled at the corner of his lips as he read and he pulled the new boots out of the box examining them, the new leather reflecting the light above him. "Bloody brilliant."

He pulled them on, they would take some time to break in but that didn't bother him much. The fact that Buffy had got them was enough. He grabbed his coat, casting a glance at the lowering sun outside the window. There were a few paths he could safely take this time of day and he set out for the club.

Buffy walked up and down the catwalk on the upper floor examining the art with Vivian as they waited for Spike to arrive. She stopped in front of the large painting that had originally caught her attention the first time she had been there. At first glance it just looked like a black-and-white painting of a tree but with colorful leaves adorning the branches. At least until you looked closer and realized it was a couple entwined so completely that their bodies made up the trunk of the tree. Their forms seamlessly melted into the rest of the tree as the branches stretched out in a riot of beautiful color in every shade and hue.

"It's a beautiful piece, isn't it?" Vivian asked, pulling Buffy out of her musings.

She cleared her throat. "Yeah, I really love this one."

"Why don't you get it?" Vivian prompted.

Buffy frowned. "Well we're not exactly going straight home when we're done here for starters. Secondly, we're kinda burning through our combined income with the duplex and our traveling. This counts as a business trip for us but still— Mainly it's the fact that I can't lug that all around Europe."

Vivian chewed the inside of her cheek, and gave a little hum. "I suppose you have a point," she shrugged and turned around to peer down on the lower level. The club was starting to fill slowly, most of the patrons were still examining the artwork adorning the walls. Buffy joined her in her observation of the assembling crowd. The door opened a few minutes later as a couple was heading for the door, carrying a large painting they had just purchased and Spike entered as they passed.

Buffy beamed when she saw him and watched as he quickly ascended the stairs to meet her with a kiss. She wrapped her arms around him. Spike melted into the kiss as though he hadn't seen her in days, weaving his fingers into her hair. A prickling sensation ran over Buffy's neck and she pulled back from Spike with a curious look.

Did you feel that? She asked him through their link.

Vamp tingleys?

I don't think so… I mean yeah there are a few, but they seem to be behaving themselves, for now… No, it kinda felt like we were being watched. She replied.

You sure it's not just Viv? Spike thought as he turned his gaze to Vivian where she was on the catwalk. She slowly walked over to join them and Spike gestured towards her as she drew near. "Oi, Viv! Nice wake-up call by the way. Maybe next time you could drop 'em on the floor instead of my head?"

"Don't be such a baby, it's not like it was going to hurt you," Vivian rolled her eyes.

"So what'd you two find out anyway?" He asked, sitting down on a semicircular bench at an empty table with a good view of the bar and pulling Buffy into his side.

"Viv has been giving me the rundown on the frequent demon faces around here. There are five employees, three are vampires so they're kinda out and I'm thinking the air manipulation demon is kinda out too. Which leaves our bartender," Buffy gestured down toward the bar with a nod of her head.

Vivian sat on Spike's other side, pursed her lips, and cast a glance down toward said bartender who was serving drinks. "Are you sure? I mean Ivan has always seemed nice and he makes a killer appletini."

Spike raised a mocking eyebrow. "Oh well if he can mix a good appletini then he can't possibly be our guy."

"Shut it you muppet…" Vivian seethed.

"What's his story anyway? Do we know what he is?" Spike asked, ignoring his cousin.

Buffy shook her head. "'Not human' is about all we can get. Vivian thinks he might be using some sort of shield or something. Which, you know, isn't totally suspicious at all."

Spike gave a curt nod. "Seen that more than once. I think I'd like to scope things out for a bit. See what we see, yeah?"

"So what are we doing?" Vivian asked, sipping her drink.

"Waiting for the evening's entertainment of course," Spike drawled.

"Which is?" There was an annoyed edge to Vivian's voice.

"With any luck, we just might catch a bad guy."

The three of them took their time chatting and examining the artwork as the band started playing. Always keeping a lookout for signs of trouble. After a while, Vivian excused herself, meandering through the club. She sat at the bar for about an hour as was her usual routine when she came in, whilst Buffy and Spike made a slow circuit around the club moving in opposite directions. They met up again on the dance floor pressing in close to each other.

Anything? Buffy asked him through their psychic bond.

Bartender seems awfully handsy. I've seen this guy pull the 'accidental hand graze' routine no less than twenty times in the past hour. Spike answered, his scrutinizing gaze raking through the crowd and landing on the bartender again.

Well don't keep staring at the guy, we don't want to spook him.

I think I'm starting to put some things together. Can I buy you a drink, beautiful?

I thought you'd never ask, she replied as they made their way to the bar, sitting down next to Vivian.

"Hey Ivan, can I get another appletini and a whiskey for my cousin over here?" Vivian called to the bartender. She turned back to Buffy. "Did you want something else?"

Before she could answer, Ivan the bartender came over to them, setting a glass down in front of Spike and pouring whiskey into it for him before turning to Buffy. "What'll it be?"

"Vodka-cran," Buffy answered. There was something off about the guy but she couldn't put her finger on it. He was in a word: bland. Average in every way. There was nothing remotely remarkable about him. Average height and build, with brown hair and eyes with a face that most people wouldn't pick up out of a lineup. The intense "average-ness" he was exuding was in itself a red flag.

Buffy leaned into Spike a fraction, Are you getting serial killer vibes off this guy?

A bit. I'm still working on my theory here. Let's see if I can get him going…

Spike eyed him. "All right there mate, so what is it?"

The bartender gave him a quizzical look as he poured Buffy her drink. "What's that?"

"We were just trying to figure out what you are. Other than 'not human', that much is certain. Got enough of a magical barrier around you that the three of us can't seem to figure it out."

The color drained from the bartender's face as he looked from Spike to Vivian and glanced at Buffy, who was sipping her drink calmly. "Like I'm supposed to believe you are?" he replied.

Spike chuckled. "Not at all. I'm quite comfortable in my own skin. Ain't that right, Love?" he asked as he leaned in close to caress Buffy's arm pushing a little of his desire for her through their link.

Buffy slipped a hand under his coat to stroke his lower back, returning the push of tender emotion back toward him.

I really hope this idea of yours works.

If it doesn't, I could always shag you on the bar, sure that would turn a few heads.

The bartender gave a nearly imperceptible shiver as though an invisible hand had just run down his spine.

Spike smirked. "Now isn't that interesting?"

"What's that?" The bartender asked nonchalantly.

"Oh, it's just that I've only ever met one other empathy demon before; now I know there are loads of different kinds out there. This fella was all green skin and red horns and bloody hell could he sing. But you, you are something else entirely aren't you?" Spike paused, sipping his drink. "See the ladies here and I have a bit of a wager going. My cousin there thinks that anyone who can mix a proper drink must be innocent as a new babe. Whereas I think you are some sort of succubus and you've just found yourself the perfect little feeding ground. Lots of emotions running high in a place like this. Clubs in general have that in common sure, but this place has that added layer of the creative element, don't it? I think you're feeding off of these people," Spike gestured casually around the room, now filled with patrons. "little sips here and there, nothing harmful in that." He turned to look at Buffy fondly. "Then there's this sweet little thing. She's a bit less forgiving. She thinks you're just a stone-cold serial killer sucking people dry. Ain't that right, Slayer?"

Ivan the bartender went deathly pale at that. He turned, running the length of the bar, threw up the hinged countertop door, and bolted heading for the back. He pushed through the crowd, sending a girl in a neon orange vinyl dress toppling off her stilettos and sprawling into the floor.

Buffy and Spike chased after him through the back corridor of the club and into the alley behind. He was fast. Ivan darted through the alley, out through Paddock Lane, and into the market with Buffy and Spike hot on his tail. They flew past a nearly infinite number of shops and vendors set up in the numerous stalls.

Realizing he wouldn't be able to outrun them, Ivan shot through the first exit he came to. The three of them stopped abruptly when they saw Vivian already blocking the alleyway. Ivan the bartender was cornered.

Vivian's face had shifted into her demonic form, fury etched into her features. "Why, Ivan? If even half of what they are saying is true, then why?"

He smirked nervously, casting a glance toward the brightly painted wall behind him. "Ask the vampire, I bet he would know. The hell it is to live amongst humans, starving half the time. Never being completely sated. Always wanting more… I get what I can from the club but every once in a while…"

"My clients… when I grant their wish they get a surge of relief or happiness or whatever emotion it is, they get out of wishes. That's it isn't it?"

Spike moved to Buffy's left, both of them braced for a fight. "Like tenderized meat… You just can't help yourself," Spike said sourly.

Buffy narrowed her eyes, watching the bartender, and shifted her body, in case he started to bolt again. "So you've been following them out of the club. Then what? You just suck them dry? Drain all the life force out?" She asked.

Ivan rotated his head back like he was savoring something particularly pleasant. "Something like that. You know, the vampire was right, you are rather sweet aren't you? All that righteous indignation mixed with sexual tension and the urge to do violence, God it's delicious." He was practically salivating.

Spike smirked at Buffy. "You should have said something, I'd be more than happy to take care of that tension for you, Pet."

Buffy rolled her eyes as Spike vamped just before advancing on the demon with a kick to the stomach.

Buffy joined him, blocking a strike to her left temple. "Focus on Major Plain here would you?"

Ivan stumbled back when Buffy hit him with a double kick, rebounding into Spike. Spike grabbed him from behind, gripping his shoulders while Buffy delivered a kick aimed at his head. Ivan made a move to block the strike, clasping a hand onto Buffy's leg. A grin formed on his face as he held her there and he brought his other hand up to take hold of Spike's wrist. They both froze as Ivan shuddered with pleasure, drawing emotional energy from both of them.

"That's it!" Vivian spat, flinging a hand out. Ivan suddenly went rigid, dropping his grip on Buffy and Spike. His body spun in mid-air, away from Spike and Buffy as Vivian pinned him to the intricately painted brick wall of the alley. "I can't hold him like this forever, someone make a wish!" Vivian panted as Buffy and Spike recovered from the attack.

Spike reached out an arm to Buffy pulling her to him. Buffy managed to recover her voice first. "I wish for justice for the victims," she replied sternly.

"Justice," Vivian sneered. She flicked her wrist and the mural of a giant squid he was pinned against seemed to come to life. Thick tendrils of paint emerged from the wall, tentacles gripping Ivan by the arms. They proceeded to wrap around his legs and neck. The tentacle around his neck worked its way up, covering his mouth and wrapping around his head until only his wide fearful eyes were visible. The tentacles of the squid slowly began to pull him into the two-dimensional scene depicted in the mural on the side of the building, merging him into the paint. A moment later, he was gone, absorbed into the painting, as though he had always been part of it, still wrapped within the giant creature's grasp.

Spike straightened up, smoothing his coat, and drew up even with Vivian. "Interesting interpretation of 'justice'," he commented as he considered the new addition to the painting.

Vivian shrugged. "I thought you'd appreciate the poetry of it."

He snorted.

Buffy walked up to the wall, examining the figure in the squid's grip. "It's not exactly what I had in mind but I guess it works."

Buffy opened the door to their hotel room to find Vivian standing in the hallway grinning. "Are you all set?"

"Yeah, we're pretty excited about Amsterdam. I have a Slayer there we're going to check in on."

"Don't forget to enjoy the sights while you're there," Vivian replied. "Do you have everything together for me?"

Buffy smiled faintly. "Thanks again for doing this for us," she said, gesturing toward the shopping bags they had accumulated along with the painting Vivian had gifted them. Buffy tilted the painting back to admire the entwined figures and the riot of colored leaves surrounding them. "I still can't believe you went back to get this."

Vivian shook her head and gave a little shrug. "Consider it an early housewarming gift. Besides, after this past week, I feel like I could use a breather. I haven't been to Scotland in years, it might be a nice change."

Spike came out of the bathroom running a comb through his hair and tossing it into his open duffel bag. "Are you planning on taking a bit of a holiday of your own, Viv?"

She sat on the edge of one of the chairs. "I have some unused time off. If I'm taking this stuff home for you, I might as well."

Spike pushed an index finger into her shoulder. "No granting wishes on the castle grounds, got it?"

Vivian rolled her eyes. "I couldn't possibly make a promise like that. Isn't as though I have no self-control, git."

He pulled her up into a hug. "It's been really good to see you again. Promise you'll stay out of trouble."

"I won't do anything you wouldn't, how's that?" She smirked, pulling back just enough to catch his eye.

Spike chuckled. "Oh, now we're in for it."