Author's Note: Happy Halloween! I will keep posting to this story, but just not as frequently since I'm also still writing it. Thank you for reading! Enjoy!
"What the hell?" Johnny asked, hiding behind Gunn who looked ready to fight.
"Chill out, both of you," Teagan said, rolling her eyes, "Johnny seriously, you basically told me you now believe in vampires. Me transporting through a portal shouldn't phase you."
"How?" Johnny asked.
"I might dabble shall we say in witchcraft," Teagan said.
"I'd say you more than dabble," Gunn said.
Teagan shrugged, "My cousin seemed like he was out of his league and when he mentioned Lilith was involved…"
"You know about Lilith?" Gunn asked.
"The Vampire Queen, oh yeah," Teagan said, "If she has worshipers here, we're in big trouble."
"Why?" Johnny asked.
"If they succeed in bringing her back, let's just say it's not good," Teagan said, observing the hotel room, "Interesting aesthetics here."
"Like she'll end the world and bring on the apocalypse not good," Gunn asked.
"Pretty much," Teagan said.
"What ritual would bring Lilith back?" Johnny started to ask when Gunn interrupted.
"As much as we all want the answer to that question," Gunn said, "I think we should go over it with the rest of the team. Might as well save us the trouble of going over it twice."
"Lead the way," Teagan said, "Come on BryBry. Now don't lose that bag, we'll need it."
The training area
When Spike and Kellie entered the training area, Spike noticed Kellie's attention drawn to the punching bag hanging from extra heavy chains. Then she saw additional ones lined up against the wall.
Spike walked over to the punching bag.
"Have at it," Spike said, gesturing to bag, "Don't worry about holding back. We have plenty of extra."
Kellie hesitated with her first punch, but still sent the bag wildly swinging.
"Decent form, I suspect this may be your usual mode of stress relief," Spike said as Kellie ignored him and proceeded to the wail on the punching bag, pulverizing it.
"Hold up," Spike said, "I'll get you a new one."
Kellie stood back, annoyed and agitated while Spike replaced the tattered punching bag with a a new one.
Spike stepped back and Kellie proceeded to destroy the second punching bag. Then Kellie stepped back and looked at Spike expectantly.
"Only if you tell me how you know Helena Cassadine?" Spike asked.
"I'm not sure you want to know," Kellie replied.
"Can't be as bad her trying to hold Druscilla, my ex, prisoner to use her psychic abilities," Spike said, "And use me as her own personal boy toy."
"She's my grandmother-in-law," Kellie said, "Though I use that term very loosely. My husband and I were already married when we found out his estranged mother was her long lost daughter."
"Yours is worse," Spike said, "Now if the she-bat had figured out we were vampires before we escaped…..I can't imagine what science experiments she would have tried to run on us."
"Or she would have insisted you turn her into a vampire," Kellie said.
"Why does that idea seem like it might mean the end of the world?" Spike asked, as he replaced the punching bag again.
"The Cassadines have tried to end the world before," Kellie said, "Attempted to freeze it or something back in the 80s."
"Why do I get the feeling you tangled with Helena Cassadine on your own merit," Spike asked, not letting Kellie have at the bag just yet.
"I was chasing down a brainwashing program the Cassadines developed when I did work for the WSB," Kellie said, "And she kidnapped my cousin's son and my other cousins in a war over said brain washing program with one of my uncles."
"So you're the daughter of a mob boss and a spy," Spike inquired.
"Was a spy," Kellie said, "I didn't really make a good one."
"Bullocks," Spike said, "More like you don't toe the company line like they expected you too."
"You going to let me have the punching bag yet," Kellie asked.
"Only if you're willing to work on control now," Spike said, moving just behind the bag, "You hit the bag without sending me moving away from it. Like I'm spotting you."
Kellie roundhouse kicked the bag, sending Spike across flying across the room. Spike complained as he collected himself off the floor.
"So that's how it's going to go," Spike said, striding over to Kellie.
Spike shook his head at her.
"Let's get this out of the way," Spike said, motioning for Kellie to take a swinging at him, "Better me than your bodyguard or some other unfortunate bloke."
Kellie looked at Spike skeptically.
"Come on, you know you're itching to fight," Spike said.
"I'm not going to strike directly at you," Kellie said, "I should have done it the first time."
"Are you done with your little temper tantrum now?" Spike asked, "You do have to learn to control your strength."
"I know just," Kellie said, "Nothing about this feels right."
Spike assessed Kellie for a moment.
"That's a surprise," Spike said, "It makes you uncomfortable having power like this, doesn't it? I would have guessed that you'd crave that kind of power, daughter of mob boss and all. The way you carry yourself, the bravado, how resourceful and scrappy you are."
"Scrappy?" Kellie asked.
"What else would you call it," Spike said, "You didn't hesitate to go after a roomful of vampires with no training or experience. You used every advantage you could, improvised with what you had to work with. You held your own."
"That's not true," Kellie said, "I wouldn't be whatever the hell I am right now. Pretty sure I'm not exactly human after that."
"Picked up on that did you?" Spike said,
"Kind of hard not to," Kellie said.
"Well, look it's not the first time one of us, human and non-human, hasn't come through one of these encounters unscathed," Spike said, "But for the most part, our crackerjack researchers have managed to figure the out how to come out ahead or minimize damage. They're going to do everything they can to get you back to normal or human."
"If they can't," Kellie asked.
"Making sure that you can function as normally as possible and get you back to your family," Spike said, nodding at the punching bag, "Now are you going to give this a proper go?"
"If you insist," Kellie said as Spike's phone buzzed.
"I'll have to insist later, Pistol," Spike said, "Gunn texted. Johnny's cousin arrived and might be able shed some light on Lilith."
"Johnny as in my guard Johnny?" Kellie asked.
"Unless you know of any other Johnny's around here," Spike said.
"Johnny isn't really in touch with his family," Kellie said, "At least that's what he told me."
"Well, you'll have to ask him about that then," Spike said.
Downstairs
Gunn led Johnny and Teagan to the lobby where Angel, Cordelia, Wesley, Fred, and Faith were.
Teagan stopped dead in her tracks at seeing Angel as the rest of the group looked alarmed at Teagan's presence.
"Who is she?" Angel said, gruffly, "And how did she get in here?"
"Johnny O's cousin," Gunn said, "She portaled her way here after he called to ask her advice on the situation. She apparently knows something about Lilith."
"I'm glad one of us does," Wesley said, "Because the watchers knowledge and information is pretty bare other. Lots of theories out there, but nothing substantial about who she is."
"She's the original vamp," Teagan said, "powerful, could walk in the daylight, and holy water and crosses couldn't hurt her."
"What a minute, how do you know this?" Angel said to Teagan, "How did you open a portal?
"I'm a witch," Teagan said, "And well versed in a lot of mythology including vampires. Which I guess you know something about, Liam?